Chapter 19 – Supporting my Servants
Yuuri spoke with a shocked expression.
“Save… us?”
“The guards will be coming here in short order, so I’ll be curt. Simply said, I want you to become my subordinates for a while…. however, your appearances will change because of that and I will hold your lives in my hand for that time.”
The fact that their appearance will change is convenient.
Their faces are well known at this point.
The demons spoke up in protest to Yuuri.
“It would be too dangerous to entrust our lives to him!”
“We don’t even know who he is!”
To that, Elysia interjected.
“Standing before you is the Sixth Prince of the Empire, Alec!”
“A-a prince!?”
“Yes. I was also a demon…..and His Highness saved me as well. He is not the type to ill-treat demons. He is a very kind person.”
She then apologized to me for speaking out of turn.
I’m happy about her opinion, but….how will they react to me being a prince?
A commotion broke out among the demons from Elysia’s words.
“A prince wants to recruit us?”
“W-won’t we be just turned into test subjects for some experiment?”
However, in the distance, people with torches were closing in to our location.
So I prompted Yuuri and the others to make a decision fast.
“If you want to run now, then I won’t stop you. However, those people are most likely on horseback.”
Hearing my words, Yuuri closed her eyes.
If they try to run here, they will be caught in short order. Even if they manage to escape here, they will be wanted criminals, since the guards already know who they are.
He finally opened his mouth with great reluctance.
“Lives can’t be replaced….”
“Y-Yuuri.”
Even though they looked worried, none of the others opposed Yuuri’s decision.
Kneeling down again, Yuuri bowed his head to me.
“Please, save us….I will become your servant, Your Highness.”
With Yuuri’s imploring voice, the other demons bowed their heads as well.
I nodded in agreement.
Then, their bodies were enveloped in light.
What appeared after were mostly human looking people, just like with Elysia. There were around thirty young people of both genders, some of them still children.
I confirmed that they no longer had only one eye, but other than that, I couldn’t really inspect them in more detail.
With their size greatly decreased, their waistclothes fell down as well.
In other words, they were all naked.
However, they showed no embarrassment about that fact.
The guards with the torches were even closer by now.
“Everyone, gather in one place!”
“Y-yes!”
After they moved together, I used 《Teleport》 to move all demons to the forest north of here.
“So I was able to move all of them at once….”
While I was contemplating that, the guards rode in on their horses.
“Your Highness, are you alright!? We received a message from the tower and we came from Lobrion as fast as we could.”
“I’m unhurt.”
“I-Is that so? Then, I’ve heard that you were in pursuit of the demons, Your Highness?”
“They escaped via the sea. However, it’s already this dark and they were fatigued already. I don’t think they will last long.”
“I see….. At any rate, it’s good to see you are alright. Also, you saved Lobrion. Our Lord, Count Lobria, would like to express his thanks to Your Highness.”
“Is he in the harbor currently? I will go when I feel like it. For now, I’m somewhat tired…..yawn”
I yawned intentionally.
I don’t want to come across as talented. Let’s just act like a child would.
“Eh? I-I understand! Then I will convey your reply! Hey, send someone to report that the demons escaped via the sea!”
The guard split into two groups and disappeared in the distance.
“Well then…..I guess we’ll meet up with the others now.”
I then used 《Teleport》 to get Elysia and I to the forest where Yuuri and the others were.
I didn’t realize it in the moment due to all the hurry, but apparently I can 《Teleport》 nearby people without the need to hold their hand. Though it might be a new development with my increased mana capacity caused by Yuuri and the others becoming my Servants.
Anyhow, Elysia might be taking it bad that we don’t need to hold hands anymore, judging by her tearful eyes.
I don’t know why she would be sad about it though….
“….so, everyone is here I see.”
“──!? W-where did you come from?”
They all looked a bit spooked.
Well, it’s a magic used by devils, so no wonder they would be surprised.
“Yes, I can use magic like this. Anyway….I will prepare some clothes for everyone. Until then, please eat this.”
I shared the fruits I had in my 《Pandora’s Box》 with Yuuri and the others.
I have Arrow Crow meat as well, but we can’t use fire here, so they will have to bear it with this for now.
“I-Is this whole thing…..really fine?”
“It’s fine. However, the shops in Lobrion must be closed by this time. I will need to buy them at the capital where shops stay open late.”
“T-the capital?”
Yuuri had an even more confused expression on her face, but explanations will have to wait for now.
Since Elysia knew a good shop, we were able to 《Teleport》 to the capital and buy clothes and shoes for about forty people. I put all of it into my 《Pandora’s Box》 and returned to the others.
“Wear these. Elysia chose these at a glance, so tell me if they don’t fit.”
Yuuri and the others put on the clothes and shoes as instructed.
I guess Elysia has a good eye for things like this, because everyone was able to find clothes of suitable size for themselves.
They all had simple shirts and trousers over their underwear, and also leather shoes. With this they all look like average empire citizens.
Now I could finally take a good look at them.
Their appearances were mostly of normal men and women. They all had two eyes and hair, so they had no similarities with cyclopes……wait, there are some men with no hair.
Perhaps due to the cyclops blood in them, they were all pretty tall. Also, some of them had blue, or bluish black hair.
Demons have human blood in them, so perhaps that’s why they turn human in appearance after becoming a Servant.
On the other hand, the reason why Elyc the slime didn’t change in any significant way is because it’s a pure monster.
Their spokesperson, Yuuri, was a tall and slender young woman now.
She had short hair, so she looked a bit tomboyish, but she was undeniably a woman. She also had sharp eyes that gave her a cool impression. A beauty not the least bit inferior to Elysia.
Yuuri was somewhat disorientated by her new appearance, but then she bowed her head to me.
“T-thank you very much! We were extremely thankful already that you saved our lives, but then you gave us food and clothes as well….”
“I’m sorry for any inconveniences my ability may have caused. However, with this even if the guards manage to find you, they won’t try to arrest you. If you manage to find a place where you can live peacefully, then I will release you from being my Servant. You will be able to return to your original appearances that way.”
“A place where we can live in peace…..”
Yuuri spoke those words with a faraway look.
“…..there is no place like that for us. Though with these appearances we might be able to live in the empire.”
“In that case, I’m fine with you remaining my Servants, but….”
“Even so, people might not welcome us in if we just appear out of nowhere.”
Because of that reason, Yuuri bowed her head to me.
“Please….Would you let us serve under you, Your Highness? We will do any menial jobs or even fight like a slave! We prepared ourselves for that when we asked to be your servants.”
“Under me…..? But….”
It would be too difficult to employ everyone at the palace.
And while I have money, if I need to take care of this many people, it would run out in a few years.
But, I would indeed worry if I just let them leave like this….
This was the hardest I racked my brain ever since I returned to the past.
“Yuuri….do you guys have anything you are especially good at?”
“Our family has been in the business of smithing and mining for generations. The reason they employed us here was because of our expertise with cast iron as well….”
I’ve heard the cyclopes in the Monster Kingdom make the weapons for monsters of giant size.
Yuuri and the others must’ve inherited those techniques as well.
They were the ones that made and took care of those giant chains as well it seems.
I will procure the materials and they will make weapons and tools.
I could buy or rent some place in the capital and sell things there.
I would be able to turn a profit on it as well…..so this might not be that bad of an idea?
But, a place huh…..
I turn my gaze to the southeast of here.
I received a huge territory in Tialus.
The southeast is rich in mana filled minerals called mana crystals.
“….Tialus. I guess we’ll take a look.”
It’s not impossible that there could be a safe place in that monster infested region.
Therefore, I decided to head for Tialus next.
Thanks for the chapter!
Of course she was a woman.
yikes.