V8: Chapter 11

…

When workers see a machine that'll make their job ten percent easier, they think that they can work ten percent less.

When the owner of a business sees the same machine, they'll think they'll get ten percent more from their workers.

I'm going for the middle ground.

Five percent more production output for me, and five percent less work for my workers.

It's not a compromise, or some political stance that I'll never compromise on.

I'm looking for long-term, sustained growth of outputs in every field, because that's the only way to survive. Workplaces are going to get safety regulations because I don't want to lose someone who can give me fifty years of work output because of a stupid mistake. I'll bite the bullet and get less output from an innovation, because I want to retain workers and make sure they get better at their job. Workers get benefits and vacation, because products produced by people who don't want to work or are just sick and/or tired aren't as good as those who are motivated and driven.

It wouldn't make sense back in the US, where shareholders cared only for short-term gains because they're just looking for pump and dumps and corporations had to support that goal. Over there, the CEO looks at getting the same profit as the previous year as a horrific travesty that needs layoffs. In this world, if I lay off my workers for not reaching a quota, I'll investigate the quota and the issues that made it not happen. The process will be improved, systems improved, and workers get their input heard, so that we can reach the quota that we need… and then I'll replicate those improvements across the board and keep improving anything similar.

I guess that I'm more of a massive, family-run private business, but instead of burgers or chicken sandwiches I'm looking at guns, ammo, food, construction material, rations…

Okay, fine.

This isn't a business at all.

The comparison was garbage.

I'm just playing at king desperately trying to remember all the tenets for running a long-term business properly from my college courses, because that's all I really know.

I really hope that it's enough to not get turned into living furniture, disposable toys, cattle, or blood sacrifices.

…

"Congratulates on your commendation for your work and your crew's efforts, Mr. Cale. You did a wonderful job today."

"T-thank you very much, y-your majesty, it's an honor!"

The man who was thanking me with tears in his eyes had a big beard, was twice my height, and biceps bigger than my head. Behind him, the rest of his crew were also big lads. They were human, or Descendants in this world, but they had a Conqueror on their team and the guy barely made them look small. They were all burly, large men barely contained by their working clothes.

And, they were all teary eyed and looking at me like giant puppies.

"The honor is mine. Your work saves hundreds of lives everyday by building to the standards and codes that have been set." They were road crews. People who'd get eyerolls or honks from passing cars back home. They do their work, fill in a pothole, or get yelled at for closing off a lane or road for repairs. On the surface, that's all that they seemingly did. In truth? Roads are binding my lands together. "Hold your heads up high. This road allows this territory to be patrolled by soldiers, for medicine to reach its peoples, and allow the children here to attend school in complete safety. These medals and awards are well-earned."

I reached out and shook his hand, before going down the line, putting medals on each of the men of the crew.

Each one was smiling and grinning for the reporters and the people making quick sketches. They were Iterants. All of them. The latest piece in my propaganda machine. Free press doesn't exist in my state. These people will write about what happened here today, transform their sketches into simple ink stamps, and news will spread about this award ceremony and all the others. I was keeping up appearances as a benevolent dictator by praising the people I was working and giving them bonuses and prizes. The bonuses and prizes were already factored into the overall cost of each project, and we just picked the team with the best outputs.

Increased productivity across a whole project in exchange for a few hours of my week?

It's an easy choice.

I left the stage after shaking the last hand of the crew and they were beset by my reporters for quotes and statements to make the news that much more real.

At the foot of the stage, waiting for me, was Ilych.

"Done with your classes for the day?" Without all her armor and gear, she looked like a taciturn titan of a woman with slightly wavy hair. Taciturn was putting it mildly. Most people would just say Ilych had a permanent dead and dull stare. She wore a black suit with a green shirt beneath along with a white tie. A two-handed sword was on her hip in a scabbard, which was just a one-hander for her size, and a tall kite shield was on her back. Opposite of her sword was her revolver, which was bigger than my face and had rounds that could blow through a troll's face. "How are you feeling?"

"My mind is full. The winds bid me to rest, so I may learn more tomorrow. Your majesty." Her diplomacy score probably hovers at five out of a maximum of thirty. Dump stat. Sending her to negotiate is pretty much just asking for war. It was bad enough that I would be worried about the morale of her troops, if not for her accomplishments and accolades. Killing a lot of big, scary monsters with giant weapons tends to make you popular with the troops. "I can rest while guarding you."

"Usually, I want my guards alert and prepared, but I've got plenty so go ahead." The number of Iterants between me and any possible threat was around fifty. That wasn't including an Iterants in the population either. We're at 1 to 5 now in terms of Iterants for our population. In a few years, they were going to be the largest population demographic. In another few years, that'll stagnate, since most of them are going to the front. "When you're ready, I have a potential Champion for you to train."

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Unlike in the game, Champions weren't just waiting in the marketplace to be picked up for a tremendous amount of money. No, they had to be found, their potential measured, and investments needed to be made in both time and resources. Before everyone consolidated, I could just find and pick one up like I did with Sarala, but that just wasn't possible now. Everyone was working on getting as many Champions on their side as possible, so it was much better to just train them up.

"I am confident that I will be able to train them in a year." Ilych reported, and I gave a nod in turn. Ilych didn't embellish and didn't put herself down. Some people would say that made her boring, but with all the quirks of her theoretical skill tree, being boring, personality was welcome. I'd prefer a square, dull living weapon of mass destruction, thank you very much. I already know enough quirky, funny people who can demolish a town in a few minutes. "Will they be doing the same as I?"

"Not completely. Not everyone can do the same as you." She's the funny meme character that either ends up broken in power scaling or useless. The dude she's about to teach is a generic army leader character that you just slot in as a beatstick that confers bonuses to the army. Like Riegert, but without overspecialization towards Tier 0 and Tier 1 units. "I'll have him work under Riegert, then you can teach him how to fight somewhat like you. Not your fighting style, that'll just kill him. I want him to see the battle kinda like you do and either reinforce a failing position or press the advantage."

Ilych's combat reports are filled with constant statements of her being an intuitive fighter. Someone who can see places to go into during combat. If some part of the army is failing, she'll be there and push the enemy back. If there's a spot where the enemy is weak, she'll lead a charge in and drive in with a massive advantage. Morgan, Rita, and Riegert all fought methodically and calmly, preparing movements in advance, giving out signals to launch attacks, and responding to enemy movements.

I needed more of them than I did Ilych, since soon we'll be fighting mostly defensive battles, but having 'hot-blooded' and instinctive commanders was great for assaults.

You don't win wars on the defense.

Expeditions later in the game take a lot of soldiers and resources, need certain technologies, and finally multiple Champions that have been properly geared up and ready. While the generic Champions are staying here and holding the line, I'm taking the freaks of nature that have specialized skills and having them fight. The 'reward' for successfully finishing one of the expeditions was a big fight on a preset map to take down something or someone important to the crises targeted. You take away their special units, lower the numbers of their army, and if you finish the final expedition of the chain for that crisis, you buy enough time to reach an endgame and something fantastic in return from the legendary loot table.

Basically, Morgan, Ilych, and Rita were going to be sent over to be big fucking heroes with the best troops and tech I could give them. They needed two more Champions before I could send them out at full expedition strength for the final expeditions. Hopefully, I could poach the Saintess, but there were a few Champions that spawned only in the midgame that could also work. They needed a healer and some heavy ordinance before I sent them out there, and both needed to be trained and equipped enough to be able to kill hundreds of enemies without using their mana.

The three of them alone should do fine against the offensive expedition, though.

"I understand. I will do my best to train him to survive." Ilych answered and brought me out of my fugue. I gave her a nod in return, before getting into my carriage. She joined without prompting. One of my guards went ahead and rode on the spare seats in the back. There was the crack of reins and the horses neighed and dragged us along. Ilych was quiet and massive across from me for a bit, before opening her mouth again. "Where will we eat lunch?"

Sometimes, this titan of a woman capable of mulching armies reminds me that she hasn't reached two decades yet.

"Tell the driver wherever you want. We have an hour."

Ilych gave a nod and went silent, obviously carefully considering where to go to lunch.

No one her age should be fighting, but there's no choice.

Either we all fight or we all die… or experience something even worse.

…

Interlude: Celia

…

Hearing of a monster in the woods near the budding town I visited, I endeavored to take a break from my regular duties and go on a hunt to clear my mind. Envisioning a calm afternoon after a light lunch, hours spent tracking the beast, before setting upon it… I had great expectations for my day.

It was ruined as we happened upon the clearing where the beast was reported.

"Hey there, it's been quite a while, hasn't it?" Morgan, who earned the title Lich Slayer, sat on the shoulder of a hulking Ogre. The creature was covered in blood, in pain, and sweating while tears and saliva and snot dripped from its facial orifices. Mallory and Christine were quick to respond, summoning phantoms and forming barriers to protect me in an instant. Morgan only laughed, sheathing the knife she was twirling in her hand, before dismounting primly off the Ogre's shoulder. "Oh, relax. I just made this guy scare some people. No one got hurt. I'm just here to talk."

I made sure to enrobe myself in as many protections as I could, while speaking to her and buying time.

She seemed amused by my actions and did nothing to stop it.

"Well, I'll go ahead and take advantage of you stalling for time. I'm here because I'm hunting the last remnants of the Academy's forces. The same one that made the Lich happen." Morgan's surroundings thrummed with faint power, then a loud squelching sound emanated from the back of the Ogre's head. The creature then… took the blade in its hand and pierced its own heart and fell dead face first. I recoiled at the sight of its back and spine. It was all open to the air and many needles glinted in the sunlight. They flew out of the creature and into a pouch by Morgan's hip. New, terrible magic. "We told you about it in the Death Lord's throne room, if you recall."

Her words suddenly took nearly all my attention.

"What proof do you have—" I trailed off as Morgan took a pouch and threw it before her. From it flowed out colored sands. With terrifying control and ability, she created a full rendition of the creature she spoke of from memory alone. It was running away and entered the town we were just at. The King of Wisdom kept true monsters at his side. Ilych, Rita, and Morgan are all peerless in their own respects. However, I set those thoughts aside, as I looked upon a sand-based construct of the Wraith in movement. "When did this happen?"

"A few days ago. Almost caught it by surprise with a little thing inscribed with some holy magic." Morgan mimicked throwing a pebble, complete with a small whistle. She sighed. "It seemed tougher this time than the last time I saw it. Needed to put a bit of oomph, but that would've alerted your people."

Morgan's eyes glittered with some sort of amusement and pride at her statements, as if she was not hunting a terrible, powerful creature into my lands.

I swallowed my pride in turn and nodded.

"You have means to track this creature?"

Morgan blinked in surprise at my quick acceptance and gave me a gentle smile.

The same smile a killer would give their victim.

"I've got his scent. Magically speaking. It sticks out especially amongst normal people. He's a Champion and he needs more than the typical person." Morgan stated casually and her gentle smile turned into a more ferocious one, like a beast intent on pursuing its prey… and ready to confront all that opposed it. "If you let me in, I can finish the job."

Pride and honor demanded that I refuse her and rebuke her for implying that she could act on behalf of the King of Wisdom in my lands.

Experience and understanding gave me another answer.

"Tell me what you know and what you need. This beast will die in my lands."

I turned away, but before I could completely, she silently mouthed two words my way that made my teeth grit.

Good girl.

I will not lower myself and respond to her frivolous provocations.