Carrying the mountain of desserts, I approached the town of Kazan.

  These were created by the food printer. Meaning…they weren’t created using my DORECA…which also meant that I couldn’t carry them easily using my movement ability.

  For this we needed to put them all on a cart. This cart was guarded by Maya and the rest on the way to Kazan.

  When we reached the area surrounding the town, Valeria met up with us.

  「You’ve journeyed from afar, be welcome in our town.」


  「I’ve brought the promised items. Guide us in.」


  「Alright.」


  Under Valeria’s guidance we entered the town.

  Along the way I spotted some children playing in the mud…the entire place felt quite harmonious.

  「Hm?」


  「What’s wrong?」


  「We just entered the town right?」


  「Yes. From here on is the town proper. What about it?」


  「We entered the town but it doesn’t feel any different from the outside.」


  「Oh so that’s what you meant.」


  Valeria smiled. Her face seemed strangely boastful.

  「It was Malta-sama’s idea that Kazan not have a (Spring) Fountain of Ilia.」


  Fountain of Ilia…the indispensable item that prevents monsters from invading…


  And she’s proudly saying they don’t have one.

  「Why?」


  「We are the proud descendants of one of the Hero’s party members who defeated the evil god, the warrior Ruslan. Malta-sama said that it would be fine as long as we just kill all the monsters that approach.」


  That’s it?

  「I’ll tell you now…this is what happened with the food you gave us a while ago. It was distributed amongst the people according to their achievements in defeating monsters. The more they defeated, and the stronger they were, the more preferential treatment was given.」


  「So that’s what you did? I gave it to you…so I suppose you can do as you wish, but wouldn’t some people get nothing in this case?」


  In this kind of reward system something like that most likely happens.

  「There are no such weak people in Kazan mon~!」 (Note: She pouts which is indicated by the *mon*)

  「UO!」


  There was a shout from behind us.

  I turned around in surprise and saw Malta.

  Malta was standing there with her hands on her hips looking even more prideful than Valeria.

  「We are the descendants of the great warrior Ruslan, it is impossible for us to fall behind in matters with monsters like this!」


  「Like these monsters huh?」


  「That’s right!」


  「I’ll just ask now, but how many monsters did the person in last place kill?」


  「Valeria?」


  Malta asked Valeria.

  It seems she has a subordinate for matters regarding numbers and the such just like me.

  「12」


  「So she says.」


  「How long did it take? Since they’re at the bottom did it take about a month?」


  「No the first day of the month.」


  This time Malta answered.

  「Huh?」


  「Like I said, the first day…well it’s the average of the first day.」


  「The one in last place…killed 12 monsters in the first day…」


  「Yeah.」


  Malta said with a face that made it seem obvious.

  I thought that they were inflating things——when a monster approached the town.

  From a distance there was a cloud of dust as a monster charged over. It was a big boar looking monster.

  「Akito.」


  Maya looked at me and I nodded.

  After receiving my permission, Maya and the rest prepared to intercept when——


  One of the kids who had been playing in the mud leapt up. The kid who had snot dripping from his nose as he splashed around in the mud.

  The child dashed in front of Maya and the rest then jumped in the air and kicked the monster.

  Maya and the girls were surprised at being blocked like this.

  From how I saw it this kid wasn’t all that strong (he was at a level where I thought he was pretty strong for a child), but he had an extraordinarily strong will to fight and he continued to attack the monster over and over.

  After several minutes of fierce fighting the child beat the monster.

  Maya and the girls were even more surprised.

  「Che, he beat it huh?」


  「I was just heading over to beat it…」


  「It’s your fault for being too slow.」


  The rest of the children returned to the mud while talking about things…that children really shouldn’t be.

  …What is this place? The Land of Asura?

  I looked at Malta and said in both an amazed and slightly fed up voice…


  「Everyone’s like this?」


  「Of course.」


  「Then why are you having trouble with food? You can just use the defeated monsters as food stuff, right?」


  「Huh? What are you talking about? What are you suggesting we do with these dead monsters?」


  「Yeah, I know it might be a bit distasteful, but you could use that monster over there as food.」


  「How?」


  「How??? Wha…?」


  I looked at Malta and Valeria.

  Do they not have this kind of concept here?

  I thought as another monster suddenly appeared.

  However, before any of the children were able to make a move, an old man from inside the town leapt out and nimbly moved to engage the monster.

  「………oioi…」


  I was a bit irritated as I saw a strange look in Maya and the girls’ eyes as well.

  I thought…is this really ok with you people in Kazan?

  「Leaving that aside, I brought the things I promised.」


  I signaled Maya and the girls to bring out the cart.

  I reached under the cloth cover and took out a small box which I gave to Malta.

  「This is?」


  「Castella. Take a bite. It’s delicious.」


  Malta took a bite of the castella as instructed.

  As she chewed her eyes began to shine.

  「It’s delicious! What is this! This is the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten!」


  「I see.」


  「Umm hey…are all of those castella? So many?」


  「Well, I did promise.」


  I said and Malta’s eyes shone even brighter.

  *******************************************

  I returned to Ribek and the Lord’s Manor.

  「Welcome back Master.」


  「Yuria, we will now begin buying monsters from Kazan. Write up the costs for it.」


  「Buy?」


  「That’s right. It’s fine even if it’s bartering or traded for Yen. I’ll leave this to you.」


  「Un」


  Yuria nodded.

  「It has also been decided that Kazan will fall under my jurisdiction. I’ll leave the details to you, please make it a pleasant transition.」


  「I understand.」


  I sat down in my chair and rested for a moment.

  I was a bit tired.

  「Master, shall I give you a report?」


  「Sure.」


  I nodded with my eyes closed.

  「There is a question posed by the people. They want to know if they can pay the municipal tax with money.」


  「That’s fine. I suppose that’d be easier.」


  Up until now it had been trade items.

  「I understand, I’ll tell them. Next, I have a suggestion. If Kazan is to be yours Master, then you may want to make a public bath for them.」


  「I see. Next time I go I’ll do so. Next?」


  「Risha-san and Mira-san have gone out hunting the monkeys. The new forest drew quite a few of them.」


  「If it’s the monkeys then I can leave it to them. Next?」


  I asked her as I kept my eyes closed.

  She is an extremely capable slave. So capable that if she weren’t here domestic affairs may grind to a halt.

  「Yuria」


  「Yes?」


  「Sit here」


  「Ok.」


  Yuria moved to my side and sat right down on the floor.

  「You’ve been working hard recently. Is there anything you’d like as a reward?」


  「I just want to be useful to you Master.」


  Yuria answered without hesitation.

  I could see her true motive.

  My slave…an Eternal Slave.

  A race which considers collapsing from overwork from their Master’s orders as a symbol of honor.

  I thought back to Seiya’s slave and how she was able to endure sitting in seiza on that hard ground.

  For them it might not necessarily be something so bad…but I really dislike that sort of thing.

  「Yuria」


  「Yes」


  「Adjust the schedule and make it so that me and you three have a day off. Recently I haven’t fought with you three as a sword, so I want to. All three of you at once.」


  「I understand. I will adjust it.」


  「Good.」


  I nodded.

  My magic didn’t get charged but I saw Yuria slightly smile through slitted eyes.

  I admire and love my slaves…it probably can’t be helped that they desire to be overworked but I consider them to be more than simple labor or assistance.

  I will follow a different path than Seiya.

  「Yuria.」


  「Yes」


  「Massage my shoulders and continue on with your report.」


  「Ok!」


  She answered more strongly. I could tell she was pretty happy.

  Yuria rubbed my shoulders and continued her report.

  We slowly passed the time like that.

  「Master」


  「Hm?」


  I had been dozing off but her call made me open my eyes.

  My bag was shining.

  It was my DORECA. I took it out and the shining got brighter——my card was changing colors.

  From gold…to a silver-ish color.

  「Hmm……Menu Open.」
-

  Akito

  Type: Platinum Card

  Magic Lvl: 6,721,386

  Number of Items Created: 61,343

  Number of Slaves: 3

  Population: 5,000-

  I checked my stats and understood.

  A new stat had been added 「Population」 which was at 5,000.

  So that leveled my card up to Platinum.

  「Risha-san and Mira」


  Yuria murmured and I nodded.

  It seems like they were working hard elsewhere.

  「Yuria」


  「Yes?」


  「Think of some way to reward them.」


  「……ok.」


  —Magic has been charged by 500,000—


  After I gave Yuria that order, I received a rarely seen magic charge from her.

  Really…I have such good slaves.