Chapter 426 426: Power Plays VIII
The moment the king had led Cole out of the palace and out into a garden at the back of it. At some point the guards stopped following until it was just Cole and the King of Te Boreas. The man turned abruptly and faced Cole, not a hint of a smile on his face.
"What do you want? I will not be playing politics with you child, you are a few centuries too young and weak, yet you move with an arrogance that belies your current station. I don't know if you are bluffing or not, but you act a lot like a kid who knows he's daddy is going to come save him should he get into trouble. But you don't strike me as some spoilt brat.
Which means you probably have the umbrella of someone strong enough to contend with the most powerful in my kingdom. So I will treat it that way, but don't get be mistaken, if it comes down to it, no matter who's shadow you are hiding under, I'll kill your first consequences be damned!"
Cole raised an eyebrow, at least the king was being straightforward. Politics was stressful as fuck, and nothing could be better than two people dealing with their issues face to face. Cole shrugged and sat down on a bench while the king was still standing. Since they were being straightforward it would be fair for Cole to stop acting like he cared what the king thought.
Which he did, arrogance aside there was a rational part of his mind that warned him not to take it too far. Cole was not yet strong enough that he can brush off someone with this much power off. Or antagonize them too much either, they were civilized people here.
"Since you want to be straightforward I think I can do the same with you. Bro I don't give a shit about your Kingdom or the stupid political games you guys are playing or the fact that the king seems to be scared to make any moves to offend his opposition, while make extremely, very extremely stupid and questionable decisions by fucking with me!"
The king blinked, Cole blinked back, blew out a breath then smiled at the king. "I'm sorry for my outburst, it's just that you have just been so fucking annoying. I did not want to get involved with all this shit, I only wanted one thing but your people felt that they had a liability in hand that they had to control. For that I'd say all you factions actually agreed on something as you were the only faction to pay attention to me.
In fact I heard the Craftsman and Adventurer's guild had decided they'd just keep and eye on me, ignoring me completely in hopes I just fuck around with the common people instead. But you came, you asked for help and I told you….give me animechs and the way to create it, and then ill give you what you want and we can both be on our fucking way!" The king furrowed his eyebrows.
"That's it? That's all you want?" Cole blanched looking stronger.
"Bro? What else did you think it was going to be? I was extremely straightforward, that's why I joined your military in the first place…..because I wanted to have an Animech of my own, and I heard joining the military and receiving training is quickest way to do it." It was the king's turn to blink.
"Who told you that? The craftsman guild jealousy guard their forging techniques, but with enough money you could commission them to create as many animechs as you want. They would build it according to your specifications, with the best materials, and make it possible for it to shrink down to the size of simple armor that you can wear." Now the blinking has been passed back to Cole, and the King somehow couldn't help himself as he sat down on the bench besides Cole and started laughing.
"I don't see what's so funny about this? Your guards at the gates are dishonest motherfuckers. What the hell have I been doing these past four months. This is not cool." The king laughed harder and tapped Cole on the shoulder, the force was enough to almost throw Cole out of the bench, more than enough proof that the king's strength was the real deal.
"I wouldn't say, the last four months have been a waste. I can sense the sincerity in your voice, I know you just told me the truth, which frankly speaking is reassuring. You're a weakling but destabilization is something you are good for. The goblin warlock you killed, Titus….. he's famous, a very famous mass murderer that even my kingdom would think twice before offending…..you killed him.
The Nijat had a major spawning nest blown up when you somehow sent an explosive through one of their transport portal. And you and the aspirants that followed behind you had single handedly slaughtered a good 68% of the Banelings from the planet of heroes, even as we speak reclamation is being carried out. You sow Chaos everywhere you go, but it actually helps.
Smarter men and stronger powers than me would have noticed this pattern by now, but there's still the chaos to worry about. The kingdom will sponsor the creation of your personal Animech, and I'll have my researchers hand over everything we have discovered about the Craftsman guilds forging methods…..perhaps your own people would be able to crack the secret…..that would at least strike a blow to those arrogant bastards." The king chuckled as he seemingly thought about something funny.
"Why would you do this?" the king was also being sincere, with not a single scent of deceit from him Cole could not put on a front either.
"An alliance…..my kingdom has suffered, and that's because both the craftsman and Adventurer's guild, have kept me isolated. No allies and no one willing to go into an alliance with me to stand against them. Both organizations don't even have their headquarters here, but in other kingdoms. They have been exploiting my people for centuries and yet no one has moved a finger to help, there's not much I can offer…..but I will take this risk, I will even offer up my crown…..just help me get this leeches off my land."
"This level of honesty…. You're not being very political your Majesty, you won't he this open with me if you weren't so sure I'd help you or at least not make any more moves against you. And given that you have been making questionable choices lately when it comes to your dealings with me, I won't lie I am surprised.
And because I can confirm without an unequivocal doubt that you are being truthful, you have left me at odds about how to handle this matter in front of me. I have an image to uphold, plus I suppose it would be better this way, would reduce the amount of lives I might have to end, and perhaps also it would be nice if Raen Valley has an ally rather than enemy." Cole said as he contemplated the alliance being offered, but then he got a whiff of deceit from the king.
It wasn't all a lie, by this point Cole could pinpoint with startling accuracy the intensity of an emotion. "this Alliance…..what does it entail?" Cole asked as the king chuckled.
"So it is true what they say, your kind can smell deceit, that you can smell emotions and even describe what's causing it. That's an amazing ability, to be able to smell emotions and read the past from it, I wonder if there's a name for that. Psychometry is already taken."
"I don't appreciate being played with….Your Majesty." The king waved his hand up and down as if to tell Cole to calm down.
"I didn't lie to you, but just to test this ability of yours I intended to with old the details of the alliance until a later date. The fact you asked about it when you noticed the scent is remarkable, there's no way that's a coincidence.
But I'll stop beating around the bush, the alliance would entail what any other alliance entails. A non aggression pact, a military aid pact, trade deals, and the most important of them all….. must remain strictly Te Borean. I've heard of your talents for gathering rather talented people or forces under you.
There are members of the Phoenixborn clan out in the cosmos, powerful enough to wipe entire worlds with a smirk. But somehow you get the prime bloodline of this clan to pledge allegiance to you, in turn doing so for the hundreds of branches out in the universe, people with real power will now serve at your feet.
Your reality has not even been swallowed up yet, but you are already one of the most powerful men in existence. Let me add to that myth, let me help increase it's potency with this alliance, and in return you offer me share under this enormous shadow you have begun to cast over all of our known realities."
Cole didn't know squat about what the king was talking about, what Phoenixborn clan, Cole wasn't sure Irma was even aware of other powerful members of her clan out in the cosmos. But never the less he could confirm the validity of that once he gets back to the third floor, a visit that was probably long overdue and probably due to the fact that most of the Night Family already lived there, with the whole universe out to get them, there was no place safer for them than another universe.
"Very well then, type up the alliance, we'll sign one in secret first, then sign another in front of both our people and the rest of the universe once your control of The Boreas and her surroundings have been secured. But don't expect my people to die for yours, not unless you put some gold in their pockets.
As for the current iteration you see belongs to me, and yes that includes Pasco. Get a team of your most trusted men and their soldiers, while I'm here in the capital they will train with my unit, learn our tricks, which is good as soon I will be implementing Animechs combat into it too.
Your people will learn to fight like a Raen, how to talk like a Raen, how to sleep, eat, shit, fuck like a Raen. So that once I'm gone, you can create your own company of the whatever you want to call them. I take it that's good enough for you?" Cole asked with a smile on his face as he got up from the bench they were both sitting on.
"I'll have someone send the Animechs to your estate tomorrow, but with all this said and done….. what's next?" The king asked as he too stood up, he actually towered over Cole and was built like a monster truck.
"Well that's for me to know and for you to figure out....safe to say, life in Te Boreas is about to get very...Chaotic! Good night your Majesty."
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