On Day 4, I had 1,660 coins, having ended the previous day with unspent coins for the first time. 1,000 of them immediately went to my promotion to Earl.

[Congratulations on promoting to the next Nobility Grade: Earl]

[Territory limit 5—10]

[Resource Production Level limit 5—10]

[Army limit 200—500]

[Research Tier limit 2—3]

[Next Tier Requirement: 5,000 gold 500 Metal 500 Food 500 Wood 500 Stone 500 Cloth]

With the remaining gold, I once again made the tech tree a priority. I had enough to buy 3 Tier 3 upgrades. First, I purchased the main objective: Throne Warp in the Lord branch. Any player who bought this upgrade would be able to instantly warp between thrones of Territories they controlled.

Already useful, but it was what it was a prerequisite for that made it vital: once I hit the 4th tier I would be able to upgrade Throne Warp into Ally Warp, which would enable me to teleport between any throne I or my teammates controlled. Once I had that, no one who attacked my team would be safe from me.

Once I had that, I’d have the foundation laid for victory.

The next upgrade I bought was the Tactical Map, also from the Lord Branch. This added a world map to my game screen that allowed me to see what teams controlled what territories nearby, as well as enemy troop movements and compositions in territories within 2 “squares” of my team’s.

The existence of this one was one factor in my urgency. Once nearby players got this, they’d know it was me they were dealing with. Weak players would no longer fall for my bullfighting, and serious contenders would start to gun for me. I needed to strengthen my nation more before that happened.

The final upgrade I went for was Caravan, in the Production branch. This would allow me to send resources from my territory to my teammates.

With only 60 coins left, I paid 50 to upgrade one of my Lumbermills to Level 4, bringing its daily production to 80 with the tech bonuses. A different enemy team had managed to snap up 3 of the remaining 6 territories of the team I’d been attacking, so I hurried to get at the remaining half.

I succeeded, acquiring 3 more Level 3 gold mines along with 12 more points, and thanks to Throne Warp, I fended off the other team’s attempt at a counterattack. They committed over 300 soldiers to take one of the territories I’d freshly taken, but unfortunately did not fight personally or send any elites, so I still only gained 16 points for the team.

On the morning of the 5th day, well before the turn was due to start, something happened that I never expected.

An alert klaxon sounded through the castle—I had to take a moment to remember that this was the indication that a member of the team has called for an emergency meeting in the team chat.

[Betty: What the hell do you want, Lheticus? You interrupted my breakfast!]

[Lheticus: Don’t look at me. I’m not the one who called the meeting.]

[Darril: I called the meeting. There’s something I need to say to the team.]

After a couple minutes, he sent another alert, for the benefit of a couple stragglers. By the time they arrived, my nervousness had built to a fever pitch.

[Darril: All right, everyone’s here. I have a question for you all. You don’t have to give an answer in front of all of us, I just want you to think about it.]

[Darril: Did you want to be here? Were you glad, were you happy to enter into this great game of our people?]

[Darril: Because if you did, I can only conclude that you are of an extremely small minority among contestants. So many of the millions in the first round were transients rounded up and forced to be there, or convicted criminals with unfair sentences.]

[Darril: Or maybe you hadn’t fallen so far, but this game was still your last hope to escape poverty and exploitation. Am I far off?]

[Darril: We are taught, from our earliest school-age years, that we Throskarts are the superior species. That all others, such as humans, deserve extermination and should be grateful to receive even our contempt. But let me ask you...]

[Darril: Do you FEEL superior? Has the pride you have in our race put food in your bellies, a roof over your head, given you a sense of safety or comfort?]

My mouth hung open as he continued.

[Darril: Lheticus is a human, and so we hate him...no, it is our duty as Throskarts to hate him, and he cannot be allowed to succeed in this game, even if we must work with him in order to survive.]

[Darril: That is how every one of us knows with absolute certainty that we must think. But so much of what I have seen in this game gives evidence that what we are told about this game is a lie.]

[Darril: Far from the great survival game being the greatest and most honorable hope of rising above our stations, it is a place where we dregs of the Throskart race are exterminated, and for however long we survive, we are also humiliated.]

[Darril: Meanwhile, a small minority of entrants from the upper classes, or at least, more upper than the likes of us, are ordained to win from the start and reached this point without hardship or effort.]

[Darril: Can we truly say that any of us were intended to have any more chance of surviving to enjoy even the modest stipend afforded to losing finalists than Lheticus was?]

[Darril: Yet here we are. And in large part, we are here thanks to the very human whom we were taught that to even hold him in contempt is a kindness. A human who, for reasons practical or sentimental, has consistently valued our lives while we, even as we were practically carried through the last round by him, refused to value his by the slightest iota.]

[Darril: And even now, he continues to protect us! Lheticus has completely ignored building his own army—except to hire units to improve OUR defenses. And I suspect the reason he is upgrading his title so quickly is to unlock the Ally Teleport skill as soon as possible. Am I wrong?]

In absolutely none of our simulations or brainstorming had Arvallei or I even jokingly predicted that it would go like this. I rallied out of my stunned silence.

[Lheticus: It would seem the tables have turned, Darril. You’ve seen through me. Impressive.]

[Darril: He’s made it clear that he has his own reasons for striving for victory. But thanks to him, we have a chance to defy this game and become Victors ourselves! Every one of us not only can survive, but win! And we’re throwing it away because of foolish pride, a prejudice that, at least, one particular human has incontrovertibly demonstrated that he absolutely does not deserve it!]

[Darril: Are we such cowards?! Are we as every bit unworthy of life in truth as those running this show would have our entire race believe all those who have fallen in it are?!]

[Darril: Well, I’m not putting up with it any longer! I’m going to defy this game! I will become a Victor! Who of you are with me?!]

[Barnett: HELL yeah! Lheticus has always been all right by me. And I’m itching for some action!]

[Caleb: To rise above, and defy the game...even as I made it this far, I didn’t think it possible. Heh, I’ve been a fool.]

[Betty: …]

[Betty: ...I want to win. I want to win. I came here to win this! I WANT TO WIN! So if it means following Lheticus’ orders, following his plan...as far as I’m concerned, SO BE IT!]

[Mardin: Let’s do it. Let’s be Victors!]

[Garayan: So we need to start acting like Victors!]

[Anders: All right. I’ll trust you, Lheticus.]

[Jenn: Okay. I’ll dare to dream along with all of you.]

[Niles: I’m hardly going to be the only one to dissent. So, Lheticus...boss, your orders?]