Free Tier - Accidental Champion (Book 7) - Chapter 35 - What Say You, Xavier Collins?

Sovereign Fouran didn’t utter a single word as they passed the gulf between them. The True B Grade ruler folded his hands in front of him and waited with a silent patience until the two men stood before him.

Sovereign Rewke Fouran looked exactly as the Information Packets had shown him. He appeared as though he were a man in his early forties by unenhanced human standards, with slight lines marring his otherwise smooth face. The advancement to B Grade would have erased any signs of age, though of course this man had been B Grade for several thousand years by this point. Even so, the age-lines appeared more as an affectation than anything. No one wished a wise ruler to look too youthful, even in the Greater Universe.

The man was not wearing armour, but instead a set of purple robes. The robes looked simple, if not fine. Any runes they were possessed must have been sewn into the inner linings, with protections in place so Inscribers wouldn’t be able to sense or see them without great effort. They were no doubt a powerful and expensive B Grade item.

Xavier wondered if his spiritual sense would be able to break through those protections, but that wasn’t something he was about to test. Not unless things turned.

Fouran looked at Palini. “You signed a contract assuring this man’s safety.”

“Yes, Sovereign.”

“With the position you hold, a representative of my domain, that assurance has stretched to me.” Fouran faced Xavier. “But if I find you have done anything to harm my citizens that wasn’t in self-defence, that assurance will disappear. Palini will be held accountable for your actions as much as yourself.”

Palini’s Adam’s apple bobbed in a silent swallow. “Yes, Sovereign.”

Xavier raised an eyebrow. “It wouldn’t be his fault.”

Sovereign Rewke peered at Xavier. “You think me harsh?” A smirk tweaked his lips. “I have heard of some of your exploits. You are a violent man, Xavier Collins.”

“I do what I must.”

“Hmm. Perhaps. As every Denizen does from their perspective—unless they have chosen the path of chaos, I suppose. Though I know that isn’t your path.” The B Grade ruler began pacing along the stone floor, folding his hands behind his back, head bent as though in thought. “Palini Damascus is by all accounts a good man and a loyal officer with a highly commendable record, but he knew what he signed up for when he became what he became. As an official for my government, his authority is backed by my authority. That means whatever decisions he makes are my responsibility, whether they be good ones or poor ones. You agreed to sign a truth-contract with me alone. Such confidence speaks to either your innocence in any wrongdoing, or a certain amount of leverage you might possess.”

Xavier said nothing.

“If it is the former, Damascus has nothing to worry about. If it is the latter…” Sovereign Fouran sighed. “Then things must be put to rights.”

Xavier wondered about the man’s perspective. He understood it, there was even a part of him that respected it. The Greater Universe was a harsh place, and not only because of the System’s influence upon it.

But he had all but forced Damascus into signing that contract.

I did force him. I did the very thing I didn’t want done to myself. But I wouldn’t have killed him had he refused, as he did me.

He distinctly remembered a similar instance of someone close to him being forced into signing a contract. Howard, on the tenth floor of the Tower of Champions, by Adranial herself. The man had begged Xavier to kill him.

If Xavier was like the man before him, he would have done that, wouldn’t he?

Xavier knew he was the type of man to see certain things as black and white. It was difficult to operate with certainty if all you saw were shades of grey. But so many things were grey.

A million wise advisors would have told him to kill Adranial at his first opportunity, and yet he’d contracted her safety and the safety of her party as long as they harmed none of his people.

That deal had ended up being a fortuitous one.

And if he had simply killed her? Well, he doubted that would have endeared him to her ancestor, who happened to be the most powerful Denizen in the Greater Universe.

Xavier stared at the sovereign. “Do you think it wise, what was done to me? That my rights were stripped on mere suspicion, for doing something deemed legal in your sector?”

“Yes,” Sovereign Fouran replied simply. “Given all the information at hand, Damascus made the right decision. If you leave here today and continue your rule, you will come to agree.” He paused. “Though I do think the interrogation could have been handled with more tact.”

“At least we agree on that,” Xavier said.

“Now, are you willing to sign that truth-contract, Xavier Collins, as agreed?”

A notification popped up in his vision with the contract. He read it with care, assuring nothing untoward hidden was among it. The wording of contracts could be twisted if one were clever enough and foul enough.

He found nothing suspicious. Even so, he considered crafting a contract of his own to give to the man, but decided not to. This contract already stated that Fouran would tell him the truth in return, and that questions need not be answered.

I’m sure there will be consequences if certain questions are ignored, however.

Xavier signed.

The Sovereign bowed his head. “Thank you.” He stopped pacing and came to stand in front of the two men. “Damascus has signed a confidentiality contract. He may not share any information exchanged in this meeting regarding you without your permission to anyone outside this room.”

Xavier spread his spiritual sense around the vast hall. He didn’t sense anyone, but thought it prudent to ask, “The three of us are the only ones here?”

Fouran smiled. “Yes. I’m glad you asked that one. Some people forget.”

“Good. Might this conversation be more comfortable?”

Fouran seemed to consider that a moment. “No harm, I suppose.” Three armchairs appeared on the floor around the man. He sunk into one of them with a sigh.

Xavier sunk into another.

Damascus waited until his sovereign bid him to sit with a raised eyebrow and a curt nod. The man still looked awfully pale. He wasn’t a coward from Xavier’s estimation, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t afraid.

“Let’s cut to the chase,” Xavier said, “as I’ve already spent far longer lingering in your sector than I intended.”

“Barely an hour has passed since you stepped into that portal,” Sovereign Fouran replied. “But I suppose the young are always rushing around.”

“I have my reasons for haste.”

“Yes. The World Destroyer.”

Xavier leant back in his chair. That, he had not expected. “You know?”

“Of course. For some time. It’s getting closer, isn’t it?”

Xavier’s forehead creased and he shut his eyes. His fingers curled into clenched fists. A silent exhale allowed him to slip into a state of calm, though not a perfect one, as a trace of the anger that had threatened to bloom still burned within him. “You know of the threat, and you have done nothing about it?”

“What would you have me do? The Silver River sector is not mine to protect. There are countless Denizens in the Greater Universe who are far more powerful than me who don’t intend to help your young sector, even if they became aware of the threat. Do you hold it against all of them?”

Xavier almost replied, Yes, but he knew it to be a lie.

“The World Destroyer has devoured sectors more powerful than your own without outside forces lifting a finger in the past. Besides, it may not appear to you, but such decisions are not always callous. For my part, it is no secret that the safety of my sector is reliant on me remaining within it. There are trillions of wrongs being committed in the Greater Universe that I have the power to stop. More. Far, far more. Yet if I were to ever leave, even for a short time, my enemies would grow emboldened. That is something you’ll find once the System’s protection of your world falls away.” He paused. “Assuming your world remains by then. But if it does, you’ll learn you cannot always go where you wish no matter your desire. Not if you want to protect your people.”

Xavier released a breath, knowing the man spoke the truth. He also knew it wasn’t the whole truth. It was clear Sovereign Rewke Fouran, no matter how benevolent he was said to be, was a supremely practical man—but on top of that, he was a cold one.

There was no hint of care for the uncountable number of lives that would be lost in the Silver River sector if the World Destroyer wasn’t dealt with. His words may sound regretful, but that regret wasn’t evident in his tone, expression, or body language.

And, Xavier realised, it wouldn’t be the first time this man—as a B Grade—watched from the sidelines while Silver River was purged of all life.

It had happened before, a thousand years ago, to every single integrated planet.

Parts of the sector had been integrated into the System for longer than Empress Larona had been alive, but those parts were nothing but dead worlds now.

“Why are you in my sector?” Sovereign Fouran asked. “If your target is The Collector, and you come from Silver River, you’re a ways off course.”

A reasonable question. “To train on one of your beast hunting ground worlds. Arturom X.”

“Ah, so you’re responsible for that.” Sovereign Fouran looked at Damascus. “There was a time distortion on an entire frozen tundra.”

“I bought rights to train there,” Xavier said.

“Indeed. For a day. How long did you actually train?”

“A day,” Xavier replied in full honesty.

The sovereign smirked.

“Technically correct, I suppose.” He waved a hand. “And not really an issue. You left the area in a good state. Actually, better than when you appeared. You have some rather interesting abilities. Have you harmed any Denizens in my sector? Specifically any of my citizens or guests.”

“Yes,” Xavier said. “I believe I hurt Damascus’s head.”

Damascus ran a hand through his hair, where Xavier’s fingers had dug into his skull. Xavier had felt the bones beneath his touch creak

The questioning continued on like this for a few more minutes until the sovereign was satisfied and colour finally returned to Damascus’s cheeks.

“Very good. Very good,” Sovereign Fouran said. “Now, about your mission to kill The Collector. Why are you doing it?”

Xavier considered refusing to answer. He didn’t have to. He’d already been cleared. He could turn and leave, and he doubted the sovereign would stop him.

But he’d gone to all the trouble of treating gently with Damascus for a reason—because he wanted to create allies, rather than enemies, when he could. Though if he were completely honest with himself, there was a part of him that knew that wasn’t the whole reason.

He’d wanted to speak with Sovereign Rewke Fouran to get the measure of the man. To find out what he was truly like. And to find out if he was as benevolent as people in his sector said.

Xavier wasn’t a conqueror, not in his mind, but he did plan for his influence to grow.

It would grow far more easily if he knew the rulers in the surrounding sectors weren’t actively working against him.

And he didn’t know exactly what the future would hold.

Xavier knew his power would only grow and keep growing. Fast. Faster than even he’d imagined. He was confident that it wouldn’t take him long to be stronger than the man across from him. After his fight with Damascus, he’d wondered if he’d already reached that point. But even without using his spiritual sense to feel the sovereign’s power he could see that the two B Grades were measured on a completely different spectrum.

Whether Xavier was stronger than this man now or not didn’t matter. What he needed to know was whether this man would be someone who he could leave be, or someone he would need to be cautious of as he followed through with his plans.

And if I have to eliminate him…  then I’ll find a way.

Xavier answered the man’s question. “The Collector tried to capture me. Tried to force a contract on me.”

Sovereign Fouran nodded. “I thought as much. You are rather remarkable. He would certainly wish for you to be a part of his collection.”

“His continued existence threatens the safety of my entire world.”

The sovereign tilted his head at Xavier and frowned. “Does he, now? That’s obviously the truth as you believe it, but it isn’t the whole truth, is it?” The man waved a hand. “You no longer have to answer my questions.” He leant forward in the armchair. “But I must say, I am curious. How do you plan to kill him? Are you even sure you can? Palini tells me you are C Grade.”

Xavier hid a smile. How much should he reveal here? He had never had a true assurance of his safety from the sovereign. The contract was a truth-contract, nothing more. He didn’t know the man’s heart. Didn’t know what he would do if he knew more about Xavier.

If he told the man he was still D Grade, his interest in Xavier would skyrocket, and he may act like a totally different person than the one sitting in front of him now.

“I have a few ideas,” Xavier replied.

“Yes… I observed Damascus’s memory of your fight. The array of spells you have access to is very interesting. I wonder what will happen if you succeed. The Collector is a tyrant, among many other terrible things, but he also a ruler of a sector. If he is taken out, a power vacuum will form. The loyalties of every single planet in the entire galaxy of the Ventorin sector will be put into question. Those strong enough will fight for the right to rule. The chaos The Collector’s death will create will be catastrophic, causing far more deaths and atrocities than his continued existence would.”

“Are you saying I shouldn’t kill him?” Xavier had never stopped being on guard in this place, but the way the sovereign spoke raised his hackles.

“Oh, Gregori deserves to die, and what happens in the Ventorin sector isn’t currently my concern. But without its leader, it does open certain avenues for me. Their plight might become of interest.”

Xavier tilted his head back, seeing where this was going. “You would move in if The Collector were dead? I thought you were stretched too thin.”

Sovereign Fouran smiled. “If I don’t move in, someone else will. Someone who might be worse. It hadn’t occurred to me until I saw you fight and knew your mission. I wouldn’t have to go myself, and if you were to contact me at the time of The Collector’s death… Well, I would be ready to move before anyone else. My authority sweeping over Ventorin would save a lot of lives.”

“Saving lives…” Xavier shut his eyes. His Farscope lens was activated, and his other senses were incredibly acute, so it didn’t stop him from being able to see if any threats came to him. He’d also had Time Alteration poised to cast since the moment he’d entered this room. “That’s not why you would do it. And you would never be able to hold two sectors, would you?”

“You think me cruel because I won’t help your sector. I explained why that was—lack of resources, not lack of empathy. I am willing to offer you a substantial reward for your assistance on this. In fact… we could continue this conversation more frankly, and if I find you of sound character and you swear your loyalty to me, I could make you Warden of Ventorin. The Ventorin sector hasn’t been enough of a threat for other sectors to act and hasn’t been enough of a prize for others to try and move in to claim it. Even those who wish to move in have been hesitant. The Collector may be weak for a B Grade, but no one knows his true power. He’s proved himself strong enough to eliminate B Grade assassins in the past, after all.” He waved a dismissive hand. “None I sent, but you hear things.”

Xavier frowned. There was a lot to process in what the sovereign had said. He opened his mouth, about to tell the man that Empress Larona had informed him that she could defeat The Collector. That he was a weak B Grade. But he couldn’t say it—not in those words—because of the contract he’d signed before that conversation. “I have it on good authority that a The Collector is weak enough for a strong C Grade to defeat.”

“Interesting,” Sovereign Fouran said. “Good authority… Empress Larona told you that, did she? Perhaps you can’t say. No matter. Sounds like something she would do.”

“You know the empress?”

The sovereign smirked. “We have dealt with each other in the past. She’s a sly one, your empress.”

“She doesn’t rule me,” Xavier replied, a little forcefully.

“No? Well, that’s good to hear. Shouldn’t be any issues with you signing on with me, then.” Sovereign Fouran released a breath. “As to your information regarding The Collector, I signed a truth-contract with you, so you know that I can’t be lying to you. My sources might be misinformed, of course, but these are all confirmed. Tell me, did the empress sign such a contract?”

Xavier brought forth the memories of that conversation. They had signed a contract—but it wasn’t a truth-contract. It was one of safety and privacy. Which meant, of course, he couldn’t answer the man’s question. Not in a straightforward manner, at least.

His gaze fell to the stone floor. “I can’t answer that.” His expression was clear, however, and sovereign was no doubt perceptive enough to catch it.

“That begs the question of whether you can defeat The Collector at all then, doesn’t it?”  Sovereign Fouran gestured to Damascus. “Then again, you defeated him. Low B Grade, perhaps, but still powerful.” He tapped a finger on his chin. “I think you have good odds, and I can provide you with some detailed information about his defences. So, have you any thoughts on my offer, hmm?”

Xavier had a lot of thoughts. He wondered how careful he should be in showing them. “My loyalty costs more than what you have offered.”

“Oh, I haven’t told you the full extent of my offering, Xavier Collins. If you were to succeed in this and prove a good Sector Warden, that comes with a great many advantages. I may not be in the position to neutralise the World Destroyer and save the Silver River sector, but I can guarantee the safety of those from Earth. I have heard you care deeply about your home world. That you became a Champion so you could better protect it. We are alike in that. I walked a similar path to you. The world this moon looks down upon is my home world, and I have protected its people longer than your world has had written history.” He smiled. “I told you I did my research.”

Sovereign Rewke Fouran stood and started pacing again, behind his armchair. His soft leather shoes barely made a sound on the stone. “But your circumstances diverge to mine. The power you have accumulated in such a short time is… Honestly frightening. But I know of the World Destroyer, I know how close its arrival is. You will not be strong enough. There is no way you will become strong enough. Even if I were to fight it, kill it, it would take much out of me, demand too long a recovery…

“Instead, you must achieve your mission and help me protect the people of Ventorin once the chaos of The Collector’s death ensues. Bend the knee to me. Become my Warden. We’ll find a new home for your people. Perhaps one of the hunting ground worlds could be cleared and made safe, or a world in the Ventorin sector could be found, so your people are closer to you.” He tilted his head. “That, and… A hundred other worlds of your choice from your sector can be evacuated. More, perhaps, if resources allow.”

It wasn’t a bad deal, Xavier supposed. At least, from the sovereign’s perspective.

Xavier had been offered better deals, however, from the Old Man himself.

The more the sovereign talked, the more excitable the man became. A passion bled through into the calm voice he’d spoken with before. This was something he wanted, even if it hadn’t been an option to him a mere hour ago.

And when powerful people want something, they can become unpredictable when refused.

Xavier wasn’t silent long, but it was long enough for the sovereign to grow impatient. The True B Grade ruler stopped pacing and faced him.

“What say you, Xavier Collins?”

Xavier let the silence stretch, but not for too long. “It’s not a bad deal.” The words he spoke stretched the bounds of the truth-contract, making them difficult to say.

“Is there something you want? Something specific? Tell me and I may be able to grant it.”

Xavier sighed. There was no reason to delay the inevitable. “There is nothing you could offer that would make me sign a loyalty contract to you, Sovereign Rewke Fouran.”

The man blinked, looking more baffled than anything. “What? Why?” He frowned. “Because of your capture at the hands of Damascus? I can have him punished, if you wish.”

Damascus shifted in his seat.

“That isn’t necessary,” Xavier replied. “It isn’t you, Fouran. It’s me.” He almost laughed at the sound of that. Like he was breaking up with someone. “I would never sign such a contract with anyone.”

“And you truly believe that.” The sovereign sighed. “Though I wonder if that attitude would change, if another were offering it. What of the safety of your world?”

“I will defeat the World Destroyer,” Xavier said plainly, under truth-contract.

Sovereign Fouran raised his chin. “Such confidence. Admirable. Though just because you believe a thing doesn’t make it true, only true to you.” He walked back to his armchair and sunk into, staring at Xavier with a strange expression. “Tell me, are you sure you don’t have a price?”

Xavier had anticipated frustration. Anger. Those feelings might still be swirling inside the sovereign, but he was a cold enough man not to show them.

“Is this where you try to force your hand?”

Sovereign Fouran smiled. Like Xavier had, the man let the silence from question to answer stretch longer than was needed. “Perhaps if I were a different man, I would, but force and threats are not how I gain loyalty.”

“Then I am free to leave this place?”

“You are, though I have more to discuss if you’re willing.” The sovereign paused. “I sense something about you, Xavier Collins. Something… New. You are a man of your word, as I am, but you have these strong, somewhat naive ideals. Ideals that will soon be tested.” He sighed. “If you live long enough, that is.”

Sovereign Fouran dusted off his hands somewhat theatrically, which seemed out of character to Xavier, though he’d only just met the man.

“Now,” the sovereign said, “with that out of the way, I want it to be known that I will still reward you, without obligation, for The Collector’s death, no matter what happens to the Ventorin sector afterward.” The man gave the smallest of smiles, inclining his head a fraction, his gaze piercing Xavier as though he knew what he had planned. “Gregori has been a thorn in my side for far too long. A nuisance I’ve always been too busy to deal with. Having him gone will be refreshing. So tell me, what boon can I grant you?”

Xavier paused. This was what he’d hoped for—to be able to leave this throne room, this sector, on good terms with its ruler before what was about to unfold.

But he hadn’t expected the man to offer him a boon.

There were several things that came to mind. Things he needed. Advancing to C Grade was still something beyond him at this stage, until he repaired his broken cores, or forced the System to recognise his artificial ones. Then there were the cycling patterns for cores beyond D Grade, but he could acquire those on his own…

“You do not have to answer now. You do not even have to claim it soon after his death. Just know the boon awaits, backed by a truth-contract,” Sovereign Fouran said.

“Thank you, Sovereign,” Xavier replied, not sure what else to say to that. Then he paused. “May I ask a question?”

“Of course.”

“Palini Damascus. You said you would punish him if I wished.”

Sovereign Fouran raised an eyebrow. “Is that your boon? Are the grudges you hold so strong for something so small?”

“The man would have killed me.”

The sovereign nodded. “Yes, I suppose he would have. But you haven’t asked your question.”

“How would you have punished him?”

The sovereign tapped his finger to his chin, as he had earlier. “A demotion, perhaps, or a firing from my service. If your grudge is sufficiently strong… I could have him exiled. His death, however, would not be warranted.”

Xavier inclined his head. As he’d asked these questions, he’d been watching Damascus closely with his Farscope lens. The man had grown pale once more. He didn’t shift or fidget—he was statue still.

“Why do you ask, Xavier Collins? Is that truly what you wish?”

“I wanted to know how you treated those who were loyal to you.”

The sovereign stiffened. “I treat those who are loyal with the respect they deserve. Unless they disappoint me. Damascus captured you without knowing who you were. You may have hid your wings in that portal hub, but your face was free for all to see. Things may have gone very differently had he done his due diligence.”

Damascus lowered his head.

“I will arrange a portal to the Ventorin sector for you. Free of charge, considering the inconvenience of your capture by Damascus. Unless there is more for us to discuss, I have other things to attend to.” Sovereign Rewke Fouran’s face was stone.

Xavier appeared to have stumbled on a nerve. He ploughed on anyway.

“I want Damascus as my boon.”