The next morning in the reception room.

Jahn arrived looking smug.

「So you've finally come to a decision?」

His face seemed to say "I already know the answer even if you don't tell me."

Sorry, but I won't be able to live up to your expectations.

「I have no intention of being under Maxim.」

「……Huh?」

His face changed and he looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

「What did you just say?」

「Are you…are you serious?」

「You'll regret this. Maxim-sama is a man who will kill anyone who seriously disobeys him. This town…no all four of our towns will end up annihilated.」

「Yes indeed. 2,000 of them!」

「Well we just have to kill them as they come.」

Jahn seemed completely stunned.

His expression seemed to question my sanity.

「You'll regret it…are you sure?」

You already asked that…

「My answer will not change. Tell Maxim that if he wants to have a relations.h.i.+p of equals, I'll meet him halfway.」

I said decisively and looked at Jahn.

I looked at him straight on to let him know that this was not a joke, I was serious.

「……haa, it won't be my fault if you regret this later.」

Jahn spat out with a face full of scorn…then he left the room.

From the hallway I heard a cras.h.i.+ng sound. It seems like he took out his frustrations on something in the hall.

「Master, what will we be making today?」

Outside of the Manor, my three slaves were gathered in front of me.

I took some small solace in Risha's usual phrase, then gave them their orders.

「We will be suspending construction and focusing on the establishment of defenses.」

First I stated our overall objective and looked at Mira.

「Mira, go to Kazan and tell them to hunt a lot of toroi. If they bring them they'll be rewarded appropriately. When you can't find toroi then bring them outside of the town.」

「Ok!」

Mira dashed off.

Nitokas require a silver card so I need to do that myself.

Next I looked at Yuria.

「Yuria go around town. You need to create and repair swords, arrows and bows.」

「If there's an issue come see me. If something requires silver card or higher bring it to me.」

「I understand.」

Yuria also set off.

The only one left was Risha, who was looking at me.

Her eyes seemed to be glittering like the eyes of a faithful hound.

Her eyes seemed to be saying, "It's my turn now, what will he ask me to do?"

「Risha, you're with me.」

「I understand.」

—Magic has been charged by 5,000—

This would be my first time facing an enemy like this in this world, so I wanted to have one of my slaves on hand.

I opened my DORECA menu.

Under the Weapon category in my creation list…

I used the movie function that had appeared when I upgraded to the silver card to check each of the weapons.

「Oh.」

I'd found something good.

It was a weapon called 'Gradik'.

「If I could…ma.s.s produce this…」

As I gazed at the video, I imagined how it could be used in real combat.

Risha and I walked out of Ribek.

As always the wasteland spread out before us.

It was a sight that made you wonder if it ever ended.

As I looked out at the barren wilderness, I really thought that now was not the time to be fighting amongst each other.

「Oh that's right, how has the forest been doing Risha?」

「So animals are fond of you huh…」

The blond elf eternal slaves.

In addition to that, Risha is a calm and sociable person, so it's no wonder she's liked by the animals.

「If that's the case, then I'll leave that to you. Do as you please with your bronze card.」

「Is that alright?」

She asked, seeming doubtful.

This is one area where she was different from Yuria. Yuria would follow my commands without question, while Risha would hesitate when I say 「I'll leave it to you.」

Well, it's ladylike so it's kind of nice.

「Of course, I gave you the bronze card because I trust you. If I didn't then you'd still have a normal one.」

「Ah……….」

—Magic has been charged by 20,000—

I got a magic charge from Risha who had started to blush.

The matter of the forest had been settled so me and Risha chased after the magic circle's arrow.

Finally—a monster appeared.

What appeared in front of us was a bird that was about the size of a person.

Its entire body was covered in feathers and it had a beak full of sharp teeth.

Just by looking at it, you could tell it wasn't people friendly.

It was called puchitsa.

「Is that it Master?」

「Ah, like the lava…….」

「Yes!」」

Risha responded and braced herself.

I took out my Eternal Slave Kai and touched the red gem and Risha was sucked in.

The blade began to burn.

I decided to give myself a head start in this battle—and swung.

At that moment the puchitsa body seemed to double in size as it spread its wings and flapped.

A huge amount of feathers came flying towards me.

「Hu!」

I put magic into the blade and swung sideways.

The feathers all had sharp pointed ends, but they were burnt by the power of my sword.

One of them managed make it through and scratched my cheek. Immediately, blood began to flow down my face.

(Master!)

「It's nothing much.」

I wiped the blood from my cheek with the back of my hand and attacked the puchitsa again.

I raise my blade once more and swung with my full strength.

「Pigyaaaaaa!」

The giant bird screeched.

The flame blade cut through the feathers like b.u.t.ter but the counter attack drove me away while scratching me up.

I took my distance and readied myself again while muttering,

「It would've been good to have Yuria for this.」

「Don't get depressed. I was thinking it would be nice to have both of you.」

「Yeah.」

With how easy it was to cut the feathers, I believe that Risha's flame attribute is its weakness.

Then to dodge the feathers I'd need Yuria's radar.

Mixing Risha's powers and Yuria's would be good…

「It'll be a pain to let this drag on, I'm just gonna push through.」

(Ok!)

I put even more magic in than before, the flames almost doubled in size as I attacked the puchitsu directly from the front with my full strength.

The strange bird burst into flames and soon plopped to the ground completely burnt black.

A glowing ball floated up from the ashes.

It was the puchitsu soul.

This was the material I needed for the gradik.

「Puchitsu soul…and bow…」

After healing myself with the panacea, I placed the ingredients into the circle and made a gradik.

The circle changed into an item.

What appeared there was a bow decorated with white feathers.

「Hmm…」

I grabbed it and examined it.

「How is it Master?」

「Ok.」

Risha accepted the bow from me and knocked an arrow.

「I'll aim at that rock」

「Fine.」

At the moment I nodded she loosed the arrow.

Risha's arrow flew straight and true—until part way through when it changed.

From one arrow…it split into five.

*Bam*Bam*Bam*Bam*Bam*!

The five arrows pierced into the rock.

It was the same as the movie from my DORECA.

「It worked right?」

「Amazing…..I've never seen a bow like this. If we have these then 2,000 soldiers will be nothing!」

「I don't think it'll go that smoothly, but it'll at least make it easier.」

The gradik and the nitoka.

My strategy involved a lot of them.

Shotguns and gun batteries, if we have these then I think we'll manage.

In order to make this a reality, Risha and I hunted puchitsus until we ran out of panacea.