Gacha Kingdom Building

-This Chapter is written using Anna's POV-

I think the Kingdom is filled with the most incredible, wonderful people.

We have living encyclopedias in their respective fields like Bea and Agatha.

Even someone like Lily, the most adorable dork ever, is incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic about farm animals and fields.

Olivia and Mei are incredibly hard workers, even if one is so focused and passionate about her job that it becomes a bit scary.

However, Mei's dedication still pales compared to how scary the Kingdom can be when the topic is war.

Cassandra is totally focused on sex. That's the only thing her brain can think about 99% of the time.

So it's surreal when she opens her mouth and you hear a genius-level overview of the battlefield instead of the usual indecent stuff.

She is as good and experienced with it as Elizabeth, but we've already come to expect excellence from her, so it's not all that surprising.

The ones who truly blow my mind are Claire and Mia.

Unlike the other two, they haven't lived for centuries or millennia.

They are about my age but they are so much more... successful.

They are strong and capable leaders who don't let Miwen down when he asks for their help.

I think they are brilliant.

When Miwen asked us for help to plan the first steps in the war, I felt like a goldfish surrounded by sharks.

I'm not even sure why he insisted on having me join their discussion...

The only war experience I have was from the one I died in. Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire

I wasn't in charge of anyone, just a common soldier...

I have no idea about tactics or strategy. Even in a simple fight, I prefer to think as little as possible.

But for some reason, Miwen says he sees immense potential in me... That he values my opinion and experience as a soldier...

He even went as far as to put me in charge of the group responsible for holding Terith's main forces back.

A group that had Beatrice in it, mind you.

A woman so intelligent... And yet, he didn't even ask for her to participate in the war council...

I think I'll never understand what goes through his head...

But I rejoiced at the opportunity.

If for nothing else because I was dying to get a chance to put that two-faced prince back in his place.

That man treated Isabella horribly by playing with her feelings to keep her away from Sabrina. All the while, behind her back, he jumped on the bandwagon to villainy her.

But that was not all that pissed me off about him.

He portrayed himself as a kind man who didn't care about other's status, and yet, he would always resolve everything by using his influence and authority.

Dealing with everyone's problems without showing even a little bit of struggle...

I might have thought of him as someone amazing if I didn't know Miwen.

That guy... He is his complete opposite.

Whenever we ask him for help, we can immediately tell he starts struggling.

Not because he can't find a solution, but because he cares so much about how he can help us arrive at one.

He always tries to make us grow from our problems, only offering his help and the best opportunities he can afford.

It's worlds apart from the guy who would use his influence and authority to solve the problems presented to him.

I think Miwen's approach is much more sincere. We can feel how much he cares about us...

As for Edmond's... It might seem cooler at first glance, but it's almost like he is telling everyone that their problems are so beneath him that he can deal with them without even a sweat.

As if he is that superior, and everyone else that inferior...

And yet, he relies on the things Miwen completely discards and makes a joke of... Influence and authority... Things he was born with instead of earning for himself.

No wonder he couldn't find the right solution when he faced a problem like Isabella's.

He simply never developed the necessary skills. He wasn't someone truly capable of helping others as she needed.

Well, above all, my main reason for wanting to kick his ass was because of how he treated the poor girl.

All the rest is just my opinion and fuel for my dislike of him.

But in any case, I was more than happy to follow Miwen's orders.

I was a little anxious about leading the girls, but they all seemed to trust me, so I tried my best not to disappoint them.

And so, thanks to Angelica, the very next day after the war council, we arrived at the castle Miwen predicted Edmond was most likely to attack.

The lord and his staff welcomed us with open arms, showing us to our room and even personally preparing us a meal.

However, our problems started right there and then.

Among our tasks was informing the lord of the current situation and Isabella's plans.

Well, Miwen's, but officially, Isabella's.

The idea was to station about 600 men in this castle.

This, as the lord recognized, was impossible.

This castle is fairly new. It was built when Terith and Evretis were a single nation, and its purpose was not to be a defendable fortress in case of war, or even a holding against bandits.

It's more of a hub for organizing and stationing knights and guards to protect the nearby fields and villages in case of monster attacks. Its defensiveness is... Not great.

There were open questions about its ownership and who the lord would side with due to how close to the border between the two nations it is and the fact that Terith was the one who appointed the lord and collected the taxes of the nearby territory made it seem likely that the lord would bow to them.

However, we already knew that would not be the case because the lord of this castle had offered his undying loyalty to Isabella after she was the only noble to hear his call for help.

A crisis emerged due to a monster nest that formed in a nearby cave. The monsters were raiding the villages, killing men, women, and children alike.

Isabella moved two knights and eight squires from other towns to deal with the situation, earning everyone's gratitude.

But even with them accounted for, before our arrival, the castle's population only numbered around 70 people.

And that brings us to the biggest issue.

The territory itself is not very valuable. There's little reason to defend it and almost no merit in having it.

But the castle... In times of war, it is more of a liability than anything else.

It's just... Too small.

According to the lord, it only has room for around 300 men at any given time.

We had also calculated similar numbers, which helped Miwen decide that this was the spot Edmond would attack if he could gather his soldiers.

For Terith's main forces, which might number in the thousands, this is such an easy victory that it's almost a joke.

It's the perfect target to inspire the soldiers early on.

And it would probably be best to let it be...

But Miwen wants to humiliate Edmond.

A bit of a childish personal revenge for how much the prince pissed him off, but... A sentiment I agree with.

However... To do that, Miwen planned to deny Edmond even the smallest victory in this war.

Which meant he was going to protect this castle... With 600 more men...

The days following our arrival were rough.

We knew that we would have no option but to rely on the surrounding villages for supplies, so accompanied by the castle lord, we traveled to all villages to ask for help.

When we returned to the castle, the first waves of soldiers had arrived.

To our surprise, Isabella had solved the supply issue before us by securing merchants and routes from other towns.

She also hired a bunch of craftsmen to help set up camps and improve the castle's defenses.

This was bound to leave some places less defended, but she clearly trusted Miwen and our guess about Edmond's targets.

However, while the supply issue was solved, another grew in its place.

The castle was filled to the brim with men.

This meant almost no space for me and the other girls to be alone.

Truthfully, I wouldn't be one to care about a lack of personal space like this.

If anything... I was already used to it since my condition before I came to Miwen's kingdom was pretty similar.

Hell, it was actually worse since back then I wasn't being treated as a guest, just another common foot soldier.

Instead of just a cute girl like Angelica, I used to share a room with several stinky people.

An even smaller room to boot.

I certainly don't miss it, but the point is that I wouldn't mind keeping up with it for some time.

But while I could accept this due to the circumstances, the soldiers' gaze was another thing entirely.

No matter where we went or what we were doing, they were always intently watching us.

And contrary to what one might expect, it wasn't because of Bea.

She's still the usual eye-catching woman she has always been, and I was impressed by how well she can keep her figure and image even with less-than-ideal circumstances, but, no.

The ones catching the eyes of the soldiers were Angelica and Ellie.

The reason? Their race.

It was something that boggled me.

This country... Or even this continent... It seems to be quite lacking in race variety.

Humans control nearly all of it...

Bea: "It is weird, but... I think we owe it to that woman at Rodky. And in a way, to that dragon."

Anna: "...Nissa? Why?"

Bea: "Well... Humans are just another race, and they are actually quite welcoming of other races. You should be able to find a large mix of races in their societies. However, angels and elves are quite different. They are the type to prefer to be left alone, within their own. That always tends to have them clash against invaders, usually humans due to their ability to expand and adapt to almost any geography. Miwen said he fought a Hamperlon soldier who wasn't human, right? And there's also Mia and her tribe, so... Other races do exist in this world, they just aren't as common as humans."

...That's why I thought Bea was the better option for the war talks.

Even though I could tell she had just tried to explain it, I couldn't follow it at all.

Thankfully, she was kind enough to elaborate once I asked her to.

Bea: "Let's see... You remember how Mia struggled at the beach, yes?"

Anna: "Yeah..."

it was a little surprising.

Licia and Mia are probably the fittest girls, but Mia looked so fragile that time...

I was a little worried about her, but once I saw Miwen approaching...

Well, I had an inkling he was going to help her, and that I would help him more by having fun and not giving him something else to worry about.

Bea: "The more complex the system is, the better a demon can take advantage of it. Forget magic, that's what they are best at. How many tales have you read of powerful and proud empires that fell because of a single demon? There are quite a few races who dislike demons as well, so they tend to become closer to push them off, which actually makes them able to resist humans way more effectively... It's ironic, in a way..."

I finally understood what she meant.

In this world, humans lacked a rival... Someone to stand against them and teach them a lesson.

The dragon also changed too much of the landscape.

Aside from humans, most races probably weren't able to adapt.

Without knowing it, the dragon and Nissa created the best conditions for a human-dominated continent by favoring their qualities, like their adaptability.

Anna: "I see, I see... Can you guys let me go now?"

Angelica: "If we do, you are going to attack them..."

Anna: "Woah, Angie? Of course not! I was just going to have a few words with them."

While the problem with the men had been going on for a few days, it reached the tipping point when I overheard someone at a table behind us say the word "freak".

To be fair I didn't hear the whole context.

But I didn't think I needed to either.

I wasn't acting rationally... I instinctively clenched my fists and hit our table, making a loud noise before standing up.

However, Ellie and Angelica didn't allow me to leave, with the latter going as far as to grab my arm.

I could shake her off, but... Their puppy eyes were a little too much for me to handle.

So I relented and started questioning this world, as you do.

When Bea felt I had calmed down enough, we started talking again.

Anna: "Sorry... But I think we need to do something. What if they escalate and do something dumb in the future?"

I know I have a short fuse, but in my experience, it's always best to deal with people like this before they grow too bold.

Bea: "Hm... I do agree, but..."

It was hard to find a solution.

At least one that didn't create problems for Miwen and Isabella...

Angelica: "...In that case... May I suggest something?"

Anna: "...Sure?"

I heard Elizabeth praise Angelica a lot.

She attributed much of the credit for her success in the mission Miwen gave their group to one of Angelica's suggestions.

Because of this, I was thrilled to hear it, but...

Anna: "Ugh... Help me..."

Angelica's idea was simple... To prevent anything from happening, we would always stick together.

Even at bedtime.

Since we arrived before the other soldiers, we were lucky enough to get rooms next to each other, separated only by a thin wall.

Using her magic, Beatrice got rid of it, and we started sharing the same room.

That would have been fine... Had it stopped there...

Someone also suggested that we join the beds.

I thought it would be sweet and nice, so I didn't question it, but...

Anna: "...Ouch. How can you- Aw..."

I discovered that Angelica was quite strong... And heavy.

Every night, she would grab my arm and wouldn't let go of it no matter what.

It wasn't to the point I could shake her off, but... It was hard to do it with Beatrice also holding my other arm.

One was too resistant and required a lot of force. The other was too fragile...

Stuck between the two, I also learned they can be quite rowdy when sleeping.

Angelica would often bite my ears and giggle to herself. What she was dreaming about? I had no idea.

As for Bea... Oh, I was sure about what she was dreaming.

The way she would touch me was definitely not appropriate.

Since I couldn't move my arms, I had to shake myself to keep her away from the important places.

She also kept licking my neck and touching my lips...

I felt like crying every night...

But the most soul-crushing part... Was that she wasn't the worst offender.

Oh no... The uncontested champion of that title was Ellie.

This girl... She was kicking me.

Every night.

In the face.

I had no idea how, but she would always somehow end up on the other end of the bed, resting her whole body on top of mine.

This made it even worse for me to move...

I was disturbed...

The kicks didn't hurt too much... Just enough to bother me and keep me awake... But I saw things.

Things I would like to forget...

Like the time Bea mistakingly (?) started licking her foot...

Anna: "Miwen... You call this paradise?"

This was hell...

The days went on like this...

They were quite harsh, and I was missing Miwen... And having a bed for myself...@@novelbin@@

But I was happy when I received the news that he was successful in his campaign and had returned to Evretis.

He was probably going to join us soon.

I hate that I felt a bit relieved at the thought of seeing him again even though we weren't separated for that long...

But to my surprise, the good news just kept on coming.

Barely three days after we were notified of Miwen's return to Evretis, Edmond showed up at our door with his army.

Bea: "He is an idiot..."

That wasn't quite right...

Anna: "No... He is stress relief."

After so long, I finally got a chance to go all out.