V2: Chapter 14

…

If you're not cheating, you're not trying.

My life's on the line, therefore I'll use every trick I've got, anything I can steal, and hamstring anyone competing with me. It's a terrible mindset to have in a functioning society where people help each other. In a situation where several world-ending threats are about to barrel in, and everyone else is being too stupid to just work together, I'm not holding back. Morals and ethics are luxuries that I can't afford, but I hope to get through all my war crimes and atrocities in my old age, alive, and with a therapist.

Damn, I need to start working on making a curriculum to train therapists, so that they'll be decent when I retire.

Because all the things I'm doing are most definitely causing mental damage and trauma.

Sure, I'm young with a flexible and capable brain, but I'm sure once things start deteriorating I'm going to need help. As much as I'd like to say that sending tens of thousands of people to kill each other means nothing to me thanks to thousands of times doing it digitally, that wasn't the case. I knew this place was real the moment I first touched a corpse, had it burst, and had to pilfer through the rotten pile for scraps of metal and leather.

This place was real.

My orders are hurting other people, they're getting people killed, and I couldn't stop because backing down would just get more people killed. Everyone else is also fighting to win. No one thinks they're in the wrong. Everyone is out to do the best for their people, right wrongs, and survive. That's true for all the Faction Leaders, the Champions, the generals, the officers, and the regular soldiers.

Everyone, just like me, was trying to live.

In a perfect world, everyone will listen, everyone will work together, and we can all just prepare for what's coming, research what we need, and kill the fuckers that were going to try and kill us and couldn't be reasoned with. But this wasn't a perfect world, I needed to make the call to harm hundreds of thousands indirectly and tens of thousands directly, if I wanted myself and those who relied on me to survive what was coming.

So, I looked across the battlefield at a gate house where young soldiers of the Academy were stationed. Their armor was shining, their shields unbattered, and their eyes filled with fear as across from them was an army that could break through the gate with ease.

But that army wasn't, because it was preparing for something else entirely.

Burying them and their whole position alive.

A part of me told me to just wait and stand by, fire off the magical spell after the ritual was completed and leave.

In the end, though, I looked over to Ayah after putting my telescope down.

"Send a messenger over there under a flag of truce. I want to speak to them and convince them to leave the area."

"The Academy will kill them for leaving their position. Their families will be brought to ruin. This posting is for smaller noble households with much to prove." Ayah stated simply, while putting a cup of tea down on the small table beside me. My command center was on a small, fortified hill. Fortifications both physical and magical. Early game magical artillery, even from a Champion, wouldn't break through this level of protection. Or, so I hoped. "Sending in your forces to dig them out will result in casualties. You're sending a messenger forward with the hopes that men will choose their lives over their whole legacies and the future of their families, because their lineage will be brought to ruin if they choose to live."

Ayah's words hung in the air for a bit, until I responded.

"Yeah, I think some people will take that offer. Go ahead and send the messenger."

If people wanted out, I'm giving them an out.

Forcing people to die honorably is stupid.

Hell, not sending a messenger forward would say to everyone else that I had no intention of giving my enemies a chance to surrender.

If I can win a fight by just showing up, throwing a big magical fuck-you on the table, and telling people to surrender?

I will.

…

Riegert was surprisingly in a good mood for someone who tore through a whole army just a day ago.

"Kid, how are ya?" Ew, gross. He's being nice to me. "Heard that you pulled yourself and everyone else out of the Academy?"

"Their political goals and aims would've had the make a mess of things. Might as well learn on our own." Riegert took a seat in my command tent after I bid him to. He could've done it without asking, since he and Khanrow were the real leaders, but we maintained the façade. He was my mentor and father figure. I'm the kid with brains that his boss installed after he 'died.' "How was your battle against the Academy forces?"

"They put up a fight, but it wasn't close. They spent most of their days getting fat and slow behind the mountains. Most of our officers have been fighting for years, like Oswald here, and the new troops are well-trained." I gave the aforementioned officer a nod. Riegert sounded just about right regarding the Academy's forces.

The Academy had T1 units with decent upgrades led by generic Champions. No one special guiding armies of chaff. The fact that they were well-supplies and organized was how they managed to overcome the warlords back in the day. Now, though, they had to deal with the same issue the US had with its military. They had a lot of people, but also a lot of enemies, and the upkeep costs were so high that they couldn't afford to research new technology… or retrofit their whole armies. If the Academy wanted to join in, they needed to upgrade everything they had while maintaining their forces, and they didn't have the US's military budget.

Hm, it'll be pretty good if we lit a fire under their ass.

They'll kill more demons while going down.

Riegert spoke again, after noticing I was deep in thought.

"Something on your mind, King Jack?"

"Just a thought experiment. Something we can do about what's coming. I'll tell you later. We have a guest." I messenger came in and met my gaze. A quick bow and a nod in return had the man leave. A call came out, and the sound of someone unmounting reached me. The tent's flap opened to admit the Academy gate's representative, and I was surprised to find that the man's armor was battered and his tunic was covered in blood. It seems that there was an altercation in the gate after my offer. I stood up and the man got onto one knee. "Good day. Have you come to accept my terms of surrender for your garrison, officer?"

"Vice-captain, and yes, your majesty. Me and my remaining men will surrender our arms, armor, ledgers, and supplies to you in exchange for our lives." I tilted my head at the familiar voice. I'd heard that loads before in multiple playthroughs. When I nodded at the man, he took that as a sign to rise and remove his helmet. It was Reynaud of the Resistance. The remains of the Academy armies gathered under him after losing their homes. You gave them supplies and donated units to them in the game, so that they could hold back the Demons from sending out invasion waves. Sure, they asked for whole armies or thousands of units of resources, but they could literally give you five more turns to prepare. These guys were fantastic assets… but this guy was surrendering to me instead of remaining in the Academy to conduct guerilla warfare. Well… shit. "Your majesty?"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Ah, must've looked disappointed for a moment.

"My apologies for forcing you and your men to turn against your comrades." Right, time to make it seem that I felt bad for other people's bad decisions. I mean, I gave them an out. If they decided to fight their own fellows for the right to get buried under rubble, that's on them. I've done what I can as a decent opponent. "Rest assured that my word is true. Go forth and call your fellows. You will be treated honorably and any who harm you and yours will be punished. The bodies of your former compatriots will be buried with honors."

Reynaud paused at my statement, before gulping strongly and nodding. It felt weird to look at a grown man holding back tears, but I wasn't going to look away.

"You have my thanks, King of Wisdom. I will fetch my men now." The man gave another bow, before turning on his heel and leaving.

Riegert made sure that the footfalls of the horse the man was on was far enough before he made his comment.

"Maybe, we should've had you speak with them instead of a messenger. They might've surrendered."

I didn't know whether the bearded, muscle-bound man covered in enough armor to make a refrigerator jealous was joking.

Still, I answered.

"I have an obligation to my people to stay safe and not risk such things. It is unfortunate, but I cannot take such a risk."

It was a roundabout way of saying that I didn't want to risk my life to get one gate to surrender peacefully, but it seemed to answer Riegert's statement.

…

Interlude: Celia

…

Two months.

That was all it took for the King of Wisdom to destroy our connection to the Academy, ravage our lands, and flood us with refugees. Not only that, but those refugees were those who we promised safety and security, and all they saw now was our forces routed, their homes destroyed, and that oath broken. In a way, the mercy that the King of Wisdom gave to our people was a cruelty to us.

Once, I looked upon the lands surveyed by the Citadel and felt eagerness and optimism.

The day was ours, we were on the cusp of greatness, and there was nothing that could stop us.

Yet, in half of a season, all our work since we took the Citadel was destroyed, only our capital remained, and it was filled to the brim with tens of thousands who lost everything… and who now lived in slums. Not only that, but at my topmost room at the Citadel, I saw smoke still rising in the horizon, as continuous reminders of my faults and mistakes.

The mighty alloys forged by the Ancients threatened to break under my grip, as my teeth gritted together, while I fought against despair.

It was almost too much for me to hold.

Yet, I knew that I had to hold on, that I had to endure, and do my utmost to reclaim what we lost.

A cold breeze drifted beside me and I turned away from the burning villages in the edges of my territory towards my teacher.

"Catherine."

"My lady, all scouts report that the forces of the King of Wisdom have left our territory. They are done."

"And, as he said, we have almost been finished."

"My lady…"

"It is the truth and now we must rebuild while others grow ever-stronger." Catherine bowed at my words, but I retook my seat at my table. Mere months ago, I sat at the end of a lecture hall yawning and wondering what questions would arise at our examination. But no longer. I could no longer afford to do such a thing. Tutors were set to arrive, expensive, but they will ensure that I know what I need. "Tell me of the courts."

"The cries for reprisal against the King of Wisdom's forces faltered when they showed their hand. Many complain at the defeat, but hardly any say that victory was possible." I nodded. The various courts that backed me amongst my kin were proud, but they did not allow that pride to blind them. They knew that our forces were outmatched the moment the armies of the King of Wisdom broke through our defenses, created their own fortifications on our lands, and then ravaged them without their step being broken. "A few officers that were angered at being held back have withdrawn their formal complaints and called back their houses. Even they see that you held them back from obliteration."

That was one problem held at bay, but solely due to my teacher's own foresight and wisdom in doing our utmost to consolidate them before I went away.

"We need solutions for the rising slums in our city. Immediately." For now, my fellows were understanding. This was a part of war. However, they are much less understanding with the enemy no longer at the gate. Spring just ended, yet their crops burned. The crops planted now will be too weak to survive the summer. Come fall and winter, many will fall to sickness and death, if we sent them out with meagre aid. These people had to be cared for until the end of the year. Once again, the King of Wisdom's mercy was a form of cruelty to ensure that we would not be able to wage war. "See how much land can be cleared in the outskirts. Begin creating large domiciles for the people. Focus on housing the farmers and tradesmen and getting them to work. We need funds to survive this winter… and cancel the outfitting of our next army."

"…Yes, my lady." Catherine bowed, raising no complaint, while I let loose a sigh. She floated near me, and I looked up to see her smile. "You are doing as well as you are able, my student. Do not lose heart."

I paused at the words, before nodding.

Our armies and military assets were still whole, our borders remained secure, and any bandits will perish. Though we lost much, we can still rebuild by using the treasury we have remaining and curtailing costs. The plans that we had were destroyed, and we could no longer wage a war, but still we remained with much power at our disposal.

That, too, was according to the King of Wisdom's plans.

I had declared myself his rival at our first meeting, yet now have found myself utterly humbled.

Still, I will persevere in our contest.

I will not fail my people.

Not against the King of Wisdom.

Not against all who hold Citadels under their control.

And, finally, not against the foes that felled the Ancients.

From this, I will learn, I will grow, and I will become more.

Not just for my people, but for my own sake.

I will stand against him one day as an equal.