My new hat was big. Bigger than my biggest fedora. Not quite sombrero sized or the size of Carousel’s hat, but pretty big. Black, with a round brim and a bright purple ostrich feather sticking out of the hat band. The brim on the side of the hat with the feather was pinned up. Why, I don’t know. I read the description.

  Cavalier Hat- Provides a +5% chance of Summoning Ranged Direct Damage and Sniper Awakened Souls below the Five Star Level. Increases the Star Level of any Awakened Soul Ranged Direct Damage and Sniper by one, up to Five Star.

  “A Cavalier is a knight, right?” I’d swear I played something on the Vita with cavaliers and I’m pretty sure they were horsey boys.

  “I believe so, my Lord. Carousel smiled.

  “Doesn’t look like a knight’s helm.”

  “Generally, they only wore them when immediately going into battle. They weren’t particularly comfortable to wear. The rest of the time, it was hats. Going bareheaded was considered both foolish and rude.” She smiled again, with a bit more irony this time.

  “Huh. You live and learn. Metaphorically speaking. Kind of reminds me of a Three Musketeers hat.”

  “I don’t know what, or who, that is.”

  “Fair.” I was about to explain it, realized I didn’t actually know the plot, and then shrugged. Four french guys stabbing each other, despite the words ‘Musketeer’ and ‘Three’ appearing in the title? But then I have to explain even more, and I just don’t have the answers.

  I rubbed the rim of the hat. Felt like felt. Quite thick. It would probably be great for keeping the rain and sun off, but it would also be heavy.

  “Wait, my old hat!”

  I looked around and didn’t see it. I checked my pouch, then sighed. Automatically moved into inventory. Lucky. I looked at the tool tip again. Was I reading this right? A five percent chance to draw a ranged unit, and if I did draw one, it forcibly changed the draw to a summons one star rank up? Or would it forcibly elevate, say, a Mika to Two Stars? Also interesting to note that it did not work on Six Star units. Yet more proof that the Six Stars really are a different breed.

  Metaphorically speaking.

  It wasn’t a power that would show itself in battle, but it was still, undeniably, a major benefit. Five percent over who knows how many pulls? That’s a lot of ranged units and snipers. Every star tier had its place on the battlefield, no doubt, but higher star tiers just did more damage and had more versatility.

  My two scouts are perfect examples. Rache is a great one star scout. She can cover a huge amount of range, can traverse basically any terrain, and there is simply no responsible way to use her in combat for anything other than marking targets and running down the wounded. Rikka, on the other hand, can set traps. She can fight in melee and range, has genuinely scary amounts of stealth and when you get right down to it, she can traverse most terrain too. She might not be fast, but she’s steady.

  Both definitely had their place. But Rikka could have more places that were “her place.”

  So, five percent and an auto-upgrade of a start tier? Big. Although I sure wouldn’t say no to more artillery, and melee was starting to shine. As were my medics. We would have taken serious losses, maybe even lost the battle, without the healing they provided.

  “My Lord?” Carousel asked.

  “Mmm? Sorry. Thinking about the hat.”

  “Your old hat?”

  I quickly mentally reviewed the conversation. I had kind of dropped the conversational ball there.

  “It’s in my pouch, safe and sound.”

  “That’s good.” Carousel smiled as we walked up towards my throne room. “Tower Master… may I ask a somewhat personal question?”

  Could she? I mean, the relationship system seemed to limit how much they could emotionally invest in me. Versai was pretty damn different after we unlocked her system.

  “Sure.”

  “Are you well, My Lord?”

  “I… can’t get sick, I can’t get tired, I don’t get injured, how bad can I be?”

  “There are other ways of being tired, My lord. You have been looking better the last couple of days, but I, and Versai, blast her, worry. As does Othai, but she hasn’t known you very long.”

  “Neither have you, Carousel.” But I didn’t say it out loud. Seemed unnecessarily rude.

  “I’ve been under a lot of stress lately.”

  “Yes. You have.” Carousel let the emotion drain from her, leaving a welcoming space. “Tell me about it.”

  “Do you really care?”

  “Yes.”

  Hmm. Open up to someone, revealing my innermost feelings, my fears, my need to run and hide from the world they way I had for so long. Being vulnerable to someone who knew just where to stick a knife and make it hurt, emotionally.

  Not just no, but HELL NO.

  I opened my mouth to say as much, but she cut me off. “My Lord, I literally cannot betray you. I can think of certain circumstances where I might arrange your death, but they are all in the context of you betraying me or your other summons first. Beyond that, if you tell me to go east, I will never go west.” She gently laid her soft hand on my arm.

  “You can tell me anything. Or nothing. We can sit quietly together, if you like. My feelings are muted. I understand that they exist, but they seem far away, somehow. Waiting for a key. But I can listen without judgement. I’m good at that.”

  This was a different Carousel than the one I had seen before. She was snippy with Versai, casually fierce and friendly with Sebastian, caring but strong with the Blue Roses, and casually charming with me. I tried to figure out what this face was. It felt manipulative. Nobody was just vulnerable out of nowhere, and she-

  Wasn’t. Ah. She even told me she wasn’t. She was telling me the exact opposite, contrasting herself with Hattie. Oh damn. It was manipulative as all Hell, but… And I was feeling my emotions jerking me every which-way on this, but always coming back around to the fact that she wasn’t Madame, anymore. She was Carousel. And whether she knew it or not, I was the first and last Lord she would ever serve. We would live or die together.

  So… could we talk together?

  I really don’t have any experience in that. I’d been to therapy. I assume it did me some good, but I quickly found that I’d rather talk to a chat bot. Somehow, I knew where I was better with a chat bot.

  Versai at me from under her wide hat. She was almost as tall as I was. I pinched the bridge of my nose and breathed out. What did I want? Did I want someone to vent on? Kinda. But also no. But yes. Either way, Carousel needed an answer.

  “I probably do need someone to talk to, or just sit with. But not now. Okay?”

  “As you wish, my Lord. I am-” She snorted lightly “Entirely at your convenience. And… Tower Master? That music box? It’s more than just a music box to me. I understand what you are saying, and I will try to work things out amicably with Versai, but I’m not willing to give up on it.”

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  I sighed again, and looked up at the painted ceiling of my throne room, and all its elf angels looking down on me. “I’ll see what I can do to help.”

  Alright, the “fun stuff” had been taken care of. Now it was time to be on to the serious business of the day. I tapped the bell to summon my Council, pausing only to appoint the Innkeeper (who’s name turned out to be Saito) to my council as the economics councilor.

  “What a strange thing- I could hear the bell ring, and I knew just where to go, how to get there… and that I must come at once. Despite never having been here before. Remarkable, remarkable.” The stick thin man smiled, hands politely folded in front of him.

  “It’s strange, isn’t it?” Sebastian smiled at him. “Though it’s better than having messengers running about.”

  I looked over at Versai, who didn’t look thrilled to be there. Would Othai be a better fit in the defense role? Her character sheet specified she was a big believer in contracts, and she sure carried herself like a general. Versai was hell on wheels on the battlefield, but went out of her way to not have anything remotely like command responsibility.

  But Sebastian had already subtly hinted that he didn’t get along with Othai, and I wanted a harmonious council. A council which, for obvious reasons, was currently dominated by Gradden March. Sebastian, his niece, and his long time colleague. Last was the Innkeeper, who was new, and whatever his connection with demons was, he was ultimately an innkeeper.

  In other words, not a threat to Sebastian running things. Oh Sebastian, did you think I didn’t read my classics? Kingdom was very educational, as was Sanctuary. This is why I don’t like IRL. Too many emotions that aren’t mine.

  “Versai, do you want this job?”

  “Not really? It’s not the worst, but I don’t enjoy it at all.” Ah yes. Sebastian was definitely trying to hint something to Versai with his eyes. Then his eyes met mine, and the old devil had the nerve to smile.

  “I would be a poor uncle if I didn’t look out for my niece. Especially since she would miss her very first pay if she left now.”

  “I’ll cover the severance package.” My voice wasn’t exactly friendly. Was today the “Test the Tower Master” day? I’d have to check the calendar in the Throne Room. It might actually be just that- the day when the game stopped playing nice.

  “Othai, to the Throne Room please.”

  She appeared in just a minute and glanced around. “I don’t believe I know everyone here?”

  “Introductions in a minute. Do you have any experience managing large groups of soldiers? Including training and equipping them?”

  “Extensive experience, my Lord.”

  “Good. Shadow Versai for this meeting, then you will be taking over for her on the Council. Defense portfolio.”

  “Just like old times.”

  I grunted, knowing I’d get shot down if I asked her to elaborate on that.

  “Alright, let’s pull the Sky Realm up on the monitor.”

  “The what?” Versai asked.

  “The big black mirror that doesn’t let me see what’s in this room, but does let me monitor what’s going on in the Sky Realm.”

  “Some day, Tower Master, scholars will discover your language and marvel.”

  “Hohoho.” I activated the enormous mirror. Floating in a seemingly endless sea of sky was a perfectly circular chunk of Gradden March, plonked down like an odd sort of growth next to the considerably larger chunk of land that was Hidden Moon Mountain.

  They were literally merged together- I could see where new land had formed, joining them.

  “If the lands are connected directly in the Sky Realm, why do I need to build roads to the relic sites from the Tower?” I asked. I was met with a round of shrugs.

  “That’s just the way it works, Tower Master. Though I suppose connecting roads to the sites provides benefits to the Tower and this… land, while the merging of the two lands in the Sky Realm provides benefits for that land.” Carousel said.

  Is that right? I’d have to check again what the per-day income was from the Mountain. Could… was it…

  “Random question, but can rocks quarried in the Sky Realm be used on and around the Tower?”

  “No, my Lord. Or at least, we haven’t found a way to do that.” The Innkeeper bowed. Saito. I have to keep reminding myself that his name is Saito.

  “What about developments like mines? Do those crossover?”

  “I do not know, My Lord. At the moment, we have more questions than answers.” Carousel fielded that one. It seemed the knowledge available to the councilors was somewhat selective and limited.

  “Well. Anyhow. Sebastian, report on the state of the Sky Realm please. I’m not seeing any big changes in Gradden March, other than more smoke rising from the chimneys. And improved health, if I’m reading this right.

  “You are, my Lord. Dramatic improvement in health due in significant part to the removal of so much sewage, the introduction of more water, and improvements in heat. The new timber means that we can repair, improve or replace the frankly disgusting housing stock currently available. The new metal means… Well, that’s more on the defense side of things, but it means that we can start hiring, equipping and training real militia.

  “Speaking of new metal, where are we on that Pure Moon-Forged Mithril?”

  “Candidly, my Lord, almost no further than we were before. We have found several ways that don’t work, but none that do. And even the ways that don’t work are likely non-functional due to a limit in our craftsmanship and alchemy knowledge.” Sebastian looked helpless.

  “Ah, forgive me for interrupting, but is Purified Moon-Forged Mithril a light, silvery metal?” Saito asked.

  “Yep.”

  “We do have someone who can incorporate tiny amounts of it into weapons. Mr. Ito. His forge, and forging methods, are a bit extreme, but it does product weapons of unsurpassed sharpness, capable of killing Gods and Ghosts alike.”

  Oh please don’t tell me-

  “He was at my inn when you visited, My lord. The man licking his finger? I believe he wanted to ask you to do some work for him, but you left so quickly. No need for the work now, of course.”

  GOD. DAMN. IT. Never again! I’m never trying to speed conquer a map ever again. This is yet another way we were supposed to clear the mountain- mithril infused weapons. Useful against the hungry ghosts and maybe the woodcutter couple. I’m going to carve “No Trying To Bypass the Map” onto the inside of my eyelids.

  “Alright, that’s… great. Super. No, really it is great to hear. Please have him liaise with the blacksmiths and alchemists in the Floating Quarter, and see what they can cook up with their combined talents. It would be fantastic if we could equip entire militia units with mithril infused weapons.”

  “Yes, my Lord, though I worry about their ability to communicate. Mr. Ito requires corpses as part of his forging process, you see.”

  “Do they have to be human corpses?” I asked.

  “I don’t believe so.”

  “Then there is no problem. We have warehouses full of bodies.” I smiled a non-smile. “Moving on- food. How bad are the food shortages?”

  “Very, my lord. Although we can relieve them some by building a market on Hidden Moon Mountain, which will provide the most basic sustenance for some.” Sebastian looked grim. As well he should.

  “Do it. We talked earlier about setting up trade routes. Saito, how is that going?” I was making a point of using his name, forcing myself to remember it.

  “Regrettably none, my Lord. We need you to allocate the funds and approve a waystation for travelers, as well as constructing a warehouse near it.” Saito looked profoundly ashamed, even though it was his first day on the job and could not possibly have done anything yet.

  “Sebastian, do we have the funds and resources for it?”

  “We could, My Lord.”

  “Could?”

  “We would have to postpone other projects like building mines. The waystation is rather cheap, but the warehouse is not. Unfortunately, if we want more than the occasional peddler to stop by, we need warehouses to store goods.” The urbane old man explained.

  “Damn. How are the road and sewer programs going?”

  “Exactly on schedule, My Lord. Which means there will be a few more days still.” This from a smiling Carousel.

  So that’s something.

  I gently closed my eyes. We desperately needed everything, all at once. But the one thing we had essentially none of was military power.

  “Walls. We don’t have any and can’t build any. At least I can’t imagine any kind of practical way. How do we defend our territory?”

  “Field battles, Tower Master.” This from Versai. “But that can and does involve entrenchment, building walls and putting out fields of spikes and abbatis. But really- field battles.”

  “Which means being able to see the enemies coming, and to have troops ready to fight them.”

  “Yes, Tower Master.” She nodded.

  “So how are we doing that?”

  “Scouts? Watchtowers?” She shrugged helplessly. I nodded understandingly, then looked over at Sebastian. Who looked disgruntled, but got the message.

  “Excellent ideas. Saito.”

  “Yes, My Lord?”

  “How would the demons in our territory like to earn a little extra income?”