I expected the [Companions Banner] to give me something like a game guide. Something helpful, cute... Something nice.
Maybe a small mascot, a clunky robot, or even a spirit or a fairy.
In a way, I got it right.
When I opened my eyes, what I saw before me was indeed a fairy. Or at least, a woman so beautiful, she might as well have been one.
Her hair was long and light blue, resembling the sky more than the sea.
It flowed smoothly down her shoulders, where it became wavy, swirling into small, unfinished spirals at chest-length.
I was mesmerized by how thick and full each spiral was. They were clearly something tended to with absolute care.
Her skin was vivid, and her eyes matched the color of her hair, but instead of bright, they were incredibly dull in tone. Almost lifelessly, they stared down at the floor, refusing to meet my gaze as she attempted to shut herself away from the world.
No clothes covered her body, and despite being the definition of perfection from head to toe, I found it fading from my view.
With each passing second, her solemn face drew me further in.
She felt tragic.
And also...
Miwen: "Beautiful."
Oh.
I...
?????: "...Pervert."
My heart raced, and my mind slowed to a crawl. Before I could notice it, my thoughts turned into words and, at some point, I had gotten closer.
Too close.
Our faces were almost touching.
It came to the point that I couldn't tell whether the heat I felt on my face came from embarrassment over her words or the feeling of her breath against my skin.
Either way, I had to stop crawling toward her.
Still awestruck, I put a couple of steps between us, taking a seat on the floor before her.
I might've gone farther than necessary, but I couldn't trust myself near her. At least, not when I was like this.
This was a first for me. I had never lost so much control.
It was a strange situation. I was caught by surprise.
Yet, it still didn't justify it. This wasn't like me at all.
It had to be her.
There were obvious reasons for me to think that. But it wasn't her body. Or even her face. Something deeper was drawing me in.
I couldn't touch on it, but something powerful and unmistakable was buried deep inside her.
Miwen: "I'm..."
I had screwed up badly. The least I could do was apologize.
However, I failed to understand things myself.
She deserved honesty, but I couldn't justify my actions and reasoning beyond instinct or some vague attraction.
I hesitated, and my hesitation grew into anxiety. It gripped my heart and ate away at me. It was painful. But once I noticed the lonely teardrop trailing down her face, these feelings felt small.
Then minuscule.
Then inexistent.
Her eyes no longer looked lifeless to me. No one would cry a single tear. She was holding them back, and this one just happened to break through her resistance.
In that moment, her eyes finally reflected the light. Falsely, through her tears.
I couldn't be happy.
Not when I was responsible for it.
?????: "Please... No... Don't hurt..."
Her voice was mellow, faint.
It was like she was afraid of being heard, or worse... afraid of me.
This meek protest, afraid of existing, was the most she could afford.
Despite being weak, it was brave.
And personally, it was devastating.
Even though she stopped herself from naming me, or the thing that terrified her the most, I knew what she meant.
I thought she had the right to be angry. After what I did, I wouldn't mind if she was spiteful or even aggressive. I'd understand if she called me things worse than a pervert, or made a giant fuss.
It'd be easier. More natural.
Instead, she tried to plead for the most basic and humane thing from me, as if that was the best she could hope for.
That... It hurt.
Her eyes still avoided mine, refusing to give me any solace and forcing the air around me to grow colder.
I had to get closer to read her expression. But I could never get closer.
She was alone, naked, and defenseless.
The only man in the room, a complete stranger, had carelessly approached her with sharp and focused eyes, only to comment on her appearance.
Even if unintended, I had scared her. Enough to make her cry.
Despite being stuck in self-disgust and guilt, I forced myself to act. I wanted to undo the damage, even if slightly.
Miwen: "S-sorry I... um... I was..."
In my first attempt, I was focused on explaining and ended up hesitating.
In my second attempt, I focused on apologizing and stumbled over my words.
I wanted to reassure her, but I hadn't solved the main issue: I didn't know where to start.
Even though being sincere should be easy, I couldn't do it.
She kept trembling before me. From fear. From cold. From my inability to help her.
?????: "Fate must really hate me... To now have my body defiled by a necromancer... Do I not deserve peace even in death?"
Her words followed an exhausted sigh.
The fear in her voice lessened slightly. Her sentences became longer and clearer.
She wiped away her tears. Moving the arms that hid her face, our eyes met for the first time.
Reflected in her eyes, I saw myself distraught.
I understood why she would speak about her own death, but it was hard to accept it.
Her being revived instead of... Any other alternative... would be the worst-case scenario for the [Companions Banner].
It would mean that I had defiled her dignity, her history, and her rest. All because I wasn't happy with a dumb gacha roll.
I was pathetic.
Even worse, I was a coward.
Instead of facing the possibility head-on, my mind first searched for an excuse.
Her body wasn't rotting or decaying, and her mind, while not in a great state, wasn't under my control.
This meant she wasn't a puppet, and surely... This meant her reasoning was flawed and...
I wasn't a necromancer.
I didn't want to be a necromancer. I didn't want to write a new chapter on another person's life this way.
Above all, I didn't want her to see me like one. I couldn't bear the sadness and fear she looked at me with.
I needed her to be wrong.
Yet, I couldn't deny it. I had no way of telling. I didn't know anything about the mechanisms of [Gacha Kingdom Building].
But that didn't matter.
The dread I felt couldn't compare to hers. It could wait.
Miwen: "I'm not a necromancer... You're here because of my Gift... I believe."
Between being honest and reassuring, I chose the latter.
I had convinced myself that this was for her own sake, that I had to sound confident.
Unfortunately, she gave me her full attention.
Her expression was pure and honest. Mine, reflected in her eyes, was neither.
This sight made the strength I mustered vanish.
It was impossible. My white lies drowned before her.
Miwen: "..I summoned you. Not as an undead. You can take a look for yourself."
Since lying to her was so hard, I leaned on the honesty she provoked in me.
Every second of silence was like a cut in my heart as I watched her expression change from fear to suspicion.
I felt like saying something else, but before forming a coherent thought, I noticed her gaze drift down again, towards her own hands.
Surprised by her own milky-white skin, her eyebrows raised by themselves.
I desperately tried to hide the air that escaped my lungs.
Paying me no mind, she touched her lips, stroked her hair, and pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her heartbeat.
As I watched, a slight smile escaped me.
It was a cute scene; her reactions were funny. But that wasn't the reason for my smile. I was just glad she had listened to me.
I felt relief. Briefly.
Her next words tore down the pillar of hope I had just started building.
?????: "Um... This is strange... You are right. I feel alive... But I'm sure I have died."
She searched for answers in me, but I was paralyzed.
With nothing to offer her, I looked away, buying myself a second-
?????: "This place... It is completely different from... From where I was. So I can't think of another explanation..."
I couldn't believe it.
In this situation, she should have trusted her own memories above anything else. Especially over the words of a stranger like me.
This woman wasn't naive. She noticed how I reacted. She read me.
And still... She chose to soften her approach.
Why?
It might've been a plan to gain my trust and inspire me to free her.
Or maybe it was instinctive goodwill.
Maybe... something simpler.
I couldn't understand it, but I was thankful for this small gesture.
It allowed us to talk more.
Miwen: "...I'm sorry. I know it's hard to believe me, but I mean you no harm."
As each second went by, it became harder to face her.
Thankfully, at least on this, I had no doubts.
I could tell her the whole truth with peace of mind.
Miwen: "I can prove my ability to you. I don't want to summon another person, but I can summon clothes for you. You just need to become my [Citizen]. I can unregister you right after if you wish."
I saved every single [Kingdom Point] I ever received, and from what I could tell, I wouldn't be missing anything by spending them now.
Her trust was the most valuable thing I could spend them on.
Even if it didn't fully convince her that I was a summoner, it would still cover her up, and hopefully-
???: "...Citizen? Are you a noble? I... S-sorry. I... Let me go..."
Oh...
Oh no.
I thought I had seen her frightened before, but I was wrong. The look on her face then wasn't even comparable.
Before, she was trembling and avoiding me with her eyes.
Now, she desperately crawled away, making sure I was still caught within her sight.
She only stopped because there was a wall in her way, and even then, her feet didn't stop moving.
Her eyes briefly glanced at the window and the door out of the room.
I was unintentionally blocking both.
She started begging. Incoherently.
Her fairy-like face contorted, filled with confusion and despair.
I almost extended my arms in shock before I stopped myself. Approaching even a centimeter would've been a mistake.
Even asking her about it seemed wrong.
No matter how much I worried, I had struck a chord. I shouldn't touch it anymore.
If she were to ever tell me about it, it'd have to be her initiative.
For now, I could only appease her.
Miwen: "I'm also not a noble. Really, I'm not even that well off. If not for my parents, I wouldn't have enough to live on every day..."
I watched carefully how she reacted to my words.
Denying I was a noble made her legs stop moving, but she was still analyzing the room, searching for something to defend herself with.
When I said I was well off, she grew wary. She looked at the lamp and the bed near her, almost as if calling me out for lying to her face.
Everything in the room was on the cheap side, but it didn't matter. I couldn't afford to have her think of me as a liar.
Pathetic as it was, I started rambling dejectedly about my finances.
Miwen: "And I get pocket change for a pay as an adventurer..."
The word "adventurer" seemed to trigger a different reaction.
Her lips curled into the tiniest smile imaginable, but it made her expression completely different.
I might've even heard a laugh, though it was too faint to tell, and it didn't take long for her cold expression to return.
Still, this was working.
Miwen: "As for letting you leave. Sure, I'm cool if that's what you want. But you'd have to do with my clothes, and I'm not sure they'll fit you."
I bluffed.
The clothes were the most obvious problem to her, but what worried me the most about letting her go was her mental state.
Had she asked to leave, I would've tried to convince her otherwise.
?????: "Umm..."
She narrowed her eyes.
It felt like an eternity had passed.
So far, every lie I told was meant to protect her.
Every time I told one, I felt the weight of a planet falling on me.
I wanted to give her space and time to think.
I wanted to guide her thoughts to what I believed was best.
The contradiction was killing me inside.
?????: "If I decide to leave, will you let me go at any moment?"
With a sharp look, she spoke fast, almost as if forcing the words out.
Despite being on the other end of her cold treatment, I thought this determined look suited her more than any other she'd shown so far.
Miwen: "Yes."
Her rapid-fire strategy backfired.
If she had taken a second to watch me in silence, I might've crumbled from the pressure.
?????: "Tell me your name, and promise me in your God's name."
This condition raised a few flags, but I didn't let my confusion show and happily obliged.
Miwen: "I, Miwen, promise that you may leave this house anytime you so wish; Should I fail this promise, may Catherine strike me down."
I had never done this before, nor had I heard of someone doing it.
Hopefully, she found it good enough.
?????: "...Alright. I'll agree to be your [Citizen]. For now..."
I don't think a million victories in battle would make me prouder than this one moment.
Even though I wasn't a strong follower, I was so glad to Catherine that I decided to pray tonight.
Miwen: "I'll need your name. So, if you could, please..."]
It was the first time I messed with this part of my Gift, so I didn't know I needed to focus on a name and face.
I thought just thinking about the person would be enough.
Unfortunately, this was problematic.
Names could be cursed.
Normally, such curses were weak, but it was one of the reasons I wanted to avoid unnecessary attention.
At least until I was strong enough.
Thankfully, the girl seemed to notice what was on my mind and, instead of refusing, she asked for mine first.
???: "...Licia, 'The Frost Sword' from Redrock Village in the North Dowa Kingdom."
...I introduced myself as Miwen.
Naturally, she worded out her resume.
It felt like she had rehearsed the line several times before, and I even noticed her puff her chest a little before she said it.
But being cute didn't distract me from how strange it was.
The North Dowa Kingdom wasn't a name I had ever read in a book.
Thanks to earlier flags, I already had a vague idea of why this discrepancy existed, but for the time being, it was best not to say anything.
Although it was hard not wonder a little about everything I had summoned thus far.
They were either skills or mundane things easily found on Earth, but perhaps that wasn't the case.
I didn't want to make her wait too much, so I kept a footnote about it and moved on, inviting her to be a [Citizen] of my kingdom.
Her eyes briefly darted around. She was reading invisible text.
I imagined she was navigating her own Gift's menus, but then, a touch of disappointment briefly colored her face.
Miwen: "...Is everything alright?"
She barely glanced at me before dropping her gaze.
Her voice wasn't weak, but it lacked weight.
Licia: "Yes. I confirmed myself as your [Citizen]."
I was curious, but she had chosen not to tell me, and I could only accept it.
My [Kingdom Points] dropped from 7 to 2 in a single blow. It was the crash of the century for the Kingdom's economy, but I would survive. It just meant I'd have to wait a couple more days before building the well.
Unlike the gachas, my mind didn't go blank when I used the points.
I saw the exact moment they appeared in thin air before me.
I quickly grabbed and left them on the ground before her.
Then, I turned my back and faced away, which helped me cool my head a little.
Licia: "Thanks... Thank you!"
I stood up, ready to leave the room for her, when I heard quiet rustling behind me. Her soft voice was muffled by her sobbing, but I didn't miss a single word.
Licia had endured a lot while I flumbed my way, and I could only imagine what happened to her before she was... summoned.
Yet, she only allowed herself to cry from joy.
Perhaps reality had finally kicked in for her. Maybe the clothes meant more than I imagined.
It could be that she was simply glad to be alive. Maybe it was something else entirely.
However, I was amazed. The strength to stop tears from fear and save them for joy... I couldn't imagine how much it took.
I still didn't know one thing about her.
All I could do was silently accept her tearful gratitude.
The world had finally started spinning again, and my mind began to clear.
I finally did what I should've done from the beginning.
Miwen: "Everything's gonna be alright..."
My words reached her, but they failed to stop the falling tears.
Miwen: "I'll be here for you."
I made a promise.
Not only to her, but to myself as well.
She wiped the tears and lifted her chin.
Our eyes met, this time, as our true selves.
Miwen: "You're fine now, you don't have to worry."
She allowed me to approach her.
I didn't close a centimeter of distance without considering her reaction.
Even though I wasn't a sinless man, I felt the need to take responsibility.
Not only for her tears, but for bringing her here.
Throughout my life, I've had many goals.
She was the second person I've made this promise to.
However, I had no doubts that I wouldn't regret doing everything I could for her.
I sat by her side.
I waited for the tears to stop, without saying a single word.
In time, she calmed herself down.
Miwen: "...I said you could leave at any moment. But if you want, you can also stay. At least until you can sort out your feelings and decide on what you want to do."
It was my goal from the start.
Inside my home, she was safe.
Licia: "..."
I became used to her silence.
Instead of trying to convince her, I let her consider it as much as she wanted.
Licia: "...What you gave me... The clothes I mean... They suit my taste, is this also thanks to your Gift?"
...Hm?
She seemed so deep in thought, I was expecting... Something else.
Out of all things, this is what was on her mind?
Pffft.
The clothes that appeared weren't very modern, but they also wouldn't look out of place. They were a perfect fit for her, but I couldn't tell whether this happened because of my taste or hers.
Miwen: "Honestly... I have no idea. I don't yet understand my Gift very well. I need to test more before I can say for sure..."
Licia: "I see... It's a mysterious Gift. But it's also kind. These are very warm..."
While I was happy to have my Gift praised that way, the clothes she got didn't seem so warm.
Even summer clothes were warmer than nothing, and seeing her hug them with such love left me no room to doubt her.
Licia: "...Can I really stay here? For now, I mean-"
She was fidgeting with her thumbs.
Miwen: "Yeah. As long as you want to."
After she calmed, it was hard for me to read her emotions. I wouldn't be able to refuse anything she asked so meekly, and she was clearly smart enough to do it on purpose.
Yet I didn't think that was the case here. After all, she was gentle enough to watch my reactions to every word.
Licia: "Ah... Um... Do you want me to do anything for you in exchange? You've been very kind, and I would like to pay you back somehow..."
It was impossible not to be tempted after hearing something like that from a girl like her, but even though it might've been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, there was no way I'd take advantage of this.
She also probably didn't mean anything by it.
It was just her trying to be polite.
Or so I thought.
While I thought of a reply, I noticed her face flush red with shame, the weight of her words hitting her a moment too late.
Miwen: "Well... My Gift is more useful the more [Citizens] I have, so could you keep yourself registered for now?"
Licia: "...! That's...Fine. That's great!"
After making me sit through her cold silence so many times, I finally got a bit of revenge, waiting just a moment to let her embarrassment settle.
Seeing the smile plastered all over her face and how relieved she seemed confirmed that we had thought the same thing.
I pretended not to notice, though.
Miwen: "I don't have the power to do so right now, but if you keep your registration, I can get you a change of clothes tomorrow. Hopefully, they'd look more modern."
Buying clothes online would be easy, but this way, I had an excuse for her to stay a little longer.
Licia: "If you don't mind me asking, how would you do that? I thought you said you didn't understand how your Gift worked."
Whenever I brought up the topic of citizenship, she got a little agitated, and despite the improved mood, she remained sharp.
Given how she reacted when she thought I was a noble...
I should be more careful.
Miwen: "Well, there are four possibilities for that: Either the clothes are completely random, they suit what either of us wants, or they are a combination of our desires."
The clothes being random was unlikely. They were feminine and the perfect size for her.
As for the other possibilities...
I would have to test more to know, but for the time being, it wouldn't matter.
Miwen: "As for how we'll make it so that we get just the clothes we want... I'll just show you what clothing looks like here, you decide on what you want, and tomorrow we will both wish for the same. If we both wish for the same thing, we should get exactly what we want."
This was more of a band-aid fix than a solution, but as long as the clothes weren't random, it should work.
Licia: "...That's a little confusing. If you have the clothes to show me, why wouldn't you just let me wear them?"
Miwen: "Ah... I don't have them with me, but I can still show them to you. Here."
I searched for online stores and showed her my phone screen.
She seemed to be around twenty years old, yet she reacted as if it were the first time she had seen a phone.
Even though I already half-expected something like this, it made my day.
She flooded me with questions, quickly overwhelming me with her curiosity.
Miwen: "...I forgot to ask, but what is your level? The higher the level of my citizens, the more I can do with my Gift."
Licia: "I am lev.... I was level 83. Now I am only level 1. As for my skills, well... I lost them? I only have the ones I was born with."
I knew of a few debuffs that could make someone lose levels temporarily, but it didn't seem to be the case for her.
If I had to guess, it was probably a side effect of being summoned.
It was interesting; however, there was a bigger issue with what she said.
Miwen: "When you were born? Do people get Gifts and skills at birth in your world?"
Licia: "Yes, of course! Is it different here?"
Miwen: "We only get them at age 18 here..."
Licia: "That's... How do your people fight monsters without Gifts? How do you survive so long?"
For the most part, we shoot them.
But I felt like introducing guns to her, at least for now, was not a great idea.
She was definitely going to have a few questions about that, too.
Also, in cities like the one I lived in, it was rare for monsters to roam around.
The few places suffering from ongoing rampages due to bosses escaping and hiding were at least a few kilometers away from us.
If a problem were to happen, we'd evacuate, and either the army or the veterans would deal with it.
It wasn't that difficult to survive until reaching adulthood.
Miwen: "Well, we have some weapons that are effective against most monsters as long as their level is not too high, and we also have a way of knowing where Rampages are happening, so people often evacuate safely, and we manage to keep our distance from monsters in everyday life, outside of exploring dungeons, of course."
Licia: "Hm... I've never heard of a world capable of that... But that seems nice. Forgive me for being a little lost. This is quite different from where I came from."
I figured as much...
Miwen: "It goes both ways, I'm also quite surprised by you being level 83 in the past, that would put you among the strongest in this world."
Licia: "Really? I was only a B-rank adventurer in my world... I had a bit of fame in the areas close to where I lived, but my name wasn't even worth mentioning in the capital. I doubt anyone would recognize me there..."
Woah.
With such a high level, at least in this world, even the top parties would do their best to recruit her.
Even if her Gift is just decent, she'd be among the strongest top-rankers, and with her looks, probably something of a celebrity.
Miwen: "I'm curious now, what was the highest level in your world?"
Licia: "I don't know about the entire world, but at the North Dowa Kingdom, the strongest was Sir Varehan Of The Silent Magic. He was level 143 and could fire any magic spells without making a sound; they were unusually fast, too."
High speed and no sound, huh?
Maybe he was breaking the speed of sound with his magic.
It would make sense for someone who doesn't understand the concept to fail to associate the sound if there's too much delay.
Well, it's a Gift, so it might just be silent magic too.
Miwen: "I see, did you know him personally?"
Licia: "Not at all, he worked at the royal court, and since I never managed to go to the capital..."
I thought I'd be able to talk casually with her, but she cut herself short.
It felt like she couldn't continue without mentioning her own death, so I decided not to pry further.
After everything that happened, I completely forgot about the mana depletion I felt today.
Licia and I talked a little more, trying to find some common ground.
I decided to take a shower before preparing dinner, which reminded me I should teach her how to use it.
Because of her curiosity, this became a tour of my house.
It wasn't anything too impressive, but she seemed amused at everything I explained.
After bath and dinner, I let her sleep in my room while I took the couch for myself.
This night, I didn't do any rolls in the [Mana Banners].
Not because I was afraid of her having put on an act all this time and attacking me in my sleep.
I wanted to be ready in case she needed my help.