「I"m Khorkina.」
Inside the Battleship Risha"s bridge that had returned to Ribek.
The Regret that we had picked up brightly introduced herself.
She had silver hair and brown skin…she was the perfect example of a Regret. She seemed more cheerful than Mira and even younger than Lilia.
「I"m Akito.」
「Akito-chan? Is it possible that you"re King Akito-chan?」
「chan……?」
For a moment I even wondered if we"d been acquainted beforehand.
「That"s right. I am King Akito. You are the Regret that set out with Svetlana?」
「That"s right~. Wait where is Svet-chi…is she ok?」
「Svet-chi…….don"t worry she"s……」
「Khorkina!」
As I was speaking Svetlana appeared on the bridge.
She hugged Khorkina and cried.
I had sent a message informing her that she had been found, but it seems like she couldn"t wait and came to see her.
「You"re safe! Thank goodness…..」
「I"m not ok, it really hurt~. Uh…wait? Why am I alive? I should"ve been in pieces.」
How did she die?
「And…..Svet-chi?」
Khorkina looked at Svetlana.
Within her hug, Khorkina held Svetlana"s hair and looked at it seriously.
Then she compared it to hers.
Her own silver hair, versus Svetlana"s golden hair.
「Why did Svet-chan turn back into an Eternal Slave?」
It was an obvious question.
Svetlana had calmed down and pulled away from Khorkina, then we began explaining.
I had defeated Svetlana when she turned into a slave beast. After that, she turned back into an Eternal Slave and we still didn"t know the reason.
「So that"s what happened.」
「Your reaction is pretty weak.」
「Leaving that aside Sve-chan, do you have the letter?」
「No, I don"t.」
Svetlana answered now that she had calmed herself.
「I was still carrying it with me until I was killed, but when I woke up it was gone.」
Well that"s obvious, you turned into a monkey.
There"s no way a monkey would continue carrying it around.
It was probably abandoned right where she transformed.
「I got it. I can speak about the letter. Before that can I talk with you a bit?」
She asked me.
「Yeah if it"s just a few questions.」
At least until I get that letter.
Depending on what it is I"ll need to prepare, getting some information in advance isn"t a bad thing.
Even on Earth diplomatic messages were a ceremony in a certain sense. Knowing the content beforehand was helpful for the messenger and receiver.
That was obvious. The sender would have their pride injured if the message was to be refused, and the accepting side wouldn"t want to accept something strange with difficult implications.
Previous communication was helpful, saying "Ok I"m sending it" "Ok I"m receiving it" was important.
「Ok what is it?」
「Before that I wanted to talk with Svet-chi.」
「Uh」
Svetlana started.
It seems like she"s nervous——no she"s afraid?
Thinking of her usual personality it was a strange reaction.
「Svetlana what"s wrong?」
「Akito -chan is popular with slaves right?」
「Yeah, five of them.」
「All of them Eternal Slaves?」
「Yeah.」
「A~maz~ing!」
Khorkina"s eyes suddenly shone.
It didn"t seem sarcastic or joking, she was truly thinking it was amazing.
「Is it really?」
「Un! After all, you need to prepare lots of jobs for Eternal slaves to do right?」
「…….ah, I see.」
I somehow understood.
Eternal Slaves desire orders from their Masters and feel that collapsing from overwork was a happy thing.
「Normally someone wouldn"t be that popular. Usually it"s limited to one Eternal Slave at most.」
「That"s why we…..were unable to find a Master and became Regrets.」
「I see.」
Even now, the only other Master I had known was Seiya who only had a single slave.
Even skilled Yuria who had come from Kazan, didn"t choose a Master and eventually ended up over here.
「Having 5 is insanely amazing. It"s unheard of~.」
「I"m glad that you think so. And, what does that have to do with Svetlana?」
「Svet-chi should become Akito-chan"s slave~」
Khorkina said and Svetlana started once again.
「Does that have something to do with the letter"s contents?」
「Uh-uh, nothing at all.」
「Then?」
「After all, Svet-chi turned back into an Eternal Slave. I don"t know why, but it means she can"t come back to the country.」
「Huh?」
Can it be?
I looked at Svetlana and she timidly nodded.
「Eternal Slaves can"t enter the Country of the Regrets.」
「……is that a rule?」
「It is a law.」
It"s sounding more depressing.
So since she turned back into an Eternal Slave she"s been banished?
I looked at her and she averted her eyes.
There wasn"t a reason to…but I felt responsible.
I thought for a bit, and nodde.
「Ok then, you shall be my slave, however…
「However?」
Khorkina tilted her head in confusion.
「There are conditions to being my slave. Working your hardest is a given, I will place a choker on you, and your child shall stay by my side as well. Are you ok with that?」
I said and both of them looked surprised.
「Wh-why is that…」
「No good?」
「No no no!」
Svetlana denied it with a loud voice.
「But, why is that…」
「Could it be that you"ve talked to your other slaves about this?」
「Yeah.」
I nodded.
It was Lilia at first, but it was a fact.
「Amazing~, congrats Svet-chi~ you got the best Master!」
「Y-yeah.」
Svetlana blushed.
She glanced at me furtively with emotion-filled eyes.
「Explain what the big deal is…I don"t get it.」
「Being together as Mother and Daughter under one Master is an Eternal Slave"s dream. Normally they won"t talk about it because a normal Master would draw back.」
「Draw back?」
「As in draw back from the concept.」
……..why?
They"re such cute and lovable little things though?
I can"t think of a reaction other than happiness if I could have their daughters work with me too.
Why would they draw back?
I don"t get it.
「Congratulations Svet-chi!」
I don"t get it, but it doesn"t really matter as long as they"re happy.