An hour later, the Vixens arrived.
They came through one of the neighboring gates Jax had established months earlier. They had packed in record time, leaving the shadow workforce behind to continue excavating the conquered raid cave.
If something had happened to Jax—
They would have burned the continent down.
Instead, they found him standing calmly in front of Solmere's newly constructed school.
Talking.
To teachers.
Bunny blinked. "Is he… recruiting?"
Nyxian crossed her arms. "If this turns into another business acquisition, I'm stealing something expensive."
They approached quietly.
The Teachers
Three figures stood with Jax beneath the stone arch of the school entrance.
The one speaking most confidently was a Feline-kin woman.
There were many types of cat-people in the world. Some looked nearly human with ears and tails. Others were fully furred, walking upright but unmistakably feline.
She was the latter.
Tall.
Slender.
Orange fur from head to toe, patterned subtly darker along her arms and neck.
Reading glasses rested permanently on her nose.
Her name was Katherine Virellyn.
She went by Kat.
Jax had laughed internally when he first learned that.
Kat.
The irony was not lost on him.
She looked to be about forty — though with beastkin, appearances could be deceptive.
She radiated discipline.
And conviction.
Alignment
"So," Jax was saying calmly, "I will fund the operation from top to bottom. Facilities, materials, staff, distribution."
He paused.
"But I need to know we are aligned before we begin."
Kat's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"Mr. Darquebane," she said evenly, "I have wanted to do this for years. But understand something clearly."
She stepped forward.
"If we move forward, you cannot interfere with the content. No censorship. No editing from behind a curtain."
The other two teachers nodded firmly.
One, a goat-kin historian with curled horns and ink-stained fingers.
The other, a human woman with stern eyes and ink already smudged along her cuffs.
Jax smiled slightly.
"I don't want control."
He looked back at the new school building building — something that hadn't existed a year ago. The Aurabelle School for Gifted Children.
"I want alignment."
Kat studied him.
"And what alignment would that be?"
"The truth," Jax replied. "But not fear-driven truth. Not rumor. Not propaganda."
He looked directly at her.
"I want accountability. Transparency. A focus on peace and prosperity. I need to know you can't be bought off by dissenting narratives."
Kat exhaled slowly.
"We've seen what you've built," she said quietly. "Solmere. Frostveil. Crystalshire. Sixteen cities connected."
She glanced at the school behind her. "Home of the Fighting Bunnies" in perfect view at the front of the school.
"We see what you have built with you innovations."
The human teacher nodded. "Most merchants would not share their wealth or demand that others working for them, share it was well. That is something special. And that line of thinking is spreading across the continent for the betterment of all people."
Jax shrugged. "If we can create a system where we all prosper, the needs for the masses all take care of themselves."
Kat's tail flicked thoughtfully.
"The idea of the United Kingdoms," she said slowly, "changes the entire political landscape of the continent."
"It does," Jax agreed.
"And the world must hear about it," she continued. "Accurately."
"Then we're in agreement."
Jax extended his hand.
After a heartbeat, Kat clasped his forearm firmly.
The others followed.
"You let me know what you need," Jax said. "But I'd like the first issue out before the end of the week."
Kat's glasses nearly slid down her nose.
"End of the week?" she gasped. "You don't understand deadlines at all, do you?"
Jax grinned.
"I understand growth doesn't happen in comfort."
He tapped the stone wall lightly.
"And diamonds are made under pressure."
Kat stared at him for a long moment.
Then she laughed.
"You are impossible."
"Frequently," Nyxian muttered from behind him.
The Staff
A group of children suddenly barreled across the courtyard.
Bunny froze mid-step.
"Roger!"
The bunny boy skidded to a halt, ears flopping. Behind him, the rest of the former street gang stood straighter than they had months ago.
Cleaner.
Better dressed.
Fed.
They recognized the teachers.
They recognized responsibility.
"Roger knows where the office space is set up," Jax said casually. "He'll take you there."
Roger puffed his chest out proudly.
"These kids," Jax continued, "will be your support staff. Part-time. They're still students."
"Gophers," he added.
Roger's ears twitched.
"I'm a bunny boy. Not a gopher."
Jax laughed.
"In this context, it means you 'go for' things. Supplies. Messages. Distribution."
Roger's eyes widened.
"Oh!"
He nodded enthusiastically. "I can go for things!"
The teachers exchanged amused glances.
"They'll handle delivery across the gate network," Jax explained. "They know every alley in Solmere. Every warehouse. Every shopkeeper."
Kat studied the children.
"You're giving them responsibility."
"They've earned it," Jax replied.
Roger beamed.
The Vision
"Printing equipment?" Kat asked.
"Already secured," Jax said. "Paper production is underway in two connected cities. Ink supply established. Distribution routes mapped."
The goat-kin historian blinked. "You planned this already?"
Jax smiled faintly.
"I don't start battles without securing the next five moves."
Kat tilted her head.
"What are we calling it?"
Jax thought for a moment.
"The U.K. Chronicle."
She repeated it softly.
"The United Kingdoms Chronicle."
Her tail flicked once in approval.
"We'll make it the best newspaper this world has ever seen."
Jax chuckled quietly.
Considering this might be the first newspaper the world had ever seen, the bar was manageable.
The Vixens
When the teachers departed with Roger leading the charge, the Vixens finally stepped closer.
Bunny tilted her head.
"What's a newspaper?"
"It's controlled information," Nyxian guessed.
Jax shook his head.
"Not controlled."
He looked toward the skyline.
"Structured."
He turned back to them.
"Word spreads through Tele-Stones. Through travelers. Through gossip."
He paused.
"But rumors move faster than truth."
"Empires fall when the people stop believing in them."
Zee nodded slowly. "So this is about narrative."
"Yes."
Llandra crossed her arms thoughtfully. "You're fighting politically."
"I'm preventing political collapse."
He glanced toward the town square where whispers had already begun.
"Force handles armies. Information handles fear."
Nyxian smirked. "So you're starting an ink war."
Jax's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Borders are drawn by armies. Nations are built by belief."
The Real War
He knew forces were already stirring.
Corvin Voss would push fear.
Maelis Thornreach would calculate leverage.
Mayor Hallowmere would wait to see which side gained momentum.
And lies—
Lies could destroy everything faster than swords ever could.
So Jax would fight back.
Not with fire.
Not with dragons.
With truth.
With transparency.
With speed.
The U.K. Chronicle would publish the Empire's aggression.
It would publish the Frost Giant victory.
It would publish infrastructure improvements.
Trade data.
Public investments.
Stories of prosperity.
Because hope spreads.
And hope builds loyalty.
And loyalty wins nations.
Jax looked up at the school one last time.
The war had already begun.
Not of steel.
Of ink.
And he intended to win it.