V4: Chapter 3:

Interlude: Celia

…

With the rise of the King of Wisdom's transportation service came a new concern: an increase in the speed with which information arrived, while we lacked the ability to act upon it ourselves. Jack could go wherever he wished across the continent upon his transports, going as far and as fast as the news that came upon the lips of many couriers and the papers they carried. For us, they delivered food and messages and many other things, but weapons, troops, Champions, and rations of other nations were something that Jack did not allow.

If we impressed such a service upon his people, they would either fly away and abandon us to the famine, or we'd find ourselves beset by his forces within days.

Ostracization and isolation, or face the consequences of confronting an eminent power that can strike anywhere he wished across our lands.

Of course, I set my people hard at work towards overcoming that advantage, and it came in the form of a swarm.

"Nicholas, I see that you've made progress."

"I would say that I've accomplished quite more than mere progress. This is innovation, Lady Adil." Nicholas was an old and wizened man covered in robes and went about in a palanquin carried by skeletons. It was within his power to become a Lich, and from Catherine's reports, he had the ritual ready and waiting. However, he has not used it, even with my implicit permission and has remained an aging mortal tended to by all times by Undead servants. Still, his mind was sharp and talent without question. "This is a method with which you can hope the contest the skies against the King of Wisdoms' advantages."

A gnarled and liver-spotted hand extended out of the palanquin and I found my gaze drawn to what was being placed in the middle of the field. It was a lamp post of sorts and at its base were a series of large boxes. Instead of casting a golden ray, however, once activated it cast a baleful energy that fell onto the boxes at its base. Within moments, the innumerable bones within the boxes shook, changed, and took flight as spectral bats.

"Each of these contains the bare minimum necessary to create a familiar. Each one exists at a fraction of a fraction of the cost usually necessary. Not only can they pick fields free of pests, but in sufficient numbers they can fill the skies and provide bodies between our meagre aerial forces against the might of the King of Wisdom." Innovation and cunning in equal measure were necessary to counter the King of Wisdom. It wasn't enough to simply rise to discover ancient secrets and revive what was lost. What we had now needed to advance as well, and so I sought out the talented recluses, those who aspired to peer into the greatest depths of magic, and recruited them. I hoped to create an Academy of my own, as Jack did, but for now I would have to make do with a cabal led by Nicholas. They gave me what I desired, as long as I funded their own projects. "In great enough numbers, you will be able to counter even a city of the ancients taking flight on your lands. Such things are powerful indeed, but even they cannot defend against a swarm that blankets the skies."

Such a wonderful weapon would've made me giddy, but lessons learned from my investment into muskets remained in the forefront of my mind.

"I want the direct accounts of its production and cost. It will be analyzed and discerned before I dedicate to its mass production and deployment. Otherwise, a select number shall be built as defenses for critical regions." Nicholas grunted at my words, unable to defend against them, despite his desire to see his innovation bearing fruit across the land. "The pest control aspect will be greatly appreciated, however. These can be moved to farmlands and orchards when we are at peace."

"Peace? With the alliance between the Deliverer and the King of Wisdom? Bah. You best have these built en masse, before the stories of the Ancients blanketing their foes in Conquerors in ancient times comes alive right before our very eyes." Nicholas spoke, and I simply shook my head at his words. His next set of words seemed even more irate. "Do you believe me wrong, Lady Adil? Do you think with all that power and might, the King of Wisdom and the Deliverer will stay their hand against the rest of the continent when it is clear that they can destroy all in their path?"

"If the King of Wisdom ruled over the Conquerors, then he would certainly strike against all until he established his hegemon over the continent." Jack cannot ignore the number of lives he would save by crushing the madness that crawls over the land by inflicting such terrible violence upon it that all will be subjugated. "However, he is in an alliance of equals with the Deliverer and he is a true Conqueror and his desire is to rise to glory with a legend unmarred by atrocities and wrongdoing. His way is that of honor and justice in completion."

The Conquerors allying with Jack would serve as a counterweight.

No, he would most certainly alter all his plans with them in mind, to achieve the most that he possibly could.

Nicholas was quiet for a long time, and I took a moment to breathe.

Besides my guards and his skeletons, we were alone together in the testing field. Beneath the shine of the stars and the scarred moon, familiars composed of spectral power and bones arose into the sky. Nicholas told me they could defend against aerial attack and pluck pests from farms. That satisfied me, especially if they were as cheap to produce as he said, but how would Jack make use of this? How many other ways could this simple invention be used in order to change the world?

As always, when I tried to wring my mind for ideas that would come to him as easily as he breathed, I found myself confronted by my own lack of imagination, experience, and talent. The best that I could imagine was to use them for military purposes. Ambushes preceded by swarms of the spectral creatures, providing cover against arrows, and other such things. Innovations that any warlord could manage, but Jack would find a way for this to make money, to increase the comfort of his people's lives, and become not just a military or agricultural advantage, but a civic, social, and economic advantage, too.

Thankfully, I wasn't alone and I didn't have to face him alone, even if he was already ahead of me once again after recruiting so many talents to his cause.

Nicholas was just the start.

"Work with my researchers and see if we can have this do more than kill vermin and throw themselves at the enemy as living munitions." I ordered Nicholas. "The more it can do, the more it is worth, and the easier it shall be to allocate what we have to its mass production. Look into improving it, while keeping costs low."

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"I see. Very well then, it shall done, Lady Adil." Nicholas' shadow bowed behind the thin sheets of his palanquin. His skeletons came alive with energy and readied to move. "With your pardon, I shall move to have the reports made and begin more methods to implement my innovation across the land."

"You have it. I shall see you again in a fortnight."

Within a few minutes, I was alone in the field with guards, and in the fringes of my mind I wondered if I was truly moving forward… or if I was still reacting to Jack and chasing after him.

If I was managing the former, then I had a hope of catching up.

If it was the latter, then I would only find myself beaten on a playing field with which I was unfamiliar.

Regardless, whichever was the case, a simple fact remained: as the Deliverer and the King of Wisdom moved, so must I.

The Merchants of the Marshlands did not deserve their Citadel nor the lands that they are cultivating purely for profit with the oncoming famine.

I will see them laid low and raise my own people up to greater heights.

…

While it pained me to start the work culture of taking trips for meetings across the continent, I couldn't exactly ignore the fact sending mail was physical, and webcam meetings weren't possible. Alas, the days when I could just work in my underwear and still make money remained in my past life, until I managed to scrounge up the time and money to get the research necessary done.

Opportunity cost is being a bitch, though, so I couldn't even work on it, even if I wanted.

Anyhow, I spent a week over with the Conquerors, before leaving the next day to visit the Wardens. I was going to offer them premium trading rights with my people, and some extra farming land, in exchange for them sending some troops over to fight against the Scholars. The only thing better than having one ally in a fight is having two, after all, and I already planned to go there, so I may as well.

Crusher, though, made my life difficult by looking over at Sirena, and deciding that it wouldn't do for the Wardens to have someone strong with me, while the Conquerors didn't.

So, my party gained another member for the foreseeable future, and she was now glaring at the Wardens capital quite fiercely.

"All this useless grandeur when they have need of an army. The Wardens are as frivolous as the tales tell." Conquest grunted as she stared over the Wardens city. The few months since I'd left it, after they were secure from outside threats, were spent building up to their strengths. They had a whole religious district up and running with multiple temples and the temple that I'd entered last time I was present was being dwarfed by their rising Wonder, the Cathedral of Light, which will let them start popping off with their resurrection shenanigans. They only need one army, if that army keeps coming back to life, y'know? "I do not see why you have need of these people, King of Wisdom."

"Hold your tongue on matters unknown to you, Conquest. My people venerate our ancestors and seek out paradise. Life is fleeting, but the fate of the immortal soul is an eternal concern." Sirena and her didn't get along well. Crusher, why would you do this to me? Sirena's a tanned, blonde, and toned as hell warrior-saint wearing barely anything more than jewelry and bikini armor, while Conquest is a giant of a woman that's stacked in terms of curves and muscle… wearing leather straps beneath a badass coat made of a Manticore. Them arguing with each other with me in between is just torture for my libido, man. I thought you were my friend! "With the creation of the Citadel, all who die in service to our nation will return to life and be ready to fight once again. Not even your people can overwhelm the faith of mine."

"Faith? Your faith sounds like madness. Your lot simply wish to drown your foes in bodies." Conquest grumbled and glared at Sirena over me. Both were taller than me, though Sirena was a head shorter and they were seated to my right and left in the wagon. Yes, indeed, if I looked either right or left, it'll be all boobs and amazing, sculpted abdomens. My grip on my legs have never been so hard… and Ayah was sitting right across from me, so I had another reason to feign not being interested. I don't think I can take being propositioned by the Golem mimicking a stacked, dark-skinned young woman with short hair. I'm surrounded by tanned tomboys dressed to kill, but I can't touch any of them. Is this hell? Oh, right, they're talking about cultural and political divides between their people. "Battles are won by warriors and generals with the populace behind them. Not with the sheer mass of the people drowning warriors and generals."

"Then, your people are not as willing to fight as mine are, Conquest."

"If you dare speak such words to me, then you should be ready to back them with force, Saintess."

Woops, it's stopped being hot and started getting violent.

Gotta stop it, even if I'm missing out on the chance of being sandwiched between two deep, lush valleys, if they decide to literally butt heads.

It sure is hard acting all wise.

"My cities can be defended by militia supported by the citizenry, while my armies act to defeat my enemies." I spoke as evenly as I could to interrupt the two, while staring upward to avoid looking at anything distracting, while staying seated on the back of the carriage. The roof of this thing looks nice. Is that velvet? "However, that is to the strengths of my people, and we all must do our best with what we have. The Wardens have the faith and the willing, while the Conquerors have the soldiers and the generals. I have a measure of both, to make up for shortcomings."

That ended the argument rather swiftly… or so I wished as Sirena proceeded to cling to my arm and Conquest was taken aback by the brazen display.

"Ah, so you do understand, King of Wisdom! How wonderful!" Oi, I didn't agree with you! Hell, I just said the same thing Conquest did, but with better words! Your people ARE crazy and drown people in resurrected bodies. "I am sure the High Justiciar will be generous with such a great ally!"

I halfway suspected for some shenanigans on Conquest's part, but instead she actually stood up for me.

Or, tried to.

"W-what are you doing!? How could you do such a thing to a man who isn't your betrothed!"

"What do you mean? An embrace can be between good friends!"

"No! No, they cannot! Purity cannot be stained before marriage!"

Oh, man the warrior/huntress Orc with rippling muscle and ridiculous curves is also innocent as can be.

Devs, just so you know, the fist coming your way is filled with love and affection.