Ruler of Milano-V (2)
Anyway, after sorting out my thoughts and steeling my resolve, the next morning...
"Squishy, Squishy, give me a massage, won't you?"
-Wriggle, wriggle, squirm
"Ahh."
Given the situation, I'd been binge-reading posts from veteran players on other planets about Red Scourge intel, of course.
On top of that, to prepare for any emergencies, I'd been designing and building universal gear for my Chimera soldiers and officers.
And special traps or defensive installations in case we got attacked.
I'd pulled an all-nighter on that stuff.
Glancing at my small, cute face reflected in the nearby tank, dark circles had formed for the first time in ages.
I sighed deeply, letting Squishy knead my shoulders and back with its cool, sticky tentacles while sipping coffee.
Right at that moment—
-Whirr
"Doctor? I thought you'd gone somewhere since you weren't in your bedroom. Here you are."
"Morning. Hey, Assistant."
It was clearly Illeyna coming for the morning report.
I set my coffee mug on the table.
Savoring the massage from Squishy's slimy but refreshing tentacles, I figured I'd hear her out.
But here's where things took an unexpected turn.
Illeyna, holding out documents with her usual mildly expressionless face, said:
"Regarding the Valokian downfall, a joint statement has been issued from 13 nearby pioneer cities."
"Huh... that's fast. Don't these things usually take a week just to reach a conclusion?"
"Given the circumstances, they probably don't have the luxury to drag it out like usual."
"Makes sense!"
She handed over the documents while mentioning the joint statement from no less than 13 pioneer cities, so I naturally assumed that's what they were about.
But when I actually checked the contents...
(A ridiculously long and verbose preamble full of formalities...)
(In essence: 'Please be our punch against the Red Scourge for us'—that's the tl;dr of this massive wall of text.)
"......"
"So, after deliberating through the night, the leadership of each city has decided to delegate authority for resolving this incident to us—the Demonia Empire's Milano branch."
"......Wait, isn't this just them whining for us to wipe out the Red Scourge?"
"Doctor, you've hit the nail on the head."
"That tone sounds weird."
"Just your imagination."
Absurdly enough, the contents of the documents Illeyna brought boiled down to this:
-"In summary, including our Heisenberg City, a total of 14 pioneer cities will provide material support to the Demonia Milano branch, and the branch will physically eliminate or subdue the Red Scourge."
"Uh... yeah... thanks for the summary."
After getting that compressed rundown from Aimpedo, the mayor of Heisenberg City—one of the city leaders and someone tied to our fate going forward...
We handle all the fighting, and the other cities just chip in supplies and cash from the rear?
My brow furrowed instinctively at the obvious question: is this really okay?
I shot doubtful looks at Illeyna and, via the connected comms, Mayor Aimedo himself.
I even posted on the gallery to vent about the situation.
But surprisingly, the veterans responded that the pioneer city alliance had made the smart call...
(Image: Selfie of a white-haired bald eagle staring straight ahead)
Especially you OverNewbieMom and your Seductive Lewd Plump Demon Squad that enchants Golden Sun—read this properly.
TL;DR, straight to the point:
You're not just subjugating Red Scourge swarms and using them hardcore—you're flaunting it everywhere without even keeping it secret.
Hell, to avoid confusion with the originals, you dyed their shells black with pigment and Black Scourge-washed them.
Dragged nests right near Heisenberg City, manipulated their territory, turned it into dedicated defenses.
Then hopped in a shuttle, did the same over those Scourge heads—and you think the city governments don't know?
OverNewbieMom probably doesn't care about that stuff, or sticks to gallery posting.
Check your planet's own networks if you have 'em.
Your story's not fully public, but anyone with connections on-planet probably knows.
"Ho, hoh."
The consensus was that this was totally expected, and whining about it was foolish.
After reading those explanations, I realized the situation made perfect sense.
And with that in mind, after a moment of deliberation...
"Alright, I've decided. Let's accept the city alliance's proposal."
-"Excellent choice."
"Good to hear."
As they wanted, we'd use my Black Scourge forces—Red Scourge reskinned via blackwashing.
Crush the culprits behind Valokian's fall and scour the planet clean.
Time to gear up for real.
That said, even as preparations ramped up, one massive issue nagged at me.
Sure, I'd whined to the veterans like "Why's this crap dumping on me?!" showing my ugly side.
But that's beside the point.
My gamer soul screamed from the depths: you can't just let this slide without proper rewards.
(My thoughts had gotten verbose from all that rambling text—kinda threw me off.)
"Then we'll proceed with the operation right away."
"Hold up—one sec. Before that, I wanna nail down one thing with the city alliance."
-"You have some demands, I take it."
"Yeah. Looking at this fine print, it feels like they're trying to guilt us into 'sacrificing for the planet' and skate by."
"......Ah, I see."
"Sharp as ever, Mayor. You're in the same boat, so no complaints from you, but the other cities? Nah."
-"Hm. Given the crisis, rear support should be adequate."
"Not that—after this blows over, they'll wipe their mouths clean and bail."
-"......Sigh. Yeah, you gotta be that sharp to ride this fate with us."
"So, Doctor—what's your plan?"
"Send this to every city now: We'll handle the Red Scourge, turn 'em into lab rats. But those preaching fake honor? They'll pay up—forced."
"Understood."
As a gamer creed: quests demand rewards, no exceptions.
I smashed the alliance's sneaky free-ride attempt.
World-conquering org demands proper pay—we'd bark for it.