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Chapter 139: Slave General Election

 

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Royal Capital Ribek south side.

I was walking along with a young man and looking around the area.

This man’s name was Erasto (TN: this is an actual name). He was a citizen of Ribek and someone who lived around here.

Soon after I returned to Ribek I had accepted Erasto’s petition and came here.

「Certainly, this place has become disorderly.」

The sight before my eyes were buildings that looked like they were placed haphazardly.

The street between them meandered pointlessly.

If you entered from outside of Ribek you’d end up twisting and turning so much you wouldn’t know where you had been and where you had to go.

At this point it nearly had the feeling of a slum.

「Yes. This region is mostly from before you began your reign. These buildings are new constructions from Your Majesty, but they were constructed in the exact same places as before. Furthermore, they were built quickly one after another so it turned out like this.」
「I see」
「This is very troubling. If people enter from the south and attempt to reach the center or the north…they’ll get lost for sure. Plus transport will take more time than necessary.」

Erasto spoke youthfully with unpracticed polite speech.

I could easily imagine what he was saying.

In summary…there was no main road.

There were many winding paths and it became easy to get lost.

In the early days where even obtaining food was difficult it didn’t matter…but in current times it had become an issue.

We reached a small plaza where a number of citizens were waiting.

I looked over.

「These are the people living around here?」
「Yes」

Erasto spoke as their representative.

「These are the people who wish to request help from Your Majesty.」
「I see. We need to redevelop it, put it on a grid, and name the road. Oh yeah, we recently developed an asphalt like thing so we’ll used it.」
「I don’t know about the last thing, but thank you very much!」
「「「Thank you very much!!!」」」

The citizens all spoke up.

「We’re always grateful for your work Your Majesty!」
「「「We’re grateful!!」」」
「Don’t worry about it. They’re homes that we made with the DORECA so redeveloping is easy. I’ll send my slaves over here. So we can finish things quickly you’ll need to take the things not made by the DORECA outside.」
「Understood! ……..umm, Your Majesty?」

He’d spoken up spiritedly but soon after he spoke with hesitation.

「What’s wrong?」
「It’s about the slave-sama…….but could you possibly send your First Slave…..please?」
「Risha? Why?」
「Please!!!!」

Erasto said with incredible force as he bowed.

Why all of a sudden? I wondered when…

「「「Please!!!!!」」」

The other citizens cried out as well and bowed.

「Wh-what is it?」

They all raised their faces and looked at me passionately.

Please——their gazes begged.

「……I see. I suppose I can…」

I was assaulted by those passionate gazes and without thinking, agreed.

The citizens all had their tension go above and beyond.
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Ribek Palace.

I stared at it.

The Palace with an absolute barrier, when I had built it it was perfect. Now with all the mother and daughter slaves it had become kind of cramped.

Before long I’d have to restructure it.

「Hm?」

From the palace a slave emerged.

The calmest slave amongst them…Yuria.

「Yuria——」

I was going to call out to her, but partway through my voice died off.

Behind her were a group of children running, they looked like a small troop.

They were all about grade school age. There were around 10 boys and girls.

Among them was one boy wearing a hat that looked like the leader.

「Slave-sama, we’ve gathered the surveys.」
「Good job. Show me.」
「Ok!」

The boy representative handed the bundle of papers to Yuria.

Yuria looked through them, checking them.

「Un, thank you.」
「That’s ok?」
「It is. I can put the information in order.」
「Were we helpful?」
「Yes you were.」

Yuria was calm as usual.

The children were joyful. The girls were smiling and the boys were high-fiving.

Oh? She was using children to gather information?

「Slave-sama! Is there anything else we can do?」

The leader boy said. The children all looked at her with expectant eyes.

「Un, then——」

Yuria gave the children their instructions.

I felt I’d be in the way so I moved away quietly.
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Somehow I ended up just walking around Ribek.

Not only the south section, there was a need for some restructuring and improvement in other areas.

Up til now I had focused on the basics of life, but from now on I felt we’d enter a phase of rapid development.

The goddess had requested I 「restore」 this world.

I could just do it normally, but that would be boring.

Since I was doing it, I wanted to go beyond just restoring it, I wanted to evolve and improve it.

I had heard many things, but what I’d heard made me realize that before it was destroyed, this world was mostly on the level of the middle-ages.

According to my common sense and knowledge, the restoration was still 「stuck in the past」.

That’s why I wanted progress.

I had knowledge. I had knowledge of many things from the middle-ages to the early modern age. I had knowledge of many pioneering technologies.

I’d slowly but surely materialize them using the DORECA.

For now I had a goal to begin developing machine-like things. Things with motive power and things like electric lights.

Electric lights were especially important. Humans’ gaining the ability to conquer the dark of night was important for development.

Well, using magic I could create magic lights as well…

I calmly smiled as I watched the lively town around me.

I eventually noticed something.

Including the shops I’d seen before…on both booths and stores…there would be one of two marks on them.

There was a red mark or a white mark.

It bothered me a bit and just got more and more worrying.

I looked all over this shopping district.

Without exception each shop had one of the two marks.

「Which is Akito?」
「Uo」

I was surprised at being called out suddenly.

I turned around and saw the Leader of Kazan, Martha.

「Martha…what do you mean which?」
「That thing…」

Martha said as she pointed out the two different marks.

「Risha or Yuria, which of the two?」
「Huh?」

I had no idea what was going on.
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「I’m sorry Master!」
「I’m sorry.」

Inside the Palace’s reception room Martha was happily eating cake and drinking tea. However, Risha and Yuria were apologizing to me.

「First tell me what’s going on.」

Risha and Yuria exchanged glances before Risha began her explanation.

「It happened while Master was gone. We didn’t realize it but the people in town started to split amongst the First and Second Slave factions.」
「Was there a quarrel?」
「Not especially…….but……umm….」
「…………..」

Risha and Yuria both looked unwilling to speak up.

What is it?

「I’ll answer in their stead.」

Martha said with a satisfied smile.

「The slaves favor the Master and the Master favors the slaves right? And Akito you’re affectionate with them right?」
「Yeah, I show them my affection, rewarding them is my principle.」

And so? I looked at Martha.

「Well there was a rumor that went around. I don’t know where it came from, but it goes like this. 「Slaves’ achievements change the degree of affection」. So now there are factions supporting each of the two, it’s heated up recently.」

She grinned with a teasing look in her eyes.

「It turned into a competition on who would get more achievements and receive your favor. It’s between Risha and Yuria. So that mark you saw…..」
「……..Umm, basically…」

I sorted my thoughts.

I understood this kind of thing.

It was something very familiar……

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