I counted the number of fallen people.

  Altogether there were only 20 men and women.

  If I returned with these people then we’d have 27 in total.

  Up till now, even if we called it a town, there were only about 5 people there. Now with 27 people we can at least say that we’re a village.

  In order to increase the number of people we have more quickly, I went out of my way to find these slave-beasts.

  While I was going around to check whether or not they were alive, I suddenly realized something.

  Of the twenty people, there was one woman with pointed ears and blonde hair.

  The elf-like race…one of the eternal slave race.

  She looked exactly like Risha.

  By chance could this be-

  「Uuuu………n」


  The girl groaned and opened her eyes. It looks like she’s come around.

  「Where?……」


  「You’re awake huh?」


  「Yep……wai- a a human!?」


  She sprung up and shrank back instantly.

  She scuttled backwards on her hands and rear, then began shaking and staring at me in fear.

  Is she scared of humans……? Did something scary happen to her?

  Be that as it may I would never do 「something scary」 to her.

  It’s my policy to treat these praiseworthy slaves with admiration.

  「It’s ok, I won’t do anything.」


  I chuckled with a smile, but that didn’t really do much.

  She was trembling as she stared at me.

  Every time I took a step forward she frantically retreated another step.

  Uh, what should I do in this situation?

  As I was thinking to myself.

  「Master~!」


  From behind me I heard a voice. It was Risha’s voice.

  I turned around and saw Risha rushing over wearing her dress and choker.

  「What’s wrong?」


  「Master was late in returning so I got worried and ended up coming.」


  「You’ve done well to find me out he——oh I get it. The arrow pointing to the slave-beast claws is still there.」


  That should be pointing out this direction even till now. Once the apes turned back into humans, the ground was covered in a number of claws.

  Risha could reliably chase after me if that’s the case.

  「Oh right, have you brought any panacea with you Risha?」


  「Yes, I still have some that Master gave me.」


  「For now, I need you to give me some back, I’ve completely used up what I took with me.」


  「Alrigh-what!? You used it all?」


  As she was taking out the panaceas Risha it dawned on her and she got startled.

  「Master, you should have taken a lot of it with you right? Why did you have to use all of it?」


  「There was a really strong monster that I had to fight, so I used it on that…」


  「EEHHHH!? Are you alright!?」


  「As you can see」


  I did a guts (flexing) pose.

  「Thank goodness……」


  Risha sighed in relief. Her face looked relieved from the bottom of her heart.

  As I was staring at Risha, I suddenly remember something.

  「Menu Open」


  ———————————


  Akito

  Type: Bronze Card

  Magic Power Level: 16

  Number of Items Created: 49

  Number of Slaves: 1-

  My magic power really did decrease, furthermore it’s almost gone.

  The Eternal Slave that was made using Risha’s hair showed its true power using magic.

  Not only were my panaceas used up in that battle with the scorpion, I’ve also almost completely used up my magic.

  「Thank you Risha.」


  「Eh?」


  「It’s thanks to you that I was able to beat that strong monster.」


  「I didn’t do anything.」


  「Yes you have.」


  I took Risha’s hand and said.

  「You are my proud slave, my very own pride.」


  「Your proud slave, your pride?……」


  Risha gazed deeply at me.

  Her eyes widened and she seemed like she couldn’t believe her ears.

  After a while-she giggled and laughed.

  Her face loosened and a big smile spread across her face.

  —Magic has been charged by 10,000—


  My magic was charged as Risha became happier. That one smile was worth a charge of 10,000.

  I want my slave to be happy, and when my slave is happy near me I get a huge amount of magic.

  If this isn’t a win-win scenario I don’t know what is.

  「Ah……」


  I heard a gasp from a short distance away.

  It was the girl who woke up a short while ago, the other eternal slave.

  She didn’t look frightened anymore, and was instead staring at me looking surprised.

  It seems like she is able to speak, so let’s give it a try.

  「I am Akito and this is my slave Risha.」


  「Ah, yeah」


  「You are…?」


  「Mi,Mira」


  「Mimiraah?」


  「I’m Mira ~desu! My name is Mira!」


  She gave a nice reaction to that little joke.

  She probably wouldn’t have been anything but frightened if I’d done this a little while ago.

  「First off, I’ve got a couple of questions. First of all, your appearance. You’re an eternal slave like Risha right? You’re not an elf right?」


  「I’m an eternal slave ~desu. What’s an elf?」


  You don’t know? Well whatever.

  「What do you remember before you turned back from an ape-I mean before you lost consciousness?」


  I remembered the previous circumstances and changed my question midway.

  「Umm…I was walking through the forest and I was suddenly attacked by a monster……huh, wait…I’m alive?」


  Mira looked down at her body.

  I wonder if she thinks it’s strange that she’s still alive since she remembered being attacked?

  She’s an eternal slave, but her circumstances seem to be the same as the other four we rescued before.

  「Ok then, one more thing. Do you want to become my slave?」


  「Yes I do!」


  An immediate reply.

  This really surprised me. Just a little while ago she was so frightened of me, I would’ve never thought that I’d receive and instant 「Yes!」 in reply to my question.

  「Really?」


  「Yes please!」


  Mira stood up and bowed towards me.

  「Menu Open」
-

  Akito

  Type: Bronze Card

  Magic Power Level: 10,016

  Number of Items Created: 49

  Number of Slaves: 2-

  Alright then, my number of slaves has increased to 2.

  With that completed, I turned to the other people who were still collapsed on the ground.

  The remaining 19 of them were all humans.

  All that’s left is to wait until they wake up to talk to them. If possible I’d like to persuade as many of them as I can to return to the town with me.

  「Umm……Risha-san」


  「What?」


  「How long did you have to serve Master to get that choker Risha-san?」


  「Well this is-」


  「Do you want one?」


  I asked Mira as I turned to face them.

  Based on how she asked Risha and her expression as I turned around I understood.

  There’s no doubt that Mira is envious of that choker.

  「Yes……because I am a slave.」


  「Fumu…」


  You want that choker(collar) 「because you’re a slave」 huh?

  「Ok, I’ll give you one.」


  「Eh?」


  Surprising Mira, I laid out the choker magic circle.

  「I-is that alright?」


  「You want it right?」


  「Yes」


  「Then I’ll give you one. Without the choker you won’t feel bound to me right?」


  「Yes!」


  「Risha, you help too.」


  「I understand.」


  The calmly smiling Risha and the half in doubt and excited Mira.

  —Magic has been charged by 2,000—


  —Magic has been charged by 10,000—


  I got charged twice simultaneously.