V3: Chapter 6:

…

I have a bad habit of laying the ground work for things and just clicking the 'next turn' button, instead of gathering influence and playing the 'in-between' stages of the tiers. Some people say that the transition phase is the most important, others say that if you can click through it and barely get penalized it can't be important. I'm of the frame of mind that sometimes people want to try new strategies, or sometimes they want to be lazy bastards and just click a button once they have what they need.

Technically speaking, if I were playing the game, I'd just be clicking through to Tier 2 after queuing up all that I need. If a battle comes up, I'll auto-resolve it. If I don't like the outcome, I'll go back and fight it out manually, or I might not if I can't be bothered. After thousands of games and thousands more hours, I might even play some game on my phone or on a laptop that's easy on the brain, because I knew that I could recover later.

Thankfully, being forced to live minute by minute made sure that I couldn't do that.

Oh, and there was the fact that doing that actually gets thousands of people killed.

That also kept me from being lazy.

Anyhow, as with any interim period between Tiers, there were various Metas. The early game between Tier 0 and 1 was really amorphous and situationally dependent. Do what you can with what you've got to hamstring people and try to get the best events and good artifacts, which were all RNG dependent. Not exactly grounds for long term strategy. It's more seizing the moment to give yourself the advantage while fucking over someone else, if you could.

Between Tier 1 and 2, though, there were solid strategies. Almost a dizzying amount, but when you've got two Citadels, there were only three options on the table.

The first was to stay on the defensive, research and build your economy, and seize two more Citadels before Tier 3 comes out. Standard blitz play after getting your economy running and leveraging the fact that you have twice the population and land as anyone else. Just drown two opponents in industry, and buckle up for the shitshow of crises set to erupt once the midgame kicks off, while the other four ally up and glare at you while you go through the events together.

Standard and safe, but inflexible and leaves you lacking in the Champion and Artifacts department. Not ideal for the lategame when Champions and Artifacts make all the difference.

The second was a pure diplomacy path. Use my glut of resources to make friends and reduce tension. It'll leave me without the stored bank of resources that I'd need to rapidly make T2 armies when they unlock, but I won't need them. Instead of working on getting Citadels, I'll essentially be working to get the Ally Perks that other factions give you, as long as the two of you are in good terms and formally allied. For example, being good friends with the Wardens made it so that you can resurrect your Champions if they have the building unlocked and built, for half the cost it'd take to hire a new one and twice the time length it takes for them.

Ally Perks are great bonuses and they get stronger the more research you and your ally put into diplomacy. Percentage bonuses to your armor, attack, and mana are possible. Their armies coming in to support yours. Their Champions providing buffs to your army. The list goes on and it's the reason why people say co-op wins don't count: everyone working together makes the game easy as hell. Who knew that not killing each other while something else is trying to kill you both results in an easier game?

But I'm digressing.

The third path, the one that I was on now, was the riskiest of the three: raise and invest in Champions and load them up, while trying to balance the first two options. Yeah. Try to get an ally and build up to T2 while having the resources split between each other and new Champions. It was an all or nothing approach, highly dependent on the RNG and not getting screwed by the AI or Events. However, like I said before, in the last stages of the game Champions and Artifacts are the difference between losing and winning. A region that doesn't have a support Champion pumping up its outputs is effectively half of a city. An army without a Champion facing one that does is practically guaranteed to lose.

Therefore, it was the only choice I could take, especially with all the Crises happening at once.

Given the fact I had two frontline Champions, two for assassination and espionage, and one for support, it stood to reason that it was time to find an unfortunate person who has spent their entire life training to be at the front… and giving them a clerical job.

Sorry in advance to whomsoever I find for the job.

I've got enough firepower, and I need more people counting beans and (hopefully) bullets.

…

Interlude: Riegert.

…

Sarala of Alysia looked at me over a table filled with golden coins, a knife stabbed at the center, and cards littered the table. He scoffed and placed his cards at the table, before crossing his arms. He was covered in finery and silks of myriad colors from head to toe, with his eyes solely showing as bright golden orbs. Not a hint of his ancestry revealed, as was the custom of the Beast Tribe from which he came.

"You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"The King of Wisdom wants to just… put someone in charge of a Citadel region" Sarala was one of my underclassmen while at the Academy. A full six years younger than me, he started as a merchant's son. Times passed, tragedies occurred, and after graduation he was rebuilding his family's wealth on trade deal at a time. By sea, land, and even air, he worked to gain a fraction of a fraction of what his family once had. "I thought this man of yours was supposed to be smart?"

It was good that I came here alone, instead of bringing Oswald and the boys. They'd have a lot to say about that, and that would've made things difficult.

"You'll be taking an advisory position with his seal. Speak in his name, give advice, and fight for the lands while leading his troops, but you won't have full control. We have… people watching in the shadows and you'll be living in the Citadel, which he controls fully."

"Ah, so there'll be a knife at my throat the entire time. The King of Wisdom lives up to his name." Sarala mused and lifted up his mug and brought it to where his mouth out to be. Beneath a veil, he easily drank without revealing any sign of his ancestry and physical form. The Beast Tribes knew of each other's tells and their bodies were too honest. Thus, they covered themselves completely unless around their most trusted. Too much could be inferred from the slightest twitches of their bodies, the standings of tails, and some even went as far as to hide their eyes, too. "Then, what is the task and I will offer my price."

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"The task is to do everything you can to make the land prosper. Everything within your power to grow its population, keep them happy, ensure that they pay their tithes, and raise armies and castles according to his commands."

"That'll be a heavy price—

"20 talents of gold to begin and 5 talents every year thereafter." What little concern I had for the fortune that Jack offered, a whole hundredth of the treasury for one person and a quarter that every year thereafter, faded when Sarala shot up from his seat and stared at me with wide eyes. I took a sip from my mug to hide my smirk. Seeing such a man of talent and skill and prestige turned into little more than a retainer to be hired was humbling indeed. This man sailed the dreaded seas, commanded caravans across a war torn continent, and even captained air ships filled with knowledge that could shake the world entire. Yet, he lost control and composure both. "Interested, I see."

"…I would ask if your King were mad, but I see now. He knows what he asks for when he demands me to truly raise up half his nation. That is a bounty that cannot be matched by any foe he has. Beyond bribery and corruption both." Sarala shook and wavered, but managed to sit down. His gaze flickered to nearby tables and with a wave of his hand his protectors and bodyguards in plain clothes nodded. Money changed hands, the barkeeper and the owner listened, and soon enough the whole place was empty save for the two of us. An act of extreme control and wealth, yet the man's hidden hands still shook visibly as he took a drink to steady himself. From a scavenging boy found with a merchant's scales, to a King who could shatter the composure of a man peerless in his field in an instant. Not bad. "Yet, I feel as though I would be a fool to not take the offer, even though it is my life entire being purchased."

"We could buy a whole army with that much gold. From ourselves, of course, but an army nonetheless." I was not a merchant, but I knew enough to avoid any pitfalls. I could offer half as much more. An eye-watering amount, but Jack had been eager to say that he'd be more willing to pay a higher price, if a merchant was able to raise the praise that much with me. It made sense. A man who could convince me to give him enough gold for a whole army and half that again would be talented indeed. "But you understand why he's willing to pay that much. That region has gone as far as it has with no one directing it. It's repaired, no sign of war exists anymore, and we have projects and work aplenty there… but it needs a personal touch. What the people will need, what the people can make the best, what they'll be able to do in a pinch."

"A merchant that can wring every last coin from them and make them thank him for it. Yes, I see." Sarala let loose a sigh and shook his head. A moment later, after hesitating, he undid his turban and took off his veil. A cross between a lion's face and a man's looked at me with a snarling grimace, before he forcibly he raised his mug and downed it with gusto the moment I raised my own. That was a moment of acceptance better than any I could ask for. He spoke again after downing the whole tankard, and he did not hide the roar rumbling in his chest or hide his true stature in his silks. He was as tall and large and mighty as I. "Then, the deal is struck! The King of Wisdom's ship shall be the one I lash my ship to! May good fortune lie ahead of us both!"

I stood and raised my own drink to completely consume, too.

Once again, I hid a smile.

Even with all in the horizon, the end of the Ancients themselves hidden in the corners of the world watching us, I couldn't help but smile.

Jack never ceased to amaze and I wondered what he'd accomplish next.

…

Awww, fuuuuuuccccckkkkkk.

"Is something wrong, Jackie? You look like you've gotten bit, and not in a way that anyone likes."

I looked over at Khalai, in a maid outfit with fishnet stockings and lounging in my temporary's office's sofa, and back at Ayah's report.

"My Citadel has detected a long and dry upcoming spring and summer." That gave the Wardens' King pause, and he got up and walked over. The clack of sensible heels and dry swallowing of my guards were palpable. Steady lads. You've got a whole stipend to use later today for entertainment purposes. "The upcoming harvest will be small, if it exists at all."

"May I?" Khalai extended a hand clad in a white, elbow-length glove, while the other took out glasses, put them on, and brushed back a strand of hair behind the ear. This guy's going to get both of our countries in hot messes, while he'll be having all the fun. Man, I really need to gift him a whole, small town of 'entertainers' to make sure he doesn't mess up in the future. I handed him the letter. Everyone should have access to the info on the tutorial crisis, but the Wardens were still getting used to their Citadel. "Thank you, Jackie."

I crossed my arms and opened another letter from Ayah.

Food stores on our end were perfect, even with our ongoing trade with the Conquerors, but according to Khanrow's information the Conquerors were going to be caught off guard.

Like they usually were.

The Wardens weren't going to find any issues, though, since their building population was still small—

"This is horrible! We must coordinate with one another immediately to see that no one goes hungry!"

Or, I suppose, we can start the Council of Kings early.

Huh.

Yeah.

Why shouldn't we start that early? I didn't need to wait until the barbarians were at the door to get things done with some semblance of unity.

"Exactly what I was thinking." I lied through my teeth with practiced precision, and only slightly felt bad when Khalai looked at me and beamed with a wide smile. I stopped him before he got onto my lap when he clambered onto my table, though. I'm not against hugging friends, but lap-sits while my friend is crossdressing in a fetish maid outfit is waaaayyy past my comfort zone. "And, I believe that your lands will be the perfect place to host it."

"Ah, of course! We have no army and already host a King and his guards completely neutrally! This is the perfect place to host a small, emergency council!"

Exactly.

Now stop standing atop my desk with that skirt on, please.