OldBegginings:[Well, appears I'm going to college. I don't know how this affects my schedule, but hopefully it will give me enough time so that it won't change. I believe I start tomorrow, so this series is going back to weekly updates on sunday, unless I make an exception. 

Also, since I've been having problems writing grammatically and dialogue issues, I was wondering if any of those who read this would be willing to become my editor, or start proofreading these chapters, I won't tie you down to such offers, any help, if only temporary, will help me massively. It can be as simple as posting quotes of where I made a mistake, and point out what it should be instead, or you could sort out a deal with me through the comment section or private messaging and making an official partnership. I'm grateful for those willing to do any of this, but I'm by no means trying to force people to do this. 

It's enough to me that your reading these chapters every time I post them, and hopefully my fiction is interesting enough to make you keep reading. I will start mass editing soon regardless, but I am prone to missing things and if people are willing to help me point out this stuff, it will almost certainly become better to read than what I can do by myself. 

Just a quick point though, I don't have the money to offer people payment right now. I have no occupations myself and am doing this series as a hobby and nothing else, so those willing to do it will have to keep in mind it's voluntary. I'm sorry, but this is way it'll be for the foreseeable future.

Anyway, sorry for ranting on. I thank you for acknowledging my offer, and hope to see something become of it. I hope you enjoy the chapter.]

*'Doki'*

"So then, your motives?" I broke the ice, demanding the answered to be stated.

The leader of the Samurai_Girls paused for a moment.

"No answer is the wrong answer my dear. State your motives." I rephrased my original question.

"W-we don't really have one. A certain decision was made in Taiki many of it's clans didn't agree with, so they just left. Some went to the unnamed desert, others to Emrico, but we went here because we found out what a 'democracy' is and assumed it wasn't a racist thing, and therefore we could have freedom too," she blurted out shyly.

"A reason to believe you?" I asked coldly.

"Well, if we were here to colonization, would we have been this peaceful?" She replied.

"Considering when I arrived here I had to stop a pointless combat between you and another guild, what would this 'peaceful' mean?" I countered, remembering the big fight that ended up causing the entire city to shut down due to this girl's clan. Yeah, peaceful...

"U-um... We didn't start that fight though. It was a gender based debate where the other clan refused to accept our strength and attempted to obliterate us due to it. Do we not have the right to protect ourselves?" Doki sensed a bit of a lie in her recount, but didn't know where it was.

She seemed to sense this doubt, and changed the subject quickly. "And you? What is your group's motives?"

"Didn't you hear what I said back there? I want some 'fun'." I replied. 

It was met with a confused look, so soon I continued to explain. 

"'Fun' to me is a challenge. Something which I need to work for, something I could actually fail. Like making a democracy in this world based on aristocracy. My plan is to make a council of strong guilds, like yourself, to dictate how this country is ruled and to protect it from other's harm, to replace the simplistic mob-mentality ruled system right now," I paused to see if she got it all, she nodded and I continued.

"I see too many ways this system can fail easily. The council I plan would include different clans in there to represent different aspects of the population, like the crafters and businessmen, having a vote to see who represents these different sections every so many years. This, to me, seems like a far more stable system. This is my own goal, but since this will help out with your aim too, then you should make an mutual agreement with us. If you help us, we'll help you. If you don't, we won't assure freedom from racism. It must be hard to always hide your ears to be liked by others." No stutters, no pauses, staring right at her with a look of sincerity. The dark aura around me disappeared around me, and was replaced with a warm and welcoming one.

She paused again, trying to dissect my words to locate any lies. She kept like this for a moment, then sighed. "And what evidence do we have to trust you?"

"You have none. We are mainly comprised by 'visitors', so we don't have any attachment to any nation or race in this world. We simply want what we want, and don't want what we don't want, removing the latter by any method deem fit. That's the truth of the matter. You can trust me and continue these talks, or walk out declaring war. It's your choice, not mine, that matters now." I gave her a rhetorical choice, since I knew her answer before saying it.

- (Doki's plan and reasoning behind it.)

I thought about a strategy whilst reading, finding a council to be the most stable way to artificially implement a democracy in this world. Forth Island's infrastructure now was based on mob mentality, it's easily destroyed by mistrust, mistrust being fabricated by idle gossip, corruption, opinionated leaders... It's just too weak right now to maintain it's self, that's why I want to change it's structure into a council based system. 

As I said, this will probably be a challenge to even me. In the earlier steps, where I was now, I was the main problem in my plan. A single move of mine that doesn't pay off will be fatal. If my group now dissolves? I will seem weak, and my bluffs will be less convincing. If a clan rejects me, and states the meeting publicly? Every other negotiation will be ridiculously hard. I can pull it off if I'm careful, but right now I need to put a bite behind my bark.

The first step will be making allies. As for the spontaneous nature behind this? It's simple. The more time I lead people with bluffs alone, the more chance someone calls me out. I'm level 26 right now, most other clans here are in the seventies. I'm not cocky enough to state I'll win each battle, so I'll start making agreements with those who I can make my allies easily, like a clan whose motive can be solved in my scenario. My power base will spiral from there until it's stable enough to do power-plays. Simple enough, I just have to keep in mind there are those who I can't trust.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

This is where the Samurai_Girls come in. They're elves who just want freedom, refugees who were forced into fighting. Promises of freedom from racism, and they'll help me out. Mixing threats from my assumed strength and they don't have a reason to not help me out.

Back in my world, I was infamous for my knowledge behind other's thoughts. When something came up, I could quickly solve it. If I cared enough that is. But I usually saw through people by sublimating logic into their scenario, a twisted logic, but a logic nonetheless. It seems like this ability applies to the AI of this world too.

- (Back to the conversation at hand.)

After a moment of silence, probably contemplating how trustworthy I was, she shrugged saying "I accept your offer. My hands are tied, and if you're telling the truth, I want to help." She paused, a stern face appearing. She continued. "But if I every get evidence to suggest you're lying, I will declare war on you without a second doubt." 

"Well then. Let's start. Here's the plan..." I told her what I was going to do, and what I wanted her to do whilst I did it. 

After this she left to rejoin her guild. I left soon afterwards to find LOD, wanting to tell him about the plan whilst fore-shadowing out alliance in a public place.

I walked to the same restaurant, under the assumption that LOD was either waiting for me or was still trying to hit on the girls there. As I walked I started to think about my plans for now, attempting to find the words to describe it to LOD and the others when I needed to tell them.

- (Even more of Doki's plans and reasoning.)

Simply put, the plan for now was for the Samurai_Girls to train their skills as well as possible. I suggested trying a dungeon so they could practice and gain money at the same time. I gave her about 50'000 gold as a kick-start although it's not that much. LOD managed to steal about 1M from killing the leader of the Back_Hands, and shared it with the rest of us, so we had alot of money to throw about now. 

I was first going to regroup with LOD and the others, this was to get through a local dungeon we should be able to do. My next step was to get the Back_Hands on our side, trusting Alice's guild would join us later without hassle, and then start researching other clans.

I had a good idea about the power balance of Forth_Island. The main clans were in Skimmington, as it serves as the capital city, these included the Samurai_Girls, the Back_Hands, Forth_Islanders and the council of deities being the most influential groups at the moments. There are other cities I'll need to visit later, but for now monopolizing Skimmington seems like the best place to start.

My research told me that the council of deities seems to be the strongest and most influential, since each of them has power comparable to the gods of old, and substituted their place now. Getting them to join me seems like the end goal of my mission. 

Practically all of the over level 100 clans left for the continent, all dying permanently in the process of fighting there in attempts to gain more resources, leaving the less powerful, still growing clans in charge. This explains why the Samurai_Girls, Back_Hands and Forth_Islanders are so influential now, even though they really aren't that strong. They're the most powerful ones left, since the more able went to war with Devils.

There are hundreds of smaller clans with their own motives and opinions, but they seem easy to over power if I have the stronger ones with me, so I'll ignore them for the most part for now. I also realize I do have infamy from that one group with the pervert who failed horrendously to me... but I'll be doing this mainly as a shadow king, so it shouldn't bother me.

-(Walking through the streets outside.)

I walked half consciously, crowds still gasping in awe at my apparent cuteness. 

Ironically, as I finished my mental summary, I was right in front of the restaurant, easily spotting LOD inside flirting like always. 

Jeehan and Titanious were still on their trip, which hopefully went without incidence. I walk behind LOD, prepared to chop his head and embarrass him... but some of the girls started gawking at me, so LOD noticed my presence and reacted before I could.

"Tch... Hey LOD. I need to talk to you, so could you stop flirting with every female you meet and come with me." I said, managing to embarrass him but not as well as I wanted to.

After a bit of a pause, LOD sighed and accepted to follow me."Fine, but where to?" 

I tried to explain what was relevant, whilst not with releasing too much information to the people around me. So simply said, "I was thinking to go back to our room. I have finished the setting up here, and feel like we should leave today to tell Jeehan and Nio about this. I need to discuss something with Alice and the others anyway."

LOD went to the counter to pay for his orders, coming back to join me.

As we left, he asked. "Seems like you have a plan set in motion. You will explain to me what your up to though, won't you?"

"I'll explain when it's relevant. You'll just have to trust me until then," I replied coldly.

"I've trusted you this far anyway, so there's no reason to not for now. But if I sense you doing something evil, I swear. I'll split from you and declare war against you."LOD said hollowly. His threat seemed like it should matter, but to me, it was just a bark with no bite.

I thought about it for a while. Even though I'm used to mistrust. My plans usually seem so complicated and outrageous those who I tell don't trust me to keep to them. LOD, knowing how limited my strength was and why I had it, was the biggest thorn by my side. His ability isn't weak, but it's his knowledge that actually makes me hesitate. My motives are pure, but my methods not so much. If I insult him through my actions, I risk everything getting ruined. 

-

I ended up coming to the conclusion of telling LOD the main part of my plan later on, but first we needed some transportation to Simpson.

We went to our hotel room, and checked out of it for good after grabbing the stuff we stored there, and went to the main-street. The main street was littered with carriages for rent, without much hassle, we found a rider willing to go to Simpson, payed their costs, and left.