A Game With No Rules (Perimeter Defense Book #4) LitRPG Series

by Michael Atamanov

  The Unatari State has gained sovereignty over the Kiva system

  I read them and turned to my cousin:

  "Is this your work?" I asked, turning to her.

  She shrugged her shoulders indefinitely.

  "Oh yeah, that's right! Here it is. And bribing the viceroy of the Kiva system cost me just six million credits."

  My advisor didn't manage to finish her sentence before two new messages jumped in:

  The military faction Ancient Traditions of the Blue House has sworn allegiance to the Unatari State

  The Parliament of the planet Origa-II has voted in the majority to leave the Blue House and accept the jurisdiction of the Unatari State

  My cousin stretched over to the computer again to find information about the new deserters, but I stopped her:

  "No need. I get the gist. These are just the first fruits of your labor, still relatively insignificant. But if the Blue House doesn't take countermeasures at once, this scurrying of little pebbles might grow up into a real landslide that could bury the Blue House under it."

  At that moment, a knock came on my cabin door and Bionica came in.

  "My Prince, I'm sorry to disturb Your Highness. A message has arrived to your inbox that I think you should read. It's a request for confidential negotiations over long distance from Count Albert royl Timur ton Akad."

  I strained my memory, but somehow couldn’t remember anyone by that name, although the title of Count and Imperial Akad family name meant he must have had a very high position in the Imperial Hierarchy. My advisor Katerina, who had an extensive knowledge of the intricacies of the Great House genealogical lines, even spent a few seconds digging in her memory. Finally, her face lit up:

  "If I understand correctly, that Count could only be from the Gold House. Someone from the tip-top of the Antagonists wants to negotiate with you, cousin. And to think, Georg, you thought your distant relatives from the Gold House were ignoring you!"

  * * *

  Sometimes, when you meet someone, you like them on first glance. Whether for their nice face, proud bearing, confidence or frankness, such things are known to happen. Unfortunately, this was the opposite situation... As soon as I saw the foppish aristocrat, looking pompous look like a turkey tom with the fastidiously bored expression of a life-weary hedonist, I immediately guessed that we would not manage to have fruitful negotiations. Count Albert looked like a parody of Crown Prince Georg royl Inoky ton Mesfelle as I had seen him in my very first day in Perimeter Defense. The very same body, sloshing around in two hundred extra pounds of blubber, eyes flitting, obnoxiously expensive clothes with an unthinkable number of huge gems sewn into the fabric and adorning the hands that had never known hard physical labor, weak like a child's.

  Albert royl Timur ton Akad, Count of the Gold House, official voice of the Triumvirate

  Age: 69 years

  Race: Human

  Gender: Male

  Class: Aristocrat/Mystic

  Achievements: Playboy

  Fame: +3

  Standing: -44

  Playboy? And also a mystic, firmly under the sway of narcotic crystals? And the Count's standing was also in the gutter. An exact copy of myself a few years earlier. It must be noted that it was a very unattractive spectacle from an outside perspective.

  Only after a bit did I see something I should have noticed right away, "official voice of the Triumvirate?" Just what was this Triumvirate? The Count opted to explain on his own, having noticed the incomprehension on my face.

  "Our eternal ruler, the Empress Eleonora is no longer young and cannot keep track of all the complex processes of external and internal Gold House politics. So, for that very reason, the Empress appointed three important politicians a little while ago, who she trusted fully, to be her eyes and ears. It is the Triumvirate that controls the Gold House now. The Empress intervenes in state affairs less and less every day. The names of the Triumvirate members will remain a mystery, because some of them live in Imperial space, not under Gold House control. Nevertheless, they are the co-rulers of the Gold House and are just as fully in control of their duties as I am. And I am the one who voices their orders and decisions, as the official voice of the Triumvirate."

  Mental messages came in from both of my Truth Seekers:

  "My Prince, I was not able to determine the names of the Triumvirate's other members — these Antagonists have a very powerful mental block, which I cannot get through. Perhaps Queen Miya will manage?"

  "No, I was also not able. But Flora and I did manage to reflect the attempt by the Gold House psionics to probe your mind."

  The man on the screen frowned in dissatisfaction, then his lips stretched out into a crooked smirk.

  "Crown Prince, I've just been told that you tried to play dirty. I think you've already understood that trying to steal any information from my mind is useless. The Gold House was always celebrated for its most powerful Truth Seekers, and our best of the best did everything they could to lock up the names of our co-rulers safe and sound."

  "My Truth Seekers also told me about an unsuccessful attempt of your psionics to dig in my brain," I answered the Count calmly. "So, the Antagonists are also not trying too hard to stay honest."

  "Antagonists? How dare you say that vile word!" he objected, raising his voice to a whine bordering on ultrasonic and taking a sharp step back as he went bright red in indignance. "We have never been antagonistic to the Empire. As a matter of fact, we represent the legitimate legal ruler, not having supported the military putsch by Crown Prince August."

  Global standing decrease. Current value: +7

  Standing change. Count Albert’s opinion of you has worsened.

  Current value: -34 (dislike)

  Standing Change. Gold House opinion of you has worsened.

  Current value: -34 (dislike)

  Standing Change. Gold House opinion of the Unatari State has worsened.

  Current value: -11 (disapproval)

  I was slightly taken aback. Had that whole flood of negative messages about my standing and relationships of the Unatari State really been just a virulent reaction of the Count to my calling his state "the Antagonists?" How could he react so hysterically to a term, which had been common parlance in the Empire for almost two centuries?

  "I hope that standing decrease will teach you better manners, Crown Prince Georg," the fat man on the screen said with a mischievous chuckle.

  If he had kept silent, I wouldn't have even paid particular mind to the decrease of my personal standing. Just think how many times my standing had jumped up and down recently. One point more or less wouldn't even be noticed. But Count Albert's words enraged me — that fat man had wanted to teach me manners?! He had the gall to try and train me like a dog?!

  "Miya, I have an order for you to send. All Unatari citizens with implants must immediately reflect their negative opinion in Count Albert royl Timur ton Akad's profile, as well as that of the whole Antagonist faction."

  I also opened my internal interface and mirrored all the fat man's actions. After that, I threw myself back in my armchair with a glass of vitamin-enriched juice in my hand and watched a very curious spectacle — Count Albert convulsed like a vampire seeing a cross. His lips started quivering. The moderately aged aristocrat was nearly crying from resentment and impotence. And there was something to get upset about.Albert's standing, already not too polished, fell in just a few minutes to minus two hundred and was not about to stop. In addition to that, the Count found a way to get three new achievements in his profile: "Hopeless Diplomat," "Scorned by Mankind," and "Steamrolled." From what I'd seen, many factions had supported this attack — the Imperial Military, Artists, Financiers, Scientists, all Swarm races and even the Chameleons and Mechanoids had reduced their opinion of the Voice of the Triumvirate and the whole Gold House. A six-point fame increase was scant compensation.

  "Alright, enough! I admit I was wrong!" came Count Albert, unable to bare the focused informational attack and beggi
ng for mercy.

  I sent an order through Miya to stop the flood of standing changes. When the flow diminished, the man familiarized himself with his statistics and gave a nervous shudder.

  "Aha... I've had the chance to read your dossier, Crown Prince Georg. I could have guessed such a reaction... But alright, I'll return to the main topic of the negotiations. Has Your Highness been made aware of the speech given by Blue House Head Duchess Ovella royl Stok ton Miro?"

  After receiving confirmation, the plump man continued, now more confident:

  "In that case, Your Highness must understand that the Blue House falls in the zone of interest of my rulers. The Gold House cannot stand quietly by as the Unatari State devours territories that will soon land under the control of the Grand Duchy. Yes, the young and inexperienced Duchess Ovella submitted to your crafty provocation, allowing her Blue House to be dragged into a war with Unatari, but was nevertheless smart enough to depict herself as instigator of the conflict. All the same, before these events even happened, the Blue House had been guaranteed protection, and the Gold House is preparing to fulfill its duty to its ally."

  What was this, a declaration of war? I got on guard, but no irreversible words followed. Instead, the Count began to soften the formulation and limited himself to a warning. In his words, Duchess Ovella had jumped the gun with her announcement. They were even more peeved she had revealed the Gold House's plans to join the previously secret group. All the same, the Gold House really had already implemented plans to integrate the Blue, Purple, and Green Houses into one unified political structure.

  "Just one month from now, there will be such forces defending the Blue House that Your Highness won't even dare cross the border. But now as well, although it will be somewhat delayed, the Gold House is prepared to intervene and finish this unnecessary war. With all due respect to your military talents, Crown Prince Georg, the Unatari Fleet is simply puny in comparison with the united forces of the Grand Duchy. And I'm not even talking about the fact that modern Gold House ships are of much higher military value than Imperial ships of the same class. You will simply be forced out with numbers, and we'll barely even notice you. But the Triumvirate will give Your Highness a chance to avoid that war with your head held high. All territories that Unatari takes under its control within the next seven days may remain with your state. But by the end of the week, a peace treaty must be signed because, on the eighth day, Grand Duchy starships will arrive to the Blue House and begin patrolling the territory."

  I fell into silent contemplation. The terms were very understandable — everything that the Unatari State could reach and get under its control in one week was promised to me under one condition: that I stop there and sign a peace treaty. On the one hand, it seemed like a generous offer, because open war with a fleet comparable in size to that of the entire Empire was something I definitely wanted to avoid. But on the other hand, might the Voice of the Triumvirate have been bluffing? The Gold and Blue Houses did border on the star map but, in reality, the Antagonists could only easily reach Sector Sixteen. The rest of Blue House space was separated by Alien-occupied sectors. How was the Grand Duchy planning to get their ships there through Alien territory? I asked that question to Count Albert.

  "Good question, Crown Prince Georg, but it isn't possible to answer without revealing Gold House secrets. All I can do is swear on my aristocratic honor that there are ways of getting the ships there. I can also officially assure Your Highness that, after the end of the war, the Gold House will officially recognize all the Blue House territories you capture as Unatari space. You have my word as a Crown Prince!"

  Then the man hung up. I spent some time sitting in silence, thinking over the present situation. I had one week. Not really that bad. My starships could reach a great many Blue House systems, especially if the enemy still had yet to come to their senses and offer resistance. But the Blue House was vast. Seven days was far too little time to capture even a third of their territory, which was to say nothing about Sector Sixteen, far away and cut off from the rest of humanity. I called Katerina and explained the situation.

  "I can get more money, cousin. But what we really need now is time. So don't be stingy with the bribery fund! It's important to me that all aristocrats and viceroys willing to join our side for money get that chance within the next few days!"

  My foreign policy advisor smiled predatorily:

  "Well then, as they say, appetite comes when it’s time to eat! Not very long ago, you thought it would be a good outcome if Unatari gained just Perimeter Sector Nine, now you want much more. And finally, you've unbound my hands, Georg! Let me assure you, cousin, this will be the greatest informational attack in the history of mankind! And also, it will be supplemented by cash injections so generous no one has ever seen the like. Thirty billion! Never in history has such a thing been seen. I assure you, Georg, by the end of the week, you will not recognize the star map!"

  * * *

  It happened on the fourth day. My fleet entered yet another system with no resistance, Aarakh, and I was preparing to meet with a delegation of viceroys, mayors and visible local politicians, hurrying to personally tell me their burning desire to accept Unatari jurisdiction. It was a picture I'd grown used to in the last few days: a Blue House system, left to the winds of fate, whose defenders had retreated or defected to my side. Business as usual by then.

  But suddenly, Duchess Katerina ton Unatari entered my room without knocking. My cousin was noticeably uneasy and immediately demanded that all servants leave the room, because she needed to talk with me alone. The massive number of makeup artists, costumers, and hair stylists preparing me for my speech hurried to leave us, but then my cousin pointed to the bodyguards:

  "Georg, I advise you strongly to also send your guards away. This is an extremely confidential matter. You'll agree once you hear it."

  My cousin managed to intrigue me. I trusted Katerina. And Florianna, now wide awake, was an excellent guarantee of my personal safety all on her own. So, I ordered the bodyguards to leave us, also letting Rosss and the chameleons go.

  "What is the reason for such secrecy?" I asked as soon as the last of the chameleons was out of the room.

  In response, Katerina unfurled a paper tube and showed me the hand-written note inside:

  Captain Olaf ton Bogayan

  Fifty million credits

  "This is from the leader of one of the guard shifts at the Cloudy Palace, the residency of the Blue House rulers. He has permission to carry firearms in the Duchess's presence. Without attracting much suspicion from her other bodyguards, he could get to within shooting range of Ovella. He valued his efforts at fifty million. Half the sum in advance, and the rest after completion. He needs an answer in one hour."

  It was good that I was sitting, because this news might have knocked me off my feet. I now had the unique chance to assassinate the enemy leader. Such opportunities weren't normally thrown around willy-nilly... But I was still in no rush to give my agreement. First of all, it could have been a Blue House provocation. The propaganda war was going rather one-sidedly in my favor, and if they could accuse me of the crudest violation of law, and have a real confirmation of that, it would come quite in handy. Second, I didn't see any particular reason to kill the weak ruler, who already de facto was not in control of the situation, because her heir could prove to be a more successful leader.

  Anyway, who was next in the Blue House line of succession? Count Mark royl Ovar ton Miro? I had never heard a thing about this aristocrat, so I opened the guide. Ovella's first cousin. Thirty years old, he hadn’t especially made a name for himself. Not a soldier, the type to avoid direct conflict. Loyal to the legal authorities, good relationship with his ruling cousin. He had a reputation as a taciturn politician, always ready to compromise. Nevertheless, he had repressed the separatist uprisings in his territories decisively and even harshly... A goody-goody, but also the kind of person, who would avenge the death of his cousin both calculatingly and vicio
usly. Also, as the ruler of the Blue House, which was hostile to me, he seemed stronger than Ovella. No, it wasn't a good idea. I decided to refuse and turned to my cousin:

  "My opponents have accused me of the death of many Crown Princes and Crown Princesses. The reality is that I haven't killed any. And I don't want to start now, when there really isn't a particular need for such an extreme measure. We can get by perfectly well without killing her."

  "But Georg, this is a totally different thing. There's a war on. The Blue House is losing one system after the other. Their politicians cannot explain to their citizens why the soldiers aren't protecting them, garrisons are surrendering without combat, and more and more planets are voluntarily joining our side. The Blue House is stumbling and will surely fall. The Duchess's death might have a domino effect!"

  "I said no!" I had to raise my voice. "No one can accuse the Sovereign of Unatari off sending assassins. That isn't our way. Pay the captain for his willingness to work with us. Let's say fifty thousand credits. But tell him we don't want Duchess Ovella dead."

  Duchess Katerina, clearly upset at my decision, turned showily and, clicking her heels, headed out of my room. Already in the doorway, my advisor turned to me and said:

  "Don't forget to send congratulations to your twin sister. It's already been in the news. Soon, the Purple House will make an official announcement. You could learn a thing or two from Violetta. She's not so preoccupied with acting scrupulous..."

  What was this about? I demanded to be put through immediately to the Ambassador of Unatari to the Purple House to figure out the situation, but then before my eyes jumped an important system message:

  The Head of the Purple House, Duke Takuro royl Andor ton Reyekh, has died at age 232.

  ATTENTION! The new head of the Purple House will be Duchess Violetta royl Inoky ton Mesfelle-Damir (75.8% of votes)