V4: Chapter 11:

…

I really wished that I maxed out the Followers of the Smiling Tyrant district.

Right now, they were at T2, and that provided a heap of benefits. The happiness boost of their performances increased, and the security the provided to domestic regions were improved. There's no reason to not upgrade the sub-faction's districts. They even had good on-field units once you reached T3, but their real benefit was that once you maxed them out, you gained their assistance on the espionage portion of the game wherever your culture reached as they infiltrated those places automatically posing as wandering minstrels, small-time merchants, unaffiliated performers, and so on.

They provided a hefty increase to success rate depending on how culturally tied your opponent is to your culture.

I think the meme for them was that the enemy leader and their guards are at an opera, only to discover the whole orchestra is packing heat.

Funny stuff in-game.

Pretty terrifying in real life.

That wandering minstrel singing songs in the tavern? Actually gathering information for another nation.

That street performer juggling on the corner? He can throw grenades and knives with deadly accuracy?

That small-time merchant with only a wagon and a dream? That wagon's filled with explosives and she's going to disappear after setting it off to cause a distraction.

Yeah.

Grabbing the Followers of the Smiling Tyrant is important, not just because they provide bread, circuses, and security, but it also makes sure that they're not against you.

Anyway, with the Goblins' current plan, I could've used some support from some wandering minstrels.

They decided to go full scorched earth on me and the rest of the continent for fucking them over.

…

"Ayah, I need good news."

"The Citadel is holding. The explosives they've used have done little harm to it. Unfortunately, if there is sustained bombardment, the Citadel will begin casting off pieces to remain standing."

"And, how much damage will that do?" In-game, Citadels were indestructible outside of bad endings. However, I knew things weren't going to be that easy in my new life.

"Catastrophic damage. The city will be destroyed and most of our army will suffer casualties." These bastards were going to be the death of me with their lateral thinking. I mean, I'm a bit impressed, but I'm more concerned with getting fucked over. "We should sound a general retreat and escape."

A battle avoided is a battle won, but…

"We need this Citadel in one piece. No, we need this city and its surroundings in one piece. Can you calculate where the next series of explosions will be? We could blow one up out of sync." I wasn't sure if the idea would work, but it was worth a shot. The Scholars didn't have anything that could make the big explosions that they needed, so I reasoned that they had to make things happen via other methods. This was probably a demolition job, and from what I recalled in my previous life, that needed a lot of planning and a lot of things to go right. "If we don't take the risk and get this place under our control, our chances of losing escalate by far too much."

Ayah was quiet for a moment, but I was sure that she was running the numbers in her head, and soon enough nodded.

"I'll go the most likely areas where they may be and detonate them manually. They will not harm me." Good. That's a benefit of having someone on my retinue who could ignore the gun of a main battle tank with ease. There was going to be a problem though, I just knew it. "Lady Sirena, I will need your assistance."

"But who will keep watch over the King of Wisdom?"

"I can stay hidden just fine. It's more important that this gets stopped." Thankfully, I had a lot of practice at keeping a straight face while terrified. Yeah, I'm going to be without guards in the middle of an infiltration mission, while most of my mediocre abilities still don't have a tank of gas to power them up. "Everyone else will return soon. So don't waste time and go now!"

Siren looked at me worriedly, but I made my choice.

Short term risk to life now is better than far worse odds at survival later.

"Go!"

Ayah took hold of Sirena's arm and dragged her away.

I didn't waste any time, threw away my honor, and looked for the nearest trash receptacle and sewer system.

When to going gets too tough, the people with the least amount of pride gets away the fastest!

I'd like to say that my plan went off without a hitch, and that I managed to find my way to emulate a certain green fuzzball living in a trash can, but almost immediately after Ayah and Sirena left… I felt a gaze on my back.

And, I promptly drew the sword that I had at my waist and cast a ball of light into the air.

Not to give me vision, but to send a signal that I needed help, and to blind my opponent.

I was sure that Ilych was already on her way the moment I cast the spell, but I knew that I could easily cross the threshold between life and death in the minute or so it would take for her to arrive.

One minute to survive against someone blinded.

Well, as they say, hesitation is defeat.

I got a good look at my opponent, while they were recovering. Covered in full black leather armor and with a mask, his outline was frayed at the edges and bleeding into the surroundings like a chameleon. The armor seemed tight across the body, with the plates of leather being thin, so I was sure that my sword was good enough cut through it… but he recovered while I was decreasing the distance between us and backed away.

Okay.

Might be in business, since he thinks that I'm actually good at fighting.

I only had a bit of power to my name, but I used it to cast a bit of water at his feet to try and make him slip and fall. He almost did as he was trying to gain distance, and I was lucky that it happened as his hands moved and projectiles whizzed past me. I'd have turned into a pin-cushion if I hadn't kept up the pressure, and counted that as another reason to keep doing it.

My defenses aren't that great, so my only option is to be aggressive, and so I was.

I made the same move that I used to cast my little ball of water again, but as my opponent leapt off the ground with a small jump to avoid it, I cast the ball of light again. This time it was right in front of me, at the tip of my finger, while he was staring at me and looking for an opening.

I'd like to say that the flash stunned him and I took him out, but his brief blindness only had another set of thrown projectiles going astray as I took a sidestep before he threw them at my last position. He fell onto the ground and recovered, continuing to back away with furious and rapid backwards steps, and even while blinking away the flash from his eyes. Unfortunately, I was already tapped out with those three party tricks, since I'd carried a party up a massive wall and lowered them after.

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He was about five steps away, and I was still too far to use my sword, so I made do with what I had.

Taking a fistful of my cloak, I ripped it off and threw towards him like a wide-open blanket and it obscured his vision.

That's the last thing I can throw at you, so please work!

I ducked low as a spread of knives went wide through the cape and to my sides, and I held my sword steady with both hands with tip pointed forward.

And, with another two steps, my arms and sword surged forward at my opponent's mid-section.

Instantly, I found that I was wrong, as the armor fizzled and a spark came alive in contact with my sword and threw the blade back as steel was scorched. I felt a current travel up my arms after making contact, making me grit my teeth and force myself to stay standing and holding my weapon.

I'd like to say that I grit my teeth through the pain and attacked again, but it was already too late.

A kick hit me straight in the side and sent me flying into a wall.

It was a miracle, and a testament to good training, that I didn't let go of my sword and didn't impale myself on it when I landed.

I expected to die, only for my opponent to prove to be an idiot.

"Any last words, King of Wisdom?"

The bastard wanted to monologue, even though I could barely stand up, and he had me at his mercy.

Through gritted teeth, as a sharp pain surged through my side and standing seemed to elicit stabbing sensations all through my torso, I managed to speak.

"Y-yeah. Look up."

"I will escape before the Citadel falls."

"N-no. Not the Citadel."

I was sure that the question was on his lips would be about what I was talking about, but it didn't matter.

Ilych came crashing down like a meteor from above, and her gauntleted fist collided with the man's covered head... and sent his skull straight through his spine and out between his legs.

With that threat gone, and Ilych present, I allowed the darkness building at the corners of my vision to fade away.

Note to self: never have to choose between saving a city and staying safe again.

This was all sorts of fucking stupid.

…

Interlude: Celia

…

Ilych returned with Jack carried over her shoulder, his coat gone and shirt undone, with bandages wrapped all around his torso.

The stoic half-giant explained as Rita took him and began to tend to him.

"Ayah and Sirena were not present. They were sent away. The explosions stopped as I approached here." The pitched battle we had without Ilych present, in order to take the Citadel's base and seize the structure, was but a passing memory even as my limbs ached and my spectral allies threatened to fade away. The fact that Keeper Justina was dead and Conquest had control over the Citadel and the armies of Guardians barely mattered, as I looked upon the King of Wisdom as a casualty of battle. "He sent them away to save the city and the Citadel, then came under attack immediately."

My hands wove into fists at those words and a crushing sense of inferiority threatened to overwhelm me.

I had seen those same explosions, but the orders I gave were to take the Citadel and use it as shelter to save myself and those under my command.

He gave up his safety, and risked his life, in order to save the whole city.

I… had much to learn.

Ayah and the Sirena's arrived moments after Jack was laid down. The Saintess and the other Champion both sported light damage from their battle, presumably the defenses were strong where they went. Ayah went to his side immediately and so did the Saintess. Spells of healing were on her lips already, and what wounds remained on the King of Wisdom soon faded into nothingness.

In the end, he would not even be scarred by the battle and none of those he sent forth perished.

He accomplished everything perfectly, as he always did.

Once more, I had to take a deep and steadying breath before I fell into a fugue of despair and inadequacy. Here I am, wondering what I could've done better, when I could choose to learn and become better for the battles to come. Yes, without a doubt, this was another lesson that I could learn and improve from.

"Ayah, report." Ilych's voice rang out, and she removed her snarling helm from her head. Her gaze was narrowed and sharp. Though her features seemed placid, I was taken aback at the storm that lay beneath the tranquil surface. "Why did you leave his side?"

"Our King discerned that the Citadel would not be destroyed by the explosions, but it would be damaged enough to inflict terrible consequences upon the region. Our army and the city would have all been destroyed."

"And, our nation would've been destroyed if he fell." Rita spoke up from beside Jack. His breathing was calm and now he was at true rest. "You should've brought him here! We were securing the Citadel!"

His companions argued with one another, in the presence of foreign Champions, yet I could find no weakness in the chains that bound them to him. This was no showcase of insubordination, but a clash of opinions… all steeped in absolute loyalty to him. I needed to find my own people who would do the same for me. People who would argue with me, who would contest my orders, and hold my safety over that of hundreds of thousands of others for the sake of our nation.

"It was his direct order. My initial suggestion was to flee and seek shelter in the Citadel. He refused to take the city whole." Ayah spoke, and I could tell that both Rita and Ilych looked at her for any falsehood. They found none upon the Champions face and relented. When they did, Ayah approached Jack and knelt by his side. Her hand was enrobed in a strange light and power, and she ran her hand over him. A sigh left her lips. "He will be fine. The broken ribs are healed, there were no punctures to his lungs, and there are no poisons or disease upon his form. In the future, a permanent guard he cannot send away will be necessary."

Ilych and Rita nodded at that suggestion, while I found my gaze drawn to Conquest and Sirena.

Both were listening and seeing to the same thing as me, and I could clearly see that they were both as daunted by the loyalty, the trust, and the belief these three had for one another through their king.

Could any of us do anything against the King of Wisdom save for bowing our heads and submitting to him, if his people had such strength, yet remained so loyal to him?