Gacha Kingdom Building

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 available 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 placed 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 a completely 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't compare.

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 acceptance 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 different compared 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 explaining 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 plants and flowers disappearing from the Kingdom. You wouldn't know about it, right?"

Merchant: "No idea~"

What even was the point of blatantly 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 declare his love for Priscilla, 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 explanation 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 succubus.

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 accompany me since having a demon and an arcanum user could show Erika that I'm able to accept 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 succubus, 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 becoming 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 I laid 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 according to Elizabeth, but becoming 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 the laws 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 Gabriella 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 of laws and punishments will certainly become 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, coming 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 was coming 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 succubi. 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 population, this was quite a high number.

From the way she spoke, it felt like she had control or at least some authority over the succubi, 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 succubus, 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 plan for him today, and I piled up these rides I'm sure he would take the entire Kingdom as collateral.

Erika: "Not a problem! I'd have to make a few arrangements to accommodate you anyway."

...Her claim that this was a tiny problem became more doubtful by the minute.

But I kind of owed her one for the help she gave us last 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 become 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 place 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 since apparently 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 blame them.

I was feeling generous though, so I decided 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 Claire, 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 similar 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 the last 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 he commanded, 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 my compensation."

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 and compensation 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 the last 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 gladly welcome.

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 a last 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 and composure, but it was clear that the others didn't think of his position as being that much higher than theirs.

For the last 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 my command 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 incompetent 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 Claire'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 him completely alone, and with no other alternative, he relented.

A while later, a few guards came accompanied 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 claims 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.

Claire: "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 explained 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 place, 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 Claire'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.

To compare 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 could launch it.

They also didn't have anyone with enough strength to break the chains she had placed.

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, the last 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, completely filled with apprehension, which was comprehensible 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.