A day passed.
The Cradle was busier than ever; for once, the area was filled to the brim with people, or more specifically, the villagers. One could notice that the Cradle was bigger than usual, and the walls that surrounded it seemed to have extended further.
"Cradle expansion..."
That's right, the Cradle has expanded and new facilities have been made. Aside from the inn, the smithy, and the huge Dimensional Rift, a library was formed on the new second layer of the Cradle. The heart, which is where summoning, rebirth, and synthesis happen, was elevated, and stairs were made in its place.
"To see it in person, it's quite bizarre.... But more importantly..."
"Hello Sla—!"
"Shut your mouth."
Fran instinctively grabbed the oddly excited Dorothy, making sure she didn't say anything unnecessary.
There were several villagers who seemed to have volunteered to fight and work for the Cradle. Unlike players and non-players, people from Fragments were subservient to the Cradle that captured their Fragment.
This was the rule.
Cough.
Fran cleared his throat.
"I greet all the Villagers from Barrett Village."
"Oh..!"
"It's the heroes!"
"Thanks for freeing us!"
The crowd cheered, their eyes glinting with positivity and awe. Not a single one presented a hint of doubt or malice.
"Little Fran, these people, will they live with us?"
"You see—!"
"Let me talk, shorty."
"Hey—!"
He tightly held her mouth shut to prevent any further retort from her. Everyone ignored her and glanced at Fran, as it seemed everyone else wondered about the villagers.
"Yeah, if you can notice the additional space in the Cradle, the King will assign them a space, and they can freely make their lodgings using the Cradle's resources."
Fran explained that as more Fragments were captured and brought under the Cradle's control, it expanded. Each liberated Fragment typically gained a dedicated area within the Cradle, allowing its inhabitants to contribute to the Cradle's development.
[You're being a proper king now. :)]
"..."
He couldn't deny the fact that everyone had begun to trust him more, whether it was because he was a "player" of this game or because of his gift, Fran really couldn't tell. It was really odd, since no one even bothered to question who the King was, or even suspected Fran—as if his words had some charismatic effect.
"Lhm mr gh!!"
Dorothy, trying to break free, pleaded with Fran to let her go as he continued his speech.
<<----------->>
"How could this happen...!? Does the King want us to die?"
"It's because of you, cowardly lot!"
Gamon exclaimed, glaring at the non-combatants with annoyance.
Everyone was gathered for a meeting in the newly refurbished inn. The walls and furniture looked brand new, and the food they were eating was significantly better and varied. Vaclova seems to have utilized the Cradle expansion to great effect and made proper food with her assistant.
Despite that, the mood in the inn was sour. It was all due to the notice they received this morning.
"Clear at least one stage in a day, huh... otherwise we will be recycled..."
"This is the heart of King's Cradle! Who will be the first to be sacrificed...!? I can't wait!" Dorothy said jovially, as if it were a good thing.
He had no choice. The Cradle would soon collapse if he didn't do this.
The Cradle, while big, could only carry a certain number of summoned otherworlders. 10 to be exact—and it could only increase by 3 for each captured fragment.
"I'm just a nobody... a part-time worker in a convenience store...!"
The non-combatant middle-aged person who first spoke complained again. He was one of the people who were summoned with Gamon and Dorothy.
"Umm... I can fight... I just really am afraid of blood..."
"We'll help you, you can come with us."
The two sisters approached and reassured the meek girl, who seemed to be in high school based on her uniform.
"I understand everyone has their concerns and circumstances. However, the King's orders are absolute. If we don't want to die, we have to do as we are told."
"Then...! Then why are they exempted from this!?"
The man looked in the direction of Vaclova and Albert, who were both in charge of their facilities.
"Huh...!? Do you want me to take the food you just ate from your stomach?!"
Vaclova, who had watched the situation unfold on the counter, remained silent until now while cleaning the cups and plates. Albert was to the side, taking his time in drinking the homemade wine that became available after the expansion.
"This is a common occurrence in the King's orders; it seems that players who are assigned to their specialized facilities usually get exempted from doing anything related to clearing stages and capturing fragments."
"That's... why can't I be in charge of them!?"
Slam
"Hey."
Gamon, fed up with the outburst of the middle-aged man, gripped his collar and pushed him onto the wall.
"It's because you can't do shit, you hear me!? What have you done ever since you got here? Even that shrimp is useful."
"I'm not a SHRIMP!"
Unlike everyone else, who took a while to understand the situation, Gamon adapted quickly. If he wanted to survive and have a chance to return, he had to play this game. He didn't hesitate and immediately challenged the stages.
Now that he had recovered, he began training first thing in the morning, with the expanded training grounds in front of the inn.
"A-Alright... I'll do it..."
The man slumped to the ground, his face showing fear and panic.
"I'll go train. Fran right? Come see me after this is done."
"...? Okay."
Gamon exited, and the inn went silent. The atmosphere was awkward, and no one dared to say anything.
"So, should we synthesize that man?"
Except for Dorothy, that is.
"Hiehk...!"
"Don't scare him, shorty."
"Aww~!"
The man crawled to the corner in horror, even Fran found it pathetic. He could only sigh—as technically, this was all his responsibility. He thought the overall situation would have been much worse if they knew he was King.
"This is why Kings never showed up, huh...?"
[New message]
[Sponsor: Evo]
[Wow~! Good job! ദ്ദി ( ᵔ ᗜ ᵔ ) I saw your performance first hand, you were dashing, Mr. Fran Asroth! Putting you there was the right choice. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧]
[In any case, I'm sure you know the drill; it's time for WAR. Please take down another Cradle. ☆ｏ(＞＜;)○]
[Deadline: 1 month]
"Seriously... this piece of shit..."