Gacha Kingdom Building

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-"

Claire: "I think you've already done enough."

Since Melissa blocked me from coming into contact with the second prince, it's obvious that the girls won't be in a battle so Claire 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 is completely different, making the air around her colder until it starts freezing. According to her, Claire could do the same, making the air hotter for an extended period of time, until her mana comes close to running out.

They ended up discussing it a bit, with Claire 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?"

Claire: "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."

Claire: "So that's what it comes 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, Claire. No matter how slim their chances may be."

Claire: "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 blame 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 accomplished 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 I come 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 Claire knows something that I don't.

Claire: "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 it comes to military affairs, Claire 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 Claire's assessment is right. What I'm more concerned about is Melissa. She has to have come to the same conclusion, and when we were talking, I could feel that she was more interested in this place 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 planning, 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 Claire's advice and keep providing whatever I can to Melissa, but in the meantime, I'll try my best to come 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 to complete 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 very complex, 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 plans 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 plan... I hope.

Mia: "Ah! Before you go, mom had said that you need to come 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 of compliments 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 planned because right now it seems to be failing tremendously.