After claiming the rewards for Isabella's Event, among other things, I was left with three [Ultra Rare Gacha Tickets].
I was looking forward to testing them since they were better than any ticket I had used previously and had a good chance of bringing sothing pretty powerful, no matter the banner I used them on.
However, the First Son had different plans.
Even though the First Daughter had prepared the sa setup as when I summoned Cassandra and Angelica, limiting the number of available options in the banner and boosting my luck, her brother insisted that I should use one of these tickets for this summoning.
[Really? You're going to cheap out on ?]
It seed excessive to waste such a good thing on what was pretty much guaranteed, but he didn't even give
the option.
As soon as I selected a normal ticket, before I could even begin the summoning ritual, my system displayed a very peculiar warning and returned
to the ticket selection nu.
If I was suspicious of his insistence before, this only made
more certain that he was up to no good.
Not that I could do anything about it, though.
As such, hoping that at least I wouldn't regret this, I used one of the [Ultra Rare Gacha Tickets].
What happened after was the usual.
The sa thing that happened whenever I first used the normal tickets, or even the [Rare Gacha Tickets].
My consciousness quickly faded, and I felt myself being dragged towards a blank space.
Normally, I can't even see or feel anything, and the whiteness clouding my mind fades as fast as it cos.
This ti, however, things were a little more strange.
The space around
slowly transford into a dream-like landscape.
A gentle grass field that seed to extend endlessly in every direction.
The usual headache went away imdiately, and as I focused my eyes, I saw two figures sitting across from each other by a campfire, just a few steps away from .
I imdiately recognized the First Son.
His clothes were a little too urban for the wilderness.
But the second figure, an old man, was a complete stranger.
Or, at least, he should have been.
I couldn't recognize him at first.
But this was not the first ti we had t.
It took
a while, but I rembered.
First Son: "Yo! You're late."
Miwen: "Can you bla ? It's been a busy day."
First Son: "Fair."
As usual, he acted nonchalant, as if he had no involvent with it whatsoever.
It was unbelievable.
Miwen: "Yo!"
Old Man: "Hello, Miwen."
The First Son was the only one who could forcibly return
to the Infinite Hotel, but considering he went through such a length to get
here, I didn't even bother asking him.
That and... Chances to sit with them were incredibly precious.
I felt like making the most of the opportunity, and took a seat with them.
The old man watched the fire flickering, occasionally gazing towards us.
His voice was soft and calm, but steady.
Miwen: "I thought we wouldn't et again. At least not so soon."
Old Man: "I was surprised too."
His eyes landed on the First Son, and briefly, a smile ford on his face.
I couldn't tell whether or not he was telling the truth, since, surprisingly, the conditions in place made eting the Old Man easier than eting the First Son.
However, there was a limit to that.
First Son: "No need to thank ."
The more I heard these two, the more I wondered why I got involved with them in the first place.
Well, in this place, I actually rembered, but...
The beginning was aningless.
Or, it will be, until I reach the end.
Miwen: "Speaking of which... The Third Son and the Fifth Daughter might be a problem."
First Son: "...True. I can't tell what they'll do."
Old Man: "Bwahaha!"
Even though it was a serious problem, the mastermind behind the First Son and I laughed loudly, hardly caring about the fact that two Endless out of the twelve were likely to oppose us.
It was obvious how serious a problem this could beco, but at the sa ti, there was no rit in explaining it to him.
He already knew well, and unfortunately, he could do even less than the First Son.
Once things were set in motion, the only thing I could expect was for him to watch it until the end.
Realizing how much the odds were stacked against us, I couldn't help but sigh.
First Son: "No need to worry. I trust the First Daughter."
My other ally wasn't any better.
This siscon trusted his sister with his life, destiny, and mine.
Miwen: "Of course you do."
I wasn't so sure myself.
The First Son lost a lot of the goodwill, authority, and recognition he had.
While the First Daughter loved him just as much as he loved her...
Her love extended to all the others.
She is his soft spot.
But every other Endless is hers.
Well...
No one could judge her better than him, though, so I hoped he wasn't wrong.
Old Man: "...What about you, Miwen?"
Miwen: "...I'm not sure. I'm more selfish than you realize, so frankly, it's a fifty-fifty. But I suppose that only makes you happier?"
Old Man: "Yes. There would be no reason for
to watch if I already knew the answer."
From that perspective, I was doing well.
However, even at this mont, I wasn't sure what the future held in store.
The First Son was tied to [Gacha Kingdom Building], the Old Man was unable to move a finger, and every other piece, including , was too unpredictable.
While I at least had freedom and flexibility, my position was also incredibly fragile...
First Son: "Ti's up..."
Old Man: "Unfortunate."
Miwen: "It was a pleasure... See you around."
I didn't have the chance to say more.
In the blink of an eye, the grassland and the campfire disappeared, and with them, the Old Man.
The walls of the Infinite Hotel suddenly surrounded , with the First Daughter and her brother both waiting for my return.
First Daughter: "Again? Just where the hell were you-"
She seed incredibly concerned, but the headache I felt was too strong for
to hear her words.
To make matters worse, I couldn't help but get distracted by the naked girl I summoned with the [Companions Banner].
While the power of those summoned varies, when it cos to beauty, this banner never fails to deliver.
This ti, it was no different.
The girl summoned was pretty enough to turn heads.
She had smooth and long, silk-like silver hair that flowed down her face and back.
Her sun-kissed skin was fair and beautiful, and her yellow eyes were as majestic as the sun.
They resembled a solar flare, powerful and unyielding.
Considering she should have received my mories, like Angie and Cass, those eyes of hers took
by surprise.
I approached slowly, but slightly carelessly.
??????: "...To !"
With a shout, she jumped back, towards the Hotel's front desk.
Then, almost instantaneously, a loud thud echoed behind .
I didn't have the ti to turn around.
My chest was pierced by the sword I now saw her grab, and my blood and guts spilled on the floor, drenching everything in red before I fell face-first against the ground.
From there on, I struggled to heal myself as much as possible before losing consciousness.
Since the siblings didn't seem interested in helping , I had to make sure to stand, in case she wasn't done yet.
That, however, was easier said than done.
The mont I could finally lift my face from off the ground, the only thing I saw was her charging against the Hotel's front door, vanishing from my sight after diving into the darkness waiting outside the Hotel.
Miwen: "What... T-The fuck...?"
This was a first.
In many ways.
The headache and the pain, and the speed at which everything happened, made things impossible for
to process.
First Son: "That was... Selene, I believe?"
First Daughter: "Yes... That's going to be a problem... You got the floor dirty with your blood, Miwen."
Miwen: "Sorry, I'll mop it after I regrow my organs."
First Daughter: "You better."
Without the First Daughter's help, it would've taken
hours to heal completely, but once the girl was gone, she lent
a hand.
I could hardly believe a newly summoned, level one girl managed to give
such a severe injury...
I guess that's an [Ultra Rare Ticket]. For better or worse, the girl was powerful.
Miwen: "So... You said you were my greatest ally?"
Between losing a ticket, the headache, and the lingering pain, the worst was seeing the First Son retain the sa expression he had when I did the summoning, as if nothing major had happened.
First Son: "In my defense, I wasn't expecting this."
Miwen: "Sure. You could have helped, though."
First Son: "I couldn't. She's a Primordial."
Miwen: "...Weren't they a project of yours?"
First Son: "No, they were my youngest sister's. I just helped her with the fine details."
Huh.
That's not what the Fifth daughter said, but there was no way I'd trust her words over his.
Not that I trust his after this, but...
The better of two evils, I guess.
Miwen: "...And you? My dearest friend?"
First Daughter: "Hm? Sa reason."
Miwen: "No, I get that. I'm talking about how you allowed the swords to break through your door and her to leave like it wasn't any of your business."
First Daughter: "Oh... I have an old agreent with the leader of the Council of Roses. Their mbers are allowed to leave the Infinite Hotel whenever they please..."
I wish that instead of reminiscing about it, she'd worry about
a little more, but the I get to know the First Daughter, the more I understand she's a bit of a lost cause.
She gets weirdly attached to anyone who gives her ti, and she's the type to think more about the past than the future.
As for ...
While I didn't complain, I was justifiably annoyed with the whole situation.
First Son: "She was a captain, right?"
First Daughter: "Captain of the White Roses Second Division, yes."
First Son: "Oh... Oh, you're fucked, Miwen."
Exhilarating news.
Miwen: "...Why? Did I do sothing?"
First Son: "Not really. But the White Roses are known to value decency and preserve their chastity."
Miwen: "I didn't touch her, though?"
First Son: "That would be the ultimate cri. But showing them sothing indecent, and looking at their body in the nude... That's worth two death sentences."
As if that wasn't enough, the First Daughter explained that Council mbers can move freely through the Infinite Hotel.
And since the Kingdom is connected to the Hotel, they can all march straight into the Kingdom.
To make it even more fun, apparently, they can put up a fight with the Gods and the Caravan.
Miwen: "Well, that was a great use of a ticket. I'll be going now. It was pretty horrible to et your family, but it was fun to spend ti with you."
First Son: "Thanks! I was looking forward to it!"
Miwen: "I was talking with your sister. But whatever. Thanks for the help. Could've done without the problems, though."
I turned my back to them to leave the Infinite Hotel, but not only did I et a newly-repaired closed door, but I also had my arm grabbed from behind, preventing
from moving.
Then, the ground beneath
and the First Son spun, leaving
between him and the First Daughter.
First Son: "I told you this wasn't what I was expecting."
Miwen: "Oh, really? That's a gacha for you. If you want advice-"
First Son: "You will do it again, Miwen."
Miwen: "..."
From the look on his face, I could tell he was serious as can be.
But the thought of wasting another one of these tickets consud .
I almost considered refusing, but...
They would probably keep
here for an eternity if that's what it took.
The First Daughter was my only hope for help, but if convincing her to go against her brother wasn't hard enough, she also seed incredibly enthusiastic about it.
Miwen: "Fine. But this is the last one."
First Son: "If I get what I want."
Miwen: "Please, don't fall for the sunk cost fallacy."
First Son: "Believe in your luck."
I was saying this precisely because I knew my luck.
Miwen: "Look, what if instead-"
First Son: "I have all the ti in the world~"
My advice fell on deaf ears.
Not only that, the two of them shared cookies that the First Daughter brought from who knows where.
Apparently, the condition for
to eat one was to perform a summoning.
This pretty much cented to
that, unless I complied, I'd be stuck in the Infinite Hotel forever.
Their torture, or threat, or whatever that was, ended up working.
Only because I knew I couldn't win against them, though.
Miwen: "...Hello? If you're going to attack soone, can I convince you to start with him?"
The girl who appeared before
this ti was completely different than the other.
She only looked at her surroundings for a second before sitting on her knees, staring at
with her sharp gaze.
Compared to the first girl, her body was a bit smaller in a place or two, but her face more than made up for it.
Out of all the girls I've summoned, she was probably the most serene.
Yet, her red hair and fox ears made
concerned, considering the only two tis I was attacked, aside from Selene's, were during Claire and Lana's summoning.
At the very least, with my mories, she shouldn't-
??????: "T-This one wouldn't dare, my lord."
While I would've felt even better without the First Son's smug "I told you
Reviews
All reviews (0)