Chapter 13

Carl and his group discover their new fortress and encounter an assassination attempt orchestrated by Sensation Entertainment. Baroness Victory, the fortress adjutant, intervenes by killing the compromised Elite Herman before he can detonate explosives, then files a formal grievance with the AI on their behalf.

The chapter opens with Tina and Mongo dancing together in the fortress courtyard, now friendly after Tina's awakening during the Butcher's Masquerade. Kiwi, the former female Mongo who was transformed back into a bear and is now heavily pregnant with Mongo's child, emerges and briefly interacts with Mongo before taking Tina inside to help with dinner. Carl and his group then enter the fortress, named the "Fortress of Unyielding Power and Authority" (FUPA), which has become locked at that name due to an AI override preventing the Sledge and changelings from changing it. The fortress is mostly empty except for workers and defenses being built at borders. Florin briefs Carl via chat about the scouting system during peacetime—only those with Scout endorsement can cross borders without passes, they have 18 Scouts available, and enemy spies from rival factions like the Dream and Prism kingdoms are likely already infiltrating. They move through the fortress to the antechamber where they find Elite Herman the Fleet, one of the three ogre strongmen and a member of the Princess Posse faction. Herman appears to be in distress, writhing in pain, and reveals through gritted teeth that someone told him to "do it already." Carl discovers Herman is covered in hidden explosive satchels. As Donut fires at Herman and Florin shields himself, Baroness Victory, the orc adjutant, emerges from the flag room and axe-kills the compromised elite before he can detonate. Victory then argues with the AI (audibly) about the illegality of the assassination attempt, attributing it to Sensation Entertainment's undue influence and filing a grievance on their behalf, ultimately departing with cryptic authority.