Chapter 28 – Cards

  alwaysunqualified

  “Date starto!”

  My eyes snapped open at the sound of the yell. It took me a few seconds to remember where I was. We had returned home te st night after a rather interesting day. Originally, we pnned to leave the city with Angelica's team to earn more experience points, but things quickly spiraled into a real mess. After my performance in the tournament, Ellie and Lucy had a newfound confidence in me, leading them to wanting to take more and more risks, despite their usual disdain for such recklessness in men.

  Miki quickly lost her patience and forcefully took us to the training grounds, where I was subjected to a rigorous beating until morning. The lesson was harsh but clear: despite their delusion, I was still a tier 0, vulnerable to being instantly killed by almost any threat that caught me off-guard.

  I agree with her as well, which is why I've been focusing on upgrading my armor and ensuring we each have a Heartguard whenever we're outside the city. In hindsight, this might have also led them to overestimate my abilities.

  [Heartguard: Fill with Love points. When hit, the love-infused points are used to offset the damage.]

  Miki's tests showed that 10 million points could shield us against most threats, or at least from a surprise attack. The downside is that these devices lose about 1% of their love points per hour, although, thankfully, this depletion halts when stored in my inventory. Since our excursions outside the city are rare—once or twice a year—the ongoing cost is still manageable for now.

  Although maintaining this might not be sustainable in the long run, the regret would far outweigh the cost if something were to happen to one of us. Nevertheless, the Heartguards are less effective than the rod, so I always keep one handy and another in my inventory, just in case we encounter a threat we can't overcome.

  Still, enduring the beatings never became any less painful or exhausting. At times, I do question whether I've grown too accustomed to pain, especially when I found myself on the ground, convulsing, annoyance overshadowing my discomfort as my body failed to respond. The only consotion I clung to was the fact that I hadn't actively sought out this suffering, leading me to believe that, perhaps, I was still alright.

  Once I managed to shake off the drowsiness, I gnced at the screen.

  [A Valkyrie home visit date.]

  [Date target: Sk?gul]

  ‘Why am I on a date with her?’ I mused to myself. Gncing around, I noticed Miki was missing, but the rest of my family still slumbered deeply.

  Letting time resume, I gently shifted the twins from my side into my mother's arms before slipping out of the room. Casting a look behind, I confirmed that Yuno, with a half-asleep Alice perched atop her head, was indeed following me, despite both having been asleep when I initially got out of bed.

  Knowing it was futile to send Yuno back to bed with our mysterious stalker still lurking, I headed downstairs where I could hear Miki at the door. "So, basically, another daughter coming to pay a home visit?”

  "Yes, Mother," a girl replied in a tone that was noticeably serious.

  "My son is almost grown up, you better brace yourself for plenty of sleepless nights," Miki continued, her ughter light and teasing.

  "I have prepared a number of quick-charge artifacts to ensure I can fulfill all my duties," she answered, her voice crisp like a soldier reporting to a superior.

  "What's going on here?" I interjected, uneasy about the direction of the conversation.

  "Speak of a prince and one shall appear," Miki quipped, acting oblivious to the fact that I could hear her. Just inside my doorway stood Sk?gul and Miki. Sk?gul wore a serious expression as she spoke with a rexed Miki.

  "She's come to greet her future mother-in-ws," Miki chuckled. "Looks like after your little dispy, she got permission to seek your hand in marriage.”

  “There are still some hurdles with the local nobility, but I'm nearly certain to gain approval. Today, I am here to decre my intentions and introduce you to my 27 subordinates,” she stated, standing with her legs together and her back straight as she looked up at me.

  After she first saved us, I delved a bit into Valkyrie culture. In their society, nobles essentially function as military commanders, each leading a group of elite warriors. Irrespective of their birth lineage, each Valkyrie starts at the bottom, but as they ascend the ranks, they command more troops. The greater the number of warriors under one's command, the higher their rank, until they reach the nobility threshold.

  Like the Amazons, Valkyries can only have daughters and thus always marry outside their race. However, unlike the Amazons—who prefer the male to join their tribe—Valkyries treat the husband as the commander and follow his lead.

  Valkyries are well-regarded in nearly every pce because they serve as a reinforcing force for any they marry into. The main drawback is that any children they bear are sent back to be trained in their flying city.

  A minor drawback is that the husband must adhere to Valkyrie ws, though he is granted considerable leeway. After the wedding, the highest-ranking Valkyrie assumes the role of Shieldmaiden, effectively becoming the second in command. The sole instance I discovered of someone inciting the Valkyries’ ire involved a man who assaulted their city to usurp power. He procimed himself the all-father, asserting supremacy over the Valkyries. Unsurprisingly, he was overthrown and, along with his Valkyries, was executed for treason.

  Gncing outside, I saw a group of women arranged like a military battalion, standing ramrod straight. About a quarter of them were cd in armor, while the others wore light cloaks adorned with rune-like silver patterns stitched throughout.

  "Sound off," Sk?gul commanded as soon as she noticed me peeking outside.

  One by one, they called out their names. However, there were simply too many, and they looked too simir for me to keep track, causing me to zone out. They were all blue-eyed, with hair colors spanning from dark yellow to nearly white. Fortunately, if I needed to identify them ter, I could rely on using Observe.

  As they introduced themselves, Sk?gul watched them with a hint of pride and a slight smile, but she quickly resumed her stern expression when she caught me watching. After they finished, she turned back to me, her face alight with expectation.

  What a well-trained group of girls.I could take you all with a hand tied behind my back.I'm sure there must have been a porn video with this theme."What a well-trained group of girls," I complimented, noticing how easily I could read her emotions.

  Sk?gul seemed very pleased with the praise, though it left me unsure of what she expected next, creating an awkward silence as they all continued to watch me.

  Thankfully, Alice woke up just in time to rescue me from the awkward silence. She flew over and used her favorite skill on Sk?gul.

  [+3 Sk?gul Affection gain.]

  Gncing at her Affection score, it had surpassed 500, so I suppose that was another way to increase it, though it didn’t have a meaningful impact. That was probably due to Sk?gul's awkward reaction to Alice's attempt.

  "Oh, hello... sister?" Sk?gul said, uncertain.

  Alice looked equally confused by Sk?gul's ckluster response and used her skill again, but still elicited no reaction, leading to another palpable silence. This time, it was broken by the sound of footsteps descending the stairs.

  "Ah, I recognize you! You're the lightning Valkyrie who saved my brother," Sakura excimed as she rushed over upon seeing us, with Angelica following close behind, trying to tame her bed hair.

  "What my sister means to say is, thank you very much for your timely intervention," Angelica crified as she managed to smooth her own hair and began fixing Sakura’s.

  "The pleasure is all mine, sisters," Sk?gul responded, sounding more confident this time.

  Angelica's smile widened at this, while Sakura's attention shifted to the troops lined up outside the door. Before I could respond, Alice clenched her little fists, flew out to the group of girls, and used her skill again.

  "Ah, so cute!" more than half of them excimed, nearly breaking formation at the sight of her fluttering in front of them.

  "Attention!" Sk?gul commanded.

  They snapped back into formation, looking somewhat embarrassed. Sk?gul turned to me, about to speak, but halted when she saw a delighted Alice flying back to perch on top of my head.

  Sakura couldn't contain her ughter at the scene, echoing Miki’s lighter giggles.

  "Do not worry; brother goes out of his way to pamper Alice. Seeing that your troops find her adorable will only endear them more to him," Angelica reassured her.

  "Understood," Sk?gul replied, abandoning her previous thought and resuming her upright posture, gazing up at me with renewed focus.

  Trying to steer the conversation back on course, I asked, "Didn't you come for a reason? Especially this early. It's not even time for Mother or Miki to head to the castle yet. In fact, the sun isn't even up.”

  "Yes, sir, we just finished morning roll call, and I wanted to report in as soon as possible and allow you to evaluate us," she responded.

  'Not that I'm not grateful to her, but I really just want to go back to sleep,' I thought. But before I could decline her proposal, Angelica intervened.

  "You were scheduled to meet with Mindy and Tiffany today, but considering the circumstances, we'll have to reschedule," Angelica informed me.

  Suddenly, I felt wide awake and relieved at the prospect of not dealing with those superficial girls today. Sk?gul was a million times better, even if they did prefer to rise before the dawn.

  "Let's head to the park. Anna and Emma are still sleeping, and our home is a bit too cramped for so many guests," Angelica suggested.

  "Don't worry, I'll let them know you have pressing matters to deal with," Miki said, giving Angelica a wink as Sk?gul went out to stand with her troops.

  "Thank you, Mama Miki," Angelica responded before she and Sakura went off to get ready. Sakura quickly donned her armor, and Angelica swiftly changed from one of my old shirts into her translucent robes. Thankfully, for all the leisureliness in other aspects of life here, getting ready was not one of them. In less than five minutes, we were all set to go.

  When Sk?gul saw us step out of the house, she issued an order in a forceful whisper. I couldn't make out what she said, but the girls immediately parted, opening up the center.

  "This way, sir, sisters," she directed, guiding us into the center where the girls closed ranks around us. As she led us forward, the rest of the girls began to march in lockstep around us.

  It was a rather Bizarre experience, one I wasn't sure I enjoyed until I noticed a group of girls, likely on their way to the guild, who usually pestered me whenever they saw me. This time, however, they could only watch as we marched past.

  "You know, this is actually quite nice," I remarked to no one in particur, gncing back at them.

  "I know, their marching is so cool," Sakura chimed in, observing the disciplined formation of the girls.

  "That's not what he meant, Sakura," Angelica said with a small sigh, having resigned herself to Sakura's persistent staring.

  "You both honor us with your praises," Sk?gul decred from ahead of us. She didn’t turn around, but her pride was evident in her voice.

  "Praise well deserved. Seeing Valkyries up close is truly a remarkable experience, especially for a city as small as ours," Angelica added, appreciating the unique spectacle.

  "The size of a city does not determine its significance. I myself come from unremarkable parents, yet I rose to lead. And it is this city that has produced my future husband," she said, prompting me to remember that in this nguage, the words for 'size' and 'importance' are strikingly simir.

  I wished I could learn the local nguage, but my inability to use magic meant that I couldn't even begin to process it, let alone speak it. This is also why some races cannot understand each other; their magic operates on such fundamentally different levels that communication becomes impossible.

  "I completely understand, sister," Angelica nodded empathetically.

  So why come now, so long after the breaking?Tell me about some of your battles.Let your sister continue to lead the conversationCurious about the timing of her visit, I chose to inquire, "So why come now, so long after the breaking?”

  "I tried to make arrangements after reporting in, but was ordered to return home. Back in our city, I submitted multiple requests, all of which were denied. Only my st request was approved, following your recent tournament. And not to speak ill of my elders' wisdom, but I resent how they spoke of my future husband—as if his sole value was to father children. I will perform my duties like all proud Valkyries and serve until I am called upon to guide your spark to the Goddesses," she expined, her voice tinged with frustration.

  As she spoke, my attention drifted; her words transformed into red text with giant yellow arrows beled 'clue' pointing at them, hanging suspended in the air, as they left her mouth.

  I'm not stupid; I can clearly sense that something is afoot with the nobles of this city and their dealings with me. Unfortunately, there isn’t much I can do short of leaving the city, but that would simply leave me exposed by voiding the contracts my mothers signed when they became citizens.

  It also seems the issue extends beyond the local nobility, but I’ve decided not to fret about it until they make a move. For now, my focus is on strengthening my position by amassing more cards I can py.

  My gaze drifts to Sakura’s smile, and despite feeling conflicted, I recognize that Sk?gul, too, might be another card.

  Shifting my eyes back to the Valkyrie, I am reminded of the time she arrived like a bolt of lightning and effortlessly vanquished the void monster—a feat I still can not achieve. My reverie is abruptly shattered when four girls break from the formation and dash off.

  "We are here, sir, the area is secure," Sk?gul reported, standing at attention. After receiving a nod of acknowledgment from me, she turned to address Sakura.

  "Sister Sakura, this is Ráegríer; she will be your opponent," she announced to an eager Sakura, who was busily double-checking her equipment.

  ‘Sakura wanted to test her fighting skills against a Valkyrie. Now, if you would be so kind as to buy some picnic items, we can enjoy the day,’ Angelica filled me in on what I had missed while lost in thought, her voice resonating in my mind.

  Buy picnic itemsJoin the sparingFight Sk?gulWhile I was curious about how I would measure up against the real thing, the prospect of being hit with billions of volts didn't exactly appeal to me, so I decided to leave the fighting to Sakura.

  I redeemed a picnic set from my store for 7,000 points. It materialized fully assembled on the grass in front of us: a bnket spread out with a basket filled with sandwiches.

  Angelica and I sat down on the bnket, while Sk?gul remained standing. Before I could speak, Sk?gul began to.

  "But sister…" she paused for a brief second, "sister Yuno, I am on duty."

  "Of course, I would never presume. I'll leave it to you," she continued, then slightly rexed and sat down next to me, opposite Angelica. However, her rexation seemed minimal, evident by her constantly scanning the surroundings.

  "Here," Angelica offered, handing her a cup which, upon checking, turned out to be grape soda. "They are really quite skilled."

  "No, it is your sister who is skilled. Despite her few years, she is holding her own," Sk?gul remarked, though Sakura hadn't managed to nd a hit, even with her Blessing combined with her fighting style, while her opponent countered purely with skill. It was easy to forget, given their youthful appearances, but these Valkyries could be centuries old.

  Angelica nudged me, ‘Brother, being tired is no excuse for being rude.’

  She was right. I hadn't yet properly thanked Sk?gul for all her help, even if some of it was unintended. "Hey Sk?gul, thanks. You really went out of your way to save me, and having access to your abilities has been a lifesaver in more ways than one."

  "There's no need to thank me, sir. It is my duty," she replied, but the smile that spread across her face suggested she appreciated the acknowledgment.

  As I watched the sparring session, I found myself curious about Sk?gul's training regimen. Given her prowess, she must train extensively. I couldn't help but imagine her soaring into the clouds to absorb lightning strikes or something equally dramatic. "How do you even train your lightning abilities?" I asked.

  "Lightning?" she echoed, puzzled by my question.

  "Yes, your Blessing?" I asked again, now sounding unsure myself.

  "My Blessing is no more reted to lightning than hers is to healing," she crified, gesturing toward Angelica.

  "Huh?" I looked at her, confused. I knew that Angelica's Blessing was to restore things to their natural state, but I couldn't see how that reted to Sk?gul's not involving lightning.

  “What is lightning?” she asked, noticing my confusion.

  "Superheated air and psma caused by the rapid movement of electrons," I answered.

  This seemed to puzzle her. "Let me rephrase that. What is a Blessing?"

  "A gift from a goddess to help the races stay alive," I replied, though now less certain.

  "Yes, but it's not just about surviving; it's about thriving. A Blessing is anything and everything we could ever need," she expined, though her answer didn't crify much further.

  "Perhaps if I expin a bit about how we train," she suggested, seeing my continued confusion. "Before we can walk, talk, or even touch a spear, we are given a task we must complete. Mine was to move a rock towards myself."

  With a slight gesture of her hand, she pulled a rock across the park from the ground. "Without any knowledge of my Blessing, I learned to draw the rock to myself."

  "Well, yeah, rocks have electrons, but what about someone whose gift can't interact with the rock?" I questioned.

  She let the rock float above her hand, slowly shaking her head at my remark. "The tasks are random, guided by the Goddesses. Take Eir, for example. She is a healer, like sister Angelica. She completed a simir task by healing the ground, creating a ramp to herself. Or Heier—she was tasked with healing an injury using her fire Blessing."

  She then propelled the rock from her hand like a railgun, but arrested its motion just as it was about to impact the ground, pcing it perfectly back into its original position without harming the rock or the earth. "Nothing is impossible with a Blessing. It's us who are limited. That's why it's not merely lightning. It becomes whatever I need."

  "Or whatever you will need now," she added, giving me a smile to punctuate her expnation.

  That is not scientific!Do you still undertake those tasks?If they can't challenge their creator, then they really can't do everything."Do you still undertake those tasks?" I inquired, intrigued by the concept.

  "Yes, it's how our rank is determined. With each task you complete after the first ten, you are eligible to rank up. When we first met, I had only completed 12 tasks, but after meeting you, something clicked, and I finally grasped what our elders were trying to impart about our Blessings. I'm now up to 14, and I'm one of the youngest to achieve this feat. That's why I now lead these girls," she expined, her voice carrying a mix of pride and responsibility.

  "What was task number 13? And how long did it take?" I asked, my interest deepening as she spoke.

  "I apologize, but I am contract bound not to disclose details of any tasks beyond the first ten. As for the duration? It takes as long as it takes. I haven't kept track, but it's been more than five cycles," she replied. Realizing she had been committed to a single task for over a hundred years suddenly made me feel less inadequate about my own struggles.

  ‘You should tell her about Love Land,’ Angelica suggested telepathically, echoing my own thoughts. If Sk?gul was going to treat me as her commander in the future, she needed to know about these elements—both to strengthen her and, indirectly, myself. Even Alice seemed to agree, tapping my head affirmatively.

  Sk?gul wasn't part of the Valkyrie noble css yet; she was a skilled soldier but still a commoner within their culture, which meant she was duty-bound to follow my commands above all others. Valkyrie lore even had tales of warriors who would turn against their own kind if ordered, without hesitation.

  'I agree,' Yuno chimed in mentally. Her simple statement told me that, regardless of my decision, Sk?gul wouldn't cease her efforts to stand by my side. Resisting this path would only complicate things unnecessarily. Indeed, the customs here felt strange compared to what I considered normal.

  I hesitated. I couldn't pinpoint why I was hesitating. Perhaps I was reluctant to draw her further into my life, or maybe I felt like I was using her. It was hard to discern; all I knew was that I felt bad about the whole situation.

  To quell my paranoia or maybe in search of a reason to refuse, I used the 'Show hidden secrets' skill on her.

  [As a young trainee, Sk?gul was introduced to a romance novel by a fellow soldier. The protagonist in the story acted sweet and innocent around her lover, which Sk?gul practiced in secret to prepare for the future. However, it embarrassed her so much that she vowed to keep this secret until her dying day.]

  [Hidden fetishes revealed:Rolepy: Breaking the soldier.Being embarrassed: When embarrassed, she experiences a tightening sensation and releases a surge of electricity gently inside.]

  That wasn't the kind of secret I was expecting, but realizing that such a benign aspect counted as her dark secret reassured me. I couldn't help but chuckle at Sk?gul's confused expression. "Sk?gul, there's something I want to show you."

  "Yes?" She looked puzzled until I transported her, along with Angelica, Alice, and Yuno, into Love Land.

  “This is?” she asked, her gaze sweeping over the dramatically transformed scenery. Love Land had evolved; it now featured a massive training area connected to an open field with leftover gym equipment and vending machines. Beyond that y a forest with a serene home beside a ke, and on the opposite side, a colosseum. Behind us was an alchemy shop beside a pin looking home, their front adorned with a garden brimming with herbs. I was still experimenting with the yout, but for now, this arrangement was to my liking.

  "This is a dominion," she concluded after taking in the scene.

  "Yes, it is," Angelica nodded, her pride in the pce seemingly greater than mine.

  To my surprise, Sk?gul straightened up, pced one hand over her heart, and sank to one knee, maintaining eye contact with me. "Commander, you have once again proven that I have ventured on the right path. I swear that I will not allow any to dishonor your path forward."

  [+97 Sk?gul Affection gain. [overflow]]

  [Overflow - your affection gain has reached a limit and some was wasted. If the limit is quickly lifted, some of the overflow can still be retained. Gains diminish with time.]

  Her affection shot past 500 to 600, but unlike with others, it stopped at 600, even though it seemed like it could have gone higher.

  I know breaking through involves strong emotions, but the stopping points appeared arbitrary. And I did not see the purpose of bonuses from achievements if the affection was just going to halt at predetermined breakpoints.

  The best way to test this would be to increase my luck and arrange a series of minor dates, but that would have to wait until ter. For now, I helped her to her feet. "So, since you are here, it would be a waste not to test my abilities against yours."

  "Yes," she replied, her eagerness unmistakable—not for the battle itself, but for my improvement. She was also a remarkably capable teacher, understanding Blessings in ways I could not fully grasp but still managing to impart some of it onto me.

  Needless to say, I was thoroughly outmatched. I couldn’t even nd a solid blow. However, through the ordeal, I began to grasp what she had been talking about. Her body wasn’t merely empowered; it was the lightning itself, moving and twisting in ways that defied possibility.

  This extended to her mastery over her armor. It wasn’t controlling her; it was a part of her, thus also a part of the lightning.

  I also finally understood why people emphasize tiers so much. I had previously started to think they weren't a big deal, but when you put two highly skilled individuals against each other, the one who is 10% faster and stronger will win every time.

  ‘I wondered, how would I pull a rock toward myself?’ All of this left me with much to ponder. Until now, I had not really tried to understand what I could do with the system, rgely ignoring it because I disliked its origin.

  Recalling the little system scampering around made me smile. She had never really harmed me—no more than any child might—and it was the stupid goddess I hated, not her. It was stupid to direct my dislike towards her, especially now that I recognized she was her own entity.

  "Thanks again, Sk?gul. I have a lot to think about now," I said, lying on the ground and twitching periodically, even though I was perfectly healed.

  "I was only doing my duty, Commander," she replied, but the look on her face betrayed her genuine happiness.

  After returning I watched as Sakura performed a lot better than I did. She still did not manage to nd a hit but she stopped herself from getting beat up.

  As it began to grow dark, we were escorted back home, where Sk?gul introduced herself to my mom and the twins, who immediately took a shine to her. Before leaving, she promised to return as soon as she received full authorization, which would be passed to me after I reached adulthood.

  [Date end]

  [Love Land]

  [Love nd: tier 1Buildings: Monster Ranch 3, Training Area 3, Arena 3, Grove 2, house 1, Cozy House 2, Alchemy Lab 2Building Queue: Grove 3[43 days remaining]]

  [Monster Ranch 3: Introduces a vending machine that is restocked daily with a variety of drinks for the monsters. These drinks have random effects, and the higher your luck stat, the better chance of receiving drinks with more beneficial effects.]

  [Training Area 3: The training golems can now mimic the form of any card with a value of five hundred or more.]

  [Arena 3: Enhancements have been made to all existing effects.]

  [Alchemy Lab 2: Features a new garden for cultivating known herbs, can only be used in Love Land.]

  [The house is now linked to the Alchemy Lab, extending gardening and storage to the house.]

  [Cozy House 2: Now provides a resting experience gain bonus.]

  [Kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom upgrades are now avaible for residential buildings.]

  [Grove 2: Introduces a ke that enhances rexation, increases the resting cap, and allows for fishing.]

  [The Grove and Monster Ranch are now connected, which boosts the spawn rate of monsters and increases the likelihood of spawning forest-type monsters.]

  [Liev Ekker - Level 29Goddess points: 13,265Love points: 1,463,327,724Stat points: 4

  Luck: 16 Charm: 7 Social: 6 Observe: 10

  Skills - Date a lottery 9/13, A date to remember [o], Show hidden secrets [x], Charm her pants off [o], Social butterfly [o], More Than Just A Little Luck [o], Treasure Hunter [o]

  Achievements - 47Achievements_Alice - 1

  Cards: 1_Yuno - 4156, 2_Sakura - 500, 3_Angelica - 500, 4_Alice 500, 5_Cire - 300, 6_Selen - 300, 7_Miki - 500, 8_Amelia - 500, 9_Anna - 427 10_Emma - 427 11_Sk?gul - 600, 12_Ellie - 300, 13_Lucy - 300, 14_Grace - 1015, 15_Shadow_13 - 155, 16_Izzy - 300 17_Lamya - 500,18_Nyx - 707, 19_Esmeralda - 114, 20_Tabitha - 143, 21_Urda -101, 22_Yelizaveta - 101, 23_Spectra - 100, 24_Chossach - 150, 25_Stiletto - 300, 26_Vyx - 699, 27_Era - 500, 28_Nysa - 500, 29_Smira - 200]