Chapter 1:
Liam
IT SEEMS THE GUIDE was telling the truth. Here I am in my second life,
after all.
My new name was Liam Sera Banfield. When I looked in the mirror, I
saw a boy with black hair and amethyst eyes. This reflection waved back at
me when I waved, so I was certain it was me.
I was five years old, playing in a child's room, when I became
conscious of my past life. There were numerous toys on the floor around me,
but what immediately caught my eye was the size of the room.
"Pretty big." Even taking my vantage point into account, the room was
large. It was a child's playroom, but it could probably have fit a small house
inside it.
I appeared to be pretty well-off. The Guide had told me I'd be born into
a noble's house, someone with authority, and he must have kept his word.
My vague memories of my current life confirmed that. This was the family of
Count Banfield, and I was his heir. The count ruled a planet in the
Intergalactic Algrand Empire of the Albareto Dynasty. In the future, I would
rule this planet. In the scale of the entire Empire, my station wasn't too
impressive, but I liked the sound of "ruler of a planet." There would be no
one on my entire planet who could defy me.
"As promised." I smirked.
I didn't know why the Guide had chosen me for reincarnation, but I
would probably betray his expectations. If he was expecting me to do good in
this world, then I was going to have to disappoint him. After all, I'd learned
in my previous life that doing good was worthless. I planned on becoming a
striking example of an evil lord. Of course, that presented me with my first
problem.
"What does an evil lord or, like, a bad noble even do?" In fiction, they
would oppress their people, so should I do the same? When I thought of
"evil," what came to mind was booze, women, and gambling. Does that
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sound right?
"Should I just be a glutton?" My image of an evil lord was rather
vague. Should I increase taxes and accept bribes, like a crooked politician?
Well, I'm sure that just doing as I please is fine.
"This is getting pretty exciting, hm?"
Something fluttered down to land on my head. I picked it up and saw
that it was a letter. When I opened the neatly sealed envelope, I found a
message from the Guide inside.
"He sent me a letter? Why not just show himself again?"
I found the answer to my question within its contents. It started with
congratulations for my successful reincarnation. Then it told me the Guide
was busy, so he wouldn't be able to watch over me for some time, but that he
would make sure I got the assistance I needed. Apparently, someone else
would provide help in his place.
"Help? In this place? From whom?" I was alone in the room, with no
one else nearby.
While I cocked my head, curious, the door opened. A man and woman
stepped into the room, attended by a group of people behind them. Their
names surfaced in my mind; my memories told me that these were my current
parents.
My father was Cliff Sera Banfield, my mother Darcie Sera Banfield.
The pair walked over to me with smiles on their faces and handed me
something that looked like a glass tablet. I saw some sort of document,
apparently a contract, on the green-tinted surface. The writing was unfamiliar
to me, but I seemed able to read some of it nonetheless. It appeared to
indicate that my father's peerage and domain were being transferred to me.
They're just giving everything to a little kid? I was a bit confused by
the sudden development.
"Father, what's this?" I wasn't sure how to handle this news and, more
than anything else, these new parents of mine were nothing more than a
bother to me, really. They didn't show up all that much in the vague
memories I retained. What's going on here?
I looked up at the man I had awkwardly addressed, and he patiently
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explained things to me. After he'd spoken, though, I was even more
confused.
"Happy fifth birthday, Liam. My present for you is everything that
House Banfield owns."
Everything the Banfield family owns as a birthday present? You're
giving your peerage, your domain, and all the responsibilities that come with
them to a five-year-old child for his birthday? Is this guy serious?
So I thought, but then I recalled the letter I'd just read. It had vanished
from my hands at some point, but I wondered if this was what the Guide had
meant by "help." Such a wild turn of events might be possible for a
supernatural being like him.
Next, my mother Darcie happily held out a catalog to me. "And this is
my present. I'll buy you a robotic maid to take care of you. Pick whichever
one you like."
On the cover of the catalog was a robot that had been created to look
like a maid. Actually, it looked just like a human, so I figured it was an
android.
When I opened the catalog, it projected images and videos around me
that I could view from all angles. It felt very futuristic, which was intriguing,
but I wasn't really sure what came next.
"Wh-what do I do with this?"
Darcie kindly explained how to use the catalog. "You can use this to
customize your maid. It's easy. Just choose which parts you want, like this.
See? Go ahead, make a nice, cute one."
Apparently, you ordered robots like you were creating a character in a
game. You chose not just their appearance but also the internal parts and
materials that determined their functionality. It was pretty interesting.
I chose all the high-performance parts, which made a number at the
bottom—I assumed that was the price—shoot up with each selection. It was
already three digits higher than it had been originally, but I wasn't the one
paying for it, so I decided to make the maid ridiculously high-spec.
For its looks, how about an Eastern beauty? Her hair would be long and
black, tied back in a ponytail, bangs a little longer on the right. I made sure to
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give her a good figure too.
As I went through, choosing various attributes, my hands stopped at a
certain selection. Now this was surprising. Cliff teased me for hesitating,
which annoyed me, but he didn't seem to understand why I'd stopped. He
eyed the 3D projection of the model I'd constructed so far.
"He sure is my son. He's got great taste."
"Children do love breasts, don't they?"
I ignored the two of them and slowly made the selection that I'd been
hesitating over. It added...an adult aspect to the robot. My parents just smiled
as they watched their child order a robot that was fully functional for sex.
What a bizarre situation this is.
The complex expression on the face of the aged but stately butler
standing behind them, Brian Beaumont, left quite an impression on me. He
looked at once saddened and confused. My parents really are weirdos, right?
Anyway, something else had occurred to me at this point. Was the
"helper" that the Guide had referred to actually this maid robot that I was
ordering?
So the first thing he does is get rid of these annoying parents of mine
and give me the ideal woman to stand at my side and act as his agent? I am
thoroughly impressed by his consideration. These parents would likely only
bother me, so it'll be easier if they're just not around. Plus...I can't trust a
real woman. A maid robot is truly a thoughtful gift for me. After all, I don't
have to worry about betrayal from a robot.
It said so right on the catalog, under the slogan "A maid just for you!"
at the top: "Maid robots will never betray their masters." If I had a faithful,
capable retainer whom I needn't worry about betraying me, that would give
me some real peace of mind. Thus, I kept ignoring the price and tacking on as
many optional features as I could.
After the final confirmation of her specs was a screen to pick out the
maid's uniform. I selected a classical outfit, since a miniskirt would really be
too much. I hesitated a bit over whether I wanted the length to be above or
below her knees, but in the end, I decided on just above her ankles.
"My, how cute." Happily looking over the completed model, Darcie
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was another strange sight. Your son just bought a maid designed completely
to his adult tastes and fully functional for sex. What exactly about that makes
you so happy?
"We can leave Liam in the care of this robot now, can't we?" she
asked.
"Yep. Nothin' to worry about now," Cliff agreed.
Suspicious of my parents' attitude, I asked them, "Are you going
somewhere?"
Cliff raised his chin and proudly declared, "We've bought a mansion
on the Imperial Home Planet, the capital. We'll be moving there, and you'll
stay here and protect your domain as its lord. You just have to sign this
document first."
I looked down at the electronic document that transferred my father's
title and land to me. All the servants around us looked rather confused, so this
must have been an unusual occurrence. I mean, it's gotta be, right? This
guy's giving everything he owns to a five-year-old. "Unusual" doesn't even
cover it.
Once I'd signed the document, Darcie handed me another one. "Here
you go, Liam. Sign this one too." This document guaranteed that I sent my
parents living on the Capital Planet a sort of yearly allowance.
They're giving everything to me and going to live in the capital, eh?
These two are really some sorry excuses for parents. Unbeknownst to them,
their darling son is a reincarnation, a middle-aged dude on the inside. It's
kind of hilarious.
It was actually pitiful that this man and woman would have their status
and everything they owned taken away by basically a complete stranger. I
still didn't see them as my real parents, but I felt bad enough for them that I
supposed I would send them some money every year.
"Okay!" I chirped. I felt a smile come unbidden to my lips. I had taken
everything from my ignorant parents. As I gazed down at the signed
documents, I looked forward to what the rest of my life would bring.
***
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A few days later, Liam's parents headed to their domain's spaceport,
accompanied by some guards. They boarded a specially chartered shuttle, but
sat some distance apart. The lavish shuttle would take them into space, where
they would board a greater ship that was headed for the Capital Planet in the
center of the Empire's vast territory. The capital was far more developed than
some count's planet deep in the outskirts.
The two sat without looking at each other; they didn't seem particularly
close. While reading an electronic newspaper, Cliff spat, "You got him a
doll? What kind of mother are you?"
Meanwhile, Darcie drank tea as though she couldn't care less what he
had to say. There was no love in their relationship. Their marriage had been
one of political convenience.
"That child's nothing more than a product of my genes. How am I
supposed to love him with a face like that, and when I didn't even give birth
to him myself?"
Liam had been produced artificially using his parents' DNA. To both
of them, he was nothing but an heir.
Darcie continued, "Besides, you're one to talk. You think it's okay to
just foist everything off onto your five-year-old child?"
"Well, did you want to stay?"
"Are you kidding?" Darcie took another sip of tea, then voiced her
many frustrations. "If I hadn't known I'd be able to get out later, I never
would have married into this country bumpkin house. We've got no money
and nothing but problems. It's just terrible. Of course, I don't feel great about
fooling an ignorant child. Giving him that doll was the least I could do, don't
you think?"
Cliff smiled. "He'll just be a laughingstock. A noble with a doll at his
side? People are going to talk about him behind his back his entire life."
"Whatever, it's got nothing to do with me. I'm done with him now that
he's the lord."
Having maid robots—sometimes called dolls—was looked down upon
in noble society. It was common for anyone who possessed one to be
scorned.
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"It'll do him more good than any old servant, though," Darcie said.
"It's not like we have any knights or retainers to give him. Plus, if something
happens to him, then we'll have to come back, and I do not want that."
"True. Wouldn't want that."
"Is it really okay to just force everything onto a child, though? We're
not going to get in trouble for that?" Darcie was more worried about her own
future than Liam's.
Cliff grabbed some booze he'd ordered from a crew member and
gulped it down. He loosened his collar, clearly feeling relieved to be free of
his responsibilities. "Don't worry about it. There's precedent, and I got
approval from the Imperial Court. Plenty of people do the same thing, it's
fine. Nowadays, nobody cares who's lord, and nobody wants to rule that
backwater planet anyway, so who'll complain?"
The Empire had approved of Cliff giving his title and assets to a five-
year-old. It was an unusual occurrence, but there was a reason for it.
"The Empire doesn't want anything to do with the boonies either. Long
as somebody's in charge and doing their duty, they don't care."
The Intergalactic Empire was so vast that it was almost impossible to
govern all of it. It didn't help that the Empire was historically resistant to
using artificial intelligence to assist with governance; the use of AI of any
type was kept to an absolute minimum. This was because in this world,
humanity had nearly been wiped out by the artificial intelligence they'd
created. Humanity had once been ruled by AIs, and the people who rose up
against them had created the Empire.
Therefore, the nobility didn't approve of things like maid robots, which
utilized artificial intelligence. The current trend was that they would be used
if needed, but only at a bare minimum.
Darcie looked down at their planet from the shuttle's window—the
planet ruled by the House Banfield. It hardly looked like a civilization
capable of space travel. The planet's level of development had been forcibly
restricted, and the people there lived under a vast amount of debt.
"Liam will probably be furious when he finds out what he's been
saddled with."
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Cliff was starting to turn a little red from the potent drink. "He'll just
push it off onto his own kid and flee to the capital, like me."
A planet no one would be happy ruling over. That was Count
Banfield's domain.
***
At five years old, I had become a count who ruled over a planet.
"Now that's power. I'm basically a king."
There were many counts in the Empire, so the Banfields were just one
of a great number of families of the same rank. But inside my own territory, I
was the supreme ruler.
Seated in the chair in my office, which was much too large for my
child's body, I received a report from my butler, Brian.
"Your maid robot has arrived, Master Liam."
Brian had served the Banfield family for a long time, and he handled
all household matters. He was a slender man approaching old age who
maintained his appearance more than adequately for his station. He was the
kind of man who would have made me nervous in my past life, but in this
one, my authority superseded his, so I spoke down to him even though I was
a child.
"Bring her here, then."
"Yes, sir. Come in."
The door to my office opened and the maid robot I had modeled in 3D
appeared before me. She strode in gracefully, her posture perfect. I'd been
expecting to see a robot that looked just like the image I'd created, but her
beauty far exceeded my expectations.
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There was nothing unnatural about her movements, nothing about her
appearance that screamed "I'm a robot" other than the label on her shoulder
that immediately identified her as a maid robot. All of the maid uniform
designs featured bare shoulders to make this mark visible. This was necessary
as they looked exactly like humans otherwise. She was so well made that I
doubted there was any other way than that label to tell she was artificial.
She made her way up to me and performed a gesture that resembled a
curtsy, holding up her skirt and bowing. Then she introduced herself in a
beautiful voice.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am your Amagi, Master."
I'd been expecting her to sound somewhat unnatural, to have a robotic
voice, but she sounded exactly like a human speaking.
I'd named my maid robot "Amagi," which I thought suited her black
hair and Japanese looks. Brian hadn't reacted to the name, so it seemed it
didn't come across as strange. Apparently, Japanese names weren't
completely out of place here, somehow.
"She will take care of you from now on," Brian explained. "However,
she'll need to undergo regular maintenance."
"Maintenance?" I glanced at Amagi, who was standing stock-still after
finishing her introduction.
"Maintenance is necessary once a week. It should take about two
hours," Amagi supplied.
"Huh. I thought she'd run a little longer than that."
Sensing my displeasure, Brian hurriedly told me why maintenance was
so important. "The body must be checked every week for irregularities. It
gets cleaned as well. If something seriously broke, the manufacturer would
have to repair her, so it's important to undergo these checks regularly."
Actually, it was pretty impressive that she could function for a whole
week on just two hours of down time.
I turned to Amagi and held my arms out. Sensing my wish, she made
her way to me and gently picked up my small body. Her arms around me felt
exactly like human arms. I touched her chest, her large breasts far too big to
fit into my tiny hands.
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"That's ideal softness right there." She had perfect breasts, not too soft
and with spring to them.
"Master Liam, you mustn't do such things in front of other people,"
Brian warned me hesitantly.
Brian had been serving my family for ages, managing the household
since my great-grandfather's time. Since the mansion couldn't be maintained
without a butler, I couldn't easily fire him, but I was his master. I thought it
would be stupid to begin acting like a five-year-old at this point, so I'd
decided to abandon all childishness now that I was in charge.
"I'll do exactly as I like. Anyway, what's the status of my domain?"
With a disappointed look on his face, Brian touched the bracelet he
wore and holographic images appeared before him, graphs and numbers that
represented the state of various parts of my domain. There was a map too, but
I didn't know what any of the figures meant.
"I don't get it."
"I don't suppose you would," Brian said, again sounding disappointed.
There was no way I could understand it. I mean, in my last life, I had
just been a normal salaryman. I had no knowledge of how a territory should
be ruled. Plus, this was a society developed enough to have an intergalactic
empire. An amateur like me was only going to muck things up with whatever
stupid ideas I came up with.
I knew this guy named Arata at my old job who loved isekai stories,
but his favorite trope, where the protagonist pulls off hacks with his modern
knowledge, wasn't going to come in handy here. Arata was one of those so-
called otaku. I wonder if he's doing well? He'd taught me a lot, but he quit
the company before I was forced to leave, so I remembered him fondly as one
of the people who hadn't disparaged me. I should have talked to him more.
This is a problem, though... I have no idea what to do. That could very
well mean I'm unable to do anything. Nothing good, and nothing bad either,
putting my "evil lord" aspirations on hold.
While I was pondering this in Amagi's arms and fondling her breasts,
she spoke up, "Master, I am equipped with functions to assist in governance.
Would you care for my assistance?"
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"Really? I have no clue what to do. Can you even help me at this
stage?"
"Of course," replied Amagi. "I would recommend utilizing an
education capsule. In the meantime, I will manage your domain in your stead.
You may think of it as an emergency tactic."
Brian's face paled. It seemed he didn't agree with the suggestion. "You
mustn't! The Empire will not accept management by an AI. They are only
permitted to provide support!"
Amagi replied coolly, "The Empire has no such law. Utilizing artificial
intelligence as little as possible is simply preferred. As Master does not
possess the knowledge for governance, I have merely suggested the most
efficient option. However, I will only do as Master commands."
Both Amagi and Brian looked to me. Have her rule while I studied in
an education capsule, eh?
Education capsules were incredibly convenient devices. Once you were
submerged in the liquid inside them, they would install knowledge directly
into your brain. They would also strengthen the body. In one such capsule,
the equivalent of elementary and junior high education could be
accomplished in half a year. It was a miraculous invention that compressed
nine years of learning into six months. The only drawback was that even if
the capsule drilled knowledge into you and enhanced your physical strength,
these attributes wouldn't stick if you ceased to use them after you came out.
It was like how you could carry around a dictionary, but if you didn't use it, it
was meaningless.
You needed to undergo some physical therapy after you left the capsule
as well. Since you came out of it physically different than when you went in,
if you didn't train to acclimate yourself to your new body, it could be
dangerous just living life as normal. Also, you were basically sleeping the
whole time you were in the capsule; you couldn't do anything else. Still, it
was endlessly more efficient than regular studying.
I can't do anything now, when I don't know what any of these numbers
and graphs mean. If that's the case...then there's really only one choice to be
made.
"Brian, ready the capsule. Amagi, I put you in charge of my territory
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while I'm in there."
"Master Liam! You can't!" Brian shouted.
Amagi simply said, "As you command."
It seems she won't listen to orders from anyone but me. That's
wonderful. A far cry from a flesh-and-blood woman. However, I will try to
persuade Brian, even if it is annoying.
"Listen, Brian. You don't want me making decisions about things when
I don't know what I'm doing, right? This is necessary."
"P-perhaps, but think of the scandal..."
"It's just for a little while. If you understand me, then get it ready."
Plus, if I can leave these matters to someone else, that's fine with me. I
don't care about their hang-ups about artificial intelligence.
Damn, though... I didn't think I'd have to study just to exploit my
subjects. Oh well, I'll play nice for a while. I am still a child in body, after
all. Even if one day I'll torment my subjects and extort taxes from them, I
wouldn't want to do it as a kid.
I thought such things as I fondled Amagi's breasts.
***
The domain of Count Banfield was in fact significantly less culturally
advanced than Liam's previous world. For one thing, there was no reason for
its ruler to ensure its people lived comfortable lives.
Since they had education capsules at their disposal, if the lord had
wanted highly knowledgeable personnel, he could have simply recruited
anyone and given them the education they would need. From its ruler's
perspective, all the planet required was a sufficient population to work
without complaint and pay their taxes. And House Banfield wasn't the only
one. There were some lords in the Empire who forced their people to live at
medieval levels of civilization. To the citizens of their territories, the nobility
had absolute authority.
The people who had long been ruled by the Banfields had just learned
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they had a new ruler, and they were rather anxious at this news. In one
particular town, the mood was dark and uneasy. Inside a seedy old bar, a
weary-looking bartender conversed with another man who had stopped in on
his way home from work. The topic of conversation? Liam, of course.
"D'you hear? The new lord's a tender five years of age. There's being
too young and then there's that, am I right?"
Glancing down at the glass he was drying, the bartender replied, "They
might increase taxes 'cause of these changes too."
It had been bad when Cliff had taken over. That had been hundreds of
years ago at this point, but since it wasn't unusual for people to live several
centuries in this world, the bartender still remembered.
"The last guy used his taking the reins as an excuse to collect some
pretty ridiculous taxes."
The last two Count Banfields had both been terrible lords. Liam's
great-grandfather had actually been a good ruler, but there were no traces left
of his legacy now. The two lords who had followed him had squandered all
the riches he'd amassed. Now only the elderly told stories of how people in
the past had lived blessed lives. The newer generations knew only hardship.
Gulping down the cheap booze that would quickly get him drunk, the
patron also voiced his frustrations. "Are we just livestock for those nobles?"
"You shouldn't speak so loudly. Let's just hope this new lord's a good
one."
"Do you really think that?"
"Hey, it's not impossible. Though it's probably pretty close."
"How am I supposed to hope...?" the customer muttered, laying his
head down on the bar.
None of Liam's subjects had any hope for him.
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