Gacha Kingdom Building-Chapter 283: Attempting Connection (02)

--This chapter contains suggestive, non-explicit sexual content.--

As Ellie and I continued to discreetly enjoy our bath with the other girls, Elizabeth, sitting by my side, suddenly increased the pressure of her mana.

Before opening up her eyes, she puffed up her chest and fixed her posture, slightly tilting her head.

With all the chilling power and pride of the Demon Queen, she made one last attempt to argue in favor of striking Adriarch.

In most of the girls' worlds, four thousand men amounted to an army on par with that of a nation.

To them, and to me, the only way to stand against such numbers was to use the entire population of the Kingdom.

Even then, odds wouldn't be on our side, and victory wouldn't come without hefty sacrifice.

To us, nothing, not even Adriarch's head, was worth those risks.

Elizabeth, however, disagreed.

To the Demon Queen, one or two nations' armies were a chore rather than a challenge.

She was the woman who once saw Earth as a step in her journey to fight the Gods once more, after all...

Elizabeth: "I don't believe it's wise to ignore this man. It seems inevitable that we clash. Remember, his men represent our enemy's main forces, but he's also our enemy's cavalry. Thanks to that one subordinate of Adriarch's, every other executive can count on the Colonel for reinforcement."

Adriarch Tell's abilities were combat-oriented.

As such, he wouldn't normally have such an overwhelming presence on the battlefield.

Unfortunately, working under him was a man known as "The Mechanic".

His loyalty was high, even compared to the other men under the Colonel, but what made him especially bothersome was his ability to repair and enhance vehicles.

This Gift of his, paired with his knowledge as a military engineer, allowed him to create sci-fi-like crafts on par with the one Piper used to bring us to the penthouse.

It allowed Adriarch to move across the country with alarming speed, arriving in minutes and sometimes even seconds.

This was far from the level of a teleportation ability like that of the Traveling Merchant, but still...

It was impossible to ignore.

Miwen: "You read far into his file, huh?"

Elizabeth: "I found it interesting."

As a devilish smirk formed on her lips, Liz looked into my eyes and said the word I least wanted to hear: "Interesting".

This was a death sentence to the discussion.

She might not have even noticed it, but the girls and I both recognized from her expression that Adriarch had become her opponent, and that was final.

Those sharp eyes of hers would never let an amusing challenge like him escape her grasp.

Not without having him fight for his life first, that is...

Reina: "...My Lord? Would you listen to a suggestion of mine?"

Just as I thought that the water's warmth wasn't enough to warm my body from Liz's cold dread, I felt Reina's face approaching mine.

Her body stuck even closer to mine, her lips almost touching my ears.

With arms crossed, her hands slid down from my neck to my chest, easing her washing into a massage.

Ellie: "Ah... Fuah...!"

Reina's fingers, while slim, still touched Ellie's back, causing her to flinch from the surprise.

The three of us were so close that, even without looking back, we could feel each other's heat.

For a moment, I thought that maybe this was intentional.

That Reina wanted to use mine and Ellie's bodies to hide hers, that her voice was low so that the others wouldn't hear her.

I thought that maybe she was shy or anxious to speak, given her status as a newcomer. That maybe, like the others, she dared not speak against a decided Liz.

But I was wrong.

Her politeness, like her voice, was directed only at me.

It searched for my approval only and cared little for the others in the bathroom.

Miwen: "I can't say no when you ask so nicely~"

Reina: "Thank you, my Lord. I believe that, given our current state, our priority should be rescuing the two members of Alpha Team currently held captive. Achieving that, and defeating their captor, would benefit us as much as defeating Adriarch and his men, while being fairly more achievable."

As if to prove my thoughts correct, when she believed the others should hear her, she made sure her ideas reached them.

Her words were slightly abrupt, earning her mixed reactions, but to me, they made perfect sense.

I was impressed, even.

The girls were all more familiar with a particular type of conflict.

A direct war between two or more nations, with armies that moved to conquer territory and would sometimes clash in open fields, creating temporary frontlines.

This was the case for Liz, Claire, Mia, Anna...

Even Reina herself wasn't exempt from this type of experience, being once one of Elizabeth's adversaries.

However, the conflict this time was much more fluid.

It was an insurgency.

In a civil conflict like this, "main forces" and "frontlines" would change all the time.

It could even be argued that there was no such thing as a frontline, while at the same time, frontlines existed everywhere.

Since Elizabeth and Reina had similar experiences, the only distinction between them had to have been born from the memories that Reina obtained from me during her summoning.

My memories gave her a better understanding of the war, if only slightly.

Although... That she analyzed my memories so deeply and so quickly was equally concerning and admirable.

Miwen: "So, you think we should go after Ceres, then?"

Claire: "...Is that gonna work? Alpha Team already had a go at her before we arrived, right? Even if she kicked their butts, the AOTG probably reinforced her defense by now."

I could see Reina's point, but I shared Claire's opinion, which was what interested me most in what Reina had to say.

Ceres' position in the AOTG was quite special.

According to the government's files, she was the chief of operations of a successful chip manufacturing company.

With the mountain of data she'd collected through software hidden in her company's chips, she bought her way into an AOTG executive seat.

Since then, she has taken over the main office of her company and has used her Gift to provide them with even more information.

While Erik remained the one making the decisions, she became the one informing him of every detail happening in the field.

If bringing down Adriarch was a blow to the AOTG's might, bringing Ceres down would be a blow to their sight.

I couldn't blame Alpha Team for trying it.

However, they underestimated her far too much.

She wasn't as strong as Adriarch, her base wasn't as protected as his military installation, and she didn't have nearly as many experienced troops at her disposal.

What she had instead was awareness and an incredible ability to manage her manpower.

With it, she stalled Alpha Team's blitz until Adriarch arrived.

Since Piper had yet to join them at the time, they were forced to retreat with half of their team left behind.

Reina: "You're not wrong. However..."

Even in normal circumstances, I had trouble figuring out what Reina had in her mind.

It wasn't that her expression was hard to read, or that she hid her feelings.

It was more because she seemed to calculate everything she said

She always spoke slowly, but never to the point of irritating or sounding uncertain.

If anything, it helped make every word of hers feel serious and important.

And still, her cadence...

It told me that, even while speaking, she was still thinking.

Keeping track of what she meant, what she felt, and what was on her mind was far too much.

Because I could easily lose track while reading her, I kept my guard up a little more than usual.

So, with her face this close to mine, and my attention solely focused on her...

Ellie: "Hmn... N-no... Not there, Miwen..."

I lost control of my desires for a second.

They burned more intensely, and unfortunately, Ellie suffered the consequences.

She still had trouble accepting all of me, so losing control like this was a no-go.

Thankfully, this time, she only squeezed her eyes shut at the sudden sting, more startled than hurt.

As for Reina, even though she could definitely tell, she ignored Ellie and continued...

Reina: "We must consider the current situation of our side. Why is it that we are playing defense when we have the strongest weapon?"

While Liz and Isa gave it some thought, Claire wasted no time and swiftly answered with her conclusion.

Claire: "Because Piper can't attack Erik directly? We've already gone through that."

She wasn't wrong, but...

With Reina's hug, I could feel her heartbeat on my back.

And it accelerated in response to Claire's answer.

Reina: "Yes. That's why we can't project a finishing offensive. But that is not the only reason we've taken this defensive position. What, exactly, are we defending? And what do our enemies hope to achieve by breaking through our defenses?"

I figured she'd finally steered the conversation to where she wanted.

It was an unexpected point, and even I had glossed over it.

However, I knew what she was trying to say.

Alpha Team's mission wasn't necessarily to extinguish the AOTG.

At least, not directly.

Their movement was going to lose momentum with each passing day that they failed to overthrow the government.

Erik couldn't change this, even with his contracts.

But if they occupied the capital...

That would flip the tables.

The AOTG would gain legitimacy.

More than what they'd gain from a hundred victories.

That was what the government feared the most.

The one who mans the helm mans the ship.

This symbolic victory was all they needed to sway the public.

To them, the AOTG would be in charge, and the government would become the insurgency.

Their power would scatter, becoming free game to every other faction, while the AOTG solidifies its own power.

From then...

Every defeat would cost a thousand times more.

Anna: "Then... We can't move? But like... Wouldn't that mean they've already won? If we are stuck in their way, protecting this one city, they can just take all the territory they want, right?"

Most of the girls were thinking along those lines, still struggling a little to follow Reina.

But no one was as bothered as Anna.

She already hated not being able to solve things with one good punch, but feeling stuck, with nothing she could do?

She hated it.

However, Reina never suggested we had no options available...

Reina: "If their information becomes unreliable or takes longer to arrive, that would hurt Adriarch's ability to reinforce."

Elizabeth: "...We could launch two simultaneous attacks, then. The first to bait the Colonel's, the second to take down Ceres."

Reina: "Precisely. From there, he'd be the one whose movements are limited."

Elizabeth had been quietly processing Reina's words.

The Demon Queen was a tactical genius, so not being able to contribute to the war talk hurt her pride.

While listening, she adapted her view and became able to follow alongside Reina, even without my memories.

I already thought Reina was impressive, so I could only think of Liz's mind as scary.

Especially since the two, being more in tune than I ever could have imagined, began to sharpen their eyes like fangs.

Without a doubt, they were going over every scenario in their minds, making the AOTG more helpless with each of them.

I could almost feel the two holding back their breath so their laughter wouldn't escape.

Before the influence of these evil women could corrupt me, I tightened the hug on the angelic elf on my lap, seeking her healing touch.

Meanwhile, not to be outdone by Liz and Reina, Isa's analytical side surfaced, showing that deep down, the Umbral Queen still lived inside her.

Isabella: "Hm... We'd have to divide our forces for this to work. And then...The diversion would especially suffer, since they'd have to keep two executives at bay, minimum."

Elizabeth: "If that's a problem, you may leave it to me."

Of course, with Adriarch back on the menu, Elizabeth was more than happy to take the arduous task of serving as bait.

Miwen: "...The Valkyries might not be enough to support you, depending on how many you're facing."

I knew Liz was suggesting that she should be the distraction.

By herself.

However, I could never agree to that.

I knew how strong she was, but I had also seen her struggle.

Since I had come to care for her, I wouldn't let her go without backup.

Just in case things turned sour.

Elizabeth: "Hmph. What about Nissa? The five of us should more than suffice."

Nissa was a complicated matter.

For various reasons...

Miwen: "I'm not sure we can count on Nissa yet."

Elizabeth: "You have not tamed her yet? Should I show you how?"

Tempting.

Especially since she had tamed a much more dangerous beast, the North Dragon.

But then, I remembered...

Miwen: "Whose fault do you think that is?"

Nissa and I weren't on bad terms, surprisingly enough.

I did force her into the Kingdom, but since then, she started to see me in a slightly better light.

She understood that what might have seemed like an attempt to destroy the world, one country at a time, was just my honest attempt at protection and revenge, for Isa and Mia.

I did frame the Umbral Queen as the true calamity that would reign over the ruins of their world, and myself as the man who stopped this fate from manifesting, but...

The only thing that still stood in the way of us fully moving past our grievances with each other was the curse Elizabeth had placed on her.

Whenever that triggers, Nissa's heart burns with rage at both of us.

Elizabeth: "Is it not deserved? Would Your Majesty like me to remove the curse?"

Miwen: "Nah. She'll figure it out someday. But the point still stands. Pairing you two is not a good idea. She could easily take you down if she found you in a vulnerable position."

Elizabeth: "...Easily?"

Wrong word.

Still, it would be counterproductive.

Mia: "In that case... Can I go?"

Liz: "Hm... Certainly."

Ever since Mia unlocked the second effect of her Gift, her abilities were second only to Liz's.

If that.

The two also got along well.

Actually, Mia was pretty much Liz's best friend.

They'd normally stand in their own corners when we gathered up, so they were often alone together.

It wasn't the worst idea.

But there was one problem still.

I'd also like for Mia to help with the main attack.

Storming Ceres' building required less manpower than invading Adriarch's place, but still...

I didn't want to repeat Alpha Team's mistake.

Unfortunately, while the Snow White Wolves obeyed me, they followed Mia.

I wanted them at their best, and for that, she was strictly necessary.

Beatrice: "What about the other witch and your father's merry gang?"

Hm...?

So far, Bea had been pretty quiet, just throwing me a seductive glance or two.

Nothing out of the ordinary for her, until those words.

They were filled with a contempt I had not seen from her in a long time.

Though I suppose she was bothered by Piper's existence, as she wasn't really a witch.

Reina: "Maybe. But I wouldn't recommend it. The Witch of Narrations is a strong asset."

Right.

Piper, by herself, enables half of the victory scenarios for Alpha Team.

As long as she had my Father's help, the AOTG couldn't hope to bring her down.

Which meant that she'd be an eternal wall preventing them from reaching their goals.

We should only bring her out when we have an opportunity to end the war.

Miwen: "Haah... That new continent looks more enticing every day..."

I heard that, since Earth's victory in the last Divine Event, several people started leaving their old lives to try their luck on the land we obtained.

Especially after the protests and rebellions started to spread...

I would never leave my family behind, especially in these circumstances, but once everything was over...

Ellie: "Ah...! I'm c-coming...!"

Oh.

Miwen: "Of course you're coming, silly. I wouldn't leave you behind."

The thought scared Ellie so much that she couldn't stop trembling.

So, of course, I reassured her.

Miwen: "We'll do it together, okay?"

Ellie: "Mnhm... P-please... Uhmnm..."

She was ecstatic to hear the news and trembled even more from happiness.

I wanted to spend more time with her, but we still had logistics to discuss.

Besides, there was another topic I needed the girls' help with.

So, regretabbly, I had to ask Ellie for a break.

Though I promised her we could continue later tonight, on the condition she didn't dirty the bathtub by spilling anything.

Despite her protests, Cassandra was happy to lend one of her toys to help.

And despite my protests, Mia was happy to take Ellie's place.

If for no other reason than to guarantee I'd stop playing around and take things more seriously.