Gacha Kingdom Building

I couldn't tell for sure since his sunglasses were in the way.

But I felt that, while everyone's attention was directed at the First Son, after checking them, his eyes landed on me, where they stayed until he formed a smirk.

Unable to read him, I could only answer with a frown.

He didn't pay me any mind, and while unbothered as he had been when he first entered the building, he continued to take a few more steps inside.

His greeting and posture pictured an easygoing and friendly person, but I didn't dare lower my guard around him.

More than the Fifth Daughter's over-the-top act, the Third Son's cheeky attitude, or even the First Daughter's cover for her loneliness...

My instincts told me I shouldn't judge him based solely on what I was seeing or the First Daughter's words.

There was more to him.

Enough to make every other Endless in the room agitated by his mere presence.

Yet, I was conflicted.

At first sight, he seemed more genuine than all of them.

Perhaps more human, or more realized.

Someone who knew who they were and accepted it, unlike his younger siblings, who were still finding themselves and coming to terms with who they were.

He wasn't complete, though.

If my gut was right, there was one piece missing for him.

A small, vital detail that weighed on his back.

Not enough to make him hunch over, but enough to make him raise his head slightly higher to hide it.

That by itself wouldn't be too concerning.

It didn't even feel like such a big thing.

However, even though I couldn't understand it myself, I felt sympathy for him.

No, that's not right.

The way my heart clenched... Felt more like guilt.

One I couldn't begin to imagine the reason behind.

And as I tried to gather my thoughts, fighting the pressure I felt from him simply standing nearby, he had taken enough steps to be just a few centimeters away from the First Daughter and me.

Unlike her other siblings, we didn't have a desk to hide behind and were forced to stand in front of him, facing the entirety of his being.

My body didn't even try to react to him.

It instantly decided that the best move was not to move at all and hope that my presence went unnoticed by him.

Thankfully, The First Daughter, seeing how close he was to me, took a step ahead, and when the First Son reached into his pocket, she extended her hand, pushing me behind.

Her movement was quick, instinctive.

But tragically considerate.

Her sister, who had only a moment ago accused her of not caring about her family, didn't show any reaction, as the First Daughter made sure to protect everyone behind her.

Human and Endless alike.

Still, any worry about danger that I had only lasted a second.

I could never have predicted, but what followed was insanely comic, especially considering the type of beings I was dealing with.

First Son: "I came for a refund. I tried the route of the character I liked more, but I got stuck in the fight against the dragon. You guys didn't even bother to balance this! And what's the deal with having to redo everything from the beginning? I wasted precious hours farming-"

Out of all things he could have taken from his pocket, what he revealed to everyone was a copy of Isabella's life in game format.

It was absurd how he seemed more bothered by it than the showering of questions he received.

Even more absurd, however, was what prevented him from finishing his complaint.

From my shoulder, a small sparrow flew, and without batting an eye at anything else, attacked him.

The First Son skillfully dodged the first peck.

Only to lose his balance and fall to the ground.

From then on, the sparrow had the advantage and kept trying to hit him from multiple angles, as the once-threatening man desperately used his arms and legs to shoo it away.

To no avail.

It was a fierce battle that could only be better with an old cartoon-style dust cloud and a few sound effects.

First Son: "Stop! Stop it, stupid bird! Gah!"

Miwen: "...Apollo?"

I wasn't sure how to react to what was happening.

It felt like having a dog attack a toddler.

Except that in this case, the dog is one of the weakest spirits possible, while the toddler is supposed to be the most powerful being in existence.

Not to mention, it was weird that Apollo even left my shoulder, as I had made sure he wasn't there when I first entered the Infinite Hotel.

Even though I'm pretty attentive, this is not the first case of this bird appearing somewhere he wasn't supposed to be.

Up until this point, every time the girls thanked me for sending him when I had not, I believed it just followed them without me noticing, and silently accepted their gratitude.

However, it's been on the back of my head for a long time now, and this time, I made damn sure to confirm whether or not he was with me.

I didn't want anyone to get hurt, after all.

Miwen: "So... Is there something important you wanna tell me about Apollo?"

First Daughter: "Not really?"

She responded to me with a "teehee" smile.

It was a huge shift from her previous mood, and I was sure she was thinking about using whatever secrets Apollo had as a prize for the next game in the Infinite Hotel.

Not that she needed to, of course, I'd be happy to play again with her even if there was nothing to gain.

But, seeing her a little more cheerful, I decided not to press.

It was good enough like this.

Especially since Apollo had only ever helped the girls, too, so whatever secrets there were about him, they were probably only something positive, meaning I didn't have to worry about them.

First Son: "Alright, alright! I get it, okay? I was going to take it seriously. I just thought having a little fun wouldn't hurt..."

So he was having fun with our reactions, huh.

Well, I couldn't be too mad.

In his position, I'd probably have done the same.

In any case, it took them a while, but Apollo and the First Son finally made peace.

And funnily enough, after it, their little squabble seemed more like good friends reuniting and getting a little overexcited.

Apollo even decided to rest on his shoulder, something he normally only does after making a contract with someone.

First Son: "Who'd thought we'd get to meet in this form, huh?"

There was a peaceful smile on the First Son's face that, paired with his tone and the image of the calm Apollo, made me believe these two had history together.

The two of them just seemed too natural together for that not to be the case.

Of course, this alone wasn't enough to make me discredit the First Daughter's words, but I'd be lying if I said that I remained as tense as I had been before witnessing it.

I just couldn't help it.

And neither could the First Daughter, as even though she tried to block her mouth, a chuckle escaped her, too.

Seeing how her mood had improved and the timing of the First Son's arrival, I started to wonder if everything was according to his plan.

It would be an incredibly roundabout way to do things.

But, considering the results, not by any means ineffective.

Third Son: "Are you done playing the fool?"

First Son: "That depends. Are you?"

While our side's mood improved, the younger siblings' side tasted the opposite.

For one, I was happy to see the pesky smile leave the Third Son's face, but at the same time, I worried about the anger behind his eyes that came as a replacement.

I was the only human in the room.

The only inferior being.

If somehow things exploded, I was probably going to be the one sent flying.

First Son: "Don't worry, Miwen. You've got the best ally you could wish for. Oh, you don't like having your mind read, right? Sorry about that!"

Carelessness didn't suit the Endless.

Any instance of it happening should be treated as a joke, provocation, or scorn.

I knew this.

Yet, I believed him.

He seemed like the type of guy who'd act first and think later.

The type who'd casually forget important stuff about others, only to remember a moment later and awkwardly joke about it, hoping to lessen the tension.

He did seem like the type who'd forget such things, only to joke about it later.

Still, that he'd be this considerate towards me was a little strange.

I could understand this from The First Daughter, since we were already friends, but...

We didn't know each other, or at least, I didn't remember knowing him.

So, going as far as to call himself my ally...

Miwen: "What do you mean by this?"

First Daughter: "Ah, my fault. I forgot to mention, but he's the engine behind your Gift. Also, the one who has limited and locked it, so that you could handle [Gacha Kingdom Building]."

Miwen: "Oh... Is he my contractor, then?"

First Daughter: "Yes."

I figured one of the Endless might've been behind [Gacha Kingdom Building] back when the First Daughter said she couldn't tackle it all at once.

Thinking back, it should've been obvious that the First Son had to be the one, as he was her only senior, but I imagined they all had the same capabilities, and that one of them just happened to put more effort into making my Gift than she did in analyzing it.

Unfortunately, this answer wasn't too satisfactory.

If, from the start, I was a puppet of the Endless, then my chances of getting them to let me be were more grim than I thought.

I'd have to understand why, at least...

Why would the First Son even bother with something like this?

With a being like me?

Fifth Daughter: "Good question! The First Daughter has been fixated on her project since the start, but Older Brother... You were so much more than all of us... Why!? Why did you stoop so low!? When will things go back to how they used to be!?"

First Son: "..."

I disliked how the Fifth Daughter behaved.

She, who naturally had the bright personality that the First Daughter had tried hard to replicate, chose to mock her sister's effort.

Yet, at the surreal sight of her tears flowing down her face, only to reach the still cheerful smile she had, I couldn't help but feel for her.

It was the first time she had been authentic, and she seemed broken.

A complete mess of emotions.

She couldn't look her brother in the eye without smiling.

And she couldn't face her brother without crying.

Third Son: "The Gift you created is complex, I'll admit it. But why give it to a human? Why would you attach yourself to it when you refused to sacrifice yourself?"

First Daughter: "He didn't need to. We all agreed on it."

Fifth Daughter: "Only because it should have been you!"

The brief moment of peace that the First Son achieved was gone.

His younger siblings demand answers from him and from each other.

Third Son: "It doesn't matter who it should've been. If this is the most he has to offer, we made the wrong choice."

I couldn't voice my opinion.

Once the topic had strayed away from me, it wasn't my place to say anything.

The only thing I could do was watch as their discussion heated up.

First Daughter: "You're underestimating him. Don't forget who we're talking about here. Surely, there's a reason for his actions."

Fifth Daughter: "Hahah! That won't work. And you're the reason why. You're supposed to be second only to him, and yet, the only thing you've worked on was that meaningless project of yours! You two are irresponsible!"

First Daughter: "The Infinite Hotel is not-"

Fifth Daughter: "You're gonna argue it's more important than what I've worked on? You realize you can only talk because I created sound? That your little hotel only looks a certain way because I created the concept of colors?

First Daughter: "That's not-"

Fifth Daughter: "That's not it? Then are you saying it's more important than the fine-tuning and value determination of the universe that the Third Son works on? Or that it's equal to the magic and Gifts that your older brother created? Oh, it couldn't be... You believe the Infinite Hotel is more important than the Pillars of Creation? Is that why you didn't make the sacrifice!?"

First Daughter: "That's not what I've said! It's not a meaningless project. It's important... To me, at least... It's my way of achieving endlessness, and... He supported it, so who are you to say it's meaningless!?"

I was under the impression that the Fifth Daughter's banter was just that, banter.

But seeing her repeat the same point against her older sister, it started to feel like she really, deeply cared about it.

Unfortunately, I already knew the First Daughter didn't have a good comeback, and it was just a matter of time before she lost composure and became meek in front of her younger sister again.

No matter how much I wanted, there was nothing I could say or do about it.

After all, I didn't know the story.

However, there was someone who knew.

Miwen: "...Aren't you going to say anything?"

First Son: "Should I? This is just between them. I've already moved on."

Even though I couldn't see his eyes, I knew he was lying.

He lowered his head just a little bit when uttering those words.

Unconsciously, he had exposed the tiny detail weighing on him.

Miwen: "This all started because of you, right?"

First Son: "It would seem so."

Although I didn't get a direct answer from the Third Son and the Fifth Daughter, once the First Son arrived and the First Daughter revealed his involvement with me, their reason for interfering became clear.

In part, they didn't approve that their brother, oh-so-magnificent, would waste his time on something like a puny human.

It also seems like he is literally attached to me, so he's probably limited in what he can do, which frustrates them.

However, the biggest thing I noticed is that they are not so different from the First Daughter.

Although not in the same unpleasant way, she was the first to interfere with me, her brother's project.

In their own way, they were looking for attention.

Miwen: "They are your younger siblings. If your father's not around, it's your responsibility to look after and correct them."

I didn't know much about the Endless, but this was a universal rule that applied to every family.

First Son: "Speaking from experience?"

Miwen: "You know it. My sister is a perfectionist, so I was corrected a bunch."

First Son: "You weren't such a brat, though."

Miwen: "Oh, I was something worse."

First Son: "Ha! Isn't that true... Well... I don't like being told what to do, but I appreciate your worry for my sister, so... I'll make an exception for you. In exchange, you'll pay me soon enough. Deal?"

It was a horrible deal.

I had nothing to gain from it, and I didn't yet trust him.

However...

Even if there was a great price to be paid, the First Daughter was worth it.

While the three continued to argue, the First Son and I shook hands.

A smile formed on his face, and, as if I had made a deal with the Devil, I felt shivers run down my spine.

The very next moment, the world around us changed.

The walls of the game studio building crumbled alongside the grey zone around it.

Then, deep darkness started to overtake it all, only to be filled by colorful stardust clouds, lit by the stars.

Although there was no ground to land on, my feet stopped in midair, right in the middle of the vast emptiness of the cosmos.

I barely had time to take it all in before I realized we were travelling at an incredible speed, passing by star systems, comets, and all other space objects.

Less than a minute went by before we arrived at our destination, a giant, mysterious wall that extended beyond sight.

There were a few markings on it, but I couldn't tell what they were meant to be.

First Daughter: "This is..."

Third Son: "...Why did you bring us here?"

Fifth Daughter: "What's your problem!?"

Everyone's reaction was similar.

More than annoyed at being forcefully dragged around by their older brother, they all seemed frustrated at his lack of consideration, considering the place he brought them was none other than the Pillars of Creation.

First Son: "Punishment. For interfering with my project, you three will stay here, facing the wall, until I'm satisfied."

First Daughter: "You wouldn't-"

First Son: "I'm hearing no complaints. I'll be taking Miwen somewhere else for the time being. I hope that you've reflected on your behavior by the time I'm back."

The last thing I saw was the First Daughter's extended hand.

She seemed desperate for someone, either her brother or me, to grab it.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity.

The First Daughter and her siblings disappeared from my sight, and the scenario changed again.

I was brought by the First Son to another completely unfamiliar place, with no choice in the matter.

Below me were twelve faces, eleven of which I recognized.

First Son: "This is the moment of creation. You know the words, right?"

Miwen: "...Become endless?"

First Son: "Yeah, those."

...Nothing was happening.

Nothing could happen.

There were no concepts yet.

The Endless, although already existing, had yet to awaken or receive their mission.

Miwen: "Why did you bring me here?"

First Son: "No one but me can come here. Not even my siblings."

Miwen: "...I see."

There's probably no better place for a private talk.

Or whatever it is that he wanted from me.

First Son: "You really don't trust me, huh?"

Miwen: "Do I have a reason not to?"

First Son: "Haha! Well... I did try to help your friend when she was in a tough spot. Although I can't take any credit since she pulled herself up... Oh, I know! What if I said I was the one who modified the [Companions Banner] to only summon women?"

Miwen: "I trust you with my life."

First Son: "That was easy."

While I was mostly joking, it was true that I had a feeling I shouldn't distrust him.

Not because of his words, or even his actions so far, but just...

A strong feeling in my heart that I could count on him.

Or rather, that I owed it to him.

First Son: "We won't get many chances to talk. This time is an exception."

Miwen: "...Do I get to ask some questions then?"

First Son: "No. But you get to answer mine."

There wasn't anything more unfair for him to ask.

Any answer I could give him, as an Endless, he was bound to have already.

Miwen: "Fine. Give me your worst."

First Son: "So pessimistic... Well, whatever. Answer me truthfully. After everything you've experienced, the loss, the tragedy, the misery, the punishment, the trouble... And all that you've received, the love, the friendship, the power, the opportunity... Are you happy to have [Gacha Kingdom Building] ?"

He really was an unpredictable man.

Indeed, I didn't wish for this Gift.

And considering the dreams and desires I had for the future, there were probably other powers that suited me better.

Because of it, I experienced many things I wish I hadn't.

I probably would be leaving a more peaceful life without it.

But at the same time...

I was only able to save my sister because of the girls I summoned.

I met the love of my life because of it.

The loves of my life.

I changed and grew because of them.

I learned about things I could have never known, and I met beings so extraordinary, no one would believe me.

When I was satisfied with normalcy, this Gift made me look forward to more.

Even if everything that happened was orchestrated, or if I'm to be a puppet to a bigger plot, it doesn't really matter.

Miwen: "I'm glad as hell. If you said you were gonna take it from me, I'd fight for it, even if it were hopeless."

First Son: "Pfft. Hahaha! I really liked that answer!"

Time started moving...

Or at least, I think that was what was happening.

Strange colors and shapes started to fill the world, and we began to grow, to shrink, move, and spin.

The faces disappeared, and in their place...

Everything appeared.

Then, it all crumbled down, until only the wall remained.

And then, the same was repeated.

And then again.

This cycle only stopped once we reached the others.

First Son: "Sentence ceased. How'd you like your eternity?"

...Even though it seemed like not even a second had passed to the rest of the cosmos, I suspected that the same did not apply to the Endless forced to "face the wall" by his older brother.

And sure enough, they all seemed rather displeased.

First Daughter: "I thought you said you wanted to fix things."

First Son: "Yes, sister."

First Daughter: "Never. Do. This. Again. I won't forgive you a second time."

First Son: "Noted."

Her voice was cracking, and her body was trembling.

The other two didn't even speak a word.

They simply stared blankly for a while.

Somehow, it seemed like their experience was even worse than the First Daughter's.

First Son: "That's not it. I removed them from existence. Even for them, it will take a while and a lot of effort to manifest themselves again."

First Daughter: "That's... Too far! They might break!"

First Son: "Nah. We are made of sturdier stuff."

Even though it seemed like she suffered quite a bit in her own punishment, the First Daughter was more worried about her siblings.

She even went as far as to threaten the First Son.

First Daughter: "Bring them back. I'm never talking to you again if you don't."

First Son: "I would hate that."

First Daughter: "I would hate that too, so please..."

First Son: "What do you say, Miwen? Do you forgive them?"

Hah...

So it's up to me, huh.

Talk about karmic justice.

Unfortunately, with the First Daughter looking at me with pleading eyes, about to tear up, I couldn't bring myself to be cruel.

Miwen: "Just make sure they don't interfere with me anymore. Or Isabella."

I suffered a lot at their hands.

Especially when making my way to them.

However, if Isabella's life and destiny were forged by these two just to lure me into that world, then she was by far the biggest victim in all of this.

Miwen: "Also, I want an apology."

That might've been a bit childish of me, but if they got to act like brats, I had the right to act as something even worse.

First Son: "Seems good to you?"

First Daughter: "Yes..."

With a snap of his fingers, the First Son fulfilled his sister's wish, and the two brats returned.

Their physical appearance hadn't changed much, but their attitude was unrecognizable.

Fifth Daughter: "I'm sorry for what I've done! I was jealous of you for hogging my brother's attention all for yourself! Here..."

She bowed in front of me and handed me a small gift, with an apologetic face that I'd never have expected to see when I first met her.

As for her older brother...

Third Son: "...I thought you weren't worthy of having him work for you. I still believe you aren't, in fact."

First Son: "Ahem!"

Third Son: "But even though we did our best to bring out the worst in you... You didn't do your worst, so... I'm sorry for testing you. And for hurting innocent bystanders."

Unlike his sister, he didn't have a token to symbolize his apology.

Nonetheless, I accepted it.

There's probably not a single being in existence, no matter the cycle, who can say they got an apology from two of the Endless, so...

I was pretty satisfied.

Especially since I left home thinking I'd be lucky to get even a single answer or compromise.

Hell, I thought I wouldn't even return alive.

Yet, there I was, back at the Infinite Hotel.

First Son: "Now... There's one thing that's been bugging me. All three of you seemed sure that I was Miwen's contractor, but... Where did you get that idea from?"

Just when I thought it was all over...

Everyone in the Hotel's hall was shocked by those words.

First Daughter: "What do you mean? We know you're the engine of his Gift, and that you've limited and locked [Gacha Kingdom Building]'s functions so that he could withstand it."

The First Son didn't have a reason to lie here.

Neither did the First Daughter, nor her younger siblings.

Yet, they were contradicting each other or something that they believed to be common knowledge.

First Son: "The first part is true. The latter not so much."

Fifth Daughter: "That can't be! You are-"

Miwen: "...Are you also under the same contract?"

That was the only thing that would make sense to me.

If, instead of being the contractor, he was just another signee.

First Son: "You really don't know how to disappoint me."

First Daughter: "...Who contracted you?"

First Son: "Can't tell, it's one of the clauses I'm under."

First Daughter: "No one can bound you!"

First Son: "Ah, don't worry, Sis. I wasn't forced into it or anything of the sort. Well, I guess I couldn't really refuse, but... Another thing... I didn't create [Gacha Kingdom Building]. I was given it and translated it into a Gift to pass it on to someone else."

Third Son: "...Was that part of the contract?"

First Son: "Yeah, I was pretty much entrusted it."

...For them, it was a casual conversation.

For me, it was one staggering revelation after another.

Miwen: "...Why did you choose me? Is there... Something special or unique about me?"

First Son: "Special, yes. Unique, no. I had other candidates. Better candidates, even."

Miwen: "Then, why?"

First Son: "It made more sense to give to you than anyone else."

That didn't really answer anything...

First Son: "There'll come a day... I'll have a question for you, Miwen. One that was entrusted to me alongside [Gacha Kingdom Building]. I don't know how you'll answer, but I thought that coming from you, it was bound to be interesting. Don't disappoint me, yeah?"

Miwen: "I'll try my best."

After listening to the First Son for a while, we were left with more questions than answers.

There was a lot he could say, but he chose to remain silent or only answer some things vaguely.

In the end, the Fifth Daughter and the Third Son left, and only the three of us, the First Daughter, the First Son, and I, stayed in the Infinite

First Son: "Oh, I almost forgot. Can you do me a favor, Miwen?"

Miwen: "...What is it?"

First Son: "There's one person I want you to summon, so can you go ahead and finish the Event to unlock the [Companions Banner] again?"

...It was almost like a flashback to my first time at the Infinite Hotel and the First Daughter's request back then.

Of course, with her promising to boost my chances like she had done previously, and his guarantee that I wouldn't regret it, I wasted no time and started rolling on the [Companions Banner].