Gacha Harem System

Since no one had an answer to the question of Morgana’s use of a mask, Lukas decided it was time to move on to something else.

"Liam’s second class," he said. "What do you guys think it’ll be? I felt holy energy when he used his second attack on that woman."

Akira straightened slightly. "I recognized it too."

She set her cup down. "During my time in the Sisterhood, religious classes were highly valued by the Church, and I saw a few of them in action."

"The skill he used is called [Divine Wrath]. The problem is that several classes share it, and none of them are weak."

"How powerful are we talking?" Melody asked.

"On par with [Smite], especially after advancing to Adept and above."

Akira looked at Lukas.

"You know what [Smite] does in your hands. Now imagine that in the hands of someone whose entire class is built around supplying the necessary stats they need to become absolutely destructive with it at every rank up."

She continued. "The [Archangel] class would fit, but it’s exceptionally rare to awaken this class directly. [Paladin] is possible but they don’t unlock [Divine Wrath] until much later in their progression, which is too late for someone at Liam’s level."

She ticked off the remaining options. "That leaves three realistic candidates. [Inquisitor], [Crusader], and [Templar]."

"And all three are dangerous," Lukas said.

"On their own yes, but all three paired with [Hero]? That’s another kind of dangerous entirely."

Akira picked her cup back up.

"The [Hero] class keeps him standing and moving through anything. And whatever his second class brings in terms of offensive power, he can deliver it while absorbing punishment that would stop anyone else."

Melody leaned forward, fingers laced on the table. "If you removed the stat limiter and fought him with everything, defeating Liam would be a piece of cake. Even the stats alone would be enough to carry you."

She sighed. "But as you are now with your stats capped at four hundred, and limiting yourself to [Smite] and [Wing Fortress] as your visible skills, then the fight could swing either way. He has the tools to make it genuinely difficult for you."

Lukas nodded in agreement. He’d already reached the same conclusion on his own, so hearing it being spoken out loud was just confirmation.

"What about the others?" he asked. "Anyone else worth knowing before the next round?"

Melody nodded, smiling at the change in topic. "I actually did find something on Belle Aurielle."

Lukas frowned, before remembering where he’d heard the name. It was the lady that had been fourth in the rankings.

She’d also been on the same side of the bracket as he was. Unfortunately, she’d have to face Liam Walker first before she’d be able to meet him in the tournament.

"What did you find?" he asked.

Melody exchanged a glance with Akira, before leaning forward, a smile on her face.

"She’s interesting," she said. "More interesting than one would think."

And so he sat there, listening to all the information his wives had on the contestants.

Thirty two Awakeners over a period of five days. And only one would win.

***

There existed many mansions in Havenhart, but only a select few were as luxurious as this one.

Inside it was a large room with gold gilded furniture, designed for guests whose displeasure would be inconvenient.

There was a large window that gave the occupants a view of both the large mansion grounds, and the sprawling city in the distance.

Le Fay sat with his wine, looking at all of it without particularly seeing any of it.

"Has guarding Morgana interfered with your other responsibilities?" he asked, without turning from the window.

Baldwin stood at attention beside the door, hands clasped behind his back. "No, my lord. It has not."

"Good." Le Fay took a sip. "And don’t forget, the guardianship is a guise. Morgana is perfectly capable of managing her own safety. She always has been."

He finally glanced sideways at the large man. "Your actual purpose here is separate from her."

Baldwin said nothing, which was his way of saying that he understood.

Le Fay set his glass down on the arm of the chair. "Let’s hear your results of the investigation. What did you find?"

Baldwin straightened slightly. "I found two individuals connected to the tournament competitor Lukas Valentine. He has two wives, one named Melody, and one named Akira."

"They haven’t done anything out of the ordinary but their backgrounds are the problem. I can find no record of either of them anywhere in Havenhart prior to their association with Valentine."

"I didn’t find any origin city, no guild affiliations, and no family records. Basically, there’s nothing that explains how they arrived here or how they came to know him."

Le Fay’s expression didn’t change. "Do you think they’re part of the Brotherhood?"

"They don’t exhibit the behavioral patterns I would associate with Brotherhood operatives," Baldwin said carefully. "But I would not rule it out. The absence of a background is itself suspicious, regardless of behavior."

"And Morgana’s interest in the young man," Le Fay said. "What do you make of that?"

Baldwin was quiet for a moment. "Lady Morgana noticed something about him that prompted her to request an investigation. I have conducted that investigation thoroughly and I have not identified what she noticed. Which means either I am missing something, or she is perceiving something that is not yet visible through conventional means."

Le Fay looked down at his wine glass. "And in your experience, when Morgana perceives something that isn’t immediately visible..."

"She is usually correct," Baldwin said.

Le Fay picked up his glass again. "Keep watching them. All three. I want to know where the wives came from. I believe that should be a road worth traveling down."

He swirled the wine slowly. "And I should visit my niece one of these days. She’ll pretend she doesn’t want the company."

He took a sip.

"She always does."

Baldwin inclined his head. "Will that be all, my lord?"

Le Fay looked back out the window at the sprawling city below.

"For now," he said. "You may leave."