Chapter 26

Carl and Donut attend a critical Faction Wars preproduction meeting at the production facility. Before the meeting, Zev advises them against accepting Odette as their adjutant due to her history with Mordecai. During the meeting itself, representatives from nine other teams introduce themselves, but the gathering is interrupted when the viceroy representative from the Madness inexplicably decapitates himself, revealing an imposter—Epitome Noflex, a self-aware NPC—has infiltrated the proceedings.

Carl and Donut skip the normal gnoll security check and arrive at the production facility on the ocean floor, where Carl's HUD goes offline. Zev appears briefly via hologram to warn them that Odette has asked to be their adjutant during Faction Wars. Zev explains that adjutants are neutral observers with symbolic roles but advises strongly against accepting Odette because her past conflict with Mordecai will cause him to attack her, resulting in his removal and jeopardizing the wellbeing of the foster children in his care. Despite Zev's advice, Carl recognizes they have no choice but to select Odette and resolves to find a plausible excuse. Zev then departs for a meeting with her boss.

Carl and Donut are taken to a round conference table with ten seating positions. The disc-shaped robot Urkel informs them that other warlords are attending remotely from their castles due to unavailable facilities. Cascadia, the Valtay showrunner—a small, exhausted-looking kua-tin—appears first and threatens Carl with dire consequences if he disrupts the meeting, nearly having an emotional breakdown when she offers him the opportunity to attack her unpunished. After Cascadia regains composure, the other warlords appear: Crown Prince Stalwart (an angry orc), Voting Admin Cell Mass Number Three (a gelatinous collective blob), Empress D'Nadia (a Saccathian), Rishi (a four-armed Naga representing the Blood Sultanate), Epitome Tagg (a bald elf who controls vast food-growing operations), Luke (a green humanoid from the democratic Lemig Sortion), a silent viceroy from the Madness, and Warlord Fangs (a retro-styled robot from the Reavers megacorporation).

During introductions, Donut verbally spars with Prince Stalwart, earning laughter from some attendees. Rishi makes an unsettling reference to Katia, causing tension. The viceroy representative suddenly decapitates himself, revealing his body was an illusion. A woman appears in his place—Epitome Noflex, the dream elf whose photograph caused conflict with Louis. Epitome Tagg is shocked and furious, claiming his men killed her. Cascadia explains that as an NPC, Noflex cannot be restrained by the AI's rules. Carl recognizes her as "Juice Box," indicating she is a self-aware NPC.