CH 26

March 23, 2023

Today, the Stock Company officers in charge of each street of the West District were assembled at headquarters for a meeting. A few ex-members of the now defunct Palpud Union were also present. They were clearly not happy, but had long since lost the willpower to resist. The Union’s chairman and all his lieutenants were dead, and those who remained loyal to them were paying for it dearly. At its core, the Union had been a ragtag band of thugs; without a centralizing force, everything fell apart.

Incidentally, the stores and establishments formerly controlled by the Union were already being taken over by the Company. Mace, the so-called useless bookkeeper, used his experience and connections to swiftly annex the former Union territory. Meanwhile, Gard, who used to be the strongest candidate for next president, was now little more than a despondent, submissive shell.

“. . . Further details shall be communicated by written report at a later date,” Mace said. “Furthermore, should any issues arise with the Orson Family, report to me immediately. Direct conflict would be best avoided, as the Orsons would present a far more powerful threat than the Palpud Union. It might come to that regardless, but let it not be due to negligence on our part.”

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid, Mr. President?”

Mace glared at the man. “Funny that you would say that. Not once do I recall you calling the previous president a coward, despite his decisions. I’ll remember your face.”

The man was one of Gard’s supporters, and he wasn’t pleased with Mace’s rise to presidency. “What’s that, a threat?” he said with a snort. “You think I’m afraid of a damn bookkeeper?”

“He’s a murderer too,” said another. “Did Mr. Leroy in, then took his place. Says he left a will, but nobody’s seen it. I ain’t buying that crap.”

“Now that the dust settled, we should choose our own leader!”

This meeting suddenly became a lot less boring, Stella thought with a smile on her lips. She was sitting in a chair, quietly, at the corner of the room. She hadn’t revealed herself as the Company’s consultant yet—nor did she intend to—but she’d been interested enough in this meeting to attend it under the pretense of being the Company’s “in-house sorcerer.”

They’re waiting for your pronouncement, Gard,” Mace said. “Why don’t you give it to them? I believe you know what to say.”

Gard didn’t speak.

“Are you sure you want to disobey me, Gard? Won’t that go against her orders?”

“It’s true,” Gard said, reluctantly. “My old man appointed Mace to the office before he died. I swear on it.”

“But Boss, he ain’t the right man for the job. The Company just got a lot larger—too large for the likes of him to handle. You’re the one who should be leading us!”

Gard glanced wearily at Stella. She gave him a look that said, “You know what to do.”

He turned back to his supporters. “Can it, you. We’ve got to secure our new position, not fight among ourselves. That goes for all of you. I don’t care if you’re a veteran or just a rookie—you do something funny, I’ll see to your punishment myself. Got it?”

“B-Boss . . .”

No doubt the reprimand came as a shock. The man sat back down with slumped shoulders.

“Thank you, adviser,” Mace said. “That was most helpful.”

Gard clicked his tongue.

“Gard is right,” Mace continued. “This is not the time for internal strife. With that in mind, I shall disregard any inappropriate statements which have been made thus far. Remember—the Stock Company has been reborn!”

“. . . Yes, Mr. Prez.”

“Our current goal is to strengthen our position in the West District. Gather more men. Work toward larger profits whenever you can. You need to understand that while strength might serve you well against a single enemy, it’s not going to keep you alive in this godforsaken world. Wits, however, will. Is that clear?”

“Yessir!”

“Dismissed!”

All who were present bowed at Mace’s command. Stella clapped her hands softly in approval. Mace was starting to look the part, perhaps thanks to the difficult experiences he’d been through recently. It made Stella proud to see her minions grow up.

Stella, Mace, and Gard stood in the empty meeting room.

“You did pretty well back there, Mace,” Stella said with a smile. “I’m impressed.”

“Thank you.” Mace hesitated, then said, “Would you like me to address you more politely in the future? I could change that right now.”

“Don’t worry about it. You can talk to me as you always have. As president, you have an image to maintain. If you start showing deference to a child, no one will take you seriously. For now, you should focus on getting your bearings in your new position.”

“Understood.”

“Good,” Stella said, then turned to Gard. “If you have something to say, say it. Go ahead.”

“I got nothing to say. I died that day. I don’t care what happens anymore. Just leave me be.”

“You make an interesting case, but playing with corpses is simply not one of my hobbies. Look at me, Gard. Look at me.”

Stella grabbed Gard by the chin and wrenched his head to face her. Fear was in his eyes. He was trembling. This grown man was terrified of a child. It was quite amusing, considering his former reputation for violence.

“W-What do you want?” he stammered. “I-I never disobeyed any of your orders!”

“I know. But I want more than that. I have no use for someone who’s only capable of doing what they’re told. If you don’t quit moping around, I’m going to castrate you and throw you in a ditch. So keep that in mind.” Stella raised the corner of her mouth.

The threat was quite effective. Gard shrieked, covering his crotch with his hands.

“What’s your next move going to be, Stella?” Mace asked. “Establishing the new status quo? I could make the necessary arrangements.”

“Have the Company’s men ready for battle. Those people in the South District can’t be controlled; they’ll only get in our way. Maybe we can plan a joint assault with the Orson Family.”

The South District was a cesspool of drug addicts. Getting rid of them would be essential for Stella’s plan to clean up the city. She had a few options—she could bide her time for an assault, or maybe support one of the local factions. Or heck, even burn the whole place down to ashes and rebuild it anew.

“Greggs won’t allow us to create such a disturbance,” Mace said. “If we become too threatening to ignore, he’ll crush us.”

“Then convince him to get on board with the plan. It shouldn’t be too hard; the South District is a liability. Do act carefully, though. Step by step, no rush.”

Mace pushed up his glasses, then nodded. “Understood. I’ll be careful.”

“That’s what I like to hear. In any case, Greggs will soon find himself in a difficult position. And when he does, Mace, you’ll have a choice to make.”

“What do you mean?”

“He can’t hold the middle ground forever. He’ll pick a side eventually, and that’s when he’ll be at his most vulnerable. You can take over this town, Mace. Doesn’t it sound exciting?”

According to Varrell and Typica, the war between the Astral Church and the Khorshid Empire was nearing its boiling point. Very soon, Greggs would be forced to pick a side. And when he did, Mace could pick the other one and use its support to overthrow the Georgia Family, ultimately seizing power for himself. Just like Greggs had done to his predecessor.

“M-Me, taking over Peasbury?” Mace said. “That doesn’t sound very realistic.”

“Oh, it’s more realistic than you think. Though whether it’ll happen or not is entirely up to you. If you’re satisfied with being the ruler of the West District, then you can keep licking Greggs’s boots. But remember, there’s a risk there too. If you stay too loyal to him and he happens to bet on the wrong side, you two will go down together. I recommend you take your own advice here and use your head.” Stella smiled faintly.

Power. It meant standing above others, which made you easier to see—but also easier to target. Maintaining a position of power was no easy task. For these reasons, Stella had turned down Mace’s offer of vice presidency. Things could go south at any moment, and she wanted to have an easy way out when they did.

“C-Can I really make such an important decision? Me?”

“You’re getting pale, Mace. Don’t worry—you can always ask me, your consultant, for advice. I’m also your master. I won’t deny you help if you ask for it.” Stella gently tapped Mace on the shoulder.

Hesitantly, he nodded. “You’re right, of course. I’m counting on you, Stella. It’s thanks to you that I am who I am today.”

Stella chuckled. “That goes both ways. It’s thanks to you that I’m able to earn a living. And if there’s one thing I hate more than stagnation, it’s meaningless turmoil.”

Stella parted with Mace and made her lonely way out of the Company’s headquarters. She didn’t draw much attention; as far as these people were concerned, she was the Company’s sorcerer. It wasn’t unheard of for sorcerers to be as young as she was. Still, a few eyebrows were raised at the way she carried herself with such superiority.

Once outside, Stella was greeted by Beck and a group of men she’d never seen before. He smugly snapped his fingers, and they formed a human corridor for Stella to walk through.

“I hope you had a good meeting, ma’am!”

“Thanks, Beck. By the way, who are all these people?” Their stupid little eyes were watching her. It was quite unpleasant.

“Extra guards, ma’am. As per Mr. Mace’s orders. And I’m their leader! I guess you can call them ‘Beck’s Regiment’ or something.” Beck grinned, scratching his head.

“B-Beck’s Regiment, you say?”

“Yeah. You know, like Gard’s Regiment, but Beck’s. Look at them, so well-equipped and well-armed. Don’t they inspire confidence? I’m making them work on the crops while we train. They’re turning out all right, if I do say so myself!”

Beck’s subordinates. Twenty Beck clones. Beck was Stella’s property. By extension, so were they. Twenty-one Becks. Stella’s head swam. Beck, Beck Two, and Beck Three ran up to help her with worried expressions.

“A-Are you all right?!”

“Someone call a doctor!”

“She needs medicine, you idiot! Someone go get medicine!”

“Medicine, gotcha! But what medicine?”

“Heck if I know, dumbass! Just get all of them! One of them’s gotta work!”

If I listen to these idiots for one more second, I’ll die. Massaging her temples, Stella regained her feet. “I’m fine,” she forced herself to say. “I just glimpsed into my own future, and what I saw was shocking. But I’m fine. Totally fine.”

Stella tried her best to keep Beck and his regiment outside her field of view. He doesn’t mean to recruit more, does he? Dread consumed her. A thousand Becks, hunkering down every day in front of the store. Merely imagining it was physically painful. She needed to have a serious conversation with Mace about this.

“Are you sure? I can give you a piggyback ride home!”

“I would very much appreciate it if you would not do that,” Stella said. “Anyway, Beck, if these men are under your command, make sure you educate them properly. As their leader, you’re responsible for their mistakes. Never forget that.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am! Of course!”

“Good. Let’s get going, then. But don’t walk too close to me. I can’t stand the sight of— I mean, the heat. I can’t stand the heat.”

Beck nodded eagerly, then turned to his men and yelled, “You heard her, boys! Our mistress is heading home! Spread out and form a safety circle!”

“Yessir!”

“Is that the best you got? I can’t hear you!”

“Yessir!”

Maybe this squad of his wasn’t so bad. Each man was an extra meat shield or errand boy she could use, and they’d get their wages from the Company. But Beck was acting quite cocky for someone who had never been in command. Depending on how things went, Stella might have to put him in his place again. Otherwise he might get carried away and do something stupid at the most inopportune time, as he tended to do.

Beck approached Stella. “Uhm, ma’am. May I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“What’re you gonna do next?”

“Your question is too vague. And I hate talking about myself. Didn’t I mention it?”

“P-Pardon, ma’am! I was just wondering about, uh . . . what you’re gonna do now.”

“You just said the exact same thing with different words. You never change, do you, Beck?”

“T-Thanks, ma’am,” Beck said, grinning like an idiot.

“It wasn’t a compliment.” Stella sighed, but this had been an amusing exchange, so she decided to entertain his question. “For now, I’ll keep working on training my body and magic abilities. I’ll keep collecting any humans I find interesting. I’ll renovate the store, including the living quarters, and improve its defenses. I also want to visit nearby villages and watch the people there as they go about their daily lives. Other than that, if Marie’s restaurant turns out to be a success, I’ll consider opening branch stores in nearby towns. Oh, and I want my own crop field. A real one, not something small like the one we have in the backyard.” Stella wanted to be self-sufficient. With a reliable food source at hand, she’d be able to overcome most problems life could throw at her.

“Ma’am, is that really necessary? You have money, so can’t you just buy food?”

“Well, but what if there’s no food to buy? You should really use your head sometimes.”

“Ohhh! That makes a lot of sense, actually!”

Did he really get it or is he just agreeing loudly for effect?

“As for my longer-term goals, I want to maintain stability in the West District and put an end to the chaos of the South District before it becomes a problem. If Mace rises to power, it’ll facilitate my plans. I wonder if he can actually do it.”

“Mr. Mace, rising to power? But how?”

“Figure it out yourself.”

Taking Stella’s dismissive reply to heart, Beck crossed his arms, creased his brow, and started to think. His men followed suit. Stella kept her distance. Their stupid might be contagious.

The problem is, will Mace dare to depose Greggs and take his place? I have a feeling he won’t.

Mace lacked a leader’s charisma, but he was a good negotiator and knew how to turn a profit. If he wouldn’t take Greggs’s place, maybe Stella could put him there. He might fail, in which case the Company would be in shambles, but then Stella could put someone else in his place and let the Orson Family deal with restoring it. She could even fake Mace’s death and hide him for a while.

Stella wanted to keep to the shadows as much as possible. Becoming vice president of the Company would allow her to act more freely, but it would also be dangerous. She would not die with a knife to her back if she could help it. That was why she wanted capable bodyguards like Varrell and Typica.

Apollo would eventually replace his father as head of the Orson Family. He was an idiot, and judging from his constant advances, he probably had a thing for Stella. She would never pick him as the father of her future child, but it might be worth keeping him as a friend. His face was funny.

Apollo had been acting much more confident since recent events. He really was an idiot, but unlike Mace, his personality was oddly magnetic. That was probably why his father hadn’t disowned him yet.

Apollo peed himself in public and only got a few bruises for it. Does his father believe in his potential, or is he just overly fond of his son?

“Anyway, we’ll be busier than ever now, so value your time accordingly,” Stella said.

“Y-Yes, ma’am. I’ll do the best I can.”

“Know that the world doesn’t stop and wait while you’re wasting time. Pay close attention to what’s happening in this continent. If we don’t have any knowledge of which places will become dangerous when, we’re not going to survive this war. That’s why it’s important to trade information with other merchants. Should worst come to worst, we need to be ready to leave town at a moment’s notice. That means we need supplies hidden in secure locations, an escape route, and a place to lay low and hide—and we need to make these arrangements as soon as possible. If you learn anything important, report to me immediately.”

There were many, many things to do. Besides, Stella had herself and her minions to worry about. She wouldn’t settle for collecting them and letting them gather dust. Life never stopped still. They would grow for as long as they lived, and Stella would accompany that process until the day she was dead. As for what would happen after, she didn’t care. That was a problem for the next generation. Action, action, nonstop action. Then death.

“Yes, ma’am! You’re so smart, though. Me, I’m too dumb to think that far ahead.”

Stella glared at him. “You give up too easily. That’s why you’re such a Beck. If you can’t think that far ahead, figure out how to do so. If you need knowledge, find someone who can give it to you. If you realize that you’re dumb, work every day to change that. I have better things to do than listen to the idle complaints of lazy scum.”

Beck groaned sheepishly. “I get what you’re saying, but . . .”

“If you get it, then do something. You’re now in charge of a sorry group of twenty men. Twenty lives, riding on your every decision. One misjudgment is all it takes. You can’t afford to be an idiot anymore, Beck. Being in charge means being responsible for those under your charge. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you better ask someone for pointers as soon as possible. Now, did you get what I just said or do I need to nail it into your head?”

Stella grabbed the flustered Beck by the front of his shirt. With her low physical strength, it was mostly a symbolic gesture, but paired with a death stare, it had the desired effect. Beck nodded desperately with tears in his eyes. “I-I understand! Ma’am!”

“Do you know why I care about the affairs of this town and this continent?” Stella continued without releasing him. “Because while disaster may strike at any moment, I can try to predict it and take precautions. I won’t always be right—but doing something is better than doing nothing at all.”

“But, ma’am, are things really that bad . . . ?”

“This town is currently under an illusion of stability. It’s a house of cards just waiting to collapse. Look outside and you’ll see.”

“A-An illusion?”

“I want to die old, and to always have someplace safe to call home. And since I want these things, I’ll make them happen. When I die, I don’t want to regret a thing. Do you?”

“N-No, ma’am!”

“Then grow up. You’re a human, just like me, so I’m sure it’s possible. I work hard every day. Can you blame me for expecting at least some of the same from you?”

Stella released Beck’s shirt, her throat parched from talking more than she was used to. She didn’t wait for an answer, but immediately turned around and resumed walking. If my words make a difference, it’ll have been worth it, Stella thought, but she doubted they would. People rarely changed. Rarely, but not never. Maybe she could count on the unlikely for a change. Humans were supposed to have hopes and dreams—or so she’d heard.

Beck pumped his fists into the air. “All right, men! Starting tomorrow, we’re gonna work our asses raw! Let’s show our mistress what we’re made of!”

“Yessir!”

It was just like Beck to start tomorrow instead of today. Well, if humans could change that easily, life would be a lot simpler.