Gacha Kingdom Building

-This chapter is written in Claire's POV-

Early wake-ups have become increasingly rare for me since coming 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 planning to go back to a decent routine anytime soon, but it's pretty much impossible to not wake up with such commotion outside.

In any other place, 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 welcome 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 slaying gods... and also playing 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...

Claire: "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 relationship is the safest way to move forward and guarantees that he won't get backstabbed.

He's also supposed to become 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 playboy 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..."

Claire: "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 relaxed 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 place though...

In the end, even these small skirmishes are just part of our everyday life. While Mia is more immature when it comes 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 planning on relaxing on the couch, due to my curiosity I let out a comment that changed the course of our day off completely.

Claire: "...Hm... I wonder where Miwen goes on our days off."

Licia: "I'm also curious... wanna investigate?"

Claire: "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?

Claire: "You know what? Let's go. Bea, you'll cover us right?"

Beatrice: "Hm? What do you mean?"

Claire: "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'll come up with something. And if everything goes well, Miwen won't even notice that we left to begin with.

Both Licia and I lack 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..."

Claire: "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 place so... strange?

While this world is quite different, a place like this smells like trouble no matter what world you're in.

Seriously... what are you doing Miwen?

As we kept going, the place became emptier and emptier and abandoned buildings became more and more common.

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 people coming after him with malicious intent.

Licia: "He's entering that building..."

Claire: "...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 to come 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 place?

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 it comes 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 pressure coming 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 his lack 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.

The last 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 relax 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 relax. These two are my girlfriends. Licia is the blue-haired, and Claire 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 place then...

Actually, why is this place 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 place is an abandoned city, a lawless 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 room completely 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 place, and it became a ghost town.

According to Alex, it's the perfect place for a high ranker to establish an office for shady business.

Miwen also said that he would normally take a bus to come 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 become 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 more comfortable 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... Claire and Licia are... occupied... so don't enter the bedroom for now..."

Claire: "Thanks for the cover, Beatrice."

At least she tried, can't blame 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 play 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 while later to make dinner, and at the dinner table, I had one last question for him.

Claire: "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's comfort.

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.