Muttering about Tezcatlipoca's stinginess, Jiang You still pocketed the Cocoa Bean. It was a decent Cost, and suitable for Fairy Tristan to use.
"Waaah, brainwashed! Such an evil Servant! My lifetime of glory is ruined here!" Taiga Fujimura threw a tantrum, rolling around on the ground. "Even defecting shouldn't be this drastic! Ugh, just kill me!"
"Enough with the memes already... Fine, as the victors, this territory belongs to us now. Teacher Taiga Fujimura, I'll need you to oversee the remaining Jaguar Men. Otherwise, Fairy Tristan might just slaughter them all."
Seeing the remaining Jaguar Men still baring their teeth at him, Jiang You couldn't help but marvel at their tenacity. "Truly, Aztec warriors to the core," he thought. "Even with their god defeated, they refuse to yield."
"What's the point of keeping these vermin around?" Fairy Tristan glared at the hostile Jaguar Men, her blood-colored daggers already in hand. She wouldn't tolerate such insolent gazes.
"How about we make high-heeled shoes out of their jaguar pelts? What do you think?"
"You're about to become queen, show some magnanimity. Look at Morgan—she even reappointed her former enemies. Aren't you supposed to be learning from her?"
Jiang You still needed to complete a quest requiring him to eliminate a certain number of humans and Magical Beasts. He needed his subordinates' combat power; he couldn't possibly take on all the enemies himself, could he?
"Tch!"
Fairy Tristan clicked her tongue in annoyance but offered no further argument.
"Forcing your employees to work while injured? You heartless boss!"
Taiga Fujimura wriggled across the ground like a worm toward the Jaguar Men. Faced with this woman who had no divine dignity whatsoever, Jiang You had no choice but to let her rest before continuing.
"But just because you defeated me doesn't mean you're in charge here. Quetzalcoatl will be back soon."
Taiga Fujimura shot Jiang You a meaningful glance, suggesting they should make a run for it.
"You can't possibly take down my boss, Tezcatlipoca, can you? Quetzalcoatl isn't a half-baked amateur like me. She once knocked Boss Tezcatlipoca into the sea! Even your Noble Phantasms might not be enough to win against her."
As one of the Aztec Great Gods, Quetzalcoatl's power was undeniable. However, her Spirit Origin wasn't on the Grand scale, so she likely lacked the oppressive power of Tezcatlipoca. Still, Quetzalcoatl likely possessed her own complete Deck, making caution necessary.
"I'm well aware of that. In fact, that's precisely why I came here."
Jiang You's primary target from the start had been Quetzalcoatl. Taiga Fujimura was merely a convenient bonus.
"Fine, at least your Noble Phantasm can help us avoid a direct confrontation with that brute of a woman," Taiga Fujimura groaned, resigning herself to lying on the ground.
"Then it's time to begin constructing our territory."
With nothing better to do while waiting for Quetzalcoatl's return, Jiang You began planning their territory. To ensure his subjects would willingly risk their lives for him, mere military force wouldn't suffice; he needed to provide for their basic needs—food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. Fortunately, this was around 2500 BCE, and the people's living standards were extremely low, making their needs surprisingly easy to meet.
"Speaking of which, how do we even start building?" Fairy Tristan suddenly realized the problem. The conditions here were worse than the small villages in her territory. "We can't possibly rely on just the few of us, can we? I refuse to acknowledge a few mud huts as the Faerie Realm."
"Naturally, we'll have other helpers. Actually, if I weren't trying to give you some fun, Fairy Tristan, I would have just had everyone gang up on Taiga Fujimura."
Jiang You summoned Medea, Lancelot, and the Hassans. This time, in addition to Hundred Faces and Serenity, Cursed Arm had joined Jiang You's roster of summonable servants—a reward from Chapter Six. Currently, apart from Shining Star, Jiang You had gathered all the officially introduced Hassans. He wondered if completing the collection achievement would make King Hassan summonable as well.
As for the three unsummoned Servants: Illya was still in class, Minamoto no Raikou needed to look after her, and Jiang You had promised the Lion King to summon White Lancer Artoria only when it was to save the world. He wasn't sure how she would react to his current playful endeavors, so he decided to summon her when facing Tiamat.
"What do you mean, 'not'? I specialize in building fortresses, not construction sites!"
Hearing Jiang You's plan to transform primordial Ur into a major city, Medea nearly drew her Noble Phantasms. Even the most versatile Caster shouldn't be used like this!
"Don't worry, I summoned you here specifically to build a fortress," Jiang You reassured her. "The actual construction will be handled by Hundred Faces' specialized persona, and all the necessary tools have already been procured."
Jiang You felt he was asking too much of Medea. This wasn't some game where high Affection meant unlimited servitude.
"You just need to enhance the workers' physical strength and set up Defensive Magic."
"That's... manageable."
This was the "broken window effect" in action. Had Jiang You made this request from the start, Medea might not have agreed so readily.
Jiang You sweetened the deal: "Besides, we're nearly a thousand years before your era. The unique magical materials here are far rarer than anything the Clock Tower can offer. Once the fortifications are complete, you can command the locals to gather them for you."
"So you just want to keep me here as a tool, right?"
Medea saw through Jiang You's ulterior motives. "I agree, but I'll design my workshop myself."
"Thank you. Remember to build strong flood defenses. The real enemy will come from the sea. I'll explain the specifics later."
Jiang You was helping Tiamat descend, so the Primordial Sea would inevitably surge forth. They needed to prepare defenses in advance. He didn't want his workshops turning into abstract abominations like the Lahmu.
"As for Hundred Faces (another of your clones) and Serenity, I need you to infiltrate Uruk and gather intelligence, mapping out their city defenses."
Cursed Arm excelled at assassination, but his unique arm made stealth infiltration difficult.
"Once construction here is complete, I want you to spread information about the Faerie Realm within the city. Fear will drive some to flee to the rear."
"No, don't worry about them being weaklings. There will be other reasons for their flight. Besides, I don't need warriors—just people who can work."
Jiang You didn't expect ordinary humans to make much of a difference in this mythological war, even though the humans of the Age of Gods were far stronger than their modern counterparts.
"As for Cursed Arm and Lancelot, monster extermination and perimeter security are your responsibilities."
Scattered Magical Beasts also appeared around the dense forest, providing high-quality resources for both food and materials.
When Quetzalcoatl returned to her territory riding her Flying Dragon, she was met with the thunderous roar of bulldozers and towering gantry cranes.
Quetzalcoatl: "?"