“Good morning Clarissa,” I said while I sat down for breakfast.

“Good morning, Michael. Up a bit late,” she replied.

“Just spent a bit too long practicing energy manipulation techniques,” I replied.

“You appear to have improved slightly,” Clarissa said while putting some jam on some toast.

“Thanks. I can’t hold it together while I sleep, but for the most part I should be okay except for an expert,” I replied, and she nodded.

“There are a few last things we need to discuss before you depart to poke people. Jacob’s request to investigate the forbidden zone,” she said. I let out a sigh as I buttered some toast.

“How insistent has he been?” I asked.

“Very. It feel dangerous. And it is the most likely reason behind the disappearance of Esperanza,” she said. That was another issue that had never been resolved. The Astrologer had been blamed but there was no proof that he was behind it all.

“Well, if there is one thing, I do know about him, is that he values his own life. Release him with supervision and a review of whatever tests he plans to conduct,” I said.

“The arrangements will be handled with his minder. Also, Qi Ji Long, he has disappeared. There have been no reports or sightings of him,” Clarissa said.

“Again that is fine. You aren’t following him?” I asked.

“No,” she replied, and I nodded in relief at that.

“Then it is fine. Let him disappear in the wilderness, or come back and challenge me. It doesn’t matter which outcome occurs. With how few people get meta-points, or at least succeed in getting meta-points, I am not worried.”

“As long as you are sure,” she told me.

“It is fine. He is not my enemy. Even if he is angry. Fighting against some monsters will get it out of his system. Oh, that idiot who scammed us? Any useful information?” I had already forgotten his name.

“Nothing of value. He beheaded and his body tossed into a void zone after Jacob was done poking and prodding him. The layer experiment will be happening in a hundred days. We are building a containment facility out in the wilderness. You might want to come back for that,” Clarissa said.

“Perhaps. Depends on what I run into. I am bringing along a stone and a Rod of Minor Calling. You will have someone ready on the other end of both?”

“Yes. That has been arranged. There will be constant coverage. You don’t plan to send back regular reports?” she asked me.

“No. Unless there is a serious issue, no need to get worried. I mean, they have only cleared one tower? I would have expected another one by now. There is probably too much turmoil, which will be perfect for our war plans.” I drank some pulped orange juice and then bit into my toast. “So has Doctor Katz pestered you about his prison cells?”

“Yes. I want to see how these apartment blocks work in a small number before scaling them. We would need about two and a half per arrival. The investment cost is quite high. I am going to upscale slowly, since we don’t want people moving in rapidly. Also, we will need to increase the number of guards for the city.”

“Guards not soldiers, right?” I asked just to be sure, and she nodded.

“Guards. Guards will handle city defense and keep order. Soldiers, we will use for offensive purposes. At least that is how my people want to name things,” Clarissa said.

“The middle managers already taking over?” I asked.

“Indeed. While I am trying to keep the government lean, there is a lot of record keeping, tracking, and auditing, that all needs to be done by hand. While tempting to go with less people, I need to make sure corruption doesn’t set in,” she said.

“That is good. I leave the bureaucracy in your capable hands for a reason. I would just melt everyone,” I chuckled at my macabre joke and added grilled mystery meat to my buttered toast.

“Don’t bring back trouble, and don’t die,” Clarissa told me.

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“I won’t. Don’t let things turn into chaos while I am traveling,” I told her.

“Everyone is too afraid that you will melt them to cause chaos. I want a raise,” she joked, and I chuckled at that comment.

“You and me both. Well, I should be back within 100 days. If things take longer than that, then something went terribly wrong,” I replied with a shrug. “I mean I can always run back, since we will be following the land.”

“You are upgrading the cities first, though?” she asked to confirm.

“Yes, East to West. Starting in East Bastion. Also help nail down the tower locations as well if any of them are in level 6 zones or higher. A shame your plan to use one as a mine didn’t work out,” I told her.

“We just need a way to drill through the wall. Then we can grind level 4 monsters constantly,” she replied.

“That tower stone is tough stuff. Very tough.”

“No,” Clarissa said.

“What?” I asked.

“I know what you are thinking, and no climbing a tower. You will be out of contact for who knows how long and you hate them,” she replied.

“I don’t hate them,” I countered.

“You hate them. That is one of your favorite topics to complain about. When you went up the second one, that was all I heard even deeks later,” she explained while giving me a stare.

“I am not that bad,” I replied petulantly.

“Yes, you are. Just grind more and then rush through them when they are super easy. Or wait until you can capture a level 7 or 8 monster and just go right up to the top,” Clarissa added.

“Well, we don’t want to be caught out without enough votes. But fine. I won’t go into a tower while poking other nations,” I replied.

“Hmm. Well it is ultimately up to you, I am sure you will be fine,” she told me.

“I am more worried for you. The governors might get ideas while I am gone,” I said.

“Don’t worry about them. I have my own safeguards. That reminds me. I want you to take a long term infiltration team with you. They will be reporting back up to me, but I want to get them in place in a city to monitor things long term,” Clarissa added.

“That is fine. The portal building is the only thing left, I believe?” I asked.

“Already purchased in a secure area. Another ten billion to put in a City Portal that lasts 10 days. It has to link to another portal. So, if we make one someone can connect without our permission. That is why we need to build two of these city portals at near the same time. We will have a portal district,” Clarissa said.

“All the cities or just a select few?” I asked her.

“Only one portal to whatever city we pick on the other side of the Systemic Lands. For the rest they can use the roads. There will be no road over there and I want trade of happen via the roads. It costs ten billion points for ten days. So, we will be operating on a schedule of when it turns on,” Clarissa explained.

“But that will leave it open the rest of the time,” I replied, and she nodded.

“That is why there is a secure compound for the portal building. With high level cannons being put in place to blast anything that comes through that isn’t allowed. We can’t afford to take risks with something like this in the capitol. But just having it around will be a drain on resources and take time to set up everything else.”

“Airships are the best,” I said.

“And you are the only one who can use them. Unless you are taking the Avatar with you?” Clarissa asked me.

“That is a hard question. It would be useful to have her around, but she could cause trouble. Still, it would keep the monsters off of us,” I replied.

“Then take her. I still don’t understand why you haven’t?” I winced at that question and looked away. “Really, you don’t like her?”

“I don’t like her. Even if it is a hassle, learning how to fight in the sky has been useful. There is only one avatar. If we are going to have an air force, then we need to be capable of sky combat,” I replied.

“It would make things easier and safer,” Clarissa replied.

“Until the Avatar finds a way to screw us over. We don’t understand the monster issue fully. Or the extent of her powers. I would rather trust my own ability, and have travel be harder, than have her screw things up at a critical moment,” I replied.

“Up to you, it was a suggestion.” I nodded at this.

“I appreciate it. But even if the Crystal Vortex lives up to its name, I don’t want to take her on something like this mission. Your people, you should dispatch them to The Abyss, since that will be the last city we stop at before pushing West,” I explained.

“I will make the arrangements. You can handle six people?” she asked me.

“It will be very tight, and require doubling up on beds, but it is doable. Let Captain Francis know so he can plan for this,” I told her, and she nodded.

“If there is a chance at peace or a nation surrenders?” Clarissa asked me.

“I don’t want another Truth situation. But I will evaluate as things happen. You know all these plans will be thrown out the window once I arrive and assess the situation myself,” I explained.

“Perhaps. But it doesn’t hurt to think about these issues ahead of time. We won’t be ready to deploy troops for another 200 days at the earliest. So, no claiming a city and then asking me to deal with it,” she said and gestured at me with a butter knife.

I held up my hands. “I won’t, I promise,” I replied.

“Good. Trying to rush our mobilization will only bring issues. We can do it, but it won’t be a good use of resources. I will have to take a loan out against your tax income,” she told me.

“I understand,” I replied, and she nodded at that. It was important for us to be on the same page. While Clarissa would back me up one hundred percent, she would yell at me if I made life difficult for her. Our relationship was one of teamwork and mutual understanding.

While she was telling me a lot of things, I didn’t mind it, since I could make my own decisions and she would handle them like a champ. But I didn’t want to piss her off. While she wouldn’t make my life difficult on purpose, it would strain our relationship.

My willingness to explore, grind, and fight. Her willingness to handle all the minutiae that came with ruling. I could do it, but I just didn’t want to. Just like close combat fighting, it was possible, and I could kind of learn, but I was no expert like Clarissa was in management. Killing people who didn’t get things done was not an effective management technique.