Sisters' Clash: Conquest or Consolidation?
Big Sis's expression hardened a bit, as if she were toying with me, her gaze shifting to Second Sis, who had opposed her opinion.
"Listen here, Finance Minister, about that granary food stockpile. Aren't the granaries just not filling up because we're keep building more? When the hell are we actually going to launch a conquest? Don't you get that we need to keep rolling this early snowball of territorial expansion right now?"
"Who doesn't know that basic shit? But our economy right now is heavily reliant on plunder. Once we conquer them and assimilate them into our people, plundering stops. Have you even thought about that, Commander-in-Chief?"
"Does the Finance Minister want to play one-city strategy? Save that for single-player games. National power ultimately comes from land size and population numbers. Manchuria, China, Japan, Siberia. All that could be ours right now. You really don't get it?"
"How many countries have collapsed from so-called 'payback wars' without the economic capacity to sustain conquest? Want me to list them? You know them already, right? We can conquer land later. We're barely at around 3870 BC. You didn't know that?"
"Of course I know. And... does that mean we just sit on our elite troops? You think it's okay to train soldiers and then just have them plunder and hunt? Huh? When the hell is the economy gonna improve? It's not improving because you suck at managing it, isn't it?"
"...What? ...What?! What did you just... say?"
"Wars have their timings, don't you know? Just because we're strong now doesn't mean we'll be strong in 100 years. We gotta press them while we can!"
Big Sis started chewing out Second Sis in casual speech, clearly pissed off mid-sentence.
...Hmm, why the sudden overdrive freakout...
Unlike the relatively docile Little Sis or the shady Fourth Sis, Second Sis was just as fierce as Big Sis in our family—especially on money or economic matters. She never backed down.
"Sis! Why are you being so fucking stupid? We've only been properly settled here and farming for a little over four years. Can't you hold out? We already allow plundering. Just raid the nearby tribes and wait another five years or so. We haven't even been settled for a full decade. And Little Sis wants to build some Wonder or whatever. Sigh... Can't you all just wait a few more years?!"
"What?! Stupid?! You wanna die, you little... Long time since you got hit by big sis, huh?!"
"Whoa, whoa... Calm down, both of you. We were having a good meeting, why the hell is this happening?"
I jumped between them as Big Sis clenched her fist, holding both back. Second Sis flinched hard at the sight but whispered accusations to me the second I stepped in.
"Seung-ho, didn't you hear Big Sis drop the honorifics first?! She started it!! I'm innocent. And... look at that. That fist. She's threatening me!"
"Sis, both of you, cut it out."
"Second Sis called me stupid!"
"Always resorting to violence without logic... Hanging with primitives turned your brain primitive too?! Park Seung-ah!!!"
Aaand now she's going full name.
"...What?! Just violence?! Primitive brain? Park Seung-ah?? You really wanna get wrecked... Hey, Park Seung-yeon, get over here while I'm asking nicely."
Park Seung-ah and Park Seung-yeon. Big Sis and Second Sis's names. For some reason, Mom named us all with the "Seung" syllable.
It's not the traditional family name spot... but she said she wanted our sibling bond obvious from the names. Oddly, Mom's name has "Seung" too.
"You think I'm crazy enough to go to her? Your brain really devolved to primitive?"
"Aish, get over here already. Unless you don't want any broken bones. Nicely now?"
"...Ah, sis, seriously..."
"Hey, Park Seung-ho, move. You too, step aside nicely. Or you wanna get hit together..."
"...What?"
I growled low in response to Big Sis's words, and she— who was raging at Second Sis—flinched instead, unable to meet my eyes and looking away.
Big Sis... was scared of me.
Yeah. I'm not the kid who takes beatings from Big Sis anymore.
"...Ahem, no, ...wasn't gonna do that to you. Ahem. Anyway, move. Ah, come on."
"Ah, Big Sis. Hold it in a bit. How old are we to be acting like this?"
"Seung-ho, you butt out? ...Second Sis here, must've forgotten since she only got hit as a kid... Second Sis, wanna refresh your memory of bawling after one hit from me? Remember how we'd 'talk' alone so the other sibs wouldn't see and you'd be embarrassed?"
"Hey, Seung-ho. Don't move. She's gonna hit me. Seung-ho, protect your sis. Can't you beat up Big Sis for me? You're stronger now. You got hit a lot too. Don't you wanna get revenge? Huh? She needs a brutal beatdown from you to fix that dog-like habit."
The two sandwiched me, both whining for me to take their side.
"Aish, stop fighting, you two. Be civil... No, Mom. Mom, mediate this..."
"Your Majesty, I'm just a mere Prime Minister. The King should mediate. Handle your diplomatic policies or whatever yourself."
Mom was sulking.
"Aish... Mom's sulking too. We got permission for plundering, what's the big issue?"
"I didn't expect full-on, all-directions ruthless plundering of every nearby tribe. This is undeclared war and pure hostility. No alliances, no normal diplomacy or trade possible with any tribe. ...And when have I ever sulked over work? It's because I can't fuck you."
"...Ah, right. Mom, come here."
I beckoned Mom over at her display, and she hurried to my side, rubbing against me. She wasn't really mad—just pretending.
I shouldn't say it, but our family was a total mess. Even Mom didn't care if her daughters fought... she just wanted to fuck me. As Mom and I started rubbing bodies, Big Sis and Second Sis stopped fighting and eyed her jealously.
"Hng...♡ Son, not during meetings, not during official business...♡"
"Haa... Whatever. Can't read women's minds sometimes. ...Alright, since Big Sis did it too. Second Sis, your turn. Finance Minister, go."
"Hey, I finished my report too, so can I stick to you like Mom?"
Big Sis clung to me like Mom, and Second Sis muttered she'd do hers quick to join.
"Yes, Your Majesty. As Finance Minister, I suggest maintaining our current plunder-economy model for at least five more years, while going all-in on the Great Library as Priestess proposed and approved. That's already pushing our limits. Prioritize and focus."
"Mm, got it. Next, Intelligence Chief?"
Sensing Second Sis's rush-to-finish vibe, I tossed it to Fourth Sis the spymaster, and Second Sis clung to me.
"I've been handling local intel and counterintel with my followers lately, but nothing major to report. Tribal intel goes straight to Commander-in-Chief for military/strategy or Prime Minister for diplomacy. That's it. ...I'm clinging to bro too. Scoot over, everyone."
"Okay, Little Sis last."
"Call me Priestess officially, please."
"Yes, Priestess. Speak."
"Sounds a bit sarcastic, but you're the king, so I'll overlook. My department has three parts, so three reports/suggestions. First, religion. Bible production at 30% done. Taking it slow and careful. It's the Bible—can't revise later. Gotta do it right first time."
"Okay."
"Second, culture. Pottery tech complete, so pretty ceramics incoming. Tribesfolk love it. Also sponsoring cave paintings, art, songs, dances. Pushing cultural richness."
"Uh... yeah. Sure."
"Third, science/tech dev. Our tribe now knows writing—basically spread Hangul. Calendar dev in progress. Personally, now literate, I'm recording lots and wanna build my Wonder, the Alexandria Great Library, ASAP."
"But Priestess, will that Wonder really work? This is a game world, but not actual game. From experience, it's different... no visible special effects. Granaries didn't magically pump food production."
"True."
"Just reduced losses from rats/rot/waste by proper storage. I bet Great Library's similar..."
"Your Majesty, maybe. But with the Great Library... our tribesfolk's intellect will surely stand out. Isn't that enough? That's the game effect extension, right?"