Yesterday, we had a problem.
Claire had accepted my offer and showed interest in staying with us.
However, I didn't have a room for her.
In this situation, Licia, the girl who has been such a tremendous help after being summoned proposed a solution.
Since I wasn't keen on letting the two together alone, nor would I feel secure alone with Claire, she suggested that we sleep together.
At first, I thought she meant just the two of us but...
Seeing as I woke up surrounded by the two of them, it's pretty obvious that what happened was a little different.
Licia's suggestion was meant for all of us, Claire included.
As a man, sleeping with a girl on each side was obviously tempting, but it wasn't the reason for me accepting Licia's proposal.
The first benefit of what she suggested was that this made it more difficult for Claire in case she had any malicious intentions against us during the night.
Since all of us were sharing the same room and bed, any noise or sudden movement, especially a struggle, would alert the others.
This basically restricted all three of us.
I wasn't going to be able to do anything against Licia or Claire.
And on the other hand, Claire wouldn't be able to attack us.
By this point, I trusted Licia enough to not think she'd try anything either.
The only problem was how awkward it was. Or rather, how awkward it should've been.
Surprisingly enough, neither of them seemed to be as worried as me about this situation.
I had thought about doing it like this, but I felt that even suggesting it would be outrageous, and yet, when Licia suggested it, Claire instantly agreed, saying it was probably the best option.
I guess I ended up being lucky...
Licia said she didn't mind it as she was used to sharing rooms with others in inns. Since sometimes she went to other cities, this practice made it possible for her to save some money.
Claire also had a similar experience. She used to fight on the battlefields a lot, so she often shared tents and barracks with other generals and soldiers.
According to her, most people would be afraid to even approach her, much less try something sexual.
Although... If there was a person bold enough to approach someone known as 'Continental Burn', they would either have to be extremely bold or outright insane...
Both of them seemed confident in their ability to push back any assailants, and in Claire's case, her reputation and status made it even more unlikely for someone to try something against her.
Still, I felt like they underestimated their current situation a bit. I ended up going along mostly because it was effective, but also in respect for their strength and confidence.
Of course, I had no intention of forcing myself on either of them, so the night went on without anything occurring.
I also tried my best to leave the bed quietly, in order to not wake them up.
From outside the door, I took a look at them, just to see whether or not I had succeeded, and once I confirmed they were still sleeping, I left to start making breakfast.
However, shortly after I had started...
Claire: "Mind if we talk?"
Miwen: "Not at all."
I suddenly hear Claire's voice behind me.
Judging by her tone, she seemed a little serious about it.
Claire: "You're very careless, do you know that?"
That caught me by surprise.
Not that I mind being called careless, but... I didn't think of myself as such.
If anything, I felt I was quite cautious.
This made me wonder about what gave her that impression.
Miwen: "...And why do you think that?"
Claire: "That girl. If she had not suggested we sleep together, you would have to make a sacrifice. Either you or her, one of you would have to be exposed to danger."
...I should've known, there was another reason why she accepted it so easily.
I wasn't the only one thinking about the logistics and dangers of the situation we had at hand.
Still, while I did agree that this was for the best, I only refrained from suggesting it because I didn't want to damage her impression of me.
But I could see how she was right.
I had my priorities switched.
First and foremost, I should've considered Licia's safety. My relations with her could always be mended later.
Miwen: "I guess you're right. Being indecisive could've ended up creating a bad situation for all of us... I'll be more mindful from now on."
Claire: "But this is not all."
...She approached me and used her finger to touch my back.
Claire: "You don't know about my Gift. Aren't you a little too relaxed in front of a stranger? What if I could kill you right now?"
True. Not knowing her Gift was a problem.
In the future, I would be sure to ask the Gifts of all citizens summoned before proceeding with negotiations.
Miwen: "...Well, I'm not that weak either. Especially considering the level of newly summoned citizens. And I can also run away and protect myself inside the Kingdom."
Claire: "Sure. But aren't you forgetting someone? Do you think she could do the same while sleeping?"
She got me there.
Both of them seem used to fighting, so I don't think the level difference would be enough to make up for the surprise attack and chaos of the situation.
Claire: "...Well, I do understand that this is happening because you don't want to risk making us uncomfortable, but... All I'm trying to say is that you should be more cautious. And also, thankful to her. She's covering your back more than what you might notice."
Without Licia, or if I didn't care about either of them, the solution would have been very simple.
I could just lock both inside the room, if I was feeling particularly kind, give them a bucket or something.
Yet, towards them, I feel a sense of responsibility that makes me unable to act this way.
But she was right. My desire to make them happy could, in turn, hurt their safety.
I had to plan things better and get my priorities straight.
While it might not be as comfortable at first for everyone, it was better to do it like this than to risk something bad happening.
Miwen: "I understand, I'll be more careful in the future... Thanks for the advice."
In the end, her words were really just that, advice.
However, they weren't meant only to help me.
Claire: "It's not me you should be thanking right now though..."
Miwen: "That's right. Thanks as well, Licia."
Licia: "...Mhm... you're welcome."
She was standing behind Claire, a little far, but still watchful of our exchange.
In case something happened, she would have come to help me again.
In the end, it all circled back.
To make sure they wouldn't get hurt, and to not give them trouble, I had to fix my act too.
Or else, I'd risk the very happiness I'm trying to give them.
Miwen: "This is good though..."
Claire: "Hm? What was that?"
Miwen: "To be honest, I wasn't so sure about you. You got over the situation rather quickly and I thought you might try something... but... although you had your chance just now, instead of doing something bad, you came to me with good intentions. I appreciate that."
In other words, she chose to help me instead of being hostile, even though she had a good opportunity.
This was a good first step, she seems strong, both mentally and physically, so if I could develop a good relationship with her, like I did with Licia, I'd have another strong ally.
And with the three of us together, we could look after each other's back.
Claire: "W-well... I have nothing to gain from attacking you, I don't even know the first thing about this world. And above all, I don't even know what would happen to me if you were to die."
She seemed flustered, but her words showed a similar pattern to Licia's.
That fear of what could happen to them if I were to die.
A common factor between a necromancer and their subjects is that they are forever linked. Normally, this gives the necromancer control over the body and if there's any, will, of the being raised from death.
However, if the necromancer's mana runs out, or something happens that cuts his connection, the dead will once again lose their life.
It's understandable that they are worried about this, and as much as I want to think that my Gift is not exactly performing necromancy due to the state of their bodies and the way they seem to behave independently, the truth is that I cannot deny such possibility either.
If anything, due to them remembering their deaths, it's quite possible that this is the case.
My Gift might be the only thing that fuels their lives.
Knowing this, it was hard to reassure them otherwise.
Miwen: "Whatever the case may be, you chose to not harm us right? So I'll choose to trust my back to you, at the very least."
If I want to make use of [Gacha Kingdom Building], and the path it seems to be guiding me towards, then, there's a lot for me to learn.
And while I'm not the type to trust others so easily, my experience with Licia showed that this was the best relationship to build with the [Citizens] summoned by my Gift.
Claire: "The Ashbrodd family has no cowards that would attack a benefactor's back like this. As long as you're helping me, I'll be sure to repay you in an overwhelming way!."
So energetic. She was brimming with energy so early in the morning...
But I welcomed that attitude.
Miwen: "That's convenient then. There's something I really want you to do for me. It was the reason why I decided to summon someone, to begin with."
Claire: "Go on."
Miwen: "Let's finish breakfast first, we'll go somewhere after and I can explain it to you on the way."
Claire: "...Sure."
Licia seemed to be happy that my relationship with Claire was progressing. Either that or she was happy we had finally finished our discussion and she could start eating.
As for Claire, I was looking forward to seeing her reaction to what I had prepared today since she seems to like battlefields so much.