Carl and Donut enter the FUPA flag room with Baroness Victory, where specialized warlord interfaces appear. Victory explains that speech in the room is delayed from viewers for eight days, making it a safer place for strategy. Carl struggles with the overloaded displays and discovers team, territory, troop, and warlord communication tools, while stopping Donut from sending an angry message to Empress D’nadia.

While clearing the interface, Carl uncovers suppressed notifications showing that Shi Maria, the entity tied to the tattoo on Carl's chest, has repeatedly tried to activate skills and spells without Carl's consent. Mind Balance has blocked the attempts and risen rapidly to level nine, but Shi Maria briefly managed to speak in Carl's mind. Carl realizes Shi Maria is growing stronger and could eventually seize control, so Carl messages Mordecai, who says Rosetta has informed him and that they are working on unpleasant possible solutions.

Victory explains her role as adjutant: Victory can accompany Carl and Donut during major conflicts, teleport in limited ways, offer rule guidance, and call fouls even against their own side. Donut tests Victory's character by asking about Victory's dead sister Ugloo, the orc queen killed during the assassination attempt. Victory answers soberly, and Donut privately tells Carl she is trying to decide whether Victory can be trusted.

Victory displays the ninth-floor battlefield, including Larracos, the nine faction territories, and Shanty Town, which now fully circles the city and is controlled by the Princess Posse. Victory approves the trade for Shanty Town because it gives the NPCs an added protective ring, and Carl considers using town upgrade coupons there or at FUPA. Carl notes that Britney is studying Larracos's defenses and that Li Na has joined officially, with her squad helping fortify Shanty Town.

The strategic map reveals the immediate danger: about 100,000 Operatic-aligned forces are massing on the Princess Posse's northern border, with Dream artillery positioned nearby and more troops on the Naga side. Victory explains the coming combat phases: the Ceasefire, the Ramp-Up, Open Hostilities, and the Peeling of Larracos. During the 180-hour Ramp-Up, non-scouts can enter enemy lands only through narrow gates, offensive magic and teleportation are suppressed, celestial summonings are banned, and the phase is designed to force brutal conventional combat, leaving Carl's outnumbered side at a severe disadvantage.

Victory adds that most enemy troops are outsider mercenaries and security forces, not seasoned warriors, so they will likely seek a fast overwhelming assault rather than complex warfare. Florin reports that engineers are building trenches, traps, no-man's-land defenses, and fallback positions, though a breakthrough would allow the enemy to flank them until FUPA. The meeting is interrupted when Louis, Katia, Bautista, Samantha, Bonnie, and others arrive; Samantha is distraught about missing a wedding, while Bonnie casually reveals the new airship upgrades and chillingly argues that children must think about killing outworlders because outworlders are still thinking about killing them.