7 – Yeongju System

In a certain Lord’s Castle.

In a certain conference room.

“What’s the situation with the war?”

“Total annihilation.”

“Is the Captain safe?”

“He died in battle.”

The Lord slammed his fist on the desk.

“Wasn’t it supposed to be a normal Demon beast? How could things have turned out like this?”

“Well, the Blade that sprouted from that Demon beast’s body shattered the Captain’s sword, leaving him helpless.”

“Are you saying the Captain’s sword, the finest in our Territory, forged with Magical Power by successive Captains, was shattered?”

“It’s hard to believe, but everyone is reporting the same thing. It’s probably the truth.”

“Speak sense!! Ugh!”

The Lord received the report from the command center and clutched his head.

“It was a wolf Demon beast, wasn’t it? The Beast-Humans worship a god called Loomber. Loomber subdued Direwolves and used them as his underlings. Was the wolf Demon beast a Direwolf too?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“So, the Beast-Humans, with the intention of overthrowing us, asked Loomber to send it, is that it!”

“However, the Beast-Humans are also suffering losses, so that possibility seems low. There was no intention.”

“No… It’s a Demon beast weapon they sent.”

“Pardon?”

The Lord spoke as if possessed.

“Send a support request immediately. The Elves are using Demon beasts to create wicked weapons. Tell them above that they’re using a Demon beast with Blades that can Cut anything.”

“…Understood.”

“I won.”

“Of course, you should win.”

With Makia’s specs and Amel’s support, it would be strange not to win.

Smart Makia should have known that, yet she said it anyway.

“Ah, sorry.”

“…?”

“Did you want to be praised? You fought well. You absorbed it much better than I thought, so it was worth helping you.”

“….”

Makia’s lips trembled as if she was dumbfounded.

“Since I won, you’ll keep your promise.”

“Yeah. I will.”

“Then you should go to sleep now. It’s not a good look to go while drunk. How can someone like you not even handle a little intoxication?”

“I guess alcohol is just a deadly poison to me. Don’t worry. I’m fine.”

Amel was confident.

She was confident she could act fine even when drunk.

She was quite lucid now and had done well when assisting.

Having objectified herself for a long time, she understood that she was doing well now. Her behavior had become somewhat unreserved, but that was within acceptable limits.

“….”

Makia wondered what to do.

Then suddenly.

“I want to face you when you’re sober.”

“Hmm… now is perfect.”

“It’s not good.”

“I can only dote on you as much as I want when I’m drunk? When I’m sober, I probably wouldn’t do things like this, or this, because they’re childish?”

Stroking her head.

Caressing her chin.

“…It’s good.”

“Liar.”

Amel’s smile deepened.

“You like it.”

“It’s not good.”

“It seems the eye that discerns lies doesn’t apply to yourself.”

Amel knew.

The [Magic Fragment] sensed a subtle change and caught the flinch inside.

It couldn’t be helped. The electric massage that felt good was, well, good.

“Enough. Just do as I say. If you do, you can hold me in your arms.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes.”

“Since you said you wouldn’t do that when you’re sober, you’re being generous. I’m going to bury you deep in my chest, so be prepared.”

“…Yes.”

Amel returned home with Leki’s support. She yawned, as if she had been somewhat sleepy from the start.

Makia was left behind.

She looked back at the three.

“You fought well.”

“Thank you.”

“Makia-nim is also very strong.”

“Hmm…”

Makia scanned Polia, Leila, and Molly one by one, familiarizing herself with their faces.

“What did you say your names were?”

She asked for their names again, one by one.

Polia. Sword.

Leila. Axe.

Molly. Bare hands.

She associated them with their respective characteristics and, after a long time, memorized the characteristics of Humans.

“It seems the Hero was directly teaching and handling you. Could I hear what the Hero did before?”

“Hero…? You mean Amel-nim?”

Polia tilted her head and asked.

“Yes. The Hero. The Hero who rules you and recruited me into her service. She will conquer many lands in the future and be revered by many, so it would be good to be careful with your words.”

“Hero, you say. Lord would be fine, but Hero is a bit…”

“Surely Amel-nim isn’t thinking of overthrowing the country?”

Leila asked specifically.

Although she came from a mountain village, Leila, who was once a Village Chief candidate, had learned to some extent how the outside world worked.

“There is much land that does not belong to Humans, so where does the idea of overthrowing the country come from? This land.”

She pretended to step on the ground.

“It seems this land also belongs to the Empire, but in reality, it is the land of wolves. If one becomes the owner of this land and rules the people, what else would you call that if not a Hero?”

“Lord?”

“Yes, that’s not entirely wrong. A Lord is also a type of Hero.”

“I, is that so?”

“A kingdom is a union of Lords, and the Hero is the strongest Lord among them.”

Makia picked up the sword again.

She lightly swung the sword.

The sensation of it gripping in her hand.

Even though the posture and form were not much different, it felt completely different from when she first swung it.

This was rote learning.

Makia was astonished by the technique Amel had instilled in her, though she didn’t show it.

“Anyway, if you know anything about the Hero, I’d like to hear it.”

“Amel-nim…”

“Hmm…”

“….”

Polia spoke on behalf of them.

“We don’t know anything either.”

“…Come to think of it, you said it’s only been a few days since she took you in. Can I understand that you met around that time?”

“Yes.”

“How absurd.”

She gave the source of Magical Power to Humans she had only just met?

Although it could be recovered at any time, this was a serious loss of power. It was usually unheard of. Showing weakness in the wild was akin to courting death.

No, even if it could be recovered, what if these women died while possessing the source of Magical Power?

It would lead to a permanent loss.

Therefore, giving the source of Magical Power was generally reserved for those who were completely trustworthy.

Makia used to have it too.

Now they had all become independent and returned it.

“So, you don’t know where the Hero came from or what she’s been doing. The Hero is one thing, but you’ve been trusting and following such an unidentified person.”

“Well…”

“Haha.”

“There’s no choice but to hear it directly.”

Makia recalled the words Amel had said.

She flinched.

“What kind of person was the Hero when she was sober?”

“Uh… well… she’s been drunk ever since the night we were rescued, right?”

“Yeah.”

“She was sober when she was rescued, but what was she like then?”

“….”

Makia, at a loss for words, was simply told about the events that had occurred since she had met Amel.

“She extremely dislikes men touching her body, huh.”

“Men can’t help but be drawn to Amel-nim’s face, chest, and butt. Something bad must have happened with a man in the past.”

“Well, that’s why she really likes Keila for taking care of Amel-nim while she was unconscious. We think that’s what motivated us to help too.”

“….”

The day before she lost consciousness must have been the day the Electricity covered the ground.

There was a battle, and after fainting, she was guided to a woman named Keila.

As a reward for the help she received, she drove away the bandits and came this far.

Makia was relieved.

Combining the stories she heard and Amel’s words, Amel was not the type of person to grope someone just because they were cute.

It was possible to interpret it as she tended to hide her true feelings, and she couldn’t hide them because she was drunk.

“That’s a relief. I was worried about what to do if she was a shameless person.”

“It would be amazing if Amel-nim was shameless.”

“Hmm…”

“….”

Polia, Leila, and Molly shuddered as they recalled the times they had been caressed.

A spine-chilling flow of Electricity.

“Let’s stop the chatter here. You have separate tasks, so you can go back.”

“Yes? Yes.”

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

“….”

Even Molly left silently.

Left alone, Makia swung her sword to make the swordsmanship Amel had instilled in her more her own.

Learning and mastering something.

The feeling immediately followed.

She felt her own growth in real-time.

There weren’t many things more fun than that.

The hangover was mild.

Was it because she didn’t drink much?

Amel woke up after sleeping for about an hour. She had been awake right before, so she didn’t sleep that long.

She looked out the window. Makia was swinging her sword in the backyard.

She watched her. Makia, a wolf turned Human, was training herself to master the swordsmanship Amel had taught her.

It was admirable. She remembered what she had done to her yesterday and this morning.

‘She is cute.’

But that was a bit much.

She still wanted to do that now, but,

‘It’s better to refrain.’

It didn’t seem like she disliked it, but she couldn’t ignore the other person’s refusal just because she liked it.

“Haa~am.”

Amel shot out [Electricity].

Makia shuddered.

Her Magical Power was abundant.

Thanks to that, she could intervene more deeply.

Yesterday, she was drunk, so she unconsciously assisted her as she usually did with the other three, but,

‘I might be able to do something that fits the word “manipulation”.’

It was possible with Polia, Leila, and Molly too, but probably only once. They couldn’t withstand Amel’s Magical Power and [Electricity].

That’s why she had given them cumbersome help called inducement.

But Makia was different. She had the body and Magical Power to withstand it.

‘Should I try?’

No.

‘Never mind.’

It was a hassle.

She was still sleepy.

She only engraved a simple assist.

Then the young [Sword Aura] on Makia’s sword became even denser, and soon the sword strike Cut through the air in three directions.

“….”

Just now.

Makia had created a new Swordsmanship.

It wasn’t particularly ingenious.

It was similar to [Phantom Sword], but in a simpler form. She materialized Magical Power and used the Blade like a fingernail.

She clapped.

“Congratulations.”

“Are you awake?”

“You don’t seem very happy. Well, I understand since I did something.”

“Was that stimulation from just now you?”

“Huh? What?”

“…It’s nothing.”

Did she think she realized it and used it herself?

Such a delusion was also important.

It added Strength to her confidence.

Amel called Makia and the other three.

To talk about future plans.

It wouldn’t be complicated.

“There was something I forgot to talk about this morning, so I couldn’t say it.”

But before that,

“I became the Lord.”

“Yes?”

“Eh?”

“…?”

Makia asked, hearing the children’s reactions.

“Didn’t you tell them?”

“I was sleeping until almost right before you came. Anyway, when you call me in the future, you don’t have to call me Lord-nim.”

“Even though you’ve become the Lord? I can’t call you by your name as I please.”

Leila was disgusted.

“I agree with that too. The one who stands above everyone must not be looked down upon. If you are undervalued, we will all be undervalued.”

“Is that so? But you know.”

She would return the Territory.

She would quit being the Lord.

“Even if that’s the case, we must be mindful of titles. What are you going to do about the other children if only you are okay with it?”

After quitting being the Lord.

Those who would be left behind…

She glanced at everyone from Leki to Molly. There were also people who had come all the way here to follow Amel outside the house.

Amel recalled them and questioned herself.

Are you going to abandon them?

The answer to that question.

And her true feelings.

Along with the thought of why she should care, she felt sorry for leaving them behind.

“Is this responsibility? I hate it.”

Taking care of her subordinates.

It felt different from keeping her loyalty to friends or equals, but in the end, it meant being bound by Fate.

‘It’s my own fault.’

She couldn’t escape as long as she was the Lord.

Still, there was a good point.

She could wield power.

‘Power, huh.’

That must be what the title was for.

Amel pondered what she would like to be called.

“Well, let’s decide that later. For now, call me as you have been. I haven’t even declared myself Lord yet.”

Anyway,

She returned to the main topic.

“As the Lord, I plan to expand the Territory. Do you remember the thunder and lightning that struck before I drifted into Leki’s village?”

“Yes… it struck pretty hard. Thunder without rain…”

Leki already guessed the identity of the thunder.

Because she found out that thunder struck when she fought Makia.

“That was the sound of me fighting some guy. I was born with the ability to control lightning.”

Amel created [Electricity] in her hand. Flames from [Electricity] connected between her fingers as if they were viscous.

“Anyway, what I want to say is.”

Great Devil.

Sealed Land.

How should she explain it?

But suddenly, she also had this thought.

Amel was the Hero.

“Evil beings will soon open their eyes. What happened in your village is probably a harbinger of that.”

“You mean the bandit group?”

“It seems the boss used something I Sealed that he had.”

“Pardon?”

“The guy I fought the day before I lost consciousness in Leki’s village. I suppressed him to a draw, but I fainted. Keila and her husband rescued me, but it seems the bandit boss took the Sealed Body.”

Everyone except Makia was stunned.

The crisis that had befallen the village was related to Amel.

“The crisis in the village was caused by my sloppy handling. So, if you don’t want to do something with me, say it now.”

“””….”””

“Nothing?”

“Amel-nim.”

Leki said.

“Even if the crisis in the village was caused by Amel-nim’s mistake, we here have already dedicated our bodies and souls to Amel-nim.”

She had said it while drunk.

To become puppets.

It was a joke-like remark, but from the perspective of the children who heard it directly, it was serious.

“Please use us to your heart’s content until the day we die.”