Chapter 158: Called Forth

The night I had with Licia and Claire yesterday was intse, which made me want to rest a little bit more.

However, I had a busy day ahead, so I left the room as soon as I woke up.

In the middle of the night, after my fun with the girls had finished, I gave Cassandra the [Que] role and asked her to keep watch again before giving the role back to Elizabeth, so once I left, she jumped in the middle of the girls.

This was important to me since we now had to worry about the AOTG more than ever, and a night raid could be problematic for us.

Once inside the Kingdom, my first business was to check how Lily was doing.

She has one of the most difficult and important jobs in the Kingdom, and while she does great work, I like to keep my own eye on things.

Also, since she goes to sleep and wakes up incredibly early, I like to keep her company, as two early birds.

Nowadays, she oft helps us prepare breakfast in the Kingdom's kitch since mine is not spacious ough for how much we need to do.

We are not the only ones to wake up so early though.

Mei, who was inside the Kingdom, was already working on things wh we came.

Ev though there was a lot to be done, she was performing a spldid job. It almost looked like she didn't need help at all, but still, neither Lily nor I could refrain from giving a hand.

Thanks to Licia and Ellie who joined a few minutes later, it didn't take long for us to finish, and right on time too as most of the citizs had already wok up.

We also ded up having an unexpected guest.

First Daughter: "Oh~ Such a nice smell."

Miw: "...What is up with you higher beings and stealing food?"

Although a welcome guest, I'd certainly like her to notify me before coming, as the plate she ate was meant for Claire, who had yet to come.

Thankfully Mei noticed it without me saying a word and started working on another portion for her.

First Daughter: "It's easy to forego and forget such things wh you have no need for them. But once exposed again, we remember that there was more to it than just the need."

I suppose?

If I were to compare it to a situation a human might find themselves in, it would be like-

First Daughter: "Wrong."

Miw: "...?"

Oh, yeah, she can read my mind.

I thought she was only able to do it from inside the Hotel, but perhaps now that there's a link betwe it and the Kingdom, her powers have extded here too.

Still, I don't think I'll ever get used to having my own thoughts died before I can ev properly put them into words.

First Daughter: "Humans, and all living beings for that matter, do go through something similar, albeit on a smaller scale. Think about it, how many flavors of your infancy have you forgott? Wouldn't you be happy to taste them again?"

I see.

It was foolish to try to put it in other terms, There simply was no need.

Miw: "Th, did you come here for something specific, or did you just want to remember something from your past?"

Hearing my words, the happiness she had faded for a momt.

She regained it almost instantly, but it was still ough for me to notice it.

Somehow, she's never able to fool me well.

First Daughter: "...The Evt you're going to select... I'm sorry. I hope that wh the time comes, you don't pursue retaliation. I'm willing to offer you a reward, if necessary... if that's... agreeable..."

I was right th...

From the momt I saw this evt, I thought there was something going on with it.

Miw: "I'm very curious as to why you'd lower your head like this, but... we'll talk later."

It wasn't a sce I was comfortable with.

A being capable of wiping me away with a flick of her fingers was asking for mercy.

Well, calling her a "being" is also not nice.

The First Daughter is a cool girl. And our relationship isn't bad.

Certainly, she could do more for me, but... I do understand she has her own circumstances and limitations.

Asking things for a frid left and right is also not good, and she has already giv me more than necessary. It seems like she has done everything she can from within her boundaries.

Still, this was one thing I wanted to ask her about just in case.

However, seeing as she came here on her own, there was no need to ask questions anymore.

Once she left, the day proceeded without any major issues, and I later requested everyone to reunite in the area betwe the houses that is slowly becoming a town hall for us so that I could give them a few instructions.

Elizabeth: "I don't understand why the Infinite Hotel showed herself. Did she do something?"

Miw: "Not directly. The only thing she did was to reduce the available evts that I could choose, and well... I think she did that as a precaution, which seems to not have worked. In the d, the both of us just got tremdously unlucky."

Elizabeth: "Th... why would she apologize?"

Miw: "...I'm not sure myself. But we'll figure it out."

Whatever it was, I planned on facing it head-on, no matter how strange it might be.

And for that, I had to give a few orders to my subjects, just to make sure nothing was going to go awry.

White furniture.

White floor.

It was nauseating.

However, her pink hair broke the pattern.

Her gre eyes were only tarnished by the image of the man reflected in them.

And under my feet, as well as a me, there was a drawing.

If it was a cute one, I'd feel bad about stepping on it, however... This one was made with this exact purpose in mind.

A summoning circle with a star in the middle.

Blood seemed to have be used to draw it.

A person was summoned. A situation I've be in plty of times, albeit from the other side.

According to my experice, there are two main approaches for the summoned. Either I stay quiet and list to my summoner, or I jump them.

Unable to decide on which one to take, I imagined both scarios and ded up unable to hold back my laughter.

This was certainly an action that would've made a summoner afraid, or at least I knew I would be if this happed after using the [Companions Banner].

And yet, the girl in front of me seemed to pay it no mind.

??????: "[Darkest Star]... It only says that I attract catastrophes, bad luck, oddities, and tragedy... as for [Gacha Kingdom Building]... this one says a lot but... Did I get two Gifts at once? This is incredible."

Yes. Incredible is a good word to describe it.

First of all, for her to ignore me to this extt was incredible.

And second...

[Isabella has be registered as a [Citz].

You have be awarded a new [Special Role] slot.

Isabella has be awarded the [Que] Special Role.

The previous [Special Role] has be ramed to [Que (0)]

Would you like to change it?]

I changed it to [Wife] for now, as Elizabeth was the one in its possession.

Sadly I wasn't able to see her reaction to that, but I'm sure the others were going to tell me all about it.

But more urgtly...

Isabella: "I can roll in a... gacha? Acquire things with my Kingdom points... uh... oh, citizs?"

This girl was level . Our level differce was such that I was able to see her Gifts, and incredibly, she did possess [Gacha Kingdom Building] as her second one.

Miw: "Ahem. Isn't it a bit cold to not talk to me? You know you have some responsibilities as the one who summoned me, right?"

Isabella: "Can't you see I'm busy reading what my Gift does? I'll deal with you later."

She was being quite rude.

In another con, I suppose I would be the rude one for interrupting someone while they were reading.

However, con matters, and she was clearly being a brat.

Miw: "You mean my Gift. Don't misunderstand, I-"

Isabella: "Using 00 Kingdom Points, I order you to shut up! Huh?"

[Orders cannot affect the King].

Oh, so you're on my side now huh?

Lately, it feels like everyone is able to manipulate my Gift but me, its owner.

It started with the Merchant, th the Infinite Hotel, and now this Evt that was clearly made to instigate me.

Miw: "With points I Order you... tell me your name."

Isabella: "Uh..."

Oh... she resisted.

I thought it would've be more effective since she's only level one, but I suppose her role is just below mine.

Sadly I can't change it, but I had my way of dealing with this resistance.

Miw: "I Order you using 0 points. Tell me your name."

Isabella: "..Ahh! ...Is- Isabella Von Evretis."

...Her first name is the same as the villainess from Claire's game.

I'm not sure about the rest, but Evretis is a familiar word to me, although I couldn't recall if it was also from the game or not.

Still, I decided to first extract some information from her, and th bring Claire so we could discuss, however...

Maid: "My lady, I was going to wait until tea time, but I heard a scream and... Oh my-"

Miw: "Hah. It's true. You're really good at attracting problems."

And it seemed like now that our lives were linked, I'd be dragged into her affairs too.