The smiling townspeople of Akito saw us off as we got on the train to leave.

  Risha and Mira were looking out of the train windows as Lilia drove.

  I called Yuria over and asked her a question.

  「Who thought of that?」


  「Everyone.」


  「Everyone?」


  「Everyone in town. Madway found us when we were finishing the railway and got excited. He said that Master was making something big that would help everyone live better lives.」


  「Un! That guy really knows what he’s talking about!」


  Mira said with some excitement then went back to staring at the scenery flowing by.

  「They said they wanted to thank you somehow, so we came up with that idea.」


  Yuria said.

  So the first one to suggest it was Madway, and from there my slaves turned it into a large event…


  「Was it bad?」


  「No.」


  I wasn’t trying to say that.

  It wasn’t bad…but I really do need to find some way to reward my slaves.

  They put so much effort into making that big ceremony…I have to do something in return.

  Something to make them happy, make them feel valued.

  I thought about it.

  「Master」


  Risha called out to me.

  「What is it?」


  「That」


  Risha pointed out the window.

  I saw pointing at a large group of those apes.

  Sharp claws, brutal appearance, but weak like children.

  Altogether there were 20 of them.

  It was a chance to increase our population.

  「Lilia stop.」


  「Ok desuno」


  The train slowed to a stop and I gripped Eternal Slave to go and beat them.

  「Master would you please leave this to us?」


  Risha asked and all of them looked at me.

  「Alright.」


  I left my sword in its sheath and nodded.

  —Magic has been charged by 10,000—


  —Magic has been charged by 4,000—


  —Magic has been charged by 2,000—


  They jumped off of the train with happy faces and charged towards the apes.

  Since they were fighting those apes they didn’t even need to use weapons.

  As I watched them fight I continued thinking.

  This was the usual pattern.

  All four of them would move as I ordered, but I’d only get 3 charges.

  Yuria would not give one.

  Yuria was…in a way…the most difficult one.

  There was no doubt that it made her happy.

  However, it seems like for her if she doesn’t reach a certain threshold, I would not get a charge.

  Because of that I’m almost always one short.

  ……alright, I’ve decided.

  I’m going to do something to return the favors they’ve given me. It’ll be something that ends in all four of them being happy enough to give a charge.

  ***********************************

  Once the apes were defeated each of them turned back into humans.

  When they regained consciousness my slaves spoke to them and explained the situation.

  Once I saw that they had finished speaking I approached.

  「It’s done?」


  「Yes desuno」


  「I see. Then for now we should take them to Ribek. We can still manage to fit this number in the train.」


  I looked over at the train that we had made just recently.

  There wouldn’t be enough seats, but thanks to the magically removed inertia there shouldn’t be any danger.

  「Risha onee-sama, your hem is torn desuno」


  Risha heard Lilia called out and stopped.

  Turning to look I could see that the hem of Risha’s dress was indeed torn.

  The apes’ sharp claws must have torn it.

  Risha looked despondent and looked at me with sorrowful and apologetic eyes.

  「Don’t worry about it.」


  I said and took out my DORECA to repair her dress.

  I cast repair to use my magic when…


  *Thump*

  I heard a sound. I turned and looked to see one of the people who had transformed back from an ape. A girl with long hair had fallen on her butt.

  Her face was pale as she looked at me with fear in her eyes.

  What happened?

  「Master…that.」


  Yuria pointed to the DORECA in my hand.

  「This? This is what made her so afraid?」


  I was doubtful but I didn’t get a chance to ask before…


  The girl let out an ear-piercing scream as she stared at the DORECA.

  ***********************************

  「Master」


  Risha reappeared in front of me after interviewing the girl.

  「How was it?」


  「Umm………that girl was apparently from Seiya-san’s place.」


  「……hm?」


  What did she mean?

  「This was her second time being transformed back into a human. First she was saved by Seiya-san and was brought back to his place.」


  「Oh yeah, he did tell me once that he had learned that the apes would turn back into humans.」


  「Yes. But………she suffered at Seiya-san’s place.」


  「Oh」


  I nodded. I didn’t have to ask anymore to understand.

  Seiya probably treated them like slaves using them one after the other.

  「Then……Seiya-san abandoned them and they were attacked by monsters once more.」


  「Then they became apes once again?」


  「Plus Seiya-san always checked his card after committing some act of violence and so…」


  「I see. I understand now.」


  I approached the girl.

  She looked like she would run away at any moment, but Lilia cuddled up to her to keep her from running away.

  I took out my DORECA.

  「Listen to me please. You’re afraid of this?」


  「Hii!」


  「Calm down for just a moment.」


  I chanted 「Menu Open」.

  I picked out cake from the list and made the magic circle.

  I chose the 3,000 magic cake and selected the option to pay 10 times the amount to make it solely from magic.

  It looked like I’d just pulled a delicious looking cake from out of thin air.

  I held out the cake to the girl.

  「Do you like sweet things?」


  「……huh…mmhm.」


  She timidly nodded and I handed the cake to her.

  「I have a different way of doing things than Seiya. His card is used to gather suffering, but what I seek is happiness…or you could say smiles.」


  「Smiles?」


  「That’s right. Risha」


  「Yes」


  「Mira」


  「Yeah!」


  「Yuria」


  「Un」


  「Lilia」


  「Yes desuno」


  I called all four of my slaves.

  The four of them stepped forward and stood in front of her.

  「Eternal Slaves…」


  The girl knew that…it made sense.

  She would have seen Seiya’s slave back then.

  She looked at them.

  Slowly her face softened.

  「The slaves’ smiles?」


  「Yeah」


  「Ours too?」


  「You can trust me. I won’t mistreat you.」


  「……un, I’ll try.」


  She nodded timidly.

  「They’re smiling after all.」


  「I see.」


  Their smiles were truly a happy thing to me.

  The fact that I can be trusted because they are happy with me.

  The girl bashfully lowered her head.

  「T-thank you for the meal.」


  She slowly put the cake in her mouth as if she was afraid it was a trap.

  「I-it’s delicious……」


  We smiled as we watched her eat her cake.