V4

…

Fear and hunger.

Those were my primary weapons in this conflict.

My two armies were barely enough to keep everyone else from eyeing up my lands and trying to carve pieces of it for themselves. Sending even one of the two full-stacks patrolling my borders out would result in people going after my lands, even with the rapid response time that I had thanks to my transportation systems. I just didn't have the manpower necessary to hold back the simulated invasions that would occur, if I decided to let down my guard.

Sure, I'm friendly with the Orcs and the Dark Elves and neutral with the Undead, but friendships tend to peter out and die when national interests come into play. Neutrality is just another word for opportunism in many cases too, and I had no illusions that the Undead would come after my lands, if they saw weakness. Hell, everyone would come after me, if they saw weakness.

Therefore, the best course of action was to utilize the espionage under-layer of the game, which was added in the third expansion.

I was happy to find that espionage didn't require research, unlike in the game.

Yeah, I understand that assassinations of political figures would be OP in the early game, but does an entire University need to spend 16 months researching it for you to be able to do it? C'mon, devs, lower that research cost. Giving someone the Caesar treatment isn't exactly rocket-science!

Anyway, the espionage layer for the game focused on putting Champions in a separate layer of the map, the "Clandestine' layer. The moved faster through the map, not instantly but still faster, and certain types of Champions had different abilities.

Economic-focused champions could work on heists, creating corruption in the system and decreasing outputs of facilities and tiles, or siphon money. That'd be Sarala in my case. DPS/Ranged Champions like Rita were assassins in the Clandestine layer. They had the ability to assassinate people, steal research, and set up brigand groups that'll ravage enemy improvements unless they send an army after them. The warrior-types, like Ilych and Riegert, were the worst in the Clandestine layer. All they could do was recruit mercenaries and bring along units to siege enemy towns and burn down villages and improvements. Unlike all the other Champions, if they failed, they died and couldn't escape… and if they were caught they'd have to fight with a shitty, cobbled-together army instead of a real, good deathstack.

However, that was the meta for the game.

In real life, all the Champions could get caught in all their projects, so sending Sarala out would be wasting his time and losing potential revenue. Rita's time was better spent elsewhere than cultivating brigands that can be put down by a professional army with ease. That left Ilych and Riegert… with the ability to burn down villages, bring along veteran troops instead of hiring mercenaries, and who could be equipped with better gear suitable for their task.

Deniable assets that could do a lot of damage, retreat, and do everything again before they could get caught.

Yeah, after seeing what the Goblins did, I decided to go ahead and see what shenanigans I could get away with myself.

The game was more a guideline than anything else, a ridiculously great guideline, but the fact was that I needed to be creative and do everything that I could to win.

And, of course, I needed to see if I could bend the rules and penalties for my strategies by testing the waters in regards to alliances.

…

The land taken by the Conquerors was the region known as the Ruby Valleys. It was a desert region that wasn't very good at agriculture, but had a lot of desert tiles which had higher chances of having strategic resources and luxury resources. The Merchants usually went out of their way to start in this region when the game began, but things were relatively vanilla in terms of starting locations this game. The Conquerors usually spawned here because they didn't have food issues in the early game, so they could make up for their lack of economic bonuses with great tiles to exploit.

And, they were doing just that under the Deliverer.

The Conquerors' Citadel was surrounded by a massive, sprawling city. Buildings made from mined, red stone were in every direction six main roads stretched out from the Citadel. Each district was separated from one another by the roads like spokes in a large wagon-wheel. Building styles were largely cosmetic in-game, but they carried more weight in reality. The Conquerors city layout was meant to ensure that the Citadel's output reached the citizenry with ease, that their large bodies and wagons could traverse the city without issue, and if any were foolish enough to attack them, they'd be able to charge down the roads with ease and throw out their defenders.

That's why you always only engage the Conquerors on advantageous terrain.

From a high altitude, where they can't reach you, while you reign down firepower on them while your infantry are entrenched and with artillery.

Yeah, fighting against these guys fair and square is stupid.

Anyway, I disembarked from my flying carriage onto the Conquerors landing strip, which just finished construction. Unlike all the other cities building the shipping terminals, they build the landing strip inside their city after clearing away some temporary buildings. It was actually attached to an inner circle of road that connected the spokes going outward, which would allow supplies to flow out of it with relative ease into the rest of the city. Some people would call the action stupid, because it'd let airborne troops land in the city with infrastructure ready to receive them… but no one's stupid enough to land troops in the middle of a city surrounded by Conquerors.

That's just an expensive way of losing men.

"King of Wisdom." I was addressed and met by Crusher. The Orcs didn't have many tailors, but Crusher was high up on the totem pole that he could look fancy when needed. His clothes were vaguely reminded me of middle eastern designs, but combined with togas. Half of the massive man's chest was exposed along with a bare arm, but the rest of him was covered in pure white and he had a deep purple sash at his waist along with a Conqueror-sized knife at his waist. "You arrived early."

"The winds were fair." I stretched, while Ayah and the Sirena followed behind me, along with a small group of servants. This was going to be a short visit, so everyone just hopped into my attempt at a passenger airline. Making it smooth as it flew made it expensive, but it was reusable and allowed me to get places very, very fast. Months of travel time were cut down into a week or two at most. Days, if I commandeered more flying horses, mages, and pilots to fly through the night. "And, I didn't want to impose on any of your villages."

"They would have greeted you as an honored guest."

"With what lies ahead? I'd rather leave being honored to people who have a Citadel under their control." Crusher snorted at my words, which made Sirena glare at him, but she sighed when I glanced her way. Over the course of the last couple of months, the Saintess was growing more attached to me. All those diplomacy lessons and practice sessions were paying off… or, maybe, I was just passively gaining the traits of a diplomatic Champion in the background? Whatever the case, she would jump at anything vaguely threatening or insulting to me nowadays. "Besides, I'd have to share my gifts to the Deliverer and you, if I visited them."

Stolen novel; please report.

"Oh?"

I gestured and the gift in question was taken out of the storage compartment in the back of the carriage. Though I called it a carriage, it was the size of a small bus or trolley. Small private-jet size, for sure, and that was enough to carry plenty of clothes, supplies, and diplomatic gifts… even for the Conquerors.

"Have a taste. It's strong and only possible with new technologies." Chemistry was a pretty important T2 research project that just gave loads of improvements in-game. From basic fertilizers, to better steel, and finally things like stills for liquor, its effects were just increased yields on everything. It helped the process of changing over to a Tier 2 capable economy for players that went Wide, but the benefits were plentiful even for people playing semi-tall like me. "Alcohol distilled from grain. Unflavored. By my estimates, it can make even your people drunk with a few cups."

"A few cups?" Crusher was surprised for the first time in memory and raised an eyebrow as he considered the large barrel. His intrigue only lasted for a second, before he tucked the barrel beneath an arm and cleared his throat and addressed me gruffly. "Enough. We make our way to the guest mansion. You and your people will rest there free of any discomfort on behalf of the Conquerors. This, I swear."

I nodded and cast my gaze around, before looking up at the towering Citadel that stretched well into the sky.

I gave it a wave.

For sure, I was already being watched by people with access to its systems, so I had to make it clear that I knew that it existed.

I needed to look a affable and wise as possible, so that I can lie my ass off nonstop in order to get what I need.

…

Interlude: Crusher

…

He looked upon all our works and monuments from our finest chariot and pulled by our greatest beasts… and simply smiled without a hint of fear in his gaze.

In many others, I would think delusion clouded their mind.

To look upon a city of Conquerors built in one of the harshest of lands and thriving… should invite terror in those with clear minds. Even animals and meat with the basest of instincts should feel fear and despair at our might and work.

Yet, the King of Wisdom, waved at passing children, had us stop to purchase fruits from passing stalls, and sipped on cooled drinks purchased from passing vendors. In a city filled with Conquerors, where he could be slain with utmost ease, he lay relaxed and confident even as a Saint of the Wardens stood wary and his other guard looked upon us all and searched for the fastest way to kill us.

Though I had sworn to myself that I would impress upon the King of Wisdom our might and power in our capital city, in order to show him that we were not to be trifled with, I found myself asking a simple question.

"Impressed by our city?"

As though I were a child showing a toy to a grown man.

"Oh, yes. Very impressed. Excellent layout. Good for defense and movement." Gone was the child I'd first met all those years ago. The boy was in his sixteenth year now. He did not have the body of a warrior, but it was obvious he trained. He was taller than many other of his kin that he met. His hair was brown, shoulder length, and face bereft of blemish. Passing females of my own kind stared in secret as he passed, and I was surprised as he gazed at them with appreciation himself. He was a man grown now… but that hardly mattered. No, as always, his words mattered far more. "I wouldn't be able to take it. Yet. Congratulations."

He bared his teeth my way with a smile closer to bared fangs.

It was difficult to not laugh at his words.

That charm, combined with his intellect and wisdom, were fearsome weapons.

"None shall be able to take this city, let alone my people's Citadel." I glared his way. Veterans of his people would flinch at my gaze, but he met my eyes with no fear. Only a smile on his face. Was it amusement? Pity? I knew not. "Even if they unleash the same horrors that you have unleashed upon the Scholars."

"I can neither confirm nor deny such things. Though, I do believe there is an opportunity at hand against the Scholars that need to be taken." The words of the most clever and sagest of nobles left his lips with ease. The Deliverer had instructed me to learn, to improve, and to become a general. I knew enough of statesmanship to know that I knew nothing… and that the King of Wisdom had no equal. Only those who tried to grasp at his feet. I needed to be better. Even the Deliverer devoted himself to improvement since the Council of Kings. "Though, you already knew that. After all, I'm here to ask if you have any issue with me laying claim to their Citadel… just for a year, of course."

And, there it was, the ideas that were indistinguishable from madness and brilliance.

A Citadel in my people's hands, but only after a year with it under his control, after he extracted what was necessary to overcome the coming famine.

"The Deliverer does not believe your offer. You have the warriors necessary to hold that Citadel."

"Not while keeping my people alive, fed, and happy, which I assure you I am very interested in." The smile on his face never faded. The accusation I sent his way, as logical and solid as the thinking behind it was, slid from him without a sign of guilt or surprise on his face. I felt like I was dancing in his palm, as though he knew everything I was ready to say, and had a counter to say against each and every word. "I know very well that having three Citadels would invite too much conflict on the continent. With what looms beyond us all, I am content with what I have and having one… to whomsoever desires it."

In other words, the King of Wisdom said thus: "Should you not take my offer, then I shall find someone who shall."

As much as we could accuse him of future betrayal, we dealt not with him alone.

He offered the Citadel of the Scholars to the one who would help him take it.

So long as he could have it for a year, to produce food and crops and tools for the coming famine to send all over the continent, he would be content.

"What do you think, Crusher? Doesn't it seem like a good deal?" The King of Wisdom bared his teeth ever-so-slightly with that question. "Shouldn't it be taken by your people?"

All I could do in the face of such overwhelming, relentless power was to give ground.

"Enough. The Deliverer shall have the right of the matter."

"Ah, that's too bad. I wanted to hear what you thought, Crusher. After all, what's a little sharing of opinions between friends?"

I grunted at the words and refused to continue speaking to him.

If I did, I knew not what other ideas he'll slip into my mind.