Gacha Kingdom Building

During our negotiation attempts, some skirmishes made their side suffer more casualties, so after consolidating our army around the fortress, we had no trouble breaching the walls.

We also knew that any man standing ahead of us was unwilling to give up and should be treated as an enemy.

The battle was much more hectic inside than during the siege, but it was not among the hardest we faced.

Hamperlon's army had decreased in both number and average level.

However, perhaps due to my own tendency to be cautious, I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was not right.

The island was home to some of the most important mines Hamperlon had.

Its conquest was recent.

And yet, our biggest obstacle thus far had been the weather and the island's natural defensiveness.

The men we negotiated with weren't even knights...

As Mia and I swept through the corridors, small groups blocked our path, but we saw no leaders among them.

Just small squads doing their best with what felt like simple orders.

Still, this could be dangerous.

We were leading our forces and covering much of the interior of the fortress, but that also meant we left many of the rooms unchecked.

Thankfully, with the rest of my girls following close behind and the yet-to-be-seen resistance, I felt confident that Mia and I could push through, even if they managed to surround us.

Unfortunately, our fortune was short-lived.

We had just defeated another group before reaching the main hall, when...

Miwen: "...!"

Standing in front of us was a man clad in black armor from head to toe.

It wasn't the first such man we met during our campaign, but from the way he readied his sword, I already knew he was different from all the other black knights wannabes.

He was the first I could believe Licia and Claire losing against.

And worse yet, by his side stood another knight.

This one was clad in white, both of their armors reflected the descriptions I received from the girls, and two high-level knights operating together... The coincidences were just too much.

As I prepared to face them, suddenly, the man in front of me vanished.

His speed was astonishing, even though I didn't have my guard down, I could barely react.

As for his power...

It was as I expected from the moment I saw him bring out his weapon.

The barrier around my body shattered instantly, barely even delaying his swing, and even my best attempt at blocking his sword fell short.

If not for Cassandra's movement correction, the man would have pierced my heart with his opening movement.

As good as she was, this wasn't like when I left her with full control during our clash with Nissa.

And so, although I survived to tell the tale, the hit sent me several steps back, leaving Mia by herself against the two.

Miwen: "...Mia!"

Mia: "Hm? Everything ok?"

Miwen: "...Mia?"

Awkward...

I thought that, even though it would be dumb, her feelings would speak louder and she would jump at the white knight, but...

That didn't happen.

Instead, she crossed her arms to defend herself and rushed to protect me while I regained my footing.

From the look in her eyes and the smirk on her face, I could tell she was more than ready to face them, but this was far from the reaction I was expecting of her.

Miwen: "...Did you mature a little?"

Mia: "Eh? What do you... Hey, where are you looking!?"

For a brief second, I had three different opponents in the battle.

And the one that dealt more damage was actually my former ally, as Cassandra seemed unwilling to help me at that time.

Still, at the very least, this re-triggered Mia's Gift, giving her more time at full power.

It's almost a strategic move... Almost.

Unfortunately, as happy as I was to see that she was more or less still in control of her emotions, I couldn't help but be confused.

Miwen: "Are you not going for her? Want me to-"

Mia: "Oh. Sorry, you have no way of knowing, so I should have explained... These two are not the same from that battle."

How strange...

I don't mind admitting I rushed to conclusions a little, but with the information I had on them, it was hard not to.

Well... I wouldn't doubt Mia on it, though.

Even if I were to ignore her enhanced senses, she would not mistake her mother for someone else.

Miwen: "They must be related..."

Mia: "I think so too... I can feel a similar putrid smell coming from them... Also, I think I recognize the white knight's scent. Dunno who it is though."

Miwen: "I see... In this case, you don't mind if the girls tag along, right?"

Mia: "Suit yourself."

Miwen: "You heard her. Anna, take your group and pair with Mia."

The girls' timing was impeccable.

As soon as we finished discussing, they were already prepared for the fight.

They only chose not to interfere because of a discussion we had beforehand in which I explained Mia's relationship with the white knight and asked them to leave it in Mia's hands if they met.

This time, the enemy wasn't Melissa, so there were no personal stakes at play, and they were free to have their fun.

As for me...

While I'd be happy to take the challenge of facing the black knight alone, this actually presented a good opportunity.

And so, after a gesture of my hands, the Valkyries joined me.

I had yet to fight with them, and I wanted to test our coordination as much as possible in a real battle.

The black knight this time, while not our target, was probably the best I could hope for as a warm-up against the real thing.

When the battle started, he cast a dome of wind around us.

It worked as both a barrier and a prison; nothing from outside, unless using extreme force, could enter, and nothing from inside could leave.

It also created a harsh environment, with powerful half-moon-shaped wind slashes being launched from almost every imaginable angle.

The Valkyries immediately responded by grouping up at the center of the dome.

The three of them were able to form a cohesive unit, blocking the attacks that targeted them, no matter the angle.

Once they were close enough, armed with her sword and shield, Eir was in charge of defending the other two, swiftly countering every attack sent in her direction, using her barriers and her shield to protect the others and allowing them to fight as they pleased.

At the same time, Liefdis used her own wind magic to enhance her swordplay, threatening powerful blows that would usually make her quite exposed if not for Eir's support and Skuld's incredible follow-ups.

Eir's use of barriers was a highlight to me since it was a very unique and effective fighting style, and Liefdis' support with both magic and risky attacks to create openings was also impressive, however... Skuld was mesmerizing to watch.

She outmatched the black knight in both power and technique, not wasting any movement and making minimal effort to answer to his attacks.

With their combined efforts, in less than three minutes, the set of armor that once completely covered his body now had a dozen holes in it.

Almost all of them would've been fatal, but the knight, miraculously, still stood against them, fighting as if it had not been hurt at all.

And I...

Miwen: "Skuld, can you keep him busy for a while? Eir. Liefdis. We need to talk."

With a nod of her head, Skuld agreed to face the knight by herself, but she also gave the others a worried look before turning away from us.

Both Liefdis and Eir also seemed worried, perhaps thinking I was going to scold them, they held their heads low...

Miwen: "You two..."

Eir: "Ehm... I apolog-"

Miwen: "How do I help you?"

Eir: "Eh?"

While the three of them pressured the knight, I was doing my own thing, defending against the strays coming my way.

I wanted to join and help them, but they moved in perfect synchrony.

Every opening they left was purposeful, every time one moved, almost as if by instinct, another was ready to follow up.

Skuld was the center of their formation.

The other two's efforts were to capitalize on her strength and ability, and I could see how much it worked, but at the same time, it felt like anything I did would only hinder them.

Like a misplaced and unnecessary cog, including myself in their formation would only be to their detriment.

I wasn't prideful enough to deny that, but at the same time... I kinda wanted to work together...

Miwen: "You don't happen to have any ideas, right? Something you need help with, for example."

Eir: "U-um... Well... Would you like us to be slower...?"

Huh.

Maybe I've been underestimating them all this time.

I was already aware of their individual abilities, but when the three are fighting together, even an opponent like this is no match.

It's unfortunate, but there's no point in training to fight together if they can't perform at their best when I'm around.

Miwen: "...Don't worry. I'll think about something for the future. I'll leave this one to you guys."

Eir: "R-Right... We swear to do our best!"

...It took me a second to understand the meaning of her words.

The idea that this wasn't their best already had not crossed my mind.

Alas, Eir gave Skuld a confident look, and when they rejoined the fight, she took a more aggressive stance.

While flying around the enemy, she used her shield to bash against his back and her sword to cut him while Skuld overwhelmed him with a flurry of swift strikes.

Liefdis, who was once careful with her magic, now showed even more power, penetrating the armor without even hitting it with her sword.

They had ramped up, but still didn't get in each other's way...

Now that they were flying, their movements seemed much more fluid, and the scene became almost majestic, as if they were angels dancing around the black knight.

It didn't take long before the head of the black knight fell from his body, announcing the end of the fight... Not.

Miwen: "...?"

Normally, this should have been enough.

Even for an undead, losing all its hp should mean proper, final death.

Yet, the head that rolled down from the man tried to bite my legs even after his mana ran out, and the dome around us subsided.

Like a puppet, even his arms and legs continued to move after his head was detached...

Skuld: "Hm... It's not dying."

Miwen: "Hang on. I'll call a specialist."

I contacted Elizabeth using our psychic link.

She had a necromancer in her army, so she should know how to deal with a persistent undead.

[Elizabeth: Did you destroy or detach its head?]

[Miwen: Tried that. It's still kicking.]

[Elizabeth: It must be connected to the user's Gift, then. How lucky, there's a chance destroying it will damage its master. Destroying the entire body should work. If there's still flesh, try burning it. You can also feed it to the angel, although I'm not sure if her Gift will trigger.]

[Miwen: Right, thanks.]

Out of the options Elizabeth gave me, feeding it to Angelica was definitely the most advantageous.

The Valkyries made quick work of him, but he was still a powerful opponent. Most people in this world would probably struggle against him, and getting a Gift here would be nice.

The only problem was...

Miwen: "Angelica!"

Angelica: "Yes!"

The girls seemed to be handling their fight fine, but I was still surprised by how fast Angelica dropped everything the moment I called her.

Miwen: "Do you mind eating an undead?"

Angelica: "...No?"

I thought she would find it gross or disgusting, but after thinking about it a little more... There's not much problem eating a dead man since we already eat dead animals anyway.

And in her dragon form, she always eats beings that were still alive, so... An undead didn't matter at all.

It's just... Not something I'd imagine myself eating, personally.

Not really minding my concerns, she went ahead and transformed into her dragon form.

The Valkyries, having already dismembered the man so he couldn't attack anymore, threw his scattered body parts into her mouth.

I was about to throw his head too, when I noticed it had disappeared.

Isabella: "Huh... I think I've only seen him once, but... Isn't this Hamperlon's First Prince?"

I didn't even have the time to question what she was doing here, seeing Marin accompanying her with a defeated look, I could already see the excuses coming about how Isabella never left her watch.

As for what Isabella said... She gave me a lot to consider.

Angelica: "Sorry, it's not his Gift. Just a normal [Wind Magic] skill orb..."

Miwen: "It's fine..."

For most of the girls, something like that wasn't worth it, but at the very least, I could use it as a reward for job completion at the Kingdoms Guild...

And now that we had defeated the black knight, all that was left was the white one.

Much like in our case, it seemed like the girls had the upper hand against it, and if not for its nature, the battle would already have been over.

The white knight used a lot of barriers to fight aggressively, in a style more similar to Eir's than Elizabeth's.

She was able to isolate the girls in cubes, delay attacks by using multiple layers, and even restrict their movements by binding their feet or hands together or against the ground.

It was a strong style, and pretty hard to fight back against.

Still, it seemed like Mia attracted most of her attention with her quick feet, never stopping at one place for too long.

With the white knight's focus on her, Anna was slowly withering away her strength, breaking multiple barriers and hurting her intercepting army every time she got a swing in.

Being restricted right after, she counted on Ellie and Bea to cover and protect her while Mia regained the knight's attention.

With Angelica there, their formation became way more efficient, and the damage they dealt escalated exponentially, with every subsequent hit taking away a limb from the knight.

Same as before, when the battle was over, Angelica was to eat its body, but...

Isabella: "And this one... Isn't this the Seven Rainbow Miracles?"

One of the generals who invaded the island...

However... She had been executed.

Not in Maides Island, but in Hamperlon.

Miwen: "There's something here."

Isabella: "Hm? This is my territory now. I believe I am allowed to walk freely in any of my castles."

Miwen: "Not that..."

The conquest of Maides Island by Isabella was a success.

However...

The identity of the two undead we fought, paired with the idea that the other black knight was Prince Gerbil's second brother...

I could only come up with nauseating conclusions.

Mia: "Do you think... He's directly responsible for his brothers' death?"

I believe everyone thought the same.

Everything seemed to point to this, no matter how cold and cruel it may be.

Normyu's death was always strange, but finding his older brother and the last general involved with the operation to take Maides Island here as undead knights was the last straw.

At the very least, Gerbil desecrated their bodies.

But most likely... He was directly involved in their deaths.

And perhaps, not only them.

Even his father, the previous king, might've met his end at his own son's hand.

If he's even dead at all.