NOVEL NEXT V11: Chapter 10
V11: Chapter 10
…
Bright Grass and Adamant Trees were the first two luxury and strategic resources unlocked by Pin.
Bright Grass, as I expected, was a massive game changer economically. With the resource being exploited, tons of it were allocated across my nation, and the results were immediate. The cost of wax went down, oil was no longer needed for lanterns, and mages could focus on helping facilitate logistics rather than maintain magical lamps.
My guess as to why the advantage was so minimal in the game?
Probably because everyone was using it in the same way. Everyone had people working nights, everything was well-lit, and everyone was reaping the benefits of not needing so much wax or oil anymore. Those who had excess happiness could use it to make people happier by making it available for purchase to the public, but beyond that, it was a useful, harvestable resource that had plenty of niches in society.
Adamant Trees was another story. The Forgers were quick to make use of the information that I gave them to turn the Adamant Trees into amazing materials. They mulched the insides of the trees while still 'soft' and injected the pulp into molds. After heating, the pulp held the shape of the mold, and then they were dipped into the solution made from the tree's leaves to make adamant material in the shapes that they needed. The cost savings in weight was massive. Just turning their existing engine into Adamant material instead of steel shaved off fifty percent of the weight, but with the new material's tolerances and heat resistance, they were confident they could make it smaller.
I hoped that was enough for us to get piston-driven planes in three years or so, so I was stockpiling Adamant instead of augmenting my army with it right away.
I'm not going to be satisfied with how many planes I have until throwing one away and getting a new one is faster and cheaper than fixing a damaged one.
But that was the tip of the iceberg.
The next two were a bit more complex and needed structures in industrial districts to use them, even with farms on their tiles.
The second strategic resource was the Alchemical Grove. It turned a random luxury natural resource into an Alchemical Grove. The original yield remained. The grapes, citrus, or whatever luxury that was there still remained and gave its yield, but the Alchemical Grove, when exploited, allowed for the upgrade of Alchemical Guilds in industrial districts to Alchemical Factories. The Alchemical Groves pretty much allowed various pharmaceuticals to be easily extracted from the fruits in the grove. Drugs that would otherwise have to be manufactured in the Citadel can be extracted by letting the fruit ferment to different stages, stopping fermentation, and distilling it.
Ferment it for thirty days for antibiotics.
Sixty days for antivirals.
Ninety for a drug that confers a small degree of regeneration and rejuvenation.
Add something at the start, mix it in, and the output will be different.
Wood ash and thirty days of fermentation, and you get fertilizer.
Woodash and sixty days? Natural pesticide.
Ninety days? Plant growth agent that'll turn a sapling into a fruit-bearing tree within a year.
Alchemical factories increased the health of all cities in the empire, greatly reduced the chance of any sickness or plague events, and even gave health increases to all units along with reducing the chance of death.
That's just in-game.
Initial tests showed thousands of different pharmaceuticals could now be churned out in industrial quantities with ease. My population was going to have pharmacies that could let them stay young, fit, and pretty their entire lives. That alone meant a massive increase in happiness, but there were also drugs that could help them focus better, stay awake longer, and run faster. Cocktails of chemicals were being concocted that would give soldiers an incredible edge while in combat, with lesser versions available for the public and workers. While they didn't have side effects, mental dependency on the stuff was quick to develop.
But thankfully that could be dealt with via a dunk into the medical pods.
I expected increases in all yields and combat stats thanks to the Alchemical Groves, and I hoped that I'd have the edge in it for a while since I invested in it early.
The luxury resource that it was paired with, though?
I honestly didn't know if I should let it continue to exist.
The Paradise Poppy was basically super cocaine without any side effects.
+10 Happiness across the whole nation and an increased citizen growth rate were good on paper, but what if you ever lose access to them?
-20 Happiness across the whole nation until you manage to process all your citizens through Citadels.
Even without the physiological side effects and withdrawal symptoms, mental dependency is a thing. I didn't want a nation that needed super-cocaine or else it would go ape shit. So, I categorized the stuff as medicinal, deemed it a natural resource, and only had Iterants handling the stuff. If it was used as a painkiller and sedation method for someone, I made sure that they were in for a quick dunk in the medical pod to flush the experience out of them. Any soldier who experienced it was to be carefully monitored in case they suddenly had the wish to get hurt to experience it again.
Overall?
I was very happy with the Alchemical Groves and invested massively into them.
The Paradise Poppies I secured and kept only for medical reasons.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
But I made a mistake.
Or, rather, everyone else made a mistake because the Paradise Poppies were being exploited massively by the other, remaining factions.
Even the Guardians of the Moon's not-undead population.
Dammit.
…
"They're really just selling this by the pocketful." I was still with the Guardians of the Moon. Information and bodies of demons were coming in. Speaking with the new senate of the Guardians took a lot of time. Multiple meetings with the information I present given to their constituents. A lot of accusations of being a tyrant and how they're meant to be above me. Some jabs were aimed at Celia, but after the theater all the parties involved wanted me as a dinner guest to talk to me outside of the public eye, and I obliged. "Paradise powder. Catchy."
People were just walking around with little snuffboxes filled with dried versions of the Paradise Poppy. Diluted by alchemists by heat-treating the stuff further, the powder of the Paradise Poppy just gave a light, constant euphoric effect for a prolonged period of time. If you just dried the poppy to powder and crushed it up and snorted the stuff? You'd be riding the dragon every single time. Magical drugs didn't play around with the 'first time is the best time business.' You use it before it's 'diluted,' and you're out for the best day of your life.
"Make sure to check that none of it is in the food." It worked as a seasoning too. Just a completely wild substance that gives anything it's put on a boost. How did that work? It's literally magic-enhanced sci-fi happy drugs. I don't know. The Ancients probably got folded so quickly because the majority of the population was sedated and happy. "If it's in the food, I'm not eating."
"The Spearheads do not partake in it. At least, they say in their charter that they do not." The Spearheads were the more conservative faction that spawned after the nobility decided to go dormant. They were an aspirant upper class that worked with merchants and traders to get money flowing into their coffers and into the Guardians of the Moon. They probably gave bonuses for gold production and military veterans. Maybe some influence? The mansion we walked through had a lot of massive portraits. The ceiling-stretching ones depicted large-scale battles. More than a handful had my banner in it. In the background, even though I recalled my armies doing the heavy lifting. Whatever. "But I can check."
"Just keep an eye on the food and tell me if it's there. I'll just abstain." It'll be a blow to their pride if the stuff shows up, especially with their formal stance against it. Not to mention the fact I publicly didn't partake in the stuff and spoke against its use outside of medicine. Hopefully, they didn't expect me to be a hypocrite. "What's the agenda again?"
"The Igniters invited you, so they had to do the same. Swiftly. This is to keep appearances, most likely." Ayah stated, and I agreed. The Igniters were the new kids on the block. Lots of public support, innovation, and basically the revolution made manifest. They were out for equality, power, and the pursuit of knowledge. Lots of them were necromancers, and those necromancers put their undead to work to automate even rifle factories. I was honestly jealous. I had to prepare for years and make heavy industry, while they just threw undead bodies at problems. Even if they weren't as involved with trade, they were the ones producing anything of worth. "Lady Celia will be in attendance here as well."
"She needs to learn how to delegate." I shook my head while we reached the dining room door. "Or, she'll be buried by her new role. Ruling four Citadels is impossible alone."
My invitation was taken by the door, I was announced, and I entered the dining room with every gaze upon me. Escorted to my chair, my seat was to Celia's left, while the leader of the Spearheads sat to her right. Ayah, Ilych, and Rita were with me and dressed for the occasion in suits just like me. Ayah stood behind my chair, while Ilych and Rita took positions against the wall. Everyone else in the room was dressed up like a classical, gothic vampire. Ruffled white shirts with flowing sleeves and white tailcoats for men. Gothic dresses with red, black, and maybe silver amongst the ladies.
Celia wore a primarily red dress atop a deep black body stocking. Probably a light combat suit enhanced with magic.
"Lady Celia, good evening. Lord Galar, thank you for the invitation." Galar sat across from me. Though Celia sat at the head of the table, this was a power move in and of itself. He faced the king of another nation with four citadels. Not the leader of his own nation. Some sort of declaration that he was equal to me? Maybe he aimed to take my spot and rule the other half of the continent in the future after securing a marriage with Celia? I'd take him more seriously if he wasn't wearing black eyeliner. I mean, he made it work with the whole motif, and I'd still have him killed without a second thought if he made a move against me, but I'd definitely take him more seriously without the eyeliner." There was quite the commotion from within before I was declared. I hoped that I did not miss anything."
Galar and Celia exchanged looks before Galar spoke hurriedly before she could.
"Rumors abound. They say that you threatened Lady Celia with death if she did not accept the alliance." There must've been some other guards present in the room. I decided to take a sip of water as he spoke. The goblet looked nice. Crystal and gold. It was heavy, though. Not something I looked for in a cup. "Is this true, King of Wisdom? Is this alliance born from a threat to the life of our great leader?"
I thought they'd try to kiss ass like the Igniters, but it looked like the Spearheads were using this background negotiation dinner to air grievances they'd rather not in public.
For a moment, the thought danced around my head to let Celia handle the issue.
But she already fucked up by letting her subordinate speak to me like I owed him answers.
"The poison I threatened the room with could've been easily avoided by Celia. She was quite far from me, and she has the constitution of a Champion. Harper may have perished, though. No, ultimately, the threat was that I would die, then my nation would crash upon you and the rest of the continent." I explained it as clearly and concisely as I could to him. Celia was boring a hole through the side of my skull. Galar's face went from serious to ecstatic to terrified within just a few sentences. Looks like he did have a brain in his shoulders. I put the cup down and reached for a pitcher to top it up. Ayah did it for me. The sound of water flowing nearly echoed through the room. "Given how Celia leads the Guardians from the front, it was a threat to her life in the end. I suppose."
I wasn't much of a fan of vampire cuisine, in all honesty. The flavors were delicate and good, but there were like three to four bites max for each plate. Everything was seasonal, even the protein served, and I had no doubt that the chef knew exactly how the food tasted. Though I wasn't a fan, I wasn't about to say anything bad about it. Still, give me a greasy, cheesy steak sandwich with onions, and I'd be a lot happier.
Also, if you're invited to dinner, shouldn't people ask you what you like?
"I underestimated the tales regarding your candor, King of Wisdom. It seems you truly abhor lying, even if it would be best." Galar was really trying to be intimidating, but I just took a sip of the soup. It was a cream-based soup flavored primarily with cooked-down onion with fall flavors. Grilled pumpkin, blanched corn, and a sprinkling of lightly pickled peach and red onion. Creamy at first, then caramelized onion at the back of the throat, and released acidity and sweetness. Honestly, a good dish. If only there were more than four bites. "I bid you to come here to tell you that the Spearheads will oppose any policy and effort you make to sway the Guardians. The Igniters see you as a chance to propagate their ideals, but we know better than to let you sway our minds. The basis of this entire alliance is upon violence and death."
All gazes turned to me as he finished his little speech.
I was tempted to just look at Celia and shrug.
I was also tempted to just give Galar the good, old 'ok' and leave it at that.
But an idea did cross my mind that appealed to me quite a bit.
I dabbed at my lips with a napkin, took a sip of water, sat back, and answered his question before giving him a question in return.
"I am prepared to be your enemy. Are you prepared to be mine?"
Silence was the only answer.
Sorry, Celia, but you're going to need to look for another potential partner/subordinate to cut the continent in half with.
This one's not sticking around.