The High Heavens Call for Gacha (8)
"Hehehe..."
Seemingly satisfied with my "lover" act, Arthur giggled foolishly. Under the scorching glares of Cheonma and Hwaryeon, she released the hand she had been holding and was dragged away from the machine like a condemned prisoner.
Of course, as Cheonma and Hwaryeon hauled her away, they never once forgot to shoot me looks that promised a reckoning later.
"....."
Why does it feel like I’ve lived through a lifetime of turmoil in such a short span of time?
At the sound of the angels whispering, I subconsciously pulled the cloak Remiel had given me tighter around myself, adjusting my posture to cover as much skin as possible.
I looked up at the cube, which displayed Arthur being dragged off by Cheonma and Hwaryeon, still wearing that dopey, intoxicated grin.
...Just a moment ago, she was a human hero who made even us angels think, "Wow, she's cool." How good could it possibly be to act like she’s... high on something?
...That alcohol the demons made? Did she drink that?
No, that doesn't seem right... When they drink that, they cry, get angry, laugh, and scream, don't they?
True... though they said we started making it recently too... but it hasn't been distributed yet, except to the highest-ranking angels...
Yeah... Oh, wait! You... didn't you get a hug from ^$#!#$^!#@# once before? It looks exactly like that time.
Uh... I mean, I did, but... I didn't act like that? Is it because she's a human?
..... Is there something about human men? I'm feeling a bit... hot... Ahaha...
Same here... You feel hot too? Me too... I really need to keep a closer eye on that human man.
...
Sensing the atmosphere—as if the slightly flushed (?) angels had all focused their attention on me—I quickly turned my gaze toward Lancelot, the next Gacha contestant, to divert their interest elsewhere.
Lancelot was staring at Arthur in the cube with a look of deep dissatisfaction.
I called out to her immediately.
"Lancelot."
"...?"
Lancelot turned her head toward me, blinking her bright, clear eyes as if asking why I had called.
"Wait a second... lend me your ear..."
!!!
Lancelot hurried over to me, tilted her head, and offered her ear.
With my hand cupped, I leaned in close to the ear she had presented.
"You know..."
Twitch!
My voice must have been too loud, as Lancelot flinched in surprise.
I lowered my voice even further and whispered the reason why I had called her.
"..... I’m sorry... I didn’t expect the results to be so good earlier...? So, I was wondering... Lancelot, could you... instead of doing a Gacha... earn some coins for me?"
"...... Why? I... want to... Gacha..."
Lancelot expressed her refusal, clearly unhappy with the request to skip her turn and grind for coins.
......... Hmm... Why, you ask...
Honestly, because the results were too good earlier... if I consider the system's own "balance patch" (?), it’s hard to say Merlin will pull something good.
Do all Gacha pulls go well?
They don't. Either you or Merlin... one of you is bound to fail. Or maybe both.
And... me too.
Since the ones I considered "assets" all pulled something great earlier... it was too good, to the point where even I can't trust my own luck anymore.
That’s what my gut is screaming at me.
"It’s just... all the items pulled earlier... I can't even check them because I’m out of coins... I need to at least identify one item so I can use it today. Please, I’m begging you... I’m really sorry..."
"........."
After explaining the reason with as much desperation as I could muster, I scratched my head and pleaded for her to earn coins instead.
Hearing the reason, Lancelot seemed to think that wasn't enough to move her heart. She turned her body away, slowly pulling the ear she had offered back, and crossed her arms as she stared at me.
"Is there... no way...?"
".... Move... my heart."
"You want me to... move your heart?"
"...Yes."
...
Lancelot.
Now is not the time for this!
If you keep acting like this, I might really end up receiving the kind of obsession from these angels that you guys hate!
I stared at Lancelot, silently mouthing the word "Please" over and over.
Please....!
Don't try to pull rank like this right now!
But Lancelot just looked at my face, then averted her gaze with a satisfied expression, still refusing.
As if she wanted me to do more.
Are we... in a transactional relationship?
I felt a sudden surge of irritation, let out a loud sigh, and spoke to Lancelot in a cold voice.
Haa—
"...Fine... Let’s just do the Gacha. Go ahead and pull the lever, Lancelot."
"...Huh? Why.....why?"
At my cold command to just do the Gacha, Lancelot’s emerald pupils shook as if they had just experienced an earthquake.
She had likely expected to be pampered and cared for, just like the other heroes.
"Merlin and I still have our turns left. Hurry up."
"Why... why... I...!"
"...."
"Ahahahahahaha!"
!?
!?
Startled by the sudden, loud laughter from beside me, I turned to look at Judang.
Judang glanced at me briefly before turning her gaze to Lancelot.
"Lancelot. Are you that envious? Of the sweet, intimate moments I shared with the young master?"
"....!"
Grind—
As Judang taunted Lancelot with a snide, mocking tone, Lancelot’s face twisted into a scowl as she ground her teeth.
"What... do you... know..."
"Are you asking because you want to pick a fight?"
".... I... also... want... care....."
"Of course, I know you want to be cared for too, Lancelot."
"You... know... my... heart!"
"I know. I know~ very~ well. How could one woman not understand another woman's heart?"
"....If you... know... then... why!"
However, Judang just scoffed at Lancelot’s reaction.
"Hmph! But, can't you see the situation as it stands?"
"...?"
"Are we not the young master's comrades?"
"....We... are.."
"Lancelot... what on earth does 'comrade' mean to you?"
"....To trust each other... and compensate for each other's weaknesses.."
"Ha, you know it very well, Lancelot? A comrade who knows that... when the young master is appealing to the angels like this for our sake... are you really going to try to satisfy your own greed at this very moment?"
"Bu-but...! I... also...!"
"Have you seen the young master just let things slide? He’s been trying to give us even one more thing, as if he could see right through our hearts, hasn't he?"
"....."
"Lancelot... do you know what a comrade is? It’s when you have to trust and rely on each other... that is when true strength emerges."
"...."
Wow.....
Are we really seeing a scene straight out of a boys' manga here...?
And it’s coming from Judang?
This?
"Lancelot. Think carefully. The heroes before us, including myself, may have hit the jackpot with the Gacha... but because everyone hit it... the scarcity has dropped significantly. We lack coins, but there are many places to use them. And... those mysterious things that came out of the Gacha... they can only be appraised and used if we have coins."
"...."
Judang began to persuade Lancelot on my behalf, explaining why we needed to secure coins instead of doing a Gacha.
"Based on our experience so far... those mysterious things from the Gacha are... in a word, trash if you don't have coins. Trash. Because you need the young master's certification to draw out their true power."
"......Trash.."
"Exactly. Then, to make that trash usable, it will surely be possible... some. day. Why? Because as time passes, we can consistently obtain coins by doing those... what was it... 'daily quests'?"
"..."
"What kind of place is this? It’s a stage the young master created with great difficulty. This is an opportunity for us humans—no, for the young master—to show our abilities to the celestials and move toward an equal relationship. And the only one who can bridge that gap and seize this opportunity... is you, Lancelot. You are the only one who can help the young master in this current situation...! I wish I were in your position instead."
"...!"
With that final remark, Judang finished her explanation of how important this moment was.
"Remember what the young master said when he first introduced us to the celestials."
"...."
Lancelot looked at Judang, then bowed her head, seemingly searching her memory for how I had introduced her to the celestials.
Hmm...
What did I say when I introduced Lancelot to the celestials... It’s not like I have early-onset dementia... but I’m already forgetting...
What was it...
Without a word...
Ah,
"I'll show you when it's absolutely necessary without a word!" that was it...
"That was... without... a word... when... absolutely... necessary! I... will... show... you!"
!
At the same time I remembered, Lancelot seemed to recall it too, turning her head to meet my eyes.
"I'm... sorry... I was... jealous... I'm sorry.... Don't... hate... me."
"...."
Lancelot, who had locked eyes with me, quickly turned her head away and offered an apology in a weak voice.
As she apologized, she didn't even dare to look at me, perhaps fearing I might hate her. Her once-radiant emerald eyes lost their luster, quickly turning into dead, hollow eyes.
"...."
"...."
Pat—
Without asking for her consent, I placed my hand on Lancelot’s head and opened my mouth to the flinching girl.
"Hey, Lancelot. Judang just said it, didn't she? What a comrade is. If I may add one more thing... before being comrades, you are a woman, and I am a man. And... I’m not a perfect man. I’m just a young guy who’s still lacking in many ways. I told you before, right? Because we grew up in different environments... and even our genders are different, we have to talk and adjust to each other to understand one another."
"...."
"So... Lancelot? Look at me."
"...Okay."
"I don't hate you over something like this. You know that, right? It’s not like it’s something serious enough to risk our lives over. It’s fine, so just do as you want. And... I’m sorry for reacting so sensitively earlier..."
"....Okay.. no, it's fine.."
I apologized to Lancelot and took my hand off her head.
Lancelot’s emerald eyes regained their shine, and she approached the lever and reached out.
With her hand on the lever, she looked at me and turned it to switch to Rock-Paper-Scissors mode.
Click—
..
..
Lancelot looked at me with the face of a fool who would give everything—heart and soul—to a handsome alpha male, smiling bashfully as if to say, "Did I do well?"
Haa—
I told her to just do as she wanted...
Judang... I don't know why you suddenly acted so smart, unlike yourself... but still... thank you.
Thanks to you... I might be a little more free from the pressure of coin supply...
Watching Lancelot, who had been persuaded by Judang, being broadcast to the angels through the cube, I picked up the microphone and continued the proceedings.
"..... Um... Hahaha... Shall we continue, then?"
= ..... Um... Hahaha... Shall we continue, then? =
"Well, I truly apologize for the lack of smoothness in the proceedings so far... But please believe me! This process will bring you even greater joy!"
= Well, I truly apologize for the lack of smoothness in the proceedings so far... But please believe me! This process will bring you even greater joy! =
"Now... the method Lancelot is about to attempt is not a Gacha. Then what is it? It is a method to challenge a means to increase the coins needed for the Gacha!"
= Now... the method Lancelot is about to attempt is not a Gacha. Then what is it? It is a method to challenge a means to increase the coins needed for the Gacha! =
Click—
As Lancelot pulled the lever, images of scissors, rock, and paper appeared in the center of the screen, cycling rapidly.
A moment later, with a beep, the screen changed and began a countdown.
Beep—
10
9
...
2
1
!
Rock!
Paper!
Scissors!
Thwack—!
As soon as the machine's announcement ended, Lancelot, with a face full of seriousness, slammed the Rock button.
Me: Rock VS Rock-Paper-Scissors: Paper
LOSE
Lost~
"..."
"..."
Lancelot, who already had plenty of experience, didn't waver at all. She silently returned to her Gacha-player persona and began to attempt consecutive challenges against the machine.
Wow... what on earth is this human man? He shakes a woman's heart... too well...
Clearly... that human female hero is the protagonist... so why do I keep... looking at the human man...
....
....
This won't do.
I need to divert their attention more... To do that... if I let them experience it directly so they can't think about anything else... huh?
..................
Why did I forget about this...?
There was viewer participation content...
Even if these angels can't do it themselves...
What if I give them the experience of directly or indirectly influencing this Gacha...?
Since it’s a novel sensation... their focus on me will decrease.
Having finished my thought, I approached Lancelot, who was inserting coins and about to pull the lever, and whispered in her ear.
"Lancelot... right now... I desperately need your permission."
".... My... per...mis...sion..? ..What.. is.. it?"
".... It’s called... Angel. Part. Con!"
"...?"
I explained the abbreviation to Lancelot, who was wearing a confused expression.
"Angel Participation Content."
"...."
At my words, Lancelot glared at me, her cheeks puffed out with air, her face full of dissatisfaction as she wondered why the angels had to participate on her turn.
..
Lancelot.
I’m really sorry...
I know you hate the angels...
"I.... can't do this without you right now.."
"Pyaaaa.....!"
The air-filled cheeks burst, and Lancelot’s wide emerald eyes seemed to ask me if what she had just heard was real.