A Perfect Checkmate

“I will render the verdict. The criminals Kate, Arona, and Becky, despite knowing the laws and duties of the empire, chose to ignore them. Therefore, in order to uphold the empire’s laws and duties, I sentence them to ten years of slavery under the model citizen Divine—who has striven to fulfill those responsibilities—or five years of hard labor on the front lines. They are to choose and carry out one of these ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sentences.”

It seemed the judge had added the charge of aggravating circumstances after hearing my story. The original duty imposed on an incompetent woman was two years. For these three it had already been increased by one year to three on the front lines, and the final ruling had tacked on another two. Yet an alternative had been created: ten years as my slave. I had mentioned my desire to enter the academy and the fact that I had once been a person of ability. The result was a new choice for those slaves.

Objection? They were not even permitted to speak, having already committed their crimes. It was a perfect checkmate. All that remained for the three slave bitches were bad choices and even worse ones. And with nearly one hundred percent certainty they would try to become my slaves. The flow was flawless. I kept my expression neutral while smiling like a devil inside.

The judge’s name was Alio. He was the sort of judge whose rulings changed drastically once he heard a man’s side of the story. When I examined his information window with my ability, his secret past surfaced. He had suffered even greater humiliation at the hands of women than I had, to the point where he now loathed them. On the surface he maintained a respectable household, but inwardly he believed every woman should be reduced to a slave. Once I fed him a scenario perfectly tailored to his views—one in which the three slaves would have no choice but to become my official property—the desired verdict emerged.

Having delivered that declaration, the judge left his seat at once, as though some urgent business awaited him. I rose from my chair. I had given him no bribe, yet I bowed with sincere respect to the man who had exerted himself on my behalf after falling under the influence of my ability. Only after the verdict was pronounced did I finally turn to the three slaves with the smile of a villain.

By now their souls seemed to have fled. They simply sat in place with vacant faces, staring straight ahead. Even when our eyes met they showed no reaction. I could understand why. Everyone avoided frontline labor; a single year there was said to destroy a person’s body. More importantly, the empire’s critical mines lay in that region. The terrain was harsh and the risk of invasion by other races was high. If I refused to accept the three slaves, those girls would be forced to endure five full years of such labor.

The three who had lost their abilities were now nothing more than orphan girls without backing—the lowest ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the low in the empire, even if the law did not explicitly say so. From the very beginning they had been destined never to escape my grasp. From the moment I burned their slave contracts until the instant the judge delivered his sentence.

Everything went exactly as I planned.

Yes. Every event, every current, had flowed according to my design. The three slaves had walked the path I had laid out from start to finish and arrived at a ruin that held no hope.

I had done well so far. Now I sank into thought, considering what sort of training would turn the three slaves into flawless ones before the academy entrance exam. The prospect of repaying the humiliations I had suffered many times over caused the talent called strategy residing in my head to stir once more.

*

“......”

The verdict had fallen. All that remained was my own judgment. I gazed at the three women locked inside iron cages like livestock and sketched both the grand picture and the minute details.

This should be enough. At this rate I will have tamed all three into proper slaves by the time of the academy entrance test. They look capable and beautiful on the outside, but inside they are one hundred percent snakes.

I acknowledged their ability and appearance. But if I intended to use them, further work was still required.

“Hehe~ Master. After all, the only slave you need to serve you is me, right?”

I had deliberately brought the well-trained Liris with me to the cages. Both of us were dressed elegantly—me in a fine suit, her in a dress—attired well enough to pass for nobles. This too was part of the plan. It served as proof that becoming my slave would allow them to live in such comfort. Liris’s role was especially crucial.

“Master. Even if you take these bitches as slaves, won’t they fail to understand your grace and betray you anyway? In that case, why not simply send them to the front lines? Yes?”

“Liris. You may be right. There is no telling when they might regain their powers. It might be better to dispose of them rather than take them as my slaves, no?”

I spoke loudly enough for them to hear on purpose. The three slaves showed no outward reaction, but the status windows conveyed their hearts instead.

“Yes, Master. After all, there is still time before the academy registration deadline, and plenty of women are waiting for Master’s choice.”

“Exactly. Women are scattered all over the world. There is no reason to use those bitches who once had a connection to me as slaves.”

When people are driven into a corner they become extreme. I knew that well; I had harbored such thoughts myself during my own difficult times. But what if, at that very moment, a saving hand appeared as if by miracle? It had never happened to me, yet if it did I would seize it without hesitation. What if there was only one such hand? What if two competitors stood beside them? What if the chance of being chosen was only one in three?

In that case, unless they were already utterly extreme, they would all scramble to grab that hand. If I pushed them even deeper into the corner, truly extreme thoughts would arise. Now was the time to extend the hand of salvation and make their hearts submit.

“Still, one of them looks useful. Honestly, the front lines are short on troops because of the other races’ invasions and the discovery of new ores. Hmm… I won’t say who, but there is one I would like to take as my slave. Naturally, if that slave doesn’t want to, I have no choice.”

Look at that. How selfish humans are. The moment I say I want to take just one, each of them thinks I’m talking about her.

This was the beginning. Having blocked the focal point that might have let the three women unite, I now had to turn them into a relationship where none could trust the others.

“Liris. Among Kate, Arona, and Becky, which one do you think is useful?”

“Hmm~ I’m not sure? I think all three are worthless. I’d rather you just sent all of them to the front lines~ But if Master wishes it, I will obey your judgment completely. I am Master’s faithful slave. A slave who follows any command Master gives. Because I am Liris.”

I stroked the head of Liris, who openly obsessed over me. I cherished the way she acted cute and burrowed into my embrace, then turned my gaze back to the slaves. Hope had returned to their eyes; the light that had died was rekindled.

“Right. We must decide today, so let me think it over. One out of the three… Honestly they’re all so similar I can’t decide who to pick.”

Even as I spoke, my next move was already set. I looked at the knight.

“Sir Knight. I would like to conduct individual interviews. Is that permissible?”

“Fine. But ten minutes each. The verdict has been issued, so the criminals must be dealt with quickly. Dragging things out would be improper, yes?”

“Understood. It won’t take long. I ask for your cooperation.”

“Very well.”

She took Kate first, leading her—and me—to a room that resembled an interrogation chamber.

“Liris. Stay here and bid your final farewells to the slaves who don’t yet know whether they will head to the front lines or become my slave. Understood?”

“Yeees~ Master. Have a safe trip.”

Thus the final operation began—an operation to turn all three women into my slaves at once. Though I had declared that I would save only one, I intended to claim all three. Considering what they had done to me, frontline labor would have been fitting… yet I judged that taking talented bitches as slaves was itself a rather fine form of revenge.

I sat in the chair the knight had prepared and looked at Kate, who wore both handcuffs and shackles.

“You must have many things you want to say to me. Speak.”

“......”

The old Kate would have snarled and lashed out at me. Yet for some reason she simply stared with completely resigned eyes. She looked like an anxious puppy that already knew it was about to be abandoned.

“If you have nothing to say, you may go. If you head to the front lines our tiresome, hateful relationship will finally end. Do your best out there. Who knows? Perhaps after long years of labor a path to knighthood will open for you?”

Of course no such path existed. Frontline labor was the kind of work where one worried about dying of disease. It was that brutal and exhausting.

“Oh, that’s right! I heard that because manpower is so short on the front lines they’ve started sending prisoners there ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as well. Farewell, then.”

When I rose from my seat, Kate scrambled down in panic and fell to her knees.

“I was wrong… Please… Please don’t send me to the front lines… Okay?”