I Became a 6★ Gacha Character-Chapter 431: Stage Lock 1

The group readily accepted the idea of heading north together.

The main quest had hit a wall because they'd blocked the entrance like a Terran[1] building bunkers, scrambling to prepare defenses against our rapid advance. And when gamers hit a main quest lockout, they naturally turn to side quests.

Han Se-ah and her viewers were gleefully excited about the prospect of traveling to the northern Empire with the Ice Cross Knights to enhance Katie.

The others tended to follow without question when the party leader, Goddess-chosen hero, and genius mage Han Se-ah suggested something. Plus, since I'd brought up going to the Empire as a way to overcome my past trauma, everyone nodded in agreement despite their concerned looks.

As for the Ice Cross Knights...

"Hahaha! The Sibedev domain will absolutely welcome the heroes!"

"Why don't we go through Friedrich domain? Since Margrave Sibedev's territory is on the frontline, the Magic Tower in Friedrich would be perfect. I can even make gate reservations to the Empire under my name."

"Man, must be rough for those without Magic Towers in their domain!"

When the hero party casually mentioned wanting to experience monster waves, they enthusiastically welcomed the idea with open arms. The northern Empire trip was unanimously approved without a single dissenting vote.

I could worry about getting all the Ice Cross Knights to floor 60 later. No matter how hard I wracked my brain now, the perfect solution wouldn't just pop out like I was some intelligence 99 character.

The only option was to somehow build camaraderie between the Ice Cross Knights while completing Katie's character quest so they'd fight together through floor 60. The quest would be cleared even if they returned home to protect their domains after floor 61.

"Our domain is famous for apples! One glass of kompot made from them makes the cold winter wind feel like nothing!"

"It's just apples preserved in honey! It's not the apples that taste good, it's the honey and sugar!"

"Women love sweet things, you bear-brained idiot!"

Watching them, bonding clearly wouldn't be an issue.

Somehow they were all like Olek, or maybe growing up together had infected them with his personality - all 20 Ice Cross Knights were chattering away boisterously.

Alisa, the sole woman, cleverly used her "fellow woman" position to get on casual speaking terms with our party members. The other 20 knights forgot gender differences entirely, acting like neighborhood uncles bragging about their hometown to a favorite celebrity.

Not like obsessive fans sending creepy love to idols, but like uncles trying to feed a skinny singer who came to perform at a local festival.

I looked up kompot and found it's a traditional Russian drink made by preserving fruits like apples or cherries in honey and sugar. A tea made with fruit preserves would definitely be sweet. They were busy bragging about their domains' sweet desserts like apple pies and molasses cookies.

Though they were enthusiastically clamoring, there was no creepy undertone, so even the sensitive Grace just laughed awkwardly and exchanged glances with Han Se-ah. It was hard to push them away when they were full of good intentions, not trying to hit on beautiful women but genuinely excited about heroes visiting their remote domains and giving the residents something to be proud of.

It's easy to reject those approaching with ill intent, but harder to turn away those sincerely wanting to show hospitality. They weren't asking for anything - just wanted us to travel through their domains and let them treat us to local specialties.

"Say, doesn't Sibedev domain have a Magic Tower? I'd like to go directly there if possible."

-LOL talking about apple pies when we need to clear the character quest lmao

-I tried molasses cookies and couldn't even tell if they were sweet, let's just eat macarons

-Isn't molasses just sugar manufacturing waste? How good could medieval style ones taste lol

-Many traditional foods don't get game buffs, avoid those trap cards and just eat obviously modern food

-Han Se-ah loves explosions, maybe she'd like traditional surströmming?

"I throw bombs at others, not in my own mouth, you bastard. And I'm not about to relax in some domain while something might happen in the tower."

By now Han Se-ah was on casual speaking terms with them and skillfully handling the 20 knights - or more precisely, the 19 besides Olek who was grinning at the suggestion of going straight to Sibedev domain.

As the viewers said, there was no time for a leisurely food tour when they needed to clear the character quest and look for side quests before the main quest opened up. With this being their first experience with monster waves, the chance of hidden content was beyond 99%, more like 140%.

If they suddenly added the Empire for Season 2 but it had no content, it would prove BB Games' "BB" stood for baboon - demonstrating intelligence on par with a mandrill.

※

5★ 'Snow Mirage' Alisa Friedrich

The Ice Cross Knights' vice-captain, a "weeb-bait" character with a small build, cute appearance and twin-tails, also Olek Sibedev's inhibitor and the knights' external brain.

True to her "Mirage" title, her tricky swordplay utilizing her small, flexible build was impressive, but her "external brain" image was perfectly established with both me and the viewers. She hadn't gotten the vice-captain position through childhood friendship - she'd earned it through ability.

Knight order paperwork? Alisa handled it.

Food supply contracts with merchants? Alisa handled it.

Managing collected mana stones? Alisa handled it.

Strategic planning against monster waves, legal matters for the Imperial knight order, the tangled politics of noble families, all diplomatic issues from an Imperial knight order entering the Kingdom's tower—

"That? The vice-captain handled it."

"Ah, Alisa discussed that with Viscount Friedrich."

"The Magic Tower? Through a mage the vice-captain knows."

It was common knowledge in the Ice Cross Knights that if something needed brains rather than swords, Alisa handled it. ...Were these guys really educated nobles? Did northern vodka have brain-smoothing properties?

"Hanna, I've booked the gate to Friedrich domain!"

"Vice-captain's tyranny! That cuts our domain out of the route!"

"Do the paperwork yourself if you're jealous!"

Maybe it was because they were all similar ages who'd trained together for over a decade since childhood, but their closeness made it hard to tell if this was a knight order or a class reunion. While Olek and Alisa were branded as childhood sweetheart types, really all 21 knights were basically childhood friends.

Anyway, Alisa confidently smiled after silencing the jeers with one shout. Though with a build slightly smaller than Katie's, her appearance inspired more admiration than intimidation.

"Oh? So we can't go straight to Sibedev domain?"

"It's because of when the Magic Towers were built. Our domain's tower was built behind Sibedev domain before it was properly developed. The Magic Tower built there to research monster waves, then people gathered and our domain formed."

"Then Sibedev domain came after?"

"More like it expanded. Our domain stayed focused on supplies, while the previous Margrave Sibedev came to support us and expanded the territory by pushing back monster waves, becoming Margrave."

Though Han Se-ah's mind was full of "hurry up" thoughts wanting to clear the quest, she nodded resignedly at Alisa's logical explanation.

A Magic Tower wasn't some toy building that could be instantly mass-produced like in a game when territory expanded. Actually, thinking logically, it was strange to have a Magic Tower right behind a Margrave's domain where monster waves hit.

Who would believe it if Samsung built a semiconductor lab in the Korean DMZ?

"So we teleport to Friedrich's Magic Tower first, then move to Sibedev domain from there?"

"That's the fastest way."

The knights who'd been jeering quickly fell silent, apparently not having been serious. Watching Han Se-ah chat while surrounded by Grace and Katie made them look like middle schoolers getting shaken down by high school and college students.

From floor 56 to 50, then out of the tower through the gate to the Magic Tower. Moving as a group naturally drew people's attention as they chatted.

"Hanna, we should report to the guild first. We can handle the Magic Tower when moving through gates or leave it to the guild."

"Report? Ah right, we should let them know the gate from floor 56 to 57 is blocked."

"Whatever they're trying to accomplish by blocking the gate, at least people won't be kidnapped anymore."

So I just said it outright.

In the street with hundreds of listening ears, I announced that the Demon King's army had blocked the door to floor 57 and gone into hiding. The hero party saying it openly would help stop anxiety-inducing false rumors.

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[1. raei: starcraft]