— — — — — —
Kira listened seriously.
With the trait cheat, his growth was stable and guaranteed. And precisely because of that—he couldn't afford to get arrogant. That was the fastest way to get himself killed someday without even knowing how it happened.
⌠⟦Purple • Master of All Martial Arts: Lv3 (Growth Type)⟧⌡
He glanced at the new trait, thoughts turning. "If I keep learning more, the level should increase. As for the quality… that'll probably just rise slowly over time."
"My problem is... dropping the trait all the way down to Lv3 feels a bit harsh…"
Everything he had learned before had been at least Lv6 or higher. But after being merged into a single trait, it reset to Lv3.
But thinking it through, it actually made sense.
Before, each had been a separate white trait. Now everything was fused together into a single one, a purple trait.
According to his personal ranking system, it went: White, Green, Blue, then Purple. Purple sat at the top only because it was the highest he'd ever reached—not because there wasn't anything above it.
All in all, it was pretty fair.
...
"Kira, Kaguya, you're back." Matsuyoi looked at the pair—one big, one small—walking in hand in hand. Her gentle smile could practically take physical form.
"Auntie."
"Great-aunt."
They greeted her in unison and took their seats. Matsuyoi quickly served a table full of delicate dishes.
In the Kuroda household, there was no rule like "no talking at the table." Meals were for chatting.
As they ate, Matsuyoi said softly, "Kira, in about three to five days, the kappa clan from Lake Genbu should arrive."
"The gold is ready too. Kaguya's been sending in more and more these past two weeks." Kira nodded, a bit emotional. He really was living off his daughter... and he liked it.
Kaguya covered her mouth in an elegant laugh that belonged to a young lady of a noble house. "It's only some gold. I hardly care about it. Back in the Lunar Capital, those people even view it as a filthy substance."
Kira let that one pass.
Forget it. He wasn't on the same level as those people. He was just a filthy human—and he liked shiny gold just fine.
"Kira, once the city is finished, will you recruit people from outside?" Matsuyoi asked.
That was normal.
Usually, when a city lord finished building a new city, they would start recruiting—stray yokai, struggling humans, and all sorts of wandering races.
If they were suitable, they'd settle and become residents.
Building a city cost an enormous amount. Everyone needed citizens to recover that investment.
Kira shook his head. "No need, Auntie. Being a 'city lord' is just in name. If someone suitable shows up, they can live here. If not, then I'll leave the place empty."
He wasn't even going to think about building a harem or any nonsense, right now.
If it was too troublesome, then forget it.
"That works too." Matsuyoi didn't find that strange.
After all, this whole 'city building' thing was just something to do. Being a city lord was the same—a pastime.
Just like a wealthy retiree getting a job as a security guard for fun. Same concept.
"Father, I can ask Eirin to send some moon rabbits to help around," Kaguya suggested. She felt the place could use more liveliness.
Kira was casual. "If it doesn't bother her, she can send some."
"Very well. I'll inform Eirin now."
She set her chopsticks down and contacted Eirin Yagokoro at once, making her request crystal clear.
Barely a moment later, Kaguya picked up her chopsticks again and said calmly, "Father, Eirin agreed. She'll send everything tonight at the bamboo forest."
Kira nodded, not sure what to say.
This really was starting to feel like living entirely off his daughter. Well… she was still his daughter, technically, so fine. That made it acceptable.
Besides, if there was one thing he was good at—it was shamelessly living off support.
"Father, you must work hard. I'm really looking forward to it." Kaguya smiled like a blooming flower. Even in the form of a little girl, the word beautiful fit her perfectly.
"I will."
His daughter's only goal was to see her "father" storm the Lunar Capital, drag her other "father" down, and lock her in a basement like some toy.
That idea… was hard to comment on.
— — —
Night fell
Kira headed to the bamboo forest with Kaguya. Under the moonlight, ornate crates—judging by their craftsmanship, insanely expensive—materialized one after another on the ground.
And it didn't stop there.
In the silver glow, figures began to appear—girls dressed in JK uniforms with black thigh-high stockings and polished black boots. Each looked around eighteen or nineteen, fresh and youthful, with a pair of rabbit ears twitching atop their heads.
There were about a hundred of them.
"Princess!"
Every moon rabbit bowed deeply and respectfully.
Kaguya was no longer the casual girl she was around Kira and Matsuyoi.
Right now, her noble princess aura was on full display—elegant and dignified, with a subtle trace of authority. "Eirin should have told you already. From this moment on, you are stripped of your status in the Lunar Capital. Your duty now is to serve me and my father."
"As you command, Princess!"
The moon rabbits lowered their heads obediently, not daring to show even the slightest objection.
Kaguya gave a small nod, then turned her head. "Father, I'll leave their arrangement to you."
Kira quietly looked over the moon rabbits, feeling a bit impressed. Truly worthy of being a special product of the Lunar Capital.
He knew the situation well enough.
Up there, moon rabbits had complicated duties—combat, service, chores. There were more of them than any other group, yet their status was the lowest. They served the Lunar People and weren't even regarded as people themselves.
Calling them consumables wouldn't be wrong.
"Take everything back," Kira ordered, turning to lead the way as the crates and moon rabbits were escorted toward the city lord's mansion.
.
.
.