Chapter 27

Carl defeats Empress D'Nadia and claims the Prism territory for the Princess Posse, gaining control of ten gnoll mercenaries split across three factions. He grapples with the temptation of the Ring of Divine Suffering while managing his new party leadership role, and must immediately respond to a crisis on the northern front.

Carl receives five Intelligence points and the Gavrilo Princip achievement for killing Empress D'Nadia, the last heir of a powerful trading dynasty, which triggers galaxy-wide consequences. The system awards all Prism assets to the Princess Posse, though the non-adjoining property means the throne room remains vulnerable. Ten gnoll mercenaries enter—eight with Princess Posse banners, two with Madness and Dream banners—and Carl must decide their fate. Corporal Pillbox appeals for mercy, noting the gnolls were originally stationed on the moon and don't care about factional allegiances, asking that Lockjaw and Mange (mercenaries from other teams) be spared. Carl orders them disarmed and separated rather than executed, removing the Ring of Divine Suffering from his finger despite its temptation. He orders the gnolls to loot the castle. Nihit the naga adjutant announces he's leaving for the 18th floor, while Victory informs Carl of a mandatory live roundtable with all remaining warlords tomorrow and reports trouble at the northern front. Florin messages that the north is collapsing and needs reinforcements immediately. Carl learns he's been designated party leader due to his stat growth, which irritates Donut, who threatens to leave if he changes the party's name. Donut privately expresses fear that the Ring is corrupting him and begs him to throw it away. Carl refuses, claiming he needs it longer to get stronger, and asks Donut to help keep him grounded.