Gacha Kingdom Building

---This chapter contains a small R18 scene in the end. The scene does not contain essential content or information, making it safe to skip---

Yesterday, I received a message from Angelica.

She told me a few things about their situation during the battle against Edmond, but she also asked me to make time for Anna, saying that she was the only one able to properly explain things, since she was the one most involved with it, from beginning to end.

Anna: "Woah... You're just a day from the capital... That was fast, huh?"

Surprisingly, the first words that came out of her mouth were completely different from what I expected them to be.

Miwen: "...We had to avoid populated places thanks to Isabella's reputation, but the girls were strong enough to deal with dangerous routes, and we didn't need to stop at cities to resupply thanks to the Kingdom, so... It might've worked in our favor."

We had more encounters block our way than we should've had, but the girls and I were already prepared for something like this when it was decided we would Isabella along.

More importantly than that though, seeing Anna fine made me quite relieved...

It takes a lot to wear her out, so Angelica's message made me very apprehensive, especially when she said Anna was out of commission for the day.

No one in Terith should be capable of forcing her to go so far...

Miwen: "I'm more interested in your situation though... What exactly happened?"

Anna: "...If you don't mind, I'll start from the beginning."

Miwen: "That's exactly what I want..."

Ask and you shall receive... She really didn't mince words.

Although... I couldn't help but find some of her complaints, specifically those related to her time with the other girls, a little funny.

The serious part, however, surprised me.

I could see how a God during a time of chaos such as this would benefit from picking a hero.

They stand to gain a lot from being responsible for resolving the situation, so the Divinity spent can be seen as an investment, even if, according to Elizabeth, this type of behavior is atypical as they generally do not care about "low-level" worlds that don't produce much Divinity or do not obtain good results in Divine Events.

But Edmond...

I guess in the game he is somewhat of a hero. Both heroines look at him like he is a knight in shining armor...

However, the Edmond I know is so far removed from that. Without the rose-tinted glasses, he is the complete cliche portrayal of a medieval royal.

Even his kindness is a little deceptive. It is selective and always done in order to benefit his image. Although I can't tell how much of that is done on purpose, it obviously has developed into a habit.

His social status and the maintenance of his image are probably the things that hinder him the most. He cares too much about them, to the point where being challenged by someone of a lesser standing seems to bother him to no end.

Someone like him...

At least to me, doesn't fit the criteria for a hero.

Although I have my biases too, considering how my world developed and the people I have looked up to growing up...

For the people of this world, a prince fighting to rescue the saint... It might be enough to think of him as a hero, without much other questions being needed.

It circles back to Sabrina's reputation though, which is a little infuriating...

Miwen: "Well, considering the circumstances, I'm quite happy with the results, Anna. You did well."

It seemed to me like she was a little unsure when she entered the room.

However, I was being sincere.

It wasn't my wish for her to be in so much danger, and I felt guilty for putting her in such a position, especially given that the battle itself wasn't so important that they needed to risk themselves to guarantee a victory...

Anna: "You say that, but... No, before that! What will you do, Miwen?"

Hahah!

As expected of her, she cut right through her own insecurity, and instead of worrying about herself, she thought about protecting me first.

Miwen: "About Edmond? Hm... It'll be more expensive than I wanted, but... I'll handle him."

Anna: "Are you sure? He... He is stronger than you... At least in sheer physical strength. Maybe magic, too."

Bea's assessment was the same, so she's probably not wrong, but...

Miwen: "Then I just have to get stronger, right?"

Anna: "Pfft... Right. Easy as that, huh?"

Miwen: "Yep. Easy as that."

It's obviously a little more complex than this, but... Not much.

I didn't predict Edmond would be a threat, but if power is all he has to offer, I have a few measures I can take to level the playing field.

It sucks to use them on someone I had already written off, but that only means I'll have to adjust my plans for the bigger fish, definitely not him.

Anna: "If you say so... But what about the girls and I? What do you want us to do?"

Miwen: "Hm... Well, first of all, I'll send the Valkyries to reinforce your group."

I had not sent them before because it would hinder Anna's growth, but the situation has obviously changed and their safety takes precedence.

Since we are taking Isabella to the capital, she won't need their protection either...

Miwen: "When Edmond's army starts to retreat, I want you guys to pursue them. You don't have to engage in battle, and you won't have to perform any sieges, I'll draw you a path to follow in friendly territory. The lords will surrender to you when you show up at their doors. I simply want you to pressure them into retreating further to pile up Edmond's emotions."

Anna: "Alright... Then, I'll be going-"

Miwen: "Really? Wasn't there something you wanted to ask?"

Anna: "Hrn... It was my mistake... We can talk about it when everything is over..."

Miwen: "Or we could talk about it now?"

Anna: "You are busy."

Miwen: "Not at all! In fact, one of my most trusted knights just got me a week of time to play with."

Anna: "Don't use it all to play!"

This bashful side of her is so rare and yet, so cute...

Miwen: "So! You wanted to ask me why I made you the leader, right?"

Anna: "If you already know, why did you try to make me say it!?"

She made a very fair question.

Normally, the answer to that would be that I wanted to tease her about it.

But this time... It was a little different.

Miwen: "I think it's important that you realize the reason yourself. And judging by what you and the others told me, you may already do. So instead of answering you, I'll be the one asking it. Why do you think I made you the leader, Anna?"

Anna: "You are so unfair..."

I am.

But I never claimed otherwise.

Anna: "I... am a little simple-minded, right?"

Miwen: "Sure. But is that a bad thing?"

Anna: "No... The other girls... They easily read my intentions. They knew I would fight in a way that focused on keeping our enemies away from them. They planned around that. To help me... In the end, I didn't have to prepare anything elaborate or grandiose. Just asking them to do what they do best was enough."

Perfect.

That's exactly what I had in mind, and is the reason why I couldn't tell her why I wanted her to be in charge so much.

I knew she thought of a leader as someone like Elizabeth or me, who employs a strategy to outmaneuver their enemies, but the truth is, that's not the only way to lead.

Miwen: "You're the type of person who will jump first and ask questions later. Everyone trusts in your ability to defend them, so they can do their best without worries when you're with them. If Elizabeth is suited to be a general, you are suited to be a field commander. Someone who is there, on the field, leading by example. The one people will follow without fear."

Angelica trusts and likes Anna a lot for how she stood up for her against Gabriella.

Bea and Ellie have liked her since the beginning, both trying to treat her as a younger sister in their own ways.

Thanks to all the battles we faced together, the girls have developed a strong bond and coordination with each other. However, none is as obvious as Anna's.

Her job facilitates it a lot. It's quite simple, yet the most dangerous.

Even though no one would blame her for being afraid or worried about herself, she never showed fear.

Instead, she stands proud in front of whatever is in our way.

No matter what comes, we can count on her to face it.

For her, this is normal. Something she never thought about.

But to us, it is outstanding.

When we see her rushing forward, without an ounce of fear... It is inspiring.

Not like Claire or Mia who do so because they are confident in themselves, but because we know that to get to us, they will have to get past her, and that's not happening.

I saw a lot of potential in her because of this, but I also knew she would have trouble coming to terms with it if I told her.

She doesn't think of herself as important, so she can't understand the effects she has on others.

The only way was for her to experience it.

As she said, she is a simple person. But ironically, that makes her special.

Anna: "Haah... Can't believe I'm hearing this from you..."

Miwen: "Hm? I'll have you know I'm seen as an incredibly honest man! Some believe I have never lied~"

Anna: "Yeah, that's not the point here, Mr average. But if Mia can't argue with you, I can't either..."

Ahh...

She has a point there.

I'm glad she didn't pursue the argument though, I'm not sure how I'd convince her otherwise.

Miwen: "...Are you bothered?"

Since she entered the room she seemed quite tranquil and even excited when I complimented and explained my reasons to her, but...

Those emotions faded rather quickly.

Coming from her, this was a little strange.

Anna: "Sorry... To tell you the truth... I'm a little bothered by the results. That bastard... He broke the sword you gave me. I treasure that, you know?"

...This has been true for most of the things I have given to the girls.

Even when I get better weapons for them through the gacha, they always keep the previous one somewhere in their rooms.

While for me they are just convenient tools, for the girls, those are pieces of our story...

For Anna, that sword was especially so. I can see why she would feel bad about it since even I did...

Sadly, when I asked Cassandra about eating it to summon it back, she said it would be like eating thrash for her...

Miwen: "...I'll see if I can get you a replacement, but... Keep the parts of it you found in a closed box. Maybe we can reforge it someday."

We would need a pretty good blacksmith, but... The Merchant seems to know one...

Even if he can't do anything about it, I'm certain there are people with Gifts who can.

Just gotta find them.

Anna: "Yeah... I guess..."

...

Anna: "Oh yeah, before I go. Can you give me some tips?"

Miwen: "On..?"

Anna: "Sleeping with the girls..."

Of all things...

Surprisingly enough, I did have some.

Especially for Bea and Ellie.

Miwen: "You'll want to be the last one asleep. Bea will notice it if you don't pretend really well though, and then she'll stay awake thinking she will get to see something interesting. As for Ellie... She moves a lot, but Bea likes to hug so... You give her Ellie to hug. That probably won't be enough due to her slippery small frame, so you must also hug the two from the other side to keep her from sneaking out."

As for Angelica, I had no idea since we never slept together.

But she also seems to be the type to grab onto others in her sleep, so she might be able to help keep Ellie in place too.

Miwen: "Oh, and one more thing. If this bothers you so much, you're welcome to take a break and sleep with me instead."

Anna: "E-Eh?"

Since there are so many girls I have to take care of nowadays, I rarely get the chance to be the one to seize the initiative.

But Anna always makes me want to be a little more dominant, so this time, I took her into my arms and pushed her into the bed.

Miwen: "I said it before. You got us way more time than we needed. It's fine to spend a night or two like this."

Anna: "Hmm~ It's a reward then?"

Miwen: "If you want to think that way..."

Anna: "In that case..."

Our faces were close to each other.

She knew I wanted a kiss but she grabbed my head and pushed it down until I reached her naughty place.

Since she was still dressed in her shorts, I couldn't see anything, but she looked at me with confident eyes and...

Anna: "Do me good, then~"

That was all I needed to hear.

Before even taking care of my clothes, I took her shorts off just enough to where I could touch her pussy.

It wasn't wet yet, but the area around it was a little sweaty.

She probably didn't have time to change and came here as fast as she could to warn me about Edmond...

Anna: "Maybe I should take a shower..."

She was quite confident before, but when she realized it, she became embarrassed...

Miwen: "No need. I'll take care of that."

I'm not sure why though.

Every inch of her body was delicious. The stuffy feeling from her warm body and the sweat only made me react more intensely to her.

Especially since, even though her body was like this, her smell was divine and honest, telling me exactly how aroused she was.

Suffice it to say, I took her shorts down a little more, and I made sure to lick all the way to her knees.

In just a few minutes after that, her shorts were nowhere to be seen, and her legs were sparkling clean.

Miwen: "Now... Should I go for your feet or your breasts?"

Anna: "Before that... You forgot one spot..."

Miwen: "Hm?"

She pulled me back to where we had started...

Miwen: "Huh... That's not sweat though..."

Anna: "Ahn... Y-Yeah..."

Perhaps I touched her a little too much while doing the cleaning...

The more I tried taking care of it, the wetter it became. At that rate, we were never going to be done, but...

Personally, I didn't mind that at all.

Anna: "Hmmm... More..."

Miwen: "My tongue only reaches so far..."

Anna: "Yeah? Fuck me then..."

Miwen: "With pleasure."

Although I enjoy being rough with her, those first moments where I allowed her to push me around weren't so bad.

But eventually, our instincts gave in, and we did the way we liked the most.

For me, this meant dominating her relentlessly.

And for her, it meant throwing herself at me for as long as she could.

Suffice it to say, due to Anna being the girl who lasts the longest, even though she tried her best to meet me as early as possible today, she left quite late.

The morning of the next day, to be more precise.

We enjoyed ourselves for so long that we lost track of time, and when we were done, it was already nighttime, so I made my promise of sleeping with her a little more literal than what I had intended.

And of course... I didn't dare tell her that she grabbed me and wouldn't let go, kissing and telling me a bunch of naughty things in her sleep...