I Forcibly Enslaved the Enemy's Strongest Officer with a Slave Contract
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
As he gazed blankly out the window, it wasn't long before the carriage came to a halt. The place where it stopped was the entrance to yet another mansion.
Around the estate bearing the crest that symbolized a Duke, countless buildings stood in rows to support and defend the main house. It was every bit the estate of the Roswald family — said to be the most powerful among all the ducal houses.
"Master, we have arrived."
When the man stepped down from the carriage, the waiting servants guided him into the mansion. There, a middle-aged man whose hair had already turned completely white, yet whose eyes remained as sharp as ever, was waiting for him.
"It's been a while, Aldebran Roswald."
"A while? We saw each other three weeks ago."
"That's how grueling it was. From the start, this operation was two months of nothing but waiting, then only the last two weeks of hard fighting. What a pain."
"Well, infiltration missions are always like that. Still, you got results this time, didn't you?"
"Compared to last time, when I waited a month and came back with nothing, this is better."
"In any case, congratulations on the success of your mission, Mijisu. It was quite a dangerous one."
Like old friends who had spent long years together, the man spoke casually and familiarly to Aldebran Roswald, the head of the ducal house. Addressing even a member of a ducal family in such casual terms would normally warrant capital punishment regardless of age — yet even speaking this way to the head of the house brought no reprimand upon him. That alone meant the man standing before the Duke — this man named Jisu — was at minimum the Duke's equal.
"Her Majesty the Emperor was extremely pleased with your results. In effect, you took the enemy's head single-handedly."
"Yeah, then that's fine. Why are you calling me again…"
"Quite the complaints. Is it because of those women again?"
"I've built up three months' worth, you know."
Even though Rosalyn had worked hard to milk him of his seed, the amount had been barely a drop in the ocean for him. Right now, Jisu was in a state where he wanted to violate and trample someone immediately.
"Rest a little first. You seem to have come just to chase women again. In my experience, overdoing it when you're young like that leads to serious problems later."
"That's just because they're weak, isn't it?"
"Haha! Generally speaking, you're right. How many people are stronger than you? But you've just completed a mission that was practically a war. Even you would wear your bones down doing that right now."
"Is that a message from Her Majesty the Emperor?"
"Something like that. Though this Duke's own opinion is mixed in as well."
Snap!
When Aldebran Roswald snapped his fingers, maids and butlers brought out a feast that looked delicious at a glance. Goose liver, soup made from processed poisonous herbs that grew only in special places, snake wine, eel, and more — a banquet composed of ingredients that seemed excellent for the body was set before Jisu in an instant.
"Eat first. These are ingredients bestowed by Her Majesty, so you must finish them all."
"Her Majesty went to some trouble."
"I heard subduing one of their generals was quite difficult in this operation. How was it?"
"Rather than a general, they use the term Major over there… It was a woman named Silen."
"A general I've never heard of before. How was she?"
Jisu sank into thought. The valiant figure of Silen dual-wielding rapiers, cloaked in wind as she ravaged the battlefield — and how, even as that wind flung blood everywhere and everyone else was covered in gore, she alone stood clean and lofty upon the field.
"Just looking at her made my cock hard. She was truly formidable. Her tactics were remarkably refined for something never revealed on our side."
"How did you catch her? The soldiers must have been exhausted after waiting two months near the Dimensional Gate."
"It was hard. Our soldiers were drained, while they had marched carefully and slowly to the Dimensional Gate, so they were full of energy… But she was a bit soft-hearted."
"Hostages?"
"I took her adjutant hostage and threatened her. From then on her concentration faltered, and I barely managed to win."
"Indeed, hostages are effective against those without experience. Though they'd be useless against cold-blooded types like you."
"That's true."
The Duke continued various conversations as Jisu slowly finished every dish, then rose from his seat the moment the meal was done.
"Come this way."
"There's still more?"
As Jisu shrugged as if he had no idea what to expect, Aldebran opened a door beside the reception room. Like a prison for confining monsters, countless magic circles and chains of thick metal were interwoven throughout. Inside, a woman wearing restraints was bound.
"You sly old fox. You already knew and were just asking?"
"Of course. Is there anything in this country this Duke doesn't know? The conversation earlier was simply stalling so you'd finish your meal."
"Well then… So it is Silen?"
"She's exactly the woman you're thinking of. Silen Caelis. The woman you captured a week ago."
"Showing me this woman means I can take it that you're entrusting her to me?"
"Of course. Her Majesty said that spoils of war rightfully go to the one who harvested them, and bestowed her upon you. She's yours to take — make her yours as you always do, extract information, and bring glory to our empire."
Silen Caelis was one of the officers of the Belanor Empire, the enemy nation of the Etherion Empire to which Jisu belonged.
Originally, the Belanor Empire had possessed national power equal to the Etherion Empire. But when a Dimensional Gate connecting to another world opened within the Etherion Empire and they monopolized the resources of that other world, the gap in military and economic power gradually widened. Sensing crisis, the Belanor Empire sent Silen and a special unit with orders to siphon off the Dimensional Gate's resources. However, they were discovered by Jisu, who had been lying in wait, and she was captured and handed over to Roswald.
"What information have you extracted over the week?"
"None at all. Torturing someone who has achieved six sublimations is far more difficult than expected. Four interrogators have already been seriously injured, and no one wants to attempt torture anymore."
"That makes sense. You need them conscious for torture, after all."
There exists a concept called Soul Sublimation. Though the exact criteria are unknown, when one overcomes what is generally considered hardship, it is said that with a sensation of the soul being overturned, the rank of one's soul rises. Of course, few survive such hardships, so most soldiers experience only a single sublimation before dying. Even officers or those with special talent manage at most three. But Silen, the pride of the Belanor Empire, was a monster who had experienced six sublimations.
According to Jisu's terms — Level 7. Binding a conscious Level 7 was nearly impossible. Among mass-producible suppression tools, none could restrain a monster-class expert. And they couldn't very well use the imperial treasures — consumable restraints that existed as one-time items. In that sense, a Slave Contract was a fairly reliable means of binding the strong.
A Slave Contract that forcibly made someone a slave when the target was completely neutralized and the contractor was of equal or higher level. Normally there would be no one of Level 7 or above, but fortunately Jisu qualified. Contracts to enslave those of Level 5 and above required various additional costs, but the empire was not so poor it couldn't bear them.
"The only ones who can forcibly subjugate a bitch like that with a Slave Contract are you, the Sword Saint, the Northern Grand Duke, the Royal Guard Captain, the Magic Tower Master, the Fist King, and the Saintess. And among them, the only one who'd take interest is you. You thoroughly enjoy training women, don't you? You even have a trainer's license that doesn't suit you at all."
"…Can I take her right now?"
Beyond mere interest, Jisu was aroused. Normally, spoils of war belonged to the Emperor. Of course separate compensation was given… but for Jisu, the best reward was women. In other words, he wanted beautiful women most of all. Ordinarily one would violate a captured opponent once, but important figures like Silen were usually transported immediately and the Emperor personally decided their treatment. He had thought he'd catch a beauty and not even get a taste — yet they were transferring ownership entirely.
"Make the contract before you go. The Slave Contract is already prepared. Hold out your hand."
Aldebran magically connected Jisu's outstretched hand with the bound Silen, then activated a prepared magic circle to magically bind the two together.
Only a powerhouse who had achieved at least six sublimations could force someone with six sublimations into obedience through a Slave Contract. This meant Jisu himself was a powerhouse who had achieved at least six sublimations.
A geometric pattern appeared on Jisu's hand, proving the contract had successfully taken hold. The moment he confirmed the mark was engraved, Jisu immediately tore through the leather restraints and the surrounding chains with raw strength.
When the restraints were ripped away, within them was a beauty barely keeping her eyes open, steeped in sleeping drugs. Satisfied, Jisu hoisted Silen onto his shoulder.
"Huh… I was going to release those chains for you."
"I'll be going then."
"Contact me if she spits out any information."
"I'll make her spit out something within a month."
"I'll be looking forward to it."
Nodding at Aldebran's final words, Jisu returned to his estate with Silen slung over his shoulder.