Chapter 6 Part 2

How many rooms are in this castle and can I make more?

[Of course, you currently have four master bedrooms with jointed bathrooms, eleven guest rooms, and a master bedroom in each of the towers. Three servant's quarters, two dining halls, and a basement. Two kitchens and a communal bathroom for servants. A front and back hall are also included. You'd have to expend mana to make any more rooms do you wish to?]

Wow. Nope, I think I have enough. By the way, is this the Evil Queen's castle?

[It's designed with her in mind. How did you reach this conclusion?]

This giant ass portrait of her seems to be the culprit.

There's a picture of her just before me on the wall. Its caption has Queen Grimhilde in it. Which is her real name if you didn't already know.

Remind me what happens if characters die after I buy them.

[You can revive them using mana.]

Alright, let's get this show on the road. And if I have to. I will let a few heads roll. This is the first time in years that I feel hope. I hope everyone will just do as I say but…

I can already hear chattering as I ease open one of the doors.

Those need oil.

"You enslaved us to who?"

I awkwardly walk in and am assaulted on all ends with their glares.

All of them have gathered in a circle to interrogate Jabberwock.

The White Queen is being supported by a Knight as they ask questions. Said Knight was a huge set of armor with nothing and no one inside seemingly standing on its own. The Hatter was not looking great, his orange hair still had ashes and leaves in it. Soot was decorating one side of his face.

The Jokers looked like court jesters with masks on that had dramatic smiles and frowns painted on them. The frowning one wore white and the smiling one wore red.

A throne is to their right and huge doors are everywhere but the ones that probably lead outside are directly behind them. Creepy gothic ones of course. My interior designer needs to give me a refund.

"So hi? I'm-"

"The Black Knight!"

"She murdered us we should kill her!"

Goddamnit I can't get new ones? Or at least the ones without a grudge.

I chuckle dryly as the White Knights start to charge towards me. 

Suddenly they all kneel as a chain around their neck seems to be tightening. A chain that is also somehow in my hand.

[I have restrained them.]

Neat.

"So as you can see attacking me is not an option. I'm going to say this once so get ready for it."

I take a deep breath before saying this the best way I know how which is kind of shoddy. Phil Jackson would not be proud but I don't give two fucks. I bought most of them to make my life easier and to alleviate some guilt I may or may not have. I can tell them that later on though they're too used to tyrants and monarchies. If I want anything to get done right now I need to talk to them in a language they understand. Bullshit.

"I am kinda your boss from now on. I don't think of you as slaves but rather as employees or attendants. However, if you stir the pot or go too far. I'll leave you in Underland or sell you. You will attend to me and live in this castle. If I hadn't bought you for lack of a better word you would have been subjected to the same fate as the rest of Underland. Death and a total decimation of your world."

I pause gauging their reactions.

Everyone except Jabberwock and Hatter is paying rapt attention to me. The latter is currently sitting on the ground looking very lost while he plays with a stopwatch. 

I may have traumatized him a little bit. He's not the Mad Hatter for no fucking reason.

The former is licking his scales and rolling his eyes. Sassy old man.

"I'm open to suggestions or requests. If you would like to save a loved one I can consider buying them to live here in the castle with you. But I have rules."

Everyone perked up at that.

"Treat everyone with basic respect and there will be no killing each other. I can revive you if you do but please don't."

"Why can't you just leave us alone?"

"Why is the world being destroyed?"

The White Queen pipes up while gesturing for the knights to get up. They do and the chain leaves their neck and becomes a mist.

"No interruptions, please. After the rules, we can proceed with questions."

She nods gracefully.

"I will give you jobs to do around the castle but once they are done you're free. While in this castle you can do whatever you want within reason. Nothing amoral or weird. Please don't destroy this castle as you can see it's brand new."

I say that last part with a hard tone aimed at Jabberwock who just snorts.

"I will summon you when needed, which should be soon. I also will be defeating Alice soon, sealing her within this world and killing Alice in her reality."

"No!"

"Are you mad?!"

"We need her!"

Various voices pipe up as they voice their disagreement.

"I'm not finished."

"In exchange for killing her, your world will be destroyed or frozen temporarily and will be able to come into existence again. I will reap some benefits from this of course but still, you are very welcome!"

"..."

"Why would we thank you?!"

Cue the most rude slaves ever! 

[Attendants.]

Yeah yeah. I'm joking.

"May I ask why you are saving us and what you hope to gain from this?"

White Queen has become the ring leader of the little group of knights and Jokers.

The Hatter and Jabberwock seem to be the outliers though. I should get them friends. Other than each other.

"Sure. I'm saving you because I'm lonely and I feel a little guilty for committing mass genocide over and over again in your world."

She balked at my statement.

"Also I get something akin to money or points for everyone who dies which I used to purchase your lives. The more points I have the better. And I'm not allowed to refuse this mission I've been given. I have to complete it. Even if I die I will be revived repeatedly until I complete the Quest so might as well do it now."

She muses over my words.

"Alright I accept this development but I do suggest that you buy more attendants for your sake of course."

"Oh really?"

She smiles and nods at me convincingly crossing the distance by walking towards me.

"If you truly intend for us to be attendants you will need those with specialties. Those who can be trained to serve you a specific way and a court of course."

"Who do you suggest?"

"Now's the time for any suggestions on who to save."

…

Cue the list of potential people to save. I refused noble ladies and etiquette teachers but I did decide to hire any type of waitstaff who could make my life easier in any way. These people are going to be my imaginary friends for a long time. So a chef or masseuse wouldn't hurt, right? Just joking I didn't get the masseuse. I mostly hired anyone who seemed emotionally important to them and wasn't too expensive. However, I do need to save money to revive Jabberwock.

Racek the Seamstress, The White Rabbit, 6 Rank 3 White Knights, 6 Rank 3 Red Knights, Tulula the Maid, Sequa the Cook, Kecer the Chef, Georgina Hightopper, and Lily.

The White Queen or Marina was quite adamant about saving this girl named Lily. She was this close to getting on her knees and begging. The Red Knights and Joker didn't seem to have any interest in saving anyone other than some lower-level knights. They claimed they would be useful in turf wars. Hatter though finally piped up and said Georgina was a wonderful woman. And I took his word for it since he had that crazy look in his eyes that says 'Do as I say or I'll slit your throat'.

How much?

[245,000 DC]

My stomach hurts already. I don't even want to know how much I have left after this.

Just buy them.

[They will appear in the Front Hall shortly.]

Where is the best bedroom in the castle? Or the more clean one?

[The Second Tower holds the original Evil Queen's bedroom. It should be fairly maintained according to the fairy tale.]

Good, I'm going to take a nap. Whose room did I wake up in?

[Snow White's.]

Figures.