《Gacha Kingdom Building》


 Chapter 1: How Earth Was

    Like a storm, the events that led to all of this came abruptly and unannounced.


    30 years ago, one would be able to look at history as a chain of events linked by action and consequence.


    As one thing leads to another, it was even possible to make predictions for the future.


    Of course, precision was always going to be questionable when doing so, but still, it was possible to at least determine scenarios so unlikely that to consider them a possibility would be lunacy.


    In such a world, that made so much sense for any that had a speck of reason, no one would have been able to predict that a mere decadeter, the world would suffer such a change that history would derailpletely, making any assumption about the future impossible.


    As it is always the case though, there was one event that led to this. A single one, not connected to anything that had happened previously in our history.


    It was called "The First Contact", and it happened 20 years ago.


    At the time, Earth and its citizens, be they aware of it or not, were still following a logical path.


    But all of that changed when she began to speak.


    Softly, but due to the contents the message carried, not at all calming.


    Everyone on the, as if their senses were shared, stopped their thoughts, and listened to a voice no one had heard before.


    [Congrattions people of Earth.


    I, Catherine, Goddess of the Red Night have decided to bless your world.


    As such, you may now receive your Gifts.


    Your will know its true nature, and you are to be epted amongst many others.


    Rejoice and Celebrate, Pray and Struggle, as I''ve chosen you, may you prove your worth.]


    A phenomenon that, in a smaller scale, would have certainly been attributed to mass hysteria, yet... for the whole world, from the most influential of politicians to the most average kid, to reproduce the same words and describe the same voice...


    Deep down, everyone understood that this was different from anything else.


    However, to truly understand the effects of this event was another story entirely.


    Soon after, people discovered ess to Gifts.


    Skills capable of turning theziest person into an athlete.


    People capable of healing through seemingly magical means, just by waving their hands over a broken bone was enough to have it restored better than any other treatment ever could.


    Supernatural and unexinable abilities were popping up everywhere. These miracles... made people feel truly blessed.


    Exnations were hard toe. The obvious answer was the most fantastical one, simple magic, yet,mon sense at the time dictated that this must''ve been the work of science beyond ourprehension, that Catherine, or whatever, was a being iprehensible to us, from a civilization much more advanced.


    Yet, these ims mattered not.


    Most of themon folk were quick to notice the simrities of their newly found powers to RPG systems.


    Levels, magic, mana, and status... all of that were staples of the genre, and known by many.


    And if these staples, once fantasy, were now a reality, the natural question was... what about the others? Monsters? Dungeons? Other races like elves and dwarves?


    Much like previously, it didn''t take long for an answer to arrive.


    It wasn''t just the people that had changed, as Catherine, our self-proimed Goddess had said, the world itself was being blessed.


    And so, if humanity had changed so much, it was only fair that the world would too.


    It was somewhat unnoticed at first, at least to the general public, but around the world, an interesting structure started to appear.


    Gates.


    Due to their random nature, they would sometimes appear in natural ces, as if they belonged there, even though no one had built them.


    But more importantly than that... they also appeared in ces they should not belong.


    Gates in a forest? Strange, but eptable.


    But a Gate floating in mid-air in the middle of a busy street? No cables, no cameras, nothing...


    Once again, it was happening all around the world. It simply couldn''t have been a prank or an borate ruse.


    And people were already epting such fantastical ideas.


    However, they didn''t do anything.


    They just stood there, waiting for something.


    After around a month, although still strange, it is said that some people were dismissing them.


    Even though they were surrounded by mystery, they didn''t seem to have a purpose, so it was easy for some to ignore them.


    But a month after they first appeared... they opened.


    A mark that would forever stain humanity.


    That day became known as "The First Reminder".


    To never look away from them. That Catherine wasn''t the only thing we had no exnation for. And that we weren''t alone anymore.


    Above all... that humanity had an opponent.


    As it happened just a month after the First Contact, people were still puzzled with their abilities, many had barely learned how they worked and what they could actually aplish with them.


    Some used them for good, while others used them for nefarious reasons.


    Violence and crime at the time had spiked, and it looked like it was going to continue like that.


    But that was our first mistake.


    Expecting that things would stay the same. That they would follow logic.


    A month was all it took for us to forget not to trust our future, and so... The First Reminder happened.


    From the open gates, monsters started to storm our world.


    We fought... we struggled.


    Many lives were lost that day. We were not prepared at all.


    Onlyter would we learn that this was a periodic event, and it was dubbed a "Rampage".


    The only way to guarantee one wasn''t going to happen was to enter the Gates and reduce the number of monsters inside, as in a given period of time, the monsters would rush for the Gate from their side, leaving and attacking anything in sight.


    The inside of these gates became known as Dungeons, and throughout the years, they woulde to im more lives than the First Reminder.


    For the lesser Dungeons, thatter became known as "Easy Dungeons", Rampages would happen about once a month at least.


    More difficult dungeons had arger grace period, but... they posed a more difficult challenge as they harbored stronger monsters.


    Every day after the First Reminder would see new Gates opening, and chaos filled the world.


    Thankfully, we were able to fight back.


    The monsters from beginner dungeons, although ferocious, weren''t much stronger than the average person.


    As long as one had a weapon, they were able to fight back.


    Most of the casualties we suffered were due to the fact we were caught off guard.


    We had the means to push them back, and we did.


    Against monsters that could be killed by fists alone, without even the need for special abilities, firearms proved to be extremely effective.


    With thebined efforts of the people and the armed forces, humanity managed to regain control of the world for the most part.


    However, challenges could still be found in many ces.


    The Dungeon Gates appeared in ces like mountains, inds, or the bottom of the seas. The sky was no exception, nor were caves in remote locations.


    To this day, in many of these ces, rampages still ur.


    The Dungeons in the Oceans are particrly problematic, and attacks have led to maritime trading bing more expensive, but monsters are roaming around in quite a few areas. Especially away from cities.


    The first n to deal with the Rampages involved closing ess to them and using the army to raid and hunt the monsters inside.


    However, this didn''t work.


    There were too many gates, their locations werepletely random, and it was both expensive and impractical to contain every single one of them like this.


    So, emboldened by their own fight for survival, or for the memory of lost ones, popr demand won, and the Gates became essible, giving birth to a new job.


    Adventurers started risking their lives to enter the Dungeons. To hunt the monsters and uncover the mysteries about them.


    Although... In a short period of time, it became clear why the government''s first idea was to monopolize them.


    The monsters, once killed, have a chance to leave behind something.


    These can be weapons or small stones.


    The stones in particr had an interesting quality to them.


    They could be used as an alternative energy method.


    Monster cores, as they wereter called, became amodity sold by adventurers to the Government.


    And it wasn''t the only thing that could be sold.


    The Dungeons didn''t only hide monsters, but also minerals and crystals, as well as many other goods.


    They all had value as research material.


    And so, offices were set up, where one could trade the materials they obtained in the dungeon for cash.


    This led to a surge in people bing adventurers, but as supply surpassed demand, eventually, things stabilized as other jobs became more profitable.


    Still, it was a fact that the world had changedpletely in just one year.


    There were also no clues as to what could change next.


    The only certainty was uncertainty now that reality and fantasy were closer than ever.


    I was born 18 years ago.


    Thus, this fantasy-like reality is the only one I''ve experienced.


    Although I do know about how things used to be, I can never taste that reality.


    This fantastical world is where my story started.

 Chapter 2: Gacha Kingdom Building

    If someone was told that everything that happened twenty years ago would only amount to the preamble to another story, they would probablyugh at the idea.


    Yet, there are no lies in this statement.


    I''m a man born eighteen years ago. Unbeknownst to me, the fate of the world and mine were deeply connected.


    In a short time, I would find myself in the center of events that would change everything forever.


    But this is a long story. And while it would normally be better to start from the beginning, I can assure you that my early years weren''t at all remarkable.


    The name I was given, Miwen, wasn''t particrly known even locally.


    And to be frank, there was no reason for it to be known either. I wasn''t athletic or smart, I didn''t have the drive for most things people considered important and when it came to looks... well, at least I wasn''t that ugly.


    As such, I think it''s better we skip this time and start from somewhere else. A more pivotal point in this story.


    One I would call my second beginning. Or perhaps, my true one.


    I could also simply call it my eighteenth birthday.


    See, I was always fond of the stories that happened before and during my infancy. The ones about those who acquired their Gifts during the First Contact.


    However, I was also a little envious of the people who protagonized them.


    And I believe it was a reasonable feeling. It was like anger toward the world, as it had denied me.


    Because... I was born after the First Contact and as such... I didn''t have a Gift.


    I, alongside an entire generation, ended up being on the sideline of new myths that unfolded every day right before our eyes.


    Stories we could never participate in.


    Even though it was a chaotic era, it was a hard pill to swallow.


    As time went on, most people gave up on the idea. It didn''t seem like anything was going to change even a decadeter.


    There were those who were lucky enough to be alive during the First Contact, and then there were those who were born even a minuteter, and that was all.


    Even I started prioritizing other things in my life as time went on.


    And yet... I would be lying if I said I had suppressed the desire to carve an epic of my ownpletely.


    Which brings us to the day I reached 18 years old.


    That day was special in multiple ways.


    It was 20 years after the First Impact, and humanity had made a new discovery,


    As it turns out, even those who were born after the First Contact could obtain a Gift.


    All they had to do was reach their eighteenth birthday.


    This was a big relief to everyone, as there were concerns about the future of the world in case acquiring Gifts was impossible for the next generations.


    And thus, the hopeless generation suddenly found themselves with the power they once sought.


    For me, my Gift manifested itself as a system called [Gacha Kingdom Building].


    There were a lot of theories about what factors go into a person''s Gift but nothing was ever confirmed. We couldn''t say for sure whether it was dependent on someone''s nature, life, or mind, subject to something we didn''t know about, or if it waspletely random.


    I could at least testify that it probably had nothing to do with one''s life though, as someone average like me couldn''t possibly have acquired such a unique Gift if that were the case.


    I would have been happy with a basic Gift that only allowed me to raid Dungeons, but [Gacha Kingdom Building] was way more than what I could have expected.


    The name gave away a few things. I knew Gacha was a genre of games that involved luck and randomness, and kingdom-building was often seen in stories as well.


    But aside from a sense of scaling and randomness, I couldn''t exactly pinpoint what it would entail.


    So, I focused my mind on bringing a pop-up menu that contained my Gift''s name, and by focusing on that, I could see the general description of my Gift and its abilities.


    [Gacha Kingdom Building


    Every day, the King]will obtain [Gacha Tickets] corresponding to his level.


    These tickets can be used in a variety of [Banners].


    The King has ess to a secondary special Gacha where mana is used instead of tickets. This is called the [Mana Banners].


    Please note that the probability of a higher-quality oue will increase when more mana is used, but even if high quantities are used, the results will still be affected by other factors, such as the user''s luck.


    Certain items may be locked and only obtainable if a certain amount of mana is spent on a single roll.


    The King has ess to his own [Kingdom].


    As the King, you may permit others to [ess] your Kingdom, and you''re able to designate others as your [Citizens] as long as both parties agree.


    The main resource of the Kingdom is called [Kingdom Points].


    These points can be imed daily, and they are the sum of every citizen''s levels, including the king''s.


    They can be used for a variety of different things, including changes, upgrades, buildings, or items for your [Kingdom] and [Citizens].


    As your Kingdom progresses, more features might be unlocked.]


    There was a lot of information, and it was clearly not a simple Gift.


    Every word in brackets was a menu on its own that would lead to a new page, so my first instinct was to investigate them further.


    The first one I decided to take a look at was [Gacha Tickets].


    [ [im Daily Tickets]


    Owned Tickets: 0]


    This one was a very simple menu. All it contained was information on how many tickets I had, as well as a button to im what I could.


    In this case, I tried it out, and the amount of tickets I had was raised to one, reflecting my level.


    Of course, a ticket by itself had no use, so I went ahead and tried the [Banners].


    This was... a lot. A gigantic list appeared in front of my eyes, and no matter how much I looked through it, it seemed like there was always something different to find.


    A few names caught my attention, but thankfully, there was a search function too, so I tried searching for a few things, such as Weapons and Skills.


    Both results appeared as banners of their own, but I also found an interesting banner called [Companions Banner].


    Since I was very eager to test my Gift, I went ahead and did a roll.


    I thought that while weapons are generally useful, there was always a chance of relying on them too much or grabbing the attention of someone strong.


    The one that dealt withpanions was immediately intriguing to me, but I felt like it could be troublesome since I had no way of checking their loyalty.


    Instead of gaining power through a weapon or another being, I thought it would be nice to just... gain power directly.


    At least at the start, it seemed like the better option.


    Thus, I decided on the [Skills Banner] for my first roll, hoping that the random aspect of my Gift wasn''t going to fuck me over with something horrible.


    And so, my head got dizzy for a moment. It was like my mind had left my bodypletely.


    It was a little disturbing, but as fast as it came, it went away.


    It wasn''t even long enough for me to worry too much about it. If anything, I took it as confirmation that something had happened and decided to check my skills


    To do that, I went back to the main menu where my Gift''s name appeared. For everyone, a [Skills] menu will be present there as well.


    My case wasn''t different, and inside that, I could check [Current Skills] and [Avable Skills].


    The [Avable Skills] allows someone to buy new skills using the points they gain after leveling up. It''s also possible to acquire the skills that appear there by training too since they are usually abilities a person has a talent or affinity to.


    The avable skills for everyone are different, some people can learn fire magic, some people can learn protective skills, and so on.


    Everyone should be able to learn at least something though.


    But I decided to check this outter. The most important thing for me was the [Current Skills].


    As the name indicates, it showed the skills I already had.


    In my case, as I had just acquired my Gift, there was only one skill, the result of rolling on the Gacha for the first time.


    [Movement Speed Up


    The holder of this skill has a bonus to his movement speed, allowing him to be faster and have better control over his movement speed.]


    Although a simple ability, it was quite convenient and pretty useful forbat.


    With that, I knew I could try my luck at the Dungeon.


    Since I was already checking everything, I also went ahead and gave the [Avable SKills].


    But... I instantly regretted this decision.


    Looking at it, I could only think that there was something wrong with my Gift.

 Chapter 3: Gacha Kingdom Building (02)

    No way, I thought to myself.


    Even the most hopeless bastard out there should at least have one buyable skill in the [Avable Skills] menu.


    This was such an unquestionable truth that even though I was seeing for myself proof of the contrary, my mind still refused to ept it.


    I guess there''s a first for everything, but to be the first person who is incapable of choosing skills to work towards is...


    Well, it''s both sad and unlucky. This development cast a shadow over my expectations for the whole Gacha thing that would be an integral part of my life from here onwards.


    Opening the [Avable Skills] menu managed topletely overwhelm me, what I''d been told and what I knew as truth were absolutely shattered in a single moment.


    If the menu didn''t even appear to me, it would basically be the same since not a single skill was present there.


    Based on what I usually see on the inte, some skills can be unlockedter in [Avable Skills], depending on what you do and specialize in, the situations you experience in your life, the opponents you fight against, and even by training or conceptualizing a skill, you might be able to find it in this menu eventually.


    if you put in enough effort or have the potential for it, that is.


    But knowing that only worried me more...


    No one lives their life doing absolutely nothing, there should be something for me here, the fruits of the life I lived for 18 years should be materialized in this menu.


    Even though it wasn''t amazingly unique, it was at least something...


    It''s strange no matter how I think about it, not only have I never heard about something like this, but it also felt wrong... as if something was purposely out of ce.


    Was it possible that I would never have a single skill show up on this menu?


    I could get skills through the [Skills Banner] but they werepletely random, I would depend entirely on luck for cohesion, and with how many skills there are, this would be incredibly hard.


    Usually, even if you have a useless Gift, you are always able to go to the [Avable Skills] menu and grab something useful or unique from there after grinding enough Level Points for it.


    You can also use it to n your path going forward, knowing what skills you have avable makes it so that you can better decide on what you should train on and also have a general idea of your capabilities, allowing you to focus your points and efforts.


    As long as one ns carefully and puts in the time and effort, they should be able to achieve great results in whatever field they decide to strive for. Even if you have a Gift ipatible with your goals, by using the [Avable Skills], you could go as far as anyone else.


    Not even dungeon raiding is an exception. And that''s part of the reason I''d be fine with a basic Gift, I wasn''t going to run away just because of something minor like that.


    There''s also the chance of fucking up your skill selection and "kit" due to a wide array of skills to choose from, but even then, this extreme where you have too much to select from feels way better than the one I found myself in.


    Even though the obvious way to circumvent a Gift weakness seems to be unavable to me,menting over that won''t take me anywhere. I''ll y the game with the cards I''ve been dealt, and if that means I''ll have to rely on the [Skills Banner], so be it.


    I already got a positive oue from it, so it seems like a good alternative to me.


    Back in the [Gacha Kingdom Building] menu, there was still the [Mana Banners] for me to check out.


    And looking at it I''m somewhat surprised.


    It seems to function the same way as the normal [Banners], except there are way fewer banners to choose from here.


    I guess this is due to the fact I''m level 1 and only have a single mana point to use.


    The description said that some banners could be unlocked and that more mana spent would yield better results, so I imagine one condition for unlocking certain banners must be to first have enough mana to use them.


    One banner that might work like that is the missing [Companions Banner].


    Seems like friends are worth at least more than a single point of mana.


    Although I noticed that the [Weapons Banner] was already present.


    So not rolling on it back then might''ve been the right decision since the [Skills Banner] isn''t avable in this menu.


    Knowing what happens when one depletes their mana makes it hard for me to roll in this banner though, so I''ll leave it forter.


    Continuing on what I had yet to check out, the [Kingdom] menu was the first button that didn''t seem to refer to the Gacha aspects, so I was eager to see what this one was all about.


    Focusing on it showed something actually very predictable, funnily enough... a plot ofnd with the simple name of Kingdom...


    Calling it that would be a stretch though. Aside from the ins that the plot consists of, the only object is a single lone [hut] with nothing else close to it.


    Scratch that, there was nothing else anywhere, close or far from it. The map waspletely empty.


    I found this to be quite boring since there wasn''t anything for me to do with it, so I tried the [ess] function.


    But this one changed every negative thought I''d been harboring about the [Kingdom].


    First of all, this gave me a teleporting ability, only to the [Kingdom], but still, pretty neat. I could definitely use this to escape danger, at the very least.


    The green ins scenery stretching in front of me felt very pleasant and even made me strangely feel at home, even though I had just left my house.


    Also, free hut. Nice.


    Before even starting work, I was already the owner of my own real estate, almost like a millionaire, really.


    The ce is really good... but I doubt I''ll be using it too much.


    Don''t misunderstand me though, I''m not saying this because I already have somewhere to live.


    The real problem with this ce is that surrounding the ins, there''s an extremely thick fog. I can''t see anything past it, and it almost feels like there''s nothing there to be seen to start with as if that ce was the absolute limit of the universe.


    It does mark the limit of this space, and though I wonder what would happen if I touched it, the foreboding feeling it gives shakes off any curiosity instantly.


    It seems like I''m capable of expanding and modifying this ce by using the [Kingdom Points], but I don''t have the leisure to waste those since I''m only capable of iming one [Kingdom Point] thanks to my only level 1 [Citizen] registered, that is, myself.


    There was a bunch of things I could buy that seemed to be useful for settlements and the [Citizens].


    But spending it on anything seemed like a waste at the time, so I just saved it, thinking it might be more relevantter.


    After finishing with the [Kingdom] menu, there was just one other function for me to look at, the one that shows my Status.


    And at least this one was pretty normal, from intelligence to strength, and of course, mana as well, everything disyed there showed a 1, which is the average by arge margin since getting a status to 2 before receiving a Gift seems to be really difficult.


    After the [Status], I was done with checking menus, and even though it was very tiresome, the fact that I was now able to, after many years, enter dungeons, level up, and go on all sorts of adventures gave me all my enthusiasm back.


    The world I grew up watching from afar, never being able to enter myself, was now just steps away.


    Before that though, it felt important to at least test the [Mana Banner], even though I knew it would dy me a day, but I couldn''t go out without knowing what this one was capable of.


    I went on with my day as usual, sometimes being anxious about not stepping out there already, but by the time I was cooking dinner, such thoughts were disregardedpletely.


    After I finished dinner, it was time to test thest aspect of my Gift, and I spent my mana on the [Weapons Banner] inside the [Mana Banners] menu.


    I didn''t really know what to expect, given that it''s a gacha, maybe even a single mana point would bring an incredible result.


    I failed to consider that I was already lucky today, and the gachas aren''t usually so forgiving.


    Likest time, my head goes nk for a second, I feel lost, but before I can wrap my head around these feelings, they are gone.


    In front of me, I see a small ded weapon. A dagger.


    Doesn''t look fancy or anything like that, so I guess it worked out perfectly.


    Was this lucky or unlucky? Considering I didn''t spend too much on it, it was good, but maybe this was among the worst possible oues. Anyway, it was probably appropriate.


    I was a bit worried about a shy weapon and the prospects of being targeted because of them, so a simple dagger actually works out pretty well.


    If I look at it this way, yeah, I got pretty lucky.


    Sadly, I didn''t have too much time to be happy about it.


    The effects of spending all your mana quickly started to affect me and I had to put the dagger away or risk hurting myself.


    This effect is known as Mana Depletion, alongside the strongest headache you''d ever feel, you can count on it draining away all strength in your body and making you extremely exhausted.


    Any simple task bes a great hurdle while under this condition, but as mana regenerates naturally, as long as you get a good night''s sleep, it usually goes away, at most you''d feel a bit sluggish in the morning.


    People often say that if you''re going to deplete your mana, you better do it during the night, since spending too much time awake while suffering from Mana Depletion might be dangerous.


    Due to that, even though I knew I''d be wasting a day, I couldn''t help to test the [Mana Banners] before going to the dungeon.


    And hey, it kind of paid off. A level-up or a rare drop would be nice, but the dagger is as good.


    Since even thinking was draining, I decided to ept things as they were and not ponder on them too much, so I went to sleep.

 Chapter 4: First Dungeon Raid

    When I woke up this morning my mana depletion was mostly gone. meaning it should be fine if I went to a dungeon, so after doing a few things. my body felt as light as usual and there was no headache or any tiredness in sight.


    Feeling like I had made a full recovery, I chose a dungeon near my house to raid.


    Doing some research, you would find that this one is quite popr for beginners in this city. The first floors are said to be inhabited by weak and low-level monsters such as goblins and slimes, so even without good skills or magic, newbies can get good results from a monster encounter, getting experience and levels.


    Before actually entering through the dungeon gate I had to register in a post close by.


    It''s a single document that doesn''t collect much information, just your name and a deration of consent in which you confirm that you''re aware of the dangers of entering a dungeon and agree that there would be no guarantees of safety and any situation one might encounter falls under their own responsibility, as such, a third party or authority intervention should not be expected, evenw enforcement.


    it was a bit nerve-wracking to sign it since most of the contents in there were about the different things that might happen once inside.


    There was no way to enter without signing it though, so from the beginning, there was only one option for me.


    Aside from that, an agreement term about sharing information about any findings if ever required could be found by the end of the document.


    In the past, there were a lot of crimes beingmitted inside a dungeon, and if the criminal got outside and there was enough proof of his crimes, then, he''d be arrested. This document is more of a way for the government to protect itself, but maintaining order was still a priority.


    It was hard to find proof of a crime like murder inside a ce where there were monsters literally trying to kill everyone though. But even if you managed to escape the government, adventurers also had their own way of doing justice, as not one of them wanted more risk factors in their workce.


    Turns out, it''s really hard to get out alive from a dungeon when the people inside want you dead, so attempted murders and whatnot fell a lot, as people would much rather do it on Earth and face jail time than do it inside a dungeon and face... well, something less appealing.


    In the end, the adventurers inside the dungeons managed to make the amount of fuckery diminish greatly.


    Once I had entered the dungeon proper, I found myself in the settlement of the first floor, a ce with some establishments, mostly for trade. like some small stores selling equipment or people offering tips for cash. There were also some escorts for first-timers.


    Approximately 200 hundred people were in this settlement, and among them, there were a lot of newbies looking for parties.


    A guy was offering a match-making service for parties, which was a bit pricey at $20, but that was fine.


    Forming a party is important for beginners since we don''t have much experience in fighting and we often let our guard down at the wrong moment or make silly mistakes that can end up in death.


    By having someone with you, these risks are reduced.


    Normally in a party, if someone makes a mistake, there would be someone else to guard or help them, which can be the difference between thriving or failing at a dungeon raid.


    The guy I was talking to before took me to what would be my party, a dude dressed all in ck, as tall as me, around 180 cm. He seemed a bit distressed, but that''s to be expected from someone''s first time.


    Everything would be alright as long as he does well.


    Looking at his right, I might''ve found the source that was making him ufortable.


    A somewhat tall girl at around 170 cm was dressed in shorts and a top, both of which were quite revealing, so even I got a bit anxious to approach since I didn''t even know where to look.


    It seems like the two would be my party members.


    The guy is called Roy, and the girl says she''s Sam. I''ve never met them before, and I can''t even confidently say that they weren''t from my school since I didn''t really know anyone there either.


    I guess I''d at least be able to recognize Sam if I had ever seen her though, she seems to be the type of upbeat person who grabs everyone''s attention wherever she goes.


    One of the most important things when making a party is knowing each other''s capabilities, so of course, when we start exposing our skills, I instantly lie about my Gift.


    Roy: "So before we dive in, it''s probably safer to know what everyone is capable of right?"


    Sam: "Totally!"


    Miwen: "Agreed."


    Roy: "Well, I''ll start then, as I''ve already said, I''m Roy, and my Gift is [The ck Swordsman], I get 2 skills from it, [Darkness Magic] and [Swordsmanship], both at level 1. It also facilitates the use of [Darkness Magic] in ded weapons, although I don''t have a sword, I guess this knife I had at home should count as a ded weapon..."


    Sam: "Sam here! My Gift is [Martial Arts Specialist], it allows me to learn martial arts at a faster rate! It also boosts my strength. I guess I got it because I practice some martial arts in a dojo."


    Miwen: "My Gift is [Godspeed], it makes me quicker, but it seems not by much as of right now... I guess I got it because I like finishing things quickly."


    Roy: "That''s not always good."


    Miwen: "Bro, not in that way."


    It''s bad to outright lie about your Gift, but since [Gacha Kingdom Building] doesn''t have any effects in actualbat, I''d prefer to pass my [Movement Speed Up] skill as a Gift.


    First of all, exining everything that [Gacha Kingdom Building] does would be a chore in and of itself, and also, since it''s not abat Gift by nature, at least not in an obvious way, my standing between them would probably go down.


    I don''t think they, as neers, would refuse to form a party with me, but since the only noticeable difference between me and them was my enhanced speed, passing it off as my Gift would facilitate things.


    And to be fair, they don''t really need to know about the rest since it doesn''t affect them right now.


    I guess the items I might get from the [Mana Banners] might be relevant to them since they''ve brought kitchen knives while I got an actual dagger.


    But I can just say it was something I bought, and if the need arises, I can give them a dagger like this if I get one again without telling them how I got it.


    Normally, a girl surrounded by two guys would raise a lot of red gs, but due to Sam''s Gift and the fact that she seems to have some experience in fighting, she could probably wipe the floor with Roy and me.


    Roy: "Right! I forgot to say, but even though I''m capable of darkness magic, I don''t know any spell, also I only have a single mana point so by using even the most basic spell once I''d be down for the day. So I think we should probably all act as physical attackers."


    Miwen: "It''s fine, let''s just move as a unit and cover each other''s blind spots, we should be safe against most things by doing so."


    Sam: "Yeah, let''s advance while covering each other, we are all ss cannons here."


    And so our "strategy" was set.


    Well, there''s not much to discuss as we don''t even have that many skills, so the obvious to do is to use our advantages the best we can, so basically the strength of Roy and Sam and my own speed.


    Attack, attack, and if doesn''t die you just attack again, as long as we can overpower the monsters here, going all out on the offensive is a valid tactic.


    While we advanced. Roy took the position in the middle, Sam was on his left, and I was on his right, taking care of looking for any dangers on the right side and the back.


    Sam was doing the same on the left side and Roy focused on what was right in front of us, thus, he was the first to notice a monster, a single goblin.


    Our first battle was against this monster, and of course, a 3-on-1 against a goblin was easy, even more so when the 3 members hadbat skills.


    We had no way of confirming the level of this monster, but since the boss of the first floor in this dungeon is only level 3, it should be, at max a level 3 himself thanks to the dungeon capping the max level one can get to in the floor to be the same as that of the boss.


    If he was at level three, this means he could have spent Level Points on his Status, strengthening a single status two times, or strengthening two different statuses a single time.


    If he had a skill, he could also have improved it.


    Even still, the three of us should be able to deal with him, even if it''s the worst-case scenario.


    If that were the case, one of us might''ve gotten hurt though, making it so that we had to call off the raid. So approaching it with caution and then attacking simultaneously to end things quickly would be best.


    But while I was thinking that, Roy jumped at him with his knife, which made me very surprised.


    He tried to sh at the goblin and managed to cut his shoulder on the left side.


    The goblin grabbed his arm and his ws prated Roy''s skin, making him bleed a bit.


    Sam came quickly and punched the head of the Goblin, after which I killed it by taking the opportunity to stab its neck.


    I didn''t feel much resistance, and in a single attack, it was over.


    If I had to guess, it was either a level 1 or maybe 2 at most. A level three would probably be harder to deal with.


    It seemed like Roy kind of panicked a bit upon facing a monster for the first time, his first impulse was to jump at it, while Sam and I were still calcting the possibilities.


    Thankfully this goblin was alone, I failed to consider that in our first battle, our reactions wouldn''t be in sync and we wouldn''t all work in harmony.


    My decision-making speed wasn''t ideal either, had I noticed Roy''s action before, I could''ve helped him and prevented an injury.


    It was minor this time, but it can be the mistake that leads to someone else, so matching everyone was something I tried to keep in mind.


    Sam: "Are you okay Roy? Wanna call it off for today?"


    Roy: "It stings a bit, but it''s not even bleeding much, it''s mostly superficial I guess, I can go on."


    Sam: "If you say so..."


    Miwen: "Don''t overdo it, if it gets worse tell us."


    Roy: "Alright. Let''s keep going then."


    The ws of normal goblins usually are not poisoned, there are some subspecies that may have that attribute though, a Gift or Skill should also make it possible. It would be better to look after this cut, but since Roy says he''s fine, arguing about it wouldn''t be good.


    After our first battle, we continued through the dungeon and dealt with 3 slimes and 2 goblins.


    I noticed that I had no idea how much time had passed here. There are only cave-like walls all around, and of course, no sunlight either. It felt like we''d been exploring for at least an hour, but it could''ve been much longer already. Thankfully I could check my phone, which showed that we were in the dungeon for more than an hour.


    Eventually, we came across two goblins, one of them also had a club, which makes him extra dangerous...


    Miwen: "Sam, Roy, you take the one unarmed. I''ll distract the one with the club."


    Sam: "Are you sure? wouldn''t it be better for us to go 2-on-1 on the one with the club?"


    Miwen: "Roy is hurt, so it''s better to avoid putting him in dangerous situations, also, having a club is not that good for that goblin, especially against me, since the club should make him slower. Thanks to my [Godspeed] I should be able to deal with him with ease. It''s also a weapon that doesn''t work very well for fast attacks, so as long as I pay attention I should be able to dodge it."


    Roy: " Still... it would be better for me to help you."


    Miwen: "Don''t worry, I wouldn''t suggest it if I wasn''t sure I could do it."


    Sam: "Fine, but try not to die ok?"


    Miwen: " Leave it to me."


    I ran toward the goblin with the club.


    As I dashed to his side, both goblins came running to me at the same time.


    That''s when Roy and Sam jumped at the unarmed one who was behind.


    The goblin with the club continued to chase after me, and after I managed to put some distance between our two groups, I decided to fight it properly.


    The first strike was his,ing at me full force with arge swing.


    If that hit my head I have no doubt that I''d go down instantly, but due to our height difference, it seems it is hard for the goblin to hit me anywhere above my chest, so it focuses on hitting my legs, arms, and abdomen.


    Not that any of his swings connected to me, and after the fourth swing he seemed somewhat tired.


    I thought I''d be able to dodge everything with ease, but I had to concentrate a lot, it was also my first 1v1 battle, so I couldn''t help but feel a little bit nervous.


    Even though I was a bit anxious, taking the opportunity after his first swing, I made a bunch of fast shes towards him.


    He tried to use the club to defend himself but that didn''t amount to much as I was faster, and having to move that big weapon was exhausting for him, so eventually, I managed to cut his throat.


    The goblin died instantly after that and to my surprise, his body was absorbed by the dungeon, and a Monster Core was left behind.


    It''s not unusual for some monster on the dungeon to be absorbed by it, but it''s the first one today that it happens to, it''s also the first one to drop a Monster Core.


    I was going to go to a dungeon officeter to have it bought since I have no use for it right now.


    While looking back it seems that Sam and Roy were about to deal with the goblin they tackled.


    Sam baited it and managed to grab one of its arms, leaving Roy with a clear opportunity to kill it.


    Its body is not absorbed by the dungeon and no Monster Core appears.


    Sam: "Hey, you alright?"


    Miwen: "Completely. Also, look at this."


    I show them the Monster Core, no reason to hide it, since it''s in a novice dungeon, and from a low-level monster, it probably won''t even sell for much.


    Roy: "Cool, that''s the first tradeable good we got today."


    Miwen: "Yeah, there''s also the club if you want to sell it."


    Roy: "I don''t think it''s worth it... unless Sam wants it?"


    Sam: "No way."


    The club is a bit big and heavy, and since it doesn''t sell for much, it''s not really worth carrying it around.


    The monster core can be kept in a pocket so there was no reason not to take it, even though at this level it probably definitely wouldn''t sell for much either.


    Miwen: "Should we continue then?"


    Roy: "I think I can go on for longer."


    Sam: "No problems here."


    And so we continued raiding the dungeon.


    After killing our 12th goblin, he also drops a monster core, Roy keeps it since he was the one who killed it.


    And then after our 16th goblin kill, another monster core drops, this time Sam kept it.


    This way we have sorted everyone''s loot for today, but every single one of us knew that we were close to a level up, so no one wanted to stop before leveling up for the first time.


    As such, we kept going deeper on the first floor, even finding a door that led to a boss room.


    Of course, we didn''t enter it, knowing we probably didn''t stand a chance.


    But soon after, when our count was at 9 slime kills and 18 goblin kills, we decided to check the status, and there we found out that everyone''s level had increased.


    Roy: "What are you guys gonna do with the Status Points? For me, it''s gotta be the Strength status!"


    Sam: "I''ll go with Speed I guess, it seems to be very helpful in a 1-on-1, and I don''t need to increase my strength right now thanks to my Gift."


    Miwen: "I''ll also go with strength since my Gift boosts speed."


    And so, we all decided where to invest the 2 Level points each of us got, we also decided now was a good time to call it quits, since we''ve made pretty good progress.


    After leaving through the gate, we go to an office close to the dungeon, there we can trade the Monster Cores we got.


    it seems the Monster Core Sam and I got were both of a level 1 Goblin, so they paid us $1 for each Goblin Monster Core, Roy got lucky and his was of a level 2 Goblin, so he got $2.


    Yeah, it''s definitely not much, but there''s nothing we can do about it, of course, even though Roy got the bigger pay, neither Sam nor I minded.


    We decided to add each other''s contact so we could raid the dungeon again tomorrow, and with that, everyone went their own way.

 Chapter 5: Rolling At Level Two

    Now that I was back at home, it was time for me to put my real Gift to use.


    After such a long day, even I was thinking that all my Gift did was increase my speed. But [Godspeed] is just a lie to hide my true Gift.


    I opened the Status Menu and focused on [Gacha Kingdom Building].


    Same asst time, a bunch of information appeared, though it didn''t seem like anything had changed.


    I then opened the [Gacha Ticket] menu so that I could im my daily tickets.


    By reaching level 2, the number of tickets I got daily had increased, and so after iming the tickets, the information on this menu updated to show:


    Amount of Owned Tickets: 2


    After acquiring the tickets for rolling in the gacha, the next step is obviously rolling in the gacha.


    And so, I opened the [Banners] menu by concentrating on it.


    The same myriad of different banners appeared, this time, since I already had a skill, thepanion and weapons banner seemed more enticing.


    But I still don''t think I''m strong enough to carry a shy weapon around, even after bing level 2 and forming a party with Roy and Sam. It''s also true that I only have a singlebat skill that, although useful, is nowhere near the top when ites to how much of one''s power it increases.


    So without knowing the strength and loyalty of a randompanion, or being incapable of protecting my own weapons, those were still investments I was not confident in.


    The banner that would result in the minimal amount of worries for me was, of course, the reliable [Skills Banner].


    Of course, if I was insanely unlucky, it was possible for me to actually end up worse than when I started, but the chances were so much in my favor that I couldn''t see myself picking any other banner to roll in.


    And so, the two tickets I had went straight to the [Skills Banner]. All the while, I kept my hopes up that it would get something to make my dungeon-raiding days easier.


    As it happens every time, my mind went nk for a moment, but in a sh, I came back to myself. It''s scary how much I was starting to get used to this. Even then, it was still strange to have my mind wander off to who knows where...


    Aftering back to proper sanity, I checked the [Skills] menu. Inside it was the [Current Skills] menu, in which I was able to see what had changed from its previous state. Unsurprisingly, there were two new skills registered:


    [Enhanced Drop Chance


    The owner of this skill boosts drop chances in an area of effect, as a passive skill, it is always active unless the owner decides to deactivate it. Every sort of item that can be dropped has its chance increased, from every source.]


    [Physical Prowess


    An active skill. For every 5 seconds of activation, consumes 1 mana point from the owner.


    This skill boosts strength, speed, and defense until the user decides to deactivate it or the user''s mana has run out.]


    Both skills seemed pretty good. At level 1 their effects were a bit dubious, but for now, [Physical Prowess] could be used as ast resort while [Enhanced Drop Chance] was a nice boost to have, no matter what.


    I''d put it in the same tier as [Movement Speed Up]. Even though one is meant forbat and the other not so much, both have great effects.


    Getting good skills like this was somewhat lucky I guess, but while both were useful, thanks to the fact that [Physical Prowess] would consume mana, I now found myself thinking about what status I should increase.


    Originally, thanks to [Movements Speed Up] my n was to focus all the level-up points I''d get up until level 3 on the Strength status. After that, at level 4, I''d split the points into speed and defense, making an overall bnced physical fighter, even more so considering that thanks to [Movement Speed Up] my Strength and Speed would be around the same.


    But just by leveling Intelligence, I could increase my mana pool, allowing me to use [Physical Prowess] for longer. It would also allow for more spending at the [Mana Banners] and maybe even unlock new banners there...


    The problem was that every status could be increased by training, and there was a way to increase one''s mana pool without increasing the Intelligence status.


    There were quite a few actually, but one of them simply revolved around spending your mana every day, through the constant use of mana, your mana pool tends to increase.


    Since I was going to keep using the [Mana Banners] and that drained my mana, I decided to focus on doing this instead of spending the level-up points.


    Before leaving the [Skills] menu, I tried checking for the [Avable Skills] since if there was anything new there, it could change the way I spend the level-up points from now on.


    But even though I''d hope that a level-up, or killing a few monsters would be enough to change the situation with the [Avable Skills] I couldn''t be more wrong. There''s still nothing there, and any time spent here would simply be a waste.


    I also focused on the [Kingdom] menu. There wasn''t much to do there, and most things seemed to be either useless for me right now, or too expensive to even consider.


    There was no harm in iming the 2 [Kingdom Points] avable for me though.


    I couldn''t help getting excited over how much a single level-up managed to increase my Gift''s overall power.


    I could now im 2 [Kingdom Points] and [Daily Tickets], and though the [Kingdom Points] didn''t have many uses, thinking about a future in which I''d get a ton of skills or weapons at once through the Gacha made me think that [Gacha Kingdom Building] had a lot of promise as a Gift.


    Thest remaining task for me to do was head over to the [Mana Banners].


    I didn''t really need weapons at the current dungeon stage, and I already had the dagger that was at least a little bit useful, so I focused on the [Armor Banners] thinking that a piece of protective armor would be good.


    Once again, my mind went nk, and this time, the exhaustion from the mana depletion also kicked in, even if I wanted to do anything else, I was totally spent for the day.


    The most I could aplish was confirming what it was that I got from the roll in the [Mana Banners].


    Since only a single mana point was spent, I wasn''t hoping for anything grandiose in any way, but still, after looking at what I got, I can''t help but feel puzzled.


    It was a ring, just that, a in ring. It doesn''t look cursed, blessed, or anything at all.


    Does a ring even count as armor? Well, I guess it protects a bit of your finger?


    Anyway, it doesn''t seem useful but there''s also no harm in using it, so I just put it in a finger and drew the curtains on the day once again.

 Chapter 6: Second Dungeon Raid

    Maybe it''s the excitement about the newly acquired skills, but today, the mana depletion didn''t seem to affect me as much.


    Of course, there was the possibility of my mana pool increasing, but it would be unrealistic to expect that in such a short amount of time.


    Still, it would be a total lie to say I wasn''t feeling its effects. Even though I could do most tasks, it was better to take it easy for a while before going to the dungeon.


    A few hours went by as I tidied things up around, nothing much, but just enough so that I could maintain a clean living space.


    And so, seeing as there was no reason not to, I once again head out, my destination being the beginner dungeon close to where I live.


    It didn''t take much time to reach it, and having contacted Roy and Sam beforehand, we met before the Gate of the dungeon.


    Neither of them seemed to have bought better equipment, which with the pay from yesterday is totallyprehensive. Let alone buy weapons, it would be a miracle to rely on it to survive.


    They did exude an air of confidence though, and the reason why was pretty obvious. Since the results from yesterday''s dungeon raid were quite good, and every one of us leveled up, I think it''s normal for us to be a bit more confident, even though we''re now just slightly stronger.


    Even though dungeons tend to be dangerous at all times, for the first floor of this one, taking into consideration our performance from yesterday and the fact that today we are stronger, it''s reasonable to think that this dungeon raid will go smoothly once again, by all means, it should even be easier than yesterday.


    Yet, this kind of thinking also scares me a bit. After all, what separates dead beginners from veterans is the notion of always keeping up your guard.


    Even if humanity has somewhat adapted to the changes in the world we find ourselves in, there''s a lot we don''t know about.


    Phenomenons we can''t exin orprehend at all, or things that shouldn''t happen, yet, even if logic-defying, just end up happening aremon now. It''s as if the world is trying to spite any kind of understanding we have about the inner workings of the blessing Catherine gave us.


    I had no wish to dampen the good mood we were in though, so, after greeting Roy and Sam, we entered the dungeon for our second raid, with high hopes for progress once again.


    During this expedition, the difference between level two and level one became apparent.


    Before, most of the enemies in the dungeon would be able to put up a fight. It would be unlikely for them to win, but one mistake and we could have our lives forfeited.


    The wiggle room this time became bigger, being able to overpower enemies easier than before, and also being able to answer to surprising situations with a clearer head.


    Since Roy had recovered from the injury he received yesterday early on in the raid, had a level-up, and also got a bit ofbat experience, it looked like he was a different person from the day before, most enemies didn''t even faze him.


    Sam had also improved a bit, she was already pretty capable before, but it seems like the gap between us has actually increased, and she easily upies the position of strongest in our party right now.


    I probably could overpower her for five seconds with [Physical Prowess], but then I''d instantly lose anyway since I''m not confident in defeating her in that time frame and after five seconds mana depletion would kick in, making me be a walking punch bag for her.


    Thankfully she''s an ally we can count on, so I don''t really have to worry about my prospects against her.


    That being said, it would take a long time for us to level up again by just hunting in this area.


    Since yesterday, we have been sticking to a ce close to the gate, just far away enough from the settlements of this floor for hunting, but still close enough to run for help if need be.


    There would be more and stronger monsters the deeper we went, but we decided to do so. It was a bit risky since the probability of higher leveled monsters goes up as one dives deeper, but we still hadn''t covered the amount of ground we did yesterday, so just rushing that much should be alright, after that, we''d once again put the most focus possible so as to not endanger ourselves without reason.


    This is somewhat of a greedy move, basically, we were actively looking for stronger monsters so that we could get more experience from them and speed up to our next level.


    Another strategy that was doable for us would be challenging the boss of this first floor. It would be even more dangerous but would reward us better, by hunting a bit and killing the boss we were practically guaranteed to level up.


    For this dungeon, it is said that challenging the boss at level one without a party would guarantee death.


    At level one, at least five people would be necessary, but even then, they would probably be wiped, since the boss is at level 3 himself, and there are four goblins inside the room alongside it, two of them being level 2 themselves.


    Of course, a strong enough gift or skill can always change that, which is why I believe our party right now could defeat the boss.


    Even though we are all level 2, each one of us has a goodbat skill or gift, it should allow us to have an advantage against everything in the boss room except the boss himself.


    If we were to fight it right now, we could have Sam distract the boss while Roy and I took two goblins on, we would get badly injured, but as long as Sam manages to survive the boss encounter we should be able to deal with the goblins and then overpower the boss together.


    Not even one of us suggested entering a boss room even though we just went past one though. It should be pretty obvious, but there is no need to rush it.


    Inside a dungeon, your maximum level is capped by the floor you are in, and your skills also can''t be above the boss level, meaning even if you had a level 5 skill, it would be reduced to level 3 while inside this floor, and even if you had the status of a higher level, they would also be reduced back to the cap of the floor.


    Due to that, it''s impossible for us to raise our level beyond 3 without defeating the floor boss. But it also means that there is no reason for us to challenge him before reaching the cap, it''s simply the safer option, and at level 3 we would be almost guaranteed to win.


    And so, we simply went past the floor boss room. It should also be noted that we keep our guard up when around it, as a Boss Rush could happen.


    The conditions for a Boss Rush are not yet known, being mostly attributed to chance.


    It''s quite rare, but its nature is dreadful. When a Boss Rush happens, the boss from the floor is able to leave his room and roam around the dungeon freely, which often causes casualties even among veterans.


    Even rarer, a boss from a higher floor may descend, although his level gets capped, he would usually be a lot stronger than what you''d expect on the floor you''re exploring.


    Against something like that, there''s usually nothing to be done, the best option is to run and then notify everyone.


    Normally after that, a subjugation request is issued, and teams are formed with the sole purpose of killing the boss.


    Usually, adventurers with a higher level are called, because even though their level gets capped, with their skills they should be able to put up a good enough fight, even more so if in high numbers.


    For lower floors of beginner dungeons such as this one, it''s also possible for the army or the police to deal with the situation since firearms work well on weaker monsters.


    Thankfully we didn''t have to face anything of the sort this time around, and could simply pass by without a boss rush happening.


    After getting deeper than ever inside this dungeon, we started finding stronger monsters, and after our 13th goblin kill in this region, it was noticeable that no slimes were roaming around anymore, only goblins could be found in this depth.


    They tend to be stronger than slimes and sometimes group up, which can lead to difficult situations, such as the one we find ourselves facing right now, where there are three goblins standing right in front of us.


    One of them is carrying a club, reminiscent of the goblin I killed yesterday. The other two seem to be unarmed, and the only thing to note is the robe that one of them is using.


    Roy: "Do you guys wanna do this three on three or would you prefer to iste them in three different one on one battles?"


    Miwen: "Isting the battles would be better I think, a group battle tends to be chaotic, and in such an environment we could easily get hurt, by fighting one on one it gets easier to manage each fight and should reduce the chances of any ident."


    Sam: "I can probably take one really quickly and then help you guys, if you ask nicely~"


    Roy: "I see, I''ll facilitate your job then, I''ll get the shady one with the robe, Miwen should get the one with the club since he already has experience dealing with that."


    impressive argumentation, I''ll give him that. But something tells me he just wants to show off by dealing with the most mysterious one.


    Sam: "Fine by me."


    Miwen: "Be careful."


    Given the situation, it''s a sound strategy, although it would be better for Sam to deal with the most suspicious one, but since Roy seems eager to do it there''s no helping it.


    Sam was the first to jump at her designated enemy, Roy followed close behind, and thest one to face their opponent was me.


    Since this goblin was carrying a club it was the slowest of the bunch, so I didn''t have to rush in as much as the others.


    The n for this fight is pretty simple, wait for it to swing the club, either smash his head in or cut his neck, if the opportunity window is too narrow, create a bit of distance and wait for it to rush in again.


    Goblins are not very smart, but they are capable of thinking, if I give him too many chances to repeat the pattern and notice my actions, he should be able to counteract me.


    Thus, a fast battle decided by a quick and unexpected response should be my focus right now.


    Although this goblin seemed on the stronger side, he swung his club with much more ease than thest one I faced, so for now I kept maximum attention, in order to not get hit by it.


    By the time of his third full-force swing, I couldn''t help but notice that he wasn''t as tired as the goblin I previously faced, which confirmed that he was stronger by a margin.


    Even if he was stronger, his body shouldn''t be able to keep it up forever. And even though he is a monster, his mind should instinctively be thinking about how to kill his opponent, since his current method is clearly not working.


    But that by itself was also useful to me, it meant that his concentration was divided.


    He was focused on fighting while also wondering how to win.


    The human mind is much greater than that of this monster, so at all times, my thinking capability should be higher, meaning my brain can think and fight much more efficiently than his.


    Add to that the fact that I don''t even need to think too much, since I''vee to this battle with a strategy already in mind, and you can see how the winner was decided before the match even began.


    His next strike came at my left side, I could feel he wasn''t capable of mustering all his strength into this one, his mind was definitely wandering and he did this just to keep pressure on his opponent. Big mistake though.


    With just some side steps I was able to break his meager attempt. It seems he also tried to exert more force at the end, which ended up hurting his bnce.


    There was a clear opportunity for me now. By using all my speed I was able to get near him before he couldpletely gain his bnce back, and so, with a sh, blood came out gushing from his neck, and only a momentter he was dead.


    Sam: "Roy!"


    I suddenly heard Sam shouting for Roy.


    Due to being somewhat immersed in the fight, it took me a moment to even look at my right side, where Roy should be.


    When I did though, I saw him on the ground, wrestling with the goblin he was supposed to be dealing with.


    Sam, who seemed to be done with her opponent quickly rushed in to help Roy. I followed after her to also lend a hand.


    By punching the goblin with all her might, she managed to get it off Roy, and as it fell next to me, squirming on the ground, with not so much as a second thought, I stabbed him multiple times.


    I don''t know what happened to Roy, but from what I see of him, there''s no way he''d have a problem dealing with even a level-three goblin, so I wasn''t about to take any chances with this one.


    Even though it was gruesome, I didn''t give it a fighting chance.


    Sam: "You okay? There''s a cut in your leg, you''re bleeding, you-"


    Roy: "Y-yeah I''m fine-ish... It had a Gift, it also knew a spell andunched a wind de against me, I tried to react but it was too fast, and so it hit my leg."


    Sam: "We''re calling today off, we need to take you out of here."


    Roy: "Sure. Sorry."


    Sam: "Don''t worry. Youing Miwen?"


    Miwen: "Yeah just a second."


    Two of these goblins dropped stones, although the one with the robe dropped a green orb, while the one with the club dropped the usual monster core, so I grabbed both and gave a shoulder to Roy so that we could get out of the dungeon without exerting him too much.


    Right now Sam was going ahead of me, trying to clear the way to the best of her ability.


    We found some monsters on the way, but since we didn''t find any in groups it was fairly easy for Sam to deal with them while I helped Roy out.


    By the time we got to the establishments close to the gate, we were out of breath and out of energy.


    I don''t think the cut on Roy''s leg is too much of a problem, but it''s still worse than the injury he had yesterday, so he probably needs healing magic, a potion, or to go to a hospital.


    Of those, the one that tends to be cheaper is actually the hospital, so I suggested it.


    Roy imed he has a neighbor who''s good at healing magic though, so he should be able to deal with it. At least enough so that he cane to the dungeon tomorrow.


    Of course, I felt relieved that he was going to be okay, and after just a bit of first aid, we came out of the dungeon.


    Today''s loot was 3 monster cores and this green orb. I don''t hide the orb from the group, and since everyone had a shot at the goblin we decide to simply sell it and share the profits.


    At the Dungeon Office today, Sam and I both got $2 each for the monster cores we got from the goblins, and Roy got $1 from his. I kinda feel bad about it but there wasn''t much to discuss since everyone just sold the monster core from the monster they defeated.


    The green orb though was surprising. It seems to be a wind mana orb. At level two it sells for $12 so each of us gets $4 for it.


    And so after saying goodbye to Sam and Roy my second day as an adventurer came to an end.


    Although notpletely happy due to Roy''s situation, I''m feeling great about the sudden rise in pay, if it keeps going like this I should be able to make a living out of raiding dungeons soon enough.


    With such thoughts in mind I head straight home, I''ve yet to roll today after all.

 Chapter 7: Keep on Rolling

    These days, being at home meant I had to adhere to a routine... The Gacha routine that is.


    There was no reason to dy it, and so today as well I focused on the [Gacha Kingdom Building] menu to open it.


    I checked just in case to see if any of the information had changed, but since this time I hadn''t leveled up, to say my hopes weren''t high would be an understatement. It wasn''t shocking then that as I had thought, nothing had changed at all.


    Since I''m quite content with what my Gift already allows me to do there was no reason to feel down about not having any changes though.


    So, after having confirmed the state of my Gift, I simply continued as normal, focusing on the [Gacha Ticket] menu.


    In there I saw that I owned 0 tickets, but that was bound to change as soon as I used the [im Daily Tickets] function.


    Since I''m still level 2, the amount of tickets I got was only a meager 2.


    I wasn''t that close to a level up, but the amount of experience I got today was pretty good, so if I managed to keep the pace it should be no time until level 3, which would increase the amount of tickets I get daily.


    After confirming that the information on the number of tickets had changed to:


    Amount Of Owned Tickets: 2


    I couldn''t help but think about how much level-ups impacted my Gift.


    Not only do they increase the number of Gacha Tickets, but I can also use them to forcibly increase my mana pool.


    Doing so would allow me to either roll more in the Mana Banners or get stronger items in it.


    There is also the fact that the amount of [Kingdom Points] I get would also rise, so leveling up was of utmost importance for this Gift.


    I guess most Gifts are like that, even the basic ones would appear to be more powerful as their users get stronger through level-ups.


    Still, [Gacha Kingdom Building] has a lot of synergy with every level-up, it almost seems to be designed with the intent of its user progressing through levels.


    Since there wasn''t much use hoarding the Gacha Tickets, I focused on the [Banners] menu to start rolling once again.


    Last time at the [Armor Banner] in the [Mana Banners] menu I only got a single ring, so I kinda felt like trying a Gacha Ticket in the same banner but this time not in the [Mana Banners] section.


    Even more so considering the [Mana Banners] seem to be very limited due to my low amount of mana.


    Still, thinking about the chances of attracting unwanted attention, the desire to test other Banners aside from the [Skill Banners] went away pretty quickly.


    I get a very limited number of Tickets each day, so focusing on the sure way to get stronger was probably more effective. It''s also way less worrisome with fewer drawbacks.


    Due to that, I decided to spend the tickets I currently had on the [Skills Banner] after all.


    As usual, my mind once again drifted away, my consciousness being entirely overwritten by a never-ending whiteness that seemed to have no meaning or purpose, which left me in apletely nk state.


    Thankfully this doesn''tst as long, it''s so quick that it''s almost imperceptible really.


    Still, even though I''m getting used to it, and it doesn''t really bother me, it''s a strange sensation that I never fail to notice.


    As soon as the sensation came, it went away, so without wasting any time at all, I checked what the [Skills Banner] had gotten me this time:


    [Appraisal]


    Active skill, for every 10 uses of this skill, a single mana point is spent. At higher levels, more things can be appraised, and the amount of information increases. It should also be noted that this skill can be blocked.


    [Reading Speed Up]


    Passive skill, Grants a small boost to the user''s reading speed. Only works with texts and if the user is capable of reading them. Please note that this skill is active at all times, although the user can deactivate it anytime he desires.


    I see, this time there were nobat skills.


    Since the first two times I had rolled on the [Skills Banner] I gotbat skills, I was quite confident that another one would pop up.


    Thus I felt a bit down about this time''s results. Maybe I was ying too safe with my Gift after all, and perhaps I should try another banner next time...


    But that''s a matter for next time, even though [Reading Speed Up] is not useful in the slightest inside a dungeon, it''s actually really good for everyday life, so I didn''t get mad at it or anything like that.


    On the brighter side, the [Appraisal] skill has its uses both inside and outside the dungeon.


    If used on someone without the ability to block it, I should be able to confirm their Gifts and skills, and when dealing with unknown circumstances, like the goblin from today that managed to catch Roy by surprise, I should be able to have at least a bit of information to not so easily fall for a surprise attack.


    I don''t know how much information I can gather from it, but I usually like to prepare myself and when dealing with unknown or dangerous factors I''m sure this skill will prove itself useful.


    It also opens up the possibility for me to work as a scout of sorts, a position very much appreciated by most parties.


    This time I got out of the [Skills] menu without checking the [Avable Skills].


    There was no reason for it to have changed and I wasn''t in the mood to be even more let down by anything rted to skills.


    Even if something had changed it''s not like I had any points from leveling up to invest in a skill so I''ll just ignore it for now.


    The next thing I wanted to check was the [Kingdom] menu, and so I focused on it.


    Of course, inside the Kingdom itself, nothing had changed.


    I still had 3 points from iming [Kingdom Points] daily and having now imed another 2 points, I found myself at a whooping 5 Kingdom Points!


    What would I waste- I mean, invest the Kingdom Points on?


    With 5 points I could buy a well for the kingdom, or I could save it since I can always just use the sink in my kitchen. But who knows, if a water shortage happens I would be totally safe.


    Better yet, I could buy a change of clothes for my citizens with these points... except that I don''t really have any citizens aside from myself.


    Yeah, there''s still not much to do with these, so I just saved the points until I could get something actually useful from them.


    And so, thest thing to do today was to roll on the [Mana Banners].


    Of course, I waited until before going to bed to roll on it since it would decidedly put an end to my energy today.


    Today''s target was the same as yesterday''s.


    I rolled on the [Armor Banner] again, hoping to get something better than the ring fromst time.


    So, with already mixed feelings about my rolls today, I put my hopes in the [Armor Banner] of the [Mana Banners].


    And seeing what is in front of me, I can''t help but wish to return to the nk state I was just a moment prior.


    What I got this time is as good as what I gotst time. Exactly the same thing, the same ring.


    That was it for the day, I didn''t even have the energy to get frustrated about it and just sleep it off.

 Chapter 8: Gacha Hell

    It''s never easy to wake up with the effects of mana depletion, my entire body was sluggish and I didn''t even want to leave the bed.


    I didn''t feel the effects so stronglyst time, but I guess it was because of my excitement in regard to the dungeon raids and the good sleep I hadst night due to the results of the roll the day prior.


    Today was very different... thanks to yesterday, my mood wasn''t the best, which probably affected my sleeping.


    And after looking at my phone, my feelings got even more mixed...


    Roy and Sam had sent new messages on our group chat, and they mostly revolved around Roy''s neighbour, who wasn''t home yesterday and would only be back today during nighttime.


    Due to that, Roy wasn''t able to go to the dungeon today with us.


    Sam showed sympathy to him and said that she would pause dungeon raiding until Roy got better.


    He seemed conflicted about it, thinking that he was dragging everyone down and making us stop our progress.


    Sam replied that even though steady progress is good, taking your time to rest is also important.


    She said it would be dumb to expect everyone to be free every day, and that there was nothing that could be done in Roy''s case since it wasn''t even his fault that he didn''t manage to get treatment.


    Roy replies that he went to the hospital when he discovered that his neighbour wasn''t home, and so he''s spending his time there until noon today when he will hopefully meet his neighbour who can use healing magic.


    He also left a message telling us to be cautious in the dungeon, since when he asked for the price of a lesser healing potion it was way above our total gains.


    And thus, it seems my party wasn''t going to the dungeon today... so this left me wondering what I should do.


    I had yet to reply to this news, and I could take my time with it. But the most important thing to do was to decide how my day was gonna go from now.


    Having practised with martial arts I guess Sam knows what she''s talking about when she says that rest is important.


    It''s something we often hear, but when immersed in an activity that brings us pleasure we tend to burn ourselves out by spending more time at it than we should, and it''s not above me to be guilty of that when ites to dungeon raids.


    Taking into ount that there is no danger lurking around me since the dungeons close to home are often raided, there shouldn''t be any Rampagesing from a dungeon for now.


    If I had to guess, the most unpredictable thing that could happen would be a Divine Event, but the chances for that are low, since thest time Earth participated in one of those we ced so low and did so badly at it that even Catherine and the other God who picked participants from Earth seemed displeased.


    We have no way of knowing what the Gods and Goddesses feel, although some nuns and priests, along with people who are very devoted to praying for Catherine im to understand her a little bit through their prayers.


    After thest Divine Event though, there were many nuns and priests speaking about how Catherine was angry, and the other God, Hwa, who chose people from Earth was also annoyed.


    It''s got nothing to do with me though. We know Catherine is capable of changing the world to a wild extent, that much is clear from the events of The First Contact, but even after our bad disy at thest Divine Event, there were no cmities to befall us, so most people conclude that Catherine either doesn''t care about the results of the Divine Events or that she may not want to cause us harm.


    Having said all that, without a Rampage or a Divine Event, the cause for problems would be other people, but criminality is on the lowtely...


    There are quite a few people who use the dungeons as stress relief, and it''s said that there are those who use murdering monsters as a substitute for murdering real people.


    It''s also true that inside the dungeons there are many cases of casualties, but those can be attributed to monsters, and rare are the cases where humans take risks in killing others. It''s also somewhat obvious when it happens, and investigations tend to be pretty fast.


    So I should be safe at home for now, and there''s no need to rush things.


    Still, my Gift gets a lot better by levelling up, If I have more rolls, I can avoid results like that of yesterday by getting a ton of different skills that would help me better prepare. such as [Appraisal].


    Given that my party members are taking today off, it would do me good to do the same, but I also wanna keep making progress... I can''t help but feel that a day without a dungeon raid is wasted.


    If I were to go to the dungeon alone today I''d still need to go deep to get worthwhile experience, and being alone would make it that much harder.


    Alternatively, I could just stick close to the settlements, but the experience of the usually weaker monsters around there would diminish the raid value too much, not to mention that there''s usually a bunch of people that only hang around the settlement and kill monsters with the help of others until they reach the cap for the floor.


    There''s also the option of forming another party, but then I''d have to pay someone to introduce me to one, and if they were to ask me to raid again with them I''d have to choose between that party and the one I have now with Sam and Roy, which doesn''t sound very good to me since we are doing fine and both of them are strong enough to guarantee a boss kill by their next level up...


    I also know them better now and have a bit of an understanding of their behaviour, which helps our party quite a bit.


    Well, there''s no reason not to take a day off once in a while, so I''ll just kick back and rx for now.


    Since I won''t be getting any new level-ups, I''ll im my [Daily Tickets] and the [Kingdom Points], which left me with 2 [Gacha Tickets] and 7 [Kingdom Points].


    The rolls from yesterday were a bit subpar so I wasn''t too sure about the rolls this time. Just to test the waters, I tried another roll in the [Skills Banner].


    Same as always, I feel as if my mind itself left me, and when Ie back to sanity, the first thing I do is check my [Current Skills].


    In this menu, I was able to check what had changed from its previous state, and so, the new skill I obtained was:


    [Faster Tree Climbing]


    Passive Skill. Makes it so the user is capable of climbing trees faster, allowing for higher mobility if the conditions are met. As a passive skill, it is always active. The user may decide to deactivate it at any moment.


    Finally. Tree Cimbling. But faster now.


    You know what? This one is another miss, and It made me pretty salty about the [Skills Banner].


    I''ve been curious about the other banners for a while now, so this gave me the perfect excuse to try something else.


    I still had 1 ticket left, and I could roll on many banners, so I didn''t need the [Skills Banner]. I could get a great weapon, a magical helmet, or something more useful from the other banners.


    While feeling angry and dejected, in my mind I had already decided not to roll on the [Skills Banner] this time.


    But when I focused on the [Weapons Banner] I reminded myself why it would be a bad idea overall, which made me question the legitimacy of rolling in it.


    I absolutely didn''t want to have eyes on me constantly, and if I were to rely on powerful weapons, it would be hard for me to assess my own shorings.


    But still... I didn''t want to bet on the [Skills Banner] since it was failing me as ofte.


    The only real option left then was the [Companions Banner]. I knew if I gave it too much thought I''d just create reasons for it not being worth trying out, but you know what? If it had ended up being bad, I''d just run away and call for help.


    One might call it cowardice, but I think it''s just smart really.


    With my newfound determination, I hurriedly gave myst Gacha Ticket to the [Companions Banner].


    Once again my mind entered apletely nk state, and when I managed to regain consciousness, an image pierced my eyes that made me believe I was actually dreaming.

 Chapter 9: Licia The Frost Sword

    After being disappointed by the results of thest roll on the [Skills Banner] the decision to roll on another banner was a mix of rationality and emotion.


    I wanted to progress and test what my Gift was capable of, so, getting underwhelming skills seemed to be the perfect storm for me to start trying other banners.


    And well, to say that [Faster Tree Climbing] was underwhelming is still an understatement... It would be a miracle to have this be relevant for me even once during my entire life.


    The [Skills Banner] was too good to pass on. But even though I knew that, this skill was the tipping point for me.


    Since this banner was so good, I would eventually return to it, but... in that case, there was no need to rush.


    If rolling on another banner turned out to be a mistake, I could just return to it, and with enough levels, I''d be able to roll on a variety of banners anyway.


    Even if a banner turns out bad at first, with enough tickets, I can probably force at least a few good results out of it...


    While harboring many feelings, in my mind, I started creating excuses for my decision. If this went on for too long it might''ve clouded my judgment, so I went ahead and a roll on a banner that also seemed promising.


    The [Companions Banner].


    However... unlike the [Skills Banner], judging whether or not I got a good result from this one proved to be difficult.


    After I did my roll, a girl appeared in front of me, standing in quietude.


    Her hair was a light blue color as if snow had fallen on it, it was long, reaching her back, although some reached only to her shoulder.


    It was hard not to take notice of her face, such perfection couldn''t be of this world... even a doll made by an artisan would fail topete, yet she seemed like she was at peace, a humble person who wouldn''t unt her beauty around and wouldn''t think of herself as better than someone else due her looks.


    It was honestly quite mesmerizing, but even if her face was that of a girl that makes you think "No way I''m approaching her, I''ve got no chance", her body showed no sign of unnecessary fat, even if her breasts and waist are a bit above average, it isn''t something you''d call unnecessary by any means.


    While I was looking at her, I suddenly recovered a proper state of mind.


    It was definitely a bad first impression to be caught looking at a girl''s naked body. My only hopes were that thanks to this situation beingpletely out of my control, she''d forgive me.


    But the words that left her mouth at that momentpletely shattered my hopes...


    ???: "...Pervert"


    Those are not the first words you wanna hear from a girl.


    Somehow, seeing her being spiteful hurt me internally, like venom. The way she looked at me felt cold, her eyes pierced through as if it was rude of me to even look her way.


    Which, in all fairness, due to the state she was in, wasn''tpletely wrong.


    I could understand her. Being naked and alone in a room with an unknown guy would be pretty nerve-racking for anyone, but even though this situation wasn''t something I expected, I did my best to calm her.


    At least, that wasn''t the n, but I underestimated the situation a little. Looking at her made me feel embarrassed since... I simply didn''t know where to look, and while focusing my vision to avoid the parts she wanted to cover, my words came out as weak.


    Miwen: "S-sorry I... um... I was..."


    Not only that... I started talking with the intent of making things better, but I couldn''t even process what I should start talking about first.


    ???: "For my body to be defiled by a necromancer, I guess fate really has something against me..."


    ... While I was still thinking about what I should say, I heard words that sent shivers down my spine.


    Their meaning wasn''t lost on me. For her to jump to the conclusion that I was a necromancer must mean that... she''s already dead.


    However... I thought this couldn''t be the case. I couldn''t deny it outright but... it seemed like her will was intact, as was her body.


    I also didn''t seem to possess any way of puppetering her and my Gift never said anything about necromancy.


    She had to be mistaken.


    And I had to take care of the situation one way or another, so I started by eliminating such a scenario, while also providing information.


    Miwen: "I''m not a necromancer... You''re here because of my Gift... I think... I summoned you and you are very much alive. You can take a look for yourself."


    I could see in her expression that she was distrustful of my words. I needed to convey to her that everything was fine somehow, but it was really difficult to find the right words.


    Thankfully, she was more understanding than I first thought. My words were not wasted on her.


    ???: "Um... Strange... I really do feel alive, but I also know for sure I''ve died. This ce is alsopletely different from where I was before...so I can''t think of another exnation..."


    It seemed like her memories contradicted what I was trying to say, and given the information on her side, it was a reasonable exnation.


    But still, being called a necromancer wasn''t something I felt good about. The idea of controlling someone post-mortem... that someone wouldn''t be free even after their death... it felt disgusting.


    Lifees and goes, as important as the beginning is its end. To rob someone of that, would be the same as to insult their life and story.


    It wasn''t a power I was interested in. I''d much rather get things done by myself, and shoulder the responsibility of it.


    This unreasonable banner... necromancy... I could think about theseter.


    I wouldn''t be able to wrap my head around them in a single afternoon anyway, so I gave up on that and focused on what really mattered.


    Miwen: "I''m sorry, I know it''s hard to believe me, but I mean you no harm. I can use my system to give you clothes for now, but you''ll need to ept being my [Citizen]. I''ll unregister you soon after it if that''s your wish"


    Even though clothes don''t equal people, showing her that I was able to summon things would give me some credence, even if a little.


    I was willing to take whatever I could too since no matter how small, as long as I piled up enough proof, she should be able to trust my side a little.


    ???: "...Citizen? Are you a noble? S-sorry I... let me go...."


    All of a sudden she became way more on guard, as if hearing what I said triggered something in her.


    But I couldn''t let her go in this state.


    Miwen: "No way I am a noble, to be honest, I''m not even well off, I just have enough to live every day. And of course, you may leave, but then you''ll have to make do with my own clothes..."


    Although if she decided to do it, I''d probably try to reason with her. But it was a worthwhile bluff.


    Thank God I always went for bargains instead of stylish outfits.


    ???: "...Umm..."


    I had to be honest but also give her space. However, I knew that I also had to help her. After all, even if I was confused myself, between the two of us, I was way more at fault.


    ???: "If I want to leave, will you let me go at any moment?"


    Miwen: "Yes."


    ???: "Tell me your name, and promise me in your God''s name."


    Miwen: "I, Miwen, promise that you may leave this house anytime you wish, should I fail this promise, may Catherine strike me down."


    ???: "...Alright... I''ll agree to be your [Citizen], for now..."


    I wasn''t a strong believer in Catherine or any other God, but she at least proved her existence, so I thought it would be fine to swear in her name.


    I was afraid of the loyalty of a summonedpanion, but considering I was still alive after summoning her, and she seemed willing to listen, the situation turned out quite favorably for me.


    Inside the [Kingdom] screen I found the [Citizens] menu.


    By focusing on it, I could see myself registered as a [Citizen], as well as the option to invite someone.


    The only downside was that I had to input their name.


    Miwen: "For me to register you, I''ll need your name if that''s alright"


    Since she asked for mine in order to go along with what I requested, names seemed to have quite a lot of importance for her, and I could pretty much tell why.


    It''s something that we also have on Earth now. Curses.


    This is one of the reasons why standing out is not that good. Gather enough envy, and you''re bound to have to waste some money to protect yourself from a bunch of different things.


    This couldplicate things, but since I gave her mine willingly, she seemed to feel at ease in giving me hers too.


    ???: "Sure... I''m Licia, ''The ''Frost Sword'' from Redrock Vige in the North Dowa Kingdom."


    I only asked for her name, yet she gave me a full introduction. I wondered if this is what she usually does, or if maybe she was trusting me a little bit more.


    Perhaps more important than that... I don''t think the North Dowa Kingdom is something that exists in this world.


    I already thought her beauty was something from out of this world, but it seems I was spot on in many ways.


    It wasn''t good to leave her waiting though, so I focused my mind on the [Citizen] menu and registered her.


    Her expression changed a little, a touch of sadness on her face giving way to surprise. Perhaps it was due to a menu pop-up?


    Miwen: "Is everything alright?"


    She took a second to answer, but thankfully, it seemed like she agreed.


    Licia: "Yes, I confirmed myself as your [Citizen]."


    I was curious about what appeared in her pop-up that caused that reaction, but in case I could convince her to stay, I could ask her about it.


    For now, I focused on spending my Kingdom Points which had yet to be used for anything.


    It took me 5 points for a full change of clothes for her, since I had 7 Kingdom Points stored this was a good jab at my savings, but I would survive.


    I left the clothes on the ground and turned around, the moment she started changing her hands would stop covering the parts of her body she didn''t want me to see.


    Now that my head was working, it was obvious that I should let her be.


    Licia: "Thanks... thank you!"


    I heard her sobbing while she thanked me.


    Did the reality of the situation just hit her? Was she d for the clothes or for being alive once again? Perhaps, was it due to something else entirely?


    I knew nothing of the girl who seemed so happy with something so simple. Just... being alive. Having clothes to wear... or, maybe being able to trust me.


    But she wasn''t the only one who became more aware of the situation. When I saw her, it felt like the world had stopped spinning. It was hard to gather my thoughts, and I didn''t even know what to do...


    However... things were a bit more clear now. A girl crying is a simple situation, there was no need for me to think twice about what I should do.


    Miwen: "Everything''s gonna be alright... "


    Her cries continued.


    Miwen: "I''ll be here for you."


    She looks at me, wiping her tears.


    Miwen: "You''re fine now, you don''t have to worry."


    While I did approach her, I didn''t get near enough to touch.


    More than anything, I felt like she needed to know she wasn''t alone.


    Those words, however, were not only important for her but also for me.


    This was the result of my actions, so I should move forward while making sure to take responsibility for them.


    Even though I''m far from a sinless man, I couldn''t take the image of her crying from my mind. I felt there that she was truly innocent, and I wanted to prevent her from feeling such deep sadness again.


    To make things better for this girl... was a goal I wanted to strive for.


    Few things in my life felt deserving of such effort, but I had no doubts about her.


    At that moment, this took the form of a simple action. I just waited by her side until the crying stopped.


    She was quite strong. Slowly, she managed to calm herself down.


    Miwen: "Look, I know I said you could leave at any moment, but you can also stay here if you want, you know? At least until you can sort out what you''re feeling and decide on what you wanna do..."


    I hoped she''d agree with it, but it was certainly an esction.


    However, if she was to go outside now... I''m sure she''d have a hard time.


    Licia: "..."


    She didn''t answer straight away.


    I didn''t want to be forceful, but I had to convince her.


    While it was impossible for me to understand herpletely, a few things were obvious.


    If this girl had truly died. Judging by her age, and how healthy she looks, there must''ve been circumstances behind it.


    She was now basically stranded if she really dide from a different world.


    And above all else, she had nothing to her name. Nor did she have any contact with anyone.


    The fate that awaited her was pretty obvious, and I wanted to avoid it at any cost.


    Were I to let her go now, my actions would have only amounted to a new tragedy in her life.


    Due to my own feelings on the matter, I wanted to provide her with enough so that she could stand on her own two feet.


    And whatever she decided after would be fine with me.


    Licia: "...What you gave me... the clothes I mean... they suit my taste, is this also thanks to your Gift?"


    She caught me off guard. I hadn''t even considered that.


    Sure, the clothes were a product of my Gift, but I couldn''t tell whether or not they came out the way they did because of my tastes, or hers. They didn''t look too out of ce, but they were also not very modern either.


    Miwen: "To be honest... I have no idea, I don''t yet understand my own Gift very well... It might be a result of my desire, yours, or abination of both, I''d need to test more before reaching a conclusion..."


    Licia: "I see... it''s a mysterious but kind Gift... these are very warm..."


    Strangely, the clothes I gave her didn''t look particrly warm, but I guess wearing any clothing will make you warmer, at least, more than if you stayed naked.


    I was also d to have my Gift praised like this.


    Licia: "So... Can I really stay here? For now, I mean..."


    Miwen: "Yeah no worries, as long as you want to"


    She seemed to be relieved upon hearing that.


    It was a bit hard to read her expressions, and since she had been on a rollercoaster of emotions, even the most minor of things was affecting her.


    Licia: "Do you want me to do anything for you in exchange? You''ve been very kind and... I would like to pay you back somehow..."


    I''d be lying to say it wasn''t very tempting to hear thating from her, and frankly, I might never hear it from another girl as beautiful...


    But still, it didn''t feel right to ask for something outrageous.


    She probably said it out of politeness, without actually thinking about anything specific.


    Although, while I was thinking of something to ask her, it seemed like her mind wandered to a simr ce, which made her turn away her gaze from me.


    Taking advantage of her in this way was out of the question. I don''t even think it would feel good, probably just sad.


    However, there was something I could have her do for me.


    Miwen: "Well... My Gift is more useful the more [Citizens] I have, so could you keep yourself registered for the time being?"


    Licia: "...! That''s...Fine."


    Miwen: "I don''t have the power to do so right now, but if you keep your registration I can get you a change of clothes tomorrow that would hopefully look more modern..."


    Licia: "If you don''t mind me asking, how would you do that? I thought you said you didn''t understand how your Gift worked."


    She went defensive all of a sudden.


    I got the same feeling before, but whenever I mention being a citizen to her, she seems to get agitated.


    Add to that how she got when she thought I was a noble, and I can already picture a bit of how her past life might''ve gone...


    Miwen: "Well, there are four possibilities for that, either the clothes arepletely random, they suit what either of us wants, or alternatively, it''s abination of our desires."


    I could probably get them being random out of the way. Not only did she get feminine clothing, but the size was also perfect.


    The little information we had wasn''t enough to get the other possibilities out of the way, but... that wouldn''t matter.


    Miwen: "As for how we''ll make it so that we get just the clothes we want... well, I''ll just show you what clothing looks like here, you decide on what you want and tomorrow we will both wish for the same, unless it''s random, it shoulde out precisely how we want if both of us want the same."


    To call it a solution would be a bit extreme, it was mostly a band-aid fix, but since them being random was so improbable, I was pretty sure it was going to work.


    Miwen: "How does that sound? "


    Licia: "Sounds confusing. If you have the clothes to show me, why wouldn''t you just let me wear them?"


    Miwen: "I don''t have the clothes on me, but I can still show some clothes to you... here, You can see them through this ss, look."


    I show her my phone screen after searching for online clothing stores.


    And I swear her reaction was unbelievable.


    I mean, she seems like a 20-year-old, and for a girl like her at that age to not know what a phone is and to react like it''s some sort of sorcery... that alone made my day way better.


    She asked me a bunch of questions about it, and sadly I didn''t know how to answer most of them in a way that she would understand.


    Instead, I focused on teaching her how to look for other options and categories, really basic stuff that I would never have imagined I''d teach someone else. I also told her that tomorrow I''d use my Gift to manifest them.


    With this, I could guarantee she''d stay at least one more day. It would give me the chance to exin and show her a bunch of things. Hopefully easing her into the situation.


    Miwen: "...I forgot to ask, but what is your level? The higher the level of my citizens, the more I can do with my Gift."


    Licia: "I am lev-.... I was level 83. Now I am only level 1, as for my skills, well... I don''t have any outside the ones from the Gift I got when I was born now..."


    There was a lot to unpack in what she said.


    First, losing her levels... this was probably a side effect of being summoned, but I had never heard of something like that happening before.


    Aside from that, there was also something quite strange.


    Miwen: "When you were born? Do people get Gifts at birth in your world?"


    Licia: "Yes, of course! Is it different here?"


    Miwen: "We only get them at age 18 here..."


    Licia: "That''s... how do your people fight monsters without Gifts? How have you survived until 18?"


    For the most part? We shoot them. But introducing the idea of guns to her didn''t seem good. I''d probably only get bombarded with more questions, and they wouldn''t lead anywhere.


    Also, it wasn''tpletely true to say this either since I had never shot any myself.


    In cities such as the one where I live, it was rare to have to worry about monsters since the areas where dungeons still rampage are usually contained.


    And if a rampage does happen in a dungeon nearby, we would be evacuated while adventurers and the army take care of them.


    While a few ces have had rampages that were never solved due to the boss getting away, the biggest risks are at the sea or in deste or hard to get to areas.


    Since we know almost all dungeon locations, these danger zones are always under watch or restricted anyway.


    So yeah, while I''d love to get an achievement for surviving until 18, the truth is that it''s not that big of a feat.


    Although surprisingly enough, if we''re taking this as a challenge, there are a bunch of other things that will get in the way much more often than monsters.


    Miwen: "Well, we have some weapons that are effective against most monsters as long as their level is not too high, and we also have a way of knowing where Rampages are happening, so people often evacuate safely and we manage to keep our distance from monsters in everyday life, outside of exploring dungeons of course."


    Licia: "Hm... I''ve never heard of a world capable of that... but that seems nice... forgive me for being a little lost, this is quite different from where I came from."


    Miwen: "It goes both ways, I''m also quite surprised by you being level 83 in the past, that would put you among the strongest in this world."


    Licia: "Really? I was only a B-rank adventurer in my world... I had a bit of fame in the areas close to where I lived, but my name wasn''t even worth mentioning at the capital, I doubt anyone would recognize me there..."


    That was surprising. With her looks and that level, even top parties wouldn''t refuse her here.


    As long as her Gift was decent, she would be among the strongest top-rankers and probably a celebrity too.


    Miwen: "I''m curious now, what was the level of the strongest in your world?"


    Licia: "I don''t know about the entire world, but at the North Dowa Kingdom the strongest was Sir Varehan Of The Silent Magic, he was level 143 and was capable of firing any magic spells without them making a sound, they were unusually fast too."


    High speed and no sound... Was this sorcerer breaking the speed of sound with his magic?


    It would make sense for someone who doesn''t understand the concept to not fully associate the sound thates after the visuals.


    I couldn''t take the possibility of his Gift making them soundless off the table either though.


    Miwen: "I see, did you know him personally?"


    Licia: "Not at all, he worked at the royal court, and since I never managed to go to the capital..."


    It didn''t look like she wanted to continue. Seemed to me like she probably couldn''t go on without mentioning her own death, so it was probably better to leave it at that.


    I even forgot about my mana depletion with everything that happened today. After a while, it wasn''t even affecting me anymore.


    However, since it was gettingte, I decided to take a shower, make dinner and then sleep.


    Which reminded me I had to teach her how the shower works. As well as everything else in the bathroom.


    So, I decided to give her a little tour around the house. It wasn''t particrly impressive for anyone on Earth, but she looked amused whenever I exined anything to her.


    After bath and dinner, I let Licia sleep in my room.


    As for me, the couch was good enough.


    I also didn''t do any rolls in the [Mana Banners].


    While there was a possibility she had put on an act and was nning on attacking me at night, this wasn''t really a factor for me.


    The odds were ridiculously low. Frankly, had it all been an act, she deserved the kill.


    What I was more worried about was in case she needed me for something. With mana depletion, I wouldn''t be able to respond well or help her at all.


    It''s not like the mana banners provide things I can''t miss either. At most, they drop something like a simple dagger or ring that doesn''t have any particr effects, so I thought it was okay to skip them for now.

 Chapter 10: First Morning With Licia

    I felt relieved after waking up today.


    First of all, not having mana depletion in the morning felt especially good.


    I was beginning to get used to not having any energy during the morning, but this break made me realize how good it was to be able to be productive.


    Somehow, even though I spent less time resting, I was way more energetic.


    Another good thing was that I wasn''t dead.


    Taking all the specifics out of the situation, I had allowed a stranger I had just met to rest in my room while I ended up sleeping like a rock on the sofa.


    However, the situation wasn''t so simple, and the fact she had not attacked me was a good signal.


    It made me trust her some more, after all, if she wanted to do something against me, there wasn''t going to be a more obvious chance.


    Although even then, I still had the ability toe and go from the [Kingdom]. Even as a citizen, she needed my permission to enter or leave it, so I at least had a ce to run if need be.


    ...Assuming I got the chance to react.


    However, that wasn''t necessary at all, and as her figure came out of my room where she was just sleeping, a mix of emotions started flowing into me.


    It was the first time I had someone sleepover, and it felt like a blessing to see something as beautiful as her first thing in the morning.


    It was shocking in many ways, but it was also very pleasing.


    Licia: "Morning..."


    She seemed more calm now. The look I first got when she was summoned was back for the most part, but... she didn''t feel as cold.


    She felt... more alive now.


    Miwen: "Good morning. Did you have a good night''s sleep?"


    Licia: "Yes, your bed was amazing, to be honest, I might''ve slept the whole day if not for the smell of your cooking..."


    Again, it wasn''t a particrly good bed or anything, but she always reacted with that honest excitement to the most mundane things.


    It felt so rewarding for me that I couldn''t help getting excited and showing her other things.


    Yesterday, this led to us getting stuck in a loop where I''d keep exining things to her only to see her reactions that only got more amusing as time went on.


    Miwen: "Whoops. Sorry for waking you up then. You can rest more if you want, but... I made breakfast for two. Would you like to give me a hand?"


    Licia: "Absolutely!"


    I was really proud that the meager cooking skills I had were enough to make her eat so happily.


    After we finished eating I told her that I had enough points to exchange for another set of clothes and asked her to show me what she wanted.


    The n ended up working. As we both wanted the same thing, they materialized in front of us.


    Although this left me broke for Kingdom Points, I wasn''t expending them with anything else, so in a way, I was d to finally have a use for them.


    I waited for her to change into the more casual clothes we got, and asked her what she wanted to do from now on.


    Miwen: "I''ll raid a dungeon today, you''re wee to join me, but if you want to stay at home that''s fine too, also if you decide to leave I won''t impede you."


    She used to be an adventurer with a high level, so I thought that something like this would be surprisinglyfortable for her.


    Licia: "Hm... I''ll take you up on the dungeon offer, it''s been a long time since I went to one and somehow I kind of miss the feeling... You''ve also been doing a lot for me, so I''ll take any chance to pay you back."


    She looked pretty confident. Our party certainly needed someone experienced to point out our mistakes, and I thought that she''d be perfect for her job considering she seems more experienced.


    Miwen: "I see, I''ll tell my party mates that you''reing too. I only met them recently, but they seem to be good people, so you don''t have to worry."


    Licia: "That''s fine. I can wait for a while."


    ...?


    Miwen: "Why would you need to wait?"


    Licia: "Don''t you need to go to their ce to tell them? Or there''s a telepathic link between you guys?"


    Oh... there was a really big dissonance between us.


    Telling them personally didn''t even cross my mind. Using the phone was just way easier.


    Miwen: "Not quite. Remember the thing you used to look for clothes? I can use it tomunicate with them too."


    Licia: "That''s impressive, for it to have this many convenient uses, it must be quite an expensive magic tool."


    Miwen: "It''s not really too expensive, at least this model isn''t... and it''s also not a magical tool... I''ll exin it better to you once we get back, alright?"


    My exnations were alwayscking. She was quite curious, and she''d often get me with something I did not know the answer to.


    Still, I was slowly introducing things to her. It might''ve been due to my own ignorance, but I focused on teaching her the way to use them and their functions since I felt it was more important than how they worked.


    She looked pretty smart too, so given enough time, I was sure she was going to adapt.


    Although I''ll be a little sadder once she doesn''t show her cute reactions to me controlling the mes of the stove or the lights of the house anymore.


    Roy and Sam were pretty quick to confirm there wouldn''t be a problem with me bringing someone new today. However, they were curious about her level and Gift.


    The topic of her Gift wasn''t something I had touched on previously. While it represents a danger factor, it was also the only thing she had to protect herself with, so I decided it wouldn''t be good to strip her of information about it.


    However, we were a bit more friendly with each other now, so I thought she would befortable telling me about it.


    Licia: "My Gift is called [Magic Swordswoman of the Freezing Degree] It allows me to freeze most things, no matter their properties, and gives me Ice magic, though it''s at level 1 right now.


    I can apply [Freezing] properties to weapons and armor through a frost coating, this Gift also gives me [Swordsmanship] at level 1 and [Mana Control] at level 1, this skill makes it so that spells and my magic consume less mana but my Gift also does the same with ice magic..."


    ...That was a lot. It was extremelybat-oriented, but also very resourceful. It was definitely the strongest in our party.


    With something like that, no wonder she got to level 83.


    It did make me wonder how someone so powerful died so early in life though.


    However, that wasn''t a nice question to ask.


    Evoking such memories wasn''t something I wanted to do, and they were probably incredibly personal.


    I decided that I would only ask her about her story once we trusted each other a little more.


    Before answering the group chat though...


    Miwen: "Hey, when we go to the dungeon today can you please..."


    I had to make a selfish request to her.


    Miwen: "And also, they don''t know about my true Gift, I''ve told them it''s called [Godspeed] and that it simply increases my speed but that''s a lie, as you already know."


    She doesn''t seem like the type to lie, actually, she looks as honest as theye, but still, no goodes from exposing everything about yourself.


    Exining about [Gacha Kingdom Building] was necessary when it came to her but... as much as possible, I''d like to keep it a secret.


    She seemed to disapprove of that a little.


    It might''ve been a question of culture, or simply our personalities since she had told me all the details of her Gift when I asked, but I also did not need to argue or try to convince her either.


    She simply agreed to it without showing much reluctance.


    The first time we left the house together, Licia was mesmerized by everything surrounding her.


    I had turned on the TV before, thinking that it would help her passively get some used to some things of this world, but it was no use.


    Her reactions were even more charming, and I couldn''t help but be bewitched by her now that we were under the natural light, which only seemed to emphasize her beauty even more.


    Licia: "Of all the different worlds I''ve ever been to, yours is the most unique, there are so many things I don''t understand, and you all seem so different about how you live your lives..."


    Miwen: "Oh, so you have been to other worlds?"


    There wasn''t anything in her Gift that pointed out this being a possibility, so I got a bit confused by her statement.


    Licia: "Yes, have your people never attacked another world from the dungeon?"


    Miwen: "No? We''ve never met people from other worlds, only monsters."


    Even now the dungeon still has plenty of mysteries, but... there are plenty of adventurers that make a living out of exploring deeper floors, so there was bound to be rumors about people from other worlds if such a thing existed within the dungeon.


    Licia: "That''s... strange... every world has ess to the dungeons, so unless your dungeons are unique, you should''ve met people from other worlds inside them. At least one of your dungeons should also exist in another world, it''s simply too unlikely for them not to..."


    So our world was the odd one, huh?


    I didn''t know whether this was good or bad, nor could I give her any reason for this being the case.


    Miwen: "That''s the first I''ve heard about it, the most we''ve seen from other worlds are the Divine Events."


    Licia: "Yes! There''s also that, Divine events should allow you to see people from other worlds, and if you participate in a Fallen God Subjugation, Divine War, or World Punishment you''d also be able to visit another world for a while!"


    The reason why I wasn''t so surprised by the existence of other worlds was... well, first, her.


    Second, we had already participated in a few Divine Events under Catherine, so Earth knows about the existence of other worlds and races.


    It''s just that, outside of these events, we''ve nevere into contact with them, which led to a bunch of spections, but... even the best technologies don''t seem to be able to reach any other world with living beings, so our theories are just that.


    Miwen: "Well, among those, we''ve only ever been to Divine Events..."


    It was a shame to rain on her parade when she seemed so happy that we finally had something inmon too...


    This led to her being shocked again, but there was nothing I could do about it. I''d love to participate in something as cool sounding as a Fallen God Subjugation, but... the truth was that we had never even heard of something like that.


    Licia: "Your world doesn''t make sense to me..."


    She looked genuinely upset...


    Miwen: "Who knows though? Maybe those things just haven''t happened yet. After all, ever since dungeons and magic started appearing everything''s been changing..."


    Licia: ".....?"


    I tried to make things look a little better with a little optimism, but it only made her confused.


    Something in what I had said left her in disbelief, even more so than anything else.


    Licia: "What do you mean by ever since dungeons and magic started appearing? Was there a time without magic?"


    Miwen: "Yes, it was only 20 years ago when Catherine, the Goddess Of The Red Night blessed our world with dungeons and Gifts, before that, magic was something of a fantasy for us, something you''d read about in a book."


    The more I talked, the more surprised she became. Yet, she was quick to rationalize a few things out of it.


    Licia: "20 years...Now it makes sense why the levels in your world are so low... but... a world without magic and dungeons... is that why this world is so different from all the others ?"


    Since I had never been to another world, I had nothing to say.


    It makes sense that with theck of magic, we would develop something else, I guess.


    But... with enough worlds, surely one would have developed both at the same time, right?


    I mean... although people don''t use magic willy-nilly, especially out in the streets or in their workces due to regtions, safety concerns, and protocols, they are still extremely useful even with our current technology.


    Miwen: "You might be right about that... Also, I need to tell you about the First Contact. It''s something everyone in this world knows about and it would be inexplicable if you weren''t aware of it."


    There''s not a single person alive today who doesn''t know about that, if I want to keep her origin a secret, she has to learn all about it.


    Licia: "Hm... Sure, go ahead..."


    And so, I told her about the events that happened twenty years ago as we headed to the dungeon.


    I got a bit passionate about it and went a bit further than needed, but it didn''t seem like she minded too much.


    Instead, she kept paying attention to my exnations, and we eventually arrived at the dungeon gate, where Roy and Sam were already waiting for us.

 Chapter 11: Battle Against A Superior Monster

    Licia: "Hello, my name is Licia, I''m Miwen''s cousin, please take good care of me..."


    I''ve told Licia to lie about her real identity for now, since it would only make things difficult.


    Having her lie for my sake gave me mixed feelings, but I came to terms with it by convincing myself that it was also for her own good.


    Even if Roy and Sam were cool with it, ultimately, I didn''t want information about my power being spread around, so it was best to hide her identity.


    Licia: "My Gift is [Ice Mage], it allows me to do a bunch of ice-rted things, however since I don''t have too much mana I can at most coat a weapon in frost."


    Sam: "Hi Licia! No worries about that, we are all at low levels here, so we understand that it''s hard for you to make full use of your Gift. Roy here also has magic but can''t use it, right?"


    Roy: "W-well, yeah... I see you brought a knife tho, so you are already more than ready!"


    I didn''t want to expose Licia''s Giftpletely, so once again, I had her hide the swordsmanship ability and the buffs to magic and ice magic she gets, making it seem weaker and more simple than it actually was.


    Her Gift is very good forbat and could make Sam and Roy end up relying on her too much. It''s possible that she decides to leave when she gets a reasonable opportunity so it would be undesirable to create a dependency on her or gain too much confidence without taking into ount her impact...


    I think that as long as we aren''t hurting them, it should be okay to be cautious about our information.


    Sam: "Now that we are acquainted, let''s explore the dungeon, shall we?"


    Licia: "Of course."


    From their side, there weren''t many reasons to doubt me, so they quickly took a friendly attitude toward her and didn''t question her words about her powers and identity.


    Thus, after our greetings, we headed into the dungeon for another raid.


    We started with some slimes and goblins that were close to the settlement on the first floor, but it looked like Licia had something she wanted to say.


    She waited until Sam and Roy were distracted to whisper to me.


    Licia: "Your party doesn''t have too much fighting experience... you''re all making mistakes here and there."


    Miwen: "Yeah... But there''s not much we can do. We''ve only recently started to raid dungeons."


    I expected as much.


    From our perspective, we were doing fine, but for the most part, we were dealing with weak monsters that even people without abat-oriented Gift would be able to take on.


    For someone like her, the small details we weren''t even able to notice were like a shing red light.


    It was fine for me if she wanted to point out my mistakes, rather than get upset, I''d actually be d to be taught by someone who knows more. However, I feared that the others might see her as being picky or annoying, so I asked her to be moderate if she wanted to tell them what they were doing wrong.


    Licia: "It''s fine on the first floor of a beginner dungeon such as this, but it''s gonna be a problemter on if you don''t start being mindful of it now..."


    Miwen: "I see, thanks for the advice Licia."


    She wasn''t rude at all. Although she was quite precise and didn''t try to sweeten her words, I felt they were quite logical, and their focus was truly on helping instead of belittling.


    Aside from that, it was impressive to see her working. She was a living example of her words, and she seemed like the ideal adventurer.


    Even without the levels, she had a performance that looked like that of a high-ranker. The only thing holding her back was truly theck of sheer speed, power, and mana.


    Yet, just by managing her behavior, she proved to be stronger than all of us.


    She didn''t take her victory for granted, and when saw a monster from a distance, she first looked at her surroundings, prioritizing escape routes, and picturing how the fight would go before engaging.


    Using the cover avable, she approached them and stole the momentum with a surprise attack, giving them almost no chance to resist.


    Even though she could definitely defeat them one-on-one, she believes that having the first move or using a surprise attack is worth all the trouble as it provides a big advantage.


    I couldn''t help but think how she would fight if she used her power...


    It''s night and daypared with what our party is like.


    Even at level 1, when ites to fighting monsters, we weren''t in the same league.


    Even Sam, who seemed to know how to fight, wasn''t as efficient as she was in what looked more like hunting than fighting.


    I wonder how they would fare against each other though. Outside of a dungeon and all.


    Sam: "Girl you''re incredible, how are you so good?"


    Licia: "Uh, w-well..."


    It wasn''t just me that noticed it, but man...


    Did she really need to ask that?


    There''s no way she could tell the truth, anding up with an excuse would be hard for her considering she''s not used to this world at all.


    Miwen: "She''s obsessed with dungeons and has been getting tips from videos and forums, she''s a total nerd about this stuff, if you need tips she will most definitely have some."


    Since I was responsible for this lie to start with, I covered for her.


    It might be a poor excuse, but it''s more believable than calling it instinct or luck when those would definitely fail more often than Licia''s experience.


    And well... sometimes you just meet people who are talented for something, even if it''s their first time.


    Sam: "I see, that makes sense, I''ve also been obsessed with dungeons ever since I was a kid, that''s the whole reason I started taking fighting lessons at a dojo!"


    Roy: "Me too, although the content I watch about them is usually mystery and theory-rted."


    Interesting. That was an interest I too had.


    There are many incidents and stories about dungeons, among them, many mysteries that are yet unsolved, and probably never will, it piques your interest and is quite popr among young men.


    Especially those who weren''t around during the First Contact. Since for us entering a Dungeon is akin to suicide, we couldn''t help but look at it with wonder from a distance.


    I bet that if Licia were to tell him about her world, he''d get as interested as I was.


    After that quick exchange, we continued going deeper inside the dungeon until we passed by the floor boss room.


    As usual, we kept our distance while being mindful of it, since if we got caught off guard here that would be the same as a death sentence.


    We were going faster than we ever did, and so, we eventually reached the same ce where we had to stop thest time we came to this dungeon.


    By now, we had traveled a lot, and Licia should be close to a level up since I andthe rest of the party were pretty close to level 3.


    Still, this is where we had troublesst time, so, a bit of tension made the air around us feel heavier.


    Sam: "Do you guys wanna push in deeper?"


    Roy: "I''d like to since I''m close to a level up, but It would probably be too much for Licia, right?"


    ...A little bit awkward.


    I get his worries, but... Licia was way stronger than him.


    If anything, he''s always the one jumping into monsters and getting injured. Since she''s way more cautious, the one who worried me most was him.


    Although I was d that he was being considerate of her, and she seemed to appreciate it too, although...


    She normally wears a cold stare, especially in the Dungeon where she seemed concentrated... but hisment gave her a light smile.


    They probably didn''t notice it, but... I think she was holding out herugh out of politeness.


    Licia: "...Diving deeper is no problem for me, if it bes too much I''ll be sure to notify you guys."


    Thankfully she didn''t take that as an insult...


    She seemed to understand that he only had good intentions with hisment.


    Her politeness is a bit on the umon side considering she''s supposed to be our age, but... If anything, it was actually a bit charming.


    Miwen: "Same, since I''m also close to a level-up, I guess we could stop after everyone gets one, right?"


    Sam: "Yes, that would be great!"


    Since everyone had agreed, we continued our journey, pushing deeper inside the dungeon.


    However, it didn''t take long for us to stop in our tracks.


    Not far from us, we found a rare species, a goblin with reddish skin standing in front of two others carrying clubs.


    Among the possibilities, this was either the power of a Gift or...


    Roy: "It''s a superior monster."


    Miwen: "Most likely."


    There''s a phenomenon where monsters that kill enough people or even other monsters, suddenly change.


    This change can show itself in many ways, but in almost every case recorded the monster gets stronger.


    This has been called [Monster Evolution] by most people, it''s also said that the amount of experience one can get for defeating a [Superior Monster] is way higher than normal.


    It makes for a risky gamble, especially on deeper floors where an entire party might be needed to take a single one down.


    Sam: "Should we try it?"


    Roy: "I don''t need the experience from the superior one since I''m gonna hit the cap for this floor anyway, but I think we can take them."


    Licia: "Miwen and I are enough to defeat it. You and Sam should take care of the ones with clubs."


    Her words showed no sign of doubt.


    However, I didn''t think she was being overconfident. If anything, I was sure she only said that after a thorough analysis of the situation, as well as our fighting potential.


    As for me... I agreed with her assessment. Together, we should be enough to take a [Superior Goblin] down.Although I''d pair Licia with Sam for this fight to make the most of experience and strength.


    But there was something less tangible at y here.


    It would be challenging for sure, and for that reason, trust could be a factor.


    In this case, since I was the one she knew best, and was more used to, it made sense for us to act together.


    Going together with me would allow her to fight much more efficiently, knowing that I''d fight alongside her no matter what.


    Roy: "Are you sure? It might have a trick on his sleeve, you could easily get hurt you know? It''s better to let Miwen and I take care of this one."


    He did it again.


    He and I were probably the worst pair-up possible.


    Our fighting styles don''t match at all, and if something goes wrong, we probably would end up getting in each other''s way.


    Miwen: "Don''t worry. Licia seems to want to do it together, and I''ll protect her no matter what. If things take a turn for the worse, I''ll stall him and you guys cane help us."


    Roy: "I-if you say so..."


    Sam: "Just be careful alright?"


    Miwen: "You too."


    And so it was decided. Licia and I were going to take care of the reddish one, while Sam was in charge of the goblin with a club on the left and Roy was going to face the one on the right.


    In case the tides were against us on all fronts, we decided to retreat back.


    Roy was the first to jump into the fray, he tackled the goblin on the right while Sam jumped at the one on the left. This surprised the Red Goblin, and for a moment his attention was directed to them, before shifting back to Licia and me, who were running toward him.


    I was in front of Licia so I was the first to try to attack the Red Goblin. A sh by my dagger superficially cuts his left arm, it was a bit of a waste since he had an opening, but I didn''t manage to use the surprise attack for a moremitted effort without risking retaliation.


    He seemed in pain and hurriedly tried to attack me. Licia moved from behind me to the left side of the goblin, she kept her distance so that he couldn''t reach her, but she also couldn''t reach him, so she waited for an attack aimed at me to fatally strike him.


    And precisely what she was expecting ended up happening, the Red Goblin came towards me and I tried to make sure to dodge at thest moment so that Licia could strike it.


    Licia: "Dodge now!"


    Before I could process why she said it, I instinctively followed her words and jumped back to avoid the goblin as much as possible, creating the biggest distance between us in the split second I had.


    And so, my eyes watched as the goblin arm that reached the ce I was just in started to burn, the mes he released went ahead in multiple directions. If not for Licia, I wouldn''t have managed to dodge it, as I would''ve waited for as much as possible, without ever thinking about a possible follow-up to that.


    I couldn''t believe how careless I was.


    But there was no time to dwell on it as Licia came running in my direction


    Liciaes towards me and hurriedly says to me:


    Licia: "I have a strategy, do you trust me?"


    Miwen: "Yes."


    I didn''t even need to think before answering. She had just saved me in this instance, so I knew that I could go along with whatever she had in mind without any worries.


    Seeing that I was determined to listen to her, she shared her ns, and I followed her lead.


    The goblin came towards us, and Licia surrounded him from the left once again. It seemed like a repeat ofst time, but...


    This time, I went in the direction of the Red Goblin without the dagger as Licia was the one carrying it along with her knife.


    The Red Goblin tried to jump at me since Licia kept her distance.


    His arms started to burn and so, before any mes were released, Licia''s strategy came into y.


    I grabbed the arms of the Red Goblin, those same arms that in seconds would spill mes in every direction.


    Miwen: "Why don''t you chill a bit?"


    The Red Goblin suddenly seemed confused, the mes that were supposed toe off from his arms had yet to do so.


    Before he had any chance to understand what was happening, his life came to an end thanks toLicia cutting his neck in a cross shape using both the dagger and the knife, leaving the monster no chance to react.


    Licia''s strategy was quite simple, she offset the heat from the goblin by covering my arms with her frost coating, I''d need to grab the hot arms of the goblin for it to be effective though, so I wasn''t able to use my dagger.


    I had no idea for how long it would work and It seemed like the arms of the Red Goblin would continue heating until the mes came out, but it was going to take a while since his temperature was quite low from the moment we touched.


    Of course, she predicted the opportunity this would create, as the monster became confused due to his ability not working, and with perfect timing, she was once again quick and decisive.


    Licia: "Are you alright? Did it work?"


    ...Wait, weren''t you sure it was gonna work? Was I unknowingly betting my life?


    Of all times for her to improvise... She''s more scary than I thought.


    Miwen: "Yes it did work, but now, pass me my weapon please."


    Licia: "Of course."


    She hands me the knife.


    Miwen: "That''s the wrong one."


    Licia: "Right, how silly of me."


    That was the first time I saw her joking, she seemed... happy? It''s strange, but the dungeon raid seems to have been good for her mood.


    Before we left to help Sam and Roy we noticed both a [Monster Core] and a red orb, and of course, we collected them.


    From what I can tell, Roy and Sam didn''t have much trouble with their opponents, and both seemed to be doing okay after their battles were over.


    Sam: "Did you guys manage to level up?"


    Miwen: "Yes, we also got another orb."


    Roy: "Man you''re lucky with those things..."


    Miwen: "What can I say? Haha"


    While it''s true that I''ve been getting them more frequently, it''s also true that I''ve been dealing with the most troublesome opponents, so... I kind of deserve it.


    I managed to level up surprisingly quickly taking into consideration that I wasn''t even the one to kill the Red Goblin, and since Sam and Roy had also managed to level up, today''s raid was aplete sess. Of course, Licia was also able to level up after being the one to kill the Red Goblin.


    However, our options were now limited.We would have to either go to another dungeon with a higher level cap or fight the [Floor Boss] and try to reach Floor 2. There was no easier one among those, but it would undoubtedly be more efficient to fight against the Floor Boss, after all, while it''s safer to run from dungeon to dungeon, it is also incredibly troublesome.


    Miwen: "I think we are ready for the Floor Boss."


    Sam: "Probably, but I''m kinda tired right now, it would be better to do a dungeon raid where we specificallye to battle the Floor Boss."


    Miwen: "Absolutely, I was not suggesting we should do it right now... It''s just that I''ve realized that we came very far already."


    Sam: "Oh! Then I agree! One hundred percent!"


    And with that, we tread our way back to the Gate.


    Today''s loot was as follows:


    Sam found 2 goblin''s monster cores, both at level 2, so at the dungeon office she got $4.


    Roy found a single goblin monster core, at level 3, so he got $3.


    Licia and I got 1 monster core and 1 me mana orb. Since they were both from the same Red Goblin, a superior one, they were of level 3 and evaluated higher, so we got 6$ for the monster core and a whopping $30 for the me mana orb. Of course, we didn''t want to create any bad blood, so we decided to share what we got from the me mana orb with Sam and Roy, giving each $10.


    I doubt they would create trouble over such a meager amount, but we wouldn''t have faced the Red Goblin without them anyway since there were more monsters around, and it''s also not enough for me to get stingy about either. This just felt like a nice gesture, if anything.


    In the end, we only made $16, but It was still a whole lot better than what I got on my first raid, so I was quite pleased with it.


    Considering this was just the first floor of an easy dungeon, this was fine.


    And thus, after saying our goodbyes, there was nothing more to be done except go home. Of course, at home, I would make full use of [Gacha Kingdom Building] once again.

 Chapter 12: The King Shall Give To The People, The People Shall Give To The King

    Normally I don''t pay too much attention to my own cooking. But after Licia hadplimented it so much, I decided to give it my all to blow her away with dinner.


    As such, it took a little longer for dinner to be ready than usual, but once I saw her excitedly eating it, I felt it was all worth it.


    Licia: "Delicious! Why is it that the vegetables in your world are sooo good?!"


    ...Chemicals and stuff?


    Although the quality of the ingredients was probably to me, I felt quite proud that I managed to make her happy this way.


    However, once we were done, I went back to my usual thing.


    Although I did change the order a little.


    Before, the gacha rolls came first since iming the Kingdom Points didn''t amount to anything.


    But with Licia here, I imed the 3 daily tickets I got this time due to hitting level three, and instead of doing the rolls, I imed the 5 Kingdom points as well, as with Licia''s two levels, I could im 5 at a time.


    Miwen: "I have enough points to buy you another change of clothes through my Gift, so be sure to select some okay?"


    Licia: "Mhm... That''s fine, but, are you sure you should use your Gift for something like this every time?"


    Considering that I can get [Citizens] through the [Companions Banner], I''m beginning to understand how my Gift seems to work. Or at least, a strategy I could go for that would create some harmony between the [Kingdom] aspect and the [Gacha].


    Yet, the Kingdom itself doesn''t seem to strengthen me directly, or have any use.


    I could have Licia live there if I stored enough points to buy a house, but... I already have a house.


    Even though my parents are the ones paying for it...


    In any case, I think the clothes are actually more beneficial to me.


    If anything, it has the benefit of keeping Licia around as she builds a wardrobe.


    The Kingdom has a bunch of things I can buy, especially facilities and buildings, as well as some misceneous things such as the  [Random Seed Pack] that goes for 5 points, but... In the future, when I feelfortable enough, what I really want to explore is the ability to expand its area.


    For now, it''s only a in field, but... I wonder if by unlocking more space slots, something might happen or unlock.


    However, since it might not be something good, and I can at least use the Kingdom as a safe haven, I don''t want to touch that for now.


    Another thing I wanted to check though was Licia''s profile now that she was a [Citizen].


    I was worried that I might discover something from there that would change the way I look at her and be hard to hide, but now that we have a little more of a friendship, I could probably excuse whatever I saw in there.


    Still... if I was going to breach her privacy like this, the least I could do was ask for permission.


    Miwen: "Licia, do you mind me checking your profile as a [Citizen]? It might give me a new insight about my own Gift and..."


    Licia: "Sure... But... Share with me what you see, please... I don''t want to be left in the dark..."


    Quite fair.


    If I saw anything weird, she might have an exnation for it too, so doing it like this prevented misunderstandings.


    She was still a little awkward toward me. Especially when it came to making requests, but I was doing my best to show her that it was alright and that she could count on me.


    And so, I focused on [Citizens] menu.


    Doing this allowed me to see a list of the current [Citizens], as well as search them using a typical bar you''d see on a search engine online.


    The only [Citizens] registered were Licia and I, and since I could check my status through the status menu, I didn''t feel the need to check my own profile, going for Licia''s instead.


    However, my thoughts were very wrong. The [Citizens] menu showed something I wasn''t expecting to see at all.


    At first, it was fine. Licia''s status showed that she improved her speed and that her Gift also boosted her strength and mana pool, as she had exined previously.


    However, there was something unique in her profiler.


    A menu for [Loyalty]. This contained a sliding bar, with a red color at the left end that faded into a green one at the right end.


    A ck marker was on top of it. In Licia''s case, between the start of the green side and its end.


    No numbers appeared, but if I had to say, it was about 70% toward the green end. Maybe 75%.


    This kind of relieved me a little. Summoning her from the [Companions Banner] didn''t grant me any safeguard, so if I wanted to invest into the... kingdom-building aspect of this Gift, something like this was crucial and a big advantage to have.


    Although I had no metric to know how much this meant for our rtionship, it was obvious that being in the green was good. As long as I don''t get her in the red, I probably wouldn''t have to worry about schemes or betrayal.


    Aside from that, my second advantage in building a kingdom was the [Desires] menu.


    Since I was reading out loud everything, Licia asked me with a blush on her face not to peek at it.


    This was ying, and there was no way I''d be able to do it while she begged me with such an expression.


    And yet, I did it anyway without telling her.


    Just a quick nce.


    However, this wasn''t as good as I had previously thought.


    It only showed a word.


    [Hide]


    Judging by the situation, instead of a deep dive into a person''s heart, it simply showed what they wanted the most at the time.


    A little underwhelming, but it''s useful.


    Since I was being so thorough, I decided to also look at her skills, even though she had already told me what she had.


    And that''s where I discovered a game changer in the [Kingdom] menu.


    One that made it really enticing to get as many [Citizens] as possible.


    On her skills tab, there was a little button on top with the word [Share] written in it.


    There wasn''t something like this when I had checked my profile previously, so it caught me off guard.


    I decided to take a look at my own profile to see if this button appeared there too, and...


    Yep, as if it was the most natural thing, the button appeared there as well.


    It was quite interesting, so I decided to try it.


    Once I did, a list with the registered [Citizens] appeared. However, only Licia''s name was in there.


    When I selected her name, her skills appeared as well, right next to mine.


    However, while mine were selectable, hers were not.


    I was unsure what would happen, so I decided to test on a useless skill first.


    Licia: "You don''t need to worry, I''m also curious, so on with it!"


    However, someone was a little too excited to try it.


    Once I selected [Faster Tree Climbing], a pop-up appeared, asking if I wanted to share the skill with Licia.


    Upon hearing my words, she nodded at me, and I went ahead with it.


    Miwen: "Can you check your skills real quick?"


    Licia: "Sure. Oh hey! There it is!"


    Miwen: "Let me guess, you got a new skill?"


    Licia: "Yes! It allows me to... well... climb trees faster."


    Just like that, her excited voice became monotone.


    Miwen: "I see, well, be careful alright? With great poweres great responsibility."


    Licia: "...?"


    Her not catching such an easy reference bothered me to no end.


    I decided to make her watch movies with me whenever I had the chance.


    Miwen: "But this is strange, I''ve maintained the skill in my status. Did I just duplicate it?"


    Licia: "Seems like it. Can you do it again?"


    Miwen: "Let me check."


    I entered the [Citizens] menu once again, and while looking at my skills, I noticed that I couldn''t select [Faster Tree Climbing] again.


    Either it was a one-time thing, or it was unavable due to both of us having it at the same level.


    In any case, I could still select the other skills.


    Licia: "Now try the reverse! Share one of mine!"


    As curious as a kid who found a new toy, she quickly regained her excitement. She just couldn''t wait to y more with my Gift.


    But well... I was also quite interested in testing this out, and since she was the one requesting I decided to take one of hers.


    They were all pretty good, but the ones I was most interested in were the [Mana Control] and the [Swordsmanship].


    Those two are quite well-known skills, and a must-have depending on your build.


    Since I can''t choose skills to unlock for myself, I couldn''t pass on the chance of getting them.


    As a side note, even without a sword, [Swordsmanship] is still useful as it boosts the use of ded weapons in general. However, it also acts as a specific skill, so only by having a sword can one get to make the most out of it.


    Both of them had a cost of only 1 Kingdom Point to share, which was the same as the [Faster Tree Climbing].


    However, grabbing the two of them at the same time made Licia upset at me for the first time.


    Licia: "I never said you could take two."


    Miwen: "My bad, listen, I''ll give you one more of mine then."


    In my mind, that would make us even, but...


    Licia: "No fair."


    Miwen: "Hm? Why not?"


    Licia: "The first one was a test, so it doesn''t count. Also... [Faster Tree Climbing]? Even if I was fighting an ent, I don''t think this would be useful at all."


    Pfft.


    She really wasn''t able to hold back.


    It was the first time she had such a selfish request, and I could not get mad at her.


    I was already nning on spending the 5 Kingdom points on her, and with something way more trivial too, so...


    Miwen: "Fine, you win. What do you want then?"


    Licia: "Hehe. You''re so kind, aren''t you? I want... [Movement Speed Up] and [Enhanced Drop Chance]."


    She really seemed to like this type of thing, once I agreed, she couldn''t even hold back how happy she was about it.


    Miwen: "Why the [Enhanced Drop Chance]? I thought for sure you''d take [Physical Prowess]."


    Licia: " [Physical Prowess] costs mana, and I''d rather use it on [Ice Magic] if need be since my current mana pool doesn''t allow for much."


    Reasonable. Smart, even.


    Between the two, she''s probably more used to [Ice Magic], and with her mana limiting her, using what she''s mostfortable with is probably the most effective.


    Licia: "Also, there''s a gigantic advantage in me also having [Enhanced Drop Chance]."


    Great. She was also thinking about the group as a whole.


    Miwen: "It''s the area of effect right?"


    Licia: "Exactly. With the two of us boosting the same area, the effects should be increased, making drops moremon."


    I''m not earning enough to make a living out of the dungeon as of yet, but if I choose this path, having Licia and this skill will make things way easier.


    Our ns seemed to align since I was nning on giving her this one whenever I had a spare Kingdom Point.


    This ended up being a nice experience. My Gift wasn''t telling me anything, and a few things I''d have to discover by exploring.


    The Kingdom Points for example just went from useless to a hotmodity, and my overall power increased quite a lot in a single move, although it was only possible due to Licia starting out with good skills.


    Still, there was a lot to do before calling it a day, especially since I had yet to do the gach rolls from the tickets I had imed.

 Chapter 13: New Level, Old Habit

    I''ve been using the Gacha aspect of my Gift for a while, but I was having a hard time deciding what I should do next.


    The amount of alternatives did not work to make things easier at all.


    For starters, ssifying it is a challenge. I''ve been using it to strengthen myself through the [Skills Banner], but to say this Gift isbat-oriented would be a stretch.


    It seems to be able to help with anything I decide, and it just so happens that I''ve decided to participate in dungeon raids.


    So until now, this has been the best option for me.


    However, thest time was a disappointment.


    It''s not that it made me think the banner is worthless, it clearly is not, but it made me rethink if I should really put all my eggs into the same basket.


    Especially considering the quality of what I was getting through it seemed to be decreasing.


    This feeling was what motivated me to change and try a new banner. A little careless of me, but I would have had to test the other banners one day anyway.


    The thing is... If the [Companions Banner] works the same way as it didst time, it will present quite a few problems, especially considering Ick tools to control whoeveres out of it.


    And yet, with the introduction of the ability to share skills, as well as the power Licia added to the group, this banner became way more interesting than even skills or weapons.


    But that''s if we''re talking only about increasing power. Truth is, if I summon someone else, I have no guarantees that it will go as smoothly as it was with Licia.


    And this is something that worries me quite a bit.


    When I summoned Licia, I was honest about myck of understanding. The fact that I was also shocked must have helped her believe me.


    Not to mention, I wasn''t much stronger than her, and in case we fought, if not win, she could at least escape me, so knowing she had some control of the situation might''ve also yed a factor in allowing her to listen to me before doing something rash.


    This made the [Companions Banner] a good option, but one I''d have to consider and prepare before using.


    Another good option is the [Weapons Banner].


    However, since we''ll be fighting the floor boss, I''d like to try to defeat it without relying on strong weapons first.


    Bing dependent on one might actually be an obstacle on deeper floors. If we''re unable to deal with an opponent by ourselves, when the weapon we rely on fails, then that will be it.


    This banner will also be better as time goes on. If we manage to get somewhat deep into the dungeon, we''ll find fewer people, which makes it less risky to carry strong or shy weapons around.


    Putting Licia and futurepanions in the equation also increases the effectiveness of this banner. If I''m able to trust thempletely, having a bunch of people with strong weapons would be intimidating enough to dispel the risks of carrying one while being alone.


    One other enticing banner is the [Spellbooks Banner]. I have Licia''s [Mana Control], and I could also acquire her [Ice Magic]. With some luck, I might learn a spell for this element.


    It would also give a use for [Reading Speed Up].


    Thest option is the old and not-so-reliable  [Skills Banner].


    Although it let me down, as long as I keep at it, I''m bound to get something useful.


    And it is also one of the banners that benefit from the ability to share skills. If anything, it''s the most straightforward to invest in if I go at it with the objective of sharing skills.


    In the end, I decided to give this one another chance.


    Having more skills and getting stronger myself would also be useful to prevent newly summoned [Companions] from acting out as soon as they are summoned.


    And out of all the banners I could try, this was the safest for the most part.


    Having decided on it, I used the tickets I had to perform 3 rolls with this banner, and as is always the case, that strange feeling assaults my mind once again.


    It''s like an out-of-body experience, but thankfully, it onlysts for a single moment, if not for how different I feel, I wouldn''t even notice it happen.


    Somehow, it seems like the effects of doing this are also decreasing. Either because I''m getting stronger, or because I''m getting used to it.


    It was still enough for me to end up worrying Licia though...


    Licia: "Are you alright? For a second it seemed like you were knocked out cold."


    Miwen: "I''m fine, it happens all the time I use my Gift."


    Licia: "I do remember that you seemed out of it when we first met, but I was also quite dumbfounded at the moment so I thought it to be a normal reaction given the situation..."


    Actually, that was due to a variety of reasons. It would be a lie to me this effect since just remembering that still makes me lose focus as I cannot help but think about her naked figure.


    Her having brought that up stuck the image in my head, and things became a little awkward. She was attentive, so I could only hope she hadn''t noticed the state I was in after thinking about her body.


    Although natural, I didn''t want to be gross around her, so I distracted myself with the new skills I had acquired.


    In order, I got the following:


    [Faster Tree Climbing


    As the user already has this skill, its level has been increased to 2, allowing even faster tree climbing. Please note that this is a passive skill, and therefore it''s always active unless the user decides to deactivate it, which can be done at any time.]


    [Unending Determination


    The user''s determination is increased, thus allowing for an extremely low chance of resisting fatal attacks. When training, the user has a low chance to enter a [Determined] state, allowing for increased benefits and less tiredness, as long as the training can be affected by the user''s determination.


    Please note that this is a passive skill, and it''s always active, however, the user may deactivate it whenever he wishes.]


    [Sight Enhancement


    Allows the user to better perceive fast-moving objects, see things further away, and also see more details when close to an object. Any sight-rted illness is alleviated and may be cured when acquiring or improving this skill, depending on severity. Please note that this is a passive skill, as such, it''s always active without costing any mana.


    However, the user may choose to deactivate it at any time.]


    Two of those skills sounded pretty good.


    Although I hoped I would never receive a fatal strike to rely on [Unending Determination]. Still, the other effect more than made up for what would otherwise be pretty situational.


    The other skill,  [Sight Enhancement], was useful in basically any situation, as it directly improved one of my five senses. It also had some chemistry with [Movement Speed Up].


    However... there had to be a spoiled one among them...


    I decided to pretend I didn''t even read it.


    As for how I''d ssify these results... I guess my faith in the [Skills Banner] was restored to some extent.


    To end the day, I had onest experiment I wanted to do now that I had acquired [Mana Control] from Licia.


    I''ve been trying to increase my mana pool by using the [Mana Banners] even though it isn''t providing anything especially good, but perhaps I could exploit  [Mana Control] to roll on it without suffering from the effects of mana depletion.


    However, my hopes were shattered almost instantly.


    The cost to make a single roll had not changed, and since I didn''t want to suffer from mana depletion due to Licia being around, I decided to postpone using this banner until I had enough mana to do it safely.


    Thus, I sent Licia back to my room, turned off the lights, and enjoyed another good night''s sleep.

 Chapter 14: Goblin Lord

    Yesterday there were many things to consider before going to bed, so a rxing, uneventful morning felt just right for calming the soul.


    Since there were no rolls on the [Mana Banners], I had full energy today, so, breakfast came early.


    It didn''t take long for Licia to wake up ande see me.


    Licia: "Morning."


    Miwen: "Good morning."


    Licia: "You''ve obtained a new skill thanks to your Gift yesterday right?"


    Miwen: "Yes, I did."


    She seemed quite interested in it.


    It was understandable since they can also benefit her, but considering the excitement she showed previously, I think she has a genuine interest in this.


    Licia: "Was there any good one?"


    Miwen: "[Faster Tree Climbing] at level 2."


    Licia: "Are you being serious?"


    Of course. It was my strongest skill... if we''re considering only the levels.


    But yeah, there''s probably not a single world where this is considered a good skill, so after teasing her a bit with it, I went ahead and told her about the actually good ones.


    Miwen: "I got a skill that enhances sight and a skill may allow the user to resist a fatal attack at a rare chance, it also boosts training, so it''s pretty useful overall."


    Licia: "Um... Will you share them with me?"


    She was finally done beating around the bush.


    Her intent was pretty clear from the start, but it was funny to see her trying to avoid being direct, only to surrender to her desires once she noticed they were actually useful.


    Miwen: "Maybeter. I''m broke for Kingdom Points, and although I could im some now, I''d rather do it before we''re back from the Dungeon."


    Licia: "...And why is that?"


    Miwen: "There''s always the possibility of a level-up, so it''s better to do it after. If I happen to really need it, I can quickly do it inside the dungeon too."


    Licia: "I guess..."


    Although she only came back to her usual face that hides most of her emotions, now that I know her a little better, I could tell that she got a little disappointed by this.


    Still, she seemed to understand that it was for the better.


    So, after breakfast, we headed toward the dungeon again.


    Licia was still puzzled by some things along the way. It looked like it was going to take some time before she adapted to her surroundings.


    Still, she seemed more calm, and the mostmon things didn''t catch her attention as much asst time.


    It was a slow process, but she showed progress.


    Once we arrived at the dungeon gate, we found Sam and Roy waiting for us.


    Roy seemed slightly anxious about today, while Sam seemed deep in thought.


    They alwayse together, and also arrive earlier than us, even if just by minutes. It makes me wonder if they live near one another.


    Roy: "So, we will be fighting the floor boss today huh? We are going at a very fast pace."


    Miwen: "That''s for sure, but I think victory is assured for us as we are right now."


    Taking into consideration the old times, yes, even the first floor of an easy dungeon was a challenge.


    Nowadays, thanks to all the information that we have acquired, it isn''t as difficult, and you could often see parties progressing at our pace, if they decided to be risky about it, even faster.


    Still, this was a good bnce between being quick and being cautious. We took a few challenges, but we tried not to be too reckless.


    Sam: "I think so too, but let''s try not to get overconfident okay?"


    Roy: "Yeah. What about you Licia, are you sure you can fight the boss?"


    This time, Roy''s worries were a little more reasonable.


    Well, considering what he knows, they have always been.


    With this being our first boss battle and Licia not being at the cap, it was natural for him to worry, and even Sam looked worried for her.


    Licia: "Yes, I think that if Miwen and I were to fight it together, we''d be sure to defeat it."


    Roy: "That would leave Sam and me to take care of the goblins right?"


    Sam: "Well, it was bound to be this way even before Licia came you know? One of us would have to grab the boss''s attention while the others defeated the minions."


    Although without Licia, the best one to do would probably be Sam herself.


    Roy: "I guess so."


    Our n wasn''t veryplex for this boss.


    He is not known to have many special abilities, and the room does not possess any gimmicks attached to it.


    The most difficult part is that he doesn''t stand alone against us, instead, four minions apany him.


    This makes the battle challenging for newbie solo adventurers.


    It is rmended to bring at least a party of three so that each one can face one opponent.


    In that regard, we were above the rmended number, but it was also far from overkill.


    However, once I was done exining the battle to Licia on our way here, she seemed to believe the two of us would be enough to defeat the boss.


    If we''re talking about just the boss, I do agree with her, but the minions are also slightly stronger than what we usually find in the dungeon. Not on the same level as a [Superior Goblin], but definitely more dangerous than the normal ones.


    As such, we passed by the settlement on the first floor and made our way to the closest boss room door we could find.


    We found a few slimes and goblins along the way, but they didn''t stand a chance and were quickly wiped out.


    It showed we hade far in just a few days, as there was no denying that we had be stronger.


    Yet, thest challenge this floor had for us still stood in our way.


    In front of us, there was the door that led to the floor boss. Once something we feared, but now...


    Sam: "Is everyone ready?"


    Sam calls for us.


    We gather our confidence, and with a nod, one after the other, we all tell her that we are ready for this battle.


    Once inside, there was nothing to see but darkness. No signs of any monster anywhere.


    We didn''t let our guard down, and as if rewarding our decision, the door behind us closed by itself.


    There was no going back.


    The only way to leave the room was to defeat the boss.


    In front of us, the torches in the walls started to light up, revealing 5 human-like creatures.


    Right in the middle was the Goblin Lord, the boss of the first floor of this dungeon.


    He''s stronger than any monster on this floor and is on par with a superior.


    He also carries a small sword with him, but thankfully his skill with it is not noteworthy.


    As for intelligence, he''s a little better than other goblins, but the chances of himing up with a scheme are low.


    The other goblins all carry clubs with them, but those might actually be an advantage for us as they make them slower and quite exposed when attacking.


    Licia and I targeted the Goblin Lord, while Sam and Roy focused on the other goblins.


    She was rather quick on the offense, attacking the Goblin Lord multiple times.


    She seemed way more reckless now than her usual cautious self, which left me a bit confused.


    However, considering her experience, I thought there was a good reason for it.


    And it did provide me a good opportunity to try and sneak behind the opponent.


    Licia''s knife met the Goblin''s sword, and the sound of their sh reverberated throughout the room.


    Even though she was alone, and a level under him, she was doing a great job at keeping him at bay.


    But looking at her fighting him, I finally understood what she was going for.


    Her weapon had a smaller reach than his. It was also not very durable. If she went on the defensive, she would have to take the brunt of his force. Not only could the knife break, but it would also work to his advantage, as he could reach her without risking retaliation.


    However, by storming him with all she had, he forced him on the defensive, controlling the momentum and lowering the risks on herself.


    It seemed quite hard and risky to do, but she was managing it perfectly.


    Not only that, but she also created a perfect opportunity for me to strike, and once she saw me in a good position, she cast her ice magic, making the knife that was connected to the Goblin Lord''s sword freeze, taking away both of their weapons and forcing them to be stuck to one another.


    The boss tried to free himself, but with both of them applying all their strength, her knife eventually broke.


    Still, she did way more than necessary. The opportunity she created was enough for me to attack him from behind and cut his head off from his neck.


    A battle that should have been quite challenging ended up not posing any risks to me.


    However, even though I took the kill, she was undoubtedly the MVP.


    Her battle sense and the way she makes use of her abilities is quite scary.


    After dying, the body of the boss disappeared. But one thing remained on the ground.


    His sword.


    Licia: "It''s gonna unfreeze soon so... loot acquired!"


    Since she did almost everything in this fight, I had no problem with her taking it for herself.


    Her looking so pleased about it was only half the reason for this decision.


    Her weapons had also been broken during the fight, and well... I was a bit curious to see how she''d fare with a sword.


    We ended up being quite fast in our battle since Roy and Sam were still dealing with their opponents.


    Thus, we decided to separate to help them.


    Roy: "Oh hey, are you finished already?"


    Miwen: "Yep, we had it in the bag."


    Roy killed one of the goblins while I took care of the other one.


    It didn''t seem like he struggled too much during his fight, and since it was a 2-on-1 he decided it would be better to be cautious and take his time.


    It could also be that he was too anxious to go for the finishing strike, but I decided to look at it optimistically, seeing it as growth on his part.


    Miwen: "I think the girls are done on their side as well."


    Roy: "Looks like it."


    After dealing with their opponents, Sam and Licia came to us and we all noticed something had changed in the room.


    A new door appeared in front of us, and we went through it only to find ourselves in another settlement.


    A little smaller than the previous one, but it still had a considerable number of people in it.


    Sam: "Do you guys want to try exploring a bit?"


    Roy: "Well, we''ll have to do it sooner orter, so I don''t see any reason to postpone it."


    I didn''t know the exact reason, perhaps it was because I was the one to kill the floor boss, but I was quite close to a level up already, so I thought that it was worth trying to get to level four as we were still doing okay energy-wise.


    Miwen: "Let''s not go too far from the settlement though, the monsters on this floor range from level 4 to 7 and there are stronger species."


    Roy: "Oh yeah, online I saw somements about the hobgoblins and the orcs being a pain to deal with."


    Sam: "It''s gonna be fine as long as we don''t go too deep."


    And so we decided to explore a bit of this floor, since no one got badly injured we thought it would be fine.


    Even if a stronger species appeared we should be able to run away from it as long as we stayed somewhat close to the settlement.


    Since we didn''t go too far, we ended up not finding many monsters. Mostly goblins.


    Although they were stronger than what we had found on the previous floor.


    I also noticed we hadn''t seen any slimes.


    Still, I''d say the exploration albeit short, was a sess. I managed to get to level 4, and Licia reached level 3.


    Roy and Sam made noments about leveling up, but it was no use pushing more as not far from the settlement we saw a hobgoblin carrying a sword andmanding andmanding three other goblins.


    The ability tomand other monsters is usually linked to a [Noble Monster], there are many ranks for nobility for monsters, the lesser being a "Lord".


    Hismand showed that he was at least of the lowest rank, but he could have more monsters somewhere, and depending on their numbers, his rank could also be higher than expected.


    Licia: "A hobgoblin is decently stronger than a goblin, his level is unknown and he''s at the very least a lord... in the worst case scenario we would be facing four monsters of level 7, I think we should go back."


    I agreed with her assessment. Even if I was feeling happy about myself thanks to the new level I reached, confidence wasn''t going to be enough to cut it.


    Especially since I had decided to increase intelligence and defense at this level.


    While the defense could be useful, intelligence was done mostly to be able to roll more on the [Mana Banner], as well as to use skills that required mana without instantly suffering from mana depletion.


    I felt the wiggle room was valuable, even though I could increase my mana pool with other means.


    The difficult spike was clear though... on the first floor, we hadn''t run from a battle even though we had some close calls and a few injuries.


    Roy: "Can''t you shoot your ice magic at the hobgoblin? Then the rest of us could kill the goblins."


    Licia: "I could, but I doubt one hit would be enough to take it down, and depending on his level, we would have a hard time."


    Sam: "Let''s just retreat, there''s too much risk at y here, and it''s doubtful that we would be able to level up even if we were to defeat them..."


    Roy: "Sure."


    He didn''t look very happy about it, but there was nothing we could do.


    We would simply be gambling our lives for almost no reward at all.


    Although a bit of a sour aftertaste for today''s exploration, it provided good results.


    As for money, it was hardly worth mentioning since we didn''t hunt too much and only got two cores valued at $4 each.


    With the level-up Licia and I had, as well as the defeat of the floor boss, we would eventually be able to increase our ie on this floor.


    It would still not be enough to count on it, but more is better.

 Chapter 15: Multi Banner Roll

    While we were at home, I allowed Licia to help me a little with dinner.


    I wasn''t sure about letting her try the oven just yet, but she was able to handle the rest quite easily.


    With her help, dinner ended uping a bit earlier today.


    She didn''t ask for a reward for her help but there was something she was expectant about.


    Licia: "Will you share new skills with me yet?"


    Miwen: "Don''t you think it''s better to wait until after I finish using my Gift? That way you can choose the better ones..."


    Licia: "That''s true..."


    Miwen: "Also, I think I wanna try something else today, so do you mind giving me a hand?"


    I had a few ns for today''s roll. Another test if you will.


    She blushed hearing that I had something to ask.


    However, she still seemed willing to listen.


    Licia: "I''m content to oblige, but what is it that you need of me?"


    Miwen: "Well..."


    Since she was like that, I felt like teasing a bit and intentionally dyed responding, filling the room with an air of anticipation.


    But whatever she had in mind was most definitely wrong since I myself had just recently decided on it.


    Miwen: "Sam just told me that she won''t be able to go the dungeon tomorrow, it seems like she needs to visit her mother."


    Licia: "And so?"


    Miwen: "And so Roy decided to take tomorrow off too..."


    Licia: "I see, so, will you take tomorrow off too?"


    While Licia is probably capable of going solo, I wouldn''t like to risk something like that, and since she already understands that I''m quite cautious, she reached this conclusion.


    Sadly, I had something else in mind.


    Miwen: "Not exactly. Do you remember the monster we encountered today?"


    Licia: "The Noble Hobgoblin."


    Miwen: "Yes, that one. That thing was stronger than the floor boss we had just faced by a mile. And even the weaker floor boss was only so easily handled because you were with us."


    Quite frankly, even if I wasn''t there, I think she could''ve held out until Sam and Roy won against their opponents.


    It was quite incredible what she managed to do even in a body much weaker than what she''s used to.


    Licia: "Mhm... I indeed took the lead, but you guys would do fine even without me, you were more than capable."


    She seemed happy to hear meplimenting her performance.


    And again, while she''s right that the three of us could probably have won too even without her, the fact is that her presence there made things go way more smoothly.


    Before her arrival, I was expecting this battle to result in at least some injuries.


    Licia: "So, do you want to raid the dungeon tomorrow, just me and you? I think we could handle the second floor as long as we don''t get ahead of ourselves."


    The two of us do make a good pair, and being alone with her would give me a lot of chances to improve since I would wee any criticism she had.


    We would probably face some troubles though...


    Miwen: "I also believe that we would be capable of doing so, but there''s something else I have nned. I''ll use my Gift for something, and I''d appreciate it if you could help me with it."


    She seemed a bit confused about what I was talking about.


    Given that she knows already that I could do a bunch of different things, she probably thought I was going to ask for something she hadn''t seen before, but the truth was it wasn''t all that new for her.


    She would just see it from a different perspective.


    Miwen: "For now, I''ll get the new skills, and I''ll allow you to choose one among them."


    Licia: "Eh? Only one?"


    She seemed a bit disappointed with this, probably expecting at least two since I was going to get 7 Kingdom Points and 4 tickets thanks to the increase in our levels.


    Miwen: "You''ll understand whyter in my room."


    I intentionally left it vague since I knew she''d show me a good reaction.


    However, her usual doll-like face turned bright red.


    And yet, the words that came out of her mouthter also had the same impact on me.


    Licia: "W-well if that''s what you wish for... I... I''ll... only a little..."


    She spoke in a quiet and soft voice, almost as if she didn''t intend for me to hear it. As a matter of fact, I do think I didn''t manage to catch everything.


    I wasn''t as dense as to not understand what this implied, but since I started this with just the intention of teasing her a little, it became difficult to contain my own desires.


    However, I still had to exin to her that this wasn''t what I was thinking about.


    But that only made her even more embarrassed. She even looked a bit frustrated, probably thinking she was the only one who had thought about my words in an amorous way since although I exined to her it was a misunderstanding, I left out the part where the teasing was intentional.


    s, she agreed to follow me.


    Licia: "If things take a turn for the worse, you can count on me you know?"


    Miwen: "Seriously? You''ve grown to trust me a lot in just a short period of time huh?"


    I thought that to be a bit strange since I hadn''t done anything particrly nice for her.


    Perhaps the skills I shared with her, but those benefited me as well.


    Licia: "Well... you never gave me a reason to distrust you after all, and I''m also quite confident in my ability to judge others. I can see that you''re working hard to make mefortable and that you care about my choices and opinions..."


    Surprisingly, I didn''t think much about that.


    I was the one to bring her here, without anything she could rely on. Taking care of her was just the minimum I could do, especially since I wasn''t doing anything out of the ordinary.


    Licia: "You''re also... important to me. I don''t know or understand much of this world, nor if my life is tied to your Gift or not, so... I need to protect you, right? Or rather... it would be good if we could take care of each other..."


    Her words were quite heartfelt. I could tell she really meant them.


    I did feel a little bad seeing that her trust in me was growing so quickly while I still had my reservations.


    Although that was probably a difference in our personalities. While I do not mind being kind to others, I tend to prevent myself from doing so until I know them better.


    I''ve seen enough examples of what happens when you extend your hand to everyone without thinking about it to develop this practice.


    And yet, I feel differently about her.


    For some reason, she seems much more innocent to me. Perhaps it''s because of how much control I have inparison to her, and the fact that she has no reason to lie to me, especially considering that, as she said, it''s unknown whether or not she''s able to live without me.


    This, paired with how responsible I feel for her, brought out my kind side a little more than usual.


    It''s not a feeling I dislike though. It''s been a while since I''ve been able to act with such honesty.


    Still, once things had calmed down a bit, I went and used my Gift.


    Three gacha tickets were directed to the [Skills Banner], and after dozing off like always, I took a look at the [Current Skills] to see what were the results this time around.


    On the list, three new skills appeared:


    [Mental Resistance


    Increases the user''s resistance to mental attacks and debuffs, if weak enough, it''s possible to even negate the effects of mental attacks and debuffs on the user. Since this is a passive skill, it''s always active, but the user may decide to deactivate it at any time.]


    [X sh


    Active skill. Can be done with both one-handed and two-handed ded weapons. When used with only one weapon, boosts the speed of the attack and its strength, and when used with two weapons boosts the speed and gives an increased strength boost. Every two uses of this skill cost the user one mana point.]


    [Focused Strike


    Active skill. Based on the user''s intelligence, increases the strength of the following attack. May cause [Mental Fatigue] and [Body Fatigue] after being used. Repeated uses of this skill in session may cause stronger and more severe debuffs. Costs one point per use.]


    Miwen: "And that''s all I got today, so, which skill are you interested in?"


    Licia: "For now [Sight Enhancement] would be the most useful since it doesn''t require mana. After, I''ll go for [Unending Determination] if you save some points for me."


    [Unending Determination] had a different cost, at 3 Kingdom Points, so I told her to pick another, and she ended up deciding on [Sight Enhancement].


    It''s like I couldn''t afford it, but... it would be a problem considering what I had nned for today.


    The [Skills Banner] had proved to be quite good this time around. Maybe all it needed to recover was me getting mad at it.


    The timing was also good since my mana pool had increased and I was able to use active skills without worrying as much.


    Miwen: "And there you go. Shall we head to my room now?"


    I waited for her to check if she got the skill she wanted. And after getting her heads up, I suggested we continue on to the next step.


    Licia: "I''m gonna grab this one too, just in case..."


    She decided to bring the sword with her.


    I thought it might be too much, but... perhaps it was better to be prepared for the worst.


    And so, in my room, the most important roll of the was about to take ce.


    I had not nned this from the beginning, but seeing Sam''s and Roy''s messages, I felt this was a good opportunity to take another shot at increasing the prospects of the Kingdom.


    Taking into ount the danger of the second floor, even though it''s true that Licia and I would be able to earn experience there, the amount would result in only small gains.


    Especially considering we wouldn''t be able to venture too deep inside.


    With that in mind, I thought about what would be the best use of my time tomorrow.


    And I arrived at one single answer... [Companions Banner].


    If it happens to be the same as Licia, they''ll be summoned at level one.


    In case they agree to be a [Citizen], I''d potentially earn another strong ally for us, which would give us an easier time not only on the current floor but also on all subsequent ones.


    However, I would need to get them to a good level if I wanted to bring them there.


    There''s also the possibility they decide to not stay with me for long since, like with Licia, I n on giving them the choice of whether or not to stay.


    The only difference was that this time I came a little more prepared.


    As for danger... well, it''s inherent since I still haven''t acquired any tool to help me persuade or control summonedpanions effectively.


    But, with me at level 4 and Licia at level 3, they would have to have quite a strong Gift to overpower the two of us together, especially considering she brought a weapon with her.


    And in the worst-case scenario, if they are able to do it, we can just run to the Kingdom together.


    So, havinge to a decision, I focused on the[Companions Banner] and gave it myst ticket of today.


    I had high expectations and was a little anxious about it, but all these feelings soon went away as I once again felt my consciousness drifting for a moment.


    In front of me, there were two girls. The first was Licia, thepanion who I''ve been developing a nice, amicable rtionship.


    And to her left side... a girl I didn''t recognize.


    On her knees, it seemed like she had just run a marathon. Her body was sweating, and she was panting hard.


    It was strange considering that... by no means did she get here by running.


    Even in that state, I could not help but admire her for a bit.


    Her red twintails only worked toplement a beautiful, young-looking face.


    If not for her pale expression that showed pure fright, I might''ve fallen for her instantly.


    Licia was a bit taller than her, and their bodies were quite different. In breast size, she was utterly defeated, but from the waist down, it was apletely different story.


    It''s not like Licia wasn''t respectable there too, but... this girl seemed to up her by a margin.


    I couldn''t help but think they were both very different from each other, and yet, still beautiful.


    Thinking about such things wasn''t going to do me any favor though.


    ???: "... huh?"


    Her expression changed, from one filled with fear and anxiety to pure confusion.


    ???: "Why am I alive...? Where is Pervial?"


    She spoke of names I did not know and became agitated.


    Licia readied her sword, but I signaled for her to not do anything.


    ???: "Who are you? Where am I ?!"


    She took notice of me with that movement.


    Instantly, she became suspicious. No... her face was actually showing ire, and it looked like she was ready to jump me at a moment''s notice.


    ???: "I''ll have you know that no kidnapper will have their way with me! Brace yourself, you now face the power of ire Ashbrodd, The Continental Burn!"

 Chapter 16: Claire The Continental Burn

    I had a problematic situation at hand.


    As far as I''m concerned, having two girls in my room would be an asion to celebrate.


    Especially with one of them being butt naked.


    However, the situation wasn''t as great as it might''ve been, as said butt-naked girl red hard at me after a great speech.


    Now, I''m not fond of being violent with girls. I''d rather avoid it if possible, but I believe self-defense to be another matter entirely.


    And yet, as she dashed at me, even though I could dodge out of the way, in fear she would end up hurting herself, I epted the tackle, and we both fell to the floor.


    ire: "You''re done for. Let me go if you want to keep your life."


    With one hand in my chest, believing to be holding me down, she raises the other.


    However, nothing extraordinary happens with her other hand.


    Licia: "You shall let him go."


    Then, the tip of Licia''s sword approaches the neck of the girl with red twintails.


    Funnily enough, this seemed to have been enough to make the girl stop.


    Certainly a mystery.


    Although, I do have a theory.


    It wasn''t just Licia''s sword that did the trick. She''s acting high and mighty, but I can feel that I''m much stronger than her.


    Like with Licia before, her level had probably been reduced to 1.


    As such, unless her Gift couldpensate for our level difference, or she had a bunch of strong skills, there was no way for her to pose a threat to me.


    That she came for me is very telling though. She must''ve recognized Licia as being stronger and chose me as the easier target for a bargaining chip that could buy her freedom.


    But being dealt with by her, in this manner at least, wasn''t in my ns.


    ire: "And if I don''t?"


    Defiant. But an easy bluff to see through.


    Licia: "There are no what-ifs here, I believe I made myself clear."


    A cold, scary look filled her face. Her monotone voice made her intentions obvious.


    Miwen: "Let go, none of us mean you any harm."


    I tried to mediate. If possible, calming her would be beneficial, and while I''d prefer she had reacted like Licia did when summoned, depending on the circumstances, I could understand this reaction.


    ire: "And why would I believe you?"


    But as she proved my effort fruitless, I took the alternative route.


    I grabbed both of her hands and while she tried to muster her strength to try and resist... to break free from me, it was no avail.


    She seemed irritated by that, insulted even.


    Yet, no matter how much she struggled, she had bepletely defenseless.


    Licia could finish her life at any moment, and she was not able to hurt or threaten me anymore.


    Although a surprise at first, we gained control and ascertained our superior position over her.


    Miwen: "Because if I wanted to, you would already be hurt."


    Slowly, I guide her arms to her sides, and then gently I release my strength, allowing them to be free.


    She had stopped struggling, so I stopped fighting back.


    As long as we could maintain this status quo, she wouldn''t risk being hurt.


    I had hoped my actions would show that these were my true intentions.


    As long as she didn''t try to fight, everything would be fine.


    Miwen: "I''m sorry about this, you are here thanks to my Gift. It''s a bit hard to understand, but if you just listen to me I''ll guarantee your safety, how does that sound?"


    It''splicated. I needed her to be willing to listen, but...


    ire: "Hmph. Go on. Exin what you did to me. How can someone so weak overpower me with such ease? Why can''t I muster any strength? And most important of all, why am I still alive?


    Also, what is-"


    Miwen: "That''s a lot..."


    Some of her questions had answers, while others I myself had no clue about.


    My only objective was to make her understand the situation she was in though. As long as that was out of the way, we would have an easier time talking about all the rest.


    As such, not rming or shocking her was a priority, at least as much as possible.


    But... one of her questions, about the reason why she was still alive, ended up getting to me.


    The fact that she thought she should be dead indicated that my power was really bringing them back from death.


    I tried to shake off my mixed feelings about that and used the opportunity she had given me to exin the things I could.


    Miwen: "As for your first and second questions, you are now level 1, I was able to overpower you thanks to my higher level, I believe this should answer them both?"


    ire: "So it''s the worst case scenario... the power to erase someone''s level, how truly terrifying."


    Quite.


    If such an ability was not tied to the [Companions Banner], and was instead something I could do whenever I wanted, I''d probably be having a way easier time at the Dungeon.


    Even top-rank parties would kill to have someone who can weaken a boss like this.


    Yet, it wasn''t the case that I could control this. Rather, it was among the things I didn''t understand well enough.


    Miwen: "You don''t need to worry about that, I did say I wasn''t gonna harm you."


    ire: "...And for my third question?"


    Probably the mostplicated one...


    Miwen: "Well... You could say that you are alive thanks to my Gift. I think it brought you back to life. I should also correct you. I don''t understand my Giftpletely yet, but I can''t erase someone''s level. If I had to guess, that only happened because..."


    ire: "Because I died?"


    Miwen: "That... yes, I believe so."


    Things were progressing well, and she was bing a little more calm.


    As for me, I didn''t really want to think of my power this way, but I had no choice but to admit it now.


    Even in the world we live in, such power has restrictions, consequences, and well... it never works that perfectly.


    It''s like a piece of the person is always missing.


    It''s be such an easy power to make money through but at the same time... I can''t help but feel like it only hurts the living more.


    Since I didn''t know them before their deaths, I''ll never be able to tell if their souls and minds are the same as they were back when they were alive.


    I do fear I might be desecrating them with this.


    Yet, if I were to hope for the perfect scenario, looking at this on the brightest side it could have... a second chance to live again would probably be weed by many.


    However, it seems like my Gift has no desire to guide me in how to use it.


    Meaning... it''s up to me to decide what I do with it.


    And so, if I want this power to be a good thing, I must treat those I summon with care.


    I want to believe that they are as human as they once were. So I have to guarantee it.


    And to do that, I''ll have to extend a hand. Being kind and protective, as well as giving them the freedom to choose their own fate. As long as I do that, they''ll be as much of a human as anyone else.


    Instead of this power bing a curse for her and others, I''d like it to be a blessing, as it has been for me.


    So, I decided on the path I would like to walk with this girl, as well as Licia, and whoever more I may bring into my kingdom.


    For it to be a ce where they can be themselves. That would make me happy.


    Miwen: "My Gift allows me to do a bunch of different things, among them, I can provide you with clothing, but there''s a condition. You need to register as a [Citizen] for it to activate."


    The first step might as well be the hardest.


    But this is necessary. Like with Licia, it would be good if I could have her stay with me until she became ustomed to this world.


    ire: "What effects will I suffer from that?"


    Miwen: "From what I know, you can ess my kingdom and I can share my skills with you, and vice versa. However, for that, the consent of both parties is needed. As for entering and leaving the Kingdom, both actions require only my permission."


    ire: "Is that true? Are you sure you''re not hiding anything from me?"


    While I was being as truthful as I could, it''s still a fact that there are factors I''m not entirely sure about. Especially after I summoned Licia and a new function appeared without warning.


    I couldn''t guarantee that what I told her was everything, but I could be honest about it and hope that she would understand.


    Miwen: "Not that I know of."


    ire: "You do know how strange it is for someone to notpletely understand their Gift, right?"


    ...There are quite a lot of Gifts. If anything, most are just a simple effect that can be activated whenever the user desires.


    A few can change the user''s body too, and within those, some can turn back, while others get stuck in a different form.


    A little moreplex than that, we have those that boost a natural ability or supernatural powers such as magic or flight.


    Then we have those with multiple effects or conditions and those that grow with the user or under some predetermined circumstances.


    And then even some Gifts a little simr to mine, that work like a small system, allowing a bunch of things at once.


    There are plenty of mixes and more types too, but... out of all the Gifts I''ve ever heard about, mine is for sure the mostplicated.


    Usually, you can figure out what your Gift does just by using it, which is why I''m trying to experiment more, but... it''s only leading me to more questions as of yet.


    Miwen: "Well, my Gift has a lot of functions, and since I only got it a few days ago it''s not a-"


    ire: "Can you stop lying to me? What do you even want?"


    That surprised me.


    What I said got her angry.


    Even though I don''t know her well, it''s easy to read her emotions.


    The shift in volume also helped though.


    However, I wasn''t lying at all, so I got a little confused about what made her so mad.


    Thankfully Licia was there too, and she was able to understand it a little better.


    Licia: "He''s telling the truth. Both about being his [Citizen] and about his Gift, I know it''s hard to believe, but that is how it works in this world."


    ire: "So this is a different world huh? I thought the furniture was strange but... how twisted is this world for things to be so messed up?"


    ...My room was not the most tidy out there, and I don''t usually spend much on fancy furniture but... that hurt a little.


    Licia: "I don''t think it''s twisted at all, if you give it a bit of time you''ll see that these things, although very strange are also very interesting. Above all, they are part of the way of life of the inhabitants of this world, they are not meant to do any harm, so calling them messed up is very rude."


    Oh...


    I was a little proud of her response.


    Ever since she was summoned, she has been showing a lot of interest, so she must''ve gotten a little upset by ire''s words.


    It''s harder to tell with Licia though. Especially when she''s like this.


    ire: "... I don''t care about that."


    Licia: "What do you care about them?"


    The tensions were rising again, but I allowed it to continue.


    It seemed like Licia was getting to her, for good or bad.


    ire: "Hah... I don''t know. My life should be over already, I had met my end and I was satisfied with it. I know I could have done more, and I made many mistakes, but I lived how I wanted. I don''t regret it."


    Licia: "I see, I wish I could say the same. Mine was always filled with struggles I didn''t choose for myself. So when I was in your ce, somehow deep in my heart I saw it as an opportunity. To live the kind of life I wanted to, to be free to choose and also... to find peace for myself."


    This was hard.


    They were talking about such heavy things and both of their lives seemed to have been extremely eventful.


    While I had no idea why, it made me feel guilty.


    Licia says she is happy and thankful for the things I''ve been doing for her, but I cannot help but be anxious about it.


    The banners seem to exist to help and make me stronger, but... exploring someone''s life and death only for something trivial like that doesn''t sit well with me.


    The only way I cane to terms with it is if I do my best to make it a worthwhile life for them.


    Only like this can I convince myself that I''m doing something good.


    Licia: "Give him a chance, if only for some time, you''ll see that it''s worth it to keep on living in this world."


    ire: "Then, are you happy living in this world? Even after your death?"


    A question that I was still not able to ask, but one whose answer I wanted to hear more than anything.


    Licia: "I''m happier than what I was in the world of my previous life, that is for sure. I don''t know how it''ll go for you, who has no regrets about your past life but just try and experience this one, I can guarantee that he''ll not bind you, as he has not bound me."


    ire: "I see... I guess I don''t lose anything by just giving it a chance huh?"


    Licia: "That''s what I believed, and I couldn''t have gotten more of this small leap of faith."


    In the end, the efforts I made for Licia went a long way.


    It was reassuring. The anxiousness and guilt I was feeling faded away thanks to her words.


    If I had a positive impact on her, then... I could feel proud about this power, and while challenging, it would also be rewarding to ensure that others feel the same way as she does.


    She validated the path I had chosen to walk.


    ire: "...Fine. I''ll allow you to register me as your citizen or whatever."


    She also managed to convince someone else.


    I could tell she still had some suspicions, but their small confrontation led to a lot of progress.


    Miwen: " I''ll need your full name for that, I believe I hear you call yourself ire, but I didn''t quite catch your surname."


    ire: "It''s ire Ashbrodd, daughter of Duke Marten Ashbrodd. Guess this really is another world if you''ve never heard of me."


    Apparently, she''s supposed to be famous...


    I wasn''t sure if their worlds operated the same way, but Licia''s epithet of ''Frost Sword'' was fitting considering her fighting style and Gift.


    Even then, she wasn''t famous enough to question me for not knowing her.


    She even confessed that her name wasn''t worth mentioning in the capital of her Kingdom.


    Then, if I were to apply logic and scale to this girl, who called herself ''The Continental Burn'' and believed everyone in her world to know about her existence and name...


    Yeah...


    I might have bitten more than I can chew here.


    Whatever the case may be for her nickname, I kept true to my words and registered her as a [Citizen].


    But... once again, something new popped up.


    A new button in the  [Kingdom] menu with the word [Events] written in it.


    I decided not to mess with it for now, and instead, I imed the Kingdom Points avable and got ire a change of clothes.


    ire: "So it was true... I apologize for doubting your words."


    She seemed a bit reluctant to apologize, but she still did it anyway.


    I confess that I thought she was a bit cute doing that.


    Miwen: "It''s no problem really, given your situation it''s totallyprehensible..."


    It wasn''t her fault.


    If I''m correct, it seems like she popped up here after being killed.


    After such an event, to suddenly appear in an unknown room, surrounded by two strangers, would be shocking and confusing for anyone.


    If anything, I do respect her mental fortitude and quick decision-making.


    Although reckless, if she was capable of overpowering me, she''d have taken control of the situation in a blink.


    Miwen: "Well, a few things... I''d like to respect whatever you want to do from now on, even if you want to leave. But this world is probably very different from anything you experienced before. And if you care, I''d like for you t stay. I''m willing to provide you with anything you wish, and is within my power."


    ire: "For now it seems beneficial for me to go along with you... of course, if you so much as bother me, I''ll leave instantly, are you willing to ept that?"


    She spoke confidently, full of pride, almost as if provoking me to see how I''d react.


    Miwen: "Of course."


    Yet, this was fine for me.


    I''d even be willing to help her out after if she needed me to.


    I also wouldn''t hold a grudge over that.


    After all, what I''m offering her is actually for her own good.


    ire: "Haah? You have really epted that? This gotta be the strangest kidnapping I was ever a part of."


    Miwen: "I''m no kidnapper though ?"


    I also wouldn''t like to be called a necromancer, so... summoner is probably how I''d describe myself.


    ire: "Well, from my perspective I was about to meet my end in the battlefield, only for someone to use their ability to forcefully change my location. I cannot see how that does qualify as kidnapping."


    Miwen: "W-well..."


    ire: "I''m only joking, of course, now if you excuse me, I need to change myself."


    Contrary to Licia, ire seemedpletely unfazed that I was seeing her naked body.


    She acted so naturally about it that I thought she didn''t care about it at all.


    However... her shame decided to appear only after she had something to cover herself with.


    It ended up making it seem like she was more embarrassed to change in front of me than to be seen naked.


    Licia stayed with her in my room while she changed, and after she finished, I noticed a problem I had not considered up until now.


    After summoning Licia, I had her sleep in my bed, while I was on the sofa.


    Now that ire was with us...


    Where the hell would she sleep?


    To have her stay with Licia was dangerous since we had not built any trust yet.


    But then... I''d have to share the bed with one of them?


    I tried thinking about all the options, but all of them presented problems.

 Chapter 17: Morning With Claire

    Yesterday, we had a problem.


    ire had epted my offer and showed interest in staying with us.


    However, I didn''t have a room for her.


    In this situation, Licia, the girl who has been such a tremendous help after being summoned proposed a solution.


    Since I wasn''t keen on letting the two together alone, nor would I feel secure alone with ire, she suggested that we sleep together.


    At first, I thought she meant just the two of us but...


    Seeing as I woke up surrounded by the two of them, it''s pretty obvious that what happened was a little different.


    Licia''s suggestion was meant for all of us, ire included.


    As a man, sleeping with a girl on each side was obviously tempting, but it wasn''t the reason for me epting Licia''s proposal.


    The first benefit of what she suggested was that this made it more difficult for ire in case she had any malicious intentions against us during the night.


    Since all of us were sharing the same room and bed, any noise or sudden movement, especially a struggle, would alert the others.


    This basically restricted all three of us.


    I wasn''t going to be able to do anything against Licia or ire.


    And on the other hand, ire wouldn''t be able to attack us.


    By this point, I trusted Licia enough to not think she''d try anything either.


    The only problem was how awkward it was. Or rather, how awkward it should''ve been.


    Surprisingly enough, neither of them seemed to be as worried as me about this situation.


    I had thought about doing it like this, but I felt that even suggesting it would be outrageous, and yet, when Licia suggested it, ire instantly agreed, saying it was probably the best option.


    I guess I ended up being lucky...


    Licia said she didn''t mind it as she was used to sharing rooms with others in inns. Since sometimes she went to other cities, this practice made it possible for her to save some money.


    ire also had a simr experience. She used to fight on the battlefields a lot, so she often shared tents and barracks with other generals and soldiers.


    ording to her, most people would be afraid to even approach her, much less try something sexual.


    Although... If there was a person bold enough to approach someone known as ''Continental Burn'', they would either have to be extremely bold or outright insane...


    Both of them seemed confident in their ability to push back any assants, and in ire''s case, her reputation and status made it even more unlikely for someone to try something against her.


    Still, I felt like they underestimated their current situation a bit. I ended up going along mostly because it was effective, but also in respect for their strength and confidence.


    Of course, I had no intention of forcing myself on either of them, so the night went on without anything urring.


    I also tried my best to leave the bed quietly, in order to not wake them up.


    From outside the door, I took a look at them, just to see whether or not I had seeded, and once I confirmed they were still sleeping, I left to start making breakfast.


    However, shortly after I had started...


    ire: "Mind if we talk?"


    Miwen: "Not at all."


    I suddenly hear ire''s voice behind me.


    Judging by her tone, she seemed a little serious about it.


    ire: "You''re very careless, do you know that?"


    That caught me by surprise.


    Not that I mind being called careless, but... I didn''t think of myself as such.


    If anything, I felt I was quite cautious.


    This made me wonder about what gave her that impression.


    Miwen: "...And why do you think that?"


    ire: "That girl. If she had not suggested we sleep together, you would have to make a sacrifice. Either you or her, one of you would have to be exposed to danger."


    ...I should''ve known, there was another reason why she epted it so easily.


    I wasn''t the only one thinking about the logistics and dangers of the situation we had at hand.


    Still, while I did agree that this was for the best, I only refrained from suggesting it because I didn''t want to damage her impression of me.


    But I could see how she was right.


    I had my priorities switched.


    First and foremost, I should''ve considered Licia''s safety. My rtions with her could always be mendedter.


    Miwen: "I guess you''re right. Being indecisive could''ve ended up creating a bad situation for all of us... I''ll be more mindful from now on."


    ire: "But this is not all."


    ...She approached me and used her finger to touch my back.


    ire: "You don''t know about my Gift. Aren''t you a little too rxed in front of a stranger? What if I could kill you right now?"


    True. Not knowing her Gift was a problem.


    In the future, I would be sure to ask the Gifts of all citizens summoned before proceeding with negotiations.


    Miwen: "...Well, I''m not that weak either. Especially considering the level of newly summoned citizens. And I can also run away and protect myself inside the Kingdom."


    ire: "Sure. But aren''t you forgetting someone? Do you think she could do the same while sleeping?"


    She got me there.


    Both of them seem used to fighting, so I don''t think the level difference would be enough to make up for the surprise attack and chaos of the situation.


    ire: "...Well, I do understand that this is happening because you don''t want to risk making us ufortable, but... All I''m trying to say is that you should be more cautious. And also, thankful to her. She''s covering your back more than what you might notice."


    Without Licia, or if I didn''t care about either of them, the solution would have been very simple.


    I could just lock both inside the room, if I was feeling particrly kind, give them a bucket or something.


    Yet, towards them, I feel a sense of responsibility that makes me unable to act this way.


    But she was right. My desire to make them happy could, in turn, hurt their safety.


    I had to n things better and get my priorities straight.


    While it might not be asfortable at first for everyone, it was better to do it like this than to risk something bad happening.


    Miwen: "I understand, I''ll be more careful in the future... Thanks for the advice."


    In the end, her words were really just that, advice.


    However, they weren''t meant only to help me.


    ire: "It''s not me you should be thanking right now though..."


    Miwen: "That''s right. Thanks as well, Licia."


    Licia: "...Mhm... you''re wee."


    She was standing behind ire, a little far, but still watchful of our exchange.


    In case something happened, she would havee to help me again.


    In the end, it all circled back.


    To make sure they wouldn''t get hurt, and to not give them trouble, I had to fix my act too.


    Or else, I''d risk the very happiness I''m trying to give them.


    Miwen: "This is good though..."


    ire: "Hm? What was that?"


    Miwen: "To be honest, I wasn''t so sure about you. You got over the situation rather quickly and I thought you might try something... but... although you had your chance just now, instead of doing something bad, you came to me with good intentions. I appreciate that."


    In other words, she chose to help me instead of being hostile, even though she had a good opportunity.


    This was a good first step, she seems strong, both mentally and physically, so if I could develop a good rtionship with her, like I did with Licia, I''d have another strong ally.


    And with the three of us together, we could look after each other''s back.


    ire: "W-well... I have nothing to gain from attacking you, I don''t even know the first thing about this world. And above all, I don''t even know what would happen to me if you were to die."


    She seemed flustered, but her words showed a simr pattern to Licia''s.


    That fear of what could happen to them if I were to die.


    Amon factor between a necromancer and their subjects is that they are forever linked. Normally, this gives the necromancer control over the body and if there''s any, will, of the being raised from death.


    However, if the necromancer''s mana runs out, or something happens that cuts his connection, the dead will once again lose their life.


    It''s understandable that they are worried about this, and as much as I want to think that my Gift is not exactly performing necromancy due to the state of their bodies and the way they seem to behave independently, the truth is that I cannot deny such possibility either.


    If anything, due to them remembering their deaths, it''s quite possible that this is the case.


    My Gift might be the only thing that fuels their lives.


    Knowing this, it was hard to reassure them otherwise.


    Miwen: "Whatever the case may be, you chose to not harm us right? So I''ll choose to trust my back to you, at the very least."


    If I want to make use of [Gacha Kingdom Building], and the path it seems to be guiding me towards, then, there''s a lot for me to learn.


    And while I''m not the type to trust others so easily, my experience with Licia showed that this was the best rtionship to build with the [Citizens] summoned by my Gift.


    ire: "The Ashbrodd family has no cowards that would attack a benefactor''s back like this. As long as you''re helping me, I''ll be sure to repay you in an overwhelming way!."


    So energetic. She was brimming with energy so early in the morning...


    But I weed that attitude.


    Miwen: "That''s convenient then. There''s something I really want you to do for me. It was the reason why I decided to summon someone, to begin with."


    ire: "Go on."


    Miwen: "Let''s finish breakfast first, we''ll go somewhere after and I can exin it to you on the way."


    ire: "...Sure."


    Licia seemed to be happy that my rtionship with ire was progressing. Either that or she was happy we had finally finished our discussion and she could start eating.


    As for ire, I was looking forward to seeing her reaction to what I had prepared today since she seems to like battlefields so much.

 Chapter 18: Solo Boss Battle

    On our way to the dungeon, ire tried her best to keep her surprise in check, but it was no use.


    There was just an overwhelming amount of new information and she couldn''t help herself.


    ire: "Are you sure you guys are really humans? This ce is not like any human kingdom I''ve ever seen..."


    Both ire and Licia were in agreement about that.


    Apparently, Earth really is the odd.


    It''s funny though, their reaction is pretty close to what you''d imagine someone from past ages would have toward us.


    However, while I''m the minority, unlike them, this is the only world that I know, so I can''t help but think they are the strange ones.


    As the dungeon gate came in sight I made sure the girls were ready for a raid.


    ire: "Of all the things I saw today, this is the only one I can recognize."


    Licia: "I know right? It''s so unsettling since they seem so different outside of the dungeon. You''ll be surprised to know that their dungeons also don''t connect to other worlds."


    ire: "That''s... then there are only monsters in there?"


    Licia: "Well, there are resources as well, but outside of that, yes, only monsters and other adventurers from this."


    She was so proud and confident while acting as an expert that I didn''t dare to point out that she was also just as, if not even more surprised to learn about such things.


    Not to mention, she''s also not that much more knowledgeable since it''s not so long since she''s been summoned either.


    Miwen: "I don''t think I need to exin this to you, but inside a dungeon, dangers are lurking around every corner, so please be careful."


    ire: "I can''t believe what I''m about to say, and for sure you''d never hear it if I was in my prime, but since I''ve been reduced to this state, I''d appreciate it if you could look out for me."


    While certainly proud of her lost powers, she seems to understand that certain things cannot be helped.


    Rather than getting displeased by her request, I was fond of her honesty, as if it extended when in battle, it would make things easier for all of us.


    Miwen: "Not feeling too confident? We can go back if you want to..."


    I could tell she had quite a lot of pride in her, so I couldn''t help but tease a little.


    ire: "Don''t jest. Since I was escorted by knights to quickly gain levels on higher floors, Ick experience in lower floors, that''s all."


    Miwen: "Oh so you guys also do that?"


    We have a simr system on Earth, but as expected, it''s quite effective. Only a few people be high or top adventurers, and you wouldn''t trust someone else with the job when the chances of it costing your life are so high.


    ire: "Of course it''s expensive, you are essentially asking someone of a higher level to degrade themselves to a lower floor, babysit someone, and also risk their lives while doing so, if anyone offered to do that for cheap, you can be sure they have something else in mind."


    Miwen: "Yeah... high and top rankers also make quite a lot already, so you have to pay a lot to make it worth their time."


    And in the end, it''s meaningless.


    If you need someone''s help to reach a higher floor, chances are you don''t belong there to begin with.


    But there are some exceptions since some Gifts get stronger as the user levels up. Which seems to be her case.


    We were discussing a few trivial things on the way, and I also took the chance to exin to them a few things that popped up.


    When we reached the dungeon, I allowed Licia and ire to take the lead. I wanted to see how ire fights so that I could n things out from there on.


    This morning, after I asked her, she willingly told me about her Gift and abilities.


    However, I thought it was too good to be true.


    It would make sense considering her reputation in her world, but it was one of the cases where its biggest focus was on growth, a little like [Gacha Kingdom Building] in that sense.


    Although hers had a small starting advantage since it came with a few bonuses and skills too.


    It is called [The Last me Knight of Abdure].


    The skills it gave her at birth were [Fire Magic], [Fire Sword Arts], [Swordsmanship], [Abdure Blessing], [Increased Firepower], [Mana Control].


    Just from that, she would already be a big deal. Thankfully, most of that had to do with magic, and at level 1, she couldn''t do much.


    At least not enough to face Licia and me at the same time.


    The fact she came out naked was also a stroke of good luck.


    If she had a sword with her, we might''ve been in big trouble as she also has a skill rted to it.


    Yet, her Gift''s true potential lies after these starting skills.


    For each level ire gets, alongside the normal level-up points, she also acquires [Sparks Of Abdure].


    These sparks cannot be used to raise status or learn new skills, but they can raise the levels of the skills she already has.


    Another neat thing is that skills rted to fire appear to be cheaper to level up with these sparks.


    At higher levels, she can be extremely powerful.


    It makes me wonder what would have happened if Licia and her were summoned at their prime.


    A fight between the two would probably be cool as hell.


    Shame that I would definitely run to the Kingdom in such a case as any bystander would probably be wiped out instantly.


    Well, both of them are way more manageable now. Not to mention, they are also allies who, while possessing criticism and reservations toward me, also seem to be trustworthy and don''t bear ill intent.


    If anything, they seem keen to repay me for the things that I''ve been doing for them, even though I think I''m only being fair given the circumstances.


    Since Licia and I were more than capable of dealing with anything on this floor, we didn''t run into too many dangerous situations.


    But ire showed she was also incredibly capable when it came to fighting.


    The two of them made the average experience of the party way higher, and we were definitely overkill for this floor.


    However, after a few goblins and slimes, still a little early into the raid, ire let out an interestingment.


    ire: "Hm? That was fast."


    Licia: "Did something happen?"


    ire: "Well yes, I got to level 2, so should we go deeper or do you guys wanna fight the boss?"


    Miwen: "Does your Gift boost your experience gain?"


    ire: "I already told you everything about my Gift, it has no such power."


    This was definitely strange.


    When I first raided the dungeon, it took me way longer to reach level 2.


    The experience should be divided between the party considering all the contributions, so even if she got the majority of it bynding the finishing blow, it should still have taken her more enemies to level up.


    The only way to make sense of it was to take Licia and me out of the equation, that is, if she was going solo.


    On a side note, the division of experience is another reason why escorts are expensive and also dangerous.


    They will usually take someone to a higher floor by soloing the bosses and then have the lower level contribute a minimum damage so he can get a percentage of the experience from a strong monster.


    Licia: "...Maybe that was the case after all."


    She seemed to have an idea of what was happening here, so I asked her about it...


    Licia: "I''m notpletely sure, so I''ll tell you after I''ve confirmed it..."


    Miwen: "That''s fair."


    ire: "Hey! Don''t ignore me! I asked what do you guys wanna do now?"


    I guess this was the pride expected of a noble.


    She seemed to hate being left unanswered and out of the conversation.


    Miwen: "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Sorry."


    I poked a little more to see her reaction.


    ire: "You better pay more attention to me. So, have you decided?"


    She ended up putting it in a cute way even though she was clearly angry about it.


    Miwen: "I think it might be dangerous since you are still a level 2..."


    ire: "Don''t mess with me, do you really think I''d lose?"


    Miwen: "Well..."


    Licia: "You don''t need to worry, we can fight the floor boss."


    Last time, I thought she was behind careless, but actually, she was a few steps ahead of me.


    And so, I decided to trust her judgment.


    Miwen: "The floor boss it is then."


    In my opinion, this was a little reckless, but both of them seemed sure of themselves, and I didn''t want to hurt ire''s pride and the trust I had built with Licia.


    If things turned for the worse, I had a few aces up my sleeve.


    The path to the closest boss room wasn''t so difficult, so we ended up not facing many challenges on our way.


    ire''s abilities had also improved more than expected, no doubt thanks to the way her Gift works.


    Miwen: "The boss will spawn 4 minions, with the boss being level three, I think either Licia or I should take him on, but how do you want to do it?"


    ire: "I don''t think I''d lose, but it''s true that either you or Licia would be a better fit for the boss himself."


    Licia: "I think you should face the boss, Miwen."


    Miwen: "Is that so?"


    My chances against him weren''t so bad, but it seemed like she had ulterior motives.


    Licia: "Yes,st time, I helped you but you''re not gonna get real battle experience if someone always lends you a hand right? You''re better than you think. While a bit risky, I think it would be a rewarding challenge for you."


    ire: "You definitelyck experience, but that''s to be expected since you''ve only just recently started facing off monsters right?"


    Right.


    If they were human, I''d probably have an easier time fighting, since I can understand and predict them by reading their emotions.


    But a monster has none of that. When threatened, they''ll fight viciously.


    Miwen: "Hm... I guess you''re right, I do want to get better as an adventurer too, so it works out."


    And so, our formation was decided.


    The girls were going to each take two goblins while I dealt with the Goblin Lord.


    Like before, once we entered the room, there was only darkness as far as our eyes could see.


    Once the door behind us closed, the battle began.


    We had already nned what to do, so each of us tackled their respective challenges.


    In terms of status, I''m more capable than him, but he has an advantage in reach due to his sword.


    So, I went with my usual strategy. I kept some distance so that I had time to react and dodge his attacks, hoping he would get tired and an opportunity for a counter would appear for me.


    As the goblin came shing at me, I sidestepped him and maintained my distance.


    Thankfully, his swings were very wide, so dodging wasn''t as hard as it could''ve been. Still, his guard was up and I couldn''t find an opportunity to strike him back.


    Due to my weapon having a shorter range, I had to close the distance between us to make it effective, but... it was hard to fight back my heart''s instincts as it screamed out "Danger" due to the sword the monster carried with him.


    Facing an armed opponent like this was clouding my judgment, making it hard for me to decisively finish him.


    I knew I could win, but I also didn''t want to get hurt.


    It wasn''t that I feared him, but my mind and body were in disagreement.


    One wanted to win, while the other wanted to prevent me from getting hurt.


    While I had thought of a winning strategy, my body was reluctant to act, and I found myself stopping short every time.


    I suppose they were right. Thisck of confidence was a result of not having enough experience. Once I ovee this, I should be able to fight better.


    This was making me take a passive stance when I could seize the initiative, but it was ridiculous to think I could keep going like this in every battle.


    Especially considering it took time to reach victory like this.


    If Licia and ire needed my help, and I wasn''t able to force my own momentum on the opponent, then my careful approach would only lead to disaster.


    I needed to be able to force my opponent into a mistake instead of waiting for one.


    It''s not that it was wrong to fight like this, but that it was stupid to lock myself into it. I needed to improve, and this Goblin Lord was the perfect opportunity.


    Given enough time, he was bound to slip up, but instead of waiting for that, it would be much better if I could force him into one.


    And so, I decided to create the situation I needed.


    Once again, he tried to cut me down. Instead of meeting his de, I made use of my superior speed to dodge.


    However, I did not create distance, instead, I tried to disarm him.


    He was able to avoid me, but I still grazed his arm.


    He seemed a little astonished that I had injured him, and I took the opportunity of his shock to, this time, go for a wide swing, attempting to sh him from above.


    It wasn''t a good use for a dagger, but it was necessary for what I had nned.


    Normally, one would only need to dodge and retaliate such a strike, but I knew this beast wasn''t thinking so clearly after being damaged and seeing that I was faster than him.


    Its instinct was probably entering its most primitive state.


    The same I had to shrug off. The idea of not wanting to get hurt.


    While this protects us, it can also be a detriment.


    Thus, he decided to protect himself with his sword.


    Since it was longer than my dagger, he had ample room to do that, but...


    My strength was the status I had improved the most.


    Since my speed was greater than his, so was my strength, and as such, as our des meet, he''s unable to fight me off.


    The injury on his other arm also dyed a response, a weakness I did not have as I punched his stomach with my free hand.


    This made him lose the strength in his arm. His sword fell to the ground and he let out a shriek.


    Thanks to this, I had seized victory and finished him by stabbing his neck.


    In the end, Licia was right. I was better than I thought, and by giving my opponent so many opportunities, I was actually hurting my chances.


    The boss dropped his core, and also the sword.


    So now that we have another one, I could give it to ire, as she''s also probably better with it than me.


    Not to mention, she has the lowest level among us, and I do actually like fighting with a dagger since it doesn''t get in the way too much and I can go for quick fatal attacks.


    It took ire and Licia just a bit to finish theirst opponents after I was done with the Goblin Lord.


    Licia: "Good job. I managed to get a glimpse, it seems like you improved."


    Miwen: "A little. I can at least fight more confidently now. I''d say I got another trick."


    ire: "That''s what it is all about. Keep learning new tricks and eventually, you''ll be undefeatable!"


    ...Although my confidence didn''t match hers at all.


    Also, I doubt it''s so easy, but seeing her enthusiasm, I did not have the courage or will to deny her words.


    ire: "Oh, speaking of which, I got another level up."


    Miwen: "Huh?"


    That was... too fast.


    We had killed a few more monsters on our way to the boss room after she got to level two, but without killing the boss herself, there was no way she could''ve gotten enough experience for another level-up.


    ire: "Strange isn''t it? I also thought it was way too quick."


    Licia: "That''s for certain. For you to level up this fast, you''d need to have soloed every monster we faced today."


    My calctions were around that too.


    ire: "That''s about right, if I was alone it would make sense but... Oh, I got it!"


    Licia: "Did youe to the same conclusion?"


    ire: "Well, there''s only one Gift here that would allow for something like that so..."


    ...She had already said her didn''t have such an effect.


    Licia had told me everything about hers as well, and there was no such thing to be found there either.


    The only one left was [Gacha Kingdom Bulding], but it never mentioned anything about boosting experience gain in any of its descriptions.


    ire: "Do you truly don''t get it?"


    Miwen: "Well I''m ashamed to say so..."


    ire: "It''s not something to be ashamed of. It''s harder for you to notice it after all. Both you and Licia have reached this floor''s level cap, right? So you aren''t getting experience even though you contribute to the kills."


    While we weren''t getting experience, it does not fly toward the next target. It simply gets wasted, so it this couldn''t have been the reason.


    After all, an escort''s job would be much easier if this wasmonce.


    Licia: "That''s just the reason it''s harder for us to notice though, it''s not why she''s getting more experience. Since our experience is not getting higher, we have no way to confirm how much each kill is giving us."


    ire: "Correct. If you weren''t at the level cap and started paying real close attention, you''d see that even if you only contributed a little to the battle, you guys would get the full experience as if you had killed the monster alone."


    Licia: "And that is because..."


    ire: "...You are killing it alone."


    ...


    Oh...


    So that''s their conclusion.


    It was certainly strange, but I guess it makes sense for the two of them to have thought of this first, as the idea of our lives being linked is always on their minds.


    I guess since I was with Roy and Sam, the fact that Licia and I were sharing the experience with them made it harder to notice.


    While I was killing the most troublesome opponents, I was getting a little ahead of them, at a pace that would only be exinable if I was killing more than those two.


    Miwen: "It''s because you were summoned by my skill, is that right?"


    Licia: "I believe so. Since the both of us only exist here thanks to your ability, it could be said that every kill we get is also because of your Gift. And so, when we kill a monster it''s actually your Gift that is killing them."


    ire: "And of course, since it''s like this, we also get the same experience, as if we had also soloed the battle."


    Basically, we share the experience.


    Or rather, it could be said that it gets multiplied, as each of us is getting the full amount that a solo battle would give.


    The dungeon is treating them as extensions of me, their contributions are mine, and vice versa. The experience I get, they get.


    Miwen: "It''s hard to prove, but... it makes sense. It would also exin a few things that happened after I summoned Licia."


    ire: "Eh? It''s a great power!"


    Licia: "It''s a little depressing that the dungeon is not recognizing me as being my own being, but... I also think it''s amazing."


    Even though it''s a good thing, that part does leave a sour taste...


    ire: "Nothing that can be done there. Like Gifts, the dungeons are a blessing from the Gods. If his Gift treats us as being part of it, then it makes sense for the dungeons to do the same since they share the same originDon''t let it get to you though, you are as alive as it can get."


    Licia: "I know..."


    She ended up doing my job for me but... she had a unique position that enabled her to sympathize better with Licia.


    This was one of the reasons why I wanted to try the [Companions Banner] once more.


    I thought that if Licia had someone else who shared her experience, it would make her a little morefortable.


    Thankfully, ire is doing a lot in that sense.


    Miwen: "I think we''ve done enough for today, so let''s head home and have dinner alright?"


    Licia: "Sounds nice to me."


    As for me, this was the way I had to lift her spirit.


    Although I wanted to do more for her.


    Again, our loot wasn''t anything to be impressed by, but we did get $8, so it was better than nothing.


    Most importantly, we were able to raise ire''s level to the cap.


    She is a good girl, and it seems like we can trust her.


    There''s always a little danger, even more so since now she might be even stronger than Licia, but she would probably lose against the two of usbined, so we should be safe.


    I''d rather see it in a positive light though. She doesn''t seem to mean us any harm, and so... we might''ve raised our strongest ally yet.

 Chapter 19: The Beginning of Events

    Once we had returned home, I went ahead and prepared dinner for the girls.


    Since ire was going to join us, I tried my best to impress her.


    Although I''m not that confident in my skills in the kitchen, they seemed to make Licia happy, and I wanted to provide the same for ire.


    A nice ce to sleep and good food to eat.


    As long as I provided those, I felt she wouldn''t have much toin about.


    And hopefully, if I did really well with the things I can offer her, she''ll choose to stay.


    I believe that would be good for us both.


    Once I had finally finished, I waited in anticipation for them to start eating.


    I was curious as to how ire would react but... she seemed to enjoy my food as much as Licia.


    Her surprise and enjoyment were apliment in themselves, but she also made sure to thank me after she had finished.


    Although seeing the both of them happily eating was already quite rewarding. It made me so proud that I wanted to learn more about cooking just to have more of those reactions in the future as well.


    I also thought it would be nice to take to a restaurant one day as well. They would surely appreciate the dishes of a chef way more.


    After dinner, I decided to go ahead and do the daily gacha rolls with the tickets avable for me to im.


    Since ire was ourpanion now, I felt no need to invest in the  [Companions Banner] for a while.


    We also had gotten another sword from the Goblin Lord on the first floor, and our weapons were enough to handle the monsters on the second floor, so there was no need for a roll in the [Weapons Banner] as well.


    A super-powered weapon could be nice, but it wouldn''t really do much more than what we already can do. And getting dependent on weapons is never good, so...


    Thest option was the [Skills Banner].


    Somehow, I always end up going back to this one, but...


    Its value gets increased with morepanions, and with each skill that I''ve already acquired, as another "copy" increases its level.


    And I know the importance of skills on the job we are doing. They are often the difference between a victory and a defeat.


    Since [Gacha Kingdom Building] is so broad, it''s hard to consider it abat-oriented Gift, but this banner makes up for it quite well.


    And so, I used the four tickets I had in this banner, which resulted in the following:


    [Faster Tree Climbing


    As the user already has this skill, its level has been raised to 3, allowing for even faster tree climbing. Please note that this is a passive skill, and as such it''s always active unless the user decides to deactivate it, which can be done at any time.]


    [Swordsmanship


    As the user already has this skill, its level has been raised to 2, which further improves the user''s technique when holding a sword or a ded weapon to a lesser effect. Please note that this is a passive skill and is always active.]


    [Mana Shield


    An aura of mana envelops the user, allowing for better defense. This aura may be expanded, forming a shield big enough to protect allies. This is an active skill, and as such, drains the user''s mana, the amount of mana to be used varies in rtion to the size of the aura, and the minimum area costs 1 mana point per 5 seconds.]


    [Greater Might


    A simple increase in the user''s strength. Allows for physical feats that the user was unable to do before. This is a passive skill, as such, it''s always active. However, the user may decide to deactivate it at any time he so desires.]


    The results this time were not so bad, aside from the faster tree climbing of course. I may share some of these skills with Licia, especially the [Greater Might] since it wouldplement her very well.


    Licia: "So, what are you going to do now?"


    Miwen: "Well, there''s still the Kingdom points for me to im... but there''s something new in that menu that I want to check out too."


    When ire registered herself as a [Citizen] I noticed something new in the [Kingdom] menu, a tab called [Events].


    With ire and Licia both at level 3 and me at level 4, I got to im 10 Kingdom Points today.


    But since the  [Events] were also present in the [Kingdom] menu, I decided to save them thinking that maybe they could be used for something there, as was the case with the [Share] function of my Gift.


    Once I opened the new tab, I was greeted with a lot of information.


    [Your kingdom has reached 3 [Ctitizens], thus, the [Events] function has been unlocked.


    At the current Kingdom level, you will see two event options, so choose carefully which event you want to start.


    Once an event has started the user may not choose a different event until the current one has ended.


    Events may end due to time running out or when specific conditions are met.


    To progress through events the user has to take specific actions and decisions, which may lead to different endings.


    Note that events may impose restrictions on the user, so careful consideration is essential before choosing an event.


    It''s possible to fail at events, which will have many different negative effects on the user and the kingdom.


    While some events can end when the time runs out, some may need the time to run out forpletion.


    If an event is sessfullypleted, appropriate rewards will be given to the user based on the path and actions taken.


    The results of events may also enable new buildings and features for the Kingdom.


    The user may check the currently avable selection of events through the [Avable Events] menu.


    The user may check the currently ongoing event through the [Current Event] menu."


    It was almost a whole new system.


    I felt like it didn''t exin properly what the events entailed, but since they could restrict me and were also possible to fail, they felt a little risky to partake in.


    But the idea of improving the Kingdom, as well as other rewards was a nice bait...


    So for starters, I decided to simply check what were the avable events for selection.


    "Disaster! A Star Falls From The Sky


    Aet from another universe has fallen, bringing with it resources that never existed in this dimension. This anomaly from another reality brings with it the power to change the environment, creating a forestbyrinth filled with monsters for self-protection. As the king of a new realm, it''s in your best interest to im these resources for yourself.


    Restrictions: All gacha banners are restricted except for [Weapons Banner] and [Armor Banner]. The use of Kingdom Points is blocked during the event, but points can still be imed."


    After the description of the restrictions, there''s a bar with a slide that shows the difficulty of the event, this first one was on the red edge of said bar, which probably meant that it was extremely difficult.


    The other avable event was the following:


    "War! The Fall of the Snow White Wolves Tribe of the Maide Ind


    The kingdom of Hamperlon has been fighting against the residents of Maide Ind for 10 years, their army is much bigger, but individually the beastmen of the Snow White Wolves species are much stronger, and so, their naval invasions have ended in failure every single time.


    As the kingdom of Hamperlon just finished another war, they can nowmit all their resources against the Snow White Wolves Tribe and the final acts of this war are about to begin. As the king of a new realm, it''s in your best interest to ally yourself with one of the forces fighting in this war, as an alliance can bring you protection in the future.


    Time Limit: Two Years.


    Restrictions: All gacha banners are restricted except for [Weapons Banner], [Spellbooks Banner], [Armor Banner], [Items Banner], and [Supplies Banner]."


    Once again, a slider shows the difficulty of this event.


    This time, the slider is located in the center, meaning that this event was easier than thest one.


    Although the descriptions weren''t too clear, it wasn''t that hard to get an idea of what was necessary toplete the events.


    For example, the first one seemed to be all about collecting resources from theet while escaping or fighting back the monsters.


    As for the other one, it seemed to indicate that the first step was to ally with one of the two nations that were at war.


    s, there were no precise instructions, so I thought it was safe to assume that I''d be free to do whatever as long as it doesn''t result in failure, be it the time running out, or one of the specific conditions.


    Under such vague circumstances, it was possible that even doing nothing would result in an ending, albeit I doubt it would be a good one.


    Alongside these two events, at the bottom of this menu, I could see another line of text:


    "Time until the next selection of events: 5 days."


    It seemed like they were going to cycle through if I didn''t select any of them.


    Meaning I''d probably not see them again...


    This was a little tough.


    I was definitely going to want to participate due to the possible rewards, but I''d like to get as strong as possible before deciding on which one...


    And for that...


    Miwen: "I''m gonna need your help."


    Licia: "I was already nning on doing just that."


    ire: "It sounds interesting so why not?"


    I was reading things out loud for them again.


    Both were quite curious after all.


    And so, we were basically all in agreement to try and get stronger for the uing event.


    As for my move right now... one of the events was going to block the use of Kingdom Points, while the other didn''t seem to have any restrictions regarding them.


    Whatever the case, the important part was that I didn''t have to use them immediately, so I decided to spend the ones I had.


    Miwen: "ire, did you do what I asked you to?"


    ire: "Yes, so, can you please take a look?"


    I used employed the same system that I had used with Licia before to allow ire to select her clothes.


    While a little wasteful, this was also one of the incentives I could use to convince ire and future [Citizens] to stay.


    Thus, the two girls now had two changes each. It was too few for my liking, but I promised I''d work on it down the line, and since I was the one washing their clothes every day, it was going to be fine like this for a while.


    This leaves me with 5 Kingdom Points, which I decided to use for sharing skills.


    [Enhanced Drop Chance] is stackable and its effects are universally useful, so it was an obvious choice to give it to ire. It wouldn''t directly enhance our power, but it was valuable to have.


    I also decided to share [Swordsmanship] that had reached level 2 with both of them.


    Not only would this make both of them stronger, but it would also save them points as they wouldn''t have to enhance them.


    It''s a skill that is easy to enhance through training, but a headstart was always going to be nice.


    I also decided to focus tomorrow''s Kingdom points on myself. I wanted to get Licia''s [Ice Magic] and ire''s [Fire Sword Arts].


    And before going to sleep, since I didn''t use much mana today, I decided to do a roll in the [Mana Banners] hoping to get a weapon from it, but... truth be told it was done more so that I could keep naturally increasing my mana pool.


    I wasn''t going to suffer from mana depletion from a single roll anymore, and I could somewhat trust ire now too since she didn''t do anything yesterday, and even in the morning, she chose to be honest and actually gave me a warning seeking to protect me and Licia with it.


    Once again though, this banner only gave me a single ring. It still wasn''t useful, but it made clear that the odds of this banner were quite bad.


    I had probably gotten quite lucky to get a dagger on it the first time.


    Still, this was thest thing I had to do... well, aside from doing my best to not move in a weird way or touch the girls somewhere inappropriate while we shared the bed.

 Chapter 20: Deeper Dive in the Second Floor

    Yeah... sleeping next to those two might be the end of me. It''s difficult in many ways.


    On the first night, Licia and I took turns to watch ire just to be safe, so I didn''t enter such a deep sleep, and the situation ended up not being so bad.


    However, tonight I was much more rxed, and the same must''ve been true for the other two since multiple times I woke up in an awkward position, grabbing or touching something.


    While I wouldn''t normallyin about that, it was a little stressful to imagine the worst-case scenario of one of them also waking up only to see the same scene.


    I''d be fine on the couch now since I don''t think either of them is untrustworthy in that sense, so I don''t get why they were both so adamant about the three of us sleeping together again.


    Still, I wanted to follow ire''s advice and make both of them as safe as possible, so I went along without imagining it would turn out differently from before.


    Surprisingly, I think I managed to sleep and recover way betterst timepared to this one.


    The self-control needed was insane, and it definitely took its toll.


    Maybe this was some sort of punishment that they came up with.


    Although... once it was time to leave the bed, I had as much of a hard time.


    Seeing the two girls I spent the night with being touched by the light of the day as the sun was rising touched my heart a little.


    I couldn''t help but admire the sight.


    Even though it made me feel like I had both won and lost in a bunch of different ways.


    Still, I had to keep going, so after breakfast, we headed back to the Dungeon again.


    I had already told Sam and Roy that someone else was going to join us, so when we reached the dungeon, ire greeted them.


    ire: " Hello, I''m ire, Licia''s sister, it''s a pleasure to finally meet you."


    Sam: "Nice to meet you, ire!"


    Roy: "We''re d to have you join us. Miwen told us you are really strong."


    ire: "Is that so? He told me the same about you guys."


    After greeting them in front of the Dungeon, ire exined her Gift to them.


    Although I had her lie about it too.


    Especially the growth potential that it had. This wasn''t as important for someone besides Licia and me to know about.


    Sam: "So what are our objectives for today?"


    Miwen: "I wanted to level up, it would also be nice for ire and Licia to level up too..."


    We needed to get stronger for the Events, and getting level-ups was the easiest and quickest way, especially considering how my Gift works.


    Sam: "Oh, are you close to it?"


    Miwen: "Somewhat. But I believe we should be able to go deeper on the second floor this time since ire is with us."


    Sam: "Wow. You trust her quite a lot, huh?"


    Hm... It was true that she earned some of my trust. We ventured into the Dungeon and we also spent peaceful nights together.


    But what I trusted more was her strength.


    Miwen: "If she''s on the team I believe we should be able to hunt any normal monster on this floor."


    Roy: "Well, if we couldn''t win a 5-on-1 then that would be shameful..."


    Miwen: "I''m not sure... if they are a Superior or Noble Monster, then that''s different."


    Although Licia and ire are very strong, I wouldn''t want to face that kind of monster at such a high-level disadvantage.


    Sam: "But those are rare so no need to worry so much, I can protect you if you''re scared you know?"


    Licia: "I''ll also protect you if ites to it, Miwen..."


    ire: "You need fret not, no enemy may stand against you as long as I''m on your side!"


    Roy: "Leave it to your big bro, if anything happens I will wipe the entire floor for you."


    Somehow it ended up with everyone treating me like a little kid.


    I understand that this being just the second floor, it was still somewhat safe, but I rather not start developing the wrong attitude so soon, as it can be costly in the future.


    And also, my biggest worry was Licia and ire getting hurt.


    ire is even more confident than Licia, and while they have the strength and experience to support that confidence, I can''t help but think they''ll surely want to try a tough battle, even if the risks are high.


    Still, without any consideration for my opinion, the team decided to proceed while babysitting me.


    Not that I minded their teasing too much, if anything, I was d that everyone was getting along well, even if at the cost of my non-existent reputation.


    My personal goal was to defeat the floor boss in the remaining time until I had to choose one event, and for today, I wanted each of the [Citizens] of the kingdom, me included, to get one level up.


    We killed many monsters during this fight, but they were mostly goblins and hobgoblins since we didn''t go too far away from the settlement on the second floor.


    Even at low levels, around 4 to 5, the hobgoblins were a pain to deal with.


    Their arms are bigger than the goblins, and they are also stronger, so even when they carry a weapon such as a club or a sword, they still manage to maintain equilibrium and speed when attacking.


    Every time we had to face a one-on-one with them, it was a proper fight, with highs and lows, that required attention at every turn, or else, the result could go either way.


    During our party, only Sam and I could match their raw strength, but Licia and ire made up for that with technique, and so, as long as there wasn''t too high of a level difference, they managed their enemies just as much as we did.


    ire was doing especially well, her skills with a sword seemed incredibly refined.


    Although Licia was also doing pretty good. It was probably just a matter of ire''s being more visually appealing.


    Hers looked like the product of intensive training, while Licia''s seemed more improvised depending on the conditions she found.


    Although different, both were respectable.


    We progressed a little further, and then we reached the point where we were forced to leavest time.


    I noticed that both ire and Licia managed to level up, so Sam and Roy should at least be close to theirs.


    However, since they aren''t subject to the experience sharing we have, it could be that they still had to reach that level, so before heading deeper, I decided to ask them.


    Miwen: "So, how''s your progress?"


    Roy: "I got to level 4 just now."


    Sam: "Me too, it was faster than I expected to be honest..."


    Interesting, I hadn''t thought about this, but since ire, Licia, and I count as only one when ites to experience, this party basically only had 3 people, so indirectly, they were also benefiting from our condition.


    Miwen: "I see... we still have quite some time, so, do you wanna go deeper?"


    This was a little risky since generally, the deeper you go through a path, the harder it gets.


    The monsters that are further away from the bigger concentration of humans tend to survive longer, so they are able to raise their skills, kill other monsters or adventurers, and get even stronger.


    So, when ites to rushing levels it''s best to go as far as possible, but it also poses a challenge.


    Sam: "I think we could go deeper, but if we see something like that Hobgoblin Lord, we''ll retreat ok?"


    Roy: "Nah we can totally take him on now."


    Licia: "I don''t think so... What do you think Miwen?"


    That was a hard call.


    Consider Licia and ire, even if it was level 7, we probably could do it, but we would risk getting heavily injured.


    Miwen: "We could win but... I don''t believe it''s worth the risk."


    Licia seemed to approve of my answer.


    It was good to get a veteran like her to agree with my opinion.


    However, ire and Roy didn''t seem as happy, but since Sam also agreed with me, we were in the majority.


    Still, we kept raiding the dungeon and eventually found ourst challenge for the day.


    Two hobgoblins of unknown level were carrying a sword each.


    Close to them, two cloaked goblins.


    They seemed to be simr to the ones from thest time, and without knowing their levels, this situation could be dangerous.


    ire: "The hobgoblin on the right is mine. Lici- Err... Sis, you take the one on the left, ok?"


    Licia: "Sure Sis!"


    ire remembered to be a bit more friendly to her "sister", and Licia seemed to be enjoying this situation quite a lot.


    It was the same for me. Her honest try at deception was too fun to turn away from.


    Miwen: "If that''s the case, Roy and Sam can take the cloaked one on the right?"


    Sam: "Probably, yeah."


    Roy: "Fair, but if it gets tough be sure to call for help before it''s toote alright?"


    With our targets decided, each of us engaged in battle against our opponents.


    I thought the monster I was facing was going to be a mage, so I tried to close the distance as quickly as possible, but to my surprise, he was actually an assassin, hiding a dagger under the cloak.


    Although slower than a hobgoblin, its level had to be high, as no one other goblin I faced today was so fast.


    It was a very surprising attack, but I managed to dodge it by the skin of my teeth.


    I wanted to finish him quickly to help the girls, so I went on the offensive and used all my speed to close the distance once again.


    However, I saw a smirk in him, and as he raised his hand, he cast a wind de, like what happened to Roy back then.


    This one was especially deceptive...


    If not for the fact that Roy had also fallen for something simr, I would''ve probably been hurt there, but I managed to stop and roll to the side.


    And as expected, an invisible de left a deep cut on the ground right next to me.


    I ended up in an awkward position to counterattack, but since my reach was longer than his, once we started to trade blows, the advantage was mine.


    Under close distance, he also didn''t have time to prepare his magic attacks, so I managed to eventually stab his neck, ending the fight.


    The corpse of the Goblin that should be in the ground disappeared, and a wind mana orb was left behind.


    His dagger also stayed, so I took a tip from Licia''s book and took it as loot.


    Roy and Sam seemed to be doing fine, so I decided to go and help either Licia or ire, whoever seemed to be having more difficulty with their enemies, but...


    To my surprise, they were not fighting one-on-one against their opponents, instead, they did a beautiful team-up.


    They were able to cover each other, and when ire managed to disarm an opponent, Licia would follow with a precise strike.


    The two hobgoblins fighting them just kept swinging their sounds desperately as the two of themplemented each other''s momentum and forced their opponents into their rhythm.


    When thest strike came at Licia, she blocked the swing, and ire took the opportunity to stab the monster.


    Once this monster was down, the other didn''t stand a chance.


    It was quite amazing they had managed to synchronize so well. Their opponents looked like sitting ducks before that.


    And so, before I could snap out of their show, the dance had ended, and only the corpses of the hobgoblins were left behind.


    Once it finished though, the two seemed a bit out of breath, so it might''ve been harder than they made it seem.


    ire: "Good work!"


    Licia: "I''m d we managed it."


    It was truly a spectacle.


    Miwen: "When did you guys get so good at fighting together?"


    Licia: "Well... we just knew what each one had to do and trusted each other to do it, I guess..."


    ire: "From ourst expedition in the dungeon I knew from watching that this girl could keep up with me so..."


    In such a short amount of time...


    Licia had already proven that she could work together with others quite well when she came up with that strategy for us to defeat the Goblin Lord of the first floor together, but with someone with as much experience as her, it was another level entirely.


    Almost as if natural, the two veterans seemed more coordinated than the rest of our party even though we were fighting together for longer.


    It made me want to see them fighting together more, but I had leveled up, and it was getting somewhatte, so it was better to leave since we had aplished our objective for the day.


    Before going home though, we stopped at the Dungeon Office to trade the loot acquired.


    Sam and Roy managed to get $15 each for their monster cores.


    While Licia, ire, and I got $45 total for the monster cores we found. Add to that the Wind mana orb from the goblin I defeated, and a grand total of $81 was acquired by us today. It''s not something we can expect every time, but the dungeon loot was starting to look really good.


    Even then, the biggest progress we made today was in rtion to our levels, if we were to continue at this pace, then surely the [Events] wouldn''t pose a threat.

 Chapter 21: A Strong Cook

    Food supplies back then weren''t going low per se, but with the addition of Licia and ire, I had to buy a few more things in order to not run out in the near future.


    It was also the first time I could use the money earned in the Dungeon for something useful, and I was quite happy about it.


    While it''s normally something I don''t pay too much attention to, being the girls made the experience unique.


    They were amazed by the quantity and variety of products, as well as their freshness.


    Even though they knew about markets, they couldn''t help butment about how different the ones in their worlds were.


    Licia: "There''s so much in here, and everything looks so good, this is incredible!"


    ire: "No wonder you can cook so well, even in my father''s state you wouldn''t be able to find such high-quality ingredients. No, this may even be above what the royal chefs are able to procure..."


    It hurts a little bit to hear her imply that I''m only good thanks to the ingredients I use, but I can''t deny what I''m able to find in a modern market is obviously way better than even what kings and queens of medieval ages could find.


    I also never thought of myself as a good cook, I do have experience cooking, but since it was mostly for my sister and myself, I only know how to do some basic stuff.


    However, since they always react so strongly, I do have the desire to improve a little more...


    As for the market, even though I wanted to enjoy their excitement even more, we eventually had to leave since I still had to prepare dinner and do my rolls.


    So, once we were home, the girls went to take their baths while I organized the stuff we just bought.


    Since it didn''t take too long, I started making dinner right away.


    And well... since we had a surplus, I decided to be a bit more extravagant. Although it would be dishonest of me to say that ire''sment didn''t might have had some weight to this decision.


    The result, however, was predictable.


    They were just as happy as ever, but there wasn''t any noticeable effect...


    In the end, if putting more stuff was enough, there would be no need or respect for chefs in this world.


    Still, I kept in mind that I should try harder next time.


    And with all of that out of the way, I started doing the rolls.


    Now that I had five tickets, the  [Skills Banner] was bound to provide something good amidst its variety of skills, so I went for it.


    This earned me the following skills:


    [Movement Speed Up


    As the user already has this skill, its level and effects have simply been increased.]


    [Mana Control


    A skill that allows for less taxing mana usage when casting spells or using skills, as the user already possesses this skill, its level, and effects have been increased.]


    [Swordsmanship


    Allows for better usage of swords and ded weapons to a lesser extent, due to the user already being in possession of this skill, its level and effectiveness have been increased.]


    I already had these three skills, so all of their levels simply increased, alongside their effects.


    While the majority of the tickets ended up not providing new skills, I was happy with this as well since they are some of my more powerful/reliable skills.


    Among them, [Mana Control] is the one I used the least, but as time goes on when I can cast magic more often, this one was probably going to be as useful as the others.


    Most mages have this skill at a high level, and it''s essential to have it to use multiple magic at the same time.


    Since I can increase its level without training, there was a lot of potential for me to reach their level, or even surpass it.


    As for [Swordsmanship] and [Movement Speed Up], even though I don''t use a sword, since the effects of[Swordsmanship] still apply to ded weapons to a lesser extent, I was feeling morefortable using my dagger.


    And [Movement Speed Up], being a straight status increase, is always good. I can''t think of a single situation where it wouldn''t be good to have it, and my speed is an attribute I''ve been relying on quite a lot in fights as the monsters have a harder time dealing with a faster opponentpared to a stronger one.


    However, I also got new skills.


    [Culinary Arts


    Allows the user a better understanding of recipes and more creativity when cooking.


    Increases the overall cooking ability and enhances the taste of anything prepared by the user.


    This is a passive skill, as such, its effects are always activated, the user, however, may choose to deactivate it at any time]


    [Last Man Standing


    For each ally defeated or killed in battle, increases the user''s strength and defense appropriately.


    There''s no cap for this skill''s effectiveness but it should be noted that the only targets counted for the purposes of this skill are the ones that see the user as an ally and that the user also sees as an ally.


    This is an active skill, at a minimum it costs 1 mana point for every second it''s activated. Every other target that is targeted by this skill, will increase its mana cost appropriately.


    For this skill to be activated, at least one defeated ally needs to be targeted.]


    ...The timing for the first one couldn''t be better.


    Although simple, it is almost as if my Gift took pity on me.


    I was just questioning my own culinary abilities, and so, even though it isn''t a skill that makes me stronger in any way, I was looking forward to using it.


    I wee these kinds of skills that can make life better and the girls happier.


    And thinking about the future, this would also be helpful to convince new summons to stay.


    Based on my experience with Licia and ire, offering a secure ce to rest, and good food to eat, seem to go a long way, and getting better at cooking helps with that.


    Contrary to this one, the second skill was much morebat-oriented, which was pretty good considering that any skill of this type should make whatever situation the ]Events] might present less risky.


    Although to be honest, there are some problems with it.


    Needing an ally to be defeated in order for it to be activated is a huge downside.


    I''m not a monster to try and scheme to use this at the expense of the girls, or even Roy and Sam, and I would want to prevent a situation where this skill is relevant as much as possible.


    Yet, I do understand that some things are inevitable, and since a situation like that was bound to be difficult, having this skill would certainly assist in making things better.


    So it''s situational, and while I hope I don''t need it, I''m d to have it.


    Especially considering that the effect it has on me is quite good.


    Overall, I''d say the results this time were quite good.


    The strongest skills were repeats, but I was lucky with them, and the new ones had their uses.


    Also, just the fact that I did not acquire [Faster Tree Climbing] made this set of rolls so much better.


    As for my next task, I decided to im and use the Kingdom Points avable to acquire some skills for myself since I had devoted yesterday''s points to the girls.


    As for what I had in mind, first, I got ire''s [Fire Sword Arts].


    Since she raised it to level 3, it ended up costing me 6 kingdom points, but since today I had imed 13, it was fine to spend this much.


    I was also curious about her [Blessing Of Abdure] since it was a skill I had never heard of, but when I tried to obtain it, a message appeared saying "This skill cannot be obtained". It didn''t seem like I could circumvent this in any way, so I had no choice but to give up on that.


    Next on the list was Licia''s [Ice Magic], but even at level 1 it was priced at 10 points, so I had to pass on it too.


    However, it wasn''t such a big deal since we still had time and I could acquire it tomorrow.


    And so, I decided to get ire''s [Fire Magic] as a recement since at level 1 it only cost me 5 kingdom points.


    With the amount of points I had left, there wasn''t anything particrly interesting that I wanted to acquire, so I saved them until my next opportunity.


    And then, it came time for thest business of the day, the  [Mana Banners].


    The most I ever got out of them was a dagger, and the rings that didn''t have any effect, so my expectations weren''t very high.


    But now that my mana pool had increased and I could spend more without suffering from mana depletion, there was a chance I could get something better with a single roll. Especially considering that other banners had been unlocked now that I had more mana.


    Still, even considering the new [Mana Banners], the weapons were the only thing that seemed worthwhile, so I went for it as usual.


    What I got from it was the best drop ever. The same dagger that I had previously gotten.


    It had been a while since I got it though, so perhaps increasing the mana spent on it increased the chance of a better drop.


    And well... it wasn''t as useless of a drop as the rings.


    At least I could dual-wield the daggers, although it would probably take me a bit of time to adapt since I had grown ustomed to using a single dagger to fight.


    Everything considered, outside of the times I rolled on the [Companions Banner], this was probably the best result I have ever had with the gacha rolls.


    The [Mana Banners] gave me something good for once, and the rolls on the normal gacha banners provided me with a lot of great skills too.


    Still, while the gains from the [Companions Banner] might overshadow the others due to the synergy it has with my Gift and the boom in fighting power of the party, the fact is that ites attached with a few problems and circumstances.


    And so, while not as fast, doing things this way allowed me to continue moving ahead while also reducing the risks.

 Chapter 22: The Rampage Of The Dragons Nest

    With a few days left until I started the event, the difficulty slider had yet to change.


    I felt like we were making quite a bit of progress in multiple areas, we got level-ups and new skills, and some of the most useful ones got strengthened.


    However, the predicted difficulty didn''t seem to decrease at all.


    My first theory as to why this might be the case revolves around the name of one of the Events.


    Although it''s a war, the description didn''t state specifically that I had to fight.


    I may have to find a way to end the war diplomatically to reach a good ending, for example.


    In this case, it makes sense that increasing my power wouldn''t make all the difference regarding my chances.


    The only problem is the second event. The one that seems to suggest I should gather resources.


    Like the other, its difficulty slider is also not moving.


    However, I''m sure this one implies I''ll have to fight, as there are creatures whose sole purpose is to defend the resources.


    Thanks to this hole, this theory is not that strong.


    As for the second one... It might be that the sliders aren''t a reflection of my strength.


    There''s a chance that the difficulty is measured by something else, perhaps elements present within the Event itself, outside of my control, and thus, I''m unable to change them.


    While there''s no way to confirm this of yet, I''m not too confident in it either, and if that were the case, I wouldn''t be able to do anything anyway.


    What makes me doubt this one is the existence of the slider in the first ce.


    After all, what would be the point of a slider if it doesn''t change?


    There''s also the fact that the loyalty bar uses the very same bar, and yet, my very actions directly affect it.


    This leaves me with thest theory.


    Although the most usible, it''s also the least desirable for me, so I try to not think about it too much.


    However, I have to face it nheless...


    Regarding both Events, it might be the case that I simply didn''t get strong enough to make a dent in the predicted difficulty.


    This, of course, leads to a bunch of problems.


    I think the way we are currently doing things is actually rather impressive.


    Without even considering the addition of ire and Licia as my [Citizens], I think I became much stronger in just a few days.


    Our pace is quite good, at least for Earth''s standard, even taking into ount that my generation is advancing fasterpared to thest one thanks to all the information present.


    It''s a bit grim to think that even after doing all this, there is no change in our predicted chances.


    However, aside from what we are currently doing, there''s not much I can use.


    We have a surefire way to progress at a good pace, so it is hard to give it up.


    As such, I decided to put my faith in what we are already doing, hoping it is for the best.


    These thoughts distracted me a little during breakfast, making me absent-minded.


    But either thanks to the skill I acquired or my own experience, it wasn''t enough for me to make a mistake.


    Yet, it did make me unable to payplete attention to something else that was going on in the living room, just next to me.


    Licia: "Is that... a Dungeon Rampage?"


    Only after she spoke familiar words in such a worried tone that I start paying more attention.


    ire: "Yep, quite a big one at that..."


    The two of them were waiting for me to finish while watching TV.


    It was on the news broadcast, and they seemed a bit shocked by what they were seeing.


    Miwen: "Is everything alright?"


    Licia: "W-well..."


    ire: "From what you said, this box shows what''s happening in the city and country, right?"


    Miwen: "Yes...?"


    This ended up being the simplest way I had to exin things to them.


    Just what it does, and not how it functions.


    They are slowly getting used to things though, so it shouldn''t take long before we have simr frames of reference and I can exin even the way things work by using everyday examples.


    Still, it''s useful that they are so attentive to the news.


    Licia: "If what the box is saying is correct. We might have to evacuate from this city"


    While she was nervous at first, once she had my confirmation, she proposed a n.


    Although judging by the images I was seeing, there was no need for us to go that far.


    Miwen: "...It''s about the boss of the Dragon''s nest, right?"


    That dungeon is pretty hard, and thus it ended up earning this name online as it has lizard-like monsters on the explored floors.


    It''s said that the boss from the third floor has descended all the way into the first, and no one seems confident enough to take it on, even though the authorities have tried offering a bounty for it.


    And so... It was about time for this dungeon to rampage considering people weren''t facing it.


    Due to its difficulty, even in normal times, it was only frequented by veterans, so there was always ack of personnel to keep it in check.


    The boss of the third floor has already been defeated a few times in the past, but it seems like there wasn''t much interest in exploring that ce further, which led to him going to the lower floors after enough time had passed without its defeat.


    ire: "Have you decided what to do about it? I won''t me you for moving out in this case."


    Miwen: "Eh... I don''t think I will do that..."


    Both Licia and ire seemed pretty confused about my nonchnt statement.


    Miwen: "It will be taken care of, so no need to worry."


    ire: "How can you be so sure? It looks pretty bad."


    Although always dangerous, there''s an advantage in letting a boss get out of the Dungeon.


    Some boss rooms have gimmicks of their own, which can make a boss battle way harder.


    Outside of the Dungeon, that doesn''t apply, making the battles reasonably easier.


    Another factor is that the level caps don''t exist outside the Dungeon, so high/top rankers are often called in times like this.


    People with lower levels also gather to gain easy experience thanks to their effort.


    Of course, they also receive some mary incentive to participate.


    It ends up being an event that gathers a lot of people.


    Miwen: "That ce was already under watch. It''s bad timing since some of the strongest parties around are already doing explorations in other ces but... this one will simply be a hunting ground."


    Licia: "It is amazing that your people are so quick to mobilize, but given how many ways you have to ess information, I guess that''s to be expected...."


    Earth''s preparations go way beyond just containment, which would be the first phase.


    We also learn a bunch of signals in school that determine the danger of the emergency and the need for evacuation.


    In this case, I could see that the area around my house was not in too much danger.


    At most, there was a chance for a few strays to end up near here, but the odds were low and they were probably going to be killed way before reaching this ce.


    ire: "Well... since you are the one telling us that it''s alright, I''ll believe it as you know more about this world. But I''ll at least advise you that in my world, that kind of dungeon getting a rampage would lead to at least a few viges being destroyed, if not worse until a Knight Order managed to subjugate it."


    Their worry was understandable.


    It seemed like in their worlds, people were much less organized, and thus, even a single Dungeon Rampage was like a cmity for them.


    However, it takes much more than that to break Earth''s humanity.


    While a little dangerous, this is at the level where it''s not worth we stop living our lives or change our ways.


    If it were multiple dungeons, a boss from a floor that had yet to be defeated, or even a Dungeon that is closer to us, like the one we are currently exploring, then it would be cause for concern.


    The biggest risk is that of a stray somehow making it all the way here, but since the Dragon''s Nest is not that close to the city, surveince systems are almost sure to pick it up before something major happens.


    It''s not such a cmity...


    At least not like the dungeons sky-high or deep underwater.


    When one of those rampages, an entire fleet is needed.


    Even after the rampage is dealt with, the monsters that manage to remain still cause enough damage for cargo ships to need escorting from fighting vessels.


    Overall, dungeon rampages are a lot of trouble, but we are usually able to deal with them.


    We''ve also adapted enough to know when one is a real problem.


    One way or another, life had to go on.


    We make sure to take care of what is really impactful, but it''s impossible to prevent any incidents from happening.


    Miwen: "I''ll be honest with you if it is worth worrying about. Luckily, this one is not, so you can rx. Although I''m d you told me about it."


    Even after I told them it wouldn''t impact our ns today, they still kept a watchful eye on our way to the dungeon.


    However, I couldn''t me them too much.


    Back when I was a kid, we didn''t have such luxury either due to the amount of Dungeons that were always rampaging and the average level of adventurers, so I understand their reaction.


    Also, keeping your guard up is always best anyway.

 Chapter 23: Superior Orcs

    I could tell that the girls were still slightly agitated due to the news about the Dungeon Rampage while we were making our way to the dungeon today, however, there was not much I could do.


    I tried to reassure them, but I think only after they see for themselves that it''s not as bad as they think will they dispel their worries.


    For now, my priority remains to get level-ups in our current dungeon.


    While there is yet to have an effect, it''s the only action I can take to increase our chances in the Event, whatever they may entail.


    After we met Roy and Sam today, we entered the Dungeon with the objective of going deep inside the second floor.


    It could be a little risky, but the girls and I agreed we would be able to do it.


    This was also a good chance to get another level-up quickly.


    It was also necessary to explore further as we had yet to get to the boss room, which ording to the avable information, was a little deeper on our current path.


    Although there was one close if we went another direction, we felt it was safer to pass through the boss room the least possible, even more so considering the events that happened in the Dragon''s Nest with the third floor''s boss leaving and all.


    By going this way, while harder to reach the boss room, if something were to happen, our escape path would be toward the settlement instead of deeper inside the floor.


    Still, this was bound to change eventually, as we advanced further enough on the floor to reach the boss room.


    It worked as a milestone that indicated to us that we had gone deeper than any other time we''ve been on this floor.


    Sam: "This is a goodndmark, to go further from here would be pretty dangerous..."


    Roy: "I think we would be able to dive deeper though..."


    Miwen: "Yeah, we aren''t facing many threats for now anyway."


    Sam & Roy: "Eh?"


    Somehow, they seemed very surprised by such a simple statement.


    Miwen: "W-what?"


    Sam: "Well, you know... Normally you''d be the first one to advocate for caution...."


    True... I do think I keep it to a reasonable level though.


    However, this time, I had the incentive of the Events to try and advance as much as possible.


    It wasn''t that I had forgotten about the risks, but rather that I judged it worth it for us to face them a little more.


    Miwen: "Well then, let''s just proceed with caution okay?"


    Sam: "Fine by me."


    Since everyone was aware that this was more risky than what we were used to, there was a certain air of excitement to be felt as we went deeper into the dungeon.


    It made me understand why certain people are so fond of taking immense risks. It wasn''t just for the reward, but also in search of this feeling.


    However, it was not something that could sway me.


    On our way, we managed to kill a lot of monsters.


    Mostly hobgoblins, but sometimes even orcs fell prey to us.


    Since their level was higher than what we found before we passed by the boss room, the experience they were giving was also better, and I got really close to a level up.


    Eventually, we found 2 Orcs. One of them had a greyish skin tone, while the other had skin more red than normal.


    They were obviously two [Superior Monsters], an rming presence.


    Not only were they the strongest species on this floor, but orcs are naturally hard to kill due to their thick skins.


    They are considerably dumber and so less tricky than a hobgoblin, but what theyck in intelligence, they make up for in raw strength.


    Miwen: "What do you two think?"


    Licia: "It''s doable, but it would be hard..."


    ire: "Sis and I can take care of one of them, but the other one would be a bit too much. I''m worried that you guys would end up being injured if you fought against it..."


    Worrisome... but I didn''t want to pass on the experience.


    So I proposed an alternative.


    Miwen: "What if I confirm their levels and one of them ends up being weaker than the cap?"


    Roy: "You can do that?"


    Miwen: "I have a skill for it, but it costs mana so I don''t use it frequently... It''s just that this time there''s a good chance for us and the experience would be pretty sweet..."


    I usually only use it in cases like this, where it might be worth it to pursue some risks.


    Although I normally just advise everyone to retreat anyway since we have no need to rush...


    The bnce was a bit skewed this time though.


    Licia: "If they can detect that a skill is being used against them, they may figure out our location and charge against us... it''s a bit risky..."


    ire: "If you want to do it, I won''t impede you..."


    They seemed to be having doubts about it and in cases like this...


    Sam: "I guess this calls for a vote then? I''ll vote against it. I don''t think it''s worth it since we can keeping back for more experience..."


    Roy: "I don''t like running away from these types of challenges, we will need to end up risking ourselves more and more as we advance as adventurers, to run away from a battle just because it''s hard would make us unprepared for the challenges up ahead. I''m fine fighting them."


    Perhaps for the first time, I was on Roy''s side.


    Licia: "I''m not sure... I don''t like risking it so I''m also against..."


    Both arguments were solid, and normally, I would side with Sam, especially after hearing Licia''s opinion, however...


    Miwen: "I think it''s worth it, at the very least I should check their levels..."


    ire: "I told you I''d do it if you wanted to, so..."


    Thankfully ire was a little more interested, so we ended up outvoting them.


    At least when it came to figuring out their levels.


    And so, I first checked the one with grey skin. Using [Appraisal] on it I ended up finding out that he was at the cap, at level 7.


    His Gift also made him resistant to non-elemental attacks, but I couldn''t get a name or more information about it due to the level difference.


    Thankfully the other one, the orc with red skin, was a much easier target.


    He had [me Breath] as a Gift, which was pretty self-exnatory.


    And the good news was that he had yet to reach the cap. And so, if we ganged up on him, we should be able to take it down.


    Roy: "See? It''s gonna be easy!"


    ...I never said that.


    I understood that he was trying to hype us up, but I felt it was best to be more realistic about it, and so did the others.


    Sam: "So, are you sure you guys wanna do it as you said previously? I believe it would be better to have a 3-on-1 against that grey one since he''s stronger..."


    ire: "No need, it''s better this way as the chances of someone getting hurt will decrease..."


    Licia: "Also, if you manage to defeat the red one quickly then we can have a 5-on-1 against the grey one."


    While they said that, the truth was that ire and Licia were stronger as a pair than Sam, Roy and I were as a trio.


    They are also quite capable and coordinated when fighting together, so mixing someone inexperienced with them would actually hurt their chances.


    Sam: "If you say so..."


    Thus, the battle against the two orcs began.


    Everyone locked in on their targets, and although it was sad that I was separated from the girls, I knew they would be alright.


    And while it might be bad to admit it, if something happened to them, I would rush to their side without thinking twice.


    Still, in our battle, the first one tounch an attack was Roy.


    He tried to sh the arm of the red orc sideways, however, he used his huge club to block the attempt.


    When it came to handling his weapons, he seemed to be the best monster we had encountered, which made things hard as daggers and knives weren''t exactly a counter for it.


    Wecked the reach, and if we wanted to win, we would need a direct hit, so after Roy jumped back to disengage, Sam and I surrounded the monster.


    This way, no matter how strong it was or how he used his club, as long as we managed to attack him simultaneously, he simply wouldn''t have room to defend himself.


    Once again, Roy dashes toward his opponent, getting blocked and then counterattacked by the orc.


    However, the wide motion it took to attack Roy gave Sam and me an opening to sh his back, stopping him in his tracks.


    Roy, who had just created distance, closes in again and attacks him from the front.


    We were only doing superficial damage at best, but it was enough to enrage it, as the monster was stuck.


    Every time it tried to attack, it was met with counters from its blind spots.


    Thus, it finally used his Gift of [me Breath].


    While Roy, its primary target had made enough distance to evade it, in a circling motion, the orc turned to Sam and me, making all of us retreat from his attack range.


    It didn''t seem like he got tired after doing that, but it was costly energy-wise to keep up like this.


    Not to mention, it was consuming a lot of time.


    If more monsters came, we would be in an incredibly difficult spot.


    Still, what we had to do to defeat it was clear.


    First, the mes were too much of a problem. We couldn''t let them get to us or it would be game over.


    Second, we needed a powerful strike to end this as fast as possible. Before he had any chance to recover, adapt, or learn.


    With this in mind, I decided to focus entirely on this fight.


    As Licia and ire said, it was definitely doable, but it would be hard.


    So, I decided my next steps and how I was going to defeat it.


    Sam and Roy attacked him again, but this time, he answered with its [me Breath] straight away.


    Once he stopped, Sam tried to attack again, but the orc managed to send her away by swinging his club at her.


    I circled around him. Waiting for a good opportunity, which came exactly when Roy attacked him to cover for Sam.


    His attack went through, and he damaged the monster''s ankle.


    While not a deep cut, it was enough to reduce its mobility, as well as to get all of the monster''s attention.


    Enraged, the Red Orcunched his me attack once again, almost a wave of mes headed toward Roy.


    However, this left him open, and I used  [Focused Strike] alongside [X sh] hoping that thebo would be enough to kill it.


    Surprisingly, it was more than enough.


    As if cutting through butter, I sliced his neck clean, making his head fall to the ground.


    Defeating a strong opponent like this one made me want to celebrate, but before that, I noticed that Licia and ire were still fighting theirs, so I quickly headed their way.


    ire: "Took you long enough."


    Miwen: "Do you really think so? Looking at this, you guys are the ones beingte."


    ire: "Hmh... can''t deny that..."


    Although she was a little mad at thatment, she still admitted it.


    Sam: "What''s the problem?"


    ire: "I''ll change with Licia and she will exin it to you."


    As she says that, ireunches herself towards the Grey Orc, Licia, seeing that, disengages the battle.


    Licia: "Oh you''re here, good. Now we can win."


    Miwen: "What''s happening, is it that tough?"


    Licia: "A little bit, ire and I can keep up with him, but the real problem is that he''s very annoying. Only elemental attacks work on him, and ire and I can''t keep using magic-based attacks due to our low mana, so..."


    It was impressive that a single one of them was able to hold him back long enough for the other to leisurely exin things, but judging by Licia''s state, it was also definitely tiring.


    Miwen: "That''s a bit of a problem then, I also just used up almost all of mine..."


    Licia: "I was hoping you didn''t, but that''s alright. There''s a way for us to win."


    As she says that, Licia grabs one of my daggers and enchants it with her frost coating.


    Licia: "Give me the other one, with this you should be able to damage it."


    After doing that for all our weapons, the four of us join ire and start attacking the Grey Orc.


    Although it had a higher level, as his Gift was mostly defensive and Licia''s countered thanks to her frost coating, it was not as problematic as the red one.


    It alsocked any ranged attack.


    With five of us surrounding it, the monster relied too much on circr attacks with his club, in an attempt to get even a single one of us distracted.


    Of course, this never happened, and we took turns cutting him whenever possible.


    Without context, this looked like a bullying case. Even more than what we did with the Red one.


    s, Licia''s coating wasn''t going tost forever, but thankfully the damage we were doing was enough.


    He couldn''t handle it for much longer, and eventually, either due to the bleeding or a perforation of one of his vitals, the monster died, marking the end of our battle against the two superior orcs.


    This battle ended up being enough for everyone to level up, and it even made me somewhat close to the next level.


    As such, it ended up being well worth it to me.


    Sam: "I''m d it''s finally over, but we areing back for sure now."


    Miwen: "Noints here. I''m exhausted..."


    Our raid ended as we made our way back from the second floor.


    Sadly, the orcs didn''t drop anything noteworthy, but we did get a good amount from other monsters, and when dividing it, Roy and Sam made $18, while the girls and I got $45.

 Chapter 24: In Preparation

    While making our way home today from the dungeon raid, the girls and I made some small talk.


    It was pretty rxing for the most part, but when the subject of the raid itself came up, ire had something to ask me.


    ire: "You were really rash today, Miwen. Is there a reason why? It''s a little unlike you..."


    Both of them know about the [Events], and they are on board with helping me deal with them when the timees.


    Still, my actions today were a little different from what they''re used to.


    I was definitely rushing things a little more than usual, but the reason for that was the difficulty slider, had not changed from thest level-up.


    After that, I thought that the worst-case scenario would be for the difficulty to remain the same again.


    Unfortunately, now that I got another level-up and the difficulty has yet to change, I was in that precise scenario.


    Leveling up today was almost a necessity to see if I could cause the slider to change.


    As it is clear that this won''t help, I might have to change my methods. However, I''ve yet to get an idea of a worthwhile alternative.


    Miwen: "Well... the events areing, and I kinda wanted to get to level 7 before they happen. I thought it would be good to speed things up a bit..."


    ire: "I understand that but do be careful, Licia and I are one thing, but Sam and Roy do not level up as fast, if you try to power through your way, they might get injured or... worse..."


    She was right..


    It''s hard to put everyone on the same boat when there''s such a difference.


    The challenges that these two can take on are not in the same league as those Roy and Sam can.


    Even if I take into consideration our power as a group, the truth is that everyone needs to do their part, and while Licia and ire can handle more, if the others were to fail, the entire group might copse.


    Miwen: "I judged that we were doing alright, so I thought we could handle some more challenging battles at a deeper point inside the dungeon..."


    While certainly risky, I was still calcting our odds, and I thought we could afford that much.


    Going deeper than what we did would certainly increase the rewards, but wouldn''t be worth it in my opinion as one injury might lead to more, and the deeper we are, the harder it is to make our way back.


    Things can turn into a snowball very quickly if we''re not careful.


    ire: "Just be careful. Sudden encounters inside a dungeon can be quite random at times, you might encounter a strong monster without even delving that deep. And you never know when a battle may draw the attention of other enemies... it''s better to pick easier fights so that even if you end up ambushed, you can fight back..."


    This advice is not far from the tips that veterans often give online. If anything, she actually pretty much nailed it.


    Still, I saw genuine care in the way she talked. It made me a little happy to see her being thoughtful like that.


    Seeing that the girls were so willing to stay and give me a hand was very rewarding for me. It validated my decision to go the extra mile for them, and it felt like confirmation that I was doing a good job with them.


    As such, even though I was already considering such things, I decided to respect her sentiment.


    Miwen: "I''ll keep it in mind, thanks."


    After that, we eventually arrived home where I prepared dinner.


    Nothing much had changed, but I allowed Licia to try her hand at the oven and the more "big girl" tasks.


    She has been trying to help a little for a while now, so I ended up epting her help.


    Of course, I kept an eye on her just to be sure, but she ended up handling everything pretty well.


    I should''ve figured that was going to be the case though. She''s been watching me with keen eyes all this time.


    In any case, aside from simple stuff like cutting vegetables or handing her a few items, today''s meal was all on her.


    And so, there was a certain excitement filling the air as the time for ire and I to taste test.


    Miwen: "It''s... pretty good! Congrats!"


    ire: "It might be even better than Miwen''s!"


    Miwen: "No way? I refuse to ept defeat by a beginner like this!"


    I''m not that fond of my own cooking, so this was mostly a pride issue.


    Still, I think ire just felt like teasing me, which is pretty fine to me.


    It was not without reason though. Licia''s meal was more than praise worth.


    Her own excitement and happiness seeing ire and me eating her food also added a little more to the dish though.


    Purposeful or not, it''s not an ability I''m confident I can replicate, so it''ll probably be a trait just of her own.


    In the end, dinner came and went quite quickly since I tried to convince her to do something a little more simple to start with and just develop her skills with experience.


    Thanks to that I had a little free time, so I decided to teach them a little more things, and I settled for watching movies on the TV.


    Surprisingly, it was quite difficult for them to get it even though they just had to follow a few steps.


    Maneuvering through the menus is a little hard for them as they don''t actually touch it.


    But with time I''m sure they''ll figure it out, and it will help with introducing all the other wonders of the modern world.


    After that, finally came time for me to start the rolls, since I had used up almost all my mana, there were no rolls on the [Mana Banners], but from my level up, I had 6 rolls I could do in the normal banners through the daily tickets. The results for these rolls were the following:


    [Movement Speed Up] was leveled up twice, making its level go all the way to 4. It''s quite a simple skill, but it''s also pretty effective, and I can notice how much faster I''m than what someone at my level should normally be byparing myself with Sam and Roy, for now, having this skill at such a high level was definitely a good boost.


    [Reading Speed Up] and [Enhanced Drop Chance] also leveled up. Out of these two, [Enhanced Drop Chance] was the best result by far.


    And for thest two skills that I got...


    [Faster Tree Climbing].


    A whooping two times, as if to spite the [Movement Speed Up] skill that had just recently dethroned it as the highest level skill in my possession. To be honest this skill is not even worth the effect of my mind going nk whenever I roll on the gachas, even though that effect onlysts for less than a second.


    But I know how to punish my own Gift for this, since I''ve gotten a bit more mana now, I''ll spend some tickets on another banner that I''ve been eyeing for a while now...


    Thest thing I need to do before going to bed is to im the points from the Kingdom menu and organize the skills. With the 16 points I just got there should be a lot that I''m able to do now.


    s, just the [Ice Magic] skill that I wanted to get from Licia did cost me 10 of these points, leaving me with only 8 since I had 2 in reserve from yesterday. For now, I saw that ire had enhanced her [Mana Control] so I decided to also get it since it was only 3 points.


    I didn''t n to share any skills with the girls, but since [Enhanced Drop Chance] has such a good effect on the party, I spent 4 points sharing it with them, this way, I was left with only one point remaining, but our main source of ie should also be improved, if only by a little bit...


    That would mark the end of the day for me and with the [Events] approaching, I spent all the time I had just thinking about what I could do to make them easier, and even if there was anything I could do to change the predicted difficulty.


    These thoughts apanied me to bed until a new type of anxiety soon took over as I shared the bed with these two girls to whom I find myself growing more attached as the days go by...

 Chapter 25: Final Day Of Preparation

    As the morning came, I found myself having a hard time leaving the bed, it seemed as if the more the girls became used to me, the more defenseless they became, which was good in a sense, but overall, for a healthy young boy, this daily routine is poisonous...


    I can''t help but feel like I''ve been neglecting my desires way too much as ofte. It takes me all the concentration I can muster to employ self-control around the girls, and with no alone time to relieve myself... let''s just say things are starting to look grim.


    Outside of these usual feelings, mornings have be quite a peaceful time, the girls tend to interact with the TV or help me in the kitchen, and in no time we are good to go to the dungeon.


    As per usual, we meet Sam and Roy and prepare ourselves for another raid.


    Sam: "Let''s not be as brash today okay?"


    I feel like thisment was specifically directed at me, but it''s fair. The battle against the two orcs, although definitely worth the risk, was only doable thanks to Licia after all. Even though we had the strength to do it, the set of circumstances we''ve dealt with were not in our favor as our mana reserves are still not that high.


    If that Orcs had resistance to Ice, then we could''ve easily lost as we wouldn''t be able to kill it.


    Well, for today I didn''t have any ns of diving too deep, I was somewhat close to the next level up that would put me in the cap for this floor, so there was no need to take any risks.


    This eventually led to a safe exploration of the dungeon today, which made Roy a bit dissatisfied. but since I managed to reach level 7, there was no need for me personally to keep going. Of course, if both Roy and Sam wanted to, I''d dly apany them. But as Sam seemed satisfied, we decided to end it without many challenges today.


    As for the loot, Sam and Roy only got $10, while the girls and I got $40. Pretty good all things considered. But I can''t help but feel excited for the next floor, as the rewards should increase significantly.


    But that''s gonnae after the [Events], as my time lift was approaching, and I would need to dedicate at least one full day for the boss battle that allowed for ess to the third floor and a new level cap. After that, probably another day to get more levels, so, in the time limit for the event, today was thest I could actually get any meaningful progress.


    Meaning that today, was thest day of preparation before the [Events]. I''d also need to choose which one of them I''d like to participate in, but I already had the answer in mind.


    Back at home, I asked Licia to take care of dinner, she seemed eager to do it for a while, and frankly, it makes me quite happy that she wants to help this much.


    It''s also pretty good since it gave me some time to think about the course of action I''d take right now.


    The difficulty slider of both events hadn''t changed at all ever since I started concentrating on the dungeon raids. It''s quite disappointing, to say the least. But with that in mind, for my first event, I decided to go with the [War! The Fall of the Snow White Wolves Tribe of the Maide Ind].


    The description of this event states that I should form an alliance with one of the tribes, and if that is the only requirement forpletion, then I shouldn''t worry too much about fighting or putting my life on the line. Given that the [Disaster!


    A Star Falls From The Sky] probably involves constant fighting since it doesn''t even mention sentient beings, of the two, the one rted to a war is probably the easiest to solve, ironically as it may be.


    There are two other reasons for me to take the one rted to the war, first is the difficulty slider, neither of them has changed, but this one was more in the center inparison with the one from the disaster which was all the way to the edge, meaning it should be way easier.


    The second reason is that this event seems way less restrictive than the other one, allowing for the usage of Kingdom Points even. Both of them had nothing to say about my ess to the Kingdom is limited, so I''m counting on it in times of danger, as per usual...


    but the ability to use kingdom points by itself is quite useful, I don''t know how long this event is gonna go for, with a time limit of two years, so if I can at least share skills, then that would allow me to get stronger even with the restrictions of the event.


    And thus these are the reasons that led me to choose the [War! The Fall of the Snow White Wolves Tribe of the Maide Ind], for now, I believe it''s the most newbie-friendly of them...


    Now to the gachas. Since I''m going to war, one way or another, I''m gonna need weapons, and so, for the first time, I''ve decided to roll on the [Weapons Banner] using 3 of the gacha tickets I had.


    The results of this were three "weapons" as one would''ve expected. Although thest one was... surprising to say the least.


    Let''s start with the Bow, it''s somewhat big, and is made of wood, although its color is quite dark, almost ck with some orangeish details here and there. It seemed somewhat ominous so I used analysis in it, I was gonna do it anyway for all three items, but this one took priority due to it being rming.


    [Bow of Gallia]


    The fallen hero Gallia was said to possess a bow capable of stealing the souls of those defeated in battle. Until her death, such a legend was never confirmed, but many said that the bow had a menacing aura that was reminiscent of dark magic applied to it.


    The quality of this bow is assured, as Gallia never let go of it until her death. The strength and dexterity of the user are amplified by holding it, and a special effect can be unlocked under certain conditions. In dark ces, this bow is capable of camouging itself to a degree, making it harder for enemies to pinpoint where the user is aiming at.


    Overall, quite good, sadly, no one in our party uses a bow, it would be no problem with a hammer, a spear, or anything like that since you can always swing around and hope for the best, but the skill necessary to use a bow effectively is out of reach for someone trying if for the first time.


    As good as it is, I decided to leave it at home for now.


    The second item was thankfully a sword:


    [Apparea: Sword Of The Golden King]


    Legends tell of an undefeated king that wandered thends of Parison, looking for something. His golden armor and sword would scream to the world his nobility, and no one would dare question it.


    The red jewel in the handle increases the power of fire attacks. The sword itself increases both strength and luck. Any whose heart gives up easily to greed will desire this sword more than anything else.


    This golden sword was quite something... I''m notfortable with taking it to a dungeon raid, at least not without hiding it, but for the events, it should be quite useful. Thanks to the fire properties I thought about giving it to ire, but she refused stating that I should keep it.


    It''s true that I also have fire magic, but since I tend to focus on using melee skills more than anything else, I thought it wasn''t the best decision, s, if the girl herself didn''t want it, there was no reason for me to force it.


    So for now, I decided to go with the sword for my equipment, at least when ites to events.


    Thest item we got was a quiver, and worse of all, no arrows were anywhere to be seen. Of course, the curiosity made me want to use analysis in it more than anything else, if not for the bow having such an aura, this one would''ve definitely been the first in the list.


    [Quiver of Duplication]


    A coborative work between the elves of Elliar forest and the dwarves of the Longbrun Cave. Any arrow ced in this quiver is instantly duplicated, no matter the properties of it. Arrows taken from the quiver can also be duplicated, allowing for an infinite number of arrows.


    Well... this is quite good. I have no doubts this would be an archer or hunter''s wet dream. You simply don''t have to spend a dime with arrows, hell, you could even make a quick buck selling high-quality arrows infinitely. If we had someone proficient with archery this would''ve been such a good harvest...


    It does make things more difficult for me now though.


    Initially, I wanted to roll 3 times in the [Weapons Banner] and 3 times in the [Armor Banner], thest roll was meant to go to a spellbook or essory. But since none of the girls got a weapon, I decided to do another roll in the [Weapons Banner].


    This time, a dagger came out.


    [Ghost of Niflim]


    The Niflim were people from a kingdom who fell and could not carve their name in history. It''s said that their forgery skills were as good as that of the dwarfs from thend, many of their items became relics as the years went by.


    This dagger is no exception, it''s quality is assured and shouldn''t break even when facing a titanium de. This dagger greatly boosts the user''s strength, luck, and speed. Two special effects are inscribed on it.


    First effect: This dagger is capable of dematerializing, making it so objects can pass through, also making it invisible to most beings and undetectable to most skills.


    Second effect: This dagger is also capable of making a small smokescreen around itself, making it harder for enemies to know its reach and what kind of attack (stab or sh for example) the user is going for.


    When thrown, the smokescreen effect willst for at least five seconds while the dematerializing effect will onlyst 1 second.


    Well... I should''ve been rolling in the [Weapons Banner] from the beginning. This dagger alone is probably the best thing I got out of the gachas. Outside of the girls from the [Companions Banner] of course...


    That left me with 3 Gacha tickets, which I used in the [Armor Banner] as previously nned.


    Sadly, this banner didn''t provide the same exceptional results. They were good, but not close to the quality of the weapons I got. But that''s to be expected with the gachas by now, the quality tends to vary a lot even inside the same banner...


    [Leather Armor of Kronisben]


    The usual armor of the huntsmen in Kronisben. Strengthens the user defense slightly. Average quality.


    [Helmet of a Mung Soldier]


    This helmet was used by a Mung soldier before the fall of their empire. Provides good defense to the user.


    Thest armor piece was somewhat good though.


    [Gauntlet of the High King Micaias]


    This gauntlet has been enchanted, providing the user with increased speed and defense. This gauntlet is capable of cleansing curses directed at the user before they can take effect, this effect, however, is not guaranteed and also depends on the strength and nature of the curse, as Micaias himself is said to have died by a curse, although an extremely strong one.


    Well, to put it in modern terms, it''s bulletproof except you can still get shot. It''s better to have it though so I won''tin about it.


    After that, it was time for me to use the Kingdom points for skills, now that I was at level 7 and the girls were at level 6 I got 19 points daily, and with the single point I had remaining from yesterday, that left me with 20. It''s quite surprising to me how my reserves of points are increasing so rapidly.


    Before I could start using these points though...


    Licia: "Stop ying with your toys? Dinner''s ready."


    Miwen: "Sure mom."


    Maybe not expecting me to tease her back, Licia gets very awkward and hurriedly starts dining. At least I think that''s the case, since it could also be that she was hungry...


    After this brief intermission, I went back to look at what skills ire had upgraded with her Gift, and if Licia had gotten a new skill from her avable ones.


    I don''t usually tell the girls what to do with their points, since they are possibly just taking the same decisions they took in their past life, and seeing as both of them were quite sessful, there''s no room for me to criticize, I just lurk around grabbing what''s useful for me and sharing what I think may help them.


    For now, ire had leveled up her [Swordsmanship] all the way to level 4, and it only costs me 4 points to get it, I also got her [Fire Sword Arts] which did cost me 6 points, totaling 10 just for swordsmanship skills...


    Seeing as Licia''s [Swordsmanship]  skill was falling behind a little, I decided to share mine with her, at the cost of 7 points, her skill also rose to level 4, leaving me with 3 points to spare. This led me to ire''s [Mana Control] which was exactly 3 points and would provide quite a good bonus to me for the price.


    Since I didn''t really use mana in the dungeon raids today, I decided to spend what I could in the [Mana Banners] without getting mana depletion.


    The results were predictable as only 20 arrows were acquired. It''s all good though since today''s results were better than what I could''ve imagined. One way or another, I did everything I could to prepare myself for the war that I would be throwing myself in.


    Getting a good night to sleep and replenishing mana for tomorrow were the top priority now, although one of these would be kind of hard as I shared the bed with the girls.

 Chapter 26: Snow White Wolves Tribe

    Morning came with a strong feeling of anticipation. I had already decided everything about the events and did my best to prepare for them. With that in mind, whatever the results, I''d dly ept them as I feel like whatever happens now would be the best oue given my situation.


    So, now that everything on my side was done, I reaffirmed with the girls our n.


    Miwen: "If at any moment there''s a risk to our lives, we''ll run to the [Kingdom] ok? No need to y the hero, just guarantee your safety before anything else."


    Licia: "The same goes for you Miwen, if we''re thrown in a war, the most important thing is to keep calm, as any irrational decision will undoubtedly be the end."


    As long as we can escape we should be safe, but the difficulty slider still haunts me and clouds my judgment...


    Miwen: "Just to double check, but are you guys sure you''ve never heard of a ''Kingdom Of Hamperlon'' before?"


    Licia: "I was not very well versed in geography or history, but as far as I could tell, there was no such kingdom in my world. If they were at war, I''m pretty sure I''d at least hear about it..."


    ire: "As for me, I''m absolutely sure. There''s no way I wouldn''t know of it since father drilled into me most of the history and geography that I needed to live in high society, a war of a kingdom that seems as prominent would no doubt be included."


    In this room right now there are people from three different worlds, and yet, through our history and geography, it seems that there is no trace of this kingdom whatsoever. It''s almost guaranteed that this is another different world...


    Miwen: "... I wonder how many worlds exist."


    ire: "At the very least, as many as there are Gods."


    Miwen: "Huh?"


    ire: " I mean, where do you think Godse from?"


    Indeed, I never thought about that, but to me, Gods were the same as humans, except you know, a higher being and all, so for some reason I expected them to reproduce the same way we do. In our mythology at least, there''s a bunch of deities that are sons and daughters of other divine beings...


    Miwen: "How do you know they don''t reproduce between them?"


    ire: "They might but..."


    Licia: "The worlds are blessed by the Gods, although many Gods can bless the same world, as a God you would want to have at least one world only for you, would you not?"


    Miwen: "I see, it never urred to me but you might be right."


    To be honest, I have no way of debating over this, and their argument seems solid to me. Not that I care too much about it, since the Gods don''t usually interfere much, outside Catherine who calls upon us when she needs to. But even that hasn''t happened for a while so...


    Well, this conversation ended up going slightly off-topic, but after confirming with everyone, I decided not to waste any more time, and so, I epted the [Event]: "War! The Fall of the Snow White Wolves Tribe of the Maide Ind".


    Right after epting it, the nkness that usually permeates through my mind when I do a roll on the Gacha happens again, this time, however, it takes much longer for it to go away. And here I thought that I was starting to adapt to it...


    Upon regaining consciousness, my vision starts working again, and I can start to make out the scenery that''s in front of me. It seems like I''m close to the coast of an ind, as I can hear the sound of waves crashing against the shore. Unlike a tropical dream-like ind like the Bahamas, this one seems to be covered in snow, and the temperature is as bad as it gets before you freeze to death.


    I mean, I thought that would be the case, so I brought some of the warmest clothing I had, but still, this is a bit more than I expected.


    In front of me, I can see a forest, it''s going to take me a while to get there, but it''s probably better than freezing to death here. Of course, I  also check if I can escape to the [kingdom] right now, I have no intentions to do so as the situation is not so dire, and if I came back I''d probably be in the same ce without any progress, so there wouldn''t be much point in doing so.


    But just seeing that the option to enter the [Kingdom] is there is a nice guarantee for now...


    I also notice that ire and Licia are asking to enter the [Event], which I allow.


    ire: "... It''s freezing out here!"


    Licia: "Mhm... I quite like it actually."


    It seems like Licia is not as affected by the cold but given that both of them don''t have clothes suited for this environment...


    Miwen: "I think it''s best if you wait for me in the [Kingdom], this traveling this ce will consume stamina, so it would be best if you girls were in your best shape. Be sure to leave a request to join the [Event] though, that way I can summon you guys when needed."


    ire: "F-fair enough, but be sure to call us if it gets dangerous."


    ire readily epts it, while Licia seems a bit worried about the prospect of leaving me alone.


    Miwen: "Don''t worry too much, I can also escape if need be."


    Licia: "If that''s the case..."


    Thanks to the [Kingdom] I manage to convince Licia to save up her energy.


    After the girls leave the event, I decide to continue walking towards the forest.


    It doesn''t take much time for me to stand behind the first line of trees, but I must admit that I got more tired than I thought I''d be. Thanks to the level-ups, I''m both naturally faster and stronger, way more than what I used to be, after all, there''s no way for a level 1 to defeat a level 7 without using a Gift. But even then this walk took me much more energy.


    I have to wonder if my level wasn''t as high, would I be feeling even colder? If that''s the case... then how can people live here? And why would anyone even want to conquer an icy rock like this...


    As I was thinking about that, I began to take the first step that would put me across the first line of trees in this forest. That''s when I hear someone call to me:


    ???: "Stop right there and turn around. If you want to keep your life, that is."


    As someone who wants to remain alive, I instantly stop my step and turn around.


    Facing me were 10 people, number-wise, it was already more than I could handle. But given their armor and weapons, individually they look like troublesome opponents. What''s more, the woman in the lead carries with her a bow, which is now aimed at me. Am I able to outspeed an arrow? If I or the girls are the ones shooting it, then probably, hell, we wouldn''t even need to try dodging at that point.


    But given her stance right now and the way she seems so confident... yeah, I''m gonna open the [Kingdom] menu just to be sure.


    Aside from securing my escape route, I should also check my chances here. I doubt they are too great, but I use [Appraisal] on the leader of the pack.


    And yeah... there''s no way I can confront her. At level 121, with a list of skills that clouds over mine, even though I''m acquiring skills from two other girls and apletely random gacha. The only thing I may have her beat is my ability to climb trees...


    If that weren''t enough I try to use [Appraisal] some more, but the guys apanying her are all around level 80, so right now, I have no way of winning a confrontation, but since she has not shot yet, maybe we can talk...?


    ???: "Who are you and how did you get past the coast?"


    Miwen: "My name is Miwen. I''m... the king of a distant realm. I came here to propose an alliance with your people."


    The only lie here is that my sole purpose would be the alliance with the Snow White Wolves. Truth is, at first I wanted to look at who had more chances of winning this war and then decide who to ally myself with but... If I''m in their territory I doubt I could leave to talk with the other guys. The most I could do was iste myself in the [Kingdom] until this war ended.


    I don''t see myself progressing through this event without allying myself with their tribe so...


    ???: "A king who wants to ally with us, you say?"


    The woman leading the pack lowers her bow, the men behind her however readies their swords. The men encircle me as the woman approaches.


    I could also ready my sword, but for now, I''ll try not to look dangerous. Because after all, I sure as hell am not.


    ???: "I noticed you used [Appraisal] on some of us, right?"


    Miwen: "Yes."


    ???: "You probably didn''t notice, but I also used it on you."


    This woman had a skill that allowed her to block [Appraisal], and yet, I could analyze her skills and level, meaning she had purposedly let me do it.


    ???: You''re not much of a threat, although you have quite a lot of skills given your level and age. You should be thankful for your weakness, it''s the only reason you''re still alive."


    To be honest, I''d prefer to be alive thanks to my strength since that''s something I can actually count on, but anything that keeps me alive is good I guess.


    ???: "You are carrying a very shy sword. It''s doubtful that you would be a spy carrying something like that. It makes sense if you are from royalty or at least nobility though... but you did evade my question about how exactly you managed to pass through the defenses in the shore..."


    Miwen: "It involves my Gift. I can tell you how I did it, but it would take a bit of time to exin."


    ???: "I see, so you are willing to cooperate. Then I''ll allow you to choose, either you die right here by my hands... or you''re to be imprisoned, questioned, and hopefully we can ransom you back to wherever you came from. So, which one do you want?"


    Even though I''m being given a choice... I am definitely In a pretty bad situation right now all things considered. Do I let the wolf woman standing in front of me kill me, do I allow her to imprison me, or do I escape towards the [Kingdom] and ignore the existence of this event until it ends ? Well, if I want to move forwards, there''s only one real option...

 Chapter 27: Imprisonment

    On an ind covered by snow, if you were to somehow go past the shores, upon walking for some time, you''d find a forest withrge trees as far as the eye could see. Even in this harsh environment, if you just keep walking forward, eventually you''d find a collection of viges and even a fortress standing tall in the center.


    Any invading forces would be troubled by this.


    Firstly you''d need to somehow disembark on this ind, which by itself would be problematic. After setting camp, you would need to walk through the snow only to find yourself standing before a forest, a highly defensible terrain all around, even more so if you have to fight against the natives who know this forest as if it was their backyard.


    Upon dealing with all of this, you would find thest obstacle the people of the ind have to offer. A fortress in the middle of the snow-covered forest.


    Well... with all that being said, somehow I find myself inside said fortress, taken here by the residents of the ind themselves. To be more precise, the ce I''m in right now is a cold and damp prison cell on the lowest floor. Even if the light could somehow reach all the way here, I doubt it would be able to illuminate this room with theck of windows.


    Right now I''m the only upant of this prison, which when I think about it, added to the fact that this prison is quite small, without much space for more inmates, probably means that my captors don''t usually take prisoners in the first ce.


    Miwen: "... Although if I wanted to leave, I could do so at any time..."


    Melissa: "Is that so? I bet you wouldn''t be able to even escape the cell, much less this fortress."


    Across the bars of this cell, there''s a woman I''ve be familiar with during my stay in this ce. She''s Melissa, the woman who captured me in the first ce. She has long white hair and a mature look to her, if not for her wolf ears and tail, I wouldn''t have figured out she was a beastman at all.


    Although when talking like this in close distance, I can''t help but notice that her fangs are quite the giveaway.


    It doesn''t matter too much to me what race she''s from though. If anything, I''m quite excited to meet someone who''s not human. A genuine beastwoman who''s not a human that transforms thanks to a gift or something like that. That''s a first for humanity, at least, humanity from where Ie from.


    It also seems like I unintentionally hit the jackpot. Melissa is the chieftess of this tribe, whileing back from patrol she found me about to cross the sea of trees, and after guaranteeing my safety up until this cell, began to interrogate me.


    Miwen: "Well, I can show you if you want me to?"


    Melissa: "Boy, you can say goodbye to your heart if you so much as touch these bars."


    Miwen: "Harsh. If you are nning such cruelties, why are you keeping me alive then?"


    Melissa: "You''re the very first to infiltrate this deeply to the point of reaching the woods. I want to know how you did it, and if anyone else managed to do the same."


    Miwen: "Well, if I give you the answer to your questions, I believe my worth as a prisoner wille to an end, will it not?"


    Melissa: "It will decrease by a lot, but I''m hoping I can at least ransom you. If not for money or weapons, maybe for a ceasefire?"


    Miwen: "And therein lies the problem. I assure you, you won''t be able to ransom me to anyone. My kingdom has no one capable of paying for my rescue, so for now, the only thing I can give you is information."


    I''m being a bit bold and defiant here, but as long as there''s a card I can y, I should be good. I''m also counting on my ability to escape inside my Kingdom, so I keep the screen open at all times while talking with Melissa.


    Melissa: "I was hoping for the easy way, but I don''t really have time if anyone managed to infiltrate us. So I guess torture is in order, as much as it saddens me to see a young boy go through it, I hope you understand the safety of my peoplees first."


    And suddenly the conversation takes a turn for the worse. Of course, this was bound to happen sooner rather thanter. And I can understand her position, to be frank, it was quite merciful of her to not resort to it immediately. And so, since she showed me mercifulness and sincerity, I guess I could do something topensate her.


    Miwen: "Wait, I''ll talk! But you need to fulfill one condition for me first."


    Melissa: "I won''t make any promises, but state it, and I''ll see what can be done."


    Miwen: "Then, let me show you what I can do for you guys."


    Melissa: "Huh?"


    As I say that, I im the daily tickets from the Gacha and spend them in both the [Armor Banner] and the [Weapons Banner]. As usual, a nk state ovees my mind for a moment, but I''m hoping the shock of what happened before Melissas''s eyesst longer.


    Melissa: "What are these?"


    Miwen: "Check for yourself."


    The usage of appraisal costs mana, at 7 items it''s not gonna spend even a single full point, but still, when inparison with hers, my mana pool is definitely smaller. So I''ll use whatever I can to get even a tiny bit of an advantage.


    It''s also good mentally that she''s the one to verify them, look at the pile of weapons and armor pieces scattered around, I can see and feel some that are probably more powerful than what I have ever gotten given their looks and aura. It''s a necessity to give them away, but it still hurts.


    Melissa: "..."


    From the look in her eyes, I can tell that Melissa is analyzing one by one the items in front of her. The quality of them also varies a lot, since for some items she shows genuine surprise and for others, she seems indifferent.


    Melissa: "This is... quite good, actually. Congrattions, your value has gone up a lot in my eyes."


    Miwen: "So, do you want to negotiate an alliance now?"


    Melissa: "That would be hard, boy."


    Miwen: " Why is that? I was hoping that by giving you weapons you would believe I''m not on the side of the enemy and also that an alliance would be beneficial to both of us."


    Melissa: "Quite logical of you. Yet, you''ve forgotten one thing. You are my prisoner right now, with no hopes of escaping, I can force you to keep producing these to me without giving anything in return. After you provide me with all I want to know, I''ll let you live as long as you produce more of these, so how does that sound?"


    She has a point. It''s quite hard to negotiate with thisdy. But she''s wrong about one thing. I didn''t forget that I''m in captivity, it''s just that it means nothing to me.


    Miwen: "No deal, you are being too unreasonable. If you agree to ally yourself with me, I''ll tell you all I know and provide you with weapons."


    Melissa: "Boy, if I really wanted to, I could torture you until you gave me both, you know? I believe I''m being quite generous right now-"


    Miwen: "I think you need more time to think about my offer. I''lle back tomorrow so that we can discuss things further. You can have these as a gift and a token of my sincerity."


    Melissa: "...? Boy, I-"


    I couldn''t quite catch what Melissa said at the end. To be honest, I have no resentment towards her. Given her position, in a time of war, with a suspicious person who suddenly infiltrated your territory, if anything, she was being quite merciful.


    It''s also almost impossible to trust someone who appears like that and starts talking about alliances and whatnot. But I hope that by showing her what I''m capable of, she understands that I mean no harm, that I''m only there to help her cause.


    I can understand her. I can agree with her. And I would probably do the same as her, given the same situation. One cannot let outsiders disturb their house and bring potential harm to their family after all. But even under these circumstances, she chose mercifulness, I could see honesty when she said that she didn''t want to torture me.


    I have no doubt she would do so if needed, but I canprehend her. Yet, through it all, I saw someone who didn''t want to kill without reason, who thought about reasons to keep me alive, be it ransom or information. I can''t help but feel these were a guise to her true thoughts on the matter.


    It makes me think that, if not for this war, she would be someone warm and weing, who respects life and has a good heart. Though, even I canprehend, that during a war, be it king or chief, a leader has to steel themselves and do things he normally wouldn''t, for the good of those who depend on him.


    So, I''ll not hold grudges, on the contrary, I''ll respect her for who she is, and for her determination to live as the chief of her tribe, even when it means going against what she really wants to do.


    That being said, I also have an objective there, so I''ll y my part to the best of my ability. For now, just showing her that I can go whenever I want to should even the ying field a bit. Even more so since there are still things she wants from me and I also showed her that I''d be useful on her side.


    In one fell swoop I managed to increase my value and decrease the cards she had to y, quite a good move if I say so myself.


    The only problem right now is that she''ll be on the lookout for me and other people that might have infiltrated. No doubt this will hinder her war effort a bit. But there''s nothing to be done about that, I only hope what I gave her is enough topensate for it.


    I also know that if I win her trust, I''ll be able to help her war effort without hindering it at the same time, so in the future, it''ll all be worth it.


    Well, now that the easy battle has been won. Let us face the hardest and most stressful one.


    Two girls who''ve been trying to re-enter the event for quite some time now, without my permission and with no news from me. To simply say that they are worried and angry would be the understatement of the year.

 Chapter 28: Blocked Path

    Acting confident while knowing your life may depend on the mood of someone else is quite hard, even more so when you know that anything wrong you say could end up being your death sentence without even a chance to fight back.


    It''s the second time today that I face this feeling.


    Obviously, the first time was when dealing with the event, more specifically, Melissa and the extremely overpowered army she fields. Since most of the people in her army have a higher level than what''s been documented and confirmed on Earth, I was absolutely sure my life would end in a second if I made any mistake.


    Still, I think I did well given the cards I could y. If I tried to brawl with her, I''d be less than dust by now, so just by leaving her presence alive, and even managing to ce myself as someone she should keep alive, even if momentary, is already quite the good y if I say so myself.


    Though, now that I left all of that behind for today, I can finally be in peace inside my own Kingdom, where there is no harm in sight and I can organize my thoughts while alsoing up with the next steps going forward. I mean, I''d be extremely d if that were the case, but the situation right now is quite far from this dream-like scenario.


    Right now, I have two of my closest allies right in front of me. One of them is a calm and collected girl, Licia, who is usually quite caring and mindful of me. You could say I left this girl hanging for a few hours without any exnation.


    But not to fret, there''s also ire, someone who I''ve been doing my best to nurture a good rtionship, much like with Licia. We''ve begun to trust each other through our sincerity, and I can already tell that she''s someone who is proud and is not afraid to say what''s in her mind. Of course, I also left her hanging for a few hours.


    From their perspective, I just simply sent them away, told them everything would be fine, then disappeared, without ever allowing them to know what was happening. All of that while exploring a potentially life-threateningnd of which neither they nor I knew anything about, except for the small fact that a war was going on right then and there.


    So yeah, I can understand the mix of emotions they are showing right now. But...


    Licia: "Is everything alright? What happened? Why didn''t you let us join?"


    ire: "You better have a good exnation for this, Miwen. Because I feel like we were in agreement that if anything happened you''d call us to your side, so what, it took you this long to traverse the snow?"


    There was nothing that could be done about that. If I allowed them to join my side, I''d be putting their lives at risk, alongside mine.


    The threat I represented couldn''t be lower in Melissa''s eye, but if I suddenly brought allies from out of nowhere, then I have no doubts Melissa would reassess her evaluation. And even though I''d have no more people to bring, the moment she thinks I''m capable of posing an actual threat would be the moment I die.


    Same as Licia when she was first summoned, I only survived thanks to my weakness, shamefully as it may be.


    Even though I want them to be free and take their own decisions, I''m proud of what I chose this time, I won''t be apologizing for protecting them, as to me, this takes priority above all. So, after I muster up all the confidence in myself, I face these two with the facts that happened shortly after they left, hoping for their understanding.


    Licia: "... If that''s the case I guess there was no helping it... But you know, I''ve be so used to you and your Gift blowing mymon sense away that I thought for sure no matter what happened you''d be able tomunicate it to us."


    ire: "Hmph... I''m even madder now that I know I wouldn''t even be able to help you if a fight broke out. But given the circumstances, I believe you took the best course of action, so congrats on that."


    Given their initial reactions upon my showing up in the Kingdom, I thought for sure that it would be way harder for them to understand where I''ming from. As such, I was quite surprised that they were so understanding.


    But I guess it makes sense given that they are veterans who''ve faced death multiple times throughout their lives. Upon hearing what I had to say, instantly they began to analyze the situation and what they themselves would do if they were in my ce. Eventually, they reached the same conclusion I did, a fight would be futile and just spell a quick death.


    The best course of action would be securing an escape route through the Kingdom menu and being attentive to any attempt at my life. The inclusion of ire and Licia in that situation wouldn''t do me any good at all, disappointing as it may be for them, it''s just the truth of the matter.


    Miwen: "That''s not all though, upon reaching the fortress where Melissa lives, she took me directly to my prison cell and made her guards leave, where sheid bare her intentions..."


    Licia: "... huh?"


    Miwen: " Of course, I wasn''t going to let her do as she pleased with me, so I made a different proposal to her, it took a bit of convincing, but after I showed her what kind of weapon I had in store, she became much more agreeable..."


    ire: " Of course so- w-wait a minute, y-you did what?"


    Miwen: "And so, after throwing everything I had at her I decided it was a good time to leave. I think she probably sees me in a new light now, so tomorrow could go even better."


    ire: "Even I see you in a new light."


    Licia: "P-please stay here tomorrow... I have a bad feeling."


    Seeing their initial reaction when I exined that Melissa was the chieftess of the tribe, I knew for sure that I would forever regret not teasing them right now.


    Ah, this is really bad. I''ve be addicted to seeing this kind of surprised reaction from them. It''s not something I usually do, but these two just show the cutest faces in moments like this. It makes all the bumps Licia is throwing at my chest worth it.


    Of course, Iter had to rectify my statements, and even apologize for it, but overall, it''s another victory for me and I feel like I''m on a roll.


    To end this day, I imed the Kingdom Points I could and decided to do some rolls in the [Mana Banners] as it is not restricted by the event. I''ve yet to confirm if I can truly increase my mana poll this way, like what one would experience by using magic or skills until their manaes close to running out.


    But since I didn''t have any reason not to do it while keeping a mana point to not suffer from mana depletion, I just went right ahead.


    The result was what I expected, just a ring with not much to show for it. But this actually gave me an idea, since I have no use for them or the arrows at home, why not just give them to Melissa? Maybe she can use them for something.


    At the very least she would need arrows as I saw her carrying a bow, and thanks to the quiver at home, I can infinitely produce those so I can at least provide her with ammunition.


    While thinking about this possibility, I decided to leave the Kingdom to quickly make some duplicate arrows, but...


    [The current event type ''War'' only allows the user to transfer between it and the user''s Kingdom. The user ess to any other ce is therefore blocked until eventpletion.]


    Wait, wait, wait. No one told me about that! How was I supposed to know this? This is important information, you can''t just omit it from me!


    I can''t believe I managed to easily score two seemingly impossible wins, only to score my first loss against my own ability.


    If this restriction applies to ire and Licia as well it''s gonna be such a headache to deal with and would make me have to rethink all my ns going forward. For now, I should try running some tests...

 Chapter 29: House Building

    I would always find it funny when Licia and iremented about how soft the bed in my bedroom was. But right now I can''t help but feel like they were absolutely right.


    Yesterday we ran some tests about my inability to leave the Kingdom, and to my surprise, that only applied to me. The girls maintained the same restriction as always, needing my permission to leave once inside, but they could request to go anywhere with no restrictions. As long as I gave permission they would find themselves wherever they wanted to go.


    Albeit convenient, this was also a bit lonely since for the first time in several days I''d spent the night away from them.


    Since it seems like I''ll be traveling between the event and the kingdom for some time, I made the decision to spend the points from the kingdom menu in a house, it was not really needed, but I think it would eventually be useful anyway, and to be honest, I really wanted a bit morefort than what was currently avable in this ce.


    In the buildings menu, I opened the house section where I could see a small list, with the first item being "Earth", inside it, there were the name of a bunch of medieval kingdoms and tribes, which I only know because I could recognize some names, although there were quite a few that I''m certaine from civilizations that do not exist anymore. I was able to quickly grasp what this entails.


    As if in a building simtor, I could decide on the design of the house, following the architecture of any civilization in my world. Since the costs for this small house didn''t change, it was safe to assume that their size and the furniture would be the same, only changing the design to match whatever civilization was chosen.


    Since I don''t really care nor know too much about these ancient houses, I was willing to go with whatever.


    But before that, I wanted to take a quick look at the second item on the list. Under "Earth" there was another item called "Sz". And upon opening it, there was only one option for the design of the house, the one from the Snow White Wolves Tribe.


    Of course, this made me extremely intrigued, so I went for it. I had seen some houses when I was being escorted towards the prison by Melissa, but obviously, I couldn''t take a look inside, so curiosity got the better of me and I decided to go for it.


    My first impression was quite good, although called a small house, it was at the size where someone could livefortably, the only restraining factor was the presence of only two bedrooms, which would be no issue if you decided to share it with someone else, as there was enough space for an extra bed in each room. It would be a bit cramped for two families, but it would be doable I think...


    The house itself was even slightly bigger than my own, and when inside, due to not having as much furniture, felt even bigger.


    For now this was what I could call my castle I guess. Yeah, quite small for a mansion, much less a castle, but I had no need for anything really big. What I had need for, this house already offered, two floors, the first one with a small living room and kitchen, while the second had two bedrooms. The only thingck was a bathroom but...


    As long as the girls weren''t here, I could just do my business outside and then burn it with magic to hide any evidence.


    So overall, I had made a somewhat safe andfortable base of operations inside the Kingdom. I still valued my home on Earth more though so I sent my two strongest warriors to defend it for the time being.


    But well, now that it''s all said and done, I''m rethinking that fortable base" idea that I had in mind. The bed in this ce is horrendous and I feel like I slept in a rock. Waking up without the visage of the girls by my side is also a negative... I guess you really don''t know the true value of something until you lose it huh?


    Even then, there was nothing to be done given that I was forced into this situation. I''ll just be d for now that I at least had a ce to sleep, and the girls even fetched a pillow for me which made things better if only a little.


    While on the topic of the girls bringing me the things I need, Licia had to prepare today''s breakfast since I have no idea how to use the kitchen in this ce.


    While she seemed happy to be of use after being left off from the events of yesterday, ire seemed more amused at seeing our roles swapped as I was having trouble dealing with the cultural and technological differences of a medieval home and my ce back on Earth. I guess this is karma for provoking andughing at their reactions all this time...


    Licia: "Are you sure you''ll go back to that ce?"


    Miwen: "Yes, I need to keep advancing the event one way or another, or else I might be stuck in here for two years at the very least..."


    ire: "She might kill you on sight you know? I certainly would do so if I thought my prisoner had a teleporting ability."


    Miwen: "I gave her a few reasons to keep me alive for now. And she seems reasonable, as long as I maintain myself as someone friendly and helpful, I doubt she''ll try to harm me..."


    ire: "So by friendly and helpful you mean this...?"


    She points at some arrows and rings scattered around. Almost everything I got from the [Mana Banners] and for now, junk that was collecting dust back at home. Although If we had an archer that would be useful actually...


    Miwen: "Gifts are a good way of swaying people you know?"


    ire: "I''d be offended if someone showed up at my father''s mansion with something like this as a gift."


    I guess as a duke''s daughter ire must have received lots of gifts and proposals during her lifetime, so her standard is quite high.


    Licia: "Normally that might be the case, but since this is a war we are talking about, I guess every little thing counts. I doubt she''d be offended by this, even more so if it''s just an appetizer, right?"


    Miwen: "That''s what I''m hoping for. But I''ll take ire''s opinion into consideration. Once inside the Event, I''ll hold the menu for the Kingdom open so I can quickly escape if Melissa gets the wrong idea."


    Licia: "You should do that anyway. At all times even."


    It''s reassuring to have Licia defend my actions, but I also see ire''s point, even if she says it in a roundabout way. Royalty often thinks too highly of themselves and might actually get offended by a gift if they deem it lesser than their worth. In the case of someone as strong as Melissa, I''d be finished in the blink of an eye if that were the case.


    But since for now she didn''t strike me as someone who''d do that, I''m betting on her seeing the intention behind my actions, instead of only looking at the in value. Just to be extra safe though, I use the Quiver Of Duplication to make a bunch more arrows.


    And with these gifts in hand, I hope Melissa at least hears me out for a bit.

 Chapter 30: The Three Generals

    After saying goodbye to the girls back at my Kingdom, I enter the Event and find myself in the same ce I left yesterday, the prison cell inside the fortress owned by Melissa.


    Taking a good look at it, I can now notice that the house I made in my Kingdom uses the same wood and even the stone is cut in a simr fashion as what can be seen in this prison. It might be just because they are both medieval, but it''s somewhat familiar.


    Of course, from inside this cell, I can''t actually see too much, but If I went outside I would be able to make a betterparison between the houses they have in the viges and what I have in the Kingdom.


    It takes a bit of time for Melissa to arrive, which is rude since she left me in such a precarious room. But I''m hoping that maybe my gifts will sway her heart and eventually lead me to the best chambers this ce has to offer.


    Melissa: "I see you''re back, boy."


    Miwen: "I tend to keep my promises. I also brought gifts."


    Melissa: "... I appreciate it."


    Even though she says that I feel like she was expecting a bit more. I could notice that she was using appraisal on the arrows and rings, and was not very enthusiastic about the results. Her contributes to my impression, as it''s clear she doesn''t care too much about my showing of good faith. Next time I''ll bring even more arrows, I bet that will make her happier.


    Melissa: "I must say it''s quite bold of you to willinglye back to prison. Are you that confident in your abilities ?"


    Miwen: "That''s not the case. I know well enough that you could kill me at a moment''s notice, and to be honest, it would be a bet if I can escape on time. Right now what I''m trusting more than anything is your ability to discern my intentions."


    Melissa: "Mhm... Is that so?"


    Just the fact that she hasn''t attacked me yet, even though I''ve proven I''m capable of leaving whenever I want, should be a good indication of the value she ces on my life. Of course, that value may change at any time, and that''s why I''m doing my best to increase it right now.


    Melissa: "You left some interesting things behindst time... Some of those weapons were at the level they could be considered relics. If you had brought more of them I would be willing to consider yourst proposal..."


    Miwen: "I''m happy they are of use to you. But if you were to consider my proposal right now, I could definitely bring you more. Although as you probably saw, their quality may vary drastically."


    I''m having very mixed feelings about this. It''s definitely good that the weapons I gave her showed some prowess, it certainly makes my position much better. But also... to give good weapons away like this, it hurts a little bit.


    Melissa: "...Alright then. Do tell me, what is it that you want in exchange for more of those ?"


    Miwen: "For starters, I want you to guarantee my life as long as I remain in this realm. This should also extend to anypanions I may have."


    Melissa: "Companions huh? I thought that might be the case. They must be quite good since even when I led a search group during the night patrol we didn''t find a trace of you or anyone else for that matter."


    That much is obvious since we weren''t here to begin with. But this chieftess is surprisingly diligent huh? To take matters into her own hands and spend the night searching, it seems like she''s the type of person to lead by example.


    Miwen: "If you agree to my condition, I can tell you why you weren''t able to find them."


    Melissa: "...Neither you nor yourpanions are to harm anyone under my wing. You are to tell me, in detail, the number and abilities of your allies. As long as these conditions are met, neither I nor my people shall bring harm to you and the ones under your care."


    Miwen: "Fine, but it''s only fair that you also share a bit of information about what''s currently happening with your people and this war. I don''t need anypromising detail, but a clearer picture of what''s been happening would be beneficial to me, and could also help me support you better in the future..."


    If I''m to take their side in this war, I''ll try my best to contribute as much as possible, and since fighting doesn''t seem viable right now, the best weapon I could acquire is information. I may not have the strength necessary to directly interfere in this war, at least not without any tricks, but information always opens up opportunities.


    Melissa: "That''s eptable."


    It brings me relief to see Melissa epting my terms. As I thought, she''s quite reasonable, as long as I provide her benefits, she''ll do the same to me.


    I had no reason to deceive Melissa right now, even more so since her trust was key to me being able to progress in this event. So, as she asked, I told her all about both Licia and ire.


    I also felt secure doing this since I knew they wouldn''t be put in harm''s way as long as they were in the Kingdom, so even if Melissa decided to betray our agreement, there would be nothing she could do to the girls.


    As for my abilities, I didn''t share any of them with Melissa, after all, she only asked for details of mypanions. It seems she still thinks of the people who could be outside this fortress as more of a threat, which is understandable to a point, but I''ll make use of that to get whatever advantage I can.


    Melissa: "Good. If they are close to your level, they are no menace. But from what you told me, these girls that apany you have no skill that would allow them to sneak around or teleport as you do. So, since you promised, tell me why exactly can''t we find them ?"


    I guess I can''t keep everything hidden. But this much is alright to give her.


    Miwen: "They are not here right now, so you won''t be able to find them as much as you search. Although they cane any time since I can call them to my side. That''s not thanks to their abilities, but rather, thanks to mine."


    Melissa: "I''m guessing it''s also thanks to you that they seem to have so many skills even though their level is as low as yours ?"


    Miwen: "Who knows? I told you everything about my Kingdom, so I think you should start sharing a bit about your tribe right? I mean, if you want me to tell you about myself, I''d be willing to, but only after you talk about yourself."


    Melissa: "So you''ll only share information as long as I do the same huh? It fascinates me how you can be so bold and careful when dealing with someone much stronger and experienced."


    Since she''s older than me she sees and treats me as a young boy. Well, I appreciate thepliment either way, even though I''d disagree that it''s something impressive for someone my age.


    Melissa: "But yeah, I guess it''s only fair if I start sharing a bit myself. So let''s start at the beginning. Do you know why my tribe is at war with the Kingdom Of Hamperlon?"


    Miwen: "No idea."


    Melissa: "...That kingdom has been expanding its border for generations, culminating in one of the strongest forces in the region right now.


    They have an alliance with a strong kingdom called the Grand Duchy Of Okeans across a strait they share, and both have agreed to maintain that border and help each other if attacked, although thankfully that guarantee doesn''t apply when they are the aggressors. Even then, this gave them a secure position, while also allowing for slow expansion whenever needed."


    Miwen: "Do you have a map? It would be helpful for me to have a better picture of the situation."


    Melissa: "I can bring you er..."


    I cannot be 100% sure about it, but given her description, what I imagine is two nations in a position like Spain and Moro have on Earth, being separated by a strait. Their agreement to not cross the strait, along with a guarantee of mutual cooperation during a defensive war sure would provide a good position.


    If it''s a long-standing alliance, it might be hard to throw a wrench in it, even more so considering how beneficial it is to both of them.


    But if I can convince Melissa to let me leave the ind, and if I can gather enough good weapons, like what Melissa described as being relics... is it possible that I could convince the Grand Duchy to betray their allies? From what I know, the control of a strait is something extremely sought after by nations, since it usuallyes with the benefit of increased control over trade in the region.


    If I make a good case, maybe they would surrender to greed.


    After that, they would have a stronger position, but their reputation would also be extremely damaged, so they might refuse if they value their reputation that much.


    There would also be the matter of the bnce of power in the region, but as long as the Snow White Wolves win the war I should be done over here, so it''s not really a concern of mine.


    Miwen: "I have a question though. Why are they attacking this ind specifically? Due to the climate and terrain, it is extremely difficult to invade. It would also be quite hard to settle in and even cultivate in here. No offenses, but I don''t see much value in this ind, even more given the amount of casualties they''d have to trade for it."


    Melissa: "There are two valuable mines here. One is filled with gold and the other is filled with orichalcum. Our tribe isposed mostly of hunters, but even with the few miners we have, we made enough profit to trade for many goods across the sea. Due to this, throughout our history, there were many attempts to conquer us. Of course, they all ended up in failure, but this time..."


    Miwen: "It''s a bigger force than what you can contend with?"


    Melissa: "Possibly. It was fine when they were upied with another nation, but now they brought some troublesome individuals, three generals that are turning the tide of this war. Not to mention the increased amount of troops. A few hours ago they even managed tond, although we were able to repel them..."


    The situation is more dire than I thought. Even though they have the terrain in their favor, if the enemy manages to maintain anding, with their numbers, it would probably be only a matter of time until the tribe falls.


    The event is going tost a bare minimum of two years, so either the event conclusion is tied to something else or their enemy is making faster progress than they were supposed to.


    Either way, if I think calmly about the situation, there''s not much I can do about the increased number of troops, but the three generals might be a different matter.


    Miwen: "Can you tell me about the generals? Maybe I can help in some way."


    Melissa: "It would be lovely if you could, but strength-wise, they are as good as the elites in my army. I believe in a one-on-one, only I should be capable of reliably taking one of them down."


    Yeah, when she puts it like that I feel like my chances are extremely low. But I think it''s worth to at least hear about them.


    Melissa: "Either way, if you really wanna know. I''m fine with telling you about them."


    Miwen: "Sure, go ahead."


    Melissa: "The first and most troublesome one is a girl known by her epithet of ''The Seven Rainbow Miracles''. It seems like among many abilities, her Gift is capable of creating extremely strong barriers. Even a barrage of magic sometimes is not enough to break it.


    Her barriers are also quite big, so usually she envelops three ships in them, and the two ships in the front are the ones that usually try tond. She herself never approaches the ind, only maintaining her barrier and leaving on the third ship once the others manage to reach the shores."


    If she never approaches, and the ind''s focus is on defense, they have no way of giving chase. Even more so when it''s extremely hard to break the barriers of the two ships that do actually try tond and should be the priority.


    Melissa: "During the day, this causes my soldiers to lose most of their mana and much of their fighting ability, and in case ofnding, some might even die while repelling the enemy troops. This brings us to the next problem, the "Angel of the Night". That guy is definitely no angel though, he''s a harpy that painted his wings ck or whatever.


    The problem is that he''s strong, and during the night, hard to spot. He''s been frequentlynding by himself, picking and killing soldiers when they are alone or distracted. Over time, he''s the one causing the most direct damage to my forces."


    Right now this one seems the easiest to deal with, after all, the moment he slips and bites more than he can chew, it would be a simple matter to kill him.


    Miwen: "So, who''s thest one?"


    Melissa: "Prince Gerbil. He''s only the third prince of Hamperlon, but he''s quite astute. From what I could gather, both "The Seven Rainbow Miracles" as well as "The Angel of the Night" weren''t going to join, only doing so after Prince Gerbil managed to convince them.


    He''s not a threat directly, but his troops show greater discipline and morale, making him quite a fierce opponent even when he''s not fighting directly."


    I see that as long as these generals stay alive, the chances of Melissa winning will be diminishing every day. So I think my priority for this event will be formting a n to take them down. If I manage to do that, the path to victory will be that much clearer.

 Chapter 31: Outnumbered, But Not Outwitted

    For now, my rtionship with Melissa is based on information sharing and an agreement in which we swear to not harm each other. Slowly, I''m making progress toward a formal alliance.


    Though It''s clear that she does not trust me as an ally yet. The moment I tried to ask about her Gift and skills she refused to share anything, even though that was the price agreed upon for me to exin my Gift which she seemed interested in initially.


    I''m not too worried as her trust will naturally increase with time, even more so when it''s made clear that anything she shares with me is not going to leak. The real problem right now is whether her tribe can hold long enough for me to formte and put into action a n.


    Licia: "Hmm... that''s gonna be hard..."


    ire: "How many soldiers does she have?"


    Miwen: "That was thest topic before I left. She maintains a standing army of 600, but she could recruit between 800~1000 more men. The enemy has anywhere between 6000 and 7000, not all of them are professional soldiers though."


    The conversation I had with Melissa ended up being quite productive, but extremely worrisome at the same time. Each of her soldiers would need to kill 10 men at the bare minimum for her to win, and even though she can conscript more men, the enemy would also be able to do the same, and probably dwarf her numbers even more.


    Most of what I know about wares from history sses and documentaries, so while it''s useful knowledge, it''s definitely not on par with an actual seasoned general. Thankfully I have a veteran to consult with ire who used to fight in the army under her dad.


    ire: "You may have chosen the wrong side to support..."


    Miwen: "I know they are outnumbered but isn''t her position quite good? To win she just needs to defend hernd for long enough or cause enough casualties that the enemy gives up, given the terrain, I thought it wouldn''t be so hard."


    Defending is always easier than attacking, the enemy needs to cross the sea and disembark, after that, they would have to cross through a snow field towards a forest, where they then will have to face a fortress. Outside of the numbers, in my eyes, Melissa should have everything in her favor.


    ire: "The problem is that the enemy is capable of diminishing her numbers. Her standing army is only six hundred strong, which means that any time one soldier from that army dies, she needs to bring someone who doesn''t have as much experience or training. Eventually, discipline and morale will be too damaged for her to maintain proper fighting conditions."


    Licia: "There is alsoposition to consider. After a trained soldier dies, ideally she''d get a hunter, a mage, or an adventurer to rece them. But since there''s no dungeon on the ind, both adventurers and mages should be scarce, making it so that her army bes unbnced as most recruits would want to serve as archers."


    I didn''t think about the armyposition so Licia brought up a good point. And I also agree with what ire said, but...


    Miwen: "With proper training wouldn''t she be able to deal with both of these problems?"


    Licia: "Not at all."


    Miwen: "Huh? Why not?"


    From the little that I know, proper military training should, by all means, be capable of at least alleviating some of these problems.


    ire: "Yeah you can train a hunter to be a swordsman, no problem. But what are you gonna do about his Gift and skills? Chances are, if he chose to be a hunter, his Gift probably had some influence on this decision. If she doesn''t ce her people in positions close to what they are used to or at least where their Gift will have an impact, her army quality will quickly decrease."


    Ever since the First Contact 20 years ago, most governments and organizations have been busy with internal affairs, so war with other countries has been low on the priority list as armies are busy dealing with internal security most of the time.


    Although from a few conflicts and studies, the fact that Gifts and skills would impact any war is unquestionable, though exactly how is not currently known.


    That left a gap in my understanding of this situation, as any history or theory prior to the First Contact would fail to take into ount superhuman powers.


    Licia: "Theck of a dungeon in her territory is also particrly concerning..."


    ire: "Yeah it''s a huge minus for her..."


    This one was quite easy to understand, after all, I myself have experienced the impact a dungeon can have on someone. Be it strength, intelligence, speed, or even one''s mana, through leveling up in a dungeon one can get unrecognizably more powerful in a bunch of different aspects.


    Melissa has to replenish her army with soldiers that cannot level up, as they can''t leave the ind to raid a dungeon. The enemy possessing a vast territory is able to do it, meaning she will eventually face a level disadvantage. Yeah, it''s clear how this is a big problem...


    Miwen: "Even though the event description said that her army was individually stronger..."


    Licia: "That doesn''t mean this will be the case forever."


    ire: "If she keeps losing soldiers from her standing army, even though she can rece them with men from the viges, her defeat will be set in stone."


    Miwen: "I guess you''re right... Well, it''s a bit more grave than I thought, but it doesn''t change what I should do, if anything, it just makes it more urgent that we take action."


    ire: "Even after all we said you still wish to ally yourself with the underdog?"


    Miwen: "Yes. And I also believe there''s something we can do right now, but I''m going to need your opinion."


    ire: "Go ahead."


    Before leaving I offered Melissa whatever I could get from the [Weapons Banner] and the [Armor Banner], this time however I came to terms with the fact I was parting with possibly great items.


    But curiosity ended up winning over me in the end and I decided to take a look at exactly what I was giving away. Thanks to that, an item managed to grab my attention:


    [Scout''s Cloak Of Invisibility]


    As the name suggests, the wearer bes invisible, and the detection skills of an enemy also show greatly diminished effects, in most cases even being incapable of detecting the presence of whoever is wearing the cloak.


    The biggest weakness is that you can''t attack or cast magic while wearing the cloak, the moment you do, your invisibility will be turned off and the effects of the cloak will stop working against the enemies that you attacked or saw you attack.


    With this in mind, this item became the cornerstone for a trap that could take one of the enemy generals down, if this works out, it could be the feat that changes the tide of war and makes me Melissa''s invaluable ally.


    To end the day I discussed the details of what I had in mind with the girls and also spent [Kingdom Points] to get Licia and ire some new clothes, the warmest possible, as it was definitely going to be needed with what I had in mind.

 Chapter 32: Mia

    As the days went by the chances of Melissa winning this war were diminishing. New recruits didn''t measure up to the soldiers they were recing and with that, it was clear that her army quality was decreasing by the day.


    The only way to deal with it was to kill the generals responsible for the casualties on her side, but the n I developed to deal with them would require Melissa''s trust, and even then, it would still be a bet if it was going to work out. What''s more, Melissa would have to allow me to potentially put someone from her tribe in danger, which wasn''t something easy to convince her about.


    I could talk and agree with her on many things, but this detail was usually a deal breaker, and sadly, the itemsing from the Gacha weren''t opening up any new strategies...


    My best bet would be to let things y out for now until she became desperate enough to rely on what I proposed, but at the same time, the more desperate she became, the harder would be for us to turn this war in her favor...


    Melissa: "Boy, I see you''re back again today. Did you bring me any goods?"


    Miwen: "Yeah, but it''s more of the same to be honest, don''t expect too much out of it."


    Melissa: "It''s already more than enough, we''d be lucky to find a cksmith capable of producing your high-end items."


    Miwen: "If only they were that reliable huh? Even though I bring a bunch every day, the quality ispletely random, and most of the time there''s nothing that useful."


    Melissa: "You don''t need to downy it like that you know? It''s not like I was expecting you to bring me a single item that could instantly win me this war."


    Miwen: "Is that so? But it raises the question, how exactly do you expect to win then?"


    Melissa: "Oh... Is about that again huh?"


    Miwen: "You bet. It''s clear that what I''m offering you has a minimal impact, but if you went along with my n we could-"


    Melissa: "Thankfully I came prepared for it then..."


    The sudden shift in direction, from someone who was resisting the idea, came to me as a surprise, but what''s more surprising was the presence of another person in this room.


    A girl with long silver hair and a slim body, it''s a bit of a contrast with Melissa''s well-defined curves, but with her face, there''s no one who wouldn''t call her cute. Even when she res at you menacingly without talking at all, like what she''s doing to me right now.


    This is Melissa''s daughter, Mia. She''s been bringing the items I provide to the tribe in ce of Melissa when she cannot do it. This girl keeps minimal contact with me and it was a bit hard to deal with her in general.


    It''s clear she isn''t fond of the idea of getting assistance from someone outside her tribe like me, but she also shows great respect and obedience towards her mother, and thus, never once did she fail her task, even when it seemed like she couldn''t stand to look at me.


    I must note that nowadays it''s a bit better, like her mother, she''s a tough nut to crack, but slowly I feel like she''s bing morefortable in my presence.


    Her being in this room has be a bit of amon urrence, but since Melissa is already here, I don''t think there''s any reason for her presence.


    Miwen: "So, what exactly is this all about?"


    Melissa: "For what you had in mind, you''d need both myself and another subject of mine at the very least, isn''t that right? Well, here you go, you can use Mia as you''d like."


    Upon hearing her mother''s words, Mia res surprised at her, and although she clearly doesn''t want to be subjected to it, the blush on her face indicates to me that if it was her mother''s order, she would actually consider going along with it.


    I won''t deny that Melissa''s words also gave me some ideas of my own, but of course, I won''t be doing anything along those lines, I didn''te here for that anyway.


    Miwen: "I believe I told you that whoever you chose to apany me would be the one in most danger. My allies and I can quickly escape if things turn out bad, but your subject would have to face one of the generals alone..."


    Melissa: "Can''t you see I''m warning you here? If things turn out badly, I''ll obviously focus on rescuing my daughter before following your n or saving you. What''s more, you need someone who you can trust your back to, right? In the tribe right now, aside from myself, I believe Mia is the only one who wouldn''t kill you on sight..."


    What she''s saying makes sense, but something feels wrong about this. First of all, yeah, I can trust Mia to an extent, even more so when it''s an order from her mother. It''s also true that Mia somewhat trusts me at least to not bring active harm to her tribe.


    But that''s only because of the time she spent in this jail, seeing how I meant to help her tribe out and how I didn''t have any kind of negative feelings towards her.


    I believe that anyone Melissa sent to do this task in the first ce would end uping to the same conclusions about me. Hell, someone else might''ve even befriended me at this point. So the crux of her argument, the fact that I can trust Mia and Mia trusts me, is only really true because she decided to make the situation like this.


    So, since when did she n to arrange things this way? And with what intent? This woman is really cunning, getting a good read on her actions takes all my brain power, but discerning her intentions is even more troublesome.


    For now, I believe that she doesn''t mean any harm to me, so the arrangement of this situation either results in a positive for me, Melissa herself, or Mia.


    I think I can let things go like this, it seems like Mia is also quite capable herself, so there shouldn''t be any problems about that...


    Melissa: "I also believeing face to face with one of the enemy generals would be a good experience for her."


    I showed too much concern and lost myself in thought trying to figure her out. I doubt that''s her hidden intention, but it''s smart of her to hide the truth behind another truth, even more so while being reasonable.


    Miwen: "Well, it''s your daughter that you will be putting in danger, so I won''t object. But if you agree to it, I believe we can do it tomorrow night."


    Melissa: "Fair, we need to discuss the finer details, like the locations and timing. Come here Mia, you will need to pay attention to this."


    Throughout this whole discussion, Mia had no input of her own, although her expressions didn''t hide her concern, everything her mother told her to do she instantly agreed. It seems to me like they care about each other a lot, but Mia still greatly respects her mother as a leader.


    Melissa''s decision still bothers me a bit, but this is the best I coulde up with the limited time and resources we have at our disposal. So while I believe it''s still a bet if it''s gonna work out, if it does, then it will bring a big upset to this whole war.

 Chapter 33: The Angel That Fell Into a Trap

    The silence of the night is suddenly broken. Across a snow field, near the shores of a beach, four people could be seen running. Three were in the front while another one was following them. The dark of the night was able to obscure most things, but if you were a good scout, you''d probably be able to figure out what was happening.


    The three humans were being chased by a wolfgirl, desperately trying to run for their lives. In this terrain and with their level disadvantage, it was only a matter of time before the girl managed to catch up to them. The best they could do was fire out spells at their assant, hoping that it would buy them a bit of time.


    To say it seemed like a hopeless situation would be an understatement. When this girl caught up with the humans, they were going to be killed for sure, with no chance of fighting back. Yet, it was also very intriguing.


    This ind is at war at the moment, the beastmen poptions are protecting the shores, making it so that no man or woman is able to disembark. So, how do you exin the current situation? Why are there 3 people who are clearly not from this ind running for their lives right now? How did they even manage to get here in the first ce?


    Well, there''s an exnation for it, of course. But the events that led to this night are clouded in much more fog than one could possibly hope to see through. Any assumption made here would surely lead to one''s downfall, as the truth couldn''t be hidden under a more unique set of circumstances.


    If you were intrigued by this situation, the first logical step would be to gather information. First of all, checking the skills of everyone involved is of utmost importance.


    Usually, someone''s skills are a good indication of what their Gift is capable of, people tend to use skills to enhance their own Gift capabilities after all, either strengthening what it''s already good at or opening up new possibilities.


    Looking at what''s happening, it''s not hard to see something strange. The girls are capable of ice magic and fire magic respectively, both seem to focus on that while trying to distance themselves from the wolfgirl chasing them.


    The boy though is capable of both, and not only that, for their age and level, they show an admirable number of skills, so most likely they''ve been living a life of hardships where they''d need to fight each and every day just to go by, this also shows in the girls'' fighting ability, which you wouldn''t expect of someone at that level.


    The boy is a bit less prominent, but maybe he''s preparing something. He seems more anxious than the rest after all.


    The most important factor right now is that no one has any ability rted to illusion, and in the humans'' case, it doesn''t look like they would even be able to maintain one for too long. So whatever is observed must be a reality in its purest form.


    In this case, wouldn''t this be an opportunity for the enemy of the beastmen living on this ind? There are people who somehow had the capability of entering this ind, something his kingdom has been trying to do for quite some time now.


    If these people being chased right now could provide information about somewhere where the defenses aren''t as tight, or maybe a ce where a small group could sneak by, then whoever gets their hands on them would get amazing rewards for their deed.


    But what if it was a trap? If these people were somehow in cahoots with the beastmen? Even though it would be hard to believe, it could happen. But no other kingdom made any attempt to invade the ind, so, it still brings up the question of how humans managed to disembark here in the first ce.


    In the end, if you were strong enough to overpower both the beastgirl giving chase and the humans being chased, then, no matter what the situation was, you could still at the very least kidnap the humans and make them talk about how they got to the ind in the first ce.


    In the end, if greed and pride managed to ovee caution, then, by all means, whoever had anything to gain with this situation would take a shot at it.


    How could I be so sure about that? Well, for starters, a kingdom that started a war with a tribe of strong beastmen, in a terrain that gives the defenders an insane advantage, only for like, two useful mines... I think greed already clouds their minds.


    And what''s more, a harpy that attacks soldiers in the night, a single general with no fear of death that keeps causing casualties on the enemy. How could he not be proud of himself, after seeing the impact of his actions, after killing many soldiers?


    With all of this given to you, how would you not expect them to take action, to take the chance to be rewarded, and to underestimate the enemy he''s been winning against for all this time?


    Well, for a time, I also had my doubts, but seeing the image in front of me right now, I know that, even if it was a bet, I managed to win big time.


    In front of me stood a harpy, wings colored in ck. A man in histe twenties, confident in himself. After all, his level manages to stand above the collective of everyone right now, even if he had to fight us, he would surely win. And even if somehow the situation got dicey, he could always fly away.


    Miwen: "...! Look out!"


    The wolfgirl seems relentless, even in front of such menace, she still attacks him with everything she has. Consecutive punches are thrown out, at a speed that I couldn''t hope to match even if I had four arms. There''s a hint of desperation in her attempt. As if she had to do it no matter what.


    This man, however, manages to dodge most of them, although he still has some trouble, needing to block some as well.


    s, if there was any doubt about who the superior force here is, the next strike managed to clear away any suspicion. The man punches the wolfgirl hard in her chest, sending her flying meters away.


    I can''t show concern for Mia''s life, but I doubt she''d go down with a single punch. It''s better to focus on the feeling that if she survived that, then she will kill me for itter. This fear of being killed by the wolfgirl who has 10x times more levels than ire helps me a lot in my acting.


    Miwen: "... Quickly! Before shees back!"


    I call ire and Licia, and we continue running at our top speed, in the same direction we were going before. Although the man had his back turned towards us, it takes him just a second to catch up to us.


    ???: "Going somewhere?"


    Miwen: "We were so close... ire, Licia. Go ahead, I''ll be there in a moment!"


    ire: "If you think I''ll leave you alone brother, you better-"


    Miwen: "Just go!"


    ???: "Oh, a brother taking care of his sister, how nice."


    If it worked once, who''s to say it won''t work twice? In a way, this guy''s recklessness reminds me of Roy, so, now that ire has experience in lying about her family, I was expecting she''d be even better at it.


    The most important thing right now is that this guy has already fallen into my trap, he just doesn''t know it. The real question is how far can I take it? If I manage to sell him my bullshit...


    ???: "Don''t worry too much, I didn''te here to kill you alright?"


    Miwen: "Don''t lie to me, you''re going to throw us back into that jail. I''ve already told you how we got here, just let us leave already."


    If acting is the ability to lie and deceive, then I''m not confident in my acting skills. But if that''s the case, then, I just need to take a page from Melissa''s book and start hiding the truth behind another truth, after all, I really was in jail just a few hours ago.


    It''s also true that I already told Melissa how I got here, and being honest, I really wanted to leave the ind, there are things I want to try with a certain Grand Duchy after all...


    ???: "...I see. Listen, boy, how about a deal ? If you tell me how you got to this ind and everything you know about it, I''ll let you bring you and the other two girls out of here. How about it?"


    Miwen: "And how do I know you''re not lying?"


    ???: " You don''t, the best you can do right now is bet on me. Or you could also wait for that wolf girl to wake up and then ask her gently to take you out but..."


    Miwen: "... Fine. There''s a cave close to where we are right now, their tribe doesn''t approach it. We were hiding there but... Either way, if you bring us there at least I''ll tell you anything you want to know."


    ???: "Why wouldn''t they approach it ?."


    Miwen: "There are two small statues in the front, it may be a religious thing or whatever, I don''t really know about it. But we need to go quickly before more of theme."


    ???: "Is that so? Lead the way then."


    I can see a smug smile on his face. This guy just got exactly what he wanted. A ce that the Snow White Wolves don''t approach? This could be huge news for their army, and what''s more, the promise of a human who somehow ended up here telling him all about how he did it... I know for sure this guy thinks he just scored the biggest win possible in this whole affair.

 Chapter 34: Melissa vs The Angel Of The Night

    As we walk with the enemy general through the snow, I think about what''sing up ahead. Due to the level difference, I can''t contribute to a fight against this guy even if I gave it my all. Any attack I throw at him, be it physical or magic, would probably not even deal damage. The same is true for the girls, of course, so all of us would just end up being dead weight.


    I could help indirectly by wasting a bit of his energy using a roundabout way to get to our destination, but then it would increase any suspicions he might have.


    It''s probably not worth putting everything in jeopardy just for that small of an advantage, we are already lucky that everything is proceeding this smoothly after all...


    Without many opportunities to push the odds just that much in our favor, we eventually reach the ce on which the final act will begin.


    A small cave entrance stands in front of us. It looks pretty normal, except for two small dragon statues in front of it and a man-made stone gate. There is an air of mystery surrounding it thanks to thebination of a precarious stone gate, well-made statues, and a natural cave. Overall, there''s nothing rming about it, aside from being a bit of a strange sight.


    ???: "Those are dragons... so if this is a shrine, then it''s true that they colluded with the Dragon King of Frost, huh?"


    ... I have absolutely no idea what this guy is talking about. I just asked Melissa to prepare anything that looked like a shrine, and she haphazardly threw this together. I''llter ask her what this was all about, but first, it would be ideal if this guy managed to enter the cave. Inside a closed space, his ability to fly wouldn''t mean shit, and it would severely hurt his chances of escaping.


    Miwen: "I don''t know, but whatever this ce is, they never enter or attack the cave, there''s hardly anyone in the area surrounding it. Not only the tribesman. Come, let us talk inside."


    ???: "Sorry kid, I''d prefer to keep guard outside, at least until I can confirm their tribe doesn''t invade the ce. Maybe I should actually go back and drag that one girl here..."


    He''s being cautious. Under these circumstances, he wants to at least keep his escape route.


    It''s a shame we can''t bring him inside, but oh well...


    Miwen: "I see, I guess we should start then..."


    ???: " Oh yeah, do tell me how did you-"


    A man suddenlyes flying in my direction. Normally I''d feel threatened by it, but right now, I can only feel pity. It resembles what he did to Mia, this time though, he was the one being thrown around.


    Out of thin air, Melissa appears, throwing the cloak to the side.


    This was expected, as she has been following us since the very beginning. Thanks to the cloak, her presence went undetected until she first attacked.


    When this so-called Angel of The Night first attacked Mia, I thought for sure Melissa would strike at him with zero fucks given. Thankfully it seems she managed to maintain herposure and endure her rage until the right moment.


    Even if she attacked him at that moment and he managed to escape, I could still say that I kept my end of the deal at the very least, although the end result would have been less than what IU hoped for.


    But seeing how perfectly everything worked out, Melissa shouldn''t have anyints.


    Before charging towards her prey inside the cave, Melissa erects an earth wall behind us that connects to the cave''s entrance. Effectively, once again I find myself imprisoned by her. There''s nothing to worry about though, if anything, I feel like I got front-row seats for a live wrestling match.


    Licia: "You should''ve kept us outside!"


    Melissa: "Is that so? Since the boy showed his worth, I thought about returning the favor."


    Licia worries about our security, so she erects her own ice wall in front of us so that we can take cover. Well, looking at the level of the contestants this much would hardly even stop them for a second, still, it''s the best she can do, so she does it.


    It takes but a moment for the enemy general to once again stand up. With his back pressed against the walls of the cave, his only hope of leaving would be destroying the earth wall Melissa erected.


    This is no easy task though. Even though this guy must be quite capable given the position he upies in the Hamperlon army, standing in front of him is Melissa, 30 levels higher, a woman who leads a tribe of hunters and excellent soldiers. No doubt when ites to battles, experience wise they should be evenly matched.


    And so, Melissa finally charges at him, her eleration is simply astonishing, she closes the gap as if it was simply a step away. The guy must have also been shocked, the first punch connects and holes are made in the ground where Melissa is standing, her strength so great that just her taking a position for a punch causes enough pressure for the earth and snow beneath her to disappear.


    Her uppercut lifts the "angel" body out of the ground entirely, but even though it''s clear he took a lot of damage from that, he shes at Melissa with his right wing.


    His wing must be as hard as steel, and quite sharp since it manages to draw blood from Melissa, If I had to guess, it''s either due to his Gift or a skill, I doubt all harpies are like that.


    Although her arm has a cut, Melissa grabs the wing that just shed at her and strips a bunch of feathers from it.


    Angel Of The Night: "Gh...!"


    He''s visibly in pain from that. Well, not that "visibly" to be honest. Thanks to Melissa covering us in this earth dome it would be quite hard to see what''s going on, even more so with their absurd speed.


    ire, however, used her magic to light small fires around the dome, which are providing enough light for everyone to see what was currently happening. I was capable of watching it quite well before, but I guess it was harder for her.


    Not to be outdone by her opponent, Melissa''s nails extend, resembling more the ws of an animal than the nails a human possesses. She sinks her ws into the harpy''s arm, closes her hand, and pushes it, bringing with it almost half of what used to be a perfectly healthy arm. She throws it to the ground, blood spattering from everywhere, the snow around them drenched in red.


    The look on his face is one of pure fright. In his mind, he''s beginning to understand just what he got himself into. He''s trapped, his opponent is above his league, what can he do?


    For now, he can still somewhat fight, but it''s clear to anyone that he''d be lucky to even manage to take a limb off Melissa, much less kill her.


    Using his wings as aplementary force, making use of his full speed, a flurry of attacks isunched toward Melissa. Even if one of his arms just got obliterated, he still tries his best to keep up a fight.


    ire: "Ohh, he''s quite brave! I thought he''d be a bigger wimpy given his sneaky night raids. I''d have loved to face either of them back in my prime."


    Licia: "She''s taking too long, should I giver her a hand?"


    The professionalmentators on my side sure are excited, even Licia who was at first mad at Melissa''s actions is now enjoying the show. However, what she just said piqued my interest quite a bit.


    Miwen: "What do you mean? The level gap is too high for you to do damage."


    ire: "..."


    Licia: "We should do a mock fight someday so that you can understand better, but Ice magic allows for quite good support you know?"


    ire: "Ice mages are all really annoying to deal with, thankfully they never really mess with me."


    Licia: "That''s because your magic is a clear counter to ours, it''s not fair!"


    Miwen: "So, how are you gonna provide support? I don''t want to belittle you, but even if you tried to freeze his feet with all your mana, due to his strength, he''d break out of it instantly, as if it had never even been frozen in the first ce."


    When Licia talks about giving support through her ice magic, I think back to when she froze the Goblin Lord''s weapon so that I couldnd a killing blow. But that was only possible thanks to a somewhat close level of strength between them, her ice magic being strong enough to overpower the goblin at the time.


    I''m really curious to see what Licia can do to help here, after all, it should be useful to at least learn it so that I can replicate it in the future if pushes to shove.


    Licia: "Watch and learn."


    She starts focusing all her attention in the fight, trying to read it as best as she can. By the looks of it, it''s not going to take much longer before Melissa finishes her opponent, but she''s also taking some damage, so it would be best if Licia acted fast.


    As Melissa trades blows with her opponent, for only a second she leaves an opening, seeing this chance, the Angel of The Night tries to connect his hardest blow yet, but as he rotates his body tounch a sh at Melissa with his wing while protecting his face against a counter-attack, suddenly, he trips.


    This girl...


    When I thought she was going to do something insane, she just used an absurd amount of experience to read everyone''s move and predict an opportunity.


    When that arrived, like a kid extending their leg so you trip over, she just made a very small ice ramp next to the angel''s feet.


    Licia: "Even though it''s not that big of an area if I focused all my mana on his feet, it would be too weak to have an effect due to the level disparity. But if I focus on an even smaller area? If I make it so that his feet only need to slide for a moment? Then I can do something like this."


    ire: "That''s why no one likes to fight against ice users."


    Licia: "How''s that? Did you like it?"


    Miwen: "You look more like a bully right now..."


    Licia: "Ehhh?"


    I admit it was most impressive, even more so how she managed to get such a good read on everything she was seeing, but...


    This looked more like a childish prank than anything. It also doesn''t help the fact that Melissa took that opportunity to start kicking the guy that just fell to the ground in the most humiliating way ever.


    I feel like I''m watching two cold-hearted girls bully a poor guy while another oneughs at him... Add to that the fact that I was their aplice in getting the guy in this situation...This whole sequence just made me lose a bit of pride in my actions thus far.


    Still, the title of general ought to be respected. This guy is a genuine monster. He''s fighting against a much stronger opponent, and even after being beaten to a pulp and losing one of his arms, he''s still not giving up. Using his wings, he propels himself out of the ground, and in a desperatest attempt, flies at full speed towards the ice wall the girls and I are behind.


    Maybe he thought that he could take one of us as a hostage, but it was a big mistake, he just turned his back to Melissa after all.


    His current speed is probably a bit faster than what Melissa showed previously, it''s obvious to anyone that his giving it his all right now, but..


    Melissa shows her fangs, literally, and in an incredibly fast jump, that outspeed everything that has happened thus far, bites off the angel''s leg,nds on the ceiling, and in another jump, from the ceiling to the ground, manages to knock the angel out, making a deep hole in the process.


    At least that was what I think happened. I could only see her first jump, after that, my eyes, even now that they are enhanced by a skill, weren''t able to follow her movements. The most I managed to see was a shadow moving everywhere.


    After that, the battle was truly over. The angel didn''t move anymore, and Melissa dragged him to her tribe. Although not dead, It wouldn''t take too long for him to die without healing magic or potions. Melissa also took some damage, but nothing close to life-threatening.


    Melissa: "Don''t forget your cloak boy, you''re gonna need it to sneaky back to your cell."


    Miwen: "Eh? I thought you were gonna celebrate me as a hero ?"


    Melissa: "I didn''t agree to that. But fine, Mia should be waiting outside, sadly, since I have to carry this guy, I can''t lend you a hand but..."


    Miwen: "I get it, I get it, I''ll be a good boy, please don''t feed me to the wolves."


    Melissa: "Heh, did I scare you that much?"


    Miwen: "You have no idea."


    Well, at the end of the day, I never managed to understand why Melissa made such an borate move to have Mia be part of this whole thing to start with.


    And sadly my standing with the tribe didn''t really improve since Melissa kept our rtionship a secret and imed the feat of defeating the enemy general for herself to boost morale amongst her army. All things considered, I might be more in danger now than I was before since Mia might be slightly pissed off.


    But there''s no way the results this time can be seen as anything but great. Not only did we deal a massive blow to the enemy, I''m sure Melissa trusts me a lot more now, much more than just providing her with useful items, by working together, one by one, we could be able to knock down every single piece in the board.

 Chapter 35: An Old Story

    Looking through a window inside the house I made to live in the [Kingdom] I reflect on how empty and strange this ce truly is.


    First of all, there''s a day and night cycle, which should mean that there is a star somewhere and that this ce orbits it right? It''s true that both a star and a moon cycle through the sky, but it feels so artificial seeing as there''s this thick fog surrounding everything. It truly looks like a videogame scenario where there''s an initial area that you''re not supposed to leave.


    But due to the emptiness in this ce, it feels more like a horror game where monsters will jump at you, of course, this effect is more evident during the night, which is why I wasn''t paying it any mind until now.


    There used to be only a single hut in here, but due to the circumstances I found myself in there''s now a house ce in the middle of this space. Normally it would help things look more... human? But a single house surrounded by this fog in an otherwise empty ce doesn''t really do much to make the atmosphere better.


    Being here alone also doesn''t help things, I feel like something wille out from the fog when I least expect it, but s, it never happens. Since I can leave this ce and not one thing seems to have been changed or a new entity appears, it''s also safe to assume that such a thing will not happen.


    Another strange thing that I''ve noticed is that the kingdom seems to be synchronized with both Earth and the event world, as the duration of the day and the night seem to be the same in these three "worlds". I doubt this is actually the case though, many things can affect the duration of the day on a, so for these three to be matched must be due to some magic.


    It''s doubtful that I can find the answer to everything here as it stands, and there''s also the fact that my Gift has unlockable features as was the case with the events, so maybe if I make enough progress, the answers will naturallye in the form of the unlockables. Well, either answers or more questions, but for now I''m satisfied with the way things stand.


    Though, I''m to summon more people, I''d like to at least be able to guarantee their safety. Since my house is already pretty crowded. I only hope that nothing unpredictable starts happening around here as time goes on.


    Licia: "You seem worried."


    Miwen: "Hm? Sorry, I was just thinking about something."


    Licia: "Is it about the execution?"


    Miwen: "Nah. I believe Melissa won''t have any trouble with it, it''s also understandable why she would want to do it. The guy gave her tribe so much trouble after all."


    If Melissa had killed the Angel Of The Night back in the cave, I would''ve gotten some experience out of it, since Licia somewhat helped in the fight and we share the same experience gains.


    Due to the level difference, we could have gotten a level up or two straight away, but Melissa prioritized the morale of her army over it.


    I don''t hold any grudges against her for it though, given our low levels, it wouldn''t make much of a difference since she doesn''t expect us to directly help in fighting.


    I could at least provide her with more items if I had a level-up, but at the end of the day, she valued her troops more than that.


    Miwen: "Is ire noting?"


    Licia: "I tried waking her up, but she asked for a few more... hours. I think she''ll onlye to see you during the night."


    Miwen: "Perhaps she got tired from using mana to shoot at Mia and lighting fires in yesterday''s arena..."


    Licia: "Not at all, she''s good at controlling her mana input so she kept herself from total mana depletion. It''s just that since we aren''t going to the dungeon, we have a lot of free time, so we''ve been watching movies in your house."


    Miwen: "And that led to her being this tired ?"


    Licia: "Well, she wanted to watch one more before I left, but I guess it didn''t end up at just one..."


    I can''t really be mad at her for that, I''ve been in the same ce before after all.


    Miwen: "If it''s boring to you, feel free to go to the dungeon, but just be careful, alright?"


    Licia: "I don''t like the idea of just the two of us facing the boss, it''s possible that we could win, but it''s an unnecessary risk. What''s more pressing is that you scold her when this ends, or else she''s going to be a freeloader who doesn''t work to earn her stay."


    Miwen: "Alright, alright. I''ll be sure to talk to herter, ok?"


    To be honest I don''t really mind having a cute girl freeloading back at home, but ire is very strong, and having her on the dungeon raids brings a lot of power and fighting experience to our party.


    Miwen: "I''ll bring Melissa some gifts from the gacha, do you want toe along?"


    Licia: "As much as I''d like to share a cell with you, right now I''d prefer to catch up with the movies ire watched without me."


    Is she being ironic about the cell thing or should I get my hopes up? Well, we already share a bed anyway and nothing really happens, so sharing a prison cell also wouldn''t lead to anything. But if we can''t at least hope, then what can we do?


    I depart with Licia while maintaining these thoughts, and when the scenario changes from the creepy yet safe kingdom of mine to the dungeon cell of the White Snow Wolves, where before me stands their chieftess and her daughter.


    Miwen: "Oh, so you''re still alive? I was worried sick you know?"


    Mia: "!.."


    Since her mother is right here, she won''t do anything rash or even talk back, so I won''t miss the chance of teasing this cute wolfgirl. And after her mother took away a potential level-up from me, it''s only fair that I get the reward of seeing her daughter flustered like this.


    Mia: "If I had the mark-"


    Melissa: "Eh? If you came here to flirt, I can just leave you two alone."


    When ites to teasing Mia, it would be foolish of me to try andpete with her mother, the expression on her face right now is something I''d fight the entirety of the Hamperlons for, even if that would surely cost me my life.


    Even then, I''d be a fool not to notice she just tried to hide whatever Mia was about to say. I don''t mind if she keeps secrets from me, but I believe it''s already time we start being more honest with one another, so I''ll be sure to question her about the things I have doubts about.


    And well, between Melissa and Licia, I''ve been getting many tempting offerstely, but this one''s a hard pass.


    Miwen: "No, thanks. I like having my head attached to my neck."


    Melissa: "Quite clever, I wouldn''t expect less of my ally."


    Miwen: "So you recognize me as your ally and yet you still keep secrets from me?"


    Mia: "..."


    Melissa: "...It''s not really a secret. I can tell if you''d like me to but... let''s just say right now is not the best time."


    Miwen: "Alright. But then what about the dragon?"


    Melissa: "...The dragon?"


    I don''t like this attitude, I''ve been working hard for her, so the least she can do is share with me what she knows. That way I''ll be able to better help her.


    Miwen: "I believed it was called the Dragon King of Frost, and the harpy said that you had a pact with it or something."


    Melissa: "Colluded. He used the word colluded."


    So she''s not going to y dumb. Well, it would be useless either way.


    Melissa: "And he was wrong, we never colluded with that beast."


    Miwen: "I''ll dly listen to the story."


    Melissa: "Even though it''s not worthwhile?"


    Miwen: "Well, the girls have been enjoying some entertainment as ofte, so I might be feeling a bit envious. A good story would be enjoyable."


    Melissa: "It''s not even enjoyable, but alright..."


    I sit in anticipation, it might not be much, but her sharing this already proves to me that she''s willing to tell me what I want to know, even if to her it''s not worth it. This one might be trivial, but there''s another thing I''ve been meaning to ask her, so I''ll do it after judging how truthful she is with this one.


    Melissa: "So, to start with, the Dragon King of Frost is a beast of old, a mythical dragon that has not been seen for more than five centuries. Legend says he''s responsible for the frozennds in the north that stretch all the way to this very ind."


    I''ve noticed the frozennd on the map she gave me, but I thought it just meant we were close to the north pole equivalent of this world.


    At first, it seemed strange to me the way the ice spread, but I''m not an expert on these things, so I figured it just seemed odd because I''m used to seeing Earth''s world map.


    There''s also the chance that their map just wasn''t that precise to begin with. Since maps of old ages on Earth were also wed, I believed it would make sense for the maps of a tribe in the middle of nowhere in a setting that looks medieval to also make mistakes in their map-making.


    Melissa: "No one knows where the dragon was born, but the most epted version of the legend says that he came from this ind and traveled north, freezing everything in his path.


    On the maind, they tell tales about how our tribe wanted to spread and made a covenant with the Dragon King of Frost, where he would freeze the entire continent so that we would be the only ones capable of living in it."


    Miwen: "But you''re saying that''s not true?"


    Melissa: "I can''t be absolutely sure, but it''s rather convenient to ce the me of a disaster on a tribe that rarely leaves their birthce, it makes it quite hard for us to spread our version of the story, at the very least."


    Miwen: "And what happens in your version?"


    Melissa: "Well, the story we tell is that the beast came from the north, it was freezing everything in its way, so our people, who at the time had a small kingdom, were forced to migrate to avoid the dragon. This was normally impossible for most other races, but thanks to us being resistant to the cold, our ancestors managed to escape before the conditions became too harsh.


    Eventually, though, we couldn''t migrate further, and upon reaching the shore, it was decided that our tribe would do ast stand."


    If their tribe was the only one to escape, then it would make sense for them to be thought of as cooperating with the dragon, and since they ended up on this ind with a small poption, it would be hard for them to argue against the theories that the people of the maind made.


    Melissa: "That dragon could freeze an entire area by just approaching it, so even though our people managed to win and repel it somewhere else, we couldn''t really inhabit thend anymore, so we arrived at this ind. Even though the dragon never really touched this ce, just by flying next to it, this became forever a snow-covered ind.


    My tribe can still live under these conditions, so it didn''t take long for us to make this our home."


    Since they are both different versions of the same legend, told by different tribes and kingdoms, it''s hard to pinpoint which one is correct. The truth might be a strange mix of both or it could even be the case that both versions arepletely wrong. If I had to choose what I believe in, it would probably be what Melissa told me.


    Although the ind has a harsh climate, it''s habitable, if the dragon had started his path from here, then there would be no way someone could live here. Melissa''s version exins why the effects of his freezing are less powerful in this ce. Another thing to note is, if that dragon was so powerful, why would he make a pact that didn''t really favor him at all?


    In both versions, it seems to me that the so-called Dragon King of Frost didn''t really stand to gain anything.


    Aside from that, thest point in favor of Melissa is that... her tribe resides on this ind instead of governing a big chunk of the continent. If they had truly made a pact with the dragon, then by now, at least 500 yearster, their standing should be much better, with much morend to their name.


    It might be that since Melissa''s telling the story she''s choosing to include more details in the exnation of her side of things, but I''d need to hear the other version from someone on the maind to know for sure, and that''s not happening any time soon.


    There is one thing I''m sure about though...


    Miwen: "I can see why you didn''t want to talk about it. It''s not really useful information."


    Even if I could somehow bring that dragon here, what are the chances I could use it for anything? In the most likely scenario, he just freezes both Melissa''s tribe and anyone in his path.


    Melissa: "Maybe you should trust me more, boy."


    Miwen: "That will depend on what you have to say about my next question."


    Melissa: "If it''s about marriage, I believe I''m a bit too old for you, but I can arrange for Mia to-"


    Mia: "Mom! P-please..."


    Gotta give it to her, she''s good at this.


    It''s the first time that I see Mia talk back to her mom, and of all things, it''s just to refuse to marry me. Truly I''ve never felt so dejected.


    Miwen: "It''s rted to Mia, but sadly it''s not about our marriage yet. What I want to know is..."


    And so, I take my shot at having her answer something that has been on my mind ever since I first met Mia.

 Chapter 36: Mark of the Beast Lord

    As I expected, Melissa still refuses to answer why she''s forcing her daughter into making contact with me, going as far as to include her in a dangerous n. But at least I got another answer in return.


    As soon as Mia left, Melissa returned to my first question, telling me what Mia was about to talk about and why she was interrupted.


    Melissa: "The mark she was referring to is called [Mark of the Beast Lord]. It''s a skill that bes avable to everyone who''s a leader of a tribe of beastmen or who has the potential to be one. It strengthens the user physically, but the mark that appears in the body itself is a symbol of leadership."


    Miwen: "So the beastmen refuse to follow someone who doesn''t have the mark?"


    Melissa: "Yes, that''s generally the case."


    I can see why Mia would have aplex about it then, if her mother who''s the leader has this skill, while she, being her daughter, does not. It would be a constant reminder, ever since birth, that she cannot follow in her mother''s footsteps. Still, she must''ve been agitated, because unless this mark provides a great physical buff, I don''t see her winning against that harpy guy.


    Melissa: "I cut her off not because I wanted to hide that from you, but because I know that this is an awkward topic for her, so before she said something she''d regret, I decided to intervene."


    She takes good care of her daughter... which makes me even more confused about her actions. She must be seeing something else, either for her or for her daughter to gain. Wait, was she serious about the whole marriage thing?


    Nah, it couldn''t be...


    Miwen: "I see. Looking at your skills I can confirm that you indeed have this [Mark of the Beast Lord]."


    She has quite a number of skills, so it never urred to me to check them one by one, but I''ll start to do it now during my visits.


    Melissa: "I wouldn''t lie to you."


    Miwen: "But you''d keep the truth from me."


    Melissa: "For now."


    Oh, so there''s hope then? Alright, I can y the long game just fine.


    Miwen: "Well, since Mia took the items with her, I guess there''s nothing left for me to do here."


    Melissa: "Hm? Don''t you wanna know about the angel''s execution?"


    Miwen: "If he''s dead there''s nothing for me toin."


    I don''t have too much interest in this execution. It''s not like I''m so kind-hearted that I''m feeling guilty about his death or anything like this, the guy was an enemy, he was fighting in a war, if he hadn''t epted the possibility of his death, then he should''ve stayed home.


    At the same time, however, I also don''t have such a sadistic side that I would want to personally watch or hear about it, I think my time is better spent thinking forward right now.


    Miwen: "Instead, why don''t you tell me the state of the war right now?"


    Melissa: "Mhm... The enemy must''ve noticed the absence of their general, there was no attempt to disembark, and no ships were seen at all. They must''ve taken the day to rethink their strategy, resupply, or rest."


    Miwen: "That''s good then, it probably means that we dealt a surprise blow to them."


    Any day that we push them back or stall their army, is another day that I can contribute to Melissa''s war effort. Although the Gacha ispletely random, sometimes good itemse from it, given enough time and a bit of luck, I could supply her entire army with heroic weapons, unbreakable armor, or even tricky items like the cloak we usedst time.


    Miwen: "I guess the next step is to deal with the Seven Rainbow Miracles."


    Melissa: "Do you have a n for her?"


    Miwen: "Not yet. Her position is much more secure."


    That girl doesn''t step in the ind itself to begin with, so that alone limits what I can do tremendously. What''s more, thinking about it rationally, all we know about her is that she can conjure up these massive, almost unbreakable barriers, but her epithet suggests that she has at least seven abilities.


    I can only hope that not all of them are as strong as the barriers, but it''s best to prepare for the worst-case scenario.


    Still, her barriers are already a big problem that I don''t know how to deal with, the most I can think of is umting a lot of good long-range weapons and start bombing the shit out of her, but that would take time to be viable...


    Melissa: "That''s fine, what you aplished is already a massive victory for us."


    She''s right about that, her army will suffer way less and the casualties on her side should start dropping.


    Since I already gave Melissa what I had for today and she also gave me the report, I decided it was better to leave. Even if I like being around her in this prison more than being alone in the Kingdom, I know that she also has things to do, so it''s better not to waste her time too much.


    There''s also the fact that I wasn''t going to be alone in the Kingdom the moment I came out of it.


    Miwen: "So you''re awake ire? I thought I''d need to wait until tomorrow to talk to you."


    ire: "Don''t give me that, I asked for permission to enter, no way I could do that while sleeping."


    Even though she''s awake it seems like she''s a bit tired and in a bad mood.


    Miwen: "That''s true. but since you came here on your own, you should already know what I want to talk about, right?"


    ire: "I know. It''s about me not waking up right? But listen, it''s not like you needed me anyway, and I swear it was just this one time, so, can you let this one pass?"


    It would be quite problematic if I needed her and she couldn''te because she watched too many movies. It''s also troubling that she seems to be tired right now. If something happened, she would be much less efficient, and dare I say, useless. So even if this is something quite minor, I should at least warn her a bit, for both of our sakes.


    Miwen: "Listen, just between you and me, I don''t think that this is that serious, so I won''t scold you for it or anything like that. But sleepingte is bad for your health, will dampen your mood and ruin your energy for the day alright? So try to be moderate, at the very least."


    ire: "Fine, Dad."


    Miwen: "C''mon don''t be like that."


    ire: "Should I call you daddy then?"


    Now I''m scared as to what kind of movie she watched that night.


    ire: "I''m just kidding, ok? It''s just that thest person I talked to before I... well, you know, meeting you and all of that, was my dad. He was also reprimanding me at the time. It made me quite nostalgic."


    She must be referring to right before her death then.


    It''s not something I''mfortable listening to, but...


    Miwen: "...Do you wanna talk about it?"


    ire: "It''s fine. Like this time, it was deserved after all. I don''t really wanna talk about it though. And you don''t need to worry, I''ll refrain from troubling you more than this."


    I have yet to know how either Licia or ire met their ends, it''s not a topic easy to touch on, and even though I sometimes get some clues, I keep myself from assuming anything about it.


    Well, I''m feeling a bit bad about making her awaken these memories, so I''ll try to lighten things up a bit.


    Miwen: "Look, let''spromise alright? If you really wanna do it, then you can choose a day per week when you can watch as much as you want or do anything, really, just tell me beforehand. Also if I need you, then you bettere, even if it''s your day off."


    Going to the dungeons is a new experience for me, so I don''t mind doing it every day. But for the girls, this is much closer to a job since they are used to raiding dungeons andck that feeling of exploring the unknown. It even was Licia''s job as an adventurer before I summoned her.


    So taking this into consideration, I can give them a day off. To be fair I should give them the weekends off, but then it would slow down our leveling more than what I''mfortable with.


    ire: "Really? Yay! Then I''ll take today off!"


    Miwen: "No, you''ve already spent this week''s day off."


    ire: "Huh? But I didn''t even-"


    Miwen: "If youin too much I''ll take away your days off. Or better yet, I''ll give them all to Licia."


    ire: "Nonono, please, I''m sorry ok? I''ll take one next week."


    What''s with this reaction? It''s not like I overwork them anyway, I just make sure that they must be always ready toe to work whenever I need them. I also made them work in a cold and dark space, risking their very lives every time without a day off until now...


    Hm... Looking at it this way, I might actually be a pretty bad employer.


    Well, at least since the event started, they haven''t even been to the dungeon, so it''s more like they work a week and then get a week off. Quite generous all things considered.


    And it doesn''t seem like they mind it either way, we also have some fun in the dungeon after all, so it''s not as bad as one could make it look. Instead of work it''s more like a social gathering. A fun little team activity. Yeah, that''s what it is.


    Miwen: "You can go now. Just remember to tell me about your day off beforehand."


    ire: "Will do!"


    Everyone deserves a day off, and now that I think about it, this is the perfect opportunity to hang out with cute girls. I can take ire to the cinema, for example, that would be as fun as raiding the dungeon, if not more.


    Seeing the results, ire managed to get quite a big win over me, was she perhaps manipting me by appealing to my emotional and kind side? Well done to her if that was the case, it clearly worked.


    But instead of seeing girls sad, I prefer to tease and see them with happy smiles, so I''ll count this one as a victory for me too.


    The only problem that I face now is how to exin to Licia that my scolding of ire ended up with her getting a day off.


    Hah... Thinking about it, I should probably leave the scoldings to her in the future, I''m clearly not very good at it.

 Chapter 37: The Three Princes

    Whether on Earth or in my kingdom, I''ve grown ustomed to mornings having this sense of tranquility and peace. Everything''s quiet and calm, and there''s nothing to hurt you. I used to take this time to take deep breaths, look through the windows, and take in the world atrge, it was very soothing.


    Now that I kind of live inside the kingdom, there''s always this sense of mystery and wonder, I quite like the change to be honest, but I''m starting to miss Earth.


    Even more so when my little safe haven is invaded by a hostile force. One that, even though I knew wasing, had no way to defend myself against.


    Even though she brings me breakfast, her death stare denounces her true intentions.


    Licia: "So, about yesterday, what happened?"


    The enemy is quite observant andys down its trap, upon which I fall blissfully. The moment we all start eating, on which our guards are the lowest, she chooses to attack.


    Miwen: "I have absolutely no idea what you''re talking about."


    Licia: "Let me refresh your memory then... yesterday instead of talking to ire like I told you to, you ended up giving her a day off, do you remember now?"


    Yeah, that''s game over I guess. Well, it doesn''t really matter too much anyway, and it''s actually good that she brought this up.


    Miwen: "Do you want one too?"


    Licia: "That''s not-"


    Miwen: "But you''ll have to do something for me."


    This way I can solve both problems at once without actually having to put in any effort.


    Licia: "So ire gets one even though she did something bad while I need to work for mine? It doesn''t seem fair. "


    I should add that during this entire confrontation, ire has just been eating like it''s none of her business. But I feel like a little payback, so I''ll throw her into the fire too.


    Miwen: "Quite, but ire had a good argument that ended up convincing me yesterday, isn''t that right?"


    ire looks at me with surprise. Of course, she doesn''t have any good argument for it since I was the one who brought up the idea, but I really want to see what she can do when put on the spot.


    Miwen: "The fate of your day off rests on this battle, so do your best."


    ire "Huh!?"


    I whisper some words of encouragement into her ears, after all, she''s probably gonna need it.


    Licia: "So, what did you say to him?"


    ire "Uhh... I told him that... you know? That we were worried! Since we aren''t really capable of helping too much. And that...


    I ended up losing track of time because I finally managed to calm myself while watching the movies so... he ended up being understanding of it and gave me a day off to cool myself."


    Ohh quite a good one. It''s even more effective against Licia who''s always worrying about my safety.


    Licia: "I didn''t know you were that worried... But I can understand how you feel. Well, I guess everyone deserves to rest sometimes, but you should still reflect on what consequences your actions may have, this time it was something minor, but I won''t forgive you slip like that when we really need you."


    ire "S-sure."


    She still managed to keep on that even after that? If ire hit me up with that I''d give her the entire week off.


    Licia: "So, what do I need to do to get mine as well?"


    Miwen: "You''re to take the newly created position of Head of Scolding, thank you very much."


    Licia: "...why?"


    Miwen: "You''re better than me at it."


    Especially when ites to ire, the girl is quite good at avoiding trouble. When ites to minor things, it''s not something I wanna do, and since Licia has a good head on her shoulders, I''ll leave it to her.


    Licia: "Alright, but does that mean I can reprimand any citizen?"


    Miwen: "Yeah, I guess..."


    Licia: "Even you?"


    Miwen: "... The king is exempt from scolding."


    Licia: "You can be such a child, you know that? But alright, I''ll take your offer."


    I''m d it all worked out in the end. When I''m back on Earth I''ll have my own day off since it''s been quite sometime between the dungeon raids and the event.


    Now that all matters regarding this issue were dealt with, it was time for me to once again join Melissa.


    To my surprise, the one who appeared in front of me this time was actually Mia, who seemed relieved upon seeing me.


    Mia: "...! You''re back! I''m gonna call Mom, stay there."


    I find her attitude a bit odd, but if there''s a problem I''d be happy to lend a hand to them.


    Mia left in a hurry before I could even say something in return, so whatever is happening, must be rather pressing.


    It''s not like I had anywhere else to go either, so I wait for Melissa''s arrival in the prison cell.


    Melissa: "Boy, it''s good to have you back."


    Miwen: "It does look like it huh?"


    Even now, the two of them look like they''ve been running around all day long. It does pique my interest, and I end up asking about it.


    Miwen: "So, why do you two seem like you''re in a hurry? Is something the matter?"


    Melissa: "I''m afraid so. Yesterday at night, the enemy managed to disembark. Five ships in total and-"


    Miwen: "Wait. What? How?"


    Everything was alright before I left, and from what I''ve gathered there should be no way for them to do something on this scale, so what exactly is happening right now?


    Melissa: "It''s not exactly clear to us either, but I''ll tell you what I understand from the situation. You remember Prince Gerbil, right?"


    Miwen: "The third prince of Hamperlon right? You mentioned him to me before."


    Melissa: "Yes... It seems like due to a perceived failure, his older brother, Prince Normyu joined the fight."


    Miwen: "That''s a name I haven''t heard before."


    Melissa: "He wasn''t a factor until now. Both the first and second princes should''ve been severely hurt from thest war, but it seems like Normyu is now healed."


    After we managed to take one head down, another one shows up, huh? This suddenly became a work worthy of an epic.


    Miwen: "Prince Gerbil is astute, while the Seven Rainbow Miracles is a problem due to her defensive ability. So, what does this guy bring to the table?"


    Melissa: "To put it bluntly, power and resourcefulness."


    Miwen: "In which way exactly?"


    Melissa: "You know how you can expect someone to have one, or at most, two Gifts right?"


    Miwen: "Yeah?"


    From long ago, there was a Divine Event where the reward was a second Gift, bestowed by the Gods themselves. No one from Earth managed to get that, but it was spected that it would either rece your current Gift, or you would simply have both.


    Even on Earth, some people im to have multiple Gifts, but it''s hard to determine the validity of such ims since sometimes a Gift can be soplex that it manifests in a lot of different effects.


    What makes the idea quite reasonable is the fact that in dungeons there have been confirmed cases of monsters on difficult enough floors with more than one Gift themselves. And so, if monsters sometimes have multiple Gifts, why would humans be any different?


    Melissa: "Well, Prince Normyu is said to have at least ten of them."


    Miwen: "Hah!"


    As if by reflex, I couldn''t help butugh at what she just said. I mean, it''s obviously a joke, right?


    Melissa: "Well, he might actually have a bit less, but his maximum potential right now should amount to ten."


    She''s not joking. Damn, I wish she was joking.


    I''m beyond words, really. If this is true, the guy is aplete monster.


    Melissa: "It''s also not quite right to say that he has ten Gifts, since he only has one. The problem is that it''s known throughout thend that he has the strongest Gift of the continent, being able to copy other Gifts. What limits the number of Gifts he can hold is his level, so right now, it should be about ten given that he''s level one hundred."


    Miwen: "That''s his limitation? Really?"


    And here I thought my Gift was overpowered. What happens if he copies mine as well? This guy doesn''t even feel like a final boss, it''s more like he is a cheat character you''re not meant to fight at all.


    Melissa: "Whatever Gift he copies can never be as powerful as the original. Its strength depends on the original Giftsplexity, power, and how much he uses it."


    Well, at least there''s that I guess. But still, something is bothering me about this.


    Miwen: "You seem to know an awful lot about him."


    Melissa: "I fought against him ten years ago. His biggest weakness might be how much he likes to bber about himself."


    Ten years ago... It was when the war started then...


    Miwen: "Did you win?"


    Melissa: "I... can''t say I did. My husband died but we managed to give him life-threatening injuries, he ended up being unable to fight for a number of years. Due to that, another kingdom, seeing an opportunity to rid themselves of the second prince and takend from Hamperlon also dered war."


    So instead of focusing on the ind, they decided tomit their forces to protect their borders. The guy must also be somewhat scared of Melissa and the Snow White Wolves since he decided to fight in the other war beforeing here.


    It''s also worth noting that Mia in the back seems to get quite agitated upon hearing this story, it must have been hard for her.


    Miwen: "Just so we are clear, does the crown prince of Hamperlon also have an absurd power that I should know of?"


    Melissa: "He''s quite average from what I know. He also mostly takes care of internal affairs and strengthens his alliances with the nobles. It seems that due to the excellence of his brothers, he does his best to solidify his position whenever possible."


    Having a guy like this Normyu as your younger brother, your position as the crown prince would never be truly safe. And if you can''t fight him with strength, at least you can try with numbers and connections. It''s a solid n given his circumstances, but sadly it''s not something I can hope to replicate.


    Melissa: "The fourth prince however is another-"


    Please no.


    Melissa: "I''m kidding ok? You don''t need to be so scared."


    I guess it showed on my face, but I really don''t wanna hear about another prince right now.


    Miwen: "You shouldn''t joke about that, I was about to leave you to your fate."


    it''s a bit saddening since we had just started making progress, but I think we can deal with it somehow if there are no surprises left...


    Miwen: "So, for them to have managed tond 5 ships, I''m guessing this guy has a copy of the Seven Rainbow Miracles ?"


    Melissa: "Yes. They managed to protect quite a number of ships and disembark, even though the Seven Rainbow Miracles barrier was more spread, there were twoyers thanks to that idiot, so even though we broke through the first, the second one was too much.


    The only good thing about it all is that we managed to confirm that the two princes along with the Seven Rainbow Miracles girl are now present on this ind."


    Hm? The girl is on this ind?


    That is truly good, I spent a lot of time thinking, but I couldn''te up with a way to deal with her.


    Reflecting on the current state, even though our situation clearly worsened, it might be our best chance to deal with the problems and send them home once and for all.


    And I might be cooking a good trap for them...

 Chapter 38: Melissas Visit

    Even though the arrival of the second prince and thending of their troops is bad news, I decided not to be so taken by it as to lose all hope of winning.


    So, If I want to win this war, what can I do? Well, the answer is...


    Melissa: "...Rejected."


    Miwen: "But... why?"


    Melissa: "You can onlynd a single blow with that cloak before it loses its effect. Given their levels,I doubt you''re capable of killing one of them with a single strike, and you wouldn''t have the chance for a second one."


    What I proposed to her was simr to the n with the Angel Of The Night. But this time, I would try to infiltrate their ranks, and whenever possible, use the cloak to kill one of them.


    I''d start with the Seven Rainbow Miracles, and then go for the second prince right after. By then, the third prince would probably retreat, but even if he didn''t, within another night I would be capable of dealing with him.


    Melissa: "What''s more... having you interact with the second prince at all would be dangerous."


    That''s a fair point, given Normyu''s level, even if my Gift was weakened, It''s possible that it would be too overwhelming for us to deal with.


    Maybe I am being a bit optimistic about it all after thest sess, but if we don''t make a move, our situation will only worsen. We can''t afford to be passive at this time.


    Miwen: "Do you have another suggestion then?"


    I don''t like pressuring her since Melissa already has a lot to deal with, but right now I don''t see a better way out. It''s true that the worst oue results in utter disaster, but if it all works out, then victory would be assured.


    Melissa: "...I do actually. Let me have a look at your Gift."


    Miwen: "Hn? Haven''t you seen plenty already? Both the items I bring and the girls are part of my Gift."


    Melissa: "Sorry, I should have been more specific. Let me see your kingdom, please."


    Oh, I see now. There are some risks with bringing someone to my kingdom, but there''s no way I wouldn''t trust Melissa after all this time.


    Miwen: "I''m gonna have to register you as a [Citizen] though, is that alright with you?"


    Melissa: "I''ll treat it as a formality. Mia, you stay here. If I don''t return, you can kill whateveres out."


    Mia: "...! Yes Mother!"


    And here I thought they liked me at least one bit, the mother doesn''t mind giving her daughter such an order, and Mia doesn''t even flinch at the thought.


    Well, if that''s how it''s gonna be, I might get back at them a little bit.


    The moment Melissa epts being my citizen, I allow her to enter the kingdom. I also follow close behind her, but a message stunts me for a second.


    [Since you can now im more than one hundred kingdom points, new buildings with special features have been unlocked. Please keep strengthening your kingdom.]


    That was quite unexpected, but I''ll check itter. For now, there''s something I wanna test.


    Melissa: "I see. Quite peaceful... or empty, would be a better word. I take it you''ve been living here without any problems?"


    Miwen: "Ie from another world, but ever since I began interacting with your world, this ce became the only one I can travel to."


    While Melissa looks at the scenery, I begin to take a look at her skills.


    The first skill that catches my eye is her [Mark Of The Beast Lord], which I try to get for myself.


    Sadly, my idea starts to show some cracks.


    [The amount of kingdom points in your possession is not enough to share this skill at its level, the skill level is thus reduced to whatever level you can afford. Do you still want to proceed?]


    I confirm it, and another window pops up, but before I can read it...


    Melissa: "I''m sorry about that, I wanted to see the other world you came from. But tell me, that house looks quite simr to the ones we build, is that intentional?"


    Miwen: "Yes, I believe it was unlocked when I saw the houses from your tribe..."


    [The skill level surpasses that of the target citizen, the skill level is thus reduced. Do you still want to proceed?]


    As if a repeating joke, after epting these terms, another window pops up. But what Melissa says piques my interest, so I focus on her before seeing what''s written on the newest screen.


    Melissa: "I see, if that''s the case... This might actually be perfect for what I had in mind."


    Miwen: "What have you nned?"


    Melissa: "I''ll tell you at ater date. For now, can you bring the girls here? I''d like to ask them a few questions."


    Miwen: "Alright, but it may take a while for them toe depending on what they are doing."


    Melissa: "That''s fine, I''m willing to wait a bit."


    They usuallye almost instantly whenever I call them, but since I already have a screen open, I''ll first deal with it before calling the girls.


    [The target citizen does not have the qualification to obtain this skill, thus the process is canceled.]


    This should have been the first one you show!


    Whatever, I''ll just take something else.


    But first I call the girls since there''s no reason to keep Melissa waiting too long.


    ire: "Hey, you finished quite early today, how was it with your wolf girls ?"


    Melissa: "I believe it was quite pleasant, although we are not finished yet."


    Licia: "S-sorry... we weren''t expecting any visits so we didn''t bring anything. But if you want to we can-"


    Melissa: "There''s no need for it, I won''t stay for long. You would help me quite a bit by answering some questions though."


    Since the girls always bring me what I need from my home, I never thought of getting anything in this ce, but it might be a good idea in the future.


    Licia: "What do you want to know about?"


    Melissa: "Mostly about how you''re treated, and what he allows you to do. I''d also like to ask how you feel about him."


    Licia: "W-well... about that..."


    Her embarrassment speaks for itself, I guess I''ll leave them be for a while.


    Miwen: "If you prefer to talk about this in private, you can just enter the house. I think it would also be good for Melissa to see its interior."


    Licia: "Can we please?"


    Melissa: "You''re asking me? I don''t mind it."


    And so the three of them went inside the house. Since it did feel like it would take a bit of time for them to finish, I started looking through Melissa''s skills once again.


    There''s quite a lot in here, even one that seems to turn her berserk, which I don''t think she even used during her fight.


    Speaking of which, I don''t think she even used her Gift. From what she told me before facing the Angel Of The Night, her Gift makes it so that she bes stronger the further her health declines, but it works within a time limit, when her health is at its lowest, she gets the strongest buff, but it also stays for only 1 minute.


    Hmm, from what I can see there''s a bunch of things that would be useful, but there''s one skill in particr that would help a bunch. Her [Ice Magic] has a higher level than I am currently, If I got it to myself, it would be a big boost. And since this is quite costly, it would be good to get it for Licia so that she doesn''t have to spend points on it.


    Both of us could get our magic to a higher level by training, but a jumpstart is always good. So yeah, I think I''m gonna go with this one, I''llter exin to Melissa what I did and ask for more skills, and if she shows resistance to the idea, I can make it part of the payment for the items I bring.


    I also should not forget to im my avable kingdom points while Melissa is in here.


    It basically doubled what I had previously, even though I had been saving up for a week by now.


    And down the drain it goes, I had to spend almost everything just to get it at level 6, but I much rather spend kingdom points in it than anything else. Thesee easily after all.


    Now. let me check that thing about the new buildings and whatnot.


    [Quest Center


    Allows [Citizens] to take on quests, these have often guaranteed drops.


    Quests may vary depending on what creatures are currently living in the area.


    Reward quality from quests may vary, even if they have the same requirements forpletion.


    Price: 1000 kingdom points.]


    A thousand points? With Melissa in here, I''d have to save for 10 days straight to get it. I feel like my points are better spent sharing skills for now.


    [Enhancement Facility


    Allows special training for the [Citizens] which increases the speed at which they can learn and strengthen themselves.


    Price: 5000 kingdom points.]


    Inparison with the other one, this seems way more basic, and yet, the price is way higher. I''m guessing the effects must be worth it.


    These two buildings sure are interesting. If I had enough points... I''d get Melissa''s skills. But after that, I would go for these two.


    It seems like the girls are taking their sweet time, so, there''s another thing that I want to check, that being Melissa''s loyalty.


    I feel like we have a good rtionship, and I have no fear of her betraying me, nor do I think she has any incentive to do so. Still, she keeps a lot of secrets from me, and it also seems like she has been nning something for quite a while now.


    Looking at her loyalty, the bar is definitely in the green. It''s a bit less than ire''s and Licia''s, but that''s to be expected. There''s also the fact that she doesn''t really see herself as part of my kingdom, so it might be affecting the results.


    But wait, doesn''t this mean that the girls probably don''t see themselves as being part of a kingdom either?


    It''s a bit sad, but I can''t even me them. For now, this so-called kingdom consists of one house and three citizens. But everyone starts from somewhere right? I''ll see to it that this bes a great empire in the future.


    Melissa: "Is it normal for him to daydream like this?"


    ire: "That''s a first."


    I didn''t even notice them approaching while I was lying down in the grass. There''s not much to do in this ce, so I often lose myself in thought when I''m here. I guess this was just poor timing.


    Miwen: "So, are you finished?"


    ire: "Yeah, we told her about how you overwork us and make us risk our lives in the dungeon. She said she''d protect us from now on, so we will be going with her, alright?"


    Miwen: "Is that so? That''s ok with me. I hope you like living on that icy ind, with no movies and no one to cook for you..."


    ire: "Sorry, sorry, sorry! I was just kidding, right Licia?"


    Licia: "Eh? But didn''t you say that-."


    ire: "Must have been your imagination."


    I''m d they found someone they can talk about without having to hide anything. Back on Earth, I''m usually cautious about which information I let out, so all of us often have to restrict ourselves or outright lie.


    It might be a bit hard for them, but it''s not something I''m willing to change, after all, there are a lot of people who''d want to exploit me and my Gift if they knew everything it''s capable of.


    Melissa: "I have another question for you Miwen. Are you sure this ce is truly safe?"


    Miwen: "The fog is the only thing that might cause harm, I rmend not getting close to it. But yeah, outside of those I allow, there doesn''t seem to be any other entity in here, so there''s really nothing to worry about."


    Melissa: "I see, then it''s fine. So, how do I leave this ce?"


    Miwen: "Just focus on leaving, a popup will appear for me, if I ept it, you''ll find yourself back in prison."


    Melissa: "I see... I''ll make a [Blood Contract]ter so that you can''t refuse when I wish to leave."


    Miwen: "...? You don''t need to waste your time with that, I have no intention of blocking you froming and going."


    This feels a bit strange, I thought we trusted each other more than that. And what would I even gain by kidnapping her? Well, if she wants to feel a little bit more safe or in control, then I guess it''s fine.


    Melissa: "I know. But I feel like it is necessary."


    Letting here and go as she pleases is something I was already gonna do either way, so if she insists, I''ll sign that contract with her.


    And so, after taking Melissa back home and teasing Mia about it, it was time for me to go back and end the day in my own kingdom/house.

 Chapter 39: Before The Siege

    There are a lot of things on my mind this morning. The White Wolves will lose if things stay this way, the enemy is advancing and possesses powers that they cannot contend with, and it won''t be long before they siege the fortress.


    The second prince also messes up with my schemes, if my Gift were to fall into his hands, then the only thing that would await Melissa''s tribe is disaster. I should avoid taking direct action against him as much as possible, but this puts me in a situation where all I can do is provide aid.


    Licia: "Is the coffee not to your taste? I thought it turned out pretty well..."


    Miwen: "Oh, sorry... I am just thinking about what I can do now."


    Licia: "The matter with the Snow White Wolves..."


    Miwen: "Yeah, I can''t see a path forward right now. Do you have any idea?"


    Licia: "Sorry, but I-"


    ire: "I think you''ve already done enough."


    Since Melissa blocked me froming into contact with the second prince, it''s obvious that the girls won''t be in a battle so ire had been expanding her mana pool this morning. She''s been throwing fire into the air for a while now, every time increasing its size and potency.


    Licia is also training her magic, but her method ispletely different, making the air around her colder until it starts freezing. ording to her, ire could do the same, making the air hotter for an extended period of time, until her manaes close to running out.


    They ended up discussing it a bit, with ire saying that her method is more effective, but it seems doubtful to me since she had no proof besides feeling like it is.


    Miwen: "What do you mean?"


    ire: "I know that you''re helping them because of your Gift, but I don''t think you need to do more than you''ve already done. It''s thanks to you that they managed to defeat an enemy general. You''re also providing them with everything you can. I don''t see a reason for you to risk yourself there."


    Miwen: "But they''re not going to win if I don''t take action."


    ire: "So that''s what ites down to. But don''t you think this is their responsibility? If they end up losing, it wouldn''t be your fault you know? I think you already did what you could, it''s up to them now."


    Miwen: "I''m not giving up on them, ire. No matter how slim their chances may be."


    ire: "I''m not saying you should either. But be mindful of your own circumstances. Given your level, you had an unimaginable impact already. And what you''re providing to them is definitely helpful, so just keep doing it. If you were in a better position I wouldn''t be against going all out, but I think you should be satisfied with what you''re already doing."


    I understand what she''s saying, and I can''t really deny it. At the end of the day, I can only me myself for not being strong enough to have a bigger impact, but still, I was the one who decided to help them, so I must see it through to its end.


    Maybe I''m getting a bit too proud of what I''ve aplished with the Angel Of The Night. Before that, when it came to killing enemies, I wasn''t even a factor to consider.


    But seeing the impact that his death had, it is clear that the way for the Snow White Wolves to win is by killing these generals, and either I get a tremendously strong weapon in the gacha, or Ie up with a way to kill them. Either way, if I really want to help, them I need to do something to kill one of the princes or the Seven Rainbow Miracles.


    Miwen: "Did Melissa say something to you?"


    I can''t help but feel like this is a bit abrupt. Maybe ire knows something that I don''t.


    ire: "Regarding this? Not at all. Which is a problem in itself. Look, I''m gonna be honest, that woman is strong. If it was me from my previous world, it would be a close match. But even then, I don''t see them winning, with or without your help."


    During this exchange, I noticed that Licia has been quiet for a while. When ites to military affairs, ire has me beat, even more so when taking Gifts and skills into consideration. What''s more, given her level in her previous life, she should know very well just how much impact a single person can have.


    But during this exchange, I noticed that Licia has been quiet for a while, so, I decided to ask her:


    Miwen: "What do you think Licia? Do you also believe they cannot win?"


    Licia: "...Sorry, Miwen. I think ire''s assessment is right. What I''m more concerned about is Melissa. She has to havee to the same conclusion, and when we were talking, I could feel that she was more interested in this ce than in the war she was fighting. I can''t be sure about what''s going on in her mind, but I think she might have given up on winning already."


    This must be wrong somehow. Ever since I met Melissa, I always felt that she had no desire to give up, she''s always nning, patrolling, fighting, and coordinating her troops. It''s not the behavior I''d expect from someone who thinks they''ve already lost.


    It''s true, however, that she''s good at hiding her intentions, so she might''ve made the girls think this while trying to hide her real feelings, be it propositionally or not.


    Miwen: "I see... I''ll take it into consideration, but for now, you girls can go back, I need to meet Melissa for something."


    The girls don''t seem very happy about me sending them back, yet, I don''t think there''s any reason for me to continue discussing this further with them. For now, I''ll follow ire''s advice and keep providing whatever I can to Melissa, but in the meantime, I''ll try my best toe up with something that can further help her war effort.


    Mia: "If nothing else, you actually have good timing."


    Miwen: "Did you miss me?"


    Mia: "That would be a miracle. I''m just saying it because the  [Blood Contract] is done, I''ll just need a drop of your blood toplete it."


    Miwen: "I''ll need to read it before."


    Mia: "You can read? Being surrounded by girls on all sides, I thought you only knew about debauchery and trickery."


    Miwen: "I wish."


    From what I can see, this binds my soul, so there''s no way around it. Since Melissa only wants to block one action, it''s not veryplex, but if I fail the conditions that are written here, a gruesome death is all that awaits.


    Miwen: "Was it really necessary to expel all the mana from my body, making me suffer from mana exhaustion for hours? And this bit here, about my skin melting, what was the need of that? If you''re going to end up with my heart exploding, then isn''t it better to just get to it?"


    Mia: "But then it wouldn''t be as fun."


    Miwen: "I''m not seeing the fun in this."


    Mia: "I knew you couldn''t read. Listen, as long as you follow the conditions, then nothing happens, so this cruel death is meant to serve as an incentive for you not to even consider going against the contract."


    Miwen: "Death is already a good enough incentive."


    Mia: "I''ll keep it in mind next time."


    Miwen: "I knew you were the one who wrote it!"


    Mia: "Heh, I made it with great care and consideration you know?"


    I really don''t need this kind of consideration, but alright. In the end, it''s not going to do anything since I have no intention of keeping Melissa stuck inside the kingdom.


    Miwen: "So, how''s the situation going on the battlefield?"


    Mia: "Those bastards have been razing the ground and the trees using magic. Even though the snow never stops falling, they''ve been making steady progress. Thanks to the barriers that they employ, we can''t even punish their reckless magic usage. Mother is also busy bringing the people inside the fortress and preparing for the siege."


    While I let the drops of my blood mark the parchment on which the contract is written, Mia tells me how bad things have really been. It looks like time is running out. I just hope Melissa knows what she''s doing.


    Miwen: "Say Mia, what do you think of your mother?"


    Mia: "What kind of question is that?"


    Miwen: "I''ve just been thinking about what she''s going to do now since on my end it seems like I''ve run out of options. From what I know of her, she''s not the type to give up, but as her daughter, you might know better."


    Mia: "... I don''t know what she''s going to do, but I can guarantee you that she will not stop fighting."


    Miwen: "I thought so... but do you think she can win?"


    Mia: "I... have no doubts. Mother never lost after all. You don''t need to worry about anything, from the start she wasn''t expecting anyone''s help. Whatever ns she made to win came way before your arrival, rest assured."


    I see, it''s a bit reassuring that I''m not the only one who still believes in Melissa, even with the current state of things. Maybe bringing it to a siege battle was even part of her n... I hope.


    Mia: "Ah! Before you go, mom had said that you need toe tomorrow night, she said it''s really important."


    Miwen: "I''ll see to it then. Anything else?"


    Mia: "No, you can go now. Actually, just go already."


    Miwen: "So mean. You''re not even gonna give me a goodbye kiss?"


    Mia: "You can kiss my fist when it''s glued to your face."


    Miwen: "I''ll be sure to."


    Mia: "Eek. Gross. Pervert-"


    I decide to leave before Mia runs out ofpliments for me. As for Melissa, given her request, I guess tomorrow is the day that she''s been waiting for. Even if it isn''t. given that I''ll be able to meet her for sure, I''ll question her about everything. Our time is running out and I need to know what she has nned because right now it seems to be failing tremendously.

 Chapter 40: The Fall Of The Snow White Wolves

    The most important moment of the whole war approaches. With the enemy so close to her, no matter what Melissa has nned, it will be herst y if it doesn''t work out.


    The girls seem to doubt that victory is possible, still, they remain on alert back on Earth, ready toe to my aid the moment I call them.


    It is risky for me to face the second prince, and an assassination attempt would undoubtedly end in my death, so now, all I could do was either abandon this war entirely or believe that Melissa is still capable of turning it around.


    Having chosen thetter, when the timees, I leave the kingdom, to find Mia waiting for me.


    Mia: "I''m gonna call her."


    There are no greetings, and to be frank, there probably wasn''t even time for one. Mia dashes towards the stairs to call her mother, and even though she rushes, I can still notice her nervousness.


    I wonder, is this because she knows what Melissa has nned, or is that she too is in the dark about everything?


    I can''te to a conclusion about her, from everything I know, she believes her mother no matter what, so Melissa probably doesn''t need to share anything with her and she''d still follow Melissa''s orders.


    It''s strange how right now, in these urgent moments, it feels like time has stopped. Even though I know this fortress is being attacked by hundreds of spells at a time, my concentration is at its absolute peak, making it so that I can distinguish between each spell fired.


    No wonder Mia is like that. If myst bastion was about to fall like this... Yeah, I wouldn''t be able to stay calm if I was in her ce.


    I know that Melissa came rather quickly, and yet, to me, it felt like ages. I''m getting nervous about how much it looks like the end is near, but while trying to prevent my mind from thinking about the worst possible oues, I fail to maintain my cool, and nervousness also takes over my body.


    Not looking that much better than Mia by now, even though the girl must have endured the hellish sounds for hours and might''ve even been there fighting herself.


    Miwen: "So, what do you need me to do, Melissa?"


    I have no idea what this woman has on her mind. I know her to be both smart and strong. The girls might doubt her will to keep on fighting, but I believe she''s not the type to run from a fight. Whichever one is right between the girls and I, this is the moment the curtains rise and the truth is revealed.


    Melissa: "I''ll need your Gift. Please, register Mia and me as your citizens."


    I really want to ask her how bing my citizens help, but due to the circumstances, I just give her what she''s asking, so as to not waste time, since even a single second counts right now.


    Still, while doing what she asked, I can''t help but think about this. Maybe she wants me to share her skills with Mia? Strengthening her daughter would provide a bit more of a fighting force, but I''d need days to duplicate all her skills. And even then, I can''t do anything about Mia''s level. What''s more, what would it even amount to?


    Two Melissas might''ve been able to have an impact before the enemy disembarked, but right now...


    Not good. I need to regain control. I''ve thought about everything I could do, but given my position and level, all paths were blocked before me. I can''t save her tribe, Melissa is the only one who can do it, I can only offer her help, that''s all.


    Miwen: "There you go."


    Melissa: "Let us enter the kingdom then. Mia, we''re teleporting to a newnd, alright?"


    Mia: "...alright."


    Thus, the request for the girls to enter the kingdom arrives. Firstly though, I close the one about my points reaching over one hundred and being able to build new buildings inside the kingdom, as I already know what this entails.


    Miwen: "So, here we are now, Melissa. What do we do now?"


    Melissa: "You''re quite tense boy. I think you should rx a little bit."


    If I didn''t know it better, I''d think she has gone insane. I mean, yeah, I need to calm down a bit, but the situation definitely calls for it. Mia and I are the normal ones, being agitated seeing how close the Kingdom of Hamperlon is to destroying the fortress, it''s Melissa that is acting strangely right now, being so calm, as if everything is going exactly as she was expecting them to.


    But this must be some kind of act to calm both Mia and me. There''s no way the current situation would be favorable to her and I know she''s smart enough to realize how precarious her chances are bing by the minute.


    Miwen: "That''s a given, the current state couldn''t be worse, and you''ve yet to let me in on how you n to win this-"


    Melissa: "Win? Boy, you''re quite optimistic aren''t you?"


    Mia: "...? Mother ?"


    What Melissa said caught me off-guard. Mia seems to have reacted the same way. By now, my patience was starting to run out. Melissa didn''t share anything with me and now she says something that leads me to believe she''s given up. So then what is this all about, what are we doing here right now?


    I''ve been agitated ever since I noticed that the fortress is under siege, it made me realize how quickly the enemy is progressing and how bad things are going for the Snow White Wolves. So, seeing Melissa say something so defeatist like this as if she had given up, made me even more disturbed.


    Miwen: "What do you mean?"


    I try to beprehensive whenever possible. But right now, I couldn''t care less. I more than deserve to know what''s going on in her mind, as it will most likely determine the oue of the war.


    Normally, I''d expect her to be a bit taken aback by me starting to get a bit more forceful, the emotions were starting to take the better of me, and I was ready to argue with her. The urgency wasn''t helping, and being kept in the dark about things only added to my declining patience.


    But s, the one to end up surprised was me.


    Melissa: "Sleep."


    I could only register what happened due to the sound, and yet, I couldn''t believe what I was seeing.


    Right in front of me, a single hit faster than what I could apany with my eyes was delivered to Mia.


    In a quick strike, she was knocked out.


    At least I could figure out who was the perpetrator of this attack.


    Melissa herself.

 Chapter 41: The Fall Of The Snow White Wolves (02)

    Confusion overtakes my mind. There''s no hint of sense to be found in the picture my eyes deliver to my brain.


    Some part of me didn''t want to believe what I was seeing and I started to think about another exnation for the current events. From everything I know, there was no reason for Melissa to attack Mia like this. But there''s only the three of us here right now, and I''m damn sure I couldn''t do something like this to Mia even if I wanted to.


    While I still try to understand what is happening, time continues to pass. Melissa impedes Mia''s body from falling onto the ground, grabbing her and slowly, gently letting her body rest on the ground.


    This only makes me more confused. It''s clear that Melissa has the love a mother should have for her daughter, she''s treating Mia''s unconscious body with great care,pletely contrary to what you''d expect from the one who''s responsible for knocking her out.


    I don''t think I can understand what Melissa is doing right now, so I start questioning her.


    Miwen: "What is happening Melissa?"


    Melissa: "She can''t ask to leave if she''s unconscious..."


    She''s very far from the answer I was expecting. This exins absolutely nothing.


    Miwen: "This doesn''t make sense, why did you attack Mia? What are you doing right now Melissa? Answer me at once!"


    I really want to believe her, I want to understand and make sense of it by the end.


    Melissa: "You''re angry... I see. I made the right choice then."


    Miwen: "..."


    I refuse to respond to that. She''s talking but she''s not answering me. Given the current situation, my mind is a mix of strong emotions and rationality is starting to fade away. To add confusion into that mix is just cruel.


    Melissa: "... I suppose you deserve answers at the very least. You see, boy, I decided that I can leave my hopes to you. Throughout all of this, you''ve earned my trust and respect, and this... this is the way for me to win."


    Well, at least she didn''t give up, so I guess I was right about her after all. Still, I have no clue what is happening, what does she mean by leaving her hopes to me? And what does she aplish by knocking Mia out?


    Melissa: "Sorry, boy. I get that you must be very confused right now. You see, this is what I had been nning since I first met you. For someone to not only have disembarked unnoticed but also cross through the snow to the point of reaching close to the forest, with your level and skills... that would be utterly impossible.


    something else must have been at y, so I figured it would be rted to your Gift."


    I guess it''s smart of her to be suspicious of my Gift at that moment, if I was in her situation, I too would find it strange.


    Miwen: "But if you found it strange, why did you bring me to the cell?"


    Melissa: "Because whatever your Gift was, it gave you the ability toe to this ind... I was hoping it would also be able to let you leave. Thankfully, on that very first day, you confirmed that your ability had something to do with teleportation. If it turned out to be something else, and you were unable to leave, then I''d have killed you."


    Miwen: "So you were hoping that I could leave the ind..."


    Melissa: "Exactly. And with some luck, you''d be capable of teleporting someone else with you. You talking about an alliance and bringing items to help was rather convenient too, since it gave you a reason toe back and stay a little while. I wanted to use this to make you and Mia get closer to each other, but it seems like I didn''t manage much."


    I disagree. If I had to say, we kinda get along well, although it''s mostly banter between us, I have fun around her.


    It finally makes sense though, this is why she ordered Mia to wait for me day after day. And thanks to it, Mia was the only person from her tribe I trusted and could count on for the scheme against the Angel.


    But now I''m beginning to understand what this is all about. Melissa didn''t want me to help her win the war, she wanted me to save them from it.


    By using Mia, me, and my Gift, she made sure that the pieces would fall this way.


    Miwen: "Since the start you didn''t have the intention to fight back, you just wanted to flee."


    Melissa: "Not quite. I wanted to protect my daughter. My duty as her mother came before anything else. If to protect her I''d need to kill a thousand men, then I''d dly do so. But I wasn''t facing a thousand men, right? My strength alone was not enough, not even near enough.


    Thus I decided to bet on you, I made sure to confirm everything I could about you, and through your actions and responses, I came to believe that this is the best I could do for Mia."


    I can''t really me her for having such desires. It would actually be strange for a mother to not want to protect her family during a war, be they a leader or not.


    I just wish she was more truthful with me. I''d dly use this space as a safe haven for her and her tribe if she asked me to.


    Miwen: "...But there''s still time... if you bring your tribesmen here-"


    Melissa: "I thought about that too, but it wouldn''t work. Most if not all of us want to fight for this ce. For centuries this has been ours, the ce where we were raised, where we experienced life, and ultimately, where we would find death. This is our home, we will not concede it to another enemy.


    My people do not back down, we found ourselves on this ind by fighting the strongest dragon on the continent, we are not going to let the Hamperlons take it without a fight. This ce is proof of our ancestors'' bravery and our history. There is not a single one of us who would be so shameful as to leave it behind...


    Do you know how hard it was for me, to hear from my own daughter, that she would, like her father, fight until the end for her home?"


    I''m guessing that''s why she had to take Mia out... and it also exins the [Blood Contract] she had me sign.


    Miwen: "Melissa... don''t tell me you''re going back there;"


    Melissa: "I told you, not a single one of us would back down. Thanks to you, I''ve managed to fulfill my duty as a mother, but still, I need to fulfill my duty as the chieftess."


    Miwen: "...Look, I can forgive you for deceiving me, but I can not forgive you for leaving your daughter behind. You can stay here, I promise you that I''ll do my best to make the both of you happy."


    Melissa: "It is tempting... But you see, though I pray the time neveres, I expect you, who ims to be a king, to do your duty also. I''m leaving my daughter to you, in the hopes that one day you protect her as one of your own, even if it means you''d have to sacrifice yourself. So, may this be a lesson to you... I''ll show you how a king fights for his people."


    She had me dancing in the palm of her hands. Be it my interactions with Mia, the [Blood Contract], or even her inspection of the Kingdom and her talk with the girls, she did everything to reach her goal.


    I''m also willing to bet she didn''t want me to meet Normyu in fear that he could chase after her daughter had he gotten my Gift.


    I should be mad at her, and by all means, I am. I''ve tried building trust between us and did my best to improve her situation. While I was looking for ways to help her, she was only trying to guarantee that her maniption was working.


    Even going as far as to lie about having some n to win this war just to keep me from trying anything that could hinder her goals.


    Miwen: "So this is it, then... this is all it amounted to."


    Melissa: "Well... You actually helped me way more than I thought, you know? I was honestly surprised that you''ve thought of a way to defeat a general and even went as far as risking yourself for it. And also, you gave me a damn good idea."


    Miwen: "...?"


    Melissa: "I have unfinished business with the damned second prince, and while you can''t kill him, I''m sure as hell can."


    Miwen: "It won''t amount to anything. You''d be behind enemy lines. The cloak only allows a single strike, you''re sure to die."


    Melissa: "True. But you can''t imagine how satisfied I''ll be after killing that bastard. I''ll also make sure to take down as many as I can with me. "


    This is the spirit I saw in her. Melissa''s confidence was never a lie, she always believed in herself and never once thought about giving up.


    It is what ended up deceiving me. She was always ready to throw her life on the line for her people, but... she was also determined to save her daughter no matter what.


    I guess I was right about her after all. It would be so much easier if she were to just hide in here until it was all over. But it doesn''t seem like that suits her. Neither she nor her daughter wanted the easy way out. Really, I allied myself with a bunch of nutcases.


    But after all of that... there''s still something I can do for her.


    Miwen: "You asked me to protect your daughter, Melissa. But I''ll do more than that. I''ll be sure to make her happy. May this be the proof of my intentions..."


    Melissa: "Hm? Are you asking for her hand? If you want to marry her you''ve always had my permission you kno-"


    Miwen: "Check her status, Melissa."


    Melissa: "... It... it can''t be. To think you''d be able to do something like this for her..."


    Mia has been struggling with it for quite a while now. And now that I know Melissa''s true character, I was sure she was also having a hard time with it.


    That''s why, I did what I could, so that even if just by a little bit, I stayed true to my promise, and managed to help Melissa even in her truest desires.


    It''s such an expensive skill, and I''m not really sure if it''s worth the points I spent. But to them, it means much more.


    Melissa: "I never thought I''d see the day, but I always knew she was worthy of the [Mark Of The Beast Lord]."


    Miwen: "I can''t share all the levels you have on it, so she''ll have to make do with it at level 3, but I''m sure she''ll get it much higher."


    Melissa: "It''s way more than enough. Thanks, Miwen."


    Miwen: "You''re wee, and farewell."


    Melissa: "Goodbye, boy. I''ll hold you to your promises."


    A message pops up, telling me a citizen is asking to leave.


    For the sake of my own life, I have no way of refusing it. But this is fine. I did what I could, the rest is up to them.


    Checking Melissa''s status a few hourster tells me that she managed to kill someone. Her level has gone up, so she must''ve been able to kill quite a few men. I have no way of knowing who she killed, but I hope she managed to settle her debt.


    Sadly, a few momentster, a messagees telling me of her fate.


    [A citizen of your kingdom has died.]


    Right now, I''m inside the house I made. Mia is sleeping and I''m waiting for the results of the event toe in.


    [War! The Fall of the Snow White Wolves Tribe of the Maide Ind


    As the Chieftess of the Snow White Wolves Tribe falls in battle, her army is soon to follow. Having no way of resisting the overwhelming numbers shown by the enemy, theirst fortress falls, and the tribe is utterly defeated.


    Due to event choices, some rewards have been blocked.


    Due to event progression, some rewards have been blocked.


    Ending achieved: A tribe conquered.


    The ending achieved rewards you with:


    Ne of The Underdog (x1)]


    [Due to sessfullypleting the event, you can choose to either add or subtract a day from the event timers permanently]


    "Sessfully" huh? Well, I guess even a bad ending still counts as an ending.


    There''s no way I''m choosing to subtract a day from the event timers. If I had more time, I could''ve...


    I can''t even sell the idea to myself. Even if I had a month, I still would be dealing with something way above my league...


    Still, I have to keep going forward, and I can only hope the time I got is enough to prepare myself for next time.

 Chapter 42: The Girl Whos Left

    Due to reaching and ending the event, I figured that I could probably return to Earth now.


    Before trying to go back to my home though, I decided to stay in the room Mia is sleeping in until she wakes up. I can''t imagine how confusing it would be for her to wake up alone in here while I am back on Earth.


    What''s more... I need to tell her what happened to her mother.


    While thinking about how to tell her about what happened, I notice her ears starting to twitch. After a yawn, her eyes open, and she looks at me.


    Mia: "... Did you do something to me while I was sleeping?"


    Miwen: "Yep."


    I can feel the bloodlust emanating from her, shivers run down my spine and I feel like my life is in danger.


    Miwen: "... I princess carried you to the bed, and then covered you with a nket."


    Mia: "...Is that all you''ve done?"


    Miwen: "Sorry to disappoint, that was all."


    Mia: "Who''s disappointed, dumbass!"


    It''s hard for me to face her right now. To be frank, I really wanted to get away from here and not have to deal with this, but that would be cruelty and cowardliness beyond my capabilities.


    Mia: "... I''m gonna ask just in case, but, where is my mother, Miwen?"


    Miwen: "Melissa... she... went back. She decided to fight to thest. I''m sorry, Mia."


    Mia: "I told you she wouldn''t give up. And neither will I. Thanks for taking care of me, but will you let me go back? You''ve done enough so you better-"


    Miwen: "My role is over Mia. I did what I could."


    Mia: "Rest assured, it''s not your fault things turned out this way. It''s our responsibility so we''ll deal with it ourselves, now if you''d let me-"


    Miwen: "I can''t let you go back, Mia. The war is over, I''ve lost ess to your world. Though even if I could, I wouldn''t let you go back... Mia, your mother, before going back... she wanted you to live, I promised her I''d take care of you."


    Mia: "W-what do you mean? Then I''m stuck in here? What about Mom? How can I meet her again?"


    I tried to imply it multiple times, but I guess this is too much for her, the thought of her mother being dead never once crosses her mind. It breaks my heart that I must tell her this way, but I cannot lie or hide it, she deserves to know.


    Miwen: "Mia... your mother... The war... ended when Hamperlon managed to kill Melissa. I''m sorry."


    Mia: "....."


    Silence overtakes everything. To have to be the bringer of such news never urred to me. I myself am not in the best mental state, but... No matter how much I''ve run this conversation over in my head, I couldn''t find a way to make it more bearable for her. Hell, how can anyone tell someone that their mother just died and expect anything other than this?


    What follows is a clear expression of shock and sadness. As tears start to fall from her eyes to her cheeks, I brace myself to not give in to my own feelings.


    Miwen: "... It''s possible that she killed Prince Normyu."


    Mia: "....."


    Miwen: "Knowing her, she might''ve even done in the Seven Rainbow Miracles girl."


    Mia: "..."


    I guess there''s nothing I can say to improve the situation. Well, there''s one thing that might give her hope, but...


    The chances are so low, that I feel bad just telling her about it. It''s an infinitesimal possibility, but... I can''t stand seeing her sad and hopeless like this.


    If this helps her in any way, even if it''s just the most minuscule rope... as long as she has something to grab on... as long as she has a reason to continue...


    Miwen: "... You know... my Gift can do many things. Licia and ire, for example, were brought back to life thanks to it."


    Mia: ".....?"


    While crying and sobbing, I see her trying to wipe the tears off. I take it as a good sign, so I continue on.


    Miwen: "The chances are ridiculously low but... I might be able to bring Melissa back..."


    Mia: "...You can do necromancy without ess to her body?"


    I hate to be called a necromancer, I really dislike the idea, but even I can''t call what I''m proposing anything else other than necromancy.


    Whatever, I promised I''d make her happy anyway, I don''t mind epting any sin for it.


    It''s also good payback against Melissa. I can''t imagine what kind of expression she''d make if I brought her back to fulfill the very promise we made.


    If all of her schemings proved to be for naught, as I have thestugh and force her to live with Mia... then that would be the perfect ending for me.


    Well, even though it''s magic, I can''t help but ept reality. If my Gift works the way I think it does, then, the chances of getting someone specific in the [Companions Banner] is just 1/everyone who ever died, ever. In every single world.


    Miwen: "It''s an indescribable low chance... but... someone has to be summoned. Melissa''s chances are the same as everyone else."


    Mia: "...I see."


    I don''t think this had much impact. I guess she might even be a bit conflicted about using essentially necromancy to have her mother back, and given the chances I can''t make any promises either...


    But at least she started to reply again...


    Miwen: "... If I get stronger, I might be able to summon more people each time. If you were to help, I could summon three people at once tomorrow."


    Mia: "Why three?"


    Miwen: "I n on getting them to my level, but I need their numbers to be fewer than the people I can count on, just in case they try anything funny."


    Mia: "I don''t mind helping you out. But... I feel like being alone right now. There''s a lot that I want to think about if you don''t mind."


    Miwen: "I get it. I''ll bring you dinnerter though. Of course, you''re also wee to join us if you want to."


    Mia: "...Thanks..."


    So I''m back at this again huh? Offering clothes, food, shelter, andpany to girls who''ve lost everything.


    Though this time hurts especially badly. When ites to Licia and ire, there was nothing that I could''ve done to prevent their situation. But this right now is the result of my own powerlessness, I was there, if I was strong enough, then...


    Then this girl wouldn''t ask to be alone right now.


    The connection with the event is gone, so now that I try to leave the kingdom, I find myself back in my own home, as I expected it would happen.

 Chapter 43: Back Home

    It feels like an eternity ever since Ist came home. Thankfully neither my parents nor my sister visited while I was gone, it would''ve been pretty hard for the girls to exin why they were upying my house while I was nowhere to be found.


    Well, it''s been almost a year since Ist saw my sister, and way longer since I''ve seen my parents, so the chances of such a thing happening are pretty slim.


    Given everything that has happened these days, I just want to sit back and rx.


    Ever since I got my power, life has been a rollercoaster. Sometimes I wish it was just something simple that allowed me to be an average adventurer, just raid some dungeons, travel to new locations, get some items, and earn enough money to survive...


    I definitely wasn''t prepared to deal with wars and borate schemes. And don''t get me started onforting girls who''ve been through death or just lost their mother and world.


    I just finished high school and I don''t remember any book teaching how to deal with this kind of shit.


    Can''t really me school though, even if there were sses about it I''d probably just barely manage to pass without ever learning it.


    Either way, I''m actually d that my Gift is actually interesting and exciting. It''s just that having to deal with so many things in such quick session is a bit too much.


    Either way, I guess I should check the avable events for now, at the very least.


    And so, I open the [Avable Events] menu that shows the events that I can select.


    In this tab, I must decide between two different events:


    [War! The One To Rule Above All


    The three kingdoms on the continent of Myasia are fighting a three-way war for decades. After conquering every single smaller nation on the continent, the one who isst standing in this war will have no more enemies and will rule over all.


    As a king from outside the continent, you must ally yourself with either the human kingdom of Gaatilia, the Undead Empire of Luzia, or the Union of the Beastmen.


    Time Limit: Eight Years.


    Restrictions: All gacha banners are restricted except for [Weapons Banner], [Supplies Banner], and [Armor Banner].]


    After the event descriptiones the bar showing the difficulty, this time, the slider is so far on the red edge that it looks like it''s gonna break away from it.


    Needless to say, even if that wasn''t the case, I''m pretty much done with participating in wars for a while. If the other one also happens to be a war I might just let both of them pass by.


    [Invasion! The Traveling Merchant Arrives


    The traveling merchant is a being t-


    Hm? What is this?


    Strange... it feels like it''s getting a bit stronger, although pretty slowly.


    Oh, so you can''t sense it, huh? Lucky me, I get it all to myself.


    But I wonder... where is this connecting to...?


    ...Interesting.


    I think I''ll go for a walk, Pris.]


    ...


    Okay, what?


    This takes the cake for the strangest thing yet.


    In a second, the whole text disappears, and then it gets reced by a new one.


    [Invasion! The Travelling Merchant Arrives


    Due to outside interference, this event has been automatically selected.


    As per the contract, the Traveling Merchant can be dyed for up to 6 days, although, if the user decides to, the event might begin immediately.


    Protect your kingdom.


    Time Limit: Unknown


    Restrictions: None]


    Alright... It''s a little better now, but it''s clear that something is wrong.


    First of all, there was something wrong with the description. If anything, it looked like another person was writing over it. It also seems like they were talking with someone or something named Pris.


    Well, given that I didn''t get much information on this, my only guess for the culprit would be this Traveling Merchant


    The description also states that the event has been automatically selected, and given the rules of the event tab, I can''t select the other one now.


    Thatst thing about protecting the kingdom also sounds ominous as hell, but alright, I would dly do it anyway.


    Thankfully there are no restrictions, so I can summonpanions, weapons, and also get skills in the gacha.


    Since it cannot be avoided, I''ll just have to prepare myself for it the best I can.


    I''ll have to distribute my gacha rolls between weapons, armor, spellbook, and skills since I was giving everything to Melissa.


    Also, this is technically a merchant we are talking about, so maybe I can get something good if he''s willing to trade and fuck off. Hell, if I can give him some items and get him to leave, then it''s all worth it.


    But I guess all of thates tomorrow, I don''t have tickets today and the mana banners have yet to provide something good.


    For now, what''s truly important is the girls waiting for me.


    And so, I start to walk around the house looking for them. Since the house is not that big to start with, I find them pretty quickly. They are watching Tv on the couch and have yet to notice me.


    Luckily for me, they are watching a horror movie, and seem to be pretty into it.


    So, while the tension in the movie starts going up to prepare for a jumpscare, I also prepare myself.


    Sneaking behind them, I put my hands on their shoulders.


    Miwen: "Hi?"


    Licia and ire: "Kyaaah!!!!"


    ire: "Fuuck! die!"


    I see a fisting into my face with absurd speed while mes start erupting from it.


    Thankfully, due to the level of ice magic I reached, I can quickly form a thick ice block to stop that, but it ended up being pretty close.


    Miwen: "I thought you knew better than to use fire magic inside the house."


    ire: "You!... bastard!"


    If I wasn''t faster I might''ve died, but it was all worth it for this moment.


    Licia: "Seriously, how much of a child can you be?"


    Miwen: "No way I''d let a golden opportunity like this pass by."


    ire: "So, if you''re back, I guess everything is over now?"


    Miwen: "... Yes. We ended up losing."


    There''s no way around it, and it''s actually refreshing to be able to talk with the girls.


    I do like Mia, but after being manipted by her mother, I really wanted to be able to talk openly with them, knowing that these girls wouldn''t really try to deceive me in any way.


    The fact that her tribe wanted to fight even against impossible odds just goes to show how brave they truly were, I guess it''s expected of the people who once drove away a dragon that terrorized a continent. I canmend her for choosing to fight alongside them, even if she also had her personal revenge against Normyu.


    And there''s nothing to be said about the desire to protect your own daughter, I''d have to be mad to find fault in that.


    So, while I can understand Melissa''s actions, the fact of the matter is that while trying to help her, I ended up exposing myself, and she tookplete advantage of it to deceive me.


    I can''t really tell Mia about my conflicting feelings about her mother right now, it just wouldn''t be fair. So, Licia and ire are the only ones I can be truthful with while also knowing that they''ll be truthful in return.


    Licia: "...Do you want to talk about it?"


    Miwen: "Yeah."


    The girls already know everything that was happening, so, all I need to tell them is what transpired today.


    Given that it was quite a lot, I was expecting them to have a mix of feelings on the matter, but to my surprise, although ire seems a bit infuriated, both she and Licia hardly seem shocked. At least inparison with me and Mia, it''s a world of difference.


    ire: "I can''t believe it, I told you she was about to give up."


    Miwen: "She didn''t really, from the start she-"


    ire: "That''s just an excuse! If she wanted to she could''ve thrown her people inside your ce."


    That''s a pretty ambiguous way to put it and I''m not reallyfortable with it.


    Miwen: "I mean... yeah? But how would they survive in there? I can''t really buy food for that many people."


    ire: "You can buy seeds and start a small farm in there can''t you?"


    Miwen: "It takes too much time for these to grow."


    ire: "Then I don''t know! Bring them here and let them fend for themselves, throw them into the dungeons or whatever. Anything is better than certain death."


    It''s a bit unexpected to hear that from her, even more so considering she seemed like she had died fighting and was pretty satisfied with her own death.


    Licia: "...She didn''t want to run, she wanted to fight. I think... she was being sincere, that must have been the feeling of her people and she chose to follow them, even if it meant her end."


    ire: "...Not everyone wants a glorious death in battle."


    Licia: "But everyone wants to protect their home, help their family."


    ire: "That''s why they had to flee."


    Licia: "No, that''s why they had to fight. Because Melissa wanted to fight."


    ire: "Hm?"


    Licia: "Think about it, if Miwen wanted to fight, would you have abandoned him? I''m sure most soldiers would''ve wanted to fight to thest alongside Melissa. Do you think their fellow men would''ve abandoned them? And after that, do you think their families would turn tail and run? The very people who decided to fight a dragon? I think...


    that''s just how they were..."


    As irrational as it might be, I end up agreeing with Licia. In the end, they were fighting for much more than their lives. Their history, pride, and ce in the world were on the line. I can only go by Melissa and Mia and the story of their ancestor, but... everything points to them not hesitating to fight against whatever menace they were facing.


    That was why I was so sure Melissa would give her all to fight.


    In a way, seeing that I''m about to face off against an unknown threat like never before, it''s a bit reassuring to have someone from that tribe, who does not fear the strength of an enemy, on my side.


    ire: "Fine. Either way, I don''t care. What I care about is..."


    Licia: "... Yeah, I feel the same."


    The conversation suddenly shifts direction, and then, Licia asks me:


    Licia: "How do you feel about it, Miwen?"


    Miwen: "... I don''t think I would have fought like that. Call me a coward all you want, but to me, people''s lives should have priority above all."


    ire: "That''s not what she''s asking you."


    Miwen: "Huh?"


    Licia: "I''m asking if you''re fine Miwen. We know that you cared for her and that... well... from my perspective, you''re very devoted to those you wish to help, so it must be pretty hard for you..."


    Miwen: "I wanted to save her. I wanted to bring happiness to them. I didn''t want to see her daughter suffering and crying. I didn''t want innocent people to die. I thought that this time, I had agency... That maybe I could actually help someone."


    ire: "..."


    Miwen: "I felt really proud you know? I was making progress and maybe everything was going to work out. I guess if Melissa''s winning condition was to save her daughter, then mine would have been to save both of them."


    Licia: "..."


    Miwen: "I guess I''m feeling a bit lost right now... I''m ashamed that I was so weak... when you try your best and still fail... it''s hard to cope right? I can''t shake off this hopelessness...I wasn''t capable enough to save her. No matter what, this is a truth that I can''t deny.


    And that really hurts."


    I really wanted to have done more for them.


    Miwen: "... It''s getting a bitte. I''m gonna go give Mia her dinner. You girls can go to bed if you want to."


    No matter how much I''m hurt by the results this time, I made a promise to Melissa, and it is my own desire to be of help to Mia, so, even though I failed, I''ll at least do what I can right now.

 Chapter 44: First Night With Licia (R18)

    -Warning-


    -This chapter contains descriptive sexual content and it''s safe to be skipped, reader discretion is advised-


    After entering the kingdom, I make my way to Mia''s room, and after knocking for a while she responds:


    Mia: "You can leave it on the table, I''ll talk to you tomorrow... sorry."


    Miwen: "No worries."


    I''d have liked her to join us at dinner, but I guess it would be asking too much of her. Just the fact that she''s already gonna eat today is enough.


    There was nothing else for me to do in there, so I go back home after telling her to eat before it gets cold.


    Inside the house, I''d expected the girls to either be showering or have gone to bed already.


    But it seems that wasn''t the case for Licia.


    Licia: "So? How did it go?"


    Miwen: "As you''d expect from someone in her position. She''ll need time to heal."


    Licia: "I see... she''s a strong girl, so I''m sure she''ll manage."


    Miwen: "I sure hope so..."


    I don''t feel like sleeping right now, there''s quite a lot on my mind. But there''s no reason to keep Licia awake too.


    Miwen: "It''s better if you go to bed. We''ll have a busy day tomorrow."


    Licia: "What about you?"


    Miwen: "I need to think about things, so..."


    Licia: "Hnm... it''s alright if you want to talk and get it off your system."


    I don''t think it''s something to be overworked by, the recent matters took a lot from me, and I need a bit of time to think before regaining my footing.


    Miwen: "Don''t worry about it-"


    Licia: "That''s your problem, you know?"


    Miwen: "Huh?"


    Licia: "I get it that you always try to help and protect those you care about. But don''t you think this is a little too much, or even, that it''s a little bit unfair?"


    I don''t quite get what she''s talking about. My desire to help them is genuine, and even if ites at a cost for me, well, it was my decision to extend a hand in the first ce, so I''m prepared to go in all the way.


    Miwen: "What do you mean, it''s unfair?"


    Licia: "See, it''s always like this with you. The first sign of a problem, and you try to fix it."


    Miwen: "Well, I do have responsibility over y-"


    Licia: "And that''s fine, really. I doubt there''s anyone who wouldin about the way you''ve been treating us. But that''s where it bes too much. It''s unfair Miwen, that you don''t try to rely on us."


    Miwen: "It''s not true, I do rely on you guys a bunch."


    Licia: "When ites to fighting, yes. But what about when ites to yourself? You always try to do everything for the people around you, without opening a window for us to do something for you."


    Miwen: "You do enough..."


    Licia: "But you do way more than enough and... and it makes me feel like I want to dedicate more of me to you."


    I was never dissatisfied with what the girls give me, on the contrary, theirpany has brought me happiness each and every day, being around them is fun and if I could, I''d do even more for them... wait, is this feeling that Licia is talking about?


    Licia: "It seems to me you still don''t get it. Then what about this?"


    While we were both sitting on the couch, Licia leans closer to me, our faces getting so close that I can feel her breathing.


    After turning towards her, I''m surprised as she closes her eyes and further approaches. Our lips now touching, she initiates our first kiss.


    I wasn''t expecting her to do something like this, if anyone, ire seems the more carefree about these matters, so, for Licia to kiss me like this, confirms that her feelings for me are truly strong. It''s something I had already noticed, but couldn''t be sure about.


    Either way, her lips are so soft, just feeling them is already divine, but after opening my mouth to breathe, she takes the opportunity to start a french kiss.


    With her body leaning into mine, I had no intention of escaping, so I hug her and start intertwining our tongues together.


    I can feel the temperature around her getting warmer, using my left hand I gently touch her neck, and slowly my hand makes its way to the back of her neck, which I use to push her closer.


    Robbing her of the initiative, I use my tongue to feel hers, and while doing so, everything from her smell to her touch starts to invade my mind, utterly void of reason, now just a beast that follows its instincts, I begin to kiss her more thoroughly, having my tongue feel every part of her mouth.


    A few minutes that feel like hours, feeling and tasting each other, ites to a point where we need to separate ourselves, though, the desire to continue, to go even further even, is still there. It wouldn''t go away just because we had to catch our breath, if anything, it only grew stronger now that I''ve ustomed myself to feeling her lips.


    Miwen: "Sorry Licia, I kinda lost contro-"


    Licia: "Didn''t I tell you to rely on us? You can do whatever you like, I don''t mind."


    Miwen: "Still, you don''t need to do something like this out of a sense of debt, what you guys do is already more than enough and I wouldn''t ask something like this out of you."


    Licia: "I''m not doing this because of a sense of duty or anything like that, Miwen. I''m doing it because I like you. Don''t you think that it''s unfair? That after treating us with such care, maybe, we would grow to develop feelings for you... that we might grow to care for you too."


    It''s a strange feeling I must say, having someone like you so much that they would care for you even if there''s nothing to gain from it. But in no way do I dislike it. The feeling of being rewarded by hard work does exist, but, this is way more than that.


    It''s a rtionship built by people who want the best for one another, one where you can trust the other because, in the end, even if there''s nothing in it for them, they still choose to be with you. I could only describe it as...


    Licia: "It might not have been your intentions, but... your kindness pierced through my heart, how could I, who''ve been given so much by you, out of only consideration alone, not start feeling special? And now that I think of you as special to me... well..."


    Miwen: "I understand... don''t worry, I also grew to like you back."


    Saying the stronger version of "like" might still be a bit too much for me. It could be that the moment is clouding my judgment, and I know that at least the kiss is definitely doing its work to block my reasoning.


    Still, there''s no denying it, the time I spend with Licia makes me genuinely happy, without noticing, she grew to be an indispensable existence in my everyday life, one that I wish to hold close to me at all times.


    Miwen: "... I want to continue, do you want to, Licia?"


    Licia: "See? Now you''re truly relying on me."


    She closes the distance between us, but instead of going for a kiss again, she whispers in my ear.


    Licia: "I said you can do whatever you like to me."


    Having such a sweet voice whisper something like this to me... there''s no way I could hold back. While sitting on myp, I start kissing her again.


    This time though, I wouldn''t be stopping with just a kiss.


    To start with, the source of desire for men all around the world was right in front of me. The fabric of her shirt and bra was still separating her breasts from my hands, yet, I could feel their softness and sticity. Holding them in my hands made me desperate. All I wanted was to keep touching it and feeling it more and more.


    Using my thumbs I''d circte around and I would also press them, which led to Licia''s first moan.


    Licia: "...Hn...!"


    This made her stop our kiss, but before I could regret it, she started stripping off her clothes while still sitting on myp.


    Licia: "...it should feel better now."


    Is this an angel? After noticing how intent I was in ying with her breasts, out of her own volition she decides to present them to me. If not for the fragrant smelling from her, the warmth and weight of her ass pressing against myp, I would feel like this is all a dream.


    It''s the first time I see her naked body after she was summoned, and the effect is even greater now. I''ve yet to see all of it, but the look of desire in her eyes and her erect nipples... those more than make up for it.


    As I cede even further to my desires, while touching and pressing her nipples, a sudden urgees to me, and I just had to lick them.


    Licia: "...ahn! ah..."


    By now, her moans were like a melody to me, and I couldn''t get tired of hearing them growing louder and more frequent. I waspletely satisfied by it, filling my hand with a boob while licking and sucking another, to call it blissful would be an understatement.


    If I ever thought this moment couldn''t get better, I was incredibly wrong. While I was focusing on her body, Licia took the opportunity to slide her hand inside my pants. There she found my dick standing as tall as it could, raging to get out of the fabric prison and into the action.


    Miwen: "...Hmn!..."


    Licia: "Ahh... hn.. Nhh..."


    By jerking me off she managed to make me react in an unexpected way. Though, I''d be sure to properly pay her back for it.


    As fun as it was ying with her breasts, there was another part of the female body that I wanted to get to know deeply. The best part was that I could still keep her tits in my mouth while I went in search of her sacred ce.


    Being sneaky with my hand I reached for her pussy, which I started to rub from the outside with two of my fingers, I could feel that everything in there was a sloppy wet mess, which made me want to keep rubbing it even more.


    Licia: "ANhh... uhNh..."


    Even though I didn''t want to let go of her breasts, having her face so close to mine while she moaned so sweetly gave rise to the desire of kissing her again. From then on, I would change between kissing her mouth and kissing her breasts while masturbating her pussy.


    Licia: "Ah... Ahn... I''m close to-"


    Miwen: "Me too..."


    It really couldn''t be helped, the mix of sensations permeating my body was way more than I could handle, at the very least, in the end, I managed to make here too.


    Normally I could be satisfied for a while after cumming, but this time, it was almost like it didn''t have any effect at all. Taking my hand out from her panties, I noticed how wet from her juices it was, and wanting to know the taste of her, I ended up licking them clean.


    Licia: "...you''re up for another ?"


    Miwen: "Yeah, it seems like it will take a bit before my friend is satisfied."


    Licia: "...alright, I can help you with that."


    Help? You''re the whole reason why I''m in this state to begin with. Not that I wouldin though, and seeing her taking off everything to be naked, the same as she was when we first met, gave me the signal that we would be doing it to the end. It would be impolite for me to leave her alone, so I too joined the naked parade.


    Seeing as her pussy was already wet enough and my dick was as hard as it could be, I thought I could just put it in her. But she had her own thoughts about that and started using her pussy to rub my cock.


    Licia: "...Will you let me take care of you?"


    Miwen: "Yeah."


    She really hammers home her point until the end. But being pampered like this is not bad at all. I guess I can rely on them like this too.


    She stands a bit away from myp, and grabs my penis as if it was a handle, directing it towards her pussy, I could see the exact moment when I lost my virginity.


    Licia: "..Yahn! ...Big..."


    Miwen: "Uhf..."


    Even though just the tip had entered her pussy, she let out the loudest moan yet. I even thought that ire would end up hearing it, but by now, it would be toote. Even if Mom and Dad had entered the room, I wouldn''t stop. I simply couldn''t stop.


    Even though her vagina was pretty wet, I still had trouble moving, as her pussy didn''t stop clenching on my dick.


    Noticing that it would be hard to go deeper, I decided to make my penis retreat.


    Licia: "..Ahn... that''s it...aahn...slowly...please..."


    I''m very sorry to her, but I had no intention of going slowly, I only pushed it back so that I could put in deeper. And it did work, I could go way deeper into her pussy now. After repeating it three more times, I could reach it all the way to the end.


    By now, Licia was using all the strength she had left to desperately hold on to my back. But to me, it felt like her arms were losing strength due to her focusing it on her pussy as it kept mping down on me.


    While pistoning her pussy, I tried to look for the spots that would make her moan louder and mp down harder. I also grabbed her ass, to use it as a handle making her bounce on my cock. It seems like it was effective, as to hide her moans, she went for a kiss.


    Having my entire dick roughly fucking her wet pussy was a feeling from beyond this world, and when she started kissing me, it was as if she had calmed my heart, even though I could feel she was alsopletely lost in her desires, that made me regain a bit of consciousness.


    This was enough for me to notice that I was reaching my limit, the throbbing sensation on my dick only grew stronger as Licia started taking control and moving on her own.


    Swaying back and forth on my cock, as Licia began to lose speed, I noticed that she too was close.


    Miwen: "I''m gonna cum, Licia."


    Licia: "Hnn...please, inside me...Ahn...ah...ha..."


    I had no way of holding back after hearing her say that, and no way would I even try. I decided to force everything out of my dick, giving her the hottest and most forceful ejaction I could muster.


    Miwen: "Cumming!"


    I ended up cumming for what felt like an eternity, with her pussy hungrily eating it all up.


    Finally, my dick was relieved, but...


    Licia: "Aaah... amazing... it''s not going down at all..."


    Even though it was the second time, me and my little friend were both in agreement, we wanted more.


    Licia: "You can do me as much as you want...my body is all yours, so do with it as you please."


    Hearing her, I couldn''t ignore the feeling of domination that spread through my body. It did nothing to calm my cock, and I ended up fucking her for hours.

 Chapter 45: Her Past

    Our first night together, though filled with a burning desire that seemed bottomless, hade to an end after neither of us could keep going, and even the noises that echoed throughout the room soon gave way to the sound of silence.


    However, that silence could notst forever.


    Miwen: "That felt amazing."


    Throughout the entire thing, I barely let Licia rest, almost as if desperate for her, I kept on moving with disregard for anything else like a beast that moved entirely by instinct.


    Licia: "Yeah... sorry that I can''t keep going though, We can always do more next time so... I mean, after you do it with ire too..."


    Miwen: "I thought it was something like that but... I swear you guys can be unreasonable sometimes."


    Licia: "Is it? I''ve wanted to be with you for longer than her, so at least I should go first right? Also, she''s more interested due to curiosity than her feelings for you so... it''s only fair..."


    Miwen: "Spotless reasoning right there. But well, as a man, you won''t hear meining about this oue... Still,  I need to ask you, why did you want to be with me so much in the first ce? I know you think I did a lot for you, but trust me, I would''ve done that regardless."


    Licia: "I know... it''s just that... I lived a life constrained by others. Being able to make my own decisions in life... you were the one who brought me such freedom. Add to that the care you had for me, even if it''s something you''d show to anyone...


    it is my first time feeling like I''m truly following my own path and that I can rely on someone else."


    Somehow, it feels like I inadvertently did something really special for her. I offered Licia the same things I did for ire and going forward, it''s what I n to offer anyone thates out of the [Companions Banner] I don''t really feel like it''s such a big deal, after all, I''m bringing them to serve my own needs, so, ensuring their living conditions is the bare minimum I could do.


    As for giving them the freedom to choose... while I obviously want them to choose to be by my side, if they ever decide to go, I can just try again with another summon. In the end, it''s better for me to let them go without any hostilities. Hell, forcefully keeping someone that doesn''t want to stay might as well be a death sentence, there''s no way I''d run such risks.


    There''s also the whole unknown world factor. This world is unlike anything they have ever experienced, leaving them alone in it without offering an alternative would be just cruel. It would be the same as telling them to live a miserable life outside of my view. As the initiator who calls these people forth, I couldn''t bear the shame of leaving them to fend for themselves like that.


    But I guess the way I do things had more of an effect on her than I could''ve imagined.


    It seems like whatever happened in her life before meeting me left her unable to make her own decisions, and that just doesn''t sit well with me, it''s been a long timeing, but I just need to know what her life was like.


    Miwen: "...What do you mean by being constrained? What... was your life like?"


    Licia: "Back then I lived for my younger sister. She was bedridden, and it didn''t matter how much time went by, her disease only grew stronger. To keep her alive, from time to time, my family had to buy stronger potions, which eventually started being too expensive for my father to handle alone..."


    I remember Licia saying that in her old world, she used to be quite a high leveled adventurer, earning herself a title and a high tier. Since raiding dungeons is a job here on Earth too, I thought it was just her way of making a living and didn''t think much of it, but...


    Miwen: "So you had to step in, and ended up bing an adventurer to earn money for your family?"


    Licia: "Basically... No matter what, there was simply no way I could let things go on like that. And though I did everything I could, it was simply for naught."


    Miwen: "What do you mean? I thought you became quite a good adventurer."


    Licia: "Yes but... eventually it wasn''t enough anymore. I needed potions that could only be made by an alchemist from the capital. Not only were they expensive, but that alchemist always gave priority to nobles, so even if I had the money, it was doubtful that I could get any."


    Miwen: "I see... so what did you do?"


    I don''t see someone who spent their entire life working to keep her sister alive giving up. But since I know that whatever happens, it ends up with her death... something must have gone wrong at some point.


    Licia: "...I met a kind noble, the son of a count. He had heard of me and wanted to greet me. After we talked a bit, he told me that by chance he had some of the potions that I was looking for. At first I thought it was too much of a coincidence, but he had them sent to my house the next day."


    Miwen: "Oh... so you got a contact that could buy the potions for you, that must have been like a heaven-sent for you."


    Licia: "If I say it like that, it really makes it seem so, right? Wel.. it''s what I believed things to be like. But I was wrong."


    ...?


    Licia: "I paid him every time, but a time came when I couldn''t pay anymore, my sister needed too much, and... he said it would be okay, that I could pay himter... But it was all a bunch of lies. After I got the next batch of potions from him, he used me of stealing them. He said I was out of money and resorted to stealing. The maniac had me imprisoned in his house''s dungeon."


    Miwen: "I don''t get it. Why would he plot against you? What did he stand to gain?"


    Hearing this, there''s one possibility in my mind, but I really hope I''m wrong about this.


    Licia: "He nned it all from the beginning, all he wanted was to have me as a pet or a toy. The little fame I had enticed him, the disgusting bastard thought I was made for him. Through months there wasn''t a single day where I hadn''t experienced hell by his hands. Be it from the drugs or the aphrodisiacs, somewhere along the way I couldn''t even feel my surroundings or regain a proper consciousness.


    Thankfully, all I remember from that time was a strong desire to die. I just wanted it all to end."


    The thought alone makes my blood boil. To see the girl I always admire for her strength, looking so feeble and tiny in my arms while she recounts her memory...


    I can''t imagine how shit it must''ve been, don''t even want to. It''s just truly disgusting and malicious and hideous and... it feels utterly infuriating.


    Miwen: "...how old were you you started working as an adventurer?"


    Licia: "I used to help mom at home until I was twelve, then I started working for about eight years... and then... about a year after that, I met my end. I don''t really recall when it happened, or how it went. And I... I don''t want to remember..."


    Miwen: "I think it''s better if you leave it behind. I''ll be sure to help you..."


    So she was only a kid then... much too young to know any better. She lived like a machine without ever knowing what desires she held for her life. And in the end, someone broke and discarded her as if she wasn''t even human to begin with.


    ... it''s just... such a cruel fate.


    Miwen: "I promise you... I won''t let something like this happen to you again. So you can live without a care in the world."


    Licia: "When you say it like that, it makes me want to believe so much."


    Miwen: "I''ve kept true to my other promises, right?"


    Licia: "That you did..."


    She must''ve been really rired as soon after that she would start sleeping. It''s not like I was much better though.


    I felt better about myself, knowing that I had provided way more for her than I could ever have imagined. Seeing how much the actions that were small for me meant for her... it reinvigorated my belief in them.


    After that night, I started seeing my actions in a better light. Bringing people back, working to make them happy and giving them what they need and want.... I think this is really good. I''ll be on quite a good and fulfilling path if I keep doing things like this.


    And if through the bonds I make with them along the way we grow into amunity capable of supporting each other... then... that would be the kind of kingdom that would make me the happiest.


    Though my gift might make me see and experience things I wouldn''t like, I just need to be strong enough to crush any source of despair or tragedy thates into contact with me or my citizens.


    If my kingdom bes the strongest then I''ll be capable of avenging all the wrong that was done to Mia and Licia, as well as prevent further ones. So that''s what I''ll aim for.

 Chapter 46: Expansion (01)

    My body feels a bit numb due to all that happened yesterday, and even after resting peacefully, I still feel somewhat tired.


    Well, the light of the sun doesn''t lie though, so, since the day has already started, I''ve got no option but to get up myself. Since Licia is still sleeping next to me, I take care not to wake her up while leaving the couch.


    Though I was surprised to see someone else awake.


    ire: "Had a goodnight yesterday huh?"


    Miwen: "How can you tell?"


    ire: "I mean, c''mon now..."


    Seeing it from her perspective, there''s no room for any misunderstanding, but still cute when she gets ashamed by thinking about what happened.


    ire usually talks very openly without paying much mind to it, so you''d expect her to not care that much about such things, even more so when she''s always poking fun at it and bringing up the subject.


    It might be because of the culture in her old world, but it feels like she''s not used to being on the receiving end of such talks, so it''s actually quite simple to break her facade. Like this.


    Miwen: "Oh, you''re blushing... are you jealous?"


    ire: "W-what? Not at all!"


    I swear, cute girls acting embarrassed is a sight to die for. Like puppies ying around, it''s a picture of innocence that heals your heart.


    ire: "...it will be my turn soon anyway, so there''s no reason for me to feel like that... ah, but don''t misunderstand alright? I''m doing it mostly for curiosity since I didn''t do it in my previous life. It''s not like I like you or anything. At least not the same way she does..."


    Miwen: "Uh-huh."


    ire: "What''s with that reaction !?"


    So if I poke her too much I might end up flipping her tsundere switch huh? Sadly, I quite like her usual honest self... it''s a small price to pay for seeing her flustered though. Hell, her being like this is also cute in its own way.


    Miwen: "Anyway, it''s quite unusual for you to be awake so early, did something happen?"


    ire: "Hm? What do you mean? I''m not early, it''s you guys that are tardy. Don''t you have things to do today?"


    Oof, I kinda forgot due to everything that happened yesterday, but she''spletely right.


    Licia: "He does, the next event ising up."


    Miwen: "Yeah, something to do with a merchant or something. Might be even more troublesome..."


    Licia: "Then we should prepare, right?"


    I hadn''t noticed when Licia awoke, it might''ve been while ire was going through her tsundere phase. Still, she waspletely right, today was pretty important since I n on strengthening our forces.


    Before that, I had to go see Mia, just to confirm if she''s gonna be present with us. I feel conflicted knowing how slim the chances of summoning Melissa are, but it''s the best I can do for her. Also, any excuse to get her distracted right now works for me.


    Mia: "You want me to watch you expand your harem? Fine. But you need to take me to a dungeon too."


    I was already nning on doing that, so it works out for me in the end.


    After that, we all left Mia''s house, and I imed today''s [Kingdom Points].


    Due to Mia''s high level, I received quite a lot, more than enough for everything I had nned. It''s a bit of a waste to im them before summoning someone since by making them my [Citizen] I get a bit extra, but it''s fine for now.


    First I use the [Kingdom Points] I have to make a house, right in front of Mia''s. I use the same style as hers, so they look identical. This house should be able to amodate everyone I''ll summon, and since Mia might not be too keen on meeting new people right now, a second house was in order.


    And so, we go up a floor where there''s a room already fit for living, with a bed, a closet... and not much else besides windows. These houses are a bit dull, so I might buy things for the people living here to decorate whenever I''m a bit more safe on the financial side.


    I collect the [Gacha Tickets] for today. Since it''s quite doubtful that I''d be able to level up today as I''m already at the level cap of the current floor in the dungeon this is not as wasteful.


    For now, 4 tickets go to skills, out of which, only [Reading speed up] was a skill I already had. Getting it again makes its level go up, increasing its effects.


    As for the new skills:


    [Better Crafting


    The final object obtained after crafting has its quality increased by this skill, allowing for a small general boost to an object''s innate specificities. This is a passive skill that cannot be turned off.]


    [Focused Breathing


    By focusing on your breathing at any time, it''s possible to have a minor increase in the user''s physical abilities. This is an active skill, mana is used to keep it active at a ratio of 1 mana point for 10 seconds of use.]


    [Wicked Attack


    This is an active skill, when utilized grants the next attack a ''Wicked'' attribute, increasing its power against opponents who have a good nature or are authorities. Further increase of damage if the opponent meets the first condition and is also a devotee of a cult. Each use costs 5 mana points.]


    Outside of [Better Crafting], the other two have quite obvious uses forbat. I don''t think I''ll meet any monster with a good nature inside the dungeon to use [Wicked Attack] on, and I don''t even know what criteria it uses to determine an opponent''s nature, but it mighte in handy.


    The real problem is that if someone uses analysis on me now, this skill might raise suspicion since normally I''d have to willingly get it from the [Avable Skills] menu.


    Well, there''s not much I can do about that but hope that I get a skill to hide this in the future.


    The [Better Craftin] is also troublesome in its own way, being a passive skill that cannot be turned off. But the effects aren''t damaging in any way, so I''m still quite lucky when ites to passive skills... if you ignore the ones that have to deal with Trees.


    After the skills, I was left with three tickets remaining.


    I had already decided on their use. The three of them went directly to the [Companions Banner]. It was the first time I would do a multi-roll on the [Companions Banner], so I had great expectations for it.

 Chapter 47: Expansion (02)

    Even though I was expecting people toe through the [Companions Banner], for sure this result was way beyond my expectations.


    Three naked girls inside a bedroom is not something I''m used to seeing. At least not live right in front of me like this.


    Such a strange scenario obviously caught my attention, which may or may not have caused some death res from the clothed girls by my side.


    To be fair, this time it''s not only the nakedness that''s stealing my attention.


    One of the girls has short blonde hair, beautiful eyes, and the most adorable face, if a little apathetic looking. As for her body, besides her wless skin, though she''s pretty, she''s also quite t, still, even though there''s a bombshell right next to her, I can''t help but look at her face.


    This girl has sharp and long ears, the type that humans certainly do not.


    For anyone who likes fantasy works, the identity of her race is well known. She''s most certainly a type of elf.


    It''s not that strange considering Mia is also a non-human, but the fact that she came from the [Companions Banner] gives her an even more mysterious aura.


    As for the first elf I''ve ever encountered, I must say that I now understand why they''re so popr, there''s no way to describe her as anything but pretty, even though she''s naked in front of me, I don''t find her lewd, but just...beautiful really. It''s quite strange how it''s almost like there''s an air of purity around her.


    Well, besides her there''s the aforementioned bombshell.


    When ites to curves, she''s got every girl in the room beat, the only one who can hold a candle to her is ire, and that''s really in only one department, this girl on the other side has everything up a notch.


    She also looks a bit more mature than everyone else, so who knows? With time they might be able to catch up...


    The moment she notices me looking at her, a smilees about that messes a bit with my heart. It''s pretty hard to deal with a woman who knows her own body''s charms, and it seems like this one is quite aware of men''s gazes.


    If anything, I think she''s quite smart, while everyone is clearly shocked, though she was also at first, it took only a moment for her to start to calm herself and observe her surroundings with more attention.


    Well, I hate to say this, but byparison, the third one is...


    Normal?


    Her hair is neither too long nor too short, and a bit brighter than mine, but still brownish.


    She''s certainly pretty herself, it''s the type of girl you''d see as a cashier at a store and leave thinking ''Insane how that cashier was prettier than most people I see on tv''.


    Yet, she does not have anything that jumps at your eyes like the massive boo-


    Like the girl next to her.


    She''s also human and seems to be as confused as the elf, which ispletely understandable.


    I guess she just has a kind of normalcy charm to her, and in all honesty, being surrounded by all types of different girls, it''s a bit refreshing.


    It''s probably not nice to keep staring like this, so I began to exin what is happening to them.


    Miwen: "Hello... I am the one who summoned you all here..."


    At this moment, everyone''s eye fixates on me, while the girls cover their bodies with their hands.


    Miwen: "As you might''ve guessed, there are circumstances behind it, but I''ll tell you beforehand so you don''t misunderstand... if you were close to death or have memories of actually dying, then, though I''m sorry, the fact that you''re standing here right now doesn''t annul that, if anything, it only proves that you''ve really died."


    I cannot be 100% certain of everyones circumstances, but based on what happened with Licia and ire, I guess this is at least a safe assumption. If anyone of them has memories of death, then, this is their second life, there''s no mistaking it.


    I''d be really d if some of them didn''t experience such a thing, but seeing as no one is challenging what has just been presented they must have rted to it some way or another.


    Miwen: "I have no desires to impede on your second life, you can do with it as you''d like. But I do have an offer."


    Bombshell: "...A pact..."


    Miwen: "Hm? I wouldn''t call it that, it''s more like a deal, I don''t care if you end up walking away from it after you''ve had enough."


    It seems like what I''ve said made them a bit confused judging by their expressions.


    You''d never expect a necromancer to treat you like this, offering a deal instead of bounding someone to their will. In general, after being brought back, you would live as a ve or mindless drone, always under the power of its orders.


    I have no need for something like this though.


    Miwen: "Here''s the deal, I''ll provide you with all basic necessities, including food, shelter, and clothes, were you to need anything else I''ll also do my best to provide. In exchange, I expect you to work for me. For now, this means helping in battle, but as things develop I might need a hand in other areas."


    Licia: "The food is especially good~..."


    ire: "You also get a day off you know~"


    I''ll make a note to leave the marketing to them from now on.


    Still, It''s a lot to take in at once and I expected them to take some time to process everything; So, for the time being, I gave everyone something to wear and left to make breakfast, though quitete.


    I was going to leave all the girls to stand watch, but Licia wanted to help me out.


    Even though I know that Mia is there and ire is more than capable of defending herself, I felt like leaving them outnumbered could be dangerous.


    Still, at level one, with no skills and no weapons, I don''t see how they would be capable of even doing damage to Mia, so it''s alright.


    Miwen: "How do you think it''s gonna go?"


    Licia: "I think I''ve got the hang of it, so it''s gonna turn out great."


    Miwen: "...I was talking about them."


    Licia: "It''s the same, it''s not your first time so you got quite good at handling it. It''s always gonna be a scary situation no matter what, but I think you did a good job, they now have a path forwardid for them, and you''re even giving a free trial that proves your words, I don''t think they have any reason to turn down the offer."


    Miwen: "I see, I think you''re right."


    It took only a few minutes after that to finish, and we had to do multiple travels inside the kingdom to bring it to them, but seeing everyone''s satisfied faces while they ate was well worth it.


    After this, we should be going to the dungeon, but before that, I had to hear what everyone''s decided.


    I wouldn''t mind giving them the entire day to think about it, but with the matter of the event approaching, I don''t want to waste too much time. Though I didn''t have to press them for an answer.


    Elf Girl: "The hospitality you''ve shown me cannot go unpaid, though I have nothing with me now, I''ll be at your service for the time being. You can call me Ellie, though an archer, my ability with des can also be useful to you."


    Bombshell: "I''m Beatrice, the Witch of Alvenaq. I find this situation to be most interesting, so I hope you don''t mind me hanging around."


    Normal Girl: "I used to be a knight for hire, my name is Anna. Your proposal doesn''t differ too much from what I''m used to, so even though I''m nowhere near my prime, I''d be happy to offer you my services."


    I''d like to think it was my words that convinced them, or maybe my generosity.


    But due to how suddenly they''ve all epted, it might''ve been the food.


    Anyway, this works for me.


    Miwen: "Then, here is my first task to you, I''ll have you all be my [Citizens]."

 Chapter 48: Expansion (03)

    The deeper you go inside a floor, the fewer people you''ll find; in exchange, you''ll find stronger monsters. And though this makes it all the more challenging, it''s also more rewarding, as you get more experience, allowing faster level-ups.


    You can only get experience when a monster dies, and you don''t need to be the one to kill it, as long as you contribute, you''ll get a share. The more you contribute, the bigger your share will be.


    This usually tempts people into diving solo, as you can get stronger pretty fast.


    Among high rankers there are not a ton of examples of people who seed alone though, the difficulty is just too high.


    But if you could somehow bring an entire party and make everyone in it get experience as if they were by themselves... well, the result is pretty absurd as far as I can tell.


    Miwen: "The day is not even over yet.... and we also got hereter than usual..."


    Licia: "It''s certainly impressive..."


    I don''t think impressive is enough to describe it, we might just have a record in our hands for the fastest level-up...


    Since my Gift has a strange interaction with the dungeon where everyone is counted as a single being for the purposes of experience distribution, it was to be expected that the neers in our party wouldn''t have a hard time getting to higher levels.


    But right now every one of them is already at level 4.


    ire, Licia, and I can handle almost everything in this dungeon, so with that alone, it wouldn''t be much of a problem to go to the deepest parts where the stronger monsters reside. And even though her level is capped, with Mia here, it''s almost a walk in the park.


    We had three level 1s to look out for, but it didn''t take long for them to be able to handle themselves on this floor.


    But therein lies the key to this fast advancement.


    The floor we are on right now is only essible to those who defeated the boss on the first floor.


    It''s suchmon sense that no one questions it. First, you defeat a floor boss, and then you get ess to the next floor. You are even able to start from your highest floor or previous floors when you enter through the dungeon gate. Very simple really.


    The only problem with that logic is that the majority of the girls in our party have not cleared the first level of this dungeon.


    They all teleported from the [Kingdom] to the second floor.


    Miwen: "It''s the second interaction between the dungeon and my Gift..."


    Licia: "It is strange... it''s almost like the rules of your Gift overpower those of the dungeon..."


    I couldn''t have put it in a better way. It''s a strange sensation where it feels like the dungeon is bending its own rules to amodate my Gift''s rules. It''s as if it''s being mindful of a higher being or a stronger authority, trying to not disrespect it while also maintaining appearances.


    The more I think about it...


    ire: "Hey! Can we take a break? I need to catch my breath a sec..."


    Miwen: "...hm? Oh, sure. Licia and I will keep watch for you guys, so feel free to rest."


    Even though Licia and I are also at a high level for this floor, Mia and ire have been doing most of the work. It''s not that Licia and I are beingzy though, we are going at our usual pace, maybe a little bit slower to look after the others who have just now joined. Both for their safety and in case they try anything funny.


    The problem is Mia and ire, who seem to have gotten quitepetitive for whatever reason. Well, anything that makes ire give her all works for me.


    Licia: "It''s going pretty well... Ellie''s Gift already helps a lot."


    We discussed everyone''s Gifts back at the [Kingdom]. I wanted to know exactly what each one could do so that we wouldn''t be surprised.


    Ellie''s is quite interesting. It''s a simple boost to all her attacks in the form of an effect. When attacking an enemy, she can select from a list of [Effects] to apply, like [Paralysis], [Mana Burn], [Quiet], [Burn], [Freeze]... and so on. The effect is subject to her [Dexterity], which influences the duration and strength. Her [Luck] influences the chances of it applying.


    Another thing about her Gift is that, if she doesn''t select any effect, one will be chosen at random, and if her [Luck] is high enough whenpared to her enemy, not only the best effect for that opponent will be applied, but it will also be stronger than normal.


    With her being an archer, this means she can spam attacks that each inflict something different. For example, she canbo two arrows and not only slow down an enemy but also poison it. She can also apply the same effect multiple times for extra overkill.


    I usually hate stall strategies in games, where someone kills you with damage over time while also debuffing you so that you can''t fight back. But seeing something simr being done to enemies is quite fun. She is a great addition, so I''m hoping we can win her over to our side indefinitely.


    Miwen: "The [Bow of Gallia] also suits her very well... I don''t get why she looked so disappointed when I gave it to her."


    Licia: "It''s shocking how you gave a bow filled with darkness and maliciousness to an elf of all things while wearing a smile on your face... You can be quite terrifying sometimes..."


    Miwen: "She looks great with it though? There''s a lot of...contrast..."


    Admittedly it isn''t the best thing I ever did, but it''s the only bow I had left over. I''ll get her something more to her taste whenever I can.


    Licia: "Your questionable stylistic senses aside, do you really think it was a good idea to arm her? Amongst everyone, her Gift is the most dangerous from the get-go."


    Miwen: "I didn''t have much of a choice though. It would be hard to sell the idea of entering the dungeon unarmed while apanied by strangers stronger than you. We could force them to, but it doesn''t make for great rtions."


    Licia: "While it''s fine right now, as they are getting stronger, their overall capabilities get closer to ours, if they decide to turn on us it could get dicey."


    Miwen: "We can just run to the [Kingdom] and leave them to their fates if that''s the case. And we would win anyway. For better or worse, I didn''t have a wand or staff, so Beatrice is currently unarmed.


    I''m keeping an eye on her status and she''s keeping her promise of putting her [Level-up Points] into [Inteligence], as long as she doesn''t acquire any type of magic, she can''t really do much against anyone."


    Licia: "But you n on giving her magic soon right?"


    Miwen: "Yeah... a mage that can learn all attributespliments my Gift''s ability to [Share] very well."


    Not to mention that, alongside being capable of learning any type of magic, her Gift also strengthens them and makes it faster and easier for her to learn/train her magic and magic-rted skills.


    She also gets a discount on buying levels or new magic with her level-up points, using these aspects, I can have her strengthen all types of skills rted to magic and then harvest the results for myself or the other [Citizens].


    Giving her ire''s fire magic for example would make it so that she saves some points not having to buy the skill for fire magic. Then she can use the very same points she saved to strengthen the skill, which I would then acquire.


    ire''s Gift suits mine very well, but Beatrice''s might just be even better.


    There''s also something about her being able to see someone''s mana aura, but from what she said, it''s mostly useful for determining someone''s nature or, through variations in the mana, if someone is going to use a spell.


    Licia: "Hah... You know how much trouble you give us being like this, right?"


    Miwen: "I know... but I''m positive we can handle it."


    I''m surprised she didn''t mention Anna at all, but I guess it''s understandable.


    Ellie seems very experienced, as much as ire and Licia. Beatrice''s mastery of her Gift andbat abilities is aplete mystery since she doesn''t have magic for now.


    Anna on the other hand... it''s almost hard to believe that she used to be a knight for hire. She has certainly gone through a school of swordsmanship, as can be seen by her going back to a certain stance every so often... but ire does the same much more casually and... smoothly.


    And even an amateur like me can see that she takes more time to think and decide on her course of action than the more experienced girls.


    It''s almost like she''s notfortable or used to fighting. I thought it might be because she feels restricted by her level, but even though she got a few, I still don''t see any improvement at all.


    Her [Gift] is also...


    It''s not bad, and while it''s simple, it''s certainly powerful.


    Basically, her [Strength] and her [Defense] are shared.


    Her base strength, before her Gift effects are applied is added to her total defense.


    And her base defense, before her Gift is applied is added to her total strength.


    She can get quite strong by always focusing on either of the statuses, whichever is cheaper to improve or easier to train, but there''s not much synergy between us.


    Shepliments the party very well being a Tank/Heavy Knight, but as far as my Gift goes, I can only help her by providing some skills suitable for a Tank or that improve her strength/defense so that she can focus on strengthening her status instead of spending time or points in skills. There''s sadly no benefit her Gift gives me in return though.


    The upside is that it contributes to my belief that we don''t need to worry too much about the neers. As things stand, it would be pretty easy to deal with both Beatrice and Anna. With the two of them down, Ellie wouldn''t be able to do much against four close-quartersbatants.


    Mia: "I wanna talk about something with you."


    She says while looking a bit displeased, or maybe disappointed.


    Miwen: "Can you do it while we walk? I think it''s about time we start moving again"


    Everyone seemed to be good to go, so there was little reason to stay for longer.


    ire and Licia took the front and things seemed to have calmed down for ire. Either she got tired, or she doesn''t see Licia as an opponent to beat, either way, she''s way lesspetitive with her.


    Mia: "Are all dungeons in this world like this one?"


    I thought it might be something like that... it''s not the first time I''m told that things on Earth don''t work the way they should, dungeons not being an exception.


    While most of the functions are the same, there''s one thing that confuses the otherworld girls in my party the moment they step foot inside the dungeon.


    Miwen: "I told you it''d be like this right? Even though each dungeon is different, I can guarantee that not a single one of them has a gate to a different world."


    Mia: "I thought for sure you were lying... but damn. Well, at least it exins why only humans exist in your world... but..."


    I get why she''s frustrated about this. It could be a chance for her to go back to her world, but it''s not a possibility given the way dungeons on Earth seem to differ from the ones she knows of.


    A part of me is d that this is the case though, since even if she could go back, she wouldn''t be able to change anything, so she''d almost certainly just throw away her life meaninglessly.


    It pains me to see her sad, and the fact that she''s trying to hide it makes it even worse. I really wish I could console her. Sadly there''s nothing I can do for her as of yet, so I watch her go back to the front with the other girls, probably doing her best to distract herself.


    ...


    We ended up going so far into the dungeon that all enemies were either [Noble Monsters] or [Superior Monsters]. Eventually, surrounded by three [Superior Hobgoblins] we found a hobgoblin that was both a Superior and a Lord.


    Miwen: "The Hobgoblin Lord is considerably stronger than the others... it''s also capable of [Wind Magic]... the two on it''s left, carrying the spears areparable to me in strength. The one on the right is the weakest status-wise. But it''s capable of [Earth Magic]..."


    ire: "Might be tricky..."


    In quantity we are ahead...but Beatrice can''t really fight and Anna is not up to the same standard the other girls are. We can count on Ellie though.


    Every one of the monsters is level 7, and though Licia managed to hit the level cap for this floor ire has yet to do so, but she is very close, on our way back I''m quite sure she''ll be able to do it.


    It would absolutely level up the other girls though...


    Miwen: "It''s risky... but I think we can do it. I think Ellie should shoot the Lord Hobgoblin... try to freeze or paralyze him... if it doesn''t work we bail out, but if it does... we can surround him with a wall of ice.


    There are three of us capable of Ice magic after all. After that, we can either barrage the others with magic or jump at them as usual..."


    Mia: "Eh... sounds good."


    I don''t like relying on Ellie so soon, but it works well as a test anyway. It''s alright if her Gift doesn''t trigger, but if it does, we would have a much better time fighting these monsters.


    I don''t know how pressured she feels knowing that our n so heavily relies on her, but at the very least she seems calm as she waits for the monsters to get into favorable positions.


    As soon as their leader gets a little bit distant from the other, Ellie shoots two arrows at him. The first one hits his stomach while the second hits his chest.


    At that moment I can see looking at his status that [Paralysis] was applied.


    Miwen: "It worked! Let''s go!"


    The moment the Lord got shot, the other monsters, following nothing but instinct rushed towards us. This was actually quite beneficial to what we had nned.


    Combining our magic, Mia, Licia, and I made the ice barrier between the Lord and the Superior Hobgoblins, and the thickness was such that I had no doubts the monster wasn''t able to break through any time soon. This way, we effectively prevented him from interfering.


    Anna stood in front of us, to try and block the attackers so that we had openings to deal with them, but it was unnecessary.


    Seeing the monsterse towards us, Licia decided to do the evil ice thing.


    She froze the ground under one of the hobgoblins carrying a spear and using an ice sculpture that looked like a hand, grabbed his feet.


    Ellie surprisingly didn''t miss that and shot it twice through the skull. I wasn''t using [Appraisal] since the menus distract too much when fighting, so I couldn''t know what effects the monster had received, if any.


    All I know is that the poor bastard didn''tst much longer, a st of fire came from ire''s hands, and after the fire subdued, an ice stake run through its body.


    I thought it was really overkill, it almost looked like they had something against this specific monster, but it happened so fast that they probably just got into each other''s way.


    The two other hobgoblins didn''t bother to even look at their fallenrade and approached fast, such that in no time, Anna had to engage the one with a spear inbat. I took her left nk and engaged the one with [Earth Magic].


    His status where below mine, but his [Earth Magic] was a problem as I don''t have much experience fighting against that.


    I decided to not take any risk and went full-on offensive. First I erected an ice stake behind him, and the moment he dodged, I went for a sh.


    My timing was a bit off though. Licia makes it seem pretty easy, but maintaining concentration for the magic while also attacking physically is very hard.


    Due to that, the goblin managed to block me with an earth wall, as for the stakeing from his back, it''s safe to assume he dodged it.


    From the wall he erected, a bunch of spikes erupted, which made me jump back, not noticing the ground behind me had be muddy.


    I think Licia might have established a new school for annoying magic.


    When I lost bnce, I noticed the spikes from his earth walling towards me.


    I didn''t have much time to think, so in a hurry, I just did the first thing that came to my mind.


    And while looking at a wall, to defend myself, I didn''t think very creatively and just copied him.


    The problem is that these spikes came as a never stopping onught, so I found myself having to repair the ice wall and wasting more mana than I wasfortable with.


    This had be a battle of attrition in which the winner would be the one with the most mana. And though I hate to admit it, I could''ve easily lost this one.


    Thankfully, his attacks suddenly stopped.


    And the sound of someone knocking could be heard on my ice wall.


    Then, from the top, fluffy ears appeared, and a secondter, a face with a smug smile.


    Mia: "You cane out now. Big sister took care of the bad monster outside."


    Miwen: "Do you promise?"


    Mia: "Yeah, yeah,e out now."


    It seems like I was demoted from fiance to little brother at some point.


    Miwen: "I can''t believe he had me."


    Mia: "He was shooting everywhere from behind his wall so he couldn''t see you. You should''ve made a pir and thrown yourself behind his wall when you had the chance. You''d destroy him in closebat."


    Miwen: "Didn''t even think of that. All my head was filled with were walls."


    Mia: "It happens, you got swayed in the motions of the fight as it went on. You had more time to think and react than you thought. It won''t happen so much as you get more experienced."


    Miwen: "If you say so. But man was it annoying to have the ground turn on me. How do you deal with that?"


    Mia: "The enemy can''t mess with the ground around you if you are already messing with it. If you had earth magic you could''ve maintained the ground in its original state through the fight. You can also... just be mindful of your surroundings."


    I thought I was doing that already. But I guess she''s right, should''ve been more careful.


    It seems like she managed to take down the other Hobgoblin as well... with the same tactic she told me to use no less.


    Though I didn''t see it, judging by the pir of ice behind me, I''m guessing she took the opportunity to attack the monster from above while Anna kept it upied.


    Now there was only one monster left for us to face.


    And I prepared myself for the fight that woulde as soon as ire finished melting the wall.


    But what transpired there was straight up a massacre.


    That Hobgoblin was strong, that''s for sure.


    But I can only tell that because of how many hits it took before dying.


    Between paralyzing arrows, fire sts, ice stakes, sword stabs, strikes, punches, and bites... I even felt sorry for the guy.


    It dropped a very valuable [Wind Orb] though, so in the end, it was well worth it.


    Having absolutely destroyed a challenging foe, I felt pretty confident about our current strength and looked forward to how much we could still grow.

 Chapter 49: Full House

    Today''s raid brought a bunch of good results, for starters, Licia and ire hit the level cap for the second floor. The three members who joined us also got to level 5 and might get to level 6 soon. I would''ve never imagined that by skipping a floor we would be able to achieve such a pace.


    Aside from levels, we also made some money. Thanks to sharing [Increased Drop Chance] with everyone, we had quite a few items to sell.


    Just from monster cores, we made $82, and by adding the mana orb from the Superior/Noble Hobgoblin we ended up with $157 after everything was evaluated.


    Thinking back to the amount we were getting when we first started, it''s a far cry. But I still have to pay attention to the finances since the number of people under my care has risen, and will probably continue to rise in the future.


    I thought the day would end without any problems, but a bit of a situation arose when the secretary that we sold our items to warned us against going so deep inside the dungeon when we were in a party of only three.


    Before leaving the dungeonpletely, I had everyone but Licia and ire go back to the Kingdom so that they could bathe and rest. I also didn''t want to bring any attention to us, which would be a bit difficult while walking with a wolf girl and an elf.


    Though there are excuses I could create for them, I figured it''s best to just avoid any such situation altogether.


    s, that was a fruitless effort since after warning us, the secretary actually tried to get us signed into a contract with the government. He said that for us to have not only survived an encounter with a level-capped Noble/Superior monster but also beat it was an achievement and proof of our potential as adventurers.


    When I heard everything he had to say, I couldn''t help but find it funny, almostughing at how far from reality his ideas were. The monster that he made out to be such a challenge was actually picked on by six people and barely could fight back.


    This went on for a bit longer than I would''ve wanted to, even after declining his offer, the secretary kept insisting that we might not have such luck again and should consider the contract. By that point, I was already tired of listening to the guy, so we just left without paying attention to him any longer.


    Thankfully it seems like this guy is notorious for being overly excited about young adventurers, as on our way out I could hear peoplementing on his fifth attempt this week to get someone to sign a contract.


    After that, we finally arrived back home, and I called everyone out so they could hang around while Licia and I made dinner. I was hoping this would help them familiarize themselves with my world. And sure enough, I found everyone surrounding the TV that ire seemed to have monopolized.


    Beatrice seems to be pretty confused about the whole thing since she isn''t feeling any manaing from the TV at all.


    Beatrice: "I thought it was like a crystal ball, but... how does that thing work?"


    ire: "It''splicated..."


    Mia: "So you don''t know either."


    ire: "I do, actually. You just press the buttons here to change what the TV shows."


    Mia: "Sure, but how does that work??"


    ire: "...Uhh... Miwen!"


    Yeah, I should''ve expected. Even though she knows how to use it, exining how it works is a different matter.


    Miwen: "I''m a bit busy right now."


    ire: "C''mon, pretty please?"


    It''s so unfair that she only acts cutesy like this to get something out of me.


    Miwen: "Fine, give me the controller."


    I need to pay attention to the kitchen so I can''t give them a detailed exnation, and while I kind of get it, I doubt my technical knowledge is good enough to exin it in a simple way. So to solve things easily I just put a video that exins it for them. If they still have doubts I can help them figure it outter...


    Or so I thought, but...


    Beatrice: "I wanna know more, let''s put another one."


    ire: "Nah this is boring, let''s watch a movie."


    Anna: "I''m also interested though..."


    ire: "Ugh... You get it right Ellie? Give me a hand here."


    Ellie: "Well... I didn''t really understand any of it, so I think It''s better if I help in the kitchen..."


    It seems like they can''t reach an agreement over there. I doubt it would escte over such a petty thing, but it''s best to intervene here.


    Miwen: "You''re outnumbered, ire. Just let them watch what they want, you can watch moviester."


    ire. "Hmm... But... I already have ns for tonight... so, pretty please?"


    Anna: "Eh ?! Then... pretty please...?"


    That might be a bit too much for my heart. But I must resist.


    Miwen: "You already did that, so it''s not gonna work again. You''re also setting a bad example. But here, you can watch on my phone alright?"


    ire. "Fine."


    To prevent things from getting ugly I had to take the most dangerous path... If ire bes used to a smartphone I fear we might never see her work again.


    By the time I finished dealing with this, dinner was pretty much ready.


    Ellie: "Sorry that I didn''t do much..."


    Miwen: "It''s fine, really. You can help tomorrow if you want to."


    To be fair she''s already done more than ire ever did, but there''s no way I can say that out loud without being burned to a crisp. Also, I wouldn''t really mind cooking by myself, but it''s actually quite fun having them help me, so even if she didn''t do much, I appreciate it.


    Ellie: "Also if you can..."


    Miwen: "Hm?"


    She''s giving me a strong "pretty please" vibe...


    Licia: "You should put less on her te. Elves usually don''t eat as much as humans. Since she ate earlier I doubt she''ll be able to eat the same portion as us."


    Miwen: "Is that so? I didn''t know, sorry."


    Ellie: "It''s fine, I didn''t want to impose much, so... Ah, but you''re very mindful, thanks."


    Licia: "No worries."


    It''s such a cute scene seeing the two of them getting along so well. I wish it would also be the same with the others but I guess it''s going to take a little longer for them.

 Chapter 50: First Night With Claire (R18)

    -Warning-


    -This chapter contains descriptive sexual content and it''s safe to be skipped, reader discretion is advised-


    After dinner, everyone hung around for a bit... Mia, Anna, and ire were watching TV while Beatrice came to ask me permission to look around in hopes of finding new, interesting things. Ellie, Licia, and I dealt with washing the dishes. It was a surprisingly calming mood even though some people were watching action movies at a high volume.


    But still, Licia and I were talking a bit with Ellie and Beatrice seemed to be entertained while trying to understand some of the things she found all over the ce, it took a while for me to satiate her curiosity, and it felt like I had yet to see the end of that.


    Seeing everyone doing their own thing while getting along gave me a strong vibe of a family living together. It''s something that I''m not really used to since for most of my life I''ve lived with my sister, and our parents were rarely, if ever at home.


    Even after Licia and ire arrived things hadn''t changed so much, at least when it came to the feelings I felt when at home. Though it always felt nice having them around, the feeling was close to that of roommates sharing a house, mostly due to ire though, since she only leaves the TV to eat and sleep.


    It was already way better than being by myself all day but now it''s almost like you''re always close to someone, sharing an activity or a conversation. If I stay silent for a second I can hear people speaking from multiple directions... everything feels livelier and I am a little bit proud of that.


    I know there''s a lot on everyone''s mind. Hell, even I''m worrying about the event that wille soon... but still, right now I can tell by the current mood that they''re, even if a little bit, distracted from all of that. Here they are secure, away from whatever hurts them.


    They are surrounded by people who understand their experience better than anyone else probably could, and all the while, though it might not amount to much, I have my mind set on doing what I can to make their experience the best possible.


    I stand to gain from all that I''m doing for them, but to be honest, I don''t think anything is more rewarding for me than knowing that whatever I''m doing, be it small or big, is having a positive impact on them.


    The contrast between what I have now and what I used to have is bes even more clear as soon as those who live in the [Kingdom] leave to rest, leaving only Licia, ire, and I in the house. Though it''s what I was used to before today, suddenly, it feels a bit empty, as if something wascking.


    ire: "I''m beat, do you mind if I go to bed first?"


    Miwen: "I think I''m also done for the day, so shall we go together?"


    ire: "S-sure..."


    There wasn''t anything else for me to do since I was also sure to spend any remaining mana, leaving only enough to avoid the side effects of spending it all.


    Miwen: "What about you Licia?"


    Licia: "I''ll join youter. There''s still one thing left I need to do..."


    Miwen: "I see, do you need help?"


    Licia: "Oh? No, no. I''ll be fine, really... more importantly... It''s better if you go now."


    She was very flustered while saying this and I couldn''t help but get a bit worried since normally she''d take any chance to be around me, but whatever it was, it seemed like she''d be able to handle it, so I decided to leave her be.


    Miwen: "Hm... alright."


    After parting with her, it didn''t take long for me to figure out why she wanted to stay by herself for a while.


    Actually, it was pretty fast, as soon as I stepped foot in my room, the reason became obvious.


    The image of that cute girl undressing right before my eyes was enough to send a shock through my system that almost seemed to wake me up from a dream. Yeah, of course, what have I been thinking about all this time? It surprises even me that something like that slipped my mind. I guess since her demeanor didn''t change I also didn''t get too conscious about it.


    It''s a shame that I couldn''t watch her undress from head to toe, but catching the final moments also had its appeal, it felt like I had gotten lucky and saw something I wasn''t supposed to.


    ire: "So... uhm... shouldn''t you do the same?"


    Miwen: "Ah... yeah, I guess so."


    At this moment, ire had myplete attention, even while undressing, all I could think of was how she seemed less assertive, even her voice being softer than usual.


    Though it was cute seeing her like this, I also wanted to make herfortable, so after closing the door, I walked towards the bed, where Iy down next to her.


    Ever since I started to approach her it was noticeable that a little embarrassment was growing every step until I was by her side, where it culminated.


    Miwen: "Do you want me to turn off the lights? Or perhaps you''d feel better under the sheets?"


    ire: "No.. It''s just that I don''t know what I should do, so..."


    Somehow, it felt like she was going to end up with a "pretty please", but had ite to it, my heart probably wouldn''t have been able to take it.


    Miwen: "Mhm... leave it to me."


    It''s not like I had much experience either, having only been with Licia. But still, I''ve watched enough of it to at least know where should feel good, and with yesterday''s session I was able to learn a lot, so all in all, I felt pretty confident that I could handle this.


    To start, even though I''d risk making her more ashamed due to the tease, I thought it would be good to touch her in safe ces, to get her used to my touch first and gradually go closer to her more intimate parts.


    ire: "Nn... nh..."


    Even though that was the n, be it her shoulders or hips, every touch would provoke a reaction.


    But now that I started gently with her, it didn''t feel right to let the instincts take control and be rougher all of a sudden, so I kept to it, and from her touch her neck I gradually slid my hand down, stopping by her shoulder only to hear more of her muffled voice before finally arriving at her breasts.


    I might''ve been spoiled by what one might be able to find online and...well, Licia''s. But when looking at them closely, their size is not bad at all. She''s definitely behind Licia and Beatrice, but she stands proudly ahead of the other three. I''d say the one closest to her is Anna, but there''s there''s definitely a margin between them.


    One thing that I was able to determine though, it''s their feeling to the touch, they''re way more soft and squishy than I thought they''d be. Pressing them with the hand or the thumb is actually pretty rxing. And it''s good how they fill the hand when grabbed.


    It would be good to confirm whether ire likes having them touched, but given that her moans keep growing louder, It''s safe to assume that she likes it.


    Her boobs felt so surprisingly good that I ended up ying with them a little too much... However, I only realized it after seeing her blush and ask me with a needy look...


    ire: "W-wait...I...ahn..."


    Miwen: "Hm?"


    ire: "I wanna... kiss..."


    It felt a bit weird to be asked for a kiss while ying with her boobs, almost as if we werepletely out of order. But this girl usually has her mind set on doing whatever she wants at the moment, so the order can get a bit messy sometimes. It''s the same attitude that led her to ask for sex before she asked for a kiss.


    I decided to stop touching her breasts so that I could attend to her desires, after all, when she asks with a shyness that''s so rarely seen, it is impossible to not give it to her.


    While my hands that were previously on her breasts caressed her neck and cheek, I could feel that she was pretty hot, almost as if she was about to erupt.


    I approached her lips slowly, all the while feeling her heat and breath, anticipating what I would do, she closed her eyes and had her hands pressed against my chest. If that was any attempt to resist, it was meaningless, as by the next moment I was savoring her lips.


    While tasting her lips during our first kiss, her excitement showed through her tongue which was desperately seeking mine. I satiated her desire by intertwining mine with hers, but by giving in to her demands a second time, my own desire to tease her was beginning to emerge, so, not too long after, I parted ways with her mouth.


    Through her dreamy eyes that were barely open and the way her mouth stayed the same after the kiss, I could tell that she was longing for more. Still, I wanted to hear her ask for it.


    ire: "...more..."


    She begs in a quiet voice.


    Miwen: "More?"


    ire: "...please..."


    Her arms went around my back and she pressed me against her, even though she was being so shy, every inch of her body tried to scream her desires.


    It was only right to answer in kind, so I once again went for her mouth. It felt as good as the first time, but I noticed her arms loosening up from my back, and it felt like she was beginning to rx.


    Sensing an opportunity now that she was morefortable, I slid my hand down towards her hip, this time though, she showed no reaction, so I thought it was the perfect chance to start work on her pussy.


    As soon as my fingers touched it, I could feel that it was pretty wet, not only that...


    ire: "Nn... ahn..."


    This time, she was the one to separate our lips. I thought she was only going to catch her breath, but then the distinctive sound of her sweet moans became audible.


    ire: "...uhn... Ahn...haa..."


    She tried to close her legs, but that was a fatal mistake, as it only made me touch her harder now that I knew how much she was feeling it.


    ire: "...aAhn... Unm...something''sing..."


    Miwen: "Come."


    ire: "...Nnn... nnNOOooo...."


    The sloppy soundsing from her suddenly stopped as she came. Her body kept trembling and the strength of her legs was nowhere to be seen.


    Miwen: "Did you feel good?"


    ire: "...Y-yeah...haa..."


    Miwen: "Thene here."


    This time I grab and press her for a kiss. Her body was weak all over, she felt very light and I kept hugging her, only stopping the kiss to tell her...


    Miwen: "I''m gonna make you feel even better."


    ire: "...uhn?...nhn..."


    Her mind seemed to be in a haze, as she wasn''t able to muster anything before I went back into tasting her tongue.


    Throughout the whole ordeal, I could barely contain my dick, and seeing how wet she was, there was no reason to keep me from tasting her lower mouth too. However, there was one barrier I failed to consider.


    Her hymen stood bravely in my way as herst line of defense. And though I salute it for protecting her virginity all this time, its valiant effort was shattered by my dick that enjoyed tearing itpletely.


    ire: "...gah!...haah...nyoo..."


    Her walls were too tight, every inch conquered felt like a milestone, so I had to take my time pushing in deeper. And aside from feeling insanely good, it gave me plenty of time to enjoy the look on her face as she surrendered. every nook and cranny of her pussy to me.


    Her cries kepting, and she asked for another kiss by hugging me. The way she was so passionately clinging on to me made me give in to my own instincts and I finally started messing with her butt.


    Ever since I firstid my eyes on it, that plump ass has been invading my dreams every night. It''s not only that it is big, shapely, and supple, but it suits her hips and thighs so well it almost looks like it''s the butt that every other should be modeled after.


    Not only that, as if a subus trying to entice me, every night I''d suffer attacks from it as ire moved around in her sleep and her ass kept touching my son, teasing me almost as if it knew I couldn''t strike it back. By the day it would wiggle at the most opportune times to catch and trap my gaze, an evil behavior that cemented it as the most demonic ass around.


    But that was only until today, now that I had it in my hands, I was going to be sure to vanquish all the evil contained in there. To do that, I had to feel it, grab it, spread it, knead it, and by the end, even p it to make the evil go away.


    It was such a blissful ti- a hard battle, that I ended up losing focus of pounding ire''s pussy.


    ire: "...why...ahh...are you...ahn... pping... mhnn.."


    Sorry, much as I''d hate to hurt you, I had to do it for the sake of peace and harmony in the world.


    Of course I couldn''t say that, so I had toe up with an excuse on the fly.


    Miwen: "I just fucking love your ass..."


    Perfect, that shouldn''t raise suspicions. And though I had won this battle, to truly save humanity I''d have to one day explore and conquer her asshole.


    I ended up having too much fun with her ass, leaving her pussy half-heartedly attended to, so it was time to fix that.


    Picking up the pace, I pistoned in and out of her greedy pussy that wanted me all to herself. It was at the point where it became impossible to tell which was louder, her constant moaning or the sloppy sound of her pussy getting dicked.


    ire: "hnn...there!... good... ahnn... keep doing me just like that..."


    While fucking her I noticed her boobs swaying around and remembered that I had yet to taste them, so I went for a mouthful while doing my best to maintain the pace of my cock in her vagina.


    Her boobs when apanied by her erect nipples were as delicious as I could have hoped for, and the contrast between her soft breasts and hard nipples was divine, but...


    ire: "W-wait... I''m... nhn...ahnn... gonnae..."


    By then I was close to the limit myself, so hearing that she was about toe got me over the edge.


    Miwen: "...Uhn...I''m also going to cum..."


    ire: "....Ahn... e...pleasee...Ahhniingg..."


    I kept cumming inside her for what felt like an eternity, but she deserved everyst drop, from the surreal tightness of her pussy to the warm embrace of her body, every inch of hers felt like it was made to suck dry every inch of me.


    After I pulled my dick out, I saw the image of a defeated woman, her body was still trembling while my semen was gushing out from her hole, and her heavy breathing did nothing to improve the scene, only the smile on her face could denounce that she was basking in the afterglow.


    ire: "Ah... I need... to rest..."


    Miwen: "Oh yeah, catch your breath before round 2."


    ire: "Eh?"


    Miwen: "Hm? You didn''t think we were done, did you?"


    ire: "W-wait...no one told me about this... no way..."


    Even I am surprised at my stamina, I thought yesterday was due to it being my first time, but even though I did it so much with Licia, I was raring to go the moment I saw ire naked today.


    And now, after having a taste of her, it seems like as long of a night awaits us.

 Chapter 51: Her Mark On The World

    Surprisingly, it didn''t take long for the silence characteristic of the night to take over my room tonight, yet, not long after it took over, the knocking on the door came to interrupt it.


    Licia: "Uhm... sorry, Miwen... It was real quiet, so I thought maybe it was over..."


    Miwen: "I guess we are, right ire?"


    ire: "mhmmh..."


    It was pretty much impossible to tell what she said as the pillow muffled her voice, but in the state she was currently in, I doubt she''d have anything against Liciaing inside the room.


    What''s unexpected though is that Licia came right after we had stopped, almost as if she was listening the whole time. But by adding in the stains on the floor everything became clear.


    Licia: "... so...why is she like that?"


    Face down, grabbing a pillow that covered her mouth, ire''s whole body seemed limp, looking way more defeated than she did after our first round. It was hard to even hear the mumblesing from her, a stark contrast to her usual high-energy self that lets everyone know what she wants at all times.


    Miwen: "Turns out she''s pretty weak."


    ire: "...am...not!"


    Miwen: "Right, I guess sensitive fits better."


    Even though she was like that she still found the energy toin, but no matter how hard she tried, there''s no denying what''s in in view.


    Licia: "Well, it must''ve felt pretty good since you guys are done so soon..."


    Miwen: "Yeah, I''d even like to do more, but..."


    ire: "...! Get away from my ass! ...Licia... save me..."


    Just the thought alone was enough to make her turn around in an instant, and even beg Licia for help, as if her prior state was but an illusion. Sadly, I didn''t get to try all that I wanted, but I''ll be looking forward to it next time I have a chance.


    However, the way Licia was ring at me upon hearing what ire said gave me second thoughts...


    Sensing that my life was in danger, I decided to change subjects as quickly as possible.


    Miwen: "Well... since you''re showing such an impressive recovery, can you stand up a bit, just so I can change the sheets... ?"


    Licia: "...it is fine though..."


    While tidying things up a bit so that we could rest, I thought I heard Licia say something, but due to it being very faint, I couldn''t quite figure out what it was about.


    Miwen: "Guess we can continue from where we left off now..."


    ire: "Sure..."


    Licia: "Huh? W-wait-"


    Miwen: "C''mon, you join too."


    Licia: "Eh? No, I-"


    As soon as we began dressing ourselves again she figured out I was talking about something else. But leaving it ambiguous was definitely worth it as Licia''s blushing face was quite the reward.


    ire: "So, where was I ?"


    Miwen: "I''ll be honest, I only got that you were a duke''s daughter..."


    ire: "That''s because you already knew that! ...Guess it can''t be helped then... I''ll go over from the start, so pay attention this time, alright?"


    It was hardly my fault that I couldn''t listen to her as she spoke through the pillow the first time, but I thought bringing that up would only cause trouble.


    Before Licia came inside the room, ire said she felt it was appropriate to do the same as she did and tell me her story. So, the two of us got back in bed to listen attentively as ire recounted the events that led to her death


    I was always curious about it, but she prefaced her story by saying that it wasn''t nearly as interesting or tragic as Licia''s. This left me with an unpleasant feeling, it was as if she was underying her own life for some reason, but I knew I shouldn''te to any conclusions before hearing her.


    ire: "Back then, I was the daughter of the most respected family in all of the Lunaria Kingdom. My father was known as ''Lunaria''s Sword'', and for years led our territory''s army to victory against neighboring countries, conquering so muchnd in the name of the royal family that a time came when our duchy didn''t border any foreign nation..."


    Licia: "Uwah?! That''s incredible."


    ire: "It is! All throughout thend, there wasn''t a single man capable of defeating him in a duel, many knights conceded before even facing his de, and the heat alone that his sword emanated was enough to silence an opponent."


    He really seems extremely strong, but I don''t know if the vast amount of territories he conquered is such an impressive feat.


    First of all, from what I could seest time, an army can easily use magic as artillery, so if they can overwhelm their opponent in firepower, the time a siege would otherwise take can be drastically reduced.


    What''s more...


    Miwen: "Why didn''t he take the conquered territories for himself?"


    ire: "Our duchy was already pretty big as a result of the close rtionship between the royal family and ours, if we grew even more, the bnce of power might''ve been at risk... The royal family might''ve be fearful of us... or the other nobles of Lunaria could start a coalition against us to prevent our interests and cripple ournd..."


    I see, by giving the territories to the royal family he actually achieves way more than controlling them directly. Aside from the negatives, he also might''ve boosted his reputation amongst other nobles, as well as his rtionship with the royal family.


    ire: "Our troubles with the borders diminished greatly too, which led to stability and made our citizens pretty happy... It also gave him time to ''enjoy the sweets of life''... which was mostly done by spending time with mother..."


    I was about to give in and admit her father''s prowess and brilliance, but what she just said was so reminiscing of herself that I might''ve grasped her father''s true nature that even she might not know.


    The thing is just how much it reminds me of the way she''s always up to fight and win as quickly as possible... just so that we can end it early and she can have more time toze around.


    Looking from the outside, you could see her as an overachiever who is always putting in a lot of effort, but the truth is that her aplishments are actually just a side effect of her doing her best in order to get home quickly and do nothing at all for as long as she can.


    The situations are details are different of course, her dad wants to be with her mother and ire wants to be with the TV, but...


    Wait. Did I just make a big mistake by sleeping with her?


    ire: "Well, since he spent so much time with mother, by the time I was eighteen, she gave birth to his heir... and then she had another son... since I also had an elder sister I guess mom was also pretty strong in her own way..."


    ....Yeah, I might''ve made a mistake.


    Miwen: "So then what happened? I mean, things seemed to be going pretty well for your family..."


    ire: "You could say that, but for me, it was a pretty bad turn of events."


    Miwen: "...Why?"


    ire: "Father thought for sure a boy would be born during mom''s second pregnancy, and he engaged my sister with another noble''s son in exchange for an alliance with their rich family... but it turns out I''m not a boy, so..."


    Miwen: "He was left without an heir..."


    I don''t know how much he got from that alliance, but it was a huge gamble on his part, and he lost big time.


    Since there''s such an age gap between her and her brothers, I''m guessing this all happened while her mother was pretty young, so he might''ve been counting on the fact that she could still give birth to many children, but...


    Even if he was right, if by then he started having to fight at the borders, he wouldn''t have had much time to be with his wife, which must''ve put pressure on them, making everything harder for both.


    Thankfully she managed to give birth to a son though, so I guess his gamble did turn out alright in the end, though it looks like it was a pretty close call.


    ire: "Well, since sis was engaged, I had to be designated as heir. So, from an early age, I trained under my father to inherit thend and silence all opposition... luckily my Gift was pretty strong, so I managed to acquire quite a reputation for myself, even more so when I pulverized arge stretch of a forest to get rid of some bandits."


    Licia: "That''s how you got your nickname?"


    ire: "Yeah! I discovered their hideout, so I left the forest and shot a pir of mes towards them. That ended up separating the forest on two sides and leaving the soilpletely scorched. They had to remake a bunch of maps because of that. Amazing, right?"


    Licia: "Uh... In a way, yeah..."


    It''s amazing how little self-control she had. Hopefully that ce wasn''t important for business, or else the merchants and her father would be at her throat. At least she opened up a path for a road though, so it might''ve been a happy ident.


    Miwen: "What did your father say about that?"


    ire: "He said I did a good job sending a message and that no one would dare challenge me after that..."


    I guess it helped cement her position, at the very least, she showed the strength necessary to protect the territory and her position. But her father should''ve most definitely warned her about theck of control she disyed.


    ire: "Having heard the rumors about my prowess, the royal family put me to use in the army several times. For each time I''d burned down a fortress they wouldpensate me handsomely, so I kept doing it and even got knighted by the king..."


    Can you guys please stop to motivate her? She really needed to learn a bit of self-control. Just think about the hardship of having to build these fortresses again. And I''d be willing to bet that she didn''t lift a finger to help in that.


    Miwen: "Seems like you were doing good for yourself."


    ire: "At the time I''ve also thought like that, but looking back, it wasn''t... that good..."


    Miwen: "...How so?"


    ire: "Even though I was gaining recognition, I was stealing the life meant for my sister. And well, discipline wasn''t really my thing... I''ve learned it with time, at least enough to follow orders and behave properly as the duke''s daughter... but whenever someone wasn''t looking I''d just go back to cking off..."


    Welp, there goes any ground I had for criticism, seems like I''m also enabling her.


    On the flip side, it seems like she was really forcing her behavior back then, and I like that she can be more true to herself now... even if her true self is akin to a sloth.


    ire: "Father would also scare off any boy and wouldn''t let me attend any party if there was a male attendee, hearing sis talk about her marriage and how much her husband loved her kind of got me curious about such things... it didn''t help that the few friends I had would always talk about their nightly experiences, as if that was the only fun they ever had..."


    This exins her attitude towards the whole situation, maybe when Licia told her what she wanted to do, she saw a chance to try it out as well...


    ire: "I can''t reallyin about this time too much, it felt right... but when my brothers were born... I... felt like I had lost my purpose... now that my family had a proper heir, there was no meaning for me to prove myself, and I wouldn''t be good even as a substitute since not long after another boy would be born..."


    I can kind of understand how she felt, it''s a good thing overall, and it''s not anyone''s fault, but... in one fell swoop, she lost everything she had dedicated her entire life to.


    Miwen: "...Must''ve been rough..."


    ire: "A little... I felt a bit lost and ended up working way harder to distract myself... but one day, both my brothers were kidnapped, and thus... the final act of my life began."


    ...odd.


    There''s something odd with this.


    Miwen: "...How were they kidnapped? Wasn''t your father super strong?"


    ire: "He was away due to a council meeting with His Majesty. Two maids who worked at the mansion were paid to kidnap them by an underground organization. Their n was pretty borate, it would''ve been extremely hard to prevent it without knowing about it in advance."


    Even if I were paid to, I''d rather take the money and run away than risk facing ire and her dad at their prime. I mean, even if I got caught running away, facing this underground organization sounds way more feasible.


    Licia: "To kidnap two kids from such a distinguished family..."


    Even Licia seems to agree that It''s pretty gutsy to mess with that family, but I guess the money was so exorbitant that they didn''t really think about anything else.


    ire: "We searched for days until our leads pointed us to two possible locations, so I decided to take care of one myself and sent almost all troops to search the other one... the problem was the fierce resistance I encountered in a sacred forest that stood between the borders of the Lunaria Kingdom and two other powerful nations..."


    Ah, now I see where this is going...


    ire: "Eventually I received the news that my brothers were found, but we ended up ambushed as we were preparing to leave. They surrounded us, cutting off our retreat path...and one by one, everyone I brought with me was killed, until only I remained standing..."


    She took the path with the higher chance of sess... on a frontal assault, she wouldn''t need help, thus she could separate her forces and guarantee both sites.


    But she overestimated her own strength... with no one to help,pletely alone, ambushed, and against opponents stronger than expected, it''s no wonder that her life came to an end...


    ire: "With no other way out, I ended up burning yet another forest to the ground, this time though, I lost control and ended up destroying everything in sight..."


    What does she mean it wasn''t as tragic, this girl went through a...


    Wait, what?


    Miwen: "You won? Just how many people were you facing?"


    ire: "Uhm... about one hundred, give or take a few men."


    Miwen: "...How many men did you bring with you?"


    ire: "We were six, me included."


    What the fuck? How strong was she back then?


    I guess the location helps due to her fire powers, but there were one hundred people there, c''mon.


    Miwen: "...Then how did you die?"


    I don''t get it, how do you even kill this monster anyway? One hundred guys had her surrounded and it still wasn''t enough to take her down. Does anyone even stand a chance?


    ire: "...You see...that forest was pretty special, it was a gift from the Gods. My world got it as a reward for doing well in a Divine Event..."


    I see, so it took a God to kill her, I hate to admit that it sounds cool to die facing a God. I didn''t take her for such a battle junkie, but I can see how she''d be satisfied if she met her end while facing the pinnacle of power.


    Miwen: "So did a God get mad and descend to punish you ?"


    ire: "That would''ve been cool, but nah. The forest was really important for the church, being their object of faith, holy site, or whatever. They decided to take action against me and created a hunting squadposed of the church exorcists, divine executioners, and strongest holy knights. They also pressured the three countries to join as well."


    Miwen: "... Were they the ones who killed you?"


    ire: "Yeah... I tried going home for help but... You know, disinheriting and denouncing me was the best way to protect the family so..."


    Fuck you, father-inw, why did you decide to be a little bitch now of all times?


    Your daughter gave up her entire life to fill a position she didn''t want and didn''t fit, all because of you, and yet when she needed you the most, you couldn''t even stand by her side?


    You should''ve at least tried to hide her.


    ire: "My sister was kind enough to help me though, and managed to get me a carriage in secret to some far-away ce... but, I ended up being found and had to engage in battle... This time, their coalition had at least 50 men from what I was able to see..."


    It felt like the end of her tale wasing soon, she was starting to recount it more vividly than before.


    ire: "It''s not that impressive number-wise, but they were all knights, respected adventurers, or had high positions in the church, so I didn''t really stand a chance... I managed to take about five down I guess, but, yeah, I ended up being overwhelmed..."


    Licia: "That''s... I''m sorry..."


    ire: "No need to be, Licia. I did what I thought was right, and faced the consequences, I don''t really regret it... though, there''s one thing I feel strongly about."


    Miwen: "That being...?"


    ire: "You know the wolf girl? When she first set foot in the dungeon, her first reaction was to look for a gate that connects to her old world... but... I... when I came to this world, some part of me didn''t want that... I thought it was because I was satisfied with how things ended, but..."


    She starts to look down as she talks, her head turns to face away from me.


    ire: "...the more I think about it now, If I ever went back to my old world... I guess I''d thank Dad for everything he has done for me, and ask him to visit me sometimes, but I wouldn''t really want toe back... since I think I found the ce where I belong..."


    She had a great impact when she came here, and I ended up promising a bunch of things to her... I know about the responsibility I hold over those I''m bringing to my side, and I want to do my utmost for them, but... I didn''t expect that I was already doing something so meaningful for her... hearing those wordsing from her was very surprising in a very good way...


    The girl wanted a ce to call her own, where she felt needed and irreceable, where she could be happy while being true to herself...


    So to her, what she has found here embodies more what home is than the very home she had when she was with her family.


    Miwen: "You know it''s not fair when you act all cutesy like that..."


    ire: "Hm... Hnm..."


    To bring an end to the night, headpats for a girl that tried her best felt appropriate. Licia seemed to be understanding of that, so she turned away, but she also deserved her share of headpats for being a good girl, so in the end, I went to sleep while feeling the weight they carried on their minds.


    And while I didn''t like the way she undermined her own death, or how she didn''t think of it as tragic and was instead satisfied with it...


    There was something else in her story that neither my heart nor my head coulde to terms with... something just didn''t add up. The feeling that there was something fishy just kepting back until I fell asleep.

 Chapter 52: A War To Come

    I woke up this morning feeling pretty refreshed. Being with ire was fun, but resting with her and Licia heals the soul so much that it might actually be better...


    Watching their cute, serene faces as they slept made me think that they also felt the same.


    It was hard to leave the bed while knowing I could bask in the wonderful and rxing situation I found myself in. I knew that if I gave in I''d spend the entire day like this, which wouldn''t be bad at all, but...


    There were still things to be done before I could rx.


    Even though we increased our numbers and strength, in a battle against a much higher-level opponent, like the general we met back during thest event, our best bet would be to have Mia confront them and try to provide as much support to her as we could, since thanks to her level, she''s the one who would be able to deal the most damage.


    Given everyone else''s level though, we''d be down in one hit, or maybe two for Anna. In such a scenario, we need to get stronger so that we don''t be burdens for Mia, and for that, we''ll need to level up.


    Most of us are at the level cap for the current floor in the dungeon we usually raid, and the new girls aren''t too far away, so there''s no need to dy it... We''ll face the boss of the second floor and reach the third floor today.


    I don''t think he''ll be much of a threat, but it''s better to face him at our best to avoid any problems, so, as soon as we finish breakfast, it''s time to go to the dungeon again.


    Mia: "Morning."


    Licia: "Mm...morning. You''re quite the early bird, huh?"


    Mia: "Well, yeah... both this ce and the kingdom are way morefortable than I''m used to. I find the morning breeze on the grassy fields over there to be quite enjoyable."


    Licia: "That ce is pleasant, but a bit too mysterious for my taste."


    Mia: "I guess... That fog is ominous, but nothing everes out of it, so it''s just creepy. But since there''s not a single animal or monster to hunt there, I find it to be boring as hell."


    As for me, I''m really d there''s none. That ce is as much a safe zone as my own house, and I tend to view it as an extension of my home. If I ever need to flee, I''ll always consider the kingdom and my home as the first two choices.


    Today Mia was the first to wake up aside from me. As soon as I started in the kitchen a pop-up came asking if I would allow Mia to join.


    Aftering, she took a note from ire''s book and went straight for the sofa to watch TV. With no intent to help in sight.


    It didn''t take long for Licia to wake as well, even more so considering the noise from the television.


    The other girls came one after the other too, ire being thest of them, but that''s to be expected at this point, even more so given how tired she got yesterday.


    Everyone seemed to be happily chatting together, but by the time I was almost finished, something they said caught my attention...


    Mia: "Seems like a war ising..."


    Miwen: "Huh?"


    I thought it was something about a movie they were watching, but surprisingly enough, they were actually watching the news.


    I got a bunch of red gs due to the way they were talking about it with a more serious tone too,pletely different from the reactions they showed to the movies yesterday.


    Mia: "Well, they said that there''s this army that is expanding recruitment and that it was worryingly, so... that will eventually lead to a war, right?"


    I don''t have any idea about what she''s talking about.


    As far as I know, there were no signals of war anywhere. Most governments have their hands busy dealing with internal politics and issues since the Gifts bring a lot of strength to the individual citizen in society, which makes the government pay much more attention to even things that would otherwise be considered minor.


    Anna: "I guess it''s the same no matter where you go huh..."


    She seems pretty upset with what she saw on TV...


    Sadly I couldn''t catch the news that they were talking about, but I was sure it must''ve been a misunderstanding, after all, if we were under threat of war, everyone would be talking about it on the inte, making much more buzz than the TV.


    Since this wasn''t the case at all, it was either their misinterpretation or the news being dumb, with both being pretty likely, but not urgent, I thought I could look it upter, giving it the attention it might deserve.


    Miwen: "No need to worry, I''m sure it''s not that bad. I''ll give it a better look when we get back home, alright? First I have something to give you all."


    Mia: "Ohh... I thought you''d get more worried, but you seem to be in a good mood."


    Miwen: "So you''ve noticed? As expected of my fiance."


    Beatrice: "Oho... so you had this kind of rtionship?"


    Mia: "We do not !"


    Miwen: "Yet."


    Mia: "Never !"


    Our usual squabble actually managed to improve my already good mood.


    As soon as everyone finished, I started giving them their new changes of clothes. Today I made 105 [Kingdom Points], and 30 were used for the clothes.


    As for skill sharing... we were going to fight a boss, so I had to give Beatrice a way to defend herself at the very least. Since I could see that her loyalty wasn''t bad, I decided to trust that everything would be alright.


    The most pressing issue is the event, and to deal with it, I''ll have to get everyone to the best possible condition. I''ll try to be cautious about it, but preventing a witch from using magic would only hurt our prospects, sooner orter, I''d have to give her the ability to fight.


    It would be too costly to give her [Ice Magic] since mine is at level 6 now, so I decided to give Beatrice the [Fire Magic] skill that ire has. It''s at level 3, so I decided to also get it.


    As for Anna, right now, she seems to be our weakest link, and she holds an important position in our formation, so I gave her my [Swordsmanship] at level 4 and my [Greater Might] since it adds to the strength status, which in turn boosts her defense alongside it, making for a goodbo.


    For now, this was fine, I could boost them a bit further, but I still wanted to keep their overall strength a bit under the other girls I trust more, just to be extra safe.


    The real problem was Ellie though.


    Her Gift is already very strong, and she doesn''t seem to need anything...


    I decided that [Sight Enhancement] was the best choice, it won''t make her super strong, but it will obviously go well with her abilities.


    With the remaining points, I gave Licia [Movement speed Up Lvl 4]. Even at level 1, this was already useful, and at the current level, I''d say it''s my strongest skill aside from magic. By giving her this, I can strengthen our party and also keep a bit of the strength gap in our members.


    By the end of it all, I had spent every point I had, but it was for a good cause. The only thing that worries me a bit is the special buildings that I''ve unlocked once again now that I get more than 100 Kingdom Points daily.


    I could try and save for them, but... it would take too long to acquire enough for a building. Thus, the best use for the [Kingdom Points] right now is still skill sharing.


    Before heading out for the dungeon, I still had the daily tickets from the gacha, so I used 3 of them on items, of which the only good oue was a staff for Beatrice. Sadly, though the [Ptzde''s Staff] provided a small increase in magical power, its main catch was boosting water-based magic, which didn''t really affect Beatrice at the moment.


    The other 4 tickets went for skills, and they provided a good result this time around.


    [Culinary Arts] got a level up and so did [Appraisal], which strengthened both of its effects.


    But what made today''s roll great was [X sh] and [Focused Strike] both getting a level up. These two active skills make a greatbo, and to have both of them at a higher level increases my chances against any opponent.


    Anna: "To gain so much in a single day is just..."


    Ellie: "It''s really impressive."


    ire: "Right? Even my Gift can''tpete with that."


    I ended up receiving a lot of praise from them even though all I did was use my Gift. It felt great though, so noint from me.


    But with this, every preparation for today''s raid was done, and we could head to the dungeon.

 Chapter 53: Orc Boss

    I was heading to the dungeon with Licia and ire, this time, Beatrice insisted on joining us too, so the four of us were going together. She was pretty curious about a bunch of things on our way and reacted much the same as the girls did when they saw everyday things for the first time. Things like cars, tall buildings, and even some stores and their signs caught her attention.


    As usual, I was having my own fun watching her reactions, but perhaps due to watching the TVst night, even though she appeared eager to learn more about a bunch of things, she also didn''t disy the same level of excitement as Licia and ire did back then. Instead, she seemed to be contemting deeply about the strange things that she saw.


    Normally, that would be the end of it and we would reach the dungeon without any problems, but on our way, I noticed someone on the sidewalk fervently distributing flyers and enthusiastically promoting something to passersby.


    I typically disregard such things, as they often prove to be more annoying and not worth listening to at all. This time though, the guy seemed to be pretty insistent and started walking in our direction intently with a big smile on his face.


    In my mind, I could only think that he was either very passionate about this, or he spotted a group of pretty girls and saw his job as the perfect excuse to strike up a conversation with them.


    I was ready to enter that cliche anime trope where a random guy starts to hit on the girls in front of the protagonist, but things happened a bit differently from what I was expecting.


    ??????: "Hey there! So... um... you guys know about the Army Of The Gifted right? We are recruiting new members so if you could um... I mean, if you wanna join..."


    His first steps towards us were brimming with courage. but as soon as he started speaking he became conscious of the three women staring at him.


    I couldn''t help but notice his gaze shifting towards Beatrice from time to time, though he quickly averted it each time.


    Every direction he could look at was filled with a pretty girl, so to calm himself, he directed his gaze towards me. However, at that point, he seemed to be silently imploring me to say something, just so he could shift his attention elsewhere and regain hisposure.


    Miwen: "Sorry, I''m not really interested so-"


    Beatrice: "Eh? It''s the thing they were talking about in that box, the army thing !"


    I see, so that''s what it was about this morning. Thankfully, this eliminates any threat of war since these guys are an army in name alone.


    The organization known as "Army Of The Gifted" appeared a few years ago, they are a mysterious group with a bunch of different branches. Though they have a representative, members are often doing their own thing. Their activities mostly consist of participation in protests and they are the biggest pro "Gifted-oriented society" group out there.


    The AOG''s (Army of the Gifted) poprity has been steadily increasing recently, and two specific events propelled them to new heights. The first urred when the government proposed registering everyone''s Gifts and their effects in a database. This idea didn''t sit well with many individuals, who believed that information about one''s Gift should remain private.


    They were concerned that if this information became essible, people could face discrimination and stigma based on the nature of their Gifts.


    Additionally, there were critics who voiced concerns about the potential for government abuse of this information. The resulting movements against this proposal gained immense momentum. Ultimately, the AOG (Army of the Gifted) emerged as the prominent face of the protests thatpelled the government to backtrack.


    Consequently, what began as a small group experienced significant growth during and after the entire ordeal.


    After establishing a significant presence, their poprity received a second big boost when people who hadn''t been born during the ''First Contact'' reached the age of 18 and began manifesting their own Gifts


    Their poprity with young boys and girls was particrly high, and for a lot of teenagers, upon gaining their powers, the desire to be important and make a change in the world took over, leading to many of them joining the organization that in their eyes could go toe to toe with the government and even promote or block certain changes.


    For them, it was the perfect ce to have your own impact on society.


    AOG Recruiter: "Y-yeah... our leader made a big speech about this being our era and..."


    Leader?


    That was the first time I had heard someone refer to him like that. As far as I know, he''s not very self-centered and just goes in the spotlight to debate or expose his ideas, most of the time he''s on the ground, doing the same actual work as everyone else.


    This image of an ordinary person stepping up alongside others to fight for what he believes in also contributed to their poprity, although to a lesser degree.


    Miwen: "That''s kinda weird..."


    AOG Recruiter: "Dude, seriously, don''t you think it''s messed up what they did to that guy who was just trying to lend a hand with that fire at the store on Hamilton Avenue?"


    The conversation went on while I was thinking, and I interrupted it at an awkward moment, still, about what he said...


    Miwen: "I''m not sure. He did end up helping, but who knows, it could''ve easily gone wrong. Remember that incident when a girl tried to help stop a fire on an apartment with water magic, damaged the building''s structure, and... well, you know how that story ended..."


    The guy he''s talking about is the one who used wind magic to mess with the air around a store, basically doing away with the oxygen and putting out the fire.


    It was a pretty heroic move, but in the official statement, the state thanked him and all, but also threw in a strong warning about not doing stuff like that, hinting at possible fines and even jail time for interfering with their firefighting efforts.


    People have beenmenting on how unnecessary and ungrateful the statement came across, but despite the stern tone, I think the warning is valid. Especially when you consider the other incident that happened not long ago.


    The store this guy helped was empty at the time, but the girl who tried to assist with the apartment fire wasn''t so lucky. It''s sad that she genuinely tried to help, but her attempt only led to more casualties.


    Her case ended up being pretty straightforward, and there wasn''t much stir when she faced criminal charges.


    AOG Recruiter: "It was tough... but these things happen more often than not. Firefighters don''t always have it perfectly either"


    Miwen: "Still, I''d much rather leave it to the guys who studied and trained to do it than rely on some random guy who only has good intentions and a lot of confidence going for him."


    Without me noticing, we ended in a discussion that I didn''t really care too much about to begin with. Though I guess it would be cool to use your powers to help like in aic, the truth is that these situations are much moreplex than they seem and a lot of training goes into dealing with them in the most effective and safe way.


    Even though we have people capable of healing magic, we still need doctors to identify illnesses and deal with diseases that a simple heal isn''t effective against. It might be because I''m used to this status quo, but it feels right to maintain the value of trained professionals.


    Licia: "Um... it might be a good idea if we head out now..."


    ire: "Come on, Miwen, let''s not waste too much time !"


    For a moment I almost forgot what we came here to do, so I decided to cut the discussion short and just went straight to the dungeon to get away from him.


    Once inside, without wasting any more time, we began our journey towards the boss room, and once we were far from the settlements, I brought the girls from the Kingdom to join us.


    And then... we came face to face with the boss room for the second floor, opening the door brings us to an empty dark room, and then, an unnatural light reveals 5 monsters standing in front of us. All of them are Orcs, and two of these Orcs are known to be [Lords] who are called mid-bosses.


    The boss who reigns above them is a [Superior] who has a gimmick attached to him. Firstly, he''s capable of water magic, which can be dangerous. But since we have three ice users here, as long as his opponents aren''t ire and Beatrice, we should be able to deal with him.


    The real problem is that he can''t be damaged until all the [Orc Lords] are dead, which means someone will have to keep him upied while the others deal with the remaining monsters.


    A good rmended strategy here is to try and bombard at least one, if possible the two Orcs who are neither [Lords] nor the [Superior], having one of them down would allow a party to gain numerical advantage, and so, the rmended number of members for a party in this floor is five.


    The only problem with this is that you absolutely need a strong mage, or at least two people capable of magic. The [Superior Orc] might also start by bombarding us with his magic, so you need to be attentive to either dodge it or block it, if your dedicated mage chooses to block it, to keep momentum in your favor, someone else in your party should start attacking with magic.


    Given the number of people capable of magic in our party, I thought that this strategy suited us very well, so, before they started approaching us, ire, Beatrice, and I started releasing fireballs in the Orcs'' direction, all the while, Ellie started to shoot the boss in an attempt to keep him upied.


    This worked pretty well, to block Ellie''s arrows, the boss made a water whip and started deflecting them. As for the two orcs that got hit by our fire magic, one of them was down, while the other one was badly damaged.


    Suddenly it became a 7v4, with Ellie and Beatrice in the backline, five of us went forward and engaged an opponent.


    Mia came with me to face the boss together, this way, our battle would be the "safest" due to the numerical advantage, and our backline could focus on assisting the others.


    Mia: "Try to keep up, okay?"


    She said after giving me a bump in my right arm.


    Since we couldn''t damage him, our focus was on stalling above all, thus we kept a distance from each other so that when he attacked either of us, the other could either provide support from a safe position or attack a blind spot to divert the boss'' attention.


    With no regard to our formation, the Orc made use of his water-whip, and swung it in our direction from the right side, trying to hit us simultaneously.


    Mia''s reaction was swift, her hands pressing firmly into the ground as she conjured an ice wall on her side. This well-timed move effectively blocked the iing whip. She kept her gaze fixed on the menacing Orc, ready to anticipate his next move.


    I, too, remained vignt, closely observing, and thus I was able to notice his hand as it started to move. First, he extended his arm and showed an empty palm, then, he clenched his fist and drew it closer to himself. It looked like a battle stance, but given that when the whip hit Mia''s wall a lot of water got behind her, I rapidly understood what he did.


    Miwen: "Watch out, behind you !"


    I thought she was going to dodge to her side, but instead, she jumped forward, stopping right before the Orc and only then dodging to the side.


    She was really fast, and my warning wasn''t even necessary, since she reacted before I could tell her about the attack.


    Thanks to her quick reactions, the boss had essentially attacked himself with his water bullets, and in an even bigger blunder, even though he couldn''t be damaged, due to instinct, the boss made a gesture to bring down the bullets, stopping them before they hit him.


    This left the boss extremely open to any attacks, so much so, that she lightly bumped his arm the same way she did to me before.


    Mia: "That''s a hit, your turn."


    She says it with a smile and retreats back to her initial position.


    This looked like a child ying, and if not for the boss being invulnerable, she would have imed his life right there.


    Mia seemed to have thispletely under her control, and I knew the girls would be done with their opponents soon enough, so this looked like it was in the bag.


    Mia: "Hm? Don''t act shy now, go on."


    Miwen: "Eh ?"


    So she was referring to me, and not the Orc? Are you even taking him seriously?


    Mia: "I''ll throw a few pointers for you, so rx."


    Miwen: "...Sure."


    I can''t get a good read on her intentions, it seemed like she was enjoying herself, but there was also a sense that she had some ulterior motive in mind.


    Well, I also wanted to test myself against the guy, so it was actually a good opportunity. Right now the boss was focused solely on her, intently gazing at her every movement.


    To start, I cast a few small, but fast fire bullets in his direction. Since damaging him wasn''t really possible, it would be a waste to expend too much mana in this exchange. Most of all, I wanted to see how he would react.


    Perhaps due to Mia, he cast a simple water barrier that blocked the shots. I knew it would be good to let water on the ground since he could use it to attack, so instead, I froze them into small ice nails andunched every single one of them towards him, taking the opportunity to also dash towards him in an attempt to stab his stomach with my dagger.


    The nails wereing from his left side and I wasing from the center. I thought an attack from multiple directions was going to be effective, but to my surprise, he copied Mia and ran towards me to avoid the nails.


    Being taller than me, he punched down and I had to dodge to the right.


    That''s when something unexpected happened, from behind me, a arm reached for my chest.


    Mia: "What was that?"


    Miwen: "Um... I didn''t think he''d do that, so..."


    Mia: "m-hmm... you could''ve done better, though. Keep in mind that no matter what you do, your opponent might react in an unexpected way, so, you need to have a follow-up ready if your n seeds, but you''ll also need to have in mind a follow-up if your n fails."


    I guess she''s right, I should''ve frozen his feet before attacking with the nails, that would have given me more time to reach him. It would also be safer, but that''s just the foundation of my attack n...


    The most important thing is that I failed to foresee how he could react. I had a solid idea, but once he broke through it, there wasn''t any real follow-up aside from dodging and trying to create another opportunity.


    Right now, my pattern iscking, instead of being a chain of attacks cohesively linked, it feels more like a bunch of isted attempts.


    Miwen: "I see what you mean."


    Mia: "Great, go ahead then. The others seem to have finished too, so this time, do your best."


    Miwen: "Sure, darling."


    Mia: "... ! I hope he strikes you down, Idiot."


    Well, since I was carrying the hopes of my cute fiance, there was no way I wouldn''t rise to the asion.


    The others had finished the [Lords], making the boss vulnerable.


    I dashed towards him to restart our battle, but he threw a bunch of water bullets against me. To deal with this I created an ice pir beneath my feet, and after arriving at a good height, I created an ice slide towards the monster.


    Before trying to attack him, I froze his feet, and then I used the ice slide to quickly close our distance, and by the time I coated my de in mes, I was ready to sh at him.


    The Orc reacted quickly, and using a burst of water propelled himself back to dodge.


    I kept my momentum and continued to chase after him. I wouldn''t be able to reach him before he got back on his feet at the speed I was going, so, I got as close as I could and stabbed the air in his direction.


    A bunch of fire projectiles in a shape resembling that of my own dagger were thrown toward him, and he deflected every single one... except thest, which suddenly changed its trajectory and cut his throat clean off.


    While throwing the me projectiles, I used my ice magic to increase the hilt of my dagger, essentially turning it into ance-like weapon.


    I also coated the de in mes so it was camouged between the other projectiles and looked like them.


    When stabbing him, he thought it was just another de-shaped fire projectile, and tried to deflect it.


    Knowing he''d do that, I chose to attack with an initial thrust as a faint and then changed it into a sh midway. This made me lose a bit of the strength on the attack, but I used my active skills, like [Focused Strike] to increase the attack to a level of power higher than it was before, allowing me to finish the battle in a single strike.


    Mia: "Phew... not bad."


    Miwen: "Yeah, even I didn''t know I was capable of that."


    Mia: "I''ve noticed that your style ispletely improvised, but without much experience, so you end up falling back to simple tactics after one or two well-thought-out strikes. With time you can develop new patterns and a fighting stylepletely of your own. But the most effective way to do that would be to experience real, challenging battles...


    You cane to the kingdom anytime, and I''ll be sure to help you with that, darling."


    Ah, now I understand... so this whole time, her true objective was... create an excuse to give me a beating whenever she felt like it.


    Seems like my fiance is a sly one.

 Chapter 54: Familys Past, Current Home

    It took us a while, but we finally arrived at the third floor. The monster poption here wasn''t much different from the floor before, consisting mostly of Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Orcs., with the only addition being the Lunar Glowstrikers, a species of lizard-like beasts whose tail produces a silvery glow.


    The presence of these beasts on the third floor makes it the most popr floor in this dungeon.


    First, these beasts vary a lot in size and strength, but they are usually not very strong, even at the level gap, so they are seen as an easy way to get experience.


    Hunting them to cut their tails is a somewhat safe way to earn money as an adventurer since you don''t need to go very deep on this floor to find them. They also have a higher tendency to approach a settlement inparison with Orcs and Goblins.


    Given that, the number of adventurers on this floor isparable to the previous, and might actually be higher, making it an exception to the rule where the lower the floors you find yourself in a dungeon, the fewer people you''ll see.


    This makes it a bit awkward for me though, since I want to get as much experience as I can, and having to share it with other people is a big detriment when my Gift makes it so that our entire party gets the same experience as if the monster was defeated solo.


    With this goal in mind, we went straight for the deeper parts of the floor, so as to avoid making unnecessary contact with others.


    Mia was at a higher level than the current cap, so with her at the frontline we didn''t have much trouble dealing with the enemies in our way up until a certain point.


    Actually, I had to make her slow down a bit since the difference in levels between the monsters and the other girls was starting to be worrisome, and while Mia was fine, the rest of us could end up unnecessarily hurt.


    Going at a fast pace was great and all, but the priority was the safety of our members.


    Even more so since this floor can be deceitfully dangerous.


    While the safety around the settlements is high thanks to the number of people and a high poption of Lunar Glowstrikers, the deeper floors hide a great trap for those lured into a false sense of security.


    In there, it''smon to find tamed Lunar Glowstrikers mounted by the other monsters, and while they aren''t such a big problem by themselves, it''s often said that facing a mounted enemy is much harder.


    Not only that, you can''t think of them as a single-unit enemy, since even if you manage to bring a monster down from those lizards, you''ll still have to face both of them.


    And that''s with only one "raider", in a group of five of these, for example, you''d actually be fighting 10 monsters.


    There''s also the fact that theirbinations are hard to deal with, the Lunar Glowstrikers are easy to take down, but they are somewhat sneaky and fast, at least more than the other monsters, but when paired with the orcs who have self-defense, or the Hobgoblins who are crafty they be a deadly menace.


    I decided to keep us from venturing too deep since we didn''t begin raiding this floor at our 100% and underestimating the monsters in here was a bad idea.


    Our pace was quite good too, after some time we actually managed to get 2 levels each, which was pretty good for the first day on a new floor, even when considering that it was in the low levels.


    Miwen: "Ahh... I''m beat"


    ire: "Eh? So soon?"


    Miwen: "You''re thest person I wanna hear that from."


    Before going back to the exit we decided to stay put for a while and made a very small camp.


    The exit gate was a bit far since we had walked for a while to avoid other adventurers. Thus, resting a little was mandatory so that we could fight our way back.


    During said rest, it seemed like ire regained her usual spirit, as she tried to poke fun at me for being tired, even though she didn''t manage to reach four rounds in our battlest night...


    Licia: "Seems like Mia''s working you to the bone huh?"


    Miwen: "Pretty much, I won''tin since I''m the most inexperienced among us, but she could take it easier on me."


    That girl was really enthusiastic about shaping me up for some reason, even though it was supposed to be her job to be at the front, she''d often have me fight an opponent alone so that I could grow and get some real experience, as she puts it.


    I''m not against it since she clearly has good intentions, but man, she doesn''t hold back. By the time we finally set camp, I had faced as many enemies of higher levels as the entire partybined.


    Licia: "Hm... I think she sees a lot of potential in you, otherwise, she wouldn''t bother giving you training."


    ire: "Or it''s payback for always teasing her, I know I''d love to do it too."


    Licia: "Heh, that''s also a possibility."


    If anything, I''d wager that''s the sole reason, but Licia''s interpretation is definitelyforting.


    Licia: "Ah, about what happened in the morning, do you wanna talk about it?"


    Miwen: "The boss battle?"


    Licia: "No, the thing with that one guy...''


    ire: "Oh yeah, what was that all about? It''s unusual for you to get heated up like that."


    I see, so they''ve noticed I ended up being a bit too involved in that discussion...


    Thinking back on it, they were the ones to bring my attention back to what was really important today, so it''s only fair that I share a little bit with them.


    Miwen: "I don''t really have too much against the AOG, there are matters in which I agree with them, there''s some I don''t, as far as ideologies go, that''s all from me, but..."


    I''ll always be attentive when theye up, because...


    Miwen: "I used to live with my sister two years ago, but when she got her Gift, the first thing she did was join that group... seems like she got some notoriety in there, and even managed to be quite strong."


    And all of that would be fine, I felt like I had been left behind a bit, but she was among the first to receive a Gift even though she wasn''t alive for the First Contact, and though I won''t deny that I was a bit jealous, most of all, I was incredibly happy for her.


    Miwen: "After that, she started toe back home less and less, and even her attempts at making contact became less frequent,st time I saw her, she was doing okay though."


    Whenever the Army of the Giftedes up, I can''t help but think about her.


    Licia: "I see, so it''s personal for you."


    Miwen: "Yeah. Sis and I grew up together and were very close, so I have a bit of a distaste for the guys who stole her from me. I know it''s pretty childish, but it''s not like I hate them or anything either, I just hope they are treating her well and that she''s not being caught up in something dumb or dangerous."


    A headstrong girl with a sense of justice as big as the sky, we used to squabble a lot, so given the kind of organization she entered, I find it miraculous that she hasn''t been in trouble with anyone yet.


    ire: "Your parents give you a lot of liberty huh?"


    Miwen: "Eh... they are adventurers themselves, always exploring and making guides for dungeons, so they are often traveling and don''t really spend much time with us."


    I got this house close to a gate precisely because I didn''t want to stay days inside the dungeon to make a worthwhile trip, I''d much rather go back home and continue the dayter, at least while I can make tangible progress in a single day.


    When the time when we need to stay days inside to get a single leveles... I have a few ideas, but I''ll have to wait until then to test how practical they are.


    Licia: "So it''s not that you grew up together, but that you had only each other to rely on ?"


    Miwen: "Mom and Dad tried to visit as much as they could, and they made sure that we were living as close as possible to the gates they were working on. They did contract babysitters for us when we were kids, and they also gave us a pretty good allowance...


    but yeah, since we were always moving out, we didn''t really make anysting friendships, with our parents away for most of the time, it was only the two of us living together."


    Talking about my family with them feels a bit weird, it''s not something I''m used to.


    Furthermore, the feeling I get from them is already that of...


    Miwen: "Let''s get going alright, we can talk more back home."


    Home is your own ce in the world, where things feel right and you get to be yourself without any restraints. It''s normal to think about it as just the house you live in, but to me, home now is the ce I share with them.


    Even more than that, they are an essential part of my home, and that''s because Licia and ire are as much my family as those I''m rted to by blood.

 Chapter 55: First Raid On The Third Floor

    We didn''t hunt as much today since we had the boss battle on the second floor and we are new to the third floor. Not only are our levels lower than the cap, but we''re also not used to the ce, so falling for an ambush or getting surrounded was much more likely.


    Thanks to that, we had to proceed with a lot of caution, even though our hunting dog seemingly had a tad too much energy and wanted to go all out.


    There weren''t any mana orbs dropped, so today''s ie was primarily from the monster cores we found, which amounted to $88, a little better thanst time if we were counting only the gains from cores, but theck of a mana orb really hurt our earnings.


    It didn''t matter too much though since our primary objective was to get level-ups, and we had great sess with it.


    Licia, ire, and I got to level 9, but neither of us was close to level 10. Anna, Beatrice, and Ellie all got to level 7, a bit far from level 8 too.


    I''ve got quite a few levels in [Movement Speed Up], so strengthening it further made sense since now I could probably outspeed and at least have better reactions to even the highest-level opponents on this floor.


    Considering the special urrence of the"raiders" on this floor, having someone on par, or at least close to their speed seemed crucial to me.


    Aside from that, I also put some points into Strength and dexterity since those are essential.


    I was going to ask the girls what status they decided to focus on this time since knowing everyone''s abilities and preferred fighting style is necessary toe up with strategies, however, before I could do that, Licia and ire began reporting theirs to me, prompting the others to do the same.


    It seems like my point allocation wasn''t too bad since ire and Licia also went for a simr distribution. But what really surprised me was ire''s decision to not strengthen her [Fire Magic].


    ire: "Well, Beatrice said she can increase its level pretty easily, so I thought it''d be better to focus on [Swordsmanship] since it would be useful for half the party..."


    Her being so thoughtful towards others made really proud, but I didn''t let that feeling distract me from what I''ve noticed. It''s true that she strengthened her [Swordsmanship], but she also focused on [Mana Control], which was now at a higher level than Licia''s.


    There might''ve been a lot of reasons for her to choose this skill, but given that we just talked about her death circumstances, it felt to me like she was trying to prevent herself from repeating past mistakes.


    Miwen: "You really care about us that much huh..."


    ire: "Hm? Yeah, obviously."


    While I''d like her to do what she feels mostfortable with, I can''t criticize her efforts when she''s aiming at bing a better version of herself.


    Her argument also makes sense, by making use of Beatrice''s Gift, she can focus on skills not rted to magic and just get any levels in magic from me sharing the skillster, at the same time, she can contribute a lot by leveling useful skills for the party using her own Gift.


    Beatrice''s [Deep Secrets Of Arcanum Omnimagic], ire''s [The Last me Knight of Abdure], and the [Share] function from my [Gacha Kingdom Building]plement each other to create a system in which a high amount of skill levels can be obtained with ease.


    There are a bunch of conditions for it to work, like Beatrice training and studying, ire leveling up and I having enough [Kingdom Points], but it''s definitely way faster, easier, and more effective than if any of us tried to achieve something simr alone.


    Speaking of which, I gave Beatrice permission to pursue magic, and since she had that staff that dropped from the [Weapons Banner], she used some points to get [Water Magic] and increase it to level 3, which was surprising to see since she had already spent the majority of her points to increase her Intelligence status to boost her magic power further.


    I might''ve underestimated just how strong her Gift effects really are.


    As for Anna and Ellie, they increased the status favored by their Gifts, ying at their strengths.


    I was amazed by how much stronger we got in a single day and thought we might be able to clear the third floor before the event started.


    I had to keep watch on everyone''s loyalty though, the sudden spike in power might''ve given the new girls some bad ideas, but it was the contrary actually, after today''s raid, every one of them became a little bit more loyal.


    So much so that I didn''t think I''d have to worry about betrayal from them for now...


    If there''s one thing I''din about is everyone''s behavior back home actually.


    Among the three girls that came from the [Companions Banner], Ellie is the only one actually helping with something when back home.


    Beatrice took possession of my phone and seemed immersed in whatever she was researching.


    Anna seems to have joined Mia and ire in the sloth faction fight to monopolize the TV.


    I guess Mia did offer to help me train, so now the battle for the throne ofziness is between ire and Anna.


    While my Gift seems to be about kingdom building, right now I feel more like a cook in the army than a king...


    Maybe I should try summoning someone and having them exclusively work at home? Like a maid or something...


    Well, I can''t choose who I actually summon, so chances are I''d actually just get someone else to feed, so I left these thoughts behind and before going to bed just did a bit of research on my own on the AOG.


    What that guy was talking about today felt odd to me, but maybe I ended up thinking too deeply about it because of my connection to the Army Of The Gifted through my sister, since I couldn''t find any news aside from their new recruitment campaigns.


    Aside from my sister, I had no connections to anyone inside the AOG, so I couldn''t make an investigation that wasn''t only surface level at most. The best I could do was ask Roy and Sam if they knew something or someone in the AOG.


    These two are still adventuring, and seems like they just reached the fourth floor with a new party, so there''s at least a chance that their party members might know something.


    I don''t know what happened to me at the time, but I ended up contacting my parents to ask a bit too, which was something pretty rare for me to do... I''d only understand the mess these actions got me in muchter though...

 Chapter 56: True Magic

    Yesterday was tough, I thought that after getting overworked by Mia inside the dungeon I could rest peacefully when I got home, and that was true up until I went to bed.


    As usual, I didn''t go alone, Licia and ire both apanied me, and while I thought that nothing major would happen since we were all together, reality proved me wrong.


    Any sense of shame they had before was through the window, and they didn''t mind that the other was watching them at their most intimate moment.


    I''m d that I can maintain this rtionship with both of them, it makes me really happy to have them both by my side. But I didn''t want this to be something that was only good for me, so I tried my best to satisfy them, and though I can proudly say that I managed to achieve that, I thought in the long term I might notst another year if I keep this up,


    When we started, Licia seemed a bit pent-up due to not having any before, so it seems like she requires daily attention.


    ire was fired up now that she had experience, but same as before, she didn''tst long.


    It would be fine if Licia was as easy to satisfy, but she can really keep going, and though when it''s just the two of us I can apany her no problem, by adding ire''s share, she came really close to making me give up.


    This morning, my mind was split between what should I do and if I should just let it continue since after all, it was pretty good.


    A request from Beatrice managed to divert my attention though...


    Beatrice: "... Sorry to trouble you, but... Are you going to summon items this time as well?"


    Miwen: "Yeah, I want to get a shield for Anna. A spear or longsword would also be good..."


    She seemed a bit dejected with my answer, so I thought perhaps she had something in mind.


    Miwen: "Is there something you want Beatrice? I have a limited number of summons, but I wouldn''t mind trying to get something for you."


    I thought she either had an opinion to share, or wanted something from the Gacha, so I tried to offer her an item from it. If she actually just had something in mind, she''d probably reject the offer and share what she was thinking with us.


    But my offer managed to brighten her mood a little bit, so it seemed like she wanted something after all.


    Beatrice: "...I see... If you don''t mind, could you summon me a Spellbook? I''d be forever grateful..."


    Ah, a Spellbook... makes sense, those are pretty useful for a mage, and given her Gift, it makes one''s effect even higher.


    Magic has a lot of fundamentals and ways to use, some resemble each other, but others arepletely different.


    For example, what our party has mostly been doing is called "Flexible Magic" or "Formless Magic". Basically, you just create an image of what you want to happen in your mind, try to recreate it in reality, and then... that''s it, your magic has been "cast".


    This way of doing magic is useful for people fighting on the frontline, it doesn''t require you to focus too deeply, and thus you can keep attention to your surroundings. It''s also really fast and can take any shape or form you can imagine, making it very adaptable to your situation.


    Its biggest downside is power, and that''s where "Solid Magic" or Spell Cast Magic" shines.


    It takes a lot more concentration to use, and along with "visualizing" the magic in your head, "chanting lines" are usually necessary to build a foundation and restrictions to one''s magic.


    You can create your own spells, but certain images and chants seem to increase the power or add better effects to one''s spell.


    Thanks to that, some people write a bunch of different chants, draw and describe various images and things they tried doing with magic, and then put all of that along with their results and theories into paper, thus creating a Spellbook.


    Thanks to our scientific advancements, mass copying books is super easy, so Spellbooks should be extremely cheap.


    Except that they are not.


    Any Spellbook worth a damn contains mana traces left by its author that helps the reader absorb the contents of the book by tracing the mana in it.


    It''s also worth noting that due to the mana in the book, the writer''s intent, feelings, and knowledge about what they are writing can also affect the contents of the book in a mystical way.


    There''s no solution that allows one to copy that as of right now, so a Spellbook only has as many copies as the author makes, which makes them really worth it, even more so when they are written by a well-established name.


    Some Spellbooks do have copies where you''re supposed to infuse your own magic, and there are also second-hand copies by decent magicians, but these often have mixed results, making it har for you to acquire a skill rted to what you wrote, or improve your already existing magic. Their price is much more affordable though.


    Miwen: "Hm... Spellbooks are nice... I can''t guarantee the quality though..."


    Beatrice: "It''s fine! I mean..."


    She got really enthusiastic all of a sudden, I don''t know her very well, but I''m almost sure this is the first time she''s like this...


    Beatrice: "Even though I was called a witch before, it''s just because I was very immersed in research... I''d only leave my house to participate in rituals and covens... or underground auctions of Spellbooks..."


    That''s pretty witchy behavior if you ask me though, but I guess she didn''t have any ill intent, so it should be fine.


    Beatrice: "With time people began to have suspicions and create rumors about me... I didn''t let it distract me from my research though... but eventually they denounced me and I was killed in a witch hunt..."


    ... I didn''t think the conversation would take this turn...


    First of all, I was beginning to think that to know about a girl''s backstory I''d have to build a strong rtionship and sleep with her as if unlocking a chapter in a dating simtor.


    But such stupid thoughts aside, by now, everyone was paying attention to Beatrice, and their reactions were all over the ce.


    Licia and Anna seemed upset, while Mia and ire were pretty angry... Though not angry, Ellie was clearly irritated and seemed to be thinking about how much of a travesty the actions against Beatrice were.


    Even though Beatrice was showing regret about what had happened, her expression was pretty calm, as if epting it as her past.


    I wonder what my own expression was, as when I looked again at everyone, their reactions showed a bit of waryness.


    Whatever it was though, I calmed myself and with the gentlest smile I could muster, gave her my honest answer.


    Miwen: "Don''t worry, I''ll give you one. And since it seems to mean so much to you, with time, I''ll give you enough to start your own library."


    Beatrice: "...hahah. That would be a dreame true for me."


    When recounting the fate she met in her past, at no moment did she get as teary as this, not even the warm smile that couldpete with the sun she was giving managed to hide that from me. Through these signals, along with her thankful voice, I could see that my response was at least enough to make her feel better.


    Miwen: "For now, here you go. [On Fire Tornadoes]... seems to have been written by... Zyliai Lyz...?"


    Sounds like a fake name to me, but I hope it''s at least a decent book.


    She thanked me for giving her the book with a hug, which was quite nice since her body was superb, and even through our clothes, her touch felt divine.


    Although I couldn''t avoid the indecent thoughts, what made me more pleased was actually that I could do something meaningful for her.Knowing now how important it is for her, seeing her sincere gratitude was a sensation beyondpare.


    Such thoughts would only leave my mind after I finished today''s summons.


    I had nned to roll 3 times on the [Weapons Banner] and roll 6 times on the [Skills Banner], but due to the roll on the [Spellbooks Banner], I went for only 2 weapons since skills are more important to me now that Beatrice has water-based magic and can make use of the weapon she previously acquired through the [Weapons Banner].


    Through that, I didn''t manage to get a shield, but I did get a sword that could probably fit Anna better.


    [Roxy''s ymore


    A captain who was loved by her unit, Roxy''s weapon was a sword capable of making the ground shake with every strike. After she disposed of it during the campaign in Wessmar, legends started to be told about the sword''s power being uncontroble, and many began to search for it.


    This ymore strengthens the user''s earth magic, along with an increase to their Strength. Every swing causes a slight quake in the aimed direction, the quake power will depend on the user''s earth magic level and their Strength status. It''s also possible to control the quake''s output to a certain extent, but a quake will always happen no matter what."


    There was also a very basic spear that only had a bit more of a piercing capability, but it seems like Anna got really enamored with the sword and wanted to have it no matter what.


    I wonder how the logistics will be for her if I get a shield, as it will be difficult to use a ymore then.


    That aside, the skills I got ranged between meh to perfect, absolutely the best.


    [Physical Prowess] and [Last Man Standing] both got level-ups, which was nice, since [Physical Prowess] is very useful, especially in tough fights. I don''t really use [Last Man Standing], but it''s nice to have a better version of it if a situation where it is called for happens.


    I also got a [Spear Throw] skill that adds to my strength whenunching a spear from afar. It''s an active skill though, and since I don''t use spears it''s kind of meh. I prefer the quick fighting style with daggers, to be honest, but I''ll try to learn how to use a spear while training with Mia since it''s convenient to have more options.


    All of that was so-so, but here''s the good part.


    [Faster Tree Climbing] made its triumphant return.


    It''s been some time since itst showed its face, so I was beginning to miss it.


    With one more level, it reached level 6, probably making me the fastest tree climber out there. An achievement I''d love to be able to hide from my status, which I now actually can thanks to [Block Analysis].


    As the name suggests. it allows me to block analysis skills aimed at me, such as [Appraisal] for example.


    It''s not 100% though, if the enemy has a way higher level, or a better [Appraisal], or a special effect... well, a bunch of things can affect it, but it should be able to hide at least a little bit, and top of my priority list is [Faster Tree Climbing].


    And though thisst one was pretty good, what really impressed me was thest one...


    [Stamina Increase


    Increases the user''s total energy and decreases his consumption, making it harder for him to get tired. As a passive skill, this cannot be turned off unless affected by other skills or curses."


    Maybe it''s karma for doing something good today, but thank you Gacha Gods, I''ll never forget this miracle, I swear.


    ire: "Oh. that one sounds pretty useful, mind sharing it with me ?"


    Miwen: "Uuh... maybeter."


    You''re thest person I''m ever giving this to. With how enthusiastic you are when ites to sex if you had the stamina to keep up, I''m sure you''d suck me dry.


    The day I give this to either you or Licia will mark myst night on this, I''m sure of that.


    Because it was necessary, and totally not to distract ire, I also imed the [Kingdom Points] and spent 30 of the 120 I had received on clothes again.


    I also decided to get something for myself this time and aimed at Mia''s [Movement Speed Up]. It seems like she really trains a lot, since this skill was at a higher level than I''m, making it so that I could only get a level 9 version of it. Still, this was absolutely a game changer for me, since I heavily rely on my speed.


    It was hefty, at 35 points, but definitely worth it. I also gave it to Licia, so just this skill alone stole most of the points I acquired today.


    I also gave ire [Culinary Arts] to see if she would start helping a bit but...


    ire: "...? What would I do with this?"


    Yeah, seems like it was a waste. I also gave it to Ellie though, which was absolutely a better investment.


    Since I still had to distract ire though, I gave her [Physical Prowess] with the remaining points.


    Thus, we were ready to embark on another day of dungeon raiding.

 Chapter 57: Reaching Deeper In The Third Floor

    The sound of des crashing against each other could be heard all around me. Bolts of magic were flying continuously, so much so that they illuminated the dark cavern-like structure we found ourselves in.


    Continuing our exploration in the dungeon''s third floor, we managed to reach the door that leads to the boss. And by progressing after it, we''d be officially in the deep region.


    Though the creatures dwelling in here would be stronger, our party was more than capable of handling them.


    But truth be told, in terms of strength, we were more than fit for the deep part of this floor, what really amused me was how much natural cohesion there was in our party.


    Everyone has at least some fighting experience and is more than capable of fighting by themselves, so reducing the enemies'' formation to allow for 1v1s has proven to be effective for the girls, who make quick work of opponents with simr strength.


    But when facing a true group battle, with no ns that make us have to adapt on the fly, such as the raider group we are dealing with right now, it bes clear how much our party works well together.


    Mia is confident she can deal with anything in her way, so she charges forward, making it so that Licia and ire apany her to maintain formation, of course, I do too, along with Anna.


    With our frontline advancing, Beatrice and Ellie get the distance needed to provide support.


    What ensues is a disruption of the enemies caused by Mia''s overwhelming speed and strength.


    It''s clear to anyone that she really knows what she''s doing, though her advances could be seen as reckless, she''s always aware of her surroundings, attracting strikes to herself, which she promptly dodges, leaving an opening for an ally to counterattack, all the while, she repositions herself to keep the pace up and aims at the next target.


    Keeping up with her is exhausting for me, but Licia and ire seem to have no trouble with it.


    I''ve thought about this before, but they make a really good pair. When taking care of Mia''s nks, they show how in sync they truly are, almost as if they have known each other for years, each of their movementsplements the other without hindering them.


    I can''tpare with that, but surprisingly enough, I also found myself a good pair.


    Maybe due to not being as experienced, Anna makes use of her sword''s length and her high defense to support the others from a different position, bing a lone beacon that the enemies have no choice but to try and break through if they want to reach the backlines.


    Thanks to my speed, I can help both groups at once, so I''m always analyzing where we might be at a disadvantage so I can provide support. Often, this leads me to lend a hand to Anna. Her strength is impressive and thanks to her ymore effects, it''s quite easy to destabilize the enemies, making them easy targets for picking, even when in great numbers.


    Our rear is also quite solid, I''ve yet to see Ellie miss a single shot that wasn''t blocked by magic, add to that her calcting ability, and it''s almost like she can see the future with how much she predicts enemies'' positions.


    Seems like she''s used to fighting in groups too, with how much goes on at once, it would be easy to get lost, but that hasn''t happened yet.


    On this floor there haven''t been many mages for Beatrice topare against, if anything, surprisingly enough, there has been a bunch of archers mounted on Lunar Glowstrikers that Ellie seems to take personal offense to, striking them down before anyone else can connect a strike.


    Still, Beatrice does her job well, both when attacking and when supporting. Whenever I''m away from Anna, it seems like she helps a lot by casting water tentacles or moving fire pirs to help finish off opponents.


    Thanks to how effective our party is, we can even deal with arger number of enemies, like the 15 or so monsters that we faced in thisst standoff.


    Mia''s disruption and Anna''s ability to hold off multiple enemies at once lowered the difficulty of this battle tremendously and we ended up unharmed, though tired.


    I wouldn''t say our party is perfectly in sync since there are some mistakes here and there, mostly due to timing. But overall, it''s way better than I would''ve expected considering we''ve not been in a party for long.


    Mia: "You did pretty well... seems like training with me is paying off for you huh? "


    Miwen: "How could I not? Your caring touch is- "


    Before I could finish what I was saying she bumped me hard on the shoulder.


    Mia: "Great, I''ll increase the intensity then."


    Miwen: "Aw! I take it back alright? It''s intense enough already."


    Though I''m joking around with her, it''s true that Mia''s training was quite good, I can''t say anything about the results, but though her methods are pretty practical, she also gives me a lot of good advice.


    On that note, before I ended up with her spartan training regime, it was time to head back for the dungeon entrance.


    Today''s raid result was quite surprising, everyone managed to level up twice, making some of us just one step away from the cap of this floor.


    We also got lucky enough to have 2 mana orbs drop, making up for not getting one yesterday and raising our earnings to $240 today...


    Back home I went to train a bit with Mia and saw that Ellie was also undergoing training.


    I''ve never even tried to use a bow before, but I became interested in it after watching someone so skillful.


    Ellie: "Um... perhaps... do you wanna try?"


    Miwen: "Eh? Nah... I doubt I''d be any good."


    Though her form is beautiful, it seems like every delicate movement of hers is meaningful when she holds the bow, making it seem prettyplicated to replicate.


    Ellie: "It''s fine! I''ll help you out!"


    She became really energetic all of a sudden, and though I''ve noticed that she''s a bit shy around me, this time, she was touching me all over to help correct my position.


    Ellie: "Now, when you draw the bowstring towards you, try to keep an anchor point like the corner of your mouth, it''ll help you achieve consistency whenever you''re shooting."


    I tried to follow her advice as best as I could and aimed at a marking she had done on the side of the house she lives in.


    Miwen: "Oof... almost though."


    Though I didn''t hit, it came really close.


    Ellie: "Are you sure it''s your first time?"


    Miwen: "Yeah, why?"


    Ellie: "Um... it''s just that the mark is really small you know?"


    Oh, I see, she''s trying tofort me. She''s such a nice girl.


    Miwen: "It''s all good, I''ll be sure to hit it next time."


    Ellie: "No, but... we''re quite far..."


    Seems like she wants to make it less difficult for me so that I get more enthusiastic about it after managing it. She''s actually quite the caring teacher, unlike a certain wolf girl who only knows how to up the difficulty.


    Miwen: "I like learning with you Ellie, I''lle try it a bit more when I have the time, if it doesn''t get in the way of your own training of course."


    Ellie: "I... wha?... No... not at all..."


    Seems like she got confused by something, or maybe she''s really shy. Whatever it is, it was quite fun, so I''m looking forward to next time.


    Before that though, it was time to start making dinner for everyone, and Ellie apanied me back.


    Since Licia was quite good already and Ellie was there to help her, I decided to sit this one out so I could see how these two would do by themselves.


    ire: "Eh? You''re not in the kitchen today?"


    Miwen: "Uh-huh, there''s something I want to check, so I''m leaving it to then."


    ire: "I see, so you''ve also learned about the magic of cking off."


    Even though I earned some teasing thanks to it, I wasn''t cking off, as she put it. On my phone, I had received a reply from Roy about the AOG, and that required my utmost attention.


    It was a dubious source,ing from a friend of a friend, but it seems like the Army Of The Gifted is now under a dual leadership. The old leader is still the public face, but internally, decisions are split between the leaders.


    Nothing much has changed in the directions the AOG was already going, and everyone''s treatment seems to be the same as it was for now, but since it''s not been very long since these changes happened, it''s probably too soon to reach a conclusion.


    Licia: "Um... did you not like it?"


    Miwen: "Ah! Sorry. It''s great, I just had something in mind."


    I ended up thinking about it all the way up until dinner, and even after, it didn''t leave my mind.


    The AOG as an organization... why would they suddenly decide to have two leaders? And though it''s not a well-kept secret or anything like that, it''s also not being announced anywhere, so...


    It feels like something wille from them in the future.

 Chapter 58: The Kingdoms Defenses

    With the Merchant''s arrival close, it was doubtful that we could progress to the next floor in the dungeon before the event started, so realistically, we''d be around level 12 when the time came to face this Travelling Merchant.


    It might not make much of a difference, but I''d like to be the most prepared I can for it, so I started to make some "renovations" in the Kingdom with the [Kingdom Points I acquired today.


    Since it was an invasion, I constructed a tall wall formation around the houses (and the tent), so that any attacker had to go through it to reach us. It was also possible to walk in there, which would give us an advantageous position.


    I made a river a few meters away from the walls so that any invader would have to cross it if they wanted to attack us, providing an obstacle to slow them down.


    I also made two watchtowers so that Ellie and Beatrice could safely shoot from a distance and also have high ground, giving them as much advantage as I could.


    Since it was going to be the first invasion event we participated in, I didn''t really know how it would work, so I expanded the kingdom''s area for the first time too, in hopes that, if the enemies came from the direction in front of the walls, they''d have to walk a bigger distance through open ground before reaching us.


    For now, this was as much as I coulde up with for the kingdom''s defenses, if it survives, I can further improve it down the line.


    Mia: "Oh this is really good, I can test you in different situations with this. Good job."


    It wasn''t designed for this, but I''m d she found uses for it that never urred to me.


    Mia: "Can you also make a forest? I''d like to hunt you down in it, to see how well you do when running."


    Miwen: "Much as I''d like to spend some alone time with you in a forest, it would give cover to any enemying our way, so I won''t do that for now."


    Also, it felt like she just wanted to hunt me down for sport, which made me afraid to ce down even a single tree.


    Before using the remaining points to share skills, I rolled on the gacha just so I didn''t waste anything. And from it, I''ve acquired the following skills:


    [Enhanced Drop Chance] x2


    [Greater Might]


    [Stealth Strike


    When unnoticed by your opponent, any attack bes stronger. Passive Skill that cannot be turned off.]


    [Voice Of Command


    Using this skill one can better inspire orpel their allies, making them more effective in battle. It''s also easier to convince others, but if it fails, might incur their wrath. Active skill, 10 uses will cost a mana point.]


    [Trap Disarmament


    You''re now better at identifying and dealing with traps, even if their origin is magical instead of physical. This is a passive skill that cannot be turned off.]


    [Increased Climbing Proficiency


    The owner of this skill bes better at climbing any type of surface. This skill is always active and cannot be turned off.]


    [Ice Veil x2


    A rare skill that can be obtained by those with a high proficiency in the use of ice magic. Allows the user to create an ice veil around themselves, protecting against other elemental magic and physical attacks. As an active skill, each use costs 5 mana points.]


    [Eagle Eye


    Increases how far the user can see and lowers the loss of details when looking at objects far away. This skill is always active.]


    I was eager to test how much I''d get with the new Enhanced Drop Chance, but for it to have the best effect, I needed to share it with everyone, and when Licia saw the Ice Veil skill I had received, she started almost begging me for it.


    Licia: "It''s a skill I used all the time back then... I was just waiting for it to show up so I could acquire it... I''ll do anything you want, so... pretty please?"


    She must really value it to ask so intently, even going as far as to use the forbidden "pretty please" technique.


    Well, it definitely suits her, and I might get some ideas from seeing how she uses it, so I see no downside to it.


    The only problem really is that it was a bit costly to give it to her, and after sharing the new [Enhanced Drop Chance] Lvl 4 with everyone, I barely had any points left.


    Almost all these skills were useful, except for one which I shall make noments on. But aside from [Enhanced Drop Chance], Eagle Eye was the one who made me most excited. It wouldbo greatly with [Sight Enhancement], and so, I really needed to share it with Ellie.


    With this, I truly had no points left once again.


    But I still had one gacha ticket, which I used to summon another [Spellbook].


    I could''ve tried to summon a few weapons through the [Weapons Banner] today too, but it feels like everyone has kind of settled in with what they have for now, so it would need to be a big improvement for them to change equipment.


    There''s also the fact that I spend my remaining mana every day with weapons in the [Mana Banners]. The quality over there is not as good as the top items that cane from the normal Gacha, but they are improving slowly.


    Beatrice: "I''m really thankful but... I haven''t finished reading the one you gave me yesterday yet..."


    Miwen: "Don''t worry, I''ll get you more tomorrow too."


    Beatrice: "Seriously? That''s... thanks!"


    These two are very dear to everyone around them, so their content smiles had everyone in a good mood, and I most definitely wasn''t an exception.


    This time when going to the dungeon, Anna was the one apanying us, while Beatrice and the rest of the girls stayed in the kingdom.


    Same as before, there were some people making campaigns for the AOG, but we all ignored them and went straight for the dungeon gate, entering the third floor.


    By doing so, we found ourselves in the settlements of the floor and had to walk a bit before leaving it behind.


    So that we wouldn''t encounter any other party, we walked for about 30 minutes on an umon path, dealing with anything that came our way, and when we finally reached a point where seeing someone else would be unlikely, we officially started our raid by calling everyone to join.

 Chapter 59: Lunar Glowstrikers Nest

    This time''s expedition was going pretty well, we managed to reach far into the floor quite quickly, and thanks to everyone''s high level, most monsters didn''t pose a problem.


    The raiders are a bit hard for me to deal with due to the chaos they bring to a battle, but Anna covers for me pretty well whenever I overextend myself.


    Not only levels though, I feel like I understand my own limits better now thanks to Mia''s training. It''s hard to notice from an outsider''s perspective, but I''m sure my judgment when ites to battles has increased.


    All things considered, our party wasn''t going to have trouble with this floor by any means. Or that''s what I expected at least.


    Without noticing, we were so deep in our current path, that we entered uncharted territory.


    Miwen: "Hm... just in case, do you guys wanna head back?"


    Even though it was early to call it a day, thanks to the [Increased Drop Chance] we had made quite a bountiful harvest already, so when ites to money, there wouldn''t be a problem ending it here.


    Level-wise, ire, Licia, and I had reached the level cap for this floor, and the other girls were at level 10, so there was progress on that front as well.


    Still, on an early floor like this one, it was rare to encounter an unmapped area, so I was a bit excited to try it out.


    Licia: "I think it''s fine, moreover..."


    Mia: "It seems like you really want to do it."


    Guess I wasn''t able to hide it from them. But yeah, I was very excited about this, even though it was an early floor of a beginner dungeon, who knows what we might find?


    Anna: "It might be dangerous though..."


    ire: "Just stick with me and you''ll be fine~"


    Miwen: "Ever so confident huh?"


    ire: "Of course, I''m the strongest after all~"


    Mia: "Yeah? Since when?"


    With every level, ire''s confidence grew alongside her rivalry with Mia, and now that they are both capped by the floor, it''s actually hard to tell which one is stronger, if anything, they seem to be in parity.


    Ellie: "Those two really get along..."


    Miwen: "Eh, you think so?"


    I was focused on making some registers and notes about the path we were on, so I didn''t catch much of their discussion, but it seemed to still be going on even while we walked through unknown territory.


    ire: "Then, whoever kills the strongest monster wins, alright?"


    Miwen: "I''d rather you guys fall back so that we could make a n against a stronger monster."


    I don''t mind them ying these games, but it''s troublesome if they put themselves and others at risk.


    Mia: "It''s better if it''s a race. Whoever kills the most stands at the top."


    Miwen: "Please don''t."


    Even though I was against both ideas, the moment a Lunar Glowstriker appeared in front of us, before I could even check his status, both idiots jumped at it without a second thought.


    The bloodthirsty in them was so strong that even a monster''s first reaction was to run away.


    s, it didn''t manage to escape before mesing from a sword sh made him into charcoal.


    It was impressive how precise this magic was, even more so considering that, had it been a bit wider, it would have hit a certain wolf girl who was very close to hitting the same target with her fists.


    Miwen: "I''m not sure they are such good friends..."


    Ellie: "W-well..."


    Even though I say that, I know that ire took a lot of care with that attack, she''s been making a real effort to better control her fire magictely and it''s been paying off.


    Both Licia and Beatrice seem to be really proud of her because of this.


    I''ve noticed that they are spending more time together, so I guess she must''ve been asking for some tips from Licia who has incredible control over her magic, and also from Beatrice who has deep knowledge of the topic.


    As soon as the mes subsided, Mia clicked her tongue and started looking in every direction for an enemy, which she eventually found. This time, a Lunar Glowstriker wasing directly at her.


    Mia is faster than ire as of right now, knowing that, ire ran and took a close enough position to fire at that first Lunar Glowstriker, which left Mia closer to this next one.


    It was clear that ire wasn''t capable of using her fire magic before Mia reached this one, so instead, she also ran to the front, searching for her next target while Mia dealt with this one.


    Of course, thanks to that, our entire party had to apany them, and a race really began.


    I thought we''d be finding more orcs and hobgoblins raiders due to being this deep, but surprisingly, there were only Glowstrikersing at us.


    Even though sometimes they''de in bigger groups, and even have a [Noble] one amongst them, our frontlines were really giving it their all today, meaning we didn''t have much trouble and most of my job was to collect the drops actually.


    Beatrice: "The [Nobles] are bing more and moremon... it''s a bit strange, don''t you think?"


    Miwen: "Yeah, I was beginning to think the same."


    It''s pretty rare for so many groups of monsters of the same rank to be in such close proximity with each other outside of a boss room, normally, one group ends up absorbing the other...


    Anna: "Should we stop?"


    Miwen: "It''s still fine for now."


    I was having a lot of fun exploring this path, and the girls were very excited about theirpetition, since we could handle the [Nobles], it really wasn''t going to be a problem if things stayed like this.


    But s, it didn''t take long for things to take a turn.


    Theck of natural light in the dungeon made it somewhat dark, but then, in front of us stood a wide chamber, and from it, a faint source of silvery light suddenly appeared, revealing the form of a Glowstriker...


    Then a couple more...


    And then tens more...


    These beasts came running at us as fast as they possibly could, and the light they emitted from that chamber became so strong it could hurt the eyes of whoever looked directly at it.


    It was so wide an area that it could probably hold hundreds of them, meaning at the very least, we would be dealing with a small army.


    We found ourselves in a narrow corridor with no branching paths, and the only way out was behind us. Further ahead, the chamber was teeming with these creatures, so our best option was to stand our ground.


    For that purpose, I gave Licia an order with a shout.


    Miwen: "Licia! Funnel them with ice walls!"


    Without a second thought, she puts her hands on the ground and rapidly creates thick ice walls, making the remaining corridor in front of us tighter and the enemies having only a small opening to pass through.


    Mia and ire rushed to the front to face the enemies.


    Miwen: "Don''t overextend yourselves!"


    Even though they werepeting with each other, in such a high-stakes situation, I was sure they''d drop it and put on a proper act.


    From all that I''ve seen from them, they aren''t the type to drop the ball like that.


    Yet, it felt necessary to me to give instructions to everyone, so that we all knew what we were going to do, myself included.


    And with that, our incessant stand began.


    ire, Licia, and Mia stood in the front, dealing with the rush of enemies. Slightly behind them, Anna and I were taking care of the gaps and monsters that managed to get past them.


    Further behind, Ellie was taking shots at everything that moved, and thanks to the effects of their arrows, the frequency of enemiesing was diminished.


    All the while, Beatrice cast fire magic against the chamber in front of us, causing a lot of damage in a wide area.


    Even though we were doing fine physically, it was clear that we weren''t going to be able to keep this up for too long, and there wasn''t an end in sight.


    With the rare chances I had to appraise the enemies, I saw a bunch of [Nobles] among them, and then, in the chamber in front of us, a giant Lunar Glowstriker of approximately 3 meters tall appeared.


    Appraising it revealed its rank to us...


    Miwen: "It''s a [Duke]..."


    Now it made sense why so many [Nobles] were roaming around each other, they were all part of the same group under a monster of a higher rank.


    Anna: "What should we do?"


    Miwen: "..."


    It took me a moment to think. Even if we defeated the [Duke] there''s no guarantee that the other monsters were going to scatter....


    But...


    Miwen: "ire, all breaks are off, burn everything in front of us."


    ire: "Finally!"


    For a moment, even her eyes seemed to burn, and her mes created a path in front of us and engulfed the entire chamber.


    It was doubtful that it would be enough to defeat the Duke, so, Mia and I, the two fastest among us and the ones who had the best chance at getting in and getting out dashed out to quickly put an end to whatever remained of the monster.


    As soon as we entered the chamber, the stench of burnt meat filled the air, and Mia jumped high to the wall at our side, using it as a tform to jump at the [Duke Lunar Glowstriker] that was still alive even after ire''s full power magic.


    She jumped to its back and gave it the strongest punch this entire floor must''ve ever seen, enough that blood started to gush out from it.


    His body parts were grabbed by water tentacles, locking him in ce. I didn''t even have the time to be impressed by how quickly Beatrice''s support came, as Ellie''s arrows also hit the target before I could, giving him an unknown status ailment.


    At the first cry of the monster, I ignited my des with mes, using [Physical Prowess], [Focused Strike], and [X sh] to deliver the most devastating strikes possible.


    The monster was engulfed in mes almost instantly, reducing it to ash, and the few remaining body parts were swiftly absorbed by the dungeon.


    The moment Mia saw my des igniting, she jumped to the right and came back to me with a mana orb in hand.


    Mia: "Phew... You should''ve left it to me, It was the prey that would guarantee my victory against the redhead..."


    So she was still thinking about that, I can''t belie-


    Miwen: "Get back!"


    The chamber had pathways to both the left and the right and from it, more monsters started to rush in.


    And with them, two new giant Glowstrikers, even bigger than the one before.


    With appraisal, I saw that they were a [King] and a [Queen].


    Not that I stayed long to watch it, as I was already running towards the corridor.


    Mia with her full speed managed to catch up to me in no time, grabbed me by the shirt, and actually carried me out of the chamber faster than I could''ve run from it.


    It was a bit embarrassing, to be honest, but I''m d she did that.


    Mia: "Ice girl, give me a hand."


    She calls upon Licia to close the opening to the chamber with ice walls, and I give everyone an order.


    Miwen: "We are going back, full charge until we reach the settlement."


    I wasn''t going to take any chances with this, even if we could defeat them, it wasn''t a risk worth taking.


    We were all very tired and had spent a lot of mana, it would be foolish to keep at it.


    It''s doubtful that the ice walls were going to give us too much time either, so we kept creating more of them until we reached a fork in the paths, using an ice wall to block the way we went.


    Hopefully, this would make the mindless beasts rush towards the path that wasn''t blocked, but that possibility wasn''t enough to make us slow down even for a second, and so, we continued to run towards the settlements as fast as we could.

 Chapter 60: Party Night (R18)

    -Warning-


    -This chapter contains sexual content, reader discretion is advised-


    I had never seen ire as devastated as she was right now...


    ire: "Ahh! I can''t believe it!"


    Licia: "What''s wrong?"


    ire: "It''s over..."


    Even when recounting the events that brought her end, she didn''t break down like now.


    She''s very strong in both battle and mind, so it''s always surprising to see this more delicate side of hers.


    It''s even more of a shock to me when her sadness is the result of-


    Anna: "Are you alright?"


    Miwen: "Yeah... I''m just processing this..."


    Anna: "You better get your head back into the game, or else, you''ll die."


    Much as I''d like, I can''t really argue otherwise since Anna has mepletely cornered, and for me to get out of this I''m gonna need to give it all my atten-


    Mia: "You can still win! Go for a double attack like you did before!"


    Ellie: "Nooo! Focus on brock... I mean block... bl-block! it"


    With Mia pulling my hair and Ellie shaking me by the shoulder, it suddenly became a real problem for me to do any of their suggestions. and my loss was all but confirmed.


    That is until a miracle happened.


    The great support provided by Beatrice, who happened to fall right at Anna''s side, managed to distract her for just a single moment, leaving me with a brief window of opportunity to seize victory.


    Miwen: "You''re quite the sneaky one huh? Almost had me."


    Anna: "No way, I was so close."


    Mia: "It''s my turn now!"


    Miwen: "Yeah, you''ll go against Anna though, I need to check on Beatrice and ire."


    The girls were so engrossed in the game that they didn''t immediately offer help to Beatrice.


    Even though it was clear she hadn''t hurt herself, she still seemed to have trouble getting up, and not extending a hand to her would be rather inconsiderate.


    Miwen: "You fine? Maybe you had one too much..."


    I extended my hand and helped her get up, given her current state, it seemed like it was the right choice, or else, she might''ve decided to stay copsed on the floor.


    Beatrice: "S-sorry... I got dizzy at the wrong moment it seems."


    Miwen: "Sure, but take it easy alright? I''ll take a look at what''s going on with ire."


    Even though Licia was trying to calm her, she was still sobbing for some reason, given everyone''s joyful mood, it was a bit strange.


    Out of everyone, I''d expect her to be one of the most energetic in a situation such as this, and up until moments ago, she actually was, so the change in her behavior is a bit concerning.


    Miwen: "Licia, what happened to her?"


    Licia: "I''m trying to figure out but she-"


    ire: "M-miwen... it''s all over... there''s no more beer..."


    I see, so this is what it was all about huh?


    Even though she was happily drinking and ying with us, the moment the beer ended she got like this... I really didn''t predict she''d be this kind of drunk.


    Miwen: "Did you look in the freezer?"


    ire: "Heh? I forgor~"


    Miwen and Licia: "Pfft!"


    Man, it was hard not to burst intoughter at that moment. ire had managed to reach the pinnacle of both silliness and cuteness.


    Licia: "I''m gonna go grab some with her, do you want any?"


    Miwen: "Nah, I still have a can to finish. Also, make her drink some water too, just in case."


    Licia left with ire for the kitchen while Anna was having a match against Ellie after beating Mia in the fighting game we were ying.


    All the while, Beatrice sat on the sofa and continued drinking her wine, reading a book, and eating some pizza slices. It would look like a really ssy scene if not for the pizza.


    From the back of the sofa, watching them y the game, I couldn''t help but think about the stark contrast between the situation we were in earlier today and our little drinking party right now.


    Mia: "Boy is this world fun."


    Miwen: "Do you like the party more than the hunt we had today?"


    Mia: "Hmm... I guess..."


    Yes! Got her!


    We had managed to escape the Lunar Glowstrikers earlier today and even arrived safely at the settlement on the third floor, but it still wasn''t the end...


    The monsters kept on their rush and actually arrived at the settlement minutes after us, as mindless drones, they began to attack the settlement without even a second thought.


    Obviously, a bigmotion started, and everyone took to arms to try and put an end to what they thought was the result of a Rampage.


    As the ones responsible for it, we stayed and participated in this grandiose battle.


    And well, even if I call it a battle... it was more like a massacre.


    The moment the adventurers noticed how much the drop rates were high for some pletely unknown reason", they could be seen leaving the dungeon for a few minutes to call friends and other parties, and what ensued was a great hunt the likes I had never seen before.


    The girls and I had already got enough for the day, but Mia really wanted to participate, not for the loot, but because she thought it was fun as hell.


    By this time, both she and Ellie were wearing hoods to hide that they weren''t human, so I allowed it on the condition that they didn''t reveal their true identities.


    Truth be told, I also really wanted to join the fray.


    even though it wasn''t the case at all, It felt to me like I was leading my own personal army to war against the hordes of Lunar Glowstrikers.


    What ensued was pretty fun, except for the long report I had to make after at the office...


    Still, as soon as I got home, I made a guide to find the chamber where a [King] and [Queen] Lunar Glowstrikers could be found.


    In the end, everyone in our party ended up reaching the level cap, which was expected since we killed so many monsters before, but we, along with the adventurers of the settlement, also ended up getting quite a haul when it came to money.


    Due to all of that, we ended up with little time for cooking and whatnot, so I decided to order some pizza under the excuse ofmemorating our first venture into unknown depths.


    At least that was the n, but I ended up proposing to buy some alcohol for everyone since we had already reached the level cap of this floor and would take tomorrow off.


    Licia and Ellie both wanted beer, while Beatrice asked for wine.


    ire had some expensive requests, so I brought cheap vodka and some fruits to make a few drinks for her, which would hurt my wallet way less than what she had in mind, while still being vorful...


    Mia had never had a drink before, so she didn''t have any specific demand in mind.


    I thought we would all have just a little bit of fun and keep it in moderation, but we quickly got way past the point of no return...


    I mean, I thought knights were supposed to be dignified and all, but ire started drinking like there would be no tomorrow, and while I was expecting her to be able to hold her alcohol given how she seemed used to drinking, the reality was what we just saw.


    Though Beatrice tripped over earlier, she and Ellie aren''t that bad, drinking certainly had an effect on them, but they''re mostly fine... I think...


    If I had to say, the biggest change in behavior would be that Ellie got a bit more energetic and expressive, the same way Mia did.


    This is a bit of a problem since Mia is already quite energetic, so now she''s being extremely loud and talkative.


    It was what I was expecting would happen with ire, to be honest, but her mood has been flipping constantly and I don''t even know if she''s conscious anymore.


    I mean, she''s been with Licia in the kitchen for a while now.


    Which brings me to my biggest dilemma...


    Though Licia seemed fine like Anna and me, not too long ago she started giving me some very weird looks. The kind of gaze filled with sexual intent that you''d not expect woulde from a serious/quiet girl.


    Whileforting ire, I also couldn''t help but think their distance was a bit strange. Licia had her arm resting at ire''s shoulder and it seemed like her hand was reaching towards...


    ire: "Hn!"


    Mia: "Did you hear that?"


    Though I was pretty sure what that was since I''d heard that same noise many times already, I thought it would be better to protect their intimacy as much as I could since these were quite unusual circumstances and it might be awkward for themter.


    Miwen: "...Must''ve been a pussycat."


    Mia: "I see, I hadn''t heard that sound before... we didn''t have those back home..."


    Though I''ve managed to hide what might be happening in the kitchen from Mia, I ended up reminding her of-


    Licia and ire: "Ahn! Ah!"


    ...


    Mia: "And what was that?"


    Miwen: "I think it''s two horny pussies, must be their mating season or something."


    Mia: "Makes sense, I thought it sounded a bit like moaning for a sec."


    Miwen: "Yeah, let''s leave them be."


    Though I called it a dilemma earlier, it''s not really a problem or anything like that. It''s a bit weird to wrap my mind the more I think about it, but I don''t really care either.


    I''ve noticed somements and gazes from Licia towards ire''s body when I''m with them in bed, and with their rtionship evolving in that direction, I think it might be fun to have a threesome with them while we all lust for each other''s bodies instead of doing them in order like usual.


    So, I might actually be a bit excited about how open they may be to such ideas.


    Miwen: "More importantly though, it''s my turn."


    Anna managed to beat Ellie and now it was my time at the controller again.


    I took Ellie''s position on the couch and Mia started to talk with her while Beatrice seemed pretty tired and was beginning to doze off.


    While we were ying, Licia and ire came from the Kitchen, prompting Anna to quickly pause the game.


    Licia: "Um... we''re a bit tired, so we''ll be heading out first, alright?"


    Miwen: "Sure, have fun."


    ire: "You got it."


    I feel like one of them is not that good at keeping things secret, but given everyone''s current state, I don''t think anyone noticed.


    Beatrice who was barely awake by now, also decided to leave so that she could rest at the [Kingdom].


    Mia had taken Ellie hostage and started talking a lot with her about a bunch of things, telling stories that made no sense and didn''t even end properly before she started another one.


    Ellie was clearly having a hard time, so much so she had a pleading look on her face toward Anna and me.


    Seeing that, we decided to put on a movie so that we wouldn''t risk changing ces with her.


    Halfway through the movie, Ellie had enough and basically begged me to let her go, of course, I let Mia go too, so I don''t know if she actually managed to escape.


    Now though, it was just Anna and I on the couch, and she had decided to use myp as a pillow to rest her head oh, leaving me in quite a hard situation.


    I chose not to dwell on it too much because the situation was oddly cozy. In fact, I found myself running my fingers gently through her hair as we both rxed on the couch.


    Things started to change though, more specifically, when she asked me a hard-hitting question...


    Anna: "Aren''t you gonna have fun with your girls too?"


    The way she phrased it made it clear that she understood what was happening in the bedroom right now as much as I did.


    It couldn''t be helped though, the girls weren''t being exactly loud, but some sounds could still be heard, and seeing how Anna actually managed to hold her alcohol pretty well...


    Yeah, there was no hiding it from her.


    Miwen: "They let me do them whenever I feel like it, so I''ll let them have their fun with each other tonight..."


    Anna: "I see... but isn''t it a bit lonely for you? Want me to suck you off?"


    Miwen: "Nah it''s fi- Wait, what?"


    She turned her head towards my chest, facing away from the TV and while looking at me she started to unbutton my pants.


    Miwen: "What are you doing ?"


    Anna: "Don''t mind me..."


    Except there was no way I could just ignore this.

 Chapter 61: First Night With Anna (R18)

    -Warning-


    -This chapter contains sexual content, reader discretion is advised-


    Intentionally or not, Anna and I had set a good mood for ourselves. The lights were out, so the only light dimly illuminating the living room wasing from the TV.


    Having a girl rest on myp while caressing her hair would easily pass on as a cute romantic scene in such a setting.


    Yet, when she made her offer, I refused, and even now, I''m frantically trying to hold Anna back from my son.


    Anna: "Why though?"


    She pouts and tries to struggle against my hands holding her in ce.


    Back then I never would''ve imagined myself refusing the advances of a girl like this, but...


    Miwen: "I''m already in a rtionship."


    Anna: "With Licia, ire, and Mia right? I already know that, so what''s the problem with one more?"


    She was wrong about Mia, but even if I ounted for that, her point would still stand as i couldn''t deny doing it with the others...


    The problem was that those two were pretty much a special case...


    Miwen: "Those two had an agreement, I don''t think it''s fair to do it with someone else behind their backs."


    Anna: "... It''s fine, they won''t mind it."


    Miwen: "And how would you know?"


    Without any further exnations, it felt like it was just wishful thinking on her part to me.


    Anna: "All this time you''ve been fooling around with Mia though, and I''ve never seen them act with jealousy."


    Miwen: "This and that are different though."


    I might not be a genius, but even I can see how going from jokes to actually doing it with another girl is a huge jump.


    If either Licia or ire got mad at me for joking around with Mia, then I might''ve toned it down a bit and expected things to be alright with us.


    I guess allowing me to do that does show a bit of a willing side to them, but again, there is a huge gap between epting your partner to mess a bit with other girls and actually epting that heys with them.


    Anna: "Sure, but even when you saw three other girls'' naked bodies, they still kept mild. Even when Beatrice hugged you, they didn''t show any care towards that, so I think they don''t actually mind you being with other girls."


    Again, all those situations had their own circumstances behind them, and her point isn''t really strong since It''s mostly her opinion of what she has been observing.


    Which brings me to...


    Miwen: "Since when have you been so observant?"


    Anna: "Since always? It''s a necessary trait for a heavy knight... but that''s beside the point, so, can you take off your hand from me ?"


    Miwen: "..."


    Strange, I thought I had a good grasp on her...


    Is it due to her attentiveness towards the others'' actions that she''s outperformed in the dungeon? Maybe I actually read her standing wrong...


    Yet, the first time she said it, I thought it was just thanks to her drunkness kicking in, but her actions have been consistent towards her intention of getting on with me, and what''s more, she seems uncharacteristically desperate for it.


    Miwen: "...What''s your reason for doing this? I haven''t done it with anyone other than those two, and I provide the same for everyone. Furthermore, if there''s something you really want, you can just ask me without doing this, like Beatrice."


    In other words, I don''t understand what is it that she expects to gain from this.


    What would make her so desperate that she felt necessary to offer me sex instead of just asking for it normally?


    Anna: "Do I need one?"


    Miwen: "I won''ty a hand on you without a good reason."


    And with this, I''ve brought an end to the whole situation. Much as it hurts me to deny her, I already have two cute girls by my side that I wouldn''t want to risk losing without a reas-


    Anna: "...There''s something I''ve been keeping from you, it''s not really a lie, more like an omission, but I couldn''t tell you at the time, only now that I know you better do I feel safe sharing it..."


    The way her act changed in an instant made two things clear in my head, first of all, this wasn''t happening thanks to the alcohol flowing through her blood.


    And second, it seemed like she was really serious.


    It would still do me good to doubt, but I decided to y along and try to get a few more out of her since whatever she''s hiding might impact our group.


    Miwen: "I''d be d to hear you out though, no need to go this far."


    Anna: "I need to make up for keeping it from you first... Won''t you let me?"


    Haah... it''s impossible for me to resist when she''s almost begging for it like this.


    Still, no matter what was at stake, I didn''t want to sour my rtionship with Licia and ire, so I left the sofa and went back to my room without uttering a single word, which seemed to make Anna shocked with my iron will...


    ...And then, less than a minuteter, I came back.


    Miwen: "I got permission."


    Truth be told, this was the easiest and safest way to resolve things aside from outright denying her.


    Though I''d like to hold an actual conversation with Licia and ire to understand their feelings on the matter better, this time they were a bit upied so I had to ask them from outside the room and kept it to a simple "yes or no" question.


    With this I now know how far they are willing to let me go with other girls...and I also get to know what Anna is hiding too.


    Anna: "Eh? Did you ask them that? That''s... shameless!"


    Miwen: "Said the girl begging for cock..."


    Also, my rtionship with them is not exactly the mostmon out there, so these things were a bit unclear, someday we''d have to define what''s okay and what''s not between us, so this ended up being an opportune moment.


    Anna: "This and that are different!"


    Miwen: "Yeah your situation is way worse."


    Anna: "You''re a three-timing bastard!"


    Miwen: "You''ll be the one turning me into a three-timing bastard though, so why don''t you get on your knees for starters?"


    Seems like during our back and forth she lost track of what we were going to do.


    Well, can''t really me her since a lot of thoughts must''ve gone through her head when she was left alone before.


    Anna: "Hmm. Sure... is this fine?"


    While I sat on the couch, she stood on her knees in front of me on the floor, I had my legs open, inviting her toe closer.


    Obediently, she approached my private parts resting ce but took no further action.


    Miwen: "What''s the matter? Unzip it."


    Anna: "Y-yeah... sorry."


    Surprisingly she doesn''t seem as experienced as I expected, and I definitely managed to steal the momentum from her.


    Seeing Anna submissively kneeling in front of her, doing as ordered while showing signs of embarrassment also awoke something in me, my will was starting to be overtaken by the desire to order her.


    Even without words, using only gestures I was capable of making her do as I pleased.


    For example, I really felt like having her lick my balls and then slowly do the same from the base of my shaft to its head, so I gently pressed down her head until it reached the spot I wanted, and kept her there until I was satisfied.


    From there, I slowly lessened the pressure, allowing her to circle around my dick at the pace I wanted, eventually reaching the head and starting to suck it.


    Anna: "Nn... I thought we had a good mood going, but it wasn''t like this before..."


    Miwen: "It''s too early for you to say that..."


    Anna: "Eh?"


    Ever since my first time, my son''s full potential was unleashed and now I know the precise heights it is capable of reaching.


    After having Anna gulp it down and slowly release it I confirmed that she still had a long way to go before facing its final form.


    Yet, this is by far the most excited I''ve ever been outside of a girl''s pussy.


    The only noise in the room wasing from the slurping sounds she made by frantically trying to suck my cock.


    Looking at her from above, as she gives her best effort to service my dick only to choke on it after I press her to keep blowing it gave me the most blissful feeling of conquest I''ve ever had.


    Miwen: "Ah... I''m gonna let it out, keep it in your mouth."


    Anna: "...Gwnn? Ahf...ahf..."


    She kept submissive until the end but failed to keep my milk in her mouth and began to drop.


    Still, she did try her best, and she opened her mouth to show me there was still a lot left in there.


    Miwen: "Good girl... be sure to drink it all..."


    Anna: "...Ahha...ah..."


    I kept having the time of my life petting her and ordering her around while she recovered her breath.


    But as fun as it was, after doing so much, I managed toply with her conditions, so it was time she started talking about what she''s been keeping from me.


    Miwen: "You can start talking now."


    Even though I wanted toe out as my normal self, for some reason i didn''t manage to revert back and kept the assertive attitude towards her.


    Thankfully it didn''t seem like she had anything against it, and began to exin things to me.


    Anna: "... My Gift''s name is [Flower Walls Of Gyerundia], a very well-known reference to an old tale in my world. it''s a bit of a lengthy story, but at some point, a king from the wealthiest kingdom, in an attempt to unt his wealth and power ordered that the capital walls should all bepletely decorated with flowers and vines..."


    Oh, so stupid actions among kings are a thing even in other worlds, good to know this type of thing isn''t exclusive to Earth''s kings...


    Anna: "The king continued to boast his wealth, but nothing was a big of a mistake as this one. When he was attacked, even though his nation was the most powerful around, thanks to holes made in the walls, hidden by the flowery decoration, the enemies managed to infiltrate and siege down the capital."


    Miwen: "Did this really happen?"


    Anna: "Who knows..."


    So it''s not exactly a true story, probably more of a cautionary tale, like King Midas...


    Miwen: "I get the gist of it, but does it have any impact on your Gift? I mean, when I asked about everyone''s Gift back then, you said yours brought you shame, but you still agreed to tell me its effects nheless."


    Anna: "Yeah... about that... I''m sorry, I lied to you! It wasn''t just the name that was shameful, but the effects as well... you see, aside from what I told you, there''s a second part... and it might be very helpful to you but...


    I need to... um... deepen our rtionship first... and at the time I couldn''t risk telling you about it since I didn''t really know anything about you..."


    I understood what she was saying, and to be frank, I was actually relieved that it wasn''t something bad, but she was being a bit vague about it all, so I pressed her to be more specific.


    This prompted her to ashamedlye closer and whisper in my ear what it was all about, which admittedly also made me a bit bashful, but most of all...


    Miwen: "Ha... sorry... haha..."


    Anna: "Don''tugh! I''ve never told anyone about this..."


    Miwen: "Ahh... I can''t believe you made such a big deal out of this... so you only need me to fuck you and then the second part wille into effect, the one where I get some of your total defense and strength status added to mine, right ?"


    From what she exined, topletely unlock the second part of her Gift, she needs to reenact the tale, that is, have the holes in the flower wall prated.


    I can see why she didn''t share this with me on our first conversation, but man, I can''t help but think how screwed up it is.


    I thought my Gift behaved in the strangest way since it threw me in a wolves'' den, almost as if trying to get me killed in a war, but hers making her fuck someone else is a serious contender... I can''t help butugh at the absurdity.


    Anna: "Y-yeah... it''s basically like that so..."


    Miwen: "I get it, I get it. Turn around and point your ass this way..."


    Though I was fine with ending things after I learned what she was hiding, given the new circumstances, I would feel bad for not apanying her until the end, especially after seeing how hard it was for her to talk about it.


    I also don''t know if Licia and ire have finished their business, so what''s wrong with having a bit more fun?


    Anna: "...Please be gentle..."


    Miwen: "Got it."


    She must''ve gotten the wrong impression of me since I was so assertive before, though it''s true that I tend to give in to my instincts, I ain''t that forceful when ites to sex... I think...


    Still, I went slowly with her and prayed her pussy open with as much delicacy as I could.


    Every time I felt a little bit of resistance I''d stop and take it all back, which made her let out soft moans.


    I could keep teasing her like this, but eventually, I would need to prate her wall, and when that moment came, like it or not, I started being a little more forceful.


    Anna: "... you can move more..."


    While I felt a bit challenged by that, I tried my best to control myself and kept exploring her cave, after all, I still hadn''t put everything inside, and I doubt she''d be unsatisfied when I started moving seriously.


    As if to answer me, when I poked at her deepest parts, her moaning became louder and more uncontroble.


    Anna: "...! Ahn... Aihn..."


    Her pussy was pretty wet, and she managed to moisturize my dick pretty well. Thanks to that, I was able to start pistoning Anna at a good pace.


    Though her walls were incredibly tight, every time I''d p her butt, she would squeeze me really hard, which gave me a devilish idea...


    Anna: "Aaaah... nhn... it''s too good... I''m gonna cum."


    Hearing her say that, I diminished the pace greatly, and even took my dick out of her.


    Anna: "Uhnn...? Don''t take it off... noo... I''m so close..."


    She had teary eyes and started to wave her ass looking for my cock, but every time I would refuse to enter her pussy.


    It didn''t take a minute for her to start to beg me with a pleading face while using her hands to open her hole...


    Anna: "... I wanna cum... please...put your dick back inside me..."


    Miwen:" Oh, I''m gonna make you cum, just not with this hole."


    Anna: "Eh? Awn... ahn.... n-not there... that ce is... uhn..."


    Though her pussy was great, ever since ire denied me ess to her asshole, I''ve only been thinking about fucking ass, and though Anna''s not as great, it''s not shabby at all, a bit less plump but appetizing nheless.


    Furthermore, I might''ve gotten the perfect excuse...


    But before I did her ass, I had to finger it, since it would be impossible to fit my thing in there the way it was.


    With that purpose in mind, I also kept fingering her pussy to keep the supply of pussy juice going.


    It seemed like there was a lot in there, and soon ssh noises could be hearding from it. A momentter and...


    Anna: "Cumming... cumming! ...AAaaah... that''s so good... ahh..."


    She started squirting with no regard to the fact that I was there, and since it was way more juice than I needed, I decided to taste it for myself, and I gotta say, it was pretty good, a mix of salty and sweet that made me want to lick her clean.


    I never forgot about her asshole though, so as soon as I finished taking drinking the reward for my good efforts, I started pressing my dick against her hole.


    Anna: "You can''t be serious... it''s never gonna fit!"


    Miwen: "It''s your punishment for keeping a secret from me, so bear with it."


    Anna: "Eh? But i... UNhn!"


    I knew that if I wasn''t fast enough she might dislike it enough to run away, so before she could, I entered her ass and started to pound it.


    Her pussy was pretty tight, but this was on a whole other level, every time I put it in, I''d have to struggle against her walls from every direction, the pressure was insane and I thought that she might snap my dick off.


    Still, I kept pounding her, slowly, then hard, until she had epted all my dick inside her ass.


    Anna: "Aaahhnn... It''s too much... you''re tearing me apart...haa..."


    Miwen: "Let me ease your pain then..."


    Though she was feeling good, I wanted it to be the best possible experience for her, so I leaned forward and started kissing her.


    It was a bit hard to do since we were doing it doggy style, so my pace went down a bit during it, which might''ve alleviated things for her, if only for a while.


    For the first time, I stopped holding her by the waist, and in that moment, I noticed that she was also liking it, as she kept bouncing back on my dick.


    Still, I really wanted to hold her by the ass as I was about to nut inside her.


    Her moaning was very loud now, if not for the girls being distracted, I''m sure they would be able to hear it.


    Miwen: "I''m gonna cum... squeeze your ass..."


    Anna: "Ahnnn.... Ahhh...."


    My ejaction seemed to have no end as she did her best at the end, I think I came buckets inside her.


    And even though it was pretty good...


    I still wasn''tpletely satisfied, and the night was pretty long, so we continued to makepany for each other for a while...

 Chapter 62: Day Off

    ---This section is written in Ellie''s POV---


    It''s been a while since I''ve felt alone like this...


    Since everyone was drinking without a care yesterday, no one seems to have managed to wake up in time today, at least, judging by the snores in this room, I can assume that it will take a while for the residents of this so-called kingdom to wake up.


    Just in case he needs me, I''ve left a request to join Miwen on his world, but since he hasn''t answered yet, chances are he''s still sleeping too.


    He''s usually among the first to get up, which is good since we need him to go back and forth, but even though it must be inconvenient to wake up so early every single time, he''s neverined about it to any of us, which worries me a bit since he seems to prioritize us even at the expense of himself.


    Sometimes I want to tell him "You''re still young, so it''s fine to kick back and take it easy you know?".


    But at the same time, intruding on his way of life seems a bit wrong for me to do as I''ve not known him for long.


    Since it also affects the other girls, who might not feel the same way I do, it could also be bad to point this out without more consideration...


    Well... Ireally appreciate the way he gently cares for us, it''s reallyforting, and I think everyone under his care is grateful to him for that...


    But it''s precisely because of the way he treats me that I''ve grown attached and worried, so...


    Ellie: "Haah...such conflicting feelings... I doubt they will take me anywhere..."


    Beatrice: "Probably not... but then again, if you share them with me, I might just have a solution for you."


    Oh, that''s surprising... I didn''t even notice she had gotten up, much less that she went downstairs...


    It''s rare for something to get past my senses like this, I gottamend her for that.


    Still, I''ve yet to fully adapt to such a low level, so let this be a reminder to myself so that I don''t get hit in the back.


    Ellie: "I don''t recall you being up so early before..."


    Beatrice: "What can I say? I sure had a st yesterday... and though you are young now, you''ll one day discover that wine does wonders for a woman. I feel like I could take on the whole world today."


    A st she says... even though she only did small talk and read her book while drinking...


    And what''s more, who is she trying to fool with that? I''m way older than her, to begin with. so I know that everything she spouted ispletely made up.


    The only reason she''s up so soon is because she was the first to go to sleep since the wine seemed to make her sleepy.


    Ellie: "Well, if it''s such a small world like this one, even I could."


    Beatrice: "Hahah, that''s certainly true isn''t it? But c''mon, let''s go back to what really matters, tell big sis what''s worrying you."


    B-big sis? Whose? You''re only big when ites to...! Well! Everything. But I still should be the big sis!


    Ellie: "Um... so, you see..."


    In the end, I didn''t really have the motivation to deny her, so I just went along and told her everything that I had going on in my mind.


    At the very least, hearing someone else''s opinion might give me an idea about what to do...


    Beatrice: "I see... that''s certainlyplicated..."


    ...thanks big sis, you''re truly a savior d in white armor.


    Beatrice: "But is there even a need for you to worry about this? I mean, you''re happy about his care, he seems happy to care for us, so... Isn''t it fine ?"


    Ellie: "I... no... you must have noticed, right? He''s always looking out for us, even with the most minor of things, it''s almost like he made it his job. And I don''t know if he enjoys it per se, it feels to me like this is born from an immense sense of responsibility, and that his satisfaction from it is only a result of the person he is... It feels wrong."


    Yes... it feels wrong that someone would dedicate so much of themselves for others, that they would do everything for someone else, but not for themselves.


    It feels wrong that he does not ask for a reward, it feels wrong that he thinks so deeply about us... It makes me feel...


    Beatrice: "Do you feel bad? Do you wish he''d be more rewarded? That he''d ask for more from us? ...That he demanded we serve him?"


    Ellie: "How do you- ...I see... It''s what''s expected, isn''t it?"


    Beatrice: "That''s a side to it, yes, but I only know how you feel, because, well, I feel the same..."


    Ah... Now that I think about it, among the three of us that were summoned that day, Beatrice could be said to be the one who has received the most generosity out of him, so, even more than me, she must be feeling...


    Beatrice: "... I can''t vouch for the conclusion I''ve reached, but... Isn''t it wonderful?"


    Ellie: "Huh?"


    Wonderful? I don''t think it is...


    Beatrice: "I''ve lived away from people for most of my life, and I never really had an interest in them. I never tried to understand others, others never tried to understand me, and it all led to... well, you already know... This time though, I''m set on not repeating the same mistake, and do you know what I''ve noticed?"


    Ellie: "What?"


    Beatrice: "That his behavior was influencing me, that I wanted him to enjoy himself more and be happier, that I wanted to be less of a burden on him, and that I could better support and repay him... thoughts that never crossed my mind about anyone else, were born thanks to the way he treats others... and these thoughts, don''t they resemble the very same care he''s always showing us?


    Ellie: "..."


    Beatrice: "I''m sure I wasn''t like this before, it''s all his fault, he created this frustration in me about how unfair he was being, treating me so kindly and only asking the minimal in return...and that frustration ended up creating a desire in me for him to live better... In the end, his kindness helped me be more like him..."


    Even though I was supposed to be the one opening my heart up to her, our roles suddenly got reversed.


    But I don''t mind it. Surprisingly, I don''t mind it at all.


    If anything, I''m actually happy that she''s sharing this with me... I''m not really the most sociable out there, so it''s rare for someone to form a strong enough bond with me and talk like this...


    Beatrice: "I think everyone feels the same way you do about him, Ellie. But that''s actually good..."


    Ellie: "...I see your point, but... I think it''s only more of a reason. I mean, if after everything, he even helps us be better... it''s inhumane... he''s not a divine being, he should enjoy himself more... he should not have to worry about such things..."


    In the end, I can''te to terms with it.


    I can''t deny that what he does for us is good, and Beatrice only made me think about it as even more of an exceptional act, but...


    Ellie: "I want him to value himself more, prioritize himself above others... that''s what''s expected from a human..."


    Beatrice: "Conquering and leading are actually quite simr you know? In both cases, you make someone submit to your will, changing how they act so that it best suits your goal. The only difference is that one is directed at an enemy, and the other at an ally. In any case, sometimes you can conquer an enemy, turn them into an ally, and lead them..."


    Strange, did she change topics?


    Perhaps she gave up on convincing me to let go... I guess I was being a bit of a downer about it, so that''sprehensive...


    Ellie: "I''ve never thought about that, but I guess you''re right...?"


    She broke down both concepts tremendously, and when simplifying things, they do tend to start looking simr...


    Still, I couldn''t find many problems with her logic, since she even made sure to point out the obvious difference herself.


    Beatrice: "Then, what do you think makes someone capable of conquering or leading someone else ?"


    Ellie: "Hm... I guess it would be might right? Though I''m not exactly talking about power, it could be through strength, sure, but things such as intellect or trickness could also do the job."


    There''s a bunch more you could use to conquer or lead someone. Numbers always do a good job at it, after all, the sheer pressure of being in the minority against another group might make you follow their leadership.


    Beatrice: "Those are certainly tools for the job, but, more importantly than that, I think one needs pride to be able to submit others to their will, and in that regard, no one is more prideful than Miwen."


    Ellie: "Hm... I guess s-"


    Eh?


    What did she mean by that?


    Ellie: "I don''t think I''ve seen Miwen act pridefully though? If anything he''s quite-"


    Beatrice: "That''s because men are masters in converting sins into morals and virtues, they can''t live a sinless life, so they live their days fighting off their sins. Some of them, are even capable of transforming and using them in an unexpected force of good."


    Ellie: "Sorry Bea, I don''t think I''m following..."


    I neither know enough about men nor do I have the confidence to make a broad statement like that...


    And even if I ept it, I don''t see how it applies to Miwen...


    Wait, we''re still talking about him?


    If so, was that conquering and leading stuff also about...


    Beatrice: "To me, that boy doesn''t really see us as equals to him. He must have a lot of pride deep down, maybe more than anyone else... but he didn''t allow his sin to warp his heart. While his pride made him think he stands above us, he used that to fuel a sense of responsibility over the ones he sees beneath him..."


    Ellie: "So you think that''s why he goes so far? Because he''s prideful about it?"


    Beatrice: "It''s the only way I''m capable of understanding his selflessness, he must get satisfaction from it in order to calm his sins, otherwise, he simply wouldn''t be human."


    That''s... such a dark way to view matters...


    I can''t really say that to her face, but, it''s almost like she''s incapable of taking the good she received as just that, good.


    Beatrice: "Ah, but don''t misunderstand me, I think that''s incredible of him... For the way he acts, the amount of fuel that pride must be providing should be immense, which makes me wonder, what would happen if he lets it go for a second? I''m sure you have also had such thoughts, right? This feeling that he might reach somewhere never before seen..."


    ...Much as I don''t like her way of thinking, I''ve gotta hand it to her that she sure has a good theory about it all.


    I never told her about the potential I see in him, so she must''ve reached the same conclusion by herself, and her line of thought sure provides a good exnation for everything.


    Ellie: "Hm... You sure gave me a lot to think about, but maybe you should tone down on the wine next time, it seems to have done a number on you..."


    I had yet to see her being so talkative, and while it''s funny to me it on the alcohol, I feel it''s the result of our shared feelings, even if we perceive them differently, they are still capable of making us rte with each other.


    Beatrice: "Haha... I wanted to get rid of your thoughts, but ended up giving you way more to think about huh? Sorry about that..."


    Ellie: "...It''s not like that, I''m actually grateful, big sis."


    Beatrice: "E-eh? Aren''t you just the cutest thing ever?"


    This woman certainly has a thing for hugging others...


    If Miwen was as sinful as she thinks, I''m certain he would have lost himself in lust getting pressed by these huge things.


    Before I could get away from her though, I was teleported to apletely different location...


    Miwern: "Uh... Did I interrupt something? Sorry?"


    Ellie: "Nghn...no..."


    Frankly, I felt so embarrassed I thought I might die. There was nothing I wanted more than to simply disappear.


    Still... it was quitete, and Anna had yet toe too.


    I noticed she only got home way after I did, so they must''ve had so much fun yesterday that Miwen didn''t manage to wake up in time today.


    Deep in my heart, this made me feel a bit relieved...


    ---This section is written in Anna''s POV---


    Ahhh... I can''t believe that guy.


    Seriously... What does he think I''m made of?


    It was hard as fuck to satisfy him and every time I thought he was done, his little monster would just stand up again for more...


    And he even happily took all of my firsts as if it was the most natural thing in the world.


    What do you mean by punishment? Shouldn''t you be d I''m giving you my virginity?


    Idiot...


    My ass is still sore and just sitting on the couch gives me a hard time...


    Still... I had never seen Miwen act like that before... I couldn''t go against him at all...


    That thing he''s carrying was also incredible... my body feels a bit weird now that it''s no longer inside me...


    Hnm... I kinda wanna another go, but... It''s gonna be hard toe up with an excuse now...


    Fuck, I can''t believe I''m like this after a single time, how does the other two handle it like nothing...


    ire: "Hm? Is anything wrong? You seem awfully absent-minded..."


    Anna: "Ah, yeah, sorry... I was just thinking that you''re pretty strong..."


    ire: "That much is obvious isn''t it? I''m the strongest after all."


    Mia: "Pft... sure."


    ire: "What? Something to say?"


    The way ire responds to me is very different than what she does if Miwen had said the same thing.


    To me, she acts like this know-it-all, untouchably powerful girl, while if he hadplimented her, I feel like she''d try to act the same, only to stumble over her words, showing a very cute side.


    But I guess that''s to be expected given their rtionship... praise from him must mean a lot more for her...


    I thought that aside from me, everyone would be their usual self, but I ended up being pretty wrong...


    For starters, Ellie was way more assertive today than I''ve ever seen her.


    When I got here, Miwen proposed we had breakfast, even though it was a bitte. but Ellie demanded him to let her take care of things with Licia today.


    Miwen said it would be better if the three of them worked together, but she was so uncharacteristically insistent, that Miwen ended up relenting.


    Speaking of which, he''s also acting strangely...


    I thought for sure he''d have a change in his behavior towards me, either more brazen and jokey like he is with Mia, or more devoted and amicable like with Licia.


    Yet, though the distance between us seems to have been reduced a bit, he''s still treating me like always...


    Maybe we just didn''t spend enough time together today for him to be conscious about it...


    Well, as soon as he gets back to wherever he went today I''ll be sure to fix that.


    For now, this movie seems really good, and staying still is a great way to hide what transpired yesterday...


    There''s no point keeping it a secret from ire and Licia since he asked them permission before doing me, but it''s a bit embarrassing for me, so I don''t really want the others to find out.


    Licia: "Anna, you drank a lot yesterday right? I think I found thest can, do you want it?"


    ... Wait... isn''t that the tactic she used against ire? Is she trying to steal his harem?


    I always thought she was a caring girl, but it seems like she''s actually very shameless...


    Should I show her where I stand? I''m not about to let a yboy like her have its way with me...


    But then a thought suddenly ran through my head.


    She''s able to keep himpany every day and is even greedy enough to go after ire... it couldn''t be that she feels unsatisfied, could it?


    But if so...is her sex drive bigger than Miwen''s?


    No way... I don''t stand a chance against her...


    Anna: "i... I''m a devoted girl, so y-you can have it!"


    I turned away from her and did my best to resist whatever temptations she might''ve stored as her n B.


    Licia: "Hmm... Then, do you want it, Ellie?"


    Ellie: "Um... I think I can handle half a can..."


    Licia: "Sure, let''s drink together then!"


    The way she sits beside Ellie naturally after that, as if she had already caught her prey in a trap...


    I can''t believe it. Even Miwen didn''t make a move on Ellie.


    She''s the apex predator.


    If he doesn''te back soon everyone in this house might end up falling prey to her lustful schemes...


    ---This section is written in Beatrice''s POV---


    Hm... I just don''t get it...


    Back in my world, there wasn''t anything like this... this so-calledputer of his...


    He said I could find anything I wanted in here, but most magic discussions are really superficial level, and even the witches in here don''t seem to know a lot.


    There sure is a lot to look through, but at the same time, it feels like most of it is just useless or is repeated everywhere.


    I mean, I''ve found three different guys, talking about the same thing, and they had the same to say, word per word, it felt like a deja vu. The only thing that changed was the scenario and the face.


    The little things that keep popping up are also very distracting...


    Miwen was right when he said that it''s a bit hard to do research on this "video website".


    But I know it''s possible since he shows things from here every so often to answer our inquiries...


    It''s almost like he knows the quality of the content before even watching, I wonder how he does that...


    Well, guess this one is a bust for now, but he left me a lot of options to search...


    Let''s see, for discussions he rmends this forum, and for research this encyclopedia thing?


    Hm... I don''t think I''ll have too much time to read since I''ve spent a while on the videos thing... so let''s try the discussion board I guess...


    I went and searched the topics on the website Miwen rmended to me, and I gotta say, I''m getting pretty good with the tools of this world.


    Once again, there were a lot of things to look at, but this time, it seemed like it wasn''t as superficial, and people were sharing more in-depth theories...


    The only problem with it was that once again, it was mostly text, so maybe I should''ve gone for the encyclopedia...


    I read a lot in there, and though there was more substance thanst time, most of what I found was a beginner to intermediate level...


    Maybe I was expecting too much from a world where the highest level is only around 80...


    Still, I wanted to find at least one thing to satiate my curiosity, so I thought about visiting the ces Miwen had already visited in the past.


    I saw a way to look at his search history, so I thought this would be the fastest way to find something good.


    But uh...


    When I did that... I found some new things in the ces I had already gone to... but then I found a new site that wasn''t on my list.


    Miwen had gone to it a bunch of times, so I thought it must contain pretty insightful material.


    Instead, what I found there was...


    Ellie: "Hey Bea, Miwen came back and asked me to... t-to..."


    I couldn''t believe how unlucky this girl was, I mean, it''s the second time today she managed to get the worst possible timing.


    Beatrice: "Miwen''s a sinful man!"


    Ellie: "Y-you''re the sinful man!"


    And like that, all the respect she had for me vanished in a second.


    At least it was already nighttime, so I had hopes that she would forget about all of this tomorrow morning.

 Chapter 63: The Night Before The Invasion (R18)

    -Warning-


    -This chapter contains sexual content, reader discretion is advised-


    I''d be lying if I said I didn''t have a good time yesterday, but I ended up going a little overboard.


    Given everything that happened and the ability to control Anna like that, it''s no surprise I lost myself a bit, but to go as far as to take all of her firsts in one go was way too much.


    I don''t think she minded it too much, if anything, she certainly seemed like she enjoyed every single minute of it, but yeah, if there''s a next time, I''ll be sure to treat her with more care.


    That''s only when ites to her though...after all, I''ve yet to forgive the two kittens for what they were up tost time.


    Even though I woke upter than usual already, my focus was solely on what I had nned for the night.


    But since I still had some time during the day, I decided to deal with some things after doing the rolls on the Gacha.


    Out of the 12 daily tickets I got, I spent 2 on Spellbooks for Beatrice, and the rest went towards skills.


    [Appraisal] got 2 level-ups, alongside [Mana control] and [Enhanced Drop Chance], which was pretty good overall.


    Out of these three, [Appraisal] is the mostckluster since I''ve yet to encounter a monster that is capable of blocking this skill as it is, meaning there''s little to no benefit in these levels, at least in the short term.


    In the long term, however, it might be unprecedented since I don''t get a lot of information handed over to me when in events, aside from their brief descriptions.


    [Mana control] is always good and [Enhanced Drop Chance] is godly, so I''m pretty happy with this distribution.


    I would''ve liked to have gotten some new skills to open up possibilities, but since I''ve got quite a few repeats this time, the tickets that were left ended upnding on skills I already had, for better or worse.


    [Sight Enhancement], [Swordsmanship], [Physical Prowess], and [Mana Shield] were thest skills to get upgraded through the Gacha before I faced the event on the horizon.


    All of them are nice and might make a difference depending on how everything goes with the Merchant.


    So, feeling pleased with the results, I left the house for a bit.


    I never would''ve expected toe back to apletely different mood though.


    During the morning, Ellie was a bit more assertive than what I''vee to expect of her, and Beatrice seemed to be quite friendly towards her, but as soon as they came back from my room, it seemed like they couldn''t even look at each other in the eye.


    The other factor that is strange to me is the way Anna has been intently looking at Licia for a while now, paying attention to her every move.


    I don''t think there''s any bad blood between them, hell, Licia even let me sleep with her, so, I can''t help but wonder why she seems so interested in Licia all of a sudden.


    Maybe she''s ufortable thinking about her position given what happened yesterday...


    Before I made any judgment, I decided it would be best to gather a bit of information to help me rify things.


    Miwen: "Hm... did something happen while I was gone?"


    I couldn''t avoid looking at Beatrice, Ellie, and Anna, who froze up immediately after my question, reinforcing my suspicion that there was something going on.


    ire: "I don''t think so, most of all we just keptzing around~"


    Mia: "We''re not kids you know? Nothing''s gonna happen just because you went away for a while."


    ire: "Eh? Did you get worried we might''ve hurt ourselves without you around? Are you an old man or something?"


    At least these two are acting as their predictable selves... But honestly, I wasn''t really worried about them to begin with.


    They usually dance to their own beat, so as long as there''s something interesting for them to focus on I doubt any trouble would arise.


    Miwen: "C''mon, it''s not like that. I was just curious about your day. What about you guys?"


    I made sure to direct my question towards the suspicious trio this time.


    Ellie: "Um...Y-you should be more careful..."


    She started fidgeting as she tried to find the right words to express herself. In the end, Ellie didn''t really manage to say anything specific, but before I could question her further, Anna interjected.


    Anna: "Exactly! You need to pay attention so that no one messes with what''s yours!"


    Beatrice: "Eh? But... it''s fine if it''s only once..."


    Anna: "If it stops at the first time, sure, but I feel like it won''t..."


    Suddenly something seems to have started between Anna and Beatrice, and while the two were discussing, Ellie hid her face with her hands.


    I nced at ire and Mia, who signaled to me that they had no idea what was going on. Licia also seemed to be confused about it all.


    Licia: "Is there something you''d like to tell us about?"


    Anna: "N-not really?"


    Beatrice: "Y-yeah there''s nothing happened, so don''t worry about it..."


    If they had any intention of sounding convincing, I can say that they failed for sure.


    ... but it also doesn''t seem to be anything major.


    It''s probably fine to leave it like this until they decide to talk about it.


    Ellie: "I might be a little tired... is it fine if I go back to the kingdom?"


    Miwen: "Sure, good night."


    Ellie: "Hm... you too..."


    It didn''t take long for the others to also start going back after Ellie, leaving me, Licia, and ire home alone.


    ire: "That was kinda weird..."


    Licia: "Maybe it''s because of what happened yesterday."


    ire: "Oh... it''s probably why."


    I get why they''d think that, but since during the morning everything seemed fine, I think there might be another reason for their strange behavior.


    Licia: "Do you wanna do something about that?"


    Miwen: "It''s fine, I already have my hands full today..."


    We had just entered the room, but I couldn''t wait to get things started.


    Miwen: "Licia, I wanna use your mouth."


    She didn''t even try to question it and immediately went down on her knees.


    I''ve been having sex with her for a while now, so she already knows how to service my dick best.


    To start with, she gives it a few strokes, making it hard. After that, she puts her tongue to action, liking the shaft and using her hands to further caress it.


    We seem to have greatpatibility, and she knows how to please every nook and cranny, so among the girls I''ve done it with, when ites to technique she''s by far on top.


    I can''t help but admire the contrast between her usual gentle self that everyone sees during the day and the rough girl that she bes exclusively for me at night.


    After liking my entire cock, she puts it inside her mouth, adding a new warm feeling to the mix while she slurps and sucks on it.


    From her lips to her throat, her entire mouth is used to please my dick. She only lets it go when she starts to choke on it.


    Licia: "Gah... bwah... hah... sorry... I''ll get back to it."


    Miwen: "It''s fine, We''ll head to the bed now."


    Over there ire was already in her underwear, and I began to take off my clothes while kissing her.


    Miwen: "Hmn... why don''t you show me what you two were up to yesterday?"


    Licia and ire: "Eh ?"


    Though I could tell, I wasn''t able to actually see them, so I was a bit curious.


    Both of them seemed a bit surprised by what I said, but soon enough they started to make out.


    In the beginning, they were doing it in a very shy way, but it didn''t take long for them to get in the mood and start being passionate about it.


    As a guy, I gotta say that what was unfolding before my eyes was pretty hot.


    Miwen: "So Licia was on topst time too?"


    ire: "Hn... yeah... she used ice magic to... Nnh..."


    Licia seems to have gotten a bit embarrassed about what happened and used a kiss to shut ire''s mouth.


    Miwen: "I see, then... this time you''re on top ire."


    ire: "Hmn... but I can''t really..."


    Miwen: "Don''t worry, I''ve got you covered."


    Using my own ice magic I create the same thing Licia must''ve usedst time, an icy dildo.


    Licia: "Um... w-wait... I didn''t make one that big."


    Miwen: "Consider it your punishment then."


    Licia: "Why?!"


    Miwen: "Making a move on my girl, obviously. C''mon ire, she''s all yours."


    I don''t mind her doing ire at all, but I should at least take this chance.


    Besides, with ire being on top, I had for the first time seen her oust someone, as Licia couldn''t handle her for long and ended up cumming pretty fast.


    Given the shape I created and how it was also inserted inside ire, she also seemed to be close, but...


    ire: "Kyann! W-what are you doing?"


    Miwen: "Your punishment."


    ire: "WHY?"


    Miwen: "Letting a yboy make a move on you, now rx or else it''s gonna hurt."


    As you''d expect, I took the opportunity to y with ire''s ass as she focused on Licia and had her pussypletely upied.


    It was the perfect time to do what I''d been holding back on for so long.


    ire: "Take it off! It''s not a hole meant for that!"


    Licia: "I still want more..."


    ire: "Ahn..."


    Before ire could escape from Licia''s pussy grip, she leg-locked ire, pressing her toe back inside.


    The biggest difference between them is how much Licia can take before she''s done, and ire was about to find out how hard it is to satisfy herpletely.


    As for me...


    While they were doing each other, I kept expanding ire''s anus until it was wide enough for me to insert my cock.


    And the sensation in there was simply sublime.


    Her pussy was already tight and cozy, but this hole was on another league, I could barely move with how much it mped down on my dick.


    Thanks to both of her holes being full, ire''s asshole kept strongly sucking my dick, to the point where it felt like it was gonna tear it off.


    Yet, this greedy hole was pretty soft, and every time I''d bump the tip against her walls, she would scream in pleasure.


    In the end, even though she was the one supposed to fuck Licia, her strength gave out and she used Licia''s body as a cushion.


    All the while, Licia kept caressing her breasts and kissing her, up until ire and I started cumming.


    ire: "Ahh... I can''t believe you did that, idiot, dumbass."


    Licia: "Here, here... calm down alright?"


    ire: "Hnh.... you also... didn''t help... ahn..."


    As soon as I had finished, I asked Licia tofort ire the way she had done before, prompting her to go down on ire''s pussy.


    Seeing that, my cock that was throbbing the most it ever had after conquering the sacred hole it had its aim on, couldn''t keep quiet and urged me to put it inside Licia too.


    Of course, I gave inpletely to my instincts and started fucking Licia while she was licking ire''s.


    Licia: "Ahn... ahh.. as I thought... this one is the best..."


    This girl certainly knows how to get me going... if not for the event tomorrow, I would certainly like to keep at it with them all night.


    s, knowing that I''d have to keep my energy, I only did a few more rounds with them, surprisingly enough, as the three of us embraced each other, even though the night wasn''t as long as usual, somehow, it felt sweeter than any other.

 Chapter 64: The Travelling Merchant Arrives (01)

    The time limit until the event started was running out, in just a couple of hours from now, we would have to face the Traveling Merchant''s invasion.


    We made good progress during the limited time we had,pared to thest event, we were much stronger, but... I was predicting we would face a monstrous adversary this time around.


    I still remember how [Gacha Kingdom Building] started acting strangely when the Merchant''s event came up, almost as if a software glitch was happening.


    Not only that, the guy forcefully initiated the event, something no one in the war against the Snow White Wolves Tribe was capable of.


    Maybe he was just lucky, but with the little information I''ve got, everything seems to point at him being the most powerful creature I''ve seen until now, be it allies like Melissa or even an enemy like Normyu who was said to possess multiple Gifts, neither of them triggered an effect like that on my Gift...


    Miwen: "... Don''t overexert yourselves, if it seems like it''s not doable, even for a moment-"


    Licia: "Hnm... we already made the request to leave the kingdom, so don''t worry."


    I must''ve repeated this a million times by now, not only to convince the girls but also myself...


    As things stand, the kingdom isn''t that necessary. It would be a bit troublesome to lose it since it''s where the majority of my [Citizens] are living, but that''s all the use it has right now. It''s not life-threatening or anything.


    It would be troublesome, but the most important thing is our survival.


    Well, as long as we don''t bet our lives, that would be the worst oue. On the flip side, the best scenario would be one where we can just trade something with the guy and have him leave.


    Sure, we might lose one day''s worth of gacha tickets, but that''spletely fine by me.


    With this intent in mind, I''ve saved up today''s tickets. If we have a chance of winning, I n on using these straight away, and if the Merchant is willing to trade, I can also use them.


    So for now, the best use is to keep them for myself...


    I can also use [Kingdom Points] to get some useful things too, so I''ve been saving them up these past few days. I''ve only spent a few today to acquire Beatrice''s [Wind Magic] and [Earth Magic] levels, and also share [Wind Magic]with Ellie, alongside my own [Fire Magic].


    From what she said, she often used [Wind Magic] to control her arrows or to add pration power to them, allowing her to input other effects in her shots.


    As for fire magic, it''s what you expect from an archer it seems, though it''s really basic, the ability to set an enemy ame over arge distance is certainly useful.


    This, alongside a few ideas and discussion about what we could do, ended up being thest preparations we did, and now, all of us stood on the walls I had recently created to protect the kingdom.


    Miwen: "I''ll be epting the event now, get ready, everyone."


    [Invasion! The Travelling Merchant Arrives


    For an Invasion to begin, a free plot will be added to the Kingdom from which the invaders cane from. Please, select a new plot ofnd to be added.


    Please note that an invasion event provides greater rewards if sess is achieved.]


    Alright, a bunch of things you could''ve told me earlier, as usual...


    I guess receiving better rewards is an incentive to fight for the kingdom instead of letting it fall... I''m guessing it must be pretty good if I''m expected to put my life on the line for it.


    I won''t concern myself with it though, first of all, I''ll select an area in the same direction I did before, turning the kingdom into a 1x3 corridor.


    ire: "The forest expanded... isn''t it bad?"


    For someone like you who enjoys destroying nature, maybe, but...


    Miwen: "When it was just a small patch, it was problematic since it would give him cover, but now that itpletely engulfs the new plot, I''m hoping he gets lost and either goes towards the fog or gives up and leaves the kingdom."


    Licia: "That strange fog is surrounding the forest on three sides, with nondmarks or signs of another person''s presence, he might not be able to find the way out and even believe he''s surrounded in all directions by the fog... that''s... pretty good..."


    Even if he ends up out of the forest, he might only do so after getting tired of aimlessly going around, and if he decides to burn down the whole forest like a certain someone, we''d at least get the advantage of him spending his mana...


    ??????: "Ehh... to be honest, the time prison was a way better idea. It''s the first time someone managed to dy me like this... I feel very annoyed right now."


    Between Licia and I, a distinct voice that I had never heard before pierced my ears.


    Standing at my right side, a man with long silver hair, a white suit, and a gentle smile, the personification of an elegant and well-mannered man... he was leaking enough bloodlust through his eyes that arge sense of false symmetry was created as if we were looking at something that would never beprehensible to humans.


    Even I, who''ve lived my life in peace could recognize it, that thing had seen so much blood and death, that one or two more wouldn''t even cause him to change that fake smile he carried. Just being targeted by his gaze feel like I''d throw up.


    Merchant: "So, how many of you do I need to kill before I meet the one responsible for this?"


    It was hard to even let out my voice in his presence, still...


    Miwen: "If you are talking about thisnd... That... would be me..."


    Merchant: "...No. You''re not. I sense no demonic power or divinitying from you... and I don''t suppose you''re one of the Endless either. Although... looking at your Gift, it might be the closest to one I''ve seen...


    seems like I can make something out of the time wasted in there..."


    Aside from divinity, I can''t recall ever hearing about the other things. But it didn''t matter, as what he said after, took precedence over everything.


    Merchant: "...Alright! I''ve decided. I''ll kill everyone here except for you. And then, you''ll bring me to-"


    No. You''re not.


    Miwen: "ire!"


    While the first time might''ve been a threat, the moment he raised his hands, it was time for us to act.


    He might''ve caught us off-guard, but in the little time I''ve bought with our conversation, everyone managed to put some distance, allowing me to make use of the kingdom points and spawn a big house on his exact location. It had three floors and should be around 3 or 4 times the size of the house the girls were living in.


    The way he moved from the forest all the way to the wall in the blink of an eye, I coulde to two conclusions.


    Either it was through sheer speed that he managed to search the entire forest and find an exit in seconds, or... he was capable of teleportation.


    After trapping him inside the house, I used some more points to move it into the air, where ire promptly burned in seconds.


    I also spawned a few more rouses around in every direction aside from the one the methrower girl was using.


    Using the kingdom points, I kept moving them, making it so that they were locked in ce instead of falling to the ground.


    And just to be sure there would be an escape, I kept changing the house''s design, effectively turning it into abyrinth, and of course, I made sure to remove all windows and doors.


    If he only had speed, being so far up in the air, inside a house burning up... either he''d die by the mes, or he would suffocate in there due to the smoke.


    Anyway, I don''t see him surviving for long with ire''s full-power fire magic being constantly thrown at him.


    If he had teleportation, there was a chance he could only teleport to ces he could see, in which case, using the other houses to block escape from any direction would end up bringing about the same result.


    The biggest problem would be if...


    Merchant: "...You''re certainly surprising. I didn''t see any skill for manipting gravity in your status. Then again, I stopped reading about your Gift when a [Chairs Banner] came up. I''m supposing those houses came from something like that?"


    He came back to the exact same ce he was before.


    This means he''s probably capable of teleporting back to ces he''s been once before too, or at least something that brings about the same effects.


    There''s gotta be a weakness or limit to it though. Normyu''s Gift was also pretty overpowered but had limitations ced on it when it came to both power and quantity. As for my own Gift, the limitationes in the form of forced randomness...


    Miwen: "We''re going with the ice arena, go down, everyone."


    The moment I said that everyone jumped down from their positions in the wall towards the ground.


    The ice users amongst us made ice slides, while ire used her fire to propel herself.


    Beatrice grabbed Anna in a princess carry and they both safelynded on the ground thanks to her wind magic.


    As for Ellie, she did something simr but also kept firing arrows at the Merchant while free-falling. It was a bit eerie how she didn''t even look at the ground for a second and just kept her attention towards the merchant.


    Thanks to that though, she seems to have managed to predict his next position as he teleported everywhere, and an arrow way faster than the others reached his position the moment he teleported there.


    It was no use though since he simply grabbed and broke it before it reached him.


    At least this confirmed that it''s not only his teleportation that was troublesome, but his physical abilities also seemed pretty high.


    As soon as everyonended, Mia, Licia, and I began to make the arena as fast as we could while scattering in every direction.


    Merchant: "Hm... and what''s that supposed to do?"


    The ground was frozen solid, and we erected a bunch of ice pirs, effectively turning the whole ce inside the walls into a mirror house.


    Merchant: "Oh? You''reing at me? Ha! I''ll at least recognize your bravery."


    Given how much Mia and Licia were proficient with ice magic, these ice pirs ended up being as reflective as actual mirrors.


    By using this trickery, we were able to create a bunch of visual illusions of people chasing after him, prompting the merchant to waste his mana attacking each and every single target.


    Having him waste mana was a decent strategy since we had three different mana pools working together, but it wasn''t only that.


    Thanks to Ellie''s wind magic allowing her to change her arrow''s trajectory and the reflections of the ice pirs, she had suddenly be the most annoying archer in the world.


    Arrows you thought were misfired would correct their trajectory towards you, some wouldn''t be real, while others would appear to have been multiplied, making it hard to know where they came from and which one was real.


    The bullet hell she created wasn''t the only problem for him though. The images continued to run towards him even though not one of us tried to directly attack him.


    In time, he noticed this pattern and stopped trying to destroy them, focusing on doing and destroying Ellie''s arrows.


    With that, we managed to trade his mana and energy for Ellie''s unlimited supply of arrows.


    If we kept at it for long enough, we should be able to win, and to make things even harder for him, we decided to send in a real attack this time.


    Using the fake images of the mirrors he had stopped attacking, I got close enough to stab him.


    But the moment I did, I realized how much of a mistake I hadmitted.


    Merchant: "I can still hear you, you know?"


    ...That wasn''t a warning meant for me.


    He didn''t even have to pay attention to what I was doing, and actually let myself get close to him on purpose.


    After all, there was no risk for him since I could pierce him with my dagger.


    No... that warning was meant for Mia.


    She jumped from another direction, throwing her fists enhanced with ice magic, but the Merchant only grabbed her hand.


    Mia: "Get out!"


    She used her fists to try and freeze both of them together like how Licia had once done with her sword.


    This gave me enough time to jump back, but I couldn''t allow her to be in such close proximity to him and epted the request she had left prior to this, making her leave the kingdom.


    As soon as she was gone, the Merchant broke the ice block that Mia made around his hand.


    Ellie tried to keep firing at him as soon as I left, but...


    Merchant: "I''ve seen enough."


    From his shoes, mes started to spread. It melted the ice, but even though Beatrice used her water magic to help as Licia and I kept trying to remake it, we couldn''tpete with him at all, and in a matter of seconds, the whole arena melted away.


    Merchant: "I hope that wasn''t thest trick on your bag... hm? I can''t sense the wolf anymore..."


    ...So he could sense us... there was no point in the mirror house then... still, he let us attack him for his own amusement?


    Ah... I see... he''s only toying with us.


    The look on his face remains unchanged as if he''s enjoying a little stroll...


    I wasn''t wrong... he looks at us as if we are the smallest of ants.


    ...So that''s the case then.


    Miwen: "Guys... thanks for the help."


    Licia: "Miwen? wha-"


    I epted everyone''s request, making it so that only the merchant and I remained in the kingdom.


    Merchant: "Oh... If you can escape like that, I don''t see a reason for you to sacrifice your life here... but I suppose I never understood that way of thinking to begin with."


    Miwen: "Don''t worry. I can''tprehend someone who''d do that either..."


    That is to say...


    Miwen: "I''m not making any sacrifice here, I fully intend on defeating you."


    Merchant: "Hahaha! Seriously? A being like you couldn''t even hope to survive a flick from me."


    Miwen: "I know. It''s exactly why you''re going to lose."


    I couldn''t get a single piece of information using [Appraisal] on him, not even his name showed up, much less his skills, and that''s taking into ount that my [Appraisal] was capable of at least informing me of Melissa''s level way back when it was only at level 1.


    This by itself told me that this guy, as I feared, was in an entirely different league.


    Melissa could probably take on an entire party of high-rankers back on Earth.


    This guy? He might be able to defeat everyone on Earth single-handedly.


    Given that, I now know that there''s no way I''m losing here.


    Merchant: "Give it your best shot then. If you entertain me enough, I''ll at least give you time for some nicest words."


    Our unfair battlemenced, and its result would lead both of us into a path we couldn''te back from.

 Chapter 65: The Travelling Merchant Arrives (02)

    Thest attempt with Mia made it pretty clear that there was no way for me to damage him physically.


    To win I would need to use magic... the only problem is that as long as he can see iting, he''ll be able to dodge by teleporting out of the way.


    Merchant: "...So, are you going to do something or...?"


    I surrounded him with 5 houses and hid in one of them, then I started to rapidly change their position.


    All the while, he just sat on the ground, with the most casual attitude,pletely ignoring that I was trying to attack him.


    This kind of behavior checks out with what he has been doing since we started. It would be incredibly easy for him to destroy all the houses in here, if he put his mind to it there would be no way for me to hide...


    Well, this much is expected...


    Miwen: "Yo!"


    I came out from one of the houses that was behind him and matched his attitude.


    Merchant: "Are you done? I was about to go get something to eat..."


    Miwen: "I''d be d if you did, even more so if you nevere back."


    Merchant: "Ouch. I see... so you n on dealing emotional damage... I''m sorry, but it''s not gonna work. My mind is a fortress."


    I wouldn''t be having so much trouble if I could defeat this guy by telling him off.


    With daggers in hand, I prepare myself to face him.


    Merchant: "You''reing at me head on? That''s disappointing. By now you should already know that it''s not gonna work... At least that''s what I would say had I not noticed you meddling with magic all around..."


    If being a merchant doesn''t work out for him, he could for sure be an actor. He looked pretty hurt there, only to turn a genuine smile while exposing me.


    It was hopeless from the beginning, with how much information he has ess to, I wouldn''t be surprised if he could see even the mana I''m spending in real time.


    But that''s fine, as long as he doesn''t know exactly what I did, there was still a chance it would work out.


    I could only improve the effectness by acting fast, and I ran towards him at full speed.


    As I approached him, I threw the first dagger, hoping that he would teleport out of the way so that if he chose a location near me I could still try to sh him.


    When the dagger was about to hit the Merchant, he disappeared from my sight.


    SInce I was already expecting that to happen, I turned around, trying to hit him, but that was to no avail either.


    No matter how fast I acted, his reactions were just too quick, and he would just vanish right away.


    Ellie''s method of predicting where he''d go and spamming him with attacks seemed pretty solid, but mimicking it ended up being way too costly for my stamina, as I kept shing at him everytime he appeared somewhere new.


    All the while, my target in question didn''t even seem to break a sweat.


    Merchant: "I told you that wouldn''t work. You see, even if that toy managed to hit me..."


    I was getting out of breath, but in thest attack the Merchant chose not to teleport, instead, he took the full brunt of it.


    Not a single drop of blood came out of him even though I had hit his arm for sure. I could feel his skin pushing back against the dagger, but no matter how much force I put into it, I simply couldn''t even scratch him.


    Merchant: "It''s nowhere near strong enough to damage me. But I can respect respect the effort... So how about you drop that and-"


    That was enough. I dropped the dagger in my hand.


    Merchant: "Oh? That worked? I thought you were more of the obstinate type."


    Miwen: "It''s the second time today that you get the wrong impression of me. You''re really bad at this."


    Merchant: "I hear that all the time but-"


    Before he could finish his sentence, I grabbed his wrist and froze it with ice magic.


    Last time, I had Mia get away using tmy Gift, so I couldn''t confirm it but...


    Merchant: "Hey, I don''t swing that way..."


    During this entire fight, not for a moment did this guy take anything seriously.


    But that changed whenhe noticed what was happening to our shadows.


    He looked up to confirm hissuspicions, and there he found the houses falling in our direction from above.


    As long as I was grabbing his wrist, there was no escape for me, the only way out was for him to teleport the both of us together.


    Of course, that could only happen if he was capable of teleporting someone else alongside him.


    When he understood my intent, his smile changed, from his usual easygoing one, to one of approval.


    Merchant: "Right... but what if I do this ?"


    He extended his arm to the sky, and five fireballs started forming around his hands. They were unusually small, but as soon as they touched the houses, they exploded, destroying most of the structure...


    With that, the from the houses''s structure started to rain down on us... alongside some rocks... and earth...


    I had filled the houses with a lot of earth... specifically, what I took from underneath the area he was sitting on.


    I was expecting him to simply burn them using a methrower-like magic, and was prepared to use earth magic to shake the ground.


    But, since he chose to destroy the houses instead, the shockwave of his sts were enough by themselves to make the ground give.


    As we fell down, I took the opportunity to create a few more house and threw them into one another in the air, just to guarantee we would be buried for sure.


    This n worked terrifically, and I could still feel his wrist while we were buried. As long as I didn''t let it go, eventually he would run out of breath...


    As for me...


    One of the reasons why it took me so long to get out of the houses was because I made a small hole to bury myself in, and tried to see if I could use wind magic to create a very small path for me to breath.


    Sadly, while it was doable, it would be too much for me to do in such arge hole... but I did manage to control the scarce amount of oxygen around me...


    Using this method, the n was to make him unable to get away and suffocate while I would extend my time by collecting what little oxygen I could.


    The n seemed to be working out, but then I suddenly found myself back above ground.


    It took a moment for both of us to regain our breathing, so at the very least, now I know he needs air just like I do, which is at least something useful...


    Merchant: "Why do you keep trying to suffocate me? Is that a kinky of yours ? Because if so, I''ll have you know that I''m not really interest in it."


    Funny how he says that but still chose to stay buried for a while. Maybe he was waiting for a follow up...


    But in any case, there goes another theory. Seems like he''s fully capable of teleporting not only himself, but other objects as well.


    I guess if that weren''t the case, he would always run around naked everywhere unless his clothes were special or something.


    Merchant: "You''re bing more and more unresponsive... can I take that as you giving up?"


    Miwen: "Not yet, I''m still at the first phase. As soon as I finish assessing your Gift, then I''ll win for sure."


    Merchant: "Hah, good luck with that. It''s been a long time and I still don''t everything I can do. You''re gonna have to work really fast though..."


    In a moment, he appears right in front of me. I couldn''t even put up my guard before he grabbed my neck.


    Merchant: "You may be running out of time."


    Miwen: "I thought... you weren''t interested..."


    Merchant: "Who knows? Maybe I''ve changed my- gh.... khhh...."


    As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, I used wind magic to flood him with oxygen, creating a barrier in his throat...


    I was expecting to be able to kill him internally or at least suffocate him like that. Sadly, despite a initial choke, he was quick to break the wind barrier I made inside his throat.


    It was enough for him to let go of me for an instant, and for the first time I could see him in actual danger.


    Miwen: "If our levels were close, you''d be dead by now."


    Even if he teleported away, as long as the barrier was there, I could maintain it by spending mana. The only way for him to survive was to break that barrier, which would be near impossible to do in time if we were the same level.


    Merchant: "... your mana is almost running out, it will be your loss when it does."


    Miwen: "It won''t. You''re not the only one capable of teleporting away. The moment I managed to get the girls out of here, it was your loss. Ie and go as I please, and whenever I have a theory to kill you, I''ll be sure toe try it out, that is, unless I be strong enough to defeat you head on first."


    It sucks to lose the Kingdom like this, even if temporarily, but his event has no restrictions, aside from not having ess to the kingdom anymore, it wouldn''t provoke any change to how I''ve been doing things.


    And if he decides to leave, the invasion should end, so, the moment we found ourselves here alone, there was no way for him to win.


    Merchant: "I see... alright then, you''ve dirtied my clothes and tried to choke me a few times but... if I bullied a bunch of kids anymore than this, the others would surely start to belittle me..."


    Miwen: "...You''re not as good an actor as I thought."


    Something was off with him since the beginning... the way he acted didn''t match his words and his words didn''t match his appearance.


    A calm and friendly looking guy... who makes threats about killing everyone.


    Even though he had plenty of chances to do so, he never actually hurt any of us.


    If you take his words out of the equation, what you''re left with is actually just an innocent guy who was defending himself against us.


    As soon as he noticed our levels, he didn''t even bother actually counter attacking and just treated our attacks as some sort of entertainment.


    Thest event and even how strange everything around this one was made us on edge... the way he got to our backs so casually had our danger alerts on maximum... and his words only confirmed what we were already thinking...


    If not for that, everyone would''ve noticed how poor of an actor he really is.


    Merchant: "Oh, did you figure it out?"


    Miwen: "I told you I wasn''t going to sacrifice myself. This is a worthless fight for me, there''s no reason to risk my life. But it''s a good opportunity to go all out and test a few things..."


    In the end, I relied too much on trying to suffocate the opponent since I knew how essential oxygen is for living creatures, and while it turned out to be effective, maybe the girls would''vee up with something different.


    Merchant: "... you''re really interesting. Since there''s no need to keep up the act anymore... shall we talk business?"


    Miwen: "Finally acting like a merchant I see."


    Merchant: "You''ve proved to be worth of my time after all... There''s a lot I''m interested to know about, so I''m willing to exchange some information with you, at the very least."


    In other words, he wants to talk.


    Yeah... the way he''s acting now is way more fitting. Seems like hiding your true nature is hard even for someone so strong.


    Miwen: "Let''s head inside then, there''s also a lot I wanna know about too."


    I guess I didn''t really manage to win like I was expecting to... but somehow I''m not too mad that I fought to a draw against this absolute monster.

 Chapter 66: The Travelling Merchant Arrives (03)

    A dangerous monster capable of killing everyone I know in a second. Even worse, this guy could probably win against all of humanity with one hand tied.


    I''m sure that anyone who knows the true extent of his strength would be filled with fright at the mere thought of confronting him.


    As I came to expect of him though, his words don''t actually reflect any of that.


    From talking about how he pranked a general, to how one time he made his girl pretty mad after messing up a teleport with her, the Merchant goes from story to story, sometimes not even finishing one before starting another due to a tangent he felt he should exin.


    He feels like an old man...


    Well, the stories are interesting, and it''s definitely good to be on his good side considering what he''s capable of, but I was expecting something else when he said that we should talk business.


    Merchant: "...And even still, this ce makes less sense to me."


    Miwen: "Yeah, yeah, it''s what most people think. As I told you, I don''t understand it well either. I''m just epting it as it is for now."


    Eventually, he started to talk about his friends, a group he calls "The Caravan".


    He says they all possess incredible powers, and some are capable of equalling him in a fight if not outright defeating him, which is terrifying.


    His group is always in hiding, using his ability to move from world to world, all the while trading items and selling their service, which mostly seems to include giving a hand in wars...


    At least that fits what I was expecting.


    What does not, however...


    Miwen: "So why exactly are you going after the Gods?"


    He doesn''t strike me as an edgy teenager who would say something like that thanks to a rebellious attitude, and if what he says is to be believed, it''s not only that he desires to kill the Gods, but quite a few have already met their fate at his hands.


    Merchant: "Hm... I don''t know if I should tell you that... you seem to believe one of their lies after all... What''s more, if you were to know the fate that awaits, I''m quite sure you''d be filled with despair as you realize your own powerlessness."


    Well, he certainly did lean into the bit more than I expected.


    If there''s an inescapable fate waiting ahead, I agree that knowing about it is meaningless if I can''t do anything about it, even more so if after knowing it, I lose the will to challenge it due to hopelessness.


    As it stands, as long as I keep walking forward, it doesn''t matter if I know about it or not, I''ll at least keep the will to improve until I can win.


    What catches my interest though, is the whole deal about believing the lies of a God.


    I know that he''s talking about Catherine here, but I have no idea what is the lie he is referring to.


    Whatever it is, I at least know that it''s not enough to make him see me as an enemy at the very least... Due to that, I thought it was something minor, but his next words proved naive.


    Merchant: "Seems you got a bit confused there... alright, it''s usually pretty expensive, but I''ll throw you a discount if you want to know."


    I feel like my tab at the end of this is gonna be unpayable, but I won''t question the value of listening to someone capable of going toe-to-toe against a God, even if he doesn''t look like it, I''m almost sure his knowledge is invaluable.


    Merchant: "You said that a Goddess came, blessed the world, and gave Gifts to the people, right? Sorry to break it to you, but that''s bullshit."


    Miwen: "It''s a pretty well-documented event so... can you back up what you''re saying?"


    Merchant: "Well, yeah. I''m the living proof. While talking about my age is not something I''m fond of, I''ll tell you that I''m almost as old as the oldest God, I''m a being of the same caliber, born to the same race that outranks them. And I... have a Gift."


    I can see where he''sing from... but since I''m already paying, it''s worth to try and get the most out of it.


    Miwen: "Well, and couldn''t that God have been the one to bless you with a Gift?"


    Merchant: "Impossible, there was no divinity at the time."


    I have no clue about the mechanisms, so I can only take his word and believe that divinity is necessary to bless someone with a Gift for now.


    But if that''s the case, there''s at least one question that everyone would reach.


    Miwen: "If divinity is necessary to bless someone with a Gift and there was none of it at the time... then how did you get your Gift in the first ce?"


    Merchant: "You''re misunderstanding... the Gods aren''t the ones creating or giving your Gifts. Everyone is born with them... it''s just that it takes a lot of energy for them to bloom, so inferior creatures like you have to either live in a world with a high mana density that allows your Gift to manifest naturally, or you expend divinity to forcefully do it.


    There are plenty of worlds that are so dense with mana that Gifts bloom as soon as the baby is born."


    Miwen: "... since you aren''t an ''inferior creature'', you got yours without needing divinity, is that correct?"


    Merchant: "Yep!"


    He agrees and signals to me with both hands,pletely ignoring the fact that he just called me an "inferior creature", letting out a smile that is so genuine that I''d actually prefer a sarcastic one.


    Miwen: "I see... then, it might sound like a dumb question, but I need to be sure... why did Catherine waste divinity to bless our world then?"


    We never won a single Divine Event she registered us on, and we might have even hurt her rtionship with a fellow God due to our poor performance.


    The divinity she must have spent on us should be a total waste, but was she not aware things would turn out like that beforehand? While I may not know the answer to that, it certainly makes a lot of sense to me if there was something in it for her.


    Merchant: "That should be obvious... you''re cattle."


    Miwen: "Alright, try that again, but actually exin it this time. Also, keep any insults to yourself please."


    Even if I tried to kill him multiple times, does he really need to keep calling me names like this? Such a petty thing to hold a grudge on.


    Merchant: "I wasn''t trying to hurt you, but fine... let''s see... I guess you can say it''s an investment, by maturing your species, you grow stronger, and so, each individual produces more divinity."


    I shouldn''t take his words at face value until I''m able to acertain it myself, but his exnation goes along with what I was expecting at the very least.


    If Catherine stands to gain something from blessing our world, then her actions make a lot more sense to me.


    But while I wasn''t too keen on her being a benevolent Goddess or whatever, I don''t really have anything against her benefitting, if anything, seems like a win-win situation for everyone.


    So...


    Miwen: "Are you mad at the Gods just because of that? Honestly, I think it''s a well worth trade."


    I have no idea how valuable divinity is, and while we might be getting ripped off, it''s not like we could use it ourselves anyway since it seems we didn''t produce a lot before the First Contact.


    Honestly, I believe magic and Gifts are plenty enough for humanity, while the Dungeons she brought are problematic, most people are still thankful to Catherine, and even after knowing her reasoning for doing so, I''m also in agreement that her blessing was an overall positive.


    Merchant: "That wouldn''t be a problem by itself, but... with enough divinity, you can ignore certain rules you see... if you know what you''re doing, you might eventually do something really, really bad..."


    Is that concern I see? Is he ying tricks again, or is that genuine...


    The way he shifted so abruptly makes it really hard to get a good read, but... If I focus enough, I can kind of see a tint of anger in him.


    Miwen: "Is this rted to the whole unavoidable fate thing?"


    Merchant: "Yeah... I''m still not capable of preventing it, but... each God I kill provides me with more divinity, and robs that man of some, eventually, I''ll be able to kill him."


    Miwen: "Seems like you and I think alike..."


    Merchant: "Right? You remind me a lot of myself from way back. I was more handsome though..."


    Miwen: "Yeah, sure..."


    And just like that, his demeanor changed again. I think I have a good grasp on him, but he''s quite difficult to deal with.


    At the very least, I don''t think he''s an ill-natured person... if anything, he''s actually quite chill.


    Miwen: "So you''re using the Gods as stepping stones... then, who is this guy you''re trying to kill?"


    Merchant: "The eldest amongst the gods, their king. He''s someone like me, created by the Endless during the First Cycle. As things stand, I''m sure I''d end up losing if he and I fought, and IF I''m gone, there''ll be no one capable of stopping him. Ever."


    Boy, I really hope my Gift doesn''t get any funny ideas after hearing about this guy.


    Someone who reigns at the top of the Gods, who even the Merchant isn''t confident in defeating... Yeah, whatever is at y here, I can now understand why the Merchant thinks my powerlessness would end up breaking my spirit.


    Even if I were to live a thousand years, I don''t see myself even hurting the Merchant, so what can I even do if a timees when I need to fight this God?


    Merchant: "The Gods are puppets that can''t see their own strings... so while I feel bad about hunting them... once they ascended, they can''t avoid death. If they die by my hands at least they will serve a greater purpose."


    It''s not only the Gods who are cornered, even he has been made to do something he otherwise wouldn''t want to...


    But if it''s so bad that the highest lifeforms are like this...


    Miwen: "These Endless you''ve talked about... since they''ve created the guy, can''t they just get rid of him?"


    Merchant: "They are creators, their actions beyondprehension, frankly, I think they don''t even care... What''s more, you won''t find one if they don''t want to be found."


    Miwen: "Is that from your own experience?"


    Merchant: "Of course. After all this time, you''re the closest to an Endless I''ve seen... I thought you were either one, or, like me, a creation of theirs, but..."


    Yeah, he doesn''t need to finish, I can already feel the insulting from a mile away.


    Can''t really me the guy on that one though, there''s simply noparision between us.


    Miwen: "What about me made you think I was a creature like that though?"


    A simple look at my level should be enough proof that I''m not some grandiose being like he is. The only thing that might have given him the wrong impression is...


    Merchant: "That would be your Gift, of course. That thing reads like an endless book. Which reminds me... it''s about time we get to the main topic eh?"


    Well, it was obvious that it would end up this way, this power is the only thing special about me after all.


    I wasn''t expecting it to be such a big anomaly that even someone like him would be interested though.


    However, I fully intend to listen to what he says since he might be the only person capable of shining a light on some things I''ve been wondering...

 Chapter 67: The Travelling Merchant Steps In The Dark

    I''ve had my Gift for some time now, and while I''m probably not using it in the most effective way possible, I believe the pace at which I''m going is good enough.


    At the same time, there''s so much I''ve yet to touch... I''m sure amongst them there''s a lot I could do that would hasten my progress.


    While that would normally be a good thing, I''m filled with anxiousness whenever I think about testing my Gift.


    By exploring [Gacha Kingdom Building] I might understand it better... but there''s also a big chance that I will discover something that was better left unknown.


    There''s simply too much here, it seems limitless in its possibilities and sometimes I get this dreadful feeling that if I step into its darkness, I might not be able toe back.


    I''m not so dumb as to not notice the oddities scattered all around, a bunch of things have been raising questions in my head, but...


    But as long as I don''t think too much about them, I could just keep living the way I am now, what would be the problem with that?


    I don''t really need answers if they are going to be a problem.


    Sure, I might never reach a conclusion, but that might also be for the better, after all, some things are better left untouched ...


    "Things are good enough"... I''ve convinced myself that I could advance like this without creating problems for myself.


    So what if something feels off? As long as we are all safe, it should be fine...


    But the presence of the Travelling Merchant changed that.


    The Merchant wasn''t satisfied. He wanted to probe as further as he could, and so, he forcefully brought me along in his search for answers.


    Merchant: "There are some Gifts out there that can create a pocket dimension, but the ones that allow you to modify that created dimension are only a few... what''s more... you''re not capable of either spatial or time magic, right?"


    Miwen: "If I could do either of those, I would''ve tried it out on you."


    Merchant: "Hm... pocket dimension Gifts usually give the user at least one level in [Spatial Magic], what''s more... your Gift managed to dy my arrival using [Time Magic], it was quite smart and...reactive... it''s hard to believe it wasn''t done on purpose..."


    Purpose...


    So the Merchant is also thinking about that.


    I didn''t try to use my Gift against him, it acted on its own.


    Miwen: "Are there Gifts that act on their own?"


    Here on Earth, I know about some Gifts that activate automatically to protect the user, but it''s not really the same thing... I think the Merchant also understands what I''m trying to get at.


    It''s not that it measly tried to protect me... it trapped the Merchant, even if for a while, using a smart tactic, not a simple barrier.


    What''s more, that isn''t something I have ess to, and nowhere in my Gift''s description does it say that [Gacha Kingdom Building] is going to protect me.


    What''s more, the whole situation felt like an emergency that came thanks to some unexpected circumstances.


    But that would also imply that my Gift itself...or someone... expects other events...


    Merchant: "Usually Gifts that allow for summoning or interaction with souls can kind of act on their own in a way... say for example your Gift was a creature that you can summon, it could be a sentient being that needs to be convinced in order to act."


    I see...


    If a Gift is just another creature that gets summoned to you, then that creature itself is the Gift, and by extension, it''s a Gift with a will.


    It''s something I''m already familiar with since that''s basically the case of the girls that came from the [Companions Banner], but at the same time, that''s just a small part of my Gift, it''s not the Gift in its entirety.


    Furthermore, whenever I wonder about the existence of a consciousness behind my Gift, I don''t really think about the girls... it''s more about how it feels like there''s an intent for the way things are...


    Merchant: "In your case though, it''s hard to determine... especially since your Gift knows more than you do, which is also odd."


    Miwen: "There are plenty of Gifts capable of acquiring information for the user though."


    When ites to dungeons, the best teams usually have a dedicated scout with a Gift that helps info gathering, this way, they avoid getting into risky fights whenever possible.


    Merchant: "Sure... but when you add it to the rest, you get a Gift that is capable of acting independently, knows more than its user, and can alsoe up with a countermeasure against an enemy by itself. If not by theck of a physical body, I''d say it''s pretty much a living being... oh wait, there is a candidate for a physical body actually."


    Miwen: "What do you mean?"


    Merchant: "This pocket dimension itself."


    ... so he thinks the kingdom might be its body, in case [Gacha Kingdom Building] is alive...


    Somehow I don''t think that''s quite the case...


    After all, if it was truly alive, why would it give me control over its body willingly then?


    Furthermore, there''s also the whole thing of unlocking new buildings for the kingdom too, I think those would be avable from the start if my Gift was so independent from me.


    I tried to convince the Merchant, but when I said that...


    Merchant: "...Self-growth... and it''smunicating... that''s too much..."


    Miwen: "Hm? Is something wrong?"


    Merchant: "Yes... there must be something wrong."


    His usual smile was nowhere to be seen, and I felt quite a lot of tension in the air.


    For a moment, I thought I had said something wrong and ended up triggering him, so I was about to escape, but...


    Merchant: "Normally, the strongest Gifts are the ones with fewer restrictions. My Gift for example is quite strong, its effect is a simple ''Nothing will limit your ability to travel''.Even when inside a time cage, time itself was losing its grip over me, and even if I hadn''t been released, I would eventually reach the ce I had already decided to go."


    Miwen: "So it''s not just teleportation."


    Merchant: "Yes, the teleportation is more of a side effect. I can travel in time, between dimensions, and cross space in a blink, nothing can truly impede me."


    ... I remember that in the event description, it was said that the Merchant couldn''t be stopped, but he would at least be dyed, so that''s the reason...


    Merchant: "As a rule, the higher beings get stronger Gifts. Yours would be the strongest Gift I''ve seen in a mortal, if not for the limitations thanks to randomness and the fact that you don''t get full ess to everything from the start... but the scale and pace are still too great... No offense, but I don''t think one such as you meets the requirements for this much."


    There he goes showing off how high and mighty he is.


    But I can see that he''s being honest, he truly believes that there''s something else going on.


    Merchant: "Without divinity, it might be too much even for me... there''s gotta be at least something taking the brunt of it... hm...."


    Well, that''s what you get for prying too much into it. My man here got so lost in thought that even calling up to him didn''t bring him back.


    The Merchant seems to believe that the limitations on my Gift are not enough to justify a creature like me to have it on its current scale, but I don''t see much of a point in questioning that...


    The truth is that it is the way it is, and there''s never been someone I could make shoulder [Gacha Kingdom Building].


    I mean, there was that tent in the middle of the kingdom but...


    Merchant: "I would''ve noticed traces of divinity or demonic power though... Ahh... so be it then, let''s give up on that front."


    Well, guess he wasn''t wrong when he said we were simr. Seems like neither of us is capable of reaching a conclusion on what is going on here.


    Merchant: "Alright. Another thing that''s been bugging me then. The girls you summoned and the weapons you possess... they bothe from the ]Banners] right?"


    Miwen: "Yeah...?"


    Merchant: "I see, then... can you summon the same object twice?"


    That''s a strange turn...


    I don''t really know to be honest. In the [Mana Banners] I often get the same type of item, but even though the daggers I summon there are always the same type of item, upon close inspection you can see that they are different from one another.


    I could apply this logic to the normal [Banners] but the thing is... I can get exact repeats of skills from it, so I''m not really sure if the objects thate out of the [Banners] can be a repeat or if they only fall under the same category but are actually different weapons, like two different Iron Swords for example.


    It doesn''t help that the pool of things avable for summon on the [Banners] is much bigger than the [Mana Banners].


    Miwen: "You lost me... What are you trying to get at?"


    Merchant: "It''s simple... if you can get two exact copies of the same item, that means your Gift is creating at least one copy of it, if not both. If you can''t, that means you''re summoning the original, which would mean that it disappears from wherever it was prior."


    I guess that makes sense.


    It would be funny if I got the sword of someone when they were in the middle of a fight though.


    Miwen: "I guess it creates the copies while the original item still exists somewhere else, it would be really strange otherwise..."


    Merchant: "I also think it''s what makes the most sense, but... if we assume that''s the case... are the girls you''re summoning also a copy and not the original being they believe they are?"


    ...


    This... is exactly what I was afraid of.


    I can''t answer him. I don''t know the answer to that.


    I don''t want to think that the girls are a fake construct with inserted memories, it doesn''t add anything and only weighs on my mind.


    But if they are the original, why are their bodies in perfect condition when they are summoned?


    ire, for example, should have a bunch of wounds and bleed to death as soon as she was summoned given the circumstances of her death.


    Merchant: "... It wasn''t my intention to make you like this, sorry."


    It isn''t his fault.


    I know it isn''t.


    But I wish I didn''t have to think about this at all.


    Miwen: ".It is... fine... more importantly, what is your opinion on that?"


    I feel bad for the Merchant, but I didn''t really want to answer that. If anything, I wanted him to share some knowledge that would exin everything in a satisfying way, even if I couldn''t think of a satisfying answer to that at all...


    Merchant: "... I dunno, maybe it works differently for objects and living creatures? The soul is a mysterious thing even for me, so maybe it''s recreating the body and transferring the soul to it... since your Gift doesn''t seem to have any regard for time too, it could be the case that it''s copying them a moment before their death, then simply healing and summoning them back...


    to be honest, there are too many possibilities, I don''t know why I even decided to focus on that, it was pretty dumb of me... Oh, it could also be the case that..."


    He kept going on and on for a while, bringing up alternative after alternative in an attempt to... cheer me up...?


    I swear old people are such a problem. First, they make you go all existential, then they desperately try to cheer you up. Such a grandpa.


    Merchant: "Maybe it performs a miracle even without divinity, I mean, if you ask me, it''s already doing so anyway-"


    Miwen: "It''s fine already, I''m not letting that get to my head, so you don''t need to worry."


    Merchant: "...Are you sure?"


    Not at all, much as I''d like to bury that thought, I know it''s something that will resurface from time to time.


    I''ll do what I can though, and that is to keep treating the girls the best I can.


    Not a spec of what we discussed here will matter. I''ll be sure to create a future with them so that we will only look forward.


    Even if it''s the worst case, I can at least try my best to make that true.


    Miwen: "Yeah, but I still need some time to sort out my thoughts, so I''ll be leaving for now. What about you?"


    Merchant: "I thought you lived here, so I was thinking about staying for a while..."


    Miwen: "Only some of the girls live here, I live on Earth, the world Catherine blessed."


    Merchant: "I see... alright then, can you make me a house at least so I can stay the night? I wouldn''t mind sleeping with that prettydy though..."


    Is that about Beatrice?


    This guy...


    Miwen: "Fine... clean it all up and I''ll create three houses."


    Everything was basically destroyed or in shambles, so it was better to just create the houses anew.


    Merchant: "Sure... but here, keep this as advance payment. If the Goddess from your world decides to attack you, just pass some of your mana through it and I''lle to lend you a hand."


    Why would Catherine even try to do that?


    But I guess that''s fine, with the card he gave me, I can at least call him if I happen to run into some trouble... I think...


    I don''t know what he means by advancement payment though.

 Chapter 68: The Merchants First Summon

    Throughout this whole ordeal, ire was the one who dealt me the most amount of damage.


    It happened as soon as I got back home. Before I could exin anything she nted her fist on my shoulder with way more intensity than the friendly bump Mia usually throws at me.


    I couldn''t reallyin though, what I did was absurd to begin with, and even though she called me an idiot, I could tell that she was simply upset.


    If I were to put everyone''s reaction on a scale, ire''s would probably be around the middle, right next to Mia''s, who also called me an idiot, but refrained to get physical. Somehow though, her cold and disapproving stare ended up being a little more hurtful...


    On the brightest side of this scale, Ellie came running and hugged me as soon as I appeared. I didn''t know that she was such a fast runner, but most importantly, I wasn''t aware of how much she cared since it''s hard to get a good read on her sometimes.


    It''s true that actions speak louder than words though, and it took a while for her to let me go from her firm grasp, even after ire had hit me, she didn''t let go at all.


    Anna''s was a bit more of what I expected, a small lecture on why what I did was wrong, that I made them worried, and that I shouldn''t do it again...


    Thest ones to say something were surprisingly enough, Licia and Beatrice.


    Given that for all they know I could''ve died, I was expecting Licia to be the first one to jump at me, in a way simr to Ellie''s actually.


    Instead, I noticed that she hid her face away from me, and after calming herself, she and Beatrice proposed that I''m always apanied by one of them from now on... on a leash.


    I thought the two of them were joking but then I found myself being the only oneughing at their absurd proposal.


    But yeah... I''m not letting that happen. No way.


    Once I finally finished getting lectured... beaten... and uh... threatened by my most loyal subjects, it was finally time I could exin what happened inside the kingdom...


    Mia: "...Even I noticed something was wrong with him, but... why did you take us out? You could''ve just called out his act and if you were wrong, we could all have escaped together."


    Having them out of the kingdom was actually an important factor for me to call out the Merchant''s bullshit.


    Once it was just the two of us, I got a better grasp of how much he was actually holding back, and how easily he could''ve finished off all of us if he intended to.


    He had a bunch of chances to kill me, and he never threw a punch, at most, he grabbed my neck and that''s all.


    There was another factor though...


    Miwen: "I don''t get many chances to face off against someone so despairingly strong, so I took the opportunity to try out everything I could, and I ended up bing way better at magic at the very least."


    In the end, almost nothing that I came up with had a satisfying effect, but being in a situation where I had to push myself to the limit and even after that, go beyond... that ended up being quite a good learning experience.


    My mind raced to find alternative methods to kill him since I couldn''t damage the guy the way I do monsters,


    Of course, I don''t want to be in a situation like this again but... if I have no choice, I''ll at least be a bit more capable.


    Anna: "You risked your life because you thought you would grow up in a desperate situation? The leash doesn''t sound like a bad idea now..."


    The pro-leash group was getting more votes... knowing ire and Mia, they''d both might vote for it just forughs.


    Thankfully we aren''t in a democracy though, and so, I''ll be the only one leashing others.


    Miwen: "As I said, I wasn''t going to die. Also, he gave me something pretty useful as a reward."


    Licia: "Eh? What did you get?"


    Most of the girls were pretty surprised, and I just know their expectations were through the roof.


    After knowing the Merchant''s identity as something akin to a God, anyone would think that whatever he gave out would be incredible.


    But yeah, once you talk to the guy for a minute, you''ll know to tamper your expectations...


    So, this will be a lesson for them the same way it was for me.


    Miwen: "This!"


    Licia: "A... card?"


    Miwen: "Yeah!"


    I could see the look on everyone''s face turning due to sheer confusion. And I couldn''t hold myself from leading them on.


    Even more so considering that Licia and ire became so used to Earth that I barely get to see them acting like this anymore.


    ire: "So... what does it do?"


    Miwen: "It''s a device that allows me to get payback by annoying a certain bastard to no end. You see, I just need to pour a little mana in it and I''ll summon the-"


    I was expecting this card would notify the Merchant in some way and make hime to help me like he said it would.


    Getting him out of the kingdom, even for a moment, would also probably end the invasion event and I''d be able to im the rewards, which I thought would be incredibly good given the difficulty.


    But once the card was activated, suddenly, a voice rang in my head.


    [Ie to you in a time of great need, to all of those who can hear my words... A being that threatens the existence of this world, known as the Travelling Merchant hase. In ordance with the High Aether Agreement, to save the people and the and prevent a World Punishment, I''ll remove the barriers on the dungeons and call forth a Divine War. Please, be safe my children.]


    ... what?


    After that, another message started, but I didn''t listen to one bit of it before telling the girls to go back to the kingdom.


    Once inside, I got to see the annoyingly cheerful face of the Merchant as he was about to pick something from his pocket.


    Merchant: "Oh, you''re back already?And you even brought your friends along... Are you guys here to help me clean the ce or-"


    Miwen: "Merchant... What the fuck does that card do?"


    I wasn''t really in the mood to entertain him considering his little Gift might have alerted the Goddess to my home.


    Merchant: "...It sends a small portion of your mana to me, and in return, my card sends enough of my mana to create a link between us that I can follow. It''s an ingenious tool that a friend of mine created. Never fixed the energy absorption though..."


    So it''s getting more mana than it should...


    But that''s not important right now.


    Miwen: "The moment I tried it out, the Goddess recognized your... well, you... she said she''d bring down the barriers of the dungeon and call a Divine War... So tell me... Can she trace it back to my house? What''s going to happen to Earth?"


    I had already heard of a Divine War before, way back when Licia was summoned, one of the first things she found strange was the way the dungeons in this world don''t connect to other worlds, and during that conversation, she mentioned something about a Divine War...


    Merchant: "... Your world had barriers in the dungeon? It''s rare to see a God do that nowadays... She must be pretty new... Maybe your world is her first one..."


    Miwen: "You''re not answering me..."


    Merchant: "Ah, yeah, sorry... Let''s see... If everyone in your world is around your level, I guess she won''t be able to track it so precisely. Your''s mana must look like a small candle to her, but mine... Let''s just say if she looked at it directly, she might be blind for life now."


    I wish he would take this a little bit more seriously, but at the very least I''m d Catherine can''t pinpoint the card location or where his mana came from-


    Licia: "As for the Divine War, I don''t think you need to worry too much about it."


    Miwen: "Why ?"


    ire: "A Divine War has targets, so anyone who tries anything funny against someone who''s not a target gets punished by the Gods. This way, the rtionship between them doesn''t strain and they can focus on dealing with the target."


    I see, so we are way safer than I thought then...


    Merchant: "Though I wonder... why did it take so long for her to react?"


    ...huh?


    Miwen: "What did you say?"


    Merchant: "You know... if she was gonna react like that, why didn''t she do so as soon as you reached your ce? Hm... Maybe she was panicking..."


    I swear, I better not be understanding this right.


    Because if I do, I might dedicate the rest of my life to the sole purpose of putting a knife to this guy''s heart.


    Miwen: "Merchant... does the card carry some of your mana even when it''s not activated ?"


    Merchant: "Yeah, it''s aplex mechanism, but it uses my power to send the mana back and forth, so I keep all of them charged."


    In other words, the moment I got back on Earth, the Goddess could already feel his mana.


    It was just shit timing...


    I better start getting some good items from the Gacha to bnce out this shit luck.


    ... Now that I think about it, the Merchant probably knew something like this was going to happen when he gave me the card in the first ce.


    Miwen: "Did you know this was going to happen?"


    Merchant: "...Not like this. Usually, a God would just forfeit any world I''ve touched, it''s too much trouble to deal with me after all."


    You can say that again.


    But why did Catherine act like this then? If she went to the trouble of acting against the Merchant and even calling other worlds, then she must somewhat care about our world.


    The only problem with that line of thought is the fact that she hasn''t been calling us to participate in Divine Events for a while now, most people were thinking that she gave up on Earth but...


    These two are contradictory to each other... there must be something else I''m missing.


    I tried my best to rationalize Catherine''s actions, but the Merchant continued talking.


    Merchant: "I was already nning on staying for a bit but... How about this... if you''re so worried about the Goddess of your world, how about I stay here for, let''s say... 10 days? If something happens, you juste to me and I''ll get you and your gang to a new world, sounds good?"


    Sounds sketchy.


    Even if I give him the benefit of the doubt, the natural question that arises is...


    Miwen: "What''s in it for you?"


    Merchant: "I''ll have you use your tickets to summon some things for me during this period... I want to see your Gift working, so to say."


    It''s not a bad proposal...


    Losing my ce on Earth is way more significant for me than losing the kingdom. I''m simply not ready to abandon my home world like this but...


    I might not have a choice depending on how things turn out.


    Still, there are a few things I won''tpromise about.


    Miwen: "... I won''t use the [Companions Banner] for that..."


    Merchant: "Sure, that one is a bit iffy after all."


    To say he has a way with words would be an understatement, he managed to get almost all the girls here annoyed with a single line.


    But after what we discussed, I''ll silently agree with him.


    There''s also the matter of using people''s lives as tradeable goods that don''t sit well with me. If the merchant had anyints about this use my opinion of him would drop dramatically.


    Miwen: "Also... at least two of the tickets are already reserved for Beatrice, if you can let those slide, I''ll be happy to ept your deal."


    Beatrice: "You don''t have to go that far for-"


    Miwen: "I''m not going back on the promise I made to you."


    It''s important for her, so obviously it''s important for me.


    And if I''m being honest I believe the Merchant will have no problems with this, after all, in ten days I should level up enough to make up for that difference.


    Merchant: "That''s fine, but in exchange, I want to start now."


    How does he know that I''ve yet to spend today''s tickets?


    It seems impossible to get one up on this guy.


    Miwen: "Alright then. What is it that you want?"


    Without dying for a second, the Merchant asks for a Banner I hadn''t touched yet.


    One I thought I never would.


    Everyone in the kingdom was surprised by his decision, but to maintain our agreement, I did as he asked.

 Chapter 69: Undesirable Encounter

    After doing the summons for the Merchant, we cleaned up inside the kingdom and I bought three houses again. With that, all the kingdom points I managed to save up were gone.


    Nheless, everyone could at least rest for the day...


    Which brings us to today.


    Since the Travelling Merchant decided to stay for a while, his event didn''t end, as technically he was still an invading force that hadn''t been repelled or subjugated.


    And yeah, I tried making him a citizen, but he refused saying that I couldn''t pay him enough for that.


    Which while true, also makes me wonder if he''s reluctant due to the potential unknowns of my Gift, since aside from this, he''s been quite friendly and agreeable.


    If we are talking about payments though, I think he''s the one in debt given what he did to Earth.


    Even now it''s hard to believe how much changed in a single day.


    Catherine''s call for a Divine War changed the way dungeons worked, and for a society that hadrgely adapted to the dungeons'' behavior, this brought about a huge impact.


    After her message, reports came one after another of different, fantasy-like creatures being spotted in the dungeons. Normally we''d call these monsters but the way these creatures behaved waspletely different.


    They could speak and didn''t attack people out of the blue, instead, they seemed to hunt monsters the same way we do.


    This quickly instigated rumors, and people began to approach these creatures, identifying them as elves and dwarves.


    By dwelling deeper in a floor, reports came of settlements that didn''t belong to humans, surrounding new exit gates.


    This was confirmation that these new creatures weren''ting from other worlds and debates started sparking about what to do.


    On one side, you''d see people excited about meeting others from other worlds, trading goods that you can''t find on Earth, visiting new ces, and seeing new cultures. Of course, there were also people justifiably worried about the prospects of this new state of affairs.


    Sure, there were yet to be any attacks by them against our adventurers, but who could say this wouldst for long?


    If they are life forms that can think on the same level as us, then undoubtedly they''d be capable of egoistical or hateful acts.


    What''s more... the dungeons were now a two-way street, these creatures coulde from inside the dungeon to our world by using the exit gates in our settlements the same way we could go to theirs by passing through their exit gates.


    So, if a sufficiently powerful nation wanted to... they could use an entire army to invade through the dungeon.


    There would of course be a lot of problems with that, and it was mostly spection... but since the possibility wasn''t zero, calls for closing the dungeons started appearing.


    People who also thought about the same possibility argued that maintaining a strong presence inside the dungeons was actually preferable.


    Anyway, the debates are still going strong, but there was no official statement for now, and even when we entered the dungeon, the most we received was a warning that there would be no guarantees of security and whatnot, the same they tell you when you first enter.


    From the looks of it, seems like the government will wash their hands off this issue by arguing they aren''t responsible for any event that maye from one''s entering the dungeon until they decide on an official policy.


    As I was walking with the human girls from our group through the dungeon, searching empty spots where I could get Mia and Ellie toe, we started seeing groups consisting of a variety of species, including humans.


    Given the short amount of time and the familiarity these teams seemed to have, it''s doubtful that these groups were from our, which means these weren''t humans from Earth...


    I could already see the myriad of problems this would bring, but there was no point in thinking about it for now...


    Today our group''s objective was to defeat the floor boss so that we could advance to the next floor and farm a few levels while the Merchant was preventing the start of a new event.


    The only problem was that there were new paths in the dungeon now, presumably the ones that were blocked by Catherine prior.


    This made it very annoying to follow the map and we couldn''t count on remembering the path since the scenario in a bunch of ces had changed as a result of the newly added paths.


    Licia took charge of that and I summoned Mia and Ellie since we could just pass off as a team from another world now.


    The mistake I made was believing that people from Earth would be a problem.


    While groups of humans that seemed to be from Earth kept away from us, a group of elves seemed pretty angry, and as they passed us by, I could hear the guy who seemed to be their leader clicking his tongue.


    Upon hearing that, by instinct, I turned and faced him.


    ire: "You do that again, and I''ll be sure to feed your tongue to a dog."


    Mia: "I''m not eating that shit."


    As it so happens to be, I wasn''t the only one who took offense to that.


    ire and Mia were a given due to their explosive selves, but all the girls seemed ready for a fight. The only exception was Ellie, who looked down and... disappointed.


    Upon hearing that, one elf from their group turned to us with anger showing all over his face.


    Female Elf: "Apologize now, inferior ones. Your rudeness towards His Highness is worth of death."


    So he is a noble huh...


    I wonder what someone of his status is doing inside a dungeon, and on a lower floor to boot.


    I''m in no position toment on that though since currently our party has a princess and a duke''s daughter throwing shade at them.


    Licia: "You should be the ones apologizing. Your impolite behavior has greatly upset His Majesty."


    His Majesty?


    Is she referring to me?


    I guess I''m technically a king, though my kingdom would barely pass off as a small vige.


    I definitely don''t have the pompous and dignified attitude you''d expect from one though, so I doubt they''d believe her words, even if they''re true on a technical level.


    Elf Leader (?): "I''d be amazed if even a beggar was willing to follow such a crude man, to call that a king is such aughable and shameful bluff."


    Anna: "His Highness seems to have tunnel vision. As expected."


    Elf Leader (?): "As expected? Is a lowly human trying to insult our species?"


    Anna: "Not at all, a lowly human is just insulting an ignorant elf, is all."


    Things kept escting and it was obvious that a fight would soon start.


    When ites to numbers, we had an advantage, and since we were all at the level cap for this floor, there wasn''t much we had to fear aside from their Gifts.


    The real problem though, was the presence of other adventurers that were now watching us.


    We could probably defeat them here, hell, I think we could kill them pretty easily, but if he''s really nobility, this might end up turning into a diplomatic problem.


    Not to mention, if someone from Earth were to record this, I might get identified and things would surely turn into a big problem.


    ... Everyone had their weapons out ever since we entered the dungeon, and most of the girls, namely Anna, ire, Licia, and Mia, were already in fighting positions.


    I was still thinking about what to do and the risks of beating them up until I suddenly felt Ellie grabbing my wrist, still looking down.


    I could tell she didn''t want things to end up in a brawl.


    I wanted to respect her wish, but I also didn''t feel like bowing my head and letting them go like this, so...


    Miwen: "Alright, I''ve heard enough. Here''s the thing dipshit, if you wanna throw down I''m all for it, so either we get this thing started like men already or you can take your dignified ass somewhere else. Personally, I think our rude selves would beat the shit out of y''all, but I''ll allow your highness to decide."


    The girls'' might''ve been a little surprise since I''m rarely, if every this rude in front of them.


    But seeing the quietest and most polite girl around us getting this treatment for no reason at all made my blood boil a little bit.


    I knew that she didn''t want to further provoke them, and this could definitely lead to more problems, but I had dealt with my fair share of bullies in the past, and I knew that it was better to stand against them than to cower.


    I also thought that seeing them backing down like the cowards they were was going to be fun.


    And I was sure that they would.


    They only possess half of our numbers, and I doubt a prince woulde out to the dungeon without being escorted by at least one or two strong guards.


    And strength recognizes strength, when ites to real battle experience, our party possesses veterans who know dungeons and battlefields better than anyone should in a lower floor like this.


    If even I could recognize that these girls aren''t amateurs, anyone with a proper braincell on their side would probably understand that it''s an unwinnable fight.


    As predicted though, they turned their backs and went away, but still left behind a remark full of spite: "You should be ashamed."


    It was obvious who this statement was meant for, so I gave Ellie a few words.


    Miwen: "Don''t mind them, if anything, I only have pride in you. And I''m sure the others do too."


    I excessively patted her head and messed her hair until she started smiling and tried to stop my hand.


    Truth be told, I had no idea what happened, but the way they acted towards Ellie was enough to piss me off beyond belief.


    Once the show was over, everyone went their own ways, and we also headed towards the boss room.


    Mia kept pestering me about letting them go too easily though, but it felt like the bestpromise I could make between our group''s desire to teach them a lesson and Ellie''s desire to let them go.

 Chapter 70: Third Boss Battle

    Given the poprity this floor has, things were bound to get hectic soon enough, it''s just a shame that it ended up with us mixed in one...


    Even still, we managed to deal with it well enough, since the n is to leave this floor as soon as possible, we can leave the problem with the elves behind for now.


    What''s more, the next floor, inplete contrast, is quite unpopr, so we can probably avoid people from Earth at the very least if we go deep enough. In such a situation, I could easily solve something like what happened today without worrying about who was watching.


    I had to leave such thoughts behind before entering the door that leads to the boss''s room with the girls though since such distractions would only hurt my focus during the fight.


    And so, as soon as we entered through the door, we were met with a boss room way different from the ones before.


    In front of us, the cold stone floor stretched for about 50 meters, only to lead to a huge wall, about 15 meters tall that hit the ceiling of the room. There were also four holes high in the wall around a big gate.


    The door we used to enter the room had closed, and we could only proceed through the gate on that wall.


    Miwen: "...Here theye."


    A hobgoblin carrying a bow appeared from each hole in the wall, while at the same time, raiders started pouring out of the gate on top of glowstrikers.


    The hobgoblins on the holes are quite protected, and it''s practically impossible to deal with them unless you have a skilled archer or mage.


    Thankfully we had both, so as soon as they peeked through the holes, Ellie managed to get one down and at an incredibly fast pace managed to get the second before they got to fire a single arrow.


    The two remaining managed to fire and hide behind their cover though.


    The adventurers who managed to reach the fourth floor of this dungeon alwaysment on how annoying the archers in this battle are, not only do they have cover, but each of them has a special effect on their shots.


    I purposefully gave Ellie a priority list for them based on what I know about this boss room, so she took the one who shoots arrows that explode on impact and the one whose arrows can change trajectory.


    The only ones left were the archer whose arrows are noted to have high piercing power and the one with high-speed arrows.


    While these are certainly problematic effects, in this particr case they aren''t really that powerful, so we can treat these monsters as normal archers for the most part.


    As if to prove that point, Licia and ire deflected their shots with pure swordy.


    It ended up being pretty impressive to me that they managed to do that since I for sure would''ve ended up wasting a bit of mana to defend myself from that.


    And while I think it''s an unnecessary risk to take since they could''ve gotten injured, I also understand that they did it to save mana for the floor boss.


    In the end, they were confident that they could do it, and it ended up paying off even if a little bit.


    While that was happening, the raiders didn''t stop charging at us, so our frontliners moved to face them.


    Anna took the initiative to start a small quake in their direction, throwing them off-bnce, and Mia took the opportunity to pick on some of them.


    It wouldn''t be good for her to fight them directly since without magic she has the shortest range among us, so she didn''t waste too much time and only killed some mounts as swiftly as she could.


    In this battle, Mia, Beatrice, and I would stay put for the most part. It wouldn''t be good for Beatrice to waste mana here, and given that Mia and I have a shorter range, we are at a disadvantage against the raiders, the most we can do is provide support on the nks and finish off whoever ends up falling from their mounts.


    Ellie had said she''d be capable of taking down all the archers, while ire, Licia, and Anna, the ones among us who have a little more reach on their weapons have taken it upon themselves to face the wave of raiders.


    This way, we ended up making a small stand against them.


    When this battle started, there were 20 enemies, but in our first contact, the numbers diminished to about 14.


    About 6 pairs of "cavalry" and the two archers that remained.


    Fighting without using magic at all was somewhat tiring, but we could regain our breath before proceeding through the gate, as for mana... it would take longer to recover.


    The raiders circled back and prepared for another charge, Ellie keptpletely focused on the remaining archers and didn''t even look in their direction.


    As soon as they starteding at us again, both archers peeked from their holes.


    They ended up being pretty smart though, as they didn''t try to fire and instead did a quick peek beforeing back for cover.


    This move ended up saving both of them as Ellie''s shots ended up passing slightly above their heads when they ducked.


    Still, it was enough that they couldn''t fire this time around, and with our full focus on the enemies charging, we managed to wipe almost all of them.


    Only two raiders remained without their mounts, and Mia made quick work of them.


    At the same time, predicting that Ellie wouldn''t be able to fire in such quick session after they dodged her arrows, both archers readied their bows to fire.


    That ended up being theirst action though, as arrows prated their chest, and thanks to Ellie''s Gift they ended up stunned.


    It would onlyst a few seconds but... it was more than enough for her to finish the job.


    With that, the first part of this fight was over.


    Unlike the other times, this boss battle is divided into two parts, and by proceeding through the gate we would finally be able to face the boss.


    It''s a good thing that the boss doesn''t enter this room as it gives us time to regain a bit of energy before proceeding.


    ire: "So next is the boss itself then?"


    Miwen: "Yeah... as I''ve said, it''s a single Glowstriker, a [Lord] at that..."


    I had already exined to them all the information I had on this floor''s boss room, but it was useful to go over it again since we had time.


    Miwen: "The problem is that it''s an insanely good tank as most physical attacks don''t do much damage... it''s best to infuse magic in all attacks to actually hurt it."


    Seems like in the past this boss battle caused a lot of trouble for adventurers, with many dying to it.


    The first room is basically a trap to waste away the mana of mages trying to use long-range attacks to defeat the archers and area of effect magic to kill the raiders.


    Either youe with multiple mages, a mage with arge reserve of mana, or you don''t spend any in the first room.


    Given that we kinda fill the three strategies at the same time, I expect the actual battle against the boss to be a breeze.


    As such, when everyone was ready, we proceeded to the next room.


    This one resembled a bit more the ones we were used to, and right in the middle, a single creature awaited us.


    Surprisingly, this monster wasn''t as big or menacing as the ones that we found in the nest, but we didn''t let our guards down and went all out.


    Two arrows flew in its direction, but they didn''t manage to prate his skin and it seems like due to that, Ellie''s Gift didn''t activate.


    The boss created a huge wave that came in our direction at the same time that it hid its body.


    We could''ve frozen the entire thing, but that would be really wasteful, so instead Licia and I made a small ice wall.


    As soon as the wave crashed against it the monster came at us from the left side.


    Beatrice was ready for it though and a wind de alongside a fire de hit its body.


    While this diminished its speed, it wasn''t enough to stop it, so Anna used her sword to block the iing glowstriker in its tracks.


    Mia took the opportunity to pummel it to the ground by jumping and hitting a punch to its back. It seemed to be pretty effective, so she must have imbued her fists with mana at the very least.


    She kept hitting him with a fast flurry of blows and I noticed that ice fragments wereing off from her fists whenever she hit the monster, so it seemed like she was imbuing her hands with ice magic at the precise moment before impact.


    The boss started to shake to take her off its back with all his might, but she didn''t let go until ire shouted for her to get out of the way.


    Mia like everyone else already knew what was about to happen, so she used all her speed to get as far away from the monster as possible.


    Just in case everyone else also did the same...


    And as expected a giant fireball wasunched at the glowstriker. As soon as it was above the monster, it looked as if the Sun had a grudge against the poor thing as a pir of mes kept descending for what felt like an eternity.


    In reality, though, it was only a few seconds but ire shocked everyone with how long she kept it going.


    Only one of us wasn''t surprised by that, the very girl responsible for it to begin with. Instead, her expression showed only a proud smile.


    I was expecting to find only charcoal when the mes finally stopped pouring down but to my surprise, the boss was still alive.


    It didn''t seem like it could put up much of a fight now though...


    ire: "Its reputation as a tank is deserved..."


    Mia: "Should''ve left me to it."


    ire: "I don''t have an eternity to waste here you know? I have things to do after we''re done here."


    I don''t think ying games and watching movies warrants such haste, but I guess to each their...


    Spending more time here would indeed be a waste though, since I still wanted to explore a bit of the fourth floor today.


    To deal with this once and for all I prepared myself to kill the monster by creating an ice pir on the ground beneath it.


    But then, the water that the wave left around us became small spears that headed our way, however, thanks to Beatrice''s wind des, not a single one managed to hit us.


    As such, I proceeded with my attack, and to my surprise, Licia had thought the same.


    Two pirs then perforated the monster from beneath, each going in a different direction,pletely tearing the monster in half.


    Licia: "Whoops... I''m sorry, that ended up being a bit wasteful right?"


    Miwen: "Nah, that much is fine. It''s better to be safe than sorry after all."


    I could notice the irritated stares of both Mia and ire towards Licia and me, but I didn''t know if they were jealous of the way I treated her or if they were mad that once again they didn''t manage to get the finishing blow.


    I didn''t give it much though as the door to the next floor appeared and opened before us.


    The boss dropped a small silver ring, and by analyzing it I was able to confirm its effects.


    It wasn''t incredibly good, but it did give a small decrease to the mana cost for all magic attacks.


    I thought it might make a goodbo with Licia''s Gift, but since Beatrice uses a diverse array of elements, I decided it would be more beneficial to her for now.


    In the end, I ended up giving it to her, but it''s a solid effect, so I mighte back here to farm another one sometime in the future.


    Though I would risk running into those elves from before...Yeah, I''ll probably refrain froming back to this floor.


    Since we weren''t doing too bad on either energy or mana, I decided to continue as nned and we headed to the fourth floor for the first time.

 Chapter 71: The Worst Floor

    We finally set foot on the fourth floor, one of the most unpopr in this dungeon.


    Though a bunch of factors influence the poprity of a floor, most of the time you can boil them down to profitability. People can deal with all kinds of inconveniences as long as there''s good money to be made, which is why the previous floor was so popr and one of the biggest reasons this one isn''t.


    The monsters here don''t drop anything special, it''s mostly bones that cksmiths can use to add some effects to their weapons, but even then, those effects aren''t that great.


    Not to mention, being the fourth floor, if you requested for a party to go out of their way to farm drops here, it would be a bit too costly for what it''s worth. Since there are quite a lot of dungeons out there, you can always find dungeons with useful drops on even lower floors, making it way cheaper for anyone with profit in mind.


    The second factor that contributes to this ce being so empty is the boss battle of the third floor. While it wasn''t that bad for us, many parties find it to be really troublesome.


    And to cap it all off... the monsters on this floor are all undead.


    You''ll only find skeletons and zombies in here, thankfully, very few of them are actual humans who died in here, and most are undead orcs and hobgoblins.


    Still, they all have a high chance of inflicting curses that weaken the body, block magic usage, or straight up put a death counter on you. Not to mention, they pretty frequently poison anyone on the receiving end of their attacks.


    It is an absolute pain to deal with since you might have to pay a visit to a shaman or cleric in case of a curse, and a healer or a hospital in case of poisoning. None of which are especially cheap and might cost us an entire week of work to cover.


    It''s best we don''t stay around here for too long, but at the same time we need to be very cautious with every encounter,so it''s not good to rush either...


    The only bright side this ce can offer is theck of people from Earth... even the "settlement" only has a wall and about a dozen people hanging around for easy kills.


    Given the connection to other worlds, it''s not as empty as it should be though, and we can see parties who are clearly not from Earth, even if at a lesser frequency than the third floor.


    It was hard to leash in some of our members who wanted to rush every battle, but we managed to maintain a good pace, and after fighting for a few hours, we decided to stop to rest before going back.


    It''s good to familiarize ourselves with this floor before going too deep into it. Even more so considering that the maps we have are a bit outdated due to the removal of Catherine''s barrier.


    And so, while we didn''t go far enough to find the door for the boss room, while I explored the new paths to correct our maps, we did manage to find some other settlements.


    At each one we found, I could sense unusual anxietying from Mia, so, as soon as we settled down for a bit, I decided to talk with her a bit.


    Miwen: "...Do you wanna take a look at the other worlds?"


    It''s clear that the dungeons connecting to other worlds is the norm, so, there''s a high chance that Mia''s original world is now connected to Earth.


    As such, I don''t need to think too hard to notice what is it that''s been troubling her.


    Mia: "...Why?"


    Miwen: "...?"


    That''s not the response I was expecting... I thought she''d be exhrated now that there''s a chance for her to go back home.


    Mia: "Even if I went back now... what would I do? There was nothing I could do back then too... I''m simply too weak to aplish anything..."


    As much as I hate to admit, she''s right.


    Now that the war is over, there''s practically nothing she can do alone, at most she could lead an uprising with whoever remains from her tribe but...


    If Melissa with her entire army in a defensive position failed to hold off the enemies, now that the situation is more disadvantageous for her tribe, Mia would stand almost no chance.


    Miwen: "...I could enter an agreement with the Merchant for you, I doubt it''s gonna be cheap but... he can probably take on a country or two."


    Mia: "Hah... That guy? Do you really think he''d do something like that?"


    Well... that''s hard to say. He''s definitely not a bloodthirsty person, and he even seems troubled that he has to kill Gods...


    But I know for sure that he has taken an interest in my Gift, if I y my cards right or get myself in enough trouble, I could basically force him to act even if he doesn''t feel like it.


    The problem would be what happens if he discovers that I yed him... while he''s friendly, he''s not aplete idiot, and due to his power, I can''t even hide in the kingdom...


    Mia: "But there''s... something I want."


    It''s pretty rare for her to ask something from me, and given our current conversation a million possibilities passed through my mind.


    Miwen: "Go on..."


    This entire time she had her face down and kept looking at the ground, but for the first time, she raised her head and looked me straight in the eye.


    Mia: "I''ll do anything you want so... will you please help me?"


    Miwen: "... What are you trying to say, Mia?"


    Mia: "I want you to help me get stronger. I want to take back my home... and I want to destroy the bastards of Hamperlon... With your power..."


    Miwen: "..."


    Mia: "With your power, I can take everything back. Not only do you get stronger, but you can raise those around you to higher heights... If it''s you... one day an entire country might not even be a concern... "


    That''s certainly optimistic... we''d have to assume that nothing bad ever happens my citizens, that my Gift doesn''t change again and starts doing more shit to get in my way like the Events, and that we can maintain the current pace even on higher levels...


    Not to mention, I''d have to exert control over quite a lot of people, which would be pretty difficult to do.


    Right now, given that we aren''t that many, to begin with, I can form a close rtionship with each one, which allows me to create a bond and get their loyalty pretty high.


    As the number of people under me increases, this will obviously be harder to do.


    And while the [Orders] can help with that, by abusing it, I might end up being the target for an uprising myself, whatever that may mean for the [Citizens] and the [Kingdom].


    Given all these circumstances, I''m trying not to expand too fast so that It doesn''t end up blowing in my face.


    But Mia''s proposal doesn''t necessarily go against any of this...


    I also believe that given enough time, we''ll reach an untouchable position, the hardest part might even be this point where we are just starting our journey and the events pose such a big threat...


    Miwen: "How about this then... we''ll just ask around the settlements for countries of your world that you know. Once we get confirmation, we''ll take a look inside... and when we get strong enough... I''ll support you with everything I have. Be it the [Citizens], the items from the [Banners], sharing skills...


    hell, I''ll even fight on the frontline if that''s what you want... BUT... at the very least, I want all of our current members to be as strong as Hamperlon''s generals."


    To be honest... I also want some revenge for everything that happened back there, so Mia''s objectives line up perfectly with mine.


    But I''m in no rush though...I much rather get strong enough to strike them only once, and make sure that they''ll never be able to recover, than keep fighting a prolonged war and risk ourselves.


    Mia: "... I wasn''t expecting immediate results anyway... I''ll be happy as long as I can take revenge on Ihem."


    Miwen: "Is that so? I was thinking the same."


    Like I once had done, I chose to side with the Snow White Wolves, and this time, we have a proper alliance.


    For taking hernd. For destroying her tribe and killing her mother.


    For being a thorn in my side, for taking away my first ally.


    One way or another, we''ll make sure to wipe that kingdom off the map.

 Chapter 72: Ellie Steps Forward

    -----This chapter contains a scene that isn''t really lewd, but... kinda? Reader discretion is advised. Kinda-----


    As soon as I returned from the dungeon I took a shower and headed to the kingdom to report everything to the Merchant.


    While he doesn''t care much about how much money we make, he does listen carefully to every detail of our expedition. What really grabs his attention though is how many levels everyone got.


    Merchant: "Two level-ups on the first day on a new floor? That''s pretty impressive... This means you can do 12 summons for me today, right?"


    While I''d like to strengthen myself now that we''ve reached a new floor, I agreed to let the Merchant decide what the daily tickets are spent on, so I''ll have to hold off on that.


    Since ultimately he''s trying to understand my Gift, which also benefits me, I don''t feel too bad about giving him control over it for a while, but...


    Miwen: "Yep. So, what do you want today? A few tables to go with the chairs fromst time? Perhaps I can get you some rugs if you''re trying to redecorate your home."


    Out of practically infinite possibilities, the Merchant picked one of the most pointless ones and chose the [Chairs Banner] out of all his options.


    And while a fancy-looking throne popped up. suffice to say, there wasn''t anything worthwhile in the bunch.


    I mean, while each one seemed to be made of a different material, every one of them qualified as chairs, even the ones with a strange design. But in the end, there wasn''t anything special about them.


    There are only two exnations that I can think of as to why the Merchant decided on this banner...


    First... this banner is one of the most harmless possible no matter what is it that my Gift does.


    If I''m taking things from somewhere else, then by summoning these chairs the most that could happen is aedic scene where someone tries to sit and falls to the ground as his chair has suddenly gone missing.


    On the other hand, it could be that the Merchant is simply an idiot, but I''ll need more data to conclude that.


    Merchant: "While that would be nice, I was thinking more along the lines of this one..."


    Seriously? Every time I think I have him figured out, this guy does a 180 in the blink of an eye.


    Ifst time he chose an unharmful banner, this time he made sure to choose one I''ve been purposefully avoiding.


    The [Beasts Banner]... while it most likely involves summoning something alive like the [Companions Banner], the probability of a cute puppying out of it is basically zero.


    In all likelihood, a monster will be summoned.


    If it works like the [Companions Banner] said monster would be level 1, meaning there''s not much point in defeating them and I''d be trading a ticket for nothing.


    But... if the creature thates out of it just happens toe out with a high level we''d have created unnecessary danger inside the kingdom.


    In the end, I could never justify using this banner either, so in a sense, the Merchant''s request this time keeps up the theme of things that I wouldn''t waste a ticket on.


    Miwen: "If something bad pops up I''m leaving you to it."


    Merchant: "Eh? You won''t defend me? That''s so mean, I thought we were friends..."


    Miwen: "Pfft... Blood will rain from the sky the day you need me to protect you."


    That is to say, it''s never going to happen.


    And while this guy is like this, I can''t deny his power, so even if a dragon were toe out, I''m pretty sure I''ll be safe as long as he''s on my side.


    Now that I think about it, there''s a bright side to all of this since I get to test out a potentially dangerous banner while beingpletely safe.


    As such, I followed his request and used all my tickets on this banner...


    Merchant: "... Again!? Where are you going?"


    Miwen: "Hm? What do you mean?"


    Merchant: "Last time was the same... as soon as the chairs appeared, everything about you vanished. It was for just a single moment, but your status was gone, I couldn''t feel your mana or sense your presence even though you were standing right in front of me..."


    ... As soon as the chairs were summoned and for just a single moment.


    It''s most likely the same time my mind goes nk. I''ve grown so used to it that I don''t even mind at this point but... looks like there''s more to it than I thought.


    Merchant: "It could''ve been my mistake, but I kept very close attention this time, so I''m sure something happens every time you do one of these."


    Miwen: "I see... more pressing though, what will you do about this?"


    As expected, twelve different creatures were summoned and they instantly started fighting each other.


    A winged tiger, turtles with spikes, a dark wolf, and a cyclops, just to name a few.


    Almost all of them are giants in size and as menacing as possible.


    A few of them have never been recorded, so I can only assume they are creatures that dwell in floors so deep that humanity has yet to encounter them.


    Either that or no one managed to survive an encounter to tell the story.


    Thankfully I could confirm that all of them were level 1, but even then, any of these creatures at level one should be way more powerful than a normal human at the same level.


    Merchant: "I think we should divide them... I''ll take the ones on the-"


    Miwen: "Agreed, we''ll divide by 1 and you''ll take care of them all, see ya around."


    I''m not partaking in the mess he created, and I''m sure the Merchant is capable of taking care of himself.


    Not to mention I already fought the entire day and had still to train with Mia, if I were to waste any more energy I''d end up more of a punchbag for her than I already am.


    Since it seemed like he would be upied ying with his friends I assumed the Merchant wouldn''t need me anymore today, and left to y with my own friends.


    While checking on everyone, Ellie asked if we could talk after dinner. It''s pretty rare for her to ask anything, so of course, I agreed.


    And so, when the time came, Beatrice, Anna, and Mia left to rest in the kingdom. Licia and ire seemed to notice that I wanted to stay a little while with Ellie and both headed to bed before me too.


    We were now sitting on the sofa, and I remained quiet while waiting for her to speak.


    She was fidgeting and seemed to have some troubleing up with the right words. I''m sure she knows by now that no matter what she says, I won''t judge her for it, but it seems that whatever she wants to talk about is so important to her that she feels the need to carefully think about it before speaking.


    Ellie: "I... am sorry..."


    Eventually, the words left her mouth, and I was left in astonishment as I couldn''t understand what she was apologizing for.


    Miwen: "...?"


    I couldn''t help but be a bit confused, she''s a very good girl and I don''t think she''s ever done anything bad in my presence.


    Both the Merchant and the other girls never said anything ill of her too, if anything, everyone seemed to like herpany.


    Seeing her being all down like that made me feel a bit guilty though, so I wanted to get to the root of the issue and hopefully solve whatever was going on.


    Miwen: "So... what are you sorry about?"


    Ellie: "What happened today was my fault... You wouldn''t have had to deal with any of that had I not been there... I''m sorry for causing you trouble..."


    I see... so it''s the deal with elves then.


    I''ve noticed online somements about elves in particr. Almost all of them are extremely beautiful, and being a "fantasy" race, there''s a bunch of people who almost idolize them in a way.


    And as expected, there''s been a lot of reports of peopleing in contact with them.


    In most cases, they end up being very unfriendly.


    While some people defend their behavior by saying that it''s unreasonable to randomly approach someone for no reason and expect them to act friendly... the truth is that they are getting a pretty bad reputation since other species are much more open to talking.


    Ironically, demons are getting a good reputation as approachable and friendly people. They are very rare to find, but they are pretty frank and true to their desires, in a way, they are honest about who they are and embrace their bad side without shame...


    They speak their mind without being too mindful of others, and with agrin criticize anything by pointing out how bad it is, all the while it''s difficult to call out their hypocrisy since they ept their evil thoughts and even call themselves experts that can recognize evil actions better than anyone else.


    For our modern civilization, this makes them... pretty close to home. Even humans from other worlds aren''t as easy to deal with for us as demons are since their customs are quite different and they consider positions too much.


    In our world where 99% of people share a somewhat "equal" position as simple humans it''s pretty hard to deal with them.


    Talking about other species is a bit off-topic though... the point is that even without Ellie I think such problems would happen anyway, maybe even with other humans.


    Miwen: "I told you not to worry about that right? No one thinks it''s your fault either way."


    Ellie: "That''s not true... Most elves live a long life in smallmunities in forests. Often they are attacked by bigger neighboring tribes, kingdoms, or mercenaries... so you can see why they fear and hate others, right?"


    Miwen: "I guess? But why would they get mad at you?"


    Ellie: "I am one of the rare examples who went to the outside... For them... being in a party with other species makes me either a ve or a traitor..."


    ... I see, so that''s why they got pissed off then.


    A minority getting attacked unjustifiedly... I can see why they''d end up with prejudice against others.


    However, Earth''s history has shown that this is not the way forward, as it will simply lead to more conflict and new enemies until no one is left standing. If they want to live in peace...


    Miwen: "Either youpletely destroy the enemy so that only you remain in the end... or you meet them on the other side and walk together... if they didn''t wish for conquest and supremacy, and only really cared about living peacefully, then they would apud you for cultivating bonds that mend rtions."


    And now that I know the context, it''s obvious that the elf from before wasn''t bluffing and really was royalty.


    Because usually themon folk truly wish for peace and don''t really care about things that don''t affect them. That is unless they are made to care by those in power.


    The problem is that the people in power are those who seek power, and they will always seek more. It''s also so very easy to mask this desire by iming it''s actually for the sake of justice or peace.


    You just need to give them one justification to attack, and no matter how minor it is, they''ll use it until you are no more, or until they collect enough justifications against them so that they are no more.


    Miwen: "In the end though I think you''re way moremendable than those guys. I''m sure it must''ve required you a lot of courage and strength to leave and see people and the world for what they truly are."


    Even in the modern world where it''s way easier to meet people and know the other side, there are a lot of people who don''t do that.


    It''s impressive that she managed to do that in a world way less developed since even in the modern world where it''s way easier to meet others there are a lot of people who simply prefer to live in ignorance without ever giving themselves the chance to change their opinion.


    Miwen: "So I''m not epting your apology. Because that would mean you''re saying you''re sorry for simply being who you are."


    Ellie: "Eh?"


    Miwen: "Elf or not, it doesn''t matter, you''ve earned the trust and respect of each one of us. You''re helpful in everyday life, you''re always an immense help in fights and you''re often willing to listen to others. You might not know it, but everyone in here really likes you."


    A quiet girl who is often swayed by the motions, trying her best to not trouble anyone. Whatever you are doing, if she''s capable of helping you, she''ll offer a hand.


    When she''s so nice and reliable, it''s obvious that she''d be liked by everyone.


    Licia and ire alwaysment about her, and I always feel the same whenever I interrupt her training and instead of getting mad, she starts teaching me stuff about archery.


    Miwen: "Ellie... No one mes you for what happened there, and even now I don''t think it''s your fault nor do I think you should me yourself. If it happens a thousand times, my answer will remain the same. Not just because I like you, but also because I''ll always be grateful and protect your decision to live with us."


    Ellie: "...To think I''d find it only after dying... It''s unfair for you to be like this..."


    Miwen: "Did I say something wr-"


    Ellie: "You said too much."


    She hurriedly cut me off before I could finish and gave me a small kiss on the cheek.


    It obviously took me by surprise, but before I could even react or process what had just happened, she had already hidden her face away from me.


    Ellie: "These things take time for me so... don''t expect more than that for a while. Also, please ept my request now."


    She did her best to hide from me, but as I looked from above, her small figure as she used her hands and legs to cover as much as possible from my sight could only be described as cute.


    I noticed her face getting more red with each second that passed, so I purposefully dyed epting her request until she started squirming and trying to say something.


    Ellie: "...P-Please..."


    Miwen: "I''m not finding it~"


    Ellie: "...pretty please..."


    Miwen: "And you say I''m unfair..."


    After that, I couldn''t really resist, and I had already gotten my fill too, so I ended up letting her go.


    The only problem now was Licia and ire.


    Both of them had already an agreement when it came to our rtionship, so there wasn''t much to argue about on that front.


    As for the deal with Anna... well, they were okay with it, but to me, the important factor was that I asked for permission first on that case.


    Now with Ellie, I couldn''t ask them anything since I wasn''t expecting something to happen in the first ce, and while nothing major happened, I can''t say for sure it won''t in the future, so I wonder how they''ll react...


    I headed towards the bedroom, my mind filled with such thoughts.


    Upon entering, I saw both of them giving each other a pretty intense kiss that looked like night and daypared to Ellie''s.


    ire: "Oh, you''re back. Wanna join?"


    Seems like Licia was on the receiving end, so ire was the one who stopped so we could talk.


    Miwen: "Nah, I''ve already got one from Ellie."


    Licia and ire: "Eh?"


    Nothing beats honesty, and while they were quite surprised, I thought that given their reaction it might be fine.


    Of course, I had to exin everything in minute detail though...


    ire: "...And that''s it?"


    Miwen: "Yeah..."


    I ended up talking about what Ellie said to me too since it felt right to share it with the girls since I know they appreciate Ellie as much as I do. What''s more in case something like this happens while I''m not around, I can count on them to act on her behalf.


    Of course, I went at it chronologically, so in the end I also told them about the kiss on the cheek.


    Licia: "Oh. my. gosh. That''s so adorable. She''s so adorable."


    It wasn''t quite the expected reaction, but alright, I''ll take it any time.


    ire: "But... You really did nothing else?


    Miwen: "Yeah, I''m not lying. I let her go back. I would tell you if we had done more than that."


    I thought ire wasn''t believing me or hadints about what happened, but in reality, she had a problem with what didn''t happen.


    And it wasn''t just her...


    Licia: "Wait, seriously? You didn''t like... reciprocate? Or touched her? Or... Nnoooo...."


    ire: "She took the initiative, you need to...! Argh! What''s your problem?"


    It felt like I would never hear the end of it as my girlfriendsined through the entire night that I should''ve been more assertive and actually go all the way with another girl.

 Chapter 73: Black Bones

    Since all my daily summons are being used by the Merchant I am now experiencing the slow pace that the other adventurers have to deal with.


    While just yesterday I got two level-ups, it''s undeniable that I would''ve seen a much bigger impact if I had acquired more skill levels.


    I could use the level-up points to strengthen some skills but it feels wasteful since I know that I''ll be able to get these levels soon through the [Skills Banner] or train the skills like normal people do.


    This makes the status a priority for me since the only bonus I get to it is through Anna''s Gift, which only boosts defense and strength, which while great, still leaves me with the need to use points for the other categories.


    There''s also the matter of using [Kingdom Points] to share skills,but I need to wait for the girls to improve their skills to make good use of it, so for the time being I''m just saving them up.


    Overall, it''s just poor timing that the Merchant''s stay coincided with the floor I wanted to power through the most, but since there was nothing I could do about it, we spent the morning like usual and prepared for the next raid.


    During breakfast though, Licia and ire couldn''t help their giggles whenever Ellie and I interacted, making an already awkward situation even worse.


    Even though Ellie is normally somewhat quiet, an attentive eye would be able to notice that her embarrassment was higher than normal. and Anna was quite perceptive to that.


    Her reaction was a bit strange though, as while being shocked, she seemed to direct it toward Licia, someone who by all means had nothing to do with the situation aside from making Ellie overly conscious.


    I couldn''t help but wonder what she was thinking about since perhaps she misunderstood things.


    Aside from her though, both Mia and Beatrice seemed pretty oblivious, but while I can''t prove it, i do think they''re somewhat aware and either don''t care about it or are just better at masking their reactions.


    It was a good mood though as Ellie''s cute side was on full disy as she became more and more ashamed by the minute all the while the girls kept being yful and teasing her about it.


    Deep in my heart, I wished these days couldst forever, but somehow I felt like being in the calm before the storm.


    The amount of news about the Army Of The Gifted has been decreasing as their campaigns have also been getting weaker.


    Since it''s been a short time, I think it signifies that it was either quite sessful and they''ve reached their objectives, or it failed and they decided to stop investing too much time and resources in it.


    The problem is that through my means I''ve yet to get any relevant information on them. It''s obvious that at the very least they are still operational, but I think the new influx of people has made it hard to gather precise information.


    If my theory is correct, since there are new people and changing positions/assignments, even the ones in charge who should know what''s going on and could provide information are still getting things in order and can''t provide a good picture of the current state since even they don''t really have full grasp now.


    All in all, it simply doesn''t help me quell the bad feelings I have about it.


    Well, whatever it''s brewing over there, I doubt it''s going to affect me since I don''t participate in their organization, but I do hope nothing happens to my sister since she has a knack for getting in unnecessary trouble.


    And yes, I''m fully aware of how ironic it is for me to think about her like that when I''m heading every day to the biggest source of danger in the modern world.


    Yet, while the dungeons are not safe by any means, they are also the source of my strength and future security, so it''s essentially an investment where I need to risk my current well-being so that I diminish any threat toe.


    As such, there''s no other way around it, and we once again enter the fourth floor.


    The level cap here jumps from 12 to 18, meaning that in the worst case, you might face multiple enemies with over 6 levels on you.


    When moving in a group, it''s harder to go unnoticed, so it''s moremon that you end up fighting stronger opponents that you''d normally wish to avoid.


    This problem is mitigated thanks to everyone being so capable that we often notice enemies first, and due to the low mobility of monsters on this floor, we''re able to n out a coordinated attack to not incur many risks.


    It''s slow and hard, and it also takes a toll on the mind since we are often nning and having to adapt to monsters that make use of their Gifts. Thankfully I work quite well as our scout and even though I can''t read their Gifts like the Merchant did to me, I can still deduce what an enemy is all about when I look at their skill-kit.


    I need to give my team credit here though, I can only do this job since they provide me with arge breathing room and don''t get overconfident even if there''s just one enemy with a low or simr level.


    I thought I''d have trouble reining in Mia and ire, but they did listen to me and aren''t acting recklessly on this floor.


    It goes to show that they know themselves pretty well and can be careful when needed.


    I wish they''d be like this on every floor, but their judgment is usually correct so I can''t me their confidence too much, If anything, it''s good that I have them as a danger meter that works on instinct and experience since I''m not good with that, normally relying on more concrete information and analysis most of the time.


    It''s good to have their instincts as a counterpart to my thinking as it makes the party moreplete.


    That even they are on their toes goes to show that this floor is not to be messed with, and as if to reinforce that idea, a single monster stood in our way a few meters ahead in a small area.


    Miwen: "A level 17 skeleton mage... he''s capable of [Bone Magic] and [Wind Magic]. Seems like he also makes use of curses..."


    Frankly, that''s a problem. Using magic gives him a longer range on his attacks, meaning he might be able to afflict us with curses from a distance.


    What''s more... [Wind Magic] is quite problematic to deal with as it takes experience to know when an attack ising, add the curse factor to that and it bes unreasonably dangerous.


    Anna: "Look at what he''s wearing..."


    This is also not a good sign...


    The clothes the monster was wearing were modern looking, meaning he wasn''t spawned from the dungeon and instead was killed andter converted into a monster.


    Being on this floor, it''s pretty much guaranteed that whoever this was, he possessed abat-oriented Gift, as people without one would have a lot of trouble going past the second floor, much less the third.


    In any case, this also means that the monster who probably killed and converted him is still alive...


    At this point, we were somewhat deep on the floor and had managed to get a level-up, so going back would be an option and we could also try another path.


    Licia: "What do you wanna do?"


    While it would be right to give him final peace by defeating the monster he became, I won''t risk putting everyone in danger just for that.


    Miwen: "It''s not worth it. let''s fall back before he notices us."


    I decided to take the safest course of action and head back, but...


    While returning, zombies started pouring out of a left path in front of us, essentially cutting off the only way we had of going back.


    This made it so that we were now encircled by the zombies on our front and the mage skeleton on our back.


    Even if we went back and fought against the skeleton, it wouldn''t change the fact that we would have to fight against the zombies to go back to the entrance gate of this floor, so there was little option but for us to force our way through them.


    While more resistant and with some regenerative ability, the zombies didn''t pose much of a threat in low numbers, the problem we faced was that they didn''t stop pouring out from the path they came from like an endless wave.


    Not only was it tiring to fight so many of them, but many times, even after cutting off their heads, they''d still move for a few seconds and even attack back. This ended up making us lose a bit of ground, leading us toward the skeleton we had decided to avoid.


    Suddenly, this became a very bad situation as the skeleton mage finally noticed our presence and sent a wind de in our direction that was intercepted by a stone pir Beatrice erected from the ground.


    Thanks to her Gift, even if it''s straight-up invisible and soundless, she''s capable of seeing any magicing a mile away.


    Still, given how dangerous the skeleton was, she now had to focuspletely on her battle against the opponent mage so that he didn''t hit any of us, thus, our backline support fell by a good margin.


    Our chances of getting out of this were slim if this kept up and with no end in sight to the horde of monsters in front of us, something had to be done if we were to survive.


    Thankfully, we avoided using magic through most of the floor precisely for a situation like this one.


    As such, we still had a get-out-of-jail-free card to y.


    Miwen: "ire, if you will."


    ire: "Haah... Got it."


    Even though she was tired from all the fighting, mana-wise I knew she was good to go, and as expected from her,a methrowerrge enough to upy all the space from left to right made its way forward burning everything in its way.


    But while no monster survived that... the wave didn''t stop, and even though we managed to gain some ground, a new wall of zombies blocked our way.


    Miwen: "...Licia, your turn."


    It''s a shame that we would have to waste so much mana, but it was better than incurring more risk.


    Licia used her ice magic to freeze the walls around us and from the frozen walls, ice spikes emerged, decapitating the enemies.


    She knew better than to let this be the end of it though, and at the same time blocked the path the enemies wereing from using a thick ice wall.


    As soon as she did that, Bea took the opportunity to block our backs with a stone wall of her own, this way, she could turn her back from the skeleton and we could use the time Licia gave us to make our escape.


    We ran from that spot and used magic to quickly deal with anything that appeared on our way as we couldn''t risk wasting any time or the monsters on our back might end up catching up to us.


    This ended up being a really bad encounter but the worst was yet toe.


    As soon as we reached the settlement... we found three ck skeletons, one of them had two bone wings on his back.


    Alongside them, another skeleton mage.


    This one didn''t have any clothes so it was probably a monster spawned by the dungeon.


    And if I had to guess, the very same that converted the other skeleton, or else, it would''ve been too much of a coincidence.


    Beatrice: "...! There''s no one in the settlement! Miwen, I think they evacuated!"


    All four monsters in front of us were at the level cap and the ck skeletons looked way stronger than the normal ones, each carrying a sword.


    I can see why the guys from the settlement who usually prey on easy targets would leave but...


    This left us in a pretty bad spot.


    Once again, we were encircled, but this time, we had no choice but to fight through.


    Miwen: "Bea... block as much of the path we came from as possible, you can use all your remaining mana to keep blocking it if you feel the enemies trying to force their way through."


    The enemies in front of us were strong, perhaps the hardest challenge this floor could manifest.


    But if we could face them without having to worry about our backs, even while tired and not full on the mana reserves... we stood a chance.


    Now for how we would do this...


    ire, Licia, and Mia could probably face the skeleton knights but...


    The winged one seemed way too powerful, both he and the mage were [Lords], and I suspected all three, if not all four of them were [Superiors] as well...


    Even if Mia or ire were to face the winged one... I''m afraid they might not fare too well.


    Miwen: "Ellie... the mage is a necromancer. He''s also capable of [Bone Magic]... can you intercept him for a while?"


    Ellie: "I think so..."


    Miwen: "I''ll help you out if need be, but... Mia, we''ll target the winged one together. ire, Licia, the other two are on you. As for you Anna, I''ll have you a little back ready to help anyone who needs support, and I''ll also need you to..."


    If even one of us got hurt, it might''ve spelled disaster for the entire party.


    This was a bet I wouldn''t have liked to take, but there was no other choice.


    I had never seen Ellie shoot so fast before, and even though the mage created bone walls to protect himself, she would shoot and imbue them with her wind magic to add more pration power, making it so that the mage kept upied repairing his wall.


    Licia and ire engaged their respective opponents, but as they were a bit low on mana, I couldn''t help but get worried.


    Though it should be alright since Anna was there to help them.


    The real problem though was the winged one Mia and I faced.


    While Mia was strong, her close range wasn''t ideal for fighting against this monster as a single hit thatnded might''ve caused her to get cursed., so I focused on creating an opportunity for her to damage him.


    This meant using my des to block his sword, but...


    Yeah, while I have more range than her, I still had to approach too much, making it a really detestable position.


    I also wasn''t in the best physical condition, so each of his attacks felt too heavy for me topletely block.


    I needed to keep him busy though, so I rushed against the monster that, in response tried an overhead sh with his sword.


    It took me all the strength I had to defend myself with both des and even then, I was almost at the point of kneeling with how much power he was putting in that strike.


    Mia would most definitely take this opportunity, but I tried to think about what I could do to further help her.


    Most of what I could do relied on using a skill or magic, and wasting mana wasn''t ideal in this situation.


    While Mia''s training is great, if I had more ability with the des, I might''ve been able to further help her... I really need to learn more about sword fighting with ire and Licia.


    While I was giving my all, Mia used the opportunity to strike the skeleton with all she had.


    Normally, two or three punches would''ve been enough for her to defeat any monster on this floor, but her first attack didn''t even manage to make the monster let go of his sword.


    He was still pushed away though and I could stand up properly again without the weight of his sword threatening to cut me in half.


    Even in a situation like this she still took the time to bump me.


    Miwen: "Ow. I''m not confident in fighting you two at the same time."


    Mia: "..."


    She gave me a serious stare, which made it clear she wasn''t up for jokes.


    I''m guessing if not for teasing, then maybe her bumps might be a show of her anxiety? Either way, if she''s this serious about it, I think I''ll have to go with n B.


    Mia: "I can see you''re saving up your mana but... if you want to defeat him, you''re gonna need to use your skills."


    Miwen: "I think so too but... I need to see how things progress first."


    Mia: "We don''t really have the luxury of time though."


    As soon as she said that I looked back and saw Beatrice panting heavily... it seemed like she was close to her limit.


    Miwen: "We''ll go for one attack with all we''ve got. If it doesn''t work, we''ll let Anna handle it."


    Mia: "Fine by me."


    We didn''t really have time to strategize and the ck skeleton came to attack us.


    In the middle of the air while shing at us, suddenly, his single sword multiplied along his image, and it was as if three monsters were attacking us simultaneously.


    He didn''t have a skill for creating a clone or using illusions, so I could only guess this was his Gift.


    Mia jumped to the left while I went for the right, the three swords touched the ground and left three marks where theynded, and then his image went back to normal and a single skeleton knight stood in front of us.


    The fact that all the swords had an impact when they touched the grand meant that they were real attacks and not illusions, so maybe the effect of his Gift was making shes that hit three times.


    It was good that Mia and I went in different directions though, as this allowed us to surround him, and using her ice magic, Mia caught his attention byunching a bunch of ice nails in his direction while also rushing at him.


    He used his Gift to defend against the projectilesing his way, but he didn''t manage to stop the girl who gave him a roundhouse kick.


    Since the three images weren''t an illusion, as soon as she hit him, the monster was pushed away, and I took the opportunity to sh at him as much as I could.


    It was clear that my attackscked the same power, but it was enough to hurt him, and he turn his attention to me.


    He readied his sword, but before he could do anything, Mia attacked him with a flying kick to the back.


    It seemed like he wouldn''t be able to put much of a fight if we kept going like this, but he still had a trick up his sleeve.


    Maintaining his sword in hand, he did a sword dash toward... nowhere.


    But his image once again split into three, and each of them went in a different direction.


    Neither I nor Mia could avoid that given how fast and unexpected it was, so we had no choice but to use magic to block it.


    The monster seemed tired after this attack, and using [Focused Strike] alongside [X sh] I finally managed to get his head off.


    Surprisingly it was still not enough as the monster tried to do a counter attack but...


    Mia managed to finish it off by destroying his remaining body by pummeling it to the ground.


    While we had won our battle though, Ellie was starting to run out of mana and it would be a matter of time before her opponent who was a dedicated mage could overpower her.


    Not to mention...


    Beatrice: "Miwen... I''m almost out!"


    Licia and ire had also yet to defeat their opponents...


    If more monsters came, in the current state our party was, we''d be done for.


    Miwen: "Retreat Bea! Anna, wait for my signal."


    Beatrice left her position and came to join us, Licia and ire did their best to push their enemies away and finally, Anna used a sword strike to shake hem off their feet while also destroying the barrier their mage had created.


    While I''d love to have had Anna help us fight our opponents, it was absolutely crucial for us to hide our trump card, as without it, we would really be able to make our escape once we were so low on mana.


    using the opportunity she created, Licia, Mia and I used whatever mana we still had to freeze the enemies and make our escape through the exit gate.


    It was doubtful if we had managed to defeat any of them with thisst attack but once we got out from the dungeon it wasn''t our problem anymore.

 Chapter 74: After Escaping

    Even though we made $192 without a mana orb drop and had two level-ups, the highlight today was safely escaping from the dungeon.


    To say the situation was dire would be an understatement, Beatrice''s wall was about to give as she couldn''t reinforce it due to her mana running low.


    Once the wall fell, we''d have to face the swarm and the ck skeletons at the same time while we were basically spent.


    I think it was the right decision to run away, but with that being said...


    Miwen: "What do you guys think?"


    Merchant: "...Why am I here again?"


    Miwen: "Because you had nothing else to do and pestered us to participate?"


    He also decided to fill in for Mia and insisted that she should go explore the kingdom''s forest while he substitutes her in the discussion.


    I was expecting him to at least have something to add, but after I recalled the events, he seemedpletely uninterested in it all.


    Well, it doesn''t matter though...


    Merchant: "I don''t get why you''re so worried... Didn''t everything go well in the end?"


    Miwen: "Kind of... My decisions led to a bad spot, so I wanna hear everyone out."


    Considering that this directly impacts their own safety, it''s only fair to listen to what they have to say.


    I also feel like it''s important for me to improve, since right now I''m stuck about what I should do differently.


    ire: "Hm...I think you should''ve had Anna and Ellie take on the winged one together while you and Mia focused on the mage."


    An all-out offensive then...


    It''s not the worst idea, but it would make our escape way harder if we didn''t manage to defeat the winged skeleton and the mage in time.


    What''s more, if Anna was upied or couldn''t act, Beatrice would end up surrounded by the swarm and the enemies Licia and ire were facing.


    Miwen: "I doubt we would be able to defeat them like this. at most, we would be defeating the mage instead..."


    Ellie: "Then how about... you and I faced the mage, while Mia and Anna took on the winged one?"


    It''s still aplete offensive, but the change in formation does seem a little more favorable.


    Anna and Mia probably make a good pair since they make up for each other''s weaknesses, while Ellie and I have apatible fighting style and way of thinking... If we fought together we would probably be in sync.


    Miwen: "That''s a good alternative but it might not have been enough to defeat the other two ck skeletons..."


    Licia: "Speaking of which, we''ll probably have to face them again next time, what do you wanna do?"


    Miwen: "Even though we got some level-ups, I''d want to also get some skill levels too but..."


    I''d like to have a bit more of a breathing room if we''re gonna fight them again.


    Sadly I can''t decide what Banners I''ll be rolling thanks to the promise with the Merchant.


    But it''s worth trying to convince him...


    Merchant: "...I was going to save something intangible forter but... you can do it now if you need to. It''s also a good chance to take a look at the [Sharing] ability you have."


    Thankfully he has a heart. Or maybe he''s just interested in protecting his investment. Either way, convincing him wasn''t that hard, once I mentioned I might be in danger he immediately gave up.


    It bothers me a bit how he finds an advantage in everything that happens though.


    Since there was no need to waste time, I gave Beatrice new books and used the remaining tickets on skills, which provided the following new skills:


    [Mana Transfer x2


    The user is capable of injecting mana into another being by maintaining contact with them. The rate is decided by the user''s mana pool and can be controlled to an extent. Higher levels allow for more control over the transfer rate. An active skill.]


    [Heat resistance


    Reduces the effect that heat has on the user, be it from natural or magical sources. A passive skill that can be deactivated.]


    [Wind Cover


    Increases your capacity to read and feel the wind direction, allowing for better stealth. A passive skill that can be deactivated.]


    [Better Mana Regeneration


    The rate at which the user''s mana regenerates is amplified, once the user''s mana pool is full mana regeneration will stop. This is a passive skill that cannot be deactivated by the user.]


    As for the skills I already had:


    [Sight Enhancement] x2, [Enhanced Drop Chance], [Reading speed up], [X sh], [Appraisal].


    Of course, [Faster Tree Climbing] got 2 level-ups, alongside[Increased Climbing Proficiency] which also had its level increased, although only by 1.


    It''s bing harder to tell which results are good... for the current objective, I''d say this helps, but it''s far from being perfect.


    [Better Mana Regeneration] is useful for almost everyone in the party to be honest, but I shared it with Beatrice and ire for the time being since they are probably the ones who would probably benefit the most from it in my eyes.


    [Sight Enhancement] got a few levels and it was obvious who I should share it with, but I also gave [Wind Cover] to Ellie.


    As for Anna, I gave her [Mana Transfer] since she doesn''t use her mana that much. Having her act as a second reserve for those who use it more often might be a big boost, albeit in somewhat of an indirect way.


    I still had a bunch of [Kingdom Points] from those I imed today left but I decided to spend them on giving Anna [Mana Shield], [X sh], [Mental Resistance], [Unending Determination], [Swordsmanship], and [Last Man Standing].


    I think that as a tank, she''ll need a lot to fulfill her job next time, given the circumstances the fourth floor is currently in.


    A few people spoke about the swarm close to the gate to the floor, and alongside the ck skeletons, almost everyone has decided to give up on the floor for now.


    It''s not a luxury we have if we want to proceed to the next floor, so, even though I''d normally avoid it too, we''ll have to face them head-on next time.


    Merchant: "... So it happens even when it''s not something tangible... Interesting, I got to see a lot today."


    Miwen: "I''m d you''re happy about it. But did you manage to figure something out?"


    Merchant: "Nay."


    Not surprising at all, he''s still as reliable as a window that doesn''t close.


    We still had to discuss what we would do tomorrow though, but for that, I had to wait until Mia came back from the assignment the Merchant gave her, so everyone just rxed and talked while waiting for her.

 Chapter 75: Where Life Begins

    Yesterday we had to proceed with our discussion since Mia did not return, even for dinner.


    Though I knew she was at the very least still alive thanks to not receiving any notifications, I got pretty worried about her since it was so unusual. Eventually, I decided to go to the forest to look for her, but the Merchant got in my way saying that I shouldn''t interrupt her while she was having fun ying in the forest and asked for me to wait.


    Frankly, this seemed sketchy as hell.


    Even though the Merchant spoke in a serious tone, I''m aware that I should always second guess his intentions no matter what he says or how he acts.


    Normally that would be the end of it and I''d just give up trying to understand him, but since Mia''s actions this time also weren''t aligned with what I expected of her, I couldn''t help but end up confused with this whole ordeal.


    I don''t think there''s anything in the kingdom aside from the Merchant that is capable of putting up a fight against Mia, and since I had my eyes on him pretty much the entire day, I knew he hadn''t done anything.


    Still, he was the one who made her go to the forest and is now preventing me from looking after her with the worst excuse I''ve ever heard, so I knew there was definitely something going on.


    But with no way around the Merchant, I decided to at least trust Mia since no matter what she gets herself into, I know she''ll be smart and capable enough to find her way out.


    As such, the day went by as normal, and after I even had my own fun "ying" with Licia and ire during the night.


    I didn''t get much rest though, as some timeter, a bunch of notifications came rushing in my mind.


    All of them were requests to leave the kingdom made by Mia, but she''d always cancel them just to send another one, basically spamming to death.


    Since she was always canceling them, I figured she didn''t actually want to leave the kingdom, and instead wanted to get my attention.


    I shrugged off the tiredness from waking up so suddenly and not really resting that much to join her back in the kingdom.


    The first ce I went to check for her was her house, one of the three that currently exists in the kingdom.


    I wasn''t actually expecting to find her there and was readying myself to go to the forest, but it was a nice surprise.


    She had a pretty annoyed look on her face up until she noticed me.


    I approached her and sat down in a chair across from her at a table, ready to listen to what she had to say.


    Of course, now that I knew she was alright, I couldn''t help but take this rare opportunity since the two of us were alone.


    Miwen: "I gotta say, I wasn''t expecting you to be so roundabout... even Ellie managed to be more straightforward you know?"


    Mia: "...What? What are you talking about?"


    Miwen: "You know, crafting this whole scenario just for us to be alone and consummate our love without anyone knowing, I wasn''t-"


    I couldn''t even finish half the joke before she crawled on the table toward me, letting out a menacing aura paired with a sadistic smile.


    Mia: "Do go on."


    Miwen: "Well, every time I''m alone with a girl this ends up happening, so one could hardly me me foring to expect it, right?


    There stood a man who didn''t know the meaning of fear even when faced with imminent death.


    And while I think It would be justified to expect a repeat of Anna''s or Ellie''s situation, from a nce it was obvious that Mia had other intentions.


    Mia: "I don''t care about your escapades, lover boy. What I got for you today is different."


    Miwen: "Oh yeah? What is it?"


    Mia: "Something impossible."


    She crawled back, went upstairs, and brought back a small, bloodied animal.


    Miwen: "Huh... maybe it''s a difference in cultures, but we call these rabbits..."


    Mia: "Very funny. But if you can muster any seriousness in your bones, answer me... Where do you think I got this?"


    She could''ve been a bit nicer to me considering I didn''t get a wink of sleep...


    But yeah, even while tired, the answer to her question was so obvious that I didn''t doubt it for a second, if not for the fact that, as she said, it shouldn''t be something possible.


    The rabbit''s corpse was still pretty fresh, anyone would be able to tell it was recently hunted.


    Now... I know that Mia didn''t bring that back from the dungeon and I also know that she didn''t leave the kingdom.


    So, at the very least she found that in here, and ounting for the Merchant and his stupid way of doing things...


    Miwen: "It was the forest... but... how?"


    Every time I feel like I understand the rules, somethinges topletely destroy any foundation I''ve managed to build.


    Mia: "Some spawned naturally, like in a dungeon, but I also found a hole where they were procreating."


    Some of them spawned? Like monsters do?


    Miwen: "So you''re telling me they suddenly appeared like monsters...? That''s..."


    Mia: "It''s what they are after all. I spent quite some time watching them, and this one put up a fight so I ended up breaking his horn off but... here, you know these ones right?"


    That''s a horned rabbit. They inhabit the easiest dungeons and are usually level 1~2.


    It doesn''t matter though... it''s still a monster.


    A presence that by all means shouldn''t exist in the kingdom.


    Merchant: "Judging by your reaction, I guess you weren''t lying to me after all."


    I''m sure it was just Mia and me when I entered, but I didn''t even need to look back to know who this voice belonged to.


    Miwen: "What do you mean?"


    Merchant: "You told me this ce was empty aside from the [Citizens], but... when I first got here, the ones to greet me were these little guys. I couldn''t figure out why you''d lie about something like this but.... I guess you actually didn''t... which means the rules that govern this ce have changed, or perhaps, it was always meant to be this way?"


    By now his guess is as good as mine.


    I mean, it was a fact that creatures didn''t spawn in the kingdom, neither monsters nor normal beasts, of that much I''m sure of.


    If anything has changed... I did buy 2 new plots ofnd, the ones containing the forest in which these monsters appeared.


    There''s also the rolls on the [Beasts Banner] but a horned rabbit would stick out like a sore thumb amid the creatures that were summoned back then.


    There''s also the fact that Mia saw some spawning...


    Miwen: "What were their levels?"


    Mia: "Pretty low, almost all of them were level one or two. This one was level 3, but I guess it must''ve killed others to grow."


    That''s good... if it''s just this they don''t represent any threat for now...


    The problem is...


    Miwen: "I think it''s the result of expanding the kingdom''snds... creatures still aren''t spawning in the first patch ofnd so... I guess from now on, every newnd will bring monsters alongside it... By the way, did you see a level two spawn?"


    Mia: "Yes...?"


    Great... I should''ve known that expanding the kingdom woulde with its own challenges...


    Two patches ofnd allow monsters of up to level two to be spawned... it''s not enough information to know the rate but suffice to say, I''ll be holding back on increasing the kingdom''s territory for now.


    If new creatures spawn, with the amount of people we have, we could easily be overwhelmed by numbers if monsters decided to attack all at once. Especially different monsters with higher levels.


    Merchant: "More importantly... what will you do?"


    Miwen: "There''s not much I can do... for now, I''ll have you keep their poption low if that''s alright Mia."


    Mia: "Sure... "


    Merchant "That''s nice and all, but I''m talking about your other friends. I had this done in secrecy, but do you want to keep it like this?"


    Oh, so that''s why.


    That''s pretty thoughtful of them... it''s to be expected from my fianc¨¦e, but for even the Merchant to act like this...


    While it''s good that they took such considerations, it''s a shame that I''ll have to walk over it.


    Miwen: "There''s no point in doing that. It would only put them at risk. Also, it''s just a matter of time before one manages to get out of the forest... Having everyone aware is beneficial... they can also help Mia in dealing with them."


    While I know it''ll be a shock, I protect them way more by being honest. It''s not like they are weak in either body or mind too, I''m sure they can handle it just fine.


    It''s sad to say goodbye to the peaceful kingdom that had no threats whatsoever, but as long as nothing major happens, a bunch of rabbits will be no problem to deal with.

 Chapter 76: Cleaning Up

    As promised, when morning came I talked with everyone about the recent developments regarding monsters spawning inside the kingdom.


    While every girl had their own reaction to the news, the discussion quickly shifted to focus on what we would do going forward.


    Even if the rabbits are low-tier monsters, it''s important to prevent them from overpoption or getting too strong.


    To handle that, we''d need at least someone familiar with hunting.


    Luckily, there were quite a few options to choose from.


    Mia was a given since she used to do it from a young age. Ellie also lived in a forest for a good portion of her life and so huntinges as second nature to her.


    Anna and ire both have a military background, while ire participated in expeditions, Anna defended a city close to some woods, and as a result, they should do fine.


    Out of the bunch, Licia and Beatrice are the least fit for the job it seems. Licia knows how to fight, but her tracking skills aren''t really on point. Beatrice is not really agile and she relies on magic too much, which usually causes amotion, making it hard for her to hunt a bunch at a time...


    When the topic of using magic to hunt was brought up. I remembered to ban ire froming close to the forest, so in the end, she''s also not an option.


    For now, we''ve decided on a rotation between Anna, Ellie, and Mia, they aren''t allowed to go deep alone, and following Licia''s request, they may also take someone else with them who''s not on rotation. Namely, Beatrice and Licia herself since ire is prohibited from approaching the forest.


    I do admire Licia''s desire to help out even when ites to things she''s not that capable though, as she immediately struck a deal with Ellie it seems.


    Mia also made a deal with ire so that she could bully/train me in her ce whenever she was on a hunt.


    With this, the matter should be settled as long as I don''t expand the kingdom, but it''s pretty much impossible to guarantee that, so I tried to look for a way to deal with this situation.


    No matter how much I searched though, I couldn''t find any option, item, or menu that would let me interact with spawn rates, but it''s possible that a feature for that may unlock in the future, at this point, I''m not taking anything for granted.


    More urgently though, the situation with the fourth floor remained the same as I predicted it would.


    The enemies we failed to kill that day continue to roam very close to the gate and no one seems interested or capable of leading a party to deal with them.


    It''s just a matter of time before enough people reach the fourth floor and find themselves facing an impossible challenge out of the gate... In the worst case, there''ll be some casualties, but eventually, enough people will get mad at the situation to form an extermination team, either that or a hefty reward might pop up for cleaning up the floor.


    We don''t have the luxury of waiting and letting the situation resolve itself though.


    The time the Merchant bought us is pretty limited, and I''d hate to waste it like this.


    Moreover, Licia and ire seemed eager to continue where they left off their battles.


    Thus we entered the dungeon again, prepared to face the enemies awaiting us on the fourth floor.


    Aside from yesterday''s preparations, I also imed today''s [Kingdom Points] to get ire''s fire magic and also share it with Beatrice since she managed to hit level 10 with it, making it absurdly high level whenpared to ours.


    Just that alone ended up costing me around half the points I collected today.


    I used a few more to share [Better Mana Regeneration] with everyone since it''s overall a genuinely good boost all around. I also kept enough points to share [Mana Transfer] in case Beatrice''s mana runs out, this way, I can select anyone who still has a reserve of mana when the situation calls for it.


    When it came to the actual fight, Anna, Beatrice, and Ellie were tasked with holding back the horde as much as they could so that the rest of us didn''t get overwhelmed by multiple opponents while fighting the remaining ck skeletons.


    The entire room was upied by monsters, so to start with, Beatrice and ire took care of cleaning up as much as possible so that we could make our way to the main targets.


    Even though they managed to wipe out most enemies in our sight, the ck skeletons were protected by the ck mage.


    Defeating him was a priority since if he died, they would lose their means of defending against magic attacks.


    Since ire and Licia could hold their ground against the other two, Mia and I went full throttle ahead against him.


    The biggest challenge for us was getting close enough to hit him since we had to avoid every single attack of his.


    A normal monster on this floor is already a headache to deal with, so getting hit by this guy probably spells even more trouble.


    Using magic also proved to be fruitless as he was very capable of holding his ground in this department.


    It was clear that pursuing this route would lead to a battle of attrition, in which case, Mia and I would probably win thanks to having two separate mana pools to draw from, but considering he wasn''t the only one we had to deal with today, this wouldn''t be the best scenario.


    In these conditions, reaching him was an arduous task. From beneath us, bones would sprawl in multiple directions, making it so that we''d need to retreat a few steps.


    He was also using the ceiling in conjunction to rain his magic on us, so we couldn''t stay put and had to keep moving to avoid getting hit.


    Coordinating with Mia was bing harder and harder and it was clear that the monster held the momentum over us, leading us to whichever direction he so chose by using a barrage of attacks.


    It genuinely surprised me how capable of a mage this skeleton was, the only other in our party capable of firing magic attacks at this rate for so long was Beatrice, and even then, they''d be toe-on-toe.


    Thankfully, I saw that ire and Licia were managing their fights, and the other girls seemed to be holding their ground against the onught of monstersing their way, so if we kept this up for a while, he was bound to run out of mana.


    As I evaluated the situation, for a single moment I distracted myself from the opponent in front of me, and if not for Mia who pushed me away, I''d have gotten hit for sure.


    The monster wasn''t enough of a gentleman to give me breathing room when I hit the ground, and seizing the opportunity, he focused his attacks on me, throwing a barrage of ck bones in my direction.


    Thankfully though, Mia grabbed me by the cor and decided to drag me through the bumpiest path possible.


    Mia: "They''ll be fine. Focus."


    Miwen: "Yeah, sorry."


    I wasn''t getting apprehensive or anything, but I still had to make sure of the current situation so that I could order a change of ns if things weren''t looking great.


    Since the opponent had two targets to deal with, I thought I''d be able to get away with a quick overview, but seems like I underestimated him quite a bit.


    I should''ve known better though, this guy managed to keep up with Ellie, who only needs a split-second window to take someone out for good.


    Miwen: "...While I love the ride you''re giving me, isn''t it time for you to let me down?"


    Mia: "Fair enough."


    Though her words indicated she would let me go, she started to run faster and used the momentum to throw me over the monster while she closed the distance with him.


    For a second I thought she had a vendetta against me, but when Inded, I found myself behind the skeleton''s back who had no choice but to focus his attacks on the girl dashing towards him.


    In a single move, she managed to turn around the situation and surround the monster.


    While I was going toin about her methodster, I couldn''t say anything about the results.


    With an opponent in front of him and one closing in on his back, the monster manifested a wall of bones to protect his back, and ck bones were being shot from it.


    It was just a tactic to buy time though, as the bones barely even came close to hitting me.


    And what''s more... I had yet to use any magic in this battle.


    Sensing that this was a pretty valid opportunity, I broke through his defenses using abination of wind and fire magic to throw explosive des into his wall.


    The sound alone was enough to make him turn my way, but that didn''t amount to anything as before he could cast any magic, I already used my skills to guarantee his death in a single sh that cut off his head.


    Mia was alsoing in this direction... and she didn''t slow down. Same as always, she gave me a shoulder bump.


    Miwen: "And what was that for?"


    Mia: "I''m going all out now! You''ll give a hand to the icy girl, right? I''ll steal ire''s kill."


    ...So she''s going all out just for that? Not to help me or increase our chances against the ck skeleton mage, but just to piss off ire?


    if nothing else., I respect her dedication.


    Even though the ck skeletons were the biggest threat, once it was two on one it should be easy to deal with them.


    So whenever I joined up with Licia, I tried to quickly finish off the battle by catching her opponent by surprise.


    It ended up not being effective though, as he managed to block my de with his sword.


    I had to disengage and fall back since getting hit, even if lightly, would instantly make me a liability.


    It should be obvious since he managed to hold off Licia for so long, but this guy is pretty good when ites to handling a sword.


    Licia: "Be careful. I''ve already killed him three times."


    Miwen: "Huh?"


    Licia: "It was the samest time too... I was sure I gave him a finishing blow but... as soon as my de made contact I couldn''t feel any resistance, as if I had hit nothing but air."


    I see... it might be a barrier, either stemming from his Gift or a skill.


    Miwen: "Have you tried magic?"


    Licia: "I coated my de in ice. It was no use."


    Now that''s a problem. If it was a barrier against physical attacks, Licia should''ve been able to defeat him by now, but if it''s also blocking magic attacks, our options be very limited.


    I doubt he has a straight-up invulnerability Gift since something must''ve killed and resurrected him as an undead.


    So either it costs him mana to keep up this barrier, or there''s a way around it.


    Either way, the ck skeleton didn''t give us too much time to think, and locked des with Licia, who managed to push him back.


    Using this opportunity, I managed to disarm him, and Licia went for the killing blow.


    She should''ve been able to crush his bones with ease, but once the de seemed to touch him, it stopped and Licia drew it back.


    The monster tried to reach for his weapon, but I froze it to the ground, and as soon as he grabbed the handle, I spread the ice to his hand, effectively locking him in ce.


    Miwen: "Alright now. Any ideas?"


    Licia: "..I''ll hit his hand... can you reinforce the ice so that it doesn''t break? Also, freeze his feet too."


    Miwen: "Sure."


    I followed her instructions, and her idea ended up working pretty well. With a kick, she sent the skeleton''s hand, encapsted by ice, flying.


    Once it hit a wall, the ice broke and the bones from the hand also broke down.


    Licia: "Left leg."


    Miwen: "On it."


    Hitting the ice covering a body part seemed to circumvent the barrier and make Licia capable of detaching it from the rest of the body.


    Once it was separated from the body, the barrier seemed to lose its effect and the bones would break down.


    Using this strategy, we broke down its entire body until only the skull remained.


    We didn''t even need to destroy it though, as it broke down on its own.


    With this, two of the main targets were down. Mia and ire were still upied with theirs but they would certainly be able to deal with it given enough time.


    For now, the situation that seemed to demand more attention was the zombie swarm.


    Once we reached Beatrice, we saw Anna pushing back dozens of zombies with her help while Ellie was fighting... a ck mage skeleton.


    Miwen: "... What? I''m sure this one wasn''t ck before."


    Beatrice: ". He changed as soon as you guys defeated the other one. He wasn''t much of a threat before, but his attacks became stronger and faster. Ellie took on herself to hold him until you guys dealt with everything on your end."


    ... Very strange... perhaps this is the ck skeletons Gift?


    Whatever it was, this suddenly became a bigger problem as the skeleton mage seemed to notice me, and had a bunch of zombies protect him as he used a chant to make some zombies change.


    Their skin started to be purple, and their size increased, they also started to be bulkier.


    Miwen: "That''s... they are [Lords] now..."


    About five of them manifested these changes, and once the skeleton in question finished his chanting, he used two of these as a wall to escape.


    Licia didn''t allow that and blocked his escape route, Beatrice also erected huge walls around the monsters, creating a new corridor.


    From the ice wall behind him, a huge spike came, trying to skew all the monsters in the corridor at once.


    While Licia''s idea was pretty good, the skeleton mage managed to block it using his bone magic.


    Miwen: "... Beatrice, I''ll have Ellie retreat to help you with support. You two make sure he doesn''t get away. Licia, we''ll join Anna and advance through the zombie wave."


    We used this formation to keep the skeleton mage upied while we slowly grind down his forces.


    On a one-on-one in a small closed space, the monsters didn''t have a chance against Anna''s overwhelming strength. When there wasn''t any room for techniques or fancy swordy, she really shone brightly.


    Even though she kept facing multiple enemies this entire time, there wasn''t a hint of fatigue in her, and she even mowed down some of the [Lord] Zombies.


    Licia and I covered her nks and took down a few monstersing her way too, eventually, the ck skeleton found himself alone as we managed to kill every monster standing in our way.


    Once it was five-on-one he didn''t really stand a chance. We kept cautious to not get hit in thest stretch, but even though he did what he could to attack us, with Beatrice, Ellie, and Licia in his way, there was no way his magic was ever going to hit someone.


    Seeing as Mia and ire had finished their opponents, whatever his ability was, there was no monster left for him to transfer to.


    When we finally crushed his body, as if to guarantee that this time the battle was truly over, his core and a mana orb dropped.


    Miwen: "...Haah, I''m spent..."


    Ellie: "I wanna take a shower..."


    Licia: "That would be nice...."


    Be it mana or energy, this battle was very demanding... I can only imagine what would have happened if we had failed to defeat the winged one back then...


    For now though, since we hit the level cap and got some valuable loot, I think this was aplete sess. It''s time for us to go home and enjoy some well-deserved rest.

 Chapter 77: Spirit Contractor

    Even though we didn''t spend as much time in the dungeon today, we aplished all our current objectives by hitting the level cap and getting rid of the monsters upying the gate area, the only worthwhile target left for this floor was the fight against its boss, but we decided against that.


    While it only took us about an hour and a half to deal with every enemy, the toll it took on everyone was quite high.


    Since there wasn''t any point in going deep on this floor anymore, I decided to check out a few new paths that were somewhat close.


    As expected, by following them we managed to find a settlement.


    It was more popted and better defended than Earth''s but it wasn''t that big either...


    Mia and I took the opportunity to gather info, but it was no luck. No one seemed to know about her tribe or any country from her world for that matter.


    Just to be sure, we decided to enter through their gate.


    This led us to a small city, and except for the different races going about their day, it was pretty much what you''d expect from a medieval European town, both the house structures and people''s clothes were very reminiscent of it.


    In a way though, this ce made me feel like I was the one "uncivilized".


    The current policy agreed upon by every country has been to demand an ID from anyone leaving the dungeon, and in case they don''t have one or refuse to present one, they are made to go back inside the dungeon.


    Everyone understands that they are doing this to buy time and prevent incidents until a system to register and hold ountable peopleing from other worlds is in ce, but this hit me especially hard since I have to make the girls go back to the kingdom whenever I leave the dungeon.


    At least for entering they still only ask for one of the party members to show their ID and adventurer register...


    Earth''s current outlook ispletely reversed from this world''s settlement and city.


    No one seemed to care when we used their gate, and If not for a guard telling us to not cause trouble, the people in this city would barely have shown any reaction.


    I doubt Earth will ever be so nonchnt like this...


    Either way, aside from an interesting experience, there wasn''t much for us here once Mia confirmed that she didn''t know about the country this city belonged to.


    It''s not conclusive evidence in any way, but it''s not like we can search through an entire world just to confirm it either.


    For now, this is the best we can do, but I believe it''s just a matter of time before we find her world since some databases are already popping up on the inte.


    Since we know that Hamperlon has more than one dungeon in its territory, one of these dungeons will likely connect to one of ours on some floor.


    With that being said, there wasn''t any reason to stay in this ce, so after resting in the public square, we made our way back home.


    We managed to trade all the loot for an impressive $730, over half of this amount was thanks to the mana orb dropped by the ck skeleton mage.


    Had we waited for a request to be made for the extermination of the monsters on the fourth floor, I''m sure we''d make even more than that, but there''s no way I''mining about the amount we just got.


    Of course, we''re only able to make this much thanks to the effects of the [Enhanced Drop Chance].skill, so I''ll be sure to share it with everyone now that I got a new level up in it.


    While it''s hard to determine how effective each level is since drops are still up to chance, I can''t help but be d that I can level it up through the Gacha since otherwise there wouldn''t be any good method for training it and spending level-up points to do so, while being a good investment, would ultimately weaken me on the long run.


    I can''t believe I''m saying this, but thank you Gacha Gods.


    Speaking of which, whenever I got home, I went to meet the Merchant so that he could choose a banner to roll on.


    Merchant: "Yo! You''re back already? That was fast... did they kick your butt?"


    Miwen: "You wish. What about you? Are you having fun chasing bunnies?"


    Merchant: "Haah... That''s the only downside to this ce, there''s not much to do here."


    He''s right about that, while the view is pretty, it gets boring quite rapidly thanks to theck of activities.


    At the very least there''s hunting now to supplement that but...


    Miwen: "I can grab a chessboard real quick if you wanna y."


    I hadn''t thought about this since chess is quite well-known, but the Merchant had never yed or seen someone y, so I had to teach him the basics like how each piece moves and their initial position on the board.


    On our first match, he annoyingly copied every move I made, which allowed me to win quite easily once he couldn''t do that anymore thanks to how the pieces were positioned on the board.


    For our second match, I had him go first, and he started by moving the pawn protecting the left rook two squares.


    For whatever reason, allowing the rook space to move during the early game is a strategy a lot of beginners go for in their first games, so I thought he was going to do that, but to my surprise, he then moved another pawn... he refused to move other pieces aside from the pawns up until the formation he had created crumbled.


    Merchant: "I thought you said you weren''t smart..."


    Miwen: "I''m not though, you''re only having trouble because you''re a beginner. I always lost a bunch of matches when I yed against more experienced yers."


    On our third match, the Merchant became quite adept at the game, enough to give me some trouble and make me think carefully about every move.


    ording to what he said, the game was simr to some others he had yed before, so he only had to adapt what he already knew, which he did by seeing how I used the pieces while figuring out strong positions for the pawns.


    I''ve never taught anyone how to y before, and I learned by ying against my sister when we were young, so I don''t know if this is standard or not. At the very least, his progress is noteworthy.


    Merchant: "...Well, it''s to be expected to lose against people more experienced, is it not?"


    Seems like someone is preparing an excuse for his eventual loss.


    And while what he''s saying is a fact most of the time, the truth is that there are a few people, those truly exceptional, who are capable of challenging that notion, for example...


    Miwen: "Not always. My sister would rarely lose no matter who she was ying against."


    Merchant: "Oh, did you y with her?"


    Miwen: "Yeah, she was the one who taught me how to y... But I never got more than a 40% win rate against her, even when I started practicing."


    To be fair, she also started practicing more as soon as she noticed I was starting to win more often.


    But even then, to say my sister is incredible would be an understatement. She''d always pick up something different and learn it at an unprecedented rate.


    Both pretty, smart, and athletic, she seemed so perfect and out of reach that I sometimes had my doubts if she was truly human.


    Considering it was always just the two of us, I often found myself on the receiving end whenever she needed a practice partner, which only hammered home the fact that she was way better than me.


    Thanks to that I also learned about a bunch of things, if only to try and get back at her.


    And while I admit that her genius made me jealous now and then, I never had any resentment toward her. If anything, I really admired her.


    From a young age, we understood our situation and did our best to be as independent as possible so as to not worry or cause problems for our parents.


    Merchant: "I think that just the fact you''reparing yourself against someone you hail as a genius already makes you prettypetent yourself though..."


    Miwen: "My grades would disagree with you on that one..."


    Merchant: "...But you were always moving no? Didn''t that also impact your studies? If you managed to pass while having less time to learn, doesn''t it mean that if you had more time, you could''ve done way better?"


    Miwen: "Eh... maybe."


    Probably not though.


    I don''t know if his strategy is to distract me by making me think about something else, but I better teach someone else how to y or else he''ll start giving me therapy sessions every day.


    Wait, he''s not gonna tell me to pay for that right?


    Miwen: "More importantly though, what about you? Are you fine spending days in here? Didn''t you have a score to settle with the king of the gods or whatever?"


    Merchant: "Asdrea... Well, the current n is to absorb as much divinity and demonic power as I can, then go back to a time when he was weaker, and hopefully, I can beat him. It''s been a few Cycles since I put this n in motion, but in a few more, it might be doable. However, I found a breakthrough in this Cycle, so it seems I have a bit of time to spare."


    Sometimes I forget that his Gift is not simply teleportation...


    But even with a time travel ability, the current Merchant would still lose to the guy... I can''t even imagine how powerful he must be.


    Miwen: "I never agreed to fight the Gods, much less their king though."


    Merchant: "True... You have your own journey, and I believe one day you''ll reach the truth of this world by yourself. I''m quite confident you''ll join my side then.You can count on me though. For a price."


    I wonder about that...


    While my Gift certainly puts me in a pretty good position, and I might even rise to be one of Earth''s strongest, that wouldn''t really amount much against the Merchant, much less this other guy.


    So even if I were to dere war against any of them, it would be like an ant rising up against a lion.


    Still, I can''t help but be curious about some of the things he said.


    Miwen: "What are these Cycles you keep talking about? Last time you told me that you and... Asdrea? Were both born on the first Cycle too..."


    Merchant: "That''s information only avable for those on my side."


    And there he goes, being as petty as possible while provoking me.


    This so-called truth of the world will need to be pretty bad for me to willingly join this idiot.


    Merchant: "...Knowing about that now would only make you give up..."


    He whispered something, but I couldn''t really catch it.


    Miwen: "What was that?"


    Merchant: "Nothing! More importantly, shouldn''t we get started with testing out your Gift?"


    Miwen: "Sure, do you have any banner in mind?"


    He very abruptly changed the topic, but I''m not confident I can force him to talk about something he doesn''t want to.


    And even though I only got a few crumbs here and there, some theories are floating around my head already...


    Merchant: "Yeah, I thought about all that we''ve discussed and what I''ve seen. Since you can summon physical objects and concepts, how about something in the middle?"


    Miwen: "That being...?"


    Merchant: "The [Spirits Banner]. I want to see how close to The Origin you can get."


    The Origin...?


    He''s messing with me, right? He''s just making up stuff now.


    But the [Spirits Banner] huh.... I''m not very thrilled about that. When we talk about spirits, there are a bunch of interpretations.


    For some, the spirits are like phantoms, souls that remain after death.


    In fantasy, they may be like fairies, clinging to nature or a person, being somewhat alive, but with an undecipherable will, sometimes acting like a pet or as a wise being.


    There are some people with Gifts that allow them to make contact and even contract spirits, but they often give different exnations about their spirits, and since only people who have a contract with other spirits can even see them to begin with, for outsiders the whole thing seems a bit sketchy.


    Most of them prove their spirit''s existence by making them do a few tasks, and some high-ranking adventurers fight with a contracted spirit by their side, so although the whole thing is somewhat mysterious, most people don''t really doubt it or anything.


    Miwen: "So... are they like fairies, or are they more like ghosts?"


    Merchant: "More like... What? Pfft. Hahaha."


    This guy sure knows how to get on my nerves.


    Miwen: "I don''t know okay? I can''t even see them to begin with."


    Merchant: "Hm... don''t worry, I''ll lend you one so that you can see them for yourself."


    Eh? Is that something a Spirit Contractor can do?


    And what the fuck, since when does he have a spirit?


    Before I could answer him, a message popped up for me.


    [The ''Travelling Merchant'' has offered you a temporary contract with a spirit: Kian. The contract might be terminated at any time, and the spirit will not offer you his loyalty. Do you wish to ept it?]


    I really wanted to see a spirit with my own eyes, so I ended up epting it right away.


    In front of me, a small lion cub with an iron helmet appeared, the tip of his tail was on fire, but he still looked like the cutest thing in the world.


    I tried to pet him, but as soon as I approached, he ran back to the Merchant.


    And when I looked at him... I saw an army behind him.


    There were a bunch of small and big animals of all types following him, there were even some humanoid ones that looked like fairies.


    It was a spectacle to behold.


    Merchant: "Don''t look so surprised, these are just the ones that can manifest in a ce with such low mana density."


    Yeah, show-off.


    Howe the spirits who look so cute and innocent like this idiot so much? It''s not fair, I want one too.


    Miwen: "I''ll summon some now..."


    Merchant: "Yeah, go ahead."


    Aside from the tickets reserved for Beatrice, I put everything on the [Spirits Banner], which brought a disy simr to when I summoned a bunch of creatures that other time.


    Still, these were way better behaved and didn''t start fighting against one another at all.


    The only problem was that they were disappearing right in front of me, which was kind of sad...


    The Merchant told me that they consume the mana that resides in a ce, further enhancing that ce''s qualities.


    The problem is that, when exposed to malicious thoughts or ambients, they end up changing and bing a distorted version of themselves.


    Seems like this ce doesn''t have a high mana concentration, which made them go back to their ne of existence.


    In the end, only four small spirits remained, of which, aside from a very small beige bird, everyone entered a contract with the Merchant.


    Merchant: "Don''t look at me like that... I can''t help it alright? I''m pretty close to The Origin myself, it cannot be helped that they flock to me."


    Miwen: "Sure."


    Merchant: "...This one seems to like you, do you want Kian to facilitate a contract between you two?"


    Miwen: "You can do that?"


    I''ve never seen anyone capable of doing something like this back on Earth...


    It wasmon sense that you can only contract a spirit if you have a Gift for it, or if a Spirit Contractor puts you into a temporary contract.


    Kian, the merchant''s contracted spirit, ran cycles around the bird, who became very sacred.


    Instead of flying away though, it kepting toward me.


    Merchant: "Extend your hand and think of a name for him."


    A name... he''s kind of bubbly and awkward, so a name that seems somewhat badass would be extra funny...


    Miwen: "I think I''ll call him Munin."


    Merchant: "...He hated it. Try another."


    Eh? But it''s one of Odin''s crows and... fine... I guess he doesn''t look like a Zeus either... so maybe...


    Miwen: "Apollo?"


    It''s still a cool name, but somehow it seems to fit him better.


    The little guy flies toward me andnds on my shoulder. And momentster confirmation that he liked it came to me in the form of a message.


    [A spirit has taken a liking to you and wishes to form a contract. He offers you loyalty and his power. Do you ept it?]


    Beyond a shadow of a doubt.


    [A contract has been formed with the spirit: Apollo.]


    Merchant: "He''ll absorb some of your mana from time to time, it won''t be any significant amount, but be sure to leave at least a little bit for him, alright?"


    Miwen: "Yeah, any other tips?"


    Merchant: "He''s weak so... don''t count on him for anything. He''ll limate to your power though, so he might be pretty useful given enough time."


    Alright. I don''t like him talking bad about my bird, but there''s no denying that even a breeze seems like it could hurt this guy.


    Which makes the Apollo name extra great in my book.


    I was expecting the Merchant to show some reaction to a God''s name, but he never did. I wonder if this means that Gods from Greek mythology never existed, or if he''s killed so many by this point that he doesn''t even remember their names...


    Merchant: "About your Gift though Miwen, I think I figured something out."


    Miwen: "Seriously? Go on then, I''m all ears."


    Merchant: "Some beings have what''s called an ''Essence''. You don''t have that. It''s not something to worry about though, mortals rarely do. The problem is that whenever you summon something, your essence spreads everywhere, and it might even be able to reach as far as The Origin since it managed to get these guys out."


    There he goes again...


    While I didn''t understand itpletely, I couldn''t let what he said pass.


    Miwen: "But you said I didn''t have an essence, to begin with, how is it spreading?"


    Merchant: "Precisely. It is dividing itself, even though there''s nothing to divide, to begin with. Every time I looked, it disappeared as if it wasn''t there, to begin with, but I know for sure it was present everywhere. This might be something else that even I don''t know about but... I''m pretty sure this is how you''re reaching the things you summon.


    I still don''t have a clue about what exactly happens when your nonexistent essence reaches something though."


    Seems like he discovered a lot with thisst experiment... Sorry for doubting your funny words funny man.


    Even still, it doesn''t exin much. If anything, it seems to only raise more questions.


    I hope a timees when I can actually understand what my Gift does.


    I''m thankful that the Merchant is here to help out though, since he knows a lot and can detect things that I never could.


    I left the Merchant with my head upied by a lot of questions, but my shoulders were upied by a cute little bird so it was an absolute win.

 Chapter 78: Weak and Unlucky

    I had the Merchant teach me how to make temporary contracts so that I could show Apollo to everyone. It''s also useful that this lets him borrow mana and power from other sources.


    It''s also possible that one of the girls unlocks spirits-rted skills by maintaining a contract with him.


    While the chances for that are pretty low since no one has a Gift for taming or interacting with spirits in the first ce, having an alternative to simply relying on lucky rolls in the gacha is simply better.


    We also found out that Apollo can follow me when I leave and enter the kingdom which seemed to help the Merchant cross out a few theories of his.


    As for me, I was d to have made a contract with a spirit since it allowed me to take a peek into a world I was pretty unfamiliar with as there was no point in even looking into it to begin with.


    Even though he isn''t really useful in a fight, this little guy improves the mood quite a bit as everyone treats him like a pet of sorts. That alone makes him a great addition as far as I''m concerned.


    Anna, ire, and Mia tried a lot to convince me to summon abat-oriented spirit for them, but there were a few problems with that.


    First, there''s the fact that, as the Merchant said, an "inferior creature" can''t contract many spirits at once without reaching a certain level.


    There''s also the mana density in this ce to consider. Only weak spirits can maintain their form long enough to form a contract, so a strong spirit is out of the question right now.


    Seeing as after I summoned 18 of them, only 4 managed tost enough to form a contract, this banner is not really cost-effective for the time being.


    A solution would be summoning them on Earth where the density of mana is bound to be better. But in that case, they might manifest as evil spirits and attack the others. And so, since we don''t have anyone with light magic to purify them, we''d have to put them down.


    As such, I noted to myself that I should try this one out again in the future when we have better conditions.


    Aside from our newest addition, however, there was nothing much to note as the day went as usual until we went to rest.


    The day after, we proceeded to the dungeon to try and fight the boss of the fourth floor.


    We took the quickest route to the boss room on thisst expedition to waste as little of our resources as possible.


    Though to be honest, I find it pretty impressive just how fast we managed to reach this point.


    Not that I''mining though, I''ll take any opportunity I can get to leave this floor as soon as possible.


    The threat that every hit poses here has been unmatched and makes for an extremely stressful experience as every move we make has to be calcted and in battles where we would normally trade blows, we have to bide our time and wait for a perfect opening so that we don''t incur any risks.


    I can''t even imagine how hard this would''ve been if our members weren''t so disciplined.


    Even ire and Mia made me proud by taking a careful approach to every encounter and setting aside their usual antics to focus and prevent any problems from happening.


    With that being said, I believe this battle will be just perfect to scratch their itch to go all out a little bit.


    As soon as we enter through the doors, we are instantly cursed.


    In this room, the more time passes, the weaker you be.


    Every hit you take speeds up this process.


    As for the opponents in the room, there''s only one.


    A single skeleton wearing rusty brown armor, standing two meters tall and carrying a greatsword who''s also subjected to the same effects.


    The catch here is that every time he hits, depending on the damage he deals, his curse gets weaker, and if he kills in this room, his curse is reset, meaning he gets all his status back.


    It''s a battle of endurance where he holds all the cheats.


    The strategy for this one is a bit simple though.


    Due to how the curse works, as long as we keep hitting him, he should go down before we do.


    Upon exiting the room the curse is lifted, so we should be fine to also explore the next floor a little.


    What''s more, sadly for him, we have two ways to pretty much cheese the entire fight.


    For starters, we spread ourselves and surround him from all possible directions. The only pair that sticks together is Anna and Ellie.


    Being a close-range fighter, he can''t attack multiple directions at once and has to choose a target.


    Ideally, he''d go for either myself, ire, Licia, or Mia. There''s no doubt in my mind that one way or another, every single one of us is capable of evading him while creating an opening for someone else to attack him.


    The bad target would be Beatrice, who''s not that good at close fights.


    Ellie is a nonfactor since Anna is guarding her. And as for Anna herself, thanks to her high defense, even if she gets hit, the curse shouldn''t speed up too much.


    Perhaps thinking he''d be able to harass two targets at the same time, the boss decided to go after Anna and Ellie.


    In such a short distance though, he basically sealed his fate.


    A wide swing from his sword came crashing down toward Anna, but she blocked his sword with her own.


    Even though it was a swing from a boss monster, she pretty much had no problem holding on against it, and her resistance didn''t seem like it was going to break anytime soon.


    While her strength was enough to hold him back though, it didn''t seem like she could push him out.


    His heavy armor is usually a problem since it can block a bunch of attacks before being destroyed, buying a lot of time for the monster, in this case though, this didn''t matter.


    Anna had bought enough time for Ellie to charge a prating shot, making use of a lot of her mana to pierce through.


    With her Gift, our little archer is capable of inflicting any status effects she wants onto an enemy, and while it''s not guaranteed, I''ve yet to see it not trigger after a third consecutive shotnds.


    Given how fast she is, after the first hit, she already had readied her bow for the next shot, now not needing to even apply magic since she made a big hole in the armor the skeleton was wearing.


    Looking at his status though, I could see that she already did her job on the first shot.


    The monster had [Weakening Curse] as a debuff slowly sipping away his power as everyone else in the room also did, but just below it he also had [Debuff Resistance Down], making the curse way more effective against him.


    Ellie also managed tond a second shot as Anna kept the monster upied.


    Luckily for us, another debuff triggered, this time, she chose to lower his strength, allowing Anna to actually overpower him, pushing him to the ground.


    While she could''ve gone for a hit, she had already done enough, and the rest of us who had yet to join started attacking from multiple directions.


    The monster knew what his fate would be if he didn''t do something soon, and looked for another target, betting it all in an all-out attack that would kill someone and reset his curse.


    Now that the situation had changed in our favor, he chose the weakest-looking target, a girl who carried no weapons with her.


    As long as he managed to kill an unarmed girl, he''d stand advantageous once again, and from there, he could pick us out one by one.


    Who knows, maybe if he got past that one girl with the stupid high strength he could kill the archer, and then by trading blows with the girl that carried a greatsword, he''d manage to kill her by taking advantage of the conditions the curse had on him.


    It was a viable strategy, I''ll at least admit that.


    But this guy seems to be really unlucky.


    And I''m not saying that only thanks to Ellie''s shots triggering their effects twice in a row.


    His choice of targets, while sensible one way or another, only managed to put him in a worse position.


    Thest thing you wanna do is attack Mia thinking you can get an easy kill on her.


    And this monster found that out in the worst way possible.


    Not only did she manage to avoid all of his attacks, she did so at thest possible moment every time.


    This made it hard for him to disengage and go for another target, every hit seemed like it was just about to hit, but s, it never did.


    Licia: "She''s surprisingly mature... Instead of trying to hit him back, she''spletely focused on dodging."


    Going for a counterattack could potentially put her at risk, it''s simply not worth it when Ellie is already hitting him from a safe distance since the gains would be minimal.


    The curse is making her tire faster and is also making her movements slower, but the same could be said for her opponent on a much greater scale.


    I think she''s got this, but it would be wise to run away and change with someone else for thest stretch...


    ire: "Do you think so? All I''m seeing is her ying with her prey."


    Miwen: "Nah, you don''t think that. Even I know she''s doing a good job. Just admit it."


    ire: "Don''t wanna. And if you like her so much, why don''t you go y with her too?"


    As expected, ire came to the same conclusion I did. When ites to sheer speed I''m only behind Mia, so if the battle is all about dodging, I can probably do it as much as she can.


    Even more so since this morning I got myself some levels of her [Movement Speed Up] in preparation for this battle.


    Convincing her to battle pass would be a bit difficult though, if I believe she''s capable of winning this, the girl herself must be brimming with confidence.


    As such, I tried to forcefully take the skeleton''s attention away from her by hitting him with a few attacks.


    In the beginning, it didn''t seem to have much of an effect aside from making Mia mad at me, but when the monster was close to dying to the curse, he finally decided to switch targets again and focused on killing me.


    He already had a bunch of debuff effects applied to him, some of which decreased his speed too, courtesy of Ellie of course.


    Thanks to that, avoiding his attacks wasn''t as troublesome as it was for Mia in the beginning.


    I wasn''t as confident to try and dodge his attacks at thest second though, so I kept creating distance between us whenever possible.


    It was a bit hard though since I also couldn''t go too far or else he could switch targets again. Staying too close would be problematic too since he could do ast-ditch faint or surprise attack.


    In the end, thanks mostly to Ellie''s and Mia''s efforts, the battle ended without manyplications.


    Seems like today was our lucky day too since the boss dropped an item for us which upon further inspection seemed to be quite useful.


    [Ginnor, Curse Of The Weak


    Filled with the shame of weak men who perished in battle, this bottle contains a soul-binding poison that lowers the enemy''s defense by half.]


    I don''t think I''ve ever seen anyonement about this drop before, but then again, this floor is pretty unpopr, so who knows how many even challenged this boss to begin with?


    The effect was pretty good though the bottle itself was small and I probably wouldn''t get many uses, but still, in a pretty hard battle, we could coat this into a de or arrow and make our lives that much easier.


    As such, we secured the loot and unlike other times, proceeded to the next floor without resting for even a second.


    The curse wouldn''t go away for as long as we stayed in this ce, so even though we''d have to battle our way until we could find somewhere to rest on the next floor, we didn''t really have a choice.

 Chapter 79: Stuck Like Glue

    Having defeated the boss of the fourth floor we finally managed to leave that ce and set foot on the fifth one.


    As soon as we left the boss room, the curse came undone, and we could explore the dungeon again.


    Enthusiasm was running high, especially for ire and Mia, who had my permission to go all out now.


    Since we''ve just arrived at this floor we are very far from its level cap of 25, as such, we''ve decided to make this one a quick expedition and not venture too deep in order to minimize the chances of facing opponents too difficult.


    Speaking of which, this floor brings back the slimes that we used to face on the first floor.


    This time though, not only are they bigger, stronger, and sturdier, but they alsoe with a new twist.


    These slimes now inhabit the bodies of dead adventurers, manipting their corpses and using their slime bodies to glue together their limbs.


    Of course, the inte is filled with images of these monsters, some are used for the purpose of cataloging, and some are posted for the sheer shock value that the gruesome sight causes.


    If not for the dungeon also naturally spawning such creatures, they''d make for a tremendous jumpscare if you suddenly encountered one after a long time.


    They don''t have the same troublesome abilities as the monsters from the fourth floor, but as a tradeoff, killing them is extremely hard.


    You can destroy the head and it will continue to move, take off its arms, their legs, and it will remain alive, though by that point it won''t be much of a menace anymore.


    The best way to deal with them is to destroy the bodypletely, you can achieve that physically, but using magic is way more efficient, even more so, when you take into ount that maintaining physical contact with their bodies for too long will cause the slime to glue you to it.


    As such, even though Mia is at the highest level among us, she''s having a hard time dealing with the monsters.


    It''s already bad for us who have some reach in our weapons, but for someone who fights barehanded like her, it''s awful.


    ire: "...It''s going to be hard for you to continue like this, do you know how to handle a sword?"


    Mia: "I''m not really good with ded weapons, and I''d like something shorter, but sure. I''ll just ask someone to help me trainter."


    Surprisingly, Mia didn''t really show much pride and epted that it would be better to change her fighting style.


    In terms of efficiency, it ends up being around the same as fighting these monsters barehanded since she''s not very used to fighting with a weapon, but attacking them with a de is much safer as if the de happens to get stuck, you can just let go of it.


    Even more so considering that Mia got one of the two small daggers that Ellie carries with her. These are the result of some rolls on the [Mana Banners] whenever I have some mana left, and so, they aren''t really good or special, but they do their job, and losing them is not a big loss at all.


    What followed ended up being a problem though...


    ire: "Yeah... I''ll need to teach youter."


    Mia: "If I''m going to learn, I''d rather it be from the best.. can you help me with that?"


    Saying that Mia directed her gaze toward Licia, who like most of us, was actually paying attention to the monsters inside the dungeon.


    Licia: "Um... If you''re fine with me..."


    Mia: "Of course, no one elsepares to you when ites to sword fighting."


    ire: "I''m right here!"


    Needless provocations aside, ire and Licia are both pretty good at handling swords, but their fighting styles differ a lot.


    Licia''s swordy is way more precise and tricky to deal with, almost all of her strikes have more than one intent behind them, and when paired with her ice magic, she effectively traps her enemies into a decisive series of blows one mistake will cost their lives. It''s not the fastest style for dealing with monsters, but it''s reliable in basically every situation.


    In a way, it shows that she really made a living by hunting monsters in the dungeon. Her style is flexible and adaptive, and she''s confident in creating chances for herself and positioning the enemy where she wants for a final attack. It''s a "one size fits all" type of approach to defeat a variety of different monsters.


    ire, on the other hand, shows how much she''s been taught with the way she quickly goes from stance to stance, maintaining an advantage against her enemies.


    But her fighting style relies more on aggressiveness and power. She almost follows a pattern with a few modifications here and there, and whenever she gets blocked, she powers through using her magic.


    It''s really hard to say which is better since they both have different approaches, but for Mia who has ice magic, learning from Licia is probably the right choice.


    Nothing about that helped to calm ire though, as she proceeded to show off how amazing she was by destroying almost everything we passed by using her magic and sword.


    She didn''t have to say a word, the sheer smugness in her face as she alone defeated half the monsters we encountered said it all.


    Mia: "...Tch!"


    Seems like theirpetition had also gone back into full gear on this floor, and Mia''s provocations did nothing to help her get ahead.


    A bitter ire ended up running out of steam, which was no surprise given how much mana she was wasting to flood the floor in fire.


    Now that she didn''t have mana to spare, Mia was almost sure to pull ahead, but...


    ire: "Miwen... mind giving me a hand?"


    Well, that was unexpected. It''s pretty rare for ire to ask me something.


    Miwen: "Eh... I don''t know. I''d love to preserve the sanctity of yourpetition..."


    While she did her best to use her charms in her favor, pleading with her pretty face in a low voice, I knew how serious they were taking this, so of course I''d use whichever chance I got to further tease them.


    ire: "...I''ll let you do that again... and if you want... I''ll even..."


    It seems like even when making a deal this girl shows her aggressiveness. There was no way for me to resist the cards she put on the table, so of course, I took them all while already imagining the things I''d do to her.


    Miwen: "Just a little alright?"


    ire: "Like half of yours, right: At the very least?"


    Miwen: "Yeah, yeah. But don''t spend it all at once alright?"


    ire: "Sure!"


    It was a good chance to test the [Mana Transfer] and learn about the rate of transfer, which was surprisingly high. In less than five minutes I had already managed to give her half of my mana, which she would proceed to waste in less than an hour.


    I found it amusing to see my own mana generating immense pirs of fire everywhere, even though it was by someone else''s doing.


    What wasn''t so great was that Mia decided to bump me pretty often, and as ire''s advantage grew, she increased her strength more and more while rushing to a new target.


    I tried to not mind it, but she eventually gave me a light punch that actually hurt a bit.


    Miwen: "Ow... aren''t you going overboard?"


    Mia: "You helped her cheat, you...! Ah! There''s one right there!"


    She didn''t even stay long enough to actually give her sermon and instead chose to use every single second to stay on the hunt.


    Miwen: "Should I be worried ?"


    Beatrice: "Why? It only benefits you..."


    Miwen: "I guess..."


    Thankfully this didn''tst long, as when ire came back to ask me for more mana I decided to end this raid due to one of our members being unable to fight anymore.


    I also had to forbid anyone else from giving her mana.


    And I kinda screwed Mia over since it was her chance to pull ahead now that ire was basically out ofmission.


    We were already going to end up early today anyway since I wanted to celebrate the defeat of the fourth-floor boss and take tomorrow off, but I made certain to drill into ire not to do this next time since it might be a problem if we have to end early.


    She replied by telling me not to worry since she got a huge advantage in their score now and wouldn''t have to repeat this for a while, which is far from the answer I was expecting, but I can take my time to properly get the right response from her.


    On a better note, we managed to get one level each, and as far as drops go, it was pretty good since we sold everything aside from the bottle that dropped from the boss and still got $385.

 Chapter 80: A Moment Made Of Steel

    I always found it nice to rest under a tree shade, the cool breeze is usually very calming and the sensation of the body touching the soil is perfect for rxing.


    Add a beautiful sky and a pretty girl by your side and you have a moment that will surely make you nostalgically reminisce about in the future.


    Though the kingdom is filled with oddities, it''s unreasonable toin about the impossibly beautiful scenery that it offers.


    Even the recent forest that suddenly spawned here also makes the whole ce feel more alive... well, it literally makes it more alive thanks to the monsters that spawn in it, but the point still stands.


    The only thing I''mcking right now to make this perfect is a pretty girl...


    Anna, Beatrice, and Mia went to the forest to gather wood. Ellie and ire are busy training and Licia is currently taking a bath...


    It''s actually pretty disappointing to think that any of them would manage to improve the mood, and yet, none of them are here...


    And to add salt to injury, of all people that I could be sharing this moment with, it just had to be the fucking Merchant.


    Merchant: "Are you worried about the monsters spawning in the forest?"


    Miwen: "No.... we can handle them."


    Merchant: "True... but then, why did you send a small party there? Wouldn''t it be nicer to share this view with a cute girl?"


    I really don''t need him to remind me of that, no matter how true it is. But it seems like he''s got the wrong impression of me.


    I get that he''s trying to dig as deep as possible into my character in the limited time he has, but it''s not like all actions a person takes have a deep meaning behind them.


    This one for example is quite simple...


    Miwen: "I can trade some points for tents, I thought it would be a nice change of pace to camp here tonight."


    Merchant: "And the fact that it helps you keep a closer eye on the forest, watch how the monsters act at night and what they do when there''s a bunch of strong forces nearby, doesn''t have anything to do with it ?"


    Miwen: "That''s just a bonus."


    To be fair, I did think about advantages such as the ones the Merchant presented, but overall, they are quite minimal and weren''t a deciding factor for my decision. I truthfully thought this could be good once in a while.


    The monsters as of now aren''t really something we have to worry about since we can keep their poption pretty low by ourselves and nothing outrageous has spawned.


    I don''t like that we have to hunt them to begin with, I much rather we go back to when there wasn''t any other entity in here, but, it''s by no means the end of the world either.


    Merchant: "I see... I feel like I understand you better and better by the day."


    Miwen: "I wish I could say it goes both ways. The more I ask you, the more questions I''m left with. Ones you purposefully refuse to answer."


    Merchant: "You gotta trust me when I say it''s better this way."


    Trust...


    Now that''s something I''m not very good with. But I might be beginning to warm up to it one way or another.


    However, in this case, I don''t really have a choice. The Merchant holds the answers but thinks it''s better if I don''t get them now and without knowing what it''s all about, I can only ept his judgment on the matter.


    Well, as far as intent goes, he probably means well for me and the girls. I mean, he''s already an honorary member of the kingdom as far as I''m concerned.


    Not only is he doing his best to help out, but he''s fun to be around and as an ally, I cannot think of anyone more reliable.


    Even if his reliabilityes with a price, and even taking into ount that he would be way more reliable if not for his personality to begin with.


    Merchant: "It will start to get dark soon, I think we should start with the roll. I take it I can do 17 this time?"


    Miwen: "Yeah. What are you going for this time?"


    Merchant: "Last time I got some pretty useful info. So I want to test something now, and I''ll need you to get something big and physical."


    I don''t like where this is going and his enigmatic way of talking doesn''t make it any better.


    In the end, though, his request ended up being quite simple, but I don''t see how this is going to work.


    Miwen: "You wanna do the [Ships Banner]? Why?"


    Is there any good reason for going for specifically this one? I get that they are something physical and big, but... so were the monsters we summoned before. Can''t he test it out by doing the same one again?


    Well, there''s merit in testing out a bunch of banners, I might''ve even done the same if they weren''t so integral to my prospects in life.


    Merchant: "Vessels sell for a lot."


    Yeah, maybe I''m the idiot digging too deep for reasons, but then again...


    Merchant: "Also, it would help me out a lot to get a big ship. You see, I''m currently dealing with a problem, so if I get at least that to show for my absence, it will be all worth it, and everyone we think I''m actually incredible."


    He''s referring to his own group... I never dug too deep into what is currently going on with them, and since he''s using the same vagueness he uses when he doesn''t want me to know about something, it''s obvious to me that he won''t speak further even if I ask.


    To start with, he doesn''t even need to justify if he doesn''t want to, I''m willing to just follow the deal we made.


    Well, if he wants ships... I''ll give him ships.


    Miwen: "I can try to get them on the river if you want to?"


    Merchant: "No need, I''ll be sending them away either way."


    Miwen: "Alright, here they are..."


    The river was kind of small to fit 17 ships, even more so considering we didn''t know what size they woulde in.


    Normally letting them rest on the ground would be pretty bad, but since the Merchant will deal with that, I don''t have anything to worry about.


    As expected, in front of us ships of all sizes and forms appear, there''s even one that-


    Merchant: "...What is that?"


    Miwen: "...I believe it''s... a warship?"


    There were a lot of wooden ships in front of us, I''m not really good with ship types, but I could recognize what seemed to be some caravels and some transport boats.


    Among them, a few stood out as reallyrge ships filled with rows of cannons that looked ready to dominate the sea.


    Well, if not for the giant monstrosity made of steel that stood out like a sore thumb among them.


    Merchant: "...Am I supposed tough? That thing is nothing but weight! Forget about sinking at the sea, it might even sink the very ground it''s standing on!"


    A fair point, even wooden ships have to worry about their weight, so a ship made entirely of metal does look like a bad joke.


    But that just goes to show how incredibly developed naval engineering is on Earth.


    It also raises a suspicion...


    Miwen: "You lived for a long time. You must''ve seen arge amount of worlds... have you never seen a ship like this before?"


    Merchant: "Never. Is it from your?"


    Miwen: "That''s a very good question... I''m beginning to think so..."


    It''s hard to say... while I''m not good with wooden ships, I''m even worse when ites to modern ships. And that is already assuming it''s a modern ship.


    As far as I''m concerned, it might be from World War 1, or I might just see news tomorrow about a ship that suddenly vanished into thin air leaving the crew lost on the open sea.


    Hell, this thing might even be from the future or another world that the Merchant just happens to have never been in.


    Although... the chances of thetter are looking pretty abysmal right now...


    From everything going around on the inte, what I could gather from the girls, and now this situation with the Merchant, I''m beginning to think that Earth just might be the only to have developed technology so much.


    As for the reasons why that might be, there''s a bunch that I can think of, like for example-


    Merchant: "I can''t wrap my head around this one. It doesn''t make sense at all."


    Miwen: "That''s golding from you."


    The Merchant was still in awe as he tried his best toe to terms with what he was seeing.


    No matter how many times I told him that this was as good as any other ship in here, he just couldn''t believe it.


    More importantly, though, Licia had finally finished with her bath and asked to join us.


    Seeing as there wasn''t any problem with that, I let her.


    Licia: "...Miwen, honey..."


    Miwen: "Yes dear?"


    Licia: "I believe I only left for like, half an hour?"


    Miwen: "More or less."


    Licia: "...Then can you exin why there''s an entire fleet in our backyard?"


    Miwen: "...That would be... the Merchant''s fault."


    In all senses. It was his idea to begin with. And he failed to do away with the ships as he kept mesmerizing the warship.


    Licia: "And what is that!?"


    Merchant: "Believe it or not, it''s also a ship."


    The two of them kept in denial, but when I told the Merchant we could explore the warship today with everyone he finally started to send the ships somewhere else using his power.


    I can''t really prove to him that the thing works, but it will probably be fun to take a look around either way.


    And so, when everyone reunited, we took some time to explore the ship.


    Of course, this took me back to the time when everything was new to the girls and they always reacted surprised, so I made sure to bring a camera and register this moment.


    Getting a photo of the Merchant as amazed as a kid is probably the biggest loot of today. If I had to guess, it''s probably worth an entire or two.


    Lucky for him, these photos and videos are simply priceless, as I have no intention of ever trading these moments for anything.

 Chapter 81: Peaceful Night (R18)

    -Warning-


    -This chapter contains sexual content, reader discretion is advised-


    A single campfire illuminated the ins that stood between the walls of the kingdom and its forest as the darkness from the night sky took over.


    I was looking forward to starting a fire, but Beatrice took care of that using her magic.


    It was kind of a bummer since I was eager to try the things I saw online.


    But I didn''t let that be the end, so with some effort,I managed to light a second campfire close by.


    One could argue that this was pointless as we put out the second one that I had made, but still, I was happy to try out something new.


    Also, while magic is convenient, you never know what tomorrow will bring, so I consider that getting good at lighting a fire is still time well spent.


    On that note, I should''ve brought an actual tent to learn how to set them up too...


    Well, one thing at a time I guess... For now, we''ll use my Gift for setting up the tents since it''s as convenient as magic.


    On the topic of how convenient magic is though, the beers are kept at a perfectly cold temperature thanks to Licia and Mia''s service, which is actually blissful in this ambient.


    I hadn''t noticed this before but... being together with everyone without any distraction or objective is pretty nice. Since normally we kind of do our own thing, this might be the first time we all sat together to just talk.


    Thanks to that, a bunch of stories starteding up, and we got to know each other better as the girls shared memories of how life used to be like for them before being summoned by me.


    It was interesting to see the contrast between some of them, for example, Beatrice tried to live her life without making contact with other people, away in her cabin, she devoted herself to her passion and didn''t care to know those who surrounded her.


    Ellie on the other hand, left her forest to make a name for herself as an adventurer. She dreamt of meeting new people, learning about their lifestyles, eating different kinds of food, and experiencing new things that the small world that was her forest couldn''t offer.


    We also had some people with simr lifestyles, like Anna and ire who bonded quite a lot about their background in the military.


    However, it seems like no two lives are the same, as just the circumstances of their birth made them walk different paths while working in the same field.


    Anna was a knight for hire, employed to guard the walls of a small city by its lord. She didn''t get a chance to climb the ranks or receive special education and training. Still, she tells about how much she felt fulfilled as the kids would ask her for help and the citizens would often call her reliable.


    But while she seems happy reminiscing about such things, ire shows conflicted feelings about her time as a knight and general.


    Being the daughter of a duke, she was pretty much guaranteed to seed no matter what she chose to do. Yet, she didn''t really have an option as fate and her family forced a role onto her without her ever being able to renounce it.


    She''s still prideful about her position and how far her efforts got her, managing to silence any opposition with power.


    But the more she thinks about her past, the more she feels used. A weapon carefully cultivated to inflict the most fear and damage into the bodies and minds of whoever dared to challenge the authority of her family.


    It''s hard for her toe to terms with it. She liked practicing to be someone her father would be proud of, and as she climbed every step, she felt truly happy, so much so that she believed her way of life was simply right. But now she sees her old self as a bit misguided. She never knew anything other than that after all.


    It''s not that she hates the way her life was, if anything, she''s still proud of it. But she wishes that she had experienced more.


    At least, that''s what it feels like to me when she talks about her time with her family.


    As we got more tipsy though, the stories we were telling began to morph into absurdities and funny incidents, king of which was the Merchant himself, whose life seemed to consist only of absurd situations and funny incidents for which everyone agreed he was to me, except the man himself.


    For example, what he pulled off with us on the ship today.


    Just remembering it...


    Miwen: "Seriously... Are you a kid or what?"


    Merchant: "You said you like adventures though?"


    Miwen: "And I do. But you almost gave me a heart attack, it was inhuman!"


    Earlier today, we had all reunited to explore the ship.


    I knew there wasn''t going to be anything in there, but still, when would I ever get another chance like this again? To freely explore an actual warship? I couldn''t let it pass, and everyone also seemed excited to take a look inside.


    The Merchant then proposed that he put on the ship via his ability of teleportation.


    And he maintained that part of the deal. Except that he sent everyone to a different location inside the ship, and with no lights turned on and not knowing left from right, that suddenly became a jumpscare fest as the Merchant decided to spook everyone using his power.


    And the goddamn idiot was good at it too, appearing behind us or suddenly showing up in corners...


    When almost everyone started trying to brute force their way out of the ship he decided to get us off of his wild ride.


    Since he was interested in seeing the warship perform in actualbat, he sent everyone out of the vessel before we could damage it. And he even had the gall to give us a sermon about our "aggressive behavior".


    Merchant: "To be fair, I''m not human~"


    Well, he got me there.


    I guess all is forgiven then...


    As if!


    Miwen: "I''ll make sure to remember this when you need me. I bet the Gods wouldn''t pull something like this."


    Merchant: "Sure, but they also wouldn''t share a beer with you like this either, so what do you prefer?"


    Between having a friend to drink with who annoys me to hell or an alliance with stuck-up beings that don''t descend to help even when they think the world might be in danger?


    Miwen: "Do you even need to ask? Pour me another one."


    Merchant: "Now that''s what I like to hear. Here you go."


    We kept conversations thatcked any seriousness like this one until prettyte into the night, and we only really stopped when we decided it was time to go to sleep.


    Thankfully, no major incidents had happened, and it seemed like a peaceful night would ensue.


    A littleter, my expectations woulde crashing down as I felt something weight on my legs and a familiar sensation took over my body.


    Obviously, I wasn''t able to remain asleep like this...


    ?????: "So it gets big even while you''re sleeping? Amazing..."


    Miwen: "Hn....Attacking a person while they sleep defenselessly is a crime you know?"


    ?????: "Eh? You are awake? B-but... this is consensual, right?"


    So says Anna as she gets surprised that the boy that she''s currently jerking off is awake.


    Also, what is really amazing is that she''s still doing it while being called out.


    Miwen: "Is it? How?"


    Anna: "Well... It''s been a while, so I thought you would also want to do it again..."


    Miwen: "I see... I wanted to have a full night to recharge my batteries and even went as far as to have ire and Licia in the farthest tents from me, but I guess it was all for naught huh?"


    I even went and told them to not try any funny business tonight... I didn''t even consider Anna would be the one to sneak into my tent...


    While that goes against my initial intention, she does raise a good point.


    I wouldn''t go as far as to say that "it''s been a while" when it''s only been a few days, but I sure do want to fuck her again...


    Anna: "... Is that a no then?"


    Miwen: "Let''s see... You sure got me in the mood but I also need to punish you for your crime.... Fine. If you can make me cum without using your pussy, I''ll give you a few rounds"


    Anna: "Really? Alright then."


    It hardly passes as punishment, even more so considering she already had me hard to begin with.


    However, Iwas interested in seeing how someone with almost no experience would approach it.


    At the start, she didn''t try anything unexpected and her warm hands, still wrapped around my dick started to caress the shaft.


    The feeling of her gentle touch was pretty nice, and the way she moved her hand wasn''t bad, but while it was enough to prevent me from goingid, it probably wasn''t going to be enough to make me cum.


    As such, she started using her thumb to press against the tip, from below and from above, she focused on that while also jerking me off in between.


    Now that was pretty good, especially whenever she hit the perfect spot. If I wasn''t doing my best to hold it in, she might''ve been able to make me cum with this method.


    And yet, she didn''t seed, and as time passed, nervousness and desperation started to show on her face as she increased the pace and seemingly stopped thinking about any other method.


    Normally a girl wouldn''t go that far just to have sex with a guy, so seeing her sweating as she gave it her best put a grin on my face.


    Her effort wasn''t taking her anywhere though, so in a desperate act, she tried to gulp it all down.


    Of course, doing so didn''t end up well for her as she choked when it hit her throat.


    She started coughing thanks to that, and by this point, I was starting to feel a bit guilty.


    When I was about to tell her that it was already enough, she once again put my dick in her mouth, but this time, she hadn''t the entire thing in there and focused on licking it what she could fit.


    Her tongue moved slowly, and her saliva started covering my cock as she did the same movements she was doing with her hand a few moments prior.


    Once Anna managed to get it all covered in her saliva, she focused her tongue on the tip and went back to using one hand to jerk it off.


    She also used her other hand to y with my balls to the best of her ability.


    Her technique wasn''t perfect by any means, but just managing to do these three things at the same time pretty much guaranteed her win, and sensing I wouldn''t be able tost any longer, I stopped resisting and let everything out.


    While she drank some of the semen, she was caught by surprise, and so, I ended up unintentionally giving her a facial.


    Anna: "Phew! I didn''t think it was going to be so hard... But now..."


    Miwen: "Yeah, don''t worry, you''ve earned it."


    As soon as she heard me say that, she smiled with both glee and shame, but nheless, she undressed pretty fast, and wasting no time she had her reward enter her tight hole right away.


    Anna: "Ahn! Ah... I''ve missed this..."


    Both her words and the way she moved showed how much she wanted to be with me again, for someone who came seconds prior, this was almost too much.


    But since she had done her best for me, it was only fair that I pay her back, and right now, this meant making her climax as much as possible.


    For that, I grabbed her leg while she straddled me, and began to overtake her rhythm with my own, reaching for her deepest parts and scraping her pussy with long strokes.


    Her moans became louder, and she started to lose strength, surrendering her body to me.


    I purposefully slowed down, only to then pick up the pace again, imposing my own rhythm on her made it easier for me to control my ejaction while making sure to hit her right spots.


    Having sex daily with Licia and ire made me pretty good at finding the ces that make a girl feel good, and every time her walls strongly gripped my cock I had confirmation that I was giving her exactly what she wanted.


    Eventually, I couldn''t hold back anymore, but knowing that I had made her climax a bunch already, I felt justified in letting it all out inside her.


    I did promise her a few rounds though, so we only stopped when she couldn''t take it anymore.


    The tent was filled with our fluids and the smell of sexpletely permeated it, if anyone decided to enter this ce, they would know what happened here by the smell alone.


    s, when we finished, Anna went back to her own tent, and I waited a little bit after she left to feel some of the nightly breeze that the kingdom had to offer.


    I thought getting a bit of fresh air before going back to sleep would be nice, but I ended up meeting Ellie outside.


    I wasn''t expecting anyone else to be awake sote into the night, but...


    Ellie: "...You were being too loud..."


    While we were hidden from view inside the tent, there was no way that its thin walls would manage to suppress the noise.


    Thankfully it seems like Ellie was the only one who noticed, probably because her tent is close to mine.


    It does make me wonder if Beatrice has also heard what we were doing since hers is on the right side of mine.


    Miwen: "Sorry about that..."


    While I wasn''t the one to initiate it, thinking back, I should''ve taken Anna out of the kingdom to avoid a situation like this, but I guess I ended up too excited and didn''t really consider what might happen...


    Ellie: "Hm... Come here."


    She signifies for me to approach her, and I sit on a spot next to her. While silent, she changes her location and approaches me, sitting right in front of myp, she gets herselffortable and sticks her back to my chest.


    From this angle I can see her from above, her small and slim body looks so frail, and yet, the look on her face shows so much serenity, as if she doesn''t have a single worry in the world.


    Ellie: "It''s fine. I understand since I also share the same feelings."


    While saying that, she grabs my arms and makes me hug her.


    Ellie: "I think it''s nice being around you. I feel safe and happy, and it makes me want to be closer to you... But there''s this pain in my chest that I only managed to get rid of for a moment.. when we kissedst time..."


    I thought it was too much to call that a kiss, but it felt wrong to interrupt her as it seemed like she had more to say.


    Ellie: "It''s an addicting feeling... the closer I get to you, the better I feel... Maybe I should just surrender myself to it but... for now, won''t you help me get rid of this pain?"


    Miwen: "I thought you wanted to take things slow?"


    Ellie: "I do, but... just a few touches should be fine..."


    I think she doesn''t know how cute she is when she forces herself to say such things. Her blushing hot face gives away how much she''s holding back her feelings and the strength she needed to share them.


    As a man, there was no way that I could resist her when she was like this.


    Thankfully I got permission from Licia and irest time, so I gave in to my own desires.


    I stopped hugging her to free my hands and used my arm to direct her face close to mine.


    Once we were facing each other, I gave her a real kiss, as deep and passionate as I could.


    The inside of her mouth was surprisingly spacious considering her build, but even then, once my tongue met hers I would slowly and gently show it some love.


    I used my hand, now unupied to make my way toward her breast, feeling her shoulder, and chest, and eventually finding the soft mounds that were begging to be touched.


    It was also nice to feel her body through her clothes as her butt was now pressingpletely against my penis.


    It might''ve been unbeknownst to her, but she gave me a splendid assjob as I hugged her in ce and her body swayed back and forth while trembling due to having her breasts fondled.


    This made me want to pull my dick out and have it inside her shorts to feel her asscheeks directly, but I rejected the idea since I knew I wouldn''t stop there and would absolutely fuck her pussy senseless if my cock got close to it.


    Speaking of which, the grass and the ground, as well as her legs, were starting to get wet with something that definitely wasn''t sweat.


    I tried rubbing her pussy through her clothes, but I couldn''t do it for long as she broke our kiss and started moaning.


    If we kept going like this, we would probably wake up everyone else... so I suggested that we should enter my tent.


    Since Ellie''s moans weren''t as loud and the only other tent close was Beatrice''s who didn''t wake upst time, I thought this time it would be okay.


    The smell of sex from mine and Anna''s body fluids still permeated the tent, which only made us get more into it.


    As we lie down, she maintains a simr position as before, with her ass now rubbing even more against my crotch.


    Not to be outdone though, I started rubbing her pussy and reaching ever close to a direct touch by starting from the shorts, then through her panties and finally reaching the ce she kept hidden throughout her life.


    I could put a finger inside her wet hole, but I decided that it would be best to leave my penis to savor every nook and cranny when she decides to give me her virginity.


    As such, I targeted her clit and yed with her nipples.


    I wanted to kiss her more, but it was hard to do as she had to get air and moan pretty often.


    Her spasms were bing more frequent too, and sensing that she was close toing, I decided to rub my penis on her ass toe too, after all, it was only fair.


    It didn''t take long for us both toe like this, but I was surprised to see how long she climaxed.


    Ellie: "...Ahn,,, Nmn... Don''t leave me... please..."


    Miwen: "I won''t."


    Even though I was beginning to tire, I kept ying with her body until she fell asleep, at which point, I gave her a peck on the cheek like she had done to me before and then tightly hugged her so as to not let her go as we both slept soundly through the rest of the night.

 Chapter 82: Stalkers Day Off

    -This chapter is written in ire''s POV-


    Early wake-ups have be increasingly rare for me sinceing to this world.


    The once proud daughter of the Ashbrodd family, a knight who spent every waking hour dedicating herself to the duty she was bestowed is nowhere to be seen anymore.


    That feels so distant now, almost as if a dream.


    I guess it''s not so easy to say goodbye to the past...


    Unable to properly cut ties with what I was, while looking forward to this everyday life... I wonder if it''s alright to keep living this way.


    The past me would probably call it cowardice, but I should pay no mind to the words of such a naive girl.


    With that being said, I wasn''t nning to go back to a decent routine anytime soon, but it''s pretty much impossible to not wake up with suchmotion outside.


    In any other ce, I would head out with sword in hand to deal with the situation, but I doubt that whatever is going on outside requires that sort of approach.


    Even if it did, aside from that dumb snow wolf and the idiot merchant, I can take on anyone inside this kingdom using magic alone.


    Well... probably...


    It''s useless to keep thinking about it when I can just go out and check it though.


    Licia: "Oh? You''re up early... that''s rare..."


    The morning sun shone brightly, but ironically my warm wee came from an ice fairy instead, standing there with her usual gentle smile that can put anyone at ease.


    She''s not alone though, standing behind Miwen there''s an embarrassed elf doing her best to hide her face from everyone while Miwen himself seems to be receiving a scolding from the wolf girl.


    There''s also this man enjoying the show with a grin on his face. The so-called Travelling Merchant, an entity of age unknown, capable of wiping away worlds and ying gods... and also ying stupid pranks.


    All the other suspects are here too, Beatrice seems strangely happy, and Anna also looks ashamed even though she''s not on the receiving end of Mia''s lecture.


    I think I have a good enough grasp on the situation just from these clues, but...


    ire: "So... what did he do?"


    Licia: "He slept with Ellie."


    Oh... I thought he would take way longer to make a move on her. He never fails to surprise me with how gutsy he can be.


    That means only Beatrice and Mia have yet to spend a night with him, but seeing how Mia is reacting, I think it''s gonna take a while.


    It''s not like I''m jealous or anything though. With the way his Gift works, forming this kind of rtionship is the safest way to move forward and guarantees that he won''t get backstabbed.


    He''s also supposed to be a king, so a harem filled with battle maidens at the ready is one option.


    It''s only fair too since most of us literally owe our current lives to him, even if the guy in question acts like it''s no big deal.


    Just the love I receive from him every day is already more than I could hope to pay back, so I''ll support his path whatever it may be.


    In this life, to be the sword that destroys his enemies is the duty I''ve decided for myself.


    It''s what I''ve always done best, so while I may be clinging to my old ways, I don''t mind it if it means I''ll be able to help him.


    Miwen: "I told you it''s not like that. We didn''t really... you know?"


    And there he goes, the man in question acting as a pathetic yboy who was caught cheating by his wife.


    The worst part is that I''m pretty sure he''s speaking the truth. Miwen is usually very honest with us.


    Licia: "Pretty unlucky for him that Mia was the first to wake up today..."


    ire: "Eh... she''s got a lot of discipline, the chances were never in his favor."


    I was about to say that this kind of discipline is expected of a warrior, but Licia also does the same, only that instead of devoting herself to training, she takes care of everyone like a mother, which might require even more effort considering she can''t count on the guy we follow to reprimand the others since he is so rxed and quick to forgive everything we do.


    Well, it''s thanks to him allowing us to live however we want that we find it so easy to follow him in the first ce though...


    In the end, even these small skirmishes are just part of our everyday life. While Mia is more immature when ites to sex and Ellie is quite shy, they know deep down that this is just another moment that they''ll hold dear in the future.


    As such, when things calmed down, everyone went back to doing their own thing.


    Miwen made us breakfast back on Earth and also brought some to the Merchant.


    After we ate, he said that he needed to go somewhere again, and asked each of us if we wanted to wait in the kingdom or on Earth.


    Beatrice, Licia, and I were the only ones that decided to stay on Earth. The other girls took the time to train inside the kingdom.


    And while I was nning on rxing on the couch, due to my curiosity I let out ament that changed the course of our day offpletely.


    ire: "...Hm... I wonder where Miwen goes on our days off."


    Licia: "I''m also curious... wanna investigate?"


    ire: "Eh?"


    Miwen just left the house, so I''m pretty sure we can catch up to him, but...


    Well, it''s not like he will get mad, right?


    We could just wait until he returns to ask him...


    But what if he really doesn''t want us to know?


    ire: "You know what? Let''s go. Bea, you''ll cover us right?"


    Beatrice: "Hm? What do you mean?"


    ire: "If Miwen gets back before us, you distract him so that we can enter the house without him noticing."


    Beatrice: "...Sure."


    She''s pretty smart, so I''m sure she''lle up with something. And if everything goes well, Miwen won''t even notice that we left to begin with.


    Both Licia and Ick skills for spying, but people don''t normally get aware of their surroundings unless they are in a situation where that awareness is needed, so we should be safe.


    It''s a bit hard to maintain the correct distance though. We can''t let him get too far or we risk losing him, but we also can''t get too close or else he''ll recognize us right away.


    We ended up walking for quite a while, doing our best to not be noticed all the way.


    Licia: "...There''s fewer people on the streets..."


    ire: "Yeah... the buildings here also seem... unmaintained... some even look abandoned."


    This was getting quite suspicious. Why would he go so far, and to a ce so... strange?


    While this world is quite different, a ce like this smells like trouble no matter what world you''re in.


    Seriously... what are you doing Miwen?


    As we kept going, the ce became emptier and emptier and abandoned buildings became more and moremon.


    By this point, only the three of us were walking the streets.


    This made it very hard to hide from Miwen, but we somehow managed to do it.


    It''s a bit disappointing how oblivious he has been. Maybe we should turn this into a lesson for him, after all, when he gets strong enough, there may be peopleing after him with malicious intent.


    Licia: "He''s entering that building..."


    ire: "...Let''s go after him."


    We entered the building and followed him upstairs to the fifth floor.


    Miwen entered a room and closed the door, and then... he started talking to someone.


    ???: "Yo! You didn''t need toe you know? I could''ve gone to your house."


    Miwen: "I would prefer you don''t... More importantly, did you get what I asked you?"


    ???: "I''m sorry to say, but not yet. I''ll probably get them for you soon though."


    It''s hard to understand what they are talking about without proper context. What''s more, what could Miwen possibly want in such a shady ce?


    With his Gift, he could get almost anything to begin with, so what is it that he''s after?


    Even the usually calm Licia has a worried look on her face.


    It''s not far-fetched to say that she understands him better than any of us, but Miwen sometimes has this mysterious look on his face that doesn''t seem to fit what we know of him... maybe the answer to his secret side lies behind this door...


    ???: "Oh, but when ites to her, I got some interesting news for you. Though I''m not sure I should speak when we got uninvited guests listening."


    Miwen: "So you''ve noticed. I guess that''s to be expected of a high-ranking scout. You two can enter, there''s no point trying to hide from him."


    Shit. We got caught. Maybe we could make a run for it and just pretend nothing happened ?


    Who am I kidding, neither Licia nor I are so shameless.


    With a sigh, we both open the door and reveal ourselves.


    At the very least Miwen doesn''t seem upset, which is good news. But the stare that the other guy is giving us is pretty chilling.


    It''s like his gaze is passing right through us, while at the same time, it feels like he''s analyzing our entire being. There''s actual pressureing from him, so much so that both Licia and I instinctively lift our guards and without me even noticing, my hands try to reach where I usually leave my scabbard.


    Miwen called him a high-ranker. In this world, this means that he''s around level 80... If Licia and I were to fight him together maybe we could...


    No... I''m overestimating myself...


    This guy would win against the wolf girl for sure. He has Licia''s adventurer aura. It''s clear from hisck of stance that he''s adaptive. It''s not a well-suited opponent for me.


    ???: "See what you did? You made them tense by calling me a high-ranker."


    Miwen: "I still consider you a high-ranker though."


    ???: "Nah, that''s way past me. I''m also not a scout anymore either, just your friendly detective."


    They seem to be on good terms with each other... that''s good. I don''t want to be rude to someone Miwen considers a friend, even more so considering he has so few of them, but my body won''t let my guard down around him.


    ???: "... You found good friends huh... They give the same vibe as a veteran. Hell, they are even on guard like one."


    Miwen: "That''s because they pretty much are."


    Living so many peaceful days with Miwen and the others, it''s almost easy to forget how threatening other people can be.


    Thest time I felt like this was when we faced the Merchant, though that guy was on a whole other level.


    Thinking back on it made my body rx a little, after all, at least against this guy we could fight back.


    Miwen: "I suppose it''s better if I introduce everyone so that you guys can rx. These two are my girlfriends. Licia is the blue-haired, and ire is the red-haired. As for this guy... he''s Uncle Alex, a friend of the family."


    Alex: "A pleasure."


    Even though they aren''t family, Miwen calls him uncle just like a kid would do, I guess this means they go back quite a while.


    I wish I could see Miwen as a little boy, even as a grown-up he''s honest and sincere, so he must''ve been so cute as a kid.


    Licia: "Hm... The pleasure is ours. If you don''t mind filling us in though, what were you talking about?"


    Alex: "He wants fake IDs. I was pretty surprised that he of all people would ask for something like this but... seeing the two of you, I can kind of understand why now."


    Miwen: "It would be pretty useful for them..."


    So that''s what it was all about... I guess it makes sense why he came to such a shady ce then...


    Actually, why is this ce like this to begin with?


    I couldn''t help but ask them since it was so different from what we are used to in this world.


    Apparently, this ce is an abandoned city, awless region.


    A few years ago, a dungeon break happened here, and while the people were evacuated and most monsters were killed... the boss was never defeated.


    The dungeon remains with its boss roompletely open, but no monster is inside.


    To make matters worse, the boss in question is said to be incredibly smart, a vampire-like being that hides and attacks its prey during the night.


    Due to that, people were advised not to return to this ce, and it became a ghost town.


    ording to Alex, it''s the perfect ce for a high ranker to establish an office for shady business.


    Miwen also said that he would normally take a bus toe here, but since he noticed we were following him, he decided to make an arduous journey by foot, just to test our determination.


    Alex: "Going back to the topic at hand. I''ve been monitoring your sister. As expected of her, she seems to be doing pretty well for herself. But... the current Army Of The Gifted seems to be divided into two factions. Your sister already took a side, but there''s been no conflict yet, mostly arguments.


    I''ll reach out to you if there are any new developments."


    Even though he didn''t receive bad news, Miwen seems to have be even more worried about his sister.


    He always speaks about how great she is, so I don''t understand why he worries so much. I guess it''s just the way he is at the end of the day.


    And while they seem to be on good terms with each other, Miwen still pays Alex for his services.


    In the end, Miwen was just going after information and resources. He''s always trying to get as many advantages as possible before facing a challenge, and while he still has a lot to learn, his caution is a remarkable asset.


    Now that our business was done, Uncle Alex offered to take us back home on a car ride.


    It was the first time we entered this machine, and while it felt strange at first, it was morefortable than any carriage I''ve ever set foot on. Though it was quick, I enjoyed every minute.


    Miwen: "Bea! I''m back! Did you miss me?"


    Beatrice: "Ehm... ire and Licia are... upied... so don''t enter the bedroom for now..."


    ire: "Thanks for the cover, Beatrice."


    At least she tried, can''t me her for that.


    The way she said though left it pretty vague, so Miwen would probably enter and join in on whatever was going on, so as a cover, it''s believable, but wouldn''t amount to much.


    Miwen went inside the kingdom to do some summons for the Merchant and Licia also followed him to train Mia in swordsmanship.


    Thus, I stayed to y some games with Beatrice, though she prefers strategy games which I''m not too fond of, we ended up finding a few that looked cool.


    Miwen came back with everyone a whileter to make dinner, and at the dinner table, I had onest question for him.


    ire: "Alright. I get it that Licia and I didn''t do a perfect job. But how did you know we were following you?"


    Miwen: "Apollo kept bickering me and signaling with his wing. It wasn''t hard to get the message."


    Damnit sparrow. If he wasn''t so cute I would have him fried.


    It seems like Miwen has taken quite a liking to the bird... he even wants to take it to the dungeon.


    I guess he just proved he''s useful to watch our backs. But Ellie and Beatrice normally have this covered so we''ll see if it''s gonna be any help.


    After we were done with dinner, Licia and I headed to Miwen''s room to enjoy another night in each other''sfort.


    As always, being with them is what gives me the warmest feeling.


    A proud life with no room for regrets. And now a life full of happiness. As I rest with those who are dear to me, I can only think of how blessed I truly am.


    If I, already having everything I could possibly want was granted a wish, I''d probably wish for these days to never end.


    At least, this is the only wish in my heart right now.

 Chapter 83: Border Policy

    Our morning began as usual, while Licia and Ellie helped me with breakfast, the other girls were minding their own business.


    I had to turn my attention to the TV however when news about immigration from other worlds started being broadcast.


    A reporter was summarizing the decision agreed upon by most nations after intensive talks that had been happening ever since the dungeons started to connect to other worlds.


    ording to what he said, it''s hard to hold someone from another world ountable for their actions on Earth since no government has that kind of jurisdiction or diplomatic ties yet.


    As such, people from other worlds are only allowed to enter Earth after having themselves thoroughly registered, including things such as their fingerprints, so they don''t try multiple registrations.


    Not only that, they can''te alone. Any personing from another world needs to be associated with someone born on Earth who will be held responsible for their actions. Both parties need to be present and sign an agreement.


    After being registered, they need to choose between two types of documents, the first option allows for "short stays" of up to a month, and the other one is meant to be used for up to two years.


    Each nation has determined its cap for the number of people eligible for the "long stays".


    And to be honest, it''s not a lot. Not one nation has its cap reached a million.


    It''s clear that everyone is being cautious with it to not disrupt the current world order, but the various limitations are making Earth''s borders pretty closed.


    It seems you can reapply for the documents at the very least though, and with time, the limitations might erode on their own.


    Still, one limitation that will definitely not erode is the matter of very. We''ve seen a few people going around with cors or chains attached to their bodies in the dungeon, and the girls confirmed to me that these were ves.


    It didn''t take long for everyone on Earth to notice that too, governments included.


    They have decided that a country''sw still applies, so, for most, in case a vees out of the dungeon with their master, the ve is to be freed and the master is to be registered as a criminal, unable to enter Earth and "deported" to their own world.


    Failure to do so will result in the imprisonment of the perpetrator.


    It''s a bit of a question what will happen to the ve after being freed though, and aside from jokes on the inte where guys say their house is open for cute girls, there''s not been much of an answer yet. Most people expect the government to provide them with support in such cases.


    Anyway, while this part doesn''t affect me much, the rest of the system sure does.


    For starters, I was already gonna have ire and Licia get fake IDs so that they can pass as normal citizens at the very least...


    I feel like it''s still worth it to pursue that for these two, since they''re humans and all that, it''s less likely for suspicions to arise.


    Anna and Beatrice are in the same boat, but I think with this new system in ce it''s better to wait and see how things progress before ordering fake IDs for them.


    Ellie and Mia on the other hand...


    I can''t possibly get them fake IDs for obvious reasons, and while we could hide their characteristics pretty well, now that races other than humans will be going around, I feel like people will get much better at recognizing them as non-humans.


    If we''re going to test this system, these two make for the best candidates.


    In case it turns out bad, we can always keep going like we''ve been. The kingdom allows for untraceable transport after all.


    Still, since this impacts them more than anything else, we had to sit down for a while and discuss.


    The overall sentiment in the group was that things were fine the way they are now, but they also weren''t reluctant to try it out.


    I tried to exin that this would allow them to act a bit more independently, but they kind of brushed it aside since I''m'' already providing them with anything they ask for either way.


    Ultimately, we''ve decided to at least try it out with Ellie since she couldn''t resist the group pressure- I mean since Mia gave a good argument about how her current circumstances might lead Hamperlon to go to war if they discover that she''s alive.


    It''s kind of cute how she thinks they would pose a threat though.


    To bepletely honest, even nations not regarded by their military could probably face them head-on without much trouble.


    Messing around on Earth would be akin to suicide, but if you ask me, they are more than wee to try.


    We kept discussing here and there, which made us arrive a bitter today for the raid, and since we were also going to leave earlier to have Ellie registered, we didn''t get too far inside nor did we get too much loot this time.


    We managed to reach level 21 though which is pretty good considering the amount of experience necessary to level up is getting higher and higher.


    And yet, our pace is still faster than normal thanks to the perk that makes experience not get divided.


    In the end, we made $668 thanks to a mana orb dropping, which was more than enough for our needs, so I decided to have Ellie test out her new identification documents by shopping in a market nearby.


    Aside from a few things we were running out of, I gave her a budget to get things she wanted for herself and the others, and since it was her first time in a store she was pretty amazed by the amount of things on disy everywhere.


    She ended up grabbing a bunch of candy and processed food that I hadn''t cooked for them, as well as some energy drinks. I could tell she had the other in mind for some of these, but as soon as we left, she started going directly for the candy, which was one of the things I thought were meant for somebody else.


    Miwen: "I didn''t know you liked sweets."


    Ellie: "Mn...We didn''t have anything sweet where I lived, and even after bing an adventurer, sweets were too expensive, so I couldn''t help when I noticed that I could buy some..."


    She looks like a kid munching on a bunch of different things one after the other. But it''s pretty nice of her to leave some for the others to try out too...


    Miwen: "Maybe I should start baking some cakes..."


    Ellie: "Eh? You can do that? Miwen, maybe you''re actually incredible?"


    Miwen: "Pfft, thanks I guess. Now, I can only manage some simple ones, so don''t expect too much alright?"


    Ellie: "Sure! I can''t contain my excitement already."


    That''s literally the opposite of what I asked of you, but alright.


    ... Even though it''s alreadyte, people on the street are taking notice of her and some are even taking pictures.


    Since her appearance is pretty close to that of a human, I thought she would go unnoticed but I couldn''t be more wrong.


    Even the clerk couldn''t take her eyes away from Ellie''s ears...


    If it''s like this with her, I can only imagine what would it look like with Mia.


    This kind of thing takes time though, it will probably be normalized soon... At least I hope so, nothing would make me happier than the girls being free tofortably explore Earth and all it has to offer on their own.


    When I got back home I went straight for the shower and then went to do some summons for the Merchant again.


    Last time he asked me to get him some weapons. ording to what he said, he has a friend capable of viewing a weapon''s story, concentrating that story into a jewel, and then applying it to another weapon, making it stronger in the process.


    Seems pretty broken if you ask me, but the important part is that he might be able to analyze if the weapon really has a story, meaning that it was taken from somewhere instead of being copied and made anew.


    It''s not really concrete proof either way since something tells me my Gift is not short from copying that aspect as well, but it might be indicative at the very least.


    Today we are summoning armor though. It''s for the very same reason, but he says it''s good to have alternatives and also to test if something changes from one day to another.


    Speaking of which, he got some pretty good loot out of this in my opinion, but when I left ament about that, he simply replied that there wasn''t anything good at all about the weapons I''ve produced since not a single one of them would be able to hurt a God.


    Which yeah, kind of stings. I''m not gonna ask him to mince his words though, after all, while cold, it''s still good information to have.


    Miwen: "Oh yeah, I''ll probably bake a cake or two in theing days. Do you have any preference for vor?"


    Merchant: "Hm? Are you trying to win my heart or something?"


    Miwen: "Yeah, forget I even asked."


    Infuriatingly, he only shows emotions when he decides to act like an idiot.


    Merchant: "Wait, wait, I do! I like oranges and such."


    Like the girls, the Merchant has also fallen for my food trap. I''m actually quite proud of making someone as high and mighty as him look forward to what I''ll cook next.


    But oranges eh... it was also a pretty popr choice with the girls, but it ended up losing to strawberry in the end.


    If I end up making a second one I''ll try my hand with oranges.


    Speaking of which...


    Miwen: "Coincidentally, I got some strawberry-vored candy with me. Do you want some?"


    Without a shred of dignity, the Merchant nods along and I hand him a bag with some candy.


    I would''ve preferred if he had kept his mouth shut though.


    Merchant: "Hm... doesn''t taste like strawberry to me?"


    Miwen: "Yeah? Give it back then."


    Merchant: "I''ll give the bag back after dinner."


    And in the blink of an eye, the guy actually left for his temporary house in the kingdom with the fucking bag.


    I just know that he''ll give it back empty too and then act like he kept his end of the deal.


    It''s still a mystery to me how a man-child like him managed to reach his current position as one of the strongest beings around.

 Chapter 84: Victima

    I wasn''t expecting the girls to be so into sweets. Even though Ellie bought a bunch, it didn''tst a day.


    While sugar is prettymon in everything, even to the point of it being hard to avoid nowadays, they mostly relied on fruits and the like for sweets and desserts since sugar itself was very expensive and in short supply.


    It might be worth carrying some gum or something from now on since it might be seen as a sign of status and it might give me some credibility as royalty.


    I never thought I''d use candy as a resource to bullshit others, but here we are I guess.


    It''s interesting to think that maybe we can use our sugary products to establish diplomatic ties with other worlds, but if they ever discover how easily we can mass produce it, the dungeon gates will probably start flooding with peopleing to Earth.


    It might even make people start contrabanding sugar in exchange for gold or silver.


    Licia: "You seem pretty happy. Did something good happen?"


    Miwen: "Nah. I was just thinking about sugar smugglers. Speaking of which, do you wanna walk to the dungeon today, or would you prefer to remain inside the kingdom Ellie?"


    Sincest time she grabbed a lot of attention, I would totally understand if she didn''t feel like going today.


    This seemed to be unwarranted though as she was pretty excited to go, on the condition that we could make one stop at the market beforehand.


    I could only guess what she was going to bring to the dungeon, but it seems like great minds do think alike and she ended up buying more sweets.


    It would''ve been fine had it ended just like that, but someone was waiting for us as soon as we stepped food outside.


    It was a group of four men and a woman, upon looking at their status I could confirm they were just a bit higher than ours, the guys were around 27 and 26 while the girl herself was 25.


    ???: "I saw you guysing out of the dungeon yesterday. Say, are you adventurers? Do you wanna help to defeat your current floor boss? We can even help you get some levels on higher floors."


    The strongest among them, a level 27 was the first to speak. He was exceedingly tall and muscr, which made him look pretty tough.


    Before I could answer him, someone else in his party spoke.


    ???: "Wait Derek, we already got enough-"


    Derek: "Shut it."


    Talk about being suspicious. Either way, it won''t change my answer.


    This whole time this Derek guy kept stealing nces at Ellie even though he was talking to me.


    It wasn''t enough for me to jump to any conclusion though, even more so considering she''s an elf and everyone turns their attention to her when they notice it.


    Given the "novelty" that is other races on Earth, it also makes sense for people to be interested in her, and asking to form a party is not outrageous or bad by itself.


    They are also offering something at the very least but... it''s a really bad offer to us since we level up faster by ourselves and while rewarding, having someone help you get to a higher floor is more dangerous than it''s worth.


    There''s also the fact that we aren''t in a hurry and their levels aren''t that high either.


    At most, they would be able to help us out on the current floor, but they aren''t like Mia, whose level is so high that even while capped by the floor, her skills still maintain absurdly high levels, allowing her to perform extraordinarily.


    Another thing is that they aren''t up to par with most of our party in terms ofbat experience.


    Sure, they aren''t weak by Earth''s standards, but our party has a bunch of people who dedicated themselves to fighting for most of their lives, some even reaching levels that haven''t been attained yet on Earth.


    To them, these guys might be more of a liability than anything else.


    Of course, I couldn''t exin all of that to them, so I just politely refused their offer.


    I thought they would react like a normal person and just let the matter go, but...


    Derek: "Fine. Then how much for an hour with her?"


    ...I knew that I shouldn''t start trouble but I couldn''t let that go unpunished.


    Miwen: "Sorry that you only get some if you pay, but she''s not on sale."


    As soon as I said that, his friends behind him started stirring things up, and instead of getting a word in, he decided to go for a punch in the middle of the street in broad daylight.


    He was surprisingly slow and clumsy. I could see iting from a mile away, so dodging that wasn''t hard at all.


    It was obvious that people around us were watching, so before they could get their phones out and start filming something I''d rather keep secret, I sent the invitation for almost everyone toe out from the kingdom, except for Mia.


    The girls then appeared around me one by one, making everyone on Derek''s side also get their guard up.


    Miwen: "It''s a fight. But don''t draw blood."


    We don''t need to escte this any further, and for the girls, these guys were just pushovers.


    Whenever they''d try something they would only meet the blunt side of a sword lightly tapping them and Anna was capable of overpowering any of them with her Gift so she would always push them to the ground.


    I guess that since most people onlye here for the third floor they must''ve thought they are pretty bigshots thanks to their levels but... they are incredibly bad.


    Even while holding back we were humiliating them every step of the way, which only led to anger building up and mistakes bing moremon on their side.


    The fifth floor had encounters that felt harder than this, so I can''t help but think it''s a miracle that they''ve managed to get past it.


    It didn''t take long for them to realize that they were outmatched though, and now that people were starting to get their phones out, they finally stopped and went their own way.


    Derek: "You better not enter the dungeon kid. It can be a pretty dangerous ce."


    Licia: "You should quit this job if it''s so scary for you."


    ire: "Some people are simply not cut out for it."


    These types seem to think Ellie is an easy target since she''s shy and looks pretty innocent so not bringing the girls along was a mistake, especially Beatrice who is incredibly good at keeping creeps away.


    Not that I can do anything about it now. It just sucks that Ellie had to go through something so shitty again. Though in a way it goes to show that idiots exist everywhere independent of their race or background.


    Beatrice: "...Do you want to go to the dungeon either way?"


    Miwen: "... Let''s wait a bit. Anywhere you wanna go for a while?"


    Beatrice: "Actually..."


    And so we ended up going on a little detour to a ce I hadn''t ever gone before, a bookstore.


    It wasn''t very big, but it had books ranging from every topic, as well as a fewics which I admit was what interested me the most.


    I thought Beatrice would be disappointed since there weren''t any spellbooks, but she managed to find a few on magic theory and possible exnations for it.


    Since the girls were also interested in a few other books I decided to let them shop a bit. It was a shame that Mia wasn''t with us though, but I bought her some battle manga and an exercise manual.


    We ended up buying quite a few books and it ended up being somewhat expensive, but it was a small price to pay since the girls were happy and it helped us forget about what happened earlier.


    Before heading back to the dungeon we unloaded everything inside Beatrice''s room in the kingdom so that we could sort it all outter.


    I also had to make sure to tell the Merchant not to run away with any books.


    Though an hourte, we headed to the dungeon as always. There was no way I was going to get intimidated by the threats from those guys, If anything, inside the dungeon the overwhelming difference between us would only get amplified and they would only get more humiliated.


    Once inside I checked around for any presence or watchful eye, and once it was clear that there was no one close, I summoned Mia to our side.


    The level cap for this floor is 25, which means that we could still face monsters up to 4 levels higher than us. Taking into consideration that the deeper we go, the moremon superiors or nobles be, venturing too deep constitutes a risk higher than it has ever been.


    On the bright side, even while using weapons she''s notfortable with, Mia can make quick work of any monster we''ve encountered so far on this floor.


    Due to that and well... a bit of overconfidence on our part, we ended up going so deep that only monsters at the level cap could be found.


    We also managed to find a settlement and sneak a peek though, so at the very least if we had to run, we had somewhere to.


    Still, going deeper in any path would be a bit too much, so we''ve decided to go back to the settlement we found to rest before heading out.


    While not very crowded, it had a few dozen people around of various races, which was pretty interesting to see.


    There were also a few small stores selling goods such as potions. It''s not something I rely on too much since the effects aren''t really that strong unless you pay an absurd price, but I was curious to see if it was the same case for those sold by otherworlders.


    I didn''t have the currency from their world, but they were more than happy to ept some drops in exchange, even monster cores.


    I guess they can also exchange those for money in their world.


    Since Ellie was with us, I decided to buy two potions for effects that aren''t life-threatening and that she could help me test out.


    Trying something like poison would be pretty dumb, but paralysis was an effect that would pass either way and even speed down wasn''t going to mean much since we weren''t nning to move for a while.


    Ellie started applying these effects as weakly as possible, and as the potions were showing results immediately she started amping up the power.


    At full power, it took a potion 30 seconds topletely wipe the corresponding effect from Ellie''s Gift.


    Given that under the effect of her power, I couldn''t even move, so much so that ire and Anna started picking on me, I thought it was a pretty good result.


    We ended up wasting half a bottle of each to test it out, but at least I could confirm that buying potions from otherworlders is better than paying for them on Earth.


    As soon as we were done with our rest, we decided to head back home, but to our surprise, we met face-to-face with the same group that we had encountered before.


    Not only that, this time, there were a few more people with them...


    What''s worse is that they are familiar faces...

 Chapter 85: Victima (02)

    That''s not something I was expecting... I mean, how unlucky can I be?


    While every floor is different, they all possess one thing inmon: They span infinitely.


    Depending on which of the numerous paths you take, you may find stronger monsters earlier or reach dead-ends, but each turn you take almost always leads to several new options to follow, making a floor an essentially giganticbyrinth.


    And while there are dungeons that don''t follow a cavern-like structure, due to their infinite span, the chances of meeting someone else will surely decrease as long as you venture farther and farther.


    I can only think of two exnations that might increase the odds of meeting these guys again.


    First, curiosity might''ve been at fault here. We took a chance at a path that wasn''t on the maps, knowing it would probably lead to a settlement. Best case scenario, this was the same for them.


    Otherwise... this was intentional.


    I can''t read their Gifts, but I can still see their status. Judging from their builds, the girl apanying them could be a scout. The only problem with this theory is that she''s carrying a crossbow, so almost definitely an archer. It doesn''t mean she doesn''t have a Gift for tracking, but...


    They also seem surprised to find us here, which unless a very well-prepared act. seem to indicate that this was just a coincidence after all.


    I''m willing to ept that since our levels are pretty close, but...


    Why are Roy and Sam with them?


    That''s just a bit too far for me. I mean, they shouldn''t even be here in the first ce.


    I couldn''t help but check their status, and to my surprise, their levels were 17 and 16, levels lower than that of the boss from the previous floor.


    While it''s not umon for high-rankers to form big parties and defeat a floor boss to farm monsters with higher levels, if the difference is just one or two levels it''s just not worth it.


    Even ignoring the boss battle, they now face a bigger risk on this floor since there''s a wider gap between them and the strongest monsters around.


    Sam: "Miwen! It''s been a while!"


    While tensions were up, her genuine excitement disrupted every thought I was having.


    I should''ve expected this from Sam... but her being like this also means I can probe a bit.


    Miwen: "It sure has...If you had mentioned that you were on the fifth floor we could''ve met earlier."


    And under better circumstances too.


    Sam: "Ah, but that''s..."


    Roy; "That''s because we still haven''t defeated the fourth-floor boss legitimately, we are here just to quickly get a few level-ups."


    Miwen: "Hm? What do you mean?"


    It''s pretty easy to tell what he''s saying. But I still tried to pretend I didn''t get what he was talking about so that he could exin everything in minute detail.


    I may not be too good of an actor, but if it''s just about acting dumb, I''m pretty confident in my skill.


    As such, Roy never really stood a chance and ended up telling the story from the beginning.


    He and Sam joined a party and proceeded without us. But they disbanded just two days ago since half of the party members were struggling too much with the fourth floor and decided to quit.


    They then decided to look for a new party and encountered these guys who said they would help them get strong enough to explore the sixth floor together.


    And that stuck with me.


    It might be because I had a bad impression of them from before, but something wasn''t clicking for me.


    To begin with, they were pretty bad for wear. I can understand that they have to look out for Roy and Sam, which probably means they can''t focuspletely on the enemy, but if I add that to the disy they showed before, forget about the sixth floor, it''s already hard to believe that they''re fit for the fifth.


    Not only that, but in every dungeon the fifth floor has a feature that threatens most parties that challenge it.


    It''s simply referred to as "Altar", and while the name isn''t shy, it does something jaw-dropping.


    When you enter through the doors that lead to the boss room, you''ll first find yourself before the Altar. In the form of a whisper, it will ask if you''re ready for the sacrifice.


    Right in front of it, there''s a hole whose bottom cannot be seen by the naked eye.


    If anyone falls down that hole, it will close itself, and the door to the boss room will turn golden. If you pass through the golden door, you''ll be granted ess to the next floor without having to fight the boss.


    It was thought that any living being would serve as a sacrifice, so people tried bugs and small animals, but the golden door didn''t materialize. It seems to require a human, but I guess demons, demi-humans, and whatnot might also work.


    As long as it''s not bugs and small animals like some people have tried before.


    If I ask the Merchant, he''ll probably know why only certain living beings count for the sacrifice, but I''d be more interested in what happens if he was the one to fall down the hole.


    Well, going back to the other people who I''d like to see falling down the hole, knowing this super fun fact about the fifth floor, I can''t help but feel like they''re probably having not-so-super-fun ideas of their own.


    The thing is... when I brought that up to Roy and Sam, they said that there was nothing to worry about since these guys were already on the sixth floor and they weren''t going to go near a boss room anyway.


    What they''re saying makes sense on some level, If they had already reached the sixth floor, then they didn''t stand anything to gain with a sacrifice.


    And if they agreed not to go near a boss room Roy and Sam should be safe since they can just carry a map and evade paths that lead to one.


    Yet, as soon as we began talking about the sacrifice though, I could see the other party showing signs of agitation.


    Was I overthinking it?


    Trusting a party to help you out on any floor is already a hurdle, and the fifth floor just happens to pose the biggest reward for backstabbing others, but then again, you can''t go far as an adventurer if you don''t trust someone else.


    Even Roy and Sam were strangers before entering the dungeon, but to keep advancing, they had to put their trust in other strangers many more times.


    It was the case when they teamed up with me, when they formed the party that disbanded and it just so happens to be the case with this party now...


    I want to warn Roy and Sam, but this feeling might only exist thanks to our previous encounter.


    Above all, I couldn''t find a reason for them to act in the way I was expecting.


    Beatrice: "...Isn''t a statement with purposefully misleading proof the telltale of a liar?"


    She got close to me and whispered in a low and cold voice. Like the other girls, her eyes never left the people in front of us, and even while I was talking with Roy and Sam, it felt like a fight could break off at any moment.


    It felt reassuring to me that she was also thinking there was something off, but the way she said it was a bit confusing.


    This ended up helping though, as when I tried to make sense of her words, I had to narrow down which statements they had made with possible misdealing proofs.


    And there was only one.


    They said they were on the sixth floor already.


    Proof of that is their levels, which are above the level cap of the fifth floor, meaning they must have leveled up after defeating monsters on a floor with a higher level cap.


    Both of these are facts, but they don''t prove each other. Even more, they purposefully rely on a misconception on the part of their victim.


    It''s true that the fifth floor of this dungeon only offers a level cap of up to 25, and to reach a higher level, you''d need to go to the sixth floor.


    In this dungeon.


    Which isn''t the only one that they can enter.


    There are not many options in this area, and this is highly seen as the best one for beginners since the level cap doesn''t increase too much from floor to floor, making it one of the easiest dungeons you can explore.


    But if you wanted to, you could find a dungeon where something like the very second floor has a level cap of 30. And you could most definitely get levels there if you were already around 20, you''d just have to deal with your level getting capped for the first floor.


    As such, if you were a level 25 adventurer who hit the cap of the fifth floor, struggling with its monsters and knowing that it''s impossible to defeat the boss and advance like this, you could try to get more levels in a more difficult dungeon, and thene back slightly stronger.


    Your level would be capped all the same, but as long as you invest in skills that are beneath the level cap, you would still get a notable difference.


    High-rankers do that all the time as they explore multiple dungeons and try to get any advantage possible.


    But what if that wasn''t enough? What if you still struggled after getting overleved?


    If you were stuck on a normal floor, well, tough luck.


    But on the fifth floor, it''s a different story.


    Like a devil on my shoulder, Bea continues...


    Beatrice: "Trusting someone is scary, that''s why I can only do it after scrutinizing their every word. Even then, this witch has chosen to trust you every step of the way. You only have to say the word and I''ll see it done."


    There was no reason to not believe her, those are the words of a woman who faced imminent death when asked to.


    Even if I''m not that smart, she is. And if she believes something, it must be right, even if that something is myself.


    I may have been very unlucky today, but since I''m surrounded by people like her I guess karma is just asking a fair price.


    ire and Licia seemed to be debating over why starting trouble in the dungeon was a bad idea, all the while, ire seemed to be ready to strike down even the people she was familiar with.


    A simr thing was urring with Ellie as she had to ask Anna for help in holding Mia back so that she didn''t jump on the guys who had talked shit to Ellie.


    It''s not only that Ellie and Licia are calmer, but it''s that they, as veteran adventurers, better understand the rules of the dungeon.


    In case we started a fight, we''d have to deal with bing a target for other adventurers, and there''s not many ces to hide when that happens...


    Thankfully, we have Roy and Sam here, so as long as we don''t hurt anyone, we should be fine with a little scare.


    The moment I called ire and Bea''s names, everyone shifted their attention toward me.


    It was a bit scary to see how quickly they readied themselves for whatever decision I made, but knowing they had my back, I asked ire and Bea for a smokescreen.


    A giant ring of water appeared around both groups and as soon as it did, fire started raining on it, creating thick steam that started to move and hide everyone in it.


    That''s my reliable witch for you, not only can she act onmand, but she even surpassed my expectations by being able to instantly take control of the steam and change it to provide better concealment.


    Still, I didn''t have much time to waste, so I quickly passed by Roy and gave him a warning.


    Miwen: "For adventurers, the fifth floor makes or breaks them. Don''t forget the death of the Steel Fangs"


    I gave him a little gift to hammer home the point and proceeded to get away from there.


    When I thought Bea was done with her tricks, I also noticed that she used wind magic to block most of the sound of our footsteps, this way, it was practically impossible to know which path we took, and we sessfully managed to evade any trouble.


    Since we didn''t have many options and ended up choosing something on the fly, I got a bit lost on the map, but we managed to find ourselves and head toward the exit gate of the floor.


    Licia: "You gave him the potion you''ve just bought and you also told him something, right? I couldn''t quite catch what you said..."


    Miwen: "It was about the Steel Fangs. If it''s the same as back then, the potions wille in handy. And it''s not like we really need them so..."


    Licia: "I''m not mad about that. I think you did the right thing. I''m d you''re trying to help them out... Ah! But I don''t understand this talk of Steel Fangs, so can you please exin?"


    Since Licia now knows about most ordinary things I kind of forgot that there was no way for her to know about the incident involving the Steel Fangs.


    It''s a pretty old story, it took ce at a time when high-rankers were close to our level.


    On the fifth floor of another dungeon, a pretty strong party at the time was beginning to see its glory fade.


    The Steel Fangs were at the forefront of magazines as one of the most promising and powerful groups, and they had helped the government to clear the first floor of many dungeons so that a dungeon rampage wouldn''t ur, which contributed to them getting a good reputation on the surface.


    But problems were starting to take over for the four-man party. Most of the top parties had already reached the sixth floor of a dungeon, but they had yet to do the same.


    Some people were already starting to question their position, and they ended up choosing the worst possible route.


    They invited more people to join them in the battle against the fifth-floor boss of a dungeon, a two-man partyposed of high rankers best-known thanks to the support they provided for other parties and a scout that was beginning to make a name for himself.


    In theory, it all made sense, everyone was a high ranker and the Steel Fangs just felt morefortable challenging the boss with support from another party.


    But the truth was different. The Steel Fangs took a break to poison the food with sleeping drugs and nned to throw the others out of the hole as a sacrifice.


    Thankfully it didn''t go like that. A man from the other party had more effects on his Gift than it was known at the time and managed to suppress the effects of the sleeping drug. He was also capable of healing everyone from the effect as well.


    Then, a gigantic beatdown proceeded as a girl from the party managed to beat the Steel Fangs alone while the man and the scout defeated the boss.


    This story is mostly remembered thanks to thisst part, which was extremely impressive at the time, but given Roy and Sam''s situation, I truly think they''ll get the idea.


    Licia: "That''s a nice story... I especially like how happy you looked telling me it. Does it have a special meaning to you?"


    I hadn''t even noticed any change in my mood, but Licia always reads me like a book.


    Miwen: "I don''t know if I''d say it''s special to me, but since it''s one of the most famous stories about my parents I guess I felt a bit proud."


    Licia: "Eh?"


    The look of surprise on Licia''s face was priceless. She wasn''t expecting my parents to be the star of the story, and she also wasn''t expecting Alex to be the scout who somehow got involved in a mess and ended up being saved by them.


    After that, she asked me for my opinion on a bunch of stories about her time as an adventurer in her previous life in an attempt to find a story that might impress my parents when they inevitably meet.


    I don''t think they would really care about this, and it is not apetition to begin with, but it was nice to listen to some of her memories.


    Even Apollo left my head tond on her shoulder and started to happily chirp.

 Chapter 86: Fruit Of Discovery

    Another day of raiding hade to an end. We managed to get a level-up since we only had an incident by the end when we were going to go back home either way, but also, we also managed to make $24$ more than yesterday, at a total of $692, making for quite a good day overall in these aspects.


    Since we are somewhat close to the level cap, I decided that we''ll start going all out tomorrow to see if we can deal with the hardest challenges deeper on the floor. For that, I''ll do another round of skill-sharing with the points I''ve been storing so that it''s even a little bit safer.


    Before that though, I still had to meet the Merchant for his daily experiments.


    I found him covered in dirt and mud, a very strange sight considering that even a kid would have to get out of their way to make such a mess of themselves inside this ce.


    Miwen: "Aren''t you a bit old to be ying with dirt?"


    Merchant: "Don''t make meugh. There''s no such thing as being too old to do anything!"


    Oh, seems like the old man has a problem with that, I better take notes.


    Merchant: "In fact, as you age, the things you''re able to-"


    Miwen: "Yeah, I get it gramps. So, what is this all about?"


    Perhaps this works a bit too well since the Merchant seemed to be about to go on a long rant exactly as a grandpa would do.


    And while I would love nothing more than to mess with him, I was also genuinely curious about what he was doing, as I doubt he was really just fooling around.


    Merchant: "... You can see a star and a moon in here right? There''s also a day and night cycle. Let me ask you this Miwen, do you have control over it?"


    Miwen: "That''s... I don''t think so, at least for now. I could theoretically summon and throw things into space though if that counts."


    I had already done something simr in my fight against the Merchant when I tried to trap him inside a house in the middle of the air.


    And while I can change the scenery as I see fit inside the kingdom by spending kingdom points, I couldn''t find any option to create another sun or delete the one we have right now. The same goes for the moon.


    As for the day and night cycle, I also had my doubts about this before, especially during the snow white wolves incident when it seemed like either my Gift or at the very least the kingdom was syncing up time with Earth and Mia''s world.


    I wasn''t in control of what was happening back then though, but seems like the information was useful to the Merchant as he said it confirmed what he thought.


    Merchant: "Both the sun and moon in this ce aren''t as far away as you''d think. They are actually just very small. It''s to the point where I think mosts would break away from orbiting this start. Unless they were very small... about the size this ce currently is."


    So definitely not the size of a at all. I guess that''s a good discovery, but I couldn''t help but think the Merchant just got another mystery for me to solve.


    But this time it wasn''t like that.


    Merchant: "I''m pretty sure I know what is going on. I think if you were to expand this ce, the sun and the moon would grow bigger as well and might even adjust their position in order to maintain the cycle. Normally aes about thanks to its star, but this seems to not be the case here, instead, the star and the moon you''re orbiting exist solely for the purpose of maintaining the.


    Or simting a normal one."


    Makes sense if you ask me. I mean, it doesn''t, but whatever is in control of the systems I don''t control seems capable of messing with time and space as they will, so something like that might not even be necessary, but I can see how it''s useful to...


    Huh... it''s very useful if you want to limate someone to this ce like it''s a normal world.


    Almost as if the intention was to look like a normal ce.


    And there we go again with the idea of intention...


    Merchant: "That''s not all. I was a bit curious and dug a hole."


    Oh, so that''s how he got so dirty...


    Miwen: "What did you find out doing that?"


    I''m not even going to ask why he did it, when ites to this guy his reasons are either idiotic or genius, either way, I''ll probably not understand since I''m neither, so it''s better to cut to the chase.


    Merchant: "Well... I found the''s core for one. As expected, pretty small for a. But also, the distance to it wasn''t big either. What was unexpected was that I came out in a different ce from the one I began."


    So he dug through the entire "world" that is the kingdom... and what''s scary is that he probably did this in another world too as he seems to speak from experience about the size of a''s core and the distance to it.


    Miwen: "Isn''t that normal though?"


    Merchant: "In a normal world, yes. But I was expecting it to be mirrored."


    Miwen: "...Why?"


    Merchant: "Does this ce look spherical to you?"


    I see. This world seems as t as can be, which is something that even Earth''s surface does too, but for entirely different reasons.


    The thing is that Earth is so big that you would need to go pretty high to see its curvature. This ce however shouldn''t be like that due to its size.


    But wait, what does that mean?


    If it''s apletely t terrain that stretches forward, then by forcing your way down you would... fall? At least if this followed logic.


    I guess that''s where the Merchant''s theory of it being mirroredes from, he was expecting that the world was going to use some magic to mirror him back the same way he came instead of having him fall from the.


    Still, it''s not even close to a sphere so it doesn''t make sense that it would act like one.


    Merchant: "You seem troubled. Well, I can understand that. But this is a pretty big indication. Again, the very is made to simte a normal one, while definitely not being one. I can''t reach another conclusion aside from this being by design. It''s made to deceive."


    I couldn''t disagree there, we ended up reaching the same conclusion.


    While I wouldn''t go as far as to say that, given that there was a myriad of different ways for this to work given the powers that be, there must have been a reason for it to try and emte a normal world so much.


    It might be malicious intent, or it might be a sincere desire to shape this world in a way that people can get limated to.


    Either way, it gives credence to the theory that my Gift possesses a will of its own or something like that.


    Miwen: "I''m impressed, you did a good job this time."


    Merchant: "As always."


    Miwen: "Haha, no..."


    While minor, there was something I wanted to ask him though.


    Miwen: "But it seems like you can survive in space huh? So you don''t need air at all?"


    Merchant: "My entire being is way more durable, so it''s not that I don''t need it, it''s just that it would take a few years for it to have an effect. But well, even you can do that too with enough levels or if you used a bit of divinity on yourself."


    How many levels though? If anyone on Earth said that you could expect it to be at most around 80, but with this guy the ceiling is unimaginably high.


    Still, it seems like my strategies from back then really weren''t anything for him to worry about.


    Well, if a human like me could defeat a being like him, the Gods wouldn''t be falling one after another at his hands...


    Anyway, once we were done throwing theories around, we started summoning again.


    The Merchant''s request this time was pretty tame. He asked for a few rolls on food banners from the various categories that they were divided into within my Gift, like fruits and grains.


    There weren''t any that I recognized, but I couldn''t be sure if they were from Earth or not since we do have quite a lot of weird ones that most people probably never even heard of thate from isted ces.


    I did grab a bit of some that I didn''t recognize after the Merchant tested them for poison using his own body.


    To summarize, I''ve seen better...


    The ones that looked sweet weren''t really that much, but the weird ones had very distinctive tastes that while not very vorful were at least interesting.


    For some reason, my instincts were screaming to use them for something. Must be a side effect of [Culinary Arts]...


    Merchant: "Any of them from your world?"


    Miwen: "I''m not sure, but I don''t think so."


    Merchant: "I see, I also didn''t recognize any. But they seemed to be in perfect condition."


    That''s true. While I can''t be sure, they seemed to be pretty good.


    Knowing the Merchant, either he just wanted to eat something sweet again or there''s a deeper purpose. Hell, it might actually be both.


    Since Igged behind with my understanding of hisst actions, I tried my best to pull ahead on this one, but I couldn''t figure it out for the life of me.


    It also didn''t help that Apollo was distracting me by asking for some of the grains.


    I knew thement he made must be a clue to his intentions though, so following that logic... I still came empty.


    Miwen: "So, what was this one all about?"


    Merchant: "I wanted some fruit."


    Miwen: "You could''ve asked me to bring some from the market then!"


    But yeah, given his smile I could tell he was just teasing me like an idiot would do.


    He couldn''t contain himself though and switched back to his serious mode as fast as he entered his idiot clown one.


    Merchant: "I was curious about how healthy it would be, considering that thepanions are summoned after their death. At the very least, this doesn''t seem to follow the same logic."


    I see, so we went from astronomy straight to biology. It took me years to get out of school just for this guy to make me feel like I never left it.


    But he raises a good point, it seems to follow another pattern. The fruits seemed to be summoned on their best state, while the girls...


    Actually...


    Miwen: "I think you might be wrong. You thought these would be in bad condition since they would be summoned after their death, right?"


    Merchant: "Pretty much."


    If you take things at face value, yeah, you could expect that. But there''s another angle to this.


    Miwen: "Perhaps the girls are summoned after their death or at the very moment that they die due to my Gift considering that this is their prime state. It might be that it considers every experience a human goes through as development that enhances that human''s value/condition up to the very end."


    And if that''s the case, there is amon pattern here, it is just that the metric might be different for something like a fruit. Perhaps it doesn''t consider experience as a factor for its condition, instead, only evaluates how ripe it is.


    As far as theories go, this was the best I coulde up with to exin a possible pattern that applies to both.


    I admit though that I ended up jumping to conclusions without much evidence and the Merchant might''ve actually been right.


    Still, he ended up praising me for it, which didn''t make me happy at all.

 Chapter 87: That Which Is Hidden. Lies Hidden.

    After my business with the Merchant was done, I stayed in the kingdom for a little while to see the status of the forest.


    Apparently, the monsters there stop spawning after a certain number, and only increase their number by "natural" means. If the poption drops enough, the spawns will resume though. At least, that''s what everyone has been reporting.


    Thanks to this, we can safely control their numbers.


    Mia reported that she''s been getting experience from the monsters, so it seems there isn''t a level cap inside the kingdom. Well, the Merchant''s existence already proves that, but the interesting bit is that it''s possible to use the kingdom as a secondary means of acquiring experience.


    The only problem with that is that for that to be worthwhile, we''d have to expand thend and hope strong monsters spawn, resulting in the kingdom losing its current safe zone status.


    For now, I believe it''s better to refrain from creating unnecessary risk inside the kingdom, so after confirming the overall strength of the horned rabbits and killing a few to maintain the quota, I went back with Anna.


    It was about time for dinner, and since I had volunteered for today''s hunt, Licia and Ellie were charged with cooking since the others either didn''t want to deal with that or didn''t know how to do it.


    It''s still amazing how they use the same ingredients and utensils I do and stille out with something that tastespletely different.


    I tried to help them with the dishester, but they refused saying that I should kick back and rx, and since they were emanating very strong housewife energy I wasn''t strong enough to resist.


    Once that was done everyone returned to the kingdom one by one, except ire and Licia who remained with me on the sofa, resting their heads on myp.


    We were "watching" something on TV, but to be honest I wasn''t paying attention. The warm feeling of their cheeks and the way their hair was entangling was so calming that I found myselfpletely focused on caressing them.


    ire: "What did I tell you? He likes it."


    Licia: "Hm... I still think the other way around would work better..."


    ire: "But it would be too much work, also, I wouldn''t be able to pay attention."


    As much as I''d like to call her out, everything she said ended up being right.


    Still, it''s pretty clear to me that they are doing this to help me rx a bit. And while I''d like to say they don''t need to trouble themselves with something like this, I already know that anyment I make on that will be immediately rejected.


    I also appreciate it a lot and there shouldn''t be a problem in indulging myself every once in a while.


    Miwen: "Have you two made peace already?"


    Ever since the incident, it seemed like they weren''t on good terms with one another. I prioritized getting out of the dungeon before talking to them about it, but now that it''s just the three of us it''s as good an opportunity as I''ll get.


    Licia: "Mm... I don''t know... It wasn''t anything that serious, we just had a disagreement so..."


    It''s that kind of situation where things didn''t escte enough to create attrition, but things became awkward and neither side seems to know how to best approach reconciliation, even more so since both seem to still maintain their opinion.


    I didn''t want to give this any chance of permanently hurting their rtionship, so I decided to listen and help them out...


    ire: "I swore my loyalty to him, if he wants me to fight, the opponent doesn''t matter..."


    Licia: "I get that. If a fight broke out I would also help, but it seemed like you weren''t going to hold back at all..."


    ire: "Yeah? That''s because I wasn''t."


    All of this started due to them having different opinions about how to deal with Roy and Sam once they viewed them as potential enemies.


    Due to their rtionship, Licia was going to hold back to not hurt them.


    On the other hand, as soon as they presented a threat, ire was ready to strike them down as if they were the same as the other members of that party.


    Licia: "But you also know them, wouldn''t you feel bad about it?"


    ire: "I guess... but that wouldn''t impede me. As his sword, once pointed to an enemy I''ll do my job. I''ll only hold back if he tells me to, my allegiance takes precedence..."


    Licia: "...But that''s... you''ll end up hurting yourself then. I think ultimately that would hurt Miwen too since he cares so much about you. Do you really think he desires unthinking weapons that hurt others on his name without batting an eye ?"


    Hmm... that''s a bit hard.


    In the end, both show concern and loyalty to me in different ways.


    While my own actions are more biased towards ire''s, as in, if an ally turns into an enemy I don''t think I''ll be as merciful as Licia might expect, it''s still true that I want them to think ande to decisions on their own, so as far as the argument is concerned, I''d rather ire was honest to her feelings and held back without me having to tell her to if she feels bad about it.


    They were so close to each other, but they didn''t look at one another while they spewed forth their thoughts. As for me, since I was still patting them, I could feel as they became more restless...


    Eventually, silence started to take over as they couldn''t agree and waited for me to give my take.


    I couldn''t bash ire''s loyalty and determination since I really appreciate it. But at the same time, I would like them to avoid going against their own moral code or feelings, there''s no way I would feel happy seeing them killing their own hearts


    Miwen: "You do realize it''s me you''re following right? I only take a good decision like half the time, and even then there''s a bunch of caveats."


    ire: "Meaning...?"


    Miwen: "Meaning that you should trust yourselves and your feelings as much as possible. I count on you to fill in where Ick and I learn a lot from watching the decisions you guys make. Above all, you''re free to make your own choices under me, so if you truly want to devote yourself to that extent, I won''t go against it. In this case, though, I''d prefer you didn''t try to kill Roy and Sam...


    monsters don''t really matter, but when ites to people, I think it''s better to be careful before deciding to outright kill."


    There are a few problems with killing people. Outside of morality, people create connections, and if you unterally sever this connection, you might find yourself with a target behind your back without even knowing about it.


    Monsters don''t care about each other, they won''t seek revenge. People will, and that might create a series of problemster on down the line, so I''d like to consider carefully before deciding to take someone''s life.


    Of course, if my own life is at risk or the girls, then there''s nothing to think about, but in this case, we already knew we could deal with them without going all out, and even though it might be mean to say this, the fact is that the addition of Roy and Sam wouldn''t change anything.


    I know I was a bit vague with them, but this helps them reach their own conclusion about how to act, which-


    Beatrice: "That''s convenient isn''t it?"


    Hm?


    I recognized Beatrice''s voiceing from the kitchen. I thought she had already gone back to the kingdom, but it seems I was wrong.


    Since she was quietly reading a book in another room I didn''t even notice her presence at all.


    Beatrice: "You know... loyalty shows itself in many ways... and while it''s correct that you can both demonstrate loyalty while imposing limits on how far you''re willing to go against your own beliefs in the name of your allegiance... the best way to be loyal is to act on behalf of the one you''re sworn to while considering what is it that you can do and what is it that they desire..."


    Licia: "So... you agree with me?"


    Strange. I didn''t get the impression that Beatrice was in ordance with Licia at all... if anything, it seemed simr to my own feelings, a bit in the middle of the road, but...


    Beatrice: "Not quite... sometimes what people desire and what they think they desire is different, leading to what might look like contradictions. You might have to dig deeper into someone''s character if you want to act per their true desires. It might lead you to actions that go directly against the one you''re following, but if it''s to fulfill for his own good, isn''t it also a case of loyalty?


    Perhaps even more so than someone who acts based simply on the surface desires shown to them..."


    Licia: "... I guess... but what are you trying to imply? Even Miwen said that-"


    ire: "I think she''s saying I was right."


    Beatrice: "That''s not what I meant, but since it''s getting a bitte I''ll be going now..."


    And just like that, a pop-up that asked for permission to enter the kingdom appeared for me. It seemed like Beatrice had nothing left to say so I let her go.


    As I thought, she and I have a simrly nasty personality when ites to "other people", but she seems to go even beyond me.


    I guess that''s the natural path of a solitary, too much time thinking deeply about others makes you capable of looking through them a tad too much, which eventually makes you see things that would be better left unseen.


    Still, I gotta thank her for what she did just now. Through her words, she made both Licia and ire reflect quite a bit, and the discussion changed from arguments directed at each other to trying to further understand their own perspective and what Beatrice meant.


    As a result, even if Beatrice meant nothing and just randomly threw an impossible problem for them to solve, it ended up working pretty well to get them back together.


    However, I do think she meant something with her words...


    They seemed to be aimed at a very precise target, and I know exactly who.


    But since it''s hard to look at yourself so critically, I wonder what is it that she sees.


    Well, I can''t evenin about her vagueness... as she said, it''s convenient.


    I checked up on Roy and Sam before going to bed with the girls, just to see if everything was alright and also to give some advice to them in case they didn''t catch what I meant back then.


    While they''ll continue with their partnership with that party since it''s profitable for them, they did say that they''ll keep their eyes open for anything that mighte their way.


    As a gesture, I also offered to help them in case theye to need it.


    And just like that, peace had been restored in the house and we enjoyed another night together.

 Chapter 88: Lords Of The Fifth Floor

    Today''s objective was to go as far as possible within the Fifth Floor. By testing ourselves against the strongest monsters the floor can offer, we would gauge our odds against the floor boss.


    Before doing that, however, using my Gift to share skills around would boost our strength even further.


    I had to start with [Enhanced Drop Chance] as this skill is universally useful for our pockets.


    After the obvious one was out of the way, I had to consider everyone''s build and current function in the party to figure out where I should strengthen them or which point should be reinforced.


    It''s easier to start this with myself since it also helps when passing down skills to otherster.


    Thanks to my Gift, I''m quite flexible regarding positions and functions, and I''ve been using that to support every space possible within the party.


    By standing on a secondary line and taking care of the nks, I can fall back to support the frontline with magic, help the backline in case we end up surrounded, or even charge forward to help the frontline in case we need to break through enemy formation.


    Thanks to Anna''s Gift, I don''t have to spend as many points on strength to maintain myself as a good alternative for the frontlines, as such, I''ve been investing more into intelligence to help out with magic and strengthen my abilities as a supporter from the backline.


    The only department missing on this equation for the build I''m going for is speed, which means I''m getting more levels from Mia''s [Movement speed up]. I only went up to 12 on this skill, but since it''s getting close to Mia''s level, It''s about time I start to n what to do in the future.


    It''s a bit hard to do since the gacha results are unpredictable and might change everything, but it''s necessary nheless.


    The reason I refrained from going all-out on Mia''s skill is that I was also eyeing a very expensive, but also incredibly powerful skill from another citizen, that is, ire''s level 15 [Fire Magic].


    While my support might not be as precise as Beatrice and Ellie''s, by abusing ire''s magic I can help differently by providing sheer firepower.


    Next on the line... I decided to go with both Anna and Ellie as I was going to provide them with 6 levels on the [Movement speed up] each.


    Anna doesn''tck strength or durability at all, so I''m hoping that with this she can reposition herself faster and also quickly tackle the next enemy, since it''s useful for me if she keeps focusing on strength and defense, by providing her with speed I can fill this small gap.


    As for Ellie... normally speed wouldn''t be necessary for an archer on the backline who can calmly take aim and shoot their enemies. But well... she''s a bit of a special case.


    Her aim is impressive, and her shooting speed is already great, but I think that by further improving her speed she''ll be able to hit enemies while moving at fast speeds just fine, and even if that''s not the case, by giving her speed above what you''d expect of an archer, I increase her odds in closebat since she''s also able to fight with her daggers.


    Another person who benefits a lot from [Movement Speed Up] is Licia, so I increased hers by three levels.


    I would love to give her more but I still had something else in store for her. My [Ice Magic] ended up leveling up naturally as I''ve been using quite a lot, and since I was a few levels above Licia, I decided to share it with her as it''s one of her primary resources when fighting. With this, her Ice Magic reached level 8.


    After that, it was time for our resident pyromancer and the sneaky witch, which might be the most difficult ones to decide.


    For Beatrice, I decided to strengthen her [Fire Magic] by two levels since she seems to be focusing on other attributes for now, but I also gave her [Mana Shield] as she kind ofcks a lifeline.


    We haven''t had a situation where she needed something like this, but as the floors be more challenging, there mighte a time when she needs it, so it''s better to secure that front while it''s still early.


    She can also use it to protect us, and considering she focuses her points on intelligence, it might be a defense as strong as Anna''s, though ites at a hefty price mana-wise and so is not as reliable.


    As for ire... her kit is pretty focused, and she''s been getting so many levels that it is a bit hard to see where I can help.


    I have a few possibilities, but most use mana, which she probably won''t divert from her fire magic, so, I ended up going with [Greater Might] to boos her strength further.


    Last on the list was Mia.


    I thought it would be a long time before I could help her out with her skills but due to the unique circumstances she''s facing on the Fifth Floor, I actually have something that might help her out, if only momentarily.


    By sharing my [Swordsmanship] levels with her, I''m sure she''ll have an easier time handling the des. She''ll still need to train to be as good as possible at it, but this should show some effect from the get-go.


    I think she was a bit shocked that I ended up helping her like this, but I still didn''t manage to get even a kiss as a reward from my cute fiance. Though I''m pretty sure I heard a faint "thanks"ing from her...


    Even though I''ve been saving quite a bit, due to the high levels of the skills, it was very expensive to share them around with everyone, and I ended up with just about 40 kingdom points left. It''s still enough to share a low-level skill, but I''ll keep them so that I can use them on the fly if need be.


    I made sure to do this inside the kingdom so that the Merchant could gather as much data as possible, but since he didn''t seem to have anyments, we packed up and went to the dungeon.


    Once inside we focused on going as deep as possible. I also wanted to test how well I could do as a support on the backline now, so I focused on that for the most part.


    Sadly I ended up messing quite a bit... the sudden spike in levels that I got on [Fire Magic] made it really hard to keep it under control, even though I always kept in mind to use less mana than normal. I would always end up affecting a much bigger area than I had in mind.


    Power-wise it''s a bit addicting how I can melt a big group of monsters in a single attack, but for now, I decided to use it only in controlled situations and changed to [Ice Magic] for the most part.


    While not as strong right now, it''s way more versatile and provides and I have way better control over it, which seems to be the most essential when working as support.


    We went with this formation for a while, up until we met three [Lords] very deep within the dungeon.


    We still weren''t far enough that only monsters at level 25 appeared, but it was a vast majority.


    I quickly checked their levels, and unsurprisingly they were all at the level cap.


    What''s more... just ahead of us there was a putrid scent on the room where the monsters corrupted by the smiles stayed.


    Wings, horns... skeletons that looked too big or too small to be human... remains of people of different races could be found... one of the monsters was sitting close to a fresh corpse, the slime melting and absorbing the remains onto itself.


    It was a very grotesque sight, but I kept wondering about their equipment. It was nowhere to be found. On this floor, it''s to be expected that people are a bit more professional and at the very least bring something with them, so theck of items all around was a giant red g.


    Miwen: "Status-wise they only lose to Mia and Anna... but I think we can manage..."


    Three [Lords] is at level 25 is quite a good encounter for us if we can defeat them we would probably get a level-up already...


    Since everyone seemed to be in agreement, we went for the kill using all the resources we had avable.


    When we are going all-out, it''s basically a rule at this point to let Ellie start with her shots as an early hit can make battles way easier, and given that we were still hidden from them, her silent shots are perfect for a surprise attack.


    She prepared herself to shoot two times in quick session, the first arrow used [Wind Magic]to boost its speed, and the second one used the wind to slightly curve in the air, making for an almost undodgeable attack.


    But... For the first time in maybe ever Ellie missed both shots.


    Ellie: "W-what?"


    Her aim was perfect, the first shot should have hit one of the monsters right in the head while the second one was aimed at its torso, by all means, they should have hit, but the monster incredibly managed to avoid both of them even though he looked distracted.


    ire: "He''s impossibly fast!"


    Wrong... even if he were to avoid the first shot, he would have most definitely jumped toward the second one, he could only dodge them if he knew they wereing.


    Beatrice: "It''s not that... he started moving before she shot."


    Miwen: "Yeah... his Gift might either be irvoyance or a danger sense... either way, ire, can you take one of the others down?"


    In case Ellie doesn''t seed. before we sh, we still have another option to boost our odds. Entire groups of monsters be ashes when faced with her magic, so even though we''re facing [Lords], if she focuses on taking down only one, it''s pretty much a guaranteed kill.


    Two giant fireballs started to manifest, one in each of her hands. In a single moment, their size diminishes greatly, and even though I''m not that close to her, I can feel the heating from them.


    She decided to target the same one Ellie just did, but she chose a pretty good strategy.


    When the monster dodged the first fireball, it exploded near him, and the second one exploded right on his face before touching him.


    It doesn''t matter if he can dodge it or not, as soon as those came close, it was game over.


    Or so it should have been.


    ire: "You''re kidding..."


    A green magic barrier surrounded the three monsters... the one ire targeted was halfway broken, and the monster seemed to have lost an arm, but still, it survived.


    Not only that, but they were now too close for her to follow up with the same attack, and we had no choice but to engage in closebat.


    Ellie: "They might need you there.


    Miwen: "Yeah, I''m leaving my back to you."


    We had the numerical advantage and could determine at least a little bit of their Gifts, the problem is that they worked pretty well together.


    These monsters are already a pain to kill, and the irvoyance/danger sense Gift contributed to that to an unreasonable degree. The second monster having abilities rted to barrier magic also provided them with further protection, and every we were just about to hit, a barrier would emerge to deny our kill.


    The third of them seemed to be a bit easier to deal with. The slime overtaking the monster was grey and so was its skin. it felt like I was hitting iron and metal whenever I tried to cut either the slime or the monster corpse it controlled, which ended up not doing too much damage, if at all.


    He also hit like a truck, even if he didn''t manage to hit any of us directly, he managed to put Anna on her knees while she defended against his attack.


    While it seemed like they maintained a standstill for a few minutes, if not for Beatrice''s support I don''t know who would end up winning their power struggle.


    Anna: "I think we are in a pinch..."


    Indeed, if we went on like this, it could frankly go either way...


    The problem is that Anna and I aren''t managing to put enough pressure on this guy to be a burden for their mage, we only create kill chances every so often, leaving the mage enough room to protect everyone while still dealing with the rest of the party alongside the third [Lord]


    Ah... the girls won''t like this, but if we want to win, I think we''ll have to go do it this way...


    Miwen: "...Mia, you team up with Anna, together you can overpower him. Licia, ire, put pressure on the mage. I''ll take the fast boy."


    Licia: "Alone? That''s reckless!"


    Miwen: "I''ll be fine, trust me."


    As much as she''s against it, it seems like she also came to the same conclusion, so it''s hard for her to refuse.


    ire can break through the mage''s barrier with her magic, and when she''s together with Licia, their teamwork gives enough leeway for ire to use her magic at levels close to her full power. Once she breaks the mage barrier, Licia ispetent enough to not let the chance go.


    Meanwhile, Mia and Anna are the hardest hitters at the party, even if it''s a challenge for Anna alone, I trust that together they can ovee that monster.


    I could help them out with that, but it would leave one of them alone to disrupt us, and since I would end up bing a burden for Licia and ire, there''s only one way to go about it, dangerous as it may be.


    The important thing here wasn''t for me to win against this monster, I needed to keep him busy long enough for them to finish their opponents.


    It would also be good if I could manage to put enough pressure on him to distract the mage, as it would leave the girls in a better spot.


    Thankfully it seems like his Gift is not irvoyance after all. I started quickly attacking him from multiple directions, and on thest attack purposefully left an opening for him to exploit.


    If he could predict the future, he would know that this was bait, and would either not attack, or would do so while having a countermeasure for the trap Iid.


    The fact that he took the bait and lost his bnce and momentum once I froze the ground without directing an attack toward him, made it pretty clear that he can''t really see the future and can only notice what is directly targeted at him.


    If I had been quick, maybe I could''ve ended him right there, but I was still cautious, which ended up giving the mage a single moment of opportunity to protect this monster.


    I already knew it wasn''t going to be easy, but even while taking all precautions it felt like everything was all for naught.


    Still, I couldn''t let such thoughts overtake me, right now, I held the advantage in momentum, if I managed to keep the pressure up, they were bound to make a mistake somewhere.


    Even if that wasn''t the case, the mage''s mana was bound to end eventually, so right now we had the advantage as it seemed to be a battle of attrition.


    I was a bit reckless while trying to maintain the pressure on him though, and almost got hit, thankfully Beatrice managed to save me by grabbing my torso with a water tentacle and pulling me back.


    I''m not gonna lie, it felt a bit gross, as if my body was being defiled. I really hope she didn''t control the water in any strange ways.


    Still, it felt like we were so close to winning this, but at the same time, it felt like we werecking a little something to put an end to it.


    It was then that Ellie abandoned the backline and came close to me. She didn''t pull out her daggers, instead, she kept a distance from the monster but focused on him alone instead of helping the others.


    Using her speed to shoot from multiple directions, the pressure on this monster was elevated beyond belief, and the number of times the mage had to save his ass increase a lot as we kepting close tonding a decisive hit.


    Finally, we managed to do enough that ire and Licia finished their opponent, and once ire went toward the greyish monster, it was game over for him.


    Anna used the quake of her sword to make him lose his bnce while Mia grabbed her and took her away, leaving ire with the perfect opportunity to use a kill shot.


    Just to be safe this time, it seems like Beatrice also added some fire of her own.


    Once it was one vs all, this monster that was struggling against me and Ellie didn''t really stand a chance, and danger sense or not, he simply didn''t have enough hands to keep us all at bay.


    He tried to struggle until the very end, but it was to no avail, and as soon as he dropped a mana orb, we knew the battle was over.


    This one was veryplicated, but we emerged victorious and stronger from it, so it was time to make our way back before we ran out of mana or energy.

 Chapter 89: Puppets To Desire

    We moved very carefully today to safely reach the deeper into the fifth floor, but thanks to the increase in levels of [Enhanced Drop Chance] we made more thanst time, a total of $772.


    It''s more than enough to cover our daily expenses, and since we were doing fine at home, there was no need to go to the market today, but still, I chose to have Beatrice tag along.


    There are a few reasons for that, firstly, I wanted to test if there would be any problems at all having her around since she''s not registered. Since she''s a normal human, as expected, there was no trouble at all, which makes me question a bit about the effectiveness of the current system when ites to humans from other worlds.


    Unlike other races, if any managed to slip through, it would be pretty hard to detect them after all.


    Going back to Beatrice though, since she helped out with the situation inside the dungeon yesterday and also with what was going on with Licia and ire, I thought she deserved to be rewarded appropriately.


    There was also another reason but before I could get to that she had us change venues.


    Of all things, she decided to use her budget on a cosmetics store.


    Now normally, the girls are the fish out of water in most ces I take them to, but this time I was the one feelingpletely out of ce.


    I usually just buy the basics at the market, and while I''ve thought about hygiene and bought personal care items for everyone when ites to things like shampoo, soap, and such, I kind of just bought arger stock of what I''ve been buying for myself all these years.


    The girls'' interest in such things was increasing as they were learning more about everything Earth has to offer.


    Beatrice: "There are fewer people here too, so I think this is pretty convenient, no?"


    This store was quite big considering the amount of peopleing and going. It''s a mystery to me how they turn a profit like this.


    It does give us a bit more space to talk, and as expected, even though I hadn''t said anything to her yet, she already knew the primary reason I wanted to be alone with her, even hinting at it with her words.


    Aside from that. I don''t know if it was intentional, but the ce she chose killed two birds with one stone as it was of growing importance for the girls while also providing a more adequate local for us to talk.


    Beatrice: "I believe this is about yesterday?"


    Miwen: "Spot on. I''m happy that you helped the girls but..."


    Choosing my words carefully was a bit hard, I had to pinpoint the discussion, but I was still unsure about her words back then.


    Whenever I think back to it, I can only conclude that I was her target back then, and her words felt a bit dreadful as if she saw a part of me that neither the girls nor myself could see.


    It''s scary how she made the pretty devoted girls reflect on their loyalty with words alone, and while I don''t want to approach her as an enemy since I can tell using my Gift that she''s definitely not, It''s still clear that she would be capable of disrupting us if she so desired.


    Even more so considering that the girls look up to her as a mature and logical woman, and it''s prettymon for them to seek advice from Beatrice, leading them to highly value her opinion.


    As such, I need to have a better grasp of what she''s thinking...


    Miwen: "What is it, that you wanted to tell me?"


    Beatrice: "Hm... You know, I''m pretty skeptical, so when I see someone acting like a saint, I can''t help but think what''s in it for them..."


    So I was right then. She doesn''t think about people superficially.In her eyes, people''s words and their actions don''t matter as much as their reasons.


    When you want to protect yourself, this mentality makes you the strongest. It also leads to a pretty solitary life as you''ll oftene to the same conclusion... that people ultimately act in a way that benefits them.


    In reality, that''s nothing wrong with that, it''s what allows us to thrive in the first ce. But the more you indulge yourself in this line of thinking, the harder it will be to form meaningful connections, as you''ll always find a benefit in others'' actions.


    It''s a self-fulfilling prophecy though, as this will make you distance yourself more and more from others, making you unable to see that the people closest to you sometimes act with your happiness in mind too.


    Sure, it''s still an egoistic desire, as they want you to be happy because your happiness also makes them happier, but it proves that egoistical desires can also be used to help others, so while there might not be a perfectly selfless action out there, egoistical ones that are done for the sake of others also work just fine.


    Criticism of warped worldviews that chuuni kids like aside, I know that the girls see my actions as being pure and whatnot, but the benefit for me is explicit enough that I don''t feel like I need to remind them of it.


    I put in effort to help them live their lives as happily as they can because, in exchange, they also help me with the same. It''s through their might that I can climb so fast and possibly reach greater heights.


    And sure, I might do more than what they think a normal person would, but one''s own nature and how far they''re willing to go for someone else vary a lot. There''s also the fact that I feel responsible for taking them to a world that might as well be alien to them while having nothing to their names, and also making them as powerless as possible thanks to the conditions they are summoned in.


    Miwen: "Well, I can see why they would think that, but I barely pass as a good person, in my eyes I''m just-"


    Beatrice: "Precisely. They only think that because of the way you act towards them. But that is not the way you act toward everyone."


    ...


    For a long time now, my kindness towards the girls has been the main gear moving us along.


    Sometimes they have their own opinions about that, but it seems like I''ve jumped the gun thinking it was going to circle back to how I treat them.


    No... this seems to be just a part of what Beatrice has in mind.


    Beatrice: "One time is an exception, two times a coincidence... three times is a pattern, wouldn''t you agree?"


    Miwen: "...Depends on what you''re talking about."


    Beatrice: "The elves back then would hardly categorize you as a kind person. The same could be said about the guys from yesterday."


    Is she saying that I should''ve been kind to them? Really?


    Ain''t no way. Even now I still haven''t forgiven those elves, if I meet them outside the dungeon I''ll be sure to give them a proper lesson.


    The party from yesterday is much the same, forget about being kind, they aren''t even worthy of mercy.


    Still...


    Miwen: "I thought two times were only a coincidence?"


    Beatrice: "...I happened to overhear your conversation with Mia the other day... about how you want revenge. I could see in your eyes a very strong desire... unlike these other times, it wasn''t because you wanted to protect her... no, Mia is already safe in your care... what you wanted was to destroy those in your path...


    to hurt humiliate them, to hurt them... to make them pay..."


    Miwen: "All of that just from looking into my eyes?"


    Beatrice: "But you''re not saying I''m wrong."


    Because she is not.


    But Mia is a special case. They did hurt her. And they also hurt me.


    Their greediness caused the death of a good woman, and the despair of her daughter.


    They hurt someone I care about, they took the life of someone I had grown to like. It''s only natural that I''ll do my best to make them pay.


    Beatrice: "It''s hard to believe that the person who is willing to do so much for others, is the same who wants to attack and destroy a whole kingdom for revenge. I could even go as far as to call it contradictory, do you care about others, or do you not? But well... it''s not thatplex. It''s pretty simple actually.


    In your world, there are two categories of people, allies and potential allies on one side... and on the other, enemies and potential enemies. There''s a drastic difference in the way you act toward each camp."


    Miwen: "Hm... Is that so? How do you exin Roy and Sam though? They were on the other side back there, and I was still willing to help them out."


    Beatrice: "Because they were not enemies. From your perspective, they weren''t a threat, and you feel like you can make them allies. Either way, if a fight had started and you found them on the other side... you would still fight them, would you not?"


    She got me there. Unlike ire, I would most definitely hold back against them, while at the same time, I couldn''t care less about the other party...


    She''spletely right. But I still don''t think I''m wrong at all. By all means, those guys weren''t deserving of the same treatment.


    Beatrice: "...Given that, having an unfeeling, uncaring, and unthinking killing machine is pretty useful right? ire''s way of showing loyalty to you is convenient, so you couldn''t admonish herpletely, even though in that situation, you were inclined to agree with Licia."


    Miwen: "But I gave her freedom to choose when to use lethal force or not."


    Beatrice: "Which is even more convenient for you, as from that she''ll infer that she''ll try to align her use of lethal force on enemies who better align with your definitions. Oh, but don''t think I find that bad. In the end, I only gave them a clue to further dig deeper into your character and work considering your true desires... even those you might not realize yourself."


    ...


    This woman... she''s dangerous.


    I thought we stood on equal grounds, but this is not true at all.


    Had I continued to follow this path, I might be able to see through people the way she does, but I understood how wrong that was long ago. It felt right at the time, and I still believe in a bnced approach of skepticism and optimism, but it does make me way weaker than she is right now.


    I can''t find fault in her words.


    I''m indeed trying my hardest to make the girls happy, but even if subconsciously, there is a hidden nature that contributes to my decisions, instinct making me choose that which benefits me even though I''m consciously putting their happiness as my priority.


    Beatrice: "A kind and pure king is great for the prosperity of a nation, by caring for his citizens, he can make great strides for internal development. It does make him look weaker to others though. In this case, a cold and bold king, who uncaringly ends those in his way, be them external or internal forces, might be the only option for the security of a kingdom...


    I think you might just do for a fine king..."


    Miwen: "Looking so deep into others might be dangerous. Aren''t you afraid that by telling me all this I''ll be wary of you, thus putting you in the potential enemy category?"


    Beatrice: "Maybe. But I''m betting it will only strengthen my position. After all, you already knew that I''m loyal to you and now you know that I can serve your deepest desires, which I intend to do wholeheartedly, be they what they may. If you think about it, since I''m the only one who can serve you like this, am I not your biggest ally? And either way, there''s also a backup I can use."


    Even though we weren''t so far apart, she further approached me, her eyes and her lips showing a lustful smile that was a destructive force in its purpose to ensnare men.


    In a surprise move, she stood on tiptoes to make up for our height difference, her tongue entered my mouth and her arms enveloped me as she brought me even closer, our bodies now sticking together.


    She caught me by surprise, and in that brief exchange, she held the upper hand. Her tongue moved in search of mine. Whenever they met, they would intertwine as she filled my mouth with her saliva.


    My nose was filled by her sweet feminine smell whichbined with her sweet taste, made me lose my rationale as I grabbed her waist in an instinctive move to take back control.


    Thanks to that, it felt easier for me to move, but I still had to fight every step of the way for control against her tongue movements. Worse yet, I needed my hands to strongly keep her at bay, but knowing how close they were to that enticing plump ass, it was a battle all on its own to not give in to the desire to fondle her.


    As if to reinforce the idea that she understood my desires, she broke the kiss as soon as I was about to overtake her.


    Beatrice: "Ah... That was great. I can see how you make the young ones fall so easily... Gotta give it to Ellie, if I was her age I wouldn''t be able to control myself."


    Her kiss was different from any other I''ve had. Her power as a woman is on another level, if she had more experience I wouldn''t have been able to fight back at all.


    Beatrice: "If you want to rush home, we could get a few minutes without anyone suspecting a thing..."


    Miwen: "Are you saying that because it''s what you desire, or is it because you think it would be beneficial?"


    Beatrice: "Hn... aren''t you good at seeing through others..."


    That much barely requires a mind.


    To think the biggest challenge I''ve ever faced outside of the dungeon would be something like this.


    I can barely contain my desire to pin her down even though we''re in public, and yet, I must be strong enough to resist taking her for a quick ride back home.


    Beatrice: "Even when fully clothed, I can tell through the stares that men can''t help their instincts for my body. I think you would be happy no matter what."


    Miwen: "Pfft... haha. Yeah, I would. Make no mistake though, Bea. I''m not a ve to my desires, and I''ve got no intention of being a puppet to your body, on the contrary, I''ll only be satisfied after I''ve dominated youpletely."


    Beatrice: "That would be harder than bing a true king. Even now I can see that you''re barely holding back your instincts."


    Miwen: "We''ll see about that. But while you''re right about my instincts, I can also tell that, while you premeditated all of this, you weren''t expecting to feel so much from a simple kiss. You didn''t answer me, Bea, is that because you now desire it, if just a bit, or perhaps, on a deeper level?"


    Beatrice: "Hah... as I thought... we''re much like one another."


    Seems like I wasn''t the only one who came to that conclusion.


    It took me quite a lot of effort, and this only happened thanks to the special circumstances involved, but I was able to see through her just enough to see her weakness.


    Surprisingly, is close to mine, though, due to a different reason.


    She''s extremely good at looking through others, but due to herck of rtionships, she can only see herself on a superficial level.


    I indeed have a better time seeing through others than through myself, but I''m a bit more bnced, in the way that I can be somewhat true and understanding of a few of my desires, though not of them as she demonstrated.


    The thing is... even while not being as good as she is, I can still see her on a deeper level than she sees herself.


    So it''s true that we''re alike. But we''re not equal.


    After that exchange, however, it felt like we became closer to each other.


    Normally, it might be ufortable for people to be in a rtionship where a partner doesn''t understand the other on somewhat equal grounds, so now that I proved I could match her, it felt like we could be more open to one another.


    With her backup proving useless, she now had to deal with the fact that I now knew what she saw in me, and still epted it either way.


    It''s strange how losing one''s weapon and armor can be beneficial by making them more light, but that was the result. We were closer now that she showed me what she had been silently carrying.


    Miwen: "Still... did you really have to go so much over budget?"


    Bea: "Hm... I think might be a sore loser... also, this one was your fault."


    Miwen: "You think? As I''ve said, you''ll thank meter."


    And so, the witch cast her spell, giving another person a load of things to reflect on.


    This time though, her magic backfired a bit, and she started reflecting on herself.


    When ites to allegiances, the ability to improve the one you''re sworn to might be even more important than serving them.


    And when ites to our rtionship, I think it could be said the same.

 Chapter 90: A Ring Means A Promise

    As soon as we reached home, I had the girlse out from the kingdom and let them organize everything Bea had bought.


    There were bottles and bottles of items for skincare, haircare, and body care, a bunch of tools and essories as well as a bunch of essentials for makeup.


    Frankly, I don''t even know if they''re going to be able to fit everything here, and unlike the kingdom, I can''t expand the house, as much as I''d like.


    I guess for personal/shared things they can bring them up from the kingdom when they need to, but yeah, I''ll leave it to them.


    With the amount we''re making daily, I could also start looking for a more spacious ce but... I think I''m still satisfied with what we have. Even though it''s not luxurious, it''s not cramped either and it feels a bit cozy when everyone''s here.


    It will surely be a necessity once we get more [Citizens] though...


    On the topic of things I don''t have a choice about, while the girls were messing around, I went to check on the Merchant.


    It took me a while to find him, as he was outside the walls, sitting on the ground while meditating.


    From far away, you could definitely mistake him for a woman. A very pretty one at that. It''s really unfair that he gets to be so handsome and powerful at the same time, if not for his rotten personality, I would call out the universe for ying favorites.


    Merchant: "Oh? You''re a bit early today..."


    In the end, Bea and I had rushed home, but not for the reason she hoped.


    I can''t stand the way he looks genuinely surprised to find me here. Is there any need for that? He has a million different ways to sense me from kilometers away.


    It might be his way of acting friendly though... and if that''s the case, it''s at least better than what he showed us at our first time meeting.


    Miwen: "Yeah, we''ll be having cake today... It takes time you know?"


    Merchant: "Hm... I suppose you want to get started already then, but before that, care to answer a question? Why do you have such a disgusting grin on your face? Did your date with the witch girl go well?"


    That''s like three questions... but the answer for all of them is the same though.


    Miwen: "She praised me and I got a kiss."


    Or at least, that''s how I''ve decided to interpret it.


    Even though I''ve been as kind to her as I''ve been to everyone else, it seems like she sees me as a king instead of a person like the other girls do.


    Due to her loyalty, it''s as much a convenience for her as much as it''s for me.


    I do ept her words as true, it doesn''t matter if you call them [Citizens] or allies, I fully intend to do my utmost for those on my side.


    As for anyone who might seek to bring harm to them... any enemy standing in our way, well...


    I''m d that she understands me and is in the same boat, after all, I have no intention of forcing anyone to abide by my will, so it''s good for me to know that she''ll thread my path even through its coldest and darkest.


    Merchant: "Way to go. However, having too much can be as bad as having too little. And when ites to that woman... Hm... I suppose you do make for a nice pair..."


    Miwen: "Uh... thanks? Anyway, what are we thinking today?"


    Merchant: "Oh yeah, since my time here ising to an end soon, I better use you as much as possible."


    Two things: First, why does he have to say it like he''s going to die?


    Second, why does he have to say it like I''m his toy?


    Sometimes I wonder if his choice of words is deliberate or not. I know he''s not human, so perhaps there''s not even a brain working there.


    Merchant: "Alright... so, you''ll be giving me a wedding ring."


    Miwen: "I know I said we''ll be having cake, but I wasn''t nning for a whole wedding."


    Merchant: "Oh, no need to worry. I''m looking for one whose purpose was never fulfilled."


    Hm?


    Somehow the Merchant seemed to be a bit sad, or... nostalgic.


    Strange. In the stories he tells, he mentions love escapades here and there, especially with a Prisci girl who seems to be his current lover.


    But he never mentioned a wedding or a wife.


    And I do feel that this would be something he''d brag about.


    Still, I better advise him so that he doesn''t get his hopes up.


    Miwen: "I''m taking two rolls off the list to get a few spellbooks for Bea, so you understand that your chances to summon a specific wedding ring are like... 21 out of... every wedding ring ever made? Possibly that ever will... In like... all worlds..."


    Merchant: "The chances are the same for all of them no? And I''m also a pretty lucky guy so..."


    Man... I don''t think luck is going to cut it with these odds.


    Well, I''ve done my part by warning him, so there''s no need for me to feel responsible about it...


    Fulfilling the Merchant''s request, I summoned him his rings.


    Most of them don''t seem to offer any protection, but a few have gems or stones that have a bit of a protective quality or spell attached to them,


    It doesn''t seem to be enough to make a big difference in battle but I guess it''s a nice gesture.


    Also... I hope I''m not fucking with anyone''s wedding by making them lose their rings. If in the next event, I get an invasion of angry husbands looking for my head, I''m using his card to offer the Merchant as a sacrifice to them.


    Merchant: "Hm... As expected... I didn''t get it. Boy, your power sucks."


    Get''s bad luck on the gacha once. Gets pissed off.


    I can understand the feeling.


    Merchant: "I guess you can give them to your girls though, so there was no waste here."


    They don''te in pairs you know? And giving them rings that I might have potentially stolen from someone else would make me look like a cretin.


    Though I guess if I filled Anna''s hand with the ones who have protective qualities, it might be useful...


    Yeah, I''ll keep those just in case.


    While his outburst was in a mostly joking manner, the Merchant does seem a bit disappointed by these results. Perhaps, more than I''ve ever seen him be.


    As always, it''s extremely hard to look through him... I wonder if even Bea can do it...


    Miwen: "Look man... the chances were beyond slim alright? But if you want to, we can give it another try. I can get rings in the [Armor Banners] using the [Mana Banners]..."


    The quality of the itemsing from the [Mana Banners] has been slowly increasing as my Mana pool also improves.


    Every day I make sure to use almost all of my remaining mana to further develop my pool, and the [Mana Banners] are a pretty good investment, though the Merchant has been taking everything I get from there too.


    It doesn''t matter too much since the items still don''tpare with the ones I can get from the normal banners, and honestly, it helps to keep the ce clean.


    Though I would like payment.


    To get rings from the [Mana Banners] I have to put in values close to the minimum, so even though I''ve spent a lot of my mana reserve today, I should still be able to get quite a few...


    The Merchant gave me a go-ahead signal and a bunch of rings popped out. Most of them weren''t wedding rings, and there were a few arrows and daggers too, but...


    Seems like he didn''t get what he was looking for again.


    Merchant: "It doesn''t matter. We''ll try again tomorrow."


    Miwen: "... Can''t you get it by just... using your power? Just wish to go where the ring is, isn''t that how it works?"


    Merchant: "Sure. But I''m not wee there. The person who this ring belongs to... she would probably have my head before I could get it from her."


    I thought the number of people who could challenge him was very limited but... I guess it makes sense, if it''s so important for him, it must be propriety of someone he''s familiar with, which probably means another incredibly powerful being.


    Wait, if he''s using me as a proxy to steal it, then forget about random angry husbands, is he trying to have this person kill us both?


    Haah...


    I''m probably gonna regret this, but...


    Miwen: "...Can you transfer mana?"


    Merchant: "Oh... you want me to work as your fuel tank?"


    Miwen: "Just for a while alright? I still have things to do..."


    As soon as he touched my shoulder, in a fraction of a second, my reserves werepletely filled with mana.


    Merchant: "Get going then, we don''t have too much time to waste right?"


    I started doing multiple rolls on the [Mana Banners], just enough so that I wouldn''t suffer from mana depletion, but even though I was spending almost all of my mana in one go every second, he would fill it back again instantly.


    Just how high are his skill levels... no... how bottomless are his mana reserves?


    What''s more, I''m summoning so much that even if I decided to use his seemingly unlimited mana to analyze all of them, I simply wouldh''t have enough time and would fall behind, yet, the Merchan has been capable of determining that they aren''t the one he''s looking for even when hundreds of them fall at a time.


    We kept at it for about half an hour and a gigantic mountain of metal formed behind us.


    Even then... the Merchant didn''t find what he was looking for.


    Merchant: "The ring I''m looking for... its gem gives the user immortality. Perhaps, you can''t get it since it''s considered too strong of an effect for the amount of mana you''re spending."


    No shit, Sherlock.


    If I could get something like that by spending 1 or 2 mana points a time I would be on top of the world right now.


    Miwen: "And I thought giving a ring with a protective spell was a nice gesture..."


    Merchant: "...It was meaningless though, the woman who received it was already immortal with or without the ring. It was meant to symbolize their love... something that wouldst for eternity."


    Miwen: "...But you said the ring never fulfilled its purpose? That''s pretty sad..."


    Merchant: "...It was not meant to be. No matter how strong their love was, she wasn''t someone that could simply..."


    Raw regret and sadness... not a sliver of his usual demeanor. If this is a mask he wears... it''s the best constructed yet.


    If that''s the case, I''ll fully admit that he won, as I believe the emotions he''s showing right now are simply true.


    An honest Merchant is pretty scary.


    Miwen: "...I don''t know how it works for you immortals but... if anyone has time to right something, it''s you guys right?"


    Vague and empty advice, but it''s pretty much the best I can do.


    I don''t really understand the circumstances, and if the Merchant wanted to about it, he wouldn''t have stopped himself midway.


    Merchant: "...Sometimes, the very desire to make things right, ends up making things wrong. Oh, but that''s all in the past! More importantly, you seem to take immortality pretty seriously, huh? Do you wanna be an immortal?"


    Miwen: "That''s... I don''t know. I feel like I''m a bit too young to fear death. I''d also like to be more of an adult if it''s gonna freeze my age permanently."


    Merchant: "Hm... but if you wait too much, you''re gonna freeze your appearance you know? If your hair starts falling by then, it''s gonna be like that forever. Not even the highest levels of holy magic can cure that."


    Miwen: "Don''t even joke about that."


    It''s pretty obvious that he changed the subject, but it felt like I would end up hurting him if we kept going, so I was more than happy to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of immortality with an immortal.


    Surprisingly, even though I don''t wanna ce myself on either side of his war, I find myself thinking of the Merchant as a good friend.


    As Bea would say, an ally.


    I guess it''s good that I can''t really help in his fight, because more and more I feel inclined to lend him a hand.


    The thing is... this guy seems like a genuinely good person. An idiot most of the time, but still... he knows about so much and he seems to carry more weight than I can even fathom...


    The more I know him, the more I think his cause must be just.

 Chapter 91: First Encounter With A Demon

    For the first time in forever, everyone seemed to wake up incredibly early, and as soon as I opened my eyes, my sight was filled with many pop-ups asking me to leave the kingdom.


    The reason for that is the pieces of cake left from yesterday.


    I''m happy that everyone liked it, but I couldn''t expect that everyone would go so far for it.


    I could imagine Ellie and Anna, but even Mia and Bea? That was pretty surprising.


    Not to mention...


    Miwen: "Where''s ire?"


    Licia: "Hnmm... Dunno... Maybe she fell off the bed?"


    Miwen: "Yeah, right."


    It was so early that even Licia wasn''tpletely awake yet even though she''s normally among the first to get up.


    I went to the kitchen directly after leaving the bed, only to find ire getting a headstart on everyone else.


    Miwen: "A proud knight has fallen to the point of sneaking through dawn just to... steal cake?"


    ire: "I''m not stealing though? It''s firste, first serve, right?"


    I never said that though...


    Miwen: "Oh but it''s not me that you have to convince you know?"


    In a second I epted everyone''s request, and a bunch of girls suddenly appeared in the kitchen.


    They quickly made sense of the situation unfolding before their eyes and with incredible strength, a dark, malicious aura started to emanate from them.


    Miwen: "Alright, I''ll be up in a few minutes, so be sure to behave."


    Sensing that a murder was about to take ce, I decided to flee to thefort of my bed.


    The only problem was that...


    Licia: "...Sounds like a war down there."


    Miwen: "It pretty much is."


    I couldn''t enjoy resting with Licia due to the noise, but neither of us wanted to go down either.


    Even though she''s usually the one keeping everyone in line, it would be suicide to put her neck out there.


    Eventually, it started to look like things had settled down, so Licia and I went to check the situation.


    The good news is that no one died. The bad news is that there were cuts and footmarks here and there on the walls.


    Also... why is the floor wet?


    Licia: "What did I tell you about jumping on the walls... and the ceiling?"


    Mia: "S-sorry..."


    Since she didn''t stop eating to apologize, she had her ears down while maintaining a gleeful smile. It was hard to know if she meant it or not, but it seemed to be enough for now.


    Licia: "Also, don''t use magic to attack inside the house. What are you going to do if you break something?"


    Bea: "I-it was j-just water so... and I was striking for upwards from a pool, so it was very precise... a-and... it''s gonna evaporate anyway?"


    Pretty good arguments, I for one am totally convinced. Still, an angry Licia is not so easy to persuade, and trying to do so will only make your punishment harsher.


    You just need to ask ire about it and she could testify for days straight.


    Licia: "It will not though? After you guys finish eating I''m expecting you to clean this mess up or else..."


    Everyone: "Y-yes ma''am."


    Even ire, who was dealt aically small piece ended up epting her punishment as it seems like she got thoroughly disciplined today.


    And while this situation was dealt with, another one came just before we departed to the dungeon.


    Seems like her previous punishment was not enough, after all, she still got a piece.


    The girls decided to use ire as their test subject for everything that Bea bought and decided to do her makeup.


    I was expecting them to take longer since there were plenty of things to experiment with, but with theirbined might they ended up being pretty quick.


    I can''t say I like the result too much though... even more so considering her red hair.


    Bea: "So, what do you think?"


    Miwen: "Hm... 10 out of 10 if you wanted to make her a clown."


    Bea & ire: "Ehh?"


    For starters, too much foundation. I get that they wanted to use red as much as possible to go along with her hair color and choice for clothes but... yeah, a bit too much, even more so considering how thickly they applied the lipstick.


    The eyebrows and the eyeliner were also...


    Miwen: "Go wash your face ire, I''ll do it for you."


    Licia: "You can do makeup?"


    Miwen: "If it''s just a little bit. Bea, give me that other brush set we got please."


    As soon as ire was finished, she came back and I started applying some pretty basic foundation on her.


    To be fair, she''s already very pretty, so it would be a waste to do something drastic. Also, I''m not confident I could do that much.


    Knowing the blushes and using the girls'' past mistakes went a long way, and I used light tones to avoid giving her an unnatural appearance.


    There was not much to do in regards to her eyebrows, just filling one spot or two spots with the pencil was enough.


    Last, I didn''t think her lips needed too much, just some Lip Balm was enough to add a bit to her charm.


    I could''ve done more, but this much felt enough. I had to stare really hard to notice that she was using any makeup at all, so she might not be too satisfied with it, but still, the way it fit unseemingly with her natural look was a quality in my eyes.


    Miwen: "So, what do you think?"


    I used the mirror so that she could see for herself how it ended up.


    ire: "...Uwaah... That''s... How?"


    She had a very genuine smile on her face, which frankly, did more for her looks than any makeup could.


    Miwen: "When sis started doing makeup, she sucked at it. So while trying to help her I ended up learning a bit. Since that one is the same brush kit she had, I kind of cheated a bit."


    I''ll probably never understand why pretty girls see the need to use makeup though.


    I can understand why sister was interested in it since she was pretty young when she started doing it, but while she wasn''t the type of girl that would attract everyone''s attention like Bea or ire, she had a modest charm to her, pretty close to Anna and Ellie''s, so I always wondered why she kept doing it.


    She did be incredibly good at it though, and since I haven''t been polishing this skills, if she was in my ce, she could probably do way better.


    And now that I''m thinking about it... why would they do makeup in the first ce if we''re going to the dungeon?


    Licia: "No one does makeup expecting it tost forever."


    Miwen: "I guess..."


    The girls wanted me to make theirs too, but it would take too long, so I told them that once we got hometer today I could help them out so that they can do it themselves whenever they feel like it.


    I was going to walk to the dungeon with Licia for no particr reason, it''s just that herpany is pretty calm, but ire insisted on going too, so the three of us went together.


    She walked with a smug smile, head held high, showing all of her... pride.


    Every stop on the way would prompt her to ask for a photo, which Licia happily agreed to.


    I couldn''t evenin since I also liked the idea of having these fun moments stored somewhere so that we could revisit them whenever we wanted.


    It was also good to see how far they''vee with technology. When ites tomon daily things, their knowledge is pretty much the same as anyone born on Earth.


    They still struggle with a few things that are normally out of everyday sight, but it''s at the level where that could be chalked up to ignorance orck of interest if I had to pass them as girls born on Earth.


    It took us way longer than it should have, but we finally entered the dungeon.


    Once we got to a safe ce, I brought the girls from inside the kingdom, and we resumed our dungeon-raiding activities.


    We got to level 23 and were somewhat close to 24, so, I thought it would be a good idea to go all out and try to hit the level cap today.


    If things go the way we nned, by tomorrow we should be ready to face the floor boss.


    Venturing too deep through a path always leads to difficult confronts though, but we were managing well enough.


    Thanks to Licia''s training and the skill levels in [Swordsmanship] that I shared with Mia, she had a pretty clear improvement in fighting with the daggers.


    She still fights better barehanded, but it''s good enough for her to consider it as a second option in case an opponent demands it, like the monsters on this floor.


    We were a bit deep when we managed to hit level 24, so we decided to rest a little before continuing.


    It was then that a second party showed up.


    There were humans, dwarves, and demons among them. Their total number amounted to nine people.


    Four of them were humans, while three were demons and the other two were dwarves.


    As soon as they approached, the girls readied their weapons.


    They immediately reacted by doing the same, but a girl with a tail and wings told them to drop their guard.


    She had an enticing smile and was barely wearing clothes, though what caught my attention most of all was her purple lips.


    She sat right in front of us and told the other members of her party to do the same.


    Then, she pointed her finger toward ire and...plimented her. She also started asking questions about her makeup.


    The dwarves on the back left their weapons, a mace, and an axe on the floor, reached for their bags, and brought out bottles of alcohol.


    It was the first time I had such an encounter inside the dungeon, and it was prompted by a demon of all things.


    I checked the bottles to see if there was nothing out of ce, but they were clear.


    The woman leading them is a subus, she''s called Erika. She''s a level 50 mage and is helping her sister''s party get through the fifth floor.


    Since there''s the whole thing with the sacrifice before fighting the boss, I can understand why she would be worried and lend a hand to her sister, even though this party seems to be working for some time now, it''s better to be safe than sorry.


    These guys were pretty friendly, and I finally got to feel firsthand why it''s said that demons are the easiest to deal with from all the races of the other world.


    They are very... unrestricted. Speaking their mind no matter what, they also seem to be pretty nonchnt about contact. Even the humans from this very party can''t warm up so easily to us, even though our party consists of mostly humans, to begin with.


    There was one unexpected problem though... perhaps, Erika was a bit too friendly.


    She was very close to me and even had her arm around my shoulder at one point.


    Of course, the way she was being so chummy with me didn''t go very well with the girls... But it was still in good fun, so aside from deathly stares, not much happened.


    They offered to explore the dungeon together and made a pretty fair offer to share whatever we got from this point on evenly, without considering from which group was the person who managed to drop the item.


    Since they had a number advantage over us, this would pretty much be a bad deal for them, so it was pretty nice of them to suggest it.


    Still, we decided to go on our way. It''s simply better for our party to go alone since we get way more experience.


    This was pretty much the highlight of the day, as even though we found more [Lords] today, their Gifts either didn''tb as well, or they simply couldn''t use them too well, so in the end, we managed to hit the level cap of this floor and head back home safely.

 Chapter 92: Another Way

    Some girls stayed home to experiment with what Bea had bought on the promise that I would help themter, all the while Licia, Mia, and Ellie came to the kingdom for their training.


    Even though the Merchant was going to depart from the kingdom tomorrow, meaning that this would be one of thest rounds of summoning I do for him, he still wanted to give the wedding rings a chance.


    Since Bea had a lot of books she hadn''t read already, I made a deal with her. I wouldn''t be putting tickets into spellbooks anymore until the Merchant departed or, if he got the ring he''s looking for.


    Of course, I wasn''t gonna break my promise to her, so as soon as he''s gone I''ll get her enough to make up for the ones I''m not getting now.


    While I hate to admit it, I felt kind of bad for him, so I couldn''t help wanting to help him out.


    It''s not enough to make too big of a difference, but it''s at least something.


    As such, I spent 25 tickets on wedding rings for another guy even though I still had yet to get a single one for my fiance.


    The chances were abysmally low, and yet, upon a quick nce at the dozens of rings scattered around, the Merchant imed victory.


    Merchant: "Jackpot! I told you I was lucky."


    Yeah, something tells me he cheated some way or another. Perhaps he has a skill that increases his luck, or a buff he can apply to himself.


    I just can''t believe he got it with such unfathomable odds.


    Still... it doesn''t matter if he did something or not, I was d that I managed to help this idiot...


    Merchant: "Hm... Now I feel indebted to you... that''s not good..."


    What does he mean? Did he forget I gave him a small fleet? And while the weapons and armor he got weren''t good enough for him, he still took them anyway so that his cksmith friend could use his Gift to try and learn something.


    Even if he didn''t get the ring, I''ve been giving him enough goods for a lifetime.


    Miwen: "So... why is the ring so important?"


    The description just tells me that it''s a ring made to represent one''s promise and that it gives an "immortality" effect.


    Somehow, it feels like the description is a bitcking though... perhaps, if I had more levels in [Appraisal] I would be able to see more information about this ring, but as it stands, I didn''t get new details about it, which made it look like a simple wedding ring with a strong effect, even though I already knew that there had to be more about it than just that.


    Had I gotten this by myself before meeting the Merchant, I would think it''s a pretty incredible item due to its effect, but the Merchant doesn''t need immortality, to begin with, so I don''t really understand what is the importance of this thing.


    There''s also the fact that apparently, the owner of this ring is not to be messed with, and would even kill the Merchant to prevent him from getting it.


    It''s a bit scary to be his aplice when thinking about what might happen if this person discovers this, but since nothing happened after we acquired it, I think we are safe...


    It isn''t above me to throw the Merchant under the bus either, after all, it was his idea and it''spletely his fault. I''ll totally wash my hands off of this if I have to.


    Merchant: "This... is something the other cycles didn''t have. It will be a second chance."


    Yeah, the me is on me for expecting a direct answer.


    At the very least, the way the Merchant talks about it makes it seem like a good thing, so I''ll trust that he''ll put it to good use.


    Miwen: "Have you thought about what you''re going to summon next? Since the first one didn''t count, it''s gonna be yourst."


    He looked a bit disappointed before starting to think deeply about it. He understands that I''m not his personal wish-granting machine right?


    You can''t rub me or throw coins and expect an unlimited food supply to appear.


    Merchant: "... More ships would be useful, but I don''t wanna risk another sure-to-sink monstrosity... the weapons arecking, they wouldn''t be able to hurt a God... hm... Meet me in my house tomorrow, I''ll have something ready by then."


    Mysterious as always, but I''m looking forward to have he might have in store. There are a few banners that would be pretty bad to be used inside a house, but he wouldn''t be dumb enough to use them... I think.


    Since the Merchant and I were done with our business, we went to check on the girls that were in the kingdom.


    First was Mia and Licia. Their training was... very extreme. I thought Mia was pretty hard on me, but it seems like she''s even harder on herself.


    I guess it''s to be expected given her age and her abilities. She was facing a Licia that was going all-out though, so even with the level gap, she barely had any breathing room as she struggled to keep the pace using the daggers.


    Surprisingly, the Merchant decided to help them out as well and made the two of them fight him on the promise he wouldn''t get away with his Gift.


    He even asked me to participate as well, so thinking that this little mock battle would be a great exercise in preparation for the boss battle that was toe, I actually brought everyone.


    The Merchant kept healing us of our fatigue and mana since we weren''t in the best shape due to fighting in the dungeon today. Doing it like this also meant we could keep going for way longer than it would normally be possible.


    It''s a bit bad to intrude on the girls'' resting time this way, but a chance like this doesn''te often since the Merchant rarely takes anything seriously.


    Even though it was a mock battle, the girls were seriously fighting to kill. It was fine since our weapons couldn''t even hurt him, to begin with, but since he kept messing with them during his whole stay, the girls decided to use this opportunity to deal with their pent-up grievances toward him.


    Them taking this so seriously wasn''t the best choice though... even without using his Gift, the Merchant was simply too fast for us to apany. He made sure to always be just a step ahead, answering our every move with a perfect counter.


    I''d say we improved quite a bit since thest time we faced him, both in power and teamwork. And with him replenishing our mana, some of the girls were going way beyond all-out.


    The very scenario outside of the kingdom walls was bing that of scorched earth, with an insane amount of arrowheads spread all across that made it look like two armies just finished an intense battle.


    Even though by the end we didn''t manage tond a single hit, it might''ve been the best practice we''ve ever had.


    In sheer desperation, as if their lives depended on it, the girls were trying all types of differentbos and sneak attacks, pairings, and formations that we''ve never tried in the dungeon were all used to try and get ahead of the Merchant.


    Not only collectively, this also yielded a few results individually as even some of the more experienced girls were refining their craft bit by bit.


    While the girls usually do some one-on-ones, doing big mock battles like this inside the kingdom proved to be pretty beneficial, so perhaps I should set up some sort of arena or training ground for it in the future.


    By the end of the "training", the Merchant gave every single one of us a few tips and provocations, then, he happily went to his house saying he needed to rest after breaking a sweat.


    Even though he didn''t sweat at all.


    Or even seemed like he had wasted a fraction of his energy.


    And even though we gave it our all for more than an hour straight, we also weren''t in bad shape thanks to his abilities.


    Thankfully it was pretty easy to clean up the kingdom using a few kingdom points. There''s not much point in doing it, but it''s good to at least have a pleasant scenario since this ce doesn''t offer much else.


    Once we were home, it was pretty much the same as always, except I also had to take some time to help the girls with their newest interests.


    Mia: "I hate it, but I''ve gotta say... You actually do for a fine househusband."


    Miwen: "Yeah? I still have a wedding ring left you know?"


    Mia: "...Dream on, pervert."


    Even though she talks so harshly, my fiance''s blushing face betrays her words.


    If I were to point that out to her right now though, she''d probably ce the me on the hot water from the bath she just took or something like that.


    Still, that only makes her even cuter in my eyes.


    Miwen: "...Look I tried to keep your nails pointy like you''ve asked but I''ve never done something like this, so..."


    Not to mention, her nails were pretty hard, so even doing them normally would''ve been a challenge.


    In contrast, even without the products Bea bought, her hair has always been one of the prettiest, so I barely had any trouble with it. However, it would be better if she took care of it more regrly.


    Mia: "Eh?"


    Miwen: "Hm? Something wrong?"


    I thought perhaps she hadn''t liked the way Ibed her hair but...


    Anna: "Woah... you look like a princess!"


    Miwen: "She''s technically one you know?"


    I guess the Snow White Wolves had a tribe and not a kingdom, but still,she had pretty much an equal position.


    Mia: "Mmm... thanks..."


    She barely looked me in the eye, and if I didn''t have my full attention toward her, I probably would''ve missed what she said. As soon as she left the chair though, she requested to enter the kingdom.


    She''s still not so good when ites to receiving help andpliments, but she still makes sure to be thankful.


    Mia ended up being thest one I helped, and after she was gone, the girls started leaving one by one too, putting an end to the night.

 Chapter 93: It Was The Work Of A Demon

    Today we left the house earlier than usual. Given that we would be challenging the floor boss, the girls didn''t waste any time at all and were good to go after breakfast.


    There are a few boss rooms on different paths, but annoyingly, most of them aren''t too close to the settlement, meaning we''ll have to go a bit deep to reach the boss room.


    Ideally, we wouldn''t want to waste any mana before facing the boss today, but it would be preferable over an injury.


    Taking this into consideration, it was good that we managed to leave early since it gave us some leeway to proceed very carefully without worrying about wasting time.


    Mia: "...Something''sing our way from the left corridor."


    We were in arge space, and behind us, there were two paths, one we took toe here, and another one that led to another settlement ording to what we investigated while exploring this dungeon.


    There were four paths ahead, and Mia pointed to one of them.


    Neither Ellie nor I could see that far, but ording to Mia, their steps were bing slightly louder.


    Mia: "...There''s moreing after them... perhaps it''s a party hunting a monster."


    In which case it would be better for us to not interfere as any action could lead to them losing a bit of experience.


    Miwen: "Let''s just wait and see, if things get dicey for them we can help them out."


    It doesn''t hurt to give others a hand once in a while, as long as it is one monster, on this floor they don''t stand a chance with us, while it would be nice to avoid as many battles as possible, lending others a hand once in a while doesn''t hurt too much.


    We were somewhat close to the boss room though, so even if we wasted a few minutes here it probably wouldn''t matter.


    And even though there was no order to attack at first sight or anything like that, the girls kept their guard up, especially Ellie and Mia who seemed to be on the lookout on the other paths to see if something else was gonna show up.


    Given thebyrinth-like structure of the dungeon, it is quite easy to get surrounded, so it''s nice that the two of them are always trying to be aware of our surroundings even if they don''t sense immediate dangering.


    Even though we were ready for a monster toe, a strange silhouette starteding from the narrow corridor, and once it got out, we saw for ourselves that it wasn''t a monster at all.


    Roy: "Miwen! Great! Help us out!"


    There were some cuts on his body, especially his arms and legs... signs of a struggle to be sure, but...


    He was also carrying Sam on his back.


    While he wasn''t in the greatest of shapes, she was way more injured, her leg had been prated by an arrow and her arm seemed to be broken.


    As soon as he reached us, Roy''s strength gave out, and if I hadn''t given him support, he would''ve fallen to the ground head-first.


    Barely a minuteter, the rest of their party came through the same path.


    Now, given the rush, it could be that they were fleeing from a monster but...


    Miwen: "Any more steps?"


    Mia: "...Not from that direction."


    Miwen: "Get ready then."


    Their condition also showed signs of a struggle but... no arrow wounds anywhere to be seen. A few cut marks and some redness on their faces, but that was all.


    The cement of the wounds gave away what was happening here.


    While Roy and Sam had their limbs targeted, especially their legs, these guys'' injuries were from the torso up.


    There might be exceptions, but in most cases, you aim at one''s legs to prevent them from escaping. As for the arms, it helps to make them struggle less.


    Now, if you''re fighting for your life, you''ll probably aim for the biggest target, normally the head and the chest area.


    This means that Roy and Sam''s opponents had different objectives than the ones who hurt Derek and the rest of his party.


    Given their proximity to one another and the suspiciousck of other entities... There was only one conclusion I could reach, and it seemed like the girls supported my theory, as the air around us suddenly became way colder and they had their sights focused on the party that arrived, looking for the most minuscule movement.


    Mia: "...Another group Miwen,ing from behind us. They were way quieter so I only noticed now that they are close."


    ...More bad news.


    Did they set up another group to surround Roy and Sam?


    In case we were surrounded, we''d have no choice but to go all out.


    I''m pretty sure Mia and I can deal with Derek''s party, and we might be the quickest alternative, that would leave most of our party to deal with the iing enemies from behind, and I''m sure ire and Licia can hold out for a while even when outnumbered.


    Alternatively, we can probably have ire deal with one of them on their own but in case they can resist her magic, it might be too hard for her alone.


    Miwen: "...Mia, we''ll finish up front quickly, kill the archer girl if you can, if we take too long, we''ll try to unify both enemies into a single spot."


    If ites to that, our party cohesion and teamwork might be preferable over individual action, especially against other humans...


    Even if that weren''t the case... if we manage to get all of them to group up, we can have ire use a kill shot attack on them. Even if some survive, there are bound to be casualties.


    We were prepared to break the biggest taboo inside the dungeon but... as long as we got Roy and Sam to testify, we should be fine... after all, they broke it first, thus, they are targets for hunt, and no one will get mad if they were to be killed inside the dungeon, be it monsters or men who do the job.


    The girls took to their assigned positions as best as they could, and we tried to secure at least one escape route.


    Then, the other party came, but didn''t enter this space, instead, they took a pretty mature action and solidified their position, making sure to also secure their own escape path.


    Derek: "H-help! We''re being attacked!"


    Hm?


    What?


    Derek: "They even got our party members, please!"


    Nine people joined this mess, given the situation, it did look like we might''ve harassed them.


    It''s even worse considering Roy and Sam are the weakest among them... if they were to say that they had fewer injuries thanks to their levels, it would be credible.


    Not only that... we hold the numerical advantage, and with everyone being at level cap, it would be really hard to flip the story, even though it''s true that Derek and his party are the aggressors.


    Still, since there''s no one dead, as long as we don''t act rashly, we might be able toe to an agreement with these people to go back to the settlement and leave the dungeon.


    If that happens, it would also be our win once Roy and Sam heal from their injuries.


    ?????: "Oh? Is that so? What a problem... the fifth floor is filled with these types..."


    Fuck... given the circumstances of the fifth floor, the story of a party attacking another one is more credible, even more so if said party is at the level cap.


    It makes us seem like stuck-ups who aren''t confident about leaving the floor without resorting to the sacrifice.


    All they have is circumstantial and biased evidence but... if you stack enough on top of another, it''s difficult to deny it.


    ?????: "But if they wanted to kill you... shouldn''t you already be dead?"


    Even though it''s a bit far away and they haven''t yet left the path they came through I recognized this voice.


    Derek: "N-no, if you have a scout, you''ll see that we are around the same level so..."


    Erika: "Hahaha... he can''t even recognize the gap between them! Isn''t that so cute? What an amusing fantasy you came up with!"


    Perhaps the Merchant''s luck rubbed off on me.


    Or maybe this is just karma settling its debt for making us run into these guys again.


    Never in my life had I thought I would be relieved upon seeing demons, but here we are.


    Miwen: "Yo! I don''t suppose you guys know healing magic?"


    Erika: "We don''t have a healer with us but... our world''s settlement is close by, you can get some potions there."


    Miwen: "That would be great."


    Derek: "Really? Let''s all go together then! We can sort this out and..."


    Erika: "Or, listen up... why don''t you guys all go home and... pleasure yourselves to death?"


    Huh?


    Suddenly her body became a bit... distorted. Almost like an image glitching in the monitor of aputer.


    Her words felt strange, they held weight. It made me want to listen more, made me want to... obey?


    It was hard to resist, truth be told, I almost didn''t want to.


    The more I tried to remind myself of the content of her words, the sweeter they seemed, and the way her lips moved, it was so-


    Mia: "Miwen! Wake up? We are going."


    Miwen: "Hm? Sorry, I was..."


    Erika: "Whoops, since they had a girl with them I had to use a bit more power... It ended up affecting you too, I''m sorry for that."


    I see, so that''s what it was.


    What a dangerous mind trap... the more I thought about resisting, the more I tried to remind myself that her words only meant harm... the more enticed I became.


    Each passing second made Erika feel more and more erotic, had that gone for a few more minutes, I probably would be looking at her differently now.


    And that''s the thing... those feelings were so strong, that I can imagine them bing permanent had I stayed in that delusion for too long.


    Now that I''ve regained my conscience though I can see a pretty embarrassing situation.


    First of all, my crotch seems like it''s about to burst, and the men from Derek''s party seem to be the same, except that they are also mindlessly walking out like zombies.


    It wouldn''t be surprising if they got killed by monsters in this state, but... given her orders, I suppose they''ll do their utmost to get home, and then...


    I can''t see them getting out of this one.


    Erika: "Still, you must have quite a strong will huh? Or perhaps you''ve been very naughty recently? My pride is actually hurt you know?"


    She says, as she almost made me kill myself with her words alone.


    Still, I gotta be thankful to her, she managed to get us out of that situation splendidly well.


    But...


    Miwen: "Why did you take our side so fast? While we all had a good time yesterday, I doubt someone with your experience would let that interfere with your judgment."


    The way she acts regarding her party shows a great deal of consideration and experience.


    She knows how best to handle herself, she''s capable of analyzing others'' fighting capabilities just by looking at how they portray themselves and doesn''t let levels be the only deciding factor when considering their strength.


    It''s practically the same conclusion I had reached when seeing them.


    Frankly, I think she''s incredibly good.


    I still vividly remember when we were talking yesterday and she said that upon looking at our stances, she felt that a fight between our parties could go either way as she could handle anyone of our party but the rest of hers would lose, which prompted her to act as friendly as possible.


    And now that I know more about her powers, I can kind of see why she became so close to me... it was her way of fighting.


    If her power was so strong against strangers, it must be even stronger against someone who had already fallen for her charms, even if a little bit.


    This is also probably the reason she''s a bit disappointed that I managed to hang in there, even if by the skin of my teeth.


    Erika: "Sweet whispers of love, deceitful lies, empty threats... I''m a subus you know? Seeing the truth behind the words of men is as natural for us as flying is for a dragon..."


    Alright, I better note this down, so I remember to never lie to a subus.


    It''s a bit unfair that she has such an ability just because of her race, I wonder if we humans have anything going for us.


    Miwen: "But are you sure about that? If someone with a Gift leads an investigation, they''ll find foul y in their deaths, and you''ll probably be a fair target for hunting."


    Erika: "You really haven''t been around demons eh? Perhaps I should give you some private lessons... You see, we are very... very bad beings. If something happens, we will be the prime suspects. If there''s a culprit, it''s probably a demon.


    So, we are used to being hated, feared, and yeah, even hunted. But that doesn''t matter... the more you hate and fear us, the more you desire our heads, the stronger we''ll be. That''s thew of Demonic Power that has been passed down through ages."


    ...That''s something the Merchant talked about before.


    Demonic power is something akin to Divinity, but it looks like its nature is theplete reverse.


    Still... isn''t this sad? Even though they are pretty much equal to us, they be more powerful by having their existence be more miserable.


    Miwen: "...Why do people fear you guys in the first ce then?"


    Erika: "The Gods despise us so those who are more devout will also follow in their hate and often offer our hearts as a sacrifice to their preferred deity. But there are also plenty of people who don''t give a fuck about any of that. It''s just that... if there''s such an easy scapegoat, most people will go with the flow, right?


    So there''s nothing to fear, if anything happens, you can just me this demon!"


    Huh.


    That''s... the type of life that no human should ever live, and yet, she seems pretty satisfied with it.


    But could this be true?


    Somehow, I feel like she''s lying. To both me and herself.


    I can understand why she''s looking out for her sister even though their party seems so chill...


    If nothing is happening, then there are no problems, but as soon as a situation pops up, the chances of her sister getting the short end of the stick are pretty high.


    And I thought they had an inherent advantage as a race...


    Seems like I couldn''t have been more wrong.


    Still, it was only thanks to her that we managed to get through that without a fight, and she even presented us herself as a scapegoat if need be.

 Chapter 94: Out Of The Fifth Floor

    Thanks to Erika''s team we managed to get to their settlement rather quickly. We didn''t have enough drops for two potions though, so they also helped us with that.


    Sam told us that my assumption was correct, and those guys really tried to pull the same trick the Steel Fangs failed to use long ago.


    As soon as he began to feel the effects, Roy used the potion I gave him, first on himself, then on Sam.


    Their party noticed rather quickly that something was off, and tried to corner them.


    They managed to push back and escape, but Sam ended up getting shot, so Roy carried her all the way.


    It was pretty much how I expected it, but I gotta give points to my boy, not only did he save Sam, but he also managed to chase off, even if barely, assants of a higher level than his while carrying her on his back.


    I know that the sheer desperation can be credited here, but it doesn''t change how heroic he acted. And it seems I''m not the only one who thinks that as the way Sam looks at him now is slightly different from before.


    Cheeky... But I''ll be cheering for them.


    Aside from that, we still had the boss battle to face today, but...


    We didn''t really waste too much energy or mana, it was mostly time and it wasn''t even too much, the problem is that Erika helped us a lot, and I wanted topensate her in some way.


    Now, as I said that, she had to twist my words and make it seem like I was making an advance on her but when I finally got her to be serious, she gave us a good idea.


    Erika: "You guys were about to fight the floor boss right? Why don''t we all tag along for the ride? This way, I won''t have to worry about the biggest headache on this floor, and these two can also join Madelyn''s group... Since they still have some levels to get on this floor, they can just do so and then go straight to the sixthter."


    Normally we avoid having more people with us since it lessens the experience we obtain if they are not [Citizens] but if it''s just the boss battle, it will be fine.


    Still, there''s one thing I''d like to question before epting.


    Miwen: "And how do I know you won''t use your Gift to make us willingly sacrifice ourselves?"


    A smile more lustful than any I had ever seen from Erika took over, and I felt shivers down my spine.


    Erika: "...Good. Very good indeed. This is how you have to be if you want to survive. But you''re wrong, that wasn''t my..."


    Bea: "It wasn''t her Gift Miwen. It was a sinful type of elementless magic called Arcanum... I''ll exin itter to you but you don''t have to worry, she can''t do it against us while I''m around."


    Erika: "Oh... I take you''re a witch then? It''s rare to see your kind mingle with others. You do know the cost of using Arcanum for a non-demon right? Are you sure you''d like to contest me with it?"


    Bea: "...Are you sure you can afford to get distracted by me in case of a fight?"


    Yeah, these two.... they are way too scary.


    It seems like through their rivalry they ended up forming a bond of sorts, and while Erika''s party was a bit surprised to see someone talking back to her, they didn''t seem to mind it too much Bea''s threats.


    I would have liked to hear something like ''No, I won''t use it on you because we''re friends!" but I guess having Bea''s assurance works fine as well.


    Above all, I don''t think we have to worry about them. They just missed the biggest opportunity to use us as a sacrifice if they really wanted to.


    It''s also a tempting offer since it would help Roy and Sam tremendously.


    In the end, it''s good for everyone, so why not?


    Having agreed to Erika''s idea, we went ahead to the boss''s room apanied by her party.


    Upon entering, there stood the altar and the hole... no matter how unwilling one was, the whisper would always manage to get in their heads. An extremely neutral and cold voice asking if we were ready for a sacrifice.


    You don''t need to answer it with your voice or your thoughts, what really matters is the decision you make.


    If someone falls through that hole, the door will open leading to the next floor without the need to even look at the boss.


    A very tempting offer that preys on frustration and fear.


    Still, we all passed by the hole and entered the room where the boss battle would begin.


    It''s customary on Earth to throw the altar down the hole since in the early days people had this theory that if the altar fell down it would count as a sacrifice, but it obviously does not.


    Some people still think it''s funny to do it though, so it''s more of a joke than a custom.


    Given that we were apanied by a lot of people from other worlds, we didn''t want to do anything strange, but I could tell that Roy wanted to do it.


    All of that was in the past though, since as soon as we passed through the doors, they closed themselves, and the boss was revealed.


    It was a single monster, a giant yellow slime standing 6 meters tall mimicking the form of a humanoid creature. Flesh and bones from multiple monsters were exposed everywhere and worked as its limbs.


    It''s the same type of corrupted monster we see everywhere on this floor but normally, you can tell that the slime took a single corpse and is using it as a puppet like a parasite.


    This grotesque sight followed the same logic... except that it used a bunch of corpses, leading to brains and eyes appearing in ces they shouldn''t be. It does a decent job mimicking a humanoid shape but no one would ever mistake this for anything other than a monster.


    When ites to this boss the battle is pretty straightforward, there''s just one gimmick attached.


    Every time one of its limbs falls down, the monster will just regenerate them and be a little bit smaller.


    As for the very limb that fell down... it will be a slime monster.


    The monsters that the limbs be aren''t too strong, but they can be a problem if we allow too many to exist at once.


    As such, this battle focuses on control more than anything. We have to keep dealing damage to the boss in order to make it lose power and endurance, while at the same time, we must deal with the slimes that appear from its fallen parts.


    If we manage it for long enough, we can then use a powerful attack to finish the boss once and for all.


    Given ire''s existence, we can probably do it sooner than most parties, but I doubt even her magic could take it down for good as it stands.


    Our party started going on the offensive, the monster used acid spit attacks to try and stop us, but Licia managed to prevent them from hitting anyone by freezing them mid-air.


    Once they broke on the floor, they made small puddles of acid though, which made the battlefield itself a bit problematic.


    Burning the acid would also be a bad idea, and so would attacking the boss directly with fire attacks since if the acid vaporizes, it will be poisonous gas. This gave us another incentive to keep ire''s magic for thest attack, as once the boss was defeated we wouldn''t have to worry about the room anymore.


    Usually, archers are pretty bad in this battle, and Erika''s party has two of them who aren''t really doing too much.


    They can''t imbue their arrows with fire magic, so they focus on increasing their power.


    Ellie does the same, but thanks to her Gift, even if she doesn''t do much damage she still debuffs the boss, which is a big help.


    Our casters in the back were each doing their own thing.


    Beatrice focused on using water and earth magic to absorb the puddles of acid and threw them into a corner so that it didn''t affect the battlefield.


    All the while Erika and the casters from her party focused on wind attacks to cleanly cut off pieces of the boss.


    The thing is, once the slimes started popping up, it was up to the mages to deal with them.


    It was too big of a hurdle for the frontline to take both the boss and the slimes that were spawning at once.


    It seems like Bea purposefully decided to not attack the boss directly in order to focus solely on support, and thanks to that, she was one step ahead when it came to dealing with the slimes.


    While Erika''s party is good, it seems like we have a bit more synergy than them.


    As for Roy and Sam, they were pulling their own weight and It was fun to see how far they''vee.


    When ites to the damage they didn''t do as much as Mia, ire, Licia, Anna, and I, but they were still helping, and they also had a good sense of priorities, since the five of us were dealing the most damage, when a slime popped up and the mages didn''t instantly deal with them, either Roy or Sam would focus on them in order for us to maintain our focus on the boss.


    To be fair, I don''t know if this was a more smooth fight than it would''ve been had wee alone...


    I don''t wanna dismiss their help, and I think the fight is progressing more rapidly than it would''ve normally been, but at the same time, our party would be more organized.


    In the n I devised/stole from the inte, we would take our time and slowly damage the boss, then deal with what spawned from its limbs, and then repeat until the boss''s health was low enough for ire and Bea to finish it.


    It would''ve been slower but also more methodical.


    The battle was pretty much in our favor anyway... the boss''s attacks were incredibly strong, so much so that a single direct hit might''ve put down any of the girls, except maybe for Anna.


    It was good then that we kept him surrounded, and when he focused on one of us, the others would attack him from his blind spots.


    The response the monster had was to attack the ground with all its might, sending acid in multiple directions.


    This was a bit of a chore to deal with, but mostly because all we could do was dodge or block it.


    For Anna who wasn''t quick enough to dodge them, she would either get help from Licia or directly tank it.


    ire didn''t have the option to use her fire magic, so she would also oftene to me or Mia for cover.


    Incredibly, even when Mia was farther away, she would stille to me if she could help it.


    Rivalries aside, this meant we were wasting a lot of mana, and if not for Bea, we would have had an incredibly bad time fighting at all since the floor would''ve be a pool of death by now.


    After about 30 minutes in this fight, the boss had been reduced to a little under 5 meters tall.


    The record for killing is said to be around 3 and a half meters, but I believed ire could defeat it when it was four meters tall.


    We still had a bit to go through though, so I decided it was time to elerate things.


    I gave Mia and Licia the go-ahead to be more aggressive with their magic.


    This meant the boss was going to suffer way more from each attack, and the slimes spawning would also be more of a problem, but if we managed to do it quickly enough, ire could finish them all in one attack.


    To do that, I had ire and Anna be close to me at all times, in case the monster decides to use the acid attack that goes everywhere, I trust Mia and Licia would be able to defend themselves even though they were focusing more on attacking, but I think it would''ve been too much for them to also help out ire and Anna, so I took charge of that.


    As predicted, the battle became way more intense, but we were also at an incredibly good pace, and not even 5 minutes after, it was time for the big finisher.


    Erika and her party seemed surprised once I told everyone to get back as we were going to finish this.


    ire: "Haah... Burn away and let not even ashes remain."


    It''s not often to see ire use a chant since her magic is usually powerful enough without it, but it''s also incredible to see what happens when she goes all out, even if she only uses short chants.


    As expected, even though she didn''t receive help from Bea or Erika during thisst attack, it was enough to put an end to this battle.


    I didn''t care too much for any drops, so we left it to Erika and Roy since it would probably be more useful to them anyway.


    Once we got outside of the boss room, we were separated since Erika''s party had entered the dungeon through a different gate, and thus, after leaving the boss room, they appeared in another settlement.


    Since Roy and Sam were going to join Erika''s little sister''s party, they were going to leave the dungeon for today and thenter meet up on the fifth floor, so that they could re-enter the dungeon through the same settlement and explore the sixth floor together.


    That''s still in the future for them though since for now both Roy, Sam, and Erika''s sister, Madelyn, can still get levels on the fifth floor due to not reaching the cap.


    As for Erika herself, she''s going back to her original party. She only tookmand of Madelyn''s party to help them out of this floor after all.


    Even though they will still explore it, now that there''s no reason for a sacrifice, it''s way safer.


    The loot for today was basically nothing since we gave it all to Erika to thank her for the help, but we still concluded our main objective, and due to how much mana we spent in the dungeon, it wouldn''t do us any good to try out the sixth floor now, so we decided to head back home early today.

 Chapter 95: The Merchant Departs

    I entered the kingdom to do thest of the summons for the Merchant. Even though he told me to find him in his house, the moment I appeared inside the kingdom, I saw him in the wall.


    He waved his hand and disappeared. I thought he had used his Gift to go inside the house but...


    [Invasion! The Traveling Merchant Arrives


    Ending Achieved: The Merchant Has Been Repelled


    The rewards for achieving this ending are:


    100x Your current amount of Daily Gacha Tickets


    10x Your current amount of Kingdom Points


    2 Rare Gacha Tickets


    Three Skills have been unlocked in the Avable Skills Menu, their price has been fixed to 0. Please note that when one of them is selected, the others will disappear until they manifest again as a reward.]


    [As a special reward, you now can choose between three different events.]


    [Due to sessfullypleting the event, you can choose to either add or subtract two days from the event timers permanently.]


    Seems like the Merchant is gone then...


    I can''t believe the idiot didn''t even say goodbye.


    As for the event rewards, they sound incredible, especially having my current Daily Gacha Tickets amount multiplied by 100. It would''ve been amazing if I had any Gacha Tickets in reserve.


    I swear that my Gift does this on purpose, there''s simply no way.


    I can''t even me the Merchant since I would''ve spent them all on hisst summon before he left anyway.


    Well, it wasn''t all for nothing though since I now have 4690 Kingdom Points stored thanks to the event reward.


    As for those Rare Gacha Tickets... there''s no mention of them anywhere in my Gift, but it''s pretty easy to assume what they do.


    At the very least, it probably increases the chances of getting an item of better quality/rarity. It might even be the case that certain things can only be acquired with this ticket.


    The Merchant said that the weapons I brought out of the gacha couldn''t hurt Gods, so perhaps if I were to use this ticket, I might get something capable of doing that.


    Apanion would also be an interesting choice, but... if ire came out from a normal ticket, I''m a little unsure of what woulde out from a rare one.


    The third obvious option would be a skill... but since there''s no pressing matter, I''ll just keep them for now, depending on the circumstances of the next event, they mighte in handy.


    Also, I finally had a use for the [Avable Skills] menu, so I didn''t waste any time and checked what was new there.


    [Knight King


    As a king who demonstrates power and conviction, this skill will provide the user with inherently fighting abilities, increasing the effectiveness of every point spent on physical attributes. However, thews of chivalry are a chain that will decrease your power when your actions are unbefitting of a knight.


    This is a passive skill that cannot be turned off.]


    Overall it''s a pretty good option, most of the time it will work as a straight-up buff. The debuff aspect might be a problem though...


    I also must think about the next event. Since I''ve added two days to the timer, it will happen eight days from now, meaning I probably won''t be able to achieve the same level as Mia.


    Depending on how effective this skill is, it might make me stand toe-to-toe with her, but if an opponent appears that even she cannot defeat, then that would just make me an extra obstacle.


    For now, I''ll consider it...


    [Reputable Ruler


    Your reputation supersedes any disbelief others have against you. This skill alone proves your merit, and by having it, your words will be more trusted, negotiations won''t break down as easily, and your chances of convincing others will drastically improve.


    This is a passive skill that cannot be turned off.]


    No downside is already an upside...


    Thinking about it logically, the girls are my biggest strength, and this skill would give me an easier time when summoningpanions...


    It might also be a way out of a fight against a stronger foe if I cannot defeat them.


    [Web Weaver


    No words should be trusted. It''s your pride to walk alone, weaving lies and intermingling truths as you go. This skill increases the chances of your lies being believed. Fate will work harder to increase the chances of any malicious schemes against others. Though beware, evil attracts evil, and the possessor of this skill will surely find himself surrounded by untrustworthy minds.


    This is a passive skill that cannot be turned off.]


    ... Yeah, no thanks.


    I have no doubts it is a useful skill, thinking about its upsides, it is probably even better than the [Reputable Ruler] at getting me out of a dicey situation.


    The problem is everything else.


    I don''t mind scheming, and I certainly do think they have their ce on a battlefield. For one, I''d say I lean more toward the fight smart instead of hard, though Ick the smart part so I only really fight.


    The thing is "malicious schemes" is a bit of a vague term.


    Like most people, I don''t see myself as a bad person at all. And while I''m aware enough to not im myself as being a good person either, just kind of normal/middle of the road, by definition these malicious schemes might not work well with me.


    I rarely have any malicious intent toward someone, I''d say my most evil thought right now is avenging Mia''s tribe.


    And when ites to evilness, that''s kind of... alright? Revenge itself is something debatable when ites to morality, but due to what they did, I couldn''t really give less of a fuck.


    Now, is that malicious? Or is it simply being indifferent and emotional?


    Well, even if I were to ignore that part, attracting evil people is not something I''m really looking forward to. Even more so if they are more of a schemer than I am capable of being.


    This just spells trouble...


    As such, my options are basically a path of power and conquest, a path of... diplomacy and negotiations... or the path I won''t even consider...


    Well, since there''s no time limit for me to choose, I''ll just save them for the next event, depending on how things progress, if it feels like a fight is imminent, I''ll grab the [Knight King], but if I can resolve things another way, I''ll go with [Reputable Ruler].


    It''s kind of the same policy I''m using for the Rare Gacha Tickets, but I don''t really feel bad about it, if anything, I''m actually happy that I can prepare myself so well...


    Speaking of which, I better take a look at the avable events since I have one more option now...


    [Invitation! The Infinite Hotel Awaits


    A ce that contains everything, from the beginning, until the end, if it exists, it must be in a room of the Infinite Hotel.


    The answers to any mysteries can be found here, and the architecture is pretty good.


    While there''s an incalcble number of residents in this hotel, the number of visitors it gets can be counted on one human hand.


    Even then, most people would give their lives for a single chance to set foot in this ce, as it represents endlessness better than anything else!


    Time Limit: Unknown


    Restrictions: None]


    Hmm... strange. Somehow, it felt like two people with different perspectives wrote this description...


    Looking at the difficulty bar... it''s on the green edge. It''s the first time an event seems so easy.


    But this is suspicious.


    First of all, what am I supposed to do there?


    I don''t see any conflict, so... am I supposed to book a room and wait?


    Should I help clean the ce? Would that count as an ending?


    And thus I arrive at my biggest problem with it.


    The Snow White Wolves event handed me rewards and an ending even though I failed at what I set out to do.


    This means that the events are somewhat lenient... the only thing I can think that might lead to me failing an event would be... my own death, probably.


    In this case, the difficulty slider could be seen as an indicator that simply shows how probable it is that I''ll die.


    For this hotel, it means I can probably assume that it would be hard for me to die.


    This is not as good of an indicator... because by entering the ce, I might lose ess to Earth again, and if there''s a trap there, and I happen to fall for it... I might never be able to get away.


    In this case, while I wouldn''t die... I might end up with a worse fate.


    No time limit, no restrictions, something to do with infinity, and an easy difficulty? Yeah, there''s something wrong there for sure.


    [Crusade! The infidels of Myahi and the Lunar Beast


    The tribes in the west of the Lamiria continent have united and have been worshipping the Lunar Beast, a creature whose very existence is an affront to the Gods.


    Though they are blessed by its power, with thebined strength of the South Coalition, their hundred-year history of sacrilege wille to an end.


    Time Limit: 60 Years.


    Since the time expected for eventpletion is over half of the user''s expected lifespan, a time dtion will be applied. The user might decide to quit this event at any time, but if no ending is achieved, no reward will be provided.


    Restrictions: All gacha banners are restricted except for...]


    Well, there''s quite a list of banners that are still avable...


    The time limit is a bit of a concern but my interference might end the whole thing early like what happened in the Snow White Wolves Tribe...


    And though this Lunar Beast sounds menacing and whatnot, things might not be so clear-cut.


    Even more so considering that a simr thing could be said about the Merchant, and he wasn''t really bad or anything.


    Hell, by that standard, I could be seen as a heretic since I think the guy who literally kills Gods is not that bad.


    If I go for this one I''ll have to investigate this thoroughly beforeing to a decision...


    Well...st but not least...


    [Invasion! The Demon Queen Falls Down


    The Demon Queen, once one of the most powerful beings in existence, is now but a shell of her former self.


    Drifting away, as her soul continues to fall, she finds herself in an unknown ce with no connections to the world she once knew.


    Defeated after the war, she now has a chance to start again, but what will happen when she faces another monarch?


    Time Limit: Unknown


    Restrictions: All banners except for [Companions Banner], [Skills Banner], [Weapons Banner], [Drinks Banner], [Armor Banner], [Spirits Banner] and [Ships Banner].]


    ...The difficulty for this one is around the middle, way better than the previous one which was in the red area.


    Another Invasion... since the description only talks about the demon queen herself, I don''t think the rest of her army or her kingdom wille.


    If that were the case, the difficulty would definitely be way higher.


    An invasion event is a bit bad since I risk losing the kingdom, but since it''s only one girl who is apparently a shell of her former self, we might stand a chance if ites down to a fight.


    The way the description was written also makes me feel like there''s an alternative here that doesn''t include a fight, which would be preferable.


    Given what happened with the Merchant, I''m leaning toward this event a bit.


    Even more so considering Erika and her sister, who albeit demons, were pretty chill and nice.


    Well, I''ll disclose all of this with the girlster and we cane up with a n going forward.


    Before doing that though, the Merchant said that I should meet him in his house, which is impossible now that he''s gone, but I doubt he would say that without meaning anything by it, so I decided to check that just in case.


    I was expecting some sort of payment or a gift for the good times but I just found a note above the table.


    It was... a collection of tips for the future.


    Amongst them, a few seemed really important:


    "#1: The First Cycle fell all on its own. No one should be med for the loss of that paradise.


    ....


    #3: Divinity and Demonic Power exist in opposition to one another, if you possess Divinity, any amount of Demonic Power you acquire will subtract from that Divinity. During this Cycle, a demon has developed a technique that allows one to maintain both, if you decide to join the Caravan, I''ll teach it to you.


    #4: If you have to choose between Divinity or Demonic Power, I would strongly rmend thetter.


    #5: REFUSE TO ASCEND NO MATTER WHAT. You''ll only be a puppet. Try not to gather too much divinity, especially if it''s gifted by a God. If anything happens, throw it all my way and tell the Gods that you lost it somewhere.


    ....


    #10: Be it as an ally or as a friend, you''re wee to join us anytime."


    He also thanked me for the hospitality and said he had a good time, all the while excusing his rudeness due to being "bad with goodbyes"...


    I swear, this guy...


    Even though he messed with us at every opportunity he had, now that he''s gone, the kingdom feels a bit more empty.


    But it''s fine, he''s surely capable ofing and going as he pleases, I even bet if I leave a few snacks at his home they will mysteriously disappear during the night.


    Anyway, now that the event is over I kind of wanna celebrate... we also defeated the fifth-floor boss so the timing couldn''t be better for a little break.

 Chapter 96: An Angel And A Devil (R18)

    =This chapter contains a descriptive lewd scene, discretion is advised-


    There was plenty to do for what I had in mind since I would also have to trick the girls.


    But before that, I called all of them over and spent the 25 tickets I had for today on skills.


    It''s a shame that this could''ve been 2500, but I''ll just remember to keep some stored up if I can before finishing the next event. Just in case something like this happens again.


    With so many tickets I was expecting to get a good amount of both good skills and bad ones, but the result was a bit better than what I had expected.


    For the good skills I already had, I got 3 levels in [Appraisal], 3 in [Enhanced Drop Chance], 2 levels in [Ice Veil] and [Physical Prowess], and a single level for [Better Mana Regeneration], [Eagle Eye], [Physical Prowess], [Greater Might], [Mental Resistance] and [Last Man Standing]


    As for the bad ones...


    [Faster tree climbing] got another level and [Increased Climbing Proficiency] got 2.


    I also ended up getting 2 levels into [Unending Determination].


    The effects of this skill should be good as they help with training and even remove some of the tiredness, the problem is what happens after training since it does nothing to remove the pain thatester, and after going past my limit, you can imagine how bad it bes.


    I hope this doesn''t strengthen the effects too much since I don''t want to deal with even more pain after training. But at the same time, it''s such a waste to disable it...


    Anyway, I also got some new skills...


    [Light Magic Resistance] which is pretty self-exnatory, it just decreases the effects light magic has on me.


    This one iskind of a horrible skill. While there are plenty of ways to attack with Light Magic, Light Magic users are usually healers so... it''s basically a debuff that I can''t even disable like some other passives.


    [Information Blocking] x2


    This skill makes it harder for others to gather information about me, be it the usage of a Gift, skill, or any other means. Since it''s so broad, the effects aren''t that strong, but it''s better than nothing.


    And thest one was [Improved Artistic Skill], which... makes me better at art stuff.


    Not really that useful either, but who knows, I can at least pass as an artist if everything else fails.


    Now... since I have so many kingdom points, there''s something I can use to distract the girls with.


    The [Quest Center], a building that was enabled when I got more than 100 daily points.


    It''s a bit pricey, at 1000 kingdom points, but since I got a whole bunch at once, there''s no reason not to use it.


    Even more so considering that the kingdom now has living things in it, which is probably a necessity for this ce to work.


    It''s a 3-story building with a one-floor basement, making it the biggest building in the whole kingdom so far.


    What lies inside and how it works is up to the girls to find out, I decided to leave and go see Alex as he had some news and also got what I had asked him.


    As such, I left the girls inside the kingdom for a while.


    Alex: "... As far as I can tell, their emergent leader is taking more control by the day at an astounding rate. It bugs me why it seems like the resistance to them is so weak. Of course, aside from your sister."


    Miwen: "...You think there''s a chance she''ll abandon ship?"


    Alex: "That would be a first..."


    Pretty much.


    That girl has always been capable of doing anything she set her mind to, which also led to her believing that not acquiring a good sense of danger, after all, whatever were to happen, she always dealt with it.


    But the situation this time is definitely not going in her favor. Both Alex and I havee to the same conclusion... there''s something wrong with the Army Of The Gifted in its current state.


    Miwen: "I made a few friends, and they kind of owe me one... I''m thinking of having them infiltrate the Army Of The Gifted. Do you think it''s gonna be safe?"


    Alex: "That might be helpful, it''s been a bit difficult to get information on the ground level. As for how safe it is... well, your sister''s biggest problem is that she holds a high position, for those who aren''t high up, things haven''t really changed too much, so I don''t think they''ll run into any problems."


    That''s good... I''ll see if I can make either Roy or Sam join. It''s also kind of good for them to be able to use an organization''s name to protect themselves.


    Though their sense of danger is not as keen as I would''ve liked, if it''s to help Sis out It''s worth any risk.


    Alex: "Time passes and things don''t change...You only try your hardest when ites to her."


    Miwen: "Well, for a long time she was the only person present in my life so..."


    Alex: "But that''s not the case anymore, is it?"


    Miwen: "You''re right. But she''s still as important."


    Alex: "Sure, I''ll keep an eye out."


    It''s good to be able to rely on Alex, even if he''s retired, his skills are top-notch.


    He also developed a good head as he ventured into the dungeon in the old days.


    For now, this might be enough, but I really do hope Sis doesn''t end up in a mess.


    Before going back to the kingdom, I had to pass somewhere to grab something for the girls to eat.


    Licia: "So... why can''t we go back home today?"


    Miwen: "It''s kind ofte for me to go back home now, so we''ll be sleeping in the kingdom today. I brought burgers tho."


    Actually, I ended up buying a lot of junk food. I still remember the faces of the clerks thinking it was some dumb kid pulling out a prank.


    Licia: "It''s not even midnight yet..."


    Miwen: "Too dangerous."


    Licia: "You know you''re being incredibly suspicious right now, right?"


    Absolutely, but I wanted to surprise them, and I didn''t have too much time to n things out so...


    This was the best I could pull since I still had to visit Alex today too...


    On a more serious matter, the girls did investigate the [Guild Center] as I had asked.


    The ground floor has a big reception desk, two tables, and a few chairs, as well as two notice boards, one is for [World Quests] and the other for [Personal Requests].


    The World Quests are updated on their own, but you still need toe to the desk to im your rewards.


    The Personal Requests are different. For starters, there''s not a single one on the board, but we are able to write our own.


    For example, when I went to check there was a new quest added by one of my dear citizens.


    [Emergency Request


    Make the pervert lord stop being a pervert.


    Reward: A pat on the back.


    Time limit: As soon as possible please.]


    It''s pretty clear that Mia was the one to write this. But the girls also tried a few other things, and apparently, this is exactly how it works in the Guilds from their worlds, except for the "World Quest", which seems to be something unique to the kingdom.


    Mia got a horned rabbit''s foot as a reward from a World Quest that asked her to kill 10 horned rabbits in the forest, ording to the description, it is useful for potions that increase luck status.


    The quest rewards vary a lot, and since they update frequently, we might see some good ones soon.


    Well, it adds the incentive to increase the kingdom''snd as stronger monsters probably generate better quests too, but for now, it''s fine the way it is.


    There''s also another building I want to check out, but it costs 5000 kingdom points, so it''s a bit too much of an ask for us right now. With this amount of points, I can strengthen our team by quite a lot.


    Thest thing for the day was to decide where everyone was gonna sleep. Since we have three houses in the kingdom now and I''m always sleeping with Licia and ire anyway, I decided to have them both sleep in Mia''s house.


    She''s always alone in there so maybe it will be good for her. Though I hope Licia and ire don''t do anything strange in her presence.


    As for me, I was going to enjoy a peaceful rest... or so I thought before Anna appeared for a quickie.


    I really need toe up with a way to give her more attention, every night she gets a chance shees to me.


    Still, after that, it was finally time for me to rest peacefully...


    If not for Ellie showing up too...


    Not only that but as soon as she entered, she started stripping.


    Miwen: "White with pink dots... pretty cute underwear. Are you trying to tempt me?"


    Ellie: "N-no... it''s just that...st time was good but... I ended up sweating too much..."


    Thus, the decision to do away with most of her clothes... since I already touched her body all over, I don''t see why she doesn''t go fully naked but given how embarrassed she looks, I guess that would be too much to ask.


    I was about to go to sleep but... now that my favorite body pillow was here, there was no way I could hold back from grabbing and fondling her all over.


    Her soft skin was pretty calming, and her sweet moans made for an incredible luby.


    I was sure to have a good night''s sleep thanks to that...


    But it seems like the kingdom still had another surprise for me.


    All things considered, Earth is actually the ce I can rest the best given that I only have Licia and ire to satisfy...


    Miwen: "So... what are you doing here?"


    Bea: "I''ve grown dependent on Ellie... if I don''t feel her presence, I can''t sleep at all."


    So the calming effects of this pillow are actually addicting...


    That''s bad, it seems like I can''t let go of it at all.


    Wait...


    Miwen: "Why are you stripping too?"


    Bea: "Hm? It would be awkward for you guys right?"


    It''s already awkward!


    And why is Ellie looking at her like she''s d that Bea''s thinking about our well-being?


    She''s not you know?


    She''s definitely not.


    Even when fully clothed her body stands out, how can I resist when she''s in her underwear?


    Those juicy milkers are just too much...


    Well, at least I can use Ellie''s as a recement, even though they aren''t big, their shape and size are just perfect.


    With this strategy in mind, I turned my back on Bea and focused on Ellie.


    I cannot be tempted by what I cannot see.


    But she wasn''t done... she hugged me from behind, forcibly making me feel how massive those breasts were.


    Miwen: "You''re worse than a demon, you know that?"


    Bea: "I''m a very evil witch after all~"


    Ellie: "Hnm... that''s not fair..."


    Now look at what you did. My cute elf is getting over-conscious


    Ellie: "I also want to hug..."


    Oh? Is that the problem?


    I ended up being sandwiched by these two and even though I had just done it with Anna, I couldn''t contain my boner, which Ellie managed to grab using her thighs.


    We only had oneyer of clothing each separating our private parts, and I could feel the heat from her body as well as the shape of her pussy.


    The excitement was too big, I grabbed her ass and used her thighs to rub one out as she pressed my dick.


    I ended up dirtying her panties, but the post-nut rity did wonders for my mind.


    I could tell that Ellie was surprised by my actions, still she did not resist and just epted it all. When I was done though, she buried her face on my chest to hide.


    Miwen: "Do you want to cum too?"


    Bea: "...Bold, if you think you can manage, you''re more than wee."


    Not you.


    Ellie: "...I''m fine... let''s just stay like this..."


    Theirbination had an incalcble attack power, but Ellie ended up saving me as I used her body in order to not give in to Beatrice''s


    While the two of them couldn''t contrast more in their builds, ying with Ellie''s body is always great, so I ended up distracting myself with her and survived a hellish/divine night.

 Chapter 97: Beach Day

    -There''s a bit of lewdnguage in this one, but there isn''t a sex scene, just proceed with caution-


    I woke up with a strange sensation down there.


    Unsurprisingly, it was the work of the two that I spent the night together with yesterday.


    Thankfully it was still pretty early, so no one had entered this room yet, but once I questioned them, Ellie looked confused and told me that Bea said that dealing with a man''s morning wood was just a matter of manners when you sleep together.


    I seriously want to criticize her for corrupting Ellie''s since I''m the only one who should have that right but I cannot deny that the double cleanup was incredible, so I''ll let it pass this time only.


    While I was happy with the service, I had to refuse anything further, especiallying from Beatrice.


    There were a few things I had to get before letting the girls out of the kingdom today, so I went to buy them.


    Once I got back to the kingdom, everyone was already up.


    Licia: "Hm... fruits, balls, alcohol, and... snacks? What are you nning?"


    Miwen: "Yep, can you make some ice for me? I want to store these in the kingdom."


    While I can''t get a refrigerator in this ce, there are still ways to keep things cool for a long time.


    I''ll just have to check it once in a while to regenerate the ice, but that much is fine.


    Miwen: "Also, you should pick some swimsuits."


    Today was going to be hot, even more so considering we were going to-


    Licia: "The beach? Isn''t that kind of dangerous? What if a monster pops up from the sea?"


    The chances certainly aren''t zero but...


    Miwen: "There haven''t been incidents where we''re going, and the closest dungeon is some kilometers away. Not to mention, it was cleared a few days ago, I checked."


    The matter of ocean monsters is a problem, that cannot be denied. But in thest few years, with abination of technology and magic, we''ve been able to clear some areas and even a few dungeons that aren''t too deep or isted in the ocean.


    It''s basically impossible to say that a beach ispletely safe but... it''s way better than the open ocean.


    Most ships now have to sign an adventurer to help them reach port safely, or at least some kind of escort.


    This makes shipping kind of expensive, but it''s believed that in a few years, these problems will be solved for the most part.


    Still, I did my research, the chances of something happening are very slim, and if they do... we can just run away.


    Once we got to touch the sand and feel the heat, most of the girls'' reservations dropped.


    This ce is a bit far from my home, at least to the extent that I had to take a cab.


    For this surprise, I couldn''t reallye back home yesterday, and thus, ended up having to bring them fast food from a ce nearby.


    Either way, it was worth it to see them having a fun time, I even got something for me too using some kingdom points.


    Anna: "Pink? Seriously? You''re such a dork."


    Miwen: "What can I say? It goes great with my skin tone."


    Anna: "Pfft. Whatever you say, O'' King In Pink."


    Somehow I feel like ever since I changed, the girls started taking me less seriously.


    Well, we didn''te here to do anything serious anyway, I simply wanted to have a good time so that''s perfect actually.


    We had to wait a bit before everything got cold enough, but in the meantime the girls tested the waters to refresh themselves.


    However, when ites to swimming, it seems Bea is surprisingly not too good at it.


    She wouldn''t really go too far before leaving the water and showing me her wet body.


    Miwen: "Yeah, you''re hot, I got it already. You don''t need to do that every time."


    Bea: "Hm... I''m not good with the ocean, my body feels strange and I don''t know what to do."


    I guess it makes sense she wouldn''t have too much control over her body since she''s the one who uses it the least among us. Usually she just stays in the back casting her magic, the most amount of exercise she gets is walking through the dungeon.


    It''s enough to keep her in shape, but it seems like it''s her first time at the sea, so she''s getting a bit too nervous to float, which is incredible considering her natural-


    These thoughts weren''t going to go anywhere, so I decided to make good use of my time and help her out.


    Miwen: "Let''s enter together then, just grab tight to me or use my shoulder..."


    Bea: "...Sure."


    It''s important to keep calm to float, if you move around too much you might disrupt your buoyancy and make you sink.


    I know that, and be it floating or swimming, I''m pretty confident in both.


    But this girl grabbing me from behind and pulling me to the bottom made it really hard to keep calm.


    After almost making me drown two or three times, she finally started to rx, and she could finally float.


    Miwen: "Good job... if anything happens, just reset and try to float. As long as you don''t go too far I can catch you. Well, you can also just use magic to get away. Now when ites to swimming and diving you can do it in a bunch of ways..."


    And so I tried my best to teach her to swim, and it was surprisingly refreshing to see Bea who always seemed under control out of her depth.


    Still, it was a bit tiresome, so I went back to the shore and inside the kingdom to bring a few goodies, namely, ice cream, popsicles, and some things to make a few tropical drinks.


    I knew this was going to be a novelty to them since they hadn''t given them any yet, but it went even better than expected. So much so that I went away for a while to buy some sensing that the amount we had wouldn''t be enough with their current pace.


    Now, leaving a bunch of girls alone at the beach might be a bit dangerous, but the ce we were at was pretty empty.


    Due to the remaining fear from the old days when beaches were more dangerous, the amount of people on a beach has kind of diminished, and so, if you want to find a lot of people, there''s going to be a few spots, but if you want to be alone, it''s not that hard to find somece.


    As such, it felt like our own little private beach.


    When I came back though, a single lonely girl was standing a bit away from everyone under a shade while the others were ying with a volleyball.


    Miwen: "Why the long face? Are you not feeling well?"


    Mia: "The heat..."


    I should''ve thought about that, she lived on an icy ind covered in snow, so she''d obviously have some problems on a summer beach.


    Miwen: "Did you put sunscreen like I told you?"


    Mia: "...I don''t like the gooey feeling..."


    Just like a kid, I see.


    It''s only like that immediately after putting it though, once a few minutes pass she won''t even notice.


    But if she''s really that against it, there are other alternatives.


    Miwen: "You can use ice magic to protect yourself right? Licia is using a very thin barrier..."


    Mia: "Her control is better than mine, it would be too thick, making it hard to move, and would keep dropping cold water everywhere."


    Miwen: "Alright then, I''ll put sunscreen on you then. Lie down."


    Mia: "I just said that-"


    Miwen: "It will be fine, I can apply it very thinly, you won''t even feel it."


    She looked at me a little suspicious but ended up giving in.


    I guess this is my reward for doing a good job with her makeup, she trusts me enough to let me apply these things to her body.


    Well, there''s no magic I can do here though, but if I keep her distracted while applying it, it might be enough.


    I applied the sunscreen first on my hands and then started giving her a shoulder massage, but seeing her face so close, I lost my thought for a moment and ended up admiring her.


    Thankfully I have sunsses on, so maybe she didn''t notice I was staring at her.


    Mia: "Something wrong?"


    Miwen: "Is it wrong to admire one''s fianc¨¦e ?"


    Mia: "Hm... but we''re not."


    Yeah, I ended up self snitching. But it was totally worth it.


    I decided to leave her face forst since it would probably be the most sensitive region, and so, it would be better for her to get used to it with the rest of her body first.


    After finishing her arms, it was time for the chest area and only then did I notice the inherent lewdness of what we were doing.


    It also doesn''t help that she seemed way more meek than usual, which was simply too cute for me to resist, if I hadn''t my words to tease her, I''m sure I would end up attacking her right now.


    Miwen: "...I''ll apply around your breasts alright? If I touch somewhere bad, just tell me alright?"


    Mia: "Do whatever you want, it''s not like I can fight back in this stateanyway."


    Not true, she would still kick my ass.


    Hell, even with both of her hands tied it probably wouldn''t be a fair fight.


    Still, I wanted to help her out as much as possible, so I stayed just short of having my and enter her bikini.


    There''s no need to go that far since it''s covered anyway, so after doing my best to ignore the feeling in her chest I proceeded to the next area.


    Mia: "Are you sure about this?"


    Miwen: "The beach? Yeah, I think it was the best idea I have ever had. Now, turn around please."


    I had finished her legs, and it was time to go to her backside.


    She made a very sluggish movement to turn, but it felt like she was getting morefortable now, she even started talking more.


    Mia: "...I''m talking about the event you chose. Are you sure the demon queen is the right choice?"


    Miwen: "Who knows... I think it''s easier to convince a single person, and the difficulty also seemed to favor this event. There was the Infinite Hotel too, but..."


    Mia: "No... I also agree that the Hotel was too suspicious, but... What are you expecting ?"


    Miwen: "A cute subus-"


    Aw. She gave me a light kick on the back.


    But it''s not even a lie... Erika was pretty nice, and so was her sister, so I thought maybe subus are easier to talk to.


    From what we''ve been seeing in dungeons, demons overall aren''t really as bad as their reputation among other races would say.


    To the dismay of a few people, some demons have evene to Earth, but it doesn''t seem like any problems arose from that.


    I''m expecting that as the queen of demons, she''ll reflect their way of life and nature more than any other, so it seems like the safest option.


    I could also simply not choose an event, but there would be no fun in that, and more importantly, there would be no reward.


    If I keep even a day''s tickets stored up and get the same rewards asst time, that would be 100 days'' worth of tickets... it''s simply too sweet to pass for me.


    Not to mention that with the kingdom points I get I can share more skills and buy the other special building.


    I might also get another Rare Gacha Ticket or an item.


    There''s a lot in it for me... and there''s also the way I felt about this event in particr.


    Reading the description, a small sense of sadness started to take root in me.


    I don''t know why... but I feel a strange pity when I think about this one.


    I want to get rid of this feeling as soon as possible.


    Mia: "...What if we lose?"


    Miwen: "I''ll abandon the kingdom and buy a beachside house."


    Mia: "I don''t want that."


    Miwen: "So you''d rather live back home? I''ll make some room for you in my bed then~"


    Mia: "I''ve changed my mind, I''d love to live on the beach."


    I was about done with her back, but the next step was going to be a bit of a problem too...


    Mia: "We''re wasting time like this... You got a bird that only steals experience... I don''t get you..."


    Don''t talk bad about Apollo, he tries his best.


    It''s true that he''s getting a few levels since he does an attack and hides, but he deals almost no damage so it''s not like he''s stealing too much experience anyway.


    And it''s not his only use, as a coward, he always gets nervous when a strong opponent is near, so he''s a pretty useful radar.


    Miwen: "I don''t know what to tell you. There''s no meaning in living without enjoying life."


    Mia: "... Then why do you keep venturing through the dungeon? And why did you agree to help me out? You could be happy every day if you stopped taking events, settled down on the floor you are, and just... I don''t know... lived your life with ire and Licia..."


    Very true. That would be an enviable way of life, now that she put it like that, I almost want to take it.


    Still, it''s not even worth entertaining that idea.


    Our world''s prosperity has been built on the indomitable will of men who pushed forward.


    If not for the people who first ventured into the dungeon and risked their lives to clear as much of the first floors as possible, I wouldn''t even be here today in the first ce.


    There''s a debt we owe to them to keep the torch lit, to march forward, and even go beyond.


    Some of the dungeons are ssified as hard still rampage every now and then due to ack of high-rankers.


    Not to mention, when a boss room has gimmicks, sometimes it''s still only possible to kill the boss after the rampage happens and they leave the room.


    While things are under control somehow, there''s still a lot to be done before we''repletely safe.


    And even if that weren''t the case, it''s a personal matter for me. How could I not find the world I was born in to be interesting? I want to explore and conquer every nook and cranny of it.


    I want to see the frontier with my own eyes, and then go past it.


    That would make me really happy, but I won''t sacrifice everyday happiness for it.


    I''m greedy like that. I''m not willing to sacrifice something to obtain another.


    Even if a fight breaks out and we have to evacuate the kingdom, I''d be sure to get it back.


    And even the results of the Snow White Wolves war... I''m not satisfied with that, so I won''t have it. I''ll be sure to set things straight, the way I want them to be.


    Miwen: "... I don''t believe in living a perfect and happy life, but I believe in pursuing happiness whenever you can. Moments like these are fruits of ourbor, and if not for the challenges we had to face to get here, then they wouldn''t be as good. But you don''t have to think too hard about it, just enjoy the good moments as theye and if a challenge arrives, just take them on."


    Mia: "... So... just live every moment like it''s thest?"


    Miwen: "...Not quite, it''s important to have objectives too, just don''t let the future and the past distract you from the present too much, alright?"


    I wish I had paid more attention to my philosophy sses, I''m sure one of the nerds from the past had better answers as to how to live life.


    But it''s hard to thread my way here, I can only answer with how I live. Being the right or wrong way to live never bothered me much, as long as I enjoy it, there should be no problems.


    Miwen: "Also... it might be better to take off your shorts."


    While some of the girls would be fine, if she''s so weak to the heat, she shouldn''t havee with them.


    Mia: "You can do it for me..."


    Miwen: "Sure...then, I''ll apply sunscreen on your cheeks too alright?"


    Mia: "You just want to feel my ass..."


    Absolutely.


    But it''s really not the only reason, it''s just convenient for me, nothing I can do about that.


    Still, her body is very pretty, and it''s hard not to get aroused by it when she''s in this position.


    I''m the man who resisted doing Bea when she showed up in my bedroom with just her underwear though, so I should be able to deal with this much.


    Her body is somewhat close to Ellie''s, but a size bigger here and there, perhaps Ann''as is a betterparison.


    I also like her moans quite a bit, though it''s pretty hard to hear them.


    To provoke one I had to go out of my way to press a no-no ce.


    I took my time to finish, but since she had taken off the shorts, there was a bit more surface area for me to cover, so I had her turn around again.


    It was a sensitive ce quite close to her private parts though...


    Miwen: "I tried drying this area, but it''s still wet..."


    Mia: "I-it''s just sweat, it will go away after a while."


    Miwen: "Doesn''t taste like sweat though."


    Of course, I couldn''t let her go before messing around a bit. Now, the truth is, I could barely feel anything aside from the taste of the sunscreen on my fingers, but that''s not really something she needs to know.


    And even though I received my daily dose of verbal abuse from her, I still wanted to go a bit further.


    Miwen: "Still, red eh... were you perhaps trying to provoke-"


    Mia: "I''m feeling better now so I''ll be going. You can have fun on your own."


    Miwen: "Sure, you even left me with your shorts."


    Mia: "Pervert!"


    There wille a day when she manages to win against me, but that day is not today.


    Still, it was great to see her regain her energy.


    Before she went to y with the girls I also shared the [Heat Resistance] skill with her, which might have made her feel better than the sunscreen.


    Now, if there was such a simple solution from the beginning, one might ask why did I take the most troublesome route.


    It''s such a great mystery... humanity might never arrive at an answer.


    Thebo might''ve been too much though, the friendly t of not letting the ball fall on the ground turned into a straight match between the useful team,posed ofEllie, Licia, and Mia, against the useless team, main members: Anna, Bea and ire.


    The only one truly useless there is ire since she''s the only one who acts like it''s not her business when someone asks her to do something.


    Still, can''t argue there''s a world of difference when ites to the useful team that is always doing something.


    As for me, while I didn''t participate, I had a great time drinking and watching them y.


    Though it was funny seeing Licia and Ellie trying to y whilepletely drunk.


    I warned them that alcohol that doesn''t taste like alcohol is the most dangerous, but it seems like they didn''t really listen.


    Still, this ended up making for a pretty great day-off, so much so that I had to promise the girls that we woulde back again one day.

 Chapter 98: First Raid On The Sixth Floor

    Today we were going to explore the sixth floor for the first time. I had 25 tickets that I hadn''t used yesterday, but out of these, I spent 5 on spellbooks for Bea, then for the remaining 20, I tried half of them on the spirits banner, but didn''t really have any luck with it.


    The amount of people and our levels are still not enough to create the ideal environment for spirits.


    The remaining 10 tickets were all spent on skills, to which I didn''t get anything new, but the results weren''t bad either.


    The 3 levels I got in [Culinary Arts] were probably what excited the girls the most.


    But aside from that, I also got 2 levels in [Greater Might] and [Mana Shield], as for the rest, a single level in [Faster tree climbing], [Heat resistance], and [Sight Enhancement].


    Aside from a single ticket, the others allnded in something at least asionally useful.


    I could also im today''s tickets, but I wanted to see how we would fare right now on the sixth floor.


    This is a pretty terrible floor overall due to the monsters that inhabit it. They are big, incredibly tanky, and strong, but it would be no problem to deal with all of that.


    The thing that makes them the worst is what they are made of.


    The inhabitants of this floor are all... glitched humans...? It''s hard to tell exactly what they are, but for example, you can find giant eyeballs fluctuating around, or ghost hands without a body crawling like a damn spider. Not to mention stretched faces, skeleton hands, or zing skulls.


    Some things shouldn''t go together, like eyes popping up from disembodied hands, sometimes a mouth, and many other nastybinations.


    Frankly, it''s just nightmare fuel.


    Miwen: "And with that said, I''m giving you permission to wreck the cepletely."


    ire: "Suddenly I feel like taking things slowly though?"


    Ah... so much for my loyal killing machine...


    Miwen: "Are you sure? Mia might pull ahead in your game..."


    Mia: "Nah, I think we should be careful this time, the variety of enemies is toorge."


    So it''s a rebellion.


    I thought everyone would want to be done with this one as soon as possible, but they seem surprisingly okay.


    I don''t know whether it''s mental fortitude or if they are simply used to it, if so, I''m not setting foot on their worlds.


    Miwen: "Licia, I''m getting bullied... can you tell those two toply?"


    Even if my words don''t reach them, there''s no way they would defy Licia.


    Licia: "Hm... this much is fine isn''t it? You do worse every chance you get..."


    Her power is off the charts, my hopes were crushed instantly. I was hoping she would do that to the others though.


    Anyway, while I''m really not a big fan of this floor at all, I was still able to fight, it''s just that I didn''t really want to get close to these things at all.


    Even more so after getting better eyesight, I didn''t really think this skill would have a downside like this but here we are.


    As such I sneakily took a less forward position, and simply let them take down most of the monsters.


    I was just helping out with the nks and whatnot, and while the girls were being mean with their words, their actions contradicted that, and both ire and Mia were exhausting their mana pretty rapidlypared to previous times.


    I knew deep down I could count on them, but I really have to work on their honesty...


    Still, even with everyone giving it their all, the level cap was 33, so there were plenty of monsters that would be really troublesome for us to fight.


    It was the case with the current monster I was facing. It was a hand of at least two and a half meters tall, its "body" went all the way to the wrist.


    The way that thing moved was so unnatural, it felt wrong in so many different ways.


    It wasn''t incredibly fast, but for its size, I expected it to be slower.


    That abomination dashed in my direction to try and grab me, but a simple ice spike from below stopped it in its tracks for a moment.


    It broke off from it right away, but it was enough for me to dodge ahead, trying to give it as many shes as possible.


    And that''s when I noticed an eye on the backside of its wrist.


    The sight of these enormous eyes was already nauseating, but the feeling of hitting them was even worse.


    I used [X sh] to cut it, making it bleed everywhere. I think I managed to cut deep enough to reach the wrist, but I wasn''t sure.


    This thing had 5 levels over me, as such, even after I had used an active skill, it wasn''t enough to end its life.


    The monster opened its palm and started fluctuating in the air, a big fireball started forming, and I quickly found myself its target.


    I doubted I could defend myself with an ice wall, so I used fire magic of my own to intercept it, the resulting mes spread all around, but I kept spending more mana to gain momentum with a methrower approach.


    Thanks to ire, my fire magic is at an absurd level, so I was capable of dealing a lot of damage to the monster.


    In a move of desperation, that [Severed Hand] grabbed and broke a piece of the ground to use as cover against the iing mes.


    If calcted, it was a smart move, but it gave me an opening to propel ice spikes from the ground it had grabbed. This time, I applied a lot more mana and managed to pierce through the thing, leading to a gross shower bath.


    It was finally enough to put an end to that miserable existence.


    Our raid continued as we found more groups of monsters, including balls of hair that attacked like tentacles and a new addition to make this floor even more fun, elf ears that attacked like a ghost sword from the air.


    Since the barrier on the dungeon was lifted, this floor has presented morebinations, including eyeballs and hands with wings, horns emerging from the stretched floating hands, and even tail fins appearing instead of the wrists on the severed/disembodied hands.


    As if this ce couldn''t get worse.


    Due to the pace we were going, it didn''t take us long to get tired, and we had to find a ce to rest for a while.


    I was trying to avoid going deep down through paths that would lead to the strongest monsters and as a result, we had yet to find a monster at the level cap.


    Even still, this much was fine, and we had actually managed to get two level-ups thanks mostly to ire and Licia quickly eviscerating most things that appeared on our way.


    We went back after a while, but it didn''t take us long to find a ghost womb spewing forth giant eyeballs.


    Those things attacked solely with magic, and normally they lead to a pretty difficult encounter when inrge quantities.


    Thanks to Bea and ire though, we managed to kill them quickly, albeit they had to spend a lot of mana to do so.


    As for me, I didn''t want to deal with this at all, so I also helped them burn these things away.


    After all was said and done, we managed to get back home safely, got 3 level-ups overall, and even made a whopping $1043 thanks to good drops.


    Once inside the kingdom, I took a few quests with Mia. Most consisted of killing or capturing horned rabbits, but after hunting for a while, I got a notification that said I had killed enough monsters in this area to gain control over it.


    What it basically implied was that, when looking at the map of the kingdom, I could now decide both the spawn rate of monsters for this area, as well as the spawn limit.


    For the spawn rate, if I wanted to, I could set it to zero, but if I paid kingdom points, it was also possible to get it past the current 1x rate.


    The spawn limit was self-exnatory, after hitting it, monsters would stop spawning in this area, though, they could still be born through natural reproduction or if monsters from the other area came here.


    I only got control of half of the forest area, so, I couldn''t change the values of the second territory that was recently added to the kingdom, but it was good to know that I had more control over it than I thought.


    I decided to reduce the spawn rates and spawn limits on the first forest area to zero, that way, no new monsters would spawn in that area, and the monsters I would kill from now on would be mostly from the second one, thus making it easier to gain control of the second area as well.


    Tomemorate this newest discovery, I used rabbit meat to make a stew for today''s dinner.

 Chapter 99: Golden Bunny

    I didn''t manage to obtain the rights to determine the spawn rates of monsters in the second area, but we might''ve managed to clear the first area of monsterspletely.


    If I were to do away with the forest now, It would probably work as a straight-up extension to the kingdom area as I doubt the rabbits woulde out from the forest to the open area.


    While expanding the kingdom territory is not a priority right now, it''s good to know that I can make an area safe for expansion using this method.


    As for the summons, I decided to im the 28 tickets and spent 8 on Bea''s spellbooks, this way, my debt to her was more than settled and she even got a surplus from it.


    Not to mention... it seems like she got a pretty rare one recently. She has acquired a skill for [Spatial Magic] from studying it.


    Now while that does sound grandiose, thanks to its low level it''s still not as overpowered as one might think, but given her Gift and her ability to quickly earn levels for her magic, it''s worth keeping an eye out for it.


    If this skill starts rapidly gaining levels... I''ll snatch it for myself.


    Still, she seems happy with it, and she also started getting levels on [Ice Magic], so everything''s going well on that front.


    As for her other magic skills, she has reached level 10 with every basic element aside from fire which she''s not focusing too much on.


    So I grabbed myself her Water, Wind, and Earth magic skills and in exchange upgraded her [Fire Magic] to level 10, this way, she stayedpletely bnced.


    As for the remaining 20 tickets I still had, I wasn''t going to make the same mistake as summoning more spirits since at least for now it''s not really worth it.


    I got a few levels in newly acquired skills thanks to these tickets:


    [Spiritual Communication x3


    Allows the user a better understanding of spirits, even without the use of words. This is a passive skill that cannot be turned off. This skill may also work as an active skill. When it is directed towards a contracted spirit, this allows said spirit to better understandplex orders and intentionsing from its contractor. The moreplicated the order is, the more mana it will consume.]


    [Pursuit Of Knowledge x2


    Adds points to the user''s intelligence. Also helps focus on certain activities and increases one''s memories.]


    As for the skills I already had, they received the following levels:


    [Greater Might] x3, [Fire Sword Arts] x3, [Eagle Eye] x2, [Focused Strike] x2, [Heat resistance] x2, [Ice Veil] x1, [Wind Magic] x1 and [Water Magic] x1.


    Receiving levels into magic is pretty useless thanks to Beatrice and ire but at the very least these came after I had obtained Bea''s, so in this stance, it ended up being fine.


    Now... [Pursuit Of Knowledge] goes so well with Bea''s Gift and hobby that it''s almost a cheat, so I didn''t waste time and shared it with her.


    Since Licia seems to value [Ice Veil] a lot as a skill, I ended up sharing it with her too since I had obtained a few levels in it these past few days, since she also uses magic quite a bit I included [Pursuit Of Knowledge] as part of the package.


    ire also wanted it, even though she definitely didn''t need it, but it was hard to resist her pleading face.


    Thest one to receive something was Mia. It was definitely not as good as everyone else''s but to be fair, I just wanted to see her being thankful and shy.


    I still had 25 tickets stored but... I decided to leave these like this for a while, just in case the next event also rewards me by multiplying my current amount.


    I could always use them when the need arrives anyway, so it didn''t feel too much like a waste.


    Well, the monsters on the current floor do use fire magic quite a lot, and since she proved to be somewhat weak to it, I gave her the increased levels in [Heat Resistance].


    Havingpleted our preparations, we went ahead for another dive in the dungeon.


    On our way, I could see a few different races walking around on the streets. Even though it caught our attention due to the novelty, their reaction to everything around them made me very nostalgic about how the girls were when they first arrived.


    Talking about that with Licia and ire only led them to be incredibly embarrassed though.


    Thankfully no major incidents happened on our way today, and we entered the dungeon to hunt more monsters.


    The encounters were all as nasty as before, and after going a bit deeper than before, we ended up facing a group of [Hair Ball].


    This thing used its hair strands to whip me from a bunch of different directions.


    These strands however are incredibly durable and strong, and they managed to cut deeply both the ground and the walls.


    A single hit from one of these could probably take off an arm or a leg, and since each of these balls could use a bunch of tentacle-like members, dodging the array of whips was extremely difficult even for Mia and me who are the fastest among the group.


    At least everyone could somewhat deal with his using their swords skills, but I gotta say that I was very envious of Anna who didn''t even try dodging and just grabbed one of the whips after it hit her.


    She then pulled the monster toward her and cut it in half with her greatsword.


    It was by far the least impressive fight as there wasn''t much in the way of skill being used there, but it was a spectacle nheless.


    As for me, I couldn''t really deal with them the way the girls could, especially Anna''s, so I went with a magic approach.


    Firstly I used [Mana Shield] to tank some hits as I charged forward, for each tentacle that came my way, I cut them using wind des, and once I got close enough to it, I didn''t give it a chance to survive a hit, using [Fire Magic] to strengthen my des, I also activated [Physical Prowess] and [Focused Strike] to make sure this thing was gone.


    This must be by far the most troublesome floor yet, the variety of enemies means we have to adapt our way of fighting every time to match them, and their unnatural behavior makes it too difficult to predict their actions.


    At least they don''t show too much in the way of strategy, and stick to their... thing...


    Due to our help from the backline, whenever we struggle, the opponent doesn''t get a chance to deal a significant blow.


    Still, is important to do our best so that we don''t overwhelm Ellie and Beatrice.


    In the end, this expedition earned us two level-ups, and $1127. This result was mostly thanks to us being able to go deeper into the floor and also being able tost longer thanks to an increase in our mana pools.


    I needed to make sure to get something to take away these things from my mind though, and the best healing for a hellish vision was a sight from heaven, so I passed on a cake store before heading home.


    As nned, this ended up doing wonders to clear my mind and helped me forget the abominations from today.


    Once inside the kingdom, I wanted to keep trying to clear the second area with Mia, but we saw an interesting quest pop up in the [Quest Center].


    The quest specified that we had to capture a golden-horned rabbit, and upon doing so, we would be rewarded with one extra point in our speed status.


    While a single point wouldn''t make too much of a difference, this was a big deal.


    The quest allowed the registration of a party of up to four people, so I decided to take Ellie since she''s pretty good at hunting in the forest and also Licia since she has a good set of skills for most situations.


    ire did try her best to make me bring her too but... I know better than to let this girl participate in a mission inside the woods.


    Thanks to Ellie and Mia, it didn''t take us long to find the monster, with its golden glow working against it.


    However, for some reason, we couldn''t catch it no matter how much we gave chase or tried to surround it.


    We were just one step behind every time.


    This should''ve been impossible though... Mia has like twenty times its level, and her build focuses a lot on speed so there was definitely something going on here.


    Not to mention, even Ellie''s arrows were constantly missing him. What''s worse, since we were in a forest, she couldn''t do her arrow storm thanks to the trees providing a natural barrier, still, I thought I could use her to test a theory.


    Miwen: "Ellie... can you chase it?"


    It was the same for everyone, the monster was always just a little bit faster, just enough that we couldn''t catch it.


    But seeing Ellie give it chase right after Mia made things clearer.


    It''s not that the golden rabbit was faster than us, it''s just that its speed was fixed to be greater than anything chasing after it.


    Once we''ve noticed that, we created an ice corridor, and forced the monster into it. We then closed it from behind, effectively trapping the rabbit.


    There wasn''t too much space in there and the walls were exceedingly high, to the point they were taller than the trees around us.


    Using our ice magic we started to freeze the rabbit in ce, while Ellie shot two arrows at it, perforating both of its ears.


    She chose to debuff the monster with increased tiredness and paralysis.


    Frankly, this much was overkill, but this little shit gave us a lot of trouble and made Mia pretty pissed off, so to be honest, he ended up being lucky.


    Once we were back inside the [Quest Center] there was a big box on the side of the counter, and upon putting the rabbit there, the quest was cleared and it really ended up boosting our speed.


    There''s a bunch of Gifts that improve one''s status, but it was the first time Gacha Kingdom Building had done that for me aside from when I acquired skills, not to mention, that it also increased the status of other [Citizens].


    Wepleted all other quests avable, but another quest that offered status points as a reward didn''t show up and with Licia, Ellie, and I here, we had to hurry and make dinner or else the others might''ve stuffed themselves with cake.


    We also ended up getting teased by ire of all people thanks to the small change in scenery we made using [Ice Magic], but since it was going to melt without us maintaining it, no permanent damage was made to the forest, unlike someone''s fire magic might''ve done.

 Chapter 100: Angels Blessing

    As the Demon Queen''s event approached, we did our best to prepare for it in the few days we had.


    One issue we were having was with our weapons.


    It''s not that they are bad, most of them actuallyplement us somewhat well.


    The only exception would be Ellie''s...


    For a while now it''s been clear that she would like something that suits her more, but she never asked, so I ended up not prioritizing it.


    Thest time I summoned weapons, the Merchant ended up taking a pretty good bow with him, leaving her in dismay.


    After that, I decided I should give her one whenever I got the chance.


    Thanks to the skills we collected and all that we were sharing around, we were doing pretty fine on that front, so now was a good time to spend some tickets into weapons...


    I went one by one in order to minimize waste, but given that all kinds of different weapons were popping up, it took a while to get a good enough bow to substitute for the one she was currently using.


    [Aeresia


    The famed bow given by the Angelic High Council to the hero Aeresia during the Bloody Era of Kollonc. This construct will evolve together with its users, and will provide them with benefits to strengthen them.]


    It seems like the effects of the bow change ording to the archer''s powers... for now, Ellie said it''s giving her a boost to dexterity, speed, and strength.


    When she draws the bow. she also gets a skill called [Angels'' Blessing], so I had her do just that and got the skill.


    [Angels'' Blessing


    The angels decided to bestow power onto this one. Increases the odds of fate working in your favor. Increases your strength. Increases your luck. Increases your mana pool.


    People with good alignments will be more likely to approach you.


    As a passive skill, the effects will be applied all the time, unless the user decides to turn it off.]


    After seeing that, I tried the other weapons to see if something else was like this, but it was no luck.


    The skill is pretty good, and I surprised Ellie by sharing it back with her again.


    I thought the bow might create an infinite cycle by strengthening its level again if she equipped it, but sadly, this didn''t work.


    Perhaps when the bow itself gets stronger she''ll get another level in it, but we''ll have to wait and see.


    With Ellie''s weapon issue resolved, I still had about 10 tickets left, and I ended up using them on the [Potions Banner].


    Since whatever came out would be random, in both effects and quality, it''s not a very reliable banner.


    Still, the results were actually pretty good. Especially the mana regeneration and mana recovery potions that we could use right away today.


    With these in hand, today''s exploration proceeded at a faster pace than ever.


    We gave ire the mana regeneration potion, and thanks to it, she managed to keep going for quite a while and we found ourselves deep into the sixth floor.


    When the effects were gone and her mana was close to running out, she chugged the mana recovery potion and ended up at max mana again.


    There were [Lords] and [Kings] in the region we were in, so progressing further would be meaningless and would probably lead us to death, so we decided to make our way back, passing through a settlement first to rest.


    There were a few things I wanted to check, especially the price for the items I summoned from the Gacha.


    Inside the dungeon, the people of the settlement traded mostly for the loot that you could get on the floors.


    I tried going to a few of the people selling goods and traded some of the weapons and potions that didn''t seem particrly useful.


    These guys offered mana orbs, monster cores, and dungeon crystals.


    Thetter is a bit useless for us since it''s mostly used to enchant weapons by people with Gifts rted to that, and the government rarely buys crystals from lower floors nowadays. Even when it does, they buy a bulk on the cheap, so it''s not worth it.


    Through trading, I managed to basically double the loot we had obtained today, and I didn''t even offer too many items, about three weapons and two potions...


    Money-wise, it''s pretty worth it since I get them for nothing.


    It''s also probable that I ended up getting less than what they are really worth, but since I was just testing it out, I didn''t really mind it.


    Licia: "It still doesn''t make sense to me why you don''t care about the crystals... You know that a decent cksmith could make great weapons with it right?"


    Just like that, she ended up nonchntly dissing most of Earth''s cksmiths.


    Miwen: "Hm... I don''t know how it was in your world, but on Earth, if you find a random cksmith and give him a crystal of the sixth floor to make a weapon, he''ll probably make you something only good for the sixth floor..."


    Meaning that there''s no point for an adventurer to pursue a cksmith to make a weapon for him using the crystals from the floor he''s currently exploring.


    The demandes mostly from people on lower floors who feel like they need a strong weapon to proceed further.


    And if you''re going out of your way to get one, might as well go for the best.


    Weapons made with crystals from lower floors are usually marketed as a way to increase your earnings in a short time.


    While it may not be intentional, this ends up creating a trap for new adventurers.


    They often rely on the weapon without keeping in mind how effective their Gift truly is for fighting.


    In time, they find themselves on floors they have no right being, and once disarmed, or facing an enemy who has badpatibility... the result bes pretty obvious.


    This didn''t stop some guys from aiming high but if you think about it rationally, it''s better to have a weapon thatplements you instead of it providing the major part of your power.


    Licia: "I guess the difference lies in the frequency of monster attacks... you don''t have too many monsters going around in your world, right? So you guys don''t feel the need to arm yourselves..."


    Miwen: "Pretty much... "


    If a weak dungeon rampages, even without a Gift, you can just grab a gun and you''ll pretty much be fine, there''s no need to go after an enchanted weapon.


    In case the dungeon that rampages is one of the more difficult ones... a strong weapon will probably not do you any good, you''ll be overwhelmed either way.


    In this case, most people would just evacuate if they knew they were too close to a dungeon that was soon to rampage.


    Miwen: "When we go to another world through a settlement''s gate, it always seems like they''re more afraid of what''s outside their walls than whates out of the gate itself..."


    Licia: "Monsters in the wild don''t have a level cap so they are usually regarded as being more dangerous... At least back in my world, there were plenty of cases where a kingdom fell to monsters, not to mention entire areas lost to them. It''s basically a constant war."


    Thinking about it this way, Earth is pretty lucky since thanks to the technology and institutions in ce, we can keep track of when a dungeon is going to rampage, and we can also coordinate ourselves pretty well to deal with it in the best way possible.


    I kept talking with Licia a little bit while we were resting, and the topic changed a bit as we talked about Anna, Bea, and Ellie.


    These three were thest to join us, and during our camping night, the topic surfaced about going back to their original worlds.


    While none of them expressed the desire to go back, Ellie did say that there was still something she wanted to do.


    As for Bea, aside from a few other witches, she didn''t have any connection to her world, and as long as she could keep devoting herself to magic, she would be happy wherever she was.


    Thinking back on it, she also said that she felt better here since she had ess to more research material and was less often disturbed.


    As for Anna, she wanted to use her second chance in life to do the things she didn''t manage before, and she felt that she stood a better chance with us than with someone else.


    Licia had her sister back in her old world, but even though nobody wanted to say it, it was doubtful that her sister would''ve managed to stay alive due to her condition.


    Nobody understood that more than Licia though, and while she never said anything, it''s clear that she doesn''t care about her world anymore. There''s simply nothing left in there for her.


    Though I would like to have a word with the man who hurt her.


    Still, that night, the only one who seemed indecisive was ire.


    While she has sworn duty to me in this life, she also did the same as the daughter of her house previously, when the option ofing back became avable, she ended up torn between them.


    She still has her family, and while she''d have suffered a great setback, if she went back now, she might manage to reim the life she once had.


    It''s her decision at the end of the day, but if possible, I''d like her to reach closure.


    Miwen: "If she went back to her world I''d like to bring someone from the kingdom to sleep with us... who would you pick?"


    Licia: "Eh? I can choose? Then I guess I''d go with Ellie, she''s so cute after all."


    Miwen: "Great choice, she''s squishy and it''s great to sleep hugging her body. Not to mention, we would gain some space without ire''s dump truck. Her body''s only for me though, so you''d end up losing on that."


    Licia: "I wanted to kiss her at least once though... She''s so delicate and her lips look so sweet..."


    We kept going on about that without noticing the two presences that stood next to us.


    It was only when one of them couldn''t take it anymore and interjected that we realized our mistake.


    Ellie: "H-hm... so... the others said... y-you were taking too long..."


    ire: "No, no. Now I wanna hear more, it''s the first time youin about my behind, so I''m dying to see what you have to say."


    Miwen: "Uh... Sorry?"


    One was on the verge of tears from sheer embarrassment while the other hid her fury behind an ominous smile even after we met up with the others to go back home.


    While it was clear that something had happened, the confused girls who didn''t listen to the conversation didn''t manage to figure it out. At least I''d like to think so.


    For a while, this made Ellie wary of Licia, who tried everything to patch things up with her.


    As for me, it took me a while to get to y with everything ire''s body had to offer again.


    Aside from these results, today brought us three level-ups, making us reach the cap for this floor at an unprecedented speed. We also made $1947 thanks to trading a few items for monster cores.

 Chapter 101: Sixth Floor Boss

    Thanks to the girls giving their all and the potions we got yesterday, we managed to speed through the sixth floor, and today we were ready to defeat the floor boss.


    I didn''t want to spend any second longer than needed on this floor, so I took this opportunity to make a bunch of summons that might help us out.


    From the 33 tickets I received today, 3 were spent on spellbooks for Bea, and 10 were spent on potions.


    In case the boss battle turned out a little too dangerous, we could resort to those, and even if we managed to defeat it without too much trouble, this would help us out by allowing us to explore a little more of the seventh floor before heading back home.


    Using the remaining tickets, I got the following skills: [Stamina Increase] x3, [Focused Breathing] x3, [Spear Throw] x2, [Wicked Attack] x2, [Pursuit Of Knowledge] x2, [Movement speed up] x2, [Mana control] x2. [Ice Veil] x1, [Greater Might] x1, [Enhanced Drop Chance] x1, [Faster tree climbing] x1.


    While a few of these skills aren''t that useful, the skill that increases my stamina is a lifeline both inside and outside the dungeon, and considering the overall value of everything I obtained in this roll, I can''t say I''m dissatisfied at all.


    After sharing the skills that increase status with the girls, I also shared with them the strengthened [Enhanced Drop Chance]. I also gave everyone two levels of [Stamina Increase], even though I think this will spell trouble for meter on.


    I also noticed that ire''s been increasing her [Mana Control] by quite a lot, so I got that too since it''s otherwise hard to control the [Fire Magic] I currently have.


    It''s also good to see that she''s being cautious in order to not focus too much on power alone. Even though Licia and Bea already have good natural control over their magic, this skill would still help them out even more. This made me realize once again how much ire''s Gift ispatible with mine.


    Given that we weren''t having too much trouble on the sixth floor, I thought the boss battle wouldn''t be too hard either, but it seems I underestimated it quite a bit.


    Inside a dark room, four giant eyeballs, all of them [Lords] were watching us. Around them, magic of all types began to materialize.


    For this type of monster, magic is their preferred method of attack. They''ll sometimes use their huge body to do a charge attack, but that''s a bit rare.


    Either way, due to their number and variety of magic, we had to worry about how to block each one.


    For the fire magicing our way, it was obvious who we should depend on, but as for the water and earth, we left it to Licia and Mia. Beatrice took charge of the wind magic, allowing Anna and me to step forward.


    Due to our opponents being capable of flight, it was hard to keep a good stance, it also didn''t help that these guys were quite fast too, allowing them to dodge somewhat easily while still maintaining their magic barrage.


    We ended up having to separate them, and together with ire, we focused on taking down one at a time.


    This strategy was a bit costly for us, but we ended up managing to defeat them all thanks to it.


    The only problem was with thest one, when it was defeated, its body exploded into a hundred small eyeballs.


    Each of these was faster than the giant eyeballs we were facing, not to mention, with each of them being equivalent to a mini mage, an onught of magic found its way toward us.


    The only good thing about all of this was that they weren''t as sturdy as the giant eyeballs, but hitting them with physical attacks was still difficult.


    We had to use a lot of mana to defend ourselves and relied on ire''s magic to diminish their numbers as much as possible.


    But even her attacks weren''t having too much of an effect since the sheer amount of magic they were using was capable of dissipating most of ire''s.


    As such, we took an adapted trench warfare approach and focused on maintaining the barrier while sniping them whenever possible.


    Together with Ellie, we managed to get about 20 of them like this, but as their numbers went down, finding easy targets became harder as they started to use their shared senses to their advantage, and covered for each other.


    Thanks to that though, we had managed to effectively cut in half the amount of magic attacksing our way since a few of them were killed and arge quantity had to cover for the others.


    This allowed Licia and Beatrice to be able to maintain the barrier by themselves, giving Mia the chance to get behind them.


    The idea was to use her speed to give them another target, confuse their senses now that they were making proper use of their abilities, and also allow ire to finally be able to deal withrge quantities at a time.


    Focusing on three tasks at once proved to be too much for them, while Ellie and I slowed down, ire picked up for us, and in less than 10 minutes, the whole bunch was finally killed.


    They tried to enter a circr formation, shooting in every direction at once, but that desperate effort didn''t do them any good in the end.


    Having dealt with all of that was half the battle though...


    The door in front of this room opened, but instead of reaching the seventh floor, we found ourselves in front of the boss.


    Both a [King] and a [Superior] thest giant eyeball was bigger than the others and his entire body was covered by smaller eyeballs.


    This allowed the monster to shoot arge quantity of magic and also provided it with quite a lot of defense since once a mini eyeball was hit, it would leave the body and attack anyone in its way.


    Thanks to that, using ire''s magic here was impossible, as it would only free the mini eyeballs, leading us to a simr situation to what we had before, honestly speaking, if we had to face that along with the giant eyeball, odds wouldn''t be in our favor, even more so considering how much mana we had already spent.


    To properly fight this battle we needed a lot of coordination, especially with the backline.


    We surrounded the monster and relied on mostly physical attacks, but we refrained from staying inbat for too long, we would give it a single hit, making a single eyeball leave and giving Ellie and Bea the chance to kill it.


    The person being targeted would either dodge or tank it in the case of Anna who could block almost all of the damage done to her.


    For us who had to dodge and couldn''t attack as much as we liked, this battle was tiring both physically and mentally.


    Still, thanks to the flexibility of our party, we had 5 different targets facing the boss at the same time, so if one of us ended up being the target for too long, the others woulde in and start dealing as much damage to the main body as possible to catch its attention.


    If we ended up freeing more eyeballs than intended, Licia and ire could help out with Bea and Ellie''s tasks.


    Tiresome as it was, we eventually managed to get almost all of the eyeballs out and seeing that their numbers weren''t going to be too much of a threat, we started once again fighting without holding back.


    Mia and I took it upon ourselves to deal with any eyeball that was freed and couldn''t be dealt by Beatrice, thanks to our speed, we could deal with them before they shot any magic, thus enabling Anna, ire, and Licia to deal a lot of damage at once thanks to Ellie''s debuffs.


    It hurt Mia''s pride a bit that she had to take a more supporting role instead of hurting the boss directly, but making use of Ellie''s Gift was favorable to having another attacker mixed in, even if that attacker was Mia.


    It would also be hard to delegate this task to any of the other girls, so while it''s a bit of a waste, it was the best we could do.


    When all the mini eyeballs attached to the boss were finally killed, I could see a tremendous smile on Mia''s face as that meant she could finally start attacking the boss too.


    Even with all of us focusing on it, this thing was still incredibly resistant, and his magic attacks would be able to put any of us aside from Anna and perhaps Mia down had they hit.


    Thanks to Bea that wasn''t the case, so the only problem came when this thing decided to charge at us.


    Each charge was as fast as me at top speed, and when it did more than one continuously, the monster managed to avoid all of us at the frontline and targeted Bea and Ellie.


    Had it done a third charge in a row, it might''ve spelled trouble for them, but it instead chose to use a pressured water beam to attack them, leading Bea to meet it with one of her own paired with earth spikesing from the floor and two methrowersing from each side.


    While using three different types of magic, each of a different element, at the same time was a pretty impressive disy, we knew that doing this meant she must''ve used almost all of her magic.


    It was necessary though, that seemed to be by far the strongest attack it had, and it might''ve taken both Bea and Ellie down.


    Perhaps this thing didn''t expect its attack to be blocked by the supporting backline, but its confusion gave us the opportunity to finish the fight once and for all.


    Licia didn''t waste any time before copying Bea and using ice spikes to attack the monster, while Mia used her ice magic to boost the power of her punches.


    At the same time, Anna pierced through its body with her sword, while ire copied the monster itself and used a concentrated beam of fire against it, piercing and burning it from within.


    She also temporarily enchanted my daggers with her [Fire Magic], allowing me to give the boss the final blow.


    I should also mention that Apollo attacked the boss with its wind des too. It might not have done anything, but it was a valiant effort.


    Having finally defeated the boss, we were allowed to leave the floor.


    Surprisingly, even with our enhanced drop chance, the boss didn''t leave anything behind.


    As for the seventh floor itself, the monsters inhabiting it are less of a pain to the eye. It''s actually a pretty-looking cave system full of crystals, and the monsters upying it are different types of golems made of these very same crystals, stone, or dirt.


    Since we used some potions before leaving the boss room, we managed to venture quite a bit into this floor and even checked a few settlements.


    In the end, not only did we manage to kill the floor boss, but we actually got a level up and $761 in cash thanks to the loot we managed to acquire when making our way to the sixth floor''s boss room, and also the few drops we got on the seventh floor.

 Chapter 102: First Raid On The Seventh Floor

    Tomorrow will be thest raid we''ll have since the event timer will run out on the next night, if we want to be in our best condition we will have to avoid entering the dungeon on the day of the event.


    As such, we''ll have to make the most of thesest two chances we have before the demon queen arrives.


    There are two possible options avable currently, either I focus all the tickets on skills, which will most definitely strengthen us, or I can also spend some of the tickets on potions.


    As it stands, by spending just 10 tickets, I can reliably get one or more mana-restoring potions, which would enable us to go deeper into the floor, thus earning more levels.


    Both options are good, but taking into consideration future events, it will be better to get as many level-ups as possible, so I decided to use some tickets for potions and the remaining twenty-one resulted in the following skills:


    [Block Analysis] x3, [X sh] x3, [Physical Prowess] x3, [Better Crafting] x2, [Improved Artistic Skill] x2, [Information Blocking] x2, [Sight Enhancement] x2, [Wind Cover] x1, [Mental Resistance] x1, [Mana Transfer] x1, [Unending Determination] x1.


    With no further preparations necessary, we went to properly explore the seventh floor.


    Yesterday we had managed to get to level 34 here, so there was only a gap of 8 levels between us and the strongest monsters on this floor.


    Normally that would be a problem, but with our skill levels and everyone''s specialized builds, we can punch way up our levels.


    Not to mention, having Mia with us helps quite a lot since she instantly hits the level cap of this floor the moment she enters it.


    If one of the golems seems too troublesome, we leave it in her care.


    Now that their levels are growing closer, her rivalry with ire has be the mostpetitive it has ever been.


    There isn''t much variation of monsters on this floor, aside from them all being golems of different materials, they are usually divided into three sses, scouts, tanks, and raiders.


    The scouts are either small snake-like creatures crawling and digging holes on the ground, or small birds, slightly bigger than Apollo.


    They aren''t hard to kill,cking both strength and defense, but their speed and small sizes are a bit problematic, not to mention, that they generally appear when arge group is nearby, and even if you kill them, the others will still be most likely rmed, so taking them out by surprise as we usually do using Ellie bes way harder to do.


    It also makes it hard to use ire to her full potential since once the monsters get close enough to engage in physicalbat unless we coordinate well, we would risk getting hit byrge-scale attacks.


    When they have the initiative, they may also target ire first as she is part of the frontline, essentially locking her from targeting multiple enemies at once as she focuses on fighting with her sword.


    This single addition makes us have to revise the way we''ve been fighting, at least for this floor.


    In one of the strategies we''re now employing, we make use of Anna''s defense so that when arge group of monsterses, she can block them and use her sword to stun them for a bit.


    If for whatever reason this fails, then Licia, Bea, and I will focus on holding them down using our magic.


    As long as they group themselves and we manage to get Anna out of the way, ire is free to use her magic on them.


    It''s mostly a roundabout way to reach the same result we were getting prior, but it works for the time.


    Though it''s quite taxing on Anna, and there were some close calls when she almost got hit with friendly fire.


    Aside from that, Mia and I are also taking turns as forward scouts. Thanks to our speed, we''re able to proceed further ahead ande back upon killing the enemy scout and determining the position of the monster group.


    By quickly getting back, we can then engage in our old strategies again.


    Both of these require way more effort, but that''s how much information is important, now that we can''t silently approach and take them by surprise, each engagement has be way more dangerous.


    The other monsters aren''t as much of a problem, they are either strong or fast and may possess an annoying Gift, but it''s pretty much the same as it''s been for other floors.


    Generally, the golem tanks are bigger and slower but might be very strong or resistant.


    As for the raiders, they are simr to wolves and use their speed to attack.


    Most of the monsters on this floor don''t rely on magic, except for the golems made out of crystals, these pose a bigger threat due to their flexibility when fighting. Even scouts can be made of crystals, and by using magic, they might defend themselves long enough to be way incredibly troublesome.


    Miwen: "We are going at a good speed but it''ll be a bit risky to dive deeper this way..."


    This floor is significantly better than thest, so if possible I wouldn''t want to rush it as much, but with the use of potions we can go pretty far, and it would be a waste to not use them.


    I was using our resting time to n out where to go next, while also making corrections to the maps.


    Bea: "I thought we were supposed to be resting?"


    Miwen: "... You''re right... But it''s important to update these."


    Whenever mapping the dungeon, I tried to focus more on effectiveness than anything, and the maps ended up being pretty simple.


    While I still maintain the same focus, thanks to this skill, I can''t help adding a lot more touches and details, which leads to me losing a bit of speed when doing this.


    From what the maps said, if we were to continue going on the path we were in, we would start facing the most dangerous enemies the floor had to offer.


    It''s hard to determine if the information is correct now that the appearance of other worlds'' settlements started changing theyout of the dungeon thanks to new paths, the only way would be to check it ourselves but... I decided to do that tomorrow. For now, it would be better to head back home since we''ve managed to earn some levels.


    With three levels acquired and $1342 pocketed, today''s raid was a sess.


    Once home though I had a small problem to deal with...


    Miwen: "C''mon we were just joking around..."


    ire: "You''re not fooling me you know?"


    She was still mad about what Licia and I said, and I was especially suffering from it since I''d lost a few of my privileges with her.


    No matter how I tried to approach her, I couldn''t make her forgive me, and I was beginning to run out of ideas.


    Miwen: "Is there something I can do so that you let this one go?"


    ire: "Hm... there''s one thing, but..."


    Quite rare for her to hold back like this. This made me feel a bit uneasy thinking about what she might ask me.


    Still, it was my mistake, so I should at least do something to get back on her good side.


    ire: "You know, there''s this new game and..."


    I should''ve expected something like this from her.


    The only problem with her request is that it''s a mobile game, and since my phone is definitely not new, she can''t y it.


    So her request was for me to buy her a phone. One of the new ones.


    It wasn''t so bad of a request, a bit expensive, but having another phone going around helps a bit as it will free either my phone or the PC, which will let Bea research for longer.


    Of course, I also knew that if I went all out I could even make a request of my own. I didn''t know much about phones, so I just got her the one she wanted after making sure her game yed well on it.


    We made a quick trip to buy it and once we were back home she made me add her contact... even though we''re never far from each other, and when we are it''s basically a dimension away.


    Still, seeing her being happy made me quite proud.


    Licia: "You only had 6 contacts..."


    Miwen: "Yeah, I don''t use the phone too much either so..."


    That''s why it wasn''t a new one, I only use it for simple tasks, so there wasn''t much meaning in spending money on newer models every year.


    Licia: "You parents, your sister... Sam and Roy... but who was the other girl?"


    Great, by correcting one mistake it seems like I triggered another one.


    Well, there''s not much to that story either so it should be fine if I''m honest with her.


    Miwen: "She was a crush I had I guess. But besides getting her number, nothing really happened, so there''s no need to be jealous."


    Licia: "I''m not jealous. What did you like about her?"


    Yeah, not jealous alright.


    To be fair, I barely remember her face at all now, and I never talked to her before asking her number.


    She was pretty quiet, and you would barely notice her existence, even more so if you were trying hard not to fail.


    I''m sure Licia will notice if I lie, so there''s no reason to even try.


    But it''s also hard to say what is it that made me interested in the first ce.


    Mia: "Knowing this guy? It was her body."


    Miwen: "Probably... Wait..."


    This girl interjected right when I was thinking hard to give an honest answer, and she just had to say the most outrageous thing possible, it''s almost like she''s trying to get me in a bad spot.


    Miwen: "I don''t actually know why I went after her. She wasn''t really hot either, at least not noticeably so. She was also quite quiet so perhaps I thought it would be my best shot... Though now that I think about it, she started getting more popr by the end of ourst year..."


    Maybe that''s why I gave up calling her.


    Well, if I barely remember her, in the end, it wasn''t anything important.


    Miwen: "More importantly... I thought you liked fighting games ire. I wasn''t expecting you to pick a dating sim."


    It was a cheap way to get out of the conversation, but if I hadn''t done something I might''ve ended up getting on Licia''s bad side.


    As for the game ire was ying, it looked like your typical visual novel dating simtor, and while the graphics were pretty good, it wasn''t the style of games she often ys.


    Normally, this type of game runs even on a potato, but the gamey seemed to be very intricate and expansive, with a lot of different elements, and ording to ire, the story is incredibly long, meaning the game takes a lot of storage too, thanks to all of that, to run it well, you kind of need a good phone, to begin with.


    Once she got excited and started telling me about its story though, it became clear exactly what is it that made her want to try out the game so much.


    At the game start, she has the choice of ying with the meekmoner heroine or the viinous duke''s daughter.


    Their start couldn''t be more different, but their objective is the same, gaining the heart of the prince and the other characters that surround them.


    It''s a bit strange how two of the main targets for the viiness are her brothers, one of them holding a high position in the minister and the other being a general.


    Even her third target, her butler, is a bit strange. No one seems to have figured out how to romance him yet, which is absolutely insane considering that we have the inte on our side.


    There''s spection that even though he was marketed as a main character, thepany behind the game decided to cut his route or make him a DLC.


    It''s also strange that a bunch of others who seem like minor characters also have routes of their own. Not to mention how the butler isn''t even an option for themoner heroine since every action she takes diminishes his opinion of her.


    Considering the other options the viiness has, I guess that her being a yable character was just an afterthought to follow trends.


    I hope they at least put some effort into it though since ire seems to have picked up this game just to y with the duke''s daughter.


    Even if it''s just a game, this allows her to feel a bit about how her life might''ve gone back in her world while experiencing things she might''ve wanted to, but never could.


    She only yed a bit of the prologue, but she seemed very satisfied with it, and not only did I manage to patch things up with her, but she also made sure to thank meter that night.

 Chapter 103: To Welcome The Queen

    Today was thest chance we had to raid the seventh floor, no matter what this raid results in, we would have to ept them and face the demon queen.


    Splitting some of my tickets into both potions and skills has been proving rather effective, so I went with it again, which made me obtain the following skills:


    [Greater Might] x3, [Swordsmanship] x3, [Stealth Strike] x3, [Stamina Increase] x2, [X sh] x2, [Trap Disarmament] x2, [Culinary Arts] x2, [Appraisal] x1, [Better Mana Regeneration] x1, [Eagle Eye] x1, [Faster tree climbing] x1, [Movement speed up] x1, [Wind Magic] x1.


    I also had to share skills around with everyone so that they could do their best in the uing event.


    [Better Mana Regeneration] is a pretty powerful skill, so I shared it with everyone, I also gave Licia, ire, Mia, and Anna the strengthened [Greater Might].


    Both [Information Blocking] and [Block Analysis] are useful at preventing the enemy from getting the upper hand, and with the seventh floor making a point of how much information is important, I deemed it necessary to share these two around with everyone too.


    [Movement speed up] is another skill that gives a t bonus to status, with it being at such a high level, it was costly to share it around, but I had quite a few kingdom points stored thanks to the Merchant, so while hefty, I thought it was worth the cost.


    [Eagle Eye] would enable Ellie to shoot from greater distances. thus giving her a bit more leeway in a straight fight. [Stealth Strike] would also be useful for her since she can get behind an enemy to use it.


    I could also apply the same logic to ire and Bea who might end up taking roles as artillery if the battle demands it, so these two also got [Eagle Eye] and [Stealth Strike].


    Since we might also end up having to go face the demon, taking Erika''s experience into ount, I shared [Mental Resistance] with everyone in order to prevent any mind attacks as much as possible.


    Even 5000 points weren''t enough to share every single skill due to their high levels and the amount of people I was sharing them with, not the mention the frequency I''ve been sharing skills, as such, I had to consider carefully what would be useful and what would not.


    [Unending Determination] had good effects, but I decided to share it with only the frontliners since they are often the ones more exposed to danger.


    I also gave them [Focused Breathing] as it might help even if a little bit.


    As for the remaining points, I kept them in order to deal with whatever unpredictable circumstances the event might bring about.


    While those were absolutely preparations for a fight, I was hoping to solve this without needing one, but that would be a first.


    Even if a fight broke out though, we''ve stored quite a few health potions and some that cure debuffs, so we should be fine.


    In today''s dive, we proceeded with a bit more caution so as to not risk any injuries since we were so close to the event. If any happened we would use a potion of course, but that would still hurt us a little bit on that front.


    Since yesterday we were close to a fourth level-up, by pushing slightly more than what I wanted to, we managed to get three level-ups, alongside a hefty sum of $1433.


    We also ended a bit early today so that everyone could rest as much as possible.


    The only exception for that was going to be Beatrice as I needed to talk with her for a while.


    The subject was Arcanum magic, while she said that she would tell me about itter, in reality, she never did.


    While there''s a possibility that she simply forgot about it, I couldn''t help finding it suspicious. Perhaps it''s my own bias against Beatrice telling me this, but if I had to bet on someone purposefully keeping a secret from me, I''d bet on her 100%.


    Thest time that Arcanum magic came into talks was when she was having her little face-off against Erika, so I thought perhaps it would be of importance against the demon queen too.


    I had never heard of it and couldn''t find anything on the inte either, so it must be some concept that Earth has not developed yet.


    Either way, I would be uncovering it today, so I visited her inside the kingdom.


    The room she shares with Ellie is full of bookshelves, and I''ve been contemting adding a basement to give more space for her to experiment and store her books.


    Beatrice: "Hm... As I told you, Arcanum is an elementless type of magic... it converts the users'' intentions and their mana into an all-use magic. The most basic use is strengthening elemental magic, but you can also use it to manipte certain concepts.


    You''ll need to have a good grasp on how and why these concepts work, which is why that subus girl was so effective in applying Arcanum to manipte how persuasive her words were."


    With her exnation, it seems incredibly useful, but she also said a bit more when I first asked her about it.


    Back then, she also referred to it as being sinful, so I had to confront that about it as well.


    Beatrice: "Well, there''s a few reasons for it being called sinful. First, there''s no skill for Arcanum. This led to the theory that whatever it is, the Gods themselves don''t want us to delve into it. Thus, learning and utilizing Arcanum is seen as an affront to the Gods."


    It seems like there''s not much evidence for it, but I can see the reasoning.


    In their perspective, the Gods are responsible for giving them their Gifts and skills, in the form of a blessing, so anything that is acquired outside of that system must not be a Gift from the Gods. It''s either not their intent for us, or it might be the opposite of a blessing.


    ording to Beatrice, another reason why it''s not viewed with good eyes is thanks to the fact that demons are known to use it quite frequently.


    This goes both ways in hurting the reputation of Arcanum Magic and demons alike.


    Given that they use it so much, I thought that there might be a reason for it, even more so when considering that Erika said something about a cost for non-humans to use, which Beatrice didn''t deny at the time, instead, choosing to focus on the fact that the rest of Erika''s party wouldn''t be able to handle us.


    Beatrice: "Haah... that girl said too much... Let''s see... the main reason is that demons seem to be able to spend their demonic power in order to use it. It''s almost like an extension of the power itself. The same way the Gods seem to use divinity to shape things to their will and perform miracles..."


    Interesting. The Merchant talked a lot about these concepts, but aside from them being more powerful than magic, and allowing for certain things that normally wouldn''t happen, he refused to talk about it in much detail.


    In his note, he left a few basic exnations, but I still don''t get itpletely.


    Beatrice also doesn''t seem to bepletely in the loop about all of that, but I guess that''s understandable since she''s approaching it from a single angle as she can''t really get a God to do research, and the only guy who could give her some insight was aplete clown.


    With that being said, I''d have to be stupid to not notice how she evaded the most important part of this discussion.


    Miwen: "So... since you''re not a demon and you don''t have demonic power, what is the cost of using Arcanum for you?"


    Beatrice: "... It''s not a big deal since I''ve be quite used to it. More importantly, since it''s just the two of us, wouldn''t it be fine to have some fun?"


    She approached me for a kiss, thinking that it would be enough to distract me from the fact that she had yet to answer me.


    Either way, I was ready to fight back this time, so she would see that this tactic would do her more harm than good.


    Before even 3 minutes had passed she was already melting, and even though she wanted to break off to grasp for air, I forcefully brought her closer, making her unable to escape.


    I was definitely going to emerge the victor on this one, but before I could go further, we were interrupted by someone.


    Anna: "Miwen! ire said that she... whoops. S-sorry to interrupt..."


    Thanks to the surprise Beatrice managed to escape, but that was fine. I knew I''d have another chance in the future.


    Once Anna left, I could see Beatrice in shambles as she gasped for air, not only that, but for the first in maybe forever I could see her being extremely embarrassed.


    It''s a bit strange since she didn''t seem to mind Ellie but... perhaps... Anna might''ve given me a big tip right now, I''ll be sure to reward herter.


    Beatrice: "That was a bit too intense... I think I''m gonna need a time-out."


    Miwen: "Sure, you can take a break after you tell me what''s the price of arcanum for humans."


    Beatrice: "Tsk..."


    Miwen: "Beatrice. If you don''t tell me, I''ll have no choice but to order you to not use it."


    I don''t like resorting to the orders, but without knowing if this might hurt the others, I''m left with no options.


    Beatrice: "...For Arcanum... You have to offer something that is unique to you... generally, we use our memories or our feelings. This either leaves us with a gap or a distortion... But it''s not as bad as it seems, it might just be that you''ll misremember the color of someone''s clothes and the like... still, it''s said that Devils inhabit these gaps or hide in these distortions so..."


    Miwen: "..."


    Beatrice: "A-and if you''re good with it you can... kind of guess what is going to be affected... and like, I''m very used to it, so I can even predict what the effect will be... sometimes..."


    She seems incredibly flustered as she tries to make an argument in favor of it, but...


    I can''t see it as a fair price.


    Even when she''s trying to make it look as good as possible, the downsides are incredibly obvious. She''s listing the minimal effects, so on the stronger side, it might be that she loses her memory or her emotions.


    Even if they only get distorted, that''s equivalent to dementia and might lead to a mental illness or straight-up make her insane.


    Miwen: "...Bea... You''re not allowed to use it."


    I didn''t give her an order using kingdom points, but I also showed how serious I was about it.


    In this kind of situation, she would definitely offer me something in return to change my mind, but it was clear that it wasn''t going to work this time.


    Miwen: "You can still research all you like, but don''t use Arcanum. If we see the Merchant again I''ll hire him as your teacher for a few sses."


    Does the Merchant know about Arcanum? I have absolutely no doubts about it.


    It seems right up his alley. Even more so considering he has both Demonic Power and Divinity.


    I wonder if I can buy some of his demonic power so that Bea can use Arcanum without trading her sanity for it, but since this seems to be quite important for him, it might not be an option.


    As for Beatrice, she seemed a bit upset with my decision, but she didn''t try toin and ended up epting it.


    Knowing that the event was soon toe, I didn''t want her to think that it would be fine to engage in this type of battle against the demon queen.

 Chapter 104: The Demon Queens War (01)

    The kingdom was surprisingly calm today considering that an event was about to start. It was scheduled to naturally start during the night, but I could also start it instantly if I chose to do so.


    There was no point going into the dungeon as while we might get some levels, it would end with us out of ideal shape.


    Still, I neither wanted to wait until it waste at night nor did I want to have it start right in the morning, which led to us having this tranquil breakfast as if nothing was going to happen.


    I let the girls go about their business in the morning as usual, and after a few hours, we met again in the kingdom''s walls.


    The same view as when the Merchant first appeared, and we would be using the same strategy.


    While that didn''t go well against the Merchant, no strategy could do any good against that guy.


    Assuming a defensive, and using the walls and the natural obstacles should give us an advantage against any normal enemy.


    I received the kingdom points and the daily tickets for today, but I refrained from using them immediately. Instead, I asked the girls if they were ready, and after receiving their confirmation, I forcefully started the event a few hours earlier than scheduled.


    [Invasion! The Demon Queen Falls Down


    For an Invasion to begin, a free plot will be added to the Kingdom from which the invaders cane. Please, select a new plot ofnd to be added.


    Please note that an invasion event provides greater rewards if sess is achieved.]


    The same asst time, I get a free plot inside the kingdom. I can choose to add in any direction as long as it makes contact with an already existing plot.


    Right now the kingdom has kind of a corridor shape since I''m only adding plots forward, but I''m not sure what would happen if I started expanding the sides either.


    As such, I once again expanded in the forest direction.


    Due to the trees, I don''t see too well what was added, so we''ll have to check it outter but at the very least, the trees in that area seem a bit taller. Perhaps it''s due to a change in the terrain''s altitude or a change in the trees themselves, but it makes for an annoying cover as we couldn''t see the invader.


    It was probable that some monsters were going to spawn there too, and seeing thunder fall from the sky, gave us a good idea of what might be happening there.


    After a few minutes, a figure started flying above the forest and confirmed what we were thinking.


    The monsters had spawned in that area, and that woman was responsible for killing them with her thunder attacks.


    Ellie: "... I don''t see any weapons on her so... a mage?"


    Anna: "Seems that way."


    This is already better than what happened with thest invasion, at least we got some information in advance.


    That woman starteding in our direction. We readied our weapons but didn''t attack first. We also took care to not show more hostility than necessary.


    She didn''t approach us too fast, either being cautious of us or trying not to raise tensions.


    There were no weapons in her hand, but we have plenty of good mages with us, and Bea especially should notice if this girl tries to use any magic.


    Bea: "... She''s most definitely a mage. She''s using wind magic to be faster, probably due to ackluster speed status. It''s a bit wasteful of her but she''s using the perfect amount, which means her control is incredibly good... still, her wasting some resources works in our favor, right?"


    Of course, since I can''t see her status, this must mean that she either has quite a few levels over us, or she has skills to block my appraisal, either way, thanks to Bea, now we know that speed-wise we don''t have to worry too much...


    The girl was wearing a crimson-ck gothic dress, it was difficult to read her expression. She seemed disinterested... her eyes seemed void of life or purpose. Her hair was also a dark tone of red, but there it faded to a grey at the tips. Odd as her expression was, once she started talking, her expression changed just a little, and her blue eyes started to look like jewels.


    I presumed this was her best attempt to ovee her own feelings in order to show politeness, so I readied myself to respond in kind.


    Demon Queen: "Greetings. I''m... Liz... a demon. Due to circumstances outside of my control, I found myself in this unknownnd."


    At the very least she seems willing to talk... I guess we can try it out, if things go well I''ll be able to end this without fighting.


    Miwen: "I''m the king of thisnd..."


    The moment I said that I could feel some sneersing from my side, but I let that slide and continued.


    Miwen: "If you''re willing to listen, I might be able to exin your situation, but it would take some time as it''s a long story.


    Demon Queen: "That would be beneficial. I suppose I can enter then?"


    ...I would''ve liked her to stay away from the wall but... there was no point in it once again, this girl standing in front of us just flew above the river and for obvious reasons, the wall also didn''t mean anything to her.


    Since neither of those could offer us any protection, I decided to let her enter.


    To show off a little bit of my power as the king I decided to make a new house for us to talk.


    It felt essential to prove to her my standing in this ce, and also make clear that I had power over thend.


    Bea treated her in high regard as a mage, so I suspected she would be on the lookout for the use of magic, and seeing me create a house out of nothing might confuse or scare her a bit, making the chances of abat decline.


    As for what I could do aside from that... Since things were going well and it seemed like we could talk, I decided to invest in the [Reputable Ruler] skill that I unlocked after thest event.


    I didn''t know how much this improved the chances of our conversation going well, but I was willing to bet on the best possible oue.


    The girl''s expression was bing more alive by the minute, her eyes started looking sharper as she tried to understand everything surrounding her.


    Miwen: "...For my own protection, I''ll have the others inside the house. However, I''ll also give you my word they will be there only as a defensive measure, I won''t allow anyone to attack you unprovoked."


    Demon Queen: "Fine."


    She was starting to be more and more cautious, but at the very least, inside the house, we would be protected from her lightning attacks. At least the ones thate from above.


    Undoubtedly that''s just one option she has to attack us, but by stacking small advantages on top of each other, if a battle started, we would be in a big lead from the get-go.


    For this discussion, I had her sit across from me at the table, and even offered her some food. She ended up refusing though, which is understandable given the strange circumstances, not to mention the fact that they could be poisoned.


    I had to be careful with my words, I wanted to reveal to her just enough information that she could understand what exactly was happening and what her options were, especially the ones that would lead to the event ending peacefully.


    It would''ve been bad for me to say too much about my Gift, so I kept the important parts and some mechanisms that weren''t important out of this conversation.


    Her questions were fairly normal, she wanted to know who we were, what this ce was, and such things.


    I ended up having to exin to her that the majority of the girls here were summoned through the use of my Gift, while Mia was a war survivor who took refuge in the kingdom.


    The Demon Queen questioned me if she was the same, summoned by me. And while that''s kind of true, I had to make clear the difference between them. Which led me to tell her the event description.


    The words in the description weren''t very kind to her, calling her a former shell of herself and telling her about her loss in a war. Of course, this also made it obvious that I knew a little about her past and tried to use Mia''s so that they could rte, but since the words were true, I didn''t feel ashamed about it.


    I tried to be as honest as possible with her but I could tell that something was changing about her.


    Demon Queen: "I see... well, that''s better than expected I guess."


    Miwen: "Hm?"


    That reaction was a bit unexpected.


    Demon Queen: "I had a necromancer in my army, so I''m not that amazed. Still, your Gift does a better job than hers, aside from my powers, my body and mind seem to be the exact same as they were before. Though the fact that you don''t have control over me is a very bad trade-off."


    Miwen: "So you died when you were defeated."


    Demon Queen: "Yes. There''s no doubt about that. After all, I fought knowing that I would die."


    That''s... something that brings me bad memories.


    It''s the second time I''ve seen a queen who refuses to abandon her territory, perhaps there''s a code of conduct like that of a captain that someone might''ve forgotten to send me.


    Well, I can''t make anyments about it without knowing the circumstances as they might differ from Melissa''s, but I don''t like how she talks about her own death like this.


    Considering that she died, it''s also a bit strange to me that she came as an invader. I thought only the Companions''s Banner could do something like that. It''s even more strange that she probably has some levels on her as she''s using magic.


    Demon Queen: "...How is your rtionship with the Gods?"


    Miwen: "Hm... I''m not on their side, nor against them. I''m basically a bystander."


    They haven''t done anything against me. While I have a friend fighting against them, I myself don''t have any grudges with the bunch.


    Demon Queen: "I assume that''s the same for the rest of your world?"


    Miwen: "Basically, yeah."


    Demon Queen: "You leave me no choice then. Your Gift would be a tremendous asset on either side, I cannot allow you to fall to them. I was also going to need a world to restart the World Punishment, so I''ll be taking yours."


    So she''s the same as the Merchant. It''s just been two times, so it''s not enough to set a pattern but... for the two invaders to be against the Gods...


    Well, more pressing though...


    Miwen: "A World Punishment, is that what caused your death?"


    Demon Queen: "Yes, the God who killed me used an attack that wiped the whole. That''s also why I''m interested in your Gift, you managed to revive me even when there wasn''t a body to use necromancy on. With something like this, I would be invincible."


    Quite the grandiose dream there. Except that both the events and the Companion Banners arepletely random, so the chances of me repeating that would be near zero.


    Not to mention, I also cannot survive an attack that destroys the, and I''m quite doubtful that I can use my Gift while being dead.


    Miwen: "I can''t let you drag Earth to a war, sorry. I could throw you into another world so that you can have your fun there though. I also won''t being with you, I might not have made it clear, but I have no desire to face the Gods or start meaningless wars."


    Demon Queen: "Oh, I understood that. What I''m saying is that your desires don''t matter. You and your world will be mine. You''ll learn to be thankful to meter."


    So much for [Reputable Ruler]...


    Her stare became way more vicious, her intention was clear and electricity started pouring out of her body.


    Negotiations had broken down.


    I wasn''t going to be her subordinate, even more, if it was to fight a war I have no stakes in.


    I also couldn''t let her take over Earth just to use it as her little stage.


    As such, unbeknownst to the world, a war to decide its fate was about to begin.

 Chapter 105: The Demon Queens War (02)

    The Demon Queen had dered her war. She didn''t waste a moment to attack us.


    Thinking that we could react to her attacks was my mistake. While she herself is not fast by any means, her magic certainly is.


    Bolts of lightning starteding out of her body, and as I was the closest to her, I ended up being the target for her attack.


    I barely had time to jump back, but avoiding it would be impossible. Seeing how the lightninging from her body was enough to make the house crumble into a fire, I could only hope that somehow this one was weaker.


    Given that I was still alive after that, I thought luck had been on my side but the image in front of my eyes contradicted that greatly.


    A thick wall of ice had been formed, though something had pierced a hole through it.


    Anna and Licia were right in front of that wall, the first was on her knees, seeing how burned her body was, it was obvious that she had been hit with the lion''s share of that magic. Thanks to her defense status, she was still holding on to consciousness, but the same could not be said about Licia.


    She had her arms open in an attempt to make her body as big as possible. The ice barrier was probably her work also.


    She only mustered enough strength to take onest look at me before saying she was sorry and falling down.


    With the house burning, everything was a chaotic mess, and my head was no different.


    However, I knew I had to do something, so I grabbed Licia and ordered Mia to bring Anna out as we all evacuated.


    It would''ve been incredibly nice if the demon had died inside the fire hell she had created, but sadly, the one that flew fast enough to break through the ceiling couldn''t be anyone else other than her.


    As she started to descend, she stood just a little higher than the house, with the fire still burning the remains, it was the truest picture of a demon.


    ire: "Should''ve stayed inside, the fire here is way worse."


    Upon seeing what had happened to the others, it was obvious that ire wasn''t going to let this girl get away with what she had done. Much as I''d like to admire the power and quantity of magic she was throwing, taking care of Licia and Anna took precedence.


    While running to create some distance between us, I started spamming the potions banner in order to get something to heal the girls.


    We could also head to Mia''s ce where the potions were stored, but I didn''t want to take her away from the fight as she was probably our strongest fighter.


    It took me 15 out of the 65 tickets I had stored thanks to receiving 40 today, but I managed to get a health-restoring potion for both of them.


    Since Licia was unconscious I had no choice but to forcefully make her drink it, Anna on the other hand still managed to drink it on her own.


    Anna wanted to join the fight as soon as she finished hers, I thought that would be extremely reckless of her, but I couldn''t argue. Given Licia''s state, I still had to hide her somewhere.


    In order to not waste the time ire was buying for us with her bombardment, I had Mia and Anna make their way back, and after getting Licia to a safe location, I came back to help them.


    The girls were doing their best, against a normal opponent, hell, even against a high ranker, I believe they would''ve won.


    Mages spend their mana as a resource for fighting. Thus, they are different from swordsmen in that, once they''ve fought for a long time, or have done too much, they will be out of options.


    Now, the same could be said for an archer, but Ellie carries infinite arrows with her thanks to the quiver I gave her.


    Thus, given the speed and uracy of her shots, plus the effects they give the enemy upon making contact, she is by far the most annoying for a mage to deal with.


    And it was clear the effort the Demon Queen had to put in order to counter every one of Ellie''s arrows, had she stayed using her lightning attacks, in the small time frame it took her to cast one, Ellie would''ve shot her a dozen times.


    As such, she started using fire magic to intercept and burn the arrows before they met her.


    Ellie''s magic is passable, but even while reinforcing her shots with it, against one devoted to magic, she wasn''t going to win.


    It was good that she was most definitely taking a lot of the queen''s mana, but that came to an end.


    Demon Queen: "Hm... you are weaker than I thought at first nce... I have to be careful, or else, I''ll be losing precious pawns here."


    Both Beatrice and ire noticed what wasing, but even with theirbined efforts, it was no use, and Ellie was taken out with another bolt.


    Given her objective, it became clear that she wasn''t nning on killing us, which makes it very lucky that we managed to survive her first strike as it seems she was serious on that one.


    Still, given the open space of the kingdom, due to her flight, it became hard for Anna and ire to take on their sword and fight, from a high altitude, only magic was able to reach her.


    Well, it was still reachable for Mia but that would leave her too open.


    I could try to summon trees in order to give us height and protection to reach her but seeing as she''s going toe to toe with ire, she should be able to quickly burn whatever trees I summon.


    Not to mention, with her being so high, it would make it difficult for us to see her next attack.


    We still needed a tform though, just enough to allow Mia to attack.


    As such, our strategy changed to attract her to the wall.


    I could summon some houses close to it, and it would give us a more advantageous tform while not impeding us from viewing her. They also create a good cover for us.


    It took a while, but we managed to get her to where we wanted. It seemed like things were going to go our way, but when Mia and ire got close to her for an attack, the Demon Queen protected herself in a lightning bubble that quickly expanded in every direction.


    It destroyed a huge part of the wall, pushed Mia out, and was the finishing blow for ire who couldn''t fight anymore after having her magic bested a bunch of times.


    It was clear that things weren''t going to work this way either.


    There was another trick I could use to try and win this but... it would require me making a sacrifice.


    Miwen: "Bea... how much time can you buy us?"


    Bea: "About five minutes..."


    Miwen: "Then it''s decided."


    She knew instantly what I meant. It hurts me to see that she didn''tin even for a second too.


    Miwen: "Mia, inside your room there''s a ne. It''s the reward I got forpleting the event of the Snow White Wolves war. If you equip it, we might have a good chance."


    Mia: "...Fine, let''s go then."


    Miwen: "Go ahead."


    She looked surprised at me. Perhaps she thought I would leave Anna and Bea all alone to their fates.


    Sorry, but by fighting together we had the best chance.


    Given how much we were fighting, even if the queen had a huge level advantage over us, she should be nearing her limit any time soon.


    Even if she''s not, that just proves that she''s stronger.


    Which means the ne is going to work.


    I have no idea how effective it will be, but it was the reward of an event, so I''ll bet all I have in it.


    Mia is also a good girl.


    Once she knew our determination, she ran as fast as possible.


    Demon Queen: "So another n? You''re full of tricks aren''t you."


    Miwen: "You haven''t seen anything yet."


    Truth be told, she had already dealt with most of what we could do.


    Still, there were a few options avable.


    I used a chunk of the remaining kingdom points I had to grab ire''s fire magic.


    As always, it was hard to control, but Bea seemed to be doing a good job at it.


    If before she could deal with the Demon Queen for a few minutes, I was hoping with this she could handle her for at least ten.


    I gave Anna the mission of protecting Bea, while I tried to distract the Demon Queen with my own magic.


    It was a tough request, but Anna didn''t flinch and did her job guarding Bea for as long as she could.


    There were many attacks that Bea couldn''t block, and Anna took all of them. A few she could deflect or block with her sword, but after a while, it ended up being too much for her.


    She fell while maintaining the grip on her sword. A small obstacle in the path of anyone trying to harm those behind her and a final act of defiance.


    Only Bea and I remained, but we weren''t going tost for long.


    The Demon Queen focused all her efforts on Bea, who undeniably had be the biggest threat to her.


    Or so I thought.


    Demon Queen: "Your control over Arcanum is impressive, were you a demon, I''d be quite entertained by now. The more your mana reserves drop, the more Arcanum you apply to bnce firepower while diminishing the mana usage. But are you sure you can keep going like this?"


    Bea: "Haah... Shut up... you... talk too much..."


    So she has been using it all this time, even though I explicitly told her not to do it. If we manage to survive this, I''m going to have to apply an order to her.


    Demon Queen: "Well, fun as it was, it seems I''m quitecking in demonic powerpared to the past, I''m going to need it for the future, so forgive me for ending this now."


    She invoked the same lightning bubble asst time, except that it wasn''t around her body this time. There was one on each side above her shoulders, their color a darker blue than before, and sparks kept flying out of them.


    I couldn''t do anything as those two flew at an incredibly fast speed toward Bea.


    But then...


    A monstrous blob with one eye and tentacles sprawl from within, alongside a tiger made of clouds appeared to block her attack.


    This wasn''t something I had seen before. They weren''t monsters I recognized, but what else could they be?


    Demon Queen: "You... did you purposefully distorted one of your memories just to sacrifice a unique horror never before seen in order to summon it as a concept with your Arcanum? That''s... amazing."


    I wouldn''t say it like that.


    Whatever this trick Bea pulled was, it was thest one for her. Blood started spewing out of her mouth, and she fell face first toward the ground.


    While these things were strong... they were on the level that our party could probably handle...


    To a Dmeon Queen that didn''t need to hold herself back... they weren''t all that powerful.


    It made me able to catch a glimpse of her true power for the first time though, as she started spamming then with the same lightning bolt that took down Anna and Licia.


    After a dozen of them, even these things couldn''t fight anymore, and they simply disappeared.


    Demon Queen: "A shame. The shock seems to have been too much for your brain... I guess it''s just me and you now, king?"


    It would seem that way but.... the footsteps behind me contradicted her theory.


    Once again, I wouldn''t be alone in my struggle against this demon.

 Chapter 106: The Demon Queens War (03)

    By making her heroic appearance at thest second when all hope was lost, you''d think she was some sort of knight in shining armoring to save the day. But that''s not the case. That girl is simply a ferocious beast waiting to free her body and unleash all her power.


    With the Dungeon constraining her and the kingdom not offering any worthwhile opponent, she only gets to exercise what her body is capable of during training, and even then, it''s not like she can fight to kill either.


    All this time, and we''ve yet to see what Mia is capable of.


    And now that she''s also wearing the ne, she should be able to go even further beyond.


    Thus my hopes fell on her.


    Anna, ire, and Ellie managed to make this demon waste a lot of her mana. Beatrice seems to have made her demonic power reserves dry up with herst show. And now, it''s up to us to finish the fight.


    Well, I say that but... it''s hard to keep up with Mia in this state. Like Melissa before her, she started letting her ws out and her body became closer to that of a beast, she activated every skill she possessed to increase her odds and went all-out on the offensive. All I could do was provide a distraction for the demon queen in the form of another target.


    Before, the demon queen kept herself in the air, firing at us from above. This gave her a big advantage against our melee attackers, but now, it is the other way around.


    Thanks to the increase in status, Mia is capable of reaching her from the ground quite easily.


    Not only does that take away her advantage, if the demon lord were to on the ground with Mia, she should be able to simply shoot her lightning straight when Mia dashes in her direction, but by standing above, she needs to constantly adjust her aim to where Mia will be. It''s way moreplex.


    Still, Mia had yet tond a hit, given the distance between them, once Mia left the ground, the demon queen could easily evade, even though Mia was quite fast.


    It would be a standstill like this since neither could hit but... there was still a trick up Mia''s sleeve.


    A light p on my shoulder was all she needed, and in her next attack, much faster and more powerful than before, she finally managed to make contact with her enemy.


    Mia''s Gift is pretty incredible. She needs to be engaged in battle to use it, which for her Gift, means hitting someone. Since it doesn''t matter if the person hit is an ally or an enemy, she often uses me as her punching bag- as her trigger.


    Once she does that, the number of levels she has turns into both a timer and a percentual buff, in her current form, this means she gets a 69% increase in her status for 69 seconds.


    With each second that passes by, the buff bes weaker but... she can always end and start another battle.


    Still, with everything that has been piled up, I think Mia would put up a good fight even against the strongest on Earth, hell, she might even win against a small group of high-rankers as long as their Gifts aren''t among the most overpowered.


    Mia: "So... I have good news and bad news..."


    Shended next to me to reset her timer again, but it seems she also managed to figure something out.


    Mia: "She''s employing a barrier. Perhaps all this time. The good news is that I might be able to break it if I hit her a few more times."


    Which would be great but it appears that the Demon Queen is quite used to fighting. The moment her advantage became a liability, she threw it away and descended to our level.


    Miwen: "Now that she''s on the ground, you can''t charge directly. I doubt a zig-zag will work on her either, you''ll have to improvise a confusing path."


    Thanks to a few obstacles and rubble, it was possible for her to do it, but with the Demon Queen''s barrier still standing, a few hits wouldn''t do anything, and with enough opportunities, the Queen would probably adapt too, making it harder and harder for us.


    Honestly, I don''t think we can bet on slowly chipping away at her barrier to then start hitting her. We need to make use of the advantageous situation we have while we still can and I think for that, it would be better if we could shock her with an unprecedented attack that both breaks the barrier and deals damage to the demon.


    Miwen: "I''ll be counting on you, Mia."


    Since she was able to hit the Demon Queen, what wecked was a finishing blow, so I gave her [Physical Prowess], [Last Man Standing], and [Focused Strike]. Since she wasn''t using ded weapons and I wasn''t sure if her ws counted, I kept [X-sh]. Either way, all of these skills would actively help her with her next attack now that the Demon Queen had defeated so many of us.


    Carrying our hope, she dashed toward the demon queen. By keeping track of her eyes, Mia could tell where she was aiming, and using the rubble from the houses around us to maneuver in an unpredictable way, she closed the distance, and with her next attack, charged with everything I could offer her...


    We finally managed to see blooding from the Demon Queen.


    It was only a bit from her shoulder since she managed to dodge it at thest moment, but Mia could still keep going and tried to use the opening to tear the Queen''s neck.


    I also went ahead to try and finish it in case Mia failed to since now the barrier was down and I could reach the Demon Queen, but...


    Both Mia and I had our bodies trapped by earth magic.


    This girl still had things she could do. It was like she was prepared for every situation.


    Mia: "Miwen... I destroyed multiple barriers... but they dyed my attack."


    ... It was strange that she managed to react, and Mia''s attack seemed to slow down before contact, but I wouldn''t have guessed that there was more than one barrier.


    Wait... How deep does the mana reserve of this girl go? She fought ire and Bea, she''s used enough magic to defeat Anna, she destroyed all of Ellie''s arrows and you''re telling me she still had not one, but multiple barriers set up to defend herself?


    It''s not like she''s been casting weak magic either. Her first attack alone managed to pierce through Licia''s ice barrier as if it were butter, I can''t see that not costing a huge amount of mana.


    Well, grievances aside, this seems problematic.


    Neither I nor Mia are able to escape.


    Demon Queen: "I thought the witch girl was thest surprise but... Yes, you''re also worth keeping around."


    With Mia being incapable of moving, the next attack would prove the end of her fight.


    Mia: "Sorry Miwen... I didn''t want to fail again..."


    Sometimes it''s easy to forget that she''s not that strong mentally. Her usual tough exterior is more of a way to hide and lock the fact that deep down she can be as sensitive as anyone else.


    Miwen: "Don''t worry, you did enough, you can rest now."


    Mia: "...Just don''t die, please. I don''t want you to-"


    Miwen: "We''ve already won Mia, when you wake everything will be alright."


    And so, she closed her eyes, trusting my words as she received the final attack of the Demon Queen.


    I could tell she had tears in her eyes and was doing everything possible to hold them back but...


    After I told her that we would be fine during this event and that if it looked tough we would just abandon the kingdom, it broke my heart to see her in this hopeless state.


    Demon Queen: "You''ve already won? Tell me, how so?"


    Clearly underestimating me, she let go of the magic, making the earthe back into the ground.


    I let go of the daggers in my hand and approached her.


    Demon Queen: "You''ve lost every single one of your followers, king. And while your Gift is strong, I''ve seen enough of you to know that you''re hardly stronger than any of them. So why are you still standing tall in front of me? Why are you looking down with so much pride and conceit?"


    Miwen: "It''s not my fault that you''re so short, if I look straight, I won''t see you at all. As for how we won, well... you made quite a few mistakes. Starting with what you did to Licia, all the way to what you did just now. You ended up digging your own grave."


    Demon Queen: "Oh? So you''re just mad that I hurt them? And here I thought you actually had something up your sleeve. I was even looking forward to-"


    ...


    The end of her mistakes wasn''t what she did to Mia, it was letting me free to try and humiliate me.


    It''s true that I can''tpare with the girls, but I''m not so powerless either.


    Dropping my weapons was not a sign of surrender, and my words to Mia earlier weren''t just forfort either.


    Ever since she hurt Licia, I had decided to kill her.


    I couldn''t count on her freeing me, but... as long as she wanted me alive, I would definitely get a moment to get close to her. And that''s all I needed.


    She''s not fast. She only managed to avoid Mia''s attack thanks to her barriers. Now that those were down, even someone slower than Mia should be able to hit her.


    All I needed was a weapon.


    And as it turns out, I can get one pretty easily.


    You could say it''s one of the strong points of my Gift.


    With one of the Rare Gacha Tickets, I thought for sure I would get a strong enough weapon to kill her. and I was right.


    [Tempest de Of Ngom


    The God yer Ngom was said to carry a weapon capable of summoning gigantic storms and tornados. Being with him for most of his journey, the de itself started gaining a thirst for divinity, and thus, it is capable of stealing it away from the poor souls met by the de.


    This weapon enhances the user''s speed tremendously.


    This weapon enhances the user''s wind magic power tremendously.]


    I couldn''t swing it, or sh her, but I managed to stab her in the heart.


    Unless demons have their hearts somewhere else, this should be the end for her.


    Of course, there''s also the faint possibility that demons don''t have a heart to begin with, so I wasn''t going to be an idiot and let her bleed to her death.


    It''s actually merciful of me to finish her before that.


    As such, her body fell to the ground, and I followed up with a sh to her neck which should be the end of her, but she managed to use wind magic to throw herself away, creating some distance between us.


    A futile endeavor, as the sword granted me a lot of speed and I could reach her in no time.


    This ended up being a mistake though...


    Her lightning attacks were still faster than what I could react to, and she managed to hit me while I dashed in her direction.


    Demon Queen: "To think... I woulde so close to dying... and this damned de still stole my divinity too... but no matter... this is the end now, king."


    But it''s not.


    I stared at her eyes and threw a fireball at her. I didn''t have much mana left, and this one wasn''t particrly strong, just a bit big is all...


    Just enough to cover her vision.


    Using the speed granted to me by the sword, I managed to throw it quite fast. Even without that though, it would''ve been enough.


    I knew she was going to receive it either way.


    And as I stared at the Queen''s eyes, her head separated from her neck and fell off.


    Standing behind her was the person I counted on more than anyone else.


    Licia: "Sorry... I waste."


    Miwen: "No... you came at the exact time I needed you. As expected of my knight in shining armor."


    Though shecks the shining armor. And ire is actually the knight.


    This would also make me the damsel in distress, but aside from all these problems, it''s a perfect analogy.


    This time I thought the battle had ended for sure.


    But I was proven wrong.


    Once again, the same lightning bubble hit both Licia and me, throwing us away.


    The vision I saw was beyond creepy and grotesque.


    That girl... she was regenerating her body from the neck.


    Miwen: "What the fuck... howe you can do that?"


    It''s not unprecedented for a mage to use healing magic but... to such an extent?


    And after everything that happened?


    I even felt more barriers breaking when I hit her earlier, so what''s the deal here?


    How much mana does she have?


    Demon Queen: "... I shouldn''t have underestimated you... But you unless you have something else up your sleeve... this time... you..."


    I guess even for her this was a bit too much... her body was regenerating fast, but she had to focus a lot on it.


    If she dedicated that focus to defeating me now, she would''ve been able to do so instantly since she was not going to underestimate me anymore.


    Still, thankfully, may this be luck or not, finally something was going in my favor. And it couldn''t have been at a better time.


    Miwen: "As a matter of fact, I still have a card to y. If you get through this one, victory is yours."


    Obviously, that wasn''t going to happen.


    How deep her mana reserves run.


    How much magic she knows.


    Demonic Power... Divinity...


    None of that would matter.


    The moment this became a battle, all I had to do was buy time and guarantee that she didn''t kill anyone.


    The fact she wanted to recruit us helped a lot in that regard, but if anything became life-threatening, I would''ve gotten the girls out of the kingdom one by one.


    Miwen: "Took you long enough."


    It''s the most unreliable card ever, but if it was going to show its worth, there wasn''t going to be a better opportunity.

 Chapter 107: The Demon Queens War (04)

    I felt bad for her, but she had lost as soon as the battle started. While my citizens are strong, my allies are something else entirely.


    Is it cowardly to call upon an ally after ganging up on a single opponent? Absolutely.


    Do I care? Not so much.


    I would''ve loved to see this through its end by myself but given how ridiculously strong the Demon Queen proved to be, this was impossible from the beginning.


    Still, I''ve been calling for a while, and with no response or signal, I was starting to get worried.


    For a second there I thought I was purposefully being toyed with, but...


    Merchant: "Haha! Sorry, I was a bit upied... I also tried to reach this ce without using my Gift, but without a thread to follow it was no use... Still, I''m here now, so you can rx. Just point me the one you want dead and-"


    Demon Queen: "M-merchant?"


    Merchant: "Eek! There''s a torso talking to... No way... Elizabeth...?"


    ... Hm?


    You can''t be serious right?


    These two have the same enemy, so I guess their knowing about each other makes sense, but...


    Merchant: "...I''m assuming this is your doing, Miwen? I swear, you brats can''t behave for a single second..."


    The Traveling Merchant leaves, the ce where he once stood now was empty, and I see the Demon Queen''s face being filled with confusion.


    It was the same for me as well, but in the next moment, everyone that had been scattered around the kingdom appeared behind me, the Merchant touched my shoulder and I could feel most of my injuries being healed, as well as a sense of calmness that started to permeate me.


    Merchant: "...I''ll bring someone who is better with healing magicter. The witch girl''s situation is a bit moreplex and it might be risky since it requires a great level of precision and I''m not really famous for that."


    Well, that''s because you''re only famous for being an idiot.


    Still, I''m d that the girls are out of danger now.


    I hate to admit it, but having the Merchant took away all the stress and worry I had. I almost don''t even care about the Demon Queen''s presence anymore.


    Demon Queen: "So that''s how it''ll be? I should''ve never trusted a coward like you."


    Merchant: "I don''t want to fight you Liz, but I can''t have you hurting them either..."


    I would really like for him to fight her though.


    But it seems like the circumstances between them aren''t as straightforward as being on the same side, it''s clear from their words that these two have some history together.


    Now, she did call him a coward to his face, and while I''m all for dunking on this guy, we should at least keep it to reasonable insults, and the Merchant certainly doesn''t seem like a coward to me.


    I mean, he fights Gods on a daily basis, not to mention, who would he even be afraid of? He''s among the strongest beings in creation.


    The fact that the Merchant is not denying her words is a bit worrisome though. Not to mention, he seems incredibly nervous right now.


    Demon Queen: "Once a traitor, always a traitor. Now that I think about it, I should''ve killed you much sooner. With your Divinity and Demonic Power paired with my Gift, I could even-"


    Merchant: "You would lose all the same. And you would also doom creation. You should know better, Liz."


    Demon Queen: "Should I put that to the test?"


    Merchant: "Haah... So you''re just frustrated huh... Look, these guys miraculously took away all of your Demonic Power and Divinity and for some reason, your level is incredibly low... Isn''t it time to move on Liz? You were never meant to... No that''s not right...


    We never... wished for you to..."


    Stumbling on his words, until the very end the Merchant tries his best to talk to her.


    I wasn''t wrong when I thought he seemed nervous, he''s... sad and anxious, it looks to me like he''s on the verge of a breakdown without even a fight.


    I don''t want to think that the Merchant is actually incredibly weak but... he actually never seemed too fond of fighting, and treated it more like child''s y whenever facing us.


    But even then... there''s no way he would lose...


    Unless his feelings get that much in his way.


    Just in case, I ask Licia to give me the dagger.


    If it seems like he''s not gonna be able to do it, I''ll finish this.


    Apart from the Merchant, the Queen''s mind also doesn''t seem to be in the best spot it''s ever been.


    She seems mentally tired, as if she just wants to end it all.


    But something in the words of the Merchant seems to have triggered her. Which is a shame given how hard he was trying to find the right words to express himself.


    Still, her entire body starts sparking electricity once again. It''s a sight I''ve be quite familiar with, and from my experience, this means something big ising.


    The same lightning bolt that took down Licia in one hit wasunched towards us. This time though, there were dozens of them, going in every direction.


    This wasn''t an attack... it was like the very electricity that leaves her body, except that each spark had be lightning capable of melting walls.


    This girl... If she had done that in our battle... we would''ve all died in the first contact.


    The very ground burned even though these things didn''t touch it directly, but whenever one of them was actually about to hit us, it would simply be met with a barrier and disappear.


    At the very least, it seems there''s some valor in being under the Merchant''s protection, and while it''s hard to see now given the amount of smoke...


    Demon Queen: "Don''t you dare talk about him! Don''t you dare talk about me! I don''t want to hear you. I hate you. Hate you! Loser...


    Coward! Traitor!"


    The Merchant stood there,pletely fine, not even dirt had touched his clothes.


    Given his demeanor, it''s easy to forget it, but that despairing figure, an untouchable man, a force that cannot be opposed... that''s what the Merchant will always be, no matter how he acts.


    Still, just like a kid throwing a tantrum... the wordsing from the Demon Queen couldn''t be trusted... tears were flowing from her eyes, and I doubt she could even see what was in front of her anymore.


    She flew high into the air. A meaningless action against the Merchant but... it became hard to see her face, which might''ve just been her objective.


    A proud woman to be sure.


    Merchant: "Miwen... I''ll give you a taste of a battle between the strongest... well, in her case, former strongest. In exchange though... I want an honest exnation of what happened here."


    Miwen: "Sure... Just so long as you win."


    Merchant: "Pfft... That''s not even a question."


    No, that wasn''t me trying to crack a joke.


    The demon that flew toward the sky had her arm raised, an entire storm covered the entire sky of the kingdom.


    Granted, the sky here is not as big as Earth''s but it''s still a big ass storm.


    The lightninging from that was either purple or straight-up ck. Not only were they stronger than anything she had used up until now, but they might also be faster. If not for them continuously falling down, I wouldn''t even be able to tell their color. Well, they are shing the sky in their color whenever they fall though, so I could use that to determine it.


    Miwen: "Seriously... how far can she go? Does her mana have no end?"


    Merchant: "Well, yeah. Her Gift is literally [Infinite Mana]."


    Pardon?


    That was such a shock to hear that even the "what the fuck" that my mind would usually go to didn''t feel enough to express my confusion.


    Infinite Mana cannot be a Gift... that''s like... that''s like cheating.


    It makes the Merchant''s Gift seem like shit.


    Miwen: "I''m on her side now... your powers with that Gift would just be unfair."


    Merchant: "Right? Even if alone, she''s worth an entire army. And she used to be so much more powerful too..."


    And yet, she still lost...


    The more I hear about the war against the Gods, the less I want to take part in it. I mean, this girl lost to them, and she held back a lot against us.


    The same girl is calling the Merchant, perhaps the biggest threat to the Gods, a coward, and a loser, so I can only assume that their side is quite the underdog.


    More importantly... I thought her Gift as a mage would influence the amount of mana she wasted but... that''s just too much. The idea of infinite mana would''ve never crossed my mind.


    It''s just incredibly unfair. It means that there was nothing we could do without an attack that managed to go through all of her magic at once.


    Well, someone like the Merchant seems to have no trouble with her though.


    He would stop each bolt of lighting by extending his open palm.


    Not to mention that when surrounded, he would simply avoid them. And not by teleporting either, in the fraction of a moment the Merchant would tilt his head to the side or simply move his body.


    It goes to show that his Gift is actually a bit of a waste in a fight since he''s already so fast that it might as well be teleportation.


    Merchant: "Is that all? And I thought I could finally exercise my body a bit... So disappointing..."


    He appeared behind her in the sky, grabbed her by the neck, and nted her face on the ground, which quaked enough to make me lose bnce while the earth around them erupted, making a crater where they stood.


    Merchant: "Now... can you stop with the barriers? It makes it really hard to apply the right amount of strength..."


    "A fight between the strongest". Yeah, right.


    This wasn''t a fight at all.


    Nothing that the Demon Queen did hurt the Merchant. I almost felt pity for her given that I found myself in the same ce once before.


    While still immobilized, she continued to pour down her lightning attacks, hundreds of them all aimed at them.


    As that proved to be insufficient, she paired her lightning bubble with fire magic.


    Giant wind tornadoes fell from the sky and quickly approached them.


    The kingdom''s river was redirected andpressed into a thin stream, no thicker than a man''s head. It might be a weird way to measure it, but given how it was directly hitting the Merchant''s head, I could tell for sure.


    The soil kept erupting earthnces that tried to perforate the Merchant, fell back, and then erupted again repeatedly.


    That wasn''t just a disy of multi-magic... each of those was of a different element and on an incredibly high level.


    The control required to maintain two different elements at the same time is already high, and while you can cheat by simply throwing the spell and giving up control of it so that you can use another one, I could tell that wasn''t the case here since her magic attacks never stoppeding to the direction she wanted them to.


    Not to mention... she''s doing all of that without even looking at him since she still has her head underground.


    This... it was like the whole world had turned against the Merchant.


    The flowing river, the skies, the ground... even the very air was weaponized against him.


    And still, there he was, not a single drop of blood. Not one piece of cloth shed or torn.


    He wasn''t smiling. This wasn''t fun for him. Even though the outside wanted him dead, what was causing him pain was what he felt inside.


    After some time, the Merchant threw the girl to the sky.


    It''s not because he was feeling any pressure from the outside but... she was probably going to suffocate if he kept her there...


    It seems like she doesn''t have Divinity or Demonic Power left, so oxygen deprivation would be a valid way to defeat her.


    Judging by the power of her magic, she must be of a high level, so she can probably survive a while without breathing but, yeah, the Merchant didn''t seem keen on testing out how much she could hold since the risk of killing her this way was quite high.


    Once she found herself back in the sky, the lightning storm ceased for a second.


    All the rest continued but... they were distractions.


    They had to be.


    I refuse to think that anything she did could be more powerful than what I was seeing.


    Once again, the entire sky of the kingdom was blocked by lightning, this time, they kept redirecting one against the other, and...


    Demon Queen: "Fuck! I hate this shithole! There''s not enough fucking space to do anything!"


    ...


    Well, I''m not gonna lie, that kind of hurt me.


    But boy am I d that I didn''t buy more slots.


    If this girl had more space to work with... I think the giant ck thunder tiger she''s creating in the sky wouldn''t be the only oneing down at us right now.


    Merchant: "Don''t tell her but... that one might actually dirt my clothes."


    Boohoo I''m so sad for you.


    Merchant: "Also, sorry, but I''ll have to strengthen the barrier, so you won''t be able to hear anymore."


    ...Coming from him, these were quite ominous words.


    But like he said, I couldn''t hear anything going on anymore, but I could still tell what was happening.


    Her attack came crashing down violently, the wall of the kingdom melted without even being touched, and the entire sky was so ck that it looked like the night had fallen early.


    The speed of that thing was also inconceivable to me, but... that tremendous figure disappeared in an instant.


    The Merchant had lifted his arm and pointed his finger at the tigering at him.


    Then... tremendous wind dissipated everything in its way.


    That was all I could tell.


    His hair, what was left of the walls, the fucking river, all the trees in the forest, chunks and chunks of the ground, alongside every single house and rubble in the kingdom.


    Everything was sent flying up at what must''ve been hypersonic speeds.


    Nothing remained, the whole kingdom was a mess... and neither the houses nor the trees or the wall came back to the ground.


    nts and grass were nowhere to be seen.


    If this kept going... the kingdom wouldn''tst.


    The distance to the core is not that great.


    With these guys destroying the ground like this I thought we would end up reaching it in two or three more attacks.


    And to my surprise... this wasn''t their strongest.


    The tiger.


    The fucking giant ck thunder tiger.


    That was the distraction.


    She needed time to chant.


    That''s all that was.


    Merchant: "You know... with a proper sky, she can do thousands of those at a time."


    Miwen: "Neat. If I had any points left I would double the amount of plots just to see more of that."


    Merchant: "Well... even if this ce was 10x bigger... you would still see just one... She''s making it very small in order to be able to use it."


    Small...


    It was a dragon... made of ck lightning... on bright blue fire... Its body kept circling through the kingdom multiple times, to the point that even though the end of its tail was incredibly high up, its head was just slightly above the ground.


    That thing came at the Merchant like a train, and though unstoppable as it seemed, the Merchant didn''t flinch for a second.


    Once again, the sound outside waspletely cut, so I knew he was going to do something but...


    For the first time, I saw the Merchant throw a punch.


    I couldn''t see if he had enhanced his fist with magic or not.


    All I could tell was that it was over.


    He didn''t even hit the thing.


    The air pressure enough was alone.


    And while it had a giant body that continued toe toward the Merchant, it still wasn''t enough to fight the very air in front of it.


    I was sure he hadn''t used fire magic, at least that much I would be able to see, and yet, the ground still melted around him. Perhaps due to the energy that had been used close to it.


    His punch didn''t have any form to it, but at the very least, he seemed serious when doing it.


    Was that because for the first time, he exercised strength, or was it because he didn''t know how to throw a punch and had to give it his all not to look goofy? I might never be able to tell.


    Merchant: "...Blood. She''ll get serious now. Sorry Miwen, she''ll start hurting herself with blood magic and arcanum, so I''ll have to end this before she does something stupid."


    Miwen: "...I''ve seen enough for a lifetime, feel free to do your thing."


    Not like I can oppose this monster either way.


    Hell, I don''t even want to think about what I saw here today.


    I thought I was seeing the world ending multiple times.


    It is a bit dreadful to see these guys fight on this level.


    Perhaps I oughta trust the Merchant''s words a little bit more when he refuses to tell me things saying they would only bring me despair.


    Merchant: "...You should''ve also had enough by now..."


    Lightning that looked like the bars of a cage surrounded the Queen and danced around her. Perhaps this was her strongest form of barrier but...


    With a single touch, the Merchant broke through it, his hand approached her.


    She seemed scared as she looked up to face him.


    While she wasn''t crying anymore, her eyes were still teary.


    The Merchant lifted his fist upward. And like a hammer falling down, he hit her head.


    That was enough.


    Her chanting was cut right in the middle, not a word left her mouth anymore, nor could she muster the strength to remain standing.


    All the magic she had been casting stopped and the girl who managed to recover from having her head cut from her body was truly defeated.


    Miwen: "I don''t get it... howe you defeated her without even drawing blood when she managed to recover when we literally cut off her head?"


    Merchant: "This girl is a bonafide prodigy. You need to make her unconscious or else she''ll just recover. For that, a direct impact to the head works better since if you cut it off, she''ll have a moment to will her body back into shape, which will be enough to get her back on her feet."


    ...That''s absolutely ridiculous.


    She''s almost invincible.


    As long as she gets a single moment to think, she''ll be able to recover infinitely thanks to her mana pool...


    Merchant: "Now... I think there''s a lot for us to discuss. But first, I''ll bring someone to look after them. Don''t try anything funny, especially with what you have on your hands."


    ...


    I really wanted her dead for what she''s done but...


    It is more obvious than ever that I can''t risk making the Merchant angry.


    It''s a shame, but I''ll have to let her go.

 Chapter 108: How Hope Died, How It Was Brought Back

    I found myself in a Hell from which no men, women, or children could ever escape. There were no victims in this ce, for that, you''d have to assume innocence, and that could not be found here.


    These people were all targets, demons whose death would do the world good, only after they were gone could there be peace.


    At least, that''s the promise the heroesing from the gates were told, a dazzling dream of vanquishing evil capable of blinding all young men who once dreamed of a better world.


    They followed the words of the Gods, beings that brought them power and guided them to a better way of life, helped and saved many by performing miracles, and created legends that went down in the history of many words.


    You could see the gleam in the eyes of these genocidal maniacs as they believed in the good of their indiscriminate killings. After all, any who stands against good must be evil.


    There wasn''t anything to win here. No point to be proven. Even if thend couldn''t be conquered, what would you even do with it after this?


    I don''t think this could even be called a war. This was simply punishment.


    As for the side being punished... it''s almostughable.


    Of course, I take pity on them, enemies of every single world that follows the Gods. They have no allies. No one ising to save them. And their only way out has been blocked, only to be used by their enemies to bring more troops into their world.


    Only one city remains, but they can''t capitte, they can''t discuss a peace deal, they can''t even surrender.


    This will only end when they die. All of them.


    There''s no future for them. There''s not even hope.


    ... Wrong.


    They had hope. A single one. The skies tremble with her presence, no matter what enemy is in front of her, angels or humans, elves or dwarfs, even Gods, they all know that what stands before them is thest bastion of this world.


    Her death would bring the end of resistance, and so, she stood proud, annihting everything in front of the walls of what remains of an empire that once ruled over the entire world.


    The generals that followed her, monsters in their own right, faced their imminent death with a smile.


    As for her soldiers, they had no choice to begin with. It''s the end of the World, might as well go down swinging.


    Of course, there was no such thing as civilians. No one was going to be spared and they knew it, in every house, all members of a family, no matter their age, would take arms. Fighting was the only way for them to survive even a second longer, it was the only way of protecting their friends, their wives and husbands, and their sons and daughters.


    Merchant: "...That one''s Gift is simr to yours. I bet you''d get along pretty well."


    Miwen: "I doubt it."


    He points at a necromancer in the frontlines, she looks kind of young, but since demons live longer, I can''t determine her age correctly, as far as I know, she''s probably older than me given the position she holds in this army.


    The way she portrays herself and the wordsing from her mind also betray any speck of innocence a youngdy might show.


    It''s sheer vitriol. Mocking of those who even dare face her.


    Though for an outsider the motive couldn''t be more obvious.


    Her Queen is currently taking on the strongest enemy alongside ten thousand more men all by herself.


    How could she even allow something like this to happen?


    ...It''s amendable effort. Valiant even.


    But it''s also incredibly stupid.


    Her strength... no, her war potential is on par with her Queen. Every soldier killed on either side rises instantly, possessing the same strength and parts of the conscience still intact, the biggest difference is that they are now under her direct control.


    Any soldier on the side of the demons must be killed twice, and any soldier on the side of the Gods who is killed will be an enemy.


    This amount of men being controlled... while maintaining most of their power... it''s absolute madness.


    She is worth an entire army alone.


    Still, she got her wish. A Godnds in front of her, wiping lines of resurrected soldiers with a swing of his fists. The pressure equals what the Merchant has shown me today. But the way he seems to enjoy this, the disgusting smile on his face as he hunts her down... those make him much more of a menace than the Merchant ever looked.


    This leads her tomit her second mistake.


    Well, she was stuck between a rock and a hard ce, but... she decided to absorb every single corpse into her, both those who had been killed definitely, and the walking deadmen still standing on the battlefield.


    The giant monster she became was her only option to survive. And her survival was a priority, if they wanted to win this they...


    They couldn''t.


    There''s no winning this.


    Merchant: "We''ll have to go now. See that light forming in the sky? It''s going to wipe away everyone here. No matter their side. Then that guy fighting Liz is going to look for survivors and well... if he does that he''ll find us so..."


    This is a glimpse of the past.


    But it''s not a memory.


    The Merchant is making me watch this. It''s part of the newest vile scheme he came up with.


    This greedy bastard can''t take no for an answer.


    Miwen: "...Why didn''t you help her? You can travel to the past, there shouldn''t be anything you can''t do."


    Merchant: "...I offered to take her away before this began. But she refused. Once this started, I couldn''t interfere anymore. If I did, this would have ended sooner. I would only attract someone worse."


    ... The Merchant''s Gift is way more powerful than it first appears. The ability to travel anywhere, including past and future...


    And yet... he can''t do anything with it.


    He can only hide and wait until it''s the right moment to attack.


    I now understand why he was called a coward. Though I think he carries more weight than anyone. He is thest one that can defy them, his death would mean that the Gods won, simply as that.


    He must choose his every battle, and he must be precise.


    I couldn''t imagine myself In his shoes.


    The light he spoke starteding down... it covered all corners of this world.


    It''s way more than overkill... even using her strongest attacks, the Demon Queen couldn''t dy that for even a second. She couldn''t protect anyone, not even herself.


    The fate of this world was decided.


    And I was back at the Kingdom.


    Miwen: "..."


    Merchant: "Sorry, was that a bit too much?"


    It was beyond too much. I was forced to see the end of an entire world, a meaningless war where... was there any victory at all?


    Even the side that won was wiped away. Not even witnesses remained of that, one could even say that it didn''t happen at all and they would get away scot-free with it, after all, who would be able to disprove them? If there was any evidence left behind, I can guarantee that light burned it away.


    It''s the perfect crime, you can even twist the historyter. May even call it a brilliant sacrifice of brave heroes who fought against the evil empire of the Demon Queen.


    I can see now how they do it. How they maintain their image in every world.


    Just dare question it, or rise against them. You''ll be wiped. And your story will be twisted into a tale to blind more men.


    Though I can certainly feel pity for her, my answer remains the same.


    I understand that denying her the ability to continue her war was an insult. It was the only thing she had left, her reason for living.


    I can imagine what feelings she had in her mind, but I can''t ept her actions.


    The fact that she hurt everyone I care about remains. It''s not something I''ll forgive just because she''s been through a lot.


    Miwen: "I still won''t ept it. You didn''t even show me how that war started, as far as I know, they might''ve deserved it."


    Merchant: "You don''t believe that."


    He''s right. I don''t. I''m just making a poor excuse.


    If there was anything to gain I could understand it. If it was moved by the desires of man it would still be better. If the winning side got to im anything... if there was a story there... but, that''s not the case.


    That was just an abrupt endpoint for that world and its people. There was no tyrannical reign afterward, an era of revolution, anything. No one to follow, nond to settle, no disputes, nothing. A war might be called a waste of lives, but I don''t even know if there''s a word to describe the waste of a world.


    I do find it despicable. Even in war, there should be something after... I''m not sure if it''s the utterck of hope or the vain death, but that felt so wrong in so many different ways.


    I can''t even imagine what would justify that. Frankly, I don''t believe anything does.


    Prisci: "If you want to know what happened prior, just ept the offer and ask herter."


    ... The Merchant''s girl...friend? Wife? Lover.


    She''s present in quite a few of his stories, and they seem to go a long way. I also caught a glimpse of their conversation when his event happened.


    He brought her here to heal the girls, apparently, she''s a Magic Archer. Doesn''t even fire arrows from her bow, just a volley of magic. When she feels like bringing the bow, to begin with.


    She''s also incredible with all kinds of magic, to the point of surpassing the Merchant in healing magic.


    ording to her, she was the one who taught the "Demon Brat" in the ways of magic.


    I feel like she''d get along with Bea quite a bit, but she seems incredibly disinterested in most things, so if I let the two alone in a room, I think Bea would start reading and they wouldn''t exchange a word.


    Merchant: "She also knows a lot, you can ask her to exin a bunch of things."


    Prisci: "Not to mention, your witch friend could learn a lot with her, especially Arcanum. It''s not every day you get a demon to teach you that, even more so a Queen and a prodigy..."


    These two certainly know how to market her but...


    Miwen: "I''m not interested. I can probably get a demon to teach Bea magic through the Gacha anyway."


    Merchant: "But it''s not just magic... she knows a thing or two about the structure of creation. You were quite curious about it, weren''t you? Of course, I suddenly don''t feel like going into details about any of that..."


    Like you ever did, idiot.


    I understand that there are many benefits in epting her but...


    Miwen: "I can''t have a [Citizen] that so easily overpowers us, it would destroy the bnce of power we have and we would have to constantly watch our backs."


    Not to mention, I really don''t like her. And I don''t think I can trust her either.


    The kingdom is small, my citizens don''t even reach the double digits figure. There''s no need for two figureheads here.


    Merchant: "Well, she doesn''t have Divinity or Demonic Power now... one stab with your new little toy on her brain would do the job... though I would have to kill you for that... But hey, what if I throw you the brand-new version of that? It''s more powerful, though it''scking any divinity."


    Apparently, the de I got from a Rare Gacha Ticket was actually made by a friend of the Merchant. Probably the cksmith he talked about before.


    It says quite a bit about the potential of Rare Gacha Tickets, as for all intents and purposes, these guys are basically the absolute top when ites to power, still, knowing that there''s a guy out there who can make a bunch of these is also...


    It''s a bit hard to cope with. The strongest weapon I have is just an outdated version that some guy can make whenever he wants to.


    As for their offer... they keep trying to make the deal sweeter. And it does work.


    Sweet as it is though, I don''t think it can wash away the aftertaste of what happened here.


    Prisci: "You''re an adventurer right? Make her tag along and she''ll clear everything in a floor for you. You''d be the strongest in your world in a blink, then you could write a book or... rule them with an iron fist. Whatever floats your boat."


    As expected of the Merchant''s friend. From writing a book to world domination is quite a big jump you know? But I feel like pointing that out would be fruitless.


    Merchant: "She was also a Queen for a hundred years, she can help you... you know... shape up as a king... She''s also pretty cute, right? I''ll give you my blessings for the right amount."


    He ended up shit-talking me in his attempt to sweeten the deal.


    Not only that, he tried to offer her body in an attempt to appeal to me as a male, which I don''t think he has any say given how much the Demon Queen professed her hate for him.


    And even if he could convince her, he still thinks I''m not worthy of his blessing without paying up.


    So in the end, he double insulted me.


    Must be the worst Merchant to have ever existed.


    Miwen: "You don''t need to sell her strength to me, I have eyes. As for her as a woman... I won''t deny that she''s cute, but... I''m not exactlycking girls here. More importantly, why don''t you guys just take her with you?"


    Merchant: "... She wouldn''tst a day. Her level is just too low, and her skills have also been affected... The way she''s now, it''s not even worth giving her Divinity or Demonic Power."


    I see... so the girl who defeated us all is just a liability to them...


    Power-wise, this would be a gigantic boost to the kingdom...


    But we are prospering, slowly, but surely. I don''t feel the need to have her around.


    Even if we end up facing something outrageous again, we can just call the Merchant.


    Granted, this time proved that he''s even more unreliable than I first thought but still...


    Demon Queen: "... I swear to serve you however you see fit."


    Finally, the girl herself spoke. She kept beside Prisci, meekly looking down.


    She looks just like a loyal dog by her owner''s side, not a trace of the proud woman defying the Merchant that I saw earlier.


    Whatever Prisci was, her presence was enough for the Demon Queen to not raise a word to protest while they kept offering her to me.


    I don''t know if she''s more powerful than the Merchant, but she certainly seems scarier.


    Miwen: "Hah... I''ll be direct then. See... I don''t like you. I still want to kick your ass for what you pulled here. I don''t care about power or knowledge, I''m a very simple man.


    You hurt the ones I care about, I want to hurt you back. As far as I''m concerned, you can die in an alley somewhere and nothing would change for me."


    Prisci: "...Petty."


    Merchant: "...Idiot."


    Prisci: "...Short-sighted."


    Merchant: "...Your ears look funny."


    Alright, these guys are impossible.


    Thest one didn''t even have anything to deal with the situation at hand.


    Merchant: "... If I remember correctly, you have a system that allows you to force your will onto others, do you not? You could just use that to force her loyalty."


    That''s not exactly how that works... a [Citizen] can revoke their status if they wish to, and then I can''t give them new orders. Not to mention...


    Miwen: "Well, I am an idiot after all. I doubt I can give an order without any loopholes in it. I also don''t know how many points I''d need to make an order like absolute obedience work effectively."


    If I also had to keep renewing or giving new orders to her, it would quickly be a waste of [Kingdom Points].


    Merchant: "...hm... You''re a tough nut to crack... then how about this? If you don''t ept her, I''ll kill you and everyone you love!"


    Miwen: "You won''t though."


    The whole viin act might''ve worked when I didn''t know him but... now it just looks silly.


    Prisci: "You said you want to hurt her back... but you don''t need to kill her, right?"


    Miwen: "...What are you saying?"


    Prisci: "Would humiliation be enough to settle your feelings?"


    Demon Queen: "...H-Huh?"


    Huh... I''m not sure, but I''m quite intrigued.


    I decided to go along with her suggestion.


    Thanks to Prisci, all the girls were fine now, and they waited for us to finish our discussion.


    Of course, by waiting I mean that they were all listening through the door or hiding close to a window.


    Still, as per Prisci''s suggestion, we made her apologize while kneeling in front of the girls.


    All the while, she swore to the girls that they could give her one order and that she''d follow it for the rest of her life.


    As a guarantee, Prisci was... well, she didn''t tell me what she was going to do, but she made it clear that there were going to be consequences.


    Some of the girls took it lightly, for example, Ellie just asked her to do some push-ups... which was surprisingly hard for her.


    Bea simply asked the Demon Queen to help her with her research... whatever that entails.


    The words she used left that quite ambiguous, but... knowing Bea it''s probably... it''s possibly... it might not be so... horrendous.


    As for test subjects, Licia had an idea of her own. Apparently, since she looks like a doll, she wants to be responsible for doing her make-up.


    In a way, she got another ything.


    Those were the nice ones...


    ire felt like this was a great opportunity to get herself a maid, so, she ordered the Demon Queen to wash her tes and clean her mess wherever she went.


    ording to her, no one would have the right to call herzy anymore since she would be taking care of her mess by using her maid. I disagree on principle, but alright.


    Anna wanted to test her strength against her barriers, and simrly,Mia wanted a sparring partner on the call, which might save me a lot of trouble, but also meant that this poor girl was going to face a world of hurt.


    Now that they had all forgiven her, things were somewhat settled.


    Miwen: "I gotta say, I''m suddenly feeling way better. Congrats Merchant, your girl did a fine job."


    Prisci: "His... girl? What do you-"


    Merchant: "M-more importantly Miwen, it''s your turn now."


    Oh yeah, he''s right. I forgot I also get to make a wish to the demon.


    Hm... it''s a bit hard to think, there''s not really anything I''mcking, and having her follow us is a given.


    I''ll obviously try to include loyalty but just asking for that is a bit of a waste.


    Well, let''s go with something simple for now.


    Miwen: "I kind of need a general and a strategist... At least someone used to giving orders to help me improve... so... I want you to be my loyal assistant. I''ll be counting on you. Also, the loyal part is very important, keep that in mind."


    It''s fine like this.


    An assistant is vague enough that I can basically have her do any job, and I also made sure to give her at least an idea of what I expect from her.


    As long as I don''t get stabbed in the back, this should be fine.


    The only guarantee I have is Prisci though, but she seems at least more reliable than the Merchant, and I don''t think that Elizabeth has any will to go against her.


    However, her mood seems a bit unstable as she''s now trying to kill the Merchant for reasons unknown.

 Chapter 109: A Queen Subjugated

    I ended up going along with the Merchant''s request to ept the Demon Queen, Elizabeth, as a citizen. Before that though, I wanted to see for myself how willing she was, and so, questioned her about what caused the war that the Merchant had shown me.


    I know that he had done it to make me sympathize with her but I couldn''t take the things I saw out of my mind, I needed at least some answers about it.


    Elizabeth: "The previous Demon King... My father... had an incredible Gift that allowed him to obtain both Demonic Power and Divinity. He acquired so much of both that he limated with it and developed a way for others to do the same."


    On the note that the Merchant left behindst time, there was also something about this technique.


    Since normally by acquiring Demonic Power you would subtract your Divinity, only someone who was already capable of obtaining both through a Gift coulde up with a way for others to do the same.


    The Merchant has been looking for ways to strengthen himself in order to kill the King Of The Gods, so this method would be incredibly useful for him, so I''m guessing this is what started their rtionship.


    Elizabeth: "He also managed to unify the continent and ended up bing a myth... with prayers and tales about him, his Divinity surged to the point he could ascend but..."


    Miwen: "He refused, right? The whole thing about bing a puppet..."


    I still have no idea about the whole process, so I ended up asking them since it seems I''m back on the Merchant''s good side.


    To my surprise, the Merchant finally gave a satisfying answer.


    It seems he really wants me to warm up to Elizabeth.


    Merchant: "...When one ascends, Asdrea, the King Of The Gods, will give them a gift in the form of... a lot of fake divinity. It has the same capabilities as normal divinity, but it gives Asdrea control over the user. Most of the Gods don''t even know that they are puppets, but at least the oldest ones that follow Asdrea know, one of those was the one who killed Liz.


    Anyway, the only way to get rid of that fake divinity is to give up all of the divinity you possess, which most Gods aren''t willing to do."


    ...So this fake energy that he passes on as divinity works the same... and he has enough of that to feed every single God?


    I shouldn''t even be surprised anymore, it''s their king, after all, a man not even the Merchant is confident in defeating.


    As for them not willing to surrender their Divinity... Yeah, I can understand that, even more so if the one telling them to do so is the Merchant, who has a twisted and suspicious nature and personality and is also known for killing Gods.


    If I were one, I''d definitely think that it''s a trap.


    Elizabeth: "Once you attract the eyes of the Gods it''s already over... The God responsible for my world took his refusal as an insult, and dered him the target for a Divine War."


    Licia told me that a Divine War differs from a World Punishment because it has a target, and killing others besides it is frowned upon.


    This means that until this point, they only wanted to punish Elizabeth''s father, and the rest of her world should be fine.


    At least, when I ran mana through the Merchant''s card back on Earth, Catherine wanted to dere a Divine War against him, probably in order to preserve our world too.


    The Merchant once time said that we are cattle, that we are used to further boost the Divinity of the Gods, so it makes sense that they wouldn''t destroy the world and all life on it all willy-nilly.


    But what reason could there be for what I saw then?


    I can''t help but think that it''s even worse now that I know that this must''ve hurt them too, at least if you consider the poption of the world as a resource, which seems to be the case for the Gods.


    Elizabeth: "After my father''s death... I rose to power and conquered the entire world. Of course, due to that I also got enough Divinity to ascend. But when the God responsible for my world came to propose that I should ascend... I killed him."


    Merchant: "...Which led to the second time the Gods were insulted by the inhabitants of Hell, and so, they decided every single one of the demons was a sinner that should be punished, and the World Punishment that you saw began."


    I thought that perhaps the Gods acted as revenge for their fallenrade, perhaps trying to reason their decision, but ording to the Merchant that wasn''t the case.


    Since Divinity can be stolen after killing a God, there are plenty of examples of people who ascended by Killing the God responsible for their world. Most of the Gods just see that as a show of weakness, andugh at their fallen brethren while crowning the one who took its ce.


    Of course, it''s ironic that they believe themselves to be so high and might, having even ceremonies for the very act of... bing someone else''s puppet.


    Still, if it was for revenge I could maybe ept it but... the mountains of dead men I saw were just because... their actions made Godhood seem unimportant.


    Elizabeth''s father seemed to be much like me, a friend of the Merchant, but mostly neutral in the whole war thing.


    Elizabeth only took a side in response to the killing of her father, while the Gods... didn''t even care about the death of one of them, they were more worried about how they got besmirched.


    As I thought... it''s repulsive.


    Also, there was one thing about what she said that caught my attention... her world was called Hell?


    That made me a little bit confused, considering that it''s the same name we used on Earth for the ce where demons reside, but when I asked them about it, their answer only made me question things even more.


    Prisci: "It was also known as Inferno, but ever since the war that ce is only inhabited by monsters who left the dungeon and the mes from the light you say that still burns to this day, and perhaps, will burn throughout eternity."


    That''s... surprisingly close to what I would expect of Hell but...


    No way, right?


    I wanted to talk with them some more, but Prisci and the Merchant still had business to attend to and they were also discussing quite a bit since she started going all tsundere saying she doesn''t like him or anything.


    While it became clear that the Merchant had exaggerated, misunderstood, or even made up some of her actions in his stories, it''s pretty obvious that she actually likes him at least a little bit.


    The two of them acting like this reminded me a lot of what I do with Mia, it was surprisingly refreshing to see from an outside perspective.


    The Merchant also made sure to drain some of my tickets before leaving, so I ended this event with only 10 tickets stored.


    I didn''t even get mad at him this time, like it or not, it was only thanks to him that we managed to get through this one the way we did.


    Elizabeth: "Before you go... Sorry for what I said... I didn''t really mean it..."


    Merchant: "...Don''t worry, you were not wrong. Still, let me give you a piece of advice before I go. I believe that boy will be the champion of this Cycle. I know he''s the third Candidate, but this Cycle seems keen on getting a Ruler given you and your father. So try to be friends as fellow Candidates alright?


    It''s gonna be tough in the beginning since he''s also a brat, but I believe there is no better ce for you than on his good side..."


    Elizabeth: "...I''ll try."


    Merchant: "...Great. Also, keep this with you. This time, if you need me, I''ll be there. I promise."


    The Merchant handed her his card, the same one I have.


    She seems familiar with it, so I guess it''s not her first.


    After waving goodbye, Prisci and the Merchant disappeared, though she seemed quite furious that he hugged her since only a little touch should be enough.


    Still, that left just the Demon Queen and I...


    Miwen: "So, what''s that thing about being a Candidate?"


    It seems like the Merchant cannot leave without adding something to the list of terms I don''t understand.


    Elizabeth: "It just means you have potential. The Merchant calls the ones who might be the strongest Candidates for Champions of the Cycle. And the one who proves to be the strongest, well... just the Champion of the Cycle."


    So it''s just how he refers to those he wants by his side eh...


    I''m guessing Elizabeth and her father were probably the other two Candidates in this case...


    Miwen: "You still look a bit upset. Aren''t you d that he''s got your back now?"


    Elizabeth: "It''s just a lot to process... But well... Uncle is the most unreliable in the universe so this doesn''t change much."


    I can agree with that but... she still chose to keep the card.


    Thus, I extended my invitation to her as a [Citizen], and when she epted it I got two messages:


    [Since you can now im more than five hundred kingdom points, a new building with special features has been unlocked. Please keep strengthening your kingdom.]


    The building in question was a mine, it cost a thousand kingdom points, which isn''t too much actually considering I get half of its price in a day now.


    More importantly, I also got a pop-up detailing the end of the event:


    [Invasion! The Demon Queen Falls Down


    Ending Achieved: The Demon Queen Has Been Subjugated.


    The rewards for achieving this ending are:


    50%  Increase in your current amount of Daily Tickets.


    2x Increase in your current amount of Kingdom Points


    Light Magic x3


    1 Rare Gacha Ticket


    Three Skills have been unlocked in the Avable Skills Menu, their price has been fixed to 0. Please note that when one of them is selected, the others will disappear until they manifest again as a reward.]


    [Due to sessfullypleting the event, you can choose to either add or subtract one day from the event timers permanently.]


    The skills were the same asst time, but instead of the [Reputable Ruler] that I chosest time, there was a new one called [Fervent Speech]. It basically has me give a speech that buffs all citizens who hear it.


    It''s a nice skill but... this time I''m going with the [Knight King]. This was a close second when I was deciding what to getst time, so now that I have the chance, I''ll definitely be going for it.


    Getting some levels into a new type of magic was also good. Light magic was especially useful since I could use it to heal others to a certain extent. Of course, sharing it with Bea was going to be a priority too but for now, I didn''t even have enough points to get new houses to rece the ones that were destroyed this time.


    As for the next event, I had three options to choose from, and they were as follows:


    [Invitation! The Infinite Hotel Awaits #5473PI09827XQL9027


    A ce that contains everything, from the beginning, until the end, if it exists, it must be in a room of the Infinite Hotel.


    The answers to any mysteries can be found here, and the architecture is pretty good.


    While there''s an incalcble number of residents in this hotel, the number of visitors it gets can be counted on one human hand.


    Even then, most people would give their lives for a single chance to set foot in this ce, as it represents endlessness better than anything else!


    Please give it a try! It''s going to be fun!


    You won''t be locked, you can leave whenever you want!


    Time Limit: Unknown


    Restrictions: None]


    ...Uh.... So this one again huh?


    As for the next one...


    [Invitation! Please Come Visit The Infinite Hotel #TR0976KH669VFLM001


    The Infinite Hotel is the pride of creation, that which imbues endlessness better than anything else.


    It''s not often that one gets an invitation, it''s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!


    Answers to all mysteries reside in this ce, and there''s no danger at all!


    You won''t die! You won''t be trapped for eternity! I swear!


    Time Limit: Unknown


    Restrictions: None]


    ... Alright I can see what''s going on here, even more with that string of characters attached to the name of the event, but I decided to check myst "option" just to be sure...


    [Invitation! The Infinite Hotel Eagerly Awaits #KFLAD983629310FV/+@


    There''s a incredibly pretty girl for you to meet, I know you like that. I''ll give you her number if you y along.


    I''ll make you cookies if youe...


    I''ll give you good rewards, please...


    I know the secrets to everything in existence, I''ll share a few with you...


    Juste y with me for a while.


    Time Limit: You can stay as long as you like!


    Restrictions: You can do whatever you want! Just don''t mess with the rooms please.]


    ...Alright, this has got to be the strangest one so far.


    That one with the Merchant was confusing, but this one is just sad. I think if I reject this I''ll make someone cry.


    It''s still incredibly suspicious though, now more than ever...


    Whoever is responsible for this not only seems to know about me but also about the mechanisms of my Gift. I''m not even saying this because of the message it left about having the answers for mysteries or whatever, but the way it seems to be flooding the system with repeated events to be sure it''s selected clearly indicates that it knows how my Gift works.


    To the point where it''s able to circumvent it for the most part.


    Unlike the Merchant who also had the power to mess with it but got caught by surprise, this one is doing it purposefully since the very beginning.


    On thatst description, it was even able to mess with the Time Limit and the Restrictions...


    I guess I have no choice then... if it keeps spamming this event I might never be able to take a different one, so I''ll go along with it.


    I''ll also make sure to select the third option as I want the pretty girl''s number as well as the cookies.


    There wasn''t much time remaining today, so I decided to go visit Alex as the situation with the Army Of The Gifted seems to be escting.


    Last time Roy and Sam told me about a contract that has been going around with neers, so I had them get out of there and also informed Alex so that he could investigate it for me.


    Today''s report about it is quite bleak though... the faction that Sis took is crumbling, and everyone is deserting to the other side, only that blockhead and a few others are still resisting the new administration.


    I thought the speed at which things have been turning there was sketchy, and Alex also agreed.


    Apparently, the old leader was also moving things behind the scenes for this transition to happen, from the start, there weren''t really two factions as the head of one of them was sabotaging itself.


    It does raise a bunch of questions though...


    When I got back home, there were a few things I needed to do, especially regarding a citizen who seems to have trouble following orders right now.


    Since we now had 9 days until the next event started, I decided to take tomorrow off.


    I wanted to get to know Elizabeth a little bit more before entering the dungeon with her. It''s clear that power-wise she''s more than sufficient, with her being at level 269, almost four times Mia''s.


    There''s still a big question of how much I can trust her when neither the Merchant nor Prisci is around.


    I arrived in time to help Licia and Ellie with dinner, and when midnight came, I got to im the kingdom points.


    With those, I could finally get enough houses for the girls to sleep in again.


    However, I had Ellie stay behind with Licia and ire tonight while I was going to sleep in the kingdom.


    I also made sure to instruct Elizabeth to sleep in the same room as Mia


    I feel like the two of them have quite a lot inmon, so I''m hoping they can rte to each other and form some kind of bond.


    It''s also a good time for Mia to get a roommate.


    As for me, I got enough clues to know what I should do with Bea by now.

 Chapter 110: First Night With Bea (R18)

    - This chapter contains descriptive sexual content, please, be advised and proceed with caution -


    It was already past midnight since I had to wait to im the Kingdom Points in order to create new houses inside the kingdom. Licia and ire had already gone to sleep, and I made Ellie go with them too. Today, I was going to sleep inside the kingdom.


    Mia and Elizabeth were in another house, so I waited for Beatrice to enter the bedroom she would be sharing with Ellie starting tomorrow.


    This room normally has two beds, but I had to make a few changes to it since we weren''t going to need the second one today, this also allowed me to make the bed bigger, which was convenient.


    It didn''t take long for Bea to join me in the room, and her gaze naturally shifted to the single bed. She is a smart woman, so she must''ve figured out my intention with that alone.


    She didn''t ask any questions about it though, choosing instead to simply sit beside me.


    Bea: "...Anna said that you wanted to talk to me?"


    I had already prepared things with Anna, one of the reasons I had Ellie stay on Earth instead of her was due to her willingness toply with a few requests I had for her today due to how far our rtionship hase.


    Miwen: "Yeah... the girl that came with the Merchant today, Prisci... She was responsible for healing everyone, and she also managed to recover your memories..."


    Bea: "...Impressive..."


    It truly was, but it''s expected of someone who''s a friend of the Merchant, or a member of his Caravan at the very least.


    When I asked the Merchant, he said that Prisci was in a different league from his own regarding the intricacy at which she controlled her magic, though he seemed to have the upper hand when it came to sheer power.


    For Bea''s treatment though, precision was crucial or else it was possible to make things way worse, so he had no chance but to rely on Prisci back then.


    Miwen: "She was also able to determine which memories you were tempering with... Since you wanted a lot of strength to summon those things, you used two very important memories, right? One was a pretty good one with your family, and the other was... your own death."


    Bea: "...I think I''d be happier forgetting it... so it felt valid to also give up a good one... More importantly..."


    Her death wasn''t exactly the easiest toe to terms with as she ended up being burned alive, which led her to suffer for a while before eventually dying.


    That is obviously traumatizing, and I could understand if she wanted to forget about that.


    Even though I think it''s better to face it than to hide from it, it requires a lot of strength, and if she felt that she would rather just forget it, I''d be supportive of her.


    That only applies if her words were true though, but in reality, she didn''t try to wipe that memory, she''s lying.


    What she did was to make it worse.


    ording to Prisci, the mind is abyrinth, one which is usually only inhabited by your consciousness.


    What Beatrice did was add two new monsters to thatbyrinth. She distorted the hatred and fear she saw in those who used and executed her, strengthening it to an unreasonable, inhuman level.


    The corruption of one''s memories that would usually cause confusion, paired with such strong feelings, was enough to eat away her sanity, giving birth to a monster that would go on to live inside her head, devouring more of her sanity as time went by spewing even more malice and constantly remembering her of that very distorted memory.


    Not only that, but normally such a being wouldpletely destroy one''s mind by traveling to other memories and corrupting them even more. It''s an existence made to make one insane, it''s sheer punishment for those who messed too much with Arcanum.


    .Thankfully Beatrice didn''t lie when she told me she was really good with Arcanum. By distorting the feelings of powerlessness she had in the memory of her death, she managed to create a cage that kept the monster locked up, unable to leave.


    She used the very same thing that was supposed to corrode her mind, to protect it.


    At the same time, she was also distorting a memory she shared with her family, transforming the love her family had for her into adoration, which gave birth to another monster.


    She kept the process going, to the point where the monsters could break out from the cages she created.


    And that''s when she summoned them to the real world as concepts of sheer malice, hatred, fear, and... maniacal love.


    Neither of which came even close to what once existed in her mind.


    I obviously had to reprimand her for not following my orders, but I couldn''t even get to it. The moment she noticed that I was informed of her actions, she used her usual tactic, approaching me with a gaze full of intent and locking our lips.


    It''s certainly a sweet temptation. But I was already expecting this, it''s the same she always does to avoid talking about something she knows I''m going to disapprove of.


    By giving me a taste of her, she also makes sure to establish a desire in me and knows that if she can get me to surrender to it, her ce in the kingdom will never be questioned, no matter the actions she takes.


    Her strategy is a bit off the mark though.


    I already had my share of opportunities to taste her, so by now, I knew exactly what type of kiss she liked the most, even if she herself was unaware of it, so instead of refusing her advance, I brought her closer to me, answered her with a deep kiss. and made her unable to escape from my embrace.


    Her meek attempts at being hasty with her tongue also did nothing to contribute to her effort, instead, only making her lose her breath more rapidly.


    Bea has a pretty basic misunderstanding about this. She thinks that she can make me fall for her simply because of her body, that as long as I''m a man, she only needs to entice me a little bit before I stop thinking with my upper head.


    With that in mind, she failed to notice the difference in experience between us, which was a fatal mistake on her part as she couldn''t keep up for too long, but when she tried to break away to get some air, I made sure to impose my control over her mouth and kept the kiss going until I felt her lose strength in her arm.


    Now that she was frantically gasping for air, I had plenty of time to talk about what I wanted to without being interrupted by her again, so I exposed everything that I wanted to her.


    Not only how she corrupted her memories this time, but also how she had been corrupting her own memories for a long time, even before being summoned to the kingdom.


    I authorized Prisci to take a look, and most of her memories were corrupted to some degree.


    She had plenty of chances to interact with others, but she knew that she could use every memory of every person as a resource in her research, so she only kept basic information about other witches as that might''ve been of help to her.


    Prisci managed to recover most of Beatrice''s memories, but there were quite a few she didn''t know how to tackle, they were tangled together into a giant mess, and it would take her quite a few sessions topletely clean her mind, so there''s still work to be done there in order to understand Beatricepletely, and the girl herself is also not a reliable source either.


    Still, it''s true that she was hunted down, and the inhabitants of the vige near her cabin did fear her. She had held a coven one time with fellow witches, never left the woods and the youngster that would y around said that they could hear her talking to herself, probably thanks to arge quantity of... distorted monsters... inhabiting her brain at the time.


    Once I exposed all of that to her, she understood that I came way more prepared than she anticipated.


    Bea: "...Hm... that''s all true... But it''s also in the past. I don''t think it matters anymore. Though I''ll be sure to thank Prisci when we meet again. More importantly, though, this time I did it to protect you, so you can''t be mad at me..."


    Miwen: "Oh? And why is that?"


    Bea: "You would have to be mad at Licia and Anna too since they also put themselves in danger for you... actually, every single one in the kingdom didn''t think twice before sacrificing themselves. Also, thanks to what you didst time, we all secretly agreed to not leave the kingdom unless you did it first, so from the start, we were already nning on fighting by your side no matter what."


    That''s news to me... But it''s believable.


    Firstly, there''s no use lying to me here, I can just confirm with the girlster if her words are true, so at most Beatrice would be able to buy some time.


    She''s alsopletely right about Licia and Anna, those two jumped at an attack that could''ve killed them to protect me without blinking an eye, I''ll have to talk to them about thister.


    Miwen: "You''re right, I''m really d that you guys are so trustworthy. And I''ll reward you for sacrificing yourselves for my sake. The problem is not what you did, it''s how you did it. I believe I told you not to use Arcanum, right?"


    Bea: "I see, so that''s what it boils down to..."


    She pushed me down to the bed and mounted me while taking off her clothes.


    The weight of her body and the heating from her was enough to get me excited, and the cherry on top came when she was when she started to undress me too while in her underwear.


    This woman certainly knows how to make use of her body, she''s hiding the most important spots while making sure I get a good view of how curvy she is.


    Bea: "You want to control me, don''t you?"


    Her sweet voice whispered in my ear while I could feel even the heat of her breathing due to how close her face was to mine.


    Miwen: "Yes..."


    I wasn''t going to deny it. It seems I''ve run out of options with Bea. I don''t like what she''s been doing with her own mind, and if putting her in her ce is the only way to make her abide by my will, so be it.


    She ended up a bit surprised that I didn''t deny it, but she still chose to continue, perhaps thinking this was her chance to dominate me.


    She nibbled on my ear before kissing my neck and slowly making her way to my chest. She suspiciously avoided kissing me on her way down. While nibbling my chest and rubbing my nipple, her ass kept humping against my crotch.


    Bea: "So, how do you like it? Feel like giving up yet?"


    Miwen: "Hm... it''s pretty good forey. But when are you going to put it inside?"


    Bea: "... Inside me? Well... I''ll do it with my hands first, if you canst enough I''ll give you a chance."


    Miwen: "Sure, but I think it''s only a fairpetition if I rub yours too right?"


    Bea: "No that''s... I''ll do both, you wouldn''t know where I like it, so..."


    Seems like she''s used to getting what she wants without needing to go this far. She understands the desires of men pretty well, but at the same time, she doesn''t understand her own desires.


    She really thinks that she can pleasure me without being pleasured back, that she can try to dominate me without risking herself getting dominated.


    ying with a virgin who thinks so highly of herself is incredibly funny, I don''t even have to do anything and she digs her own grave.


    Had she kept what she was doing, I''m sure I''d ended uping, her bubbly ass felt incredibly good even if her movements weren''t as good, and I also quite liked the sensation on my nipples.


    Not to mention, seeing a girl with a body like hers doing her best to please me while I did nothing but sit back and rx was quite a sight.


    Now that she''s trying to jerk me off,some technique is required, and she already started wrong by not even trying to lube it with at least some saliva, she''s doing it as raw as possible, with movements that while frantic, aren''t especially good.


    She''s not great with pace, and she''s solely focusing on the mast while the tip and my balls feel quite lonely.


    Well, she at least seems capable of touching herself though, and her moans are what''s keeping me most excited.


    Miwen: "Yep, this is going nowhere. I''ll put it in now."


    Bea: "S-stop I''m still not-"


    Miwen: "Don''t order me. You''re wet enough... Actually, I''ll use some of this juice to lube me."


    Just a few touches was enough to get her to drench me, and now, though sloppily, we were done with preparations.


    I had to hug her tight as I moved her panties to the side so that her pussy could give my dick a wet kiss to wee it inside.


    I slowly pushed it deeper until I reached the hymen, it didn''t pose much of a resistance, but after tearing it, I took my penis out to get a good look at my little warrior''s proof of conquest.


    Beatrice knew that she had to do something to get back the momentum or else she''d be swept by me and would be the one getting conquered.


    Her best shot was before I prated to the deepest part of her pussy, as her pleasure would only increase the more cock she had inside her and that would also make me able to start pistoning since right now I was slowly opening up her walls and making my way with gentle thrusts.


    But her options were incredibly limited. With me hugging her tight, she couldn''t escape or change positions.


    There was the option of going for a kiss but she knew that she couldn''t keep up with me normally, much less when I was inside her.


    While focusing on fucking and kissing simultaneously is not that easy, I''ve been sleeping with two needy pussies every night, so I had to learn how to pay attention to both at the same time and ended up bing quite good at multitasking it.


    With so few options, she decided to trust her instinct and started thrusting her hips back and forth.


    It was a pretty good idea as she also squeezed my dick that kept hitting her bumps, making for a delightful experience.


    It''s hard to admit it, but if she kept going like this, I woulde first.


    There was no problem in doing so as I''m sure my stamina is way higher than hers and I can keep going until morning, which should be sufficient to win this one.


    But I didn''t want any stains on the record this time. I was going to make sure that she would losepletely. There wasn''t going to be any hope for a rematch, both her mind and body were going to know who they obey and who they belong to.


    Bea: "Mhmn... Hnmn... Ahn... Ahnmn!?"


    I went for the option that was locked for her.


    Ever since the beach incident, I noticed that Bea is not good at handling her own body, so now she shouldn''t be able to maintain focus as there was too much happening.


    I''m also quite proud of my kiss, and now that she couldn''t offer resistance and simply let her tongue move freely by instinct, it was easy to make her brain melt into passion.


    Without her control, her hips also started to move at the pace I was kissing her, and I took the opportunity to sync my deep thrusts.


    There was not a single moment of rest for her, and I relentlessly fucked her pussy.


    She squeezed harder than ever before. By now, she had given up her body and tried her hardest to resisting in the hopes that I would somehow end uping first.


    Knowing that she was all set was enough for me though, as I still had yet another surprise ready for her.


    Miwen: "You can enter now."


    I really like Anna.


    She goes along with whatever I say withoutining.


    Even something like this is fine for her as long as I give her a good pounding after.


    It''s all thanks to how I conquered her body when we first did it... there''s just something about this girl that makes my instincts go nuts.


    And it''s exactly why I used her to dominate Beatrice this time as well.


    Bea: "Ahh... Nnh... N-nho..."


    She finally stopped mping down on me and her pussy started spasming as she had the biggest climax possible.


    That''s what she gets for trying so hard.


    I thought that the key to breaking Bea was Ellie as she seemed way more forward when Ellie was around, but that wasn''t the case.


    When she''s with Ellie, she masks herck of experience with fake confidence, which somehow ends up actually boosting her confidence, making her somewhat good at whatever she''s trying.


    The confirmation for that was the morning blowjob they gave me, even though Beatrice was the one who suggested it and took the lead, she wasn''t actually better than Ellie at it.


    And the final clue was when Anna interrupted usst time.


    Unlike Ellie, Anna has way more experience than Bea, and so she makes her get embarrassed and self-conscious, theplete reverse of the effect that Ellie has.


    If I had to point out a reason for that it would be... the role Bea ys.


    She''s usually the reliable know-it-all big sister of everyone. That''s her position, but when someone with more experience appears, she loses it.


    And that''s what she fears the most.


    Losing her ce in the kingdom and in our family, it''s why she tries to avoid subjects that I might disapprove of, and why she keeps trying to tempt me with her body.


    Once I knew all her cards, it was only a matter of deciding how to counter her.


    And this is what I came up with.


    This way, I kept fucking Beatrice through the night as her embarrassment only grew thanks to Anna''s presence.


    She wanted to run away, but I wasn''t going to let her go so easily.


    In the end, she discovered that her body was way weaker than she might''ve once thought, and even a few light strokes became enough to make here after a while.


    I also made sure to profess quite a lot of naughty things to her, such as how her body now belongs to me, and how her pussy won''t feel at peace without my cock inside.


    All the while Anna watched her shameless disy, and her mind breaking apart.


    It was a joyful night that only ended after a quickie with Anna.


    However, I ended up waking in the middle of it.


    What I saw with the Merchant kepting back, no matter how much I tried to forget it. It became impossible for me to rest properly.


    Anna: "Having a nightmare?"


    Miwen: "Yeah, sorry..."


    Anna: "Hm... Here."


    She came close and hugged me, her body was smaller though, so when I did it back, It ended up making me feel better as it was very calming.


    Bea also hugged me from behind, and that night I ended up resting while sandwiched by the two of them.

 Chapter 111: Rainy Day

    -This chapter is written in Elizabeth''s POV-


    I don''t understand it.


    When I first met them, they seemed like seasoned warriors. Their levels ended up being lower than what I thought they''d be, but they still showed experience and courage when fighting.


    Every one of them understood the roles they were supposed to y, and not a single one cowered against me.


    It was a magnanimous disy, I couldn''t help but admire their dedication to the boy. Even if he wasn''t the strongest, surely there was something to him that captivated them so much that they were willing to trade their lives for his without blinking an eye.


    At the very least, I could tell that his rule wasn''t by fear or power, so I quickly became interested in him and how he managed to unite them so well under his banner.


    I wanted to know the path he took, the one that earned him so much trust and appreciation from those surrounding him.


    Thanks to Pris, I ended up being forced to be his subordinate, but I thought that wasn''t all that bad since it would be a good opportunity to learn more about him.


    I didn''t want to be a burden to the Caravan, and since the Merchant also seemed to have taken a liking to him, I was sure that by helping him out, I''d be helping them too, even if indirectly.


    Of course, knowing that the Merchant went as far as to negotiate for my sake with him proved that in his eyes, the boy was important, so my interest only grew after our fight.


    But... the way things are... I can''t really call this a kingdom, or him a king.


    Ever since the day started there wasn''t an ounce of the respect I saw them demonstrate for him during a life-or-death situation to be found anymore.


    I''m told he sleeps around with multiple girls every night, so I expected him to only be awake during the afternoon, instead, he was the first to get up, not only that, he took for himself the job of preparing everyone''s meal even though I could he was somewhat tired.


    I made the mistake of epting the pop-up to leave the kingdom as soon as it appeared, thinking it was a request of his, but apparently, he sends these to everyone as soon as he''s up to give them the option ofing and going as they, please.


    Through that action, I found myself alone with him for a while. I could tell he was not really pleased with me, but he still did his best to be polite and wished me a good morning, to which I answered in kind.


    I couldn''t me him for any hostility and suspicion on his part, as just a day prior we were enemies trying to take each other''s lives, but this is where my problems began, as the blue-haired girl, Licia, and an elf, Ellie, joined us.


    These two showed me a gentle smile in the morning as if I hadn''t even hurt them before. I couldn''t understand what motivated them do to so. It was on our agreement that they were supposed to forgive me as long as I yed along to their requests but it was so soon and they didn''t have an inch of animosity, or, they were extremely good at hiding it.


    It was good that they had joined us, as Miwen changed his focus to them as they helped him prepare breakfast. Normally, he should leave it to them if they are his cooks but... he seemed to be the one in charge.


    I thought it might be everyone''s job to help in the kitchen, or that they took turns with it, so I tried to help them but... I didn''t know where to begin, the task seemed to be simple enough that any of them would be able to do it by themselves, and paired with the strange equipment they used, I wasn''t sure where I could lend a hand.


    It also doesn''t help that I never took such a job before... just watching their harmonized act made it seem like we were worlds apart. Even through that though, Miwen noticed that I was lost about what I should be doing, and offered me to either watch and learn or take it easy and rx, to which I ended up epting thetter...


    I was sure the request of being his "assistant" was purposefully vague in order to have me do a bunch of different things for him, but the way he acted right now seemed to indicate otherwise, at least when ites to cooking, it seems like they don''t really need any hands.


    It was also a bit reassuring to me that he looked after me... it was not even close to the gentle care and attention that he showed the two girls, but it was surprisingly warm... He didn''t remind me at all of the man whom I faced yesterday, the one with whom the Merchant had a tough time negotiating.


    I suppose he''s in love with them...well, it''s clear from their interactions that this is the case...


    Ellie: "...Sorry that I''m a bit slow today... I ended up sandwiched between Licia and ire this night and barely managed to sleep~"


    Licia: "It''s not our fault that you are so huggable..."


    Miwen: "Huh... Surprisingly the same happened to me, though it had theplete reverse effect..."


    Quite flirty of them. Supposing that they are the ones responsible for the first meal of the day, I''m expecting it to be some sort of sweet. For a loveless woman like me, being forced to hear youngsters in love first thing in the morning was a bit torturous though...


    Thankfully, as more people started arriving, the mood went from that of a date to... a reunion between friends, is the best way I can put it.


    Miwen is their king, a position that demands authority and should have them looking and talking to him with a manner of respect and admiration. I know for a fact that every single one of them is incredibly loyal and dedicated, and yet... they pile up selfish requests on him as if he were no more than their personal cook.


    The simple breakfast I saw before was just shared between the three of them, and even though two out of three of them seemed to not be in the best condition energy-wise, they stillplied with everyone''s requests.


    The audacity of the elf to even question if I also wanted something specifically... are you looking to trouble your king even more?


    I went with the same they had done for themselves, and after everyone finished eating, we left our tes and cups in the sink for them to wash. Again, Miwen took the role of a maid and seemed happy cleaning tes with those two.


    I was about to join them too when the red-haired girl, ire, used her authority over me to request that I clean her tes in her stead. On the battlefield, this girl showed immense power considering her level, and the wolf girl, Mia, told me that she was a duke''s daughter.


    It''s a great fall from glory for me to be serving a measly heiress to a dukedom but right now I''m the same as amoner, after all, an ex-queen is just... someone who is not a queen anymore.


    I couldn''t help but be over-conscious of this fact, but this didn''t stop me from trying to do the job assigned either way, after all, this was fair... it was the price I had to pay to get here, and considering how much I hurt all of them, it could be said that it was very kind of them to allow me to live like this.


    Or so I thought... Licia seemed to get quite angry on my behalf and demanded that ire clean her mess and her tes. Thetter protested all the way saying that no one else did that, which was a fair point, but Licia made sure to counter-argue by telling her this was to show how improper it is to make such demands of someone else on your behalf.


    To further hammer home the point, she made ire clean other people''s tes.


    Miwen, Licia, and Ellie... the three of them seem to do this work voluntarily for everyone else... and out of them, the one who showed more disposition as a king was actually Licia. Her words seemed almost absolute as no one in the room dared interject on ire''s behalf, even though it was a request for me to serve as her maid, which Licia just basically made void in a single argument.


    However, this ended up making me feel even more lost about what I should be doing here, which only changed when Licia took me to "y" with her. I thought she was the second inmand here, and that following her words was going to be necessary in order to maintain an amicable rtionship with Miwen and the others but she had torturous ns for me.


    She made me stay put in a chair for more than an hour as she used all kinds of cold jelly things on my face, not to mention some powders, and even drew on me. I was sure she wanted to make a clown in front of the others, but...


    Licia: "So, what do you think?"


    Miwen: "I think the rain is not stopping anytime soon..."


    Licia: "I''m talking about Liz!"


    Miwen: "Hm... Yeah, she''s cute. You did a good job with the braids, the pencilwork is a bit heavy for my taste, but it suits her face well."


    I... don''t recall being so close to her that she can call me by a nickname, but pointing that out might be dangerous. I also don''t mind it too much... especially since she looks very happy and proud right now, even though the one beingplimented was me.


    Well, ain''t no way I was going to fall for such an obvious joke, so I didn''t really feel anything. Though the mirror proved me wrong twice, as she really didn''t make me look weird or anything like that... and also, judging by how red my face was, I couldn''t deny that being called cute had... some effect.


    I would prefer to say that this mirror is faulty or broken in some way though.


    ...Now that I think about it, I misjudged tremendously. Licia and Miwen are both strange. I can tell that they are in a rtionship, but she got happy when he called an unrted girl cute when normally I would expect a girl in love like her to get jealous in such a situation.


    That aside... we''re apparently having a day off today. ording to Mia, on such days, Miwen sometimeses up with something to do or somewhere to go that allows everyone to waste their time on a meaningless task.


    Due to the circumstances, it seems like he had to improvise though...


    Miwen: "Alright, so! I had something nned, but... It''s cold and it''s raining quite heavily. I''ll be honest, I''m not in the mood to leave today... so... why don''t we have afy day under nkets?"


    Mia: "I''d rather stay out in the rain than go under a nket with you."


    She''s badmouthing him to his face. It''s the same woman who was on the verge of tears when she failed him. The one who on the face of imminent defeat was more worried with his fate than her own.


    It''s not Miwen who seems like an entirely different person right now. It''s extremely confusing for me to follow these people, they don''t seem to act as expected of them.


    Miwen: "You''re only saying that because your body is adapted to even harsher climates... though if you end up with a cold I''ll have to take care of you the entire night, which might also be fun in its own way-"


    Mia: "I''ll grab the nkets."


    It was quite easy for him to persuade her, and after she left to grab them, he separated us into two groups, one that would stay on the sofa and the other that was going to sit on the carpet.


    Apparently, Licia, Ellie, and Anna all got a spot on the sofa thanks to them helping him. I hadn''t seen Anna doing anything of the sort today, so perhaps this refers to a prior situation.


    ire insisted on a spot on the sofa too, which Miwen reluctantly agreed to after she asked in a cutesy way. He also said he''d make hot chocte for us to watch movies... I thought it was quite weak of him to abide by ire''s requests like that, especially since I knew that Licia would be stronger in her denial, but...


    he managed to turn it around in his favor quite easily, almost as if he was already expecting for it, which reminded me quite a bit of the man I fought, one who seemed to have endless tricks on his sleeve. It was good to know that I wasn''t crazy and that somewhere deep within him really didy that beast.


    Either way, his solution was surprisingly easy. He showed them that the couch was going to be cramped and not fy" enough like that, so, he got the elf to sit on hisp, satisfying ire''s request and his own perverted desire at the same time. Ellie of course, seemed to have no problems with it, but in her defense, she seemed tired enough to rest anywhere.


    Once Mia came back with the nkets and saw them like that, she called him a pervert but rapidly made peace with it after being offered a cup of hot chocte.


    I thought he was incredibly lenient with her. Multiple times she called him bad words... but somehow he seemed to enjoy every exchange that happened between them.


    Mia had told me that she was the princess of a tribe, so perhaps he''s being cautious not to provoke any diplomatic action from them, but that seems to be unlikely as he''s quite keen on messing with her at every opportunity he gets.


    ... I thought I might''ve missed something but... those seem to be his only retainers... This barely qualifies as a vige, much less a kingdom.


    I really don''t get it. If I understood his power correctly, today alone he could summon 40 new people to his kingdom, but instead, he is... well, I don''t even know what we are doing...


    Ellie is sleeping on hisp while he hugs her, ire has a small magic box that she seems to be ying with, and Licia and Anna are focused on the big magic box, Beatrice is reading and all the while he keeps teasing Mia.


    ...I cannot deny that it''s surprisinglyfortable under these nkets though and the hot chocte is quite good. Whatever is happening in the magic box is also quite interesting.


    Still, I certainly wasn''t expecting something like this... considering their age and their abilities, I thought for sure that they were under harsh training and that Miwen was a capable leader who used everything and everyone to their fullest potential, but instead, I find myself, as by their own words, simply wasting time.


    Miwen: "...You''re quite addicted huh?"


    He''s speaking in a low voice, he also turned down the volume of the magic box in order to not wake Ellie, the elf. He''s always doing these small things for everyone, it''s almost as if he doesn''t think about himself.


    ire: "I just want to finish the prologue but Isabe''s brothers are a pain and the butler refuses to listen to her. Most of the time I get a game over with her dying after a kidnapping or I start the first chapter at the school with no allies, which makes the fights impossible..."


    Miwen: "Hm... They use a system of voice recognition for the options you can take right? I guess they only programmed value for a few specific phrases as valid dialogue options for story progression..."


    ire: "Um... yeah? Still... Isabe''s start is so unfair, she has no Gift so everyone looks down on her... even the goddamn buttler..."


    Miwen: "...That was a trend for a while. Since my generation didn''t have Gifts and no one knew if we would get one, a bunch of games tried to appeal to us with this premise. I thought games had stopped doing that ever since it was discovered that by reaching 18 years old you get a Gift, but perhaps this game was being nned for a long time..."


    I have no idea what they are talking about.


    I can recognize important themes there, she just went over someone dying, but they are also referring to it as a game... It might be one of the things that Mia said it would take me a while to understand.


    She made it a point to me that there was a lot of this world that wouldn''t make sense at first but... it''s way more than what I expected.


    There''s a lot that I don''t understand and I can''t trace any magic from a bunch of things I''m certain are magic tools...


    Mia: "Miwen, is there any chocte left?"


    Miwen: "I think so... Oh, if you''re going to the kitchen, can you get me a cup too? I can''t leave without waking Ellie..."


    Mia: "Sure..."


    Huh... A surprisingly amicable exchange came from the two of them. Well, I suspect neither of them wants to risk Ellie waking up, so they''ve toned down quite a bit.


    I guess it''s nice of them to retribute the kindness she showed when she helped everyone while also being pretty tired herself.


    Well, the elf aside, I''mcking a lot of information right now. If things stay like this I feel like I won''t go anywhere, so I''ll try to probe Mia a little bit more again. She didn''t seem to have any trouble sharing what she knew with me yesterday, so I''m hoping she can answer a few of my questions.


    Now that I have a better grasp of the strange rtionship Miwen has with his citizens, I think she''s quite a reliable source since she seems to be the most confrontational and might be willing to talk about things the others might not.


    Mia: "Hm... I don''t know... Miwen is strange... I have no idea what he expects of others, to be honest, sometimes it feels like he doesn''t expect anything of anyone..."


    That much I already knew. Ever since I left the kingdom and stepped foot on this house, every single one of you has been acting in an unbefitting way.


    Still, this makes things quite hard for me. Perhaps my only alternative is to ask him directly...


    Mia: "Oh, but if you are interested in sleeping with him, you just need to ask, I doubt that yboy would ever refuse a pretty girl like you..."


    Elizabeth: "Don''t joke, I have no such desire."


    Mia: "Eh? Then you''re my first ally on the anti-yboy camp! if you want anything, you can count on me, let''s resist together!"


    ... Is she serious? I''ve been with them for less than a day and I already don''t believe her act.


    Sure she might say a lot to him, but she clearly doesn''t mean any of it.


    The guy doesn''t even take it seriously and just sees it as an opportunity to tease her. The other house members find it funny and don''t believe her for a second either.


    What''s more... did she forget that I watched her beg in tears for him not to die while she was facing death herself?


    That''s not something you do for someone you don''t like.


    Still, I suppose ying along with her might be advantageous, even more so if it allows me to press further...


    Elizabeth: "I just don''t understand... the Traveling Merchant recognized him, his power should be amongst the strongest in this Cycle at the very least! Why is it that he seems so content in... living quietly why you all?"


    Mia: "Well... it''s a day-off so that''s to be expected... when we are adventuring in the dungeon he is a bit more serious. But yeah, you''re right, he doesn''t seem very ambitious right? And yet..."


    Ambition... I see not a trace of that. Nor authority or anything that would make him stand above them.


    The man I faced... seemed like a beast with a single purpose, but it was unique... unlike a cornered animal that bites out of instinct, he seemed to be one with his own.


    A monster made of the worst aspects men could possess, using both his rationality, emotions, and instinct for a single goal: Killing me.


    He was a mass of hatred,...his eyes looked at me like I was less than an insect, he didn''t even consider me a living thing, just a target... someone who had to face punishment, almost as if he stood so much above me that it wasn''t even a matter of capability, but his right to do so.


    I found myself fearing him... but that should not have been possible.


    I was leagues above him in power, but I knew those eyes... they were the same I acquired after losing my father... no... it was only after a long war... it was that which scared me the most.


    I knew that monster, it took me a long time to be it, and yet... he seemed to flip to that in a second after hisrades were hurt.


    How could I not be interested in it? I wanted to tap further into it, provoke him, and corner him, just to see how far he could go into it.


    I was so sure I was the hunter... by all perspectives, I should''ve been, and yet... his tricks and schemes grew more and more, every time I thought he had shown me all he had, he woulde with something new, slowly approaching me, and before I realized, I had barely managed to escape death.


    All that time I thought I was measuring him... that I was the one doing the hunting... but I was wrong... since the start, I was the prey...


    That thing wasn''t the same as me... it was much worse than I would ever be able to be... a simple matter of its nature... it understood who it was and what it was there to do, it never took control of the man, it was part of him from the start, simply waiting for the moment it would be necessary... when he would let go of its restraints...


    That realization shocked me to my very core but... he still had more up his sleeve... the beast was still chained, he only loosened his grip a bit, I''m certain of it.


    if the Merchant had not appeared, that boy might''ve done it... Miwen''s mind in that state seemed like an endless pool of malice, it''s only focus was on hurting... on making me pay... I''m sure he would keep trying until either of us was dead.


    I couldn''t help but admire that endless potential... I must''ve been pretty dumb to think I had ever reached that state. A monster like that would make the past me look like a small, defenseless pet.


    Mia: "...Sometimes Miwen seems like apletely different person... I have my theories for why that is but..."


    Guess I wasn''t wrong then, they''ve also been exposed to two different people when facing him...


    Elizabeth: "Won''t you share that with me? I believe I saw something simr in our fight..."


    Mia: "Sure. See, Miwen is not power-hungry, right? As you said, his Gift might be the peak in terms of potential, and yet, he uses it quite responsibly, making slow strides instead of big jumps in power... He knows he is inherently above us thanks to his Gift, but he doesn''t treat us badly due to that either, he actually takes care and responsibility for us to an unreasonable degree..."


    There''s no denying that, I''ve experienced it the entire day... It''s aplete parallel to what he saw me as when we fought... but it''s still undeniably an effect of his belief that he''s unmistakably above the others, so much so that he has to constantly care for those he took under his wing.


    While he could quickly be strong by boosting his power base, it would make his foundation way weaker as he wouldn''t be able to create such strong rtionships.


    As such, by summoning a limited number of people, he gets to keep control and a watchful eye over all of them... Which is a valid path to kingship... and it suits his desires incredibly well, even if he doesn''t realize it.


    Though by tapping a bit more on his Gift''s potential, he could definitely go for something greater.


    Mia: "It''s clear that he realizes his own potential, but he also reins in himself quite a lot... He also uses us as his chains, creating excuses like preventing us from being harmed by others and whatnot... I think that''s because of what he was in the past... You heard him say that people in this world only manifest their Gifts when they be 18 right?


    Well, he also shared with Licia that his parents were high-rankers, so just try to imagine how hopeless it must''ve felt for him to have this barrier called a Gift in the way of bing like the ones he admired the most..."


    Yeah, it''s obvious why that would be a problem. Even after acquiring his Gift, it''s possible that his feelings of inferiority never ceased.


    Confirming my suspicions on the matter, Mia also talked about a sister he apparently has.


    ording to her, whenever asked, he says that most of the things he knows, he learned in order to help her out. He also calls her a genius while downying his own abilities, even when ites to things he''s quite capable of, saying that she would do it better.


    Perhaps he gave up on himself and decided to dedicate his life to her...


    In which case, it might be that after acquiring his Gift, he simply started using these girls as recements for that rtionship...


    But that would imply that up until now, he has been using his Gift simply to get back to what he feels is his starting line...


    Then what happens when he decides to start running? His Gift is clearly forcing him on the path of kingship... and he''s slowly leaning into it as he didn''t stop after a single girl was summoned...


    Right now, he might be unconsciously testing the waters... if it was just a matter of getting back to where he was, he would surely have stopped at the first one... but he''s still going... the fact that he rules over others must be gradually taking root in his mind... it must be part of his desires, even if unbeknownst to him...


    But where would that stop? After reaching his rightful ce among the strongest in his world, or after conquering it for himself?


    Would that quell the desires of the beast I saw...? No way... if the man from yesterday set his sights on bing a king, he wouldn''t stop until he became the greatest. Not until allnd in creation was under his control...


    Well, he would have to face Asdrea for the position though, which...


    Which is what the Merchant would want...


    Hahaha... cunning bastard...


    But I hope you calcted this well, uncle... because even after almost losing my life I still didn''t manage to fully grasp the depth that he''s hiding and in case Asdrea falls short, the Caravan would end up being next on the chopping board if you don''t have a good n...


    Miwen: "Hm... as I thought... it''s cold."


    Mia: "Whoops..."


    We went back to the living room after we finished our discussion. It did take quite a while, enough for his drink to lose its heat. Mia drank hers while it was still hot of course, but she didn''t bother heating his cup at all...


    Since I was also partially responsible, I tried to apologize, but he didn''t really care about it.


    Once the movie finished, Ellie woke up, and together with Licia the three of them went to prepare dinner.


    The entire day went by without a sign of the man I feared, and I felt like I understood him less than before.


    Even then, it was enough for me to decide on what I should do as his assistant.


    I must see to it that he bes the fully realized king he was born to be, no matter what form that may take.


    And if that ends up bing my downfall, so be it, it ought to make for an entertaining showdown at the very least.

 Chapter 112: Elizabeths First Trial

    I expected some bad blood to still remain between the girls and the Demon Queen after what went down during her Invasion, but it seems that I underestimated the girl''s resolve quite a bit.


    Elizabeth behaved politely, and while not at all meek, she stayed very quiet and showed a lot of modesty, only speaking when asked or when she felt necessary. It''s very different from how she behaved when she first showed up, but it shows that she put in the effort to restrain her prideful nature and demonstrated her intent on fitting in and not causing trouble to anyone, which we all appreciated.


    There were a few bumps in her way though... As was the case with the girls, this world was too different from what she was used to, which led to her being quite troubled by it. Still, I could tell that she was willing to try to follow and obey as she almost listened to ire''s unreasonable orders.


    Overall, the day off allowed me to get a good reading on her, and as long as she kept such behavior, I thought there weren''t going to be any problems between us. Of course, the real test would be in a dungeon raid, as it would show us how much we could count on her and whether or not we worked well as a team.


    As we entered the dungeon, she didn''t show to struggle much against the monsters, which was to be expected since even after her level gets capped by the dungeon, at max it would be able to limit her skills level to 42 too, which is already absurd considering the amount of them she has above that level.


    It should be obvious but... a level 269 prodigy will not have trouble facing most monsters on a floor with a level cap of 42.


    This meant that each of her attacks was deadly, and most monsters weren''t able to survive even her low-tier spells, but it would be a stretch to say that she was doing a great job in her role.


    As a mage, having her on the front wouldn''t be too good... Were she to spam her magic, the frontline would simply have to deal with one more hazard, effectively making our jobs much more difficult. Even Licia and ire, who use a mix of physical attacks and magic, often look for situations in which they know that their magic won''t get in the way of the others.


    It''s also necessary to have good positioning and physical ability to quickly and precisely move around in the frontline to not be a burden to others, but as her physical ability is non-existent, she''d have to make up for it with even more magic, thus troubling the frontline even more.


    With this in consideration, I assigned her a position on the backline, where she was supposed to provide support to us. At the very least, she seemed to understand what the position entails, and she did her best to keep precision with her magic in order to not disrupt the rest of us.


    But while she was being mindful and I could tell that there was genuine effort on her part, it was undeniable that she was falling behind Bea and Ellie quite a bit. It was mostly a matter of harmony and experience between them as the Demon Queen that fought armies by herself clearly wasn''t used to fighting in a group, so she would often be slightlyte in her attacks due to hesitation.


    Since we are quite used to fighting together, we often don''t have many gaps, so understandably she''s having trouble finding opportunities and the right timing to take her shots before someone else covers it anyway.


    It wasn''t enough to create any big problems, but it was, by itself, a problem. To make adjustments and prevent anything from happening, I decided to see more of her fighting style.


    Miwen: "...We''ll be running a test. For now, you take priority in every encounter. We''ll only act if you fail to deal with all the enemies, in which case, you are to wait until we finish before taking further action."


    Elizabeth: "Sure..."


    I thought this was the easiest way to solve the problem. She''s incredibly capable, but while we did fight against each other, the girls only got to know her abilities as an opponent, so they don''t know what she can do on their side, and thus, don''t rely on her support as much as they do Ellie and Bea''s.


    This means that they understand the situation that Ellie and Bea can handle, so they purposefully leave openings for them to exploit while focusing on other tasks that they normally wouldn''t prioritize without their support.


    For Elizabeth to work well in her role, the girls had to develop a feeling for the things they could safely leave in her hands in a fight, which wasn''t happening due to her missing her timing and underperforming whenpared to the rest of the backline.


    As such, it was going to be useful for them to learn how the Demon Queen likes to fight and what her patterns are so that they can make better use of her.


    At the same time, Elizabeth would have a chance to see how we fight and analyze our ws, making her able to more easily predict when she would have to interfere.


    It''s just a good use of the outside perspective, which I thought would allow us to better notice each other''s strengths and weaknesses... but that might''ve been over-optimistic of me.


    I had greatly underestimated Elizabeth''s power. There wasn''t a situation where she wasn''t capable of dealing with everything in her way.


    It wasn''t just a matter of power alone, thanks to her Gift, she can maintain her magic activated indefinitely, and with her incredible prowess, she can have multiple elements and spells active at once, so any enemy that appears is quickly the target of a barrage.


    She''s also quite quick, and before an attacknds, she already has another ready to rece it, making her look more like a magic automatic rifle than an actual mage.


    This made me think about what Prisci must be like since she actually considers herself a magic archer while thinking of Elizabeth as a "simple" mage.


    In the end, we just took care of her back while she proceeded to the deepest parts of the dungeon, killing every enemy until we all reached the level cap.


    Elizabeth: "...I believe it''s a waste to continue on this floor now... should we proceed to the next?"


    Miwen: "...Yeah... Do you wanna hear about the floor boss or..."


    Elizabeth: "I don''t think that will be necessary."


    After seeing such a disy, I couldn''t argue against her. It would''ve been pretty dumb to do so too since after entering the room where the floor boss resided she started an onught.


    This floor''s boss is not especially known for being extremely difficult or anything, he''s reasonably challenging for a party of 6 at the level cap and probably impossible for a party of 4, he usually likes to trap everyone in ce, making you tire yourself to break away from his bindings. The room itself also has a few gimmicks to facilitate that, but...


    we didn''t have to take a single step forward to defeat him.


    He fought exactly like a punching bag. Every time the Demon Queen hit him, he would get up to be hit again. As for the amount of times he fought back, I could count them on one hand. They were zero.


    I mean, what could he even do? Her magic was stronger, so not only did she intercept everything he sent her way she actually overpowered him and dealt damage to the poor guy every time their magic met.


    Even with three other mini-bosses in the room, each an [Lord], they still got outspeed by her magic. And when the speed-focused one managed to finally dodge and charge at her, he only met a barrier that had cut an entire section of the room off.


    This was the ultimate establishment of territory, a zone all of her own from which she could attack, but never be attacked back.


    It was almost a disy of how a ruler should fight. She demonstrated how far above them she was, for her, allowing even a speck of their dirt tond on her clothes would be akin to an insult. As such, even her expression never changed from the dignified one she had upon first entering this room.


    If not for their tough bodies as golems and her capped level, this would have ended in an instant.


    Miwen: "...Hm... we have a problem now..."


    Elizabeth: "Oh? Are you dissatisfied?"


    A little bit, actually.


    Of course, when ites to power there''s nothing to be desired here, the problem is... with her around, we don''t actually need to fight, and thus, we stagnate in everything aside from our levels.


    While most of the girls might be alright with it, for me it''s quite troublesome. I can tell that I''m still behind them in almost everything.


    When ites to magic Beatrice is way better than me, ire, and Licia are better at handling swords, and Mia''s instincts when fighting allow her to make a better use of her body than I am capable of. I don''t even need to enter on the merit of archery...


    If I want to ever be able to reach them, the only way is by experiencing realbat.


    Not to mention... In case an enemy capable of fighting her appears, or she''s unavable, bing dependent on her would diminish everyone''s capabilities, which is not something I desire.


    Elizabeth: "I see... you desire to take arms for yourself then... I can respect that. But wouldn''t that be a waste?"


    Miwen: "Perhaps in the beginning but I believe that if I manage to fit you in the team, in the long term it would make us stronger as a unit."


    A team that relies on a single person to work is not as strong as a team in which everyone ys an important role.


    Our fight against her was the perfect example. If we had reliedpletely on Mia after she joined us, we would have given the Demon Queen absolutely no trouble at all, as Mia would have been defeated and we wouldn''t be able to work together well enough to put up a decent challenge.


    By fighting together, we are able to challenge forces stronger than us up to a certain level, and that will be true even with the addition of Elizabeth. I don''t want to entertain the idea of someone stronger than her though, since the only example I can think of right now is the Merchant, and that guy is not something we can challenge even with 10 Elizabeths on our side.


    Elizabeth: "A fair point...I don''t believe there''s many capable of defeating me but I''m certainly not invincible either, as you can attest to... as such working to prepare yourself for such a situation is a wise decision."


    Miwen: "Right... Let''s do the inverse this time then. You get to watch and only intervene if we call for you, alright?"


    Elizabeth: "Agreed."


    With her back to her initial position, we started raiding the eighth-floor, this way. We were going to fight like she wasn''t here to begin with. At least, that was the n, but I soon found out that some of the girls had a bit of a problem following this simple instruction.


    Now that Mia and ire could fight monsters again, theirpetition was back, and ire must''ve used a hundred percent of her brain power, because she remembered that the Demon Queen didn''t actually follow hermandst time, and started using her as a fucking battery, enabling our little pyromaniac to wreak havoc everywhere.


    In every single room we entered, every monster that appeared would be met with a wall of mes without question, even Mia couldn''t charge without risking getting caught in the mes, so she had no choice but to rely on her magic too, which quickly dried up due to this reckless usage.


    Once she noticed how ire was cheating, instead of making her stop, she actually joined in, and together they reduced my assistant to a portable charger.


    Of course, this did nothing to show Elizabeth how we normally operate, so I had to cut in on their fun, which apparently makes me a "killjoy" now.


    Anyway, after this one incident, we proceeded like we usually do, and I slowly enabled the demon queen to take action. First, I allowed her to use at max one attack every encounter, thus, she had to carefully consider when she should use it.


    After a while, I increased the quantity and allowed her two attacks, and now that she was quite good at identifying the target she should aim for amidst the chaos of a battle, she used her first shot quite proactively, only to then repeat the initial process for the second attack.


    With this method, she was slowly understanding the openings she could take advantage of, as well as bing good at predicting them. Thus, her timing became way better, and in turn, the girls started relying more on her. It was a snowball effect, and while it was going to take time to reach the same level as Ellie and Bea, at least she was on the right path now.


    Miwen: "...In a real battle, this is what we expect I expect of you, once you get used to it, you''ll be able to use all of your power to help us. Try to keep limiting yourself for now, and slowly increase your output and amount, it will make it easier for you to learn and the others will naturally develop a pattern that considers you."


    Elizabeth: "Very unorthodox, but props to you... I cannot deny its effectiveness."


    It should just be a matter of time for all of us to harmonize, but for that, we need the experience of fighting together. It''s a shame that we can''t have her going all out, but we stood to gain more this way.


    And while I say that, the day did end up with us at level 47 since I also wanted to experience a bit of what''s like to have infinite mana and went all out too... As for the loot... we cashed in $2534. It should be noted that I wouldn''t even consider that we were that lucky with drops either, it''s just the result of how many monsters we killed today by making an absolutely irresponsible use of magic.


    After going back home, I had onest job for Elizabeth.


    I used 100 kingdom points in a [Order] to block Beatrice''s usage of Arcanum. Now she''s only able to use it after I give her permission.


    Ever since our night together, she''s be way more submissive, but I feel like she needs to be reminded of who holds the reins quite often, or else she''ll start getting funny ideas again. As such, I felt necessary to make this investment to prevent her from damaging her own mind.


    I''m quite sure she''s going to keep trying to earn favor from me in order to gain permission to use it, and frankly, after tasting her plump body once, I don''t feel like holding back anymore, so I''ll have the Demon Queen teach Arcanum to the both of us.


    I don''t n on using it myself, not unless I get Demonic Power to trade for it, but it would be useful to at least be able to develop a sense to detect when someone is using it, and if I can, it would also be nice to acquire more resistance to it, as Erika''s words imbued with Arcanum fromst time would have been enough to get me out of a fight.


    As for Bea, she would be learning from someone who is probably one of the best in the field, so this should satiate her desire for research quite a bit, and I''m hoping it also lessens the effects it has on her mind whenever she gets to actually make use of it.


    In any case, if I contact the Merchant, I might be able to ask Prisci to help treat her, but I''d rather avoid that. They are both busy people, and thest time I asked the Merchant for help he decided to turn my kingdom into a daycare for his bratty niece.


    I suspect if I keep counting on him, not only will that unreliable man be even more unreliable, but his price might also start going up due to the demand.

 Chapter 113: His Path

    I always disliked strict teachers. While I have nothing but respect for the job, I always thought that the "good enough" result was... well, good enough. And since I could somewhat reliably wing it, it never made sense to me to try hard and go above and beyond.


    I really like Mia, but she reminds me of those strict school teachers. Her excuse for training usually involves a variation of me struggling for my life in a spar, because apparently, if I''m not putting in serious effort, it doesn''t count as training.


    While they evoke simr feelings in me, it would be a bit unfair to say that these two are the same. At least with her training, I see the results every day as there might not be anything as important for someone whose current job is literally risking his life in battles for money, so while I think it''s a bother, I could never argue against its importance.


    Ellie: "...So you decided on an excuse about us doing archery training together today to avoid putting in any real work."


    Miwen: "Not at all, as I said, there''s a tangible effect in her training, and I agree that it''s necessary, so I don''t mind it too much. The problem is the other one..."


    We all knew that Elizabeth was holding back from making too manyments, but during today''s dungeon raid, she demonstrated a bit more familiarity with us, and left her shell a little bit more, which allowed us to experience once again the demeanor she showed us before our fight during her Invasion.


    She gave tips to Licia, Anna, and Ellie on the way they use their magic, and even Mia listened to her advice, even though much like Anna, she doesn''t use magic too much as she treats it as a straightforward way to add power to her attacks when needed.


    The biggest surprise in that regard was ire. She''s a mage on par with Bea when ites to fire magic. And that''s not a matter of power since ire obviously has a better output due to her skills and Gift, it''s more that she''s kind of a natural at it, having a deep understanding and feeling for this form of magic without even studying it.


    I think she has less than five chantings memorized, and sometimes she either messes them up or makes changes on the fly, both of which are impressive considering I''ve never seen her magic backfire and her power is nevercking, it''s almost as if the mes understand her as much as she understands them.


    It''s a surreal sight, but all of us who are exposed to the image of her fighting with it always think that they must be synchronized in some way.


    As such, the fact that even she sought out Elizabeth is absurd. For ire of all people to trouble herself with something is already incredible, but for it to be about her fire magic feels weird, almost as if the world somehow went wrong at one point.


    In the end, Elizabeth managed to help everyone out a little bit, and with the sses Bea and I were having with her, I had no doubts that when it came to magic, she was a positive influence.


    The advice she gave in the raid brought her closer to the girls and also helped them understand each other more, enabling Elizabeth to do a better job when it came to their teamwork.


    However, it was also a fact that this scored her some points with the others, and made them trust her a bit more by extension, which I didn''t consider such a good thing...


    Elizabeth: "...There are many ways to lead others. You''re a master when ites to creating the best environment and conditions for those around you, which makes you a man who leads by taking responsibility for others and controlling the situations you and them face. You lead by inspiring and empowering.


    Without you, be it in everyday life or on the battlefield, every one of them would be worse for wear, thus creating an incentive for them to follow your lead. It''smendable, really, but at the same time... you understand it''s impossible to keep this up, right?"


    Perhaps sensing my suspicions and mixed feelings about her actions, she started to talk to me when she got the chance.


    I did agree with her statement, I even thought it was somewhat obvious. I''m not a wizard who understands everyone''s needs and likes by simply ncing at them. I need tomit a certain amount of time to knowing and developing a rtionship with them.


    With such an approach, it would be almost impossible to be a king for more than like, a hundred people, it''s just the limitation that this approach brings.


    Miwen: "...I''m not keen on ruling through fear. So I''ll assume you''re going to suggest to me the symbolic inspirational ruler approach."


    Forrge quantities of people, a ruler needs to be less of a man and more of a symbol. The embodiment of a quality that those who follow desire to attain or embody themselves. A figure that represents the objectives of others, a king that follows this path is an end goal to be reached.He might be the apex of strength, intelligence, power, authority...


    Anything that makes people dream about and only a few can truly demonstrate.


    Her actions were an example of that very concept. Simply showing her magic prowess managed to get her on a greater standing amongst others, and judging by how well it fit in the discussion she brought up, I thought she did it on purpose to demonstrate her point.


    Of course, Ick any grandiose quality like that, so believing that I could be a symbol of aspiration was a pipedream.


    Elizabeth: "...Rule by fear huh... you could certainly do it with your Gift but I understand that you might believe such a method to be beneath you... As for the other path you proposed, you only believe that you''re not sufficiently capable because you still see yourself as a man, and not a king, thus, you fail to see that you''ve already taken the most important steps in that direction."


    Miwen: "...Meaning?"


    Elizabeth: "...Meaning you don''t think you can be a king that is a symbol of strength because you don''t see Anna''s as your own. You don''t believe yourself smart enough to be a symbol of intelligence because you don''t see Beatrice''s as your own, and so on. You see, the actions I took today... who do you think they belong to?


    Of course, they are all yours, for as my king, I am but one of your many limbs..."


    It was different from giving me credit. She spoke as if the pieces of advice she gave today came from me, treating herself as a simple messenger and disregarding the notion that I had no involvement with it whatsoever.


    She was taking the position of a representative, even though I saw her as the sole instigator.


    Elizabeth: "There''s no rule saying that you need to choose a single path. Continue acquiring talent, take control of them, and make their qualities your assets. Any feat of power they show will be seen by those outside as your power. Any situation they resolve will be due to your insight, even if you don''t speak a word.


    We''re the foundation you created, it is your right to use us and also your duty to take responsibility for our every action, as they shall always be in your name and under your will."


    It was the dehumanization factor of the representative. When you think about the actions of a nation, you might stop at that and say "That nation managed to...", but you could go further and say "The leader of that nation managed to...".


    Results aplished by arge group often end up attributed to one or two names who end up credited, for better or worse, as being responsible for their aplishments, even if their operations required contributions from several people.


    Thus, Elizabeth was telling me that while a powerful leader might simply be the strongest, he might also be the one who has the strongest army or has the best generals as he embodies those under his influence, and their sess, in whatever field, is the king''s sess.


    If I understood her words correctly, she wanted me to keep on my current path, but also use it as a foundation for a second one.


    A system in which I would seek subordinates, force them under my will, and be responsible for their exploits, thus, making my symbol that of influence and power, alongside all the qualities I''d be said to possess due to embodying the exploits of those under my rule.


    The further from me the lowest rank is, the more unapproachable my figure will be, making it so that, the more the kingdom grows in size, the more of a symbol I''d be, and thus. my rule would be more effective by creating a paragon of power and intelligence that reigns supreme over the already known to be powerful and intelligent people.


    ... It makes use of what I''ve already established to perfectly deal with the ws in the current system I''m using, it would almost change nothing, except that I was going to have to concede more power and control to those directly under me so that they could also exert power and control over others.


    Elizabeth: "...Which wouldn''t be a problem if you didn''t seek absolute cont..."


    She didn''t finish her sentence, but it was pretty obvious to me what she wanted to say. What she said after only confirmed my inclination.


    Elizabeth: "You know... I was a queen others feared and aspired to be. I had no qualms about being cruel when I felt like the situation demanded. Hell, as a demon, being feared only strengthened me. As a king... I believe you have a very unique path avable, one in which all the others would converge to...But for that, you''d have to be willing to use all of them...


    of course, as you believe it below you, if you need someone to be a figure of fear in your stead, I would dly take the position."


    I didn''t like the way she was being vague about the unique path she talked about. It''s clear that the Merchant had some influence on her but since she was so eager to serve, I decided to make her more direct and asked for a straight answer.


    Elizabeth: "...I believe you might have the necessary to be king between monarchs. To rule over those who rule. Well, perhaps not if we''re talking about the current you but... I know my eyes weren''t wrong about the potential I saw in you. The Traveling Merchant decided to offer you his support, but I''ll offer you my service.


    I''m interested in seeing the shape your reign takes, as fate seems to have selected you amongst all others to be king."


    Whenever a new girl joined the kingdom, they would end up makingments about me as a fighter, or me as a person, most seeking to help me improve.


    Elizabeth might just be the first toment on me as a king and offer me her services to be one. Her intentions were as selfish as they could be, she was only interested in seeing what would happen, but somehow, the words she spoke kept echoing in my head as if they were a truth I had forgotten.


    The rest of the dungeon raid went as normal, and we got 3 level-ups since I couldn''t resist not using her as a battery for a little bit. I also didn''t want to waste tickets in the potions banner, nor there was any need to seek mana potions when Elizabeth was always avable.


    Money-wise, we also did fine, a little less than yesterday, but more than enough.


    Ellie: "I don''t understand much about these topics, so I doubt I can help you with it... I don''t get why came to me..."


    Miwen: "I need to clear my mind to think about what Elizabeth said."


    Ellie: "...In that case... Wouldn''t it be better to be by yourself ?"


    Miwen: "Hm... being with you actually makes me quite calm. Your frail and small body makes me feel big and strong, also, you''re always cute, so seeing you serious and focused is refreshing. I like being with you, so any decision I take in this state will surely be..."


    She talked to me while firing arrows into improvised targets, and throughout our conversation, she never missed.


    Of course, that onlysted until I startedplimenting her.


    There was redness all across her face.Since she was midway into firing, the moment I called her cute, she let go of the arrow and her form was all strange. She also looked the other way, avoiding eye contact with me.


    She even struggled to get another arrow out of the quiver, having it fall down on the ground when I said I liked being with her.


    Miwen: "...the most precise."


    Ellie: "...You did that on purpose."


    I could see a shy smile on her face as she responded, her cheeks still tinged with a rosy hue.


    Miwen: "...Of course..."


    I waited for her to prepare for another shot, she focused on her breathing, steadied her hands, and...


    Miwen: "I did mean every word though."


    She missed again.


    Ellie: "...Haah... I suppose there''s no point to it anymore."


    She finally decided to let go of the bow and arrow to give me proper attention.


    As always, shees close to me and sits in her favorite ce, I wrap my arms around her and let the sensations of her body on myp sink in.


    Miwen: "It''s so rare for you to miss two in a row, is everything alright?"


    Ellie: "...My king, as the one responsible for my actions, I ask thee to have my missed shots erased from the history books in order to maintain your image as a sharpshooter."


    I didn''t expect Ellie of all people to tease me back, I didn''t even know she was capable of doing it. While she doesn''t quite have the fangs to bite back, it''s fun to see her trying anyway.


    Miwen: "Oh, so you were paying attention..."


    She looks at me from below with a bit of an unsatisfied expression and softly tells me that she is always paying attention to me.


    Miwen: "Very cute, but your request is denied. I shall dedicate an entire book to pictures and reports of your missed shots. I''ll even ask our librarian witch to keep it updated."


    Ellie: "N-no... I would die of embarrassment..."


    Knowing her, she actually might.


    In which case I''ll keep it a secret from her.


    Miwen: "Speaking of dying of embarrassment, shall we head to the bath?"


    Ellie: "...E-eh??? B-but I... well, I''m not training anymore... but it''s still a bit early right?"


    Everyone prefers the bath on Earth, and for a while, it was manageable to have them all bath in there, but with the addition of Elizabeth we now waste a bit too much time with it, so I decided to introduce bathing in pairs, which faced a bit of resistanceing from a rebellious group calling themselves the Anti-yboy Camp.


    They quickly failed to prevent my new policy though, as their leader was caught by surprise when I pointed out that one of them couldn''t go against my orders.


    ire and Licia didn''t have any problem with it for obvious reasons. Anna quite liked the idea of having more chances to spend some time together, and Beatrice is still under my control for now. Ellie took a bit of convincing but ended up conceding too.


    So with apletely fair and democratic vote that didn''t involve any cheating at all, my side ended up winning 7-1 and we''ll take turns changing partners every day.


    Incidentally, I only mentioned thest part after the vote, which made Anna change her position once she realized she wouldn''t be able to choose the same partner every time.


    Licia did her best to reassure her, even promising to join her as much as possible but for some reason, this not only made her agonize even more but also had her worrying quite a bit.


    Miwen: "Hm... Licia and ire have already requested to join the kingdom, so I''ll give you just a moment to prepare your heart..."


    Or so I thought...


    After Elizabeth''s event, I had 15 tickets. On the day off I grabbed 40 more, and before heading to the dungeon yesterday I grabbed another 40, making me reach 95 tickets in storage.


    I felt like there was a possibility that something might happen if I managed to store 100 daily tickets since after reaching 500 kingdom points I unlocked more buildings...


    And I was right.


    A new option became avable to me, by trading 100 daily gacha tickets, I could get an [Umon Gacha Ticket]...


    The word was different from that of the [Rare Gacha Ticket], but it was obvious what it meant. There was some sort of ranking for the tickets, and I could trade them upwards.


    I thought that since Ellie was going to need a second to calm her heart, I could just get and use this ticket now but...


    My mind drifted away, and I found myself looking at a blue screen... my eyes couldn''t adapt to the blur very well but it felt... familiar...


    I thought it looked like the sky. It was a beautiful clear blue, unlike the ones you see in a city. My eyes were about to adapt to it so that I could take a good look but...


    Ellie: "...Miwen, are you alright? Miwen?!"


    Miwen: "Hm? S-sorry... I... got distracted... how long was I gone for?"


    Ellie: "...I noticed you weren''t responding about half a minute ago but, perhaps an entire minute passed..."


    It didn''t feel even close to that... it was almost the same time it took for a blink. Perceivable, yes, but also almost instantaneous...


    In exchange for my trouble, I ended up gaining a skill...


    [Body Double


    Allows you to create a copy of your body. The copy won''t act on its own unless instructed to do so by the user. By developing this skill, the copy will be able to follow moreplex instructions, the mana consumption required to maintain it will diminish and the maximum amount of time itsts will also increase.


    This is an active skill, at level 1 it will consume 10% of the user''s mana per minute, and any existing body double may onlyst for up to 5 minutes.]


    That''s... one of the strangest skills I''ve ever seen.


    It almost looks like a skill unique to a specific Gift...


    Well, I already had a lot to think about, so I decided to ponder after a rxing bath.

 Chapter 114: First Night With Ellie (R18)

    - This chapter contains descriptive sexual content, please, be advised and proceed with caution -


    I knew that Ellie was a bit more sensitive to the stares of other people, so, I made sure to get everyone out of the house and into the kingdom before heading to bath with her, that way, she would suffer a little less from embarrassment.


    While that certainly did help, as otherwise, she might''ve fainted before we entered the bath, due to the inherent obscenity of a man and a woman taking a bath together, she walked slowly, had her head down, and her body kept getting hotter, making her sweat even more than when she was training.


    Even though she was sweating quite a bit, as it mixed with her usual sweet smell, it made for an arousing aroma that kept filling the air more and more.


    Seeing her like this, it was hard to not attack her... but I knew that it would make things harder for her if I did.


    In such cases, I would resort to yful teasing but for Ellie, that might be even worse, so I tried to resist while basking in the image of my shy cutie being all embarrassed.


    When the time came for us to undress, she went top to bottom and had her back turned to me in an attempt to hide her shame. Ironically, it gave me a pretty erotic view of her body, but she stopped short of getting naked and instead chose to enter the bathroom in her underwear.


    As for me, I had nothing to hide so...


    Miwen: "Do you prefer hot or cold?"


    Ellie: "...warm..."


    Since her body is a bit hot, it would''ve been fine for her to go for a lower temperature to cool herself, even though it''s a bit cold outside already. Knowing her, I''m guessing that she picked a middle option in consideration for me since she doesn''t know what temperature I prefer.


    While I knew what bathing together would entail,I came up with the idea with the honest intention of freeing up a bit more time while also allowing everyone to enjoy Earth''s bath.


    I''ve already tasted most of the girls in the kingdom, the only exceptions being Ellie and Mia, and even then, when ites to their bodies, I already spent quite a few times feeling Ellie''s, and as for Mia, I already saw her pretty exposed at the beach, and while a bit of an exception due to the circumstances, it''s a fact that I got to touch hers too, so there was no need for me to borate a scheme in order to see any of them naked.


    Due to how used I am to their bodies, I didn''t think bathing together with them would even mean too much, but I waspletely wrong. There''s a uniquely lewd aspect to watching a girl go about a private moment like washing herself that I didn''t consider.


    With the water pouring down on us, Ellie used soap to clean her body and make the sweat she umted go away, which made her scent less noticeable but more fragrant.


    I underestimated the value of her freshly cleaned body and thus became unable to resist the urge to touch her.


    Miwen: "Let me handle your back. It''s gonna be faster and I can reach hard spots easier."


    Ellie: "....."


    She ended up not responding with words, neither allowing nor prohibiting it. Instead, she kept her back toward me and didn''t try to reach for it, which made me decide to test out my luck a little bit. Worst case scenario I would simply apologize and move on.


    Ellie: "..Nh... your hands are a bit cold..."


    On the contrary, I''d say they are quite warm thanks to the water, she only thinks otherwise because her body got more heated than the water...


    I knew to carefully and gently touch her slender figure, but every time she slightly felt my hand, be it on her shoulders, nape, or her back itself, she would jolt and let out a soft, startled breath.


    While that made me quite excited, it didn''t take long for her topose herself, getting used to my touch. Somehow though, this made it even better, as I could clearly tell that her muscles were rxing with every caress my hands gave her.


    After I had finished doing a proper job, I just wanted to feel her skin a bit more and kept massaging her nape and her shoulders with my fingertips. Her body was rxing quite a bit, and without realizing it, she approached me, our bodies touching each other.


    She really liked my touch on the back of her neck, as one time she quickly stood up and trembled slightly while letting out a quiet moan.


    She lingered a bit more in my arms but after a while, remembering why we were there, Ellie told me to turn my back to her so that she could wash it too.


    Through the hesitant movements she made with her small and warm hands, I could feel a lot of genuine care. She did try to get a little payback, but massaging me the same way I did her wasn''t paying off as she expected.


    It did have an effect on me, and I''m sure my muscles also rxed under her touch, but she was not content with that and became a bit too impatient.


    She did have a good solution though...


    Ellie: "You are so unfair..."


    Said the girl hugging me from behind... she excused her behavior saying that since my body was big and her hands small, she had to use her arms to make it faster.


    While there might''ve been a speck of logic there, the fact that she wasn''t moving her arms at all made the supposed effectiveness quite questionable.


    I also thought that using her face was a bit overkill, but alright...


    Once she felt satisfied, she finally took her job seriously.


    However, she ended up a bit surprised as I hadn''t really washed the front part either, and asked her to do it in my stead since she was so good at it and had the faster method of doing it with her arms.


    Of course, when going to the frontline to attack, one needs to give it their all, or else, they risk digging their own grave. As such, may the backfiring of her strategy serve as a lesson for her.


    She was doing a good job at around the chest weight, but she had a hard time as she tried to touch me without being touched by my little friend back.


    When she started having to look down, her stare would sometimes get fixated on it, and she''d be in a daze for a few seconds.


    Ellie: "...is it really supposed to be this big... just imagining it...scary..."


    She doesn''t normally get a good look at it as whenever we y with each other she has her back turned to me due to her shyness. Usually, she just feels it with her hands or thighs... but there was one time when she actually had it in full view.


    Miwen: "It''s not that much though... you even had it in your mouth that one time, remember?"


    Ellie: "That was only because Bea offered to teach me something to make you happy... even then, she said that the whole thing was too much for me and took care of it while having me focus on the tip only..."


    Meaning that she didn''t dare to go down on it and only licked with her tongue... I can''t believe that fucking virgin tricked and used my little elf like that.


    Miwen: "...We''ll be sleeping together today, on Earth."


    Ellie: "...? Okay..."


    To undo the damage that witch did, I''ll have to take matters into my own hands, as such, I had ire go to the kingdom this night after dinner.


    While she wasn''t very satisfied with it, I told her she could y untilte today, which made her cheer up a little bit. Actually, quite a lot. I even felt a bit betrayed by it since it seemed like she had forgotten about me entirely.


    Truth be told, I thought it would be funny to send Licia to the kingdom to teach that witch a lesson on how a truly experienced woman ys with and uses another girl, but I ended up having another mission for her today.


    You see, I''m used to receiving blowjobs by now. I know what I like and how I like it, but I''m certain that while I can guide a girl to make me feel good, I can''t actually teach her how to do a good job by herself. No, for that, I would need the help of another girl.


    Anna''s is quite sloppy, which feels good, but I think she just moves by instinct, so teaching someone is probably out of her scope. ire does a good job, but she mostly follows and copies what Licia does.


    As such, the MVP and best candidate for teaching Ellie is none other than Licia herself as she actually knows how to do it and is pretty much the best when ites to that.


    Also, I knew she''d be eager, so I didn''t have to waste any time convincing her.


    Licia: "...so now, you should pull it back like this... you don''t need to grip it too hard, but it would be good to have your hand reach the base... since he''s... well, like that... you can use both hands to grab if you feel it''s morefortable... You can focus on only holding it the way it feels right for now..."


    Ellie: "...okay..."


    I wasying on the bed with the two by my side after Licia stroked my cock to make it hard she told me not to move, so I looked like I was about to be experimented on by a doctor or something... which in retrospect, wasn''t that far off from the truth...


    Licia: "...don''t bother moving your tongue, just rx it and let his cock slowly enter your mouth... try to go as deep as possible, when you feel it hitting the back of your throat you can move your head back a little to give it some space... then let it rest there for as long as you can..."


    Ellie diligently tried to follow Licia''smands... at the beginning, she focused on getting ustomed to having my cock inside her mouth, the motions tofortably get it in there, and to get it out.


    After a while, her movement was basically perfect, and while she wasn''t using her tongue at all, just the wet feeling of her mouth and her lips pressing against it already gave a nice feeling considering she was moving so well.


    Licia: "...now for the tongue, you have already kissed right? What do you do?"


    Ellie: "I don''t know... I try to follow his but he drags mine everywhere, holds me in ce, nibbles my lips and I just end up surrendering to it..."


    Licia: "Miwen!"


    Miwen: "S-sorry?"


    I wasn''t expecting my girlfriend to get mad at me for kissing another girl...


    Wait, never mind, that''s actually pretty normal... It''s the fact that she''s mad that I''m not ultra gentle with Ellie, and allow myself to indulge a bit when we kiss that is truly abnormal here.


    Licia: "...I think either an up-down or a circr motion would be the easiest... you don''t need to do it quickly or go too far, just do it for a while, take it out, and then prepare to do it again..."


    She makes for a surprisingly good teacher... she''s very patient and understands what Ellie might struggle with, thus, giving her advice in advance.


    With her help, Ellie managed to get a pretty good grasp on the basics, as for other techniques, she would undoubtedly learn them with time now that she had the most important covered.


    In fact, she became so good at it that she managed to make mee way faster than she did when she had Bea''s support,


    Licia: "Good job! Do you want to try having sex next?"


    Ellie: "...Um... that''s a bit..."


    While she likes my touch, Ellie has always been a bit apprehensive when ites it going all the way.


    Our rtionship progressed quite a bit, but never proposed that we have sex, and I also felt that it would only be fair to do it when she feltfortable with the idea.


    Licia: "Hmm... Miwen, let''s change ces a bit..."


    At Licia''s request, I went to the other end of the bed. She undressed herself and had Ellie sit in herp, helping her undress and hugging her from behind.


    While not the same as Beatrice''s, Licia''s breasts are big and her hips are not bad at all, so having Ellie''s petite body by her side makes for a sharp contrast.


    Licia: "Your slit is very narrow... did you ever touch yourself ?"


    Ellie: "After Miwen did it the first time we slept together, I started doing it too sometimes..."


    Licia: "I got really mad at him for leaving you hanging like that you know? But seeing it by myself, I totally understand why you were unsure about going all the way... Good job holding back too Miwen..."


    When I asked Licia to help me out with Ellie, I thought there was a 50/50 chance that Ellie would refuse given that she''s so shy. But Licia managed to convince her that she wouldn''t even have to take off her clothes.


    That same Ellie ended up being swayed by the mood Licia created and now was talking about our private moments.


    While she was definitely ashamed, Licia was managing to put her way more at ease thanI would''ve ever expected. I guess choosing her to help out was the best decision I could''ve taken.


    Licia: "Let''s start with a finger okay? You can use your pinky, it''s fine..."


    Ellie: "... okay..."


    Licia: "You''re doing great... can I put mine inside too? Look, it''s not much thicker than yours."


    Ellie: "...Y-yeah."


    Licia was spreading Ellie''s pussy open from the outside, but when it was time for her to put her own finger inside, instead of asking Ellie to help, she signaled for me to approach and made me keep her pussy open too.


    She was softly pushing Ellie''s walls to the side, and after a bit, asked Ellie''s permission to have mine inside her too.


    She looked unsure but ended up epting it.


    Licia: "How does it feel with three fingers inside?"


    Ellie: "A bit tingly..."


    Licia: "And if we move like this... does it hurt?"


    Ellie: "No... it feels... good."


    Licia: "We''ll move to thicker fingers now, alright?"


    While an erotic scene by nature, I couldn''t help but notice how much caring Licia was being with Ellie.


    These two often do housework together with me, and I''d say personality-wise, the three of us are pretty close to one another, so we resonated pretty well and formed a pretty strong bond.


    While I know that Ellie trusts me a lot, having Licia, a member of the opposite sex that she trusts just as much, is giving her a stronger sense of security, thus enabling us to go this far.


    Licia: "She''s wet enough... and I think we did a good job stretching the entrance... Well, it''s up to you Ellie, do you want to try ?"


    Ellie: "I... yes... I want it..."


    Licia: "Don''t worry, if he''s not the gentlest he''s ever been, I''ll cut it off."


    ...Her winking did nothing to lessen the danger my dick felt, if not for the way Ellie asked for it with teary eyes, I would''ve probably gone limp.


    Still, I had to resist as much as possible the instincts to be sure that Ellie felt good. It was the only way to respect her determination and the effort Licia put in to enable this situation.


    While we had stretched her, it was still not enough for the tip to enter fully, even when trying different angles and pressing down against the walls. The only way I could think of was to force it a bit, but that might''ve been bad, so, I took out what I had just managed to insert in and asked Licia to help stretch it from outside in multiple directions.


    It was just barely, but I managed to enter, and after doing so, she closed itpletely with the head inside.


    Each move had to be very delicate and slow, and even though Licia was caressing her breasts and I was massaging her womb from the outside, her pussy didn''t let loose for a second, no matter how rxed we made her be.


    From there on though, it was a matter of stretching her more using my penis, and only after her hymen was broken did it feel like I could start moving to properly make her feel good.


    I could never go too deep without bumping into her walls, but she was incredibly wet due to a few light orgasms, so my dick would slide quite easily inside her.


    Ellie: "Ahn... more... please... Mnhn!"


    I had to ignore her cries as they were clearly the ramblings of a girl drunk in pleasure. More realistically, if I pushed with more speed, she would probably get hurt, and as for going deeper, due to the massages, her womb was low enough that I would poke at it often.


    The only remaining options were her ass and her bean, but since it was already this much trouble to open one hole, I decided to go for the easiest route avable.


    Her sweet moans were bing harder and harder, she started gasping more and more, until...


    Ellie: "Haah... I''m gonna cum....UNhnh.....!!!"


    Miwen: "Fuuuckkk.... What was that?"


    It felt like she was gonna tear my dick off, her orgasm gave her pussy a grip strength that even Mia not be able to match with her fucking hands.


    My dick was assaulted in all directions, and without a care in the world, I ended up filling her pussy with a lot of thick milk.


    Even to the end her pussy refused to obey and gave me trouble to take my dick out.


    Licia: "I think she''s out... Must''ve been pretty good..."


    Miwen: "That''s not even a question..."


    Licia did a damn good job this time, so she deserves a big reward.


    On the other hand, there was one girl who earned another punishment.


    Miwen: "Tomorrow I want you two to pair up for the bath... teach her how to eat pussy."


    Licia: "Eh? Sure... Can I kiss her too?"


    She really likes Ellie''s lips huh... Well, they do offer a heavenly feeling, so I can understand that perfectly.


    Miwen: "Sure, but if you are so eager to taste her juice, you can start by cleaning my dick you know?"


    In fact, in Ellie''sst orgasm, she ended up squirting everywhere, so I''m sure she had plenty to taste if she wanted to.


    But Licia knew I wasn''t going to be satisfied with a single round, and since it would be too much to ask for Ellie to go for another one, me and Licia decided to y together for the remainder of the night.

 Chapter 115: The Mine

    Inhabited by tree monsters like Ents, carnivorous monster nts, living vines, and small mushroom warriors, this green inferno also used bats and insect monsters as scouts, making it surprisingly difficult to traverse.


    While not especially powerful, their attacks frequently inflict poison, paranoia, or dehydration, not to mention delirium, which often leads to abnormal feelings and strong hallucinations... Thus making the eighth floor one of those where we needed to be careful when exploring as strength was not the only factor at y,


    Thankfully, there''s quite arge independentmunity dedicated to researching these types of monsters.


    Everything from the effects they inflict on the body, how tobat them, and even super specific things like the amount of fluids you can extract from certain body parts and how much of that is safe for the human body have been thoroughly studied by brave volunteers...


    Floors with these types of creatures are also quite popr with retirees... Once they realize that it would be hard for them to climb the ranks further, they start looking for floors that are close to their levels and offer some benefit, this way, they can earn money while also... taking it easy...


    Thanks to that, this floor ends up being one of the odd ones where its poption happens to be bigger than its previous floor.


    With an actual poption and people not wanting to fight hard battles, this floor had a more developed settlementpared to how abandoned some of the others have felt.


    There are even some stalls and stands that specialize in dealing and selling products to "help" with the effects of the monsters.There''s quite a variety of products, but it''s necessary to be careful when dealing with them here as there are quite a few that instead of lessening the effects just end up strengthening them, giving even stronger hallucinations.


    All monsters on this floor share the same weakness to fire attacks, and so, our party had quite an easy time dealing with them.


    There was only one small and cute problem happening...


    Mia: "Wah! What was that?"


    Ellie: "S-sorry..."


    Our trusted brave archer, one to rarely miss, waspletely off her game today. It wasn''t just a matter of her missing her targets, there were also stray arrows flying dangerously close to the frontliners.


    Everyone ended up a bit worried about this abnormal condition, and some were even specting that she might''ve inhaled some sort of toxic gas.


    Anna: "I don''t know what you guys did yesterday, but I think you broke her..."


    Miwen: "...Nah, she''ll be fine... I think..."


    Probably... it''s just that her head is somewhere else. Even during the morning, she waspletely distracted, which made Licia and I have to take care of almost everything.


    I thought she would have snapped out of it by now, but I guess it takes more time for some people.


    It was cute in a way, but I couldn''t risk the safety of everyone else, so I decided to make this raid a quick one.


    Using ire''s magic and her battery, we cleaned up quite far through the dungeon, managing to reach the level cap of 52.


    The only thing left to do on this floor was to face the boss, which was no big deal for us.


    The boss this time was known to be hard even forrge parties at the level cap. Inside the room there are 6 mushroom knights, they are all of different colors, and liberate different kinds of toxins when attacked. All of them, except for the boss who was a [Duke], had the title of [Lord], meaning they were quite challenging individually to someone at the level cap.


    When considering the gimmick of the fight, their ranks made things even harder. Only one of them can receive damage at a time and all the others are invincible until you hit the right one.


    After he receives damage, he''ll stop receiving damage and you''ll have to hit the next one in the order...


    This was the reason parties that relied on numbers struggled on this floor, without someone to do a great deal of damage at a time, you can quickly lose due to the constant flux of toxins.


    Being in sync is also really important, one mistake might fuck the entire strategy you''re going for.


    All of that cooperation and strength might look easy to pull off, but it''s important to remember that these guys are not stationary targets. They charge any enemies in front of them to attack with their swords coated in poison.


    The previous record for this floor was an incredible 18 total attacks from a party of only 4 people. They brought two guys with strong Gifts that enabled very durable barriers and had a single mage dealing damage from afar to each enemy. Thest person at the party was buffing everyone.


    3 attacks into each enemy was all that they needed...


    For us... 3 attacks were all that we needed, period.


    ire and Elizabeth make for an absurd duo, that''s all I can say.


    While we could progress to the next floor without problems, we had achieved the goal I set out for today, and it was only fair to give Ellie the extra time to rx and rest.


    Once we were home, I imed the kingdom points and the daily tickets avable. I had used 100 of yesterday''s tickets in exchange for the umon one, but that still left a few avable to me, which I ended up using to summon spellbooks for Bea.


    It was definitely arge quantity but... she lost everything that was in the kingdom during the battle between the Merchant and the Demon Queen, so I replenished it for her. It would also facilitate her studies with Elizabeth.


    As for the tickets I got today... I decided to keep them for a while. It''s good to have some in stock since they can be multiplied as an even reward, and I was also thinking about trying the umon one again... 100 tickets for a single one might look disproportional, but the skill I got was quite different from everything I had received previously, so I became interested in trying it again.


    Thus, today''s main goal is actually rted to the kingdom points, more specifically, the special building that became avable after Elizabeth became one of our citizens.


    At 1000 kingdom points, the [Mine] is one of the cheapest buildings among those that were unlocked after reaching a certain prerequisite. It''s also one I''m not too sure about.


    I certainly know what to expect, it''s pretty much in the name, but also... what would be the difference between using this building and simply... making a hole in the ground?


    Thest time I did something like this was the battle against the Traveling Merchant and I didn''t find any metals or valuable resources, so I thought perhaps I needed the mine to add those.


    And I ended up being correct. As soon as I ced it, a notification appeared asking for me to invest in a [Layer]. This [Layer] spread through the entire kingdom''s underground and was a randomly generated cave system, to which the main building''s entrance led to.


    However, like other buildings, such as walls and houses, I could change theyout, not only of the entrance, but I had control of the cave design as well. By spending an absurd 10000 kingdom points, I could also add a secondyer.


    The price for adding another cave also changed, to 2000 kingdom points.


    Miwen: "Well... let''s take a look, shall we?"


    Mia: "...Are you sure it''s fine just the two of us?"


    Absolutely not. I''vee to terms with this Gift beingpletely unpredictable.


    Miwen: "Isn''t it fine for us to share a date as-"


    She didn''t even let me finish this time before throwing me in the cave''s entrance.


    There was the possibility of monsters being inside this ce like in the forest, so I decided to bring her with me since she has keen senses. instead of monsters though, we were only finding an assortment of different minerals and crystals.


    Their quantity was incredibly low, but the walls had quite a few different colors, so it became obvious that there was more than just rocks and dirt in them.


    Taking a look at the options avable, it seems I can select what kind of resources spawn in eachyer and for each resource, there was a timer indicating how long it would take for them to reach their maximum amount.


    ...This was busted. Even something like Mythril could be spawned here. However, the timer for it was incredibly long, meaning it would take a long time for a reasonable quantity to spawn.


    Following the kingdom''s map, there weren''t monsters right below the houses, but when Mia and I reached the area around the forest, a few crab-like creatures with gems on their backs attacked us.


    Their levels were around 10 to 20, which meant we didn''t have much trouble with them at all but we went until the furthest plot avable, the one I received during the Demon Queen''s Invasion, and the monsters there reached level 40.


    This is already somewhat problematic, as inrge quantities and during the night, they might cause a problem if they decide to leave the underground.


    Mia and I had also looked at the new forest patch added on the surface previously, and while some new snake-like monsters started appearing, their levels only reached up to 4.


    Still, the monsters here were dropping a few gems, which I knew ought to be valuable, and while it might be hard to sell them on Earth, I could probably trade them inside the dungeon with otherworlders.


    Mia: "...So, go ahead, there''s something you want to say, right?"


    Miwen: "Yeah, I''m looking forward to our bath together-"


    Mia: "I meant about how you purposefully left everyone else behind. If you want to say something, just spill it out."


    Yeah, there''s no use trying to be discreet with this girl... I can see why Melissa had to trick her into going inside the kingdom back then.


    Miwen: "...You''ve been sharing a room with Elizabeth for a few days, so, what do you think about her? Do you think she has any hidden motives?"


    Mia: "Hm... She might not have the kingdom''s best interest in mind, but she does seem interested in helping you. Did she do something suspicious?"


    Miwen: "Not exactly... but she seems to want to take me in a certain direction..."


    And the problem is that I think I agree with her.


    Her suggestion involves having the people around me be in charge of others, notably, that would eventually mean that she would also be in charge of others, and while she''s contained enough for now to not attack us, I still see some pride left in her.


    I fear that, in case she regains a position of power, she might use it for her own agenda instead of devoting her attention to helping the kingdom grow and prosper like I believe the other girls would.


    Frankly, I have my doubts about her, and the things she says sound convincing, but oddly convenient if I imagine them from her perspective. It''s in her best interest that I grow the kingdom, as I might be simply preparing the tform for her to use in her war.


    Even while taking into consideration that I might be ying into her hand, I indeed want to keep expanding this ce, and if not for her event, I would already have done new summoning since I believe that I understand everyone well enough now.


    What would essentially change if I listened to her would be my approach...


    Mia: "...What do you mean by that?


    Miwen: "I offer everyone the option of bing a citizen, or leaving. Now that the dungeons offer the ability to go back to their worlds, I believe most people would choose thetter."


    Anna and Beatrice didn''t have any attachments to her world, but perhaps thetter was due to her memories being all a mess.


    Licia definitely doesn''t want to go back, and ire is indecisive about it, but she has chosen not to pursue it for now as she''s satisfied with her new life.


    The same could be said for Ellie, and thest one is Mia, who is definitely interested ining back, if only for revenge.


    Due to our rtionship, I can confidently say that most of them wouldn''t want to return, but a problem arises in that I''m willing to offer the same option to anyone who is summoned from now on too.


    I still believe that following me must be their choice, and I don''t n on forcing anyone...


    As such, when summoning them now, no matter if I n on using the first or the second path,bining those, or making use of Elizabeth, I have to give everyone who is summoned a reason to ept living in the kingdom instead of going back to their worlds if I want them to remain in the kingdom


    It might be easy enough for people who don''t have attachments to their world, but if I want to not waste my power, I have to make sure that the kingdom offers as many benefits as possible.


    Mia: "It seems to me like you''ve already decided... You''ve put a lot of thought into it as well... How many people are you thinking?"


    Miwen: "About 5."


    Mia: "That''s... if all of them reached my level... it would be a pretty strong unit..."


    Only if they are all fighters, which might not be the case. But yes, even a salesman at level 60 would be a force to be reckoned with.


    She ended up thinking about it deeply as it concerned her future quite a bit. The amount of people I summoned at a time would also double as the chances of me bringing Melissa back too, so there was a lot for her to consider.


    Of course, seeing the opportunity, I had to mess with her a bit and patted her head while ying with her ears.


    Miwen: "Hello? Earth to Catgirl 1, anyone there?"


    Mia: "Nhn... stop doing that, they are sensitive... and I''m not a cat."


    I had received Licia and Ellie''s request to enter the kingdom, so it was our turn to enter the bath, and I told Mia that we could continue our discussion inside.


    Like Ellie before her, she decided to enter in her underwear, but even that seemed to be a bit too embarrassing for her.


    Mia: "Stop staring... you''re prohibited from looking at me..."


    Miwen: "...It covers pretty much the same as that time at the beach, there isn''t much difference."


    Mia: "Wrong, idiot. And I told you to stop looking."


    Miwen: "...You do know I''m the one who does yourundry, right?"


    Mia: "You''re lying... wasn''t it Licia?"


    Kind of... it''s true that Licia and Ellie help out, especially with collecting since it would be awkward for me to do it. But there''s no one really in charge of doing theundry, one of us just does it before it piles up and then we help with folding when needed.


    Realizing that it was obvious that the people who were always in charge of housework were also in charge of that, Mia''s eyes became teary.


    Mia: "I''ll start cleaning mine at the river from tomorrow on..."


    Miwen: "...I''m getting rid of the river."


    Mia: "I hate you..."


    There''s no escaping now.


    Well, as much as she mightin, I kind of became desensitized to it in a way. Sure, I can tell which clothes belong to whom with just a nce, but when they''re not wearing it, it bes just a piece of cloth, I don''t see as much eroticism in it as I did before.


    Mia ended up choosing a cold bath, the coldest possible actually, and seemed to enjoy seeing me suffer through it. It was her little revenge, but I think it''s also genuinely the temperature she likes as she might be more used to it.


    Since the kingdom has an amicable temperature most of the time, she can only experience cold baths if she waits until nighttime in the kingdom, or if shees to Earth for one.


    Mia: "...So you''re going to be more serious about the whole kingdom thing?"


    Miwen: "...Not quite, but also not entirely wrong. I''ll be looking to turn it into an actual force, but I need to make sure that it''s under my control, or else, things might backfire tremendously."


    Mia: "...Then what will you do?"


    Miwen: "...Currently, the kingdom offers two benefits... security and freedom. Even if a citizen chooses to just live inside without doing anything, I''d give them a house, clothing, and food, and in a way, I wouldn''t even be the one losing out in the situation since they would gain levels and award me kingdom points..."


    Even theziest citizen provides me with a beneficial rtionship just by existing.


    However, I would obviously prefer citizens who actually do some work. Any would be fine, it doesn''t necessarily need to be about fighting since we don''tck power anyway.


    Miwen: "...What I think the kingdomcks to a certain extent is opportunity and luxury... I want to use you guys to set up a few of the opportunities, such as Bea and Elizabeth for teaching magic and you and Ellie for military training...


    Aside from that, I''m thinking of using the quests and the favorable difficulty of monsters to entice people into staying at least a little bit in the kingdom to gain some levels. As for luxury... without an economy, there''s not much we can offer, but I can still set up a few things, mostly food rted..."


    I can set up a few fruit trees, and I can go buy some chickens and cows, the important thing is making ess to food seem rtively simple, and the kingdom stable.


    This way, anyone who had a hard time will see the kingdom as an improvement in their lifestyle.


    It would be great to set up a proper farm, with fields and whatnot, but I would need someone to look after it, which doesn''t really work in the current state as everyone has a job fighting for me.


    Mia: "I see... it''s basic, but it might just be enough... There are certainly a number of people who would be interested in learning magic with Elizabeth. I don''t know about training with me though, I''m not that strong..."


    If we areparing her with Elizabeth, then yes, they are in different leagues, but she''s definitely strong enough to inspire others. She isn''t so far from a high ranker from Earth, and even in her world, while she might''ve not been able to defeat an enemy general, she was pretty close to their level.


    Considering her age, and all that we''ve experienced together, I can say for certain that Mia has a lot of potential, and so, while training with her might not look like too much for now, it will certainly be a life-changing opportunity to learn with her when she bes stronger, be it level-wise or as a result of her developing more her fighting style through her techniques.


    Mia: "Don''t... y with the tail... it''s sensitive..."


    Miwen: "...is your whole body sensitive?"


    Mia: "Less than yours, shall I prove it to you?"


    While I had somewhat nned the development of the kingdom going forward, there was still one factor that I had to take care of before anything else.


    And that was Elizabeth herself.


    Mia: "I''ll keep watching her... but I don''t think you need to worry too much."


    Miwen: "...Just keep reporting your conversations to me, I''ll be the judge of that."


    This ce is too small for two monarchs as it stands. If she wants to rule below me, she''s going to have to wait until the need arises.


    Until then, I''ll make sure she doesn''t get ahead of herself and ends up giving us unnecessary trouble.


    Miwen: "...And as for you..."


    Mia: "...!!"


    She gets caught by surprise by my sudden change in demeanor as I put some strength into my arms and forcefully nt my hand on the wall next to her.


    As I approached her ears slowly, I whispered softly...


    Miwen: "...You can stare at it for as long as you want, but don''t forget our promise.I''ll have you after I finish dealing with Hamperlon, until then, you better put up a better resistance, since I''d be troubled if a yboy snatched you away before then."


    Mia: "...Who is staring, you idiot!? If you are finished, then get out already!"


    While I ended up getting only hate stares from her after that, seeing her so embarrassed under the shower was well worth it.

 Chapter 116: The Lost Settlement

    Today had started like most others, early morning I prepared breakfast for everyone with Licia and Ellie''s help, and after checking on everyone, we went to the dungeon to begin the exploration of the ninth floor.


    Thanks to Elizabeth''s addition, we''ve been able to quickly and safely advance through the dungeon, which left us with more opportunities to look inside some settlements.


    This eventually led us to an abandoned settlement where there were no people around at all. While they had walls set up, due to having no personnel to watch them, monsters had already infiltrated the ce.


    It was a strange sight...


    normally, even Earth''s most abandoned settlements will have a few people scattered around looking for easy kills, and from what I could see, other worlds usually have settlements way more developed than Earth''s as after centuries or millennia, people eventually settle inside the dungeon and even create their own culture, separate from that of the country they originally came from.


    Even calling them settlements at that point is an understatement, they are pretty much cities inside the dungeon, but while rare on the upper floors, they are definitely way moremon than apletely abandoned settlement like this one.


    In size, it was definitely not among the biggest, but it had a few houses and a hotel. alongside a few stores and even a bar. If not for the destruction the monsters caused, it seemed like a prospering ce.


    As far as we theorized, there could have been two exnations. Firstly, a factor inside the dungeon caused their downfall. It''s possible for example that they ended up being overrun by monsters.


    That was a bit unlikely since the monsters around here aren''t extraordinarily strong, most having the [Lord] rank, and a settlement of this size shouldn''t have any problems dealing with hundreds of those.


    This led to the second possibility, that a factor outside of the dungeon was responsible. In this case, it might''ve been dangerous to take a look through their gate but with everyone''s curiosity piqued and Elizabeth being with us, I couldn''t find a reason to not take a peek, after all, I was also interested.


    Everything became incredibly clear once we stepped foot outside of the dungeon.


    Normally, dungeons exist around cities... or well, cities are constructed around dungeons.


    Even though it''s dangerous, having several people close by and ready to tackle a dungeon to prevent it from rampaging is the safest way to deal with it. And as a dungeon provides a variety of different resources depending on the floor you''re on... it just ends up being convenient to be around one if you can guarantee that it won''t rampage.


    This wasn''t the case for this one though... when we left the gate we found ourselves on an open field, south to us there was a forest with gigantic trees that looked like they were trying to defy the sky, in our north and east, two different cities.


    With the dungeon gate right in the middle of these three, we saw a war taking ce.


    The forest itself was attacking the cities, new treesing forth, trying to change the very scenery while a rain of arrows and magic came from it, whoever was doing that, kept perfectly hidden.


    As for the cities, two armies marched against the forest, using a lot of fire magic to push it back.


    A sight that seemed to have excited at least one of us.


    ire: "Please?"


    Miwen: "We are not going to get involved."


    To be fair, even though I wanted nothing to do with it, by the very nature of a battle we ended up involved anyway.


    It''s not like the arrows shot and the magic fired were going to simply avoid us. In a chaotic ce like this, we were as much a target as everything else.


    Well, we did have a good way of defending ourselves though... the multi-barrier that Elizabeth was casting.


    Miwen: "...How many of those can you keep up?"


    Elizabeth: "If I forego casting any other magic... twelve. I don''t believe it''s necessary to do so though, you saw for yourself how strong each one is, right?"


    Yeah... not to mention she can regenerate them and her own body too... I know very well how troublesome this girl can be.


    I''m sure am d to have her on our side though...


    Anna: "...Miwen... isn''t that guy familiar?"


    There was only one discernible figure in the forest, a dumbass who seemed to have broken a perfectly good formation and strategy only to take a look at its results.


    Anna: "...That wouldn''t happen to be the same elf fromst time, right?"


    Miwen: "...Right. You know what, ire? I suddenly had a change of heart."


    ire: "Really?"


    Miwen: "Yep, go nuts."


    For a while now, I feel like this girl has been itching to burn down something extra big. The kingdom''s forest was her primary target, even more so after it was rebuilt thanks to the Merchant and the Demon Queen''s showoff.


    As such, it''spletely eptable to have her select a less problematic target.


    While there was a lot of fire magic being shot at the forest, the moment she finished the longest chant I had ever seen her use, all of the other magic around looked like small matches, their light barelying close to the sun-like fire ball standing above our heads.


    Miwen: "I should''ve brought the sunsses..."


    As soon as that thing was fired, the grass on the ground caught on fire, and when it hit the forest, instead of exploding, it simply kept going, until it had burned arge chunk.


    The forest still stood though, and new trees started sprawling forth with way more speed than before in order to cover all of the elves that got exposed.


    ire: "They are way more resistant than I thought..."


    She''s also less than half the level she was thest time she burned a forest, but it''s clear that the forest itself is also not a normal one. I''m absolutely sure that the attack she just used would have cleared the entire kingdom.


    Elizabeth: "That''s interesting... I wonder how long they can keep going?"


    ire: "I wanna go again. Recharge!"


    ...I really like the strategy the elves were going for. It''s incredibly smart to use the advantageous terrain this way.


    It provides both an immediate threat and ayer of protection. Tiring both mentally and magically the enemies, which should lead to a safe victory, and I''d say it was doing so up to a certain point as these two armies don''t seem to belong to the same country due to their different banners and armor, meaning that they were probably in a coalition against the elves.


    Really, the only problem with their strategy is that the pyromaniacs could take that as a challenge.


    Miwen: "...You have until we finish lunch, after that, we are getting out..."


    As if it was the most normal thing to do, I headed inside the kingdom to grab the food we had prepared earlier, and we had a most joyful pic in the middle of this battlefield while the two kept giving hell to the elves.


    I did get a bit jealous when the two armies started cheering them on and using even stronger magic in a senselesspetition... perhaps all fire mages are proud idiots.


    As we were about to finish with our lunch, ire and Elizabeth stopped their attacks for a while to join in... which allowed me to y a bit too.


    Of course, I focused my efforts on the ce where Anna had seen that elf prior.


    Noticing what I was doing, Ellie hid her face away in sheer shame.


    Miwen: "Recharge!"


    Elizabeth: "Yeah... yeah..."


    Even though I got the same level of fire magic as ire, hers was still a lot stronger, but I also got my share of cheers, so I ended up pretty happy.


    It would''ve been better if I had managed to burn that idiot even if a little bit, but seeing as we didn''t earn any experience here, it''s obvious that we didn''t cause any casualty either.


    I think the reason for that was ire''s first attack. The elves must''ve retreated and taken defensive positions after that one.


    The biggest indication of that was the amount of magic they were using to attack us. It had diminished quite a lot, so much so that Elizabeth had no trouble protecting us at all when in the beginning she had to keep quite a few barriers up, which didn''t allow her to use too much magic to attack.


    A bit before Elizabeth and ire finished, the forest, or the elves inside it, seemed to have reached their limit. Since it wasn''t regenerating anymore, there was no fun to be had, so we headed back to the dungeon.


    ire: "Maybe we shoulde back tomorrow?"


    Miwen: "I''ll think about it if you help with cleaning today."


    Of course, that ended up never happening, but we still decided to make this ce our resting spot every single time during our exploration of the ninth floor. It simply provided the best entertainment, and the thought of that idiot getting burned made me and the other girls quite happy.


    More importantly, today, we managed to get 3 more levels in the dungeon after our raid ended.

 Chapter 117: Renovations

    Inside the kingdom, the Demon Queen and I went for a hunt. The objective was to use her magic to gather as many monsters as possible in a single ce so that I could quickly raise my kill count on all of them.


    We also grabbed as many quests as possible. Sadly, there weren''t any offering status points like the one with the golden bunny.


    Elizabeth: "I think this is all of them..."


    Miwen: "Right, just keep them like that..."


    This was the fifth time we did that in the newly added zone alone, as I had managed to acquire the spawn rights of the second forest patch an hour prior.


    Thankfully, thisst one was enough, and I was able to change my focus to remodeling the kingdom and its facilities.


    I didn''t add any new plots ofnd to the kingdom since they might bring stronger monsters, instead, I made away with the first forest plot and had the wall move further in that direction. I also did the same to the river, keeping the same design, but allowing for more space within the wall.


    I then spent some kingdom points on adding Fruit Trees inside the walls. Truth be told, I wanted to add a second wall to separate the farming areas, but I was going to do that after adding fields as for now there''s no point in doing it since there''s no one to tend to them.


    I mostly chose to go with the fruits I''m already familiar with, such as apples, peaches, and pears. Each mature tree costs me 10 kingdom points, so by adding 15 of each I ended up losing most of what I had earned today. This much was fine though, and I even offered Elizabeth to choose a fruit tree from her world too.


    Elizabeth: "Hm... I''m fond of celestial blood fruits..."


    That''s... certainly a name for a fruit.


    The price was also quite nasty, 80 kingdom points for each mature tree.


    Elizabeth: "Oh? Five at a time... that''s impressive."


    Even though I spent 400 kingdom points, Elizabeth can cover that amount by herself in two days, so it''s not a big loss.


    Miwen: "...These fruits... do they have any special effect?"


    Elizabeth: "Special? I wouldn''t say so... They are not used in any particr good potion as far as I know, but they are pretty sweet when ripe. Particrly, every time I ate one in the morning, I felt much more energetic for the whole day..."


    ...Perhaps it''s just the rich in a bunch of vitamins.


    Either way, while the trees are mature, the fruits are not yet ripe, so it''s not worth testing it for myself right now.


    In the conditions of the kingdom, we might be able to expect a decent harvest at the very least. The good thing about them is that they reliably provide easy ess to food, and whereas 50 trees might not be enough for a big poption, I was also nning on offering the other girls some fruits of their homnd too...


    it''s just that after Elizabeth, I should save a few kingdom points as they might also request something expensive.


    Elizabeth: "Hm... still, it''s hard to survive on fruits. I suppose there''s the rabbits that can be hunted, but is there anything else you''re nning?"


    Miwen: "...Yeah. I''ve been in contact with some farmers here and there... I think we can manage a cow or two by ourselves... maybe some chickens..."


    The hens might be a bit too much, but the cows shouldn''t be too much work. At least not as much as the fields...


    In the end, I really need people who can remain inside the kingdom to take care of these things. The girls already have it rough fighting and training all day, so it wouldn''t be good to ask any more of them.


    Also, if I want to market the kingdom as an easy-life ce, I can''t have the people at the very top overworking themselves so much.


    Elizabeth: "Seems like you had a few ns already. Perhaps my advice was unnecessary?"


    Miwen: "Drop the act. You''re my assistant, feel free to say whatever you''re thinking. If it''s helpful I''ll put it to use. You don''t need to worry about it."


    Elizabeth: "...Of course, Your Majesty."


    By professing that some of her advice might be unnecessary, she creates an excuse to keep to herself some things whenever she feels like it.


    I hope I''m not making a mistake by ordering her to tell me what she''s thinking without reservations...


    I really hate dealing with smart people, it feels like whatever I do, some way or another I''ll end up losing.


    Well, no matter, at least for now, she''s bound by the Merchant''s will.


    Miwen: "I''ll also need your help with a magic barrier... I want to prevent the monsters underground from reaching the surface. It would also be good if you could add one for the wall."


    This way, it would feel safer to add more plots to the kingdom as even if stronger monsters spawned, we would be safe.


    Elizabeth: "Hm... I doubt that I can connect my magic to this dimension when I''m outside it. If you want it tost, we''ll have to draw a magic circle with some forms and formations and it would also be necessary to acquire some mana containers to store some mana. This way, I just need to charge them periodically, and even without me around, the barriers shouldst."


    With Beatrice''s help, drawing the circles was easy as we didn''t need aplex barrier to begin with. The problem was the containers for mana. We ended up using a few items that wereying around for now, but we would change them for mana orbs and monster cores acquired in the dungeon as they have way better capacity ording to Elizabeth.


    Elizabeth: "...Licia and Mia seem to have finished... I think it''s our turn now..."


    Same as the girls before, I headed out inside our home to have a bath with Elizabeth. I didn''t really want to have one with her so soon since it felt like it would be too awkward, but she already had one with Mia and Bea, and as the next in line when ites to people she has the most contact with, I didn''t really have a choice.


    Miwen: "...You''re going to enter like that?"


    Elizabeth: "Is there a problem?"


    Everyone had entered in their underwear, so I thought it would be the same for her.


    But I overestimated the sense of shame of a demon. She went insidepletely naked as if it was the most natural thing to do.


    When I offered her clothes, she chose a few sets that were either military-like or office-like, which indicated to me that she was quite the serious type. Her actions and words have all aligned with that too, but this... understanding her seems to be a bit tough.


    Miwen: "...Well, yes? You should be careful or else, someone might take advantage of you."


    On a scale from cute to hot, her body is definitely cute. Her hips were a bit bigger than Ellie''s, and her breasts a bit more round too, which might make her just a size or two bigger.


    it''s not evenparable with some of the other girls inhabiting the house. She has the same petite build that Ellie does, even Anna who is not really big in any aspect overshadows them with a good margin.


    But she''s still undeniably pretty, and that is usually enough.


    Miwen: "Also, aren''t you part of Mia''s anti-yboy camp? She''ll feel betrayed you know?"


    Elizabeth: "...Ah, I see... how should I say this... Perhaps... drop the act? It''s clear you wouldn''t try anything without my permission."


    Obviously. But still, provoking a man like that can be dangerous.


    Miwen: "...Huh... well, I''m d you trust me that much, but men can be beasts you know? If you unt around them too much they might lose themselves to desire, and end up doing something they wouldn''t normally do."


    Elizabeth: "Certainly. But if that were to happen, it would have first urred with the wolf girl, would it not? You have more affection toward her after all."


    So Mia talks to her even about such things... their rtionship seems to have been progressing quite well.


    Well, she''s right that I won''t really try anything. If I were looking for sex I have plenty of alternatives to satisfy that desire.


    I suppose there are less than a dozen people who can pose a challenge to her on Earth, so there was no point arguing about others too...


    As such, I ended up epting it and entered the bath with her.


    She seemed to be expecting me to do something, but I just cleaned myself and was about to head out when she grabbed my arm.


    Elizabeth: "Isn''t it more effective to wash each other''s back? I can''t reach the extremities of my wings."


    Eh? I remember giving this excuse to y with Ellie and Mia, but is there any truth to it?


    ... It was true that her wing span was a bit bigger than her arms... seeing her struggle with it, I decided to offer a hand at least in that regard.


    Elizabeth: "...What you did today, against the elves... I couldn''t help but notice that you and the redhead both made your magic slower... was it in order to not kill anyone?"


    Miwen: "Not quite. Without knowing the circumstances of the war, I didn''t want to have too much impact. There was just one person that I wanted killed, but we never managed to get him."


    Elizabeth: "...You''re lying... No, that''s... half the truth. It''s fine to tell me more. I promise not to share, and of course, I won''t judge either, I''m a Devil after all."


    ... I don''t think I can trust Elizabeth that much.


    But this might be a good test of her loyalty. Let''s see how much this spreads and what she does with the information.


    Miwen: "I was interested in the power behind the forest''s regeneration. It could even go toe to toe with you and ire. As such, I wanted to make our presence and power known, but I didn''t want to aggravate them too much, so I thought that killing one of them might be a bit a step too far."


    Elizabeth: "... Is there something you want from them?"


    Miwen: "Yes. If there''s someone capable of doing that much with an entire forest. I''d like them to tend the fields for me."


    Elizabeth: "I see, so... wait, is that it? You want to use that power for farming?"


    Miwen: "....? Yeah, it would be a big boost to the kingdom."


    We talked a bit more after that, but Elizabeth left the bath quite confused, which I thought was well-deserved since it was the same feeling I had when I entered it with her.


    Still, since I had decided to check on that ce a few more times, I was eager to see what Elizabeth would do, and in what direction she was trying to take us.

 Chapter 118: Fighting The Forest

    [Gacha Kingdom Building] possesses many different attributes to it, one such is the [Desires], on the same tab as the [Loyalty] menu.


    Together, they should make a strongbo that allows me to know details on how to provide the best possible environment for the citizens living inside my kingdom.


    In practice, however, it''s not that simple.


    A good example of how both these aspects can fail is Beatrice.


    Her loyalty always appeared high, as much as Anna and Ellie''s and I''m sure she would defend me and the kingdom with her life if need be. But that loyalty was a result of the kingdom and I providing her with conditions for her research and lifestyle that she would not find anywhere else.


    [Knowledge] was always her greatest desire, and that was the only thing the kingdom would show in the [Desires] tab, aside from a few moments where it would change to everyday things such as food or rest.


    Thus, her loyalty existed due to the benefits she gained by maintaining herself as a citizen and having a close rtionship with me. Which led to her feeling like she had to hold on to this acquired position. And in her mind, by watching me and analyzing my behavior, she decided that one path she could take to secure her position was to make me addicted to her.


    Of course, she miscalcted tremendously, but the point still stands that a [Citizen] who is both loyal and doesn''t have any desire to inflict harm against the kingdom, can still plot against me to a certain extent.


    Those two are more useful as a metric of how satisfied the citizens are than how much they are under control... when the poption increases, I have to make sure to remember that.


    While still on the topic, Elizabeth offers a simr challenge. When I look at her [Desires] tab, it shows that she wants [Prosperity]. The word alone leaves open a lot of possibilities, but the kingdom also doesn''t specify where that prosperity is directed.


    It might be that she desires to acquire a higher position, above the other girls, thus, prosperity to herself.


    It might be a desire to see the kingdom grow and be stronger. It''s also possible that it is directed to me, as king and man, or at a third party, perhaps, she wishes well for the Caravan and its members.


    In the end, it is hard for me to determine exactly what her desire is due to theck of a description.


    It doesn''t help that her [Loyalty] is not as great as Beatrice''s either. It is not in a bad spot, but it''s definitely not safe either, dangerously close to the middle.


    In this state, I can''t help but be more cautious when dealing with her.


    Miwen: "Hm... the forest seems a bit closer than before."


    Elizabeth: "I think the trees are absorbing residual mana from the air and the ground. It''s how they were able to keep up with mest time."


    Miwen: "But they eventually ran out."


    Elizabeth: "Yes. I don''t leave too much residual mana myself, so they could only replenish with what was already on the battlefield. Surprisingly, the redhead is also not so wasteful. Well, in her case, is almost like the mana desires to be fuel for her mes, but intentionally or not, the result is the same."


    There are hundreds of soldiers in the field alone, and quite a few more in the cities'' walls. I''m assuming they also rotate in and out since they are not yet in siege distance, or at least, both cities have yet to show signs of damage.


    With this many people, there must have been quite a lot of residual mana for the elves to draw from, but it''s obviously not close to the amount Elizabeth can use.


    Forget about just the residuals, even if this forest was draining everyone''s mana pool, it wouldn''t even count as a fraction of Elizabeth''s.


    I don''t know how to feel about my little demon yet, but I feel sorry for the elves. I can sympathize with how unfair it feels to fight against a mana pool that never ends.


    Still, their hate right now was probably directed more at ire than her, as she was the one responsible for controlling the forest while we had our lunch.


    This time, I made sure to define our objectives/excuses for being here. It''s basically the same as I told Elizabeth before. I want to make our presence and power known, and I also want to make the forest retreat to the starting line it had yesterday.


    I''m nning on using this to create a stalemate narrative.


    This way, it''s possible that both sides will give up on the war, and I might have a better chance of acquiring whoever is behind this for myself as they might lose their value without an ongoing war.


    The second possibility is that the elves decide to keep going either way. In this case, I can then present us as the biggest obstacle in their way. After we be enough of an annoyance, I can just offer Elizabeth''s services in exchange for their trump card.


    I''m almost sure that she is much more effective, and can probably end both cities in a day.


    It''s probably a good deal for them as they would achieve whatever objective it is that they have without even risking their lives in battle anymore.


    The bargaining chip that I''m going for requires the current method they are using to be proven ineffective, and then, I just need to give them a good alternative in exchange for acquiring their "useless" asset.


    Though the elves don''t really matter to me. Frankly, I couldn''t care less about them except for that one I really want dead.


    Whichever way the negotiations with them go, my kingdom will not be losing anything either way. I''m only interested in Elizabeth''s behavior during all of this.


    Whoever is responsible for the forest advancing, might be able to bring the [Prosperity] she seems to desire.


    it would enable the kingdom to support a bigger poption, which might enable her to regain a position of powerIt would also give me a new subordinate, strengthening me as the king.


    What will Elizabeth do to satiate her desire? How far is she willing to go? Will she try to take charge, or will she follow me?


    This situation presents a good test scenario to see what actions and decisions I can expect from Elizabeth and where her desire might truly lie.


    Miwen: "Oh yeah, I ended up so distracted by your naked body and our ying around in the bath yesterday that I ended up forgetting to ask, but how did you acquire your [Mark Of The Demon Lord] skill Elizabeth?"


    Elizabeth: "...Did you really have to say all of that...Oh, I see... it was on purpose... It''s no wonder Mia hates you..."


    That''s what you get for ying with fire. It doesn''t matter if you have a low sense of shame, I just have to make the situation drastically more shameful. bashful


    I hope this is enough for her to learn her lesson and be more cautious and conscious around men.


    Elizabeth: "...I suppose you still require an answer, yes? Let''s see... I obtained it either after my father''s death or upon bing ruler of my nation. I don''t remember exactly since it''s been so long..."


    Miwen: "Hm... Mia has a simr skill... but I can''t acquire either of yours. It''s not normal for my Gift to restrain me like this, so I was wondering about it."


    Elizabeth: "I''m sorry, I don''t know the precise requirements for acquiring it, it just became avable for me one day... It''s obvious that it''s intended for those who rule or have the potential to rule over a group from a determined race, but that''s about all I know."


    It''s about what I expect from it too, but Mia is a bit of a wrench in this theory.


    She didn''t be the ruler of her people, and even though Melissa believed her to be capable of acquiring it, she never did until I transferred the skill to her using my Gift.


    If I take these two samples, the only thing inmon between them might be the faith that others had put in them.


    Elizabeth''s is very obvious, as the daughter of the previous Demon King, she was a prodigy with an unbelievably strong Gift, so she quickly became the hope of her kind.


    I can fit Mia under the same logic if I make certain assumptions about her case. While this is not ideal, I believe the assumptions themselves are not so farfetched.


    I didn''t get too much information on the feelings of the members of the Snow White Wolves, but I think it''s safe to assume that, as Melissa was being pushed back, faith in her began to waver and decline.


    As such, there''s a strong possibility that as the next in line and the best candidate, their expectations might have started to shift toward Mia as the symbol of hope for the next generation of her tribe.


    It''s hard to determine anything with just two samples, as a lot of the simrities between them might just be coincidence, but for now, this is the best I cane up with to make sense of both of them.


    However, as they are technically different skills, there''s the small possibility that their requirements are also different, but I''m a bit doubtful about that as they seem to have the same effects.


    Speaking about ying with fire though...


    ire: "...Listen to the cries of Abdure! Let the mes that rejoiced in freedom be my wings as I embody hisst armor! Annihte them all, fiery angels!"


    That one is new... wings of fire started to form around her body, together with aplete fire armor. The vivid colors looked straight out of a painting. Her figure was nowhere to be seen anymore as the armor enveloped herpletely.


    It was incredibly intricate, but she didn''t use it the way I thought she would.


    As soon as she had finished... this unexpectedly became a bombardment. The winged armor of fire left her body, only for a new one to form around and also fly in the direction she was aiming.


    After the first one, the others came in quick session, and about twenty of those wereunched in what felt like less than five minutes.


    Anna: "...The sunsses were a good idea."


    Miwen: "Right?"


    I at least came prepared this time.


    Elizabeth: "...Abdure... familiar name... I think the Caravan''s musician fought against him..."


    Miwen: "...And who won?"


    Elizabeth: "Abdure did. But then Pris arrived and he fled. At least it''s how I remember the story goes, but the one who told me about it was none other than the Merchant, so..."


    So it is pretty much a 50/50 whether it happened or not. And it''s further up in the air if it went as he told her in case it truly happened.


    More importantly, the forest suffered tremendously from ire''sst attack. I made sure to tell her to give the elves time to get away, but she''s pushing that to its limit. I think the cheers she''s receiving are getting over her head.


    Miwen: "Did the wings and the armor need to be so detailed though?"


    ire: "The coolness makes the magic stronger."


    Miwen: "Pfft, no it doesn''t-"


    Bea: "It does..."


    Elizabeth: "Absolutely."


    Licia: "It''s really important Miwen."


    Et tu?


    I think this is just a joke, but the best mages in our party were all in agreement about it, so I''m notpletely sure.


    The only ones who didn''tment on it were Ellie, Anna, and Mia. And while the three seemed confused, I know for sure that Mia would take any chance to gang up on me, so I think only Anna and Ellie are on my side in this one.


    As such, it was best not to engage since I would definitely lose a discussion with them.


    Miwen: "Oh yeah, gather around. I''m going to share some skills with you all. I recently asked ire to use her Gift to enhance [Pursuit Of Knowledge] and [Angels'' Blessing]. They are level 15 and 10 respectively, so it will be a good boost for us."


    These two passive skills directly affect the status, and [Pursuit Of Knowledge] not only increases the mana pool of everyone who has it but also the strength of the magic.


    With Elizabeth around, I can grab her levels in [Fire Magic] and have ire save some points for lessmon skills, then, I simply make up for her by either acquiring [Fire Magic] and [Magic Control] levels on the Gacha, or straight sharing Elizabeth''s.


    While I could exchange 100 out of the 107 tickets I had stored for an umon one, I didn''t want to waste the opportunity to use more than a hundred tickets at a time. It felt like a bit of a milestone to me.


    I was also going to acquire at least 57 today thanks to the level-ups anyway, so it was fine to use the stored ones like this, and the result was actually pretty nice...


    [Ice Veil] x6, [Increased Climbing Proficiency] x6, [Voice Of Command] x6, [Enhanced Drop Chance] x5, [Culinary Arts] x5, [Eagle Eye] x5, [Fire Magic] x5, [Ice Magic] x4, [Stealth Strike] x4, [Swordsmanship] x4, [Last Man Standing] x3, [Faster tree climbing] x3, [Greater Might] x3, [X sh] x2, [Reading speed up] x2, [Better Crafting] x2, [Mana control] x2.


    [Improved Artistic Skill] x2, [Focused Breathing] x2, [Better Mana Regeneration] x2, [Mana Shield] x2, [Angels'' Blessing]x1, [Spiritual Communication] x1, [Block Analysis] x1, [Focused Strike] x1, [Wind Magic] x1, [Earth Magic] x1, [Light Magic Resistance] x1, [Heat resistance] x1, [Sight Enhancement] x1.


    As for new skills: [Weather Forecast] x7, [Master of Disguise] x3, [Axe Mastery] x3, [Shield Arts] x2, [Dark Magic] x2, [Increased Riding Proficiency] x2, [Scent Tracker], [Longsword Arts], [Curse Resistance], [Poison Resistance].


    The [Fire Magic] I acquired from the Gacha was not enough to match the amount of levels ire could have put in it, so I gave her a few of Elizabeth''s to make up for it.


    It didn''t look like she minded having her skills shared around too much, but she did make ask for something in exchange.


    Elizabeth: "Can you have your bird make a temporary contract with me too? It''s annoying that I cannot see him."


    She''s the only girl that Apollo has not approached at all. He was probably still traumatized after our battle since he''s such a coward.


    Miwen: "I''ll try convincing him."


    The little guy acted as if he was gonna die by entering a contract with her, and resisted with all his strength.


    Which amounts to almost zero, so after I forced him to get close to her a bunch of times, he eventually conceded and epted a temporary contract with her.


    Surprisingly, Elizabeth seemed overjoyed.


    Now that I think about it, I didn''t see any spirits with the Merchantst time he showed up, so perhaps they dislike her to the point of not even getting near.


    As for our little friends in the forest... They had a very funny idea. Instead of having the forest act as a frontline, they focused it as a spearhead,ing in our direction.


    Elizabeth: "...Foolish, it will bear the same result."


    She was already preparing a few fireballs but I had to interrupt her.


    Miwen: "Wait a bit..."


    After a few minutes, the forest had reached and surrounded us. We couldn''t see outside of it at all, but since we hadn''t moved far, I at least knew we were close to the dungeon gate.


    Miwen: "Mia, do you sense anyone around?"


    Mia: "No... there''s no smell or sound..."


    Miwen: "Ellie?"


    Ellie: "I''m seeing no movements either..."


    The two of them are impressive when ites to detection. Even if someone had a Gift for stealth chances are they could still catch them.


    Miwen: "We are being tested... or provoked. In which case, it''s fine. You guys can do your thing."


    It was either an attempt to scare us or to confirm our abilities. We could deal with it quite easily though, and no matter how many times the trees tried to regenerate themselves, the fire from our mages kepting, so it eventually gave up, and we burned the trees down until they reached the ce we had left it at yesterday.


    As for the broader battlefield, without the cover and with a greater distance, the elves stopped firing their arrows against us and the armies, which allowed some soldiers to approach us.


    They recognized that we were the same guys from thest time and invited our party to a tavern to thank us for the help.


    Sadly, I ended up refusing since it would probably take the entire afternoon, and maybe even the night.


    However, I did ask to hear about what was going on here in return. It might be useful to know the circumstances when ites the time to negotiate with the people of the forest.


    1st Knight Commander: "...Long ago, there was a rampage in this gate that ended up destroying the kingdom it belonged to... After it was driven back and thend cleaned, our tree kingdoms divided the territory and took shared responsibility for the dungeon."


    2nd Knight Commander: "The problem is that this gate offers some valuable resources on a few floors, so the elves have decided to takeplete control over it. The pact stated that their territory would only go as far as their forest... so they decided to expand it. This was obviously a vition, and so..."


    And so the fight started. They probably want to encircle the dungeon with their forest, monopolizing the resources avable in it...


    This would also exin why elves with a higher level were scouting a noble on lower floors, they were just getting a look for themselves on the resources of the dungeon.


    Well, I''ll need to hear their side too to form an opinion, as this might just be propaganda or an entirely made-up story. Still, at the very least, it makes for aprehensive motivation.


    After the woods stopped ying with us, there wasn''t much more to do since we finished our lunch too, so I gave my farewells to themanders of the two armies and told them that we woulde back to check for a few days, and then, we headed back home.


    Today was Anna''s turn in the bath, and she was looking forward to it quite a lot as she made me join her as soon as we got home, without even giving me the chance to check on the kingdom.


    Once inside her, we ended up wasting a lot of time in the bath, but it was pretty fun to take care of my high-maintenance girl.

 Chapter 119: Bathing With Anna (R18)

    - This chapter contains descriptive sexual content, please, be advised and proceed with caution -


    Ever since I came up with the idea of pairing up for the baths, Anna has been the most excited about it, and her intentions were always clear as day.


    I thought that she wouldn''t want to waste any time, but when we entered, she actually didn''te at me with full force right off the bat.


    While she did enter the bath naked, she started talking with me about a few things that had been going on in her mind.


    This action caught me by surprise since Anna rarelyined about anything, so I took this seriously and listened to her.


    She has been facing a problem that I wasn''t expecting.


    From the start, it''s been obvious that Anna isn''t as strong as Licia or ire, or even Mia technique-wise.


    She''s also not as confident in her own Gift.


    This is due to her dying without achieving much in her life.


    But another effect that this had, is that she didn''t actually gain many levels. Right now, she''s actually much stronger than she used to be at her peak in her past life.


    She can focus all her level-up points on status since I can cover her skills, so even if she were at the same level, she would still be stronger than she was back then. And there''s also all the training she keeps on doing, which has improved her fighting abilities to a certain extent.


    But this has led to a problem, the very opposite of what Licia and ire experience.


    Her body is now way stronger than what she has been used to, and since we have been speeding through levels, she feels like she''s losing control over it little by little.


    Anna: "...so, what do you think?"


    It''s a difficult problem to tackle... the best way would be for her to be used to it, so, training and fighting. But she''s already doing those so...


    ...Perhaps I''m looking at this the wrong way.


    At least for me, I know for sure I''m way stronger than I ever was, to a superhuman level even since we''re approaching high-ranker territory now.


    Yet, I never had this problem.


    This should indicate that it''s not really a problem with her body, but more so a problem with her mind.


    Miwen: "...This is just a guess but... are you worried about messing up?"


    Anna: "...! W-well, yeah... Outside of boss battles, we rarely find ourselves in open areas inside the dungeon, and with the sword you gave me it''s hard to fight in small, tight corridors, so..."


    Not only is the sword long, but its effects can also be a hindrance to us... I thought it was a good item to make use of her stalling potential and role as a tank, but it is probably the hardest item to use in our party outside of a bow.


    I should consider looking for an alternative weapon for her, but it would also be good to get rid of her insecurity.


    I mean... while she is still notpletely on par with some of the others, she puts as much effort as them, so it should be only a matter of time before their difference bes negligible or disappearspletely.


    Even if that doesn''t happen, she already performs well, so I want her to get over this as much as possible.


    Miwen: "Hm... but nothing bad has ever happened though?"


    Her worries are somewhat justified but... she has shown good control over it, to the point where it has never been a problem.


    She seems to have the situation under control, so I should just reassure her a bit.


    Miwen: "...I hate to say this but... maybe you should try imitating ire a bit..."


    Anna: "What do you mean?"


    I can already see this disrupting us for a while... but thinking about the future, it''s good to see this resolved as early as possible before it bes an actual problem.


    Miwen: "You can just let loose sometimes, I''ll cover for you."


    Anna: "But won''t that be a problem?"


    Miwen: "It will be hard for you to control your strength all the time if you don''t know its upper limit. When you lose your control it might be much more than what you were expecting, and when the timees for you to use it, you might not be able to. So, just give me the word, be it in the kingdom or in the dungeon. I''ll make sure things go smoothly for you."


    Perhaps this is part of the reason why Mia and ire are always unnecessarily going all out. By exercising their full power, they get a better understanding of their abilities, and it helps them control it better when needed.


    Anna''s Gift is also way more powerful than she gives it credit, so like them, she might need to test more with it.


    Anna: "I''ll take you up on that offer then...Thanks..."


    Miwen: "It''s fine, helping out a cute girl is more of a privilege."


    Licia and ire always tell me about minor problems that the girlsment on and think about together in order to solve, which makes me feel a bit useless in that department sometimes. Thus, I was happy that she came to consult with me and that I could be useful to her, even if only a little.


    Anna: "That so? Then... can you help me a little bit with this too?"


    She used one hand to support herself against the wall, spread her legs, and used the other hand to open her pussy.


    Straight to the point huh...


    Well, it was pretty obvious that something like this was going to happen from the moment we stepped foot inside, so I was ready myself.


    Just to be sure, I checked how wet she was inside with two fingers, but it only showed me that there was no need for long forey.


    Anna: "Nnh... I can''t wait... Stick it in."


    So needy...


    But I quite liked the look in her eyes as she begged me for it.


    I think Anna might be the person who enjoys sex with me the most in the entire kingdom. Licia and ire like both the act and the intimacy of it, but Anna seems to revel in the pleasure.


    Not that I dislike it in any way though... if anything, due to her eagerness, she''s bing quite good when ites to it.


    Anna: "Ahh... It fills me up sho good..."


    The way she squeezes me, the words that leave her mouth, and even the expressions on her face... all of them show a girl who doesn''t want to live without my cock anymore, and it brings me utmost pleasure just to think about fucking her so hard that she can''t think about anything else anymore.


    In that regard, she and Licia are the only ones who can keep mepany until I''mpletely satisfied.


    While enthusiastic, like Ellie, ire doesn''tst too long. Bea might have the potential, but I need to train her a little bit more to be sure about it.


    Anna: "Unh... harder..."


    Another thing they have inmon is that I can move without a care in the world inside them. It doesn''t matter if I''m feeling like doing slow, couple-like sex, or if I want to give them a good pounding, they always take it all with a smile.


    Though, Anna certainly has a preference for thetter, to which I''m more than happy to oblige.


    Miwen: "Still... you''ve be quite addicted to it..."


    Anna: "Hn... of course... nh... Ahn... it feels too good... I don''t want to give up on it..."


    Hearing her admit it made my cock swell inside her, prompting her to moan louder.


    Miwen: "I''m gonnae. Are you taking the pills I gave you?"


    Anna: "...Y-yeah."


    Miwen: "Inside it is then."


    I don''t feel like bing a father so soon, so the girls have been on the pill. I could just use a condom but when I tried it, all I could think was how much better doing it raw felt.


    The girls also have their own way of blocking pregnancy using magic, such as controlling their internal temperatures, but most of the time they forget it due to cumming their brains out. It''s just incredibly unreliable whenpared to what Earth can offer.


    However, I should also stoping inside them so much...


    Anna: "...so warm... I want more..."


    Withments like this, it''s basically impossible to hold back though.


    Miwen: "Just one more, alright? We can''t be here for eternity."


    Anna: "Ahhn... I just... want toe a bit more... it won''t take long..."


    Even though she said that, we must''ve wasted more than an hour inside the bath as she always wanted just one more... It was a shame that our time was so limited, but we ended up making the most of it.

 Chapter 120: Under Watch (R18)

    - While not its focus, this chapter contains descriptive sexual content in the ending scene, please, be advised and proceed with caution -


    Our raids in the dungeon have been going well. Ellie seems to have made peace with what happened between us and is now back to hitting her targets reliably.


    Elizabeth is limating to her role as our battery... I mean, support. There''s room for improvement in there since she''s still unable to makeplete use of her abilities in this role, but she''s been doing fine for the most part, and she takes a lot of care to not harm our efforts.


    Maybe it was the sight of someone as strong as Elizabeth struggling that made Anna realize there was no problem in asking me for help with her problem to handle her own strength.


    I hope my advice helps her too, but as far as I can tell, she only needs a change of perspective and some chances to get used to her strength instead of always controlling it all the time.


    Since we have Elizabeth with us and she works as well as any mana recovery potions, we are unafraid of going to the deepest parts of the floor, where most encounters require us to do our best without sparing anything. If our mana seems close to running out, we just get a recharge, and as for energy, we can always stop for a while to recover it.


    But there are a few risks in doing so... even though the strength of the monsters was somewhat predictable thanks to our understanding of the path we were on, we can never be sure about their number, and with the dungeon being incredibly interconnected, it''s easy for us to end up surrounded on all sides.


    Once a situation like this urs, we usually divide the frontline or have one of our mages clear a path for us. However, this time Anna decided to take on all opponents on our back by herself.


    I was a bit doubtful of the results since their numbers were close to a dozen, and their levels were higher than hers, so I secretly asked Elizabeth to cast a barrier on her, just in case.


    But in the end, there was no need for that...


    Fighting one or multiple opponents at once was hardly a problem for her when they all had close to the same strength.


    When they shed, she made quick work of them. It was incredibly overpowering, and it made for a surreal sight when a bunch of monsters fell to the ground, looking up at her.


    Her actions left the girls puzzled. It was no surprise that this would happen though, she has been holding back quite a bit for a while now, so even she probably didn''t know that her power went that far.


    Ellie: "This could have been a good chance for them, but they haven''t moved..."


    Miwen: "Anyone new?"


    Ellie: "No... just five still..."


    Ever since we passed by the settlement where the gate that leads to the forest resides, Mia, Ellie, and I noticed a group following us. We made sure to pass the word around without raising a fuss, and we''ve been exploring while keeping in mind that their group might attack us.


    It was quite irritating since we had to leave at least one person idle to intercept them every time... I didn''t think they would actually attack us without numerical advantage, but just to be sure, I told the girls to not hold back. This should prevent any rogue wannabe hero from doing something reckless.


    It would also give them exactly what I believe they wereing here for... Information. As long as they felt like they were getting enough, the chances of them doing something dangerous should fall drastically.


    What''s more, showing off a bit of our power here should leave us in a better position for negotiationster, and would give us more credibility when we propose that we do what they are currently failing to do.


    The fact that Anna is now showing that, not only our mages, but our frontline is also incredibly capable is just a happy coincidence on top of it all, so I hope they ry this information well.


    Miwen: "I think we did enough for now... shall we go for lunch? We might even have some new friends joining us."


    ire: "That''s quite optimistic... somehow, I doubt it..."


    I see no reason why they wouldn''t want to get along... If they just look past the self-proimed evil witch, the literal demoness, the pyromaniac destroying their forest, and the girl easily overpowering dozens of monsters alone, they would see that we''re a very friendly bunch.


    To invite them for our pic, I headed their way, but they somewhat betrayed my expectations as instead, they decided to retreat and then quickly returned to their world.


    Perhaps the fact that we were taking the exact same path as they did to follow us, without any deviation, scared them a bit... I can understand why they might''ve thought this was a provocation, but to be fair, between soon-to-be friends, this would only count as a yful prank.


    Miwen: "Did you memorize their scent?"


    Mia: "Yeah."


    See? If they were serious about running away from us, they would try a bit harder to hide their tracks. This sloppy job could only mean that they wanted us to identify themter.


    A clear indication that they wanted to meet again.


    The only other alternative would be that their team of spies isn''t that good, but a nation confronting others on their border would surely be ready for war and possess highly-trained teams...


    Unless they aren''t as prepared for war as they seem.


    Licia: "Hm... but aren''t they at war already?"


    Miwen: "...that''s debatable. Right now, they are only having skirmishes on their border."


    Licia: "But they told us yesterday that the elves vited the treaty..."


    Elizabeth: "While that might be true, it doesn''t paint the full picture. Elves live for a long time, and when making these kinds of treaties, they love to use vaguenguage so that they can then twist in their favor when dealing with generations that weren''t there to debate it... Isn''t that right, miss?"


    Ellie: "U-um... I guess?"


    One of the advantages of living for so long... With enough time, the reasons and the context for a document might start fading or changing. Normally, you can fill the gaps with somemon sense, or update it every now and then to best reflect the current circumstances, but it''s an active job, and it''s impossible to predict every single problem that poornguage can have in every single document.


    With all the time in their hands, it''s just a matter of finding a good opportunity to exploit the ws that are bound to go unnoticed or forgotten.


    Thanks to Ellie''s words and the way I see her, somehow I ended up picturing all the elves as a way more victimized race in my head than they actually are. I don''t doubt Ellie for a minute, but this situation is making it clear that they are more than capable of fighting back.


    I suppose this is true for everyone though...


    Miwen: "If their treaty specified something dumb like the elven territory only going as far as the forest... then they only need to make the forest bigger. They aren''t technically infringing on anything and they can im that they just defended their territory. Hell, they might even be able to stand on a moral high ground built on sheer bullshit."


    Elizabeth: "Not to mention, if they manage to surround the cities, they can cut their trade routes and effectively put them under siege without firing a single shot at the cities. When ites to peace talks, they just have to offer the cities back under the guarantee that the dungeon gate will remain within the forest."


    Correct... they would essentially over-acquire territory to ensure that the deal they wanted from the beginning seems like a good, reasonable option. They might also only deal with one of the nations, essentially forcing the other to concede right after...


    It''s not without its ws though... right now, they must be banking on this not escting into aplete war. Probably the reason why they aren''ting out of the woods to fight either... if no soldier can be identified, they can just excuse it as the people living on the border defending it by themselves.


    While they might be able to argue their case with other countries, it would be naive to expect that other leaders won''t see through this facade. Then again, with the armies of two countries struggling against them, it might just make for a good opportunity for well-meaning neighbors to interfere.


    Ellie: "...You are scary..."


    Miwen: "Elizabeth, you''re scaring my citizens."


    Elizabeth: "I''m very sorry, Your Majesty. I shall reflect on my behavior."


    Ellie: "...I meant you too..."


    While she was suffering from all the bullying going on against her on our part, Ellie didn''t fail to notice the small shakeing from the trees.


    In advance, she told us that something was about toe, and Beatrice confirmed it was a proper spell by analyzing the flow of mana. The target was our group, and the size and power were way more than anything they had done previously.


    Since the forest had not advanced at all, it was probable that they stored a lot of mana with this asion in mind.


    Hardly a second after we prepared ourselves, the trees came focused solely on our direction, ignoring the rest of the ins, as if a raging wave, consuming and changing the scenery in its way.


    Once they hit the Demon Queen''s barrier, they continued in their path, surrounding uspletely in a few seconds, showing a level that we hadn''t seen before.


    With their encirclementpleted, the woods continued hitting the barrier from the front, but they also started to attack from all sides, to the point where I even started worrying if Elizabeth was capable of handling it.


    Miwen: "Will your barrierst?"


    Elizabeth: "It will break. I have a few others set up, but if it''s a continuous attack, they might get me in the downtime between creating and deploying barriers."


    Miwen: "...I see. ire. Give her some breathing room."


    Upon hearing my words, she sank her sword into the ground and a second dome, one made of mes surrounded Elizabeth''s barrier.


    Then, the mes starteding down, concentrating into a ring...


    ire slowly expanded this ring and pirs of fire erupted every time she did it. They towered over the trees and looked like they wanted to attack the sky itself. Using this magic, she managed to push back the trees and prevented them from reaching Elizabeth''s barrier, giving her ample time to redeploy new ones.


    If we wanted to, we could even advance if need be, but eventually, the forest stopped fighting against ire''s magic, and under my orders, she also stopped her fire ring.


    Mia: "50 men in front of us... a few familiar ones."


    Miwen: "...That''s tough...I didn''t prepare enough sandwiches for everyone..."


    And ire doubted they would join us for lunch...


    Perhaps thinking our carefree attitude was just amateurism, they took the opportunity to surround us and a hail of arrows and magic came in our direction.


    Even while recharging ire, this wasn''t a big deal for Elizabeth to handle. Their numbers were a bit of a threat, but I knew she could take them on by herself if she really wanted to.


    The problem is that I don''t want to hurt them for now...


    It was a good opportunity to see how Elizabeth would behave though, so I purposefully refrained from giving anymands.


    The girls were a bit confused, but in the end, Elizabeth didn''t take action by herself and just maintained the barrier, so I took charge of our next steps.


    Miwen: "...Bea, you''re able to see them, right? Can you fix their feet on the ground for a while?"


    Bea: "They are spending quite a lot of mana... I believe it''s doable."


    By surrounding us with the forest, they hadpletely hidden us from everything else. I was hoping that they would have this chance toe and talk, or at least ask us a few questions, but their attacks didn''t show any intention of that, so perhaps they needed some more incentives.


    Without being able tounch any strong spells and with Bea having a portable recharger, these guys became unable to break free from the earth binding them, and a bit of desperation started to take hold of their hearts.


    This feeling was only strengthened after she forcefully brought all of them close to Elizabeth''s barrier and ire received the go-ahead to burn down every tree surrounding us.


    Now, they couldn''t hide anywhere else. So, in this hopeless situation, I decided to instill a bit more fear into them.


    It won''t be good for me if they don''t take the threat we represent seriously enough.


    Miwen: "Not so tough out in the open, huh?"


    Knowing very well what fate awaited them now that they had been essentially captured by enemies they tried so hard to attack, it became incredibly hard for them to hide their anxiety and nervousness.


    Still, upon hearing my words, the man in front of me immediately spit in my face. It was met by Elizabeth''s barrier anyway, but I did respect the courage.


    Elven Soldier: "You''re one to talk. Come out so we can teach you a-"


    Miwen: "I''ll have you know that the only one who can take me for an idiot is my lovely fiancee. Now, what do you think we should do with him?"


    Anna: "Eh? You''re asking me? I dunno..."


    Bringing Anna along was deliberate. This guy is one of the familiar ones that Mia had talked about.


    Which means he saw Anna''s little disy back there. Even though it was a bluff, he should be well aware that if she wanted to kill him right now, there was little that he could do.


    Miwen: "Well... I suppose you didn''t manage to hurt anyone, so I don''t mind letting you go. Oh, but if you wanna talk, be sure to approach us in a more friendly manner, yeah?"


    We needed to let them go before the soldiers of the cities noticed we had them captive, or this might damage our rtions with them, and fighting the three forcesbined would be too much even for Elizabeth.


    Still, now more elves knew the extent of our power and how hopeless it was to try and fight back against us, so the pressure on their leaders was bound to increase.


    They also saw that we were willing to resolve this peacefully, even though we could surely bring them down if we wanted to, so their curiosity and interest must have been piqued.


    Our actions must be incredibly odd from their perspective. They must''ve confirmed that we didn''te from their settlement, so they know we aren''t from this world, and thus, have no stakes in this fight.


    Not only that, for reasons unknown to them, we seem eager to fight back against the forest advances, while also being reasonable enough to not hurt anyone while doing so. What''s more, my intent on talking to them should have been made clear.


    If there''s anyone with a brain on their side, I''m quite sure they wille to talk with us soon...


    For the time being, we had made enough of a scene. Bea and Elizabeth confirmed that there wasn''t enough mana in the air for them to advance anymore, and if I had to guess, right now, they must''ve been talking about what to do.


    As such, I decided to head back home to give them the time they might need. We also ended up getting 2 level-ups thanks to the dungeon raid and made around $3000.


    Once we got home, it was time for me to face the most difficult battle that the day had yet to offer.


    I had already taken a bath with all of the easy ones, and while Elizabeth and Anna surprised me a bit, I knew the biggest challenge would be Beatrice.


    Out of everyone in the kingdom, her body is the most irresistible, and yet, it''s the one I had to resist the most. A cruel joke fate had prepared for me.


    With the orders in ce, plus Elizabeth watching for her use of Arcanum, she has been quite behaved.


    We both were aware that the bath would present her the best chance to try and entice me again if she wanted to keep going with that strategy.


    Like Anna and Elizabeth before her, she didn''t bother keeping any piece of cloth to hide her body and entered the bath stark naked. And as I expected, just the sight of her stripping was enough to get me excited.


    Once inside, we actually didn''t do anything lewd for quite a while, and for the most part, it proceeded as a normal bath.


    Eventually, though, she asked me if I wasn''t going to do anything.


    Miwen: "What do you mean?"


    Beatrice: "It''s just the two of us... and I''m all yours, so... why not indulge yourself?"


    I couldn''t exploit the same weakness asst time, so this was a dangerous proposal. Still, if I wanted her to remember her position, I had to use every opportunity to show her body and her heart that she couldn''t win against me.


    Miwen: "...Hands on the wall. Point your ass my way."


    Beatrice: "Heh~ But there''s something I need to do before that..."


    She got on her knees in front of me, and the curves of her body became way more entuated as I saw it from above.


    Without wasting any time, she grabbed my dick and had it embraced in the warmth of her mouth.


    While her skill is nowhere near Anna and Licia''s, it was still good enough to make me cum, even more so when I had the image of herpletely submissive body as she did her best to service me with care and love.


    And I couldn''t notice that. Unlike other times, she wasn''t trying to appeal to me with her sexiness, there was an honest feeling in her effort.


    Miwen: "...What are you doing?"


    Beatrice: "guAh... hah... sucking... you..."


    Miwen: "You know what I mean."


    This was way different from what I was expecting, so I couldn''t help but question her intent.


    Beatrice: "Thanks to you... I ended up remembering a few things... not all of them good but... all of them important nheless... this is how I decided to show my gratitude, so..."


    Miwen: "...I see... I guess I misjudged you, I thought you were going to your usual scheme."


    Beatrice: "Don''t get me wrong. I''m still making you addicted today. Thest time was just a fluke..."


    True to her words, once I came to her mouth, we went back to a fierce battle thatsted longer than my session with Anna.


    Even though I knew it was gettingte, Beatrice refused to let me go until she was satisfied, which took way more time thanst time as she didn''t want to give in until the end no matter how much I filled her.


    Thankfully the time limit came in clutch as Mia threatened to take down the door if we didn''t step out.


    While this one ended in a draw, I knew I was going to have to fight more through the night, so my standing soldier almost raised the white g.

 Chapter 121: The Danger Of A Tavern

    We don''t have too much time until the next event begins, and with the Infinite Hotel sounding as suspicious as always, we did our best to acquire as many levels as possible to prepare ourselves.


    As for the gacha, I decided to try the umon ticket again and ended up getting a skill called [Reinforced Physiology]... in its description, it emphasizes the internals more than anything else. Still, it seems like a good skill for both defense and physical power.


    The same strange effect asst time happened, but like themon tickets before, it seems like I''m updating to it somewhat, as it felt shorter, and Ellie confirmed that it didn''t take as long for me to answer her back this time.


    With that done, since this time we weren''t going to have an Invasion, there was nothing for me to do in the Kingdom, and considering the recent rewards, it was probably a good idea to keep some Kingdom Points stored.


    Which left us with just the dungeon raid to perform today. I didn''t want to waste too much time on it, as I thought giving everyone a good rest would be a better investment than getting one or two more levels than we usually do.


    We still ended up getting at least two level-ups, which allowed us to reach past the 60''s barrier, and bypleting the ninth floor, we''d be essentially in high-ranker territory, being among them in all but fame.


    While the n was to not waste too much time in the dungeon, since we weren''t followed at all, I got curious about the elves in the forest and ire pressed us to go see the situation for a little while. It was a bit of a detour since undoubtedly she''d want to y with it, but we were going to have to eat lunch anyway, so why not do it in the usual spot?


    As if to rain in our parade though...


    Elizabeth: "Hm... it doesn''t seem like they moved at all..."


    ire: "Did they give up?"


    It''s possible, but I can''t imagine their leaders exining that a bunch of adventurers halted all of their ns for the foreseeable future.


    More likely, they are nning their next steps, or...


    Miwen: "How are they doing mana-wise?"


    Bea: "They increased both quantity and concentration..."


    ire: "...Then they are preparing for a big one..."


    It would normally be a worthwhile attempt... they just need to overpower us one time to then be free to surround the Dungeon Gate.


    The problem is that they are essentially misunderstanding the problem. They must think that if they store enough mana, they can overpower or oust us, which isn''t the case at all.


    I can hardly me them though, just the thought of someone having unlimited mana would be sufficient for most mages to give up a battle.


    Even if they decide to tackle it with strength instead of attrition... Elizabeth''s barriers are not the strongest spell she has, and with a proper sky, I''m afraid that no matter how much mana they gather, the entire forest, alongside all that is living in it, would be history in a minute.


    ...Just imagining this "battle" and the stories that might be told after is already enough to make me realize how she managed to acquire Demonic Power and Divinity in her past life... the idea of a single person being able to dominate an entire battlefield like this does sound like the stuff of epics.


    Well, whatever they were doing, it didn''t seem like they were ready yet, so we ended up with our hands tied. No matter how much ire wanted to y, provoking them wouldn''t do us any good beyond the stance we''ve already taken, that is, cleaning the area around the gate and pushing the forest back to its starting line.


    We were still going to have our lunch in front of them though, they can consider it as much of a provocation as they want, I wasn''t going to concede on this.


    ...Is what I thought, before I had to concede on it.


    Once again, the Knight Commanders noticed us and came to offer a "proper meal" at the tavern, all on their tab.


    Tasting another person''s cooking for a change didn''t seem like such a bad idea, and the girls also seemed interested, so we ended up epting their invitation.


    It was also a good opportunity to take a look at the city, and it was pretty much as I thought. They were definitely preparing for an esction. Wagons wereing and going, andmerce seemed like it was booming. Not to mention, arge quantity of armed men, both soldiers and adventurers, were hanging around.


    I suspect thetter aren''t very happy with their source of ie being cut like this, but their kingdom is probably offering some incentive in return for them to not stir up trouble, after all, this would give the elves an even better excuse for their behavior.


    I wanted to look a bit more into it, but it was hard to do when we were being treated as celebrities. By the time we reached the tavern, arge crowd of soldiers and adventurers was tagging along, asking questions about our powers and rtionships.


    Of course, they were mostly interested in ire and Elizabeth who had shown incredible prowess.


    There was no doubt that some of the people here could match ire''s max power, but they seemed to think that she was able to perform that much by herself when in actuality, it was thanks to Elizabeth that she could keep her full output all the time.


    Not that I was jealous of the attention or anything... I even had some fans of my own, which I made sure to unt in front of Mia.


    While I''m not the most sociable person out there, it was worth giving them attention in order to gather as much information as possible, and with the amount of alcohol going around, it became quite easy to pry for a bit.


    I was expecting to find discrepancies in the stories about the elves, and I did find them, but not to the point where I could discredit either side. The overall structure of the story that I was being told by everyone remained the same, and only a few details here and there were different from the first version we were told.


    This could be attributed to several factors, and the drunkness of the teller was certainly among them... I suppose it is as much of a downside as it''s a plus when ites to gathering info.


    After a while, I had to give up on this since it seemed like they at least had their story straight. Since there was nothing else to gain here, I just epted the friendly atmosphere that the Tavern was in as everyone started putting their drinks on the drunk Commander''s tab.


    ire was having fun sharing stories and tales about... herself. And since she is somewhat weak to alcohol, I asked Licia to join her, and the two ended up in a bunch of different conversations.


    At the same time, Mia and Anna were arm-wrestling some tough-looking dudes, which left Beatrice, Ellie, Elizabeth, and me with a less animated, but still rowdy bunch as we drank to our heart''s content.


    Ellie being an elf did raise some eyebrows, especially since she isn''t known around the area, but the second Commander made sure to introduce her as a member of our group, and with his authority in full disy, made everyone friendly to her.


    I still wanted to keep her close though, just in case... the fact that I enjoy hugging her and showing off how cute she is had nothing to do with it.


    Elizabeth: "If you''re worried about the girls, you can have me watch them. As the king, you should enjoy such asions to the fullest, in order to show respect to their hospitality."


    Miwen: "Hm... but you''re already looking tipsy though..."


    Elizabeth: "That''s not funny. As a demon, alcohol basically runs in my blood. No matter how much I drink here, I won''t be drunk."


    Miwen: "...Bet."


    Everyone is immune to alcohol... until they suddenly find their limit. I''m not sure how much her race factors in, but as a modern young man, I was quite sure I could oust her.


    And so, we started a show of our own, gulping down mug after mug full of beer.


    The trick for winning this kind ofpetition is by taking it seriously until your opponent bes drunk enough. Then you can take it easy and they won''t even notice that you are not drinking as much.


    Props to Elizabeth though, it did take a while for her to reach such a state, but it was tremendously foolish of her to think I would risk getting drunk here.


    Liz: "...Not fair... you''re not... as much..."


    Miwen: "Slow and steady wins the race... give me an hour and I''ll have drank more than you."


    Elizabeth ended uppletely out after a while, and both Bea and Ellie gave me judging stares as if I were a monster for tricking the poor demon this way.


    ire: "You... tricky bastard you are, eh? Howw about... facing a real... *hic*.... a real challenge?"


    ...And that''s why someone needs to keep sober. This girl is only standing thanks to Licia giving her shoulder as support and she still thinks she''s in any condition to challenge someone to a drinking game.


    The fact that she''s always so sure of herself works fine when ites to fighting as she is incredibly skilled, but boy does it backfire in everything else she tries.


    ire: "...Check? ...C-chicken?"


    The gal... she can barely get a word in properly...


    But it''s not her that I''m afraid of.


    Licia: "C''mon, to end the afternoon? We can join in a bath togetherter if she loses~"


    ire: "...Y-yeah, don''t you want to?"


    You do realize that she''s only saying that because she already knows you''re going to lose right?


    Not only that, she knows that she''s the real challenge here, so she made sure that the bet was not between her and me. This level of trickiness can only be achieved by someone who is not yet drunk and has decided to y around with the others... so she''s probably seeing me as an easy target...


    What is scary is that I know she apanied ire all the way... and I can''t really pull off the same trick I did with Elizabeth since it would be too much for me to go all-out at the start due to the fact that I''ve already had my fair share...


    Miwen: "Haah... I swear... You know we still need to make our way back through the dungeon, right?"


    Licia: "Is that a no?"


    ... I can already tell that I''m gonna be throwing up in that hotel tomorrow.


    Still, it was fun ying with her. ire barelysted another mug, obviously. But Licia and I kept going for 5 or so.


    As a responsible man, I knew I couldn''t go any further, but we ended up drawing since she also forfeited thest one.


    I''ve got no idea if she did it on purpose, or if like me, she felt like going any further was too much, but in the end, our expedition back home consisted of only Mia, Anna, Ellie, a half-drunk Licia, and me.


    We ended up having to leave our two little devils in the kingdom alongside the witch who went overboard drinking by my side thinking that if I got drunk enough it would be easier to have her way with me and finally im the victory she''s trying so hard to get.


    It was way harder for us to reach the dungeon gate with almost half of the party, but by taking some of the easy paths with weaker enemies, we ended up safely back home.


    Once there, Licia and I took ire for a bath since she really needed to clear her head after all the drinking she had done.


    She wasn''t the only one that ended up being thoroughly cleaned though as after ire had somewhat recovered, I got to experience Licia''s drunk aggressiveness for myself.


    That night, I had to order takeout for the girls since these two made me leave the bath straight for the bed and were only satisfied wayter.


    Even though it was alreadyte and I thought that most of the effect of the alcohol had passed, I could still hear a voice ringing in my head.


    [A Divine Event ising in 3 days. This world will be cut off from others for the remainder of the event. Any person who is still present in this world when the event starts will be considered a participant on this world''s side, no matter their ce of origin. Further instructions will be given in the future. I wish you all good luck.]


    ...A Divine Event... it''s Catherine then...


    It has been a long time since Earth experienced one of those. Probably due to our bad performance... it''s a good opportunity to show some promise, but she was quite vague about its contents or rewards...


    Still, having a Gift now, I''m looking forward to it...


    That is if this is really happening and it''s not just a drunk hallucination... But I''ll only be sure tomorrow.

 Chapter 122: Entering The Infinite Hotel

    Duringst night, I didn''t have enough energy or will to even check if I dreamt about the Divine Event or not. But this morning I was able to quickly confirm it. ire and Licia had heard the same message, and online it was a hot topic.


    I don''t have the slightest clue of how it''s going to work in rtion to the events that my Gift provides, but I''m looking forward to participating in a Divine Event for the first time.


    Since Earth has never won one, I''m extremely curious about what Catherine will offer as a reward.


    Before any of that though, I had my hands full with the current event. The suspicious Infinite Hotel. By all means. it smells like a trap, but whoever is behind this, assured me it would be safe, and used my own system to do that.


    Normally, I wouldn''t trust someone''s words so easily, but this is the first feat of this magnitude, the only other time that someone managed to "break" [Gacha Kingdom Building] was during the Traveling Merchant''s Invasion.


    And even though it was clearly an unexpected situation, my Gift still tried to abide by its own rules, forcing the Merchant out until the timer reached zero.


    From that, and the other events, I can see that [Gacha Kingdom Building] has not yet lied directly to me, though it does leave things open for interpretation and is notpletely failsafe either. But for now, it seems like I can trust it when it says that our lives won''t be in danger.


    In the worst-case scenario, I can just ask the Merchant for help. Not even my Gift can keep him out forever, so I''m betting this Infinite Hotel is also unable to.


    It''ll put me in his debt, but it''s better than getting stuck forever in who knows where.


    Still, for starters, I decided to enter the Infinite Hotel and see for myself what it was all about.


    In the blink of an eye, I found myself in apletely different scenario... the grass fields of the kingdom became a carpet that extended through an endless corridor. Of course, the girls around me were nowhere to be seen anymore, and instead, when I looked around, there was a never-ending number of doors.


    Behind me was an elevator. A smallbel on top of it marked the number seven. More importantly though... there was a small table with a bunch of cookies.


    The ceiling of this ce was quite high, perhaps 10 meters in height, and I found the music that was ying, inbination with the pattern on the walls to be nauseating.


    But before interacting with anything, I decided to try and leave the ce...


    Miwen: "Huh... it wasn''t a lie..."


    No trouble at all getting out... somehow, it even made me a bit disappointed. Still, this was good. My biggest concern was gone...


    But that left me with a lot of questions... this event is called an "Invitation". Most events have their own conditions for being cleaned, and they ept a bunch of different actions to award an ending, so I thought that, for a simple invitation, entering the ce, that is, epting and acting on the invitation, might''ve been enough to clear it.


    Clearly, I was wrong about that... which meant that entering and leaving the Hotel wasn''t a valid conclusion... or in other words, there was something that I had to do in there in order to end the event.


    As such, I decided to enter the Infinite Hotel again, and having confirmed that there was no problem ining and going, I felt confident in calling the girls over too.


    Ellie: "Ugh... it''s disorienting... I feel like..."


    Miwen: "Disable your sight-rted skills, they are a problem here. And if you''re going to throw up, please do it in the kingdom..."


    In this closed space, that keeps on repeating forever, seeing far only gives us a headache, and it''s a pain when we turn our heads... sure, our bodies aren''t in the greatest state as well thanks to all the drinking from yesterday, but we had enough time to recover for the most part, this nausea we''re getting is mostly from... how disturbing the ce is.


    It''s kind of strange for me, of all people to say that, when we face the dungeon, a far more grotesque sight, every day. But I can''t help it... while that ce might also be endless, you can''t see as far into it due to the turns and the maze-like structure.


    This ce, however, is like watching your own image when you''re between two mirrors, it keeps on repeating forever, but even the slightest movement of your head makes the image change, which makes it incredibly disorientating and ufortable.


    On the bright side... I couldn''t help but notice that the amount of cookies increased.


    It was curious that it did... there were no crumbs in the floor, which meant that, whoever got more of them here in the first ce, did a meticulous job... in the few seconds that I was gone. Not only that, they managed to get away from here before I returned...


    Apart from that, more than a luxurious hotel, it looks kind of old... even the music looks like it''sing from an antique radio, and when ites to style... there is none, it''s that kind of very simple background music.


    Licia: "...I don''t understand... is there something we should be doing...?"


    I can hardly me Licia for getting confused. Right now, I''m no better. It''s clear that... there''s a reason for us to be here. Whoever was responsible for this made a huge effort to get into contact with me, after all.


    And yet... while they seemed so desperate through the Event''s description... they are nowhere to be found. Not a single soul is here to wee us. But they are leaving cookies, so at least they are true to their promise.


    Oh, perhaps it might be important to note that the cookies are actually tasty. They also seem to be homemade, instead of being bought. Which is a plus, I guess...


    ire: "You didn''t get a room assigned to you, right?"


    Miwen: "I don''t think so..."


    At least, there was nothing about that in the descriptions I got. Unless that strange string of characters was meant to be my room number, but I kind of doubt that since it even included letters.


    Beatrice: "A hotel that stretches forever... but no guests... kind of contradictory. Why would it even exist, if it doesn''t fulfill its role?"


    Indeed... It would be like building a street somewhere cars will not pass through... and not only that, even while knowing it''s meaningless, the one responsible would make sure that it''s the biggest street ever.


    It''s a reasoning I can make sense of.


    Which probably indicates that there is something else to it...


    Miwen: "...Well, it''s too early to say that there are no other guests... as far as we know, they might just be a million kilometers away."


    Beatrice: "Should we check the rooms then?"


    ...That''s the other possibility, but... the description said that we should not mess with the rooms. The only problem is that, given the situation, we don''t really have any other choice.


    We had already messed with all the other present elements in this ce. The cookies were alright, but they didn''t seem important. And as for the elevators. Not a single button was working, it looked like it was there simply for decoration.


    I thought perhaps the music had some clue but... that was far-fetched, and even if it did, I''m not sure about my... music skills... to be able to gather any clue from that.


    Since it was ourst option, we went with it, and to our surprise, the first room wasn''t locked. Anna opened it just by using its handle, without having to force her way through.


    Anna: "...it''s empty..."


    Not quite... it was just devoid of anyone. There was still some decoration inside, chairs, tables, and even a bed. It seemed like apletely normal room from an old hotel... just waiting for someone to upy it.


    Which made me think a little more about the structure of this ce and the possible nature of it.


    Miwen: "...So it''s that type of infinity..."


    Anna: "Hm?"


    Miwen: "...Forget about the room number, just think about them as ''x plus one''. Every time we open a door, the room will be vacant because all the contents that should be there will simply be moved to the next room. That way, no matter how many people enter the hotel, it will always have space, thus it achieves infinity."


    This way, you can guarantee that whatever the number of people inside the hotel is, the hotel will always have one more room vacant. Even if you have an infinite number of people inside.


    Licia: "Uhuh... but then... how do you exin this?"


    The second room waspletely different from the first. And it broke my theorypletely.


    There was an actual person in there. Instantly I thought about apologizing to whoever it was, but... his hair didn''t move, and his eyes didn''t blink... while it''s harder to notice small details without sight-rted skills, with my level, I should at least be able to notice some movement... but there was none.


    And that wasn''t the worst part, somehow...


    Miwen: "...He looks... familiar?"


    Which was quite strange for me. The list of people I know is extremely short. About half of them are my family and friends of the family. And the other half would be the girls, Roy, Sam, The Merchant, and Pris. It barely amounts to 30 people...


    I also doubt I would get this feeling from someone I never interacted with... at the same time, I would definitely remember this guy if we ever did talk. This contradiction should not exist, I''m sure of it.


    Licia: "Hm... I kind of... feel something when I look at him too."


    ire: "Same here..."


    It was the same for all the girls... which, again, is not possible. They all hail from different worlds and taking Elizabeth into consideration, there are only two people inmon between us, and he didn''t resemble any of them.


    What''s more, apart from the sense of familiarity, the only other feeling I have is that I don''t like him very much... but I can''t pinpoint the reason... it''s just the way he looks.


    He is also handsome, I guess... but not quite like the Merchant. That guy is the type who doesn''t seem to even care about his own looks and has that as his own charm. But this man... he seems confident and full of himself. I can kind of picture him with a disgusting smile...


    makes me want to punch him in the face...


    When we approached him, we couldn''t hear a heartbeat or see him breathing, but it wasn''t like he was a corpse either. There was no smell, at all,ing from him. His face and body also looked healthy.... it was more like time had stopped with him inside the room.


    Miwen: "Licia... can you make an ice stick? Try putting it inside the room and then moving it... but be careful so that you don''t hit him."


    If there was a time barrier, I was expecting the stick to get stuck there, not moving, or breaking at the point of contact... but that never happened. She could move it without any dys.


    The next step was... trying to have someone go inside the room. This was much more dangerous, but I had an idea.


    I used a skill I recently acquired, and had a clone enter it. I just gave it the simplest of instructions, making him walk straight forward.


    To all of us outside, we could see that his movement wasn''t impeded at all, and he started hitting the table but continued to walk forward nheless, which eventually made him fall. Leading to some of the girlsughing about it, and others showing pity to my poor other self.


    Miwen: "From outside it seems safe and normal... but it could be that thews operating inside are different... We will need someone capable of rying the information though..."


    Sadly, ordering the clone to talk wasn''t going to work...


    To solve that problem, I went to the Kingdom and had Elizabeth enter the room while having a request to join me still open. If she didn''te out in a few minutes, I would ept her request while inside the Kingdom, which would probably get her out. Hopefully.


    But again... there was no need for that. She even took the chance to interact with the man, but whatever she did, it felt like she couldn''t reach him. Even when she passed her hand through his hair, it didn''t move at all. She touched his eyes, but they didn''t close. She even got pissed and used magic on him, but again, there was no effect.


    Miwen: "Perhaps the time barrier is not off the table yet... I think it''s only affecting the guy, and not the room."


    Bea: "I can''t see any trace of magic..."


    Elizabeth also confirmed that...


    But it''s still strange... he ispletely frozen, and yet, it looked like he could start walking and talking normally whenever he wanted.


    One by one all of my theories were going down the drain, but with how mysterious this ce was, I kept thinking about other alternatives.


    For now, it didn''t seem like entering the rooms caused any problems, so...


    Miwen: "Let''s try opening a few more..."


    The third room was very simr to the second one, but this time, a girl was inside. The same rules seemed to apply, and she didn''t move no matter how much we tried to touch or attack her. Entering and leaving also wasn''t a problem.


    We all had a sense of familiarity for her as well, lesser than the first guy for sure, but she was still someone I didn''t recognize. And this time, given how out there her style was, I''m sure I would have if I had ever met her.


    The fourth and fifth ones contained guys. Same rules. No familiarity.


    sixth and seventh, girls. Same rules. No familiarity.


    Eight, ninth, and tenth, all guys. No familiarity.


    Eleventh, twelfth, all girls. No familiarity...


    I thought I was seeing a pattern, and the thirteenth would confirm it, but...


    Miwen: "...A wall?"


    Out of all the things... when finally something was starting to make some sense...


    This broke the pattern I was starting to realizepletely. There was nothing that made this wall recognizable, familiar, or special. It wasn''t even made of bricks, just a giant stone blocking the roompletely.


    Of course, we tried breaking it to see if perhaps it was hiding something inside, who knows, perhaps the room was different. But it was no use, neither physical attacks nor magical ones made contact. Bea suggested trying arcanum but Elizabeth confirmed that there would be no reason for it to work and that our witch was just looking for an excuse to mess with it.


    Though I didn''t dismiss itpletely... but it was better to keep it as ast resort.


    Then, moving on from the wall in the thirteenth room... nothing.


    All the rooms were empty of any presence aside from the same decorations and furniture that all the others had. We could enter and leave... and nothing would happen.


    Just in case though...


    Miwen: "...The rooms are somewhat big, but... if you were to run for about an hour, how far do you think you could get?"


    Mia: "Hm... about room 5000? maybe 7000..."


    I think each room is separated by about twenty meters so that''s actually pretty far...


    Miwen: "Alright... can you go to room 4990 for us then? Open like fifty doors after that, and then you can ask to enter the kingdom. You are also allowed to do that if you see anyone else, but if possible, try to keep a distance and ask some questions..."


    Mia: "Sure."


    We had a lot of free time to explore this, so an hour wasn''t such a big deal.


    In the meantime, the girls had managed to finish the cookies, and we went back to the kingdom to wait for Mia.


    She finished her task right on time, but she actually managed to open quite a few more doors. The reason being...


    Mia: "All of them empty..."


    It could simply be that we got unlucky in the doors but... she opened more than 200, so it''s doubtful...


    Miwen: "I suppose I was told that getting an invitation was rare..."


    ire: "I don''t know... this hotel is kind of trashy... I get the gimmick but... it''s dumb if there''s nothing in it, right? Maybe I should start burning it down, then someone responsible would show up! I know for sure that if it was Licia''s I would get in trou-"


    Miwen: "That''s not a bad idea..."


    ire: "Eh? No no, I was just joking... We will get in trouble if we do something like that, right?"


    Perhaps... but it''s worth trying out.


    The cookies that we had finished were suddenly replenished. And there were more of them this time too. Mia didn''t know when they got there, she couldn''t capture any smell, nor there was any trace of magic.


    But someone or something had to have gotten them here... and if they were going to y hide and seek, we might as well try to find them.


    Miwen: "ire... can you burn a hole in the floor? But make it contained so that we can still breathe."


    ire: "Um... sure?"


    I thought she''d be delighted to do it, but she seemed more confused than anything.


    Well, I couldn''t really me her though, it''s definitely a forceful way to do it.


    Still, while this ce operates strangely, this surprisingly worked the way you''d expect. It was quite easy to burn through, and we suddenly had a hole leading to the lower floor.


    Thebel of the elevator marked a six, indicating our current floor.


    Just in case, we checked every room, and while the faces were different, we obtained the same result and pattern from the upper floor. Again, after room thirteen, all of them were empty.


    We repeated the process until we reached the first floor...


    By now, ire was getting genuinely annoyed at this ce, so she started burning it with a smile on her face.


    Miwen: "...Let''s try one more."


    Licia: "Are you sure about this Miwen? I''m almost sure we''ll get thrown out."


    Miwen: "Eh... that''s what they get for inviting an idiot, right? I am not confident in solving their little puzzle, so I''ll just brute force my way."


    And while I say that, I think I got enough clues to figure out a few things about this ce... And if I was right, soon enough I would have my answers.


    ...For thest time, ire burned a hole through the floor, and we jumped in.


    As predicted, we found ourselves in apletely different ce. The rooms were nowhere to be seen anymore, instead, a lonely figure sat behind a desk, behind her, there was a single door, and opposite to the desk, the elevator...

 Chapter 123: The Game Inside The Hotel

    The girl behind the desk...I recognize her. She''s stood in the third room, on the seventh floor.


    Her style is quite memorable, and the same weak sense of familiarity I got back then is now present again.


    ?????: "You''rete."


    Miwen: "...Your elevator is broken. You''re not getting a five-star review."


    I dislike everything about how she looks. As I told the girls prior, I prefer light makeup that emphasizes one''s natural beauty. Hers stands in opposition to that, there''s a conscious effort to change her own appearance to the point that she might look like a different person without it.


    She is incredibly shy, to the point that it looks like she''s trying very hard to stand out from the others. Yet, it''s undoubtedly stylish.


    It''s an annoying feeling. By all means, she''s not my type, every conscious decision that she seems to have taken goes against what I like, and yet, I cannot criticize her. She is incredibly pretty, and I hate not being able to deny that.


    It makes me question my own preferences, things that I didn''t even choose to like to begin with. These things ingrained into my mind could be said to be an essential part of my identity, and yet, her existence contradicts what I''ve believed about myself. Almost as if she''s trying to deny me.


    ?????: "Well, no matter. Wee, to the Infinite Hotel! As a humble receptionist, allow me to-"


    Miwen: "...Yeah, you''re not fooling anyone."


    Humble receptionist my ass.


    I admit that her act is good, but no matter how over-the-top confused she looks, there''s no way she''s just a receptionist. If I''m right, this ce doesn''t even need a receptionist to begin with.


    ?????: "Oh? Can you borate?"


    Miwen: "Quite simply, you''re not a receptionist. You''re the owner... no... you''re the Infinite Hotel yourself, right?"


    Her eyes suddenly became sharp, and a crooked smile appeared on her face.


    ?????: "Hahaha! You''re absolutely right! I''ll give you 8 points for that!"


    Miwen: "I didn''t know we were ying a game."


    Not to mention... just eight points? Realizing that took a lot from me.


    If not for thebels of each floor and this strange sense of already knowing her, I doubt I''d ever be able to reach this conclusion. Though the fact that she should be on the seventh floor right now also helps quite a lot.


    Infinite Hotel: "No need to be so worried, it won''t be apetition... it will be a high-score type of game."


    The idea of ying against someone who can mess around with my Gift is a bit concerning, even more so considering her true identity... but...


    Miwen: "Do I need to y in order to finish the event?"


    Infinite Hotel: "Absolutely. I''ll use the amount of points you have when we''re finished to determine your ending achieved and its rewards."


    So she has the final word over that... as expected, it''s not only knowledge that she has over my Gift but also control... it might even be to a degree that I''ll never reach...


    Still, I''m d that all it takes to finish the event is ying her little game. Even more so considering that there doesn''t seem to be any harm in doing it.


    Miwen: "So... what are the rules?"


    Infinite Hotel: "Interested, are we? Well, it''s quite simple. I''ll award you with a few points for every right deduction that you make. I also want to hear your reasoning for each one and in exchange... you can ask me any question. I shall answer them to the best of my ability."


    So I need to keep a high amount of points in order to get a good reward... but I''ll also need to use them if I want some answers...


    I see...


    I doubt we''ll get both a good reward and meaningful answers, but it''s worth trying...


    Miwen: "You want to know my reasoning, right? Well... The rooms and the floors in this hotel are numbered. There was also a pattern that repeated on all floors... an empty room, and then one guy, one girl, two guys, two girls, three guys, two girls... and a wall.


    There was never a deviation from this pattern, meaning, there was a reason for them to be in those exact rooms, and they couldn''t be in any other... in other words, it wasn''t random."


    There are many ways to list things... alphabetically, numerically, and chronologically are just the mostmon.


    Miwen: "You appeared in the third room of the seventh floor... with that face. But you were also in the third room of the other floors, wearing a different face and look. Having the same exact feeling about every version of you gave it away... it also got me thinking about which order was being used to determine what would go in each room...


    With this ce being infinite it couldn''t be in alphabetical order, and while you could attribute a random number to each thing, it would make it highly unlikely for the pattern to repeat itself the way it did... so the order that determined the contents of each room had to be chronological."


    Infinite Hotel: "Oh... impressive. But you realize that there are other ways to list things, right? It could just be that you didn''t remember or knew the correct one."


    Miwen: "True. But thinking that everything was put in the rooms in chronological order in rtion to their existence was the only way to exin the empty rooms."


    Her grin became wider... she seemed to be having a lot of fun with this...


    The girls seemed to bepletely lost, and as for me... using my brain is not something I''m very fond of. I really wish this wasn''t the point of the game.


    Infinite Hotel: "So you''re saying that the rooms are empty?"


    Miwen: "...No way. Herees my second and third deduction, so prepare those points alright? You... are an Endless. A race that stands even above the Merchant... one he''s been looking for quite a while.


    You stand at the true top of the universe, as creators who aren''t even interested in interfering with the others..."


    This much was pretty obvious. She messed with my Gift in a way that even the Merchant could not. This meant that she was an even higher form of being. Thankfully, the list of beings that stand higher than the Traveling Merchant is quite short, and he had already told me about the Endless.


    Also, having Infinite in her name was a pretty big clue. It''s a synonym for Endless, after all.


    It''s a mind-fuck in itself to think that the Infinite Hotel can be found inside the Infinite Hotel, but... not that much if you interpret each room as a spot in a catalog.


    Miwen: "...I don''t know about the first room and the wall... but the rooms in between them hold the existing Endless... as for what''s beyond the wall... that''s what you''ve created... one by one... molecule by molecule...


    from the very first atom... everything in the universe, cataloged in chronological order. It''s not that the rooms were empty. It''s just that we obviously couldn''t tell that an atom was supposed to be there."


    Infinite Hotel: "...You''re correct about me being an Endless. I''m often referred to as The First Daughter. Or The Oldest Sister. Or The Hotel GIrl. I''ll allow you to refer to me with any of those as you wish. Consider it your first reward, and a sign of respect.


    As for your second deduction... you''re practically correct... the Infinite Hotel holds almost everything in existence. Not only that which is physical. Concepts, such as time itself, are also held here, after all, it was our creation too. It does weaken your deduction a little, as it was not in chronological order, but in order of existence...


    Though I won''t deduct points, as you also made it clear that it''s the same to you."


    ... And there goes another mind-fuck. Just as expected for ying with infinity... if even time itself is held here, then this means that they existed... before, time... which...


    it''s not something I canprehend, but fine. I guess after time, everything started existing chronologically anyway, so it''s basically the same sequence until we reach these abnormalities.


    I''m just not going to think about how they know which of them came first into existence if there wasn''t time there to begin with.


    Miwen: "...So... how many points do I get?"


    Hotel GIrl: "For correctly guessing my nature? 90."


    Oh... so I can get more than ten at a time...


    Then my first deduction wasn''t worth that much huh...


    Before I started making questions, there was something else that I wanted to confirm.


    Miwen: "...The floors... they are a representation of the Cycles..."


    Hotel GIrl: "The Cycles of Creation? Correct. You exist in the Seventh Cycle. Normally one can''t pass through Cycles like this unless they use very specific means but thews of creation only apply however I see fit inside this ce..."


    ...If this ce is really using that order of existence like she said... this means that at the very least, thirteen things repeat during the beginning of every Cycle. This makes me think it''s like a program restarting, and that they are the first things to pop up during that process.


    Hotel Girl: "No points for you, though. That one was obvious."


    I wouldn''t say so but I have no choice aside from epting it. it''s her game, and it''s her rules. It only makes sense that she would favor herself by being the arbiter who decides how many points each deduction earns.


    For now, I should at least check what answers I can get from her.


    There''s a lot I want to know, but the thing that makes me worry the most is...


    Miwen: "For a while now, the nature of my Gift has puzzled me. There are a lot of things but... the girls that I summon... I don''t know if they are the real person who died, a recreation, or a clone. For example, if one of them has been buried, I have no idea if summoning them would make the corpse disappear. Can you exin everything regarding the summoning system to me?"


    The girls are my biggest concern, but this also extends to everything that I summon... If I were to summon a chair, would that make someone fall somewhere else? That is... am I summoning the real thing or a copy of the real thing?


    While ensuring they are the main topic, I tried to be as broad as possible with the question so that she answers the most possible.


    Hotel Girl: "Summon 10 clocks. I''ll give you the tickets back as a guaranteed reward."


    The Merchant and I tried to reach an answer by using my Gift, but we didn''t try something like a [Clocks Banner]... well, that guy made me waste tickets with ships and rings, so I think somewhere along the way he got distracted and decided just to use if for his own amusement.


    Still, I was interested in what she had to show me, so I followed her request, and ten clocks appeared in front of us.


    Each of them had a different design, some from worlds that had more or less than twenty-four hours on each day.


    And not a single one of them was marking the same time.


    Hotel Girl: "...They didn''te from the same ce. They didn''te at the same time. Where did theye from?"


    Miwen: "Should I deduct points from you?"


    Hotel Girl: "Ahah... Jokes aside. This is your answer... Your Banners work by summoning things from creation the moment they lose their meaning, and then, it guarantees their meaning back. As for what losing their meaning means... for a clock, it''s the moment they stop telling the time.


    For a human, it''s when they lose their soul. At least, that''s how I categorize it. For the girls, their bodies were summoned and their souls reinstated. They are not a clone or a recreation, they are the very same as when they departed."


    Meaning that in their original world, they don''t exist anymore. And also... I''ve been messing up people''s room.


    She doesn''t have a reason tofort me, and with her being... well, one of the creators of the universe, I''m pretty sure I can trust her words.


    This is truly a relief.


    Miwen: "I''m assuming Elizabeth''s case was different."


    Hotel Girl: "Is that a question, or a deduction?"


    ... So I can deduct things that aren''t rted to her?


    Also... I didn''t think about it until now, but... I can exploit the deductions to reach answers without asking questions, I just have to guess around until I''m right...


    Could it be that this game is actuallypletely rigged in my favor?


    Though it begs the question... why is she so interested in ying this game so much if there''s nothing in it for her?


    Miwen: "Deduction."


    Hotel Girl: "Correct. 2 points. Do you know why her case is different?"


    Miwen: "She wasn''t summoned by a banner, instead, it was an event."


    Hotel Girl: "Yes... but could she be summoned by a banner?"


    Huh...


    That''s a good question. She was dead... most definitely... but when she was summoned she had levels, unlike the girls. The beasts were also summoned at level 1 back when the Merchant was around... it pretty much confirmed that I can only summon living beings at level 1.


    Miwen: "She could not... her event description said that her soul was still falling... meaning she still had it."


    Hotel Girl: "Hm... can you tell the reason why her soul was still there?"


    There are three possibilities... it''s either her level, the Divinity, or the Demonic Power that she had. Aside from her Gift, it''s all that separates her from the others.


    I''m pretty sure the Gift has nothing to do with it... I''m not sure about the levels but... the Merchant said that Divinity allows for bending the rules, and Demonic Power as its counterpart seems to also work the same...


    Miwen: "My best bet is... Divinity and Demonic Power."


    Hotel Girl: "20 points for that one. It''s been quite some time since I''vest had a guest that managed to get so many points!"


    Is that... sarcasm?


    Strange... she seems to like the game or at least the part where she gets to show off that she knows about everything.


    So why is it that her words sound so acid?


    Miwen: "Alright then... When I summoned the Merchant, my Gift talked about a Contract... This contract was signed between the Merchant and me the moment the event started."


    Hotel Girl: "Wrong. The contract you''re referring to was not signed between you and the Traveling Merchant."


    Miwen: "It was signed between... Licia and I."


    Hotel Girl: "Wrong. The contract you''re referring to was not signed between you and Licia."


    .....


    And my exploit ended up going down the drain. She clearly became quite annoyed that I listed everyone that I knew, and she answered every attempt the same way, so I couldn''t squeeze anything out of her.


    Well, there was one thing... either I never signed this contract, or I signed it with someone I don''t know or don''t remember.


    But there''s still a way to discover it... I just had to ask her directly.


    I don''t really care how shameless this is, it''s one of the most important matters. Thest time I got into a contract someone ended up dying, so I''m not too keen on participating in another one. Even more so when I''m not even sure what it is about.


    Miwen: "I''ll turn it into a question then. Who is it that I signed this contract with?"


    Hotel Girl: "You don''t have enough points for me to answer that."


    Well, shit.


    Miwen: "I need more than one hundred points for you to answer the question."


    Hotel Girl: "...Correct. I''ll give you 2 points for that. Do you want to try being more precise?"


    Miwen: "More than a thousand."


    Hotel Girl: "...Right, but it''s not precise enough for any points."


    ....


    Since she wasn''t giving me any points I decided to give up on that after discovering that the amount of points necessary was more than a billion.


    Hotel Girl: "...Anything else you''d like to ask?"


    Miwen: "There is. On thepanion''s banner, I can only summon females."


    It was worth a try... five out of five times was a bit too much of a coincidence.


    Hotel Girl: "Haah... out of all the things... yes... you can only summon girls from the Companions Banner... this is worth... a thousand points, fuck it."


    She... seems extremely displeased.


    Is it because of the topic, or...


    Hotel Girl: "Of course, it''s because of the topic, how clueless must you be to talk about other girls so much on our first meeting? Talk about me more! I want to know what you thought about the Infinite Hotel! Were the cookies to your liking? Can you please put into words how pretty I am? Can you stop trying to exploit my game?


    I was being nice and deducting like, one or two points from each question! You didn''t need to try to cheat me!"


    She poured her heart out while responding to something that I never said... I''m not even surprised that she can read my mind, as far as I know, it might just be that every thought I have is also stored in this ce anyway.


    ... It was surprising to see her acting this way though... it felt... true.


    After she said all of that, I started to understand her a bit more. Her looks and her attitude, perhaps, even this game and the reason for me being here.


    Miwen: "You... Are you lonely?"


    Hotel Girl: "A quadrillion points for that. It''s still not enough for you to know about the contract though."


    ...The way she answered me... even the amount of points wasn''t enough to make me feel happy... in my heart, I was really sad for her.


    I could tell that the sentiment was genuine...


    Miwen: "When was thest time you had a guest?"


    Hotel Girl: "Don''t you wanna deduct it? It''s gonna lower your score."


    Miwen: "...It''s fine."


    Hotel Girl: "Alright...It was... Halfway through this Cycle. A few trillion years ago. And I know what you''re thinking, literally. Don''t feel bad for me, I don''t care about it... so much.


    Yeah, I like havingpany, but I don''t need it either... it''s just nice to have someone to talk to sometimes... that''s all!"


    She''s burying the feeling... but I suppose I overestimated how strong it was too, it''s just that it hits home a bit more than I''mfortable with. Also, since she was so over the top before, any small change in her mood bes a lot more apparent.


    I suppose the least I can do is continue the game.

 Chapter 124: Playing Inside the Hotel

    While still inside the Infinite Hotel, the Hotel Girl and I kept ying her game. The strategy to win it was quite simple, first Iplimented her at every turn.


    Miwen: "I''d say the cookies of the Infinite Hotel are the best in the universe..."


    Hotel Girl: "That''s correct! You earn a bazillion points!"


    Miwen: "The rooms are all neatly decorated, and the receptionist is beautiful too, I want toe every weekend!"


    Hotel Girl: "I''ll double your points if you go into detail about how much you like me!"


    With the points I was getting, I could ask any question... theoretically. But there were a few that she refused to answer no matter how many points I acquired.


    Specifically about whoever I''m in a Contract with... she eventually told me that telling me about this would be considered interference and that her brothers and sisters of the Endless might make a stand against me and her in case she talks about it, so, for the good of everyone involved, she decided to keep quiet about it.


    Still, our game had practically devolved into a simple conversation... though a very flirty one as I praised her every time possible.


    It certainly made for a strange event, but I would take this one over the others any time since there was no danger involved at all.


    Mia: "...What the fuck am I watching?"


    Anna: "He has a knack for befriending these kinds huh..."


    Taking into ount the Traveling Merchant and the Infinite Hotel, her statement was absolutely right. While the Merchant is an idiot, it''s impossible to hate the guy, and I consider him a good friend.


    Now the Hotel Girl... she''s surprisingly easy to talk to and quite friendly. If I had to point out why I feelfortable around these guys... it''s probably because they have no reason to deceive me.


    Being the apex of power, they have no need to consider how I feel or what I think in any way, and they can force their will whenever they want. While a scary thought, on the bright side, it makes their words more believable and reliable, as they don''t have incentives to lie or deceive.


    It''s a contradictory feeling given that these guys are by all means the most dangerous in all of creation, but knowing that fighting against them is presumptuous by itself gives me a strange peace of mind. It''s kind of freeing in a way.


    While the mood in the Infinite Hotel was good, I thought it was necessary to bring back the conversation to useful topics, since I couldn''t count on the Hotel Girl to do that seeing as she would love nothing more than gettingpliments all day.


    Of course, I couldn''t ask about the contractor... but there were a few other things that I wanted to know.


    Miwen: "...Why is it that I can only summon girls?"


    Hotel Girl: "Remember what the Merchant told you? That for a lifeform like yours, a Gift so powerful should have some restrictions? Well... Your contractor chose to do so in a few ces and had locks that would only open whenever you reached specific goals. It was the only way to... it was the only way.


    If you were to ask for a reason why this specific change was made... your contractor would probably say that as a man, you would definitely appreciate it."


    She decided to cut herself short in one of her sentences, and while I''d like to question it further, I knew she wouldn''t stop for no reason. Whatever she was going to say probably entered the territory of interference or dealt with something she couldn''t talk about for some reason.


    Since these locks and changes on my Gift were put in ce by this contractor, I''m assuming these were terms of the contract... This all but confirms that he''s messing with things in the background too... The problem is that with no memories of ever entering this contract, the Hotel Girl was my best bet for determining the identity of this person.


    Well... at least they seem to understand my heart a little bit. If I used the  [Companions Banner] and instead of Licia I had summoned a naked man that first time, I would''ve probably given up on this bannerpletely.


    If I were given the choice, I''d actually choose to lock it this way too.


    Hotel Girl: "...Another change he made to your Gift was making it impossible for you to buy electronics and modern things through the use of Kingdom Points. You''ve noticed how you can buy things found in Earth''s nature, like trees, but not something like a videogame, for example, right?"


    I did... there were a bunch of constructions from other worlds that I could buy, and while I could summon them with a variety of different designs, I often wouldn''t find one corresponding to a culture or architecture from Earth.


    Hotel Girl: "With your level... I guess I can change both of these if you want... But for it to not count as too much of an interference, I''ll have to do so as an event reward, and I''ll also need to take your Kingdom Points and Gacha Tickets too..."


    It''s not a bad offer... while it sucks to lose a few of the resources I have, it might be that the Hotel Girl is the only one capable of offering these conditions to me.


    I''m also earning a good amount of Kingdom Points thanks to Elizabeth and the girls, so giving her the amount I have stored, while a blowback, it''s not that big of a deal.


    But there''s just one thing I need to ask her...


    Miwen: "I''ll ept your offer, but you don''t need to change the [Companions Banner]."


    What can I say? Perhaps I grew attached to the way it currently is.


    Hotel Girl: "Pfft, as expected."


    While we continued to talk, she exined a few more things to me, and as time passed, I got the answers for most of the things I was curious about. I felt like she kept the most important answers away from me giving the excuse of it being too much of an interference, but it was better than nothing.


    Those questions were mostly rted to my Gift, things such as what the mist surrounding the Kingdom was, and if it was safe to touch it or not.


    To which she answered that it was simply the limit of the dimension. If I went in there, I would not be able to find my way back to the Kingdom and would need to get back to Earth.


    As for someone inside the Kingdom who cannot leave, they would be lost forever inside that mist.


    There were a few things that I wanted to ask her about that were unrted to my Gift too...


    Miwen: "I know that Asdrea is manipting the Gods and robbing them of their Divinity... but I don''t see that being the only reason why the Merchant has it out for him. Can you tell me, what is the reason for their fight?"


    Hotel Girl: "The First Cycle fell on its own. After that... every single one of them was destroyed by Asdrea. We of the Endless wanted to make reality... endless, and during the First Cycle we took action to prevent creation from copsing, but now, we can''t confirm if it worked or not thanks to him... The Merchant doesn''t like to talk about that.


    The implications are that everyone that you know will die. Everything that you ever did will be meaningless. There is no hope for anyone to stand against Asdrea, aside from him."


    It''s a bleak reality... but...


    Miwen: "...That''s not enough to make me despair. I swear, that guy underestimates me too much."


    Hotel Girl: "You''re just a kid. It''s easy for you to talk since it''s so far from your reality... but the Caravan members watched this happen repeatedly. They lost their homes. They have no family to return to. Any friends or memories they made became truly meaningless whenever another Cycle started.


    It''s why you thought Prisci seemed so uninterested in everything... she, like most of them, is simply tired. As much as they want to kill Asdrea and prevent this fate from befalling someone again... they also want to die. The Merchant has seen plenty of strong men fall into despair and end their lives after their Cycle has been destroyed...


    it''s too early for you to say you will feel nothing when it happens to yours."


    As I thought... the Merchant carries a lot huh... being the leader of the only group capable of standing against... well, basically the end of the universe, is quite a lot.


    Miwen: "There''s one thing I don''t understand, though. I can see the Merchant being capable of traveling to different Cycles due to his Gift, but if Asdrea needs to be present in a Cycle to destroy it, how does he get out after doing it?"


    Hotel Girl: "To destroy a Cycle he uses his puppet Gods to cultivate his own power in the form of Fake Divinity, which he then absorbs back to destroy a Cycle... as for how he survives... that''s where the True Divinity he robs from the Godses into y. That power can perform miracles... and if set in advance, it can even make someone be reborn in another Cycle."


    I see... He has the most powerful lifeforms on a leash and uses their ego and hunger for power so that they bless mores, which gives people ess to their Gifts and a return in Divinity in the long term for the Gods,


    Then, he absorbs all of their power to kill everything in existence, all the while increasing his power for the next turn.


    Everything in creation, from the lowest lifeform to the highest deity is inadvertently working in his favor... working toward their own demise...


    Miwen: "But then... why is Asdrea doing that, to begin with?"


    It could be that it''s the only way he has of guaranteeing his survival through the Cycles. It is incredibly selfish, but I can at least understand the motivation. Most living beings rank their survival above everything else, after all.


    It''s just natural to seek self-preservation, and if the guy has lived for... who knows how long, he must be quite attached to his life.


    Hotel Girl: "I don''t want to talk about that anymore. More importantly, how about we change things up a little with a question of my own? You see... you''re very interesting, Miwen, and so, I want to hear your opinion. What do you think should be in the first room of this Infinite Hotel?"


    ...It was quite a loaded question...


    Taking into consideration everything that I was able to confirm about this ce, I can kind of understand how it works in a basic sense...


    If the rooms from 2 until 12 are all filled with the Endless, then, the first room should naturally have whatever came before them.


    But what would that be? These guys change reality as they see fit, I doubt there are others as powerful as they are... and if I had to point out one single thing...


    Miwen: "Maybe... whoever created you guys? It would make some sense if you couldn''t acquire something that exists in a higher form than you... even if you are infinite..."


    Hotel Girl: "I see... that''s a good answer. I''m satisfied now. If there''s anything else you want to ask, feel free."


    She seemed to be at peace after I answered her question, but she didn''t tell me if I was right or wrong.


    I couldn''t think of many more things I wanted to ask, but then I remembered what the Merchant told me, about my origin going to everyone whenever I summon something.


    ording to her, it''s just the mechanism my Gift uses to forcibly identify everything eligible in existence for the Banner that I selected.


    She couldn''t exin why it used my non-existent origin though.


    In the end, there was only onest thing that I wanted to confirm.


    Miwen: "You didn''t invite me just because you are lonely..."


    Hotel Girl: "Yeah. But I don''t have any more points to give."


    There wasn''t any meaning in ying the game anymore... I had acquired all the points after a long session of flirting with her, so I could just ask whatever I wanted.


    In case she couldn''t answer me, she would just tell or avoid the question, which I understood.


    To begin with, she had no obligation to tell me anything, so I appreciated whatever she had to say.


    Miwen: "Then, just tell me your reason."


    I could treat her with honesty. I wanted to know why I was here since sharing a bunch of secrets with me did nothing for her.


    Hotel Girl: "Well... I was interested in you. But more importantly, there are a few things I want you to do for me... "

 Chapter 125: Finishing The Infinite Hotels Game

    The self-proimed humble receptionist who just turned out to be the very Infinite Hotel herself had a few things to ask of me.


    There were two main reasons that made her go through the trouble of calling me here, and the first one had to do with the Kingdom.


    Hotel Girl: " ...Since I have you in here, I know about its existence, but I can''t acquire it no matter what, and I hate having missing spots inside the Hotel... can you put a gate to the Infinite Hotel in yournd? Just having the two connected will be enough for me. It will also allow you to visit whenever you want!"


    I told her this wasn''t possible as I didn''t have a building that enabled that. But she assured me by promising a special building as an event reward.


    It''s interesting to me that she can interact with my Gift so much and yet still has to follow its rules. This very event just happened because she started spamming my Gift until it was all but guaranteed that the other events would have no chance of showing up.


    While she did manage to get the result she wanted, she had to find a workaround to make it work.


    Miwen: "Alright, I''ll build that after we''re done here. And the other?"


    Hotel Girl: "Currently, you have two Rare Gacha Tickets, right? I want you to use them on the [Companios Banner]. I''ve decided on a new project, and I''d like you to summon someone..."


    Miwen: "You know I can''t guarantee the person you want, right?"


    I felt necessary to remind her of that. Last time I had to use a bunch of tickets and use the [Mana Banners] a lot to get what the Merchant wanted, and even then, the chances were minuscule.


    He probably only got what he wanted due to his own luck...


    Hotel Girl: "...You''re underestimating me quite a bit... In this ce, I control everything. Your luck is no exception. For your Gift to work, you need randomness. But we can get pretty close to a guarantee... Also, I assure you that they will be useful, so no need to worry about it being wasteful!


    And I''ll also reward you ordingly for this..."


    I didn''t appreciate how vague she was being, but when I asked if she was going to give me back the Rare Gacha tickets as a reward, she promised something even better... the Merchant could learn a thing or two about the art of the deal with her.


    She also told me that she would share my memories with the people I summon here to speed up their understanding of their situation. While I didn''t need any security guarantees due to the girls being around, she promised it anyway.


    I then used the Rare tickets and in front of me...


    There were only grass fields. Had I mistakingly returned to the kingdom?


    No... that couldn''t be the case. The forest, the river, and the walls were nowhere to be seen. The ce felt smaller, and the houses also weren''t around. Instead, there was a single tent.


    This was the kingdom... before I started making modifications to it.


    I looked up and saw the bright blue sky... I recognize that now. Of course, it had to be this sky, idiot...


    ?????: "You shouldn''t look directly to the sun, young man."


    Miwen: "I thought getting blind would help me get out faster."


    ?????: "Why are you in such a hurry? We just met, don''t you want to talk a little?"


    Miwen: "... With you? What could I even say that you wouldn''t already know?"


    ?????: "I never looked that far, you know? It would-"


    Miwen: "Undermine what you did... I can understand that."


    ... time continued to pass inside thisnd as I waited to get back to the Infinite Hotel.


    ?????: "Getting worried, are we?"


    Miwen: "Last time it felt like a second had passed, but in reality, a few minutes had gone by. We''ve been talking for a while, so... my girls must be apprehensive..."


    ?????: "The First Daughter is currently holding time almost still inside the Infinite Hotel, so your friends have not noticed. She''s also desperately looking for you, but..."


    Miwen: "She can''t reach this ce."


    ?????: "Yes... it shouldn''t exist to begin with. If not for your Gift, thisnd would''ve been forgotten, even by the Endless."


    Miwen: "Hahah... don''t say it like that. It makes it sound like they knew about its existence. Also, don''t me me, it was your fault from the start."


    ?????: "I suppose... I''m sorry for the trouble."


    Miwen: "...My time is almost up now... It''s a shame that I will forget everything again, but my mind would break otherwise... Well, see you around. Or maybe not, who knows?"


    ?????: "I for one, do not."


    Miwen: "Haah... I swear you all can be so selfish... can''t you be honest with yourselves for a second? Just tell me... are you happy... with the results?"


    ?????: "Are you?"


    Miwen: "I-"


    ...My heart felt extremely heavy, and before I could think about anything else, I was back at the Infinite Hotel... It felt like I was forgetting something important, but the moment I tried to think about it, my head suddenly started aching.


    It was hurting so much that I wanted to bash against the Hotel''s desk...


    Miwen: "Arghh... Fuck! Ugh... my head feels like it''s going to explode..."


    Hotel Girl: "...It''s the effect of using a Rare Ticket... and two at that... You''ll probably get used to it one day. It''s just that your mind isn''t strong enough right now."


    Miwen: "Uh huh... But this didn''t happen the first time."


    Hotel Girl: "...?"


    The girl who always takes whatever opportunity she gets to show off how much she knows about everything seemedpletely lost for the first time.


    Somehow, seeing her like that was healing me... or maybe it was an effect of the magical bandaids she made appear on my head.


    Hotel Girl: "That shouldn''t be possible... unless... what state was your mind in at the time!?"


    Miwen: "I was pretty focused, I guess."


    She was incredibly cute while acting like she was surprised.


    Hotel Girl: "...I see... well, more importantly, here! Say hello to your new friends!"


    In front of us, there was... one dragon... and one sword.


    I was sure that I had hit the [Companions Banner], so it was extremely confusing for me why a monster and a weapon came out.


    Miwen: "...Uh... Hi?"


    I thought I was being friendly-ish, but as soon as I started speaking, the sword in front of us took off into the air and summoned five others around it. All of those aimed at their target and started flying... toward me.


    Their speed was no concern, but it was also obviously a faint. Just one look from above and I could see a bunch of other swords standing above me, which ended up falling way faster.


    They basically had me surrounded, but with the speed I had, dodging them was no big deal.


    Hotel Girl: "Hey, hey! Don''t mess up the carpet! Stop it!"


    The girl responsible for the maintenance of the Infinite Hotel clearly had her favorites... Even though we burned holes through the floors, she got angrier at this sword for messing up her decorations.


    Well... it''s just her acting over the top again though. The holes we burned previously were gone the moment we all reached this ce, and she changed the whole structure of this floor to have her desk behind me and give the dragon that had more than 15 meters in length some space.


    This meant that she hadplete control over this ce, and the ability to fix anything instantaneously.


    Hotel Girl: "Also, I get that you want to show off how imposing you are, but get back to your normal form."


    The dragon hadn''t made a move at all since the beginning, but the sword stopped as soon as the Hotel Girlmanded her to.


    They also reverted back and I got to confirm that I had hit the right banner.


    Starting with the sword... girl... Her hair was a dark shade of purple and quite short, like Ellie''s, at around shoulder length. Her slim body gave her quite a delicate and pretty face, but her sharp eyes betrayed that as they seemed to track every movement that I made, locking onto me as if I were her prey.


    What''s more, I couldn''t help but think this girl was quite strange... even though she was naked and surrounded by others, she kept a crooked smile and maintained eye contact with me, as if she was seeing something amusing.


    Judging by appearance alone, she felt like a problem. As much if not even more than Beatrice and Elizabeth...


    She was taller than Elizabeth, around the same height as Anna. Her three sizes also seemed to be somewhere between Elizabeth and Anna.


    As for the dragon girl... the first thing to note is that she''s not just that. Her wings were white and feathery, and they looked like a mixture of that of a dragon and an angel. Her hair was as short as the sword girl''s, but it was slightly more messy and less smooth, as for the color, it was a pretty white.


    She had horns and a tail, which made sense considering the appearance she just showed us, but now that she took a more humanoid form, a halo hung above her head. Which in addition to her wings, made me think that she was actually an angel.


    Her eyes were also fixated on me, but unlike the other girl, they didn''t feel intimidating. Instead, they seemed hopeful, as if she was expecting something from me.


    While still somewhat strange, it was a way more understandable approach...


    Body-wise, I believe her breasts might be bigger than Anna''s, but just barely. As for hips... they seemed to be the same. Perhaps because I''ve seen Anna so many times, hers looks a bit bigger than the dragon girl, but it''s at the level where I''d have to measure them side by side to be sure.


    Hotel Girl: "I thought you''d behave more..."


    Sword Girl: "It''s only proper to show my might to one who''s to be my lord. See, he''s so impressed that he cannot take his eyes off me."


    Hotel Girl: "That''s not the reason! Stop! Stop moving!"


    While the two odd ones kept messing around with each other, the dragon... angel... girl kept patiently sitting on her knees, looking extremelyposed as she waited for me to say something.


    Miwen: "Alright... I suppose you at least know the situation you''re in, right? While you may know a lot about me thanks to the First Daughter over there sharing my memories, I know nothing about you. So... Introductions, please?"


    Sword Girl: "Haah... soplicated... Let''s see... I was called Cassandra Novaes previously... But I''m fine with whatever name you decide. I''m the ursed ck Sword, the de-Eating Demonic Armament.


    I vow to be your sword in a more literal sense than the redhead''s. Oh, but if this body pleases you, indulge in it to your heart''s content, I don''t mind servicing you the same way your other sword does."


    There was no need to show them those memories! I swear... her piercing gaze already made me self-conscious, but now it''s cranked up a notch.


    Elizabeth: "ursed ck Sword... Novaes... You... wouldn''t happen to be Lazo''s sword, would you?"


    Cassandra: "Oh, even though I was such a small part of his myth, you remember me? I''m ttered... Hm? Why are you staring daggers at me? Ah... I see...


    you want revenge, right? After all, I made a pool of blood from your race."


    Elizabeth: "...Your Majesty... I ask thee permission to vanquish this one. I vow to make my worth tenfold hers. And if the warmth of her body lures thee, I shall offer mine as a recement."


    I''m not particrly polite or elegant, and whenever I''m angry, my words end up devolving quite a lot. For most of my life, I believed that to bemon sense, but Elizabeth seemed to be the other way around as her words became way more ssy while still showcasing a lot of hate behind them.


    Even when I almost killed her or when the Merchant showed up, she didn''t look like this... is this what happens when her people are insulted, or is she talking like this in an attempt to persuade me? Or maybe her anger stems from her inability to act without my permission?


    Whatever the case...


    Miwen: "Denied. For now. And I want an exnation."


    Hotel Girl: "Well, that''s easy, there''s a lot of bad blood between them due to-"


    Miwen: "From you, Elizabeth."


    While I''m sure the Infinite Hotel knows about it and is capable of giving me the most details about everything that might''ve gone down, I want to hear the story from Elizabeth''s mouth as I''m also interested in her feelings on the matter.


    With the Hotel Girl and Cassandra here, she has no choice but to speak honestly, and it''s a good opportunity for me to see how she acts when she has to be sincere.


    It was also useful that I might be able to exploit their rtionship to leash Elizabeth, though given Cassandra''s amusement, I''m quite sure that it would be like trying to put out a fire by starting another one.


    Also, seeing as ire got quite pissed that this girl stole her whole "I''ll be your sword" spiel, the start of a fire might soon stop being just an analogy.


    As for the story... it''s quiteplicated, but to put it in easy terms, this girl is from a mythological race... ording to the demoness.


    Basically, they are very rare sentient weapons. Together with her sister, the Heavenly White Vestment, they helped a man named Lazo to rise to hero status... not only that, the guy eventually reached the point of ascending, which he did.


    But as a condition to ascending, he was ordered to destroy the sword that acquired so much Demonic Power, as she, unlike her sister who acquired Divinity, couldn''t ascend.


    It''s quite a tragic tale as they were bound to his will, and so, her sister couldn''t do anything to protect her, nor could she fight back.


    What''s more, this hero Lazo was around during the era of Elizabeth''s father, so this tale took ce in her world before she became queen, around the time she was a kid... which exins her ingrained hatred towards Cassandra.


    And while this sword could just put all the me on this Lazo guy, she kept being extremely unapologetic toward Elizabeth, stating that it would be dumb for her to regret doing her job.


    Leaving the past aside for a second, both as a citizen and as equipment, she seemed incredibly useful. Her status is added to the person who has her equipped, alongside all of her magic and skills. Her race has the innate ability to use the very rare, non-elemental sword magic.


    Since she''s a living being, she also has a Gift which makes her able to eat all types of ded weapons, strengthening her status based on the power of the weapon and also allowing her to summon them in both "sword form" and humanoid form. To keep them around she needs to use her mana though, and by summoning them, her status also decreases proportionally.


    Still, much like Elizabeth, she''s basically a one-woman army. Her Gift is incrediblypatible with her race abilities, and I know that having her to myself would be a giant boost. As expected of the Rare Gacha Tickets... she might have as much synergy with me as ire.


    Cassandra: "Such a problematic woman... Perhaps my lord will be better off without you..."


    Elizabeth: "...Don''t listen to her, had we met on the battlefield, all three of them would be dead before making a name for themselves. Whatever she thinks she''s worth, I can guarantee you that I offer tenfold."


    Cassandra: "I''m more suited to be by his side, demon. You can just go back to your friends of the Caravan."


    Elizabeth: "Don''t underestimate me, vulgar vixen. I fully n on seeing him through to the end. And for that, getting rid of hindrances like you is a must."


    While Licia and Ellie hold back ire from joining, the other girls are enjoying the show from the sideline. The Hotel Girl included.


    But yeah, I can''t let this go on for too long. While these two don''t like each other right now, it might be possible to amend their rtionship in the future.


    Not to mention, I''m quite interested in this girl who even at level 1 openly challenges Elizabeth.


    She would obviously be defeated right now, but I wonder if the results would be the same if their levels were equal.


    Miwen: "...More and more it feels like I''m running a kindergarten rather than a kingdom... You two will have to learn how to live with each other, I''m not choosing when I can have both. Do I make myself clear?"


    Elizabeth: "... If that''s your will... I shall oblige."


    Cassandra: "Yessir."


    ...One of them seemed way more reluctant than the other, which probably means trouble ahead, but I''ll deal with it when the timees.


    For now, having both by my side should obviously be the better option.


    Miwen: "So... that leaves you..."


    Dragon Girl: "Yes... please, excuse me..."


    I must say... given everything that went down, I''m impressed that this one managed to stay so calm and patient through it all.


    She stayed in the same ce ever since the start, and while clearly listening, she didn''t raise her voice and just held her head down to not give any looks to anyone.


    I think personality-wise she''s close to Ellie, so unless she somehow has beef with someone, I shouldn''t expect too much trouble from her... which already gives her quite a few points over the recent additions...


    Dragon Girl: "I''m...a holy dragon. My mother was an angel, and my father a dragon... You can call me Angelica since my father had poor taste... as for my Gift... whenever I kill something, there''s a chance that it bes an orb, like the ones monsters sometimes drop... this orb might grant a bit of someone''s status or a weaker version of their Gift.


    I also have a secondary Gift... it gives me both Light and Holy magic, strengthens their effects, and allows me to create divine water..."


    The Hotel Girl wasn''t lying when she said that both of them would be useful... this one not only can enhance the status of others, but also give them Gifts, even though a lesser version...


    She said that there''s another restriction with these orbs, as one can''t have a lot of them unless they reach certain levels, but it''s still incredibly useful.


    That ability alone makes her top-tier, but she also has some potential as a healer... Not to mention that due to her wings and her ability to transform into a dragon, she has a lot of potential for info gathering.


    Truly, the power of the Rare Gacha Tickets is incredible, but it makes me wonder...


    Miwen: "What is the deciding factor for the ticket rarity? Because these two are incredible, but ire was also amazing, and she came from amon ticket."


    Hotel Girl: "In the case of your little arsonist, you were extremely lucky. Themon tickets offer an abysmal chance of getting something good, but you can still summon anything using them. But with better tickets, you increase the chances of getting something high tier...


    For the [Companion''s Banner], what determines the odds of each girling out is their synergy and usefulness to you and the kingdom. Also, the odds aren''t fixed, they vary constantly. If you wish for something specific, based on your luck, the chances of thating out will increase a little bit. Which is how I cheated just now with infinite luck~"


    Hm... it''s hard to give parameters to it, but I guess it makes sense... in the end, it''s as random as it could be.


    If I had to say, I think I''ve been quite lucky with the [Companions Banner~. While ire stands out, all the others have also been a great help or shown good synergy with my Gift.


    Then again, [Gacha Kingdom Building] is quite broad, so I don''t know how much merit can be attributed to them.


    As soon as I epted Cassandra and Angelica as my citizens,a new screen appeared stating that I had unlocked something.


    [Your kingdom has reached 10 [Ctitizens], thus, the [Special Roles] function has been unlocked.


    You have been automatically awarded the role of [King]. This role is unique and cannot be shared with anyone else. It gives the user the highest position in the hierarchy and the ability to use any of the unlocked features of [Gacha Kingdom Building].


    With the current amount of Citizens in your employment, you can create up to one Special Role, and assign a maximum of one citizen to it.


    The user can customize a Special Role with a name of his own choosing and a plethora of different options, these may limit or grant rights for the [Citizens] upying these positions.


    A [Special Role] may be granted or removed whenever the king desires, and it''s also possible to establish a hierarchy with them, which would allow other [Citizens] to grant lesser positions if their role allows.


    However, a citizen can not grant a [Special Role] with rights that they themselves do not possess.


    [Events] may forcefully create [Special Roles] during their duration. They might also select people for these positions without input from the user.


    Please note that, the more rights a role has, the more resistant they are to the power of [Orders].


    The number of possible [Special Roles] will rise whenever the kingdom''s poption increases, and certain events may also grant more [Special Roles] slots.]


    That was a lot... but this system is quite useful.


    I can give basically all rights I have to someone of my choosing, be it sharing skills, using orders, or even a telepathicmunication system...


    Not only that, I can also create a role as punishment... disabling their ability to leave and go as they please, or cutting them from the experience sharing...


    Right now, I''m the only one with a [Special Role], and all the girls are simple [Citizens], but I could create a new role and have it above or below the normal [Citizens].


    One interesting thing is that I can edit the[Citizens] role too, but I can''t grant or limit as many rights. The only thing I can change from this role is the experience sharing and the ability to leave the kingdom.


    I was eager to test this new function, so I decided it was time to say goodbye to the Infinite Hotel and end this event.


    I thought that whatever questions I still had, I could askter as I would have unlimited ess to this ce soon enough.


    Miwen: "Though I would like you to give me back my bird. He''s very important."


    Apollo left me as soon as he saw her. Which was predictable since she''s as close to the origin of creation as possible.


    But he didn''t show interest ining back until she forced him to.


    Hotel Girl: "Oh yeah, I almost forgot! You have a bunch of missed calls, when you leave this ce, you better check them out, alright?"


    Miwen: "...? Sure..."


    It was very strange advice, but she seemed serious about it, so I decided that the first thing I''d do after leaving this ce was return to Earth to see what this was all about.


    Still, the strangest, but most peaceful event we ever had finally came to an end, and it provided me with the following rewards:


    [Invitation! The Infinite Hotel Eagerly Awaits #KFLAD983629310FV/+@


    There''s an incredibly pretty girl for you to meet, I know you like that. I''ll give you her number if you y along.


    I''ll make you cookies if youe...


    I''ll give you good rewards, please...


    I know the secrets to everything in existence, I''ll share a few with you...


    Juste y with me for a while.


    Ending Achieved: Visit me anytime, or call me! (INF) HTL-GIRL.


    The rewards for achieving this ending are:


    All of your kingdom points are drained.


    The number of options avable for the next Events has been reduced by two.


    The number of days until the next event happens has been set to two.


    You have unlocked a [Special Building]: [Door to The Infinite Hotel]. The price for the first instation has been set to 0.


    You have unlocked all the buildings from the Earth.


    10 Gacha tickets have been awarded.


    1 Ultra Rare Gacha Ticket has been awarded.


    You have been awarded the following skills:


    [Increased Fertility]


    For when you''re feeling unlucky. This skill increases the chance of fertilizing your partner or being fertilized yourself. This is a passive skill that can be turned on and off ording to the user''s will.


    [Reduced Fertility]


    For when you''re feeling too lucky. This skill decreases the chance of fertilizing your partner or being fertilized yourself. This is a passive skill that can be turned on and off ording to the user''s will.


    Hotel Girl: "No need to thank me! Bye bye!"


    Miwen: "Wait, you fucking-"


    And just like that, I was back in the Kingdom.


    I immediately tried to ce the Door to the Infinite Hotel, but I couldn''t enter and a pop-up told me it was closed for maintenance due to a problem with their elevator.


    I couldn''t believe that this girl had scammed me way more than the Merchant ever did. Fuck these higher lifeforms...


    I thought I could at least check my phone, and after doing so back on Earth I had to rush out of my home.

 Chapter 125.1: Leaving The Infinite Hotel

    -This is a side chapter that takes ce directly after chapter 125. It is highly rmended that readers finish chapter 125 before reading this one-


    -This chapter is written using the First Daughter''s POV-


    It''s so rare to have an interesting guest nowadays... the First Cyclested way longer and had many more intriguing results to offer.


    Still, I have to wonder how much of this is his fault, and how much is due to your machinations...


    Hotel Girl: "You didn''t even show up. Are you so afraid of meeting him?"


    ?????: "I''ll meet him soon... but our first meeting should not be here, or now."


    Haah... I can already tell how troublesome this will be.


    The list of people in creation capable of getting on my nerves is extremely short... and I couldn''t point to one guy that makes me more mad than this one.


    So much potential... He should be so much more... and yet, he seems so content in doing the most weird and minuscule things. His presence is almost forgotten now... even among my family, it''s so easy to dismiss him...


    Whenever he''s talked about, it''s always in an insulting and diminishing way.


    It''s not without cause too... Ever since the First Cycle ended, he has not done anything meaningful... perhaps it was due to his involvement back then, but he''s aplete shell of his former self now.


    To think I respected him so much... I feel like such an idiot every time I see him...


    ?????: "So, what did you think? I bet you''re curious about him now."


    Hotel Girl: "Eh... I''d say his Gift was the most interesting part, the man himself has his good points but even this Cycle has better ones to offer... I''ll admit that thend he''s carrying is interesting... Even if I could acquire it, I have no idea in which room I should put it... And even now that we are connected, I can''t get any information on it... I''ve never seen anything like this before."


    Gifts were a creation of one of my younger brothers... they are capable of defying all the otherws that move creation. He made it this way because he''s extremelypetitive with the rest of us.


    And it was concepts like this that ended up making the First Cycle fall on itself...


    Still, even back then, as long as I managed to connect to a parallel dimension created by a Gift, I was able to fit it inside a room.


    The fact that it seems impossible to fit the Kingdom inside the Infinite Hotel bewilders me. I know there must be a reason for that, which is why I nted Angelica in Miwen''s Kingdom. She has the ability to infuse him with another Gift, so I may be able to analyze if his body, mind, or soul is responsible for this in some way.


    Of course, it could also be this guy''s fault.


    Hotel Girl: "When I was told that your newest project in this Cycle was... submitting yourself to a human, I thought for sure there was something wrong... Don''t you have anything better to do?"


    It''s almost insulting... He had never stooped so low.


    ?????: "Hahaha! Yes! I actually don''t! Why do you think I''m here? In this forsaken ce that no one bats an eye to anymore? I just wanna pass the time now."


    To be criticized by him of all people... The first to ever praise and support me when I decided on the Infinite Hotel...


    But I cannot deny his words... He''s the only one who stilles to visit me. All of my brothers and sisters have either been banned or don''t think much of the Infinite Hotel...


    As for guests... I''m not like him. I won''t fall so low that I permit random people to enter this ce. The Infinite Hotel is as big andplete as creation itself, to stand before my work is proof that I have recognized your existence! It''s not merit awarded to just anyone.


    Hotel Girl: "I''d like to congratte you for at least having pride in your decisions, if not for the amount of lies you just spilled. You do realize you exist within this Infinite Hotel, right? There''s nothing you can hide from me, so why not be honest for once?"


    ?????: "Well, I told you long ago, but perhaps you need to be reminded...You can have me inside this ce, but the day you peek inside my memories will be the end of your life as the Infinite Hotel. So, if you are feeling bold, be my guest!"


    And that''s reason enough not to do it...


    As much as I hate to admit it, he is not a man whose words can be taken lightly. Out of everyone in creation, he might be the only one who instills fear in me.


    He is smarter. He knows much more. My brothers, sisters and I are all in agreement... if there''s anyone who should rule creation... it should be him.


    Yet... he refused to take any responsibility. To use his abilities... what is it that he saw... why does he act this way? What does he know, that no one else does?


    I could discover the answers to everything that bothers me if I just searched inside his mind. But... It scares me.


    He was so much better than everyone else... and yet, look at him now. ying the fool. Bing an engine for a lowly human''s Gift...


    If this is what happened to him, what would be of me, once I understand him?


    Just thinking about understanding him... agreeing with him... or even bing like him... sends shivers down my spine.


    Hotel Girl: "I regret letting you in now... Actually, is there any reason for me not to throw you out?"


    ?????: "C''mon, don''t be like that. I know that deep down you still love me. You''re the one I liked the most too, you know?"


    To go there... you were the first to ept me, of course, I would love you more than anyone else. That''s not even a question!


    I just wanted you to share whatever is troubling you with me... I wouldn''t mind stepping away from the Infinite Hotel for a while to help you.


    You''re the only one I''d do that for...


    I want you to be back to the way you once were...


    But I know you will reject this, so...


    Hotel Girl: "Shut up! I don''t want to hear any more liesing from you."


    He hurts me in a way I didn''t think was possible, and in turn, I hurt myself even more...


    It''s because I still respect him that I allow this man toe and go as he pleases... Sadly, I can never let go of my feelings from back then, as they can still be found inside me. And what''s more, they are much stronger than any hate I could have toward him.


    ?????: "Look, I''m trying my best to make things right, okay? It''s been hard on me too... I''ve endured this for many Cycles now, but it''s finally going to pay off... I want to restore our friendship, at the very least. I even allowed you to interfere with Miwen, right? You know I could tell the rest of the Endless about this if I wanted to.


    But since it''s you, I made an exception-"


    Hotel Girl: "Pfft! Hahaha! Do you think any of the Endless would take your side over mine? Wake up. You have lost all the respect anyone ever had for you. Did you know?


    I''m not the only one messing with Miwen right now. If anything, I was quite tame. The Second Son and the Fourth Daughter are having a field day with all that they''ve prepared."


    ...I hope this information helps you...


    I''m sorry for delivering it this way...


    I don''t know how to treat you anymore. I barely recognize you now...


    But I still know how to acquire usible deniability... if my brothers and sisters are so keen on ying, as the oldest sister I must ensure they follow the rules and don''t end up hurting themselves.


    ?????: "The Second Son always had it out for me... As for the Fourth Daughter... well, you know... I''ll allow them to y around since they underestimate me. They have no idea how far I''m willing to go for Miwen... And if you are wondering, I''m willing to do anything."


    She''s the embodiment of chaos that girl... whenever the Fourth Daughter sees a chance to cause conflict, she goes for it without thinking twice.


    Every time she came to visit me, she tried to use the Infinite Hotel as her own little simtor, looking for ways to mess with the projects of the other Endless while still having some usible deniability...


    She''s aplete idiot... one of the main reasons the First Cycle failed was precisely because we kept adding and changing concepts, even ones we weren''t responsible for creating...


    The system of non-interference we have going right now, while still untested thanks to Asdrea destroying the Cycles anyway, should be way more stable... can''t she just ept the rules and move on? We have to be better than we were on the first Cycle if we want to fulfill our task...


    It was the only thing we were told to do... it''s what we must be, it''s what we must make.


    I thought banning her from entering the Infinite Hotel was for the best, but... seems like she''s attached to my younger brother now...


    Well, I can''t be asked to solve all the problems of this family. I''m busy trying to figure out the kingdom and where the hell Miwen''s mind went when he summoned Angelica and Cassandra.


    As for this guy threatening the two of them... I don''t know... He might be able to do something. I''m just d he''s not aiming for me.


    I might be the only one who still takes him seriously, but I was always the smart and responsible one, if anything, I''d say the Second Son and the Fourth Daughter are being quite reckless by provoking him.


    ?????: "Not like I can do anything anyway since I''m glued to Miwen now..."


    Haah... as if that was any impediment to you...


    I don''t know if I overestimate him too much, but deep down I think he would be able to deal with them while still doing his job as the engine for [Gacha Kingdom Building].


    But in case this really restricts him so much... just why... why would he do that to himself, willingly?


    Seeing the path Miwen is going toward, I can only think of one reason...


    Hotel Girl: "Are you trying to kill Asdrea? Why don''t you do it directly? Strengthening a random guy''s Gift seems to be so beneath you..."


    ?????: "Asdrea...? Oh yeah, I totally forgot about him! Hm... I suppose he''s going to be a problem soon... It''s been six Cycles already, can''t he move on? Also, why do you guys keep voting in his favor?


    He''s literally preventing creation from going on endlessly."


    Hotel Girl: "You know the reason. We can''t interfere with him."


    ?????: "So she still counts, huh..."


    ...!


    Don''t.


    Don''t talk about her.


    Not in this form.


    Go back to being what you used to be, only then can you say anything about her.


    Right now, she''s the best of us. By far. The only one who was willing to sacrifice.


    Hotel Girl: "Don''t you dare. I shall allow no one to besmirch her name... that includes you!"


    I might be crazy... talking to him like this...


    He said he wanted to restore our friendship... that''s so close to all that I''ve ever wanted...


    But... I can''t allow anyone to say anything against her. By all means, as the most useless between the Endless, it should''ve been me and not her... I failed to take responsibility when it mattered the most... and now, creation suffers due to my selfishness...


    The least I can do is protect her reputation.


    And vote in favor of keeping Asdrea... even though I really wish to kill him myself for destroying the very thing she protects.


    ?????: "Fine, fine... no need to get angry alright? Your smile gives me a reason to keep on living, so you should do it more often!"


    Hotel Girl: "Ugh... I might have to remove my lips."


    I hate how he talks as if nothing changed.


    Does he still see himself as the same?


    After everything, how can he act like this?


    Where does his shamelessnesse from?


    Hotel Girl: "I think I''ll never understand you..."


    ?????: "If everything works out, you will. But it''s gonna depend on you too. Which is why I''m here. I was serious, ok? When the timees, I''m going to need you. I''d love nothing more to restore our bond.


    It''s really important to me, and I swear I''ll exin everything to you when it''s over. I just need you to trust me. Can you do that? When the timees, will you follow me?"


    ...We''re so unfair... we all had high expectations for him... and when he dered he wasn''t interested in carrying them... we just abandoned him.


    He neverined. He never asked for retribution.


    Unshaken, he kept doing things that disappointed us, to the point where almost everyone lost hope in him.


    Some are mocking him, others are purposefully getting in his way, even though he never did anything wrong.


    He just... never did what we expected of him...


    As for me... I still feel so betrayed... we were so close... He was the only one who understood me, the only one who supported my idea when I decided on the Infinite Hotel... I thought that as long as he took charge, everything would work out... I was counting on him...


    And now, as if fate was ying a prank on us, the tables have turned.


    Hees to me, asking for my support...


    Hotel Girl: "If I decided to look into your memories, what would-"


    ?????: "Don''t do it. Seriously. It would seal both of our fates, and I''m not sure if I could fix it. If it''s worth anything to you... I would also hate you."


    As I thought...


    I could use the Infinite Hotel to run simtions of what will happen from now on, but it might make me discover whatever he''s trying to keep hidden, which would bear the same result as looking into his memories...


    This guy is seriously restricting me while still being restricted himself, or so he ims.


    If I told the others about this feat they would probablyugh at me not understanding the magnitude of his actions.


    They would say that I''m once again creating expectations for him and that he''s a lost cause.


    In any case...


    I don''t know if I should betray his expectations like he did mine and I''m afraid of the consequences of going against his will. I think there''s meaning in his words, and I don''t want to regret my decisions after being warned.


    But if things could go back to how they were... that would be nice...


    Hotel Girl: "I''m sorry. I won''t get in your way, but I also won''t facilitate things for you without a good reason... I''ll at least keep the doors of the Infinite Hotel open for you...e visit any time... and we might be able to discuss a little more... Who knows?


    You might even be able to convince me!"


    My act has to work here... don''t notice the tears... please...


    Please... I really want you toe again...


    ?????: "Well, this went better thanst time. I knew I could count on you, thanks."


    I didn''t agree to anything though...


    ?????: "...I didn''t get to taste the cookies you made, so prepare them and I''lle immedietely, alright? For now, I need to go back to my job."


    Did it work? Or is he just being considerate?


    Whatever the case may be... Thank you...


    I knew I could count on you...


    As his figure left the Infinite Hotel, I was once againpletely alone.


    This time, however, two guests had promised toe back.


    If even one of them does, I''d be happy...

 Chapter 126: Battle Against the AOTG: Start

    As soon as I noticed who was calling me, I rushed out of my house.


    I couldn''t waste any time. A cab would take too long, with my level, I would get there faster on foot. There''s a bunch of regtions about jumping through rooftops and using your Gift on the streets, but I couldn''t give a damn. If I was caught I''d just pay the fine.


    No matter what, I wasn''t going to stop for a second... Reaching Alex''s ce as soon as possible was top priority.


    He called me 5 times in less than an hour...I knew he was the type of guy who would only do that in case of an emergency. I didn''t even feel like there was something wrong, in my mind, it was all but confirmed.


    Thanks to my high level and the skills I acquired through the Gacha boosting my status, at top speed it took me about 10 minutes to reach his ce. It was the same building we had been meeting all this time.


    Luckily, Alex chose this ce to operate from, there was no one around, and I wasn''t stopped or noticed whileing. Once I was close there was basically no danger of being seen or reported anymore since this ce is basically a ghost town with no one living in the area anymore.


    Since I ended up arriving so fast, everything should be fine. The night being so dark today should also help a fair bit.


    I might''ve been captured on CCTV, but it should take some time for anyone to act... if they even decide to do something about it.


    Now that I was in his office, the only problem was Alex himself... he was nowhere to be seen, and I began to grow impatient.


    I thought about calling him multiple times, but with the job I assigned him and no idea of what was going on, I feared that his phone vibrating might create a problem.


    As much as I hated it, my best option was to wait for him to contact me again.


    He''s a smart guy who has had his fair share of dangerous encounters. He was a capable man. I''m sure I did the right thing by hiring him. It was just a matter of waiting and believing...


    But with what was on the line, this was incredibly hard for me to do.


    After about 10 more minutes, I finally received another call from him. It was extremely short. He didn''t exin anything and simply asked me where I was, using as few words as possible. I already imagined he was in a precarious situation, so I replied to him in kind, telling him that I was currently in his office.


    He told me to wait and hung up.


    True to his word, less than 3 minutester, he reached this ce. The door was open, and he barged in.


    On his shoulder, he was carrying an unconscious guy, a man I didn''t recognize. He had bruises and cuts all over his body... signs of a fight.


    But this guy didn''t matter at all. While I first nced at him, as soon as my eyes drifted to the person Alex was carrying in his arms, and the state she was in, I couldn''t think about anything else.


    Maya: "Ah great... You had to get Miwen involved? You know he is only good for creating trouble..."


    Alex: "It''s the other way around. He was the one who involved me. And I tell you, If I knew this was going to end up with a revolution conspiracy I would''ve charged double..."


    A revolution...? Ah, I see... these dumbasses really couldn''t be satisfied huh?


    With her strong sense of justice, I can already picture what went down...


    My sister, Maya, is a strong woman. She''s capable in every field she partakes. It doesn''t take long for her to develop abilities in anything that she does. She''s a prodigy and a genius.


    This always leads her to achieve high positions in whatever group she bes interested in.


    But she''s also a blockhead who forces her will onto everyone and doesn''t know when to stop. It''s not such a bad thing since she''s almost always right anyway, but life is not so simple that you can convince others just by being right, so she often ends up escting things...


    It''s her fault for giving others too much credit and fighting for dumb ideals such as justice. I knew that getting involved with a bunch of activists would end up being bad for her, but did she listen? Of course not.


    The only problem she has is that she believes too much in herself.


    It''s not without credit, as she can aplish anything she puts her heart into, but...


    ...Ever since we were kids, we have taken care of each other. She''s a star with a clear destiny. Only the top of the world suits her. I believe I was lucky to be born her brother, and it''s my pride to say that I have helped her, even if just a little.


    I''ve lived my life without caring too much about most things. Whatever happened to me was fine. I didn''t matter anyway. There was nothing I could aplish, and without a Gift, I would probably end up living a mediocre life at best, without ever achieving anything great.


    But it''s a different story when ites to her. She was always destined to have her name go down in history, and I believed that by supporting her, I could also bask a little in her shining light.


    I could easily summarize my life before I acquired [Gacha Kingdom Building].


    Back then, the things I loved were... Maya. The things I hated... Anyone who went against her.


    The two of us always strived not to trouble our parents. Even though we were kids, we understood and admired their jobs. We did our best to be responsible.


    And for the most part, my sister managed to live a quiet life.


    The only one who couldn''t fulfill his job was me. And the reason was often her.


    She''s capable of dealing with others in a way I never could. I don''t have the patience or the kindness in me. The idea of lowering myself to understand others and their behaviors never sat well with me.


    I cared more for their actions, rather than their reasons.


    Deep down though, I knew that this was just a sign of my own weakness. I was broken, so I couldn''t risk absorbing the defects of others.


    That was a right only she had. She could pull so far ahead thating back for others would still allow her to keep a great pace.


    As for me... to even be able to finish the race, I had to kick down whatever stood in my way.


    And if an obstacle troubled her, then, I''d just offer her my help to do the things she could not.


    Those who were keen on obstructing her... I took care of every single one.


    She would oftenin about these actions. She believed that she could bring them to her side. That the way I acted only caused problems for our parents.


    Still, it was my pride and joy.


    Life became simple in my eyes. There were those I cared about and those I did not. As long as the ones I don''t care about stay in their ce and don''t mess with the ones I care about, we''d have no problems.


    This is as far as I''m willing to go for them. A line in the sand. If anyone from the other side tries to attack. They suffer retaliation in kind.


    And yes, she waspletely right... this was the exact type of mentality that creates trouble.


    But it''s what I''m capable of. If they are not with me, then they are a threat. If they move, I shall do as well. For the sake of those I care about, I''m willing to do even what they are not.


    To me, they matter more than myself. Seeing them fully realized is what''s always been the most important.


    Maya: "It won''t take long for them to reach this ce... I''ll prepare some traps... You take Miwen and Johnny away from here and I-"


    Miwen: "Yeah, shut up for a second."


    Maya: "Miwen this is serious, I cannot deal-"


    Miwen: "Alex, how many?"


    Alex: "They were ten, but she knocked out three. Right now, there are seven on our track, all of them around level 70. I don''t think they can mobilize more without creating amotion."


    ... A quick look at Maya''s status shows that she''s currently level 71. Even with Alex''s help, and whoever this Johnny is, it''s a miracle that they managed to escape. Defeating some of them in this situation should also be absurd.


    But given that we''re talking about her, it suddenly bes less impressive.


    Maya: "Alex, listen to me. You need to take them to somewhere crowded. There''s plenty of ces where they won''t be able to make a move."


    Alex: "Your sister has lost the ability to move her legs. She needs potions or a good healer. Either that or the hospital."


    ...!


    ...It''s decided then.


    Maya: "Alex! Shut up!"


    Miwen: "I have a n. I can hide her inside my Gift. This Johnny guy too. I can guarantee that they won''t be able to follow these two there. Not to mention, I have some potions stockpiled, and a healer with holy magic there too..."


    Even the Traveling Merchant has troubleing and going to the Kingdom, I doubt a bunch of idiots from Earth can do it.


    More importantly, even if they went there, there''s no defying my will inside the Kingdom. There, I''m basically God.


    The potions should also help her recover a little bit, but she''s probably gonna need very good treatment in order to recover the function of her legs.


    Miwen: "As for you, Alex... Mom and Dad are in a dungeon somewhat close to where I live. It''s the Rose Garden. I don''t have ess to their floor, but you have gone there before, right? They should be close to the settlement since it''s a dungeon only high-rankers use. Bring them to my house."


    Maya kept trying to talk, but neither I nor Alex were listening to her stupidity. This idiot really thinks she can fight the whole world by herself...


    Alex: "What about you? When they notice the disappearance of her tracks and the start of yours, they''lle for you."


    Miwen: "I''ll use her n. There''s a festival on the beach, they probably will finish only in the morning. You can call me when you find my parents, and I''ll head home. The four of us should be able to deal with this, right?"


    Alex: "Yeah... your mother will wipe the floor with them while we get to enjoy your father''s cooking."


    The two of them are true top-rankers. They have been for a long time now. While these guys are strong enough to be considered high rankers, there''s a great difference between the new generation who achieved this status rather quickly due to all the information avable that the old generation fought so hard to acquire.


    Their levels won''t matter. And even if they were bonafide top rankers like Mom and Dad... those two are the strongest. They will have to bring an actual army to face them.


    Miwen: "Then, idiot, ept the invitation to be a citizen."


    Maya: "You''re going to make a mess and have them clean up again. You always do this."


    Miwen: "Yeah. It''s their responsibility."


    Maya: "In case you haven''t noticed, we are adults. It''s about time we look after our own asses."


    Miwen: "Feel free to tell that to them during the dinner."


    Stubborn girl. She got that from our mother, I''m sure.


    Maya: "You''re a stubborn idiot, you know? But I''ll admit that your n has merit... But if something goes wrong, you are to leave everything in my hands and run, you got that?"


    Miwen: "Yeah, yeah. Go take a rest. Your brother is gonna solve this."


    She called Johnny... her boyfriend. And the two of them became citizens. They then sent the request to join the Kingdom, which I allowed.


    As soon as they were gone though, I gave Licia a [Special Role]. I didn''t modify it too much, I was only interested in the telepathic link that we could share.


    I told her to make everyone leave the Kingdom after she gave potions to the two that recently appeared. I also made sure to exin to her everything that was going on, and when the girls joined me, they were already up to speed.


    Miwen: "Now, while that stupid sister of mine might''ve told you a lot of things, I assure you most of that was bullshit. It''s a n that could work, but I''m not really feeling like going for it."


    Not to mention, Maya''s n had a big w... believing that the guys who were about to start are revolution to topple the government were worried about getting in trouble with thew.


    In their shoes... I would kill her. Even if she was in a crowded space... hell, even in broad daylight. It wouldn''t matter. After the deed was done, it would just be a matter of going into hiding until the organization started moving.


    If they somehow ended up winning, forget being a criminal, I''d be hailed a hero.


    Underestimating their malice... I imagined she''d have matured a bit more now.


    Miwen: "I''ll be sincere with you guys. This is going to be stupid, and most of you might think it''s uncalled for. So, I''m giving you the chance to walk away now. I''ll assume that whoever stays is on board with whatever I decide. So, If anyone wants to spend the night rxing in the Kingdom, you better say it now."


    The room was filled with all the girls I''d forged a rtionship with. I know they are not idiots, and while I tried really hard to do the best possible for every one of them... If I was truly a good man, I wouldn''t have to put in any effort to do that.


    I know at least some of them see through me... and they are always talking, so the others should also have an idea of what I''m about to do.


    I also made sure to give them a big clue when I asked Licia to tell everyone to bring their weapons.


    Still, no one in the room raised their voices.


    Instead, ire, Licia, and Anna readied their des. Angelica, Beatrice, Cassandra, and Elizabeth all kneeled in front of me. Ellie took the bow from her back, and Mia came to my side, giving me a light knock on the shoulder, thus, activating her Gift, and showing her willingness to fight.


    Elizabeth: "It shall be as youmand, Your Majesty."


    Miwen: "Good. I take it the new additions are also fine with it?"


    Cassandra: "You may have me however you wish, my lord."


    Angelica: "...I''ll do my best to live up to your expectations, but with my current level, I don''t think I can be of much help."


    Miwen: "Don''t worry, I''ve considered that. There''s a special role I want you to y. I''ll exin it to youter."


    What I have in mind for her is a bit cruel considering it''s her first day with us, but it''s going to be a good test of her loyalty.


    Right now, she''s on the green... even more so than what I expected and I don''t think this can simply be exined by my memories being shared with her since Cassandra''s not on the same level.


    Well... it''s not only a test for her... there''s a chance everyone''s loyalty drops after tonight.


    Choosing to do it anyway, I shared with the girls the current n... if you can call it that.


    My sister only recognized some of them, and as far as Gifts go, she only knew for sure one theirs, so we didn''t have too much information on our hands and had to hope to not have bad matchups for the most part.


    After I was done talking with Angelica and the others, we headed out of the building.


    Five minutester... a group started to approach us. As Alex had said, there were seven in total.


    Army Of The Gifted Member: "...That''s her brother, right?"


    AOTG Member: "Yes... but he should be a small fry, only acquired his Gift recently. No info on those girls. But Maya''s trail goes inside the building, I''m sure."


    Even though they were speaking in a low voice, I could hear them clearly.


    It''s good that they underestimate us so much. Whoever is the scout that followed Alex''s tracks seems to be quite capable, but with the amount of skills I have to block information gathering, he has very little to work with.


    This fact alone made him wary, and he advised the others to proceed with caution. As expected of someone who managed to climb so far in a position that doesn''t earn as much experience... he''s good.


    Army Of The Gifted Member: "...Yo boy! I suspect you didn''t see a blonde girling this way?"


    A little older than me... perhaps older than my sister too. He must''ve gotten his Gift during the First Contact...it exins his high level... and probably his confidence too.


    Miwen: "Oh, I saw her... she went that way!"


    It doesn''t take a second before I close the distance. Just a few meters is nothing for me right now.


    Before he could react, I grabbed his cor and sent him flying to a building across the street.


    All of the members of the Army Of The Gifted readied themselves, but so did we.


    Apparently, my sister said this guy was the biggest problem, and he seemed to be the one responsible for most of her injuries, including the one on her back...


    Knowing that I just had to go after him.


    Either due to her weird interest in me or knowing that this would probably be the most problematic opponent, Elizabeth decided to follow. She also blocked all attack attempts that they made against me.


    Good, this should give the others some information to work with...


    On the rooftop of the building I threw him at, away from the girls, it was just the fours of us. But he had no way of knowing that the de I just pulled was Cassandra, so in his mind, he must''ve thought this was a 2v1.


    The smile on his face bothered me... Even though I know I hurt him, he seemed to be excited.


    I know that face... I''ve seen it countless times before, having to deal with morons who felt gutsy enough to mess with Maya.


    He thinks he''s going to teach me a lesson. That he''s a hunter who can do whatever he wants to his prey.


    I don''t like this feeling... but I couldn''t do anything about how ecstatic I was to beat the shit out of this moron.


    While my mind tried to contain me, my body and soul screamed that it was both my right and duty.

 Chapter 127: AOTG Battle: Mias Side

    -This chapter is written using Mia''s POV-


    Only the strong can rule the Snow White Wolves... this rule is tradition for our tribe.


    Backgroundes second to power... and when my father died, had Momcked the strength, she wouldn''t have been able to im and hold the title of chieftainess.


    Few challenged her due to the responsibility and the dire nature of our circumstances during the war, but even if that was not the case, I doubt anyone could take the position from her.


    Even while under unfavorable terms, she kept our enemies out for years, proving she fit the role like no one else.


    This made the others create a lot of expectations about her daughter...


    Butpared to her... I wascking.


    She was much stronger when she was my age. She always showed potential...


    As for me... I was weak. The abilities necessary for leading didn''te as naturally to me. As a fighter, I also couldn''t view myself ever surpassing her...


    It felt like she was so ahead of me... and seeing that even she was struggling, I became afraid.


    If she couldn''t do it, then there was no hope for me.


    I hoped so much that she would be able to solve everything... I didn''t want to be thest leader of our tribe. The one responsible for our fall.


    While carrying these feelings... I also wanted to make her proud of me. I did my very best.


    Every single day I would train until my limbs gave out. Even if my potential wascking, as long as I tried harder than anyone else, I should at least guarantee that I''d obtain the position.


    This mentality paid off for me.


    I was progressing... hunting monsters in the forests, killing winged ones that flew above the ind, and even cleaning the shores with others... Since our indcked its own dungeon Gate, this was the only way for us to obtain levels... well, that and killing the Hamperlon soldiers.


    My world came crashing down when I reached the age she had acquired her [Mark Of The Beast Lord]... a skill that all the leaders of the Snow White Wolves have acquired throughout our history.


    This skill was seen as proof that a member of the tribe had the right to rule the others.


    I tried to fight the anxiety this gave me... it was fine... I already knew I would be at most a cheap recement... eventually it would appear...


    But then months passed... and years... and nothing changed.


    The skill never became avable to me. It felt like a warning from the universe that this wasn''t my destiny. That I should give up.


    ... I never did.


    Being exposed to my worthlessness... Knowing only war... Losing my father... and seeing how much Mom was suffering from it all... So many things went down since I was born, and even though I couldn''t control them... I felt like I was somehow at fault...


    as if I was cursed.


    But I couldn''t give in to those feelings... I couldn''t disappoint her. At least that... just so that she could have some peace...


    I kept trying my best for her... and I prided myself in the trust she had for me, even though I was such a failure.


    That was the case... until he appeared.


    n: "C''mon missy, this is not worth dying for, yeah? What does the girl even matter to you?"


    My opponent... talks a lot.


    He shared his name, kept asking questions... and is now trying to persuade me to stop fighting.


    But he cannot fool me. Behind that smile and friendly attitude... he hides the strongest bloodlust I''ve seen in this world.


    I''m sure of it... if given the opportunity, this man would kill every single one of us with this same smile.


    His argument is pretty solid. Given that this world only recently got ess to others, it would be strange for me to have a deep rtionship with anyone. At the very least it should not be enough that I''d be willing to wager my life.


    And he''s not wrong. At least when ites to Miwen''s sister... I don''t know or care about her. With them being family, I''m almost positive she has a screw loose too. That, or she''s a tremendous pervert.


    But it doesn''t matter. I''m not fighting for her sake anyway.


    Mia: "...Is this world specialized in making annoying men?"


    This guy is their recon... I''ve been trying to hit him for a while now and all of my attacks have been missing as he expertly avoids them.


    I don''t know about his strength, since he has yet to fight back, but he is not faster than me. I know that for sure.


    The problem here is his technique, he has refined the ability to dodge attacks to an unreasonable degree...


    And alongside that... it seems like his Gift enhances his senses.


    He is an experienced fighter, so while talkative, he didn''t give me clues about his power. I''m only certain about it because of my bloodline.


    The people of my race are stronger than humans, and at the same level, our five senses should be better... and yet, his eyes follow me with incredible precision. Using my top speed, I can create a blindspot, but he reacts to the sound and smell, making it impossible for me to surprise him.


    It''s a great ability for a scout, but not that much for fighting. It''s impressive that he has honed it until it reached this level.


    n: "Sorry to say but I''m not falling for obvious provocations... All my senses are screaming that you are the strongest here, so it''s better if I just gain some time until the others are done..."


    The strongest...


    Mia: "As I thought... Your Gift is really powerful."


    To arrive at the truth with just a glimpse... he is good.


    Well... at least if we''re not considering Miwen.


    That man... a degenerate scoundrel through and throughout...


    When we first met, I had no consideration for him. I didn''t even understand why Mom kept him locked up. If it was up to me, I''d have killed him on sight.


    While he didn''t have the same characteristics as the people from Hamperlon, he was a human, so I was sure that he was an enemy... but something was wrong with him from the start.


    His level was very low. One can even find farmers in times of peace with higher levels.


    And I was sure this wasn''t a trick or an illusion either... his whole body showed weakness, I didn''t even recognize him as a threat at all.


    But then... without throwing a single punch or earning a single level. From the inside of a jail where he couldn''t have any impact... he made his way up. He eventually made Mom recognize his standing to be the same as hers, and they ended up in an alliance.


    He even set in motion a n to kill one of the generals on the enemy side, using his own weakness as a weapon.


    That felt so insulting to me... that a weakling like him surpassed me so easily and stood side by side with her as an equal.


    It was everything that I wanted... and it was taken away by someone weaker...


    I was jealous of him.


    These feelings allowed Mom to blindside me, and she yed the both of us, but still...


    I felt defeated by the two of them. He was ahead... and he would only pull further ahead.


    Without my home... power... or anyone... I thought there wasn''t a reason for me to live at all.


    I had lost everything... all of my efforts were meaningless. All the training and time spent hunting... they didn''t change a thing.


    I wasn''t enough.


    And then this fucker changed things again.


    I was finally ready to give up, but in his honesty, he convinced me of an extremely small chance. For that though, I''d have to help him.


    That pierced my heart... If all he needed was help from someone stronger, then yeah, I could do that.


    I found this to be my purpose... and ended up helping him be stronger too.


    This hateful guy didn''t allow me to reflect or be alone with my thoughts for a second. Always, alwaysing up with something to make me mad... always distracting me...


    I have no doubts he enjoyed every single second of it. But in his own way, again, weaponizing the worst he had to offer, he helped me.


    Slowly... I began to see him in a better light.


    He promised me... that he would make it all right.


    And I believe him.


    I believe in a man weaker than me.


    He is strong in a way I could never be. It''s not something that can be measured... it''s unique to him.


    And I don''t see anyone being able to win against that. Me... Elizabeth... My mother...


    We all fell for the same trap of underestimating him.


    And I fell so hard that now I cannot phantom life without him.


    To the point where I would dly offer my own life if it meant saving his.


    That I would shed tears, thinking about what might happen to him...


    The pain in my chest... the jealousy in my heart...


    I still can''t believe he managed to change all of that into...ugh...


    Hmm... into this...


    n: "Perhaps I was wrong... Being so distracted, you''re just asking to die you know?"


    Mia: "I can afford it since my opponent is so weak."


    He tensed up and gave me a death re.


    I might have hit a nerve...


    ...He''s smart, if I try to provoke him further, he might notice my intentions.


    I doubt I can get him to recklesslye at me either, but he seems to have at least a sliver of pride... this should be enough.


    Sensing an opportunity, I rushed ahead. It''s the same exchange we''ve been having. I try to hit from multiple angles, using my fists and my legs, and nothingnds.


    n: "I''ll y with you until you''re begging for me to stop, kitty. And then, I''ll kindly end your life. No need to thank me."


    He finally revealed his true nature. Not that he could hide it from me anyway.


    All this time, he kept one step ahead of me, doing so while looking casual about it... but this time, he made the first mistake of the battle by trying to hit me back.


    If I tried to dodge his fist, I''m sure he would''ve at least hit my shoulder. What he probably didn''t expect though, is that I was willing to take this one.


    A single hit is all I needed.


    His hand was so big... in a single punch, he broke my nose and cut my eyebrow...


    It was disorienting, it had been a long time since I got hit like that.


    But I couldn''t let this chance go. I could take a thousand more of those... all I needed was the small windows he created.


    So cautious and meticulous, and yet... a single light punch to his retreating arm. That was enough.


    I focused solely on speed. I wasn''t able to fix my form or concentrate strength. But it didn''t matter. A hit is a hit, and my Gift was activated.


    This battle should''ve been over long ago, but I tried to be careful and probe him, which made my Gift''s timer run out... After that, I couldn''t activate anymore due to this guy''s focus on evading me.


    But this would change one way or another. Had he not gone for this punch, I would''ve used magic to create an opening.


    Once I had the effects of my Gift, he became unable to run from me. His ability to sense my attacks before they came was still annoying, as he managed to dodge my first few attempts. However, I knew his body couldn''t keep up. I kept adding pressure, I didn''t slow down for a second, and by maintaining him in close quarters, I eventually started to surpass his reaction speed.


    Once the first punchnded, I sealed his movements with my ice magic. Then, my timer reset, and I managed to punch him more... and more... I was giving him the beating I had reserved for the next time Miwen called me his fianc¨¦e, but I''m sure he''ll forgive me.


    Still... this wasn''t enough.


    This guy...


    n: "I didn''t expect that I would resort to this... What a shame huh? You should have given up girl. Fighting to the end will only increase your sufferingter."


    As if he wasn''t going to kill me anyway.


    There''s no choice when the alternative is death.


    I''ll never regret struggling...


    While I miscalcted the effects of his Gift, this should still be fine.


    His ability is not a simple increase to his senses... It seems capable of lowering them too. Perhaps, even blocking thempletely.


    Even though I''m putting all of my strength into my fists, he keeps that grotesque smile of his, as if it''s everything he wanted.


    But I know it''s having an effect. With every punch, I can feel his bones breaking on impact... There''s no hiding it.


    He''s just blocking the pain... he ns on standing here, taking the beating of a lifetime until his allies arrive.


    And he even seems to be enjoying it... What a fucking psycho.


    Why did I have to get this troublesome guy... I swear my luck is just the worst.


    Mia: "I cannot y anymore... I''ll put you out of your misery, so you can thank me for thister."


    n: "Missy... I told you we were going to y until you begged me to stop, right? Well, let''s hear you begging then."


    Nothing had hit me. I''m sure of this...


    But I felt excruciating pain.


    As if I had taken dozens of punches simultaneously, all over my body. I felt most of my bones breaking...


    Using earth magic, he healed my feet and arms while he approached calmly... that disgusting smile still stered all over his face. All the while I screamed in agony due to the shock on my body...


    I underestimated him... there was yet another thing he could do with his Gift... the ability to share his senses...


    He must''ve increased the strength of the pain in his body before sharing it with me...


    It really felt like death would be a release, and seeing as he took out the weapon he was hiding all this time, it became clear to me that he wasing for the kill.


    Ah... to have a challenging opponent... finally getting to be useful to him...


    It''s so fulfilling. It''s the only thing I am good at, so I''m happy that he counts on me for this.


    Actually... I can steal ire''s prey... and Licia''s... and then he will like me the most, no?


    Maybe I am actually a genius?


    If all of them are like this... then he''ll praise me a lot for finishing them all.


    At the height of my power, I start allowing my body to revert more to that of a beast, with my fur, nails, and fangs growing... My size bes bigger too and I break away from the bindings he created...


    I could go further but... I would lose my rationality and end up putting everyone at risk... But this was enough... even though the pain had not subsided, with both my Gift and beastification active, I unleashed more might than ever.


    It was time to finish this. Any superficial hit would only backfire on me. I had to put him out once and for all.


    He noticed my intention and did his best to avoid me, but it was no use.


    I managed to overpower him with my Gift active, and this form has a simr effect... with the twobined, he stood no chance.


    Just to be sure, I used the skills that my idiot fiance gave me...


    This is thebo that managed to destroy Elizabeth''s barrier... If he managed to keep that smile on his face after this, I''d have to concede.


    But with thisst punch, forget the smile. He couldn''t even stand anymore.


    It was many times more powerful than the one he gave me, and he got knocked out there and then.


    ...Then, I feltanother presence approaching.


    I wasn''t going to make the same mistake, whatever their Gift might be, it would be better to make use of this form and the timer to go all-out from the start.


    These guys are not to be messed with.


    ?????: "His prediction was right on the money..."


    Almost... I almost did something unforgivable...


    Since Angelica just joined us I didn''t recognize her scent, and almost attacked her...


    This is the biggest problem with this form... I be way more feral and my thoughtse second to my instincts, making it hard to hold back when I need to.


    Thankfully I managed to win without going over the edge...


    if it''s just this much, I can control it... Just gotta be careful...


    Mia: "...So... what are you talking about?"


    Angelica: " Miwen said that I should keep an eye on you since you were probably going to finish first. I thought ire or Anna would win in a single hit but..."


    Mia: "Who knew he could be so smart."


    He is so confident in me... not that it makes me happy or anything like that...


    Mia: "Hm... well, with you here I can activate my Gift at will, so let''s go steal ire''s opponent."


    Angelica: "Feel free to do that if you want, but there''s something I need to do first."


    Mia: "Hm?"


    Angelica started to change, resembling more her dragon form. Her ws grew and her arm had scales in it... Her wings also started growing bigger and sprawling out from her back.


    It''s pretty simr to what I just did. And considering her lineage, It should strengthen her quite a bit, especially her ws as they seem capable of cutting through-


    ...through anything.


    Including the skin of the man lying on the ground.


    Unfazed, she took his heart and smashed it above her mouth.


    She held the blood that dripped in her mouth... But instead of swallowing it, she spilled in her hands... a small orb.


    Angelica: "It only works if I''m the one who kills... And I need to chew on a part of the body too... I''m sorry for such a disgusting sight."


    She was only worried about how it looked... as for the action itself, it didn''t concern her the least.


    Mia: "...Does Miwen know about this?"


    Angelica: "He ordered me to."


    ...It''s as I thought then.


    He is not going to show mercy tonight.


    This is what Beatrice warned us about... what Elizabeth was so interested in...


    I like the kind-hearted, caring Miwen the most... and while it pains me to say this... this side of his is what I need the most.


    I need him to be able to go at least this far... when he wages war in my name... I want him to be merciless like this...


    I''ll use him... I''ll take away the peace he enjoys... because I know what he does when he''s forced into conflict.


    For that dumb, ridiculous man... avoiding conflict is not a weakness, it''s clemency.


    He is true to himself... he knows that there are no bounds he''s not willing to cross.


    And as for those who dismiss that mercy of his... this is the result. Even the small one-time insult from the elves from back then gave him reason enough to allow ire and Elizabeth to harass them... if face-to-face with the elf from back then, I''m sure only one of them would remain to tell the story afterward.


    Hamperlon has unknowingly provoked a storm... and after he destroys them... I hope I can soothe his heart, and offer him peace...


    It''s the least I can do after I unleash the inner beast he tries so hard to keep off.

 Chapter 128: AOTG Battle: Claires Side

    -This chapter is written using ire''s POV-


    I lived with my life with my head held high. Ipleted the tasks that I received, and I was capable enough to be recognized by my family.


    While it was short, I don''t regret the decisions I took back then, nor the course my life took, even if it is true that I didn''t have a choice and was simply swayed by the motions.


    But I''ve been feeling strange about it for a while now.


    I earned my rightful ce through might. I was strong. And I used my strength to shut down any nay-sayers along the way.


    I didn''t work hard for the position of duchess because I wanted to partake in politics or had the desire to rule.


    Not at all.


    I hated politics. The two-faced nature of those who attended social gatherings, always looking for weaknesses to exploit in the character of others, disgusted me. Not to mention the rumors that sprouted from the most minimal things. It all felt so annoying.


    Thankfully my family only had strong connections to the Royal Family of Lunaria... but even around the few friends I had at the time, if I wasn''t careful, it was possible to besmirch my family''s reputation.


    Having to tip-toe like that over the most superficial things was soul-crushing. It felt like I couldn''t trust anyone who wasn''t an Ashbrodd.


    The only thing I liked about the path that was forced on me from a young age was the fight and struggle. Getting more powerful and silencing the doubters was satisfying.


    The me from back then was strong. I was powerful enough for even my father to recognize it.


    I would probably never have be a good ruler, but I have no doubts that I''d be a great general.


    ...It''s a bit unfair to me now... The me from the past fought for something she didn''t truly believe or desire... Now that I have something I desperately want to fight for, I''m way weaker...


    And yet... it''s also unfair to my past life...


    My position by his side is unquestionable.


    I put much less effort into it, and I got so much more... it leaves me ashamed.


    It''s almost insulting to my past self. I''m sure that girl would reprimand me. For having everything that she desired... while doing so much less than her.


    And I have this feeling... that by Miwen''s side, I''ll climb high enough to overshadow her power...


    And if that''s the case... what would be left for the me who died back then?


    Not my strongest self, she never got to taste the things she wanted. She was a satisfied and aplished woman, but she was not happy like I am now. How could she know, that the life she spent so much time on, would one day be so meaningless?


    The more I live this life... the more I indulge in it... the more I step on who I was...


    If I could go back... maybe I could make everything better this time...


    I know who I am now, how I want to live my life...


    At the same time, I want to be here, with him... I want to enjoy what I have now...


    These contradictory feelings might one day be my end.


    But today, I feel like they are pointing in the same direction.


    I''m sorry for my past self... but I''m not fighting to be a duchess anymore.


    I''m fighting for Miwen. And the title I struggled so hard to obtain is meaningless to him. He was born to be much more.


    In his path... he''ll need more power than I can offer him... more power than I could use back then even...


    I want to help him, I''ll have to be my strongest self.


    Which means I shall not lose or run away from any fight. Even the one against myself...


    As such... I cannot hesitate about this any longer... I''ll use the power that caused my life to end...I''ll make it useful for him.


    AOTG Member: "Did you only now realize your position? Very unlucky that you had to face me of all people."


    Unlucky my ass... Elizabeth and I reacted instantly when they shot at Miwen... she must''ve noticed my magic, and since she locked onto me, I had no choice but to fight back.


    This was all premeditated...


    This girl is a water mage... and she''s pretty decent too.


    Beatrice says that the theories of magic are not as advanced in this world, but they sure are creative in their use...


    When our battle began, she threw me into the inside of a building across the street using her water magic.


    Due to the disadvantage of my element and the proximity of the others, I couldn''t resist the attack and had no choice but to fortify myself for the impact.


    But this girl came up with a pretty ingenious n on the fly... either she''s used to hunting fire mages, or she has a very quick wit.


    Her first move was to hide inside a water bubble that sprawled forth tentacles. She used them to move around quickly, and this enabled her to use the walls as a tform too, crawling on them like a spider.


    I knew my sword would be my biggest trump card in this fight as fire magic wasn''t going to be effective, so I made sure to not let go of it, but my swordsmanship couldn''t keep up with the 9 tentacles that she spawned out of that water bubble, and it didn''t take long for me to be overwhelmed by then.


    I took hit after hit... she focused more on my legs than anything else, but with these things behaving like whips, it was hard to predict their trajectory, and even if I managed to defend against one, I simply didn''t have enough arms to block the others.


    Cutting them off also didn''t do much aside from wetting the floor since she was able to quickly regenerate them.


    My sword skills weren''t good enough to defend or attack, I felt like I was being yed with.


    And to no surprise, I pretty much was. I didn''t think much of the soaked ground, but she started manifesting her tentacles from it.


    She had to lower the number on the bubble, reducing her defense and mobility, but still, with these things appearing out of nowhere, I didn''t have any opportunity to fight back.


    Controlling two different types of magic while also maintaining the water in the ground under her control was quite a feat... I thought that in this World only the ones under Miwen were capable of something like this, but I waspletely mistaken.


    I needed to gain the upper hand, or at least take one advantage of her off the table as they were starting to pile up, so I unleashed a ring of mes in every direction to evaporate the water around us.


    Hopefully, I''d be able to break her barrier too, but...


    She concentrated the water in a thin stream. Not only did it block my mes, but it was also capable of perforating my left leg.


    Both speed and power were exceptional. If I hadn''t jumped out of the way, I would have left this exchange with a way more serious injury than the small hole that grazed me.


    As for the bubble... I didn''t even have the chance to test it''s durability.


    Once the stream passed me by, she threw it against a wall, sshing the water everywhere, and recreating her arena. With this move, she disregarded my effort and made the battle go back to its starting point, the only difference being that my legs were in way worse condition than when we first started.


    I couldn''t think of any obvious strategy that would grant me victory and ended up distracting myself too much while thinking of a possible weakness I could exploit.


    This allowed her to grab my feet and arms, holding me in the air with these disgusting tentacles.


    Try as I might, I couldn''t break free with strength alone.


    I thought I was facing a mage... but this girl fights like an assassin. From the start, she sought to restrain my movements, and now, I found myself in this situation,pletely immobilized.


    ire: "Out of respect for your strength, I''ll give you one chance to surrender! My king is very kind, if you answer my questions and head back to where you came from, I''m sure he''ll find it in his heart to forgive you."


    AOTG Member: "Wow. A shameless bluff, huh? Well, too bad. If you''re talking about the guy that went after Lance, he should be dead right now."


    ....


    ire: "Haha.... hahaha! A bluff? Pfft! I''m really being underestimated here, huh?"


    But that''s not what pisses me off the most.


    It doesn''t hurt my pride to be underestimated. I have the other version of myself topare to, so I know better than anyone how weak I truly am.


    What I cannot forgive, however, is the way she dismissed Miwen as if he wasn''t even worth considering.


    ire: "I don''t know why you put so much trust in this guy, but let me tell you something. You guys screwed up, really badly. The girl who went after them is a monster... and before Miwen, she bes a defenseless pet. He is a man who doesn''t flinch in front of imminent death. The power of his opponent doesn''t matter, once he''s set on someone''s fate, there''s nothing they can do but abide by it."


    That''s why I need to quickly be stronger... He walks slowly but aims high. Theplete opposite of me...


    And still, by his side, he has Elizabeth, a woman who makes even my past self tremble.


    He still doesn''t consider us as his direct power, but the truth is that we are. And so, Miwen is already way stronger than I was back then, simply by having her.


    It''s hard to ept this... Miwen should have no use for a weakling like me when he has her.


    So, to maintain my position... I need more power... I need to...


    ....!


    I see...


    So you are still here, huh? My dear past self.


    I should have known. You''re not easy to kill, after all.


    So, why are you pestering me? Can''t you see I''m busy?


    Are you so afraid of being left behind that you seek to bind me with the shackles you made for you? You should know that they don''t fit me anymore.


    Things aren''t the way they were before... We are more than just power for him... he loves us dearly.


    He is not going to abandon us.


    And even if he does... you won''t be meaningless. I''ll carry you with me forever. The life we had... I''m d for it.


    I''m thankful to you.


    So... Can you help me?


    You failed to control it that time... but you were alone, fighting a meaningless battle... and you had the power that Father recognized.


    I want to surpass you, but... I also need you. You''re the strongest. I recognize that... and as long as I have you... the training you did, the power you showed me...


    then I have nothing to fear.


    The weak me, and the strong you... I know that together... we cannot be defeated.


    AOTG Member: "You have no idea... Lance is a psycho through and throughout. A normal person will flinch the moment they see how violent he is."


    ire: "Then I cannot waste more time here."


    I suppose beasts seek each other... but I don''t need to fear for Miwen... he''s going toe out on top.


    But I need to finish things quickly on the off chance that he needs me there, after all, it might be hard for him to fight without his most devoted knight.


    ...You might be afraid of doing this again since you refrained from doing so even when your life was on the line back then.


    And I agree that this might be a mistake... but I know he''ll take care of it for us since he always looks out for me.


    So let''s go all out.


    ire: "Burn away and let not even ashes remain... So that my doubts are reduced to cinders..."


    I don''t know many chantings for Solid Magic.


    Using Formless magic tends to be enough for me, even more so when I''m fighting with the sword, since timing the chant and a sh for an effectivebo is too troublesome.


    But I always liked this one. It is simple and strong. More than visualizing my purpose with the mes, it helps me calm my mind.


    Once everything in my way has been destroyed, I shouldn''t have anything to worry about.


    As such, looking simr to her water bubble, a globe of fire starts forming around me, and it expands to cover the entire area, evaporating all the water.


    I''d love for this to have been the end, but my opponent was smart enough to chant a barrier of her own.


    AOTG Member: "Oh, waves. Grant me your power, protect me!"


    As expected, a small wave came crashing down against me. It was quite the dense barrier, and it also made for a good cover, as once it dissipated, I could see that this mage reconstructed her bubble.


    I suppose she believes it''s going to be as effective as it was the first time...


    Well, what a shame... By getting rid of my indecisiveness, you''re facing twice the woman you were before.


    ire: "May my heart be set aze as I follow Abdure''s mes..."


    AOTG Water Mage: "Oh, waves. Grant me power, protect me!"


    My body started ring and she sent another wave my way.


    To her surprise, even after the water had hit me, the mes continued to dance on my body,pletely unaffected.


    ire: "I''ll follow him ahead, but I will not burn the past..."


    AOTG Water Mage: "...You''re still going? Wait, wait... you''re not making this chant up as you go, right? ...You''re nuts! It''s obviously going to backfire!"


    Well, someone is not as good of a mage as I imagined.


    It''s fine to improvise every now and then~


    It makes for fun and unpredictable results after all.


    ire: "...May my fire awaken the Morning Stars, and may they in turn light my way!"


    AOTG Water Mage: "Oh, waves. Grant me power, protect me! Oh, waves. Grant me power, protect me! Oh, waves. Grant me power, protect me!"


    Spamming barriers... that''s so Elizabethian.


    I kind of want to test this against her now... the ones from this mage arcking in both power and quantity.


    This is the attack responsible for my death. I used it when I destroyed the sacred forest, and when the final act of my life came... I refused to do it again.


    I saw this as a mistake. The lesson I learned was that having too much power could be as harmful as having too little.


    Deep in my heart, I ended up ming it for my fate. I became afraid that if I used it again, somehow it would lead me to a bad result.


    But this time I''ll make it work.


    I''ll take a note from Miwen''s book and I''ll use my own weaknesses as a weapon.


    It should be easier to control thanst time due to my level.


    And since I have already used it once in the past, I already know what its full potential looks like.


    Last time I only summoned one Morning Star... But alongside the red star from my World, I wanted one that resembled the sun from this one.


    They are both way smaller than the one I used to destroy the bandits...but my heart is screaming that I should throw one against the other to see what happens...


    Ugh... I know it''s going to be trouble... But it''s so hard to get over my habits...


    Focus! Let''s fulfill our duty first. Then we can y with Elizabeth! And if I can control this I can show it to Miwen next time we burn the elven forest!


    ire: "...You should''ve given up when I gave you the chance..."


    She kept trying to attack the Morning Stars, but these babies work like Golems. They follow me around andunch res that disintegrate anything in my way.


    For each of them, I had to expend 40% of my mana, but it was well worth it.


    Because her jet streams cannot reach me. She cannot wet the floor anymore. And those tentacles aren''t a problem at all.


    It''s surprising that her water bubble is still resisting, but...


    The true power of this attack onlyes when the stars areunched.


    They are pretty much the strongest fireball I can use.


    And of course, her barrier couldn''t take it.


    Her hands becamepletely scorched, and the girl fell to the ground while suffering from Mana Depletion.


    She summoned too many barriers to defend against this, but it saved her life.


    ire: "...I suppose I should be grateful for you... thanks to your power, I didn''t burn more than necessary."


    Mia: "Acting like you didn''t reduce their power when her mana ran out, I see..."


    ire: "She was a worthy opponent, wolf. I should show some respect."


    The two watching me from outside the building finally revealed themselves.


    Mia: "Yeah, about that...


    ire: "I can already imagine..."


    During our battle, I saw my experience rise a little bit.


    Since I hadn''t killed anything, there was only one possible exnation.


    Angelica approached the opponent I just defeated, and took out her heart, sealing her fate.


    It was a gruesome sight, and while I epted it, I wasn''t interested in watching.


    ire: "If you were watching, you could''ve lent me a hand. Rivalries aside, we need to clear them as fast as possible to help Miwen."


    Mia: "No way I would get in the way of those things. You were obviously going to win faster without my interference."


    ire: "Oh, admitting that I''m stronger then?"


    Mia: "Not at all!"


    ...Now that I take a good look, Mia''s face is a mess.


    Since Angelica has some levels now, she probably healed her a bit. Probably enough to stop any bleeding... but for her to get hurt like this... I''m starting to worry about the others.


    Some of them should be fine, but...


    ire: "Beatrice and Ellie might struggle... maybe we should go help them..."


    Mia: "Especially Ellie... these guys are not amateurs, and that girl doesn''t seem to have too much experience fighting against people since she was an adventurer in her past life... not to mention..."


    ire: "She''s honest to a fault, and these guys are just the type to take advantage of that..."


    At least she has a good head, and is very loyal to Miwen... this probably means she''s not going to immediately offer her opponent a way out.


    Angelica: "Ellie ended up inside a building too, to get there we''ll have to pass by Anna and Beatrice anyway... We could also help Licia if you want to."


    Mia: "Hm? Nah, she''ll be fine."


    Angelica: "Hm? But she also doesn''t seem used to fighting anything other than monsters. I thought she might struggle-"


    ire: "Oh, absolutely. In her mercy, she''ll take her sweet time. But I don''t see her losing to these guys."


    Mia was also inplete agreement. After all, when I wanted to do some practical fire magic training, I got a bit of Miwen''s hair burnt... and Mia''s tail... and Beatrice''s clothes when she was feeling too cocky.


    Sure, these were all idents... for the most part.


    But Licia was the only one who managed to leave unscathed.


    And when ites to swordsmanship, she''s incredible at adapting herself to any kind of challenge due to her time as an adventurer.


    Sure, fighting people is a whole different matter due to a more objective use of magic, but the same goes for her. She has an entire arsenal in her head when ites to her ice magic. No matter what you do, she will have at least three answers.


    ire: "It''s decided then, let''s make our way to Ellie, and if the others are struggling we''ll help them too. We''lle for Liciater and then we''ll head out for Miwen."


    These two are the ones who need help the least. They should be fine.


    The important thing is protecting those Miwen holds dear to him.


    It''s the duty we have now.

 Chapter 129: AOTG Battle: Annas Side

    -This chapter is written using Anna''s POV-


    My father died young. He was also a soldier... I don''t remember him very well. Nor does my World.


    But I remember my Mother.


    She was very hardworking... This might have been true for both of them, but...she was the one who took care of me for most of my life...


    As a kid, I felt guilty seeing her sacrifice herself so hard for me.


    I felt like she deserved to be happier. I could tell that she was a bit lonely, and all she did every day was watch over me... but she was still young and pretty, so surely she could find someone if I wasn''t in the way.


    So, I decided to leave the house as soon as possible. My Gift had an obvious use forbat, so I trained diligently to be strong and eventually reach the position of knight.


    I wasn''t particrly interested in the battlefield or anything like that... it was also not just a matter of following my father''s footsteps... It was just... what I thought I''d be the best at.


    After all, fighting should be easy.


    You just overpower whoever is in front of you and then you win.


    With this mindset, I began training in my spare time.


    Since my vige wasn''t in a remote location, nor there was a Dungeon Gate nearby, we were pretty safe, meaning the strongest guys around were lumberjacks or cksmiths.


    Not really people I could test my strength in battle...


    But I was able to beat up all the other kids, even before my first level up, so I thought I was strong.


    Level-ups are very important for my Gift to work, but with danger nowhere to be found, all I could hope for were these stray beasts that appeared every now and then. If not for the experience they provided, I would have been Giftless in all but name.


    While living my days like this, waiting for an opportunity,a knight and his unit came to our town. They were hunting monsters from a rampage that had happened in another city, and I took the chance to challenge him.


    I wanted him to recognize my strength and recruit me, or at least send me to a contest or camp where I could earn a position in the army.


    However... He easily defeated me.


    I mean... I wasn''t expecting to win, but... He had no trouble at all, and for some reason, I felt like I couldn''t use half the strength I usually had.


    That made me very mad.


    I knew I could do better, I was sure I was strong!


    It had to be the effect of his Gift... but he denied my theory no matter how much Iined.


    Apparently, it was just a matter of technique.


    Like strength, some people are born with it, while others have to learn and develop it.


    I thought this was gibberish. To me, techniques were just about looking cool. In a fight, if you''re stronger, you should win.


    So I dismissed himpletely and kept challenging him day after day while his unit was still around.


    Eventually, he started to like me, and he came to visit every day to train me.


    I thought he and Mom were getting along pretty well too... I would never again in that life feel so realized.


    Everything was just falling into ce perfectly for me.


    But then... they found the monsters they were looking for hiding deep within a cave.


    They should have been able to defeat them but... the boss was there.


    It was incredibly one-sided, and the knight I admired for so long lost his life while defending the caravans leaving the vige.


    I felt like he was a liar... the technique and strategy he tried to teach me were useless against superior mighty... I was angry and sad at the man who had died doing his duty... he was the most important person for me and my mother... it wasn''t fair for him to leave us like this...


    But in a sick twist of fate, this tragedy was what allowed me to join the army as a soldier.


    The city we went to needed to reinforce its borders and started recruiting people to either join the guard or the extermination squad that was going to face the monsters again.


    I wanted to avenge him... but... I was too afraid.


    And for the first time, I noticed the contradiction in my decision.


    I wanted Mom to be happy... and to do that I was also going to leave her behind...


    Perhaps this rationalization was just a convenient excuse for my fear... but I decided to stay in the guard...


    And this might''ve been the decision that gued my life... if only I had been more courageous back then, maybe I could''ve gotten more levels fighting weak monsters... maybe I could''ve be strong.


    Instead, I saw mening back from the extermination quest carrying his sword as nothing more than loot. The symbol of his strength...


    I thought that if I had that, I would be as strong as he was...


    So, I kept working as a city guard, and in my free time, I offered my services as a knight for hire. I wanted the money to buy his sword... it was, after all, the only memento he left.


    In my eyes, it was the symbol of his power and honor as a knight.


    But my dream was crushed. Our country was invaded, and the city I was protecting fell rather quickly.


    I didn''t change anything, nor there was a meaning to my existence.


    I wanted to show my mother my aplished self... but the most impressive thing I managed to do was abandon her like all the other idiots before me.


    Even now, thinking that she might''ve died while waiting for me toe back home...


    Such a useless idiot.


    A good-for-nothing, stupid woman who cannot do anything by herself.


    This is who I was.


    But now... I have the chance to make things right.


    I find myself in the same position again... but this time... I will not fear... I will not allow myself to be weak, and I''ll win.


    At least I''ll try, but my opponent is not making this easy.


    Anna: "You do realize that running away changes nothing, right?"


    It was a lesson I learned long ago.


    While this guy is the better swordsman, the fact is that he''s weaker than me. Whenever we sh, I can feel him struggling to stand. There''s nothing he can do to win, I''ll eventually get a solid hit in, and he will be unable to fight back.


    Even if we just trade blows to our heart''s content, my defense is almost as great as my strength. I''ll oust him easily.


    He might be aiming to tire me by making me climb all these stairs with my greatsword in hand, but... my stamina is not going to run out so easily.


    I pity him for trying so hard, but the result is clear.


    Back when everyone got separated, I chose to go after him because he was carrying a sword, which in my mind meant that I''d have more of an advantagepared to my odds against one of the mages or someone with an obviously troublesome Gift.


    I thought it was sound reasoning, but each passing minute made it clear that this ended up being a mistake.


    On every floor, we would fight for a few minutes. He always gets a couple of hits in, but they don''t injure me too deeply as he makes sure to keep himself safe above everything else, and as soon as I start to overpower him, he leaves to the next floor using his speed advantage.


    If we had the same level, he''d have been done for a long time ago.


    But the problem is that he''s making me waste a lot of time here.


    Miwen has a lot of strong girls by his side... so what I can offer him is my defensive status.


    Since Elizabeth decided to apany him, the others might need me to fulfill the role of their barrier, so for the sake of everyone, I needed to end this quickly.


    AOTG Member: "...!"


    He came to attack me again.


    It was the same dance we did other times. He does all his frilly faints and whatnot while I block the way to the lower floor.


    When hees at me, he makes sure that he''s not hit back, so our shes onlyst for a few seconds, as any more than that and I would break him apart.


    While he is managing to hit me, his attacks barely hurt. I wasn''t going to fall with just this...


    All I needed to win this was a good hit...


    But I couldn''t act rashly. Everything was under my control, and if we kept going like this, it would be just a matter of time before he couldn''t run anymore.


    Risking it all in one big attack was senseless.


    We were on the eighth floor already, and there was just one other where he could run to, after a fifth sh, he was finally beginning to run out of space, and soon he''d be left with only two options. Either he would face me properly, or run to thest floor.


    I was sure victory was within my grasp...


    But suddenly, blood started spilling out of my mouth.


    A wicked smile appeared on his face, and for the first time, I heard his voice.


    AOTG Member: "Finally, goddamnit. I was beginning to think that you were made of steel."


    Anna: "What... did you do...?"


    The bleeding wasn''t stopping, and I felt some drips running out of my nose.


    I had already been exposed to something simr... when Ellie uses her Gift to poison enemies, sometimes they get like this too...


    AOTG Member: "Oh, where''s the confidence from the gori that kept chasing after me? You see girl, my body releases a special toxin. I''ve been flooding every floor of this building for a while now. I thought I''d need to concentrate everything on the next floor, but... it''s already game over for you."


    No way...


    I couldn''t feel anything... only that my body was slightly weaker now...


    Was this intentional?


    This was so reminiscent of Miwen... carefully and slowly fighting until you have enough advantages that your enemy is left without option...


    It''s the type of opponent I hate the most... why couldn''t you just be a simple blockhead with a sword...


    Still, this was too early to give up.


    I thought that all I needed to do was get some fresh air in, so I rushed to the wall and broke a hole through it. I also began to destroy the windows of the building...


    However, my condition had no signs of improving. If anything, the amount of blood leaving my body was slowly increasing and my strength was also leaving me.


    AOTG Member: "Wow. I wasn''t expecting the gori to be able to think. Too bad though. I have total control over these toxins. They will not disperse unless I make them."


    Shit...


    In this case... would he still be able to keep this up on the rooftop?


    It''s probably going to be a lot harder to concentrate them than on this floor with just a few sources of fresh air... but he might be able to do it...


    Not to mention... I''d have to go fight my way through this floor and then another... If I charge at him, I bet I can safely reach the rooftop in like five minutes, but...


    I might not be able to afford it...


    The only alternative then is...


    AOTG Member: "Sorry to say, but running away changes nothing. I won''t let you go so easily."


    I just nced at the stairs to the lower floor, but it was enough for him to see through my intentions.


    As I thought... the fastest path would be to the rooftop, but it might not be enough.


    The safest option is to leave the building entirely... but I''m almost sure it would take too long as I''d have to keep him at bay.


    ...I thought about jumping out of the building... But then the toxin would still eat away at me...


    Running away wasn''t going to change anything... I needed to fight. I had to defeat him.


    I can''t believe I fell into this trap... it''s all because I started thinking I was so strong again...


    Idiot, you should know by now that you don''t amount to anything. There''s nothing you can do by yourself.


    ...


    ...But I''m not by myself anymore...


    This guy is strong in a way that I''m not.


    I''m not cut out for cunning tactics, tricky strategies, orplex techniques ... what I''m good at is swinging my sword.


    In this life, there''s nothing I want more than to be strong enough to destroy everything standing in our way.


    I firmly grabbed the hilt of my sword, applying much more strength than I had ever done.


    I''ll not make the same mistake again... I''ll believe in my strength this time... so that I can continue to grow stronger.


    So that I can protect the ones I care about. So that I can make them proud this time...


    There''s no aplishment more important to me than this.


    It''s thanks to his power, that I am now this strong. Thus, I''ll dedicate it to him.


    As for the troublesome things... I''ll destroy them all.


    Now that I think about it, even the sword in my hands is a gift he gave me. My very own symbol as his knight.


    And this is the way to use it...


    With all the strength I could muster, I swung my sword to the ground. Creating the biggest earthquake I had ever done.


    If I did something like this anywhere, I''m sure the others wouldin...


    It''s only thanks to him allowing me to train and test it that I know the extent of our powerbined...


    Each of his retainers is more skilled than me... but they all show me warm care andprehension...


    We have so much everyday happiness that it''s hard to carry... but even with this incalcble weight... I''ll carry it with a smile. And I''ll protect it with my life.


    As the building started to tremble, my opponent lost his smile and charged at me in order to make the earthquake stop.


    Sadly, that''s not how it works. Once I took the sword from the ground and raised it in the air, he stopped in his tracks noticing that he was being impulsive.


    Since he didn''te at me, I struck the ground again, causing another earthquake, as big as thest.


    My strength was slowly fading, but my determination was not.


    I''m not weak anymore and I refuse to be weak again.


    Just another quake and the building was sure to copse.


    So, I raised my sword again.


    Now this was game over.


    He didn''t have an option, he had toe straight at me to make me stop.


    And when he did, I sacrificed a bit of my power to hasten my attack, making sure that our swords would finally meet properly.


    Seeing his sword broken in two... As I thought... I only needed one hit.


    Anna: "Who would''ve thought huh? This gori ended up outsmarting you. Surrender, or else."


    I didn''t have much time remaining... in case he didn''t stop the toxins, I would have to kill him...


    But before I could hear his answer... the building copsed.


    My high defense came in clutch for the second time today, as not only did it make mest longer against his toxin, but also made me leave the rubbles almost unscathed... it ended up just hurting a lot, but I was barely bleeding from it.


    Actually, since there wasn''t blooding out of my nose and mouth anymore, my bleeding had stopped for the most part.


    Which meant that my opponent either had lost his life or was at least unconscious under all the rubble.


    I felt bad for him, but helping the girls came first... we would be able to search for himter.


    At least, that was what I thought, until Mia appeared apanied by some of the others.


    ire: "Phew. And I was worried about destroying everything around us... I should''ve made a bet with Miwen."


    Anna: "I ran out of options and thinking is too troublesome... More importantly, Mia. Can you feel his scent? Help me out, please!"


    The two of us could do this search in under a minute since she''s so good at following other''s tracks.


    Mia: "Sure, it would be bad if we were to let one of them escape anyway... Hm... Under there..."


    Following her directions, we managed to bring the guy out.


    Angelica also healed me in the meantime as apparently, there was still some poison remaining in my body.


    I thought her Gift was pretty strong since she managed to heal me so much while at level one.


    But then... she killed the man I fought right in front of me, and I realized... My experience was a bit higher than before...


    Neither ire nor Mia said anything to Angelica... these two seldom agree on anything, so... it was probably Miwen''s order.


    In which case, there was nothing for me to say.


    Angelica: "I thought Anna was out in the street, but turns out she chased that man inside a building... then the only ones fighting in the open were Mia and Miwen... that''s reckless..."


    ire: "I didn''t have a choice, alright?"


    Anna: "In my defense, I thought wrapping up quickly was the best choice."


    It wasn''t as good of an excuse as ire''s, but thankfully our group wasposed of everyone who usually recklessly chase after enemies, so I was sure they would understand.


    Still, something was bothering me...


    Anna: "I was inside a building, and I only heard one explosion tonight, but... I don''t suppose it was thunder, was it?"


    ire: "No... It''s also bothering me. Elizabeth doesn''t need to go all out but... I feel like she''d take the chance to gain favor with Miwen..."


    The Demon Queen... an impressive title, and an impressive sight. When she''s fighting, you can tell.


    And yet... the night was very silent.


    Mia: "I don''t smell his blood... Angelica?"


    Angelica: "In my dragon form I can feel some blood where they are but... I don''t know who it belongs to."


    Mia: "Well, it''s not Miwen''s. I''ve given him enough beatings to know that at least."


    ire: "Then it''s probably their enemy. Let''s keep going."


    It was a fair assessment... Elizabeth was not only strong but also pretty smart, so she wouldn''t fall into a trap like I did.


    And their opponent was probably tasting hell with the two of them fighting together.


    But still... I couldn''t help but be worried.

 Chapter 130: AOTG Battle: Beas Side

    -This chapter is written using Bea''s POV-


    I''m not really a fighter... even back then, I met my end after being persecuted by some stupid vigers, and I could barely fight back, only managing to kill a few of them before I was captured and executed.


    That was thest time I had fought alone.


    In this life, I thought that going to the dungeon with Miwen and the others made for a good opportunity to test out my magic in ways that weren''t possible or at least that I wouldn''t think about in the confines of my cabin.


    However, I might made a mistake.


    Our king seems to believe that I''m actually strong or something... to the point where he''d allow me to face an adversary by myself,pletely alone.


    That''s very far removed from the supporting role I take... this type of fight is pretty much a first for me in this life.


    I''m not very confident that I can do this... if not for the others keeping the enemies away, I wouldn''t be able to do anything.


    My reflexes aren''t good, and my body is sluggish as hell. Even after he boosted my speed with passive skills, it''s doubtful whether I can dodge close-quarter attacks.


    If ites down to throwing hands, I still suck at it.


    Yet, I don''t find it in me toin too much.


    For starters, this life only exists now because of him.


    While he banned me from using Arcanum, he found me a teacher who has advanced my research at a faster pace than I could''ve alone.


    And in his kingdom... as long as I have his favor, there will be nothing for me to fear.


    If there''s one thing I would like toin is that he made me regret the actions I took in my past life... now that I remember them.


    I used to have people around me... but I pushed them away, and sacrificed good memories for the sake of my research, eventually having no one by my side, nor any desire or ability to make connections with others.


    It would be ridiculous to repeat the same mistake again.


    This dream-like life that he provides me. One where my every wish is granted. One where he provides me with a warm home...


    This is worth fighting for.


    So, I have my head held high, as I face my challenger in the name of my king, and I dare not bring him shame.


    Before any move of my adversary, I start setting up some barriers for myself, much like Elizabeth did in our fight.


    She''s a mage, and her body was pretty much as bad as mine. On close quarters there was nothing that she could do aside from being on defense.


    But thanks to the time the barriers bought for her, she managed to fight against physical attackers... her absurd Gift allowing her to employ those infinitely also helped, of course...


    As for me... I can''t waste all my mana in barriers, or else, I won''t have the means to attack, and if my mana runs out, It''ll be my loss, whereas a warrior can always naturally recover his stamina within just a few minutes.


    So I decided to set up two invisible air barriers. The first one tightly around my body, so that my opponent would think he was hitting me when in reality he would only meet my magic.


    And then, a second one, just a few centimeters away from me. The objectives for this one are to dy attacks and provide me with information about my opponent''s strength.


    As long as I get a feeling for their power, I''ll be able to adjust the barrier on my body ordingly.


    I didn''t have too much time to do anything else in these first seconds of the battle, however, as my opponent quickly closed the distance between us, and with a single punch managed to break my firstyer of protection.


    Perhaps due to the dy that the barrier provided, I was able to get out of the way...


    But I couldn''t help but find it strange.


    Even though he could close the distance so quickly, I managed to see his fisting... taking into consideration his surreal strength too, it''s hard to believe that he has put points into speed...


    I needed to check, but wasting time with a simple attack wouldn''t do me any good.


    Since I was already using air, I decided to take control of the air in the room, as using as few different elements as possible would allow me to maintain more spells and better control over all of them.


    Thus, I retreated away from him and recreated my barrier while also spreading my mana over the room.


    This informed me immediately that my opponent wasn''t well-versed with magic, as any mage would instantly fight for control over the air if they could, and in case they weren''t able to use wind magic, they''d just change venues to prevent the other from establishing a territory where they can control the very air that they are breathing.


    With most of the air under my control, I was able to feel his movements through it, which should allow even someone like me to react...


    This was good... I was slowly making up for my faults... if I could keep going like this, I would eventually create a chance for my victory.


    But if I kept being on the defense, it was possible that my opponent would eventually suspect something, even with a low magic sense.


    Attacking... fire should do the most damage... but that''s precisely why I''d like to keep it for a finishing move if ites to it.


    Earth is also strong, but it''s the most easily perceivable element, and is usually better to use it to restrain or obstruct an opponent.


    This left me with wind, water, and spatial magic...


    I decided to go with water... it''s more noticeable than wind, but it''s also more malleable, which should allow me to adapt it to fit his powers while I hide mine.


    As such, I started throwing some simple water balls around, their objective was to create a few puddles that work like sentries,unching water arrowheads in the enemy direction from multiple angles and at different intervals.


    Since I didn''t have to pay much attention to them, this didn''t affect my control over the other magic too much, and if need be, I could change the puddles into other shapes or entirely different magic, as was the case when my opponent appeared behind me.


    Again, I didn''t even see himing, but thanks to the disturbance in the air and the barrier standing between us, I was able to dodge it.


    Sensing an opportunity, I transformed one of the puddles close to him into a water spear, but I couldn''t pierce him as he once again appeared on the other side of the room.


    ...I had a theory.


    This guy wasn''t that fast when attacking. Only when he was moving I couldn''t see or feel his movements.


    This fake speed...


    Haah... just my luck.


    To test my theory, I stopped adding mana to the air and focused on making a line in front of him that would cross the entire room.


    Once he stepped on it, no matter how fast he was, a wind de was going tounch up.


    I then took direct control of the puddles andunched a barrage of attacks. I purposefully created a pattern that would make it easier to dodge bying forward, but I tried not to make it too obvious either, as sooner orter he would have toe at me as he carries no weapons, has no magic, and only fights with his fists.


    Still, this attempt ended up paying off for me.


    As I expected, he dodged it bying forward.


    But he never touched the line.


    And with the air in my control, allowing me to feel his movements, it was pretty much confirmed.


    This guy wasn''t fast at all.


    He was teleporting.


    Because of that, with the speed increase Miwen gave me, I could follow his movements when he was attacking, but I wasn''t able to do the same when he was closing the distance.


    This made things a bit problematic.


    I''d have to do something about him, but he would always have the option to get away...


    As our battle kept going, he was getting more and more annoyed with my barriers since I threw the puddles into the ceiling, allowing them to simply drop some inoffensive water on him.


    This made for the mostckluster battle as I was only defending myself.


    But the puddles, or any other attack that I couldunch, were meaningless, as he could simply dodge them in a fraction of a second.


    AOTG member: "...Why don''t you just give up? You''ve already figured out my Gift, right? There''s no winning for a mage like you."


    Bea: "I''m not a mage. ...Not anymore. I''m a witch. A very evil one."


    AOTG member: "What''s the difference?"


    Bea: "Don''t be impatient, I''ll soon be showing you that."


    While I said that... my options were limited.


    I needed to think about his Gift.


    It was clearly not as powerful as the Merchant''s. If he could travel through time too, then Miwen''s sister would have never managed to escape them.


    ... And yet, she did escape... from a teleporter, nheless...


    How?


    I''m sure he would say that it''s because his sister is incredible and whatnot, but... more realistically, it must have something to do with this guy''s power.


    More specifically... restrictions.


    They had a scout, and they were able to follow their tracks... but this guy didn''t manage to give chase with his teleporting ability...


    So the tracks they left weren''t enough... nor were the directions that their scout gave him...


    This means that... even if he knows where someone is, he can''t simply go there...


    ...Hm... I suppose it''s worth a try. It''ll work to my advantage anyway.


    The inoffensive water that was dripping from the ceiling... I was spreading it through his body.


    Since it was my mana, this marked him, allowing me to track his position at all times... but aside from that...


    I could also instantly perforate his eyes.


    This is why you don''t let your opponent set up so much.


    AOTG member: "Ahhh! What did you do?"


    Bea: "Hmm~ Now that''s a nice scream~ Oh, you poor thing. Did the witch scare you? How terrible. Why don''t you run away?"


    AOTG member: "Ughh... you bitch, I''ll kill you. You hear me? You are dead."


    Hmhm... even while blinded, he was still able to teleport around the room.


    It''s probably due to his memories of this ce...


    Oh, so perhaps this was it... not the ability to travel to somewhere he can see, but to ces he has already seen or has been to.


    If that''s the case, I should give him a warning.


    Bea: "You see... I have you marked. No matter how far you go, or where you are... I can do something like this."


    I concentrated some of the water into one of his wrists as he was attacking me relentlessly, making me waste too much mana to deploy new barriers.


    Then, I cut his hand off.


    As long as he doesn''t die, Angelica should be able to heal him, so Miwen probably won''t get too mad... probably.


    The poor guy was crying on the floor without his hand.


    It was a very sad sight, so I took the opportunity to control his tears and sent them back to where they came from.


    But perhaps I''m not that good with anatomy, as I ended up blocking his respiration instead, which made him pass out.


    Bea: "I hope you learned your lesson. A witch can only bring disaster upon you. Now... where is Angelica..."


    Angelica: "Here."


    Bea: "...fuhh... speak of the devil."


    ire: "Calling an angel a devil... talk about poor taste huh?"


    True... I suppose it was not my brightest move.


    In my defense, she scared me shitless. These races with wings can walk so silently... they already have the perk of flying, but with this, they would make for incredible assassins


    Speaking of assassins though... as soon as she arrived, instead of healing my opponent, Angelica outright killed him.


    I had a small inkling that this might''ve been the case but... it seems like Miwen is really going that way huh?


    He had already warned me that he cared not for others whom he wasn''t responsible for, but for it to be to this extent... I wonder if his anger is clouding his judgment, or if he will go this far every time he fights an opponent.


    He''s showing them as much mercy as he does for monsters... absolutely none.


    While I''m not against it whatsoever, this might hurt his rtionship with some of the others... they have high expectations of him due to the way he treats them... so I''m sure this wille as a shock, even more to Ellie and Licia...


    Bea: "Ah... I almost forgot I need to go help Ellie."


    ire: "Hm? Do you know anything about her fight?"


    That''s not it. Like me, she''s a backline support. Fighting one on one puts her in a disadvantage from the get-go.


    But there''s another problem with her. A way bigger one.


    That girl is too earnest and innocent. She will probably face the challenge head-first instead of setting traps like I did.


    Bea: "As the older sister, it''s my duty to protect her."


    He showed me the importance of having others around you. Ones you can count on. Ones that count on you.


    I''m ashamed that I went as far as to trade something like this for my research... I really regret it now.


    But... this is the biggest gift he gave me.


    And I won''t lose it again.


    This time, I''ll let my greed run amok, and I''ll have everything that I want, without sacrificing anything in return.

 Chapter 131: AOTG Battle: Ellies side

    -This chapter is written using Ellie''s POV-


    Unlike the elves around me who enjoyed what nature gave them, and saw themselves as simply flowing with the world''s motions, I grew up curious about my surroundings.


    I wanted to see and taste new things, and I often ventured to the border of the woods to collect items that people left behind or that the other elves threw out of the forest.


    Hoarding these items was fun for me as I tried to understand and think about what stories could be behind them... But suffice to say, this never satisfied my curiosity... if anything, it only ended up growing stronger.


    I wanted to see more.


    But our way of life didn''t allow for something like that... we were stagnant. We would hunt the same animals, and nt the same crops. The quantity would hardly vary too.


    For two babies to be born in the same decade would be a miracle, so I already knew everyone''s faces and personalities, as well as their ever-repeating routines.


    I would never be able to be satisfied while in there. I knew that my heart was calling for something different.


    It wasn''t anyone''s fault. I wouldn''t like to change their way of life to fit mine either... it''s just... home felt... somewhere else.


    So... even though I knew I''d probably never be able toe back after I left... even while knowing full well that it would be dangerous...


    I went out.


    And I saw the world.


    For two decades I traveled far and wide. I visited a bunch of countries, learned about their history and their culture, and met so many different people that I cannot even remember everyone''s faces and names.


    Along the way, I would often meet people looking to hurt or exploit me, but I''d also find kind people who helped even when there was nothing I could offer in return.


    In my voyages,I also got to taste a bunch of different cuisines, which, truth be told, was probably the best part of it all.


    As I had already visited most of the countries in the continent, in myst years, I was starting to settle down with a party of adventurers.


    We didn''t travel as much as I''d like, but since we had some notoriety, sometimes we would receive special requests.


    One such was thest fight I participated in before my death.


    Thanks to everyone''s help, we managed to y a dragon.


    That, of course, called for a celebration. By selling its scales, heart, and horns, every single one of us had be rich enough to buy a small county or two.


    With that amount of money and what I had saved up, I could buy the counties where the forest I grew up in resided.


    That ce had been attacked a few years after I left due to some incidents regarding ims of thend.


    Since my people didn''t really consider themselves owners of the forest, some greedy men started questioning if the territory wasn''t simply up for grabs.


    Due to that, the forest ended up way smaller than before, and the poption probably decreased as well... but maybe I could have them under my protection.


    I could even bring them my favorite things from the outside.


    Who knows? Maybe they could change their minds a little bit if they came to know and like them...


    Maybe they would understand me a bit better.


    Maybe they''d let me in again...


    I had traveled way more than most people. I got to know so much about the world. But... I never found my home.


    The forest and the party I was in... they were the closest to it... and the consequence of leaving the forest... started bing too heavy for me.


    There were so many people that I loved that still lived there... I wanted to see my family and friends again...


    In my ideal world, I''d have both a home to return to and the opportunity to explore new things every day.


    Perhaps I was asking for too much...


    But I could certainly hope and dream... a dream where I could continue experiencing the world, meeting new people... and when I became tired or had enough... I could go back home, to the people who I loved.


    It was while dreaming about this that my life came to an end.


    The next thing I knew, I was in the middle of a room, facing an unknown man. Surrounded by a bunch of naked women.


    One look at myself and my status made me realize that something was wrong.


    And after his exnation, I understood that I had died in my sleep.


    It''s hard to say what exactly happened but... it''s more of a matter of me trying to deny reality.


    Miwen and the others don''t say it out loud, but I know what they think.


    After all, I also think the same.


    I wasn''t ill or injured. We hadn''t picked a fight, and I would certainly notice an assant during the night.


    Thus, the possibility left was that... during our celebration... someone poisoned me.


    And there was a good chance that it was someone in our party. Perhaps they needed just a little bit more money...


    Or perhaps they wanted all of it for themselves. After all, there''s no guarantee I was the only victim.


    Well... it''s no use crying over that...


    Even more so considering that I got something better in return.


    It was not the way I envisioned it but... by being optimistic and perservering a little bit more...


    I had finally found the ce that felt like my own home. More than any before.


    The feelings I have right now... especially towards Miwen... I don''t yet understand them... I don''t know where theye from, or why I feel so at peace when I''m with him.


    But it says a lot that I''m not interested in discovering either. For the first time... I just want to enjoy what I have.


    I want to be closer, closer, and closer to him. When we are together my anxiety and my regrets disappear alongside the doubts in my heart.


    The special man who is so gentle and kind, and yet downys himself at every opportunity...


    With his family of odd girls...


    He founded a ce that I can call home.


    And now that he needs me.


    There was no way for me to deny his call.


    No matter the opponent, I was prepared to give it my all so that I could return to them victorious. So that we could celebrate in our home.


    AOTG Member: "Can''t hide forever, cutie."


    Ellie: "..maybe but I''ll still try."


    Finishing this without being seen became a matter of pride to me.


    The way this guy looked at my legs... I was sure that if he caught me, fighting wouldn''t be his top priority.


    Even before our fight started, I could tell that he was checking every girl in our group, and he took a liking to Mia and me, probably due to our races being a novelty in this world.


    But he quickly gave up on her and chose me instead.


    I swear when this is finished I''ll start doing some push-ups with Mia and Anna. If I had half their muscles I think this would happen way less to me.


    But It would also help a lot if the people from this world didn''t have this weird fetish with elves either.


    Well, I suppose even in other worlds situations like this happen due to our race''s inclination to stay within smallmunities.


    Back then the only reason this wasn''t the case for me was thanks to my epithet that preceded me everywhere I went.


    People were genuinely scared of me most of the time, and if someone mistakingly judged me by my looks, they would instantly get corrected by others.


    The collection of effects I lovingly named the [gue Series]... thanks to this power, even the person who managed to kill me in my past time didn''t dare to do it in a fight.


    As the name suggests, using my Gift, I can even apply certain diseases that went down in history as gues.


    Not only that... even if it was a gue that killed, let''s say... dragons. And didn''t affect humans at all... Well, I can still forcefully apply it to a human.


    Doing something like this is enough to destroy an entire country, so I didn''t rely on it all the time. But it was still enough to get a message across, and no one dared to mess with me when they knew of the consequences.


    Things are a bit different in this life, however.


    I... Well... I obviously couldn''t tell Miwen back when he just summoned me about this.


    There was no way for me to trust a man I had just met with power like this.


    As time passed though and I began to understand him better, another feeling reced this one.


    I didn''t want to put his world and the people he loves in danger by using this.


    If I brought gues that they have no resistance against from other worlds or other races... with their levels and their magic knowledge... it''s quite possible that I could bring this world to ruin.


    Not to mention... I can''t control the infection once it starts, so if I used this, then he and the girls would also risk being infected.


    This ended up preventing me from telling him... I became afraid of what he''d think about my power if he knew...


    I know he wouldn''t treat me badly or anything...


    But the thought that he might find me scary... well, ironically, it scares me.


    I feel so ashamed about this childish feeling...


    But it''s not like I haven''t been doing anything either.


    I''ve been trying to find a good opportunity to ease him into the subject so that I can exin it to him withoutplicating things too much... it''s just hard to concentrate on doing it because I keep getting distracted when we are alone.


    Still, I''ll properly tell him one day.


    Since it''s his world that will be in danger... I want him to be able to choose where and when I use this power.


    Thus, tonight, I''ll fight without it.


    There''s still plenty I can do after all.


    Just because my normal strategy of paralyzing and poisoning my opponent didn''t work out, it wasn''t like I had to resort to something so extreme out of the blue.


    There were plenty of ways for me to win.


    The biggest problem I was facing with this guy was due to his high defense and the power of his Gift.


    They were bothplete counters to me.


    His high defense meant the effects I gave him barelysted, or, in case their duration wasn''t affected like it was with the poison, their power was simply reduced too much, rendering them unreliable.


    Not to mention the worst part... his Gift.


    After hitting him twice, I felt my body way more sluggish, and when he started chasing after me, I couldn''t muster all my speed.


    Thankfully the room we were in had a bunch of pirs and desks for me to hide and take a look at my status.


    It did confirm my fears though... my status was 80% of what it should be.


    If I was at a long distance and only providing support, this wouldn''t have mattered too much, but... this gave him a way better chance of approaching and defeating me.


    For my Gift to activate, I need high [Dexterity] or [Luck], so now there was a risk that I would attack him and my Gift wouldn''t even trigger.


    Not to mention... this basically meant that I had to defeat him within 8 shots.


    It was possible that he couldn''t lower my status beneath a certain percentage but... I decided to assume the worst as being optimistic wouldn''t bring me any advantage this time.


    Since I''m not physically strong like the other girls, nor am I that good with magic... the only thing I could do in this situation was rely on my Gift...


    This bad luck is not a good signal... I hope the others didn''t get such a poor mashup...


    AOTG Member: "Found you~"


    And this bad luck is even worse.


    I only made half the preparations for myst Hail Mary...


    And it wouldn''t do me any good to use it now either.


    Even with the skills Miwen shared with me I wouldn''t have been able to avoid him forever.


    More importantly... I wouldn''t be able to win even if I did.


    So even if I''d like to remain hidden through the night... I would have to get my face out to fight properly.


    I just didn''t want it to be this way.


    His hands were too big, and with my status decreased, I had no way of fighting back when he grabbed me by the neck, lifted my body in the air, and started to strangle me.


    I knew I couldn''t hit him back without a n either... I had to consider each and every effect I would give him.


    It was hard to think in this situation, but before my consciousness faded, I decided on my course of action.


    Thankfully even though this idiot had stared so much at my legs he never took away the daggers I kept there, so I started reaching for them.


    But I ended up underestimating him too much, and while he strangled me with one hand, he tried to grab my arm with the other.


    It was then that...


    AOTG Member: "Khh... a wind de? Who''s there?"


    A small sparrow intervened. One invisible to this man.


    It was Apollo, Miwen''s bird spirit.


    He is very weak, but he has certainly gained a few levels since he fell to the ground after a single attack, I understood that he had put all his strength and power into that single stance of [Wind Magic].


    I didn''t even see him following me... perhaps this was on Miwen''s orders...


    That guy... even in this situation he is still looking out for me...


    I couldn''t help but think how lucky I am to be by his side.


    But before anything else, I used the chance Apollo gave me and decided to go all out.


    My usual strategy of spamming effects to hold in ce and slowly defeat my enemy wasn''t going to work, so...


    I started usingbos that I knew were going to be effective against this guy.


    With the daggers I reached, I stabbed his arms by applying a lot of my remaining mana into [Wing Magic] that would strengthen the perforating ability of the daggers.


    Since my status was going to be lower anyway, it was better to use my mana like this than let his Gift take it away without putting it to use.


    As for the results...my opponent was injured, and I managed to inflict both [Defense Down] and [Luck Down] on him.


    He also screamed too much and closed his eyes in pain, which allowed me to hide again.


    It was only thanks to Miwen sending Apollo after me that I managed to escape...


    I really don''t think I''ll ever be able to repay his kindness...


    But at least I won''t fail him.


    This, I swear.


    Even if I''m operating at only 60% of the capacity I should have... the effects I applied to him ought to have leveled the ying field.


    I wasn''t going to be able to take all of his status like he was doing to me, but by focusing on his most important ones my chances should have risen considerably.


    With these effects applied to my opponent, my Gift should trigger reliably even if my status decreased even further.


    But just to be sure, I decided to use some of the stronger effects I had.


    They are not something I use willy-nilly either, but... it''s worth it.


    I don''t mind bing feared or losing my ce again if it means I''ll do it for him.


    After all, I know he''ll love me no matter what.


    So, with the distance I had created between me and my opponent, and the preparations I hadid basically all done, I started firing again.


    Two arrows flew aimed at his head as I was going for abo I hadn''t yet used in this world.


    But... my opponent wasn''t a monster, and he was capable of determining the effects of my Gift too.


    Thankfully in this dark ce, while he could defend himself, it was really hard for him to avoid the arrows, and had no choice but to block them with his arms.


    This made me change the effects before they applied though, and I chose [Strength Down] and [Weight Up]. Together, they made him fall to the ground, making for easy prey.


    The moment he raised his arms I already knew I was going to have to shoot again, and I didn''t want to risk doing it with my status even further decreased, so I shot them in quick session before the others had hit.


    Sadly, one of their effects didn''t apply, but both arrows grazed his forehead, causing [Disruption]. Together with [Confusion], both effects affecting the mind, I had hoped that his brain was going to shut off, but...


    This only led him into a berserker state, and even though he was still suffering from [Strength Down] and [Weight Up], he came rushing at me.


    With my status now only 20% of what it used to be, the only way I could escape was by using wind magic to jump above him and get behind his back as he was too fast for me to dodge normally.


    Since I couldn''t count on speed, surprising him was the only way I could think of avoiding hisst attack.


    As for what I would do after... my options were running out, and soon the effects were going to disappear too so...


    Ellie: "I''m really sorry about this..."


    He once again charged in his frenzied state.


    But the arrow I shot at his head this time had the [Dissolve] effect.


    While I knew the danger of aiming this at someone''s head... it was myst chance.


    In case this failed, I was pretty much done for and would have no choice but to go for a draw.


    I didn''t want to kill anyone, so I hoped this was only going to put him down for the night.


    But once the arrow hit, it was all up to him.


    It should be okay if he develops a few after-effects... a good healer can probably help him out...


    I''m like... 30% sure!


    Ellie: "Um... You''re not pretending to attack me, right? J-just so you know I have another thing prepared and you''ll really suffer if you attack me, yeah?"


    I thought it was safe to approach him as I had regained my status after he fell face-first on the ground.


    This guy was heavy as hell though... I thought it was because of his size, but then I remembered that it was also my fault.


    Either way, I had to use both arms to move one of his, but when I did, I saw his fingers moving too, so this should mean that he''s fine...


    Bea: "Ellie! Big Sis is here to help!"


    Ellie: "Wait, wait! Bea... careful where you''re stepping."


    Mia: "Hm? What is this...? Are you changing jobs to an artist?"


    The floor was filled with arrows I had fired and held on using wind magic and some stics that I found in the desks.


    In case I had been defeated, my wind mana would dry up, and... this was going to trigger.


    All of them had even worse effects than thest one I used on him, but...


    I had to guarantee my victory one way or another.


    Bea: "...Ellie, Angelica is going to do something a bit nasty now... let''s wait outside alright?"


    Ellie: "Hm? What do you mean-"


    Angelica: "No need to worry. It''s not going to trigger. I need to be the one to kill, remember ?"


    ...?


    I was very confused about what was happening.


    Anna: "Are you saying that...?"


    Angelica: "Well, I get that you might not believe me but... yeah, this one is already done for."


    The moment she said that... everyone turned their faces around and looked at me with surprise.


    Ellie: "U-um... W-well... you know? Must''ve been when he fell... he hit his head pretty hard..."


    Sure... dissolving his brain obviously didn''t have anything to do with that.


    Damn... I''m sure they will look at me with different eyes from now on-


    Mia: "Damn. Didn''t know you had it in you."


    ire: "And here I was worried... sorry about that Ellie! You''ve got guts!"


    Eh?


    You guys do realize I just killed a man right?


    Why do you look so fine with it?


    Actually, why are you cheering me on over that?


    Bea: "I guess it was our mistake for underestimating the quiet one... then, should we go for Licia now?"


    ire: "Sure!"


    I suppose most of them were soldiers... and the other is a self-proimed evil witch... they probably did the same to their opponents too, so to them, it''s not a big deal.


    Miwen and Licia might think otherwise though... but I''ll ept responsibility for my actions when the timees.


    It''s strange to feel so epted, but... it also feels good.


    But also, I really need to search for non-lethal effects...


    I''ll ask Miwen if he can help me outter.

 Chapter 132: AOTG Battle: Licias Side

    -This chapter is written using Licia''s POV-


    I''ll have to thank ire and Mia when I get the chance...


    They told me multiple times that fighting against other people ispletely different from fighting against monsters, and if not for their help, I''m sure that I would struggle way more.


    Licia: "Uwah... almost."


    I had finally managed to close the distance between us, but due to her dodging at thest second, I didn''t manage to hit her head with the blunt side of my sword.


    I still managed to get her shoulder though, but it didn''t seem to be enough to give me a big enough advantage to exploit yet... even more so considering...


    Jessica: "It''s insulting that you are not taking this seriously. If you have a death wish, stay still."


    A chain de came quickly in my direction, trying to stab me.


    It would be easy to deflect it, but... she keeps control of her chains even after I damage or cut them off...


    The only ways I found to deal with them are to either freeze thempletely or avoid them whenever possible.


    Seems like she''s able to produce and control these chains infinitely with her Gift, so if I recklessly used my magic at every opportunity I would be the one losing this fight.


    Thus, I had to give up the momentum and the close-quarterbat to fall back to a small controlled area of my own.


    Beatrice doesn''t often practice with us unless she has an idea she wants to test out, or if ire manages to provoke her enough into doing a showdown, but whenever we get her to participate, she makes a statement about the importance of setting up territory in a magic battle.


    ire''s each attack is generally more powerful than Bea''s, but thanks to her area of control, Bea can keep up and even sneakily attack ire using it.


    Well, she still has to pay a lot of attention to ire''s fire magic though, but she would definitely be in a worse position without taking control of a space.


    This type of practice is not very necessary in dungeon raids since we are always moving around and rare are the monsters that use clever tactics like taking control of the mana around their opponents.


    But in a battle against another human, I''m seeing a lot of reason to keep my own little icy arena.


    Jessica, the member of the AOTG I''m fighting can use her chains to attack and defend effectively from both medium and close distances, not to mention that they rarelye at me straightforwardly like a sword, which makes fighting them quite difficult.


    Even if I block one link, it does nothing to stop another part of the chain from attacking or a different one from whipping me.


    It felt like I''d only been able to fight back against her in the area where I took control.


    In this small space, I could erect ice pirs faster to block the chains or freeze them without as much dy since my ice magic was ready before we even made contact.


    Well, I did manage to close the distance between us this one time, but only because she overused her chains in a desperate attempt to break through this defense which left me a small opportunity window.


    I at least managed to discover that she''s not super patient.


    Licia: "Um... Well, I mean no disrespect... I''m not making it more difficult for the thrill of the challenge or anything, you know?"


    Jessica: "Then what is your problem?"


    Licia: "...I can''t afford to make a mistake tonight. If I don''t tread carefully, I''ll risk everyone''s future."


    Miwen''s decision is unclear.


    I''d love to be able to say that I see through him or that I can read his mind, but... I don''t want to risk being mistaken.


    All I can go off from are confrontations he faced, and the things he says.


    But...


    His words are hardly reliable... he talks about himself as if besmirching his own name and actions, not all portraying the things that everybody sees in him.


    He refuses to ept himself as a good man, saying that we are just a special circumstance due to being his responsibility...


    And yet, I cannot say for certain if this is another side of his kindness, shown in the form of cruel honesty toward himself, a warning to us not to trust what we see too deeply, or if it''s just aplex about not having faith in himself...


    The only way to know if he has been bluffing and lying or not is... the very situation we have right now... and I... cannot help but worry about it.


    I''m scared of what results today will bring, but... I''ll do my best to not disappoint him.


    Since I''m not confident in his intentions... I''ll simply follow his orders.


    He told us to beat them, so I decided to do exactly that. Nothing more, nothing less.


    Jessica: "Hah... you say he''s a nice guy, but he leaves so much for you to carry, huh?"


    Licia: "Yeah... I guess you have it easier?"


    Jessica: "Hmph. I only see Lance extending his hand to throw a punch. I have no one to care or worry about."


    Must be nice... I feel like the amount of people and things I have to care about keeps increasing.


    The girls can wreak havoc in his house and Miwen will not only allow them but also call it cute.


    He talks a lot about being responsible for us but if not for me, there wouldn''t be any rules in the house aside from the basic "don''t stab me in my sleep" he set up with ire and me back then.


    And even though I went to the trouble of setting the rules, I also have to enforce them even though he''s supposed to be in control.


    He knows everyone listens when he talks, but he still passes most of the responsibility to me.


    And then he has the gall to say that he''s going to be a king. I''d love to tell him that I can''t carry a nation on my back, but...


    If he asks me, I think I can do it.


    Even if he doesn''t...


    Even if he doesn''t say a word and even if it''s impossible for me... I''ll try my hardest.


    I''ll take the jobs he doesn''t want to do. Tough work or in bothersome, it doesn''t matter.


    Because... I am the happiest when I see him happy.


    I want to see him realizing all of his desires, and I am proud of every little, asked for or not, speck of help that I can give him.


    He''s truly special to me, and I know that I want nothing more than to be by his side when he gets the things he wants and deserves.


    I know the potential he holds, even if he denies it.


    I believe him to be a genuine, kind man, even if he disagrees.


    And I want others to know this side of him too, even if he says it''s not his only.


    It''s this honest, kind self of his that I fell in love with, after all.


    Licia: "I take it back... I think I already have it nice."


    Jessica: "Hm. I see, in that case, you can rest in peace."


    Licia: "Eh? Not at all... things will be a mess if I die. Poor Ellie is going to get overworked to death."


    Sadly, Jessica didn''t seem to want to talk anymore and resumed her attacks with the chains.


    For the first time in our battle, she started using magic of her own to light them on fire.


    Not only that, much like ire does with her sword, by swinging the chains, she couldunch fire des that melted the ice blocks I erected around me.


    Licia: "You know... you look a bit sad."


    Jessica: "Shut up..."


    Licia: "I mean, you said you had nothing to worry about, but I find that strange... when you love someone, it''s normal to worry about them right?"


    Jessica: "Only if they are a weak man. I don''t have that problem, thank you very much."


    Talking so much to an opponent is not something I''m really used to... it might''ve been the anxiety due to my inexperience in fighting another person. but...


    I felt like there was something more bothering me tonight.


    I had managed to strike up some conversation with her in the beginning. She didn''t look like a bad person to me... but I felt my heart so heavy whenever she talked.


    I... had a lot of pity for her, without even knowing why.


    But I think I understand it better now...


    She''s youthfully immature.


    The bad thing she did today... I believe she didn''t do it while thinking by herself.


    She''s just following the person she believes in. And that by itself, is not so different from what I''m doing.


    Though, I believe Miwen''s cause to be way more just.


    Licia: "You know... I think it''s valid to worry about strong people too... they also end up picking fights they cannot win, against things and people even stronger... Hell, they might do it more than the weak."


    Weak people sometimes don''t choose to fight, while strong people sometimes don''t choose their fight. They simply hear the call and jump into action.


    It''s almost like unconsciously, the stronger you are, the harder the battles you pick.


    Jessica: "Pfft... hearing you is really worthless! Let me tell you something... that guy will not lose. He was born for violence, it''s all he knows and all he cares about. It''s his nature.


    He doesn''t even care if we all die here tonight or not, he''ll finish everyone with his fists if necessary. The boy you guys sent? Yeah, he ought to be dead now. And no need to worry about the other girls too, they should also be following him soon to the grave."


    I must''ve struck a cord. Unintentionally, she ended up being provoked by my words even though I didn''t mean to offend her.


    Still, her attacks ended up bing way more predictable as we exchanged words.


    It''s a shame too, because I thought the strange patterns and angles made her really strong.


    Anna and Miwen always disagree about the value of provoking opponents in battle, but I think I agree with Miwen, it''s very useful when ites to humans.


    Even though she was still trying as hard as before, her feelings were making her weaker.


    I wonder what is the difference between us since I feel like my emotions only work to make me stronger...


    If I didn''t love everyone so much... If I didn''t want to protect our way of life... I think I wouldn''t be able to fight her well...


    When I think about it, it feels wrong... like I''d only be doing a half-assed job.


    Still... her words cut deep into my heart.


    I don''t want the others to suffer, and if what she says is true, then I need to help them... but I want to resolve things here too... both physically and mentally. I think it will be my loss otherwise.


    Jessica: "Getting worried about your boy now?"


    Licia: "...I got worried about the others, actually. What you said just confirmed to me that he will be alright..."


    Jessica: "...Did you not listen to anything I said?"


    Licia: "No, no, no, I did... It''s just that... I don''t know how used to fight people Miwen is... but monsters? Yeah, he has the experience with those."


    He had a couple of excellent teachers. I''d get mad if he lost to an unthinking, unloving beast who only has violence in his mind.


    As soon as I answered her, the attacksing my way increased in speed and power, destroying the ice blocks in a hail of whipping hits that didn''t allow me an opening and made it way too costly to keep up my arena.


    She had finally started using her power to its maximum potential.


    I had to answer in kind, so...


    I summoned a few ice chains of my own.


    Every time they shed, mine would freeze and break hers, but most importantly, I could advance while extending them from my small area of control, which allowed me to protect myself while closing the distance.


    Licia: "This is really useful. Thanks a bunch."


    Jessica: "Tsk."


    Before I could hit her, she summoned more of her chains and made them into a dome around her. When my sword met the chains, she used them to throw my weapon away.


    Then, she used a chain de to pull herself back, creating distance between us and then surrounding me with all the chains on the floor.


    This battle had be a chaotic mess, there were dozens of chains broken or being held in ce by ice spikes in the ground. Their frozen metal still had to melt while my icy chains met hers in the air dropping even more frozen links.


    The temperature of the room was slowly but surely decreasing too, as was my mana...


    If I wanted to help at least one other girl tonight, I would have to finish things soon.


    Licia: "Onest question then... if you love him, why don''t you help him be better?"


    Jessica: "Are you stupid? Because I like him the way he is. Is it not the same for you?"


    Miwen is full of mistakes and problems here and there... if I let him run everything the way he wants he''ll sink the ship with a big dumb smile on his face while he says that everything is alright.


    He''ll probably even joke about it being part of the n for another beach day where he can ogle at our swimsuits.


    Because if there''s one stance where he might lie... it would definitely be to not worry us. To make everything seem seamless and alright.


    As if he doesn''t believe us capable of supporting problems. As if he wants to carry everything by himself, both his problems and ours.


    He still doesn''t understand properly when we tell him that we are his strength. It''s our job to support him, not the other way around.


    After all, he already does more than necessary for us.


    Licia: "I think that''s where we differ... I do my best not to allow him to remain who he is... but to facilitate him bing the man I know he can be. I want him to be the best version of himself because I know there''ll be no other like him. I believe he is amazing, and that he can be even more incredible.


    So I''ll correct him when he''s wrong, and I''ll prevent him from making mistakes when I see them... because I know he can do better, he can always be better. His potential is endless, and as long as he keeps walking forward, on a good path, he''ll be the greatest ever."


    He''s the man I chose to believe in.


    It''s my duty to help him realize himself.


    And I n on helping him every step of the way, enjoying every second of the best version of the man I love, knowing I did everything in my power so that he could be satisfied.


    With himself, with me, and with whatever he achieves.


    As such... I shall not allow myself, him, or the others to make a mistake here tonight.


    Nor ever.


    I''ll demand their best at every turn. And I do understand that this means I have to be imcable too, that it will only give me more weight to carry, a responsibility no one is trying to put on me.


    But.


    I''ll happily do it for him.


    And as for this battle... I''ve seen enough. I have my answer about Jessica.


    She was a surprising opponent and provided a very fun challenge, but there wasn''t much else that she seemed capable of doing, so I used a trick that I''ve been keeping on my sleeve for a while now.


    A frost coat started corrupting the chains that were frozen in ce by my ice spikes.


    She tried to set them on fire to offset it, but it was no use, as the mes were quickly put down with theyer of ice covering the chains only thickening and spreading.


    It''s not my usual ability... it''s the [Ice Veil] skill.


    It''s normally used for defense as it freezes anything that touches the veil, but... It can also be used against an opponent''s weapon.


    And in her case... she needs to let go of the chain or the freezing would reach her.


    Of course, with how many chains she was controlling in this mess, it was hard to determine which ones to let go of, so she could either extend them to buy herself time or let go of every single one of them.


    Since they don''t cost her any mana, she chose thetter.


    Well, there was no right answer... either way, the battle would have been over.


    As soon as I sensed the opportunity, I closed the distance, and as she tried to protect herself in a new dome made of chains... I started freezing them by having my own icy chains covered with [Ice Veil] collide with hers.


    She couldn''t do her dome as it would simply freeze her, so she went for the chain de retreat strategy.


    But as soon as I saw that de being fired at a wall, I erected an ice block and shot an ice spike from it in my direction.


    The de stabbed the ice spike, and instead of pulling her body back, she ended up pulling herself forward as I froze the de in a block of ice behind me.


    Thus, our dance ended.


    A single stab in her arm and it froze instantly. Courtesy of the room temperature, my ice magic at its fullest power, and the [Ice Veil] skill.


    The only way for her to still have a chance was to cut off her arm but... she didn''t have the courage.


    The freezing spread, and she became stuck in a solid ice block.


    Licia: "You should''ve gotten rid of some of the chains earlier... when you decided to do it, it was already toote..."


    It wasn''t like she could hear my advice though...


    The next step in my way was probably going to be ire since I saw her getting caught by a water mage, but before I left the building, all the girls appeared.


    They were pretty roughed up considering they had a healer with them, so it seemed like they had a hard time with their fights.


    Not that I can say too much since I wasted a lot of time just talking with Jessica.


    Angelica: "Then, I''ll start."


    ire: "No. Wait a second."


    Angelica: "Hm? But Miwen''s orders were to-"


    ire: "I know. But if she doesn''t agree with it, he might change his mind."


    ...In the end, things were how Beatrice had predicted.


    Miwen wasn''t going to show any mercy to them tonight.


    The man he is to us, and the man he was going to be to them, were twopletely different people.


    I also thought that this could be the case, but...


    Deep inside I still hoped for a more peaceful resolution.


    The problem was that... I wasn''t going to be able to correct Miwen this time, even though I said all of that to Jessica.


    To keep him on a good path I cannot criticize him every time, nor do it when I don''t believe my own words, and in this situation....


    Licia: "...Sorry ire... I would''ve done the same if it was my sister.... so I won''t reprimand him this time. It sucks, but I think he''s justified."


    ire: "Well... Are you sure? You''re not going to regret itter, right?"


    Licia: "Heh... I''ll talk with him a little bit... but I think it wouldn''t be good to say anything right now."


    A few of the girls were more alright with it than the others...


    Ellie seemed very worried about everything, while Anna and Mia were indifferent.


    ire was more worried about me than about Miwen''s decision, and Beatrice seemed to be a bit lost in thought.


    Still, we were all pretty much in agreement that we shouldn''t hold him ountable this time.


    I think we all want him to be happy, and we know that he tries his best to be good to those around him.


    But we cannot ask him to bury his feelings like this either... even more so when most of us would''ve done the same or worse in his ce.


    I''ll look for a better chance to limit him when ites...


    And as for Jessica... I simply melted some of the ice, allowing Angelica to perform her job as we prepared to leave.


    It felt soul-crushing to do this after talking with her so much... I truly believed she could do better, and that she was just blindly following the wrong guy...


    But still, blinded or not, it doesn''t change what she has done.


    And so, this was the fate she met.


    The same as all the others.


    Licia: "Hm... so these are the orbs you can make with your Gift..."


    Angelica: "Yes... if I get lucky I can acquire one of their Gifts for us, but, no such luck yet... these ones just improve status."


    Licia: "But... aren''t we missing one then?"


    ire: "That''s because Ellie was the one to kill her opponent."


    She what.


    Seeing as Ellie was hiding her face in shame while Mia patted her on the back, it seemed like it was true...


    I''m sure she had her circumstances, but I wasn''t expecting her to do something like this.


    Licia: "I think I misjudged you, Ellie. Sorry about that."


    Ellie: "...N-no..."


    ire: "Don''t bully her too much."


    So she says, even though ording to Bea, together with Mia and Anna, they were the ones who bullied Ellie the most bymemorating her kill.


    Still... I''m d everyone was alright. Especially Ellie and ire.


    One of them is too much of a sweetheart for these types of battles, while the other was caught by her natural enemy.


    I couldn''t help but worry about these two...


    But now that I confirmed that everyone was fine... thest stop was Miwen''s battle at the rooftop of the building he threw that guy at.


    Since he was with Elizabeth, I knew things would be fine, but...


    I wanted to be there to offer him my power nheless.

 Chapter 133: AOTG BATTLE: Lances Side

    -This chapter is written using Lance''s POV-


    This was supposed to be an easy mission.


    Ever since Erik helped the AOTG''s leader, everything has been going smoothly for him.


    That idiot had a natural charm and gift for attracting people, but he didn''t really have the best eye or the nature to cut off others, so itwas easy for Erik to manipte him into entering a contract, and from then on, it was just a matter of slowly consolidating power in the AOTG from the ground up.


    With the strongest card right off the bat, there was no way for him to fail, and any bump that got in his way... well, he could just use an old friend.


    Frankly, the guy didn''t even need to pay me for this job. Putting some thick-headed idiots on the line? I''d do it for free.


    Erik still managed to trick most people into entering his contract willingly, and while sometimes he needed to pull a more audacious trick so that they didn''t notice the trap they were falling into, only a few gave him trouble until the end.


    And for those cases... a little threat went a long way. Sometimes we had to get our hands dirty, but n, Jess, and I always had the skills for this type of job.


    It might actually be the only thing I''m truly good at, so our little system went perfectly and everyone was happy.


    I wasn''t expecting us to rise so quickly, but as long as we left the troublesome parts to Erik, everything tended to work out greatly.


    Well... at least for the most part.


    There was just one thorn on his side that he never managed to get rid of no matter how much he tried.


    Maya... that girl is too outspoken and honest for her own good. She believes in others and brings the best out of everyone she works with, much like the old leader of the AOTG.


    She''s unafraid when backed into a corner, and even when she is standing alone against everyone else, she''ll not be intimidated, instead, she''ll work hard to prove her point and bring others to her side.


    And with her smarts, tricking her is way harder than it was with the old AOTG leader.


    Her skills are also top-notch, the girl has no blindspots anywhere, It''s no wonder that she rose so quickly under the old leadership, and if not for Erik, she might''ve taken the whole organization under her thumb.


    Now, with just that brief description, I could already tell that I was going to hate her, but once I received the job, I knew I had to go until the end.


    Erik wanted to expand the AOTG and bring a revolution to this world. All so that he would reach the position that is rightfully his.


    A simple organization wasn''t going to be able to contain that man''s greed. He needed his own country at the very least.


    Toppling the government wasn''t going to be easy, but if there was one organization capable of doing that, it was the AOTG.


    Since that girl was against it, and was basically the only one in a position to still do something about it, she had to go, one way or another, and I was tasked with resolving the issue.


    Erik told me not to underestimate her, but he usually says that about everyone, so I needed to check for myself.


    And yeah... she was as ridiculous as the rumors said.


    A single encounter in a corridor, a passing moment, and when her eyesid upon me... it felt like my entire soul was being searched, all of myself wasid bare before her without a single chance for me to fight back or hide.


    Her eyes said everything, without uttering a single word I understood what her reaction meant.


    She looked at me... and she felt pity.


    She saw in me a man beneath her, one who had to improve and do better.


    That obviously wasn''t going to happen, no matter how bad I was in her eyes, I had no desire to change... but those eyes... they were a type I recognized. She had the look that only the strong could show to the weak, one I had seen countless times.


    The girl was a monster... so much so that she looked uninterested...


    I thought that she would at least be scared once she recognized that I am a beast too, but she never did.


    I couldn''t believe it, but that was enough for me to bepetitive with her... for some reason, I wanted her to recognize me.


    It was the thought a weak person has to the stronger... and I couldn''t ept it.


    I still feel shivers every time I remember...


    She is the type of person I hate the most. Instead of being afraid of me, she expected more of me, as if everything I''ve been dedicating my life to has been wrong.


    As if all I needed was to ask for help, and she would solve all issues for me without having to put in any effort of her own.


    My own existence was devalued by hers.


    To be so ahead of everyone else, and yet, look back at others with grace, waiting for the opportunity to change and improve others...


    I think I never wanted to crush someone more. I wanted to destroy those eyes and make her realize that stopping to even look at someone like me was a mistake.


    But... Erik was right... I couldn''t be reckless with her.


    Even while simply walking through a corridor, she had no openings.


    It was a nauseating feeling as if her eyes were everywhere and there was nothing she wasn''t keeping a watch on.


    By all means, she was inside of a trap. Deep in enemy territory, and yet, it felt like she was inplete control of everything.


    This meant that it would probably be best to get some leverage first, but... Going after her family wouldn''t be advisable.


    She''s the daughter of Maria and Marcus, two top rankers... their protection should extend even to her little brother... furthermore... involving any top ranker would be too much of a problem under the current circumstances of the AOTG.


    I had no other option but to go after her directly... so I followed Erik''s advice and got a team together.


    10 people should be enough to kill one unsuspecting girl and potentially her boyfriend.


    I wanted to be sure of it, so I even brought Jess and n since those two never failed me before.


    I knew Loyd was a freak for blonde chicks so I promised him he could get a chance with her if he participated.


    It was also a good opportunity to test the power of Erik''s contract, so I brought the prominent water mage, Cassy, much to her dismay as her loyalty still lies with the old leadership... Even though such a thing has not existed for a while now.


    Still, I even went as far as to bring an unknown like Tristan... the guy is a total creep, but the rumors about him were as bad as mine, so I thought he''d add at least an interesting factor to the team...


    With Abraham and his Gift of teleportation and a few others... we were basically going to war.


    And even though I knew not to underestimate her... even the universe seemed to be on her side as we got extremely unlucky.


    Her boyfriend appeared, making things more problematic instantly... not to mention... out of the whole group, she managed to knock out 3 guys in a second.


    Granted, I wasn''t expecting much from the fillers, but still, we were all attacking her together and she refused to go down. I had put her into a bad spot too, and that freak looked like she could still go on.


    But no matter how much they struggled, there was nowhere for her to hide, and no way for her to win. Not as long as I was still alive and kicking.


    I was sure of that, and when she couldn''t move anymore, it should''ve been over... but she got saved by someone.


    In front of my eyes, she and her boyfriend disappeared, and n confirmed a third presence had just taken them out of the room.


    I couldn''t let the chance to finish her go like this...


    She was just a pebble, but there were no doubts that she could provoke a rockslide. That girl knew too much, and unlike the others, she wasn''t in the contract, so she could still talk about everything going on in the AOTG openly.


    Left without a choice, we gave chase.


    We still had the numerical advantage, and the girl was hurt, so we should be able to win still.


    There was only the unknown factor that saved her, but if he was alone, he''d just be another fatality.


    But then, while following their tracks... her brother and a bunch of weirdos appeared.


    Seriously... what are the chances of this happening...It was like fate was trying to tell me to give up.


    Not that I had any intention of listening... or was able to.


    His face told me everything that I needed to know. That boy is not normal.


    He is her brother alright, couple of beasts I tell you.


    But at least he was a more recognizable type. The same as I am, a man with no interest in others.


    For him, people and trash are all the same, if they stay in his way, he''ll kick them out.


    Theplete opposite of his sister, but still a man who looked at others from above.


    I liked him way more. I understood thenguage he spoke way better, and I had my fair share of encounters with men like him.


    Always dangerous, but they follow the same rules as animals. The strongest takes it all.


    This trash with no redeeming human quality, one without consideration for anyone... resolving things with him should be simple. I just had to leave him in the blink of death.


    Once he understood who was the strongest, he would abide.


    It''s no wonder he came at me too... monsters recognize one another. And from the beginning, I was the only one with the guts to look at those eyes directly.


    The others all instinctively looked away... well, they are all weak, so I couldn''t me them.


    Those eyes looked fullymitted to hurting... the warming from them was to signify how pissed he was that someone was standing up to him, and if by instinct, his body moved to remove what was standing in his way.


    As for me... I was very happy that this job had finally brought something fun.


    If I knew her brother was like this, I''d have gone after him a long time ago.


    Still, before we could start, the girl that was with him offered to fight in his stead.


    This was annoying as hell...


    I could see in her something simr to his... but... she was disappointing.


    Like I had done to n before... she was a caged beast.


    Her poison and fangs had been removed for the most part, and she looked like she followed him without any doubts.


    A tamed beast wasn''t something I was looking for to fight, even more so when there was a much better prey right in front of me.


    I did get scared when I saw her Gift, however...


    [Infinite Mana]... how the hell did this guy manage to tame a monster like her?


    I swear, does this family not understand the concept of impossible?


    ...Since I had already used my [Hollow Destiny] to take away Maya''s Gift, I only had one more use, but there was no mistaking between these two.


    While the guy seemed way more dangerous, his Gift read like a book, while hers was straightforward. And too powerful to be left alone.


    So, I decided to take hers.


    It came off as a surprise to them, and I took the opportunity to start hitting the girl.


    Seems like because of her Gift, her mana pool never increased, so she waspletely defenseless, like a little kid that had yet to earn her Gift.


    She still had a surprisingly high resistance, probably a product of her being high-leveled, but she sucked at fighting. She didn''t know how to move or throw a punch, and just stood there taking hit after hit until she was reduced to a bloodied mess.


    Not once did the guy step in to help her, if anything, he seemed to be enjoying a show as I gave the girl a good beating.


    Still, this confirmed things... his beast had eaten hers. It was the reason why this girl felt so strange... she was both determined and cold. She definitely used to step on others.


    But now, she was leashed... she had be weaker... such a shame, it feels like otherwise she would do for a good challenge. Even more so considering her broken Gift.


    After a few more minutes, the girl looked like she couldn''t take much more, so I kindly kicked her in his direction.


    He should understand that I was tired of ying with her now, but he still didn''t turn his head to me and chose to pay full attention to her.


    For one like her, who seemed to once be filled with way more hate, poison, and fire, to follow so readily... my anticipation and curiosity were so high that I allowed them to talk.


    This guy was strong enough to rule over another beast. I wanted to see what he had to say. I wanted to confirm if he was in the same league as I am.


    It was theplete opposite behavior I''d expect from his sister... I''m sure that girl would jump to protect someone no matter their strength, and she would everything in her power to prevent them from getting hurt, even if it meant sacrificing herself.


    But for him to not give me any attention... I was being underestimated. Unlike his sister, he didn''t expect anything from me. He didn''t see any potential or possibility for change, all he saw was someone standing in his way.


    But this mindset was going to prove a mistake. No matter how confident he was in his inner demon since it was going to sh with mine, he needed to pay attention, or else, he would easily end up being hunted down.


    Miwen: "So much for having it covered, eh?"


    Elizabeth: "I am....sorry..."


    Miwen: "Hm... I''ll give you a chance Liz. In the spirit of the Infinite Hotel, if you can guess what I''m thinking about, I won''t punish you."


    Elizabeth: "You... thought that... you could use this... that you could let him kill me, and me it all on their organization... so that the Merchant... killed them....


    for you..."


    Oh... I see... so the girl has backing from someone else...


    Gotta say, the guy is cruel. She looked so determined to prove herself to him, and all the while he was considering if he should let her die or not.


    Props to the girl for realizing all of that too, I knew I was right about her, she must''ve been quite dangerous when she still had her fangs.


    Maybe I should take her from him... I always wanted to train a guard dog, but I never found anyone with potential.


    As for this Merchant guy that they''re talking about... I''m certainly curious, but... if he expects the AOTG to fall against a single guy, he might not be all that good, eh?


    The Army Of The Gifted has members all over the country and even some outside of it.


    Not to mention, a lot of high-rankers scattered all around...


    Do you think we would n a revolution without the power to do it?


    We are getting ready to fight the entire army of this country, no single person can defeat us.


    Miwen: "Haah... You and Bea really underestimate me... this guy too, it seems.... I guess I''ll have to punish you all, after all."


    He made me wait too long.


    I was starting to get restless.


    ying with his toy was fun, but there''s an excitement that can only be felt when hunting a guy like him.


    As soon as the girl retreated behind him and he looked straight into my eyes, I began to understand him.


    They werepletely empty. It was like he was bothered that he even had toy his eyes on me.


    But there was more than that... they felt empty as if his mind wasn''t there...


    He had be a monster that followed a single intention. No feelings or morals are to be found in there.


    I don''t know if he was even capable of reasoning anymore... it looked like he had discarded anything that he couldn''t use to kill me.


    Still, much like a human, he had his guard up and even provoked me to approach him.


    I was expecting him to charge at me mindlessly from the beginning but it seemed like I was mistaken, there was still a speck of reason inside him.


    Good, this meant that I was going to be able to scare him. All I needed was to prove who is superior... once that animal had been beaten enough, he would understand who calls the shots.


    Between him and his sister... I was going to have a lot of fun making them kneel and cry as they looked at me from below begging for their lives.


    Their attitude, their refined abilities... I was going to make them regret everything about themselves.


    I was going to beat them until they never again dared think they were above someone else. I was going to make her the pitiable one, and him the trash not worth looking at.


    And when they think that they have earned my forgiveness... I''m going to kill both, side by side.


    The brother first, of course. I want to see if Maya gives up on thinking that I can improve after she sees what I made of her little brother.

 Chapter 134: AOTG Battle: Miwens Side

    It has been a long time since I''ve done something like this. I understand how reckless my actions are tonight, just to get here I had to break a few rules, and with the decision to kill everyone involved, the odds of this making news are high.


    I''ve been trying not to gain unnecessary attention, but...


    In this situation, it''s hard for me to care about it.


    Hurting himself to protect his own sister was a sacrifice I would have dly made in the past without thinking twice about it.


    While I have no intention of backing down tonight... I can''t say things are the same as they were back then.


    I can''t help feeling sad about what I''m risking this night.


    I thought I was doing good... the home and the peace I built with the girls, our everyday life filled with joy... I was proud that I had achieved these things with them.


    I wanted to protect their image of me, and the fun and warm that we had.


    But deep inside I knew this couldn''tst forever. I tried my best not to lie to them, and every step of the way I warned them about who I truly am.


    That the person they see is just one side of the whole, and in my best wishes to them, I made sure not to hide the other side.


    It was not something I was going to use against them, but I felt like they should know about it.


    It''s who I am, so I knew that one day I would bring it out... I wasn''t expecting it to be for my sister, but... sometimes, we don''t choose the battles we fight, instead, they choose us.


    The option to abandon my sister in favor of the girls... never existed.


    As much as I can try to promise them that everything will be alright, I''m not a superhero, there''s just a few tricks I can try to pull... if they work, we might be safe, but it''s up to luck most of all.


    The ns for the future, however, had to wait. First, my duty was to defeat the man in front of me.


    Elizabeth came prepared, understanding from a single look what I was going to do tonight, and with her by my side, I thought that victory was guaranteed.


    I was thinking that it would make for a good test of how far she''s willing to go for me, but...


    She started levitating from the ground and releasing her lightning and did the whole little show she likes to use to intimidate her enemies...


    But to ourbined surprise, as soon as she said that she had it covered and that I could rx and enjoy the breeze... her Gift was taken away.


    Against anyone this would be a big blow, surprisingly, the one where it would be the least efficient in our group would be me, so her opponent chose well.


    Not that he had any choice either... if he could take away a Gift, he needed to take hers or he would lose.


    It also exins how just ten guys managed to get one over Maya...


    Still, this was a problem for Elizabeth. You can''t get a bigger mana pool than unlimited, so... even though she uses so much magic, hers never got bigger, and without her Gift... she had no mana to use.


    In one move, she waspletely defeated.


    There was no point in her fighting anymore, but, either due to her pride, or a desire to prove herself to me, she didn''t back down, and tried to fight using just her high level.


    This... was a gruesome sight from start to finish.


    She didn''t have any points invested in physical attributes, so she was incredibly weak. She also doesn''t know how to fight with her fists and move her body.


    Much like Beatrice, she has little coordination and can''t keep up with an opponent in close quarters.


    In her current state, even I could take her on and win easily.


    Still... she "fought" until the end.


    Hit after hit, punch after punch... it was a disgusting scene.


    She looked like a defenseless little girl taking a beating from a random guy...


    And her opponent never stopped, even while she had tears in her eyes, or when the cuts started to bleed...


    If anything, he seemed like he was having fun beating her.


    In the beginning, I thought it would be nice to get Elizabeth''s ego down a little, but it was revolting to see what was happening.


    The girl was still trying her best to put up a measly guard in this unteral beating. In a fight she could not win, the only reason that made her still fight, was me.


    It became clear that she was ready to sacrifice herself, even if meaninglessly, just for the sake of keeping her words to me.


    Considering that this girl has faced death before, I couldn''t imagine how much determination it takes to risk it again like this.


    I knew the image of the girl in front of me wasn''t lying.


    So... I decided to trust Elizabeth a little more from now on.


    And I took her under my wing.


    It was the least I could do for someone so willing to sacrifice even her own life in my name.


    I didn''t understand where this resolve of hers came from, and it could just be her pride, but... I chose to respect it.


    My assistant did a fine job gathering information about the enemy''s fighting style.


    Miwen: "So much for having it covered, eh?"


    Liz: "I am....sorry..."


    Miwen: "Hm... I''ll give you a chance Liz. In the spirit of the Infinite Hotel, if you can guess what I''m thinking about, I won''t punish you."


    Liz: "You... thought that... you could use this... that you could let him kill me, and me it all on their organization... so that the Merchant... killed them....


    for you..."


    Haah... that''s what I get for not correcting them and letting them think whatever they want about me.


    Bea and Liz''s opinions of me are still quite misguided.


    Sure, she''s thinking logically, and the idea did cross my mind. But... that would be underestimating the Merchant as much as they are doing me.


    Elizabeth is well-liked by him and Prisci. And there is simply no way those two would be satisfied with just destroying the AOTG.


    If she dies under my watch, this world is done for. As much as she was a gift, she''s a rope to tie me down.


    Since I don''t want to have Earth destroyed, I can''t allow her to fall, or use her death in any strategy.


    More importantly, there is now a bigger reason why I cannot let her die.


    Miwen: "Haah... You and Bea really underestimate me... this guy too, it seems.... I guess I''ll have to punish you all, after all."


    What was passing through my mind right now...


    After having one of my girls getting beaten... by the guy who gave my sister that injury?


    The answer is obvious.


    Miwen: "...any of the other girls should be able to answer correctly, thus, I''ll have to teach you, Liz. Sit down until the effects of his Gift pass, I''ll have work for you by then."


    For the first time, I called her Liz. And as expected of the girl I chose as my assistant, this was clue enough for her to figure out that the situation had changed.


    Liz: "Thank you, Your... thanks, Miwen. I''ll do my best to make it up to you."


    So even a demon can be a good girl when she wants to, huh...


    In the end, I had to carry the faith of yet another one, as her eyes, still painted in red due to all the blood, now looked more alive than when we started this...


    Being the target of her admiration and expectation... seriously, I can''t trust you guys precisely because you waste your potential depositing such wishes in a guy like me.


    But... if it''s just defeating a guy like him... then yeah, I can do it easily.


    Lance: "Finallying out to fight, eh?"


    Miwen: "Oh, did the defenseless girls you''ve been beating up not suit your taste?"


    Lance: "They don''t make for a great game, but you on the other hand...."


    Charging at an opponent like a monster... no trace of reason in him as his eyes were sharp and focused on where he was going to hit next.


    Jab and straights came flying one after the other, the interval between each punch was minimal, as befitting of an animal acting solely on instinct.


    His footwork was good, and he fought without leaving openings.


    He just saw prey in front of him, no considerations for me as a fellow human were to be seen.


    Grabbing his arm did nothing to make him less relentless either, as he struggled with all his might, eventually kicking me away to release himself.


    Lance: "Those eyes... you''re like me... you have no concern for anyone else."


    Miwen: "You''re wrong. I''m here now precisely because I care about someone else."


    Lance: "I can tell this is just an excuse. Even now, you''re desperately fighting to control your urge to kill me. Well, why don''t you let go of the leash? It''s going to be fun for the both of us."


    Same mistake Elizabeth made. I''ve tried correcting Beatrice about this as well, but... I guess I''ve not been explicit enough to them.


    Fighting to control the urge to kill him... that''s not happening.


    Right now, all I can think about is how to guarantee that he is going to suffer until deathes and releases him from me.


    Miwen: "I don''t understand you guys...howe you fear the leashed beast more than the man carrying the leash?"


    Lance: "That''s obvious. One look at you and I can tell that you would be way more dangerous if you weren''t holding yourself back. If you let it go, your instincts will be on par with mine."


    ...I see, I understand now how it looks for them.


    They think I''m not operating at full capacity because I''m fighting against myself, preventing me from fully surrendering to my desires and fully realizing my potential for the fight.


    That''s... a misconception.


    My opponent is a dangerous guy who has surrendered himself to his inner beast, allowing himself to fully drown in his desires, and letting his instinct guide him.


    Like a good animal, he bites even the hand that feeds him. He''s self-centered and only goes after what he thinks is interesting, consequences be damned.


    That''s also something that exists within me, and he seems keen on bringing it out so that two animals can hunt each other to their hearts'' desire.


    This makes him dangerous alright... but it doesn''t make him strong.


    Miwen: "You seem to think that you''re strong because you can unleash your inner demons against the world. But a piece of advice. Between the girl who never had a demon to begin with and a man who keeps his under control... the weakest is you, who cedes the control to yours..."


    I used to believe that every man carries within him an inner demon. That second side that he keeps under control and only lets go when in desperate situations.


    A legacy of our time as animals, a side that seeks only to hurt others with ruthless violence.


    But I was proven wrong. There''s at least one exception in this world... maybe two...


    Genuine good... a blinding light... the very same thing that makes Maya the strongest, also makes her weak against a man like him.


    An animal cannot be convinced about his inner good, the concept doesn''t exist for him.


    In the world, there are a lot of guys who lost to the animal inside of them, giving them control, believing that it makes them strong and more capable.


    But it''s not reality.


    Those of us who fight our inner beasts every day for control, who refuse to let them wreak havoc and destroy what we have built... we are the strongest.


    Because there is no beast more frightening than a man.


    One who seeks to control and conquer... the one with the leash, is the truly scary one.


    So when this guy says he wants to fight the leashed beast, I already know that this is all he can amount to.


    Another animal to be put to death for biting something he should not have.


    Lance: "We''ll see about that."


    Quick and ferocious, as expected, his footwork is light even though he''s bigger than me.


    His punches also hit hard, and if not for Anna''s Gift boosting my status, I probably wouldn''t be able to take many of them.


    Still... I have yet to see any magicing from him.


    Thanks to Bea and Liz''s teachings, I can now feel the flow of mana a little bit, and thanks to that, I can tell that he''s not taking control of anything around us.


    There''s no manaing off from him, so he also didn''t set up an area of control for himself.


    Thus, he doesn''t have any protection against magic.


    As for his build... he is strong and fast, so it''s probably a simr focus as mine.


    He has a few levels over me, but thanks to Anna''s Gift also boosting my strength, there''s basically no difference between us.


    No matter how hard he hits me, I can give it to him back with the same intensity.


    Lance: "All that talk, but I can see you slowly releasing the rein. Finally noticed you can''t win without giving up to it?"


    Sadly, I couldn''t deny his words. I really was releasing the restraints bit by bit and allowing myself to indulge in a fist exchange.


    Each subsequent blow removes the numbness of the prior hit and makes me feel more alive than before, even though the bleeding I was suffering from begged to differ.


    While all we were doing was hurting each other, I found it to be very fun.


    Still, this is necessary. I never said that I wouldn''t use it to fight, after all.


    I keep this animal under my control so that I can use it when the situation calls for it.


    It''s been trained to hurt those who stand in my way, and nothing else.


    But... releasing it just a bit is already enough for me to keep up with his instincts and savagery.


    I don''t need to go further with this tool.


    Because I am a man, and as such, animals are just one of the things I use when hunting.


    When fighting, ire uses the power above-all approach. It''s something I can imitate thanks to having a simr level of fire magic, but... her Gift also boosts her power, and she''s a natural with her magic, so in reality, I can''tpare.


    This leaves me with two other options for physical attackers who also use magic when fighting.


    Mia and Licia... the first keeps her magic usage to a bare minimum. She just reinforces herself to hit harder or to protect herself from getting hurt.


    Thus, her fighting style doesn''t change with or without magic. Rare are the asions she uses it to create opportunities like Licia does.


    Speaking of which... Licia''s fighting style is one where magicpliments her abilities and is used to make an opening in her opponent''s defense.


    She alwayses up with something on the fly to match her opponent, and with her sword skills, she is a menace from start to finish.


    It''s a style that requires precision and creativity so that she knows when and how to use her magic...


    So in this case... I thought thatbining hers and Mia''s would be the best.


    Thus, I enhanced my fists with the wind.


    Among the basic elements, wind and earth are the hardest to perceive, making them extremely useful in a fight against a non-mage.


    Every time we hit each other, the guy ended up receiving a follow-up wind st that left him with a bunch of cuts as it exploded on impact.


    This certainly became quite annoying to him, but to no surprise, the animal managed to use its instincts to understand what was going on and started focusing more on evading me.


    Lance: "That''s pussy shit."


    Miwen: "Bark louder."


    It was music to my ears, though not as satisfactory as when I managed to make him scream.


    And slowly but surely, I was going to get there.


    His momentum is good, and he is used to fighting. His energy is also higher than mine and like a psycho, he doesn''t seem to mind getting hit, if anything, it only added to his enjoyment, making him fight even harder.


    But... he was starting to be predictable.


    His style relied on him hitting and then hitting more, a relentless storm of punches and kicks that left the opponent no time to react properly, and with only able to answer in kind, giving in to their own instinct.


    For that reason, I had no choice but to release the rein a little bit and indulge the beast.


    But... by not allowing it to go too far, I could read him well and came up with a simple solution.


    I would win if I gave in and fought like an animal too... the beast I have is leagues bigger and more ferocious than his.


    The problem is that... he would enjoy this. And tonight, my mind was working on making sure that he would suffer the most.


    So, I decided to break himpletely, and instead of fighting like this, I took the approach of using magic and strategy to corner him.


    I didn''t need to keep up a barrier all the time, I just needed him to hit one a few times between his straights to break his rhythm.


    With that opening created, it was just a matter of striking back with all my might.


    More than defeating him, I was set on not allowing him to perform.


    That little animal he seems so proud of... I was going to make sure it realized how weak its fangs were.


    As we kept going, he started putting more strength into each punch, to break through the barrier and still hit me.


    Of course, with the time brought by the barrier, I made sure to dodge any of his attacks.


    Until I felt he had be desperate enough, andunched the strongest punch he had ever done in this fight.


    To which I received with a smile.


    Lance: "What... are you?"


    Miwen: "Is that all?"


    Lance: "...!"


    He hit me again, this time without the barrier in the way.


    The problem with attacking so relentlessly is that it costs your stamina, and each hit is weaker than the one before.


    Of course, a good fighter will know when he has the advantage of momentum to attack relentlessly, and when his stamina is running low enough that he has to retreat.


    This guy is at least good enough for that.


    But... one provocation, and he overstretched.


    Not only that, his patience ran out, and he brought out the knives he had been hiding.


    Patience is crucial when hunting, and animals can be surprisingly good at it, but under provocation, it''s easy to lead them to mistakes like this.


    The knives signified his ws and fangs. Something he would only bring out to end the fight.


    So, I also brought mine.


    It was finally time to test how Cassandra does inbat.


    Just by equipping her, my status increased. I took a look and saw that her level had gone up, which brought me immense relief as it meant that the girls were doing okay.


    I decided to use just Cassandra this time. I wanted to see how she performed after all.


    Due to her race abilities, she can be any type of ded weapon, so while I initially engaged him with her dagger form, I made her change to a full sword to faint him with her range.


    This was pretty effective, and I managed to cut deeply on his shoulder, almost severing his arm.


    Lance: "Monster... you only know... how to fight with tricks?"


    Fear. He realized that I had a big advantage now.


    I was stronger and faster, and my weapon could mysteriously change midway through an attack, making for easy faints.


    His arm had suffered greatly, and he had no way to run from me. It was just a matter of time now...


    Thus, I had to scare him a bit more.


    Miwen: "You see, there''s a reason why no animal hunts men. When you take control of everything around you, they be tools at your disposal. A beast who can only fight with its instincts... can not win against a man and all the weapons he has. Even more so when he can make use of his own instincts as well."


    Thus, my words from earlier.


    A man who surrenders to his inner beast bes more dangerous, but not stronger.


    It reduces himself. It''s pathetic and repugnant, an offense to those who are truly strong.


    And it''s the error my sister always makes. Thinking that every thrash she finds in her way can change to be useful.


    I have no respect for one who surrenders himself to a weaker version of himself, thus, tonight, there was no mercy.


    While most of the others didn''t seem to be like him, the fact that they surrendered themselves to an animal didn''t change, and thus, they acted like him, and had to be put down the same way.


    Of course, this doesn''t change the fact that this is all for my personal revenge. The fact that I wouldn''t be able to live with myself if I didn''t punish them with my own hands shows that I''m not fully realized as a man either.


    I still have to struggle to not allow myself to reach this degenerate''s level, and in this fight, had it gone for longer... had I no magic or no allies to count on... I might have gone a different path.


    Because I don''t care how far I fall if it means helping her.


    I''m still weak, inexperienced, and unimpressive whenpared to her. But these fangs and ws of mine, this cruel and ruthless nature, the analytical and focused mind, and the weapons I carry...


    Those were the tools I developed for her. To do the things I knew she couldn''t.


    Because that girl... is too good to do something like this.


    Whereas I... I am not above it.


    I am the same type of trash as the one I step on.


    The only difference is that I recognize it, and I have no qualms about using it either.


    For those who are better people than I could ever be, such sacrifice is hardly worth mentioning.


    A weak man bing weaker... bing worse...


    Is fine, if it means protecting those who are truly good.


    Thus, cut after cut, I dcerated his arms.


    Then his legs as he screamed for me to stop.


    Calling me a monster, a beast.


    This animal finally realized what happens when you''re not civil.


    What happens when you mess with someone ready to focus and throw everything away for the single objective of hurting someone else...


    It''s much more cruel than what a beast could be.


    Hell, even the demon by my side might not be able to be so inhumane.


    It was hard to contain myself... I needed him to remain awake, so I ended up using healing magic so that he didn''t bleed out to death.


    Once he tried his best to run from me with his severed limbs... he finally showed his back.


    The one thing I wanted to attack more than anything.


    Thus, I gave him a taste of his relentless attacks, not even using Cassandra this time.


    I just wanted him to have a taste of what he made my sister go through.


    Licia: "...I think this is enough Miwen."


    She was right.


    He wasn''t responding anymore.


    There was no more fun to be had.


    There was never an ounce of it, to begin with.


    I knew this was how it was going to end, and I still pursued it anyway.


    The looks on the faces of the girls... they were hurt by them, absolutely... but the one who inflicted more pain on them tonight was none other than me.


    Thus, I proved my words to them.


    That I wasn''t a good person... that they shouldn''t trust me too much...


    Miwen: "Sorry about this, Licia."


    At least look at her in the eye. Own up to it.


    You only became worse, Miwen.


    You deserve nothing of what you have built, and if it crumbles due to your actions, me only yourself, for they don''t have to live with a mistake like you.


    Licia: "...We can talkter... for now... good job. I''m d you''re safe."


    I couldn''t understand her words.


    I didn''t think Licia would praise me for a shameful disy like this.


    When I asked... her reasoning made me feel a little bit better about it... but it also made me afraid...


    That I might one day fool myself into thinking that I''m always this justified.


    The truth is that... if I cared for these guys even one bit, I wouldn''t have gone this far.


    Any person whobelieves in justice or ethics or any of the made-up concepts that allow people to live in society wouldn''t have done all this either.


    Thus... I remain in this existence where I''m not good enough to be a man, nor do I allow myself to be a beast.


    I''m still treading my path, and while I''d love nothing more than to be a good man... the benefits of being ruthless are too much for me to pass on.


    I can justify it all I want saying that, betweenmbs, a wolf that only bites other wolves is necessary, to prevent a disaster.


    But truth be told... I''m just not strong enough to fullymit. I''m a greedy man trying to reap the benefits of both sides.


    And my pride won''t allow me to give up on either of them.


    To those under my responsibility, I''ll show only the best of times, and to those against us, only a nightmare awaits.


    These people just ended up on the wrong side. As is whoever is behind them.


    But I''ll take care of the AOTG at ater date, for now, this guy...


    I had only one use left for him.


    Angelica: "Hm... I got his Gift... do you want it?"


    Miwen: "I can only have one until level 100, right?"


    Angelica: "Yes... and bear in mind that it will be a weaker version depending on yourpatibility..."


    Miwen: "That''s fine."


    If she ends up acquiring a better Gift, I can just ask her to change the orbs and give this one to someone else.


    But the ability to cancel the Gift of someone else is invaluable. With it, even a threat like Elizabeth can be easily defeated.


    [Hollow Destiny


    You can disable another person''s Gift.


    At level 100 you can select two targets.


    Currently, a Gift can only be disabled for 62 seconds.]


    Miwen: "Liz... how long until you can use your Gift again?"


    Liz: "30 minutes..."


    His version was way stronger, but I think I can make good use of it even this way.


    He also managed to keep both Liz and my sister without their Gifts, so he probably had easier requirements for unlocking more targets.


    Still, this is a good power-up. Thanks a lot, animal.


    Miwen: "Alright. We''ll wait a bit until you recover your powers. I''ll assign a special role for you so that we canmunicate over long distances, and... I''ll have you burn this block. Do you think you can do it?"


    Liz: "Yes..."


    The only way to hide ourselves might be to start a bigger fire.


    The disappearance of 7 members of the AOTG is bound to be news, but... not as much as the burning of an entire city block.


    If the investigation links the two, their deaths may be taken as the result of the fire.


    By eliminating their corpses, the only thing investigators will have to go on from is the fire, and any attempt to reconstruct it will lead directly to Elizabeth, a demon who is not registered anywhere.


    If I can grab an alibi for the exact time that she starts her fire... I''ll at least have a case, albeit not a very strong one.


    It should buy me enough time to flee the world though...


    And in case they preventively arrest me... I''ll have to own the Merchant a favor...


    The most important is that no one else is around when she starts this diversion, so after Liz''s [infinite Mana] came back, I gave her a role as [Queen].


    I still had to test everything regarding this new system, but for now, I just wanted the telepathic link so that we could coordinate well without leaving any trace to be followed.


    As for the alibi, something simple might work best...


    I went back to the kingdom and cleaned myself quickly. I also got a new change of clothes using the Kingdom Points. They were the exact same I was wearing before. If any cameras had caught me, I didn''t want to be seen in different clothes as that would be too suspicious and impossible to exin.


    Still, with a fresh set, I didn''t have to worry about any blood stains and managed to order something in a fast food inside a shopping mall.


    This ce was the only one that had a specific candy store around my home, and I could justify my behavior by saying that I craved them and couldn''t find them anywhere until I remembered this store.


    It was a very weak story, but there wasn''t much I could do. I wasn''t expecting that I''d have to create a fake alibi and story to hide 7 murders, and while I''m not a good person, I''m also not thinking aboutmitting crimes all the time.


    Still, at least for today, I managed to go back home and summoned the girls back so that we could talk.


    I was tired as hell but... I also wanted to say a few things to them... there was a lot on my head, and while I knew that asking for more of them was unfair... I knew I could count on them.


    I just needed to get things off of my system, most of all, and I thought they would also want to talk.


    Still, the first topic that came to my mind was...


    Miwen: "It would be a shame to leave this world but... I cane back to reim itter."


    Anna: "Oh, spoken like a true king..."


    Liz: "Quite. I bring news, Your Majesty."


    So she went back to that, huh...


    Elizabeth had run into a small problem while destroying the evidence.


    A level 120 monster... the boss that had escaped from thest dungeon rampage in the area.


    Liz: "He was capable of understanding mynguage, but I didn''t manage to make him understand his ce... I promise to try harder next time."


    The way she said it makes it look like she tried to recruit the guy...


    Well, after myst disy, it would only be the second monster that lives in this house.


    Still, since she killed this boss... the boss room in the dungeon should be closed again, and since they ended up fighting... the investigations might pick up on this and see her as an adventurer who tried to get rid of the boss.


    They might also link the disappearance of the members of the AOTG to this fight... and believe that they just ended up as random victims due to being in the vicinity.


    With the defeat of the boss, people will probably start going back to the area too, which might bury the news of the AOTG members'' deaths...


    She might''ve not nned any of this, but damn my assistant does a good job.


    Miwen: "Fuh... I think this is it for today, then... I kind of want to rest, but-"


    ??????: "Hm... are you sure this is the right ce?"


    Alex: "Yeah, I''m sure... oh... uh... hi?"


    ??????: "Uh... do youdies know of a boy called Miwen?"


    ?????: "Hm? Ladies? Get out of my way, I want to see too."


    ...Shit.

 Chapter 135: Family Talk

    And I thought this day was about to end...


    I must really be a big idiot...


    No amount of hits to the head justifies forgetting about them.


    Miwen: "Easy now..."


    The girls are a scary bunch... they just finished fighting for their lives, and yet, they seemed more than ready to take on the new challengers that entered our home.


    Well, Cassandra and Angelica immediately knew the identity of the visitors, and Mia also felt confused thanks to their smell.


    If not for the adrenaline still in their bodies I''m sure the girls would have noticed their strange reaction.


    Still, I thought their readiness was praiseworthy.


    Alex: "See, I told you it was the right ce."


    The girls were a bit tense, but Licia and ire recognized Alex, and they lowered their weapons as soon as I told them to.


    An air of suspicioning from both sides still filled the room though, but that was to be expected... the girls were strong enough to recognize the threat that the people who came to our home posed.


    Maria: "...I don''t see your sister anywhere. What happened, Miwen?"


    Miwen: "...Take a seat. There''s a lot for us to talk about... Mom."


    I purposefully emphasized it and I made sure to take a good look at the girls'' faces while I said it too.


    As for their reaction... it was as priceless as I imagined it would be.


    Mom and Dad were worried about Maya, but with Alex here and the immediate situation under control, we could discuss a little bit after I reassured them she was safe.


    I didn''t want to tell them about what exactly happened since aftermitting a crime, telling people about it is definitely not the smart move, but...


    Maria: "Lying is against the rules. Omitting things is against the rules. Half-truths are against the rules. Misdirection is against the rules. Refusal to answer is against the rules. The punishment for speaking anything other than facts or refusing to speak shall be...


    three consecutive head bumps against the table. Now..."


    As expected, she wasn''t going to give me any chances to escape.


    My mom has a pretty strong and unique Gift called [The Rulebook]. She can directly write rules on it, or proim them while also being able to determine the punishment or the reward for breaking or following the rules she determines.


    It''s not as almighty as it might seem though... the effects are lessened depending on the strength of the target inparison to hers, and the punishment cannot be too high either or the target may resist it.


    Still, she is one of the most capable among the debuffers, DPS, and buffers out there.


    Her Gift is incredibly versatile, and even in situations outside of a fight, like this one, she can use it to take control of a situation.


    I already knew that there was no point trying to trick her.


    I''ve tried multiple times in the past, but it''s useless. Even if I find a way to go around the rules, she''s quick-witted enough to adjust them.


    It''s a game of cat and mouse where I, as the mouse, have no winning condition. She''ll eventually corner me no matter how much I run, or where I try to hide.


    It would be nice if I could resist the punishment due to my level but... she''s a top ranker. I might just bump my head against the table one or two times, but resisting all three is wishful thinking.


    This woman can give Elizabeth a run for her money for the position of the strongest in this room, and even if I cancel her Gift using the newly acquired [Hollow Destiny], it onlysts for a minute...


    In the end, I had no options or way out, so she made me talk about everything that happened in minute detail.


    She''s a goddamn tyrant...


    Maria: "... I see. There''s a lot I want to say, but... first... who are these people that you involved in this mess, where are their parents?"


    Father kept quiet as I answered Mom''s questions and I didn''t dare to look at his face. I already knew him well enough to imagine his opinion about this...


    It was surprising that Mom managed to contain her feelings and questioned me about something else first though...


    But it''s just like them to worry about others...


    I could tell that she was pessimistic about what I could have done to convince or manipte these girls into doing what we did tonight, but...


    Miwen: "Well, let''s see... the blue-haired girl is my dear wife and so is the redhead and the blonde elf. The tall one is my colleague by day and ything by night, and the in-looking one is a cherished sex friend who got addicted to me. The wolf girl is my lovely fianc¨¦e and the demon girl is my overly capable assistant as well as my teacher... as for the other two...


    one of them is my sword, and the other... well, I''m thinking of making her my executioner, but since she''s quite cute maybe she''ll be my fourth or fifth wife..."


    ...


    The room fell inplete silence as Alex and my parents looked at me in disbelief.


    Still, no punishment came to me, so they had no option but to ept it as the truth.


    In case om pressed further and asked how things turned out this way though, I would have no alternative but to face the punishment since I had no idea either. From my perspective, things just kind of happened and I got swayed in the motions... like half the time...


    If it was up to me though, I''d like to exin a bit more about my rtionship with each of them, but Mom got me when I was overlyplicating things to confuse them and made me be as direct as possible...


    Thus, even though I knew this required a bit more consideration, I couldn''t be as careful as I wished with my words.


    The girls, however, had even less consideration for me. As soon as my words sank in, they were up in arms.


    Bea: "PLAYTHING? Is that really how you view me? I can''t believe you!"


    Anna: "You made me sound like a slut! At least make me your wife or girlfriend!"


    Surprisingly, Mia didn''t protest or join them in the beating, and the three I called my wives were too upied melting in embarrassment to say something either.


    Elizabeth seemed very satisfied with my brief description of her though. She probably decided that being overly capable was apliment, but I meant it more as aint given how she was so ready to face a meaningless death tonight.


    As for the new girls...


    Angelica had nothing to say about myments even though I went out of my way to provoke a little reaction out of her. In a situation like this, I was expecting her to react like Mia usually does, but it seems like she''s harder to tease.


    As for Cassandra, she didn''t seem to care about what I had to say regarding her, but she still had a smile stered over her face that denounced how amused she was by this situation.


    Marcus: "...Miwen... let''s talk."


    Father finally spoke up. I had never heard his voice so stern before.


    It wasn''t the first time that an attempt of mine to protect my sister progressed into a bigger mess... But it was certainly the first time that it resulted in someone''s death.


    Usually, things would end up after a fight or a threat, but this time I wasn''t ying with kids... I had to go all the way.


    Maria: "...Hm~ ...Fighting in numerical advantage is against the rules. Fighting with weapons is against the rules. Killing is against the rules. Those who break the rules will be unable to move."


    With a sly smile on her face, as if there was nothing wrong with it whatsoever, Mom happily signed my death sentence, and the giant across the table stood up.


    I barely dared to look at his face, and I wish I hadn''t mustered the courage to do so. His facial expression told me everything that I needed to know... I was fucked.


    Due to Mom''s rules, the girls couldn''t help me either, but... it was better this way. I also had a few things I wanted to say.


    His idea of talking was a bit different than mine though...


    I''m not that small, I have my 180 and some centimeters... but still, this fucking titan dwarfed me, and managed to grab my face in its entirety with a single hand.


    No matter how much I struggled, even with both of my hands, I couldn''t take his arm off.


    As if I was a goddamn ser ball, he threw me through the TV and the wall, making mend outside the house through a newly created hole, courtesy of my now shattered body.


    Well... it wasn''t that bad... I don''t think I broke any bones... it just hurt like hell.


    My body can''t keep up with his even in its best condition, so he could at least hold back now that I was injured.


    Gotta thank him for putting enough force to throw me out of the house though... That ce was bound to be a hell pit once ire''s... my TV got broken.


    Although... since Mom was there... ire and the others probably wouldn''t be able to do a thing. She can even make magic against the rules, and with how powerful she is, only Elizabeth should be able to resist most of the punishments.


    And even then... she can proim a bunch of different rules with more punishments... Elizabeth will probably get overwhelmed too, and I already know how weak she can be without her magic.


    Mom is much more scary than Father, so I was actually the lucky one in this situation.


    The Golden Heart Guardian...


    Yeah, I''ll consider it a victory if I can at least face him properly.


    Marcus: "Why did you go so far Miwen?"


    Miwen: "They deserved it. If you had been there... if you saw the state she was in... you would agree with me."


    Wrong.


    Two people don''t have any inner demons in them. Perhaps three.


    But... Maya and Father... those two I have no doubts about.


    Even their worst enemies are subjected to their mercy. They wouldn''t chase revenge like I do.


    Mom once said that kindness is a weakness and that Father was both the kindest and the strongest.


    As a stupid kid I thought this was contradictory, but after hearing others tell stories about him I understood... he could afford to be this kind because he was this strong.


    Marcus: "I feel like you''re lying. Your fists should be stronger than this. You wouldn''t have been able to build everything that you did without strong hands."


    I fell into his trap.


    It''s easy to deceive this idiot with words, but it''s impossible to do it when we talk with our fists.


    I should''ve just quietly taken the beating.


    Miwen: "You don''t get toin. You weren''t there."


    Marcus: "So it''s about this... do you think we are to me for this?"


    ...it''s unfair to them... but... I can''t deny my feelings any longer.


    They have been growing and growing, and they finally reached the breaking point tonight.


    Seeing Maya like that... I didn''t know if she was going to survive through the night... I was worried that my sister was going to die because there wasn''t anyone there to help her when she needed the most.


    Miwen: "She was on the brink of death. Who do you think she must''ve cried for?"


    Mom and Dad... I''m absolutely sure.


    Miwen: "But tough luck. She didn''t get her heroes tonight. She got me. And there is only one thing I can do for her. Go to the AOTG and ask if they have any ns ofing after her now that they lost 7 high rankers. I did what I felt I should.


    You''re not going to make me regret protecting her. If you wanted a better result... you should''ve been there to get it."


    I circle back to it...


    The only fault that this man has.


    It''s that in his over-abundant kindness... he extended his fists to fight for the world... and left his children to fend for themselves.


    I really wanted to be like him when I was a kid.


    He was a hero. Everyone who worked with him talked about how great, honest, and caring he was with admiration in their eyes.


    Even though I knew I wasn''t anything like that... That I was a coward who could only feel safe by establishing some sort of advantage over everyone else, be it through a lie, an omission, or a higher position...


    I still did my best to be a fraction of the man he was.


    I put a lot of effort into being a good man like him... but I never managed to get it right.


    I could do it for Maya... but anyone else was too much. Because it meant I was going to distract myself away from her.


    And I was afraid that if she ever needed me... I wasn''t going to be there for her... like him.


    I would much rather dedicate myself to the few people close to me... I can''t be bothered with the rest...


    If I extend my hand to them, they might push me... and then there will be no one to help those I care about.


    Thus, I''ll select who is deserving and who is not. But I''ll at least let alone those who don''t stand in our way. That''s the best I can do... the closest to him I can be.


    As we exchanged blows, even though I could hit him, it felt like I was the only one feeling any pain...


    That unbreakable figure then slowly approached me.


    His hand wasing in my direction, and all my senses were on high alert, but... itnded on my shoulder.


    Marcus: "...You''re right. Thank you for protecting my daughter. You did a good job, Miwen."


    He seemed really d.


    I know he doesn''t agree with the results, but...


    I was happy that he also prioritized Maya''s safety.


    That girl has done her best ever since she understood her ce in the world to not be a burden to anyone. She knew the importance of our parents'' job and tried her best to not get in their way.


    Thus, she could never criticize the people she idolized, nor could she ask them for help. Her biggest concern is being a hindrance.


    But she doesn''t need to do it either.


    It''s alright. I can spill the vicious words that she kept to herself. I can deal with the problems where the only solution is beneath her... and I will trouble them in her ce.


    It doesn''t matter how far I fall doing the things she would never... as long as my darkness allows her to shine brighter, I have no problems with it.


    Marcus: "That cooled my head... let''s head inside now."


    So he was angry at himself too, huh...


    I should have imagined... he was never so weak...


    I can tell how much he regrets not being there to help her... and also... not preventing me from doing what I did.


    Seriously... you don''t need to extend your kindness to a guy like me.


    If he just used it for her instead, I''d be more than happy.


    Yet... knowing that I also have a ce in the golden heart of this giant...


    It makes me happier than I''d like to admit.


    Miwen: "Huh... I was expecting... more."


    Entering the house again, Alex looked like he had seen the Devil while Mom was casually drinking recently brewed coffee.


    Maria: "Some of your friends were very rowdy, so I put them to sleep... but I like this girl, you should take her seriously, Miwen."


    The rowdy ones were apparently Anna and Mia.


    It is surprising to me that they managed to move under the conditions established, but it doesn''t seem like they put up much of a fight


    Miwen: "What about you Liz, not feeling confident?"


    Liz: "...I can''t do much without my magic...."


    Miwen: "So even you couldn''t resist her Gift?"


    Liz: "Hm? You are mistaken... I''m referring to Licia''s rules. We are not allowed to use magic inside the house, remember?"


    Oh...


    A power that goes beyond Mom''s Gift...


    Even the Demon Queen doesn''t dare go against Licia''s authority.


    Miwen: "And you...?"


    ire: "Yes! Please, allow me to introduce myself! I''m ire Ashbrodd, first daughter of the Ashbrodd family..."


    She takes the cake for the strangest one today. Not only did she kneel in front of my father, but she also decided to introduce herself with this much enthusiasm, almost as if she was forcing herself.


    And the words that came after were...


    ire: "I ask thee permission to...marry... your son..."


    Marcus: "Uh... it''s not really up to me to decide these kinds of things... if Miwen is happy, I can''tin."


    Licia: "It''s because of that game she''s been ying. The viiness is killed by the prince''s father, the king, if she doesn''t prostrate herself and ask for permission to marry his son..."


    Oh yeah, she wasining about that... apparently, there was no time to do all the activities necessary to secure a good route with the prince in the first few chapters due to that.


    But to think it left such an impression on her...


    Maria: "Even if Marcus supports her, I''ll back you, so don''t worry, alright ?~"


    Licia: "Thanks, mother-inw..."


    Miwen: "You seem rather chummy."


    Maria: "She bribed me with a good coffee~"


    Since when are you so cheap?


    Still, now that Father had calmed himself and Mom was in a good mood we resumed our discussion.


    Maria: "So, can we see Maya now?"


    Miwen: "Sure, I''ll make you [Citizens], so you can enter the Kingdom."


    Maria: "Hm... and I''m presuming we can leave whenever we want?"


    Maya really did snatch the best parts of both of them and left me with the worst huh...


    She noticed that Maya would surely have left on their own if she could due to that thick head of hers.


    And with the effects of the rules still in ce, I couldn''t do anything to trick them into entering the Kingdom, still... perhaps I could convince them that it was for the best.


    Miwen: "The AOTG might have top rankers... they mighte after you."


    Maria: "Inside an unexplored floor, surrounded by our friends? If they have such force, surely they will keep it for their revolution... Try again."


    She looks really amused while ying with me.


    I had no option but to y dirty if I wanted to win against her.


    Miwen: "You know how Maya is, if I get her out, she won''t want toe back... and she will probably do something stupid to stop the revolution even in her current state."


    Maria: "Uh-huh, she''ll most definitely feel responsible... but you don''t think she can run from me, right? Not to mention, your father can heal her, so after a while, we can bring her into the dungeon too. She will be safe with us and in the worst-case scenario, we can wait out this revolution."


    These two have more than a decade of experience with some top rankers... their trust is unshakable, even more so considering how much effort they put in and how many of them they have saved through the years.


    The AOTG would need to dedicate an entire army to touch Maya in this situation.


    Not to mention, if I make them citizens and grow the kingdom to the point where I can assign each of them a role that enables them to enter without needing my permission... it would work as a doubleyer of protection...


    But still...


    Miwen: "We can also heal her... right, Angelica?"


    Angelica: "...I believe so... It would take me about two months. But I can do it faster with a few more levels into [Holy Magic]... which shouldn''t be a problem for you..."


    Miwen: "I''ll have Liz be by her side during this time. She is as strong as your entire party."


    Maria: "...Oh, really? Well then... I believe we should let her choose."


    For a second there I felt chills running down my spine.


    Gotta be careful not to provoke her... unlike Father, she is prone to violence if she finds a target to be interesting.


    Miwen: "If I bring her out... will you force her into choosing between just these two options?"


    Maria: "...Uh-huh~ ...If we give her a choice she will decide to run off alone after all..."


    Mom is very smart.


    But this round is mine.


    It''s true that Maya would rather do things on her own so as to not be a burden to anyone, but...


    If she has to choose between me and my parents...


    Maya: "...This is unfair. I can take a trip to a healer and-"


    Maria: "You have to choose."


    When I summoned her to Earth, she didn''t have the strength to stand on her own two feet, but luckily Mia had woken up and quickly managed to prevent her from falling.


    Her boyfriend was currently... "talking"... with my Father... outside the house, of course.


    And as promised, Mom gave her no other options, and so...


    Maya: "Then... I''ll live with Miwen for a while..."


    As expected. Even though Father can heal her in half the time, this girl would rather die than be a burden for them.


    Between the two, she will always choose to trouble me first.


    Well, she will choose to do things on her own actually, which is why it''s important to not give her any alternatives.


    This should have settled things, but...


    Marcus: "That settles it. We''lle back tomorrow to take of you then."


    That''s the contrary of settling it.


    You just made it moreplicated.


    Maya: "No, I-"


    Marcus: "It''s final. Now go back to your room to rest."


    She doesn''t have one, but a quick trip to the Kingdom fixed that.


    I also ended up making my parents [Citizens] anyway so that in the off chance that they faced trouble, they could enter the Kingdom by asking permission.


    I was also curious as to which would prevail between Mom''s rules and my [Orders], but it would be a waste to y around with it, and she would probably stop being a [Citizen].


    More importantly, I could share with Angelica the [Light Magic] and [Holy Magic] levels that my father has.


    Another good thing about this is that they should be able to level up a tad quicker now that they are under the experience-sharing effects of the kingdom, and effectively count as a single person when inside the dungeon.


    It also meant that the girls and I, as well as Maya, would be passively getting the experience of top rankers too.


    Still, this day felt like it was never going to end, but... once my parents left the house to look for a Hotel to sleep in we could finally rest.


    I was just worried that the AOTG might try a night attack, but Cassandra offered to keep watch for us, saying that she''s more of a nocturnal person anyway.


    There was no room in my bed for her though, but she stayed on a desk in my room using her dagger form.

 Chapter 136: Night Thoughts

    We went to bed as normal after I imed today''s [Kingdom Points] and tickets to create a new house in the kingdom.


    Since every house has space for at least three people I ced Angelica together with Mia and Elizabeth as Cassandra was going to sleep with us on Earth anyway.


    The new house ended up being a temporary one for Maya and her boyfriend to sleep in until she was healed.


    I''ve yet to properly know him, but either due to the talk he had with my father or his own sense of responsibility, he made a point to stay close to Maya.


    We made him contact his family and friends and tell them that he would be staying at his girlfriend''s ce for a while, but I certainly appreciate him trying to be protective of her, so he has gained a few points with me already.


    Maybe I should y nice when my turn to talk to himes.


    ire: "Hnn... that''s a bit... too hard... I''m not going anywhere..."


    Miwen: "Sorry..."


    I ended up unconsciously pressing her body against mine with too much force, so even though she ced her hands above mine, I took one off and ced it on Licia''s shoulder, repositioning myself on the bed.


    In response to that, Licia turned more in my direction and had her head rest against my chest.


    Licia: "Can''t sleep?"


    Miwen: "Yeah. It''s almost as if a girl is loudly moaning in my room."


    Cassandra: "Ahn... I''ll try to be quieter... Hngh... if my sweet luby... is not giving you... Ahh...


    peaceful night''s sleep..."


    I told the girls that I was a bit too tired to have sex tonight, but that I wouldn''t mind if they wanted to y together.


    Obviously, I was talking about ire and Licia, but Cassandra jumped at the opportunity and offered to keep thempany.


    However, ire was strongly against doing it with Cassandra, and Licia also ended up refusing her offer, though in her case, it was more of a matter of not being in the mood either since she also didn''t do anything with ire.


    Since Cassandra was going to keep watch during the night, I offered her my phone to distract herself a little since the PC screen was a little bit too bright.


    But well... her idea of distracting herself was masturbating to porn.


    Any girl with my memories of what usually happens in this room would certainly have some expectationse the night, so I should''ve been more suspicious about how strongly she argued to sleep here.


    It''s just that... well... no girl has been so shameless with their libido so far...


    Even girls with a strong sex drive like Anna and Bea are less open and more reserved about their desires.


    While it is normal for them to ask me for a quickie, they are mindful of others and will often choose hidden spots or ces where they know no one''s around.


    I''m sure they also deal with their desires by themselves when I''m not avable, but at least for Bea, Ellie never said anything about hearing her touch herself, so she must have the decency of doing it in secret.


    Actually... now that I think about it, Licia and I told her to masturbate every day to make sex morefortable, so ironically, while trying to be diligent, she might be the most indecent girl in the kingdom right now.


    I''d be lying if I said I''m annoyed by Cassandra though. If anything, I find the novelty to be interesting and kind of hot since she seems to be very into it.


    While I said it just to y a bit with her, the reason I''m having trouble is another one...


    And it seems like Licia picked up on it.


    Licia: "...I''m here if you wanna confide in me."


    Miwen: "..."


    It''s hard to decide what I should do in this situation.


    While I trust her... I feel like it''s a bit unfair to share what I''ve been thinking.


    It could easily look like I''m seeking pity, or trying to manipte her feelings in my favor, which is not the case at all...


    ire: "...You have such a bad view of yourself..."


    Miwen: "...Hm?"


    ire: "When you have the ability, you underestimate yourself. When you arecking, you overestimate yourself. If you are carrying something heavy, let us help. It''s simple, really."


    ...I see.


    I''m doing the same thing Maya does without even realizing it.


    Pride appears to run in our blood as our whole family seems to refuse to ask for help. While the result might be the same, I''d say Maya''s reasons are more on the selfless side, while mine are more selfish.


    I don''t want to appear weak to them.


    But... it profoundly involves them, so I might not have a choice.


    It''s been a while since ire''s been so serious about something, so I almost forgot that she can be so sharp.


    Her calling me a troublesome husband does betray that image a little, but it shows that our rtionship has advanced quite a lot since the first days, as she tries to add a bit of yfulness to her seriousments.


    Perhaps it''s an attempt at being careful so as not to be upsetting, or it may just be her feelingfortable enough to not hide herself behind a mask, allowing her feelings toe out without ayer of rationality inhibiting them.


    It''s only possible because she knows I will ept both her rational side, as well as her emotional one.


    Thus, she can say what she thinks, and what she feels.


    And it would be unfair for me to not do the same just because I worry how it might make me look like, or what it might mean to them.


    She cornered very easily by putting extracting the meaning of Licia''s words.


    Licia was treading carefully, trying to appease me by not probing too much and giving me the opportunity to go at it at my own pace. On the other hand, ire cut to the chase.


    I can see why she''s so bad at that dating sim game. Both are understanding of me to the point where they can tell that something''s on my mind without me saying a word about it, but when ying a dating sim, Licia''s gentleness would be better rewarded than ire''s straightforwardness.


    While Mia shows a bit more of the behavior expected of a tsundere with her actions, it''s easy to see ire as one too considering the frankness of her words.


    Thus, I''m really happy that she''s being more considerate. It might be that she just learned it through that game rewarding her for it, but I''d rather think it means that I pierced heryers quite profoundly, to the point where she''s going the extra mile to be as helpful as possible.


    Miwen: "It''s not something so important, it''s just some feelings I still can''t shakepletely..."


    ire: "If any of us said that, you would argue that it''s very important."


    I thought all of that about her, and now she''s calling me a hypocrite.


    I guess she needs a bit more work. But at the same time, trying to be vague and undery it is a little low of me, so she has the right to be slightly angry at it.


    Miwen: "Fine... I''m just a bit afraid. Maybe worried is a better word..."


    Licia: "..."


    ire: "..."


    Cassandra: "..."


    Her hands were still inside her shorts, so I only noticed that Cassandra had stopped her activities to pay attention to the conversation when the room became silent.


    With their attention turned to me, I continued.


    Miwen: "I''m proud of what we have here. I didn''t want to lose it."


    I did everything I could think about while in the rush, and there are a few things that might help bury everything that went down tonight.


    We started the fire in order to hide our tracks, and we also got lucky that the dungeon boss showed up when Elizabeth was alone.


    Actually... all the fighting must''ve grabbed his attention, and if he saw how easily Elizabeth was handled, he might''ve thought she was easy prey and decided to attack her when she was alone.


    So maybe it wasn''t really lucky on our part, we just failed to consider that as a factor.


    Aside from that though, there''s also the Divine Event. Dad mentioned that everyone was worried about it, and their group was going toe out of the Dungeon anyway.


    This must also be true for other top rankers, and those guys are pretty much celebrities, so there''s bound to be a bit of a stir in the media.


    Also, the Divine Event itself should be top of the news for a while too.


    Depending on what happens during it, investigations might be put on halt for a while, which would buy us some time.


    But the only way out for us is if the me falls squarely on Elizabeth and no one manages to gather more info on it. It''s a bit of a bet since I''m hoping they will go on a goose chase after her and the case goes cold, but it''s impossible to predict what happens. It will depend too much on the investigators.


    In any case, I''ve already decided to make preparations to leave this world behind.


    Licia: "It will be hard to protect your family from a world away..."


    Miwen: "Yeah... they can escape to the Kingdom if something happens but... that only works for obvious danger. If they are caught in a trap... they might not even get the chance to act."


    I could try to drag them to another world with me but... they would be too unhappy and certainly would find their way back.


    Not to mention... it would be unfair to screw their lives just because I screwed mine.


    Licia: "But that''s not what you''re most worried about, right?"


    She saw through me...


    I have a n to improve their safety even if I''m away.


    By expanding the kingdom more, I can attribute special roles to them, which should give them a few more options, including the ability toe to the Kingdom without needing my approval, as even that dy might be fatal.


    The telepathic link is also useful as I can keep updated about their surroundings without the use of a phone... since that won''t really work in another world.


    The only problem right now is that I would need at least 30 people in order to give each of them a role.


    I don''t think I should jump all the way there in one go. It would make the ratio too skewed towards new residents, and we wouldck eyes.


    Still... I should at least get some new ones since Angelica and Cassandra came with an already eptable level of loyalty.


    Miwen: "...That''s right. I''m more worried about... how easily I epted that I should kill them. Even now I don''t feel any remorse about my actions... If anything, I care way more about how it impacted the way you view me, and the possibility that some of you may not feelfortable around me anymore."


    Which I would understand...


    But I feel like it would be hard for me to ept if any of them decided to leave.


    The idea that what I built with them might crumble because of something like this is what scares me the most.


    The length I went to for Maya... or rather... the actions I took to make myself satisfied with the situation... I''ve got no doubts that I would repeat them if the girls were in danger.


    The more times you act with cruelty, the easier it bes... it scares me to think what I might be if I allow myself to lean too much into this side.


    Would I lose control one day? I''d do anything in my power to not fall to the level of a mindless beast... but... right now my heart might be the warmest it will ever be throughout my life.


    As time goes on... it will naturally be colder... meaning that the battle against myself will never be as easy as it is now.


    Licia: "...If you feel like that... then allow me to help you... I might not be as good as your sister but... I''m not a bad person either, right? Tonight hit a bit too close to home for me, so I didn''t say anything since I would''ve done the same... but...


    I want to help prevent you from bing someone you don''t want to be."


    Miwen: "...What do you suggest?"


    Right. There are a few girls in the Kingdom who will follow my orders no matter what, like ire.


    But it''s not the same for Licia. She had told me this before, but it seems like she steeled her resolve now.


    She wants to help me not only in fighting but in all matters of life... and... I believe in her.


    I should consider it carefully if she says I''m going too far.


    Licia: "For now... I''ll make youpensate for every bad action with a good one... at least that way, you won''t have to worry about bing a bad person..."


    She''s treating me a bit like a kid, but it''s justified since I didn''t manage to see something so obvious.


    If you do something bad... try to do something good in return. It won''t erase what you did, but it''s a step in the right direction.


    More importantly... what I said about cruelty also works for kindness.


    It goes both ways really... you can get used to performing good deeds too as you do them more often.


    I''m d to have her by my-


    Cassandra: "So dramatic. I can''t get off like this."


    ire: "Then get out! They are having a moment!"


    Due to Cassandra''s words, ire ended up throwing a pillow at her, but she grabbed it and approached the bed.


    Cassandra: "I get it. It''s pretty simple if you think about it. Let''s not lie to ourselves here, Angelica might''ve done the killing, but like a weapon, she''s just the tool you used. And you had never killed, nor had you thought about doing it. So you''re worried that something about you has changed. That you became worse.


    Wanna know what? You did. And since I saw your memories, I can pinpoint exactly when it happened."


    ire: "Get away, it''s cramped in here already!"


    Cassandra kept approaching me, to the point where her face was centimeters away from mine, and her smile looked more haunting than ever.


    I didn''t think the bed had space for one more person, but since she had a petite figure and was crawling on my body, she ended up making room for herself.


    Her words were cutting deep into me though, and I didn''t like how blunt she was being about it.


    However, I couldn''t deny that she was right about everything that she said, so I allowed her to continue.


    Miwen: "...So? What is it that you saw?"


    Cassandra: "While you didn''t stay for long, you listened to her stories, talked with her about the future, and tried your hardest to prove yourself to her. Even going as far asying a trap to kill a general, to which you didn''t feel anything but pride. Of course, everything was a ploy on her part. She didn''t consider you an ally. All she wanted was to make ast stand with her tribe...


    and get her daughter a ticket off from it all. Need I tell you the name?"


    ...Nah, it''s pretty obvious who she''s talking about.


    While I can tell she tried to provoke me a little by calling out that I didn''t care about the death of that guy back then, she should know the difference.


    Sure, I lured him into a trap, but that was all I did.


    I wasn''t responsible for Melissa''s actions back then the same way I am for Angelica''s now.


    Whatever she decided to do with him was her business.


    But while Cassandra poked at that, she was putting a lot of emphasis on Melissa.


    Miwen: "...Does Melissa really have anything to do with this?"


    Cassandra: "You built a rtionship with her. She was an ally in your eyes, someone you had to protect, even if she was stronger and smarter than you. Simr to a certain blonde sister of yours. And yet... you allowed her to die. It shook you, obviously.


    But you managed to get past it... or so you thought."


    Miwen: "..."


    Cassandra: "Turns out that when you saw your sister close to the same fate... your brain decided that enough was enough. And so... you went for the kill. Melissa''s death had already made you morefortable with the idea... you were justcking the final trigger now that you knew that the world of adults was way more dangerous and that you weren''t as infallible as you once thought...


    Congrats, you are now a man. You will kill preventively. You will kill revengefully."


    She finished by telling me to have fun with Hamperlon... with the AOTG... and even with the elves that harassed Ellie...


    The First Daughter... that girl could ck a little bit more.


    For her to be able to see even into my deepest desires... it''s a bit too much.


    Her logic made sense for the most part, but...


    Licia: "Even if that''s true... it just means I''ll have to try harder."


    Cassandra: "Yep. But remember, he graduated from being a kid not too long ago. It''s fine if he makes mistakes. The important part is that you be there to break his fall when it happens like you did before... and that you show him the better way."


    Hm? She was so confrontational and aggressive, but in the end... she was giving genuine advice... not to me, but to Licia.


    By showing her how difficult it might be... she was trying to encourage her.


    She could mince her words a bit more but... I''m genuinely impressed.


    Licia: "...I guess you are not so bad. Sorry, I misjudged you."


    Cassandra: "Hm? What were you thinking?"


    Licia: "That you were a cold-hearted bitch. But I know it''s not true now, so-"


    Cassandra: "Nah, you got it right the first time. I am cold-hearted. And I am a slut too~"


    She talks like it was apliment to her.


    Still, I like her way of doing things.


    It was surprisingly reassuring that she understood so much about me, and of course, that Licia was so willing to go the extra mile to help me.


    To end the night once and for all, I selected the only option I had for an event, and in two days, I would face it.

 Chapter 137: Prosperous Kingdom (01)

    When I woke up today, I saw Cassandra still awake.


    She kept her promise, and stayed up throughout the night, watching us as we slept peacefully.


    While a small sacrifice, it still made me happy that she was willing to do something for us considering we got to know each other just yesterday.


    It was a good first step towards building a good rtionship.


    Miwen: "Are you not tired?"


    Cassandra: "I''m fine. You can sleep the entire day if you want."


    Miwen: "Pfft, I wish. There''s a lot I want to do today. As for you... rest well Cassandra, you''ve done a good job."


    Cassandra: "I''ll be waiting for a biiig reward then. Also, call me when you finish breakfast~"


    With her gestures and emphasis on the word "big", I could pretty much guess what she wanted from me.


    I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t interested though, so I decided that I would give her the reward she wanted tonight.


    Still, that was going to take a while. The first order of the day was to check on Maya.


    I passed a few of the girls who were already up while making my way to her house, and once I reached her room, I saw that she was also awake already.


    She kept watching Johnny, her boyfriend, from across the room as he was resting in a separate bed.


    Yep, even in her current state, she still worries about others...


    Personally, seeing her like this, and then helping her down the stairs to leave the house... was soul-crushing.


    A girl who could challenge the world ande out on top... now couldn''t even leave her bed...


    Maya: "What is this ce? It feels so different from where we were, and yet, it still is strange."


    First Daughter: "It is not strange! While the Infinite Hotel is the mostplex structure in all of creation, I put a lot of effort into organizing it! Can''t you see how clean the floor is? That takes effort!"


    Maya: "I''m sorry, I meant strange as in interesting. If you are the owner, you should be proud. It seems like afy ce."


    First Daughter: "...! You haven''t seen anything yet! Here, let me show you the room design I''ve been working on."


    As if it was the most natural thing to do, the First Daughter cloned herself in front of me. One of them supported Maya, while the order gave her a guide through a room.


    I could kind of guess how The First Daughter liked to design the Infinite Hotel since I''ve seen the rooms and the hallways.


    So when I heard Maya saying things about a giant Jacuzzi, thetest games, and whatnot, I immediately thought that The First Daughter was reading her mind and just adding whatever Maya thought of as being cool.


    A single look of mine directed at her, and the "original" one confirmed it while my sister enjoyed sightseeing a room that would keep expanding as she thought it.


    Miwen: "So? Did you fix the elevator?"


    First Daughter: "Haha, I wish! That thing has been broken since forever. I would have to redesign the entire hotel from scratch if I wanted that to work... at this point, it''s not even worth it."


    Since forever?


    That''s a bit strange.


    She seems to haveplete control of the Infinite Hotel, and with her being one of the Endless, I thought there was nothing she couldn''t do...


    First Daughter: "The elevator was meant to facilitate traveling between floors... Cycles... for the guests who can''t do so on their own. If you imagine the Hotel as a program... the elevator is a part of the code that isn''t doing what is supposed to do. But it should!


    I have no idea why it never worked, and at this point, I don''t even care anymore. It became a test for the guests to figure out how to reach the reception anyway."


    So she gave up because it was too troublesome...


    Perhaps she would need to change the Infinite Hotel itself to make it work and so... Yeah, with a project of this magnitude, I can imagine why she gave up on a small detail like this.


    If I were in her ce, I would''ve gotten rid of it since it doesn''t work, but repurposing it as a clue for the guests is not a bad idea either.


    First Daughter: "Well, getting to the main topic... Sorry, I won''t. I''ve got no interest in her whatsoever, so even the minimal interference is more than I am willing to do. However... You are a different case. I don''t mind helping you if it''s a single summon.


    No more than that though..."


    ...Well, I imagined it would go like this.


    Her being able to know everything from the start makes things fast though.


    Basically, I was going to ask her to heal Mayapletely, but... apparently, she has no interest in her.


    To the point where she would say to my face that, if not for me apanying her, she wouldn''t have let my sister enter at all as she didn''t meet the criteria for a guest.


    I have no idea what kind of messed up standard she''s using that puts my sister as lesser than me though, but fine...


    At least I got half of what I came here for.


    Miwen: "You said that if I desire something, it will boost the chances of iting out of the Gacha... and that tickets with higher rarities will also help get better things... so, with you boosting luck in this ce, I should be able to get a farmer, right?"


    First Daughter: "Pfft... yeah, of course. I can never guarantee it due to randomness being an integral part of your Gift, but I can get it very near to a 100% chance."


    You''d think that getting a farmer would be easier, but for some reason, I keep getting cool, cute, and strong girls...


    Can''tin about it though... even more so when it''s probably a result of my heart desiring it and thus boosting their chances, even if slightly.


    But this time... I know exactly what I want. I don''t care about appearances... too much... All I want is someone with a useful Gift for agriculture.


    And so, I imed today''s gacha tickets, and with 124 in the bank, I was able to exchange them for an umon one and summon a new girl to the kingdom.


    ??????: "...H-hello... I..."


    ...I needed to get her clothed ASAP.


    If Maya sees me with a naked girl it''s going to be too awkward for me. Not to mention, the girl looked like she was on the verge of tears, and while her face looked pretty young, her body was quite... voluptuous... so I''m sure my sister would hate me forever if she saw the current scene.


    First Daughter: "This is a timid one so exposing all of your nightly memories did a number on her..."


    The increased luck is a good incentive to do the summons inside the Infinite Hotel, but the First Daughter sharing my memories is a double-edged sword.


    On one hand, it makes things way easier since I don''t have to exin anything to newly summoned girls, and they also arrive with a good level of loyalty.


    The problem is... most normal girls would be... less than thrilled to see what being summoned to the kingdom might mean for them in the future.


    Miwen: "So... can you tell me your name, and your Gift, please?"


    ??????: "S-sure... my name is Lily... my Gift is not... very good... but I can help you with farming! It''s called [The Bountiful Divine Garden of Lindseyberg]..."


    Oh!


    What does she mean by not very good? That sounds perfect!


    First Daughter: "Hahaha! Girls with the power to potentially challenge the heavens live in your kingdom, and you''re more excited about a Gift that helps with farming? Really? Hahaha."


    Lily: "U-um.. the... my Gift can-"


    Miwen: "Well, I can''t feed power to my citizens, can I? To establish an economy and a society, food is indispensable. Even if it''s to maintain order, control of the food supply could be considered a power on its own."


    It''s also extremely important to make the kingdom self-sustainable. If I can establish good, protected fields, I can scale them to allow as many residents as I want.


    By making sure there''s always a surplus, I can create food reserves too, allowing arge number of [Citizens] to move in without sacrificing the stability of the already existing residents.


    Theck of food, as a basic need, can cause deep conflicts, and from those, resentment might arise, creating extremely difficult situations, something I want to prevent as much as possible inside the kingdom.


    Don''t underestimate the importance of farmers! They can make or break a country.


    First Daughter: "Pfft... Such enthusiasm... If it''s so important, why didn''t you go ahead and start your own farm?"


    Lily: "..strengthen the ground... calm people... it makes the harvest faster and more bountiful-"


    Miwen: "It takes a lot of time and effort, I would have to abandon the dungeon, lower the time spent there, or designate someone to it. Since not a single one of the girls has an interest in it, it wouldn''t be very nice to force them to work the fields, so I''d probably have to introduce a rotation system. But then it would hurt our synergy as a team too much..."


    I was getting a bit desperate though... even if I couldn''t summon a farmer, I was going to make the next summoned person into one, even if temporarily.


    That or... I could kidnap a certain elf who seems able to grow things pretty fast.


    Of course, while kidnapping might seem like a bad thing, I was going to give her a lot of benefits and good work conditions, and I would also take her back to her home after I got a proper, willing farmer.


    In such conditions, kidnap should not be...


    Yeah, no, it''s still horrible, but I was running out of options.


    Lily: "..V-view information about crops and... nts-"


    First Daughter: "In which case-"


    Maya: "Stop doing that to the poor girl. Your power sounds amazing! Can you tell me more about it?"


    The dog girl that I summoned, Lily, was speaking so quietly that the First Daughter and I ended up talking over her by ident.


    Well, I feel like the First Daughter did it on purpose though, since while she is energetic, she certainly knows everything that happens inside this ce and should be able to notice Lily struggling to get a word in.


    Lily: "I have one level in the basic [Earth Magic]... and the advanced [Green Magic]... and they are also strengthened... a little bit..."


    Miwen: "Sounds amazing! Wanna work for me? You can decide on your own work hours as long as you tend to the fields.I''ll get you sprinklers and everything you want to make it easier for you. I''ll also provide you with food, shelter, clothes,nd... everything for free-"


    Maya: "If that was enough to impress you so much, then you should''ve listened to the whole thing! Where are your manners?"


    ...I ended up getting scolded even though I did what she told me to do.


    Still, she is right, I was rude to the most important citizen I summoned since Licia, so I humbly asked her to exin it to me again after apologizing.


    She seemed a bit awkward, and a little bit hurt, but also quite gentle as she tried tofort me saying it wasn''t a big deal.


    After she was done, I decided to leave the Infinite Hotel since the First Daughter wasn''t going to let me do more summons here, but I got stopped midway.


    First Daughter: "...Since I helped you... may I ask you a favor?"


    I don''t remember her being so polite. Or even so serious. Perhaps only when she corrected me for thinking she was lonely.


    Her saying that Maya is not interesting and the fact that she fucked up my events did annoy me a little bit...


    But even adding the fact that I didn''t get everything I wanted out of her...


    I can''t seem toe to hate her for some reason.


    A feeling in my chest practically begs me to look past everything that I dislike in her... and every action of hers that might annoy me.


    And so...


    Miwen: "Well... I can at least listen to your request."


    First Daughter: "I predict that there''s going to be an event tonight... It would mean a lot- ...I would like to ask that you allow me to join..."


    That''s very vague.


    Also... both my system''s event and the Divine Event are set to happen tomorrow, not today...


    It''s a bit suspicious, but... so were the event requests she sent to my system, and her intentions weren''t bad back then.


    Even if she did something very annoying at the end.


    Seeing how the Divine event and my own will coincide though... I can''t help but think this might have a deeper purpose...


    As for whether this is good or bad, I''ll have to wait and see.


    But if I could point to one signal that she doesn''t mean me harm... it would be the fact that she warned me about the missed calls on my phone back then.


    I might''ve stayed a little in the kingdom if not for that... and it could''ve been fatal for Maya.


    This... is enough of a reason for me to concede to her wish. Even if she does something annoying again, as long as it''s not major, I can forgive her.


    Miwen: "I doubt I can stop you anyway, so sure. Just promise me not to create trouble for the girls, if you can."


    First Daughter: "Sure thing! See youter!"


    She says she is not lonely, but she gets so excited about the promise of seeing each other again...


    Well, I doubt it''s any use for me to try to understand the mind of a being like her.


    Just leaving this ce without a loss is already quite a victory if I take into consideration every encounter I had with a higher lifeform.


    Miwen: "I''m going to do something a little bit more... potentially dangerous now, so... do you wanna stay back on Earth with your boyfriend?"


    Maya: "If it''s dangerous you should get Johnny to help you. He''s quite strong."


    Miwen: "I''m sure. But... it''s something for me and the girls to take care of."


    I might''ve gotten the First Daughter''s disease, but I am acting with a little bit of unreasonable pride toward the Kingdom.


    Sure this next part might be problematic, and something hard to deal with, but... it''s a challenge for us to ovee.


    Also, her boyfriends wouldn''t work very well for what I have in mind either. It''s not so much about having the power, it''s more about... the presence.


    Maya: "I guess having a bit of loving time with Johnny would be nice then, I''ll take you up on your offer."


    Miwen: "Yeah, not on my watch. I''ll send two people to care of you."


    He still doesn''t have my approval.


    If today I found him on her bed, I would''ve sent him home packed into a nice little package.


    No matter how much she called me mean though, I still made Ellie go to Earth with them. Since Licia was also there, these two were certain to take care of everything.


    I then went to grab Anna, Beatrice, Elizabeth, and Mia to apany me in summoning the new inhabitants of the Kingdom.


    I had decided on 5 people this time... I like having at least one eye on each girl that is summoned, and since Angelica, Cassandra, and Lily received my memories, their loyalty was eptable enough for me to not expect them to betray me so soon.


    Still, as always, I''d have to keep an eye out since [Loyalty] and [Desires] don''t tell the whole story.


    Instead of summoning everyone inside of a house though, I followed Elizabeth''s advice and prepared a more spacious room.


    There was no way for me to cook for so many people in the small kitchen I had back home, so I decided to use my Kingdom Points to create a big kitchen adjacent to a dining hall inside the kingdom now that I could trade Kingdom Points for equivalent items and buildings found on Earth.


    The menu for buying buildings with [Kingdom Points] offers a variety of different styles based on culture, but the ones from Earth were often more expensive.


    This was probably due to theplexity of the items seeing as even decorating the hall with a single good TV would cost me more than a hundred kingdom points.


    Still, in the end, I made afy design with one TV on each side and some sofas around them, as well as arge table in the middle of the hall that should allow those who don''t like to eat on the sofa to also distract themselves with the TV, or talking with the person sitting across the table.


    While this wasn''t the best use of space, it should still at least be able to support thirty or so people.


    I also ced a few DVD yers since there was no way to get a signal into a different dimension, as well as a few sr panels for electricity...


    Since I usually just ce the same default house, I had forgotten that it was kind of fun to mess around with the interior and exterior design abilities of my Gift.


    It''s like ying the mostplete house-building game ever. It wasn''t just furniture, decoration, and design that I could change. I could make adjustments even to the electrical panel and the cables to make sure everything was working properly.


    This would normally be pretty hard and costly, but it ended up being quite easy and fun instead.


    I ended up a little too excited over that and even ced a battery to store the excess power generated.


    Since I wasn''t too sure if I got the sr panels in the most efficient position and whatnot, I went for more than I probably needed.


    Add to that the battery and... it should work out. If it doesn''t... more panels and more batteries will certainly do the trick.


    In total, I ended up wasting a little over 1600 points, which I could only do by iming today''s points as well.


    With the skill levels that I shared around between my father and Angelica, I ended up with 512 kingdom points stored... Quite a lot considering how much I had spent, but it was thanks to registering my family and Johnny as [Citizens].


    Sadly there was no new unlock for getting past 1000 daily kingdom points though.


    Mia: "So... should I get some dolls for you to y house or...?"


    Miwen: "No need. I''ll get them myself."


    I was already satisfied, so on Mia''s cue, I decided it was about time to summon the newpanions.


    Even though it was five at once, I had enough space for all of them.


    It''s hard to say how it went since I didn''t have enough levels into [Appraisal] to see their Gifts, but judging by their appearance, it was pretty good.


    Also, while I couldn''t see their Gifts, I could at least see their skills, which gave at least a slight indication of what their Gift might be.


    As such, I started looking at everyone who was summoned.


    From left to right, the first one was a beastwoman. I think she was a catgirl, but it could be another feline. She had short ck hair with some orange tips that were rather stylish and cute.


    The chest area wasn''t the biggest, but she had something going on and her hips were also alright.


    The thing is... I didn''t want to look at her too much since like Lily, her face seemed pretty young.


    She was quite contemtive given the situation though, her eyes were sharp as if she was analyzing her surroundings, and I took the chance to take a quick look at her skills.


    She only had [Darkness Magic] at level 1, so I thought maybe she was a mage or had a Gift akin to Roy''s.


    Second from her was a girl I was a bit morefortable looking at.


    Quite big breasts and hips, she was probably not in the same league as Beatrice, but at least for the breasts, she came pretty close. They were definitely one size bigger than Anna''s... actually, maybe two would be more fair.


    It was interesting that she appeared herepletely shaved and with her hair pretty well done... Most importantly, however, it wasn''t only her body that looked a bit older than the other girl, but also her face. I''d say she''s about one or two years older than me.


    So it was okay to look as much as I wanted. And since there was a lot to look at, it worked for both of us.


    Her reaction was a bitcking though. Since unlike the three that were summoned in the Infinite Hotel these girls didn''t have my memories to help them understand what was happening, I expected a lot of confusion, but at least for this girl... she seemed indifferent.


    She also didn''t have any skills, so I had no clue about her Gift.


    Well, moving on... a girl with short tinum hair.


    Again, she looked pretty young, so body-wise I tried not to look too much.


    In her case, she didn''t even have the hips or the chest. t, no ass, and a baby face.


    At least she wasn''t too short... but yeah, I didn''t pay too much attention. This was enough of a deal breaker for me until I confirmed these girls'' ages.


    What I could look at without any worries, however, were her eyes... and they were very mesmerizing. Quite a nice blue, I was genuinely impressed with how beautiful they were.


    She noticed that I was looking at them, but didn''t react. It was hard to tell what was going through her mind, and while I felt like I could stare at them forever, I snapped out of it and confirmed her skills before it got weird.


    [Light Magic] at level 1... but also... [Holy Magic] at the same level.


    Angelica was impressed that my father had [Holy Magic] since it''s a bit hard for humans to acquire it without being a monk or a priest, so maybe she was a nun...


    As for her Gift... It almost certainly had something to do with healing, so I imagined that I wouldn''t have to worry about her too much.


    Fourth girl... and thankfully this one was without a shadow of a doubt, a proper woman. One might even call her a milf.


    She had bags under her eyes and some of her skin looked a little bit mistreated.


    Overall, judging by her face alone, I''d put her around 30 or so years.


    Sadly, her body wasn''t as developed as Bea''s. Her breasts weren''t big, and they seemed to sag a little. Good hips though.


    Strangely... aside from her face, the rest of her body seemed a bit younger...


    And as for skills, she had...


    [Potion Potency Up], [Poison Resistance], [Herb Collection], [Appraisal], and [Gardening]... so... her Gift should have something to do with... nts and potions... maybe medicine too...


    I''m not sure what the Gift itself does, but I''m pretty confident she''s either an alchemist or an herbalist.


    Her reaction aligned a bit more with what I would''ve expected. She was anxious, but trying to y it cool.


    Andst but not least...


    Another proper woman. No doubt about it.


    Hip size, chest size, ass... everything was there the way our creator intended.


    She was also tall and couldpete with Bea''s body in every department.


    Her face even looked a bit younger than thest woman''s, I''d say she had just entered her thirties, so perhaps just a little bit older than Bea too.


    As for her Gift, once again, I had no clue. Her only skills were [Reading Speed Up] and [Faster Calctions].


    I think that quite a high number of them aren''t fighters, but this is actually a good thing since I n on putting a little bit more emphasis on increasing the number of [Citizens] rather than their individual power for a while.


    So, having Gifts that help in other areas, or at least people I can easily excuse not taking to the dungeon, can be as much of a help as a strong fighter or someone with good synergy with [Gacha Kingdom Building].


    Still, with or without fighting abilities, I have to be careful and not overstretch too much.


    They might not be a direct threat, but nothing impedes them from offering support to fighters if I decide on summoning a new batch too soon.


    And in the worst-case scenario, even if I have the better fighters, depending on what type of support they can offer, they might tip the scale.


    Anyway, it''s not like I could refrain from taking this step, all I could was try to be sure that everything worked out one way or another.


    I want to have at least 30 [Citizens] so that I can give [Special Roles] to everyone in my family, and while this batch is not enough to even reach 20, I have a n to quickly get there from here.


    I might be able to reach the 30 mark without making new summons, but in case it''s not possible, after establishing some trust with these girls, the next round ofpanions should hit the mark.


    Miwen: "I understand that this may be strange for you. But I assure you we mean you no harm, some of the girls with me here today have also gone through the same situation and as you can see, they arepletely fine..."


    I''m not too good with this part... I know that everyone here has faced death before, and just imagining what circumstances might''ve led them to it makes me anxious. Even more so considering that they are all fairly young, even the ones that look to be around thirty.


    On Earth, most people aren''t worried about their deaths at this age. They are making ns for the future and-


    I suddenly noticed that one of the girls had disappeared.


    The cat was gone in the blink of an eye, and in the next, she jumped from... my shadow. Her hand wasing straight for my neck.


    Before she could reach it though...


    My cute little pet was a bit quicker than this stray.


    Mia grabbed her arm, and pressed her against the wall, an altercation that made quite a loud noise.


    This made most of the girls understandably worried.


    I was trying to show them sympathy and reassure them of their safety but... this made things a little harder.


    With the new circumstances in ce, I decided to alter my approach a little bit.


    Mia: "You so much as dip a toe into a shadow, and I''ll break both of your arms."


    Elizabeth: "Feisty. For your own good, I trust no one else had the same idea?"


    Miwen: "...As I was saying... we will, however, protect ourselves. So to ensure everyone''s safety, I would highly rmend listening until the end before doing anything rash. Mia, if you will."


    Mia brought the catgirl back to the ce she was before. This time though, she maintained a tight grip on her arms to make sure that she wasn''t going to move.


    It was a bit more chaotic than what I wanted, but at least it set a good example for the others, and they quietly listened to everything that I had to say.

 Chapter 138: Prosperous Kingdom (02)

    Having finished the exnations, I showed the newly summoned girls to their amodations so that they could carefully consider the deal I offered.


    It took me some time to exin everything properly, but after I had finished this, I went back home to wake Cassandra for breakfast like she had asked me to.


    She was looking forward to my cooking and got a bit annoyed at first since I hadn''t even touched a pan. She still seemed to enjoy though.


    After that, a few of the girls went inside the Kingdom while some stayed home to rx.


    For today''s day off, the initial n was to prepare a banquet with everyone''s favorite dishes, but the addition of Angelica and Cassandra put a wrench on this since I also wanted to include them, but didn''t know them too well yet.


    Still, next on the list was helping Maya with her bath.


    She seemed displeased that she needed help even for something like this, but ultimately, there was nothing either of us could do. Just entering and leaving was impossible for her.


    And so, the two of us were finallypletely alone inside the bath, and as I was scrubbing her back, I saw that her eyes were a little bit watery, and even though the water was falling on her back, drops were still running through her face.


    Those were tears, and I could pretty much tell the reason they were there.


    This girl has a lot on her mind, and for the sake of others, keeps everything to herself.


    But inside this ce, she ended up rxing a little, and so, couldn''t contain her emotions anymore as they started to overflow.


    Throughout my life, I think I only saw Maya crying when she was like 6 or so. This is a rare sight, but... it was understandable.


    I decided to feign ignorance and pretended I wasn''t seeing anything. I wanted nothing more than tofort and reassure her, but I knew that doing so with this girl would have the reverse effect.


    Bringing attention to her tears was only going to make her regret shedding them as she would feel bad that she was being a bother.


    As usual, she had me between a rock and a hard ce. No matter what I thought about doing, it felt like it wouldn''t be positive.


    So, while I was silently considering my options, she surprised me...


    Maya: "...I was scared."


    I had imagined.


    I tortured myself imagining it more than I''d like to admit.


    Miwen: "I know. You can confide in me if you want."


    I''m sorry Licia, but the help you offered me... allow me to extend it to her.


    Maya: "...It''s fine now... I just... I didn''t want you to see me like that... I don''t want you to have to worry about me..."


    ...One way or another, the universe brings bnce.


    She is a girl who worries and cares about everyone. Always willing to help them. These actions will always add to her worries and troubles, but she refuses to trouble anyone else.


    And for that, she dedicates herself to bing the best in every activity possible, even the rare one that she struggles with at first. Her effort and determination are a result of her desire to be self-reliant.


    This girl has a brother who will worry and care for her independently of circumstances.


    A man who couldn''t bepared to her in any field. He failed and gave up on bing his ideal, being way lesser than her in his selective kindness that turns to cold cruelty towards those he deems undeserving.


    He, who should by all means be a fraction of what she is... will do everything in his power to help the girl who refuses to ask for help.


    His methods will always rely on the things she cannot do, precisely because she is so good. A constant reminder to her that she can''t ever beplete, for that would imply she had darkness within herself.


    She who wishes to live life without troubling anything, out of the good of her heart... will never realize her wish as long as he is alive.


    By following his pride, he guarantees that she will never get what she wants, what she desires.


    She will never be by herself. There will always be at least one person who wille to her aid, even if she never calls for him.


    He robbed her of her desire in an attempt to find meaning in his own life. An act that could easily be seen as cowardice.


    And yet...


    Maya: "...Thank you... for being there... for always being there for me..."


    That innocent girl could only thank him while the tears kept flowing down her eyes.


    I never cared for what she thought about me, no matter if she hated or loved me for the things I did, I simply went ahead and protected her like I wanted to.


    And thisck of care, both in regards to myself, as well as for others... a mindset she could never have... was what saved her in the end.


    It was only because I gave up on being like my father, that I could see to it that she was safe.


    As proof of that, our hero... the definition of a good man... precisely because he is so good... thanks to all the weight he carries... wasn''t able to help her.


    ...When Maya got a Gift, quite some time ago, she left the house quite quickly. It took her just a few weeks, and her visits became incredibly infrequent, until one day, she didn''te back at all.


    Aside from the times I did something dumb, our rtionship was never bad, and we liked being around each other quite a lot.


    So, no matter how she excuses it, I understand the reason why she behaved that way. It''s the same motivation for most of her actions, after all.


    She knew that the possibility of acquiring a Gift changed things. It removed the biggest barrier for me to be like my father.


    At least in her eyes, this opened up the possibility for me to realize my dreams... all she needed to do was... remove herself.


    Thest standing chain. As long as she was around, my efforts would be dedicated to her, instead of myself.


    Sadly, I had already realized that my path was different from his, so her sacrifice ended up being fruitless.


    Even though I knew this... I couldn''t argue against her.


    This brilliant girl was right about her main point. I didn''t care half as much about myself as I did her.


    But even though she was right and took the right course of action... Things still didn''t work the way she intended.


    Even if alone, and untrusting of anyone else... My Gift still forced me to take responsibility for someone else.


    And in time, I developed the same care for other people, as I had for her.


    In a way, this was the closest I could get to my father, and thus, even if not the way she intended, and even if it was something I had already given up on... she got what she wanted.


    The only problem was... how heavy it became.


    Because even if she went away... I still cared for her.


    And now, I was responsible for caring not only for her but for everyone that I summoned too.


    To the point where I became scared of the consequences as I risked destroying the everyday life we had constructed.


    Even though it was for the sake of... everything I had dedicated my life to up until I met them.


    As Mom had said... "Kindness is a weakness"...


    As such, the more kind you choose to be, the stronger you must be.


    Or else, you will need to sacrifice something.


    This was true for me yesterday... and it has been true for the rest of my family for all of their lives.


    It''s a simple problem... if you carry more than you can... You will fall, or, you will drop something.


    But if the problem is simple, it''s only fair for the solution to also be.


    My father is responsible for much more than I am.


    Why? Because he is stronger.


    And so... if I want to carry more... I''ll simply need to be stronger too.


    I discovered back then that I couldn''t be like him. I realized that I wouldn''t want to be either, as the ones I desired to protect were only the ones close to me.


    Yet, I again took a lesson from the path that man walked.


    But as such... worry not, dear sister of mine.


    Your brother will take on any challenge and any opponent. I''ll see to it that they kneel under my feet and beg you for forgiveness.


    I''ll then proceed to get scolded by Licia, as she will definitely say that there''s no need to humiliate someone.


    But I''ll listen to her and the others and will remedy any action I take.


    I won''t sacrifice my rtionship with them, and I will be there to protect you no matter what that may mean.


    It may be hard, or even impossible.


    But all I ever needed was the power. I''ll use it to make my own heroic tale, one where I fulfill my unspoken promise to you and them.


    This, I swear.


    Miwen: "...Home is where you are happy and protected. Family consists of those who trouble and love you. As long as I am alive, Maya, you will always have a home to return to, and a family to count on."


    Thus... the unspoken promise is no more.


    If there''s any weight to words, mine ought to be as heavy as the stars.


    Maya: "... Is that part about troubling me necessary?"


    Miwen: "Absolutely. I''m your brother after all."


    She couldn''t contain a slight, small smile. And I couldn''t contain my pride over it.


    If there''s one reward I could ask, it''s this one. From her, from the girls... and from whoever else this man who uses both good and evil may choose to his side.


    Her bath had alreadye to an end, but I knew she wouldn''t like to get out until she had her feelings under control again, so I told them to cry as much as she wanted while it was just the two of us.


    Once she was satisfied and hadposed herself, regaining control over her feelings, we left.


    Mia: "...Hey."


    Miwen: "Something wrong?"


    Mia was close to the bathroom door, waiting for us toe out, and after I helped Maya to the sofa, she brought me to the kitchen.


    Mia: "I thought it was strange that you were so adamant about helping her... did you predict it was going to go like that?"


    Bathing is more often than not a moment of self-reflection.


    The rxation it provides helps us manage our feelings.


    Maya is a strong girl, who would rather keep everything to herself.


    But in many battles, the deciding factor is not the strength, but the terrain.


    I would be lying if I said I could predict the result, that would never be the case with this girl, but... since she taught me time and time again that I would never win against her,I took the fight somewhere I would have the advantage.


    Miwen: "Nah, she totally caught me off-guard."


    Mia: "Underying it... well, it''s fine. In that case, congrats, I''ll give you a five out of ten for your speech. Be sure to sound more confident next time."


    Kind of hard to do when I also had my own feelings on the matter...


    Miwen: "Eh? Just average? Isn''t that a bit too mean?"


    Mia: "Are you saying you did a good job then?"


    ...You win some, you lose some.


    But to win against Maya only to lose against this idiot...


    The universe and his weird bnce, I guess.


    Since Mia had taken me to the kitchen, I used the opportunity to empty the fridge of all the beer.


    And then when I opened the doors again, I noticed the tragedy... we were out of alcohol.


    Quite mysterious. But that was something I couldn''t allow... even more so on a day off.


    It totally had nothing to do with the fact that I wanted to have a little one-on-one talk with Johnny and asked him to help me out.


    In the start, I was pretty casual and friendly, something that I rarely do with people I haven''t summoned, but... it was important to prepare a good trap.


    He must''ve thought I was only interested in knowing a little more about him since he was with my sister and answered all my questions about his family, what he did before meeting her, where he was from, and other personal things about himself.


    I tried not to poke into anything major or that might''ve been ufortable to talk about, so, he left his guard down.


    I expected more from someone Maya took a liking to. This mistake was enough for me to attack.


    Miwen: "You did well in protecting her. But next time, be careful so your head doesn''t roll."


    Johnny: "Don''t worry, if something like this happens again, I''ll beat their shit!"


    I went ahead and turned to face him.


    Miwen: "...You misunderstood. Yes, if something like this ever happens again, you better make sure you beat them, or at least that you die protecting her... because if you don''t, I''ll be the one to make sure your head rolls."


    He should consider himself warned.


    There''s no point in running or betraying her. Even if he survives, it won''t be for long.


    He must never prioritize his neck over hers, because if he ever does, I''ll be sure that there''s no longer a head attached to it.


    If he''s going to be by her side, it better be until hisst breath.


    Johnny: "Y-yeah... I''ll be-"


    Miwen: "...Also, I hope you know that if she ever mentions cheating, or if you even look at another girl... you can say goodbye to the other head. If you catch my drift."


    I may not be as good of a person as Maya, but I was full of warnings and pieces of advice that would prevent him from dying in the near future.


    And well... Turns out that when the only fact that someone knows about you is the 7 killings you did on the night prior, they listen really well and take it very seriously when you threaten their life.


    Still, lucky Johnny. He got the talk from me and my father... While certainly not that pleasant, it could''ve been much worse. He could''ve gotten it from my mom.


    But I was satisfied with what I managed to tell him, so we made our way back.


    As a nice gesture, I took most of what we had bought to the kingdom, and we just carried a few bottles to drink on the way.


    I might''ve gone a bit overboard, but I was also nning on sharing with the neers.


    Things like this can surprisingly go a long way, and in their situation, perhaps a drink or two might help theme to terms with it.


    I also made sure to confirm everyone''s age before I gave them the beers that were on the fridge. It took me a while, but I learned my lesson on what happens when you get a bunch of girls drunk.


    Surprisingly, when I got home... two uninvited guests were waiting for me.


    With a lot more alcohol.


    And a lot of meat.


    Marcus: "Hey little guy! Your mother said she wanted to talk to Maya''s boyfriend and your... and others... So I thought a barbecue would be nice. Wanna help your old man out?"


    ...Suddenly, I felt a lot of pity for poor Johnny.


    And also for the girls.


    But I quite liked the idea.


    Since I had given up on my initial n for this day off, an open-air barbecue party with everyone sounded pretty nice.


    Miwen: "That''s... yeah, sure. Let''s go inside the Kingdom though, there''s a lot of space there."


    My house simply cannot amodate everyone, even counting the small area outside.


    While Father instantly epted the offer, Mom looked at me with suspicion, but I promised her that I wouldn''t lock them inside or anything.


    I had already given up on most of my ns that involved kidnapping since there was no need for them anyway.

 Chapter 139: Prosperous Kingdom (03)

    Since we were going to do an open-air barbecue, there was no better ce than the Kingdom, even more so considering how much I had expanded it to give Lily some space to work.


    The Kingdom appeared on my map as a single line with four total plots unlocked, three that I had unlocked as either a freebie or spending Kingdom Points, and the initial one. Around them, everything waspletely ck.


    Points-wise it wasn''t expensive to expand the Kingdom, and taking into consideration the fields and possible increase in residents, I decided to increase the size of thisnd more than I had ever done, making it a 5x5, with two lines added on each side of the initial plot, and each of them having 5 plots in them.


    Since Elizabeth was protecting the walls with her barriers, security wasn''t too much of a worry. We also knew that the monsters rarely left the forest on their own, but if need be, we would do an expeditionter to see what new beasts are living in the added areas.


    However, the most concerning thing was actually the size of the Kingdom now.


    Before, the kingdom had a perimeter of 10 km and an area of 4 km2.


    This expansion brought it to a perimeter of 20 km, and an area of 25 km2.


    When I thought about these numbers, I mistakenly thought they didn''t seem too bad. But as expected of a student who never got above average, math had gotten me good.


    The perimeter bing twice as big didn''t seem like a big deal to me, and the area bing a little more than five times bigger was a little more concerning, but still reasonable as the Kingdom wasn''t that big to begin with.


    Not to mention, the actual area that we would be able to farm in at first wasn''t going to be that big since we would need to clear the forest and the monsters to make it safe for Lily, so, this allowed me to have a quick expansion route, while maintaining a sizeable area to start with.


    However...


    There''s a third way to look at this... and it''s a perspective that better portrays reality and scale than just the numbers.


    An area of 4 square kilometers, means that to walk through the entire kingdom, not skipping a single spot, I would have to walk 16 kilometers.


    And now that the area had been increased to25 square kilometers... I would have to walk 625 kilometers.


    Seeing it for myself, my little expansion ended up being quite big.


    Lily: "B-but... this is fine... you also want to have farm animals and they need a lot of space to be happy and healthy! So more is better..."


    With the way I expanded the kingdom, inside the walls, the houses and other buildings were in the middle, separating the fields into two areas.


    The plots directly to the side of the initial square of the kingdom were a in field instead of the forest area that exists in front of it.


    I was going to use Kingdom Points to prepare thend by removing weeds, rocks, and the random debris that came with the new plot since it''s really convenient, but a good surprise presented itself.


    Bea asked if she could work with Lily to take on the cleaning of thend with their magic instead.


    It was a very strange requesting from Bea since she doesn''t usually show interest in doing jobs like this, but ording to her, she wanted to study Lily''s use of [Earth Magic].


    Due to being a farmer, not a schr or a fighter, Lily had a different approach to [Earth Magic], and thanks to that, Bea wanted to see and study it.


    This made me a little happy. There should have been plenty of opportunities for Bea to learn from farmers in her medieval world of magic, but hering to learn it now showed that she had changed a little bit, either thanks to recovering her memories, realizing her mistakes, or... developing more trust in others thanks to the rtionships she has in the Kingdom now.


    It was lucky that Lily, like Ellie, is a bit shy and meek, which might''ve been the determining factor for Bea to take the first step into starting a friendship with her.


    Her close friendship with Ellie, her developing rtionship with Elizabeth due to their shared interests, and now her friendliness towards Lily... seems like this evil witch is slowly changing from the woman who locked herself in a cabin and never tried to understand others.


    At least for me, this was a wee change.


    And for the job itself... they did well. Lily seems to know how things should look better than I do, so there wasn''t anyint for me to make.


    Miwen: "Since there''s an Invasion Event tomorrow, I think we should start working on the day after. Is there anything you''d like?"


    Lily: "Um... since you''re going to provide everything needed for the field... I would like... maybe a book, or... something to research your world''s farming techniques... Your knowledge over it was...


    heh..."


    She stopped short and became embarrassed to say anymore, but I had no problems with it. Truly, my knowledge of this area wascking.


    At most, it was superficial. I knew the names of some topics and had some basic ideas, but I never went deep into research because... Well, because it looked kind of boring.


    But taking a look at it for myself now is kind of making me regret that. I''ll probably apany Lily with her research and work going forward.


    I think it''s useful to know and understand how our food is produced so that if any problem arises, I have some basis to guide my response.


    There''s also the matter of technology... things from Earth are quite expensive, even more so in quantity, so we''ll have to start slow. but even someone like me understands that Earth has developed techniques that don''t require too much, or any technology to work.


    Out of the top of my head, I knew we could apply crop rotation, and while I was oblivious to the best ways to do it and its intricacies, I at least knew Lily was going to need more than one crop option.


    Lily: "Also... since my level is so low and the area is quite big... another pair of hands would help a lot."


    Mei: "Allow me to help you, then. What would you like to be done?"


    Lily: "Um... right now... I think there isn''t too much to be done, but..."


    The girl offering to help is called Mei.


    Out of everyone that has been summoned, she certainlypetes for the spot of oddest one.


    She remainedpletely indifferent while I was exining their situation, almost as if she wasn''t listening to it at all.


    After I had finished, I allowed them to ask any questions they still had, and this girl simply asked if I was to be her master.


    It wasn''t something I was expecting to hear at all.


    And my answer... was actually yes. Even though I don''t force a subservient behavior on the girls or demand anything aside from loyalty, I am hierarchically above them, and while they can treat me however they like when it''s an order, I expect them to follow.


    If this ever bes a deal breaker for them, they are always free to leave.


    Still, once she heard my answer, Mei''s [Loyalty] skyrocketed, reaching the levels of Licia and ire, pretty much at the edge of the slider.


    Aside from that, another strange thing urred when it was time for me to start distributing clothes to them.


    I had some options downloaded to show them... I also asked that, if they had anything in mind, they could describe it to me.


    Gabrie, the girl with tinum hair, instantly stood up and started describing what she wanted. There were all sorts of things such as a coif, tunic, and veil... and it became pretty obvious that she was speaking about a habit, which confirmed that she was a nun or a religious devotee of some sort.


    Thest one to pick something was Mei, but she had her answer ready from the start.


    She just wanted a maid uniform.


    Having one of the neers wear something like that could set strange expectations for the others, but no matter what I said, she didn''t budge and kept calling master in our discussion while in front of everyone, which wasn''t helping things in the least.


    It felt like the more time I spent trying to convince her, the lower the opinion of the others would be of me, so I ended up conceding.


    She then immediately asked me where we stored the brooms, and once I got one from Earth, she went on a cleaning spree through every building of the kingdom.


    Miwen: "It would be good if you could help Lily in the future, but I think you''ve done enough for today, feel free to rest."


    Mei: "I''m sorry master, but I''ve barely done anything. I''ve yet to find theundry and prepare the meals."


    ...That... might be more than ire has ever done in her entire life.


    Miwen: "There''s no need to cook today, me and my father are going to take care of it. Speaking of which, I''d like to invite you to our small gathering. It''s not obligatory or anything, I''ll bring food to your room even if you don''t participate, but... if you try it, I''m sure you''ll like it."


    I felt like this could be a good way to show them we meant no harm, and good food could convince them to stay too.


    Mei: "That cannote to pass. Master, you should not bother with such mundane tasks, please, allow me to-"


    Miwen: "Eh... but I like cooking."


    Most of all, having the girls show appreciation for my food makes me quite proud and happy.


    It''s well worth the small effort.


    Mei: "I humbly object. It''s my duty to-"


    Miwen: "Right. If you are going to be so serious, then... take it as an order. As your master, I''m demanding that you participate in tonight''s activities and that you rx and have a good time."


    Mei: "...If it''s an order... then... I shall abide..."


    Even though I didn''t use the [Order] system, I hated going so far as to force my will into a girl, but she was getting ahead of herself.


    Sure, I appreciate the help, but I don''t like the idea of leaving everything to her, or any of the other girls, for that matter.


    Since this is something more personal, that I enjoy doing, this time, the one who wasn''t going to budge was me.


    Miwen: "Also, there is actually one thing you could help Lily with. See, I got a few pots to make small gardens in the ceiling of the houses, can you nt these seeds?"


    Lily: "Sure!"


    ...While one showed a dignified smile, indicating that she was happy, the other couldn''t seem more energetic about it.


    The idea ofzing around all day with nothing to do is appealing to most people, but more and more I''ve begun to like the chores and work I did with the girls, to the point where now I was one of the weirdos that also was happy to do some work.


    I''m d that Lily seems to enjoy gardening and farming so much though, since it is a tough job, I was worried about putting too much work into someone''s hands.


    Since her tail was excitedly moving from side to side and she couldn''t look more happy, I instinctively ended up petting her.


    It was an honest reaction that came out of nowhere from me, such was the power of her cuteness, but before I took my hand off, I noticed she didn''t seem mad about it, so I enjoyed her fluffiness a little more.


    After that, I went to call the other summoned girls to participate too.


    Gabrie: "Will the demon be there?"


    Miwen: "Absolutely."


    Gabrie: "Then, fear not, I''ll be there to-"


    Miwen: "Great. But don''t start any trouble."


    I''ve been very lucky with the girls that I''ve summoned, as most of them don''t have a problem with the demon race.


    At most there''s some attrition between Elizabeth and Cassandra, but it stems from Cassandra''sck of regret rather than hate towards her race.


    But Gabrie straight up hates Elizabeth to the point where she has volunteered to stay in the Kingdom for as long as necessary to... prevent evil from taking root, as she said.


    She believes this is a heavenly test for her and that she must cleanse our hearts from Elizabeth''s influence.


    It''s very annoying, but Elizabeth herself said that it was a positive thing, as it meant that this girl had essentially agreed to be [Citizen] for life.


    She was clearly favoring the expansion of the kingdom over her own feelings, and I decided to honor that determination, ignoring Gabrie''s antics and not responding to her.


    However, I did warn her that if she initiated any unprovoked action toward Elizabeth, she would be kicked out.


    And even if I''m ignoring her words, I told the girls that Gabrie and Lana, the catgirl who attacked me back in the hall, are at the top of the list for potential threats and that we should keep an eye out for them.


    Speaking of which, Lana is currently the [Citizen] with the lowest [Loyalty]. It''s not on the edge of the dangerous side but it''s more skewed to it than the loyal side.


    She was also the only one who refused to participate today.


    It was understandable though, if anything, I thought the others would also show more resistance.


    Perhaps the reason for their eptance was fear of possible repercussions.


    Still, as the the darkness started to paint the sky and the evening approached, with the girls and my family sitting on the grass, sharing food, drinks, stories and just having a good time, the neers that joined also slowly became morefortable.


    Small positive increments in their [Loyalty] as the hours went by were signaled to me that they were warming up to us a little.


    Since this was a good mood and opportunity, I thought it was sad that Lana ended up isted and away from this, so I decided to bring a te to her room in hopes that she would ept a second invitation.


    But there was no answer, and I left the te on the table in the kitchen and went back to our little party.


    Unexpectedly, before reaching the others, I had a sudden urge to pee. Thankfully there was a convenient bush right in front of me, and no one around, so I didn''t think much of it and just did it there.


    This was a grave mistake.


    It resulted in me being the target ofnever-before-seen cruelty, a move that could only be described as cowardly brought me a fate I wouldn''t wish for my worst enemy.


    Lana: "Raise your hands slowly."


    She came out of my shadow, aiming at my neck with a knife madepletely of ck mist.


    I didn''t know when she got there, it could''ve been the first time I went to invite her or the second.


    Her ability to hide and travel through shadows is very impressive and hard to detect.She might even have the potential to surpass Alex when ites to espionage...


    Miwen: "I''m a little bit busy right now, so, can we yt-"


    Lana: "I don''t care!"


    She kicked my dick.


    It didn''t hurt due to my high level and defense, but that is not something a reasonable person should do.


    As demands thews of motion though, it swayed to one side due to the force applied, and then it swayed back to the other before stabilizing in its usual ce.


    Lana: "Waah! Y-you... you peed on me... noo... I hate this... I hate you..."


    It was a strange scene. I had my dick out a girl crying right next to me, but I was still the victim.


    If anyone was to me, it was herself, and at most, we could ce the me on karma.


    Miwen: "There''s a river running downstream outside the walls. You can go there to take a bath."


    I then bought and handed her a simr set of clothes as the ones she was wearing.


    Lana: "You''re not going to trick me. I demand to be released."


    Miwen: "Sure. Hand me back the clothes I lent you and you''re free to go anywhere you want."


    In the hall, I had offered them two options, either they could go out, defenseless, clotheless, and directionless... or, they could spend a month inside my pocket dimension.


    Once the time was up, I would offer them my full support in whatever they decided, be it staying in the kingdom, or even seeking somewhere else to live.


    While the choice was theirs, one was clearly much more advantageous, so I was pretty much sure of what they would decide on.


    If they chose to leave though, I''d send them happily, even if they wanted to go out as a [Citizen].


    Like seeds or a virus, they would have value outside the Kingdom as well, as they coulde to me in a time of desperation, and could even ask me to make others into [Citizens] as well.


    What mattered to me the most was maintaining the number of registered citizens, inside or outside the kingdom.


    And in case they left and stopped being a citizen, I could just repeat the process as many times as necessary, and the kingdom would always have new blood, and certainly, some that choose to stay, increasing its poption permanently.


    Also... I was confident in the kingdom.


    It''s a safe haven. And we are working to make it prosper. Eventually, there won''t be a ce outside capable ofpeting with what it offers.


    Lana: "Don''t be an idiot. I won''t expose my back to you."


    Miwen: "Eh... I already have my hands full with another attention-seeking pet, if I don''t return soon, I''m sure she''ll be sad. But hey, if you want some attention, you know where to find me~"


    Lana: "Wait! Don''t move. Don''t forget who is in control here."


    How could I ever forget that?


    It''s my world, the control is, and always will be mine.


    Miwen: "You''re in my sandbox, kitty. So y nice, will you?"


    Our levels were so far apart, that I had no doubts that she couldn''t hurt me with her shadow dagger.


    My biggest concern was finding a way to deal with this without hurting her.


    And my solution was quite simple.


    I just had to make her give up without even touching her.


    Back in my first days as an adventurer, a recurrent worry was spending all my mana, as that would lead to mana depletion, a terrifying state that makes one unable to act.


    Up until we met Elizabeth, it was still something we had to keep in mind.


    A level one like her needs to be very careful with how she spends her mana, and so, by creating a single light orb, I ended her little rebellion.


    Lana: "Are you an idiot? It will only make the shadow stronger."


    A medieval-age catgirl is trying to teach me about science. How ironic that I would, in turn, teach her about magic.


    Miwen: "Precisely. And thus, you will need more mana to maintain it. But you should be about to run outpletely..."


    There was nothing she could do once the mana depletion kicked in.


    Her Gift was pretty good, but it wasn''t enough to pose a threat to me with her current level.


    Miwen: "I''m pretty sure you''ll be forced to y my way then..."


    Lana: "Tch. I won''t forget this."


    She grabbed the fresh clothes from the ground and ran away as quickly as she could toward the gate in the walls.


    Miwen: "It''s going to be tiresome to domesticate this stray..."


    Mia: "Not on my watch. She''ll make a great addition to the anti-yboy camp."


    Miwen: "Are you talking about the camp whose leader went as far as to equip Cassandra to rush as fast as possible to my side? Somehow I don''t think she''ll be interested."


    Mia: "Nrgh... wrong... she insisted oning."


    As I thought, Cassandra is actually quite-


    Cassandra: "Yep, I thought you were doing something naughty and I really wanted toe~"


    Yeah, I should''ve imagined.


    The way she said that she wanted toe was enough to embarrass Mia.


    Which gave me a great idea.


    It was time for payback for my earlier defeat at her hands.


    And thankfully, I knew my opponent''s weak point and had the perfect weapon in my hands.


    Miwen: "Speaking of which, Cassandra, are you also on the anti-yboy camp?"


    Cassandra: "What? No way! I''m fully devoted to the slut camp. I only want to be against you in bed~"


    Mia: "I''m going ahead!"


    I think I''ve never seen Mia''s face so red before.


    Since Cassandra doesn''t mince her words and has my memories, she''s the perfect partner in crime to tease the girls with. I might even make this her official position.


    And even though she said she was going ahead, instead of rushing to the others, Mia just walked in front of us, trying to ignore everything.


    It''s cute how she denies her worries but still acts like this.


    When we got back to where everyone was, I saw that the mood was still going strong, and the neers seemed a little bit closer to the girls.


    After a while, Lana came to join us too. She looked annoyed and displeased with me, but couldn''t resist the food, and ended up not creating more trouble throughout the night.


    It''s not like she had an opportunity to either, as a more troublesome guest arrived shortly after her.


    Marcus: "...! Something broke my barrier. I''m going to-"


    Liz: "He broke mine too, but you don''t need to mind him. I think he just came to steal food-"


    Merchant: "You''re absolutely right! Can I get some of that? Thanks."


    He teleported behind ire, got a sausage, and teleported back to my side.


    A few extremely hot fireballs came close to hitting me as she tried to hit the thief, but it was no use.


    Hitting this guy was a pipe dream.


    Merchant: "So many new faces... If I knew you were throwing a party, I would''ve brought Prisci. Actually, let me see if she''s avable."


    I think Prisci is the person I pity most in the universe.


    The girl appeared with a bow in hand, positioned on one knee and ready to shoot an arrow glowing in an extremely bright blue, just the sheer concentration of mana on that arrowhead was suffocating to everyone around.


    Prisci: "...? YOU ABSOLUTE MORON! I was going to... Haah... Where did my life go wrong..."


    Merchant: "Turns out she was free after all."


    I couldn''t be sure, but something made me think otherwise.


    But this presented a good opportunity. With Prisci here, there was a good chance I could Maya healed... for a price.


    Maya was going to be healed one way or another but what Angelica would take months to do, Prisci did in just a couple of minutes.


    Seeing her walking on her own,pletely fine again... I didn''t manage to keep my emotions in check in this stance. And I wasn''t the only one.


    For even Mom to cry... while my parents have a lot of faults, their love for us was as real as you''d expect.


    Seeing us like this, Maya tried to cheer us up, but it only made the tears flow more as they weren''t a result of sadness, but joy.


    The dark clouds blocking our little bright star were removed and she could finally shine again.


    After everyone became a little more calm with the news, the Merchant started babbling to me.


    Merchant: "I saw a strange gate, but when I tried to enter, I got denied. Apparently, their elevator is under maintenance. I tried using my power, but... that thing was connected to all of reality at once... what is that, Miwen?"


    Miwen: "Oh, that is-"


    First Daughter: "It''s a gate that connects to the Infinite Hotel. Don''t waste your time trying to enter, it''s impossible without my permission."


    She suddenly appeared, sitting in the grass as if she had always been there.


    I guess the event she was talking about back at the Infinite Hotel was just this gathering...


    Then why was she so serious about it?


    I swear, she says she''s not lonely, but then she acts like this is the biggest deal ever.


    Merchant: "...The Infinite Hotel... Are you one of the Endless?"


    First Daughter: "Oh... have you forgotten me? Perhaps this face will remind you."


    Merchant: "...The Receptionist."


    I thought the Merchant was searching for the Endless, but... apparently, he knew a different face of The First Daughter.


    That felt a little bit strange to me. If they had a good rtionship, surely he would know the face she''s using in this Cycle.


    Also... The Traveling Merchant... The Receptionist... letting these guys name themselves was a mistake.


    Merchant: "You have a very high rank within your family, right? Could I ask you-"


    First Daughter: "I am Second Of The Endless. And no. I refuse to deal with you. I have not forgiven your sins. I shall not interfere on your side."


    It seemed like she didn''t even want to look his way.


    ire: "Turns out the oh-so-great self-sacrificing higher lifeform is not that selfless after all. The plot thickens!"


    Miwen: "I know, right?"


    Frankly... I was heavily interested in their conversation, as anything said by either of them probably affects creation as a whole.


    But with these guys being who they are... we simply had no idea what was going on between them.


    Miwen: "So... did you scam her or something?"


    Merchant: "No... I... made a mistake. Long ago, there was a flower, and I-"


    First Daughter: "You should stop."


    She was angry. An emotion that I thought I would never see in her face.


    Even when she jokinglyined about the topics I was bringing up inside the Infinite Hotel, she looked cute throwing a fit, but this time, there wasn''t a tinge of that.


    Prisci: "...!"


    As it turns out, Prisci was the type to take on a challenge.


    Unfortunately for her, it would be ridiculous to call this a fair fight.


    There is simply no match against The First Daughter. The very concept of power is meaningless before her.


    Maria: "Magic is prohibited. Fighting is prohibited. Those who break thews will lose their powers as punishment."


    And then another one decided to join what was already a mess.


    It was no use though.


    The monsters in the Kingdom can be ced in three different leagues.


    First, there''s Mom, who tries to y the arbiter, even though she is actually fond of a good fight.


    She ispletely incapable of touching Prisci. The gap between them is immeasurable.


    And Prisci is just our middle-tier monster.


    I''m pretty sure she could take an army made entirely of clones of my Mom.


    And yet... she is less than an insect before The First Daughter.


    If the three of them decided to throw down, the one who would lose was... me.


    Because these higher forms love to drain me of my resources, and fighting seems to be one of their preferred methods.


    Miwen: "I swear I''m not getting scammed again. If you break, you''ll pay. Also, you said you weren''t going to trouble the girls, and my cute elf over there is terrified."


    Ellie: "Uh? Ah... Y-yeah, I''m terrified. Could you please stop ?"


    First Daughter: "...You''re right. I''m sorry for my outburst."


    Merchant: "...Prisci."


    Even I was surprised that I came on top of all of these monsters. I was genuinely annoyed and nning what I could rece with the remaining Kingdom Points.


    Merchant: "...I will not ask anything else, so please, just answer me this..."


    First Daughter: "I can''t remember thest time we''ve unanimously agreed on something, so you might be able to convince the other Endless of your cause. But it will depend on who you meet."


    She didn''t even wait for him to say it...


    Merchant: "So there is hope... that is all that I need."


    The Merchant seemed genuinely relieved upon hearing that.


    Perhaps, the First Daughter might be the only one capable of reassuring him, even if her words weren''t kind or supporting.


    A man who has decided to carry the weight of creation on his shoulders...


    Marcus: "Well said, young man. Here, eat some more, so that you can grow some muscles."


    Guess great minds think alike. And so do the dumb ones.


    Their maism to one another is incredible, almost as if it were fate.


    Sure, their respective responsibilities are inpletely different leagues but... their decision is the same.


    They are both heroes who heard the call and rose despite the odds.


    The Merchant is proof of a promise''s importance to a man. He fought through the death and birth of the universe multiple times... just to do what he thought was right.


    I thought my father would one day stop, but... I guess men like them don''t know how to.


    Merchant: "Oh yeah, Miwen. Since Prisci helped you out, there''s something I want you to do in return."


    I really can''t escape him huh...


    How did Prisci manage to live so long with this guy?


    Well, his conditions this time weren''t so bad. He just wanted me to help recruit someone to the Caravan.


    He can''t go to their world without the Godsing down to meet him, so he wants me to go instead.


    I told him I was a little busy, but he said I was too weak to go right now anyway and agreed to send me at ater date.


    And thus... all of the problems I started the day with, or that were created as the day progressed hade to an end, and I could enjoy this peaceful scene.


    The First Daughter was creating beer and meat so that we would have an infinite stock for as long as the party went on, and she was also throwing some in the ground, saying that she wanted it to drink too.


    The Merchant and Prisci were having a good time talking with my parents while Maya was having a nice momentforting her boyfriend who had a face filled with despair after receiving the talk from my mom.


    Lily almost like a concerned little sister, was trying her best to cheer up Lana, who still seemed annoyed.


    Speaking of which, Cassandra was teasing Angelica, saying they were sisters due to being summoned together, and poked at the rtionship between Beatrice and Ellie, which prompted the two quiet sidekicks to hold back their sisters who got a little too animated.


    Licia was serving Agatha, Grabie, and Olivia, while ire was being served by Mei.


    Meanwhile, Mia and Anna were in an endurance contest... to see who could drink faster one entire bottle of the strongest drink I brought.


    Elizabeth: "In creation... Nowhere is quite like this... For even beings like an Endless and the Merchant to sit down and enjoy their time with mortals... I think I made the right choice.."


    Miwen: "Nowhere, huh... That doesn''t sound so bad."


    It was not that some things were impossible.


    It was just that... they existed in nowhere.


    An isted piece from reality, where its ruler''s only desire was to grow together with those under his wing.


    In my family, subjects, and allies... I could see my past, present, and future...


    Thanks to [Gacha Kingdom Building], I was able to make thisnd, and the people in it, prosper.


    So, as a sign of gratitude, I took a page from The First Daughter''s book and offered thend, the very manifestation of my Gift, a reward in the form of a shared drink.


    May we prosper together, you and me.

 Chapter 140: Night Of Degeneracy (R18)

    -This chapter contains descriptive sexual content, please, be advised and proceed with caution-


    There''s this feeling of warmth, or heat,ing from a woman when she''s embraced.


    The closer to their private parts, the stronger that heat will be, almost as if it''s guiding and inviting you


    By ying with them well, this heat will spread all over their bodies, until they eventually start melting, unable to leave your arms, whispering softly-


    Cassandra: "Nhng... Fuck this pussy until it''s unable to live without your cock."


    Their true animalistic intentions starting out, at first, they try to mask it using their sweetness...


    Cassandra: "I love your dick... Ahn... Ngh... I want to marry it... I want to be your little fucktoy for eternity."


    But as long as you give them enough love, their true colors show, and by pleasing them-


    Cassandra: "Hah... deeper... harder... fuck me good."


    ...Perhaps the sudden change in the mood requires some exnations.


    The thing is, I had promised Cassandra that I would reward her for her night watch.


    And when ites to this girl, it''s important to note one thing.


    She''s incredibly horny.


    As such, it was obvious what kind of reward she would want initially.


    In this bed, the only love that could be found was between Licia and ire. As soon as Cassandra invited me, she showed that she didn''t care for love. All she wanted was the sex.


    The way she hadid down, using her fingers to open her pussy, inviting me with that ominous smile of her, as if this was a fate I wouldn''t be able toe back for... only to then refuse any forey and thrust her hips violently against my member from insertion showed the kind of rough sex the self-proimed slut was after.


    It was different from any other girl I''ve ever had. Even Licia and ire, who sometimes ask for it hard, enjoy a loving embrace just as much.


    At the start, I was a little worried about hurting Cassandra''s body. She is slim and small, with a body pretty close to Ellie''s.


    But the way she moved waspletely different. She did her best to try and overwhelm me with her pace, knowing that I would take that as a challenge and would go at her as hard as she wanted in response.


    While I don''t think this night advanced our rtionship like the others, as there weren''t too many feelings involved, and it was more of a matter of desire on her part, and curiosity on mine, I at least got to know her a little better.


    Especially her trickiness.


    From the start, this girl tried to misdirect my attention, and it did work for a while, as I didn''t notice that I had torn her hymen until the blood dripped out.


    I was even worried that I had hurt her and said that we should stop if that was the case.


    This... annoyed her quite a lot.


    I wasn''t expecting her to be a virgin, but ording to her, she''s not just a slut. She''s a loyal bitch.


    Meaning that she never wanted anyone''s dick, just the one she had pledged herself to.


    In her past life, that was Lazo, a man who had dedicated himself to vanquishing the evil of the demons.


    A man who even with Cassandra by his side, never touched her.


    Even when she offered herself and her sister as a package.


    Cassandra: "Try to see things from my perspective a little. I spent millennia wanting nothing more than a good fuck, only to be betrayed by the person I had acknowledged, without him even touching me. And then, I was exposed to all of your memories, lover boy. To refuse me would be cruel, and to go slowly would be like torture to me. So... won''t you please pound me as hard as you can?"


    She didn''t want me to show care and love to her, all she wanted was to be prated deeply, as hard as possible.


    And so, she tried to hide that she was a virgin, knowing I wouldn''t do her like she wanted if I knew about it.


    I was a bit d that while she is like that, she has enough resilience to not go after just anybody though.


    It meant that her loyalty could be as high as her naughtiness and that once I made her mine, she would stay like that forever.


    And so, since she was so honest and made a prettypelling argument, I decided to give her exactly what she wanted.


    Miwen: "Get on all fours. I''ll do you from behind."


    Cassandra: "Oh? Are we doing anal? Way to go! My ass was feeling a bit lonely~"


    Miwen: "Sure, I''ll fuck this twitchy greedy butthole of yours. But not now. First I''ll make sure your pussy knows who it belongs to."


    Cassandra: "Nhn... yes... beat my tight little hole into submission until I can''t think of anything else but your cock."


    As if her mind isn''t already filled with nothing but cock...


    Still, her body was pretty convenient. Her ass was softer and wider than expected considering her size. It was fun to spread and mess with it, but it didn''t make for a good handle. Thankfully, her skinny waist did that job wonderfully.


    By grabbing it I could use as much force as I wanted, and in this position, I was able to reach the end of her pussy quite easily.


    While we didn''t have any forey, her juice made sure to lube my dick quite nicely, so, even while hitting all her bumps on the way, I still smoothly went as far as she could take it.


    Cassandra: "Hahaha... it goes so deep... Hnm... it''s stretching my insides... I think you''re turning my pussy into your personal dick pocket..."


    Miwen: "Isn''t this what you wanted?"


    Cassandra: "Ahn... I''m so filled... give me more~"


    Between her sweet moans, she still could let out that sexy raspish voice, as if her throat was made to arouse men.


    The only way for me to abide by her wishes was to go even faster since there was no more room for me to put my dick into.


    I had my doubts if I could satisfy her with just


    All this time I had only given attention to her pussy though, so, I started to use everything else she had to offer.


    pping her butt made her tighten her grip instinctively, which brought great pleasure to both of us and led to her moaning louder and louder.


    Cassandra: "That''s all your strength amounts to? Put some- Ahnh! Ohwn!"


    I had to be careful given our level difference, but I didn''t allow her to provoke me either.


    Once I got a good feeling of how much force I could put into each p, it became a fest.


    Her cheeks had be incredibly red, to the point where they looked like they were going to start bleeding anytime, and each time I mmed against her, she would scream in pleasure.


    I didn''t stop there either. Since I had turned her asscheeks into a pleasure spot for this masochist, I decided to y with her clit and breasts next.


    Since she was so excited, even without a clear view, it was easy to find and massage her clit.


    As for her breasts, they were not particrly big, but they had a nice shape that fit well into my hand. She liked it when I rubbed her nipples, but she loved it when I pulled on them


    She also seemed to like having them pressed quite a lot.


    But I couldn''t y with them for too long, as she wasing non-stop, and her hands and knees soon started to lose strength and give up.


    The doggy-style position we had started in had changed to a prone bone, except that to be as rough as possible with her, I was still lifting her ass using her waist.


    ire: "Oh? Is it getting hard to keep up, sword girl?"


    Cassandra: "Ahn... Ngnh.... shut up... nhnn... I''ve seen you pass out with much less..."


    ire: "...! I swear, I''m going to-"


    Cassandra: "Fuck me? Be my guest, I''d love a double pration with that icy strap-on."


    ...Cassandra could still talk back even though she truly looked like nothing more than a fucktoy right now.


    She had no strength left, and however I moved her, that''s how she stayed.


    ire: "Miwen! Can I?"


    Miwen: "Hm... sure. But I call dibs on her ass."


    I had already filled Cassandra''s pussy with plenty of semen, so I was starting to get interested in her asshole, to the point where I had already gotten about two fingers inside there.


    And since she was going to share the room with us every night, a scenario like this would end up happening one way or another.


    Not to mention... Having someone help me satisfy her was a blessing since I also had to satisfy Licia every night thanks to ire not being able tost too long.


    If it all worked out and Licia decided to y with her too, the sex could actually be less taxing on me.


    Ironically, I would be able to rest more peacefully thanks to an increase in the degeneracy going on in the room.


    Still, her ass was pretty tight, even more considering that ire had filled her pussy too.


    I had to put some force into every movement, something that the girl herself seemed to enjoy a lot.


    Cassandra: "Double pration... is so good... Nhn... I want... Aahnn... dick inside me...


    all the time..."


    Miwen: "Hm... I can buy you a buttplug, which siz-"


    Cassandra: "The biggest. I also want a few vibrators."


    Miwen: "Like, two or-"


    Cassandra: "Four at least. I''ll let you control it if you promise to leave them at max capacity all the time."


    Then what does it change if I have the control or not?


    Still, while she is unbeatable when ites to being horny, once again, she showed that she is not a bad person at all. Her words might be uncaring, but that''s inversely to her actions.


    Cassandra: "It''s sad to y alone. Ahnh... Harder Miwen... turn my asspussy into your bitch hole."


    Even though she could be easily interpreted as poking fun at Licia who was now alone, both of us understood what she wanted to say.


    Licia looked at me without saying a word, asking for permission, and I signaled to her that it was alright.


    As such, Cassandra started eating her pussy as best as she could while getting her holes prated.


    She must''ve been good at it too considering that Licia seemed to be enjoying herself quite a lot.


    Still, everyone seemed content with this degeneracy, and we went on for a while.


    Eventually though, aftering on her ass a few times, I ran out of water on the bottles that I leave in the room, so I decided to go downstairs to drink and refill some water.


    While I did that, Cassandra begged for Licia to substitute me, so she continued getting dicked by them, only now ire was using her ass while Licia used her pussy.


    Apparently, ire had no regard for her and was going pretty fast, perhaps it was due to a suppressed desire for revenge for all the anal that I constantly ask her to do.


    Still, the three of them seemed to be enjoying it, and I needed a break so, this all worked out well for me.


    Until I passed by the living room, only to meet a fresh out of the bath Mei covering her body with a towel.


    My initial n was for her to live inside the Kingdom with the other newly summoned girls, but...


    She wanted to apany me as much as possible, and when she understood that I lived in another residence, she couldn''t be convinced to stay in the Kingdom.


    There was no room for her in the bedroom though, but she insisted on sleeping on the sofa, saying that it wasn''t right for a lowly maid like her to share a bed with her master.


    Miwen: "Whoops, sorry Mei. I didn''t know you were bathing."


    She cleaned the entire house before doing it, almost as if she thought of the ce as being more important than herself.


    Mei: "...I''m sorry for my carelessness master, I thought you were going to spend the night with your mistresses. Please, allow me to perform the night services with this humble body of mine."


    First of all, there''s nothing humble about her body. She''s great everywhere.


    But... I ended up having to refuse.


    I''m still not sure about this girl. Her loyalty is almost perfect, but... I don''t think it''s normal for a human to show so much subservience to someone else so easily.


    I think I want to know her a little bit better beforeying her.


    There''s always the possibility that I''m stepping on andmine. She may want to perform my every duty in order to take control of my entire life.


    But then again, her loyalty is a bit too good for such a malicious n...


    Miwen: "I just came for a small break. If I want to, I''ll call you for that."


    Mei: "As you wish."


    Not a single trace of doubt in her eyes, she still looked as solemn as ever even though she had just offered her body to a man.


    I don''t think she has any feelings for me either, she''s really making it seem like she''s just doing her job, which includes... doing everything for me.


    It was no use thinking about that though.


    I still wanted to y with Cassandra, so I headed back to the room as Mei refused to go to sleep before me. Saying that it was her duty to see me to my resting ce before she did hers.


    Once I entered the room though... things had changed.


    Cassandra: "Oh! That''s the spot... hnm...You took so long... Did you y with the maid too?"


    Miwen: "No..."


    Licia was pounding away at her exactly the same as before, but...


    A defeated ire was lying by her side.


    Apparently, this girl can use her sword magic to bring just a handle and when it was her turn to y with ire''s holes... she didn''t manage tost.


    I eventually managed to satisfy Cassandrapletely, thanks in no small part to Licia.


    So, I rewarded her ordingly too, and our night went on for a little longer.

 Chapter 141: Horde Invasion (01)

    Our day started pretty normal, except for Mei''s attempts at doing everything by herself.


    Pairing her with ire proved to be effective though, as she always had something new for Mei to take care of.


    Anna: "The news... they are talking about the fire again."


    They had not yet mentioned the disappearance of the AOTG members, but...


    Miwen: "I think the news should be at least a step behind the investigators. The fire was pretty obvious, and it became headlines almost instantly, but theck of information on the AOTG is actually more of a problem than a relief."


    There is no way they wouldn''t have noticed their disappearance too. If it''s not being talked about, the police might''ve forced the press into keeping it a secret until they gather more information.


    Either that, or they already know exactly what went down and see me as dangerous, preparing a trap while preventing the news from publicizing my name, that way, they don''t risk me fleeing the country or taking a hostage.


    Either way, I''ve already prepared some basics if we need to flee, and in one dungeon raid I can get enough material to trade in any world I go. I can also use my Gift for the same purpose. As long as I have some mana or a ticket, I should be able to get some money.


    More importantly, what we had to do today wasn''t going to change because of that.


    Inside the Kingdom, the ns were to start the next event.


    It was another Invasion type, but this one thankfully only had to do with a monster horde.


    The difficulty meter was around the middle for this one, but with Elizabeth here, and the ability to call the Merchant if he was needed, I was confident we could tackle it.


    Yet, if possible, I would like to win an event all by ourselves.


    Not only because the Merchant always has an annoying price, but also as a matter of pride, since all our victories up until this point were debatable.


    The MerchanT wasn''t really trying to fight in his Invasion, and the First Daughter also didn''t seem interested in a conflict.


    We only won against Elizabeth thanks to the Merchant, and even if my system thinks the Snow White Wolves were a sess, I couldn''t disagree more.


    As such, I wanted to try to win this one using the current power of the Kingdom, and not anything else.


    And so, once the event started, a lot of noise came from the forested areas.


    Monsters started flying high, and soon enough, a few wereing out of the forest.


    Their numbers were easily in the hundreds, perhaps even thousands.


    Among them, 3 types got my attention the most.


    First of all, they had four big meaty pirs that appeared to be monsters themselves as I could look at their status.


    Those things were infinitely producing monsters, but their mobility seemed a little weak.


    Then, they had three wyverns. I couldn''t tell their levels, or anything about their status either, which basically meant they were too strong for my skills to work.


    Cassandra: "Oh look, your family came to see you."


    Angelica: "They are wyverns, not dragons."


    Cassandra: "So cousins don''t count for family matters?"


    That clearly wasn''t the problem, but Cassandra likes teasing Angelica the most.


    Elizabeth: "They are level 212... 222... and 219..."


    Another perk of having Elizabeth around, I guess.


    Their levels were too high for any of us to defeat them, except, of course, our Demon Queen.


    The only problem...


    Elizabeth: "As for that one... 301."


    A giant troll stood tall, towering over any other monster. He looked incredibly bulky and menacing, and yet...


    Miwen: "They are noting..."


    While they were moving, it was not to rush in our direction.


    Not the type of behavior you''d expect from monsters.


    Hell, even standing like that, in suchrge numbers is a mystery, as monsters are known to attack or kill each other to show dominance and superiority, or to acquire leadership of another group.


    Elizabeth: "They are preparing a formation. That monster has a title. He''s a [King]."


    Miwen: "Hm?"


    Cassandra: "It''s the same as your world''s Superior Monsters, just a different nomenture from our world. It''s just that it works better as after Titled Monsters, you get Named Monsters. But your World has yet to realize this concept."


    As expected of a world where kings gained the admiration of the Traveling Merchant... even without science, these guys knew a lot.


    Still, I was curious about it, so I had to ask.


    Elizabeth: "Well... when a boss inside the dungeon bes too strong, kills too much, and lives for too long, they end up getting a title, or an increase if they already have one, which further boosts their power, as well as their reasoning. Of course, this effect varies from monster to monster. But well... if they get a name... they be able to leave the dungeon or travel through floors.


    And when reproducing, inside or outside the dungeon, they produce offspring with higher reasoning."


    Cassandra: "For example, dragons are initially monsters. But the offspring of a dragon that came out of the dungeon will have enough reason to act like any other creature. Right?"


    Angelica: "Yes..."


    But even then, they are still seen as monsters, huh...


    Well, humanity has forcefully taken a few monsters out of the dungeon before to study them, and some people make erotic jokes about bringing slime or a female goblin home...


    But since interspecies breeding is possible... I''m really d we have proper surveince...


    Also, I guess this exins why sometimes monsters appear that don''t belong to a floor, or why a boss can descend...


    Licia: "Miwen, are we not going to help them?"


    She was referring to three jailed women with wings, being carried around like trophies.


    The event described them as valkyries that were captured in a previous battle.


    Their levels were quite high at 122, 133, and 146... but even if we freed them, it wouldn''t change too much with the wyverns and the troll.


    Miwen: "For now, our priority is our own security. Liz, how long do you think your barriers wouldst until we are forced inside the Kingdom walls?"


    Elizabeth: "With the wyverns and the troll... about 30 minutes at most... I think two or three punches of that thing can break through a barrier of mine."


    Miwen: "If we take them out of the equation?"


    Elizabeth: "Just the horde then? I''d say about 4 hours."


    The problem was that to take down the troll, we would probably need Elizabeth herself. The same for the wyverns, but to task her with doing all of that while still keeping most of her barriers here would be outrageous.


    For her to fight them, she''ll need some barriers around her own body at least...


    Miwen: "Ellie... can you stop him from getting close to the barrier?"


    Ellie: "If his build is focused on defense, no. But if it''s not, I should at least be able to dy him..."


    Miwen: "Great, Angelica, do you know how to buff someone using light magic?"


    Angelica: "I only learned a single basic spell."


    It was more than enough. Defeating the troll wasn''t a priority as long as we could keep him away from Elizabeth''s barriers.


    So, I sent Angelica and Ellie to dy him as much as possible.


    Miwen: "Liz, can you take the wyverns while keeping some barriers for us?"


    Elizabeth: "Consider it done, Your Majesty."


    While she says that, their level difference is not that high... with the other flying monsters around, it should be tough even for her.


    Still, with the amount of citizens in the kingdom now, I could have two special roles. One of them was with Maya, who went back with my family, and the other I decided to leave with Elizabeth for now.


    I knew that coordination with her would be the most important, as not only was she tasked with two important jobs, but also... We could use her to refill mana when needed, allowing us to fight, at least magically, indefinitely.


    And as for the rest of the monsters... there was something we could do about them.


    Miwen: "Bea, ire, Licia. I want you on magic support from the walls. Do not join the battlefield unless I tell you so, alright?"


    ire was a bit dissatisfied with this, but she chose to follow. The other two had no problems with it whatsoever.


    Miwen: "Cassandra, youe with me. Mia, you stay by my side, as for you Anna, stay right in front of us."


    Cassandra: "Coming~ Aun!"


    Mia: "Take this seriously, will you?"


    Surprisingly, I do think she was being as serious as possible. If anything, she seems excited to be in a war again.


    Well... it''s only against monsters, so I don''t expect their strategy and reasoning to be on par with mine, even if I''m not the brightest either.


    The most they managed to do was arrange a basic formation, keeping the archers and mages on the back, and the physical attackers on the front.


    And so, Mia, Anna, and Inded on the ins in front of the river and the walls, all the while I had Cassandra equipped as a sword.


    With a roar, the troll signaled that the battle began, and they finally came rushing in our direction.


    It was basically a 3 vs many, but... there was one thing I could do to increase our odds.


    They are in my kingdom, and in here, even a being like the First Daughter shall abide by my rules.


    It wouldn''t be a stretch to say that inside this ce, I''m basically a God.


    As the monsters came rushing in, I started modifying the ins, elevating the terrain to make two hills that tunneled the monsters that were approaching.


    With the girls on the walls taking care of the flying ones, this made it possible for each of us to fight against a single, or two opponents at a time as the rest of the monsters went to attack Elizabeth''s barrier.


    Using this method, we could remain somewhat safe in this battle while diminishing their numbers. The only problem was that we couldn''t keep up with the breeders this way, so... I told Anna to cause andslide when enough monsters were in the tunnel, and we came back to the wall.


    With a bunch of them dead at once due to being buried, their lines became that much thinner.


    Miwen: "Let''s go again."


    We moved to a slightly different location, and I started the same process.


    Again, the monsters came with no regard for their own safety, only to find themselves killed by the girls and I, until the tunnel was filled enough and I could bury them again.


    Mia: "That''s good, we can take a bunch of them down like this."


    Miwen: "No... we won''t win like this."


    The breeding pirs weren''t going anywhere, and as long as they stood, my kingdom points would end before the monsters of this horde had all died.


    Still, we had managed to acquire a temporary advantage, and I wasn''t going to let be in vain.


    Miwen: "We''ll do a charge. Mia, you and I will go together. We need to kill the closest breeder. Anna, I''ll do the tunnel again, but inverse this time, hold the small opening as best as you can."


    With a swing of her sword, Anna took down a bunch of the monsters right in front of us, and Mia and I could rush to the breeder while killing the easy prey.


    Diminishing their numbers right now wasn''t the priority though, so we didn''t try to pick any fights, using our magic to keep enemies away.


    Eventually, Mia went for the kill on the first breeder, and since she seemed to have it covered, I took the opportunity to secure one of the valkyries as well.


    ???: "Thank you, warrior. My name is Eir, and I-"


    Miwen: "Come with me and obey. If everything goes well, I can rescue your friends."


    I didn''t have time to make friends, any second wasted would increase the chances of us gettingpletely surrounded.


    In this operation, speed was the deciding factor.


    As such, I had lent Cassandra to Mia.


    Those two couldn''t be further apart in personality, but... they make an incrediblebo.


    Cassandra can correct Mia''s mistakes on her end since our wolf girl is not as experienced with weapons as the other girls, and all the while, her status gets boosted, together with her Gift and her beastification, she gets insanely strong for her level.


    Thus, she managed to destroy that breeder monster quite rapidly.


    Coming back to Anna was the only problem though.


    The Valkyrie was faster than me, and so was Mia. I couldn''t keep up with their speed, and it was a matter of time before I got surrounded.


    Seeing this, Mia threw Cassandra my way, but while I managed to deflect the opponent right in front of me, I was surrounded, and there was no way for me to react in time to a stab in the backing from a monster equipping ance.


    But then...


    A small dagger came out of my shadow, together with a hand, and a full body.


    Lana: "Don''t misinterpret, it''s just because the food was nice."


    The cute little cat came in to save my ass.


    She had gained a few levels thanks to the massive amount of monsters we were killing, but she still didn''t overstretch and simply aimed at the enemy hand, stabbing it and deflecting what would otherwise be a sure hit.


    Due to her height, she had to jump out of the shadow and ended up just diving back into it as soon as her job was finished.


    With Cassandra in my hands though, I managed to reach Mia and the Valkyrie we rescued, and we went back to the safety of the wall.


    This was mostly due to the monsters instinctively avoiding going through the tunnel, even if the shape was different now.


    It''s obvious that if you use the same strategy every time, anyone, either with reasoning or instinct, will start to be cautious about it.


    But that was also part of the n. I didn''t use the battle of the Thermope just to thin their lines, but also to condition the enemies.


    By creating a "no-go" zone between us, even in small numbers, we could move way better through the battlefield.

 Chapter 142: Horde Invasion (02)

    The first round of this battle was ours, but there was still a lot of work to do.


    The monsters didn''t seem to care that we had gained a few small advantages.


    We managed to kill one of the breeders while also preventing their numbers from increasing indefinitely by thinning their lines.


    Another small thing was the addition of one Valkyrie to our side.


    Their numbers were still overwhelming though and paired with the breeders'' ability to regenerate any losses, it would be impossible to say that we had turned the tide of this battle as if it continued this way, we would eventually face defeat.


    Anna: "That was great!"


    However, knowing that didn''t make the girls any less excited about our sess.


    And I couldn''t me them.


    Despite all odds, by using everything we had, we managed to make progress towards two different objectives simultaneously.


    While our numbers couldn''t bepared, it seemed like our mighty definitely could.


    Still...


    Miwen: "ire, my Kingdom has such a beautiful blue sky, but I can''t see it thanks to these monsters. Why don''t you do something about it?"


    ire: "On it!"


    While this first operation was a sess, we couldn''t rely on the same tactic again as the monsters were wary ofing closer to the tunnel.


    Thankfully, I had another thing nned for them now that they were so cramped, waiting for our next move.


    For that, I was going to need Elizabeth. So I asked ire to use as much mana as she needed to kill everything that was flying around her, as even Elizabeth would have trouble fighting the wyverns and dealing with the interruption of other flying monsters while making her way to us.


    While I did ask her for a clear sky, I didn''t think she was going to summon an entirely new sun.


    But it did the job well, and thanks to the telepathic link between Elizabeth and me, she reached the walls safely.


    While she recharged everyone, the wyverns changed their aim to the barrier, dealing massive damage and destroying ayer of the dome covering the kingdom every so often.


    Had it been just that, it would still be within my calctions, but...


    Elizabeth: "It seems like he is adapting."


    Miwen: "Seems so. Guess trolls are the type of monster that gets good reasoning fast?"


    Elizabeth: "Hm... it will take a while for him to reach a decent level in that department, but... he won''t be made a fool of forever."


    The strongest opponent this round was not only scary due to his power, but also his ability to learn.


    It was behind that of a human, but it was beyond what you would expect from most monsters.


    As a general, he didn''t take any actions to prevent what I did. He prepared a basic formation and allowed the monsters to run rampant.


    If he was a human, the first time I used the tunneling and burying of his frontline, he would''ve given them the order to avoid us, while using the mages on the backline to shoot and kill us from afar.


    Even if I had a response for that, the important factor was that my tactic would''ve only worked once, and we wouldn''t have been able to thin their lines so much.


    We dealt just enough damage to them to be able to sessfully take advantage of my speed, as well as Mia''s.


    It was a small blitz that almost ended up with me losing my life. If not for his ipetence as a general, this wouldn''t have worked at all.


    But this level of thinking might be too much to expect from a monster, even if he''s already a [King].


    He has control over his horde, but that''s the limit. He doesn''t seem capable of reacting. At least as a tactician, as a warrior, it''s another matter entirely.


    In his battle with Ellie and Angelica, he was capable of understanding that Ellie''s attacks weren''t meant to hurt him.


    He also seems to have understood a bit of Ellie''s ability and started using his troops as meat shields against Ellie''s arrows.


    Angelica answered this by entering her dragon form and flying from side to side within Elizabeth''s barrier to give Ellie the angles she needed to focus her shots on the troll.


    Realizing this, he decided to give up his progress toward the wall, and instead, retreat to the forest.


    Possibly to take the trees from the ground and use them as a more effective shield.


    It might be worthwhile to note that Ellie shooting while riding the back of a dragon is an incredibly badass sight that I''m dying to replicate myself.


    And the idea of someone like ire raining hellfire on a battlefield just to escape on Angelica''s back is also very entertaining.


    Well, that situation was still going to take a while to reach its climax, so for now...


    Miwen: "Liz, what is causing the barriers to break?"


    Elizabeth: "The frontlines aren''t doing too much, but their backlines are a problem."


    While they have more monsters capable of physically attacking, they have a limited reach, so the damage they cause to the barrier is not so significant.


    On the other hand, the mages that can attack from the back cause way more problems than the vanguards, as they easily bombard the barrier in greater numbers and without any interruption.


    It''s also unclear when their mana will run out, and betting on it wouldn''t be wise.


    Miwen: "You. What can you do?"


    Eir: "My Gift allows me to apply a protective buff to allies, and I''m a barrier master."


    She''s a pretty girl, but I didn''t have too much time to pay attention or treat her well. I''m sure we would be able to get to know each other once this battle was finished, so for now, while risking being rude, I asked for the essential information only.


    To my surprise, her abilities seemed pretty good for our situation, but...


    Miwen: "I don''t suppose you can make barriers like hers, right?"


    Eir: "That would be... impossible..."


    As expected... at least that part wasn''t going to be of much help.


    Well... It''s not her fault.


    Elizabeth is simply too ahead in levels and can keep the barriers up indefinitely with her infinite mana. She can also maintain a bunch of them at a time due to her abilities as a mage.


    While her level and power are not the same as they were back then, her knowledge and abilities with magic remained the same after her death.


    She''s frighteningly powerful, so it''s good to have the Demon Queen on our side.


    Miwen: "The protective buff might be good... as for your barriers... just try to keep enemies away from us."


    I didn''t want her butting in too much either. Due to our synergy, even if she had good intentions, the chances of her obstructing the others were too great to ignore, and it would create an unnecessary problem as we could handle ourselves for the most part.


    At least for now... If the troll manages to circumvent Ellie and Angelicapletely, I might have to cooperate with her to prevent him from reaching and breaking Elizabeth''s barrier.


    It''s a shame that she wasn''t a proper damage-dealing mage though, as that would help a lot with the next step.


    Miwen: "In my world, we developed weapons so effective, that itpletely changed the way we did war. But it had one major w..."


    The first firearms, like the musket for example, brought a lot of changes and benefits, and so, a bunch of tactics were developed to amodate them in battle with time.


    But at that point, they weren''t as almighty as the modern weapons we are now used to. Not only were they not very urate, but they also took a lot of time to reload between shots, leaving the shooter exposed to counterfire.


    Miwen: "Bea, start chanting some fire magic, you too ire. Don''t use it until I say so."


    With the use of my Kingdom Points, I could change the location of the mine''s entrance. It would be better if I could create another entrance, but it was too expensive, and a single one behind their back already proved to be good enough.


    I made sure that the previousbyrinth design of the underground was reced by a simple line directly to the entrance/exit of the mine, and in less than a minute, the crab monsters that inhabited that area started pouring into the battlefield.


    While they weren''t as strong as some of the other monsters present in this battle, they were all physical attackers with a fairly high defense focus too.


    This meant that they managed to create a lot of confusion in the unprepared backline filled with mages and long-range attackers. They were even managing to kill a few.


    It''s to be expected that any army surrounded, no matter how good amander they have, will suffer pressure and operate in a lesser capacity than normal.


    Their move of going for such a basic formation also ended up biting them in the ass, as in the first contact, the frontline couldn''t help the backline, and with how cramped they are due to avoiding the area right in front of them, this became a disaster filled with chaos.


    With their artillery so exposed and their organization diminished, it was the right moment to use our most powerful strike.


    For that, I was going to need almost all the girls. and we would expend a lot of mana, but it was well worth it, soAnna, ire, Mia, and I all jumped from the wall into the battlefield...


    Before us... there wasn''t a single monster.


    A giant area had been cleared by Beatrice''s fire magic, which allowed us to run approach our objective.


    This didn''tst for long though, and before we met the next Valkyrie and breeder monster, we were already surrounded again.


    Thankfully, the girls knew exactly what to do, and rushed forward as if they weren''t even there.


    That was because they trusted they weren''t going to be there anyway.


    And so, I used my own chant and fire magic to once again clear a path forward for us to advance.


    We still fell a bit short of reaching our objective but...


    We still had one more shot. The most powerful one had yet toe, and with us being so close... The damage was beyond significant.


    As impressive as ever, ire''s fire magic killed as many monsters as mine and Bea''sbined, not only that, she took a breeder all by herself with thatst shot, which allowed Mia and me to free the other two Valkyries while Anna killed another breeder close by.


    The only question remaining was how to get out now that we were so deep into enemy lines.


    But well... I had already prepared an answer to that problem.


    The timing couldn''t have been better, our support witch had finished her chant, and so, we were ready to start another volley fire.


    Even though she couldn''t apany us due to her speed and bad physical attributes, from up there in the wall, Bea''s magic support continued to be superb, and she cleared some monsters, allowing Anna to rush to and secure some space for us.


    All the while, I did my own chant and repeated the same process that allowed us to prate them so deeply.


    Then, it was ire''s turn again, and without most of the breeders... the number of enemies became way more manageable, so much so that our second volley didn''t cause as many casualties, not due to ack of power, but due to ack of opponents.


    It was truly a show of superior firepower, but it was only possible thanks to their artillery being in a disastrous situation of their own.


    Their attention had shifted from the battlefield towards their own lives, not only allowing Elizabeth''s barrier tost longer but also guaranteeing that they weren''t going to interfere with our magic or protect their allies.


    With this, the tide of the war hadpletely shifted in our favor, even more so considering that Elizabeth had managed to kill the first wyvern.


    The most dangerous part had been dealt with. Now, it would be hard to say that they still had a big advantage over us.


    With each small operation, we reduced the overwhelming odds that were stacked against us, until we were a few steps from winning what would appear to be an impossible battle considering their numbers and powers.


    It was still too soon to im victory though.


    As I had expected, the Troll managed to pull a bunch of trees from the ground and used them as a shield to protect himself from Ellie''s arrows.


    He was too close to Elizabeth''s barrier, so I had to intervene as Angelica and Ellie wouldn''t be able to deal with him unless they came out of the barrier to get some angles, but with the size of Angelica''s dragon form and the number of enemies still, in the air, that would be too risky.


    Miwen: "I''ll deal with him. ire, you''re inmand. I trust you know what to do."


    She may bezy and reckless, but she is not dumb.


    While she doesn''t have the same military background as Elizabeth, ire used to lead troops as the representative of her family, so she has some experience and potential as a general.


    Since Elizabeth and I had our hands tied, this would be a good exercise for her, and having more heads toe up with strategies would certainly help in the future as a proper war would beprised of many battles like this urring simultaneously, and having more opinions would be good.


    As Elizabeth said, there''s a limit to how many people I can directly control and orientate, so it''s about time I start developing the leadership skills of the girls I trust so that they can also take control of others for me.


    And when ites to ire, I had no doubts that she could do it.


    I had to take a few resources from her though... more specifically, Licia and Eir, the Valkyrie focused on barriers and protection.

 Chapter 143: Horde Invasion (03)

    With most of their army dealt with, the horde had few hopes left.


    Among them, the troll was probably the biggest obstacle, as even the Wyverns were being killed one by one by Elizabeth, to the point where only one stood in her way.


    And on thest battlefront, ire seemed to be using her full power to unleash a magic bombardment onto her enemies.


    Licia: "Tough..."


    Fighting this monster properly was impossible for us. The level difference was too much.


    This thing could defeat almost any citizen of the Kingdom with a single strike, so our best shot was using Elizabeth, the only one with a levelparable to his.


    Thus, Licia, Eir, and I, focused on grabbing his attention and impeding him from reaching the magic barrier that Elizabeth had constructed to protect the kingdom''s walls.


    Miwen: "You know the saying right? The bigger they are...."


    While incredibly strong, we were able to dodge his attacks, mostly due to Ellie lowering his speed and stunning him whenever possible, as well as his tendency to use wide swings whenever possible.


    Still, getting hit by the trees that he was swinging would be a disaster, so I used my Kingdom Points to cheat this fight as much as possible.


    This guy found out that the ground in the Kingdom might be way more hollow than he expected, as anytime a swing came too fast, the terrain would give in, making his leg fall into a hole,pletely fucking up his bnce and leading the attack nowhere.


    This mysterious dimension is one I rule over, and here, buildings and walls would suddenly appear to block his way or vision, sometimes, even being thrown his way without the use of any magic.


    My control over the Kingdom, paired with Eir''s barriers and Licia''s ice magic, made us able to hold him quite decently.


    Every one of his attacks met an obstacle, which allowed us to dodge himpletely.


    Since we had his attacks mostly dealt with, we wondered if it was possible to damage him.


    We knew that killing him would be impossible, but by hitting his knee joints we could at least hinder his movements, making everything easier for us.


    It was no use though, as Licia herself confirmed, his skin was too tough for us to do anything about with our current strength. Even paired with Cassandra and empowering herself with magic, it was not enough for even a superficial cut.


    It didn''t matter how we approached him, shing or stabbing, it was all the same. The sword would simply be deflected.


    The only one who was able to prate him was... Ellie.


    She was focusing her shots on his ears, the only area that seemed softer, but out of reach for anyone else besides Eir.


    While Licia and I could use magic to create tforms and move through the air, it wasn''t worth just to risk an attack when it would provide such a small advantage.


    It was better to keep those to facilitate dodging his attacks, and we left Eir, who didn''t need to use magic, to take care of the skies.


    Even with Cassandra equipped, the status increase still wasn''t enough for Licia or me to damage him, so I changed weapons for a second and used the new version of Ngom''s Tempest de that the Merchant gave me in exchange for the one that had acquired Elizabeth''s Demonic Power back during her Invasion Event.


    Unsurprisingly, something made by a member of the Caravan was actually sharp and powerful enough to make up the difference between us, and I could draw his blood.


    Not only that, the sword also provided a nice secondary effect.


    Cassandra: "It''s absorbing his Demonic Power... Hey..."


    Miwen: "Hm?"


    Cassandra: "Can I have that?"


    It was the first time Cassandra had asked to eat one of my swords... well, at least one made of metal.


    She told me before that she doesn''t really go for weak or uninteresting ones, since their taste is so bad that she has trouble properly eating them, which could hurt her internally, or make her throw up the sword in pieces.


    As part of our mutual agreement, she asked for the final say on what weapons she eats since I can get some good ones through the Gacha.


    However, that would mean she could eat any weapon she wanted, which I ended up not allowing.


    As a condition, she''s the lowest on the priority list.


    First, any weapon that looks useful or fits a citizen''s fighting style will be given to them, then, if they are recing a weapon Cassandra wants, she can eat it.


    And in case a weapones out that no one wants to use but Cassandra wants to eat... that''s fine too.


    Since she''s my main weapon anyway, giving her this one didn''t matter too much to me, and I was impressed by how much stronger she became from eating it.


    Not only that, she absorbed its effects, as well as the Demonic Power that it had stolen from the troll.


    The only defect of this de is that it was clearly made to fight against a humanoid creature, as during this fight, it didn''t have enough reach for me to properly damage the giant monster we were facing.


    That problem didn''t exist with Cassandra though, as she could change herself into any type of ded weapon to fit my needs.


    In her dagger form, this allowed me to equip another weapon if I wanted to, but for now, it was better to use her sword form as I needed it to cut deep into the monster.


    Licia: "His stamina seems endless... maybe this is his Gift?"


    Miwen: "That''s a good question. I think it''s either that or a simple boost to strength."


    It was hard for me to determine how much stamina a level 300 monster should have... it was definitely more than any of us, but he had been fighting Ellie since the beginning while running toward the wall, the forest, and then to the wall again.


    Now, he had to face three opponents at once, and there were no signs of him getting tired.


    This battle should be way more taxing for him, and yet, we were the ones showing signs of slowing down.


    Miwen: "I could go for a break. See ya next round big boy."


    I summoned a few stone towers high above him and threw them down in his direction.


    They came with so much speed and power that for a second I thought I had trouble imagining that anything would survive it.


    But I wasn''t that lucky, and that beast rose from the stones with a loud roar.


    Miwen: "...Elizabeth has already killed two. Thest one shouldn''t take long... as for ire... she''s doing a pretty good job... I''m not sure what else we can do here..."


    Licia: "Hm... you managed to damage his knee joints... can''t we do something about his eyes?"


    I had to spend a lot of mana and Kingdom Points to create that opportunity, and it only worked because I summoned a house around his face to make him blind for a second.


    To reach his eyes would be difficult...


    Miwen: "Neither of us can do that, I don''t think... maybe you can Ellie?"


    She was already hitting his ears so...


    Ellie: "Hm... I''ve tried, but he blocks the arrows if I aim for his eyes. Mouth and nose were the same. I got him poisoned but... I don''t think it''s enough to kill him within this decade."


    I didn''t think abandoning the Kingdom for a decade was a good strategy, but I kept notes in my head just in case.


    More realistically, I thought that perhaps we could use the fact that he blocks his eyes from Ellie''s arrows...


    And with what we had avable...


    Miwen: "Valkyrie... you can reach his eyes, right? Do you think you can give him a nice stab for us?"


    She has been pretty useful in provoking the troll due to her flying abilities. With almost no enemies in the sky to speak of, she''s a hard target for the ground-locked monster.


    Her ability to maneuver through his attacks in the air is way more effective than what Licia and I can do, even when we use magic to do some 3D movement of our own.


    The biggest problem for us to hit the monster''s eye is that we need to have Cassandra equipped, and then, we would need to get close to his face, which is extremely difficult to do when his speed, even under Ellie''s debuff is stillparable to ours.


    Just to avoid getting hit we have to waste a lot of mana or some Kingdom Points, so to reach his eyes would be too much to ask.


    Knowing that a single hit of his would spell the end for any of us also doesn''t help in making the decision.


    Eir: "Can you turn into a spear?''


    Cassandra: "Any weapon with a de missy."


    Between us, she might be the only one capable of doing it.


    However, for that to work...


    I was going to need some trees.


    With just a few lines around him, I could create some cover to hide Eir and Ellie while also acquiring a more favorable terrain for Licia and me to provoke and dodge him.


    Due to his size, he would have to destroy the trees to make his way to us, which meant that it was obvious who he was targeting at all times due to the sound, and we were one step ahead.


    Like before, I used Kingdom points not only to make holes for him to fall into but also to create tunnels that would allow us to dodge and reposition ourselves.


    I also had to rece a lot of trees or change them to make him confused and keep the girls hidden, but it was all worth it as when they were perfectly positioned, our strategy came to fruition.


    By making his leg fall into a hole again, he became furious and distracted. It was still not enough to prevent him from blocking Ellie''s arrows that were trying to reach his eyes, but by protecting his eyes with his hand, he had effectively made himself blind for a moment, which allowed Eir to approach him.


    Ellie stopped shooting and focused back on his ear, which led him to move his arm down, only for Eir to quickly stab one of his eyes.


    Miwen: "One down... now how do we get the other..."


    Elizabeth: "You don''t need to worry about that. This battle is over."


    Using her lightning magic, Elizabeth burned down all the trees around us, and with multiple air bursts, she started to push the troll away.


    Miwen: "I never thought I''d be so d to see you."


    Liz: "Oh? And I thought you were starting to like me a bit more..."


    Miwen: "I''ll like you a bunch if you can defeat him."


    Liz: "If...? I see you''re underestimating me. Perhaps myst disy left you with the wrong impression. Watch closely Your Majesty, I shall remind you of my power."


    Full of pride as always.


    But even I knew that the battle was settled once Elizabeth stepped in. This is the girl who managed to make the Merchant throw at least one serious-ish punch.


    The only thing to worry about was his Gift. Since we didn''t notice any use of it, it was aplete unknown.


    Still, we could infer a few possibilities.


    First... it could be aplex Gift. One with restrictions or conditions to activate. Or maybe its effects aren''t so simple that an opponent can notice easily notice them.


    In that case, it could also be that this monsterdidn''t know how to properly make use of it, or he never got to fulfill the conditions for its activation.


    Another possibility would be what Licia and I thought about, a simple Gift that boosted a status he wasn''t making use of, such as his strength.


    Since no one was getting hit, that status was pretty much meaningless.


    However, since this monster managed to climb so high in both power and rank, the chances of him knowing how to use his Gift were high in my opinion, so I thought the second option was more likely.


    In the end, the truth was revealed to be somewhere between those two possibilities.


    Facing Elizabeth''s sky-covering thunderous dragon, the monster finally triggered his Gift.


    It was a defensive one, but it wasn''t so simple as a status boost.


    By roaring to the sky when the dragon was about to hit him, we finally understood what it really did.


    Elizabeth sensed that her dragon had met something... and it could only have been the soundwaves of his roar, as there was nothing else standing between them.


    Liz: "Very interesting... I wonder how he''ll react to this then..."


    This time, she replicated the wind tornados that she used against the Merchant.


    The size of those things made even the troll look small.


    He once again used his Gift''s ability to destroy them, but interestingly...


    Miwen: "It doesn''t affect us."


    Liz: "Yes. Seems to me like it only works against magic... not only that, since he didn''t use it against the ice walls... the condition is that it will block offensive magic."


    He also tried to use it against the stone towers that I threw at him, but those weren''t magic, so it didn''t work.


    If our opponent was human, he could intentionally not use his Gift in certain situations to hide its true power and trap us into thinking about it wrong, but...


    This monster''s rationality probably wasn''t that developed.


    And sure enough, as Elizabeth engaged in a battle of attrition with him, this became all but confirmed.


    As the hours passed, the monster''s roars became less and less powerful, and the Demon Queen''s magic started to hit him.


    Then, it started to hurt him.


    A few burn marks came after...and then blood started dripping... until she took an entire limb.


    Liz: "...Now would be a good moment to scream. Such a shame that you have meaninglessly wasted your voice. I wonder... did you save enough to beg for your life?"


    If his Gift hade with unlimited stamina, or a regenerative throat... he might''ve stood a chance.


    But against Elizabeth''s incessant attacks, there was nothing he could do but despair and tire himself out.


    Even his signals of intelligence and adaptiveness couldn''t do much, as all he could think about was blocking the magic or attacking Elizabeth from a distance using trees and dirt.


    The image of Elizabeth''s overwhelming might... thest time I had seen this was during our battle.


    It kind of sent shivers down my spine. Perhaps it was due to her being defeatedst time, but she looked incredibly sadistic.


    She finished him off after asking if he wished to join us. Of course, he could not answer her, so she blew his brains out with a pir of lightning.


    Due to his size, it was an incredibly bloody view.


    Not long after his death, we joined with ire, who had managed to kill her target and was finishing with their backlines.


    It was quite interesting to see what she came up with.


    She started by focusing on her own abilities, bombarding the enemy relentlessly until she was almost out of mana.


    It could be misinterpreted as her relying solely on herself, but in actuality, she did it just to thin out their lines and then tasked Beatrice with the rest of the artillery business.


    To kill her target, she used the valkyries to provide support from the air by killing all enemies close to them.


    She used Anna''s power as a tank to take the brunt of the attacks while she charged ahead with Mia, and together, they quickly defeated the breeder.


    The way she took control of the air to support herself, and cleared the way from afar with firepower to allow for a quick assault looked like a pretty modern tactic, although itcked any technology you would see apanying such an operation.


    Once we were all reunited though, the remaining monsters didn''t stand a chance, and without being able to regenerate their numbers, the event quickly came to an end.


    [Invasion! The Monster Horde Second Last Stand


    Ending Achieved: Repeating Fate


    The rewards for achieving this ending are:


    50% Increase in your current amount of Kingdom Points.


    5 Umon Gacha Tickets.


    Dark Magic x1


    Demonic Power: 17]


    [Due to sessfullypleting the event, you can choose to either add or subtract two days from the event timers permanently.]


    Of course, I chose to add days to the timer.


    Between this and the Infinite Hotel, it felt like we barely had any time to breathe, and it made me halt the kingdom''s development temporarily.


    Considering my ns to increase the number of citizens, I was also going to need some time between events.


    Miwen: "Liz... these monsters had Demonic Power, right?"


    Elizabeth: "A little. I was going to ask if I could absorb it, but... it seems like you already did."


    Miwen: "I see. Can I pass it to another person somehow?"


    I knew I could throw it to Cassandra by having her slightly scratch me until she absorbed it all, but I was thinking about someone else who would make good use of this.


    Elizabeth: "I can facilitate that, but... are you sure? It makes you stronger."


    Miwen: "But it''s also a bit troublesome, right? I''d rather keep it with someone else until it''s enough to do something with. I''ll just keep some to train with if you''re willing to teach me."


    Elizabeth: "Of course."


    It wasn''t a resource I knew how to use, so until I learned, this felt like the correct path.


    ire: "Miwen! We won!"


    Full of energy, she came running and jumped to hug me.


    She looked happier than I was.


    But I could understand. This was the first event that we hadpleted without outside help, or that wasn''t handed to us, like the Merchant or the Infinite Hotel.


    It was a true victory, earned by the forces of the Kingdom and without the interference of a single ally.


    Everyone was happy with the results.


    Mia: "Are you forgetting about the Valkyries?"


    ire: "Hm... they don''t count, right? They were like your tribe. Part of the premise and all..."


    I ended up agreeing with ire. While the Valkyries helped, they were part of the Event, and even without them, we would probably be fine.


    Miwen: "It does beg the question... what do you guys want to do? I can look for your home world if you want to."


    Lana: "Hey! Why didn''t you make that offer to me?"


    A little catgirl jumped out of my shadow upon hearing that.


    Miwen: "It''s the same offer, it''s just that yours is under a timer. Also... thanks for before. I''ll prepare something nice for you. But. That was reckless, at least tell me when you''re inside my shadow.


    And try to value your life more next time, in that situation, you could''ve died."


    While I would''ve gotten hurt if not for her, I could still heal myself. In case she dies, I would have to go to the trouble of summoning someone to rece her, and it would also hurt the chances of the others remaining inside the kingdom.


    Lana: "Hmph! You better. And don''t talk like I''m going to do it again."


    She jumped out of the walls and went inside her house, still refusing to interact too much with me.


    But surprisingly, out of everyone that was summoned with her, she''s the one showing the quickest development in loyalty. If she didn''t start in the negatives, it could be at afortable level now.


    While he had our exchange, the Valkyries discussed among themselves what they wanted to do, and then, the tallest among them, a girl with long, dark hair came to answer me.


    ?????: "I am Skuld, and I speak in ce of my sisters, Eir, and Liefdis. A small kingdom like yours has performed a great deed in defeating the Monster Horde. It would be an honor for us to be under you."


    It was a nice offer, so I epted it.


    They were all fairly strong, and due to saving them, their loyalty was pretty high from the get-go.


    I also thought that in case I needed to send someone to help my family in the future, these three would be good alternatives to Elizabeth, as no one on Earth is close to their levels.


    Miwen: "Hm... Are you sure you''re fine forming a pact with a spirit called Apollo? Won''t Odin get mad with you or something?"


    After registering them as citizens, Apollo seemed enthusiastic about approaching them, and they immediately agreed to form a pact with him once I asked them to.


    Skuld: "Hm? Who''s that?"


    ...I really need to visit the Infinite Hotel again.


    Last time, I focused on the most pressing issues, things to do with me or my Gift directly.


    But... Elizabeth being a demon that came from a world called Hell. Valkyries existing, but not knowing about Odin... Angels, dragons...


    A few elements of Earth''s culture and mythology seemed to fit with what exists in other worlds, and I couldn''t help but wonder if there''s a reason for that.


    Still, today''s event ended up with our hard-fought victory, and I threw arge banquet to celebrate the new citizens as well.


    The only thing left today was to wait for the Divine Event exnation from Catherine, as that could change my ns moving on, depending on what happens.

 Chapter 144: The Result Of The Monsters Invasion

    Once the event was done, I went around introducing the Valkyries to the other residents of the Kingdom, as well as the current instations and locations of interest, such as the mine, the houses, and the fields.


    This also provided a good opportunity to check how the new girls were feeling after the Invasion since I had marketed the Kingdom`s security as a highlight for them.


    The invasion could put that in question, but since we did a good job defending against it, I expected the oue to prove that we are capable of protecting the citizens, and also show a little of how powerful we are, even if our numbers are closer to that of a small vige.


    On our way, the first stop was Lily and Olivia, who were working together in the fields.


    Olivia''s Gift is called [Be Silent]. It has some uses forbat and other operations by reducing the sounds that allies make.


    However, due to the second effect that increases her concentration and allows for faster and deeper thought, I agreed with her that a position behind a desk is more suitable.


    She shows astonishing potential as an ountant, something we will need in the future. The timing is a bit off as we don''t have enough resources to even worry about it, but I have no reason toin.


    Her personality is also not bad. She''s not as exquisite as some of the other girls and seems well-mannered and easy to deal with.


    As for the fields they were working in, Lily and I had decided on the first set of crops.


    Wheat and rice were a must. Rice seemed a bit difficult to work with, but Lily was confident she could handle it.


    And in case she needed help, we could always change things to facilitate things for her.


    As for the other crops, we went with potatoes and beans to help with the soil''s health and improve diets beyond just rice. We also chose sunflowers for oil, and thus, we had pretty much enough to sustain a small poption.


    Theck of variety was concerning for me, but... I had a few ns for that.


    First, the residents can acquire rabbit meat by going to the forest. The first patches don''t offer much of a challenge, and by having the Valkyries keep watch, it should be safe even if someone decides to go too deep.


    Second, I''ve already contacted a few farmers, and it''s pretty much set for me to acquire some animals. So at least eggs and milk should alsoplement a typical meal for a resident of the Kingdom soonish.


    Last but not least, the rooftop gardens that I''ve asked Lily to teach and help the girls with.


    Instead of production, I''ve asked them to focus on variety, and they''ve been cultivating a few herbs, a few flowers for spices, and greens, such as lettuce.


    The n is to use the Guild to put up job requests, such as gathering wood, minerals, or meat, and then offer these as a reward, creating a small work and trade culture inside the Kingdom.


    If need be, I''ll interfere to make it happen, but I''d prefer to just give it a kickstart as autonomous and natural development would obviously be better than any n I coulde up with.


    All of that would depend on what Lily and I can aplish, but the good side of having so few residents is that we had ample room for experimentation without risking a mountain of death through a famine.


    Miwen: "So I''m putting all my faith in you. And remember, we have no future if you fail!"


    Lily: "I... um... please don''t tease me..."


    A shame that she already understands me so well. If not for my memories being shared with her, I''m sure I''d be able to get an even better reaction...


    Speaking of reactions though, the next step after Lily and Olivia was Agatha.


    This woman is a bit... difficult to deal with. But in a nice way... I guess...


    She has asked me permission to venture into the mines and the forest, to study the things that appear in the Kingdom.


    Like I had thought, she''s an alchemist. Her primary desire is to study and develop potions and medicine, but she also said that she can help with the fields if I allow her to.


    It''s a bit awkward though since I''m pretty sure she doesn''tpare with what Earth already has to offer when ites to agriculture, but at the very least, I can have her test the soil with Lily. The two of them together should create a goodbo to watch over the health of the crops.


    And who knows, maybe with enough time and tools she''ll be able to develop chemicals on par with the ones from Earth...


    The chances are not so bad since I can force basically any mineral or nt from any world to spawn in the Kingdom. At least in variety, I don''t lose to Earth, and if she''s serious about studying all of that, she might discover natural or magical things with qualities not known to my world.


    Miwen: "So, about your request. I gave it some thought."


    Agatha: "So, is that a yes, or..."


    Miwen: "With a condition."


    Agatha: "...Well, I suppose nothing is free."


    She nonchntly started to take off her blouse, but...


    Miwen: "Stop. I''m not talking about that... I just want you to take at least one of them with you when you go somewhere. They are strong, so I''m sure they can protect you. Right?"


    Skuld: "Affirmative. We''ll not allow harm to fall upon a fellowrade."


    Whenever I think about this woman, I instinctivelypare her to Beatrice.


    I''vee to know that she''s younger than I thought, so they are not that far off in age, but it''s not just that.


    She gives off this feeling of... focus and uninterest... like she doesn''t care about anything else aside from her research. It''s how I imagine Beatrice''s behavior to have been, and it makes me understand a little how she got in such a big mess, as it really does make approaching her a little hard due to some uneasiness.


    I''ve seen her talking with Olivia though, and since she has a simr age and mindset as Bea had before...


    I think it''s possible for them to make a strong bond, but I worry that instead of Bea dragging her up, she might be the one who gets dragged down.


    Agatha: "Oh... Well... That makes things easier, I suppose."


    Aside from her services, her body is basically the only thing she has to offer, so I can understand that she would do it in exchange for getting what she wants, but... it was such a small request that it made me feel kind of bad.


    The only reason I denied it in the first ce was because of the danger, and the fact that I didn''t want to keep anyone from our current party around to watch them all the time.


    To be honest, with the level-ups that the invasion brought, I could let her go alone, but... the Valkyries'' loyalty is high enough that I can trust them to be my eyes, so I want them to stick around as much as possible.


    Especially when ites to a certain priest.


    Or Saintess Gabrie, as she should rightfully be called... apparently.


    Miwen: "Hm? That''s an oddbination. I wasn''t expecting to see you here Angelica."


    Angelica: "...! That''s-"


    Gabrie: "Oh, I''m sorry. I was studying light magic spells together with the angel."


    ... But Angelica only knows a single one.


    So this means that... in actuality, Gabrie was teaching her.


    Miwen: "I see. But doesn''t it bother you that she''s also a dragon?"


    Gabrie: "..."


    Angelica: "..."


    Perhaps she thought the horns were from a demihuman lineage instead of a demonic or draconic one, but judging by her reaction, she didn''t know.


    And Angelica made no effort to exin...


    I could see in her face that she was depressed and anxious over me exposing her like this, but I had my own reasons.


    Gabrie: "You''re a half monster... but a Holy Dragon..."


    She didn''t give any immediate answer, but that was enough for me.


    Preferably, she would''ve said that, until someone does something wrong, independent of what race they belong to, they are innocent.


    Instead, it felt like she was thorn thinking that Angelica''s angel side should make her good, while her dragon/monster side should make her evil,pletely disregarding the person herself.


    Seeing this, I became a little more than annoyed, so before I did or said something stupid, I decided to leave.


    Miwen: "I see you''re not unhappy, so the event didn''t bother you that much, right? That''s good. These guys here are Valkyries, they''re new residents, so treat them well. Now if you''ll excuse us, Gabrie, I''ll take my little dragon angel for a ride. Come on Angelica. We have something to discuss."


    Ever since I exposed her, Angelica kept quiet. Even after we left the house they were in and she transformed, she would only utter a word once we reached the walls.


    Angelica: "I''m sorry."


    Miwen: "Uh-huh. That''s a good start."


    Angelica: "... I... never got the chance to study so... I thought that if I learned more... I could help you..."


    Due to her lineage, Angelica spent most of her life hiding and running, so it makes sense that she wouldn''t know too much about magic.


    But still...


    Why is it that the quiet ones are the most troublesome? I feel like a kindergarten teacher.


    Miwen: "I don''t doubt for a second that you had good intentions. But I''m still mad. And you should know why."


    She had ess to my memories, like Cassandra and Lily, so she should be able to understand me quite well as she was basically exposed to my entire life through my own eyes.


    Precisely because she knew I wouldn''t approve, she went out of her way to not bring attention to the matter, thinking that just because she doesn''t talk too much she could disappear into the background and I wouldn''t notice.


    But she was wrong. I''m d I caught her so early into this, but sooner orter, I would''ve noticed.


    Angelica: "...When I saw your memories... Who you are and what you want this ce to be... I thought that perhaps... this could be destiny... I hoped this could be my home..."


    Miwen: "And is it not? I think the girls really appreciate you. And I do too."


    It might be too early to say that we understand her, but she did tell us about her past, the love she received from her parents, how she was persecuted due to her race, and how she spent her entire life running away and hiding.


    We at least understand that this has left scars on her.


    For example, her personality seems to be a product of trauma.


    Like Ellie, she is quiet, but she doesn''t demonstrate the same shyness. She doesn''t stumble over her words nor does she get embarrassed/anxious as easily when being talked to or teased.


    Angelica only lets out a fewments that she judges important, and responds when directly talked to.


    It''s a strategy to blend in with the background and go unnoticed. She''s hiding, and she does it so naturally that it''s hard to tell if she''s doing it consciously or not.


    Everyone has their own opinion on that. Licia for example, thinks it should be fine, and that if we give her enough time without pointing that out, she will eventually ovee it on her own.


    Cassandra takes a simr approach to what I use with Mia, forcing her toe out of her shell by poking at her whenever she gets the chance.


    As for me... I sit somewhere in the middle.


    I don''t think she needs to change if she''sfortable the way she is right now.


    I only interfere with the behavior of the girls when it''s detrimental to themselves or poses a problem to me and the others.


    Aside from that, I just offer my support and advice whenever I notice they have a problem.


    Basically, I help them develop themselves in the direction they think will make them the happiest, as that also makes me happy.


    Angelica: "I know that, and I swear, it''s everything I ever wanted. I''m d to be here... but... That''s precisely why... I don''t want to risk losing the home I found..."


    Brilliant. She''s ying a zero-sum game with herself.


    Miwen: "I see. So you always looked for a ce where you were free to be yourself, and when you found it, you decided to hide who you are to protect it. You know that by doing this, you''re making this ce the same as everywhere else, right?"


    Angelica: "I-"


    For the first time, it felt like she responded emotionally, as she didn''t have an answer ready, and stopped before saying anything, only to continue a few momentster.


    Angelica: "I''m sorry, I think I am... afraid...I don''t know of what... And I don''t know how to exin... I also... don''t know what I should do."


    It''s hard for me to give her an answer. I think she''s the one who needs toe up with her own.


    I also don''t think what she did is illogical. She received a lot of what she desired at once. It came easy, so she''s afraid it will also go just as easily.


    To protect it, she sought whatever power she could acquire. That''s a normal reaction.


    The problem is that she was going to make a mistake. She was going to sacrifice the very thing she was trying to protect.


    So while I might not have the answer for everything, for this small part of her problem... for this one problem... I do have a solution.


    Miwen: "That''s fine. You can rx and take your time to find the answers you need to understand yourself, no pressure. But if you want my opinion... I don''t think you should hide anything. This camouge goes both ways, the more you cloud yourself for others, the harder it will be for you to see yourself."


    Angelica: "...But then what-"


    Miwen: "What you should do? Why not just enjoy your life? You can do whatever and be whoever you want inside my kingdom. I''ll give you my support, and my only hope is that one day you will be proud and like yourself as much as we do."


    Something in my words seemed to have resonated with her, and after thinking about it, she made a request.


    Angelica: "...Then... is it fine if we stay like this... for a while?"


    Like a child seeking their parent''s protection, all she wanted was to hold my hand.


    Again, it was a good way to dispel the fear. Just knowing that you have someone else by your side already makes you feel stronger.


    Since I still had to check on the others, I ended up parading her as we walked holding hands.

 Chapter 145: To Drag A Saint Down To Hell (01)

    I remained inside the kingdom for a while as Angelica wanted to try killing some summoned beasts to get their Gifts.


    Sadly the chances for that are quite low and we weren''t so lucky, but even the status orbs that they drop are useful, so it wasn''t all for nothing at least.


    I also summoned spellbooks for Bea and weapons/armor for the Valkyries and Cassandra, although she was only interested in one.


    While walking around though...


    Miwen: "Oh... that''s a different sight."


    While there wasn''t any bad blood between them, it''s not thatmon to see Licia and Elizabeth talking alone like this.


    Mostly because Licia is usually quite busy and so she hangs around with Ellie most of the time.


    Their reaction to me was a bit strange though... they seemed surprised, as if I had caught them doing something I shouldn''t have.


    And so, since I have a good, trusting rtionship with both... I decided to probe for fun.


    Miwen: "So, mind getting me in the loop?"


    Licia: "Uh... it''s a girls'' talk kind of thing..."


    She wasn''t very good at lying, mostly because there was barely any reason for her to keep a secret from me.


    Unfortunately for her, Elizabeth is quite reluctant to show any disloyalty toward me, so...


    Miwen: "Uh-huh. Is that right, Liz?"


    Going after her like this was a low blow. Even that Devil was afraid of the malice behind my smile.


    Liz: "...Well... we were talking about something... and we are girls... so... it''s not wrong..."


    Surprisingly, she avoided honestly telling me the truth.


    Licia: "More importantly, what''s that?"


    I thought that if I pressured Elizabeth a little bit more she would give in, but Licia changed the topic pointing out that Angelica and I were holding hands.


    I really wanted to get what happened with Gabrie out of my system, so I decided to ignore what these two were plotting since knowing them, at the very least it wouldn''t be bad for me.


    These two, as well as the girls I trust already know my opinion about Gabrie, but I made sure to show that I was even more annoyed with her now.


    Miwen: "...Look, she''s two strikes down, I''m this close to throwing her out butt naked."


    She''s notpletely bad. To those she shows favor, she''s been acting kindly and gently, but it''s impossible to ignore that shitty side of hers.


    Elizabeth might not care about it too much, but her presence in the Kingdom is shattering Angelica''s idea and hope of a home.


    Liz: "So she''s causing this much conflict huh... Well... you''ll have to deal with her then."


    Miwen: "...I''ve tried warning her already. The only options left are... threatening, killing, or throwing her out. Between these, throwing her out is the easiest and least troublesome."


    It''s the option that would hurt our image among the neers the least.


    Since it would be nice for us if they chose to remain after the agreed period of time, I''m willing to forget that she ever existed once she goes her way.


    Licia: "Hm... Demons and monsters do cause problems, even named ones, so depending on her experiences, I can understand where she''sing from... I think if we could just show her that Liz and Angelica aren''t like that, she would start treating them better and giving others the benefit of the doubt before... acting like that..."


    That might be true, but if she has a valid reason, it will only make her hate harder to dispel.


    However, there is-


    Cassandra: "She seems submissive. Why don''t you throw her in a jail and dick her until she''s loyal?"


    There is a way to make that work.


    Miwen: "That''s actually not a bad idea. You''re brilliant."


    Cassandra: "Right?"


    Licia: "I don''t agree-"


    Miwen: "I wasn''t talking about Cassandra''s. I think there''s a way to make her change. Well, it''s at least worth trying it out before deciding on an ultimatum for her."


    I''d like to believe Cassandra''s idea was either a joke or a fetich of hers, so I just ignore it for now.


    However...


    Miwen: "For this to work I''m going to need a lot of cooperation and secrecy out of you."


    I had zero worries about Angelica and Liz, and even though I wasn''t going to use Licia to execute the n, having her in the know was useful for nning and preparing things, of course, the possibility of her saying anything was null.


    However, there was one person who had a slight problem with keeping her thoughts to herself.


    Miwen: "Right, Cassandra?"


    Cassandra: "My lips are sealed. Unless you want to unseal them~"


    Somehow she managed to give me both a proper and improper answer at the same time, but I was happy with the result.


    As such, I started telling them what I had in mind so that we could prepare everything and decide on a moment to strike.


    Miwen: "...Also, I''m going to need your help, Lana."


    Lana: "...Hmph. Why would I help you? I might just go and tell her right now."


    She came out of my shadow as soon as I called her name but kept the same rebellious attitude as ever.


    It''s true that she''s among the least loyal in the Kingdom, so trusting her is hard, but...


    Miwen: "If you want to, go ahead. However, I''ll deem both of you lost causes, and won''t bother treating you well for the remainder of your days here. Think of this as a test for both of you, if everything goes well, I don''t mind treating you favorably."


    She looked at me suspiciously before raising a question.


    Lana: "...How did you know I was inside your shadow?"


    Miwen: "As you saw, I went to check on everyone. You weren''t in your room, nor were you with anyone else. I don''t think you''d be dumb enough to go to the forest or the mine, but you can''t leave the Kingdom without my permission. Thus, there was only one possibility left. And well... you seem rather attached to my shadow."


    She attempted to circumvent the need for permission by staying inside my shadow before, but it didn''t work. When I left, she remained in the Kingdom and was thrown out of my shadow as it ceased to exist in this dimension.


    Lana: "Whatever. Just call me when it''s dinner."


    No answer. But it didn''t seem like she hated the idea either.


    Licia was gleeful watching our interaction as it reminded her of Mia, while Liz and Cassandra were still thinking about my idea with devilish smiles.


    We were going to need Agatha''s and Anna''s help, as well as the Valkyries, but among them, Agatha was probably the hardest to convince.


    Still, the chances shouldn''t be as bad as Lana''s, even more so considering I have a nice little incentive for her.


    Since the darkness was starting to take over, it was about time for us to start preparing to end the day, and so, we went to make use of the kitchen of the Kingdom.


    With more space, we now had more hands avable to help us, namely Angelica, Elizabeth, Lily, and Mei.


    Since two of them had my memories, they didn''t have any trouble with the modern equipment whatsoever.


    Elizabeth and Mei however still had to learn how to use everything and what not to do. We left them with easier tasks until they learned it, which somehow managed to make both displeased.


    Cassandra joined ire''s "take it easy club", and so did Lana. Anna and Mia often participate in their activities, and this time, they brought a console and games from my house to upy themselves instead of helping.


    Seeing that they wouldn''t be able to help, the Valkyries epted their invitation to join their games.


    As for the other girls, they normally offer to help with small tasks. It''s usually not needed, but since I promised a banquet to celebrate our victory today, we ended up epting most of their offers.


    This helped us prepare things quickly, and everyone was able to enjoy their meals.


    We might''ve ended up going overboard, but we kept some leftovers for tomorrow.


    I had a few things to do on Earth, and I was going to take a number of the girls for a quick and small trip, so the others would have to have their lunch with what was left.


    It shouldn''t be too much of a problem since Lily was going to stay anyway, and she showed that she could handle herself quite well in the kitchen.


    Back on Earth, I had a fun time with Licia, ire, and Cassandra before going to sleep. Mei protested about wanting to join, but I was still somewhat reluctant towards her.


    Her Gift is called [Maid For You] and its potential is as high as ire''s extra points or the sharing ability of my Gift. But almost as if a joke, its only purpose is to serve someone else.


    She''s able to select and improve her master''s skills bypleting a multitude of housework/maid-rted tasks.


    Right now she can only select two, but by allocating the same skill in the two avable slots, in a single day, she managed to increase the level of my [Fire Magic], which is my highest leveled skill.


    I had indeed used it quite a bit during the Invasion, but it was still nowhere near enough to get a natural increase in its level.


    In this regard, she''s basically a passive mini-ire, which is extremely useful and synergetic with my Gift.


    Even though this type of night work still counted towards her Gift, due to my doubts about her strange behavior and personality, I decided to wait until I knew her better before doing it with her.


    Aside from the sext, Licia and ire also enthusiastically talked with me about our victory today.


    They seemed even happier than me about iming the Kingdom''s first solo victory.


    Seeing them so happy about it made me forget a little about what happened with Angelica and Gabrie today, and I began to think that the future held good things for us.


    This idea quickly changed once we received Catherine''s instructions and the Divine Event began.

 Chapter 146: To Kill A Planet (01)

    -This chapter is written usingCatherine''s POV-


    Uniting an entire world, be it through fear or hope, is a challenging campaign. However, those who manage toplete this feat are handsomely awarded with Demonic Power or Divinity, depending on how they aplish their quest.


    Of course, I ended up on the easiest path. For a vampire, instilling fear in others is just second nature.


    After bing a legendary creature, there was no one capable of challenging me, and the foolish heroes that tried all met their end, serving only to further spread my name, prolonging and improving upon my legend.


    I was satisfied with just surviving, I knew what could happen if my power grew too much, but I had climbed too far up. To the point that I acquired the attention of Hwa, the God responsible for the world I was living in.


    Thankfully he was too afraid to challenge and kill me. He knew that he would have to bet his life, and at the very least, he would lose enough Divinity to drop his rank among the other Gods.


    But one does not survive for so long without being able to maneuver through such a situation.


    At the bare minimum, he would lose enough Divinity to drop his rank among the other Gods, so the clever coward came to me with a proposal.


    As long as I stayed in his world, the people would continue to fear me, and their faith was going to dwindle due to their God''s refusing to intervene.


    In this case, he didn''t need to kill me. He only had to make it seem like he took care of things, and if done correctly, he could even strengthen their faith.


    To convince me not to fight, he told me that if I gave up the Demonic Power I had acquired, he would grant me the Divinity he would''ve had to use in our fight in small portions.


    This way, he would be able to maintain his position while also acquiring a new Goddess as his ally.


    It was certainly an amusing idea, but the danger was equally high.


    I saw him as an enemy, so giving up power had to be a trap.


    However, I could use this in my favor.


    By dividing my Demonic power and storing it in some of my dolls, I had a way to reacquire it whenever needed.


    So, I epted his offer and waited for an opportunity.


    If he showed me his back, or his fangs... I would surprise and turn the tables on him by using all my power at once.


    I knew that fighting a God was delusional, but if I had any chance of winning, it would have to be a surprise attack.


    But the opportunity never came. He kept his end of the deal.


    Not only that, after I ascended, he helped me look for an unimed world with living beings yet to blossom.


    And so, under the pretense of a blessing, my life as the Goddess of the Red Night began.


    My first was called Earth, and since it had only a single race living in it, I thought it would be easy to handle and control.


    The human race is prominent in most worlds, they are able to spread everywhere and can survive, live, and thrive under all kinds of circumstances.


    While not the most capable by any means, they are still able to use magic, and it doesn''t seem like they have a race tendency like angels have for [Light Magic].


    Being able to use all kinds of different elements, as well as a physique suitable for physical jobs... not to mention minds capable of understanding and learning most things... they may not rank amongst the best in any field, but they sure are noteworthy in all of them.


    Another benefit of choosing this world was their numbers. The itself wasn''t that big, but they still had billions living in it.


    They were perfectly ripe.


    Lapis: "So you went for that one huh..."


    Catherine: "Is it famous?"


    Lapis: "It''s talked about... Its position is quite strange. Far from any other, almost as if purposefully hidden. But if a God purposefully brought life to it, then why was the''s manapletely dry? Some say it was an experiment from an old God that disappeared or forgot about it, but... Thinking that it was a trap to start a fight, most are cautious of iming it for themselves."


    I''ve learned that Gods get more entric with age. It''s the same for every race that has a long lifespan, but I expected them to be more... superior...


    Like any other race, they aren''t immune to boredom. However, they have unique means to experiment and entertain themselves.


    They can y with mortals and other Gods. With themselves. Or with an entire world.


    Catherine: "I can''t say for sure. It might be that life just blossomed there on its own. Theck of any mana or magic is definitely strange, but who knows? Maybe the hates them or something."


    It''s not that umon for life to begin by itself, without anyone taking action, but the rest is pretty much unheard of.


    Although it was unique,the novelty alone wasn''t enough to make me happy.


    The only use I had for that, and the only reason I chose it was due to the potential it had to generaterge amounts of Divinity.


    But I found out that things weren''t so easy with the humans of Earth.


    They rarely possess feelings and thoughts positive enough to generate Divinity.


    Their prayers are filled with selfish requests, and they don''te to me with gratitude.


    Instead, they expect me to bend reality to their will, and perform miracles that will only help themselves, even if at the cost of others.


    The standard human who has faith in me is still suspicious of my character and actions, which hurts the power of their belief.


    When they don''t get what they want, the me falls on me. They are quick to turn their faith into rage and hate, which only generates Demonic Power.


    Now that I''m a Goddess, the moment I acquire Demonic Power, it enters in conflict with the Divinity, and they cancel each other.


    So in the end, making a profit from them is pretty hard.


    They are also surprisingly smart at getting one over the others. The amount of schemes created by people using my name is incalcble.


    Obviously, I don''t have any desire to target one human specifically amongst the billions, but that doesn''t stop them from ming me for their own stupidity anyway.


    It''s been 20 years since I''ve started performing miracles for them, and many still believe in other Gods and myths... some even im I''m a government conspiracy, whatever that is...


    Bluntly, while they have a lot of potential, the amount of Divinity I''m getting from them was hardly worth the trouble.


    I was thinking about abandoning this worldpletely.


    I could just throw this Divinity to some dolls, recover my Demonic Power, and then go to start a legend in another world.


    I might even be able to go back to the previous one. If I made it appear as if I had won against their God, the fear in them would certainly double, and so would the Demonic Power that they could generate for me.


    As for Hwa''s hopes... Who cares? As long as I get to survive, I don''t mind scamming a God or two.


    While this was the n I set in motion, a few happenings made me halt.


    Hwa had decided to participate in a Divine event with me. He saw how useless and weak the inhabitants of Earth were, and gave me one of his worlds.


    The idea was to use the Divinity generated there to allow me to perform miracles more often on Earth. This way, their faith in me should increase, and I would be able to have more room to interfere and put them on the right track.


    Since there was no downside for me, I started umting the Divinity to put this n into action.


    However, before I could invest anything, I sensed the power of The Traveling Merchant.


    I don''t know this man, but it''s impossible not to hear gossip about him.


    A God-Eating fiend. An unparalleled and unstoppable monster. He stands toe to toe with Asdrea, the oldest God.


    They say that just being in his presence is enough to make a new God fall to their knees.


    I never thought being like them would have one, but judging by their fear, this guy was their predator.


    If he hade for me, I would just temporarily abandon all my Divinity using my dolls, but before that...


    His presence created an opportunity for me.


    The Dungeon had to be blocked so that incursions from stronger worlds didn''t happen against Earth, and I would normally need the permission of the Gods who ced the barrier to release it.


    But the enemy of the Gods changed that.He gave me the perfect excuse to unblock the Dungeon.


    While this increased the risks for the people of Earth, I weed it with open arms.


    Friendly exchanges created the possibility of my name being spread to other worlds, and if some countries happened to be conquered, the people of this world would finally start to struggle enough to desperately turn to me.


    Through wars with stronger beings, the mana in the world and their mean level should also increase.


    This would grant me more Divinity, and better chances at Divine Events.


    While a solid n, as if to spite me, they have managed to control who enters and who leaves quite well...


    And more importantly, since I was set on abandoning this ce... I made a few preparations that they''ll now have to face.


    The first one involves this girl, Lapis.


    She is one of theoldest Gods I know of. She''s even older than Hwa.


    The only reason why she''s not on par with him is that she loves these underground rings where we bet a lot on Divine Events.


    I call them underground rings, but... While they are normally frowned upon, it''s the older Gods who participate the most.


    Due to their boredom, they seek enjoyment from risks, and due to their standing, it''s hard for anyone to point it as a wrongdoing.


    Lapis: "Still... you''re pretty bold to participate in this rigged game. As promised, I didn''t pick one of my top-tier worlds to go easy on you newbies, but... You do know that Felix and Julie are going to work together, right?"


    Catherine: "It doesn''t matter. After all the trouble they gave me, their loss might actually make me feel vindicated. And if they happen to win-"


    Lapis: "I didn''t take you for the naive type. I''ve seen some records, they are shit."


    I can''t me her for that conclusion.


    While they are said to be humans, their nature is close to that of a demon.


    It''s not just their faith that iscking, but also their cooperation. They have a hard time trusting each other.


    Their levels have risen considerably fast in just one generation, but their use of skills and understanding of their own Gifts is still incredibly primitive. Not to mention their magic theories...


    When facing others with the same level, their loss is pretty much guaranteed.


    Catherine: "In my experience, I found out that there''s no such thing as zero chances..."


    Time and time again I''ve been surprised by unlikely scenarios. The fact that I''m still alive should be a miracle in and by itself.


    Since I was going to abandon this ce anyway, what would otherwise be a risky gamble actually holds no consequences for me.


    Even if they lose, I mighte out on top.


    No... whatever happens... even if I''m thrown at the bottom.


    I''ll crawl my way back up.


    No one will im my life. I''ll use whatever is necessary to ensure my safety.


    All that the pathetic humans from this need to do is act like the good little stepping stones that they are.


    By failing me, they are only failing themselves.


    The more they show their worthlessness, the more I''ll squeeze everything out of them.


    Catherine: "It''s about time to announce... shall we start?"


    Lapis: "That''s a terrifying smile... But I like it! Want me to give you a hand?"


    Catherine: "Don''t take me for a fool. I might be a new God, but I''ve been around for a long time."


    She is dangerous. I know that from the bottom of my heart.


    Her blood... it has a unique, nauseating smell.


    It''s hateful. My instincts scream that I should attack her.


    But I know that I would be no match. While her outer shell is that of a friendly fool, when I look into her eyes, I see something sinister lying in wait.


    I''ll strive to avoid her as much as possible from now own.


    Since the clock was about to strike midnight, we paused our talk to make the announcement.


    [People from Earth, listen carefully.


    A special Divine Event has started, and Earth has been chosen as one of its participants.


    The Dungeon entrances have been sealed, and anyone who has remained on Earth will be considered one of its citizens for the purposes of the Event.


    Your world and three others shall be connected and be one for 500 hours.


    During this time, the other Gods and I will register the number of deaths suffered by each.


    The world that has caused the most deaths to another during this period will be able to select and take one continent from another world for themselves.


    I hope for your safety, and wish you good luck.]


    I say that with utmost sincerity, as our fates are linked.


    Prove to me that you are worthy. Show me how you struggle and survive even when the odds are stacked against you.


    Or at the very least, provide me with some entertainment before I abandon you.

 Chapter 147: Bastions On Earth

    I had trouble sleeping due to the announcement of the Divine Event. The contents were quite disturbing, as they basically meant that we were going to war.


    When I woke up, the first thing I wanted to do was to confirm what I had heard and see how the discussion around it was developing.


    I still took a moment to bask in the image of Licia and ire sleeping peacefully next to each other though.


    It has always been calming and motivating for me, and it seems like they have been sleeping better as they get closer to the power they had previously, and thus, morefortable and confident, which allows them to rest more easily.


    Cassandra: "When I saw your memories, I thought it was a bit creepy how much you enjoyed watching them sleep, but I think I get the appeal now."


    Miwen: "It''s a nice sight, isn''t it?"


    It took them a leap of faith for us to reach this stage.


    Considering the strange circumstances, it was definitely even harder for them than it would normally be.


    Still, we managed to reach this level of trust in our rtionship. One where we can enjoy these peaceful nights and warm mornings without worry.


    I''m proud that we aplished this together, so of course, I''ll revel in it every single day.


    Cassandra: "No doubt about it. And yet, the look on your eyes doesn''t reflect that."


    Miwen: "Nothing I can do about that. This Divine Event might change a lot going forward, there''s a bunch of things for me to consider."


    No matter if Earth wins or loses, the world is bound to change.


    Never before had we participated in an event with such high stakes, and our track record is not good enough for me to disregard the worst-case scenario.


    Thankfully my family is inside the Dungeon, which means they won''t get caught up in it no matter what.


    Since my parent''s raids usually take an entire month or more to end, nothing much will change for them, and if they end up needing supplies or resources, I can arrange for them inside the Kingdom.


    Cassandra: "Uh-huh. But don''t sacrifice your joy over it. Here, I''ll make it an even better sight."


    She jumped on the bed, taking the space I upied between Licia and ire.


    She also made sure to pat their heads and bring them closer to her. All the while, she kept eye contact with me, with a smug smile that would normally be found on someone trying to show superiority.


    It was quite a scene.


    Miwen: "That''s nice too. But why are you doing this?"


    Since she''s on night duty, it''s understandable for her to go to sleep at this hour, but that''s not exactly what bugs me.


    Cassandra: "I just don''t like seeing a kid like you looking like that, is all. I know that you''re trying to keep a good bnce between living your life and securing it while also striving for more, but if I do something like this, the burden on your shoulder should go down a little, right?"


    Miwen: "Sure. But I''ll have you know that I''m not a kid."


    Cassandra: "I disagree. You''ve yet to go through an adult''s experience. But I know that my words won''t convince you, only life will be able to do that. But since you seem willing to hear, here''s a piece of advice. You know... no one should be expected to seed every time, so take it easy~"


    That''s a pretty nice approach to life.


    I''d probably go for that too if I didn''t have so many people to look after. As long as they rely on me, I can''t afford to fail.


    No matter what I have to use, or who I have to call.


    It''s fine if I don''t emerge with a single victory of my own, as long as I don''t suffer any defeat.


    I don''t want to experience what happened in the first event again.


    Miwen: "Speaking about taking it easy, I''ve good no morning wood, and there''s this funny sensation I''m feeling, you wouldn''t know about that, would you?"


    Cassandra: "Hmnh... ZzzzZ..."


    Haah...


    Leaving her on night duty might''ve been a mistake. She seems to have misinterpreted what the job entails.


    She said she wanted to alleviate the burden on me a little, but she ended up giving me even more to think about...


    My biggest worry is that the next event I selected is not an Invasion. From the description, it seems like I''ll have to go to another world again.


    The period will coincide with the Divine Event, so I''ll have to choose between one of the two to focus on.


    I have no ns of carrying the weight of the entire world on my shoulders though, but I can''t shake off the anxiety knowing that this world is the one where my family lives.


    The one where my home with the girls is.


    If I''m able to do something to protect it, I''d dly do it.


    However, Cassandra''sadvice wasn''t so bad, especially considering today''s ns.


    We were going on a small trip, so I woke up earlier than usual, and the girls also did the same, albeit a littleter than me.


    We quickly had breakfast and watched some news. Even if I didn''t want to, it''s not like we had much of a choice as there was a huge uproar and the broadcasts were non-stop.


    Since all they talked about was the Divine Event I felt a little bit relieved as there was a chance that it might help bury or distract people from the recent AOTG incident.


    In summary, other worlds had really joined Earth.


    For each world, a line had cut through Earth, creating six invisible walls that separated or divided countries and regions.


    By passing through one of those walls, you''d suddenly find yourself in a newnd.


    Many services suffered a hit from this, but none has been hit as hard as the inte.


    Satellites above a certain altitude were still working, so we were still notpletely cut off from the people in the other sections of the world.


    No incident about any attacks from other worlds had been reported, which makes sense considering that the news must''ve been a surprise for them as well.


    Even if they want to move into our world, it would take some time to prepare their forces.


    As for our militaries, the reaction was swift.


    Most countries relocated their armies to protect these new borders since the Dungeons became low-priority.


    A few ships and nes also crossed the borders to scout during the night.


    The imagery was insane. Earth''s potential for war, when united, really seemed unmatched.


    Numerous fleets were patrolling the sea, with ships of all sizes, apanied by an insane amount of nes doing air recon.


    On thend, lines of soldiers stretched out. Some were in position to fire, while other soldiers and vehicles behind them prepared fortifications and set up supply routes.


    Global trade was stopped, and all ships/nes were basically ordered to turn around. A lot of cities have been evacuated overnight as well.


    There was still a lot happening and the news came in waves, to the point where it was impossible to follow everything.


    I decided to not even try since I was satisfied with what I had seen.


    Considering the scale, the things I could do were very limited. At most, if someone from another world managed to invade ande to my house, I could kick their ass.


    But seeing as no lines fell squarely above my house or city, the government would have to fail tremendously for that to happen. And if it did, I''m sure I''d get a warning beforehand.


    For now, it''s their job to take care of this.


    And so,my ns for today didn''t change. I packed my things and sent Licia and ire along with the other girls back to the Kingdom.


    After grabbing a ride, I found myself in front of a big residence on a hill.


    ?????: "Are you Roy? It''s a pleasure to meet you, my daughter has been talk-"


    Sam: "This is the wrong one!"


    Miwen: "Well, it''s a pleasure to meet you too. The name''s Miwen though."


    Standing in front of me was Sam and her mother, and this was her grandpa''s ce.


    She had invited Roy and me to pass the day here. She also said it was fine if I wanted to bring the girls since she wanted to express her gratitude to them.


    Truth be told, I think the invitation was meant more for Roy than me, but she tried to use the group chat to avoid letting her intentions show too much, and I jumped at the opportunity since there were benefits for me.


    I''m sure they have their own private chat since I also have one with each of them, but seeing how they''ve been talking in the group chat, I can already picture what''s been happening.


    If I had to guess, Sam is trying to move ahead with their rtionship. A little bit in a hurry since she''s feeling pressured by Erika''s little sister who seems to be getting quite close to Roy these days, something Samins to me a lot.


    With a subus as her rival, it was obvious that she was going to try to create any opportunities to have some alone time with him, and I would normally cheer them on from a distance.


    However, this time things weren''t so simple. I wanted to talk with the two of them, and this presented a good opportunity, so she''d have to forgive me for interfering in her romance.


    The ce we came to was her grandpa''s. The main building had two floors, and there was a shooting range in the back where I got to meet Sam''s dad.


    Up the hill, there was a dojo that her grandpa used to teach in.


    Since Roy was a bitte, we decided to wait for him inside the dojo as we were curious to take a look inside.


    It was way more spacious than it seemed from afar, and it was very well kept too.


    Seeing the girl''s excitement, Sam''s grandpa said that it was alright if we wanted to use it, and since we had to wait for Roy anyway, we set up a small tournament.


    The only ones participating were the more physically oriented among our party, namely Anna, ire, Licia, and Mia.


    We thought it was going to work out quite well since their levels were close to each other.


    However, the first showdown was between Anna and Mia, and well... it was a mismatch.


    Since we were only ying, Anna''s strength didn''t do her much good, especially since Mia was capable of avoiding most hits with her speed.


    It was pretty easy for Mia to get her into an arm lock and finish their match.


    In a serious battle, without any rules, this matchup can go anywhere, as I''ve seen happen in a few of their spars in the kingdom.


    Without a rule to give the opponent a win, Anna''s defense makes managing stamina an important factor, which forces Mia to consider carefully which opportunities are worthwhile pursuing.


    As for the second match... it was a pretty interesting matchup.


    Normally, it''s hard to imagine Licia winning against ire due to the elemental advantage. She can definitely keep up a good fight, but unless she manages to catch ire by surprise, it will eventually be her loss as she needs to use more mana than normal to block ire''s fire magic with her ice.


    But without magic, it was pretty much impossible to guess who would win.


    Both are excellent experienced fighters who know themselves pretty well.


    ire has a learned style, a little more rigid, but made for fighting against humans. Even though it''s a sword style, and we weren''t using weapons, it looked like she was taught how to fight without a sword too, as I can kind of see some of the fundamentals still being applied.


    Especially her tendency to reset back to her basic stance.


    Licia''s style on the other hand is self-taught and made for fighting monsters. While it''s way more flexible, it also requires improvisation and creativity, and she normally uses her magic to fill those gaps.


    Licia seemed better at fighting barehanded, but since ire knew her pretty well, she was careful to not create any opportunities for Licia to surprise her.


    In the end, in an honest, no-tricks brawl, ire narrowly stole the win as she had an easier time scoring points.


    This took us to thest match...


    Miwen: "Don''t jump on the walls. Or the ceiling. And don''t damage the floor either alright?"


    There was no need to remind them of the rules in the other matches, but I knew that these two tend to get overly excited easily.


    When their battle started, it became obvious that Mia was both slightly stronger and faster than ire.


    To counter Mia, she kept her movements to a minimum and allowed Mia all the space. She focused on not making any wasteful movements and just tried to score more hits than her when they engaged.


    Licia: "I didn''t think she could be so annoying."


    She was just irritated that she lost to the same strategy. But it was true that this was a surprise.


    Instead of going all out from the start like she usually does, ire was using the rules to her advantage as much as possible.


    Miwen: "Well, she''spetitive so..."


    Licia: "I guess... Who do you think will win?"


    Miwen: "It''s fifty-fifty... I think giving up the arena for Mia is the correct choice. There would be no point in fighting for control. Still, it''s a sacrifice. Now that she''s free to run around she can exploit a lot of different angles and approaches."


    Licia: "Then I''ll bet on ire. If I win, you have to do something I ask."


    I never said I would bet on Mia, but putting some stakes in it made things more interesting.


    With the rules we set in ce, the other matches ended after five or so minutes, but theirs went on for a little over twelve.


    They were tied, and they would either need to lock the opponent or score a valid hit to end, but both of them were giving their all to avoid getting hit.


    The pressure started to rise and it seemed like Mia was going to win, but... She took the space she had for granted for too long.


    By conserving her energy, ire had managed to match Mia''s speed, and by using her leg she tripped her opponent. No one was expecting this match to end with a lock, but she managed it.


    Just to have a little more fun we allowed the other girls to have a tournament of their own.


    We got Bea, Ellie, and Liz to participate, as well as Sam.


    I had Angelica and Cassandra sit this one out since they were in an awkward position as they were clearly in a league above them due to their levels, while still below the other four girls.


    The first match was Bea vs Sam, and it was really funny to watch.


    Sam knew what she was doing, and if not for her level she could definitely y in the big league with the other girls.


    As for Bea...


    Mia: "Open your eyes!"


    Every time she tried to punch, she would instantly close her eyes too, which... didn''t prove too effective.


    She also tried to copy ire... or maybe she wasn''t confident that she could hit and run... but staying still didn''t do much good for her either and she ended up losing quite easily.


    The next match was a little more interesting. While it''s not her focus, Ellie does know how to fight in close quarters.


    On the other hand, thanks to the Horde event, Elizabeth had managed to get a level up, and she invested the points she got into physical status to make up for her deficiency, just in case she ever needed it again.


    However, in this match her status didn''t do much as Ellie simply had better coordination and tempo.


    The final was between Sam and Ellie, and that was probably the first match where the difference in levels yed a big role for the victor.


    While Sam''s abilities were better, Ellie could answer them very easily, and since she was not so far in that department either, she ended up winning.


    The matches in thisst tournament were quite quick, especially Bea''s, so ire wanted to do ast match between champions against Ellie.


    Everyone knew what the result was going to be, and that ire just wanted to show off.


    Since Roy had just arrived, we ignored her and pretended we didn''t hear her idea.

 Chapter 148: Bastions On Earth (02)

    The shooting range of the property is pretty wide, and it has a variety of guns, everything from pistols to rifles.


    It''s surprisingly safe for us to handle even the ones with a higher caliber since we can easily tank them due to our high levels.


    Even those who haven''t focused on defense, or someone like Cassandra who doesn''t enjoy such a high level, or a naturally tough body like Angelica''s, would only feel a bit of pain, but the bullets shouldn''t prate her skin.


    When ites to aiming, no one in our group couldpare with Ellie, and even though she was still learning about the gun''s recoil, even Sam''s dad and grandpa were impressed by her performance.


    Since Ellie''s aim is so good, she could focus on learning the mechanisms and intricacies of a gun, so it was expected that she was going to have an easy time with it.


    However, the one who truly surprised me was Bea.


    I doubt she''s able to use a bow since it requires quite a lot of coordination and practice, but she was doing a great job even with the rifles.


    She was always precise with her magic, even when she needed to cast at longer ranges. It was a mistake on my part to not notice that she has quite a good aim too.


    it didn''t take long for her to get overconfident about it though, and she ended up challenging me.


    Sadly for her, she challenged someone whose aim was good enough to impress Ellie.


    Even though she did well, it wasn''t enough for her to win, so I took the prize of "asking for anything of the loser".


    which was immediately taken away from me.


    Beained to Ellie, who came to challenge me in her stead, and well... Even though I did my best, she was unparalleled in this field, so it was decided that I would have to follow a request of theirs.


    As for the other girls, they were a mixbag. Licia and Anna were doing a good job, while ire and Mia were struggling a lot. Both Cassandra and Angelica were average for a beginner.


    Even the ones having a hard time getting the hang of it seemed to be having fun, so I left them to their own devices and went to talk with Roy and Sam.


    I started telling them about my Gift.


    Not the fake one I came up with when we first met, but [Gacha Kingdom Building].


    I exined to them all the functions I had already discovered and used, as well as the possibility for new things to pop up due to the changing nature of my Gift.


    I told them about my true rtionship with Licia and ire, and where they came from, as well as the others.


    And I also offered them toe see the Kingdom for themselves. There was a lot for them to take in at once, but I wanted to be as honest as possible.


    There were still a few people inside the Kingdom, but the first to notice us came from the walls. The Valkyries keep watch of everything both in the inside and outside areas, so they came to greet the guests when they noticed they were apanying me.


    After that I quickly showed them the residential area where the houses are; I introduced them to Agatha, Mei, and Olivia, and then Lana and Gabrie appeared and introduced themselves.


    After that, I showed them the Quest Center and the fields that Lily was taking care of.


    I refrained from taking them to the mines or the forest since the little that there is to see there is not worth the danger they represent.


    After showing them the view from above the walls, we went back to Earth.


    Miwen: "...You can stop being ]Citizens] now if you want to, but as I''ve said, it would be a huge help if you stayed."


    It was a little unfair of me to ask them this. To make up for my lie, I tried to be as honest as possible this time, so I exposed everything when exining things to them.


    The benefits and the risks of being a citizen, as well as my ability to force [Orders] onto others, stripping them of their rights by using the [Special Roles], or just locking them inside the Kingdom by refusing to give them ess back to Earth.


    Even though I didn''t have any desire to do something like that, I wanted their decision to be as informed as possible, so I didn''t hide anything.


    After all... Even if there were benefits to them, it didn''t change the fact that this was all an attempt of mine to make use of them.


    Even though I already knew that Roy was an upstanding and trustworthy guy due to the incident with Derek, I still refrained from telling him about my Gift since any benefit I could get from it wouldn''t make up for the risk of getting my abilities exposed.


    But the situation changed ever since the AOTG incident. Ineeded more [Citizens] to acquire more [Special Roles] and better protect my family.


    There was also the threat of their revolution, and in case I ended up fleeing the world, I was going to need more people to keep an eye on what was happening.


    Roy and Sam were simply convenient. Summoning new people inside the Kingdom increases the burden on me, and it takes a while to develop enough trust to take the next step and summon the next batch.


    But with them, I already had a pretty solid rtionship, and since they had their own lives on Earth, they didn''t require any interference from me, and the things they could do against me were minimal.


    At most, they would be able to expose me and my Gift, but... even if it came to that, by this point, it doesn''t matter anymore.


    Thanks to the Horde Invasion I''ve reached level 70 alongside the other girls. There''s no one on Earth that can take us lightly, and that''s not even considering Elizabeth and the Valkyries who might as well represent the strength of an entire party or organization of high/top rankers.


    So the risks were now minimal, and the reward could be-


    Sam: "Are you being serious right now?"


    Roy: "I get why you want to keep this hidden, given that... it''s quite a lot, but..."


    They were looking at me with a face that said they had had enough.


    Sam: "We are friends right? You can count on us."


    Roy: "Of course we''ll help you."


    Even though they knew the risks, there wasn''t a trace of doubt in them.


    They even got mad that it took me this long toe clean about my Gift.


    As for their surprise, sure, they weren''t expecting all of that, but they also already knew that there was something up with me and the girls.


    Roy: "Sorry but... ire and Licia look nothing alike."


    Sam: "Hahaha, and you even said you''re their cousin. That was a little too much hahaha."


    Well, I get that we''re not in the same league when ites to looks, but they''d be surprised if they saw my sister and the rest of my family.


    Aside from that, there was also...


    Roy: "They were clearly veterans when ites to fighting, so it also didn''t make sense, and your excuses were quite bad."


    Sam: "Not to mention that you showed up with a wolfgirl and an elf out of nowhere. Elves have been known to be hard to approach, you know?"


    And now there was a demon and an angel with us too. But I brought Angelica and Liz on purpose this time since they would give more credibility to my words about being able to summon people from other worlds.


    Still, there was one thing I wanted to ask them.


    Miwen: "If you already knew something was going on, why didn''t you say anything?"


    Sam: "Whenever we split, they went along with you of their own volition. They also didn''t seem unhappy. So..."


    Roy: "Rather than something bad, it felt more like something weird was going on."


    That happened because I did my best to earn their trust in the short time we knew each other.


    In an unfamiliar world,pletely different from the ones they knew, both Licia and ire felt safer around me since I was willing to do anything to prove that I meant no harm to them, and we had at least spent one night together before going to the dungeon.


    One where nothing happened, and so, at least some trust had been built beforehand between us.


    I didn''t think this would help prevent others froming to bad conclusions about me, but I''m d I went the extra mile for them.


    We continued talking about things for a while. They asked a bunch of things, especially how they could help.


    There weren''t many things I needed though. The fields were the part of the Kingdom that required help the most, but we had a few free hands we could employ to help Lily.


    She''s such a good girl that even the problematic ones like Gabrie and Lana have been helping her.


    Mei also tries to make time to give a hand, but she does an absurd amount of work herself, performing her duties not only in my home but in the dining hall and every other building of the kingdom, which doesn''t leave her with too much free time.


    Roy: "Oh, before I forget. I got Erika to meet with you in the Dungeon tomorrow, but can your Gift do something about the Dungeon being blocked?"


    Miwen: "I''m not sure. But I know someone who can pass through barriers easily. It''s a bit expensive, but he is reliable. Kinda. More importantly, you should worry about yourselves instead of worrying about me. With the AOTG revolution, the Dungeons connecting to other worlds, and this Divine Event, conflict seems to be brewing everywhere.


    If you need a ce to hide, the Kingdom''s doors will always be open."


    The world is already in a struggle.


    The old ways and systems are doing their best to adapt and maintain themselves, while the desire for change has already sparked ideas of grandeur in those who now hold power to confront the establishment.


    With external threats and pressure increasing, if the governments of the world show weakness, the fire of revolution will be sure to spread.


    In which case, it will be a long time before any sense of normalcy returns, if it ever does, as whateveres of it will be the new normal.


    Whoever wins, people like Roy and Sam, who currentlyck the power to guarantee their own safety are sure to suffer.


    Since they are so willing to offer me a hand, it''s only fair that I do the same for them.


    At least I thought that offering free entrance to the Kingdom would help dispel whatever worries they might be feeling toward the recent events, but... Sam was more interested ining to visit the Kingdom to talk and gossip with Licia and ire, while Roy asked for a [Special Role] when I have one free so that he doesn''t have to pay rent anymore.


    As such, we spent almost all day just goofing around.


    Sadly, I couldn''t stay too long since I had other ns today, and well... I could tell that Sam was dying for some alone time with Roy.


    Thus, I sent the girls back to the Kingdom and went to my next destination.


    A small farm a little away from where we were before. A bit of a trip from home, so I took Licia and ire along on the ride, just so that they could enjoy the scenery.


    When we reached the ce, I talked to the owner and bought a few cows, as well as a few hens.


    I was satisfied with the chickens, but I ended up with just five cows and two bulls due to how expensive they were.


    It was alright though since my parents were paying for the bill.


    They offered to pay for the girls'' expenses and whatever I might need for the Kingdom once they made the connection that they were paying for Maya''s allowance and the previous house rent even though Maya wasn''t around and I had moved to a smaller home.


    I didn''t feel bad about it though. I just didn''t have any chance to tell them about everything that had changed since thest time they came to visit.


    And well... money is not much of a problem for them.


    While not the same as the most shy and famous top-rankers, those guys still have a reputation and make good money through sponsorships and videos.


    Not to mention, as top-rankers, they sell to the government the Crystals found in the deepest floors. Mining them is not that good for anyone who''s not a high-ranker since their price drops quite a lot, but for them is a pretty nice source of ie.


    They still spend quite a bit on equipment and supplies, but I kept that in mind and didn''t go overboard.


    ire: "That''s all good but... how are we going to get them to the Kingdom?"


    Miwen: "Carrier pigeon."


    Angelica: "...Hm? Wait... you''re not serious are you?"


    Miwen: "Careful not to bite."


    Angelica''s dragon form is big enough to amodate them in her mouth, so we used that to take these animals to the Kingdom.


    The farmer was understandably worried, but I had ire do a test drive to prove that it was safe.


    And after we did the same with the animals, I took a photo of them inside the Kingdom to prove that it was safe.


    I ended up lying and saying that the dragon girl had a unique teleportation Gift, but she could only teleport other beings if they were inside her body.


    It was surprisingly easier toe up with this excuse than to exin what was really going on.


    After that, we went back home since it was a long journey. This time I took Ellie and Bea with me since they seemed like they wanted to enjoy a small trip too.

 Chapter 149: Animals Inside The Kingdom

    After I had taken care of everything for the day, it was time to go home and check how everyone was doing.


    I also had a few things to talk with Agatha about since I was going to need her help in the near future.


    Unexpectedly, she also raised a topic I was unaware of.


    She noticed that someone was picking the random flowers of the Kingdom.


    Although she doesn''t know who''s responsible for that, she''s sure that it is done with intent, as other nts were left untouched.


    I thought it could''ve been the work of the horned rabbits, but she hadn''t gone to the forest, and they don''t often go to the unforested area since the girls train nearby.


    The number of suspects was very limited. Among them, there are plenty of oddballs that would do it for God knows what reason, but since this wasn''t such a big deal to me, I decided to ignore it for now.


    As for Agatha, this ce has a lot of different nts for her to pick and examine, so a littlepetition shouldn''t be such a hindrance.


    Things such as nts and flowers can easily be summoned even through the [Mana Banners] too, so I can provide an inexhaustible amount of samples for her to study.


    Aside from that, I also went to check with Lily how the farm animals were doing since I just kind of dumped everything on her out of nowhere.


    I at least fenced them in, but she still got angry with me.


    Lily: "And they are going to need food and shelter, and..."


    She was quite cute being all mad like that, and I could tell that she would do a good job caring for them.


    I had already prepared food for them, but the work on a barn and a coop took me a while.


    That was primarily because Lily wanted a [Special Role] to design them herself.


    Which I allowed since she was going to be responsible for all of that anyway, and also to make up for not giving her a heads-up before bringing the animals.


    Aside from the [Special Role] I had assigned my sister, I had one free that normally stays with Licia or Elizabeth to facilitatemunication inside and outside the Kingdom.


    This role already had all the rights unlocked, so I just transferred it from Licia to Lily. I had forgotten that the role was called [Queen] though, so this ended up embarrassing her a little.


    I took it as a bonus, obviously.


    In the end, the buildings she made werepletely different from what I had in mind. While we had different philosophies, I couldn''t deny that they served their purpose.


    I could tell that she tried not to be too wasteful with Kingdom Points, which was a diverting point that would obviously result in a different product altogether.


    This was also an interesting experience, as it showcased that this aspect was convenient.


    Not only did Lily manage to do a good job with the area for the farm animals, but she also made a few changes to the field as well.


    She seemed to be having a lot of fun while still being mindful of the points avable, so I was happy seeing her ying around with it.


    Aside from her, the other girls were also having fun ying with the animals.


    Except for one.


    Miwen: "Don''t you wanna y too?"


    Lana: "I''m a beastwoman. Animals tend to get scared and anxious when we approach them."


    This seemed reasonable in theory, but...


    Miwen: "They don''t seem to mind Mia."


    As soon as I mentioned her name, she turned her eyes to us.


    While we weren''t incredibly far, just on the other side of the fence, we also weren''t speaking loudly, so her sharp senses still impressed me.


    Lana: "...The wolf has good control over her beast side. Either she relied on it throughout her life, or she trained a lot. Given her strength, probably thetter."


    As a victim of her training regiments, I can confirm that she really does train a lot.


    Miwen: "Doesn''t exin Lily though."


    That girl is the sweetest fluffy ball ever. I doubt she knows how to fight, has ever done so, or even trained for it. She probably has no control over her beautification. Hell, she might not even know how to tap into it to begin with.


    Since she can''t control that side of hers, she should scare the animals too, but that wasn''t the case at all.


    If anything, they all flocked in her direction like she was the weak one.


    And well, seeing how much trouble she had getting away from them, they were pretty much correct.


    Lana: "The dog is on the other side of the scale. If she were to try beastification, she would only lightly tap into it before losing control. And even after losing control, she would hardly benefit from it, or be counted as a beast. Simply put, that side of hers is so underdeveloped that she can''t even scare them."


    Although she died young, and I''ve yet to know what led to her death, judging by what Lana said, and what I know of Mia, Lily seems to have lived most of her life in peace, to the point where she didn''t even need to use such things.


    However, this also means that Lana is somewhere in the middle of the scale.


    She tapped into this power enough to have a good understanding of it, but not enough to have as much control as Mia.


    It might''ve been a question of potential, or opportunity.


    In either case...


    Miwen: "Give me your hand."


    Lana: "Huh? What do you want?"


    Miwen: "I haven''t forgiven you for kicking my son yet. This will be your punishment."


    I took her close to the animals and called Mia and Lily, who had already won their trust.


    With Mia and me be her side, they should feel more secure. Lily incentivized them to approach for behind too and...


    Miwen: "They''ll be as anxious as you are, so calm yourself... now extend your hand slowly... See? It wasn''t that hard."


    Maybe there was merit to what she said, but this ended up not being half as troublesome as I thought it would.


    In reality, getting her to try it was the hardest part.


    I suppose Lily helped a lot though...


    Although she was not the only one.


    Gabrie: "I heard you reward your citizens whenever they perform well?"


    She has also gained quite a few levels thanks to the Invasion.


    And it''s quite incredible how much stronger her magic became thanks to that.


    Her control over it is also noteworthy. Not only did she manage to calm down all animals, but also Lana, without her even noticing it.


    She can select her targets and even apply stronger effects to them if need be, without affecting the ones she doesn''t want to target.


    With so many people and in such arge area, that requires a lot of skill, or talent.


    However, this ability to calm others... I wonder if she can develop it further.


    Because if she can control someone''s emotions even more than this, then something like brainwashing wouldn''t be off the table.


    Ironically, it''s the same result as Erika''s words, albeit using something different to reach that oue.


    Apparently, she also has spells that can increase the animals'' vitality and strength, as well as their overall health.


    If she wasn''t so problematic, she''d have been a jackpot.


    Miwen: "What do you want?"


    Gabrie: "A church!"


    Miwen: "...Why?"


    Gabrie: "...? To pray? Obviously?"


    Yeah, it''s normally the purpose for that type of building, buting from her, I expect at least one hidden reason.


    And I had quite a strong feeling as to what she could be thinking.


    Miwen: "A lot of things affect the oue of magic. The environment is one of them. Being near a body of water, a water mage doesn''t need to worry about creating the source of his magic, so he can focus on control and power. On cold days, ice magic tends to be stronger, and on hot days, fire magic is strengthened. As for light magic and holy magic...


    would ces filled with positive energy and emotions do the same? Perhaps purity?"


    Gabrie: "Correct. A church, if well maintained, not only increases the Divinity generated but also strengthens the power of any light or holy magic cast on its grounds."


    At least she''s honest.


    Let''s see how far her honesty goes then.


    Miwen: "Well, try to see things from my perspective. I have this one friend who is really strong and who I really like. However, you aren''t shy about hating her. In a fair fight, she''d kick your ass. But then you came to me asking for what is essentially a weapon. Yeah, I''m not too keen on the idea."


    I could build her an entire temple, hell, a holy city even, and Elizabeth would still totally destroy her.


    But I''m not taking chances with this one, even more so considering that Elizabeth is not her only target and that I have no ns of excluding demons or half-monsters from the Kingdom. Neither now, nor in the future.


    As long as they can understand and abide by the rules, everyone is wee to this ce.


    Which is why she is the only one I''m considering throwing out. She''s the only factor that inhibits coexistence here.


    Gabrie: "But I need a ce I can defend. They are too strong. Without a church, I won''t be able to hide and protect you when they show their true faces."


    What a very noble reason.


    Almost makes me wannaugh.


    Miwen: "Hah. The thing is... I already know their true faces. The dragon you fear is pretty much an angel, both physically and mentally. As for the demon, you''re right, she can be pretty bad."


    Gabrie: "Right, so-"


    Miwen: "I''d say she can be about half as scary as me."


    I tried to scare her a little, but I might''ve gone overboard, as she instinctively reacted by erecting a barrier.


    Even though she''s not a demihuman, that was pretty good as far as instincts go.


    Miwen: "...I''ll put the church on the ''maybe'' list for now.If you show you can be a good and obedient girl, I might consider it, alright?"


    Gabrie: "...Is this a promise?"


    Miwen: "Sure."


    Especially since I never said anything about actually doing it. So yeah, I promise that I''ll at least consider it.


    And then I''ll decide against it.


    But it''s better if she doesn''t know. As long as she has one hope remaining, she should strive toward it instead of doing something stupid.


    As much as I dislike her, it wouldn''t be good to iste herpletely. Keeping her close, and believing that she can bring me to her side, is probably for the best.


    Although it''s hard to keep a bnced act in front of her.


    Thankfully, I had a way to heal my soul after such inconvenience.


    Ellie: "Your gaze... is burning me..."


    Miwen: "Weird, I''m not even using magic."


    Ellie: "Hmn... you know what I''m talking about, could you stop?"


    I always like to see how serious the girls are when training, and Ellie''s particrly nice as she always has that calm and dignified look since hers requires more concentration than movement.


    However, it was true that this time I was paying more attention than normal.


    And that''s because she was working a sweat with no other than Licia.


    Apparently, the dojo matches had quite an impact on her. While she has some ability with her daggers, it was rare to see her training with them.


    Miwen: "I''m just curious why you picked Licia to train with. She didn''t even ce high in thest tournament~"


    Licia: "Did you really need to go there?"


    My aim remains spotless. Two shots, and two hits.


    Ellie: "They aren''t my focus, but my Gift also works with daggers... I wanted to get a little better with them, and... Licia has a tricky and improvisational battle style... I think she would be the best for me to learn with."


    Miwen: "Hm... having more options is always good. Just be careful not to neglect what you''re already good at."


    Developing other skills is good and since I''ve heard she struggled quite a lot with her opponent, I can''t me her for seeking different methods of improving herself.


    But we already have plenty of front liners, and considering the team as a whole, it would be better for Ellie to keep her focus on archery, as long-range attacks can be essential, and we don''t have as many options when ites to it.


    Ellie: "Ah! Before I forget, there is one thing I want."


    Miwen: "It''s not a church, right?"


    Ellie: "Hm? No? It''s a dojo, like the one we were before. I just don''t like rolling in the ground..."


    That''s aint the girls never made before. There''s a benefit to training in the natural ground of the Kingdom since its irregrity and hardness are simr to that of the dungeon, or any other ce that is not indoors where we might face an opponent, but in case of rain, it bes hard to use for a while.


    So an indoor space could be useful.


    There''s a special building called [Enhancement Facility] whose descriptions look awfully close to that of a training center, but it''s quite pricey.


    Even more so considering that I can make a pretty good all-in-one facility, with both indoor and outdoor training spaces, as well as a shooting range for Ellie.


    Since like the [Quest Center], the [Enhancement Facility]  is a special building, I''m pretty sure it has a unique characteristic of its own, but depending on what it does, I might have to change the Kingdom again to better amodate it, and that''s something I don''t want to do until at least the first harvest.


    Testing our food production is a priority as it is the most important factor when ites to increasing the number of citizens.


    So for now, I decided to grant Ellie''s wish using the second option. It was cheaper and less demanding of attention. It might not be the best option long term, but it should fit everyone''s needs for now.


    Miwen: "I wasn''t expecting you of all people to ask for that as your prize though."


    Ellie: "No... Bea wanted something different... this one was my personal request..."


    Something strongly triggered her shyness, and she excused herself, heading toward the house she shared with Anna and Bea.


    It was a little suspicious since Bea asked me to head there too in about an hour or so.


    Miwen: "Hm... I made all of this, so I wanted at least to see it tested."


    Licia: "Let''s go for a match then."


    I know Licia''s smiles pretty well. But this one, filled with ominous energy was new to me.


    Miwen: "...You haven''t forgiven me for myment, have you?"


    Licia: "Let''s go for a few matches."


    And so, the hour I had left before meeting Bea went by rather quickly, as Licia showed me she was plenty capable of cing higher in that tournament.


    If anything, she had so many lessons to teach me, that I ended upte.


    Once I finally got into her room, a nice surprise was waiting for me.


    Miwen: "That''s a problem... it seems like one... or rather... two bunnies have escaped from the forest."


    Bea and Ellie in bunny suits... the differences between them became even more evident than normal, almost like night and day.


    Miwen: "I thought you were going to ask me to allow you to use arcanum."


    Bea: "If I was so direct, you''d only reject it. I''ll probably have to get the girlfriend or even wife position before you allow me, right?"


    I don''t remember setting up any such hierarchy but it seems like she never fully gave up on her tactics of solidifying and empowering her position.


    Not only that, she employed Ellie to help increase her destructive power.


    So high maintenance...


    Miwen: "Actually, how did you even get Ellie to participate in that?"


    Bea: "Hm? When I told her what I had in mind, she wanted to try it too."


    Ellie: "Hnnh..."


    Bea could tell that I wasn''t buying it, so she continued in ce of Ellie who was too ashamed to say anything.


    Bea: "Apparently she saw women wearing these in taverns, and so..."


    She wanted to try it out of curiosity.


    I see.


    Whatever the case, I sure as hell wasn''t going toin.


    Miwen: "Hm... give me a ''kyunn kyuun~'' then."


    Both obeyed, doing a small hop while gesturing with their hands.


    That... almost gave me a heart attack. It was by far the strongest attack I''ve received ever since I got my Gift.


    Miwen: "Turn around and do it again."


    As much as I promised myself that I wasn''t going to let Beatrice win, this time, there was no hope for me.


    So, while they still had their backs turned to me, I approached them and softly whispered into their ears.


    Miwen: "I''ll tell Licia to bring food for uster. You two are not leaving the room today. Understood?"


    Bea and Ellie: "...!"


    Miwen: "As for you Bea... before you take control, you need to learn to take responsibility."


    Since I had already lost, I decided to make the most of it.

 Chapter 150: Collision

    I woke up inside the Kingdom, a littleter than usual, and way more tired.


    Somehow I still ended up waking to two girls by my side, although not the ones I was used to.


    One of them was still hugging my arm in her sleep. She would usually be up at this hour but... she had quite a taxing night, so it would still take a while for her to get up.


    As for the other one, she was tracing her fingers on my chest, acting smug while waiting for me to say something.


    I shouldn''t have focused so much of my attention on the nun.


    Bea still holds the most dangerous weapons in the Kingdom, considering my personality.


    Although I''ve done a good job resisting her ever since we had our night together, as her approaches be more earnest, I''ve found myself having a harder time denying her, even though I still suspect her of expecting to get something out of all of this, even if it''s just a simple feeling of reassurance.


    Thisst y of hers was unfair though.


    There are billions of men on the, and you''d be hard-pressed to find one that wouldn''t fall prey to this scheme.


    Bea: "...Noments?"


    Was there even a need for one?


    We had gone at it for hours, our only interruptions were for dinner, which we had in this very room.


    I did my best to not give her the answer she was waiting for. After getting drunk on the ecstasy of yesterday, this was the little I could do to preserve an ounce of pride.


    I was going to need at least this small victory if I had any hope of ever fighting back.


    However, she didn''t want to grant me even that, and her smug smile gave way to an exaggerated frown.


    She was leaving me without options, so, instead of words, I guided her hand to a lower ce, so that she could find the answer for herself.


    Bea: "...Still?"


    Miwen: "Yeah."


    She was surprised, but admittedly, so was I.


    Perhaps my son has been getting ahead of himself, expecting something to happen every morning thanks to Cassandra''s... antics.


    Bea: "Do you want to go again?"


    Miwen: "...I have things nned today."


    Although I could make time by skipping breakfast, I knew it wouldn''t be able to stop after a single round with her, and... that could very well be my end.


    Still, I never expected that leaving paradise would be so hellish.


    Miwen: "I have to help Licia and Mei, Ellie..."


    Ellie: "Hmn... they can handle themselves... just a little longer..."


    I was being tempted on both sides while they were still wearing the bunny suits.


    I might have to make aw against this in the future, or else, I''ll lose all my productivity.


    Miwen: "You''re bing so selfish~"


    Ellie: "Have you seen what I''m wearing? You''ll have to dote on me for a thousand years to pay for this."


    Such a small price, I must''ve gotten a sale.


    Miwen: "I don''t have a thousand years though. How about this in exchange?"


    I brought both of them even closer to me.


    Bea: "What are you doing?"


    Miwen: "Headpats. Being lovey-dovey is very important."


    Bea: "...Noted."


    I might''ve ended up giving her more ideas, but since she''s so studious, it might take a while before she employs them.


    Miwen: "So... is there anything you want to ask?"


    She wasn''t the only one who knew how to exploit others'' weak points. I knew she wasn''t that used to this type of interaction, and while she was rxing, I took the opportunity to ask her directly about the reason for herst scheme, since I was expecting her to want something in return, even if a small favor.


    Hopefully, this would make it harder for her to push too strongly, and I''d be able to just deny any requests that might be bad for her or the other residents.


    Bea: "This time... it was... just because I wanted to..."


    She lowered her head, facing away from me, almost as if trying to hide.


    I couldn''t tell for sure if she was doing it in order to mask her true feelings, or if it was out of shame.


    The heat spreading through my beat pointed at thetter though.


    Bea: "As it turns out, there was a time I wasn''t alone. But... one memory at a time, starting from small things... I depreciated every rtionship I had until they lost their importance. Thanks to you, I now understand my mistake."


    She started to grip me harder...


    Bea: "...So... take responsibility... for giving me so much I don''t want to forget."


    Few can turn the tables on me like that, but I should''ve expected this from someone so dangerous.


    Miwen: "Idiot. You could just say you''re grateful."


    Bea: "Hm... but I want more unforgettable memories."


    Miwen: "And did you get what you wanted?"


    Bea: "Yes. For now."


    Greedy witch.


    Although this worked out well for me. If I could get her to focus solely on this feeling, rather than attempting to get something out of it, I could take away all her options, and she would have no alternative but to refrain from her bad practices until I allowed her otherwise.


    I stayed a little longer with them, but then I started receiving messages from Licia, and Mia also showed up in the room.


    Mia: "...I was expecting worse. Get up, there''s something you gotta see."


    I was expecting to get teased, or at least insulted, but she was as serious as it gets.


    In the entire Kingdom, the best options to cut through my bullshit are Liz and Mia, so for Licia to have sent her, it was definitely important.


    As such, I didn''t waste any time and went back to Earth.


    Sensing that this couldn''t be taken lightly, Bea and Ellie did the same, by asking Licia permission to leave the Kingdom.


    Licia: "Sorry to interrupt but..."


    Miwen: "No... you did right."


    The TV showed rare images, but they were a perfect reflection of ones we had seen before. They were incredibly reminiscent of the time when the Dungeons first started to rampage and humanity found itself in a fight for survival.


    Gigantic monsters even bigger than the already absurd-sized ships in the sea were rising alongside water vortexes, attacking and throwing said ships as if they were no more than toys.


    The sky was colored dark by the number of riders on wyverns and dragons, attacking helicopters and engaging in dog fights with jets, all the while, storms gathered, showing the power of wind and lightning as the day was unrecognizable, looking more the darkest night lit only by fire and thunder.


    The way it looked like the sea and the sky were against us... as if nature itself decided to end humanity... thest time I had seen something like this was during Elizabeth''s invasion, but the scale this time couldn''t even bepared to that.


    And if it wasn''t enough, the situation on the ground was even more chaotic. While our soldiers relied heavily on their guns, the enemy had men rampaging with greatswords and... "cavalry". They rode both horses and bears, as well as mythical species such as unicorns, and pegasus and while some of them were falling, their relentless charge was breaking through the hastily made lines easily.


    Earth had be a battlefield, but...


    Things didn''t look good for us. The biggest problem was the rules of this event.


    They specified that the world with the most lives lost would lose the entire thing.


    The trades in the sky seemed to be somewhat favorable. But the same couldn''t be said about the sea and ground.


    Even if we managed to trade a ship for a monster rider, the crew operating a ship consisted of many more lives than a singr rider and his pet monster.


    Tank crews and armored vehicles also had this problem, albeit on a smaller scale.


    The soldiers that the other worlds brought were incredibly strong. Most seemed to be around high ranker or top ranker in prowess judging by their abilities alone, but...


    Even through all the chaos we were seeing around multiple fronts, my mind kept pointing out something strange.


    Miwen: "...How are they killing so many?"


    ire: "Didn''t you say your world had great potential for war? Why are you so surprised?"


    Miwen: "Yes, but our model is outdated. I wasn''t expecting foot soldiers to be able to do much."


    The reason why I consider the AOTG revolution an actual threat is because of their initial approach.


    The man behind this has understood that the era where the one to win is whoever can rain lead the hardest on the enemy ising to an end.


    When a top ranker can take a shot point nk from a modern tank''s main gun and stille out alive, theirbat impressiveness starts to wane.


    Questions such as "How many rankers would be needed to win against this army." or, "Would this party be able to defeat this weak country''s army" have been interesting, but only theoretical for a while given that both adventurers and governments keep some secrecy over their full potential.


    However, my bet for the future of warfare aligned with the AOTG''s. I believe the philosophies developed on Earth will still hold, but instead of relying solely on machinery, we might rely on abination of individuals'' Gifts, or make do with them entirely.


    I couldn''t see a proper, full-scale battle during the Snow White Wolves war, but the tests I did against the Monster Horde that invaded the Kingdom and the scene unfolding before my eyes show that such ideas were not so far off.


    As much as I hate to admit it, the invading worlds'' militaries are quite refined, and they seem to have brought the cream of the crop, as I can''t imagine that a wyvern, dragon, or giant octopus can be awarded to just anymon soldier.


    And that''s precisely where the problem lies.


    Their levels should be high, and while there was some variation, the girls said that only strong people were awarded tamed monsters and mounts like that. Their predictions put the invading force''s levels at anywhere between level 50 to 80, which matched my own estimation.


    The only thing contradicting that was that quite a few of them were falling tomon infantry fire, which should not be possible.


    The girls and I had just yed with guns the other day, and aside from sensitive areas like the eyes, getting hurt by them was a non-factor for us.


    While the quantity of fires being shot was massive... I felt like this wasn''t adding up. Too many lucky shots for it to be just that.


    However, the guns themselves didn''t seem modified. This phenomenon was happening on different fronts and ces, so the effect of a Gift was doubtful.


    With these two out of the picture, I could only think of the ammo as the biggest suspect.


    Unlike the more visible guns, unless we were there in person to examine them, it was impossible to see the bullets and determine whether or not there was something unique about them.


    But I couldn''t think about anything else that could be causing this.


    Especially since I already had a theory of what might be going on.


    There''s a bunch of materials found inside a dungeon. Some of them have more demand, such as monster cores and mana orbs. Since they can be turned into energy, there''s always demand for them. Even those dropped from the weakest monsters.


    Other drops from monsters vary in their demand since they are either used for research or sold to other adventurers in the case of weapons.


    There is, however, one resource in the dungeon that should have higher demand by the government.


    The crystals found in the Dungeon floors... We know they can be used to make weapons and to strengthen structures, such as walls.


    Crystals found in the hardest floors are usually harvested by rankers who turn them to the government for profit, or to a cksmith to make a weapon.


    But making a profit out of them is not as easy as monster cores. Harvesting them is already harder than simply killing monsters until you get lucky with a drop. You need someone high level enough to enter the floor and then be prepared to defend them while they harvest it. Not to mention, you need enhanced or magical tools to even mine any crystal worth a damn.


    And that''s the most suspicious thing about them. It''s only really worth going for this if you''re a high/top ranker, as crystals of lower quality are rarely in demand by the government, and when they are, their price is too low to be worth the trouble.


    If these crystals could be turned into bullets, and maintain their proprieties, then I could see them being used as a special ammo designed to kill enemies with high levels.


    The problem is that this has never worked. Putting them into, or making armor and weapons out of them is already difficult, and all the tests have shown that the smaller the fragment of the crystal, the less effective it will be.


    If the government found a way to make effective bullets out of them, surely they would use them against monsters and spread this discovery...


    Or maybe not.


    Especially if they also realized the danger that rankers may pose. Keeping this a secret for as long as possible could be the only way to ensure enough of a stockpile to prevent... a revolution.


    ... Their use seems limited. Maybe they are still experimental, or the process cannot be upscaled so easily.


    They certainly change my predictions, and if I was in a position of power... While they might not have itpletely figured out yet and have their hands tied... this would be the best moment to strike.


    Even more so considering it would make the offer of maintaining/increasing rankers significance in society more enticing.


    Huh...


    Liz: "Should I set up around the house?"


    Miwen: "The battles are still far from here. And if a strayes, we can deal with it."


    The odds were incredibly low though.


    Miwen: "I''ll make a quick trip with Liz and Bea, once we''re back, I want everyone reunited in the Kingdom. Licia, you keep me updated on anything noteworthy."


    She''s the one who knows the most about the area surrounding the city, so if anything happens close by, I''m confident she''ll be able to notify me before ites to our home.


    Before going, Bea asked to change.


    This prompted ire to let ament about their clothes since no one was saying anything about it. Everyone was doing it out of sympathy for them though, and once Ellie felt everyone''s gaze toward her, she spammed me with requests to retreat back to the Kingdom.


    Seeing this, everyone reprimanded ire, but I thought it was cute so I allowed it. Instead, when I talked with her, I asked if she could tell Mia to pay attention to the news with her and Licia too since I valued their experience with warfare.


    Especially one with magic and Gifts. Something that hasn''t been seen on Earth yet.


    Truth be told, I also wanted to pay attention to get some ideas for ourselves, but meeting Erika at ater date might be difficult since we won''t have many options formunicating.


    As such, I ended up cing her as today''s priority.

 Chapter 151: Collision (02)

    Since the Dungeons'' entrances have been blocked, no one from Earth can meet people who remain inside.


    At least not through conventional means.


    Thankfully, there were a few ways avable for me.


    My Gift has always been capable of breaking the Dungeon''s rule, or rules in general for that matter. Even the First Daughter has a tough time with it, so I had no doubts that the barriers ced by Gods, who are an inferior species to the Endless, wouldn''t be able to impede [Gacha Kingdom Building].


    However, I didn''t have any citizens on the floor I needed to go.


    Maya, who currently holds one of the [Special Roles], was inside apletely different dungeon, and thus, meeting Erika through her was going to be almost impossible.


    Thus, even though my Gift might look almighty from time to time, there was no circumventing this limitation.


    But I still had an option. An expensive one, but I took it as an investment.


    I was sure that a Gift at least as powerful as mine would be able to ignore the barriers, and luckily, I knew someone with the perfect ability.


    Merchant: "Oh, I wonder which old friend you''ve prepared for me to confront this time. Or maybe Liz is being rebellious and you want me to scold her?"


    Miwen: "Nah, she''s fine..."


    The merchant was happy to see how much my attitude toward Elizabeth had changed.


    Despite how much I rejected her for hurting the girls, I now consider her one of us.


    And truth be told, there was no way I wouldn''t.


    Powerwise, she''s still the biggest addition to the Kingdom. Even the three Valkyries can''tpare.


    She also offers a lot of unique experiences as a ruler.


    Her loyalty is high, and she has demonstrated that she''ll keep her word to me even if at the cost of her own life, and even if meaningless.


    Granted, this might just be that she''s too prideful to go back on her word, but still...


    The Merchant read both of us perfectly.


    He knew how serious Elizabeth was. She was willing to do anything to earn forgiveness from the girls, and her genuine effort quickly got her forgiveness and eptance from the girls.


    I couldn''t stay mad at her after seeing her usefulness and willingness. Even if I did, the girls would call me unreasonable.


    Even though I was still on my toes due to the risk she posed... after the battle against the AOTG I couldn''t see her as being differentpared to the others.


    It took a while. She had to be extremely useful. She also had to go through excruciating pain.


    But she earned my forgiveness.


    And I have no doubts that this guy knew from the start that this was going to happen.


    Showing me her past served a bunch of different purposes, making me more sympathetic toward her was a given, but now that I think of her as a family member of ours, if she asked me for revenge against the Gods, I''d willingly join the Merchant''s cause.


    I hate how this bastard can be at the same time both the most stupid and cunning person in the room.


    Miwen: "The job I have for you this time should be pretty easy... I guess..."


    Not that he was going to give me any discount for it.


    Since it was quite simple though, I decided to ask one thing that was on my mind before exining it to him as I was sure he would be able to immediately act on my request anyway.


    Miwen: "I''ve received some reports about nts and flowers disappearing from the Kingdom. You wouldn''t know about it, right?"


    Merchant: "No idea~"


    What even was the point of tantly lying like that? It was almost as if he wanted to get caught.


    To think this is the same guy that managed to make us fear for our lives back then... Either I became too good at reading his act, or he didn''t even try this time.


    Miwen: "So... What are you doing with them? Are you preparing a bouquet or something?"


    If he wants to dere his love for Prisci, I''d be more than willing to help him.


    It would be more than worth it just to see that woman kicking his ass.


    Merchant: "Oh... that''s not a bad idea. But it''s not something for you to worry about. They are meant for someone else."


    He was nice enough to ask if I wanted him to stop. There were plenty of flowers in the universe he could gather, and it just so happened that the Kingdom was a convenient garden due to the random spawns sometimes bringing exotic or pretty ones.


    I told him that it was alright. Apparently, he has been doing this for a while, and I just noticed it because Agatha told me about it. Frankly, if this had any significance or importance, it was lost on me.


    The only interest I had in this was his reason for doing it, but... "They are a feeble attempt. To correct the mistakes from the past, and make amends in the future." was all he said.


    I already knew him well enough to understand that forcing a good exnation out of him is impossible.


    It''s not that he''s not capable, but more so that he''s unwilling.


    Thus, I gave up.


    It didn''t look like what he was doing was going to affect me either way, so I just went ahead and asked him to facilitate my meeting with a certain subus.


    After describing Erika a little to him, he was able to use his Gift to reach her.


    Once there, I pulled Liz and Bea out. They ended up not saying much, but I wanted them to apany me since having a demon and an arcanum user could show Erika that I''m able to ept such things.


    Although I do prohibit the use of arcanum when there''s no Demonic Power to avoid the side effects, I at least wasn''t against its study.


    I had also brought Cassandra along, but I feared the interactions she could have with a subus, so I asked her to stay in sword form.


    Our discussion went somewhat smoothly. At least in the sense that I managed to tell her everything, both the upsides and downsides that my Gift could offer her.


    I also got her to agree to be a citizen temporarily and showed her the Kingdom and what we were up to there.


    Pretty much the same as Roy and Sam, I introduced her to the inhabitants and then came back to hear her answer about bing a citizen.


    I wanted to bring her sister and their party as citizens too, so I extended the invitation to them as well.


    Erika: "I knew I wasn''t wrong. The moment Iid my eyes on you... But, as expected... that''s a little too much. You get it, right? The risks are too high."


    Demons seem to value their freedom quite highly ording to Elizabeth, but bing a citizen would mean giving up all your rights to me.


    I can have citizens under orders and roles that strip them of any rights. My will takes precedence over theirs, and their choices are incredibly limited.


    Once I say no, that''s the end of it.


    It''s incredibly easy to abuse this power.


    While it offers a lot, it can also take just as much. It''s a hard decision to make once you know exactly what you''re getting into.


    Even the girls only enjoy the freedom to do as they want because I allow it.


    While it''s not the case since I genuinely value their opinions and choices if this power was anyone else''s, you could easily call into question if they are really free since that can be taken away from them in an instant.


    That''s a bit more on the philosophical side though, as in any society, you''re only free because thews ensure that. And so, you are free because you''re allowed to. Which to some might already not constitute freedom.


    Going further, it''s hard to imagine true freedom, as we will always be dependent on something. Even if the most basic things that the environment has to offer.


    In a more practical sense, I can use Gabrie as the first example of what happens when my will is challenged.


    I''m forcing her to live under my values. She can do as she pleases only until it goes against my rules.


    Depending on if and how she steps over the line, the punishment might be as simple as me throwing her out.


    Still, she''s the one I''ve enforced my rule on the hardest yet. She''s the most limited inside the Kingdom by far.


    I do have an idea to turn her around peacefully though. But I cannot guarantee I''ll do this every time and for everyone in the future.


    As the Kingdom grows, a proper system ofws and punishments will certainly be necessary. It''s ironic, but only by limiting some freedoms can I guarantee that everyone can act freely.


    As such, I think Erika''s reasoning is perfectly understandable. As a demon,ing under a human like me this way is almost a threat.


    Erika: "But to pass on such an opportunity... hmm... what should I do~"


    At least that was what I was thinking.


    You know, trying to understand her side as much as possible, considering the traits I know of her race and the nature that both humans and demons share.


    But that smile... I recognize that.


    It''s the type the evil trio, namely Bea, Cassandra, and Liz, loves to show. It does nothing to hide the malicious intent. If anything, it only makes them more scary.


    Simply put, from this point on, I was being pulled into an abyss. A single step, and I would fall prey to her.


    Quite the turn table considering that I wasing at this from the position of the one offering a dangerous proposal.


    Erika: "You see, I have a tiny little problem~ But your power... I think you could help me a lot. I''d be really grateful too~"


    Miwen: "Uh-huh. And what''s in it for me?"


    Gratitude is great and all, but it''s not what I''m seeking.


    That smile also made me not expect purely nice and pure things out of her.


    Erika: "Hm... I could definitely get you 27 subi. Maybe 28. And then... in total... 50ish citizens?


    Maybe more~ ...Hehe..."


    Scary...


    She seemed to be having too much fun thinking about it.


    As for me, considering the Kingdom''s current poption, this was quite a high number.


    From the way she spoke, it felt like she had control or at least some authority over the subi, so I could probably leave them to her without incurring too much risk.


    As for the others... that might be a manageable number. Especially if I got the new girls that were recently summoned to a good loyalty level.


    A little risky sure, but we could probably handle it.


    As expected from a subus, it was a sweet offer.


    Miwen: "I won''t be able to help right now though. There''s the whole Divine Event going on and this guy is too expensive to keep using as a ride."


    I already had another n for him today, and I piled up these rides I''m sure he would take the entire Kingdom as coteral.


    Erika: "Not a problem! I''d have to make a few arrangements to amodate you anyway."


    ...Her im that this was a tiny problem became more doubtful by the minute.


    But I kind of owed her one for the help she gave usst time. I also wouldn''t mind giving her a hand just because she''s been nice to me in all of our encounters.


    It''s not on the same level as Roy and Sam, but I believe I can trust her a little. At least enough so that she wouldn''t do something bad to us.


    And so with that, it was agreed that Erika would be a temporary citizen, and if I helped her out, she would help me in return.


    I wanted to get her sister and her party too, but any progress is good progress.


    I told her that if she needed a ce to run to one day, the Kingdom was open for her and her sister, and then we parted ways.


    However, since the Merchant was still around, I employed him again.


    This time, our destination was the ninth floor. Since I had Lily now, the elf residing in the forest wasn''t worth as much, but when it came to farming, that power was still tempting.


    It was at least worth trying to bring them over to the Kingdom.


    Once we reached the world, the Merchant immediately left it sinceapparently the God responsible for this one is quite problematic.


    He told me to go back to the Kingdom once I was finished and call him from there once I wanted to go back to Earth.


    The Dungeon was also an option for that, but... the Merchant and the Dungeon had quite a strange interaction.


    It felt like he was hated by it.


    The monsters were spawning much, much more frequently. He obviously took care of all of them with ease, but it was too extreme not to notice.


    Since today was more for business than repose, we cut right through the chase.


    Once the elves saw who they were dealing with, they sent a proper delegation to greet us.


    It was clear that they feared us, but I could hardly me them.


    I was feeling generous though, so Idecided to exchange Bea for Ellie, and I also brought Angelica since an angel would obviously show that we are good guys.


    In case they misinterpreted it, however, I also brought ire, to show power.


    The elves that came led us through the forest.They showed a mix of emotions. Some looked afraid, others annoyed. Quite a few seemed ready to jump us as we walked past them.


    Still, they kept their word, and even though we got a bunch of stares on our way, we safely reached a giant, thick tree standing in the middle of the forest.


    There was a hall inside of it, and stairs that led to rooms on upper floors.


    It was quite a unique design, and frankly, I wanted to do something simr for the Kingdom. It was just a great use of space, and it blended incredibly well with the forest.


    ??????: "Travelers from another world. What is your purpose? Why are you attacking our home?"


    On thest floor of this tree, there was a round room. It had basic decorations, and it looked more like a living space than a throne room.


    Yet, it was easy to tell by the authority hemanded, that the man speaking to us now was their leader.


    Before him, every other elf fell silent.


    Miwen: "One of yours insulted one of mine. I''ve yet to get his apologies and mypensation."


    If not for this guy, I would''ve probably held back my pyromaniac from targeting them.


    It was lucky of him that they had something I was interested in, otherwise, there would be no room for talk. I''d just deal with him and then be on my way.


    Still,the demand for an apology andpensation sent the room into uproar.


    The guards and other important-looking figures got even more angry at us. Calling us shameless and saying things such as "how dare you".


    They were in no position to act though. I''m sure they got reports of how easily we handled thest party they sent us.


    To them, our strength is unknown. Even more so now that I brought a new face along.


    However, it was true that I only brought a small fraction of the group, so they might''ve believed that this was the best opportunity to strike.


    Something I would dly wee.


    Once this turned into a bigger issue, all bets would be off the table, and I would be able to justify any action.


    Simply put, the more trouble they caused, the more I was going to be able to demand of them.


    Interestingly, once some uproar had started, bringing back order seemed a little hard for the elf leader.


    He didn''t hold nearly as much authority as it seemed at first.


    Every minute it took him to regain control over the room made Elizabeth lose more respect for him, to the point where she stepped forward, standing by my side.


    Elizabeth: "This is a travesty. He is far from a ruler worth your time,  Your Majesty simply oughta make your demands, and he''ll abide. If they dare refuse, I can subjugate them in time for dinner."


    Her patience was running out, but as ast show of respect, she chose to speak in a low voice, so only I could hear her.


    To be honest, I didn''t mind watching this a little longer. It reminded me of the times when a teacher would put a student in charge of the others so that he could leave the room for a minute.


    Much as he tried to control the others, it was barely going anywhere.


    He was trying hard to keep his dignified appearance andposure, but it was clear that the others didn''t think of his position as being that much higher than theirs.


    For thest few, he had to raise his voice in order to shut them.


    I can''t remember acting this way with the girls. Forget treating them as equals, I treat all of them as my treasures, and yet, when I''m serious, they follow mymand without question.


    Thankfully things eventually settled, and so, I began to tell the story of what happened inside the Dungeon.


    I could hear a bunch of "serves you right" from people who shouldn''t even be in the room, and even my patience was starting to run out.


    This obviously also didn''t go well with Elizabeth. She felt it insulting that a man so ipetent was being called a ruler, as taking that position would mean that one is her equal in at least one way.


    To prevent the same from happening again, lightning and fire started to surround Liz and ire''s bodies, silencing the room much more efficiently than the elf leader ever could.


    This allowed me to finally get to the point.


    For starters, I wanted to meet face-to-face with both the elf from back then, as well as the one responsible for the forest''s growth.


    The elf leader seemed a bit anxious about this, but he didn''t dare say no in front of those two.


    All of the other rowdy ones had also gone quiet, leaving himpletely alone, and with no other alternative, he relented.


    A whileter, a few guards came apanied by the elves I asked for.


    Miwen: "Yo! Your Highness! Funny seeing you here."


    Elf Prince: "What do you want, bastard?"


    His pompous attitude was nowhere to be seen. I could tell that he hated my guts by now.


    The feeling was mutual though.


    Elf leader: "Please, forgive my son''s insolence. He''s still young and doesn''t yet understand his role."


    And neither do you...


    Still, I guess them being family makes his ims back then true. I suspected as much, but seeing someone in a position of power with such an attitude was quite infuriating to me.


    He also didn''t look that young, but I could forgive it if he really was a child who didn''t know better. Simply because this would mean he had room to grow and change with a little help.


    I''m sure Ellie would prefer this too.


    Miwen: "So, how old is he?"


    Elf leader: "He''ll turn 120 this year."


    .....


    I get that they live for a long time, but to be called a child at 120 years is a bit...


    I didn''t even know if a human could live that long.


    ire: "Well, they are elves, so... I guess that''s like... twelve in human terms? Maybe a year old..."


    That... has a lot of bad implications for me.


    Liz: "That''s a misconception. He might be young to others of his race, to the point of looking like a child, but it''s meaningless to try and convert his age."


    Elizabeth''s statement made me a little bit confused, so she exined further.


    Since Ellie was still quiet and Angelica died at a young age, she was the only one on our side capable of speaking about this.


    Liz: "Past the point of maturity, both demons and elves basically stop aging. Thus, it''s meaningless to try to convert their age. Take me for example. I''ve lived for a few millennia. Since most demons don''t survive that long, this would put me at around 300 hundred years in human terms. Which doesn''t really make a lot of sense."


    Ellie: "If he''s past 30, you can treat him as-"


    Elf Prince: "Who allowed you to talk, whore? Know your-"


    Miwen: "Who allowed YOU to talk? I''ve heard enough of him, you can shut him up, Liz."


    I was intrigued by it, there''s no universe where I would give more importance to what this guy had to say over Liz and Ellie''s words. No matter the subject.


    It also infuriated me that he interrupted Ellie when she finally mustered the confidence to speak up.


    Even though she was holding my hand, she wasn''t hiding her face. This growing confidence, though small, made me really proud of her. And then he just had to run his mouth.


    Not only that, he even insulted her.


    Kid or not, he had sealed his fate.


    Liz surrounded his head with an air bubble. No matter how much he screamed, no sound reached us. Even his breathing was only possible because she allowed it.


    His face filled with desperation was incredibly rewarding to see.


    The others in the room acted rashly upon seeing that, but... they met the same fate. Water chains were now holding all of them in ce, while air bubbles prevented them from speaking.


    The same was true for the elf leader. Elizabeth''s patience toward him had run out quite a while ago, and the fact that he tried to excuse his 120-year-old son''s behavior by calling him a child might as well have been the tipping point for her.


    Their levels and numbers were higher than we had when we first faced Liz, but they didn''t pose nearly as much of a threat to her.


    This made me realize why she was so interested in our fight back then. It was abnormal for us to be such a challenge for her, but on our side, we had an insanely capable witch preventing her from taking control of all the mana, as well as Licia and ire''s prowess with their elements.


    As for physical attackers, Anna and Mia are way above the average for their levels. They can punch much higher.


    Topare that with what the elves could do... it was no match.


    Any magic that they tried to cast was instantly denied as Elizabeth took control of the mana before they couldunch it.


    They also didn''t have anyone with enough strength to break the chains she had ced.


    She wasn''t exaggerating when she said she could deal with them in a matter of hours.


    Miwen: "Well... that leaves only you then."


    Wearing a humble white dress without many adornments, thest one on their side who was still capable of speaking was Kiara, the elf with the Gift responsible for regenerating the forest.


    Kiara: "I... I don''t know anything. I''m innocent, so please spare me."


    She looked at us as if we were barbarians,pletely filled with apprehension, which wasprehensible given that we invaded her home and took a bunch of her people as captive right before her eyes.


    However, I had no mean intentions towards any of them aside from the little prince.


    Until she said that...


    Miwen: "You... innocent? Have you taken a look at what you''ve done?"


    Kiara: "I haven''t hurt anyone, so-"


    Miwen: "I see. You can shut her up too Liz."


    This whole thing was only possible thanks to her Gift. She might not have attacked anyone directly, but to say she hadn''t hurt anyone was naive at best.


    Miwen: "Since I got a good lesson today, It''s only fair that I give back some knowledge. Consider this a stroke of good luck. Now you get to learn about the world from me."


    I told the elf leader to take all of his troops as far away from the dungeon gate as possible since we were going to burn a good chunk of the forest again.


    Then, I had Elizabeth bring these two with us. Our destination was the city where we previously enjoyed an evening.


    A few men tried to stop us, but it was meaningless.


    They were also told to stop, as the others realized that not only was it futile, but it risked us getting even angrier at them, which could lead to a greater disaster.

 Chapter 152: Collision (03)

    After leaving the forest we headed to the city close by.


    Even though it wasn''t so long since we had been here, the ce had apletely different atmosphere.


    The first reason for that was the troops that ended up arriving on the days we were away, both professionals and adventurers/mercenaries who were looking for positions or an opportunity to perform an exploit and get a reward painted the city in a different light as themon folk ended up leaving.


    Since in our absence the elves had expanded the forest to the point of encroaching on the gate, those who remained in the city were preparing for a siege.


    As this ce was close to a dungeon gate, before this whole ordeal it seemed to have been quite prosperous, as close to the center of the city there was a wholemercial area that was being repurposed in order to supply weapons and necessities for the army standing in the city.


    A few taverns still remained open, but other shops closed, and most of the items being traded were equipment or potions, brought by merchants from outside this ce.


    As we walked, quite a crowd gathered around us due to the presence of the elves.


    I pretty much knew this was going to happen, so I sent Ellie away.


    There was no need for her to be around and listen to this.


    The only ones with me were Elizabeth, Angelica, Folkien, the elf prince, and Kiara, the elf responsible for the forest''s advancement.


    And also... Elliot, one of the friendly Knight Commanders fromst time.


    He was guaranteeing our security and calming the people... for now.


    Since he recognized Folkien''s identity, he wanted exnations from us at first, but I managed to convince him to wait.


    Although I had to be stern and remind him who we were and what we could do.


    But since I was kinda on his side, I also promised a concession as long as he gave me a hand.


    And so, we made our way to what was previously the residential area, a bit far from the center of the city.


    Most citizens had been evacuated. Some volunteered to fight and protect their home.


    But... quite a few of them weren''t able to do either of those.


    I went door to door, offering money in exchange for the stories of those who remained. Of course, this was all on Elliot''s tab.


    Everyone had their reasons for staying, a few were simply stubborn, choosing their home rather than their safety.


    Some had nowhere to go. Leaving this ce would mean an uncertain future, which could be even more scary than what they were heading to.


    Many simply couldn''t leave. They couldn''t afford the expenses, or wouldn''t be able to endure the journey due to their age, injuries, or sickness.


    Speaking of which, a number of them remained in the city because of sick rtives. They were the only ones who could take care of them, and they decided to face destiny whatever it may be for their loved ones.


    Miwen: "If you think it''s bad for them, just imagine how it''s going for those who had to leave everything behind."


    Liz: "Such is the nature of war. You promote the other side''s suffering until epting your position bes less painful than defending their own."


    She summarizes it way better than I ever could.


    It''s ironic that war is the intermediate state of diplomacy. First, diplomacy fails, and after the war is waged, we resort back to it.


    Perhaps this is why it''s so easy to be caught in a perpetual cycle between those, as the dispute is never properly addressed. Instead, the mighty one just forces their will onto the weaker one, until the tables turn and the cycle repeats.


    However, that''s not necessarily my problem here.


    I don''t have any stakes in this dispute, nor do I feel strongly about either side.


    I also don''t have any rtionship with someone who does, thus, even considering third parties, there''s no interest I wish or care to defend in this situation.


    My actions now are done purely for selfish reasons.


    First, my revenge against Folkien, for how he insulted Ellie.


    Even if the girl herself wouldn''t desire such a thing, I cannot let it pass.


    As their king, I''m responsible for what the girls do, and what happens to them. And an insult to them is an insult to me.


    While this might just be an excuse, I cannot see myself letting this issue go without having the final word.


    Guaranteeing it doesn''t happen again would also be nice.


    As for my second issue here...


    Miwen: "You''re right. It''s hard even to imagine a war where no one suffers. And since this is a given, it doesn''t make for a good question. Instead, what I''m more interested in is... who is responsible for this suffering?"


    Folkien: "Before thest kingdom fell, this dungeon gate existed within our forest. We''re just retaking what is rightfully ours. They shouldn''t have settled in ournds to begin with."


    It''s quite far from the response I was expecting.


    Although I feel like the three kingdoms that now exist in this area could probably im something simr if they go back enough in their history.


    As for Kiara...


    Kiara: "Why would any of this be my fault? I just did as I was told! I didn''t hurt anyone!"


    I wanted to believe that she was simply naive but... it couldn''t be further from the truth.


    Hearing what they had to say, a discussion began between the citizens and the elves. Elliot tried to calm them again, but I signaled that it was alright.


    I felt like they had the right to vent this way.


    I had tried quite a lot to show Kiara that she was wrong, even showing her the orphans from the citizens who volunteered to fight, but nothing worked.


    She kept shifting the me and refusing to take any responsibility for her actions.


    I understood then that my hopes were misced on her. She wasn''t oblivious to the reality of the situation, she was simply too much of a coward to ept ountability.


    Miwen: "So you''re still going to say that you''re innocent ?"


    Kiara: "Of course!"


    Miwen: "I see... Let''s see what the people of the town think then."


    We excluded the soldiers and adventurers and held a vote... over who they wanted to keep in the city.


    I also told them that if they decided on Folkien, the war would end instantly, and I would guarantee that the forest wouldn''t advance anymore.


    However, even with that promise, the one who got the most votes was...


    Kiara: "Why? I... I don''t get it... Folkien is our prince, he is much more valuable than me."


    Miwen: "Isn''t it obvious? They resent you much more than they do him. Because if not for you, then things wouldn''t have turned this way."


    Kiara: "But... I wasn''t the one who decided anything... I just did what they told me..."


    Miwen: "Yeah. And they only decided to do this because they knew you''d follow. See, even though I wasn''t here from the beginning, I can tell the order of events. They came to you first, and only then they started the attack."


    Her power was integral for this n to work. So much so that it became obvious that the entire n was centered around her.


    It doesn''t matter that she didn''t attack anyone directly, it''s only because she agreed to it that this situation came to be.


    Miwen: "The dungeon is not the reason for this skirmish. You are. You believe that you''re innocent, but right in front of you are the people whose lives suffered thanks to your actions. You contributed. You facilitated their suffering. At least take responsibility for that."


    I thought she was being naive, but that wasn''t the case at all.


    She understood what her actions meant, but she didn''t want to face them properly.


    This... was an insult to everyone involved.


    And even I felt insulted by it.


    As one responsible for others, the idea of facing away from such responsibility looks like in cowardice to me.


    I''m the king who rules over his own people. My decisions are responsible for how we move, for good and for bad.


    Running away from ountability would mean leaving the girls to deal with the repercussions of my actions by themselves.


    It matters not if it''s directly or indirectly, if I''m to reap the reward for every victory and good deed, I must be ready to face the consequences of every defeat and evil deed as well.


    This is the path I have chosen to walk with the girls. One where we share ountability.


    Because of that, we can enjoy our victories, our progress, and our home, knowing that every single one of us is responsible for it, even if in a small amount.


    Liz: "You worried me, but... seems like you have reached your conclusion."


    Miwen: "Yes... I just reaffirmed my beliefs, but I''m satisfied."


    Since we had finished, we decided to part for the forest. Folkien was overjoyed that he had managed to escape but while I put a vote to decide which of the elves should stay, I never said that the one with the least points was to return to the forest.


    In truth, my agreement with Elliot was to have him as a prisoner so that they could negotiate a deal with the elf leader. From the beginning, I had no ns of letting this idiot leave unscathed.


    As for Kiara...


    Kiara: "Why did you do this...?"


    Miwen: "Your power is useful to me, even outside of war. But I would also want to use it for that as well. I''ll send you an invitation to join my Kingdom. I''d rmend you keep it. If you learn how to own up to your actions, you''ll be wee."


    There was potential for growth in her.


    The fact that she was questioning herself was enough proof of that.


    And if she matures, she would be incredibly useful.


    Miwen: "A piece of advice though. From your kind''s perspective, you did something good. From their perspective, you did something bad. Stop trying to justify your actions and position yourself as the only innocent or moral one. Learn to ept the meaning of your actions and right or not, you''ll be able to properly face the consequences."


    I wasn''t expecting to reim my kindergarten teacher position here of all ces, but...


    I suppose the kids needed to learn a lesson.


    As a valuable prisoner, Folkien''s treatment shouldn''t be so harsh.


    It will be a good experience for him as he''ll have to manage his attitude toward others for a while. Hopefully, this helps him learn some humility, but if not, I''m sure the guards will teach him a bunch of lessons in my ce.


    Quite ironic that for a while he''ll also be an elf living among humans, something he despised Ellie for.


    If he ever spews his nonsense against others again, I''m sure he''ll at least remember this humiliation.


    Truth be told, I wanted to get a little rougher with him myself but...


    Liz: "Your actions bordered cruelty, especially toward the girl. Are you sure this is fine? Won''t this mean you have to do something topensate?."


    So Licia went to Elizabeth for help...


    To reach for the strongest card right out of the gate means that she''s really serious about this.


    She must also have put a lot of effort and thought into how she would get Elizabeth on her side considering it shouldn''t be an easy task due to her pride.


    I''ll be sure to thank herter.


    Miwen: "I don''t mind if you girls refuse to act out of innocence or a sense of justice, but... I wouldn''t like to have someone under me who lies about their actions."


    Be it to themselves or to others, fleeing like this is dangerous to everyone around.


    The more lies that exist within the Kingdom, the less control I''ll have. Thus, it''s worth helping, correcting, and beingprehensible with the girls, so that I know I always have a clear picture of what is happening, what we are doing, and how it is going.


    As we progress, and I give them roles where they oversee others, I''ll need them to be truthful and responsible so that I can make adjustments and react ordingly.


    Liz: "I see. This means you still haven''t given up on her then."


    Miwen: "Yeah, I''m being a little more forceful since she''s not a citizen, but if she''s able to grow from this, she''d be a good asset to have."


    Since our business with the elves had ended for the foreseeable future, we headed back home as we still had matters to discuss.


    I decided to use the dining hall since it had the most space, and I ended up inviting the Valkyries as well since they also had some experience with warfare, although the extent was still unknown to us.


    Ellie: "Um... that''s my spot..."


    Angelica: "Hm? But I came first..."


    It was unexpected to see these two dispute over something, even more something like this, but it was bound to happen given that the two of them like to show affection by sticking close to me.


    Thankfully the solution was simple.


    Miwen: "You can have the other leg, Ellie."


    Neither is that big, so while it might''ve not been asfortable, there was no need to fight.


    Cassandra: "Then I''ll sit on the third one."


    Miwen: "The third?"


    Once I understood what she was referring to, I quickly closed my legs, which ended up trapping my son between Angelica and Ellie.


    ire: "You don''t look so well, everything fine?"


    Miwen: "Y-yeah, don''t worry. We can start..."


    Once everyone had sat down I didn''t have space to close my legs again, so I had to endure like this.


    With ire''s phone, Licia recorded the news she thought was most noteworthy, a lot of them were updates on the line closest to our house, but it was interesting to see how the Divine Event was progressing.


    ire: "Normally, staying on the defensive could be a good strategy since the rules will favor the world that inflicts more casualties, but... that''s only if the line is unbreakable."


    Elizabeth: "Which doesn''t appear to be the case... Although your preparations were outstanding considering you were short on time, I doubt they''ll be enough to prevent a breakthrough since your armies aren''t performing well."


    ire: "Yeah... since your armies are big, but not powerful, they might be the easiest to inflict casualties on. I think it might be everyone''s focus. Especially if they reach a city. The poption density is unreal... If their world is anything like mine, you''d need to level a bunch of towns and cities to make up for even one of your small ones."


    The invaders had started to bring ships alongside the raiders, which was probably the biggest indication that Liz and ire were right.


    Normally, wooden ships would have no ce fighting against a modern navy, but the mages aboard made up for the difference quite effectively.


    Thankfully, their barriers were only at sea level at most, so our submarines taught them a nice lesson.


    Still, ships filled with mages seemed like quite an investment to make.


    Miwen: "Couldn''t adventurers face off against the soldiers?"


    ire: "Yes, but you can bet there will be coterals in a battle between them. Not to mention, in my world at least, there weren''t enough soldiers and adventurers to cover for everyone, is it different here?"


    It''s not.


    Even though raiding dungeons was necessary to prevent the copse of society, preventing everyone from changing their job to be an adventurer was also necessary for the very same reason.


    In the beginning, it was very profitable to be an adventurer, even on lower floors, but as time passed and things began to calm down, demand for other jobs started to rise, and so did the payment.


    Society ended up reaching an equilibrium where raiding dungeons on easy floors is not so profitable that it trivializes every other job. It''s still possible to treat it as a part-time job, or something you can do to earn a quick buck though.


    This changes for deeper floors though. It''s possible to make content about it since people are very interested in it, which brings celebrity-like status and sponsorships. And even without those you''re still pretty much guaranteed to make a lot of money due to the rise in the value of the resources.


    Still, this poses a problem. Top and high-rankers usually stay in a dungeon for weeks or months at a time, especially the old generation since they have to brave every single corner due to theck of information avable.


    It''s quite possible that many of them ended up stuck inside a dungeon for the duration of this event.


    Another factor to consider is that adventurers who use the dungeon as their only job usually live close to it, which means the distribution is quite skewed.


    ire: "Well... the good news is that it''s a simr picture in their worlds too.... probably even worse."


    Elizabeth: "That''s not so useful considering they are barely able to drive back their enemies. Going for a counterattack wouldn''t be advisable. You should also remember that by this point, it''s doubtful whether or not they could form a militia using adventurers since arge portion of them should be under the AOTG."


    ire: "Hm... but would they attack their own nation in time of crisis? Wouldn''t that put everyone in danger?"


    Elizabeth: "A time of crisis might as well be a blessing for revolutionaries. Especially if they can show that their methods work better than the establishment, say, for example, their forces manage to drive back an enemy where the current armies fail."


    It would be a huge gamble, but if the AOTG can prove themselves, they can get people''s support.


    On the other hand, if we fail, the chances are that the me will fall on them.


    Their very survival will be at stake, as they''ll have to ce the me on the government...


    However, this gamble might as well be their best chance.


    Mia: "...I get that you''re worried about your home, but... what can you do about it?"


    I might not have many opportunities to act.


    The next event hints at me traveling to another world, and thest time this happened, I wasn''t able toe back to Earth until the event had finished.


    Licia: "Still, we might be able to... Oh..."


    Mia: "Yeah... you have that one with you right? Why don''t you send her to drive them back? Even if it''s too much for her, she can just run back here and heal herself."


    I thought about using Elizabeth like that too, but... She''s already doing a lot. Asking for any more than that could be bad.


    Not to mention...


    Miwen: "I had Liz start a fire to hide our tracks back then. Since her identity should not be registered, she''s a dead end to any investigation. Throwing her at the frontlines might change that."


    ire: "...But if she does a good job, wouldn''t she enjoy the same benefits as the AOTG? She''d be seen as a hero. Wouldn''t she get forgiveness if that were the case? Especially if they start the revolution. She could be the symbol of the status quo. In that case, even if were exposed, it would all be fine..."


    ...That''s certainly possible.


    Maybe it was worth a try, so I left it to Elizabeth to decide if she wanted to do it or not.


    Elizabeth: "I shall be on my way. Please, call me before starting the next event."


    She was more than happy to fight back an invasion.


    I had failed to consider this, but... this was an invasion of our world facilitated by the Gods.


    It was very simr to what Elizabeth had gone through, so of course she would jump at the opportunity to fight.


    My biggest worry was that the chaos of a battlefield might get her injured, but it was hard to protest when our Demon Queen seemed so full of herself.


    In the end, this reunion was well worth it. ire and Liz are especially sharp, and Licia seemed eager to learn about these things too.


    Even though the current circumstances are a bit strange, and without a doubt there''s a lot of development to be had, we were able to at least discover something to seize out of it.


    I was pretty satisfied with this, and since Elizabeth was gone for a while, I decided to end this discussion until we had more information to talk about.


    The Valkyries ended up being quiet throughout the whole thing, but they joined Mia and ire in their training and seemed to further discuss privately with them.


    Perhaps they thought theirmentaries wouldn''t add much, but I''m sure the girls will tell them that I would''ve weed it anyway.


    The day was about to end, but Anna had asked for me to remain inside the Kingdom tonight.


    Since it had been a while since thest time I was with her, and I might not get a good opportunity during the next event, I ended up epting.


    However, she surprised me quite a lot by showing up in a Chinese dress with a flowery pattern.


    Not only that, Cassandra also came wearing a military uniform.


    One I was pretty sure I recognized.


    Cassandra: "I told you he was going to like it~"


    Apparently, Anna heard me going at it with Bea and Ellie yesterday, and Cassandra caught her touching herself in the corridor.


    She then proposed this sex-fiend alliance.


    However...


    Miwen: "Are you trying to piss off Elizabeth?"


    Cassandra: "Of course not, I have nothing but respect for her."


    Miwen: "So... why her clothes? She''ll kill you if she finds out."


    Cassandra: "Oh, you don''t see the theme I''m going for? Great. You''ll be in for a surprise~"


    As scary as always...


    I knew that giving an inch to Beatrice could be dangerous, but her actions ended up triggering a chain of events that had me on the brink of death.


    If not for the event that wasing up, I''m sure my body wouldn''t have been able tost.

 Chapter 153: Date And Encounter

    Anna and I have this tendency to always go overboard during sex, and this time was no different.


    Cassandra yed quite well. I waste to understand what her little theme was.


    She wanted to stimte that tendency to its limit. And she understood how to provoke it quite well.


    By using Elizabeth''s clothes, she made a mockery of me. Challenging and attacking my male pride to make me ravage them more roughly.


    She was lucky to find Anna masturbating in the corridor, but she used her luck extremely well.


    Due to Anna''s status and the way I react to her body, I feel extremelyfortable with going as hard as I want, which ended up extending to Cassandra too.


    Another good thing is that Anna is able to keep up with me, so Cassandra could use her to get her breaks whenever she needed, effectively ensuring that the night would never end.


    All of her dirty words and provocations.


    Cosying as Elizabeth, a woman who has no sexual desire or romantic feelings toward me.


    Bringing out ears and a tail to cosy as Mia.


    The two girls who I cannot take for myself whenever I want.


    It was all done to entice me into my most basic male instincts. As long as she invoked the images of the things I had not taken for myself, the desire to conquer was bound toe out, and it would all be directed at her.


    A cunning scheme. Well prepared too considering the short amount of time she had.


    I already knew she had a lot of wisdom, but to see it used like that for sex was not something I expected.


    It was really pleasant though.


    I usually try to be gentle with the girls, and although for most of them, it ends up with me surrendering to the carnal desires as we go through the night, we tend to reach a bnce between love and lust by the end of it.


    As such, going at it as hard as possible from the start was surprisingly refreshing.


    Since the two sex addicts ended up enjoying it a lot too, it was pretty much the best night they could uniquely offer me.


    Miwen: "You''re satisfied now, right?"


    Cassandra: "Nhn... I canst the day... But I think I''d like a reward for my efforts~"


    Anna: "I thought you said this was our reward for today''s n?"


    Cassandra: "Shhh..."


    We have a demon in the Kingdom. One filled with immeasurable pride.


    She''s unmistakably... the second most sinful woman around.


    Cassandra makes Elizabeth look more like an angel than Angelica.


    In less than a second she showed greed and lust, all while also exposing her puppeteering and maniption of my and Anna''s desires.


    Miwen: "If you do well today... I''ll y with you all you want whenever I have time. But for now... Liz is soon to return. I need her to rest until nightes. I''ll also bring Mei to the Kingdom since she kept watch today.


    Can you look after them ?"


    Cassandra: "Sure thing~ I need to give back her uniform too."


    It was not in a presentable state, but she had no intention of washing it.


    This could be seen as malicious but... I kind of get Cassandra''s reasoning.


    It''s not good by any means, but it''sing from a ce of ill intent toward Elizabeth either. It''s not a grudge against demons like Gabrie shows.


    No... it''s just that... they were born to be enemies.


    They are direct opposites.


    Elizabethcks, hides, or blocks all the desires that Cassandra openly epts, shows, and embraces.


    They couldn''t behave more differently, and yet...


    They share one thing inmon, to Elizabeth''s dismay.


    Both are extremely hard to tease.


    Although inpletely different manners, they are incredibly resistant to shame,


    Well, the me falls on the demon on this one.


    Cassandra seems to really like to poke and provoke others. She even does this with Angelica, who she seems to be really fond of.


    However, more and more we''vee to understand that this is just her way of being friendly.


    She clearly enjoys the honest reactions that others show her when she does these things, and she doesn''t really go too far with it.


    If anything, it provokes us into exposing our feelings and thoughts, which she always epts, and sometimes, she shares a piece of advice too. It makes one wonder if she''s doing it on purpose.


    She''s been able to bond fairly well with the girls in this manner. Especially with Angelica who hides herself a lot. By now, she''s basically her second voice, as her provocations are the most efficient method to make Angelica share what is on her mind.


    However, when ites to Elizabeth, she ends up having to go the extra mile. Which leads to the more serious provocations.


    Since Elizabeth sees through her, we have this cat-and-mouse game where neither relents to the other.


    Although, unexpectedly, like it''s happening with Angelica, they seem to be forming quite a strong rtionship as theye to understand each other better, even if only to fight back more efficiently against one another.


    Thanks to that, I know that I can safely trust Liz to Cass. She might say a few dumb things, but their friendship only seems to bloom more with the time they spend together, so surprisingly, she''s one of the most suitable for this task.


    Her sharp tongue and direct nature work wonders to shut others down.


    She also has experience watching and protecting people in their sleep, and since Elizabeth will be at her most vulnerable, I hope she''ll be able to deal with the much more saintly, but also much more troublesome one.


    As for me...


    After two long... looong nights.


    I was finally going to have the opportunity to enjoy a rxing day, as Licia and ire asked if I could spare some time for just the three of us.


    Inside my home on Earth, Licia was preparing breakfast. I greeted her with a kiss on her cheek, and since she was doing something pretty light, it didn''t seem like she needed my help at all, so I sat on the sofa by ire''s side and cuddled a bit with her as we watched the news.


    Liz got a lot of screen time, but it wasn''t that surreal to see her on TV. I had seen my parents a few times on the screen before, be it in interviews, or appearances in vlogs and guides.


    Seeing her fight at her fullest without holding back was interesting though.


    The sky really did make a difference for her. And so did ess to the sea...


    ire: "Seems like amander. She''s been fighting her for half an hour already..."


    Yet, even though she was showing more power than she ever did in the Kingdom, her opponent was still resisting for an abnormal amount of time.


    She was a summoner. The magical beasts she was bringing to the battlefield were capable of intercepting and resisting Elizabeth''s magic, who had to change the elements of her attacks,bine them, and choose which magic beasts to attack as they each had their own resistance to a certain type of magic.


    A very troublesome opponent since they were also capable of attacking, and thus, she had to pay attention to her defense as well.


    It was very surprising to see a single person being able to hold back Elizabeth for so long. It was a great feat, and she should definitely be proud of herself, whoever she may be.


    As for Elizabeth...


    I had told her to flee if she found a difficult opponent, but I judged the Demon Queen''s pride poorly.


    Even if her opponent was problematic, fleeing from them would mean she had a hard time.


    And she couldn''t ept that, so she made her magic rain without holding back in an attempt to overwhelm her opponent.


    Nothing new for her, but it proved to be as effective as it has always been.


    However, she missed the chance to end the fight. A strange move on her part, but also... certainly not one made out of inexperience. Knowing her, the reason for that was almost certainly...


    Miwen: "She''s not trying to recruit her, right?"


    ire: "That''s already the second one."


    Licia: "Miwen, can you grab that for me?"


    Miwen: "Yep, just a sec."


    Since her opponent realized they couldn''t hurt her, they also seemed to focus only on buying time and holding her back, which made the battle way safer too.


    In the end, if Elizabeth wasfortable enough to do something like this amid battle, there was no reason to worry about her.


    I also got a little proud hearing the newscasterment about the demon that had suddenly appeared and done a tremendous job to relieve the frontlines.


    Not only had she kept the enemies at bay, but she also pushed them back quite a lot in a few spots.


    In some ces, they were forced to return all the way to their world.


    Miwen: "So, what are the ns today?"


    Licia: "Hm... I''m not telling. If you want to know, Ask ire she researched and nned a lot."


    ire: "Don''t pretend you didn''t help..."


    I saw ire using her phone even more than usual. I thought she was focused on her game, but whenever she makes progress in it she makes sure everyone knows about it, so her silence indicated that it was something else.


    I would not have expected it to be research though. Even more on such a topic...


    Miwen: "Oh... should I expect something extravagant then?"


    ire: "No."


    She mustered a lot of strength to deny me, only to get a little embarrassed and then continue...


    ire: "I wanted... something simple... it''s my first time on a date so... keep your expectations low..."


    One of the most confident girls in the Kingdom, always choosing the shy and big approach whenever a chance presents itself... was being meek and humble all of a sudden.


    I always think it''s rather cute how she changes so much when the topic is romance.


    Although she has a lot of interest and desires strongly for it, she also realizes that she''s a fish out of water on the topic.


    She normally only has enough confidence to make meager attempts, but... whenever Licia pulls ahead, she follows suit.


    However, she might''ve not noticed that Licia is actually in the same boat. She also has no idea of what she''s doing and just wings it for the most part. The only difference is that she acts cool about it.


    Still, thanks to ire being like this, seeing her take charge, even with Licia''s help, told me everything I needed to know. She was really putting a lot of effort into it, so I needed to do my best to meet her expectations.


    This is one of the reasons I''ve been epting the conditions of the other girls to spend some private time together.


    I got them to agree on a few things, but most important of all, that they would give us this space today since Licia and ire wanted to evoke that cozy feeling we had when it was just the three of us.


    It''s a bit strange for me.


    I feel nostalgic for it too even though it hasn''t been so long, and I can totally understand their desire since there''s this special feeling that I get when I''m alone with each girl.


    The fewer people around, the more intimate it feels, and I think I can understand and connect with them much more strongly in such moments.


    It''s definitely not the case of me disliking our current situation. My biggest issue with it is actually something as minor as the house feeling cramped.


    But even then, it''s well worth it since seeing everyone happily getting along brings me a sense of joy and aplishment that I only get to experience when there''s a bunch of us together.


    It''s more the case of... me being able to appreciate being with one or two girls at a time, as well as being with many of them.


    Which might be the reason why Mia mistakenly believes me to a pervert, as I cannot see any other reasoning that would lead her to this conclusion whatsoever.


    And well... In summary, I could say that I was looking forward to spending a rxing day with just the three of us.


    And with Elizabeth''s return, we werepletely prepared to leave the house.


    But... the doorbell rang.


    Elizabeth had just returned to the Kingdom. All the other girls were there too.


    My family was inside a dungeon.


    Neither of the two who usually show up unexpectedly, The Traveling Merchant and The First Daughter would bother appearing outside the house, much less ringing the bell.


    Roy and Sam wouldn''t show up unannounced unless it was an emergency.


    Thest option was Alex.


    Even if he could phase through walls with his Gift, it would be weird for him to do it out of the blue.


    So, believing it to be him at the door, I opened It without thinking much of it.


    However, the person who greeted me was...


    ??????: "Hello? Is Maya home?"


    Not someone I was prepared to meet this early.

 Chapter 154: Date and Encounter (02)

    A man was at my door.


    He was not so much older than me. Around 20 for sure, I''d give him 24 max.


    And that was about it.


    There wasn''t much else I could say about him. We had nevere in contact before.


    But also... He was empty.


    Miwen: "That''s not how you start a conversation."


    Even then, I knew his name.


    To protect Maya, I had to.


    Erik: "I know you. You know me. Let''s not waste our time."


    Never a noticeable presence, he''s been the shadow behind the AOTG leader for a while.


    Although that''s a facade by itself, in truth, he is the de facto leader.


    Thanks to abination of wit, luck, and power, he''s managed to steal the whole organization for himself, starting from the top of all ces.


    He used his position as the shadow leader of the AOTG to concentrate and acquire all of the organization''s power. Most of the members now were ves to his will, either due to their own will or thanks to a trap or two.


    The contracts going around on the AOTG seem to be his work. Although only those who have signed know everything the contract entails, and of course, they are unable to speak or share information about it.


    Maya, my sister, was one of thest members with a meaningful position and some authority remaining who stood against him.


    He tried to take care of that with an ambush that hurt and almost killed her.


    I didn''t think he was going to show up like this, under the daylight and all, but he brought too many high and top-rankers with him to simply talk.


    Perhaps he''s about to make such an oundish move that killing some people in public like this will not even matter.


    Numbers and levels are on their side for the most part. Even considering that the average level of my party has increased since thest Invasion Event this would be a hard fight.


    The amount of bystanders around should also make it harder for us to act. However, this might not be a disadvantage we share.


    Miwen: "I thought you would be smarter. Are you sure it''s fine to lose so many resources again? Quite poor timing if you ask me."


    Erik: "You misunderstand. I came to make up for the resources I lostst time. Although your answer tells me all I need to know. I don''t suppose you''d be interested in joining us ?"


    A ridiculous proposal.


    Any human being with a shred of sympathy would understand where the problem lies.


    But I suppose this would be too much to ask of... him.


    I should''ve expected that the one in control of that animal would undoubtedly be as broken, but...


    This was bad news for me.


    We were too much of a poor match. I instantly knew I''d have to be very careful.


    Erik: "...You''re not on Maya''s level. A shame. Still, if you bring her to me, I can at least provide you with a good position in the new age I''ll create. A reward for your contributions, if you will."


    Unconsciously, I had clenched my fists.


    Controlling my emotions in front of him was difficult.


    Miwen: "What a joke. You, who barely qualifies as a man defining a new age? Hah. Spare me. I don''t need you to rise. And as for my sister...


    You should give up. She''s already got a boyfriend, and let''s be real... you''re not in the same league. Take your sales pitch next door."


    Erik: "Perhaps you are in too much of a shock to believe my words, but you should reconsider. This is the most someone unremarkable like you can ever achieve. If you show some goodwill here, you''ll get to enjoy your best life. You must know that your sister is priceless. Selling her to me would ensure your future.


    And by helping her correct her mistake, you''d be doing an admirable job as her little brother."


    A provocation. One that showed he could see right through me to boot.


    He wanted to limit my alternatives, controlling my first move would make all my following actions predictable.


    I''d be ceding control.


    Yet, being rational was getting harder by the minute.


    My best option was to cheat.


    Miwen: "Dear! I think I dropped the remaining of my goodwill under the sofa, can you take a look for me?"


    Licia: "...Sure?"


    ire: "Wha-"


    Licia: "Hm... Nothing here!"


    He was hitting where it hurt the most.


    I''d be done for if I allowed him to see just how effective it was. My best option was to hide it by acting casual about it. As if it didn''t affect me in the least.


    As if the idea of selling my sister wasn''t an absurdity. An insult.


    As if I could ever show goodwill to the one who hurt her in the first ce.


    I had to control myself... He was already four steps ahead of me.


    He came to my house. This showed he knew my address and could reach me at any time. The idea of this ce being safe for my family was no more.


    He brought enough people to make hisst attempt look like a warmup.


    His attempt to bring me to his side showed that he knew I had some value, so he must''ve known about my involvementst time.


    This meant he also knew that information about that could be a problem for me, especially since they had yet to dere themselves as state enemies.


    The perfect offer should''ve been his finishing move. Thest and biggest advantage that would ensure his victory.


    But he misread.


    Sure, there may have been a time when I envied Maya. My parents too.


    I also felt insecure and angry about how unjust it was that I had nothing and that she was so much better than me in every way.


    However, those were childish thoughts that went away quickly. It wasn''t anyone''s fault, to begin with.


    But this might be where we differ the most. I didn''t stand in the shadow to steal someone''s light.


    I was there to emphasize her brightness.


    There is no way I would ever betray my family. No world where I make my star shine less.


    So, I fought back.


    A casual attitude could make it seem like I didn''t care whether or not he knew where I lived.


    Bringing attention to Licia and ire showed I wasn''t alone. Definitely not enough to stand up to the forces he brought, but it should make him recalcte a little.


    The most important however was acting in an unexpected manner. Even if he was able to read me for the most part, it would be meaningless if he started to doubt whether or not he had truly seen through everything.


    Miwen: "Sorry. I think we ran out of goodwill. Must''ve happened around the time you tried to kill Maya."


    Erik: "...I see. Such attachments will prevent you from growing. You''ll never reach anywhere if you let them prevent you from taking the most optimal paths."


    Wrong.


    That would only apply if he and I were the same.If I had turned my back on everyone. If efficiency was all that I cared about.


    Miwen: "Don''t speak of what you don''t understand. When the people I care about are by my side, why would I want to be anywhere else? A tree that grows alone might grow taller, but it won''tpare to a forest. You and I arepletely different beasts."


    We would never be able to see eye to eye.


    The path he chose was the first I rejected.


    This was a...


    Erik: "...A waste of my time. In the end, you were not good enough for anything. Be thankful for Maya, as thanks to her, you at least have some value as a hostage,"


    Miwen: "Yeah, you can cry about it in hell. But let me warn you..."


    As he spoke, the ones he brought with him started to cross the street.


    Miwen: "You should be thankful for the AOTG..."


    Licia and ire came out of the house and stood by my side.


    Miwen: "Thanks to it, you at least have some value as myb rat."


    I''m not sure how much he understands what happenedst time.


    But if he knew everything, he''d not have challenged me to the game I''m the best at.


    As his followers were approaching, I used [Hollow Destiny] to deactivate his Gift.


    Erik: "...You stole Lance''s Gift... I might''ve found a new use for you after all..."


    For 70 seconds, he lost control over most of the members he brought.


    However, some followed him out of their own will. A battle between them could go either way.


    No... it was definitely going tost more than 70 seconds.


    But I had taken all of his advantages. Even his immense power, a certain effect of his Gift, was gone.


    All I needed was one more push.


    Miwen: "Seed of revolution, revolutionary machine. No matter how much you grow..."


    Onest reason for him to note at us...


    To prove that fighting me was a war by itself. One that would cost him his revolution...


    Miwen: "...You''ll neverpare to the kingdom I carry with me..."


    I had taken the [Special Role] from Maya so I could coordinate with Licia and Elizabeth without saying a word out loud.


    And after the go-ahead, except for Lana and Gabrie, all the girls who serve under me appeared.


    Mia and Ellie stood at the rooftop.


    Angelica, Elizabeth, and the Valkyries were flying slightly above ground.


    Beatrice appeared behind me, anding out of the house were Agatha, Lily, and Olivia.


    Cassandra stood right in front of me, ready to enter her sword form.


    Erik: "Demon Of The Front... Level 100''s... Interesting. I concede, you are-"


    Miwen: "I am the one who''ll cut you down if you grow your branches close to me."


    I took the momentum.


    His reaction remained as cold as before, and I still wasn''t able to read him at all, but I knew this was effective.


    There was simply no way for him to have known or be prepared for this.


    Miwen: "With or without your Gift, it won''t take me a minute to bring you down, so get out of my sight and see to it that your revolution paves the path for the rise of this world''s true king... while I still allow it."


    If it came down to it... I''m not sure if we would be able to win. Battles with so many high/top rankers were bound to be too chaotic to finish quickly, and once his Gift returned... our chances wouldn''t be so great.


    But I could afford to threaten him here. Even if we were not able to win, we could at least retreat back to the Kingdom.


    Now that he knew I was able to calcte just as much as him, without any info on my Gift, he should be forced to retreat, or else, he''d risk me being able to escte even further.


    Once the people he brought snapped out of the confusion, they attacked him, and he retreated.


    A few minutes passed and he didn''te back.


    It didn''te down to a fight but... that by itself might have been a victory for us.


    Although the attention we got was less than desirable...


    However, there wasn''t much reason for me to care about such things now.


    Everything on Earth was starting to blow in my face anyway, it was time to stop hiding ande out of the shadows.


    The attention we got could be considered a loss but... at this point, I was over caring about such things.


    Since the AOTG knew what I did, the police probably knew too.


    They are probably using Gifts to discover though, so it might still take a while for them to take action.


    If the timing works in my favor...


    Well, no matter.


    No matter who my enemy may be, I''ll be sure to eliminate them one way or another.


    Beatrice: "...Are you sure you''ll be able to win against him?"


    Miwen: "...I''m better. As a person."


    Beatrice: "But it mighte to who is worse."


    ...Possibly.


    Miwen: "In which case... you are free to join them if you want."


    Beatrice: "...He has nothing to offer me. No... it''s more like... anything I could get from him, would ultimately be empty."


    As always, Beatrice is quite impressive.


    Both of us ended up reaching the same conclusion about him, but...


    It''s still an uncertainty.


    No matter how good we are at reading other people, he''s barely a human.


    It''s hard to be sure... and even harder to probe deeper. We came off as empty, but...


    His fixation with Maya.


    His desire for revolution.


    And his move today.


    I felt like they didn''t fitpletely even though I could excuse them.


    If I forced it, I could make an argument for them all being attitudes toward the same goal.


    And yet-


    Elizabeth: "Why do you fret? Have you not realized that you''re capable of much the same?"


    So close Liz...


    Miwen: "Let''s see.. Do you think we are alike, right now?"


    Liz: "Well... No... But. You are... with us. When you are facing an enemy, you change.


    I saw the same eyes on you when we fought. Focus, precision. A mind that thought of everything as a resource to be used to reach a single objective."


    I really left a strong impression on her...


    But it''s clouding her judgment.


    It''s not that she''s entirely wrong, but because she saw too much at the end, she''s forgetting the less impressive beginning.


    Miwen: "You''re right, I can match him the same way I did his pet. But by that point, it would already be my loss."


    Liz: "Hm... ? How so?"


    She might''ve been a little too tired to get it.


    Miwen: "...Disable your barriers, Liz."


    Liz: "...Sure? Aw- What are you doing?"


    I gave her a flick on the forehead.


    Miwen: "Go to rest. You still have a job today and you are no machine. You can think about this tomorrow~"


    Liz: "... I... Hmrh... if you say so..."


    It was the first time I saw her mumbling. She really didn''t like not knowing the answer.


    But I couldn''t me her too much for not being able to see the difference between him and me.


    It was way harder than Lance, and only on Earth do we have something to equal him to.


    Unfeeling and uncaring. Even when I called his underlings "resources", not only did he not flinch, but he also did the same, in a much more natural way than me no less.


    Calcting and efficient. He focuses on his objective and what he needs to aplish it. Everything is only as valuable as the investment he puts into obtaining it and how much benefit it provides him.


    Barely a man, he''s much closer to aputer or a machine.


    He and I will use everything at our disposal, but... I remain a man.


    My feelings and my instincts will still guide me.


    There are things I won''t sacrifice or turn my back on, even if it is advantageous.


    Only when they are no more, can I truly be like him.


    Only when I''m alone.


    Elizabeth thinks we resemble each other because she''s fixated on the state I was in after almost everyone was down. The more she took from me, the farther from a human I became.


    But still, while I can inch closer to both extremes, animal and machine, I exist in neither.


    It wasn''t just my mind that was focused on defeating her, every ounce of my existence was. My body, instinct, and power worked together with my reason and knowledge in search of a way to kill her.


    I keep my hands on two reins at all times. So that I can remain perfectly in the middle, an average man, who doesn''t fall to either side.


    Which is why I might not be able to match him now.


    Even if I could win by sacrificing one of the girls, I wouldn''t do it.


    This path makes the girls both an asset and a liability. Any machine seeing them as a resource would conclude they equal zero.


    Thus, they''d see this as the least efficient way to achieve their goals.


    But it doesn''t matter.


    He''s not someone who can understand this anyway.


    Although... I''m also not able to fully understand him either.


    He should know that going after Maya at this point wouldn''t be beneficial. Her running away from him was also a given, so it feels strange to me that he woulde after her like this.


    I guess that girl really has a special way of creating problems...


    She really needs to... chill...


    No way, right?


    He wouldn''t... think she''s like him.


    That couldn''t be.


    ...Hah.


    Licia: "Ahem. You''re being creepy. Should we cancel today?"


    Miwen: "Hm? No way."


    The date with the girls didn''t provide any benefit to my goals whatsoever.


    However, it was more important than anything else for me.

 Chapter 155: Date And Encounter (03) (R18)

    -This chapter contains descriptive sexual contt, please, be advised and proceed with caution-


    Ev though ire promised something, our day together ded up being quite special, in a bunch of ways.


    Our first stop was a cafe near our home.


    A ce I had never visited before, nor paid any notice to. It wasn''t particrly popr or well-known for anything.


    It also wasn''t big or fancy, in fact, it was pretty modest.


    Yet, there was a pleasant feeling derived from its modesty.


    Afortable, cozy ce where there wer''t any scres, repeating or loud sounds. Neither vibrant colors nor grey concrete, the mostmon color to be found was the dark brown of the wood furniture.


    Its silt atmosphere which would normally feel cold, felt warm instead. To the point where it felt like a shame to break it by cing an order.


    Although I do like coffee, I wouldn''t normallye to a ce like this.


    Simply because it''s both cheaper and quicker to brew my own at home.


    However, this ce had me defeated.


    A new scery, a rxing atmosphere... I thought it was fine to pay a little extra for such things every once in a while.


    ire: "Do you like it?"


    She seemed slightly anxious and insecure about her pick, looking for my approval.


    It might''ve be my fault for not having any big reactions, but...


    Miw: "Yeah. It''s nice. ces like this are bing a bit more rare, so... good find."


    Although people like me are probably to me considering this ce wasn''t ev far from home and I never ev bothered tering it once.


    However, while the ce was nice, its main selling point feltcking as my atttion was stol by the relieved smile of the girl sitting in front of me.


    The supposed warmth of both the establishmt and the coffee had no way topete with that.


    It wasn''t their fault though, and if anything, wh I got to taste the coffee, it was guinely good.


    We joyed our coffee and a piece of cake each while chatting, but once we were done, it was time to move to the next ce.


    To me, our short, but sweet time there would''ve already counted as a small date, but the girls seemed to have a differt definition.


    After the cafe came the cinema.


    Now... I do joy movies. Almost every gre too.


    But it''s that type of joymt where I don''t really take much from it.


    I just turn off my brain and have a good time.


    Wh ire was making her ns, this became a problem.


    She was clearly giving a lot of importance to our first date. She wanted our memories to be tied to something special.


    So, her first thought was to look through my collection to see what I liked the most.


    However, she quickly figured out that most of what I really like is stuff from years ago.


    Basically, she lost from the premise. Ev if she found one from the gres I td to like the most, odds are that I wasn''t going to be particrly interested since I rarely like new releases.


    I couldn''t believe it wh Licia exined this to me.


    First of all, I was probably going to joy whatever was ying. Second... to me at least, the movie was obviously going to be secondary to them. It would''ve be fine, or rather, I would''ve be d if they decided on something they liked.


    Licia: "I told her~"


    ire: "And did I not list? Here. This is the one!"


    ..."Dawn toote".


    For the poster, it looked like a romance.


    And from the title... a tearjerker.


    I liked that choice quite a lot. I obviously don''t want the girls to ever be sad but... seeing them crying over a movie was totally fine by me...


    ...It was quite a good story.


    The characters were well-writt and believable, especially as a couple. You could not root for them.


    The writers did a good job with the "will they, won''t they" at the beginning. Ev though it was obvious they would d up together, it felt more yful than annoying since they didn''t put too much time into it either.


    However, once the couple was established, I already knew the only point left was to break them up and either have theme together again or d on a sour note...


    ire: "Idiot. Why? Why didn''t she go after him?"


    I knew it was going to d like this... and yet...


    Miw: "...Fuck, man... This stings... fuck... I get why he''d do it, but... they could''ve done something..."


    Licia: "Yeah..."


    Miw: "...Howe you are fine? Wh she finally realized what he was doing all this time, did you not feel anything?"


    Licia: "Hn... That was pretty sad..."


    I was barely able to contain my tears, and yet, there she was, acting as if nothing had happed.


    A cool girl. Hard to impress. Looking at her like this, one could ev doubt she had any feelings at all.


    Yeah, no.


    I knew her better than that.


    This girl was faking it with all her strgth.


    And I didn''t let this pass. As a family, if we were going to suffer, it had to be together.


    So it was only with fairness, and not a single shred of pride, that I starteddiscussing in excruciating detail the evts of the movies with ire.


    Licia: "...You wouldn''t do something like that, right? You won''t leave us behind..."


    It was quite effective.


    Now I had the two of them crying rivers by my side, and as the good boyfrid I am, this had me in a much better mood.


    Miw: "I dunno. I feel like going to the bathroom."


    Licia: "...Promise. Seriously."


    Miw: "Pfft. As if I could be that selfless."


    I wouldn''t be aplishing anything by leaving them anyway.


    I''m stronger wh we are together. I''m happier wh I have them with me.


    I couldn''t imagine a situation that would take me away from them... nor did I want to think about it.


    So, after they were a bit more calm, we wt to the next and final stop.


    A little clothing shopping.


    Everything that had happed, including Erik''s visit, didn''te close to being as hard as this.


    I feltpletely trapped.


    There wasn''t anything I could do.


    Miw: "Cute."


    ire: "That''s all you say!"


    It was all that I could say!


    I wanted to poke fun or make a smartmt. But it was impossible.


    My brain simply wasn''t able to keep up with them. Every time they changed into a new outfit, I readied myself... only to get dumbfounded.


    I waspletely and utterly defeated. I didn''t have a single chance to fight back.


    Although it wasn''t ough to blindside me...


    Miw: "...Where you''ve be?"


    Licia: "...Bathroom?"


    While spding time with Licia might''ve made me a better person, the reverse could be said for her.


    Thankfully, her newly acquired lying ability is not that good.


    And since I knew that she only does that whever she has nned something for me, I could totally let it pass.


    Miw: "Uh-huh. And they were handing bags in there?"


    But probing a little bit was more fun.


    Licia: "...Look, doesn''t ire look good in that?"


    Miw: "...Cute."


    ire: "Again!?"


    I got blindsided in the d. But she cheated so it didn''t count.


    Whatever she had in there, she didn''t want me looking at all, so she took those bags home herself.


    Although I did have a pretty good idea of what she might be up to, I decided not to say anything at the time.


    We th headed home, where we had a pretty nice dinner together, again, reminisct of the time wh it was just the three of us.


    Once we were done, they asked me to wait in the bedroom while they''d change. This confirmed my suspicions about the bags, as well as who was the sponsor for the girls all this time.


    Since I had something to check on the Kingdom, I made a quick trip thinking that the timing would work out perfectly, but once I got back, I got the coldest stare ever from Licia, as well as a look of rejection from ire.


    Licia: "You were away again. Rectly, you''ve be spding a lot of time away from home. Do I need to remind you of your responsibilities every time?"


    ire: "Rather than that, I think a punishmt is in order."


    Wh we were out shopping, I saw them in a bunch of differt outfits.


    But the maid uniforms... they wt out of their way to prepare it in secret.


    And as I thought, they were quite mad at me.


    It wasn''t just because I took a quick trip to the Kingdom. They could certainly understand that.


    The real problem was I had looked a bit excessively at a girl earlier.


    But it wasn''t totally my fault, while she was pretty, that wasn''t the reason either.


    I just found it odd that she was all dressed in , from head to toe.


    It caught my atttion, was all.


    The only thing I thought about was how much it looked like she was shining, but once I noticed I was staring, I quickly turned away.


    However, a woman''s intuition is quite strong, and they didn''t fail to notice what I had done, ev if it was just for a momt.


    And now... I had two my two wives dressed as maids, jealous and angry, but still horny.


    As I was processing how nice they looked in the frilly uniforms, thinking about a joke to make toward ire, who is as far from a maid as possible, both due to her pride, but also due to herziness, I ded up being pushed to the bed.


    ire was definitely serious. She applied ough force for me to not be able to resist, and she quickly started to take off my clothes, starting with the shoes.


    Miw: "Oh? Are my devoted servants going to help me change?"


    ire: "Hmph! It''s more than you deserve, master... But! It''s our job."


    While she was working down there, Licia wt behind me to deal with my shirt.


    However, once she was done, she grabbed my hands and-


    Miw: "What are you doing?"


    Licia: "You''ve be very naughty. It''s time for some education, master."


    She spoke without emotion and looked at me as if I was a bug that had crawled my way there.


    That was ough to sd shivers down my spine.


    At the same time, ire didn''t waste any time. I thought she was going for a blowjob at first, but she only wanted to wet my pis before inserting it in.


    She was rather quick about it, but the fact she didn''t take her panties off told me that she wasn''t wearing any.


    If I had to guess, probably Cassandra''s advice. She had a whole monologue about how important it was to be "easy to ess at all times" wh we were fucking yesterday, and of course, neither she nor Anna were wearing any either.


    The same was true for Bea and Ellie, although their costumes made it harder for that too.


    But my suspicion was that I was dealing with a cabal.


    The forces of lewdness had increased for some reason... ough to be a group all on their own, ev stronger than Mia''s anti-yboy faction, and more of a threat than Gabrie and Lana.


    Although a new group, to be able to keep themselves hidd from me was an aplishmt in and by itself.


    However, this paled inparison to their biggest achievemt.


    In just two nights, they had almost managed to make me surrder.


    I was determined to fight back tonight, both for the sake of my people, as well as my own life.


    But it was in vain. Licia was lying by my side, holding my arms and kissing my lips while ire kept riding me.


    They were both too good at it. We spt so much time together that we had a deep understanding of each other''s bodies.


    The max I could do was try to move my legs but, with my dick still inside her, ire turned a and locked them in ce too, only to continue mming against me in a reverse cowgirl position.


    This was hard... The way her hips were moving... her ass was bouncing so much and I could feel the weight every time it hit me. I wanted to grab and p her but... my hands were tied.


    Being died like this was a first, and I had mixed feelings about the fact that I was joying it so much.


    Thankfully, while ire is aggressive, it doesn''t take long for her toe, and while she can go for a few more s nowadays, it doesn''t amount to much.


    ...But they had a clever strategy for that too.


    Licia: "Dou you want to be released, master?"


    Miw: "Shouldn''t a maid obey her master?"


    Licia: "Oh. You are learning so quickly. Th, I''ll teach you all about discipline next."


    ...That scared me.


    The evil smile paired with her cold attitude... A look that didn''t fit her at all...


    Every muscle of my body tsed up, only to rx shortly after as she took my atttion from ire, and I was unable to hold back froming.


    I felt utterly defeated for not apanying her until she had reached climax herself, but... they quickly exchanged ces.


    If it was a one-on-one I could overpower them and surprise them, but... the two of them together was too much for me.


    I had no choice but to helplessly watch as Licia''s handjob got me hard again, and with her already wet pussy, she took a normal cowgirl position, staring down at me while faking a look that said "It doesn''t ev feel good."


    She was holding back her moans, and whever it looked like she was going to show me a face-melting in pleasure, ire would hide her from my field of vision, either by stealing a kiss, giving me her breasts to suck on, or evtually, once she was feeling good ough, sitting on my face, almost suffocating me.


    With no other choice, I was forced to lick and suck everything down there as my maid-wives taught me a long lesson about responsibility and discipline.


    Miw: "So... why maids?"


    ire: "Hnr... I looked it up... it''s prettymon... ahn... but also..."


    Licia: "Haah... because Mei is troubling you..."


    ...


    Ev though the Kingdom''s poption is so low that calling me a king seems like a joke at times, I do already have my own personal maid, Mei.


    But she''s a strange girl.


    She seems ke on servicing me, with loyalty on pair with ire and Licia if not ev more.


    As a test, I once asked her what she would do if I asked her to give away her life, and she promptly answered that she would do it.


    She didn''t ev blink, as if the answer to the question was obvious.


    And sure ough, it was. But any normal person would give apletely differt answer.


    Ev girls like ire or Elizabeth who are tremdously loyal and act my everymand would hesitate, just because the stake is that high.


    But Mei did not. And ev though I''m not a lie detector... I couldn''t help but shake off the feeling that she was telling the truth.


    That girl... she doesn''t feel human at all.


    Which bothers me.


    I don''t like that I don''t understand her.


    And I don''t feelfortable embracing her until I at least figure her out. Call it cowardice or intuition, but something tells me I''d regret it if I epted her the way things stand.


    However... she is hot.


    That is simply undiable.


    Her face doesn''t show discontt or joy, she keepsposed as she does her job spldidly well, and yet, her body is almost perfect. Big breasts and perfect curves, a slim waist that has no right to give way to such a nice ass...


    As a man, ev though I have plty of girls, knowing I wouldn''t lose anything if I decided to take her for myself makes it extremely hard to hold back.


    So, wh Licia says that Mei is troubling me, this is what she means.


    It''s not particrly malicious of her, and yet... it is a small problem.


    Miw: "I see, my maids really take good care of me, huh?"


    ire: "Y-yeah... Ahng... that''s why... master has to... Nnh... show some gratitude..."


    Miw: "Sure. I''ll give you plty of my gratitude. All inside you."


    After a few s, I had giv uppletely.


    I joined their little roley and started doing ire doggy style while Licia kissed her.


    Miw: "How does it feel?"


    ire: "Warm... master... Hn... thank you..."


    Although we had gone at it a few more times, I knew I had to do her in this position at least once. It was the best to joy the ripples on her butt as I smacked her.


    Once I was doneing inside her, I released her hands, and she fell face-first onto the bed,pletely defeated.


    Licia: "Well done. Have you learned your lesson now? You see, master. You have the responsibility of loving your wives every-"


    Miw: "Get on top of her."


    Licia: "Eh? B-but... We have be going for a while. ire''s had ough and I think I''m already good too so-"


    Miw: "Is a lowly servant talking back? I hav''t had ough. After she''s done resting, I''ll y with her ass, yours too. But until th, I''ll be using your pussy. Get on top, I want topare you two."


    Licia: "...Hah... Nghn... No... Hn..."


    Ev though she was tak aback by my words, as the good girl she is, sheplied with my wishes.


    Usually, we would be done a this time. Both the girls and I would''ve be satisfied, as seems to be the case for them already.


    However, they ticed me a little too much. I understood my feelings once I started to turn the tables on them.


    It wasn''t that I particrly had a taste for being so restricted and dominated... The challge of overwhelming the situation became a sweeter, and as my desires grew, unable to do as I liked, their y became fuel for my revge as I kept thinking about what I''d do once I took charge again.


    It was a big mistake on their part to provoke me.


    It only led to a pleasure hell with no escape.

 Chapter 156: To Drag A Saint Down To Hell (02)

    -This chapter is writt using Angelica''s POV-


    All I could do was run away. But there was no point to it.


    There was no ce for me anywhere.


    Born to two races, I didn''t belong to any.


    Angels are sought after due to their healing and strgthing abilities. It''s said that a tear of one is capable of making a hundred potions or healing a limb, while a drop of blood can create elixirs capable of making one immortal.


    Dragons are hunted due to the durability of their scales and the power of their cores. To make the best armor and weapons, you''d probably need to kill a dragon or two.


    Be it small viges or big cities, it was impossible for me to live among others.


    It never took long for my idtity to be exposed, and hurting me was just too profitable.


    Armor that heals a knight, weapons that strgth the user more than any other... my death was more valuable than my life.


    So I ran.


    I did it until my legs hurt.


    Wh that wasn''t ough, I flew away.


    I tried not to hurt others. I tried to understand.


    But the truth is that the same was not done for me.


    I was starving. Days had gone by.


    At that rate, I would die inside a dark cave, alone.


    I just wanted ough to survive, and there was only one ce I knew where I could get it.


    It was barely a conscious choice...


    But it was definitely a mistake.


    I got to eat a single cow, but that was all.


    News about sightings of a Holy Dragon had reached the town.


    I might''ve had the power to fight back... but... I was just so tired. I couldn''t muster any strgth.


    I just wanted to fly away, but I didn''t ev manage that.


    It was unlucky for me to be born, and my death was much the same.


    ...


    A blue sky, a gtle breeze.


    From the walls, everything looks small, and I feel at peace.


    However, it doesn''t take long until someone reaches out to me.


    Skuld: "...Your flight in this form is still a bit awkward... what made you so desperate?"


    One of the Valkyries, Skuld.


    She seems to be the most talkative of the bunch. Although... that''s not exactly true.


    To be more precise, she is oft represtative of Eir and Liefids. While the former is way less social, thetter seems more emotional.


    Both seem to trust Skuld, who strikes a nice bnce and seems to be better wh ites to dialogues.


    Angelica: "Um... Miw has tasked me with something today, I wt to check with Agatha if everything was alright, but she started cutting onions."


    Skuld: "...?"


    The Valkyrie that was following me while I was flying away in my angelic form didn''t seem to understand what I meant by this.


    Perhaps it was inne, but I also failed to exin it properly.


    Angelica: "Angel tears. Whever she sees me, she tells me a tragic tale. Wh we are in the kitch, she cuts onions. It didn''t take me long to notice what she was after."


    Out of all the methods used to extract fluids from me, this was among the nicest.


    Skuld asked me if it was such a big deal.


    Ev though she''s polite, it hurts me a little.


    The truth is that, if it''s just the tears or sweat, th it would be fine. I don''t think she has bad inttions either.


    But... in this ce, no one else seeks me for such things.


    I''m scared of that changing.


    It''s selfish of me. I can understand that... I also want to be useful to them, but ev though these feelings are strong and true... I can''t win against my fear.


    I convince myself that just a little more... just one more day, and th It''ll be fine.


    But the next day... I fail to change.


    I want to trust them. I''ve se Miw''s memories, I know that he means his words.


    And yet, I don''t act.


    Now that I stopped running, I feel lost.


    Skuld: "Th it is a big deal. How about being direct with her?"


    ...She''s kind.


    To say that my selfish desires are a big deal...


    Angelica: "She''s going to be upset."


    I fear she''ll reject me.


    Betwe the two of us, I''m more useful if I''m...


    Skuld: "Hm. You understand our king better than I do, so correct me if I''m wrong but... isn''t his policy to sure our choice?"


    It is.


    Miw refuses to force us into anything.


    There''s always another option avable.


    At most, he''ll sweet the deal by exposing how bad the alternative is or giving inctives for going along with him.


    He thinks of this as unfair, but necessary.


    However, I find it... impressive... that doing this is something he dislikes, but does anyway out of kindness.


    He hurts himself, in order to make things better for us.


    This is something I was never able to do.


    Angelica: "I''ll talk with her...ter..."


    We had a mission together, so... it wasn''t an appropriate time.


    As Skuld sat down by my side, we talked about trivial things. Mostly life in the Kingdom.


    Since I had Miw''s memories, I was able to fill the gap for her in certain ces.


    It didn''t take long for her sisters to join.


    They seemed a little wary of me at first. A normal response due to their experice with monsters.


    Yet, due to her sister''s fridliness, they were able to ovee their fear.


    They tried their best to teach me how to fly better in my angelic form, as I used to fly more like a dragon.


    It was better for long distances, and it made me more resistant.


    Once I had gott out of sight, or traveled far ough, I could change and heal myself.


    But... It might''ve not be the best strategy.


    After all, I did not survive for long.


    It was going to take a while for me to get more ustomed to this, but... flying in the skies, which used to be my only refuge, in my most vulnerable form while apanied by someone else...


    I would''ve never imagined it could be so nice.


    Never before did I have the opportunity to learn from someone else, so this was a first for me.


    One more new memory that would not fit in my previous life, but that I would keep with care.


    Although I was a bit anxious about whether or not I had done alright... But reading their expressions was hard ev for me, so I had no choice but to trust their words.


    Cassandra: "Hm? You seem happy. Excited to y with your big sister?"


    ... Cassandra is one of Miw''s retainers.


    Appartly, she''s a big deal.


    Or at least the biggest deal of all, Elizabeth, considers her so.


    She also has a sister. Which is not me.


    Yet, she always calls me that.


    Ev though we were both summoned at the same time, her rtionship with Miw developed much quicker. They see eye to eye in many ways... most of them rather annoying.


    I also believe we to be pr opposites.


    She''s confidt and doesn''t seem to care about what others may think of her.


    The feelings and opinions of others don''t change or stop her words.


    I can''t help but vy her a little.


    Elizabeth: "As you know, Your Majesty is interested in acquiring and learning the properties of some of the resources produced at the mines. Normally, he''d have Agatha and the Valkyries search for them, but he wants to test other possible groups, and so, we have be tasked with it. I''ll be assumingmand, I trust nobody has anyints?"


    Gabrie: "I have!"


    ...We had a problem.


    No, we had many problems.


    For starters, this group.


    Cassandra and Elizabeth are like cat and mouse.


    Elizabeth and Gabrie are like a small dog barking at a big one.


    Agatha and I have an awkward rtionship.


    ... The only ones not in trouble with anyone were Anna and Lana.


    I don''t have much of a rtionship with Lana. She doesn''t talk too much with anyone aside from Lily and Miw. Sometimes with Mia too.


    From my observations, she seemed more reluctant in the first days.


    As for Anna... she''s quite amicable. She seems like such a mundane girl at first, her mood doesn''t change frequtly, and she is easy to approach.


    Since we both fulfill simr roles in the frontline, we usually go ahead of the others, and I was hoping this would help me avoid trouble with such a group.


    Elizabeth: "...Fine. Let''s put it to a vote th."


    Gabrie: "Hah! Who in their right mind would trust a-"


    Cassandra: "Demon."


    Anna: "Liz."


    Just like that, almost half of the votes were already ounted for.


    Gabrie''s only hopes were Agatha and Lana. But it was doubtful whether or not Agatha would want to participate in something silly like this since she seems quite focused on her job.


    Lana also doesn''t talk with anyone here too much, so she probably didn''t care either way.


    However... I for one, cared.


    Angelica: "Elizabeth..."


    My rtionship with Gabrie, due to my own mistake, is struous.


    I''d rather avoid having her order me if possible.


    Elizabeth is also prov to be a good leader. Following her orders, we made quick progress.


    Agatha was picking whatever minerals seemed easy or interesting, while the rest of us were fding off the monsters in this ce.


    She lookedpletely disinterested in us. Or rather... she was really passionate about the minerals on the walls.


    The monsters in this ce wer''t particrly powerful, andsometimes they dropped gems or ores, which Agatha also asked us to collect.


    For this mission, Miw allowed the mine to produce everything, so there were a lot of things we didn''t know about.


    It would be impossible to research all of them at once.


    Still, collecting and idtifying resources that can be usedter was useful for him.


    Although we were doing fine, it was just a matter of time before the boiling water on our back erupted.


    Cassandra: "Ugh, this is so boring... I already miss his dick."


    Anna: "What? We spt the tire night doing it yesterday..."


    Two girls in the same night...


    I already knew about Miw''s... lust. But it still surprises me.


    In his memories, the girls he slept with seemed to joy it a lot.


    It feels strange to remember memories that ar''t mine. I feel like I''m peeking at something I shouldn''t have.


    Gabrie: "Demon, cease influcing the hero with your lust at once!"


    Cassandra fought and killed many demons in Elizabeth''s world once.


    She was the hero''s living sword, and so, a hero herself.


    But Gabrie seems to have the wrong impression.


    Just because Cassandra fought against the demons in the name of the Gods, it doesn''t mean she hates them, or that she''s a virtuous person.


    Cassandra: "Hahaha! The millnia-old virgin influcing me? No way. She''s as diligt as it gets."


    Again, although Cassandra is like this, she actually seems to respect Elizabeth. A mutual feeling that goes both ways, ev though one has a very peculiar way of showing it.


    Gabrie: "...A demon, diligt?"


    Cassandra: "What about it?"


    Gabrie: "That''s not possible. I knew she was messing with your head."


    Elizabeth stayed in silce, not dying her words.


    It seems like she can''t be bothered, and there''s no need.


    Miw will never take Gabrie''s side, and anyone can see that Elizabeth works hard for the Kingdom."


    She earns the respect of others through her actions, which are much more convincing than Gabrie''s words.


    Cassandra: "I see.You believe demons to be incapable of good."


    Gabrie: "Of course! They are creatures filled with sin."


    Cassandra: "Th, are humans always good?"


    Gabrie: "But ours is differt. It''s a challge we must ovee so that we can live better lives."


    ...To live better lives.


    That''s admirable.


    But... the Kingdom is ruled by a man full of sin


    And yet... I couldn''t imagine a better ce to live.


    Cassandra: "Pfft. That is your answer? Missy, you are truly ignorant."


    Gabrie: "Wha- What do you mean?


    Cassandra: "You fail to realize the true nature of sin."


    Her words were harsh and insulting, but Gabrie seemed unfazed by them.


    Gabrie: "I knew the demon was messing with your head. Sins are bad. The world would be a better ce without them. That''s all there is to it."


    She pointed to Elizabeth.


    But she also looked my way.


    By this point, our expedition had stoppedpletely as the two argumts escted.


    Agatha pretded she wasn''t listing, and together with Lana, they kept collecting minerals.


    Anna: "She''s quite annoying. I wish Miw would let me punch her just once."


    Angelica: "Don''t. That would only make things worse."


    Anna: "Who knows? Might d up fixing her loose screws."


    She spoke in a soft, quiet voice in order to not be heard by the others.


    It was meant just for me to list.


    I couldn''t help but appreciate that.


    However, she wasn''t the only one to dislike Gabrie''s answers.


    Elizabeth: "Sin is not inhertly evil. How you use them is what''s most important. Demons know not to be ashamed of them, but instead, to use them. In that way, we, who ept and control our sins, are much better than humans who dy and surrder to theirs."


    She hadn''t said a word to refute Gabrie until now. And I could tel.. She was not trying to defd herself, she did not feel the need to in the first ce.


    Cassandra: "Right. Ultimately, they can also make others happy."


    Gabrie: "...What are you saying? How could they?"


    ...Cassandra usually wears a mysterious smile on her face. Almost as if she''s being tertained by the world itself.


    However, hers wasn''t nearly as terrifying as what Gabrie showed.


    Her expression... it was one of anger, I knew that clear as day.


    And yet... that guine, bright smile of hers, was hiding itpletely. As if a mantra meant to do away with her feelings.


    She didn''t look like a human.


    And as everyone''s atttion had turned to them... to that creepy face that didn''t belong to such a cute girl...


    An earthquake urred.

 Chapter 157: To Drag A Saint Down To Hell (03)

    -This chapter is writt using Angelica''s POV-


    A dimly lit, dark ce.


    Ev seeing a few meters ahead was difficult.


    The earthquake from before caused us to separate, and the ceiling above us copsed, effectively creating two groups separated by a wall.


    Anna: "Give me a second, I''ll destroy the rocks-"


    Elizabeth: "Don''t! ording to the map, we are under the walls and the river. You could make things worse."


    Since she was about to hit Gabrie, Anna had decided to move away and "help" Agatha and Lana.


    Due to that, the three of them got stuck on the other side of the wall.


    Anna: "Can''t you use your magic to make a barrier and get out of there?"


    Elizabeth: "I''ve be trying to cast, but all my barriers are down. I don''t know what is happing."


    Cassandra: "Oh... like what happed with the puppy back th."


    Anna: "This is bad... should we call Miw back?"


    While we could stillmunicate, it was necessary for Anna to shout for us to hear her, and vice versa.


    Elizabeth: "Hm...I''d rather not interrupt his date... I still have the special role so... Let''s do it like this. You should be able to leave the mine in about one hour with those two, right? After that, I''ll change the exit to somewhere safe so that we can exit too."


    While it would be preferable to have him solve this situation, Elizabeth was just as capable, ev more so considering she currtly had the [Special Role] that gives her almost the same rights he has.


    However, she''s quite prideful.


    She has a mix of respect for Miw and a sse of professionalism that paired with her pride makes it hard for her to ask for help.


    Appartly, ev wh facing death, she chose to fight rather than back down and fail at the task she was giv.


    So, in a situation like this one, her answer was obvious.


    Elizabeth: "I don''t want to change the design of this ce since it might cause more slides, thankfully, there is a good space we could use not far from here. Let''s head there and wait until the others are out."


    Ev though she couldn''t use her Gift, she remainedpletely unfazed.


    Elizabeth: "Angelica, can you use your magic to light our way?"


    Angelica: "Yes..."


    I don''t know many spells. I never had a chance to learn anything while I was alive.


    At most, I picked up a simple one that was oft used by monks and priests wh I was being hunted.


    But if all that was needed was to evoke a simple light ball, th ev I could do it.


    Elizabeth: "Cassandra, you can use your magic to provide cover from the backline, no? Th, I''ll help Angelica with the frontline. As for you... stay behind me."


    She quickly decided on our positions.


    While Cassandra is plty capable as a frontline fighter too, this formation allowed her to keep an eye on Gabrie.


    And ev though Elizabeth and Cassandra have a...plex rtionship... they seem to both trust and respect each other. Or at least their strgth and loyalty to Miw and the Kingdom atrge.


    The chances of betrayal, or one hurting the other were xistt.


    With Gabrie at bay, Elizabeth was able to make use of the status she increasedst time, so ev though she didn''t have her magic and didn''t know how to fight properly, she still managed to facilitate things for me and Cassandra.


    Thanks to her, we were able to move fast.


    Evtually, we ded up reaching crossroads.


    Miw had put a lot of effort into making this abyrinth, but that ded up causing a problem for us.


    Wecked someone with scouting abilities, and Cassandra''s magic, while powerful, was quite loud.


    As I headed ahead in the direction Elizabeth pointed me to, a monster jumped at her from our blindspot.


    He managed to bite her arm before I could react.


    It only took one hit from her to kill it, but it was toote, the damage had already be done.


    Her left arm had a deep wound, and blood was spilling everywhere.


    Angelica: "Sorry, it was my fault..."


    I was too focused on what was right in front of me to notice its presce.


    Worse yet, I couldn''t ev heal her...


    Elizabeth: "...Worry not, it was my mistake. I chose a bad time to confirm our path."


    The wound looked so serious, and yet, she didn''t scream or shriek. It took her only a momt to regainposure.


    Cassandra: "...You two, move behind. I''ll handle the front."


    Gabrie: "What are you saying? It''s better if they-"


    Cassandra: "Shut it."


    She didn''t allow Gabrie to finish, but it was clear what she was about to say.


    It was the first time I had se Cassandra angry.


    Her face didn''t distort, and she didn''t shout.


    Yet, her monotone voice, sharp, focused eyes, and the disappearance of her usual smile pictured a surreal image that st shivers down my spine.


    Ev in death, I didn''t feel so much fear.


    The only other time I felt like this was wh I saw Elizabeth as an emy through Miw''s memories.


    Only the Demon Que next to her was capable of such a scary visage.


    I wouldn''t hold it against a girl as cute as Gabrie to cry in fear, but...


    That wasn''t at all what happed.


    Instead, once again, it looked like she wanted tough. Her eyes were as if she wasn''t ev looking at Cassandra ev though she was clearly paying atttion to her.


    The two of them were terrifying inpletely differt ways.


    Gabrie: "Are you going to defd them again? Do you not see that her devilish pride is what''s leading to disaster at every turn? Once you turn your back to them, they''ll reveal themselves and eat us alive!"


    Cassandra: "Hah... Your hate has really made you blind. Normally it''s better for childr to arrive at the answer by themselves, but I''ll respect your disability. Since you cannot see, I''ll make it clear."


    She approached Gabrie, who lifted her hand and materialized two bright light des by her side.


    Ev though she was clearly being threated, to the point where she felt the need to react, her expression didn''t change, and it didn''t fit at all what one would expect.


    In response, Cassandra called upon her swords too.


    I thought they were about to fight, but Elizabeth lifted her arm, and with a nod of her head, made me understand that I should not interfere.


    Cassandra: "You might not have noticed due to your blindness, but the demon you so despise, inttionally sacrificed her arm for your sake. Had she moved away, you would be the one in its jaws. With your low defse, you wouldn''t have gott away as easily."


    While it''s true that Elizabeth doesn''t seem to have any experice in physicalbat, she was a little slower than normal at that momt.


    Anyone paying close atttion to her would''ve noticed that, and in this improvised party, no one was more watchful of her than Gabrie.


    She also had the best position to see it, being right behind Elizabeth.


    Gabrie: "As I''ve said, this must be a n. She has no reason to protect me."


    Cassandra: "Oh but she has. You said it yourself. She is a creature of sin. This one is especially prideful."


    Gabrie: "...?"


    Only a tilt of her head showed her confusion.


    Cassandra: "Idiot. She''s too prideful to allow a stain like your death in her mission. The bare minimum she''ll settle for is absolute sess. Her pride... the sin you believe so much to be inhertly evil, has saved your life."


    This was the perfect example of Cassandra''s point.


    Ev if done out of one''s own selfish desires, to save someone is ultimately still a good act.


    If sin could be the motivation for someone to befit another, th, there were bound to be cases where it became a virtuous act.


    It might seem contradictory, but...


    Elizabeth had just done it.


    The world wasn''t so ck and  as Gabrie might think.


    Gabrie was tak aback by her words.


    It was necessary to show her the obvious. Cassandra seemed to have realized this, so she continued.


    Cassandra: "Furthermore, she''s not the only one. You are sured by people making the most of their sins. The boy and his responsibility, kindness, and control, are just his own vor of greed and pride. His lust made him deep his rtionships with the others, making all of them happier in the process. His ire protected Elizabeth, and was the fuel for protecting his sister too."


    Since we have his memories, we have a deep understanding of him, so we know exactly what effects his sins have on him.


    He doesn''t believe himself to be a particrly good person, but that doesn''t impede him from being kind, gtle, and caring.


    Rather, it''s because he epts his ws, that he can explore the uses that are favorable for the path he has chos.


    Ev his worst acts and desires, his cruelty, his desire for control, and his indifferce to emies... he uses them as weapons to protect what he has built, and those he loves.


    He transforms those bad traits into tools to help and protect those he cares about.


    That is why I can believe his words.


    Because he doesn''t lie to himself.


    He does his best with what he has, and although he limits himself with his decisions, they are ultimately for the sake of others, making it hard to me him.


    Cassandra: "Theziness of the redhead brings him joy, as it shows he can offer others a differt life. The greed of the self-proimed evil witch has giv her useful knowledge, so now she''s able to help him with many matters regarding magic..."


    One by one, Cassandra cited the ws and sins of the citizs of the Kingdom.


    Yet, it was in praise rather than criticism.


    Some were the result of conscious decisions, while some were not, yet, there were plty of examples of how Gabrie''sbels were wrong.


    Many of the things she saw as outright evil, were being the source of joy and fun for us.


    They were part of what made this ce special.


    Also...


    Cassandra: "You think diligce is good, so demons couldn''t have it. But the Devil standing in front of you is more diligt than me thanks to her pride. And wh ites to being evil... There was a reason as to why I had a better time absorbing Demonic Power..."


    Her swords were st flying at an incredible speed. I couldn''t ev keep track of them.


    All that I knew was that wh I turned my head, Gabrie''s  des were already destroyed.


    They th came back to her, ev though she didn''t need them as she still possessed two others by her side.


    Cassandra: "If you cross my way, or theirs, I''ll tear through all of your dirty holes with swords of your size. I''ll show you more evilness and mercilessness than any Devil. I''ll make you wish your fate had be sealed by one instead. Was that clear ough for you, blind one? Just try something funny behind my back, and we''ll see who ds upughing."


    She touched Gabrie''s lips with her fingers, and brought them down, forcibly taking away her smile, and showing hers instead.


    The ursed ck Sword... She was more ominous than I could have ever imagined.


    Still, wh she passed by my side, I felt a light tap on my shoulder.


    Cassandra: "Do you not want to give her a few words too? It seems to me like you have more to say than I do."


    Angelica: "...I don''t know how to rationalize my feelings as well as you do... I just feel hurt and... angry..."


    Cassandra: "Hah. Isn''t that a good thing? I''m happy to see you being honest."


    ...I hadn''t noticed myself.


    But her words were so confidt... I felt like no matter how bad my feelings were, she would ept them.


    It made mefortable in saying how I truly felt, without ev considering anything else.


    She is so annoying. Incredibly hateful... however, I couldn''t help but admire her.


    Angelica: "I... wanted to be like you. I vy you..."


    Cassandra: "Huh. That just means you have good taste~"


    She''s a degerate. A woman capable of extreme evil, but also... extreme kindness.


    All that she did was to protect us, and ev though I felt like this toward her, she didn''t mind at all.


    She really belongs by Miw''s side...


    As for Gabrie, after her exchange with Cassandra, she stayed quiet the whole time.


    We evtually made our way to the surface using Elizabeth''s n and Cassandra''s formation.


    Once there, Gabrie rushed to her house.


    Seeing as she wasn''t a anymore, Elizabeth, Cassandra, and I headed to the home we shared with Mia inside the Kingdom and waited for Miw.


    Elizabeth made sure to heal her arm and change uniforms before he arrived.


    Miw: "Sadly, I do not have too much time due to my needy wives, but... do you think there''s hope?"


    His n was quite simple.


    Not for a momt did he give Gabrie''s words any merit, so he constructed a scario to prove her wrong beyond reasonable doubt.


    He wanted to show that ev a demon like Elizabeth could show kindness and act in good faith, while someone hailed as a hero could be full of sin and act in an evil manner.


    Thus,. Elizabeth and Cassandra''s unique traits and dynamics were used to provoke and challge Gabrie''s ideas.


    The earthquake was caused by Anna and Elizabeth, using their powers and the [Special Role] to guarantee that we would d up separated the way we did.


    My only job was to be fridly, helpful, and honest. As long as I didn''t show any of the bad traits associated with a monster, ev after being provoked, Gabrie was bound to be constantly exposed to the faults in her thoughts.


    Agatha was also in the know, as well as...


    Lana: "I hope you keep your word."


    Miw: "Sure, they said you did your job well, so I''ll get you plty of fish."


    Lana: "Hmph! It better be good."


    Miw: "Right, only the best for my kitt~"


    He employed Lana as a failsafe. She didn''t actually go with Anna and Agatha back to the surface, instead, she hid inside Gabrie''s shadow.


    Their abilities are a counter to each other as her light, if not well utilized, would only strgth her shadows.


    Or at least that''s what he told her.


    Of course, her presce wasn''t so necessary. To start with, Elizabeth had not lost her powers.


    We just used the fact that this had urred once and that the Kingdom is a mysterious ce, toe up with a not-so-unlikely scario that made her vulnerable.


    He wanted to see if Lana was going to side with Gabrie in such a situation, but her actions showed she could be trusted a little.


    Thus, this was the Kingdom''s first official shadow operation.


    Cassandra: "I don''t think you should keep your hopes high."


    Elizabeth: "Hm... I think it was a worthy attempt, so it might have an effect...."


    Miw: "I see... and what about my angel?"


    Whether a sess or not... it was too early to say but...


    Angelica: "I want to believe that this ce, your Kingdom, and my home... can turn ev the worst into good... so... I hope."


    Those were my true feelings.


    And these were the only people to have ever allowed me to express them.


    The first ones I could talk with.


    And so, although we had deceived her... I was very happy and hopeful.

 Chapter 158: Called Forth

    The night I had with Licia and ire yesterday was intse, which made me want to rest a little bit more.


    However, I had a busy day ahead, so I left the room as soon as I woke up.


    In the middle of the night, after my fun with the girls had finished, I gave Cassandra the [Que] role and asked her to keep watch again before giving the role back to Elizabeth, so once I left, she jumped in the middle of the girls.


    This was important to me since we now had to worry about the AOTG more than ever, and a night raid could be problematic for us.


    Once inside the Kingdom, my first business was to check how Lily was doing.


    She has one of the most difficult and important jobs in the Kingdom, and while she does great work, I like to keep my own eye on things.


    Also, since she goes to sleep and wakes up incredibly early, I like to keep herpany, as two early birds.


    Nowadays, she oft helps us prepare breakfast in the Kingdom''s kitch since mine is not spacious ough for how much we need to do.


    We are not the only ones to wake up so early though.


    Mei, who was inside the Kingdom, was already working on things wh we came.


    Ev though there was a lot to be done, she was performing a spldid job. It almost looked like she didn''t need help at all, but still, neither Lily nor I could refrain from giving a hand.


    Thanks to Licia and Ellie who joined a few minutester, it didn''t take long for us to finish, and right on time too as most of the citizs had already wok up.


    We also ded up having an unexpected guest.


    First Daughter: "Oh~ Such a nice smell."


    Miw: "...What is up with you higher beings and stealing food?"


    Although a wee guest, I''d certainly like her to notify me beforeing, as the te she ate was meant for ire, who had yet toe.


    Thankfully Mei noticed it without me saying a word and started working on another portion for her.


    First Daughter: "It''s easy to forego and forget such things wh you have no need for them. But once exposed again, we remember that there was more to it than just the need."


    I suppose?


    If I were topare it to a situation a human might find themselves in, it would be like-


    First Daughter: "Wrong."


    Miw: "...?"


    Oh, yeah, she can read my mind.


    I thought she was only able to do it from inside the Hotel, but perhaps now that there''s a link betwe it and the Kingdom, her powers have extded here too.


    Still, I don''t think I''ll ever get used to having my own thoughts died before I can ev properly put them into words.


    First Daughter: "Humans, and all living beings for that matter, do go through something simr, albeit on a smaller scale. Think about it, how many vors of your infancy have you forgott? Wouldn''t you be happy to taste them again?"


    I see.


    It was foolish to try to put it in other terms, There simply was no need.


    Miw: "Th, did youe here for something specific, or did you just want to remember something from your past?"


    Hearing my words, the happiness she had faded for a momt.


    She regained it almost instantly, but it was still ough for me to notice it.


    Somehow, she''s never able to fool me well.


    First Daughter: "...The Evt you''re going to select... I''m sorry. I hope that wh the timees, you don''t pursue retaliation. I''m willing to offer you a reward, if necessary... if that''s... agreeable..."


    I was right th...


    From the momt I saw this evt, I thought there was something going on with it.


    Miw: "I''m very curious as to why you''d lower your head like this, but... we''ll talkter."


    It wasn''t a sce I wasfortable with.


    A being capable of wiping me away with a flick of her fingers was asking for mercy.


    Well, calling her a "being" is also not nice.


    The First Daughter is a cool girl. And our rtionship isn''t bad.


    Certainly, she could do more for me, but... I do understand she has her own circumstances and limitations.


    Asking things for a frid left and right is also not good, and she has already giv me more than necessary. It seems like she has done everything she can from within her boundaries.


    Still, this was one thing I wanted to ask her about just in case.


    However, seeing as she came here on her own, there was no need to ask questions anymore.


    Once she left, the day proceeded without any major issues, and Iter requested everyone to reunite in the area betwe the houses that is slowly bing a town hall for us so that I could give them a few instructions.


    Elizabeth: "I don''t understand why the Infinite Hotel showed herself. Did she do something?"


    Miw: "Not directly. The only thing she did was to reduce the avable evts that I could choose, and well... I think she did that as a precaution, which seems to not have worked. In the d, the both of us just got tremdously unlucky."


    Elizabeth: "Th... why would she apologize?"


    Miw: "...I''m not sure myself. But we''ll figure it out."


    Whatever it was, I nned on facing it head-on, no matter how strange it might be.


    And for that, I had to give a few orders to my subjects, just to make sure nothing was going to go awry.


    Miw: "I might not be able tomit my full atttion to the Kingdom for a while. Of course, I expect all of you to behave as much as possible ev in my absce. In case there are any problems, Licia is first inmand, and Elizabeth is second. If they can''t handle it for whatever reason, you can report to me once I''m back."


    Like the Infinite Hotel and the Snow White Wolves, this evt seemed to indicate that I was going to go somewhere, instead of othersing to me.


    And so, it was necessary to establish a hierarchy under me.


    Normally, Elizabeth should be second as she is the one with the most experice in these matters as well as the bettermander.


    However, I valued Licia''s good rtionship with almost all [Citizs].


    She is also the most likely to do things I would, as she understands my position and decisions better than any other.


    Having her in charge was the closest to me not leaving at all, and that stability was crucial to give me peace of mind while dealing with whatever this Evt had in store.


    Miw: "Also, be mindful of notifications to join me. I''m expecting an immediate response for those."


    I did ask everyone beforehand to confirm if they wouldply with this, as I cannot risk trying to call a girl only for them to dy the response or not answer at all.


    Such a thing could easily put me in a bad spot, and while I don''t have to worry about most of them doing it inttionally, it was good to remind them of the importance behind this.


    Thankfully, everyone understood the importance and agreed to put this as their highest priority no matter what.


    I took the chance to also get a few other things out of the way, and th I finally selected the next evt that the Kingdom was going to participate in.


    [Summoning! The Darkest Star Tries To Shine Bright


    The Dukedom of Evretis is home to a few stars, however, one of them, unlike the others, is unable to shine.


    Is it due to its nature, the vironmt suring it, or simply destiny? Did the higher forces create it just for mockery?


    Can the answers for those ev change its life?


    Will answering them make it shine? Or will it die without ever aplishing a single dream?


    While all important questions, there is only one that truly matters.


    Will the King answer her prayers?


    Good Ending Condition: If The Darkest Star is satisfied before the timer runs out, the evt will be deemed a sess, and the user will be able to joy the rewards, as well as continue the scario if he so wishes. Other hidd conditions may lead to a good ding.


    Bad Ending Condition: If the timer hits zero and The Darkest Star is not happy, the evt will d and the user will suffer the consequces. He''ll also be forcefully ejected from the scario. Other hidd conditions may lead to a bad ding.


    Time Limit: 80 years.


    Since the time expected for evtpletion is over half of the user''s expected lifespan, a time dtion will be applied. The user might decide to quit this evt at any time, but if no ding is achieved, no reward will be provided.


    Restrictions: Every Banner used before tering this Evt will be unavable.]


    This was the first evt to give me clues about what needed to be done in order to reach certain dings.


    However, it was also one of the most mysterious in its description.


    And yet... I knew what it was about.


    I oft refer to my sister as the brightest star. And I do believe her to be from the bottom of my heart.


    The reason for that is... an incidt that happed in our infancy.


    Simply said, she lost her confidce for a momt.


    It wasn''t as if she had lost hope. She would never.


    It''s just that... her light flickered. She failed for the first time, and that made her lose her bnce.


    Thankfully, her brother was there to support her.


    After that, she only started shining brighter, and I knew that no one couldpare to her.


    This Evt talked a lot about something called The Darkest Star.


    Perhaps it was a coincidce, but...


    It felt like a provocation. Especially thest words.


    The description referred to the star as "her".


    It said that nothing else besides my answer would matter.


    Which means that her destiny will remain unchanged forever if I don''t act.


    A girl on the brink of losing her dreams. No matter what she does, fate itself might be against her.


    A dark star that can''t shine as bright as those suring it.


    Those were all too familiar to me.


    Ev though this Evt made sure to tell me there would be consequces in case of failure, I couldn''t refuse it.


    It waspletely personal, but at the d of the day, it is my Gift, and I am the one who decides how to use it.


    Ev if it''s tirely personal, that''s ough reason. Or rather, that''s as important as it gets.


    And this one... was important for me. I could not avoid the bait.


    And so...


    The gre fields of the Kingdom, as well as the faces of the girls I love so much all disappeared from my sight.


    Recing them was .


    White all a.


    White walls.


    White furniture.


    White floor.


    It was nauseating.


    However, her pink hair broke the pattern.


    Her gre eyes were only tarnished by the image of the man reflected in them.


    And under my feet, as well as a me, there was a drawing.


    If it was a cute one, I''d feel bad about stepping on it, however... This one was made with this exact purpose in mind.


    A summoning circle with a star in the middle.


    Blood seemed to have be used to draw it.


    A person was summoned. A situation I''ve be in plty of times, albeit from the other side.


    ording to my experice, there are two main approaches for the summoned. Either I stay quiet and list to my summoner, or I jump them.


    Unable to decide on which one to take, I imagined both scarios and ded up unable to hold back myughter.


    This was certainly an action that would''ve made a summoner afraid, or at least I knew I would be if this happed after using the [Companions Banner].


    And yet, the girl in front of me seemed to pay it no mind.


    ??????: "[Darkest Star]... It only says that I attract catastrophes, bad luck, oddities, and tragedy... as for [Gacha Kingdom Building]... this one says a lot but... Did I get two Gifts at once? This is incredible."


    Yes. Incredible is a good word to describe it.


    First of all, for her to ignore me to this extt was incredible.


    And second...


    [Isabe has be registered as a [Citz].


    You have be awarded a new [Special Role] slot.


    Isabe has be awarded the [Que] Special Role.


    The previous [Special Role] has be ramed to [Que (0)]


    Would you like to change it?]


    I changed it to [Wife] for now, as Elizabeth was the one in its possession.


    Sadly I wasn''t able to see her reaction to that, but I''m sure the others were going to tell me all about it.


    But more urgtly...


    Isabe: "I can roll in a... gacha? Acquire things with my Kingdom points... uh... oh, citizs?"


    This girl was level . Our level differce was such that I was able to see her Gifts, and incredibly, she did possess [Gacha Kingdom Building] as her second one.


    Miw: "Ahem. Isn''t it a bit cold to not talk to me? You know you have some responsibilities as the one who summoned me, right?"


    Isabe: "Can''t you see I''m busy reading what my Gift does? I''ll deal with youter."


    She was being quite rude.


    In another con, I suppose I would be the rude one for interrupting someone while they were reading.


    However, con matters, and she was clearly being a brat.


    Miw: "You mean my Gift. Don''t misunderstand, I-"


    Isabe: "Using 00 Kingdom Points, I order you to shut up! Huh?"


    [Orders cannot affect the King].


    Oh, so you''re on my side now huh?


    Lately, it feels like everyone is able to manipte my Gift but me, its owner.


    It started with the Merchant, th the Infinite Hotel, and now this Evt that was clearly made to instigate me.


    Miw: "With  points I Order you... tell me your name."


    Isabe: "Uh..."


    Oh... she resisted.


    I thought it would''ve be more effective since she''s only level one, butI suppose her role is just below mine.


    Sadly I can''t change it, but I had my way of dealing with this resistance.


    Miw: "I Order you using 0 points. Tell me your name."


    Isabe: "..Ahh! ...Is- Isabe Von Evretis."


    ...Her first name is the same as the viiness from ire''s game.


    I''m not sure about the rest, but Evretis is a familiar word to me, although I couldn''t recall if it was also from the game or not.


    Still,I decided to first extract some information from her, and th bring ire so we could discuss, however...


    Maid: "Mydy, I was going to wait until tea time, but I heard a scream and... Oh my-"


    Miw: "Hah. It''s true. You''re really good at attracting problems."


    And it seemed like now that our lives were linked, I''d be dragged into her affairs too.

 Chapter 159: Audience

    The tea and the cake that were brought to this room had fall to the g.


    Ev though they surprisingly didn''t make too much of a mess, Isabe rushed to grab a towel and began cleaning desperately, as if she hadmitted a crime.


    In such a sce, I would''ve expected the maid to do something.


    Either help her, or at least apologize, but instead, she remainedpletely still, looking down from above at Isabe''s desperation, without ever lifting a hand to help.


    I couldn''t understand either of their actions.


    Maybe Isabe wanted to clean everything and sd the maid away to hide everything that was happing, but of course, that would never work.


    The maid was just the closest to the room, and after her, a few knights and butlers also arrived on the sce.


    Betwe them, there was one particrly powerful knight at level 78.


    The others'' questions and smirks didn''t stop her, but once he arrived, Isabe halted her efforts.


    He only nced at the dirty floor, but I could tell that it st shivers down Isabe''s spine.


    ?????: "You brought a man to your room!?"


    I''m sure he saw the summoning circle, but he made no remarks about it.


    Isabe: "N-no Brother, I-"


    Miw: "Nah you kinda did. Own up."


    Isabe: "I told you to shut up!"


    She was sweating, and I could see tears in her eyes, although she was doing her best to hold them back.


    The attitude she showed me waspletely differt than the one she had toward her brother. It was difficult to measure which one was the real her, but...


    The fear she had toward her own family seemed abnormal to me.


    Ev if being se with a man might be damaging to ady''s reputation, it would''ve be better to tell the truth here.


    It didn''t look like she was in the mtal state to lie, and there was plty of evidce to support the ims of me being simply a summon.


    Instead, theck of words and confidce made it seem like she was rejecting reality.


    Quite differt from the girl who was telling me off just a few seconds ago.


    In front of him, she became incredibly meek.


    ?????: "And who might you be?"


    Miw: "I''m a king from a farawaynd. Thedy summoned me and has yet to exin things."


    ?????: "...What is your name, and realm."


    Interesting. He didn''t dy my ims outright.


    Perhaps it''s an effect of my high level.


    Or he decided to ignore Isabe and judged the situation based on what he could see.


    Miw: "I''m from a kingdom without a name. Although some refer to it as a paradise, it exists nowhere. As for me, you can call me Miw."


    I''ve yet to decide on a name for the kingdom.


    A few of the girls have be calling it Paradise, but it doesn''t feel appropriate to me.


    Some say I should just call it The Kingdom Without A Name, while I fancy calling it Nowhere.


    After all, one of its biggest characteristics is that the ce isn''t anywhere in creation. Ev the First Daughter and the Merchant have trouble reaching it.


    Still, since we can''t decide, for now, I''m going with all three.


    ?????: "...I''ll take you to my father."


    He was suspicious of me, but it was understandable.


    Isabe: "Wait, Lard, please-"


    Up until this point, she was only looking at him from the corner of her eyes, not daring to look directly.


    The mtion of her father changed that.


    It seems that in her desperation, she called his name, which made him look back at her.


    However, this resulted in her cowering from him.


    Isabe: "Brother... please don''t involve Father... I can correct this..."


    It was impossible to believe what she said.


    She spoke quietly and slowly, doing her best to not stutter, but in the d, her words came out as weak as they could be.


    If one wasn''t paying close atttion to her, they probably wouldn''t ev have listed.


    ?????: "...You? What can you do?"


    Isabe: "..."


    She wasn''t expecting a reply.


    It shocked her so much that she wasn''t able to answer him. The weight of her words was once more reduced, now going past zero and reaching the negatives.


    It wasn''t simply a waste of time to have listed to her. It was insulting to anyone who gave the befit of the doubt.


    Having realized that, her head wt into a deeper downward spiral, not allowing her to recollect herself.


    She was facing the abyss from the edge. The more she looked down, the more she would realize how bad it truly was, which in turn, made it harder to look away.


    It was truly a pathetic disy.


    But... by no means was it deserving of the faces the servants were showing her.


    Ev her brother didn''t seem to show her any sympathy. Although to be fair, he was dealing with me, and seeing my level, he became a little agitated.


    Miw: "Seems like it''s decided th. Guide the way, Lard."


    I gave her a pat on the back, pushing her forward.


    Isabe: "W-what are you doing?"


    Miw: "Hm. I don''t feel safe without my summoner a, so take responsibility."


    Isabe: "No... I can''t..."


    This was a problem.


    Although I had an idea, I wanted to see Isabe''s reaction to her father.


    It''s clear that she is the Darkest Star I''m supposed to be helping, but I still don''t have much information.


    As such, it is advantageous for me to use this situation and push a little more, or else, I''d have to spd some time building trust with her until she feltfortable telling me.


    I n on doing that either way, but...I want to waste the least amount of time possible.


    I already know that the Evt timer can be quite deceiving.


    However, while I thought she was just acting timid or anxious, the truth was slightly differt.


    Lard: "She doesn''t have permission to step out of her room."


    Miw: "Oh, I see."


    It could be bad to disrespect the rules of the house, and so...


    Isabe: "Wha-"


    I gave her a princess carry.


    Miw: "I''ll be sure she doesn''t step anywhere."


    Lard: "...What are you nning?"


    Miw: "Her presce is non-negotiable. I have no ns to leave her side."


    He started measuring me.


    His hand was reaching for the sheath of his sword.


    Miw: "I wouldn''t rmd that. Blood will leave a worse stain on the floor."


    Lard: "You are sured and unarmed."


    Miw: "Am I?"


    Cassandra appeared, turning into a sword by my side.


    I had to move Isabe a little, but with my level, it was no problem to carry her on my shoulder with one arm, no matter how much she protested.


    Miw: "I''m armed now. And I also have a hostage. If this isn''t ough to level the ying field, shall I prove your first im wrong?"


    While he was 8 levels ahead of me, at 78, it seemed like he didn''t have as much experice.


    Paired with my skills, ev without Cassandra, I was probably able to take him on.


    The other knights could be a problem though.


    Not a single one of them looked particrly strong, but numbers do make a differce.


    Lard: "I''m temporarily lifting your punishmt, Isabe. Come this way."


    Starting a fight wasn''t going to be particrly useful to me, as it would probably only work to bring me closer to the bad ding.


    Calling Isabe a hostage could''ve be se as a provocation, but there was a reason for that.


    I wanted to see how much he cared for her. If any at all.


    While he didn''t react too much, I did notice that he became more nervous.


    Although It could''ve be the case that he didn''t want to give away his feelings and controlled himself.


    And his action was the right call if he had his sister''s safety in mind.


    Definitely not a t, but passable in my book.


    I walked by Isabe''s side while we made our way to the room that her father, Duke Albris, was waiting in.


    She didn''t raise her head once.


    Neither on the way nor wh we arrived.


    Albris: "Have you not learned anything, Isabe!? The maids saw blood on the floor. Your reputation is already like this, and you n on damaging it further?"


    So disinguous.


    That amount of blood could never have be from something like that.


    Ev though I stepped on it, the purpose of it was also obvious.


    What bothers me more is that Isabe has no appart scars on her body.


    Which indicates that she''s be collecting blood for a while.


    Without her servants noticing...


    But there was a chance that she had cuts in parts of her body covered by the clothes, so I decided to wait before jumping to conclusions.


    Albris: "As for you... I see you carry a spirit. However, I have not heard of a king who has a contract with a sparrow. Are you truly from Paradise?"


    ...?


    Seems like there was some mimunication in his reports.


    I thought that Lard''s whispering had already told him everything, but it didn''t appear to be the case.


    Miw: "That''s just how some call it. Whether it is or not, I cannot answer. Once again, my kingdom has no name."


    Isabe wasn''t saying anything.


    However, aside from me and the Duke, no one was.


    But the fact that he could see Apollo told me that he either had a Gift that facilitated it, or he had a contract with a spirit.


    It would be strange to have a Gift that allows one to be a Spirit Contractor and not have a spirit, however, I couldn''t see his anywhere.


    Apollo also wasn''t helping. He decided to rest on Isabe''s head, and it didn''t seem like he wanted to get out of there.


    Albris: "Can you prove your words?"


    Upon hearing his words, not only Lard, but all the knights unsheathed their des.


    While I had to give him props for having more authority than the elv leader back th, his actions only made the situation walk backward.


    This gave me no choice, so, I called ire, as well as the Valkyries.


    ire: "...Hm? Isn''t that-"


    Miw: "Shh... Focus. We''ll talkter."


    Her reaction basically made me certain of my theories regarding Isabe, but there was going to be a better time for us to discuss.


    Miw: "Whoa... And here I thought we were bing frids..."


    Lard had a stance prepared, and once he saw me distracted with ire, he took the opportunity to sh me multiple times.


    Every time, I met him head-on, and his strgth wasn''t ough to ovee mine.


    He got irritated, burning with more ergy than ever, but...


    Cassandra changed her size, which allowed me to reach his neck.


    Miw: "This time, it was your father''s fault. However, I wouldn''t rmd doing that again. It''s usually a fatal mistake."


    All the other knights in the room were defeated or didn''t ev get to properly fight before being disarmed or having their swords brok.


    Most of them were on the floor, afraid of the monsters I had brought.


    Miw: "As for you, Duke. Your actions are insulting. How do you n on repaying me?"


    Albris: "What are you saying, the swords you broke are more expsive than the rags you wear."


    While true, it was still extremely rude.


    But it worked out for me.


    Miw: "Right, th I suppose I should be the one paying you."


    Albris: "...?"


    Miw: "Since I don''t n on leaving my summoner''s side, how about you hire me as her personal butler? I''ll work for free until my debt is paid."


    I think the excuse of a summon wanting to be close to the summoner is believable.


    Ev more so if I make it look like I don''t particrly care for Isabe if not for her role.


    I didn''te here to beat anyone up. If I wanted toplete the Evt sessfully, I should focus on what it was that I came here to do.


    And so, I''ll have to be as close to Isabe as possible. Only this way can I understand her wants and needs.


    Albris: "Our house is in nock of servants."


    Miw: "And yet your servants arecking. A maid who dared to bring cold tea and hard cake, ev though it doesn''t seem like youck money judging by the wonderful insanity-inducing  room you''ve prepared..."


    Albris: "That is  of your-"


    Miw: "Maybe. But the knights are. I''m not sure how much my life is tied to hers, so I can''t ept second rates watching over her."


    ire noticed instantly what I was doing, but it didn''t seem like she was mad about it.


    If anything, I think I saw a light smile on her face.


    Albris: "...What do you propose?"


    The Duke was finally willing to negotiate.


    He is level 9, and aside from the Valkyries, he is stronger than anyone in the room.


    But with the shameful disy of his knights and the differce in power betwe him and ev the weakest of the Valkyries, he didn''t have too much room to dispute my ims.


    Miw: "I''ll act as her exclusive butler. I''ll also bring a maid, a knight, and a bodyguard for her. All free of charge. Fire or move all of her other personal servants and give us permission to move freely, as well as to use the houses'' facilities."


    Albris: "What about her teachers?"


    ...The only thing I wasn''t that confidt about.


    While she looks to be a my age, it''s probably safe to assume that the education in this world is behind Earth''s.


    In which case, I could probably get away with teaching her anything below the high school level.


    However, if ites down to it, I''ll bury myself in some books until I''m able to teach her.


    The only problem is...


    Miw: "I''ll have to study this world''s history and geography, but aside from that, it should be fine. As for magic and-"


    Albris: "There is no need. She doesn''t have a Gift."


    Isabe: "N-no... I... received one... two, actually..."


    It was the first time she raised her voice and it was barely audible.


    Still, it was ough to surprise everyone who listed.


    Albris: "...At your age? Is this how you summoned him? What do they do?"


    His attitude suddly changed. Quite a lot too.


    He seemedpletely disinterested in her before this.


    Also, this is truly another world. Receiving a Gift at her age would''ve be totally normal on Earth.


    Isabe: "Ah... Well..."


    Although I was also interested, I decided to cut the conversation short.


    Miw: "Don''t tell."


    Isabe: "Huh?"


    Albris: "...This is betwe me and my daughter-"


    Miw: "Th why are there so many people in the room? Unless you''re telling me they are all trustworthy, me included. In which case, feel free to tell me yours too."


    The room fell into silce.


    Albris: "I''ll not expose-"


    Miw: "But you''re fine with exposing hers. I won''t allow information that can be prejudicial to me to be disclosed. It''s best if no one else knows about it."


    Isabe: "W-what are you saying? i-"


    It seemed like she had no inttion of going against her father.


    So I had no choice.


    Miw: "I order you using 500 points. Do not share details about your Gifts with anyone who isn''t me."


    This sealed the deal.


    If she acquired more levels, she could probably resist the Order without suffering too much from it, but th I could just rew it with more points.


    It was a little forceful, and I certainly angered her father, but it was necessary.


    I don''t mind the other one, but I can''t have details about [Gacha Kingdom Building] leaking like this.


    Especially knowing how much other people would try to make use of her for it.


    Miw: "With that said, it seems our business here is done... ire, Skuld. You take her to her room. I''ll take a look at the kitch and bring you lunchter."


    To hide your Gift is justmon sse.


    It was strange that the Duke was so ke on having her tell hers.


    However, he seemed to have understood that he couldn''t have his way with her as long as I was close by.


    And so, I brought Mei, Bea, and Licia to make up for the girls that left.


    I still had a few serious things to discuss with Albris, and depding on how things wt, I thought it would be good to show I had more firepower in reserve than just the remaining Valkyries and Cassandra.


    Giv the knight''s anger, I didn''t want to risk another brawl ev if we could win it.


    Thus, now that everyone was a little more calm and willing, I started the true negotiations.


    The ones I''d rather Isabe not see.

 Chapter 160: White Room

    Once I finished my business with the Duke, I received a gerous proposal.


    A little tour through the house, to get acquainted with the ce, as well as with my new coworkers.


    I wasn''t particrly interested in any of them, but I made sure to remember the faces and roles of as many as possible, as well as how they reacted to my introduction.


    Once that was finished, I asked Mei to prepare something in their kitch, and th I headed back to Isabe''s room.


    Waiting by the door to her room were two very familiar faces.


    Miw: "Hm? What''s this?"


    Skuld: "I''m sorry... I couldn''t resist."


    ire: "Miw! She ordered us to go away! Can you believe her?"


    While one seemed dejected that she wasn''t able to follow my orders perfectly, the other was simply infuriated.


    After provoking ire a little more, I took away the order Isabe had giv them.


    The girl was making me pay quite a lot of Kingdom Points, but it wasn''t the only resource she was draining from me.


    Once I tered the room, I found a mess caused by a variety of new items such as dresses, vases, jewelry, and paintings.


    This was clearly the result of her rolling on the gacha.


    Betwe summoning beasts, spellbooks, and weapons, I was saving a few tickets for this Evt thinking that they could grant me an easy way out depding on what I found, but it was all wasted on superfluous stuff.


    Thankfully she at least had ough sse to not waste the ultra-rare and umon ones.


    Miw: "Since I''ve already finished with your family, I believe it''s time we talk a little. Just the two of us."


    Isabe: "...You''re not angry that I''ve used your Gift?"


    Miw: "Oh, so you recognized it?"


    Isabe: "I only get 0.7 tickets per day. Umon tickets trade for 0mon ones and you had 6 of them, plus 0mon tickets. To get all that would take me two years at least. Considering the ultra-rare, I have no idea... maybe a decade wouldn''t be ough..."


    Interesting.


    That number was a bit strange, so I decided to check my own Gift, and there I saw that I was now able to im 7 tickets per day. The usual 70 from my level, and I could only assume the other was from hers.


    That meant her version of [Gacha Kingdom Building] was 0x times weaker than mine in this aspect.


    Isabe: "You earn more tickets, right? Or you at least have an alternative method of getting them."


    Both of the statemts were correct.


    Based on my age and race, she must''ve deduced that I couldn''t have spt so much time iming and saving tickets.


    Quite simple reasoning, but solid theless.


    Miw: "So the fact that my version is stronger made you realize who is in charge?"


    Although her role had special permissions, she didn''t have all of them abled.


    For example, she was unable to ter and leave the Kingdom at her will, nor did she participate in the experice sharing.


    However, I was able to toggle on the experice sharing for her if I wanted to.


    Isabe: "...The [citizs] list to you without the need for orders. Either you ordered absolute obedice from them, or they follow you willingly. Since you didn''t do the former to me, I can only assume it''s thetter. There''s also the fact that I cannot order you, and checking the hierarchy, you stand above me."


    Ev though the answer was right in front of her, and I ev spelled it out as soon as we met, it must''ve be hard for her to ept it.


    Which led to her searching every nook and cranny for something to contradict me.


    In the d, it was useless though.


    All she found was evidce thatplied with my ims.


    Isabe: "...You are the one I summoned so... are you going to make my wishe true? Can I use this power?"


    I could see she was a little more afraid of me now.


    If I had to guess, experimting with [Gacha Kingdom Building] made her realize that summoning me was thanks to [Darkest Star].


    In which case, from her perspective, I must be at the very least bad luck, and worst case scario, I''m a whole catastrophe.


    Ev th, she kept defiant and determined.


    Had she summoned anything else, this might''ve be her d but... I suppose she got extremely lucky.


    Just another coincidce to make us ev more simr, I suppose.


    Miw: "I dide here to realize your wish. However, I can only help. You''re the one who''s going to have to work for it. As for my power, you can use it as you like. As long as you don''t order my citizs."


    I doubt I''ll be able to make her happy without her cooperation.


    To begin with, the initiative muste from her.


    Isabe: "That''s ough..."


    She seemed satisfied, but from what I could tell, things were far from over for her.


    Actually, from what I know from the game, her problems are just beginning.


    And so, I knew I had to challge her notion a little more.


    She seems to put all her trust in the single step she takes toward her goal, and while she got lucky with me, I could tell it was a recipe for disaster.


    Miw: "Do you really think so?"


    Isabe: "What?"


    I pointed at the items scattered across the room.


    Miw: "It''s not going to work, you know?"


    From what ire told me, at the beginning of the game, Isabe is locked in this  room due to a fine she has earned after an incidt with anotherdy.


    Ev though the Duke and her brothers are all capable of paying for it they decided to use Isabe''s allowance instead.


    She''ll be stuck in this ce until her debt is settled. She can only leave once a day, usually for dinner.


    This willst a month unless she manages to get ough affection points with one member of the family so that they pay the debt in her stead.


    Although that''s in the game, and the scario might go a bit offrail now that she has ess to my Gift.


    Still, no matter how mad she got at me for saying it, the fact is that this attempt of hers was destined to fail.


    And once Albert, the middle child and the second older brother of Isabe tered the room, like a prophecy, my words came true.


    Albert: "...I''ll buy everything and deduct  silver coins from your debt."


    Isabe: "W-what do you mean?  silver coins is too little. L-look, these are all fine..."


    Miw: "You should take the offer you know? It''s actually quite gerous."


    Isabe: "What do you know?"


    About vases, paintings.... dresses... not much.


    I also had yet to learn about this world''s economy, so I couldn''t be sure how much  silver coins were actually worth.


    However, I did know that her debt was a 0 of them, so Albert was shaving off three days from her stce, which felt more like a good gesture.


    Because the one thing I know about these things is that...


    Miw: "Most of the value of these items depds on the brand, store, or reputation of their seller and craftsman. Ev if they are nice, wh someone with a trash reputation like yours is selling them, their prices drop a lot."


    Trust sells. And no one was going to trust her.


    Her name was actually damaging to the goods.


    Isabe: "But... the jewels..."


    Right. Those have some inhert value because... well, shiny rock sells for high price, I suppose.


    And yet...


    Miw: "Yeah they are worth a little more. But... Jewels sell for a high price, so you need a buyer, which might take time. Especially once they know you''re the origin. I doubt the house of a Duke will sell or use fake ones either, so your family will have to authticate it, which has its own costs that won''t be repaid until the jewel is sold."


    Again, her reputation was bound to damage the value.


    I understand that she thought she could get the same price as a store or a boutique, but there''s an tire system in ce that makes those prices what they are.


    For an outsider tering the market, they''ll have to ept less profit, at least in the beginning.


    With all the hurdles and setbacks in mind, I thought Albert''s proposal actually wasn''t that bad.


    Although I''m not too fond of his cold attitude toward her. He could''ve easily tak some time to exin these things, but it seems he doesn''t like to say more than necessary.


    Still, since she didn''t have much of a choice, her brother and some knights took the items after they came to an agreemt.


    Isabe: "I thought you were supposed to help me."


    Miw: "Did I not? I told you it wasn''t going to work. And you also learned something new today, so-"


    She pped me in the face.


    It obviously didn''t hurt me... but seeing her eyes filled with tears... was a little painful.


    I didn''t intd to mock her, but she didn''t consult me beforehand nor did she list to me, so there was nothing I could do.


    Still, I decided not to say more after this. It wasn''t going to be productive.


    She also had buried her face in the pillows, waiting for the time to pass.


    However, Mei came with a few sweets for us.


    Mei: "Master, I''m sorry for my tardiness. I have prepared the Swiss rolls that you like, as well as apple tarts and tea."


    Although she says she was tardy, she actually worked incredibly fast.


    Everything she brought also looked pretty good.


    While her Gift does seem to help with her tasks, I can''t take away any credit from her.


    Isabe: "..."


    And someone seemed rather interested.


    Miw: "Do you want some?"


    Isabe: "...What do you want in return?"


    So virtuous. As expected from a noble.


    Or perhaps she''s worried since she''s already in debt.


    Miw: "Hm... next time, you list to me. How does that sound?"


    Isabe: "...Fine."


    She seemed rather thusiastic about eating, so I stepped away from the room to give her some space.


    It also gave me the chance to talk a little with ire while she was distracted.


    ire: "I think the coincidces are too much. She must be the Isabe from the game..."


    Miw: "Right, I also think so..."


    But that had its own implications.


    To start with, that game was always strange, but...


    Is the game based on this world... Or is this world based on the game?


    I can see someone with a Gift that gives them insights or a vision into another world using it as inspiration or ev transcribing everything into a game.


    Making a game also seems easier than making a world.


    However, the presce of the First Daughter and her request makes me uncertain.


    Whoever or whatever is behind the game and the Evt... if they have some rtionship with the First Daughter, th they might be near her in terms of power.


    In which case, I can''t discard the possibility of them creating an tire world.


    It sounds easier than messing with my Gift, to be honest.


    Still, in this case, there wasn''t much I could do from my d, so I decided to focus on something else.


    Miw: "You didn''t manage to progress too much in the story, right?"


    ire: "...Yeah. It''s rather hard. In the game, she gets looked down upon because she doesn''t have a Gift. Her only value to the family is through a political marriage but... She''s a forsak child with that attitude, paired with her bad reputation..."


    If Gifts are a blessing from the Gods, th, those who are Giftless must''ve be forsak.


    ording to the girls, they oft suffer discrimination. It''s not on the same level as the demons who are persecuted, but they are at least harassed or excluded.


    Of course, thanks to the Merchant and the First Daughter, I know that this whole thing is bullshit.


    While it''s true that they use their Divinity or Asdrea''s knockoff to forcefully awak our Gifts, they are something that has always existed within us, unable to manifest alone due to... we being inferior beings, as the Merchant so kindly puts it.


    The Gods also don''t do it out of the goodness of their hearts. They stand to gain from it, so any exception is probably a miscalction.


    Sadly, aside from correcting this idea inside my Kingdom, there''s not much I can do.


    And thankfully, now Isabe has two Gifts, so we can take one problem off the table.


    Miw: "We''ll fix everything in time. I''m more concerned about the kidnapping you oft talk about. Do you have a date?"


    ire: "The game starts after her failed attempt at summoning a Devil to make a contract in exchange for power. She gets scolded, and th one weekter, she gets kidnapped."


    So that''s what she was going for.


    I hope I hav''t missed my chance to y the Devil.


    Still, she certainly has a thrilling life...


    Miw: "Does the game say if she got what she wished for?"


    ire: "Well... Nothing was supposed to appear, so I think she did not."


    But I think ev without the Devil, she actually managed to awak [Darkest Star]


    It would at least be an exnation for her kidnapping.


    However, I can''t make any conclusions since ire didn''t manage to far ough in the story.


    Still, this left me with two choices.


    Either I could try to break the game scarios and hopefully lead her into a happy life, or... I could try to follow them as much as possible.

 Chapter 161: Dinner

    Outside of Isabe''s room, I had another girl join me.


    This one was more of a bet, but I had reason to believe it was going to pay off.


    Miw: "I''m breaking our deal. While difficult, you might be able to reach your world from here, so, if you want to leave, go ahead."


    It''s not like I could stop her anyway.


    Lana: "...What''s the catch?"


    Miw: "There isn''t one. I have a long and difficult job, so I''d rather be able to fully trust you if I''m to have you on it. And so, I''m giving you the choice."


    As hard as it may be to say, in the d, it doesn''t matter if she chooses to leave.


    Her Gift is incredibly useful for me, but if I''m going to have her as an spy or assassin, th, being able to trust her is of utmost importance.


    Perhaps ev more than any of the girls.


    She''ll have a position that favors backstabbing, betrayal and scheming.


    Depding on the mission, I might have her being close to an emy, or ev faking loyalty to them.


    And so... I need to know that no matter what, she''s on my side.


    Having her willingly is a good step. Ev though I have ways to keep her in check, the maintance and trouble of having to watch over her considering her Gift is too high for it to be worth it.


    It''s a shame, but as an unknown, she''s too strong.


    I''d rather have her decide now if she''s with us or not.


    Lana: "..."


    Her expression changed many times from the initial shock.


    It was clear that she was considering a lot of things while deep in thought.


    Thanks to that, she didn''t answer immediately.


    And once she began to speak, her words didn''t seem fully confidt either.


    It was like she was taking a bet of her own.


    A decision I could respect, and the conditions she asked me were agreeable, so in the d, we struck a new deal.


    Lana: "...I''ll be watching, so you better keep your word!"


    Miw: "Likewise."


    I took a look at her [Loyalty]. Now that she had put her desires and expectations into words to me, her [Loyalty] had increased again.


    It was now at a veryfortable level, a 80% if I had to say.


    Although hers started off on about half of that, it increased at an amazing speed, but considering the things I just learned about her, I suppose it makes sse she would feel loyalty to the kingdom and a desire to protect this life that she''s expericing for the first time.


    Still, now that I was pretty sure my bet had paid off, I tasked her with bing Isabe''s shadow.


    Although we have plty of options to protect her, I had expericed for myself how Lana''s abilities cane in clutch.


    Since her level was ev higher, I felt she could make all the differce.


    Not to mtion, if in the future I get more citizs, she''s a prime target for allocating a [Special Role].


    With instant reports from her, our Gifts will have insane synergy as she might not ev need to leave a shadow to bring me information.


    Of course, I can also swing a the few [Special Roles] I have to achieve a simr effect right now.


    And with Isabe''s front and back now secured, we waited until the time for dinner to apany her.


    Ev though fewer people were going to eat there, their dining halls were bigger than ours.


    The table had a bunch of empty seats, which seemed a little sad, and while the atmosphere was way less chaotic than what we were used to, I didn''t feel any vious about it at all.


    However, it wasn''tpletely silt either thanks to Isabe''s father, Albris, leading the conversation.


    He would direct his questions to every family member, Isabe''s stepmother, Pam, or her two brothers would th promptly answer him.


    I did my best to hold back fromughing at this.


    It wasical, like an amateur y where the actors are too nervous and stick to the script with all their might, forgetting to put in any emotion into their act.


    Each one had their own little turn, in order.


    Except for a single person who already had everything about her known.


    I couldn''t decide whether this was done out of sympathy or not.


    This whole discussion really seemed like a small show yed for the servants, an attempt to discuss only superficial matters to make it seem like no problems were urring with the family.


    For starters, I doubt anything major wouldn''t have be reported to Albris beforehand, so this was more like a rehash for him.


    A very clinical and hygiic procedure where no negatives were allowed to exist.


    In such an ambit...


    Isabe: "I can''t eat this anymore! It''s disgusting!"


    Someone had not touched their food.


    Or rather, since I kept my eyes on her, I saw her trying quite a bit.


    She would cut the meat on her te time and time again, in ever smaller portions.


    Only after a long time would she gulp it down.


    Something simr was happing to the vegetables and her sd.


    Pam: "...? But it seems fine to me."


    Lard: "...We''ve be through this already, Isabe. There''s nothing wrong with the food."


    Albert: "Eat quietly so that you don''t embarrass yourself further."


    Albris: "..."


    Not a single one of her family members gave her the time of day.


    Ev her father chose to simply make nomts about it.


    If this was a recurring thing, th it makes sse but...


    There was no investigation whatsoever. The momt the words left her mouth, they were deemed unreasonable. Wrong.


    The servants wer''t chuckling to themselves this time. They kept themselves as serious as they could.


    Yet... there was nothing that the girl under the spotlight could do.


    She was quietly trying to eat.


    I noticed effort in her attempt.


    But she didn''t manage to keep at it for long.


    She was now incredibly angry, and afterining and shouting to deaf ears, she finally had ough, and grabbed her te, ready to throw it against the table.


    Miw: "Mydy... are you perhaps dumb?"


    Isabe: "Let me go! I hate this!"


    Her outburst had finally brought some life to this ce, but I also disliked it.


    And that''s precisely why I couldn''t let her proceed.


    Isabe: "I knew I couldn''t trust you! You''re all the same!"


    Miw: "I don''t mind if you don''t trust me, but I trust you, so don''t go destroying the evidce, alright?"


    My words definitely surprised her.


    Her meager strgth had faded ev more, and I managed to put the te back on the table.


    She was seated right by Lard''s side, so I asked her to stand up and wt ahead to taste what she had just eat.


    Pam had a fewints about my actions. It seems she thought I was just a normal new hire and ording to her, my actions were disrespectful.


    Still, Albris kept his d of the deal and reined her in.


    Miw: "Hm~ Yeah... This is disgusting. Want a bite, Lard?"


    Pam: "...He already has a full-"


    Miw: "I insist."


    She was a little irritating. I could tell she disliked me and my behavior, but I wasn''t yet able to tell if she was behind this.


    Malice or ignorance... it was hard to determine.


    As for Lard, he epted my "offer" and ate a small cut.


    His silt reaction already told the tire story, but I opted to continue and asked him to eat some of the sd too.


    Lard: "It''s salty. Too salty."


    His words had apletely differt effect than Isabe''s.


    Once he spoke, it was immediately tak seriously.


    I didn''t look behind me, but I felt Isabe''s hand reaching for the chair from behind me.


    This must''ve shak her a little.


    Miw: "Right. It''s an unreasonable amount. Ev an amateur wouldn''t make such a mistake. Want some Albert? I insist."


    I protected myself against Pam''sints beforehand.


    And so, Albert had the same reaction and reached the very same conclusion.


    Next was Pam, and th Albris.


    It wasn''t only undiable, to im me or Isabe were lying now would be the same as to insult Albris himself.


    Pam: "...It still doesn''t justify your actions, Isabe. You could have handled this much better."


    It seemed like it wasn''t just me that she disliked.


    However, she also made a point to fire the chef and investigate anyone else responsible for this.


    There was a chance that she was simply being honest, trying to be a model wife and caring for the image of the family above anything else.


    Isabe: "What? How-"


    However, I wasn''t going to let her have her way either.


    As Isabe''s catastrophe, I couldn''t stop at such a meager barrier like the family''s image.


    Miw: "Yes, she handled that poorly. Wouldn''t you agree that she got excessively angry?"


    Pam: "...Quite. She has to be more mindful of-"


    Miw: "But did you know? Too much salt messes with someone''s blood pressure. Makes them more stressed. The mood bes harder to control, and they be angry more easily."


    Isabe''s at the bottom of the well.


    There''s a bunch of differt ways to bring her out of there.


    I for one, didn''t mind leveling the area a to make her escape.


    Miw: "Oh, but don''t think I''m excusing her actions just because of the salt. Of course not. It''s also because of her hunger. Believe it or not, the mind needs ergy to function properly, and humans ar''t that good at photosynthesis."


    The small piece of cake she received before... barely made a mess on the floor.


    She was hungry ough to eat everything that Mei had brought by herself.


    And while it could be excusable since Mei''s sweets are delicious, she ev forced herself to try and eat this shit.


    That''s not something someone would normally do.


    Miw: "Not to mtion, if you keep at it for long ough, the body will evtually crumble. Congrattions, your family was being poisoned right before your eyes and you couldn''t be bothered to move a finger. Such a-"


    Lard: "...I''ll prepare something for her. Personally."


    Oh...


    As expected of a knight. Very chivalrous.


    I might''ve also stepped a little over the line. Insulting them is no good.


    But... messing with food like this ded up getting on my nerves. Especially after what I heard from Lana.


    Still, while a little off, Lard''s idea wasn''t bad. I liked that he was trying to look out for her in his own way.


    However, as a knight, he has his own duties, so he wouldn''t be able to cover for her every time.


    And well... I already had a better solution in mind.


    One a little more long-term and failsafe.


    Miw: "No need. Come, Isabe."


    She was a little confused.


    We left the table and the dining hall and let them have a proper, meaningful, and real discussion.


    As for us, we were going to have a proper, real meal.


    In the Kitch, I summoned Ellie, Licia, and Lily.


    Mei was already with us too.


    Miw: "Alright. Let''s start your first lesson. Today... you are going to learn how to cook. Grab a bowl."


    Isabe: "...But for a noble to-"


    Miw: "Would you rather starve?"


    Isabe: "...Wer''t you going to help me?"


    Not quite.


    I was going to make her wishe true.


    I could do it for her, of course, but that would be meaningless.


    As long as she doesn''t change, she cannot shine.


    There are only so many tricks and schemes I can catch.


    But by making her indepdt of others, the number of things for me to worry and look out for will diminish greatly.


    Miw: "C''mon. We''ll start with sds today. They are super easy. Ev a child can do, and if you really need to eat, that will suffice for a while."


    I asked Mei to prepare rice, and I focused on the meat for her.


    We were going to have a full meal, but evtually, I was going to have Isabe be able to cook everything for herself.

 Chapter 162: Suspects

    Ev though I talked big to Prisci, I ded up going through a humbling experice myself, as some things in this world ar''t as easy and convit as they are back on Earth.


    I had to grind down a few spices that I had never heard of, so while I wanted to make something nice for her, it ded up being somewhat of a shot in the dark.


    My high level of [Culinary Arts] was really helpful though.I get levels in it as oft as with every other skill, but only now that I stepped out of myfort zone did I understand how good it truly is.


    Just by trying something once I''m flooded with ideas and a rather good perception about how I should use each ingredit or utsil.


    Ev with that though,the girls couldn''t help but watch in amusemt at my trouble in the kitch since it was so simr to their own experice back in their first days on Earth.


    While offering help, they had the smuggest smiles, and I could hear them excitedly joking behind my back.


    Certainly well-deserved karma for all the times I''ve teased them.


    Although I was having a few unusual problems, like almost slipping or cutting my fingers, however, ev with that, I managed to prepare a good meal for Isabe, and I''ve be able to teach her how to cook for herself too.


    It was just a matter of adapting and trying out the differt utsils they had for me to learn too.


    One thing to note though is how reliant this world is on magic.


    It''s quite interesting.


    Their use is more refinedpared with the humanity I know. Their knowledge and experice with it are way ahead of ours.


    On Earth, outside of chantmts for weapons and tools, we normally use mana orbs for electricity.


    However, this world has a differt way of using them altogether.


    They can draw the power of the elemt, allowing ev the people who don''t have a talt for that specific type of magic to utilize the tools and achieve the desired results by simply running pure mana through it.


    Thispletely differt philosophy led to some contraptions I wasn''t expecting to find in a medieval world.


    For example, their alternative to a stove uses fire orbs to function. Those are usually powered by monster cores using an intricate system that doesn''t require electricity.


    They still use wood or charcoal to keep the fire burning, but the color of the fire orb indicates the temperature, and it''s possible to change and control the temperature using it.


    As ire pointed out, this system is notmonly used since it tds to be very expsive.


    A good orb is needed to make the system function for a long time on a house as big as this, which means there''s also a necessity for powerful monster cores to power said orb.


    It''s like trying to build an gine. It needs to be powerful, but the more powerful it is, the more fuel it will require.


    The likelihood of these things affecting Isabe''s lessons was low, but I decided it was better to keep an eye out for them and understand as much as possible.


    It''s clear this house is not the safest ce for her, so I couldn''t let myck of knowledge hinder me in prevting any schemes, incidts, or misunderstands from happing.


    And speaking of incidts, I''m currtly unable to use the library.


    After one of Isabe''s episodes that happed before I reached this world, it has be put under maintance.


    I had asked her about it, but she refused to borate. She only said that she had her reasons.


    She ded up not giving me anything to go on from, so while I didn''t doubt her, I couldn''t do anything aside from epting the situation.


    And so, a few days wt by.


    Her mood was slowly improving thanks to a better diet, and I was able to start working more with her.


    I''ve allowed her to use my tickets however she sees fit, and she''s be a little more willing to list to my advice, which has made her stce shrink considerably fast.


    She has also promised to pay me back but I''m not really in need of money, and to clear this evt, I was ready to invest everything into her anyway.


    Still, without ess to the library, I wasn''t able to learn much about this world, and had to rely on ire''s knowledge and...


    Mei: "...The blonde one, Chloe, has be sold by her family. She''s talkative and is interested in us, so I''ve be approaching her."


    Her reports.


    Miw: "Just be careful with what you say. I don''t want to reveal anything vital from our side."


    Mei: "Of course."


    I''ve be using Mei to gather more information about the house servants and their opinions on Isabe.


    For her to bld in a little better with the others, I''ve allowed her to perform duties that ar''t necessarily rted to Isabe.


    Still, the information she has provided me is making me understand the picture a little better.


    Most of the people working in the house don''t have a favorable opinion of her, but they also don''t have a personal reason to hate her.


    Of course, they can also be hiding it, but...


    From what we could gather, they have some dissatisfaction with their jobs and with other members of the family.


    Since targeting them is way harder and riskier than Isabe most of the employees have be using her as stress relief.


    There''s no one willing to stand up for her, and she doesn''t have a strong position. Anyone who watches her could see that.


    She''s also quite nervous a the rest of her family.


    This is a situation that has be naturally developing over the years, one thing feeding another until it grows into the status quo and no one ev questions it.


    However, there''s a possibility that someone either took advantage of the existing situation or nted the seeds for things to happ this way from behind the curtains.


    Lard doesn''t seem like the type to care for such things.


    Albert is usually quite upied, so it''s hard to tell what he''s be up to, but considering he has a position in the ministry, it''s understandable to some extt.


    While their rtionship with Isabe isn''t particrly good, neither seem to hate her per se.


    At most, they are harsh with her due to the problems she causes, which obviously doesn''t help her situation, as it paints the picture of her existing at the bottom of the family''s hierarchy.


    Pam seems to control the internal politics of the house more than Albris, who is upied with external politics.


    Her personality also makes her the primary suspect, but Mei hasn''t managed to hear about any wrongdoings or rumors yet.


    For now, it seems like she cares a little too much about appearances.


    If she doesn''t harbor ill inttions toward Isabe, we might be able to use her desires in our favor by arguing that the servants''ck of discipline might damage the image she tries to maintain.


    The most difficult to deal with, however, will be Albris.


    Ev if there is no mastermind behind the currt situation, his actions, or rather,ck of actions, are certainly a problem.


    There''s a whole situation going on, as this dukedom used to be indepdt a few years ago.


    ording to Isabe, Albris is the uncle of the currt king. They tered a union due to the power of the suring nations in an attempt to strgth their nations and prevt a war from happing.


    But this has also put Albris in a difficult situation, as he and his childr have legitimate ims to the throne, making other Dukes jealous and distrustful.


    This means he has to pay a lot of atttion to them and dedicate himself to building trust, which can be quite hard considering their positions.


    As such,Albris has prioritized his rtionship with the other families instead of his own.


    Still, due to his negligce, Isabe has also earned a bad reputation with other families after participating in multiple incidts in gatherings with theirdies.


    The facts behind those are ev more obscure though...


    ire: "I told you this was hard... Almost everything that Isabe does makes the situation worse."


    It''s as if fate itself hates her.


    And it doesn''t help that she has a problem trusting others.


    Miw: "Doesn''t matter. If I can''t have her reconcile with her family, I''ll make sure she can live without them."


    ire: "I guess... I think that getting her to be more indepdt is good, but don''t forget that the point of the game was to have her ter a rtionship with one of the targets at the academia. There''s a chance that her desire lies there..."


    It''s good to remember that this was a dating sim to begin with.


    There''s probably a clue there.


    But ire didn''t manage to get too far in the game, so I asked her to go at it wh she had time.


    I also got Licia, Beatrice, and Ellie to start their own saves too.


    These three are all a little better at romance... or bewitching... or acting cute.


    With differt approaches, we might get somewhere.


    I also asked if Mia wanted to participate, thinking that her distinctive personality could also lead to a differt route in the game, but she had no interest in any of this.


    Still, wh ites to romance...


    Miw: "That''s actually the easier part. She can use her telepathic link to get advice from one of the girls whever she needs it. I''ll also be there to help."


    ire: "...I get the others, but what will you help with?"


    Miw: "Hm? I''m basically a god at romance by this point."


    She barely tried to hold back herughter after hearing what I said.


    ire: "Haha! You''re taking Mia''smts way too seriously. As far as I remember, you kept waiting for Licia and me to make a move."


    Ev though it was true, it kind of hurt my pride a little.


    Especially wh I think that Anna and Cassandra also took the initiative.


    Ellie kind of did too, but at least I insisted a little on her.


    I also took the initiative with Bea. Kind of.


    So... I''m not that bad at this.


    At least I think I understandthe heart of m pretty well.


    Most guys will be more than satisfied with a cute, loving girl.


    And in that departmt, Isabe is rather pretty. As long as we fix her attitude a bit, people will be all over her.


    Although that might also be a problem.


    If we consider her position as the daughter of a Duke, I can see others trying to approach her while intding to use her as a stepping stone.


    While this might make her happy at first, I doubt it''s going tost, and it would probably affect my ding too.


    So call me an overcaring part, but I''m not allowing these types to approach her at all.


    Still, that''s all the more reason to invest in her education.


    Because if I can''t protect her against this type of people, I can at least make her capable of protecting herself.


    But sadly her homeschooling is not going as well as I first expected.


    She''s not particrly smart or talted and struggles with simple concepts sometimes.


    It''s not too concerning since she puts in the effort, which I think is the most important part, but sometimes sheins to me about the difficulty of the subject and well... me.


    I was never a good studt, so I knew I wouldn''t do a good job teaching her the same way I was taught.


    So, I tried a differt, less traditional approach.


    I''ve be using math to cheat on a bunch of differt games, and once she gets mad ough I exin the trick and the math behind it.


    She absolutely hates it at first. But once she gets to win, she starts developing her skills quite rapidly.


    Whever I give her some problems to solve, I ask her to write down her thoughts and the steps she took to solve them.


    It helps me understand where she''s having problems, and I can th reinforce some concepts.


    It''s also creating good notes for her, which might help her remember things better. Her reading and writing skills are also developing nicely.


    Her progress these past few days is reasonable. Not particrly good, but we''ll at least be able to finish the introductory book that the academy st.


    From there, I can give her reinforcemt lessons on the subjects taught, and she should be able to achieve high grades.


    She''s not too sure about that though as she thinks that ying games with me is a waste of time.


    Still, differt activities should distract her from this  room, and I know she''s just worried about her future.


    She''ll also thank me wh we start training her magic and body.


    Since I''ll leave that to the girls and I''m also subject to those frequtly, I know how hard it can be.


    It might ev dy our schedule a little bit.


    Still, to do that, we need to get her ess outside of this room.


    But that can only happ tomorrow. It would be dangerous if she tried to resist her kidnapping.


    And so, while in her room, I wait patitly, pretding to sleep.


    In the middle of the night, there was a sudd change in the air.


    It was filling the room, so I made a few air bubbles to guarantee I wasn''t going to get affected by it.


    ??????: We''re only getting this one chance, so don''t screw it up."


    Two m and a girl...


    One of them rather big.


    I''m not sure about their idtities.


    Which is strange considering I think I was introduced to everyone in the house.


    I do know the girl though.


    She''s the blonde chick Mei was talking about.


    Chloe: "...I heard the boy is supposed to be royalty of some kind. The Duke is ev giving him special treatmt."


    ??????: "Take him too, th. We might be able to get a ransom. If not, we can always make an example of him to make her more willing."


    Great.


    I thought I was going to have to make a move, but they took the stupid decision all on their own.


    Perhaps getting kidnapped is considered bad luck and Isabe''s Gift is giving me a hand?


    Whatever the case, I decided to trust the professionals, so while a little rough, I was able to fully joy my kidnapping.

 Chapter 163: Prisoners

    After some time, we finally reached our destination.


    It''s be a long time since I wasst confined, so I got a nostalgic feeling about it all.


    ????: "What are you smiling at?"


    One of my kidnappers, called Kyle, seems to be distressed by my attitude.


    He was sitting on a small bch by the door''s side.


    As it is the only way to exit the room, leaving without him noticing would be impossible without a Gift like Lana''s.


    Although to escape I don''t necessarily have to get out of the room, since I still have the option of going inside the Kingdom.


    Chloe: "...Maybe he''s in shock? Should we bring more water?"


    Miw: "That''s very kind of you, but no need. I''m just thinking that you guys did an excellt job. Well done..."


    She seemed surprised by my words and attitude.


    But it was true.


    This scheme was pretty well conceived and executed.


    The method they used looked like something I''d see in a movie back on Earth.


    While I can''t say whether or not it really is used in this type of operation, filling the room with invisible sleeping gas from behind the door was quite clever, and since it was odorless I''m not sure I would''ve noticed it either if I wasn''t already expecting something.


    The magic handcuffs they prepared are also quite interesting.


    They drain all kinds of ergy, including magic. It''s really hard to gather my strgth thanks to them, and the material is very resistant.


    I don''t know the name of this material, but I''m sure the girls know about something at least simr.


    It would be useful to keep captives inside the Kingdom if ever necessary. Feeding Cassandra a weapon with these proprieties would also be pretty good.


    Speaking of which, Cassandra was currtly being examined by the third conspirator in this little scheme. Therge man that they''ve be calling Lynus.


    He seems pretty astonished by her sharpness and design. Or he might be using her as a mirror since the de albeit ck, is clean ough to see one''s own reflex.


    Still, while this group did amdable job in getting us here, they''ve also made a few strange mistakes.


    They kept talking nonchntly, which revealed their idtity. I think they only did that because they thought I was sleeping, as after Isabe woke up they stopped doing it, but... we can still see their faces.


    It''s ev stranger considering they did have blindfolds, and they used them on us wh we made our way to this room.


    The fact that they also brought me here is baffling.


    I''m a one-man army. Wherever I go, you can expect at least a doz others to follow.


    Basically, the worst possible hostage one could have.


    It''s already hard to forgive all of that but... They are also treating Cassandra like she''s a normal sword. They hav''t chained or locked her away.


    This means that they didn''t get too much info on us, probably thanks to Albris, Lard, or ev Pam,


    They seem to have their ways of keeping others quiet and in line, and if nothing else, Albris at least has a lot of authority over his house.


    Chloe: "...I''m not kind..."


    Miw: "Hm? Howe? I heard good things about you from Mei. She said you''re very hardworking and honest, and that you became her frid quickly."


    Chloe: "That was because I wanted information. Would a kind person ev kidnap another?"


    Miw: "Sometimes good people are pushed to do bad things. Everyone has their reasons. Or are you saying you don''t have one?"


    At first, I thought they were professionals, but their mistakes and actions paired with their attitude made me realize that this wasn''t the case at all.


    I can see signs of nervousness in their words and actions.


    They are unsure about this. Maybe about what they did, or maybe about what they should do now.


    Whatever the case, I knew I could y a little with their feelings.


    Chloe: "Haha... You''re wrong... I just want the money. I need it. Selfish, right?"


    Giv what Mei told me about Chloe and her interest in getting a second ransom, I was almost sure this was the case.


    Miw: "Money is rarely someone''s ultimate goal. You want to use it for something, right? I bet it''s something nice, like... going back to your family?"


    Chloe: "That would be good too... If I could buy back myself and my sisters... and live with everyone again-"


    Kyle: "Shut up."


    Shame... I was getting a lot out of praising her and acting sympathetic.


    Since sweet-talking nervous people ded up being pretty easy, I decided to try one more time.


    Miw: "...You also seem upstanding. Are you angry because you''re ashamed? No need to be, you know? I can tell you also have a-"


    Kyle: "You don''t know anything about me!"


    Right for the most part, but still far from the truth.


    People td to justify their own actions wh they know they are doing something bad.


    Something like being the hero of their own story.


    It''s surprisingly rare for someone to be true to themselves and admit that there are things they''d go to any lgths for.


    So I just had to appeal to his virtues.


    Not that differt from Chloe.


    Miw: "Well, you''re angry, but you''re not roughing me up. Or threating me. You''re also not doing anything to Isabe, ev though she''spletely defseless. I think you don''t like violce. And it''smdable that you''re sticking to your morals giv the position you''re in."


    Someone with a weaker will could easily take advantage of this.


    Although if there was any hint of that I''d d this charade in a blink.


    Miw: "That''s pretty virtuous of you...But it makes me a little confused about your motivation. Since I''m also not the violt type, how about we just chat a bit? You know, if you''re feeling guilt, it might help."


    Kyle: "...it''s all because of her."


    He pointed at Isabe, who turned away her face in fear.


    Kyle: "If you wer''t so arrogant...!"


    ...Huh. He was quite angry at her.


    I thought he might do something, but he stopped himself from raising his hand.


    Miw: "...Did she do something to you?"


    Kyle: "..."


    Chloe: "Wh we were little... We lived in a small town called Langria... But... Our town suffered a monster attack... We lost everything. Kyle lost his family...


    and... it was all because of the Evretis daughter..."


    ...?


    I didn''t follow the logic there.


    They seemed to be a Isabe''s age, since they were little, she must''ve also be.


    I can''t picture how she would have anything to do with a monster attack.


    Kyle: "...Hah. It''s the first time you look confused."


    Miw: "I''m not from this country, so I don''t really know what you''re talking about."


    I''d rather reveal as little as possible from my side, ev if it''s trivial, but as they seem to dislike Isabe and her house, I thought that removing myself from her side in their perspective would establish a better position for us to talk.


    It would be easier to make it seem like I''m on their side if I''m not on hers.


    Kyle: "It''s a known story in these parts. The princess invited a bunch of nobles to her anniversary, including Terith''s royal family. Rumor had it that she liked their prince."


    ...Terith is the country that tered a union with Evretis.


    Albris is uncle to their currt king, meaning...


    Oh.


    I suppose for noble families this is not that bad since they ar''t that close, but... It still feels a little strange.


    There was also the fact she was young, and kids don''t really think too much about that but... she seemed embarrassed ev now...


    I decided it was best not to think about this too much.


    Miw: "So... the knights were forced to stay in the capital to protect the noble families?"


    Kyle: "Yes... It also took more time to get supplies, so their response was dyed. While they were partying, we were....!"


    ...I can see why he''d get angry.


    It must feel incredibly frustrating to put your hopes on the army only for them to prioritize something so... frivolous.


    Still... to me it on Isabe was a little too much.


    Knowing her position in the family, I doubt she had any choice regarding who was invited.


    And ev if she did, I wouldn''t really me her forcking the foresight as a child.


    Also...


    Giv that the two countries would ter a union sometime after that, I can''t help but think such gatherings were used to discuss these topics in secret...


    In which case...


    Suddly, I realized something about Isabe''s situation.


    It''s always easy to ce the me on someone, rather than an unfortunate coincidce or poor timing.


    It''s more eptable for the victims if they can attach things to a name.


    Especially if said someone already has a bad reputation and is unable to defd themselves.


    Such a convit scapegoat.


    Miw: "I see... do you want her to apologize?"


    Isabe: "Ah... I''m sorry... Please, I didn''t... I never thought-"


    Lynus: "Haha. As if that''s going to change anything now."


    C''mon. She shouldn''t ev be apologizing in the first ce.


    Poor girl doesn''t ev know what she did wrong and she''s still willing to lower her head.


    Miw: "Hey, I know that losing someone important can be-"


    Lynus: "Don''t waste your time mate. I just want the money, nothing else. That''s all."


    ...As I thought.


    This one was differt from the rest.


    Chloe and Kyle seemed more fridly to each other, while he stayed in his own corner.


    He was also not as nervous as them.


    I was pretty sure the same method would not work on him... And as he said, it might be a waste of time.


    Still, just to be sure...


    Miw: "I see. But how do you n on getting the money after you''re dead?"


    Lynus: "...What was that?"


    Miw: "Well, forgive me for assuming, but... we''re waiting for someone, right? Neither of you have any idea of what to do from here. Do you want me to tell you the reason?"


    It was pretty obvious once I got the chance to know them a little more.


    Chloe and Kyle are good scapegoats. They have multiple reasons to plot against Isabe and her house.


    However, they are not expericed criminals. It''s hard to believe they woulde up with such an borate n.


    So... you get someone with a little more experice with such dirty work.


    But ultimately, he''s also a scapegoat.


    If Lynus was the mastermind, he wouldn''t be waiting with them. Chloe and Kyle would already have a dagger on their backs.


    He would also not reveal his own face.


    The n was efficit, so they must''ve had some instructions here and there, but that only emphasized their mistakes.


    Not that it matters to whoever employed them though.


    They were made to wait here just like us...


    Without any hint of whates after...


    Miw: "You won''t be alive for the next steps. But if you knew about this part of the n-"


    Lynus: "Shut up!"


    All three of them were shocked. Well, considering Isabe, all four.


    However, Lynus was very angry at the realization.


    Sadly, he wasn''t going to be as useful to me as the other two, so...


    Cassandra: "Ew... He was touching me all over. I''ll need you to bathe me thoroughlyter~"


    ...Somehow it felt like she wasn''t talking about water.


    Miw: "I thought you liked being touched?"


    Cassandra: "But, my lord! This body is for you only~"


    Miw: "...Yeah? What about the girls?"


    Cassandra: "They count as you too, obviously."


    I don''t think they do but... as always, this self-proimed bitch is incredibly loyal to me.


    As soon as Lynus raised her against me, she forcefully twisted his hand and stabbed his own neck while still in her sword form.


    It was quite disturbing to see... it was as if his hand was being puppeteered by someone else, forcing him tomit suicide.


    His confusion onlysted a momt, but it was more than ough for her.


    Cassandra: "...And these two?"


    Miw: "Right... what do you want to do with them, Isabe?"


    She was incredibly shocked.


    It was the expected reaction giv the situation and how fast things turned.


    But I wanted to take this opportunity to know a little more about her.


    I had already managed to uncover a lot, but the more the better, and I wasn''t sure wh I would get another chance like this.


    Isabe: "W-what do you mean...? We should... run away..."


    Miw: "Sure. But do you want them to die for what they did? I personally don''t mind either way."


    After Cassandra released us, I brought Licia and ire from the Kingdom, and together, they made them surrder quite easily.


    Isabe: "I... don''t know..."


    Miw: "Hm? You do realize they agreed to do something really bad to you, right? It''s fine to want revge. Kyle agrees, right?"


    Kyle: "..."


    He didn''t care about the money. All he wanted was to make someone suffer like he suffered.


    The culprit he so convitly med for the tragedy of his past.


    However, if that''s your wish, you can''tin wh it turns on you.


    Isabe: "...But it was my fault..."


    Miw: "It wasn''t. You were a kid. It''s dumb to ce the me on you."


    Isabe: "...You don''t understand. No matter what I do... ev if I don''t do anything... it always ds like this-"


    She was basically describing the effects of [Darkest Star], but this tragedy should have happed before she got the Gift.


    It made me think that perhaps this idea was imnted in her from a young age.


    That everything bad that happs is always her fault.


    And for that idea to manifest as her Gift... It truly felt like destiny wanted to make fun of her.


    Th, in a tragic twist, as if to reinforce her beliefs, a man walked into the room.


    He was apanied by two other girls, one on each side.

 Chapter 164: Prisoners (02)

    As soon we noticed another presence entering the room, I turned my attention to the figure and the girls raised their swords against them.


    While the women apanying him were unresponsive, the man had a disgusting grin stered all over his face.


    Miwen: "...And you are?"


    ??????: "I could ask the same of you."


    He didn''t give the same aura as the others in the room.


    It gave me the impression that I wouldn''t be able to make him talk as easily as the others.


    Since I had already figured out that the three who were hired for this job were waiting for someone, I expected another person to join us eventually.


    And so, this timing was too coincidental. I was sure this guy was at least rted.


    And more realistically, he was either the one behind this whole mess or a step above the others.


    Thus hising here presented me with a good opportunity to understand better how this came to be.


    Miwen: "Thest guy who didn''t have answers for me ended up like that, are you sure you''re not going to talk?"


    Lynus didn''t seem to know too much anyway, so losing him wasn''t all that bad, however, I had high hopes for this one.


    Even when talking about levels, he was in another leaguepared to our captors.


    The women apanying him were level 45 and 51, while the man was 58 himself.


    Certainly high, but not enough to intimidate us. Even without discussing it, the girls and I were confident that subduing all three wasn''t going to be too difficult of a job.


    ??????: "I''ll take my chances."


    He whispered something to the women apanying him, and they seemed ready to fight.


    Miwen: "We''ll restrain them."


    On my orders, the girls rushed ahead, but...


    Their sword cut through their opponents, the desing out of their backs.


    Even though I had not ordered them to kill, I couldn''t me them for this result either.


    Basically, it wasn''t their fault.


    The women purposefullyunched themselves forward, a suicidal move against their swords.


    If this wasn''t surprising enough, they also used thest of their strength to grab the girls'' hands, locking them in ce for a second.


    Using this n, the man grabbed Licia and ire''s head for just a moment before both jumped back as their opponents fell to the ground.


    I thought they had instantly freed themselves, but as I was approaching them...


    Ice started to form around my feet, and when I looked in front of me, mes rotating and forming a tornado had beenunched in my direction, the ground being scorched as they made their way to me.


    I instantly reacted and created a water barrier to ward off the fire. It was incredibly strong, and I had to reinforce the barrier to maintain it, but as soon as I focused more on it, an ice spike sprawled from behind me.


    My reaction was dyed due to the ice in the ground holding me in ce still, but with enough strength, I managed to dodge out of the way just in time.


    As the water and fire collided, a lot of steam started to fill the room, and as soon as I used wind magic to take it all away, I noticed the figure of the man casually walking toward the stairs of the corridor leading to our room... with ire right behind him.


    I rushed to create an earth barrier to impede him from escaping to another floor, but I barely had any time, as in a single second, Licia''s sword was reaching for my heart together with a bunch of icicles created by the ice spike she had made before.


    Fighting back against all that was impossible for me considering how strong she and her magic were, so I decided to take the magic attack head-on as I d myself in air armor.


    As for Licia... I never had to face her so seriously before, and I never wanted to.


    Not only because of how much I love her, but also... the girl hits like a truck.


    Except that she does not stop either.


    Mia and she are incredible at overwhelming their opponent by not giving them any time to think and fight. Mia does that using her absurd physical prowess, while Licia keeps creating new hazards for the opponent to look out for as the fight goes on.


    I knew the best way to deal with that was to make a sacrifice. Anna usually face-tanks the magic and concentrates on the sword fighting, so I did something simr and used all my strength to push her back right on her first strike.


    Normally, that would give me time to think about my next move but... ire was ready to follow up.


    Pushing Licia back was already hard, but I barely had time to adjust myself before facing ire''s sword.


    Counter-attacking wasn''t an option for me in this condition, and I knew a single wasted movement would be my end.


    In close-quartersbat, I had no chance against bothbined, so I decided to jump back.


    But even that didn''t grant me a single moment to breathe or talk. Fireballs changingbined with an absurd amount of icicles were aimed at me while the two gave chase.


    As I did my best to survive, a pir of ice formed behind me, and I felt my feet getting stuck in something cold.


    There was nowhere I could escape to now.


    Thankfully, a bunch of swords appeared behind me, meeting the magic of the girls head-on.


    I met ire''s sword with my own, but Licia was waiting for it.


    But a sword wasunched from the ground upward in her direction, which made her retreat.


    As soon as she did, a cat came out of her shadow and tripped her over before quickly returning back to mine.


    I used all of my strength to push ire away too, which finally granted me enough time to get a coherent sentence out.


    Miwen: "This is an order. Both of you, return to the Kingdom."


    I put 2000 points on each just to be sure they would oblige. I didn''t want to hurt them, but I had no choice.


    This was the only way.


    The two of them are too much for me to handle alone, if Cassandra and Lana hadn''t interfered, I wouldn''t even have been able to get a word in, much less fight without hurting them.


    Considering how easily the man brainwashed ire and Licia, getting anyone else involved was too risky.


    It was lucky of me that Cassandra was in her sword form and thus the man hadn''t noticed her, and that Lana''s Gift makes her basically untraceable until she pops out of a shadow.


    If any other girl was with me here, this could''ve be a gigantic problem.


    ??????: "So you also control others... Oh, I get it. They are yours? My bad."


    Miwen: "...?"


    His words didn''t shock me. I barely registered them.


    It was what I saw in the cells in the corridor that surprised me.


    ??????: "But those two were worth a lot... Say, wanna make a deal? You can get anything from this floor, or two from upstairs. I''ll not even charge for the ones you''ve killed. That should-"


    Miwen: "Shut up."


    I knew what he was trying to say, but the idea of selling or trading the girls was ridiculous and disgusting. I didn''t want to entertain it for a moment.


    ??????: "Too bad then. Maybe if you have a taste you''ll change your mind?"


    Miwen: "I said-"


    As soon as he flickered his fingers, the prisoners started toe out of the cells, rushing in my direction.


    But all they had were numbers. They weren''t particrly powerful, most were malnourished, sick, or missing a limb.


    They tried their best to overwhelm me, but it was like seeing desperate zombies.


    Even their magic was weak.


    Miwen: "Cass, give me a sword and return to the Kingdom."


    Cassandra: "Are you sure?"


    Miwen: "Yeah. I don''t know what might happen if I use you to cut him."


    He hadn''t noticed Cassandra''s true identity, but I didn''t want to risk raising and ending up like Lynus.


    Above all, even if alone, there wasn''t a single prisoner here I couldn''t cut down.


    And so, as they came at me, all they met were my de or my magic.


    I noticed the air was beginning to change, as it had happened inside Isabe''s room, so I used magic to close the door leading to the room out of the corridor, and sent thest of the prisoners to a wall, freezing him there.


    Miwen: "Just you and me now."


    The man started to let some sks fall to the ground.


    Contained inside them were spheres, that once out of the ss, started to release more gas.


    Using wind magic I sent it all back his way, but he had a mask prepared.


    Soon, I noticed that there was something wrong. My legs were itching and burning.


    There was a concentration point around them, and the gas was starting to dissolve my skin.


    I used water magic to "wash it away".


    However, as soon as I did that, I noticed that I couldn''t see anything in front of me.


    Another gas had made a thick fog. From there, a bunch of knives flew in my direction.


    However, deflecting them wasn''t all that hard. Theycked speed and power, but... once they touched the ground, I saw that they were burning it.


    It seemed like they were coated in some acid substance.


    I decided it was best to finish this once and for all, and my chance came when he used the fog to strike my neck with one of the knives.


    My body fell to the ground lifeless.


    ??????: "Should''ve given me them when I was asking nicely. Nothing personal boy, but you''re not worth a lot."


    Miwen: "You should''ve shut up when I told you to."


    It seemed like he was good with abination of gas and wind magic. I was interested in this fighting style, but I didn''t allow him to go any further.


    By activating [Hollow Destiny] I disabled his Gift. This should take away his control over the girls.


    As the clone created by [Body Double] disappeared from the ground, I pierced the man''s chest with my sword.


    ??????: "What...?"


    I used the pool of water to tie his hands and legs and started freezing it in his direction.


    I also made my sword approach his neck, which prompted him to start speaking with fear in his eyes.


    ??????: "I don''t want to die..."


    Miwen: "Most people don''t. But luckily for you, I can heal that. For a price, of course."


    ??????: "I''ll pay whatever you want..."


    He didn''t waste time trying to y me and went straight to business.


    Miwen: "I''m not interested in money. I''d much rather get some names."


    ??????: "Count Brisco. You can find receipts in the drawer on the third floor."


    As soon as he told me what I wanted to hear, I cut off his hands and legs.


    ??????: "Why...?"


    Miwen: "You touched something you shouldn''t have."


    I wanted to punish him ordingly, but I wasn''t sure what would happen if he died after getting his Gift back, and while I was confident the effects wouldn''t remain active, I wasn''t going to take any chances, so I finished him on the spot before the timer for [Hollow Destiny] ran out.


    It was a shame to kill him so quickly since he could have more information too, but at the very least, I ended up getting a lead, and if the receipts were true, I might get an even better target for next time.


    Although it would be nice if the mastermind of all of this was someone outside of Isabe''s family...

 Chapter 165: Prisoners (03)

    Since the battle was over, I called back the girls from the Kingdom.


    Elizabeth made a report telling me that both girls hade to their senses, but I couldn''t suppress my feelings. I wouldn''t be satisfied until I saw them with my own eyes.


    Their figures appeared in front of me almost immediately after I sent the request, in that moment, all the anxiety in my heart transformed into a bursting stream that I couldn''t contain.


    They tried to apologize, but...


    Licia: "...Sorry Miwen, I wasn''t expecting-"


    ire: "I should have burned them from the start-"


    I ended up not allowing them to finish their sentences.


    I couldn''t care less about any of that.


    The only thing in my mind was...


    Miwen: "I''m d you two are back."


    Losing them even if for only a moment was a devastating blow to me.


    I wasn''t joking when I told the girls that they are my biggest strength and weakness. The man I am now is unable to live without them. And the idea haunts me.


    Drenched in these feelings I hugged them with more strength than ever before. I didn''t want to let them go a millimeter away from me.


    Even though I knew I had to concentrate on my opponent during my battle, all my reactions were a tad slower than usual.


    My heart and mind had two different priorities, and I couldn''t help worrying about them even though I was sure I could fix everything.


    I was desperate to bring them back...


    Miwen: "It was my fault to start with. You two would''ve gone all out from the start if I didn''t want to extract information out of them. I''m sorry."


    It was with consideration for my desires that they held back. And if I was faster, I could''ve prevented them from getting touched.


    It was my fault that things escted to that point.


    ire: "Hnh... I never knew you could be so sentimental... I like it, but... you''re going to break my bones if you stay like this..."


    Even against her wishes, I couldn''t hold back and ended up staying like that a little longer. But I calmed down soon after, and then, Licia pointed out something else in the corridor.


    The other factor that distracted my mind during this incident.


    Licia: "...Miwen... is that...?"


    Miwen: "I believe so, but... why don''t you tell us, Isabe?"


    Alongside the others who were inside the room, now that there was no danger to be found, she stepped out into the corridor.


    The scene was a bit shocking to her. There were a dozen or so corpses scattered everywhere.


    Isabe: "You killed... all of them? But... they were ves... they didn''t have a choice in the matter..."


    Miwen: "Neither did I."


    I could have tried to fight while avoiding hurting or killing them.


    But I didn''t know the powers and abilities of my opponent, so I decided to not waste time and not give him any chances or openings.


    Killing them on the spot prevented the most unpredictable results, thus, it was the most effective.


    I took no pride or joy in doing it, but even if all of this only amounted to a slight increase in my chances, I judged it well worth it considering what was at stake.


    It was a selfish choice. I could justify it and even think of it as freeing them or that death would be better than remaining a ve, but... I knew the truth and I had no ns of running from it.


    This was the result of my choices, and I fully embraced it, as thanks to it I fulfilled my objectives of bringing the girls back and keeping Isabe safe.


    As cruel as it might be, I protected what I valued, so there were no regrets on my part.


    Miwen: "I kept one alive though."


    Isabe: "...And what''s special about him?"


    Honestly speaking... nothing much.


    Like the other ves on this floor, he was missing a limb. His left arm, to be more precise. He was missing everything from the forearm down.


    Due to this condition, as well as malnourishment, he wasn''t particrly strong. I threw him against a wall easily, and he wasn''t able to free himself even though I didn''t reinforce too much the ice magic that was keeping him stuck in the wall.


    He was a boy. His age seemed to be around 12 years old at most, and aside from his arm, he also had scars and spots all over his body.


    As I said, not that different from the other ves on this floor.


    However, what truly interested me was something else.


    Miwen: "He''s a Snow White Wolf, right?"


    Isabe: "Yeah? There was a trend some time ago when their tribe was defeated... quite a few noble families bought one or two of them as ves."


    ...I wanted to believe in the small chance that this guy found his way here from another world through a Dungeon.


    But Isabe''s words shattered that hopepletely.


    They confirmed that this world was well-known to me.


    Not only because it was the world in ire''s game. But because it was the same world as my first Event.


    Miwen: "You''re talking about their war with Hamperlon right? How long ago was that?"


    Knowing this was Mia''s world, I wanted to know how much time had passed since the war.


    Isabe: "...How do you know about-"


    Miwen: "Answer me."


    I ended up being a little more cold than normal to her. She was clearly surprised by how harsh I was, but she still answered me.


    Isabe: "I don''t like your tone. But... You''re right. I think It was... around eight years ago."


    ...There were too many coincidences happening in this world.


    This made it more clear than ever before that I was ying someone''s game.


    I was d that I had not made any promises to the First Daughter.


    Because I definitely wanted to have a few words with whoever was behind this.


    Licia: "...I think we should call Mia..."


    Miwen: "We''ll tell her, but not now. First... Isabe. Is very legal in this world?"


    Mia was definitely going to know about this, but I had my own promise with her.


    I knew we were going to need to have a long talk, and I would have to think of a way to progress and reconcile both this Event''s objectives as well as Mia''s revenge.


    I wanted to keep my promise to both Isabe and Mia.


    In any case, this presented me with a good opportunity to correct a mistake from the past.


    Isabe: "I don''t know about the world. But it is legal in most countries, including Terith. But kidnapping and such is not allowed. Only criminals and those to be executed can choose to be ves to avoid their sentences..."


    While it was still possible to sell another person, like what happened with Chloe who was sold to Isabe''s family, this system existed with the unique intention of providing an alternative punishment that allowed criminals to still contribute to society while reducing their ability to act against it.


    Whatever the intention though, it was easily exploited by shady people.


    It was too hard to keep track of which ves were "legal" or not, and controlling the trade was too difficult, especially since the kingdoms relied on auction houses or direct buyers, which often ended up being other traders and merchants looking for a profit.


    Thus they ended up with this broken system where selling or possessing ves is not illegal as long as the ves are registered. However, they also can''t check or know if a ve is illegal or not.


    Miwen: "...Then what will happen with this boy?"


    Isabe: "Since he''s from a defeated tribe, he''s probably a legal ve, so... If we are still in Evretis, I doubt Lenard or Albert will have a use for him... I don''t think Pam- Stepmother... would use him either... He''ll likely be auctioned or sold to someone else directly."


    Miwen: "I see. Tell Lenard I''ll buy him and any other Snow White Wolf in this ce."


    The boy was shocked and afraid listening to our interaction, but there was still a hint of defiance in his eyes.


    Miwen: "You don''t have to worry. I n on getting revenge against those who put you in this situation, so... Do you want to be free?"


    Boy: "...I...Yes..."


    Miwen: "Great. Then ept the invitation."


    It was not like he had a choice as he already knew that fighting me was useless.


    The most he could was trust I wouldn''t hurt him.


    And while I could use this to hide from Lenard and not pay a dime, I felt like being honest was the best course of action.


    Especially since I nned on relying on Isabe and her family a little more from now on.


    Thus, the boy became a citizen and immediately entered the Kingdom.


    Miwen: "Before Lenard arrives, have you decided what to do with those two?"


    I had sent Apollo to Mei as soon as we arrived here. With her guiding the way it shouldn''t take long for Lenard to reach this ce.


    He was capable enough of taking care of everything, but I wanted to use this situation to better understand Isabe''s nature and how she thinks.


    And so, it was time to carve the fate of the two who betrayed her.


    Isabe: "...Why do you insist on making me decide?"


    Miwen: "I want to fulfill your desires. I''ll support your decisions, however, I shall not decide for you. You''re the only one who can find your happiness. Choose your path, and I''ll help you get there."


    Isabe: "...But then... what if I make a mistake? Will you remain my ally?"


    Miwen: "...? Of course. Failure is not the end. It is just an opportunity to do better next time. You cane crying to me, and I''ll help you every time."


    It was not the first time she made me swear or reinforce my pledge. She is used to people giving up on her, and she actually expects them to do so.


    There''s a lot of fear in her heart. So much so that it hinders her.


    Whenever she''s not confident that she''s able to do something, she tends to give up without even trying.


    Many times I''ve seen her have the right response, but choose to remain silent due to the fear of being wrong and suffering for it.


    But the way she acts with me made me realize that this is not her true self.


    When she''s not considering such things she acts with way more brilliance. She''s more than capable of deciding her own fate.


    And I believe that to be crucial.


    I am a cautious man myself, but I think she goes past the limit. She needs to take more risks, and even if she fails, it''ll be alright.


    A lesson learned might be as valuable as a sessful venture.


    Especially since the stakes will probably get much higher in the future. Testing the waters now was for the best.


    Isabe: "In that case... Chloe and Kyle... how much do you value your lives?"


    Her words echoed through the corridor.


    Those two knew that I was going to abide by whatever she decided to do.


    So, they only had one real choice.


    As predicted, after just a few minutes, Lenard showed up with a few other knights and started to clean up the mess.


    This ce had three floors, plus the underground we were in. On the first floor where the expensive "merchandise" was shown, there were two other Snow White Wolves.


    They were in a much better condition than the boy from the underground floor.


    I kept my word and bought them from Lenard on the spot.


    He asked me200 silver coins in total for the three ves. Or two gold coins. I thought this was hefty, but Isabe said that the two on the first floor were really valuable.


    Not only was their condition way better, but one of them was also a female, which drove the price up.


    Once Isabe was secure, Lenard and I went ahead and checked the documents on the desk together.


    True to his dying words, there were a few documents and letters detailing the n and some exchanges between the ve trader and a certain Count Brisco.


    The idea seemed to be to capture Isabe, change her appearance, and turn her into a ve.


    The Count seemed a little happy about taking her.


    A depraved idea from a man who''s apparently known for simr things.


    It seems that he had never gone as far as doing something like this to a noble though, but... who knows? It may very well be that this isn''t his first rodeo and no one knew about it.


    Whatever the case may be, this infuriated Lenard. It was an honest reaction, and he nned on taking the man to court for this. Seeking an execution.


    But since the guy is quite rich, the results of a trial, even if in favor of Isabe, might not be so great.


    However, I heard that bad things tend to happen to those who cross the darkest star''s path, so even if he gets out with a fine, maybe destiny will have other ns for him.


    One can never know.

 Chapter 166: Quiet Waves

    Two days after her kidnapping, we managed to repay Isabe''s debt and she was finally allowed to leave the white room and return to her normal bedroom.


    Lenard also ended up helping out a little with this. I made him feel guilty for confining Isabe and potentially creating the opportunity for this incident to happen in the first ce.


    It was mostly bullshit, but it worked well and he''s been a little morepassionate and understanding towards her.


    This made me quite hopeful that we could mend their rtionship and get a strong ally for her inside the house.


    Now that her punishment is over, we''ve finally acquired permission to use the courtyard and some other facilities.


    Although I had such permissions from the start, aside from taking a look to n things out, there wasn''t much reason to use them without Isabe.


    Mia: "I think she''s too stiff..."


    I took this opportunity to move our sses outside.


    While her bedroom is way better than the white room from before, the outside has a refreshing air and allows me to bring more students for our sessions.


    Namely Angelica, Anna, Ellie, and Lana.


    Some of them, like Angelica and Lana, never had the opportunity to learn how to write and read, so they were behind Isabe for the most part.


    As for Anna and Ellie, they are somewhat ahead of the curve. Ellie in particr is participating mostly due to her curiosity.


    It''s good to have them on board though. Their diversity is pretty helpful since they tackle problems together, sharing ideas and solutions. This makes everyone progress faster and the knowledge they acquire more meaningful.


    They are also developing nice bonds, which is a big plus.


    Miwen: "Yeah... I was thinking that her stiffness could be useful in archery though."


    Ellie: "Hn... Her aim is not bad, but it needs work. And she''s insisting hard on the sword."


    Since we had ess to an open area, it would be a shame not to use it well, so I expanded Isabe''s training to include areas we weren''t able to explore inside a room like training and magic.


    I also employed a few reliable teachers to give me a hand.


    Initially, I wanted her to get used to one of the three styles of physicalbat that ire, Licia, and Mia can offer.


    However, we ended up facing some obstacles.


    She doesn''t have the reflexes, instincts, or movements to use Mia''s style. Since she''s a beginner, the style that ended up being better for her was Licia''s. She''s also shown some creativity and has improved better under her.


    The problem is that she insists on learning from ire.


    That wouldn''t be bad by itself, but she wants to mimic her style when she doesn''t have talent for it.


    ire spent her entire life learning to handle a sword like she does. For someone like Isabe who has never held one in her entire life, copying ire won''t make her learn anything.


    She can do her best to look the same, but when she faces an enemy, it crumbles instantly. Her training has already shown this.


    Based on her traits, I introduced Ellie into the equation and had her try her luck with the bow.


    She actually doesn''t do too bad for a beginner, but she''s very stubborn about the sword as a symbol of power and authority.


    For now, with Mia helping her improve her movement and reflexes, Licia adjusting her thinking and ire teaching her the form and technique, it might be possible for her to be a decent swordsman.


    Miwen: "She could use the bow as the primary weapon and then bring out the sword when facing an enemy in closebat.."


    While watching her hellish training with ire and Licia unfold, we kept bouncing ideas.


    To me, a strategy simr to Ellie''s made the most sense. Since she was insisting so heavily on using a sword, we could just allow her as that enthusiasm was helping her improve fast anyway.


    However, there was another factor in all of this.


    Ellie: "It could work, but..."


    Bea: "She needs toe to terms with her magic."


    It was a fair point.


    Bea and Liz have been serving as everyone''s magic teachers since they are the most versed on the topic.


    Most of us already know our elemental affinities, but Isabe had no idea about hers, so they ran a few tests to determine it.


    As I''vee to expect of her, the results were pretty negative.


    For most elements, she''s barely capable of using them. Her affinity is close to zero for anything other than [Dark Magic].


    I thought this might be a result of her Gift, so I tried running the tests again while disabling [Darkest Star] with [Hollow Destiny].


    It turned out that her Gift wasn''t to me and we even ended up with more bad news.


    Her affinity is average but her Gift doesn''t even strengthen this type of magic.


    It''s hard not topare her situation with Lana, who has a good affinity for the same element, and whose Gift actually boosts the strength of the element on top of that.


    While not the greatest, we could make her magicplement her fighting style, but... her approach to fighting is another obstacle.


    Dark magic''s strength lies in how versatile and tricky it can be. The user can hide weapons, prepare traps, and even apply curses to himself, his equipment, or the enemy.


    This enables a bunch of different tactics in battle, however, like light magic, this element is not as great for directbat.


    Taking Lana as an example again, the fact that she is talented and has a good affinity for the element, as well as a Gift that empowers it makes her capable of dealing with a mage around the same level due to how synergetic her rtionship with her magic is.


    But even in that situation, she prefers to use it for sneak attacks instead of directbat.


    Isabe doesn''t need to focus on backstabbing or surprise attacks like Lana, but it would be useful if she gave up her ideas of an "honorable duel".


    In life, battles hardly follow any rules, and using [Dark magic] effectively, she could be a tricky opponent to win against.


    I''ve yet to determine what is getting in her way.


    It might be that she thinks fighting resourcefully is besmirching of a noble''s position, or it could be jealousy toward her chivalrous brother, but her insistence on fighting fairly and gracefully is pushing her towards ire''s style even though it doesn''t suit her.


    Lana: "Maybe you could get her some weapons with the dark element to make up the areas she''scking?"


    I''m not fond of relying on weapons too much but I could agree it was not the worst idea.


    Especially since she can use [Gacha Kingdom Building] too...


    Still, we kept discussing until Chloe showed up with our desserts.


    Normally, she should be dead or in jail. Perhaps even as someone''s ve.


    But Isabe ended up forgiving her.


    It was quite surprising to see given the meek personality she shows everyone, but I knew she had it in her.


    In that scenario, she saw an opportunity and she seized it.


    Chloe and Kyle were in the worst possible situation, but by making me change the story and cover for them we turned them into victims instead of perpetrators.


    Considering the consequences that would otherwise await them, they ended up in her debt.


    But it wasn''t just that.


    She used her normal act to her advantage and never told Lenard anything, looking too shocked and afraid to say anything conclusive.


    Basically, she reserved the right to contradict my story whenever she saw fit.


    Which for the two criminals would be the end.


    Thus, she managed to get reins on them by iming their destiny.


    Whether they live or die is up to her now.


    She hasn''t been abusing her newly acquired power though. She asked Chloe to treat her decently, and she even promised to share some of her allowance with her so that she could fulfill her objectives.


    As for Kyle, she sent him to work with Lenard so that he could be a knight and protect others.


    More importantly, she now has acquired two allies who would have a hard time going against her.


    Using Gacha Kingdom Building she can check their loyalty too, so it seems like she has everything under control.


    It''s quite a lot of progresspared to the first days, but I like how her personality is developing. Or rather, I''m amazed at her true self. I figured she''d be someone else when she regained her proper state of mind but... she''s more cunning than I expected.


    As for me, that incident led to a few changes.


    The most important being Mia...


    She was obviously shocked by the news, and the discovery that this Event was taking ce in her world made her quite anxious.


    As expected, she was eager to go after them, but I had to make her hold back.


    The way things stand, we wouldn''t be able to win.


    Mia: "...But the ruthless you can win, right?"


    She asked me with eyes filled with anger and sadness. It was more like she was pleading with me.


    Since the beginning, she''s counting on me showing no mercy to them. As she herself admits, she won''t settle for anything other than revenge.


    She even goes as far as to apologize to me, knowing I''m not particrly fond of acting this way.


    Miwen: "Don''t worry. I''ll destroy them. But first, let''s rescue as many of your tribesmen as possible."


    Mia: "You don''t need them to win, do you? I think you already have a n. But... I won''t ask anymore. I''ll be counting on you."


    It was hard for her to do this.


    She was basically admitting she wasn''t strong enough by herself.


    But she prioritized achieving her goals over her pride.


    What''s more, she knows me very well.


    It''s true that ever since I''ve discovered that we are back in her world I''ve been nning how to defeat Hamperlon, and truth be told, I might not need the Snow White Wolves at all, but...


    Revenge is only momentarily satisfactory. If it''s the only thing keeping someone alive, once it''s done... they might think they are fulfilled.


    I don''t want to lose her.


    So I''ll give her more reasons to live.


    As my wife, or as the Snow White Wolves Chieftainess.


    It doesn''t really matter to me as long as she lives.


    Thankfully, the kingdom should be able to hold a big poption now.


    And with the time dtion that is making time pass 30 times faster in this world, I''m able to stock a lot of food for the next harvest.


    If need be, I can also expand the fields or count on bunny meat for a while.


    No matter what happens, I''ll achieve our revenge, and I''ll do so without losing anything.


    Miwen: "...But until then we need to help Isabe. If we give her a happy ending, we can still remain in this world. But if she dies... we''ll be forcefully expelled."


    And then we might not get another chance.


    The odds of an Event naturally taking ce in the same world two times must be astronomical.


    If there wasn''t someone behind this, we probably wouldn''t even be here to begin with.


    Mia: "Right... Thanks, Miwen."


    Miwen: "Anything for my-"


    She didn''t even let me finish before pushing me down.


    But even as I fell from the chair, I could see the embarrassed face she tried to hide.

 Chapter 167: Entrance Ceremony (01)

    A little more than a month after being summoned to this world by Isabe, it was finally time to start the next chapter in her life.


    Most of the game takes ce in the academy, and it''s also where the girls get stuck the most.


    While we made a lot of progress in the game, no one has managed to get her to graduate safely yet, which is quite troubling.


    There are numerous reasons for that, but in this event, we have a bunch of advantages. If everything works out, we should be able to prevent most of the disasters that await her.


    On the other hand, there are also a few things the game doesn''t touch on that are problematic for us.


    And this morning, we had one such case.


    Isabe: "No... No... Everything is ruined...


    Miwen: "Good morning to you too."


    Isabe: "Oh... Right on cue! C''mon, help me."


    Ever since we moved to the mansion in the capital, Isabe''s been treated a little better.


    There are different servants here, and most of them didn''t have a rtionship with her so with some meddling it wasn''t too hard to make her well-liked.


    Thus, the past couple of days have been quite bright and peaceful.


    This morning was no exception. There weren''t any incidents inside the house, and even though the streets had be busier with traders and merchants, the distance from the mansion was so great that we couldn''t really hear any noise from them.


    And so, her desperation was intriguing.


    Even more considering there was no one else in the room, and from a first look, there didn''t seem to be anything wrong with her either.


    It''s true that recently she''s been asking me for help and advice way more often, but she always has a reason for that, even if minor.


    What''s more, she doesn''t usually act like this anymore. She''s a little more dignified now so seeing how desperate she was, I thought something quite big had happened.


    Isabe: "Can you fix this?"


    She used two fingers to point at her cheek, but I couldn''t see anything strange there...


    Miwen: "...You want me to... fix your face?"


    Isabe: "This pimple!"


    Pfft.


    I couldn''t believe it.


    The girl who was slowly bing more capable, learning how to do things for herself... was now desperate because of something so ordinary.


    It was pretty inconspicuous all things considered, but since it was an important day, I could understand why it was such a big deal for her.


    Miwen: "...It might bleed if I pop it, so let''s just hide it with some makeup."


    Isabe: "Hm... Do your magic."


    When I first tried to help her with these things, she was very against it, but she allowed ire and Licia do to it for her.


    They also taught her while at it, and eventually, due to their insistence, she allowed me to try too.


    Even though she doesn''t express it too much, she ended up liking it a lot, so whenever it''s an important date, I get tasked with this too.


    However, I might''ve gone a little overboard yesterday.


    She wanted to experiment, and I followed her wishes, but it might''ve been the cause for this. Since we tested a bunch of different things, her skin might''ve reacted negatively.


    I thought that this might be the result, but I couldn''t say no to her since she was so excited...


    Isabe: "So you''re saying it''s your fault?"


    Miwen: "...Maybe. But your excitement might also have contributed after all..."


    Isabe: "I guess... but I couldn''t help it..."


    Miwen: "It''s fine. We''ll deal with everything."


    No matter if this was a natural reaction or a result of yesterday''s experiments, since it was her idea, to begin with, she should be the one to me.


    However, I ept some of the responsibility as well.


    I thought that ming her for being excited was unreasonable.


    This was just unlucky. Something I''ve be ustomed to seeing with Isabe.


    It''s a little amusing how she attracts the worst results.


    When it''s small things like this, it''s fine, but the range seems to be quite extreme as even kidnapping is on the table.


    Miwen: "...So what are your ns for today?"


    Isabe: "We''ll attend the entrance ceremony and then perform the ability test. After that, we can head home."


    Miwen: "...I was talking more about your expectations."


    Isabe: "Ah... Well... I''d like to do well in one test at least. And..."


    It seemed like she wasn''t sure whether or not she should say it.


    However, it only made me think it was important, so I pressed her a little more.


    Miwen: "...And?"


    Isabe: "It would be nice to make a friend or two..."


    As expected of such a solitary girl.


    Miwen: "It should be fine. Even if don''t, you can still count on us."


    Isabe: "But it''s different. The others are friendly to me thanks to you."


    Miwen: "You underestimate yourself too much..."


    While the girls and I have incentive to help and be friendly with her, it''s not like we''re being false either.


    As always, Licia takes care of her like a mother. That''s just the type of person she is. Whenever she can help someone, she does.


    ire is not that friendly with everyone she meets at first, but she has reasons to like Isabe due to being her fangirl before even meeting her.


    While I asked everyone to support her, I didn''t ask them to be friends with her.


    It''s her own merit that this happened.


    Miwen: "And done. I''ll wait by the carriage until you finish changing, alright?"


    Isabe: "Certainly... But... don''t talk to the others about what I told you. And also... don''t manipte someone behind my back, please..."


    Miwen: "Sure."


    Since no one likes their happiness to be manufactured by someone else, I''ve be used to this type of request as I''m always convincing or meddling with something to favor her.


    While she has caught on to it, she''s unaware of the details most of the time.


    Still, it''s not like I can brainwash someone. All I can do is provide reasons for them to act a certain way.


    But I can understand why she''s not thrilled about me doing this to her ssmates. Most of the examples she has are in situations that I''ve had with her brothers.


    Which is slightly more harsh than what I usually am, but at the same time, I take their behavior a little more personally as I always tend topare it with the way I act toward my own sister.


    And speaking of which...


    Albert: "What are you doing here?"


    Miwen: "Checking for a t tire. Luckily, it seems there''s none."


    The fact that this thing doesn''t even have tires might contribute to this result.


    Albert: "...I see? Well, if you''re looking for potentially dangerous hazards, there are none. I''ve already checked all three carriages."


    A very organized man. He and his brother are currently in their third semester at the academy. From what I hear, thest one.


    But this level of care and attention towards her sister is something he''s been developing only recently.


    ?¡Ì¨N#¦¥?§²¦´%?


    After the trial with Count Brisco to be more precise.


    He ended up in charge of her case, and the result wasn''t that good thanks to the intervention of the crown.


    This made Lennard quite pissed off, and even Albert seemed dejected.


    He tried to offer Isabe some constion, but he was surprised to see that she didn''t throw a fit nor med him.


    Ever since it seems to me like he''s been trying to make amends and see her in a new light.


    Well, the fact that he was pretty much forced to enter an agreement with Count Brisco wasn''t too bad for me though.


    The guy is apparently quite rich, and Albert made sure that all the money he received was sent directly to Isabe.


    Which in turn, ended up with me as I''m also managing her finances and she wanted to pay me back for saving her.


    With the money, the three of us have been going to a few auction houses to buy whatever Snow White Wolves they possess.


    Albert: "Also, I''ve received news that three will be auctioned off next weekend. Would you like to attend?"


    Miwen: "Three huh? I''ll have to sell a few items then."


    Albert: "You won''t. I''ve yet to thank you personally for saving my sister, so leave this to me."


    After we''ve acquired about 15 Snow White Wolves my reserves started to run a little dry.


    There was a chance I could buy all three, but their price varies a lot and can be very expensive.


    I think having Albert own me one is more valuable but... I couldn''tpromise on this. It was one of the most important matters for the Kingdom.


    After everything was said and done, Isabe arrived at the carriage, and together with her brothers, we parted from the mansion.


    Isabe: "ire is not with us?"


    Miwen: "She can''t give it everything she''s got inside such a small space without hurting you."


    Isabe: "I see..."


    The two of them are the closest, and Isabe has seen time and time again how strong ire is. I think she feels safe around her.


    Still, I thought that it would be better to have the least dependent on magic to defend the carriage, so I brought Anna and Mia for the job.


    Anna is unparalleled when ites to defense. There''s probably no one in this world who can defeat her quickly.


    Mia on the other hand is excellent at tracking and the fastest in the entire Kingdom. If we need to give chase, remember, or identify someone she''s our best option thanks to her enhanced senses.


    Isabe might not fully understand this, but the crew we escorting her could easily fend off dozens of enemies.


    And if somehow this wasn''t enough... calling for reinforcements is quite easy.


    This should''ve made us prepared for everything, but sadly, the incident we found didn''t involve any fighting.


    [Darkest Star] is truly an absurd power...


    Our carriage was leading the others, and unfortunately, an incident urred.


    A kid fell in front of it. Thankfully, we were able to stop before he was stomped, but of course, he was in shock and couldn''t stop crying.


    A small crowd started to gather. The parents of the kid were nowhere to be seen and the coachman started to get impatient with the kid who wouldn''t get out of the way.


    This is a small event that can randomly trigger any day in the game and ends up making Isabete to the academy. Depending on the day it triggers, it can fuck up any nned routine.


    Since dating sims are all about maintaining rtionships and participating in points to gain favorability with your target, this type of thing that ends up messing up an entire day is one of the reasons why the game is so hard.


    Even important days can get messed up this way.


    We thought the only exception was the entrance ceremony since it seemed like no events could trigger to interrupt it, but of course, it seems like the chances were there, albeit extremely low.


    Not that it matters for this girl though. The initial chances are secondary when ites to her. It''s better to be prepared for the worst scenarios since they are the most likely to ur.


    Miwen: "I should''ve expected... change of ns then. Get out of the carriage."


    Thankfully we still had options avable.


    Once we stepped out, I started hearing a bunch ofments from the people that had gathered.


    Many of them wondered what the infamous daughter of Evretis was going to do.


    Most of their expectations were that she was going to hurt the boy.


    Isabe: "What is wrong with you?"


    She approached the boy, but she wasn''t too careful.


    Her words also didn''t contain much gentleness at all, and in this situation, it only made the boy more scared and the citizens more hostile.


    Miwen: "...Where are your parents?"


    Myment also didn''t help. While I was trying to be more careful, the people around us seemed to think that the ones responsible for the boy would be punished.


    Boy: "...Ah... They... told me to bring my own food..."


    ...His clothes were dirty.


    He also seemed quite skinny.


    Perhaps the reason he copsed was due to hunger.


    Miwen: "...I see. Isabe, give him your lunch."


    She didn''t really hesitate too much to do it. Even more so when I told her I''d get more from Mei.


    However, the boy didn''t start eating immediately.


    Miwen: "...Something wrong?"


    Normally when someone is hungry they aren''t picky, so I thought maybe there was something else going on.


    Perhaps this incident had been orchestrated...


    If I were to consider the game, it was quite strange that the boy would be so likely to fall in front of Isabe''s carriage on random days.


    Boy: "...N-no... I was just thinking about giving this to my sisters..."


    He looked to his side for a moment. It could be that he was nervous, but I felt like he was seeking someone''s approval.


    I snapped my fingers as if I had just realized something, and then I went to Lenard and Albert who had already stepped out of their carriage to check the situation as well.


    I made sure to collect everyone''s lunch and give it to the boy.


    This only made him more nervous.


    We were wasting a lot of time, but I couldn''t tell whether or not this was the intention.


    Miwen: "...Do you need more? Gimme a second."


    I quickly brought some leftovers from the dining hall. Even with the time dtion, it didn''t take me long to reappear in front of him since the dining hall was thest ce I had been in the Kingdom anyway.


    I also made sure to bring a stupid amount.


    Boy: "...T-this is enough, thanks..."


    He ended up running with everything I gave him.


    Thankfully this demonstration ended up earning us some favor with the crowd.


    Isabe: "We''re definitely going to bete now... Why did you go so overboard? And why did you make Lana follow him?"


    Miwen: "Don''t worry. This is because of a promise between me and her. And we won''t bete. Mia, and Anna, return to the Kingdom for now. I''ll bring you out when we arrive at the academy. As for you three...


    enjoy the ride."


    I called the Valkyries as well as Angelica to bring the four of us as high as possible.


    Once we were out of sight, Angelica entered her dragon form, and we ended up arriving at the academy even earlier than expected.


    Although thending wasn''t as smooth.


    But at least the most important day was saved. I had no idea how missing this day could affect the rest of the story, and making sure it didn''t go haywire was a top priority since as long as Isabe''s life followed the game for the most part, we would be able to cheat a little by seeing into her future.

 Chapter 168: Entrance Ceremony (02)

    Since Angelica didn''t want to risk being seen in her dragon form, she transformed while we were still extremely high in the air.


    As soon as her body shrank we started to fall towards the ground with increasing speed.


    Thankfully she saved us from meeting the ground face first with some help from the valkyries just in the nick of time.


    All things considered, it was a fun ride. Although the other participants might disagree I''m sure their opinions would change If they could see their own faces.


    As soon as we were safely on the ground Albert and Lenard left to prepare for the entrance ceremony, leaving me and Isabe behind.


    Thanks to ournding, all eyes were focused on us, but once her brothers were gone she became more aware of the stares and murmurs.


    To dissipate her anxiousness a little I brought Anna and Mia back. With more people around she shouldn''t feel so ashamed, but...


    Isabe: "Why are you always so extra?"


    As expected, she still had someints.


    Miwen: "I thought a good entrance was the norm for a viin. Presentation is important to leave a good impression-"


    Isabe: "...Who are you calling a viin?"


    She always stares daggers at me when I poke her reputation.


    A mistake most of the girls have learned to avoid, as it only leads to me doing it more often.


    Miwen: "Who else if not the viinous daughter of Evretis? But more importantly, this should make everyone curious. They''ll flock your way and you''ll have an easier time making friends."


    It was fair for her to get a little upset. Even more, considering she told me specifically to not do anything that could interfere with her making friends.


    But precisely because I know she''s taking this so seriously and ces a lot of importance in it I decided to spin the facts a little in our favor.


    As long as she''s able to hold a conversation all this attention could be advantageous.


    Isabe: "...Do you really think so?"


    Easy.


    Since she normally doesn''t have much to rely on she tends to cling to any hope she''s given with all her might.


    While abusing that might be bad, I''d say it also works as a learning experience for her.


    The entrance ceremony was going to take ce in a hall inside the main building of the school but we had time before it started, so I let Isabe go around trying to make friends with her attempts at small talk.


    Since she told me not to interfere, I kept some distance while still watching over her.


    Miwen: "...I can''t reach all of it. Not even a fraction. What about you?"


    Mia: "No luck either. It goes way too far and way too deep."


    Miwen: "Then let''s hope what we have is enough... When we get to the private rooms I''ll see if Liz is able to reach deeper."


    Beneath the academy, there''s a maze-like structure.


    It''s not like Isabe ends up there every time, but... A bunch of our attempts at the game ended up with her there one way or another.


    The ce seems to have a bunch of misdirection spells applied to it, as well as a few barriers.


    However, the golems that attack anyone inside are the most concerning factor. The battles against them are unreasonably tough, and even when the girls manage to get an entire party down there they always end up with a wipe.


    We''ve yet to determine why there''s such a thing beneath the academy, but we''vee to at least one usible theory.


    This academy has multiple purposes. The advancement and preservation of knowledge, the interaction, and socialization of noble society, as well as the study and development of their skills and magic.


    It''s thetter that might exin this ce''s existence.


    Since a bunch of teachers here are top-rate mages, it''s possible that they would prepare something to protect their secrets and discoveries.


    Thus, we are currently under the assumption that thebyrinth is either someone''s magic project or an attempt at hiding or protecting one.


    Normally, it would be none of our business, but since it interferes with Isabe''s academic life we''ve been trying to map it out.


    The problem is that it''s really hard to do so with the descriptions and visuals of the game.


    I expected that in real life it would be easier, but even Mia struggles to get a good reading at the ce with her [Earth Magic].


    And that''s not the only wonder structure that this ce has to offer.


    Miwen: "So you don''t have nes in these magic-filled worlds, but a flying city is fine?"


    Mia: "So now you know how we feel, huh? I wish Licia and ire were here to see your face."


    Miwen: "Haah... so, what''s the deal with that thing?"


    Surprisingly enough, the game doesn''t talk too much about the floating city.


    It''s said that once a year the cends close to the academy to resupply and acquire new promising talent.


    It stays on the ground for two weeks, and during this time the character you selected for the game can have special lessons with some pretty good mages if you earn their favor.


    Mia: "Well... I''ve never been there for obvious reasons, but it''s famous throughout the continent. Legend has it that a bunch of powerful mages were so devoted to their craft that they decided to seclude themselves."


    Miwen: "And then they''d decided on a floating city? Is sailing to an ind too hard or something?"


    Mia: "The north is all frozen wastnd, remember? Even Maides Ind was filled with snow and ice... Those are hard conditions to live in if you want to devote yourself to studying."


    She seemed rather nostalgic about her homnd...


    Perhaps one day the Kingdom will be able to offer that type of climate as well.


    But as for the floating city, she didn''t manage to convince me at all.


    The ce is pretty big. It can probably house thousands of people. I can''t fathom the amount of magic necessary to keep that ce in the air for such a long time.


    There had to be better and easier solutions.


    I would propose underground tunnels but... at this point, it could be seen as giarism.


    Still, since they are studying magic up there, they must have some sort of system that doesn''t use people''s mana or at least reduces the necessary amount taken from each individual.


    it would be too harmful for their activities otherwise.


    Not to mention there''s also the matter of... piloting the thing.


    There must be a system for that as well...


    But on all of our runs through the game, we''ve yet to see something like that.


    On that note, we also haven''t gone through any major or life-threatening incidents inside the flying city.


    It almost looks like a tutorial zone for the yer.


    Although... since Isabe''s start is a little earlier than the heroine, getting there in the first ce is already hard enough.


    Still, calling it a safe zone might also not workpletely either.


    Sure, the first time the cends the worst thing that can happen is some reduction in favorability with the residents and capture targets depending on the yer''s actions, but...


    The floating city shouldnd a second time during Isabe''s stay and we''ve yet to reach that point in the game.


    Since her story only gets harder, my instincts keep telling me that the second time won''t be all fun and games...


    It actually gives me the reverse impression. The type of zone that is harmless at the beginning of a game only toe back filled with extremely difficult challengester.


    I don''t feel very optimistic about it, so I''d like to explore it as best as we can in the time we have. cing someone there would also be nice...


    The undergroundbyrinth is dangerous, but we have more time to explore it.


    The floating city isn''t as threatening, but we can''t afford to bex about it.


    No matter how I look at it, the game must be essential to getting Isabe to a happy ending.


    Without multiple runs and chances to explore ces, characters, and interactions, we''d be in the dark with too many things.


    Miwen: "And then there''s Isabe herself..."


    Mia: "It''s better to not take anything for granted when she''s around..."


    Pretty much... She''s basically a giant wrench in any n.


    Her future is already filled with a bunch of disastrous scenarios as it is, but taking her bad luck into ount-


    ??????: "W-wah! ...S-sorry? Are you okay?"


    I was distracted talking to Mia, so I wasn''t paying too much attention to my surroundings. ?#¦É#???@§à¦Í$?§Ô-*


    Given the amount of people and the fact we were all under daylight, I also wasn''t expecting to be attacked.


    This ended up leaving my back open. Thankfully, the one who tripped over me was the only one to fall given my level.


    It did surprise me a bit though.


    So, thinking nothing of it, I offered a hand to help the clumsy girl who tripped behind me.


    Miwen: "I should be the one asking..."


    As soon as I saw her face I was taken aback.


    She had a radiant aura. She seemed so innocent, almost as if incapable of any sin whatsoever.


    Her body wasn''t too developed, but it made me think of it as fragile and precious.


    Her small hand and minuscule movements seemed pure.


    Even though I wasn''t at fault, just thinking that I might''ve hurt her made me feel guilty. My heart was heavy...


    ??????: "Hmm! Thanks! You''re a real gentleman! Are you also a first-year?"


    Her smile was quite refreshing.


    I wanted to see more of it but paired with her attitude, I became a little embarrassed.


    Miwen: "No, I am-"


    ??????: "Oh, silly me, you''re that girl''s butler, are you not?"


    That girl...?


    Oh yeah, Isabe.


    I almost... forgot about her...


    ...What is-


    ??????: "I''ve heard such bad things about her... If you need someone to confide in, please,e to me! I''d be happy to listen anytime!"


    She''s not that bad...


    Miwen: "Yeah, she''s a pain sometimes. I''ll-"


    ...?


    This wasn''t right.


    While it is true, it never troubled me...


    I didn''t think bad of her. I was sympathetic to her situation...


    So why was I badmouthing her to a girl I just met?


    Mia: "Ahem! Miwen."


    I was starting to get lost in my own thoughts before Mia called me.


    Isabe: "...I suppose this is not the best moment to ask for help, then?"


    ...She had heard me.


    This was the worst possible turn of events.


    The girl who wanted someone to be her ally more than anyone... the promises I made to her...


    I knew what this looked like. I understood what she must''ve felt.


    I could see through her bravado.


    But I couldn''t exin myself.


    I couldn''t even get my own thoughts in order.


    My priorities were all messed up and my mind kept going back to the blonde girl.


    It was then that I remembered... this feeling...


    I had gone through it before.


    A subus had identally taken control of my will and body... or at least she imed it wasn''t on purpose.


    But at that time... Erika was stronger than me...


    And even then, I was able to resist for the most part even though it took me a lot of effort.


    How could a girl who was clearly a human with a tenth of my level be able to do the same? Or rather... how could this feel so much stronger?


    It was so confusing to me. Unlike Erika, she didn''t have to say a single word. My heart was in a trance the moment Iid my eyes on her.


    I had this genuine desire to care for and protect her... she didn''t even have to ask...


    Miwen: "Sorry Isa, I''m..."


    The moment I tried to exin things my mind realized that it would be cing some of the me on the girl.


    And even though I knew this was true. By all means, this was all caused by her, the fact that it was detrimental to her prevented me from speaking.


    My thoughts got twisted, and the more I tried to go against the flow of my mind, the more pain I felt.


    I got affected by an incredibly powerful headache. It felt like my head was going to implode.


    Miwen: "..."


    ??????: "Ah! Sorry! It was all my fault, so please, don''t punish your servant, Isabe!"


    She knew her name?


    But I guess Isabe is pretty famous for better or worse...


    ...Was there any need to shout like this, though? It was only going to...


    Ah, I see...


    I knew this face was simr. Even through all the confusion in my mind... even if she was quite different in the flesh... I could still tell...


    Isabe: "W-what!? I won''t-"


    Miwen: "...The ceremony is about to begin. Let''s go, Isabe."


    It took me all I had to break free. And even then, all I could do was put some distance between the blonde girl with a face that looked like she was pitying me.


    As for Isabe, she listened to me, but she had a pained look on her face.


    I could tell what was going through her mind.


    She must''ve thought I was betraying her like everyone else before me.


    But as long as we were away from her I could remedy this.


    I knew the girl''s intention, but my mind kept trying to reason it. Telling me it wasn''t purposeful...


    However, purposeful or not, the end result would be the same. if we decided to stay there amotion was sure to follow, and Isabe had no way of getting out of it with her reputation unscathed.


    No matter what I was feeling, I steeled myself to protect Isabe.


    It was far from ideal, but it was all that I could do.


    Mia: "Miwen? You''re strange..."


    Miwen: "Keep an eye on Isabe. I''ll look for an empty ce."


    Mia: "...What are you going to do?"


    Miwen: "I''ll ask the Devil for help."


    That blonde girl... better known as Sabrina.


    She''s the heroine of this story.


    And as Isabe''s butler, I am one of her capture targets.


    If I''m right about what this entails... this Event is going to be way harder than I first expected.

 Chapter 169: Entrance ceremony (03)

    I wasn''t particrly looking forward to the speech Isabe''s brothers had prepared. At most, I''d use it as fuel to make fun of them whenever I got the chance.


    However, I had promised her that I''d stay by her side to help her if she needed anything today, and going back on my word like this was the worst.


    Still, she should be safe with Mia and Anna around. It would be worse for her in this state if I was around.


    Thankfully finding somewhere empty wasn''t hard at all due to all the students and most of the staff gathering in the halls.


    Miwen: "Howfortable are you with curses, Liz?"


    Elizabeth: "It''s not my specialty, but I should be able to handle most of them. Especially if they are blood-focused."


    Most curses use Dark Magic as the basis or at least imbue some of it in them. As a Devil, I was pretty confident Liz would be knowledgeable about this.


    Even though her best affinities are in Lightning and Blood Magic which don''t seem to rte to this curse, she''s still hailed as a genius so she should be able to handle almost any element.


    Miwen: "Alright. Can you take a look for me then?"


    Elizabeth: "I preemptively did so due to your sudden inquiry. But... You seem to be under the wrong assumption. You''re afflicted with a saint''s charm. It''s not a curse."


    As always, she''s quite quick-witted.


    But she made me curious. I had not heard of something like a saint''s charm before.


    Elizabeth: "You''ve been under the effects of a subus'' whisper before, right? That''s a curse all subi are capable of unleashing. Each of their words carries power, and they can twist your views and desires until they control you... Thus, they can trick you into acting in a way you''d normally see as abhorrent or disgusting.


    Your will sumbs to them and you be a puppet, no matter what your views are, you will obey."


    What happened with Erika before was quite close to today''s situation. So much so that I was under the impression it was the same thing.


    Since Sabrina is decidedly not a subus, I thought her Gift allowed her to simte that power.


    But Liz corrected me on that.


    Elizabeth: "Saints are slightly different. Their aura is soothing and inspiring. Under their influence, you will seek to do your best ording to your already existing virtues. If you happen to be charmed by one your efforts will be directed at them. Being good and helpful to them will make you happier and strengthen your feelings until you fall madly in love or worship them."


    Miwen: "Then that means she cannot change or control my actions, right?"


    Elizabeth: "Essentially. A Gift might change that, but... it seems like her charm is acting like any other. You''re simply directing your selflessness and care toward her. How that makes you act towards others is due to your own predisposition."


    I see... so this is what happened then.


    She made me care about her more than anyone.


    I ignored Isabe''s existence and stopped feeling anything towards her because she became someone I didn''t care about.


    I already tend to do my best to those I cherish, and I fully ept that this means neglecting those who I have no interest in.


    Perhaps this was also strengthened but... it was just the result of my selective selflessness.


    It''s quite bad considering the way I act, but at least she''s unable to control me into suicide like Erika did with the people from that time.


    Miwen: "But then... Does that mean Gabrie was lying about her status as a saint?"


    I''ve thought about her as fragile and innocent before. Although much weaker, I think she might have a simr aura.


    But I don''t believe I ever had such strong feelings toward her.


    I treat her way more poorly than any other citizen. I''m not cruel towards her, but I rarely make time or give her any attention whatsoever.


    Being around her actively annoys me too.


    At most, I''m a little too soft on her considering how much she opposes some of my girls. Perhaps if this was anyone else I''d already thrown them out of the Kingdom.


    However, I always excused my behavior towards her due to her inherent value and the fact that she might be redeemable since she''s just stupid and short-sighted.


    Elizabeth: "Oh, not at all. That girl''s aura and charm are very powerful. The only reason why she''s unable to affect you is because of her own control over it, as well as me constantly suppressing her."


    Every word thates out of Liz''s mouth makes saints seem more and more like bad news to me.


    But at least she gave me some hope.


    Miwen: "Then... if you can suppress Gabrie''s charm, you should be able to do something about Sabrina''s, right?"


    Elizabeth: "That would be... difficult."


    It wasn''t the answer that I was expecting. It''s extremely rare for Elizabeth to react like this.


    Even when she''s faced with a challenge, she smiles and tackles them head-on.


    I''m pretty sure she loves difficult jobs the most.


    Elizabeth: "...Her charm has already taken root in your soul. While it''s impressive that you can resist it, your love for her is already established. From here on, it can only grow... Unless I had ess to your soul."


    Miwen: "Oh..."


    So she''s also able to do that. Like a proper Devil and all...


    I thought that their innate race ability was only rted to magic, but if subi have such strong powers, then it only makes sense that the Devils who stand at the top of the hierarchy between demons have something even stronger.


    Miwen: "Alright, so.... What do we do?"


    Elizabeth: "How bold. Before we proceed, I should warn you though. Love and lust are closely rted, but lust is the sin I''m most unfamiliar with. I''m not a subus, after all. And so, fully extracting the charm might not be possible for me."


    That was fine with me. It would be more than enough if she could just weaken it. As long as the scales came back to what they used to be, or this strengthened state wasn''t directed at Sabrina, then I could work safely.


    And so, I gave her the go-ahead.


    The first step was to make a pact. This meant selling her my soul.


    ?#¦É#???@§à¦Í$?§Ô-*


    I was willing to sell mine for just the promise of her doing something about the charm that was afflicting me, but she had a different proposal.


    She wanted to give me the rights over her soul as well. That way, we could stand as equals.


    If she were to attack my soul, I''d be able to do the same to hers.


    Although she said she would have to teach me how to do that at ater date.


    Apparently, this also had a nice side effect of making us more connected.


    We''d be able to tap into and share each other''s feelings a little when we are close to each other.


    Elizabeth: "...I did weaken it, but as expected, removing more could damage your soul. For now, I''ll redirect the love you''re feeling. Anyone in particr you''d like to have stronger feelings for?"


    Miwen: "Nah. I''d rather you redirect it to yourself."


    Elizabeth: "W-what do you mean by that?"


    She was full of surprises today. Getting her embarrassed is usually extremely difficult.


    Sadly, this one wasn''t me teasing her or anything like that. I had a valid reason to choose her.


    I didn''t want my genuine feelings for the other girls to be affected. That would be... ufortable.


    However, Elizabeth, who has ess to my soul should be able to gauge where my true feelings toward her lie.


    And since she''s not interested in sex or things like that, the risks from these feelings diminish greatly. Especially since she can easily kick my ass.


    Elizabeth: "I see.... I''ll respect your wishes then, Your Majesty. I assume you understand our positions, so hopefully, we won''t face any problems in the future."


    It''s cute how subtle her threat was.


    But I do know better than to try and cross the line with someone who''s not interested.


    Since the charm doesn''t make me act in ways I normally wouldn''t, there''s no chance I would abuse the [Orders] or something like that to force Elizabeth into something she doesn''t like.


    Miwen: "Hm... you do look cuter than before."


    Elizabeth: "..."


    I approached her and then raised my hand.


    She kept staring directly into my eyes as I moved slowly, approaching her face.


    I grabbed her shoulder and...


    Miwen: "I''ll be in your care then."


    Elizabeth: "It goes both ways."


    Not even a reaction... I feel like she would at least be surprised before...


    Perhaps it''s because she can read my feelings better now... which means teasing her became even harder.


    Perhaps I''ve chosen the wrong target after all...


    Elizabeth: "Before we part, I must report on a matter regarding your world."


    Due to the time dtion, even though a month has passed here, only a day went by on Earth.


    Thus, there wasn''t much movement on the frontlines with other worlds.


    However, Elizabeth wanted to talk about something else entirely.


    Elizabeth: "I''ve noticed people watching over your house. I''ve yet to take action against them, but how would you like me to proceed?"


    ...It''s probably that guy from the AOTG.


    In which case...


    Miwen: "Can you resist the power of a contract if it''s someone''s Gift?"


    Elizabeth: "Yes. Pacts are part of my nature as a Devil, so the same way a subus can resist being charmed, I should be able to resist the effects of any contract."


    Miwen: "Then you can keep going to the frontline as you wish..."


    Elizabeth is probably our biggest trump card against Erik.


    There''s no way for him to attack us without incurring heavy losses once she enters the battle and I''m sure he knows that.


    As such, he must be looking for a weakness he can exploit or a trap he cany. With her out of the picture, he''ll be able to walk over us.


    Thankfully, it seems like his power is not suited to trap Elizabeth.


    In this case, continuing to show off her power should be enough to scare him away for the time being.


    Once my business with Liz was done, she returned to the Kingdom as promised, and then I went ahead and joined back with Isabe in the hall.


    Her brothers had finished their speeches, and it was time for her to participate in the tests for the neers.


    Isabe: "Where were you?"


    Miwen: "Solving an issue. Don''t worry though. I won''t leave your side anymore. Also, I''m sorry about earlier. I''ll exin things to youter."


    Isabe: "Hmph... You better. And who said I was worried?"


    Although she says that, it was obvious she was anxious without me around.


    But since no other incidents had urred, we made our way to the room where the new students would take a few tests.

 Chapter 170: Entrance Ceremony (04)

    Since I''d lost most of the entrance ceremony, we headed towards the room where Isabe would have her first test.


    There are three tests in total. All of them are just ssificatory as there''s no way they would expel a student from a noble family over a failing grade.


    There''s a random order for these tests for each student, but there''s an order considered to be the luckiest.


    First, general knowledge. While thinking can be quite tiring, after sitting still in a room for a long time, most people will want to exercise their bodies.


    As such, the next one should be the physical prowess test. This one is a simple mock battle against an instructor at the academy. Depending on how you do, they''ll award you a score there and then.


    Thest one in the preferable order is the magic test. This one is simr to the previous one, however, there are no battles involved.


    They''ll just ask you tounch a few spells and do some affinity tests like we did with Isabe before.


    The objective is to see how developed your mana pool is in rtion to your level and how powerful your affinity with certain elements is.


    Just the basics to see how good of a mage you can be.


    Since spendingrge amounts of magic at once can be extremely tiring for the body, everyone prefers to have this one as theirst test.


    Of course, I braced myself for the worst as soon as I heard there was an element of randomness involved.


    Anna: "So her first is magic... Geez... The girl can''t catch a break."


    Miwen: "Yeah... Let''s hope she''ll do alright at least."


    Again, it''s as if fate mocks Isabe''s existence.


    It''s deeply concerning, but it doesn''t seem like there''s a lot we can do.


    However, it does make me think about the First Daughter and the way she boosted my luck inside the Infinite Hotel so that I could get exactly what she wanted me to.


    If that was possible, then the inverse should also be, right?


    In which case, it''s possible that this bad luck is not just an effect of her Gift, but someone''s design.


    As for the test... well, Isabe wasn''t going to be able to score too high.


    Normally, people are capable of using at least one of the four basic elements. Then, they should also be able to use one advanced element as well.


    This holds true for about 80% of humans.


    Other races seem to have different ratios though. For example, almost all demons have [Dark Magic]. As for angels, almost all of them have a great affinity for [Light Magic].


    Those are the obvious ones, but then there are also elves with [Wind] and giants with [Earth].


    Even in the Kingdom, I''ve confirmed that the Snow White Wolves often show affinity with [Ice Magic].


    Magic Instructor: "Please, materialize your mana into the element you''re mostfortable with."


    Isabe: "Hmm..."


    Most alumni make a simple ball when they''re asked to do this.


    It wasn''t so different for Isabe, however, I could see signs that the shape was unstable.


    It was trying to be a pyramid or a cone at times.


    If I had to guess, this was because of her anxiety towards the next tests.


    Magic Instructor: "Is this your maximum output?"


    Isabe: "No..."


    Magic Instructor: "Then please, raise your mana output and maintain it for as long as possible."


    A normal request for a teacher to make since it would allow her to get a better understanding of where Isabe''s ability lies, but...


    It wasn''t going to be so simple.


    Isabe looked at me seeking approval, but I denied it.


    Magic Instructor: "Oh... that''s pretty good. How long can you keep this?"


    Isabe: "About 20 hours..."


    Magic Instructor: "Woah. That''s incredible for your level. Can you hit this target so I can measure your control and conversion rate?"


    Isabe: "Right..."


    Even though she only had one element to show, she seems to have done somewhat well in this test.


    It was good that the instructor didn''t judge her for the [Dark Magic].


    As for her true ability... it''s about double what she showed today.


    We had a time limit to improve Isabe''s mana pool, so we rushed quite a lot.


    Using [Gacha Kingdom Building] to obtain potions that increase mana output and magic power, we made her spend all her mana pool at once multiple times a day.


    And thanks to Elizabeth and some mana-restoring potions, we were able to avoid her getting mana depletion.


    Her mana pool is now around what you''d expect of a level 40. Since she''s still level 14, it''s quite incredible.


    Not everything was so great though...


    I ended up hearing a bunch ofments about her magic due to her element.


    It just so happens that due to the association with curses and demons, [Dark Magic] is not well seen by others.


    MVLeMpYr-unofficial-chapter


    It would be fine if she had other elements to show, but... her disy paired with her bad reputation earned her the nickname of "demon princess" during this test.


    Isabe: "I scored a 92!"


    Miwen: "Congrats. I think you''ll do even better in the physical test though."


    Isabe: "Eh? How did you know we''ll go there next? I was just told..."


    Miwen: "I had a feeling..."


    Since there were so few possible scenarios, it wasn''t hard to predict what would happen.


    Just had to go with the worst possible one.


    Mia: "She won''t even have time to rx..."


    Miwen: "It''s fine. She didn''t use that much magic."


    For her element, it''s advisable to conceal one''s true abilities.


    No matter what, I was determined to hide as much as possible about her power.


    But thanks to her bad luck, this decision ended up paying off a little more than expected as she was able to conserve her mana and not strain her body too much.


    Miwen: "She''s also got the worst instructor..."


    The game says that Ghent was an uing adventurer who sadly suffered a tragic fate inside a dungeon.


    Half of his party was killed in an ambush by some monsters.


    Since he was young at the time, this made him quite traumatized.


    But he still had some determination left in him. He did his best to teach new adventurers tips and tricks and also offered to train them free of charge sometimes.


    He earned quite a bit of a reputation in the capital of Terith and was eventually hired as an instructor at the academy.


    He can be quite harsh. He knows how important strength is.


    However, what makes him the worst possible match for Isabe is that he tends to break the nobles'' vision of a fair and elegant fight.


    When there are no rules or points, only life and death, all that matters is what you can do to survive.


    Since he used to be an adventurer, he drills into his students what it truly means to be in a fight.


    Ghent: "You''re wasting time returning to your form. Concentrate on the follow-up."


    Isabe: "..."


    Ghent: "If you can''t find an opening, create one."


    As expected, he was pretty good.


    That''s the type of advice you''d give if you want someone to survive.


    Simply throw away whatever is unnecessary. Don''t focus on what is not possible or doesn''t exist, just do your best until the very end.


    That''s the only way to increase your chances to live another day.


    Isabe is not suited for the style of fighting she prefers in the first ce. She learned enough from ire and Mia to be able to stand against another noble, but that''s it.


    Against an adventurer or a proper warrior, she doesn''t really stand a chance like this...


    Female Student: "That''s the Daughter of Evretis, right?"


    Female Student #2: "I heard she''s a beast."


    Female Student: "Oh... then is she getting tamed right now?"


    Female Student #2: "Haha! That''s what she gets for imitating a human. She should just bite him or something.


    There were plenty of students familiar with Isabe here and there.


    Some had seen her in person, while others had only heard rumors about her.


    While waiting for their turn, most of them enjoyed badmouthing Isabe.


    Male student: "I heard she had amotion this morning..."


    Male student #2: "With the saint, right? What''s her problem?"


    Female student #3: "She also med her butler and then forced him to stand outside during the ceremony."


    ...That''s what I wanted to avoid the most.


    I thought that by ending things quickly we''d escape this kind of rumor but it only made their imaginations run wild and fill the gaps.


    Rushing out of the ceremony also wasn''t great, but I had no choice in that.


    I couldn''t risk being defenseless in front of Sabrina again. Not when it could cost Isabe dearly.


    Mia: "I don''t like this... Shouldn''t we say something?"


    Miwen: "It won''t do us any good. They already formed their opinions, our words will only fuel the mes. We''d risk causing more rumors if this turns into a scene as well."


    Mia: "But... You did fuck up earlier. Are you really not going to do anything?"


    Miwen: "I will. But there will be a time and ce. To start with, Isabe''s reputation was on the gutter before we even stepped foot in here. The only way to change the narrative around her is with undeniable facts. In other words, her actions. I''ll help byying the groundwork and facilitating things, but as always, it''ll depend on her."


    If she doesn''t take matters into her own hands, there''ll be nothing for me to help with.


    However, I''ll respect any effort she puts in.


    I believe she''s more than deserving. After living her entire life surrounded by misfortune like this...


    I wouldn''t have judged her for giving up.


    But that''s also why I know... she''ll do anything to survive.


    Not only that, she''ll do anything she needs to win and achieve her desires.


    That''s why...


    Ghent: "Oh... That''s good, miss."


    Isabe: "Hmph..."


    She entered her form as usual. They only exchanged a few blows, but it was more of the same.


    Slowly, she was getting overwhelmed and pushed back.


    But then her style started to change.


    Unbeknownst to Ghent, his opponent wasn''t ire''s apprentice anymore. It was Licia''s.


    And there was no way he wouldn''t approve her like that.


    Their exchange became way more tricky to follow. Every attack was a trap with multipleyers to it.


    Her objective wasn''t to reach him with her sword anymore, it was to attack his blindside as much as possible.


    Hecked the right arm, so she focused on that.


    She knows he''ll have a harder time maintaining bnce, so she strikes continuously from different angles.


    It wasn''t enough to make her win. Ghent was obviously holding back, to begin with.


    But she had clearly stepped up her game.


    She''s way more suited to fighting like this after all...


    Isabe: "100! He said I look like a veteran adventurer!"


    Mia: "Good job. But your footwork still needs improvement. You could''ve made him fall."


    That''s mean but... yeah. Considering his disadvantage, I''d also try to make him lose bnce and fall if I wanted to win.


    It''s good that Isabe is at least able to see and try to exploit this though.


    Her pride didn''t allow anything aside from a proper, fair battle when we first started.


    It was very delusional.


    All things considered, imitating Licia, even if on a small scale, was bound to earn her high praise from Ghent. Even if she''s a far cry, it''s reminiscent enough. If they were at the same level, this match could actually have gone to her.


    And then,st but not least, we entered the room where she''d have the general knowledge test.


    Miwen: "Ugh... I can''t believe I''m in a ssroom again."


    Mia: "Weird. You make for a good teacher considering you are a bad student who hates sses."


    Miwen: "Don''t underestimate me. I was average. And also... No... It''s too soon to tell you this..."


    Mia: "Hah! No way you''re keeping quiet after that. Out with it."


    She''s such an easy girl to bait.


    Miwen: "You make for a lovely fianc¨¦e considering you hate cute- Aw!"


    It makes teasing her so worth it.


    The reward is greatpared to how little effort I have to put in.


    Sadly, this ended up getting us a warning from one of the instructors, so I had to stop.


    This test was by far the longest. Isabe was the first to finish, but she took around 50 minutes.


    Miwen: "Did you properly revise everything?"


    I got a little worried about it...


    Isabe: "Yeah!"


    Miwen: "Carefully?"


    Isabe: "Thoroughly."


    Sadly, for thisst test, we would only get the results the day after since she had to be in thest group to do it.


    I also managed to catch a glimpse of someone I believe to be Terith''s prince as Isabe was a little anxious around him, but I''ll have to confirm itter with her.


    At the very least, Isabe''s scores didn''t seem too bad on the other tests, so she''ll probably ce high even if she was distracted during this one.

 Chapter 171: Isabellas First Day

    The day starts pretty early with someone calling me at the door.


    ???? "Master! Are you awake yet?"


    There used to be a single person who called me that.


    But that very person has been leading others to do the same in the capital residence of the Evretis.


    Miwen: "...Nina, right? You don''t have to call me that. We have pretty much the same position..."


    Nina: "Eh? But Mei said that..."


    Recently, a bunch of the maids of this ce have started treating me differently.


    They are all smart enough not to do it in front of the Evretis'' family members, but... their actions are bing so standardized that it''s obvious someone is behind them.


    Miwen: "Don''t worry about her. So... what do you want?"


    Nina: "The Young Lady seemed in a good mood yesterday so we decided to prepare that fancy sweet you didst time again, but..."


    Miwen: "I''m getting up..."


    The staff in this house is way nicerpared to the ones at the main residence, but to make up for that, they are way less experienced and capable.


    Most of them have good intentions, but things tend to get rowdy more often than not.


    Mei and I always help them, which is why they have started to respect us more and more.


    Since I have this weird position where I''m an employee in name only and only work if it''s beneficial to Isabe, the Evretis family has no idea how they should treat me, and so, I''ve been getting the guest treatment for the most part.


    This made the staff pretty confused. Especially since Mei is free to do as she pleases and takes care of pretty much every task she''s handed perfectly.


    Since she''s way more capable than me with housework and yet treats me the way she does, people have been going after her to learn about me.


    This way, they avoid making any mistake that might seem disrespectful to me or the Evretis family.


    However, Mei is certainly twisting my image...


    I doubt they would treat me this way otherwise...


    Miwen: "And here you go. Nina prepared this one, so me her if you have anyints."


    Nina: "Eh? T-That''s not true! It was..."


    Isabe: "Hm... It''s great! Thanks, Nina."


    Nina: "...You''re wee..."


    She seemed mad at me for doing that.


    But I know Isabe''s tastes pretty well by now, so I was sure she was going to like it.


    Sweets for breakfast might not be the best, but we do have reason to indulge Isabe a little.


    She had done pretty well on most of the tests.


    To the point where even if she did badly on general knowledge, she''d still be at afortable rank.


    And so, after breakfast, we headed towards the school.


    This time, there were no incidents along the way.


    I also got to rendezvous with Lana.


    The boy fromst time wasn''t lying. He did have others to feed, however...


    It seems like the family is waiting for a payment for what they did.


    I''d like to investigate it further, but it''ll have to be on a day off.


    It''s hard to keep a big group around Isabe since most nobles only have one or two escorts.


    Even the Terith crown prince only has three, and two of them are also students.


    The girls told me that nobility takes a lot of pride in the most meaningless things and that I shouldn''t do anything that could disrespect their hierarchy.


    To my surprise, even the number of escorts one has also counted for that. Since the prince only has three escorts, that''s the ceiling.


    It sucks since Isabe needs more than any other due to her condition, but we have no option. The alternative would risk creating an unnecessary problem.


    But that''s where Lana''s ability bes especially useful. I can keep her around without anyone knowing.


    Together with Anna and Mia, they''re pretty much the best bodyguard service we can offer.


    Almost nothing gets past Mia''s senses, and if someone manages to give her the slip, with Anna blocking the way, there shouldn''t be anything capable of hurting Isabe.


    But if somehow they both fail, Lana will act as our surprisest line.


    This setup might be good enough, but I''d like to have Bea with us too since we arecking a little in magic defense and knowledge.


    Since I''m the better mage in this formation I''ve taken charge of our magic defenses.


    There''s not a lot I can do without being too conspicuous, but Bea gave me some advice.


    For now, I''m keeping a thin air veil around everyone and a small dome.


    The dome is meant as ayer of recognition more so than protection. Basically, if any magic isunched toward us, I should detect it when it crosses the domeyer, even if it''s invisible.


    The thin airyer around everyone is connected with... a small cable made of air. At least that''s the best way I can describe it.


    The intent is that I can know everyone''s location as long as they don''t go too far.


    I can also use it to redirect my mana and make someone''s barrier stronger if needed. By keeping track of thisyer constantly, I can also change the element or use light magic to provide a small amount of healing.


    My magic is not too shabby, so I should be able to protect us this way. Or at least I hope so.


    Just to be safe I''m also trying to get a few protective amulets through [Gacha Kingdom Building] since it''s one banner I still have avable to me due to not having spent a ticket on it before...


    Student #1: "I thought the Evretis'' daughter was an unthinking beast?"


    Student #2: "Pfft. She must''ve bought that score."


    Mia: "...My patience has limits, Miwen."


    Miwen: "So does mine. But... every sour word will make her rise sweeter, alright?"


    It''s frustrating for us to listen to things like that.


    We know that Isabe''s score was fair. Hell, she could''ve done even better.


    But more important than the score itself was the fact that the girl, with no talent or prior opportunity, did her best to achieve it.


    Even had she ced lower, we''d all be proud.


    Because helping her also took effort from us.


    Dismissing her is the same as dismissing us.


    I can understand why Mia is frustrated. It''s a shared sentiment since I would also like to have some words with them.


    However, I know that this would only work to our detriment.


    ...It''s especially frustrating for us to hear that.


    Thus, we hold back.


    Isabe: "Hey..."


    Miwen: "...Don''t mind them too much. Refusing to see the truth is the same as going blind."


    Isabe: "That''s not it... I wish to express my gratitude. It''s all thanks to you."


    Miwen: "..."


    So she says, but...


    I''m sure she is frustrated about this.


    Probably more than any of us since these are the people she wants to make friends with.


    Seeing her effort to dismiss theirments, Mia steeled her resolve and we made our way to the ssroom.


    The sses are divided by rank, and Isabe''s rank awarded her a spot in ss one.


    There are only about 15 students in the ss, but most of them seem to be from uing backgrounds.


    Most of the nobles from established renowned families ended up in a lower ss.


    It would''ve been a damn reality check if not for the fact that even the poorest student here was born with a silver spoon.


    Isabe: "I know you said I shouldn''t approach the saint carelessly, but... Everyone is congratting her. Wouldn''t it be bad if I didn''t do the same?"


    After everything was said and done yesterday I spoke with Isabe about what had happened.


    I couldn''t show her proof, but I did promise to make up for it.


    Whether she fully forgave me or not only the girl herself knows, but I like to believe she did.


    As for her question...


    Sabrina managed to snatch third ce, just a single point below Isabe.


    As such, the other students could interpret Isabe''s inaction as a form of provocation or arrogance due to her higher rank.


    The problem is...


    Miwen: "How are you going to approach her?"


    Isabe: "Hm... I was going to say something like: Congrattions on third ce. You deserved it..."


    Miwen: "Hah! Yeah, no."


    I understand that these are the words she wanted to hear from others.


    And yes, most of the students in this ssroom are saying something simr.


    The problem is her position. With her being a rank above, it sounds condescending as hell.


    It was a surprisingly difficult situation to be in. If she did nothing, she would be seen as arrogant, but if she went there and congratted the girl on cing below her, it would also be seen as arrogance.


    Maybe with someone normal, this wouldn''t happen, but considering her Gift...


    It''s always best to prepare for the worst scenario.


    Thankfully, a way out of this situation came to us.


    Terith''s first prince joined the ssroom, and the students all flocked to him.


    There are obvious attempts to win favor, but since he did ce first amongst all students, congratting him ispletely justified, no matter the situation.


    Miwen: "Alright, here''s what you''re going to do..."


    I wasn''t very social in my school days, but I would sometimes pay attention to how everyone interacted.


    It might sound sad, but I did learn a lot this way.


    And well, I never cared to know them personally either, so it''s not like I feel anything about it.


    The only regret I have is that I might not be able to help Isabe too much.


    Mia: "She''s nervous..."


    Anna: "Did you forget she likes him?"


    Miwen: "Hm... I might''ve miscalcted..."


    She stumbled through her words, but since I told her to keep it brief, there probably wasn''t too much damage.


    As for what I told her to say, it was simply to congratte him and then the saint as well.


    This way, she would kill two birds with one stone, and it wouldn''t seem weird for her to congratte Sabrina as well since she was already congratting the prince.


    Miwen: "So, how did it go?"


    Isabe: "It was fine..."


    She lied straight to my face.


    But I think it''s more shame than anything else.


    Miwen: "Don''t worry, it only gets easier after the first time."


    Mia: "...Did you need to say it like that?"


    Miwen: "It counts as two lessons."


    Isabe: "...?"


    The sses were as boring as I imagined. Hell, they were even worse than what I was used to on Earth.


    At least there was an effort to make them interesting and rtable. This one is just... theory and exercises on top of exercises.


    It''s like they are trying to teach a machine through repetition.


    I think Anna slept while listening and Mia has been counting the leaves of a nearby tree for more than two hours now.


    Mia: "...Three hundred ny-seven..."


    Miwen: "One hundred seventy-six..."


    Mia: "...One hundred seventy-seven... AGAIN?"


    As for me, I was having fun my own way.


    It felt like this wasn''t going to end. It was truly hellish.


    But thankfully the bell rang... telling us that we had only made it halfway through.


    Miwen: "This is torture. Do you know how long it took me to get away from this?"


    Mia: "Don''t worry, it only gets easier after the first time."


    Miwen: "Yeah, you''re very funny. I''ll bring a phone next time to try the game."


    Normally pulling a phone in a ssroom isn''t very productive, but I feltpletely justified in this case.


    After the first period was over we went to the dining hall, where Isabe bought the most expensive meal for all of us.


    It was way overpriced, as expected of an academy for nobles. But it also preyed on their pride as almost everyone was buying the same thing.


    The only exception was Sabrina...


    It made her stand out, which was what worried most students, but surprisingly, in her case, it wasn''t a bad thing.


    No one was looking down on her for that.


    The food was great though. The only thing I''din about is...


    Miwen: "A bit of a waste, huh?"


    It was just too much for a single person.


    Of course, it was fine to buy another option, but... this was obviously by design.


    The amount didn''t justify the price at all. Anyone who has ever cooked would know that.


    And that''s precisely why most nobles wouldn''t question it.


    Miwen: "You can leave it to Anna. She''s a glutton."


    Anna: "Hey!?"


    She asked me for seconds once, and since then, I slowly increased her portion.


    I think she didn''t realize it, but she''s been pretty much eating for two nowadays.


    Miwen: "Or you can also give it to Lana through your shadow. She doesn''t like to waste food."


    Isabe: "Really? She always seems a little upset at me..."


    Miwen: "Yeah, she''s hard to approach at first. But she''s not bad or anything. Throw her a fruit and she''ll turn all smiles."


    Following what I told her, Isabe slowly approached the floor with her hand and then released one of this world''s fruits in it.


    Before touching the ground, it simply disappeared, and then a thumbs-up briefly appeared from the shadow below her.


    She ran a few more tests with the things she wasn''t able to eat until she finished her te.


    As for Mia, she gave Anna her veggies. I already knew this was bound to happen since Mia likes meat more than anything else, so I ate all of mine and gave Anna what was left on my te.


    Pretty much a second serving, but that didn''t impede her.


    Back to the ssroom, the day kept going. There were a few assignments rted to the floating city that they''ll be visiting, but nothing major.


    I thought that maybe we had been a little unlucky with the sses today, but it seems like it''s done this way in preparation for the break they''ll have while exploring the floating city.


    The idea is that they''ll have a bunch of exercises to do so that they can focus on something else aside from magic while there.


    Thus, I got my hopes up that this was going to be temporary.


    And when the day finally finished, a pleasant surprise for once.


    Edmond, Terith''s crown prince, called Isabe to talk.


    Apparently, he was interested in one of the questions he had gotten wrong in the general knowledge test.


    I was hoping that maybe she would be smart and tell him they could study together but... she got nervous and just exined the rationale behind it.


    It was cute in its own way though.


    However, I did notice he wasn''t very pleased with me and the girls.


    I couldn''t know the reason exactly, but it was probably because we didn''t bow to him.


    I don''t ask this type of thing from the girls, so of course, I told them they shouldn''t bow to anyone.


    Thankfully we have a good excuse. Since Evretis used to be its own nation until very recently, there are a bunch of people from there who don''t recognize the royal family.


    They are sworn to Evretis and no one else.


    If the prince was angry with us for not bowing, he probably chose to not say a word thinking that this was the case.


    After seeing their interaction, a few other students came to greet Isabe.


    Their interaction was pretty brief since she was still nervous, but once she came back to us, she had the biggest smile

 Chapter 172: Rodky, The Sky City (01)

    With the first few introductory sses out of the way, we were to set foot on the floating city, formally known as Rodky or the Sky City.


    The poption is in the thousands, however, basically all of them are mages of an indisputable caliber.


    Their workshops are big and they research in groups with talented individuals, which makes the City a ridiculously advanced center for magic in the continent.


    Being recognized or praised by one of the mages is already an achievement, but being invited to join their workshop or even be one of their apprentices is a lifetime opportunity.


    And yet, there''s an even higher miracle one can be blessed while in this City. To not only be an apprentice and learn from one of the mages but to inherit their secret arts and discoveries.


    Since even the least capable mage in the city should be a genius, inheriting all of their knowledge is a direct ticket to grandeur.


    Miwen: "...And so, these are the ones I''m nning to bring."


    Isabe: "Hm... Quite a big group..."


    Miwen: "Yeah, but not all of them will be apanying you."


    In our group, there are a ton of good mages, and the opportunity to bring a few of them to Rodky seems too good to pass on.


    ire made sure to inform me that if I didn''t bring her, I''d be toast.


    Licia was also interested in cool ways to use [Ice Magic] and she promised me that I wouldn''t regret bringing her.


    Ellie was simply too curious toe. She wanted it so much that she powered through all of her usual shame and used all of her cuteness to convince me.


    Aside from them, Agatha also insisted oning. Lily also made a good argument as improving her magic could lead to better results with the crops, and the Valkyries are always doing a bunch of odd jobs and being overall helpful in the Kingdom, so when Skuld asked me to bring her and Eir along, I couldn''t refuse to give them this small reward.


    Sadly, not everyone interested coulde.


    It would be hard to hide Angelica''s identity over a long period. Especially among good mages.


    So, even though this could be a great opportunity to advance her studies in [Light Magic], we decided it was best to not take the risk.


    The same problem applied to Elizabeth. Demons aren''t well seen in this continent.


    There''s a legend about two great cmities that would one day bring chaos to thisnd.


    While one of them is believed to be the ice dragon that froze most of the continent in the past, the other is said to be a demon that would rise from the shadows.


    Not every world treats demons the same, but with a low number of them in this one and this legend, their treatment is as poor as it can be.


    If they see one, they''ll kill it on sight. Or at least try to.


    Isabe: "...What about Anna and Mia?"


    Miwen: "Anna said she couldn''t care less. Mia also wasn''t that interested, but she lost on rock paper scissors so I forced her toe."


    Isabe: "Well, I was invited to that group from before, so..."


    As expected of someone who has never had the opportunity to connect with others before, she''s trying hard to not be weird in front of the friends she made.


    Having all of us around her all the time could be embarrassing for her. Like a kid with an overly doting parent.


    Miwen: "Well, don''t worry. As I said, most of them will go and explore on their own. It''ll be just Daddy, Mommy, and our kitty with you."


    Mia: "...Who are you calling Mommy?"


    Miwen: "If you want to be the kitty I''ll have you add ~nya to the end of your every phrase. And then I''ll promote Lana to-"


    I was already expecting Mia''s reaction, but even Lana joined this time.


    It was great for me though since I got two for the price of one.


    Isabe: "If you think that is insulting, imagine being forced to ept him as my guardian."


    The only downside was that my surrogate daughter was entering her rebellious phase.


    But I knew deep down she loved me and was d for my help. It was just a case of her being influenced by the bad behavior of our family members... probably.


    Still, with all the preparations made and Isabe''s agreement, we headed to the floating city.


    Its "ports" were a couple of giant stairs that extended from what looked like a floating ind.


    Once they connected to the ground, we were able to climb the stairs to reach the city.


    It took us about 30 minutes at normal walking speed to reach the end of the stairs, and waiting for us was a gate. They just asked for a document that identified the students, and then allowed us to enter as Isabe''s escorts.


    Up until there it was just Isabe, her friends, their escorts, Mia, and I.


    But once we were inside I summoned the rest of the girls so that they could go have their fun.


    Then I returned to Isabe''s side and we went ahead to explore the workshops her friends wanted.


    Our first stop was a weird house.


    Since their workshops doubled as the mages'' residences, it wasn''t strange to see house-shaped buildings. However, most of them looked more normalpared to this one.


    And inside this one, I found my cute elf fawning over different items and tools.


    She instantly got ashamed when she saw me, but she turned away and pretended to not know us.


    Miwen: "...I didn''t see anyone bringing supplies here. And it would be quite hard to do so since they only allow alumni and academy personnel to enter, right?"


    I get that to maintain a poption this ce stops periodically and recruits new talented mages to join.


    experience-MVLeMpYr


    But it was a little weird to not take advantage of the situation and restock as well.


    Mia: "They use the ports on the other side for that. I believe it''s to protect the safety of the students since they are all nobles."


    Makes sense... even if this is such a prestigious ce, endangering nobles is bound to spell disaster for them.


    Even if they can fight or avoid a country, this ce sustains itself on the premise that it can help advance magic throughout the continent by sharing some of its secrets with the new generation.


    If there are doubts about their ability to protect the nobles, then, it will be harder for them to maintain their poption, not to mention supplies.


    It''s a delicate rtionship...


    But paired with this workshop, I can only deduce that the strangeness is purposeful.


    Unconventional minds and their desire to make something unique...


    It''s cool, but highly unconventional and in-


    Isabe: "Miwen! Wind magic is your specialty, right? Show it to her."


    I wouldn''t go as far as to say it''s my specialty, but...


    Miwen: "...What do you want me to do? If you order me I can flip her skirt before she-"


    Isabe "I want you to participate in her game. Even Ellie- Even the elf didn''t manage to win."


    It seems like something pretty bad went down while I was doing my best to not pay attention to Ellie.


    In the blink of an eye, the workshop owner wasughing while Ellie was confused and a little dejected.


    Miwen: "...Right. So... what are the rules?"


    Workshop Owner: "First, a registration fee. But don''t worry, if you can win, I''ll give it back, and I''ll also give you any item from the shop!"


    At 2 silver coins, this was quite harsh for a fee...


    However, I had no option but to participate.


    All the items here seemed pretty good... The books authored by the shopkeeper herself especially seemed to be pretty valuable.


    And so, I decided to entertain mydy and avenge my girl.


    The game itself was pretty simple.


    Each of us has 5 balloons filled with air. The game ends after five minutes have passed and the one with the most remaining balloons filled with air wins.


    All magic aside from wind is prohibited.


    We were allowed to check each other''s balloons as well as our own before the game started to be sure that they both had roughly the same volume of air inside.


    Miwen: "..."


    Workshop Owner: "No need to stare daggers! The elf losing was just bad luck!"


    ...Elves tend to be reasonably good at magic, with wind and earth usually being their mostmon and stronger elements.


    Ellie leans more toward wind and fire, but still, her wind magic is pretty good.


    She''s also quite observant and smart. For her to be confused after a match, some trick must''ve been used.


    I was pretty sure about that, but I didn''t manage to figure anything out until the game started.


    We tied our own balloons'' knots so that air wouldn''t escape, but the only way to prevent all air from leaving was to control it with one''s own mana.


    The best way to prevent air from escaping is to block the exit with mana. It''s more effective than trying to control all the air inside since the area is smaller.


    It also has the benefit of allowing me to prevent her from controlling the air inside my balloon as I would instantly detect the foreign mana trying to infiltrate the barrier.


    I''m pretty sure both Ellie and the workshop owner have done the same since it''s a pretty safe strategy...


    However, in this game, we not only have to worry about maintaining the air inside our balloon, but we also have to figure out a way to take the air from the opponent''s.


    The first and most straightforward method would be to fight for control over the entrance.


    In this case, whoever has the most mana output and reserve, as well as talent and understanding for [Wind Magic] would end up the winner.


    But if the game was so straightforward it wouldn''t exin Ellie''s confusion...


    Well... the second method of attack would be to cut their balloon from the surface area.


    This would involve control since whoever canunch more attacks while defending their balloon would end up winning.


    This is a bit harder to fight against.


    It leads to a problem where you have to be very careful with how much mana you spend defending.


    If you choose to make a thick barrier to protect every balloon, your attacks will be pretty weak.


    It''s a bit counterintuitive, but the best way to fight against this would be to employ two thin barriers.


    By making the first one a little bigger than the surface of the balloon I can use it to recognize any attack iing.


    Then, it''s just a matter of reinforcing the targeted area.


    It''s a system simr to what I use to protect Isabe.


    While more cost-effective, the downside is that it requires more mana control, which can be a barrier for some people when you''re employing 10 different barriers while also paying attention to where to reinforce and where your opponent''s barriers are at their weakest.


    If you can do this, you''re at least a good mage. However, I knew for a fact that Ellie was able to do this much...


    But then, an entire minute passed...


    It went pretty much how I expected it to go. Neither side lost a single balloon.


    They aren''t small or big enough for me to have trouble controlling my mana around them, and it was the same for this workshop''s mage.


    Just a second after the first minute though...


    A single one of my balloons started to dete faster than the others.


    I started to focus less on the attacks to regain its air, but...


    All the others also started to dete.


    Miwen: "Oh... That''s a surprising trick. I was thinking of using it myself."


    Workshop Owner: "Whatever do you mean?"


    Ellie: "Did you figure it out Mi... Sir?"


    Miwen: "Yeah. Her attacks are not wind des meant to cut the fabric of the balloon, they are simply making me reinforce the barrier in a few areas while also thinning it in others. With her wind dissipating, this created a very predetermined airflow around my balloons. It creates a pressure imbnce and deforms them, which messes with the hole barrier and allows air to escape."


    It''s very slow and small, but since most of the work isn''t done by her mana if you concentrate too much on that, it''s impossible to notice.


    It feels like the air is simply naturally leaving and your barrier has stopped working.


    Almost like a rigged game, except it''s not. She''s following the rules, but she''s being extremely smart about it.


    I can see why Ellie got confused. Poor girl must''ve been cracking her head trying to figure out why the hell her barrier wasn''t working.


    Workshop Owner: "I''m impressed you figured it out. It took me months of observation to learn this trick."


    Miwen: "Neat. I wanted to blow my brains out an entire month and ording to my scores I didn''t even learn it properly."


    I at least know the concept though...


    Workshop Owner: "I''m... sorry? But sadly, just knowing how it works is not enough to-"


    Pop.


    ...Pop ...Pop.


    Pop Pop.


    Miwen: "Oh, finally got it. Trial and error does pay off."


    Workshop Owner: "...How?"


    Miwen: "Resonance. The wind des I threw were to test the natural frequency of your balloons. You maintained control over the dissipated air after it met my barrier to manipte the airflow... So, as I said, I had a simr idea, except I decided to use it to get information instead."


    The idea came while I was thinking about how I use a simr two-dome barrier to protect Isabe.


    When we use magic, the mana leaves our body. Thanks to that, we have a little ghost limb experience with it.


    If we maintain control over the mana, we can feel through it to a certain degree.


    It''s easier to feel foreign mana, which is why barriers are especially useful for detecting iing magic attacks.


    However, certain barrier types have different uses.


    For example, pure mana barriers tend to be the weakest, however, they provide the most amount of information and are the easiest to control and maintain over an extremelyrge or extremely small area.


    Right after, we have wind barriers. They are stronger than pure mana, but they also allow one to get a lot of information.


    After a certain size, the smaller the area, the more precise the feedback is, which is one of the reasons why we need more control to maintain it.


    With the balloons, I tried to make my wind des as small as possible while attacking. I also sent as many as I could.


    Thus, I was able to determine what frequency I had to use to resonate with the balloons'' material and pop them.


    Thankfully, to ensure fairness, the balloons have pretty much the same size and shape, so once I figured one out, the others didn''t deviate too much.


    Workshop Owner: "I... don''t get it."


    Hah. Sweet.


    Now she knows how my poor-


    Ellie: "I also don''t get it."


    Eh?


    Why does she look even more confused now?


    Isabe: "Do you care to exin?"


    Mia: "Can you take that gross grin off your face and start talking?"


    ...I get why Ellie couldn''t act all happy and thankful.


    But these two as well?


    They had no excuse.


    So I decided to punish them a little.


    Miwen: "...I''ll introduce it as the subject of our next ss."


    I feel like no matter how much I exin, without the proper theory behind it they''ll just end up more lost than before.


    It was a fun game though, and the mage of the workshop did keep her word. Her casual attitude about it made me feel a little bad since I assumed she was a scammer...


    But that didn''t impede me from iming the prize.


    I took a look around to see if anything caught my interest in the workshop, but in the end, the spellbooks were definitely the best the ce had to offer.


    They are the materialization of her research, and I saw for myself how good she was.


    The only problem was that... judging by their titles, they were all spells that used [Wind Magic] to manipte pressure in different ways.


    Miwen: "Why is this world so keen on making me go back to high school..."


    Workshop Owner: "Something the matter?"


    Miwen: "Nah. I want that one."


    I just picked whatever seemed to interest Ellie the most. I wasn''t going to read it anyway, but it should be great for her.


    Especially since understanding this type of concept through magic should be easier for her.


    Butler: "Man... Isabe must not be such a baddy after all..."


    Oh?


    As we headed to the next workshop, one of the escorts apanying Isabe''s friends started speaking in a low voice to me.


    Miwen: "...You''re right. But what makes you think that?"


    Butler: "She must''ve allowed you to receive quite a lot of magic training to perform at the same level as a Rodky mage. And she didn''t take the credit for herself... That''s pretty humble."


    ...This was a misunderstanding, but...


    Perhaps for the first time, it was a wee one.


    I hadn''t thought that I could contribute to her image like this.

 Chapter 173: Rodky, The Sky City (02)

    Rodky is an incredibly big and unique ce, however, like pretty much everywhere else, there''s a certain hierarchy to be found if you look closely.


    Truth be told, it''s not even necessary to look that closely.


    There are plenty of workshops, and they each have their own mage responsible and sometimes they might have staff as well.


    Apprentices, coborators, cksmiths, alchemists, and much more.


    The workshops'' sizes seem to be proportional to the respect a researcher or their research has.


    Their staff also tends to follow the same trend.


    Simrly, the crowds waiting in line to visit a workshop can also vary immensely.


    The first ce we visited was easy enough to enter. There was barely anyone there and so, there wasn''t even a line.


    However, as we approached the center of the city, the lines started getting bigger and bigger.


    Now it takes an average of 40 minutes in line to enter a workshop.


    All workshops share one thing inmon. A show of their research.


    This is always free, but they also sell expensive items. And again, certain workshops can get quite expensive.


    Which seems to be the case for most of the ones we visited.


    Sadly, we didn''t visit any workshop that dealt with [Dark Magic].


    Isabe''s friends weren''t interested in that since not a single one of them has an affinity for it, but it seems like they are harder to findpared to other elements.


    It''s not the city''s fault though. The citizens here don''t seem to bat an eye to that. A few find it quite interesting.


    The problem is simply demand.


    Most people dislike [Dark Magic], so they tend to avoid such ces. In turn, this makes workshops dedicated to [Dark Magic] only possible on the outskirts of the city.


    There is simply no way for them topete with the more popr ones, no matter the quality of their research.


    And so, while waiting in line, Mia reached out to me.


    Mia: "...Familiar people are approaching. Her brothers, and..."


    Edmond: "What a pleasant surprise."


    Isabe''s crush.


    Or perhaps he''s better known as Terith''s Prince.


    He''s a little different from the image of the game, but like Albert and Lenard, he''s pretty good-looking.


    Itpletely justifies his position as a romance target.


    All of them do.


    Be it status, manners, or looks, all three have it covered.


    It''s no wonder the students look up to them.


    And while we''re talking about the game characters, of course, we couldn''t forget about one of the protagonists.


    The heroine.


    Sabrina: "Oh, Mr. Butler! I''m d to see you''re doing fine afterst time! Thank you for forgiving him, Isabe! I hope you can show me the same mercy..."


    Of course, there was no reason for me to be injured.


    Any form of punishment only existed in her twisted perception.


    ...The only thing that might''ve hurt a little was seeing Isabe''s dejected face, but she didn''t act out after that.


    After exining what happened to her she pretty much forgave me immediately.


    Edmond: "...Did something happen?"


    Sabrina: "Yes, the two of us were talking and Isabe felt insulted by his words..."


    It''s all true, but...


    The way she constructs it makes it look way worse than it is.


    Miwen "It wasn''t anything major. She got upset because I insulted her. And that was all. There was no punishment involved."


    I tried to be as objective as possible so that there wouldn''t be any space for a misunderstanding, but I couldn''t tell whether or not it worked immediately.


    Edmond: "I see. Even if you have a good rtionship as master and servant, in public spaces it''s necessary to mind one''s behavior. For example, you and the beastwoman didn''t bow to greet me. While I don''t care for such things, it might stain your Lady''s reputation if you behave like this around other nobles."


    Albert: "Your Highness... He is..."


    Miwen: "Uh-huh. Sorry to say, but you''re the one who should be bowing to me."


    Edmond: "What?"


    Huh.


    For someone who said they didn''t care, he sure seemed upset about that.


    Still, he only had good intentions with his advice, so I decided to go easy on him.


    Miwen: "While I might serve Isabe, I am also king of my own nation. Which means I outrank you."


    As long as we don''t talk about how my kingdom barely amounts to a fraction of his.


    Edmond: "That... Doesn''t make sense. Why would a king serve the daughter of a foreign duke? Even made-up tales need to have a semnce of logic..."


    He looked after Albert and Lenard, but...


    They didn''t respond.


    In a way, with how serious both tend to be, this told Edmond that there was more truth to my story than he might''ve expected.


    It was surprising for everyone, but one person wasn''t all that convinced.


    Isabe: "...I''m sorry for his behavior, Your Highness. However, he''s not lying."


    Sabrina: "I didn''t know the Evretis family had such a sense of humor."


    Isabe: "...!"


    Weird.


    Aside from Isabe, no one else reacted to thatment.


    I get not acting disrespectfully towards the Saint, but... Albert and Lenard were right there.


    As members of the Evretis family, they surely would have something to say to that...


    But before I could call them out...


    Sabrina: "Ah! Look at the time! I need to visit Rodky''s church!"


    Student #1: "O-Oh... Why don''t we all go together then?"


    Haha.


    No way, you made us wait for half an hour in this line.


    Isabe: "But we''ve been waiting here for-"


    Student #2: "Do you not want to go, Lady Isabe?"


    Sabrina: "I guess Lady Isabe has not extended her forgiveness to me. I''m sorry for how much my shameful disy angered you..."


    Student #3: "No way. The Saint can''t be shameful. I''m sure it was all a misunderstanding. Right, Isabe?"


    ...Isabe had made a singlement. Quite a logical one too. I''d have been way more crude about it if I was in her shoes.


    And yet, in a matter of seconds, that single logical statement viinized her.


    Sabrina: "If you don''t want toe, will you at least allow your butler to tag along? I wish to make it up to him for the distress I may have caused."


    ...It''s innocent enough to where it''s hard to criticize.


    She truly seemed concerned.


    However, it was almost as if she ignored everything I said about this not being a big deal.


    And worse yet, it put me and Isabe in a bad spot.


    I wasn''t willing to leave her side, but this could easily be seen as me being afraid of the repercussions of going against Isabe''s wishes.


    It would make what I said earlier questionable by making it seem like I''m afraid of Isabe and that she is always controlling me.


    Her friends were starting to stare at her with judgment in their eyes.


    Even Edmond seemed to share that sentiment a little.


    In this case, we only had one real choice.


    Isabe: "...Sure. Let''s all go together."


    In my opinion, she made the right choice.


    There are two ways to pick on someone.


    You can either do something outrageous once or, keep doing small things often.


    Due to Isabe''s and Sabrina''s reputation, being antagonistic is not a valid option.


    Whatever Isabe does, it will be blown out tremendously.


    It''s better to avoid confronting the Saint as much as possible for now.


    And I''m d that she was able to decide and act on it even though she understood all that.


    I feel like it''s an improvement from her past self that would freeze the moment she thought her brothers would judge her.


    As for me, I had a fewints.


    Sabrina: "What''s your name, Mr. Butler?"


    Miwen: "Miwen."


    Sabrina: "Ohh... What are your hobbies?"


    Mia: "Being a pervert and being an idiot."


    Eh.


    Pretty much.


    Sabrina: "Hm? Who are you?"


    ...I hadn''t noticed but...


    Sabrina didn''t address Mia at all back then.


    Actually, unless someone intervenes, whenever she''s talking, it seems like she only focuses on the game characters and me...


    Miwen: "She''s my fianc¨¦e."


    Sabrina: "Haha! You know, I never thought you''d be the type to make jokes. Between being a kingdom and having a lover... Hehe... Aren''t you a big dreamer?"


    ...?


    Well, first of all, that''s a little insulting.


    Yeah, having a kingdom might seem far-fetched, but having a fianc¨¦e is not extraordinary.


    Miwen: "What do you have to say to that, Mia?"


    Mia: "...With so many high-ranking nobles, I feel like I should concentrate a little more."


    Pfft.


    Of course.


    Even though I was a little pissed off that we abandoned the line to go to the church, being honest, it was a pretty good sight.


    It wasn''t merely a church, but a cathedral, and quite a big one.


    It made sense considering that it was the only one in the city, but it was still impressive nheless.


    Sabrina: "Ah... I feel so much at ease here..."


    Isabe: "...?"


    Miwen: "Don''t worry, me too."


    As Sabrina started to pray, I could feel her powers magnifying. The aura that normally surrounds her was much stronger than before.


    It truly felt like a holy light was illuminating her whole body.


    I''m pretty sure if I was still under the effects of her charm my mind would be a mess right now, but thanks to Elizabeth, I could appreciate the sight for what it truly was.


    Beautiful and perhaps mesmerizing, but not enough for me to lose sight of what''s truly important.


    Isabe: "...For some reason, I''m also feeling empowered..."


    Miwen: "That''s because you are."


    Since I have both dark and light magic, I tried both of them out when we entered the church to see the effects a holy ce had.


    As expected, my light magic increased in power significantly. I''d say around 20% or 30%.


    Considering Sabrina''s position as a Saint, I''m sure her powers increased even more.


    And it made me d I never considered building the church that Gabrie pestered me about since even outside of one Elizabeth considers her a potential threat.


    However, what I found most interesting was that I also felt my dark magic increasing in power.


    Which ording to what I know, should not have happened.


    In fact, it was supposed to be the opposite. While light magic gains strength inside a church, dark magic loses it.


    ??????: "It is said that this city was built by prodigies who had mastered one element each to develop their knowledge. ording to the legend, they wanted to know if it was possible to empower two opposing elements with the same method, so they dedicated this cathedral to the masters of light and dark magic..."


    Mia: "...!"


    Miwen: "...!?"


    ...What?


    How did she... Get past Mia?


    She had said she was going to concentrate more...


    I get that she was mostly saying that to avoid the topic, but she still acted like it a little.


    And even if that wasn''t the case, she should''ve been capable of noticing someone approaching a mile away.


    But neither of us noticed this woman until she was directly by our side.


    Isabe: "...That''s interesting..."


    ??????: "You truly think so, huh? Well, if you want to learn more, you''re wee to visit my workshop. You too, young man."


    Isabe: "Wait-"


    I blinked for a second and she was gone.


    Almost as if she wasn''t here, to begin with.


    Miwen: "Was it teleportation?"


    Mia: "...I''m not sure. I think there was something else. My eyes were seeing her, but... there was no smell... But her lips were moving. What did she say?"


    Weird.


    Since Isabe and I were both hearing her I was under the assumption Mia could as well...


    Isabe: "She didn''t give us her name... How are we supposed to find her workshop?"


    True...


    But something tells me that finding that mysterious woman won''t be that hard.


    Miwen: "You know the most famous mages around here, right?"


    Isabe: "Yeah? But I don''t think I know about her..."


    Miwen: "Which means she''s not a well-known mage. We''ll search for her on the outskirts." thank-you-for-using-MvLeMpYr


    Isabe: "...I guess. But it''s really convenient that your deduction will bring us to the workshops with smaller lines."


    A man can hope.

 Chapter 174: Rodky, The Sky City (03)

    It took Sabrina some time to finish her prayers and then she also went to greet the members of the church congregation.


    She seemed to have a very positive attitude towards them.


    But since that took so long, I assumed we wouldn''t be able to find that woman''s workshop today. There wasn''t enough time remaining to do a thorough search.


    Since things were like this I didn''t protest Isabe''s group decisions even when that meant going back to the line we had just abandoned.


    There was nothing we could do since Edmond was very intent on visiting that workshop.


    I knew I was going to be idle anyway and that the chances of meeting that woman in a popr workshop were quite low, so I started sending messages to the girls to look out for a tall woman with sharp eyes wearing a suit.


    Some of them might''ve misinterpreted what I meant by this, but I made sure to tell them this wasn''t a high priority... and that I wasn''t chasing skirts.


    As I expected, thisx attitude didn''t provide us any leads, but we had plenty of time and opportunity in the next days so there was no need to interfere with the girls'' fun.


    Still, before the end of our first day in Rodky ended, there was one more matter to take care of.


    Mia: "¡­It''s been bothering me for a while, but¡­ Those mes are¡­ familiar. Right?"


    Miwen: "Hm? What do you mean?"


    Mia "You know exactly what I mean! Just look at that! It''s obviously ire!


    What is happening over there?"


    Frankly, I had no idea.


    There was a ck workshop with a ridiculous chimney near the center of the city.


    For quite a while mes have been soaring to the sky from that chimney.


    Their power is always impressive. They are visible from far away and it''s even possible to feel a bit of their heat when we are at a reasonable distance.


    However, that''s not what''s most interesting about them.


    What caught my attention more than anything else was their behavior. Once they reach a certain height they disappear for a while and then explode in what looks pretty simr to massive fireworks in the sky.


    The first time I saw that, I immediately associated it with ire, but she only answered me with a "Don''t worry, I''m having fun!".


    And knowing her...


    Mia: "¡­That only makes it more worrisome."


    Pretty much.


    Which is why I asked her reins for help.


    Miwen: "I know. Licia went there and took a look for me."


    Mia: "¡­And?"


    Miwen: "She said ire made a like-minded friend. And that she wants to stay the night today."


    Mia: "¡­Oh. Great. We''ll not have to look for that woman''s workshop then. There won''t be a single one remaining tomorrow."


    I wish I could deny that, but the chances are unsettlingly above 0%.


    Still, I wasn''t too worried about it.


    I know those two well enough. They were probably being crypt on purpose to keep me on my toes.


    If anything, I was happy that she was having a fun day off since she''s been working quite hard for a while now.


    And also¡­ ire is not as gullible and trusting as Ellie and Lily.


    It''s actually quite hard to get one up over her, and even if one manages to, there''s a high chance she''ll break through anything using power alone.


    And so, I decided to focus solely on the situation we found when we rejoined the queue.


    Lily: "¡­Ah."


    I wasn''t sure whether or not I should me Isabe''s [Darkest Star] for this.


    Seeing Lily being all ufortable and awkward due to themand I gave all the girls to pretend they didn''t know us was just too lovely to call bad luck.


    She was doing her best to do what I told her, but she''d steal nces at us and pay attention to the conversation from time to time.


    It was too hard to resist... I started to approach her one step at a time.


    For each step I took closer to her, she took one to get that away from me.


    However, due to the nature of the line we were in, there was nowhere she could run to. She''s quite awkward by nature, and not wanting to disturb the other people, she eventually tripped and fell to the ground.


    Miwen: "Are you alright,dy?"


    Lily: "Ah¡­ Y-yeah¡­ I¡­ I''m fine¡­ Sir¡­"


    Mia: "One day you''ll get what you deserve."


    Miwen: "You''re saying I can get more than this?"


    I was pretty happy already, and Lily was one of the few girls I felt guilty after teasing, so I eventually helped her out.


    I also told her she didn''t have to pretend anymore.


    Ordering everyone was a little excessive. I did it just to be sure but thinking back on it, there was no need for Lily to hide her identity.


    Simply put, there''s nothing worth hiding about her in the first ce.


    Lily is not abatant. With her, what you see is what you get.


    She was also pretty bad at covert operations. Her attempts at not drawing attention only made her more suspicious.


    Edmond: "¡­And this is¡­?"


    Miwen: "She''s my¡­ Minister of Agriculture."


    Lily: "E-eh?"


    Mia and Isabe both let out a chuckle since they knew the inner workings of the Kingdom.


    Lily on the other hand seemed confused and concerned.


    This was the first time that I had ever referred to her with such a title.


    By all ounts, she''s just a in and simple farmer.


    However, either due to the prince and the saint''s dismissal of my words earlier or the desire to see her even more flustered, I decided to show off a little and make her and the Kingdom look more impressive.


    It was also a fitting title for her. The others have been keeping a few nts and they often help her, but...


    She''s the Kingdom''s farmer. Everyone else is just extra hands for her when ites to farm business.


    ying with her while we waited in line was quite fun, and the time ended up passing way faster than I expected.


    We headed inside the fanciest workshop yet, and since Lily was so interested in it, I already had a pretty decent idea of what was inside.


    The main research of this ce seemed to be... magic directed towards farming and tools.


    There was a lot to look at, but the tools were definitely the most interesting to me.


    As expected, they all seemed quite fancy, but also... fantastic.


    Some of the tools had simple effects such as restricting or draining mana in an area to help with managing and improving soil quality.


    But others had effects that I wasn''t able to understand conceptually like improving the quality of cultivated items the moment they are taken from the ground through green magic.


    Since Lily understands quite a lot about this and seemed very enthusiastic about the tools I wanted to assume they weren''t a scam.


    The workshop was also pretty close to the center of the city, but¡­


    Just to be safe I decided to maintain just a little bit of skepticism to bnce out Lily''s gullibility.


    As a side note, I also respected Edmond''s decision to visit this shop.


    I had an inkling Albert was the one who convinced him, but it was still nice to see a prince giving this type of thing the attention it deserves.


    Workshop Owner: "Your skills and your level¡­ as well as your mana¡­ It''s been a while since I''ve seen someone so promising."


    Lily: "Eh? T-thanks¡­ But uh¡­ I''m just normal¡­hehe¡­"


    ¡­!


    Workshop Owner: "Not at all! With your keen eyes and skillset, you''d make a magnificent assistant!"


    Lily: "Ah¡­ But I¡­"


    Workshop Owner: "Please, consider it carefully, missy. It''s a rare opportunity, and I can guarantee you''ll learn a lot."


    Yeah¡­ No way in hell.


    Miwen: "Lily, I''ll pay you double to stay with us."


    Lily: "E-eh? But you only gave me an allowance for today¡­"


    ...Shit.


    I thought it was fine to just buy whatever the girls wanted since we hadn''t yet established an economy in the Kingdom so I wasn''t exactly paying them anything aside from our shared funds...


    Miwen: "Oh, I know. Isabe will give you all her allowance then."


    Isabe: "Excuse me?"


    Miwen: "You never paid us for your lessons."


    Albert: "...That''s not true. We are paying you more than any servant."


    ¡­


    For a moment I forgot that her brothers were here¡­


    They closed my only way out, and all the while, Mia was having the time of her life seeing me struggle with the curse she ced on me without even using magic.


    Lily: "Ehehe¡­"


    Even Lily seemed to be joining in on the fun.


    Still, this was a serious matter to me.


    It''s not possible to overstate how crucial Lily is for the Kingdom.


    No matter the price, I''d be willing to do anything to convince her to stay with us.


    Lily: "Well, I''m thankful but¡­ I have to take care of Mimi and Lili and the others too, so¡­ I''m sorry, I can''t ept your offer."


    ¡­The cows¡­ and the other animals¡­


    They saved me.


    I guess I shouldn''t be concerned in the first ce. Lily doesn''t care for money or status.


    She spends a lot of time ying with the animals and taking care of the fields.


    Every morning she wakes up and takes care of them with a big smile. I''m pretty sure she''s one of the happiest citizens in the Kingdom.


    Workshop Owner: "I see¡­ That''s a shame, but¡­ Here. I''m sure you''ll be able to make good use of this."


    He grabbed a few small eggs and a¡­ well, a bigger egg. But the big one was clearly not organic.


    Also¡­ the big egg was one of the most expensive items in the already fancy workshop.


    Lily: "N-no¡­ I''m grateful but¡­ This is too much¡­ I can''t ept it¡­."


    Workshop Owner: "Don''t worry. I''ve already given up on selling it. I''d rather give it to someone who''ll make good use of it than have it rust on the shelves."


    Lily: "Then¡­ Thanks!"


    Oh¡­


    Maybe I was too quick to judge him.


    Even his sinister grin seemed like a gentle smile now that it was next to Lily''s.


    Cassandra: "Are we not killing him¡­?"


    Miwen: "It''ll depend on what what those are. If they make Lily sad we''ll cut his head off."


    Just the thought of someone hurting her or the animals and nts she cares about makes me furious.


    That innocent smile of hers is too radiant and sincere not to protect.


    Workshop Owner: "Oh, how menacing~"


    ...This ce... is filled with monsters.


    I should really be more careful.


    Workshop Owner: "No need to worry, young man. I stopped hurting others a long time ago. That egg is the result of a long researchbining two opposing elements, fire and green magic. A girl like her will certainly draw out its true value."


    ...That''s rich.


    While the workshops here all have overpowered mages, I could at least see the level of all of them.


    This guy was above 110... And while he seemed somewhat old... if I''m to believe he changed his mind about killing others, he sure must''ve taken his sweet time toe to that decision.


    Miwen: "...I just hope for both of our sakes that it makes her happy. Forget about hurting her, if she gets even a little bit disappointed with the effects I''ming for you."


    Workshop Owner: "Oho~ Your eyes tell me I shouldn''t take this lightly."


    Miwen: "Not at all. Feel free to take it as a joke."


    Makes my job easier.


    Workshop Owner: "My instincts were telling me you''re very caring toward others, but... I wonder if it''s a good idea to give you this?"


    A seed...?


    Workshop Owner: "Hoho~ Quite a lively spirit you have there. It was the right choice after all."


    MVLeMpYr-only


    Before I could even take a proper look at it, Apollo ate the seed from the old man''s hands.


    Truth be told, I really didn''t like this old man. He gave me the same vibe as the Merchant.


    But it still felt like a waste to not even check what the seed was supposed to be.


    Miwen: "Well, if he''s giving it for free it must be worthless..."


    Apollo: "...!"


    Aw.


    He seemed really angry... kept pecking me even after we left Rodky.


    Apollo is usually pretty chill so this made me think that the seed was poisonous or something.

 Chapter 175: Dark Workshop

    Four days have passed since we met that woman in Rodky''s cathedral.


    I was pretty confident that finding her would be easy, but... that turned out to be too optimistic.


    The reality was that by following Isabe''s friends and Terith''s Prince, we visited a bunch of popr workshops.


    Just entering them requires a certain amount of time, and for better or worse, neither the prince nor the Evretis house members have been unting their status to get ahead of others.


    With everyone so focused on the popr workshops, we couldn''t go to the outskirts of the city, where I thought our chances of finding that woman would be higher.


    Since any requests to go there probably were going to be rejected immediately, it was also hard for Isabe to propose it.


    My girls also made no progress.


    If things kept going like this, it could turn into a problem.


    Mia: "Why are you interested in finding that woman anyway?"


    Miwen: "...Call it a feeling."


    While I''m certainly interested in the history of this city, there was definitely much more to that woman.


    Many mages in Rodky are powerful.


    Even the Grandpa back then who gave those eggs to Lily... From my estimates, he should be strong enough to win against Skuld or any of the other Valkyries.


    There''s also a mage in this city capable enough to catch ire''s interest, which tells me a lot about how p¨®werful she might be. As well as her interests.


    However... If we''re talking about how threatening they are, on a scale from Lily to Elizabeth, most of the mages here end up being close to Lily.


    They treat all of the students here like children and the workshops function kind of life stalls in a festival.


    While it''s obvious they are serious about their research, they often go out of the way to materialize it in a fun way or challenging way to y with the students.


    It works to attract them and also to scout those who can see through the trick as potential apprentices.


    Overall, it''s a nice ce, with powerful, but friendly people.


    Of course, what this ce is like at other times of the year is a mystery, and Grandpa gave me a pretty good hint that they are not all that innocent.


    Still, no one seems interested in starting any trouble.


    Except for that woman.


    She came out of nowhere, and even though both Mia and I were paying attention, we only noticed her when she was already by our side,


    While her words weren''t particrly threatening, there was something weird about her.


    Again, it''s just a feeling, but...


    If I had to put her on the same scale as the other mages based on this feeling alone, she''d be close to Elizabeth.


    She reeks of a problem.


    But there''s also her actions... Even though Sabrina was here, she didn''t pay her any mind, instead, she was much more interested in Isabe and me.


    I can think of a few reasons for that, but... most of them would be bad.


    And then, the cherry on top to make her even more suspicious...


    It''s eerie by itself, but... most of the workshop owners of this city can also be found in the game.


    The one we cannot find no matter what is this woman.


    Mia: "But if you think she''s so dangerous, wouldn''t it be better to maintain a distance?"


    Miwen: "You saw how easily she can reach us, right? I''d rather take her offer to talk... Those who are strong usually have some pride so... Under the premise of us being guests in her workshop, she probably won''t attack us unprovoked."


    At least I hope that to be the case.


    I''ve seen examples that go both ways.


    The Merchant was so far above that fighting wasn''t even interesting to him, he only tried to see our true nature when he came to the Kingdom.


    Elizabeth was a little simr, except that due to her level being lowered, we could entertain her during our fight, and since she loves a good challenge, she gave us all the opportunities we could ask for to give her our best blows.


    On the other hand, we have theplete opposite. ire.


    That girl... She''s way more interested in her own abilities than the opponent''s. It doesn''t matter who she''s fighting unless she''s told to hold back, she''ll give them the same destructive attack on the first opportunity she gets.


    Isabe: "Come on. Let''s go."


    Miwen: "Hm?"


    While I was discussing with Mia, Isabe approached her friends and after a little while, came back with Lenard.


    Lenard: "...Isabe exined your situation and asked me for help. Don''t worry, you can repay meter."


    It was unusual to see Lenard in high spirits like that, but even more surprising to me was Isabe''s behavior.


    She spoke with him in particr beforehand so that she wouldn''t be alone when voicing her opinion.


    This way, even if the group decided against it, it wouldn''t be that weird for her to go her separate way.


    She was able to predict what would happen and how it would look like if she became a contrarian to the group, so she took a measure to prevent it.


    It''s baby steps, but she''s improving.


    Isabe: "So? Where to?"


    Miwen: "That''s a good question... We can take a few of the workshops on the outskirts off the list for now since the girls visited them in the game and didn''t find the woman we''re looking for, but..."


    Isabe: "Hm... I''ve been wondering... Isn''t there anywhere you want to visit too? Since you''re also a mage..."


    How cute. She seemed genuinely concerned for me.


    But there was no need for that.


    I''ve been hearing the girls talk about their own experiences here, so I got the gist of more than I could ask for.


    And well... I much rather learn from listening to their stories, to be honest.


    Miwen: "I''m not really into research. I use magic mostly to improvise, so... There''s no need."


    I also got Bea and Liz to teach me, and the two of them are pretty much as good as it gets, even considering the mages of this city.


    Isabe: "Isn''t that a bit of a waste? Because... You can use all elements. That''s incredibly rare. That alone would put you on the level of a genius..."


    Miwen: "I guess? I''m not that great at any of them though."


    I kind of forgot how rare this is since Bea can also do it while actually being good with almost all of them, albeit to varying degrees.


    Elizabeth is also kind of capable of the same. The only element she cannot use is light, but that''s probably just because of her race.


    Isabe: "What do you mean you''re not great, you-"


    Lenard: "...She used you as an excuse and said that she wanted her escorts to also get an opportunity to learn, so why don''t you suggest at least one? For appearance''s sake."


    Oh... I see.


    So that''s why she was so intent on it.


    Although she seemed a little bothered by me, it was my mistake for not noticing it sooner.


    Miwen: "In that case, let''s take a look at some dark magic workshops."


    Since there weren''t any in the center, we might as well make use of the opportunity.


    I would also like to have Isabe learn a thing or two. Since she can only use [Dark Magic] she couldn''t participate in almost any activity.


    It was a little sad to have her only observe the others all the time;


    And so, with this decision, we properly started our search for the mysterious woman.


    Since the city was so big, it took us a while to get away from the center region.


    As far as architecture goes, the outskirts were pretty much the same, albeit the buildings were on a smaller scale for obvious reasons.


    The workshops seemed more modest, most of them looking like normal houses.


    Due to theck of extravagance and lines forming in front of them, it was hard to even say whether or not they were truly workshops, but still, we knocked on their doors, and sure enough, someone would always allow us to get inside and take a look.


    In contrast to the ones at the center, the items they offered were quite simple and less expensive.


    Their research also seemed to be on the modest side.


    They were mostly theory than anything else. Only a few had items that properly showcased the result of their research in a practical way.


    Some concepts were interesting, but it was a shame. Without materialization, they weren''t as appealing as what we had seen before.


    It was rather cozy though. We even got offered lunch in one of the workshops.


    It had nothing to do with their research, thedy there simply seemed to have taken a liking to Lenard.


    There was also one workshop where we had to leave Mia outside guarding the door since the owner had an allergy and started sneezing when she was around.


    It was a bit of a shame since his research was one of the more interesting ones. He was trying to figure out the best ways to strengthen different objects with magic.


    Weapons are easy enough since almost any magic you add to them will make them better at their purpose, and you have to use it very precariously to not achieve the intended effects, but for other items, it might not be so simple.


    Miwen: "Here you go. He said he felt bad for you."


    Mia: "Hm? What''s this?"


    Miwen: "Paintbrush. It uses water magic to help you spread the paint ording to how you visualize it."


    I also ended up buying one of his paintings.


    They all looked creepy, so I decided it would be funny to prank Ellie with one of them.


    While we were having fun here and there, we still didn''t manage to find the woman we were looking for.


    Theck of lines meant we could search a bunch of different workshops, but since their size was also way smaller than the rest, there were a lot of them to search through.


    And surprisingly enough, even in this region, dark magic workshops seemed to be quite rare.


    But the first one we found looked quite promising.


    A three-story building, while not the same size as the ones in the center, it was definitely bigger than the others we had found today.


    It also had that entricity that was so characteristic of this city.


    As for what led me to believe it was a dark magic workshop... well... the outer walls were all painted ck, and two horns were sticking out of thest floor.


    It kind of looked like a ck skull from the outside.


    But once we entered the ce, the person waiting for us inside was...


    Isabe: "Hm? A zombie?" read-only-on-MvLeMpYr


    Workshop Owner: "I''m alive!"


    She was pretty simr to Agatha.


    She seemed tock sleep, her skin was pale and her hair disheveled.


    Her head also wasn''t resting correctly on her neck, tilting a little to the side.


    Pointing any of that out to the person in question would be rude, so I refrained from it.


    But Isabe, who came right behind me, was caughtpletely off-guard and didn''t mince words.


    She probably didn''t do it on purpose, but she was spot on.


    Jackie: "Uh... As you can see... Talismans and wards... Uh... You know?"


    Isabe: "...As the owner of this workshop, don''t you think she''s a little... lifeless about her research?"


    Still keen on the undead usations, Isabe seemed to really have a problem with this girl.


    If I had to say, her meek personality probably reminded Isabe of her own.


    However, while Isabe tried her entire life to get away from that only to be forced to fall every time, this girl seemed to thrive in it, not minding her manners or anything else.


    Miwen: "Well, I get what you''re saying, but... Her research is the real deal."


    The bigger workshops all have apprentices who help the owners. It seems to be especially useful for manufacturing items.


    This ce was as filled as those, if not more, but it only had Jackie, its owner, working in it.


    It was the work of a lifetime.


    All of the talismans here followed a logic that you could trace. And you could also see them getting better and better.


    She was clearly very dedicated to them.


    Miwen: "A lot of curses..."


    Jackie: "Ehe...hehe....This one is... dangerous..."


    Miwen: "Yeah... I can tell..."


    It was an amulet with a curse that made the victim thirsty.


    And yeah, while being thirsty might not look that dangerous at first nce, this thing was quite a problem.


    First of all, it''s incredibly easy to curse someone with it. A single touch is all that''s necessary. As long as the person is not defending themselves with dark or light magic, they''ll be instantly afflicted with the curse.


    There are only two ways to remove the curse. The first is with superior light or dark magic, but... the amount of power in this talisman is incredible.


    Jackie said that she created this while working as an apprentice, and it''s based on her master''s research, who contributed some of their magic to it.


    Meaning... it takes an enormous amount of power to remove the curse.


    And so, the best way to deal with the curse would be to break the talisman, but...


    Once someone has been afflicted by it, it will probably be toote.


    The thirst it causes only strengthens with time. And the worst part is that... it''s not real.


    No matter how much water one drinks, it will never go away.


    The talisman simply causes the feeling... forever.


    Jackie said that her test subjects all drowned themselves mere days after being exposed to it.


    If I were to give this thing to Lana, it would pretty much make for the perfect crime.


    Sadly, it wasn''t on sale.


    For someone who refused to tell what she tested the curses on, she was surprisingly responsible.


    The only items on sale were the ones that offered protection against curses.


    The business model of "Look how scary this thing is, don''t you want to buy my protection against it?" might not be very attractive, but it was damn effective.


    I ended up buying a bunch and storing them all in the Kingdom.


    Miwen: "Oh yeah, speaking of which... We''ve been looking for this woman..."


    I started to describe the woman we met in the cathedral to Jackie, and...


    Jackie: "...You met Nissa!? No, no, no, no... no... I have nothing to do with her. I..."


    ...It was obvious that this wasn''t the case at all, but...


    Miwen: "One of your talismans... It''s shing ck and yellow."


    Those colors... they were hers.


    Jackie: "Nissa... She''s calling me... No... Why now?"


    She seemed pretty desperate.


    Miwen: "It''s bad to leave someone hanging, right? Let''s visit Nissa together."


    And like that, we ended up finding our guide to Nissa, the woman we met at the cathedral.


    Of course, the timing was too convenient.


    As I expected, she could reach us whenever she wanted to.

 Chapter 176: Nissa

    Even with Jackie''s help, it took us a while to reach the ce where Nissa was supposedly waiting for us.


    It felt like she was unsure of whether or not she should bring us along so her steps were heavy and slow, but also...


    Miwen: "Are you sure this is the ce?"


    Jackie: "She''s rarely somewhere else."


    At the very center of the city stood its biggest building. Its six floors dwarfed everything around it, however, it was fundamentally different from what surrounded it.


    This building was the main administrative center of the city. Thus, neither students nor visitors were allowed inside.


    Suffice to say, we were never able to explore it in the game either.


    Miwen: "Mia..."


    I had to take a more serious tone, but she understood the task and immediately became more alert.


    We were heading into the unknown to visit the woman who got past both of us.


    It was possible that we would see the end of the peace we were used to in the city, so I wanted us to be prepared for it.


    As expected, entering the building wasn''t as simple as with the workshops. The doors were closed for us until Jackie approached it.


    The security instantly recognized her and once inside we saw people working on all sorts of documents.


    Even though I couldn''t take a look at any of them, I was pretty sure about the contents.


    The boring stuff that happens in the shadows in order to maintain everything working properly.


    This city was able to function thanks to their efforts.


    I couldn''t help but feel like it was ironic. The most normal ce in this worldpared to mine was what allowed the strangest one to function.


    However, while this was interesting, we had yet to see the mysterious woman we met at the cathedral.


    She was pretty recognizable, but even Mia wasn''t able to track her.


    Miwen: "I suppose this exins why we couldn''t find her..."


    Even with everyone on the lookout, this building was always going to be a blind spot.


    Miwen: "So... which floor is she in?"


    The first floor was pretty busy, so I imagined all of them would be the same.


    I truly had nothing against this city, so I didn''t want to disrupt their work.


    As long as I was able to ask that woman a few questions, I''d be satisfied.


    Jackie: "...Underground."


    There was no elevator in this building. The only way to move through the floors was by using the stairs.


    They started at the first floor and went all the way to the sixth but there was no flight of stairs connecting to a floor below the first.


    At least not at first sight.


    In a certain corner of this building, there was an unusualck of activity. No desks or chairs, no papers, furniture or workers...


    It wasn''t very noteworthy... but it was definitely weird to think about. Especially since I only noticed it after Jackie headed that way.


    Once we were all in there... she took a single step forward and her height decreased.


    She looked back at us as if asking why we weren''t following her.


    Her second step then had the same effect.


    Looking at her feet... it was like it was disappearing into the ground.


    Lenard: "An illusion?"


    Mia: "Seems like it..."


    The scale wasn''t big. It was just a single corner after all.


    However... this was a ce where dozens of people worked tirelessly day and night.


    And not a single one of them seemed to know about this.


    A pretty big hole existed in their office, but they kept avoiding it as if a wall was blocking this region.


    They also didn''t seem to react to Jackie''s disappearing figure...


    I doubt we could me this on fatigue.


    This ce was fishy.


    Miwen: "You two, stay behind us. It''s non-negotiable. Mia, I told the girls to be ready toe at a moment''s notice so a few of them came back to the Kingdom."


    Lenard: "..."


    Mia: "Understood."


    Following my orders didn''t seem to sit very well with Lenard, but I didn''t leave him a choice.


    We followed Jackie downstairs. It didn''t take us very long to reach a small corridor with a single door.


    It was very hard to see in front of us. There weren''t any light sources and the ce was incredibly dark.


    Even with the skills that boosted my sight, I couldn''t see anything inside past the door while Jackie opened it.


    She seemed fine after opening it though, so we did the same.


    At that moment, a sh of light pierced my eyes.


    It was white... blinding...


    Theplete opposite of the corridor we were just in, yet, it onlysted for a moment before I was once again left in darkness.


    Around me... there was no one.


    I couldn''t see Mia, Lenard, or Isabe.


    Jackie was also nowhere to be seen. And the same was true for that mysterious woman.


    I couldn''t even see Apollo anymore.


    It was like the whole world was just this shadow that surrounded me.


    I was left alone.


    I couldn''t feel anything.


    The only thing still working was my mind.


    ---This section is written in Isabe''s POV---


    Nothingness...


    A familiar feeling.


    Surrounded by darkness, I am once again alone.


    Perhaps I''m a cursed child. How else could I exin this?


    This ever-repeating fate.


    Every time I see a glimpse of hope... Every time I reach for the light...


    I always end up back in the dark. All by myself.


    Isabe: "What happened?"


    ??????: "There was a flower. In the garden. Father said that Mo- that Pam loved it."


    Ah... it''s that episode.


    I thought I had forgotten about it, but seeing this child crying over it stings my heart.


    ??????: "Every time... Why is it that every time... I''m always doing something bad?"


    Isabe: "...Who knows? Perhaps you wanted to hurt her? She never looked at you the same way she did your brothers, so... Maybe you wanted her to feel how it is like... to have something out of your control make you sad. Or maybe you''re even worse.


    Maybe you just wanted to make her even more miserable."


    Being a bastard, you''re a constant reminder of her failing as a woman.


    You expect her to love you? The same way she does your brothers?


    Idiot. It''s helpless.


    They had a perfect life together.


    Until you.


    Your very birth was a disaster. You disgraced them.


    Your existence will forever be a thorn in their lives.


    And you dare think you deserve anything?


    That you''re treated unfairly?


    What a victim you are.


    ??????: "You''re wrong... I don''t hate them... I just want... a little bit..."


    Of course... but you''re not going to find love here.


    They have no reason to.


    Isabe: "Crying won''t help with that."


    ??????: "I can''t help it..."


    Isabe: "Of course you can. Every time you see a glimpse of hope, you run towards it. You''re always doing your best to not waste any chances, right?"


    ??????: "And look where that brought me..."


    Right.


    No matter what. No matter how many times.


    I would always end up in the same ce.


    I might''ve not wasted any chance, but I hardly used them correctly either.


    Isabe: "...Don''t give me that act."


    ??????: "Huh?"


    Isabe: "You pity yourself, and you expect me to do the same. You think that this is the worse that it gets? Don''t make meugh. You''ll be med for much more. You''ll fall much harder. You''ll fail in every step of the way.


    I''ve gone through much more than you, so give up. I will not pity you."


    ??????: "That sounds like hell..."


    Because it is.


    Every hope will turn into a stab in your heart.


    There''ll be no one to help you.


    Yet, you will not give up.


    You''ll be used to the pain. Sometimes you will feel weaker, and anything will hurt you, but overall, It will be harder and harder for you to get hurt.


    And maybe one day...


    Isabe: "Maybe if you keep on living... There''s a chance that things will change. Can you imagine?"


    ??????: "...I can''t."


    Isabe: "Hm... Then let me tell you about it...You see, there''s a group of people..."


    ...There''ve been people who offered me a hand before.


    Some of them wanted to benefit themselves, thinking they could abuse my position.


    These types would always leave early. They are smart, so they quickly realize the odds are not on their side.


    There have also been genuine people. They would pity me, and stand up, only to be crushed by the uncaring world around them.


    But eventually...


    There was a man who wasn''t genuine. But he also didn''t seem to expect to gain anything from me.


    He brought with him a bunch of different people.


    Some of them were respectable, powerful, and smart.


    Some were caring, warm, and joyful to be around.


    They made me realize there was so much for me to learn. So much I could do.


    And suddenly, I felt like there was nothing I couldn''t do.


    ??????: "...Sound like a dream..."


    Isabe: "But it''s not..."


    I wasn''t able to do anything by myself, so I thought I needed help... I needed things to fall into ce for me... and then, I would just act in that moment, and everything would be solved.


    Without realizing I had put all my faith into a miracle.


    And against all odds... One eventually came for me.


    Completely different from what I had expected, but it should be obvious.


    Things never go the way I want them to.


    My miracle was the same.


    But I have noints.


    I couldn''t imagine waking up every day and having someone to be together with...


    I thought fate wouldn''t allow me such things.


    But now I have so many people with me...


    Which is why I need to wake up.


    ??????: "...You''re going to abandon me?"


    Isabe: "You''ll be fine... I think that the pain you suffered... The pain you''re going to suffer... It might not look like it, but... One day, it will pay off."


    I can only hope, but... that alone is enough.


    With their help... surely...


    Jackie: "Woah. Fast..."


    ??????: "I wasn''t expecting that. I think she broke your record~"


    Jackie and the woman from the cathedral...


    Nissa...


    The two of them were drinking tea on a small table close to where I stood.


    Miwen, Mia and my brother were in front of me.


    They weren''t moving a muscle.


    The only thing that told me they were alive was...


    Isabe: "...Tears?"


    Nissa: "That''s right. See that mirror? It''s an ancient relic. If the target is confused enough, it can trap their mind, forcing them to confront a regret of the past."


    Hm...


    Even though Mia is usually so strong, I can understand her tears since she is a Snow White Wolf. She''s probably remembering the fall of her tribe.


    But... Why would Lenard cry?


    He''s always been so capable... I can''t think of anything he would regret so much...


    And then... Miwen crying is... not something I was expecting.


    Almost nothing ever gets to him. Even when he is in danger he starts making fun of it...


    Nissa: "Are you curious? Do you want to take a look?"


    Isabe: "...I''d rather not..."


    Truth be told, I really wanted to.


    But I was also a little afraid.


    I''m not sure he would forgive me if I did that.


    Nissa: "Just so you know... If you stay there long enough, your mind will start reying the situation that led to your regret. It will use your fears to create the worst possible scenario for it..."


    Jackie: "You were lucky to get out before that..."


    Isabe: "W-wait? How long will they stay like this?"


    Nissa: "Hm... It varies, but the longest it took someone to get out was 3 days. You managed to get out in five minutes, probably thanks to your [Dark Magic] and-"


    The two of them signaled for me toe closer and sit with them, but once I approached the table, the mirror that was resting on it started to crack.


    Nissa: "Oh?"


    This woman was pretty calm, both at the cathedral and in this ce, so this was the first time I saw a different expression on her face.


    It seemed to me like she was more curious than surprised...


    As we stared at the ck grass of the mirror, the cracks started to spread, and eventually, shattered ss burst out of it.


    A small barrier of light erected in front of me protected me from the ss.


    The same was true for Nissa and Jackie.


    Isabe: "...What happens now?"


    The mirror waspletely broken...


    Were they still able to leave?


    And why did it break in the first ce?


    Nissa: "This is a first... But it seems like they were all freed."


    Everyone was still gathering their breaths, except for Miwen... he approached the table, locked his eyes onto Nissa, and then...


    His hands pierced through her barrier.


    They reached her neck, and he snapped it.


    Once he released his grip, her body fell lifeless.


    Miwen: "You won''t get a second warning."


    Nissa: "Oh~ How scary~ Was it perhaps a little too much for you?"


    He didn''t answer her.


    The two kept staring at each other... I had never seen that look in his eyes before.


    It didn''t suit him. But at the same time... it felt so natural...


    As if he was wearing a mask all this time and this was his real self...


    Jackie: "N-Nissa... please... don''t..."


    Nissa: "Hm? Are you ordering me, Jackie? I never knew you were so bold~"


    Jackie: "Ah... N-no... I just..."


    She was shut down almost immediately.


    And yet, Nissa''s eyes never looked away from Miwen''s.


    Was she afraid of looking away from him? Or maybe she was provoking him?


    I couldn''t understand them...


    Nissa: "Your affinity for [Dark Magic] is not as good as hers, but... You''re both surprisingly good considering your levels. Who taught you?"


    I didn''t know my affinity for [Dark Magic] was better than Miwen''s...


    Elizabeth did say I had potential for it, but I thought she was simply encouraging me since it''s the only element I have an affinity with.


    Although now that I think about it, she''s not the type topliment others without meaning them.


    Miwen: "A level 250 doesn''t belong is the highest I''ve seen in this world. What are you?"


    Nissa: "You''re in my home. I ask the questions."


    Miwen: "Your home is about to be your tomb. You should show some hospitality and start answering me while you still can."


    ...Level 250?


    Is that even possible? Even the strongest mages only reach about level 100 or so.


    I know Miwen has a high level of [Appraisal] but this woman seems very capable with illusions so maybe he''s falling for her tricks?


    Nissa: "...Well, I suppose I can entertain you a little. After all, It''s been a while since Jackie left me~"


    Did he do it?


    If his threat worked, then she''s probably not at that level since Miwen himself hasn''t reached the triple digits.

 Chapter 177: Nissa (02)

    ---This chapter is written in Isabe''s POV---


    Jackie seemed a little anxious around Nissa, who kept yfully teasing her.


    At the same time, Lenard took a seat by my side with Miwen taking the other one.


    Mia chose to stand behind Miwen, and in this arrangement, with Nissa across the table, it felt like all eyes were on her.


    I felt reassured with Miwen and my brother by my side, but... the tension in the atmosphere was almost palpable.


    Even though Nissa was ying with Jackie, no one took their eyes off her for even a second.


    She was the first to break the silence.


    While looking at me, with a smile, she asked if I wasn''t going to let the cat join us.


    For a second I thought she was talking about Mia, but...


    Nissa: "I''m also quite interested in her powers. It''s been a long time since so many [Dark Magic] users have gathered like this... Right, Jackie?"


    Jackie: "Yes..."


    Bringing that up settled the matter.


    She knew about Lana being inside my shadow and was also able to determine her powers.


    Miwen: "...Howe you can see her?"


    Nissa: "I''m a master of both dark and light magic. As one is capable of hiding things, it only makes sense that the other is great at revealing them... If you train hard enough, you might be able to do something simr."


    Miwen: "A master of both dark and light huh? How convenient. Didn''t you say the purpose of the cathedral was to test if the opposing forces could be empowered simultaneously?"


    That is true but...


    She also said that the cathedral was made by the masters of Rodky who helped create the city...


    If Miwen is trying to imply that the true purpose of the church was to empower her, then...


    It would mean Nissa has been around since their age.


    Nissa: "You catch on quickly... or were you already suspecting me?"


    Miwen: "I can''t see your Gift, but I was able to see some of your abilities. And your level. The best generals in this world rarely reach past level 100. Even in this city, the oldest and best mages barely break that barrier. You were too much of an outliner."


    ...But how?


    This would imply she''s centuries old, but she lookspletely human.


    No traces of other races whatsoever... Unless she''s hiding them somehow?


    Isabe: "Are you not human?"


    Nissa: "Absolutely not. It was the Divinity I gathered at the Cathedral that made me reach this state."


    Miwen: "To live for so long... I find it hard to believe that you managed it with just a single church."


    He''s right... There are plenty of Saints who have died young even though they carried the hopes and prayers of plenty throughout the entire continent.


    While Rodky is a big city, it simply can''tpare.


    Nissa: "I wasn''t expecting you to be versed in that... Did someone teach you about it?"


    Miwen: "You seem fairly keen on the idea of someone teaching us."


    Nissa: "...It''s rare to find people with good affinity and the desire to train in [Dark Magic]. Thest apprentice I had was Jackie, so I was wondering if you''d like me to teach you. I''d love to see what path you take. Of course, you''d have to abandon your current mentor."


    Miwen: "Yeah, not happening. At least I have no intention to do so. What about you, Isabe?"


    If she''s truly one of the founders of Rodky, bing her apprentice is an unprecedented chance.


    The prestige alone might be enough to forever change the way I''m treated, but by learning her secrets and magic, I might be recognized throughout the world as a first-ss mage myself...


    However... It would mean I''d have to iste myself from the rest of the world for a long time.


    And that... doesn''t sit right with me.


    I still have not given up on my desires from back then.


    Now that I''m not alone anymore... I want to try and realize my wishes from when I was hopeless.


    I think I owe it to myself.


    Even if I can''t make theme true... I didn''t run from then back then, why would I do it now that I can fight for it?


    Isabe: "I''m sorry. My destiny lies elsewhere."


    Although I''m thankful for-


    Nissa: "Hm. That was unexpected. I suppose this was in vain then."


    I felt a hand on my chest, and the next thing I knew, I was already on the floor.


    Looking up, I saw the image of two men standing in front of me.


    Then, I heard an incredibly loud bang, as if something had exploded.


    The table was nowhere to be seen anymore.


    The chairs were scattered across the floor, and Nissa was flying above us like a God ready to descend.


    Behind her stood a massive sphere of light, her shadow was filling the entire room.


    Miwen: "Fast... Isabe. Turn your brother into a citizen and run away from the ind. Mia will apany you."


    I wasn''t expecting Lenard to agree so easily, but once I looked at him properly I noticed that his clothes had been stained with his blood.


    Nissa: "Such optimism is symbolic of youth. However, escaping from me is a pipe dream."


    Miwen: "Mia!"


    He pointed at Jackie. She was clearly confused but it onlysted for a moment.


    In a matter of seconds, she was knocked out by Mia.


    Nissa: "...What do you think that will aplish? I can take her back whenever I want to."


    Miwen: "I''m just getting rid of the obstacles. See, you wanted to take the ce of our teacher so much... You should at least see for yourself how capable she is, right?"


    Nissa: "Finally showing yourself, demon?"


    Elizabeth... Miwen''s strongest citizen.


    Demons don''t exist in thisnd. They were wiped out a long time ago.


    She''s the living proof that Miwen truly reigns over another world.


    Elizabeth: "..."


    The sphereunched multiple rays at Elizabeth.


    If not for how bright they were, I don''t think I would''ve been able to trace their trajectory...


    Elizabeth had just been summoned. She couldn''t react to that in time.


    However, she always keeps multiple barriers around her body.


    When she''s serious about them, even thebined might of Beatrice, ire, and Licia''s magic has a hard time damaging it.


    And yet... before her arm flew away, I could hear the sound of them being destroyed.


    Miwen: "...Heal your arm, Liz."


    Elizabeth: "...I seem to be unable to do so."


    Miwen: "...Sorry, this is gonna hurt."


    As a demon, Elizabeth is able to heal herself through the use of dark magic.


    With her Gift providing her with boundless mana, even an injury like this shouldn''t be a problem.


    Miwen quickly realized that the reason she wasn''t able to heal herself was due to the enemy''s ability.


    Thus, he used [Hollow Destiny] to block her Gift.


    However, that was fruitless. Even after Nissa''s Gift was deactivated, Elizabeth''s arm did not grow back.


    Thankfully, it seems like he was quick to realize what was happening.


    It was an extreme method, but... he cut her arm even further.


    Elizabeth then managed to heal that region and the entire arm back.


    Miwen: "...It seems like her attacks can''t be healed. Lenard''s case is a little more difficult than yours. I''ll need Angelica."


    He had a small hole below his chest...


    If we left it the way it was, he would eventually die...


    However, the region and shape of the wound were a problem.


    Assuming the same logic applies, we''d have to perfurate him with an even bigger wound.


    That would require a lot of carefulness and attention. Something we definitely wouldn''t be able to get while fighting Nissa.


    Thankfully Lenard is smart. He knew what he had to do and didn''t protest any of my invitations.


    Lenard: "You better not appear before me without her."


    Miwen: "Of course."


    Once he disappeared, Miwen told me to run.


    We can''t teleport around like the other citizens since we work like anchors, alwaysing back to the ce where we werest.


    To get away from here, we would need to do it without any tricks, and only then we''d be safe to enter the Kingdom.


    Isabe: "...What about you?"


    He never said anything about running...


    Miwen: "I''ll catch up to youter."


    Nissa: "There''ll be no catching up. I''ve already mobilized the workshop owners. In a few minutes, you''ll be swarmed."


    The workshop owners...


    If she''s really capable of doing that, this would be a force strong enough to rival a country...


    Elizabeth: "...In that case, I believe it''s best if you apany thedy. Otherwise, it''s hard to imagine her getting away safely."


    Miwen: "...You''re just looking for an excuse to fight her by yourself."


    ...There was no response from Elizabeth.


    But in a way, this confirmed his thoughts.


    Miwen: "Hah... Are you sure about this?"


    Elizabeth: "Absolutely."


    Miwen: "...Fine. Let''s go, Isabe."


    While the two of them were talking with each other, loud bangs kept urring.


    The entire underground was trembling, and parts of the floor were scorched.


    des of light disappeared in various vortexes of darkness created by Elizabeth, who answered each of Nissa''s attacks with one of her own.


    The underground was being illuminated by blue lightning and golden rays of light.


    All the while, the shadows on the walls kept sprouting spikes or de-like objects.


    It was surreal and threatening, but it was also a little beautiful as both of them seemed to be able to respond to the other in kind.


    If I wasn''t seeing it for myself, I would''ve thought this was a battle between multiple masters.


    It was scary to turn away from all of that, but we had no choice.


    We ran outside at full speed. Our path would often get blocked for a second before Elizabeth dealt with it for us.


    By trusting her, we were miraculously able to get outside without having to remove a single obstacle out of our way.


    ??????: "Oh... While it''s good to enjoy your youth, you should be more careful with where you start trouble, young man."


    Miwen: "Get out of my way, gramps. Lily will be sad if she discovers I have killed you."


    The old man from that one workshop...


    Many mages in Rodky had a reputation before bing workshop owners, but this old man is one of the most well-known in the current generation.


    He was seen as a hero a few decades ago.


    It was said that he could move a mountain with his [Earth Magic], and after a life as a knight, he was awardednd by the king of Cobierzh.


    Thatnd is mostly filled with snow due to the eternal ice of the North Dragon, but he was able to transform some of it back into green fields with his [Green Magic].


    It''s said that Rodky made an exception for him and that he was bought from Cobierzh.


    With Elizabeth facing off against Nissa and Mia carrying Jackie, the only ones I can see posing a challenge for him are the Valkyries...


    But it would take them time to win... If they are even capable of doing so.


    If the other masters of Rodky stood in our way, Miwen''s resources would quickly run out.


    Gramps: "Oh, believe me, no one would get sadder at my death than myself. Thankfully, I didn''te here to fight. You see, a bird messed up with a few items in my shop, and it may have caused a small disaster... But it just so happens that said item doesn''t affect me as much, and as long as you keep close, the sleeping gas won''t affect you..."


    Apollo...


    your-chapter-source


    He is Miwen''s contracted spirit but also... He has a contract with almost every citizen, including me.


    He goes from one person to another, and even when he''s with Miwen, he''s usually pretty quiet.


    Maybe because of that I didn''t even notice that he was gone.


    Still, for it to have caused the entire city to sleep, it must''ve not been a few items, but a precious relic.


    Otherwise, even if he''s a hero, I can''t see Gramps putting the masters of Rodky to sleep.


    Miwen: "...I owe you one."


    Gramps: "Hahah! I cannot carry these things to the other sided. You owe me nothing."


    We followed behind him, and before long, we were at the edge of the city.


    Miwen: "...Why did you help us?"


    Gramps: "I normally don''t show myself anymore. But when I saw you and that youngdy, I was captivated. If I had children, I''d like a girl as innocent as her, and a boy as determined as you."


    Miwen: "...You better not die old man."


    Angelica appeared in front of us, she entered her dragon form and we flew towards my family''s main residence in the capital.


    It was a very quick voyage, and with the time dtion between this world and the Kingdom, we should have plenty of time to help Lenard.

 Chapter 178: Elizabeth Versus Nissa

    ---This Chapter is written in Elizabeth''s POV---


    An unstoppable bombardment... My opponent this time is quite leisurely with the way they use their mana...


    But it''s interesting... She''s able to use the shadows created by her own attacks to hide and move, creating new angles and surprising me with that incredibly fast magic of hers.


    It''s a shame, but it seems like I''ll need to focus on this battle.


    Even though her first attack caught me off-guard and I wasn''t actively reinforcing or repairing my barriers, it doesn''t change the fact that she managed to get past them.


    I''ve been able to block thest few ones, especially the mass-produced array of light attacks she is drawing from the sphere behind her, but I''m not confident I''ll be able topletely evade damage from solid magic if she were to prepare a few chantings.


    Thankfully Miwen figured out how to circumvent her Gift''s effects quite quickly...


    If ites down to it, I can destroy most of my body and regenerate myself from what is left.


    Still, being left in such a precarious situation could be dangerous, so I''ll only do it as ast resort.


    More importantly... The giant sphere behind her...


    It''s clear that she controls it, but... That amount of mana is much more than someone of her level should be able to handle.


    There must be a mechanism that facilitates her control over it, or a way she can draw mana from it seeing as her own reservoir is not decreasing even afterunching hundreds of light rays and dark spikes at me.


    These tricky attacks... The shadow cast by the light rays gives her a lot of advantages in this fight.


    Since she''s the only one who knows where and in which direction they''ll be cast, she can predict and control the shadows on the battlefield, facilitating her own magic and movement, and making it hard for me to draw from the natural forces of the environment since if I were topete over the shadows created by her magic, I''d always be a step behind.


    One of the biggest weaknesses of [Light Magic] is their power. A lot of mana is needed to make it an effective element for attack. Since this doesn''t seem to be a problem for her, this battle showcases how powerful this element can actually be at higher levels.


    Every attackes with incredible speed. If not for me being able to sense the mana flow before the attack isunched and having [Lightning Magic] to quickly counterattack her, I''d be left reactionless and fully dependent on my barriers.


    I''ve tried fighting with [Wind Magic] for a while but... If I do, I''m not able to properly keep up with her.


    And if her mastery over light wasn''t enough, her prowess with [Dark Magic] is pretty much the same.


    Keeping track of shadows during such a fight is pretty much impossible. If she was only able to use this element, it would be one thing, but I have to pay close attention to all of her attacks to react, so I''m almost always open to a more powerful magic cast from a blindspot.


    Considering the opposing nature of the two elements, it''s praiseworthy that she canbine them so effectively.


    After reaching a satisfactory level of [Light Magic] where it can be effectively used as offensive magic, it should be fairly reasonable for one to rely only on it since it''s quite a self-sufficient element.


    Although shecks a direct enhancer to her [Dark Magic] like she has the sphere for the light attacks, it''s pretty clear that she has not neglected her training in any of the elements she possesses.


    Elizabeth: "So this is the peak of power in this world? It''s not so impressive..."


    Nissa: "Provoking me? You must be quite confident in the small-level gap between us. However... As long as I have this, you''ll not be able to win-"


    It took me only an instant to concentrate various lightning attacks into a single small sphere that then shot a beam of lightning in her direction, cutting her arm away.


    Elizabeth: "Now we are even."


    She''s been getting toofortable on the offensive, neglecting to defend herself properly.


    She must think that as long as the speed of her magic is superior, it won''t be a problem to focus on defense when needed, but...


    Albeit not as fast, my lightning can get pretty close to her light attacks.


    And since I''m more powerful, a half-heartedly prepared barrier won''t cut it for her.


    Of course, this was mostly a warning shot. A small revenge for what she did before. I didn''t want to end this before seeing what else she had to offer, so I purposefully aimed at her arm.


    Considering what she had shown me with her [Light Magic], I was pretty sure that a wound like this would quickly be healed.


    Interestingly, ittook her longer than I expected, but she managed to pull it off.


    She must not be used to being injured...


    Judging by her healing powers, she must not be a saint, as I initially thought.


    I should be more careful...


    Nissa: "...What is the nature of your pact with the boy? Why would you protect them?"


    I could feel her influence over my soul for a while now. Searching indiscriminately.


    It started even before I came to this ce. Without a doubt, she was also doing the same to him.


    This application of [Light Magic] is not news to me, however, for her to use it... It''s a little strange.


    Elizabeth: "There are two different pacts between us. One connects our souls, in a system of equals where he can do with mine as he pleases, while I can do the same to his. As for the second... I''m currently a humble servant of his."


    It must be frustrating for her to hear this since she probably can''t confirm the effects of Miwen''s Gift and has no choice but to listen to my words.


    My honesty seemingly was wasted, as it didn''t look like she believed me.


    Elizabeth: "As for protecting them..."


    ...That doesn''t sound right.


    I was afraid of the effects that linking our souls could have on me due to the nature of the charm that took root in his soul, as well as his... predisposition for love.


    There was a chance that this could affect how I feel about him...


    However, such worries were misced. I''ve yet to notice any particr change in either of us.


    While I''d willingly fight impossible odds if he ordered me to, that''s simply a matter of my own pride.


    Whatever position I find myself in, I shall do my best to deliver the most excellent results.


    As soon as I decided to remain in his Kingdom, looking forward to the path his reign takes and where he''ll stand by the end of his journey, I was bound to take such risks. This was settled even before our contract was established.


    However, I also believe it to be my duty to pave the best possible road for him, and in this situation... He was about to make a mistake.


    It''s to be expected since as he proims, he is no machine. His feelings do interfere with his judgment.


    Elizabeth: "I''m interested in acquiring more powerful subordinates, and I think you''d be a great addition. But sadly, it seems like you have incurred our king''s wrath. Were I to fight by his side, not only would I lose the opportunity to measure your worth but I''d also be nothing more than another tool in his arsenal as he hunts you."


    Since I respect the hierarchy, I wouldn''t normallyin about such a thing.


    But this case is a little special.


    Subjugating this woman is more profitable than killing her, but I don''t believe I can fight her and convince him at the same time.


    In this case, where our objectives sh, he''ll undoubtedly use me as a step stool to reach his.


    A behavior I''d approve, if not for the fact that I''d be the tool in question.


    Going against him when he''s this decided would be the same as facing a bottomless abyss. It''s a meaningless task that I''d never be able to achieve anything through.


    But I still believe it''s my duty within the position he gave me to help him achieve the best oue, even if it may conflict with his vision, I should at least be able to guarantee that he can make the decision.


    And I''m living proof that he can be forgiving if given enough time, so no matter what she has done, it might not be toote.


    Nissa: "Nonsense. For someone like him, even damaging me is but a pipe dream."


    Elizabeth: "Oh... Are you judging him by his level?"


    What a grave mistake.


    Especially considering Cassandra''s presence... If he allows her full control, even I might-


    A small trace of mana pierced my barriers. It was highly concentrated and hidden within multipleyers of [Dark Magic]...


    Judging by how fast it came, it was probably a spell prepared beforehand or one she has quite a lot of experience using.


    As for the effects... I couldn''t feel anything.


    In the most literal sense.


    The giant sphere of light that was almost blinding was nowhere to be seen. Instead, only darkness filled my eyes.


    I couldn''t hear a word from her anymore, and even though I was trying to speak, I was unsure if any words were leaving my mouth either, as I couldn''t even feel my tongue or lips moving.


    As expected, she had yet to show me everything in her arsenal.


    My barriers were under bombardment from multiple sides, and one by one, they were cracking... breaking...


    Her mana output was simr to mine, but by concentrating her power, she was slowly gaining the upper hand and my repairs were falling behind.


    It was already hard to react to her attacks in time before, but now, it was simply impossible.


    A curse that takes away all physical senses...


    It was certainly interesting, but...


    She wasn''t able to take my mana sense.


    By releasing some mana into the air, I was able to feel where the attacks wereing from and where she was aiming, which allowed me to reinforce the barriers and counter her attempt.


    With my mana dispersed like this, I was actually able to react even faster than before.


    I could tell she was frustrated by this as the intensity of the attacks increased so much that she would fail to properly guide them towards a single spot like she was doing before.


    And so, wanting to see her reaction for myself, I decided it was time to undo the curse affecting me. It was simply too annoying to fight like this for an extended period.


    Undoing the curse was quite a simple task, really.


    She didn''t have time to prepare much. In order to be quick and powerful, she had to sacrificeplexity. The curse itself didn''t take deep roots, and with it being so superficial, I was able to analyze it pretty fast, figuring out how it worked and what it did to restrain my senses.


    Once I took control of the system behind it, I just had to deactivate it. With that, I regained my vision...


    Elizabeth: "I see you''ve not been sitting idly."


    Nissa: "...The Cage of Misset."


    Elizabeth: "...Ouch."


    I had sensed another spell being cast but... a binding one was surprising.


    Even a single touch of the light spears that surrounded me was enough to burn my fingers.


    The cage started to tighten itself, the spear walls approaching me ever so slightly... Their power was also increasing constantly.


    Nissa: "This is the end, demon."


    Elizabeth: "Don''t say that. If it was truly the case, I''d be disappointed."


    Nissa: "...?"


    Elizabeth: "ck Dimension."


    Pitch-ck walls form around me from all sides, from an outside perspective, I was just enveloped by a ck cube.


    Inside this cube, all spells of [Dark Magi] have their power increased. On the other hand, all other elements lose their effectiveness.


    The more mana spent on this spell, the bigger and stronger it grows. Eventually, the entire area underground is within my ck Dimension, and the once menacing spears surrounding me are absorbed into the darkness, never to be seen again.


    Nissa: "...With an iplete chant?"


    It seems like she wasted quite some time chanting hers... She must be starting to realize the difference between us, but...


    As a matter of fact, I don''t even need an iplete chant to cast this spell, as I have itpletely mastered.


    Sadly, I must be careful when escting, as I don''t want her to break before showing me everything she''s got.


    Elizabeth: "This is not all, you know?"


    Nissa: "...!? What are you doing!?"


    Elizabeth: "I just felt like you were a little too reliant on this..."


    Once I extended the ck Dimension, I was able to mask my mana within it and created an illusion strong enough to convince her that I was still in the same ce.


    With this, I got close enough to her [Light Magic] sphere to analyze it.


    As expected, this is constantly receiving mana from multiple sources. A very sophisticated system is draining small amounts from a few different sources whenever the sphere''s mana reaches a certain level.


    I was also able to confirm that it wasn''t only being used for our battle. It''s probably feeding mana to a few items that are used to keep the city in the air...


    Many talented people seem to have worked hard to make this work...


    I shouldn''t y around with it too much, or else I''d risk the lives of everyone in the city, but...


    Taking control of just enough should be fun.


    Elizabeth: "You seem upset... Here, you can have it back."


    The sphere that had its color changed to ck,pletely taken by darkness was now shining a deep purple as it released thunder in all directions.


    Nissa: "You''re kidding... That''s too much..."


    How disheartening. Her face showed she was in utter disbelief as she scrambled for an answer.


    Well, taking control of this much mana should indeed be impossible for anyone in this world without a proper system, however... During my war against the Gods, I''d use more than this in a single spell.


    Handling this much is child''s y to me.


    Elizabeth: "Before your death, may I ask... Why did you start this fight? You didn''t stand to gain anything from killing the kids."


    Nissa: "...Because I saw his pact with a demon. It shouldn''t have been possible. The demons of thisnd were all killed centuries ago, and they haven''t been allowed to enter from other worlds ever since. I made sure of that."


    Oh...


    How steadfast.


    But it does make me wonder...


    Elizabeth: "...Why? As a [Dark Magic] user, I''d expect you to be a little more-"


    Nissa: "I had a revtion once... Two Cmities would befall this continent, destroying most of it. One of them was a dragon... By establishing this city with other masters and fighting together with the Snow White Wolves, we''ve managed to drive it away... But the other... was a demon.


    I thought you were using the boy... but... one of the names he mentioned... I saw a dragon in it..."


    A prophecy...


    She seems convinced. It''s probably not her first, and she might''ve gotten a few right during her life...


    However, no mortal being can guarantee fate. Even in The Caravan such an ability doesn''t exist. Even miracles caused by Divinity cannot always guarantee the future.


    The only ones who might be able to do such a thing are the ones responsible for destiny in the first ce.


    But they are not the type to meddle.


    Although...


    Miwen seems to be able to tell Isabe''s future through his device. It''s not perfect since it shows him many possibilities, but still...


    Hm...


    Is there a different logic or power operating in this world?


    Or at least upon its people?


    But even something like that... I can''t imagine a nobody being capable of doing something like this... And what would be their reason in the first ce...?


    Well, in any case...


    Elizabeth: "You gave me a lot to think about... As thanks, I''ll give you the opportunity of a lifetime. Join us and I''ll spare you."


    Nissa: "I''d rather die."


    Elizabeth: "So be it."


    I gave her enough time and listened to her whole speech while pretending not to notice how much mana she had used.


    Almost her entire reservoir seems to have been drained, and she used her strongest spell yet.


    Abination of both light and dark magic was carefully chanted in a low voice.


    The two elements graciously spin around each other as she holds drops of light and dark in her hands...


    I didn''t bother to prepare anything grandiose myself, aside from imbuing my lightning element to it, so she had beaten me inplexity by many leagues.


    However, it clearly wasn''t enough to make up for the sheer difference in mana.


    Once our magic crashed, hers was instantly destroyed, resulting in arge explosion.


    As I slowlynded on the ground, she stood right in front of me, her body trembling.


    Elizabeth: "Your Gift wasn''t simply the ability to cause an irrecoverable wound. A powerful individual like you was bound to have her abilities tied to their Gift somehow, and so...You are able to devour certain things... Almost like an all-consuming darkness."


    Nissa: "..."


    Sadly, she revealed her hand a little too early.


    Her own mana pool wasn''t decreasing at all during our battle.


    But the sphere didn''t have a system to automatically replenish her mana.


    She was feeding off of it, as well as my own.


    In essence, she was replicating my Gift through her own.


    But it seems like she can''t rely on that alone. There seems to be a cooldown, or some kind of restriction for it, seeing as she wasn''t able to absorb everything I threw at her.


    Elizabeth: "Now... It seems like my king is getting a little worried, so... I''d rmend you get rid of all that mana. It might kill you."


    Mana depletion happens when you use all of your mana at once... but there''s also a lessmon situation called Mana Overload.


    Most cases happen through badly cast spells that recover more mana than a target''s natural pool. Simply the result of inexperienced support mages.


    However, like in this case, a few Gifts may also lead to this problem.


    It''s normally easy to deal with. One just has to exhaust their mana before their body is fried from within.


    Of course, depending on the quantity and a person''s output, they might not be able to do it as fast as necessary...


    Elizabeth: "Should I offer you a second chance? I might be able to help you with-"


    Suddenly, a beam of pure mana wasunched at me.


    The quantity was roughly the same as what I hadunched at her... Many times more than her normal output.


    Elizabeth: "Oh... Is that my arm? Thanks. I don''t think I need it anymore, but I''d like to repair my uniform if possible, so I''ll be taking it with me."


    While mana by itself is not that dangerous, this quantity and the way it wasunched could prove an exception.


    Spells like my ck Dimension or the Void Mirror that I chose to use were more than enough to deal with it.


    Still, this proved to me that her Gift had two sides.


    The first one is the ability to absorb other things, such as my arm, or mana.


    The other was the ability to release what was absorbed.


    This second side might have a side effect like the first one having the ability to sever connections and prevent one from healing themselves, but...


    As it stood, it didn''t seem like she had any applications for it aside from saving her own skin this time.


    Two opposing forces... As expected, itplements her powers well. She must''ve carefully crafted her kit to resonate with it.


    Nissa: "...Damnit. I can''t move now..."


    Right.


    Quite believable.


    Elizabeth: "While I do think it''s true to a certain extent, I can feel you gathering mana in your arm... Well, my time ran out, and I have no intention to approach you, so rest assured. You''ll live to see another day."


    She''s a little too devoted to her mission... I gave her so many chances to survive, and yet, she threw herself at me one more time, using her magic to move her body while encasing her fists with des made of both light and shadows...


    I''m not great at physicalbat. I never cared for it.


    It might''ve been interesting to see how far she could fare if she hadplete control over her body, but this sad attempt wasn''t even worth my attention.


    Our battle had ended, and I just restrained her with water magic.


    Elizabeth: "Oh, but before we part, here''s a little gift for you to remember me by."


    The only thing I wasn''t able to pay her back for... a curse.


    Elizabeth: "This is a very cute one. I believe you''ll have a lot of fun with it."


    I made sure that it was hard to remove, and annoying enough that a woman like her woulde after me to dispel it.


    When the timees, I n to defeat her again, and with the threat of an even worse curse, she should submit in desperation.


    Now the difficult part will be... reasoning with Miwen...


    But since she''s a beautiful woman, I''m confident I can convince him one way or another.

 Chapter 179: Patient Lenard

    The first citizen I saw when I joined the Kingdom was Skuld. I asked her to gather her sisters and tasked them with escorting and monitoring Jackie.


    I''d like to have a long and nice conversation with our new citizen, but since Lenard''s situation was a little more urgent I decided to head towards him first.


    Weck a jail or a clinic in the Kingdom, so both of them were taken to normal rooms for the time being. Lenard was at Angelica''s and Skuld took Jackie to hers.


    I could see some blood on the ground... No doubt Lenard''s as following it led me to Angelica''s room.


    Angelica: "I tried my best but... I can''t regenerate the skin or anything... The bleeding is not stopping either..."


    He was lying on the bed covered by bandages. Many towels had been deeply stained with his blood.


    It was a terrible sight...


    And I also felt bad knowing Mei would be the one to clean the towels and the nket.


    That woman is really something...


    Aside from the Valkyries, Mia and I are the quickest in the Kingdom.


    While Lenard is not on the same level as the two of us, he is not such an easy opponent either.


    Yet, even with the three of us protecting a single target, the attack still went through.


    Frankly, we were lucky this time.


    Any, or all of us, could have been injured like this. Even Isabe, the very person we were trying to protect wasn''t safe.


    Thankfully, he was hit in a ce where I can apply the same method I did for Elizabeth, but... I can''t avoid thinking how much more lethal this could have been...


    Isabe: "...Is he going to be alright?"


    Oh...


    My emotions ended up showing a little...


    Miwen: "Oh yeah, Dr. Miwen is the best surgeon around. My trusted nurses and I will make him as good as new."


    Lenard: "I feel like my chances are better without you..."


    Miwen: "Now, now. I know they are cute, but your case needs a specialist... Agatha, did you manage what I asked?"


    Agatha: "...One of them. I''m not sure about the effects of the other one since I never did something like this."


    I could see Lenard''s face filled with confusion and shock when he heard that, and I could barely me him.


    However!


    I do trust my staff with my life.


    Or at least with someone else''s life, which by all means should be worth about the same.


    Miwen: "Don''t worry. They are optional. One will make you sleep, the other should make the process painless. A special service by yours truly."


    I asked Agatha to prepare them while Isabe and I fled from Rodky.


    She''s been using the [Quest Center] to ce requests for the Snow White Wolves inside the Kingdom, and even though the rewards are small since her requests are all about collecting herbs and nts and so are easy to do while they hunt, she''s been able to build quite a reserve.


    I became a little more aware of Agatha''s abilities after seeing Lenard drink her concoction and quickly lose consciousness.


    As for the effects of his second drink... we weren''t sure, so we also gave him the strongest alcohol we had.


    And so, his treatment began.


    I cleaned the blood, but it was still spewing out, making it hard for me to be sure about the hole''s size and shape.


    Thus, I made a small wind tube with magic to get it out of the way.


    The intense gaze I was getting from everyone around was more stressful than the process itself, but once I could see the wound clearly, it was just a matter of cutting the area around it.


    Surprisingly, Cassandra is capable of bing a scalpel.


    It''s not something I''d ever want to use in a fight, and I knew she was showing off, but I thought it was pretty cool.


    Sadly, I had to cut him as deeply as Nissa''s magic to be sure everything was healed when it came time to use [Light Magic], so I made her transform into a thin but long knife instead.


    Isabe looked pretty worried about it when she saw Cassandra''s size, but while biting her lips she showed her trust by remaining in silence.


    I didn''t tell her, but... I pierced his body. Cassandra even cut through the bandages and the nket.


    I''m not a medic and I didn''t want to depend on luck with Isabe around.


    Going all the way was the safest option, as insane as it may sound.


    Once we were done, I had Agatha redo his bandages while Angelica, Gabrie, and I cast [Light Magic] on him.


    Yes, Gabrie.


    Our very own Saint.


    I don''t really like to have her around, but a situation like this is the best stage for her stage to shine.


    And she did help a lot.


    Neither I nor Angelica had thought about it, but even though we couldn''t heal the wound directly, we could increase his chances by healing his heart and the rest of his body so that he wouldn''t die of blood loss.


    She was the one to take care of that, and she did it splendidly.


    However, this alone wasn''t enough to improve my opinion of her.


    Sure, she helped, and I''m grateful for that, but this wasn''t a good test since Lenard is human.


    Only when we have a demon or monster will I know if she has improved her attitude.


    Miwen: "You can go back now. Elizabeth will be here soon and there are things I want to discuss with her."


    Gabrie: "Oh, excuse me then..."


    ...


    Yeah... I can''t tell what she''s thinking.


    Before she would definitely react upon hearing Elizabeth''s name, but now...


    Nothing...


    Miwen: "Did she say something to you while I wasn''t here?"


    Angelica: "No..."


    Well...


    I guess I can call this an overall improvement at least.


    Isabe: "...Can you do me next?"


    Miwen: "...Yeah."


    Isabe ended up getting bruised as well.


    Thankfully, it wasn''t even close to being as bad as Lenard''s.


    I decided to pretend I hadn''t noticed it until thest moment to see why she was hiding it from me, but the timing made it pretty obvious.


    She wanted me to concentrate on her brother first.


    Pretty idiotic of her, but I knew well I was thest person who could criticize that.


    Heer treatment was way easier since it had just grazed her arm. It was still a little painful and scary though.


    Once we finished with that, Elizabeth finally came from her battle.


    Miwen: "...So? How did it go?"


    She didn''t have a single wound in her body and she seemed to be in a good mood...


    Elizabeth: "Hmm... She''s quite experienced, but... In terms of creativity and determination, I like the witch better."


    I couldn''t tell that.


    But Bea is alwaysing up with something new with her magic, and when ites to Arcanum she''s quite persistent, so Liz''s assessment was probably on point.


    Miwen: "...I''m just d we don''t have to worry about her or Rodky anymore."


    I was hoping that with this out of the way we could concentrate fully on thebyrinth and theing game events that will happen throughout Isabe''s academy life, but Elizabeth had other ns for me.


    Elizabeth: "That''s not true. She''lle back for us."


    Miwen: "...You didn''t finish her off?"


    I know she likes to y and test her opponents, but I felt like I gave her ample time...


    More importantly, it''s strange for Elizabeth to underperform and miss the opportunity to deal with a threat to the Kingdom.


    Normally, if she can''t make them submit she''ll quickly...


    Ah...


    Miwen: "...You tried to recruit her."


    Elizabeth: "Yes, but it seems like she needs a little more convincing."


    Haah...


    I didn''t really like that.


    I liked it even less when she told me that she made sure that the woman was going toe after us sooner orter.


    However, Elizabeth was adamant about having her be a citizen.


    But there were too many problems with her idea.


    First, Nissa has a strong andfortable position where she can rule Rodky from the shadows, her existence being known only by some workshop owners.


    It''s pretty clear that this is by design, a position she''s morefortable with.


    We can offer a simr way of life, but it would lessen her value tremendously.


    And if she has a taste for luxury or being in charge, then it''s basically impossible for us to reach an agreement.


    From what Liz told me, it seems like our interests are bound to sh as well...


    I simply cannot see that working.


    And then, there''s the biggest problem...


    Miwen: "...I can keep you in check with [Hollow Destiny], but I cannot do the same to her. If she decides to go rogue, you''re pretty much the only person who can stop her."


    I could maybe control her with a [Special Role], but due to our level difference, even that might not be enough for me to be satisfied...


    Elizabeth: "Worry not. Leave her to me. Even if we were to fight a thousand times, I''de out victorious in all of them. And I swear to you that I''ll make her leash short and tight."


    Hm...


    Sure, there''s that, but I also meant that... Elizabeth would essentially gain an unstoppable ally were they to rebel together.


    Nissa might be able to fight the entire Kingdom by herself. And with Elizabeth, their victory is almost guaranteed as long as Nissa forces me as her opponent.


    But... I guess it is not worth imagining Elizabeth betraying me.


    I''ve been with her for long enough now to understand that this is not the way she acts.


    If she were to desire something, she''d conquer it, fairly and unquestionably.


    Instead of backstabbing me, she''d challenge me for it, without any tricks.


    And when ites down to it... Our souls are now linked.


    I can almost tell her feelings just by focusing on hers even though she still has to teach me more about souls and magic rted to it.


    Miwen: "...Alright. If we have the chance, we''ll try. But don''t forget our ns. If I feel like it''s too much of a hassle I''ll go with the easier option."


    Elizabeth: "As you should. But now... Can you please remove your hand?"


    Miwen: "Not even a blush, huh? Well, I''ll keep testing to make sure there are no side effects to our souls being connected."


    Elizabeth: "My word should suffice, but... I can''tin. It was shortsighted of me to not imagine you''d find a way to take advantage of this condition."


    Ever since I started questioning her I had the palm of my hand nted to the wall behind her.


    I had only good reasons for that, like being able to look her straight in the eyes to be sure she wasn''t lying, or as I said, making sure she wasn''t developing any feelings for me.


    Sadly, every time I do something like this she only looks amused. Not a trace of shyness or any cute reactions at all.


    It makes me a little disappointed, but maybe one day this will change.


    Miwen: "Well, since my trustworthy assistant is the same as always, can I ask you a favor? Can you take a look at his soul?"


    Liz: "Hm? Of course... But what should I be looking for?"


    Miwen: "A Saint''s Charm."


    NovelBin-unofficial-chapter


    ...I had an inkling.


    I wished I was wrong about it, but...


    Elizabeth confirmed it for me.


    Sabrina''s charm had also affected him. It was rooted deep into his soul, and it seemed like it was a little more powerful than mine.


    With me taking the ce of a love target in the game and Lenard being one from the start, this made me way more suspicious than before. It practically confirmed a few things I had on my mind.


    Sadly, Liz wasn''t able to eject the charm, and she also told me she wouldn''t like to do the same for him as she did for me.


    Of course, she also made sure to add that she would do it if I ordered her to.


    While I don''t want Lenard to be hurt, I decided to have Elizabeth use the chance the analyze the charm a little more as she said she might be able to get rid of it if she understands it better.


    With that, I decided to have Lenard be her test subject for a while.


    But before she could have her fun, I decided to take Liz to Skuld''s room where Jackie was being kept.


    Miwen: "Yo!"


    We had forcibly woken her up at Isabe''s home to turn her into a citizen and make here inside the Kingdom.


    At the time she understood her situation pretty well, and the same seemed to be true now. That she was surrounded by girls even stronger than Mia...


    While her level is decently high, she''s... weak.


    All of her status arecking. It seems like she invested most level-up points into skills rted to curses instead of increasing them.


    It does mean her curses can be pretty effective even against someone more powerful, but... To make one so strong she would need a lot of time and preparation, and with a master of [Dark Magic] such as Elizabeth by our side as well as a Saint... Even the most carefully crafted curse might not be enough to give anyone but herself a death sentence.


    Miwen: "You get why I picked you up, right?"


    Jackie: "You''re... Going to make me a hostage... A chip to trade with Nissa if... she attacks you..."


    Yes. Initially, this was my idea.


    As long as Jackie is a citizen inside the Kingdom, no matter how powerful Nissa may be, she can not reach her.


    They seemed like good friends, so I was sure that having her would work like a charm to keep Nissa away.


    Thanks to Elizabeth''s actions I doubt that this willst, but... I think it will still be enough to buy us some time or make Nissa carefully consider her options beforeing to us.


    Miwen: "Well, since you get that, I think we can skip ahead a little... First, your conditions..."


    The reality of the situation started to hit her.


    In this ce, where I decide everything, she''d only have as much value as I decided.


    Her living conditions would be as I dictated, and her rights would all be decided by me.


    Forget being a hostage, if I wanted to, she could simply be a ve and there would never be any hope of this changing, ever.


    Miwen: "I''ll add a second floor to this house as your living quarters. I''ll also make a basement floor where you can work on charms and talismans. We can provide some materials, but you''ll need to go through the proper means most of the time... Aside from that, three meals a day and clean water. How does that sound?"


    Jackie: "Eh? What? Are... Aren''t you too kind? I won''t even have to cook my own meals... Isn''t this...


    Even better than before?"


    Somehow, she seemed even more shocked than before.


    But her reasons werepletely different and I couldn''t help but find her reaction to it adorable.


    Miwen: "Oh yeah, I also have a job for you while you stay here. But don''t worry, I''ll prepare the materials you need for it."


    Jackie: "Uh... May I know..."


    Miwen: "It''s simple stuff. I need to protect one ce, but I''d also like to booby-trap it. The curse I have in mind is a littleplex though, but... I''m sure you can figure it out."


    I could have Liz do it, but... She already has a lot of jobs, and this one is a bit of an annoying side quest. She already has a lot on her te and I''d rather her focus and be avable for the more important tasks.


    Before the day ended I also sent a request for the girls to join the Kingdom again once they woke up.


    I also made sure to exin to all of them that our activities in Rodky would cease for the moment, which led to a strange situation.


    ire brought with her a new girl.


    Tabitha, who is a self-proimed explosives expert.


    We definitely didn''t need that in the Kingdom, but I decided to give her a chance since ire seemed so fond of her.


    To my surprise, she was actually a serious researcher. She focuses on quick and explosive applications of magic, making multiple elements burst.


    The girl herself can only use fire and wind effectively, but through the help of other mages, she was able to develop things like shbangs and smokescreens.


    It seems like ire was helping her create a continuous firework system that would change colors easily and could be used as a type of warning system or information ry.


    Pretty interesting stuff, but...


    I know what I saw in Rodyky. While her research is interesting, she''s most definitely another pyromaniac.


    Or maybe even something worse since she''s not content in using only fire as the basis for her magic booms.


    No matter how polite and modest she may appear at first, for her to have clicked with ire so fast, they must be birds of a feather.


    Since the Kingdom has some rare people capable of using a multitude of elements, ire convinced her to join saying that she had a high position and could have anyone help her with her research, as well as guarantee a ce for her to keep doing it without being disturbed.


    This was simr to what I offered Jackie, except that it came from the girl who was probably the one to move the least to guarantee such things.


    I ended up epting Tabitha since I was interested in how she could further develop her research, but I also worried a little since ire asked to be in charge of helping and supervising her for the time being.


    I didn''t even know who was the bad influence between them, but with the addition of another pyromaniac, my lovely Kingdom was now in more danger than ever.

 Chapter 180: Monster Encounter

    Going back to Rodky was not an option after what happened. Lenard and Isabe understood that pretty quickly, but Albert was a little harder.


    Since he wasn''t involved at all he had a hard time believing us, but thanks to Lenard we were able to convince him.


    I felt like it was a bit of shame since we basically took away what might as well have been hisst opportunity to learn from the mages of Rodky, and considering he is a decent mage for his age, staying in the city could have been a viable path for him if not for our intervention.


    However, he didn''t mind that too much when I talked to him. It seems like he enjoys his current position and doesn''t want to leave the country.


    His reasons for that were a little cloudy though...


    In any case, a week passed by. and now we were watching Isabe do a presentation about her stay in Rodky.


    We had to hide everything to do with Nissa, and while we visited a bunch of workshops during our short stay, due to her element, Isabe wasn''t able to do much in almost any of them.


    This worried her a little since she felt like she didn''t have enough to get a good presentation. Especially since she couldn''t count on her group as they disbanded halfway through.


    It''s been my policy to guide and teach her instead of doing everything but... this time it couldn''t be helped.


    I promised she could leave the script to me.


    The only workshop we could use was Jackie''s, so I had her exin and show Isabe how she works and what her research is all about.


    I made a few subtle criticisms about how everyone focused so much on the most popr workshops and didn''t bother going out of their way to see the others, but I made it so it emphasized Isabe as a girl interested in giving a chance to those who normally don''t get one.


    Then I started to bullshit about how that reflects the nature of her element.


    On someone else''s hand, or even my own, this wouldn''t be so great, but when she repeats my bullshit with all of her confidence, it suddenly bes way more believable.


    It''s clear she understood the subtext of what I wrote, and I


    I''m quite fond of that look of hers, it''s a shame it''s so rare as she''s often the weakest in any altercation.


    In any case, with this done, we started having normal sses.


    It was pretty much as expected. Both the game and this world had lessons and questions that were pretty easy, and while it seemed like the students of this world struggled with them, they were a breeze for Isabe.


    What I was most interested in, however, were the outdoor lessons. In other words, their P.E.


    In the game, these are usually a sequence of quick-time events. As long as you perform well, everything is alright.


    As is the case with the other lessons, by doing well you earn a few affection points with all the love targets.


    The thing is... If your rival also does well, then the amount of points you earn diminishes.


    This is one of the factors that makes Sabrina''s campaign easier than Isabe''s.


    But the P.E. also has something extra.


    Now and then the normal lessons are interrupted by a monster attack.


    It seems to be random for the most part, but the first P.E. lesson is guaranteed to be interrupted.


    Which is why I changed our formation today and brought Beatrice with us.


    I''m almost sure there''s a reasonable exnation within the academy for the random monster encounters that happen in the game.


    But...


    Beatrice: "There are too many systems... It''s going to take a while for me to figure it out..."


    The students mana as well as the teachers... A bunch of tools and systems that have been in ce for who knows how long... your-NovelBin-story


    All of these help mask... whatever we are looking for.


    Miwen: "Hmm... Don''t worry. I was expecting it to take a long time."


    The best way to describe it would be... Trying to figure out abyrinth''s structure to reach its end.


    The problem is that with so many systems entangled like this, you can easily start from one and end up finding the exit to another.


    And that would be one of the best cases. More realistically, with how hard it is to follow the mana, you may jump through three or four different systems.


    It makes it really hard to determine even a singleplete structure.


    Still, while it may be almost impossible to get everything right in the first go, after each attempt we''ll get close to discovering each system''s function.


    Beatrice: "...I can''t believe I''m back at a magic academy..."


    This school is not actually dedicated to magic only, it teaches almost everything a noble will need, but that''s beyond the point.


    Bea rarely talks about herself, so I got a little curious and asked her about it.


    Bea: "I used to study at one with a few other people... I guess there were fun times but... I felt like I wouldn''t be able to study properly there... The magic there was even dirtier than here, you could never tell if a spell failed because of your own ability or due to a lingering system''s interference..."


    Beatrice and Elizabeth are the most knowledgeable mages in the Kingdom.


    They understand a lot about almost every aspect of magic.


    I was pretty sure either of them could work this out for me, and since bringing Liz out can be problematic in this world, Bea was the best option.


    However, I failed to consider how different the two can be.


    Bea is treating Isabe well as her apprentice. She''s also quite gentle and attentive towards the girls'' of the Kingdom.


    Because of that, it''s easy to forget that... She doesn''t like people that much.


    Given the option, she prefers to be alone.


    And it seems like one of the reasons is what she calls "magic waste".


    Systems forgotten by their creators, left behind only to make things harder.


    With how much she cares about this, I think it must even be one of the reasons why she likes the Kingdom so much and why she chose to stay with us.


    She and Elizabeth are pretty much the only ones who work with these things, and the two are quite organized and "clean"; They keep track of everything and dispose of it when necessary.


    Because of her knowledge, I thought she was perfect for the job, but I ended up making her do something she disliked quite a bit.


    The fact that she readily agreed to lend me a hand makes me a bit happy though. Even if she asked me for some of my time aspensation.


    Beatrice: "Hm... There is something interesting over there..."


    Miwen: "Really? Show us the way then."


    That was insanely fast. I was expecting her to take weeks to discover anything.


    Mia: "Aren''t we going to help her?"


    Miwen: "She''ll be fine~"


    Isabe: "Waaaaah! Hyaaah!"


    The first monster encounter is an incredibly tough battle in the game, especially if you''re ying as Isabe as there is almost no time to prepare for it.


    However, things are different in the real world as we were able to train her quite now,her level is also high enough to face the ck skeleton knights that appeared.


    With Lana by her side and the possibility of some of the targetsing to help her, there was very little to worry about.


    In the worst-case scenario, she can also bring someone from the Kingdom or escape herself.


    More importantly, this was a good experience for her. No matter how much we train her, there are things she''ll only understand once she''s fighting a real battle.


    And so, we made our way to where Beatrice pointed. There were a few monsters on the way, but even with just the three of us, they were no match.


    It waspletely normal... but... when she cut the grass with a wind de we were able to see some markings on the ground.


    Beatrice: "...Weird... Something is missing here..."


    Miwen: "What do you mean?"


    Beatrice: "I thought this was a summoning circle, but... It''s using [Spatial Magic]... The instructions are tooplex and messy... And... This feels like a small part of something bigger... I fear I cannot see everything at this moment..."


    She seemed quite upset, but I thought it was unbelievable how quickly she managed to find a clue.


    It was just one piece, but at least we had somewhere to start from.


    [Spatial Magic] is pretty rare. If I pay close attention, I should be able to discover whoever is responsible for this if they are within school grounds.


    And if we can''t... It should be just a matter of time before Bea figures this one out.


    Beatrice: "Sweet talking me... May I know what you''re hoping for?"


    Pfft.


    I was being honest, but it''s really hard to resist this witch.


    Miwen: "Sadly I can''t show you on school grounds. We''ll have to wait untilter tonight."


    Mia: "Ugh... I think I heard Isabe scream so I''ll be going now..."


    On the other hand, this one is as bad as it gets when ites to these things.


    The contrast is a little cute though.


    Miwen: "If it''s such a difficult situation we should all go and help~"


    Mia: "...Great..."


    Surprisingly, Isabe wasn''t struggling as much as I imagined from what Mia said.


    The teachers had already intervened, and...


    She was in an improvised party with the crown prince and the saint.


    Normally the one with the highest affection points with him would be the one to get his help, so maybe this meant they were tied...


    Still, out of the three, Isabe clearly was the strongest. She wasn''t using her magic, but with her swordship alone, she was able to face the opponent by herself.


    The only problem was that while she was creating a few opportunities, she would always get anxious when it came time to deal the finishing blow.


    I thought about a bunch of different ways to help her, some were meaner than others, but in the end, she had proven she could win.


    All she needed was to steel her resolve.


    And after killing one time, it shouldn''t be too hard to do it again and again in the future.


    So, we immobilized the monster for her, and Isabe''s first P.E. ss, an event that was a barrier for the girls in the game ended with ourplete victory.


    Neither of the "characters" were hurt, and Isabe was the one to defeat the big bad boss.


    I couldn''t wait to see how her Gift was going to spin this in a bad way.

 Chapter 181: investigating The Library

    Ever since I came to this world, every night has been different.


    Back on Earth or the Kingdom, the most that would change would be my partners, but due to the time dtion, calling the girls to this world just could be a little tiring for them, especially for Licia and ire since those two are the ones who normally apany me.


    Thus, even though I had someints from Anna and Bea, who seemed interested in the no-rest marathon we could embark on, I limited my night activities for everyone''s sake.


    The only one I couldn''t convince was Cassandra, as she''s always apanying me anyway, and so she wasn''t affected by the time dtion.


    Still, even though I missed having the girls with me every night, thanks to this decision I was able to rest better and also keep a good eye on Isabe and the situation of her house.


    But we eventually moved to the capital...


    At first, I thought this would give me even more time to n our steps since the staff at this residence was less antagonistic and more willing to do their job and help Isabe out.


    This would''ve been the case... If not for Mei.


    She told many stories about me to the people working for the Evretis family.


    Whether she was the one responsible for embellishing them or she received them in their current state matters not.


    What''s really important is that a bunch of maids became curious and I''d often receive some visits from them as they seemed to mistake me for this gant being who ruled his own dimension and was able to match Gods.


    I can almost pinpoint where the stories were twisted...


    I might be at fault for being vague about my kingdom too, but matching Gods was a clear and deliberate modification to my actions towards The Merchant and The First Daughter.


    Sure, I often tell those two off. But I can only do that because they are friendly and allow me to.


    If they were ever serious about fighting me... Well, there would be no contest.


    Exining all of that was a little too hard though. And inconvenient in many ways.


    And so, to Cassandra''s dismay, and for the sake of dividing my attention fairly with each of my girls, I ended up epting the maids'' visits.


    I thought things wouldn''t change much from there, but I was mistaken.


    A few days ago, Isabe had her first P.E. lesson. As the first ss, the contents weren''t that relevant. It mostly dealt with simple tips and introductory training.


    Or at least this is what should have happened if not for the monster encounter that interrupted the ss.


    We already knew of this event, so we weren''t too worried about it.


    However, we might''ve prepared Isabe a little too much for it, as even though her guards were too upied to lend a hand, she managed to push through and defeat the strongest monster that appeared.


    Since this was a great achievement and she managed to do it while in a party with the prince, an action that would gain her affection points in the game, I foolishly thought this was a great thing.


    It was hard to imagine this bing a bad thing, no matter how powerful her [The Darkest Star] is.


    In essence, what I learned was that Icked imagination.


    Miwen: "Any suspects among the teachers?"


    Bea: "I think I''ve gone through them all, but no signs of [Spatial Magic]."


    The reason for us being upied during Isabe''s battle was that Bea and I were trying to figure out the root of the problem.


    Thanks to Bea, we at least discovered the magic element behind the random monster encounters, and since [Spatial Magic] is rare, it became a clue we could use to look for suspects.


    Miwen: "And the students?"


    Bea: "...Nothing yet, but there''s still plenty I haven''t left for me to search."


    Considering Bea''s abilities, identifying the culprit shouldn''t be too hard, however, things weren''t progressing as smoothly as I wanted them to.


    The lead we found... It was created by the system.


    It''s just its product, and whenever random battles start, we can find one of them.


    They don''t lead us to a person, they just lead us back to the system. It does mean we can try to analyze it from the end, but it doesn''t mean much since we are still unable to reach too far from either end.


    And while we were studying it, we ran into the worst possible luck. The number of random battles we are facing is the highestpared to what the girls have experienced in the game.


    I have almost no doubts that this is a result of [The Darkest Star].


    It was certainly my mistake to doubt how powerful this Gift truly is.


    While in this world idents with monsters are fairly epted as a normal thing, due to the frequency, the school had to take action, and so, a few adventurers were hired to increase security.


    see-NovelBin-for-more


    It was also decided that some students would join amittee to help keep things in order. The main job they were tasked with was to quell the worries of other students.


    And that''s where Isabe''s achievements... The prowess and courage she had demonstrated, something I couldn''t believe would be a negative... Suddenly became a thorn in our side.


    Most students didn''t want to join themittee, so, since they couldn''t get enough numbers, they held a vote.


    And of course, our princess won by a longshot.


    It was obvious. She''s been an honor student. Her grades are the best, and she has demonstrated many times that she''s able to hold her own against the monsters.


    The girl herself also didn''tin about it.


    If anything, she seemed happy thinking that she was being recognized by her ssmates.


    Still, this led to some changes.


    The biggest one yet was that Isabe had to stay within the academy during weekdays.


    She''s provided with a room in the girls'' dormitories, but this made it hard for our lessons as there were too many eyes I couldn''t ount for.


    It also made my activities a little more difficult. I couldn''t move as much as I was used to before, which meant I had to count on the others for most of my ns.


    Thankfully, it opened a few doors as well. And while I was more restricted, I at least had more time to investigate the school and the weird things that tend to happen here.


    While they are normal for a game, in real life, I find things like the monster encounters to be quite strange.


    On a side note. Another plus side to this whole thing was Edmond volunteering for themittee work as well.


    If not for the fact that Sabrina also joined, this would''ve been brilliant as it would''ve allowed Isabe to have more time with him.


    And with our ssroom''smittee formed by these three, we started our activities.


    One such was this night''s.


    Reports of suspicious screams and sounds have been reported. Strangely, these reportse from both the boys and the girls.


    They cite these problems happening in different ces as well. Bathrooms, the dormitories...


    However, perhaps because it''s a ce that should normally be as quiet as possible and so any weird noise is instantly noticed, most cases cite the library.


    This all led to the recent rumors... of a ghost.


    Sabrina: "Are you scared?"


    Miwen: "...Of ghosts? Not particrly."


    Sabrina: "Oh... So you don''t believe in them?"


    Thest time I talked about ghosts was... with The Merchant.


    Back then I was intrigued by the existence of spirits, but I now understand it a little more.


    They are definitely a different thingpared to the undead that we can find in dungeons, or even to the usual idea of an apparition.


    While they share a few characteristics, that seems to be a coincidence. Spirits aren''t really the result of someone''s death or anything like that.


    As for ghosts outside of dungeons... Well, I still don''t know much about souls and whatnot, so I can''t vouch for any side.


    It is a little weird to hear Sabrina question me about that though.


    In a world that only knows fantasy like this one, I''d think the poption wouldn''t be as skeptical about these things.


    Still, as for whether or not I''m afraid, that would be a no.


    I have a witch by my side and a demon I can call whenever I want so a ghost should easily get outranked.


    And well... this whole situation seems a little more straightforward to me.


    Firstly, this is not present in the game. Or at least if it is, the girls haven''t been able to trigger it.


    Actually, the very establishment of amittee isn''t part of the game.


    And so, I believe these two are a special case linked to the one truly abnormal thing.


    Isabe.


    My theory is that due to her incredibly bad NRG, she''s triggering rare scenarios that we simply wouldn''t be able to find normally.


    It just makes sense that due to the number of encounters, the school would take action.


    And this should also influence the students'' psyche.


    Rather than a ghost, it''s much more believable that they are suffering mentally from always being alert and stressed.


    They should probably be just imagining things.


    Sabrina: "Hmm... Here, I''ll hold your arm so don''t worry!"


    Miwen: "Aren''t you so lovely? However, I need that arm to fight, you know?"


    Sabrina: "You won''t have to! If there''s such a thing as a ghost, I''ll exorcise it!"


    How reassuring...


    Well, at least I can keep her away from Edmond like this, so I''m sure Isabe will...


    Yeah... She didn''t look too happy about it.


    And in my defense, neither was I. I''d much rather be this close to Bea or Mia.


    However, I had no reason toin since her reasons were pure.


    I just epted the situation and continued searching the library.


    The unsettling silence would sometimes be broken by the wind or some trees.


    Spooky stuff... for a kid.


    But maybe if they are stressed enough, even teenagers might find the creaks of the door and the floor to be scary.


    Still, until this point, there was nothing out of the ordinary.


    Bea: "...Hm..."


    Miwen: "Something the matter?"


    Bea: "...I think so. Have you noticed how the books are sorted? Doesn''t this seem a little odd?"


    ...At first nce, it was pretty normal.


    The library is divided into sections. Closest to the entrance was the section of tales and simple stories and other generally easier books to read.


    The next sections were divided ording to general knowledge such as geography and history. Most of those books are used by the students during tests.


    And thenstly we had spellbooks of various types of magic.


    It could be said that the sections were based on theme as well as reading difficulty.


    The thing is... a few books were upside down in the tales section.


    Since each shelf uses alphabetical order to sort their books, this appeared to be random, but upon closer inspection, we noticed that all of these books were written by the same author: Rae T.


    This didn''t mean much at first, but Bea and I decided to take a closer look at them.


    Beatrice: "Dedicated to Chris Liven... 06/12/1032..."


    Miwen: "Dedicated to na Greystone... 23/01/1056..."


    Huh...


    24 years between one book and the other? That''s a long time for someone to be writing.


    Surely they must have acquired some fame after so many years...


    Miwen: "Isa... Do you know about Rae T.?"


    Isa: "Hm? Never heard of them."


    ...I didn''t even need to look at Bea.


    If I found that suspicious, she must''ve as well.


    Beatrice: "What about a Chris Liven or an na Greystone?"


    Isa: "Uh... No clue..."


    It''s normal for an author to dedicate their work to someone important to them, normally to their family or someone who might have been their inspiration.


    With the different surnames, we could rule out the first.


    But... an author that writes for 24 years and keeps referencing other unknown authors...


    Even though no one seemed to know of his name, they still managed to get their books in the library of a prestigious school attended by the nobility.


    Yeah...There was something funny going on.


    Sabrina: "...Something the matter?"


    Miwen: "Maybe. Can you ask Edmond and his guards to look for and collect all the books that were upside down? Or books authored by Rae T.?"


    Sabrina: " Leave it to me!"


    I would have loved to be right from the start. To say that there was nothing aside from mass hallucination and paranoia and be done with this.


    However, Bea''s discovery suddenly made things more interesting and I couldn''t help but get interested.


    In total,we found 49 books authored by Rae T.


    Edmond''s boys were careful and made sure to note where they found each of them.


    Interestingly, while we didn''t find any spellbooks of hers, we did find books in a few other sections, such as history, alchemy, and nature.


    At first, the titles seemed innocent enough.


    "The No Face Brave", was a powerful title for a tale, but it didn''t seem out of ce. The premise was also rather normal and simple, it told the story of a coward who acted as a tough guy.


    However, things started to seem a little more unusual with the books from the other sections.


    From the nature section, one of the books was titled "Roots Of A Lie". The story of a botanist who was worried and unsure about his ce in the world, until he got one chance to prove himself to the girl he loved.


    Another interesting title was found in the alchemy section. The book called "The Cure For Memory Loss" didn''t seem to have anything to do with medicine as the premise stated that it was the story of a woman who would always excuse herself out of promises by saying her memory wasn''t good and that she simply forgot.


    Sabrina: "..."


    Mia: "...What does this mean, Miwen?"


    Things were starting to get a little more tense...


    I could feel Sabrina tremblingHer bravado didn''t take long to dissipate at all.


    But at the same time, everyone else was feeling weird about this.


    It took them a little longer, but they started to catch up with what Bea and I were thinking.


    Miwen: "...To be honest, I don''t know. We''ll have to read them, I guess."


    Sadly, it also meant that I didn''t have much more to offer then.


    49 Books authored by the same person. All of them were dedicated to someone. We couldn''t find any corrtion between the people cited.


    The date inscribed in each of them ranged quite a bit. What we thought were 24 years of honest writing turned out to actually be 68.


    Assuming we didn''t miss any book, that would be almost one every year. However, the frequency wasn''t evenly distributed.


    There were big gaps in the early years, but in this world''sst year, Rae had authored 3 new books.


    This was a pattern. She was ramping up production.


    Everyone understood how strange this was, but as I told Mia, I couldn''t conclude anything yet, and it didn''t seem like anyone else had any ideas either.


    The dates, titles, and dedicatories weren''t enough.


    Without reading them, we wouldn''t be able to decipher anything...


    Bea: "I''m surprised you can read that fast."


    Mia: "He jumped to thest pages."


    Miwen: "It''s where they hide all the fun."


    Bea gave me quite a disapproving look, but sadly, I wasn''t that interested in reading "The Bard''s Delirium".


    Especially with how boring the premise was... It depicted the story of a man who searched for love and conquered many women, only to break their hearts as his only objective in experiencing love was to improve his craft.


    I''m sure an experienced author like Rae was able to put a lot of emotions, twists, and turns into every chapter, but I thought it was fine to let my friends experience such things while I searched more objectively.


    It''s something I often do, but... I''m d for this decision.


    Isabe: "...Hey! What are you doing?"


    Miwen: "Isabe, don''t pick another one. Bea, Mia, give me yours."


    With how serious I was, theyplied immediately.


    Sabrina: "...Should we also stop reading?"


    Miwen: "That depends. How strong is your stomach?"


    The contents of the book weren''t cursed.


    They were a big clue. I''m sure if Bea read one of them until the end she would figure it out.


    However, only one was enough.


    There was no need for the girls to read through them. It wouldn''t do anyone any good.


    Mia: "...Calm down, Miwen."


    Miwen: "Hm? I am as calm as it gets. Now, let''s see... Do we have ess to the school''s yearbooks?"


    Seeing as Mia got even closer to me, I probably didn''t manage to convince her.


    She can be quite sweet sometimes, even if she does her best to hide it.


    But still, it wasn''t aplete lie. I wasn''t scared, worried, or anxious... Just... Shaken by the contents of the book.


    When I read its ending, I had to go back and quickly take a look at some more of it, but... The more I knew about that story, the worse it got.


    Thankfully, I was pretty sure that as long as no one else had reached the end of a book, they wouldn''t feel the same as me.


    Isabe: "I think they are stored in here..."


    Thanks to her position, Isabe got a master key that gave us ess to almost any room and facility of the school.


    But if not for that, I''d probably have Lana lockpick the door when no one was looking.


    Either way, once we entered the room I exined what we were searching for.


    Miwen: "1032... 1056... And 1072."


    The two first years were familiar to everyone, and thest was present in the dedicatories of "The Bard''s Delirium".


    Once I got my hands on the yearbooks, I searched for a few specific individuals such as Chris Liven and na Greystone.


    I wish I hadn''t found them, but... my fears were confirmed and I felt shivers down my spine.


    Although I had a feeling thetter wasn''t caused entirely by what we found in this room.

 Chapter 182: Ghostwriter

    ,t A library created for the sons and daughters of nobility to use during their academic life had to be spacious.


    But everyone likes to save money, so even in a ce like this, there were smaller rooms.


    Since they weren''t meant for the students to use in their every day, it shouldn''t pose a problem.


    The room where we found the schools'' yearbooks was the same. Its purpose was to store a few documents, so there was no need for it to be too big. Especially since other rooms also served a simr purpose.


    Proof that this room was more than enough was that it allowed all of us to enter and search for what we needed, even if it got a little cramped and hard to move.


    Normally, a cramped space like this should have gotten hot pretty fast


    I thought it was a little strange that it didn''t happen considering how many people were inside, however, since it was nighttime, I thought this was simply a result of the night''s low temperature.


    Yes... It was nighttime... So the temperature lowering was a given...


    Edmond: "I think I recognize some names from cases of previous years... Maybe this is linked to the recent kidnappings?"


    Miwen: "..."


    Recently, on nights like this, nobles had been reported missing. Five cases in total depict students who have gone missing from their bedrooms.


    Given their status as nobility, the victims share a few characteristics such as their backgrounds.


    Interestingly, these victims also seem to share close rtionships with a few specific families rumored to partake in different kinds of shady business.


    Still, the greatestmon denominator between them is the fact that all the victims are students of this academy.


    But scrutinizing the school for this is a fool''s errand. They are students of this academy because of their noble status, and it''s probably the same reason why they are being targeted.


    The academy''s only crime would be that it exists as a gathering ce for nobles.


    Moreover, it''s impossible to hold the academy responsible for crimes that have happened outside of school grounds.


    The victims have disappeared from within their homes, only toter appear without injuries in random alleyways throughout the capital.


    The victims disappeared from their rooms and wereter found in random alleyways. The school can''t be held responsible for this as nothing is leading to the academy grounds.


    Miwen: "...The modus operandi ispletely different. I doubt they are rted."


    I''m a bit bad with etiquette. And I hardly make an effort to improve.


    This sometimes creates situations like this.


    While it seemed normal for me to outright contradict and deny the prince, for the bystanders, especially his entourage, this action is perceived as a little uncouth.


    I''d like it if Edmond was that archetype of a romance game prince. The one who prefers people to treat them casually due to how exhaustive it can be to have everyone always licking their boots.


    Since he only judges me silently, allowing the heavy atmosphere to tell me how out of line I was, it seems like this is true for him at least a little bit.


    However, since I''m not a cute girl, it doesn''t seem to have the devastating effect that this type of media always preaches.


    Suffice it to say, while he didn''t say anything, my carefree attitude wasn''t earning me many affection points.


    Edmond: "...Haah... We''re not going anywhere like this. I need more information, so I''ll continue reading the books."


    I didn''tin about his decision.


    While I gave my advice, the only ones I cared about would decidedly follow my words.


    As for him... He''s an adult.


    He and his guards had the right to ruin their night''s sleep. It wasn''t my ce to interfere.


    I thought to myself that this was fine. I had no reason to protect them as much as I did the girls.


    But as they made their way out of the room...


    Edmond: "Nathan...?"


    One of Edmond''s guards who is also a student at the academy...


    He is athletic and popr, good friends with Lenard, and also happens to be another capture target for the heroines.


    Sadly, his route is not considered one of the main ones as it does not progress the story until the end of the academy.


    The girls easily finished his route when ying with Sabrina, but the ending waspletely open-ended.


    Also, since he''s a bit of a yboy, the girls hated it.


    I remember finding this to be ironic, to say the least, but I suppose their hate was because of his actions and attitudes. Not exactly just because he ys around for most of his route.


    Still, within Edmond''s guards, he''s probably the strongest physically.


    So it was a bit of a surprise to see he couldn''t open the door.


    Even more surprising was that their entire groups didn''t manage it.


    I couldn''t help but find it funny. All of them ganging up on the poor handle, unable to make it budge was starting to look like a sketch straight out of a pstickedy.


    I couldn''t help but chuckle a little, but the joke got old the moment Mia returned to me after she also failed to open the door.


    I didn''t even bother trying it myself.


    Mia''s not the type to be very patient with pranks. The moment she couldn''t open the door, she went for the wall.


    With a punch that should have been strong enough to shake the entire building, she managed to... not even scratch the wall.


    Neither the wall nor the door should be able to stand a serious punch from Mia. Something had managed to get us into its trap.


    Edmond: "...Enough. I need answers. Butler, answer me. What happens at the end of the books?"


    Oh...


    He was definitely dying for the chance to put me back in my ce.


    However, that was wholly unnecessary... I could even say it hurt my feelings.


    As a capture target myself, this guy had lost a bunch of affection points. He might as well go for a different route.


    Miwen: "I thought it wasn''t necessary to go into detail since everyone should''ve already realized that it ends in tragedy."


    That should have been enough.


    The details weren''t important. Especially since each book had its own... "theme".


    Edmond: "That''s not enough. What exactly happens?"


    But he still had a valid point.


    In this situation, retaining information wasn''t good, and he had no reason to trust my judgment. It was better for everyone to know the same things ande to their own conclusions.


    I would''vemended him for this. But he only acted in this manner due to his anxiety, which wasn''t the best.


    It had clearly affected everyone, and with other people, it might''ve led them to panic.


    If he''s going to take the role of the leader, he should know the responsibility thates with it. Even if he''s the most worried, he should hide his feelings to the best of his ability.


    It was still a fact that I had information no one else had though.


    And so, I agreed it was better to share the books'' endings with everyone.


    This way, I could at least prevent the situation from getting worse.


    Miwen: "If you insist... The Bard''s Delirium, probably like all the other books is akin to a diary. But it''s not written by its protagonist. Someone is watching them. Someone who''s criticizing his every decision. With envy.


    With hate. The book ends with him going mad over a song that repeats in his mind and forces him to remember the girls he left behind. It''s said that the song is lovely, better than anything he could think of. He''s fallen for it but hates that he cannot replicate the song. Eventually, he hits his head against the wall. And the sound...


    is pretty simr to what he was hearing... He tries it again... With more strength, the sound gets closer... and then, he feels his head breaking through the wall-"


    Edmond: "I see-"


    Miwen: "Uhuh. I also took a look at Roots Of A Lie. Just to confirm it. This one has the protagonist getting buried alive. He feels his veins stretching into the soil and roots start to prate his body. It starts with every cavity, but then they forcefully enter his eyes and-"


    Edmond: "I said enough!"


    But it was not.


    I made the important information clear from the start.


    The people depicted in the book were the ones they were dedicated to.


    In other words, past students of this academy.


    This should have been enough to crack the case.


    But there was one detail... that was important in another manner.


    A clue I''d rather not give, believing we were able to solve this without it.


    Believing it would be better for the girls to not know...


    Miwen: "The books end in tragedy. But not explicitly in death."


    Edmond: "...What? You just said that-"


    Miwen: "The liar screams for help, but no one hears. He should''ve died as soon as his veins stretched out. But he screamed... The book ends with him screaming. He should''ve died, but he was forcefully kept alive. I hope I don''t need to exin what this means."


    While it is an absurd way to look at it... [Light Magic] can defy reason when it is used to prolong someone''s life.


    Someone like Nissa... Or a Saint like Sabrina and Gabrie could probably do something like this for an indefinite amount of time.


    Day after day, as long as they safely replenish their mana and don''t waste it, they might be able to maintain a person in a dreadful state for a ridiculous amount of time.


    That is to say... As we walk through the academy... there are no guarantees we are not stepping on...leaning on... or passing by... the victims.


    Edmond: "...We will leave through the window."


    Great idea.


    Changing topics, that is.


    It was as I predicted.


    The contents of the books didn''t lead any of them to any conclusion about the mystery.


    It just locked their minds in the absurdity. The anxiety increased, and fear started to rise.


    Attacking the windows also didn''t help. Edmond''s entourage couldn''t scratch no matter how powerful the magic they cast or the punches they threw.


    And to make matters worse.


    The air was getting colder.


    Miwen: "Sorry about that. There was no need for you guys to hear it." chapter-source-NovelBin


    Neither Bea nor Mia answered me.


    Their silence had different reasons. Bea was deep in thought. She probably understood the truth behind this but did not say anything.


    On the other hand, Mia was clearly shaken by what I said. She did her best to hide it, but... She was as good at it as me.


    That''s to say... Not very much.


    Isabe: "...Do you think this is my fault?"


    Another sign that things weren''t so great... Isabe was now questioning her role in all of this.


    Miwen: "As much as everything else."


    It seemed like she was taken aback by it, her eyes drifted away from mine for a second...


    But while it was true that there was a high chance that we ended up in this situation thanks to her Gift, especially since we wouldn''t even be on themittee if not for it... The reality is that she is not responsible for it. She can''t choose whates her way, and while it is to varying degrees, the same holds true for everyone.


    There''s no point in cing the me on anyone for the result of bad luck.


    Miwen: "Which means it would be stupid to me you. So hang on and give it your best, alright? That way we''re easily going to solve this."


    Isabe: "...Do you have any ideas?"


    Miwen: "One. But it''s the same as always, Isa. My job is simply to push you in the right direction. It will depend on you if you make the jump or not."


    Each second that passed by made the temperature drop more and more at an increasingly faster pace.


    It didn''t take long for it to be unbearable for most of us.


    Thankfully I had a fluffy and warm wolf to hold, and the witch also started getting close to me to share body heat, so I was actually having a good time. Hell, I wouldn''t even mind staying this way for a few more hours.


    Sadly, the same couldn''t be said for the others.


    And their ideas were starting to deteriorate as a result of the panic.


    Edmond: "I''ll cast fire magic to-"


    Miwen: "In a closed room?"


    Edmond: "It won''t spread, my control is-"


    Right... The room being full of documents is also a problem, but...


    Miwen: "You won''t be able to keep up without suffocating everyone."


    Every mage worth a damn can create their own element out of pure mana.


    At least a little bit of water or air, or even fire.


    However, unlike water or earth, fire needs to be fueled constantly to exist, not only to be controlled. If not by mana, then with something else.


    Edmond would have to increase the output to match the lowering temperature throughout the night without losing control and allowing the mes to consume the oxygen.


    It''s pretty simple to scale how difficult this would be.


    Beatrice couldn''t do that if the temperature kept increasing at the pace it was.


    That for me said enough. While it would be worth trying as ast resort as it would be worth dying death even if by one second, it would simply guarantee our deaths one way or another if done precociously.


    It was better to preserve the mana, so, neither Bea nor I tried it.


    Edmond: "Any better ideas?"


    Rather than me, It would be better to ask Isabe. With the situation getting worse, she started toe up with a bunch of different ideas for me.


    Her first idea was to get everyone to the Kingdom, that way, we wouldn''t have to deal with the cold.


    She also thought we could bring items to help us by rolling on the gacha.


    Frankly, they would probably work to get us through the night. While it might be a desperate situation, [Gacha Kingdom Building] is incredibly convenient for anything that is not an immediate threat.


    Actually... Even if we are dealing with immediate threats, it will still be extremely convenient.


    Which is why I prohibited any solutions that used resources from my Gift.


    I didn''t do this because I''m a demon, or because I liked seeing others suffer as she imed andined.


    It wasn''t because I was a demon, or being mean like she imed.


    It''s just that there was a better solution.


    Not as convenient, that''s for sure. But... It would be better for her.


    Miwen: "I do have a few ideas... But for now, how about an even worse one?"


    Isabe has a problem... Aside from herck of luck...


    In a way, it''s a product of her bad luck.


    She''s naturally self-confident. I''ve seen it when she thought she was in control.


    When she rxes even a little, naturally and beautifully, she regains it.


    When she''s on the brink, with no way out, she ferociously manifests it.


    The only time it doesn''t appear is when she restrains it.


    And she represses it almost all the time.


    She''s afraid of doing anything if she doesn''t need to. Because she already expects the worst oue.


    If she allows herself to be confident, she''ll try first before worrying about the consequences. And she''s afraid of how much that will hurt her.


    She''ll only do this if there''s no other option, and so...


    She developed a tendency to count on others.


    No matter what, if someone else tries it, there''ll be better chances for it to seed. And if it doesn''t... then it''s their responsibility and she won''t be hurt as much.


    It''s almost an inferiorityplex, although it''spletely justifiable that she would feel it is better to leave things to everyone else.


    However, if she wants to save herself...


    If she wants to secure her destiny... Then she must learn when to take matters into her own hands.


    To do that, we must first correct her assumptions.


    There are things she can do, even if her Gift will get in the way.


    And so as I promised her, I gave a little push to boost her confidence.


    Miwen: "...Sabrina, sweetheart?"


    I said with a genuine smile.


    After all, the Saint held the keys to open the door.


    She is theplete contrast to Isabe. Adored and respected by everyone without having to work a bone for it, everything will always be easy for her.


    If she wants it, fate will do its best to grant it to her...


    Isabe might''ve wanted to be in her shoes at least once or twice.


    Which makes her the perfect target.


    Sabrina: "E-eh? Y-yes?"


    Miwen: "Let''s assume we are dealing with a ghost. Didn''t you say you would exorcise it?"


    Sabrina: "I... I tried already... I''ve been trying since we entered the library..."


    Miwen: "I see... Did you hear that, Isa? She couldn''t do it."


    Both of them seemed confused.


    But I kept poking Isabe and repeating the words "Sabrina couldn''t do it."


    The Saint that always has it easy.


    Everything falls into ce for her.


    But this time, even with all of her luck and happy fate, she couldn''t do it.


    In other words...


    Miwen: "I won''t allow you to use anything from [Gacha Kingdom Building]. That includes Bea. I also won''t solve it for you. Oh, and Sabrina can''t do it."


    Edmond: "Can you stop that already-"


    Isabe: "Ah..."


    Miwen: "There''s your push. Show me what you got."


    I''m sure Bea could have done it faster. But that''s because she has more experience than either of us.


    Given the circumstances, Isabe''s time was actually pretty good. I was proud.


    Thankfully we managed to convince her to train a little bit with curses... But even that little was enough.


    Once she was in herfort zone. Once she believed she was able to do it...


    And thankfully, since it wasn''t a matter of luck, but simple ability... she came through.


    We know how much effort she''s been putting into everything now that she has a chance.


    And so, even though she didn''t like the idea of learning about curses, she took every lesson seriously.


    To the point where I didn''t question for a minute that she was able to break this.


    All she needed was to forget about her impediments.


    To be confident in her own abilities. And they did not betray her.


    She went ahead, and although I gave her a bunch of tips, once she got up and challenged the curse, she dealt with it alone.


    Sabrina: "...Wait. Howe I couldn''t detect it?"


    Miwen: "The curse wasn''t afflicting us. It has another target. What we were afflicted with was just the [Light Magic] on top of it. Healing, to be more precise. As for our ghost... Someone of your level wouldn''t be able to exorcise it.


    Or break their curse. Isn''t that right, Rae?"


    At the small reception desk, the pen drifted beautifully. The pages, once nk, were all being covered, word after word.


    The pen was the most noticeable... Even with the skills that boosted my vision, it was almost as if there wasn''t anything there...


    But if I stared hard enough I could see the shape.


    The red eyes that stared back... the uncanny whiteness, just visible enough to slightly fade the colors behind it.


    We had found our ghost, and it was in the middle of writing its 50th book.

 Chapter 183: Raella

    Our sessful escape from the freezing room granted everyone their well-deserved relief... However, it didn''tst long.


    The brief respite was almost immediately interrupted by the visage filling our eyes.


    Everyone was confused by it and I could hardly me them for it.


    Even after focusing my sight and positioning it squarely in the center so it had all my attention... It was like it simply didn''t belong there.


    Like a shadow in the corner of our eyes... Every minuscule movement our eyes made, even blinking... would see it disappear for a brief movement.


    However, that being wasn''t moving at all... Its existence was simply too hard to capture properly.


    The sentiments of our group were mixed. But many would stare at each other, almost as if asking for confirmation that their eyes weren''t ying tricks on them or that their mind wasn''t hallucinating.


    I could hardly me them for that.


    With what information they had, mass hallucination might as well be aforting idea.


    Those wishes were crushed quickly though. As soon as I called her name, Rae responded.


    No words could be heard, but the action she took confirmed her existence to any doubters.


    The silently and calmly moving pen, still writing what we could only assume to be another tale of hers... Suddenly stopped.


    Her red eyes, even though also quite faded, were the biggest indicator of her existence, and as they focused on us, her actions became clearer.


    Their movement showed that she had stood up.


    And her intention became even more obvious a secondter.


    She was moving in our direction.


    Fear-filled hearts can possess strong wills. Even against the better judgment, in their current state, the minds of some weren''t able to process the situation, and their animalistic instincts kicked in.


    An unknown entity was approaching... To protect themselves, they chose to fight.


    Relying on their best weapons, they went on the offensive before anyone else.


    Sabrina: "May the innocent bear sight of the miracle they have longed for. As the bell tolls the promise is fulfilled and I shall be the shining light that banishes the wicked from thisnd. Begone... For The Holy Bells of Vn End The Saint''s Pilgrimage!"


    Three giant bells of light appeared above us.


    Inside this domain, [Light Magic] became stronger, and everyone''s natural healing and physical abilities were strengthened, alongside any element of magic aside from dark.


    All the while, any form of attack that would be strong enough to pierce the barriers created by the bells was immediately negated.


    This effect required one bell to be sacrificed, reducing the power they applied on allies, but being able to do that three times without spending more mana to fuel the spell was incredibly worth it.


    Even better is how the bells act as sentries, releasing small beams as they ring.


    While predictable due to their rhythm, the power and speed certainly made up for it.


    It was certainly impressive... Both its power and the fact that she managed to cast it sessfully.


    She should only have unlocked thiste-game spell during the first-semester break as in her route, she''s tasked with visiting the city of Vn in Cobierzh, a country bordering Terith in the north.


    Bypleting the pilgrimage and ringing the bells there she''ll receive the teaching from their church.


    Since the bells'' locations are unknown, it is said that only true Saints, guided by the Gods, can ring them.


    Thus, when someone attempts the pilgrimage and manages to ring the bells, the church of Vn will recognize them as a Saint, no matter their background or affiliations.


    This is pretty important for Sabrina and Terith during theter parts of the game as that city is known for being the birthce of the continent''s first Saint, and thus, holds immense authority over these matters.


    Which is why it is so strange for her to know that spell. If she had gone to Valon, she would have definitelypleted the pilgrimage, and everyone would bementing about her being recognized by other countries.


    The most logical exnation I had was that... Perhaps the excessive number of monster encounters caused by Isabe''s Gift caused a deviation or a special event.


    More specifically, it might have been the case that the nobles of this country or the church sponsoring her decided to bring a priest from Valon to teach Sabrina the spell to protect the students.


    It would still be a little reckless to have someone under-leveled try this spell though...


    It''s aplex spell, so the chances of a backfiring happening are immense due to how hard it is toprehend and visualize it.


    Still, whatever the case, precisely because it''s such a difficult spell, I had to give her props for casting it while tired and mentally strained.


    Not so praiseworthy however was Nathan, the ybo- One of Edmond''s close aides.


    He decided to charge at the ghost with all his might, his fist prepared tond the strongest blow he could offer, perhaps to name up for the frustrating defeat he suffered at the door handle earlier.


    Sadly, his desperate attempt led him nowhere.


    He''s clearly received training to be a knight, his form showed that he wasn''t aplete amateur, but...


    That desperate attack, which showed more weakness than courage was easily stopped in its tracks by Mia.


    It was astonishing... She managed to outrun him and block his attack before Bea and I couldpletely destroy Sabrina''s spell.


    Sabrina: "W-what are you doing? Why are you protecting it?" your chapter source MVL EMPYR


    Miwen: "I''m interested in what she has to say.."


    Rae, the ghost haunting this school for decades... There''s no way she doesn''t know a secret or two.


    She''s much too valuable to upset so early.


    Sabrina: "Are you crazy? She tried to kill us with her curse!"


    Right, there was that.


    However, this was a mistake on Sabrina''s part.


    Not only because the victims hadn''t been killed, but also...


    Miwen: "That''s impossible. She can''t use [Dark Magic]."


    The curses hadn''t been ced on us by Rae.


    I thought this was obvious, but I got quite a few shocked and confused reactions, so I had to exin further.


    Miwen: "...You''re supposed to be a Saint, right? Tell me, what''s the characteristic most associated with them? Aside from their purity and connection to the Gods."


    Sabrina: "Light and Holy magic...?"


    She was right for the most part, but... her answer wascking.


    Miwen: "...It''s not just the [Light Magic]. It''s the healing power."


    When I spoke with Elizabeth about her battle against Nissa, she made ament that stuck with me.


    Liz said she was disappointed with Nissa''s healing ability. She had expected a Saint of her level and ability with [Light Magic] to be able to heal an arm much quicker.


    The only exnation we had was that, while Nissa is a master at [Light Magic], she''s no Saint.


    Miwen: "...Think about what I said. The state the victims were in while still alive. To do that would already require a healing ability even the peak of [light Magic users in this world can''t offer. But to do that to so many people at once? That must be the power of a Saint."


    I saw for myself how strong a Saint''s healing can be when Angelica and I were helping Lenard.


    His situation wasn''t as critical as Rae''s victims, but it still was far from an easy case, and yet, even though Gabrie''s magic couldn''t outrule Nissa''s Gift, it was obvious that she could keep him alive as long as she had mana.


    Sabrina: "But... Can another Saint even exist while I''m here...?"


    ...Huh?


    How self-important of her.


    And also, quite ignorant.


    Of course, other Saint can exist. Does she think only this world has them?


    I thought this should bemon knowledge... Maybe the church''s education isn''t that good in this country.


    Or maybe the reason lies elsewhere.


    Whatever the case, there was an easy way to confirm it.


    Miwen: "Can youmunicate?"


    The ghost standing before us had two books floating by her side.


    One of them was the one she was writing in earlier.


    The other had appeared when one of the bellsunched a beam against her before Bea and I managed to destroy the spell.


    That second book released a vortex of wind that redirected the beam to the ground.


    However, when I questioned her, a new book appeared, and the pen she had floated in its direction.


    When she was finished, the book descended and slowly revealed to me her answer.


    [I can''t speak. But I''d love to talk.]


    A few shrieks and disturbing sounds could be heard... She was proving to us that she couldn''t speak like a human anymore.


    But this was not a problem.


    Miwen: "The book you were writing... is it a tale about one of us, or is it about you?"


    [This one is dedicated to one Nathaniel Gerard.]


    Nathan: "W-what? Release me. I''m going to-"


    No matter how much he struggled, Mia was more powerful than a door handle, so there was no chance of him escaping.


    Miwen: "That''s what you get for ying around."


    Nathan: "...She''s after me... Because of that?"


    Miwen: "Maybe not precisely because of that, but all the victims seemed to deserve punishment for one thing or another. And quite a few of them were ying with girls'' hearts, so I''d advise you-"


    [I chose to write his first since I didn''t know how to start yours.]


    When I heard that, I was prepared to be judged by Mia and Nathan. It was deserved and expected.


    But the one that got me the most was Isabe.


    I had just agreed that this was happening in part thanks to her Gift, but the one who seemed to be at fault the most for this happening to us was actually me. And Nathaniel.


    Miwen: "...I see. I''m more interested in yours than Nathan''s though."


    [It''s too embarrassing...]


    I couldn''t believe I was hearing that from a ghost.


    Miwen: "...Consider it thanks for breaking the curse ced on you."


    Since we weren''t the targets, that left one option left.


    I wasn''t sure about the details since I wasn''t the one who broke it, but I had a rough idea.


    I''d only be able to confirm my suspicions once we read her side of the story, but that was the most difficult part.


    She was keen on not telling us where the first book was hidden.


    We only managed to convince her thanks to Isabe promising that only the girls would take a look.


    As for the contents... They didn''t disclose too much to us.


    The important bits were rted to her identity as a Saint and a student of this school, much like Sabrina.


    The girls also said she had a valid reason for her tendency to punish yboys, but they refused to go into detail about that.


    Like the others, her own story focused on her time at the school, only to abruptly change course in theter chapters.


    Near the end, the book goes into detail about Rae''s death.


    It seems to have been quite a disturbing development, especially since even after her soul had departed from her body, she wasn''t able to rest and had a curse ced on her.


    Thankfully, the identity of the person responsible for this was also written in it.


    It was our first clue to unveil at least one of the mysteries of this school, and yet, it seemed like Rae had even more to share with us.

 Chapter 184: The Labyrinth, The Ghost, And A Saint

    Rae has spent decades watching the teachers and the students of the school.


    She knows everything from disturbing secrets to embarrassing stories, but more relevant to us, she also knows a lot about the systems and spells in ce.


    Thanks to her help, Bea has managed to eliminate many of the spells that were getting in her way by confirming with Rae some of their aspects.


    Thus, our investigation has proceeded smoothly these past few days, albeit Bea still insists that she hasn''t been able to reach a level of understanding where she feelsfortable enough to interact with the system that is bringing monsters to the school.


    It''s also a little bothersome that choosing to protect Rae has created friction between Edmond, Sabrina, and me.


    They aren''t fond of the idea of keeping Rae around. Even though I made a good case about her identity and innocence, they still believed it would be better to exorcise her to guarantee the students'' safety and that there wouldn''t be any new victims.


    However, Rae''s knowledge was just too valuable for me to give up.


    So I promised that I''d personally keep an eye on her. Which meant I had to assign the Valkyries to Isabe.


    Thankfully, everything worked out, because among the things Rae knew about was the Labyrinth.


    This immense structure has been a mystery to us for the longest time.


    Battle encounters can often send the yer''s party into thebyrinth, which results in a game over.


    Not only is the location the yer falls into random, but the monsters inside can wipe the party in one or two battles.


    Due to its multiyered structure, it was hard to map this in the game as the battles prevented us from exploring as much as we wanted.


    We couldn''t even find the entrance until Rae showed it to us.


    It was hidden in one of the dormitories and once we went through it, we finally started effectively exploring thebyrinth.


    Miwen: "That''s all of them down... How''s your side?"


    Mia: "No one''s hurt. We can keep going."


    Even in the firstyer, the battles weren''t easy, even for a group of experienced adventurers like us.


    The monsters'' levels weren''t the problem, but they felt stronger than they should have been.


    They seemed much more used to battle, which ording to the girls can happen with monsters that have escaped from the dungeons as they fight against each other and grow stronger, even if they don''t get more levels.


    As such, we had to be careful with every battle, but we noticed a reduction in their numbers every time we returned.


    Slowly we were cleaning up the ce and advancing a little more.


    Ellie: "It''s been a while..."


    ire: "Right? It makes me want to go all out!"


    She spoke as if she was not always doing that anyway.


    Still, I shared the same feelings.


    A lot had happened since thest time we were in a Dungeon fighting monsters together, so being with the ssic party again felt a little nostalgic, even if we were missing Elizabeth and had a new addition in Cassandra.


    With Anna, ire, Licia, and Mia taking care of the front while receiving Ellie and Bea''s impable support, things felt just right.


    Especially since our coordination hadn''t deteriorated as much as I would have imagined it to.


    Bea was especially outstanding since she was also upied analyzing the barriers and systems of this structure.


    However, it''s not like we didn''t have some problems.


    Our coordination relies on everyone''s understanding and awareness of each other, which means that any factor we are not counting on can break things.


    Even if their intention is only to help.


    Miwen: "...Didn''t I tell you not to do anything?"


    [Sorry... -I only wanted to help. My heart, heavy with unspoken remorse, feels as though it might break under the weight. I acted too quickly, without thought, and now there''s nothing left but this overwhelming sorrow -So terribly, endlessly sorry. Each breath feels like-]


    At first, she was a little reserved when talking to us.


    I couldn''t help but think that perhaps this method ofmunicating with us was ufortable for her.


    But I soon realized that it wasn''t the case at all. She has a lot of fun writing her thoughts and words, and now that she''s morefortable around us, she truly doesn''t mince words.


    Not that I could me her either.


    It must have been ages since shest had the chance to talk properly with someone, so being overly enthusiastic about it is more than understandable.


    Miwen: "That''s fine... Just try not to waste your Demonic Power."


    [Filled with determination, I took his words to heart and promised-]


    She agreed.


    We truly did not need her help when it came to fighting.


    But I couldn''t get mad at her. She was trying to help to the best of her ability, but we rarely need buffs or healing since even the two idiots who rush ahead know themselves enough to retreat when it gets dangerous.


    This left her with only the option of helping offensively.


    Surprisingly, for a Saint, she''s not half bad with offensive spells. However, it is hard for an outsider like her to find gaps in our fighting and react quickly enough to cover it.


    Perhaps if she spent more time with us, she''d be able to do it, but as it stood, it was better if she focused on simply guiding us.


    This was a piece of advice that I gave her a few times, but she always gets restless and ends up acting on impulse.


    But even with that considered, we continued progressing on the one path she knew, and eventually, we reached a room.


    Some letters were carved with fire, and its entrance didn''t have a door or a gate.


    Instead, there was a small hole in the wall.


    Using earth magic or air magic to feel the wall on the other side of the hole, we could notice some chains.


    Pulling them eventually made the hole bigger, which allowed us to enter the room.


    Then, by releasing the chains, they started to be pulled back, and the hole closed again.


    It took some work but to make a room in a ce like this, you couldn''t rely on a simple door.


    The ce was quite dark, and we couldn''t see two steps ahead, so we had ire light up some torches.


    Their light revealed the remains of a corpse still sitting on a chair.


    In much the same way as when we first met Rae, a chilling air surrounded it. It kept growing colder until an eerie figure was revealed.


    The second ghost of the school used fire to mark the walls around us.


    The message made by it confirmed its identity as Rae''s teacher and killer.


    [You came back. I knew you would. I was waiting.]


    Rae''s first book starts as an innocent story of a girl who falls in love with her teacher.


    After a while, the man epts her feelings, and their secret romance blossoms slowly.


    Those first few chapters are heartwarming enough. However, even then, the more acute girls who read it could already notice a few oddities in the man''s behavior.


    And with the story''s progression, it became more obvious that he had ulterior motives.


    Not that Rae, a woman who grew up in a church, surrounded by only love, affection, and the hopes and wishes of others for her to grow into a Saint, would know anything about how even the strongest malice can easily be hidden.


    On a certain day, innocent-looking as any other, she was drugged.


    The perpetrator took her to a very dark room, where sometimes strange noises could be heard outside, but no matter how much she screamed, no one came to help her.


    The only one in that room was the man she fell in love with, a master of [Fire Magic] at the school, but also secretly equally as good with [Dark Magic].


    However, contrary to her first impressions, his reasons for abducting Rae were far from envy of her recognition for being a Saint with powerful [Light Magic].


    He showed deep interest in two concepts. One he called "Divinity", a rare power that sometimes manifests in very special people.


    The other, he called "Dark Divinity". ording to him, it should be its inverse force.


    If Divinity is born out of the good sentiments, then, this "Dark Divinity" should be born out of the bad ones.


    Had demons existed in thisnd, he might''ve known that he was actually thinking of Demonic power.


    And if that were the case, perhaps Rae''s fate could have been avoided.


    s, someone else would suffer through something simr were that the case.


    Fascinated by both concepts, he used Rae as the only capable vessel of acquiring Divinity he knew, and infused and tested her with plenty of Demonic Power as well.


    As I''vee to know, that doesn''t do any good. Without the proper technique that Elizabeth and The Merchant use, those two can''t coexist.


    So, the more Demonic Power he infused into Rae, the more Divinity she lost.


    Since this world is not so powerful or popted, her initial amount was already pretty low.


    As the months passed, with no news of her anywhere, the wishes and prayers directed at her were subsiding, and so, her Divinity eventually dried uppletely.


    So, the Demonic Power started to take root. It kept increasing, all the way until her death.


    Unfortunately, this isn''t where her tale ends.


    Due to the Demonic Power she possessed, she didn''t pass on properly. And while [Gacha Kingdom Building] seems to have its own way of interpreting that, her case had her manifest as a ghost.


    And that is when the curse was ced on her.


    To acquire even more Demonic Power, she would be forced to lock others into an eternal hell. Unstoppable suffering that would use her innate powers as a Saint to guarantee that death would nevere to relieve the victims.


    Their hate, anguish, and ire would only grow, impeding her from exhausting her Demonic Power, and strengthening the curse, causing more and more victims with time.


    Not only that... Judging by the monster standing in our way, he also experimented with himself after Rae''s escape.


    Even now, decades after, he still saw her as an object of his. A toy he hadplete control over to do with as he pleased.


    Seeing his message, instead of using her book, Rae panicked and started letting out several shrieks whose meaning we couldn''t tell.


    However, a new book appeared, and with its pages flipping, several lightning balls started to appear.


    All of them were fired and homed at the ghost of her past lover.


    It was unclear whether or not it had any effect.


    Reading his expression was almost impossible since just seeing that thing was already hard.


    And it didn''t seem like he could bleed even if he wanted to.


    So, all the magic Raeunched looked like it had simply disappeared upon impact.


    Still... We got her answer.


    It didn''t seem like she was interested in joining him again.


    Anna jumped at the ghost, arge swing of her sword made the ground shake, but when it came in contact with the ghost it simply went through, hitting the ground and leading to yet another quake.


    Not only that, her body passed through him, and...


    Anna: "I''m feeling... weak..."


    Miwen: "...!"


    Five ck mes started to appear around the ghost. All of them seemed to be filled with a different curse.


    Since Cassandra could also be affected by the curses even in her sword form, I couldn''t afford to deflect them and had to focus on taking Anna out of their way.


    Beatrice cast a wave separating Anna and the monster to help me, but while the mes were extinguished, he targeted one of his curses and transformed it into a quick dark arrow.


    I managed to get Anna out of the way, but the arrow did graze my leg.


    To keep me from bringing Anna back to the group, the ghost tried to create multiple dark pits in my way, however, all of them were frozen by Licia''s magic, and as soon as I passed over them, they became multiple ice spikes that wereunched at the ghost.


    All the while, ire and Ellie started bombarding him as well.


    Miwen: "Doesn''t seem like physical attacks will work. Mia, can you focus on getting his attention? I will... huh?"


    I felt a warm feeling in my leg that wasn''t caused by the blood.


    A small bubble of light was quickly healing the injury.


    [I''m sorry...]


    Again, she was a girl who couldn''t contain herself.


    Whoever, this time it was very wee.


    Miwen: "Do you know if the magic is having any effect?"


    Even using my skills I wasn''t getting any return, and visually everything just disappeared when touching him.


    The only thing that went through was Anna, but she was afflicted with a weakening curse as soon as she did.


    [No...]


    ...Perhaps we would have to use Divinity or Demonic Power to damage him.


    Or maybe...


    Miwen: "Do you really want to help that much?"


    [Yes! It has been my deepest desire-]


    Miwen: "Then here''s what you''ll do, Saint."


    We changed our formation to surround him with our mages. Even though attacking him wasn''t effective, this way we could at least prevent any of his attacks from hitting anyone.


    And in front of Rae, we had ire.


    It didn''t seem like he could attack physically, and ghost or not, there was no way someone with his level could outpower ire in a [Fire Magic] contest.


    All the while, Rae started making her preparations.


    The two books disappeared, only for a new one, much thicker, to show up.


    While the pages were flipping, golden circles started to form around the ghost.


    They filled the entire room, and soon, a strong light started to emanate from them.


    He must''ve realized his fate... His attacks became much more fierce and numerous, but to his dismay, no matter how much power he used, his mes were always intercepted and destroyed by ire''s.


    She went as far as to make sure hers would still hit him after their collision, showing off just how much stronger she was.


    The circles started to engulf the ghost, and in desperation, he started to use his fire to carve a message on the ground.


    [Don''t do it. We can be together forever. Isn''t that what you wanted?]


    In response, Rae created a new book.


    [How truly foolish I was to believe a creature like you was capable of love. All you know is how to use and corrupt others... My soul will find sce in your demise, monster of my youth, may this world be brighter in your absence.]


    [That is not true. I truly was-]


    He never finished.


    While he was craving the words, he also had prepared a powerful spell that used Demonic Power.


    He almost exhausted all he had considering it was enough to pierce through ire''s.


    However, Bea and I fired a second shot to intercept it, and Rae''s idiot attempt to sacrifice herself by moving in front of ire became unnecessary.


    She really couldn''t help herself.


    Even though I said multiple times that we didn''t need her help, she must''ve been over the moon now that she had a role to y.


    Ultimately, she did her job brilliantly, and the ghost of her past was exorcised.


    She took a moment to stand there, theck of any shrieks or writing showed that she was silently contemting.


    We decided to leave her alone for a while and entered another room.


    We found a second corpse there. Their identity was obvious.


    However, there were also multiple books and different kinds of tools scattered around.


    The room also had an borate magic circle with an ornate altar resting in its center.


    Miwen: "Is this what''s causing the monsters to go to the surface?"


    Bea: "...He is not good with [Spatial Magic]. This is just a fix on top of an already existing system. It used [Dark Magic] to misdirect others so that they don''t approach the room."


    ... I was hoping we could ce all the me on him, but unfortunately, that didn''t appear to be the case.


    Bea: "However... I''vee to realize one thing... When we entered this room... There wasn''t the same mana flow as in the rest of thebyrinth."


    Miwen: "Huh. Then..."


    Bea: "I believe that... Thebyrinth itself is... A magic circle of sorts. It is part of the system. Not only that... I think I know what its purpose is."


    She prefaced by saying that what she was about to say could be a clue to something bigger, and thus, she couldn''t bepletely sure about it.


    However, she seemed to be putting a lot of thought into it.


    Bea: "Since the system it is a part of only uses [Spatial Magic], there is no reason for monsters to exist inside. They must havee from somewhere else. I believe there''s a Dungeon Gate currently rampaging inside thisbyrinth somewhere. And I think that''s on purpose. Whoever made this... was trying to understand the connection between worlds that the Dungeon creates.


    But... If this ce is trying to emte a Dungeon... It might be the case that it''s not only sending monsters out but also... Trying to attract monsters in. And if the target is not only monsters, but-"


    I could see why she was so unsure.


    There were a lot of unknown factors and assumptions, however... Things would definitely fall into ce.


    It would also confirm some of my theories, which, unfortunately, had us in the worst-case scenario. The chances of us ying someone else''s game had just skyrocketed.


    However, I didn''t get to discuss too much of my theories with Bea before Rae arrived.


    The first thing she saw was her own corpse.


    She approached it as if she had forgotten about the other people in the room.


    She looked at it from every angle possible, even though there was barely any flesh there.


    She didn''t materialize any books... All we could hear were the eerie shrieks she was letting out.


    She stood in front of it and stayed there alone with her thoughts for a while.


    Like before, we decided to not utter a word and silently watched.


    Eventually, one of her books appeared for us.


    [Thank you for allowing me toe back. I feel like I can rest now... As I promised, in return, you can have my Dark Divinity.]


    Once we had broken her curse, she immediately released the magic keeping the victims alive.


    She wasn''t absorbing any more Demonic Power. Losing all of it now would spell her end.


    But it seemed like she was satisfied.


    Although the words she said earlier had the opposite meaning. Stay tuned with mvle-mp _y,r.


    Miwen: "You said you regretted it, right? If you could, how would you have liked to live?"


    [That is such a mean question. I suppose I would have liked to have more time with the people around me. Their love was warm... I would also have read and write more... There were so many stories I never got to try... Maybe falling for someone decent could have been fun too...


    But... I ept this fate. Like the other Saint said, there''s no reason for me to exist in this world.]


    Miwen: "...For someone who so quickly jumped in front of death, you don''t seem too eager to die."


    [It''s a bit scary. Teehee.]


    [I''m afraid of being alone.]


    Miwen: "I see. But I disagree with you and Sabrina. I think your desires are reason enough for you to continue existing. I can understand that it would be hard for you to be epted in this world though. So... Would you like to give a different one a try?"


    [...I''m sorry. I don''t think I follow -I said with a confused look. Truthfully, no matter how scary the journey into the unknown may be, for the sake of those who still live, I decided to courageously face-]


    As she continued to express her feelings on the matter, I called Liz to bring me something we had been working on these past few days.


    Elizabeth: "As per your request, Your Majesty."


    She brought with her something the girls and I had been working on with whatever spare time we had.


    It was definitely out of our league, so we wasted a bunch of the materials and couldn''t get it to look even remotely close to her descriptions, but we eventually got a result we were proud of.


    [I don''t understand...]


    It was an egoist thought.


    I had promised Licia that if I were going to do something bad in the future, I had to do something good as well to make up for it, so I was bulletproofing-


    Licia: "..."


    Mia: "Don''t listen to him. He''s trying to hide the pity he felt. He decided on it the moment he heard your story."


    ...Perhaps being betrayed by the ones you love is a moremon urrence than I had imagined.


    Miwen: "...me your own talent. It was a very moving tale."


    [You read!? I said only girls were allowed to!]


    [...I''m thankful, but...]


    Miwen: "Is it not to your liking? We took some artistic liberties since the golden thread wasn''t looking good, but we can always change it."


    [No... She looks perfect. It''s just that... I promised I would give you my Dark Divinity, and I don''t think it would be fair to...]


    Even though she was trying her best, the shrieks denounced her feelings.


    It really was a pitiful existence.


    Miwen: "Don''t worry about that. As long as you epting to my world, it will be basically the same."


    [...Thank you... I''m so... so very grateful... I don''t have words to express my gratitude... I hope one day... I''ll be able to...


    write what I''m feeling now...]


    She carefully entered the doll... golem... we had prepared. The girls and I weren''t sure how to make it, so we tried a bunch of different materials, and we had to make many different versions since Elizabeth and Beatrice were having trouble putting the necessary systems in the dolls without destroying them.


    We were a little overly ambitious with it, but... We eventually got it to work.


    Rae: "...I... Can... Talk?"


    One of the biggest problems we ran into was my desire to hear her speaking.


    I knew it should be doable since most of the hard work was going to be done by the speakers, but all she can use to activate them is mana, and it was really hard toe up with a way to make them able to read what someone was trying to say.


    Bea, Liz, Agatha, Licia, and I spent a lot of time just figuring that out, and then we also had to connect it to a core and not break it with the systems that use her mana to move the body.


    The end result was far from perfect. It''s slow and requires a lot of mana to work.


    In its current state, it was mostly for her to express things more immediately or for the times when she wanted to speak with her own voice.


    Thankfully, mana is an abundant resource in the Kingdom since Elizabeth leaves some cores fully charged there, so with this, she shouldn''t have to waste much of her Demonic Power to exist.


    Rae: "You... are... good..."


    Her shrieks were gone now. But we could still tell she was crying.


    We didn''t manage to make something that could reproduce tears, but we could feel it through her voice now.


    Her hug still wasn''t as warm, but I''m sure it felt better for both of us than it would''ve happened if she still remained as a ghost.


    After she had calmed down, I had Elizabeth return with Rae to the Kingdom so that she could be introduced to the others.


    However, that was mostly one-sided since I had told her story to everyone and got them to help our efforts wherever they could.

 Chapter 185: Auction

    After discovering this was the same world as the first event, I started participating in as many auctions as possible.


    As long as I knew they were selling members of the Snow White Wolves Tribe, it was worth it at least sending someone.


    Not only that, I''ve also investigated rumors and retrieved quite a few of them from the streets.


    I even went as far as negotiating directly with nobles who were known to have bought or acquired one of them.


    Sadly, while I tried to use only my own resources, there were times when this simply wasn''t possible. There were tables I couldn''t even sit at without using the Evretis family name.


    this chapter is mv|le|mp|y r


    Because of that, a few rumors started spreading about them looking to start a collection.


    There was also a lot of spection about their reasons, however, they were promptly shut down by Duke Albris, who decided to go with the narrative that his daughter, Isabe, was the one interested in acquiring them.


    Given the direction the spections were going, I was sure this poor excuse wouldn''t stick, but surprisingly, it was widely epted that this was just another one of her meaningless and impulsive actions.


    It seemed like this happened because she already had a bad reputation established in high society, but I still felt this was unfortunate since I didn''t want to tarnish her image even more.


    Still, the fact that I was looking to acquire as many Snow White Wolves as possible was known to the Evretis, and Albris saw this as an opportunity.


    At first, it was innocent and friendly. He offered information and even sent representatives using his own budget to gain favor with me.


    This worked well for us both, however, being in that position didn''t satisfy him.


    He thought he had finally found something to bind me with, so his attempt at gaining favor quickly changed gears, and eventually, he tried to use them as hostages.


    Unfortunately for him, I was not interested in ying this silly game.


    From the beginning, I was prepared to use any means necessary to obtain them, and Albris discovered this in the worst way possible during his first and only attempt at using them to get to me.


    Since I thought he had learned his lessons, I was genuinely surprised when her brothers Lennard and Albert invited us to participate in an auction during Isabe''s first-semester break, at the start of this world''s winter,


    Compared to their father, the two of them had been much more honest and willing towards Isabe, so I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.


    With Isabe also joining us, the chances of either of them doing anything unreasonable also fell drastically.


    And so, we traveled north from the capital, towards a particrly well-known and luxurious store.


    The ce didn''t seem all that spacious from the outside, which led me to think it was the type of store that focuses more on quality than quantity.


    However, the first floor was surprisingly packed with plenty of interesting and rare items.


    They showcased a bunch of different jewels, dresses, paintings, and vases. There were even some interesting-looking spell books and magic tools.


    I was surprised by the variety, but the prices caught my attention the most.


    Even the least expensive items were costly enough that the yearly ie of small businesses or even high-level adventurers couldn''t afford.


    It was truly bewildering.


    Clerk: "Are you perhaps interested in Gigini''s works, sir? If you follow me, there is a particr piece..."


    I was only looking at the prices.


    Out of curiosity, I started searching for the most expensive one.


    But once I took a good look at the painting I was checking the price of, I understood why they were so expensive.


    They all depicted a different type of scenery, but all of them shared this otherworldly charm that invited me in.


    I couldn''t imagine how much work was necessary to get such a result, so even though I felt like the prices were outrageous, I couldn''t really criticize the work or put my own price on it.


    Clerk: "Would you like to take this one?"


    However, even though I felt that and recognized the value of the work...


    I wasn''t willing to pay that much. There were other things I had to prioritize.


    Miwen: "Would you look at that? It''s almost time for the auction..."


    Clerk: "Hm? It won''t start for another 30 minutes-"


    Miwen: "Gotta be early to get the best seats."


    Even though there wasn''t such a thing due to all the seats being reserved, it seemed like I managed to catch him off guard, and that single second, when he stopped to think, allowed me to dash out of the ce towards the underground hall where the auction was set to take ce.


    The hall was fairly spacious. easily amodating hundreds of people even though each seat also looked to be big andfortable.


    If they offered snacks it would probably be my best experience in a hall like this.


    However, the stage I was watching wasn''t going to perform a y this time, and it was certainly not as entertaining as a cinema.


    The auction itself consisted of many different items, some had brands and names behind them that I could recognize like the paintings from before.


    But unlike the first floor, this auction also offered a number of ves.


    While it''s somewhat eptable in this world, it is never afortable experience for me.


    I would avert my eyes, pretend not to see it, and avoid a ce like this if the situation was different.


    However, I had to torture myself this way every time I heard rumors of a Snow White Wolf being sold.


    The worst part is thinking that perhaps I could free some of them. While I might have the budget thanks to the Kingdom and the Gacha aspects of my Gift generating a decent ie now that we have a good number of citizens, the fact is that I can''tpete with all the rich people of Evretis on every single item.


    I had to stay focused, or else, I''d risk losing what was truly important.


    Albert: "...Is there a reason you''re only interested in their tribe? Is it because of the one who is always following you?"


    Miwen: "...Who knows?"


    I don''t mind Albert asking about this as much nowadays. He''s smart and curious, and considering that what I''m doing affects his family, it''s understandable that they ask questions about it.


    However, I''ve always avoided answering. No matter which one of them asked.


    Although I do use their name, I tend to leave it implied by simply saying that I''m the Evretis'' butler. The rest is up to the other party''s imagination.


    Since I''m using my own money, I don''t feel like I should tell them my motives.


    It''s pretty much an open secret at this point, and Albert knew it well.


    Thus, this question wasn''t meant to receive a proper answer, it was just his way of breaking the ice.


    Miwen: "More importantly... Don''t you have something you want to tell me?"


    Albert: "...I wanted to thank you for what you have done for Isabe. Ever since you arrived, her mood and behavior have improved a lot. We''ve even been able to get closer, something I thought would never happen. I understand that you don''t have a good opinion of me. Or the rest of my family, due to how we mishandled her situation, but..."


    I should have expected this is where he would take things.


    The moment Lennard left with Isabe to take a break, I already thought something was going to happen, but a heartfelt thanks from Albert, the most stoic among the brothers, wasn''t something I had imagined.


    It seemed to be a coborative effort between the two of them though.


    Seeing as he was being honest, I decided to reciprocate.


    Miwen: "I don''t particrly me you or your brother for Isabe''s situation. You were just kids, so I understand that even though you wanted to, there was no way for you to do anything."


    After we left the main residence, I was able to see a different side of the two.


    They were by far the highest authority in the capital''s house, and they made sure things werefortable for Isabe there.


    The three of them even started to grow closer to one another, and while our efforts to improve her behavior and prevent her from starting any trouble certainly helped, it felt like they just sped up something that was already brewing.


    We know that if Isabe starts trouble there she will be reprimanded thanks to the game, but even there, the girls started to see things a little differently.


    The reprimands instead of trying to shut her down, became more focused on telling her how to behave in a better manner.


    It was subtle, but it showed that something in their main residence was preventing the brothers from acting the way they intended.


    Perhaps even unconsciously.


    Albert: "I''m surprised you were paying so much attention... But you''re correct. Isabe was always treated differently by our mother, which caused everyone to do the same. But it wasn''t her intention for things to get this way. She just... couldn''t bear to love her.


    And before we knew it, reaching out for Isabe felt like defying the ocean. Unless we had more authority, we wouldn''t be able to change things for her."


    Social cues can be a hard concept for kids to grasp, but they can still feel it.


    They must''ve noticed that Isabe was treated differently from a young age.


    Pam cared about her children and the family. But that wasn''t including Isabe at all.


    With time, her attempts to ignore her existence started to be justification and validation for those working in the house to do the same, or even worse.


    Eventually, it became the house''s culture.


    For someone on the inside, going against the prevalent culture could be seen as challenging the authority maintaining it.


    It would be hard for Lennard to do it considering his position as heir to Albris. One misstep and he could lose everything.


    While the same wasn''t true for Albert, his position was even more delicate.


    It''s cruel, but when we consider his position, it could be said that he''s just Lennard''s spare.


    As Isabe''s treatment worsened, she obviously started to push back, leading to her situation and reputation.


    Her mistakes made it so that even when she wasn''t to me, the me still fell on her, simply because of the pattern of repetition.


    It must''ve made it even more difficult for the two of them to act. Not only because Isabe was causing her own misfortune, making it hard to dere herpletely innocent, but also because defending her would instantly tarnish their own reputation.


    In this situation, stepping up to help her could easily backfire and worsen the dynamic.


    Miwen: "I would still have stepped up though. It''s a brother''s responsibility."


    It''s not really fair since our positions arepletely different, but when it came to my sister, I would trouble everyone around me to help her.


    Even the girl herself.


    To me, no sacrifice was too big when it came to her.


    Albert: "Things escted beyond the point of no return. Even if I knew Isabe wasn''t acting with malice, her actions were undeniably causing harm to everyone around. But I wish you would extend your forgiveness to the rest of my family. Like the two of us, no one was-"


    Miwen: "To me? I disagree."


    Albert: "...epting her into the family tarnished my father''s reputation at the time. The dissent was one of the main reasons why he chose to enter a union under Terith. He sacrificed a lot for Isabe. As for my mother... While she didn''t take care of Isabe properly, you must understand that she was also hurt by everything that happened.


    As a woman who always did her best for the house, being cheated on hurt her a lot, and she couldn''t bear to treat Isabe the same way she did her own children."


    I''m sure he knew better.


    This was just a plea.


    Miwen: "...What are you so worried about? It''s not like I can do anything about that anyway. My only focus at this moment is to help Isabe achieve-"


    Albert: "You''re building an army. And there''s only one thing I can think you would use it for."


    So he circled back... As I thought, he''s quite sharp.


    He has no way of knowing what my history with Hamperlon is, so he jumped to a simr conclusion, but with a different target.


    Miwen: "Haha. Would you believe me if I said that I''m doing it out of the good in my heart?"


    Albert: "Not at all. Or else, you wouldn''t target their race. The ones without a home... What are you nning to offer them?"


    Miwen: "Me? I have nothing to offer. However, I do have some people I feel need to be punished. But you shouldn''t worry about that. If you truly believe no one is to me, that is."


    Things became quite awkward after that.


    I could tell he was trying to read me. Trying to figure out exactly what I meant and what I was going to do.


    But this led him nowhere.


    Albert: "I''m thankful for what you have done for Isabe. That will remain true. You can choose whatever you want this time, it''ll be on me. But this doesn''t mean I won''t stop you if you mean harm to my family."


    That''s a good attitude.


    I wish he had it since the start.


    Things would certainly be a lot easier were that the case.


    Still, even though we had a bit of a discussion, the auction went on as normal.


    I bid on all the Snow White Wolves, and even though their price had been inted due to the Evretis'' newly found interest in them, being apanied by them made others a bit more afraid of being disrespectful, shortening all of the bid wars.

 Chapter 186: To Kill A Planet (02)

    -This chapter is written usingCatherine''s POV-


    I can never find anything in this ce...


    Hmph... Why does it have to be so unnecessarily big?


    When I ruled my own castle, I could tolerate such things.


    I didn''t have any obligations to someone else, so I could remain in the throne room and have others serve me.


    The number of rooms I had to navigate through a day was quite low.


    However, now that I can''t afford to keep others waiting, all these rooms seem to do is get in my way.


    It truly bothers me to no end...


    Lapis: "Ohh~ A vampire''s bloodlust! Good thing I came prepared!"


    Catherine: "Hm? What''s that supposed to-"


    Upon the snap of her fingers, an immense concentration of mana left her body.


    I was worried for a moment, but thankfully, it wasn''t directed at me, just the area around her.


    As for all that mana''s purpose, well... It was to destroy a spell, more specifically, an illusion she herself had cast.


    A waste to be sure, but she seemed to ce far more importance on the theatrics.


    Lapis: "I never saw Cathy eating, so I arranged the ultimate meal!"


    Once the illusion broke, a woman appeared where before there was only empty space.


    Catherine: "I''m not particrly hungry... And humans hardly make for a good snack..."


    Not to mention, I''d like to avoid being in her debt as much as possible.


    Lapis: "Silly... Of course I didn''t bring a normal human! This one is a legendary hero! From one of my favorite worlds to boot! I''m pretty sure you''ll enjoy it~"


    ...A hero...


    She certainly didn''t look like one.


    Throughout the years, many of such came to im my head. Although a troublesome bunch, battling them was always entertaining.


    They all shared this iparable determination. Even against despair itself and impossible odds... They tend to push ahead of everyone.


    Their bravery inspires even their enemies, and their will cannot be broken.


    The only thing I know to rival their determination is a Devil''s stubbornness.


    When challenged, both will fight until theirst breath.


    Thanks to that, I had never seen a hero truly defeated.


    Until now.


    The girl standing in front of me... There wasn''t even the faintest trace of hope in her eyes.


    If she was truly a hero, it was the first broken one I have ever seen.


    Connecting this image to what I''ve always seen of heroes felt wrong. This waspletely out of ce.


    However, it would be unfair of me to expect otherwise.


    Surrounded by beings who grow stronger by absorbing the power of entire worlds every day throughout their lives...


    Without any limbs...


    In apletely unknown world...


    I can only imagine how much she must''ve suffered until today...


    To such a poor thing... I suppose death would be an act of kindness.


    Lapis: "There you go!"


    Hah...


    Unfortunately, I became part of her show.


    I suppose it must be truly entertaining for her. I myself never expect to return to such a savage way of drinking blood after bing a God.


    Even back then, I had already outgrown such necessities.


    I''d only do something like this if it was a matter of survival...


    Especially with such delectable blood.


    So hot and pure... Strong...


    Every sip feels divine, the vor invades my mouth like nothing else has ever done...


    How I wish I could enjoy it properly...


    Lapis: "Did you like it? Am I forgiven? Will you stop avoiding me now? Please?~"


    Catherine: "Yes..."


    Oh...


    For a second, I was intoxicated by it.


    With my current standing, this shouldn''t be possible.


    I drained herpletely dry in seconds... I even tasted the skin...


    How barbaric...


    But the worst was agreeing with Lapis.


    I hope she doesn''t think this is a promise. I have no desire to be close to her.


    No matter how she tries to approach me, I know better than to trust this woman.


    Lapis: "And you two? Didn''t you bring anything for Cathy?"


    Felix: "...Why should we?"


    Lapis: "You know why! For cheating! Teaming up against her! Being in cahoots!"


    Julie: "Ah... S-sorry Miss Catherine..."


    ...The two Gods who have ascended together, Felix and Julie... It was pretty obvious they wouldn''t attack each other.


    However, I''d appreciate it if they at least focused on Lapis'' world instead of mine.


    Although I can see why they would avoid that.


    tantly cheating against her could give her grounds toin.


    Or worse, it could truly incur her anger.


    It seems like neither of them is dumb enough to believe her act, so they chose the easiest target.


    Felix: "We don''t have to apologize, there was no rule saying we had to guide our believers to attack each world equally. And also, weren''t you the one cheating the most? You said you were going to use a new, less developed world, but there are a bunch of people with levels in the four digits attacking us."


    ...The older brother doesn''t seem to be very patient.


    Sadly, types like him tend to die quickly in the hands of types like her.


    Lapis: "Hmm?~ What do you mean?~ I obviously have no control over who crosses the Dungeon to my world!"


    Hahah. Of course.


    And it just so happens that so many incredibly bloodthirsty high-leveled warriors crossed right before the event started.


    Coincidences sure seem to work in mysterious ways.


    Felix: "And what''s your excuse?"


    ...Hm?


    Catherine: "Are you talking to me? What do you mean?"


    Felix: "Your world. You said the mean level was below 100, but what about the demon who showed up at Julie''s front? And the strange weapons they are using?"


    I see... I guess it must seem strange for them since even with two worlds, they haven''t been able to get too far.


    However, I didn''t know that the weapons they used were so effective.


    I remember them struggling a lot against monsters of the same level just a few years before even with those same weapons.


    Clearly, something had changed, but I couldn''t put my finger on it.


    Well... I''ve seen them using those weapons before, but I didn''t know they could be so effective.


    And then there''s that demon... Her level is way higher than anyone else in that world.


    The only exnation I can think of is that she came from a Dungeon, but the reason for someone so high-leveled to decide to stay and fight for a low-level world eludes me.


    It made me suspicious, and the three of them clearly didn''t believe me, but...


    I truly had no idea...


    Catherine: "Haah... In any case, is there any need for us to continue? The results are pretty obvious already."


    It was the midway point, but my world''s casualties were already much higher.


    They had killed quite a lot too, but with the current pace, they were going to lose.


    The only other contender for the loser spot was Julie''s, but mine was still way worse than hers and the gap only seemed to be increasing with time.


    Since Lapis probably wouldn''t be able to get other cheat warriors to her world, and her brother wasn''t going to attack her, I was decidedly the loser this time.


    Lapis: "Woah~ I wasn''t expecting you to be so kind... Poor Cathy... Can''t bear to see your people dying, right?"


    What?


    It was not like that at all.


    I couldn''t care less. I just wanted the farce to be over so I could get away from you as soon as possible.


    Lapis: "But I think it is too soon for you to be giving up!"


    For a split second, the aura around her changed.


    Her innocent-looking smiler was the same, a normal girl, oblivious to the world, just having fun...


    But she failed that act of hers and in that moment, I felt how sinister she truly was.


    Repulsive... like a rotting corpse.


    There was nothing there to salvage.


    If anything, I''m d I didn''t have to feel that for too long.


    Especially since... it seemed like she was having honest fun now.


    That smile had be genuine...


    Lapis: "See, Catherine... Your world has done something very interesting. I don''t even know how to register it, but... Maybe you haven''t lost yet?"


    Catherine: "Hm? Did they bring another demon or something?"


    I couldn''t imagine them turning the tables.


    Their best chance of inflicting casualties should be while other worlds attempted tond.


    And while in some ces they managed to defend themselves well, in others they didn''t have such luck.


    Lapis: "Hmmm... You remember when we said that even indirect casualties would count, right? Things like starting a fire that kills a bunch of people in a vige, for example."


    Right... We decided to use the same basis that experience distribution does.


    It helps Lapis not waste as much of her Divinity with the system she uses to register each death, and it also prevents a single death from being registered multiple times if different people are involved with it.


    I was sure she was going to use this system to cheat, but she has been incredibly fair.


    She''s also the one who spends the most time registering casualties.


    Catherine: "So... What did they do?"


    Thest time I had properly checked the situation, they were focusing their efforts on the air battle and doing a spearhead move to invade other worlds.


    It felt like a desperate attempt at best, but on most fronts, they were at least able to win the air thanks to the high mobility of their weapons.


    Lapis: "Well... They used some kind of spell. Or perhaps another weapon... And they started a fire. Take a look~"


    ...!


    I couldn''t believe what I saw.


    Earth got rid of its spot for the first time ever since we started this Divine Event.


    It was just barely, but Lapis'' world had surpassed mine in the number of casualties.


    Felix and Julie''s were also rising quickly, potentially overtaking hers in the future.


    As for the reason... As Lapis exined, something caused a huge number of initial deaths.


    If I had to guess, those initial deaths were caused by the spell or the weapon itself.


    And after that... indirect deaths started to appear everywhere.


    Lapis specified a bunch of reasons, which she wasn''t bothering to do for most deaths.


    Her list included death by fire...


    Death by suffocation...


    Death by... poison...


    And...


    Felix: "What do you mean by ''Death by side effects''?"


    Lapis: "Hm... Well, it''s hard to exin... You certainly know those very strong spells, right? The ones that even if you evade, can sometimes destroy the body from within."


    Julie: "Eh? But that''s... Not possible for their levels... R-Right...?"


    Lapis: "It shouldn''t be. Unless they somehow managed to create a system that used the mana of hundreds of thousands... However, you can see for yourselves."


    She grabbed a small quartz tablet.


    Images started to appear in it. We were seeing through the eyes of a weapons merchant, traveling to a port city to supply another invasion.


    Then, he saw a few ck spots in the sky.


    The next moment, a gigantic explosion destroyed everything in sight.


    ...Lapis wasn''t lying.


    The magic barrier didn''t do anything. It was destroyed almost instantly.


    The ships, the port, the castle, and the walls... Everything was pulverized.


    Including the people... Even the warriors with high levels that she brought died without putting up a fight.


    As for the merchant whose eyes we were seeing from... Even though he had yet to reach the city, moments after the explosion, his body wasunched away with incredible power.


    His skin burnedpletely, and even his bones seemed to have suffered as well.


    He died without even reaching the city.


    However, it was very intriguing.


    Even if they had someone at level 100. With a powerful Gift... And being pushed to their limits...


    I find it hard to believe they would be capable of doing something like that.


    Their world is simply not versed enough in the ways of magic. Theyck spells, control, and everything else.


    A st like that... Capable of reaching so far away...


    I couldn''t imagine anyone in that world being capable of doing something like that.


    It was likely that magic wasn''t responsible for this.


    Lapis: "And that''s not all. The sudden twist made me super interested, so I tried to look at some people close to the cities... However, I couldn''t take the eyes of anyone for too long..."


    She decided to show us a few examples...


    And suddenly, it made sense why she slipped up earlier.


    Why she was genuinely happy.


    And why she seemed to like me a little bit more now.


    The hero she brought... It was not meant as an apology gift.


    It was congrattory.


    She was happy with what she saw...


    And she probably wanted to see even more of it...


    It''s probably the reason why she was being so meticulous.


    As for me...


    Julie: "Ugh..."


    I shared Julie''s reaction.


    It was an utterly disgusting sight.


    I couldn''t bear to look at it for long.


    I didn''t want to imagine the same fate.


    Dying like that... It would be horrible.


    But still... I couldn''t help but get a little excited.


    So this was the power they were hiding, huh?


    Lapis: "Isn''t it amazing? I knew Cathy had a trick up her sleeve, but I wasn''t expecting this!"


    Catherine: "Yeah..."


    She was keeping an eye on me...


    I imagined this might have been the case since she was quite forceful with her approach, but thankfully, it seems like her opinion of me has genuinely changed a little after this.


    It would''ve been a good thing before, but since I already decided to get as far away from her as possible, it''s just more trouble.


    I suppose I should have expected this from that world.


    They don''t give me anything without caveats...


    However, this time... Good job, little ones.


    Please, be sure to show me even more of your pathetic, disgusting selves.


    Prove your usefulness, and I''ll be sure to use you properly from now on.


    Lapis: "A vampire''s bloodlust! Was it not enough? Do you feel like going for another meal?"


    With the snap of her finger, dozens of people appeared in the room.


    Their blood felt as strong as the girl from before...


    Catherine: "...I''ll bring wine and ss."


    I hate that this ce is so unnecessarily big.


    My appetite had grown so much that every second felt like an eternity.


    Curse this girl... She should''ve started with this show instead.

 Chapter 188: Licerce

    As expected of one of the cities of the northern territories, the so-called frozennds, Licerce was cold.


    It wasn''t only the city. The vast territory it belonged to also had an incredibly harsh climate.


    However... I was a little impressed by it.


    Or more urately, I was impressed by how full of life the city was.


    The buildings were almost all grey. The sky was an even darker shade.


    The brightest thing around was the never-ending snow. The ground was filled with it and every step felt so much harder than what it had any right to.


    Yet, in this colorless city, there was this ironic warmth.


    People would stick close to each other. They would talk in low tones.


    Even in busy districts and streets, instead of seeing a flow of people going in one direction, we would find many small groups, talking in a circle or a semi-circle.


    It felt oddly peaceful,forting and even inviting to some extent.


    I was particrly fond of seeing the children leave their homes to y for a while, only to rush back inside after feeling cold.


    This was a quiet ce... But it truly had a charm all of its own.


    Miwen: "Makes it hard to concentrate..."


    We were staying in a building provided to us by the territory''s lord in advance.


    My desk was close to the window, so I''d often waste some time looking at the street below.


    I could have moved it any time, but... It felt like a shame.


    Mia: "Oh... I imagined that if you were going toin about something, it would be about the girls not showing as much skin around here."


    Miwen: "I guess that''s a downside, but... In exchange, I get to keep you close to me like this, so it''s not bad at all"


    Mia: "Hnnm... Just so you know, the moment someone enters, I''m standing up."


    Miwen: "Of course..."


    It was already quite surprising that she did notin about our distance or my head pats.


    Normally, she gets angry when I do it out of the blue and pushes my hand back after enjoying it for a few seconds, but perhaps because of the climate, she seemed to be in a great mood and allowed me to do as I pleased.


    Because I was already pushing my luck I had no choice but to ept her unfair conditions.


    Mia: "What are you looking at?"


    It was pretty early in the morning, so her voice was a little more mellow than normal.


    This cute side of hers was hard to see since her normal routine in the kingdom includes exercising at this hour.


    Miwen: "I received the girls'' reports yesterday night, but I thought I''d give them a final read before discussing with them."


    When we arrived at the city, Isabe asked me if I had any ideas about what to do regarding her assignment.


    However, due to theck of information about Licerce, most of my ideas required using [Gacha Kingdom Building] in one way or another.


    This was a bit of a problem since it wouldn''t be beneficial to her growth and would also risk creating unnecessary questions if someone were to pry into it.


    Thus, I decided to explore our options a little.


    Immediately, I thought about using the mountain range on Licerce''s west border.


    The ce is known to contain a few cave entrances, but most of them have not been fully explored.


    It''s believed that there''s potential for many different metals to be found there.


    However, I had to give up on this idea for the most part.


    While it would certainly be an achievement if we were able to establish a good mine there, the risk was also quite high.


    The snow mountains are quite dangerous. It''s hard to reach the interesting spots but working there is just an ident waiting to happen.


    Especially if Isabe is the one leading the expedition.


    While certain sacrifices would definitely be worth it in the long run, our time frame was tight, and even if we managed to get a gold rush going, that could also lead to problems for a small city like Licerce.


    However, I didn''t discard the idea of trying some sort of economic development since it would be pretty easy to recognize or at least make a case about if it came down to it.


    But the mine idea was left to the side.


    Instead, I wanted to see if we could establish a product.


    However, I would need more information for that to work, so I spread the girls around.


    The first pairing was Licia and ire. Those two are always eager to work together, and they always do an excellent job, so I was more than happy to let them go to one of the neighboring cities to see if there was any gap we could exploit.


    Licia is attentive, sensitive, and creative with problems, while ire is very familiar with politics and economics.


    Frankly, it''s impressive that they seem toplement each other so well even outside of fighting.


    Miwen: "So you guys can imagine my disappointment when I read your reports, right?"


    ire: "Eh? Why? It was heartfelt!"


    Licia: "Hm... I don''t understand the problem. We did exactly as we were told."


    "Exactly" is not how I would put it.


    I told them that watching the townsfolk''s everyday livescould be a good idea to get a feeling for their wants and needs, and they followed my advice by spending quite some time in the city square.


    They also visited different stalls and stores since I said they should explore the localmerce as much as possible.


    Hell, they even visited the port, something I had emphasized more than anything else.


    Miwen: "I''d love to hear how you guys managed to turn this into a date."


    Licia: "Well, the mood was nice, so... We kind of just went with the flow..."


    Quite impressive considering that they had two full days from the moment they arrived there. The mood must''ve been incredible.


    And to think that wonderful mood was almost ruined...


    Thankfully, Licia made the incredibly brave decision to leave the port just a few minutes after they had arrived there.


    All because ire disliked the smell.


    Licia: "Hehe... Sorry?"


    Miwen: "You know I can''t forgive you that easily, right?"


    ire: "Please?~ We can go together next time~"


    Not only were they not sorry at all, but one of them missed the pointpletely.


    However, I ended up getting defeated by their smooches and forgave them.


    Mia: "...Huh. You seem to have forgiven them pretty easily."


    Miwen: "...Licia works hard 24/7. As for ire... she''s a free-spirit, but she always goes the extra mile when I need her. For better or worse. I think it''s fine for them to enjoy themselves."


    Actually, ire wasn''t all that off-mark either.


    I did get a little bit jealous when I read their report.


    But more than anything else, I was d they seemed to be happy.


    And it''s not like they were the only ones I sent out...


    Miwen: "So you can imagine my disappointment..."


    Next on the list was Bea and Ellie.


    There is a small forest next to Licerce and I was curious if we could find anything useful in that area.


    This seemed like the perfect job for Agatha. She''s very knowledgeable about herbology and she truly enjoys researching and collecting herbs and nts.


    However, there were rumors of strong monsters roaming around the area, so I decided it would be best to send some fighting power.


    Thus, Inded on Ellie and Bea.


    The former is an elf, a forest dweller, and thetter is a witch who secluded herself and lived in a cabin in the woods.


    While they weren''t as knowledgeable as Agatha, they knew enough to identify something interesting or out of ce.


    At least, that was what I was hoping for.


    Instead, what I got was a very short report. From both of them.


    While it had some differences here and there, enough for me to know they didn''t write a single one, there was definitely something missing.


    Actually, a lot was missing. They barely wrote anything.


    Bea: "We ran into a few problems, but it''s all resolved now..."


    Miwen: "I''d love to hear more about it."


    Their situation was a little different from Licia and ire''s.


    Beatrice ended up being a little too worried about Ellie, which is understandable to a certain degree, but because Ellie is curious by nature, this made her a little upset since Beatrice was doing everything.


    The two of them ended up having a small discussion, but thankfully, it seems like they made up before returning.


    They even shared a bunch of stories, which also didn''t help them make any progress.


    Miwen: "I see... Well, as long as you two are doing fine, it''s alright."


    They are both mature people, although in somewhat different ways, so even when they have a problem, they can reach a solution by themselves.


    Their friendship seemed to have grown stronger thanks to it too, so it''s not like I could say that nothing good came out of it.


    And then we had thest group... Anna and Cassandra.


    To be honest, my hopes weren''t too high.


    Cassandra is pretty much a deviant. It''s rare for her to take anything other than sex seriously.


    And her report also showed a lot of that. She knew I was going to be the one reading it, so she wrote... Something different than what I requested.


    Cassandra: "My letter was full of pure love~"


    It was full of love. Just not pure.


    However, I was pleasantly surprised this time.


    Miwen: "Anna... I fucking love you."


    Anna: "Eh? Did I do anything?"


    Miwen: "Yep. You did exactly as I told you. The report was also pretty good."


    Perhaps I underestimated her.


    She''s pretty used to receiving orders and reporting on them.


    As for their mission, I sent the two to a pub in Licerce. I wanted them to gather info on anything useful, but... I was half expecting them to drink themselves out for two days.


    Thankfully, that''s not what happened. They were surprisingly able to do their job well.


    They were able to meet the North Fleet Admiral, and they discovered something pretty interesting.


    Miwen: "If this is true, and they are really having a problem with pirates, then we might have found Isabe''s achievement."


    And I was also really interested in perhaps acquiring a fleet.


    Cassandra: "Hm? Does that mean we get a reward?"


    Miwen: "Yeah. Meet me hereter."


    I couldn''t y with them since Mia had fallen asleep.


    Once she woke up, she rushed out of the room, ashamed that she lost almost the entire morning because she rxed too much thanks to me patting her.

 Chapter 189: Sea Battles

    Although Licerce is a charming city, it''s not free of troublemakers like any other.


    Case and point are the very bandits we met on our way here.


    But in case that wasn''t enough, rumor has it that if one is looking for trouble, all they need to do is visit the bar.


    The reason for that is slightly different than what I was expecting though...


    Isabe: "I demand that you cooperate. You hold no more authority than I do."


    Marin: "And as I said, that is true only onnd, the moment we''re at sea, I call the shots. I won''t bring a bunch of kids aboard my ship just because you want to go on a little adventure! You can go back home and cry about it to your father all you want, princess!"


    Cassandra: "Oh~ Was that apliment, little girl?"


    At least someone was in a good mood.


    As for our current dilemma, it was hard to see a way out.


    Marin is the North Fleet Admiral. She''s also most definitely not a little girl like Cassandra imed, but for her, anyone who''s not as old as Elizabeth may as well be a kid.


    Still, Marin is an interesting person. She''s both Licerce''s shield, as well as its biggest troublemaker. It seems like she spends more time at bars than at sea, especially considering that the entire fleet recently moved to the southern border, previously Evretis'' territory.


    The are a few reasons for this sudden movement.


    The North Fleet was never that big to begin with. There were only a few ships since there wasn''t much threat due to ack ofmerce and poption on the frozennds.


    Defending them against potential invasions of neighboring nations was also an afterthought. Thend is not that valuable and any army marching through it would suffer like hell.


    Once Evretis became a part of Terith''s territory, the fleet moved to the south where the sailors found more opportunities and there was a need for ships to protect the trade against different threats.


    Marin was a lowborn who rose through the ranks. She was born in Licerce, so even though moving to the south would give her better opportunities, she simply didn''t want to leave due to an attachment to her home.


    In other words, she''s quite the thick-headed woman.


    However, this time, I must concede that she has a point.


    Without any context, it''s easy to believe that we''re a bunch of children who will just be a nuisance all the time.


    Not to mention, if Isabe were to die on her ship she''d probably be hanged for it...


    Isabe: "You know what? Whatever. I''ll just get a ship with-"


    Miwen: "No, we won''t."


    Isabe: "Ugh... C''mon!"


    I fully understand her frustration, but this time, it had nothing to do with the restrictions I had set.


    The ships [Gacha Kingdom Building] can bring vary wildly. If we suddenly brought one like we had during the Merchant''s stay... Not only would we make a hugemotion, but also, we''d be unable to man it.


    Well... Even a normal ship is probably impossible for us. The only one who seems to have some experience with it is ire.


    I had already identified that this could be a problem for us sooner orter due to theck of sailors in the Kingdom, but honestly, I was hoping to not have to do any naval battles in the near future...


    Thankfully, this could actually be an opportunity since not too much was at stake...


    Marin: "Hmm?~ What''s that? Think you can scare me?"


    I stabbed her table with a knife, but she was confident enough


    Miwen: "I''m more than willing to prove that we can hold our own."


    Marin: "Ahaha! Sorry boy, but that''s no use. I can''t use my powers within the city."


    I heard she had never lost a naval battle before, although there were times when her opponents managed to get away...


    However, her Gift is a total mystery.


    Miwen: "...In that case, how about a drinking game? I heard you''ve never been beaten at one either."


    Marin: "Eh? Then if I win, I wanna y with you?"


    Miwen: "Of course."


    I decided to make things as fair as possible by drinking a bottle of whatever she was drinking before we arrived.


    Judging by the smell alone I could tell that this wasn''t like anything I''d ever had. It was intoxicating... Almost nauseating.


    I was still feeling confident I could handle it though...


    Miwen: "...Cough... What the... How the hell do you drink this? Tastes like poison."


    Marin: "It''s not meant for kids~"


    It felt like that first bottle was never going to end.


    She kept pressing me to drink faster, but every time I took a sip I''d feel my throat burning like never before.


    The taste was also horrible... disgusting.


    I feel like I could throw up even if there wasn''t any alcohol in that bottle.


    Marin: "First to throw up or pass out loses, alright?~"


    Miwen: "...Fine. But how about we add another rule? It''s a little boring if all we''re doing is drinking."


    Marin: "Are you trying to be promoted from a kid to a shady man?"


    Miwen: "As long as I get you to ept us on your ship, I''ll y whatever role."


    I was betting on her feeling confident after that first bottle, and I must''ve hit the nail right on the head seeing as how easily she epted my conditions.


    First of all, we took our game to her ship.


    I argued that I''d like us to be at sea so that she wouldn''t be able to run away if she lost.


    Second, no magic.


    It wouldn''t be fun if either of us tried to cheat with it.


    Since I didn''t know what her Gift did, I included it in the rules as well, so no using our Gifts to cheat each other.


    Third, the girls were allowed on board to serve as the referees and preserve the game''s integrity.


    As for the game itself... We were going to y a type of ckjack.


    The rules were a little different than normal though.


    The dealer wasn''t going to be a yer, they were just going to hand out the cards.


    To make things faster since Marin is a heavy drinker, we agreed that if one were to bust they would have to drink twice the amount that round.


    Simrly, if one wins with a ckjack, the opponent has to drink twice.


    Since this world has different card games, I exined the value of the cards, but I also added the Joker.


    It would have no value as a card, but if you had one in your hand, you''d be able to discard it alongside another card of your choosing.


    Aside from that, we also agreed that if a yer were to stand, they could hide their cards, unless it was a bust. In case of a draw though, the first yer to stand and hide their cards would be the one to drink.


    And finally, like normal, each yers start the round with two cards.


    The first to reach abination of cards with a value of 21, or the one closest to this number without going over it, wins the round.


    The loser of the round is obviously the one who has to drink.


    To ensure neither of us would cheat by shuffling the deck or drawing in a weird way we agreed to have one of the girls as the dealer.


    In this case, we chose Isabe, since it would be unthinkable for a noble to risk their reputation by cheating on a drinking game.


    Sadly, Marin didn''t agree to a different drink.


    She was confident that she would never lose the game if we chose any other drink from the bar.


    As unbelievable as it might be, I personally knew how strong this one was, so at least I was sure no one would be able to drink it without eventually passing out.


    And so, our first round began...


    Marin: "Hmm... I wanna draw another one."


    Three cards in her hand.


    Of course, I had no way of knowing what they were, and it was too early in the game for her to give me an easy-to-read reaction.


    Normally, you''d want to get to 10 as quickly as possible. From there, the odds of getting to 20 or 21 are pretty favorable.


    And that''s the crux of the game. Probability.


    As well as luck.


    In this first round, however, luck wasn''t on my side.


    A 2 and a 3 are hardly the cards you''re looking for your starter hand.


    The most probable card for me to get after this was one worth 10. The King, the Queen, the Jack, or the ten card itself.


    Meaning I would probably reach 15 and at most 16. Neither of which were good hands.


    Of course, even considering the three cards in her hand and the two in mine, I could still get a low number, potentially buying me another chance.


    Miwen: "Hit me... Aw. Not like that. I want another card."


    Maybe I forgot to exin themon phrases...


    Still, my hand went from shitty to pretty solid after that draw.


    Isabe gave me another 3, leaving me with a total of 8. With at least one 2 and two 3s out of the game, things were looking good for my next draw.


    Marin: "Hit me!"


    At least Isabe learned fast.


    Miwen: "Hit me."


    Four cards in hand. But a total of 15.


    Since Marin had not ended her game, she probably wasn''t feeling confident in her hand as well.


    Marin: "Hit me! Oh, shit."


    Miwen: "Bust?"


    Marin: "Yeah..."


    Huh. Two 4s and two 8s.


    It''s unlikely her starting hand was two 8s. She would have definitely stopped after drawing a 4 if that was the case.


    If the starting hand was a four and 8, then she could''ve gotten either a four or an eight at the hit.


    Again, it would be unlikely for her to draw again after reaching 20.


    The most likely scenario then is that she drew until 16, with a starting hand of either two 4s or a 4 and an 8...


    It didn''t matter to a round I had already won, but it never hurts to understand how your opponent thinks in this type of game.


    Since she lost by busting, she had to drink two times in the first round.


    She also lost the second and third rounds the same way, so she quickly emptied two bottles.


    Miwen: "Fuuh..."


    Marin: "Having a hard time, boy?"


    Miwen: "...No?"


    Frankly, even though I hadn''t busted, every sip of that drink felt like death.


    I also failed to consider the impact of drinking at the sea.


    It''s something I had never done before, so I forgot that the swaying of the ship as well as the immense, never-ending blue of the sea would also help with the nausea.


    I could tell my thoughts were getting a little slower even though I had barely drunk anythingpared to her.


    Miwen: "Alright, I''ll go first this time."


    Marin; "Oh? Feeling confident are we?"


    Miwen: "Are you hoping it''s ''cause of the alcohol?"


    Marin; "Sure am!"


    I asked Isabe to hit me again.


    This time, my hand contained two 3s. When I asked her to hit me, I got a joker.


    Overall, pretty bad starting hand, but the Joker opened up a few possibilities. After Isabe hit Marin, it was my turn again, and I got a 6.


    We went again, and she handed me a 10. Thankfully I could discard it.


    It revealed my hand was bad since I didn''t win with a 10, but it was fine since Marin busted right after.


    Marin: "I don''t get it... I can''t ckjack at all... Are you doing something?"


    Miwen: "Who knows? Get us onboard and I''ll tell you."


    Marin: "Hah. Right. Dream on, kid."


    Our game continued after that.


    I lost 3 rounds, but I never busted.


    On the other hand, Marin lost 10.


    Since almost all of them were busts she ended up drinking 6 bottles to my 1.


    Miwen: "...Why the fuck is the table moving."


    Marin: "Bwahahahaha! Cough..."


    I was already tipsy, but at least she was starting to give off a few signals of drunkness.


    Which one of us would''ve won was still up for debate though.


    Her endurance was way better than I expected, but she had already reached a state where I could read her quite easily.


    She also hadn''t figured out the trick and her chances were getting lower by the minute.


    Sadly, or maybe thankfully, our game was interrupted midway by a huge sea creature.


    One of its tentacles rained down ice spikes at the ship while the other one targeted the sail.


    Miwen: "ire! Mia!"


    That Kraken-like creature was level 86.


    While ire and Mia were able to drive away the two tentacles that attacked us, with that creature''s head still underwater, our options were limited.


    ire''s magic was obviously a no-go. Licia''s also wouldn''t do us much good.


    Since Anna wasn''t a good swimmer... It was up to me and Mia.


    With the girls'' support, most of the magic it sent our way was intercepted, and we went ahead to fight it underwater.


    I was surprised by how deep it truly was. The tentacles were extending a lot, and like a whip, it was hard to evade them all the time.


    Thankfully, being underwater gave us a few more options with our movement, and since Mia and I were the fastest in the Kingdom, we made good use of it to approach the creature as much as possible.


    Sadly, reaching its head wasn''t so easy.


    The creature was able to quickly block our way while still targeting us with the tentacles, and unlike it, even though I was extending our time underwater with an air bubble, we were against the clock.


    With very few options remaining, I made Cassandra assume the form of a long sword. The longest sword possible.


    Using it like a massive spear I pierced one of the tentacles and sent it alongside the main body to the surface.


    There I could freeze the water around us, allowing Anna to join the fight.


    ire and Licia were also able to target it now, so we could all focus our efforts.


    However, sadly, during the battle, I was hit in the stomach, and while it didn''t injure me too badly... I ended up throwing up. All the movement already gave me a pretty bad nausea, but that was the final straw.


    The battle was going pretty well but it was hardly a constion prize.


    It was then that I saw... More than thirty ships around us. Some of them navigating, others flying.


    Marin: "Fire!"


    Miwen: "...!"


    I was truly impressed. Marin is a few levels higher than us, at an impressive 92.


    But her Gift... It was something else entirely.


    Miwen: "You''re a summoner? And you summon ghost ships? That''s cool as hell. Also sorry for your deck. Get me a mop and I''ll clean it."


    Marin: "You''ve seen nothing yet, kid."


    As the ships approached the monster, phantoms started to disembark, running above water in its direction.


    It madeplete sense why there weren''t any other sailors or ships in the North Fleet.


    She is an entire army, or fleet, by herself.


    It also exined why she refused to use her Gift to fight me in the city. All of those ships had the proper size, and they seemed to have a proper phantom crew as well.


    That was bound to cause as much of amotion as a modern ship summoned by [Gacha Kingdom Building].


    With Marin''s help, we made quick work of the Kraken.


    Not only was she able to increase our offensive power, but she could also use the ships she summoned as barriers to protect the main one.


    It was almost unfair how strong her Gift was.


    Although it was a shame I had lost the game, at least no one got hurt, so-


    Marin: "Actually... My response was dyed because I... nked... Well, I passed out for a few minutes when you guys were fighting. So, how about this, we''ll call it a draw this time, and since you proved you can fight for yourselves, you can get on my ship. On the condition you tell me how you were cheating, you bastard."


    Miwen: "...Sure. But... I wasn''t cheating."


    Marin: "...Eh?"


    ire: "What? Seriously?"


    I only had one unfair advantage over Marin.


    She understood the game pretty well from the start.


    She aimed for the 10s and 11s to set up a good hand and knew that strong hands, those ranging from 17 to 20, were fairlymon.


    So, she tried to either get a ckjack or a strong hand.


    And that was the problem.


    She was trying to get in a good position.


    Now... Although it''s true that manybinations lead to a ckjack or a strong hand, conversely, it is rare to get hands with low total values, like 6 or 4.


    There are simply fewerbinations to reach such values.


    In this game, however, we rarely got 10s or aces. We''d always have to build to the double digits with lower numbers, some of the worst and most rarebinations.


    This is not something that should normally happen, but... Isabe was the dealer.


    There''s no way good cards such as the face cards or 10s would reach that girl''s hands, even if they are the mostmon.


    The problem is that they are simply too good.


    Marin and the girls were all suspicious that I was using the special rules to cheat, but actually, I used them ording to their obvious intent.


    The option to stand without revealing the hand just puts more pressure on the adversary, while also providing a disadvantage to make it fair.


    I used it so Marin wouldn''t realize I was standing with whatever hand as soon as I crossed 11.


    I knew that ckjacks or strong hands were impossible, so once a hand was past 11 it was time to stand even if it was a 13 or 14.


    No matter what the odds of the next draw were, it was definitely going to blow.


    As for the joker... It yed its part.


    It was just a distraction. A way to add a new variable to make the game a little less predictable.


    It also helped me buy a round to ensure Marin would bust.


    Simply put, since it was impossible to get ckjacks or strong hands, the bad hands on the double digits were the strongest.


    Or rather, they were the only ones we could aim for.


    All thanks to my little catastrophe girl.


    Miwen: "Even bad luck can be useful~"


    ire: "Woah... You''re a cretin!"


    Mia: "What part of that was not cheating!?"


    Isabe: "..."


    Almost everyone had something to say.


    But surprisingly, the only ones who didn''t say a word were the ones most involved with it, Marin and Isabe.


    The former epted her loss. At the end of the day, it wasn''t impossible to figure out what was happening as long as she paid close attention to her own cards instead of trying to figure out how I was cheating.


    As for thetter...There are things I want her to realize about herself, and while they might be hard, I believe a small push is all that she needs.

 Chapter 190: On The High Seas

    Even though two days had passed since I defeated Marin in our game and earned us her permission to board the ship, we still had yet to find any of the pirates known to be raiding in the North.


    I wasn''t expecting us to find and capture them on the first day, but being in the open sea like this gave me a lot of free time, so I started to think more about the situation in hopes of figuring out their next move or where they could be hiding at.


    However, I eventually noticed that something wasn''t adding up.


    The three most traded goods in the North are fish, wood, and fruit. While they are valuable to the people of Terith and other frozennds, they don''t exactly make for the best target when ites to pirating.


    Typically, it''s only worth raiding a country''s coast or engaging ships at high seas if the area is known for trading high-value goods.


    Often those high-value goods will be things like expensive minerals, gold, or even ves.


    And so, it made sense that pirating activities would rise in this area when Hamperlon conquered Maides Ind and started mining orichalcum and gold. They also enved the poption there, and I know for myself how expensive they can be.


    However... All of this happened a few years ago in this world.


    While Maides Ind remains under Hamperlon, the gold rush ended long ago.


    They still get some value from the ind, but it''s notparable to before.


    Thinking logically, they shouldn''t have departed from the south, and the best target in the north would be Hamperlon, not Terith. So... Why would they be here?


    Bea: "Hm... Perhaps it''s because there''s lesspetition? They might also have underestimated the security of Terith''s north coast since Marin is the only one protecting it."


    I wasn''t too sure about that. While Marin''s abilities are not that well-known or talked about in Licerce or the North in general, I doubt her former crewmates and enemies didn''t spread the word in the South.


    I suppose it''s possible that her reputation deteriorated enough with time though.


    Especially since her ship seems more suitable for voyages than navalbat.


    It''s fast enough for its size but it contains four big rooms that were clearly made to amodate nobles, which hurts itsbat capabilities.


    It also doesn''t seem to be that resistant since she had to use her ghost ships to defend against the monster we encountered before.


    Apparently, she was relegated to a courier more than an admiral due to theck of activity in this area.


    Miwen: "...Such a waste..."


    I guess I can see some people underestimating her given the situation, however, things still didn''t add up.


    Even if Bea is right and there''s lesspetition. Even if they underestimate Marin...


    The reward is just too low...


    Bea: "Well, I can see it piqued your interest, but... Although I''m not sure if it''s the woman or the mystery."


    Sharp as always...


    Miwen: "Why not both?"


    Bea looked at me with a piercing stare before letting out augh.


    Bea: "For you to think about another woman at a moment like this... Should I be worried?"


    Miwen: "Pfft. You know very well that you don''t."


    I had spent the night with Bea and Ellie since I wanted to see for myself if they had truly made up.


    And well... It''s always fun to y with them.


    Sadly, Ellie left first to fish, so it was just Bea and I on the bed for a little while.


    It was a surprisingly sweet and peaceful morning, considering I was sharing it with a self-proimed evil witch, but it eventually got interrupted by Cassandra, who barged into the room.


    Cassandra: "Fuck..."


    I thought it was the same as always since I had decided to spend the night without her, but even though she blurted out her favorite word, something felt off.


    Her movements and gaze were nowhere as sharp as they usual.


    She also didn''t have her sadistic smile. Instead, she was pouting... She seemed genuinely upset.


    It wasn''t an expression I''d ever thought I''d see on her face.


    Miwen: "...Everything alright, Cass?"


    Cassandra: "Hic... Can''t believe you... Didn''t invite me... You''re so mean to me, boy..."


    Bea: "...Heh? So this is how you act when you get drunk? It''s kind of cute~"


    I thought the same.


    Cassandra is always sincere about her feelings but she never looked so weak and cute when speaking before.


    Normally, her sharp eyes in addition to her raspy voice make her every word almost seem like a provocation, as if she''s looking to pick a fight.


    Her attitude also contributes a lot to that, but... Even though her words remained the same, the way she delivered them was too different.


    Cassandra: "I don''t get drunk! Dumbass!"


    She also doesn''t raise her voice often. Normally, she has such an ominous aura that everyone stops to listen to what she has to say.


    For her to act like this when drunk... It was cute as hell.


    Bea and I were surprised by it, but we couldn''t help butugh at how different she was.


    Although it was funny and cute, I got a little worried since it seemed like she was having a hard time keeping her bnce.


    Bea: "As amusing as taking care of her sounds, I already have an appointment with Rae..."


    Miwen: "Right... See youter then. As for you, Cass, get on the bed for now."


    Cassandra: "Yay..."


    Even though she interpreted it as me inviting her for some naughty time she didn''t show as much energy as I''vee to expect of her.


    The moment shended on the bed, she mustered all of her remaining energy to hug me ande close to my face for a kiss.


    It didn''tst long though. Her tongue movements clearly told me that she was barely conscious and soon, she stopped movingpletely.


    I waited a little to see if she had fallen asleep, and once I confirmed it, I gave her a pillow to hug instead so I could leave the room and find someone to look after her.


    My first thought was to find Licia since she''s usually happy to take care of the girls.


    Marin: "Oh... The blue-haired one? She wasn''t feeling well so I took her to the spare room..."


    Apparently, the three of them had spent the night ying and drinking, but since I was busy, Marin couldn''t bring Licia to me when she passed out.


    I was surprised that she managed to outdrink both of them, especially considering what happenedst time Licia started drinking with a redhead and how strong she is to alcohol.


    She''s also quite responsible, so I was d she let herself enjoy as much as she wanted, even if that meant she went overboard for once.


    Miwen: "I''m thankful that you look out for her as well."


    Most importantly, Marin had my gratitude for that.


    Marin: "That''s the least I could do, right? After all, they were nice enough to keep mepany."


    Judging by the results, they must''ve had a lot of fun together, so I doubt it was any sacrifice on their part.


    However, I understand the feeling perfectly.


    When we first met Marin, she was drinking alone, and while it might not have seemed like it bothered her, the fact was that it looked pretty solitary.


    It looked like she had way more fun when we were ying together.


    Miwen: "I wonder why you chose to remain in Licerce instead of going to the south like the rest..."


    I get that it''s her hometown, and that could certainly be a reason to stay, but...


    At least for me, the people around me are more important than the ce I''m in.


    In her ce, with all of myrades gone to the south, I''d probably choose to go as well.


    Even if I had attachments to the city, ultimately, I''d choose the people.


    Marin: "...Who knows? Maybe I never thought that deeply about it."


    Even though I didn''t know her too well, this felt like a lie.


    She tried to hide it behind a confident smile, but it was no use.


    I''d love to be able to deduce her reasons, but... Sadly, I didn''t have too much to go on from, and between the two mysteries, the pirates'' took precedence.


    It didn''t mean I couldn''t have some fun though, so after I moved Licia to the same room as Cassandra, I went around annoying the girls.


    I saw that Anna, Ellie, and Mia were all fishing from the bulwark, so I decided to help Ellie a little since it looked like she was having a hard timepared to the others.


    Ellie: "Hnm... Miwen... It''s hard..."


    Miwen: "I know. But you need to be patient. I''ll help you keep warm in the meantime."


    She''s always been the least resistant to cold among the girls, and when I found her, she was trembling a little, which wasn''t helping with her fishing.


    I decided to help her by sitting down and hugging her from behind, this way, we could share body heat.


    I also wanted to spend more time with her, so it worked out greatly.


    Ellie: "...Thanks, but... I meant you... It''s poking me a little... Didn''t we just... You know..."


    Miwen: "Actually, that might be the reason."


    Normally she doesn''tin about it, but I guess I was hindering her a bit since she was getting even more fidgety.


    Because of that, I decided to y with Mia instead.


    However, she was clearly paying attention, and because of that, the moment I got close to her, she jumped off the ship.


    Miwen: "She''s going to be alright... Right?"


    Anna: "She caught these ones with her hands, so yeah."


    I was somewhat relieved to see that she had jumped to get more fish.


    For a second, I thought my fiancee had chosen death over spending some quality time with me.


    Miwen: "Well, I guess I have no choice then. Mind if I join?"


    Anna: "Of course!"


    I sat down next to Anna and we enjoyed fishing together for a while.


    Mia also noticed I had thrown another bait, so she pushed me into the water one time, which made both Ellie and Anna quite worried.


    I was surprised by how much colder it waspared to thest time, but swimming after Mia to get revenge was still fun enough for me to not mind it too much.


    As for the fish... Anna was pretty much the only one who managed to get a good amount legitimately.


    Ellie was seriously trying topete, but she was not very good at it. As for Mia, even though she caught the biggest ones, she was cheating, so it didn''t count.


    Thankfully, we were doing this mostly to pass the time since we had already stocked the ship and wouldn''t run out of food.


    Even if we got close to running out, I could always sneak back inside the Kingdom to restock.


    After a while, Ellie gave up trying to catch fish and excused herself to look out for other ships from the crow''s nest.


    Her vision is good enough to where she could probably spot them from a long distance even from the bulwark or the deck, but on that spot, she''s sure to not miss a thing.


    I took my time having fun with the girls, so it was almost time for me to go to my assigned task.


    Before that though, I couldn''t help but check in on ire and Isabe.


    When I asked Marin to help the girls learn a little about manning a ship, the two self-important duchesses wouldn''t budge on the idea of being at the helm.


    Everyone was justifiably worried about either of them steering the ship, but surprisingly, they were doing a good job.


    I still couldn''t rest peacefully without taking a look though.


    After that, I went to the kitchen since the girls insisted that I''d be the one handling the meals.


    It was pretty much a given since they like my cooking so much, but it was oddly reminiscent of the early days, so I happily obliged.

 Chapter 191: To Drag A Saint Down To Hell (04)

    -This chapter is written using Sabrina''s POV-


    In this world, Saints are incredibly respected.


    Throughout the ages, they have protected thend from various cmities.


    In times of desperation, it is the light of the Saints that has guided the poption to a worthwhile future.


    As such, it is a position envied by many.


    And also... a respectable title.


    I have no doubts about how blessed I am to have be one. If not for it, I would never be able to attend the academy...


    It''s only thanks to this blessing that I was able to meet Edmond, Albert, Lennard, and the Evretis family''s butler.


    I''m truly grateful for this, but it''s not like this position has no downsides. It doese with its own share of problems and responsibilities as well.


    As the Saint it is up to me to help everyone and guarantee they will live happy and fulfilling lives.


    Their fate depends on me ying my role perfectly.


    Otherwise, our story won''t have a happy ending.


    But carrying their fates is not the only thing I''m responsible for.


    I''m recognized as a key political and military figure. I act as a barrier that prevents Terith from being attacked simply by existing.


    As a citizen of this nation, I''m expected to serve my lords in times of war, boosting the country''s defense.


    I add power to this country since I should be able to save many lives on the battlefield.


    However... Saints are always around when disaster strikes.


    The Gods in their infinite wisdom must know when danger ising.


    Tobat the threat of a cmity must be why they select Saints and Heroes.


    It''s our duty as their agents to prevent the world from falling.


    Knowing this, any ruler would have to be out of their mind to attack a nation housing a Saint. They''d be essentially risking the downfall of everyone around them.


    An act that surely wouldn''t please their neighbors and poption.


    However, because of such things, there''s always a lot of pressure on me.


    Many countries would love to bring me to their side no matter the cost.


    And this pressure is sure to increase once I''m officially recognized as a Saint by Vn''s church.


    Yet... I''ll always be grateful that I have been chosen to perform this task.


    It''s much better than anything else I could dedicate my life to.


    I''ll be sure to do my best. I''ll protect and save everyone.


    No cmity will defeat me. No matter the odds.


    I''ll bring everyone to my side, and together, we will conquer the challenges in our way.


    After all... I''m all that stands between hope and despair in this world.


    If I don''t prevent it from falling, who else will?


    I''m the only one who can guarantee everyone''s happy ending.


    This world needs me, and I must perform my role perfectly toply with its expectations.


    I should not make any mistakes... No matter in which direction fate goes I should rein it in and guarantee a bright future.


    Sabrina: "That''s what I''ve decided!"


    Nun: "I see... But what exactly does that entail?"


    Sabrina: "Well... I guess I should exin from the start."


    During the first semester of winter break, I received a task from Terith''s Academy.


    I already knew what it was about. They wanted me to visit Vn, a city close to Cobierzh''s capital.


    Although the Academy issues a bunch of different tasks during the breaks, this was the one I would receive. The Royal Family must have certainly been the ones to request it in the first ce.


    As for why they would do such a thing... Well, the reason is obvious.


    Vn is a special city.


    It is recognized as a holynd for being the birthce of this continent''s first known Saint and is also where one can be recognized as a Saint by reaching and ringing its bells during a holy pilgrimage.


    I needed toe to this city to be recognized worldwide as a Saint and solidify my position as well as Terith''s possession of a true, bonafide Saint.


    And well... It is also an important step in my development since I don''t see myself reaching the future I desire without participating in the Sanctification Ceremony and harvesting its rewards.


    As for the pilgrimage itself... I was already aware of most of the procedure and thought it wasn''t going to be too difficult for me to reach and ring the bells.


    After all, there are no doubts that I''m the Saint.


    However, I was unaware of some of the finer details.


    And to make matters even moreplicated, I had unexpectedpany... Although I was grateful that coincidentally, Edmond was also tasked with going to Cobierzh, although her assignment was different from mine since he was sent as a representative of the crown on a diplomatic mission to establish good rtions with Cobierzh, a neighboring country to Terith and one of the biggest forces in the continent.


    Still, no matter if this happened by sheer luck or if the Royal Family already expected us to travel together, the fact is that we enjoyed each other''spany during our voyage.


    Even though he traveled with his entire entourage, we managed to talk a lot, deepening our rtionship. The same was true for the rest of them too.


    We even talked about some of the more concerning matters such as the behavior of some of our ssmates.


    Nun: "Are you having problems at school?"


    Sabrina: "Well... There are a few things that aren''t going my way..."


    While most respect Edmond and me thanks to our positions, some people have yet to get the cue.


    Well... "some people" is a bit of an exaggeration.


    It''s just Isabe and her troupe.


    Especially her butler.


    I still can''t believe that of all people... He is the one giving me the most trouble...


    It shouldn''t be like this... He''s actingpletely different from what I expected.


    He should resent her. Plot her downfall.


    He serves the most insufferable woman in this world!


    Getting to his good side should be hard. I get that. But by winter break I should already have developed a good rtionship with everyone.


    And I did for the most part.


    He''s the only exception.


    No matter what I do, I can''t get him to lower his guard. It feels like all my efforts are wasted on him.


    He sticks with Isabe, offering unwavering support for her at every turn.


    Even when she should be the clear culprit of the bullying incidents that have been happening, he refuses to take my side and instead, protects her bying up with a bunch of different rationalizations.


    It doesn''t make any sense.


    Their rtionship seems so weird and unnatural...


    No matter the situation, his support for Isabe is unwavering.


    It''s weird... The two of them have such an unnatural rtionship...


    It shouldn''t be like this at all.


    Nun: "Seems like this man is making you quite irritated."


    Sabrina: "...It''s not like that."


    He''s the one I know the least about, but I''m sure he''lle to my side as long as I insist on it.


    After all, he''s necessary.


    I need everyone to fight together, or else when the timees...


    Nun: "When the timees...?"


    Sabrina: "No, it''s nothing..."


    In any case, the point is that the voyage with Edmond was quite enjoyable, even if most of it was spent talking about Isabe''s weird butler and their less-than-desirable behavior.


    Edmond and his friends all showed a lot of sympathy for me and vowed to defend me were they to see someone acting against me.


    Our bonds strengthened a lot, and that''s all that matters!


    Although... One important thing that I should note was that they offered to help me with my task, but I believed there was no need for it and refused their offer.


    However, since only the Saint could find and ring the bells I believed there was nothing they could do to help me, so I had to refuse their offer.


    ...I waspletely wrong about that and almost paid the price for it.


    As it turns out, reaching the bells was much harder than I initially thought.


    I imagined I just had to go to the mountains, and through the Gods'' guidance, I''d be able to quickly and safely reach the bells.


    However... I had surprisingly bad luck.


    The weather was extremely bad.


    There was heavy rain and wind and arge number of monsters were wandering around.


    There were too many of them for me to handle alone.


    I struggled as much as I could, but no matter what spells I used, I knew I was going to get overrun eventually.


    My body was starting to give in... My mana was starting to run dry...


    I feared for the worst.


    I never thought I could die since I have a mission in this world, but... At that moment, I felt fear.


    I simply couldn''t believe it.


    There was too much I had yet to do... My story was only at its beginning...


    But thankfully, at that moment, when my heart was being filled with doubts and despair, a shining prince appeared to save the day.


    Since the weather was so bad, he worried about me and went up the mountain to try and convince me that I should try the pilgrimage another day.


    Because of that, he came just in time to rescue me, and together we were able to stand our ground for much longer.


    But sadly... It was still too much for the two of us.


    We had to run.


    Thankfully, we managed to run and hide in a cave, but... a cave-in happened and we were separated when I fell into a hole.


    Nun: "Oh... And what happened after?"


    Sabrina: "I was able to find my way out... No... I found a path that led to the bells."


    Nun: "Oh. I take it you also managed to ring them?"


    Sabrina: "Yes..."


    Multipleyers of light magic were used to mask their presence.


    A barrier had also been erected to prevent random people from entering the room where the bells stood.


    It was probably a measure taken by the first Saint just in case the bells were to be found by someone randomly strolling through the mountains.


    Of course, it was no challenge for me. The barrier epted me without any resistance.


    However, I couldn''t help but think that-


    Nun: "For her magic tost so long would have been impossible...."


    Sabrina: "Right... I thought so too, so... I decided to reinforce it before leaving."


    It must''ve been the same for every Saint that came before me...


    To preserve the sanctity of the ce and ensure it would remain a fair testing ground for those worthy of being recognized as a Saint in the future.


    Although... There was also something else in my mind at the time.


    The mana there... It wasn''t all that strong, but... It was radiant. Pure...


    Nauseatingly so.


    I only discovered that there could be other Saints in this world after I found Rae, the ghost of what I believed to be the previous Saint, however...


    Her mana was not like that at all.


    Or at least at the time, it didn''t give me this impression.


    Perhaps it was a result of the curse changing her nature but...


    Even now, I''m still not sure.


    Sabrina: "After that... Things were pretty simple. I was guided out of the cave by a string of light that disappeared after I left it. Then, I made my way back to the entrance Edmond and I had found."


    Then it was just a matter of visiting Vn''s church to be officially recognized by them and be allowed to look at the first Saint''s writings.


    Ultimately, although I ran into more predicaments than I had imagined I was happy to have finished this task.


    It meant I was a step closer to my destiny.


    Nun: "...You''re very worried about the future..."


    Sabrina: "I am. After all, I know the challenges that await, and I know that the fate of this world rests on me."


    I''m the only one who can prevent the worst fate from happening.


    I must not fail.


    Nun: "I see... But don''t worry so much. Remember, the Gods are watching, and everything is ording to their will. Someone as blessed as you should trust them with your whole being."


    Sabrina: "...Sure."


    Huh...


    Now that I think about it, while I did need to ask for help to meet the person responsible for the ceremony that would solidify me as a Saint, I didn''t need to tell the whole story to this nun...


    I could have just asked her to guide me to the Bishop and be done with it... Read thetest stories on M-VL-em|p,yr


    I suppose her gentle and kind appearance made me feel a littlepelled to share more than I might''ve needed to...


    Well, it''s not like it matters anyway, and talking to a nun like this felt a bit like a confession.


    Even though I feel like I overshared a little, she was so curious and attentive that I couldn''t help it.


    Sabrina: "Thank you for listening to me, Sister. But would you be so kind as to please take me to the Bishop now? I need to report the sess of the pilgrimage."


    Nun: "Of course. This way, please."


    As expected of the biggest cathedral in Vn, there were many different corridors and rooms.


    The ce was like abyrinth, and it felt like this girl was having trouble finding her way.


    After a while, I was pretty sure I''d have reached the Bishop faster had I asked anyone else, but I couldn''t muster the courage to dismiss her, so I kept believing she would eventually find the way.


    Nun: "Hmm... I''m sure it was around here... I think."


    Pfft... So clumsy.


    Sabrina: "Are you new here?"


    Nun: "Uh... Somewhat? It''s been a little bit more than half a year since I joined this church."


    Oh... I suppose it makes sense then.


    If it was a normal church, then sure, it would be a little too much, but since the cathedral is so big, I can excuse it.


    Nun: "Your Excellency, I''ve brought Sabrina, the Saint candidate. She wishes to speak with you about the ceremony..."


    Bishop: "Thank you, Saint Gabrie."


    Nun: "I''m still unbefitting of such title, Your Excellency."


    Bishop: "I see. I take it you still refuse to be officially recognized?"


    I didn''t know what to think at that moment.


    They gave me too much to process in so few sentences.


    Gabrie: "Regarding that... I''ve changed my mind. This girl, Sabrina... Her story has inspired me. Do you think we could share the Sanctification Ceremony?"


    Bishop: "Yes! Of course! It''s unprecedented for two Saints to appear at such close intervals. We''d be more than happy to host a once-in-a-lifetime ceremony like this!"


    Sabrina: "Wait... I... Don''t understand."


    What I heard in that room was perplexing...


    I almost couldn''t believe it.


    No, I didn''t believe it up until the ceremony came and went.


    Not only was I not the only Saint, but...


    This girl had actually been able to ring the bells before me...


    And the only reason she refused to be officially recognized was because she was... "Following the Divine Will"...


    I don''t even know what that means...


    This... is unprecedented.


    I...


    It shouldn''t happen.


    I''m not sure what will happen now... I never expected there to be another Saint aside from me in thisnd...


    Things weren''t supposed to go like this...

 Chapter 192: Wave After Wave

    Anna, Licia, and I were talking with Marinte at night on the deck of her ship.


    It had been a week since we joined her, so we were a little morefortable talking about ourselves.


    Her Gift, [Blue Revenge], allows her to summon any ship she has sunk, alongside its crew, as ghost familiars.


    However, the crew doesn''t have ess to their Gifts, free will, or any semnce of conscience.


    That aspect of her Gift is closer to Cassandra''s ability to summon the spirit of the swords she has eaten than my ability to summon people from [Gacha Kingdom Building].


    Aside from that, there''s also an initial mana cost for summoning each of them and she needs to keep spending mana so that they don''t disappear over time. The mana cost also increases the more ships she has summoned, meaning that if she goes all out she won''t be able to fight for too long.


    Those downsides might make her Gift look bad, especiallypared to [Gacha Kingdom Building], but they are all normal and expected for a Gift like this.


    Hell, judging by the number of summons she can maintain at her level and their power, I''m actually quite impressed by how powerful her Gift is.


    It''s just thatparing it to [Gacha Kingdom Building] is meaningless. Even if some simrities exist, mine is aplete outlier in almost all its aspects.


    In any case, I assumed it was obvious that she had joined the Navy because of her Gift.


    It felt like the obvious choice if she wanted to make the most of it, but... Things weren''t as simple as I had initially thought.


    During her early years, she was actually known as a troublemaker around these parts.


    While she wasn''tmitting any crimes, she was a total bum. Her life revolved around leaching off her friends and family to spend her time drinking in the bar.


    She''d often find herself in brawls, wrecking things everywhere she went.


    Thanks to her reputation it shouldn''t have been an easy feat to be epted in the Navy, much less be the North Fleet''s Admiral.


    I couldn''t help but get a little curious about it...


    Miwen: "What made you want to join the Navy then? Seems like a drastic change."


    Marin: "Drinking every waking hour for a job sounded like a dream~"


    Miwen: "...Really?"


    We''ve already noticed that she sometimes likes to hide her feelings with throwaway lines like this so I didn''t buy it for a second... Even though it is pretty believable considering her personality.


    Marin: "Well... It''s a long story, I guess... There were people I really liked, you know? But... When trade intensified around these parts, some bad actors started to appear... Some friends ended up fighting against them, others joined them... I felt like I had to do something about it. Even if it was against their will, I didn''t want to lose anyone anymore, so... I stepped up to show the bastards how it''s done!"


    I see...


    I don''t it was done out of a sense of responsibility... It feels more like she truly did it for the sake of those around her, not even to repay them, but just because she couldn''t bear to see them go.


    For such a person to sacrifice her lifestyle like that... Yeah, I can respect that.


    However, it''s a little bit tragic as well.


    Eventually, she ended up alone anyway as the goods imported from Maides'' Ind started to decrease and the entire North Fleet moved to the South, leaving her alone.


    Marin: "It''s fine~ Men gotta dream big, you know? Besides, they got a proper captain down south, and I got a free pass to drink on the Navy''s dime, so everyone won out in the end. Also... Someone needs to keep the house in order, right? I sure as hell wouldn''t like toe back home to a mess."


    I could understand if there was some resentment in her words considering how difficult it must''ve been for her to change her entire life this way just for everyone to leave her behind, however, there was no trace of that.


    She was very optimistic and she seemed genuinely happy about the prospects of her friends getting better opportunities.


    But while there wasn''t resentment, I''m sure there was a sense of loneliness in there.


    I''ve seen her drink a lot throughout the days and I became more aware of her way of drinking.


    It is unusual for her to force a bottle down like thatst one.


    Even more out of character, she leaned against the chair, avoiding my eyes for a second before changing the topic slightly.


    Marin: "What about you? You don''t strike me as a butler. Especially to the Evretis'' daughter."


    So her reputation goes all the way from Evretis to Licerce, huh?


    Marin doesn''t seem like the type to pay attention to rumors so for her to know about it probably means that she heard Isabe''s name mentioned quite a few times before.


    Miwen: "I got hired recently."


    Marin: "...The Evretis must be in quite a good position to hire someone confident enough to take on an Admiral as their butler."


    Miwen: "That was before I knew what you''re capable of though."


    Marin: "And yet, your attitude hasn''t changed. What''s yours all about anyway?"


    ...I already expected the conversation to take this turn when I asked her about hers, but obviously, I couldn''t talk about [Gacha kingdom Building]. Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    Outright lying could be dangerous as well. She''s way more experienced than Roy and Sam, so she might catch on if I''m not careful.


    Thankfully, I had a few options.


    Since I get a boost to my defense and strength thanks to the effects of Anna''s Gift I could lie about them and pretend they are higher than they should be as an effect of my Gift.


    Alternatively, I could tell the truth about [Hollow Destiny] and pretend it''s my only Gift.


    While it''s a trump card I wouldn''t like to reveal so casually, it''s something I can prove instantly, so she probably wouldn''t question me much more about this.


    Miwen: "My Gift is called hollow-"


    Before I could continue, I heard the loud sound of somethingnding behind me.


    I was worried about what might''ve caused it, but I was instantly relieved when I saw Ellie''s figure.


    Ellie: "Miwen! Captain Marin! I saw movement ahead!"


    Although she didn''t need to scare the shit out of me since we have the psychic link I couldn''t be more d.


    It was perfect timing.


    Marin: "Was it a ship?"


    Ellie: "No... Five-winged beastmen. I couldn''t tell their race, but I think they turned around when they noticed I saw them."


    It isn''t that suspicious for a merchant''s ship to send scouts during nighttime, however, Marin''s vessel has Terith''s official Navy g.


    While pirates might be able to reproduce something simr, it''s a little weird for them to turn tail without trying to confirm it first.


    Still, while it was too early to reach any conclusions, we could at least move in the direction Ellie pointed us to to intercept them and see for ourselves.


    While the girls figured out things up there I went downstairs to wake the others.


    I thought about having Isabe go inside the Kingdom so that we don''t risk anything going awry, but I believed we had more than enough power between us to guarantee everything was going to work out no matter how much her bad luck affected things.


    She''s also useful enough now that I think it''s worth to have her onboard.


    Especially if the enemy has a curse master.


    After a few minutes, we finally got close enough for me to also see them.


    Although it wasn''t easy to tell what exactly they were doing, it was clear that they had a lot of hands on the deck.


    Their ship was alsoing our way...


    And as for their g, surprisingly, it wasn''t ck.


    Instead, it was... Terith''s Navy g.


    ire: "Finally! Can I blow them up already?"


    Marin: "No!"


    We''ve been with Marin long enough to know most of her facets.


    She''s confident and carefree, but she''s also quite responsible and calm.


    She had never raised her voice or looked so anxious before. If anything, she always seemed in control.


    Marin: "...We''ll board then."


    Miwen: "That would be reckless. They outnumber us at least 6 to 1."


    And that was judging only from the people I could see on the deck.


    Marin: "How do you expect us to confirm their identity?"


    Miwen: "Confirm? Look at the g they are using. In the North. Do I really need to remind you how many ships carry that g around these parts?"


    It was clearly a cover, and I was surprised Marin had any doubts about it.


    Marin: "They could havee from the south-"


    Miwen: "You know very well you would have been informed were that the case."


    Since Terith''s territory crosses the continent such a voyage would take weeks at the bare minimum.


    Marin would definitely know if another ship had any business here.


    Marin: "It''s an order. We''ll board them."


    ire: "...Miwen?"


    While the girls respected Marin, they obviously wouldn''t take her orders over mine, so they waited for me to decide.


    Miwen: "...If we capture their captain it will be easier to prove that we have sessfully dealt with the pirates."


    Marin: "...Right."


    While it''s true that it would be better than letting ire burn their entire ship and crew, this wasn''t why I decided to follow Marin.


    Her excuses were poor and it was obvious that someone as experienced as her could see through that they were our targets.


    However,I was interested in what caused her behavior to change so drastically. It was out of the ordinary for her to look so anxious, and strangely, it felt like she was trying to protect the shiping in our direction.


    While she never seemed to care too much about her country and politics, she also didn''t seem like a traitor to me...


    But whatever the case, we would understand once we boarded the-


    ire: "Huh. Would you look at that?"


    Seems like they had the same idea.


    A bunch of different elemental magic was being cast around their ship, illuminating the night all the while the people on the deck of their ship started to raise their weapons.


    Miwen: "Ellie, you can take down anyone approaching us from the sky, right?"


    Ellie: "Easy."


    She said that but the sky was, of course, incredibly dark. The scouts from before were all winged beastmen, meaning their aerial movement shoulde as second nature to them.


    And all she had was a bow and a lot of confidence.


    However, I trusted that a lot.


    Miwen: "Bea, ire, you''re on magic defense."


    ire: "Defense!?"


    Miwen: "Are you saying you can''t make a simple me shield?"


    ire: "That''s not...! Haah... I know exactly what you''re doing and I''m still pissed off. You''ll regret itter."


    If it works, it works.


    As for Anna, Licia, and Mia, I asked them to wait and be around Isabe to make sure nothing happened to her.


    If anything happened to get past Bea and ire''s defenses, the odds of it hitting Isabe were through the roof.


    With these orders, we should be able to passively wait for them to strike first while allowing Marin to do as she pleases.


    As for what ensued, it was pretty much as I expected.


    Even though the numbers were on their side, the quality was definitely not there.


    Both Beatrice and ire looked bored as hell at the magic striking their barriers.


    It was a given for ire since she really dislikes being on defense, but it was pretty surprising to see Bea share that sentiment since she is normally enthusiastic about all types of magic.


    As for the winged beastmen... I only saw them falling to the sea.


    I think Ellie was having a little more fun though. Or at least I hoped so.


    Marin already knew we were quite capable, so she only summoned three of her ghost ships.


    Instead of having them fire at their ship, she used them to block some of the attacksing our way as well.


    By now, there should not be any excuses. It was obvious what we were dealing with.


    Still, I decided not to voice any questions.


    Until a proper threat appeared.


    From behind their ship, a small fireball wasunched into the sky.


    It exploded like a firework, making fire spears rain down on us.


    Marin''s ships fired at it to block the attack, but it was no use. They were quickly overwhelmed by it, being destroyed and disappearing.


    Bea: "...Oh?"


    ire: "I call dibs on that."


    Marin: "..."


    She only summoned one more ship in response to that.


    Since we were approaching them anyway, it was hard to believe that they would use whatever that was again, however...


    They sent two more of those fireballs into the sky.


    Miwen: "Anna, ire, Mia, and Licia. We''ll board their ship after this wave. ire, I''m leaving that spell to you. Licia, make us the bridge."


    ire seemed overjoyed that she got to try her hand at stopping the two fireballs.


    I thought she was going to use one of her more powerful spells to stop it, but she improvised a quick chant andunched a wave of fire towards the spears raining down.


    I couldn''t tell the result, but I noticed she started chanting again, which probably meant she was losing and needed another spell to reinforce it.


    That... surprised me a lot.


    Thankfully, her second wave was enough to stop the attack.


    But even though not a single spear managed to touch our ship I still called Lana and Eir to protect Isabe in our absence.


    I thought these guys weren''t going to be a problem but them posing a challenge to ire made me reevaluate.


    Still, Licia decided to show off a little more than necessary and froze both of our ships in ce, alongside the sea between us, giving us way more than a bridge to cross.


    Licia: "It''s better than fighting at their ship since I can control the field."


    Miwen: "True, but is that the only reason?"


    Licia: "Well... Everyone was showing off so... Just a little bit is fine, right?"


    I can''t really argue with that.


    And well... She was right about the field helping us.


    It gave us way more space to fight which favored Mia and me.


    She was also able to support us and herself by creating pirs and not reinforcing the ice in ces, creating holes for men to fall only to then close them again for them to drown beneath us.


    The control she has over her magic never fails to impress me. The way she uses it is also always unpredictable and slightly terrifying.


    Every time I see it I start to agree more with ire''s statement that fighting ice mages is a nightmare.


    We kept fighting for a little more than an hour.


    There were a lot of men to fight off, and while most of them were easy enough, some Gifts were a little annoying.


    However, no one used that spear firework spell again, so no one on our side got hurt even with Isabe cheering us on from the deck.


    That spell wasn''t the only thing missing in this battle though... Coincidentally, Marin was nowhere to be found...


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 193: Change Of Plans

    With most of the pirates having been defeated, although the remaining ones had annoying Gifts, I knew the girls could handle the situation while I searched for our missing captain.


    The only presence she had in the battle were the ships she had summoned before Licia froze the waters. After that, we had no signs of her anywhere.


    Thankfully, it wasn''t so hard to determine where she went.


    She wasn''t on our ship. Bea, Ellie, or Isa would have noticed her there. I already knew the field Licia created was a no-go, and it wasn''t the best time to go for a swim, so the enemy''s ship was the only option left.


    The deck was surprisingly devoid of opposition. There were only corpses lying around, making a trail for me to follow inside one of the ship''s cabins, where I found Marin holding another woman by the neck.


    She was incredibly angry and her carefree attitude was nowhere to be seen.


    Again, it was a side of her I was not expecting to see, especially considering how much it contrasted with the softness she had shown before.


    I could almost hear a few words, but once she noticed my presence she quickly stopped before finishing and handcuffed the defeated woman.


    Miwen: "...She''s the captain ?"


    Marin: "It appears so."


    Both Marin and the woman were badly injured. There were cuts all over their bodies, some bleeding heavily.


    Thankfully, no limbs were cut, but there were also spots with deep burns on both of them.


    One look at their status told me that this woman was close to Marin''s level, which is pretty high for the standards of this world.


    Judging by the injuries and the fact we never saw those me spears again, it was fair to assume that this woman was the one responsible for the spell that impressed Bea and ire.


    This alone is enough for me to believe that this battle was tough enough for Marin to get injured like this, however...


    There was something odd about the situation.


    Marin is clearly experienced with fights and her own abilities. This woman, who was able to hold her ground against her, must also not fall far behind.


    Yet... At least one of them led the other to this cabin.


    A close space where neither Marin with her ghost fleet nor this woman with her fire spell could use their power to the fullest.


    They would have performed much better on the deck...


    The only reason for Marin to not bombard the woman from above would be the risk of her dying, but I also think Marin has enough control over her Gift to prevent that.


    Not to mention the girl also seemed strong enough to survive at least a while against Marin at full power.


    Miwen: "What about their crew?"


    Marin: "Oh... Right. I''ll deal with them."


    Things were a little odd at that point, but after that answer, I got to see a little more through the veil as Marin asked the girls to fall back to our ship again before mercilessly decimating everyone on the ice field with her fleet.


    The few enemies remaining were already injured or tired so their resistance was almost zero.


    Even though they tried everything they could, not a single one of the ten ships she summoned was destroyed.


    After Marin''s final blow, we waited a little to see if some heads would pop out of the water, but that never happened.


    I''m sure that we could make them surrender, but this worked just fine.


    Especially since I was able to confirm that Marin did not care for them at all.


    Her objective had always been their captain, a woman called Celly, who was now in our custody.


    Thus, we perfectly finished Isabe''s assignment with time to spare.


    Cassandra: "And then you decided to sneak around. Are you thinking about ying with the captive? I guess spoils are-"


    Miwen: "Not quite. Also, be a little quieter so I can listen."


    While Cassandra had her delusions, my objective was much more honest.


    All I wanted to do was have a nice and long talk with Celly about Marin and their circumstances since she was acting so strangely and it didn''t seem like I''d be able to get any answers from the woman herself as she was clearly avoiding such topics.


    Because I didn''t want to draw Marin''s attention I had to sneak out of my room, and for some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to bring Cassandra since she''s inconspicuous in her sword form and could watch my back so I don''t get any surprises.


    Of course, that backfired a lot.


    In any case, I got as close as the door to the cabin Celly was locked up in.


    But before entering, I heard two different voices, one of them belonged to the woman and the other to Marin.


    Since I wouldn''t be able to conduct my interrogation like this I decided to patiently wait for my turn.


    Marin: "What are you doing? You shouldn''t be here!"


    Celly: "...They had a good offer, is all."


    ...Even though I had only just begun to listen, there was already relevant information.


    "They"... Meant someone else was involved in this, which meant Isabe''s task wasn''t actually finished already.


    While we didplete it to a certain degree, knowing how things tend to go for her, if she came back to the academy iming to have vanquished the pirates around this area only for them to returnter, her reputation would certainly suffer a lot, even if she has concrete proof of defeating at least one of them.


    Sadly, it''s just how things usually go for her, and I''ve been trying my best to avoid such problems to allow such a thing now.


    Marin: "Who? Hamperlon?"


    ...!


    While I was thinking about the implications of what was said earlier I heard a word I couldn''t miss.


    The name of a country I''m very interested in.


    Celly: "...How do you know?"


    Marin: "Really? You think you can hide anything from me?"


    Celly: "...You got the same offer, didn''t you?"


    Marin: "Who do you think I am? I''m pretty sure mine was way better."


    Oh... So it''s like this after all.


    I thought it was a little strange for them to be pirating around this area since there wasn''t much reward to be had due to the goods being traded in Licerce and the other territories of the north, but if they were privateering instead...


    I doubt Hamperlon was aiming for mary gain... If anything, they were probably operating at a loss if their offer was genuinely good.


    Assuming they went after Marin as well, they must''ve been willing to pay a lot, which means this was important for them for some reason.


    It must''ve alsoe from high up...


    But this area... Most of the trade is food and wood...


    Blocking the ships would difficult life and survival difficult for the residents of the north, but it wouldn''t cause that much harm to Terith.


    ...Perhaps that''s the objective though.


    Maybe all they need is to sow dissent... Or an excuse.


    Haha... I guess I should ramp up my preparations as well.


    Celly: "...Well? Good for you. Not everyone is as lucky. Some of us have to make sacrifices."


    Marin: "...What happened there, Celly? Why-"


    Celly: "It was nothing like here... It was hell."


    The north had been flooded with pirates for a while because of a single mine. Marin needed to step up to protect thend and sea at the time.


    But if a single mine was able to do that much, I can only imagine how bad it must be down south where luxury goods are traded left and right.


    It should be obvious for an experienced crew to know that the sea is not so kind, but maybe they got a little overconfident thanks to the sesses they had with Marin.


    Of course, to me her would be unreasonable, but it goes to show the impact she can have.


    Cassandra: "Hoh? Someone''s getting excited~ I wonder what''s going on in that head of yours?"


    Miwen: "...That will depend on how their conversation goes."


    Cassandra was showing me the same smile as ever, with that ominous and chaotic aura of hers overflowing.


    But as much as I tried to hide it I feel like I had a simr one as well.


    Not that I could hide it though... I already had a few ideas for Marin, but this was turning out to be better than I expected.


    Marin: "Why didn''t youe back? I would always-"


    Celly: "Do you think I want to be tied down to you my whole life!? That I can''t do anything on my own?"


    Marin: "That''s not..."


    There wasn''t much relevant information for me after that, but I was able to take a good look at their rtionship.


    After getting heated up, their exchanges started to be a little softer, and it was clear that Marin was trying to reconcile with her.


    Marin: "You know, I''d be happy..."


    Celly: "Huh?"


    Marin: "If I could be with you my whole life."


    That was the final nail.


    Cassandra was so impressed by it that she let out a whistle in appreciation.


    As for me... I was also surprised.


    Miwen: "She''s smooth..."


    Cassandra: "Right? That''s game. Wanna watch? Wanna Join?"


    Miwen: "..."


    Joining was out of the question. I don''t think anyone other than her would even suggest something like that in this situation.


    However, since there was a possibility they had more interesting things to share with us, I decided it was fine to watch just a little more.


    Sadly, it quickly became clear that they weren''t going to share words anymore so... I decided to take Cassandra back to my room to her delight.


    The next day I decided to invite Marin to drink and y a little.


    She''s always the one inviting everyone, so it was a little out of the norm for me to initiate it, however, it wasn''t such a strange thing to do since I often end up epting her offers anyway as while we were hunting for the pirates there wasn''t much else for me to do.


    The game didn''t really matter. It progressed smoothly until Marin noticed something...


    Marin: "You... Did something... But how? I changed the bottles..."


    Marin is both an aplished and beautiful woman and I can see many men would resort to shady means to try and get her for themselves.


    Because of this, she must''ve developed a keen instinct.


    While I wasn''t confident I could get over it, I knew I could just force my way through.


    All I had to do was take the stupid but guaranteed route.


    Miwen: "I spiked every bottle..."


    And of course, I also drank like normal so I was out as soon as Marin.


    Thankfully, I was using some concoctions Agatha and I were preparing for something else, so I already had an antidote ready, although it still took me about half an hour to wake up even though I also got Angelica and Rae to heal me.


    Marin: "...What do you think you are doing?"


    Celly: "..."


    Both of them looked at me as if I was trash.


    And well... Spiking a woman''s drink to them handcuff and tying them up with ropes is definitely a trashy move without context.


    However, I had a good reason.


    Miwen: "Fighting you would be troublesome. I''d rather have you not resist."


    Marin: "...What do you want?"


    Miwen: "You. And her as well."


    My words were definitely not helping my case, but while this situation might''ve led them to believe a bunch of different things, truthfully, I only meant good for them.


    In Terith, the punishment for criminals is either very or hanging. There''s rarely such a thing as normal jail time.


    Even if Marin managed to bring Celly back to Terith, the only way for them to be together would be for the woman to be turned into a ve and Marin to buy her.


    However, the likelihood of that happening was low considering the position she had.


    Miwen: "I''d also do my best to prevent it. I''m sure I can outbid you any day."


    Marin: "...Why?"


    Miwen: "I just told you. Because I want you."


    Marin: "If you wanted a piece so bad you could have just asked so."


    She still had the wrong impression so I decided to speed things up a little.


    Miwen: "Isa, what''s the punishment for treason in Terith?"


    Isabe: "Same as any other criminal. Although in her case, I''m pretty sure the royal family would have her as a ve."


    Right.


    Losing her power is too big of a blow to Terith.


    Even if the North was not that important, they would still have to divert some forces from the South, or else they would risk making the poption even more discontent were Hamperlon to continue privateering.


    Miwen: "See, I can hide Celly for you inside my Gift. You can visit her anytime if you be my [Citizen] as well. All you have to do is pledge loyalty to me instead of Terith, and I''ll guarantee your safety."


    Isa: "..."


    Marin: "...What does that mean? Aren''t you a butler to-"


    Miwen: "You''ll see soon enough. But does it even matter? The Evretis'' daughter is already witness to you protecting a criminal. There''s no ce for you in Terith anymore. Unless someone covers for you as well."


    Isabe wasn''t protesting, but I could tell she was suspicious of my actions as well.


    However, I know that soon enough she''ll understand.


    As for Marin and Celly... They didn''t have much of a choice.


    It was very forceful of me, but I felt like it was worth it to go so far for Marin, even if it strained our rtionship a little at the start, seeing as she values her friend more than anything else, this move only benefitted her.


    Marin: "...We are not going back to Licerce, are we?"


    Miwen: "Smart."


    Since we were going to hide Celly there would be no proof of Isabe''s aplishments anymore.


    Even if that were the case, since Celly was not the root of the issue, pursuing this route wasn''t going to work in the long term for us as the pirate activity was bound to return.


    Instead, I thought we could go for something a little more solid.


    I would have liked to use any other method since this will weaken the Kingdom a lot, but... n C it was. Your adventure continues at mvl


    Miwen: "Set the route to Cobierzh."


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 194: Cobierzh

    Yesterday I made my move against Marin.


    Knowing how important Celly is for her I used their rtionship to force both of them to be my citizens.


    The most I could offer them was a different fate for Celly who was to be a ve or be sentenced to hanging if we were to take her back to Licerce as the pirates'' captain.


    While there was a non-zero chance that Marin could protect her by buying her and using the Kingdom I could guarantee her safety by hiding and protecting her there. I could also deal with the biggest problem of Isabe''s witnessing the whole deal by simply convincing her to turn a blind eye.


    With this, we decided to pretend that Celly was never on that ship.


    Of course, there was a price for both of them.


    In this case, I wanted both to swear loyalty to me and ept a [Special Role] within the Kingdom that would basically strip them of most of their rights, almost ensuring they would never be able to disobey me.


    This was an easy choice for Celly considering her alternatives, but not so much for Marin.


    As long as she was willing to let Celly face the consequences for her actions there would be no reason for her to ept such a bad deal, but...


    It was clear to us where Marin''s values lie. While she might look carefree, she''s an honest and caring person who rises to the asion.


    Especially for her friends.


    Since it seemed like even among such a group she values Celly the most, there was a high chance of her doing something against us to save Celly.


    Because of this, I had to act before a fight ensued.


    Forcing them like this is not how I would have preferred things to go, but it was better than having her as an enemy.


    I also felt that with time they would understand that I had no ill intentions.


    Still, all things considered, the mood on Marin''s ship didn''t change too much from how it was in the previous days.


    Celly''s addition as a crewmate instead of a prisoner helped out quite a bit with things since she''s as carefree as our captain.


    She ended up fishing using her magic, which lit up ire''spetitive spirit as she was already wanting to test her magic against Celly''s.


    Together, the two of them might''ve caught enough fish to leave the local fishermen without a job this season.


    Surprisingly, it also ignited Ellie''spetitive spirit, something I wasn''t really expecting as she''s usually quite calm.


    But the thing is... Throughout our whole voyage, Ellie had managed to catch the least fish even though she probably spent more time at it than anyone else.


    Seeing ire catch so many in a single moment must''ve struck a cord in her. Even if she''s not as prideful, there''s still some there.


    Still, this didn''t do much for her. If anything, it seemed like after getting serious about it her performance deteriorated even more.


    Funnily enough, even Isabe managed to get ahead of her.


    Neither were doing well but I''m always d to see Isabe getting a good result despite her bad luck.


    Marin: "..."


    Miwen: "...Something wrong?"


    Marin was understandably quieter than usual, but while I was sitting on a stair watching the girls she left the helm and sat by my side.


    Initially, she didn''t say a word, but her gaze was fixed on me and her intentions were pretty clear.


    Marin: "I thought you would have done something to us by now."


    Miwen: "I won''t. I''m plenty satisfied with what I have already. As long as you two remain citizens you can rest assured. I won''t do anything against you, and you can do whatever you like."


    Both Marin and Celly epted being my citizens under the condition that I wouldn''t touch the other.


    It was pretty cute to see them worry about each other like that but it also made things easy for me since I wasn''t nning on trying anything of the sort, especially against their will.


    Marin: "...So you say, but it only makes me wonder what you truly want from me. I mean, as a citizen of this country you wouldn''t need to recruit me to your side. As long as I remain the North Fleet''s Admiral, my power will serve this country."


    Miwen: "..."


    Marin: "But that''s why you had to bring me to your side, right? You''re not loyal to Terith, are you, Mr. Butler?"


    Miwen: "I gotta stop you right there. I''m not loyal to Evretis either if that''s what you''re thinking."


    While I am technically their butler, that''s just a formality so I can be close to Isabe. Whatever happens to Terith or Evretis is none of my business and I am not making any ns to support them.


    Marin: "I see... Then what about the princess? Are you also nning on turning on her?"


    Marin understood why I made the distinction when I asked her to stop serving Terith to serve me.


    While she imagined it might''ve been in the name of Evretis, my total disregard for them probably made her rethink.


    Miwen: "...Do you care about her?"


    Marin: "...I feel a little guilty. She''s not like the rumors said."


    So she feels like she was being lied to about Isabe...


    I couldn''t help but feel a little proud about that. Isabe''s behavior had changed so much that by living with her for a few days Marin hadpletely dispelled the first impression she had of her.


    Miwen: "...I''m not sure what you are expecting, but... I''ll do what I can for her."


    She is one of my priorities in this world. But the things I can do for her are limited.


    Especially with the world working against her.


    Marin: "See? That''s what bugs me. You are definitely not trustworthy, but... You seem genuine."


    Miwen: "You''ll get used to it."


    I was d that Marin was showing some of her affection for someone else.


    Throughout this whole ordeal, my biggest worry was that she would start to hate the girls as well since they helped me with my ns.


    Thankfully, it seems like that didn''t happen.


    It also looked like she was going to forgive me eventually as long as I didn''t mess with her too much.


    As such, I decided to mess with the other girls, as usual.


    And so, a few dayster, we made port in Cobierzh.


    The city wended in was as cold as Licerce, but that was a given considering it was also part of the North Lands.


    That was to be expected though... Cobierzh''s territory consists of even more cold regions than Terith, almost the entire country is covered in snow and ice.


    Perhaps because of that their people were much more used to living in the cold, and even their capital resided in a city close to a mountain not that far from where wended.


    We left Marin and Celly back at the ship so that they could hold the fort for us, and we took a carriage ride to Cobierzh''s capital where we nned to meet their queen.


    However, Isabe seemed a little anxious about it.


    Since both Sabrina and Edmond had business in Cobierzh, she worried that her presence could affect their assignments.


    Thankfully we didn''t meet Sabrina, but we did meet Edmond in the capital.


    He had been talking with Cobierzh''s queen, Lyra, for a few days, trying to set up an alliance between Terith and then.


    It seems that the talks between Cobierzh''s queen and Terith''s royal family have been ongoing for some time.


    Both fear Hamperlon due to its high poption and the tendency for conquest it has shown over thest few years.


    However, Cobierzh''s situation is a little less worrisome since Terith''s territory acts as a barrier spanning from the north to the south.


    Because of this, one side is way more desperate than the other, leading to an imbnce.


    From what I heard, the sentiment in Terith''s capital is that Cobierzh''s queen has been taking advantage of their country.


    Of course, I could only know for certain once I talked to her, but that turned out to be harder than I expected.


    Even though we were travelling with Isabe who has a high status as nobility. Lyra had almost no time for us.


    Normally this would''ve been seen as rude, but she had the perfect excuse in Edmond, who outranks Isabe and was consuming most of her time.


    And to make things worse...


    Sabrina: "I wasn''t expecting you here! I thought you had gone to Licerce?"


    Isabe: "Yes, but..."


    If getting a meeting with Lyra wasn''t hard enough already, Sabrina came to the city with the same intention.


    Since she came from Vn she had to traverse the mountains toe to this city, which made her arrive a littleter than us.


    However, now that she was recognized as a Saint she was the highest priority for any nation, even Edmond fell a little behind inparison.


    Miwen: "Speaking of which... Why did youe here? I thought you were sent to Vn?"


    Sabrina: "Right! And I''d like you to know I''ve been officially recognized as a Saint! As for why I''m here... Well, I have some questions for Queen Lyra."


    Miwen: "Regarding...?"


    Sabrina: "Saint''s business!"


    I see...


    Even Gabrie thought Sabrina was a little strange, but I''m still surprised to see that she was telling the truth in her report.


    Well, how she wastes her time is none of my business, but... I may be able to use her a little.


    Miwen: "Say... Wouldn''t you like to do me a favor? I''ll owe you one."


    Sabrina: "Eh? Of course! We are friends, right? You can count on me!"


    Are we?


    It feels liketely Sabrina and Isabe have been drifting apart quite quickly.


    She''s also dragging Edmond and his friends with her too.


    But whatever. As long as we get what we came here for, what she asks in return won''t matter too much.


    Sabrina: "I see, I see... Sure! I can arrange a meeting for you guys as well! But in exchange... I want to show you a spot at the academy! I think you''ll like it quite a lot!"


    From her description, she was talking about the old gazebo. It is somewhat hidden behind a small hill out of the way for the students but it holds special meaning in the game.


    Whenever one of the heroines brings another character there and they spend time alone, their rtionship grows immensely, almost as much as an event would reward them.


    The thing is... At least in the game, both Isabe and Sabrina are only meant to discover that gazebo after returning to the academy.


    Again, Sabrina seems to be slightly ahead of schedule...


    I wonder if she knows the significance of bringing me there as well or if she just honestly wants to share a rxing afternoon with me in a nice ce she found.


    In any case, thanks to Elizabeth''s protection I didn''t have much to worry about, so I readily epted it.


    I noticed this made Isabe a little worried though, but... I could always reassure herter.


    And so, thanks to Sabrina, we were able to cut the line and the day for our meeting arrived.


    The discussion was going as expected.


    My business with Lyra was simply to establish an alliance and have her establish a trade route with Licerce as a gesture of goodwill between the two nations.


    Not that different from what Edmond was going for, and thus, I met the same barrier.


    Lyra: "Licerce... I don''t believe that city has much to offer..."


    Right. There''s an imbnce if only one party stands to gain.


    But you can hardly call it an alliance if one party is just taking advantage of the other as well.


    Terith is too big to be Cobierzh''s subject. When negotiating, they expect to be on equal terms, but that is hard considering how much worse their situation is when ites to the threat of a war.


    But well... That only applies as long as Terith is the only one in fear of the future.


    Lyra: "What do you mean by that?"


    Miwen: "On our way here we fought against an increasingly high number of monsters..."


    This could be attributed to Isabe, of course, but... She was with us ever since we left from Licerce''s port.


    It didn''t make sense for the number of monsters to increase the closer we got to Cobierzh.


    That''s simply not how her luck works. As much as I hate to admit it, that thing is fair in the fact that it is evenly spread.


    The time and ce don''t really matter.


    In a way, it helps in making things more


    In a way, it helps make things more consistent and more predictable.


    Now, if that happens to break, it must be due to another reason, like the Labyrinth underneath the academy which allowed her bad luck to cause several monster encounters.


    As for the reason why Cobierzh is suddenly facing a problem with monsters, well...


    It''s the same reason why the girls haven''t been able toplete the three semesters at the academy, no matter who they y with.


    Reaching that stage is practically impossible with Isabe, but... There''s no point in reaching the final days with Sabrina as well.


    While she is able to gather all the characters, that game is simply unfair. Chapter Discover:


    There''s no way for them to survive thest day at the academy, because...


    Miwen: "The North Dragon has woken up, right?"


    Lyra: "...!"


    That thing is as fearsome as Melissa had told me.


    It''s no wonder it mobilized the entire Snow White Wolves tribe back in the day.


    Hell, ording to Elizabeth, even Nissa and the mages who founded Rodky also faced against that beast.


    And even with all of that... They didn''t manage to kill it.


    The monster went into hiding, thanks to someone''s Gift, some of his wounds never healed, but... It did regain enough of his strength to cause terror on the continent once again.


    In the game, the first country to fall to it is Cobierzh.


    Supposedly followed by Terith in a matter of days.


    We can''t know for sure though since it''s an unwinnable battle.


    The girls have tried everything, but Sabrina''s party is simply not strong enough.


    Even if they use the strategy of equipping items that grant resistance to cold or ice-rted attacks, the only ones who can withstand more than a hit from that thing are Lennard and Edmond.


    But even they onlyst about two hits with Sabrina''s protection.


    And they are utterly unable to damage the dragon.


    Well, there''s not much anyone can do against a monster with a level that goes beyond 300.


    At least not anyone from this world.


    Miwen: "If you ept our terms, I can have someone face that dragon for you."


    Lyra: "Hahaha! Are you out of your mind, boy?"


    Miwen: "Bring your Royal Knights andmanders. I''ll prove my words."


    The battle that ensued was held in secret.


    The only ones who knew about it were Lyra, Isabe, and me.


    As well as the participants, Cobierzh''s Royal Knights and Elizabeth.


    While their levels were high and they were experienced, the result was obvious.


    They didn''t stand a chance against Elizabeth.


    Miwen: "Alright, Liz. Do you think you''ll need anyone''s help?"


    Elizabeth: "Rest assured, Your Majesty. I alone shall suffice."


    Miwen: "Right... I''m sending Skuld and the other Valkyries with you then."


    Elizabeth: "Then I shall be... Eh?"


    Liz is a bit too thick-headed when she meets an interesting opponent.


    I doubt she would be willing to back off from the challenge, and worse yet, instead of trying to defeat the thing, she might first try to recruit it, leaving her vulnerable.


    However, with Skuld and the others around, she''ll have to keep her guard up to protect them.


    That girl would never ept such a failure as losing one of my trusted citizens under her watch.


    Hopefully, the Valkyries are strong enough to shackle Elizabeth without being a nuisance during her fight.


    And well... It would be nice if Skuld learned a bit about lightning magic from Elizabeth as well.


    Miwen: "Maybe I should send Angelica as well?"


    Elizabeth: "That... Could be interesting."


    With that decided, we executed n C.


    It meant we would lose a lot of the Kingdom''s power for a while since I wouldn''t like to interfere with Elizabeth''s fight, but at the same time, we got Lyra to agree to an alliance with Isabe.


    She also kept her end of the deal and started negotiations for trading with Licerce, effectively allowing us to finish Isabe''s assignment once and for all.


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