"No," Ichi said. He couldn't believe the sight. "This is wrong."

"Is that your pride speaking, Ichi Danzaburo? This is how the Shadow Society operates. Using ones magic to the fullest, even if it's like this, is natural. Plus, it's cost efficient. If I had Oni's ability..."

Satou slavered as she looked down at the little girls who formed a procession under her. She stood on a wooden platform, wielding the white druid-killer blade Ichi made from Scipio's sword. The white sword looked like an instructor's baton as she directed little girls wearing large brown sacks as clothing to put down supplies. Then, the little girls stormed back into a tunnel from which they came, as more hustled out carrying supplies.

Ichi couldn't believe it. Oni had said something about creating a supply line for Danberu's fortress, but he never expected it would be a bunch of little girls and a small tunnel.

Ichi looked at Tanuki Lord Danberu who towered behind him with confusion. Danberu stared back at him with bemusement. Finding no ally in his fellow Tanuki, Ichi turned to the authoritarian Satou.

"But, these are little girls. You can't use them for freight! Those Tanuki are strong, why can't they turn into little girls and use the tunnel to get the supplies themselves!"

Satou laughed mockingly from her high position as she directed a girl covered in dirt to drop a sack of rice onto an ever growing pile.

"This is Oni's magic. He can make anything become a little girl. All of these girls you see," Satou waved her hand over the crowd of hustling delivering girls, "they were all pebbles, barks, leaves, and dirt. They will return to the dirt from whence they came, when their duty is done."

Ichi doubled over and genuflected in front of Satou. He didn't want to accept this culture gap. Sure, Ichi was from the city and they did things differently there- but this was too much. He was only in Avalon for about three weeks. Three weeks of freedom from any and all responsibility. Not that he had that much even in the village with Grandpa, Ichi solemnly realized.

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And yet, not only in that time did Renya submit to him by becoming his 'Maid Knight', he also realized that he became the lord of powerful maids. Even someone like Fubuki acknowledged him as 'Master'.

Ichi's head raised up as he stared at the little girls busily packing the food stores with Satou's supervision. This is too far. Ichi could only repeat that in his head as he watched the little girls.

He couldn't handle it. No- he didn't want to handle it. Not like this, whatever he needed to do, he didn't want this! Ichi stood up.

"This is enough. This ends- now."

Satou looked at Ichi with disgust as if he were disrupting her production line.

"Don't let your pride get in the way of profit. The Tanuki here may seem like a peaceful enough lot, but they are at their limits. If nothing is done, they will crack open the walls and plunge themselves in the bakeneko waiting outside- to die pointlessly. Do you know how many died recklessly rushing out trying to slaughter all the bakeneko? Idiots like those Tanuki are responsible for their own death, but if you have any compassion for them, you will let the little girls act as slaves like any sensible person would."

Ichi's mind froze at Satou's words. He remembered his first smartphone dying on him once. When the smartphone was updating, he turned it off. Ichi turned that smartphone off solely because the screen told him not to turn it off! That ended that smartphone's life. Ichi looked to the ground.

"Then, how about if someone killed all the cats? Normal trade would have to resume."

Satou chuckled at Ichi and got back to supervising the little girl. Danberu walked in front of Ichi, blocking out the sunlight with his massive brown furry form. He shook his head at Ichi.

"You are not from this world, but, I suppose it is natural to think poorly of us for exploiting these creatures that you regard as children for their mere appearance. However, as a Tanuki yourself, surely you understand how little appearance means. You can change your form at will. There is no need to care for these beings. They are just magic."

Ichi heard his thoughts retorting Danberu that he was just magic too. A druid was a being of magic- and yet he was treated as someone worth talking to. This Tanuki Lord didn't know what he was talking about. Ichi reached into his chest pocket. He pulled out the black blade Renya gave him, swinging it free.

"I'll be back soon. One hundred, or one million dead cats is fine too."

Danberu's massive paw slapped onto Ichi's shoulder like a weight.

"Can't let you do that, Ichi Danzburo."