「So…that new slave……what is her name?」


  Maya asked in my office.

  「It appears that her name is Raisa…」


  「It appears?」


  「Well I just found out too.」


  「Hmm. I wonder if she’s mixing well with the others…」


  I nodded.

  Until now she was Seiya’s slave so I hadn’t heard her name…but once she became mine that was the first thing I asked.

  Her name was Raisa. By the way, Risha had apparently known her before.

  Raisa had become surprisingly spirited.

  After getting some jobs from Yuria, she ran around Ribek from morning till evening happily.

  「I was surprised when I saw her. I wouldn’t have guessed she was the same dead faced girl I saw before…」


  「I was surprised too.」


  「In the end Eternal Slaves are all like that huh…」


  「That may be so…」


  From being so weak she couldn’t even die, to being completely energetic and working all the time…


  If only I’d done this sooner.

  「Anyways, what did you come here for?」


  「I brought you this.」


  Maya clapped her hands.

  The door opened and her companions entered.

  The girls brought in boxes, placed them between us, and left the room.

  I looked in a box. Inside it were many folded papers, envelopes, and pieces of paper.

  「This is?」


  「These were entrusted to us by the various towns. They’re basically thank you letters.」


  「Thank you letters?」


  I grabbed one of the folded up papers.

  I looked at it once and I could see that the letters were very poorly written.

  One glance and I understood that it was from a child.

  「King thank you… our lives are easier…thank you…that’s what’s written huh.」


  I opened the letters one after another.

  Each of them were similar in content, they were thankful.

  「These are…」


  「Also we were given this.」


  Maya stood up and walked to the biggest box.

  Then took out a paper umbrella.

  It was gigantic. Larger than a parasol…big enough that if you hung a curtain from it, it would turn into a tent.

  She opened it within the office.

  「This is?」


  「The people’s names are written on this.」


  「Wow, they’re closely packed too.」


  「This is another method of thanks. This is from the people of Kazan. They have a custom of sending a joint signature to a respected statesman.」


  「Huh……」


  「One this big is one of a kind.」


  Maya said earnestly.

  「I never would’ve expected I would get something like this.」


  「Well this just shows how grateful people are. I’ll just tell you that, a thing like this wouldn’t be made if they were only superficially grateful.」


  It’s that kind of thing huh?

  Like it or not…this type of gratitude was more than lip-service. Going out of your way to make such a huge thing and going to each and every person to get a signature.

  This made it feel more real than if they had simply spoken words of gratitude.

  Though my goal was to revive the world and become king…


  …these pure feelings of gratitude made me happy.

  「Gratitude huh? I thought that was why they had me become king though…」


  「Just that alone couldn’t fully express it.」


  「I see. Thank you Maya for delivering it.」


  「It’s fine. We just carried them here.」


  Maya shrugged.

  「Honestly, at first we wanted to do more for you…」


  「More?」


  「Like if there were people bad mouthing you, we’d really ‘convince’ them otherwise.」


  Maya said emphasizing her words suggestively.

  「Regulating free speech? Really?」


  「Well…turns out we didn’t need to. Everyone was thankful…but there was one complaint……

  「Hm?」


  I wonder what it was…it bothered me.

  「That the pushinee tastes terrible.」


  「…that is gross isn’t it?」


  I said and started to laugh with Maya.

  ***********************************

  After Maya left I called for Yuria.

  「There’s a task I’d like to give you.」


  「Hm, what?」


  My small slave Yuria asked.

  Her facial expressions were scarce, but it was as usual.

  「That place where Risha and I vacationed…the resort. I’d like to open that place to the citizens.」


  「You’re going to let everyone use it?」


  「That’s right.」


  「For free?」


  「No.」


  I shook my head.

  「Just as before, I will only guarantee the basics of life, anything more is their responsibility. That is my continued policy.」


  「Then, you’ll take money?」


  「That’s right, it’ll cost money, but not be a rip-off. I’ll leave this to you.」


  「Understood.」


  「Ah, wait a moment.」


  I called her back as I thought.

  「Allow the first guests to stay for free. Come up with an excuse…like in celebration of the King’s enthronement. That I leave to you as well.」


  「I understand. Who does this invitation go out to?」


  「These people.」


  I grabbed a letter from the mountain that Maya had left behind.

  It turned out to be one of the letters that a child had written.

  「They probably have a family. Invite them.」


  「Un, ok.」


  Yuria listened to my commands and left.

  All that was left was to let Yuria carry out my orders.

  As I sat there…I stared at the letters and paper umbrella.

  「Menu open……disassemble.」


  I used that magic on them……and it didn’t work.

  It made these things that my citizens had made feel more real.