Before he had ever logged into GENESIS, Ozzy had done some research on his new manager, William Horvacs. He liked to know who he was doing business with. Ozzy had gathered and sold information to supplement his normal salary for over three decades. Suzette and Ben had often been the people who found information for him to sell. Rolly had helped with some of the analysis, using that strange math ability he had to see things in the numbers other people didn't.

Billy's record showed he was ambitious and smart. Smart enough to sometimes win without stabbing anyone in the back. His corporate opponents hated that, especially since he made sure to let them know that he could have. But when someone like Vern screwed him, he wanted blood. He'd go out of his way to get revenge and ruin someone. He took it personally. Ozzy was always going to be careful with him because of that. If Billy wasn't going to win, then he'd take you down with him. That alone had made people at ACME nervous of crossing him.

Billy hadn't known a thing about Ozzy until the night he walked into the room in the Grand Malkavian knowing too much about what was happening. He'd impressed Billy by handing him 25 signed contracts in less than an hour. Billy had used those contracts to gain first pick out of the locations with the best contracts. He was still making good money selling meat to the Legion. That was something he wouldn't have had without getting to pick this area.

During the first two weeks of being in the game, Billy had started doing some research of his own. He'd found out a lot about Ozzy and where he had worked before. Bodyguard, Head Chef, Chief of Staff, Butler, Minister of Information: it was a long list of complicated jobs that seemed to put him near important people where he could reap some benefits. It wasn't always apparent how he benefitted, but Billy could see the pattern and make some shrewd guesses. After that he always tried to remember that Ozzy wasn't some big, dumb butcher with a silly smile.

Ben and Rolly had been easy to get information on. Both were flamboyant personalities that always seemed to be doing something outrageous sooner or later. He'd recognized their names immediately. Suzette, he found little on. Some employment history with Famco and other corporations, always rated as an average worker with little ambition. Obviously, someone hadn't been paying enough attention to her.

----------------------------------------

Ozzy followed Billy into the lobby of the ACME Northern Regional Headquarters, and sat down in one of the padded chairs. Billy handed him a glass of wine and put the bottle in front of him. Both of them sat and smoked their cigars, taking the others measure for a minute. Each man knew something about the other. Just enough to be wary and have some respect. Butcher and Baron, Contract Worker and ACME manager. It was always going to be an odd relationship.

Billy set down his cigar, and sat back in his chair. "So, what is it I'm not doing, or that your crew is doing better?"

Ozzy looked around the huge building. "From the looks of things, I'd have to say you're a little ahead of the game. I'm sharing a one room attic, and you've got a ten-story tower. I think you might have me beat on salary and days off as well."

Billy laughed. "Except I don't get to keep it unless I keep ACME, the damned city, and the emperor happy with me. And avoid having either Vern or Layla decides it's time for a new Baron. I've got a lot of resources. You have few. And yet somehow, you're producing more building points than I am, and doing more business."

Ozzy took a drag of his cigar and produced a large smoke ring that drifted up to the ceiling. "I've got some ideas, but you won't like them. And as often as I've heard the term 'Speaking truth to power', it never seems to be a good thing in the long run for the little guy doing the talking."

Billy made a rude sound. "So, you're the little guy? What are you? Eight feet tall. I can hear that chair groaning from here."

"Yeah, being so big comes in handy all day long when I haul around the dead cows, and then lift rocks all night while you sit in your tower. The question is, do you want the harsh truths, half-assed conjecture, and unflattering aspersions on your character, habits, and work ethic that I can offer? Or would you like some smoke blown up your ass to make you feel better?" Ozzy blew smoke towards Billy that formed into a question mark.

Grinning widely, Billy leaned back and put his feet on the table that sat between them. "You sure do know how to sweet talk a guy. Go ahead, tell me some harsh truths. I'll even promise that what gets said here is off the record. If I don't like it, then I don't like it. But no repercussions. Deal?"

Ozzy nodded. He still had to be careful, but he had some leeway since Billy had asked for it.

"You don't know how to play the game in this world, and you aren't trying to learn. Worse, you're forgetting how to play the game at ACME." Ozzy let that one sink in for a moment. The smoke from his cigar formed a halo above his own head.

Billy didn't look happy. "I was never trying to play the game in this world. But what the hell are you talking about with ACME. I’m northern regional manager and I'm going to be out producing everyone when this city gets going."

The smoke ring dissolved about Ozzy's head. He stubbed out his cigar and leaned forward in his seat. A bit of smoke trickled out of each ear and form horns. "Really? And how are those other managers doing in their towns? Do you believe their reports, what little you see of them? Or did you ever think to use Ben to go scout their areas? What the hell is Vern up to in the short term, and long term? If you're Northern Regional Manager, what's the plan for the northern region of ACME? How about that copper mine? How's it going?"

Billy stood up and started to yell something, then noticed the horns. "How the hell are you...no, never mind." He took a deep breath. "Shit. Ok, so some of that is true. I haven't been scouting out the other managers. I see their reports, but I should know better than to trust them. Damn, who knows what they may have in their areas we could exploit. Ok, so I need to send Ben out on some long-term scouting missions. Which means I'll need to someone to handle some of Ben's work coordinating the other workers. You?"

Ozzy shook his head. "No, I've got a ton on my plate already between the butchering and then hauling stone for Jorges. I can help some, but Rolly is who you want. He seems goofy at times, but you might recall when the taxman came calling? He can be scary when he gets organized. That will free up Ben to go play spy, something he excels at."

Billy nodded, then cursed. "Oh hell, I do own a copper mine? Don't I? How the hell do I keep forgetting that?"

Ozzy stood up and pointed at the large demonic statue in the courtyard. "Because you're fixated on the city, and it's keeping you thinking about it."

Billy nodded at that. "Go on, what are you seeing."

"I'm seeing you worry more and more about the city; it's becoming an obsession. You're missing things. You could care less about Sedgewick, and yet building up the village’s economy used to be your entire focus. A lot of what Suzette is doing, you could be doing. But you're hiding up here in your tower like a hermit while she's out busting her ass eighteen hours a day creating business and signing treaties. You're lucky the system gives you 25%."

Billy considered that, but Ozzy could see he didn't agree. "That was the whole point of letting her run Sedgewick, so I could run Gadobhra. The city has so much more potential than that little village."

Ozzy stared at Billy, pinning him down. "Only if you keep it."

"What are you saying?"

Ozzy laughed. "Only what you already know. You have to have Rowan Keep finished within a year, or you lose it all. Have you done anything about that? And how many damn building points do you think constructing the largest Legion fortress in the north will yield? Of course, that's only if we finish. I'm thinking that in another thirty days we'll have to contend with several of the corporations who do business with the empire. If they can make you fail, they have a chance at Gadobhra, Sedgewick, and Rowan. All they have to do is make you miss a deadline."

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Billy started pacing back and forth. "So frustrating. How is it that the role of Baron is affecting me so much, and you're so clear eyed?"

Ozzy poured more wine and drank the glass down. Then he walked over to Billy's rack of bottles and after looking at the labels selected three more. Alcohol had little effect on him, but the wine felt good, cooling some of the fire in his belly. He intended to drink Billy dry while he had the chance. "I'm not affected because of the shit ACME pulled during character creation. You traded off our skills, and made all contract workers take perks that made us mentally stable. It keeps us happy while working, but it also lets us shrug off outside mental influences. Like the little prompts the game sends our way when we are playing our roles. Being a Butcher only affects me now and then, and not at all if I'm thinking about it. I've worked jobs in games for decades where I took on a persona. This one is just a bit bloodier and more lifelike."

Billy considered that. "Ok, so what do I do about it? I don't see myself gaining a perk like that."

Ozzy smiled evilly. "You never know, I'm sure that Baron Vernon will let you sign a contract to work for him as a street sweeper if you let him take the city from you."

Now it was Billy's turn to smile. "Hardly, Vern would make me a court jester and boot polisher."

"So you have to get tougher another way. What are your INT, WIS, and CHA?"

Billy scowled. "Does the game stuff mean anything? I barely look at it. Two or three in each I think."

Ozzy rolled his eyes. "And probably low on your skills, and no physical stats. Yes, that shit is important. If you're going to play the game, play it all the way. It's frustrating to see you waste that potential and if it didn't screw me so badly, I'd just let you do it. But if Vern or another corporation gets Sedgewick, it's going to hurt me and my friends. Do you have any idea how hard we have to work to get skills and stats? Get off your ass and get to work on yourself. You aren't taking advantage of what the world is offering you. Layla has already realized that."

Ozzy stayed silent after that, letting Billy pace. The chair was comfortable and the wine was good. He was prepared to verbally beat on Billy with harsh truths all night. "Yeah, we made it tough for all of you to gain stats and go up levels. Its always about control with the corporations. I'm guessing your own mental stats aren't much to write home about? Aren't all your skills physical?"

Ozzy thought for a second, and Billy suddenly saw a partial character sheet in front of him.

Stat:

Total

STR

25

INT

10

WIS

2

CHA

15

Billy stared, then compared the numbers to his own stats. "I'm tempted to make you Baron and go take that street sweeper job. We're tied on WIS, and you beat the crap out of me everywhere else."

Ozzy nodded slowly. "Time to start playing the game. Both games. Go research your skills and perks. You have a huge advantage over me in that you have access to the datanet and all of ACME's analysis on the game. You and Layla should have unique and potentially powerful classes. Learn how to use them."

Billy thought about that for a bit. Eventually he asked, "What else? Short sentences. I always hated long presentations."

Ozzy listed off points on his fingers:

"Let’s go over what you have to get done. One, you have a copper mine that you won in a war and you haven't done anything with it. We have Ben, who can scout that out. Then you can send a crew down to go into it and find out why Famco didn't want it. Because you know they only wagered something they didn't care about."

"Two, if you’re really the Regional Manager for ACME, you should be consolidating a power base even if the other guys are sniveling weasels. They might be useful. Sell to them, or buy from them. Find out what they're doing in their villages. Use your damned courier for that. Once Ben gets back, he can make you a good map. Then start finding ways to take advantage of the other guys. Same shit you've always done at ACME."

"Three, do anything you can to make sure the work at the keep goes well. We need Jorges and his crews working non-stop. He's acting independently now, but he's going to need help at some point. Make sure he gets it."

"Fourth, you have guilds and players showing up. Play Baron, invite them to Gadobhra, tell them about the lovely dungeons and places to grind experience. Host a party in this stupidly impressive tower, have a contest for who can go the farthest into the Butchers Pit. Treat players like a resource."

"Fifth, find a way to put pressure on Vern. In game pressure. Knock him off balance."

Ozzy paused and then added one thing more: "And get your hands dirty. Time to start training."

Billy looked down at his soft white hands, then over to Ozzy's huge fists, dark with smoke and blood. This wasn't a boardroom. He couldn't be soft. "Right. Let's get started with that. I'm going to assume that's what your lovely mayor dragged my Baroness off to do?"

Ozzy nodded "Yep. I expect she's ankle deep in blood by now. That one has a mean streak in her."

Billy couldn't argue with that. "You're not wrong at all. Ok, let’s plan on me getting my hands dirty. We still have some things to talk about, but tomorrow night you can show me how to use a cleaver."

"But in the meantime, tell me about earning more building points."

"One reason Suzette is getting these points is that she has opportunities you don't. She's dealing with merchants, making deals with people and creatures in the area surrounding the city. Gadobhra is still pretty scary for most people. Some of the players have come up here, but they also die horribly. You'll have more opportunities open up, I'm sure, but for now, you need to get out a bit more. Go check up on the construction at Rowan. Talk to the merchants. Travel around a bit."

Ozzy poured the last of the three bottles of wine into his glass. "You need to do things. Don't spend building points on constructing something, upgrade the city and get building points for doing so. You saw how that worked with the Butcher's Guild and the Hunter's Shrine? I don't know how to find more things like that, but I bet the city has a few more surprises. Claiming dungeons works as well, we both know that. When we find the Menagerie there should be a points reward. Treaties and agreements seem to be a big thing, as well as finding lost things like the poison factory or whatever the hell it was. Suzette found a bunch of clues in the system for upgrading Sedgewick."

Billy brought up a large blue screen in mid-air. "I have one of those for Gadobhra. I just haven't looked at it much other than the stuff I could buy with points." Billy scanned over the long list of upgrades, upkeep costs and other things on his screen. Coming to the bottom of one area, he scowled.

"What the hell? This stuff has changed since I last looked at it. I've got an option to add unicorns and pixies to the Menagerie."

Ozzy went looking for more wine, and found a large bottle of cherry brandy. That would do. "Oh, yeah. You might see a few options that are related to the Fae show up. Suzette's heritage is leaning that way and she has some deals pending with them."

"I would so love to have a transcript of this conversation. Some of the stuff I'm learning about I won't believe tomorrow." Billy wrote a small note to himself, then another for back up.

Ozzy smiled. "I'll be happy to come remind you. But you'll need to get more wine, you're running low. For now, though, I think you've got plenty to think about. I'm going to wander off with this bottle of brandy and see if I can't find our crew of bloody handed butchers. Get yourself a set of work clothes. You'll be coming with us the next time."

As Ozzy strolled off to the stockyards, Billy thought about his last words. "The Bloody Baron? The Baron of Blood? The Butcher Baron? Lots of options to go with. Could be fun."