Gacha Kingdom Building-Chapter 308: Packet Loss (01)

--This Chapter is written using Ellie’s POV--

A couple of days had passed since Licia’s confession and the little talk we had about her worries. During this time, the girls and I did our very best to help her, giving her all the advice we could think of. Though some were too extreme to be useful...

It was hard to tell for sure if she was getting closer to her goal. Her relationship with Miwen had always been so dreamy, making it more like Piper’s felt wrong to me, and to most of the girls, it felt like a downgrade.

It was funny to think that even when she had a problem, she still found a way to turn it into something positive for the rest of us, as this uniquely mundane struggle of hers distracted us from the worry of the battle we’d soon be facing.

I liked the distraction as much as the other girls, but it meant something bigger to me.

I’ve been grateful to Licia ever since the first night I spent with Miwen. Not only had she allowed us to love each other as we pleased, but she even helped make things go smoothly.

I knew she enjoyed it plenty herself; it wasn’t completely selfless. Even then, had she not helped us, Miwen and I might not have been where we are now. At the very least, I’m sure we’d hesitate much more to be with each other, and things would’ve progressed much more slowly.

I wanted to return the favor. But... I was too embarrassed to bring it up, and Licia never showed me any openings.

Despite being so much younger, she was responsible and attentive. Sometimes, it felt like there was nothing she couldn’t do, nor anything she couldn’t get on her own. The most I could do for her was small favors, which she always expressed her gratitude for, but.... It just wasn’t enough.

I wanted to help her with something she struggled with. I wanted it to be meaningful, and as luck would have it, the opportunity just presented itself.

Hehehe...

It wasn’t the nicest thought, but I knew I wasn’t the only one who secretly wished she’d struggle a little. Not because I wanted her to feel bad or fail, just a tiny bit so I could help!

Imagining her thanking me for saving the day was a bit of a fantasy for me, so when she came to us, asking for love advice of all things... I knew the time had come.

I was starting to feel guilty about these feelings I had bottled up for the longest time, and now, I finally had the chance to help her.

So... I gave it my all! Even more than any other girl!

I carefully watched Licia, making notes of what she could change and what she was doing right in all of her attempts. I also kept an eye on how Miwen treated everyone and how differently he reacted to us.

Seeing that Licia wasn’t making any meaningful progress, I upped my game, following and copying Piper as best as I could, especially around Miwen, to see if I could get the type of reaction we wanted from him.

Sadly, that woman and I were polar opposites. Despite being blunt with her words, she was super confident. She was impatient and demanding, yet she never thanked anyone for their help. It was like she thought everyone owed it to her, for some reason...

I did my best, but I couldn’t keep that attitude for long, and it didn’t help that my investigation creeped her out. She began to look at me weirdly and even asked Miwen if stalking was something of a hobby for elves.

Miwen also didn’t help one bit! Whenever I tried acting all high and mighty, making petty demands like Piper, he’d just chuckle, ignore me, and call me cute...

Normally, lovely. In a time of need? It was soul-crushing!

I hated how easily he saw through me and how stubborn he was! I thought about shooting him once or twice, just to see if he’d still call me cute, but...

But that wouldn’t help either!

I couldn’t get what I wanted from him, but... I was determined to help Licia, even if I had to creep him out while doing it!

Unfortunately, despite how set I was on it, I couldn’t make any progress before the day scheduled for our attack on the Army Of The Gifted.

Yesterday, I went to sleep determined to make this a short break, and today... I woke up early in the morning, feeling the weight of Bea’s arms wrapping around my shoulders as my legs rested on Anna’s stomach.

Despite the house we were living in being so unimaginably big, a faint smell of cooked meat invaded the bedroom.

I followed it downstairs and, as expected, I found the culprit in the kitchen. It was the man who held us until we fell asleep, yet was nowhere to be found when I woke up.

In one hand, he held a small plate with a slice of toast, two fried eggs, and two strips of bacon. On the other hand, he had a cup of coffee, not hot enough to give off steam.

The long dining table before him was filled from one end to the other with all sorts of breakfast meals, many of which were the girls’ favorites.

It seemed like he was about to finish eating, and seeing how little he had on his plate, I realized everything he had prepared... was meant for us.

It obviously made me happy to have someone care so deeply for me, but it also weighed on my heart a little.

We weren’t the only ones with a tough battle today. Miwen’s fight was equally, if not tougher than ours. Yet, he woke earlier than usual to ensure everyone would eat properly before heading out.

Even though I knew it was a tough ask, I wanted him to take care of himself the same way he took care of us. It felt unfair to be on the receiving end all the time, and it was hard to reciprocate... He was even worse than Licia in that regard since he’d only joke away our attempts.

Still, there was one thing he counted on me for, and I wouldn’t disappoint him.

While we enjoyed the breakfast he prepared, Miwen explained the finer details of the mission one last time. The girls and I would head to Rosegrove, a city on the southern side of the country that fell to the AOTG in the early days of the civil war.

With Angelica as our ride, we only needed a little over two hours to reach our destination. She could probably make it slightly faster by going top speed, but the girls and I chose comfort over speed.

Besides, we shouldn’t make it too early. We needed to reach our destination after Miwen and his group reached theirs, so that they’d draw more of the AOTG forces to them.

Since they’d be making a longer, cross-country trip, the timing should work perfectly.

...Except for the fact that they’d be riding atop Liz’s pet, the North Dragon.

That monster could make their trip in an hour, yet Liz demanded it not take a second longer, threatening it with punishment.

To make the timing work, Angie had to give up some of the comfort she’d promised us. Despite her apologies, though, it wasn’t bad at all. She even lowered her altitude at times so we could see the cities below, and it made me wish I could travel with her again.

Even from the sky, it wasn’t hard to recognize when we reached Rosegrove. The city had no farmlands and no real residential or commercial zones. The only green was trapped between massive, city-block-sized facilities that doubled as industries and offices.

It couldn’t be further from the forest I grew up in, and it was nothing like Miwen’s old home either. It was a kind of city I had never seen before, and I found it fascinating.

I promised myself I’d have Miwen bring me here once the war ended. I wanted him to explain everything about this place.

I got so caught up in the scenery that I ended up being the last one to jump off Angelica. Marin and Celly had already left on the ghost ship, and the other girls had landed safely on the road in front of Ceres’ building.

Angie waited for me, but to cover for my delay, I used the stable footing she gave me as an excuse to shoot the guards approaching the girls.

After dealing with all five, I joined the girls on the ground.

Anna: "That’s a lot of magic... Bea?"

Beatrice: "Sorry... It’s too entangled. It’d take me a few hours to break this barrier by myself."

The girls had stopped before the building’s entrance. Even without Bea’s magic expertise or Miwen’s scheming brain, I could easily tell what made them stop.

A thick magic barrier covered the building, from the rooftop all the way to the ground. The barrier itself wasn’t that powerful; Claire and Mia could probably destroy it through brute force alone.

However, there wasn’t any need to waste mana or energy with it, as the building’s doors weren’t protected.

They weren’t even closed.

Beatrice: "I can only detect the contribution of a single powerful mage... This was probably a measure against the locals. Or a bluff. In any case... You’re in charge."

While we were free to do as we pleased, Anna was not. As our captain, she had to consider the risks in every situation, even when things on the ground were not the same as on the map.

It wasn’t an enviable job, but at the same time, I couldn’t think of someone better suited for it. After all, Anna had always focused on protecting the rest of us, and maybe that’s why Miwen trusted her to make the calls.

Anna: "What do you think, Ellie?"

Ellie: "Miwen and the others must already be fighting. I don’t wanna waste their effort without even trying..."

Besides, I was confident the three of us could handle anything thrown our way, especially with the others holding back reinforcements and surrounding the building.

Anna: "That’s right!"

She beamed with a pure smile. It was obvious that, if she were alone, it wouldn’t even be a question. Anna was the type to barge in first and then ask questions.

Anna: "Just so you know, I wouldn’t be the one telling Miwen we got scared and turn tail just because we were invited inside..."

I hadn’t thought about that, but Anna was right. It was much better to walk into an obvious trap than deal with Miwen. He would definitely tease us about it for years.

We each had our own reasons, but the decision to enter the building was mutual.

Our landing had drawn the attention of the AOTG forces in the area, and outside, we could hear Licia, Claire, and Mia fighting the enemy.

Somehow, there were even more soldiers on the first floor.

They had already surrounded the entrance, waiting for us to take the first step.

Despite the threat, Anna nonchalantly entered the building with her sword in hand.

I followed right after.