Chapter 7

…

Freedom tasted like shit-tinged air.

"My lord, please don't stray too far from us."

I strode in the streets of a "Slum" district. It was the last one around the Citadel, since the "Resident" district was built. According to the wiki, the Slum tile was effective at holding large amounts of population, but decreased happiness, increased crime, and made it easier for foreign powers to infiltrate your town or city. Since the espionage debuff was lost around the Citadel, in early game rush strategies, slums were simply a fact of the matter.

So, if any of the other factions with Citadels had slums, I'll be sure to sick Khanrow on them.

"Okay, I'll stay close everyone!" I nodded. After another turn/3 months of practice, I was getting scarily good at acting like a kid. Nine more months and I'll be ten. When I was ten in my last life, I was doing chores and couldn't act childish anymore, but here it was just treated as a matter of fact. Even thought most kids were already working one way or another. "Keep me safe, okay?"

"Yes, my liege." The head of my guards gave a nod, resisting the urge to bow, and followed me further into the slum tile. We walked through a few haphazard blocks of rickety housing, on muddy and shitty roads, until he spoke again. "May I ask what we're looking for?"

"Oh, I just had a strange feeling about this place. That's all." My choice of words had him glance over his shoulder towards the disguised guards following us in plain clothes. While the two of us were cloaked and covered in mud, they wore ragged tunics and had bandages on their limbs, and limped slowly behind us. Some stayed in the shadows, or waited on the rooftops. Khanrow's was scrupulous in his creation of guard details. "Don't worry. I have a good feeling about this place. "

That made the man relax a little.

Ever since the successful artifact hunts, a rumor started that I had some sort of ability. Some people called it a form of prescience and others called it luck. Whatever the rumor was, I capitalized on it and started talking about my knowledge of events more thoroughly. It was a meagre amount of control over the whole faction, but it was all I had, so I leveraged it and nurtured it with care.

Which led back to the slums.

In the early game, there was an event that could occur if you let slums last for more than five turns.

By my count, by the time Khanrow took control of the Citadel, it was now the sixth.

If it was happening, it was happening now.

We travelled into the slums, towards its center, where a haphazard village center was built for the sake of merchants, small feeding areas, and public events. It was tidier than the rest of the slums, because it was a public space everyone actually gave a shit about. However, it was still in the slums, and I was used to the Citadel after more than a year living in it.

Thankfully, a year in luxury didn't eradicate eight years digging through battlefields for scraps.

Some of the guards struggled and gagged, but I went through the place barely blinking.

Anyway, I cast my gaze around the square and spotted the event.

Or, rather, the beginnings of it.

"Look, performers!" I pointed at a bunch of brightly dressed folk with a smile, even though I was screaming on the inside. On the surface, this event was fun and jolly. A bunch of masked performers arrived at a slum and increased happiness for four turns or so. That was a good event for players who rushed, but it was also a wake-up call to not keep your people despondent in slums. These harlequins arrived three times. The first three times they just performed and raised the happiness in a slum district. If they arrived for a third time, then you better have an army and hero stationed at your Citadel that's ready to fight against five Assassin Champions. "Let's go see them!"

"Followers of the Smiling Tyrant? How did they slip through our borders?" The guards were quick to assemble around me and put themselves between me and the performers. That attracted the attention of the cadre instantly and they looked towards us with ominous synchronicity. A horror movie string wouldn't have been out of place with their sudden move. "Stay behind us, and begin moving away slowly. These people are beyond our ability to defeat."

Yeah, one of the developers were too into overpriced minis with ridiculous, depressing lore.

And, who didn't understand fair-use.

But that wasn't the point of the situation.

"Aww, but I want to see them play! Look, everyone's coming to see!" There were three options in the event. Generic intimidate, persuade, and neutral options. The intimidate and persuasive options didn't matter. These guys couldn't care less what you said to them. The only one that opened dialogue and got you a special district was the neutral option. And, I wanted that special district, because it was fantastic all throughout the game. "Come on, everyone! Start setting up seats and buying food for everyone!"

My guard captain was about to refuse, but I was quick to make his opinion invalid, but taking off my hood.

Whispers and gasps were quick to fill the public square in the slums.

It was easy to notice why.

Most of the denizens of this place were dirty peasants. Most of them were scarred, not only from wounds, but illness. Chipped and yellow teeth were the norm. Skin tanned into leather was also common. Not only that, but most people reeked to high heavens and had hair closer to wire than what I considered to be normal.

Meanwhile, I've gone out of my way to cultivate everything that I had to use for my ends.

Daily workouts, careful meal planning, and hygiene maintenance. I pulled out all the stops. I made sure to eat primarily fruit and vegetables, with lean meat and some fat to ensure that I wasn't malnourished. For workouts, I devoted myself to every PE exercise I could remember and did my best to recall all the workout videos I'd put on, but never used. I sourced oil just to aerate it into a lotion and conditioner, found a soapmaker to make something that wouldn't ruin my skin, and generally devoted myself into looking good inside and out.

Needless to say, just taking off my hood and revealing my face in the slum was like unveiling a shining pearl in the midst of muck.

Beauty is a weapon.

I need weapons.

"Hello, there! My name is Jack!" I beamed at the troupe with a pure white smile and a completely unblemished face. What scars I had faded, then I applied the healing artifact on myself until even those blemishes went away. My hair was neat, but unlike most, it flowed with the breeze instead of matting against my skull. Then, finally, removing my coat revealed a lithe and strong form in well-fitted clothes. I exuded cuteness for now, but I fully intended to leverage being attractive later in life. It was one of the few assets that Khanrow and Ghor couldn't take from me. "Can I see your act today, please?"

C'mon.

Take my offer.

I want an entertainment district that unlocks evasion-based assassin troupes, especially ones that have the only skill in the game that lets them avoid unit collision!

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

These guys are practically essential for murdering enemy Champions and generals without paying out the nose!

…

Illych peered down at me, while the crowd dispersed from the after party without a word. The entertainers, which had been here moments ago, vanished with them. Meanwhile, my guards were all kneeling with heads bowed at my back.

"The winds are displeased with you." Illych's words were dull and blunt, but they made the men shiver. Both my guards and her personal retinue. Clad in black plate from head to toe, holding an eagle-winged helm in one arm, and her hand on her blade, she loomed over me. Much like Riegert and the other Champions, she's at the pinnacle of her race. Longer lived, taller, and mightier in every respect… and she's also a cut above her own father. "You placed yourself in danger, Jack."

"I just wanted to see a show, Illy!" I whined like a child. It took a lot of practice to do without cringing, but I managed without vomiting. The trick is to fake-swallow while giving the cutest smile. Augh, sometimes I just want to die. "Did you see some of it? It was amazing!"

I already knew the answer, but I prodded Illych to speak.

"I do not care." Blunt and without a hint of empathy, Illych picked me up by the scruff of my tunic. Before I knew it, I was swaddled in my own coat, wrapped up tight, and held in one hand. I met her when she was 13, so now she's about to be 16. She's closer to seven feet than six, and had two more years of growth. Seven feet in a world with the average at 5. Yeah, she had the Giant's Blood. Riegert was a freak. I didn't know whether to shake his hand, or stay the hell away from him. "I am taking you back to the Citadel."

"Awww!" I pouted and acted cute, crossing my arms while held against finely-forged armor. It was painted a metallic color, but it was actually made from the Citadel's materials. Light and nearly indestructible, the person wearing it was more likely to turn to pulp than it breaking, even if it was just a few millimeters thin. It was only a slight advantage for most people, letting them be more mobile. For Illych, if she had the traits I suspected, she had enough armor value to facetank Tier 2.5s, maybe Tier 3s. "Don't be mean, Illy!"

"I am not mean." She responded in her usual, dull timbre, but there was a spark in her eyes. Something beyond being a golem dedicated to following the voices in her head. It was a long shot, but when my chances were low in everything I could do, then I had to take every shot that I was provided. Hopefully, I could make her hesitate for a second if she went to murder me, and I hoped that I could make that second count. "We are returning now."

"Okay, but first… I want to invite them back for more shows! Everyone loved them here, but everyone will love them more in the nicer places!" There was no pop-up menu to tell me I succeed, let alone an achievement bell coming up to tell me I completed the event. All I could do was try and force the good ending of the event to happen. "Captain Lukas, take the rest of my allowance and give them payment. Tell them to come back, so that they can keep everyone happy!"

I tossed the young man my purse, which was heavy golden coins.

Twenty or so.

Enough to commission a whole division of basic spearmen.

Training, equipment, and pay for a whole military section that cost only 2 to upkeep per turn.

In other words, an absolute, fucking fortune.

Since I was being plucked out of this situation before I could finish it, then I needed to try and throw money at the problem until it wasn't.

Truly, I'm a genius.

Not.

But it was all I could do.

"Y-yes, my liege!"

I waited for Illych to reach out for the pouch and take it back, but the budding half-giant just turned around to take me away.

I let loose a sigh, while leaving fate to settle the issue.

Surprisingly, although I expected to be spirited away without a word, Illych spoke to me after gesturing her retinue to take a step back.

"Father has sent a message. He found a new artifact. One that links with your staff."

"Oh, I can give it back, if he wants!"

"No. You will be receiving the new one and learning how to use them together."

"Okay."

My feigned disappointment was ignored, but it was important to do anyway. Acting differently around lllych was just asking for trouble. I couldn't trust her, given her mental issues.

Anyway, after having those orders relayed to me, I expected the be sped towards the Citadel in silence.

Only for Illych to suddenly turn around and take a knee, while keeping me protected with her armored frame.

The plinks of arrows against armor resounded against her back, and just as noises of surprise came forth from the would-be assassins, the noise of knife ends between gauntleted fingers reached me.

There was another moment of movement on Illych's part, while she kept me hidden behind her black-armored frame with her helm applied in the brief moments between.

Four pairs of knives streaked towards the roofline of the slums, beneath the red-tinged dusky sky, and a moment later six bodies fell onto the ground. The throwing knives, made for Illych's size and strength, didn't just pierce. They punched holes through the mortal assassins. The entrance and exit wounds were large enough for a child's arm to go through with effort.

"Two are strong. Run to the guards." Illych grunted through her helm, before reaching for her sword. Two shadows rose slipped through the cracks between slum buildings. They flowed like water on the muddy streets. A flame enshrouded Illych's swords. I knew for a fact that she could win this battle. These guys were Tier 1… but I wasn't going to take any chances with my life. I nodded. "Good."

I planned to run with all my might, but the situation changed once more.

Laughter resounded through the streets, and from the rooftops came forth the troupe clad in incandescent colors with rictus masks of porcelain contorted into smiles and frowns.

In a moment, they came upon the assassins, and with flashing blades that reminded me more of light than metal, pierced and killed the shadows.

A thought occurred to me, as they killed the assassins with ease.

The guards were so far away.

Illych couldn't kill these Jesters, and they should have the skill to disengage from battles without incurring any losses.

This was a fine chance to escape, and all I had to do was call out to them.

But, as Illych began to lower her blade and the troupe approached, I came to a sudden realization.

Not about the luxuries that I had now, but the safety that I had compared to what these wandering minstrels of the Smiling Tyrant.

They could kill assassins… but they couldn't field armies or ravage hundreds to protect me.

So, with a heavy heart, I swallowed my cry for help.

No, I couldn't ask them to help me run.

But… I could certainly do my best to get them on my side.