Gacha Kingdom Building

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 place."

The girls were a bit tense, but Licia and Claire recognized Alex, and they lowered their weapons as soon as I told them to.

An air of suspicion coming 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 after committing 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 proclaim 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 in comparison 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 only lasts 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 manipulate 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 plaything by night, and the plain-looking one is a cherished sex friend who got addicted to me. The wolf girl is my lovely fiancée 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 in complete silence as Alex and my parents looked at me in disbelief.

Still, no punishment came to me, so they had no option but to accept 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 explain a bit more about my relationship with each of them, but Mom got me when I was overly complicating 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 occupied 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 a compliment, but I meant it more as a complaint given how she was so ready to face a meaningless death tonight.

As for the new girls...

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Angelica had nothing to say about my comments 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 plastered 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 playing 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 soccer ball, he threw me through the TV and the wall, making me land 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 place was bound to become a hell pit once Claire's... my TV got broken.

Although... since Mom was there... Claire 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 proclaim 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 to complain. You weren't there."

Marcus: "So it's about this... do you think we are to blame 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 plans of coming 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 become 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 was coming in my direction, and all my senses were on high alert, but... it landed on my shoulder.

Marcus: "...You're right. Thank you for protecting my daughter. You did a good job, Miwen."

He seemed really glad.

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 place 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 place.

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 place 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...?"

Claire: "Yes! Please, allow me to introduce myself! I'm Claire 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...

Claire: "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't complain."

Licia: "It's because of that game she's been playing. The villainess 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 was complaining 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-in-law..."

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 place, 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 might come 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 playing with me.

I had no option but to play dirty if I wanted to win against her.

Miwen: "You know how Maya is, if I get her out, she won't want to come 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 double layer 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'll come back tomorrow to take of you then."

That's the contrary of settling it.

You just made it more complicated.

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 play 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.