Chapter 5: Hope for the Best

“We need to get hustling,” Electra said.

“No shit.” I rolled my eyes, pacing back and forth in front of my desk.

“Geez, no more fish for Empress.” Electra folded her hands behind her head. She was leaning against the wall. “Guess it didn’t sit right with your delicate constitution.”

“You’re a delicate constitution.”

She rolled her eyes. I continued pacing.

Rel stood next to my desk, silent, but ever ready to offer her support. I appreciated it, I really did, but unfortunately, she was only one person, and we were dealing with something a lot bigger than that.

Ishanti was here as well, lingering by the door. I thought it only fair, all things considered.

I came to a stop in the middle of the room. “The problem isn’t the guild remnants.” I planted a fist on my hip. “I don’t think whatever riffraff they’ve picked up will be enough to make a difference either.”

“Then why are you losing your dang head, Em’?”

I sighed. “Simple, my dear Eleanor.” I waved off her annoyed ‘hey!’ with wan smile. “After we clear out the bandits, do you really think Silverwall is going to just let Ishanti go about her life? Hell, what about the entire rest of the Island? We’re only a few days north of the capital city of Corvandr. We’ve been sending caravans there to trade steel for food, coin, and everything else we need to keep this place running!”

I could make tools and I could make plans, but I could not make seeds appear out of thin air, or fashion harnesses for plows, or nets, or sailcloth, or anything else that I didn’t yet have the industrial base for.

Electra frowned as the situation started to hit home. “Would be, uh, kinda rough if they marched an army on us.”

“Rather.” I turned towards Ishanti. “Unless you’re going to give me some good news like ‘we don’t have a standing army’?”

She flicked her eyes to the side. “Vecorvia does not maintain a standing army.”

“Well there we go!” Electra grinned. “Problem solved.”

“However,” the Princess continued, “most of the noble families maintain house troops of comparable training and higher levels. The Senate also maintains a strong Navy, capable of enforcing control of the surrounding waters.”

“And then, I’m sure there are people who are worth an army by themselves.”

Ishanti nodded, clasping her hands in front of her. “It is just so. Every fighting force contains at least a few tier three individuals at its head, though in Silverwall, only Seneschal Hawkwright and his personal bodyguard have that distinction.”

“Tier three? Ah nuts.” Electra rubbed the back of her head. “We haven’t even hit tier two yet.”

“Not for lack of trying.” I shrugged, pulling up my character sheet.

Empress Name Via Rodriguez Class Demogogue lvl 10 The mighty Demogogue summons beings from the beyond to do their bidding, binding their servants in cages of words. Skills [5/5] Summon Demon: Level 10 Summon a demon from beyond to do your bidding. Greater Mana capacity allows for the summoning of greater demons. Always be sure to hold up your end of the bargain.

Your demons have a reduced upkeep cost Banish Demon: Level 10 Never call up what you can't put down. Demon-itize: Level 10 Claim Them Crowd Control: Level 9 When you speak, groups will listen Leadership: Level 8 Sorry they're not all interesting, but you are a leader of men, now get out there and lead Status Unspent Status Points: 0

Physical

Strength: 2 Endurance: 3 Agility: 8 Dexterity: 6

Ethereal

Charm: 3 Faith: 1 Attunement: 16 Soul: 17

Between grinding my demon summoning skills and running this place, my abilities were rising nicely, but I still had one skill slot that remained stubbornly empty.

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“Are there tier four individuals?” Electra asked.

Ishanti paused, glancing to the side. “The High Warlock, Supreme Chancellor of the Senate, is currently tier four.” Electra and I shared a laugh at that.

I waved off Ishanti’s confused look. “Don’t mind us, just outlander things. Anyone else?”

She shrugged. “It is said that the Master of the Watch is at least tier four, but he hasn’t stirred from the Watch’s stronghold on the northern shores of Vecorvia since well before I came into this world.”

“Right, and I’m sure this ‘Watch’ is some mythical organization that will be trouble for us sooner or later.”

“Not… as such.” Ishanti paused. “While they do at times concern themselves with outlanders that enter our shores, their mandate is to protect the strait from the forces of Old Mulmyn and the other barbaric kingdoms of the continent.”

I rolled my eyes at the ‘barbaric kingdoms’ bit. Next thing we’d be talking about expeditionary forces and how the sun never set on the British Empire. “At least that explains why they had my armor.”

“Indeed.” She nodded. “Unless we go out of our way to antagonize them, it is likely that the Watch will not involve itself in the affairs of the Republic, unless we threaten their sacred duty.”

“I’ll be sure to keep my demons to the south,” I said dryly.

“Well.” Electra clapped her hands. “One thing at a time, yeah? Betcha we can deal with the bandits easily enough, and we make plans to deal with these house troops or whatever while we’re at it.”

I huffed. “We don’t have enough people, Electra. Not to mention that my gang aside, most of them are farmers.”

“Well, how many guys do ya got?”

I waved a hand. “A few dozen or so.” I cast a gaze round my office. “Where did I put those reports… I had a list of everyone who came with us from the city.

“Right here, Mistress.”

“It is in the third drawer, My Lady.”

Rel and Ishanti both paused, sharing an inscrutable look. I pinched my nose, even as Electra waggled her eyes at me.

“Right. Thank you both.” I took a sheaf of papers from Rel. “We had thirty or so come with us, not counting children,” I read. “A few had thug or cutthroat classes, and the rest still haven’t reclassed.”

“Ah, Mistress.” Rel raised her hand. “Several have changed their classes since arriving here. is the most common, but we have a fair few s and even a .”

I blinked. “Excuse me, we have a what?”

“.” Rel spread her arms in a shrug. “One of the boys that helped Electra with the wiring discovered he has a bit of a knack for it. It’s only an uncommon class, but it’s been helpful.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Ishanti frown. “That would have been useful to know when I’d been compiling reports.”

Rel raised her chin. “You didn’t ask.”

The silver-haired woman scoffed. “Didn’t ask? You—”

I snapped my fingers twice. “Enough. We have bigger problems, namely the people after your pretty little head.”

“Well, pretty little something, anyway.”

“Shut up, Eleanor.” I glared. She laughed, raising her hands in surrender. I rolled the sheaf of papers into a tube, tapping it against my palm. “We’ll need more new classes. Combat classes are important.” I still remembered how Delilah had shattered Electra’s magic with her spear. We needed people who had the necessary abilities to tip the scales back in our favor.

“Well, I can probably start training a few people.” Electra rubbed her chin. “Not sure if they’ll get anything special from me, but I can get ‘em into shape.”

“I can’t spare you from the work crews,” I said.

Electra fluttered her hand at the papers. “Didn’t Rel just say we had a or something? He can help cover for me.”

I paused, rubbing my head. “I’m not sure I trust someone else with my tech.”

“Via, he’s got like, a magic system telling him what to do. He’ll probably do a better job than me, y’know?”

I bit back an instinctive retort. “I’ll have to find time to check his work.” I turned to Rel. “And the crews? Can we spare anyone and keep the docks on schedule? By the sound of it, we’re going to need at least a few ships, nevermind getting the walls up sooner rather than later.”

Rel crossed her arms. “There should be a few…”

“There are ample men and women in search of work.” Ishanti stepped forward. “The last band of refugees contained three new families; the patriarch of one is a tier two , if nothing else.”

I pointed at her. “Get him then. And anyone else who doesn’t fit into a work crew.” I shook my head. “We need more raw materials too, then. And we’re going to have to start stockpiling some of my weapons… spears, maybe. Arrowheads definitely.”

“What about the bandits, Em’?”

I glanced over at Electra.

She shrugged. “I mean, I get why you’re thinking about the bigger players, but we kinda have to deal with the people hitting our trade caravans and making more refugees.”

I rubbed my forehead. “At the rate we’re going, we could use a few more refugees.”

“That’s cold.” Electra frowned. “Real cold.”

I waved a hand. “We don’t have the time to play world police. Still,” I met her eyes, “they’ll make good fodder to cut our teeth on.”

Electra grinned. “Now that’s what I like to hear!”

I huffed. “You always did have a bloodthirsty side.”

“You know it!”

“Ishanti.” The princess perked up at my words. “Get Rel a list of those people with useful classes; she’ll organize people with combat classes and get the ball rolling with them.” I turned. “Rel, in addition, you’ll be on the lookout for anyone with uncommon or rare classes like yours.”

“Yes, Mistress.” Rel bowed.

“And me, boss?”

I ignored Electra’s smug smile. “We probably have a few farmers’ sons and daughters who dreamed of being an adventurer.” I shrugged. “Beat them into shape. Maybe we’ll get something useful out of it.”

She laughed, her smile growing. “One hero boot camp, coming right up.”

“Try not to make an actual hero.” I quirked my lip. “I’m contractually obligated to humiliate them.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Electra waved her hand. “We even have a magic sword for them.” She pointed towards where it was mounted on the wall behind my desk.

I glanced at the old blade, one of the first things I’d fished out of the ocean in this world. I’d used the ruby set in its pommel to make General Tock’s power core. Maybe it was a bit sentimental, but I didn’t want to just melt it down for metal.

Even if I might have to.

I waved my hand. “It’s rusted into its sheath.”

“So, anyone who can pull it out will be crowned King of England, right?” Electra grinned.

I blinked. “I’m surprised that you, wait…” My eyes narrowed at her. She shifted, looking off to the side. “There was an anime about King Arthur, wasn’t there.”

“Well, uh, I’m not sure what that has to do with anything.” Electra rubbed the back of her neck. “Don’t we have more important things to worry about?”

“Electra,” I said. “You’re a fucking weeb.”

“H-hey!” She cringed back, arms crossing over her protectively. “That’s just rude!”

I sighed, sinking into my seat. “It’s alright. We all have our foibles.”

Electra huffed, glancing away. “I’ll get you, one day.”

“I’m sure.” I nodded once. “Right, you all have your jobs. We don’t have time to lose.” I glanced out the window, where the sun had only just begun it’s long trek down to the horizon. “And miles to go before we sleep.”

“There was an anime about that too!” Electra chimed in.

“Was there?” I tilted my head. “After we rule the world, you’ll have to tell me about it…”

“You got it.”

I stayed looking out the window as the three women left my office. As the door clicked shut behind Rel I let out a breath. I leaned forward, resting my face in my palms. My shoulders trembled slightly.

I was… no stranger to struggle. I was used to throwing myself into danger. Hell, I’d thrown other people into danger nearly as much.

This was different.

This village, these people, they hadn’t asked for me to come in here and upend their lives. They hadn’t come tugging at my cape for scraps. They hadn’t even put themselves in my path for me to crush with reckless abandon.

Instead, I just found myself responsible for them.

I tightened my fingers against my scalp, as if I could crush the pounding headache growing within my skull.

Sometimes, it felt like I’d spent my whole life walking a tightrope. Now, suddenly, I had a hundred more lives resting on my back: a number that was only set to grow.

I stayed like that for a long moment, breath coming in short, almost painful gasps. Then I sucked in a deep lungful of air, lowering my hands.

I nodded sharply. “No way out but through.”

And I got to work.