The Ikesia Empire, with its thousand-year history.
There are many reasons why the Ikesia Empire, the strongest nation on the continent, has managed to maintain nearly a millennium of history.
Things like the wise emperors who have reigned for centuries, or its overwhelming population of over 100 million.
And among those, the single greatest factor in keeping the empire from collapse is its military power.
A military strength that isn't an exaggeration to call five times that of any other nation.
And at the heart of that military might stand the empire's Seven Stars.
'...And this body of mine is a former Seven Star?'
It had been ten days since I quietly possessed this body without anyone noticing.
Having inherited the memories of this body, it took until the tenth day for me to finally sort through the situation and make sense of it.
'Well... it's still way better than ending up as some powerless side character.'
Yuri Kaliyam, a former Seven Star bestowed the title of Sword Saint by the emperor himself.
That's my name now.
"...Well, shit. This is fucked."
Truth be told, whether the original owner of this body was a former Sword Saint or not wasn't the important part.
What mattered was that the true ending of the original game was a bad end—and things were heading that way.
All those happy endings before the true ending, from the empire's fall to the world's destruction, were nothing but illusions shown by the final boss.
In the end, no matter the route, the various happy endings got overwritten. The true ending was a bad one.
If things followed the game, the real ending was a bad end.
"Fuck that. No way in hell that's happening."
In a game, the ending is fixed. But in reality, the future is infinite.
Plus, I wasn't starting from level 1 building a character. I was basically at max level already.
In other words, clearing this would be easier than the original game.
'Instead of a bad end, maybe aim for a bed end.'
A harem ending that was impossible in the game.
But as I said, reality's future is limitless, unlike a game.
Thud.
I gave up thinking any further and flopped onto the bed.
The uncomfortable fluffiness made me miss my bed back home.
No matter what, after just ten days of possession, nostalgia was already kicking in.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The original game, Academy Login, was highly praised for its story, with even the side characters having intricately detailed backstories.
From their traumas and how they formed, to their favorite foods and pasts.
And among them was a sub-heroine with a tragic background despite her status.
Cecilia, the darling of the spirits.
A sub-heroine who was an elf slave to an early-game fat antagonist, showing talent in spirit magic befitting her race.
Watching her slowly break under his exploitation was truly infuriating.
"...Pardon, but might there be something at this auction to your liking?"
Even though I was huddled in the corner of the underground auction house with my hood pulled low, the auctioneer's voice came from behind me somehow knowing I was there.
Figures—he was the owner of the largest underground auction house in the underworld.
"You sure spotted me quick, considering it's been a while."
"Of course. You haven't changed a bit in ten years. How could I not recognize you?"
Fair enough. This body was 114 years old but looked freshly twenty.
Like that rejuvenation realm from wuxia novels. Honestly, even I found it hard to believe.
"So, what brings you here today?"
"Looking for a specific item."
"Understood. Just say the word, and I'll have it brought out right away."
I waved him off hastily as he bowed his head.
"No need. I'll buy it with my own money."
Sure, it'd be nice if the auctioneer handed it over for free.
Cecilia, being an elf slave, would cost a fortune.
But taking her for free would mean owing him a debt.
It wasn't exactly low-risk, high-reward.
'Plus, I've got decades of pension stacked up, so money's no issue.'
I sat there dazed, fiddling with my sword hilt, as the auction progressed swiftly.
Countless items found their new owners one by one.
Famed swords to heirs of sword clans, magic tomes to six-circle mages.
As the auction neared its close.
The auctioneer, who hadn't shown himself until now, appeared to introduce the final item himself.
"Now... the highlight of today's auction! Skin like white jade, golden locks of hair. Her beauty is guaranteed by her race! And a virgin to boot! The final item: the elf slave, Cecilia!!"
The auction house erupted as the owner raised his voice to whip up the crowd.
Elf slaves were rare, after all.
Elves weren't numerous to begin with, making sightings scarce, and those available usually went to high nobles.
Huge demand, no supply.
'Still, seeing her like that... is that really Cecilia?'
In the game story, Cecilia was already broken beyond repair, her eyes lifeless.
But the trembling pupils of the girl locked behind those bars still held emotion.
They were like the frightened eyes of a fragile little animal, exciting the bidders.
"Starting bid at 500 gold!!"
500 gold.
Insane amount— a common farmer's yearly living expenses were just 1 gold.
Yet that price was merely to kick off the bidding.
"1000 gold!!"
"What?! I bid 1100!"
"1500 gold here!!"
Males competing for prime females is fierce by nature.
And as the bidding intensified, Cecilia's eyes trembled more, on the verge of shattering.
"7400 gold!!"
The auctioneer raised his voice.
"Counting down!"
As he opened his mouth to call the numbers.
I threw out a casual bid.
"10,000 gold."
10,000 gold.
Enough to buy a mansion in the imperial capital, a sum even high nobles hesitated to touch.
Of course, to me—who was on another level from average high nobles—it wasn't much of a burden.
"10... 10,000 gold!!"
The once-noisy auction house fell silent, only the auctioneer's voice echoing.
"Counting down."
The countdown signaling the end began.
"3! 2! 1!!"
Bang bang bang.
A dull thud rang out, followed by the owner's announcement of the sale.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"I assume you're aware, but with the slave welfare reforms in place, you have to treat her decently?"
The auctioneer said this while adjusting the master-slave seal from Cecilia to me.
Fair point—in a developed empire like this, exploiting slaves recklessly was risky.
Of course... the antagonist in the original story ignored that and treated her like trash.
"You think I'd do otherwise? Honestly..."
My words carried layers of meaning, and he shuddered for a moment.
Someone sharp enough to build this auction house would know exactly what I implied.
"My apologies. I'll have better goods next time."
With that, he bowed and left, leaving the room in silence with just the two of us.
And it was my voice that broke the quiet.
"What's your name?"
"...Cecilia. Your elf slave, here to serve you from now on, Master."
She introduced herself while avoiding my eyes.
Of course, I knew her name and full backstory already.
'But acting like I know everything would just be weird.'
I knew her well, but she didn't know me.
So, I was giving her time to adjust... time to take in the situation.
"I'm Yuri Kaliyam. You might not have heard of me."
Once a Sword Saint, but now a forgotten name in the world.
It had been over 50 years since I relinquished the title.
"......"
"......"
Once introductions ended, silence flowed again.
Unable to bear the awkwardness, she parted her lips in a frail voice.
"Um... Master."
"Yeah? What?"
"...Could I please... have my first time in bed?"
"...Huh?"
My startled voice made her flinch and start rambling.
"N-No, wherever you want is fine... B-But if the setting isn't good, it might not be healthy for you..."
Her blushing face with teary eyes was tantalizingly provocative.
How did a girl like this end up so broken?
"Seems like you're misunderstanding something."
"...Pardon?"
"I have no intention of jumping you."
"...Huh?"
Her dazed expression was utterly charming.
Regaining her senses, she spoke in a trembling voice.
"...W-Why... why not?"
"Because that's not why I bought you. I needed someone for housework. And prettier is better, right?"
Of course, that was a lie.
I just couldn't stand watching her get ruined by that bastard antagonist.
"J-Just... for that...?"
Tension drained from her as she stared in disbelief, making me chuckle.
"You can't cook or clean, can you?"
"N-No!? I can... B-But you really don't plan to...?"
"I don't, like I said."
Another lie, of course.