Daytime, walking around the town.

  It was my break time so I was taking a stroll.

  「Obachan, this please」


  「Ok, 1,000,000 yen please」


  「Ok here you go!」


  I heard a kind sounding older woman and an energetic man’s voice.

  They were in front of a place that looked like a shop with various items in it and the man was giving the woman a stack of bills. He then received his goods.

  「Hey」


  I approached the store and called out to them.

  「Oh if it isn’t your Lordship.」


  「Good day Milord!」


  The two of them looked at me and smiled happily.

  I looked at their hands and compared the goods and the money being traded.

  「Have you started to use the money?」


  「Yes, we have begun to use the money that Milord has provided for us.」


  「It’s very convenient Your Lordship. Having such a small thing that can be used to purchase items is very useful. Thank you very much.」


  「It’s very useful for when you need to make a big purchase.」


  The woman took one of the bills and showed it. It was a 10,000 yen bill.

  「I never thought that money could be made out of paper like this.」


  「You never had paper money? Not even before the evil god?」


  「Never. It’s because it was so easy to counterfeit it.」


  So there were issues with forgery huh…


  「But the money that you provided is —Hurrrggggghhhhhhh—」


  The woman took the 10,000 yen bill in both her hands and started pulling and twisting.

  Hurrrrggghhhh— her face turned red and she started to pant with the effort of trying to pull it apart.

  The bill that seemed to be made of simple paper didn’t rip or stretch.

  It remained in a perfect rectangular shape.

  「—Haa haa… See you can’t harm it. If you tried to counterfeit it it’d be seen through easily.」


  「So that’s the case」


  「To be able to make such a thing, your Lordship is amazing.」


  「Yeah! My dad and mom both say that Milord is amazing!」


  「Your Lordship, please continue to take care of us from now on.」


  「We’ll be in your care!」


  「Ok」


  I bid farewell and continued on my walk.

  ********************************

  Inside the reception room in my mansion, I met with Madway who’d come to visit.

  「What’s going on? Why’d you have to come all the way here?」


  I’d left Madway in charge of the town of Akito.

  I had been the chief of that village but after becoming the Lord of four towns I left that job to Madway.

  Because of that Madway had become much busier.

  If it wasn’t important he shouldn’t have the free time to come visit for no reason.

  「Actually Akito-san, we found a nest of those monkeys you talked about the other day.」


  「Monkeys? Oh the slavebeasts?」


  「Yes, and so we all gathered and defeated them, turning them back into people.」


  「I see, that’s good isn’t it?」


  In order to further develop the towns we needed more people. One of the best methods of finding those people was defeating those slavebeasts.

  I thought that this was a good thing and that there shouldn’t be any problem…but Madway’s face didn’t look too good.

  「What’s wrong?」


  「The number is the problem」


  「Number? The number of people who turned back into people?」


  Madway nodded with a serious look on his face.

  「How many…are there?」


  「400」


  「……400 more?」


  I was surprised.

  There were only a few tens of people in the town of Akito.

  It only had enough supplies and facilities for about that number of people.

  If there were suddenly 400 more that you had to take care of then…I guess you would end up panicking.

  「At first there were only ten of them. After we defeated those…ten more appeared…then after that more…and more…」


  「Oh…」


  I could believe it.

  The slavebeasts were really aggressive…but at the same time really weak. If I were to compare them to people, they’d be about as strong as a kindergartner.

  With such weak things appearing one after another there’s no wonder the amount of people increased.

  「Before we realized it we had 400.」


  「I see.」


  「This is too big for us to handle. If we don’t ask you for help and to make more things then…」


  「I understand.」


  I understood why Madway had come here.

  「Alright, let’s go.」


  I gripped my DORECA and stood up.

  If there was such an issue, there was no choice except to go.

  「Master.」


  At that moment Yuria walked into the room

  She had completely settled into the position of my secretary.

  「What’s wrong?」


  「Valeria from Kazan is here.」


  「Valeria from Kazan…Oh the one I gave 500 pushinee to.」


  「Yes.」


  「What’s this about?」


  「It’s something very important. The only one who can handle it is Master.」


  「It’s no good if it’s not me?」


  Yuria nodded.

  I thought for a bit.

  Many things have happened since Yuria came to me, but I understood her abilities as a secretary.

  If she says that it has to be me…then she’s probably right.

  Faced with a messenger from another town, I needed to be here to handle diplomacy.

  However, Madway’s request was rather urgent as well.

  I was caught between a rock and a hard place.

  「It’d be fine if you sent Risha and Mira.」


  「Send them?」


  「Yes」


  Yuria nodded and took out her card.

  The Slave Card (Normal).

  My DORECA’s sub-card that can make Normal rank items.

  「The two of them have these.」


  「I see.」


  That is indeed the case.

  I turned to Madway and said.

  「That’s how it is. Find Risha and Mira and have them go with you.」


  「Will that be alright?」


  「Yes.」


  I nodded and wondered if I should explain about the slave card a bit.

  「I understand, if you say so Akito-san, I will believe you.」


  Madway said and left the Lord’s Mansion.

  It seems as though I’m quite trusted.

  「Alright, take me to Valeria.」


  「Yes.」


  Yuria guided me across town.

  The town had become livelier as of late but for some reason it was extra noisy.

  Finally, we reached the entrance of the town.

  There I saw Valeria.

  When she saw me, she bowed.

  「It has been a while, Akito-sama.」


  「Yeah, how’ve things been since then?」


  「Thanks to Akito-sama the town is slowly recovering.」


  「That’s good…and this is?」


  I turned away from Valeria and asked.

  There was a litter. There were several people carrying it and there should be someone aboard.

  I wonder who it is?」


  「This is my Lord, the Leader of Naga, Maruta.」


  「Huh?」


  「Maruta(Malta) asked to speak to the Lord of Ribek, Akito.」


  I was surprised and looked at Valeria and the litter alternatively.

  The Town Chief came to visit.

  I looked at Yuria and we nodded to each other.

  Certainly, this can’t be handled by anyone but me.