Junichi had taken what I hoped to be my role as a king, and eventually I became the counsellor. It must have been because this was a contest of power so the "GAME" automatically choose the strongest in our party. What was done was done, there was no point in thinking about it any longer.
We now needed to finish our village, houses were necessary and also new laws ought to have been made.
"Everyone, can I have your attention?"
It took them some seconds to all go quiet and focus on me.
"Alright, now that you are all focused I have to ask something of you. We need to build more houses as you can see because we can't take you all in ours. To do that more materials are needed, so I'll ask each and every of you to go out and get wood and stones, and much as you can. That will allow me to make your houses."
Everybody was staring me with a puzzled look, it was obvious that they couldn't get how out of raw materials I could make houses.
"I kno-"
I was interrupted by Junichi, who started to speak.
"That is an order of your king: go and bring wood and stones back."
He just gave me nice support, this time I was grateful to his actions, and also felt a kind of warmth welling up inside me because of this.
After everyone left, it was time for us to discuss the rules that we needed to add.
"Now it's time to get down to business. We have to discuss new rules. I would suggest making a parliament with complete veto power to refuse any egoistical law made by the sovereign. Yet, it's too early now to make something like that, we don't have any person fit to be part of the parliament apart from that boy. Then we can add rights of citizens and also their duties. Let's make violence, stealing and the like forbidden, they will result in banishment.
"Yeah, I quite agree, but is banishment really needed, can't we just have a sort of prison? Additionally, I don't think a parliament will be needed for the time being, since we'll be the one with power, so long as you don't have any despotic ideas I won't stop you."
That was a fair point, we could rule without any problems, however, we had to bring some slight changes, it was possible that people wouldn't really trust a parliament if it was created out of nowhere, a similar authority was needed.
"I agree about the parliament, since we're ruling it won't really be needed, but we have to put people at ease with this kind of authority. Thus, we'll make a council with members elected by every citizen, and I'll lead it as the first counsellor. In this way, when we'll introduce a parliament it will be fairly accepted. Regarding your other point, you are naive Junichi-kun. Just having a prison would be too much of cost and personnel needed for a small village as ours. Plus, the banishment will embody the example of what happens if rules are broken, and being in an environment without the protection of the safe zone will refrain people from behaving badly."
Thu
Junichi smashed his fist on the other hand.
"Ooo, now it's clear. I agree, let's write all this into the contract."
The laws were all good and done, the articles we dealt with were fully covered. The results were a civilized society and a little council of 12 members, including me. The developments that the "GAME"'s plot would have taken were still uncertain, but we had to prepare in every possible way. So to start with, we set as a citizen's duty a 1-hour daily training, so that at a certain point everybody would be ready to fight.
FtzFtzFtz
[Character challenge
You are fostering and strengthening more and more your beautiful relationship with your loved one, increasing both yours and his interest in each other. Finally, time has come to get to a further step. You will have to propose to him; however, beware that this won't be only your character challenge, you both have been presented with it. Of course, there's a specific reason to do so, and "What is that?", I bet you are mumbling to yourself. It's obvious but the explanation is the following: the first that completes this challenge will be awarded with special characteristic for battle.
Clearance rewards: proposal (0/1)
Failure: ???
Rewards: 4 tier up(party compatibility), ???]
As always those were some amusing challenges that the "GAME" gave us. This one especially was a complex task, and awkward, on top of all. Additionally, it was about an extremely important change in a person life, not taking into consideration that I was never interested in it in the first place, any women would be bewildered by this challenge.
Not only is that an significant step in a lover relationship, but it also is something that, old fashioned though they may be, women expect the man to do. Nevertheless, the "GAME" choose the wrong person to mess with, if it was to increase my combat power and ability, I would have done anything.
'Maybe anything is too much, let's say most of things'
It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and since the task was this difficult, it was needless to say that the reward would be one to make up for the effort. I first needed to have a ring, though.
"Junichi, can you give me some stones, please?"
"Uh, why? Sure, not like I'm in real need of them."
After he handed them over, I just started thinking of a fitting design, if I was going to do this, I had to do it thoroughly. When the design was ready, I created the rings in my hands, hidden behind my back.
"Neee, Junichi-chan, have you ever noticed that I have a little interest in you? Ans you know… I'm kinda embarrassed to say so, but I think I have some feelings for you. Not to say, that I see that there's a feeling between us, and we would really make a good couple."
His face was the same as one who knew, his eyes were explicitly telling me that he was aware of the truth. I had no choice but to push this matte further, now that it came to it my only option was going for a frontal attack, no subtle means.
"Ok, ok, I get where we're going so let's just go straight to what I mean."
He was ready to speak, yet his tongue was like twisted in agony not able to utter a single word, perhaps he had a trauma about this, or else he had such bad and horrible feelings about me, that he wouldn't even dare to say something like that.
He was trying to rush his mouth, his tongue, his teeth, his every part involved in speaking to say what he had to. I thought I was the only one in need of a great combat power but maybe I was wrong. Since how desperate he was, he must have wanted to get stronger, too.
"Would you please marry me?"
"Please, marry me?"
Our words came out at a really slight different moment, and our voices overlapped, but in the meanwhile I had done something that Junichi didn't think of. He didn't realize the reason why I had him give me some stones. I was standing on one knee, bowing to him, with a squared package open.
It contained the wedding rings. I had thought of a step further than he did, it was highly likely because I put so much pressure onto him, and because he couldn't craft the rings himself.
I could observe his expressions changing, at first he was relieved that he was the first but then, he realized what happened.
"Still, I think that I cleared the challenge first, I was the first one to speak."
I was still a little worried about that, but I pretended to be sure of my win, with a smirk smile on my face.
"Yeah, yeah. As you say, Junichi-chan. Yet, I'll be the one who clears this task."
BzBzBzBz
I heard this noise, thinking a new interface popped up in front of me, but I was wrong. I was looking directly at Junichi's face now. He was once smiling with such warmth and calmness that I would have never expected from him. I couldn't believe it, he really did clear the challenge before me.
FtzFtzFtz
A message appeared in front of me, I expected it to be one of challenge failure-
[You have cleared the challenge, my dear (^^). You two are now officially a couple, wish you live happily ever. A new skill will be granted to you]
It was like this game kept on making fun of me, what was more was that it started kind of talking personally, which really got on my nerve. I was curious so I checked my character display and found two new skills.
Lover Sacrifice Lv. 2
Lover Boost Lv. 1