Gacha Kingdom Building

--This Chapter is written in Nyxie’s POV--

Past the corridors and halls of the Celestial Palace, in the last south courtyard, there was a small, unassuming door.

Usually, most doors on the edges of the Palace would lead to the Outerfield.

This one was different.

Opening it, I found myself standing before a narrow dirt path, with various flowers growing on each side, each with its own fragrance.

After only a few meters, I found myself at the end of the dirt path, facing a small, semi-circular area with nothing but dirt.

This was His Majesty’s personal garden.

His flowers weren’t the most extravagant; no professionals or maids were tasked with tending to them, and bushes grew freely, unaligned. The garden could barely hold more than a dozen people.

Upon seeing my liege’s marvellous figure standing with his back turned to me, watching the far beyond through the glass, I joined two other Thorn Queens, kneeling on the ground.

My master, Abdure, stood with his arms crossed, just a couple of steps behind us, silently watching.

His Majesty graciously picked a flower and slowly approached a mysterious woman sitting in a wooden chair.

He bent toward her, gently attaching a flower to her head while wearing a soft smile on his face.

My king had not picked the flower on a whim. Its yellow petals perfectly matched the blonde tinges at the ends of the woman’s otherwise short, brown hair.

Though her figure and face weren’t particularly noteworthy, I knew of every woman who had ever come into contact with His Majesty, regardless of status or appearance, and yet...

I didn’t know her.

There were no signs of high Divinity or even Demonic Power in her.

The only thing she had was a reasonably high amount of mana circulating in her body, but even that was still below what I’d expect from a newly recruited god.

By all measures, she felt... ordinary.

And yet, it had been a long time since I had last seen a smile the likes of my liege wore for her.

He sat on the ground before her, dirtying his suit as he crossed his legs and put his arms behind his back for support.

I hated it.

Who was that woman whose presence he enjoyed so much?

And why her instead of me?

I loved him so much, and yet, his smiles towards me were the same he’d have for all of us; resigned, more akin to that of a friend than a lover.

My heart ached.

Glimpsing to my left side, I saw the Black Thorn Queen holding her breath, digging her fingers into the ground.

Her figure was enviable even to me, but it wasn’t just luck that gave her the perfect looks. The Queen herself brushed and combed her long, black hair, and yet, despite all the tasks assigned to her, I had never seen it disheveled once.

Even the night sky couldn’t compare.

I felt bad for her.

All of that effort, and His Majesty wasn’t sparing her a glance.

By my right, it seemed like the Red Thorn Queen wasn’t faring much better.

She stared at the woman sitting in the chair with bloodshot eyes.

However, I cared little for the Red Thorn.

She was always too abrasive. Too forward.

My liege was too lenient with her overt physical contact, despite those meaningless tactics only causing him stress.

Asdrea: "...What did you think of Miwen, Nyxie?"

He sounded calm and considerate.

His voice calling my name was like a melody to my ears.

I could hear it for a thousand years without growing bored.

Nyxie: "Y-Yes! He’s uncouth, idiotic, ugly, smelly, and the lowest tier of degenerate trash, Your Majesty."

His Majesty chuckled.

I made him laugh!

Asdrea: "I see. How many Fangs would you need to hunt him?"

Despite my hatred for that vile creature, I was thankful to him.

Due to his presence, my beloved king had already spoken nine sentences to me in a single day, adding two minutes and forty-eight more seconds to our history together!

Nyxie: "I believe... All of them. Sincerely... Maybe I’d need help from Thynea and her Wings, too. Otherwise, I could end up bitten by my own Fangs."

It shamed me to admit that a lowly mortal represented such danger, but His Majesty deserved nothing short of my complete honesty.

Thynea Yanoi, the Black Thorn Queen, seemed overjoyed that I’d given her the chance to contribute.

It wasn’t my intention to imply that The Red Thorn Queen was somehow beneath us, but her Claws were the least efficient in hunting this type of prey.

While she gritted her teeth beside me, the woman in the chair rested her chin on one hand, glancing at me with a wide, amused smile.

But all of them were irrelevant.

My eyes were fixed on His Majesty’s lips as I waited to be graced by his next words.

Asdrea: "...You think he’s that dangerous, huh?"

A tenth sentence!

Five more seconds!

Nyxie: "Yes. He’s not powerful, but he is tricky..."

My liege was intrigued by my words!

He kindly allowed me one second to stare at him before continuing!

Nyxie: "I was impressed by his ability to engineer situations to his favor. He is highly aware of his surroundings, surprisingly good at manipulating people, and seems capable of finding and creating weapons where there should be none."

Perhaps I had said too much, but seeing my king’s attentive eyes, I couldn’t stop myself.

That wasn’t good.

My heart throbbed too much.

Nyxie: "I’m only confident in catching him if he’s surrounded first; otherwise, he could slip by."

He paid attention to me for so long that I lost track of the seconds!

Your Majesty... Did you truly believe me to be so deserving!?

Asdrea: "Haha. Even against a mortal, Nyxie is so diligent..."

His Majesty praised me!

He said I was diligent!

Me!

I couldn’t stop grinning!

??????: "Fufu. That sounds like him..."

Her words interrupted the blissful moment my king and I shared, making him turn away from me.

I enjoyed watching him from a different angle, even if it slightly hid his face, but I still cursed that abominable woman under my breath.

Asdrea: "Have you taken a liking to him?"

The woman wasted precious seconds of His Majesty’s time thinking before answering.

Seconds better spent on me.

??????: "Can you blame me? He reminds me so much of you and Kaelmir’s worst sides..."

She dared suggest my king had a bad side!?

My horns hurt.

They screamed for her blood.

??????: "He’s stubborn and dumb like you, a self-centered smartass like Kaelmir... Yet he also has your devotion, Kaelmir’s selflessness... I look at him, and... I see the two of you. Or at least, the two of you I remember."

His Majesty didn’t respond to her insults.

Instead, he slouched, wearing a growing smile that warmed my heart just enough not to strike the woman down for her insolence.

Just... Why did it seem like he was enjoying himself?

Asdrea: "Does that mean he occupies first place in your heart now?"

Why...

Why does her heart matter, My Lord?

Is mine not enough?

??????: "Ha... You should know that the spot is forever reserved. After all, It’s the same for you, too..."

Ah...

No...

Please.

Asdrea: "That’s true..."

I lowered my gaze, fighting back the tears.

I couldn’t even see my beloved king’s face anymore.

It was unbearable.

??????: "But I’ll say... I like him way more than I ever did you."

Eh!?

How dare she!?

Could those eyes be for decoration only? Could that nose be fake? Did she even have a brain inside that skull?

How could someone ever consider that man over His Majesty?

Asdrea: "I thought I was your favorite?"

Oh! We were in sync, My Lord!

??????: "You’re kidding? You were my least favorite. If you had done what Kaelmir did, I’d have killed you during the First Cycle. I was much more fond of him and the First Son. Even Amelia was nicer... Ah, sorry. She goes by Rose Queen now, huh?"

I clicked my tongue.

My blood was boiling.

But I had self-control.

I’d never stain His Majesty’s beloved garden with the crude blood of such a deplorable woman.

Ryliana Leirtfield, the Red Thorn Queen, on the other hand...

She emanated streams of pure mana so thick that I could hear planets tearing apart in the far beyond.

Asdrea: "You, Amelia... Everyone liked him more. And yet, you never showed him your true form..."

What a wonderful expression he had.

I should burn it into my memory, even if it meant erasing my own name from there.

??????: "I never meant to show it to you, either!"

She waved her arm, launching a gust of wind toward My Lord...

Her pathetic attack was so weak, even I wouldn’t be scratched by it.

And yet...

His Majesty was blown away and rolled on the ground.

He was playing.

I knew he was.

But attacking him, even if as a joke... that wasn’t allowed! Never!

Thynea closed the distance in under a second, her extended, claw-like nails reaching the woman’s neck.

I had the woman surrounded in a fog thick enough to swallow the light of burning stars.

Above the garden’s glass ceiling, black lightning and white flames burst from a stream of massive, planet-sized falling pillars.

??????: "I’m sorry... The King of Roses is the only one who can hurt me in this form."

Thynea’s claws pierced through her neck, yet no blood was drawn.

It was like the woman was made of light.

But if that were the case, my fog should’ve been able to reach her!

Yet, I felt nothing but her mana.

Abdure: "...Oh?"

My master took a step forward, drawing his blade.

Her chair instantly melted.

Yet, not a single one of His Majesty’s flowers burned. Even the yellow one she was given was miraculously spared by the fire, despite her entire body being caught in the flames.

And still, once the flames subsided...

The woman still stood unharmed.

She slowly reached a hand toward Thynea and me.

It was a movement so slow, I could have dodged it a million times.

But my feet didn’t move.

I couldn’t enter the smoke.

I just stood, accepting it.

And when I felt her touch...

I became calm.

As if My Lord were the one touching me.

The sensation was blissful. Peaceful...

I would never betray My Lord like this!

I had to reject it!

He was my only happiness!

But...

I couldn’t control my own feelings.

Asdrea: "Stop."

My body instinctively recognized My Lord’s words.

I knelt, regardless of the massively increased gravity.

Asdrea: "She’s saying that because it’s my energy that’s fueling her, and she’d love to see it spent."

His Majesty brought her another chair.

The woman sat, chuckling.

I should hate her.

But after her touch, something lingered in me, and I felt... oddly tranquil.

??????: "It. Not she, it. Don’t forget you’ve seen my original embarrassing form, idiot."

The woman closed her eyes and pouted.

With crossed arms, she faced away from my liege’s illustrious self.

Asdrea: "My bad. But you also mixed my title with Amelia’s."

My Lord looked so innocent, scratching his head!

I had never seen it before!

Even though I hated that woman, for that, her last transgression was forgiven!

??????: "Well... Everyone has a title now... It gets a little confusing. And yours doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue."

She fixed her posture.

But a second later, she slouched again.

Using His Majesty’s gift inefficiently...

If it were me, I would maintain a perfect posture, forever!

Asdrea: "Are you jealous? If it’s you, the title of Creation’s Cutest Sparrow might not be too unrealistic."

My Lord laughed to himself.

However, despite granting her a title in his infinite benevolence, the woman wore a frown.

??????: "Forget that already! You weren’t supposed to see it!"

She stood up from the chair, knocking on His Majesty’s chest, and he laughed louder than ever before.

??????: "If only you and Amelia weren’t getting scolded all the time, or if someone hadn’t conveniently forgotten to tell me you were coming..."

Scolding His Majesty?

Who would dare?

And why would he accept it?

...I see. I finally understood.

She was crazy, and His Majesty had taken pity on her.

That was the only plausible explanation.

As expected, His Majesty’s kindness knew no bounds.

He’d even entertain such a broken mind.

Asdrea: "Well... I thought you were the most lovely sparrow in creation."

His tone was affectionate.

He was being honest.

I knew it.

I simply couldn’t accept it.

A defeated sigh escaped me.

??????: "...I thought those times would last forever."

The woman returned to her chair and fidgeted, her gaze returning to My King.

Their smiles turned fragile, as if even a quiet breeze could take them away.

??????: "Every time I close my eyes, I remember what we lost and... It hurts."

She rubbed her eyes before a tear could drop.

My king faced away.

He wore an expression I had never seen.

It pained me.

Asdrea: "...I understand. Seeing you alive again... Stings."

I wanted to extend my hand. To comfort him in my embrace.

I would’ve even been happy to see someone else comfort him.

Even that woman.

Yet, I had spent enough cycles with His Majesty to know...

He’d rather shoulder it alone...

Asdrea: "It doesn’t matter. I’ll fix it, and you won’t have to feel this way again."

The garden fell into silence.

The woman slowly shook her head, sighing.

??????: "...Kaelmir can go anywhere, but he can never return to the place he loved the most."

The woman stood up from the chair.

??????: "Amelia can wait forever, but the tomorrow she wishes for can never arrive."

She knelt before His Majesty.

Her hand reached for his chin.

I...

I wanted it to be me in her place.

Nonetheless, I was glad.

??????: "You can only grow stronger, but you can never become powerful enough."

My king smiled.

Foolish me.

Selfish me.

His smile relieved me much more than it had relieved him.

Even after all this time...

I was still so undeserving.

Asdrea: "That leaves you..."

His Majesty plucked another flower from a bush and placed it on her dress.

??????: "...I can never love anything as much, but I can learn to accept."

She stood up and left him to sit back in the chair.

??????: "Sometimes I think... If I were in your shoes... If I had your power... Would I have chosen the same?"

Her eyes were half-closed.

More importantly, my king seemed calmer.

Asdrea: "And the answer...?"

The wind blew, brushing the flowers.

Even the flower on her head swayed.

??????: "...Frightens me."

My king seemed surprised.

Finishing each other’s sentences...

I had not even dared dream of something so romantic, but now I should!

If he’d permit me, every night...

Asdrea: "In that case... You haven’t picked a side yet?"

No matter the circumstances, the only viable option was always His Majesty!

Even that woman should know it.

??????: "...Miwen feeds me grains and seeds. He never lets me drink anything other than water. And the worst part is that he laughs, saying if I want anything else, I should reveal my true form."

She didn’t answer his question!

Stop wasting his time, stupid!

Stop making me feel conflicted...

His joy should be my priority, even over my own.

I had already decided, had I not?

But this woman brought him so much pain. And at the same time, he seemed so happy with her...

If it were anyone else, I would learn to accept.

But why her!?

Asdrea: "If Kaelmir knew your true form, he’d do the same."

They both laughed.

His Majesty’s eyes were full of love.

Meanwhile, my hands started shaking.

I had more than enough power to support my body.

But I lacked the will.

??????: "...He’s horrible. But... The First Son chose him."

My Lord flinched.

He stared at the woman in disbelief.

She didn’t comfort him.

Asdrea: "Why?"

My liege clenched his fists.

The woman shrugged, raising both hands.

??????: "I don’t know."

My Lord said nothing.

The woman also kept quiet.

It was as if time had crawled to a stop.

??????: "...I’m sorry Asdrea."

Her head hung low.

As did My Lord’s...

??????: "I haven’t forgiven Kaelmir, and I don’t agree with what you’re doing. A part of me wishes you could succeed, but... I will follow my master."

The mana started to leave her body, returning to my liege.

I couldn’t see his expression.

It was like needles stabbed at my heart.

Please, someone...

Anyone...

Maybe I should... Maybe I could-

Asdrea: "It’s fine. He would never help me. None of the Endless would."

His Majesty lifted himself!

His will was...

Your Majesty?

Asdrea: "Don’t worry. If we are to be enemies, it will not be because of someone else’s decision. I will not persecute your master, and you’ll always be welcome in my domain, old friend."

I couldn’t see His Majesty’s eyes.

As he walked towards the woman, my liege stared into the far beyond, resting a hand on her shoulder.

??????: "...Is that true for Kaelmir as well?"

Asdrea: "For Kaelmir. For Amelia. Always."

His Majesty gestured for us to lift our heads, releasing the mana from his body.

The woman’s figure...

It started to shrink.

??????: "I see."

I felt the woman’s touch on my chin, even though she was a couple of feet away.

Her voice quietly whispered into my ears...

??????: "Don’t lose the love you have for him. One day, it might reach him."

Nyxie: "Hmph. As if I’d ever lose it."

I whispered under my breath.

Only to hear the other Thorn Queens doing the same.

??????: "Asdrea... I wanted you to know that... I forgive you. And if that’s the case for me... Who knows? Maybe you’ll be able to rest easy when you get there. If you can get there."

A soft chuckle escaped my liege’s lips.

He landed a hand on my head and...

He patted me!

Even though he was doing the same to Ryliana, I melted!

So caring!

So loving!

My Lord!

Asdrea: "...Are you sure you don’t want to keep the mana? It could save your master."

How could a man be so generous!?

Even though that wrench deserved nothing but scorn, His Majesty still found it in his boundless heart to offer him something as precious as his own mana!

??????: "He can handle himself."

The woman turned into a small orb of pure light.

Yet, her voice still reached us.

??????: "That reminds me... He might meet Amelia in the future. Want me to pass a message?"

Asdrea: "Oh, so you were actually a carrier pigeon?"

His Majesty moved over to Thynea.

But since I was in the middle, he patted me with his other hand.

Double head pats!

Only for me!

??????: "Ugh... Goodbye, moron. I hope you don’t waste your life on a meaningless quest."

Asdrea: "Goodbye, old friend. I hope you find bright skies ahead of you."

Wings started appearing from the light sphere.

They flapped once and...

Disappeared.

Asdrea: "Abdure."

His Majesty’s hands left me.

But I was satisfied.

Those were the best two minutes and fourteen seconds of my life!

Abdure: "...Yes?"

My master’s voice was calm...

His flame was burning out.

And it was all my fault.

Asdrea: "I need you to keep an eye on Lapis for me. I would usually have Ythyleon handle it, but... She’s his family."

Abdure: "Got it."

That brat was getting too full of herself lately.

I wish he’d ask me to kill her instead, though.

But as expected, even though he had already been patient with her, he still showed enormous thoughtfulness toward Ythyleon!

Asdrea: "Oh, and Nyxie..."

Me!?

Could it be...?

Another task!?

Did you grow to trust your loyal devotee this much, Your Majesty?

Asdrea: "I’ll leave Catherine to you. Also... If Miwen survives the second phase, give him a tour of the Palace. No place is off-limits."

It wasn’t a task.

It was a trial.

But I had nothing to fear.

My love for His Majesty would never be shaken!

Asdrea: "If you need something, be sure to tell me."

As if I could ask for anything more, Your Majesty!

Even one more second of your time would be insolent of me to beg for!

Although...

Seeing My Lord’s back as he left the garden, I felt so lonely.

If I could wish for something, maybe... Could you let me accompany you? Wherever you go?

Abdure: "Hah... Now this, huh?"

Even though my master was already busy fighting the Caravan, His Majesty gave him another task...

As expected, he was his most trusted.

Nyxie: "Would you like to spar, master?"

Abdure: "...Maybe another time, Nyxie. I still have to participate in the Divine Event, as well."

Among the Gods, there were only two equal to my master.

Azure and Ythyleon.

In the Caravan, there was only Priscilla.

And above him...

Only the hateful Merchant and our impeccable liege.

Nyxie: "I’m sorry."

No wonder his flame was dying.

He had stagnated.

If he killed the Merchant...

There’d be nothing else for him.

It was all my fault.

Worthless Nyxie.

Why are you so useless when the people you love most need you?

If I could at least be like that woman...

If my feelings could reach His Majesty...

I would never know greater joy.

There would be none!

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