Gacha System: Reborn In The Hardest World
Chapter 39: The Armory

Chapter 39: The Armory

"What does that mean?" Gael asked.

As he questioned the ruler, he watched the colossal lion laying behind the throne yawn before laying its head back down.

The forward ruler addressed the confusion, "Think of it as an interim role. As such, you will follow two Heavenly Kings on their mission and support them. They will judge your performance and then dictate if you’re ready."

Blythe spoke up, "Hasn’t he already shown enough—"

"Silence," the Monarch spoke with a commanding tone, ushering in an absence of interruptions. "I admit this man has riveting potential. But potential is potential. We need results."

Gael swallowed the situation, stepping forward, "What’s the mission, then?"

"I’ll let the captain of the mission explain it. I’m sure you’ve met him already," the Monarch brushed off. "Anyhow, Lady Peonyvale will not be joining you in this."

Blythe reacted, "What—?"

Gael looked over, expecting her to already be aware of that, though it seemed she had no hand in the decision.

"You have obligations here in Galios. There is more worth in the connections you will build here than out there in the battlefield, Blythe," the Monarch explained. "That will be all."

—

Again, there was little in the idea of discussion with the Monarch, only leaving the throne room with a new objective.

"No rest for the wicked, eh, Boss?" Matteo said, strolling through the luxurious halls of the keep.

"I’m always down for a mission! I’ve got your back, Master!" Florentine excitedly cheered.

Gael contemplated it as he responded to them, "Yeah."

He thought about the short conversation he had with Blythe after meeting with the Monarch before they separated. While he was fine being on his own, he’d gotten used to her company.

’Well, I agree with the Monarch. She’s better off staying here and handling the politics,’ he thought.

As he glanced up at one of the heroic statues placed by the marble walls, he was greeted by a slap to the shoulder.

"Hey—" He said, expecting it to be the boisterous warrior.

The one responsible smirked, adjusting the shades in his face, "Yo. So, you’re coming along with me on my mission, yeah?" Jae-Seong greeted him.

Getting a longer look at the fellow transported man, he had a similar black-and-silver uniform. The difference was, a decorated coat hung from Jae-Seong’s shoulders like a cape, wearing fingerless gloves as if valuing style over practicality.

"Yeah, that’s what it sounds like," Gael said.

Jae-Seong slung his arm around the young man’s shoulder, pulling him in as they walked, "Great! Believe me, you’re in good hands!"

"...I am?" Gael muttered, not sure how to feel as he was forced to walk so close to the man.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel a distinct kinship with him, no longer feeling alone in his situation. Glancing back at his familiars who followed behind, he had no assistance in talking to the man of high renown.

"How long have you been in Gaia?" Jae-Seong asked, leading him through the left halls.

"...About a week or so, I think," he answered.

It seemed he was leading him away from the main halls, going to a more quiet area of the keep as the corridors remained unguarded.

Right through the hallway, he followed the man to a balcony overlooking the city.

"Not too long, then. I’ve been here a few years myself," Jae-Seong admitted with a small laugh. "Man, it was hard getting used to, y’know, the lack of phones and internet, all that."

"I haven’t really had the chance to miss any of that...It’s been chaotic," Gael said with a quiet sigh.

Somehow, that drew a laugh from Jae-Seong, who stepped away while delivering a playful, but sharp slap to his shoulder, "It’s not going to get any less chaotic, if you intend to join us."

"That’s not very assuring," Gael said, leaning against the wall with a sigh.

A part of it felt suffocating, from all ends, it truly felt as though the renewed life he had was going to be one spent in constant conflict.

Jae-Seong removed his glasses, looking right at him with a calmer demeanor, as if reading the hesitation worn on the recruit’s face, "I don’t need to tell you that trying to survive in this world alone isn’t the best way to go about things. And I know–you have the power to summon familiars, but that’s not what I mean."

"Yeah? Then what is it?" Gael asked, looking at the man.

"In Gaia, you’ll always be on the run. Always looking over your shoulder, fighting to survive. If you’re in Galios though, it’s different–here, you can feel safe. When we’re done, there won’t need to be fighting," Jae-Seong explained.

"Done?" Gael repeated.

Jae-Seong was silent for a moment, looking at him intently before further clarifying, "When you join the Heavenly Kings, the Monarch gives us a binding promise: when Galios has subjugated Mastorn, we each will be given the option to stay in Gaia or be returned home."

Hearing the words felt like a revelation almost too outlandish to believe, yet he was standing right there. A breeze passed through as he looked over the walled-in city, staring at the azure sky above.

"Return home? That’s..." Gael said, considering it, though not quite sure how he felt about the prospect.

"Well, don’t think too hard about it right now. All that is still a long way off—the more pressing matter is our mission," Jae-Seong snapped his fingers as if trying to steer his attention to the topic.

"Right, this mission...What the hell is it about, anyway?" Gael asked.

Jae-Seong looked over at the familiars with a bit of hesitation, "These ones...You summoned them, right?"

"What? Don’t trust us?" Florentine raised an eyebrow.

"Well, it’s only natural," Matteo remarked with a shrug.

Gael spoke for them, petting the fur of the capybara in his shoulder, "You can trust them. They’re completely loyal to me."

"Right, well, an ally of Galios has had his land seized. Frederick Sevaraid; a nobleman who owns a region where magic stones are mined," Jae-Seong explained, leaning his elbow on the gilded railings.

"Right, magic stones..." Gael said, pretending to have even the slightest clue as to the importance of the topic.

Jae-Seong placed his shades over his eyes, "In this world, think of magic stones like oil. It’s the sort of resource that kingdoms are willing to fight over."

Hearing that, Gael glanced back at Matteo, who was standing in the doorway leading to the balcony, writing down in his journal as he always seemed to do.

"Speaking of, you seem to always have a stockpile of magic stones on you, Matteo," Gael remarked.

"Gotta stay ready," Matteo claimed with a smirk.

Jae-Seong continued, "The point is, the stockpile of stones a kingdom has can be the deciding factor in warfare. They’re used to power shields to protect the land, to charge large-scale spells...You get the idea."

"So, this Frederick guy with all the stones got his land seized...By who?" Gael asked, looking down from the balcony, watching a pair of birds flying over the interconnected bridges of the cityscape.

"That’s the fun part," Jae-Seong answered with a smile. "Mastorn took it over."

"Mastorn–?" Gael repeated.

"That’s right. Now, I wonder what big, scary Mastorn would want with a motherload of magic stones...Well, I’m sure your guess is just as good as mine," Jae-Seong said with a smile.

It didn’t take a whole lot of thinking to reach the conclusion the man was hinting at, though it did little to ease his concerns.

"Mastorn is planning to go to war, then...I’m assuming Galios is in their sights?" Gael said, looking over at the man in shades.

Jae-Seong’s messy hair was pulled by the passing breeze as he answered, "Actually, it doesn’t seem that way. Don’t get me wrong–Galios is definitely in Mastorn’s sights. Thing is, it seems like they’re preparing for something else."

"Something else? If another kingdom is planning on fighting Mastorn, Galios would ally with them, right?" Gael asked.

"Most likely. It stands to reason that kingdom would reach out to Galios. So, it’s curious what Mastorn is in conflict with," Jae-Seong said before clapping his hands together. "Anyhow, let’s head to the armory!"

"The armory?"

"That’s right! We’ll get geared up before heading out to the Sevaraid Domain!" Jae-Seong announced.

It was moving a bit too quickly for his liking, though he followed along. Deep into the keep’s territory, he was led into a heavily-protected, black chamber.

Through multiple doors accessed by the recognized presence of Jae-Seong, the passage led deeper and deeper.

"What kind of security is this?" Gael asked, watching the thick, sable doors open automatically.

Jae-Seong smirked, "These doors only open for those that the Monarch deems worthy. So, VIP of sorts."

"Snazzy," Gael mumbled.

The area held true to its designation as the "Armory"—an endless stockpile of weapons were stored and ready. From swords to cannons large enough to blow away mountains, the vast domain held enough to supply multiple armies.

"Woah..." Gael reacted, looking up at a black-steel cannon that looked over him, dwarfing most buildings.

Matteo jotted in his journal, "So, this is Galios’ armory—!"

"Ah, no notes," Jae-Seong stopped the curious adventurer, brushing his quill from the journal. "Top secret, y’know? Can’t risk the enemy getting their hands on that info if they get a hold of you."

"Fine, fine," Matteo begrudgingly accepted, sticking his bottom lip out in a pout.