ã€ŠMilitary System In Isekai Of Magicã€‹


 Chapter 1 Xzavier Mace

    Two weeks. Fourteen whole days and nights- that was exactly how long Xzavier Mace had been patrolling the grounds of this strange forest. At first, Xzavier had nothing to worry about. He was a soldier above all things, so his training had prepared him for any eventualities and unforeseeable circumstances such as this.

    In fact, Xzavier weed situations like this for many reasons, primarily because it gave him the perfect opportunity to make ample use of his training, but also because he was hard wired forbat and oveing difficulties. A part of him actually itched for adversity, but none came.

    For a man of action, the worst thing that could happen to him was nothing. Unfortunately for him, his stay in the strange forest had been characterized by the one thing he hated the most- inaction. The first few days had been spent waiting for an ambush that never came.

    Cut off from the rest of his squad, as the only soldier from his toon in the forest, Xzavier Mace went through the forest on high alert. Hebed the woods for booby traps, he scoured the ground for traces of any kind of enemy or friendly activity, he even searched for possiblendmines, but he never found any. Not even the slightest hint.

    Anyone would take this as good news. But not Xzavier Mace. He grew increasingly cautious over the next couple of days and often went many times without sleep.

    By the end of the first week, Xzavier''s worry was augmented by a very disturbing observation- he had discovered that the forest was a strange ce.

    Xzavier was well aware of his mental state and psychological condition. He factored all this in and anticipated in advance the effects that came along with it. But even he knew that his mind wasn''t ying with him. The forest he had stumbled into was a very strange ce.

    Xzavier mulled over the events of the past few days, as well as the period that had preceded his arrival here. His original thought had been a very absurd one; he thought that for some odd reason, he had been abandoned by his toon.

    The thought didn''t seem very likely or usible, but given how it had happened, Xzavier knew that everything pointed towards that very fact. Xzavier belonged to a top secret and confidential part of the army.

    They were the shadows in the dark that executed off the books missions. They were the division that consisted of the very elite.

    They were the Special Forces; the cr¨¨me of the cr¨¨me of the armed forces. Of course there were contingencies for situations like this, his training dictated that if in any event he found himself separated from his squad, the first thing to do was to establishmunications. This was the first thing that Xzavier had done, but he discovered much to his chagrin that there wasn''t even the slightest signal.

    It was extremely odd because themunication system handed to the Special Forces unit was state of the art. It was known to bypass all scrambling devices, it could even operate fully in the event of an electro maic pulse being detonated. This was the beginning of what sparked Xzavier''s suspicion of the forest.

    The rest of what followed astounded him even more. Xzavier was a very observant man, even before his army training. So, it didn''t escape his attention that the irregr behavior and characteristics of the animals and even the nts were out of the norm.

    A closer look at the wildlife told him that they all had strangely peculiar skills. It was uncanny.

    "This can''t be¡­"

    Xzavier thought to himself as he trailed a rabbit through the forest on one of his hunting expeditions.

    "It''s almost like this is magic!"

    He wasn''t typically a TV person, but even he couldn''t deny that the reality he was actively experiencing at the moment was simr to some of the magical shows he had seen on sets. The bunny he had been chasing had hopped gracefully into a borough in the woods. He tried to poke his head through but was repelled by an invisible barrier.

    He ended up doubling over and crashed the base of his skull into a tree trunk behind him. The pain that followed was intense. Blood immediately began to spill as stars danced before his eyes. It took the whole of his will and his manliness to not cry out.

    He winced and gritted his teeth as he endured the pain. Xzavier looked in the direction where his little friend had sought refuge and snarled;

    "I am going to get you, you little punk!"

    Almost as though it heard him, the rabbit chose that exact moment to poke its head out of its hiding ce and shook its head like it was disappointed at Xzavier. The estranged member of the Special Forces was bbergasted.

    "Is this rabbit actually mocking me?" Xzavier thought in disbelief. It certainly seemed that way.

    His wounded pride took over him and he lounged himself at it again, this time with calcted aggression. The rabbit didn''t even move a bit. Halfway in the air, Xzavier smiled as he congratted himself;<novelnext></novelnext>

    "That''s right little rabbit. Be afraid¡­"

    But his victory was short-lived. He didn''t realize that he was about to be swept off by an invading force of nature. Xzavier was so upied with his victory that he didn''t see the huge branch of the tree (in which the rabbit was hiding) rushing towards him with full speed.

    By the time he saw it in the corner of his eye, it was already toote for him to bring himself to a halt. It mmed into his sides and sent him flying in the opposite direction. Lying on his back on the rich loamy soil of the forest,pletely flustered and shocked, Xzavier convinced himself finally that this was in fact a different forest.

    As his mind began to deliberate on the fact that he had left his own world and was now in a different realm, the mechanical voice of the system''s voice spoke in his head.

    "Major Xzavier Mace, system reporting for duty."

    Forgetting the pain, Xzavier jumped up at the sound of the voice. His eyes glossing over his surroundings, he barked;

    "Who''s there? Identify yourself this instant!"

    The automated voice came again;

    "This is the military system Alpha Centauri reporting for duty. Please confirm your identity Major."

    Xzavier was still dazed and very unsure of what was happening right now. He had perfect situational awareness and wasn''t almost always on guard, but this had taken him unawarespletely.

    "Military system¡­?"

    He thought aloud in disbelief. Was it really speaking to him?

    It answered him immediately.

    "Affirmative, Wee to this world major Xzavier Mace."

    Xzavier was about to protest but he immediately remembered that he was in fact in a very strangend where weird things had already been observed. Still, it took him a while to fullye to terms with the fact that this was all in fact very real.

    The system began to speak again;

    "Major, the system has conducted a thorough assessment of your vitals and the results are as thus;

    Blood pressure ¨C normal.

    Slight concussion detected.

    Elevated heart rate detected.

    You may choose to stay here or continue with your mission.

    Xzavier listened with rapt attention.

    "Well, this certainly just got real." He thought.

 Chapter 2 Imperil

    Night time was always the most dangerous time of the day. No matter how Xzavier looked at it, the night always came with its own horrors and dangers.

    From the creepy crawlies the crept around on the forest''s floor, to that ever present danger of a nocturnal predator showing up unannounced, night time was fraught with so many dangers that Xzavier couldn''t possibly hope to envision them all.

    There was also the disturbing fact that the forest and the creatures seemed to have a mind of their own. Everything about them was off.

    His recent experience had taught him not to underestimate any creature here, he had learnt the hard way that even a tree could turn against him here at any moment.

    All things considered, falling asleep was the hardest task to aplish here. Xzavier hated the idea of being unconscious in a forest as strange as this one, he didn''t like it, but he had no other option but to turn into an insomniac.

    If an ordinary bunny could have caused him so much trouble, it baffled him to even consider what an actual beast would be like here. He shuddered as he thought of it.

    "I better find a high ground and camp for the night."

    He thought prudently to himself;

    "There''s no telling what manner of danger stalks these woods in the night time."

    With a grim look on his face, and his mind anticipating the kind of terrors that flew about at night, Xzavier crept along the surface of the forest in search of the perfect ce to camp for the night.

    There were no caves or high grounds, neither was there any ranger''s cabin in which he could take refuge. As he delved deeper and deeper into the heart of the jungle with dusk on his heels, Xzavier soon began to be disenchanted.

    He was about to give up entirely when he chanced upon one of nature''s wonders. His eyes widened as he took in the wondrous sight. Right before his very eyes, located in the womb of the forest and in the heart of the jungle was a great oak tree that spanned several meters wide with an impressive height of at least thirty foot.

    The joy in his heart knew no bounds. The major was more than thankful for the provision.

    Xzavier Mace wasted no time and immediately got to climbing. Ascending a tree such as this would have proven to be the real definition of a herculean task, but Xzavier was more than up to it. Amidst grunts and heavy breathing, Xzavier managed to get to the top of the tree just in time for night fall.

    After securing his position, Xzavier settled down to the first sleep he had had in several days. He soon dozed off as the days of umted took over him in one heavy wave.

    Although Xzavier had been asleep for more than four hours, he felt like it had only been a few minutes since hest closed his eyes. He awoke out of his slumber with a jolt and he couldn''t exin why. Years on training had honed his sixth sense so he knew that danger must be lurking.

    His suspicions were confirmed almost immediately as the military system''s voice dropped into his mind with a warning;

    "Major Xzavier Mace, please be advised; the system has picked up on a horde of fully wildlife approaching from the rear end. Precaution is advised."

    The cold automated voice of the system betrayed no emotion, but there was no missing the sense of urgency in its message.

    Xzavier cursed inwardly;

    "Yeah no shit!"

    The hard training which Xzavier had endured for so many years had gifted him all the necessary tools to survive. He had excellent instincts and in addition to that, he was also a seasonedbatant who had seen action.

    But in spite of all these, Xzavier was more than grateful that the system had alerted him on time. The major didn''t dare make any sudden movements.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He wasn''t up to date on wild animals'' trivia, but he knew fully well that most nocturnal predators that hunted at night had excellent night vision and acute sense of hearing. As if those traits weren''t crazy enough, he knew that they also had excellent sense of smell.

    Most, if not all predators could sniff out their prey from a long way off.  It was almost impossible for one to slip by unnoticed. So, without making the slightest sound, Xzavier slowly sat upright. He carefully reached into his back pack and pulled out the one advantage he had right now- a state of the art N-20 night vision goggle.

    This particr piece of equipment had a range of about two hundred meters or more. No matter the ckness of the night, it could detect radiation and discern varying levels of heat signatures.

    Xzavier took his time to set it up as quietly as he could, then, he crouched down on his belly and peered hard at the ground. He was wide alert and all his senses were awake. It turned out that he didn''t need to look too far, Xzavier soon found what he was looking for.

    Right at the base of the very tree he was currently hiding, the lithe impressive figure of a muscr Cheetah was circling the trunk of the tree.

    Xzavier was not excited about his new visitor at all. He was well aware of the fact that the animals of this forest weren''t ordinary. His suspicions were confirmed when he noticed that the Cheetah disyed its intelligence by the way and manner it moved.

    Its movements were sporadic, it moved in a zigzag like motion in order to keep its position hidden.

    "This isn''t good."

    He thought;

    "This creature is obviously intelligent."

    His brief but interesting encounter with the rabbit had taught him just a small fraction of what he needed to know about the creatures of this forest.

    Xzavier wasn''t looking forward to engaging the Cheetah at all. So, he began to mentally prepare himself for the altercation ahead. His sharp mind began to take into ount the environmental factors that could y to his advantage.

    Apart from the silvery rays of the glowing moon that filtered down from the towering canopy trees to the forest''s floor, there was little or no visibility.

    Xzavier couldn''t count on the moonlight more than he could count on his own sight. As nature intended, the Cheetah had all the advantage. What Xzavier was grateful for at the time was the fact that the air was still there was no breeze. And because there was no breeze, the cheetah couldn''t pick up his scent.

    He was still thinking that when the air around him shifted, and with it came a slight breeze from the north.

    "Damn it!" he cursed inwardly.

    "Can''t a guy catch a break around here?!"

    He silently prayed that the Cheetah wouldn''t pick up his scent, but s, it was futile. As soon as the wind blew, the Cheetah stopped prowling and immediately looked up at the tree. Xzavier could have sworn that the creature smiled as if to say; ''I''ve got you.''

    Given his present situation, it was difficult to maintain his cool. And yet, Xzavier knew that it was imperative that he stayed calm. A lot was riding on him maintaining his cool. He took a deep breath and reanalyzed the situation.

    "The Cheetah is moving a lot. But why? Could it be that it is trying to avoid being seen because it could actually suffer real damage from a long range attack?"

    A light bulb came on in his head immediately.

 Chapter 3 The Mission

    Xzavier began to consider an all-out assault. He was going to take full advantage of the distance between them and pump the Cheetah full of lead bullets. A satisfying grin yed out on his face as he yed out the scenario in his head.

    The Cheetah would definitely suffer a mortal wound from a long range attack. So, not wanting it to be aware of the fact that he had spotted it, he slowly took out his pistol and carefully aimed at the Cheetah beneath him. He was an excellent shot so the odds were in his favor.

    As Xzavier honed in on his target, he quickly discovered a problem that he had failed to factor in in his original n- obstacles! The Cheetah was cleverly moving around to evade detection, and because of that, it was constantly under the cover of the tens of branches that spread out from the tree.

    It was using Xzavier''s very own advantage against him!

    "Shit! Are Cheetahs supposed to be this clever?!"

    He tried some more, but he could never seem to get a clear shot. It kept moving and he kept adjusting but he still couldn''t get a clear line of shot. The Cheetah wasn''t aware of just how effective its evasive maneuvers were in keeping itself out of Xzavier''s shooting range.

    The flustered Xzavier began to perspire. He needed another n, fast! His only advantage right now was the distance between them, if the Cheetah decided to bridge the gap between them, Xzavier knew that he wouldn''t be too far from being its dinner.

    "Damn it!!!" he cursed again.

    If he decided to get a move on the Cheetah bying down from the tree to engage it, it would almost certainly be suicide.

    It was widely known that Cheetah''s could be diabolically fast. Factor that in with the fact that the creatures of the forest were already strange, and it would turn out to be a sure recipe for disaster. Xzavier shook off the chilling thought and focused on making his next ns.

    "How do I get out of this?"

    His subconscious got to work, and another idea came up in his head. It was a high risk strategy, but it was sure to rid him of the Cheetah if it was sessful. Xzavier drew a deep breath and ran over the n once again in his mind.

    The new n was simple. It involved him luring the Cheetah in and killing it at close range. But in order to do that, he had to do the worst thing he could think of in this situation; he had to y dead.

    It was his hope that the Cheetah would drop its guard once it saw his motionless body. Then with his pistol by his side, cocked and ready for action, he would then blow its brains out once it was close enough.

    It was a dangerous n, but it was all he could work with at the moment. Xzavier wasn''t a praying guy, but at that moment, he prayed with the whole of his heart that his n would go on without any hups.

    If anything happened to go wrong, if there was even the slightest miscalction or deviation from the n¡­Xzavier shuddered just thinking about it.

    Just as he had expected, the Cheetah took the bait. It crept up the tree with the chilling stealth one would expect from an apex predator.

    It never took its eyes off of Xzavier''s seemingly lifeless body. Xzavier was stunned at just how silent it was. Asides from the asional rustling of the leaves where it body touched, it was almost impossible to hear iting.

    Its paws made not noise at all as it came in contact with the bark of the tree. It even managed to regte its breathing to minimize the chances of it being spotted.

    Every second that passed seemed like an eternity to Xzavier. What he was doing was unnatural. His mind seemed to get the memo as the entirety of his being screamed at him to run. It took every fiber of sheer will to hold on to his breeches. He held his breath as he waited.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The Cheetah soon closed in on him. It was so close to Xzavier that he could practically smell it. Its lithe but agile form was slightly visible in the dark. Like a vulture hovering over its prey, the Cheetah circled round about Xzavier''s still body.

    Most creatures wouldn''t even bother with the theatrics, without wasting time, they would have delved right into feeding on the still body.

    But the Cheetah was a very intelligent creature. Even while it seemed like dinner was served, it still took precautions. Xzavier could do nothing but wait, hope and pray.

    Finally it stopped its menacing encircling movements and brought its nose close to Xzavier''s torso. It took one sniff, and then inched closer to Xzavier''s neck and sniffed again. Xzavier didn''t even dare to breathe.

    His heart beat was so loud, he thought the Cheetah was surely hearing it. Then finally, the moment came. As the Cheetah opened its wide mouth to take a huge chunk of his throat, Xzavier made his move.

    Quick as lightning, and with deft precision, he shoved the cold steel end of the gun into its mouth and sted it into oblivion. The Cheetah never realized what had happened. It was dead long before it slumped.

    As Xzaviery in the pool of the Cheetah''s blood and surrounded by its entrails, the military system''s voice came amidst the silence;

    "Congrattions Major Xzavier Mace. You have sessfully hunted and destroyed a level two Cheetah."

    Xzavier didn''t even know what to think of the congrattory message. He couldn''t believe that the intelligent creature he had just battled was just a level 2 beast. It boggled him to think what a higher level animal would be like.

    The system spoke again.

    "Major, on ount of your recent achievements, you have been awarded twenty whole points. Consequently, your experience value has been increased by five points."

    Xzavier, who had been lying still all this while rose up hastily to grab the new information. He couldn''t believe that a seasoned and battle tested soldier like himself was ying for points. If he hadn''t heard the system himself, he never would have believed it.

    Totally ignorant of his thoughts and feelings, the system prattled on as it doled out a new set of instructions;

    "Your next mission is to decapitate the carcass. Take the head of the Cheetah, head to the nearest underground exchange center and sell it off."

    Xzavier listened to the morbid instructions of the system. It all seemed a tad bit theatrical to him. Nevertheless, he had epted the mission. Therefore, as a soldier, he had to follow every order (no matter how morbid) till he finished his mission.

    Shrugging his shoulders, he took out in army knife and began to sever the head of the carcass from the rest of its body. It was nasty business. He halfheartedly finished it all the way through and prepared for the next leg of the mission. As he was getting ready to move, the system provided him with a detailed coordinates of his next location.

    "Please be advised, you are some forty clicks away from your next mission point. You are to stay and maintain a course of north forty degrees east as the crow flies."

    Xzavier had no trouble with navigation. He estimated that given his current speed and the distance between him and his next mission, he figured he would arrive at his destination in less than a day. He saddled up and prepared for whatevery ahead of him.

 Chapter 4 Unfriendly Glares

    The directions given to Xzavier Mace were detailed enough. He had no issues whatsoever navigating his way towards the location he had been instructed to head to. The forest had been a real nightmare and he was only too d to leave it behind him.

    He wouldn''t be in a hurry to forget his experience there at all. In so many ways, the forest was more dangerous than any enemy he had encountered in the past. The terrain itself contained more mystery than the average forest, and Xzavier left with more questions than answers.

    His prediction was spot on. As he had envisaged, it had taken him half a day to trek from the forest to the shanty town before him.

    "The damn system better give me some more points for this."

    He quickly put aside his unprofessional thoughts and focused on the shanty town that appeared before him. Itcked the luster and brilliance that was affiliated with major cities. At first sight, it looked very nd. Itcked the weing spirit of a traveler''s towns.

    In fact, he could almost certainly detect a subtle tinge of hostility in the air. Xzavier instantly went into alert mode. As he entered the gate and made his way through the streets of the town, Xzavier made a point to not rouse any kind of attention.

    He prudently decided to keep his head down and mind his business. Anything outside of his mission was definitely not worth indulging.

    His intentions were noble, but it seemed like the towns people had other ns. Everywhere he went, he found himself on the receiving end of multiple unfriendly res from extremely unfriendly faces. Xzavier was stunned.

    He struggled to fathom the reason behind the vitriolic stares but he came up short every single time. The only logical exnation was that the people of this town hated strangers and instantly recognized them.

    In addition to their strange attributes, Xzavier noticed that they were all dressed in a simr fashion- the people of this strange town were all dressed in vintage clothes. The kind that was typical of the twelfth century Europeans. Xzavier didn''t know if it was a costume day or anything

    He didn''t bother to disturb himself with any of the details. As he passed a salon on the street, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror and was taken aback by who he saw staring back at him.

    No wonder they were all staring at him like he was an alien or something. Dressed head to toe in regrbat attire, he stood out amongst the crowd like a sore thumb. Head to toe, Xzavier was d in the traditional ck gear that was typical of members of the Special Forces.

    His ck beret, ckbat boots, ck Ker vest all casted him in a very strange light. Xzavier finally got a grip on the situation at hand.

    He approached a group of men huddled together in corner of the street and tried to initiate a conversation.

    "Good day chaps. Could I bother you with some questions?"

    The nk irritated looks on their faces told him that he had better be on his way. He took the hint and abandoned his objective with them.

    Further down the road, he chanced on a couple youngds who seemed reasonable. He called out to them in the same vein and asked the same question. They retorted with a string of iprehensible words and in a very hostile manner.

    Xzavier soon realized the problem- it appeared that the dialect here waspletely different! Xzavier sighed aloud.

    "This is turning into a real issue. How can I navigate such a hostile environment with an insurmountable obstacle like anguage barrier?!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was indeed a problem. For without effectivemunication with the locals of this town, it would be extremely difficult to aplish his mission here.

    "Major Mace!"

    He hadpletely forgotten that the military system was present with him. So he was shocked out of his boots when it''s voice came with an uncanny suddenness.

    "Be advised, the local dialect has been programmed into the micro chip installed in your cerebral cortex. To activate, simply say aloud: LANGUAGE SYSTEM ACTIVATE."

    Xzavier didn''t think that he would ever get used to the military system speaking to him. Still, he took note of everything it said. He couldn''t deny that it had been of tremendous help to him in recent times. So, without wasting time, he took a deep breath and and uttered the magic words:

    "Language system ACTIVATE!"

    There had been no spark or glowing or whirring noises that showed that physically showed that it had been activated. But although Xzavier didn''t know it, millions of neurons in his brain had downloaded trillions of terabytes of data from the bionic chip, all in under 1.87 seconds.

    He waited for a signal, but when none came, he proceeded to test it himself. The perfect opportunity presented itself at that very moment. An elderly woman happened toe around the corner. Xzavier approached her with his question lined up in his head;

    "Good day ancient one, could you please point me in the direction of the pawn shop? I would like to make a trade please."

    It was Xzavier''s hope that since the woman was elderly, she might be more cultured than the others whom he had met. She looked at him with a nk expression. Just when Xzavier began to doubt the sess of thenguage system, the old woman surprised him with her reply;

    "You uncouth bastard!"

    Xzavier was taken aback. It was rare to see an uncultured elderly woman, but it was also because he hadn''t done anything to deserve the vicious verbal assault. She didn''t stop there. She dressed him down for about three minutes before finally giving him brash directions to the ce he was looking for.

    Stunned by the hostility, Xzavier made his way towards the location. After navigating through a series of turns, he finally arrived at the underground chamber. It was wild ce where exchanges and transactions were made between parties.

    Xzavier thought that he had suffered enough of the strange stares above ground, but right here, in the midst of a cavern full of unsavory characters, Xzavier felt like every pair of eyes in the room was centered on him.

    They all looked at him differently. Unbothered, Xzavier waddled through the throng of ring eyes looking at him and arrived on the counter. There he set down the Cheetah''s head at the desk of the receptionist.

    The receptionist was aely girl who looked like she was in her early or mid twenties. Xzavier reckoned she must have seen a lot in all of her time working here. And yet, the look of surprise that registered on her face upon seeing the severed Cheetah''s bloody head was priceless.

    She was so lost for words that she remained mute for almost an entire minute. She stared and stared at the decapitated head that had been dumped in front of her by the stranger. Her face went white as though she had seen a ghost.

    Within a short period of time, she somehow managed to get a hold of herself and feigned indifference. But it was already toote. Xzavier had seen what he had seen and he took note of it. Her reaction told him all that he needed to know about how he would go about the deal.

 Chapter 5 Provoke

    The receptionist finally peeled her eyes away from the worrisome sight on the counter and focused on the stranger before her. Everything about the young man before her was strange. It wasn''t just his clothes or the coldness in his eyes, it was also hisposure.

    The way he carried himself that suggested the fact that he was in control. It wasn''t haughtiness, no, it was confidence. A certain confidence that was rooted in something deep. The stranger hadn''t spoken a word yet, so she broke the silence with a simple greeting.

    "Good day to you stranger."

    He nodded back at her.

    Not surprised that he wasn''t much of a talker, she pushed further with a question;

    "Are you here alone or do you have any partners?"

    He simply shook his head. From the receptionist''s point of view, she saw a cold stranger who wasn''t much of a talker. But it wasn''t like that.

    Xzavier''s recent experience with the people of this town showed him that he was better off saying less. He knew that he would have to speak at some point in time, but he preferred to drag it out as long as he could.

    The receptionist wasn''t just trying to make conversation, she was actually asking for his partners because she found it difficult to believe that he could pull off a feat like killing off a Cheetah on his own. In these parts, men usually hunted in groups.

    To think that this stranger had seeded in doing what usually took up to six men to aplish¡­her imagination was running wild.

    "Just who is this guy?" she thought.

    Xzavier was excellent at reading people and situations. In addition to his perfect situational awareness, he also possessed a remarkable degree of social intelligence.

    He could tell that the receptionist was having a little bit of internal conflict because of him. He knew that he had to speak up and clear the air, else, he would run the risk of being thought of as a dud. He cleared his voice and spoke in a clear strong tone.

    "In reply to your original question, I am here alone and I am here to sell this head."

    His suave tone surprised her. Although she didn''t voice it out, she was very much astonished by the fact that he alone had killed off the beast. So deliberated on it for a while before she decided to proceed with the transaction.

    "Okay. We can do business. Hold on a bit while I go fetch your payment."

    She didn''t allow Xzavier to say anything before she dashed off into the back room. He was a bit surprised by how smooth the transaction was going. He had half expected a whole lot of back and forth before settling on a fair price.

    But needless to say that he was well pleased in the direction it was heading. He thought it a bit odd that she hadn''t asked for his price, but he shrugged it off. Maybe the prices for these things were fixed in these parts. He rxed a bit as he waited for her to return.

    And that was when trouble began to rear its ugly head. Ironically, it was precisely because of the ugly head that was on the receptionist''s counter. The strange sight had attracted the attention of some of the unsavory characters in the tavern.

    Behind him, Xzavier began to hear some sporadicughter. He knew it was targeted at him, so he ignored them. They made loudments about youths these days and how cocky they were getting.

    To his hearing, they joked about how the Cheetah must have been already dead when he came up on it. They also made remarks about how it seemed like ''this guy'' had stolen the cheetah''s head and put it on full disy, just so the world could see him and apud him.

    Behind him, they called him all sorts of names that was synonymous with delinquent and fraud.

    Through it all, Xzavier said nothing. He remained silent and kept his head down. The punks were not happy with the fact that he had ignored them so tantly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    When they saw that he had stubbornly kept his back turned to them, one of them swaggered over to where he was. He positioned himself directly opposite Xzavier and stared him for minutes on end without saying a word.

    Xzavier refused to acknowledge his presence. He ignored him so hard that the other guy began to question his own existence. But inwardly, Xzavier prayed the man would leave him alone. He didn''t want to get into it right now.

    "These people¡­" Xzavier thought to himself; "What is it with these people and staring?"

    When the uncultured swine decided he had had enough, he opened his mouth to reveal a set of crooked brown teeth and asked Xzavier sarcastically;

    "Say, where did a youth like yourself get such a fine prize eh?"

    The corners of his mouth twisted into a crooked smile, and with a wicked glint in his eye, he asked him another sarcastic question;

    "Or¡­ did you nick it? C''mon tell us! We''re dying to know already."

    Xzavier remained cool as ice. He didn''t say a word. He considered it beneath him to get involved with low ranking scum whose greatest achievement was bing a local champion.

    Also, it wasn''t just that, the fact was Xzavier took great pride in being a soldier. His mantra was; follow orders andplete missions.

    Simple. Anything outside of that didn''t interest him. Not one bit. Getting into trouble was way outside of his purview. It wasn''t his style at all. Also, Xzavier simply didn''t care. Not one bit.

    The other man shifted ufortably. This wasn''t how he thought it would go down. His initial n had been toe over here to bully the young man, and yet, he had met a cold steely youth instead of an edgy inexperienced boy. He nced back at his friends and saw they were stillughing.

    He knew that he couldn''t embarrass himself, so his ego took over and resorted to the tricks of the rabble rouser. Raising his voice to the highest volume, he spoke loudly to the hearing of everyone;

    "FOLKS!" He cried at the top of his voice;

    "Take a look at this cockyd! He looks like he is barely twenty years old, and yet, he ims to have killed a CHEETAH!"

    He emphasized on thest part with as much contempt as he could muster. As a professional punk, he had mastered the art of crowd psychology. The jeering crowd was already on his side, so he pressed on;

    "Now, we all know killing a Cheetah is no small feat¡­"

    As he spoke, he moved around making hand gestures.

    "But we all know that it should take at least five to ten strong men to aplish this feat."

    The crowd murmured in agreement. The punk shot his finger into the air dramatically as he dropped his next fact;

    "And yet, this punk ims to have done this all by himself!"

    The punk''s friends, and the others whose eyes were on him growled inughter. His head swelled with pride. d that he had sessfully turned the wave against the stranger, he looked at him from the corner of his eyes hoping to see the young man panicking.

    But to his uttermost surprise, he was still as cool and as suave as he was a few minutes before. He cursed underneath his breath as he thought to himself.

 Chapter 6 Arm Wrestle

    "Damn you, you cool jerk!"

    Then, a diabolical idea came to the punk. His n was to use Xzavier''s cool front to support his theory. At the top of his voice, he cried out to the rest saying;

    "Fes! Fes! Do you not see that he is afraid to confront us?! You all know what this means right?"

    He paused for dramatic effect, then turned in Xzavier''s direction and lifted up his thick stubby finger to point at him;

    "He is just another coward and a DAMN LIAR!"

    The others cheered him on. They had gotten significantly bolder since Xzavier had decided to keep silent. With the others now riled behind him, the chief punk red at Xzavier as he thought to himself;

    "Just wait, I am going to teach you a lesson you ungrateful bastard!"

    Even in the midst of the growing storm around Xzavier, he remained as calm as the deep waters. He waited patiently for the receptionist to bring his pay so he could leave. That was the only thing keeping him here. He didn''t care about the punk or his rabble rousers. All he cared about was his mission.

    Anyone with less than average powers of reasoning could tell that the majority of the men in this ce were egocentric. They were simple and at the same time, they were extremely fickle and prone to anger. Anything could set them off. So what happened next wasn''t entirely surprising.

    Physically, he was intimidating. The middle aged man stood at least six foot seven inches above the ground. His thick torso reminded many of the trunk of a tree.

    His broad hairy chest was paralleled only by that of a bear. His entire build dangerously resembled that of an executioner or a butcher. On his face was a permanent scowl that never took a day off.

    This was the person who stood up from behind the crowd and slowly made his way towards Xzavier. Everyone knew him, and most people avoided him.

    So, with his eye on the stranger d in ck sitting alone at the counter, he moved through the crowd gracefully with little or no resistance towards Xzavier Mace.

    He arrived at Xzavier''s table with that permanent scowl on his face and grunted to announce his presence. Xzavier didn''t even as much as nce in his direction. After the brief awkward silence, the tall bearded middle-aged man stated his purpose;

    "You and me. Arm wrestle. Now."

    Clearly he wasn''t much of a talker. He dropped his words one at a time and refused to use any polite terms. From his own perspective, it was unmanly to speak too many words. Especially to someone like Xzavier whom he considered to be weak.

    Naturally, Xzavier ignored him. And he would have continued to do so if the system hadn''t chosen that very moment to issue him a new objective.

    "Major Mace¡­"

    It began.

    "Damn it." He cursed. "Not now!"

    Xzavier wasn''tpletely fond of the system''s tasks. And yet, here he was, in a precarious situation with the system about to give him a new mission. He knew this was no coincidence. Still, he paid rapt attention to the system''smand.

    "¡­be advised, your instructions at this moment is to indulge the man''s request. Enter into the primitive contest of arm wrestling with man before you Major. Over and out."

    Just as Xzavier suspected, he knew that the new task would take on something of this nature. He thought of a way to circumvent this present task but he grew cold when he remembered something that had happened several weeks ago.<novelnext></novelnext>

    During his first few days at the forest, the system had issued him a fresh directive. Xzavier had foolishly waved it off and dismissed it casually. The end result had been greatly unfortunate for him. He almost died. It was an unforgettable experience and he was reminded of this every single time he thought of abandoning his mission.

    "It looks like I have to do this. I surely don''t want a repeat of what happened that day."

    He forced all reservations he had at the back of his mind and focused on the present task at hand.

    For the first time, Xzavier looked at the figure who stood before him, and took in his physical features as well as his overall vibe.

    Xzavier''s eyes saw a bull in the form of an incredibly muscr man. His metaphor was spot on. For in fact, the bearded man was built like a wild bull. His red eyes, his slightly darker skin tone and his obvious affinity for physical altercations suggested that this was a man who thrived on violence and showmanship.

    Xzavier sighed, he was in no mood for a battle of egos right now.

    Xzavier was very reluctant to carry out this task. It all seemed really boring to him. To engage in a venture that was purely spurned from testosterone didn''t excite him in anyway.

    It all seemed pointless to him. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn''t see the point behind all this. This was an actual problem because Xzavier never did anything without a motive. He wasn''t spontaneous. He always had a n.

    Right now, he was disgusted by the fact that he was to feature in a face punching episode. But then again, to go against the system''s instruction wasplete suicide.

    Xzavier looked at the man carefully and mouthed one word only;

    "Fine."

    There was no trace of emotion on the face of his bearded adversary. It genuinely seemed like he had already made up his mind to arm wrestle with Xzavier with or without his permission. The mood was already too tense so Xzavier broke the ice with a little joke;

    "Take it easy on me alright. Don''t go too hard."

    d that Xzavier was finally recognizing his superior build, the muscr man also rxed and leaned into the mood.

    "Don''t worry. I will do my possible best not to break your baby arm in the process."

    Xzavier chuckled lightly at the middle aged man''s soft jab. He had expected him to be all macho about it, and hisst statement had proven him right. This was a battle of egos as much as it was of arms. To further create the illusion that he was actually in awe of his egocentric adversary, Xzavier politely made a request;

    "May I have a little time to stretch?"

    The already eager man wasn''t pleased with his request. Clearly, he was an impatient man and he couldn''t wait to crush Xzavier in the presence of his peers. He grunted his approval and backed up a little.

    Xzavier made a showy disy of stretching his arms and massaging his muscles. It was ridiculous because he was always in top form. His profession required that the stayed fit twelve months of the year. There was no time to catch a break, he was always training. And because of that, he was always in top form.

    While he pretended to stretch, he surveyed the man''s form and assessed his movements to find out any weak spots in his intimidating form.

    Clearly he was the bigger man, in stature and in physique. Xzavier observed him some more and then came up with the perfect n. He would ride it out as long as he could and at the same time, wait for the receptionist to fetch his payment. He clenched his fists passive aggressively and announced his readiness in an indifferent tone;

    "Alright, let''s do this."

 Chapter 7 Thankful

    The other punks around cheered their champion on, but not too loudly. For in as much as he was their man, they also feared him. They knew that he could easily switch up on them. So, the punks kept their distance and cheered him on from a reasonable pace.

    Xzavier observed the situation with amusement in his eyes. It was uncanny just how socially awkward these people were. Xzavier shifted to a favorable location from which he could both focus on the arm wrestling match, and at the same time, keep an eye out for the receptionist.

    Xzavier''s muscr opponent sauntered towards Xzavier with a confident stride that was impossible to miss.

    "Boy! Today, I am going to teach you not to go around iming to be what you''re not!"

    ? He turned his head back to his punks who were still cheering him on. The whole thing seemedical to Xzavier. He felt like he was watching a bunch of kindergarteners.

    It was the same vibe, the same small thinking and the same primitive thoughtlessness. He shook his head and ced his right arm on the table after he had wiped it down.

    The other man''s powerful hands swallowed his rtively smaller hand as the two men locked arms. They stared into each other''s eyes, an old tactic that was used by men in arm wrestling. It was a move that was targeted at intimidating the other man by staring him down with his meanest possible look.

    It was both psychological and physical. Someone in the background began the count down and both men gripped each other''s arms tightly. The final call came, and the match began.

    From the get go, Xzavier knew that his adversary excelled in strength. But knowing it was one thing, it was a whole other thing to be on the receiving end of his brute strength.

    Like a bear, he bore down on Xzavier with the whole of his might. He didn''t even bother to hold back. His intent to punish and humiliate Xzavier poured into his powerful right hand.

    His contempt for Xzavier, coupled with his pathological need for public approval, further augmented his already brute strength and brought down Xzavier''s wrist very close to the table. Clearly, he had the advantage.

    The loud cheering from behind also fuelled him on.

    "Yeahhh! Go get him champ!"

    "That''s it big guy! Crush him!"

    "Break him!"

    "Teach the damn liar a lesson!"

    All the chants and encouragementsing from the background encouraged him on like jet fuel to a gulfstream. The bearded man was in his element.

    He knew it was only a matter of time before he won the match. No one could hold out against him for long. No one, not even this cocky young boy.

    The contest began to drag out for longer than the bearded fellow had expected, and for the first time, he genuinely began to worry. He had exerted all his energy within the first few minutes and yet, Xzavier was still resisting firmly. It was unheard of.

    No one had eversted this long with the muscr man. He began to panic. The voices in the background began to slowly die down as tongues began to wag. Even they were surprised that it was taking their champion this long to put down the younger man''s hand.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier was very perceptive. He noticed all the signs and knew that although his opponent had an impressive amount of physical strength left, his confidence was starting to decline. And consequently, it would end up affecting his hold on Xzavier''s hand. Xzavier had already deduced this. He knew he didn''t have to do much.

    Right now, all he had to do was simply wait out the storm and allow it to ride out. Sooner orter, his opponent would give in to the pressure and cave in.

    The muscr man saw Xzavier''s steely gaze and it increased his fears. As the one holding down Xzavier''s hands, he could feel his unflinching resolve in the younger man''s hands. The middle aged local champion gauged his grip and knew that the boy had an impressive amount of energy still stored up.

    It was almost as if he could hold on for as long as he wanted. The situation was interesting because the older man had Xzavier''s hand all the way down, the short distance between Xzavier''s hand and the table was somehow a problem for him.

    No matter how much he tried, Xzavier''s hand refused to budge. He expounded all his strength and yet, he couldn''t close the deal. From the outside, he appeared to be the one winning, and yet he was sweating more than Xzavier.

    Then finally, the moment that Xzavier had been waiting for finally came. From the corner of his eye, he saw that the receptionist had finally emerged after several minutes in the backroom. He didn''t know what had taken her so long, but he was d that she had finally decided to show herself.

    It was good news to him because it meant that he could finally put an end to this charade. She walked over to his location and gave him the signal that the money was ready. She shed him two silver coins, and Xzavier nodded his acknowledgement.

    Xzavier then shifted his gaze fully on the bearded man sweating profusely before him. The whole sight was indeed a funny one.

    With a smile on his face, Xzavier proceeded to thank the middle aged man and tried his possible best to keep his voice free from sarcasm. It wasn''t easy;

    "Stranger, I am thankful to you for not breaking my arm. But s, this contest muste to an end."

    His adversary wanted tough aloud at Xzavier''s bravado, but unfortunately for him, things moved too quickly, thereby robbing him of his opportunity for aeback.

    Xzavier tapped into his reserve strength and steadily began to push back his opponent''s hand in the other direction. The middle aged man watched with a look of horror as the tide began to change.

    Then in one swift motion, Xzavier promptlyunched his palm with an impressive amount of force that immediately overpowered the other man''s hand.

    The impact of the force was so terrible that the small wooden table which held their hands, was instantly crushed by the residual effect of the force from Xzavier''s hands. Needless to say, the muscr man''s wrist was not spared, the force from Xzavier''s handpletely destroyed not just his wrist, but shattered his entire right arm.

    The middle aged man let out a chilling scream that paralyzed the very atmosphere. For a while, everywhere was quiet. The punks were dumfounded.

    Completely bbergasted, their confusion rendered them mute. They werepletely lost for words or actions. Their champion was rolling on the ground and wailing in agony like a school girl who had been whipped. It was a sight that they never thought they would ever see.

    In fact, the whole oue of this contest hadpletely gone in the opposite direction of what they had been expecting. The middle aged man''s screamed louder and louder as he wailed and grasped his broken arm. No one made a move to help, heal orfort him.

    They all simply stared on as he rolled on the ground shamelessly. His cries filled the space, making everyone extremely ufortable.

 Chapter 8 The Old Man

    As usual, Xzavier, (the man on whom every set of eyes was fixed on in wonder) ignoredpletely the happenings around him.

    The same apathetic attitude he had in the beginning manifested as he dusted his arm and made his way towards the waitress to collect his prize. He collected the two silver coins and took a closer look at the coins to make sure that there wasn''t any foul y.

    He held it up to the nearest light source and checked them properly. When he was satisfied, He thanked the waitress. The time and effort he put into observing the coins showed that they were more important to him than the man squealing like a pig behind him.

    He didn''t even as much as nce in the direction of the man he hadpletely broken. His mission here was done. That was all that mattered to him. It wasn''t that he hated the man or harbored any ill will towards him, the fact was that Xzavier just did not care.

    The others had been very slow in their reaction. In fact, by Xzavier''s standards, their recovery rate was abysmal. It had all happened way too quickly for them. First off, the cold and oddly impressive manner with which the stranger had decimated their champion disturbed their simple minds.

    Their ordinary thought process could notprehend how an ordinary youth like Xzavier could crush the arm of their champion. They didn''t know how exactly to respond to the chilling embarrassing cries of the middle aged man.

    Xzavier took no notice of any of them. He had already gauged the situation as well as the characters in the exchange room, they were all far beneath him- intellectually, physically and otherwise. He knew that they had the mentality of an animal herd.

    They were allfortable hiding in the anonymity that came with being the member of a gang, consequently, they had real trouble distinguishing themselves as separate individuals. He also took into ount their penchant for hostility and knew that they were definitely going to try to make a move on him as one.

    Primarily because they were cowards, but also because they desperately wanted to punish him for robbing them of the entertainment and drama they had been hoping for.

    With his missionplete here, and having received no further directives from the system, Xzavier dusted himself and headed towards the exit. His stride had the confidence of one who was teeming with self-esteem. Others often mistook this for pride and haughtiness.

    His sudden departure was the wakeup call they needed. The anger in the whole room swelled like a tide, and like an invisible wave, it rose above the initial shock and engulfed the room like an invisible halo.

    Xzavier smiled as he thought to himself;

    "Fine, the clich¨¦s muste up at once¡­"

    They hadn''t uttered a word yet, and yet he could almost taste their anger. It charged the air like an electromaic force field. He observed them taking formations already as they slowly circled him.

    "Gentlemen," he began in an indifferent tone,

    "I suggest you look to yourrade and ask yourself; do you also want to have your wrist shattered?"

    The question hit home. The same folks (who only a few moments ago had looked so determined to deal with him), now looked hesitant. Xzavier caught some of them stealing nces at the middle aged muscr man who was still reeling in pain on the ground.

    His cries had reduced to mere whimpering now, but the lesson was still very fresh in the minds of the punks.

    Xzavier wasn''t one who typically gave himself to wanton violence, but he was very much a killer. He tried his best to avoid trouble, but when it became unavoidable, he weed it with open arms. Right now was one of those times.

    Like the ominous calm that pervades the seas before a storm, the unsettling quietness that prevailed was just a pointer to the disaster that could potentially break out.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Not wanting to make the first move, both sides lingered in an awkward silence. Then suddenly, a figure stepped into the situation and changed the dynamic of the room.

    This time it wasn''t a tall, middle aged, muscr man that emerged, it was the charismatic figure of an elderly man that was d in a blue robe. His appearance resembled that of a sage. Xzavier watched intently as the old man''s arrivalpleted altered the dynamic of the room.

    The tension that had been threatening to spiral into an all-out altercation had been nipped at the bud by this strange elderly man.

    Like a dignified personality, the other stubborn punks made way for him as he passed. He entered the middle of the circle that surrounded Xzavier and demanded to know the cause of the ruckus. One of the more chatty ones responded immediately and filled him in on the recent happenings.

    As an elderly man, he listened and was able to discern the situation. His tufty eyebrows furrowed in deep thought as he looked at Xzavier.

    Xzavier noticed that the old man''s gaze wasn''t as intense as the others. The way he looked at Xzavier was suggested the fact that he was looking beyond the physical. It was almost as if he could see into the young man''s soul.

    The old man observed the young stranger carefully and thought to himself;

    "That''s strange, he doesn''t have a shred of mana in him and yet, there is this horrifying blood-red aura all over him."

    The old man was well advanced in years and was brimming with knowledge and experience. And yet, nothing he had seen in his lifetime came close to the true sight of the young stranger before him. He was both intrigued and a little disturbed.

    Not wanting to be thought of as a creep by the stranger, he didn''t allow his gaze to linger too long. He looked at the muscr man whom Xzavier had destroyed and barked orders at one of the other punks;

    "Take him to the clinic at once! See to it that he receives proper medical attention!"

    Then, turning to the main subject of fascination in the room, he beckoned Xzavier and offered him an invitation in a kind tone;

    "Would you mind stepping into my office for a chat?"

    Now Xzavier was an extremely distrustful person. His reluctance to follow the old man showed on his face. The perceptive old man smiled and said;

    "Come on son, look around, it''s the least you could do after inciting a ruckus here."

    ? Xzavier wanted to chip in the fact that it was in fact the punks'' fault. But he restrained himself frommitting himself to an argument with the old man. It was obvious that he wielded an impressive amount of authority here. Also, he seemed reasonable. So Xzavier weighed the odds and decided to indulge him;

    "Sure."

    The old man chuckled to himself. He knew the younger man was being cautious. He respected that in a youth. But it also meant that he wasn''t going to be easy to read. He had spoken only one word and the old man could tell from his ent that he definitely wasn''t from around here.

    He gestured to the younger man to follow him. Xzavier simply nodded and walked behind the old man, but he made sure to keep a decent distance behind him.

 Chapter 9 Doubt

    The old man led Xzavier through a series of back doors and hallways as they trudged on in silence. Xzavier couldn''t help but be wowed by just how borate such a seemingly boring structure could be. They glided through halls and took a few more turns before they finally arrived at a great wooden door. The old man produced a key from his robes, and Xzavier watched as he effortlessly inserted it into the lock and opened the door. The younger man didn''t expect the sight that greeted him on the other side.

    This case a perfect lesson of the proverb; ''Do not judge a book by its cover.'' It turned out that the outward appearance of the door was simply a misleading tactic as the office on the inside proved to be much more elegant. The first thing Xzavier noticed was the multiple artifacts that were organized neatly all over the office. They varied in sizes, appeal and astonishing aesthetics. There were eye catching sculptures, a fountain that spilled wine instead of water, a pair of enormous extrarge ivory elephant tusks, crystal balls and a whole bunch of other stuff that Xzavier couldn''t recognize. They were allid out at strategic positions. There was also a ton of books arranged beautifully in shelves that ran horizontally from wall to wall. The cushions, exotic rugs and fine furniture also added to the office''s appeal.

    Xzavier was surprised.

    The old man offered him a seat and he himself sat down behind the fine desk in an enormous chair that looked more like a throne. He cleared his throat and introduced himself properly;

    "Pardon my discourteousness, I am Kadin. The proprietor of this establishment known as the underground exchange."

    Xzavier was still unsure as to whether he could trust this strange old man or not. He recognized power y when he saw one, and he knew that this whole scene was designed to act as an architectural intimidation. Also, Xzavier hadn''t missed the fact that he had subtly dropped the fact that he was the owner of this ce when he ''introduced himself.''

    Xzavier wasn''t entirely sure why he had chosen to bring him here instead of questioning him outside. But he suspected that he had called him down here to interrogate him away from the others, in a ce where he felt powerful. With all these deductions, Xzavier knew that he couldn''t afford to rx around a man like this. He replied the old man curtly and introduced himself as well, making sure to keep his answers short and simple.

    I am Xzavier."

    "Interesting name Xzavier. You''re not from around here are you?"

    Xzavier simply mouthed one word;

    "No."

    The old man was intrigued by just how cagey the stranger was. His clothes, his ent, hisposure and the ridiculous blood-red mana about him suggested that he was apletely different breed. The old man tried ttery.

    "So Xzavier, I learned that you killed a Cheetah all by yourself¡­"

    The old man had dealt with a lot of egocentric youths in his past. From experience, he knew that most young men never shied from espousing their own greatness and glory days. Hoping Xzavier would take the bait and expand more, he threw the topic of the Cheetah to him.

    Xzavier simply shrugged and grunted. The old man was impressed but he didn''t give up there. Feigning interest, he encouraged Xzavier to tell him more.

    "Well, is it true? Come on, tell me. No need to be modest here!"

    Xzavier could usually tell people''s angle. But he was finding it extremely difficult to read this old man. Did he want a piece of the Cheetah? Or was he simply toying with him? Notpletely sure, he towed the cautious path and answered warily;

    "It is true. I killed the Cheetah."

    "Wow, that''s something isn''t it?" He leaned forward on the desk and asked his follow up question;

    "So tell me, how did you do it? Did you set a trap? Was it dying already?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier was starting to get irritated with the old man''s incessant questions. He answered sharply;

    "I lured it in and killed it."

    The old man tried and tried but he couldn''t get the youth to open up about anything. The old man didn''t give a damn about a bloody dead Cheetah. He was simply interested in obtaining any information that could exin the terrifying aura around the strange young man. However, no matter how much the old man tried to poke, he couldn''t get anything tangible out of Xzavier. So, outmaneuvered and outmatched, the old man resorted to something a little bit more direct.

    Suddenly, out of nowhere, totally unprovoked and with an unnatural quickness, the old man struck out his fist at Xzavier''s face. Any normal person would have received the blow to their face because it was totally unexpected given the fact that only a few seconds ago, the old man was all smiles and conversational. There had been no warning whatsoever and because of how sudden it was, the tiny window of time to react was very small.

    But Xzavier wasn''t just anyone. He very easily countered the punch, not by dodging or by deflection, but he stopped it fully with one hand. He raised his eyebrows questioningly at the old man, and in a very cold voice, he asked him;

    "Old man, just what do you think you are doing?"

    Words couldn''t capture Kadin''s shock! He waspletely astounded.

    "Just who is this guy exactly?"

    The way and manner with which Xzavier had effortlessly stopped Kadin''s punch confounded the old man. Xzavier''s speed was something else! And the way he had calmly executed it was the crowning achievement of it all! Even now, as Xzavier held Kadin''s balled fist in his hand, the old man could feel Xzavier''s extraordinary strength. Kadin was a magician, physical strength wasn''t his forte. And yet, because he augmented his punches with magic, it was extremely rare and hard for an ordinary person to escape his punch, talk less of stopping it!

    The old man smiled a fake smile and answered Xzavier''s initial question;

    "Don''t mind me please. I was just curious about your true strength you know."

    Trying his best to mask his fear, he continued;

    "I mean, you did im to have killed a Cheetah, and yet, I do not detect any trace of mana in you."

    Xzavier eyed him warily before releasing him arm. Then he replied him coolly;

    "That is a personal matter. It doesn''t concern you."

    Kadin noticed that this statement was the longest sentence Xzavier had said since they began their conversation.

    In addition to being a magician and the owner of the underground exchange, Kadin was also a diabolical genius. One of his uncanny gifts was that he was adept at discerning people''s needs as well as their desires. That was one advantage he discovered that he had in life and he used it shamelessly to get ahead. His shady mind went to work immediately as he assessed Xzavier and thought about what his wants were at the moment.

    Xzavier wasn''t an easy one to read. People like Xzavier were the old man''s personal nightmare. He reminded Kadin of an imprable iron gate. Once Kadin couldn''t tell what a person wants, he had no power over them. Kadin knew he was already at a great disadvantage with Xzavier. So, the old man''s diabolical mind went hard at work at analyzing Xzavier.

 Chapter 10 Invited Mission

    The old man remembered the only detail that he already knew about Xzavier- the Cheetah. And an idea immediately began to take form in his mind.

    "Got it!" he thought to himself; "Money! Of course it''s always money!"

    Kadin''s reasoning was that Xzavier was probably running low on funds. In his head, it was the only thing that would make a master like him descend so low as to kill a low level Cheetah in exchange for payment. So, he asked Xzavier a very weird question;

    "Pray tell Xzavier, as a hunter, what rank are you right now?"

    Xzavier couldn''t discern the true motive of the question. Conversations with the old man were wry and ironic so he could almost never tell where he was going with his questions. Kadin mentioned rank and hunter. These things bore no meaning to him. The old man sensed his ignorance in this area and proudly went on to exin things more clearly to him.

    The term ''hunter'' was a generic term that covered everything between poaching wild game and simply killing for sport. This basic truth was known to all.

    The magician''s head bubbled at the mere thought of enlightening the stranger on the topic of hunters. Like an alligator that had sunk its teeth into the flesh of its prey, Kadin had gotten hold of a weak link in Xzavier''s armor and he was going to exploit it to the fullest. Assuming the air of someone who had something important to say, Kadin''s face suddenly became serious and his tone took a formal approach as he exined the profession and all it entailed.

    You see, my dear friend, in these parts¡­"

    He slurred his words and paused from time to time for dramatic effect. Then continued with the skill of a professional orator;

    "Hunters are more than just killers."

    He allowed that piece of information to sink in before continuing in the same serious tone.

    "Some might even consider it an art. Indeed, there''s no denying the fact that there''s a little bit of an artistic element in it. But I doubt that you are interested in that aspect."

    He looked at Xzavier''s perfectly nk expression hoping to gauge his reaction. But there was no hint whatsoever as to what was going on in the stranger''s head. Kadin might have had much better luck reading a stone statue. Nevertheless, he pressed on.

    "However, for someone like you who isn''t art savvy, I believe that the mary aspect might interest you more. Here, hunters make bank. It is good business."

    He narrowed his eyes and added subtly:

    Especially if you are good."

    There was no doubting Xzavier''s ability in that regard. He had already proven to be a formidable hunter. The decapitated head of the Cheetah he had traded in earlier on was proof enough. He had dropped his intended message there. Even though he had wrapped it in a bow of neat words, he knew that Xzavier was sophisticated enough to pick up the underlying message there; Xzavier could make serious money if he decided to remain here and hunt for him.''<novelnext></novelnext>

    Kadin was very much still intoxicated by the position of power which he upied now, so he continued his lecture uninterrupted.

    "But then again my dear Xzavier, just as there are several levels of proficiency in other professions, it is very much the same thing among Hunters. There is a ranking system that separates the skilled from the nonentities.

    "In total, there are about fourteen different stages. At every specific level, all hunter at that stage can aplish tasks that are assigned to that level."

    Kadin stopped for a minute to all the information marinate in Xzavier''s mind. It was no coincidence that he had chosen to stop at this very juncture. As a gifted orator and masterful storyteller, Kadin could bet his entire fortune that the young man had one question on his mind right now;

    ''What level was he on this ranking system?''

    And truthfully, that was the exact question that was running through Xzavier''s mind at the moment. He was curious as to where his ce was on this ranking system. He had no yardstick or reference point by which he could use to measure himself and his skills. No matter how he racked his brain, he must couldn''te up with an objectively logical answer.

    Kadin smiled to himself. Even though the young man had on a perfect poker face, he could tell that he had him hooked. The faraway look in his eyes suggested the fact that his mind was going back and forth as he digested the fresh data that the old man had offloaded on him.

    Xzavier was so wrapped up in his thoughts that hepletely forgot about the military system. As if on cue, the system spoke in his mind and answered the nagging question.

    "Major Xzavier Mace, please be advised, you are toplete your current task which is a level six mission."

    Xzavier blinked. He blinked again. The system always seemed to choose the most interesting times to inform him of his new assignments. Although, this time, it came with an information that would prove beneficial to him at this time. The system had told him that he was going toplete a level-six task. At least, he didn''t have to rely on the old man for this piece of information. So, he announced aloud to Kadin that he was almost a level six hunter.

    Kadin wasn''t aware of the fact that Xzavier had a military system that issued him directives and forehand knowledge. But as a magician, he suspected that Xzavier had ess to a higher power. He grinned to himself as Xzavier told him that he was almost a level six. It was working ording to his n. Either way, the old man was determined to have his way. He managed to hide his excitement at Xzavier''s revtion regarding his level. He was actively trying his best to restrain himself from being too excited. So, he calmly floated his idea across to Xzavier while trying his possible best not to appear opportunistic or maniptive.

    "Level six huh? That is just perfect."

    He leaned across the desk and spoke in a pretty patronizing tone;

    "You know, if you''re interested, you could hop on a level six quest that''s active at the moment."

    He searched Xzavier''s eyes for any sign of excitement but soon gave up and continued his seduction.

    "It''s nothing too shy really. See there''s this band of Goblins lurking around in the vicinity nearby. They''re real troublemakers and a very unkindly lot. I am not saying you should hunt them all. The main target is their leader. I am inviting you to hunt him down."

 Chapter 11 The Possibilities

    Now Xzavier didn''t know much about these creatures, but even he knew that Goblins were typically known as annoying creatures. They were ssic pranksters and constantly annoyed humans. They were exceptionally good at creeping up on humans and attacking them.

    They were especially fond of sneaking up on Hunters who were alone on hunting trips. This was one of their favorite tactics. Goblins were also disorganized so they sucked at coordinating massacres and attacks on a grand scale.

    The flopped seriously in this regard, so they preferred sneaking up on lone hunters or single humans on the roads or in the woods. They were well known for this. However, this particr trait of theirs didn''t make them less dangerous. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Goblins were bloodthirsty creatures who lived to gore and cause destruction.

    They could usually be found stalking the woods or lonely highways in small clusters or sometimes, one single or more. But they could also be cowards sometimes. Whenever they came across difficulties during an attack, they were quick to abandon their objective to flee.

    It was primitive instinct in them because it was their nature. They absolutely hated altercations that droned on for long periods of time. When often met with fierce resistance, the monsters simply turned around and ran.

    Xzavier''s mind went to work immediately. His training as a member of the Special Forces unit covered virtually everything there was to know about killing. It wasn''t sadistic neither was t sycophantic, it was just what had been ingrained in him.

    It also wasn''t just about killing, Xzavier knew that strategic nning and mental preparedness was sixty-five percent of the job. So when he heard the summary of what the mission entailed, he began to strategize on the best possible way to locate, infiltrate and kill the head of the Goblins.

    A part of Xzavier was still finding it really hard to ept this as his reality. Not too long away his life had been perfectly normal, and then in the blink of an eye, he had been yanked out of thefort of his daily routine and dropped off in this strange world.

    It all seemed like a dream, he almost felt like it was a simtion. But then again, he remembered all the times he hade dangerously close to death in the very short time he was here. The incident with the Cheetah had been one of those.

    He could still remember the crushing vivid details of that night. The decapitated head of the animal which he had traded in only a few minutes ago served as the perfect reminder.

    He quickly set aside his doubts and got into strategy mode. Killing a lone wild animal was one thing. Having to kill off a whole Goblin who happened to be a gang leader was a different ball game altogether. He needed all the information he could get ahead of time.

    Kadin had been watching him closely. The old man didn''t take his eyes off Xzavier for a second. In that very moment, Kadin would have given half his fortune just so he could get an insight to what was going on this stranger''s head.

    There was a certain me in Xzavier''s eyes that Kadin coveted. He looked down on youths generally, but Xzavier was a different breed. The old cunning magician looked forward to having him around. It would be fun to unravel the mysteries of his strange aura and incredible strength.

    Xzavier sighed inwardly. All he wanted was to just retire to a safe and quiet ce where he could enjoy thefort of solitude. And yet, because of system, he had no other option but to ept this peculiar mission. Xzavier''s clear string voice suddenly came out of the blue and disrupted Kadin''s maniacal ns.

    "Details. I need details."

    Unable to fully mask his excitement, Kadin pped his hands delightfully as his eyes tingled with expectation.

    "Wonderful! I take it that you''ve decided to ept the mission?"

    Not wanting to risk Xzavier retracting his statement, he continued to speak hurriedly, as if he was scared that Xzavier would change his mind.

    "I am d you asked for more information. You see, I have dealt with a lot of blockhead hunters in the past. Most of them just charge in blindly after receiving their tasks.

    "Few ask for more information. Even fewer make ample use of the information given."

    He paused for a bit and continued;

    "But I am d that you are asking. We''re off to a pretty good start."

    Xzavier was getting increasingly irritated by the old man''s unnecessary ramblings.

    "What kind of hunter delves right into a capture/kill mission without first assessing the risks and gleaning the much needed information?"

    This information Kadin had so willingly dropped off on Xzavier showed the ss of crude thoughtless idiots the old magician had been working with.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Also, it was evident to Xzavier that the older man loved the sound of his own voice. Xzavier absolutely detested conversations that demanded excess words.

    The only time he tolerated borate speeches was when a superior would debrief him on an uing mission.

    Other than that, he never really got around to enduring superfluous speeches. Xzavier knew that thepulsive need to share too much was often a symptom of chronic liars and maniptors.

    Right now, the man who stood before him was actively disying all the signs. He knew he had to watch the old man.

    Unaware of the thoughts going on in Xzavier''s mind, the magician delved right into exining some details that Xzavier needed to sessfullyplete his mission;

    "First off my dear Xzavier, you need to recognize the terrain. I don''t know where you''re from, but thendscape where the Goblins reside is typically steep.

    "There''s a lot of high ground around the road in the mountain pass and I must confess that this proves very advantageous to the nasty creatures. They have been known to jump down from terrifying heights and descend on unwary travelers¡­AND HUNTERS."

    He observed Xzavier very closely as he dropped thest part. As expected, Xzavier showed no signs of fear. He pressed on;

    "The surrounding areas are mostly woods and dense forests."

    Xzavier tensed a bit at the mention of the word ''forest.'' He wasn''t a big fan of forests in this strange ce. But fortunately for him, Kadin had given up on trying to read him. The old magician was too absorbed in his own lecture that he didn''t see Xzavier''s reaction.

    "The Goblins themselves move in groups. But sometimes, you can catch an omega wandering on his own. The leader of this particr gang of Goblins is a shifty one. He never strikes in the same location twice.

    "So, it''s safe to say that he is a nasty piece of work. Not that it would faze you anyway."

    He winked at Xzavier as he said that.

    "Also, I don''t know if you know this, but Goblins have an inclination towards cowardice when overwhelmed. When faced with risk, the tendency of them running is much higher than that of them risking their necks."

    He chuckled as he gave up thatst bit of information.

    "This particr trait of theirs can be annoying really. Especially for someone like you who is on a mission to destroy their leader. It can be pretty difficult to kill a monster who loves its own life that it would rather flee than fight.

    "Beware though, their numbers can make them pretty strong. Many a hunter have been known to be overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of just a single colony of Goblins."

    Xzavier absorbed the information at the speed of light. Some of what Kadin had said confirmed what he already suspected about Goblins. The knowledge of the terrain would prove helpful to him though. He never would have been able to guess that before the hand.

    Having received all the necessary information that pertained to Goblins, he set off without even saying a word.

    Kadin watched him curiously as he evacuated the office. The dialog between them wasn''t what he had expected. While he was still ruminating on this, the waitress who had handled the transaction emerged with a worried look on her face.

    She was actually the one who had alerted Kadin when she saw the stranger. It was for this very purpose that she had dyed the payment. Not bothering with all the borate niceties, she osted the old man with a barrage of questions.

    "What do you think? Is he really just an ordinary dude?"

    Kadin didn''t answer her right away. He was very much still in deep thought. Then finally, he spoke up;

    "He is everything and more. I see a lot of potential in that young man. The possibilities are endless."

 Chapter 12 Ambush

    Xzavier''s mind was on top form. Once again, his entire focus was centered on aplishing his mission. Once Xzavier had a task to fulfill, he was like a blood hound on a hunting trip.

    This was pretty ironic because right now, he was on an actual hunting trip. This was what he lived for. This was what he was trained to do. As he set out on the mission, Xzavier began to fully understand the importance of being equipped for such a dangerous endeavor.

    He needed supplies more than ever before. He wasn''tpletely familiar with the town so he didn''t know where to go to obtain a regr sniper''s rifle and a silencer. He pondered on this for a while before he remembered the military system. He stopped abruptly in the middle of his thoughts.

    "I was rewarded with points by the system thest time."

    Then came the next logical thought that apanied the first;

    "I wonder if I can exchange points for assault weapons. An AR-15 and a glock 47 with a silencer wouldn''t be bad right now."

    He still wasn''tpletely sure if he could redeem points for weapons, but he went ahead anyway. Whichever way, he was bound to find out anyway.

    He was on the highway, so he ducked into the bushes tomunicate with the system. He didn''t put it past the old man to set a spy on him. Xzavier knew he''d do the same if the roles were reversed.

    From a clearing behind the bushes, he scanned his surroundings to make sure that he wasn''t followed. Convinced that he wasn''t, Xzavier spoke aloud to the military system saying;

    "Military system,e online."

    It responded immediately.

    "Affirmative. Systems online."

    He then asked his request;

    "I want to redeem my points for weapons."

    It took a while, but then the system finally answered.

    "Roger that Major. State the caliber of weapons you desire."

    Xzavier half expected it not to be true. But it turned out to be theplete opposite. Not only could he redeem points for weapons, it turned out that he could actually make requests for specific weapons.

    He thought for a minute, so as to not hastily make a wrong decision. As a seasoned veteran, he assessed the situation and understood that his best bet was a long range sniper''s rifle. Since his goal wasn''t to massacre an entire group of Goblins, he knew that a sniper''s rifle was the ideal weapon.

    This was an assassination, so he nned to position himself from a far and kill the gang leader of the Goblins without actually inciting a ruckus. It was a good n. He also knew that he had to have a silencer in order to keep it silent and not give up his location.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He swallowed gingerly and made his request to the system;

    "I would like a fully loaded sniper''s rifle, along with a silencer and sufficient ammo."

    The system wasted no time in providing his needs. Xzavier weed the new toys with great joy. Even he shocked himself by how happy new weapons made him.

    With his weapons secured, Xzavier''s training kicked in and he began to make preparations for the perfect camouge. He harvested a decent helping of weed and padded himself with the grass.

    With all this in ce, and with the stealth of a hunter, Xzavier carefully made his way towards the Goblins'' territory. Every step he took was calcted. He even regted his breathing just so he could remain incognito. The game was afoot.

    Amidst all the qualities of the Goblins that Kadin had so graciously taken out time to exin, one very peculiar trait stood out the most; they werepletely one hundred blood thirsty creatures thatcked any form ofpassion.

    At their core, they had zeropassion for just about any other creature that wasn''t of their race. Goblins were known to have torn apart little children that wandered into the woods. They were also famous for descending in bands on Travelers and lone hunters who were unfortunate to get themselves caught off guard.

    Their heinous crimes were all pointers to the fact that they hadn''t even the tiniest shred of empathy. Compassion was apletely alien concept to them. There were nature''s perfect examples of narcissistic and self-absorption.

    They only existed for one clear definitive purpose only: to go through life indulging their appetites and cravings only. As a race, their behavioral pattern was synonymous to cowards and mad men. It was that simple.

    Xzavier soon arrived at the location that the old man had described earlier on. He took out his night vision goggles that doubled as binocrs and scanned thendscape before him. It was evening time and dusk was at least a few hours away.

    He noticed no movements whatsoever. So he climbed to a higher ground and hid himself in a shrub of weeds. Having found the perfect hiding spot, all he had to do was wait for the leader to appear. Xzavier wasn''t sure how long this was going to take.

    He never for once believed in luck, and yet. He hoped against hope that his luck would turn around and bring him the leader of the Goblins.

    As a member of the Special Forces, Xzavier had often heard tales from professional snipers who imed to have waited as long as forty-eight hours for their targets to appear.

    This required an extreme amount of calmness and patience. It wasn''t just the ability to remain calm, it was the ability to maintain a cool head, and at the same time, stay perfectly ALERT.

    Striking the bnce was key. An astute sniper had to remain calm at all times and also remain vignt. Staying at the same position for hours on end while waiting for a target (that may or may not show) required a certain kind of skill.

    This also meant that snipers couldn''t go for bathroom breaks, neither could they stop for a snack, and it also invariably meant that sleeping wasn''t an option. This high level of tension could very well affect the mind of a regr person who hadn''t received proper training for this.

    Xzavier was one of those few who could handle the strain. At the core of his being, he was also a calm person. He possessed all the qualities that made for a good sniper. He never moved an inch.

    Sooner than expected, Xzavier began to detect Goblin activity in the environment. As he had expected, they slowly began to emerge as dusk came.

 Chapter 13 New Set Of Instructions

    Xzavier held his breath and kept watch. A few minutester, one of the Goblins ventured close to Xzavier''s hiding ce. It was a mean looking dirty Goblin that was rtively smaller than the others.

    It emerged from the bushes right behind Xzavier and strolled right over his head. Xzavier remained perfectly still and stayed motionless not daring to even nce at it to see if it had spotted him. What happened next was something that Xzavier could never have been fully prepared for.

    Completely oblivious of the human hidden in the bushes before it, the Goblin let out its massive organ and released a stream of hot stinking urine right on Xzavier''s head.

    The poor guy was mortified! Because he could do absolutely nothing but remain static at the moment, Xzavier allowed the putrid, highly concentrated, and stinky acidic urine to bathe his head with golden showers.

    It soaked through his beret and poured down his eyes, nose and mouth until Xzavier couldn''t just smell it, but literally taste it on his lips. It was a horrifying experience! And yet, Xzavier retained his professionalism.

    His eyes never left the scope of the sniper as he waited patiently for the leader to emerge. As if Xzavier''s humiliation wasn''t enough, after the dirty creature had emptied its dder, it grunted and farted.

    It was a strong odor that saturated the surrounding and polluted it drastically. Although Xzavier didn''t know it for sure, he suspected that the foul smelling gas was enough to choke a small mouse to death. The foul gas that escaped from the Goblin''s bowels was that strong.

    The very concept of time is rtive. It can pass really quickly when one''s enjoying himself or in thepany of really interesting characters. But time also seems to pass very slowly when a person finds himself in a dire situation.

    This was the case of Xzavier at the moment. It had been ten long hours since he had begun his watch and nothing eventful had happened yet. Crouched on his belly, with his eyes pinned to the sniper''s scope, Xzavier felt every painful second pass.

    His joints began to ache and his nerves began to stiffen. The worst part of it all was that it wasn''t guaranteed that the leader of the Goblins would turn up. The powerful stench of the Goblin''s urine didn''t help matters one bit.

    Xzavierforted himself with the fact that the smell of the urine masked his own smell, it was to his advantage just in case the Goblins were good at picking up and discerning different smells. So Xzavier waited and waited.

    Finally, a couple of hours past midnight, Xzavier chanced upon what he had been waiting for. A profoundly bigger Goblin emerged from a hollowed out cave with two smaller Goblins by his side. It had the familiar majestic gait of a leader and the demeanor of a ruler.

    It towered above all the others in height, and the smaller vassals made way for him as he passed through them. All eyes were fixated him in awe. It was clear by the way the smaller ones acted that they respected him.

    Xzavier didn''t need anyone to tell him that this was his prize. This was the notorious chief of the Goblins. His hunter/killer instincts took over him immediately and a fresh new wave of energy surged through his being. As he peered through the scope with his finger on the trigger, he tried his best not to allow his excitement take over him.

    This was the thrill of the hunt! It was his reward for his patience and his unflinching resolve to see this through. This was what Xzavier lived for. He took several deep breaths as his eyes followed the creature''s every movement. He checked the wind''s speed as well as its direction.

    After checking his equipment and the environmental factors, Xzavier adjusted his breathing and locked onto his target. The tall Goblin didn''t realize that several meters away, an angel of death loomed over him with a gun pointed at him. Xzavier didn''t me it for its ignorance though.

    There was so sign in the sky, neither was there any ominous anomaly in the stars that suggested that this was going to be itsst moment alive. Much like every other night, this seemed like an ordinary night.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier sighed. This was always how it was for those who were marked out for death. No one ever really saw iting.

    Xzavier nked out all other thoughts in his mind and focused one hundred percent on the task at hand. With one eye closed, and the other eye pressed firmly on the scope of the rifle, Xzavier let out onest breath and squeezed the trigger.

    It wasmon knowledge to every sniper that the period between when the trigger''s been squeezed to the moment when the target drops, can seem like an eternity. The bullet flew from Xzavier''s lethal weapon with blinding speed, cutting through the air at supersonic speed, it struck down the target in less than a second.

    Xzavier watched through his scope as the tall Goblin slumped through the ground. Even though he tried his hardest not to, Xzavier found himself smiling anyway. It was hard not to relish the sess of a perfect kill.

    Even though he was a long way off, he could sense themotion he had stirred in the midst of the Goblins. The simple minded creatures were shocked when they saw their leader slump to the ground when it was clear that no one had attacked him.

    They huddled together over his motionless body and simultaneously let out sharp cries when they saw the blood spluttering from the hole in his head where the bullet had prated. The pandemonium that followed was imminent.

    They began to howl and jump about in panic like mindless monkeys. The silencer hadpletely cancelled out the sound of the shot, so it was virtually impossible to tell if there a weapon had been discharged or not.

    Completely in the dark as to what was going on, the Goblins hopped around aimlessly. Panic was the order of the day. Their leader was dead and they couldn''t tell what had happened. Their behavior was synonymous with that of doped up monkeys. Their movements were sporadic, haphazard and scattered.

    From his location, Xzavier looked through his scope and watched the drama unfold before him. He had never seen such brainlessness in any group of creatures before in his life. It was indeed a rare sight.

    "Well, this isn''t my problem anymore. I guess I''m done here."

    He stood up and the first thing he did was stretch his ankles and elbows. Blood immediately began to flow through them after about ten hours of lyingpletely still. He dusted himself and as he picked up his equipment to leave, he heard something that he wished he hadn''t heard;

    "Major Xzavier Mace, this is the military system with a new set of instructions¡­"

    Xzavier froze. Dreading what woulde next, he held his breath in anticipation. The system always came to him with new instructions at the worst possible time.

    "Your new objective is topletely annihte the band of Goblins before you. They are to bepletely destroyed."

    As soon as he heard the new mission from the military system, Xzavier lost his temper and cursed aloud;

    "Damn you, you sick twisted system! What the hell?!"

 Chapter 14 A Thick Cloud

    Xzavier fumed like a wild bull. He was obviously enraged. Just when he had rounded up a mission that took him ten hours, the system had chosen the veryst minute to drop in a new mission.

    He was annoyed to the core.

    Xzavier was sick of the way and manner with which the systems dropped in unannounced with annoying missions. He looked through his scope and knew that there were at least two hundred Goblins scattered across the in. He cursed inwardly again.

    "Damn it! Now I have to recalibrate my ns to amodate all of this casualties!"

    He wasn''t happy with the new development one bit. He hated having to adjust his ns. Xzavier was starting to get really annoyed with this entire mission and it irked him that he could do absolutely nothing about it.

    So, grudgingly, Xzavier began to formte a new strategy that would allow him destroy the numerous Goblins in the open in.

    Prior to this very moment, before the systems had butted in with a new objective, Xzavier''s only concern was killing off a single Goblin.

    And he had aplished that with beautifully with the weapon he had thought was best for the job. At the time, the sniper''s rifle was the best weapon for the job.

    But right now, Xzavier knew that it wouldn''t be effective in a mission of this magnitude. What was required if him was mass murder.

    If he had a rocketuncher or a hellfire missile, it would have been perfect. But right now, all he had was a single rifle and about twenty bullets in them. He contemted using the same tactic from earlier on but he knew that it would take a really long time to finish up.

    Sure, the Goblins were all huddled together in one spot at the moment. But Xzavier knew that if he decided to pick them off one by one with his rifle using his sniper''s tactics, he would fail.

    It wouldn''t be long before they all dispersed as ''the invisible'' enemy attacked them. As a sniper, he knew that the worst possible target he could have was a target that was aware of the danger he was facing.

    If the supposed target was fully alert, it would make it difficult for a sniper to execute his mission. Right now, his target was no longer just one single creature, his target was a group of fickle minded creatures who were already on edge.

    A sneak attack with a rifle was no longer in order. He had to be more creative. Xzavier remembered aptly what the old magician had spoken regarding the Goblins'' behavior when faced with an overwhelming force.

    The Goblins would surely scatter and run for their dear lives. This would make it extremely hard for him to kill them all. Xzavier knew he needed to keep them contained in one ce. His sniper tactic wouldn''t do much in the way of killing about two hundred Goblins.

    Even if he wanted to use his sniper, he wasn''t sure he had enough bullets to kill one-fifth of the number. Whichever way he looked at it, he knew he was in a dilemma. He had to think and act fast now that they were still together in one ce.

    So, Xzavier began to brainstorm again. How could he kill two hundred Goblins without spooking of the rest? How could he aplish this impossible task when his targets were more inclined to running instead of staying to fight?

    Xzavier cursed the system again for putting him in such a precarious situation. He racked his brain again and again as he thought of the best and quickest possible way to end this impossible task;<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Come on Xavier think! You''ve got this!"

    Xzavier hade out of impossible situations in the past before, but none was simr to this. His mind called to being some of his worst missions in the past and he tried to juxtapose some of them with his present situation, but he ended uping up short every single time.

    Xzavier knew he wouldn''t be exaggerating this particr situation if he called it the hardest and the most difficult task he had ever been tasked with. It wasn''t that the enemy he was facing was too strong, it was the mere fact that the intended objective of the mission was practically impossible given the current state of things.

    Xzavier expertly realized that he was entertaining too much emotions at this time. So, he set aside all of his emotions and began to take in the whole situation with nothing but objectiveness.

    Like a set of dominoes stacked up neatly against each other, several factors began to arrange themselves in order as a brilliant n formted in Xzavier''s head.

    For the first time in a while, Xzavier smiled at himself. It was the perfect tactic for an impossible situation like this. His confidence began to return as he went over the n over and over again. He couldn''t deny it, it was perfect.

    Much of Xzavier''s brilliant n was heavily dependent on a lot of maneuvering.

    For his n to work out perfectly, Xzavier relied heavily on the one-character w that was typical of Goblins- their COWARDICE and their tendency to lean towards disillusionment.

    While the Goblins wailed on like immature puppies who had lost their mother, the lithe agile form of Xzavier encircled them. He was d head to toe in his ck battle gear, so he slipped by undetected.

    Also, the strong stench of the Goblin''s urine (that had seeped through his clothing and clung to him) masked his own distinct human musk. So, it was practically impossible to detect him through his own smell.

    Almost as if nature itself was in tune with Xzavier''s ns, the heavy clouds that had been blocking the soft silvery rays of moonlight suddenly started to part. It was an extremely timely coincidence for Xzavier.

    The happenings around him seemed to spur him on. Xzavier reached into his supply kit and brought out the one thing that would gift him an added advantage; two canisters.

    To ordinary folk, it was simply known as tear gas. Xzavier studied the terrain and expertly mapped out the best location to set off the tear gas.

    Still crouching low, he navigated through the woods and headed towards the slightly elevated ground that was north of the Goblins'' location. He stopped abruptly to listen for any sudden movements around him.

    When none came, he rose to his full height, shook both canisters vehemently and released the excitive gas. The gas escaped from the containers with a loud hissing sound. He wasn''t worried about the sound because the Goblins themselves were more upied at the time with their awkward wailing.

    Encouraged by the gentle wind that pervaded the night time, the thick smoke rose up like massive pirs before saturating the air over the clearing like a thick cloud.

    Xzavier smiled as he watched the first stage of his ne to life. It wasn''t hard not to recognize the pride of an artist in his smile.

 Chapter 15 Avenging Angel

    The first Goblin to notice it began to shriek and jump around frantically. Instead of alerting the others, it continued its awkward and pointless fussing until the others soon picked up on the changes and joined in the pointless exercise.

    Their shock was only paralleled by their fear. Edged on by the sudden death of their leader, the Goblins found themselves at an impasse.

    The resultant effect was much more than Xzavier had hoped for. Before the nerve gas even hit their olfactory nerves, the already panicky Goblins began to hop about, howling like monkeys in a frantic state.

    Unable to do anything, they looked on with horror as the strange thick smoke epassed them like a malevolent deity. The childish Goblins were unable to stay calm so they quickly entered into a state of pandemonium.

    Soon enough, the tear gas filtered through the group and they couldn''t help but breathe it in. The nerve gas hit their nostrils and the effect was instantaneous.

    The Goblins found themselves coughing and spluttering as the gas ripped their lungs from the inside out. It didn''t help that they were skipping about aimlessly.

    The more the move, the more energy they expended, consequently their need for more oxygen tripled by the second. The heavier their breaths, the more gas they inhaled. At that point, it was obvious to them that they were totally screwed.

    So, the cowardly beings did the only thing they could- weep. The volume of their chilling cries rang through the night like a death dirge. In addition to their already desperate situation, visibility became a real problem.

    While the gas assaulted their extrarge lungs, it also attacked their eyes violently. Blood soon began to spill from their eye balls. Even worse for them was the fact that they couldn''t see each other.

    Feeling alienated from the rest, each of them felt like they were alone in their own personal hell.

    A couple of smaller Goblins writhed in pain on the ground while some of therger ones clutched their throats as they struggled to breathe.

    Without themon sense or a leader to guide them, the Goblins fell into a state of perpetual despair. It was chaos, and it was beautiful. They were now fair game.

    From where Xzavier crouched down as he overlooked the Goblins'' situation, he smiled again. Even though the Major didn''t want to admit it, deep down he seemed to be enjoying the hunt a little too much.

    His innovative thinking had taken full advantage of the current situation and it was proving to be very effective. If the first stage the appetizer, the second stage was the main course. Xzavier slipped on his ck ski mask and ck Hand gloves.

    It was time for the A.O.D to step out. A.O.D. was an abbreviation that was used by the Special Forces on special missions like this, its meaning was as ominous as its abbreviation;

    It simply meant ''Angel of Death.''

    Other trained killers might recite a creed or an ancient text before going in for the ughter, but not Xzavier Mace.

    Merging with the darkness, Xzavier filtered through the night with the terrifying stealth of an apex predator and executed the next stage of his n.

    des!

    Xzavier had always nurtured a very strange fascination for des. But at this very moment, he didn''t think he loved des more than he ever did.

    Even while he had been in training, Xzavier had always preferred the cold harsh steel of the Swiss army knife to the regr grip of a solid handgun, rifle and machine gun.<novelnext></novelnext>

    des gave Xzavier the satisfaction and finesse he sought for in weapons. He absolutely adored the katana; he saw the long slender de as an instrument to be danced with.

    But Xzavier had already determined in his heart that if he ever found himself in the dance that was a fight to the death, he would call on his favorite set of des- the legendary twin Arabian scythes.

    This was a set of wicked curved des that were rumored to have been used by an ancient order of assassins. He had trained with them night and day for several years. And right now, he had found the perfect opportunity to show case the fruits of the long years of training.

    Charged with a fresh new diabolic energy, like the mystical ninja of ancient times, the ck d assassin took on the group of Goblins single handedly with nothing but a pair of twin des. They never saw himing.

    As the ideal hunter, Xzavier started by picking out the weakest in the herd. He tip toed around quietly in the thick fog of smoke, crept up behind the first one, struck out both of his hand in a scissors like position and shed the unsuspecting neck of the Goblin.

    The poor creature didn''t even have time to scream before the wicked curved des sliced through both the external jugr vein and the middle thyroid vein. It slumped to the ground while clutching its sliced throat as blood came gushing out.

    Xzavier felt no pity whatsoever for it. He had gone into killer mode and there was no stopping him. His quick sharp eyes rolled back and forth as he searched for the next victim that would fall by his de.

    Xzavier looked sinister as hell in his outfit. In addition to his already spooky ck battle gear, he had on his very creepy gas mask that protected him from the suffocating smoke. His overall ambience was like that of a death reaper.

    The only thing that was missing was wings and arge wicked sickle. He hopped on to the next unfortunate Goblin and struck it from behind with the exact same tactic.

    The Goblins couldn''t see, and because they couldn''t see, it was impossible for them to fight an invisible enemy. In fact, their situation was so hopeless that they were yet to discern that they were actually under attack.

    With no leader to guide or coordinate them, they were like sheep for the ughter and Xzavier was the wolf.

    The smoke had practically rendered visibility and breathing impossible for the Goblins, so Xzavier pretty much had his field day with them.

    Slipping through the chaos, Xzavier was killing at an impressive rate of three Goblins per minute. He simply crept up from behind, side stepped and SLASHED, crept up again from behind and repeated the whole dance again and again until he had virtually ughtered over one third of them.

    Xzavier''s senses were still tingling with diabolic excitement. This was absolutely what he lived for. Drenched in blood, and surrounded by the dead bodies of vile creatures, Xzavier had never felt so alive than he was in that moment.

    The crowning glory of it wall was the piling bodies that he left in his wake as he charged through the camp like an avenging angel. It was hard for him not to revel in the glory of the moment. Even after he had sliced open one hundred Goblin necks, Xzavier was still far from tired.

    He tapped into his seemingly endless source of energy and zed another deadly trail through a column of Goblins with his des dripping with read fresh blood. As he danced through the band of terrified clueless Goblins, Xzavier''s des sang in ordance with his movements.

    Xzavier remembered what was the Kadin had said about the Goblins'' intelligence being so low that an ordinary person could defeat them. It turned out that it was true. In about ten minute''s time, the whole band had been ughtered.

    Unfazed, the sinister figure that was Xzavier, walked over to the corpse of the leader and cut off its thumb. That was all the proof he needed.

    Victorious, he turned back and headed towards the direction of the underground exchange.

 Chapter 16 Tacy

    The waitress who had handled the transaction the previous day with Xzavier found herself in a dire situation. She wasn''t in trouble, and yet, she was at the same time. Her present trouble wasn''t of the domestic kind.

    Her present trouble was more primitive. It was the kind of trouble that kept her up through the night. It was the kind of trouble that kept her from being herself.

    It was the kind that kept her heart beating like a loud percussive instrument when the thought of the young stranger whom she had met only just twenty four hours ago.

    Tacy was a rtively simple girl with extremely low self-esteem.

    She young bar maiden hadpletely fallen in love with the young mysterious teenager who had graced the underground exchange with his presence.

    The air of mystery around him had drawn her in like a ma to metal. Though she had somehow managed to mask her true feelings when they had first met, internally, Tacy had been bursting with admiration for the young handsomed.

    Long after he had left, his cold charisma and questionable charm bedazzled her. The memories of the way he handled his affairs seduced her mind away. There was simply no doubt about it. The young Tacy was stricken.

    She went about her daily chores absent mindedly. Although she was physically present, her mind was several miles away.

    Her heart was centered on the young man. She allowed herself to dream and dream as she reyed the scene of their first meeting in her mind.

    "How I wish I had made a move on him then! Maybe he would have had asting impression of me!"

    Unfortunately for the young lover, shecked the confidence and self-assurance that nature had endowed most women on the grounds of physical looks.

    Tacy didn''t have confidence in her own body so she couldn''t make a move on Xzavier at their first meet. It might also have been because of Xzavier''s extraordinary presence. She still remembered the mysterious aura that drew her to him.

    It was almost impossible to resist the pull that seemed toe from within him. Indeed, the mysterious teenager seemed to have his own center of gravity that made it look like everything around him gravitated towards him. Tacy remembered the way he moved and almost gasped out loud.

    Xzavier moved like his feet barely touched the ground. It was like levitation.

    All of these thoughts crowded her mind as she swept the floor of the open space in the underground exchange. She was so caught up in the tumult of emotions raging in her heart that the sudden appearance of the man of her dreamspletely took her by storm.

    She should have been to pick up the long shadow that darkened the ambience of the open space. But she missed thatpletely. The next sign was the sudden chill in the air that suggested a very cold presence had entered into the sphere of her orbit.

    "Point me to where the old man is right away."

    So engrossed was she in her thoughts that the cold familiar voice startled her so much that she nearly jumped out of her own skin. She turned around abruptly to assault the stranger who dared to intrude on her personal space.

    All the anger melted away as soon as she saw the rugged handsome face of Xzavier Mace. Her heart leapt within her as her dness escaped from her heart and took on the form of a grateful smile on her face.

    Tacy was normally sharp minded and vignt, but today was just not one of her days. She was aware of the fact that Xzavier had gone on a dangerous mission. Given the nature of her job, Tacy was more informed about the dangers of these kind of missions.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She had seen several hunters go only to never return again. She had no doubt in Xzavier''s ability as a hunter, she knew he was more than capable of seeding. But she had expected that it would take at least a week or more toplete his task.

    To see him back so quickly filled her with more joy than she could possibly contain. In her experience, a quick return usually meant failure on the part of the hunter. But Tacy honestly didn''t mind. All she cared about was his safety.

    ? Every other thing could go to zes as far as she was concerned.

    Although it looked like Tacy was tantly ignoring Xzavier''s request to see the old man, in actuality, she wasn''t.

    Like a lover who hadn''t seen her heartbeat in a long time, Tacy''s eyes poured all over Xzavier''s body. Her fear was that he had been injured. But the more she looked, the more she confirmed the fact that he was okay.

    "Oh Xzavier," Tacy thought to herself; "I never for once doubted your skills!"

    After a long disturbing pause, she finally regained her ability to speak. Xzavier was an extremely patient guy, but he was d when she spoke up and said;

    "Wee back Xzavier."

    Tacy surprised herself at how high her pitch was. This was just one of the many things that had gone out of ce in her body upon seeing Xzavier. In order to rectify the problem, she adjusted her voice to sound normal.

    But unfortunately, she ended up overpensating and deepened her voice a little too much so that she sounded like a man.

    "Master Kadin is indoors."

    Poor Tacy was embarrassed to the bone. She wished the earth could open up and swallow her whole where she stood. Xzavier saved her from her embarrassment by ignoring the hell out her and walking straight to the front desk.

    Without any pomp or ostentatious movement, he then dropped the token which he had worked so hard to obtain on the counter. The ugly thumb of the chief of the Goblins literally stuck out like a literal sore thumb.

    Without actually looking at her, Xzavier issued her a new directive in a cold voice;

    "Tell Kadin I am back. The mission was sessful."

    Anyone observing Xzavier might have easily ruled him out as melodramatic and prideful. The demeanor of the young man pointed towards those signs.

    But Xzavier was just himself. He was a confident male and it reflected in the way and manner he handled himself. At the moment, Tacy waspletely mesmerized by that confidence which seemed to repel others.

    Her big brown eyes remained fixated on him in both admiration and shock. She left the chore she was handling and wandered over to the counter with her arms crossed across her chest as she gazed at Xzavier in wonder.

 Chapter 17 So Soon

    With her eyes wide open as if she had seen an anomaly, the young waitress stared at him like he was a monster or a mythical creature.

    She couldn''t believe it, and yet the thumb which was on full disy on the table suggested that he was in fact telling the truth. Tacy was baffled. This defied all logic as far as she was concerned.

    She had worked here for quite some time so she had a clear picture of the statistical indices involved with missions and hunters.

    The Goblin was a level 5 creature. And not just that, it was also a leader that was constantly surrounded by tons of Goblins who lived to do its bidding.

    And yet, within a time so short, the young mysterious stranger managed to kill it all by himself and without even as much as a scratch. It was unbelievable!

    She just couldn''t wrap her head around it! Even top hunters worked in groups, and needed at least a week or so to gather supplies, strategize, set traps and hunt a creature of this magnitude.

    There were so many questions on Tacy''s mind. How did he pull it off? How did he manage to get supplies so fast? How did he even find the Chief of the Goblins so fast?

    All of these uncertainties gued her mind. Because she was a curious person by nature, all of these questions were more like aches. Her curiosity soon got the better of her, she swallowed her guts and asked Xzavier her most pressing question;

    "You are back so soon! How exactly did you do go about the mission?"

    Xzavier was actually surprised that she knew the details of his mission. He immediately assumed that Kadin must have informed her for the sake of records.

    Either way, he wasn''t much of a talker so he simply shrugged his shoulders.

    But Tacy wasn''t one that could easily be tramped down. Once she had set her mind on finding out any piece of information, it was almost impossible to stop her. So, she pressed on stubbornly;

    "But how did you break through? It ismon knowledge that the Chief is always surrounded by an entire herd of vicious Goblins who would kill for him."

    Xzavier wanted to point out the w in her statement. He wanted to tell her that the Goblins'' willingness to kill for their Chief was diametrically opposed to their willingness to die for him. But he really was in no mood to talk.

    So, he replied her with as little words as he could;

    "Well, killing them all wasn''t really a problem."

    Xzavier''s words dropped like a nuclear bomb on the ears of some hunters who were lounging nearby. Though they acted as if they weren''t listening in on Xzavier and Tacy''s conversation, they were very much invested in knowing how Xzavier had fared in his mission.

    Much like Tacy, they were thirsty for the information. But unlike the waitress, their gutlessness prevented them froming over to ask the young stranger.

    A lot of them had been present in the establishment during thest showdown between Xzavier and their champion. So, they didn''t even dare to think that Xzavier was simply showing off.

    Silently, they discussed among themselves;

    "Aye! Did you hear that?"

    The significantly younger one of the group was speaking now. Like the others, he had also been present at the time when Xzavier had made a public example of the Big Bad Wolf (the man whom Xzavier had publicly humiliated).

    His colleague and fellow hunter replied him glumly.

    "Yeah bro. I did. It''s almost unbelievable."

    "I know, should we go over and ask him if it''s really true?"

    Annoyed by his question, he red up and retorted;

    "Why are you asking me? Don''t you remember what he did to the big bad wolf thest time?"

    There was silence for a while as each of them reminisced on the showdown that had happened only a day before.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The young stranger had appeared to be boastful and haughty at that time when he had showed up with the bloody head of a cheetah iming he had killed it all by himself. But he had proved them wrong after he had systematically dismantled the arm of their champion.

    The memory of the event was still very fresh in their minds. If they had taken anything from that experience, it was that they could never really doubt Xzavier again.

    One of them spoke up and finally broke the ufortable silence;

    "I for one don''t think he''s lying bro. I mean, look at the facts. This stranger seems to be pretty skilled."

    The others nodded their heads in approval.

    "You''re right."

    A skinny one with broken teeth (and charred ck lips from years of smoking) echoed verbally what the others were thinking.

    "No doubt, it doesn''t really sound true at all. Imagine a single hunter killing one or two Goblins? Now picture one man killing off tens and probably hundreds of Goblins? It''s almost unthinkable!"

    Even as he spoke, he sheepishly kept turning back to see if Xzavier was listening to him. His fear of the mysterious stranger was very evident. Someone else who was more reasonable in the group countered his point;

    "But given what we have all seen him do, I wouldn''t put it past him actually killing off an entire group of Goblins."

    "What do you think?"

    The grumpy one replied wisely;

    "Well, he doesn''t hunt with anyone, he possesses outstanding skills, and he turns up here with the Decapitated of a Cheetah as well the chief Goblin''s thumb. I''d say avoid him at all cost."

    Their egos didn''t permit them to ept this as the fact. But deep down, they knew that it was true. There was something about the youngd that was simply different.

    They couldn''t tell with exactitude what it was, but deep down they could sense something extraordinary. They kept their distance from the young Xzavier, but their eyes never left him for one second. Every single set of eyes remained fixated on Xzavier like a group of hawks.

    Tacy on the other hand was actively struggling to process the information that Xzavier had so casually dropped on herps. Howid back he was about the whole thing enhanced his already mysterious aura.

    Tacy knew he wasn''t joking when he had said that he had killed off an entire band of Goblins just to get to their leader. Unable to bear the full weight of the news on her shoulder, she hurriedly dashed out in search for her boss.

    She knew he was going to want to hear that Xzavier was back.

    As she glided through the hallways and turns in search of Kadin, one thought echoed and re-echoed through her mind;

    "Xzavier! Just who are you exactly?"

    In a matter of seconds, the hysteric Tacy arrived at Kadin''s door. Not even bothering to knock, she barged in and stopped only to catch her breath.

    Kadin was already used to her discourteousness so he wasn''t startled one bit. Seated at his table and bent over a book, Kadin looked at his employee questioningly with one eyebrow raised and thought;

    "What could possibly be the issue with this one this time around?"

    Impatiently, the old man rebuked Tacy and rasped aloud;

    "You had better have a good reason for barging in like this Tacy!"

    Still struggling to catch her breath, Tacy pointed her finger to the door behind her and mouthed one single word;

    "XZAVIER!"

 Chapter 18 Back

    The old magician instantly bolted upright at the mention of Xzavier''s name. Admittedly, he hadn''t been expecting him back so soon. Immediately, he began to bombard Tacy with a barrage of question;

    "How is he? Was his mission sessful? Damn it answer me woman!"

    But Tacy was still trying to catch her breath. She wasn''t exactly the athletic type so it had been a while since shest ran.

    "USE YOUR WORDS TACY!"

    But she was taking too long to pull herself together.

    Kadin decided he didn''t have time to wait on her answers anymore. He could just simply got see his new young hunter himself. So, Kadin hurriedly got up from him table and gently shoved her aside as he headed for the door.

    Kadin emerged in the waiting room/lounge in a jiffy. He didn''t need to look too far before he found Xzavier.

    d in ck as always, the radically regal Xzavier sat by himself at one of the tables as he stared off into space. A cold chill passed over Kadin as he saw again the extraordinary blood red aura that enveloped Xzavier as he sat down alone.

    What Kadin saw was like a sea of blood in the form of a thick fog encircling round about the young man. It was almost as if Xzavier''s bizarre aura had been enhanced since thest time they saw each other.

    It was extraordinary. In other not to seem too excited by Xzavier''s arrival, Kadin slowed his initial pace and waltzed over to where Xzavier was.

    A couple of hunters hailed the old magician as he walked across the room but Kadin ignored them all. He arrived at Xzavier''s table and greeted him.

    "Hello again Xzavier. Back so soon?"

    Xzavier nodded.

    Kadin chuckled softly.

    "Still chatty as always huh?"

    Not waiting for a reply, Kadin pressed on to the real issue at hand without any kind of forey whatsoever.

    "What''s this I hear about you killing all the Goblins? Is this true?"

    At this point, Xzavier had grown tired of all the incessant bickering surrounding the killing of all the Goblins.

    First it had been Tacy, then the other hunters and now the old man was interrogating him on this very subject which he had already admitted to doing.

    His tone curt and super direct, he confronted Kadin saying;

    "Look here old man, if you want to confirm my im, you are very much wee to visit the Goblins'' territory and verify the truth for yourself.

    "But do not sit there and doubt something that I have already been taken care off!"

    Completely taken unaware and surprised at the young man''s outburst, Kadin could do nothing but sit in the chair opposite Xzavier with a befuddled look on his face.

    He then proceeded to apologize to the younger man and showered him adtions in light of his recent aplishment. The other hunters soon began to shoot respectful nces at Xzavier in honor of his sess.

    The whole mood soon changed as it began to get more celebratory. But Xzavier boycotted the hero''s treatment. It wasn''t his style to seek out glory. He was a soldier first before all things. And soldiers obeyed orders and aplished missions.

    Annoyed, the sleep deprived and exhausted Xzavier excused himself from thepany of the old man and the other hunters. His first priority at the moment was securing a decent amodation from which he could base his operations.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But he didn''t know the town all that well. Fortunately for him, fate provided him with a resourceful source of prime information. Just as he was headed out of the establishment, he saw the waitress from earlier on.

    "What is your name?" he asked.

    She replied shyly;

    "I am called Tacy."

    "Tacy, do you know where I can find a decent hotel in this town?"

    She opened her mouth to speak but held back her tongue as she took more time to further deliberate on the ideal answer. Finally, her eyes brightened and she answered Xzavier gleefully.

    "This hotel in particr is called Orion''s Belt. It''s one of the best in the town."

    She noticed Xzavier''s lingering look, and she quickly added;

    "Oh and it''s perfect for strangers who are just visiting town so the whole package is guaranteed."

    Xzavier waited for her to give him directions but it seemed that key detail had slipped through her well prepared borate review of the hotel.  Xzavier coughed ufortably.

    "Can you point me in the direction of that hotel please?"

    Tacy''s face flushed with embarrassment as soon as she realized she had skipped over the part where she was supposed to give him the directions. She quickly tendered her apologies and did the needful.

    "A thousand apologies for that oversight sir¡­"

    She then proceeded to give him concise directions on how to locate the hotel. Satisfied, Xzavier thanked her and bid her goodnight.

    Xzavier wandered through the streets of the town and followed the instructions he had been given on how to locate the hotel. He had two sweet silver coins burning in his pocket, so he hoped it would be enough to secure him a decent room at the hotel.

    Sure enough, Xzavier found the hotel the young girl had so aptly described. True to her word, the hotel had the elegance one would expect from the best hotel in a city. It was riddled with fancy art and medieval age architecture.

    Even in the day time, it sparkled with the glitter and mour of a top rated hotel. Xzavier wasn''t interested in the aesthetics of the hotel. He simply wanted a decent ce where he could retire and analyze the results from his recentlypleted mission.

    Xzavier had no trouble checking in. He suspected that the hotel attendant had cheated him because he sensed that Xzavier was a stranger. Also, it didn''t quite help that Xzavier had told him that all he had in his pocket was two silver coins.

    Xzavier caught the avaricious gleam in the hotelier''s eyes when he told him how much he had. It was at that moment Xzavier knew he had messed up.

    The greedy hotelier wasted no time and immediately dered that two silver coins was the exact fee for a night and a hot meal. Xzavier wanted to protest but he was too tired to negotiate. All he wanted to do was simply rest. So he shrugged it off.

    After the fat man collected his coins hungrily, he beckoned to a porter to show Xzavier to his quarters. A small cocky eyed wimpyd emerged and whispered nervously to Xzavier;

    "Please follow me sir. May I carry your baggage?"

    Xzavier grunted ''no.'' He had seen this hustle one too many times before. The porter was simply trying to create a legal ground on which he could ask for a tip subsequently.

    But Xzavier was already tapped out and he wasn''t going to entertain any shenanigans anymore. After ascending a flight of stairs, they finally got to his room.

    The porter then proceeded to unlock the door and handed over the key to Xzavier.

 Chapter 19 Letâ€™s Roll

    Xzavier opened the door without even bothering to look at the porter who was still standing awkwardly by the door. The youngd was rubbing his hands together and winking at Xzavier suggesting that he be tipped.

    Xzavier banged the door in his face. He jumped into bed almost immediately after devouring the mini feast that had beenid out at the foot of the bed on a small tray.

    As was his custom after every mission, he began to analyze the oue of hisst mission. In his mind, he arranged the details neatly as though he was submitting a report to a superior officer.

    MISSION: Extermination of a herd of Goblins.

    Total casualties: One hundred and eighty five.

    Level of deceased Goblins: Multiple levels.

    Points gained: Two thousand, five hundred and sixty nine points.

    Experience points: One hundred points.

    Xzavier reviewed the stats and immediately discerned that he could cash in that many points for a fresh batch of insanely powerful weapons.

    Nothing excited Xzavier than new gear. The sweet smell of freshly delivered assorted weapons always excited him in a sick fashion. But he quickly suppressed his longings before he could act on them.

    At the moment, logic dictated that he didn''t require powerful weapons. His surroundings hadpletely changed from what he was used to. What he needed more than anything was to immerse himself fully in this world and live like a normal person.

    He remembered his ever present military system and cursed inwardly;

    "That damn system better give me a break from its crazy missions!"

    After a long, tiring and eventful forty eight hours that had been characterized by high octane energy, Xzavier finally drifted into a long sleep.

    When Xzavier eventually awoke the next day, he was surprised to see that the sun had risen and was well across its way to the west.

    The soft satin sheets and fluffy pillows had done their magic. Xzavier hadn''t slept a full six hours since he came to this strange world, And even when he did manage to catch some shut eye, it had never been for more than three hours at most.

    Also, he hadn''t found a decent ce to sleep in over two weeks, so understandably his body caught on to his new surroundings and immediately subscribed to thefort that came with it.

    Xzavier also found it amusing that this was also the first time in weeks that he hadn''t jolted out of his sleep as a result of lurking danger.

    "Well, it sure is nice to have a littlefort. Looks like the silver coins were well spent after all."

    Xzavier stretched and allowed himself to rx fully in the new environment. There was no threat at the moment. There was no enemy.

    Xzavier knew that the only thing that could disrupt the temporary calm was his trusty military system. He rolled eyes at the thought of the system.

    "I''ve got to watch myself. It''s times like these when the stupid system pops up."

    Almost immediately, a knock came at the door. Xzavier froze. The knock came again, this time more urgent.

    Xzavier instinctively reached for his weapon on his bedside table and slipped out of bed. He never took off his battle gear even when he slept. He was always battle ready at any given time.

    Xzavier frowned as he mentally ran through a list of potential threats who would be bitter enough to seek him out. He knew that the only enemy that was desperate enough to trail him here was the guy whose hands he had decimated in the underground exchange.

    The person on the other end of the door knocked again.

    Xzavier braced himself and tiptoed to the door. Prepared for whatever, he called out in a loud clear voice;<novelnext></novelnext>

    "WHO IS IT?"

    There was a brief pause before a familiar voice came from the other end.

    "Sorry to bother you Mr. Xzavier. It''s Tacy from the underground exchange."

    Xzavier heaved a sigh of relief. It actually made sense that it would be her. The waitress was the only one who knew that he had lodged in this particr hotel, though it was a bit weird that she was here so early.

    He brusquely opened the door for the young girl and bid her toe in. She walked in and greeted him appropriately;

    "Good afternoon mister Xzavier!"

    Xzavier raised one eyebrow up. Afternoon? He found it difficult to believe he had actually slept that long.

    "Good afternoon Tacy. What brings you here?"

    Tacy stepped forward with the peculiar eagerness of a school girl who had been sent on an errand. In her hand was a sealed envelope that clearly looked important.

    "I have been sent by my master to hand this over to you."

    With that, she handed over the package to Xzavier who received it cautiously. He observed the brown envelope curiously. It had his name inscribed on it with very fancy penmanship that was typical of thirteenth century writers. He looked at Tacy and questioned her on its contents.

    "What is this about Tacy?"

    She shook her head and replied tly;

    "It''s clearly meant for you mister Xzavier. I have no knowledge or business with the contents."

    Xzavier didn''t miss the sass in her reply. As he took out his Swiss army knife with the intention of breaking the wax seal, Tacy shifted back apprehensively.

    The quickness with which he had pulled out the knife caught her off guard so she instinctively backed up a bit. In that moment, she had seen Xzavier''s dexterity with a knife and it remained in her memory.

    Xzavier opened the envelope and saw that enclosed inside was a badge and a card. He read the text that had been inscribed in fine cursive handwriting. It was a kind of formal deration or certificate that stated that he was now a level six hunter.

    To further lend credence to its legitimacy, scores of neatly stacked gold coins were added in the package as a kind of reward. Xzavier looked at the contents and smiled to himself. This had the he old man''s hand written all over it.

    "Well, I might as well make the best of this situation."

    Since the systems hadn''t issued any new directives, Xzavier knew that the next logical thing to do was to assimte himself in the new society where he had found himself.

    But in order to aplish that, he needed firsthand knowledge and experience on the doings of this new world that would help further his integration process.

    He had to learn about this new ce. And who better to teach him than the young girl standing before him.

    "Tacy, would you mind joining me for lunch?"

    Totally caught unawares, Tacy found herself on the receiving end of a question she herself had been working up the nerve to ask Xzavier. Shunning the rules of engagement, she ignored the societal norm of ying hard to get and gave him a favorable direct answer.

    "Sure!"

    "Wonderful. Let''s roll."

 Chapter 20 Miss Mary

    A few minutester, while the two of them shopped together, the talkative Tacy filled Xzavier in on all he needed to know about the town.

    "This town is called Sikeda and it is right on the edge of the Marshi Empire. Because it is gued by so many races that aren''t human, several hunters troop here in search of the glory, thrill and gold thates withpleting quests."

    As she spoke, Xzavier couldn''t help butpare it Isekai from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. As they both entered a restaurant to eat, Xzavier couldn''t help but notice the stink eye that the people were giving him. Tacy nudged him.

    "Don''t you think it''s about time you change your outfit into something more conventional? It''s giving people the creeps."

    Xzavier agreed wholeheartedly with her. While they ate, Tacy engaged Xzavier in a conversation.

    "So what''s your philosophy of life Xzavier? What are your dreams?"

    Xzavier swallowed a mouthful of catfish and answered her assertively;

    "I just want a simple life. I also want to live in a quiet ce and live out my days with a simple woman."

    "That''s pretty interesting. But you''re obviously powerful, why don''t you think of making a bigger impact with your strength?"

    Xzavier shook his head disapprovingly.

    "Power is meant to be used to protect the weak. It isn''t a gift to be wasted on selfish gain."

    All through their rapport, it looked like Tacy had been simply trying to make conversation with Xzavier. Admittedly, she was a talkative who loved to school others and tell tales.

    But this time, her intention had been to find out just what type of man Xzavier was. She had been extremely d with the results she had gotten so far. It turned out that beneath the cold exterior of a killer, Xzavier was a thoughtful and focused young man with a sound view of life.

    As the waitress cleared their tes, Tacy reminded Xzavier of their initial n;

    "I hope you haven''t forgotten that we decided you are getting new clothes?"

    "Wait, you mean like right now?"

    She rolled her eyes.

    "Of course Xzavier! It has to be right now. Do you really want to keep wandering around town looking like that?"

    "Well, if you say so. Where do you have in mind?"

    Tacy had just the right ce in mind for Xzavier''s make over. She couldn''t take him to the main market because she sensed he hated crowds. So, she resolved to take him somewhere more reserved.

    A ce where they could shop in privacy and away from the throng of people which Xzavier found repulsively annoying. With a mischievous gleam in her eyes, she announced triumphantly;

    "The department store!"

    Xzavier looked at her questioningly like; ''Is that supposed to mean something to me?''

    "Don''t worry Xzavier, I will lead you there. It is close by."

    Xzavier was indifferent about the whole situation. He wasn''t too hyped about going shopping for clothes. But it was a necessary change that would enable him fit better in his new world, so he indulged the young girl. He paid for the meal and the two of them set out and headed in the direction of the store.

    Five minutester, and almost halfway to their destination, both Xzavier and Tacy came upon a strange sight.

    Now it was evening and the day was gradually drawing to a close, so it was still kind of bright enough to see that people were gathered and huddled together, but it wasn''tpletely bright enough to see the main reason for the congregation on the street.<novelnext></novelnext>

    They both shared the same worrying looks on their faces as they exchanged nces. As if in silent agreement, they both plunged into the crowd and began asking questions.

    Xzavier didn''t have much luck, but Tacy was a people''s person. She melted through the crowd and quickly found the perfect group that were sure to be updated on the recent events.

    Tacy knew more than anyone just how much elderly women loved to gossip.

    So, she approached the group of elderly women politely and greeted them;

    "Good evening ancient ones."

    They chorused their greeting collectively in a sorrowful tone. Tacy took advantage of that and pressed on with her next question;

    "Forgive my ignorance, but please can you fill me in on why you all are so gloomy?"

    The shortest one in the center of the group wasted no time in taking up the opportunity to tell the tale. Clearly, she was the tale monger in the group.

    The tiny woman with the long curved nose that resembled a beak began to fill her in;

    "Oh it''s a real tragedy!" she began enthusiastically.

    "The case is a dire and sorrowful one because I personally knew the deceased."

    Tacy knew how to y the game well. She asked her a question that encouraged her to go on.

    "The deceased? Is someone dead?"

    She nodded vehemently. As she wiped pretend tears from her clearly dry eyes. Jealous of the fact that the shorter one was hoarding all the attention, one of the elderly woman who had on an apron and smelled like freshly baked pastries took up the story from where she had left off.

    "Yes. Her name was Miss Mary, and she died under the most extenuating circumstances."

    "Was she murdered?"

    "Not quite. She hanged herself."

    Tacy was beginning to miss the short woman''s narration. This one was clearly not great at reporting an incidence. Tacy turned to fully face the first woman and inquired of her directly;

    "Madam please tell me what happened? Why did she hang herself?"

    d that she was once again the center of attention, and also d that the other woman had been shamed into silence, she began to narrate with vivid details the events that led to the death of the victim.

    "You see, the poor woman was raped by a whole band of Orcs. These band of savage creatures were reported to have prated her both from behind and from the front till they had spilled every drop of their seed in her. It was a real mess of a situation. She bled for days on end nonstop."

    She allowed the bombshell to settle for a second before she continued.

    "But that wasn''t all. You see, after she came home, her husband cast her aside because he thought she was no longer pure.

    So, with the stigma and the possibility of an impure half breed abomination growing inside her womb, she took a rope and hanged herself publicly. Right around the corner up ahead."

    Tacy absorbed the news with lightning speed. She was sure that some parts had been exaggerated but she had gotten what she needed. She quietly thanked the women and left. The second woman whom she had put down didn''t answer her. Xzavier had been listening in from a close range and was horrified by the incident.

 Chapter 21 Why

    Tacy''s eyes searched for Xzavier and sighted the young man standing not too far off with his arms folded across his chest and a sullen look stered on his face.

    There was no need for words, his facial expression was mere evidence of the fact that he had been listening in on her conversation with the group of elderly women. She needed no prophet to tell her that Xzavier wasn''t pleased with the tale at all.

    Not one bit. She strolled over to him and stood by his side as they both took time to process what they had both heard.

    As expected, Tacy was the one who broke the silence as Xzavier was clearly still broody.

    "I guess you caught all that huh?"

    The young man brooding by her side nodded slowly in affirmation.

    "Quick question though, why exactly do these people reason this way?"

    Xzavier''s question caught her off guard, so she raised her eyes quizzically at him. Not sure where he was going with it, she asked cautiously for rification.

    "What do you mean?"

    "Isn''t it clear enough that this woman is the victim and the abusers are the orcs? Why aren''t they all going on a rampage in demand for justice?

    And more importantly, how is it that they me the woman for something that was clearly not her fault?"

    Tacy was very much surprised by Xzavier''s take on the matter. This wasn''t what she had expected from him at all. His thoughtful insight to such amon domestic matter showed just what kind of man he was.

    His questions weren''t for show, theycked the performative element that was typical of men who pretended to be allies of women. Xzavier''s view on the issue was unbiased and showed true objectiveness.

    It was a refreshing break from the misogyny and patriarchal way of thinking that was the norm around here. Tacy sadly shook her head as she exined to Xzavier the way things worked around here.

    "You speak fine words Xzavier. Truly you do. But social justice around here is a joke. Don''t worry, if you hang out here long enough, you''ll be sure to understand the inner workings and why the people are like this."

    Xzavier stubbornly shook his head in disagreement.

    "I highly doubt that Tacy. I can''t understand the thought pattern of these people so it''s safe to say that I can never get used to seeing things the way they do."

    As Xzavier and Tacy remained standing on the curb, the crowd all around them started to disperse aste evening slowly faded into night.

    Unwilling to acquiesce, Xzavier continued to stand his ground. He waspletely repulsed by the whole scene. It reeked of social injustice and oppression.

    These were two things that Xzavier just couldn''t stand. He continued his philosophical sparring with his femalepanion with renewed vigor;

    "A lot of things are just wrong with this entire case. But I think the thing that ticks me off the most is just howcent and narrow minded these people are. Why exactly do they reason the way they do?"

    Tacy obliged him;

    "Things must be pretty different from where you''re from Xzavier. You''re forgetting first above all things that she is a woman¡­"

    Xzavier cut in before she could finish;

    "What does that have to do with anything? She was the one wronged wasn''t she? Andst time I checked, the offenders were orcs."

    Tacy didn''t think she could be anymore shocked than she was at Xzavier''s strong argument. He was putting things into perspective in way that she had never dared to view before.

    Much like every other member of the town, the young girl hade to ept the way of the town without even trying to question the status quo. It had taken aplete stranger to shake of thecency and awaken to a whole different side of things.

    Sensing that his words were finally gaining ground on her, he confronted her with one particr thing that had been nagging him since the he began to think on the state of affairs of the town.

    "Riddle me this Tacy, hunters exists to hunt down vicious creatures who step out of line right?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Tacy could tell where he was going with this, so as she obliged him, she began preparing he own exnation right away. Xzavier pressed on with his question tactfully;

    "Can you exin to me why the higher level hunters haven''t collectively embarked on a hunting expedition to exterminate these self-indulgent orcs? I mean, the next victim could very well be their wives or daughters."

    Xzavier genuinely didn''t understand why this issue hadn''t sparked an outrage. Especially since he had witnessed firsthand that the town had a natural inclination for violence and hostility.

    Tacy listened to him make his point before she went on to exin as best as she could.

    "You misunderstand. First off, hunting is a profession not a duty. Secondly, orcs are much more difficult to kill off. Individually, a single orc is a major problem. The smallest could weight about one hundred and seventy pounds and stand up to six feet above ground."

    This piece of information didn''t faze Xzavier one bit. He countered her;

    "That should not a problem at all. Especially for high level hunters with enough experience."

    She shook her head disapprovingly;

    "I was speaking of just a single orc Xzavier."

    Then she paused for a second before sadly releasing another trait that was typical of orcs;

    "It is a known fact that orcs move in groups of up to seven or sometimes fifty. They are vicious, unruly, boisterous creatures that prey on the weak.

    Because of the strength and confidence they have in their numbers, hunters usually steer clear of them."

    Xzavier listened closely as Tacy divulged this piece of information. He had set out earlier in the day with the objective of gathering as much Intel as he could about this town and its people.

    So far, he had managed to learn a whole lot in a day thanks to the young waitress with him. Xzavier''s thoughts soon turned to the government.

    "Howe the government doesn''t send troops to ovee the orcs and put them in their ce?"

    He didn''t even bother to voice out his concerns because he knew that the politics and intricately delicate details surrounding the borders was something that would never truly be sorted out. Border disputes was something that he was all too familiar with.

    As a solider and as a member of the Special Forces units, his missions included covering his nation''s borders. He had fought at the border before so he knew more than anyone that it was always a dicey situation.

    A streetlight came on overhead an Xzavier caught the sad expression on Tacy''s face. He realized he had been too deep in thought that hepletely missed the sad tone in her voice when she spoke about the orcs. He took a deep breath and tossed a personal question at her;

    "Why are you still here Tacy? Why haven''t you relocated to a safer ce to live?"

    His questionpletely altered the course of their conversation. Tacy was a bit taken aback, but she leaned into the mood anyway. She mumbled her reply quietly;

    "I am an orphan with no one Xzavier, so you see that it''s not that simple."

    Xzavier didn''t butt in this time. He allowed her to continue. Her voice thick with emotion, she narrated her story to Xzavier while trying to be brave about it.

    "You know, I was supposed to have been sold as a ve, but the old man saved me from that harsh fate. He took me in instead and offered me an opportunity to make a decent living as a receptionist at the underground exchange."

    As she dropped thatst part, she struggled to rein in her emotions. It took all her willpower not to whimper as she spoke.

    Xzavier said nothing. He simply stared into space as he took in all Tacy had revealed to him. That day, he didn''t just learn a lot of facts about the town, he learned about its soul as well. Its soul was the people. People like Miss Mary, people like Tacy.

    After they had both said their goodbyes, Xzavier wandered back to his hotel in deep thought.

    He had a lot on his mind after spending a whole day with Tacy in his mind. From the beginning of the day right up to the very end, Xzavier had been bombarded with tons of information that had beenmunicated to him both directly and indirectly.

    He pondered on the different pattern of thinking that was prevalent here. He thought on the issue of the different races and what its impact had been like on themon folk, the death of the raped woman was a typical example.

 Chapter 22 His Shoulder

    As Xzavier strolled down the streets in deep thought, he lifted up his head and suddenly found out that he had actually arrived at his hotel. He entered the morous lobby only to find the hotelier pacing the hall waiting for him.

    As soon as he saw Xzavier, he approached him obsequiously. Xzavier sighed inwardly, whatever it was, he didn''t particrly feel like engaging the fat greedy man tonight.

    The fat man greeted him loudly.

    "Ah! A jolly good evening to you my dear sir!"

    It wasn''t that he cared so much about Xzavier''s well-being, he was simply looking for an opportunity to extract more money from him. Xzavier suspected as much so he refused to stop to acknowledge him. But that didn''t deter the greedy man.

    He had already set his heart and sight on Xzavier, and like a kid at the candy store, he was determined to get his own.

    He walked brusquely side by side in order to keep up with Xzavier''s long strides as he stated his purpose;

    "You see sir. The money from yesterday only covers two nights and two meals. If you''d like to stay longer perhaps we should negotiate a much longer deal¡­"

    Arriving at his door, Xzavier took out a single gold coin, tossed it at him and banged the door, leaving the business man on the other end shocked.

    Although Xzavier didn''t know it, the money would cover his stay at the hotel for up to six months. The night passed like every other and Xzavier awoke the next day with still no new mission. Xzavier gradually began to spend more time with Tacy.

    Over the next few days, Tacy spent more time with Xzavier in her spare time. Even though she did most of the talking each time they were together while Xzavier simply kept mute,

    Tacy was simply d to be in his presence and in hispany. Xzavier learned a lot about the town from her incessant talking. On one of those days, when he waited for his next mission from the system but none came, Xzavier strolled down to the underground exchange and watched Tacy work from one of the tables.

    As he watched her, he also observed some of the other characters in the underground exchange. The ce was a hub for hunters.

    All levels of hunters came here to fraternize with their fellow colleagues and as well as look for paying gigs in their own levels. They could be loud, unruly and uncivilized. Xzavier just couldn''t understand why they simply couldn''t conduct themselves in a decent manner.

    On his own, and separate from the rest, Xzavier was estranged from the rest of the hunters. He generally kept to himself and the others avoided him like a gue.

    Word of him and what he had aplished had gone round so everyone knew that it was a death wish to entangle themselves in any kind of affair with him. But unfortunately, even though he didn''t know it at the time, one of them was going to be the unlucky one who would incur Xzavier''s wrath at the time.

    The thing with jerks is they almost alwayse in packs. The unlucky fellow was seated at a table with three other young men. They were ying cards and drinking when Tacy came over to clear the table.

    A mischievous look was exchanged by the dude in particr and the other man opposite him. A silent amusement/inside joke was understood immediately. The unfortunate fellow''s eyes followed Tacy''s movements like a hawk.

    He timed is move brilliantly and dropped his cup just as she reached for it. Tacy didn''t think much of it. She saw it as clumsiness on the part of the semi drunk man and bent down to pick it up. As she bent low, the full arch of her backside came into full view of the pervert.

    His eyes glowed like the embers of a budding me as one thought filled his heart. Trembling with burning lust, the pervert instantly reached out with his two of his dirty hands as if he were plucking a fruit, and grabbed the buttocks of the waitress.

    Feeling the unsolicited groping of the man''s hands on her body, Tacy jumped up instinctively recoiled with disgust when she turned around and saw the ugly pervert smiling gleefully.

    Xzavier, who had been watching the whole scene from the onset, watched curiously to see how Tacy would respond to the sexual assault. He knew she had a fire in her and he hoped that the pervert would give the bully what he deserved.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But much to his surprise, Tacy simply walked away from the table without even uttering a word. Xzavier sat at his table fuming with rage at the sick disy uncouthness demonstrated by the bully.

    Xzavier''s anger multiplied when he saw how the others were cheering him on instead of rebuking him. There and then, he made up his mind to teach the bully a lesson he would never forget. Xzavier made sure he marked his face so that he could remember him even in the dark.

    Completely unaware of the scious retribution that awaited him around the corner, The poor fool kept gyrating with his friends well into the evening.

    Xzavier was a very patient man. He waited and soon, one by one, the little group started to disband.

    "Finally." Xzavier thought to himself. "I am really going to enjoy this one."

    Xzavier knew that it would be unwise to confront him here in the open. So, he followed him as he staggered out of the underground exchange into the streets, and finally into a lonely corner.

    That was when Xzavier emerged from the shadows like a creature of the night and pounced on the unsuspecting man with a sharp blow to the ribs. It was already night and the alley was bare of any human activity.

    With no source of light, the bully couldn''t see his attacker. It only enhanced his fear. Xzavier spared no strength, he struck his jaw in a two movebo and the bully mmed his head into the wall before copsing on the floor.

    Xzavier used his thick boots to kick him in the stomach some more and melted away into the streets before anyone could identify him.

    The next day, while Xzavier and Tacy were together, Xzavier asked her the question that had been nagging him;

    "Tacy why didn''t you defend yourself yesterday against that pervert?"

    "Come on Xzavier, you know how women are treated around here."

    Xzavier protested;

    "But he touched you inappropriately!"

    "It''s nothing Xzavier, I have seen far worse fates befall waitresses like me." She said dismissively. "I have a good job here because of the old man''s kindness and I am grateful for that. I can''t afford to jeopardize that."

    Xzavier took in her reply and ruminated on it deeply. It wasn''t just what she said, it was also how she had said it. So dismissively, almost as if she had already given up hope that things could ever change for her.

    The unmistakable sadness was hard to ignore. What was even sadder was the fact that she hade to ept this as her fate. Like nothing could ever change for her.

    For the first time, it dawned on him that this was actually a feudal society where women were not rated as first ss citizens and were not allowed to speak.

    Here, strength was the only thing that mattered. Even now, he knew that if he wanted to have her on the table, no one would try to stop him because it would be seen as normal. He remembered Miss Mary who had hanged herself because society had shown her no pity.

    Everyone saw it the norm! The weight of all of this bore down on Xzavier''s chest. He felt like the mythical Titan; As who carried the world on his shoulder.

 Chapter 23 Her Angel

    The situation of things weighed heavily on his mind for days on end. Xzavier who was always consumed with his missions was so consumed by his own thoughts that hepletely forgot that the military system even existed.

    Time passed, but Xzavier didn''t seem to pass with it. With every sunset and sunrise, Xzavier was gued by the knowledge of oppressive environment which his new friend the waitress had found herself in.

    He thought deeply on the unfair quandaries that faced her every single day, as well the fact that she remained powerless against her situation. Xzavier absolutely hated oppression.

    He detested tyranny in any and all forms it took. Right now, it irked him that he couldn''t do more for the oppressed ss in this world. It was toote for people like Miss Mary who had paid the ultimate price for the society''s folly.

    But Tacy was alive and she was the one person whom he could actually help, given his own meagre resources and limited power. So, the thoughtful young man drafted the ideal n. He nurtured it for days and mulled over it before finally putting it to action.

    On one of those particr evenings when he hung out at the underground exchange as he waited for Tacy to finish, he finally made a move to act out his n. While Tacy wiped down the counter, Xzavier surprised her with another one of his famous bombshells.

    "Tacy I want you toe over to my hotel after your shift this evening."

    Tacy''s face immediately turned red. She blushed so hard that Xzavier had to inquire if she was okay.

    "Are you alright? Is this a bad time?"

    The young waitress fought to maintain her cool. Her rosy red cheeks diverted all the blood on her face that her facial muscles refused to allow her open her mouth to speak. Xzavier was always surprising her with his questions and requests.

    One would have thought that Tacy would have been used to it already. But Xzavier was unpredictable. Each time, it genuinely seemed like he kept inventing new innovative ways to sweep her off her feet with his doings and words.

    The mental image her brain had conjured up was a logical one given the way Xzavier had thrown the question to her. Xzavier was a man, so she had been expecting this from him, but even when he made a pass at her, he was coldly perfect.

    "I don''t know about that Xzavier," she replied softly as she avoided his gaze. "I mean, I hardly know you that well."

    "Ohe off it Tacy. We are practically friends now."

    A part of Tacy recoiled at the way Xzavier casually threw the word ''friends.'' She was crushing hard on him, and she hoped they would be more than that soon. Trying to be coy, Tacy replied him elusively;

    "I am not saying yes, but I am also definitely saying no either. Let''s just see how it goes."

    Xzavier raised his eyebrows quizzically in the manner that was typical of him whenever she said something daft. He pressed on relentlessly.

    "It''s either a yes or a no Tacy, it''s really not that hard."

    Tacy wasn''t shocked by his persistence. Just as she was about to cave in, Xzavier teased her further;

    "We both know I am your only friend Tacy, so quit the jibber jabber and tell me already."

    Tacy was flustered. His impudence and presumptuousness could make him seem overly confident sometimes.

    The truth was Tacy had already made up her mind toe over from the very moment he had asked, but she wanted to y him a little longer just to weigh how much he wanted her toe over. Satisfied with her little experiment, Tacy finally consented.

    "Fine, I''lle over as soon as I finish my shift here. Say seven-ish?"

    "Seven is fine."<novelnext></novelnext>

    As she finally agreed, Tacy looked for a sign of relief or joy in his face, but as usual, Xzavier''s face was as unreadable as a bronze statue.

    "I''ll be heading off now, see you then."

    Tacy waved at him as he left. As she watched him leave through the exit, she noticed that Xzavier didn''t turn to look back. He never did.

    She finished the rest of her shift hurriedly. Her brain was already melting with the thoughts of what awaited her at the end of the evening with Xzavier. She found herself humming a tune and swaying to the rhythm as she locked up the underground exchange.

    As she flirted with the idea of dashing back to her own ce to change into something more fitting, she realized that she would never make it in time.

    She knew how much Xzavier hated tardiness. She cursed herself for not putting on something more alluring at the beginning of the day. But how was she to know that today would be the day?

    Tacy glided through the streets of the town as if she had wings. By the time she arrived at the hotel room, she was a nervous wreck. Besieged with all kinds of thoughts, Tacy stood before the door as if she hadpletely forgotten how to knock.

    Eventually, she summoned the courage to knock and three secondster, Xzavier opened the door with a nk expression on his face.

    "Come in Tacy."

    Tacy didn''t know how, but she found her body moving on its own ord as she floated into the room. Behind her, she heard Xzavier lock the door and her heart began to beat wildly. She had been alone with Xzavier in the past before, but she didn''t know why this felt different.

    The soft candle light from the candlesticks bathed the room in a warm orange light. Still standing, her palms suddenly began to feel sweaty. Her stomach felt as though there were butterflies, she was well aware of Xzavier''s presence behind her. With her back still turned to Xzavier, she began to stammer.

    "Xzavier¡­look¡­uhmm¡­I think we should uhmm¡­"

    With no echoing footsteps at all, Xzavier''s form suddenly appeared before her clutching something in his hands.

    "Oh no!" she thought. "This is all moving too fast."

    Xzavier finally spoke up in a clear strong voice;

    "Listen to me Tacy. I want you to take this money and leave this dangerous ce immediately. You deserve a much better life than the one you''re currently living at the moment. You can start all over again in a much better ce."

    Tacy was sure that at that moment, there wasn''t anyone in the world who was more confused than her. She looked closer at the package in his hands and recognized it instantly!

    It was the same enveloped that contained the gold coins she had personally delivered to Xzavier by Kadin''s orders. She knew that even if she worked hard all her life, she could never amass this much fortune.

    She looked at the gold that Xzavier had handed over to her and swallowed hard. There was no doubting the fact that she could spend the rest of her days very wealthy with this much money. She couldn''t believe what was happening to her.

    This was the type of offer that only came to people in dreams and yet, before her very eyes, it was manifesting beautifully.

    Struggling to find the right words, she lifted up her head from the gold and discovered that she had been all alone in the room for quite a while. Xzavier had left long ago and left her to her dream. Tacy was stunned. Xzavier was her angel after all.

    She had toyed with the idea before, but right now, holding the fortune that was the key to her future, she believed more than ever that angels actually existed.

 Chapter 24 Set Out

    As Xzavier exited the building, he was driven with the unquenchable thirst for justice. He was so consumed with this me it that it was actively threatening to devour him from the inside.

    At this point, he was willing to go all out against an entire herd of orcs. For quite some time, the military system that gave him his new missions had been silent.

    He had hoped that it would issue him a new mission that involved killing off an entire band of orcs. He knew he would derive joy from executing judgment on those blood thirsty depraved creatures.

    The woman who had died as a result of being raped multiple times by multiple orcs was very fresh in his memory.

    Every time he remembered Miss Mary, Xzavier was overwhelmed with a sense of purpose to do something about it. And right now, he had made up his mind to go hard against any orcs he came across.

    "What''s the point in having strength and skill if I can''t use it to help those in need? If the damn system won''t give me a mission involving orcs, I have no choice but to give myself one."

    He consoled himself with the fact that he was a member of the armed forces. It was the military''s duty to stand up for the people.

    Right now, he was in the perfect ce to stand up against the evil that was ravaging thisnd in the form of orcs.

    Because they felt they were unstoppable, the orcs perpetuated all kinds of violence without a single shred of empathy.

    Xzavier knew that if he taught a few of them a sound lesson, the rest would fall in line. He was only a single man, but he knew that he could spin that to his advantage. Because he was alone, he knew that guerri tactics would be extremely effective on the nasty creatures.

    All he had to do was lure find their base or a ce they frequented often, and he would descend on them with the indignation of a malevolent being and decimate thempletely.

    Xzavier had been walking for a while in deep thought, so when he finally came around to his surroundings, he found out that he had strayed well out the town''s borders.

    It was almost as if his subconscious had put his body on auto pilot while he was in deep thought. He took this as a sign, and summoned the military system.

    "Military system activate."

    The response was immediate;

    "System online Major Xzavier Mace."

    Xzavier considered a lot before he made his request. He knew that orcs were not like goblins whocked individuality andmon sense. He had heard tales of their exploits which portrayed their willingness to kill and as well as their affinity for destruction.

    So, Xzavier knew that he couldn''t do anything short of matching their violence with an equally greater destructive force. A simple sniper''s rifle wouldn''t do much. He had to bring out the big guns.

    So, it was with great pleasure that he ced his next request to the system.

    "System, listen very carefully. I want a rocketuncher with three RPGs, I want twenty grenades, twentynd mines, aplete set of NIJ-grade body armor, a semi-automatic rifle, and some other misceneous battle equipment."<novelnext></novelnext>

    The system paused for a few seconds before answering him in its automated voice:

    "Affirmative. Please stand by Major Xzavier Mace."

    Xzavier knew that he had earned and umted a lot of points from his previous missions. So, he basically had everything he needed to cash out on such arge order of weapons. Everything he had requested for was intentional.

    Xzavier not only nned to kill off the orcs, he nned to make it a great ughter. He knew that this was the onlynguage they could ever understand. Fortunately for him and unfortunately for them, violence and destruction was anguage that he spoke fluently.

    The system soon gifted Xzavier his prized possessions. The fresh mechanical smell of military grade weapons always excited Xzavier. He took out every piece of equipment and weapon and inspected it thoroughly.

    The first thing he did was to strap on his NJ-grade body armor. It was made from the finest fibers of Ker which could stop a bullet and a de. It was also created with fittings for different kinds of equipment and weapons. The explosive devices were all activated and ready to be deployed.

    It was almost midnight, and once again, Xzavier found himself on the hunt again in the woods. Only this time, he wasn''t gunning for a miserable immature goblin with an ordinary sniper, this time, he was well equipped with enough ammunition to level an entire vige.

    With everything he needed to bring hell to the orcs who were unfortunate to meet him, Xzavier set out into the sparse vegetation that was east of the town.

    With his system full of weapons of destruction, Xzavier weaved seamlessly through the woods like an apex predator on the prowl.

    Even at night, Xzavier was still an excellent tracker, using his night vision goggles, Xzavier searched for footprints as he scanned the residual heat signatures that showed him the recent activity in his surroundings.

    The information which Tacy had given him concerning the orcs proved to be effective as searched for them. Soon enough, he chanced upon sets of extrarge footprints that led him deeper and deeper into the womb of the forest.

    Xzavier was on full alert. He hadn''t tangoed with orcs before so he was a bit unfamiliar with their tactics, but he suspected that they were also vignt creatures since they were capable of ambushing unsuspecting travelers and hunters.

    The moonlit night gave him a little bit of leeway as he paved through the jungle in search for his prey. As the footprints on the earth became more and more pronounced, Xzavier picked up on a blood trail as well.

    He deduced that the orcs were pursuing a wounded animal or person. Somehow, Xzavier doubted that arge group containing this much orcs would waste their time on a prey as basic as an ordinary animal. No, it had to be a human.

    By the looks of it, the human was severely injured. Determined to find them, he pressed on with renewed vigor.

    A short whileter, Xzavier reaped the first reward of his diligence and persistence. Not too far ahead of him, he began to hear the sound of fighting. He crouched down and listened closely with rapt attention as he struggled to discern the loud sounds and figure out what was going on.

    "Finally," he thought to himself; "I FINALLY GET TO SEE SOME ACTION!!"

    Hidden in the bushes, and with the ck night as his covering, Xzavier struggled to make sense of the battle noises he was hearing. It appeared that they group ahead was involved in an altercation. But he couldn''t make out the details because he was still at least several meters behind.

    "Damn it! I need to know what it happening!"

 Chapter 25 Encounter

    Xzavier knew he couldn''t make a well informed without adequate information. So he did the next best thing given the situation; he began to make the necessary preparations for the encounter ahead.

    He guessed there might be several orcs to handle at once, and since there was a human involved, Xzavier couldn''t just bomb them away to the Stone Age as he had initially nned.

    He skittered through the bushes and covered another thousand meters before he finally came up on the scene. The night sky was still dark and the moonlight was dim, so, Xzavier put on his night goggles and switched to infra-red disy.

    He deftly ascended up a nearby tree and quietly settled down to map out the scene. From there, he watched with hawk like eyes the event on the ground below him.

    It turned out that the battle he had thought was raging was actually long over. Sprawled on the ground in haphazard formations were the dead bodies of several human soldiers. There were at least two dozen corpses.

    From the height Xzavier stood, even he could tell that the battle had been a fierce one. The very terrain itself had been changed as a result of the intense battle.

    Trees were battered, braches were broken, and the stench of fresh blood soaked the earth and seeped into the air.

    The bodies of the fallen had been gored as their entrails spilled out of their guts. It was clear that the soldiers had fought valiantly given the whole situation of things, he was a soldier so Xzavier could tell.

    Xzavier averted his gaze from the dead and shifted his focus from the casualties to the other forms he saw.

    Standing at approximately ten meters ahead of him and far away from the dead bodies, the orcs that Xzavier had been hunting for all this while came into the full view of his orbit. He had never seen an orc before.

    Since this was his first time, he took his time to drink in every detail about them.

    The first thing Xzavier noticed about these creatures was their size. The orcs were freakishly huge and crazy tall! Unlike the moderately sized goblins whom Xzavier had ughtered before, the stature of these orcs made them look like mere sheep.

    Where the mouths of the orcs were supposed to be, were massive tusks that resembled those of a rhinoceros. The orcs had the form of men, in the sense that they could walk uprightly. They also had two hands and two feet. But that was where the resemnce ended.

    Their torsos were as thick as tree barks and their chests were nothing but pure muscle and fat. When they opened their mouths tomunicate, it sounded like something between the roar of a lion and the deep grunt of a man with a bass voice.

    They were semi naked save for loin cloths that barely covered their privates. Some of them were injured presumably from the battle, but they didn''t seem to be bothered by the blood flowing from their though skins.

    Xzavier noticed for the first time that there were no dead orcs. The only dead bodies were the human soldiers. The impact of this information wasn''t lost on Xzavier at all. It turned out that Tacy''s intelligence had been right after all- orcs were indeed very formidable adversaries.

    They seemed to have no problem with crushing human hunters and soldiers alike. The scene before him was a clear testament to that fact.

    Xzavier was exceedingly d that he had brought along his explosives otherwise it would have been a real trouble having to slice them up with ordinary des. He could easily end them by simply throwing a few grenades in the midst.

    He sighed inwardly at the thought of this whole thing ending so quickly.

    "It seems like this may actually end much sooner than I anticipated."<novelnext></novelnext>

    He reached into his vest to pull out a handful of grenades when a small movement caught his eye. There were someone right in the middle of the orcs and it seemed to be alive.

    The orcs had formed a circle so their towering frames had blocked out what appeared to be the figure of a slender human woman.

    They were all looking her menacingly as they grunted mockingly.

    Xzavier''s anger came back again in full force as soon as he remembered Miss Mary, the woman who had hung herself as a result of the shame she had suffered at the hands of the orcs who had raped through virtually all her organs.

    And now, it seemed like the orcs were about to replicate the same thing with the poor woman. Seething with rage, Xzavier took off his night vision goggles to get a closer look at the woman.

    Thedy was dressed in a white gown that had been torn already. Even under the pale moonlight, Xzavier could tell that she was a real beauty. The golden locks of blonde hair on her head shone despite the epassing ckness of midnight.

    Her full heavy breasts poured out generously from the torn gown. She was lying on the ground helplessly and trembling so a good portion of her thick luscious thighs were out in the open as well.

    She was slender in limbs and in the waist, but that was where her slenderness ended. Every other part of her vivacious body was well proportioned. Xzavier noticed all of these gifts from nature which the young woman was endowed with. But unfortunately, so did the orcs.

    Whimpering and trembling, the poor girl was well aware of what was toe next. She had been running for a long time from the orcs so shecked the strength to beg talk less of running or fighting back.

    One of the orcs, a bigger and meaner version of the rest stepped forward and closed in on the girl. He grunted something to the others. Apparently it was funny as the others grunted in what sounded like encouragingughter.

    With his massive arm, he reached down and pinned the girl down to the ground by clutching her throat. With his other hand, he fumbled beneath her gown and thrust his thick fat stubby fingers into the tender regions beneath her thighs.

    She poor girl cried out like a cornered animal. Her scream cut through the stillness of the night. He dug his fingers deeper and watched the girl scream some more before he removed his fingers from her and tasted it with his mouth.

    It drove the creature into a frenzy. He adjusted his position and lifted up the loin cloth to reveal an extremely long fat beastly cock with screaming veins that resembled the biceps of a man.

    With the girl still on the ground and with his hand still on the girl''s throat, he climbed up to her face and beckoned her to suck him off. With tears stinging her eyes, she shook her head defiantly.

    Therge orc roared, swung his axe and took off the head of an already dead soldier not too far away. The beautiful girl had no more strength left in her, but somehow, her body responded instinctively to the brute disy of strength by screaming out her lungs.

    She felt so dizzy from screaming so much that she gave in.

    Her pain seemed to excite the others. It seemed the more she screamed, the more it turned them on. The savage creatures were already preparing themselves to enjoy the human beauty.

    The most powerful among them would have their way first, the others didn''t mind at all. The girl was horrified when she saw that all the orcs surrounding her had already taken off their loin cloths and had already begun stroking their rock hard cocks in preparation for the drilling that was toe.

    The young beauty closed her eyes. She knew that she would probably bleed to death before all of them were done with her. She knew that by the time thest orc prated her, the orc would be sleeping with a cold corpse.

 Chapter 26 Shot

    Xzavier had chosen a very good vantage point that had gifted him a kind of godlike view of the whole situation. He wasn''t typically an emotional guy, but for some reason, he was triggered by this entire situation.

    This time, he decided he wasn''t going to suppress his emotions. He made up his mind to make ample use of the anger that had been building up in him ever since he heard about the orcs and what they had done.

    He was a smart man, so he knew that jumping in to action was the surest way to automatic failure. More than anyone, he knew that critical thinking and strategic nning were the two pirs of a sessful mission.

    So, he assessed the whole situation from the perfect point of view. Xzavier watched every single orc keenly and noted their mannerisms, their body movements and their weaknesses.

    At the moment, one thing was clear to Xzavier about the orcs; the genitals of the orcs hadpletely repressed and dominated the part of their brains that controlled their reasoning.

    So, they were basically open to both psychological and physical attacks. At the speed of light, Xzavier factored all of these things as his brilliant mind went to work.

    After going through his options, Xzavier made up his mind to use one of his favorite tactics; TERROR. It was a befitting gambit for bullies like orcs who thrived on the fear of their victims. . Xzavier''s mind connected the dots at the speed of light.

    He had the element of surprise, as well as the added advantage of superior weaponry.

    As much as he desperately wanted to st them to bits with a few hand grenades and maybe one RPG, Xzavier knew he couldn''t- he had to save the beauty in the midst of the orcs who were getting ready to spilt her in half with their massive organs.

    Xzavier knew that he needed to act fast, so, he thought of the perfect weapon for the situation- the sleek slender snipers'' rifle.

    Once again, Xzavier had to assume the role of the Angel of Death. It wasn''t his favorite move, he actually preferred close contact methods. But right now, this was the ideal thing to do given the delicate situation. He had to ughter the orcs, but most importantly, he had to save the girl.

    Still crouched in the trees above, Xzavier called out the system in a voice that was barely above a whisper;

    "Military system activate!"

    As usual, he it responded promptly;

    "System online Major Xzavier Mace."

    "System get me an assorted fully loaded sniper''s rifle PRONTO!"

    The military system didn''t disappoint. It responded ordingly;

    "Roger that Major. Please stand by for weapon deployment."

    True to its word, a fully loaded automatic sniper''s rifle appeared right beside Xzavier. He reached for it carefully.

    Not wanting to make any sudden movements that could potentially give away his position, Xzavier carefully sat up and set up the tripod stand for maximum efficiency.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He then expertly ced the slender but dangerously powerful rifle on the tripod stand and bnced it properly. He didn''t forget the silencer, it was his ace in the hole. He fixed it on the far end of the rifle where the bullet was discharged from.

    Satisfied with his set up, Xzavier crouched low, fixed his left eye on the scope and settled on the orcs. He counted seven of them.

    Xzavier adjusted the lens a little bit and zoomed in closer until he had settled on the forehead of the leader of the orcs.

    The despicable creature had a horrendous look in his eye as he anticipated being sucked off by the beautiful woman before him.

    It never crossed his mind even for a split second that he was in any danger at all. As the leader lowered down his fat ugly cock onto the girl whose mouth he had forced open by squeezing her skinny throat with his powerful arm, Xzavier''s lens finally settled on the side of his head.

    Judging by the circumference of the tip of his rock hard cock, it was very clear that it wouldn''t fit into the wide open mouth of the devastated blonde girl, but the orc simply didn''t care.

    Even if he had to split her jaw in half and ram the full length of his bulging cock right into her mouth and right down her throat, he was still going to pleasure himself with her mouth. The orc groaned.

    It was partly because the tip of his cock finally made contact with her lips, but it was also because at that very moment, two four inched bullets had silently prated his skull in quick session in the dark. As his brain shut down, he struggled to make sense of what had happened.

    It was all so sudden that even he didn''t realize he was dying. It was all over in under three seconds. With his hand still gripping the full length of his massive erection, he tumbled over to the side and copsed, hitting the ground with a loud thud. It was only then that blood from the bullet wound began to bud like a budding flower.

    The others weren''t quite sure to make of what they had just witnessed.

    They hadn''t seen or heard the bullet, neither had they sensed any threat nor did they see any thing that suggested that their leader had been killed. Humor was almost non existent among their kind so it didn''t even cross their mind that this was some kind of joke.

    They were very confused. It was only when they inched closer to find out what had happened that they saw the blood. One of them grunted something in theirnguage to the others and the others were instantly on high alert.

    The dramatic shift in the dynamic of the mood was interesting. Only just a minute ago, they were all huddled in a tight circle, stroking their cocks in anticipation of devouring the beauty blonde sprawled out on the ground before them.

    And now, they were on the edge of all out chaos as they fought to make sense of where the attack hade from.

    The blond girl had kept her eyes closed all this while. Even when therge orc dropped to the ground right beside her, she had still stubbornly refused to open her eyes.

    But when she could no longer ignore themotion around her, she opened up her eyes and the first thing she saw was the bleeding corpse with a severe head wound. She opened her mouth and screamed with all her might.

    At that very moment, something interesting happened, Xzavier had been struggling to lock in on a target as they were all moving haphazardly.

    So he released the shot anyway hoping one of the orcs would get caught by a stray bullet. His wish came true but in the most unconventional way.

    As if guided by a divine hand, the bullet had pierced through the scrotum of one of the orcs and violently ruptured one of its testicles. Hot searing pain shot through his entire body. As if in sync, he screamed out violently just as the young girl also screamed.

 Chapter 27 Hunting

    For the others, that was the wake up call they needed. They all ducked behind arge tree as they cowered in fear.

    Their terror was greatly enhanced by the fact that they couldn''t detect nor sense the source of the attack. The orcs had gotten pretty familiar with the fighting tactics of the human hunters. They knew that human hunters generally just avoided them rather initiate contact with them. Most times, the hunters simply went around them if they sensed orcs up ahead.

    So, they thought they were dealing with a much higher and much advanced race. This terrified them. They hadn''t Seen any movement nor head anything, and yet, two of their own had been smitten.

    The roaring pain of the orc whose scrotum had been destroyed filled the ears and hearts of the other orcs with ominous doom.

    When the orcs scampered into hiding behind the tree trunk, Xzavier instantly recognized that his vantage point had beenpromised.

    He assumed that they would stand their ground against him and emerge from their hiding ce once they smelt or detected his presence. So, he began to prepare to evacuate and find a more suitable ground to bring the battle in his favor.

    Xzavier stood up from where he had been crouched as a sniper. Before he dropped down from the tree, Xzavier remembered that he was yet to finish off the whimpering orc clutching his genitals.

    Xzavier knew that had to be more flexible or else he would run the risk of losing them. So he quickly picked up the few supplies he needed and chased and weaved in and around the jungle floor like a ghost haunting a sacred ground.

    Even if Xzavier could be seen, the naked eye would have a seriously difficult time following his movements. He was adept at bing one with his surroundings. He blended in as one with the jungle.

    Like a cheetah on the prowl, he jumped over hurdles and closed in on his prey with an impressive speed. In a series of unfathomable and undiscernible movements, Xzavier managed to circle round the cowering orcs. It was an extraordinary feat.

    With no prior knowledge of these woods, Xzavier had masterfully turned the game in his favor by doing the impossible; he was now hunting the apex predator in its own habitat while craftily concealing his presencepletely.

    Xzavier''s maneuvering soon came to an end, he found the perfect spot that gave him a decent line of sight of the orc he had initially shot in the testes. It was a hollowed out space between two trees that provided him with covering and at the same time, the ideal high ground for a sniper to operate from.

    Quicker than a logistics expert, Xzavier expertly set up his tripod stand and once again set up his snipers rifle as he honed in on his target.

    He deftly adjusted his scope and scanned the environment for his prey. He didn''t search for long, he found the culprit crawling on all fours on the floor of the jungle.

    He was grunting in a horrible tone that showed he was in deep pain. But that only encouraged Xzavier. He took a deep breath and shot twice.

    The first bullet struck his chest and passed through his heart. Blood spluttered immediately. With his pain now doubled, the ugly orc''s cey rang through the ck night with severe pain resonating in his voice.

    The next bullet shut him up for good, Xzavier shot him through the back of his skull and he slumped immediately. It was a clean shot.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The others were not too far off. They were all huddled together in silence hoping that their attacker would pass them. From where they hid, they had both seen and also heard the loud cry of their fallenrade before he suddenly went silent.

    The terror that overcame them was paralyzing. The confusion was even worse. This spurred them on even more. Just a short while ago they had been the hunters, and now, the hunters had be the hunted. The remaining five orcs trembled greatly.

    There was no spirit ofradery amongst orcs, so they didn''t think twice before abandoning both their dead leader and their dead colleague who had clearly been in a lot pain.

    Terrified, the cowardly orcs dashed out with extraordinary speed that one wouldn''t expect from creatures of their size.

    Their heavy feet thumping the ground, they ran out with amazing speed as they ducked and fled the invisible arrows from the invisible enemy.

    Their fear knew no bounds. As creatures who had always been at the top of the food chain in their own habitat, they were used to having their way.

    The feeling of being hunted down was new to them. The orcs had never fled before because they hadn''t met anything or anyone that could put them to flight. It was unnatural for them to run for their dear lives.

    But still, they turned in the opposite direction and ran from the epassing unknown terror that was steadily creeping up from behind them. The air was one of panic and pandemonium.

    Much to his surprise, Xzavier discovered that he had severely overestimated the orcs'' willingness to fight. Through his night vision goggles, he watched them flee northward without even bothering to check out the enemy.

    Xzavier wasted no time. He had to change his tactics to an all out assault. Psychologically, they were unbnced. They were running from an enemy who didn''t need to make contact with them before he could kill them. This terrified the hell out of them. So, they tore through the jungle at lightning speed.

    Any other hunter would have been satisfied with killing just two orcs. But Xzavier had never been the one to allow an enemy slip through his hands especially when he had the arsenal to decimate them. He had been trained to be thorough in whatever he did.

    So, Xzavier knew that he couldn''t very well allow those five get away. Xzavier tinged with excitement. This were starting to get really interesting for him.

    He wasn''t a big fan of chasing down his enemies to finish them off, but something about this felt right. The orcs were pretty Savage predators who were known to prey on the weak, especially humans.

    They were also lustful creatures with a predilection for matured human women. It was sickening just how much joy they derived from drilling just about every avable hole in the female anatomy.

    Xzavier couldn''t he but think that this was a fitting end for these lustful predators. It was poetic justice that they would die in terror as they ran for their dear lives.

 Chapter 28 Chasing

    As he charged after them, Xzavier flirted with the idea ofunching an RPG at them with his rocketuncher. No doubt, it would make his work easier.

    But that would have been too easy, Xzavier wanted to hunt them down and watch the light go out in their eyes as he snatched their soul like a death god with the cold end of his steel. He thought of the perfect weapon for this particr hunt, and decided to go with the AR-15.

    It was the perfect automatic rifle that was built for close and mid range killings. It was also perfect because it had an inbuilt silencer. So the AR-15 could talk in the dark without being seen or heard.

    He picked it out of the duffel bag and ng it over his shoulder. He stuffed five clips of live ammunition into hisbat trousers and charged after the five cowardly orcs.

    As his boots touched down on the earth with each step, not one single sound was made. Xzavier was in no great hurry. Orcs were not built for running long distances so he knew that they would soon burn out.

    He switched to infra red disy as he marched through the woods clutching his rifle in both hands.

    The skimping images of the orcs soon came into the full view in Xzavier''s night vision goggles just ahead. Xzavier''s predictions had been right after all. Their strides were starting to slow down as they fought to put as much distance between them and the invisible enemy closing in behind them.

    As Xzavier watched the orcs struggle to get away from him. He noticed one other thing.

    "Wow, these are some really dumb creatures! How is it that are they still together?"

    Xzavier wasn''t exactly thinking about how good their sense ofradery was. In fact, it was the pr opposite! It made no sense whatsoever that they had chosen to band together in flight.

    The most sensible thing to do at the time was to split up! This would greatly increase their chances of escaping and at the same time, make it harder for their pursuer to capture and kill them. By all count, it seemed that theycked the basic intelligence that came with ensuring individual survival.

    Xzavier was stunned by theirplete and utterck of tactfulness. Their abandonment of simple logic told him all the needed to know about their level of intelligence.

    Just a short while ago, as they surrounded their victim in preparation of the serial raping to follow, Xzavier had observed a certain cohesiveness in them.

    At the time, it suggested that they were more than just beasts, the sinister way in which they had teased their prey made it seem like they were also adept at psychological warfare.

    But it turned out that Xzavier had beenpletely wrong. Their intelligence couldn''t possibly bepared with that of humans.

    Xzavier didn''t dwell too much on the foolhardiness of the orcs fleeing before him. Either way, he was determined to use their tactless and thoughtless nature to his advantage.

    He had to finish them off now that they were still together. He also recognized one factor that was ring; the fact that they stuck close to each other as they ran suggested the fact that they were extremely terrified.

    And because of their terror, they sought the falsefort that came with being surrounded by their own kind.

    At this point, Xzavier was practically one with his AR-15. With his right Forefinger clutching the trigger, and his left hand holding on to the outstretched end of the weapon, Xzavier forged ahead through the woods with a confident stride and with the intense aura of a killer on the hunt.

    It was still pretty dark, so he had on his night vision goggles that gave him a pretty good image of the orcs scuttling ahead of him. As Xzavier had anticipated, the orcs began to slow down.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Their stamina wasn''t built for fleeing so they stumbled and fell as they struggled to keep up with their original pace.

    Xzavier gained in on them without any hassle. Soon enough, the back of the orc in the vanguard came into his orbit. He chuckled to himself as he lifted up his weapon to take aim;

    "I''ve got you now you vile creature!"

    Thest orc behind them all struggled to keep up with the others. Clearly he was the weakest and the most terrified. He kept stumbling and falling and stumbling and falling in his bid to match the long strides of his superiors before him.

    Xzavier watched with malicious glee and the orc struggled desperately to stay on his feet. But s, it was his time to go and Xzavier had no pity for it.

    Xzavier made no move to mask his presence. In fact, it was his hope that they would sense himing and burn hotter with the cold smoldering me of despair. He lifted his rifle to his eye line and aimed at thest orc.

    By some cosmic chance, the orc fell again. It was almost as if some divine hand was wearing it down to be killed by the heartless assassin behind. As it struggled to get up, Xzavier squeezed his trigger.

    The bullet silently flew through the rustling leaves and struck the unfortunate creature at the back of its neck. Like an animal caught in a trap, it yelped and slumped to the ground never to rise up again.

    The other orcs ahead of it were way too concerned about their own survival that they didn''t hear or notice when theirrade fell. Even if they had heard, it wouldn''t have made any difference. They tore through the woods in the darkness with the wind rushing past their ears and the rustling leaves brushing against their skin that had been dampened by dew.

    Xzavier''s cold ck form loomed over the bleeding corpse of the orc he had just killed. He looked at it, hesitated for a bit, and then shot it twice through the head again.

    "Can''t take any chances with these damn things. You''d better stay dead your ugly bastard."

    Satisfied, Xzavier pressed on to the others. In no time, he came up behind the already fatigued orcs. Xzavier knew that right new, they were running on fumes. To the orcs, it felt like they had been running for seven days. Their lungs were devoid of rest. And yet, their fear of death spurred them on.

    Xzavier lifted up the cold steel of his rifle, and in the same manner, he eliminated two of the remaining four orcs.

    Each time, Xzavier made sure to pump their dead bodies with live ammunition. He sprayed bullets at their heads and made sure to stter their skulls so much so that they would be unrecognizable.

    It wasn''t just for killing sake, it was a premeditated move. In the future, Xzavier wanted any other orc that chanced on their decaying corpses to wonder and be afraid.

    He wanted them to be aware that there was a predator out there who enjoyed decimating them and their kind. He wanted them to know fear for the first time. Xzavier wanted them to know that he wasing for them.

    These were his thoughts as he emptied entire clips of live ammunition all over the dead bodies of the corpses.

    Having killed off the other orcs, Xzavier was confident in the fact that if he continued in this same manner, the other two would be finished way before sunrise. After killing the third to thest orc, Xzavier turned in the direction of the other two.

 Chapter 29 Dawn

    The remaining two quickly realized that they were the only two left alive. They were thrown in to deep confusion.

    They didn''t even know when the killings had taken ce and this troubled them greatly. What puzzled them the most was that there hadn''t been a single sound that suggested a battle had taken ce. Orcs by nature had no understanding of the word ''stealth.''

    To them, the only way to kill was by ravaging and by physical destruction. It was virtually impossible for them to imagine killing any other way.

    So it really spooked them that something could kill them and not be seen. To them, it was an invisible malevolent entity soaring above in the skies that was killing them with sorcery.

    To the hopelessly ignorant orcs, there was countering this enemy that couldn''t be seen. The only way was to simply run and hope that the others behind would get killed first while they made their way to safety. So far, this n had worked for the remaining two.

    But, to the second orc, it was beginning to dawn on him that he had run out of orc-shields. He knew that he had to make an executive decision and fast, or he was going to be next.

    So, primitive instincts took over. He stretched out his massive hand with all his power and brought down his axe on the shoulder bone of his unsuspectingrade.

    The pain and the shock blended together in one colossal wave and brought the dumbstruck orc to the ground. The other orc pressed on happily thinking he had gotten away by sacrificing hisrade.

    Xzavier who had been watching the orcs closely was taken aback by the cowardly action taken by the orc. A few seconds ago, Xzavier had been confident that there was no possible way that he could hate the orcs more than he already did. Totally disgusted, Xzavier cursed under his breath;

    "Shit! These orcs really are the worst! This is definitely the worst possible character a beast can exhibit. Betrayal and cowardice is totally uneptable!"

    It was now clear to Xzavier that the orc would do anything to survive, even it meant killing its own kind. Xzavier made up his mind to waste the orc in the meanest way possible.

    So, Xzavier immediately made the disloyal orc his priority. It was ironic because the orc had done what it did in a bid get away from Xzavier''s wrath.

    But unfortunately for it, its n had backfired. The orc''s foolish decision had proven to be counterproductive and it didn''t even know just how much its cowardice had angered Xzavier.

    The orc congratted itself on having aplished its mission. As he ran, he decided to turn back with the hope that he would see the result of his proactive decision.

    Much to the orc''s horror, it discovered that Xzavier hadpletely ignored the injured orc and was now gaining fast on him. This particr orc was even more cowardly and more terrified of Xzavier than the others who had died.

    It was this fear that had kept him running ahead of the others during the hunt. It was this same fear that prompted him to strike down its ownrade.

    So, what happened next wasn''t entirely surprising, the orc''s next action was consistent with its character as a pathological coward.

    Realizing that there was no hope whatsoever, the orc stopped running abruptly and dropped to its knees in surrender.

    Xzavier noticed this and slowed down his pace. He approached the kneeling orc carefully with his rifle stretched out and his finger on the trigger. He wasn''t going to allow a vile creature like this get the jump on him.

    The orc was confused. It couldn''t quite make out the figure before him. Xzavier''s all ck battle gear and night vision goggles made the orc think that he was a different breed entirely.

    He soon began to speak and roll out iprehensible words in quick session as he kowtowed to the demon d in ck before him.

    The orc''s words bore no meaning to Xzavier. The dialect was not in the least familiar to Xzavier. As he struggled to make sense of the strange speech, the military system stepped in to assist and automatically, the trantion of the orc''s speech flowed in Xzavier''s ears;

    "¡­please spare me oh terrible one. I am but a lowly creature and I do not deserve to die. If you will spare me I promise to¡­"

    Xzavier''s bullet ended the orc before he couldplete its speech. Xzavierughed at the orc''s futile attempt at negotiations.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "There''s no way in hell I will ever take anyone who betrays his own seriously."

    Xzavier walked over to its bleeding body and spat on it as he spoke:

    "Eat dust you double crossing cunt!"

    With that, Xzavier began to riddle the bloated corpse of the orc with bullets. From skull to groin, Xzavier sttered it until its entrails were visible. Satisfied with his handwork, Xzavier doubled back in the direction of the wounded orc.

    The wounded orc was grasping for air and trying to crawl away when Xzavier came up on him.

    Through the military systems trantions, Xzavier struck up a conversation:

    "Okay buddy, you''re going to tell me everything I want to know and I will let go. Where is the home base of the orcs?"

    The orc was surprised that the demon before him could speak the dialect of the orcs. He was so dumbstruck that he stayed mute. Xzavier was in no mood to be toyed with.

    So, to show that he meant business. He shot the injured orc in the knees. The pain raged through him as if an entire mountain had been rammed into his knee. The orc began to talk immediately;

    "Okay! okay! The main stronghold of the orcs is in a valley, about twenty miles south east from here!"

    Xzavier looked at the orc questioningly.

    "You do not want to mess with me right now trust me. You know what happens if you''re lying right?"

    The orc cried back;

    "I swear I am¡­"

    Xzavier shut the orc up with a bullet between its eyes. He was satisfied with the answer he had gotten.

    Having sessfully aplished what he had set out to do. Xzavier finally allowed himself to breathe freely. What had seemed like an impossible task had been taken care off within a very impressive time frame. Seven orcs. All dead. All unrecognizable.

    Xzavier looked to the sky and saw that signs of dawn were hovering and looming at the edge of the sky. The slight golden orange streaks in the horizon told him that the sun would soon be up.

    As he contemted his next move, he suddenly remembered one Kay detail that he had very nearly forgotten; the beauty with the golden hair whom he had left behind as he pursued the orcs.

    "I better go get her."

    Xzavier thought to himself as he turned in the direction where it had all started from.

    "I hope she''s still there though, the poor thing must be in shock."

    Xzavier doubled back and picked up his pace. He hoped that another misfortune hadn''t befallen her since he had left her behind to go kill off the orcs. He cut through the woods as he retraced his steps. A few minutester, he arrived at ground zero.

 Chapter 30 Adalia

    To his surprise, Xzavier found the young beauty sitting on the floor and clutching her knees in the middle of the dead bodies. She waspletely still.

    Frozen in ce like a bronze statue, she stared into space with a disturbingly nk expression on her face. Xzavier couldn''t me her. He knew that given all that she had witnessed only a few hours ago, the young beauty was probably in shock.

    She would probably have nightmares for a while. But there was no doubting the fact that she definitely wouldn''t forget about this particr night in a hurry.

    Xzavier stood afar off as he wondered how to approach her. It was clear that her fear had caused her to space out. So, she wouldn''t hear him as he came up from behind her.

    He also knew that because she couldn''t hear him, it would be like he had crept up on her and the additional shock could cause her to faint and probably send her into aa.

    Xzavier assessed the situation and knew that his best bet would be to announce his presence by calling out to her from afar as he approached her slowly.

    So, Xzavier took a deep breath and called out to her in his best impression of a non-threatening voice;

    "Hello there!"

    Xzavier''s loud voice broke the stillness of the open clearing. His call did the trick on the young girl. She was pulled out of the sea of deep thoughts in which she had submerged her mind.

    Life returned to her face as she instinctively jerked her head in the direction of the voice. At first, she was d to have heard a human voice, but she was taken aback when she saw the sinister form of Xzavier in his all ck attire and a rifle slinging from his shoulder.

    Xzavier saw her face and instantly knew that she was about to scream.

    "Damn it!" he cursed inwardly, "What is it about me that makes people so scared?"

    The young girl opened her mouth and let out a deafening scream.

    Xzavier lifted up his hands reassuringly and approached her gently;

    "It''s okay young girl. You don''t have to be scared alright? I have killed all the orcs so you''re safe now."

    At hisst statement, the young girl calmed down a bit. She was very much still shaken, but she at least seemed to be getting her cognitive functions back. As Xzavier came closer to the young girl in white, he was taken in once again by what he saw.

    It turned out that he had been mistaken when he had thought of her as a young girl. No, this was a grown woman. The closer Xzavier got to her, the more he appreciated just how stunning she was.

    She was indeed a beautiful woman by every standard. Asides from her ethereal milk likeplexion that made her seem like a ss of milk, the first thing that struck Xzavier was her endearing facial features. To him, she resembled a goddess from the ancient statues he had seen.

    Her high cheekbones, her perfect lips, and even her burning ck eyes contributed to her allure. Xzavier didn''t miss the perfect yellow locks of hair that fell from her head to her waist like a golden mane.

    It didn''t happen too often, but Xzavier was smitten.

    Her face, hair andplexion were one thing, but her body was a whole other thing. Her slender limbs were in direct contrast to the fullness of her body parts. Even as Xzavier gazed at her, he found himself taken in by the sexually charged atmosphere around the strange woman.

    Her voluptuous breasts hung out of her semi torn gown, and in response to the cold morning air, her nipples stood out firm and strong, bursting against her gown.

    Her thick luscious thighs blew out of her otherwise slender tummy like an hourss.

    With the beauty sitting on the ground, as Xzavier stood above her as she looked back at him with those eyes and with one arm covering her overflowing cleavage, Xzavier finally understood why those orcs were driven into a sexual frenzy.

    He understood why they had killed off all those other soldiers just so they could have their way with her.

    The image of the orc digging his fingers into the tender unexplored regions between her thighs shed through Xzavier''s mind. He finally understood.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The beauty suddenly spoke;

    "Thank you for saving me kind stranger¡­"

    Her voice was soft and silky and it came out of her mouth like smooth whipped cream. Xzavier found himself struggling to focus to hear what she was saying.

    "I am just a humble maidservant in the pce of a ruler. I do not remember how or why, but as I was passing through this area, I was attacked violently by a band of uncivil vagabond orcs."

    Her voice trembled a bit, and then gradually, it broke into a sob as she recounted in a sorrowful tone what had happened to her.

    The more she spoke, the deeper Xzavier sank into the warmth of her aura. He could spend all day just staring at her. It was impossible not to get lost in her ethereal beauty. Even a logical, mission driven mind like Xzavier could attest to the unfathomable glow and inaudible song of the siren before him.

    As she narrated her ordeal to Xzavier, he noticed that there was a certain vulnerability about her that was almost sensual. Xzavier was faced with a dilemma. Since he had gotten the orc''s base, his original n was to head there immediately andunch an all out assault.

    He had enough ammunition to execute them without even breaking a sweat. But right now, he was worried about the safety of the beautiful woman before him.

    If he left her, there was every possibility that she would be raped bloody by any random band of orcs that may chance upon her.

    These woods were their territory. It wouldn''t be an unlikely event that they might patrol the woods once again. Even if the orcs wouldn''te across her, there was every possibility that other creatures, or even humans might take advantage of her.

    If he couldn''t leave her behind, Xzavier knew that the only other viable option would be to get her to safety and protect her from any other threats that might surface along the way.

    Xzavier quickly ran the numbers and discerned the fact that he would surely lose a lot of time and ground if he decided to help her out.

    There was no way he could get her home safely and at the same time, make it back to his original mission of bombing the base of the orcs.

    As these thoughts raced through his mind, a worried look crept across his face. The beauty (who had been narrating all this while) had fully regained herposure. She was quite perceptive so she picked up on Xzavier''s hesitation. Without beating about the bush, she asked him tantly;

    "What''s the matter stranger? You seem disturbed. Did I do something wrong?"

    Her question jerked Xzavier out of his mental process. He quickly got himself back as she threw her question at him. He knew that her motive wasn''t insincere. Not wanting to lie to her, he considered his answer briefly and replied her ordingly;

    "Honestly, I was on my way to go kill off the remaining orcs. But I remembered you and¡­"

    He paused. Xzavier tried his best not to sound overly egotistical as he answered her. But the blond woman wasn''t in the least bothered about his bravado at the moment. On her own end, she cringed at the mention of the word ''orcs.''

    She fought to push her fears behind her and started to see things from his perspective. She couldn''t fault his reason for hesitating.

    It was understandable. She suddenly realized that she had been discourteous. He had saved her life and she hadn''t even introduced herself.

    "Please, pardon my manners stranger, it rude of me not to have introduced myself¡­"

    She held on to the edge of what remained of her dress and curtsied in the manner that was typical of medievaldies.

    "My name is Adalia sir. My entire family was murdered in one night by the orcs. If you would have me, I would like to tag along with you and watch as you bring an end to their miserable lives."

    Xzavier was surprised. This was far from what he expected from her. He didn''t quite know how to react to the new turn of events. He couldn''t help but be impressed and at the same time, a little worried.

    "I am Xzavier Mace. And Ie from and far away from here."

 Chapter 31 Take A Break

    The tension in the air ceased a bit after both sides introduced themselves. Since she had made up her mind to follow Xzavier to witness the demise of the orcs, they both chatted more freely as they journeyed having gotten each other''s names.

    "So, you said your family were really killed by orcs?"

    She nodded firmly. And with a faraway look in her eyes she added;

    "I was a child then. It was a really traumatizing event. The orcs stormed our small cabin and ughtered my entire family."

    She trembled ever so lightly as she narrated;

    "My poor mother was raped bloody right before my father''s eyes. It was thest thing he saw as he bled out from the wounds inflicted on him by the orcs."

    Xzavier shuddered at her recollection. He asked her gently;

    "But how did you survive the attack as a child?"

    She used the back of her hand to wipe a single tear drop trickling down her face before answering him in a sorrowful tone;

    "As a child, I always loved the riverside. On that particr day, by some random act of fate, I had ignored my mother''s warnings and went down to the riverside to y¡­"

    She paused to catch her breath as she relived the painful memory yet again.

    "By the time I got back, I found my bits and pieces of the flesh of my father and older brothers scattered all over the bloodied house. My poor beautiful mother was bleeding profusely from both of herdy parts after being raped by multiple orcs."

    Xzavier listened on. Her pain was evident.

    "My mother''s jaw had been dislocated because the orcs had forced theirrge organs into her tiny mouth down her throat. She was barely breathing when I found her.

    "Her belly was swollen with liters of semen the orcs had discharged in her. She was soaked in a pool of her own blood. Crying, I held her in my arms as she took herst breath."

    Xzavier now had an inkling on the sort of past Adalia had lived. The short but brief history she had given him showed him that her hatred for orcs ran deep.

    He finally understood why she had been in shock when he found her. Adalia''s family members had been brutally ughtered by the orcs, so it must have been a real terror for her as the orcs prepared to have their way with her.

    Xzavier knew that the nightmare must have had gued her for years, so it was understandable why she hadn''t moved an inch long after he had killed the first orc. Instead, she had chosen to remain in the midst of the carnage.

    Surrounded by the dead bodies of the soldiers who had been gored by the orcs, Xzavier knew that she had been forced to witness again a horror that she had fought to repress.

    He couldn''t help butmend her mental strength;

    "You really are a brave girl Adalia. There aren''t many people who could have endured what you have been through, and participate in hunting orcs."

    The beautiful blonde shook her head sadly and smiled a bitter smile.

    "Please don''t call me brave Xzavier. A brave girl would have been there to defend her family. A brave woman would have at least put up a fight when surrounded by horny orcs looking to **** her¡­ "

    Xzavier kept mute as she paused.

    "I am just a timid girl sir. I have been through a lot, buy I have also taken away a very important lesson from my experience as well.

    Hatred and blood have taught me that tears and anger are the most useless things on earth. Survival is the ultimate battle and I must win at it."

    Xzavier couldn''t help but bitterly remember Miss Mary, thedy who hadmitted suicide after being raped by the orcs. He assumed that most women would pick suicide after experiencing first hand a sexual assault by orcs.

    But Adalia had proven his assumption wrong. She had picked survival over suicide. Xzavier thought to himself;

    "This world really is a terrible ce for women."<novelnext></novelnext>

    The duo had been walking quite a distance now. They had covered a decent five miles since they had begun their journey together. The intensity sun overhead had increased from the warm morning glow of sunrise, to the oppressively overbearing heat of noonday.

    It wasn''t just the humidity, it was also the fact that both of them hadn''t slept a wink all through the night. Xzavier was a trained soldier who had been conditioned to withstand less than unfavorable situations.

    But his femalepanion clearly wasn''t built for the stress. Adalia had spent much of the previous night running from her pursuers, so she hadn''t slept a wink throughout the night.

    In addition to that, she had trekked a good five miles on top of her already fatigued mind and body. So, her countenance grew deathly pale. She managed to hide it for sometime. But she soon started tog behind.

    Her steps slowed down and she began to stumble. Once or twice she almost fell. That was when Xzavier began to notice that Adalia was exhausted. He observed her closely and saw that she disyed all the signs of fatigue.

    There was no doubting the fact that Adalia had a resilient mind, but her resilience just couldn''t support her frail body. Xzavier rebuked himself inwardly for his insensitivity.

    "Of course!" He thought to himself,

    "I should have known that she would be tired already."

    Xzavier wasn''t a fan of telling women what to do. So he deliberated on how best to approach the issue. The ever perceptive Adalia read his mood and asked him what the problem was;

    "I see you stealing nces my way Xzavier. Is there anything you would like to share?"

    Xzavier smiled at her quick thinking. He replied her;

    "I was just thinking, we''ve been at it for a while now. Maybe we can rest for a bit and catch our breath."

    Adalia narrowed her eyes and looked at him suspiciously before she countered him;

    "You don''t look like you''re tired. You look fine to me."

    Xzavier made a move to present his case;

    "Well¡­I was just thinking¡­"

    Adalia suddenly got where he was heading and red.

    "Hold on! You''re not suggesting we take a break because of me right?"

    Xzavier eximed defensively;

    "Hey! I didn''t say that. I¡­"

    She cut him off before he couldnd another excuse.

    "Good! Because I am good to go! Now no more of this monkey business okay? I don''t need to rest."

    She said stubbornly and continued to march on. Xzavier knew that she was a stubborn soul. But it was also evident that she was exhausted.

    He couldn''t force her to take a break. While in deep thought, Xzavier got the surprise of the week- the military system finally spoke. Like someone who had seen a ghost, Xzavier stopped dead in his tracks and listened carefully to the systems utterance.

    "Major Xzavier Mace, please be advised, you have killed a total of seven orcs and received six hundred and ny eight points. Also, you have received a total of seventy five experience points."

    Xzavier waited for the other shoe to drop. But it seemed like that was all the system hade to do at the time. He was used to the military system dropping in unannounced with crazy missions at the most awkward times.

    So when he heard it at the beginning, he held his breath in anticipation of whatever absurd mission that would be handed to him. It was indeed a surprise that the system had simplye to him to remind him of his new points.

 Chapter 32 Armor Motorcycle

    Adalia was surprised when Xzavier suddenly stopped walking. She turned back to see why and was surprised to see that he had a faraway look in his eyes.

    It was a look that suggested that although Xzavier was physically present, his mind was several miles away. She immediately assumed that this was simply a ploy to get her to rest.

    As she opened her mouth to speak, Xzavier gestured at her to keep silent. Surprised, she stood still and scanned her environment hoping to see or hear what had gotten Xzavier so worked up.

    Xzavier had discerned that the system hade to him at that moment for a reason. He knew that it had something to do with their present predicament, so Xzavier wasted no time in cing on order for an armored motorcycle.

    "Military system, I authorize the purchase of an Armor Motorcycle!"

    "Affirmative Major. Unlocked Armor Motorcycle worth 600 points has been purchased."

    Almost immediately, a brand new sparkling Armor Motorcycle appeared out of thin air right beside Xzavier. The surprise was too much for Adalia, she shrieked and squealed at the sight as she marveled at how it had appeared.

    Adalia couldn''t reconcile what she had just witnessed with what she knew about Xzavier. She knew Xzavier was a strange one right from the very moment they had met.

    But she wasn''t quite sure what to make of him right now. But at the moment at the moment, her awe of Xzavier was secondary.

    Right now, she was fascinated by what she had just seen. After seeing the sudden appearance of the ck sleek Armor Motorcycle, Adalia had retreated to quite a good distance away in fear. From afar, not daring toe close, Adalia observed the ck Armor Motorcycle in awesome wonder.

    The Armor Motorcycle was a magnificent sight to behold. Its tough exterior suggested that it was a machine built for circumventing rugged and tough terrains.

    It was built like a beast. The strong glossy ck rubber wheel smelled like a freshly delivered from the factory.

    It had four exhaust pipes (two on each side) that suggested that it couldbust fuel at four times the regr rate, inadvertently boosting its horse power by a significant degree. It possessed a kind armored mechanism at the front that was guaranteed to raze down any obstacle in its path.

    Adalia took in the sight with genuine interest. She immediately concluded that Xzavier must be a Summoner who dabbled in the dark arts. It was the only logical conclusion she could think of to exin all of this.

    Xzavier loved new gear. So, he wasted no time and hopped on his. It was a push to start so it needed no keys. He switched it on and fired up the ignition and revved the engine so hard.

    Vroom! Vroooom!! Vroooom!!!

    It sounded like a rocket sting off in space. Adalia covered her ears with both hands in shock.

    To her, it sounded like an entire horde of wild bulls and orcs mooing and grunting in harmony. Satisfied with the warm up, Xzavier gestured Adalia toe forward and hop on behind him.

    Adalia was scared at first, but her adventurous side prevailed and she gingerly mounted the bike as one would mount a horse. She almost slipped and fell, but Xzavier helped her at thest second.

    He lifted her up as one would easily lift up an eight year old, and ced her gently on the bike. Adalia was thrilled. This was certainly not what her everyday life looked like back at home. Xzavier chuckled slightly when he saw the befuddled look on her face.<novelnext></novelnext>

    After he made sure that she had been positioned well on the bike, he himself mounted on prepped for the journey ahead.

    "Miss Adalia I suggest you hold on tight. We are going to be going really fast."

    Adaliaughed mockingly. Then replied him in a confident voice;

    "Ha! I have ridden the fastest war horse Xzavier, I think I can handle this! Let''s go."

    Xzavier had anticipated the fact that she might say something like that. She was a very willful woman and everything was a contention with her.

    He figured arguing with her was going to be pointless. So, he didn''t even bother trying to convince her. He revved the engine hard and let go of the throttle with a jolt.

    Nothing prepared Adalia for the kickback. She very nearly would have been thrown off the motorcycle had she not managed totch on to Xzavier''s armored vest at thest second. The motorcycle went from zero to eighty kilometers per hour in less than three seconds.

    Adalia''s cries got lost in the wind that seemed to be rushing towards her on both sides. Instinctively, she embraced Xzavier in a tight hug.

    Xzavier stiffened a bit as he felt her luscious breasts pressed up on his back. The cold air had aroused her firm nipples so he could feel them poking him through her threadbare gown.

    Both were adults and were fully aware, this semi-sexually charged undertone added to the thrill of going at a hundred kilometers per hour on a bike with the wind rushing through their hair.

    Quick as lightning, the Armor Motorcycle tore through the forest at supersonic speed. It zoomed through the woods like a wild horse that was out of control.

    The spikes at the front of the motorcycle served as a plough that practically eviscerated everything in its path. The motorcycle was unstoppable. Its tough wheels ran through the bush, thickets and thorns.

    The only thing the spikes in front of the Armor Motorcycle couldn''t crush were the thick tree trunks that littered the forest like massive pirs. But those were the only obstacles in Xzavier''s way.

    He weaved around the trees, expertly dodging them and avoiding any form of collision.

    All around her, images rushed by her with blinding speed.

    The familiar horizon she had thought to be far ahead quickly rushed to meet her and the formerndscape disappeared in a blitz in the distance. The fear that came with the terrifying speed was paralyzing.

    It wasn''t like any horse she had ever ridden, not by a long shot. The strange mechanical buzz and whirring of the motorcycle was unfamiliar and yet, strangelyforting. Gradually, Adalia leaned into it, and with each passing minute, her fear subsided and her confidence increased geometrically.

    Within a very short while, euphoria and ecstasy, as well as a rush of adrenaline overcame her and relegated her original fears to the back of her mind.

 Chapter 33 Reach

    Adalia was high on the thrill of the ride. The blonde beauty was ecstatic. Like the mythical Valkyries who flew down from the heavens, Adalia''s golden hair fluffed in the wind as she flew across the forest.

    She had never been on the end of such a fantabulous experience so she savored every single moment. She knew that in years toe, they would be many a night where she wouldy in bed and recall vividly this very moment.

    It was a moment when she felt the full weight of the word ''freedom.'' It was a moment when she felt unstoppable, powerful and at the same time- excited!

    All around her, like a deity passing through a dimension whosews were far beneath it, enthralled by the seductive power of speed, Adalia felt she was far above thews that governed her world.

    If she didn''t need to hold on for her dear life, Adalia would have wanted to stretch out her arms like with wings of a bird and take in every moment she spent on the motorcycle flying. Her white gown, her beautiful, full blond hair, and her out of this world beauty made her seem like an ephemeral entity.

    The ride had proven to be really therapeutic for Adalia. For someone who had suffered from the overbearing influence of her past, Adalia had never had the opportunity to feel this kind of power.

    It was the kind of joy that came from being in a position of power, a position whereby she could do anything, a position that was further augmented by the hope that she was riding to extinguish the raging me of the orcs who had for so long traumatized her.

    For the first time, the looming shadow of the orcs'' abominations in her past was nothing but a mere memory. Although she didn''t know it at the time, these were the issues that her subconscious was working on as she flew through the woods at a dangerous speed on a vessel she assumed had been birthed from magic.

    Within a significantly short period, her emotions had undergone a very impressive metamorphosis.

    From the initial crippling fear that had engulfed her, to a state of excitement, Adalia had transcended those states into a realm of euphoria and ecstatic bliss.

    It was the kind of high that psychedelics couldn''t possibly give. No, the feeling was only simr to the kind of high that adrenaline junkies got from aplishing extraordinary physical feats.

    She felt a rush of savagery course through her being, and the buildup found its outlet through her mouth from her vocal chords. Adalia began to scream. It wasn''t a scream of helplessness or despair, it was a shout of joy.

    The kind that was birthed from pure happiness.

    Seated at the front of the motorcycle, Xzavier heard Adalia shouting ecstatically behind him. Though her voice was lost in the rushing wind all around him and in the steady whirring of the motorcycle, Xzavier could tell that she was joyous. He could tell by the way the tightened her embrace.

    As she held on to him, he could feel her heartbeat rising every second. He smiled to himself as he thought on it;

    "I guess it''s true what they say then, no girl can find it easy to resist the allure of a superfast motorcycle!"

    However, like all things, every experience muste to an end.

    The journey that should have taken them over twenty four hours to cover had been covered in under two hours.

    Adalia was sad when the motorcycle began to slow down as the valley before them, (like the gradual budding of a rare flower) slowly came into their full view.

    Adalia had enjoyed every bit of it while itsted, but she sensed the tension in Xzavier''s shoulders as he drew the motorcycle to a graceful halt, and knew that serious business was at hand.

    She was more than grateful for the experience, but that was merely the appetizer. The real joy woulde from watching Xzavier go to town on the orcs.

    Xzavier had already begun taking due precautions. As they alighted from the motorcycle, Adalia observed that he had stopped three miles away from the orcs'' valley.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She knew that this was intentional. A part of her thought that he would drive in straight to their hideout and begin an all-out assault.

    She had fantasized about it at the beginning of their journey here, but Adalia knew that it was just wishful thinking on her own end. She had seen the way Xzavier had handled the first set of orcs who had surrounded her, so she knew that Xzavier was a thinking man.

    She resolved to watch him work this time. As she was still thinking, Xzavier muttered some strange words like he was speaking to something she couldn''t see;

    "Military system, repossess the Armor Motorcycle instantly!"

    And sure enough, in the blink of an eye, Xzavier withdrew the motorcycle into the system. Adalia watched aghast as the ck machine she had ridden suddenly vanished.

    She opened her mouth to ask Xzavier how he did it but quickly shut her mouth when she saw the seriousness on Xzavier''s face as he scouted the terrain.

    The valley before them was like a deep gully in the middle of the woods. The valley looked like the scene where a meteorite had crashed.

    The depression in the earth was surrounded by high rise trees, vegetation and cliffs. It was behind these trees that Xzavier and Adalia had chosen to hideout and strategize.

    The sun was high up in the sky and shone directly over the valley, so, hidden in the surrounding woods, both of them were protected from the full re of the sun''s harsh rays and at the same time, they were shielded from the sight of any orcs.

    From this vantage point, Xzavier''s watchful eyes poured over every detail in thendscape before him. He didn''t miss a single thing.

    He took a closer look and soon found what he was looking for. At the base of the valley, in the northeast, he spotted orc activity. Sprawled in uneven formation, at the base of the valley were a tribe of orcs. They came in all shapes and sizes. But they were still repulsive nheless.

    That was the confirmation he had been waiting for. Although he knew that the dying orc couldn''t possibly have lied about this location, but he was a wary man by nature so he just couldn''t take any chances.

    Now that he had seen tribe of orcs, Xzavier watched the valley closely. He soon discovered a certain peculiar cliff close to the valley that was partly hidden in the bushes, and at the same time, extended into the valley a bit. Xzavier beckoned Adalia toe, she shuffled over on her feet, and Xzavier exined what he nned to do;

    "Look over there¡­"

    He pointed in the direction of the cliff and Adalia''s eyes followed.

    "Do you see that cliff?"

    She nodded.

    "We are going there. It''s the perfect ce to stay to observe the orcs. And also, it is perfect for an ambush."

    He didn''t wait for her to ask any questions or digest the information he had just handed to her. He simply headed there as she followed closely behind him. As a race, the orcs had several tribes littered across the world.

    This valley was home to the particr tribe of orcs that troubled the town. Xzavier estimated that there would be between four hundred to four hundred and fifty orcs in this particr tribe. As he headed to the cliff, Xzavier began to cook up the best way topletely annihte this tribe. He had some ideas, but he needed the perfect one.

 Chapter 34 How Many

    As the duo steadily made their way up the cliff, Adalia stuck close to Xzavier like a second shadow. Not daring to make a sound, she tip-toed her way as they ascended the cliff, not daring to step outside the path that Xzavier had already zed for her.

    Like a child or an apprentice following a senior, she stuck close to him, literally walking in his every footsteps.

    With only a couple of hours to dusk, the evening sun hung in the western part of the sky, bathing the valley and the surrounding terrain in a dull brownish-orange.

    Adalia and Xzavier were headed eastwards so they didn''t have to deal with the re of the evening sun. With the sun''s rays behind them, they trudged on in silence until they arrived at the top of the cliff.

    From the height from which they stood, Adalia and Xzavier looked down and saw the orcs in the valley below. As Adalia strained her eyes because of the distance, she noticed Xzavier had lifted up to his eyes two iron cylinders that had been bound together.

    At first, it puzzled her. It made no sense that Xzavier would willingly choose to impair his own vision with a pair of iron cylinders. But as she watched him keenly, she silently observed that Xzavier''s sight was far from blocked.

    If anything, he seemed to be watching something closely. His tense shoulders, his regted breathing, and his unusual fixation on the tubes all pointed towards the fact that Xzavier was watching.

    But no matter how the blonde beauty tried to rack her brain, she found herself in the dark.

    Unable to contain her curiosity anymore, and with her heart beating nervously, Adalia finally confronted Xzavier.

    "Pardon me Mister Xzavier sir, but what is that?"

    Xzavier put down the binocrs and stared at her with a nk look.

    "What?"

    Adalia enlightened him by pointing towards the binocrs which was firmly locked in his strong hands.

    "You mean this?" Xzavier asked to be sure.

    Adalia nodded affirmatively.

    For a minute, Xzavier forgot that this was a simple country girl from a very different timeline. Of course she wouldn''t know what a pair of binocrs was. Like the rest of the members of this generation, they were still very far from discovering the power of science and applied technology.

    Hence, a pair of high-tech binocrs might as well be an idol or a toy, or whatever the simpleminded folks would interpret it as.

    Xzavier knew exining wouldn''t make it any better. So, he chose to show her instead. He beckoned her toe closer.

    Adalia eagerly stepped forward with the eagerness of one who had been asked toe forward as a volunteer for a magic show.

    Xzavier handed it over to her and spoke slowly, making sure to enunciate each word properly. He didn''t want to have to exin any more than he had to.

    "I use this to see clearly." He said tly.

    Adalia''s clueless set of eyes looking back at him showed that she clearly hadn''t understood him. Xzavier encouraged her to try it.

    "Go on, it is not just me, you can also use it see better."

    It seemed the second and third part of hisst statement had somehow done the trick. She gingerly mimicked his movements and lifted the binocrs and ced them in front of her eyes, hoping to see wonders.

    But to her surprise, she was mmed in the face with a profound disappointment; all she saw was pitch ckness!

    Angrily, she turned towards Xzavier toin.

    "It''s not working for me!" she snapped in annoyance.

    "Oh Xzavier, is it because I am not a top mage or a sorcerer? Why can''t I also see!? I want to see!!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Her petnce was akin to that of a toddler. Even as sheined and wailed like an eight year old, she fumbled with the binocrs frantically, hoping to somehow unlock its powers of greater sight.

    Truly amused, Xzavier watched her battle with his binocrs. The only thing keeping him from bursting out loud inughter was his self-control and self-discipline. This beautiful blonde was proving to be a real character!

    Xzavier''s binocrs was the least sophisticated equipment among his gear, so truth be told, there wasn''t much technicality involved its handling. But the unfortunate Adalia had ced them upside down, hence rendering her own sight virtually useless.

    Xzavier entertained himself a little more as he watched her go toe to toe with his binocrs. Having amused himself, he finally decided to step in.

    "Adalia¡­" he began calmly,

    "You ced them upside down."

    Adalia was as transparent as theye, he watched as a look of realization dawned on her. She refused to dwell on her mistake any longer than she had to.

    The young woman immediately applied Xzavier''s correction and flipped the binocrs. This time, she lifted it purposefully over her eyes, and stared in the direction of the orcs.

    "WOW!!" Adalia eximed.

    "This is incredible!! It is all so clear! I feel like I am literally standing close by!"

    Truly the young beauty was overjoyed. Xzavier could see that clearly. He observed her calmly as she shook with excitement. Never had he thought he would see anyone this happy to see a whole tribe of orcs.

    Still basking in the joy of her victory, Adalia turned sharply in Xzavier''s direction and tapped him on the shoulder. Giddy as a child, she asked Xzavier happily;

    "Oh mister, are you an alchemist? Because you really must be one to pull off something like this!"

    Xzavier''s first instinct was to counter her wed supposition, but he ended up hesitating at thest moment.

    Upon further thought, Xzavier discovered it was probably better that he agreed with her. It would save him from the burden of having to exin things to her. It was clear as noon day that exining would only lead to more questions, and these questions which would definitely lead to more mysteries.

    Right now, it was expedient that that he simply went along with her.

    So, in a cid tone, Xzavier indulged her;

    "Yes, I am."

    Adalia''s eyes glowed even brighter as Xzavier confirmed her suspicions.

    "I knew it! Oh I knew it!"

    A mischievous expression stole across the blond beauty''s face, recing her excited demeanor. Adalia lowered her gaze and reduced the volume of her voice as she asked Xzavier a roguish question;

    "Mister Xzavier, please tell me, how many orcs do you n on killing this time?"

    Somehow, Xzavier wasn''t entirely surprised by her question. In fact he was a bit moved by her openness about this situation.

    Despite all she had been through at the hands of the orcs, she had willfully chosen to follow him on his mission to exterminate them.

    The hour of judgment was at hand. The hour she had been waiting her whole life was finally here.  She was simply grateful to be here to watch the orcs fall under Xzavier''s wrath. But it didn''t mean that she wasn''t going to savor it.

    Xzavier stared at Adalia. He understood part of her pain. So instead of answering her directly, he turned the question around and made it more personal;

    "How many would you like me to kill?"

 Chapter 35 All Of Them

    The severity of the question wasn''t lost on Adalia. Without stopping to bother with the numbers, she answered him with a fierce look and a vengeful fire in her eyes;

    "All of them¡­" she answered in a quiet and cold voice that was barely above a whisper.

    "¡­I want to kill every single one of those miserable abominable creatures. I want their blood to flow in rivers and soak up the earth. I want them wiped off the surface of the earth."

    As soon as she finished speaking, Adalia shrank back with a sense of abject littleness. She knew that her desire was merely wishful thinking.

    She knew that it was practically impossible. She had been consumed by the bitterness of her past, and in that moment she had voiced out her deepest darkest wish. No one had ever asked her that before. No one had cared enough to ask.

    So when Xzavier asked, the floodgates burst open, and everything she had kept buried came rushing to the top with blinding speed¡­

    "What would you give me if I really did kill all the orcs in this tribe?"

    His voice pulled her out of the sea of uncertainties in which her mind had been temporarily trapped in. Her eyes met Xzavier''s deep dark eyes.

    She held his gaze steadily, trying to discern if he was joshing or not. But the more she looked at his serene face and serious expression, the more she saw that this was not a joke to him at all.

    Convinced that Xzavier was serious and wasn''t just pulling her legs. She finally answered with a seriousness that matched Xzavier''s own mood;

    "Mister, if you truly kill off every single orc here, there is nothing you ask of me that I wouldn''t do."

    Adalia wasn''t a child. She knew the full weight of the promise she had just made. Xzavier was touched by her resolve. But he wasn''t typically the kind of person who showed their true feelings. So with a stony look, he gave her an ambiguous answer;

    "Let''s see what happens next then¡­"

    Back in town, the exasperated Tacy stumbled through the streets like a mad person. One look at her and one could tell that all wasn''t well with the young girl. Worry lines had crept all over her young face, her eyes had sunk deep into her sockets and her normally bright countenance had somehow been dampened.

    Tacy wasn''t sick, not physically anyway. At the moment, she was consumed with one thought only; ''Xzavier Mace.''

    Tacy had spent close to 24 hours searching out Xzavier. If she had her way, she would have definitely flipped the entire town upside down just to get a clue that would lead her to Xzavier''s whereabouts.

    Logic dictated that she head to thest ce Xzavier had beenst sighted, in this case, it was the hotel.

    But regrettably, the hotelier hadn''t been of much help. She still remembered the hungry look in his eyes when she inquired after Xzavier. Instead ofing outright to tell her that he didn''t have a clue, he chose to veer to the left by making an advance on her. Tacy did not attempt to hide her disgust.

    Filled with a savage indignation, Tacy stormed right out of the hotel. Over the next few hours, she poured all her energy into scouring the town for Xzavier.

    "Have you seen a stranger dressed in ck? He is tall and handsome."

    Tacy asked this question so much that it resonated in her subconscious even while she slept. But unfortunately for her, she was met with the same answer every single time; a resounding ''NO.''

    The anxiety gradually morphed into worry, and within a rtively short period, the worry morphed into full blown fear. Evening gradually brought the end of the day, still, Tacy searched very corner of Sikeda Town.

    As her mind ruminated on the recent events that had transpired, Tacy began to fear the worst. She knew without doubt that Xzavier had probably headed off in the direction of the orcs to look for trouble. She mumbled to herself as she tried to sort out her thoughts;

    "¡­if that is truly the case, then I have to go to Master Kadin to solicit his help. Xzavier can''t possibly handle this orc problem all by himself! Yes! I must go back to master Kadin!"

    True to her word, Tacy headed straight towards the underground exchange. She hurried along on her little feet, and time passed by in a blur.

    The regr appealing nightlife had lost its appeal in her eyes. Men waited in the dark to rendezvous with their maidens, the singers on the streets singing bads of heroes of old, the smell of roasted animal fat being skewed by meat vendors on the roadside, none of these appealed to Tacy any longer.

    Even the crescent moon seemed to have lost its radiance to Tacy. A couple of people said hi to her, but they might have as well been greeting a ghost. Tacy was physically present, but her mind was miles ahead.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She navigated through the streets and finally arrived at the underground exchange. She ignored everyone else and went straight to Kadin''s door. Not bothering to knock on the great oak door (as was her usual habit), Tacy charged right in audaciously.

    Kadin who had been bent over at his table jumped up in surprise. A cloud of anger eclipsed his normally cid eyes as he barked angrily at his subordinate;

    "Tacy! How many times do I have to tell you to knock before you¡­"

    Tacy wasn''t in the mood for their usual back and forth. She went on to voice her concern;

    "There is an issue that requires immediate attention Master Kadin¡­"

    Kadin tensed when he heard the seriousness and urgency in her voice. He knew bad news when it stood before him and it was currently written all over Tacy.

    "¡­Xzavier is missing. I have searched for him everywhere but he is nowhere to be found. I believe he must have headed off to fight the orcs by himself."

    Her voice was thick with emotion.

    "I fear the worst might have already happened Master Kadin¡­"

    She began to sob quietly.

    The atmosphere in the room was one of gloom. The ticking of the grandfather clock in the room and Tacy''s muffled sobs were the only sounds that the kept the office space from plunging into an abyss of ufortable silence.

    Kadin was the type for words, but at this moment, he was lost in his own thoughts as he digested the new information brought in by his waitress and ward.

    It took him a while, but he finally shook off the eerie feeling that he had contacted from Tacy. He reprimanded himself inwardly. Tacy was a young woman, and as the matured mind in the room, he was supposed to keep a level head and assess the situation objectively.

    It would be counted as juvenile He sighed aloud before breaking the ufortable silence.

    ? "Tacy¡­" the old man began with aforting tone;

    "I admit that things aren''t looking too good right now, but you have allowed your worries topletely overshadow your reasoning."

    Tacy looked at him with burning ck eyes. This wasn''t what she had expected. The old man understood that she wasing from a ce of emotion, so he ignored her re.

    "You seem to have forgotten the type of man Xzavier is. Do I need to remind you of his skillset and dexterity with weapons? Xzavier is a man that takes care of business. If he willingly headed off to confront the orcs, best believe that he has a n."

    A faint ray of hope shimmered in Tacy''s eyes. She knew the old man was correct. Kadin reclined in his chair and looked Tacy squarely in the eye.

    "Xzavier isn''t the careless type Tacy. Trust his judgment, that''s the least you can do right now. Xzavier is very daring, he can do anything."

    Tacy remained on her feet. Gradually, she began to warm up to theforting words of the old man.

    "But that doesn''t mean your suspicions aren''t well grounded¡­"

    Her eyes flung open at his words.

    "So, just to be on the safe side, I will send out a few hunters with the task of finding Xzavier. This should put your mind at ease for now. Don''t worry, I will personally oversee this expedition myself."

    Tacy nodded her head vehemently in appreciation as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She bowed slightly and left his presence.

 Chapter 36 Prey

    Within a short while, Kadin summoned the most striking hunters in the underground keep. He briefed them on the situation and he also let them know that they were going after a man who was consumed with taking down orcs.

    The hunters weren''t in the least scared. In a way they were kind of excited. They all saw the expedition as a chance to prove their bravado and gain for themselves the glory that came with engaging orcs..

    Plus, Kadin was leading the group. The old man was well respected in these parts. He was something of a local legend himself, so the hunters considered an honor to ride along with him. Thus, armed to the teeth and equipped with all manner of weapons, the small group set out to seek out Xzavier.

    Tacy decided that she wasn''t going to wait around for good or bad news, she stubbornly went along with the band of crude hunters to search out the cold quiet man who had stolen her heart.

    Completely oblivious of the happenings on the other side of town, Xzavier was submerged in his mission. The attractive young woman with him found it increasingly difficult to keep up with his mysterious ways.  Adalia watched on as her travelingpanion carried out the strangest task.

    From the short distance which she stood away from Xzavier, she could barely make out the physical form of the strange items he was burying on the road. Adalia thought to herself;

    "These alchemists are a weird bunch. What could this possibly turn out to be?"

    Her curiosity soon got the better of her. Adalia called out softly to Xzavier;

    "Those iron blocks look kind of heavy. Would you like some help burying them in the road?"

    Xzavier looked at her like as if she had just asked him to do something crazy like setting her aze. It was evident that there was definitely more than what Xzavier had chosen to let on.

    "Adalia, listen up!"

    His tone betrayed another level of utter seriousness which Adalia hadn''t seen before.

    "Do not ever step into this mass ofnd I have just napped out. No matter what!"

    The warning was supposed to serve as a deterrent to discourage her from indulging any adventurous thoughts she was breeding, but somehow, it had achieved the opposite of the intended effect! It only further strengthened Adalia''s suspicions. The young woman hadn''t the slightest clue of the nature of the strange iron blocks which Xzavier had carefully buried, but her sharp mind discerned that it was probably designed to ambush the enemy in some kind of entrapment.

    After Xzavier finished up with the setup on the ground, he took out one of his favorite pieces; the assorted sniper''s rifle that was fully equipped with a night vision scope. This rifle had proven to be very effective during his previous bouts with the orcs. The killer in Xzavier was already forming a sentimental bond with the weapon.

    The cliff was the perfect spot to set up the rifle. There was ample space to maneuver and it offered a clear line of sight to his prey.

    Afterpleting everything that needed to be done, Xzavier and Adaliay down at the edge of the cliff in crouched positions. Anxious about the ughter that was toe, like crocodiles waiting to snatch up babies at a watering hole, Xzavier and Adalia remained still as they waited for night to fall.

    As dusk slowly faded into night, Xzavier suddenly got an unexpected surprise from the Military System.

    "Major Xzavier, do your require some ration?"

    Xzavier was taken aback. He wasn''t quite sure how to take this sudden disy of concern by the Military System. Up until this moment, Xzavier had nothing to worry about with regards to the system. But right now, Xzavier was shocked by the humane way with which the system had approached him.

    Xzavier decided to take advantage of the sudden change of pace. If the Military System was offering him food ration, then who was he to turn down such a golden opportunity. He thought for a second before replying it ordingly;

    "I wish to redeem one point for a pack ofpressed cookies."

    The reply was prompt as usual. Xzavier could have sworn that he detected a faint note of eagerness in the Military Systems voice. Though he was wasn''tpletely sure, but it almost sounded like the Military System was actually happy to serve him this time.

    "One pack ofpressed cookiesing right up!"

    The package emerged and in a generous quantity. Encased in a thin white foil and locked in a takeout pack, Xzavier received the full measure of his request.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It wasn''t that he was hungry, no. Xzavier had undergone intense training in his past, so basically it virtually impossible for him to allow a trifling craving like hunger to keep him away from seeding at his mission.

    The real beneficiary from Xzavier''s request was Adalia. The young girl had been through so much in the past couple of days. Exhausted, hungry and sleep deprived, it was a true miracle that she had survived this long. Xzavier retrieved the pack and handed it over to Adalia whose eyes were fastened upon the valley before her.

    "Here, have some of this. You need to replenish your strength."

    Completely unfamiliar with the fancy packaging of the snack, the bewildered Adalia eyed it suspiciously. Xzavier encouraged her;

    "Go on then. It''s yours."

    He tossed it into her hands. Even as she sped the fancy snack in her hands, Adalia wasn''t exactly sure what to do with it. Its entire outlook seemed too sophisticated for an ordinary snack. She looked at thepressed cookies in her hands, and looked back at Xzavier with unknowing eyes. She had no idea what to do with it.

    Xzavier soon realized that they young girl probably hadn''t seen a something of this nature before. This was clearly centuries ahead of culinary packaging.

    Xzavier was truly amused. No wonder she had seemed so lost. He took it back from her and casually unsealed the takeout package, releasing the aromatic, sensational smell of the cookies. Adalia gasped aloud right before her throat made a gulping sound.

    "Mister Xzavier! What manner of sorcery is this? How did you summon a sweet vored meal of this nature?"

    Her eyes were wide in shock and surprise was stered all over her face. Xzavier chuckled slightly before patiently replying her;

    "It''s not sorcery Adalia."

    "But¡­" the oblivious girl began to protest as she pointed her finger at the unveiled delicacy.

    "But nothing." Xzavier silenced her. "Now eat up, we have a long night ahead of us. You need every energy you can muster right now."

    Xzavier had managed to shut her up, but no amount of brainwashing could make Adalia believe that this was nothing other than magic. In her sight, Xzavier was truly an extraordinary mage. She gingerly took a piece out of the silver foil and took the first bite.

    Xzavier felt like he was watching a movie, Adalia''s performance was worthy of an Oscar. As the first bite entered her mouth and melted in her tongue, he could literally see the burst of vors spreading waves of joy across the young woman''s face.

    Her countenance brightened immediately, as her eyes regained a tiny fraction of its original light. She beamed with smile as she stared at the unbelievably sweet snack.

    "Heavens! What is thisss!!??"

    She looked at Xzavier with delight. He didn''t bother to answer her, he simply sat back and enjoyed the look on her face as she digested the exotic snack. Adalia continued her praises.

    "This must be what Kings feast on!! Oh Xzavier, what is this snack made of? I have never tasted anything so incredibly delicious in my life!!"

    Adalia seemed to conjure more praise by the second. She thought she could eat a whole sea of cookies, but after gobbling up a few, she discovered that they were not just empty snacks. To what appeared to her as sorcery, she found out that she didn''t need to ingest too much before she got full.

    With a handful of cookies and a protruding belly, she expressed her concern to Xzavier;

    "What is this? I have barely eaten and yet, I feel full already? Oh Xzavier, you have to tell me what this is! Please!"

    Once again, Adalia did not wait for Xzavier to reply her, she immediately went back to forcing herself to ingest the delicacy despite the fact that she was full. If she had been paying more attention, she would have noticed that Xzavier''s attention had shifted from her to the valley below.

 Chapter 37 Attack

    Dusk quickly melted away and made way for the serene ckness of the night. There was no moon that night. Heavy storm cloudspletely eclipsed the moon, covering the heavens with the overbearing nature of a heavy nket, blocking out any form of silvery light from trickling down to the earth.

    Xzavier was more than grateful for the epassing darkness. Xzavier didn''t think of himself as a superstitious guy, but even he couldn''t deny the fact that nature somehow seemed to be in alignment with his interest tonight.

    It was almost impossible not to see the corrtion between his mood and the mood that pervaded the atmosphere.

    As hey still on the cliff, with his eye firmly pressed on this scope, Xzavier watched the orcs'' movements and noted their mannerisms and moods.

    Clearly, they were unaware of the looming danger that was hovering over them like a natural disaster. How could they know. Xzavier watched the unmannered and uncivilized creatures.

    Unencumbered by the overbearing ckness that had enveloped the valley like gloomy dark robes, Xzavier was able to see through with the help of his high tech night vision infra-red disy on the scope of his sniper rifle.

    This particr feature was one of the few things that made the sniper so dangerous. It had been calibrated into his rifle such that he could even see the heat signature of an enemy hiding behind a rock.

    Xzavier watched keenly as the clueless orcs emerged from their caves and went about their routine of preparing for the night''s hunt. Clearly, the ugly muscled creatures were still operating under the false assumption that the night belonged to them.

    They had remained unchallenged for so long now that they saw no need to mount up sentries or guard posts. This was the height of their confidence.

    The moment Xzavier had been waiting finally came. He observed closely and noticed that all the orcs had gathered together in one ce. They seemed to have assembled together under their leader in anticipation of the night''s hunt.

    Unfortunately for the orcs, they had managed to provide the best possible scene for a sniper. They were all sitting ducks, waiting to be wasted by the sniper''s bullets.

    The night was dark, but it was going to be set ame by Xzavier''s wrath.

    Xzavier squeezed and the first bullet tore through the air at a blinding speed, there was no wind, so the bullet stayed on its trajectory path.

    In the blink of an eye, the unfortunate orc whose ill luck had brought him on the five millimeter, 3inched bullet, slumped to the ground with a look of absolute shock. Xzavier checked to see if there was any reaction, there was none.

    Xzavier''s strike wasn''t random in anyway. Because the orcs were gathered together in a kind of assembly, he had chosen to begin with a very basic taking down the orcs who were behind.

    As each bullet ruptured the skulls of the unsuspecting orcs, they dropped to their death with a look of surprise that permanently remained stered on their faces even as corpses.

    The bodies had started to pile up in a neat file. The fact that they were under attack pletely eluded the orcs. Xzavier would have continued his killing spree uninterrupted if not for the leader who soon realized that they were under attack.

    The leader of this tribe was significantly taller and bigger than the rest of the other regr orcs. So, even though he was at the fore front of the gathering, his height had given him an advantage.

    From where he stood, he saw a pile of dead bodies arranged in an almost orderly order, starting from the back.

    Immediately, he let out a terrible wail that prompted instant reactions in the cluster or orcs. It was a terrible shrill voice that sounded like a battle cry, an rm, and a death dirge. In a series of terrible grunts and cries, the leader ordered that everyone hide.

    The pandemonium that followed was epic. From the height he was, Xzavier could help but derive a perverse joy as he watched them scramble about to safety.

    It wasn''t like they was anywhere that was safe from Xzavier''s Savage indignation. The orcs hadn''t realized it yet, but they would soon realize just how much destruction awaited them at the hands of the assassin hidden in the cliff above the valley.

    The signal that came from the leader hinted at the fact that they were under attack. And yet, as the orcs stampeded about aimlessly, they discovered to their absolute horror that could neither see nor hear the enemies.<novelnext></novelnext>

    This further confused, enraged and terrified the simple minded nd creatures.

    As Xzavier watched them scramble about in the valley beneath him, he knew that he had lost his advantage as a sniper. If he continued to take them out in this fashion, it wouldn''t take long before they discerned that they were under attack from a single source.

    Orcs were the original gang members. The herd mentality they were stuck with made them believe that numbers was everything. No doubt, they would be emboldened if they were ever to discover that their enemy was one. And a band of emboldened orcs was bad news.

    Xzavier''s mind quickly adjusted to the new situation and immediately deduced the problem. This particr tribe of orcs still had their leader, and because of that, they would make sound judgments.

    If they were to see their leader drop dead like an ordinary piece of meat, their reactions would be the exact opposite.

    But Xzavier was far from worried, being the astute soldier, he had already devised clever contingencies to counter these irregrities.

    Xzavier casually took out his RPG from where it had been stashed. The vast expanse ofnd was perfect for this rocketuncher.

    In those precious moments, Adalia never took her eyes off Xzavier. She watched him prep his gear with a chilling calmness. There wasn''t a trace of urgency in his movements.

    Through the peep hole, Xzavier honed in on the direction of the cowering orcs. The souls of the orcs were waiting to be drawn.

    Retribution was lurking around the corner like a serpent lying in wait for the rodent. The orcs thought the worst was already over, but unknown to them, they were about to be hit with a destruction so terrible and so iprehensible, they wouldn''t be able to stand it.

    Adalia did not think that there was anything or anyone on earth who could make the orcs cower in fright. Xzavier finally squeezed the trigger and death descended on the orcs with silent inevitability.

    Adalia gasped as the rocket flew out of theuncher towards the valley. Her eyes followed the trajectory of the rocket as it zed through the sky like a shooting star.

    Unlike the cold stealth of the bullet from Xzavier''s sniper rifle, the rocket zed forth brazenly with a terrifying swoosh apanying it. Its incandescent glow raged audaciously. The poor orcs who were in hiding were taken unawares.

    BOOOOOMMMM!!!!!!!!

    The resounding boom of the explosion resonated through the entire valley, sending shock waves rippling through the nearby surrounding.

    About a dozen orcs who had been hiding in a makeshift bunker was decimated to a million irreparable fragments by the wicked rocket. Bits and pieces of roasted flesh and bones flew about. In that moment, it was almost as if it was raining meat.

    The explosion had triggered a kind of mini earthquake, adding to the list of things the orcs had to worry about.

    Xzavier watched with satisfaction as the fruit of his ns brought forth more fruits.

    The attack was purely destructive, and it came with an audacity that was both overwhelming and daring. The terrifying ball of raging orange me illuminated the dark valley below. But the brief illumination was the only good thing that came with the explosion.

    The deafening explosion and the apanying st triggered a destructive wave that quickly spiraled into an apocalypse like catastrophe. If the clueless orcs had underyed the seriousness of the attack before, they were definitely awake now. To them, it seemed like the end of the world.

    Those who hadn''t been killed due to proximity remained frozen in shock.

    Those who attempted to run were devoured whole by the insatiable hunger of the devouring fire that had been birthed from the explosion. It was a cacophony of screams, explosions, destruction and earthquakes. Terror was the order of the day. There wasn''t a single orc in the valley who had been unscathed. Either they were dead, seriously injured, burned, crushed or simply terrified.

 Chapter 38 Gatling

    Adalia didn''t know what to expect at first, but when the destruction yed out before her eyes, the simple minded girl recoiled in fright. There was no degree of preparation that could have possibly prepared her for the devastation she had just witnessed.

    With her mouth hung open, she watched in shock as Xzavier wroth his destruction on the thoughtless creatures in the valley below. When she did finally manage to tear her eyes away from the horrifying scene beneath her, she swallowed hard as she looked at Xzavier.

    She hadn''t expected him to be so powerful!

    Adalia had a new found respect for the stranger who hadn''t only saved her life, but had single handedly taken on an entire tribe of orcs in the most unconventional way.

    "Who is this man?? How is it that he possesses this much power?!" Adalia thought to herself.

    Either Xzavier missed her worshipful stare on purpose, or he simply didn''t know her eyes were fixated on him. Xzavier had gone into battle mode, and his full attention was on his prey beneath him.

    Despite the epassing chaos all around, the leader of the orcs had somehow managed to determine the location from which the attack hade.

    As the other orcs scampered about like lost puppies, the leader rose to his full height and cocked his ugly head towards the very cliff on which Xzavier had camped. His full re rested on the very spot where Xzavier and Adalia were.

    Although he couldn''t see anything, he was sure that his attacker(s) were stationed there.

    Xzavier didn''t know whether to be impressed or not. This was some next level thinking demonstrated by the leader. This was a clear pointer to the fact that he definitely hadn''t be the leader of this tribe because of his size.

    He appeared to have the enviable character trait of discernment. But determining the source of the attack was one thing, acting on this knowledge to produce results was a different thing entirely.

    As leader red at his unknown attacker, the cries of his fellow orcs rose above the carnage, saturating the air with the bitterness of defeat. The chief orc realized on the spot that ying defense would only equal in more casualties. Besides, he wasn''t ashamed to admit that he and his kindpletely sucked at long range attacks.

    Their strength was in their numbers. The leader of the orcs scanned the immediate terrain but he couldn''t see any signs of a terrifying army, so this gave him some hope that he could use numbers to squash the unknown enemy.

    He lifted up the weathered and beat down buffalo horn that was hanging by his loin cloth and blew it as hard as he could. It wasn''t just for show, it was a summoning tool that was instrumental in the rounding up of orcs to battle.

    As soon as every orc in the valley heard the summon for battle, the fear that had gripped their minds and paralyzed their bodies seemed to disappearpletely. Those who were in hiding stepped out confidently and headed towards the location of their leader.

    The change in the mood in the valley below was as dramatic and it had been instantaneous. The orcs hadplete faith in their leader.

    So when the signal for the attack came, they responded like a bunch of automatons or zombies who aimlessly followed orders blindly. They descended inrge numbers upon the steep hillside of the cliff.

    In the blink of an eye, their strong unwavering belief in their leader reced their fear. In the ce where terror had been only a few minutes ago, a quiet confidence began to take root and, slowly began to spread its branches in them like awork, until every single one of the orcs were connected to the shadowy quiet confidence of their overwhelming numbers.

    The closer they got to the cliff, the more their confidence swelled.

    They were well aware of their vast numbers. And just like their leader, they noticed that there was no trace of any overbearing army. This only augmented their confidence in themselves. Presumptuously, they began to think in their hearts;

    "Maybe the enemies aren''t that strong¡­maybe the mages responsible for this attack had run out of strength, thus leaving themselves vulnerable to counter attacks¡­"

    These were the audacious thoughts coursing through their minds.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Adalia began to panic as she saw that the tide of the battle had changedpletely. The poor beauty didn''t want to die. She looked at Xzavier frantically, but his face was as immovable as a rock. Even as the band of orcs poured down the hill in the direction of Xzavier and Adalia, the young man remained stiff as a corpse.

    When Xzavier finally decided to make his move, Adalia finally understood why he had been so calm about their encroaching numbers.

    It turned out that this was all part of Xzavier''s n. He had anticipated that the orcs would hone in on his location and try to ambush him like a swarm of bees.

    In fact, he had been counting on this very gambit in order for his next stage of his ns to be fulfilled.

    Xzavier pulled out his next weapon of destruction; his Gatling. For many reasons, Xzavier had chosen this particr weapon for this next stage.

    Conventional weapons like the sniper rifle and the RPG were only effective under the right conditions and in specific situations. Right now, he had already exhausted those options, so it was time for him to y big.

    This time, the Gatling was the most appropriate weapon given the orcs'' renewed vitality and new found resolve. With this Gatling, Xzavier would not onlyunch a destructive attack, he would end up levelling the in field in terms of reducing the humongous numbers of these creatures.

    With every minute that passed, Xzavier became more and more convinced that he had chosen the right weapon. Only the Gatling could provide the amount of destructive power he currently needed to wipe out a whole ton of vengeful orcs.

    Stumbling through the dark, unaware of the fact that they were heading towards their death with confidence, the orcs trudged on expectantly.

    As soon as they came into the full range of the Gatling, the Gatling unleashed an obscene torrent of shots that ravaged through the hillsides,pletely obliterating everything in its sight. The poor orcs were no match for the rage of the Gatling.

    Once again, the unfortunate creatures found themselves in a very precarious position.

    The first batch of the orcs closest to the forefront were wasted by the rippling bullets.

    The automatic machine gun roared through the ck night like an avenging angel of death. The orcs were well within its full range, so they were more than fair game for the weapon of destruction.

    This second wave of destruction wroth more death and casualties than both of Xzavier''s initial attacks. The situation was akin to that of a shepherd lining up his sheep in close quarters, and letting loose a submachine gun in the small confinement.

    The deathly cries of the orcs were swallowed by the shrill mechanic thumping of the Gatling as it tore through the orcs'' ranks,pletely rupturing the flesh, bones and organs of the cocky orcs.

    The not so confident creatures didn''t have to opportunity to scream or run. The only thing was seen and heard was the steady roaring of the Gatling and the shes of golden light from the rapid discharge of the weapon.

    It was a massacre of the bloodiest kind. The Gatling rang through the air, dropping dismembered bodies in its wake. Corpses piled on as more and more orcs dropped by the second under the assault of rapid shots.

    Under two minutes, the Gatling had managed to devour half of the orcs who had answered the call to battle.

    The leader of the orcs was petrified! Like a sick joke, like a nightmare, the invisible enemy had somehow managed to obliterate half of his entire forces within a very short while.

    A wave of terror washed over him again as he began toe to the terms with the fact that there was no way he and his fellow orcs could stand this assault. With every passing second, the evidence of this truth established itself in stone right before his eyes.

    Walking, breathing, live cakes- that was just how he saw he and his horde before the might of the mysterious enemy''s strange magic.

 Chapter 39 Hunters

    Outright terror and disappointment overcame the leader as he gradually began to ept the crushing reality of the fate that awaited him- extermination! The primal instinct of self-preservation kicked in immediately. Flight was the only option. The leader wasn''t ashamed of his cowardly thoughts. Death dwarfed cowardice by far. Right now, he was desperate not to be one of the disfigured corpses surrounding him that had been struck down with the incredibly insane magic.

    Meanwhile, Kadin''s groupbed through the forest with the intent of finding Xzavier. But much to everyone''s surprise (except the old man), they found a trail of dead orcs in the woods!

    The hunters with Kadin were experienced hunters who had been in the game for a long time. As men of action and violence, they recognized the cruelty and psychotic nature in the way the orcs had been killed. They marveled greatly as they investigated the environment. They all searched for the obvious signs of struggle, but found none. By all counts, the orcs seemed to have been running away from their assant! This only baffled the hunters.

    One of them yelled out to the others as the group investigated the dead orcs.

    "Aye! Do ya''ll see this? This can''t be true right?"

    "Roger that! What the hell happened here?"

    "Is this for real? Were these orcs truly running¡­?"

    "Bah! What beast could make a group of orcs flee?!"

    "Indeed! It is unheard off¡­"

    "HEAVENS! I see no other beastly set of footprints here!"

    A roguish fat man who closely resembled a bloated pig spat a brash reply;

    "Sorcery¡­this must be sorcery. Nothing can make a band of full grown orcs run for their lives in this manner!"

    The man''s suspicions were way off from the real truth, but his supposition on what had happened wasn''t entirely baseless. It was unheard of for an orc to run. One orc might be a coincidence, but the multiple dead bodies which they had chanced upon told a different story! It was unbelievable, especially for them who as hunters had witnessed the unrelenting savagery of orcs in the face of battle. So, the only logical conclusion they could arrive at was sorcery.

    While the others rambled and debated amongst themselves regarding the truth of what had just happened here, only Kadin kept to himself. Only he knew the truth. This wasn''t the work of a beast, neither was it the work of a sorcerer supreme. No, this was the handwork of the young man with the coldest set of eyes called Xzavier. But he didn''t voice out his own version of the truth. It was better they stayed in a mood of uncertainty. That way, they needn''t worry about running into live orcs.

    As the group of hunters trudged through the woods in search of Xzavier, for the first time in a while, Tacy found herself asking questions she never thought she would ask.

    "Master Kadin, why hasn''t the nearby government sent any troops to round up the orcs causing trouble here?"

    Tacy didn''t know it, but subconsciously, the part of Xzavier that mored for change had rubbed off on her. After spending only a short while with him, Tacy had contacted Xzavier''s radical approach to life, and his unwillingness to conform to mediocrity. Even now, she was asking questions the same way Xzavier had asked her about the basic problems guing the society.

    Kadin didn''t answer her immediately. Being an old man with a mature mind, he pondered on the motive and thoughts which had provoked Tacy''s question. After what seemed like a while, he answered his ward wisely;

    "It is not that simple Tacy, you more than anyone knows just how political these border issues can be..."

    The old man paused, (as was his usual style when lecturing younger ones) and then continued;

    "¡­besides, the leader of this particr tribe of the nearby orcs is extremely powerful. He is so much of a savage that he singlehandedly ughtered other orc tribes. Even members of his own race are terrified of him, much less the human government."

    Tacy''s eyes remained fixated on the old man as she absorbed the information.

    "¡­there isn''t a government body that is willing to sacrifice their troops and resources for such a risky endeavor, especially when the chances of sess are pretty low¡­"

    As the old man enlightened his young ward on the subject of the matters of the state, he himself reserved his own deep thoughts to himself. His conversation with Tracy was merely a distraction. This gambit wasn''t by any means a form of denial, but on a different level, it was.

    The fact that Kadin couldn''t bring himself to admit it, didn''t change the fact that he was indeed worried. He masked this encroaching fear with a false front of fuzzy warmth and theforting aura of a wise man.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Kadin''s fear wasn''t a fear that was based on an abstract construct or an intangible variable, his fear was logical. It was based on proven facts and hard truths. This time, the truth was even scarier than the watered down version that was being peddled amongst the group of hunters. No matter how much Kadin tried to suppress it, he couldn''t shake off the nagging worry that was threatening to crush him. It rose from the depth of his subconscious like the early morning mist over the deep, and slowly, it began to take a definite form, and then finally, like the epilogue of a bad story, it hung over him like an invisible shadow.

    Kadin''s worry was brought about by no other variable than the leader of this particr tribe of orcs.

    "Oh Xzavier¡­" he thought to himself;

    "¡­I acknowledge your extraordinary abilities, I admire your resolve to kill the oppressive orcs and defend the weak. I know that you can probably take on up to ten orcs at a time¡­"

    The old man cringed as he delved deeper into his worries.

    ? "But if it is indeed true that you have gone against an entire tribe, especially that terrible leader, then only divine intervention can save you. Because no one can¡­"

    Kadin dared not finish his own train of thoughts. He wasn''t a mental weakling, but the thought of a skillful promising young man like Xzavier going against the terrible bloodthirsty orc leader was enough to make the old magician cringe.

    A wave of mental fatigue began to sweep through the entire group as they trudged through the forest in their search for Kadin''s prodigy. The initial bravado with which the group of seasoned hunters had used to set out had grown cold, and like the remains of a once great me, their energy had smoldered down into a cold heap of ashes. In ce of that initial brimming confidence now stood doubt, fear, and the illogical immature need to suddenly turn back home.

    Doubt had stepped in like a palpable entity, hogging the group, feasting on their individual and collective fears, and then, after having its fill of their anxiety, like a dragon, it vomited it back on them with ten times the ferocity, covering them with an entire nket of terror. The canopy of trees overhead now seemed like a den harboring a band of orcs waiting to jump down on them at thest minute. Even the howling of the trees was reminiscent of the wailing of dying humans at the hands of the viciousness of the savage orcs.

    The decimated corpses of the orcs which they had seen a while ago now flooded their minds. Like a dissident seed, it had taken root in their minds and was now bearing the poisoned fruits of unfounded dread that was actively clouding their judgments and poisoning their thinking faculties.

    Within a very short period, this fear had infiltrated the group and brought on an inescapable cloud of terror. It wasn''t long before an inaudible murmur began in the background. It quickly made its way through the group until it seemed like just about everyone was singing the same song.

    "What are we even doing?" someone asked nervously.

    "Yeah!" a couple anonymous correspondent echoed his thoughts aloud by chorusing in unison.

    "This is a suicide mission!"

    They were getting bolder by the minute.

    "We all saw the dead bodies of the dismembered orcs a while ago, we don''t know who did that¡­"

    The tall slender man speaking paused for dramatic effect before continuing.

    "¡­but one thing we can say for sure is that the orcs will be out for whoever did that to their kind!!"

    Grunts of approval echoed through the group. Mutiny was in the air.

    The tall slender man was obviously a great orator. By the looks of it, he wasn''t just another crude hunter, he had apparently mastered the art of crowd psychology. The hunters had stopped advancing now.

    The man championing this distraction made his way through the group, going back and forth with fire in his eyes and a prating gaze that seemed to burn his ideals into the hearts of everyman there.

    "Look!"

    He shot his fore finger in the direction before them.

    "¡­we are almost at the habitat of the orcs, and yet we can''t seem to find any trace of the person whom we are supposed to be tracking!"

 Chapter 40 Unforeseen

    He cried with a passionate on his face;

    "At what point do we ept that this is a pointless mission?!"

    A couple of hunters cheered him on in the background.

    In a deferential tone, he lowered his voice and addressed the old man who stood a little farther ahead from the group.

    "I respect you master Kadin¡­"

    Then he sharply turned his head towards the others and spoke in a confident tone;

    "But it expedient that we turn back now. At this point, based on what we have all seen and known, it would be unwise to proceed any further knowing what lies ahead of us. I refuse to risk thispany!"

    Hisst statement was the final nail in the coffin. The whole group cheered him on in agreement. There was no going forward now. Everyone''s heart was set on abandoning this mission, no matter the promised reward.

    Kadin watched the drama unfold with a look of indifference on his face. As a man who had lived a full life, he had witnessed situations such as this many times over. This wasn''t his first rodeo. And because of his experience, he proffered a solution that he had personally worked for him in the past.

    "Gentlemen¡­" he began in a suave tone and conveyed no hard feelings or disappointment.

    "I understand your concern. It is genuine and founded on good intentions. But you must not forget that this is the profession we have chosen for ourselves. No matter the situation, no matter the season, day and night we remain hunters!!"

    The crafty old man had begun by appealing to their sense of pride as professionals. But that wasn''t his ace in the hole. Ego stroking and ttery was only the firstyer. The second stage was to y on their ever present greed. Money was always the best incentive for groups that contained men of this caliber. So, Kadin pressed on in this regard.

    He didn''t bother to soft pedal it. The old man went all out with his offer.

    "So, I hereby offer a cash reward of one gold coin to anyone who aids in the discovery of Xzavier¡­"

    He allowed the offer marinate in their hearts. The ever present green goblin of greed rose out of the dark chambers of their hearts and feasted on the prospects of Kadin''s promise of gold, before they could recover and see through his scheme, Kadin dealt out one more surprise.

    "¡­and five gold pieces goes to whosoever finds Xzavier himself!"

    The younger hunters in the group swallowed greedily. Most of them had never had up to three percent of the prize money which Kadin seemed to be generously offering. No doubt, they were tempted, but the more mature hunters in the group immediately rebuffed Kadin.

    One of the more seasoned hunters stepped forward to answer the old man.

    "What good is gold to a corpse who has been mangled by a vengeful orc? Master Kadin of the underground keep, our answer is NO!"

    Tacy was not pleased with the situation, not in the least bit. Shaking with rage, she wished she was a man so she could teach a lesson to the cowards who stood before.

    The one thing that annoyed her the most was the ostentatiousness of the whole scene. They were all obviously scared! And yet they could not own up to this simple fact! Tacy was disgusted and it irked her that she couldn''t let them know just how disgusted she was by their attitude.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The young waitress/receptionist considered the cowardly hunters a disgrace to their profession. They were men whom she had served in the underground exchange. She had listened to their tales of glory, she had seen the bounties they had hauled in, and now, just when she had decided to go into battle with them, they had surprised her by proving that they were made up of the same stock as weak, fickle minded hormonal teenagers.

    But despite her rage, Tacy knew that she couldn''t take the moral high ground to confront these death-averse people. There and then, Tacy made a promise to herself;

    "No matter what happens, I will not stop until I find Xzavier! Nothing can stop me! Not orcs, not master Kadin, and definitely not this band of uncircumcised baboons!"

    Out maneuvered and outgunned, Old man Kadin sighed under his breath. Unlike Tacy, he understood more than anyone else why the hunters were so afraid to go forward with the mission. Their reasons weren''t justified, but they were founded on reason, and the old man couldn''t fault them for that. Xzavier''s contribution to the town was worthy of praise. He had single handedly taken care of the Goblin nuisance by annihting thempletely. So, he tried to find a middle ground in the negotiation.

    "Very well then. You are all free men, you have made your choice!"

    They nodded in agreement to his truthful words.

    "But here''s a counter offer; since you all have decided not to move forward with this task, I ask that that you remain here in the meantime as I and my ward move on with the task."

    The relief that came upon the group (along with the speed which had apanied the way they had rushed to ept Kadin''s offer) confirmed Tacy''s suspicions. They were terrified of whaty ahead. She began to worry for Xzavier. For the first time, she started to consider what it was that had made these men to quake in their boots.

    Kadin wasn''t afraid of death. He had had several close calls in the past when he came dangerously close to the end, but that wasn''t the real reason behind his seemingly absent fear of death. He was a masterful magician who could defend himself in any given circumstance. As he turned his back to leave, Kadin beckoned to his young ward saying;

    "Come on Tacy, let''s find Xzavier as soon as we can."

    As the young girl hurried to Kadin''s side, she pondered for a minute on something she had picked in Kadin''s voice as he spoke about finding Xzavier. It was a certain sense of urgency in his tone that sparked something in her, not wanting to dwell on any more negative thoughts (especially where Xzavier was concerned), Tacy instantly pushed it to the back of her mind and focused on the task at hand.

    In the sea of uncertainty and fear, Tacy was the only one in the enviable state of courageousness.

    Meanwhile, the battle raged on the other side. Right from the start it hadn''t been a battle, it had begun as an ambush and it had taken on the form of a ughter. The leader of the orcs had suffered a terrible defeat at the hands of the invisible enemy. Retreat was the next best thing. As he remained hidden from the zing attack behind a cleft of rock, the tall leader unhooked the buffalo horn from his worn out loin cloth and blew it hard three times.

    This particr signal was one signal that the leader of the orcs had never given in his lifetime. It was the signal to retreat. To withdraw shamefully and cower from the invading enemies. As he watched his fellow orcs turn to flee at hismand, the leader was filled with a violent indignation. Righteous anger boiled through him, it was so intense that he physically began to tremble.

    Most unique leaders who have sessfully ruled over time and gained for themselves the respect of others (or in this case, fear from others) almost always have that one hidden trump card. In the case of this orc leader, it was a terrifying ability that almost always guaranteed his victory. But it wasn''t something he activated anyhow. This unique ability was so tasking on him that whenever he activated it, it always consumed a fraction of his psychic essence. The orc leader knew that he was left with no other option. If there was anything such as the perfect time for him to use it, it was now.

    As if in response to the evil that was about to be unleashed, the ominous dark clouds that had robbed the valley of the radiant silvery glow of the moon''s light suddenly began to disperse. Like a fresh breath of new air, the moon''s pale light slowly emerged, illuminating the orcs'' base camp in the valley below.

    Xzavier tensed when he saw that the opposition had tactfully retreated. As a member of the special forces unit and as an experienced soldier, Xzavier knew that this was not a good sign. It wasn''t good because this was a signal that the enemy had somehow managed to make a well informed decision despite being overwhelmed on all sides. This kind of critical thinking wasn''t favorable to Xzavier''s ns at the moment.

    "Damn it." Xzavier cursed as he observed the tactical retreat of the orcs.

    "¡­this isn''t good at all!"

 Chapter 41 Beast

    Crouched next to him was the stunned Adalia who was temporarily locked with his binocrs. Since the onught had begun, Adalia had been practically inseparable from the binocrs. It remained glued to her eyes about ny five percent of the time.

    Xzavier looked at her an knew that in spite of her attentiveness to the battle below, it wasn''t a sure guarantee that she could interpret the situation clearly. He admonished Adalia in a brash tone, jolting her back to this realm.

    "Listen to me Adalia and do exactly as I tell you okay?"

    She nodded so hard that Xzavier was worried for a second that she would lose her head. She stared at Xzavier with those big blue eyes of hers that seemed to sparkle under the soft moonlight.

    "Follow me as though you were my own shadow. Do notg more than one step away in case something suddenly happens, do you understand?"

    Xzavier was so absorbed in the heat of the moment that he found himself addressing Adalia as though she was his subordinate in the army. Adalia did not need to be told. At this point, she was prepared to follow Xzavier to the ends of the earth if need be.

    After Major Xzavier finally finished dishing out his instruction to Adalia. He swiftly turned to take a look at the problem before him at the base of the hill. The moonlight provided him with a sinister view of the retreating orcs. Inrge numbers, they withdrew back like a tidal wave. In dozens, they slithered back to their own respective hiding ces like a bunch of lizards on the run.

    As he looked on, a terrifying and unbelievable sight in distance caught his eye. The leader of the orcs began to approach the cliff! In long majestic strides, he made his towards Xzavier''s location on the cliff.

    As the leader of the orcs drew near, Xzavier began to notice something very disturbing. He wasn''t sure if it was one of those optical illusions brought on by stress, but by all count, it had all the elements of facts in them. Xzavier snatched the binocrs from the already petrified Tacy and stared into the distance in the direction of the intruding orc. His expectations were low, but he was also prepared for the very worst.

    In this case, it turned out Xzavier''s ideal of the "very worst" wasn''t nearly as bad as the worst possible oue.

    After a very disturbing three seconds of peering into the binocrs, Xzavier hurriedly brought down the gear with a jolt. His face, a masked of puzzled bewilderment, he grasped the binocrs so hard Tacy thought he was going to break it.

    "What illusion is this?" How can this be?! Is my sense of sight failing me?!" he thought to himself amidst the epassing doubt.

    Once again, he slowly pulled up the binocrs to his eyes and gazed in the direction of the orc leader. Again, he was met with the shock of his life. What Xzavier saw defied all logic, it was a statistical anomaly, and yet, upon his third gaze, he confirmed it to be true.

    The majestic form of the orc leader was growing at an exponential rate! Each time Xzavier looked into his binocrs, the chief orc always seemed to have added another twelve feet. This bbergasted the tidy logical mind of Xzavier. His mind fought to negate the truth of what was really happening. But Xzavier''s will prevailed, as gradually he began to ept the cold hard truth; the orc was growing at a ridiculously terrifying rate. Hoping that this was some kind of trick or spell cast over him due to the low lighting, he turned to Tacy;

    "Tacy, do you see what I¡­"

    It turned out that Xzavier didn''t need her to answer. The deathly pale look on her face told the full story. This wasn''t an illusion, this was real!

    Frozen to the spot in awe, Xzavier watched the chief orc''s size increase sporadically. It looked like a true nightmare. The encroaching orc ascended out of the valley below like an undead entity waking from its eternal slumber, it''s purposeful steps, the ominous moonlight and the disturbing chill of the night time made the entire scene seem surreal. The increasing orc was real. The Terror was even more real.

    By the time Xzavier recovered from the temporal shock that had been brought on him by the sudden change in the orc''s physique, the intimidating figure of the chief orc had grown so much that it was threatening to block out the distribution of moonlight from the skies to the ground below. The orc now seemed like a walking breathing life sized statue one would often see in ancient temples. Only this time, it was filled with a Savage indignation and an unquenchable bloodlust. There was nothing abstract or nd about the scene. The orc leader''s heavy footsteps struck the ground like an thundering thud, it''s sound was simr to that of a Gulfstream taking off on an airport runway.

    Both Xzavier and Adalia swallowed hard. This was the very definition of an unknown variable. Xzavier was a positively smart fellow, but there was no way in the world he could have predicted this. And because he did not forsee something of this nature, he was far less equipped (mind and gear) to handle this monstrosity.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Not too far out, just halfway down the road,pletely unaware of the enormous trouble ahead, Tacy and Kadin steadily made their way towards Xzavier''s location. Both of them weren''t expert trackers, at least not in the conventional sense. But because of how invested they were in finding Xzavier, both of them had to be professional trackers overnight.

    Through the ck night that was illuminated only by the faint moonlight that had filtered its way down from the towering canopies overhead, and through the dampness caused by thete night dew, the lonesome duo marched on. Completely undeterred by the inconveniences that came with the terrain.

    As Kadin trudged on through the woods with Tacy following closely behind him, he noticed something disturbing about the set of footprints he was currently tracking.

    As expected, Xzavier had done a beautiful job of masking his trail. The haphazard way in which he traveled suggested that he was actively trying to conceal his own footprints. But that wasn''t the strange thing. Behind Xzavier''s faded tracks, following close by was another set of footprints. Kadin peered hard and observed its nature. It seemed smaller, less pronounced, almost like a child''s.

    This made no sense to the old man. His sharp mind assessed the situation again and again in the abstract construct that was his mind;

    "Xzavier''s traveling with a child? For what? This doesn''t make any sense¡­"

    The old man''s eyes, full of fire and wisdom suddenly red up as the thought of another possibility;

    "A woman?! Xzavier''s going after the leader of the orcs with a woman by his side?"

    This made even less sense to the old man. In his opinion, he knew that Xzavier was fully aware of just how dangerous this mission was. So if he was taking along a girl, then it could only mean either of two things.

    The orcs were notorious for their lustful nature. They couldn''t resist the allure of a lonely human woman. All around the region, tales abounded of orcs gang raping human girls. So either Xzavier nned to use the girl as bait on this mission, or¡­.

    The old man briefly turned in the direction of Tacy who was trudging on steadily behind him.

    "Xzavier you rascal. What exactly are you doing eh?"

    Kadin wondered how Tacy would react once she found Xzavier cozying up to another woman. The youngdy had been distraught since he had skipped town. She was so troubled that she had decided to follow Kadin on this arduous mission, all for the sake of Xzavier.

    "Ah¡­" he sighed inwardly.

    "The blindness of youth!"

    Even as Kadin dwelt on this issue, Tacy voiced out her concerns about Xzavier''s wellbeing.

    "Master Kadin¡­" she began in a sad voice that was halfway between a sob and the need for good news.

    "¡­you seem to know the truth about the leader of this tribe of orcs. Please tell me Master, what are the chances of Xzavier surviving this altercation with this beast?"

 Chapter 42 Crisis

    Despite the low lighting, Kadin could still make out Tacy''s big pleading eyes as she looked at him. In that moment, Kadin wished more than ever that this was truly up to him. Even now, Tacy was still consumed by her worry for Xzavier, not even giving a slight thought to her own well-being or safety on this mission.

    Kadin didn''t want to give her hope. Nothing was worse than getting her hopes up only to have them dashed to a million pieces. So, not wanting to give room for any kind of optimism, Kadin instead stared at the young woman with a nd and almost unkindly expression. He uttered not a single word.

    The young and incredibly na?ve Tacy couldn''t catch on. When she got no answer from her master, she quickened her pace behind him. And as she drew close to him, she pressed on with another question. This time, she dropped the pathetic act and with the curiosity of nine year old, she asked Kadin a more direct question.

    "Master, I am no child, I have heard the rumors bouncing about regarding a certain unique skill that is peculiar to the orc leader¡­"

    She stepped up from behind him and took her ce by his side. "¡­. what  exactly is this terrifying ability? What is it about this particr orc that has everyone on edge?"

    Kadin pondered for a minute and consulted with his inner self;

    "Given the circumstances, maybe she does have a right to know."

    Just as Kadin opened his mouth to speak, literally just when Tacy was about to get some answers, providence decided to grace the both of them with a live demonstration of the truth which Tacy was desperately moring for.

    A deafening roar that came with the ferocity and suddenness of crackling thunder came abruptly. It disrupted the calm that had pervaded the night for hours on end,pletely jolting hills and surrounding woods from slumber. The thundering roar carried with it a strange and bone chilling sensation. Just about creature, predator, prey, nocturnal, feline and canine heard the terrible roar. It was unnatural. It was the roar of an apex predator.

    The terrifying stillness that followed was nerve wracking. For a whole minute, nothing moved. There wasn''t a single movement in all the earth. The epassing fear caused the entirety of the host of creations to hold their breath. Time froze. Even the very air seemed sit still. The regr rustling of the trees stopped. Nothing was right about that roar. It''s very nature itself was ominous in the sense that it portended doom. The atrociously loud roar was reminiscent of doom and gloom and all their unsavory allotropes.

    Though it was dark, yet, the unmistakable look of terror overshadowed the old man''s face like a dark cloud. His otherwise stony gaze which he had tried so hard to maintain crumbled under the full weight of the fear weighing down on him. Kadin was more than concerned, who wouldn''t be? In fact, he was more than concerned. Like a litter of baby scorpions crawling all over his skin, a the dastardly feeling of dread crept up on him with the stealth of a midnight thief, and gnawed away at his wall ofposure, exposing him to the epassing terror that reigned.

    Left with no confidence whatsoever, the urge to run overwhelmed him. Finally, feeling began to flow back into his legs. But then again, just when he had finally recovered from the paralyzing fear, just as he was about to take flight, Kadin''s optical nerves were assaulted by another horrendous sight.

    A huge figure, bigger than any natural creature appeared in the horizon right in the direction Xzavier and Tacy were headed. Towering above the trees and all notablendmarks was the impressive form of an orc. Despite the yawning gap between Kadin and the orc, it''s upper body was clearly visible. It dominated the space between the ground and the sky, spewing vibes of terror and doom and gloom. The moonlight bathed the humongous orc, casting it in a deathly pale light.

    As tall as a six story building, like the legendary titans of old, the massive leader of towered over the entire surrounding area. This was the notorious leader of the orcs!

    Tacy wasn''t left out of the loop. If Kadin was afraid, Tacy was petrified. Nothing in her imagination could have ever matched the this sight. Multiple shades of terror passed through her. Her internal emotions were in a turmoil, chief among them being fear and shock,<novelnext></novelnext>

    But in spite of everything, Tacy did not run. She felt everything else but the will to run. The urge to retreat just wasn''t there. Instead of withdrawing to thefort safety, she did the exact opposite. Energy surged through her, the balls of her feet sprinted and Tacy dashed in the direction of the danger. At this point, she wasn''t even thinking about her own safety. The only thought that consumed her was how she could help Xzavier. From what she was seeing, the fact that Xzavier was in danger was no longer in doubt.

    Kadin had been focused solely on the monstrosity that had appeared in the horizon. But all of a sudden, a quick movement on the ground beside him and caught his attention. Out of the corner of Kadin''s eye, he saw the form of a young woman sprinting forward. The apprehensive Kadin immediately averted his gaze from the orc leader and turned to investigate the movements he had just witnessed.

    Much to the old man''s horror, what he saw confirmed his suspicions. Before his very eyes, dashing towards the danger ahead in full speed was his young waitress and ward. Too shocked to react, Kadin watched with horror as Tacy bolted away from him, running towards the terror ahead like she had a sack of gold to pick. Only when Tacy was threatening to disappear out of sight did Kadin move.

    "Foolish girl!" he cursed under his breath as he charged after her.

    "Am I going insane or does she not see what lies ahead?! Bollocks!!"

    The old man hadn''t ran in decades. Fate had never put him in that fate before. A dignified entity like him running was a sight for sore eyes.

    Still, he didn''t hesitate to rush after her. His girded his loins, gathered his robes, and set his legs to work.

    Because it had been a while, Kadin was horrified when he saw that his bones and muscles refused to stir. His nerves had stiffened over time. Even his joints seemed groan in annoyance as Kadin forced them into action after more than four decades of being dormant. He called them all out of retirement; just for the sake of this impulsive young girl.

    "Damn you Tacy! You''re going to be the end of me!"

    Kadin dared not call out to her. He feared that doing so would attract the attention of the very entity both him and Tacy were running to.

    Ashamed of the fact that the younger girl was putting a significant amount of distance between them, Kadin forced the lower part of his ancient body to elerate. His body want happy about it. Not in the least. As the wind blew past him, Kadin''s lungs joined the protest and also began to react. His breath became more sporadic and the ache increased. At this point, Kadin was running more on mental energy than on physical energy.

    "Damn you Tacy! Damn you!"

    That was all he could do at the moment. Comin and curse as he chased after Tacy with all his might.

 Chapter 43 Runflee

    While the drama between Kadin and his apprentice yed out, a couple of miles ahead of them, Xzavier found himself in a position he had never thought he would find himself; on his armor motorcycle fleeing for his dear life in the opposite direction of the orc leader. with Adalia behind him, clutching him tightly, holding on for her dear life.

    The armor motorcycle tore through the rocky terrain at an insane speed. The aggressive engine roared as Xzavier forced it through the unfriendlyyout. The loudness of the aggressive motorcycle drowned out the persistent screams of the blond girl seated behind him. And behind the two of them, was a dozens of feet gigantic orc raging towards them.

    As Xzavier ran for his dear life on the , mentally he yed out the sequence of events that had brought him to this point. All the way back to the beginning, he recalled each and every difficulty he had encountered since he came to this realm. The initial confusion, the sleepless nights, thenguage barrier, the hostility and alienation he had endured. He recalled them all.

    As he remembered all the obstacles he overcame, Xzavier knew that no matter what, somehow, he was going toe out of this alive and victorious.

    Behind the fleeing duo, the enormous chief was brandishing an equally massive axe that only him could wield. He swung it in the direction of the unfortunate duo. The gigantic orc leader lifted up his wicked axe above his head and brought it down with a ferocious swing. Xzavier was an excellent driver. But he was an even more powerful drifter.

    "Xzavier quick! He''s bringing it down on us from the east! Hurry!!" Adalia yelled!

    Prior to their flight, Xzavier had already informed her the role she was to y. Her role was very vital to their escape. As Xzavier had no way of looking behind him and maintaining the course he had chartered, he depended heavily on Adalia to keep an eye out for any impending attack. So whenever Adalia caught on to the sudden change in attack, she would alert Xzavier who would then work his magic as top level drifter.

    It was tough work, Adalia had to constantly watch both their backs while going close to a hundred miles per hour on a motorcycle running through a ridiculously unstable terrain. Not to mention the terror that was hot on their heels behind them. With no helmet on, and with the wind rushing violently past them, there was a whole lot of things that could go wrong.

    As he expertly yed between the brake and the elerator while maintaining a dangerous speed, Xzavier weaved in and out of several attacks. Narrowly missing the extrarge de of the orc leader who was still somehow getting bigger!

    The massive de swished through the air, cutting and slicing uprge trees and deep rooted vegetation like it was cabbage. Bits and pieces of these coteral damage flew about, almost blinding Xzavier and Adalia. On one asion, just as Xzavier was about to navigate a dangerous curve, arge branch that was roughly the size of a canoe bore down on them out of nowhere. It only narrowly missed them due to the Xzavier''s dexterity with the motorcycle.

    Anywhere the massive axended, deep ditches formed immediately. The chief orc was relentless. Like a hellhound after a soul doomed to hell, he chased after them with a diabolic relentlessness. Swinging his axe, shing and cutting up trees, roots and shrubs, just to get at Xzavier for the destruction he had wroth in his camp. Every swing of his axe was fueled by vengeful anger. The chief orc''s determination not to let them go shower just how vindictive he was.

    Everywhere his axended, the chief orc left in his wake a trail ze of destruction and chaos. The only advantage Xzavier had, paradoxically, was also his own disadvantage. The ckness of the night in a way made it hard for them to be spotted by the rage of the chief orc. But unfortunately, the ckness was also a problem for Xzavier.

    He knew that he very well couldn''t use the headlights of the motorcycle to make his way around. To do that would be very foolish indeed. For it would serve as a pointer for the chief orc to spot them out and swat them like flies.

    Adalia on the other hand was scared brainless. She locked her hands so tight around Xzavier, her embrace on many asions threatened to crush his lungs.

    It irked Xzavier that he was on the defensive side. He knew that there was nothing worse than fleeing from an enemy that was hell bent on killing him. Earlier on, when he had first noticed the abominable rate at which the chief orc had been swelling in size, Xzavierunched an all out assault with his RPG. Xzavier could never forget how the orc had blocked and deflected a rocket with his massive ace! It was an astonishing feat! If Xzavier hadn''t been on the opposing side of this battle, he knew that he would have been impressed.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "What''s up with that axe anyway?! How did it also grow in size to fit the chief orc''s size?!"

    This had been Xzavier''s exact thoughts as he watched the abomination unfold. The Gatling which had proven to be an excellent source of destruction had somehow proven ineffective in the face of this terrifying entity. Its bullets didn''t even as much as graze the chief orc. That had been the beginning of the end for Xzavier. Those were the biggest and the most lethal weapons in his arsenal. And yet, they had been as ineffective as a toothpick on a tiger''s skin.

    On his battle armor motorcycle, cruising in and around the rocky terrain of the unstable hill, they finally approached the region where Xzavier had prudently nted and concealed thendmine. In spite of the poor visibility, Adalia''s eyes widened when she recognized the area where Xzavier was confidently riding into.

    "Xzavier¡­!!!" she cried.

    "Watch out!! This is the area you set that trap!!!"

    Even above the rage of the armor motorcycle, Xzavier still heard the apprehensive shriek of the young woman on his back. But Xzavier wasn''t one to do things without good reason. Of course he had already nned it all out. He wasn''t just blindly charging around. As he sped up, he bnced the Gatling between the handles of the armor motorcycle and released a round of violent shots.

    Adalia was even more confused. She had never been able to follow Xzavier''s train of thought before. This time, it seemed like he was just randomly shooting into an empty space of no significance. But as she observed closely, she discovered that this wasn''t a coincidence at all.

    The closer she looked, the more convinced she was that Xzavier''s genius was definitely up to something. His Gatling was targeting a single tree. It''s bullets ripped through the base,pletely rupturing its stem. Before long, the trunk copsed and formed a triangr slope with the ground. This had inadvertently created a makeshift bridge that was half suspended in the air on the opposite side.

    With the part of the tree trunk actively touching the ground, Xzavier sped up his motorcycle and sted off like a rocket into an unknown location. In one brief movement, Xzavier had managed to escape the mine field he had created by himself. But that wasn''t the entirety of the n.

    The true motive behind Xzavier''s ridiculously dangerous maneuver was to bait the unsuspecting chief orc into following them. Sure enough, true to his n. The orc leader, still livid with fury, charged into the area which housed the buried mine. There was no way the orc could have known that there was danger lurking in that section. Its size had driven it to believe that it was invincible and couldn''t possibly be subject to any form of attack.

    But unfortunately, he was about to be the scapegoat that would suffer the consequences of Xzavier''s quick thinking and pro-activeness. As soon as the chief''s extrarge right leg entered the section, it''s inhuman weight triggered the explosion.

    The explosion rocked the sector, sending shockwaves across the region. Of course the chief orc wasn''t without his own form of defensive magic, but the explosion was as sudden as if was destructive. The toes of the foot which had stepped on the mine were the first casualty of the destruction.

    The chief orc bellowed like a raging bull on a rampage. All of its toes on its right foot were obliterated by the explosion. Its roar thundered across the horizon, filling every heart with fear. The orc was enraged. It wasn''t just the pain, it was the mere fact that orcs were oddly protective of the integrity of their bodies. As he roared, it sounded more like an angry roar than a roar of someone in pain. More determined than ever he limped on in pain, more annoyed than ever at the two puny little humans who had seeded in making him a cripple.

 Chapter 44 Converge

    As the orc charged after them in blind rage, he discovered that his speed could not keep up with that of the humans. The more he tried to charge after them with his previous pace, the more he saw them disappearing fast in the distance. Through his blood red vision that had been tainted by his anger and prejudice, he watched as his prey vanished into thin air. Unable to keep up with them, the chief orc lost them in the distance.

    Xzavier''s n had worked beautifully! The way he had merged both of his tactics to produce one brilliant result wasmendable! This was military grade tactics. At the time, it had seemed like a long shot, but somehow, Xzavier had made it happen! The nightmare that looked like it was going to consume them was finally over!

    But Xzavier knew better than to rejoice yet. He could feel Adalia''s grip loosening on his chest, this simply meant that even the blond beauty was heaving a sigh of relief. She was so overjoyed that her heavy breathing turned into soft sobs. Xzavier couldn''t me her. The young woman had endured and survived in one night what several hunters hadn''t even been through in all their lifetimes. Her courage was worthy ofmendation. She never broke down, neither did she ever attempt to flee on her own when it seeemed like things wouldn''t pan out.

    Long after the gigantic firm of the chief orc receded in the background, Xzavier still refused to stop. He kept sting off the engine tirelessly, trying to put as much distance as possible between him and the orc behind him. It was while he was speeding through the forest on his armor motorcycle that fate guided his steps towards the souls who had been longing to see him.

    It was almost dawn. So, the lighting still wasn''t that clear, so Xzavier almost knocked down a human figure that came rushing out of the woods. Xzavier expertly swerved at thest minute and diverted the armor motorcycle into a clearing close by. The sound of a human girls scream came from behind him. That was when Xzavier realized that he had almost just rammed his motorcycle into a little girl.

    Much to Adalia''s chagrin, Xzavier instantly pulled his motorcycle to a halt and hopped off hurriedly to check on the girl he had almost killed. Adalia wasn''t too pleased about his detour.

    "Xzavier! Xzavier!!" she called as softly as she could, not wanting to draw any attention to herself.

    "Please don''t wander off!"

    But Xzavier was already jogging towards the scream he had just heard. As he rushed, he wondered:

    "What exactly would a young girl be doing in the woods at this ungodly hour?!"

    Xzavier remembered the speed and manner with which she had breezed past him and froze.

    "Could someone have been after her? Are there any more orcs chasing her?"

    Xzavier sighed in disgust. If there were any more low level orcs in the environment, he swore to himself to kill all of them in the most brutal manner. He had already had it up to his neck with orcs and their vices.

    But fortunately, it was neither. As he came up on the figure of a young girl clutching her knee on the floor from behind, Xzavier announced his presence.

    "Are you hurt? Is anyone after you?"

    Still dazed from what had just happened, Tacy''s heart skipped she heard Xzavier''s voice. She couldn''t believe it. She cocked her head in Xzavier''s direction and called out to him excitedly:

    "Xzavier?! Xzavier is that truly you?! Oh thank heavens you''re safe!!! It is I Tacy!!"

    Xzavier was taken aback. Surely this was a mistake.

    "Tacy? What are you doing out here by yourself?!!!" he asked in disbelief.

    Xzavier was confused. His confusion warped even more as someone else rushed out at a blinding speed, startling Xzavierpletely. Instinctively, he reached for his pistol to waste the intruder when the intruder abruptly stopped just a few feet from where Xzavier and Tacy were. Facing themselves, the two regarded each other for a while before the other man called out:

    "Who are you?! What have you done with Tacy?"

    Xzavier was taken away by the familiar voice. He was so surprised that he literally found no words to answer his colleague from the underground exchange. Tacy was the one who answered old man Kadin:

    "Master! It''s Xzavier! He''s alive!!?"

    Apprehensive, and still yet unsure, the old man approached cautiously.

    "Xzavier? Is this true? Are you he?"

    "Indeed old man. It is I Xzavier in the flesh."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Kadin immediately approached the both of them with suppressed joy.

    "I see you are still in one piece¡­" the old man said to Xzavier sarcastically.

    "¡­one would have thought that you would have been devoured whole by the chief orc!"

    Xzavier sneered. He could tell that the old man was d to see him. But his ego was actively preventing him from showing his true feelings. It was a gambit that wasmon amongst males. So, Xzavier replied in the same vein:

    "Back at you old man. With the way you were running, anyone who saw you wouldn''t believe you were the proprietor of the underground exchange."

    Kadin smiled at the soft jab. It was good to have Xzavier back. As Kadin helped Tacy up to her feet, Xzavier asked them the question baffling him at the moment:

    "Old man you are not supposed to be here, this is a dangerous ce to be, what brings you here at a time like this?"

    Kadin chuckled slightly.

    "Do not tter yourself Xzavier. Tacy my ward was extremely worried when you disappeared. She decided toe after you and I followed her to protect her."

    Xzavier saw the truth deep behind the old man''s veiled corny words. He truly was touched by both their concern, so he expressed his gratitude ordingly:

    "I am thankful to the both of you for deeming me worthy of your concern. You honor me. Thank you."

    Kadin nodded.

    At this point, dawn had saturated the horizon, filling the woods with a faint refulgence. So, visibility was far better now. So, Xzavier could see better. But it wasn''t just him who had taken advantage of the clearer visibility.

    Xzavier looked at Tacy but saw that her gaze was on the beautiful blonde woman who was reclining on his motorcycle a few feet away. Before Xzavier could make the necessary introductions, Tacy jumped in with a presumptuous statement:

    "Wow Xzavier, your girlfriend is really pretty! Why don''t you introduce us?"

    Xzavier''s face flushed with embarrassment. He looked at Adalia and then looked back at Tacy.

    "Don''t be silly Tacy. I only just met her."

    "Oh¡­" Tacy''s voice trailed off in a high note.

    With her eyes still fixated on Adalia, she answered Xzavier:

    "I am sorry for hums to conclusions Xzavier."

    "It''s alrig-"

    Tacy cut him off  before he could finish his sentence.

    "But surely you can understand why I said that. I mean, you im to have just met her, and yet, there is reclining on your iron steed in such a grant manner."

    Xzavier opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out.

    Kadin who had been watching the whole scene unfold with curiosity, decided to step in at that moment to save Xzavier.

 Chapter 45 Options

    "Xzavier my boy, you have to tell us what happened. There must be some sort of guardian angel hovering over you my friend¡­."

    Xzavier weed the distraction wholeheartedly. He was a brilliant soldier with a fine analytical mind, but it had been a really long time since he had been tongue tied. Yet, Tacy had managed to put him in a position where he was at a loss as to what to say.

    So, when the old man offered him a way out of the precarious situation which Tacy had lured him into. Anxious to change the topic, hetched on to Kadin''s soft jab and replied the old man:

    "Old man, get on with it, what are you trying to say now?"

    Kadin grinned.

    "You''re one lucky son of a gun Xzavier. Most people who are audacious enough to engage the chief orc in a battle never live to tell the tale. You my dear Xzavier should really thank God¡­"

    Xzavier listened to the crafty old man speak. Behind his dicey words and his acidic tone, there was some hidden information which he kept to himself. As a perceptive man whose thinking faculties were top notch, Xzavier picked up on the fact that the old man definitely knew something about the chief orc. This didn''te as a total surprise to Xzavier. Considering the fact that Kadin had been in this business for a long time, the probability of him having ess to hidden information was very likely.

    Xzavier eyed the old man warily. Though Kadin tried to hide it, there was an unmistakable glimmer in his eyes when he mentioned that Xzavier was lucky to have escaped the chief orc''s wrath. Xzavier immediately concluded that the old man knew something.

    Asides from the fact that he was driven by a sense of justice, Xzavier was also a terrible loser. He had been trained to avoid failure at all costs and court sess. So if there was any inside information that could potentially give him an edge, Xzavier was going to grab it with both hands.

    "Kadin¡­" he started on a serious note;

    "¡­do you by chance know anything about any weakness this chief orc might have?"

    Kadin was taken unaware by Xzavier''s sudden question. It reeked of vengeance and the desire to get even. Could he truly be nning on fighting the orc despite the fact that he had only been spared by some cosmic interference. Kadin''s joking face quickly morphed into a stale expression. The mood had shifted from a happy reunion to something else. He looked at Xzavier questioningly and sighed aloud;

    "Surely you must be mad Xzavier! Are you really thinking of going back? Are you?!"

    Though Xzavier could tell that the old man was dead serious, he couldn''t resistughing a little. The look of horror on Kadin''s face, as well as the hysterical way with which he had osted him casted the old man in a ridiculous light. The old man was truly concerned, and the basis of his concern was rooted in fright.

    Xzavier wasn''t insensitive. In fact, he was cognizant of the older man''s feelings. But that wasn''t going to deter him from the course he had already charted in his mind.

    "What''s the matter Kadin? Surely you didn''t think this was over right?" Xzavier said as heughed softly.

    Kadin was horrified.

    The old man was pretty sure that from the moment he had met the ck d stranger who waltzed into his underground exchange that day dressed in ck, he had never seen Xzavier with any facial expression other than the permanent scowl on his face. In fact, he had never personally observed Xzavier express any form of joy, or disy any kind of emotion at all. Not even as much as a smile, talk less of seeing or hearing himugh. This was the first time he had seen Xzavierugh, and it was because he was making light of a situation that was literally life or death.

    The old man shook his head and said.

    "You are a sick man Xzavier. I don''t get you at all. Most people would flee after surviving an altercation with that malevolent entity, yet, here you are, barely a few hourster and you are already plotting aeback¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier replied him casually with a sincere question that bore no atom of ridicule or aloofness;

    "Why not?" he peered hard at the old man and asked again;

    "That creature needs to be put down, doesn''t it?"

    "Put down?!" Kadin cried!

    "Do you hear yourself Xzavier?! You talk as if you were referring to a wild bull or a stray dog! This is a towering, dozens of feet tall, bloodthirsty orc we are talking about!"

    Clearly, the old man was visibly shaken. Xzavier had never seen him get this worked up over anything before. This subject was obviously a touchy one for him. He proceeded to try any angle; persuasion.

    "Asides from the fact that you could actually lose your life, I could give you a hundred other reasons why you shouldn''t do this. Take your loss and fold! Do not return Xzavier!"

    The younger man wiped the smile off his face and countered Kadin''s plea.

    "Brace yourself Kadin, I will tell you why this is a good idea¡­."

    The look on Kadin''s face told Xzavier that no matter what he was going to say, it wouldn''t make him budge on his stand against Xzavier''s decision to go back. With his mouth taut, and the frightful look in his eye, Xzavier knew it would take a whole lot convincing to get the old man to see reason with him.

    But that did not in any way stop Xzavier from pressing on with his argument;

    "¡­the orc would never expect me to return, this gives me the added advantage. I can take him by surprise, and with a well thought out strategy and meless execution, there is no way the chief orc wouldn''t fall."

    He stared into both their eyes as he made his closing remarks.

    "This is the perfect opportunity tounch a sneak attack. The orc would never see this attacking...."

    Xzavier sounded confident, and his confidence was infectious. But it wasn''t just his assertiveness, Xzavier had actually made a solid point and both Kadin and Tacy knew it. Kadin quickly shook off the feeling before Xzavier''s beautiful logic could change his mind.

    "Those are fine words Xzavier, but a lot is at stake here. The soul of a dangerous beast hangs in the bnce here. One slip up could mean the end! The leader of this particr tribe of orcs is extremely dangerous! You of all people should understand!"

    Xzavier was a man of action, he was so stiff that he could not recognize the fact that words yed a very vital role in human interactions. It wasn''t that, Xzavier absolutely hated and abhorred long stretches of conversations that seemed pointless. He understood the old man''s reservations, but arguing now was a needless endeavor and aplete waste of time, especially when this time could be spent perfecting and exerting his ns. While the two men tried their best to get the other to see reason, someone else spoke up and changed the dynamic of the dialogue.

    Tacy who had been quietly listening to both sides suddenly surprised everyone when she made an announcement. Tacy dramatically coughed and cleared her throat, it was a universal signal that said that she had something to say. Both men acknowledged her desire to butt in and turned in her direction, Kadin with a mild looks of irritation on his face, and Xzavier with his default cold stare. Having secured their attention, Tacy finally spoke.

    "I have made my decision!"

 Chapter 46 Tacy

    Her sing song voice rang though the air in an almost melodious tone. It was in sharp contrast to the thick and heavy masculine voices which had dominated the scene only a few moments ago. It sounded childlike, innocent and almost unserious. But there was nothing unserious about the words that followed.

    "Xzavier, you are the reason I am here. You are the reason we are all here, we set out on this mission knowing fully we''ll what you were up against. We spent each painful waking moment hoping against hope that we wouldn''t have to pick up your entrails¡­"

    She stopped to force down the sob building in her throat. Tacy had managed to use her plea to charge the air with thick emotion. But she wasn''t even done yet.

    "¡­and yet, by some miracle, you are here hale and hearty!"

    She sniffled a bit and used the back of her sleeves to wipe her face as the gathering tears clouded her vision.

    "I didn''te all this way to see you get gored again Xzavier, I can''t stand by and watch you get killed!"

    Every where was silent by the time Tacy had finished. Her voice, thick with emotion, the young girl hadid out her heart as it was in her. This was one quality Xzavier admired about her: her ability to express her emotions and brazenly state just how she felt, regardless of the situation or consequence.

    The tide was now against Xzavier. Tacy had taken her master''s side, not out of spite for Xzavier neither was it because of her reverence for the old man. No, it was purely because of her burning love for Xzavier. It burned so hot within her that it manifested on the surface as a hot stream of tears pouring down her pretty face.

    Adalia had been observing the scene closely. It wasn''t in her nature to butt into things that didn''t concern her. But at this point, she felt like Tacy and Kadin''s influence might sweep Xzavier in their own direction. So, in a desperate attempt to stop this from happening, she quickly chirped in:

    "I agree with Mister Xzavier¡­."

    The way everyone sharply turned in her direction the moment she spoke suggested that they had all temporarily forgotten that she had ever been present in the first ce. It hurt, Adalia to be ignored like that, but she swallowed it gingerly and continued.

    "¡­I think now is the best possible time to sneak up on the orc. All factors point towards this fact. I believe Mister Xzavier can sessfully execu-"

    Unable to stand anymore of the beautiful stranger''s atrocious words, Tacy angrily cut her off with a stinging rudeness:

    "No one cares about what you think!" she snapped angrily as she red at Adalia.

    Not expecting to be cut off in such a rude manner, an abject look of surprise crept across a very shocked Adalia''s face. The full weight of Tacy''s death stare forced her back into her shell. Like a bully, Tacy killed her opinion before it was even birthed!

    Xzavier stepped in at this moment.

    "That''s enough Tacy. Everyone has a right to speak their own mind."

    Tacy looked at Xzavier with unbelief in her eyes.

    "Are you seriously taking her side Xzavier?! Are you?!*

    Tacy sounded betrayed. She looked at Xzavier with pleading eyes, hoping he would finally see reason.

    "Don''t be absurd Tacy, there are no sides here. We all want the same thing, and that is to bring an end to the tyranny and cruelty of the chief orc and his tribe!"

    As he spoke, Xzavier tried his best to stay neutral.

    Both women had aired their views, and he respected their own right to have their own individual perspectives. But he couldn''t help being impressed with Adalia''s objectivity. He couldn''t believe it! He did not think that the young woman could have such a keen eye.

    Thankful for Xzavier''s silent support, Adalia ignored the rising tension between her and the other female and went on to exin why she had chosen to stick with Xzavier on this.

    "None of you know this, except for Xzavier, but I have had close encounters with orcs. I can attest to the fact that I have first hand knowledge of their mannerisms and pattern of behavior."

    This particr bomb set off a fresh new wave of respect for Adalia. The strange girl didn''t seem so ignorant and na?ve in the first ce. Judging from her opening statement, both Kadin and Tacy finally understood why she was on this mission with Xzavier in the first ce. The first part of that mystery was solved. Adalia continued in an articte manner:

    "I know for sure the pattern of the orcs'' reaction when attacked. If Xzavier escapes their assault as a loser, then the orcs would stop at nothing to get their own pound of flesh. They might even go as far as scorching the neighboringmunities just so they could abate their wrath."<novelnext></novelnext>

    She paused for a second to gather her thoughts. The group was so silent that if a pin had dropped in that moment, it would have echoed. Clearly, she had their undivided attention now. She proceeded after her much needed break.

    "So, it goes without saying that Xzavier has to emerge as the victor from this contest. It is not a matter of ego, neither is it a matter of thrill, this is for the sake of the poor unknowing folks in the neighborhood that may end up taking the heat for Xzavier''s assault on the orcs."

    By the time Adalia was done, Xzavier didn''t need a prophet to tell him that she had sessfully swayed everyone to her side. He shifted his gaze to the old man and then finally to Tacy, both looked like they were at conflict with their inner selves. Kadin lifted up his head after a long stretch of ufortable silence, he looked at Xzavier with his hazy grey eyes, and hesitantly nodded at him and gave his assent to the n.

    "Fine Xzavier, I see you have thought this through. If you must go on with this dangerous mission, then I guess I just have to stick with you to ensure that you don''t get killed."

    Tacy on the other hand wasn''t still totally convinced. She eyed Adalia with hostility as she made her reservations known to the group.

    "How is this even up for debate?!" she cried apprehensively.

    In a dramatic fashion, she stepped forward rebelliously, her eyes zing in defiance, she addressed Adalia whom Tacy thought was the root cause of all of this misfortune.

    "I don''t care about you missy! But Master and Kadin are people I genuinely care about! I can''t let you sink your ws with your feminine charm and lead them to their death! I would rather the whole world burn than sit back and let any harm befall them!"

    There was no atom of falsehood in what Tacy had said. If anything, she had actually watered down just how much Xzavier and Kadin meant to her. In her mind, she had divided the world into two; her, Kadin and Xzavier on one side, and strangers who meant nothing to her on the other side.

    To someone like Tacy who had practically grown up without the love of family, it was virtually her and the two men versus the world. Every other person in the world could die and it would faze her.

    The rebellious look that eclipsed her facial features, slowly faded away under the burden of her need to be heard;

    "¡­please¡­" she pleaded,

    "I can''t allow you two to sacrifice yourself¡­" she sobbed lightly.

    "I know it''s selfish of me, but please, indulge me I beseech you."

    The air was fraught with an unsteady calm. All eyes remained on Tacy as she pled her cause. She had bared herself openly and it made all of them feel a bit guilty. No one wanted to injure her feelings, but as Adalia had carefully enumerated. This had to be done.

    "Rx Tacy¡­" Xzavier encouraged her.

    "I assure you, I have taken your feelings into due consideration. I promise you, I will not die."

    Tacy sobbed some more.

    "You can''t promise that Xzavier! You can''t!"

    Xzavier saw through Tacy for she was an open book. He knew that though her reservations were reasonable, they were not practical. So, he spent the next few minutes assuaging her.

    After what seemed like a long while, the four humans set out on a mission that was borderline crazy. Xzavier took charge as the experienced soldier andid down the first stage of the n:

    "As you all know, hunting is best done at night. Even nature''s best predators recognize that darkness is the ultimate cover."

    Kadin nodded in approval. Adalia''s face remained taut. Tacy feigned disinterest.

    "Also, Intel gathered on the orcs had seen a pattern in their behavior. They almost always emerge at dusk to engage in whatever it is they do."

    None said a thing.

 Chapter 47 Destination

    "So, I suggest that we set off and encamp around close to their location and wait for nightfall before closing in on them. They probably won''t think another attack would beunched on a second night."

    Kadin lent his voice at this time.

    "I think we should set off now, there''s a good chance that we will get there pretty early, so we can rest up before nightfall."

    The cohesiveness of this group was part of what made them extremely dangerous. So, with one mind, they set off back to the den of the orcs.

    Halfway to their destination, after about three hours of trekking, with the full midday sun hanging over the trees of the forest, and the group trudging through the woods, Kadin broke the silence with his opening address to Xzavier:

    "There is something you must know about the chief of the orcs¡­"

    Xzavier tensed. He had been wondering when the old man would finally let hum in on the secret information he had been concealing regarding the chief orc. Xzavier hid his enthusiasm.

    "Well, spit it out you old fox!"

    No answer came, Xzavier turned around abruptly to look at Kadin. He thought the old magician was simply toying with his emotions, but as h looked in his direction, he saw that the old man had a troubled expression on his face. It was as if the words were heavy in his mouth to say. Xzavier waited patiently for the bad news. He already knew it was bad news.

    The older man finally replied the younger one in a solemn tone. Xzavier held his breath in anticipation of the bad news.

    "There were rumors flying about back in my day about a certain young orc who had gained a terrifying ability. The best hunters of the time who had gone toe to toe with other orcs challenged each other on who would handle this menace¡­"

    Xzavier listened closely as the old man recounted his tale from the past;

    "But much to everyone''s chagrin, every hunter who set out never came back. Back then, it was still the golden age of heroes when men were men and challenged the most ferocious beasts, bringing glory to the profession."

    "One by one, the best of the best were wiped out single handedly by this devious orc. So, a group of hunters bounded themselves together to take out this mysterious orc."

    Kadin paused for a minute. This wasn''t just some fairytale to him, this was a recollection of actual events with actual people. Many of whom were long dead and many of whom had been visited by death in the most unconventional way.

    "I can still remember back then how the rest of us waited anxiously for the seven hunters toe back. But only one came back, he came back physically, but he left his mind behind. He was the one who told us the terrifying tale of the orc who could swell to the size of arge oak tree, and swung an axe five times the size of a man!"

    Xzavier said not a word. He listened with rapt attention.

    "We all thought he was mad you see, he had burst through the doors of the bar that stormy night, all battered and bloodied, spewing unspeakable things¡­"

    Then the information which Xzavier had been waiting for finally came.

    "¡­but I never forgot one of the many things he said that night," he assumed an even more serious tone as he fixed his gaze on Xzavier;

    "When the orc is in his gigantic form, every single part of his body is as hard as a rock¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier was horrified. This wasn''t what he had been expecting, he listened closely, hoping desperately that something meaningful woulde out of this. And it did.

    "¡­but there is something else, while every other part of his body is practically invulnerable at the time, only the back of his head remains normal."

    He paused as the implication of this news rested on Xzavier. This was the best news yet, but Xzavier wasn''t quick to rejoice. As he looked at the old man, a silent understanding passed between them;unching an all-out attack on the head of the chief orc would prove to be a real herculean task. The orc would definitely be on guard, knowing fully well that the back of his head was his weak point. A solid n was needed. Something that would cause the orc to be distracted long enough for them to blow off his head.

    As Xzavier and the others journeyed towards the valley of the orcs, Xzavier put his body on auto pilot as he worked on his n for hours on end. After running several simtions in his head about the best and worst possible oues, Xzavier finally lifted up his head to ask Kadin a very important question;

    "Riddle me this old man, do you think it would be possible to trap the orc leader''s hands just for a brief second?"

    Kadin thought for a minute. Clearly Xzavier was on to something, so he had to give an objectively sound answer of risk dooming them all. Kadin replied him after a few moments of serious deliberation;

    "In my opinion, it is very much possible to trap him. But this can only be done at close range."

    Kadin charged him seriously as he dropped the most important part of his assessment;

    "But this would be a ime thing Xzavier. Don''t get it twisted, if you choose to do this, you only get one shot!"

    "We." Xzavier answered.

    "What?"

    "You said ''you only get one shot,'' this isn''t just me. We all have a part to y in this."

    The old man tensed, he knew what Xzavier was getting at. He wasn''t a coward, not by a long shot. He was worried about his ward. The battleground was no ce for a woman.

    Xzavier on the other hand locked out everyone and everything in his immediate surroundings as focused once again on perfecting the n that was already taking shape in his head. As he ran simtions in the abstract construct that was his mind, Xzavier strategically ced the appropriate traps around the orc leader. He ran it all over again and again from the top, making sure there were no glitches in his ns.

    Finally, the group arrived at the clearing before the orc valley just a few hours before dawn. It was the same spot which he and Adalia had crouched just a little while ago.

    A wave of nostalgia hit Xzavier violently as he took in the entire scene once again. Back then, he had been brimming with confidence, relishing the fact that he had been chosen as an instrument to bring divine retribution on the orcs for their atrocities.

    Xzavier had very nearly seeded if not for the unknown variable which he had failed to ount for. Xzavier pushed back the failures of the previous day behind him and focused on whaty ahead. This time, he was well prepared. This time he had a target and a definite n. This time, he wasn''t going to miss.

    Time crawled past like a snail on a marathon race. Xzavier was aware of every painful minute. To Xzavier, in those painful moments, the whole of time seemed to be frozen, torturing him with a very slow teaser.

    Soon, but not enough, like a vulture spreading its wings over the dead body of a carcass, covering it with a literal and figurative darkness, the sunpletely retreated to the horizon and the moon majestically took its time before ascending to its rightful ce.

 Chapter 48 Provoke

    This was the moment Xzavier had been waiting for. The thrill of the hunt, the thought of settling as score, and the prospect of settling all blended together and rolled into one colossal wave of a kind of psychotic longing. Around the corner, he felt like victory was courting him. With the fate of the orc leader in his hands, Xzavier couldn''t wait to even the score.

    So, he summoned his armor motorcycle once again, mounted it like a warrior mounting a steed into battle, and audaciously headed into the base camp of the orcs- alone. In order to get to the valley below, Xzavier had toe down from his elevated height and descend down a very rough hillside to get to the bottom.

    The powerful beam of his headlights as well as the angry hum of the powerful engine of his motorcycle was a dead giveaway of his presence. Anyone would have opted for a more careful and a less daring approach. But Xzavier didn''t care. The time for stealth had passed. This time around he would try a more direct approach.  Even if the powerful re of his headlights didn''t get the attention of the orcs, he had something else that would definitely set him in their sights.

    Xzavier pulled up right at the entrance to the catbs of hollowed out rocks in the valley and pulled out an RPG. Still on his motorcycle, right in the HQ of the orcs'' base, Xzavier aimed the weapon right at the center of the valley and fired. Xzavier watched with an odd sense of satisfaction as the rocket flew out of hisuncher and headed straight to his intended target with a swish and finally, a resounding BOOM!

    The explosion rocked the ground underneath him. Before long, the unsuspecting orcs began to run about frantically. Grunting and making animal noises. Xzavier truly wished he understood oguage. At the moment, he would have given anything to know exactly what they were saying. Although there was no way of knowing for sure, Xzavier believed the interpretation would be something like this;

    "These demons havee again o!"

    "What do they want with us?!"

    "Hurry! Let''s hide!"

    Sitting on his motorcycle, RPG in hand, Xzavier eyes glowed with orange as the fire from the explosion reflecting in his eyes like a huge glowing ball. He watched with glee as the chaos unfolded before him. It was almost difficult not to relish the destruction he had wroth on the unsavory creatures.

    Xzavier didn''t allow himself to get carried away, he kept his eye out for the one entity that he wanted. It didn''t take too long before he got his wish. Like a demon rising out of the earth, like an idoling to life from the ashes of chaos, the tall towering form of the orc leader emerged from the mayhem. Even with the pandemonium all around him, the chief orc had somehow managed to retain his finesse as a leader as he emerged unscathed from themotion.

    Xzavier struggled to rein in his excitement. The hour was at hand. It was now time to enforce the next part of his n. Without taking his eyes off the orc leader, even for a minute Xzavier disembarked from his motorcycle. The distance between both the human and the orc was great, but because of the glow of thete night''s moon, both could see each other clearly.

    To make sure that the chief orc could really see him, Xzavier stepped in front of the motorcycle''s head lights and executed the second phase of his n. Considering Xzavier''s predilection for seriousness and his apparent hatred for all things unserious, what Xzavier did next was almostical. The young man did the unthinkable;

    Looking at the chief orc squarely in the eyes, Xzavier tilted the left side out of his hips to the side teasingly like a delinquent, then lifted his left hand high in the air and brought it down on his own butt! Smacking it in a yful manner. This entire gambit was deliberate, nothing about it was unintentional.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Uninvited and unwanted, Xzavier had intruded on the personal domain of the orcs. Not only had he strolled in as an unwee guest, Xzavier had fired a rocket, destroying, possibly killing and discing at least a dozen orcs. In doing that, he had the temerity to degrade the chief of the orcs by provoking him with such a rude disy of wantonness.

    The orc leader was enraged. He couldn''t believe that this puny little human had the audacity toe back to attack a second time! He was as mad as he was disgusted. Waves of disgust spawned from within him and made their way to the top. The hatred the orc leader had for Xzavier was such that even if Xzavier happened to drop dead at that moment, the leader of the orc wouldn''t hesitate to attack Xzavier''s corpse! He truly hated the detestable human.

    Xzavier had managed to escape the orc leader thest time, but he knew that with all he had just done here, there was no way the orc leader would let him slip by this time. Xzavier had proven to be a very annoying pest, so the Orc leader vowed to kill him in the bloodiest way possible.

    Just as Xzavier had expected, the orc leader didn''t waste any time at all. Instantly, he unleashed his power and quadrupled in size within a minute. This time, Xzavier had a firsthand view of the horrendous growth of the orc. He noticed that there hadn''t been any noticeable triggers. It seemed the orc could simply activate this power by will. The other thing that was now apparent to Xzavier was the fact that the enraged chief orc was now determined to kill him.

    Xzavier hurriedly hopped on his armor motorcycle and zoomed off, leaving the orc behind him bathing in the dust. As Xzavier made his getaway, he intentionally made sure that there wasn''t a serious amount of distance between them. He didn''t make any move topletely shake the orc off his tail, but, Xzavier also didn''t make it very easy for him to catch up with him. He kept a negligible amount of distance between them. This was vital to Xzavier''s next n.

    Suddenly, out of the blue, with the finesse of a professional biker, Xzavier circumnavigated his motorcycle and negotiated a dangerous curve. The skid caused his tires to burn rubber. In the direction, Xzavier fled in a specific trajectory. Hot on his heels, the orc leader pursued Xzavier relentlessly. Under his extrarge feet, several thumps resembling mini tremors rocked the surrounding.

    The explosions went off in quick session, each one on the horribly loud heels of the other. Spiraling into one colossal wave of destruction. Xzavier didn''tmit the same mistake asst time by nting just a singlend mine. No. This time, Xzavier was generous with his traps, he literally littered the path which he led the orc on withnd mines. With the finesse of a swan, Xzavier deftly sped through the terrain. It was astounding just how he managed to evade his own traps and at the same time, maintain a dangerously high speed.

    The chief orc found out that he had stumbled into a graveyard of buried traps. But surprisingly, he continued to forge ahead, knowing fully well what awaited for him. Such was his hate for Xzavier. Such was his determination to quash the little annoying human bug who kept troubling him with his persistent attacks.

    The injury which he had suffered initially from Xzavier''snd mine the previous time had impaired his speed and mobility. That, plus the news explosives which Xzavier had gifted him as a wee package also added to the overall damage on the part of the orc.

    The chief orc''s injuries weren''t lethal, not in the slightest. But judging by the limp andgging footsteps of the chief orc, Xzavier deduced that it was probably still reeling with the pain. The orc hadn''t fooled Xzavier in that regard, it was clear that he had sustained so major damages to both his feet. Xzavier noted amusingly that the spring in the footsteps were both equally slow and tagged with pain. It wasn''t one leg that had suffered the damage, it was both feet. Xzavier noted all of this while tearing through the terrain with the chief orc on his back.

    Once again, the superrge orc had fallen prey to the traps which Xzavier had littered around the corner. The orc''s blood boiled with rage. So, he became more alert to the possibilities of more traps awaiting him ahead. He resolved not to fall prey to the puny tricks of this daring human. The smart orc soon worked out a n. He had already discerned a pattern that followed Xzavier''s traps. So, he took precautions and decided to tow a different path- literally.

    So, instead of running behind Xzavier in a straight line, the chief orc switchednes expertly and began to run parallel to Xzavier, avoid the straight path behind Xzavier which he had zed for him. The orc began to congratte himself on having thwarted such a beguiling enemy. He was so pleased with himself that for a moment, he forgotpletely about the roaring pain stabbing away at his two roasted feet.

 Chapter 49 Trap

    But unfortunately, the orc''s joy was short lived. Still basking in the euphoric bliss of his counter strategy that seemed to working, the chief orc didn''t know that he was about to suffer a great downfall- literally.

    Having stepped into a differentne running parallel to Xzavier, the chief orc''s eyes skipped over a very minor and yet significant variable. Up ahead, just about ten meters ahead stood a barricade that was negligible in height. It wasn''t enough topletely impede the giant orc''s violent charge, but it was definitely annoying enough to cause him to stumble.

    With his eyes up ahead, fixated on Xzavier. And with his mind wrapped totally and dwelling on sick vengeful fantasies, the chief orc failed to sight the obstacle. He ran into it with full speed, crashing his already stubbed toes and sted feet into the elevated piece of rock that was firmly rooted in the ground. The chief orc roared in pain as he tripped hard on what felt like several pounds of solid granite rock. The unfortunate chief orc took a dive and came crashing down on the earth with a violent thud,pletely stering all vegetation beneath him into one t in of levelled grass and shrubs.

    Like an astute opportunist that he was, Xzavier seized the moment and acted ordingly and sprang into action. He did a full one hundred and Eighty degrees on his motorcycle and spun in the direction of the fallen orc. The orc had been immobilized, but Xzavier knew that he wouldn''t stay that way for long. So, he pressed the full throttle of the motorcycle to its full speed and raced towards the sprawled body of the fallen orc. Above the aggressive hum of his roaring engine, Xzavier started to yell:

    "Kadin!! Kadin!! Kadiiiiiiiiinnn!!!!!"

    Despite the suddenness of his fall, the chief orc recovered from his daze with a terrifying quickness. By the time Xzavier realized that the orc was already stirring from its temporarypse, he was already within his range. Sensing this to be another one of Xzavier''s legendary traps, the enraged chief orc swung his massive arms to grab Xzavier and squash himpletely. He was already tingling with the anticipation of finally crushing this stubborn human.

    But that anticipation soon turned to agitation. Much to his horror, the orc discovered that he couldn''t move his arms! Frantic, aware of the dangerous position that he was in, the orc felt like a fish that had been trapped in a by greedy and hungry fishermen. This feeling of helplessness was a strange feeling for someone like the chief orc..

    In that moment, the chief orc''s hands felt like dead weight. It was almost like some unseen force was actively holding them to the ground. Pinning them down, desecrating his will. No matter how he struggled, he couldn''t seem to move.

    By this time, it was clear to Xzavier that Kadin had a hand in the big orc''s hand issue. Xzavier''s eyes hadn''t left the orc the entire time, and yet Kadin had somehow managed to pull this off. He knew then that Kadin must have had done this disturbing deed secretly. Xzavier made up his mind not to dwell on something as insignificant as that. Right now, he had bigger fish to fry.

    With the enemy now subdued, Xzavier knew that there was no better time to strike than now. In the heat of the moment, filled with a fresh surge of energy, elerated towards the gigantic orc whose ce was now temporarily in the dust.

    Unable to move, the orc leader seethed with contemptuous rage beneath Xzavier''s motorcycle. Once again, he had fallen prey to the craftiness of Xzavier! His hatred boiled within him like a bubbling mass of toxic gas. More than ever, he wanted Xzavier dead. The chief orc had been subject to his ridicule and puny tricks long enough. His resolve to obliterate Xzavier has trippled, making him more dangerous and more determined.

    But s, in that very moment, there was nothing he could really do to stop Xzavier''s creeping. So, unable to move, unable to stop his assant from dragging his metal contraption all over his body, the chief orc remained helplessly static, waiting for whatever woulde next.

    As Xzavier approached the back of the orc''s head, he brought out his military grade pistol and aimed it at the back of the orc''srge head.

    Two bullets was customary for close range assassination. But Xzavier was not willing to take any chances. The first shot came, whistling out of the silencer with a tiny amount of smoke following in its wake. The second, third, fourth up till the tenth came in quick session. Xzavier ended up emptying an entire clip of bullets into the back of the orc''s skull! If there had been more bullets, Xzavier probably would have spent them all on the vicious orc who had troubled him greatly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Though he had nted ten bullets into the back of the chief orc''s head, deep down Xzavier still wasn''t satisfied. Something bothered him about the sound the bullets made as they made contact with the back of the orc''s head. It almost sounded as though they were hitting a metal instead of flesh and bone.

    ng! ng! ng!

    That was the sound. Repeating in a cycle, over and over again even until thest bullet.

    This disturbed Xzavier. He was a bit rattled.

    "What sort of monster is this? Even his skull sounds like a metal te!"

    But logic dictated that the orc was finished since the deed was already done. No one could survive ten bullets to the back of the head at close range, not even the notorious chief orc. So, Xzavier consoled himself with this fact. Xzavier took it upon himself to dere the orc deceased. It was far more convenient to believe that that to believe that it could somehow survive ten shots to the head at close range.

    There was nothing worse than hearing the dead speak, or in this case:ugh. Xzavier would remember this for the rest of his lifetime.

    It turned out that Xzavier''s victory didn''tst for long. His blood ran cold when the cold hoarseughter of the orc rose above the din of the otherwise quiet night. Xzavier watched with horror as the not so deceased orc stirred beneath him, as if Xzavier''s gunshots to his head had been nothing but a p on the wrist.

    The horrendously coldughter of the chief orc rocked his entire being. As heughed, Xzavier gradually began to feel a foreboding sense of doom. Sure enough, the mysterious bond that had kept the chief orc''s hands bound started to weaken. Xzavier knew that it was time to get off the orc!

    The orc on the other hand was determined not to let Xzavier go. Almost as if he sensed Xzavier trying to get away, he swung hisrge hand in a bid to swath Xzavier like an annoying fly. .

    But Xzavier was more than adept at enacting evasive maneuvers. He tilted his motorcycle, almost parallel to the ground and in a brilliant disy of thrilling escape, he furiously drove his heavy duty armor motorcycle over the head of the orc on his way down, giving him a haphazard haircut with his strong rubber tires, slipping through the fingers of the chief orc who wanted him dead by all means. The orc roared like a injured wild bull.

    Xzavier on the other hand barely managed to escape getting squashed like an annoying bug, he touched down on the earth with a graceful thud. Having dragged his motorcycle all over the uneven back of the orc for a full minute, Xzavier was grateful for the feel of the earth underneath him again. He drove up a few meters before swerving in the direction of the not so deceased orc to inspect what had happened.

    The full beam of light from Xzavier''s motorcycle was augmented by the moonlight overhead. All of these sources of lightbined together to provide Xzavier with the illumination he needed to see the reason why his bullets hadn''tnded.

 Chapter 50 Failure

    Xzavier''s eyes remained fixated on the rising orc, and sure enough, he got his exnation alright. As the orc struggled to regain control of his arms, and as he made his way up, a huge piece of metal, (roughly the size and weight of a giant metal gate) dropped from the orc''s leader''s head.

    As it dropped to the ground, Xzavier saw exactly where his bullets had beennding. Though Xzavier had been fighting it for a while now,but as he saw the evidence, the feeling of abject failure washed over him with the biting chill of a cold winter''s night on the docks.

    Xzavier''s willingness to admit his failure was not asmendable as the chief orc''s prudence. It turned out that the orc wasn''t a totally stupid entity. If anything, recent evidence suggested that the orc actually had a solid hold on reality to have thought this far. Clearly the chief orc was well aware his own weakness. Not only was he aware, he had envisaged the fact that some day, someone would definitelye for that part of his head. The very fact that he had arranged for a contingency n if this magnitude revealed a very sinister side of this beast. The piece of metal had been there all along, hidden and obscured from all eyes.

    From the very start, Xzavier had been out of the loop. He hadn''t been aware of the terrifying ability of the chief orcs, neither had he been aware of the weakness, and finally, thest straw was the protective shell which the orc had somehow managed to install and kept hidden from all eyes.

    Xzavier now realized for the first time that he was dealing with a different breed entirely. The chief orc was not the average brainless beast. This oversight had proven to be very costly.

    But if course, Xzavier had other contingencies of his own as well. If Xzavier hadn''t learnt anything from his previous jousts with the orc, he had learned that it was always best to have other ns asides from the original. While Xzavier hadid out the mine traps with the intention of destabilizing the chief orc, its main objective was meant to make the orc switchnes. And of course, the n had worked brilliantly. Thinking that he hade up with an excellent way to evade Xzavier''snd mines, the chief orc had fallen prey to Xzavier''s indirect trap by running Parallel to Xzavier. But unfortunately for him, the traps weren''t over yet at all. This whole gambit was only a means to another end: the nylon rope.

    Prior to this very moment, Xzavier had set up several interlocking nylon ropes, tied to the top of several trees like one massive spider web, this particr trap epassed the escape route on both sides. So, this inadvertently meant that the orc chief would trip and fall no matter which way he decided to go.

    Xzavier''s n had worked like a charm. But this time, it hadn''t me to because of his sole efforts. Xzavier had Kadin to thank for the beta part his ns. Indeed, the old man''s input had been more than instrumental in the sess of the trap. Kadin had used magic to bind the orc leader''s hands at the very moment he came crashing down on the ground. This would then avail Xzavier the opportunity to take a shot at the back of the orc''s head. It was the perfect n and it had been executed deftly by Xzavier. The only cog in the otherwise perfect n was that he had severely underestimated the chief orc''s intelligence. If it hadn''t been for that minuscule oversight, Xzavier would probably have seeded having tweaked his ns a little bit.

    Havinge to the full realization that his n had flopped, thepetitive side of Xzavier which he often kept repressed, broke through the walls and dominated Xzavier''s entire thinking faculty. Fueled with a new drive to ovee and equipped with a fresh drive, Xzavier drove back in the direction of the chief orc.

    At this point, Xzavier''s vision had turned a thick blood red. He knew that he couldn''t possibly ept defeat at such a crucial point in time. No doubt, his ns had gone awry, but he was in a position where he could do some real damage to the orc if he yed the right cards. So, unwilling to ept defeat, Xzavier began to ride his armor motorcycle around the orc leader in circles. His movements were quick and he kept his battle grade automobile on full speed. As he drifted round and round about the orc, his screeching tires created a haze of clouds of dust, which kept the chief orc guessing as to where his position was.

    All of this wasn''t for naught, Xzavier''s relentlessness and stubbornness in this case was hinged on the hope that he would get a clear shot at the chief orc''s weak spot. But the enemy soon caught on. Once again, the orc leader had proven to be a real menace in not just physical warfare, but in psychological warfare as well. The normally aggressive orc whose entire tactics was purely attacks, was now ying defense!

    It was uncanny just how paranoid the chief orc had gotten. If he were still his confident self, he would go all out against the tiny man circling around him on a metal steed. As Xzavier drove up dust clouds, creating a kind of vortex, the chief orc used his left hand to protect the back of his head. Having lost his shield, the orc leader was well aware of the fact that he was now exposed, so he improvised by creating a makeshift shield with his left hand. But that didn''t stop him from counter attacking.<novelnext></novelnext>

    With his left hand guarding his Achilles heel, the chief orc used his free hand which held his trusty huge axe and swung blindly around. Hoping to catch a lucky shot. He didn''t.

    Xzavier''s mind was upied but that didn''t stop him from wondering about the chief orc''s axe. Was his ability to increase in size transferrable to his axe as well? Had the axe been originally fashioned to be this big? If so, how then did the orc carry it when he returned to his normal size? These questions gued Xzavier''s mind deeply as he fought to find

    He realized that he knew so very little about his enemy. Xzavier had dered war on the orcs and charged headlong into battle without any pre information. This had been a gross oversight on his own part, and he knew that he was lucky not to have suffered anysting or permanent damage as a result of his presumptuousness.

    While Xzavier was lost in deep thought, the chief orc caught a lucky break and his axe came down hard on Xzavier''s location. At thest minute, Xzavier ducked and at the same time, tilted his armor motorcycle dangerously close to the ground, narrowly escaping with assault. After Xzavier bnced himself properly, he touched his hair and was horrified to discover that a fraction of his hair had been

    Decided that it was fair actually, since he also had used the tires of his armor motorcycle to burn off a decent part of the orc''s scalp. In a way, that was Xzavier''s karma. The scales were now bnced in that regard. Both of them had given each other haircuts. The irony of it all wasn''t lost on Xzavier at all.

    From a distance, the voice of the old man came ringing out. Xzavier recognized the urgent tone and paid attention:

    "Xzavier! Abort the mission!! Abort!!" Kadin cried.

    "The n has gone sideways! Don''t linger anymore!! Come on!!"

    Kadin''s voice came with a vibe of hopelessness. It was evident that he had given a lot of thought to the situation and came up with the fact that retreating was the best thing to do.

    This voice of reason brought Xzavier out of his vindictive state of mind. Xzavier knew that Kadin was a pretty objective man. He was neither a pessimist neither was he one of those hopelessly optimistic folks. So, when Xzavier heard the old man''s call, Xzavier finally epted the fact that he had to retreat. There was no point in engaging the orc any further, especially when there was no other n. Physically, The chief orc had the advantage. So if Xzavier decided to keep up with this dance, he knew that it was only a matter of time before he was killed.

    Even as he thought that, the massive axe wielded by the chief orc swooped down on him with a bone chilling swish. Once again, Xzavier managed to dodge, barely escaping the crude de by a few inches. That was all the motivation he needed to get the hell on out of there.

 Chapter 51 Try Again

    As Xzavier turned the head of his motorcycle in Kadin''s direction to break the cycle of circling round about the chief orc hoping to find a chink in his defense, for some odd reason, the thoughts of Miss Mary, (the woman who hadmitted suicide after being gang raped by a band of orcs) suddenly filled Xzavier''s heart and he remembered why he had chosen to embark in this mission in the first ce.

    The thought came unprovoked out of nowhere.. There had been no corrting thoughts or triggers linking that thought to him. All of a sudden, he remembered the humiliation that the poor woman had suffered at the hands of the orcs.

    And just like that, Xzavier tore himself away from his n to disengage. He decided to gamble on another chance. This time, he was driven not by the egotistical sense of winning, but by a fresh sense of justice. A feeling that he had somehow lost along the way.

    Thus, after having the perfect epiphany, Xzavier steered his armor motorcycle in the direction of the steep hill. The engine roared in agreement with Xzavier and both man and machine surged forward as one towards the location of the path to the ascending hill.

    In spite of the fact that the gigantic form of the orc leader was in hot pursuit of Xzavier, the massive orc couldn''t keep up with the speed of Xzavier''s military grade armor motorcycle.

    As the rumbling armor motorcycle raged across the terrain, once again, the machine proved its worth as a military grade mode of transportation. Its ruggedness was a real asset in these parts. Its advantages trumped just about every other alternative. The armor motorcycles thick sturdy tires zed forth, triumphing over every obstacle in its path. Its powerful engine supported Xzavier''s weight and pushed the entire frame forward across the rocky terrain, navigating through the steep areas and maintaining its sturdiness and speed at the same time.

    In that very moment, there was no other mode of transportation that could rival the effectiveness of the armor motorcycle at this point. It had paid off its worth thrice over. In terms of its usefulness, the armor motorcycle had truly outdone itself despite the topography of the mountainous terrain. The orc''s freakishly long legs gave it the added advantage of terrifyingly long strides. He dashed towards Xzavier with all might, but still couldn''t break even by bridging the gap between himself and Xzavier.

    The closer Xzavier got the top, the more he gained altitude and the more levelled the height difference between him and the chief orc. This ced the chief orc''s head in Xzavier''s direct line of sight

    Then, Xzavier once again employed the same delinquent tactic he had used before, back at the orc''s base camp when he had firstnded. He forced his armor motorcycle to slow down from the it''s steady speed and stopped abruptly. Xzavier sharply turned his head in the direction of the orc behind him to confirm that he was still hot in pursuit. The hateful eyes of the chief orc met Xzavier''s own gaze, and oddly enough, Xzavier was reassured.

    Convinced that the orc''s attention was fully fixated on him, Xzavier casually slid off his motorcycle and looked at the furious set of eyes of the orc leader ahead- and waved! For someone who just a short while ago had been contemting running away to escape the wrath of the orc, this particr gambit he had just pulled off was a clear testament to the sheer power of human resolve.

    Without breaking eye contact for even a second, Xzavier kept waving at the giant orc tauntingly, baiting him, luring him to his present location. Xzavier did not stop until the orc leader was within a reasonable distance.

    All this while, the chief orc had been waiting impatiently for his prey to stop. For a minute, the orc leader had lost his target during the pursuit due to Xzavier''s incredible speed. So as his eyes searched the horizon, he found the attention seeking Xzavier casually waving his hands. As he found him, he kept his sights fully locked on Xzavier, not wanting to lose him again.

    Unfortunately for the chief orc, that was the beginning of the end for him, though he didn''t know it at the time. Brimming with over confidence which he had an ample amount of, (especially after thest bout with Xzavier) the orc leader abandoned all reason and charged in wide eyed towards the mountainside, where Xzavier had so generously indicated he was located.

    Still bathing in the joy of his past victory, and reveling in the fact that he was about to finally end this bout once and for all, the orc charged forth and the very next minute, his eyes were assaulted with a vicious st of photons from a high intensity light that shone ten times brighter than the full re of the midday summer sun.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The orc instinctively lifted up his arms to shield his overly sensitive eyes from the intense rays of light that were threatening to blind him. He staggered and roared once again. The pain was different from anything he had ever felt. It felt like the rays of light had burned through his retina and was actively working its way into his brain, driving him insane and ridding him of his sense of sight and ability to reason. The pain was two fold! Due to the suddenness of the attack, the pain hit him in two dimensions; mentally and physically. The chief orc was in so much pain, he literally felt like gouging out his own eyes and filling his eye sockets with snow.

    Xzavier resisted the urge to chuckle to himself as he watched the chief orc struggle to contain the pain.

    "Who knew a sh bang would be so effective? I should have thought of this a long time ago!"

    It made sense. Since the orcs generally preferred toe out during the night time, it was safe to say they had very sensitive eyes. So, a sh bang would definitely do a lot of damage to eyes that have grown ustomed to operating in the dark.

    With no time to fool around, Xzavier dashed into action knowing fully well that the chief orc''s eyes would probably recover in no time.

    Armed with new knowledge on the weakness of the chief orc, Xzavier lifted up his rocketuncher and aimed it at the chief orc.

    A few meters away, the orc leader was grasping his eyes and howling at the moon like a stray dog who had caught a strange bullet. The chief orc danced about on his feet, swaying from side to side, trying desperately to do something about his pain and his temporary blindness.

    Xzavier was d the chief orc had been incapacitated, but because of his constant back and forth, Xzavier couldn''t get a clear shot. Xzavier waited and waited for a clear sight on the back side of the chief orc''s head, but he kept swirling about like a drunk. Xzavier began to suspect that the chief orc was deliberately swaying about on his feet and to avoid a long range attack on his weak point. So, with time running out, and with the chances of the chief orc recovering increasing every minute, Xzavier made an executive decision and took the shot anyway!

    The rocket whistled out of theuncher with a sizzling swish, streaking across the distance between them. Not daring to breathe, Xzavier held his breath as he waited for the results to bring forth fruit.

    Unfortunately, while the rocket maintained its own projectile, the chief orc did not. He adjusted at thest second and the rocket collided with his left hand, missing the target only by a couple of inches. Xzavier stared on at the explosion, hoping that the aftermath would bring him some good news. But once again, disappointment was what he got instead. The rocket had merely struck an insignificant part of the orc. His left hand bore no relevance to the actual target which was the back of his head. There had been some damage, but nothing fatal.

    The sneaky chief orc soon picked up on Xzavier''s morbid ns. He anticipated that his blindness was only a ruse to enable the human break even with his n to attack his weak point. So, the blind chief orc lifted up his massive axe and used the huge metal de to shield the back of his head from anymore attacks.

    While the orc leader strengthened his defense, Xzavier on the other hand got busy. Undeterred by the original misfire, he prepared for another assault on the chief orc with another RPG.

 Chapter 52 It Is Time

    The second rocket flew out with equal tenacity. It rushed towards the orc, reflecting Xzavier''s own urgency and vindictive zeal. Unfortunately for Xzavier, the second shot also missed the target. In his defense, it wasn''t forck of skill or focus, Xzavier was an excellent shot. But it seemed like the stubbornness of the giant orc was proving to be his backup shield, having lost the original metal te that covered the back of his head.

    The second rocket fired by Xzavier may have missed its original target, but some act of providence brought it to another point. The orc''s right had was caught in the cross fire, multiplying his pain, inevitably causing him to let go of hisrge axe for that was his weapons hand. The extraordinarily massive axe dropped to the ground with a violent thud. The impact was so impactful that ispletely changed theyout of the ground.

    Amused, Xzavier observed that in the area where the heavy axe had touched down on the earth, a massive crater had taken form there. It looked like the kind of topographical interference on Mother Nature that one would expect from a catastrophe of a much higher significance. Anyone who passed by in the future might see the crater and immediately think that it had been caused by a meteor that had crashed into the earth.

    Xzavier took stock of the damage he had inflicted on the chief orc, and as he did, he discovered that without even trying to, he had actually managed to injure not just the toes and feet of the chief orc, he had also inflicted a reasonable amount of damage on both of his arms. If it wasn''t for the unnatural tenacious build of the chief orc, he should have been incapacitated already.

    The damage was negligible. But that didn''t mean that the pain wasn''t there.

    The ckness of the night kept visibility to the bare minimum, but thankfully, Xzavier had the soft silvery rays of the moonlight to work with. Because of the unnatural size of the giant orc, and from the vantage point where Xzavier had tactically positioned himself, he had a firsthand view of the orc''s reactions and movements.

    The chief orc tried his best to hide his pain, but the deep grunt which escaped his throat sounded like something between the cawing of a raven and the deep croaking of the amphibious toad. As he dropped the axe, he lifted up both of his hands high up above his shoulders and positioned them in a defensive position behind his head.

    As Xzavier observed the orc''s reaction, his mind quickly connected the dots, giving him a much clearer understanding of the situation. Despite the fact that both of the chief orc''s hands had been obliterated by the two consecutive attacks of the explosive force of the rocket, despite the fact that the was actively in pain from the sh bang, the RPGs and the hiddennd mines, the chief orc had still chosen to lift up his hands to the back of his head to block any further nefarious intentions that his attacker might be nurturing.

    Xzavier took in all of this information and processed them at the speed of light. The only logical inference was that the chief orc was hell bent on protecting the back of his head at all costs. The observation only strengthened Xzavier''s theory the more. If he somehow managed to strike a lethal blow, all of this would be over.

    In that moment, Xzavier proved that hope was the ultimate drug. Every part of his mental and physical biochemistry red up at the prospect ofpletely decimating this abominable foe. Faced with this tiny window of opportunity that had momentarily presented itself, Xzavier knew that he had to find a way to separate the chief orc''s hands from the back of his head, real fast! If his hands stayed firmly stuck to the back of his head in defense, there was little to nothing Xzavier could do. He had to strike, and he had tond a lethal blow!

    So, in light of recent events, Xzavier began to brainstorm, and soon, in no distant time, he came up with one of his ssic ns that was guaranteed to ensure the best possible oue for him. In that moment, Xzavier proved that he was indeed worthy of being a part of the Special Forces unit. This kind of quick thinking was something that was a major requirement for being part of this elite unit of soldiers. Xzavier had proved himself twice over.

    Armed with fresh resolve, and equipped with basically every relevant information there was to know about the enemy Xzavier pressed on. Victory was sitting right at the edge of the horizon for Xzavier, he could feel the end of this joust drawing near. It filled him with both a climatic and anti-climatic fore brooding sense of an epilogue.

    Meanwhile, while Xzavier had been nurturing his ns and experiencing another epiphany, the orc leader slowly began to regain his sight just as Xzavier had anticipated. As fate would have it, that was the very moment Xzavier descended from his lofty ce to charge into battle.<novelnext></novelnext>

    After being temporarily blind for what seemed like an eternity, after living in the darkness of his own fear of getting blown to pieces in the one ce that could end him, his eye sight began to recover- and the first thing he saw was the puny form of the human rushing daringly at him on his metal steed. The whole scene seemed farcical to the chief orc, here he was, over twenty five feet tall, hovering over the nearby trees and bearing down on all creatures in the surrounding region. And yet, the little human still dared him by choosing to charge headlong, throwing caution to the wind and surrendering himself to his wrath. He must be truly mad!

    But the chief orc had no time to be amused by the foolhardy audaciousness of the human. If the human was so desperate to meet his end, he would dly be the instrument which the fates would use to kill him. The chief orc was well aware of the pressing need to safeguard the back of his head from any more crafty attacks the human would spring up on him, but he was also aware of the fact that he had one free hand which could be used to crush the daring little man-child.

    All things considered, the chief orc knew that this was a pretty risky gambit, considering the fact that he would be battling with one arm literally behind his back. But this was a juicy opportunity that he just could not afford to miss. From his perspective, the little human was now within his killing range, he concluded that one arm would suffice to do the dastardly deed.

    A wicked sneer crept across the chief orc''s face. Once again, he pictured the image of the human''s sttered corpse dripping with blood beneath his powerful hand- that was enough to spur him on. At that moment, only one thought was on the minds of both parties as they charged towards each other;

    "It is time to end this!!!"

    Each party was well and truly aware of the fact that by the end of this altercation, only one of them would be alive. But ego and all its ugly, deep seated allotropes dominated every part of the thinking faculties, fueling their individual pride and enming their sense of worth even higher than they were.

    So, they both rushed at each other. Each passing second brought them to the conclusion of their protracted battle. The time to settle the score was long overdue.

    The entire host of creation within and around the region seemed to be holding their breath in anticipation of the sh between both parties. With the constetions and the heavenly bodies hanging overhead in the night sky like thousands of light bulbs littered all over the sky, and with a deathly calm that pervaded the atmosphere, the whole stage was set for the battle¡­

    Under the faithful watch of thousands of invisible peeping eyes, the battle began. What happened next can best be described in slow motion;

    As Xzavier got closer, he leaned forward on his armor motorcycle, racing forward with increased speed. The motorcycle responded in ordance with Xzavier''s need for top speed and zoomed forward. Aided by gravity, he furiously descended down the nting hillside and flew off of the cliff, briefly soaring in the air in the direction of the twenty feet tall chief orc before him.

    The waiting chief orc was fully prepared to wee Xzavier, as Xzavier leapt out with his motorcycle, the chief orc swung his right arm midair and violently grabbed Xzavier''s motorcycle with a long awaited ferociousness. At thest minute, Xzavier leapt out of his motorcycle, sacrificing it as the scapegoat for the chief orc''s indignation. As the chief orc''s arm made contact with the motorcycle, Xzaviernded on his arm having jumped out a few moments before.

 Chapter 53 Flash

    Unafraid, Xzavier began to dash forward along the extended arm of the chief orc with the agility of an Olympic sprinter. As Xzavier quickly made his way across the chief orc''s arm, with his military grade pistol locked and loaded, he aimed at the chief orc''s eye and fired. Unfortunately, the quick searching eyes of the orc had already discerned Xzavier''s form racing on his arm towards him like an annoying ant. Instinctively, he violently tried to shake him off, like an irritating pest that hadnded on him.

    Thus, Xzavier''s aim was disturbed and his bullet missed the target. As Xzavier had expected, the bullet simply grazed the rock hard face of the chief orc instead of pulverizing his eye. He wasn''t in the least bothered because he knew that the chief orc''s primary priority at the moment was to defend his already exposed weakness. The moment he dared tounch an attack with his left hand was the moment he would be finished.

    The chief orc''s next move surprised Xzavier. It turned out he had severely overestimated the chief orc''s desire to keep his weak spot protected. Fuelled by an inordinate rage that had beenpiling for a long time, the chief orc couldn''t resist seizing the opportunity to crush Xzavier now that he was close to him. Even if it meant briefly exposing his Achilles Heel, he didn''t mind, so long as he got to vent his anger on the persistent human who had managed to draw out the wrath from within him. It was a gamble he was willing to take. By the looks of things, the odds were in his favor.

    So, choosing to ignore the warning bell ringing at the back of his mind, the chief orc threw caution to the wind and unleashed his left arm on the human crawling along his right arm and making his way steadily to his shoulder.

    Every battle has its major defining point, a pivotal moment when the whole oue of the battle was hinged on whatever woulde forth from the moment. In this battle between the human and his orc counterpart, this was the defining moment.

    Deciding that this had gone on long enough, the chief orc unleashed the full force of his left arm on Xzavier. Xzavier on the other hand was well prepared for this bit. Once again, Xzavier employed another delinquent measure by greeting the chief orc in a very patronizing manner, deliberately drawing his attention to him. That was thest straw for the chief orc. Every shred of doubt holding him back vanquished as he reached out in full force to grab Xzavier.

    "That''s right you simple minded beast¡­" Xzavier thought to himself as he waited for the perfect moment.

    "e and meet your end."

    Thus, Xzavier deployed another one of his favorite gear. With his hands behind his back, Xzavier closed his own eyes for his own protection and threw another shbang at the chief orc''srge head after expertly detonating it.

    But the orc leader was already on the lookout for any other tricks his crafty opponent might deal out. This time, he was well prepared. Just in time, he countered Xzavier''s assault with a basic defensive maneuver. At thest moment, the chief orc recalled his arm with a terrifying quickness that one wouldn''t not have expected from a beast of his size, and brought it over his face to shield his optical nerves from being assaulted by the zing light again. He had already been through it once, there was no way he was going to allow himself fall prey to that particr gambit. The pain from thest time was the perfect souvenir that wouldst him for a rally long time.

    The chief orc was right to have been apprehensive, and his prudence had paid off handsomely. But unfortunately for him, Xzavier had doubled down on his tactics as well. As Xzavier threw the shbang, he waited a few more seconds before throwing something else. This time interval had made all the difference.

    Because the orc had been too much in a hurry to protect his eyes from Xzavier''s shbang, he had hurriedly missed out on the second object that apanied it.

    Just as the mysterious object left Xzavier''s hand, Xzavier called on his trusty military system.

    "Military System activate!" Xzavier yelled urgently in his mind.

    "System online. What do you require Major Xza-"

    "Get me a para-glider NOW!!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Sensing Xzavier''s urgency, the military system responded ordingly with due promptness. With a fraction of a second, a swanky para-glider appeared immediately out of thin air. Xzavier wasted no time admiring the ambience of the para-glider. He was on a race against time itself. He only had a fifteen to twenty second window and he intended to make the best use of it.

    So, equipped with fresh gear that gave him the added advantage of aerial support, Xzavier quickly strapped it on and sprinted towards the edge of the chief orc''s gigantic right arm, then leapt high. The wind swept him away and with the rushing air whistling through his para-glider, he flew away, leaving the unenviable location that was the chief orc''s right arm behind him.

    Just as Xzavier had foreseen, the lingering effects of the sh didn''tst for long, soon enough the effects soon dissipated as suddenly as they hade. And with the passing wind, they quickly passed along, leaving Xzavier with a fully functioning beastly psychopath that was bent on killing him.

    Like a new born child opening its eyes for the first time, the chief orc finally opened his eyes. Carefully, as if unsure of his present state, he kept his eyes half closed, half expecting Xzavier to spring another one on him. But when nothing of the sort happened, he recollected himself and focused on his next assault.

    Back to his senses, the chief orc instantly looked at his right arm which was thest ce Xzavier had been spotted. He stared and stared until he finally convinced himself that the little pest had disappeared. He frantically searched all over his body, hoping to see the decimated corpse of the human but found nothing.

    Another wave of nervous apprehension overwhelmed the chief orc. This wasn''t a feeling he was used to. But the ballsy human had managed to put him on his toes. Especially when he had indicated interest in theplete obliteration of the back of his skull which housed his soft spot. He knew he had to find the human at any cost. The chief orc looked everywhere- everywhere but up above him.

    A couple hundred meters above ground, in the sky, stealthily wafting through the open heavens on a para-glider was the lithe form of the ck d Xzavier. He had the appearance and vibe of a human raven. But this particr raven wasn''t too pleased at the moment.

    Gliding through the sky and soaring several meters above the towering form of the chief orc, on Xzavier''s face was the dark expression of a worried look. As he peered down on his adversary, he noticed that the object he had thrown after the sh bang had gone way off course.

    Xzavier wasn''t particrly pleased because his original target had been the back of the chief orc''s head. That move had been instrument in setting the mood for his next n. And yet, much to his disappointment, his projectile had been significantly off target. So, he had to adjust to the new development to amodate his ns.

    Forced to deal with this glitch in his ns, Xzavier navigated his para-glider andpelled it to move in the direction he wanted- the direction of the chief orc. In a deliberate and calcted move, Xzavier hovered over the chief orc and hailed him in a voice that was loud enough to be heard several meters down. This wasn''t a problem for the chief orc, primarily because as an orc, his ears were extra sensitive.

    "Hey you!!!" Xzavier yelled!

    The orc heard Xzavier''s mocking voice and began to search frantically for him in the surrounding region on the ground. Much to his annoyance, the more he looked, the less he seemed to see. It was almost as if the human had vanished into this air, and yet, his voice was still very much audible in spite of his absence.

    Xzavier watched the chief orc''s frantic motions for some time. A feeling that was akin to that of pleasure resonated through Xzavier''s being as he watched the chief orc go into panic mode. After he had had enough, Xzavier hailed him again;

    "Up here you dumb son of a bitch!!"

    This time, Xzavier''s location wasn''t lost on the chief orc. His quick sensitive ears picked up the voice and ced its approximate location at an astonishing ten meters above him. Full of disbelief and thinking this to be trap, the orc leader tilted his eyes upward and slowly cocked his head in the direction of the human''s voice.

 Chapter 54 Over

    The confounded orc staggered in disbelief. Though he didn''t believe it, it was clear as day. Right before his eyes, like some concocted apparition or a sick hallucination, was the hovering form of the humanfortably gliding in the air far above him in the open night sky. The chief orc instantly recoiled inwardly. No one needed to tell him that this was bad news. Xzavier was already dangerous enough as a mere human. But now that he had taken to the skies, the chief orc knew that there was no telling what he could do.

    So, conscious of the fact that he was now open to a wide range of attacks from the sky, the chief orc went into automatic alert mode without any needless dy. With the chief orc now in a state of suspicious alertness, he lifted his left hand to block his left hand from another shbang which, thanks to Xzavier, he had be familiar with.

    But Xzavier wasn''t willing to go through the whole old routine again. He had a whole other n lined up and unwilling or not, the orc chief was going to be a part of it. So, as Xzavier peered down, he noticed that the chief orc''s weak spot was exposed. Because of his fear of Xzavier''s notoriously painful shbang, the chief orc had neglected to switch up his location. The back of the orc''s leader''s head was still in the same position a couple of moments ago when Xzavier had thrown the object that followed the shbang.

    Xzavier shrugged his shoulders.

    "Well, it''s not perfect, but it''s good enough for now."

    Satisfied with the position of things, Xzavier pressed the remote control in his hands and watched the fireworks y out beneath him.

    "Explosion is an art¡­"

    These words yed out again and again in Xzavier''s mind. And with every Nano second that crept by, the hidden meaning behind this phrase became clearer and clearer. Like the unsteady calm that pervades the surface of the ocean right before a storm, an eerie feeling of calm gripped Xzavier before the debacle urred.

    Click!

    That was the sound of Xzavier hitting his remote control.

    It was pretty ironic that this such a tiny, almost meaningless sound could give birth to a devastating explosion of such proportion. The chief orc had no time to react. If he had known that the soft morbid click he heard was the sound that would herald the destruction that followed, maybe he would have had at least enough time for onest thought. But s! It was way toote even before it waste.

    BOOOOMMMMM!!!

    It wasn''t so much about the deafening roar as it was the feeling of utter hopelessness that followed. Above the chaos, hovering in the air, Xzavier watched his art unfold from a safe distance. There was no doubt that this attack had struck home. There was no shred coincidence in this attack. This highly desirable oue was a result of Xzavier''s stunning ns and beautiful execution on his part.

    The crushing explosion ravaged the intended target which was the back of the chief orc''s head. Xzavier could only imagine the destruction his little bomb had wroth at the back of the chief orc''s head. It turned out that he didn''t need to let his imagination run too wild.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The chief orc, whose face reflected the total embodiment of confusion, stood dazed for a second. It had all happened way too quickly for him to follow. So, it took the unfortunate orc about ten full seconds to recognize the fact that the explosion which he had heard and felt had actually urred behind him. A fresh wave of apprehension overcame him like a sudden burst of cold air on a freezing winter''s night. There and then, even though he could neither exin nor understand it, the chief orc knew that trouble was afoot.

    Instinctively, he lifted his heavy left arm to the only spot on his entire physiological makeup that mattered- the back of his head! As he lifted up his arm, it suddenly felt like his arm was made of iron. The chief orc struggled to grasp why this was so. Eventually, after a great deal of effort, the chief orc was finally able to lift up his arm to defend the one vulnerable spot he had on his otherwise impressive invulnerable form.

    The chief orc''s motive behind lifting up his hand to the back of his head was simple- to protect that spot from any more of the little human''s tricks. But once again, the unfortunate orc was about several seconds toote. He was yet to realize that the deed had already been done, and much like every other action in the universe, it couldn''t be reversed.

    So, still in his own timeline that wasgging by about a full minute, the chief orc reached out to the back of his head and froze. The first thing he felt was a coruscating thick, warm liquid, gushing down with the soft intensity of trickling rainfall. Orcs were generally hard to read, but at this moment, without doubt, the facial expression on the face of chief orc was one of pure dread, tinged with tant shock. With a look of horror, the chief orc frantically searched for the source of the liquid trickling down the back of his forehead.

    The concept of blood was foreign to the chief orc, especially from a region that had always remained protected from external attacks. So, it took him a while to fully digest the fact that this was actually his own blood and none other. A fresh look of horrid surprise registered on his face as he struggled toe to terms with his new situation. His eyes red open in bewilderment as the severity of his condition slowly began to dawn on him, but regrettably, the chief orc came to realize the truth a little toote.

    Xzavier watched as the first stage of the explosion''s effect began to manifest.

    Just as soon as the chief orc realized that the gig was up for him, his body was thrown into a violent fit of convulsion. The massively huge body of the chief orc began to shake sporadically as though he had been ovee by a strange force that was outside of his control. Unable to control himself, like a drunk, the chief orc staggered around on his feet, fighting desperately not to fall down. For he sensed that if he were to finally fall down, he would never get back on his feet.

    Sensing that the end was near, a catatonic fear gripped the chief orc,pletely robbing him of all his psychomotor abilities and impairing his judgment as well. His eyes began to gradually lose its light and his head felt woozy. Finally, after fighting a tough battle against biochemistry, the gigantic form of the chief orc eventually gave in to his devastating injury. Gravity stepped in eagerly and facilitated the copse of the gigantic beast. Like a huge ancient tree that had been cut down at its roots, the body of the chief orc slumped to the ground.

    If the chief orc had slumped in the middle of the ocean, the impact of his copse on the water would have been enough to trigger a mini typhoon. As the huge body of the orc crashed down on the earth, shockwaves of heavy tremors reverberated throughout the surrounding area. If Xzavier had been on the ground at that time, there was no doubting the fact that he wouldn''t have escaped unscathed. Such was the ferocity of the impact. The loud crash was followed by a series of other quakes that had been triggered by the catastrophic fall of the chief orc. Out of the hillside (which formerly held Xzavier and his armor motorcycle) came tumbling down huge boulders.

    It felt like a titan had fallen from the heavens and copsed on the earth. Just about every creature in the surrounding area (that hadn''t been killed off by the earthquake) went into panic mode and scampered about in fright. In addition to the destruction that the huge orc''s copse had left in its wake, it had also levelled several trees and an entire grove as it copsed. ttening an entire mass ofnd which before now had been a budding forest teeming with vegetation. It had all been surreal. The aftermath of the orc''s copse took about three full minutes before all went back to being quiet again.

    Even in death, the corpse of the chief orc retained a kind of regal majestic ambience. As the dead body of the chief orcy still on the ground, his eyes remained open as if he was still struggling to understand how it all happened. A permanent look of shock remained stered on his face. It was clear even up till the end that he never quite understood what had happened.

    Soaring above the entire debacle that had now quieted down, Xzavier finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was a primitive basic human instinct, to rx after a long drawn out battle. It was finally over, and all Xzavier had was relief.

 Chapter 55 The Ingenious Plan

    Thest stage of his n had been a simple concept that was wrapped in ingenuity and innovation. Even now, Xzavier still couldn''t believe that it had worked so perfectly. It has all started with a simple thought, and like every great idea ever birthed, it had brought forth an extremely pleasant result after being acted upon.

    Two very significant things had been utilized by Xzavier for the encore; a remote control bomb and a mini parachute. The sh bang was a mere ruse. It had served as a buffer for the real trouble that followed. The chief orc, (having congratted himself at the time for sessfully protecting his eyes from the vicious re of the sh bang) didn''t realize that he had shot himself in his foot with his own gun by deliberately robbing himself of seeing what was truly happening around him.

    The ingenious n by Xzavier had been to tie a remote control bomb to a mini parachute. With this in hand, he knew that he couldn''t very well just toss it in the direction of the back of the chief orc''s head. So, a distraction was necessary. That was where the sh bang came in. Thus, having distracted the chief orc, Xzavier threw the not so coveted package over the head of the chief orc.

    The part about the para glider had been another fine touch to the n. Xzavier didn''t chose to glide at that moment just for the fun of it, it had been solely for the purpose of finessing above the chief orc. No. Xzavier''s choice to glide at that time was strategic. From that height, he could actually afford to adjust the angle of the glide to get the full attention of the chief orc. This was necessary in order for the remote controlled bomb to detonate at the right time and ce. In actuality, the bombnding at the exact time when the chief orc turned his head was a stroke of pure luck. Like a hungry cheetah going in for the kill, Xzavier pounced on the opportunity without any reservation. So, when Xzavier''s preparedness met the perfect opportunity, execution was perfect

    By all count, the n was not a perfect one, not by a long shot. But it was all he had to work with at the time and it had been a resounding sess. In retrospect, Xzavier realized that there were so many things that could have gone wrong. As he recounted each one in his mind, he saw clearly in his minds eye that a lot things could have gone awry.

    At the time, it seemed like a good idea to charge down the hillside on his armor motorcycle and climb the arm of the chief orc.

    "Damn it! What in heaven''s name was I thinking?!"

    Xzavier thought to himself as he reflected on the past and ran simtions on what might have happened. The chief orc could have caught him midair and crushed him, his motorcycle could very well have skidded off track, there was a whole cascade of intangible variables that could have influenced the way things had worked out.

    If all of his daring maneuvers, the issue with the bomb had been the most delicate one. That had been the trigger that had brought everything to ce for Xzavier. If he had missed by even an inch, he would have been left with disappointment, and a very angry chief orc!

    But the goddess of good fortune seemed to be on Xzavier''s side. Everything had fallen into ce for him. There had been no hups, no regrets. Everything had moved smoothly for Xzavier.

    While Xzavier ruminated on the sequence of things that had brought him to this point, he noticed another oddity going down with the dead orc. Xzavier sighed inwardly;

    "Even dead, he still continues to cause problems!"

    Xzavier tensed and waited for the worst to happen. But the trouble he had expecting never came. The low rumbling which he had both seen and felt wasn''t the vibration of an orc about toe back to life. No. It was the sound of the chief orc''s body gradually bing normal again.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Like a deted balloon loosing its girth and pomp, the bloated gigantic form of the chief orc began to gradually reduce at a progressive rate. Xzavier hung back from a safe distance and suspiciously watched the reversal.

    Slowly and slowly, just as nature intended, the chief orc''s body soon returned to normal size after about sixty seconds. In ce of the once majestic and terrifying humongous form of the notorious chief orc, nowy the cold decaying form of a regr sized beast. At this point, Xzavier truly that it was truly over.

    So, Xzavier honed in on the direction of the deceased chief orc and forced his para glider down towards the corpse. Blessed with the timeless curse of finesse, Xzavier touched down gracefully. It felt good to have the feel of solid ground beneath his feet. It also felt good to have to look at the chief orc, and for once, see a regr sized beast instead of the ridiculous monstrosity that he had to contend with.

    Like a victor going in to im his kill, Xzavier casually circled round the corpse of the dead orc. There was no denying it, Xzavier wanted bask in the glory of this victory. Only a short while ago, in the heat of battle, Xzavier had actually contemted turning his back to flee from the huge creature. But for some reason, he had persevered. This was the fruit of his perseverance and patience.

    Havingpleted his objective here, it made no sense for him to linger any longer. All that remained was for him to snatch his prize. So, Xzavier scanned round about, hoping to find the perfect instrument for his next whim. Xzavier''s wandering eyes seemed to be guided by fate, he didn''t need to look to far before his gaze settled on the ideal weapon- the chief orc''s axe!

    Much like its original owner, the axe had also shrunk back to its original size. Instead of the fifteen feet axe with an enormous de, Xzavier found himself looking at a normal sized axe with a regr looking de. Even in its small form, it glinted wickedly under the pale silvery light of the moon! Xzavier smiled mischievously as he made his way towards it to pick it up.

    As Xzavier grasped the heavy axe from the ground, he couldn''t help but recognize the cruel twist of fate in this matter. After all said and done, it seemed fitting that the chief orc''s head be chopped off by his own very weapon. As Xzavier brandished the chief orc''s chief weapon with both hands, he wished des could tell tales. If this axe could talk, it would sing day and night of the countless women it had made widows. It would weep as it narrated the numerous bone ligaments and skulls it had cracked open at the hands of its master.

    The more Xzavier thought of it, the more convinced he was that this end was truly fitting for the chief orc. So, Xzavier approached the still corpse of the chief orc and positioned himself ''executioner style'' above the neck region. Then, after pausing for a few seconds to savor the moment, Xzavier lifted up the heavy axe above his own head, and with all his might, he brought it down with full force upon the neck of the chief orc.

    Xzavier knew a little bit about anatomy to know the exact point where the neck was vulnerable. Gravity augmented Xzavier full swing and brought the heavy de of the axe onto the neck of the chief orc with a violent thud. Like knife slicing through butter, the thick fleshy neck of the of the orc split open. But despite Xzavier''s full swing, it hadn''te off in one go just as he had expected.

    Xzavier was a killer, but he detested wanton violence. So, understandably, despite his reservations about the dead orc, he was a bit disgusted at the thought of having to hack away at the dead orc''s neck just to chop off his head. But unfortunately, he had already begun the tedious job and he had to see it through. Once again, Xzavier lifted the axe up, fling more like a butcher in an abattoir than an executioner, Xzavier brought down the de a second time hoping that this second attempt would seal the deal. It didn''t.

    It was only at the fourth try that the severed head rolled off the neck of the corpse. In ce of red flesh blood was now deoxygenated dark red blood that lined up the edges of the ugly neck wound. It wasn''t a neat job. There was no doubt that Xzavier had botched the job of giving it a clean cut, but what was done was done already. It was now time to get out of there.

 Chapter 56 Vrooommmm!!!

    The first thing Xzavier did after grabbing the head of the dead orc was to scour the environment for any signs of his trusty armor motorcycle. Getting out of here and back to the others without the armor motorcycle would prove to be a real arduous task. It was imperative that he found it.

    Xzavier began his search. In due time, he traced his jump from the slope on the hillside and found the motorcycle. Apparently, when the chief orc grabbed the motorcycle and saw that it was devoid of Xzavier''s presence, he angrily tossed it a short distance away as if it had been nothing but wood. Such had been the strength and anger of the entity that Xzavier had faced in battle for about two nights.

    In spite of the fact that it had been a coteral damage during Xzavier''s joust with the chief orc, the armor motorcycle somehow retained its full functions. There wasn''t even as much as a dent on the armor motorcycle. Xzavier was impressed.

    Like a Protagonist in a motion picture film, riding off into the sunset at the epilogue, Xzavier mounted his trusty motorcycle and turned on the ignition. Xzavier weed teforting hum of the powerful engine. He revved the engine so more to ascertain its stability, having satisfied his curiosity, Xzavier throttled down hard and surged forward, in the direction of the nearest exit. Turning his back on the sprawled form of the deceased chief orc whichy on the ground, Xzavier surged forward at full speed.

    Vrooommmm!!!

    Xzavier zoomed off, sprinting down the hill with the wind rushing to meet him and swooshing behind his ears like an airy waterfall. The taste of victory was in mouth.

    The chief orc had done a good job of leveling the terrain with his copse, so, Xzavier didn''t have to brave through too much obstacles in order to get to his destination. The loudness of engine announced his presence as he forged ahead without fear or concern as to what might creep out of the woods and Rocky hillside before and behind him.

    The night was almost over. Xzavier could see that based on the signs of dawn in the eastern part of the sky. He hadn''t slept in almost thirty six hours and it was beginning to tell. The rush of adrenaline from the battle which had kept him going was now wearing off, and in its wake was now a fatigue that was more mental than physical. Xzavier shook off the feeling and focused instead on the steady dependable humming of his armor motorcycle to keep him in line.

    In no distant time, the armor motorcycle covered a significant amount of ground, bringing Xzavier to the ce of rendezvous which the group had agreed on meeting if all went well. Considering the fact that he had the head of the chief orc bobbing up and down in his bag, it was safe to say that all had truly went well.

    When Xzavier''s headlight sighted a familiarndmark up ahead, he slowed down a bit and steadily made his way to therge Boulder sitting in a very peculiar enve. Stopping a few meters away from it, Xzavier disembarked from his motorcycle. He then took out his prize with one hand and swaggered over to the Boulder.

    If the ring sound of his roaring engine hadn''t announced his presence already, Xzavier coughed awkwardly and called out assertively;

    "It is I Xzavier. Reveal yourself old man. Enough with the cloak and dagger stuff."

    There was a short pause, and then came the shuffling of feet and then finally, the dignified form of the old man in robes appeared like a ghost from behind the Boulder. He sneered at Xzavier as he approached him;

    "I just had to be sure it was you. One can never be too careful at a precarious time lie this."

    Xzavier nodded slightly in agreement and asked.

    "Where are the women?"

    Kadin raised his voice a little higher than was necessary and called out both of them. When he turned back his gaze to Xzavier, a cloud of shocking disbelief eclipsed his dignified face. For the first time, he saw what was in Xzavier''s right hand and turned pale white.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Xzavier¡­don''t tell me¡­is that¡­?"

    The orcs who had been cowering in fear spotted the ominous sign in the night sky, and instantly, their terror tripled. It felt like they had been handpicked for destruction by the fates. Like a bunch of wolves howling at the full moon, the remaining orcs began to howl pitifully. All around them, the different notes and volumes of the screams shed against each other, rolling into one colossal wave of a mournful funeral dirge. It was a cacophony of fearful cries.

    Kadin, Tacy and Adalia watched as a race of beastly creatures (who were notorious for their savagery and cruelty), cowered at the presence of Xzavier. It was a sight that they would never forget. In that moment, Xzavier looked like a deity. d in his all ck garments, his hand which held the re gun held up high and suspended in the air, with the other three posed in formation behind him like vassals, Xzavier resembled a scene right out of a legendary fable.

    With the bright red re in the sky came the coveted gift of illumination. The ins and the surrounding regions had been clothed with a nket of the bright, blood-red re, inadvertently bringing all hidden things into the light. And with this blood-red illumination came the opportunity for the orcs to see the horrible sight that was the decapitated head of the chief orc.

    The first set of orcs who were brave enough to lift their heads out of their hiding ces looked towards the object that had been expected to detonate. The chilling fear that had enveloped them was abated for a while. When they saw that the explosion was dyed, a part of them held on to the hope that maybe it wouldn''te to that. For the first time, they looked closely at the object. The dead chief orc''s head which by all count was monumental and stunning in proportions gradually came within the full scope the sight of the remaining orcs.

    All at once, like a simtion that simultaneously envelopes an entire assembly, a sudden wave of realization washed over the orcs. Along with it, the stubborn rage of doubt contended against the truth that was gradually dawning on them. The razor sharp eyes of the orcs which thrived in the darkness, immediately discerned the facial expression of their beloved leader whom they all believed to be invincible. In his lifetime, the powerful orc had been well respected. So, for his subordinates toe to the knowledge of his death in such a crude manner, it was an earth shattering revtion of an insane proportion.

    The first shrill cry came out of the already sore throat of a tired orc, another followed, and another until the whole valley was encased in the mournful cries of the remaining orc. Unfortunately for them, the amputation of their chief''s head was only the first of the many deaths to follow.

    Up above, positioned at a vantage point that was elevated above the mass of bitterness and anguish in the valley below, Xzavier stood with his friends. Every single one of them, including Xzavier was fixated on themotion that was unfolding in the valley below, all except Kadin.

    Kadin''s stare was one of shock. These days, when it came to Xzavier, this pattern of shocking disbelief seemed to have be the norm. Time and again, the young man had proven himself to be something of an enigma, and each time, the old man was left in the dust as he struggled to understand the source of Xzavier''s strange power. Right now was one of those moments.

    The old magician was perpetually in a state of awe. Baffled, he wrestled with his own mind in his bid to understand just how Xzavier could have unleashed such a magnanimous, high-end explosion and magic. Even Kadin couldn''t deny the fact that the end result was nothing short of breathtaking. The lightning effects were ethereal, sublime, and almost heavenly! Kadin very nearly drove himself mad in his struggle to grasp the concept and hidden mystery behind the vivid disy of magic.

    "Xzavier¡­" the old man quietly thought;

    "You are the true embodiment of the word ''mysterious.'' One day, I will get to the depths of the mystery you have so artfully shrouded yourself in."

    The magician in Kadin had been so distracted by the aurora above him, that hepletely lost interest in the chaos unfolding beneath him in the valley.

    Several feet below the cliff where the group stood, in the orc valley beneath them, the orcs had systematically descended into a state ofwlessness.

    Logic was nowhere to be found in their midst, pandemonium andmotion ruled in its stead! Like a bunch of fickle minded toddlers running wild, the orcs went into a kind of chaotic frenzy, scampering about aimlessly, without direction and in absolute fear.

 Chapter 57 Again

    With no one to lead them, and with the death of their revered leader looming over them like an ominous shadow, the remaining orcs surrendered to the all demanding system ofwlessness.

    Thus, without even having tounch an attack, Xzavier had already spread a neat blend of panic and terror over the gullible orcs. Their leader was gone. There was little to no hope for a better future for them. So, head over heels, they skipped and ran like fire had been set on their backsides.

    With nothing to live for, they recklessly abandoned their home, they left behind the solidarity of tribe, and they lurched forward with a zeal that could only match that of a deer running from a cheetah.

    So, the once proud and majestic orc tribe fled before the terror that was Xzavier. With her face contorted in a mask of pure avarice, Adalia drank in the scene with the insatiable thirst of a blood thirsty vampire. The young woman savored the scene, drinking every part in and burning every inch of the picture before her into her memory.

    In several days toe, when she would retire to her bed on many a night, she would rey this very scene in her head and be intoxicated with the same feeling dangerously coursing through her being. This was more than what she had been promised.

    Having lost the leadership of their chief the orcs all dived in different directions. In retrospect, Xzavier realized that he might have gone a little overboard with the stunt he had pulled with the re gun and the head of the chief orc. The effect on the orcs had proven to be more disastrous than he had originally intended. At this stage, it was almost impossible for Xzavier to gather them all in one heap to finish them up.

    But he consoled himself with the fact that maybe it was no longer imperative that they be killed off. Unlike the goblins, individual orcs weren''t that much of a threat. Indeed, it could truly be said that true strength of an orc attack lies in their numbers. Orcs loved thefortable anonymity of being part of a herd. So, as long as their unity was broken, they were little more than just chaff before the wind.

    The atmosphere at the top of the cliff was inplete contrast to the atmosphere in the valley below. Tacy, Adalia and even Xzavier reveled in the euphoria of victory. It had been a long and arduous journey, and now, right before their very eyes, the victory which had seemed so unattainable had finally materialized! The hunters had be the hunted!

    Only Kadin didn''t seem to be in a victorious mood. As a matured mind, he knew that an enemy was at his most dangerous when he appears to be fleeing. The old man couldn''t truly bring himself to celebrate yet. As he separated his consciousness from the joy of his environment, he dug into the far reaches of his mind to search for the root of the trouble that was irking him.

    With a violent start, Kadin remembered!

    "Of course!" he thought inwardly. "How could I have been so carried away!"

    The nagging worry that had been eating deep into his subconscious was none other than the fear for the safety of the group of hunters whom he had left waiting for him in the woods! Unintentionally, Kadin had now ced them in the path of the desperate orcs. Kadin didn''t like the odds of the group having to face the rampage of these frenzied beasts.

    Worst of all, the only reason why there were at that location was because Kadin had pleaded with them to remain there and wait for his return. They never would have been there in the first ce if Kadin hadn''t dragged them into this mission. Right now, they were about to face the vengeful rage of this fleeing band of orcs.

    With this frightful feeling of guilt threatening to swallow Kadin whole, the old man voiced his concerns to the group;

    "Xzavier! Quick, we have to get out of here!"

    Xzavier gave one of those dramatic shoulder turns and looked at the old man quizzically.

    "Rx old man, the worst is over now. They can''t get us here."

    Even as Xzavier spoke, he knew that the orcs getting to them probably wasn''t the issue. But he had to goad the old man into spilling his worries.

    "I am not taking about us!" Kadin snapped as he replied the younger man.

    Xzavier raised his eyes brows, trying his possible best to follow the old man''s thought train.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "¡­he''s referring to the hunters we left behind in the woods Xzavier."

    Fortunately for Xzavier, Tacy chose that exact moment to step in step in. She slowly brought Xzavier up to date on the old man''s worries.

    "There''s about two dozen of them who came out with us on this mission to rescue you. And right now, they are presently camped in the woods not too far away from here¡­"

    Xzavier tensed as he came to terms with the urgency of the situation. Having finally understood, Xzavier swerved his head towards Kadin.

    "That would mean that they are about to be on the receiving end of a bunch of wrathful orcs! The carnage would be astronomical."

    "We need to get a move on Xzavier. You know what this means don''t you?"

    Of course Xzavier knew what it meant both for him and for the old man. If the entire group ended up being ughtered, then their blood would be on both Xzavier and Kadin''s hands.

    "Damn it! I can''t just seem to catch a break!" Xzavier''s annoyance was understandable. Each time he felt like this was all over, he found himself instantly hooked on another branch of trouble.

    Xzavier finally made the call.

    "Alright let''s go everyone! We need to make it in time before the orcs chance on those hunters! Remember that they don''t know what had happened here. So hurry up! Let''s go!"

    So, despite the group''s apparent fatigue, they rushed back with full speed towards the unsuspecting group of hunters who had been left exposed. Everyone surged forward, hoping against hope that the orcs wouldn''t get there first before them. Because if they did, there was no band of hunters that would be able to withstand the full force of the orc''s who had been stricken by terror.

    No one prayed harder than Kadin. Asides from the fact that he was the proprietor of the underground exchange and these men were hisrades, it also wasn''t the fact that this was majorly about business. No, the feeling of dread that haunted Kadin, hovering over his every thought was born out of and fanned by the fires of his PTSD from his younger days. This moment was reminiscent of the time that the chief orc had single handedly ughtered almost three-quarters of his circle of hunters back then.

    It had taken the old man a great many years to put that incident behind him. The loneliness and the feeling of helplessness that followed was crushing. That loss and pain had been a very solid foundation on which Kadin had built his character. Overtime, the magician had built walls and walls of fortification round about himself to make sure that an event like that never urred.

    He went deeper and deeper into magic. He gained for himself the respect and admiration of both peers and seniors. The crowning glory of his efforts was the underground exchange which he had built in honor of his fallen hunter friends. And right now, all of this was threatening to be destroyed as a result of his choice to willingly drag them out here even when they protested that they wanted to leave.

    As Kadin tore through the woods on his feet, dawn greeted thendscape, filling the terrain with the warm glow of the first sun rays of the day. But Kadin hadn''t been so disinterested in nature and its beauty for such a long time. At the moment, his heart had already left his body, it was waiting for him up ahead, where he had abandoned the hunters.

    Kadin stepped up his pace and broke into a run. He dashed ahead with the energy and strength that one would not expect from a man of his age and dignified status. Before long, he disappeared out of sight, leaving Xzavier, Tacy and Adalia in the dust. Xzavier cursed under his breath.

    "Damn!! This old man!!!"

    But Xzavier couldn''t fully grasp Kadin''s state mind. It wasn''t like Xzavier couldn''t run ahead like Kadin, the fact was that he was considerate of the two women with him. Neither of them had had a good night''s rest in days, they were exhausted, famished and in need of recuperation time. Also, he couldn''t very well abandon them in the middle of the woods, especially when a pack of wrathful orcs were on the prowl.

    So, at a steady pace, Xzavier and the rest covered the distance between them and their destination.

 Chapter 58 Honor

    In good time, after a steady persistence that was worthy ofmendation, Xzavier and the others finally caught up with Kadin. As they approached the scene where the hunters had been asked to wait for Kadin, Xzavier saw the dignified form of the old man up ahead. From that distance, Kadin''s robes pped in the wind of the early morning breeze like a cape.

    Xzavier didn''t understand why Kadin remained frozen in one spot, why wasn''t he moving around to check on the hunters? Was the old man disappointed that they had fled already? These questions raged through Xzavier''s mind. So, with the old man in full view, Xzavier sped up ahead to meet him. He hailed him from afar;

    "Old man! Are they gone alre-"

    Xzavier instantly regretted his presumptuousness. He skidded to a halt when he came to the entrance of the open clearing located in the womb of the forest. An atrocious sight greeted his eyes; Spread out in a haphazard manner were the mangled corpses of the hunters whom Kadin had asked to wait for him.

    In Xzavier''s time as a member of the Special Forces unit, he had seen his fair share of the destruction that wasmon with war. But even as he looked upon the dismembered, bleeding bodies of the men whoy before him in death, Xzavier saw a different shade of destruction. This level of devastation was morbidly insane, it reeked of cruelty at its worst. Intestines spewed out of so many guts, huge chunks of flesh had been ripped out of the necks of several, leaving their heads barely hanging on.

    Several bones had been twisted at an unnatural angle. Xzavier noticed the bleeding eye sockets on many of the corpses, he looked closer and saw that several eyeballs had been destroyed by plucking out or by forcing in. Xzavier was shook. This level of brutality was something he had never seen before. It was only in that moment that he finally understood why the mere mention of the orcs made so many giddy.

    Tacy and Adalia showed up a couple of minutester. They too were forced to look upon the horrendous sight. For a full minute, no one spoke. There wasn''t even the sound of breathing. The ughter before them was loud enough. There was simply no words for this.

    Asides from the others who felt a morbid sense of gloom, Tacy was the only one didn''t feel a shred of sympathy for the dead hunters. She knew that they had met their end in the most unconventional manner. But she couldn''t bring herself to feel bad for them. The cowardly hunters willingly chose to abandon both her and Kadin. And now, the very evil which they had thought wouldn''t befall them had taken them unawares.

    Tacy said nothing about her true feelings. But she maintained an outer front that suggested that she was also horrified, even though she wasn''t.

    --------------------------

    A dayter, Xzavier was fast asleep in his hotel room. He had the serenity and thought of how he would love the peaceful state that he was in tost forever, but fate had other ns for him, and peace was not part of it.

    His sleep was suddenly interrupted by some disturbancesing from outside the building, voices shouting, the beat from the brim of the drum whenever it got hit with the mallet, singing, and noise from boots hitting the ground uniformly from people''s voices singing and jubting, excitement filled the air which forced him toe back to reality, he opened his eyes struggled to hear his thoughts inside of him.

    He had not even been able to fix his thoughts on the cacophonies that arose from the disturbance outside when he heard a knock on the door. He got up reluctantly and went tingling straight to open the door. He turned the doorknob and pulled lightly to open the door, revealing a familiar face.

    "Oh, it''s you," he murmured as he leaned backward and opened the door wider than he opened before to reveal Adalia''s beautiful face smiling radiantly at him. He was not really surprised to see her though, she lived in the next door to his.

    "Yes, how are you doing today?" she asked excitedly as she let herself into the room uninvited. She walked slowly to the bed, swinging her sexy body to the right and the left and right and sat down, gently sinking her beautiful body into the soft bed andying across her left leg on the right.

    The shouting and noise outside persisted and it was almost blocking out every other sound, most especially Adalia''s girly voice. Xzavier had to strain his ears, and his disapproval of it all could be clearly seen on his face.

    "What is all that hustle and bustle going on outside about?" Xzavier asked her gruffly, partially ignoring her question as he was still disturbed by the interruption of his sleep.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It''s all because of you, Xzavier!" she replied to him with more excitement than before. Her face beamed with excitement and it made even Xzavier to wonder what had gotten her in that happy mood, although she was always childishly cheerful.

    "Me? How?" he replied her looking puzzled. He stretched his arms out, walked to the window to have a good look at the crowd outside making the fuss.

    They were indeed chanting and singing his praises as they danced with such vigor. He stared at the streets and the people for a while, but this filled him with nothing but absolute difort. He didn''t feel like the man he always wished to be, cool and calm but his braveness and straightforwardness has won battles.

    All he wanted was to rest and enjoy some serenity this time and he did not want any exposure not the type that an association with the politicians would bring him eventually. But residing in a border town in Princy State would not provide him with the type of serenity he wanted.

    "Yes, your deeds have gotten to the ears of the governor," Adalia''s sweet voice streamed past his ears and interrupted his line of thoughts.

    "And he means to honor you with amendation for your heroic acts. People out there are chanting your praises and celebrating your deeds," she added and smiled from ear to ear, revealing her perfect glowing set of teeth. After appearing to be deep in thoughts for a while Xzavier replied her.

    "Well, I''m not interested in the politicians and their so-called politics," Xzavier replied abruptly as he walked back to the bed running his finger on the wood of the bed. Xzavier would never have anything to do with the government even if the heavens rain fire upon the earth, their unclean hands has made him realized a lot being a special force agent before transcended. "They are liars and they are not to be trusted, "he added but before he could finish the sentence the military system interrupted him.

    "You have no choice but to ept the governor''s award," Xzavier, the system suddenly said to him. The interruption almost made himsh out in anger changing his expressions into a human beast, like a human hunter but he maintained a grip on his emotion a trade trick he had learned in all his years in the special forces in other to hold himself hold together for the new mission assigned to him.

    "And why must I ept something so irrelevant?" Xzavier asked angrily letting his rage out partially, his fury was no longer as contained as before, he was starting to let his anger out a little bit.

    Xzavier know he had no option but to go because he already knew the oue of declining mission given to him. "

    "It is a vital task that you mustplete, that''s why," the system replied him almost as quickly as he had asked the question.

    "Well, I am delighted that you''re getting amendation. But I am even more excited that I''m going to meet Earlene. This has been the cause of my excitement all along." Adalia announced dreamily. "I miss her so much," she added. This brought curiosity on Xzavier''s face and prompted him to ask her about this Earlene.

    "Who is Earlene?" Xzavier asked her as he stared at her with bewilderment written all over his face. He wondered why she would be so excited for him to meet this person and how important the person must be to make her feel such joy. It was a kind of feeling that had begun to feel alien to him since getting to this strange world.

    "She is the governor''s daughter and my best friend," she replied him as she giggled brightly, her beautiful well carved face became even more beautiful at that moment.

    Adalia happened to be a maid serving in Earlene''s home when she was younger they grew up together and along the way developed the most wonderful and bond and strong friendship even though they hailed from different backgrounds and one is supposed to serve the other."

 Chapter 59 Trigger

    Adalia then moved closer to Xzavier and ced a pouch in his hand. He checked inside the pouch and found a few dozen gold coins in it, confused when Adalia would have gotten that much of gold coins but suddenly he looked aghast and Adalia coated see it in his eyes.

    He probably knew where the pouch of gold coins was from before Adalia even told him given Adi a questioning look.

    "Tacy¡­ she entrusted me to deliver these to you, Xzavier." Adalia finally revealed to him as she stared into his face. The atmosphere suddenly changed as Adalia could see Xzavier''s mood totally change.

    Xzavier instantly sank into a gloomy silence for a moment, staring into space and appeared to be lost in thoughts. He then slowly walked to the door and looked back at Adalia where she stood.

    "I''ll go with you to the city to ept themendation, but I have business I must tend to before we go on this journey," he announced. He then walked out of the room, leaving Adalia alone.

    Adalia looked in the direction he was leaving and seemed to be thinking about something.

    Xzavier headed to the underground exchange in search of Tacy. His mind was full and heavy with thoughts of why Tacy would return the gold coins he gifted to her. Immediately Tacy noticed the presence of Xzavier through the voices of men in the exchange standing in a corner looking suspicious as always and the tameness of the middle-aged man with load of bandage wrapped tightly over his broken arm groaning in pain as if his arm just got broken in the sight of Xzavier.

    It was a kind gesture that came purely from his heart and the greatest opportunity that a woman such as Tacy could get in an extremely patriarchal world such as this. The gold coins were supposed to be her golden ticket to a life of affluence, freedom and self-security. Something she would not normallye across easily in this society.

    He found Tacy at the underground exchange and she seemed to be avoiding him for reasons unknown to him, he thought about what could influence this behavior of hers but could note up with much. Why would she give up the chance to live a nice life?

    Actually the reason was the strong emotional connection that Tacy felt towards him, she loved him but she felt that she could not have him to herself. She felt unworthy of such a man, after all, she is just a simple girl with no ambition. All she wanted was to lead a simple life of tranquility, quietness and peace.

    "Greetings, Tacy," he greeted her as she bent her head down, pretending to be busy with work, she avoided looking straight at his strong, perfectly made face or his beautiful eyes. His strong figure and the charisma hemanded all reminded Tacy of why they cannot be together, right there and then she was a prize she could not win.

    Having been seen a girl as beautiful as Adalia beside Xzavier contributed greatly to the way, it made her feel greatly inferior and seeing him beside her, the man of her dreams that she could not have, someone she loved but due inferiorityplex, she could not even confess her strong love for Xzavier. His presence there filled her with heartache.

    For a minutes, Xzavier maintained silence before Tacy finally turned to face his side.

    "Halo¡­" Xzavier began calmly.

    "Hello, Xzavier," she replied, all the while making herself busy with what she had been doing before he showed up, trying to avoid eye contact with him.

    "You''re still here, I see. And you returned the money I gave you to leave this ce behind and start a better life somewhere else, why would you do that?" he referred to her seriously.

    "I should leave here and go where, Xzavier? I''m a simple girl and there ain''t much out there for someone like me in this world¡­ all I want is some peace and a simple life free of sorrow and pain," she exined to him and he felt pity for her.

    "This has always been the home I knew."

    "I''ve lived my own life here with Kadin and I don''t think there is another ce better for me to live than here." She answered with a seriousness that matched Xzavier''s own mood.

    "Can''t you go anywhere but here? Can''t you do more with your life?" Xzavier protested.

    "At least I have a life here, Xzavier. Out there, there is a lot of chaos and many unknowns. My ce is here and I have epted that." She finally looked up at him and stared into his eyes and it took her all her strength not to let tears stream down her eyes.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I never demanded anything from anyone other than youe for exchange and I pay your dues as instructed, nothing more than that." She answered in a quiet and straight voice that was barely above yelling.

    Xzavier found himself speechless as smart as he has always known himself but this time, he felt the urge of something different.

    Convince that Tacy was serious and wasn''t just saying this absent mindedly. Xzavier took his time to understand Tacy''s statement before he made up his mind. It was at this moment that Xzavier realized that there was nothing he could do to convince her to leave.

    He was not going to force her or anybody else to do things they did not want to do. As Xzavier continued consoling Tacy''s mind from her emptiness, she lifted her gaze slowly to meet up with Xzavier''s face and she foundpassion, love and care in his face. Not being able to summon the courage to express her feeling towards Xzavier, she quickly buried her face in the ground to quench her curiosity.

    Tacy has grown affection for Xzavier but she didn''t know how best to express her feelings to him instead she determined to keep it all to herself.

    She was so inferior to face Xzavier and confess her true feeling to him. Her low self-esteem killed her pride and courage to walk up to Xzavier to confess the love she has for him. She has always been thinking she wasn''t good enough for him as a partner, not his perfect mate or his type, yet Xzavier was keen to fight her battle to victory. Tacy was transparent in her thought, he watched as a look of realization dawned on her.

    He felt bad for her and somehow in his mind he felt responsible for her safety and so, to make sure that she continued to be safe even in his absence he reached to his side and unholstered his sidearm and gave it to her, it was a glock-19. He also gave her a few dozen bullets to go with it.

    The caliber of this weapon is 9mm, the rounds capacity is 15, and it is conceble. Just the type of weapon a woman needs in this world where animalistic men **** women and still me the women for it.

    He stood up immediately and Tacy looked up surprisingly and anticipate what would happen next. Xzavier softly pulled her up and he took a step forward showcasing the motive to run like a cheater. They both ran out of the underground exchange to an open area. Tacy could not question his ability and instinct of what he had in mind though she already knew what would happen where were.

    Xzavier released Tacy''s hand and took some steps forward to check for a perfect view where his n would work as expected.

    "Here we are¡­" he said.

    "Where is this ce?" Tacy asked.

    "Why are we here anyway?" Tacy''s asked with the act of pretense being a hoodwink.

    "Okay Tacy, listen and listen well. There must not be mistake here or you are dead." Xzavier said confidently.

    Xzavier handed Tacy his pistol slowly and carefully, after the pistol is in her hand, Xzavier let go of the pistol calmly.

    "Take a closer look at me and do exactly as I do." Xzavier instructed tly.

    Then he continued¡­

    "I''ll teach you to use this weapon, Tacy. It should at least keep you safe if you''re choosing to stay here." he put the gun in her hand and she stared at it while he searched for a clearing with the intention of training her to use it. He then took the gun from her and began to show her.

    "The first thing you do is click the safety off, and point, aim and pull the trigger," he clicked the safety off as he had said, pointed and shot at some trees.

    The sound of the firearm made Tacy shake a little bit and then Xzavier offered her the weapon, whispering "Now it''s your turn, Tacy." She took the gun and followed Xzavier''s instructions, she pulled the trigger and fired the gun, she missed some few times as the recoil of the gun shook her hands and the gun even fell off her hand once.

 Chapter 60 Leave

    But as she continued to practice, she started to get a grip of the weapon and waster able to make some nice shots. She was finally able to make some nice shots, she shot through some objects, smiling a little as she also shot some bullets into some trees.

    This powerful instrument of destruction, the power it has and the respect itmanded fascinated her so much, Xzavier knew the gun would have this effect and that was why he gifted her the gun. He wanted to help her in boosting her self-esteem and a gun was his only option for doing it, being the special forces soldiers that he was.

    "Okay Tacy, listen and listen well. There must not be mistake here or you are dead." Xzavier said confidently.

    Xzavier handed Tacy his pistol slowly and carefully, after the pistol is in her hand, Xzavier let go of the pistol calmly.

    "Take a closer look at me and do exactly as I do." Xzavier instructed tly.

    Then he continued¡­

    "There are five rules guiding the usage of this pistol in your hands, number one is Keep your grip high and tight." He stopped for a while and continued.

    "How you hold the handgun is key to controlling recoil and can even slightly make up for a sloppy trigger pull. Unfortunately, the grip is also one of the things that shooters tend to get wrong."

    "If you pull this gun on someone or some people, Tacy, then you must be ready to really use it. This is the power over life and death in the palms of your hands," Xzavier exined to her.

    "The most popr handgun stances include the Isosceles, the Weaver and the Chapman. There is no "best" stance. All three have their advantages and disadvantages. Experiment with different stances and choose one that you feel mostfortable with."

    "When holding a handgun, your grip should be high and tight, meaning there should be no spaces between your flesh and the gun when you grip it. Having spaces in between your hand and the gun means that there is room for the gun to move when it recoils. The web of your hand should go as high as possible without interfering with the slide, and your non-dominant hand shoulde forward to fill the empty space on the grip panel."

    "Get Your Stance Right." He stopped for a while to see if she was getting it or not and then he continued.

    "Fast and urate handgun shooting demands a stable shooting stance. A proper handgun shooting stance will set you up for sess in other areas, such as sight alignment, trigger control and recoil management."

    "And the number three is use the front sigh, you got that?"

    He stopped for a while to see if she was getting it right but Tacy was busy adjusting hands and head to focus on her target while Xzavier continued taking three steps backward.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''One of the biggest mistakes that beginner shooters tend to make is looking directly at their target as opposed to their front sight. If you''re shooting for pure uracy, you need to line up the front and rear sights. The front sight should be in clear focus, while the rear sights are somewhat fuzzy."

    "Don''t pull the trigger until you see that your sights are aligned. This will only instill bad shooting habits that will be hard to break."

    He paused and watch her sigh in understanding of all what he has been saying.

    "Another rule is work on recoil anticipation. It is necessary you recoil anticipation screws up a lot of hand gunners. This is one of the reasons why dry firing¡ªshooting without live ammo¡ªis so important because it helps build muscle memory that can help you ovee recoil anticipation. If you find yourself flinching in anticipation of the recoil, try to pull the trigger as if you were just dry firing it and let the gun do its thing."

    "Dry firing is perfectly safe for the most part (the exception being the rimfire guns) and can significantly improve your handgun uracy. Keep in mind that the four rules of gun safety still apply to dry firing. So when you''re finished dry firing your pistol, be sure to immediately return it to the pistol case. People have dry firing idents when they get distracted, load their firearm and return to "dry firing," only to experience a loud bang. A handgun case can help prevent unnecessary idents."

    "And another is to earn proper trigger squeeze or press." Xzavier observed Tacy''s seriousness to learn shoot fast and he increased his energy in teaching her. He continued

    "despite trigger pull being one of the most important aspects of handgun shooting, it''s often easily neglected by beginner and experienced shooters alike. If you have your sights lined up and your shot is still veering off the left or the right, an improper trigger pull is probably to me."

    "That''s the end of today''s practice." Xzavier noted.

    After teaching Tacy how to use a gun, it was time for Xzavier to leave the underground exchange behind and head to city Victoria, the capital city of Princy State. The thought of him leaving started to weigh heavily on Tacy, and although she didn''t want him to leave, she finally epted the inevitability of his departure and they both waved each other goodbye.

    ------------------------

    The very next day, Xzavier woke up in fresh sheets and a warm bed for the first time in a really long while. His adventures had deprived him of some of the basicforts of life, so Xzavier took his time to savor the feeling before slipping out of bed. His eyes opened to thefort of the hotel room and drank in theely ambience of the loftiness of the space.

    The lighting from the morning sun which filtered in from the window facing east covered the room in a kind of golden glow.

    The golden rays bounced off the white cotton sheets, the white walls and the white sculptures, making it seem like he had woken up in paradise.

 Chapter 61 Good Morning Sir

    He suspected that this had been the original n of the interior decorator. Xzavier couldn''t deny it, it had all panned out well.

    As Xzavier sat up on the feathered bed, as was his normal routine every morning, he mentally went over the series of events that had transpired over thest couple of days. Asides from the unfortunate incident with the hunters which had threatened to soil Xzavier''s aplishments, Xzavier was pretty much satisfied with how it had all gone down.

    He hade to this town only a few weeks ago, and within that period, he had managed to take out some of the most significant trouble makers in this town. It hadn''t been his original n, but his character which often acted as his guidance system had led him in that direction.

    Xzavier wasn''t one to praise himself. He saw it as a needless indulgence of one''s ego. But unknown to him, at that very moment, right outside his hotel were droves of people who hade out to pay homage to him. They had heard of his exploits, and because there wasn''t a single member of the town who hadn''t been affected by the scourge that was the goblins and orcs, they all trooped in droves to see the man who had aplished such an unimaginable feat all by himself.

    Several theories flew around concerning him. Some said he was a demigod, others imed he was a very powerful mage, a branch of left winged extremists imed he was an extra-terrestrial angel who had been assigned to their town to take care of their beastly woes. Xzavier''s ck garments didn''t help matters one bit. His cold eyes further enhanced the aura of mysteriousness around him. The tale bearers took advantage of this to spin more stories. Whatever it was, they had all trooped down in the masses to see the mysterious man.

    It was probably a good thing that Xzavier had chosen that very day to skip town. He wasn''t the type of man who loved attention. He left that for politicians and socialites. He was a solider, and for him, that was enough.

    Back in his hotel room, still unaware of the crowd that awaited him outside, Xzavier packed up his gear and headed downstairs to the lobby. Xzavier saw the entric hotelier waiting for him at the foot of the stairs and rolled his eyes. He wasn''t in the mood for the extra-character of the hotelier this morning. After settling him thest time, Xzavier had hoped he wouldn''t have to deal with the obnoxious hotelier.

    So, Xzavier breezed past him, hoping that if he ignored the hotelier hard enough, he would take the hint and go. It proved to be a serious miscalction. Xzavier''s coldness seemed to be lost on the loud fellow. The hotelier greeted Xzavier boisterously:

    "Good morning sir!"

    Xzavier grunted an inaudible reply.

    The hotelier refused to be deterred by Xzavier''s coldness, instead he pressed on optimistically. Actually, the hotelier had only recently realized that the mysterious stranger had recentlye to stardom. So, with thisst few moments to spare, he tried to ingratiate himself with Xzavier.

    "Boss man! Since you have been such a model guest, I would like to offer you a lifetime of free services here! Feel free to stop by at any time sir!"

    Xzavier raised his eyebrows quizzically at the hotelier;

    "Really?" he asked.

    "Most definitely!" he chirped with a beaming smile.

    Xzavier knew that the hotelier didn''t really mean it. He could tell that he was the type that loved money more than life itself. The hotelier was simply ying on the fact that Xzavier would probably thank him for his benign hospitality and decline his offer. Xzavier knew this and decided to y to the left.

    But much to the hotelier''s horror, the exact opposite of what he had been expecting happened. Xzavier looked him squarely in the eye, and with a wicked smirk on his face, he replied him;

    "You know, I might just take you up on that offer."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier watched with delight as the hotelier''s face turned pale white in shock before he headed towards the exit where his own shock waited for him in an ambush.

    The doors opened, and it felt like the floodgates were unleashed. Completely unaware of the storm that awaited him outside, Xzavier casually strolled out only to be osted by a barrage of strangers. Their benign looks and worshipful stares took Xzavier by storm. Far and wide, as far as the eye could see, scores and scores of people were littered on the street. Xzavier felt like he had walked into his worst nightmare. He could handle a whole band of goblins, he could break even with a dozen orcs, but he couldn''t deal with the politics of having to deal with human motions.

    Xzavier was hardly ever taken unawares, but there was no way he would have known that this would happen. Momentarily frozen in disbelief, Xzavier stood on the pavement as he watched the street before him teem with fans. It was hard to ignore the longing looks of adoration that was generously spread across their faces. The confounded Xzavier still had no idea what this was about. And worse of all, there was no one he personally knew in the crowd, so why were they all staring at him like he was Santa or something?

    By the looks of it, it seemed like the whole town hade to see Xzavier. A couple of hunters who had personally seen Xzavier at the underground keep stepped out from the throng of people in the street and walked up to Xzavier with beaming smiles and outstretched arms. It was only after a few sentences that Xzavier finally understood.

    The first of the four young men congratted Xzavier with words of adtion;

    "Well done champ! You''re a real one!"

    "Indeed!"

    "Thank you for all your services to this town! We can''t thank you enough!"

    "Yes! Those orcs sure had iting! The nasty goblins as well!"

    The others echoed thest man''s statement in approval.

    Even though the hunters did not like the way Xzavier did things, there was no denying the fact that his ways delivered results. For the hunters, this was a huge leap. From not liking Xzavier at all toing to admire him, there was no doubting the fact that they had had a one hundred and eighty degree shift in their perception of him. It was evident in their beaming smiles and their approving looks.

    It was at this point that Xzavier finally caught on. He sighed a deep relief and finally eased himself into the situation. Drawing a deep breath, Xzavier dove into the crowd, this was the best and easiest way to escape the situation. If he had lingered to long on the pavement, he would have been asked to deliver a speech. Anyone who knew Xzavier would testify that he wasn''t exactly the speaking type, so addressing a crowd on such short notice was way out of his scope of expertise.

    Like a tiger in its element, Xzavier navigated his way through the crowd, smiling, waving and pausing for the asional handshake or hug. It was like watching an animal in its natural habitat. He truly was in his element. As Xzavier made his way through the throng of adoration, his eyes searched thoroughly for a familiar face. In particr, he looked for the simple chubby face of the young woman whom he had gotten along with in his time here. But the more he searched, the more convinced he was that Tacy wasn''t present.

    At some point, he thought he sighted someone whose features vaguely resembled that of Tacy''s. But disappointment mocked him the moment he raised his hopes up. It turned out that it wasn''t her.

    Just about forty feet away from Xzavier, positioned way behind the crowd, and standing at the street corner of the was the same person whom Xzavier was longing to see. With sad eyes, Tacy quietly watched Xzavier''s tall frame waltz through the multitude. Tacy was the impulsive type, and naturally, hesitation had never been part of her character. But in that moment, much like her eyes, Tacy''s bodynguage screamed of reluctance.

    Hers was a longing that was tempered by raging winds of inferiorityplex. She desperately wanted to reach out to Xzavier in that moment, and for a jiffy, she almost did. But the epassing mental barriers of doubt and the fear of rejection kept her from doing that which she wanted to do with the man she yearned for. So, like a schoolgirl watching her crush from a distance, Tacy maintained a physical and emotional distance from Xzavier.

    Amidst the cheering and appreciative speeches flying all around her, Tacy remained detached from the happenings. Instead, she remained in the protective shell of her own mind. Not daring toe out. Not daring to act out. With arms folded, she simply looked on from a distance with the keen eyes that resembled that of a hawk.

 Chapter 62 Carriage

    Unknown to Tacy, just as she kept her eyes fixated on Xzavier from a distance, another pair of keen watchful eyes also observed her.

    From the balcony of the building opposite Tacy, the proprietor of the underground keep watched his ward from behind the curtain. Despite the ruckus below, Kadin''s eyes remained on Tacy.

    Kadin, being an old man, recognized the longing look in his ward''s eyes. This was a look he had seen frequently during his lifetime. From his experience, this was the look that preceded the advent of the kind of pain one could only pray not to feel. That was a look of deliberation, a look of one pondering whether to do, or not to do.

    And so, while every other person mooned over Xzavier, Tacy''s eyes, soul and mind remained on Xzavier, and Kadin in turn watched Tacy very carefully. This was a triangle in which none of its parties were fully aware of, asides from Kadin of course. Kadin made it his business to know everything, but the great burden that came along with knowledge was knowing when to act on it. Kadin did not speak, he simply watched the scene.

    In the open street, on the ground below, Xzavier was beginning to lose hope that he would see Tacy in the crowd. The time for his departure was at hand and he felt strangely vulnerable.

    As time passed, the magical cloud of euphoria began to dissipate. Xzavier found himself getting repulsed by the gathering. The novelty of the encounter was starting to wear off. This eerie feeling was probably enhanced by the fact that Tacy hadn''te to see him off. He tried to make excuses for her in his head, but even he knew that he sounded pathetic.

    So, his towering form eased his way through the throng of mediocre people, his eyes desperately searching for a way out. Just in the nick of time, the fates provided him the escape the needed.

    Just a few meters ahead, right up the end of the street, Xzavier spotted a gathering cloud of dust. He wasn''t quite yet familiar with the modes of transportation that wasmon in this time, but if he was, he would have known that the gathering storm was as a result of the horse-drawn carriage that was headed his way at full speed.

    Xzavier looked on curiously, and soon enough, his eyes picked out the two leading horses trotting down the road energetically. Xzavier wasn''t a horse guy, but even he could tell that the ck majestic steeds were regal in nature. Their jet ck manes whipped in the air gloriously. Their nostrils red open as they drew and exhaled deep breaths. Their powerful muscr legs hit the ground again and again, in sync, and at afortable pace. Xzavier couldn''t take his eyes off the encroaching sight.

    As the elegant contraption drew closer to Xzavier, the crowd with had flooded the street began to shuffle out of the way, hurriedly scurrying on their feet in a bid to avoid getting crushed by the carriage. Carriages were a sign of the opulent in these times, and because the ss system was still prevalent in those days, most regr people avoided them like a gue.

    Indeed, the driver didn''t seem to regard any of the souls who were littered all over the road. Whip in hand, d in a ck overcoat, and with a sinister looking top hat, he drove furiously, whipping and urging the horses on.

    Hiyaaaaaahhh! Hiyaaaahhhhh!

    Undeniably, the driver was fuming. There was no denying the thought that he was more than willing to run over anyone who was foolish enough to stand in his way. Like the lesiastical Jewish character Moses who parted the red sea, carriage driver braved through the crowd, forging a path of his own as he progressed. Xzavier noticed that he drove with the air of one who was on an important assignment.

    As he approached, Xzavier saw that this was no ordinary carriage. It looked brand new, official and well taken care off. Asides from the horses, its shiny ck metal frame glistened under the mild rays of the morning sun. Reflecting and, somehow, absorbing the golden rays. On its windows were solid ck curtains which kept the view of the inside obscured from every curious set of wandering eyes.

    By now, the attention of the crowd had shifted from Xzavier to the carriage. Xzavier kept his eyes on the carriage, anxious to see the dignitary who had chosen to arrive in such pomp.

    His curiosity was soon satisfied. Surprisingly, the carriage slowed down drew to a halt right before Xzavier. This only further enmed the burning fire of Xzavier''s stardom in the sight of the crowd. The people around howled in admiration. Whispers bounced around as a fresh wave of gossip and baseless insinuations began to spread. The local folks of the town as well as the hunters began to chatter excitedly.

    "Wow! Can you believe it?!"

    "See I told you! The young man if obviously connected!"

    One young man looked at Xzavier and the magnificent carriage and wondered aloud''

    "Man I wish I was him!"

    His friend beside him burst into a hystericalughter and mocked him;<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yeah right! You probably need to lose that pot that is gradually forming on your abdomen! Have you ever seen a hero with a potbelly before?!"

    Angrily, the other guy retorted;

    "Tell that to your father you good for nothing swine!"

    The second dude took it in good faith. Still reeling withughter, he retorted in an even more vitriolic tone;

    "At least I have a father! Look at you, a potbellied toad with no hope! No wonder your father left your mother!"

    "I''m going to kill you for this!"

    That was just one of the many conversations going on all around Xzavier. Clearly, seeing such a magnificent carriage up close, and being in the presence of the living legend (that was Xzavier) was too much for them.

    It took a full minute before the entity obscured behind the ck, horse-drawn carriage revealed herself. Gracefully, Adalia opened the door of the carriage and poked her head out with a beaming smile on her face.

    Xzavier was shocked. He definitely hadn''t been expecting this.

    Adalia looked nothing like she had looked like the previous day. Her blond hair had been braided and styled in such a way that it now sat on her head like a golden crown. Her bright blue eyes seemed to shimmer like a pair of blue diamonds. Her pale skin looked refreshed. Even though she was d in modest apparel, she still looked very appealing. Still looking at her as if she was a different person, Adalia had to break the spell by calling out to him;

    "Well, what are you waiting for? Pleasee in quickly! We have a long way to go!"

    As if her words had some invisible power behind it, Xzavier found himself moving forward as ifpelled by her words. As he walked towards her, in the crowd, he could see the young men nodding their heads approvingly and smiling mischievously. Obviously, they thought Xzavier was a yboy as well as a skilled hunter. Just as Xzavier was about to enter the carriage, one very obnoxious fellow couldn''t resist the urge to shout;

    "Enjoy yourself sir!"

    The rest of the males in the crowd took this as their cue and began to cheer Xzavier onest time before he left. Xzavier cringed. This wasn''t the type of attention he wanted. But the crowd just didn''t care. As the carriage pulled out of the streets, cries of admiration rang out in volume.

    It was only after the carriage left the crowd far behind that Xzavier was able breathe freely. It had been a pretty tense morning, and Xzavier hoped that he would never actually have to do that again. So, alone with Adalia in the beautiful carriage, Xzavier finally came around to his environment.

    The interior of the carriage contrasted sharply with its outermost part. It waspletely oveid with crimson cushions, making Xzavier feel like he was on the inside of a giant watermelon. Every time the carriage hit a bump, the shock was absorbed by thefortably soft cushions. It was a pretty small andpact space. But in all its allure, it paled whenpared to the smiling blue eyed blonde sitting across Xzavier.

    Truly, Adalia seemed to have transformed. She watched Xzavier gingerly as he drank in his new environment with those suspicious eyes of his. In the short time she had known Xzavier, Adalia admitted to herself that she had never seen him be at ease before. So, determined to break this cycle, she broke the silence with the ideal ice breaker.

    "What''s is matter Xzavier? Never been in a carriage before?"

    Not sure of what to make of this, Xzavier simply shook his head.

    "You can rx Xzavier. It''s n like I am going to eat you or something."

 Chapter 63 Laughter

    Xzavier simply bore into her with an intense re.

    "Wow, I have seen you take out an entire band of orcs, I have seen youe back from a killing spree, but I don''t think I have seen you this ufortable before¡­"

    In a low and subdued tone, Xzavier quietly asked her;

    "What''s this about Adalia, why am I here, and more importantly, where are am I headed?"

    Feigning frustration, Adalia sat back dramatically and folded her arms across her chest as if she couldn''t believe he had just asked her that.

    "Wow! You didn''t even thank me for saving you from the very dangerous situation you had just found yourself¡­"

    Failing to realize that this emotional ckmail was just a form of Adalia''s teasing, Xzavier suddenly began to feel a bit bad.

    My apologies for my tactless attitude¡­" Xzavier began apologetically.

    But Adalia wasn''t down for that. She interrupted him with a smirk on the edges of her lips and a mischievous smile;

    "Heavens!" she eximed.

    "Are you always this serious Xzavier?! I was just pulling your legs!"

    Xzavier''s cluelessness washed away with the realization that followed. Mentally, he rebuked himself for falling for such an obvious snare. A soft smile slowly formed on his face as he began to embrace the warmth of the easy going atmosphere.

    "Very funny Adalia. Truly hrious." He said sarcastically.

    Adalia smiled. Not because what Xzavier said was funny, but because she had managed to make him smile.

    As the carriage sped up and left the town in the dust behind them, Xzavier finally asked the question that was on his mind.

    "Seriously Adalia, where are we headed? We''ve already left the town behind us, so clearly your destination seems to be out of town. Care to share?"

    Adalia observed him for a brief second, wondering whether to keep fooling around or actually get serious. The blonde girl chose thetter.

    "Rx, there''s no need to get apprehensive. Did you see the insignia at the front of this carriage?"

    Before he mounted the carriage, Xzavier recalled seeing something vaguely simr to an insignia.

    "Yes, but what of it?"

    "Well, a very important government official has requested to see you¡­"

    "What?"

    "Forgive me for springing this up on you like this, but it was really short notice."

    Xzavier stared at her with a nk expression.

    "Don''t you think you should have mentioned this earlier?"

    She looked at his already packed bag and pointed at.

    "You look like you''re already going somewhere. My guess is you''re skipping town. Providence?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Truth be told, Xzavier hadn''t just been nning to skip town, he also didn''t have any destination in mind. His n had just been to drift along, hoping to run into another adventure on the way. So, when Adalia filled him in. He was a bit relieved.

    "So, where did you say we were headed again?"

    Adalia smiled one of those her satisfactory smiles.

    "Oh Xzavier! You''re going to love it! We are heading to the top city in the state capital! The beautiful, stunning and aesthetically pleasing Victoria city located in the heart of Princy state!"

    Xzavier took all this information in, and noted the excited manner with which she had announced the news.

    As the two journeyed on, Adalia gave him an abridged version of what to expect at the state capital. In very lucid details, and without sparing words, she described the allure of Victoria city.

    "Oh Xzavier¡­" she purred patronizingly like a kitten.

    "¡­you really need to see magnificent Victoria city! Trust me, its nothing like the backwater town we just left. Believe me when I tell you thatpared to Victoria city, that town was just a pile of cow dung!"

    When she saw that Xzavier had raised his eyebrows in response to her crude analogy, she immediately apologized;

    "Please pardon my profanenguage there¡­but Xzavier, I meant everything I said! Victoria city is a hub ofmerce! It is the literal embodiment of an urban utopia! It is¡­"

    Adalia spent the next hour eulogizing the city like it was a living entity. It was clear from her tone that she was in love with the city itself. She spoke of itsely ambience, its sophisticated architecture, its elegantly designed buildings, and amongst other things, its high end luxurious standard of living.

    As she narrated and described, the words poured out like honey on a silver tter. Xzavier wasn''t one for exaggerated details, but there was something undeniablypelling about the way she described the city. She almost made ite alive in that little carriage. This somewhat made the journey a little less tiresome.

    No doubt, Xzavier''s interest was piqued.

    As he listened to her tales and vividly descriptive words. There was no denying the fact there was a lot of color and re. But this wasn''t what Xzavier wanted to hear. As he looked out of the window of the carriage and watched the trees rush by, his mind wandered off as he thought deeply on the one thing that interested him the most about this capital city. Coincidentally, it was the one thing that Adalia had managed to overlook- the military system of this particr city.

    He was a soldier at heart. So, understandably, this was the part of the city that he was driven to.

    Xzavier knew it was probably a long shot, but if Adalia''s exaggerations were true, then he expected some innovative advancements in the aspect of the defense and military system of the city. This made sense, seeing that such an urban utopia had thrived in so many other areas.

    As Adalia''s sing-song voice chatted away in the background, Xzavier''s mind gradually shut her out and instead marinated on the numerous possibilities. One particr aspect that pricked Xzavier was that of the mages and the soldiers with traditional weapons.

    Having spent a significant amount of time in this world, Xzavier had seen some pretty inexplicably things. Though he hadn''t fully grasped the concept of most of these things, Xzavier could confidently say that magic existed. And not only did it exist, it was actually potent enough to interfere with the physical realm as well as alter facts and results.

    So, with a city that had developed so far despite being in this timeline, Xzavier expected some resourcefulness in this aspect. The blend of the magical and the physical was definitely something to look forward to seeing. Also, Xzavier was also worried about the advantages and disadvantages, as well as the differences, between the sealing magic of this other ce and the most potent weapons in the human world.

    Naturally, Xzavier wasn''t willing to bank on these doubts and offload them on the back of such a beautiful woman. Once again, Xzavier feasted his eyes on the physical features of the exotic beauty that was riding with him in the carriage. Even as her mouth vomited words and her face lit up in excitement, Xzavier saw her in the light of her beauty again.

    Adalia was truly a stunningly beautiful creature. She was simply breathtaking. Xzavier couldn''t me the males in the crowd who had whistled when they saw her beckon on him toe. In their sight, it probably made sense that such an angelic beauty would be reserved for a mysterious guy like Xzavier. A desirable woman who was equipped with a sexually charged atmosphere could definitely provoke the interest of any man. Xzavier came to sudden realization that if Adalia wanted to, she could easily use her beauty and elevate herself from the position of a servant girl to that of a well kept mistress.

    But that simply wasn''t her. Spiritually, mentally and psychologically, Adalia was a rare gemstone. By all count, her resilience was one of the most intoxicating things about her. Xzavier knew this first hand because he had spent close to forty eight hours with her in jungle, under the most extenuating circumstances. And yet, not one minute had passed when sheined, gave up or fled. She had conducted herself in a manner that was more than appropriate. Unflinching, stubborn and determined up till the very end.

    Despite her glowing beauty, it was very clear that Adalia wasn''t just an ornamental vase, neither was she just a trophy that was easy going on the eyes. She was deep. Indeed, like a surreal piece of art, Adalia possessed a surreal ambiguity that made her different. And as Xzavier found himself boring her being with the psychoanalysis, he found himself actually admiring her with every passing second.

    As an old timey soldier that was equipped with a new age attitude, Xzavier found it very easy to flow with Adalia. Much to Adalia''s surprise, she found out that the stuck up killer who sat before her was such a funny guy. Xzavier very nearly killed her with jokes. He employed every joke he had in his arsenal and ravished Adalia with jokes and amusing stories.

    Adaliaughed so hard that at one point, she felt her soul leave her body.

 Chapter 64 Arrive

    Without having an actual orgasm, Xzavier had managed to get her to climax. She rocked the carriage withughter, trembling hysterically as Xzavier ambushed her with all the jokes in his literary arsenal. Every step of way, for the remainder of the journey, the carriage was filled with the roaringughter of the young girl. Adalia''sughter was genuine. Not withholding any atom of conceit or deceit, it was pure. As pure as her intentions were towards him.

    After several days of traveling together on the road, both of them finally came close to their destination. They hadn''t arrived yet, but they were very close. At this point Xzavier disembarked from the carriage to stretch his legs and drink in the scene. After riding in the cramped space for days, he was just itching to get over with this journey as soon as possible. So, he asked Adalia;

    "Adalia, I''m thinking of ditching this carriage and using my armor motorcycle toplete the rest of the journey. You can point me to our destination and the coachman will follow behind of course."

    Adalia poked her head out of the carriage.

    "Armor motorcycle?"  she asked with a puzzled frown.

    Xzavier thought she didn''t know what he meant, so he gestured with his hands, describing it and making vroom vroom sounds with his mouth.

    Adalia waved him off casually.

    "Of course I know what you mean silly! I was just being sarcastic."

    Xzavier narrowed his eyes.

    "That''s not fair."

    "Well I am sorry. But I didn''t think you were being serious when you suggested that."

    "Really? Why not?"

    She looked at Xzavier like she didn''t believe he had just asked her that question.

    "Well, for starters, your motorcycle looks like a weapon¡­"

    Xzavier''s nk look showed that either he didn''t get what she was trying to say, or he simply didn''t care. Knowing him, she was pretty sure that thetter was the case.

    "Adalia, I recall you saying that this was a pretty advanced city. I don''t think my armor motorcycle would be a problem here like you think. Besides, I think we can cover much ground speed-wise."

    She shook her head disapprovingly.

    "Xzavier, not everything is about efficiency. You should really consider getting more research done on the word ''finesse'' you know."

    "Finesse? That carriage is damn slow what''s so great about that?!"

    The coachman poked his head in their direction as if Xzavier had just maligned the love of his life. Xzavier saw his concerned look and waved at him.

    "No offense to you and your carriage mister."

    The coachman grunted and continued to mind his business.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You misunderstand Xzavier. Your armor motorcycle has a very aggressive ring to it. To be honest, it does appear a little hostile, not to mention that its not practical at all seeing that you can only take two people at a time."

    Xzavier got the part about his motorcycle''s appearance being a little aggressive, especially to strangers who had never seen anything like it before.

    Sensing that she had backed Xzavier into a corner with her logic. She pressed on relentlessly.

    "Besides, in this ce, the exclusive carriage is an honor. You do recall how the crowd reacted when I came to pick you up right?"

    Very reluctantly, Xzavier began to see reasons with her.

    She smiled encouragingly.

    "Brace up Xzavier, no need to look so glum. I know you generally shun fromvishness and extravagant treatment. But I suggest you enjoy it. Stop being so all about efficiency all the time."

    Xzavier couldn''t help but smile at thatst statement. He was actually guilty of thatst part. He was hardwired by training to look for the best possible way to handle things. This little friction between them led Xzavier to believe one other thing- they were not on the wavelength at all. Xzavier did not have the mental bandwidth for any argument, so he simply indulged her. One other thing was clear though, there was obviously a yawning gap between his thought process and that of inhabitants of this isekai of magic.

    In order for him to truly immerse himself in the culture of thisnd, he needed to be fully assimted. Not just that, he had to aplish this task as quickly as possible to avoid any further friction and sh of interests. So, learning and observing the customs of this ce was imperative.

    Thus, Xzavier tried his best to recollect some of the previous information he had digested about the European culture and mannerisms from the Middle Ages. Back in his own world, Xzavier had previously watched his fair share of European Middle Ages themed dramas and films. Because he was also an avid reader, he had also gone through a wide range of literary ssics that highlighted this age in terms of fiction. He remembered some of the historical knowledge he had learned from school as well. All of this information which Xzavier had previously thought to be useless began to surface with lightning speed as Xzavier called them from the deepest reaches of his memories.

    Xzavier entered the coach absent-mindedly, and for the rest of little time they had left, Xzavier delved deeper and deeper in his knowledge bank, hoping to draw out any useful information that could be relevant to his present situation. While he was still totally immersed in his own thoughts, the voice of driver of the coach jerked him back to consciousness;

    "Gentleman anddy! Behold, the city of Victoria!"

    Like a child on a holiday trip, Adalia excitedly stuck out her head through the window, and with a smile on her face, weed the familiar sight of towering walls of the city.

    Her excitement was contagious, soon, Xzavier couldn''t resist the urge again. He waited for a full minute before engaging his  curiosity. Since Xzavier took the window facing east, he decided to take the other window facing west. He shifted the curtain gingerly and poked his head to finally see the city that Adalia had been raving about. He wasn''t disappointed, but he wasn''t overly impressed either.

    Undoubtedly, the first thing that hit Xzavier was the towering walls. There was just something overpowering about them. He had never felt so insignificant and minuscule in scale before. Muchter, when Xzavier would reminisce on this moment, he would realize that the walls were intentional. They were designed for other reasons of course, but chief of them being for the sole purpose of architectural intimidation. They were at least a hundred feet high. Given the timeline of this world, Xzavier couldn''t deny that this brilliant piece of construction was a testament of the ingenuity and skill of both the engineers and the builders.

    When Xzavier did finally manage to tear his eyes away from the walls, the next thing that greeted him was the insane amount of lively pedestrians bouncing up and down the well paved streets. There was a certain quality in the air, Xzavier could almost taste it-it was life itself. Yes! That was just what it was. Though Xzavier had only been in the city for all but five minutes, it was clear even to him that there was just something about the city that made a person want to live on the edge. To do one''s best, to surpass one''s limits.

    This city bore all the semnce of a major metropolis that could definitely stand side by side with the modern cities of his own day. Because it wasn''t a that different from what he was already used to, Xzavier didn''t show any trace of surprise of the lingering look of a visiting stranger who was impressed. In reality, as well as drama and movies, this was the norm.

    For someone whose joy was almost entirely hinged on her homing, Adalia was more than thrilled to be back home. After her ordeal at the hands of the orcs, Adalia had longed to return to her homnd to Convalesce. The mere thought of the lush streets and the warm atmosphere that awaited her back in Victoria City, filled her with a fresh surge of hope.

    The horror of having to witness a band of orcs ughter the entire soldiers who had apanied her was something that had flipped a switch inside her. The horrendous ordeal of almost getting raped which she had somehow managed to escape had been patrolling the borders of her mind, lingering on the edges of her sanity, threatening to plunge her deep into the inescapable well of self pity and self hate. In those dark periods she had trudged through the woods with Xzavier on a vengeful mission, she had been unrecognizable, even to her own self. In those days, she had been enveloped by a cold darkness which she thought could only repelled by theplete annihtion of the orcs.

    Fast forward to a couple of dayster, that coldness had now washed away, and in its ce was a bubbling warmth that rose from the depth of her spirit like a spring, and made her shine with a luminescent glow.

 Chapter 65 Victoria

    As a creature whose primary instincts were to love and care, Adalia longed to share this same feeling of bliss with Xzavier. As partners who had gone through the same ordeal, she was well aware of the inescapable darkness that followed one from such an experience. Little did she know that Xzavier lived for this darkness. In his line of work, both as a solider and a hunter, the darkness was often a by product that came along with the job. But of course, Adalia hadn''t envisaged this. She was much to consumed Xzavier''s healing process that she had failed to factor in this variable.

    So, when she did manage to take her eyes off the window to nce in Xzavier''s direction, once again she was met with a cold shock. She turned her back on the window to fully face Xzavier, hoping to see the look of awe and wonder in his eyes as he gazed upon her beloved city. But s, in ce of awe and wonder was the cold smug look of indifference which sat on Xzavier''s fine facial features. Adalia was bbergasted. This wasn''t t reaction she had hoped for at all!

    Thinking his side of the window w as probably hampered by a wall or something, Adalia lowered her gaze and tried to catch a glimpse of Xzavier''s point of view. And sure enough, A she had suspected, his position actually offered him a very generous perspective of the beautiful metropolis called Victoria city.

    Stunned with surprise, Adalia didn''t know what to think. She wanted to ost him, but logic prevailed, and instead, she began to ponder on the reason behind his calm reaction to such a glorious sight which he was definitely seeing for the first time. Had she misjudged his sense of taste?

    "No!" she thought to herself.

    "Even a simpleton from the farthest reaches of civilization will definitely bow in deference to the sophistication of Victoria City!"

    She deliberated further on the subject. But all her theories and suppositions brought her to naught. So, confronted with a dilemma to which she had no solution, Adalia finally decided to approach Xzavier on the subject.

    Adalia could spot a liar from a mile off. This was one of the gifts she had been awarded by life from a very young age. She had been with Xzavier long enough to tell that he wasn''t a liar. But at the same time, she sensed in him a deep well of secrets. Spurred on by this new line of thought, Adalia coughed ufortably, indicating that she was about to speak. Xzavier in turn caught on and turned to give her the attention that was due to her.

    She opened her mouth and her question flew out faster than she had originally intended.

    "What''s is a matter Xzavier? You don''t look too impressed. Did my beloved city not meet up with your expectations? Does it truly seem so ordinary to you that not even a spark of admiration crossed your face?"

    Without guile, and without attempting to be coy about it, Adalia dove right in and went straight to the point, hitting the nail on the head.

    Xzavier on the other hand was a bit surprised for several reasons. But primarily, he was surprised that his approval of her city meant so much to her. He was taken aback by the bluntness of her speech, but he quickly found out that he was actually endeared by her openness about the whole thing. Transparency was one of the qualities he treasured the most. And clearly, Adalia had an over abundance of this enviable quality.

    So, not wanting to disrespect her by being vague, Xzavier answered her with the truth.

    "I didn''t mean to blow off your city¡­" he began carefully

    "¡­but honestly, where I am from, back in my homnd, this is pretty much the norm. Buildings of this size and magnitude aremonce there."

    Xzavier made no move to exin further. This was probably one of his most annoying traits- his unwillingness to talk. Like a drone who had just casually dropped a bomb, Xzavier acted like what he had just said was so ordinary. Adalia noticed this.

    Without question, Adalia was shocked. More than ever, the embers of her curiosity were enmed by the knowledge which was the fire that Xzavier had just ignited. She adjusted her sitting position and faced Xzavier squarely. Her mind was running with a million questions that needed immediate answers. Just who was this stranger? And more importantly, where was he from? Were all men like him back in his hometown? What sort of ce was that?<novelnext></novelnext>

    These burning questions filled her heart, leaking out like an over flowing cup, lingering on the edges of her lips, waiting to be unleashed like floodgates holding back a flood. Adalia fought the urge to ask these questions. But she took a deep breath, and once again, etiquette prevailed. It took the entirety of her self control, but Adalia restrained herself from ambushing Xzavier.

    Despite the fact that they had been through a whole lot, they had only just met. On one level, they could be considered as friends, but on another level, they were very much still strangers. To pry into his past with the eagerness and ravenous hunger of a she-wolf would be densely rude. Not just that, it would be the very definition of inappropriate,pletely ruining every chance of her finding out the scious gist she was so desperate to get. Adalia knew that she had to y the long game. She had to get him to trust her. This was the only hope she had of ever gaining the much coveted information she wanted.

    So, at the end of the mental deliberation, Adalia found herself saying aloud to Xzavier in a quiet voice:

    "You are a strange one Xzavier¡­a strange one indeed¡­."

    Her tone wasn''t patronizing. Adalia was simply speaking her truth. Xzavier responded by simply shrugging his shoulders. Just as Adalia expected, he made no move to confirm or debunk her im. She in turn held back herself from spewing.

    So, the elegant carriage with the magnificent steeds trotted gracefully through the streets of the famous Victoria city. It weaved through the borate roads where other carriages like it also moved in a coordinated manner. It was all so neat and tidy really. The white washed roads that were reminiscent of the ancient Roman''s distinct engineering littered the streets. The pedestrians trekked on opposite sides of the roads and maintained a reasonable distance from the horse drawn carriages.

    There were no suffocating carbon monoxide fumes. There were no ring horns. There was just the steady trotting of horses, and theforting thuds of numerous feet simultaneously hitting the earth. Combined together, these sounds gave the city its own distinct heartbeat. It was truly metropolitan, but without the perks of the modern world from Xzavier''s day.

    From his window, Xzavier watched as vendors pitched their stands at vantage points, calling out to folks strolling by, and offering discounts and promos and all the other shenanigans that was typical of sales persons. Newspaper Boys stood at the street corners, holding up today''s editions and calling out the teasing headlines in loud voices.

    The buildings on the opposite sides of the roads added to the long list of factors that made the city the urban grove that it was. Xzavier couldn''t spot any residential houses that looked like duplexes and detached bungalows. No, all he saw was rows and rows of towering buildings that rose from the ground up towards the skyline.

    Some of these towers were apartmentplexes that no doubt housed loft vestibules for the middle and working ss. At the bottom of these buildings were lock up stores, convenience corner stores and a host of other small scale businesses.

    When Xzavier looked beyond the giant concrete towers, in the horizon, he could see the homes of what appeared to be the upper ss. Sitting on the hills, above the hustle and bustle of the regr people, were a string of glowing white manors. Even from a distance, Xzavier could tell that those estates were worth a mint. Xzavier finally understood why Adalia had been so uptight about this city being the best of the best. For someone like her who had been born in this time line, Victoria City might have as well been paradise to her. By European Middle Ages standard, Victoria City wasn''t bad all.

    Xzavier had been lost in the simple and yet elegant allure of the city that he failed to notice that they were had arrived at the gates of the city hall.

    As they disembarked, Xzavier feasted his eyes on the citadel which stood before him. A brilliant looking official weed them at the gates with a benign smile.

    "Good day and wee to the city hall. How may I be of service to you?"

    The young chap sounded like an automaton who had repeated the same generic speech at least a hundred times.

 Chapter 66 Interval

    In response, Adalia merely shed something that looked like an official seal or insignia. Whatever it was, it sure got the attention of the young chap at the door. He seemed to recognize it as something meaningful and authoritative.

    Instantly, the young chap called on another one of his colleagues to lead them as he opened therge bronze gates and ushered them in.

    The city hall had the ambience of a magnificent cathedral. It had all the qualities of an official ce of business. Policemen in their shiny pointy hats patrolled in pairs with her sharp eyes scanning back and forth, watching for any sign of acts of misdemeanor. They carried batons, some were tucked under their arms, others hung on their belts the more proactive officers had them ready in hand, poised for action of any kind.

    Asides from the enforcers of thew, government officials, clothed in cotton white shirts and frock like essories hanging from their necks, exited and entered the building at frequent intervals. Walking briskly with that emergency mentality. Hoarding leaves and leaves of official documents. The ground was tarred neatly with glowing white concrete tiles. Everyone was busy, but one didn''t have to look too deep to see the underlying coordination and coherence.

    The Government official led them through the otherwise busy lobby. Xzavier expected the whole processing thing to be done at a counter where they could fill in some forms and be on their way. But as the government personnel led them through a door in the hall, and further down a series ofplex corridors, Xzavier began to wonder if their guide wasn''t lost.

    Xzavier''s fears were soon abated when they finally arrived at their destination. All the twists and turns had led them to a beautiful, well decorated, swanky room. The Government personnel who had led them this far gestured and pointed towards the seats. The ever cautious Xzavier wasn''t is hurry to seat. Adalia on the other took up the offer with gratitude and rushed to sit down immediately.

    Xzavier stood for a moment, admiring and taking in the entire wellid out office space. The marble brilliant white stone statues caught his eye. The exquisite furniture, the artworks, the books and the overall outlook of the room suggested that the owner was a person of ss and culture. After a few seconds of observation, Xzavier eventually sat down beside Adalia. They both said nothing to each other. The fatigue of their journey seemed to have put a temporary lock on their tongues.

    It has often been said that olfactory triggered memories hit the hardest, this proved to be particrly true in Xzavier''s case. While they waited, Xzavier''s sharp nose caught the distinct smell of fresh coffee. He fought the instinct to twirl around in search of the source. It was a delicious rich smell that brought back memories. Within a short period, a neatly dressed attendant swaggered in gracefully with a tray of the fine smelling beverage.

    He set it down gracefully with a smile on his face and unloaded its contents before both of them. The tray touched the table with a soft ng, and the aromatic steam of the freshly boiled coffee filled the room. Xzavier stole a side nce at Adalia, hoping that he wasn''t the only one who was captivated by the inviting aroma of the hot beverage. He wasn''t disappointed. Imprinted boldly on Adalia''s face was the same longing look that mirrored her own yearning desire for the drink.

    Sharp as a bird, Adalia''s eye also caught Xzavier looking at her and she smiled mischievously as a kind of silent agreement passed between them.

    The attendant who served them waspletely oblivious of the duplicitous intentions of both guests seated before him. Outwardly, they seemed to have a bored faraway look in their eyes. But if the attendant had been a little bit more attentive, a closer look at their fingers tapping nervously and their breathing increasing by the second would have revealed a different story altogether.

    After serving them, the inattentive attendant bowed and excused himself.

    As soon as the door closed behind him, Adalia descended upon the fancy cups that had been arraigned before them. The white ceramic cups were typical of this period. They had golden handles and were oveid with a decent covering. The trays matched the brilliant white and gold colors. And as if the attendant was aware of their need for more, he left a moderate sized jug in the tray and beside it, another smaller ss jar containing warm milk topliment the coffee. Of course, a few cubes of sugar had been set aside for them. It truly was the whole package.

    Not being the type to shy away from a decent beverage, Adalia took one look inside the jug and whistled softly;

    Wheeeeww!

    Surprised at her behavior, Xzavier shot her a cautioning look. She shrugged her shoulders with an indifferent look and asked him yfully;

    "What?! Don''t act like you can''t perceive the strong inviting aroma. We deserve this after such a tedious journey!"

    Xzavier wanted to point out to her that riding for days on end inside afortable horse drawn carriage didn''t count as a tedious journey at all. He wanted to tell her that an example of a tedious journey was having to trek through an unknown terrain for days and night on end, without food, water or shelter. He wanted to educate her on the topic and tell her that she had in fact had it so easy, but wisely, he decided to keep mum. Instead he let her have her day.

    Adalia reached out to the first cup and gingerly lifted it to her lips to taste it. As soon as she took a sip of the moderately hot drink, Xzavier could have sworn that a fresh fire was ignited in her eyes. After the first sip, she brought the cup down with both hands, and with a huge smile on her face, she reported back to Xzavier enthusiastically;

    "Heavens!!!" she sted out.

    "This has got to be the best coffee I have ever had! Oh Xzavier, you need to try this! Please try it!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier watched her with pleasure as she praised the coffee. Without even asking his permission, Adalia reached out to the second cup with her free hand. She carefully picked it up and handed it to Xzavier eagerly, spurring him on as she encouraged him to try it.

    Without any atom of resistance left in his being, Xzavier epted the offering from her and brought the cup to his lips. He took the first customary sip and immediately, the richness of the tasty beverage went straight to his head, coursing through his body, setting alight and resurrecting every dead thing in him.

    "Damn! What the hell is this thing?!" he wondered aloud.

    Adalia giggled excitedly.

    "See! I told you it was good!"

    Xzavier couldn''t agree more. He was certain that this was the Gi of coffees. The richness was undeniable. It had been heated to the perfect degree. Not too warm that it was borderline cold, and not overly hot such that it didn''t scald his tongue. It was simply perfect. The taste rolled over his tongue with the teasing and yet strong biting taste of a well brewed cup.

    Xzavier couldn''t help but smile.

    "Indeed, there is coffee, and there is coffee!"

    Confirming its deliciousness, Xzavier''s next sip turned out to be more than a sip- it was a huge gulp! Adalia smirked tedly as she delved in to the milk and poured a generous helping into her already half empty coffee cup. The two of them had found a guilty pleasure together and they reveled in the moment. The atmosphere was a bit livelier now, so they chatted away as they sipped their delicious beverage.

    "Well, well, Mister Xzavier, who knew coffee could get you on like this? It is certainly a sight for sore eyes!"

    "Aye, no need to be so smug about it. I''m not the one who''s had three cups already!"

    Adalia''s eyes zed defiantly as she retorted with a mischievous grin;

    "Hey don''t judge!"

    Xzavierughed at just how quickly she had gone from being on the attack to being defensive.

    "I can''t deny it Adalia. This is some of the best coffee I''ve ever had."

    "Howe you won''t take it with milk or sugar? You should really try some with it. If you''re worried about losing its original taste, don''t worry, the milk actuallyplements the vor."

    Xzavier shook his head just as Adalia reached for the jug to pour out another cup.

    "It''s not that Adalia, I have always preferred it straight ck."

    Adalia mimicked hisst statement in her best impression of his voice;

    "*It''s not that Adalia, I have always preferred it straight ck.* Wow! That is such a corny thing to say! Have you even tried it? Or is it some macho thing?"

 Chapter 67 Run Along

    Xzavier was about to take another verbal jab at her when he heard approaching footstepsing from the other side of the closed door. He looked at Adalia and immediately, she also caught the cue. So, mentally and physically, the duo began to prepare themselves to meet their host. In all of three seconds, just as the door opened, Xzavier''s and Adalia''s facial expressions were now nk, as opposed to the yful and rxed expressions that had camped on their faces just a while ago.

    The cups had been set down neatly as if they had never been touched. Like the wave of a magic wand, the atmosphere in the room had reverted back to its default mood- the cold perfect air that charged the room when Xzavier and Adalia had initially came in.

    Just as the door opened behind them, Xzavier and Adalia turned as one in perfect ord and rose respectfully to honor their host. A man in a very impressive uniform stormed into the room. In purposeful and dignified steps, the government official who was of average height strode into the room. He wasn''t physically intimidating, but Xzavier could tell from the unmistakable aura of authority that surrounded the man that this was a man of authority.

    Since Xzavier was a soldier, his will had been wired over time to conform to rank. So, it wasn''t hard to recognize authority. As expected, the man made no move to offer either of them a handshake. They only sat down after he had sat down. Without even bothering to look in Xzavier''s direction, he looked right past him and focused his intense gaze on Adalia.

    "You''re prettyte Miss¡­"

    His slight pause indicated the fact he had forgotten her name. Adalia picked up on this and chirped in her name to help him remember.

    "¡­Adalia sir. My name''s Adalia."

    "Right¡­" he said absent mindedly as he poured over some papers on his desk.

    "I have it on good authority that the soldiers who had been assigned to you on yourst journey have been killed. Is that so?"

    "Yes sir."

    He sped his hands together and leaned back as he shot her a prating gaze.

    "How is it that you came to survive then?"

    Adalia took a deep breath and then went on to summarize the events that had transpired. As she spoke, she tried her possible best to keep her voice free of emotion. All through her narration, the government official kept his eyes fixated on her. Not even taking them off for a second. It was a bit disturbing. By the time she was done, Adalia felt like she had just relived the entire thing again.

    The government official averted his intense gaze from Adalia and shifted his focus to Xzavier.

    "So he is the one?" he asked Adalia.

    She nodded.

    Xzavier didn''t need anyone to tell him that the government official wasn''t impressed. Not in the least. After he took a long hard look at Xzavier, he then discussed with Adalia some more.

    "I suggest to get back to the governor''s house at once. Earlene has been worried sick about you."

    The wave of sadness faded away as soon as Adalia received that bit of information. The thought of going to see Earlene filled her with so much joy that she momentarily forgot all the horror she had had to go through. The government official left to make the necessary arrangements to transport her, Adalia got up at once, tailing him like a shadow.

    Xzavier who had been watching the exchange carefully knew that he had to remain here till further notice. They both bade goodbye to each other, and just as Adalia was about to leave, she lingered at the door and gently cautioned Xzavier.

    "A friendly advice Xzavier¡­"

    Stunned by her odd choice for herst words, Xzavier turned to look at her.

    "¡­don''t go wandering around. I know you might be thinking of exploring your new environment, but please don''t. You know trouble seems to follow you wherever you go." She emphasized.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier chuckled softly.

    "I am not a trouble maker Adalia. So no need to worry about me, just be safe."

    But Xzavier''s assurance didn''t seem to hold its weight in Adalia''s mind.

    "I am serious Xzavier. We have rules here. So just because you''re now a big shot hero doesn''t mean the rules won''t apply to you. Don''t do anything to dent your honor okay? Please?"

    Her concern touched Xzavier deeply. It wasn''t like her to give stern warnings. If anything, it should be the other way around. Xzavier didn''t know just when their roles had reversed. He assured her one more time in a serious tone;

    "Run along now Adalia before you runte. No need to worry about me, I''ll be fine."

    She recognized the sincerity in his eyes and knew that her warning had been received. So, she left with her heart at peace.

    "Good bye Xzavier."

    She didn''t wait for him to reply. Adalia banged the door behind her.

    The ensuing silence engulfed the room like an ominous presence. Xzavier hadn''t realized just how alone he was until he heard the steady ticking of the clock in the room. For the first time in a while, he actually had some alone time to himself, and funny enough, he wasn''t quite sure what to do with his free time.

    As an individual, Xzavier wasn''t a mental weakling, in fact he loved being by himself. But this time around, much to his dismay, he found himself saddled with a ring hole that echoed back the emptiness that now epassed him on every side.

    Unlike his normal self, Xzavier began to seek for even the slightestfort in the dependable noise of the city life outside. He found himself craving even the subtlest of noises. From the steady trotting of the horse drawn coaches outside to the yelling of pedestrian on the streets. Anything to keep his hold on sanity.

    But the thick concrete walls of the sturdy structurepletely shut out any noise from the outside, making him feel like he had been entombed in a fancy sarcophagus that had been shoved into the bowels of the earth. It was a morbid thought, and an even more horrifying imagination. But at the same time, it was as disturbing as it wasforting. Xzavier was obviously ambivalent about the whole thing.

    Xzavier struggled to understand this sudden feeling, and as he did, he mulled over the source of this new development and slowly made his way back to where it had all started from. Xzavier med it all on Adalia. She had infected him with the biting contagious scourge of friendliness. Before he had met her, Xzavier was perfectly fine with being by himself. he had actually thrived on his own. As he reflected on the days that preceded this new development, a deep frown followed by a soft smile of amusement yed out on his face.

    Although it had seemed normal at the time, Xzavier, discovered that there were days when he could actually go for almost an entire week without uttering a single word. For a man who thrived on the cold embrace of solitude, he had neither the luxury nor opportunity to engage in any kind of conversation. All his mental faculties were focused on enhancing the efficiency of both his psychological and physiological state.

    Xzavier couldn''t help but chuckle as he reflected deeply on his personal growth as a social creature.

    Xzavier watched painfully as a whole hour passed. He could literally feel each passing minute drag past him. In that period, no one came to check up on him. He didn''t even have the luxury of dozing off for a minute because of the generous amount of rich coffee he had gulped down earlier on. This sent his biochemistry into a turmoil.

    Xzavier''s mind was ready to hibernate, but his body had been loaded with the ultimate stimnt that had proven effective over the years- coffee!

    There was nothing worse than brimming with an exorbitant amount of energy, only to be confined within a tiny space and with no outlet to expend this insane amount of energy gathering within. As Xzavier sat down in the chair, he found his fingers tapping away energetically. He couldn''t seem to keep his eyes in one ce, they kept darting back and forth across the room. By the end of the first hour, he had virtually memorized just about everything in the room.

    The effect of the coffee began to kick in with full swing. Xzavier was well aware of the fresh surge of enthusiastic energy brewing within him. He thought he could rein it in and channel in to a reasonable endeavor, but when no one came, Xzavier sprang to hist feet with the agility of a cat. Unable to contain his coffee-induced-excitement anymore, Xzavier began to walk around the room in circles.

    He went up close to therge portraits hanging on the wall and almostughed out loud at the funny looking mannerisms of Europeans from the Middle Ages.

 Chapter 68 The Secretary

    The photography and artful depictions of the rulers of the city hung on the surrounding walls of the office space, enhancing its official government-like look.

    It wasn''t long before he got bored and shifted on to other things. He flitted through the pile of books on the shelves, the ran his fingers over the intricately crafted marble statues and figurines. Still, he was not satisfied. The demand on his body waspelling. As Xzavier deliberated on his next source of entertainment, he eyed the open space between the door the desk, and an idea immediately began to form in his mind.

    "Of course! Why didn''t I think of this sooner?"

    Xzavier beamed to himself as he began to take off his shirt. He was going to do the one thing he actually enjoyed doing; working out!

    In addition to the stimting effect of the coffee, a new dose of adrenaline rushed through him, filling him with an animal like energy. Within a couple of seconds, Xzavier took off his shirt and flung it on the nearby chair. With the office space to himself, and with all the time in the world, Xzavier dropped down to the ground, ced himself in a push up position and began the rigorous process of doing his push ups.

    "One, two, three¡­"

    With his face locked in a tight grimace, Xzavier began his push ups with renewed vigor.

    "¡­seventy, seventy-one, seventy-two¡­ three"

    By this time, great beads of sweat began to form on his face and on his muscle bound back. His mind a total nk, Xzavier focused one hundred percent on the task he had set out to do. Bursting with energy, he pushed on determinedly till hepleted a hundred. Without even stopping for a break, he started a fresh round of sit ups.

    Xzavier dove right in, and finessed his way through ny sit-ups. Just as he was about toplete his hundredth sit-up, the door behind him suddenly jerked open. Xzavier had been so focused on his work out regiment that for a moment, he forgot where he was. The stranger that emerged from the other side brought him back to reality.

    Xzavier stopped abruptly at the interruption. Bathed in a nket of his own sweat, Xzavier jumped to his feet and turned around sharply to see who the intruder was. Xzavier was quite surprised at the figure that met his eyes. On a subconscious level, Xzavier had been low key expecting the same official from earlier on. This made more sense. But instead, he saw a short, pretty woman in transparent sses standing at the door frame.

    Despite the awkward and very unconventional sight that greeted her, Xzavier observed that she kept a straight face. She was dressed like a secretary. But it wasn''t just her dress, it was the way she clutched the neat pile of documents to her chest, holding them like her life depended on them. Her strong, upromising look told Xzavier that she was one of those particrly strong women.

    The cold way she regarded him, in addition to her overall serious vibe reminded Xzavier of one of those book smart, ambitious, academically serious girls in high school who used to run for the office of ss president, and garner favors from teachers and authority figures. Xzavier was certain that she was the type.

    Just as Xzavier observed her, the mean looking woman stared him down with an intensity that far outmatched Xzavier''s. Her eyes drilled into his opponent with the intensity of a high energyser beam. Xzavier felt increasingly ufortable with each second. The excruciating torture that came with the indignation of her gaze was unexpected. Xzavier began to get the feeling that she certainly didn''t like him. Her insidious re suggested that she in fact didn''t want him here. Never in a million years would Xzavier have expected this level of vitriol from a woman of her stature.

    The awkwardness was further augmented by the fact that Xzavier was shirtless in a government office! His muscled frame in fact did not impress her. In fact, she made no attempt to hide her repulsion. Muchter, Xzavier would realize in retrospect that in the sight of a stranger who was only just seeing him for the first time, he must have indeed appeared to be a dim-witted, delinquent. Based on the whole setting, he actually deserved whatever she had thought of and concluded about him in that moment.

    After a few seconds of the awkward silence and the intense staring, Xzavier reached for his shirt and put it on in two brief movements. Unlike the aggressively ominous ck garments that Xzavier usually wore, this time, he was d in something more local and more peculiar to his environment. But that wasn''t enough to cut him some ck in the eyes of the intense woman.

    Her eyes followed his every movement with cat-like precision. Doubtful suspicion already clouded her eyes. It was safe to assume that the secretary looking woman was a deeply mistrusting person. Without even as much as talking, Xzavier had already established himself on her bad side. At this point, if Xzavier was to ever find himself in her good graces, it would take a divine intervention.

    With the unsettling air that hung between them, the secretary opened her documents in a bid to find even the smallest damning detail that would automatically discredit Xzavier as the hero who had killed the orc chief. But it seemed like the sinister figure who stood before her was actually who he imed to be. When she saw that all the evidence pointed to that, she reluctantantly epted that Xzavier was clean.

    Now the secretary was a low level mage. And because of her mage status, she used her magical side to scan people, in order for her to ascertain their levels. Thereiny her problem with Xzavier.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As the secretary scanned him, hoping to detect even the slightest trace of mana, she came up short with each attempt. The stranger before her hadn''t even an atom of mana in his being.

    "This can''t be¡­." She pondered to herself as she contemted the Xzavier issue.

    "¡­.even if he was a skilled mage who was adept at hiding his mana, (and. I doubt that this is the case) I should be able to detect at least a trace."

    She eyed Xzavier warily as she continued her own internal monologue.

    "No! This can''t is a the one! He must be a fraud. Yes, that''s right! This must be another one of those opportunistic scammers who are up to no good!"

    The secretary thought she had Xzavier all figured out.

    "If it were up to me, I''d have him thrown out before he wastes anyone''s time with his web of untruths¡­"

    But s, it wasn''t up to her. She had to stick to the rules which guided the way business was conducted, or risk getting sanctioned. Aloud, she addressed Xzavier in a professional manner:

    "Mr. Xzavier, I have been sent by the higher ups to retrieve you. Please follow me. If you have any reservations whatsoever, kindly inform me of them and I will do my best to ensure that they are taken into consideration."

    She spoke smartly, making sure to enunciate her words to lessen the likelihood of being misunderstood.

    Also, the secretary refrained from using any profanenguage or degrading terms. In fact she used terminologies and office ngs, hoping that in a way, she could throw him off his game by simply being professional.

    Of course, there was a way she could have known that the man who stood before her was the farthest thing from an illiterate.

    Xzavier on the other hand wasn''t in the least bothered. He simply wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. So, he shrugged and grunted his agreement. The secretary read this as a confirmation of her initial suspicions- he definitely was an illiterate! The presumptuous woman assumed that he was only avoiding having an actual conversation because he had neither the words nor intellect to keep up with her.

    This was the worst possible case of misjudgment!

    Satisfied with her investigations, the secretary spoke again, this time around, she deliberately chose to use ambiguous words and extravagant terminologies;

    "Superb! If you will be so kind as to follow me, a distinguished dignitary awaits us!"

    Without the warmth that was typical of tour guides, the secretary turned around sharply and stormed off. Xzavier wasted no time in dashing after her. The secretary walked briskly, trotting along the white washed marble floors of the corridors. Gliding down the passageways with the same emergency mentality that Xzavier had observed was typical of this ce.

    Eventually, after taking a few twists and a few turns through the never ending series of intertwining corridors, they finally arrived at their destination. A very impressive looking door hung magnificently on the door frame, hinting at the fact that a very important personality was concealed behind those very doors.

 Chapter 69 Dale

    Xzavier watched curiously as she walked up to the door and knocked rather carefully on the door, like she didn''t want to rile up the entity on the other side. After a dignified short pause, an male voice came from the other side of the door.

    "Come in!"

    With permission came audacity. The secretary boldly mped her hand on the door handle and pushed it open. Xzavier waited a second before following her in. He hadn''t anticipated the recoil on the door to be so reactive, so Xzavier almost got mmed by the closing door. He jumped into the room in the nick of time, narrowly missing the door by just a few seconds.

    Though Xzavier couldn''t prove it, he got a hunch that the secretary had done that on purpose. He may or may not have been right. But the soft smile that was threatening to pull through across thedy''s face was proof enough of her involvement.

    The office wasrge and spacious. Way more spacious that the one Xzavier and Adalia had been in when they first got here. In fact, it was sorge that it made the other one look like a cubicle. As expected, the swanky office was well decorated. Though not as overly fixated on aesthetic beauty as the other. This particr office resonated a kind of simple, and yet sophisticated ambience.

    Asides from the spaciousness, one other thing that stood out the most was the extrarge mahogany desk that sat tentatively in the north section of the office. At the head of the table was a man standing in front of an equallyrge chair that resembled a throne. The man had his back to Xzavier and the secretary, so, Xzavier couldn''t s his face. But there was no mistaking the fact that this was indeed a boss.

    Even as he sensed that his two guests had entered, he still refused to acknowledge their presence with as much as a sigh or even a look. He simply remained there with their backs to him, doing whatsoever it was that he was doing. It seemed like he had been waiting for a while, quite possibly for them. The man was tall and with an equally impressive build. By roughparison, he was about the same size as Xzavier.

    At this point, the secretary had to break the ice.

    "Top of the morning to you sir! This is the man of the hour sir!

    Still, there was no reply.

    The secretary then proceeded to introduce the mysteriously quiet man to Xzavier. As was expected, she minded her tone and kept her words to the bare minimum.

    "Mr. Xzavier, may I introduce you to the venerable Silver Knight-Dale. He among some others are the main people responsible for presenting you with this award. You will do well to show your respect."

    As if this was the cue he had been waiting for, the man turned around, revealing a handsome face and we''ll cut features. But Xzavier watched as a puzzled look crept across his face very quickly. It altered his otherwise calm fa?ade, causing a ripple on the troubled waters that was now his face.

    The secretary noticed this and secretly rejoiced. She suspected that the Silver Knight had already used his own perception powers to scan Xzavier for any sign of mana. The fact that he had none was scary to believe. For without mana, it was practically impossible for ordinary man to engage an orc in battle, much more the chief of the orcs.

    "You''ve been exposed you fraud!"

    ted, the secretary prepared herself mentally for the tongue bashing that was to follow. She was particrly looking forward to his confession on just how he came about this n toe in here and bamboozle his way through an award! The audacity was just so much!<novelnext></novelnext>

    But the unfortunate secretary couldn''t have been more wrong. If she had taken a closer look, she would have seen that it wasn''t a look of temporary amusement. The man had gone pale just looking at Xzavier for the first time. It was more of awe and shock, than disbelief and worry.

    The reason for this mind numbing reaction was simple. Unlike the low level overconfident mage that was the secretary, this particr man was a Silver Knight of the highest level of mage powers. So, he could see with more depth and rity. And right now, that depth and rity had gifted him a walking breathing nightmare.

    Back at the underground exchange, just as old man Kadin had seen on the first day he saw Xzavier, Silver Knight-Dale also saw the terrifyingly horrendous sight. Only this time, it was in a more enhanced version.

    ? The handsome Silver Knight-Dale watched with horror as what seemed like a bloody apparition yed out before him. As he looked at Xzavier, his vision registered a very dark, crimson blood red aura around Xzavier. But like a forest fire that was raging without the actual burning heat, the Silver Knight couldn''t trace any single atom of mana in his body! It was shocking, it was disturbing, and it was no doubt the weirdest anomaly he had ever encountered!

    The raging blood red aura was like an intangible halo of shadows of raging dragons surrounding Xzavier. The Silver Knight couldn''t exactly ce what it was or what its source was, but he could most definitely sense it!

    Sensing the drama that was about to unfold, the secretary excused herself promptly. Her wrongly interpretation of the strange expression on the face of the Silver Knight caused her to make another error in judgment. So, relieved that someone else had caught on to his antics, she left feeling reassured that this lying bum from the countryside would definitely suffer the punishment he had so aptly garnered for himself. The pessimistic secretary closed the door behind her and left the men to their endeavors.

    Dale wasn''t just a glorified Silver Knight, he was also a seasoned statesman who was well versed in the art of politics. But despite all this achievements under his belt, he was the farthest thing from a senseless, clueless and spontaneous viin. No. If he anything, he was actually the opposite. His cool headedness and objective way of thinking and doing things made him appear to be an extremely shrewd man in the sight of others.

    So, having found himself in quite the conundrum, he put his very analytical mind to good use and began the sorting process. He pondered on this new development over and over again in his mind. He doubted that there was any material or manual in all the earth that could offer him the guidance he needed at this moment.

    As he weighed the matter on the scales in his heart, after much permutation andbination, he came up with two possible solutions. The first possibility was one that just had to be considered given the nature of man. It was highly unlikely, but it had to be on the table for the purpose of elimination- the possibility that Xzavier was in fact a deceitful con artist who merely wanted to wrangle his way into the good graces of the government.

    This possibility was very unlikely. As a man with experience, Dale knew that the primary motivation for most con artists was money. For a con artist to risk getting in the spotlight with the government, then it had to be the haul of a lifetime. Dale examined this angle thoroughly and finally came to the conclusion that this wasn''t the case with Xzavier.

    The second possibility however was even more unbelievable and the likelihood of it being true was pretty slim. The second possibility was that he was in fact a unicorn, that is a rare prodigy, a hidden master who had perfected the art ofpletely ridding himself of any and all traces of mana.

    This concept blew Dale''s mind to bits. It was primarily because mana was the basic requirement for any practicing mage. This whole concept was mind blowing. If this was truly the case, then, well¡­

    Faced with the ever daunting challenge of having to discern a man''s true nature, Dale''s shrewdness prevailed and he decided to put the young man who stood before him to a test. Dale made a conscious decision not to be carried away by the impressive aura of the stranger. There was no denying the fact that his spiritual presence alone was terrifying.

    There was also the stranger''s reputation which seemed to be all epassing. There were tales of him ughtering an entire group of goblins, stories of him sending a whole tribe of orcs running, and of course, the crowning achievement- the very interesting story of him single handedly killing the notorious chief orc. All of these were glowing rmendations, and his terrifying blood red aura only enhanced his already mysterious profile.

    But despite all of these neatly stacked portfolio, Dale just couldn''t resist finding out for himself. He just had to be sure.

 Chapter 70 Feeler

    "Well, if indeed he is who he ims to be, I don''t think he would be rattled by a little test¡­"

    The Silver Knight''s mind was always plotting and counter plotting. So, when an rm bell sounded at the back of his mind, warning him that his n could very well backfire, he took it into due consideration. It was very conceivable that there was every tendency that he could end up annoying a hidden master, consequently cing himself on the receiving end of a master''s wrath.

    Dale gritted his teeth. He felt like he was between a mountain and a sea, and in the very middle was a narrow bridge whose end disappeared in the thick fog of the unknown. Caution was called for. But Dale just had to know the truth.

    All of these thoughts and simtions flew about with lightning speed and on a quantum level in his mind. So, after a few (rather brief and rather awkward) seconds of staring at Xzavier, he put on the deliberate fuzzy warmth of a polite host and weed Xzavier.

    In a hearty booming voice, and with a conciliating smile that looked particrly forced, Dale greeted Xzavier;

    "Mr. Xzavier, I wish to formally wee you to the great Victoria city!"

    Forcing his bodynguage toply with his hospitality, Dale reached out across the table with an outstretched arm, gesturing for a handshake.

    Xzavier was a soldier at heart whose entire character had been built on the simple direct style ofmunication between his fellow soldiers and superiors. Because of this, he wasn''t exactly keen on picking up on the dubiousness of certain people (specifically of the ruling political ss) who were adept at masking their intentions behind warm gestures and beaming smiles. So, for the poor Xzavier, the obvious politicking going on in the room missed him.

    This was why he had no reason to be suspicious of the seemingly innocent handshake that the Silver Knight had so sweetly offered him. In fact, Xzavier weed it. It was a refreshing change of pacepared to the coldness and vitriol that had been targeted at him from the first two people he had interacted with here.

    So,pletely oblivious of the fact that he was indeed a suspect in the mind of the Silver Knight, Xzavier stepped forward casually in a bid to meet the other man halfway to shake his hand. In those short but brief nanoseconds before Xzavier''s hands made impact with the other man''s hands, if he had been a little bit more sensitive to the seemingly cid atmosphere in the room, he would have detected an underlying foul gas of suspicion that was covered by the fake fragrance of hospitality.

    If Xzavier had paid a little bit more attention to the well built man who was positioned before him at the head of the mahogany desk, standing confidently, beaming a warm smile and holding out what appeared to be a simple hand waiting for a handshake, Xzavier would have been able to see a different picture. In that brief moment, the Silver Knight''s dark eyes bore a sinister semnce to that of a desert viper. The corners of his mouth was twisted at the edges, suggesting the fact that his smile wasn''t from his heart.

    A matured mind would have discerned these unsettling signs. But for ostensible reasons, Xzavier took the bait. It wasn''t really his fault, the Silver Knight had years of experience in this game of cloak and daggers. Xzavier might have been a skillful killer with a terrifyingly intimidating bloodthirsty aura, but he was yet to tango with a creature of this caliber. This made Xzavier, on some level, the clueless underdog.

    The moment Dale had been waiting for finally came. Almost as if time had slowed down just for this moment, the Silver Knight watched in slow motion as the man with the viciously aggressive, blood-red aura waltzed towards him, as if he was gliding across the surface of the floor, and sped his hand unsuspectingly.

    Both men shared the same handshake, but at the same time, in some vicious twist of fate, both men feltpletely different things from the same handshake.

    For Xzavier, it felt like he had been hit with a surge of electricity. Oddly enough, it didn''t course through the entirety of his body like the relentless st of the merciless electrons that would normally rage through a conductor upon contact with an electrical source. No, this was different, this feeling was restricted solely to his palm. For a brief moment, Xzavier felt like his hand had been ced inside a powerfully charged electromaic force field. The feeling was akin to being right on top of a power source.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier''s instincts screamed at him to retrieve his hands immediately, but his will prevailed. Instead, Xzavier struggled desperately to remember the first time he had felt something akin to this feeling. Still bravely sping the man''s hand, Xzavier bravely held on until his mind brought to being from the chronicles of his memories, the one memory that felt so familiar to this particr encounter. One name stood out, echoing and echoing till Xzavier couldn''t ignore it any more - KADIN!

    Finally, Xzavier recalled the familiar incident and juxtaposed it with his present situation. Xzavier remembered with vivid details the day he met Kadin, the brief surge of energy that was purely psychic in nature. This particr stunt that had been executed sloppily by Kadin had been deftly executed by this impressive character.

    Both Kadin''s and Dale''s intentions had been the same- to test the bounds of Xzavier''s strength by using some kind of spiritual pressure as a measuring tool. With Kadin, Xzavier had been on his toes for the first few minutes he had met him. At the time, everything about Kadin had seemed just out of ce. Indeed the old man had all the likeness of a dubious character, so Xzavier hadn''t been taken unawares.

    But with this silver tongued Silver Knight called Dale, Xzavier saw a different shade of the word ''subtle.'' Up until this very moment, Xzavier assumed that this level of sneakiness was a trait that was exclusive to the members of the female demographic. He had been totally caught off guard.

    But even half aware, Xzavier''s subconscious was still very much alert. Instinctively, with the dazzling speed of a Jaguar that hade under attack, the jungle cat in Xzavier arose from its deep slumber. His ever present undying hatred of losing surfaced and took over, expelling every trace of weakness and filling Xzavier with the strength and mental fortitude he needed to put the Silver Knight in his ce.

    So, maintaining a solid jawline and a rock hard expression, Xzavier''s steely gaze met the piercing eyes of the perceptive Silver Knight. And so, locked in what appeared to be a harmless handshake, the battle of will began. Anyone with average powers of reasoning who was unlucky enough to walk in at that moment would have seen nothing more than two grim faced men shaking hands. But a more astute mind would take one look at both men and see the hidden writing on the wall.

    Fueled by his crushing desire toe out victorious, Xzavier used his strength to resist and suppress the pressure building up in the Silver Knight''s hand like a sick wave, dangerously gaining momentum by the second.

    As the silent battle between both men raged on, it soon became obvious that both sides were evenly matched. Both men were unyielding, both men were stubborn. But the logical conclusion after their first bout was that neither of them could really do anything to the other. By all count, they were evenly matched. The bnce was just uncanny.

    Xzavier might have been the one who had been taken off guard at first, but by the end of the whole ego measuring contest, Dale ended up being the one who was surprised. His heart raced with all the possible inferences. Dale was known for his foresight, and rtively objective style of thinking, but there was no way he could have anticipated that an ordinary looking chump like Xzavier would match his strength in a hand grip.

    "Incredible!" He wondered inwardly, all the while keeping a straight face.

    "Truly remarkable. No mana whatsoever, and yet, with nothing but brute force he managed to remain unfazed!"

    Dale began to wonder what exactly his full strength would look like if he actually unleashed his hidden mana. He shuddered inwardly at the mere thought of it.

    Finally, a silent understanding passed between the two men. There was no need to drag it out any longer than was necessary. Silently, they came to a mutual understanding that it was time to let go. Their firm grasp on each other''s hands rxed, and they both let out a sigh of relief, almost simultaneously. Having tested the waters, both men now regarded each other differently. Although they didn''t openly acknowledge each other, but it was more than obvious that they now knew and saw each other for the person they truly were, or at least appeared to be.

 Chapter 71 Undercurrent

    Still maintaining the role of a warm hospitable guest, the Silver Knight boomed enthusiastically;

    "d to have you here Mr. Xzavier, truly."

    More careful than he had been a few moments ago, Xzavier didn''t issue Dale an immediate reply. Instead, he merely grunted something inaudible.

    Dale didn''t seem to mind. As he reached out to pour out a cup of coffee for himself, he continued his attempt to engage Xzavier in a friendly chat.

    "I believe you might have already heard the whispers, but you''re something of a local legend around here."

    Xzavier feigned surprise at the release of the information. Dale noted his reaction and pounced on it immediately to further the conversation.

    "Oh yes, I can tell you for sure that this isn''t a baseless fib¡­"

    As he spoke, he poured out generous amounts of coffee into a pair of a fine set of china stationed on the table to his far right. The delicious steam soon filled the air, giving it a sort of homely vibe, and slowly eradicating the cold generic atmosphere that came along with official ce of business or workces. Xzavier thought to himself;

    "These fancy folks here sure do love their coffee."

    He made a mental note to not be seduced away by the inviting scent of the beverage drink. Xzavier didn''t know much about this ce, but one thing he knew was he couldn''t trust anyone. Especially this sweet talking fellow seated behind therge desk and sipping coffee in a fancy manner.

    Dale was no fool, he knew Xzavier was on guard. So, it wouldn''t be easy to warm up to him and pry away the answers he was hoping to get from him. So, Dale deployed every weapon he had in his charismatic arsenal, as he tried to charm Xzavier into letting down his guard. He took on the role of a friend and enhanced it further by toning down his extravagant words and fancy speech.

    The Silver Knight was dying to know everything there was to know about the mysterious and powerful man seated across from him. Dale was willing to do everything possible to make sure his curiosity was satisfied. He sipped his coffee gingerly to maintain a kind of chill vibe that masked his desperateness, as he threw subtle questions hidden in the seemingly harmless banter.

    "¡­the tales of your exploits travelled all the way from the scene of the battle to Victoria City. I must admit it Xzavier, I was skeptical myself of the whole news at first. It seemed pretty preposterous at the time, you can''t really me me can you?"

    He looked at Xzavier, expecting him to react to the subtle hint he had just dropped, hinting at the fact that Dale was still nurturing some kind of doubt as to Xzavier''s authenticity. It was a y for his ego, and he had very sneakily dropped it right after praising Xzavier.

    Xzavier didn''t indulge the Silver Knight''s whim. Instead of giving him the words that he was so desperate to get, Xzavier simply shrugged, much to the dismay of the entertaining host who was still seeking avenues to plunder any kind of information from Xzavier.

    As a politician, Dale knew more than anyone that words carried power. That was why he always maintained the fact that one could know the type of person a man was just by listening to him speak. Right now, the cautious nature of Xzavier was actively robbing Dale of the opportunity to glean any kind of information from Xzavier. But he wasn''t one to give up easily. Like a dog with a bone, the Silver Knight could be relentless when he wanted something.

    And so, the interrogation (which was hidden in the form of a conversation) continued between both men.

    "That was quite a feat you aplished! I mean, I am no hunter, but even I know that a single orc is problematic enough, but taking out an entire band of orcs? Phew! Now that is something!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    As Dale spoke, he deliberately left out Xzavier''s crowning achievement from the list. Hoping to provoke Xzavier into saying something incriminating. But once again, Xzavier simply chuckled, indicating that he was listening, but at the same time, pointing towards the fact that he was not nearly interested in what Dale was saying.

    Xzavier himself was not a great orator or the ideal conversationalist, but even he was familiar with the flow and manner of the conversation. This particr trait also boiled down to Xzavier''s army background. In the course of Xzavier''s military career, specifically during his early days, Xzavier had dabbled in the science of the human mind. So, his hobby had driven him to hanging around some of the mostpetent psychiatrists in the army. So, Xzavier had picked up a couple of things that came in handy for him along his muchter days in life.

    Xzavier couldn''t fault the strange Knight for choosing to take this path. Though it wasn''t justifiable, it was at least understandable. Xzavier knew that if the roles were reversed, he would probably consider using this gambit. Strangers weren''t to be trusted. And Xzavier wouldn''t have taken the Silver Knight seriously if he had simply chosen to take Xzavier''s words and reputation at face value. This was standard procedure.

    But one thing irked Xzavier about the man. It wasn''t just one thing, it was a couple of things actually. It was his shiftiness and coy nature that reminded Xzavier of a fox. It was also the way and manner with which he had chosen to go about the whole investigation thingy. The stunt he had pulled with the handshake wasn''t something that ordinary people could do.

    So with these thoughts running through his head, Xzavier began to deliberate on the fact that maybe Dale wasn''t from Earth where apletely different set of rules applied which waspletely different from this particr Isekai. So, inadvertently, Xzavier found it easy to circumvent thendmines which Dale had so cleverly nted in between questions. Like a prey cleverly evading every single trap set by the fowler, Xzavier bounced off every question that was intended to ensnare him.

    Assuming a serious tone, Dale suddenly dropped the cup on the tray to his side and leaned forward.

    "¡­I have to confess this to you Xzavier¡­"

    The dramatic Silver Knight paused for effect, hoping that he would capture Xzavier''s interest with the thought of a juicy piece that was the hot scious news of a confessed truth.

    "The truth is difficult toe by these days, but I am not one to mask the truth in exchange for some trinkets. So, I must tell you this Xzavier- I truly do apud your modesty in the face of such an aplishment. It is truly umon."

    It was all a ruse, but it was all part of Dale n. Even a humble man feels good when he is praised about his humility, thus making him vulnerable in the face of adversity. So, having ambushed Xzavier with such a personal note, Dale cornered Xzavier with another question;

    "So where are you from Xzavier? I am well-traveled myself but I just can''t seem to ce your ent¡­"

    Of course the question had been intended to push Xzavier into some kind of reaction, any kind of reaction really.

    "Much like the wind, I have no permanent ce of residence."

    Xzavier''s reply was simple and curt. It was still very ambiguous, but it was just the kind of reply that Dale deserved for being so nosy. Out maneuvered and out gunned, Dale sat back in his chair and chuckled softly to himself. Once again, Xzavier had bested him. Indeed, Xzavier wasn''t a small fish. Dale realized this quickly. But that didn''t deter him one bit. In fact, he was a bit excited.

    Thepetitive side of the Silver Knight was deeply aroused. His curiosity was also piqued. This was proving to be more interesting than he had originally thought it would be. So, with renewed tenacity, Dale delved back into the conversation that was now a tug-of-war of intellect and ego.

    Xzavier was more than ready for him. Both men went at it with the cold subtlety of shadow warriors. Their battleground was their conversation, and their arsenal was their words. Dale, being the persistent one, was constantly on the attack. When he saw that he couldn''t get Xzavier through the conventional beguiling, he used his wiles to try to ensnare Xzavier into trapping himself in any kind of contradiction or falsehood.

    But this was like trying to use a to hold water. His gambit proved to be futile for so many tangible reasons, chief of them being the cold hard fact that Xzavier gave him little or no answers to work with. It wasn''t as much as his clever omissions as it was about his subtle assertions. With the elusiveness of a cat, Xzavier expertly waltzed over every single trap that Dale had set for him. Not showing his full intellectual capabilities, and at the same time, hinting just enough for his opponent to know that he was a deep well of secrets.

 Chapter 72 Visit

    Finding himself at an impasse, Dale finally, Dale admitted to himself that he had found a worthy adversary. That was when he made the announcement conclusively;

    "Okay Xzavier, getting to know you was a real pleasure¡­" the double meaning behind this statement wasn''t lost on Xzavier.

    "¡­ but I''m afraid that it is time for you to meet Governor Quaid. His residence isn''t too far from here. Don''t worry, I will personally lead you there myself."

    As he spoke, he rose to his feet, gesturing towards the door, indicating that it was time. Xzavier''s face betrayed no emotion or urgency whatsoever. He maintained a look of indifference and a faraway look in his eye that suggested that he was distinctly bored. He rose up casually as though he had all the time in the world, and followed the shrewd Silver Knight to his Governor''s abode.

    As Dale locked his office door, Xzavier waited patiently in the hallway for him. Coincidentally, the same female secretary who had ushered him into his presence, happened to be passing by on her way to the lobby. When she saw Dale smiling and making friendly conversation Xzavier, the bbergasted woman stopped dead in her tracks.

    "What?! Impossible!" she thought in unbelief.

    "Howe the venerable Silver Knight-Dale is still indulging such a low life scum?!"

    The secretary was stunned. This wasn''t how she had expected this to y out at all! As someone who was well aware of Dale''s reputation, and as someone who had worked close to him for so many years, she was in the best position to testify that Dale''s reputation was not all hype. She had seen firsthand his tactics, as well as their ruthless efficiency in bringing forth desirable results.

    So, when she saw the ''mana-less'' Xzavier and automatically ruled him out as a fraud, she eagerly handed him over to Dale whom she knew was the best person topletely decimate the fraudster. But instead, much to her deepest surprise, she found them fraternizing as though they had known each other for a while now. It was very unsettling.

    Still very much unsure, she adjusted her sses again and again, hoping that this was some sort of optical illusion. But s, it wasn''t! The busybody secretary racked her brain, but she couldn''te up with any tangible reason as to why Dale would treat the crook like a royal emissary.

    "Is he merely leading him on?" she wondered.

    "Could it be that this is all for Mister Dale''s amusement? I wouldn''t put it past him to y a cruel prank on the crook!"

    But the more she observed, the more she knew that her supposition was very unlikely. Like a spy, or a secret agent, she kept herself hidden from their view as she approached them in order to ascertain the truth.

    Again, she was mmed in the face by the huge embarrassing palm of disappointment. Dale''s conciliating smile said it all. For some reason, he seemed to be enthralled by the crook. And for the life of her, she just couldn''t figure out why. With nothing to do but stare, she watched as the two men disappeared down a corner, fading away into oblivion and on to whatever it was that they were both up to.

    As the governing entity over a domain as significant as Victoria city, there was always at least a million things that demanded Governor Quaid attention. Because he was not a ubiquitous, he had to be present in one ce or the other, depending on just how urgent the business was. Today was one of those days. When Dale and Xzavier got to the governor''s office, a sharp, smartly dressed intern informed the Silver Knight and his guest that the governor wasn''t on seat.

    Dale chuckled to himself when the heard the report.

    "This is very much like the governor. Always so busy! I genuinely can''t remember thest time I was able to catch him in his office."

    The intern was still standing. He shifted ufortably on his seat, not exactly sure how to respond to the casual chatter.

    "May I take a message for the governor sir?"

    "Oh bollocks! I''ll just check in on his official residence."

    The intern''s facial expression turned sour as if he knew something that Dale didn''t.

    "Sir..." he began apprehensively,

    "I strongly suggest that you leave your message here."

    Annoyed by the intern''s impudence, Dale''s countenance suddenly grew dark and a menacing scowl crept over his face. Up till that moment, he had maintained a very cheerful atmosphere. But the intern had made the rookie mistake of mistaking his casual tone for indifference.

    Dale growled in a threatening voice;<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Are you actively looking for a way to annoy me?"

    "No sir! I simply wanted to¡­"

    "Are you sure? Because it sounded like you were trying to tell me what to do."

    Dale turned around to Xzavier and asked;

    "It wasn''t just me was it? Did you also hear the insolence?"

    The poor intern shirked back in fright. The issue had sky rocketed really quickly, and he was beginning to feel the bacsh. His eyes opened widely, almost as if they were about to pop out of their sockets, and he began to plead methodically;

    "I crave your indulgence sir, please note that it wasn''t my wish to upset you in any way. My humble apologies!"

    As he apologized, he bowed slightly and suspended himself in that position. Desperately hoping that the important looking man wouldn''t take this slight to heart. Dale allowed the tension to drag on for another painful minute, savoring every bit of it. He already knew his next line of action, but that didn''t mean he wasn''t going to enjoy himself a little.

    That very brief but tense period was fraught with torture for the clueless young intern. He knew just how delicate his position was, so he hoped and hoped that this wouldn''t hisst day.

    Finally, Dale exhaled deeply and a warm cheerful smile reced the intimidating scowl on his face. The switch up was diabolic, almost psychotic. It showed that no one could ever really tell just what exactly he was thinking. But it was also deliberate, because he knew Xzavier was watching.

    Dale wasn''t wrong on that count. Xzavier had indeed been watching the whole exchange. The whole charade was just a disy of authority. Dale wanted Xzavier to see just a taste of the political power he had. But the Silver Knight didn''t know that Xzavier had his entire background warped in the military. Because he didn''t know this, and because there was no way he could have known, the whole disy of his power flex was lost on Xzavier.

    Xzavier had dealt with more obnoxious and more devious characters who happened to be his superiors at the time. So, he wasn''t in the least shaken by Dale''s ostentatious disy of authority.

    Dale finally waved off the intern''s presumptuousness and dismissed him casually. Excited and relieved, the intern didn''t utter a word, he simply rushed out with an impressive speed, hoping that Dale wouldn''t consider over turning his decision to let it go.

    As Dale watched the intern flee, he turned round in his usual breezy way and addressed Xzavier heartily, as if nothing had happened.

    "Come on now Xzavier, let''s go find that rascal Governor Quaid."

    Xzavier hesitated a bit. He had noted the way the intern reacted when Dale hinted at the fact that he might head over to his home. So, he wasn''t entirely sure that this was the best course of action.

    Dale was quick to notice his reluctance.

    "Oh it''s alright mate! The governor has been known to meet with senior government officials in his home. Most times, he has lunch with some of them and most times, he ends up talking about political issues for hours on end!"

    With that, he egged Xzavier on and the two of them headed towards the exit of the building. Walking side by side as peers, the two well built men passed through the lobby on their way out. Several people recognized Dale and greeted him respectfully. Xzavier had never felt more invisible in his life than he did at that moment. People seemed to look right past him. Like the sun next to moon, Dale''s stardom totally eclipsed Xzavier''s seemingly non-existent personality.

    Soon, they came out of the Great oak doors and burst out into the main street.

    "Hold on a minute Xzavier, you need to see the sweet ride I have arranged for our transit."

    Xzavier began to see why several people were drawn to Dale. Asides from his dubiousness, he was actually a charismatic person. He had a rich personality that endeared people to him. Xzavier opened his mouth to reply him but there was no need.

    Trotting down the leftne of the street, cruising at afortable speed was a magnificent coach. It was the typical generic horse drawn carriage that wasmon in the city. No, this was a world ss coach that was worthy of a statesman.

 Chapter 73 Governor

    Dale couldn''t hide it, it was evident in his satisfying grin and his worshipful gaze; he was proud of this carriage! Xzavier was amused. It was clear to him that no matter the continent or time line, powerful men were the same everywhere. They absolutely loved their cars, automobiles, and in this case, horse drawn coach.

    The coach finally stopped on the sidewalk and the driver, an entric fellow with a top hat and a whip, hailed the Silver Knight.

    "Good day sir! Ready whenever you are!"

    Dale replied him excitedly.

    "We''ll be right down my good man."

    He patted Xzavier on the back and said:

    "That''s our ride mate. Let''s be on our way shall we?"

    Not waiting for his reply, Dale hopped down the few stairs on the pavement andnded on the sidewalk. Some guard who was close by immediately reached to open the carriage door for him. Xzavier followed suit, and in a couple of minutes, both men were seatedfortably in the back of the coach as they made their way to the residence of the governor.

    The opportunistic Dale took advantage of their brief moment together to try to try to pry into Xzavier''s background. Like a wolf, he nibbled around Xzavier''s armor trying to find a chink in it.

    "So, tell me about yourself Xzavier, so far you''ve been awfully cagey about yourself."

    Xzavier shrugged.

    "There''s nothing to tell Mr. Dale. I am just a simple man."

    Dale scoffed at hisst statement.

    "Come on Xzavier. I gather that you are a pathologically modest person. I respect that, bute on, you''ve got to give me something to work with here."

    Xzavier''s mind was working overtime trying to keep the intruder out of his personal space and away from any information that could potentially hint at his true background.

    "I''m afraid you''ve got rather high expectations of me Mr. Dale. Besides, I could very well say the same about you. We''re literally strangers who only just met."

    "Indeed. On some level I guess you''re right. But I am something of an open book myself. If you need to know anything, you only need to ask."

    "But I didn''t¡­I could have, but I didn''t¡­"

    Dale took a minute to allow Xzavier''s winning argument sink in. He couldn''t believe he had fallen for such a basic rhetoric cudgel. Xzavier had used his own words against him, and turned it around to support his im. It had been beautifully done. Even Dale couldn''t argue with that.

    After a few very ufortable minutes of silence, Dale went at it again. This time, he chose a very different angle.

    "You make a valid point Xzavier, but you seem to have misunderstood my intentions."

    He sat up right, folded his arms and continued.

    "You forget one thing my dear Xzavier, I sit at the head of the council that determines whether or not you''re fit enough for the award. Now while I myself am personally convinced, I need a few details about you to present to the council¡­"

    As Dale spoke, he exined his position in a calm clear voice, appealing to the emotional side of Xzavier with the hope of eliciting some kind of sympathy from him. Of course, this was just another maniption. And Xzavier saw right through the thinly veiled conceited deception lurking at the edge of his speech.

    "You have spoken well Mr. Dale. But this award should be based on my aplishments and not on any other factor. I''m sure you agree with me¡­"

    Dale made a move to speak up, but Xzavier continued, acting as if he didn''t see him gathering the nerve to counter or agree, or whatever side he wanted to take this time.

    "Besides, I do recall you saying a few minutes ago that ''you yourself were personally convinced,'' so I''m sure a man of your status will surely manage to see that things fall through ordingly."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Dale was once again astounded by the stranger. Once again, Xzavier had used his own words against him! Asides from his insanely dark blood-red aura, the only thing Dale had gotten so far about Xzavier was that he was an astute listener. Not only that, Xzavier was also equipped with the skill and wit that was vital to flipping a person''s words against them! It was uncanny! But in a way, Dale felt that it was also to be expected from a hidden master such as Xzavier.

    Outgunned and outyed, Dale found himself chuckling as he thought to himself;

    "Too bad Xzavier, if you weren''t so reserved, you would have made for a perfect politician."

    And so, after another unsessful attempt of trying to pry into Xzavier''s past. Dale backed off for the time being.

    The magnificent coach paved its way through the streets of Victoria City and emerged in a different section of the city. Here, the distinct noise that was typical of the noise of the inner city was no where to be found. Xzavier strained his ears to listen to the familiar hustle and bustle of the streets, but none came. There was only the steady trotting of the horses, and the scraping of the metal wheels on the concrete road.

    The asional noise of another horse marching by was heard at very long intervals, but other than that, there was no other way of knowing where there were based on the sounds of the environment. Xzavier fought the instinct to look out of the window for any clue whatsoever. However, he soon realized that the pervading silence was all the noise he needed.

    Sure enough, at that point, a soft wind blew through the carriage. With it came the ruffling of the curtains, and consequently, a brief view of the environment outside. Just as Xzavier suspected, they had left the inner city way behind them and they were now ascending up a hill. The ascent wasn''t noticeable in the sense that, as passengers seated in the coach, it was almost impossible to know that they were forging their way up a hill.

    The slope was carriage friendly, and the road was smooth. Xzavier''s brief but insightful view of the outside, as well as the epassing silence told him that this was a secluded territory. The tall buildings and closely packed edifices of the main city weren''t seen anymore. In ce of those concrete edifices were a string of elegant brilliant white manors and estates. All of them were evenly distributed, and space was ample.

    The vegetation in the surroundings were well taken off. Brilliant looking guards on horses asionally patrolled the road, their stern eyes looking for anything that was out of ce.

    As Xzavier and Dale journeyed on in silence, the driver announced that they had arrived at the Golden Estate and would soon be at the governor''s mansion. Dale unfolded his previously crossed legs and sat up in one graceful movement. He leaned forward to his own window and lifted up the curtain to ce their location and calcte their approximate time of arrival.

    With a thoughtful look, he whipped out his pocket watch and nced at it.

    "Six minutes," he said aloud.

    "Shouldn''t be long now old chap, so just hang on a bit alright?"

    Xzavier nodded his head, acknowledging his message.

    Xzavier did not have a timepiece on him, but as the carriage pulled to a stop a short whileter, Xzavier knew that the Silver Knight''s estimated time of arrival had been spot on.

    Almost immediately, a short but prominent knock came on the door. Dale coughed and a guard opened the carriage door, greeting Dale as he ushered him out.

    "Good afternoon sir!"

    "Afternoon, is the governor in?"

    "Yes indeed. May I inform him of your arrival?"

    "Yes. Inform him."

    The guard was only asking out of courtesy. Dale knew that the moment his carriage had set foot in this estate, intelligence must have reported back to the governor that he was on his way.

    This was a system that had been put in ce in order to prevent any surprise attack or visitors. So, by the time anyone arrived at the governor''s ce, the governor would have been briefed already and well prepared.

    Dale was well aware of this arrangement, heck it had been his idea in the first ce. But because protocols were protocols, he had to endure the whole charade. The guard barked brash orders to a couple of other guards and they responded instantly. They fled in the direction of the manor as if they had fire underneath their feet, rushing to do their chief''s bidding.

    The main guard turned to the guests at the gate and said:

    "Please, follow me sir."

    He made sure to keep his voice and tone polite at all times. As a guard who had served the governor for so many years, he knew just how egocentric and unnecessarily sensitive some members of the ruling ss could be. Especially the wives of these government officials. So, even when he asked them to follow him, he always made sure to say ''please'' and to also smile in order not to seemmanding.

 Chapter 74 Intrude

    The guard handed them over to a servant at the gate with instructions and returned to his duty post. The well groomed male servant, d in the official uniform of the household staff, led both Xzavier and Dale into the estate and Xzavier was taken in by the brilliance of the whole scene. It took him a while to get it all in.

    Of course, Xzavier had seen much moreplex architecture. He had also seen the style of European manors and estates in movies and dramas, but there was something gripping andpellingly astounding about seeing such a retro architectural structure in real life.

    The first thing Xzavier noticed was the well nurtured trees on both sides of path that led down to the actual building. He felt like he was taking a walk down a very secure park. The trees weren''t all uniform in color, no. They were a coge of nature''s disy of diversity. The different colors sshed against each other,peting for beauty and at the same time, enhancing each other''s beauty.

    Like tall beautiful sentinels on guard, they stood majestically of the opposite ends of the road, swaying with the wind and filling the air with a natural fragrance. But the trees were only a small part of the whole scene. As Dale and Xzavier progressed down the path that is best described as a driveway, like a budding flower, the trees finally gave way, revealing the real jewel behind.

    The main building itself stood on a rock. It was something between a castle, an ancient Roman noble''s house and a rtively modern European Manor. It was absolutely magnificent. The three-story, castle-like manor was painted in a brilliant white. Its pirs were zed with marbles and gigantic life sized statues were strategically ced at the entrance and at the four corners.

    On the east wing of thepound was what appeared to be a fountain with a small garden on the side. The full re of the afternoon sun entuated the white paint, enhancing the already intimidating sight of the mansion. Indeed, this was a lofty vestibule.

    The servant led Dale and Xzavier down aplex series of corridors, before finally arriving at the waiting room. No doubt, Xzavier was a little impressed. He showed a very negligible amount of interest in the retro style of the mansion.

    Dale had been covertly watching Xzavier all this time. He had been careful enough not to give it away but the whole time, he had his eye on Xzavier. When he detected Xzavier''s slight interest in the awesome sight that was the governor''s mansion, Dale immediately concluded that Xzavier was probably from a pretty ancient family and also, he probably grew up in a secluded part of the continent.

    Dale had expected a simpleton like Xzavier to be awed by the majestic splendor of the mansion, but when he saw that Xzavier''s interest was only mind, Dale also jumped to another conclusion that Xzavier''s very little interest in thevish, and tastefully furnished mansion was probably an attribute of a great master.

    "Maybe he had sworn to detach himself from the material things of this world¡­" he wondered.

    "Damn, this isn''t good. The whole evidence points towards the fact that he might be a master in disguise."

    Satisfied with his own conclusions, Dale wheeled his mind away from Xzavier, instead focused on the governor.

    Dale knew the governor well enough to guess that he was probably in a heated discussion with some executives. Dale himself had been part of the project a while ago, so he knew more than anyone that it would take a significant amount of time to navigate around the parameters of the project. To say that a satisfactory result could be obtained within a short period would be a far cry from the truth.

    Dale couldn''t sit still. He began to pace up and down the room until he finally decided that waiting wouldn''t get him anywhere. He had to interrupt the meeting, else, it could be a while before he could get to see the governor.

    So, without uttering a word to Xzavier, without even the slightest nce, Dale stormed out of the waiting room. Xzavier was a bit surprised at the way and manner with which the Silver Knight had excused himself. It was almost like he had snapped or something. So, with the Silver Knight gone, sitting by himself with nopany whatsoever, once again, Xzavier found himself alone in a waiting room.

    It wasn''t an established rule, neither was it written formally in thews of the state, but it wasmon knowledge that the governor was not to be disturbed when he was at a lunch meeting with other officials. The only exception to this rule was the venerable Silver Knight- Dale. Indeed, to just about every other official, it seemed like Dale was the only one who could dare cross this line by interrupting the governor.<novelnext></novelnext>

    This wasn''t because Dale was a close confidant of the governor, neither was it because of any fancy reason like ''the governor had given Dale a special privilege to do so.'' Nay, this was because Dale had read the situation and decided to use his discretion. Objectively speaking, he knew that the governor would prefer to deal with the issue of the mysterious stranger than so sit for hours on end, debating on mundane topics that were sure to be potentially fruitless. Dale knew that the governor would definitely chose receiving the stranger.

    So, armed with this knowledge, Dale did the unthinkable and barged into the dining area where the governor was hosting his officials.

    Nothing could stand in the way of Dale when he truly wanted something. So, when the guards at the entrance to the dining room saw him, they recognized his authority, as well as the air of urgency around him, and therefore held their peace.

    With calcted aggression, knowing fully well what awaited him on the other end of the door, Dale poured a sufficient amount of strength into his arms and forced the doors to the dining open.

    The dining room which had been filled with ramblings and old men discussing suddenly went silent when they saw how the doors were flung open. There came the shock at first. They couldn''t imagine being interrupted by anyone at all. So, angrily, they turned their heads in the direction of the culprit that was responsible for the crudely executed invasion.

    Shock soon returned to the faces of the previously annoyed officials. The looks of surprise on the faces of the officials when they saw Dale furiously charging into the room was priceless. None spoke a single word. Not a single one of them found the words to address Dale. Astounded, they watched as Dale ignored every single one of them and marched straight to the governor.

    On every timeline, and on every continent, even cutting across the solid iron barrier of time, cultures and dynamics, one truth always remains- executive meetings can be hellishly boring. The constant droning out of facts and figures, the long negotiations, and the general atmosphere of utmost seriousness can make the responsibility of administration a real burden.

    So, any form of disruption, in any way, almost always leaves an earth shattering effect.

    For the executives who were knee deep in negotiations with the governor, this was thest ce they had ever expected to be interrupted. As political leaders, each and every one them had a stake in the project at hand. In some way or the other, all of them had something to benefit. Either from government issued contracts to their private firms, or just general strategic positioning that was sure to make them look good in the uping elections.

    So, it was safe to say that their hearts and minds were very much invested in this lunch meeting with the president. So, when the doors to the most exclusive meeting in the city flung open in the most audacious way, their surprise knew no bounds. The temerity of the audacity could not really be quantified by any measuring standard.

    When the shock fully cleared, and when they finally came their senses, it was a bit toote to react.

    The Silver Knight walked straight to the governor, (who frankly seemed a bit relieved that someone had managed to quell the tension by this disruption) and whispered a message in his ear;

    "Governor, I thought you might want to hear this. But that fellow who is responsible for the ughtering of the orc chief, and the dispersing of the orc tribe¡­well, he''s here!"

    The governor''s face turned white instantly. He almost shouted ''what!'' This was definitely not on the list of what he was expecting today. But he weed to intrusion with open hands. He struggled to mask his facial expression in order to keep his nervousness hidden from the rest of the officials. But s, the snake eyes of the government officials had already seen his reaction.

 Chapter 75 TIME

    Like a pack of ravenous wolves, they kept their hungry eyes on the governor and Dale (who kept a straight poker face the whole period), hoping to sneak a peek at the inside information.

    Before any one of them could protest, it was a little toote. For by then, the governor had already regained hisposure.

    "Gentlemen," the governor began assertively as he ced both hands on the long dining table,

    "In lieu of the fact that another urgent matter has surfaced, I am afraid we have to draw the curtain on this meeting for the time being...."

    The governor had scarcely finished speaking when, immediately, cries ofints rang across the table as multiple voices rose up at once to protest.

    "Mr. Governor! I implore you¡­"

    "This is uneptable!"

    "What urgent matter could be more important than this?!"

    "Your excellency please¡­"

    They all spoke at once. Each plea,int and protest ovepping the previous one, painting the picture of a chaotic assembly and negating the true value of a sit in discussion..

    The governor indulged them for a few seconds. He allowed them bicker before raising his right palm in the air, indicating his call for silence. The rumbling slowly died, but not with great reluctance.

    "I encourage you all to conduct yourselves in a manner that is befitting to officials of this great government. My secretaries will reach out to everyone of your offices with the details concerning our next meeting. Good day."

    With that, he stormed out with Dale on his heels. The governor was actively trying to rein in his excitement at the prospect of meeting such an interesting entity. He had been coped up with administrative duties ofte, so, this was the closest he coulde to an adventure.

    On their way, the governor failed to curtail his impatience even though he was just a few minutes away from seeing the local legend. He began to ask Dale some questions.

    "You''ve met him, what do you think about him Dale?"

    Anticipating this question, Dale replied him with an already prepared answer.

    "The man is truly an enigma. He is wrapped in so many mysteries that makes him difficult to read."

    The governor was well pleased with the answer he got. For him, this was just another adventure. The mere thought of a mysterious stranger with the chilling skill and wit to kill the notorious chief orc, well, it made him giddy. Almost like a schoolboy on a quest.

    The Governor thought quietly for a moment.

    "So, he''s the real deal then?"

    Dale answered him diplomatically;

    "It''s way too early to conclude sir. But by all count, it''s safe to assume that he might actually be worth the trouble."

    The governor chuckled slightly and then said vaguely;

    "It''s weird¡­"

    "I beg your pardon sir?"

    "This is the first time I have seen you unsure about a person''s character. Makes me wonder¡­"

    Dale cursed under his breath. This was what he had been trying to avoid. They both trudged on in silence as they approached the hall that led to the waiting room. The governor quickened his pace, and eagerly opened the adjoining doors to the waiting room.

    With no option than to sumb, the doors responded to the governor''s push, and they swung open in full force, opening up the physical portal to the next room where a human prize awaited him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The governor bounced into the waiting room with eager eyes and an anxious mind, hoping to see a kind of medieval hero, or a mage, or at least, a warrior of the state. But s, instead of any of these things, an empty room greeted him instead. The governor''s eyes glossed over every visible square inch of the waiting room, looking for the person he had spent thest four minutes envisioning in his head.

    A cloud of anger began to gather above the governor''s head.

    "Is this some kind of joke?" he raged..

    "I assure you, this is the worst possible time to mess with me!! Where is the man you said was here Dale?!!!"

    Thinking he had been yed, he swung round to address the Silver Knight behind him. But on Dale''s face was a look of shock that equaled that of the governor''s. He opened his mouth to reply him, but this time, Dale who always had an answer for everything was lost for words. He didn''t k Xzavier all that well, but he didn''t think that he would be daring enough to skip out on a meeting with the governor in his own residence.

    "This had better not be one of your mysterious things Xzavier!"

    Dale cursed Xzavier inwardly.

    "Damn you! You jerk! Where the hell did you wander off to?"

    It was a bit toote for regrets, but Dale began to realize that, in retrospect, it wasn''t exactly to leave a shifty, unproven entity like Xzavier unattended in the governor''s house. A morbid thought came across Dale''s line of thought as he struggled to give the governor a solid reason as why the star prize had suddenly vanished.

    "Wait a minute¡­" he thought to himself,

    "Could it be that Xzavier might have left already simply because he had lost his patience?"

    Dale''s blood ran cold. If that was the case, he knew that it would be a real pain having to track down a man who loved to stay aloof from the world. Not only that, he would lose face seriously in the sight of the governor and his other colleagues if word of this was to ever get out.

    He had to find Xavier. And fast!

    Totally oblivious,pletely unaware of themotion he had stirred, Xzavier wandered around the posh estate that belonged to the governor. Xzavier''s decision to go AWOL wasn''t intentional. It had all been a huge misunderstanding, and all parties were to me.

    When Dale received the message from the butler regarding the governor''s lunch meeting with the members of his cab, it seemed to Xzavier that Dale didn''t take too kindly to being asked to wait around. The furrowed eyebrows, the incessant pacing, and the overall look of impatience on Dale''s face suggested that he wasn''t really going to sit around waiting for a meeting toe to an end.

    So, when Dale stormed off, marching briskly, and heading to an unknown location without updating Xzavier on his intended whereabouts and estimated time of return, Xzavier concluded what he had already suspected in the first ce. Xzavier had presumptuously suspected that Dale had lost his patience.

    As a statesman, Xzavier guessed that Dale knew from first hand experience hat the meetings such as this might take up an inordinate amount of time. There was no telling just how long this particr one might take. And judging from the way the Silver Knight had stormed off, Xzavier came to the logical conclusion that the end of this meeting might not exactly be in sight.

    So, faced with what seemed like another long stretch of time that was filled with the gloom of boredom and inaction, Xzavier sighed inwardly, before making the conscious decision to explore the governor''s estate.

    "What could possibly go wrong?" he thought to himself as he reexamined his n.

    "By the looks of it, Dale might be gone for a while¡­"

    Xzavier remembered how only just a few hours ago, he had been bored to senselessness while he waited to be attended to by a government official.

    "And that guy was just a low ranking official, imagine how long it would take to get to see the governor on such short notice?!"

    The more Xzavier thought about it, the more he saw reasons why he should go ahead with his exploration. He turned his head towards the end of the waiting room, in the direction of the hallway that seemed lead elsewhere. Like a portal to a magical world, the courtyard seemed to call out to him, taunting him invitingly, and egging him to try and find out more about his environment. After all, it wasn''t every day one got to experience the Vintage Architectural wonder of the European Middle Ages.

    There was so much to explore! And Xzavier had an abundance of the one resource that almost always proved to never be enough- TIME.

    So, with nothing stopping him, and literally no one in sight, Xzavier set off like the explorers of old, hoping to feast his eyes on the wonders of this strange and yet densely familiar ce (familiar because he had only seen timely pieces like this on TV and in books). Coincidentally, at that same moment, some two hundred meters away in the dining section of the estate, Dale and his governor were actively making their way towards Xzavier in great haste and with even greater curiosity.

    So, in a bid to escape the stifling, mundane grip of the goddess of boredom, Xzavier ended up leaving a tide ofmotion in his wake. But of course, he didn''t know that.

 Chapter 76 The Girl

    All he cared about this time was making the best use of the new scene to feast his eyes and keep the threatening boredom at bay. Xzavier was under the impression that waiting for a leader was a tasking job that demanded a serious amount of patience. In this case, the leader in particr was a governor of a whole state capital. So, Xzavier reassured himself that he had nothing to worry about in that regard.

    Xzavier embarked on his wandering mission, fully prepared for the inactivity and cid atmosphere that was to be expected from a ruler''s home. This was thest ce he thought he would see trouble. He was right- at least for now.

    It turned out that the open courtyard had been situated in the middle of the mansion. This maximized the air flow in the mansion and bnced the concrete to vegetation ratio within the walls of the mansion. A garden bloomed in the open space, bathing the generic white paint of the walls with a ssh of colors. Right in the middle of the courtyard, four marble sculptures of angel like creatures camped about a water fountain. With open wings, they surrounded the beautiful water fountain like throne angels.

    Obviously, Xzavier had seen a lot more impressive sights in his day. But there was just something intoxicating about this particr sight. It was the serenity that followed. It also could have been the fact that it was all natural,pletely devoid of any tech whatsoever.

    Xzavier navigated his away around the open courtyard. Not allowing himself to be overrun by the allure of his new environment, Xzavier kept his mind firmly on the notablendmarks he could use to get back to the waiting room. It was a pretty big mansion and he really couldn''t afford to get lost.

    As Xzavier melted through the corridors like a stealthy visitor creeping around, he finally caught his first glimpse trouble sneaking around the corridors and skulking behind the thick sturdy pirs of the mansion.

    Obviously, the girl was very familiar with her environment. She took advantage of the multiple pirs, and skulked behind them, looking like an sketchy individual with questionable intentions. Xzavier watched the amateur curiously as she slithered about,pletely unaware of the fact that she was being monitored at the time.

    Xzavier wondered.

    "What an amateur! She really must be a rookie to leave herself open to be spotted like this."

    Xzavier went into stealth mode and hid himself behind one of the pir. From there, he observed the sneaky girl closely and took in her features.

    Facially, the girl was pretty. Not in a grant or overbearing way, just a simple face with well defined features. She looked young. Young enough to be considered Xzavier''s age mate. As Xzavier watched the cute girl, he tried his best to make out her deal. Was a she a criminal? Was she a petty thief who was simply looking for a good score? Xzavier''s pessimistic mind steered him in apletely different direction with a more adventurous thought;

    "Maybe she''s an assassin? This is a very high profile target, she must be really good if she was contracted to kill the governor¡­"

    Xzavier wanted to grouse. Just when he was settling in to the casual routine of a normal person, here he was, getting sucked into the endless vacuum of another possible trouble. Xzavier began to think very quickly.

    If he ended up being spotted with this intruder, it would be the nail in the coffin that Dale had already prepared for him.

    It was no longer a secret that the Silver Knight suspected him gravely. Xzavier instantly deduced that if this was to implicate him in any way, he would be no better than a chunk of meat in a bowl of hot spicy pepper soup!

    As he was still wrapped up in his own thoughts, he heard the echo of several feet pattering on the soft polished floor of one of the hallways.

    "Shit!" Xzavier cursed as he ducked behind one of the pirs.

    It was toote now. He had wasted time, and now, several servants were scurrying on their feet, rushing towards that very location. Soon enough, a bunch of household servants emerged out of one of the many hallways leading to that particr corridor.

    From where Xzavier stood watching them, he could tell that they were worried. They nced around frantically, searching for something¡­ or someone! Xzavier soon figured out the fact that the servants were indeed searching for the young girl.

    "What the heck? She''s been discovered already? What the hell did you do you vermin!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier whipped his head away from the servants and fixed his eyes on the hiding girl. Xzavier froze up when his eyes finallynded on her. Within the very short period he had averted his gaze, she had actually managed to fish him out despite the fact that he had hidden himself in one of the darkest spots where even the rays of light emanating from the reflective surface couldn''t him.

    Xzavier was surprised. Somehow, she had spotted him! Even more surprising was the brazen look on her face. It wasn''t the look of one who was going to be caught. She looked at him as though he was the one who had been caught! Xzavier was thrown off guard by the dramatic shift in the dynamic. The impudent look in her eye wasn''t consistent with that of a thief who had just been caught. In fact, it was more of a re.

    It was only when she gestured to him to keep silent that Xzavier began to think again. The girl lifted up her fore finger to her lips and made the universal sign to keep quiet. She didn''t need to exaggerate her movements for Xzavier to understand her. Her ming eyes gave up her request.

    The air was charged with tension from all parties, including the servants. They breezed around the foremost part of the corridors checking for footprints or skid marks that would lead them to the girl.

    Luckily, the servants weren''t thorough with their search. Xzavier didn''t envy them at all. It wasn''t fault. The mansion wasrge enough to amodate an entire school. They had a lot of ground to cover, so they obviously couldn''t afford to linger in one location for too long. After a few seconds of just breezing around, they turned around frantically and left to begin their search in another location.

    A few painful minutes passed in silence as both Xzavier and the cute girl waited for the servants to fully retreat. Xzavier kept his eyes on the entrances, waiting to see if they were truly gone. When his suspicions were finally abated, he stepped out of the shadows with the intention of heading towards the girl who had almost put him in trouble.

    Just as he took the first step, mid-stride, he heard someone call his name from behind him. Xzavier''s face turned sour. His face had the pale discoloration of one who had seen or in this case, heard a ghost. Xzavier wasn''t feeling very motivated to turn back to face his oster.

    "Wait, how did they know my name again?"

    His name came again. This time, it sounded less doubtful and more confident. This time, it also sounded familiar.

    Xzavier turned round with the quickness of a predator. And with unbelieving eyes, he looked at the person who had just outed him.

    "Adalia?"

    True enough, it was Adalia standing right before him, gawking at him like he was some creature that had escaped the confinement of its cage at the zoo.

    "Xzavier! What are you doing here?"

    Xzavier wanted to ask her the same thing. Then he remembered that at theirst meeting, she had been summoned by the governor as well. He opened his mouth to answer her, but then again, Adalia being who she was, she interrupted him with another question.

    "Hold on a minute. Did you happen to see a girl who was running away?"

    Xzavier wasn''t usually one to snitch, but at this point, he decided that it was best that he dissociate himself from whatever trouble the girl was in. So, without even the tiniest bit of remorse, Xzavier promptly pointed to the girl crouched, and hiding in the corner.

    Adalia''s eyes followed his fingers and traced the path to a hiding ce not to far away. At the end of it all, the young girl with the pretty face came out. This time, instead of her look of condescension, her face was twisted in a mask of rage.

    Yet again, Xzavier found himself on the end of another surprise party. His own over analytic mind hadpletely misread the situation. Hence, he was about to be schooled in another one of life''s endearing lessons- appearances can be grossly misleading. Though he didn''t know it yet, he was about to find out just how delightfully irrational his perception of the whole scene had been.

 Chapter 77 Sneaking Out Of Class

    Obviously very unhappy, the young girl walked towards Xzavier with burning ck eyes, ready to tear him apart with the ferocity and anger of a young tigress. With balled fists, she approached him as though she was going to beat him up.

    "You! Just who do you think you are?! You actually dared to rat me out?!"

    She shook her finger threateningly in his face,

    "My father will have you yed for this!!"

    Xzavier was even more confused than ever. This wasn''t how he had expected this to go. Why was the criminal so brazen? What was the source of her confidence that made her so audacious even in the face of possible conviction. He turned to face Adalia, hoping to catch an expression that said he wasn''t the only one that was going mad. He didn''t get the sympathetic response he expected. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

    Instead of mirroring his own confusion, on Adalia''s face was a look of amusement that more than hinted at the fact that she found all of this to be very amusing. Clearly, she knew something that Xzavier didn''t. Xzavier began to suspect that something didn''t add up.

    "Hold on now! Wait a damn minute..."

    Xzavier thought to himself as he struggled to make sense of the whole situation that lookedpletely absurd.

    But the cute girl didn''t catch on. With the confidence of a spoilt child who was used to having her way, the cute girl continued her savage verbal assault on the clueless young man.

    "What''s the matter dummy? Cat''s got your tongue? Or are you dumb as well?!"

    Watching Xzavier getting skewered by a teenage girl like piece of meat on a grill wasn''t something that Adalia had ever thought she would witness in her lifetime. In her mind, she saw Xzavier as a big bad wolf who had decimated an entire tribe of orcs. So, watching him falter under this heat was practically amusing for her.

    Seeing that Xzavier decided to remain silent, the other girl took it as a sign of acquiescence. And like a blood hound who smelled blood, she honed in on Xzavier with the precision of a killer andshed out at him with another vicious stream of stingers.

    "You better speak up you uncultured swine! Do you want me to call my father?! Because I will!! I guarantee you, he is going to make your life very difficult!"

    The young girl wasn''t more than five foot five, and yet she spoke the the audacity and energy of someone who was over seven feet tall and armed with a machine gun. It was only after herst threat that Adalia finally made up her mind to butt in.

    "It''s okay Earlene, I know this one..."

    If that was intended to douse the raging me that was the cute girl''s anger, it turned out to be counterproductive. With burning ck eyes, the petnt girl turned her bloodlust on Adalia.

    "What do you mean you know this one? Isn''t he one of the servants?"

    She then narrowed her eyes as she turned to look at him one more time, as if trying to make up her mind about what unit of the domestic staff he truly belonged to.

    "Or are you one of the new ones?"

    Even before Adalia finally introduced them to each other, Xzavier''s quick mind began to make the connection. He wanted to kick himself in the nuts for not reading the signs earlier on.

    Battle had hardwired his brain into automatically dreaming up the worst case scenario. He had to constantly remind himself that this wasn''t war, he was surrounded by civilians and ordinary folks. Hence, the need to tone down his aggressive analysis of every situation.

    Adalia''s voice rose above the din, and like a peace maker, she built the bridge between both sides when she finally made the introductions.

    "No Earlene, this is the dude I was talking about..."

    Xzavier raised his eyebrows in surprise. Adalia saw it and dismissed his vile thoughts immediately.

    "Oh don''t tter yourself Xzavier. It''s not like that!"

    Speaking to the girl called Earlene, Adalia continued;

    "So Earlene, I would like to officially introduce the local legend, and the man behind the extermination of the insidious orcs- Mister Xzavier!"

    It was a glowing introduction. Xzavier wanted to point out to her that she was wrong about the "extermination" part. But he decided that now wasn''t probably the time to that. Adalia continued in her role as the intermediary and finished the rest of the introduction.

    "And Xzavier, I''m sure you''ve already guessed this as well, but this is the adorable Earlene, daughter of the distinguished Gvernor of the state capital."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Adalia was right about the part about Xzavier already suspecting that Earlene was royalty, at least, she was the day''s version of a princess anyway. He instinctively bowed low, almost all the way to the waist, thinking that it was probably the norm here. It was Adalia''s turn to be amused. Stifling the swelling storm ofughter that was actively gaining momentum in her stomach, Adalia managed to ask with a straight face;

    "Xzavier! What are you doing?"

    A puzzled expression crept across Xzavier''s face.

    "I thought..." he began innocently as he tried to exin the basis for his action.

    But the overly aggressive Earlene didn''t spare him.

    "OH! What kind of backwater country are you from?! This isn''t the olden days, we don''t do that here!"

    Xzavier swallowed hard. There really was no pleasing this girl.

    "Earlene!" Adalia eximed. "Come on! Be nice!"

    Earlene didn''t look like she was capable of being nice. Instead of apologizing, she folded her arms stubbornly and kept her fierce gaze on Xzavier. Clearly, she still wasn''t impressed.

    Adalia assuaged Xzavier saying;

    "Don''t worry about Earlene, she''s just grumpy because she was practicing water magic and she ended up sneaking out of ss. She''s a great girl I promise you."

    Somehow, Xzavier found it hard to believe thatst part.

    Both Xzavier and Earlene stared at each other. Actually, in the case of Earlene, it was more of a harsh re and an intensely prating gaze, than a simple ordinary stare. Xzavier saw no need to dish out one of his favorite homicidal res for such a young girl. He reserved it for special asions like when he would be faced with a testosterone driven primate monster that was almost always other men looking for an ego contest. Each of them analyzed the other person, drawing up conclusions and formingsting impressions.

    Earlene didn''t like Xzavier. She made no attempt to make her dislike for him. Indeed it was clear as day. It was in her bodynguage, it was on her demeaning expression, it was in her spiteful eyes, and it oozed from every word she uttered.

    It wasn''t that Earlene hated Xzavier with passion, neither was it that she detested him for any reason in particr. Her dislike was based on the fact that shepletely looked down on him. She couldn''t see anything interesting about him, consequently, it was hard for her to take him seriously. She regarded him as one would regard a worm or a dying insect, with a look ofplete condescension, trying to make up her mind if he was worth her or Adalia''s time.

    "This can''t be right. You look somon, how is it that a runt like you managed to aplish all of these magnificent feats?"

    What would have been an internal monologue in her own mind was voiced out openly without fear, restraint or remorse. She was used to speaking her mind without any bacsh or repercussion. After all, she was the daughter of the governor, no one would dare make her feel unhappy and end up incurring the full wrath of her father.

    Earlene didn''t stop there, she dialed up the sass by about a hundred percent, adjusted her already folded arms and continued to systematically tear down Xzavier''s self worth.

    "You are weak. You have no mana, and yet, you im to have "eliminated" an entire band of orcs! Tell me, how does this work exactly?"

    The scene was simr to that of a bully situation in a school yard. She took a step closer to him menacingly and asked contemptuously;

    "Tell me Xzavier, did you manage to do all this by boring the orcs to death? Is that your hidden super power? The uncanny ability to bore your enemies to death?"

    "Earlene! Come on!"

    Earlene swerved in Adalia''s direction with her hands held up in the air in a shrug.

    "Honestly Adalia, what exactly did you see in this bum? He seems to have the IQ of a gold fish."

    She raised up her eyebrow as she considered another possibility;

    "Adalia," she spoke in a low and subdued tone, hoping Xzavier wouldn''t pick up on her warning;

    "I hope you haven''t fallen for the tricks of this babble rouser? Oh please tell me you haven''t?!"

 Chapter 78 Earlene

    Xzavier who had been silent all through this while finally reacted. He threw his head back, opened his mouth and let out a long, deep, heartyughter. Hisughter was free of the disdain and hateful mockery that would be considered the appropriate response for anyone in his shoes. Instead, it rang of pure amusement, almost as if he had been entertained by a live show.

    For the first time, Earlene truly looked at him. She had never heard anyoneugh like that in her presence. The young cute girl was used to people walking on eggshells around her, so Xzavier''s reaction wasn''t exactly something she was equipped to handle.

    When Xzavier finally managed to rein in his very amusingughter by bringing it to an end, he cleared his throat and spoke like a sage;

    "You probably haven''t realized this yet, but soon enough you''ll know that magic isn''t everything. There are so many, and I mean SO MANY ways to get there."

    Earlene fought to keep herself from retorting with a witty reply like; ''for someone who doesn''t have magic, you sure do know a lot about magic.'' But she aptly gauged the situation and decided against it. Earlene wasn''t stupid. Despite all the vitriol she had thrown his way, when Xzavier finally replied, he had chosen to take the high road. This made him appear somewhat reasonable in her sight, so she held herself from anymore outbursts.

    This time, Earlene decided to take a different route. She was determined tond at the same destination, but because of his diplomatic approach, and also because he had saved Adalia''s life, Earlene decided to y the polite/reasonable card.

    "Adalia says that you saved her life. She could have ended up like the other unfortunate soldiers or worse, if you hadn''t showed up, it probably would have been a different oue. For this, you have my gratitude."

    Xzavier was taken aback. For a moment, she actually sounded reasonable. It wasn''t something he ever thought was possible.

    As the daughter of a governor, Earlene was required to take sses on diplomatic rtions. So, consequently, she could tap into this information at any time and be whoever she wanted to be. But that was just where her politeness ended. Like the sudden switch up if dusk before dawn, Earlene''s face suddenly grew dark as she continued in the same vein as earlier on. Only this time, more personal and more constructive.

    "But¡­" that single word changed everything and set the tone for what was toe.

    "That doesn''t change the fact that I think you''re a liar and a fraud. I think you''re riding on the aplishment of another fellow who is probably dead. So, you being the despicable creature, you decided to y on his death and use it to your advantage to brag¡­"

    She took a moment to let it sink in. This was also another diplomatic strategy- pretend to y nice while advancing, and when you''re sure the negotiations are going your way, go out of your own way to ruin it.

    Earlene didn''t get the chance to release the venom she already had stored up. Another disruption interfered with the showdown between them.

    In the short distance away, they all began to hear the ttering of feet in the hallways. The servants were back! This new development didn''t sit well with Earlene at all.

    Not one bit. In actuality, Earlene had already envisioned that she would definitely fail the next test. Hence, her truancy. The closer the rushing footsteps, the more apparent Earlene''s desperation became. Xzavier noticed this and used it to further his argument.

    "Now here''s an example of what I was talking about, a real life teachable life situation¡­"

    Earlene stared at him like he had just spewed a truckload of trash. She couldn''t believe Xzavier was droning on about something as unimportant as this. But Xzavier wasn''t quite done yet;

    "I gather you''re trying to escape from your teachers, now does this situation call for magic or a sharp use of one''s intellect?"

    Livid with fury, Earlene snapped;

    "You missed me with all that philosophical crap! This is all about magic you ignorant twerp!"

    She then proceeded to tell them snappily just how close she was to failing the next test. As she finished, she hastily grabbed Xzavier''s arm, and osted him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You! You''re the reason I''m in this mess in the first ce! I wouldn''t have been found out if it wasn''t for you! You''d better do something about this ASAP!"

    Xzavier wanted to protest, but Earlene was adamant. The servants were getting closer by the second, so they were indeed in a precarious position.

    On a regr day, Xzavier would turn down a request of this nature, seeing that it was unreasonable andcked tact. But he had seen the strong cord of friendship that bound Adalia and Earlene. So, his interest became fixated on how exactly this would y out.

    Contrary to what Xzavier and the rest believed, it wasn''t a bunch of servants that were after them.

    Two people appeared out in the corner as Xzavier and his group spilled into the courtyard. It was a very unlikely duo. An old man with a flowing white beard led the way. Clearly he was advanced in years, but he had the steady gait of one who was still very much energetic. His eyes were full of fire and wisdom, and in that moment, both of his eyes were fixed on Earlene. Like a missile system that had locked in on a target, they remained firmly locked on Earlene right from the very moment the old man set his sights on her.

    Beside the old man, nking him on the left hand side was another character who didn''t seem nearly as interesting as the dignified-sage-looking old man. The other character was a young boy. The boy''s facial features were simr to that of Earlene. In fact, the resemnce was so uncanny that it wasn''t difficult for anyone to know on the spot that both of them were indeed rted. He looked way younger than Earlene. His radiant countenance and his boyish looks suggested that he was at least thirteen.

    As the group of three approached the old man and the young boy, Xzavier noticed something about the younger boy. While the old man had his eyes burned on them, the younger boy''s attention waspletely upied by a very bizarre activity. In his right hand, and stretched out before him was a bucket, and the bucket appeared to be filled with water.

    Just as the old man kept his eyes on Earlene, Xzavier kept his gaze on the young boy with the bucket. The boy who resembled Earlene had his face taut in an almost tight grimace. His entire mind seemed to be riveted on the bucket of water in his hand. Xzavier soon realized that the boy was actually trying to manipte the water in the bucket to revolt and break the bucket.

    The hrious way which the young boy kept twisting his face and making entertaining looks with his eyebrows almost made it look as if he was trying to be funny. But in reality, he was actively putting in all his effort to aplish the task he had set out to do. In spite of all of his efforts, he kepting up short each time.

    When they were finally within ear range, the old man barked his instructions at Earlene;

    "No matter how far you run, your task will always be waiting for you the same way you left it. Get back to work!"

    Earlene was obviously not in sync with this particr task. She moved sluggishly, as if trying her best to drag out the time between that moment and when she was about to do it. Reluctance was written all over her. She eyed Xzavier with hostility and whispered to him;

    "This is l your fault you bum! All your fault! I hope you''re happy now?!"

    The old man noticed her cking and charged her sternly;

    "Get on with it Earlene! Don''t let me repeat myself again!"

    Earlene didn''t m out the opportunity to stick out her tongue at Xzavier as she proceeded to do what she had been charged with.

    But Xzavier didn''t care about her issue, not in the slightest bit. But since Xzavier came to this continent and saw first hand the wonders of magic, he had begun to nurture a silent fascination for it. Even at that moment, Xzavier''s mind toyed with the idea of getting in touch with magic. He found himself longing to understand the magic that wasmonce in this isekai.

    So, with this as his utmost priority, Xzavier had little or no time to worry about helping the sassy youngdy further down the delinquent path of truancy.

    Because the old man''s eyes had been so focused on his truant student, he had somehow managed to miss Xzavier''s presence. So, when he finally averted his gaze from Earlene, he stared aghast at Xzavier, wondering which hole he had crawled out from.

 Chapter 79 Laddie

    The ever perceptive Adalia saw that the old man had begun to stare at Xzavier inquisitively, she immediately moved to make the necessary introductions.

    "Forgive myck of manners¡­" she apologized to both men.

    "Xzavier, this is Sir Laddie, the senior mage here and a world ss, renowned mage. He was recruited specially by the governor to tutor his son and daughter in the ways of the craft."

    She then turned to the old mage and did likewise;

    "Sir Laddie, the young man standing before you is Mister Xzavier. He is the hero who is solely responsible for elimination of the orc''s leader. He also single handedly dispersed the colony of orcs that were subject to the chief orc."

    Laddie was a man who had seen a lot in his lifetime. He had seen thieves, he had seen power hungry men, he had seen powerful mages of different proportions, and also, he had seen his fair share of fraudsters, liars and deceitful men who breathed lies just as easily as they breathed air.

    As the old man looked at Xzavier, he looked at him through the filter of his own many experiences with different men over the years. Unfortunately for Xzavier, in the old man''s mind, Xzavier seemed to tick all the boxes that were indicators of the fact that he was indeed a fraud.

    Thus, unable to rise above his own limitations that had been brought on as a result of his own experiences, doubt clouded the old man''s heart, poisoning his objectivity, mudding his perception of the young man who stood before him, and stripping him of his straight forward vision. Though the old man didn''t show it on the surface, much like Dale before him, he was very much doubtful of Xzavier''s capabilities.

    But the old man wisely chose decorum over tant straightforwardness. He didn''t see any need to call out Xzavier as a fraud. It wasn''t his ce, and it definitely wasn''t his business either.

    "What you have aplished is astonishing. Thank you for bringing Earlene back here¡­"

    Earlene scowled in the background. Laddie rebuked her sternly and then returned his attention to Xzavier.

    "But right now, my students are supposed to be studying and practicing. So, if you don''t mind would kindly request that you recuse yourself for the mean time."

    The old man was pretty curt. And so far, he had been reasonable. But Xzavier had learned his lesson from his previous encounter with Dale. This time, he paid close attention to the old man, and as he rted with him, Xzavier could tell that the old man didn''t trust him at all. In fact, his politeness was just a front to get Xzavier to leave as soon as possible.

    Xzavier sighed inwardly. Having to show his powers every time someone second guessed him was mentally draining. The whole pattern was exhausting really. Especially because of the fact that it was repetitive, with very little variation or deviation from the previous experience.

    No doubt, it was annoying, but it was a necessary evil that Xzavier had to endure in his pursuit of his goal to gain the knowledge on how to master the magic of this time.

    In that situation, anyone with half a brain would have discerned that they were unwanted there, they would have immediately recused themselves considering just how antagonistic the atmosphere was. The old man''s aloofness was concealed by polite speech and unemotional words. Any sane thinking mind would have been able to detect this. But, this time, Xzavier had decided to leave behind anything that was considered normal.

    In that short period, he decided to be the mad one. If they thought he was uncultured, he was going to show them just how incognizant he could be of others feelings!

    He wasn''t a trouble maker or anything of the sort. It wasn''t consistent with his character as someone who did his best to stay out of any kind of trouble that can be avoided. But right now, he had seen a shortcut to his goal; the white bearded old man. Without even trying to look, Xzavier had found the perfect source, and the fastest route to learning magic. Laddie was just perfect for Xzavier. He was a venerated mage of high repute. And since he was a direct tutor of the governor''s kids, it was safe to say that he was also discrete.

    The old man ticked all the required boxes for Xzavier. This was pretty ironic because, in the other man''s mind, it was the exact opposite! Xzavier ticked none of the boxes in the older man''s books. This sh of interests looked like it was going to be the basis of another friction that would usher in a fresh new wave of drama. A willing student and a very reluctant teacher was never often the case. Most times, it was almost always the other way around. It was a dynamic that was both unusual and unlikely.

    So, instead of retreating to the background which had been relegated to him, Xzavier took a deep breath and stepped forward, almost in a challenging manner. Looking the old man squarely in the eye, Xzavier asked the question he was sure would provoke a conversation.

    "Forgive me for asking Master, but what exactly is your motive behind asking your student to manipte the water to revolt against the bucket?"

    The old man looked at Xzavier as if he had asked the dumbest question in the history of dumb questions. He managed to contain his emotions and answered without any vitriol.

    "Why would you, a person who possesses practically no mana be interested in this exercise?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier shrugged.

    "I''m just curious really. I figured no harm woulde from seeking out knowledge while I can. Regardless of any deterring factor, I will always seek out knowledge."

    The younger man was keenly trying to court the older man''s attention. As one who had been a student once, Xzavier knew that there was no quicker way to incur a teacher''s goodwill by appearing to thirst for knowledge.

    But the old man wasn''t easily seduced.

    "Your ambition is noble one. But I am afraid that without mana, there are some things that just can''t be properly taught and understood. You may gain the knowledge, but that would be it."

    He took a soft jab at Xzavier''s ego with his next statement;

    "It''s like trying to teach an ostrich how to fly¡­"

    Interrupting the old man''s train of thought, Earlene''s colorful personality chipped in eagerly;

    "Ostrich? More like a hippopotamus! There''s no hope for this one!"

    "QUIET!!" The old man thundered!

    After rebuking his truant student onest time, he turned back to Xzavier, hoping to continue his lecture. Surprisingly, Xzavier was no longer paying attention. His eyes had that faraway look in his eyes that strongly suggested that he was actually lost in thought. Wondering what had captured the young man''s attention in this manner, the old man followed his gaze and traced the source of his distraction.

    It turned out that Xzavier had been focused on the boy''s futile attempts to use the water to destroy the bucket. The old man saw the look of wonder and fascination in Xzavier''s eyes as he watched the young boy go at his task. In the background, Earlene was mumbling something about this being a waste of her time, however no one paid her any attention. The boy''s attention was on his bucket. Xzavier''s whole attention was on the boy, and the old man''s focus was on Xzavier.

    So, when Xzavier finally spoke up with the question that had been brewing in his mind, the old man wasn''t entirely surprised.

    "Is the boy''s ultimate aim to destroy the bucket using the water?"

    The old man didn''t like it, but he found himself getting impressed by the young stranger. Despite the fact that he had no mana, his deduction on the exercise was spot on. Just as the old man opened his mouth to reply him, once again, the chatty, hopelessly loquacious Earlene beat him to the chase.

    Her loud voice rose above the regr conversation volume and rang through the courtyard.

    "Of course that''s the whole point! Are you blind? What sort of baseless question is that?!"

    Earlene was frustrated by the fact that she was constantly failing at the task that had been set before her. So, she found an easy target in Xzavier, and continued to bash him at any chance she got.

    This gambit was starting to get old, so because he was getting bored of the whole thing, Xzavier stopped paying her any kind of attention whatsoever. He began to ignore so hard that she started to doubt her own existence. He continued his dialogue with the old man.

    "Well, I don''t think that is expedient at all¡­"

    He saw the questioning look on the old man''s face and immediately reiterated his initial statement, but in a more simple and defining lingo.

    "I mean, it''s not necessary to use magic destroy the bucket, I easily aplish that using a specific set of tools."

 Chapter 80 Capability

    Xzavier might have easily said he could stop make it rain. It wasn''t just what he had said, it was the suave confidence that followed his words, like it was nothing to him. As if he could easily do it with his eyes closed and without breaking a sweat. His words rang through the courtyard like with the sphemous speed of a bad report or a profane speech. Even the sound of the water rushing in the background from the fountain seemed to have stopped.

    The shock was quickly reced by a sweeping tide of unbelief. That was the sequence of emotional reactions to Xzavier''s im, at least for Earlene and her brother. However, the white bearded old man''s reaction was quite different. A cloud of anger crept across the senior mage''s face. The old man was annoyed for several reasons. He was riled because Xzavier had so casually set magic aside, despite the fact the fact that he had no mana at all! He was annoyed because Xzavier had so openly castigated his method of teaching, and in the presence of his students!

    Blood shot to his head, filling him with rage and disgust at the impudence of the young stranger. At this point, even the talkative Earlene was stunned. It was rare to see her lost for words. Her busy eyes were busy calcting the odds of Xzavier''s assertion being true. If indeed what Xzavier said was correct, then she never had to waste this much time trying to use mana! Her face was brightened with the hope of the fact that in the near future, she wouldn''t have to do this anymore!

    Even Earlene''s brother, who all this time had been assiduously practicing his water magic, stopped practicing when Xzavier''s bombshell dropped. It was like his eyes had been opened to a new world filled with hidden secrets. If there was a way to skip this arduous process, he was more than willing to take it! So, he looked to Xzavier anxiously, waiting for him to spill the beans.

    Just as he had suspected, Xzavier had managed to infect his entire students'' minds with this unrealistic ideology and empty boasting. In one moment, Xzavier hadpletely undone what the old man had been trying to build for years! It irked him that none of his students, not even one of them had even turned to him for guidance, or at least, to even ask if what Xzavier had just said was possible! They simply opened their eyes and ears like a bunch of goldfish and gobbled it all up!

    The senior mage''s eyes boiled deep in his sockets. If was his principle of strict-adherence to proper manners that prevented him from cursing out Xzavier in the vilest way possible. If Xzavier hadn''t been a valued and celebrated guest of the city and of the governor, the old man would have used the same magic (which Xzavier had so casually looked down on) to sweep him off his feet.

    Livid with fury, the old man bit down on his tongue. Etiquette could be a suppressing prison sometimes! Seeing that he was bound by principle, and therefore couldn''t properly vent his anger on Xzavier, he turned his wrath on Adalia and red at her with all the suppressed venom in his being.

    Adalia was no fool. She had lived long enough with this people to know and understand their natures. So, when the old man finally turned to face her in his great wrath, she instantly understood the message in his eyes without the old man having to speak his truth.

    "Where this you get this scum from?" his eyes seemed to say.

    He tightened his face in a grimace in a way that clearly told her to get rid of this liar immediately!

    Completely in sync with the old man''s secret message, Adalia began to work up the nerve to tell her truth.

    "Master Laddie¡­" she began in a respectful tone.

    "I realize that Xzavier''s assertions might seem a bit overbearing, but I am a living testimony of his skills..." she coughed and added in a low tone;

    "however unconventional they may be."

    Before anyone could get hung up on the wrong details, she continued with her original narrative;

    "So, believe me sir, if Xzavier says he can do it, he most definitely can do it. The least we can do is to at least give him a chance to prove himself by doing exactly what he says he can do."

    Her words fell on the old man''s ears like early morning dew on a parchednd. The senior mage knew all his students well. He took great pride in knowing them well enough to predict their every move. Even though Adalia wasn''t officially his student, she was attached to Earlene, and consequently, she had spent a lot of time with the old man as he tutored them. In this period, the old man came to know Adalia as a sincere and honest soul who spoke the truth with no guile in her heart.

    So, hearing her openly vouch for this seemingly dubious young man made the old man take a step back to reevaluate his own suppositions concerning the young man. It had been a long time since he had second guessed himself. And yet, he just couldn''t see how an ordinary man (who hadn''t even he slightest trace of mana) could destroy a sturdy bucket of water without using magic.<novelnext></novelnext>

    These shing thoughts chased each other around in the old man''s head, pressing against his frontal lobe giving him the kind of headache that was born from serious deliberation. The two sides of the argument couldn''t bnce on the scales of logic. Adalia wasn''t a liar, but at the same time, the old man knew that due to Xzavier''sck of mana, it would be practically impossible to obliterate a sturdy bucket that was filled with magic.

    The boy who had been practicing his own water magic stopped everything he had been doing and now faced Xzavier fully. His face was now a haven for doubts. He kept his gaze fixated on Xzavier, expecting some kind of miracle to happen.

    As if the table wasn''t full enough, as if the atmosphere wasn''t tense enough, the two powerful men whom Xzavier had kept waiting stepped into the scene. The governor''s presence seemed to alter the mood of the courtyard. Behind him followed the Silver Knight Dale.

    Both men glided across the courtyard towards Xzavier and the rest with a solemn expression on both their faces. They had spent several minutes scouring the grounds of the estate for Xzavier, during that period, the governor began to suspect that Dale might have been hallucinating or delirious when he said that he had the hero of the orc fiesta on ground.

    They had sent servants everywhere, to look for Xzavier. Coincidentally, the governor decided to use the opportunity to check in on his kids to see how well their tutoring was going. And to his great surprise, just a few meters to the courtyard, Dale picked up the echo of Xzavier''s voiceing from that direction. When Dale heard the cold familiar voice of the stranger, he alerted the governor excitedly.

    "Governor! He''s here!"

    Expecting to see him behind them, Governor Quaid turned around abruptly.

    "Where?!"

    He cried as he scanned the immediate environment with searching eyes. With the way Dale had called his attention, the governor had assumed that Xzavier had appeared out of thin air like one of those mysterious mages who had the ability teleport.

    Dale dealt him a report that was both disappointing and at the same time ting.

    "Up ahead! He seems to be in that direction!"

    The governor and the Silver Knight hurried towards that direction, eager to finally catch up with the elusive Xzavier. As they approached, the heard the echo of Xzavier''s conversation with the old man. The governor looked at Dale with shocking disbelief when he heard Xzavier''s bold assertion,

    This was how they came to be present with Xzavier and the others at this point.

    When Xzavier saw Daleing with another middle aged man, he immediately guessed that the other man was the governor. It was in the way Dale huddled behind him, and the long, confident, purposeful strides of the governor. Also, the resemnce between the man and Earlene was clear. So, with all of this factors, Xzavier came to the logical conclusion that this was the governor indeed.

    Even as Xzavier came to realize this, he was retained a calmness that was both shocking and unnerving. Anyone would expect amoner to be jittery in the presence of a powerful figure such as the governor. Again, Xzavier shocked everyone in this regard. In fact, Xzavier''s reaction was the pr opposite. He seemed to be a bit relieved that the governor and Dale had chosen that very moment to appear.

    It wasn''t because he was doubtful of his own capability. No, far from it.

 Chapter 81 Hidden Technique

    Xzavier was grateful for the advent of both men because they had saved him from the arduous task of having to exin himself on how he was able to use such a great power without having to actually rely on magic.

    At this point, just about every single one was hooked on the prospect of Xzavier''s mysterious power. True entertainment was scarce in those days, so the mere thought of bearing witness to such an exotic disy of power filled both the student, the Civil servant, the governor and the top rated senior mage with an anxiety that was more primitive than logical. Up until this moment, they had all led pretty boring lives¡­

    The governor most especially was itching for the stranger''s disy. After months on end of having tob through stacks and stacks of incredibly BORING paper work, the governor was ripe for any kind of entertainment. He craved it more than anyone present in that group. Earlene also had her reasons, though they were basically ostentatious and borderline selfish, to her, they were valid reasons.

    The white bearded old man, the cunning Silver Knight, and of course, the little boy kept their entire attention fixated on Xzavier. Xzavier was the star of show, and he knew that he had the power to do whatever he wanted. No one was more nervous than Adalia. Even though she had seen Xzavier''s dexterity with killing machines, she was still very much in the dark as to just his Xzavier intended to go about destroying an entire bucket of water without actually touching it.

    Adalia hadplete faith in Xzavier, but even she who had seen his work up close, was still looking forward to seeing his performance.

    With about six different pairs of eyes fixated on him at once, Xzavier could almost taste the varying degrees of doubt and hope in their eyes. It was like walking through a valley under the watchful gaze of an extraterrestrial entity. The atmosphere was thick and heavy with tension.

    Taking full advantage of the attention that was now riveted on him, Xzavier assumed the air of one who had something important to announce. He cleared his throat dramatically. Thoroughly enjoying the scene, he began ambiguously;

    "Fine, I will show you this hidden technique. But first¡­" he shot his left hand up in the air,

    "I must warn you! This is a very peculiar technique that has been passed down in my family, from the custodians of our culture to generations unborn."

    He paused for a minute before continuing his gripping narration.

    "So, I implore you all, please keep this as a well guarded secret! Outside of my family, you all are the first generation of humans to witness this."

    Xzavier was beginning to understand that he had to y hardball with these people in order to get what he wanted. It wasn''tpletely their fault, their lives were so simple and devoid of any kind of drama, hence they were the perfect mark for such hogwash. This was just the type of thing that they would just gobble up.

    Xzavier wasn''t the type that enjoyed deceiving them, but it was because he was exhausted of the whole repetitive cycle of having to exin to people why he was so powerful without having any kind of magic whatsoever. It was a really tiresome pattern, and for the first time, he had taken a slightly different approach to the handling of this matter. He just couldn''t them that the answer wasdy science, that answer was sure to open doors for even more questions and probing.

    Xzavier''s ace in the hole was science. Science and a little bit of applied technology were the very keys that Xzavier was nning on using to baffle the small crowd who looked up to him like a bunch of spectators at a circus show. Fascination, delightful amusement, with a subtle hint of doubt whichunched incessant attacks on the growing seeds of hope.

    Because his n was simply to use some basic scientific techniques to create an illusion of a powerful magical spell, Xzavier had to make it shy because to this crowd, magic wasn''t exactly a big deal. Indeed it was moremon than the oxygen which they breathed in day and night. But on the other hand, in this Isekai, advanced science was scarcer than pretty gemstones.

    In this case, the scientific backwardness of this isekai proved to be very rewarding for Xzavier. So, even if he performed the most basic form of scientific experiments, he could easily pass it off as a magic trick. This deception was going to be paramount for Xzavier. This way, he didn''t have to indulge the endless questions.

    Amongst the members of the group, asides from Adalia, Dale was the only one who had tangoed with Xzavier, both physically and psychologically (and on some level, spiritually). So, consequently, he never took for granted anything that came out of Xzavier''s mouth. He expected a kind of fall out from such a demonstration, so he prudently called out to Xzavier to pause;

    "Hold on a minute Xzavier!" he cried.

    Not expecting this, Xzavier looked at Dale questioning, wondering what exactly the Silver Knight was up to.

    But Xzavier''s reaction was pretty mildpared to the others. Almost immediately, like a pack of wolves whose kill had been interrupted, every pair of eyes, (including the governors) turned angrily to face Dale in a coordinated wrathful rage. Surprised by the reaction, Dale immediately moved to defend himself.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I''m not saying that you shouldn''t proceed. But Governor, I believe safety should be paramount at this moment¡­

    "Are you in anyway insinuating that there could be a security problem? Speak up!"

    "Au contraire! I am simply pointing out the fact that we are in uncharted waters here..."

    Both Dale and the governor were at the vanguard of the small gathering. So, the dialog between them wasn''t publicly heard.

    "Dale!" the governor snapped! "You''d better get to your point fast! You''re walking on thin ice here!"

    "Forgive me governor. Permit me to carry out one simple task!"

    Obviously irritated, the governor waved him off and sent him away to aplish that which he intended to do.

    In truth, Dale''s n was to use the servants to seal off the mansion and estate. He stealthily gave orders to the servants to not allow anyone into the estate at this hour. Of course, the order was received with the utmost priority. Servants carefully secured the grounds on Dale''s order, making sure not to spook anyone or signify that they were on guard. All the servants left, except Adalia.

    So, having purged all the external elements and unnecessary personnel from the location, only Adalia, Earlene, her younger brother, the senior mage Laddie, Silver Knight Dale, and Governor Quaid remained in the courtyard.

    Seeing just how prudent Dale''s decision to remove all the unnecessary elements was, Governor Quaid moved to take the glory.

    "My dear boy," he was addressing Xzavier now.

    "You''ve made it clear that this is to be a secret, so, I''ve taken it upon myself to get rid of every loose end that could be a potential saboteur in the future. Your family''s secrets are safe."

    To further enhance the illusion he was actively creating, Xzavier took another moment in silence. When he finally spoke up, he had the semnce of one who was in a trance. His body movements looked automated, he had a faraway look in his eye and a solemn look on his face. His voice barely above a whisper, he called on the first person who had a role to y.

    "Master Laddie...kindly get me a hollowed out log of wood that resembles a pir. It should be at least several dozen feet long."

    Laddie''s logical mind began to turn itself inside out as it struggled to figure out Xzavier''s n. But his guess was as good as the others who came up short as well. So, Laddie proceeded to obtain the required object.

    The senior mage stretched out his hand and with the impressively powerful magic of a top mage, he summoned a sweet piece of sturdy long bamboo. There were no gasps or cries of surprise in the background. They were all citizens of Victoria City, a city where magic wasmonce. A basic summoning of this nature was nothing to them. They had all seen worse, and better.

    The bamboo stick wasn''t yet refined to Xzavier''s particr specs. So, the old man used magic once again to customize the stick into the very picture of what Xzavier had requested for.

    With the whole group watching closely, Laddie handed the bamboo stick, over to Xzavier, and waited for further instructions. Everyone looked hard at the ordinary looking bamboo stick, trying their best to dream up one of the several ways that Xzavier could use it in this situation.

    Xzavier gingerly examined it thoroughly till he was satisfied with the senior mage''s work. Finally, he moved forward with his n.

 Chapter 82 Need Your Help

    With all eyes on him watching his every move like a hawk, Xzavier spoke addressed Laddie again in the same auspicious tone as before;

    "Now carefully insert the hollowed out bamboo pole into the bucket, and make sure the two adjoining points are closed¡­"

    Laddie was still baffled, there was still not a single trace of mana, and yet, Xzavier was confidently putting things in ce for his ''mysterious family power'' to be disyed. Moved by nothing but sheer curiosity, Laddie edged his way towards the bucket and inserted the stick into it. The adjoining part between the two sides, he kept closed.

    The atmosphere was even denser than before. The fact that this was supposed to be a secret further enhanced the already ominous atmosphere, giving off a general aura of the forbidden. It was both intoxicating and a little frightening. Despite their individual reservations, every single of them was thrilled to be a part of something as wholesome as this. By all appearances, it was a simple gathering with mostly ordinary people. But Xzavier''s showmanship had given it a different element. It was almost like he had given them a unique window into a strange world.

    They gawked at his every move with theser-sharp like focus of an eagle. Indeed, it felt more like a ritual in a secret society than a mere disy of power.

    Laddie was Xzavier''s instrument of the hour. Each time Xzavier asked him to do something, the old man could feel the overbearing weight of all the eyes fixated on him, anxiously watching his every move, waiting like a brood of vipers sitting in the darkness as they waited for their prey.

    Laddie wasn''t a youth anymore. In fact, he dwarfed everyone when it came to age, experience and understanding. But somehow, in that moment, he felt so little. Almost as if he was back in the school of the mages, seated like an ordinary school boy in the ss and surrounded by his mates.

    "Could this be some sort of psychic maniption?" the old man wondered to himself.

    "But that would be impossible! There isn''t any evidence of mana being used at this point!" he thought.

    "So then, what exactly is this?!"

    With advanced years came experience. And from this experience, knowledge and deep understanding. And from this wealth of knowledge, a certain confidence is born. A confidence that is stemmed from the fact that no matter what may arise, the wealth of knowledge and experience stored up could handle it.

    For an entity like Laddie who was a top mage, his mental knowledge bank was asrge as a cathedral. In his quest for power, and in his desire to advance further as a powerful mage, Laddie had digested a decent amount of knowledge. As he advanced in years, he began to discover that there were very few things that could shock him any more. This was the basis of his confidence. And yet, since he met this strange young man, all he had ever been was shocked, surprised and mesmerized.

    No matter how much the old man tried, he just couldn''t seem to fully grasp the mental and spiritual state of the stranger, the same stranger who had killed the chief orc all on his own. A task that no one ever thought was possible, talk less of daring to try it out.

    Even now, Laddie didn''t know exactly what Xzavier nned for the next moment. But all the same, he was more than willing to find out. So, with about a million different linking thoughts rushing through his mind at that point, Laddie suppressed his own gnawing desire to know, and decided to act out Xzavier''s instructions.

    After all, he had nothing to lose by indulging the young man. If he was a fraud, sooner orter he would be exposed. However, with every passing moment, the likelihood of that being the oue diminished more and more.

    Despite the traffic in his own mind, Laddie found himself moving to do what Xzavier had asked. The old man lifted up his arms that were hidden in the sleeves of his long robe, and pointed two of his forefingers (on each hand) at the lid of the bucket. Like an industrial high energyser beam drilling a hole into an object, an invisible force drilled a neat hole through the bucket lid. Having created the ideal opening using very efficient magic, Kadin inserted the bamboo pole into the bucket through this small hole. Then, he used sealing magic to close up the connection, leaving only a pathway for water to enter the top part of the bamboo pole.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Now the bamboo pole was several feet long. So, it was practically impossible for Xzavier to reach the top. So, his quick searched the surrounding area for anything he could use to boost his height. His darting eyes soon fell on a table sitting idly in the corner. Without wasting any further time, Xzavier dashed towards it and dragged it towards the bucket. Next, hopped on it and looked towards the top of the bamboo pole. Unfortunately, the altitude the table gave him wasn''t enough, not nearly. He still had a very good distance to cover.

    Faced with this obstacle, Xzavier looked down at the group. Their eyes stared longingly at him, reflecting their inner anxiety. Xzavier called on Adalia who was right next to him.

    "Adalia, could youe up here please? I need your help."

    Though Dale didn''t voice it out, he thought that Xzavier was indeed a really strange fellow. The Silver Knight couldn''t understand why anyone would add ''please'' to a mere servant when requesting for their services. This further strengthened the theory that Xzavier must really be from a ce that was so remote, and so far away from civilization. Dale kept his reservation to himself and continued to watch Xzavier closely.

    The Silver Knight wasn''tpletely aware of what Xzavier and Adalia had together. He didn''t know, and he could not understand it, because he wasn''t there. When Xzavier saved Adalia from being devoured by a band of aroused orcs, an invisible cord of friendship bound both of them and sealed their fates. So, in their case, it wasn''t just the typical hero-damsel dynamic, they were true friends who saw something decent in each other. Of course, someone as shallow as the Silver Knight wouldn''t understand.

    So, when Adalia heard Xzavier''s call, she promptly responded. As she climbed the table, she was filled with a kind of pride that came from being chosen by Xzavier to help with such a delicate matter. When Xzavier called on her to help him, Adalia wasn''t sure what he needed her to do.

    Once again, Xzavier lived up to his reputation as the one who always shocked people. Without even saying a word or giving her a heads up, Xzavier suddenly picked Adalia up and mounted her on his shoulders as if she was a baby. Adalia was taken unawares and blushed red when she felt Xzavier''s strong arms on her hips. But when he jerked her up and ced her on his shoulders in one full swing, Adalia screamed in shock.

    She only stopped screaming when Xzavier bnced her well on his broad shoulders. Adalia was embarrassed to helplessness. As she sat on Xzavier''s shoulders, overlooking the astonished faces of the others below, she recoiled inwardly with a sense of shyness. She wished Xzavier had told her ahead of time that this was what he wanted from her. No doubt, she wouldn''t have said no to him, but at least she would have been prepared.

    Adalia was still trembling all over and shaking like a fish that had been dragged out of water and ced on drynd. Xzavier''sforting voice came to her, assuaging her fears;

    "Rx okay. I''ve got you."

    It was going to take a whole lot thanforting words to get her to calm down. It took a while before Adalia settled down. Xzavier''s firm and reassuring hands on her torso did the trick. Sensing that she was a bit more rxed now, Xzavier let go of her torso and bent to pick up adle of water. Not wanting to fall, Adalia gripped Xzavier''s hair so tightly that veins popped out on his head.

    He then handed her thedle saying;

    "Take thisdle and pour down the water into the bamboo pole. Make sure every drop of water goes down the lid into open part."

    Adalia''s head had been tilted downwards throughout the period she had been mounted on Xzavier''s back. So she hadn''t even noticed that she was way above the bamboo pole. So, she wouldn''t have any issues whatsoever with the task Xzavier had assigned to her. Instinctively, she looked towards the direction of her boss who was the governor.

    The governor''s hawk-like eyes had been following her every movement. So, when their eyes met, he gave the servant girl his go ahead by nodding his head in approval.

 Chapter 83 Blast Out

    That was all she needed. After receiving the governor''s endorsing signal, Adalia carefully lifted thedle to the tip of the pole. She could feel everyone staring at her, so after she took a deep breath, she slowly poured down the water down the throat of the bamboo pole.

    A thick mist of anxiety saturated the open space. Every single one watched with eager eyes, and nervous minds as the water trickled down thedle into the pole. There was no telling what would happen next. Their minds struggled to keep up with the plot, eagerly anticipating what would happen next.

    In ordance with the increasing volume of water, the pitch rose as well, signaling that the water inside the bamboo pole was about to overflow. Adalia''s sensitive ears picked this up since she was the closest person to the experiment. She didn''t know what she was supposed to do at this point, so, she simply kept pouring. Unknown to the poor clueless girl, she was about to receive the shock of her life.

    With the time of the plot twist drawing close, the doors of expectation began to open wider and wider in the minds of everyone present. The entire room seemed to hold their breath as they waited for even the slightest sign of what was toe. They were not disappointed.

    What they were waiting for finally came. There was no sign, there was not even the tiniest indication of what was toe. In spite of the fact that they were all aware that something superficial and magnanimous was about to happen, they were still takenpletely unawares.

    With the chilling suddenness of a natural disaster, and with the cold stealth of nature''s slickest predators, the result of Xzavier''s disy crept up on them. Just as the water level in the bamboo pole was about to overflow, the bucket burst open! Shattered in several irreparable pieces, the way and manner with which the bucket had burst open had the likeness of a detonating atomic bomb, but on a much smaller scale.

    Being the closet one to the carnage, and being the one whose heart was the most fixated on Xzavier''s disy of power, Adalia very nearly had a heart attack when the bucket exploded suddenly, and without warning. She remembered the way Xzavier hadunched simr explosions in their battle against the orcs. This PTSD from that sight further augmented her fear. So, without even knowing it, her mouth opened, and from the depth of her soul, she screamed out in fright! She almost doubled over in panic if not for Xzavier''s sturdy hands gripping her tightly on her waist.

    The others weren''t left out. They all had their share of the cake that was shock. Everyone felt the same equal amount of terror and surprise, but outwardly, it seemed like some were more shocked than others. Dale and Laddie who had been the chief doubters, found their hopes of Xzavier''s failure dashed to pieces along with the obliterated, sturdy bucket. stered on their faces was the type of look of surprise that one only got to see once in a lifetime. They were well and truly bbergasted. There was no hiding it.

    Within them, the insides churned as a result of the internal conflict raging within them as they were forced to admit that they had been wrong. For cocky, self-confident men like them who had never known doubt, defeat or loss, all their adult lives, this was a teachable moment for them. It was a lesson that life truly had more to offer, and most times, it almost alwayses through mediums that one would never suspect.

    The rest of them including the governor and his daughter drank in the scene with a mixture of shock, and a giddiness that was born from having witnessed a thrilling scene. As the novelty of the surprise slowly dissipated, the hungry look in their eyes suggested that they wanted more!

    They thought that what Adalia had just done was a mere teaser of what was toe! They thought that Xzavier would step in at thest moment with some powerful disy of power and dazzle them all with the finishing move.

    While the others dealt with their individual reactions, Laddie pored over every single detail of Xzavier''s performance, from the beginning, up till the very moment when it had manifested. At the end of the old man''s analysis, he was still shocked to the bones!

    Magic was his specialty, and yet, there hadn''t been a single shred of magic involved in the process. If there was, he would have detected it. No matter how the old man tried to look at it, he found himself getting more and more bedazzled by the second! To do this without even using a little bit of magic would be practically impossible. It was truly an outstanding feat.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Another thing Laddie noticed was how Xzavier had cunningly remained aloof from his own performance. It was a clever move on his own end to remove every suspicions of foul y. Laddie was the one who had brought up the bamboo pole using magic, so its credibility couldn''t be questioned. It was also the same Laddie who had had stuck it down the bucket using his own hands! Looking back now, the old man realized that Xzavier hadn''t even done a single thing!

    Adalia was thest piece of the puzzle. The old man tried to find an opening there, but that also proved to be a real bust. If Xzavier had poured the water himself, the old man would have suspected that he had maybe tampered with the water by leaving traces of magic there. But it was Adalia who had been the instrument of the hour.

    He knew that the young girl well enough to know that she knew very little about magic. In fact, she possessed very little affinity for the craft. Also, the old man could vouch that the servant girl wouldn''t do anything topromise her position in the Governor''s household by aiding and abetting a stranger to defraud her employer.

    Laddie was bewildered. No matter how he tried to look at it, he couldn''t point a finger at any loop hole, especially since he himself had contributed to over fifty percent of the whole performance. So, unwillingly, he had been a willing participant in lending credence to the authenticity of Xzavier''s performance. When the story of what had happened here would be recounted in the future, people would say ''The senior mage himself had provided the materials, so it has got to be legit.''

    It dawned on Laddie that Xzavier had used him, and in the most subtle way. It was a cold, calcted move. And because he had been clouded by his own doubts, he hadn''t been able to see iting. No doubt, the old man knew that this was all far from being a coincidence. In fact it was a well scripted performance that had been executed deftly, leaving absolutely no room for doubt and no holes in the plot.

    Utterly outmaneuvered, the old man resigned to the fact that there was absolutely nothing he could disprove. He once again sighed inwardly, Xzavier had proven to be a forward thinker. This entire thing had altered his scope of the world. At his advanced age, he didn''t think this was even possible. This disturbed him greatly, and belittled his seemingly profound wisdom.

    Of the entire group, the quickest mind to regain itsposure was that of the Governor''s. This was due to so many reasons, but it was mainly because he was a politician. And even from the dawn of time, from the the earliest civilizations, to the time of the Roman who initiated and perfected the parliaments system, politics has always demanded a certain level of guile and emotional maniption.

    So, for an experienced politician like the governor who was adept at masking his true emotions, hiding his true feelings was second nature to him. Despite the fact he was shocked to the same degree and on the same level as Laddie,, he still somehow managed to keep his reactions in check. Of course, much like everyone else, he was astounded, but he didn''t let it show too much. In fact, he was the only one who remained objectively sane about the performance. While the others were still swimming in the pool of shock and disbelief, the calm, but authoritative voice of the governor came, breaking the spell of silence.

    "Xzavier, is there anyone else who has the ability to destroy the bucket in this same manner?"

    Xzavier wasn''t quick to answer. But eventually, he nodded in affirmation, further uplifting the governor''s spirits.

    The governor, with his face frozen in a mask of serene calm, he coolly nodded back at Xzavier, as if he would have been indifferent about it if she answer had been different from what he had been expecting. He lifted his head towards Adalia who for some odd reason, was very much still on top of Xzavier''s shoulders.

 Chapter 84 Cadence

    The governor ignored the awkwardness of the whole scene and spoke with in a tranquil tone;

    "Adalia, you will see to it that someone arranges a decent lodging for Xzavier, he will be staying with us for a few days. Make sure it is suitable for a temporary arrangement. At least, till he is fixed up in. A more permanent residence."

    .Xzavier took in the information as thought it was amusing just how presumptuous it was of the governor to make arrangements for his amodation, without even consulting or bothering to ask if it was okay. Of course Xzavier had no other ns whatsoever. But still, it would have been nice to ask. He felt like a piece of meat with the way the governor had overlooked him, even though he was standing right there!

    Adalia received the order, and began her awkward descent down from Xzavier''s shoulders to the ground. It was a bit tricky for her because she wasn''t the athletic type. Even when she touched down on the ground. Her face was still red with shame. It didn''t help that Xzavier was the one who facilitated her descent by carrying her like a baby who weighed nothing more than three bowls of rice on a tray.

    Still blushing very hard, and unable to look Xzavier squarely in the face, the beautiful, blonde servant girl led Xzavier out of that ce with her cheeks bursting with the color red.

    The shrewd Knight had also recovered from the shock of what he had witnessed and had already begun another round of shrewd analysis. Dale was aware of the process it usually takes for the approval of a guest to stay in governor''s quarters. But he kept his doubts to himself. He knew that the governor, as Lord of this region, had other arrangements. Dale tingled with excitement like a little boy who had chanced on a serious plot. The diabolic Knight couldn''t wait to see what the governor had in store for Xzavier.

    It turned out that Dale''s suspicions were well founded. His eyes followed the governor''s every move, and just as he had suspected, something sinister urred right there.

    The maniptive Quaid didn''t utter a single word, but the high handed look he gave Laddie was heavy with hidden meaning. Obviously, the old man caught on to what the governor had been trying to imply with his wordless message. Immediately, Kadin bent down to salute. Dale recognized that salute. It was one he had seen one too many times. It was a salute reaffirming his loyalty. It was salute that said that he was never going spill what happened there that day.

    The governor had truly mastered his poker face. While the shifty governor retained a look of dead calm on the surface, beneath the coldposed mask he was wearing, Quaid was trembling with excitement. His hands were always hidden in his robes for a reason. It wasn''t because he liked to appear in that way, it was because he hated having anyone see his fingers trembling in excitement like they were now.

    What Quaid had witnessed here today was the best and most interesting thing to have happened to him all year. The governor didn''t rise to the position of power by missing out on life changing opportunities. In fact, one of the traits that made him the governor, was the chilling ability to see potential. He could see what no one else could see. And even if anyone else did manage to somehow see what he saw, they wouldn''t be able to act on it. At least, not in the way he would.

    The one in the background, the only soul that hadn''t uttered a single word all through the performance, watched with soft dark eyes as the whole scene unfolded. He was a character unlike the rest. His name was Cadence, and he was the son of the Governor of the state capital.

    Cadence was a unique child. Unlike most children with powerful political figures as parents, Cadence didn''t allow his background to rob him of the lessons and benefit of hard work. His life was one of sacrifice and studying. This was very umon at the time. Almost all the politician''s kids his age were yboys. They lived lives of luxury, which in turn opened the doors of dissipation, and flooded their lives with questionable vices.

    But Cadence, not allowing himself to be encumbered by the benefits of his privileged status, gave himself to studiousness. He practically devoured literary piece he could find. Magic just happened to be one of his many interests. In addition to his academic life, Cadence didn''t neglect his moral life as well. His pursuit of excellence reflected in all areas of his life. He was a loyal son who abided by his father''s teachings and statutes. To crown it all, he was also a very humble boy.

    Though he was very young, the governor''s son had already developed a sound philosophy of life that was grounded in sound moral principles, as well as codes that had been indoctrinated into him by his father. From Cadence''s perspective, he saw that the rules that make the world go round were questionable. His young mind saw that they were not fool-proof.

    Because he was close to the center of authority of a major metropolis, he saw first-hand that these universal rules appeared to be a bit deficient in the areas of politics and magic. He had been brooding on this for a while. He never bothered to voice his concerns and ambivalence to anyone, because he knew that there was no deep thinker around who would understand him. And even if there was such a mind, they would have been corrupted a long time ago by the scourge of life''s unfairness.

    But today, Cadence had chanced on something of a life changing experience. Indeed, it had been unexpected, but he didn''t believe for a second that it was pure coincidence that he ran into this mysterious man whom Adalia and the rest referred to as ''Xzavier.''<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Xzavier," Cadence repeated the name again in his head.

    "Even the name sounds cool, and invokes mystery¡­"

    In Cadence''s mind, Xzavier was much more than just a mysterious stranger. He was the clear manifestation and the answer to the nagging question that had been tugging at the creases of his mind. Yes, this was a man to whom the rules didn''t apply to. This was a man who could break the rules.

    He was d that he got to witness this. The fact that his father hadn''t asked him to leave showed that the governor hadplete faith in his son. Not just in the area of keeping secrets, but in his ability to judge for himself, without the influence of outsiders and external forces.

    When the small gathering began to disperse, Laddie walked over to his students with a stern expression on his face. All through the time that both Earlene and Cadence had known him, the old man always had a facial expression that gave off the aura of pure seriousness. They didn''t think it was possible to see their tutor even more serious than he usually was.

    But Laddie surprised them by showing that there was an even higher degree of seriousness that they were yet to see. In a particrly deep croaky voice, Laddie charged his students saying;

    "Listen up both of you! What you''ve seen here today has to be kept a secret. Is that clear?"

    There was no reply.

    The old man added more ir to his speech and charged them again.

    "Snap out of it! Servants were sent out for this! This is a very serious issue. You cannot tell anyone about this!"

    The old man reiterated his warning again.

    "TELL ABSOLUTELY NOBODY!!!"

    Though Earlene and Cadence were physically present, they might have as well been somewhere else at the same time. Unlike the governor, and Dale and Laddie (who were matured enough to get over something like this), both siblings were still trying to process what they had just seen. It waspletely their fault. They had grown up in a world where magic was everything. They had had spent weeks, months, and the early formative years of their lives studying and practicing to be better mages, and ultimately, more powerful people.

    So, when Xzavier sessfully pulled the stunt of the century, he systematically destroyed the very foundation of all their belief system. He had done the impossible! And both Cadence and Earlene, (young ones with very impressionable minds) were busying thinking what other possible wonders that awaited them in the real world. Though Earlene didn''t realize it at the time, in her very vtile mind, deep in her subconscious, the seeds of rebellion had been sown.

    So, when the old man stood before them, speaking in a somber tone and with his face contorted in a tight grimace, in the mind''s eye of the teenagers, they only saw a white bearded figure standing with its mouth opening and closing, and gesticting with its hands in an extremely funny way.

 Chapter 85 The Biggest Issue

    Not a word of his warning was being retained by the children of the governor. Though his voice was audible to the two siblings, they weren''t listening at all. In fact, they were miles away from their bodies, busy day dreaming and reying Xzavier''s miraculous performance in their heads.

    So, like a bunch of automatons, or a bunch of ventriloquist dolls, they both nodded absentmindedly in response to his warnings. It was the best way to get him off their backs and stop him from clobbering them with his ominous admonitions and apocalyptic warnings.

    Laddie was no fool, he saw and recognized the faraway looks in their eyes and knew that his words were actively falling on deaf ears. It wasn''t their fault really. Even he himself already found himself getting endeared to the strange man. It had happened so suddenly. Like the proverbial dragon that had fought against gravity and stealthily made its way to the moon, Xzavier had gradually made a ce for himself in the old man''s heart.

    Though, even if a knife were to be put at his throat, even at the point of death, the senior mage would never acknowledge this openly. But deep down, between him and heaven, the old man worshipped Xzavier from the bottom of his heart. Unfortunately, he couldn''t afford to allow his admiration for Xzavier to stand in the way of him performing his duties. The kids had to be warned.

    So, Laddie tightened his already serious face and stepped forward menacingly towards the boy and the girl.

    "I don''t think you''re listening to me¡­!" the white bearded man didn''t realize just how right he was about that statement.

    "This is not a joke! What happened here today is now a state secret! So if any of you breathe a word of this to anyone, you will be prosecuted as traitors!"

    Of course thatst part was a bit over the top, but he had to exaggerate to get them both toply. There was no way the children of the governor would be allowed to be prosecuted for something as insignificant as bbering.

    But the two minors didn''t know that. The old man''sst threat woke them out of their slumber. Slowly, the light returned to their eyes. And as they gradually returned back to the present from the mental journey they had undertaken, a sullen look of worry clouded their face as they ruminated on the senior mage''sst warning. Of course neither of them wanted to go to jail.

    At first, Earlene, the sibling who naturally tended towards rebellion, flirted with the idea of being prosecuted and thought of how cool it would make her seem. But very quickly, she realized it wouldn''t be as morous as she thought it would be. Cadence didn''t need to be told twice.

    The old man recognized the familiar effect of a threat that had been well received, and rxed. He had driven his point home.

    "Now off to your quarters both of you!"

    They hurriedly shuffled on their feet as they made their way towards their rooms. And as they disappeared down the curve at the end of the hallway, the old man called out to them with hisst instruction;

    "And remember to study and practice today''s lessons!"

    Even as he yelled, Laddie knew that wasn''t going to happen. There wasn''t going to be any studying that night, not when their hearts had been hijacked by something so scious and juicy. Of course none of them were going to study, they weren''t going to catch much sleep either. And even if they did manage to fall asleep, their dreams would be replete with the reverberations and echoes of what they had witnessed here today.

    The old man sighed. It wasn''t just the kids who wouldn''t be getting any sleep that night. Even he wouldn''t be spared the temptation of reying Xzavier''s wonderful disy of power. There was so much Laddie didn''t understand, so much he was yet toprehend. His mind was going to have a field day with this when he would lie in bedter that night. The only downside about this was; he was going to be robbed of a good night''s rest. At his age, this was not something he could afford to joke with.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Well, this is going to be a long night¡­" he thought to himself.

    True to the old man''s word, that night proved to be a real battle for just about everyone, but in particr, Cadence. After dinner with the family, Cadence ascended the stairs that led to his room.

    A few momentster, tucked in bed and ready to retire for the night, Cadence closed his eyes and fought to call forth the sweetfort of a good night''s sleep. But unfortunately for him, it was proving to be a battle that he couldn''t win. The minutes turned into hours, and the hours dragged out the rtively short period that was night. With each passing minute, it seemed like sleep was getting farther and farther away from him.

    Like a sick joke, midnight came and Cadence still couldn''t sleep. When he closed his eyes, his own haunting thoughts overwhelmed him. The memories of what he had watched the mysterious man aplish yed out again and again, each time, more vivid than before.

    The threat of the unknown was very real to him. He couldn''t get it out of his head. When he opened his eyes to escape his own morbid imaginations, out from the darkness, at the bottom of his bed, the echoes of his own dour thoughts took on the form of shadows, and called out to him tauntingly. Unable to shut them out, Cadence rolled over to the other side of bed that faced the open window.

    He listened to the steady croaking the frogs ying in the open ponds, and he couldn''t help but envy them in that moment. He pictured the amphibians basking under the pale moonlight, croaking without a care or worry in the world. Very faintly, in the direction of the open window, Cadence heard the spooky hooting of an owl. He turned to the other side of his feathered bed, hoping to find some kind of sce, but was met with an equally darker scene.

    When Cadence finally decided to confront the elephant in the room, what he feared the most about that night finally materialized. Cadence was well aware of the consequences of not having a good night sleep. But at this point, his young mind didn''t give him much of a choice.

    So, reluctantly, Cadence turned to face the nagging voice in his head, and all through the night, the youngd spent the entire period deep in thought, analyzing the Xzavier situation with great vigor. Just as he feared, he ended up not sleeping that night. But by the end of the night, his sacrifice had proven to be worth it. He had been able to reach a conclusion. Cadence only needed the day to break, so he would be able to put it into action.

    By the first cockcrow, Cadence bolted up right in his bed. His eyes were bloodshot, like that of a mad man''s due to the fact that he hadn''t slept a wink. But at that point, that really wasn''t his major concern. He got up and washed his face in the wash bowl located at the east wing of his room. He hurriedly went through the motions of changing out of his traditional night garments into something a more appropriate day wear.

    And with a spring in his step, the young Cadence opened his door and headed straight to his father''s quarters that was located at the extreme end of the mansion.

    For a young impressionabled, Cadence was pretty knowledgeable to his age. He knew that his father was usually the first person to rise up in the entire household. He rose up way earlier than the servants and way earlier than even the cock whose job was to announce the advent of the morning. As Cadence trudged through the hallways, he noted to himself how odd it was that his father was always the first to rise, and at the same time, always thest to go to bed.

    Cadence calcted that his father got roughly only two or three hours of sleep each night. This was amusing considering the fact that, as a governor and as a father, his workload was tremendous. In Cadence''s mind, it was almost impossible to imagine how exactly this all worked out for his old man.

    But at that moment, this wasn''t Cadence''s biggest issue.

    Using the ever lit fire torches to find his way, Cadence slowly made his way towards his father''s home office where he knew he would be. Each step of the way, he rehearsed and rehearsed the way and manner with which he would present his request to his old man. This was a request that had been borne from several hours of pondering. He had spent an entire night thinking on this, so he hoped with all his heart that he wouldn''t be easily dismissed.

 Chapter 86 On My Way

    Cadence knew that if he was to be taken seriously, he had to present his request in the best possible light, so he decided to take on a more mature approach. Just like he had seen other grownups do with his father, Cadence decided to employ the tactic of stalling and baiting.

    "Yes¡­" he thought.

    "That will surely do the trick!"

    He willed himself to walk faster. So, in a matter of minutes, Cadence found himself standing before the giant doors of his father''s study. By the time he had arrived there, the first streaks of dawn hadn''t graced the skies yet. Cadence paused for a minute before knocking.

    "Isn''t it a little too early for this?" the youngd wondered hesitantly.

    From the crack in the spaces between the metal hinges and where the doors hung, he could see the faint glimmer of candlelight, signifying that the governor was awake and already at his desk, probably attending to some administrative work.

    After lingering for a brief moment, Cadence decided to man up and go for it. He took a deep breath and lifted up his knuckles to knock on the door. Surprisingly, before his knuckles could make contact with the intimidating ancient-looking doors, Governor Quaid beat his son to it.

    From behind the seemingly impassable doors, the booming voice of the Governor came, shattering the silence of the otherwise quiet mansion, rocking the serenity that had prevailed undisturbed for hours on end.

    "Whoever you are, I know you are out there. You have five seconds to state your business¡­"

    Cadence had been taken unawarespletely. This wasn''t how he had thought it would go down. But then again, his father had always been the perceptive type. So, having being caught, Cadence pushed the doors open and walked in gingerly.

    Huddled over hisrge office desk, The governor''s eyes met those of his son''s. Though his facial expression remained nk, the governor was surprised to see his son at such an hour. The sun wasn''t even up yet. Quaid lifted up his head to get a proper look at the boy.

    "Cadence? Is that you boy?"

    "Yes father. I hope I am not interrupting?"

    Quaid shifted the pile of paperwork on his desk to the side and took off his pair of spectacles.

    "Of course not son,e in!"

    Cadence, who had still been hanging at the entrance all this while, closed them behind him and walked towards his father.

    "Good morning father."

    "Morning Cadence. How was your night?"

    "It was alright father."

    Using the light from the numerous candlesticks on the office, Quaid took a closer look at the boy to try and see if there was any visible sign of an ailment. He quickly dismissed the thought when he realized that the boy had actually walked a pretty good distance just to get here. No, whatever it was, it wasn''t an ailment of the body. Quaid stole a quick nce at the window to see if time had crept by unnoticed.

    The dark sky outside reassured him that he had been right all along. Breakfast time was still a long way ahead. This was pretty strange, even though for Cadence. Quaid took a long hard look at his son and knew instantly that he hadn''t slept much. In fact, it seemed to him that he hadn''t slept at all. His puffy red eyes, as well as the wild expression on his face told Quaid everything about how the young man''s night had gone.

    Quaid was his father, and consequently, he couldn''t help but feel worried.. But his instincts told him not smolder the boy with questions. So, Quaid didn''t pressure his son to speak immediately. Cadence was a different breed, Quaid knew this more than anyone. Though he was young, he possessed a very high level of intelligence. Quaid had recognized this early and was proud of his son. So, he knew that if Cadence was here at this moment, truly there was something bothering him. So, Quaid waited for his son to open up to him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cadence on the other hand took a seat and paused to gather his thoughts. His father always thought him that powerful men never spoke without purpose. And when they did speak, their words must be seasoned and tailored to suit the point. He reflected on his already rehearsed speech and how he had nned to go about this.

    However, as he sat before his father, Cadence decided to forsake all gimmicks, and instead, go straight to the point. So, after a brief and ufortable pause, Cadence opened his mouth to present his case to his father.

    "Father, I havee to you at this hour with a humble request. It is my hope that you will at least consider it¡­"

    As usual, Quaid''s face remained as hard and as inscrutable as a rock. This was the norm for him actually, considering the fact that as governor, he had to listen to his constituentse to him all the time with different pleas and requests. Most times, it required a serious amount of attention and consideration. So, Quaid had mastered the art of maintaining a nk expression while he listened to others. Cadence was no different. Especially since he had chosen to approach him in the ce of business.

    The youngd was already used to seeing his father as an unreadable ice sculpture. But that didn''t deter him from his already set down path. He continued.

    "I would be very d if you could instate Mister Xzavier as my private tutor!"

    Even as he said it, he was shaking with nervousness. He knew that what he had just asked for was a pretty big deal. As it was, Xzavier himself was something of a local legend, and a big deal in his own regard. So, having such a power house in his corner as a personal tutor would require a whole lot of maneuvering.

    The silence that followed was ridiculously loud. Quaid pondered on his son''s request and couldn''t help but feel proud. First off, Cadence had worked it out all on his own that Xzavier was a real treasure. He also had the determination to pursue this dream of his by approaching his father at a time like this when he was supposed to be enjoying his pleasurable early morning sleep. Quaid was brimming with joyful pride on the inside. Though his facial expression didn''t reflect his inner feelings because he was a hard politician who had no difficulty whatsoever keeping his emotions hidden.

    But deep down, Quaid was proud of his son. So, he took a minute to savor this pride before answering the young man in a tone that conveyed his profound respect for the boy''s vision.

    "Cadence, what you have asked for is good. It is a clear pointer to the fact that you have your sights set on big things, things that matter."

    Said Quaid diplomatically.

    "¡­but right now, Xzavier is a guest in my home who also happens to be a hero that is about to be honored."

    Quaid paused to see if any tinge of disappointment had crept into his son''s eyes. He was pleased to see that there was t even the slightest trace of disappointment. The young man''s eyes retained their fire and hope. Pleased with what he saw, Quaid continued;

    "So, right now, I can''t read much in the way of interfering with his choices."

    Quaid slurred thest two words in such a way that it would be practically impossible for Cadence not to notice the implied message by reason of his heavy emphasis on thatst part.

    Quaid''s hopes weren''t dashed. Even though Cadence was merely an adolescent, as a son of the governor who had been educated in the fundamentals of statesmanship and politics, he had been gifted with the ability to pick up on the subtleties of implied and hidden meanings in conversations. This was one of those times.

    Cadence''s sharp mind immediately picked up on the discrepancy between the governor''s initial and final tone. In his head, he juxtaposed them and almost immediately, the hidden meaning came to light. Quaid didn''t think it was possible for his son''s face to glow any brighter Cadence proved him wrong. A fresh surge of hope flooded his being as he deciphered his father''s hidden message. The key word there was ''choices.''

    Basically, what Quaid was actively trying to tell his son was that, he as a governor couldn''t force Xzavier to do his own will. But if at any point in time, for some reason, Xzavier decided of his own volition to stay on as Cadence''s teacher, then it was mission aplished. Cadence''s task now was to some how make sure that Xzavier stays on as his own tutor. However he chose to do it wasn''t his concern.

    In that very moment, Cadence appreciated his father''s wisdom and foresight more than ever. He stood up briskly from the chair he was seated in opposite his father, and bowed down respectful.

    "Thank you father! I will be on my way now!"

 Chapter 87 Breakfast

    Quaid watched with a smile of amusement as his son dashed out in blind haste. Sometimes, even he couldn''t believe just how intelligent his own son was. And he was still so young. Quaid chuckled to himself as he bent down to work once again. The bottomless pit of the seemingly unending administrative duties swallowed Quaid again, and soon he forgot about the carefree nature of youth.

    Cadence was on a mission and no one could stop him now. He casually breezed into the servants'' quarters looking for any bit of information regarding the stranger''s location. After about two whole hours of interrogating multiple servants, Cadence was still deficient of the one piece of prime information that was needed for the next phase of his n.

    However, he soon struck gold with one of maids. The short scrawny girl with ratherrge eyes told him what he needed to hear.

    "¡­I heard some chatter about a fancy lodging being put together for some big shot who recently came into town as your father''s guest master Cadence."

    "So you know exactly where I can find him?"

    She nodded vehemently. One hand on her broom, she stuck out her hand in the direction she was speaking about.

    "Over there master Cadence. In a section of the mansion called the imperial suite. I believe the guest is locat-"

    Cadence bolted in that direction on his quick sturdy legs before the maid could even finish.

    "The imperial suite!" Cadence thought excitedly.

    "Of course he would be there! Why didn''t I think of that sooner?!"

    Cadence already knew the answer. The imperial suite was a wing of the estate that was reserved exclusively for close and important guests of the state who were important enough to be lodged in the governor''s own home. Cadence quickened his pace and raced towards the residence of the mysterious stranger. He hadn''t even had breakfast yet, and yet, he was still bursting to energy.

    Within a few minutes, Cadence skidded to a halt right in front of Xzavier''s temporary residence. He couldn''t believe that he was finally about to meet the man whom had taught him so much without even needing to open his mouth. His n was finally taking shape, when only just a short while ago, it had been nothing but an idea in his head.

    Once again Cadence lifted up his hand to knock, and once again, he couldn''t bring himself toplete his action.

    "Come on Cadence, you have to be more creative!" he thought to himself.

    "This is the mister Xzavier, the legendary orc exterminator, the one who is above magic. I need to be more creative else, I wouldn''t be taken seriously."

    So, that was how Cadence decided to take a different route this time. He took a deep breath, looked squarely at the door as if it was his adversary, and yelled at the top of his voice;

    "Mister Xzavier! Good morning! It''s time for BREAKFAST!!!"

    He repeated the same cycle some three, four times until he was sure that Xzavier had heard him.

    Cadence didn''t know it, but turned out that it had been pointless to call Xzavier''s name more than once. On the other side of the door, inside the well furnished room, Xzavier''s eyes flung open at the sound of his name being yelled. He wasn''t sure if he had heard right, but it sounded like a kid had just called his name. He waited again for confirmation, and sure enough, his name was being called, and also something about breakfast as well.

    He quickly got up and slipped into decent clothing. Then he headed to the door to check on the owner of the voice.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier swung the door open to see the starry eyed, five foot, man child gazing back at him anxiously. Xzavier instantly recognized his visitor as the quiet young boy from yesterday. Xzavier frowned slightly and wondered.

    "Isn''t this the governor''s son? Why is he the one who has been tasked with a menial job of calling me out for breakfast? Don''t they have servants for this type of stuff?"

    Xzavier regarded the young boy for some time, and realized that throughout the period he had been with the small group yesterday, he hadn''t uttered a single word That the boy was quiet and reserved, could only mean one of two things; either he was extremely smart or he was the exact opposite of smart.

    But whatever the case was in regards to the boy''s situation, Xzavier agreed that it definitely wasn''t the governor''s son''s duty to call a guest for breakfast. The whole thing was weird on two fronts. The second weird aspect was the fact that nobles were mostly xenophobic. They generally looked down on the lower ss of their own constituents. So, it was a bit odd that a noble would consider inviting an outsider to have breakfast with him.

    Xzavier was fully aware of the significance of an invite of this proportion. It was almost as if his celebrity status was finally bridging the gap between the social strata. He couldn''t help but feel honored by the invitation. Xzavier''s ego stirred like a mountain lion that had been roused from its slumber. He felt like he was being taken seriously.

    "Hold on a bit young man, I will be out in a minute."

    Surprised that Xzavier had been so quick to honor his invitation, Cadence found himself saying;

    "Of course Mister Xzavier."

    Cadence was thrilled. He didn''t think it would be this easy to get such an important figure to have breakfast with him. He was genuinely pleased with Xzavier''s humility. As a boy who hade up amongst the social elite of the country, he had seen and gotten used to the pompousness of the elite. Cadence was very close to worshipping Xzavier. So, for a man like Xzavier to honor a young boy''s invitation like him, well, it only set Xzavier on a much higher pedestal.

    Xzavier came out a short whileter all brushed up. Cadence led the way. With absolutely nothing to speak about, they trudged on in silence as they made their way to the dining area.

    Some momentster, as both Xzavier and Cadence entered the dining room, Xzavier noticed that two entities had already taken their ce at the dining. Quaid, the regal governor was seated at the head of the long dining table that was bedecked in white table cloth. Seated right next to her father was the vtile Earlene, and standing next to both father and daughter was the familiar and trustworthy face of Adalia.

    As Xzavier made his way towards the dining table from the entrance, he couldn''t help but notice the looks of surprise on both of the girls. It was almost as if they didn''t think he would be there at the time. This was particrly awkward, and Xzavier began to wonder if in fact it was possible that he might have misread the situation.

    Eventually he peeled his gaze from both girls and decided to check out the facial expression of his host. Xzavier hadn''t had the privilege of knowing the governor personally. But judging from his experience with him the previous day, Xzavier was convinced that he would have better luck trying to read a statue''s facial expression than trying to guess what the governor was thinking. Xzavier recalled the governor''s face being as inscrutable as a sculpture.

    Discerning Quaid''s mood and thoughts was more difficult than trying to use a hook to pull out a sword fish by its snout. Truthfully, it wasn''t that his face was permanently locked in a scowl, it wasn''t the fact that he had one of those ice cold prating stares. No, it was way worse than that. It was the ndness of his expression. It was the fact that it was literally impossible for anyone to know what he was thinking at any given point. It was the emotionless, generic nk stare that irked Xzavier.

    So, when he turned in the direction of the governor, hoping to catch even the slightest whiff of what this was about, Xzavier was taken aback by the sight that greeted him. Instead of the usual poker face that was typical of the governor, on his face was something that resembled something like a smile. By all count, Quaid looked particrly happy with his arrival. At least, that was how it appeared to Xzavier.

    As Xzavier and Cadence approached the table, Quaid stretched out his hand towards the left hand side of the table, weing Xzavier and ushering him to his ce. As was the custom, Cadence sat next to his father on his left hand side, and Xzavier carefully took his seat beside Cadence.

    "Mister Xzavier, d you could join us. I hope the lodgings were to your liking?"

    "Yes governor."

    Xzavier remembered that Adalia had been tasked by the governor to procure a decent amodation for him. So, he decided to give a more positive feedback instead of his regr two, three words reply.

 Chapter 88 Joining Us?

    "My quarters are indeed veryfortable. I felt right at home."

    "That''s great!" the governor boomed.

    While the governor was still speaking, Adalia brought in the meal of the hour. She looked very professional and smart in her maid uniform. Holding up the first tray, she dropped it very carefully on the table. As she removed the lid, the fresh aroma of dairy based breakfast filled the whole space. Given the fact that this was a governor''s abode, it was a rtively simple breakfast, Xzavier half expected a mini feast of turkeys, whole roasted pigs, jesters, music, basically anything that spelled opulence.

    But instead, Xzavier was met with a moderately decent breakfast of homemade bread, well processed cheese, some carrots, cabbage, peas and green vegetables. Xzavier was impressed. This wasn''t what he had been expecting at all, not by a long shot. The meal looked very simple, but it was high quality. The vegetables stood out the most. It was evident that they had been nurtured in a very fertile environment. The bread and looked divine. Xzavier found himself getting eager to dive right in.

    As was their custom, the small family didn''t start eating until the governor had taken the first bite. Then, as if on cue, Earlene reached out with the serving spoon to dish out her own portion of the simple but rich breakfast, Cadence followed suit, and then Xzavier. As they all began to eat in silence, Xzavier noticed how they all ate heartily, especially the kids. Since they were all privileged children and products of the top brass, a part of Xzavier thought that their attitude to food would be indifferent.

    But it turned out that his suppositions were wrong. Xzavier learned an important lesson that day; he learned that no matter the ss, food was food for just about everyone. They all ate with the vigor of bears. Except Earlene who toyed with her vegetables, but after receiving a stern look from her father, she braced up and forced the carrots and peas down her throat.

    While the family and their guest began to eat, an embarrassing sound hit the ears of everyone. Xzavier froze. Then it came again, this time more aggressive and more pronounced than before.

    Grrhhhhh

    Xzavier recognized that sound immediately. It was a sound he was all too familiar with. During his days as a member of the Special Forces, on some missions that required going for days on end without having anything in the stomach, it was that sound that kept himpany all through those long, bitter, cold nights. It was the sound of a hungry stomach.

    The second time the aggressive sound from the growling stomach came, Xzavier''s sharp perceptive ears picked it up very quickly and immediately got to working on tracing its roots. Because of the small number of suspects in the room, Xzavier didn''t have to look very far. It turned out the culprit was none other than the beautiful blue eyed maid that was Adalia.

    Xzavier was a bit puzzled at first. He didn''t understand how Adalia could be hungry when she herself had been involved in the preparation process of the meal. The whole thing wasical to Xzavier, almost ironic. It was like a man allowing himself to thirst even when he was right at the bank of a stream of water. Thinking the others found it hrious as well, Xzavier made the innocent mistake of cracking a joke about it;

    "Adalia! It sounds like you have an entire monster growling in your stomach¡­"

    The joke started out well. It was exactly the kind of thing that a bunch of elites would do at the table- look down and make mockery of the servant or lower ss. But it wasn''t the beginning of the joke that was the awkward part, it was what Xzavier said next that made it seem like he had justmitted an unforgivable sin¡­

    "¡­or do you want to have my breakfast to feed your monster?"

    Xzavier only caught on to the severity of his mistake when the general atmosphere of the room changed. Opposite him, Earlene stopped with her fork halfway to her mouth and gazed at Xzavier in shock. She looked at him as if she couldn''t believe he had opened his mouth to suggest something of that nature. With the way she was acting, one would have thought that Xzavier had invited a goat to the table instead of another human being.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Standing behind her was Adalia whose face also froze up in shock when Xzavier suggested that she eat with them. Xzavier noticed how she immediately looked at the governor in fear and with pleading eyes. Then shamefully, she lowered her gaze, and kept her head down, staring at the ground, afraid to speak a single word. Earlene and Cadence silently exchanged looks, not knowing what to say as well. This had never happened before.

    Xzavier was a bit shocked that such a harmless joke could cause such a powerful reverberation in the room. He still didn''t know what he had done wrong. He wondered if maybe it was against the household''s rule to make jokes at breakfast. Or was it the fact that he wasn''t to speak at all? He groaned mildly in exasperation. It was like walking on egg shells around this people. There was no way of knowing exactly what to do and shouldn''t do.

    So, Xzavier turned to face the man of the house in a bid to at least find out what exactly he had done wrong. The moment he set his eyes on the governor, Xzavier found that he was also looking at himself. Then, like a sudden bolt of lightning, the truth hit Xzavier like a jolt of electric shock. It was a truth that he hade to witness firsthand. It was a truth that Xzavier should have realized.

    Of course, the rules of this isekai were much different. Though they appeared to have advanced as a civilization, they still retained the primitive habit of ss segregation. Thereiny the foundation of the problem of the moment. When Xzavier had suggested that an ordinary maid dine with them at the same table, in the minds of everyone, he had just suggested something sphemous. Servants had their ce. And nobles had their own ce. These two sses, much like parallel lines traveling opposite each other, could never meet. No matter how friendly, or casual their rtionship was.

    The ugly truth was that despite being close friends and an important part of the family, Adalia was still and would always just be the maid. Her ce was with the servants. Hence, she could never deign to sup at the same table as the members of the upper ss, which in this case was the governor and his family.

    The full weight of his seemingly innocent joke dawned on him now. Xzavier began to feel really ufortable. This was in sharp contrast with his own personal creed. Xzavier wondered whether his failure to have picked up on this was as a result of his recent rise to stardom in the eyes of everyone here. As a person with values, his eyes had never been closed to oppression. That just wasn''t who he was.

    He nced again at the poor girl and saw the shame of hunger written all over her. Even though she was obviously in need of sustenance, she still couldn''t eat. Simply because it wasn''t her ce to dine with the elites. This was truly a sad reality.

    Xzavier was now fully aware of the fact that in the sight of his hosts, he might have as well as pped them in their face and spit on the opportunity they had given him to dine with them. Clearly, they thought he had just offended the established protocol of their time. Just as Xzavier fought to find a way out the mess he had put himself in, Governor Quaid stepped in with a charming smile and a follow up statement that diffused the whole tension, and at the same time, somehow added to it.

    "Adalia¡­" he called out to the maid in a suave tone.

    Upon hearing her name, Adalia cringed and recoiled inwardly at the thought of the fate that awaited her. She had already given up, and was prepared for the consequences of her growling tummy. But, the poor maid waspletely unaware of just what the fates had in store for her.

    "¡­would you mind joining us for breakfast?" he asked politely.

    "You can sit next to Xzavier if you want."

    Quaid''s words at this point could have very well been a nuclear bomb. Across the table, cutlery dropped from the hands of the children in shock, and forks hit the tes with a nging sound. Cadence and Earlene stared at their father, mouth open wide in disbelief. Utterly shocked by his words!

    But no one was more shocked than Adalia. She was smitten to the bone by his words.

 Chapter 89 Whatâ€™s The Matter

    Yet again, the fates had disyed their ubiquitous hands in the ordering of the events in the human realm.

    A servant, dining with her master, not just any master but the governor himself, a man whom was practically the most powerful entity in the entire city, this was indeed a life altering event!

    On this continent, in this social world, and in this time, such a thing was unheard off. Even history didn''t bother to tone down the truth when it came to the social sses and the practice of segregation in Medieval Europe.

    There wasn''t a single aristocrat, government official, or virtually anyone in power who would be kind enough to give a servant a seat at their table. A thought of this nature could never take form in the hearts of any of them. It was literally inconceivable.

    ss was everything, even those who were rich were extremely selective of the caliber of elite people who were allowed to dine at their table. For someone like Governor Quaid who represented the entire category of the top brass, the number of families who could be afforded the privilege of having breakfast with him (and his family) could be counted on the fingers of one hand.

    This was the history, and the primary reason behind the shocked countenances of the siblings. Adalia in particr, was dumbfounded. Her vision went white, as blood was diverted from every other part of her body, and headed straight to her head with lightning speed. The jar of water which she held tightly in her hand was threatening to break to pieces under the overbearing power of her crushing grip.

    One day ago, even one hour ago, if Adalia had been told that she would be seated at the same table with the governor, his family, and with his esteemed guest, she wouldn''t have taken it seriously. In fact, she would have waved it off as the ramblings of a deranged mind. Such things happened only in a fantasies and fairy tales.

    Due to the blue eyed blonde''s tight grip on her own reality, even in her own dreams, she wasn''t averse to admitting that the odds of this happening was virtually zero. The entirety of her existence had been subjected to the harsh reality of her situation. She had epted it with the whole of her heart and with the whole of her being. So, to the poor girl, much like the millions of others living on the opposite side of affluence and power, the dream of dining with a noble was on par with the dream of riding on the back of a dragon into war- they both could never happen.

    Eventually, when she dared to lift up her eyes to nce in the direction of the Governor, she was met with an approving look and a nod, encouraging her to go ahead. Adalia''s knees almost gave away underneath her. Finally, she forced herself toe to terms with her new reality and willed her legs to move forward before her reluctance would be misconstrued as rudeness.

    Adalia was positioned right behind Earlene, who was seated right opposite Xzavier. So, the poor girl who could barely stand at the moment was forced to circumvent the remaining length of the table, to enable her get to the ce she had been allotted- which was beside Xzavier. Adalia sighed inwardly, though her journey was supposed to be a rtively short one, to the young maid, it seemed like a trip half way around the world.

    With every single pair of eyes watching her every move, Adalia made her way around the table with steady strides and purposeful steps. Until finally, she pulled out the chair beside Xzavier and sat down with a graceful thud. Of course, this clever positioning was no coincidence. The diabolical mind of the Governor had picked up on a subtle vibe between the two of them. So, he had cleverly engineered the situation that brought them together at the table at this time.

    Anything to keep Xzavier happy of course. And he had done it in such a way whereby it felt like he was actually doing the girl a favor. This level of maniption could only be achieved after several decades of ying the game. Quaid chuckled congrattory thoughts to himself as he watched the young maid try desperately to conceal her joyful grin. Quaid watched with amusement as Xzavier''s own face remain professional. The young man betrayed no hint of satisfaction or joy.

    Quaid neither said nor showed anything, but deep down, he was more than impressed by the young man''sposure. The egocentric governor liked to think that he saw a bit of himself in Xzavier. Clearly, the young man had his emotions, thoughts and will under control. Quaid thought this wasmendable, for in his own mind, those three parts of a man''s consciousness were the organs that controlled every aspect of a man''s life.

    So, as he sipped his water and watched Xzavier closely, he became more and more convinced that his original assessment of the young man was spot on. Asides from Xzavier''s fearsome reputation that suggested that he was a cold blooded killer, he was obviously a rational mind too.

    "This deadlybination is rare in young men. Xzavier my boy, I definitely struck gold with you. You will be the arm that will mold Cadence into the perfect weapon¡­"

    The governor thought to himself as he munched on a piece of bread with a thin slice of cheese. Quaidmended his son for taking the initiative. The fact that Xzavier was here with him was proof of the fact that his son''s had already begun his own beguiling.

    Quaid couldn''t help but giggle slightly.

    "Like father, like son¡­"

    Though Cadence was still too young to realize it, the fact was that he was very much indeed his father''s son.

    But of course, Quaid''s n was way beyond keeping Xzavier''s around solely because of his son''s need for an astute tutor. He had a much grander scheme in mind.

    Completely oblivious of the storm clouds hovering in the diabolical mind of the poker faced governor, Adalia dove right in to the rich breakfast, and ate to her fill while maintaining an outer semnce of calm and proper table etiquette.

    The entire family and their guests passed the rest of their time at the table in silence. Breakfast was devoured by all parties and soon, everyone disbanded. The governor was the first to recuse himself. Xzavier noticed him checking his pocket watch every now and then, and therefore concluded that the governor was a principled man who worked with time. It could have also been the fact that had other appointments lined up for the day.<novelnext></novelnext>

    So, when everyone dispersed, Xzavier followed suit and rose up from the table to head back to his quarters, from where he would await further directives from his host regarding the next item on his itinerary.

    "Xzavier¡­" behind him, Adalia''s sing-song voice came.

    Not sure what this was about, he turned around to look at her.

    "Yeah¡­"

    "I''d like a see you for a minute, do you mind?"

    "Sure thing. What''s the matter?"

    Adalia shook her head,

    "Not here silly. I meant somewhere else obviously."

    ? "It''s all good. Where?"

    Adalia didn''t reply him. Instead, she swung her head behind her, and checked from side to side to see if anyone else was close by. When she confirmed that they were alone, Adalia marched towards the exit.

    "Let''s go¡­"

    Still notpletely sure what this was about, Xzavier followed her as she led him to an unknown location. Adalia took a route that waspletely different from the one that he and Cadence had initially used whening here. Xzavier marveled at just howrge the estate was. Just when he thought there couldn''t possibly be more twists and turns, Xzavier found himself being led down an even moreplex series of corners.

    Finally, they emerged at a secluded area that was cut off from most members of staff and household. It was a garden of sorts, it was well tended to in the sense that there were still neat passages between the vegetation. But the flowering trees were so high up that no one could see anything behind the curve that disappeared in obscurity.

    When they finally arrived here, Xzavier got the feeling that Adalia probably wanted to talk about something private. So, he was instantly on alert for any kind of bad news whatsoever. Adalia noticed he had gotten a little bit more tense.

    "Rx Xzavier, I am not going to bite."

    She said as she leaned against the wall with arms crossed on her chest.

    Xzavier raised his eye brows asked her warily;

    "Is there something wrong Adalia? Are you in danger?"

    Adalia''s wild blue eyes danced with amusement in her sockets.

    "Wow, are you even capable of not over analyzing everything? Not every situation is a battle Xzavier, I''m sure you know this already¡­"

 Chapter 90 Exclusive Office

    Xzavier took a step back, thinking maybe she was right.

    "Are you sure? Because this cloak and dagger thing seems a bit over the top."

    She didn''t answer him immediately. Instead, she reclined on the wall fully, and with a far away look in her eye, she began to narrate in a chirpy tone;

    "When I first came into the governor''s service, I was just a child. I used to run around with the older maids, making beds, running errands and asionally, scrubbing in the kitchen¡­"

    Xzavier kept mute, and looked at her interestingly as she took him on a walk through her memories.

    "At first it was difficult you know. Not the tasks, but the crushing loneliness. There was no one I could talk to amongst the servants. They were mostly hung up on their own personal affairs."

    She fondly touched the stem of tree she was leaning on.

    "So, I would wander off on my own during my free time, hoping to find somece where I could be by myself and cry my eyes out. That was when I stumbled upon this ce."

    She paused for a minute to gather her thoughts, and continued.

    "Once I found this spot, I woulde here alone at every given chance to enjoy the overbearing sadness of solitude. But something soon changed."

    She pointed over to a clearing right around the curve.

    "One day, I was on my way here, and I heard some voices around the corner. I quickly hid myself and watched the drama. I saw the thirteen year old Earlene, with bloody knuckles on top of a boy, punching and beating him¡­"

    Xzavier''s eyes red up in disbelief and in judgement when Adalia disclosed this fact. Noticing his reaction, Adalia quickly moved to clear the air.

    "No, no, you misunderstand. She wasn''t JUST beating the boy for no reason, he was the bully that had been picking on her younger brother, Cadence."

    "You see, I also didn''t know at the time, and much like you, I also jumped to conclusions. Earlene soon spotted me while I was hiding, and before she could confront me, I took off and ran as quickly as my little legs could carry me."

    She giggled as she remembered the sight.

    "Oh, I didn''t stop running until I had reached my room. It turned out that Cadence''s bully was actually the son of a diplomat. So, he wasn''t happy at all when his son came back looking like he had been stomped by a horse."

    Xzavier listened with rapt attention.

    "That night, the governor assembled all the servants to inquire about what happened, the boy had been so terrified of Earlene that he didn''t mention her name, instead he told his father that he had been jumped by a thief."

    "The governor questioned each and everyone of us if we saw anything, but no one saw anything. I saw Earlene staring at me with pleading eyes, silently beseeching me to not speak a word of it. So, I kept her secret and kept mum."

    She stopped for a moment to catch her breath.

    "That night, Earlene found me and thanked me. A weekter, she requested from her father that I be assigned to her. And since then, we have grown pretty close."

    Xzavier was touched by the heartfelt recollection, but he still didn''t understand how this concerned him in any way.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Almost as if Adalia had read his mind on the subject, her follow up statement addressed his concern:

    "Listen Xzavier, I grateful for your concern, and for also sticking up for me, but I have made a ce for myself here. I and Earlene and this family have an incredible rtionship, it might not be ideal, but it''s genuine, and I am satisfied with that."

    She paused to make sure her words sank in.

    "So, I humbly suggest that you refrain from making such jokes in the future. I don''t how things are where you are from, but here, there is a ss factor that puts a ring gap between nobles and maids..."

    She adjusted her posture and faced Xzavier squarely, hoping he would grasp the seriousness of her next statement.

    "I am not sure if you''ve realized it yet, but the governor was pretty lenient in the way he handled your ambush."

    Xzavier recoiled at the way she made use of the word ''ambush.'' That wasn''t how he had seen it at all!

    "Seriously Xzavier, you should be thankful. The whole thing could have gone south really quickly. Other nobles of far lesser pedigree would have handled it very differently, trust me."

    Xzavier said nothing. He had nothing to say really. Adalia''s exposition only served as a reminder of the fact that he was indeed in a strangend. In that moment, more than ever, he could feel the yawning chasm between him and this era. Like oil and water, like a bird that had been yanked out of the skies and ced in the deep sea, Xzavier felt so out of ce.

    As impossible as it was for Xzavier to ept it, the ring truth was that the people in this isekai still had the mindset of the feudal period. Socially relevant issues such as gender equality and ss segregation were still very much a thing! It was like reliving the dark ages all over again. The concept of freedom, equality, and democracy waspletely lost on the people of this time. Because he could not force his radical, fire-brand, trans-generational reforms on anyone, Xzavier had only four words to reply Adalia''s sermon-like speech;

    "I don''t think so."

    With those words being his final say on this topic, Xzavier turned his back on Adalia and walked right out of the clearing and into a hallway that would take him back to a familiar path. Behind him, standing in the corner, Adalia was left behind with her own thoughts, silent in meditation, and alone. Just as she had been in that same ce several years ago.

    Back in his private and exclusive office, the governor of Princy state sat in his swivel chair like the political figure that he was. The governor had been up to his neck with state affairs before this whole Xzavier incident. It wasn''t abnormal for him to be drowning in administrative duties. This was part of the perks of being a governor of an important state.

    But as soon as he discovered Xzavier, all of a sudden, it felt like a flood of light flooded the dark tunnel that was his daily routine. This beam of light melted the darkness away, leaving him with a clear line of sight of a new batch of objectives that hung in the horizon, just a little bit out of his reach, and at the same time, so close that he could almost touch them.

    In that moment, as Quaid sat on his chair in his office, he eagerly unfolded a distinct scroll.

    The scroll which was in the governor''s hand at the moment was no ordinary scroll. This was a unique brand. It was unique because an ordinary person could chance on a scroll like this, and still wouldn''t be able to gain ess to the message within.

    This scroll in particr, that happened to be in Quaid''s hands at the moment, was an advanced scroll that was used for a different type ofmunication. What set this scroll aside from the other basic types was just how exclusive its reader''s list was. Only humans who were of higher or equal rank of a marquis could make use of it. As amunications scroll, it''s purpose was to transmit extremely sensitive information of high authority. So, this was one of the reasons why the distinct looking scroll was being handled carefully by Quaid.

    Asides from the fact that Quaid was a governor and a ruling principality of Princy State, the shrewd man was also one of the major dukes of the Marshi Empire. As it was, Princy State was his Sub-dominion that was exclusive to his rule. The name Princy was more than just the name of the state, Princy was also the surname of the governor''s family. He had descended from one of the most powerful of the founding families, whose surname also corresponded with the name of the state.

    As Governor Quaid unfurled the elegant, mysterious-looking scroll, he drank in its contents eagerly like a thirsty dogpping up water viciously at a watering hole. But the governor wasn''t just twitchy because of an ordinarymunications scroll, he had had enough of them in the past.

    It was much more than that. The information contained there in was aligned with his diabolic suspicions, and at this hour, Xzavier was at the center of them all. If the governor knew how to express joy, he probably would have been bursting into joyousughter already. The information in the scroll was clear enough, and the beauty about it was that it matched his suspicions almost word for word.

    "Name - Xzavier Mace¡­

 Chapter 91 Quaids Thoughts

    "Name - Xzavier Mace

    upation ¨C Hunter, Level Six.

    First cited- Around Sikeda Town.

    Aplishments- Cheetah (confirmed kill), Goblin''s leader (confirmed kill), Orc''s leader (confirmed kill).

    Human contacts ¨C Kadin (underground exchange proprietor, Tacy (waitress), Adalia (maid servant)."

    Quaid was thrilled. Obtaining information like this on a subject so off the grid, would have been considered an impossible task by any standard. Especially since the subject was a particrly cagey, tight lipped individual who kept a tight seal over his testimonies and words. So far, the only thing public about his personal life was the impressive trail of (monsters'' bodies) that he left in his wake wherever he went.

    It was like reading about a phantom, or a living legend who was desperately trying to stay off the grid. No doubt, he would have seeded, but his achievements were so loud, there wasn''t any ce big enough to hide them on the continent.

    Attaining information on any human being alive was nothing to Quaid. There was a vastwork of spies supplying information in and for Princy State. And Quaid, (being the diabolical genius that he was) was at the center of everything. This informationwork was so efficient that, within a very short time, it had put a halo of ubiquity on the head of the governor, making him appear to know everything that was happening in thend, at every given time.

    Simr to the Silver Knight''s conclusion, Quaid also believed that Xzavier was a descendant of some ancient powerful family who had been fortunate enough to master a mysterious technology. It seemed like Xzavier had been hibernating with this strange and mysterious order. Quaid supposed that it was the burning need for an adventure that had seduced Xzavier away from his kind and drew him towards trouble.

    Quaid observed the pattern of Xzavier''s kills, and he discovered a very interesting fact, the keen mind of the governor noticed that Xzavier only went after the biggest hauls. The Goblin chief and the Orc''s chief were clear pointers to this fact. Quick as lightning, Quaid made the connection in his mind. From his very crude psychoanalysis of the young man, it seemed like Xzavier was a youth who had been blessed with great power.

    Quaid deduced that the reason behind Xzavier''s wisdom, confidence and generalposure was because he had probably spent much time with the Sages in his mysterious family, before finallying out into the world. This made much sense to Quaid.

    "Actually this exins why such a brilliant young man can be socially awkward sometimes. He had been robbed of any form of social life with regr people..."

    Quaid was giddy. He thought he had finally found a chink in Xzavier''s otherwise imprable armor- his pathological need for an active social life that had been denied him for so long. Quaid''s genius mind went to scheming immediately. He was going to capitalize on this weakness and make the best use of it.

    As Quiad nned in this direction, like a storm cloud, a much darker possibility rose in the clear blue summer sky that was his mind. Quaid didn''t think it likely, but he had to consider it. It was a morbid thought;

    "What if this brilliant young man is a spy? What if his mannerisms, charm, skill and reputation had all been engineered to induce this homeliness I feel?"

    The governor hated to admit it, but even he could see that it all added up nicely. The more he juxtaposed his suspicions with hard evidence and logic, the more he saw that the chances of this being true was pretty low. Xzavier''s mysterious technology was a high value asset. As a leader in that era, Quaid admitted to himself that he would never let a spy go to the other side with this secret¡­

    To do so would be a tactical blunder. And most definitely, it would prove counter productive. After considering it deeply, Quaid came to the conclusion that no straight thinking leader would risk such a strategic, high value technology all on the line for the sake of espionage, especially when the spy in question was making no attempt to conceal the mysterious power.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "No, it''s very unlikely¡­"

    In this case, empirical data or hard evidence wasn''t necessary. The truth of the matter was ring, and the facts were loud.

    So, as the governor settled in to the fact that Xzavier might not be the spy he thought he was, Quaid began to rigorously explore other areas. The truth was, even though magic was everything here, Xzavier had opened a door that showed that magic was but a small integral part of the mysteries of the universe. The endless possibilities of whaty behind that door intrigued the governor deeply. As a ruler who was always looking for ways to consolidate his position, and of course, expand his territory, Quaid''s mind was virtually ame.

    The temperature and air pressure in the room reflected Quaid''s excited state. He leaned back in his chair, and with his right arm on the soft leather handle, he rested his chin on his right palm, and began to stroke his beard in deep thought. He had already thought out all the avenues which this new power would be beneficial to him. But like a jewelry collector who goes down to his vault, in the middle of night, merely to stroke his priceless collection in an obnoxious manner, Quaid went over the basis of his crude objectives, and very painstakingly, he began to refine them.

    The governor knew that there was no contesting it, Xzavier''s new and mysterious technology, (if harnessed and used properly) would put him in a more strategic position. It was exciting, almost exhrating to note that this strange technology had a more tactical advantagepared to the traditional magic system.

    As a man who simply loved to shock people, especially his enemies, Quaid was particrly grateful for the fact that Xzavier''s technology was still shielded from the general public. This gave Quaid the added advantage of the element of surprise. It was the ultimate Hail Mary!

    Unable to contain his excitement any more than he could, Quaid sprang to his feet, and began to pace up and down in his office. His mind, miles and miles away from the confinement of his office''s walls, the diabolic mind of the governor schemed, schemed and counter schemed. As he brought the jet that was his wandering mind tond, Quaid was forced to address the issue he had been pushing to the back of his ns.

    The governor hated to admit it, but there was simply no way around it. All of his lofty ns, the entirety of all his high end thoughts and packages were hinged on one variable- Xzavier Mace! It was uncanny, and yet, strangelyforting. This paradox was further augmented by the bizarre fact that Xzavier absolutely did not have a single shred of mana!

    The person on whom Quaid, a ruling principality, a governor, a noble and a duke of the highest regard had based his ns on, was someone with no mana whatsoever. Quaid didn''t think he would ever get used to this fact. And yet, after multiple verification processes, it was confirmed that Xzavier was a person with no affinity for magic whatsoever.

    Another side of the issue Quaid had serious problem grasping was the baffling enigma of Xzavier''s bloody aura. It was so dense and bloody that it could be as a result of the sea of blood had had drawn from every single life he had taken.

    "Heavens! And he is still so young! How many lives could he have taken already???"

    Quaid shuddered at this possible answer to that question, as he poured himself a drink. But that wasn''t even the hardest part. The most difficult part to chow on, was the fact that this ''mana-less,'' cold hearted, quiet killer had somehow been capable of killing the orc leader! This was a beast that had been revered amongst other beasts! It had been a longstanding problem on the to-do list of the governor.

    So, when he heard that some low-level infamous bloke had taken care of it, Quaid had been doubtful, and sent for the killer to meet one on one. And so far, Quaid hadn''t been disappointed. Though the surrounding premise around Xzavier''s existence and strange technology was questionable, the young stranger''s power was undeniable, even without mana!

    The observation that intrigued Quaid the most was one of the results of thest test which had involved Adalia. It had confirmed a lot of things, but most importantly, it had proven that ordinary people like Adalia with no affinity for magic can master a force as powerful as this. That is, if the proper steps were to be followed methodically.

    Quaid nced at his ledger on his table and sighed when he remembered another variable that had always been an impediment in the way of the sess of past endeavors of this nature; BUDGET COSTS. This was a very touchy subject for him as a governor.

 Chapter 92 Learning About Magic

    He couldn''t even as much as breathe without setting up panels to approve budget costs. The politicking involved always proved to be an exhausting pattern that was getting increasingly more difficult to navigate.

    The fact was that a significant amount of resources and time was needed to train a single mage. It was abysmal, even by a noble''s standards. This was probably why lower level members of the ss system never rose to the height of powerful or senior mages. As Quaid ran the numbers in his head, he thought to himself in a calcting tone;

    "If indeed ordinary people like Xzavier can master this power without mana, then, going by the most conservative estimate, the resources needed for training a batch of ordinary people would be way less than that of training mages¡­"

    His eyes sparkled in exhration. He could already see it in his mind''s eye. This was going to be a whole new revolution!

    This was the primary driving force behind Quaid''s excitement. As a statesman and an administrator who was almost always bound by the shackles of budget costs and allocations, Quaid surmised that on the long run, Princy''s State military power would surpass that of the entirepeting states of the Marshi Empire. He knew that if indeed he was to ever attain this objective, its implication was that he would have the freedom to do as he wished!

    This would mean absolute independence from any external influence whatsoever. So, with all of these lofty ns, the governor couldn''t afford to let little things like Xzavier''s impudence at the table annoy him. There was bigger fish to fry, much bigger fish indeed!

    With the battleground set, the only thing the governor had to do was to simply seduce Xzavier''s mind. He didn''t just want to make Xzavier his man, he wanted Xzavier''s blind andplete loyalty to him. Quaid knew that this would definitely take up a lot of time and strategic nning. Though Xzavier was a young man, Quaid had seen that he wasn''tpletely devoid of wisdom.

    The gue of ignorance that usually besieged youths of Xzavier''s age had somehow passed over him, leaving a glowering halo of self-awareness in its stead. Quaid knew his work was cut out for him. He had to employ every weapon he had in his beguiling arsenal to charm away the overly suspicious young man. It wasn''t going to be a one day-one week type of n, it was going to take time.

    Time passed once again, only more quickly than it usually did. And a new dawn broke over the governor''s household. Each and every single soul under that roof stirred from their beds with new resolve and brimming with new ideas, schemes and ns. Xzavier wasn''t leftover this fever that was slowly sweeping across the estate.

    Having spent sometime wandering the grounds of the massive estate, Xzavier had gotten pretty familiar with the paths and rooms. There was still very much to explore, but as of that moment, Xzavier was content with the knowledge of the fact that he knew where to find the one person he was deeply interested in at the time- The Senior Mage called Laddie.

    Keeping mostly to the shadows, Xzavier navigated his way through the dark corridors. Even when he was at peace, the efficiency of battle seemed to hover around him, trailing his every move and influencing his every decision. The weather outside was beautiful, the intense rays of the morning sun was absorbed and cushioned by a lump of cloudszily drifting across the sky.

    To top it all, a mild wind was blowing, drawing out the beautiful scent of the numerous budding flowers, enveloping the entire estate in a cloud of natural fragrance. The servants, as if in tune with natural order of things, cooperated with the basking glory nature''s blessings on the house by making sure the marble tiles and life sized statues were cleaned so hard that they shone.

    A normal person would have enjoyed the walk through the estate on a beautiful morning like this, but Xzavier chose a different path. Moving as if he was still in the jungle, Xzavier crept through the dark corridors of the mansion instead of taking the brightly lit hallways outside. He kept his movements to the shadows, and minimized his overall presence from being spotted.

    Eventually, he arrived at his destination. He paused for a minute and nced backwards, checking to see if he had been followed. Of course, he had no reason to suspect that he was, but, the soldier in him, as well as years of intense training and experience, made him wary of his surroundings. It was only after the epassing silence around him assuaged his suspicions that Xzavier finally went ahead to knock on the door of the old man''s office.

    Laddie croaked from inside;

    "Yes? Who is it?"

    Xzavier answered in a calm tone;

    "Mister Laddie, it is Xzavier."

    There was a long pause for a while. The old man took so long to react that Xzavier thought he hadn''t him. It was either that or he was choosing to tantly ignore him. Just as Xzavier prepared to knock again, he heard the shuffling of feet on the other end, and then, a few secondster, Laddie opened the door halfway.

    Through the open slit, he regarded Xzavier with a suspiciously, not sure why he was here at the moment.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Earlene and Cadence aren''t here." He rasped as he made to close the door.

    Quick to react, Xzavier stepped forward and dered his intentions to the old man;

    "Actually, I am here to see you not them."

    Xzavier''s answer only strengthened the old man''s suspicions.

    "See me? What for?"

    Xzavier hesitated for a moment before replying him.

    "May Ie in sir?"

    The old man lingered for a while before grunting his approval. He stepped aside and gestured at the younger man toe in. Xzavier strode in and the old man closed the door behind him. As Xzavier walked ahead towards thefortable looking chairs, Laddie observed him closely.

    Of course, just as it always was with most humans, Laddie''s uptightness was just a front. The white bearded old man was actually thrilled to have Xzavier here in his presence. When he had first heard Xzavier announce himself at the door, Laddie had been astounded. It took him some time to get in the right mental bandwidth for a possible dialogue with the strange man. Also, he purposely refused to respond too quickly so his promptness wouldn''t be mistaken for servility.

    And now with Xzavier finally in his presence, the old mage found himself a bit star-struck. But of course, no one would ever guess that by merely look at his out appearance. He seemed so calm, and in control, also a little bit standoffish and aloof about the whole situation. He acted like he was doing Xzavier a favor by allowing him the grace of being in his presence. It was the typical egotistical politicking that usually went down between males.

    Xzavier didn''t sit down until the old man offered him a seat. This was the basic t one would expect from a guest. Laddie noted this and it added to his already enmed admiration of the younger man. He was used to the brashness of Earlene, and the coldness of her younger brother. More often than he cared to admit, whenever Earlene had the privilege of being here, she would usually breeze in and sit boisterously without even bothering with protocols or etiquettes. This didn''t mean that she was in anyway disrespectful of the old man, but it just showed how insensitive she could be.

    So, having someone honor this host/guest code for once was refreshing. So, as he himself sat down, he offered Xzavier a seat;

    "You can sit Mister Xzavier."

    The other man simply nodded and sat down.

    "So, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

    Xzavier didn''t speak immediately, but when he did, he kept his tone free of any trace of pretentiousness and went directly to his request.

    "Mister Laddie, I havee to you because you are the only one who can assist me in this regard. I am actually very interested in learning about magic, I am intrigued by it and I desire to learn all there is to it- including how to practice it¡­"

    Words couldn''t totally describe the old man''s shock. This was the plot twist that he never sawing. Asides from the fact that the old man was essentially in awe of his strange guest, another hidden truth was the fact that Governor Quaid had actually issued Laddie a paralyzing injunction; he had ordered the old man to fulfill all of Xzavier''s requests without questions or conditions. So, despite the fact that Laddie had his own reservations about all of this, he was duty bound to do carry out the governor''s order, which automatically tranted to helping Xzavier.

    The old man sighed aloud¡­

 Chapter 93 Abnormal

    ? The old man sighed aloud.

    "Your request is no small one Xzavier. Not because the task of exining the concept of magic is an arduous task itself, but a small matter regarding your utterck of mana makes this very difficult."

    Xzavier drank every word in. After all, this was what he had been hoping for. He heard all that the old man had said, but he didn''t really get thest part.

    "Mana?" he asked, out of genuine curiosity.

    The old man shook his head. It was like exining magic to a four year old.

    "Okay, I think we might have to start at the very beginning¡­"

    He stood up, and with his long robes flowing behind him like a bridal train, he began to pace up and down in a manner that was typical of most lecturers or teachers.

    "First off, you need to understand the nature of magic itself. Much like every other natural concept magic has its essence. Lightning shes in the sky during a thunderstorm, it is a natural phenomenon, but the essence of lighting isn''t rain or thunder, it is electricity! In its rawest and purest form!

    "Just like electricity, magic also has its own essence, it is what we mages refer to as mana. This is the life source of magic in every mage or practitioner. It is the enabler of magic. Where there is no mana, there is no magic. Simple."

    Xzavier appreciated analogies, and so far, the old man''s exnation of magic and mana using lightning and electricity had been spot on.

    "Magic must be triggered using mana in the body, but one must do the work to release it, else it would simply remain dormant and basically useless.

    "To release magic, one must recite well worded incantations and make certain gestures. These words of power cooperate with the physiology of the hand movements to produce the required results."

    Laddie saw Xzavier''s eyes light up at this revtion, and the old man became worried that he was making it look too simple. So, he snapped his fingers in Xzavier''s dreamy face, calling him back to reality.

    "Snap out of it young man! There is still much ground to cover before you can even dream of getting to that level!"

    Satisfied that he had brought him back to earth again, the old man proceeded to exin in more detail, the basics of practicing magic.

    "At the very least, before one can begin, mana needs to harnessed. And it can only be gathered through meditation. This isn''t an established fact. It varies from one individual to another. But the major determining factor is the individual''s talent."

    Xzavier listened with rapt attention. Not a single word dropped from the old man''s mouth that Xzavier didn''t pick up on. "Meditation, mana, magic¡­"

    He arranged them neatly in his head as he recited them again and again until they had be a part of his mind. He lifted his head up and found the old man looking at him.

    "Are you ready to begin the first stage?"

    Xzavier took a deep breath. This was a full circle moment for him. He had started out as a soldier, then for a while, he was a hunter (and not the kind that hunted animals). And now, he was on the verge of being a mage. This fine track of uncertainties which he had been trudging on had been a roller coaster.

    So, it was with a confident mind that Xzavier answered the old mage;

    "Yes. I am ready."

    The old man wasted no time on sentiments or drama.

    "Good. Now let''s get to it."

    At first, Laddie hadn''t been on board with the whole thing, but as they progressed down the line, his teacher-instincts merged with his admiration for Xzavier, and gave birth to a silent voice that was secretly rooting for Xzavier to seed.

    He led Xzavier down to a mat spread out in a separate corner of the office. This was a serene space that faced the wall and waspletely devoid of any thing that could be potentially distracting. At the old man''smand, Xzavier sat down cross-legged and ced both his hands on their corresponding knees, with both palms open.

    From behind him, like a master training his subject, Laddie stood behind Xzavier. From a little distance off, lulling the younger man into a meditative state with his slurry words.

    "Close your eyes Xzavier¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>

    He did.

    "Now, slowly bring your body under the total subjection of your will by regting your breathing¡­."

    Xzavier obeyed as best as he could.

    "Breathe in¡­"

    Xzavier inhaled.

    "Breathe out¡­"

    He exhaled.

    Xzavier repeated the breathing pattern until, slowly, he began to feel a the separation happening. Maintaining a serious degree of focus, Xzavier blocked out every distractions, including thoughts, feelings and doubts. With his will morphed into a massive imprable iron curtain, he kept everything thing else at bay, and allowed his mind to fall into a kind of trance.

    .

    The deeper Xzavier went, the weirder it felt. It felt like he was losing control of his physical body, and at the same, he felt a remarkable degree of freedom, andplete control over his own mind. All in a way that he had never felt before.

    For a minute or two, Xzavier felt detached from the world and its materialistic allure. Like a bird, he soared through the crevices of the deep, navigating the deep reaches of his subconscious. Like an anchor, Xzavier felt like a slender silver cord kept him rooted, preventing him from floating away like piece of paper.

    All of a sudden, Xzavier felt the annoying pestering of another consciousness. He felt it pulling at him from his own borders. He resisted it firmly at first. But slowly, the disturbance began to take the form of a voice that sounded vaguely familiar. Xzavier willed himself to listen, and suddenly, it began to get louder and louder until he could no longer ignore it.

    "Xzavier! Xzavier!! Xzavier!!!"

    Like a swimmer rising up from the depth of a pool after being at the bottom for a while, Xzavier rose to the surface and finally opened his eyes to acknowledge the presence that was interrupting his dive.

    Xzavier took one look at the old man staring at him wide eyed, and the peace and tranquility which he had found almost evaporated like water before a devouring me. He looked at the old mage questioningly;

    "Yes?"

    As Xzavier spoke, though he didn''t know why, he felt like the insides of his mouth hadn''t been opened for hours. It was a feeling that was akin to the kind he usually got whenever he woke up from a deep sleep. This bothered him slightly, but he pushed his worries to the curb and focused on reining in his anger at the old man that was building up by the second.

    "What do you mean by ''yes?'' you''ve been under for nearly two hours!"

    A look of disbelief darkened Xzavier''s already burning eyes.

    "Impossible¡­" he mumbled. "It''s only been a few minutes!"

    But the strong unyielding look on Laddie''s face suggested otherwise. Xzavier couldn''t believe it. And yet, when he nced at the giant grandfather clock, the truth struck him in the face with the ferocity of a professional boxer''s high handed punch.

    Xzavier''s mind was normally quick to adjust, but this time, it took him a while to wrap his head around what was going on. He hadn''t even doing magic, and yet, the impossible had happened to him without him even realizing it. It had literally felt like a five minute ordeal, but somehow, with the chilling stealth of a thief in the night, time had stolen past him, robbing him of almost tow whole hours of his life!

    Xzavier was astounded! He had so many questions. What exactly had he been doing all through that period? If he had been attacked, would his physical body had been able to react? Had he been able to gather any of that mana stuff that Laddie had been hammering on about?

    Xzavier''s logical mind, having been fragmented by this very incredible experience, was in shambles. He knew that magic was real, but he never figured that he himself could ever be subject to the extraordinary. Xzavier was in awe, but deep down, he sensed that this was merely the beginning of one of the many wonderful things that were toe. This was the path that he had chosen. And so far, so shockingly good.

    Xzavier might have been astounded, but the only other person that beat him to it was Laddie.

    "What in heaven''s name¡­!"

    He couldn''t even bring himself toplete his train of thought. In all his years of experience in teaching and instructing, despite having taught numerous students, Laddie had never for oncee across such an anomaly! And to think that this had been the work of a mere muggle was breathtaking. So many things were just out of ce with this.

 Chapter 94 A Little Slump

    Laddie folded his arms and stroked his chin as he looked at Xzavier. For starters, it was extremely weird that someone like him was so good at meditation. And on his first try to! The old man wasn''t na?ve to conclude this as mere beginner''s luck. Even for a rookie who was just trying his hand at this, Xzavier had exceeded all expectations.

    And yet, that wasn''t even the most baffling fact, what furtherpounded the whole thing was that there hadn''t even been a little shred of mana. This was by far an abnormality of the weirdest degree. Mana was often a byproduct of serious meditation, this was a known and established fact. The two usually went hand in hand with each other. Hence, Laddie''s dilemma. Xzavier had meditated so perfectly that any normal mage who had spent that much time under would have harvested a serious amount of mana. The old man was truly lost for words, he hadn''t seen such a strange corporeity before!

    However, despite such a glowing and fantastic result, Laddie''s conclusion was insurmountable and couldn''t be disputed; Xzavier was aplete dud when it came to magic. There was simply no way around it. It was a shame that Xzavier was a mere muggle. If he had been a mage, with his skills, strong will, and ability to quickly grasp concepts, there was no denying the fact that Xzavier would most definitely have been a real terror in this realm.

    So, with a heavy heart, Laddie rted his conclusion to Xzavier. He started at the very beginning, exining in gory detail the discrepancy between his ability to mediate and his ability to retain mana that was nonexistent. Finally, he juxtaposed the two and exined why he could never hope to practice as a mage.

    "¡­thisck of mana makes you a dud. Or in a much technical term, an instor. Only in this case, of magic, and not of electricity. Without mana, I am afraid that practicing magic would be practically impossible."

    The silence that ensued was heartbreaking. It was like telling a child that he could never walk again when there was absolutely nothing wrong with his legs. A sickening sorrow gripped Xzavier from the inside, and slowly worked its way towards the exterior. Until, Xzavier''s countenance told the very sad tale of what he was feeling. The frustration in Xzavier''s eyes was ring. The exasperating look on his face spoke volumes.

    This was particrly heartbreaking for Xzavier because he had been looking forward to experiencing this for himself. As a person of excellence and hard work, Xzavier had never been unable to do anything in the past. He had been conditioned to believe that if he trained hard enough, there was nothing he couldn''t aplish. But s, this whole situation proved that there were indeed some things that were beyond some people''s grasp. No matter how much they reached. For him, it was magic.

    As the darkness of sorrow threatened to choke him, Xzavier willed himself to focus and beat it back with a forced ray of shiny bright hope. Startling Laddie, Xzavier quickly sprang to his feet, and in one quick motion, he rose from the meditative position he had been in all this while.

    Before Laddie could console him any further, Xzavier moved to thank him properly.

    "Thank you old man, really. For this really short period I stayed as your student, I got to understand why you''re the kid''s tutor."

    "You tter me Xzavier, but I was just doing my duty."

    "Even so," Xzavier said as he bowed slightly, "You have my deepest gratitude."

    It was a bit strange to Laddie having someone bow to him in that manner when he clearly wasn''t a person of repute or a noble. So, he forced an acknowledging smile, hoping it would be enough.

    "I will take my leave now Mister Laddie." Xzavier said curtly as he bid him goodbye.  "Good day Xzavier."<novelnext></novelnext>

    And with that, the curtains were drawn over that part of Xzavier''s adventure. He turned his back, not just on Laddie and his office, but also on any further hopes of practicing or learning magic. Xzavier shut the door behind him with a thud, leaving Laddie with his feelings and concluding thoughts.

    With Xzavier''s exit came the familiar silence that Laddie hade to cherish. He cherished it because it set the scene for deliberation and contemtion. And after his ordeal with Xzavier, heaven knew Laddie needed it desperately. He took a whole minute to refresh himself on what he had just learned about Xzavier. Undoubtedly, there were so many conflicting phenomenon that had threatened to alter the results along the way. But at the end of the day, the result was all that mattered.

    Laddie sighed as he headed back to his desk. Absentmindedly, he reached down into a secretpartment beneath the desk, and whipped out a scroll. This was another variant of themunication scroll that was reserved exclusively for him and his boss- the governor.

    With everything that had happened here with Xzavier, Laddie was sure Quaid would want to know. Quaid always demanded detailed reports from all his spies and informants. So, as most of them were field agents and no pencil pushers, a good number of his informants absolutely detested having to send in their reports. Quaid would nitpick every single details, and like a band of ruthless Piranhas devouring their prey, Quaid was known to rupture every single piece of information that was brought to his way.

    So, Laddie began the arduous task of narrating everything that had transpired between himself and Xzavier. He made sure to highlight the high points, and also paint a very vivid picture of how it had all happened. Laddie wrote knowing just how Quaid would absolutely love it.

    The old mage was correct. A hundred feet away, in his own home office, Quaid received the information with glee. Clutching the scroll like it was the deed to a piece ofnded property, Quaid held on tightly and hungrily digested every word in it. Even when he finished it, he re-read it again and again for posterity sake. Eventually, when he put down themunication scroll, for a moment, the governor trembled as he mentally got stuck in a kind of elliptical cycle.

    He treated every bit of information he got about Xzavier like a treasure map that was pointing him to thend which he so desperately wanted. In due course, Quaid finally broke free from that cycle, and forced himself to deal with the new piece of information that had only just been dropped in his hands. The whole scene was like watching a junkie get a fix. Quaid was that infatuated with his own ns, of which Xzavier was clearly a huge part of.

    Xzavier on the other hand refused to be daunted by his apparent failure to do the one thing that he wanted to do. Xzavier was a man who hated oppression. And unfortunately for him, he had found himself in and that seemed to live off the oppression of the people. As one man, there was little to nothing he could aplish on his own. The level of change he needed to effect called for an even more insane level of power.

    Here, that was what people recognized and feared. And at the very center of that fear was the terror cast over the masses by the powerful. Xzavier needed that power. That,bined with his resourcefulness and innovation, would definitely have probably ushered in a new age more quickly. But s, that n had been nipped in the bud way before it even sprouted.

    Xzavier shrugged, physically acting out the thoughts in his own head. He, more than anyone else, knew that it was pointless to dwell on things that were outside his sphere of control. To do so would only impair his future judgment and block him from seeing what was around him. Xzavier knew he needed his objectivity more than ever since magic was not for him.

    So, Xzavier expertly shut out any more worries in his mind and instead, gave himself a new objective. It was a goal that was more suited to his mood, and was perfect for the uplifting of his spirit. It was the goal of exploring his new world and what it entailed. As Xzavier pondered on how exactly he was going to go about this, an idea came on like a light bulb in his head- he needed a guide!

    The one person whom Xzavier would dly ride along with was the only familiar face in all of Victoria City- Adalia., the blue eyed blonde.

    Finding Adalia wasn''t in a ce like this was like trying to find a single ant in an anthill. It was already established in Xzavier''s mind that the governor''s estate covered a whole lot of ground. By all standards, it was a prettyrge ce. But that didn''t bother Xzavier. He was a man who wouldn''t spare a tiny fraction of his time to watch a midget lift up a horse, but if he needed to find a nickel in a desert, he wouldb through the entire region to get what he needed.

 Chapter 95 Go Out

    Xzavier soon left the mundane ambience of stone, granite and marble in the hallways of the mansion, and stepped into thefortable and pleasing section of the dining area. Just as Xzavier crossed the threshold and opened up the gigantic doors, he saw his target clutching cutleries and arraigning the dining sets on the table in an orderly and fancy manner.

    She had on a white flowing gown and a dark blue apron that was typical of the maids and female servants of the governor''s domestic staff. As always, the table was bedecked in a shiny, brilliant white table cloth. Although Xzavier didn''t see the point to it since it was noon and bright outside, but there were several silver colored candle holders that were separated at even distances across therge table.

    Adalia was so engrossed in her duties that she didn''t even notice when Xzavier''s tall frame emerged from the entrance. It was only when the door creaked when Xzavier twisted the iron handle, that Adalia knew that someone was present. Instinctively, she jerked and spun her head in that direction, eager to see who had intruded into her space when she clearly hadn''t called for lunch yet.

    Once again, Xzavier dealt out his favorite hand- the card of surprise.

    A stunned look quickly registered on Adalia''s face. This was clearly a surprise for her. Xzavier was by far thest person she had been expecting to see. Especially with the way theirst dialogue had ended.

    "Xzavier?! What in heaven''s name are you doing here?"

    With a little, and yet sizeable distance between them, Xzavier strolled confidently towards her as he answered in a serious tone.

    "What do you mean? Am I not allowed to be here?"

    Slowly regaining herposure, Adalia sighed as she answered;

    "Well, after the way we ended thingsst time, I figured it would be a while before we see each other again¡­"

    "Don''t be absurd. We are both adults, and we are very much allowed to have different perspectives on any subject."

    She scoffed mischievously.

    "How mighty mature of you¡­"

    Not recognizing her mischievous tone, Xzavier took herpliment to heart.

    "Thank you." He replied seriously.

    Adalia shot him a disbelieving look, and shook her head as if she couldn''t imagine he had actually said that. She turned her back on him and continued to set the table as she spoke to him.

    "So, what brings you here at this time? I know for certain that it''s definitely not because of lunch."

    Xzavier wasted no time inying bare his request.

    "This ce is still very strange to me, I was hoping that you could maybe exin some things to me."

    "That''s reasonable, but I am currently working right now Xzavier."

    She knew Xzavier wouldn''t give up on this. So, she quickly presented an alternative.

    "Why don''t you go and explore?"

    Xzavier paused hesitatingly. Adalia noticed, and encouraged him;

    "You''re the governor''s guest Xzavier, surely you do know no harm woulde to you right?"

    "It''s not that¡­" he said and paused yet again, hinting at the fact that he had more to say.

    Adalia raised her eyebrows questioningly. When Xzavier still refused toplete his sentence, she was forced to egg him on.

    "Well? If it''s not that, then what?"

    He inhaled deeply.

    "Recently, while it is not my intent at all, it seems to me like I always end up in one trouble or another because of my ignorance of the way things work here..."

    Reluctantly, he added;

    "So, I need you by my side to exin some things."

    In that moment, Adalia felt a little sorry for the young man. He had killed a chief orc, and scared off an entire tribe of orcs, and yet, he still couldn''t conquer basic societal norms.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Now that you put it like that, I think I understand."

    Adalia began to draft out the best way to enlighten Xzavier, and she soon came up with the perfect idea.

    "I''ve got it!" she eximed as she snapped her fingers.

    "Words are wind. They don''t really do much in the capturing of the essence of an entire culture, so, what you need is a firsthand experience!"

    She shivered with excitement as she ryed her idea to Xzavier.

    "You should see and experience Victoria city for yourself on the streets just like most of us! I am sure you wille to love and appreciate it more at the end of the day."

    Xzavier highly doubted that, but because she was his guide, and was therefore bound to be hyped about showing him around her city, Xzavier tolerated her exuberance.

    Fueled by her new found goal, Adalia nced around briefly, scanning the table and factoring all other possible factors that could influence her getting her work done faster. After a brief assessment, she announced the n to Xzavier;

    "I should be done here and ready to go in about an hour and a half. So, can you hold on till then?"

    Xzavier thought for a few seconds, he had nothing lined up for the day. So, he answered her positively;

    "Affirmative."

    "What?"

    "I meant that''s okay."

    So, after about twenty five minutes, Adalia finished up with her domestic chores. Happy that she had beaten the clock, Xzavier got up happily thinking she was ready to go.

    "Errr, what are you doing?"

    A confused look crept across Xzavier''s face.

    "You''re done here, I assumed you were ready to go?"

    Adalia almost burst out into a fit of hystericalughter.

    "Come on, did you really expect me to go out into the streets with my maid uniform?"

    She stared hard at Xzavier, genuinely hoping for an answer. It turned out Xzavier had none. He genuinely hadn''t considered that fact.

    She sighed as she made her way towards the door.

    "I need to get dressed. I''ll be back in thirty minutes."

    She ended up taking a whole hour and an additional thirty minutes.

    By the time she came back, Xzavier had almost gone nuts because of the boredom. But as it turned out, the wait was worth it. In truth, Adalia''s apparel was very modest. It was a long cream colored gown with colorful embroidery that entuated her ample features. Especially her notable thick waist. It was all that he could to keep himself from gawking. Of course Adalia noticed, and was pleased.

    A few minutester, with Adalia in the lead, both of them headed towards the gate of the governor''s mansion and burst into the street. Adalia was very familiar with this neighborhood, so, she knew virtually everything about it. So, as they walked through, she enlightened Xzavier on the owners of the different mansions she let him in on all the spicy gossip going on around regarding the neighbors. Adalia led them down a series of shortcuts and before long, Xzavier and Adalia burst into a nearby busy street, leaving the posh neighborhood behind them.

    Xzavier couldn''t help but notice the sharp difference between both regions. This side of town reflected the hustle and bustle of the city. Chariots roared past. Women clutched their shopping baskets as they hopped from one stall to another, looking for good deals. As both of them walked along the curb, Xzavier was once again confronted with the issue that was the vintage architectural style of this age. The shoppingplexes he was used to contrasted sharply with the stores lined up on both sides of the road. In them were different kinds of wares. There wasn''t any form of homogeneity. All of them were different in nature and in products.

    Amongst the plethora of goods on sale, Xzavier sighted several antiques that he had only seen in museums in his past life. Of course, here they weren''t really antiques but regr goods for sale. The brightly colored tea pots and sugar jars reminded Xzavier that this was indeed a period where Europeans were infatuated with tea and coffee. Umbres, trinkets and decorative pieces stood out of the herd.

    Xzavier''s eager eyes swallowed the entire scene. Enjoying every detail andmitting every aspect of it to memory. The crowd was alive, and made it seem like the city itself was a living, breathing being. The whole thing was dream worthy. Xzavier had only seen scenes like these in dramas and movies on television. So, for him to find himself walking and moving in such a dream-like scene was very bizarre.

    Among the several groups and sses of people present on the ground, Xzavier and Adalia came across a beggar. The tattered clothes and the bowl were the universal sign of the beggar, and it seemed like they were present even in this time. As soon as Adalia spotted the beggar, she was moved withpassion. Xzavier was not easy to sway emotionally.

    The beggar was a man who looked at least seventy years old. He was missing one arm from the shoulder and he appeared to be blind in both eyes. Xzavier took one long, hard look at the beggar and instantly spotted some ring discrepancies.

 Chapter 96 Spring

    The first thing that jumped at Xzavier''s eyes was the fact that, for an old man who was a beggar, he didn''t seem to have the starving look that was typical of beggars.

    Also, Xzavier didn''t know if his eyes were ying games with him, but in the spot where the beggar imed to be missing an arm, he could almost swear that he could make out the faint outline of an arm that had been suppressed by bandage and cleverly concealed behind a baggy top. Xzavier didn''t exactly know where his mind was going with this, but it seemed to him that this particr beggar was an old crone who had spent many years perfecting a fraud.

    Before Xzavier could make his suspicions known to Adalia, the kind girl was already reaching towards the beggar with a penny in her hand. Xzavier swallowed hard and sighed. It was now confirmed. He noted to himself.

    "No matter the time or era, it seems like the scourge of beggars will be ever present."

    Xzavier usually found it hard to let go of things that demanded immediate addressing, but he was surrounded by a hub of catchy things that were engineered to capture and hold the attention of people. So, as soon as Xzavier and Adalia moved on from the beggar, Xzavier found himself captivated by the building in front of them. This particr structure was of the elegant type. Judging by the small crowd gathered around and in its lobby, Xzavier knew that it really must be a busy establishment.

    Unlike the other stores, this building was three stories high. The decoration of the building stood out of the throng like a peacock amongst apany of guinea fowls and ostriches. The walls were artfully designed, and it''s windows were smooth and shiny, almost as if inviting potential customers to feast their eyes on the wonders that awaited them inside. To crown it all, there were some beautiful women stationed outside with friendly smiles weing auras. And like bees to nectar, they drew in a small crowd of potential customers.

    Xzavier couldn''t help but praise the ingenuity of the management.

    For a time like this, their marketing strategy was revolutionary, bold, and intentional. The name of the establishment was called ''Spring.''

    "What a way to advertise a spa¡­" he mumbled to himself.

    Adalia caught the movements of his lips, but because of the noise all around, she hadn''t been able catch what he had said.

    "What?!"

    She gestured with her hands to her ears, letting him know that she hadn''t heard him.

    Xzavier reiterated again.

    "I was asking, why does a spa store need so much ir and decorations?"

    Maybe it was the pinkish vibe, maybe it was the name, but Xzavier had been wrong in his presumptuous assumption that the store was a spa.

    Adalia''s face immediately turned bright pink as she tried to exin to Xzavier that this was in fact not a spa.

    "It''s not a spa store!" she said to Xzavier in a bid to stay above the noise.

    Xzavier was amused. If it wasn''t a store, then what was it? Maybe a beauty store then? He didn''t know it, but he was well afar off from the truth. Adalia made the truth known to him with her very next statement.

    "Oh Xzavier! That''s a ce where men go to rx."<novelnext></novelnext>

    The first thing that came to his mind when she mentioned the words ''men'' and ''rx'' was a bar, or maybe a lounge. But with the suddenness of a lightning strike, the truth hit him like a surge of electricity.

    Xzavier didn''t know if this was all in his head, he didn''t it likely that a ce like this would be so easily essible, and in such a public ce! He looked at Adalia, and much to his dismay, he discovered that he hadn''t being attention to her mannerisms and bodynguage as she spoke about the ''store.''

    Adalia was practically spewing all the signs of a nervous wreck trying her best to keep her tongue free from anything profane as she tried to exin the inexplicable. Her shyness on this topic made all the difference. Xzavier watched her keenly, and immediately deduced that his suspicions were right.

    "Adalia, tell me the truth, this ce is a high-ss brothel isn''t it?" he inquired in a somber tone.

    Adalia avoided his eyes for a moment, deliberating on the best way to reply to an inquiry such as this. Finally, she ended up mumbling an inaudible ''yes.''

    Again and again, Xzavier kept finding himself cornered down surprise alley. Anytime he thought he couldn''t possibly be more stunned by the bizarre ways and culture of this time, fate churned out something even more astounding than the previous bombshell.

    For starters, Xzavier was taken aback by the apparent absence of any kind of a moralpass in this time. Of course, Xzavier hadn''t being na?ve to expect everyone here to be on the same page with regards to moral standards. He anticipated that there would be some left winged liberal activities here, but he hadn''t expected it to be to such a ring degree! In fact, it seemed that there were no conservatives here at all! This was absurd, because in almost every civilization, the liberal to conservative ratio was almost equal. This bnce always preserved the dynamic of things, and kept either side in check.

    But s, this particr utopia seemed to be the exception. Xzavier was truly amazed, the legitive wing of this government seemed to be prettyx in its tolerance of some of itsws. It was no wonder why the level of moral decadence was on the rise.

    Of course, Xzavier didn''t consider himself a saint. He wasn''t diametrically opposed to this particr industry. In fact, more often than he cared to admit, in his past life, once in a blue moon, he was known to visit a few private nightclubs to blow off some steam and release the pent up hormones that had been building up for weeks on end. Some of those times were when he had justpleted some dangerous missions. So, as soon as he was given a temporary break, still high on the adrenaline, he would visit some these irrefutable ces.

    Xzavier smiled, but inwardly, as he recalled some of his fondest memories. He was no stranger to this life.

    "Maybe sometime in the near future, I wonder if it would be possible to introduce some disco songs to spice up things in this world."

    Temporarily trapped in his mind, and still reeling in his fantasy of bing a music mogul as a night king in this era, Xzavier briefly lost touch with reality, and consequently with his environment. So, when Adalia''s scream suddenly assaulted his right ears, Xzavier was forced to rise from the depth of his fantasy, and face his immediate surrounding.

    With the stunning quickness of a jungle cat, Xzavier instinctively spun one hundred and eighty degrees in the direction of the cry. Completely unaware of when the distance between him and Xzavier had grown up to ten feet, Xzavier saw her a short distance away and his blood boiled at the sight that met his gaze.

    If it had been a thief, or a street runt trying to pick Adalia''s pockets, Xzavier probably wouldn''t have been as mad as he was. But instead, it was a drunk, sorry-excuse-of a guy that was boldly feeling up Adalia''s full bottom. With his free hand, and with a horrid look in his intoxicated eyes, he was groping and hungrily squeezing the blond beauty''s ass, utterly savoring it and enjoying every moment. Even when Adalia tried to let, go, he locked her in a kind of embrace, and with his hand behind, he caressed her ample backside like it was a Ballon filled with water.

    Xzavier was enraged. His face darkened as a heavy cloud of anger hovered over his head, epassing him in a thick fog of rage, making his vision to turn blood red. In Xzavier''s mind, this was an unforgivable offense. He could probably spare a thief who was stealing to survive. He might even extend this grace to a liar trying to defraud him. But no matter the location, Xzavier absolutely detested any kind of sexual predator. They disgusted him. To Xzavier, the sight of one was like a cancerous tumor that needed to be cut off immediately.

    So, blinded by his intense dislike for this caliber of nonentities, Xzavier charged towards the drunk and violently shoved him away from Adalia.

    The drunk, who was deeply intoxicated, waspletely shaken when a strong hand ripped him away from his prize. Even while sober, it was very unlikely that he would have stood strong on his feet. But, he was already at a disadvantage because he was drunk. So, his stamina couldn''t sustain the shove. Wobbling on his feet like an old rickety furniture, the drunk man swayed for a moment before hitting the ground with a painful thud as hended on his butt.

 Chapter 97 Conflict

    All things considered, ironically, it was a fitting end for a butt groper like him.

    As Xzavier stood over the drunk whose ce was now on the ground, he felt someone tugging him tightly at the edge of his coat''s sleeve. It was Adalia, and she had a frantic look in her eyes. Xzavier mistook this as the byproduct of her trauma and tried to cate her.

    "Rx, it''s all over now. He won''t be bothering you any time soon¡­"

    "Xzavier let''s get out of here quickly!"

    Xzavier turned round to fully assess the threat level in the environment, thinking maybe there was trouble brewing that he couldn''t see. But as he scanned his immediate surrounding, Xzavier was a bit disappointed to see that there hadn''t even been a single decent reaction from the crowd, or even a considerate passerby. Those who had even bothered to look in the direction of the drunk had on a look of indifference on their faces. It was as if the offense he hadmitted was as normal as a birdnding on a roof.

    Xzavier couldn''t see why Adalia was so worked up. Clearly no one cared. So he thought maybe she was probably ashamed of being degraded in such a demeaning fashion. Xzavier turned to face the drunk again, this time fully prepared to extract an apology from his drunk self. Again and again, Adalia persisted with her pleas, imploring Xzavier to take her out of this ce.

    Xzavier felt a strange wave of nostalgia wash over him as he reviewed Adalia''s situation. This particr scene was oddly reminiscent of that one time with Tacy. The simrity was disturbing in the sense that both Adalia and Tacy had chosen to make the same choice- to leave things as they were, not wanting to stir the pot or make any ripples in the water. He heard the familiar tone of Tacy''s voice echoing in Adalia when she told him that he would get used to it.

    But even now, Xzavier still felt the same way as he did back then. He already knew that there was no way on earth that he would ever get used it.

    So, Xzavier forcefully, and at the same time, gently took hold of Adalia''s wrist andforted her in brash butforting words.

    "You will be fine. Just a little while longer, and everything will be okay. Just trust the process."

    Xzavier''s intentions were noble, but he wasn''t listened to Adalia. If he had been able to put his righteous anger aside, just for a second, he would have been able to discern the true source of Adalia''s worries and why exactly it was so relevant to that particr situation. He didn''t know But he was soon going to find out the hard way.

    Armed with fresh resolve and a burning zeal to defend the oppressed and punish the agitator, he turned to face the group of people who seemed to be together with the drunk.

    For the first time since he had blindly charged at the drunk, Xzavier took his time to look at his victim who was still trying to get up on his own from the ce Xzavier had put him. Slightly amused, Xzavier observed that the drunk was actually a young man who was d in luxurious clothes and a good amount of jewelry. As Xzavier observed him curiously, he concluded that he must be either rich or famous.

    In direct contrast to his own glorious appearance, his entourage seemed to be the exact opposite. They were in dull clothing and had simple looks. In short, they looked in and nd. He soon connected the dots, and immediately, it registered on Xzavier that they weren''t young man''s friends, not in the logical sense. Judging by the way they red at Xzavier and slowly formed a defensive perimeter round about their ward, Xzavier came to understand that they were probably household ves, or maybe even bodyguards of some sort.

    He swallowed hard when it dawned on him that this wasn''t some regr roadside drunk. Xzavier had stumbled on a very interesting situation, and at the center of it all was a young Aristocrat. He already had a faint idea of just how insane the ss system was here. So, when the first wave of the fallout came, Xzavier wasn''t at all surprised.

    One of them stepped forward angrily. By all count, he appeared to be the leader of the servants. ring at Xzavier with all the contempt he could muster, and with his face like thunder, he barked at Xzavier;

    "You impudent rascal! You dare put a hand on my master?!"

    He shook his hands in Xzavier''s face as he thrust out his finger challengingly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Get on your knees this instant and apologize immediately!"

    ? There was no trace of a joke on the face or in the voice of the leader. In fact, his whole stance was the very picture of sober and calcted seriousness. But somehow, Xzavier found himself fighting to suppress the tide ofughter building up in his gut.

    No matter how he tried, Xzavier just couldn''t seem to take his challenger seriously. Maybe it was the costume, maybe it was the way his face twisted tightly when he spoke, or maybe it was the fact that he genuinely expected Xzavier to apologize when the other dude was clearly in the wrong. It was hrious, andughter worthy. Xzavier actually began to doubt if he had heard correctly. But, m his doubts were put at ease with the challenger''s next threat..

    "Either kneel and confess your mistake now, or suffer the consequences of your folly!" he cried at the top of his voice.

    His rising impatience reflected in his tone. Deep down, the leader was a bit disturbed. He hadn''t anticipated the fact that it would take this long for Xzavier to apologize. It was unheard of, almost inconceivable to think that a nobody like him would dare toy hands on a noble. At first, the servant''s leader thought that it had been a mistake, and that Xzavier probably didn''t know who he had assaulted. This was the most probable, and the most usible exnation.

    But much to his surprise, instead of seeing a repentant look, and a corresponding bodynguage that echoed reverence, he seemed to be getting the exact opposite vibe from the stranger. With every passing second, he could see the glowing embers of rebellion and impudence burning brighter and brighter in Xzavier''s eyes. He felt like he was being taunted, baited even.

    He had resorted to threats, thinking this was merely a game of bravado. Secretly hoping that Xzavier would back down.

    "You low life runt!"

    This jab was funny. Not for anything else, but because as a servant, he was also a lowlife runt. His time around nobles had clearly stripped him of his dose of reality. Xzavier wanted to make this clear by releasing an equally vitriolic reply. But as always, his calm logical side prevailed, and with it, the choice to keep calm prevailed as well.

    Behind Xzavier, Adalia sensed that things were about to get serious. So, she rushed to him and quickly brought him up to speed on what he already suspected. She whispered in his ear hurriedly, as if trying her best to quickly rid her mouth of the information that was weighing heavy in her mouth.

    "That''s what I''ve do trying to tell you!" she rasped with nervousness.

    "That drunk is Eadweard-  the primogeniture of the Anjou family!"

    Xzavier didn''t know if that piece of information was supposed to make a difference. In any case, it didn''t. Adalia sensed that he was unimpressed and proceeded to borate more in hushed whispers.

    "This is no small fish Xzavier, he is a yboy king! And no one in the whole of Princy State dares to mess with his family, except the governor."

    With this new information that had only just been brought to light, Xzavier finally began to see a much clearer picture. He wasn''t just dealing with a regr douchebag, this was a gigantic douchebag of a cosmic proportion- a yboy prince with family connections, wealth and prestige. The perfect recipe for the making of a future tyrannical ruler!

    Xzavier began to feel like maybe had put him on this path to set this yboy straight. On the long run, he would be doing the future generations a favor by humbling him here today.

    The yboy prince of the hour wasn''t really feeling princely at the moment. For some odd reason, he was seated in the dust, and in public! His mind was an intoxicated mess, so he struggled to find the missing piece in his juggled memory. He soon found the missing link in his memories, and filled the gap. It took him a while, but he finally realized that he had been shoved hard. Really hard! The pain in his butt was beginning to roar behind him like a dumb lio.

 Chapter 98 Tension

    Like a toddler who had been robbed of his favorite toy, the young yboy''s face flustered as blood rushed from everywhere to his face head, trying to heal his injured ego. Consumed by the thought of being disrespected in such a crude manner, he took over the verbal warfare from his servant and issued his first order;

    "What are you waiting for you twerps?!" he screamed like a petnt child.

    "ARREST THIS BASTARD!!!"

    At the onset, despite how it had seemed at the time, it turned out that the chief servant had actually been handling the situation pretty calmly. Immediately Eadweard roused up from his drunken state, he wasted no time in calling for the worst possible way to handle it.

    With the boss man finally conscious, the chief servant had no choice but to relinquish the authority to Eadweard. Like a hype man, he echoed the voice of his lord;

    "Get on with it! You heard the master!" he yelled at the other servants.

    In an instant, quicker than the most minds can follow, about a dozen servants surged forward at themand of their chief and charged at Xzavier in blind fury. No one even knew they were that much. This particr batch of servants had blended in with the crowd in the background, and only came forward when summoned to handle the transgressor.

    Xzavier, (being the experiencedbatant that he was) took only one very short look at his assants, and deduced the fact that they were very unskilled in the art ofbat. Their stance was all wrong. Their formation was appalling. The way they even shrieked as they charged into battle was all the evidence that Xzavier really needed. Also, it was more than evident that they were all ordinary people, so, it was safe to say that they didn''t know any magic. They probably sensed this about Xzavier too, hence, the reason for their very uncoordinated attack.

    As they approached him like a clumsy wave, Xzavier exhaled in exasperation.

    "I don''t think I''ll enjoy this as much as I had thought¡­"

    Eadweard watched with glee as his small army charged headlong at the enemy. He had been so ovee with the desire for revenge that he hadn''t even thought to get up from his debasing position. All his heart and mind was centered on teaching themoner a lesson.

    Because Eadweard was still sitting on the floor, the crowd in front of him towered above him. Robbing him of the pleasure of having to watch his goons tear Xzavier apart like a ambush of Tigers. He was about to make effort to stand on his feet when he started hearing the sounds of an alteration.

    WHACK! WHACK! BOOM! POW! POW! Crash! Thud!

    Satisfied that his orders were being carried out, Eadweard made a move to stand up on his feet, but in that same moment, he was almost crushed by a body that had been flung in his direction with the ease of someone flinging a sack of wheat, or even a new born child. Eadweard somehow managed to duck at thest moment, and narrowly escaped getting rammed by a human torpedo.

    He followed the trajectory of the body with his eyes, and was shocked when he saw that it was one of his servants! The leader of the servants who had stayed back to attend to Eadweard, rushed to his master to attend to him.

    "Master Eadweard! Are you okay?! Please pardon my negligence!"

    He cried as he tried to assist his Master in his getting up. Eadweard angrily pushed the chief servant''s hand away as he tried to help him. That wasn''t his issue at the moment. As he stood up and rose to his full height, a very sorry sight greeted his eyes.

    Like a scene from one those bedtime hero stories, Xzavier singlehandedly repelled the scourge of unskilled, ill-trained, tactless servants foolishly charging at him without any kind of n whatsoever. Using nothing but brute force, (and skillful maneuvers) Xzavier gave each and every one of them a beating they would never forget in their lives. Anyone he beat, he would fling out of his orbit in the direction of Eadweard and his trusty servant. Before long, all the servants who went together to attack Xzavier in one ord, were the littered bodies on the ground around the surrounding area. As one, in one discordant disturbing tune, they wailed and wailed.<novelnext></novelnext>

    No one was more confounded than Eadweard in that moment. Eyes wide open in disbelief, and with his jaw dropping from the hinges of his mouth, the yboy looked askance at the astounding sight before him. He wondered if he was still drunk, or maybe seeing things. It was one of those sights that one only witnessed once in a blue moon!

    While the noble struggled to wrap his head around the fact that a nobody had just repelled his entire band of avenging angels, the astute and observant chief servant took in the situation calmly. It was clear to him that the stranger was no ordinary person. And yet, the most disturbing fact of all was that he couldn''t sense a single trace of mana from him. So, the stranger was obviously not a mage as well. This posed to he a very conflicting scenario.

    Unlike Eadweard, the chief servant didn''t bother to linger on things he could do nothing about. With his other colleagues down, and with him being thest line of defense, he stepped forward to the challenge.

    "This is yourst warning! If you surrender now and apologize, we will take your prudence into consideration and consider sparing your life!"

    Even as he made thisst attempt to curtail this situation that was quickly spiraling out of control, the chief servant was under no illusion that this might end up working.

    Xzavier on the other hand was exasperated. He was sick and tired of being asked to apologize when it was ring that the other party was the side in the wrong. No matter how he tried, he just couldn''t grasp the logic behind their im. It was as wed as it was baseless. Why couldn''t they see that the noble man was the one who had made the mistake? Why did they keep insisting he should apologize? Wasn''t this the very definition of lunacy?

    Xzavier whipped his head around, hoping to see if someone else in the crowd saw reason with him. Xzavier wasn''t even surprised when he saw the looks on the faces of the spectators. There wasn''t even a single sympathetic soul present. Like a bunch of bloodthirsty Romans at a diator duel, this particr crowd also drank in the free entertainment with equal vigor. No one, not even a single soul tried to intervene to break up the fight.

    Instead, they all remained on the sidelines, watching Xzavier and the others like they were watching a chicken fight in an animal fight club. Only this time, without the jeering or cheering or the cing of bets.

    Even without doing anything, they were allplicit to the perversion of the truth that was being done here. Xzavier remembered what Tacy often repeated in his ears;

    "It''s just the way things are¡­."

    By this time, it was apparent to the chief servant that Xzavier wasn''t going to apologize. So, with his eyes still following Xzavier''s every move, he slowly took off his long coat and immediately assumed an attack stance.

    The chief servant wasn''t the only one who was watching his opponent. Xzavier in like manner also screened his every move, following his every movement with the watchful gaze of a predator. Judging from the other man''s stance, anyone with an eye for detail would be able to see that this particr opponent was in a way different league than the other fickle creatures Xzavier had handled.

    The chief servant assumed a fighting stance, and with this bold deration of war, the imaginary battle line was drawn, inadvertently bidding farewell to any more notions of diplomacy. With each side choosing to remain stubborn and unyielding, the gates of discourse closed behind them. And in its stead stood the cackling thunder clouds.

    The tension in the air was palpable. No one could deny it.

    Behind Xzavier, huddled in one corner stood the contemting Adalia. The blue eyed maiden had a great nose for sniffing out trouble. She didn''t need a soothsayer or seer to predict the forecast over this atmosphere, it was clear enough that this whole things was headed south.

    Also, another factor that influenced her analysis was Xzavier. Adalia had been around Xzavier long enough to know that the young man was a walking, breathing, live ma that drew in the weirdest kinds of trouble. Of course, she wasn''t biased enough to think that it was deliberate. But it didn''t make it any less true! She couldn''t be mad at him, she knew that this wasn''t always his intention. And yet, somehow, it almost always ended up this way.

 Chapter 99 Battle

    Even as she stood behind Xzavier, watching him and his opponent re at each other in preparation for battle, Adalia remembered her very first encounter with him, and how it had also been tinged with bloodshed. She recalled how Xzavier had single handedly ughtered the monsters that had encamped round her that night.

    But even then, Adalia didn''t realize just what level of trouble Xzavier was drawn to him. After being through a lot with him, she hade to understand that Xzavier''s integrity was the backbone of his character. And because it was in constant opposition to this world, it always invited altercations.

    Therefore, with this knowledge as her base, Adalia examined the situation, as well as the vtile elements involved, and surmised that this was going to be one hell of a violent altercation. With the fight looking more and more inevitable with each passing moment, Adalia then made the conscious decision to take advantage of the situation by slipping away unnoticed while all eyes were still on the two men.

    This wasn''t a decision that was based on cowardice. Adalia was under no illusion as to the extent of her own capabilities. She couldn''t afford the luxury of being deluded enough to think she would be of any real help, especially in a situation like this. The objective-thinking maiden knew her ce, she was only a woman with nobat skills, and she also had no magic at all. There was simply no denying the fact that she couldn''t provide any assistance if she stayed.

    Seeing that it would be considered rude of her to simply disappear without any word, Adalia quickly made her announcement to Xzavier before she dashed off;

    "I''ll be right back!"

    Wishing she could run faster than the quickest horse, Adalia ran with all her might towards the governor''s mansion. That was the only thing she could do.

    Meanwhile, the standoff between both men continued. With almost a dozen feet of space between them, it was safe to say that there was a sizeable distance between both men. But that didn''t stop the chief servant from lunging at Xzavier.

    In the blink of an eye, he screamed at Xzavier and crossed the line separating them. His speed was both admirable and shocking. Because of his blinding speed, Xzavier was taken off guard and couldn''t react appropriately. So, he was forced into a defensive position. His instincts took over, and he employed the cross-cross defense via his arms. Unfortunately, that wasn''t enough to deflect or even cushion the blow.

    The chief servant''s blownded neatly on Xzavier''s right arm with a crashing thud. Xzavier had factored in his opponent''s speed, weight and arm power, and had therefore anticipated a certain degree of force, but unfortunately for Xzavier, the effect of the blow was more deadly than his original calctions had envisaged.

    The moment his opponent''s balled fist made contact with his arm, Xzavier felt the raw, crude power from the chief servant''s arm. If it were possible, in that very moment, Xzavier would have loved to slow down time just so he could take a closer look his enemy''s fist. But regrettably, that was out of the question. It felt like an industrial machine made of titanium had mmed into his organic arm that was made of flesh and bone.

    The lingering effect of the pain was diabolical. The residual force dislodged Xzavier from his already formidable stance. Feeling like he had been knocked off his feet by a rampaging wild bull, Xzavier found himself suddenly flying through the air. His sorrows seemed to have multiplied. As he struggled to keep himself from going nuts because of the burning white pain that was searing through his arm, and bearing down on him, Xzavier was also cursed with the overbearing thought of anticipating the pain that was waiting for him the moment his back hit the ground.

    Eventually, his nightmare came to pass. His back mmed into the wall of a nearby store, shattering the stic decorations on the wall of the store. Xzavier was now battling pain on two fronts. His arm was still very much ame with the agony of a shattered femur, the pain threatened to eviscerate his bone fragments andpletely dislodge his entire arm from his joints. The pain at his back was a watered down version of the pain in his arm. But that didn''t mean it wasn''t in any way still agonizing. Xzavier suspected he had ruptured a few of his own ribs in the process of all this.

    And this was only the first blow.

    Suddenly, a familiar voice, sprung up within him, echoing his own suspicions.

    "Major Xzavier, please be advised, a slight bone fracture has been observed in your left arm."<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was the military system! Its automated, generic voice announced the first casualty of this battle. Xzavier didn''t think he would be hearing from the military system again after such a long moment of silence. This kind of brought on a nket of solitude for Xzavier.

    But that nket was ripped off of him the very next second. As Xzavier tried to suck in a lung full of air, he seemed to have taking in a deep breath of burning ice cold pain instead of oxygen. With no other option in sight, Xzavier began to ride the pain on a wave of of anger. Anger was the only thing that could serve as a shield for the pain. This ancient, primitive reaction was what Xzavier turned to rely on. In that moment, it was all that it had.

    It was his own defensive mechanism. Xzavier had so many reasons to be enraged. For one, Xzavier had expected this altercation to go the way most market brawls went. It was supposed to be a simple dispute. However, he had just been given but a small taste of what awaited him should he chose to tread on this path. The stranger clearly had every intention of killing him! The bloodlust in his initial attack proved to be all the evidence Xzavier needed.

    From the beginning, when Xzavier saw the way this chief servant had positioned himself before he pounced, he knew that this was no ordinary servant. Even then, there was no possible way of discerning his true strength. Even now, Xzavier still hadn''t been able to sessfully psychoanalyze the enemypletely. But one thing was clear though from the severity of his attack; this was an enemy who wasn''t afraid of bearing the consequences of killing someone in the presence of so many witnesses.

    This new deduction showed how far away Xzavier was from the battle. Xzavier had somehow misread the severity of the entire situation. And all for what? Just so the delinquent act of a yboy prince could be swept under the rug?

    While Xzavier ran a marathon through his own mind as he looked for reasons behind the opposition''s justification for attacking with the intent to kill, the other man with a quiet pair of eyes was also making his own assessment.

    He was a lot intelligent than he had let on. Unlike the other empty brained servants, this particr guy had a lot of brain power. His initial attack was no mistake. As destructive as it was, the attack had only been a calcted attempt to gain much needed Intel on Xzavier. The trial and error had proved that Xzavier was an ordinary person who could not do any magic.

    "But why was he so confident back then? What strange card was he banking on that he had the impudence toy his hand on a noble?"

    These were questions that needed immediate answers. But in the heat of the moment, and with no time to actually ponder on such benign observations, the chief arrived at his own conclusions.

    "So, at the end of the day, he''s just a nobody after all¡­"

    His cold expression hardened as he looked down condescendingly at Xzavier.

    "Whatever you may be, I''ve got to hand it to you, you''re a pretty bold bastard! I''ll give you that for sure!"

    His sarcastic tone now dripped contempt. Every atom of respect he previously had for Xzavier vanished like dust before the wind. All he saw now was a fraud, an empty, cocky bastard who had simply perfected the art of appearing to be a bad guy with dangerous abilities. To the chief servant, it wasughable and just pathetic.

    But Xzavier wasn''t done yet. The servant''s guard was down having sessfully figured out his enemy. He thought that this would be a breeze from then on. It turned out to be a disastrous mistake.

    The first sign of danger didn''t carry the ominous doom of an omen. The chief servant noticed Xzavier searching through his pockets as hey on his size, half dazed. He was a bit cautious at first, but since he had already ruled out Xzavier to be a clown, he found himself leaning more towards curiosity than caution.

 Chapter 100 How Can...

    Anxious to see what other clownish maneuver Xzavier was going to do next, the chief servant watched curiously as the stranger pulled out an oddly shaped object. As Xzavier slowly lifted it up to point at him, the chief servant observed that it was a hand pull object, with a metal hollow tube attached to the mouth.

    As he watched Xzavier lift up the object to point at him, the chief servant noted that the self confident look had returned once again to Xzavier''s eye. This time, it didn''t look fake, this time, he the cold ck eyes of a killer stared back at him. The chief servant recognized those eyes. More than anyone, he knew that those eyes couldn''t be faked.

    In that moment, an unsettling feeling washed over him like the chill of a morning bath on a cold winter morning. He couldn''t exin it, but somehow, at the back of his mind, there was a faint warning which he just couldn''t ce his hands on. On a conscious level, it seemed like an illogical fear. After all, the enemy had been exposed as a fraud! So, why this feeling?!

    With each nanosecond that rushed by, the nagging feeling increased. And along with it, his own rising heart rate, beating in sync with the sudden tension he was feeling. The cold look in Xzavier''s eyes turned to a wall of ck ice as he tightened his grip on the object. Finally, he submitted to his own instincts. The he chief servant knew that even though he wasn''t sure of Xzavier''s intentions, his instincts were right! That iron that was pointed at him was going to hurt him!

    Every single muscle in the entirety of his being reacted as one as he tried to duck. Regrettably, his speed couldn''t save him from the supersonic speed of a bullet roaring through the shaft of a military grade Glock-47 pistol. The only thing he saw was that Xzavier had squeezed the hand held object. With no silencer on the mouth of the gun, a loud gunshot followed.

    The bang was so sudden and so loud, that it distracted the chief servant from noticing the fact that a hole had been made in his own thigh.

    The chief servant didn''t know what to make of the loud bang. Along with the thundering report of Xzavier''s gun came a pandemonium in the surrounding area.

    Those who had been following the events of the match closely as they feasted their eyes on the free show werepletely taken unawares! The deafening bang sounded like someone had gathered six thunders and released them at once. This who were the closest to the bang felt like their ear drums had been assaulted.

    Themotion that followed was like a riot. Women screamed. Young children (and some of the men) called for their mothers. Men and much younger men shamelessly tossed children and women out of the way in their bid to escape whatever destruction had caused such a loud report.

    The yboy prince Eadweard wasn''t left out! There was enough to go around, so he got his own portion of the terror. For the first time in his life, he found himself truly alone and saddled with responsibility of taking care of himself. With all of his servants incapacitated and the remaining one engaged, Eadweard assumed that it was the end of the world.

    Unable to do anything by himself, he stood still, fixated to one ce as his eyes darted back and forth looking for the best possible person to order!

    "Hey you there! You! Imand you to carry me right this instant! Get me out of here!"

    It sounded more like the pitiful wailing of a petnt child than the strong,pelling order of a noble.

    Every single person ignored him. In that moment, he might have as well been a statue.

    Whatever the age, timeline, or location, it seemed like effect of a gunshot in public was practically the same! All out terror!

    But that wasn''t the primary objective of this particr gunshot. After the novelty of the deafening sound had passed through the chief servant, the epassing pandemonium all around him caused him to try to move with the crowd as well. Unfortunately, that was when he began to notice that something was very wrong.

    From that point, it all went downhill for him. The pain in his thigh struck him with the suddenness of an arrow. This sharp pain tore at his insides, enming his every breath, and wrapping his thigh area in a dense fog of agony. This was surprising! Shocking even.

    Still unaware of the facts of his new situation, and still operating under the assumption that he was still untouched, the clueless chief servant instinctively reached for his thigh to investigate the growing pain. He couldn''t even turn his neck. So, he relied instead on his hands to ry the cause of the pain stabbing him with the intensity and collective bombardment of a hundred needles.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The first thing his hand reported was the fact that his clothes were soaked with a thick spongy liquid. He had all sorts of exnations for that, sweat, excessive sweat, more and more sweat.. Anything but blood. How could it be blood when he clearly hadn''t been attacked. It was only when he lifted up his had to his face that he saw that it was his own blood. The look of astonishment on his face was priceless in that moment. With blood slipping out of his body, he soon began to feel his own fleeting life leaving him.

    rmed, he felt like he had been mmed in the chest with a hammer. Although, that might have been the effect of the bullet on his ribcage.

    "How? When?" he stammered as he dropped to his knees.

    He genuinely wondered if this was magic. It seemed that the seemingly ordinary man hadunched an attack on him. But how? That was the question he had.

    Xzavier watched with glee as the bullet tore through the flesh of his enemy. In truth, Xzavier didn''t want to kill everyone over such a basic issue. He simply wanted to drive home a lesson to prevent them from indulging in such a crude and offensive behavior in the near future. So, instead of making it a lethal shot, Xzavier deliberately aimed and shot at his thigh instead of going for a head shot.

    Anyone in the chief servant''s position would resign to his fate and pray for the best, but Xzavier discovered quickly that this wasn''t the type of man to go down that easy. Instead of gracefully epting the fact that he had been outdone here, Xzavier''s sharp eye caught the leader trying to pull out something from behind him. Xzavier was instantly on guard.

    He read his opponent''s movements and quickly discerned that if he refused to take action to counter whatever it was the leader was nning, he would most definitelye to regret it in the near future. More and more precautions were called for. So, this time, Xzavier took full advantage of the one benefit he had avable to him- the Military System.

    "Military System!" Xzavier summoned urgently. "Cover me in an NIJ-grade body armor and helmet! Immediately!"

    Of course, this wasn''t free. The military system worked with a point system. And therefore, a request like this automatically tranted to one point being deducted from him.

    "Affirmative Major. Your request has been received sessfully! Please stand by."

    The body armor immediately appeared as always. And Xzavier wasted no time slipping into it. In the nick of time, just as Xzavier finished changing, the chief servant flicked his hand and something invisible whizzed through the air and rushed towards Xzavier with a blinding speed.

    Xzavier didn''t know exactly what it was, but his instincts told him that it was sharp, dangerous and definitely lethal. So, without even trying to contend with his own instincts, his reflexes took over and he tried to dodge the flying weapon. Despite his quick discernment and fast reflexes, Xzavier still took a hit.

    It hadn''t been for his Ker bulletproof vest that stopped the de, Xzavier would have been a punctured like a leaking bag of water.

    The leader had been watching, expecting to see the dead body of Xzavier double back over and die at the impact of the attack. So, his surprise was paralyzing when he saw that somehow, an ordinary human had actually survived his wicked darts. It was unbelievable! His whole understanding of his situation had been built on the fact that Xzavier was indeed a fraud. The logical mind of the the chief servant struggled to make sense of the whole thing.

    The part that didn''t add up stood out like a sore thumb. It was a question that had often been asked frequently.

    "With no mana, how can he stillunch magic based attacks, and defensive maneuvers?"

    Refusing to ept this dynamic change in the situation of the battle, the chief servant hardened his already steely resolve and prepared for another wave of attack.

 Chapter 101 Unexpected Reunion

    As he lifted up his right hand tounch another dart at Xzavier, he found out that somehow, his right palm had been pierced. He was bbergasted. He looked at his hand like he didn''t recognize it as his own. He red at it as if it had somehow betrayed him by being vulnerable. It had all happened too quickly for him to process it.

    This time, he didn''t try to stifle the cry. This time, he didn''t try to be all macho about it one bit. He opened his mouth, and like an animal that had been cornered in a trap, a sharp cry of pain came out. He screeched like a wounded hawk, filling the air with the agony of his injury. His torment was on two fronts. The pain of an unexpected attack was twice as agonizing as the pain from an attack that one might have seening.

    The suddenness of the attack, plus the neat-silent way with which it had been executed had the chief servant reeling in awe of Xzavier. As he lifted up his eyes from his already bleeding palm to look at Xzavier, he saw a very different picture. Compared to the mental image he had already had of his enemy, the figure that stood before him looked like a monster. His cold dead eyes which resembled that of a serpent, was gazing back at him with a homicidal vibe.

    In that moment, staring eye to eye with Xzavier, the chief servant realized with a cold chill that Xzavier had actually been rtively rxed all this while. The deadly cold side of him had only just awakened. With this sudden revtion, and with the terrible pain in his palm as a constant reminder, he didn''t know when he found himself thinking;

    "Just who is this guy?!"

    Now that the tides had changed, Xzavier''s own point of view waspletely different. Hisposure was very cid, and he radiated a kind of cold confident calm which hinted at the fact that he was in perfect control of his environment.

    Without even raising his voice, he addressed his astonished enemy in a suave tone;

    "Listen very carefully¡­" he began, "¡­if you try tounch any more attacks, if you so much as breathe aggressively, the next hole will be in your head."

    Like a scared kid who had been cornered by his prey, the chief servant remained in a state of perpetual fear and shock. Unable to move, he remained still, as if bound by Xzavier''s words.

    Right at that moment, Adalia who had taken off to go get help, re-emerged on the scene and spotted Xzavier in his bulletproof vest that she had seen many times before. She instantly recognized it. And because she had associated Xzavier''s bulletproof vest with him being battle ready, she knew that he meant business this time.

    This time, Adalia wasn''t alone. Her flight hadn''t been for naught. Indeed, she brought the whole gang back with her! The quick, brash feet of Earlene which was always attracted to trouble had followed Adalia and brought her right to trouble''s threshold. Behind her was the younger of the governor''s children, Earlene''s younger brother Cadence. He was also anxious to see Xzavier in action. The youngd knew he would not be disappointed.

    Lastly, following closely on Adalia''s heels, and with eager eyes, Laddie also stepped into the scene of the altercation. As soon as Adalia had informed him of Xzavier''s situation, the white bearded old man immediately left all he had been doing and dashed after Adalia who led him here, to Xzavier.

    Full of knowledge and wisdom, the burning ck eyes of the old man took in the entire situation before him and began to assess the damage to the enemy and potentially, to the house of his employer.

    The senior mage wasn''t disappointed, not in the least way. He realized with glee that Xzavier had beaten up just about everyone present. The bodies of the numerous servants who were still trying to recover from the first wave of Xzavier''s assault, were scattered unevenly across the area.

    Laddie took in the sight before him with a kind of silent pride. Though he didn''t voice it out loud, he praised Xzavier in his mind;

    "Nice one Xzavier, nice one!"

    The old man wasn''t expecting anything less than this. After all, Xzavier was a level 6 hunter who had been able to kill a whole leader of an orc tribe, a feat that had already been ruled out as an impossible task by top hunters and top mages. Of course, for one who had been able to aplish something of this nature, a bunch of humans would be nothing to him.

    As Laddie scanned the scene of the battle, his eyes caught a familiar face. The figure with the bleeding palm and blood soaked thigh appeared to resemble someone very familiar. Laddie came closer to confirm, and s, it was someone he actually knew.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Fachnan?" The old man wondered.

    Fachnan was a former student of the Senior Mage. Laddie had taught a lot of students in his lifetime. In fact, sometimes, one or two strange faces would walk up to him and introduce themselves as former students of his. Being the courteous one, Laddie would smile and indulge them, even though he could have sworn that he didn''t know them from Adam. He hardly every recognized any of his past students.

    However, this time, he remembered this particr one. It wasn''t because his memory was so excellent, the reason was simply because the young man in question had been one of his most remarkable and memorable students. Fachnan was his name.

    Seeing such a ster student again brought back memories from a seemingly different lifetime. Even as a young child, Fachnan had shown great promise. So, seeing him on the side of Anjou family ying the part of the yboy''s muscle was a bit disappointing. He had expected so much more. The old man did not hesitate to make his disappointment in.

    "FACHNAN!!!"

    He called his name with the unmistakable authority of one who did not just know him, but as an authority figure who was in a ce to rebuke him. Fachnan was dealing with a whole other situation of his own. So when he heard the angry, reprimanding voice of a very familiar person, he was forced to break out of the mental prison Xzavier had locked him in, and turn to find out the owner of the voice.

    To his uttermost surprise, he found out it was the Senior Mage- Laddie. Like a scene from his pasting back to haunt him at his worst, the old man stood out in the small crowd like an apparition. His robes pping in the wind, and his iconic white beard glistening under the sun''s rays made him look like a mirage that had been cooked up by his mind.

    Fachnan was about to close his eyes and surrender to the fact that he was going mad, when the sharp reprimanding voice of the old man pulled him back.

    "You fool!" He thundered. "How did you end up as a mere hatchet man for the Anjou family!?"

    The old man might have been a top mage, but he was no seer. There was no way he could have known that such a ster student would stray so far from his own brilliant future.

    Fachnan had already suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Xzavier. As a fighter, his spirit was broken. Seeing his old instructor look at him in that moment with a look of pure disgust¡­

    It was all too much for his broken battered mind to handle. He bowed his head in shame, and endured the tongueshing. He didn''t dare to look his former teacher in the face. His shame wouldn''t him.

    At that very moment, Eadweard, the yboy of the Anjou family, (and the reason behind all of this ruckus) who had been half drunk and half awake, finally roused from his drunken state and regained a fraction of his consciousness. The first set of faces looked familiar because they ran in the same social circle of nobles.

    The conscious part of his brain that was only half awake, immediately registered and remembered their names- Earlene and Cadence!

    Eadweard sat up straight so fast that he almost ended up killing himself with a migraine from his hangover. Like a child, he cried aloud in pain and rested his palm on his forehead. Hearing the cry of pain, almost everyone in the environment turned in the direction of the young man thinking some cmity had befallen him. But it was only the self indulgent, pitiful, pathetic cry of a crybaby in the body of an young man.

    The rush of the memories of the past hour, coupled with the shock of seeing Earlene and Cadence, further increased the intensity of his headache from the hangover. Noisily, he rose up him the dust where he had passed out, and stood on his feet to challenge Xzavier.

 Chapter 102 Eadweard

    Struggling to remain standing, and wobbling on his feet like a piece of paper in the wind, Eadweard saw that the governor''s children and Xzavier seemed to know each other. Infuriated, he shrieked at Xzavier;

    "You! What are you doing with them?! Don''t you know they are nobles? "

    Cadence, who at this point might as well be a worshipper of Xzavier, saw his opportunity to get in Xzavier''s good books, and answered Eadweard;

    "Back off Ed. This is the new tutor my father hired for I and my sister."

    Xzavier didn''t fully understand the cover up that Cadence had covered for him. Here, there were draconianws that had been put in ce to keep themoners away from the nobles. Hence, thew thatpletely forbademoners from offending nobles. Xzavier was oblivious of thisw.

    By cing Xzavier under the protective banner of the Quincy name, in one statement, Cadence had absolved Xzavier of any transgression of this particrw. Otherwise, Xzavier would have been subject to the harshest kind of punishments. This was one of the reasons why Adalia had warned Xzavier not to go wandering about when they first arrived in Victoria city. Laws like this were the bulwark of this time, and they enforced the barriers between the sses.

    At this point, Earlene was the only other legit member of the family who could back Cadence''s im, so Eadweard shot Earlene a questioning look, asking if it were true. As one who was willful and exceedingly stubborn, Earlene recognized the condescending look on Eadweard''s face. The youngdy did not appreciate it at all. And for this very reason, she decided to back her brother on this.

    "Yes¡­" she echoed coldly as she red at Eadweard with narrowed eyes.

    "It is true."

    The young girl had to bite down on her caustic tongue from saying something acidic, which could have potentially escted the situation.

    Eadweard looked at them deeply for some time as he deliberated on what course of action to take. His was an ordinary mind of a simple disposition. So, when he tried to contemteplex issues, he usually went overboard with his theories.

    As he stared at the members of the governor''s household standing solidly behind Xzavier, feeling alienated, the yboy prince began to see a whole different picture. His wild thoughts, fanned by the mes of his bruised ego, invoked the morbid thoughts of suspicious of a nned gang up.

    Eadweard began to think that maybe, this wasn''t a coincidence at all. He began to think and dwell on the fact that this had in fact been a deliberate n by the Princy family to mess with him. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. The dent in his bruised ego began to swell as Eadweard feasted on the lies he was telling himself.

    Even though he was a yboy who loved the pleasures of the flesh more than he loved the responsibility that came with his position in his family, Eadweard wasn''tpletely ignorant of the silent battle and the politicking between nobles. He knew that among the nobles, this kind of mutual suppression wasn''t umon. So, Eadweard pacified his own raging thoughts and assuaged himself thinking; maybe this wasn''t s big deal after all.

    Willing to put all this behind him, he shrugged it off and turned his back to leave.

    He might have been done. But Xzavier clearly wasn''t. Just as Eadweard was about to take his first step towards thend of more wanton pleasure that awaited him ahead, Xzavier called out to him in a crude and brash tone;

    "You!"

    Thinking Xzavier wanted to embarrass him further, Eadweard turned back to re at Xzavier. But he ended up getting another dose of surprise;

    ."You''re not anywhere until you tender an apology to thedy!"

    Eadweard was a bit confused. He hadn''t offended Earlene in any way, so what was the stranger rambling on about?

    "What Lady? I haven''t even as spoken a word to the governor''s daughter. Mind your business and let me be on my way."

    "I am not talking about Earlene. I am referring to thedy whom you offended."

    Now Eadweard thought Xzavier was messing with him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Oh for heaven''s sake! What are you talking about?"

    Eadweard wasn''t ying dumb. It was simply the fact that he had never thought it possible for anyone to ask him to apologize to a mere servant.

    So, when the stranger in the ck vest looked past Earlene and pointed at the blonde servant girl draped in in clothes, Eadweard scoffed in disbelief. Thinking how this must be a sick prank, he threw cocked his head to one side in a jeering manner and roared inughter. Shaking like a leaf in the wind, and vibrating like an industrial engine, the young yboyughed with all of his being till tears formed in his eyes.

    "Haha ahah ahaha!!! You''re indeed a funny one! You want...me to....haha!"

    His heavy mockingughter couldn''t let him speak. That was just how hrious he found the whole. When he finally managed to suppress hisughter, he roared at Xzavier.

    "HOW CAN I APOLOGIZE TO A MERE SERVANT?! What a joke!!"

    Of course nobles usually looked down on regr people, but Eadweard, being the condescending privileged spoiled brat, didn''t even see servants as people, he thought of them as animals, beasts of burden even.

    So, asking an affluent noble like him to apologize to an ordinary servant girl, (and in the presence of his own servants and other regr people) was a task he viewed as so debasing and so repugnant, Xzavier might have as well asked him to walk naked and dance in the marketce as a lunatic! This was a young man who had known nothing but affluence all his young life.

    To him, the pleasure ofmand was his birth right. If he had his way, he literally wouldn''t have the servants breathe the same air as him. This was just how much he looked down on the lower ss, and the servants in particr.

    When Eadweard finally stoppedughing, he noted for the very first time that he was the only one who wasughing. Clearly, the others didn''t find anything funny. If he had stoppedughing hysterically like a hyena much earlier, he would have been able to discern this fact. Xzavier''s stern face met his own weak expression. And in that instant, Eadweard knew that Xzavier meant business, he was not joking. The smirk on his face, along with the dying me of his violentughter melted away like snow before the re of a hot summer sun.

    To show that he wasn''t joking, and to establish the fact that he was very much serious about this. Xzavier stepped forward menacingly with a stern expression. And before Eadweard could say jack, Xzavier quickly grabbed him by the wrist and stared him down with the crazy look of a homicidal maniac.

    "Did I stutter? You are going to apologize to thedy for being a mean jerk. You are going to apologize, and you''re going to mean it."

    Xzavier''s tone wasn''t forceful, neither was it in anyway patronizing. He spoke as if Eadweard had no choice in this matter. He spoke as if he was going to do it whether he liked it or not. No one said anything. They all watched calmly, and with mild tension as Xzavier handled the notorious yboy.

    The full weight of what he was asking might have been lost on Xzavier, but for the other young man, it was an abomination not just to even ask him to do it, but to even think about it in the first ce. It wasn''t even a question, a noble like Eadweard would never apologize to a mere servant. To do so would go against everything that he and his values ever stood for. He wasn''t particrly a brave individual, but in this case, he stood his ground and stubbornly red back at his assaint.

    "It would be a cold day in hell before I apologize to a servant dog!"

    Like the drama queen that he was, Eadweard gathered spittle in his mouth and spat on the ground to show his contempt.

    "What can you do anyway if I refuse?! I am the son of¡ª"

    Sensing that Eadweard was about to embark on an endless monologue just to make himself look bigger than he actually was, Xzavier applied more pressure to his grip on Eadweard''s hand and squeezed very tightly. Eadweard was a man who had known very little pain since he had been born. Consequently, his endurance for pain was very close to being non existent. So, he whimpered like a little puppy and turned to look at Cadence and Earlene.

    "Do something! This has gone on far enough!"

    But Xzavier used his body to block his gaze before he could even get any of them to intercede for him.

    "Don''t look at them, no one can save you from my hand..."

 Chapter 103 Iâ€™m Sorry

    He tightened his grip on Eadweard''s wrist to strengthen his point.

    "This is between you and me."

    Eadweard grimaced in pain and yelped like a puppy who had been whipped. Still trying to be macho about it all, (even though he was very much in pain) Eadweard looked at Xzavier in his best ''manly'' face, and put on a show of being unafraid;

    "You vermin! Do you not know... "

    Even in pain, Eadweard was still trying to treat Xzavier like he was a second ss citizen. Actually, Xzavier didn''t care what Eadweard thought of him. All he wanted at this moment was to squeeze out an apology even if he didn''t mean it. Xzavier wanted this memory burned in the farthest reaches of his brain, so at any point in the future, whenever he might consider acting out of line to a female, he would remember this moment and desist from it.

    Thus, saving moredies from his unsolicited groping in the future. The back and forth between both men continued for a minute or two. Xzavier would apply much firmer force on Eadweard''s wrist, forcing out a scream from him, and Eadweard would skip like a wild young buck, trying his best to hold out on his dignity for as long as he could.

    When Eadweard woke up that morning, he didn''t think he would be subject to this kind of humiliation. If he had known that this was what fate had prepared for him, he would have stayed in bed for a whole week, not daring toe out, totally bound by his fear of this nightmare froming to pass. But s, it was happening already, and worse still, in the presence of people whom he wouldn''t deign to clean the toilet he pooped in.

    Finally, after a few repeated cycles of confirmations and contests, Eadweard caved in shamelessly. Much to the astonishment of everyone gathered in the crowd, the exalted yboy prince of the revered Anjou family looked at Adalia with sorry eyes and said the magic words reluctantly;

    "I''m sorry."

    Xzavier shook his wrist violently, and more came out;

    "I am sorry miss for being uncivil towards you."

    He bowed his head in shame and cries of surprise went up from all the corners of the crowd. Store keepers had locked up their nearby stores just to witness this. Housewives who hade to shop for groceries were littered among the crowd. So, there was an overflowing abundance of tongues wagging excitedly.

    The whole crowd immediately burst into a frenzied gossip! Just as the trees in the jungle produced their own different produce, each person with their own distinctment! With varying degrees of interest, the talebearers in the small gathering drank in the scene and relished the thought of how they would re-tell this tale again to their social circles muchter on. The mere thought of describing the mortification of the Anjou prince filled them with an intoxicating feeling that was akin to psychedelic drugs. For this category of middle/working ss housewives, gossip was their drug. And at that very moment, they were as high as the heavens.

    Eadweard watched with a look of horror as the whole crowd reveled in his shame. He absolutely hated everyone there in that moment, and it irked him that his power and status couldn''t have all of them arrested in that very moment. But most of all, he hated Xzavier. Eadweard hated him with everything in him and wished he could just pulverize him at the snap of his fingers.

    With the bitter tone of one who had been forced to endure a terrible humiliation at the hands of his oppressor, Eadweard scowled at Xzavier;

    "You might have won this round, but rest assured that you will never know peace! Better enjoy the good life while you still have the chance!"

    Eadweard''s n was to have everyone hear him threaten Xzavier so it wouldn''t be said that he had been a weakling all through this period. But his n was as pointless as treatment after death. The crowd was already bursting with thements of multiple entities, no one cared about what he had to say any longer.

    As he led his injured servant out of that sorrowful den filled with the vicious poison of gossip, Eadweard shouted above the din to establish his point again;

    "Watch your back! I aming for you!! You''re a dead man! A dead man I tell you!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier wasn''t listening anymore. He could never take anyone seriously if they droned out empty threats. He always lived by a creed that was the exact opposite of that; if you want to do something, just do it. Don''t talk about it. He turned his back on the empty babbler and saw the worshipful and admiring looks of Adalia, Earlene, Cadence, andstly, Laddie.

    Stunned, he started to wonder why they were looking at him that way. He immediately stopped himself when he remembered that standing up to oppressive nobles here was asmon as the appearance of a blood moon in the sky- it only happens twice in every three centuries.

    Quaid hadn''t been at home at the time Adalia rushed to inform everyone of what was happening. So, after the incident, before whispers to the event began to fly across town with the speed of a pandemic, and on the wings of gossip mongers, Laddie rushed to the city hall to meet up with his employer.

    The old man hadn''t moved this quickly before. From the scene of the action, he had doubled back to the governor''s mansion as quick as his feet could carry him. Upon his arrival, he immediately boarded on the many coaches reserved for the governor, and ordered the coach man to take him into the city immediately. As the horse drawn coach gently pulled out of the gate on onto the streets, sensing the Senior Mage''s urgency, the coachman drove the horses like a wild man.

    They furiously tore through the streets with the passion of a war chariot. Along the way, a couple of absent minded pedestrians were almost knocked over because they had wandered too close to the curb. Inside the chariot, Laddie kept stroking his beard excitedly. It had been a really long time since anything of this nature had actually excited him.

    He reyed the scene he had only just witnessed over and over again in his head, and juxtaposed it with Adalia''s narration of what happened earlier on before they arrived at the scene. He perfected every detail with as much ir as he could. The governor would definitely want to hear this.

    It was only when he felt the carriage pull up to a halt that he realized he had arrived at the city hall. A brief knock came at his door from the valet outside and the door opened from the outside two secondster.

    Like the dignified entity that he was, Laddie stepped right through the doors without any hups and breezed through the protocols involved with seeing the governor without an appointment. Laddie met the governor in the lobby surrounded by foreign investors and emissaries. The governor had on his most charming smile andughed every now and then with a hearty cheer.

    When he lifted up his eyes to see his children''s tutor strolling down the hall of the lobby to meet him, the governor''s smile faded as quickly as the wiping away of a chalk written text on a board. Immediately, without even needing to talk, a silent understanding passed between them. The message was simple;

    "We need to talk right away!"

    Quaid smiled at his small entourage and whipped up some flimsy excuse about a personal emergency. He then handed them over to his deputy, and signaled Laddie to meet him at his office. Without saying a word, the two quietly ascended the flight of stairs that led to the governor''s office. The silence was a bit awkward, but it was a a necessary evil for it was often said by Quaid that ''the walls have ears.''

    Eventually, they got to the top floor. Surprised to see him, Quaid''s secretary tried to keep her sandwich hidden as she stood up abruptly to greet him and his guest. Quaid shut her down before she could fully get up from her desk.

    "Save it Bonnie. Just make sure no one bothers me for the next half hour or so. Got it?"

    The plump, thirty eight year old married woman nodded vehemently in response to the governor''s order. And as she did, chunks of grilled meat fell out of the sides of her mouth. Quaid shook his head disappointedly and left with Laddie.

    As soon as they both stepped into the glorious office that belonged to the governor of Princy State, Quaid Princy closed the doors behind him and turned to face Laddie.

    "I''m guessing this emergency is an Xzavier based emergency right?"

    Laddie nodded and bade the governor to take his seat.

    "Take a seat Quaid, you might want to be seated for this."

 Chapter 104 Custom Fitting Black Suit

    The governor didn''t argue. He sat in an even more impressive oak chair oveid with ck cushions and silver handles. As he reclined on his throne like chair, he maintained a poker face. This was all too impressive because he was brilliantly the very fact that he was yearning for the news which Laddie was about to spill.

    The old man was also eager to ry the news. So, after taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth and the words flowed freely in order of how it all went down. Laddie missed no detail. Using words, he painted a vividly descriptive picture everything that happened. He spoke with pride of how Xzavier had single handedly decimated the Anjou boy''s servants.

    Even though he didn''t understand it himself, he tried his best to describe the mysterious way Xzavier had pierced Fachnan''s palm without even trying to whip up an incantation. The old man also spoke of the strange armor that Xzavier had on during the altercation. He described it as a ck vest, only more intricate and more fine tuned. Of course he didn''t forget to mention that his children watched the whole thing. Especially Cadence who used the Princy name to shield Xzavier from any kind of legal infraction.

    He spoke at great length, highlighting the Anjou boy''s humiliation in front of the public. And how it had all seemed like this had been executed by the new mysterious henchman of the Princy family.

    "¡­by the end of the day, the streets and every major hotspot in the city would be ame with this news. I had to make sure you hear it from me first."

    For a long time, the office was silent. Both parties didn''t say a single word. Suspended in their individual enclosed spaces (that was their minds), Quaid and Laddie digested the facts of this new development and allowed it to marinate in their hearts.

    After sometime, Quaid finally spoke up in calm voice.

    "I have listened to everything you''ve just narrated. When I get hometer in the day, we will discuss further on this."

    Laddie nodded slightly and left, leaving Quaid sitting in his office. As soon as he was alone, the maniacal smile he had been suppressing all this while finally appeared on his face. He couldn''t have nned this, and yet, fate had served him such a scious meal. Quaid slumped back in his seat.

    Back in the governor''s mansion, Xzavier felt like he was walking on eggshells. Literally everyone treated him like he had wrestled an angel and won. The household staff who always treated him differently because of his reputation now treated him like he had a halo on his head. No one said anything. Cadence as usual was overly impressed with Xzavier''s finesse. Awe was literally written all over his face. And every opportunity he got, he tried his best to sneak a peek at Xzavier.

    Earlene who wasn''t always on the same page with Xzavier found herself getting enamored by the coldness of the stranger. He was an enigma, he was a mystery, and he was still very much to learn about him. She was enthralled.

    As for the one who had been at the very center of it all, the one whom Xzavier had gone through great lengths to defend her honor, the one who had been with Xzavier from the very beginning, her heart was riddled with a plethora of thoughts. The events of that day made Adalia reflect deeply on her own existence. Before Xzavier, Adalia''s life had been one straight, simple line.

    But right from the very moment Xzavier walked into her life, he mixed things up with the authority of a deity and with the finesse of a demigod. Xzavier waltzed into her life brandishing a ming torch that illuminated the walls of her hellishly boring existence. Like a dream, or a psychedelic induced hallucination, she had watched orcs get ughtered before her very eyes, she had ridden his unique metal horse, she had dined at the same table with a noble, and now this.

    As Adaliay in bed thinking that night, she knew her life would never be the same again. Never.

    She wasn''t the only one who was in deep thought that night. As the moonzily made its way to its Zenith in the dark night sky, Xzavier who had been wandering the halls of the estate made his way to his bedroom alone. Much like every other soul in Quaid''s household, his mind was also fraught with what appeared to be an endless stream of thoughts. Sleep had eluded himpletely.

    The Major was well aware of the fact that he couldn''t change their mindsets. He had realized this from the onset. The people of this time were set in their ways. They were like stubborn mules who clung tenaciously to their burden which in this case was the old ways. For them, it was an inescapable shadow. This was the only life that they knew. The same life that their ancestors had before them.

    Xzavier inhaled deeply and the rich lush scent of the flowering trees that saturated the air like an invisible cloud, filled his lungs. Distracted from his own thoughts for a minute, Xzavier was grateful for the serene environment. The resilient trees thrived against all odds to flourish in and out of season. And like them, he knew that giving up was not an option. He was going to nt the seeds of his revolutionary ideals and introduce his own radical concepts until they were seen as the norm.

    Of course, it was absurd to think that he could save everyone. That would just be a ridiculously optimistic n. He simply had to do what he could, and hope that it would churn out something good.

    His ns were honorable. But if he was truly going to be intentional about them, he was going to have to consider the practical aspect of it. Strategically speaking, this involved an all round, well grounded, structured wall of defense which was ultimately centered on physicalbat.

    Seeing that he was now in a human civilization and no longer in the jungle contending with orcs or goblins, killing had to be thest resort. But this hadn''t worked out so well for him during hisst altercation with Fachnan. Xzavier had hesitated, and doing so had almost gotten him killed. A new system or weapon had to be put in ce to enable him neutralize his human adversaries without killing them.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier who had been pacing up and down in his room stopped dead in his tracks as soon as a new idea formed in his head. Not one to waste time, he immediately acted on it.

    "Military system activate!"

    The familiar, oddlyforting automated voice of the system came back to him again.

    "System online. Awaiting requests."

    "I want to exchange points for five dozen low-killing-power rubber bullets."

    The n was genius. This way, Xzavier could inflict the maximum amount of pain without actually taking a life. The system immediately credited him with the clips filled with rubber bullets. Having sessfully purchased what he thought he needed, he became curious as to what his points bnce were at this time.

    "System, report a detailed ount of all my kills and aplishments so far."

    "Affirmative. Please stand by Major."

    Xzavier held his breath He didn''t exactly know what to expect as it had been a while since he had been issued any direct missions from the system. So, he was a bit unsure of his general standing on the point system. After purring softly in the background for three seconds, the system replied Xzavier with its diagnostics.

    "Number of basic orcs killed-236;

    Number of level 6 orcs killes-1;

    Number of orcs sessfully disced-219;

    Total number of rued points as of this moment-5,438;

    Experience value ¨C 1,117."

    Xzavier was amused. These were some serious numbers. Immediately, he checked for any new upgrades that had been awarded to him, because of the way his points had sky rocketed through the roof. He drew up the panel and swiped and swiped.

    Just as he had expected, there were now several unlocked items. Many of them were humongous in size. There was a leopard 2 A7 tank which was worth about 4,399 points. This particr equipment was the most powerful piece of military hardware he could redeem with his points. Of course he didn''t need it. But it still felt good knowing that he had such a powerful tank at his beck and call should the need for it were to ever arise.

    The next interesting avable upgrade was a distinct piece of clothing listed as ''Custom fitting ck suit.'' This piece was unlike anything Xzavier had ever seen before. It wasn''t just it''s rarity that astounded Xzavier, it was also its very dicey price tag. With 1599 points, Xzavier knew that he could easily buy at least a couple hundred RPGs.

    Xzavier''s whole personality was hardwired to pick efficiency over finesse.

 Chapter 105 Advantages

    Considering his situation, a hundred RPGs wouldn''t do him any good. Xzavier kept failing to realize that the battle ground had now shifted, this wasn''t the jungle. As if the System picked up on his deliberation, it proceeded to give an in depth exnation of this particr item;

    "Major, please be advised, the Custom fitting ck suit provides a whole set of advantages. From increasing the strength, and enhancing the resistance of the wearer, it can also boost its own functions in other aspects.

    "The custom fitted ck suit also provides the user with invulnerability to any kind of physical attacks, including punches, jabs or hits."

    As Xzavier listened to the breakdown of the ck suit''s functions, he tried his best to remember if he had seen it before at any point in the past. Once again, the Military System came through with another prime piece of information;

    "Major please note, the weapons and equipment installed in this system surpasses the current level of human technology. The system would like you to know that there are arge number of high-tech military grade weapons and hardware beyond the present level of human technological advancement."

    Xzavier was astonished by thatst bit of revtion! Hearing this ignited a me of excitement and rage at the same time.

    "Why wasn''t I informed about this earlier on?"

    The system answered him tly.

    "The system responds to requests and questions Major. It would be illogical to spew data that hadn''t been requested for."

    Xzavier concurred. He chided himself for not being flexible with his thoughts earlier on. He realized in retrospect that this was a system after all. He was foolish to expect it to be all chatty with a human.

    As a soldier and a member of the special forces unit, Xzavier had both seen and handled a decent amount of military hardware. But there was no getting enough. One of the few things that truly got Xzavier excited was new gear. The distinct musk of fresh, brand new hardware got him more excited than a ride in the most luxurious automobile.

    So, with a devouring look in his eyes, Xzavier hungrily eyed the custom fitting ck suit, sizing it up like it was a precious stone or a collectors item. His longing for this strange new tech couldn''t be denied. Xzavier suppressed his ever present need to purchase weapons of destruction and instead went with histest craving. With the way Xzavier was acting, one would''ve thought that he was trying to buy a gulfstream or a limited edition Mars Rover.

    Ignoring the price tag, Xzavier finally caved.

    "Military system! I Major Xzavier Mace herebyy im to the custom fitting ck suit!"

    If the system had any sense of humor, it would have probably replied Xzavier sarcastically, telling him to dial down the theatrics a little. He was acting like he was a medieval knight on a quest who had just stumbled on the infamous King Arthur''s sword. And was about to im it for himself.

    But unfortunately, the military system wasn''t built like that. So Xzavier was spared the snidementary of a sarcastic second party. It replied him promptly as usual.

    "Request received Major. Stand by to redeem your gear."

    Xzavier watched as a whooping 1599 points was deducted from his points bnce. But that brief painful moment disappeared when within a second, the system clothed Xzavier with the magnificent new body armorbat enhancer/punch deflector. Indeed, the multi-purpose suit was worth it. Xzavier knew this as soon as he felt its powerful intricately woven fibersnd on his skin.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier wore his new ''custom ck fitting suit'' proudly. He stretched his joints and expanded himself to see if there was any defect. To his delight, he found none whatsoever. It was impable, and its quintessential design, together with its great ambience made it look all the more exquisite. Xzavier felt like school boy who had just gotten his dream costume.

    "So, this is what being a superhero feels like huh?"

    He mumbled to himself excitedly.

    Xzavier walked around some more in his new gear. After examining it to his satisfaction, Xzavier proceeded to the next stage.

    "Time to see what this bad boy can do..."

    With that, Xzavier crept out of his room with the stealth of a thief and made his way towards the only ce that he knew he would not be bothered at a time like this- the training ground. As Xzavier stole away towards the training ground, he couldn''t help but be aware of the ominous silence that had engulfed the governor''s mansion. Asides from the overbearing darkness outside, the silence was one thing that pointed at the fact that it truly was nighttime already.

    Anyone who was awake at a time like this was probably more disturbed and even more upied than Xzavier. However, fortunately for Xzavier, he found himself to be well and truly alone. The training ground in particr was located quite a good distance away from Xzavier''s own quarters. It was situated at the edge of the right wing of the estate, adjacent to the servants'' quarters.

    Any guest of the governor would''ve had the need to be wary while creeping about at night like this. But Xzavier had actually found favor in the sight of the governor. He didn''t need a permission slip or a hallpass. Quaid, (being the gracious host that he was) had given Xzavier top level clearance to ess anywhere he wanted in the estate, of course with the exception of his own private quarters. By default, this top level clearance also came with an invisible badge of authority. So, Xzavier couldn''t really be bothered about being seen or discovered as he hovered around the estate at an ungodly hour like this.

    Xzavier soon arrived at his destination. The emptiness and silence in the training ground seemed to taunt him. The whole space was empty and devoid of any kind of life whatsoever. This was actually good for Xzavier because he wasn''t really a big fan of distractions. Especially when it came to training.

    The training ground was the designated space for practicing magic. Quaid was so invested in the all round flourishing of his children''s abilities that he had this ce designed and built, just so his kids could have the freedom and right atmosphere to hone their skills. Though it was a bit dark and poorly lit, Xzavier could make out the brief over view of the entire space. It was built in the form of a sparring ring or a dojo. As of this moment, it was the perfect ce for the testing of his suit.

    Xzavier steered his attention away from the training ground to the primary reason why he was here in the first ce.

    The custom ck fitting suit had devoured a lot of his points. But this sacrifice wasn''t merely an impulse buy, on another level, it was actually a very tactical purchase. Xzavier was not ignorant of his own weaknesses. In this Isekai, all manner of strange tech were lurking around, waiting at every turn to turn on him and expose his weakness. As someone who was prone to be trouble, Xzavier couldn''t afford to be without protection.

    A perfect example of the kind of trouble Xzavier was trying to protect himself from was the Fachnan kind. The former student of the old mage was apletely different breed. As a henchman for one of the most powerful families in Victoria city, Fachnan possessed a remarkable degree of strength and speed. Xzavier wasn''t too proud or too blind to admit that Fachnan''s skills were impressive. In fact, they definitely surpassed his.

    If Xzavier hadn''t been prudent enough to switch tactics by quickly whipping out his bulletproof vest and shooting Fachnan, he would have ended up in the humiliating position of roadside beef skewing on a grill. Xzavier shuddered just at the thought of it. He also remembered Fachnan''s stunning speed. Xzavier had been so unprepared for that that he barely ended up setting up a defensive stance by blocking with his arms across his chest in an ''X'' position. Even that had barely stopped the incredible force of the blow.

    Xzavier tried not to wince as he remembered with vivid detail the crushing impact of Fachnan''s punch on his arms. It had indeed been a shocking and horrendous experience. With all of this from only a single attack, Xzavier aptly concluded that Fachnan''s speed and strength weren''t necessarily the most impressive in this Isekai. There were likely to be more surprises with even more impressive characters ahead. So, Xzavier had to be well prepared or suffer the challenge of being the weaker and less prepared opponent.

    And of course, there was also the issue of the tales flyin around of his exploits in the jungle. Now that he had also taken a bold step by going after the Anjou boy, Xzavier knew that the mighty men of the city would want to take a shot at him to measure their own abilities. Like sharks drawn to blood, Xzavier knew he was probably going to have a lot on his hands.

 Chapter 106 Testing

    He couldn''t afford to relypletely on his own strength or on the governor''s protection. This new piece of high tech equipment was going toe in handy.

    Xzavier knew he couldn''t afford to be found cking. It could literally mean life or death. His altercation with Fachnan had taught him that here, ordinary duels could very quickly turn out to be something else.

    With no time to lose, Xzavier activated the tutoring program in the system.

    "Military system, engage coaching mode."

    "Roger that Major Xzavier."

    The system and Xzavier spent the next few hours trying out new moves and testing the limits of this new suit. He wasn''t disappointed at all. Under the guidance of the systems'' instructions, Xzavier kept working hard until he had perfected a couple of moves on his own. He found out that he could jump up to one hundred feet. But this required building up stamina in advance for up to three seconds.

    But of he chose not to go too hard, without even trying, he could casually jump up to twenty feet at a single go. This was all too impressive for someone who only twenty four hours ago wasn''t aware of such a body suit existing. And now, he could aplish something anyone would have ruled out as an impossible task.

    After conquering motion, Xzavier switched to offense mode. This was the part he was eager to explore. Xzavier balled his fists and faced the punching bag in the training. He swung and swung his arms in the way he had been trained. The system stepped in with a few nuggets of knowledge at this point.

    "Major Xzavier, the system rmends to release the tension on your back, tilt your elbows, and swing more casually. The mechanism of the suit thrives on freedom to maneuver. You are no longer swinging with your own strength but with thebined strength of the suit''s technology."

    Xzavier took a minute to register the systems input. The system was right, he was punching like a mad bull, stifling the muscles in his back and tightening his nerves, making less room for the suit to take over.

    So, he took closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he focused instead on the dummy on the training ground and visualized it as an enemy he wanted to neutralize. The suit immediately picked up on his aggression. And as Xzavier balled his fists and swung his arm to attack, the suit''s offensive mechanism enhanced his punch.

    Almost as if he could see his own arm move in slow motion, Xzavier felt an invisible force field of energy encase his entire arm. The feeling he got was almost like standing next to a hydroelectric dam. It was like a very present electromaic force had insted his arm, and yet converted it into an electron rich power house. Xzavier was bbergasted! Eventually, when Xzavier''s fist made contact with the iron dummy, it stood no chance.

    With the ferocity of an industrial cranending on a piece of wood, Xzavier''s fistpletely decimated the iron dummy with an explosive thud, leaving bits and pieces flying around everywhere. It was a lot more than Xzavier had anticipated! He knew that there was definitely going to be an enhancement in his strength, but he hadn''t expected it to be like this! At most, he had hoped to make a dent on the iron dummy, but in the end, he ended up ending the figurinepletely.

    Unable to fullyprehend the mystery behind this, Xzavier simply stared in shock at the results. He looked at his fists, then at the back at the ce where the dummy previously stood. Calling this ''incredible'' wouldn''t just cut it. After pulverizing the dummy in the training area, Xzavier discovered that he could swing andnd a punch that could equal a force of ten newton''s. Just like when he wanted to jump really high, Xzavier also had to wait at least three seconds. In essence, if he were to increase his aggression level, his punch could probably uproot a person''s head from the neck in one clean sweep.

    But that wasn''t all. This new and improved upgrade also affected. His speed was another aspect that had been significantly improved.

    "Perhaps the Major would like to test out the new levels avable in the eleration segment."

    Remembering Fachnan''s demonic speed, Xzavier enthusiastically delved headlong into this area. He had already gotten used to the suit by now, so he had no difficulty navigating this panel. He sprinted like a deer and felt like his own legs were a two hundred and Eighty horse powered engine. It was incredible.

    "Where were you when I needed you twenty four hours ago!?"

    Fachnan wouldn''t have known what hit him.

    Eager to explore the full extent of his new and improved physical stamina, Xzavier broke into a full round of exercise. He began to work out furiously. He did over a thousand push ups and discovered that at his present endurance level, he could probably take another ten thousand more without evening close to the threshold of exhaustion. He tried pull ups on one of the bars and ended up breaking the workout bar with his overly tight grip.

    He tried deep squats. He tried sit ups and all their variations. He virtually went through all his workout regiments and still didn''te close to exhaustion. He sweated a lot and his body suit absorbed the moisture and recycled in into a kind of cooling vapor to maintain a bnced homeostasis of his body temperature.

    While Xzavier indulged his full bodily functions he wasn''t aware that in a short while, he wasn''t going to be alone anymore.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Unable to sleep at all, Adalia had taken after Xzavier. As she walked into the training ground, she walked in on Xzavier training furiously as though he had swallowed an entire drum of stimnts. All the way from where she stood at the entrance, she could feel the undeniable raw evidence of testosterone surging through the grounds of the training area.

    The mes from her torch illuminated the poorly lit dojo. Chasing away the shadows, and relegating them to the back. Xzavier who had been intoxicated with his newly enhanced abilities only stopped when he noticed the sudden brightness of his previously dark room. He turned to re at his intruder and found the slender-robust female figure standing unsurely at the entrance, grasping a burning torch with her right hand.

    Xzavier jumped down from the iron bars suspended above the ground in the ceiling andnded on the ground with the finesse of anding super hero. This was pretty fitting because that was exactly what Xzavier felt like.

    Adalia wasn''t even surprised. Xzavier hadpletely redefined her perception of the extraordinary. After getting this close to him, nothing he did ever surprised her again.

    "Adalia, what are you doing up by this time?"

    "I could ask you the same thing."

    Xzavier shrugged indifferently.

    "It''s never toote or too early to train..."

    Adalia stared back at him like he didn''t realize just how awfully strange this was.

    "That''s a joke right? Are we going to pretend like you weren''t training on the ceiling? Normal people practice on the ground and in the day time!"

    Xzavier lifted up his arms as if in surrender.

    "Okay Adalia, you win this round."

    Then in a more serious tone, he asked her;

    "But why are you still up? Something bothering you?"

    It had been a while since anyone asked her that and genuinely meant it. As a maid, the better part of her day was spent waiting on others. This left very little time for herself, and even less time for her to be doted on. Xzavier''s concern wasn''t borne of selfish or hidden reasons, he was genuine and Adalia appreciated that immensely. So, she repaid him by also reciprocating the warmth.

    "Actually, yes. I went looking for you at your quarters but you weren''t in. So I took a wild guess at where you might have gone, and vo, I was right!"

    Xzavier wasn''t fooled by her false warmth and flowery speech.

    He took a long look at her and couldn''t help but notice just how pretty her face looked under the golden orange ze of the burning torch. With the mes so close to her face, she looked like an ivory, tanned goddess. Her face wasn''t like one of those peculiar siren like females who were brazen in their attempts to be alluring.

    Adalia''s feminine charm was heavily influenced by her strong sensual aura which often always set ame the loins many a male who were fortunate enough to catch a mere glimpse of her face. Her body was a whole other matter. When she walked, moved or even stood still, eyes would stare longingly at her. Sometimes, it was almost as if she was inviting mass ****.

    Quaid was no fool. He recognized her beauty and hired her early for that reason.

 Chapter 107 Self-Esteem

    During important luncheons with stubborn business investors and government officials, Quaid would purposely ask Adalia to be the maid on duty who would be in charge of serving, dishing out meals and pouring out wine.

    Of course, none of the them ever made any overt move on her for she was under the governor''s protection. Besides, it was an unwritten rule amongst nobles that one noble doesn''t try to steal another noble''s household servant. Servants knew the inner workings of their employers'' household, and consequently they couldn''t just hop from one home to another. Most of them stayed for life.

    So, with his guests distracted by their burning desires for something they could never have, Quaid dominated these meetings and at the end the day, he often ended up having his own way.

    Even now, as Adalia stood in her silky white night gown, and her golden locks of hair flowing down freely over her shoulders, Xzavier understood why she was always seemed to be at the center of offensive advances from the most unsavory characters.

    Her silky soft voice pulled Xzavier out of his very brief and yet elongated mesmerism.

    "I couldn''t sleep. I''ve been tossing and turning in bed thinking about what happened today¡­"

    "Why? He apologized didn''t he?"

    "Don''t be so na?ve Xzavier!" she rasped. "Do you have any idea just how connected that family is? This is the Anjou family we are talking about! They are practically royalty!"

    She stared at him sternly as she continued with her outburst;

    "And guess what? You''ve managed to make them your public number one enemy! Do you even know what that means?!"

    Xzavier watched her with one of his typical nk expressions on his face. Not daring to interrupt, not daring to counter. He knew that this outburst, (as misguided and as tactless as it seemed) was actuallying from a good ce.

    As if she realized that she had been a little too hard on Xzavier, she took a step back and exhaled deeply as if she wanted to calm her nerves.

    "I understand your intentions were pure Xzavier, I really do. I also know that it wasn''t your intention make a scene, but for heaven sakes, you need to be a little bit more conscious of your new environment. Things are very different here!"

    Xzavier still didn''t say a single word.

    Adalia finally decided to hit the nail on the head and address her main objective for seeking out Xzavier at such an odd hour. It was also an issue she had been trying to circumvent all this while;

    "I have a request to make of you¡­" she softened her tone and looked at him gently now.

    "If you have even the littlest regard for me Xzavier, please consider my plea¡­"

    She paused, trying to read Xzavier''s mood. Checking to see if he had been riled up by her initial outbursts. As usual, she couldn''t tell what he was thinking. Nevertheless, undeterred by the nk look on Xzavier''s face, she proceeded to make her request.

    "Xzavier please, for the next few days or weeks, at least until the heat dies down a bit, I don''t wasn''t you to go out alone¡­"

    A puzzled look appeared on Xzavier''s face. This was a strange request indeed. Not because of anything, but because of the mere fact that Adalia had seen what he was capable of. So, for her to make this request was a little inconsistent with her character.

    Guessing what Xzavier''s thought pattern was looking like now, she alleviated his mental workload and proceeded to enlighten.

    "Don''t be fooled by his outward appearance. Eadweard might be vain, but he is also a famously vindictive person and a very sore loser. He was humiliated in front of a low ss people. So, rest assured that even now, he is probably dreaming up new ways to gut you."

    Xzavier was a bit disappointed. He genuinely thought she would say something like Eadweard had a dragon, or at least some cosmic sized power or weaponry that could potentially match his ''custom ck fitting suit.'' If this was what she was worried about, Xzavier had already made up his mind not to take her request or warning into consideration.

    Right now, he wasn''t afraid or any challenge. In fact, even though he would purposely go looking to quarrel, the fact was Xzavier was actually itching for a fight! He couldn''t wait to test out his new high tech gear. Any fool would be unfortunate enough to try him would surely meet a very surprising end. Xzavier just wasn''t afraid of any challenge. He couldn''t see himself losing. It wasn''t pride or anything. But with the ability to jump several feet in the air, and with the ability to pulverize stone and iron with a single blow, it was just impractical to think that he could lose.

    He looked at Adalia who was staring at him pleadingly with those big blue eyes sitting on a valley of worry lines on her face. And almost immediately, he began to understand why Adalia was so uptight about this. Deep down, she felt like this was all her fault. She felt like if he hadn''t defended her honor, all of this might not have happened.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier sighed. He wished he could let her know that it wasn''t her fault she had been groped in that manner. Even if he got her to listen, there was no chance that she would internalize his words. This was what years and years of conditioning had done to her. Also, another appalling fact was that it wasn''t just her, it was virtually the same mindset of just about ny-nine percent of the female poption.

    Of course, Xzavier wasn''t going to heed to her warning. But there was no need for her to know that. She wouldn''t understand him. Instead, she would probably interpret his reaction as him being overly confident in himself and, of course, there was every likelihood that he would use her of not being cognizant of her feelings, or of not taking into ount her own valid concerns. Either way, it wasn''t going to work out well for him.

    So, he simply reassured her to her mind at ease.

    "Okay. I will do as you have asked."

    "Thank you."

    That could have ended that particr issue there and then. But Adalia clearly had something else on her mind. After receiving Xzavier''s assurance, she pressed onwards with the second item on her list.

    "Well, while we are still on the topic, you know, you really didn''t have to defend me today."

    Knowing exactly where she was going with this, Xzavier watched her keenly as if she was walking on egg shells.

    "Yes! If you had let it go, things would definitely have been put to rest."

    Seething with anger, Xzavier fought to stay calm as Adalia continued down a very familiar path Tacy had often towed in the past.

    Finally, Adalia said the words that Xzavier absolutely hated to hear;

    "I don''t care what happens to me! You think this is the first time someone has tried to be funny with me? I am used to it already! It''s just the way things are!"

    Like the destruction of a dam holding back the full flow of the force of a river, Xzavier exploded.

    "What sort of talk is that?! How can you open your mouth to spew such an unintelligent thing?"

    Xzavier was truly enraged now. Adalia could see it. He pressed on in annoyance.

    "I can tolerate any humiliation, but I can''t stand someone who doesn''t value their worth as a human and think that they deserve to be inferior!!

    Xzavier was practically yelling now.

    "Where is your honor?!"

    "Where is your sense of worth?! What''s the point in living if you believe you were born to exist as an inferior creature?! Tell me!"

    Livid with fury, Xzavier''s voice tore through Adalia like bits and pieces of ss, shredding her insides and wing at her insecurities. Without even trying to, Xzavier had systematically taken hot, stinging jabs at her self esteem. His roaring voice and philosophical expressions further backed his righteous anger.

    Adalia was a mess. For one, she he never heard Xzavier raise his voice before. His chillingly cid nature which had drawn her in had never faltered during the rtively short period she had known him, not even for a moment had Xzavier ever lost his cool. Even in battle, he was always in control. So, seeing him roar uncontrobly like a lion was a first. Worse still, she was the one on the receiving end of his rage this time. This was something she had never thought possible.

    It has often been said in times of old that there was no nakedness like psychological nakedness. Xzavier didn''t even realize it, but he had been an unwilling test subject that proved the validity of this supposition.

    Adalia was shocked to the bone. In that moment, she understood what it felt like for once to be Xzavier''s enemy.

 Chapter 108 Awakening

    The gripping terror and the paralyzing fear were the twin pirs that held up her catatonic shock. Because of the sharp razor edge of his verbal attacks, Adalia had no counter at all. And because she couldn''t contest Xzavier''s posttions, she felt like she had been ambushed with no defense whatsoever.

    Feeling attacked, feeling like she had been backed Stark naked into a corner, Adalia began to do the only thing she could do in this situation. Her eyes bulged as her tear ducts began to prepare to release a fresh stream of hit stinging tears. Adalia fought a continal losing battle to keep the tears from flowing. She did in fact manage to hold back the sob froming out of her throat. But she couldn''t do anything about the tears.

    The tears rolled down freely, on her already shocked face. At first, they came in trickles and in single lines, but then, in response to Adalia''s growing agitated state, they began to pour down in silent droves as the beautiful blondedy began to cry. Unable to look Xzavier squarely in the face, she closed her eyes and began to sob uncontrobly. Her shoulders heaved up and down like the hydraulics in the engine of an automobile.

    The young maid was distraught. The ming torch slid from her left handnded ownsnded clumsily on the ground with a soft thud. Little embers bounced from it and quickly faded away. They were both lucky that the floor wasn''t made of wood, else, it would have been a different matter altogether. With the torch burning brightly on the ground beside her, with Adalia draped in a white, silk nightgown, and wth both of her hands cupped over her face as she sobbed heavily, she looked like a ghost haunting the grounds.

    The burning me casted her a long shadow across the training ground, filling the wide open space with the serenity of her ghostly ambience. The golden light ttered her long blond hair that was draped all over her shoulders. Her wails soon rose up and saturated the open space.

    With mixed feelings, Xzavier watched her go through all the stages that brought her to this very point. He had never been one to regret anything he usually said, because his every speech was almost always the product of serious deliberation and careful pondering. But as she watched the youngdy sob, he began to rethink the part he had yed in all of this. Had he been too hard on her? Of course she deserved to know the truth. That was what friends usually do.

    When she began to sob at first, Xzavier contemted stepping in. But he hesitated because he wasn''t exactly sure of wat to say. But when his eyes caught sight of the torch slipping from Adalia''s hand, Xzavier knew that Adalia was definitely shook. As he made a move to try tofort her, Adalia beat him to it.

    Her voice, muffled as a result of her trying to speak through sobs, Adalia finally broke the ice.

    "It''s...it''s..." she sniffled as she tried to gain control of herself to speak more coherently.

    "...it''s not as if I am not grateful..."

    She used her pinky finger to delicately wipe off a tear in her eye and continued.

    "I am¡­ Xzavier, I really am thankful that you stood for me! No one has ever treated me with that degree of respect in my life..."

    She stopped to let out the choking sob that had been building up for a long time.

    "Looking at you do all that just to defend my honor¡­it was unbelievable! I struggled to contain my happiness in that moment! If you had turned to look at me but for a brief period, you would have seen it! I know you would have!"

    Her voice was rising dangerously to the point of hysteria, she seemed to be mindful of this and stepped down her tone as she continued her heartfelt confession.

    "Xzavier, I am grateful to you for standing up for me, and that is precisely the reason I will never forgive myself if heaven forbid some harm should befall you because you stood up for me when no one else did¡­"

    Her tone, less shaky and sturdier now, she wiped down thest wave of tears and addressed Xzavier squarely;

    "This was why I beseeched you not to do go out alone anymore. I have lived with these people much longer than you have Xzavier. I know them, I know the depths of their depravity, as well as the lengths they would go just to get back at anyone who crosses them."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier paid attention and hung on to her every word. He saw through the hidden messages and listened to not just what she was saying, but everything else that she wasn''t saying.

    "¡­you would put yourself in a loop of endless trouble if you should chose to continue on this path. I am afraid that you will die because of this."

    Her voice choked with agony as she uttered thosest words.

    "Please Xzavier, please I beg you, for my sakes, heed my words."

    She bowed ever so slightly to show her deference and lifted up her head sorrowfully.

    Adalia had done a good job of provoking Xzavier''s wrath, getting him to cool down, and finally, getting him to understand why she had spoken the way she did. For a room that had been burning with thebined energy of both Adalia and Xzavier''s anger and hot words, the calm that pervaded was kind of unprecedented.

    With this calm came rity, and with rity came understanding. Xzavier finally understood. Adalia had good intentions. For someone who had been through what she had been through, it was nothing short of impressive that she could get up every morning and face the world with a sane mind and a radiant vibe. For the better part of her life, Adalia had been subject to the oppression of the nobles, and gender based oppression from the members of the male gender. Not to mention her own childhood tragedy at the hands of the orcs.

    Despite having been through all this, Adalia still maintained her golden vibe and radiant countenance. She had fought through it all and disallowed depression and gloominess from overtaking herpletely. Above all, Xzavier was most impressed by the fact that she had retained her humanity. Adalia was a kind soul. He had seen, felt and tasted it. And in thesest few moments, she had bared her soul to Xzavier and opened up like she had never done before.

    Xzavier wasn''t too dense to acknowledge this fact. In all his years, he hadn''t seen or felt this level of true kindness from a girl. This depth of thoughtfulness was impossible to fake. It stemmed from an inexhaustible spring of kindness that was situated at the very core of her being. Because it was located in a region way deeper than her own consciousness, it was virtually outside her control. Hence, she was subject to it in the same way she was subject to the external force of the hand of fate.

    Xzavier was moved.

    Like thepelling power that draws in a worker bee to the nectar of a sun flower, Xzavier found himself gravitating towards Adalia. With his mind totally captured, without even realizing it, Xzavier found his body moving on its own. Like a disced celestial body that was shifting from its orbit due to the pull of a more powerful force, Xzavier got sucked into the Adalia''s force field.

    It was only when he found himself by her side, gently reaching in to swallow her rtively shorter frame in a warm embrace of his hug that Xzavier fully awoke to the full consciousness of what he was doing. But by then it was already way toote to pull out. His emotional walls were already down. Her head rested on his chest and her tears soaked through his ck garments. His firm, battle tested hands became instruments offort in that moment.

    Very gently, as if he was afraid of breaking even a strand of her hair, in slow, intentional gracious movements, Xzavier ran his hand through her hair. Like one wouldfort a weeping child, Xzavier stroked her hair gently, whispering words offort into her ears.

    "It''s going to be fine¡­shush now. It is okay, I''m not going to die alright? Don''t worry your pretty little head."

    Without both of them realizing it, in that moment, something came to life. Deep in Adalia''s heart, a seed of awakening began to thaw its way into her mind, sinking its deep roots in the soil of her heart. That night, something inexplicable, something intangible, almost primal awoke deep in her. This abstract, and yet very present feeling would set the tone for her in the days toe.

    Time passed grudgingly with the stealth and dedication of a climber steadily making his way over a mountain.

 Chapter 109 Training

    Over the next couple of weeks, activities went on as normal in the household of the governor. There were no ripples, there were no deviations from the structured pattern of activities therein.

    Xzavier wasn''t exempted from this repetitive cycle. Even though he was just a guest, he soon settled into a pattern. His daily routine began to be more and more regr as he gradually adapted to his new environment. He soon discovered that living among the top brass in an era like this, had its own merits and productive benefits. He watched dignitariese and go at will. He watched foreign emissaries trot in and out of the governor''s estate.

    Xzavier was intrigued, but he didn''t allow the pomp and pride of the nobles around him to get into his head. He stayed true to himself and generally steered clear of any irregrities that could potentially alter his own established system. Like a wildlife activist observing the wild from afar, Xzavier absorbed all the information in his surroundings, and remained aloof from it all at the same time.

    His routine was habitual, and before long, he began to settle into it nicely.

    Xzavier''s day actually began before sun up. His eyes would open way sunrise, and he would spend at least an hour in bed, reminiscing over past events, purging his mind of all doubts, and basically preparing himself mentally for the day ahead. He believed in being mentally alert, physically fit, and spiritually sound. This was his personal mantra. After having this time to himself, he would then get up and workout.

    Xzavier didn''t like to admit it, but he was a bit of an exercise buff. He was addicted to working out. With the sunzily hanging in the horizon, undecided as to whether to rise or not, Xzavier went hard on hammering his body into shape. His workout routine was unlike the regr person''s routine. He incorporated his harsh training as a member of the Special Forces into his workout sessions, and stuck to them with great discipline.

    Hanging upside down, with his legsying on the wall, and his hands on the ground supporting his entire frame, Xzavier would do five hundred pushups. By the time he was done, his head would be light from all the blood that had rushed to his head. He then proceeded to do two hundred and fifty sit ups. And then finally, he would find an iron bar that could support his weight and do either seven or eight hundred pull ups. Of course, this was just a warm up.

    Afterpleting the alreadyid out number for the morning, like clockwork each morning, Xzavier would then wash up and prepare for his next task. Officially, to those who closely observed him from the outside, Xzavier''s day seemed to begin by six a.m.

    Always on clock, at exactly six, his door would swing open. The familiar sound of the hinges of his door creaking as he swung it open, the sound of his running shoes hitting the floor of the hallways, as well as his steady breathing, all these had been burned into the minds of those who upied the adjacent quarters close to his.

    As his feet hit the ground, people would anticipate the buildup between when he starts his slow purposeful jogging, and when he finally broke into a full scale run. His morning route wasn''t all that long distance-wise, but it was enough to keep him in shape and keep his powerful lungs working in top form. Because there wasn''t any long, empty stretch ofnd in the environment, Xzavier had to be content with runningps round the entire expanse ofnd on which the mansion sat on.

    On these runs, Xzavier would often spot several of the household staff going about their morning chores. He became familiar with their faces and duties. He noticed those who were suspiciously chirpy and full of energy in the mornings, he observed those who were obviously not yet awake even though they were standing on their feet and had their eyes opened. The doom and gloom on their faces always made Xzavierugh. He didn''t offer his advice, but he knew that they could definitely use some morning run in their lives.

    Of course, it made no sense tomit this information to heart, and waste mental space by storing up useless trivia. As useless as this might seem, this was all just to keep his mind busy, and also to prevent him from going mad with boredom. After running a fewps, depending on his mood and mental energy (for he didn''t have a fixed number, just in case some unsavory individual was keeping tabs on him), he would then return to his room for another treat that he seemed to look forward to more and more with each passing day.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier was alone. But at the same time, he wasn''t alone. Adalia, the blonde maid whom he had shared a moment with in the training ground, had managed to inject herself into Xzavier''s daily routine without being intrusive. Actually, Xzavier weed her presence withoutints.

    At the beginning when Adalia began to look after Xzavier in a doting way, it hadn''t been deliberate, but as time wore on, they both rxed into thefort of this cycle, and gradually began to lean into the dynamic until it became the norm for them.

    After Xzavier finished his morning run, by the time he got back to his bedroom, he would find a cup of tea and a fresh clean towel waiting for him to clean up his sweat. This simple, and yet significant favor Adalia showered on Xzavier wasn''t taken for granted by thetter. More often than not, he would relish the tea as he sipped on it at long intervals. Savoring the nutrients and care in the tea, Xzavier would take his time with each cup.

    ? Each time he drank the tea left for him by Adalia, Xzavier would remember his first day in Victoria City with her in the government official''s office. Silently, they had had their own fun with the coffee served them by the office attendant. Although, it hadn''t been that long ago, to Xzavier, it seemed like a while ago. The tea was very rxing. It was exactly what he needed after a very aggressive workout session.

    Xzavier wasn''t sure what was in it, but the way it seeped through his body, attacking the tension in his nerves and filling him with a general sense of warmth, Xzavier suspected that this was the kind of stuff only rich people had ess to in this era. It wasn''t psychedelic in nature, neither was it a stimnt. It was just what he needed at the time after a rigorous exercise.

    Usually, one of the servants would bring in his breakfast in a silver tray. He normally ate from the same ration as the governor. And Xzavier was very much impressed with the governor''s taste in nutrition. Though it was hard for anyone to know this, but the fact was the governor ran his household like a tight ship on a schedule. Right down to the meals that would be served at any given point in the week, Quaid had it under control. He could hardly be heard shouting or barking orders, but he got things done.

    Xzavier was very much impressed by this trait. He actually expected every meal in the governor''s house to be in the form of a medieval feast, but every time he was served a meal, Xzavier found himself astonished by the simplicity and richness of his meals. In essence, the household''s meals were centered on whole grains, fruits, nuts and vegetables. But the chefs in the kitchen got creative with them.

    After breakfast, Xzavier would rest his mind and body for a while. Then, by noonday, Xzavier would leave thefort of his bedroom and delve into another round of work.

    The training ground was fast bing Xzavier''s favorite spot. Around midday every single day for six days a week, he would go there to hone and perfect the skills he needed to use. Xzavier was well aware of the fact that he had an ample amount of time to kill. And because he didn''t have any pressing tasks or responsibilities tying him down, he dedicated his free time to keeping fit.

    Training like a mad dogs in an animal fight club, Xzavier furiously went hard in the training ground with great vigor. He made took full advantage of the training ground and explored all the essories involved. Leaping over obstacles as fast as he could, he would time himself and push himself to the limit of his abilities. After exhausting himself, he would repeat the same thing the next day over and over till he felt he was far better than he was when he first arrived here.

    Fortunately, all his firearms had sound suppression devices attached to them so Xzavier also practiced his shooting.

 Chapter 110 Focusing

    Focusing on targets several feet away, Xzavier would take out his pistol and pretend to fight invisible enemies while shooting at the target as he advanced towards it. Sometimes, he would whip out his automatic rifle, or sniper and also sharpen his shooting skills.

    But of course, it couldn''t very well always be about pull ups and shooting. Xzavier also explored all other tasks that could train him to harness his endurance levels and build strength. Any time she wasn''t busy with her maid duties, Adalia would always find time to be present for Xzavier. Like a high school cheerleader, she would p, cheer and encourage Xzavier as he trained on the ground.

    Her yful nature and ever present bubbling energy always made these training sessions livelier. Sometimes, she would stand by his side and mimic his movements as he trained. On such times, Xzavier would often burst intoughter because of how distorted her movements were and just how inconsistent they werepared to the real deal.

    Unable to hold back his amusement, Xzavier would often burst outughing while desperately trying to stick to his own work. Her cheeks red from blushing, she would often take soft jabs at him.

    "Oh for heaven''s sake! Why are youughing at me?! I am doing it better than you!"

    Struggling to contain hisughter, he would reply her tauntingly;

    "Yeah right! Even a cat could do it better than you!"

    Her mouth would hang open in mock surprise, feigning shock at Xzavier''s apt jab.

    "A cat?! A cat you say?! You dishonor me Xzavier! Dishonor!"

    "HAHAHA!! DISHONOR?!" He boomed, "You''re the one dishonoring this training ground with your chicken moves! What in heaven''s name was that?!"

    Assuming a fake serious expression, she stuck her chest out challengingly and pointed her finger at him saying;

    "Look here mister! Just give me three days to train!" she stuck out three fingers in his face,

    "THREE DAYS! And then we can finally ce a bet on who can oust who!"

    Xzavier bent over as if struck by an invisible arrow and erupted into peals ofughter at Adalia''s challenge.

    "Do you think I am joking! Try me and see! Just dare me!"

    "I would never dare! I agree, you are the winner Adalia¡­"

    By evening time, as twilight came in to usher in the night, Xzavier and Adalia would sit out on one of the leaning walls in the garden at the back of the mansion and watch the big orange ball in the sky go down majestically. As they enjoyed the view and basked in the presence of each other''spany, Adalia would lecture Xzavier on some of the general knowledge of this era. At least, the history that wasmon knowledge to her and the other members of the public.

    Xzavier didn''t take those moments for granted. Paying close attention, he would digest just about everything Adalia exined to him. He would ask questions where he needed rification and edged Adalia on whenever she seemed to be going off topic. Actually, she did that a lot because she had a tendency to get carried away.

    The two got used to each other very quickly. Though they met in the most unconventional way and under the most extenuating circumstances, but their friendship thrived as they spent more and more time together.

    On one of those evenings, after one of Adalia''s lectures, while the mood was a bit lighter, she asked Xzavier one of those questions that was birthed from her active mind that was always fraught with imaginations.

    "Xzavier?"

    "Yes?"

    "If we hadn''t met that night in the jungle¡­where do you think you would have been right now?"

    Xzavier paused for a minute to think. He thought he would have gotten used to her line of questioning by now. But each time, just when he thought he could tell where her head was, she always surprised him by the depth of her thoughts and imaginations.

    His eyebrows furrowed as he went into a deep thought. The first thing that crossed his mind was to ask her where she thought she thought she would have also been at this time. But then he remembered that she had been at the verge of being raped to death by a band of very horny orcs. So, he quickly pushed that thought out of his head and focused on giving a much more optimistic answer.

    "Well¡­" he cleared his throat and began, "One thing is for sure though, I definitely wouldn''t have been here listening to you trying to bore me to death with history lessons¡­"

    Adalia''s eyes burned as she immediately prepared to snap back at him. But Xzavier didn''t give her that chance, he quickly continued before she could step in with whatever sarcastic reply she had already lined up in her head.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "¡­but, asides from that, I have learned that fate has a way of bringing destinies together. It really doesn''t matter where I would have been right now, because I believe that no matter what, my path would have led me here, to you, and to this household one way or the other."

    Adalia also had an alternative for asking questions like these. Because every time she came up with questions like this for Xzavier, he always ended up stunning her with his calcted replies. She loved to listen to him speak at time like this. She could sense depth in his speech. Even though their status in the world was that of guest and maid, Adalia was enthralled by the fact that Xzavier didn''t care about that.

    Unable to hide her admiration for Xzavier, Adalia looked at him dreamily and replied in a yful tone;

    "You know, for a battle crazed monster, you''ve got quite the keen mind."

    Xzavier smiled awkwardly.

    "Uhh thank you, I guess?"

    She nudged him gently.

    "No need for that pathological modesty Xzavier. That was an actualpliment, and you''d better enjoy it because you''re not going to get any more of those out of me."

    Xzavier let out a short heartyugh. Still chuckling, he replied her;

    "Okay Adalia, okay¡­"

    "Honestly, how do you juste up with these replies?"

    "I just answered your question as best as I could. You''re acting like I just passed an examination or something."

    She giggled lightly.

    "Oh pleasee off it! You should hear yourself when you talk like this sometimes¡­"

    Mimicking his voice and speech mannerisms, Adalia did her best ''Xzavier impression'' by sticking out her chest in the most ridiculous copycat impression of a man. Deepening her voice till it was almost a deep growl. She squinted her eyes to give off the impression of one who was about to say something serious, and then, she quoted his initial reply back to him.

    "¡­fate has a way of bringing destinies together¡­oh look at me, I am such a wise guy, me so serious, h, h, h¡­"

    Finding Adalia''s impression of him utterly hrious, Xzavier almost doubled over inughter. From the depth of his gut, a fresh tide ofughter came pouring out in waves, booming from his throat, and spilling out of his mouth. This was no patronizingughter. He was truly cracked up. Xzavierughed so hard that tears stung his eyes. With Adalia, there was truly not a single dull moment.

    Adalia watched with glee as Xzavierughed. She wasn''t tempted to think that Xzavier wasughing at her. He wasughing at her joke, and she was d. Xzavier was one who was so serious every time. In fact, when she first met him, she had concluded that he was incapable ofughter. And now, fast forward to several monthster, here he was, genuinelyughing with the zeal of a yful toddler.

    "Don''t be absurd! Do I really sound like that???"

    Adalia nodded, bright-eyed like a six year old.

    "Good heavens! You should consider a career in theatre Adalia, you really should! That was downright phenomenal!"

    It was a harmlesspliment, but Adalia really took things like this to heart. Xzavier alwaysplimented her whenever she disyed some hidden talent of hers, and she quietly epted them with dness and fed off on them muchter whenever she was feeling blue.

    Unfortunately, Adalia didn''t realize that she was actually hugging his time. The governor''s family wasn''t arge one. Because they were a tightly-knit household, there were others who wanted more of Xzavier''s time. While the two unlikely friends thrived, other members of the household tried to vie for Xzavier''s attention.

    Cadence had been monitoring Xzavier''s movements around the estate for a while now. It wasn''t like he was being creepy or anything. From the youngd''s point of view, Xzavier was a pretty important and powerful person. Consequently, he had to be calctive about his approach. The serious minded young man never did anything halfway. In fact, due to his tendency to overthink things, he sometimes went overboard with even the simplest tasks.

    It wasn''t the young boy''s fault. Cadence''s motives were genuine and pure, but he just couldn''t help being obtrusive at times.

 Chapter 111 Cadences Mind

    From the top floor of the mansion, out the window of his room that was positioned so tactically that he could easily see the activities of anyone passing on the estate ground, he would often watch Xzavier jog past on his morning rounds. Like a sniper in his tower, Cadence would look down to the ground and clock Xzavier''s time each time he jogged past his window.

    On that fateful day, very early in the morning, Cadence rose from his bed with a spring in his step. It was way earlier than his regr wake time. In fact, the shadow of nighttime was still very much present. Cadence sprung out his bed without the haziness, or wooziness that was typical of one who had only just awakened. His mind was bright and awake, and his entire physiology followed suit.

    He headed over to his wash bowl in the distance, and washed his face and mouth hurriedly, in the process, he sshed a little bit more water than usual, forming little puddles around him. Still suspended in a state of perpetual urgency, Cadence put on his sandals and dashed towards the direction of his father''s home office. This was the second time he would surprise his father in this manner. But he hoped he would catch the governor in a good mood.

    As he headed towards his father, Cadence began to realize that disturbing the quiet time of a man as important as his father probably wasn''t a good idea. It was still pretty early, and most people were still awake at this time.

    "Get it together Cadence!" he rebuked himself in a matured manner as he willed himself to focus.

    "No negative thoughts! No doubts! No negative thoughts, no doubts..."

    He repeated the mantra over and over again in his mind. It was a creed that the old mage had whipped up for him and Earlene. He instructed them to stand by it, and chant it whenever they were faced with a daunting task. Right now, Cadence held on to it with the tenacity of a toddler holding on to a teddy bear.

    He soon arrived at his destination and approached the door. With a nervous rap, he knocked softly on the door. Much to his surprise, the governor called out to him from the other side;

    "Come in Cadence, I can recognize your footsteps even with my ears clogged."

    Taken by surprise, Cadence opened the door to the familiar sight of his father bent over at the table. As always, the ever present stack of documents dominated an entire section of the table. The soft mesmerizing glow of candlelight from multiple candlesticks, encased the room in a nket of warmth. Cadence felt at home here, and paradoxically, even when his father wasn''t physically present, he also felt strangely on edge every time he stood in this room.

    Quaid on the other hand knew instantly that something was afoot without even needing to make any inquiries. The chickens do note out to roost in the middle of the night.

    "Good morning father. Forgive my interruption."

    Quaid waved his hand dismissively.

    "It''s nothing. You can alwayse to me whenever you have something on your mind."

    He narrowed his eyes and bore down on his son with a questioning look.

    "There is something bothering you right?"

    Cadence didn''t want toin to his father. So, he decided to spare him as much details as possible.

    "No father..."

    He paused briefly, but long enough for the governor to know that his son was warming up to say something.

    "But I have a request to make of you."

    Ah, there it is, Quaid thought. He took great pride in knowing and predicting the people around him, especially his children. Even though he spent very little time with them, in his free time, he would often ruminate on their growth, and present affairs.

    Cadence wasn''t usually one to make formal requests. In fact, he hardly ever asked his father for anything. At first, Quaid had believed that it was because his child had a sense of entitlement. But as Cadence grew up, Quaid observed with delight that his son was actually self sufficient and self dependent. This was a very unlikely trait in nobility. The governor was d.

    So, seeing Cadencee forward in this manner to present his request made Quaid take a step back. He was curious to know what this request could possibly be that his son had toe to him so early. Leaning back into his seat, he reached for his beard and stroked it as he waited for the ball to drop.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Well, go on then. I am all ears."

    Cadence bowed slightly, and began to fill his father''s curious ears.

    "Father, as you know, the vault that contains the family''s treasury is under lock and strict security. So, humbly I ask that you grant me permission to ess it for myself."

    He bowed again.

    Quaid wasn''t expecting this.

    "Fine."

    Stunned by the single word reply, Cadence remained there, not sure how exactly to proceed from here. He asked himself; Fine is good right? He couldn''t really tell in this moment. What was he to do with ''fine?''

    A few minutester, just as noonday crept up on the inhabitants of the estate, Cadence found himself knocking on Xzavier''s door. The young man was bursting with self assurance, totally confident in the fact that he had thoroughly thought this true. There was no way Xzavier could say no to such a phenomenal gesture.

    Cadence nced at the gifts resting on the wall next to Xzavier''s door and was once again convinced that he had made the right choice. The boy was but just ad, so, his boyish frame couldn''t support therge frame. So, he had a couple of servants bring them over here. And very quickly, he dismissed them. He didn''t want Xzavier thinking that he hadn''t been man enough to deliver the gift himself.

    Xzavier had heard the rustling of feet on the other side of the door and tried his best to make out what exactly was going on. But the pattern was sporadic and irregr. Just as he was about to step up to find out, he heard a couple of feet retreating in the distance. He was about to dismiss it when the knock came. Xzavier''s keen mind scrutinized the manner of the knock. During his short stay here, he had already gotten used to the way his visitors knocked.

    Actually, only two people came to see him daily. Adalia''s knocking pattern was more hurried and more frantic. Like she was in a hurry to get over with the whole knocking ritual and just get on with barging right it. Xzavier always recognized it any day. The second person that always came was the servant in charge of Xzavier''s meals. In contrast to Adalia''s urgent style, this servant was always calm and cid. He knocked like he had all the time in the world to spare. Xzavier appreciated that.

    This time, the knocking pattern was different. Hence, it was safe to say that this was a stranger. Carefully tip toeing his way towards the door, Xzavier called out unsurely;

    "Yes? Who goes there?!"

    A small, almost thin voice answered him.

    "I Mr. Xzavier! It is Cadence, the governor''s son!"

    Cadence nearly bit off his own tongue in regret as soon as he mentioned the fact that he was the governor''s son. Like Xzavier didn''t know that already! Cadence rebuked himself silently for that oversight. It wasn''t like him to go around throwing the fact that he was the governor''s son. In this particr case, it sounded like he was trying to get Xzavier toply using the authority of his father. Of course, this wasn''t his intention. But hearing Xzavier''s voice bellowing from behind the door made him lose focus.

    As for Xzavier, it turned out that the hadn''t actually needed Cadence to announce his name. He recognized his almost masculine voice immediately he answered from the other side of the door. Surprised by the fact that the governor''s son was here at his door, Xzavier opened it suspiciously and saw the five foot five teenager staring back at him with wide eyes, as if he half expected to metamorphose into a snarling dragon with four wings and three horns.

    When he did manage to find his voice, he somehow sounded even shriller and more high pitched than he normally did. Despite the fact that he prepared himself to sound deep like a man when the time came.

    "Mr. Xzavier! Please pardon my intrusion! May I speak with you for a moment?"

    Xzavier looked at the teenager again, trying his best to figure out what this was about. But for the life of him, he just couldn''t figure it out. He nodded slightly in approval, and Cadence wasted no time. Talking in the way and manner that he saw other grownups do, he took the diplomatic approach;

    "I haven''t had the pleasure of getting to know you in person Mr. Xzavier, but I am hoping that can change."

 Chapter 112 Days

    Fighting the urge to keep rambling on, Cadence stopped for a bit before firing on.

    "I have no idea how long you n to be with us, but in the mean time, I will do my best to be of any assistance you may or may not need¡­"

    Xzavier listened with rapt attention as the youngd spoke. There was a certain maturity about thed. It was undeniable, and yet, it just didn''t quite fit. It was like a boy who had stopped into the coat of his father.

    In all sincerity, Xzavier hadn''t paid much attention to thed since getting here. His elder sister''s mboyant, colorful personalitypletely dominated the space in his mind that was reserved for both siblings. He hadn''t thought much of the younger sibling. Although, Cadence appeared to be the calmer and less yful of the siblings, Xzavier wasn''tpletely sure if that was because he was exceedingly smart, or incredibly dumb. Either way, he was going to find out.

    Cadence was still speaking now.

    "¡­ so, Ie bearing a token of my intentions¡­"

    He stepped back a bit and gestured at Xzavier;

    "If you would please step out just for a moment sir."

    Still not sure where this was going, Xzavier stepped out curiously to see what all this was about. He noticed the young man pointing towards his left. Xzavierplied, and his eyes followed the trail, only from him to see arge bronze, no, gold shield! And a very mean looking, artfully crafted helmet that was fashioned in the image of a roaring Tiger!

    "Sir, please ept this as a token of my friendship. I know that it is nothing befitting of a person as powerful as you are. But, I hope that you would take it in good faith!"

    What a mature young man, Xzavier thought. But that wasn''t what waspletely upying his thoughts in that moment. With his face, an unreadable and undiscernible mask, Xzavier admired the vintage work of art. Especially the helm! It was mixture of ck metal and solid gold that outlined the edges. The mouth of the tiger that was opened way too much served as the space for the head of the wearer. It was truly outstanding.

    Xzavier wasn''t na?ve to think that this was a basic gift. Even back in his own era, he knew that relics like this would be worth a mint! Even though jewelry and shy things weren''t up his alley, Xzavier only had to take one look at the shield to know that it was made of pure gold! This was particrly funny because Xzavier had never held gold in his life before. And yet, before his very eyes, leaning on the wall before him was more carats of pure refined gold than he could ever hope to see in four lifetimes.

    It was all so alluring. But unfortunately Xzavier knew that he couldn''t ept this. It was a honey trap of the juiciest kind. And if he were to fall headlong into it, he would find himself trapped in more than one way.

    In that very moment, Xzavier recalled one of his favorite quotes;

    ''There is nothing costlier than a gift given free of charge.''

    Xzavier didn''t allow himself to linger far longer than was necessary. Refusing to be tempted, he tore his eyes away to address the young man.

    Is habitual cool voice, he asked Cadence a question that was both simple and yet indirect;

    "Tell me the truth boy, did anyone put you up to this?"

    Cadence shook his head vehemently.

    "No sir, this was all my idea."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Quite frankly, he was a bit hurt by Xzavier''s question. Indirectly, it was a soft jab at his own ego. It was an undermining question that belittled his integrity and intelligence. But then again, because Cadence could never seem to find any wrong in Xzavier, his young mind twisted his initial reaction into something more positive.

    Instead of dwelling on the fact that Xzavier thought so little of him that he immediately ascribed his idea to someone else, Cadence chose to see it in a different light. From a more optimistic approach, it simply meant that he was on the right track. If Xzavier was doubting the fact that he came up with this idea himself, this was a clear pointer to the fact that he had outdone himself. As if to consolidate his im on the idea, Cadence reassured Xzavier again.

    cing his right hand on his chest, as if he was reciting a pledge or confirming his allegiance, he assured his idol;

    "I assure you Mr. Xzavier, I mean no disrespect whatsoever. Please, rest your mind at ease, this isn''t some borate ruse to unsettle you in any way. It is only my own token."

    Xzavier observed the boy closely. Obviously, he was well educated for his age, and well mannered even for a young noble. In another world, he would have taken a liking to him. But Xzavier was far from home. And because of that, he was always reminded of the fact that this was a different environment. Consequently, he had to be on his guard at all times. Maintaining a permanent state of suspicious alertness would be exhausting for anyone else, but for Xzavier, it was his default state of mind.

    So, because he was hardwired to suspect anyone and everyone around him, he had to lock his heart up. The gift alone was a magnanimous gesture. But Xzavier could see the governor''s hand written all over it. If a man could push his own child to y in the game of movers and shakers, Xzavier knew that there was probably no line that such a man would not cross.

    Having made up his mind, Xzavier caught onest look at the precious relics and gave his reply to the governor''s son;

    "Sorryd, but that''s a no from me..."

    Cadence''s eyes opened apprehensively. He lifted up his finger and voice in a bid to protest, or even counter. But unfortunately, Xzavier had already made up his mind.

    "Sir! If you could just giv---"

    BAM!

    That was the sound the door made as it mmed in the bewildered face of the young, wannabe, teenage diplomat. Cadence may not have realized it, but in that moment, even though it didn''t seem all too rosy, life had gifted him a precious gift. A new sense of purpose came forth in Cadence''s otherwise cid heart. He left Xzavier''s door that minute with something he hadn''t had a few moments ago- a burning desire to seed.

    As he walked back, he looked back on the rejected gifts leaning on the wall next to Xzavier''s door. Strangely enough, Cadence wasn''t sad. If anything, he was seething with a fresh drive. Xzavier had turned him down. Of course, he had been na?ve to believe that Xzavier would have so easily given in to his request on the first go. Maybe it was the gift. Maybe it wasn''t sophisticated enough. Maybe Xzavier had seen enough of these relics where he hade from, and that was probably why he wasn''t moved.

    Over the next couple of weeks, Cadence used all the resources and authority avable to him to source for the ideal gift for Xzavier. He brought him priceless stones, he brought him ancient books, one time, he even brought in a stunningly beautiful priceless warhorse. This particr gift was as beautiful as it was expensive and rare. And yet again, Cadence was greeted with a loud, unflinching ''NO.''

    This time, Cadence gave up. He had given in everything he had just for this endeavor. As he trotted his warhorse back to the stables, Cadence saw for the first time just how stupid and useless his gift was to someone like Xzavier. He kicked himself mentally when he remembered Xzavier''s battle armor motorcycle that by far superseded anything he had ever seen before. Because he didn''t know what it essentially was, he called it the ''Iron steed.''

    He realized that Xzavier was thest person alive who wanted a warhorse. For someone who had a magnificent beast like that ''iron steed,'' his transportation and battle problems were solved for life. Also, he always the option of going in a carriage instead of a warhorse.

    While Cadence fought for Xzavier''s attention with all subtlety and guile, Earlene however chose a different path. Really, the older sibling appeared to be the least infatuated with Xzavier. Because her character tended more towards mboyance and straightforwardness, Earlene had no time to be all subtle and sneaky. The youngdy''s own problem with Xzavier was that he seemed to be taking up a lot more time with Adalia than was necessary.

    Earlene and Adalia had been friends for a long time. Naturally, their lives and daily routines had consequently been interwoven with each other. Before the advent of the Xzavier factor, Earlene and Adalia could spend hours together, talking,ughing and ying. But recently, it felt like Earlene was barely able to catch Adalia''s shadow these days. If Earlene had been able to catch up with Adalia even for a moment, she would have asked her straightaway. But by the time, Earlene was done with her daily lessons, Adalia would be nowhere to be found.

 Chapter 113 Tea

    So, because of this, one day Earlene decided to do a little bit of investigating herself. Even though snooping around just wasn''t her style.

    In her usual authoritative state, Earlene pranced around the estate looking for the other girl, hoping to catch a glimpse of what had been upying her timetely. After a few interrogating a few other servants on the way, Earlene soon began to get a clearer picture of what might be upying the other youngdy''s time so much that she was so unavable recently.

    Armed with the army of naughty suspicions bouncing around in her head, egging her on, Earlene marched in the direction of the training ground, hoping to exert some of her pent up energy on the stranger who had stolen her friend from her. Of course, the training ground wasn''t Earlene''s favorite ce, especially since she was someone who would do anything to boycott practice or anything the remotely concerned her home lessons. But as she headed there, this time, she walked with a zeal unlike never before.

    As she approached, she heard the familiarughter of Adalia''s ringing voice, echoing through the space around her, and filling the atmosphere with a warmth that only her could generate. Pangs of jealousy struck Earlene from within, and she made no effort to control herself. Spurred on by the mental image that was already taking form in her head, Earlene surged in the direction of theughter.

    Earlene''s impromptu visit proved to be even more fruitful than she had anticipated. She saw first hand the happiness that tied Adalia down. She saw why Adalia had been so absenttely. She saw why it seemed like her friend had dropped off from the surface of the earth. Standing at the entrance of the training ground, looking down at Adalia cackling inughter as she mimicked the stranger''s training, it all became clear to Earlene.

    Normally, the presumptuous, rebellious side of her would jump in immediately. But, for some reason, she hesitated for a while before disturbing the peace of both of them.

    "Ehm Ehm ehm¡­"

    She coughed rumbustiously, announcing her presence. Xzavier who had been hanging upside down from a rail doing push ups jumped down apprehensively. Adalia who had been entertaining herself with her own theatrical disy, swiftly turned round to see who had intruded on their personal space. d to see who it was, Adalia''s eyes lit up brightly as she called out to her friend and mistress;

    "Earlene! What a wonderful surprise!!"

    She beckoned on her with all sincerity;

    "Come,e,e¡­"

    "Don''t act like you''re so happy to see me¡­"

    She spoke as she skulked in a yful manner.

    Adalia grinned mischievously. Earlene''s self abortion had grown on her. She no longer saw her as overbearingly entric. In fact, that trait of hers had metamorphosed into a kind of seductive narcissism. Having grown used to her in that manner, Adalia was aware that Earlene was only joshing. So, she stroked her ego, and indulged her whim.

    "Oh my baby! You know I can never forget you! Come give me a hug!"

    With the way both of them got along, none would ever suspect that they were hand maid and mistress. Earlene rushed into Adalia''s arms and they Hugged each other.

    But as soon as Earlene broke off from her embrace, she turned to Xzavier with her famous death stare. Honestly, if there was ever a look that had been perfected due to incessant practice. It was this. Earlene red at Xzavier like he had stolen her jewel or something. The switch up was just insane! Only a few seconds ago, she had beenughing and hugging Adalia, and now, she looked like she was about to pulverize Xzavier right where he stood! It was insane!

    "You!" she eximed as she pointed at Xzavier,

    "What have you done?!"

    Adalia was smiling. But Xzavier was most definitely not smiling. With a puzzled expression, he turned around, hoping there was someone else behind him whom the youngdy was addressing with such vitriol.

    "I am talking to you waxavier!"

    Wow, that wasn''t even his name.

    "Come on Earlene, don''t be like that, you know very well that''s not his name¡­" Adalia petted her.

    "What?" she protested, "Isn''t he built like a wax figurine?"

    Without giving her the chance to respond or defend him, Earlene back to face him with the usation she had been waiting to throw in his face;

    "You! Ever since you came here, you''ve been hugging Adalia all to yourself!"

    Xzavier''s eyes widened in surprise. Was she being serious? But Earlene wasn''t done, she didn''t spare him one bit;

    "Don''t even try to act surprised! I know that you''re doing this on purpose¡­"

    Again, Xzavier had no words. Feasting on his silence like a vulture devouring a carcass, Earlene continued;<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Earlene doesn''t y with me again as often as we used to ever since you got here. It''s all your fault waxavier!"

    Once again, Xzavier wanted to tell her that that was really not his name, but he didn''t get a chance. With Earlene, Xzavier just couldn''t seem to catch a break. Earlene kept on talking to him like she was a queen bee and he was one of her worker bees.

    "You''re going to have to be punished you know. If you help me out with my homework, I may consider forgiving your transgressions¡­"

    She said with an air of finality.

    Xzavier finally saw where all of this was going. In fact, this was all a ruse  to get him to do her assignment for her. To be honest, Xzavier didn''t really hate this naughty, boisterous, youngdy. Actually, he thought her kind of cute in her own way. Her stubbornness and willfulness came off as her being obnoxious, but Xzavier suspected that this was her nature. Her brashness seemed to be within reason.

    Before Xzavier could react to the brazen request Earlene had just put forward, Adalia swooped in with a defense;

    "Earlene!" she shrieked.

    "What do you think you''re doing huh?"

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about¡­"

    "Oh I think you do you naughty girl!"

    Both of them understood each other, only Xzavier was left out of the loop. Adalia pressed on;

    "Don''t mind her Xzavier, the governor has expressly forbidden everyone, including servants and teachers from helping Earlene out¡­"

    Earlene desperately wanted to counter, but she, more than anyone else here knew that this was the whole truth. Undiluted, and uncut.

    A bit disappointed that she could not manipte Xzavier into doing her will this time, she red at him darkly.

    "You''re lucky Adalia got you out of this one waxavier."

    Xzavier had actually gotten all that he needed to know about no helping Earlene. But just so he could get under her skin, he turned to Adalia and asked innocently;

    "Say Adalia, what were you saying again about what the governor spoke concerning his little girl? What is she trying to do by getting me to try to help her?"

    "Who are you calling litt¡ª"

    Adalia caught on and acted ordingly.

    "What an astute question Xzavier. By trying to solicit your help in such a benign way, Earlene is trying to cheat since she is supposed to do her work independently without any external assistance!"

    Any other vain  mistres wouldn''t stand such level of familiarity from her servant, but Adalia could dare to critics Earlene like this because their rtionship had far superseded that of mistress and handmaiden. At this, they were more like sisters.

    Of course, Earlene caught on to the game Adalia was trying to y. And therefore , having no room left to maneuver, she surrendered to Adalia''s tactics.

    "I see you still got it huh Adalia. You just couldn''t let me have this way out!"

    She blushed as she stormed out, leaving. Xzavier and Adalia behind, chuckling at her petnce.

    In situations like this where Xzavier and Adalia backer each other in a face off against others, their rtionship became more and more fiery. Without them realizing it, like the slow fire that gradually engulfs a forest, their friendship had grown into a heated rtionship with subtle erotic undertones. Theyplimented each other well. And because they had spent more time with each other, they grew closer and closer each day, adapting to eac other''s presence and steadfastly growing on each other.

    One major factor that stood as the evidence to their increasingly heating rtionship was the undisputed longing to see each other.  If they weren''t together, they would find themselves looking forward to see each other. Every moment they were apart was spent thinking about each other.  Especially, tea time. That was their special time. Every morning, after Xzavier finished runningps around the house, Adalia never failed in her duty as Xzavier''s unofficial tea giver. Of course, it wasn''t her duty per say, but Adalia took it upon herself to fulfill this task for Xzavier. At this point, it was more than just the tea. It was so much more.

    The tea was merely symbolical. It was just an excuse for them to spend time together. Even when it rained, Adalia still found her way to Xzavier''s room with a jug full of the hot steaming liquid, along with a small tea cup, all on a silver tter. Because he couldn''t train outside, he would work out as best as he could inside his own room with Adalia keeping himpany. He always looked forward to tea as some kind of reward. Each time he took a sip and quenched his thirst with the rich, hot, steaming liquid, Xzavier could taste the care and effort in it.

 Chapter 114 Necessary?

    At first, Xzavier was a little skeptical about being served by Adalia. It wasn''t that he was opposed to her kindness or anything of the sort. It was much deeper than that. It was the underlying element of being attended to by her in the capacity of a servant, this was what made him a little edgy, and ufortable. As someone who had been self sufficient and self reliant for a long time, he had gotten used to doing things by himself. Every time he needed something done, he could always count on himself.

    So, being doted on and being attended to in this manner was a bit strange.

    And yet, somehow, without Xzavier being able topletely exin it, Adalia had braved through, andpletely shattered this stereotype Xzavier had tenaciously clung to for so long. Like  the legendary Valkyries of old, she had swooped down on him and rescued his dying social life from the strangling thorns of solitude.

    Now, Adalia had warmed her way into Xzavier''s life. He was now reliant on her for the littlest things. He now had no objections whatsoever to being taken care of by Adalia. However, because it wasn''t in his nature to be doted on in such a manner, Xzavier would often offer to help out in any way that he could, especially if she was in some kind of trouble in any way. But whenever he tried, he always came up against a nk wall.

    Their conversations would always go something like this;

    "Okay Xzavier, I''m off to go harvest some leaves for the next batch of tea. I''ll see youter."

    "Hold on. I''lle with."

    Adalia nced back in Xzavier''s direction with a confounded expression.

    "What do you mean you wille with me?"

    "You know, to help you with anything, just in case you need any help."

    Adalia was still a bit puzzled. She saw no reason why Xzavier would want to do that. It was strange. Almost absurd to even think of in the first ce. She made that very clear to him.

    "Don''t be absurd Xzavier. This kind of thing isn''t suited for you. Why would you even want to do that?"

    "What do you mean? Is there some hiddenw that says I am not allowed to help out or what?"

    Adalia stared at him nkly, not sure exactly how she was supposed to answer that.

    "Uhmm, there''s now really¡­"

    "Then what''s the big deal then? Or do you think I wouldn''t know how to do it?"

    Before she could use that as an excuse, he quickly added;

    "Even if that''s the case, I''m a pretty fast learner. I can learn the job on the fly."

    Still, Adalia retained that stubborn look in her eyes. Xzavier recognized that look. It was a look he had seen several times in the past whenever he tried to offer her his assistance.

    Xzavier couldn''t see what the big deal was. He simply thought that Adalia was just being stubborn. He somehow missed the fact that she had been a servant for the better part of her life. Hence, she was used to doing things for others by herself. The people she had served had never for once offered to help her do anything.

    Even though Earlene treated her well, and their rtionship had thrived to the level of sisterly love, at the core, their rtionship still maintained the mistress/maid dynamic. Earlene could never offer to assist Adalia with any household chore. Even if the tasks themselves directly affected her. Adalia didn''t mind. In fact it hadn''t even crossed her mind that no assistance had ever been offered. This was simply the way things were. It was her job after all to serve. On what basis was she to expect any kind of assistance from her employer? Asides from the fact that they were nobles of course, things just didn''t work that way.

    So, this was the foundation of Adalia''s thought process. This was why it was so inconceivable that anyone could offer her help. It just didn''t make any sense whatsoever.

    So, with Xzavier still egging her on, Adalia resisted firmly. Shaking her head stubbornly, she maintained her stand on the issue;

    "No. This kind of rough work is my duty."

    Xzavier looked at her kindly as if he finally understood what she meant in that moment.

    "I have told you to stop it already with that duty nonsense. Honores before duty. And bonds of blood and friendshipe before honor. I believe I have told you this already?"

    "Yes, but---"

    "But nothing. We are friends Adalia? Aren''t we?"

    "Yes."

    "Do friends not help other friends? Or is thew on friendships different here as well?"

    She blushed and chuckled slightly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Don''t be silly. Of course there are no suchws."

    Xzavier lifted up his hands in victory.

    "Well! There you have it! Now let''s go. I don''t want to hear any more about this subject."

    He walked to the door, and turned round to see Adalia still standing, static from the indecision that had gripped her. Xzavier called out to her;

    "Are youing or not?"

    A few momentster, they were in the vegetable garden picking up the choicest leaves for the governor''s household''s beverage. Adalia had been skeptical at first, but she soon saw that havingpany on these rounds made the task seem somewhat less boring. Xzavier was way taller than her, so he could reach areas her vertically impaired self couldn''t. As she watched him work, she found herself gradually warming up to the idea of him assisting her.

    It dawned on her the true meaning behind Xzavier insisting that they were friends. What he was simply saying was that they were equals. And because they were equals, there was no ss boundary.

    Time flew by quickly with the stealth and speed of a predator closing in on its prey. Finally, the time hade. The time everybody but Xzavier been waiting for- the hour of his reward. It was the designated season that had been allotted for Xzavier to receive his reward. It would seem that everyone was excited about it except Xzavier.

    "You know it''s a pretty big deal right? The people have to celebrate you, the city is duty bound to recognize your aplishments!"

    It was one of those evenings that Adalia and Xzavier had their long talks. Xzavier wasn''t an exceptional converser, no matter how he tried to steer the conversation away from the topic, Adalia still stubbornly pivoted them back. Firmly refusing to let go, she pressed on;

    "Oh it''s going to be glorious Xzavier, you''ll see! There''s all the pomp, and decorations, and dignitaries! These things don''te by easily."

    Xzavier retained that distinct bored look in his eyes. He clearly wasn''t feeling it, at least not in the way and manner Adalia was anyway.

    "I don''t know Adalia¡­this isn''t just for me. Why can''t they just deliver the medal or brooch to me in a box and skip the whole charade?"

    Adalia gawked at him with her jaw dropped. Her expression clearly said that she couldn''t believe what he had just said. It was almost as if he had just sphemed or uttered something sacrilegious. Xzavier immediately gathered that this was one of those moments where he must have really said something stupid.

    "I mean, is all this really necessary?"

    Adalia shook her head sadly.

    "Your case is really a hopeless one Xzavier. How do I exin this so your thick head can understand the concept of an award ceremony?"

    Adalia spent the next few minutes trying to sell the idea to Xzavier. But it was no use. Xzavier just wasn''t as hyped as she or anyone else was.

    On the night preceding the day before the ceremony, Quaid dropped in to see Xzavier. In essence, the purpose of his visit was simple, it was to brief Xzavier on the proceedings of the next day. But Quaid could have easily sent in an intermediary for that. He was the governor after all. He was a man that always had a hidden motive, and as he knocked on Xzavier''s door, his calm expression did nothing to reflect the dubiousness of his otherwise sneaky mind.

    Xzavier didn''t recognize the pattern of the knock. It was way too firm for it to be the servant, and it was way too collected for it to be Adalia. He called out:

    "Yes? Who goes there?"

    Quaid chuckled lightly. He thought it was a rather funny way to answer a knock.

    "Xzavier, it is Quaid."

    All through the period Quaid had spent as the governor, never had he introduced himself as ''the governor.'' In his opinion, it was tacky and childish. If his name alone didn''t invoke the fear and respect he deserved, then the title of ''governor'' was just a sad augmentation of his already pathetic existence.

    Xzavier quickly jumped up as soon as he heard Quaid''s voice from the other end of the door and swiftly opened the door.

    "Governor, what a pleasant surprise."

    "It sure is. Are you busy at the moment?"

    Xzavier shook his head; "Of course not. Pardon my manners, pleasee in."

    "Thank you."

 Chapter 115 Baron

    Quaid waltzed in confidently, and as Xzavier closed the door behind him, he wondered what could be so important that could bring the governor all the way here to him. It turned out he didn''t have to wait for long to find out.

    Being an important man with very little time, and a ton of responsibilities, Quaid hadn''t the privilege of dilly-dallying with small talk. Of course, there were times and situations where it was necessary to engage in a little harmless banter, but generally Quaid tried his best to avoid it. It was already established that Xzavier was man of equal intellect and understanding, so, Quaid knew he could skip all of that chattering and head right to the business at hand.

    "Xzavier, I''m sure you''re busy making the necessary preparations, so won''t bother you with the morbid details. But, for the sake of fulfilling all protocols, I am duty bound to remind youe to the office to receive your medal."

    ''So this is what this is about?'' Xzavier, thought to himself as he fought to restrain himself from sighing out loud. In the previous weeks that led up to this moment, Xzavier was constantly reminded of the fact that he was about to receive an honor from the city. If it hadn''t been for the instruction of the military system, Xzavier wouldn''t have even had toe over here in the first ce.

    He wasn''t in the least interested in receiving any kind of de in this Isekai. The ostentatiousness of the whole thing repulsed him. He made that abundantly clear to Adalia during their conversations. But s, for the sake of proper etiquette, Xzavier had toply. It would be considered rude for him to be anything short of enthusiastic about the whole charade. So, he put on a false pretext of being happy and answered the governor in the same vein;

    "I deeply appreciate everything Governor. You have indeed been a most gracious host. Rest assured, I will be there as instructed. Many thanks once again."

    "Excellent!" the governor beamed. "I will have a carriage ready for you tomorrow evening."

    As he made to exit the room, he remembered he had some other details to iron out.

    "Oh, and by the way, this is a formal asion. Hence, you will need to dress ordingly¡­"

    Xzavier looked down at his own regr clothing, and realized for the first time that he hadn''t anything decent to wear! He had had weeks to prepare, and yet, it hadn''t crossed his mind for once that a wardrobe change was in order! And now, with less than twenty four hours to spare, he had to perform a miracle or risk embarrassing his host.

    ''Ah damn it! This is why I hate these things.'' He cursed inwardly.

    Quaid seemed to sense his deliberation and quickly made to assuage his fears;

    "Rx, you didn''t let me finish. I was going to say that you shouldn''t worry, a full Victorian military regalia will be made avable to you by one of the servants tomorrow morning."

    Xzavier didn''t know when a sigh of relief escaped his airways. Quaid picked up on that but said nothing on it.

    "Also, there''s the issue of a speech¡­"

    This time, Xzavier couldn''t hide the despair that clouded his eyes. He absolutely hated speaking. And now, he had to get up in front of an audience filled with people he simply didn''t care about, to speak on just how grateful he was to them for the honor bestowed on him. The mere thought of it made, him nauseous. It wasn''t that he had some kind of phobia for public speaking, but Xzavier just wasn''t the kind of guy who enjoyed speaking. In fact, more often than not, he often looked down on people who spoke too much.

    And now, he had to resort to using the tricks of the rabble rouser to scale across this seemingly impassable hurdle. All for what? A dingy award? Xzavier had to bite down on his tongue, it was all he could do from contorting his face in disgust. With a forced smile, Xzavier assured the governor;

    "I understand governor. I will not let you down."

    "Delighted to hear that." The other man replied.

    "I will take my leave now, so I don''t disturb your preparation for tomorrow. I am sure you are very excited."

    With a very fake smile on his face, Xzavier mumbled a three word reply;

    "Yes, very excited¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>

    The governor shook Xzavier, and the two bade each other goodnight.

    As soon as the door closed behind him, the smile on Quaid''s face immediately melted into a puzzled expression. His ulterior motive foring here in person was to gauge Xzavier''s overall state of mind. This was to be another test in the series of tests that he was using to assess Xzavier''s true character. But, for some odd reason, he didn''t get what he had been hoping.

    Naturally, since he himself was a shrewd politician, and as someone who was keen at discerning moods and subtle hints, Quaid had easily seen through Xzavier''s micro-expressions that was supposed to show how ''thrilled'' he was about the whole award thing.

    Xzavier excelled at a list of othermendable things, but lying wasn''t one of them. The governor saw that very clearly. With what he had seen, Quaid deduced that the false front of dness Xzavier had projected so unskillfully could only mean one thing: he wasn''t interested at all in the pomp and splendor of receiving an honorary award. Quaid just didn''t know what to make of all this. This particr anomaly was inconsistent with the supposed reaction of one who had been chosen for honor.

    If Xzavier didn''t consider this a big deal, then what possibly could make him giddy with joy? Quaid contemted on that thought along with a plethora of other things. It didn''t even cross his mind that it was possible that Xzavier simply wasn''t interested.

    As the governor trudged on towards his own bed chambers, he submerged himself in the sea of his own didn''t understand. Of course, anyone who found themselves in Xzavier''s shoes should be bursting with glee and unbridled excitement. To receive a medal like this was the highest honor anyone in the hunting or military profession could hope to attain.

    The deeper he went into assessing the situation, the further down the rabbit hole he went. A second theory began toe into the light of the tunnel of deliberation he had mentally trapped himself in. Just as he was about toy hold on it before it could escape his memory, a very nervous voice greeted him;

    "Good evening Governor!"

    Quaid''s eyes shed dangerously. If he had a stick in his hand, he would have smacked the young servant silly. He was in the middle of some very serious thinking, and just when he was on the brink of a breakthrough, the annoying pointless greeting had yanked him out of his train of thought. It was a bit dark in the poorly lit hallway, if not, the young servant would have seen the darkness in his employers eyes.

    Quaid simply ignored the greeting and continued his short trek to his bed chamber.

    "Ah yes¡­" he eximed inwardly as he remembered what he had been marinating on before the unintelligent interruption of the young servant.

    "Does Xzavier''s disillusionment from this ceremony mean he doesn''t consider this honor to be a big deal?"

    Quaid wondered.

    The promotion Xzavier was about to receive wasn''t just a mere stamp of honor, neither was it an ordinary badge that came with zero authority. This award was in essence, a bestowment of the title of Baron. This was no small feat. Any runt on the street, even those lesser families who had the tiniest trace of nobility would kill for this. Quaid wondered if Xzavier didn''t realize this because he was a foreigner.

    Objectively speaking, Xzavier''s achievements weren''t enough to get this award and title that came along with it. The title of second merit and Baron were Quaid''s own additives. As the head honcho, and as the one who called the shots in these parts, it was his constitutional prerogative to execute his own mandate in situations like this. It was incontestable. No one dared to disagree with him in any way.

    With these thoughts hovering over his head like an invisible cloud, Quaid decided to take a different approach.

    The night quickly faded away, paving way for the golden day and it''s lined up activities. Not so early in the morning, the incessant taps of Adalia''s knocking came on Xzavier''s door. At this point, she only knocked for the sake of etiquette. Without even waiting for Xzavier to answer or let her in, she pushed the door wide open and illuminated the room with her exuberance and enthusiasm.

    "Okay okay! It''s time! All hail the hero of the hour!"

    She burst into the room with the fresh energy of one who couldn''t wait to get started with the day.

    "Here''s your freshlyundered ceremonial wear! You better get to dressing, we have to be out of here in a couple of hours!"

    Xzavier groaned inint.

 Chapter 116 Receive An Award

    "Do we need to be in such a hurry? We still have time to burn you know."

    "My friend, will you get started? We need to be there on time just in case any unforeseeable thinges up. It wouldn''t look good for the governor if the celebrant were to show upte or unprepared!"

    "Adalia, there is still time. I was hoping to get some training done before that period."

    Adalia scoffed.

    "Training? Are you joking?"

    She rolled her eyes as she added;

    "You''re not going to weasel your way out of this one Xzavier! Get to prepping right away!"

    She whistled a melodious tune as she made her way out.

    "Don''t even try to sneak off to the training ground or anything. I will be back as soon as I get all dressed up okay?"

    She was truly excited for Xzavier. Looking at the two of them, one would have thought that Adalia was the one who would be receiving the award.

    About two and a half hourster, apanied by Adalia, Xzavier made his way to the city hall in the horse drawn carriage provided for him by the governor. Cadence would have loved toe along to witness this, but he and Earlene were in school. The governor valued school so much that he wouldn''t allow any of his kids to take a day off, not for any reason. Even if they were sick, Quaid would have their private tutor stand by their bedside for an hour each day, as he read out their lessons to them. As long as it came to education, the governor cut no corners.

    So, seated in a very posh coach, dressed like a Medieval military douchebag, and with Adalia in a flowery caramel colored gown beside him, looking out the windows of the coach as they entered the city''s streets, Xzavier felt like he was living in a fairytale. It was all so surreal. Xzavier joked to himself that all that was missing toplete the scene was a mystical creature and a magic sword.

    Heughed softly hoping to ease into it, but he was still not in sync with the happenings all around him. Xzavier felt like he was in a dream state watching himself and at the same time, living it fully.

    Adalia who had been watching him curiously dragged him out of his self induced day dream;

    "What exactly is so funny huh? You''d better not say nothing, because I clearly saw youughing!"

    Xzavier turned his gaze from the window of the carriage where his focus had been, and steered his gaze towards Adalia until his eyesnded on her with a sensual thud.

    Seated across from him, on the opposite seat in the coach, sat the transformed Adalia. Xzavier realized that he had been so consumed by his own repulsiveness for this whole arrangement, that he had failed to acknowledge just how ravishing Adalia looked. She wore her long, thick blonde hair in braids, and wore them on her head like a Viking queen. She reclined in the plush, crimson red cushions like a celestial being. And her blue eyes zed under the rays of sun that filtered into the carriage. She was truly in her element.

    Xzavier didn''t realize that he hadn''t answered her question. Actually, he had been staring at her the whole time. Adalia knew what he was thinking, and she decided to give him a hard time for it;

    "What are you staring at you creep? Cat''s got your tongue?"

    Xzavier had never understood that expression and why it was often quoted by people. Just as he was about to reply her with something witty, the carriage pulled to a halt. Both of them instantly looked out the window, and simultaneously looked at each other in agreement- it was time.

    They dropped down from the carriage, and were immediately ushered into the building like royalty. The guard at the door who led them to the receptionist tried his best to be professional, but even he couldn''t help but sneak a few nces at Adalia. Xzavier didn''t know why, but for some reason, he was triggered by the guard''s subtle actions. Unconsciously, without actually realizing it, Xzavier found himself giving the other guy a cold look. The guard immediately got the message and backed off. He did not want to be the guy who was going to annoy the celebrant of the day.

    The receptionist received both of them warmly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Please confirm your identity sir. Kindly state your name and purpose here today."

    As a military man himself, Xzavier understood the security need for him to verify his identity.

    "Xzavier Mace. I am here to receive an award from the city."

    The receptionist scribbled something quickly and stood up to lead them to the event center.

    The doors swung open and revealed arge meeting hall. It was arge auditorium and it was filled with rows and rows of seats that were neatly arranged, and evenly spaced. Before now, the fact that he had been chosen to receive an award existed only in his head. But as he gazed upon the people gathered to watch him take his medal, it all suddenly began to feel really real. As Xzavier''s quick searching eyes roved all over the ce, his eyesnded on one particr familiar face.

    Xzavier didn''t know if it was fate or something, but the odds of him spotting that face in the crowd before him was very slim. It was the very same secretary who had vilified him on the first day he stepped his foot in Victoria City. Xzavier hadpletely forgotten about her, and had only remembered her the moment heid eyes on her.

    The secretary who was busy making sure that everything was perfect didn''t catch Xzavier''s gaze until a few seconds in. At first, she was a bit unnerved by the piercing stare of the handsome stranger with the blond beauty by his side. Feeling adventurous, she decided to size him up and match his gaze eye for eye. As soon as she dared to look him in the face, the secretary almost died inside.

    "No! It can''t be! It can''t!"

    That was what she kept telling herself. But it didn''t change the fact that it was indeed true.

    From a Karmic point of view, the sinking feeling she got was as a result of the fact that she had never thought this day woulde. She had been so quick to dismiss him as an ordinary bum that day, and with each passing moment, that regret threatened to consume her. She felt light headed and the continuous feeling of losing her bnce only enhanced the damning feeling of shame she was nurturing. If Xzavier was a vindictive person, she would have to run to the farthest reaches of the state to escape his wrath.

    She quickly averted her eyes as soon as she knew it was him and pretended to looked far away, at the ceiling, at the entrance, anywhere but his location! She couldn''t recognize Xzavier in his new splendor. The fraudster in simple clothes whom she had met that day had transformed before her very eyes! It wasn''t just his new stardom, it also wasn''t the fact that there seemed to be a halo of glory hanging over his head. She just couldn''t recognize Xzavier in his regal military ceremonial outfit. Also, Xzavier had been working out nonstop for weeks on end. He had also been snacking on the choicest and richest meals, so he looked fresh and healthy. All of these factors contributed to her inability to recognize Xzavier in that moment.

    While the full circle moment closed in on her from all sides, the voice of Quaid came from the stage;

    "Ladies and gentlemen, lords anddies, dignitaries and special guests, wee to this very special award ceremony."

    A very enthusiastic round of apuse followed. Nobles never failed to take advantage of any opportunity to publicly show off their pomp, and trot out their fancy clothes as well as theirvish generosity. They pped and pped, making sure their fancy bracelets, rings, cufflinks and watches glittered under the lighting of the auditorium. The sounds of their palms beating against each other shed with the sounds of their jewelry crying for attention. Xzavier and Adalia took this as their cue. They smartly waltzed into the crowd to take their ce in the audience.

    Being of a rtively modest disposition, Xzavier wanted to sit in the back, but Adalia, pulled him towards a more morous position.

    "Come on Xzavier! You''re the star of the show! When they call you up, do you really want toe all the way from the back with all these eyes digging into you?"

    Like a bully, like a five foot five bully dressed in a ball gown, she nudged him in the direction she wanted. All the while smiling like she wasn''t just yelling at him a few seconds ago.

    The boring part of this kind of events was the speeches. As Xzavier sat down with Adalia, he started to remember why he hated going to these things. Quaid''s voice, loud and regal, came over from the stage and filled the entire space with his energy.

    "...gathered here today to celebrate the magnanimous achievements of one man. Many say the age of heroes is long gone, but the actions of this man has led us to believe otherwise!"

    The round of apuse followed as well as cheering from some of the younger and more energetic nobles.

    He held up his palm to douse the cheers and to restore order.

 Chapter 117 Baron Xzavier

    "Now some of you may have already heard the rumors, some of you may have dismissed them as exaggerated tales espousing the ego of a lucky hunter¡­"

    He paused for dramatic effect. Drawing in the crowd''s attention, harvesting their building tension and converting it to momentum. Xzavier who had been watching him couldn''t help but be impressed. This man really knew how to work a crowd. His very smart dressing and well styled hair backed his flowery speech and smooth words. If he wasn''t already a politician, he would have made for the perfect showman. In Xzavier''s books, both professions were one and the same.

    "So, I stand before you today, not just as your leader, but as your trusted confidant whom you have entrusted to give you nothing but the truth! Ladies and gentlemen, it is true! What you have heard is all true! And I am sure that you haven''t heard half of it!"

    Fake sighs of surprise went up from every corner of the auditorium, as if they didn''t know this before.

    "Yes!" He shot up his right forefinger in the air as he spoke;

    "In one night! This gentleman ughtered an entire band of goblins all by himself! With unique skills and mysterious powers, he walked right into their midst and delivered righteous judgment on them for their collective wickedness! Oh, how they fled before him! But s, not one of them escaped! The earth opened up its mouth that day and swallowed their blood!"

    Quaid spoke like he had been there when it all happened. But the crowd didn''t care. They simply loved a good show, and Quaid was giving them just what they wanted! The younger nobles who were still driven and moved by what they see and hear, rose up on their feet enthusiastically, and roared in symphony with Quaid''s infective narration.

    "Oh wait, that''s not all!"

    Wait for it, he thought. This was the news everyone was waiting for. The reason a lot of them were here.

    Assuming a more somber tone, Quaid delved into the next part;

    " I am sure you have all heard about the orcs¡­"

    A cold silence now engulfed the room. Of course they had heard chilling, nerve wracking stories about that breed of creatures. They were monsters, capable of the most heinous crimes. Because a lot of the people in the room were nobles with vast business interests, a lot of their trading caravans had encountered these blood thirsty creatures.

    There were tales of orcs splitting live, human women in half with their huge organs. There were tales of orcs devouring humans whole without even needing to chew on their bones. Of course, these stories were greatly exaggerated. But as nobles who had never been outside thefort of their walls before, they were quick to believe whatever they heard.

    Quaid continued his narration;

    "I do not need to go into the details of their callousness and vile nature. One regr orc is bad enough, but this gentleman whom I speak of not only obliterated a good number of them at once, alone, he single handedly took down the notoriously dangerous orc leader of the southern tribe!"

    This time, even the older folk joined in on the roaring.

    "Nobles of Victoria City and the Quincy state atrge, how do we reward such a person?" he cried.

    d that the crowd was all hyped, Quaid finally made the introduction;

    "Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for our very own angel of death, Hunter extraordinaire; Xzavier Mace!"

    He could have simply called his name like the normal person that he was, but nobles sure loved their titles.

    The formal asion couldn''t help but make Xzavier be more serious. It was clear that this was obviously a big deal to this people. So, as he stood up, and marched with a military stride towards the smiling governor, a round of apuse erupted from the auditorium. The deafening sound all around him made Xzavier take this even more seriously. Adalia pped the loudest, and in the sea of numerous pairs of hands pping against each other, Xzavier could only hear Adalia''s p.

    As Xzavier ascended the stage, he noticed that Silver Knight Dale had emerged from nowhere, and was handing over a gold medal and a gold crown resting on a velvet pillow to the governor. Both objects were of very significant value. They both represented the two sweet honorary titles, that were to be awarded to Xzavier in that moment.

    Quaid collected them carefully, as he held them, he acted like they were so  precious, even the slightest breeze could besmirch them. This further sold the illusion to the crowd that this was in fact a huge deal.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hunter Xzavier Mace, I Quaid Princy, Governor of Princy state hereby crown you hero, Xzavier the Order of Victoria!"

    The thundering apuse came again, not stopping until Quaid had to signal them to quiet down. Then, he turned to Xzavier and presented him the crown.

    Xzavier had been briefed already on what to do, so he went on his knees to receive the crown;

    "Rise now as Baron Xzavier Mace!"

    The apuse came again, somehow, even louder than before. Quaid picked up the medal and pinned it to his chest on his military ceremonial wear;

    "Receive the medal of merit, Baron Xzavier Mace!"

    Xzavier didn''t think he would ever get used to being addressed as ''Baron.'' It sounded so mboyant and so ostentatious. He had never received such a high ranking medal in his era, and now, they had been handed over to him so freely in this strange Isekai.

    As Xzavier rose to his feet, he felt the full weight of the crown on his head. The title of Baron, along with all the authority vested upon him rested fully on his shoulders, weighing down on him, making him miss simpler times. His left hand reached to caress the medal that had been pinned on his chest and he was reminded yet again that this was all real.

    His eyes wandered to the audience and their roaring apuse. He saw Adalia in the crowd pping vociferously with tears in her eyes. In that moment, Xzavier got a taste of part of the glory men mored for all their lives. He saw just how intoxicating the feeling was, and right then, he understood why lesser men with smaller minds fixated the entirety of their dreams and ambitions on attaining honor. It was truly inebriating.

    As the apuse gradually died down, Dale, who had been by his side all this while, gently nudged Xzavier in the back and whispered in his ear;

    "Go on champ, give the people what they want, it''s time for your speech!"

    Naturally, Xzavier wanted to protest, but he knew that it would be futile. There was some kind of magic all around the stage that enhanced the volume of the speaker''s voice. So, Xzavier knew that he didn''t have to worry about raising his voice in that regard.

    It didn''t matter either way. Xzavier had already prepared a very short speech, he wasn''t going to allow the audience to suffer the way other politicians bored their listeners to death with long stretches of monologues espousing their own egos.

    Clearing his voice, he spoke, filling the quiet space with his words;

    "Thank you so much esteemed nobles of Princy State. It is with much gratitude that I ept the honor and title conferred on me by the magnanimous Governor."

    He turned towards Quaid with an outstretched arm and continued;

    Please, give a round of apuse for the Governor of Princy State, Quaid Princy!!!"

    Quaid who hadn''t been expecting this in the least, flipped his eyes open in surprise as Xzavier returned the honor to him. Their eyes jammed, and a mutual understanding passed between them. Xzavier had subtly and cleverly glorified the governor as his patron in the midst of the elite of the elite. In one short sentence, Xzavier had exalted him, stripping himself of part of the honor. So, it wouldn''t be said that Xzavier had greedily swallowed the whole fame. It was a brief power y.

    While the crowd was still apuding, Quaid stepped forward to shake Xzavier, and with that Xzavier receded into the background, allowing Quaid to enjoy the fame he so loved.

    The item on the program went on as nned. A string quartet,prised of neatly dressed instrumentalists proceeded to the stage to entertain the crowd. Soon, they finished their set up, and the melody from their stringed musical instruments saturated the open space, rxing the mood a little bit. Bit by bit, the general atmosphere in the auditorium began to liven up under thebined influence of liquor and good music. The socializing began. After speeches, this was the part that Xzavier hated the most.

    The crowd began to form their groups as men and women jumped from table to table, visiting and revisiting topics. Taking their fill of thetest gossip, they shamelessly devoured the most recent news, and of course, with all this bickering came a fresh tide of malicious lies. From the back of the stage, Xzavier watched the whole thing unfold behind the curtain. He just couldn''t wait to find a way out. But unfortunately, between him and the door stood an ocean of people he just had to navigate through.

    As he stood gazing through the slit, arge hand tapped him on the shoulder from behind- it was the Silver Knight, Dale. Xzavier spun round, surprised that anyone would do that to him since he wasn''t al too familiar with any of the strangers here. He turned, and what seemed like a look of disappointment washed over his face.

 Chapter 118 Donâ€™t Try

    Dale raised his hands up defensively;

    "Hey don''t be like that, I am only the messenger?"

    "What?"

    "The governor''s looking for you champ. He asked me toe get you."

    Another look of despair lunged across his face, sinking him even deeper into the sink hole that was in his mind. If it hadn''t been Quaid, Xzavier would have bounced this offer with no remorse. But he didn''t want to repay Quaid''s hospitality to him with impudence. So, reluctantly, he agreed to step into the hot steamy cauldron that was the social circles of Victoria City.

    Exhaling deeply, he asked Dale;

    "Where is the governor?"

    "Come, I''ll lead you to him."

    Xzavier followed behind as Dale led the way and took him to Quaid. Dale himself wasn''tpletely free of the infectious need to appraise oneself in this gathering. As he took Xzavier to Quaid, he took the much longer route, making sure enough people saw him with the hero of the day. Although, Dale kept a very straight face, his mind was bursting with pride because, he knew that at the end of the night, at the dinner tables and salons, his name woulde up in one or two circles.

    Finally, after being trotted around like a trophy, Dale took him to Quaid, and Quaid took over from where Dale left off.

    "Ahh! Baron, where have you been all this while?"

    Xzavier forced a smile. It was going to take a while before he could get used to his new title. He bowed slightly as he answered Quaid;

    "Forgive me Governor, I was a little preupied that''s all."

    Quaid waved off his apology.

    "It''s nothing to be sorry for..." then he turned around and added, loudly to the hearing of the others; "It is a party after all isn''t it"

    "Aye! Aye!"

    The governor was with some other important officials on the stage. As the most important nobles in the auditorium, they were given the elevated position befitting their status.

    As they saw Xzavier, they eagerly signaled Quaid to make the necessary introductions. Quaid on the other hand was thoroughly enjoying the attention Xzavier was bringing in. Even more than that, he relished ying the role as the intermediary between the hero and the politicians. After, a calcted pause, Quaid finally made the necessary introductions;

    "Baron, it''s high time you meet some of the most important officials in Victoria City, meet¡­"

    Quaid led him through the names and titles, and Xzavier shook them all, with a warm smile and a firm handshake. They all wanted to shake hands with the new mysterious Baron. Xzavier got mmed with the arduous task of memorizing so many names and titles. Of course, he tried his best, but they all seemed the same to him.

    Except one entity though. It was one face that Xzavier couldn''t possibly forget.

    "¡­ and this is Babara, she is one of secretaries at the city hall. There is no official document in this city that doesn''t pass through her desk!"

    With a vindictive smile on his face, trying his best not to grin like a serpent, Xzavier sped her hand and shook it, as he struggled to maintain some semnce of normalcy.

    "How do you do miss?"

    She replied, but with the slightest trace of trembling in her voice;

    "Fine thank you Baron. Congrattions on your award sir."<novelnext></novelnext>

    The word ''Baron'' came out of her mouth with the heaviness of one attempting to chew an iron nail. As she said it, Xzavier knew that it must be really killing her inside. She tried her best to mask it, but her shock was evident in her eyes. She was still baffled, how could an ordinary person with no magic whatsoever receive such a high honor, and the additional title of Baron?! Had she missed something that everyone else had seen? She wondered and wondered. But she didn''t dare voice her doubts regarding the new Baron.

    Dale however, who had been on the side watching every single reaction on the stage, immediately noticed Babara''s unfavorable reaction. Like the sudden st of an electric current, it hit him that she was the only official who had been present the day Xzavier came in the town. Unlike the rest of them who were bedazzled by Xzavier''s current glory, she secretary had seen Xzavier that day in his simple form as she led him to his office.

    Not knowing how he could have missed such an important detail, Dale cursed inwardly.

    "Bloody hell! Babara never liked Xzavier from the start! Heaven knows what kind of thoughts would be coursing through her mind right now¡­"

    He dropped everything else he was thinking of, and immediately made his way towards her.

    "Damn it Babara, you''d better not say or do anything to ruin this! You''d better not!!"

    Even Dale didn''t know just how astute his suspicion was. As he rightly guessed, there was a stream of wild, doubtful thoughts swiftly droning out of the youngdy''s vtile mind. So, in a bid to curb any eventualities, he maneuvered his way through the crowd, and craftily positioned himself next to her.

    Thankfully, Quaid had led Xzavier on to meet other officials, so, he had the opportunity to caution Babara without the heated res of all any and all wandering eyes. Still, he had to be careful as there were always a couple of lingering eyes that were eager to find a hole in anything.

    With a fake smile on his face for the world to see, and his tone utterly vitriolic, in a low whisper, Dale rasped harshly in her ear;

    "Don''t even try to understand the iprehensible okay?"

    Babara wasn''t expecting it. So, when the icy cold voice of the Silver Knight hit her ears, she froze like a deer under the powerful headlights of an automobile.

    But Dale wasn''t even done yet. While maintaining a maniacal smile, he continued his vicious assault on her ears;

    "Let me tell you something Babara, if you in anyway try to mess this up, you will not be able to withstand the unfathomable punishment that wille upon you. Have I made myself clear?"

    More than anyone else, Dale knew just how intuitive and perceptive his female secretary was. This was one of the traits that made her an excellent secretary in the work environment. He had often made use of her ability once or twice. Thus, his knowledge of her ability became the basis of his worry. He remembered what her reaction was on the day Xzavier came into their lives. Her mind had been filled with the worst suppositions of him. Even now, she was on her toes around Xzavier.

    On a normal day, he weed and entertained her intuitive analysis, she was always spot on. She had the uncanny ability to investigate and sniff out an irregrities. But in this case, it might prove detrimental to the governor''s ns. Hence, the need for a good old-fashioned warning.

    Babara on the other hand listened with rapt attention as his morbid threat reached her ears. She didn''t fail to grasp the deep meaning behind Dale''s whispered warning. The two of them had worked side by side for a while now, so it was literally impossible for them toe this far together without knowing what the other was capable of.

    Because Babara had worked under Dale for a significant amount of time, she had seen the side of him which he kept obscured from the rest of the world. His callousness and violent side never bothered her, primarily because she always saw them as being on the same side. What benefitted him benefitted her. Never for once had it even crossed her mind that one day, she would be on the receiving end of his dark side. It was pretty weird that all this was happening because of Xzavier. So, without looking at Dale, with her voice kept to the bare minimum, she whispered back to him with as much courage as she could;

    "Not to worry sir! My lips are sealed. I will not be the curious cat in this case!"

    She hesitated for a moment, but then she decided to add for posterity sake;

    "I don''t know anything about Xzavier¡­"

    "Good. Be sure to keep it that way. No throw your head back andugh softly like I just said something funny¡­"

    Even before he finished his sentence, Babara burst into a soft hearty chuckle. Deciding it was convincing enough, Dale retreated to the background to observe the rest of the events.

    Later that night, after a night of socializing and politicking, Xzavier retired back to his quarters after taking a long ride from the city back to the governor''s estate. He felt like he shook at least a hundred different hands that night. It had all been exhausting. In Xzavier''s mind, at some point, all of them started to look alike. They were all middle aged, or old men with fancy moustaches and elegant titles. Some part of him had secretly hoped that Adalia would stay through till the end, and wait for him so they could go home together.

    But after his eyes searched and searched, he epted the fact that she had slipped away unnoticed. Probably because she had to get up early the next day to attend to her duties. So, he had to go home alone in the fancy coach that had been left for him by his host. Back in his room, as he took off the ridiculous crown and fancy clothes, he tried his best to ruminate on the events of the day and ponder on any detail he had missed.

 Chapter 119 Good Times

    Just as he was finally rxing into the snugfort of silence and solitude, the automated, emotionless voice of the military system came to him suddenly.

    "Major Mace!"

    Xzavier frowned at the sound of the military system booting up. What could possibly be the issue now?

    "This is a gentle reminder that you have received one thousand points and ten experience points."

    Xzavier took the new update calmly. Back in his days in the jungle, once he got an update of this nature, he would immediately begin to calcte how much ammo to buy and stock up. But now, he wasn''t even shaken.

    "Good times¡­" Xzavier muttered to himself as he sat on his bed, "Good times indeed."

    Even he wasn''tpletely sure if he was referring to the period he found himself at the moment, or the battle ridden days of his past.

    As Xzavierid his head to rest that night, his subconscious went to work and yed out one of the most interesting nights of Xzavier''s life. In his dreams, he found himself in front of the auditorium again. But this time, just as he collected the award from a Quaid look alike, he suddenly found himself floating up and above, weightless as a feather, and unencumbered by thew of gravity. But in the crowd below, he saw the Anjou boy aiming his spear at him, preparing to impale him in the air above ground.

    When Xzavier woke up the next morning, he remembered the hateful red eyes of the Anjou boy in his dream, and for some reason, it lingered.

    Of course, after such a significant night, Xzavier had to be briefed on his new office and responsibilities. He was soon to learn that this was not just a ceremony. There were certain things that had to be known. So, Quaid sent for Xavier toe to his home office at once. Knowing Quaid, Xzavier knew that the reason for this impromptu meeting might also be the fact that Quaid wanted to get a sneak peek at Xzavier''s state of mind, and perhaps catch the gist on certain things or people he had observed the previous day. Either way, Quaid nned on getting some information out of Xzavier.

    Dressed in the new custom made garments that Quaid had delivered to thetest Baron in town, Xzavier made his way to the home office of the governor, thinking this was the location of the meet. As he was about to knock, the guard at the door stopped him;

    "Sir, the governor is not on seat at the moment. Please step back."

    Xzavier was a bit confused. The message on the note clearly said that he was to meet Quaid at his office in the morning by eight a.m. sharp. As he was pondering on whether his timing was off, he felt like a dork having overdressed just to be stood up by his host. But just when he began to lose faith in the tardiness of his host, the elegant form of the Governor came right around the corner, swaggering towards him.

    "Xzavier! Right on time aren''t you?!"

    "Good morning governor."

    "Morning. Trust you had a wonderful sleep afterst night''s celebration?"

    Xzavier nodded.

    "Great. Since you''re now a Baron and not just my guest anymore, our official meetings will now be held at the city hall. Don''t worry, there is always a coach for you on standby."

    Xzavier knew what he was thinking waspletely opposite from what the governor was probably thinking¡­

    "Is this all really necessary?"

    About three-quarters of an hourter, Xzavier arrived at the familiar door of the city hall, and was ushered into the governor''s office as ''Baron.'' Quaid who had ridden in a separate carriage had arrived much earlier than Xzavier with enough time to organize his workload for the day. He always intentionally ignored the scheduleid out for him by his secretary.

    "Please, have a seat Baron."

    That name again.

    "Thank you governor."

    Xzavier took his seat opposite Quaid''s extrarge desk. And with that, the meeting began.

    "Before we get to the first order of business, let me once again wee you as Baron!"

    Xzavier was getting a little ufortable with the title now. Last night had been wonderful and all, but it was getting a little too serious for his liking. Deep down, Xzavier wished Quaid and the rest of the city would drop the title, and get back to calling him by his name. At this point, even Earlene''s "Waxavier" would have been weed.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As shrewd politician, Quaid had a lot of questions aboutst night, particrly if he was satisfied with his reward. Anyone with no tact and guile would do something like that. But because it would be pretty gauche of him to start off an official meeting with such impersonal and directly patronizing remarks, Quaid shunned the inappropriate path and decided to take the more subtle and reasonable looking approach;

    "So, Baron, before we begin officially, is there anything I can do for you? I sense you''re a bit troubled."

    This time, Xzavier was caught in the governor''s web of ttery. In his mind, he apuded the governor''s powers of observation. This was clearly a man whose heart was centered on the people! So, having bought over his sensitive side, Xzavier went on to pour his heart out.

    "Thank you for your steadfast concern Governor. You have been a model host, but honestly, my sole purpose now is to get back to my home¡­"

    The look on Quaid''s face seemed to say; ''Hmmm, I see."

    "¡­but before I can do that, for some reason, I need toplete some specific tasks¡­"

    Quaid''s full attention was fixated on Xzavier right now. The governor''s memory was extremely sharp, so he didn''t need a statistician to tell him that this was the longest Xzavier had ever spoke since he had known him. Quaid was very perceptive when it came to things like this, so he could instantly tell that Xzavier was indeed speaking the truth.

    "¡­actually, right now, thanks to you, I have no problems or difficulties whatsoever. And if any were toe up, I will not hesitate to reach out to you regarding them."

    Quaid allowed all of this to sink in as several theories regarding Xzavier''s mysterious background began to form in his head. Of course it was a long shot, but when Xzavier had mentioned how he couldn''tplete certain tasks before he could go home, the governor surmised that Xzavier had probably been sent out on a kind of quest to prove himself. However, in spite of all of these theories running loose in his head, Quaid answered smoothly as he made sure not to reveal his true feelings;

    "It''s all good¡­whatever you need Baron, whatever you need¡­"

    With that out of the way, the governor shifted slightly in his seat, suggesting that there was more on his mind.

    "So, we haven''t really discussed it yet, but as someone who has only just received the title of Baron, there are some things you need to know. Do you follow?"

    Sensing Quaid''s new tone, Xzavier sat upright, nked his mind of any distracting thoughts, and gave the governor his full attention. Without saying too much, he nodded curtly and gave him his usual two word reply.

    "I do."

    "Good¡­"

    Quaid exhaled deeply and resumed his monologue;

    "For anyone who has recentlye into the title of Baron, a corresponding fiefdom is in order. The two go hand in hand, in thisnd, this is a known fact. So, you must understand that the title of ''baron'' isn''t titr in nature. Ites with a certain degree of authority and domain¡­"

    Being the astute orator, he knew that he had just offloaded the first part of a very important information, so he allowed Xzavier some time to digest this data before continuing.

    "However, due to the fact that the bestowment of your title was a bit rushed, the central government hadn''t the proper time to give you your allocated fief. So, you might have to wait a little longer¡­"

    Xzavier''s controlled breathing was the only noticeable thing about him in that moment. Quaid''s sharp eyes mulled over Xzavier, hoping to catch his instinctive reaction to the bit about the dy. But Xzavier retained his stern expression and an overly serious gaze,pleting robbing Quaid of the knowledge he wanted to glean off him.

    Unable to see through his perfectly cid expression, Quaid proceeded to throw in a bit of good news. This was one of his favorite gambits, and he had perfected it over the years. He would draw in his prey and hook them with a seemingly insurmountable problem. He would then enme the problem and blow it out of proportion, often more than it usually was.

    So, after roping them in with how problematic the issue was, he would suddenly sweep in with a solution or something resembling it, and make himself the hero.

    With this in mind, he yed the same gambit on Xzavier;

    "But then again, it is not all bad news. If you want, I can link you up with a corresponding position in the government. Because I personally recognize your extraordinary achievements, I can make it worth your while and help you apply for a position that would be tailored to suit your strengths."

    Having said that, he reclined in his chair and watched Xzavier mull over what he had just said. In actuality, it was Xzavier''s right as a new Baron. He was entitled to a corresponding position in the government. But Quaid had yed on Xzavier''s ignorance of the town''s legitive proceedings in this situation. Instead, he presented it to Xzavier as though he was doing him a favor.

 Chapter 120 Transaction

    Yet again, Xzavier shocked the governor with his answer.

    "With all due respect Governor, I am not interested in a government position¡­"

    ''WHAT?!!!!'' This what thundered and echoed in Quaid''s mind as he tried his possible best to keep his face free of any hints that remotely suggested his shock. Without even trying too, Xzavier had escaped his trap. Had he seen through it all? He wondered.

    Completely oblivious of the raging surprise in the governor''s head, Xzavier continued to elucidate his request;

    "If you would be so kind, I would actually prefer if you would help me secure that fiefdom as soon as possible. I would pick it over the government position any day. I apologize if I in any way appear ungrateful or impudent."

    Of course Xzavier had his own ulterior motive for choosing a fiefdom over the steady wages,fort and benefits that would be supplied by a permanent position in the government. But, as it stood, Xzavier needed that fiefdom so he could enact some modern civilizedws. This way, he could have the authority and domain to root out some hical things and do things differently.

    Naturally, he couldn''t inform the governor of his intentions. The best he could hope for was an ordinary life right now. For him, that was more than enough.

    Quaid who had been struggling to recover from his surprise lifted up both hands in the air to refute Xzavier''s apology;

    "No, no, there''s no need to apologize at all. Don''t forget that you''re a Baron now, so it is entirely within your scope of choices after all."

    Quaid was still acting the part of a gracious godfather, but in fact, he was still very much surprised that Xzavier had picked fiefdom over a government job. As he was still very much a young man, Quaid had stipted in his calctions that Xzavier would chose a position in the government, where he could grow in wealth, connections, and at the same time, see some action.

    Quaid wasn''t wrong very often when it came to knowing what men wanted. With the whole of his heart, he had expected Xzavier to think deeply on the options avable to him and end up on the path that Quaid was gently steering him to which was- service. After all, he had so cleverly shrouded the benefit of fiefdom behind a wall of uncertainty, and presented the other option of public service on a silver tter.

    So, still contemting his next course of action now that Xzavier had evaded his trap, he stalled with a few pointless sentences;

    "I have heard you out. Not to worry, I will do my best to help expedite the process."

    Then, in a further attempt to dissuade Xzavier further, he added;

    "However, I must tell you the honest truth though, your wish is quite the case¡­"

    Xzavier didn''t voice it out loud, but he shot Quaid a look that said; ''But you''re the governor.''

    "Yes, I know, but there is a whole other cascade of factors that you must consider¡­"

    Taking a deep breath, Quaid brought up the issue that had been his reserve ammunition;

    "Now, I probably don''t have to tell you this, but as a smart man, I believe you already know this; along the road, you may encounter some opposition from some adversaries. One of such is Eadweard whom you had a run in with not too long ago."

    Xzavier''s expression had shifted from a look of indifference, to one of irritation.

    "As you know, Eadweard is quite the relentless one. And you offended him. So, best believe that he will not give you an easy time. In fact, he will probably champion others by riding on the fact that you are simply a stranger who had one lucky strike. Therefore, you don''t deserve to be one of them¡­"

    Before Xzavier might be tempted to think that this was his own thought as well, he quickly added;

    "While we both know that this isn''t true, I hope you can at least recognize the fact that he is a very real threat."

    Quaid was doing it again. Of course everyone knew that Eadweard had his eye set on Xzavier. It wasn''t anything knew. In fact this particr piece of gossip had made its rounds around town. And yet, Eadweard was actively fanning the mes of a smoldering me, trying to blow it out of proportion and make it seem like a forest fire.

    "¡­so, that was why I made the move to bestow upon you the title of Baron. It was the only way I could protect you from the wrath of the Anjou boy¡­"

    Once again, he had roped Xzavier in with the Eadweard issue, and swooped in as the savior who did his best to protect Xzavier.

    "It was the only way to save your life Xzavier. The price of killing a Baron is extremely high. No one would dare take that risk. Of course this doesn''tpletely rule out the Eadweard threat. If anything, you should be more careful now, because he will try to very subtle about getting to you."

    Quaid was a master at this game. His incessant vacition between problem and solution made him appear to be in charge, and in the know. Thoroughly enjoying the role he was ying, he continued down that path with hidden dness.<novelnext></novelnext>

    In a somber tone and with intense eyes, he continued;

    "I have to advise you Xzavier, in order to further consolidate your position as Baron, you should constantly educate yourself on the ways and tradition of the town. I myself will always be avable to help you on this journey"

    With such a heart warming assurance as a closing remark, Quaid rpsed into a bout of silence, wordlessly telling Xzavier that the floor was now his. After a very short moment of deliberation, Xzavier''s mind handpicked all that he needed from the governor''s speech. No matter what Quaid said, he still refused to see the yboy prince as a problem. But he didn''t tell Quaid, because so far, he had been his sole benefactor.

    "Thank you for your counsel and support governor. You are too kind. I deeply appreciate your hospitality and I am humbled by it¡­"

    ? And then, the time came for Xzavier to do the needful. It was the silent rule that lingered in all human dealings, it was time to obey thew of transaction. And fortunately, Xzavier had enough social and emotional intelligence to know that he had to reciprocate the kindness so far.

    "So, if there is anything whatsoever that I can do for you, please, don''t hesitate to ask me."

    When Xzavier said this, Quaid''s heart fluttered like a butterfly and his eyes glistened greedily. As always, he kept his excitement hidden behind a serious face. Xzavier had yed the game, saving Quaid from all the maneuvering.

    So, deliberately putting on a mask of worry, he stood up wearily, and began to pace up and down with his hands folded behind his back.

    "You see, I am d that you asked Xzavier, really d. But there is indeed something you can help me with, that is of course, if you chose to¡­"

    Xzavier was under no impression that this was an in-the-moment request. Whatever this request was going to be, it was very likely that it had been in the oven for quite some time now. So, very carefully, in order not to yoke himself to an impossible task by reason of his own binding words, he answered;

    "As long as it is within my power and within thew, I will do it for you governor."

    "Wonderful! Oh don''t worry, I would never ask you to do anything illegal or anything of the sort."

    Xzavier nodded his approval and Quaid continued his pacing as he narrated his troubles.

    "Actually, this problem is a personal one. It is about my daughter Earlene¡­"

    Xzavier held his breath. Here we go.

    "She is as willful and as stubborn as a wild untamed horse. She had a good heart, and I have no doubt that her mind is in the right ce. But¡­"

    He didn''t finish his sentence. Xzavier suspected it was because he didn''t want to confess anything negative about his own child.

    "¡­ and then, there is Cadence. My son is quite different you know. Unlike his sister, he is thoughtful, kind, intentional about his life''s goals, and very hardworking."

    It was difficult not to hear the pride of a parent in the governor''s voice as he spoke of his son. It almost eclipsed the worry in his voice when he spoke of Earlene.

    "But s, while Cadence has put in the required effort and time, fate has not been kind to him in the area of talent."

    For a moment, like a sneak peek through a translucent curtain, Xzavier was able to see a trace of humanity in the governor''s otherwise imprable fa?ade. He stopped his pacing and looked straight at Xzavier as he presented his request.

    "This brings me to my request Xzavier. It is my hope that you would take on the role of their private tutor..."

    Xzavier said nothing, neither did his face betray anything. He simply looked on as Quaid presented his request.

    "As you know, I work a lot, and I have had very little time for anything or anyone else outside of work. So, I fear that the price of my negligence may have been too steep."

    He paused, and with his back turned on Xzavier, and his arms locked at his back, he spoke again,

    "This is my personal request Xzavier, it is my hope that your firm handed discipline will rub off on Earlene to curtail her growing wings. And as for Cadence, I know that under your guidance, and with you as a role model, he will flourish and be the man I know he can be."

 Chapter 121 New Teacher

    Xzavier was a bit moved. The one chance Quaid had to ask him of anything, and he used it to try to secure a better future for his kids. Xzavier had assumed that the governor would try to get him to be his hitman or assassin. It wasn''t entirely inconceivable because in the past, Quaid had expressed his interest overtly in his assassination skills and killing abilities.

    Truth is, Xzavier had already made up his mind not to do anything offish for the governor. But now that he had heard his request, he had to deliberate a bit to see how this arrangement could favor him. He didn''t see anything wrong with making the most of it. So after a lengthy pause, he finally agreed.

    "Your request is not a problem.. I see where you areing from and I understand perfectly¡­"

    A grateful smile and an appreciative nod were the only response he got from the governor.

    "However, I have just one condition, I need to have my own private time to myself, because I may need to perform some tasks in the future."

    Xzavier was referring to the spontaneous missions that could be handed down to him by the military system at any given point in time. There was no schedule. So he needed a loophole in the arrangement that could give him the freedom to up and leave at any moment.

    Quaid was as a happy as a duck. We didn''t care about Xzavier''s condition. He was just d that his kids would get the mentorship they deserved. On the long run, it was an investment that would benefit him greatly. Also, it was the best he could do for his children since he couldn''t provide them with the time and nurturing they needed. All things considered, it was a sweet deal.

    So, he happily agreed.

    "Excellent! d to have you on board Xzavier, very d indeed."

    With no further official issue to attend to, one hundred and twenty secondster, after the two men shook hands on their new arrangement, Xzavier walked out of the door of the city hall to a nice surprise.

    Xzavier could never miss that distinct shade of blonde hair. Even in a stadium filled with people, Xzavier knew that he would always recognize that golden mane anywhere.

    "Adalia!"

    Standing on the sidewalk, facing the street like someone who was waiting was the blonde blue eyed beauty with whom Xzavier had gone on several adventures in the past. She had been waiting for quite some time now after being bounced by the guard as she had no official duty or appointment other than simply ''waiting for her friend.'' Not allowing herself to be deterred, she stood and waited patiently outside, in front the building. It was her hope that Xzavier woulde out soon and be the first person he would see whenever he was done.

    "Hello Xzavier¡­"

    Mischievously, she corrected herself immediately and curtsied in a low bow saying;

    "Oh pardon my impudence o great and mighty Baron Xzavier Mace."

    Adalia was truly a sight for sore eyes. Xzavier sure was d that she was there.

    "Ohe off it. What are you doing here?"

    "Well, I just thought I should surprise you on your first day since you''re now a big shot noble who has no time for me anymore."

    Xzavier decided that two could y this game. If she was going to be naughty, then he was going to indulge her and turn the joke around.

    "Hmm, I think you''re right¡­since I am now a Baron, I can nowmand you to stop teasing me."

    He stamped his foot, straightened his posture pretended to be a seriousmanding noble.

    "I herebymand you Miss Adalia to sto---"

    Adalia rolled her eyes with as much disrespect as she could muster, and interrupted him in an even louder voice;

    "Yeah keep dreaming buddy, that''s never going to work!"

    "Hey, you''re not supposed to talk to your Baron like that!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    The two of them joked around for a minute, before the carriage pulled up and whisked them away, back to the governor''s mansion. Halfway there, after Xzavier listened to how her day went, he casually dropped in a little nugget that practically summarized his own day.

    With a mischievous grin on his face, Xzavier told Adalia;

    "Oh, did I tell you? I am now Earlene''s official tutor."

    If Adalia had been eating or munching something, she would have definitely spit it out in shock.

    "WHAT?!!!!"

    Adalia was surprised when she received the news, butpared to Earlene''s reaction to the news, Adalia''s was as gentle as amb. With her eyes as dark as the ck storm clouds that covered the deep waters, Earlene raged like a deep sea gale. Looking like she was about to go crazy, she echoed the same thing Adalia had screamed when she also heard the news;

    "WHATTTTTT!!!!!!!"

    Adalia had already anticipated what her reaction was going to be.

    "Shushh, don''t you think you''re overreacting a little?"

    Earlene had inherited her father''s temper. Only without the restraint. She red at Adalia;

    "WHAT. DO. YOU. MEAN. I. AM. OVERREACTING?!!! AM I NOT CALMM ENOUGH???!!!! HUH?!"

    Truly, it looked like Earlene was having a mental breakdown. And that was saying a lot since she was almost always going over the top with her reactions. Much like her father, the governor''s daughter began to pace up and down as she bit down on her nails and go spoke to herself like a mentally unstable person, muttering inaudible words, and incoherent sentences.

    Earlene was the active type. There was nothing subtle or passive about her. Hence, her hatred for institutional discipline. This hatred for dogmatic correctional measures, as well as all kind restraints ran really deep. As it stood, Earlene was barely tolerating the old man''s unending ramblings and stereotypical serious face. She felt mentally and physically trapped, like a wild  bird that was incarcerated in a bird cage. And now, she had to deal with Xzavier, a tutor who was practically her age? All these thoughts jumbled about in her brain. In her head, she felt like there was like a thousand sugar crazed toddlers just jumping around, bouncing steadily on the crevices of her skull and talking all at the same time, making her feel like she was insane.

    Of the hundreds of thoughts scrolling through her mind in that hour, Earlene felt like her student life was about to be jeopardized. She finally sat on her bed, ced her head between her two legs, and sped the back of her head with both hands as she tried toe up with a way to escape her predicament. Adalia saw her and pitied her mistress turned sister.

    "Don''t you worry your little head Earlene, I''m sure everything will work out fine. Trust me okay?"

    Earlene didn''t lift up her head. But if it were another person asides from Adalia who was trying tofort her with such empty words, she would have vented her pent up anger on the unfortunate soul.

    In a paradoxical twist of fate, the younger sibling''s reaction was the exact opposite of that of the elder sister''s. Cadence received the news the way a thirsty parchednd received the first rains- with glee, and an open heart that gave way to a refreshed feeling. Unable to restrain himself from grinning ear to ear, Cadence looked like an animation that hade to life.

    Knowing just how much this news would mean to his son, Quaid personally delivered the good news to him that night upon his return. Just as he had expected, the young man took the news happily. His excitement was written all over him. Cadence wasn''t making any move to hide it.

    "Wow! Thank you father! Thank you so much!"

    Quaid smiled. Making his son happy was one of the greatest fulfillment he could ever attain.

    "It''s all right Cadence. Just make sure you study hard and make the best of it. As you know, Xzavier is one a kind. I don''t have to tell you that you will also stand out if you gain all you need."

    Cadence appreciated the pep talk and all, but he really wished his father could shut up and leave so he could properly express his joy on his own terms. He couldn''t wait to start his sses and learn extraordinary, powerful techniques from his new mentor.

    Still smiling excitedly, he asssured his father that he would do his best. With that, Quaid tapped him on his head and left his son to his own devices.

    The structure of Earlene and Cadence''s schooling was in line with the educational system that was reserved for the children of the nobles. Theirs was a posh, mboyant, aristocratic school that saw to all the needs of the rich kids. Their school reflected the ss of the parents of the students who gained entrance there. In schools like this, social sses was everything. No matter how brilliant or talented a child was, if he or she happened to have a drop of peasant blood in them, they would have better chances killing a dragon than gaining entrance into this exclusive institution.

    sses which traditionallysted all through the early productive hours of the morning, and runte into afternoon wasn''t the case here. Posh culture dictated that the privileged minds of these young aristocrats were to be shielded from this intense draconian learning process. So, students had sses only in the mornings. And by noon, they were expected to be dismissed and be back home to pursue other aspects of knowledge outside of the school environment. But of course, their afternoons often ended up being free.

 Chapter 122 Just Have Fun

    The logic behind this was palpable. Nevertheless, this was the way things were done here.

    As young aristocrats themselves, Earlene and Cadence had gotten used to this system.  But unfortunately, unlike the other parents, they had a father who wasn''t asx about their education. So therefore, because of how passionate and driven Quaid was about their learning experience, he engaged the most respectable mage in the town to teach them and augment their alreadyid academic scheme of work. Laddie of course, being the staunch academic was only to happy to take up the job.

    Actually, the old man loved excellence. He was upromising in that regard. But unfortunately for the kids, that simply meant that he was a bit of a task master when it came to learning. He pushed them hard and expected great results from them. When the kidsined to their father about just how monotonous their learning experience was, Quaid attempted to correct the issue by bringing in a mix of fresh tutors. Each, to handle a different subject entirely. Earlene hadn''t been happy with the new arrangement. So, she made it her personal mission to sabotage the sess of some of the other teachers.

    She would pull stunts, throw fits, refused to do her work until some of the weaker ones left. Each tutor she broke was always a joy to her. In fact, that was the only thing that kept her looking forward. But Laddie had been the one stubborn exception. No matter what she did, she just couldn''t seem to break through him.

    Until Xzavier.

    Fully aware of his daughter''s cruel antics, Quaid did the other tutors a favor by temporarily relieving them of their duties. He thought they would be appalled. But he noticed that there was almost always a slight sign of relief on their faces when he broke the news to them individually. It was as if they were d to take a break from Earlene for a while.

    Quaid didn''t take it personally. He knew his daughter. And more importantly, he had Xzavier now. He was confident that he would handle them ordingly. Naturally, this arrangement wouldn''t hamper their studies in school. Things would go on as usual in that regard.

    All the parties involved had their very different feelings about this arrangement. Quaid and Cadence were thrilled in their own way. Earlene no doubt was infuriated. Xzavier, well, he was still unsure about this. As a human being, Xzavier excelled at a whole bunch of things. He could use only one hand to kill an enemy in seven different ways. He could survive on his own in a jungle for weeks on end without much provision or gear. He could even navigate his way around the politicking involved in dealing with shrewd creatures.

    But the one thing Xzavier wascking in experience was management and teaching. As Xzavierid down on his bed, on the night before his first lecture, he stared at the ceiling, thinking back to his past, hoping to draw any kind of knowledge on how best to approach the matter at hand. As expected, his mind drew a nk.

    Xzavier was surprised at himself. There was never a time he recalled being nervous like this. It was almost as though his anxiety had a mind of his own. Unable to sleep, he stood up in the dark room and began to pace up and down in his room. The whole mansion was asleep, and yet, sleep hadpletely eluded Xzavier.

    "Teach? How am I supposed to teach these kids?"

    He wondered.

    "Back then, during my time in the Special Forces unit, I was known as the technical guy. My skill set is honed for handling hardware! How am I supposed to teach? How do I even begin?"

    Xzavier silently cursed Quaid''s smooth talking silver tongue that manipted him into doing this. With the way Xzavier was acting, one would have thought that he was about to embark on a destiny altering journey or quest.

    As Xzavier reflected on his past, he discovered that experience dictates that he had to teach students ording to their intellectual capability. If anything, his military background showed that there was no uniform standard for soldiers when it came to physical fitness and talent. Everyone had their own path, each person their own distinct set of strengths, weaknesses and abilities. It was the same way one couldn''t force a cheetah to swim, or a fish to run a hundred meter race.

    Unable to sleep for until he hade up with a sessful n, Xzavier thought and thought till something that vaguely resembled a n began to take shape. Finally, he was able to close eyes to rest. Finally, he could fall asleep. Finally, he had a n.

    The very next day, after Xzavier had sessfullypleted his morning run. He washed up and prepared for his first ss.

    A couple of hourster, in the special homeroom designed for private tutoring, Earlene stood before Xzavier, staring at him with a look of unbelief.

    "I beg your pardon?!"

    She stuttered.

    Xzavier replied her calmly;

    "You heard me right. Did I stutter?"

    "Of course I heard you!" she snapped back impatiently. "I am just not sure if you know what you''re doing!"

    She calmed down a bit and looked at him through squinted eyes.<novelnext></novelnext>

    " Is this some kind of trap? Will my father step out at thest moment to scare me?"

    Earlene was right to be paranoid. She had dealt with a handful of new tutors who always thought it was best to make a good first impression. Xzavier''s first instruction to her as her tutor was a bit strange.

    "I meant what I said Earlene. But for some reason, if you''re having trouble processing it, I will willingly repeat myself again..."

    The soft verbal jab caught Earlene right in the ego. A look of annoyance briefly registered on her already troubled face. But she could not react yet, not until she knew exactly what was going on.

    Xzavier continued.

    "I said, you should run along and y outside if you do truly don''t want to learn anything you don''t to be exposed to."

    Earlene thought she had heard him wrong the first time. But even as she heard it for the second time, it still sounded as unbelievable as the first time she had heard him say it. Was this some kind of joke?

    She swallowed hard. Not wanting to skip out on such a solid offer, and at the same time, not wanting to be yed for a fool, she osted Xzavier courageously.

    "Look here waxavier, I don''t know what game you''re ying here, but it''s all going to med on you at the end of the day. So, I would like you to officially say it onest time so Cadence can be my witness."

    With a look of indifference, Xzavier shrugged and said it smugly.

    "For thest time Earlene, you can go if you don''t want to stay. Got it?"

    Earlene stared back at him defiantly. Xzavier had robbed her of the fun she intended to have with him by making his lifepletely miserable. And yet, by some cosmic miracle, she was being offered a free pass. This was all too good to be true.

    Finally, after deciding that it would be foolish of her not to take advantage of this offer, she decided to damn the consequences and take Xzavier on. If this was all a dare, then she was going to show him how daring she could be. After all, at the end of the day, it was the instruction from her tutor. No one would tell her anything.

    Cadence on the other hand watched the scene unfold with glee. This was the first time he had seen anyone unravel his sister''s ns. Earlene had proven to be more than capable of getting under anyone''s skin. And yet, very calmly, Xzavier had diffused her ego and got rid of her in one solid move. The governor''s son was more than impressed. Xzavier had handled his vtile sister like a pro. Not even giving her the chance tosh out.

    As soon as Earlene walked out the door and burst into the courtyard, the annoyance and suspicion that had gripped her melted away like snow before spring''s sun. She was truly happy. She had never had free time at this hour before and her brain was bursting with ideas. Because she wasn''t exactly sure what to do first, she immediately went to the one person she could have fun with.

    Adalia had been busy with her duties in the main house. She knew that Xzavier would probably be busy with the kids, and so, she had to upy herself till he finished. Her primary ce of assignment was the dining room. So, as she cleaned and busied herself, she resigned to the fact that she would be alone for the next hour or two. So, when Earlene snuck up on her and tickled her from behind, Adalia very nearly jumped out of her skin.

    "Earlene! Gosh what are you doing here? Aren''t you supposed to be in ss right now? What happened?!"  she eximed.

    "Wow, Adalia, you''re starting to sound like my Dad. What''s up with all these questions?"

    "Come on Earlene, you know what I mean! You''re not in any kind of trouble are you?"

    Earlene pretended to be shocked. She leaned back dramatically, ced her left palm on her chest and asked in mock surprise;

    "Do you really have that little faith in me?"

    When no answer came from Adalia, Earlene fiddled with the table cloth on the dining, and walked around the table humming a tone.

 Chapter 123 Rebellious Cadence

    This was an intentional gambit to show Adalia that she had ample time.

    "Quit ying around Earlene. I know you''re up to something. You have that look in your eye again."

    "Fine, if you must know, I have the afternoon off. So that means we get to hang out!"

    Adalia scoffed, clearly showing her doubt.

    "Yeah right. I''m not going to fall for that one Earlene. Nice try."

    "But it''s true! Waxavier gave me the afternoon off."

    Like a toddler who had just won a victory. Earlene added proudly;

    "He said if I didn''t want to stay, I can leave. And I did! That waxavier is really a weird fellow."

    Adalia had to fight the urge to keep herself from telling Earlene t stop calling him ''waxavier.'' But she restrained herself when she realized that it would be pointless. At this point in time, it couldn''t be helped. Once Earlene gave anyone a name, it stuck. Earlene proceeded to narrate to her friend what had happened in ss and began the process of trying to get Adalia to hang out with her.

    "Ohe on. I know you want to! We haven''t had much time to ourselves for a while now! The old mage has kept me upied for weeks on end now, and you have been so busy with work and Xzavier. Don''t you see? We deserve this!"

    Adalia didn''t need much convincing. If it was indeed true that Xzavier signed off on this, then who was she to contend with his ruling. She rolled her eyes in defeat and answered the eager Earlene.

    "You''re right on one count though, we do deserve this. It''s been quite a while since it''s been us two hasn''t it?"

    "You know it! Now let''s go! It might seem like we have a lot of time, but it''s all an illusion. We have to make every moment count!"

    With an impressed look on her face, Adalia praised her as they left the dining room;

    "Wow, look at you talking all grown up, time is an illusion huh? The old mage really sank his ws deep in your brain didn''t he?"

    "Girl! You don''t know the half of it! Did you know that..."

    And so, the first itinerary on the list of to-do things in any female hangout- gossip. The two of them chatted happily as they prattled on and on about what had been going on in their lives ofte. As they exited the building, they passed by the homeroom, and Earlene didn''t hesitate to wave to Cadence and Xzavier. Subtly, and yet, not so subtly telling them that she was indeed living her best life.

    From the window, Cadence and Xzavier watched the energetic and entric youngdy skip on her feet as she called out to them loudly;

    "Don''t worry Cadence! When you grow up, you can be like me! Enjoy your boring afternoon together! Hahahahha!!! BYE!!"

    Even after she left, the wind carried her scornful words in the wind. Echoing it long after she had gone.

    But Earlene was wrong about one thing though. The situation was definitely not boring. Xzavier had started with the most unconventional approach with Earlene, and he very much intended to do the same with Cadence. Before Earlene''s petnt interruption, Cadence had been frozen in deep thought as he contemted the right answer to the question Xzavier had posed to him. In fact, he had been so lost in the abyss of his own mind that it was Earlene''s shrill high pitched voice that dragged him back to the present.

    And now, with his sister disappearedpletely, Cadence was forced to return back to the question at hand.

    In truth, Xzavier''s question wasn''t hard. It wasn''t an academic inclined question. It wasn''t about testing his resolve or skil in anyway. No, the question was simple and yetplex in many ways. It was tailored for the moment. And it was essential for the early stages of their teacher-student rtionship, especially if it was going to bud and develop further to bring forth fruits.

    "Remember Cadence, I already told you this before, I am not like other tutors. I am not interested in the perfect answer. What I am most interested in is what you feel is the right answer. Do you follow?"

    Cadence wasn''t following at all. In fact his cult-like reverence for Xzavier was stopping him from fully grasping anything his new tutor was saying. But then, he couldn''t have Xzavier thinking he was a door knob. So, he was left with no other option but to act like he was on top of the situation, just so Xzavier wouldn''t be disappointed in him. So, he nodded twice and furrowed his eyebrows like he was in deep thought or something. All fake gestures that hinted that he was indeed paying attention.

    Xzavier was no mind reader. There was no way he could possibly know what was going on in Cadence''s mind. So, he kept on going;

    "That''s good, now what was my question again? Repeat it back to me once more."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Cadence cleared his throat, and reiterated what Xzavier had asked him a few moments ago. Word for word, he vomited it back to him.

    "Your question said thus; ..."

    Xzavier had to bite down on his tongue to keep himself from smiling. Honestly? Who speaks like that? The young man was so curt and so formal all the time. Xzavier made a mental note to get thed to lighten up a bit muchter on.

    "...what do I, Cadence Princy like to do?"

    "That''s right."  Xzavier said as he pointed at him in an encouraging and non aggressive manner.

    "What do you like to dod? I want you to reach down into the farthest reaches of your being and pull out the things you''re passionate about. Remember, it doesn''t have to be pretty or paper perfect. It just has to be one hundred percent you!"

    Cadence''s mind which was usually as still and as cid as a graveyard was suddenly raging. Sparks flew about in his head. And as he struggled to answer Xzavier''s question, on the side, as an alternate thought, he subconsciously pondered on just how different Xzavier was from the rest of the regr tutors that had taught him in the past. Xzavier was simply different, almost exotic and definitely strange in several ways.  His approach to their first lesson was proving to be a lot spicier than he had envisaged.

    Prior to this, in preparation for their first lesson, Cadence had devoured arge portion of his academic workload in a bid to impress his new tutor. It was his hope to bedazzle Xzavier with his brilliant recollection of morbid history and boring theories. This had been what previous tutors loved- a bookworm who could quote back long passages. But, as it turned out, it didn''t even matter any more. Cadence reprimanded himself for not being more forward with his thinking. Knowing what he knew about Xzavier, he knew that he should have been a little bit more thoughtful.

    Finally, after a really long pause, Cadence rolled off the only thing he wanted most in the whole wide world. Nothing came before it on his list of priorities.

    "I want to be a rule breaker, just like you!"

    Xzavier was stunned. It was an unexpected answer. All he found himself saying was;

    "Really?"

    He answered firmly;

    "Yes Sir Master Baron Xzavier sir!"

    The way the words rolled out of his mouth in quick session, coupled with the way his face remained serious despite the funny manner he had addressed Xzavier''s titles, all of these factors merged to create a very hrious overview of the youngd in that moment. Xzavier was amused.

    Trying his best not tough, he asked him the ideal follow up question;

    "Why?"

    With his face still contorted with seriousness, Cadence replied;

    "So no one would dare try and restrain me in the future!"

    Xzavier signaled him to go on.

    "Master Baron! Even though I am a noble by birth and blood, all my life, my father has been strict with me. I''ve grown to detest doing things by the book! I need more..."

    Xzavier already knew what he was going to say even before he said it. It was clear as day that what he craved was;

    "FREEDOM!!"

    Xzavier ced his arm on top the other and stroked his chin as he observed Cadence yet again. Without realizing it, he was slowly sliding into the shoes of a teacher. He pondered on Cadence''s little speech. Ah, yes- freedom. That was the throbbing heartbeat of every youth. And it would seem that this era wasn''tpletely devoid of this norm.

    It didn''t take much analysis to see through the youngd. In a way, he was a stereotype. Here was a kid who had spent the entirety of the years of his young life under the shadow of an overbearing father. Clear as day, Xzavier could see that the youngd had long suppressed his emotions. They were fighting within him, trying to w their way through to the surface, wanting nothing more than to destroy the barriers of obedience that were keeping them in check. Cadence thought this was unnatural, but the truth was that it waspletely normal.

    Part of his problem was that he was trying to act too mature. He failed to realize that the path to adulthood was a series of mistakes, trials, and errors. In his mind, it was just one bridge that was the link between childhood and adulthood. He couldn''t have been more wrong. Xzavier ruled that this misconception was forgivable. After all, the boy was just thirteen. Although one wouldn''t know that just by looking at him.

 Chapter 124 Kidnap

    The expectations of his elders weighed heavily on him like a burden. It hovered over him like a reconnaissance aircraft, filling his mind''s ears with its steady droning. And yet, his ambivalence about the whole thing gave him room to yearn for more autonomy. The notion of thinking and acting on his own terms (without the approval of anyone) actually sounded very appealing.

    Xzavier juxtaposed this yearning for freedom with regr teen angst and rebellion. The more he looked at it, the more he knew that they were not the same thing. He drew a deep breath as he made his move to begin his counselling, however, he was cut short when he realized something else.

    In this Isekai, one tradition wasmonce in the family system. The family title (along with all the authority and benefits) is given to the eldest son. Xzavier felt like he was on one end of a telescope looking far beyond his immediate surroundings. Though, it seemed a bit farfetched at first, Xzavier realized that he had been handed a unique opportunity. Whatever he chose to do now, would resonate and reverberate eternal waves in the future.

    Xzavier wasn''t trying to be maniptive or concentric, but as it stood, Cadence was like a lump of y in his hands, and he himself was like a potter. He knew that if he did this right, Cadence would emerge as apletely different breed, separate from the herd of mediocrity. A man who could potentially make a great leader and head of his family in the near future. Xzavier smiled inwardly as he began to see the effect one single decent soul with authority could make. So, he decided to take Cadence''s tutoring personal.

    Xzavier decided that he was going to drill in the principles of kindness, and help guide the youngd into the formidable entity he would be. He cleared his throat and began to speak with the authority of one who had been mandated to carry out a very important task;

    "I will not lie to you Cadence, the road to freedom is an arduous one. In fact, some would say that independence is a bit overrated."

    Cadence jumped in eagerly. He felt more at ease now that a rapport had been established already;

    "I assure you sir, I am more than equal to the task."

    "Calm your nutsd, there''s really no need to assure me. Truth is sooner orter you''re going down that path. My only concern is that, in your case, it might be a little too early."

    In that moment, if Cadence could force out a moustache, or any kind of facial hair for that matter, he would have done it. Just so he could appear older in the face of his tutor.

    "But don''t worry¡­" Xzavier reassured his student. "You''ve got me in your corner, and that''s enough to tip the scales in your favor."

    Then in a stern tone, he charged his student sternly;

    "But you had better do what I say, and when I say it. I will not tolerate any form ofxity. Got it?"

    Cadence stood up from his seat abruptly. And in a bid to demonstrate hismitment, he bowed obsequiously and said aloud;

    "Master Baron Sir!"

    What a weird kid Xzavier thought.

    "Please, call me Mister Xzavier. Lose all the other titles alright?"

    "Yes Mister Xzavier."

    Over the next couple of minutes, Xzavier began to gradually ease Cadence into some objective insight to his problems with his father.

    "First off, you need to be able to deal with some problems on your own. When I say on your own, I mean without asking your father for help whatsoever."

    Cadence frowned slightly. And replied Xzavier carefully;

    "Sir, I am not opposed to handling things on my own. Actually I have being doing that for some time. But what if some issues are simply bigger than I am? Without my father''s counsel, I may fall into the trap of mistakes."

    Feeling like some old, mysterious, wise sage, Xzavier replied:

    "You cannot go forward in life if you keep looking at the people around you. Mistakes are unavoidable, I need you to understand that. It is human to make mistakes. However, it is important that you keep your head above water at all times and never let these mistakes swallow you¡­"

    Cadence still looked very unsure about the whole thing. This was very unconventional. Traditional knowledge had taught him in the past to avoid mistakes at all cost. And now, Xzavier hade in with this radical proposition; telling him to embrace mistakes. This was very hard for the young man to ept.

    Xzavier snapping his fingers in Cadence''s face;

    "Come back to earth Cadence. You still want to be a rule breaker don''t you?"

    That was the trigger. The student nodded vehemently.

    "Good! Then realize that you have to act more independently."

    Xzavier pulled on one of his ears to signify the seriousness of this lesson.

    "Listen to me Caddie, being independent isn''t synonymous with being rebellious okay? There is a fine line in between, the key is to be wise in all you do¡­"<novelnext></novelnext>

    In the hour that followed, Xzavier asked Cadence one of those simple, and yet, mind blowing questions;

    "Tell me Cadence, what do we hope to aplish with being independent?"

    He wanted to answer Xzavier by telling him that it was the first rung on thedder to being a badass. But by now, Cadence knew enough to know that, with Xzavier, the answer was never straight forward. So, he chose the best alternative at that moment and kept mum instead.

    Xzavier bounced on his feet and charged Cadence energetically;

    "There is always an end game! Always! And right now, the point of being independent is to free yourself from the shackles of your father''s discipline."

    Cadence bent his head down and began to scribble furiously as Xzavier dropped bombs upon bombs of knowledge.

    "That''s right. If a parent no longer has to discipline their child, it simply means that child has attained a new height of maturity."

    The young ad loved thatst word more than anything else.

    "In your case, the reason the governor disciplines you so strictly isn''t because he is terrified of you making mistakes, but because you might get hurt in the process!"

    No matter how hard he tried to picture it, Cadence just couldn''t imagine his father worried.

    "I want you to take note of what I am about to tell you Cadence, it is very important!"

    The student stared at his teacher with wide, eager eyes, as if he was afraid that if he looked away for a second, he would look something more than gold.

    "Making mistakes is not scary, what''s scary is being afraid to make them."

    Cadence hurried to write down those words. Even as he wrote them boldly on paper, he wrote them on the walls of his heart as well.

    That same day, at twilight, just as the sun was about to retire into thefort of the night, Earlene came rushing into the house. Her movements were frantic, and her eyes were wild. Her hair was disheveled, and overall look was one of panic. Breathing in hard, she banged at Xzavier''s door like she had been bitten by seven mad dogs with rabies.

    "Xzavier open up!! Quickly!! It is Earlene!! Something''s happened."

    She banged and banged on the door, forcing Xzavier out of his semi state of retirement.

    ''Hold on,'' Xzavier thought; ''Did she use my actual name this time? Something must be up!'' Thinking this to be a prank, Xzavier opened the door calmly and inquired on what the issue was.

    Xzavier''s initial suspicions began to fall apart with each moment and with each word that came out of Earlene''s mouth. Her normal cold, haughtyposure was now reced with one who was frightful and unstable. Shaky as leaf, and with shallow unstable breaths, she narrated to Xavier as best as she could;

    "I was shopping with Adalia in town, we bought a ton of beautiful stuff for---"

    Xzavier snapped impatiently; "Earlene! Get to the point!"

    She didn''t even argue this time. Xzavier noticed this and began to think of the worst.

    "On our way back, outside our carriage, we SUDDENLY began to hear all sorts of horses and riders! Adalia was apprehensive, but I waved it off thinking it was a carnival or something!"

    Tears began to form in her eyes and she struggled to swallow back the sob that was gathering momentum in her throat as she tried to still her regret.

    "But then, our carriage stopped suddenly, and before we could even blink an eye, our doors were flung open!"

    She grabbed hold of Xzavier''s shirt dramatically, as she tried her best to describe what had happened next;

    "Xzavier! You should have seen them! Horrible looking men violently dragged Adalia out by her hair, and pulled her out forcefully! I thought they were going to take me too, so I kicked and screamed andshed out with everything in me¡­"

    Her voice saddened as she continued her narration;

    "But unfortunately, my eyes were closed that whole time because I wanted to minimize the horror¡­but by the time I opened my eyes¡­she¡­she¡­she was gone!!! She was gone already!!! Those vile men kidnapped her!!"

    She broke down into a sob at Xzavier''s door. By this time, a couple of others were already gathered after hearing the princess sobbing. The news soon got around the gathering as they made out the words ''Kidnapped her.'' and before Xzavier knew it, he was surrounded with a band of mourners.

 Chapter 125 How?

    The tide of wailing blocked his ears and mind, stripping him of the ability to reason clearly and work up a n.

    "EVERYBODY!! CALM DOWN!"

    Turning to Earlene, he asked her with a chilling calmness.

    She had been whimpering before, but this question was an answer she was sure of.

    "I am very sure that the real hand behind this kidnapping is the Anjou Family!!"

    Xzavier''s eyebrows rose up, at that very revtion. He knew the Anjou boy still nurtured some grudges towards him, but he had at least hoped that he would be honorable and leave innocent third parties out of this. Xzavier seethed with rage as he cursed himself inwardly for this oversight. He had grossly underestimated the yboy''s resolve to get back at him.

    Wanting to make sure, so he wouldn''tmit another blunder, he asked the already distraught Earlene;

    "Are you sure it was them? Did you see any signs or banners, or even a tattoo?"

    Xzavier had to be thorough in order to be fully in tune with the situation. There was a slight possibility that this could have been very random, or at the very least, some hidden third party in the background could be pulling the strings, trying to get the two houses to go to war. All of these were legit possibilities, he couldn''t afford to make a mistake of this nature. The consequences could be disastrous.

    Earlene on the other hand received Xzavier''s question the way an adult would wee a useless question from an ill-informed toddler. She was obviously in an agitated state, as she had never been so close to anything like this. And yet, in spite of her depressed state, despite the fact that Xzavier was on her side, Earlene still somehow found the energy to cook up a vitriolic reply.

    "What sort of dumb question is that?! I thought you were supposed to be smart or something?"

    Xzavier was taken aback. All he had asked was one simple question. And she had turned it into something,ing on to him like he had said something sacrilegious.

    Still ring at him with the ferociousness of a tigress, she rose up from the floor like a deity emerging from the bowels of the earth, and turned to face Xzavier with an using tone and an outstretched arm which she used to condemn him;

    "You know you''re the cause of all this right?!!"

    Xzavier raised his eyebrows questioningly.

    "Don''t you dare y coy!!! Of course this is all your fault!"

    She took a step forward, towards him in a challenging manner.

    "You''re the one who started all this with Eadweard! You''re the one who invoked his wrath!! You''re the one who''s hiding behind the title of ''Baron!''"

    Everyone kept mute, watching Earlene take jabs at the new Baron.

    "Now Adalia''s in their hands¡­"

    Her voice cracked with emotion as she mentioned her name.

    "She is with them now, and only heaven knows what they''re doing to her!! While you---"

    She looked at him through her hate filled eyes that was choked with tears. Unable to speak anymore, and weak from the paralyzing thoughts raging through her mind, she simply red at him.

    "She''s right about one thing though¡­"

    All eyes turned towards the direction where the familiar voice came from. The young Cadence who had been watching from a distance, now walked in with all eyes on him.

    "This situation has Eadweard written all over it."

    Facing Xzavier squarely, he reaffirmed what his sister had already stated;

    "Think about it Mister Xzavier, they let my sister live and took her servant instead. They knew what their mission was. This was all deliberate."

    Only after a few hours with Xzavier, Cadence was alreadying into his destiny as the future head. If Adalia wasn''t in the mix, Xzavier would have found time to be impressed.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "From a different perspective, you''re now a Baron and the craven Eadweard knows that that he can''t get to you. Thus, the n to get Adalia¡­"

    Xzavier already knew all this. But he knew that he had to super objective about his next move. The very fact that this was Adalia simply meant that he couldn''t afford to lose his cool. He had to stifle every emotion that could potentially cloud his judgment. Naturally, he had half a mind to go on a rampage and deliver jungle justice to all the parties involved. But he was in a civilized town now, also, he was a Baron who was now linked to the governor of the city. He had to do things by the book.

    Xzavier sighed inwardly. He had only been a Baron for a week, and he could already feel the shackles of his position constraining him from doing what he would normally do. He spoke up with the first legal option;

    "We need to seek the help ofw enforcement."

    Earlene shook her head disapprovingly.

    "That''s not a good idea."

    "Why not?"

    Earlene stared at him nkly; "What do you mean why not?"

    For a minute, it escaped her mind that she was taking to a foreigner who wasn''t ustomed to their ways. So, she glossed over the reason behind her stubborn counter to Xzavier''s n regarding going to the police.

    "Listen, even if Adalia had been raped and killed, there is absolutely nothing the government can do to him..."

    Although, she purposely skipped the reason why this was so. Xzavier wasn''t that dense. He knew. It was because of her status. It was because she was a ve.

    "¡­ at most, the Anjou family will only pay a littlepensation. And yet, that is very unlikely."

    Xzavier didn''t think he could be shocked again by the crude way the people of this Isekai handled things. Once again, he was witnessing first hand, the social injustice that was rampant in this era. He quickly pushed all vindictive thoughts out of his mind, and tried to focus on the task at hand. Now wasn''t the time to get all philosophical. Now was the time to act.

    Despite the fact that he was encumbered by his new position, he knew that he couldn''t tolerate this. This had to be answered with an equal level of savagery. For people like Eadweard, this was the onlynguage they could possibly understand. With hardened resolve, Xzavier went into battle mode and began to dish out orders to everyone. His energy was infectious. He had the aura of one that produces results. Even the ultra stubborn Earlene found herself leaning towards his authority.

    "Earlene, head to the governor''s office at city hall and ask your father for his advice¡­"

    Xzavier''s motive for this was simple. As a man of prestige, as the governor, and as the father of daughter who was missing a friend, Xzavier assumed that Quaid would not just stand by and watch an ordinary boy trample on his honor. Definitely, Quaid would be riled by this. And Xzavier was counting on the fury of his wrath.

    Then to the younger of the two siblings, Xzaviermanded;

    "Go get Laddie immediately and bring him up to speed on the situation. Hurry!"

    Xzavier was thinking really fast now. Of course he didn''t tell Cadence this, but he worried that Eadweard would try to make a move on the old mage the same way he did on Adalia, simply because they were both of a lesser ss than him. He didn''t want to be nked on two sides. This way, he could at least ensure the old mage was safe, and at the same time enlist him for the altercation ahead.

    Having given both Earlene and Cadence their own individual tasks, Xzavier himself decided to go find Eadweard himself. He thought it was pretty ironic that he had promised Adalia he wouldn''t go out on his own because of Eadweard''s wrath. And now, he was heading straight to Eadweard to break this promise because of her. He didn''t mind though. These past few weeks had been kind of calm for him. He had trained and trained, and right now, he didn''t mind unleashing all his pent up anger on the Anjou boy.

    Of course, even though he didn''t admit it, not even to himself, deep down, he had been itching to test out his battle suit. He never prayed for trouble, but if it were toe his way, he knew he would wee it with open arms. With this state of mind, bubbling with fresh energy, and hoping that Adalia was safe, Xzavier rolled out of the mansion and entered the streets.

    Twilight was gradually fading away, as early evening prepared to melt into nighttime. This didn''t bother him at all. Darkness would be perfect for what he intended to do.

    As Xzavier began his search for the Anjou boy''s hideout, he realized that he had looked over one very morbid detail. How exactly had Eadweard known where Adalia and Earlene were shopping? How had he been able to mobilize a group of bandits so fast with such a small window of opportunity? As Xzavier pondered on these questions, the answers mmed into him, leaving him reeling on all sides.

    "He''s been watching us the whole time?!!!"

    Xzavier, totally astonished, thought to himself.

    "That is some serious dedication and consistency!! Imagine the weeks and weeks of surveince he had put in! All for what? To get back at me?"

    Xzavier continued to ponder; "Guess he must have been really pissed."

    With startling suddenness, it began to dawn on Xzavier that this had all been in y for much longer than he thought. It was disturbing to think back where all this had started from.

 Chapter 126 Back To Spring

    Eadweard had probably watched him and Adalia at the award ceremony and automatically concluded that his weakness was his female friend. A cold chill ran down his spine, as he imagined all those times he and Adalia had slid in and out of the governor''s house in the horse drawn coach. All that time, they were being watched!! And they hadn''t even realized it!

    This sudden realization only served as boost for Xzavier''s engine, he didn''t appreciate being toyed with. Worse still, he couldn''t stand arrogant entitled brats who enjoyed picking ondies. So, like a blood hound, he began to hunt down the impudent yboy as he sniffed out his trail. Xzavier spent the entire night shaking down street thugs and possible informants. Finally, his investigative method of terror gave him his first clue. He dropped the body of thest guy he had ruffled up, and headed towards the same ce it had all started- the brothel called ''Spring.''

    About half an hourter, Xzavier navigated his way through the streets of Victoria City and found himself standing before the ce where all this had begun. The ring difference between the brothel''s outward appearance at day, and at night was very clear.

    The building was built for finesse, and allure. It had all the characteristics of a high-ss brothel. So, even at night, it stood out of the throng of shops. Fancy umbremps lined up on the entrance and lit up the outside, drawing in adventurous young men, tired married men, and rich nobles looking for a good time.

    The appeal was evident, but that wasn''t what Xzavier came for. So, with his face frozen in a cold look, he walked into the building. Anyone who saw the outside would immediately assume that it was the best part of the building. But as Xzavier entered the lobby and opened the other door at the end, he was bbergasted when he saw the internal d¨¦cor of the inner building.

    Xzavier was not too hard hearted to admit that this was easily the most gorgeous building he had ever seen in this Isekai. In his mind, he ced it side by side with the city hall and even the governor''s mansion, and yet, the difference was clear! It was more of a yawning chasm than an ordinary gap. It was difficult for anyone to step in to Spring and not get sucked in by the powerful pull of the aesthetic atmosphere.

    The lighting was strategic. It was not too bright, and yet, it was just perfect for wandering eyes to see the well decorated space. Just as was the original intention, Xzavier''s attention soon went from soaking in the out-of-this-world decoration, to the numerous beautiful women that littered the open space.

    Reclining on Persian cushions, standing at the corners, and even swinging from the ceiling were different countless types of beautiful women. They all wore their hairs differently, some were d in long flowing gowns that made them appear like goddesses. Some others were semi naked with very revealing clothing. Some others, much to Xzavier''s surprise wore nothing at all.

    Xzavier had never seen a mix of different types of women before. He thought he was seeing things, but at a second nce, he confirmed his first thought- yes, there was a pregnant woman in the mix. Her bulging belly and engorged breasts betrayed her state. All kinds of shapes, sizes, and races were there. The very low, and rxing sensual music in the background helped ease the customers into the right mood. Alcohol flowed very freely. Other forms of psychedelics also passed around.

    But all of this passed over Xzavier like a heat wave, passing through a continent. It burned, but it passed anyway. Xzavier knew that this kind of high-ss brothels had their own form of VIP sections for the elite of the elite.  He knew that he was most likely to find Eadweard there since he was probably a loyal customer.

    "This bastard!" Xzavier cursed inwardly. "He actually brought Adalia here!"

    As Xzavier angrily worked his way through the throng, he remembered the flushed expression on Adalia''s face when she tried to tell him that this ce was a brothel. The poor girl had been so embarrassed by the mere thought of speaking of it. And now, Eadweard had dragged her into such a vile establishment. Xzavier knew it would be very difficult for him to forgive the Anjou boy.

    Xzavier silently observed his environment and soon, he caught on to his perfect mark. It was a skinny waiter whom Xzavier had noticeding in and out of a private area with trays and trays of expensive liquor. By all count, it seemed like a dignified personality had secured that space.

    Therge amount of food and drinks that were being carried inside told Xzavier that there was probably a small crowd in there. The more he thought about it, the surer he was that Eadweard was in there. Besides, the young Anjou prince loved having a battalion of servants around him. It made him feel special.

    With no time to waste, Xzavier decided to take his chance. Even it wasn''t Eadweard behind that door, he was going to make the most of it by gleaning information out of whoever it was. So, he timed the waiter perfectly, and when the waiter finally came out, Xzavier put on a smug look that was typical of rich nobles, and approached his mark;<novelnext></novelnext>

    "¡­is Eadweard in there? I''ve been looking for him all over. I am his friend from the spa in town."

    The waiter was obviously too busy to even give a second thought. It made no sense that someone would try to barge in on someone as powerful and as protected as Eadweard. Anyone who would try that probably had a death wish. So, absent-mindedly, the waiter hurriedly ushered Xzavier in.

    "Follow me sir."

    Xzavier couldn''t believe. It was a long shot. A hail Mary at best, and yet, by some ridiculous twist of fate, here he was, going down the rabbit hole with the assurance of his target at the other end. So far, all things were moving rather smoothly, and he still had the undefeated element of surprise. At least he thought he did.

    The waiter led Xzavier down a kind of dark tunnel. Here, the lights were so dim that they were pretty much non-existent. That was how Xzavier knew he was on the right track. The darkness didn''t stand in the way of the waiter even though he was carrying a tray load of delicacies and assorted alcoholic beverages. Obviously, the youngd was used to the whole terrain.

    Finally, the waiter stopped in the middle of the tunnel like hallway, and turned to his left to open the door. It was so dark that Xzavier could have very nearly bumped into the waiter if he hadn''t heard his footsteps suddenly stop. Then, the door opened and the waiter, followed by Xzavier entered the private room.

    Xzavier felt as though he had entered another world. He understood why the rich were so tacky about moral values, as well as the concept of an afterlife. It was difficult to imagine heaven as a  better and much refined ce of paradise. They simply couldn''t see any luxurious state of mind that was better than what they already knew and used to. As Xzavier entered this room, he was reminded again on why the elite had this mindset.

    This private room in particr was packed with a small group of people. They appeared to be enjoying themselves to the fullest. On the center table, in the middle of the room was loaded all kinds of delicacies. There was a fully roastedmb, there were several baked pies, there were berries and nuts. And of course, sks and sks of assorted liquor. The group of guys were huddled around the table, each man had a pretty woman on hisp, some had two.

    Eventually, as Xzavier scanned the faces of the group, his eyesnded on the very familiar oblong shaped head of the yboy prince right in their midst. Almost as if there was a connection on the primal level, Eadweard''s eyes lifted up from the women on hisps, and turned in the direction of the prating gazeing from Xzavier who was still positioned at the entrance.

    For a moment, their eyes locked, and a hand of terror gripped Eadweard''s heart. He froze up as if he had seen a ghost. The youngd wondered if he was seeing things as a result of his intoxication. Seeing Xzavier in the flesh, (and not just a figment of his imaginations) brought back fresh memories he had long tried to suppress.

    Eventually, the shock faded away into oblivion, in its stead, the rising storm of anger took its ce. Assuming the role of the entitled noble whom had been offended, Eadewaerd snarled at Xzavier.

    "How dare you show your face here?! Do you have a death wish or something?!"

    Xzavier said nothing, but he observed the other guy very closely.

    Eadweard on the other hand wasn''t looking to let go of his anger and disdain for Xzavier. Dismissing the prostitutes the same way one would drive away a couple of house flies, Eadeweard rose up menacingly from his seat with his eyes fixed on Xzavier the whole time. Without saying a word, the two men locked their eyes in a battle of the will. Then they arrived at a wordless understanding. They couldn''t do this indoors, they had to step outside. So, the two men left the ''Spring'' and walked out into an open space where they could conduct their business.

 Chapter 127 Notorious

    Though, they didn''t speak it out loud, but neither of them wanted to bear the costs and stigma of fighting in public, especially in a ce such as this. The price was too steep to pay. Eadweard knew that if for some reason people heard they had fought in a brothel, they would immediately assume that the squabble had been about a prostitute. Both men (especially Eadweard) couldn''t have people thinking all that. Besides, that would also incur a lifetime of being banned from ''Spring." Eadweard could endure the stigma, but he definitely couldn''t do without his frequent visits to the "Spring"

    They trudged on in silence. No one said a thing, not even the usually talkative Eadweard. It truly appeared as if he had done some growing up since hisst altercation with Xzavier in public. They soon came up on an empty space ofnd that was located behind the alley that led to the brothel.

    Like a melodramatic showdown between two opposing forces, Xzavier and Eadweard stood on the two opposite sides of the open plot ofnd. Each man remained stoic, watching the other with the vignce of a hawk.

    Finally, Xzavier broke the ice block with his icy tone.

    "I am going to make this real easy for you, did you kidnap Adalia?"

    The question shot out of Xzavier''s mouth, and hung in the air like a palpable entity. It had the essence of the tension that prevails before a disaster. It was like the short but brief moment of peace that ruled just before nations went to war with each other.

    Asides from the fact that Xzavier''s usation was well founded, his question was justified for a bunch of other reasons. If anyone dared to do some research on the Anjou boy''s past, a short peek into Eadweard''s history would reveal that he was ad who had a predilection for snatching up young pretty girls. Indeed, he could be likened to the big ck hawk which ruled the skies by swooping down on baby chicks and snatching them from their mother hens to be devoured in its nest. This was just the youngd''s style.

    Like the predatory bird, Eadweard would descend upon these poor girls (whose crime was just being pretty) and train them into walking, breathing sex dolls. The stories that flew around concerning this habit of his were horrendous. His ever present psychotic need to conquer and dominate young pretty girls often drove him into a frenzied state.

    Eadweard wasn''t like other sex crazed demons who simply wanted to have their desires quenched in the moment, and then move on to the next catch. In a way, he was worse than orcs in this regard. The young prince took depravity to the next level and gave it a whole different meaning. Like birds trapped in a cage, Eadweard would keep these pretty girls locked up for days or even weeks on end.

    He didn''t see them as human beings, he saw them as pets that were to be trained and bred. Like a collector, he categorized each one in a subset. He would often have them wear different clothes, paint their nails in different colors, or have them wear their hair differently. He might even have a particr girl lose or gain weight by force feeding or starving her for the period his madnesssted. Then, when he was satisfied with his masterpiece, he would then begin his mission.

    Depending on how or where, or when he wanted it, the youngd would often creep in on them in the middle of the night when they were fast asleep, and **** them bloody all through the night. The cries of these unfortunate girls would ring through the halls of the family''s estate all night. And when he was done, he would stagger out in the morning, drunk from taking his fill of their bodies and terror. Leaving the exhausted bodies of his victims behind him, lying still like crocodiles by watering holes, breathing slowly.

    After a short period of time, after he had gotten bored with his ythings, he would ruthlessly toss them aside. But by then, the minds of the poor creatures would have been broken. They would have also contacted his drive and taste for good things after getting used in this manner. It was a vicious cycle.

    But in this case, as hard as it was to believe, Eadweard was actually innocent of this particr crime! It had all been a big misunderstanding. In a cruel twist of fate, the yboy prince actually had nothing to do with Adalia''s recent abduction, and he hadn''t harbored any intention of doing that at all!

    It turned out Eadweard wasn''t as daft as people often made him out to be. He had a clear mental image of what the consequences would be if he tried to kidnap Adalia. The chief reason he couldn''t do it was in enough for anyone to see, the Princy family wasn''t to be toyed with. Consequently, because of this, Adalia was off limits to any sane person who was nurturing any kind bad intentions towards the young girl.

    It wasmon knowledge that the beautiful blond maid was the prize of the Princy family. Quaid often trotted her out like a grand prize during home dinners or lunches for gawking eyes to see and admire. In the governor''s household, she was held in high regard. Eadweard didn''t think all that trouble was worth it. The person he hated the most was Xzavier. He was the one who caused him to lose his dignity as a noble. Xzavier was the one whom he had issues with.

    And yet again, somehow, it seemed the Xzavier was going out of his way to have another altercation with him. Eadweard scowled at the other man and thought to himself; ''What exactly is this guy''s problem with me?'' Eadweard wondered why Xzavier would go through all this trouble just to use him falsely. Why now? Especially after all this time? Why?

    As he stood across the other stranger, Eadweard recognized the unmistakable cold re of a determined man who was on a mission. The yboy called to remembrance the look on Xzavier''s face from the other day, and knew that this time was different. By the looks of it, the new Baron was for real.

    Anyone with half a brain would be able to see that he looked like the viin in this case. Obviously, his own notorious reputation was enough to convict him before any panel. If indeed Xzavier was being honest about the abduction of the Princy maid, then it would be almost impossible to convince him otherwise. Eadweard saw clearly that there really was no way for him toe out unscathed. So, he decided try a different option.<novelnext></novelnext>

    His tone, utterly condescending, he rasped in his nasal affected voice;

    "You know, it takes a lot of guts toe back here¡­"

    He began to pace back and forth, as he subtly chided Xzavier.

    "¡­and you decided toe alone?" He shook his head repeatedly and spat,

    "All for what? Some maid? You''ve got to be kidding me!"

    Cleverly, he kept his stand on the matter concealed by refusing tomit himself to a confession or a denial. He deftly kept Xzavier in the loop with his clever omissions, and his crafty assertions. Leading Xzavier on, he cocked his head, leaned to the side, and asked cunningly;

    "So what then? What would you do if I really did something like that?"

    ? He looked Xzavier dead in the eyes as he asked that question. Now it was night time, and the open plot ofnd behind the brothel was poorly lit, so Xzavier couldn''t really see the mischievous look lurking behind the eyes of the Anjou prince. At least, that was what he was going to tell himself muchter in the future.

    Somehow, Xzavier missed the taunt hidden in the question. It was almost like Eadweard was goading him on, daring him to do something.

    But Xzavier was no longer angry. As he stood before the person whom he suspected to be responsible for Adalia''s kidnap, he found out that he wasn''t as pissed off as he thought he would be. It was possible that Xzavier had finally leaned into the social injustice of this era. It was also possible that he had seen too much to be shocked or angry, or even bitter.

    It was as if he was submerged in a cauldron filled with cold water. There was a certain calmness that he could not exin where it sprung from. The nk expression on his face was on par with the deadness of his emotions. Finally, it was as if he no longer expected anything decent from these scum of the earth who were supposed to be the cr¨¨me of the cr¨¨me. The time for reasoning was over. It was time to put to do what he had been itching to do for a while now.

    So, with a chilling calmness, and in a low voice which sounded like a chant, he summoned his military system;

    "Military system, activate the custom ck fitting suit¡­"

    In an instant, within the twinkling of an eye, Xzavier was clothed in the deadly, imprable regalia that was the ultimate defense. Then, ready for war, he pulled, out his pistol and pointed it at Eadweard. In an indifferent tone that conveyed no emotion whatsoever, he addressed the other guy;

    "Alright then, let''s have it your way¡­" he cocked his gun and added in a nd tone;

    "Let''s talk with our fists."

 Chapter 128 The Fight Began

    Eadweard weed the challenge dly. With as much bravado as he could muster in the moment. Unable to hide his excitement, he replied Xzavier in an optimistic tone;

    "I''d love to."

    To Xzavier, it seemed like what happened next happened in slow motion.

    Like a boss in a movie, Eadweard took two steps back with a smile on his face and his two arms spread out. Immediately, several ck d men emerged from the shadows as if they had gotten the signal they were waiting for. Quicker than the regr eye can follow, they poured out from their respective hiding ces water on the ground and scattered in what seem like an irregr random pattern. Until finally, they closed in on Xzavier and surrounded him in a circle.

    It was like a nned or practiced move. The whole thing felt familiar to Xzavier. He quickly realized that they were Eadweard''s servants, and it turned out that they had trailed him out of the brothel and followed at a distance while keeping their presence hidden. Xzavier was a bit impressed. They had blended in neatly in the background, and only appeared when they sensed that their master was in trouble. No wonder Eadweard had been so confident all this while.

    Evidently, Eadweard had been busy after hisst humiliation at the hand of Xzavier. Obviously he had taken the humiliation personally and swore that it would never repeat itself. Reminded every day of the way his dignity had been tarnished, Eadweard had worked really hard to upgrade his hatchet team from a basic level to a much advanced version of their previous selves. All so he could sessfully capture Xzavier alive. Apparently there was no need for them to hatch any n, Xzavier had taken off their table the task of luring him out.

    Clearly, Xzavier hadn''t been the only one working and training these past few weeks.

    With the way this new and improved team worked, it is was ring that they had a new leader. The previous team''s leader was only a level three mage, and the rest of the servants under him were ordinary people whose only talent was looking mean. This was because Eadweard hadn''t any powerful enemies that would warrant him bringing out the big guns. Also, everyone knew him. They knew his family''s connections, they knew his social standing, so, people generally steered clear of any kind of altercation with the yboy prince. No one in the entire Victoria City dared him.

    However, this time, because of Xzavier, Eadweard had personally taken it upon himself to scout for and recruit a level five mage to be the leader of his own personal guards. This new leader made the former look like a boy scoutpared to him. The other members of the new squad were also upgraded, they were all level three mages now unlike the previous ones who had only been ordinary folks. This new squad reflected just how serious Eadweard had taken the security threat to his life.

    This was an A-team. A group of stunningly skillful mages. In Eadweard''s mind, even a high-level mage such as Laddie would have serious problems with dealing with such a power packed team.

    Xzavier on the other hand wasn''t foolish enough to miss out the new details. Purely from a military perspective, Xzavier could tell that they were definitely not ordinary people. Their stealth wasmendable. Their coordinated movements and the way encircled him showed that they were highly trained individuals. However, if he was magic savvy, he wouldn''t have had to see things from a tactical point of view. He would have read their mana and immediately discerned that these were indeed some dangerous folks.

    But, the battle ready Xzavier wasn''t fazed. If anything, he was driven. The stakes were higher now, and it got his blood boiling.

    In this era where the harsh coldness of des were everything, closing in on an enemy in packs was a good thing. Numbers were good in this case. It provided the strength and anonymity that was needed for the sessful take out. But unfortunately for Xzavier''s enemies, they were yet to meet the wonder of modern weapons whichpletely negated the best thing about numerical superiority. Xzavier actually had a plethora of weapons to choose from. Especially now that he had an abundance of bodies to drop.

    The gatling would have been perfect for exterminating arge group of enemies like this. It was fast, effective and guaranteed. The grenade was also an option. There was no escaping or hiding from it. Both of these options were ideal for the situation at hand, especially since they weren''t regr people. Also, there was the time factor. He could save more time by killing them all at once and go on to pursue Adalia''s rescue. All these were solid reasons to wipe them all out.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But s, Xzavier had other ns. He re-examined the scope of the situation, as well as the enemies at hand. He wasn''t facing mindless orcs or goblins, he was facing humans. This didn''t in anyway undery the seriousness of the matter at hand. He knew very well that they were out for blood. Hisst altercation with their previous leader had taught him that. These mages definitely do not y around when it came to duels.

    Nheless, it didn''t change the fact they were still humans and were nothing like the mindless, bloodthirsty creatures that needed to be put down. These were regr people who were simply following orders. As a military man himself, Xzavier could sympathize with them. But that didn''t mean he was going to spare them either. So, he suppressed his impulse to waste thempletely and decided to go with a less harsh measure that would give him something close to the desired effect.

    "System, rece the lead bullets with the rubber bullets from earlier on."

    Now Xzavier wasn''t superstitious or anything, but he could have sworn that he sensed a little bit of hesitation on the part of the military system. It was almost as if the system was disappointed in Xzavier''s choice. Maybe it had been looking forward to some action. Xzavier shook those thoughts out of his head, and ruled them as his own subconscious expressing its dissatisfaction with his choice not to spill blood.

    The servants of the yboy prince had surrounded Xzavier like a pack of wolves. Expertly, they remained in formation and began to close in on Xzavier. As they tightened the circle around him, they began to whip out their weapons, expressing their eagerness to waste him. Xzavier needed to take only one look at them to know that they had been training for this.

    Unfortunately for them, Xzavier hadn''t been sitting aroundzily for the past few weeks. Unfortunately for them, he had also been training, and the unlucky fellows were about be the testing dummies for Xzavier''s new energy. Totally on guard, and watching all visible areas around him, he whipped out several smoke bombs. The enemies around him didn''t know what he was doing, but they had been thoroughly briefed on Xzavier''s penchant for unconventional surprise attacks. So, they guarded themselves.

    But because they were limited in knowledge and understanding, there was no way they could be prepared enough for what was toe.

    Xzavier crouched low like a jaguar about to pounce and threw scattered the smoke bombs in all directions. The sizzling smoke rose up and quickly filled the entire space. His enemies hadn''t enough time to react. They paused for a minute when the smoke started to saturate the area around Xzavier, and looked on suspiciously thinking Xzavier had just unleashed some mysterious lethal weapon that they knew nothing about.

    They were kind of right in that regard. But that brief moment of hesitation proved to be seriously detrimental- to them. Much sooner than they could recover or react, Xzavier''s form got lost behind the thick cloud of smoke that pervaded the surrounding. Visibility became their primary concern. Their case wasn''t helped by the fact that it was night time already, and the moon did little or nothing to illuminate the surrounding area.

    Hidden behind a wall of thick smoke that totally kept him obscured from all eyes, Xzavier put on his trusty gas mask and turned on the infra-red imager. His sinister transformation was nowplete. And now, yet again,pletely d in ck, Xzavier was about to take on the role of the angel of retribution. This time, he was more equipped. This time, he was invulnerable.

    Xzavier''s unfortunate contenders weren''t prepared for this at all. Their first obstacle was locating Xzavier. At this rate, they were likely to end up attacking each other like a bunch of disoriented drunks just because they couldn''t see. But their inability to see was just one of their many problems. Their next difficulty was breathing. The smoke soon began to attack their lungs, and they soon found themselves gasping for fresh air.

    Of course, all this was to Xzavier''s advantage. The army trained, Special Forces major wasted no time. Itching for action, and trigger happy, his twitching fingers squeezed the trigger and began to spray his enemies with a fresh wave of rubber bullets. Xzavier wasn''t just shooting randomly, his infra-red imager honed in on their heat signatures gave him a clear picture of where everyone was. He could see them, but they couldn''t see him.

    Just because his bullets were rubber didn''t mean they were any less painful. At close range, Xzavier knew that the impact of his bullets could do some real damage. So, in order not to do too much harm to his unsuspecting enemies, he deliberately avoided hitting their vital points, and instead shot them in ces they wouldn''t sustain lethal damage.

 Chapter 129 Technology VS Magic

    The bullets flew out of his gun and hit a good number of the mages. Because they weren''t prepared at all, (not that anyone could do anything to stop a bullet at close range, whether it was rubber or the real thing), the bullets caught them head on and rammed into their bodies. For fellows who hadn''t even thought or heard of the concept of bullets and guns, it felt like they had been mmed in the chest with sledge hammers. It was strange. They wondered how a one centimeter long dart could pack such power.

    One by one, they all dropped. By the time Xzavier had emptied his clip, only one man was left standing in the whole group.

    Xzavier paused to take a look at this mysterious mage. While he had been shooting, with the help of his infra-red imager, Xzavier had noticed something weird about this mage in particr. It was as if his bullets were being deflected by an invisible force field around this enemy. And because of that, much to Xzavier''s surprise, he discovered that he had been unable to deal any real damage to him.

    Like a soldier in an invisible armor truck, the mage had remained unaffected by the stream of rubber bullets that had made several of his colleagues fall like sitting ducks. This person was clearly on a whole other level.

    Xzavier was right on that count. This strange mysterious mage wasn''t the regr, everyday mage that one would usually encounter. This was the new leader of the upgraded hatchet team. Eadweard hadn''t spared any expense in recruiting this particr mage.  Much like the dynamic of the previous team, as expected, this new leader of the new team was way above the level of his subordinates. He was a level five mage and apparently, he had a significant amount of skills that dwarfed the others.

    With his face a mask of coolness, and hisposure totally in check, the new leader stayed rooted in the foundation of his own confidence. He remained aloof, and yet observant of his enemy. And it turned out that his suave nature saved him. While Xzavier gunned down the others, he aptly set up his barrier right on time. Even as all the others dropped down (presumably to their deaths), the leader maintained an impressive degree of focus despite the fact he didn''t know what exactly was dropping his subordinates.

    But this mage didn''t rx. Even though he was veryfortable behind his barrier, he refused to y defense. The invisible force field which he had erected beautifully was more than just a defensive perimeter. It doubled as a kind of sensory/counter attack shield. The outermost part of the barrier was lined up with an invisible membrane that conveyed everything it felt, along with the details of every force that it came in contact with, back to the mage himself.

    So, using his invisible barrier as a kind of radar, he was able hone in on the direction from which Xzavier''s attack wasing from. He concentrated on the varying degrees of fluctuationing from his shield and knew that though Xzavier had chosen to remain static, his arm was moving back and forth as he shot out his magical arrows. The mage had not only been able to discern Xzavier''s exact location, but he was able to figure out the movements of his hand as it moved in a pendulum like movement.

    Armed with this knowledge, the mage was able to get in line for a counter attack. He knew that it wasn''t exactly the smartest move to remain on the defensive side. He had to take Xzavier head on as soon as he found an opening. With such objective thinking that was birthed from years and years ofbat experience, he was able to ride the wave of opportunity when it came. Finally, after about thirty seconds of Xzavier''s reign of terror, his clip emptied and the sounds of the dropping bodies ceased.

    That was when the leader began his own counter. Sensing that Xzavier had ran out of whatever it was he had been shooting all this time, the mage quickly began working on the second phase of his own counter attack. With his feet nted on the ground in a solid stance, he began to harness as much energy as he could muster, and then, he unleashed a wave of destruction in Xzavier''s direction. Because the smoke was very much still in y, he couldn''t see a thing. So, all he had to do was wait for the sound of Xzavier cry.

    It never came.

    Unknown to Xzavier, his location had already beenpromised. He was aware of the fact that the mysterious mage was not of the ordinary stock. So, when his infra-red imager detected a fresh surge of energy heading in his direction from the leader''s location, he wasn''t in the least surprised. But that didn''t necessarily mean he could do anything about it. Slow enough for him to detect iting, and yet too quick for him to react, the enemy''s st came right at Xzavier and struck him squarely in the chest.

    In that very brief moment between the moment he saw the attacking and the moment it made contact with him, Xzavier''s mind was filled with so many questions, chief among them being;

    "How did he find me?!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Though the smoke bombs were starting to clear up, the smoke was very much still in y. Visibility was still a problem. But for Xzavier, in that very moment, his biggest problem was figuring out how his enemy had located him despite the thick cloud of smoke all around them.

    The st caught him in the chest with the ferocity of a close range punch. Xzavier barely had enough time to brace himself for the impact, and that had barely been enough to cushion the impact of the blow. As Xzavier sustained the effect of the attack, he noticed something strange.

    It was weird. He felt the full force of st, and yet, somehow he did not feel any atom of pain whatsoever. This was by far the weirdest blow back he had ever gotten. There was no pain, and yet, he had felt the full force of the attack. In the midst of his wondering, the Military System rified his doubts and set the facts straight for him;

    "Major Xzavier, please be advised; the custom ck fitting suit has taken ten points of damage. You currently have a bnce of nine thousand, nine hundred and ny points left."

    As always, the Military System dropped in whenever it liked and left like it hadn''t been there in the first ce. And like always, it left Xzavier more shocked than informed.

    Xzavier was a gear head, no doubt. But ever since the system had introduced him to some fresh new tech, he went from gear head to gear freak! He was absolutely captivated by the effectiveness and durability of this ''custom fitting ck suit.''

    After putting himself in the position of a human Guinea pig (or a willing test subject), Xzavier could tell firsthand that it acted like a shock absorber. It was incredible. From the point system, to the intricate design, to the quality and durability of the tech itself, Xzavier was captivated. The point system was brilliant. It acted and operated on the same principle of the defensive shields of some of those Sci-fi space vehicles he had watched and read about.

    Even after taking on the attack of a mage of this caliber, only about 0.1% of its overall strength had been done in. So far, Xzavier was still very impressed.

    As Xzavier basked in the wonder of histest piece of tech, he forgot for an instant that his enemy was definitely not the giving up kind of person. The enemy had waited for any sign whatsoever that hinted at the fact that Xzavier had been hit. But none came. Instead of waiting for a miracle or for Xzavier to make his next move, the new leader decided to be more proactive.

    Twitching his fingers and palms in mage-like motions, the leader began to use his affinity for magic to summon the wind. The environment soon began to respond to hismand. With the steady buildup of a conductor directing an orchestra, his hands bobbed up and down like in a silent dance with nature, and a few secondster, the winds began to change.

    Before now, it had been a rtively still night. There was no wind. There hadn''t even been the slightest breeze, and yet, the entire climate began to change at the behest of the mage. It started with a sudden drop in the temperature. A sudden chill hung in the air, as a slight breeze came from nowhere.

    At themand of the level five mage, a huge gust of wind appeared from nowhere with the aggressiveness of a gale, and began to sweep away the smoke. The smoke stood no chance against such an aggressive force of nature. The fierce gusts of wind cleared up the space and didn''t stop until there was not a single wisp of smoke left.

    Xzavier was well aware of the fact that it would be foolish to dismiss any anomalies as mere coincidence. As someone whose mind never skipped a detail, Xzavier had factored in the stillness of the night when he decided to make use of the smoke bombs. The cloudless sky above him, along with the static air around him, told him that there wasn''t going to be any kind of wind anytime soon.

 Chapter 130 Hidden Cards

    So, when all of a sudden, when the winds came in the way and manner that it did, Xzavier knew that this was no ordinary wind. It felt like a huge dragon was beating its wings like it was about to take off. Also, he felt like the wind targeted only the areas around him. Like it was deliberately sweeping away the nket of smoke he was using as his covering. This was no coincidence. This was definitely magic. And it seemed like the leader of this hatchet team was behind this.

    As the smoke cleared, the mage of the hour began to settle in on his new environment, as well as the recent developments. It was new to him, because only about two minutes ago, he had been surrounded by able bodied, capable mages. And now, within a very short period of time, he was standing all alone- by himself.

    The leader had a lot of conflicting thoughts about this. He was a little bit amazed, but that didn''t mean he didn''t acknowledge Xzavier''s aplishment. No doubt, he was very impressed. It made sense that a person of Xzavier''s reputation might be able to take out three or four of his subordinates. There was also the fact that had used a blinding technique to mask his presence and reduce visibility. But all these factors weren''t enough to justify the fact that somehow, an ordinary person had been able to take out so many level three mages at the same time.

    This was the basis of the leader''s ambivalence. As a level five mage, he could see very clearly that Xzavier hadn''t even the slightest trace of mana in him. As he looked at the bodies of the level three mages surrounding him, he couldn''t help but wonder how Xzavier had done it. It was difficult to engage an enemy that one couldn''t understand. And right now, his mind was ame with the question of how Xzavier had managed to pull this off. Either he was a hidden master, or one lucky son of a gun.

    Finally, after taking his fill of the sprawled bodies of his subordinates, he shifted his gaze to his enemy who was standing across from him. There was no more smoke, there was nobody standing between them, there wasn''t even any shift in the air, the leader could see Xzavier clearly now and engage him one on one.

    Once again, the leader found himself being amazed. Across the field from him, the man who was wearing the sinister looking mask and d in weird ck garments before him looked like a demon. And in his hand was a weird looking weapon that he kept pointed at him. The mage immediately deduced that this was the source of his power.

    Xzavier already knew that he was dealing with a different breed here. He had learned a lot from his previous altercation with the other leader. So, he knew he couldn''t afford to lose focus, even for a minute. So, Pistol in hand, focused and poised for battle, he issued a warning to the mage;

    "You''re the only one left, so heed my words¡­"

    It sounded like an advice, but in essence, it was a word of caution.

    "Unless you want to be like one of your buddies over there, I suggest you surrender as soon as possible."

    In case the mage decided to veer to the left, Xzavier added;

    "Don''t even for a second think that this is all I am capable of, I still have an abundance of cards to y, but it wouldn''t benefit me in any way if you should die."

    For the final act, he growled in a deep voice; "It would be better for you not to test me. I assure you, I am not in the mood¡­"

    Xzavier wasn''t exaggerating. Neither was he bluffing, but of course the level five mage didn''t know that.

    To the mage, Xzavier''s warning came like an outrageous slur. It was like he had deliberately, and so casually insulted him, like he was a simple walk over that wasn''t worth his time. His ego couldn''t take it. He felt insulted. How dare this ordinary chum belittle him in this manner? So, with a caustic tone, he retorted back;

    "You scum!! How dare you speak to me in that manner? How dare you?!"

    Shaking hysterically, he bellowed;<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You think you''re the only one with other hidden cards?" he scoffed. "Well think again!"

    Still trembling with rage, he made up his mind to teach this impudent person a lesson.

    "Seeing that you have absolutely no shred of magic, I was actually going to hold back before. But now that I have seen your abilities, I don''t need to be worried about killing you!"

    In this era, people with no magic were regarded as second ss individuals. It was especially worse if they were peasants. This was why the level five mage took a jab at Xzavier''s inability to do magic because he thought it would make Xzavier mad.

    The time for talk was over. Not willing to give Xzavier any room to reply, he began to chant. The words flowed out of his tongue like poetry. It had the structural organization of a powerful incantation and the ominous tone of a potent spell. Xzavier had seen and heard enough to know that this was only a foreshadow of what was toe, so, he prepared ordingly. He wasn''t wrong.

    A huge fireball leapt out from the mage''s direction and surged towards Xzavier with the bloodlust and searing heat of a ballistic missile.

    The entire time Xzavier had his eyes on the enemy before him. He didn''t take his eyes off him even for a moment. But despite all that, he still wasn''t able to tell with exactitude where the fireball hade from. It was almost as if it came out of nowhere. The fireball raged towards Xzavier with a sonic quickness. It zed like aet streaking across the heavens and steadily made its way towards Xzavier.

    Because Xzavier was prepared, he was able to respond appropriately. He leaned backwards, and dodged it horizontally. As Xzavier dodged it, his proximity to the fireball gifted him a unique firsthand experience. He felt only a fraction of the hear radiating from the fireball, and instantly knew that he would be no better than grilled meat if it had made contact with him. There was no doubt that if he had allowed himself to slip up, the consequences would have definitely been disastrous.

    Xzavier had gotten so used to the enhancement of the ''custom ck fitting suit,'' that he failed to realize that it was the primary reason he had been able to dodge the mage''s attack. This was the first time Xzavier was engaging this gear in an actual battle. He had trained and trained so much that he had practically gotten used to it. His hard work paid off a hundred fold. In this situation, it was the same ''custom ck fitting suit'' that saved his life.

    It increased his speed by a significant degree, and gave him tens of times more mobility which in turn made him a lot more flexible than he usually was. Thesebined factors enabled Xzavier to move with the speed that was necessary for the evading of the fireball. Without the enhancements of the ''custom ck fitting suit,'' there was a very slim chance that Xzavier would have escaped the st. Even if he did, he wouldn''t have been unscathed.

    So, after sessfully dodging the fireball, Xzavier began to ride this sweet wave of increased speed and mobility. He surged towards, the level five mage at a blinding speed. As Xzavier ran, he didn''t feel like he was running. He felt like time itself had slowed down, along with gravity and all otherws that governed the physical ne. Although it seemed like it, Xzavier knew the truth. He was moving too fast.

    Moving at an impressive speed, he surged towards the level five mage and appeared in front of the mage. Wanting to catch the mage unawares, he swung his hand hard in a bit to smash him in the face. But unfortunately, the mage had other tricks up his sleeve.

    Living up to his reputation as a level five mage, he burst into mes just as Xzavier''s punch came in. His entire form metamorphosed into a roaring me, inadvertently causing Xzavier''s fist to miss its target. The whole thing happened so quickly and so suddenly. But that wasn''t was end of it. Not only had the mage sessfully morphed into a devouring me of fire, he had somehow been able to transport himself in that state, and appeared behind Xzavier like a phantom me.

    Even after the smoke bombs had cleared, Xzavier still kept his infra-red imager on. Asides from the added advantage it gave him the added advantage of giving him the appearance of an underworld creature, it also gave him a clearer picture of what was happening all around him. It was night, and the gift of true sight was necessary. However, due to the intensity of the raging me, Xzavier''s infra-red imager became almost useless.

    The infra-red imager was a device that was extremely sensitive to heat. It was built and designed for night time activities like hunting because of its ability to detect heat even in the ckest night. So, because of the ridiculously high temperature of the mage''s mes and its brightness, it was almost pointless to keep wearing it. So, he took it off, as well as his gas mask, and sent it back into the system''s store.

 Chapter 131 Flaw

    With that out of the way, Xzavier could now focus on the fight at hand. He reassessed the new situation and adjusted appropriately. This was a fight that had the potential to turn into an honest battle. Since he had been training for quite a while now, he had been itching for a way to test out the limits of his new gear. All those weeks of practicing had him fawning for the perfect chance to try out his training.

    At first, it had seemed like this was going to be another boring beat down. He assumed that it would be one of those cases where he would thrash the enemies and they wouldn''t be able to do anything. But as it stood, his enemy was proving to be a worthy opponent. Xzavier could already feel a qualitative change in the strategy and form of the battle due to the presence of magic. This element now added a new vor to the mix.

    One of the new unfathomable surprises was the nature of the mes. Xzavier tried his best to wrap his head around it, but he couldn''t understand why the mage could morph into a me in one ce, but then emerged out of the fireball. It looked like he was creating illusions. If Xzavier hadn''t been close enough to the searing heat, he would have thought the mage was simply conjuring up images.

    With all these uncertainties swinging in ce, Xzavier decided to kick it up a notch. ying defense and relying on his new improved speed wasn''t enough. If he wanted to gain the advantage of staying on top of things, he had to y offense. Right now, his regr pistol wasn''t going to cut it, the battle had reached the stage where a real weapon could be deployed. So, Xzavier took out his gatling.

    On a normal day, Xzavier wouldn''t just whip out a weapon like the gatling just like that. He would usually take some time to prep it for the battle ahead so it could be in perfect shape to be used for the situation at hand. Xzavier couldn''t resist the powerful recoil of the gatling. But the ''custom ck fitting suit'' changed everything. Now, because of the technical brilliance of this new tech, he didn''t need to go through all of that tedious process just to use the gatling.  He could now use it at any given time.

    Also, it was now evident that this mage was an enemy that wasn''t going to be easy to kill. From the beginning, and right up till the present moment, he had proven himself twice over to be a formidable opponent. He could definitely take the gatling. At least that was what Xzavier wanted to believe. Outwardly, as always, he was maintaining a cool front. But inside, he was getting excited about this battle.

    As Xzavier held on to the gatling, a thought crossed his mind right as he was about to begin to shoot. So he looked across the field and spoke to his opponent;

    "You''d better tighten up your defenses! I promise you, this beautiful piece of weaponry is a lot more destructive than the previous one!"

    It wasn''t Xzavier''s intention to giveaway his surprise. He knew that the mage was more than capable of withstanding the attack. But, he just didn''t want to take any chances. If the mage made the mistake of assuming that the gatling packed the same destructive power with his pistol, then it would be all over much sooner than he would have liked. That was something he wasn''t willing to risk. He hadn''t taken his fill of the battle yet. It couldn''t be over just yet. Hence, the warning.

    The mage was no fool. He wasn''t familiar with modern weaponry, but hismon sense told him that if Xzavier''s previous weapon had been trouble, this one was definitely going to be much bigger trouble. So, when Xzavier called out to him and told him to strengthen his defenses, he knew that this was no bluff. The sheer size of the gatling, coupled with the fact that it was a mean looking weapon, told the mage all he needed to know. So, he prepared for the destruction that was toe.

    Judging from the effectiveness of his shield against Xzavier''s first attack, he knew that he had made the right call at the time. So, it made more sense to stay on the defense. The only thing was he needed to make sure that his defensive shield was much stronger. So, after eyeballing Xzavier''s gatling, the level five mage began to harness as much mana as he could in a bid to strengthen the defensive strength of his barrier. Anxious about what was toe, he nted his feet firmly on the ground and waited.

    The second level of the showdown was about to begin. Both men knew this. The first part had been pretty eventful, but it was more like an introduction. It had been kind of like an appetizer, and it seemed like the main dish was about to be served.

    Xzavier still wasn''t sure that the mage had taken his threats seriously. So, just in case it ended up going south, he decided to target a non-lethal part of the mage, and test his defense. Xzavier was serious about not killing this mage. It was the most fun he had had in a while. Also, since he had never battled a mage of this level before, he wasn''t in a hurry to exterminate him. He wanted to savor the knowledge that would trante to added experience. Just in case he was to battle another mage of this level in future.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As Xzavier let loose the first round of bullets, a crack appeared on the mask of the mage''s tough facial expression. It turned out that Xzavier hadn''t been joking after all. This was a significantly more destructive weapon. The first didn''t evene close to the kickback he was getting from this new weapon. In actuality, the first bullet hit the shield and bounced back. The mage''s shield remained sturdy and unbreakable.

    But because the mage''s shield was also lined with a sensory membrane on the outeryer, the mage was able to feel the full effect of the bullet. From the transmitted information, the mage was able to sessfully deduce the degree of damage it could have done to an ordinary mage or man who had no shield or barrier whatsoever. It was incontestable, the damage would have been irreparable. Death would have been sure.

    But of course, that was just the first bullet. With each bullet that mmed into his shield, the mage was able to feel the incredible amount of pressureing from Xzavier. He was more amazed than ever. Here was a man who couldn''t practice magic, and yet, he had been able to unlock such an awesome destructive power. it was so efficient that he was able to go toe to toe with a level five mage.

    Much to his surprise, the kickback from the effect of Xzavier''s mysterious weapon began to push him back, despite his shield blocking it. The attacks became more vicious and more relentless. The bombardment continued, forcing him to keep moving back. His retreat was involuntary. It was purely as a result of the pressure from his enemy''s invisible and yet present attack.

    Even if he wanted to do something, in that very moment, crouched behind his own shield like a coward hiding from a bully, the level five mage couldn''t do anything but wait out the storm.

    The mage wasn''t the only one that was surprised. Xzavier waspletely captivated by the extent magic could be used. Now the gatling was a very powerful weapon. Even with a bulletproof Ker vest, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that stopping a single bullet from a gatling was almost impossible. Even if it did, the blowback on the wearer would be significant.

    In this case, the use of magic to stop his stream of bullets was nothing short of amazing. Not only had it been able to take one single bullet, as Xzavier intentionally let out rounds on the mage, he saw firsthand how seemingly unbothered the shield had been, in response to the heavy bombardment.

    While Xzavier amused himself with the way magic was being used creatively, he also came to the conclusion that this particr mage was quite different. He already suspected this right from the start, but this experiment with his gatling further showed that he was indeed a genius. Before he allowed himself to be carried away, Xzavier looked closer to see if he could find any dents on the seemingly imprable shield. He smiled to himself when his eyes went to the mage''s feet.

    The mage was doing his best to hide it, but as Xzavier kept applying pressure on him and his shield, he saw that he was slowly backing up, most likely as a result of the intense pressure of the gatling. It was possible that this was the mage''s limit. A dark thought crossed Xzavier''s mind in that moment. He shook it off violently;

    "No! An RPG would waste himpletely! He would be obliterated where he stands! No RPG!"

    If this was some other situation. He would have rolled out an RPG already. But Xzavier was really worried that he might end up killing him by mistake. It was a risk he was simply not willing to take.

    But unfortunately, like the mythical Icarus who flew too close to the sun, and got his wings melted off, Xzavier''s overconfidence made him forget the first w about modern weapons- they always run out of bullets. He was about to be served a big bowl of this reminder.

 Chapter 132 Abrupt End

    Xzavier had been too busy observing the mage that he forgot to pay attention to the bullet count. He had been too upied with trying not to kill his opponent that he forgot to secure his own perimeter thoroughly. It was only when thest bullet came out and Xzavier heard the familiar ''click,'' that his attention was drawn back to the severity of the situation at hand.

    "Uh oh¡­" he thought.

    He looked at the mage, the mage looked back at him. He wasn''t really sure that his enemy knew he had run out. But he wasn''t going to simply wait around to find out. So, with no time to lose, he began the process of changing bullets.

    Maybe it was the frantic look on Xzavier''s face, maybe it had been the way he hurriedly went about changing his bullets, maybe it was also the fact that the bombardments suddenly stopped. But whichever the case, the mage instinctively knew that he had a window of opportunity that had been opened to him. He wasn''t exactly sure how long it was going tost, but he knew he had to act fast.

    While Xzavier struggled with his reload situation, the mage whipped out a strange looking magic staff. It had the most obscene outward appearance. The main body of the rod looked like it was made of wood. It had some markings on it and some inscriptions. But that part was boringpared to the tip. The tip of the rod had something on it that was glowing like an orb. It emitted a strong dazzling light that resembled lightning itself.

    Xzavier had still been in the process of reloading his bullets, but the brilliant white light from the rod distracted him for a minute.

    "What on earth is that?!"

    Even as he asked himself that question, deep down, he knew he was going to find out sooner orter. Unfortunately, at his own expense, it turned out it was going to be much sooner than he had anticipated.

    A streak of light suddenly shot out of the glowing rod, and struck Xzavier''s body with an rming speed. There was simply no way around it this time. He couldn''t dodge it, not with that speed anyway. It was the speed of light, and it held the highest record.

    Anything that could move faster than that was most definitely outside the realms of the earth''s terrestrial frame. Xzavier was definitely not part of that subset. This was the stream of thoughts and calction going through his mind as he got struck down by the rod.

    As expected, the pressure from the impact was insane. But it was by far the worst st of magic that had ever hit Xzavier. His stamina couldn''t save him. Like he was nothing, the force of the st sent him flying backwards through the air. His involuntary flight would have continued if he hadn''t mmed into a tree in the distance. This impressive power had uprooted Xzavier and flung him like a sack of waste into the bin.

    Anyone in Xzavier''s shoes would have been counting the number of smashed bones he had broken. There would have definitely been a spinal cord injury along with a cracked skull. And of course, there was also the area where the st of light hat caught him squarely in the chest. All things considered, it was safe to say that the person would definitely need an astute healer, magic, or the divine intervention of a deity to walk properly again.

    The force of the st was one thing. His body mming into the tree was another thing. The resultant effect of these vectors should have been able to render him unconscious. And yet, there had been no pain. It was like being wrapped in a sixty inch thick bubble wrap, and tossed from the top of a six story building. He felt every bit of it, everything but the pain of course.

    Xzavier didn''t even as much as struggle to get back on his feet. As if he was still doubtful, he reached for his chest, touched the back of his head, and examined his knees for any signs of a broken bone. With mixed feelings, he gradually leaned into the fact that he had somehow gotten off scot-free!! Despite having been struck by what seemed like a bolt of lightning, his vitals were all intact!

    "Damn, this suit is heavenly!" He thought, "What kind of tech is this?!"

    While he was in the middle of praising the suit, the military system gave him a status report of the damage sustained;

    "Major please be advised, the suit''s system has registered and cushioned a damage of two hundred points. The Major still has nine thousand, seven hundred and ny points left."<novelnext></novelnext>

    For someone who had just flown back fifteen feet and crashed into a tree, Xzavier looked awkward with the grin on his face that stretched so far, it could very well be detected from behind,

    The special forces major had every reason to be impressed. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the battle a little too much. This was the kind of altercation he had been hoping for. It was the perfect chance to test the limits of his new gear, and at the same time, he was able to gain experience in the mage sector. He had always been curious on how modern tech would stand against top rated magic. Xzavier wasn''t too pompous to see that magic had its perks, but so far, his tech hadn''t let him down.

    Still hanging in the tree like a pilot who had just been ejected from the skies with a failed parachute, Xzavier battled with the branches of the tree that had entangled in ces that one wouldn''t expect. He remembered that this custom ck fitting suit also enhanced his strength. So, with a gleeful look in his face, he applied more pressure and ended up ripping out a sizeable part of the tree in a bid to rid himself of the vines.

    Hended on his feet and got back to business. In the distance, Xzavier saw the mage who was still wielding his magic staff with the glowing orb. He wasn''t going to forget it in a hurry. What the hell was that thing anyway? Xzavier wondered.

    He decided he wasn''t going to wait around to find out. So, he finished reloading his gatling and took careful aim at the mage. It was time to see just how strong he was.

    As for the mage in particr, his attack on Xzavier had put a significant amount of space between them. Plus the darkness of the nighttime didn''t do him any favors. His attack had hit its target. He waspletely sure about that. However, what he wasn''t so sure about was the fact that it had been enough to put down the enemy that he thought was best described as ''persistent.'' More than anyone else, the mage knew that his attack had packed a lot of heat.

    He flirted with the idea of it being enough to put Xzavier down. After all, he was just an ordinary muggle who had been unlucky enough to fall into the non-magic demography. Even with the stranger''s impressive attack skills, it made no sense whatsoever that he would be able to defend against such a magic based attack. No! he thought. It couldn''t be!

    He was hopelessly optimistic at this point, but experience prevailed and warned him not to be so sure about Xzavier. So, with cautious steps, he carefully approached Xzavier whom he had seen crash into the tree up ahead. The closer he got, the more his hopes went up. With his eyes that had gotten ustomed to the dark, from what he thought was a safe distance, he searched the base of the tree looking for Xzavier''s corpse, or at least, bits and pieces of him that remained. He found nothing.

    With his heart beating excitedly, and his breathing getting more and more tense by the minute, he thought nervously;

    "Could this really be it? Is he gone?"

    He held on to his breeches tightly, not daring to rejoice yet in fear of a sneak attack. Needless to say, his wariness paid off.

    Though, Xzavier didn''t n his descent from the tree to appear like a sudden ambush, fortunately for him, he couldn''t have timed it any better. Like the mythical ninja of the days of old, Xzavier dropped down from the tree andnded with a graceful thud. The mage''s face turned white like he had seen a ghost. He couldn''t believe it.

    "Impossible¡­impossible¡­"

    And yet, the ck d form of Xzavier in the distance before him like a ghoul, stood as the perfect evidence. Taunting him from the shadow of the tree in the distance, like he was mocking his best efforts to put him down. Though he had been low key expecting this, that didn''t alter the fact that Xzavier being alive was still very much a surprise. He was too stunned to move.

    And because he was still in a state of catatonic shock, he neither had the will, strength nor resolve to n a rebuttal. Of course, who could me him? If an ordinary person who could survive such an attack, he wasn''t so sure anything on that level could do him much harm. At this rate, it looked like the only thing that could stop this resilient stranger was if a mountain or moon could be picked up and mmed into him.

    Xzavier wasn''t aware of what was going on in his opponent''s mind, but the one thing he knew was that he had to act fast.

 Chapter 133 Overplay

    He couldn''t risk being on the defense again. It would bolster the morale of the enemy. And as a military personnel, Xzavier knew just how dangerous a confident enemy was. He had to nip this in the bud while things were still rtively lukewarm.

    So, he began to calcte the angle at which his attack woulde from. After an extremely quick on the spot thinking, he lifted up his weapon to begin the next stage. But somehow, things got even more interesting than they already were. A familiar voice cut through the still night''s air, bringing with it an indefinite pause to the battle at hand.

    "Mister Xzavier!! Hold on!! Hold on!!!"

    Xzavier froze. Cadence? How? His mind brought forth a thousand questions at the time. Not daring to take his eyes off his enemy, through the corner of his eyes, he searched for the physical source of the voice. All sorts of thoughts besieged him at the same time. Because Xzavier wasn''t one to be easily manipted, he remembered that he was battling a mage and strengthened his mind against any mental invasion.

    "Could this be an illusion?"

    It turned out that it wasn''t. Just as Xzavier wanted to rule this out as some magical illusion, the small frame of the youngd emerged from the distance adjacent to both him and the mage.

    Cadence crept up on Xzavier''s right side, and the mage''s left hand side. The young man was out of breath. Obviously, the he had been running for quite some time now, and Xzavier was much too pessimistic to assume why.

    Though the level five mage kept a cool head, beneath his exterior, he was rolling in a mud of fear and confusion. He weed the interruption in the duel between him and Xzavier. It wasn''t forck of skill, it was out of sheer dread for what might happen if the battle went on much longer.

    He wondered what kind of monster Xzavier was. He wondered what kind of muggle could take a st of the purest form of magic, right in the chest, and still bounce back like nothing had been done. An attack of that magnitude could only be fended off by a stronger mage with strong defensive maneuvers.

    So, all of these factors contributed to the joyless emotions cycling around, in his mind. As Cadence drew near, Xzavier also walked towards him, and consequently, this brought him closer to the level five mage. Xzavier''s attention was fixed on Cadence at first, but as he drew closer to his adversary, he discovered that he had grossly overestimated his opponent''s willingness to go all out against him. It was truly a shocker to Xzavier.

    Xzavier''s eyes and mind had been trained to excel not just inbat, but also to see the overall truth in battle. This primarily entailed that he could read the psychology of an enemy simply by looking at them in the eye. As Xzavier and Cadence looked the mage in the eye, they both saw that the battle might as well be over. The mage''s spirit was clearly broken. The frantic look in his eyes resembled that of a rat trapped in a maze, desperately searching for a way out.

    Xzavier was a bit shocked. He wasn''tpletely sure why the mage looked so spellbound all of a sudden. He seemed to be looking in Cadence''s direction,

    "That''s strange¡­why would an ordinaryd invoke such fear in the eyes of such a powerful mage?" Xzavier pondered to himself.

    "Could it be that it is merely because he is the governor''s son?"

    Xzavier shook the thought off. This wasn''t because a politician''s child had shown up. This was because of something deeper.  Xzavier followed his gaze and saw that he wasn''t actually looking at Cadence, he was looking way past him, into the ckness behind him.

    If Xzavier had been a magic savvy individual, he would have known that there were certain senses that were outside the traditional five senses. He would have known that mages were able to pick up the spiritual pressure of other mages way before they even set eyes on each other. This was exactly the case with the level five mage. The terror in his eyes was a clear pointer to the fact that someone much worse than him was now on the scene. He had every reason to quake in his sandals.

    Xzavier couldn''t sense the presence. He had to wait for his eyes to see first.

    Eventually, like a ghoul emerging from the darkness, the dignified form of the senior mage appeared as his dark robes pped in the wind like soft wings. It was Laddie himself!

    Xzavier took in the scene with great interest. This was unlike anything he had ever seen. Xzavier thought to himself silently:

    "So, this is what you are old man? You must be a really big deal huh¡­"

    Xzavier hadn''t had the privilege of watching the old man fight or even jostle a bit. He was always so methodical, or careful with everything, including his speech, his teachings, and even his movements. There was nothing out of ce with the old man. There were no leaking hints. So, Xzavier couldn''t even begin to fathom or envisage just what kind of enemy Laddie would be in the event that they were to ever fight.

    But in that moment, seeing the dreadful look on the stricken mage, Xzavier finally began to get a hint of the old mage''s position on the pecking order. Even though Xzavier was yet to see Laddie fight, what he had just witnessed showed that the old man was at the very top of the food chain here.

    Once again, Cadence''s voice destabilized the dynamic of the night. It would seem that he was somehow a bit cool headed,pared to the situation on the much grander scheme of things. Looking squarely at the Anjou boy, Cadence fiercely made his demands;

    "There''s no need for all this¡­" he pointed at the bodies of the junior mages who were lying so still that he thought they were dead.

    "Eadweard, this is for your own good, release Adalia now!!"

    Eadweard, being the gutless yboy that he was, emerged from the hiding ce he had been watching the whole thing. He had chosen a very peculiar vantage point that offered him more than enough insight into the battle he had set against Xzavier. He didn''t appreciate Cadence''s interruption one bit. Even worse, he didn''t appreciate the impudence in thed''s tone as he spoke to him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He sneered mockingly;

    "You brat! I am twenty years old! Do I look like your mate whom you can just talk to anyhow?"

    The irritated look on Cadence''s face showed how irritated the kid was. He answered Eadweard tly;

    "Answer the damn question Eadweard! Where is she?"

    Eadweard jumped down and walked closer to Cadence.

    "You must have lost your mind boy!"

    He spat thest word out contemptuously like it was a curse. Then in a dangerous tone, he made a passive threat.

    "Your father isn''t here to save you Cadence, you''d better get yourself right."

    But Cadence wasn''t in the mood to be intimidated. In fact, he was rather emboldened for a couple of reasons. Xzavier''s presence gave him all the confidence he required in this standoff. The old man''s presence was also a bonus. So, he couldn''t care less about Eadweard''s menacing demeanor.

    Refusing to be intimidated, he stubbornly maintained his ground.

    "What exactly do you think happens next Eadweard?"

    Cadence was in a position of strength and he knew it.

    "Look around you, you''repletely outgunned. Your family''s status might score you points on the social scene¡­but here¡­"

    He turned around to emphasize his point;

    "You are nothing! I am telling you now, release Adalia!!"

    Eadweard was surprised at thed''s impudence. He didn''t know Cadence personally, but he always thought of Earlene as the feisty one, and Cadence as the cool headed one. But s, it seemed that both siblings were actually mad. He looked on at Cadence for a second, as if he hadn''t decided on whether to be annoyed or be amused. He ended up choosing the third option- to be aplete douchebag.

    "Are you sure you really want to know? Because you say you want know, but at the end of the day, you might end up wishing you hadn''t asked¡­"

    Eadweard was really enjoying the role of the viin in this scenario. Even though he hadn''t the slightest idea of what happened to Adalia, his tone suggested otherwise. He had subtly hinted at the fact that something dark had befallen the maid, and Cadence had gobbled it all up. Thoroughly enjoying himself, Eadweard decided to push his luck further.

    "That''s right boy, I spread the blonde maid''s legs apart, and took her like a stallion from behind¡­"

    He giggled excitedly like a little boy that was divulging a sensitive bit of information.

    "I kept choking her and pumped her full with my seed until her stomach was bloated¡­"

    He stepped forward and looked Cadence dead in the eye as he uttered thest part coldly;

    "By the time I was done, somewhere between my fifth and sixth round, I discovered I had just slept with a corpse¡­"

    This was all too easy for Eadweard to spin. He had enough experience in this sector to make it look real. Plus he knew that this was definitely going to cause Xzavier pain. So, until the truthes out eventually, he was prepared to milk every bit of grief he could squeeze out of Xzavier and Cadence. Unfortunately for him, he was going to realize that had overyed his card.

 Chapter 134 How Dare You

    Eadweard''s words fell on Cadence''s ears like salt on an earthworm. Moved by sheer disgust and destructive anger, Cadence rushed towards Eadweard with an outstretched palm and struck the earl squarely on the jaw. The look on the yboy''s face was priceless. It wasn''t so much about the pain as it was about the shock that followed. The p had been delivered with all the annoyance and pain of a bereaved. Cadence spared no strength. He had given it his all.

    Cadence''s reaction surprised everyone. But most especially, Eadweard. The youngd was an impressionable young man. He absorbed everything like a sponge. That was why Eadweard''s words shook him in that manner.

    To a noble like Eadweard who had never been smacked in his life, this represented the ultimate disrespect. In that moment, he knew what it meant to be an ordinary person. He saw the gulf between his nobility and peasantry close up like a zipper merging two different sides together. He wasn''t in the least bit happy about it. He felt the rage churning up within him like a swelling tide. It rose and rose until he could not ignore it any longer.

    Too shocked for words, he found himself repeatedly saying

    "How dare you?! How dare you?!!!"

    Finally, he got himself and decided to charge at the young male.

    "You brat!! I will make sure your hands never touches anything else again! Come here you punk¡­"

    Eadweard was a real coward. He was sofortable with attacking people smaller than him, as well as picking on little defenseless girls who hadn''t the strength or ability to fight back. Just as he was about to get hold of the impudent Cadence, he felt a massive hand grab his throat like he was a chicken that needed to be put in its cage.

    The young aristocrat wasn''t used to being manhandled in this manner. Before he could say ''jack,'' he found himself pinned by the neck to the ground, gasping for breath. Like a fish that had just been pulled out of the water and dropped onnd, struggled to free himself from the hand holding him against his will. As his eyes slowly adjusted, he saw clearly that Xzavier was behind this assault. His cold voice issued him a stern warning;

    "You won''t be striking anyone here today Eadweard. Don''t even try to move."

    Eadweard was horrified. It was an unthinkable abomination for anyone toy a hand on an earl. Embarrassing him in public was one thing, but roughing him up like he was amoner was something Eadweard would never forgive.

    But Eadweard rage was nothing near Xzavier''s rage. It was almost impossible to miss it. Xzavier was blinded by the emotional turmoil burning inside him. The thought of Adalia meeting a horrible end at the hand of a person like Eadweard made Xzavier boil with fury. All of these thoughts and emotions paved the way for what happened next.

    Without even thinking, still reeling in mournful bitterness and rage, Xzavier used his free hand to expertly free his saber from its sheath. He was barely thinking at the time. It was as if his body was on auto pilot. Even in the dark, the wicked de glistened dangerously. There was no force on earth that could have separated Xzavier from his prey in that instant. With the chilling precision of a well-trained killer, he moved to sh the throat of the yboy.

    Nothing prepared Eadweard for this. He had overyed his hand and gotten the full rpense for his folly. As the blood gushed out of his neck and floated down his garments, Eadweard slowly began to realize that Xzavier might actually go through with his threat. There was no describing Eadweard''s shock and terror in that moment. All his life, he never had to worry about being murdered. This had given him a confidence that made him feel invincible.

    And yet, clear as day, he could almost feel his life force draining from him as Xzavier''s overbearing weight kept him pinned down, denying him the gratification of even dodging the de. Eadweard closed his eyes as he prepared for the worst. Xzavier had proven to be a real mad man. He was the definition of a true wildcard. There was no one in the realm that was crazy enough to kill an earl. The repercussions were just not worth it. Justice wouldn''t just end at taking the killer''s life. His or her entire family would be wiped out, their organs removed and disyed for all to see.

    Clearly, the newly promoted Baron didn''t seem to care.

    Just as the Saber was about to make contact with Eadweard''s throat, what felt like a divine intervention urred. A very strong force grabbed Xzavier''s hand just as the deed was about to bepleted. It was a very narrow escape.

    Xzavier''s dark eyes shed dangerously. Who dared to stand in the way of his vengeance? He cocked his head in the direction of the intruder, hungry to find out who had robbed him of his justice. The gentle form of the senior mage registered in his brain as he soon as he set eyes on him. Laddie''s gentle but firm grip on Xzavier''s arm spoke of his intentions even before the words came.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Xzavier!" he chided him sharply. "Calm down! Killing an earl in public is no small crime! Take a breather and step back son."

    But there was no letting go. Eadweard was like a swan in the mouth of a crocodile. There was nothing that was going to make Xzavier set him free after the atrocity he had just confessed to. He didn''t care that the young prince was an earl. And he made that very clear to Laddie.

    "I don''t care!" Xzavier growled angrily. His voice was full of sorrowful bitterness. "To hell with the stupidws! To hell with this fool! I only care about Adalia!"

    Thest part came out without Xzavier even realizing it. These were words that he would never utter on a regr day. But the news of Adalia''s death had triggered something in him. And consequently, the words burst out and flowed like a dam that had been let loose.

    The ttering of multiple feet on the ground disrupted the showdown between the old man and Xzavier. Laddie didn''t seem perturbed by the new arrival. He kept his eyes locked on the other man he was trying to dissuade. Xzavier however couldn''t resist the urge to look. He turned his gaze towards the smallpany that had only just recently appeared out of the corner of his eye.

    The first person he recognized was Earlene. She took her ce at the head of the small band, ushering them in her usualmanding tone. Xzavier zed over the others behind her and waved them off as some the household servants.

    "Great¡­" he thought to himself, "For heaven''s sake, how am I supposed to break this news to Earlene?"

    He was so lost in his own small world of grief that he never imagined even for a second that maybe, just maybe, Earlene was the one with news. Just as he was about to peel his eyes away from the new arrival, a very familiar figure caught his eye. Not daring to hope, Xzavier revolted against what was clearly before his eyes.

    "No! It can''t be! It can''t be!"

    Right behind Earlene, his eyes caught a nce of the golden mane that was the crown of Adalia''s head. Like a dream vividly unfolding, Adalia stepped out and revealed herself to the doubting Xzavier.

    Xzavier was astounded! He couldn''t believe it! Was he seeing a ghost? Was everyone else seeing her? And if they were, why weren''t they all acting surprised? Was this magic? All these doubting questions attacked Xzavier''s mind, leaving him with even more questions. What the hell was happening here? Xzavier was a pretty smart man. But he almost always leaned towards the worst side of things. That was why, in all his calctive questions, it never urred to him to think that maybe Adalia was truly alive!

    It was all simple really. After Adalia had been kidnapped by the bandits, they rode to their hideout and kept her bound in ropes. The whole time, Adalia had been scared. She had also believed that Eadweard was the mastermind behind her capture. She was very much aware of his reputation for kidnapping and using young girls. So, alone with her thoughts, sealed away in a remote part of the city, Adalia began to assume the worst.

    "So, is this how I will end up? A sex doll for that crazy deranged lunatic?"

    She spat in disgust.

    "No way!"

    Refusing to ept the cards that fate had dealt her, she immediately began to plot her escape. She reviewed her surrounding and immediately discerned that she was in some kind of barn. She listened for voices and heard a few masculine voicesing from the opposite side of the wall. She quickly sprung to her feet and began to work on setting herself free of the ropes. Her hands were small, and her captors had been veryzy in the tightening of her ropes.

    So, in no time, she wriggled free of her bands and turned to the window. The bars were slim and would normally be too small for any man to pass through. Adalia simply took one look at it and she knew that she would be able to pass through it. Within a jiffy, she sessfully emerged from the other side and dropped on the lonely street. Without even as much as a nce, she sped off with a quickness, leaving her captors behind,pletely oblivious of her escape.

 Chapter 135 Itâ€™s Alright

    She found her way back to the relieved Earlene who in turn gathered the others in pursuit after Xzavier. That was how Adalia came to be present with all the others.

    As Adalia saw Xzavier bent over Eadweard, clutching a knife to the throat of the young yboy prince, she was ovee with a strange flood of emotions. The young girl was touched from the bottom of her heart. No one had ever defended her honor the way Xzavier had. First, there had been the incident at the market ce, and now this¡­

    It seemed like Xzavier was her angel on earth. He had defended and protected more than once. But this, this was different from all the others. The rage on his face as he was about to kill Eadweard told her a lot.

    After staring at Adalia for what seemed like an eternity, Xzavier soon began to connect the dots. He slowly came to realize that not only was Adalia alive, she was obviously very fine. Xzavier didn''t know how this came to be. He didn''t care. He was just happy that she was alive. He turned to the yboy whom he hade very close to skewing only a few moments ago, and whispered in a harsh cold tone;

    "You scum! You''re extremely lucky that Adalia is alive¡­because there is literally no one that could have stopped me from killing you on the spot!"

    Eadweard was the one whom Xzavier was addressing, but Laddie somehow felt like somewhere in Xzavier''s statement was a ridicule meant for him. It almost felt like Xzavier was saying he couldn''t have stopped him even if he tried. The challenge in his words weren''t lost on the old man. Laddie shot Xzavier a reproachful look, and decided it would be best not to address the matter here, in the presence of amon enemy.

    With that, Xzavier let go of the young man pinned beneath him and put his trusty saber back in its sheath.

    Eadweard gathered himself and got up on his feet hurriedly. He still retained that rebellious look in his eyes. It would seem that all these experiences hadn''t taught him a single thing. As he backed away from Xzavier and his group, he cursed and swore with all the vile words he could remember.

    "Giving you the title of Baron was a huge mistake!! You''re a mad man! Stark raving mad! I will never have anything to do with you ever again! NEVER!!"

    He kept cursing and swearing until his form receded in the distance, and until his voice was no more than an echo.

    With the recalcitrant yboy out of the way, Adalia finally gave in to her most pressing desire. She ran towards him and wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. Xzavier didn''t even attempt to y the card of indifference. He reciprocated the warmth and also hugged her tightly. Holding on to each other tightly, to them, it felt like they were the only ones in the world. In that moment, nothing else mattered to the duo.

    Only a short while ago, because of the wickedness of Eadweard''s prank, Xzavier didn''t think he would ever see Adalia again, talk less of holding her. He savored her distinct musk and drank it in with dness. His left palm kept running through her hair, stroking her gently as he reassured her over and over again;

    "It''s alright Adalia, it''s alright. You''re safe now. Everything will be alright."

    It was truly aforting scene. It was by far the most emotional reunion anyone in that household had ever seen.

    In that very moment, a few miles away, at a ndestine location that was unknown to anyone, the sole mastermind behind all of this sat with his lieutenant. The atmosphere was a bit dark from all the brooding. The very air was tainted with dainty touch of wickedness. As they went over all the details of the expected results from this ruse they had set in motion, once again, Quaid proved to be the diabolical genius that he in fact was. Seated opposite him was his lieutenant and partner in shady businesses, the Silver Knight- Dale.

    Their discussion, much like their location was shrouded in secrecy and code.

    The series of events that had yed out in the past twelve hours had been scripted and organized by the governor himself. Dale, (being the perfect henchman for the task) had taken the orders of the governor and brought them to life. All the yers had yed their parts beautifully.

    The first phase of the n had been to organize a group of people to pretend to be bandits and kidnap Adalia. Quaid was a shrewd thinker, and this shrewdness reflected deeply in all his ns and actions. The governor knew that he couldn''t trust the locals with such a sensitive project, so he had issued amand to Dale to go outside of Victoria City to import a fresh set of yers that would pose as bandits. He gave Dale specific instructions to keep his identity, (and that of the targets) secret from the alleged bandit.

    He didn''t want to suffer any kind of blow back and risk these bandits actually kidnapping his daughter and her maid for real. Dale followed the governor''s instructions to the letter, and the results came in as expected.

    The primary purpose for all the theatrics was pretty simple- to provoke a conflict between Xzavier and the Anjou families. The n had worked beautifully. Like a mad dog that had broken free of its leash, Xzavier went on a rampage and single handedly took out a band of level three mages and turned his bloodlust on the Anjou boy. The whole thing had escted very quickly.

    When tempers were at an all-time high, they created circumstances that enabled the ''escape'' of the maid from the clutches of her captors. All so that Xzavier''s wrath could be checked so he wouldn''t go overboard and cross the limits for the intended n. Quaid had multiple intentions for doing all of this. Like a masterful chess yer, he manipted all the pieces on the board, goading them in the direction he wanted. He yed on all their feelings, until he got them where he wanted.<novelnext></novelnext>

    By going against the Anjou family, Xzavier would be forced to align himself with the Princy family now. Thus, creating an alliance for the sake ofmon ground and the elimination ofmon enemies. Secondly, Quaid would also be put in a unique position to observe Xzavier closely. He still wanted to know just what kind of person Xzavier was. Lastly, Quaid would also take advantage of the situation to suppress the influence and prestige of the Anjou family. This wouldy the foundation for his long term n.

    Quaid had nned it all beautifully. He had designed it in such a way that no matter the choices any of them made, they would all end up doing exactly what he wanted from them. The grand thing about it all was that none of them realized they were being manipted. It was the perfect n that handled all of his objectives.

    But one thing now worried the governor. It wasn''t anything significant, but this problem had the potential to alter the trajectory of his ns. The thing that worried Quaid was just how Xzavier had lost control for a moment there. Quaid hadn''t expected this from a man like him. He had expected a certain degree of restraint from Xzavier. But for some reason, he lost it for a minute there. If it hadn''t been for Laddie''s intervention, it was clear that Xzavier would have most definitely killed Eadweard.

    This bothered Quaid very deeply. That singr act by Xzavier was not consistent with his character at all.

    Quaid began to wonder if there was a psychotic side to Xzavier which he kept hidden. Was he psychopath that enjoyed killing so much? Quaid was a man advanced in experience. Middle age, and a lifetime of cynicism had distanced him from the truth that was ring for all to see. Eventually, the governor began to see the whole picture. One single name stood out as the reason- Adalia.

    A wicked smile crept across his face as the corners of his mouth extended. Dale saw it and recognized that look instantly. He knew that his governor had just chanced on something.

    "Why are you smiling like you know something I don''t?"

    Quaid chuckled lightly before answering.

    "My poor Dale, that''s because I know something that you don''t!"

    The Silver Knight raised his eyebrows inquiringly. Sensing his desperateness, Quaid lingered for a bit before replying.

    "The girl- that is his weakness. She is the reason he lost control and almost murdered the Anjou boy."

    Dale assumed a thoughtful expression.

    "That would have been a disaster if he had seeded."

    "Indeed! But at least, now we know his trigger. All this time, he had been so imprable, but now that we know how far he''s willingly to go for the girl, we can use that against him¡­"

    Dale stared nkly at the governor.

    "How?"

    "Come on! Use your imagination Dale! This is actually good news!"

    Quaid zoned out for a minute and pondered for a while on the recent turn of events. After careful consideration, he arrived at a prudent decision.

    It had been a very eventful evening. After the whole charade. Xzavier and the rest of the household made their way home. They all dispersed, each person to their own quarters. It had been a long day and a very interesting evening, so everyone was eager to hit the sack. Xzavier was not exempted from this wave of exhaustion that swept through the household. He was very much looking forward to thefort of his feathered bed.

 Chapter 136 The Night Visit

    Soon enough, he made his way to his own room and shut the door behind him. At that moment, he simply wanted to crawl into bed and drift off into thend of oblivion.

    But unknown to him, sleep was the one thing he wouldn''t be getting that night. As he crawled into bed in preparation for the night''s sleep, he heard a gentle tap on his door. It was a really low thud, and theplete opposite of a loud knock, almost as if the person knocking wasn''t quite sure he or her wanted to be there in that moment. Xzavier was puzzled. It was prettyte. Who could it be?

    Xzavier hesitated for a brief moment, thinking maybe the person might be dissuaded and leave him alone. It didn''t work. The tap came again. This time with a more urgent and more persistent tone. Xzavier knew he wouldn''t be able to ignore this one. Whatever or whomever it was, it was evident that they were not willing to wait till morning. So, Xzavier jumped out of bed and grudgingly went to answer the door. Whomever it might be, Xzavier made up his mind to give them a piece of his mind.

    He swung the door open, not having anyone in mind really. It wasn''tpletely dark in the hallway. The only source of light was the ming torches ced strategically at different intervals. So, Xzavier was able to make out the face of the individual that was invading his personal space. It was none other than the same blue eyed beauty whom Xzavier thought had died only a few hours ago.

    Totally caught unawares, Xzavier found himself at loss for words. It wasn''t just the fact that Adalia had visited him at such an odd hour. It also wasn''t the fact that he willingly chose to go dumb. No. In that very moment, Xzavier was dumbstruck because of how Adalia had chosen to appear before him. He had never seen her wear anything other than her uniform and the cream colored gown she wore to his award ceremony.

    But now, as she stood before him in her translucent nightgown that made her shimmer under the moonlight like an ethereal deity, Xzavier found himself gawking at a partial view of the credulous beauty. Adalia was a beautiful creature. Utterly stunning by all standards. Even in proper clothing, she looked out of this world. But this night gown somehow enhanced her already steamy sensual atmosphere. She had her golden mane draped across her shoulders.

    This was the sight that greeted Xzavier''s eyes. Xzavier wasn''t usually one to be spellbound by pretty maidens. But when it came to Adalia, he might as well be a mute.

    He stood at the door for a brief and yet lingering moment not saying a word. Adalia decided to take the initiative and assumed the lead. Without even as much as a word, she brushed past the already dazed Xzavier and boldly barged into his room. This level of assertiveness wasn''t inconsistent with her character. In fact, this strength of character and willfulness were some of the things that endeared him to her in the first ce.

    Xzavier quickly recovered and slowly turned to face Adalia. He wasn''tpletely sure what the issue was, but he was hell bent on finding out.

    "What''s wrong?" he asked in an apprehensive tone. "Are you hur-"

    The sound of his own voice was drowned out by the bang the door made as Adalia mmed the door shut. Now Xzavier was intrigued. He just had to know what was going on. Just as he made to inquire again, he was once again silenced by Adalia''s next move.

    With the grace of a swan, Adalia''s hands moved towards her elegant shoulders and slid off the handle of her gown. Her movements were slow and suggestive. Everything she did was intentional. Her left hand moved towards the other side of her gown and pulled on it until it began to sumb to the pull of gravity. The fabric gently slid over her full ares, and bumped on her perky nipples. Soon enough, it dropped to the ground with a noiseless whoosh.

    Xzavier''s face went white immediately. The poor guy was frightened. Adalia stood before him in her birthday suit, naked as the day she had been born. He full, round breasts defied gravity and stood firm on her chest despite their size. Her milky white skin glistened invitingly under the soft glow of the moonlight that filtered through the window. Her fully blown hips showed that her clothes had been unjustly hiding her hourss frame.

    Xzavier''s mind was like a rail track, he felt like multiple trains were running through it at a mind numbing speed. He was utterly petrified. Shock just didn''t cut it. Completely afraid of what was going on, Xzavier moved to do the one thing he could do in that moment. His mind on auto pilot, he rushed to grab some of his clothes on the bed, and swiftly moved to cover up her privates.

    "What has gotten into you Adalia?! What are you doing?"

    Any full blooded male would have taken full advantage of the situation. But not Xzavier. He believed in a methodical approach to things, even in the pleasures of the flesh. He felt that Adalia was acting too strange, and quite frankly, she was being a little too hasty.

    Adalia didn''t respond immediately. She stared back at him with her big blue eyes, breathing slowly while remaining static. She was very hesitant to reply him. In her mind, the moment wasn''t for words. The time for speaking was well in the past. But she could not do anything with Xzavier''s line of questioning. Obviously, he needed answers. So, unable to withstand the strain of his questioning eyes and tone, she sumbed and told Xzavier the truth.

    "I haven''t beenpletely honest with you Xzavier. There are elements from my past that I have kept hidden from you. Partly because I am ashamed, but also because I didn''t want to risk being on the receiving end of your condemning look¡­"

    The game was afoot now, and Xzavier still hadn''t the slightest clue as to what was going on here. He looked at her with the same inquiring look, clearly she had a lot to unburden off her chest. So he asked her gently;

    "I don''t understand, what exactly are you talking about? How is this relevant?"

    She lifted up her hands and grasped Xzavier''s hands that were still holding up the clothes covering her nakedness. She looked affectionately into his eyes. She was deeply moved by his constant need to protect her honor, even when she freely tossed herself before him. In a sorrowful tone, she began her narration;<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You don''t know this¡­who am I kidding? There''s no way you could have known¡­"

    She took a deep breath and let out the secret from her past that she had kept hidden from Xzavier all this while. It was a bomb of the expository type. But it was nheless true.

    "After I lost my parents, I became stranded. In a cold world that was unkind to peasants and poor orphans, the winds of fate blew me towards something I wasn''t prepared for¡­"

    Silence. Total silence prevailed as Adalia narrated her tale.

    "I wandered into the arms of someone who was supposed to be a motherly figure. She started to groom me in the way of the pleasures of the flesh."

    She lowered her gaze abashedly.

    "That''s right Xzavier, it is exactly what you''re presently thinking, probably even worse. Right from when I was a child, I was raised as a sex ve. My diet, my beauty routine, my posture and my walking step, all of it was nurtured over time to induce and stir up the genitalia of men."

    Her voice was heavy at this point.

    "I was taught to look at men a certain way. I was taught to speak a certain way. All of this grooming was so I could be the perfect sex doll."

    She looked down at her body andmented;

    "My hourss body is no coincidence but a direct consequence of others'' intervention. I was barely fourteen back then, and yet, anytime I stepped out, I could feel the lingering, hungry stares of men trailing me. It was almost as if I was inviting mass ****."

    She lifted up her tear filled eyes.

    "But s, it wasn''t all doom and gloom. As I stood on the precipice of adolescence, just as I was about to beunched into the world, I came into service of the governor. My friendship with Earlene was the trigger that set the pace for me in the governor''s household.

    "I guess you could say that my outstanding beauty and eye catching body was an added advantage."

    After pausing to collect her thoughts, she continued.

    "That was how I became the subject of Governor Quaid''s grooming."

    Despite all of this being a bitter pill to swallow, Xzavier drank it all in and maintained his calm. Quaid was a visionary. It was very much like him to see potential in people and y the long game with them. In Adalia''s case, Quaid had struck a goldmine. She was one of a kind. Her very presence invoked the deepest darkest sensual thoughts in males. It would be instrumental in navigating the troubled waters of the political sphere as well as the characters involved.

    "Damn¡­" Xzavier thought, "This is all so dark¡­so damn dark."

    But Adalia wasn''t done yet.

    "There were others like me growing up. We all came up together as friends. But unfortunately, they weren''t as fortunate as I was. Governor Quaid traded them in for political favors, and in exchange for resources."

 Chapter 137 I Will Do Anything

    As someone who was strongly against oppression, and Xzavier was cold to the bone. From the casual tone with which she spoke about it, Xzavier could tell that it was pretty much the norm in this era. Xzavier wondered, how is this any different from child trafficking? Adalia''s next revtion answered him tly.

    "Even as we speak now, as of this moment, there are several little girls in the governors mansion. They are being groomed to y the part of the perfect courtesan. At the end of the day, they will be shipped off to be high ss sex ves. That is the reality for them¡­"

    She avoided Xzavier''s eyes and added, "For us all."

    It had been a really long day. And now, Xzavier had been dealt another card by fate. This was the crushing reality for those who were unfortunate enough to be born on the wrong side of the tracks. It all began to make sense now. Adalia was Quaid''s trump card. Her very presence here at this time was proof of the fact that Quaid had finally found the perfect candidate for her. Although Xzavier didn''t know it at the time, but the beautiful blonde maid was still very much a virgin. Quaid had preserved her virginity for the suitable candidate.

    Asides from that tiny minuscule detail regarding her chastity, Xzavier had sessfully put the whole thing together. Adalia''s next confession was all the affirmation he needed.

    "Xzavier¡­" she pursed her lips as she softly called his name. "Now you can understand why I am here. The order came in this evening. I am here to fulfill my duty. You can have me in what ever capacity you desire."

    She curtsied slightly, demonstrating her fealty to him.

    "I am here to serve you my lord Baron."

    The whole thing seemed so farcical, so unreal and soical to Xzavier. This was the type of transaction one would see in ancient times when women and ves were traded like livestock. He only read about things like this in books and historical stories. Never had he thought in his lifetime that he would be a willing party to this level of inhumanity! It was preposterous! It stood against everything he stood for.

    There was no doubting it, the temptation was great. He had often heard it said that there was no greater sight on earth than seeing a beautiful woman naked for the first time. The primal urge to take her from behind like a stallion was still there. But Xzavier was much too principled to let his emotions decide his action.

    Refusing to be a part of this, Xzavier hung his clothes on her shoulders and stepped back.

    "No¡­" he said in an assertive tone. "I refuse this service. Go back to the governor and ask him to have mercy on you. I will not be a party to such an inhumane treatment! In fact, let''s go right now!"

    He grabbed Adalia by the arm, and made to storm off to clear the matter with the governor.

    Surprisingly, Adalia resisted him firmly. She stood her ground and pulled away from Xzavier''s grip.

    "Xzavier no! You don''t understand! I will be severely punished if I don''t do this."

    Xzavier was taken aback. If he rejected her and sent her back to the governor, she would suffer. On the flip side, if he took advantage of the situation and used her like a prostitute, she would also be hurt. It seemed like either way, she was well and truly done for.

    "Don''t be silly Adalia, I will have a talk with the governor and sort this out quickly!"

    Still, Adalia remained stubborn.

    "No. It''s fine Xzavier. Really¡­"

    Now Xzavier was really surprised. This made no sense at all. Here he was, offering her a way out, and she was still refusing. Was she so terrified of her employer''s wrath? Again he tried to reassure her;

    "You''re not listening to me Adalia, I said I can get you out of this. Quaid won''t be able toy a finger on you, I promise you that."

    "Xzavier!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    She called his name not pleadingly, but like someone who was reprimanding someone else.

    "It''s you who isn''t listening¡­I don''t mind doing this¡­"

    Her voice, barely above a whisper, she began to stammer indecisively; "I-I don''t, I m-mind."

    She dropped the clothes Xzavier used to cover her and stepped out fully naked again.

    "You haven''t been listening Xzavier¡­ for you, I will do anything. I am yours¡­if you will have me¡­"

    In that moment, it all became crystal clear to Xzavier. She was more than willing to do this. This was what she meant. She actually wanted to. The fact that she had been ordered to do so was merely a bonus. It turned out that it was all the prompting she needed.

    "No one''s making me do this¡­it''s you I want Xzavier¡­it has always been you¡­you can read any battle situation, and yet, you were blind to this all along¡­"

    Xzavier finally understood. Her feelings towards him were undeniable. Xzavier had always liked the fact that she was strong and independent. Adalia had brought herself forward. She hadn''t been dissuaded by his offer to relieve her of her duty to serve him. Instead, she maintained her ground and looked him in the eye and dered her feelings towards him. He knew that men and women represented the ultimate difference between humans. He recognized the fact that it took real guts to cross the threshold to dere one''s feelings.

    Adalia had always been brave. But this was the crown on all her achievements. Xzavier was moved, both in mind and in body. Now, he not only had her consent, he had her deration of affection for him. He couldn''t say no to that. Finally, for the first time in a very long time, Xzavier allowed his walls toe crashing down. The mask of self control wore off, as he allowed the ravenous hunger within him to surface.

    All the blood in his head rushed to the part of him that needed blood the most in that moment. The front of his breeches began to swell uncontrobly. The throbbing bulge in his pants became more pronounced by the minute. Xzavier could have sworn that it had its own heart beat. But he didn''t ge a care in the world.

    Adalia was still standing before him like a prize willing to be snatched. As Xzavier took his first step towards her with the intention of devouring every inch of her skin, he realized how much he wanted her in that moment. As he walked towards her, he undid the buttons of his shirt and pulled it over his head. The time for clothes was over. Now was the time for their naked bodies to writhe together in wanton pleasure. The very thought of it burned a hole through his mind, leaving him with a gaping hole that only Adalia could fill in that moment.

    He wanted her, he wanted her real bad.

    A couple more steps brought him closer to her, cing him right in front of her. He was so close that he felt her steamy hot breath on his chest. He didn''t touch her immediately.

    Eventually, his left hand moved on its own ord and lightly touched her arm. Adalia melted like snow under the warm glow of the first rays of spring''s sun. Her legs suddenly felt like jelly. His hand gingerly ran down the parts connecting her arm to her chin. Across her shoulders, her soft neck, and then finally her chin. He lifted up her chin and leaned in to take her lips in his mouth. Her lips met his with a sensual thud.

    Adalia moaned into his mouth as his right hand clutched her lower butt cheek and pulled her in closer to him. In the process, her thigh brushed against his rock hard erection, making her to shy away a little bit. But Xzavier didn''t let her. With his mouth still on hers, his right hand pulled her closer until she felt the full length of his throbbing cock through his breeches. This was Adalia''s first time, but Xzavier didn''t realize this until muchter.

    Their kissing became more aggressive as Adalia''s enchanting voice moaned into his mouth. He gradually left her lips and gently slid down her neck like a serpent. Adalia couldn''t have been more sensitive to anyone''s touch than in that moment. He kissed her neck and made his way towards her chest area. All the while, his hands were all over her back, her waist, her fleshy ass and her thick thighs.

    Eventually, his lips found their way to her left are. Her nipples were hard with want. Xzavier groaned deeply as his tonguended on her nipple. Adalia shuddered as took his time to enjoy her full breasts. His free hand left her butt and grabbed the right boob, squeezing and pressing with an unquenchable ravenous hunger. Adalia''s moans became more frequent by the hour. The sound of her moaning to his touch went straight to Xzavier''s head, sending him into a frenzied state.

    As he sucked on her boobs, his left hand expertly slid his hands into her panties to feel the tender region between her thighs. He was met with a soft pool of moisture. His finger traced the outline of her clitoris and Adalia let out a cry like a cornered animal. Between the sensational feeling on her nipple and the orgasmic sensation on her clitoris, Adalia felt like she was having an out-of-body experience.

    As Xzavier''s fingers delved further in, he was met with a very shocking surprise;

    "What? She''s a virgin?!" Xzavier couldn''t believe it!

 Chapter 138 Wrapped

    After all this while? She had somehow managed to preserve her chastity despite her alluringly inviting body and looks? Xzavier was deeply appreciative of the fact that he was going to be her first. This only enmed the already raging mes of his want. He knew that he was going to have to be gentle, after all, what and how he was going to handle her wouldy the foundation of her romantic and sexual life.

    Wickedly, he decided there and then to set the bar so high that no one else would ever make her feel like he had made her feel that night. He couldn''t wait have her- fully.

    Xzavier lifted her up by the waist like she was a bag of sugar and carried her to bed. All through that period, determined not to let go, she kept her legs wrapped around his waist as well. Xzavier gentlyy down on the edge of the bed and began to undo his trousers in preparation for the encore.

    As Xzavier fumbled with his trouser, he felt the raw animal-like sexual energy in the room. It was as if they were temporarily suspended in limbo. The atmosphere was one of pure want. The primal need to copte was undeniable.

    As he slid down his pants, he looked down at the naked form of Adalia before him and groaned in pleasure. His massive cock stood like a rod. Huge veins popped out, like they were screaming to be let loose. As Adalia watched him stroke it, she shyly averted her gaze. Xzavier saw this and it excited him in a sick fashion.

    He then proceeded to blow her mind by lowering his head until it was between her thighs. Adalia was a bit confused, but that confusion melted away as soon as Xzavier''s lips touched the external part of her vulva. Adalia''s mouthed a shallow scream as what felt like shockwaves ran through out her body.

    But that was just the beginning of more toe. Xzavier now knew that she was a virgin. So, he had to make her wetter than normal for the big showdown. With his head buried between her thighs, his two hands found her voluptuous breasts and squeezed firmly. Adalia began to squirm like a worm that had been dipped in salt.

    Xzavier ttened his tongue and gently rolled over her overly sensitive clitoris. Her back lifted up from the bed like she was about to take off, as she struggled to fight the building wave. Xzavier then  repeated the same maneuver; he expertly tongued her clit as he deftly slid a single finger into her already flooded pussy. Adalia yelped in wanton pleasure. With his other hand on her tit, he squeezed her nipple, as he slowly began to finger her, all the while tonguing her well developed clitoris.

    At this point, Adalia began to fight to remove his head from her pussy. It was all too much for her to handle. She wanted it, at the same time, she struggled to keep Xzavier away from her tender regions. The tussle continued, increasing in momentum like a rising wave. Until finally, Xzavier lifted up his head, and slid on top of her squirming body with the finesse and grace of an anaconda.

    It was now time.

    Right from the moment they had first met, everything had been building up to this moment. It had been a long timeing. Adalia knew it. Xzavier knew it. So, they both prepared themselves for what was to follow. Their eagerness was undeniable.

    Looming over her like a human canopy, the rtively tall frame of Xzavierpletely obscured Adalia beneath him. Adalia instinctively spread her legs even farther and lifted up her thighs. In response, Xzavier lifted up the tip of his hardened dick, and gently used the tip to rub the outer most part of Adalia''s pussy. Adalia didn''t think she would enjoy it the way she did. The thrilling sensation brought Adalia one step closer to actualizing her wild thoughts.

    Xzavier bent low to take her left nipple in his mouth, all the while using the tip of his cock to graze the length and the  breath of her enmed clitoris. Adalia''s moans began to take a different tone. She moaned his name over and over in the dark, just like she had done many times in her lucid dreams, except this was a thousand times better than she had ever hoped it would be.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Still teasing her nipples with his skillful tongue, Xzavier gently pushed the first inch into Adalia.

    The naked blonde had been trying her best to control her soundtrack all this while, but this time, she couldn''t do much to stop the cry that escaped her throat. It sounded like  something between a choked sob, and a painful scream. Immediately, she began to struggle to slither back, sensing what was to follow.

    This wasn''t Xzavier''s first rodeo. His left hand expertly slid underneath her waist and grabbed her firmly from behind, his other handpleted the maneuver, wedging Adalia by firmly pinning her down on the head. Trapped, and locked in with nowhere to go, Adalia began to shake violently as Xzavier shoved the second inch her. She screamed aloud again, exciting Xzavier even more. If he wasn''t so serious at that moment, he might have been tempted tough aloud. She had only just about two inches of him inside her and she was already squirming like a fish onnd. There was still six more glorious inches to go.

    Slowly but surely, Xzavier eased himself gently inside Adalia. He felt every single inch of the walls of her pussy as she stretched to amodate all of him. Her breathing became more frantic. He felt her weak palms on his belly and chest as she tried in vain to push him off.  She didn''t suceed. Xzavier began to feel the warmth of Adalia''s insides. Encouraged by theforting budding moisture, Xzavier finally  pushed further inside of her, filling her with the whole of his length. He knew that she was going to scream even louder this time, so he brought down his mouth to hers as she screamed into his throat.

    Xzavier''a full eight-inches rock hard cock was now in her. He could feel the tightening walls of her cervix tightening on his dick. He didn''t begin to stroke immediately. With every breath she drew, her pussy walls clenched tighter and tighter, as if it was trying to suck out the seed from his tube. Xzavier was still far from cumming, but he knew that if he remained in this position, it would be long before that happened. He gave her a few seconds to get used to it before he started.

    Xzavier pulled it out close to the tip, and then, very gently, he rammed it into her till his entire cock was submerged deep in the cervix of the naked beauty. Adalia yelped in a pain that was mixed with a subtle tinge of pleasure. She started to moan again, calling his name begging him to please stop. Xzavier was a gentleman who never went against a woman''s will. But this time, he knew that stop meant another thing entirely.

    Xzavier began to increase his tempo as the luscious moisture of Adalia''s pussy enveloped his dick, bringing him dangerously close to losing control. He groaned with each stroke. He had never felt a pussy this tight before. She was just a virgin, but Adalia was the most delicious woman Xzavier had ever had. The tempo of Xzavier''s thrusts began to quicken by the minute. All other thoughts vanished. All other worries vanished. Xzavier only saw Adalia in that moment. Adalia in turn only saw Xzavier. In that moment, as Xzavier drilled Adalia over and over again, and as her pussy marinated in wanton drips, Xzavier appeared as a god to the blonde beauty.

    There had been times in the past when she had wished Xzavier would take her there and then, but as she felt the whole of him inside her, as her hands wandered all over his chiseled abs and well defined chest muscles, Adalia was d that she had waited. The pain of absorbing such a huge cock on her first time was there. But somehow, hearing him groan deeply as he went in and out of her made Adalia feel on top of the world. The fact that she was responsible for giving him so much pleasure was all the satisfaction she needed.

    So, with heavy frantic breathing and short gasps in between, Adalia bore the pain. Amidst the deep moistured stroking that was coated with a symphony of harmonized moaning and groaning, Adalia soon began to sense the next stage.

    Within a couple of minutes, she started to feel a build up. It felt like Xzavier''s cock had started to swell inside of her. Her pussy walls clenched harder in a bid to amodate the new space, this in turn caused Xzavier to groan harder as he deepened his strokes.

    At first, Adal felt it at the end of his shaft, and then slowly, she felt it as it began to progressively make its way downwards, all the way to the middle of his dick. Adalia was confused. It was as if she could feel Xzavier''s own pleasure as his dick swelled. Was his dick getting bigger inside of her?  Was he still growing inside her? Even though she couldn''t understand why she was enjoying it so much, she arched her back , closed her eyes, and kept calling his name as the build-up progressed.

    Fortunately, Adalia had neither the time nor the freedom to ponder on that.

 Chapter 139 Full

    Strangely, she found herself enjoying the build up with every passing moment. The passion of the moment was as if she shared Xzavier''s pleasure in that period. She felt him, truly, as though they were of one mind and one body. The build up continued, and in sync with it, Adalia''s breathing, and soft moans gradually progressed, turning into high pitched screams that got louder with every minutes. Adam didn''t want this to end.

    She felt every single bit of the journey of Xzavier''s semen. From his balls, right down through the long thick shaft, and then finally, to the tip of his dick. She felt it all.

    The signs also began to show on Xzavier. His growling began to get deeper and deeper. He could feel it now. He knew that any moment now, his sperm would burst through. He knew he was supposed to pull out. He knew what he was supposed to do. But the deliciousness of Adalia''s insides was like a drug. He simply couldn''t resist it.

    So, as his traveling semen reached the tip of his dick, he ignored the fact that Adalia was a virgin and mercilessly began to bombard her soft pussy. Adalia screamed and screamed, sensing what wasing. Xzavier groaned and groaned as the first droplets of pre-cum spilled inside of Adalia. Theirs was a cacophony of pure sexual energy. Their love making was as sensual as it was frantic.

    The time finally came.

    Xzavier vision went pure white as the flood burst through. As he shot loads and loads of hot steaming semen into Adalia''s pussy, he arched his back and groaned like a savage bear. Adalia couldn''t stop screaming.

    "z-z-avieeerrr!! z-z-aaavierrrr!!!"

    She couldn''t breathe, it felt like her entire belly was full, and it wasn''t the food kind of full. The screaming didn''t stop. Xzavier didn''t stop either. Even when his vision was blurry and goosebumps formed all over his back, he viciously kept digging into Adalia as their body fluids mixed and mixed. Each stroke was charged with raw primal pleasure. Xzavier didn''t want this to end. He hadn''t made love in a long time, plus he was also  a heavy shooter. So, all these factors contributed to why his semen was so much. For almost one full minute, Xzavier kept releasing and releasing hot loads of hot semen into Adalia.

    He didn''t stop until he had spent every single drop in her. Even as thest drop came, Xzavier didn''t pull out immediately. Hey ontop of her, feeling her insides receive the huge load he had just pumped into her. Xzavier felt like a horse. He had never cum so much before. Before now, he didn''t even think it was possible to release so much. The orgasm had been heavenly.

    Then finally, he gently slipped out his wet dick from her pussy. Adalia gasped as he pulled out of her. She felt like a huge load had just been extracted from within her. She still felt the trickling warm sensation within her. She had never ever felt anything like this.  And now that she had, she definitely wanted to feel like this every single day from now- with Xzavier.

    Adalia wasn''t even bothered about the soreness. It was nothingpared to the other feeling. Indeed, the blonde beauty felt like she had been to heaven and back. There was no way in hell she was going to forget this.

    Like a heavily drunk man, Xzavier slid over her and dropped on the other side of the bed with a heavy thud. He was breathing heavily like someone who had been running for three whole days.

    None of them said a word. They simplyid still as every one of them tried to catch their breaths. Xzavier and Adalia knew that if there was indeed a heaven, there was no way they were going to get into the pearly gates after the scious, mouthwatering, hot-steamy lovemaking they had just had now.

    Finally, after a rather long period of silence, Adalia was the one who made the first move. In a bid to break the ice, she slithered around to face the man who had just deflowered her. But in the process of doing so, her thigh mistakenly struck against a wholesome surprise. It was Xzavier''s dick- somehow, it was still very hard!

    The next day, after a night of several rounds of lovemaking, a fresh day dawned on the two lovers. Xzavier was the first to get up. Way before the sun rose up, he slithered out of bed with surprising agility. After such an eventful night, one would have thought that Xzavier would sleep in, or at least, he would have been a little exhausted from all the spent energy and protein from all the rounds of lovemaking. But s, Xzavier seemed to be unfazed by it all.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It appeared that not even a night of incessant copting could deter Xzavier from the path of being an early riser. As he sat up in bed, he looked at the sleeping form of Adalia peacefully sleeping beside him. With the silvery rays of the fading moonlight washing over her, she looked like a dreame true. Xzavier took the time to appreciate the beauty of the maid in her full nakedness. Even slovenly, she still somehow managed to look divine.

    Her full golden curls looked somehow better in their disheveled state. He watched her full perky breasts rise and fall with each breath she took. He saw her curves fully as her blown out hips graced his bed. As he looked upon her, Xzavier felt the urge rising up in him again. He wanted slip his dick in from behind and fuck her till he gained consciousness. He imagined what it would be like for her to wake up with his cock fully buried in her. He imagined the look on her face as. . .

    He restrained himself and quietly slipped out off bed. If all went well with his ns, he knew that there would be time and time again for that in the future. Right now, he had something to take care off, something that required his full mental focus. So, turning his back to Adalia''s naked sleeping form, Xzavier grabbed his clothes and quietly snuck off. A naughty thought crossed his mind as he closed the door behind him.

    "Ha!" He chuckled to himself amusingly; "Who would have thought that I would be the one sneaking out this morning!"

    A few hourster, Adalia finally stirred. The early morning sun filtered into the room, onto the bed, and onto her eyes. When Adalia did finally open her eyes, for a moment, she forgot where she was. Then suddenly, a flood of memories besieged her and harshly brought her up to speed. Adalia''s cheeks flushed red as snapshots of the previous nights began to spring up like images from a very vivid dream. She recoiled with embarrassment when she recalled the various ways and manner she had screamed  the night before. Most definitely, her screams had probably been heard all through the mansion.

    But Adalia honestly didn''t care. It had all been so unreal. With the way she remembered it, it had all been too magical to be considered reality. It had felt like a dream. But as her eyes wandered across the white cotton sheets, the blood stains reminded her that it had all been real. It truly happened. Her face turned bright red when the thought of checking her hymen crossed her mind.

    "Really Adalia?!"  She mocked herself; "Of all things to be embarrassed about! You picked that?"

    Adalia was right. Last night had been great. In fact, it might have possibly been the greatest night of her life, but it hadn''t portrayed her in the best possible light. She could almost hear her own soundtrack in her head, and it just made her want to crawl and hide somewhere.

    Shezily turned to the other side hoping to see Xzavier''s sleeping body next to hers. Her eyes met the empty space that had been previously upied by Xzavier''s sleeping form. She knew that it had been pretty optimistic of her to assume that Xzavier would be in bed with her up till such ate hour, but some part of her had hoped that it would be the case.

    Jerking herself out of bed, Adalia found out that she wasn''t as exhausted as she had thought. If anything, she was actually brimming with fresh new energy. A long night of lovemaking and a good night''s sleep seemed to have done the trick for her.

    She stood up and put on her nightgown. As she got dressed, she caught the full view of the sheets and gawked at the mess she and Xzavier had collectively made. The red stains were ring. An astute person needed to catch only a short glimpse of this to know what had been the cause of it. Adalia didn''t think this would ever be her. Embarrassed to the bone, she hurriedly removed the blood stained sheets and made off to wash them before Xzavier coulde back.

    It turned out that her fear of Xzaviering back was far from manifesting. Across town, far from the governor''s mansion, Xzavier found himself locked in with Quiad in his municipal government allocated office. Xzavier had set off early that morning hoping to catch the governor before he could leave for work, hoping to have a word with him. But much to his surprise, he was informed that Quaid had already left for his office at city hall.

    Xzavier checked his watch. It was 5:07am.

    "Damn, Quaid really is the early bird."

 Chapter 140 Weapons

    Xzavier didn''t want to put this off till he got back. So, he set off to look for him at city hall. About an hourter, Xzavier found himself knocking at the door of the governor after Quaid''s secretary had announced him.

    "Yes,e in Xzavier!"

    Xzavier mechanically opened the door to Quaid''s office, and enteredfidently. Xzavier''s stride was usually graced with purposeful confidence, but this morning, he seemed to have an extra spring in his step. It wasn''t like it was his intention, but after the night he had just had, his subconscious couldn''t help but demonstrate part of what his inner state felt like.

    From across the end of the office, Quaid picked up on Xzavier''s new vibe. The shrewd governor observed this slight change immediately his guest entered the door. Immediately, a mischievous grin stretched out the edges of his mouth into a twisted smile. It was the smile that males gave other males after a conquest. It was the ultimate manly look. Across eras, civilizations and cultures, it was a look that would be instantly recognized by any male.

    Unable to put his curiosity in check, Quaid boomed with a glint in his eyes;

    "Morning Xzavier! I trust you had an eventful night?!"

    Xzavier recognized the look instantly, as well as the double meaning behind Quaid''s question. Of course he wasn''t the type that would kiss and tell. He knew that the governor knew this about him, but Quaid just couldn''t help but be a man in that moment. It was understandable. Adalia wasn''t just any beauty. She was different, in sight and in spirit. Quaid knew this more than anyone. He also knew that she had been a virgin. The gift he had so freely handed to Xzavier was a costly one indeed. The least Xzavier could do was at least give him a clue of how it had all gone down.

    Xzavier didn''t give him the satisfaction he was thirsting for. Instead, he answered curtly;

    "I had a great night governor. Thank you for your kindness."

    A look of disappointment appeared for a brief moment at the edges of Quaid''s eyes. A man of few words eh? Quaid silently thought to himself. He knew that Xzavier wasn''t going to say much. But he had chosen to hold out, thinking that he might at least honor the bro code and give him a hint. Even if it was just a tiny clue. After all, it hadn''t been just any other regr beauty, it was Adalia!

    Quaid chuckled to himself and dismissed the thought.

    "That''s very good Xzavier. Very good indeed. To what do I owe the pleasure of yourpany Baron?" Quaid sweetly inserted the title in there to try to butter up Xzavier.

    "It''s still pretty early, one would have thought you''d take some time off to rest this morning."

    It was typical of Quaid. Conversations with him were usually wry. He loved to speak in the shadows with double meanings and ambiguous interpretations. But Xzavier already knew this by now. He ignored the passive jab there and yed the part of the professional.

    "Sorry to bother you governor, but I have a request I''d like to run by you."

    Quaid didn''t want to seem to eager about it, but he was d that Xzavier was nowing to him with requests. This was exactly where he wanted him- to put him in a ce where he could be indebted to him.

    "Don''t be silly. You''re not just my guest anymore, you''re now a Baron. Feel free to ask whatever it is you want..."

    "I want Adalia freed from the shackles of very. I want her reinstated as a regr citizen with her full rights."

    Xzavier didn''t hesitate. He already had a sense that Quaid wanted something from him, therefore he would be eager to do anything. It was always so transactional with politicians. They only kept those around whom they needed something from. Havinge this far, Xzavier reckoned that Quaid was definitely after something.

    Quaid didn''t respond for a while. He took some time to assess the nature of Xzavier''s request, and how he could spin it to work for him. Actually, for someone like Quaid who was practically thew in these parts, freeing a ve was within his rights and authority. Because in this isekai, a ve was basically the private property of her master. They didn''t have the rights of normal citizens. They couldn''t own assets or property seeing that they themselves were properties of their masters. They weren''t allowed to vote or take titles. They were virtually human livestock in the sight of their masters.

    But there was a small window of opportunity for them to gain their freedom- a gubernatorial pardon. As governor, only Quaid had the power to set any ve free if he wanted to, it could all be done in a day, or even less. Seeing that he was the only one in the whole city who could do this for Xzavier, Quaid knew that this was a very rare opportunity for him to get what he wanted. He wasn''t going to waste it.

    After careful consideration, Quaid finally gave his answer;

    "You have asked aplicated thing Xzavier..."

    Pause.

    "It''s not like it''s impossible or anything like that, but the process itself is a long and tedious one. And of course, there is a price to pay for such a heavy favor..."<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''Ah, there it is.'' Xzavier thought to himself. The ''price.'' Xzavier had been dreading this for a while now. He could perceive the transactional tone lurking in Quaid''s tone. He wasn''t even trying to be subtle about it. The governor had overtly made it clear that he wanted something in exchange for this. Xzavier knew that whatever it was, it definitely wasn''t going to be good. Most likely, it would be a selfish ask.

    Xzavier wasn''t so thrilled about this. This was particrly one of the main reason he usually avoided politicians. But circumstances beyond his control had brought him to deal with this one. This case was different, It was for Adalia. So, with even attempting to hide his reluctance, Xzavier asked the question that Quaid wanted to hear;

    "What can I do for you governor?"

    Quaid forced back his smile from forming. It was so typical of Xzavier to be so blunt. Hecked the subtlety that was needed to thread these waters.

    "You don''t have to put it like that Xzavier. You''re my guest aren''t you? I''d prefer if you think of it as a favor to a gracious host..."

    A two-syble word echoed in Xzavier''s mind; BOLLOCKS.

    Instead ofing at Xzavier directly with his request, Quaid started toy it all out but by bit.

    "You see, as a political figure and the entity at the helm of administration, performing my duty is no small task. Resources are meager, and there is much to be done. Take for example, the resources alone to raise a single high-level mage is astronomical!"

    Xzavier listened, but he just couldn''t see where Quaid was going with this.

    "This is only one of the countless problems my dear Xzavier. You might not know this, but I am very eager to expand Victoria City''s territory. But the military power of the neighboring state isn''t much weaker than mine..."

    Quaid''s incessant rambling started to get to Xzavier. More than five minutes had passed and Xzavier still had no idea what Quaid wanted in exchange for Adalia''s freedom. As he watched the governor shamelessly jumped from one pointless topic to the other, Xzavier wondered how a grown man could enjoy talking so much. Quaid really did seem to enjoy hearing the sound of his own voice.

    As a soldier, his stance reflected his state of mind- poised, focused and always ready for action.

    But as Quaid droned on and on, Xzavier began to shift his weight from one feet to the other- this was a clear sign of impatience. He had hoped Quaid would pick up on his rising exasperation, but he didn''t, he was way too wrapped up in his own monologue to notice anything. Xzavier seethed under his breath as Quaid yapped away mindlessly.

    Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Xzavier decided to cut the long story short. Naturally, his army trained mind and personal discipline wouldn''t allow him interrupt a superior. But then again, it was hellishly boring having to endure this baseless, pointless tall-tales. He unabashedly interrupted the governor, cutting him offpletely.

    "No offence Mr. Governor, but I still have no clue what you want exactly. Let me know, so as to enable me assess if it can be done¡­"

    Xzavier had no regrets. If he hadn''t done that, it was very likely that the governor would have kept going for the next twenty four hours.

    Quaid on the other hand didn''t seem as offended as Xzavier thought he would have been. In fact, he seemed a tad bit relieved.

    "Very well then," He said as he faced Xzavier. "I will get right to it."

    Xzavier nodded affirmatively as the governor went on.

    "Of my own ord, I have been able to discern that you have some sort of lethal weapons..,"

    Xzavier grimaced tightly.

    "¡­now while I am notpletely certain of the nature of these weapons, I know one thing for sure, they can be used by ordinary people with no mana¡­"

    He exhaled deeply as he finally stated his requirements from Xzavier;

    "¡­I need those weapons Xzavier. I need them desperately. I do not need not tell you what kind of advantage this would give me, and Victoria City atrge. It would be a tremendous boost to my military strength, and help further my ns down the road."

 Chapter 141 Bargaining

    Xzavier went quiet. It all made sense now. Of course, it always came down to ambition with these politicians. This had been his goal all this while. It was also the reason he had chosen to overlook Xzavier''s presumptuous actions before. Seeing a much clearer view of Quaid''s intentions now, Xzavier immediately began to prepare a counter proposal. It wasn''t like him to be so cynical. But politicians were a different breed. This was the onlynguage they understood.

    Knowing fully well that Quaid couldn''t be trusted, Xzavier decided toe up with something. He was going to tell Quaid a partial modtion of the truth, but he was also going to mix it up with a few lies. This way, he could keep the governor second guessing all through the way.

    Quaid was very eager to hear Xzavier''s response. He didn''t hide it this time. One would have thought that Xzavier would appreciate the governor''s openness, but instead, it had the exact opposite effect on him. Xzavier was repulsed by the governor''s desperateness. In that moment, his eyes resembled that of a shark. It was both unnerving and disturbing at the same time. But Xzavier hid his disgust and proceeded to answer the governor with a nk expression.

    "I have heard all you have said. Your ambitions are noble, but first, there are some things you need to know before we go on."

    Quaid was practically salivating at this moment. He was one step closer to obtaining his goals, it was difficult for him to rein in his excitement.

    "For starters, I have only ten powerful weapons¡­"

    Thest three words echoed in Quaid''s ears like a resonating tuning fork. They were like music to his ears. He yed those words over and over again, regurgitating them and ruminating on them like a ruminant animal.

    Xzavier continued his initial narration.

    "Making weapons as powerful as this requires a veryplex mechanism and an even moreplex system¡­"

    Quaid paid close attention. Not daring to even think, he hung on to Xzavier''s every word as he divulged the prime piece of information.

    "Also, it takes an insane amount of time and effort to build it up topletion. These are undisputed variables."

    Quaid wasn''t fazed by the timeframe involved. No matter how long it was going to take, he was determined to see this through, especially now that he saw that it was attainable.

    But Xzavier was clearly not done yet.

    "Of course I have the skillset and ability to make these weapons inrge quantities, but first, I need toplete some specific tasks and meet some very demanding conditions. But theplex system that is necessary to make these weapons are very scarce¡­"

    Quaid listened closely, noting the varying pitches of Xzavier''s tone. Noting the details, and the vagueness. He heard everything Xzavier said, more importantly, he heard everything he didn''t say.

    "The system will definitely not be found in these parts. I know this it is only avable in my hometown."

    He exhaled deeply and concluded with thest part of his long exnation.

    "But I cannot return home. At least not until I havepleted certain tasks first."

    With that, Xzavier concluded his speech. Silence reigned for a brief moment. Quaid fancied himself to an astute politician. There was no disputing this. One of the perks that came with being a politician was the fact that he could lie with a straight face. And because he was such a prolific liar, he was also adept at discerning lies. He had listened to Xzavier thoroughly, and he could tell that there was a partial uncertainty in Xzavier''s words.

    This was unchartered territory for Quaid. He didn''t know a damn thing about what Xzavier''s strange weapons, so he couldn''t really say which parts were true and which parts were false. He also knew that it was pointless to try to discern what the truth was and what the lie was. He could spend all day thinking on it without making any headway. So, he simply decided to be content with what he had already. Xzavier was going to provide him with the weapons he desired to build up his military power.

    For someone who had been scheming for a long time to get to this point, this was more than enough for the governor.

    "That was very enlightening Xzavier. Very well said. But so far, all I have are your word. And words are wind. I need something tangible, at the very least, a physical demonstration."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier nodded. What the governor had said was true.

    "You''re absolutely right. You asked for a demonstration as a token, but I''ll do you one better."

    Quaid''s eyes flicked wide open at Xzavier''s bold deration. He searched Xzavier''s eyes for any element of untruth in them, but the more he looked, the more governor saw that he wasn''t joking at all.

    Sure enough, Xzavier made good on his promise. Telepathically, hemuned with the system and ended up exchanging one thousand points for ten pistols and arge amount of bullets. Quaid was no stranger to magic, it was a normal thing to him to see mages conjure up objects out of thin air. And yet, he couldn''t help but be shocked when Xzavier whipped out a strange looking ck bag out of nowhere!

    Quaid was bbergasted! Xzavier? A man who had no magic whatsoever? And yet, somehow, he had been able to perform a conjuring spell? NO WAY! Now Quaid was intrigued. He had his entire mind invested in Xzavier''s weapons now. If his weaponry enabled him to cross the threshold of magic, then¡­

    Quaid didn''t finish his own thoughts. There was clearly a lot that he was yet to learn. His mind was all over the ce. For a second, he even considered the fact that Xzavier might be a hidden master who had perfected the art of cloaking his magic signature. He wondered if Xzavier was even a man at all! How was this possible? With all these questions and no answers forting, all Quaid could do was simply wait it out and hope that it all yed out.

    Xzavier opened the bag brought it to the office desk. Quaid watched gingerly as Xzavier began to bring out strange looking objects with long ck tubes at the edge. The more he looked at them, the more he realized just how clueless he was about their nature and their use. After Xzavier brought out thest pistol, he began to unload a huge amount of bullets from the bag. The bullets spilled out like golden showers on the governor''s desk.

    Quaid finally gave in to his curiosity. He looked up from the table to Xzavier, and just as he was about to ask the obvious question, Xzavier beat him to it.

    "Governor, these are really dangerous weapons. I charge you to be extremely careful with them. If used carefully and correctly, with this, you can end a life in a heartbeat."

    Quaid quizzically looked at the palm sized ck objects and the golden colored pellets. He didn''t know what to expect from the onset. In his mind, the most dangerous weapons were the queer looking staves, orbs and rings that mages of the time used to channel really dark energy.

    But as he looked at the strange things sprawled on the table, he questioned their lethal credibility greatly. He couldn''t see or even imagine how tiny looking objects like this could do so much harm.

    As if he sensed what was going on in his mind, Xzavier reiterated what he had said again to the hearing of the governor;

    "I can''t stress this enough, THEY MUST NOT BE HANLED CARELESSLY. You must ensure that they remain under strict surveince at all time! Otherwise, even the handler may end up with a permanent injury, or maybe something worse."

    Thest part had Quaid on attention now. Not daring to even touch them, he looked at them with a puzzled and interesting look from a far. When he did finally manage to speak, his voice was hoarse and heavy with expectation.

    "Well done Xzavier! This is all truly impressive!" Pointing to the pistols and bullets on the table, he continued; "But whates next now? They are useless to me if they can''t be used."

    "Indeed. But don''t fret, I will need to do something first- select a handful of some of your finest soldiers. I will prefer if they are selected from the younger demographic. Old, seasoned soldiers often find it difficult to pivot from the old ways."

    Quaid nodded his approval. Xzavier was not wrong.

    "After you have selected these men, I will personally teach them how to handle these weapons. Pending on how fast they adjust to them, I will continue to provide simr weapons in the future for as long as I can."

    Quaid digested these words hungrily. He had Xavier''s assurance, and he had the first batch of the weapons as promised. As of now, it seemed that Xzavier had truly made good on his word. It was time for him to do the same. He tapped twice on his desk. Xzavier raised his eyebrows suspiciously, thinking that to be some kind of signal for something- or someone.

    It turned out that he was right about it being a signal. His female secretary came in shortly, holding a briefcase. She headed directly towards Quaid as if she knew what she was supposed to do before hand, and handed him the briefcase without so much as a single word. Her exit was as sudden as her entrance. As she left, Quaid proceeded to fulfil his own part of the bargain.

 Chapter 142 Freedom

    "Contained in this brief case are the necessary documents for Adalia''s release from service. And also her reinstatement as a certified citizen of this great city."

    He stood up clutching the briefcase as he made the final deration to seal the deal;

    "By my right, as the governor of Victoria City, and with the Baron Xzavier Mace as my witness, I hereby dere Adalia is now a free woman!"

    Thest part was a tad bit over the top. It was absolutely unnecessary. All he had to do was hand over the damn papers and be done with it. But no, Quaid just couldn''t resist being dramatic with the whole thing. He knew just how bad Xzavier wanted this. So, watching Xzavier''s facial expression, he leaned across the table and handed the briefcase to the other man.

    "Here, what you want is inside. Feel free to check it."

    Xzavier scoffed inwardly with the way Quaid had said; ''Feel free to check it.'' As if he was going to leave this ce without confirming the legitimacy of the documents. He flipped open the briefcase and brought out the documents. Indeed, here it was, clear as day on fancy stationery was Adalia''s identity card, stating that she was now an ordinary citizen.

    Xzavier was moved. Though the document didn''t look like much, it was the legal proof that Adalia was no longer another man''s property. It was the certificate of her freedom. It meant she could no longer be owned. She could now do as she wished, whenever she wanted, and with whomever she wanted. This document, as weak and as insignificant as it seemed, actually held a whole person''s destiny. This all made Xzavier feel some type of way.

    In all sincerity, Xzavier actually hated how it had all gone down. He was disgusted with how transactional the whole thing had been. Adalia was a person, not amodity to be traded. Xzavier steered himself away from the negative and tried tofort himself with the fact that she was now free. He tucked the documents back into the briefcase and thanked Quiad.

    "My deepest gratitude governor."

    He bowed slightly and left the governor''s ce in a hurry before he could be tempted to vent his anger. His thanks were not genuine. But he had tried his possible best to mask it. It wasn''t like Quaid cared either. He had gotten what he had been after this whole time. After Xzavier exited the room, Quaid immediately sprang to his feet with the agility of a panther. He rushed to the window and waited for the familiar figure of Xzavier to appear.

    In a few seconds, Xzavier emerged from the lobby and exited the building. Quaid smile like the hyena that he was when he saw Xzavier''s back leaving. Quaid rarely ever let his feelings be known publicly. Even when he did let them show, it was always a calcted move to ensure a certain result or induce a certain feeling. Either way, he always had an agenda.

    Xzavier rode the carriage all the way home with little or no interference along the way. He knew that the game was afoot. Quaid had finally shown his true intentions after all this time. Xzavier wasn''t all too pleased. But he did his best not to dwell on that, for now, he was contented with the fact that he had been able to get Adalia this one thing. He could almost picture the look on her pale face when he would present her with this surprise.

    It was something to look forward to.

    Eventually, the carriage pulled up on the governor''s mansion with a sleek turn. Xzavier alighted and went straight to look for Adalia. Over the past couple of months, he had grown used to her daily routine. So, at every given point in time, Xzavier could always tell where she was and what she was doing. It was just a by product of their friendship that was budding into something else. It couldn''t be helped.

    He walked straight to the vegetable garden at the back of the mansion. It was a grove that was personally tended to by Adalia. Quaid was a man who absolutely took his vegetables seriously. He had hired andscape agent to give the ce the professional look it deserved. But he left the day to day tending to Adalia. The blue eyed maid actually enjoyed tending to the soil. She had a nurturing spirit. And Xzavier loved this about her.

    From a distance, even before he got to the orchard, he sighted Adalia. Her rosy countenance In the midst of the flourishing vegetation all around her made her look somehow sublime. She was in her element. The towering trees of the orange orchard spread out its brches over Adalia, as if nature itself wanted to protect her from the rays of thete morning sun. Xzavier didnt call out to her, he intentionally crept up on her and startled her with with his deep voice, announcing his presence.

    "I knew I''d find you here."

    Adalia damn near jumped out of her skin. She spun around in fright at she sudden intrusion on her personal space.

    "Heavens Xzavier!" She eximed with her eyes wide open, "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

    Xzavier chuckled mischievously. "Don''t be such a cry baby. Here..." he handed out the briefcase to her, "Check this out."

    Adalia looked at the official looking suitcase suspiciously. "What''s this?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier didn''t answer her directly, "I said you should check it out didn''t I?"

    Adalia wasn''t sure what to expect. Xzavier had a look of mischief in his eyes, and she didn''t often see that in him. So, cluelessly, she opened up the briefcase and saw a bunch of papers inside it. She looked at Xzavier, Xzavier in turn gave her a go ahead.

    Adalia gently brought out the document inside of it and held it up to her face to see. For ves like this, freedom was only a dream. It was an impossible dream at that. After all, what master would willingly let go of a ve that belonged to him byw? The concept of freedom wasn''t something that she allowed herself to dream about. So, when her eyes fell on the certificate with her name on it. She was overrun with a catatonic shock.

    She gently put down the paper and her teary eyes looked at Xzavier pitifully, as if to ask ''Is this true?''

    Xzavier caught on to her wordless question. He nodded affirmatively and mouthed the words; "Yes Adalia, it is for real. The governor signed it himself."

    He walked up to her and held her hands, "Believe it, it is true. As of this morning, you were officially set free by Quaid himself. You are now a legitimate citizen of Victoria City!"

    Adalia was never one to be at a loss for words.

    No matter the situation, she always had something witty to say. But in that moment, she was silenced by the weight of the document in her hand. Hot tears stung her eyes, all the blood rushing through her fell through to her head.

    "Impossible..." she mouthed, "How?"

    Xzavier pulled her close, "Don''t you worry your pretty little head about it, all you need to know is that it is done now. And because it has been done, no one can ever undo it."

    All Adalia could do in that moment was look at Xzavier with a worshipful stare. Sensing that this was all too much for her at the moment, he assuaged her calmly, spelling out the full ramification of this certificate;

    "That''s right, you are no longer anyone''s property. You don''t need to ept orders you don''t want to follow. You are now FREE!"

    Adalia looked at Xzavier, then at the certificate, then back at Xzavier. Without saying a word, she inserted the certificate back into the briefcase and dropped it aside. Her movements were rxed and allusive. After setting aside the briefcase, like a cat, she silently took a few steps towards Xzavier, stopping only couple of inches from him, such that there was barely any room between them. She lifted up her face to face him squarely.

    And with a brazen look in her eyes, she issued a paralyzing injunction;

    "I want you to fuck me Xzavier."

    Xzavier felt his throat run dry. All the blood in the uppermost part of his body began to flow southwards. He grabbed Adalia''s hand and turned to take her into the mansion to do the needful. Holding her hand, Xzavier took the first step towards the mansion, but to his surprise, Adalia jerked her hand away from him. Xzavier turned back to find out why, only to see Adalia''s blue eyes burning rebelliously.

    "No." she said firmly, "I don''t want to go indoors. I want you to mount me here, on this carpet grass. I want you to take me out here in the open. I don''t care if anyone hears or sees us! Let them watch!"

    Xzavier was both turned on and also disturbed by Adalia''s request. Sensing his hesitation, she hit the nail in the coffin;

    "After all, I am a free woman now am I not?" Xzavier finally understood. This was her first taste of freedom, so she was going to make love wherever she wanted to.

    She turned in the opposite direction of the mansion and began to walk alluringly towards a secluded area in the grove, she turned back a couple of times to look at Xzavier teasingly. Xzavier didn''t disappoint, he began to undo his belt buckle as he followed Adalia into the garden. He had never made love out in the open before- this was definitely a first.

 Chapter 143 Good Day

    He found himself looking forward to seeing the look on her face as she stretched to take all of him.

    He looked forward to watching her facial expressions as he pumped her with loads and loads of his seed. Contrary to the cautionary tales in most folklore, Xzavier followed the beautiful girl into the garden.

    Around the bend, he saw Adalia standing topless with her back to him. The sight was enough to make him groan. Seeing her body bare in daylight was somehow even more exciting than fucking her in the dark. He walked up to her and pulled her waist to his, she felt Xzavier''s strong sturdy rod poking her back reassuringly. As she turned, to face him, she saw the hungry look in Xzavier''s eyes. His suave mask was gone, in its ce was a raw look of want.

    As he leaned in to kiss her, she brought her hand to his mouth to stop him. Xzavier was confused. She then pushed him back with a mild jab. She pushed him again, causing Xzavier to take a step back. She did it again, until Xzavier realized that she was trying to get him toy down on his back. Xzavier got excited for some reason. Adalia was choosing to take charge. This freedom thing must have really gotten to her head.

    Xzavier willingly obliged. Hey down on the grass, looking up to Adalia, expecting whatever came next. The blonde maid had a few tricks of her sleeves, she bent down to undo Xzavier zippers and freed up his cock in the open. It was a beautiful sight from Xzavier''s point of view. A beautiful golden haired woman who was naked only from the waist up, holding his cock and looking at him eye ball to eye ball.

    She gently touched the tip, and then began to stroke it with slow sensual strokes. She felt like she was milking a cow. Her left hand gripped the shaft in up and down motions while her lift hand stimted the tip, she kept her fierce blue eyes on Xzavier all the while and watched him enjoy her hands. Xzavier''s mind was slowly starting to bud open like a flower. Just when he was starting to get used to it, she bent her head down and took his cock in her mouth.

    As the tip of Xzavier''s dick made contact with her moist tongue, Xzavier entered another gear. He watched with a horrid look on his face as Adalia stroked the base of his shaft with both her hands, as she sucked him off at the tip. He had more than enough inches for this to work. Adalia''s mouth was also small, so the tightness worked for him.

    She targeted the hole on his penis and deliberately sucked hard on it as she milked his shaft, intentionally trying to draw out his seed like a straw in a juice box. Xzavier began to feel it rising like a wave. Adalia seemed to have felt it too as she tightened her grip on his shaft and increased the tempo of her stroking.

    "Fukkkkk!" Xzavier groaned.

    Adalia continued to suck him tenderly until she felt his throbbing cock swell with the rise of the first wave. Then all of a sudden, she stopped. Surprised, Xzavier opened his eyes to find out why she had stopped! She hadn''t stopped, she was simply prepping for the next stage. Adalia rose up from his cock, walked over Xzavier and lifted up her skirt. Xzavier had never seen a woman look so beautiful than in that moment.

    ? From the waist up, she was naked, but from the waist down, the Promised Land was veiled behind her flowing skirt. Still holding up her skirt, she gently lowered herself on Xzavier. She found his dick behind her and gently held it in ce. As she lowered herself further, she felt it inch by inch until itpletely filled her up. Xzavier watched with sick glee as the expressions on her face shifted to show every inch of the way.

    With his rod fully embedded in the tight walls of her pussy, she bent herself down until her huge breasts were in Xzavier''s face. Xzavier instinctively reached out and started to hungrily suck on her nipple. As his tongue grazed her nipple, Adalia began to moan softly, filling Xzavier''s ears with this erotic soundtrack. Getting even more turned on, he dick throbbed inside Adalia''s pussy. Adalia felt it and moaned even louder.

    Slowly, with her breasts still in Xzavier''s mouth, she began to move her hips in slow circr movements, giving Xzavier''s dick enough friction and enough stimtion to throb even harder. She didn''t need to do much, she maintained the slow circr motions as Xzavier continued to suck on her breasts. Before long, she felt the familiar build up again. This time, Xzavier grabbed her waist, still under her, he began to move his hips frantically, looking for room to begin to thrust harder.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But Adalia wasn''t having it, her heavy hips kept him pressed down, so that even the muscr form of Xzavier couldn''t find room to maneuver. It was torment, Xzavier''s huge cock began to well inside her. He didn''t want to cum just yet, Adalia sensed him trying to hold back, and wickedly began to clench the walls of her pussy. At this point, she wasn''t even moving her heavy hips, she just kept feeding Xzavier her breasts as she tightened the walls of her pussy.

    Xzavier''s cock began to bulge, and when the first droplets of pre-cum spilled inside her, she took this as a sign to kick things up a notch. She aggressively forced Xzavier away from her full round boobs and sat up to assume her original posture. This sudden shift in dynamic caused room for Xzavier''s dick to slide deeper into her pussy. Xzavier instantly forgot about her boobs and groaned in deep pleasure.

    Sensing that he was close, she decided to go in for the kill. She ced her hands on his chest and began to move her hips aggressively. Xzavier was not prepared. Finding himself at the mercy of the subus, he began to breathe faster and faster as Adalia rode his dick in sweet sloppy drips. Her hips seemed to be moving on her own ord. She tightened the walls of her pussy and began to bounce rhythmically. Xzavier grabbed her thighs as he began to feel his soul leave his body.

    Adalia felt every inch of his throbbing rod inside of her, Adalia also began to moan frantically. She threw her head back, arched her back, closed her eyes, and began to use Xzavier''s cock to satisfy her own need. She moaned, Xzavier groaned. Her movements began to be faster by the second, and in a short period, she felt the first wave of the warm sticky fluid fill the walls of her pussy. She didn''t stop, she kept grinding and tightened the walls of her pussy and didn''t stop until she had drawn out every bit of semen in him.

    When Xzavier finally opened his eyes, he stared at Adalia as if he couldn''t recognize her. Adalia''s skirt was still on, and it covered both their genitals underneath all the fabric. But Xzavier knew that beneath all that, Adalia was probably leaking semen right now. But even more embarrassing than that was the fact that even though he had just ejacted, his dick was still hard inside of her! They both looked at each other and a silent understanding passed between them.

    Adalia slid off, took off her skirt and bent over backwards, as she waited for Xzavier to take her from behind this time.

    The next day arrived, and there was none more excited than Quaid. He didn''t sleep a wink through the night. Jittery with excitement, he tossed and turned alone in his king sized bed. His mind was ame with the joy that came from the manifestation of one''s expectation. He couldn''t believe it, and yet, it was all at his fingertips- literally! (The psycho governor went to bed with one of the pistols!)

    Quaid was unlike most men. Women, liquor and cheap thrills didn''t give him the satisfaction he needed. He was a man who thrived on power. Anything that could potentially give him an edge over hispetition attracted him. So, this was the primary reason behind his excitement. Way before the first rays of the morning sun streaked across the skies, he got up and prepared. As he stepped out of his mansion and entered his coach, he grinned to himself and dered;

    "It''s going to be a good day..."

    Indeed it seemed like it. He had every reason to say that. The first phase of his ns since meeting Xzavier was finally starting to unfold. As his carriage trotted through the dimly lit streets of Victoria City, Quaid pondered over the events of the previous day. After Xzavier had left, the governor wasted no time, he began to prepare assiduously for the second phase.

    Now that he had the weapons in ce, all he needed to do was find the right soldiers for the job. Since he wasn''t in direct contact with the army, he couldn''t say which and which rising stars were fit for the role. So, he did what any good leader would do in his case- assign the task to apetent subordinate. In this case, Dale was the only one Quaid could think off. So, he sent a messenger to the Silver Knight, with a set ofplex orders;

    "The game is afoot Dale. Prepare aprehensive list of ten of the most promising young soldiers in the army. Have them sent to me before the end of the day."

 Chapter 144 Satisfaction

    The efficient Dale didn''t disappoint. Within a couple of hours, what Quaid had requested for came in.

    By noonday the next day, Quaid, Dale, Xzavier and ten soldiers arraigned themselves at a secret location on the outskirts of the city. The training ground for shooting practice had to be far away from the prying eyes and spying ears of nosy people. The general public just wasn''t prepared enough to handle the loud report of several pistols going off at once.

    Quaid had chosen a very peculiar location, it was a small patch ofnd, a clearing that was located deep in the womb of the forest. No one would bother them there.

    The ten soldier lined up themselves in a horizontal file. Xzavier stood before them like a training officer. His powerful eyes bore into the eyes of the young soldiers. The soldiers in turn dared not look Xzavier in the face. They knew him as the fearsome Baron who was untouchable. They knew him as the man who had single handedly killed orcs and goblin alike. They knew all this and respected him for his reputation.

    Xzavier knew that respect and willingness to learn was the key factor that determined a decent turnaround in any teacher/student or in this case, trainer/trainee situation. As he looked at the faces of the young soldiers, he knew he had no problem in the area of respect. It was clear that they were in awe of him. So, in his best leader''s voice, he addressed them;

    "I don''t know what you have been told, but you are not here to y!"

    He started to walk back and forth, with his hands crossed behind him, he continued to yell at them.

    "If you get distracted, you die! If you hesitate, you die! If you even as much as gloss over a single step, you do what?"

    "DIE!!!" They chorused collectively.

    Xzavier smiled, they were professionals. He had half expected them to chorus the words ''you die'' back to him. Cleverly, they had escaped his trap by omitting the ''you.''

    "Alright then, let''s get started!"

    The soldiers in this Isekai were made up of mages. There were different levels of mages, but at the end of the day, they were still mages. So, any fighting or attacking technique outside of magic was foreign to them. They absolutely had no ess to modern weapons, so, Xzavier knew that he had to start from the basics. As he handed each of them a pistol without bullets, he proceeded to enlighten them on the nature of the weapon in their hands.

    "What you''re holding in your hands is no toy. In your hands is the power to end a life in an instant!"

    The soldiers looked at the ck object unsurely, they weren''t even sure of how to hold it. Xzavier watched their facial expressions before deciding to give them a little disy. Without warning, he pointed the gun in his hands at a target just a few feet away, and squeezed the trigger.

    The thunder-like bang of the pistol caused several reactions amongst the soldiers. The suddenness of the whole thing, the loud bang, and the destructive power of the pistol shocked the mages to their bones. There hadn''t been a single incantation! There hadn''t even been a discharge of mana! And yet, the impossible had just happened!<novelnext></novelnext>

    They all looked at the target and saw a smoking hole in it. This little disypletely changed the way they viewed the weapons in their hands. It was as if Xzavier had managed to trap thunder in the pistol. He must have also managed to trap lightning as well, otherwise what could possibly exin the st that had struck the target?

    Quaid watched with excitement as the demonstration! He was very much pleased with the results. He imagined an army of mages and muggles equipped with this weapon, storming his enemies'' cities,pletely obliterating anyone who dared to stand in his way! He was satisfied. Xzavier was an investment that had paid off tenfold.

    Beside the governor, standing right next to him was the nk faced Dale. The Silver Knight hadn''t even as much as blinked when the pistol went off. His face was as emotionless as a statue. He didn''t seem to have been fazed by what might have otherwise been the greatest disy of modern day weaponry in this era. In fact, his mind seemed to be somewhere else. It was as if he was thinking about some other serious issue. Whatever it was, it appeared to be of great significance.

    Victoria City was a city that thrived on the old ways. Misogyny and bigotry were the order of the day. Asides from the oppression of the lower ss, there was also the primitive domineering influence of the patriarchy. In a city and era where males were seen as the superior gender, and the females were expected to be nothing more than baby making instruments that looked after the male folk and the children, women hardly ever got into positions of power.

    Having a woman as a government official was rare. Even those of noble heritage weren''t considered worthy enough. Basically, not having a penis set the tone for the rest of their lives. This was just how things were.

    But in every exclusive system, there is almost always that one who defies the norm. in this case, Babara was the exception. Looking at her, one would have thought that the basis for her being in government was spawned from the fact that she was either ''connected'' or from a rich and noble heritage. But s, neither was the case in her situation. Babara was actually from a pretty humble background. She came up with literally nothing. While she was young, (too young really), life dealt her a hard hand. She didn''t realize it then, but that difficulty was going to be the cornerstone of her grit and ambition.

    Babara didn''t remember much about her childhood. The details about her upbringing were fuzzy, and whenever she tried to dig deeper, she came up against a nk wall. It was as if her subconscious was actively trying to keep her from essing her childhood trauma. This was actually a good thing for her, because even though she knew that her parents had died young, she was spared the pain of having to remember the painful memories of their faces  But one thing she remembered was the hardship that followed.

    For as long as she could remember, she had been alone. Members of her family either had either died off one by one, or had mysteriously disappeared over the course of time, abandoning her to her own . It was a terrible situation for a female child to find herself in, but nheless, that was her origin story. The homelessness and loneliness were a bit bearable, but the one thing that had gued her as she trotted through the city was hunger. It had been a constantpanion. All through the rainy nights l and the butter storms, it had remained with her. It was all she ever knew. It was all she had.

    But her doggedness prevailed. Every single hardship she faced, she overcame, addingyers andyers of wisdom and experience to her knowledge bank. This hardened  her resolve over time and consequently made her the person she was. Right from a young age, she gained a useful trait from the streets- the ability to read people instantly! She could spot a liar from a mile away. She could tell a fake just by looking at them. Babara realized quickly that she wasn''t a great beauty, she didn''t delude herself. But the one thing she had was her sharp mind. And she used it deftly.

    Through sheer grit, after several denials and rejections, Babara finally wed her way into a meager position at city hall. At first, she had started with no pay. But she didn''t allow that to deter her. She knew where she was going, she knew what awaited her. So, she put in twice the work and twice the effort, making excellence her theme and totally outshining her male colleagues. It took awhile, but finally, her hard work and exceptional work rate attracted the attention of the Silver Knight.

    Dale was also a shrewd person. Though he tended towards the mboyant part of life, he retained a craftiness that was akin to that of a serpent. He studied Babara very closely for sometime and then decided that she would be a great asset to him. When he approached her, he didn''t insult her integrity by patronizing her. He went straight to the point and told her that if she worked for him and remained loyal, they would both thrive together.

    Babara still remembered that day. That was the beginning of the turn of her life. She epted Dale''s offer and began to work for him assiduously. She both sacknowledged and respected the Silver Knight, and thus served him well. Dale took advantage of her loyalty and her work ability. Together they achieved a lot and maintained their professional rtionship, while doing big things. Dale had never given her any reason to doubt his judgement so far. Up until this Xzavier issue.

    Babara attained her position because of her efficiency. She was hardly ever wrong about anything or anyone. She didn''t see what anyone else saw in Xzavier. It was as if he had cast a spell on the entire town, even her boss seemed to be enamored by him. It was baffling. Why was she the only one who could see this?! Was everyone else really that gullible?  Babara really wondered. She suspected and still maintained her suspicions about Xzavier. But she still retained her manners and acted on the orders of her boss.

 Chapter 145 Babara

    Babara was powerless to do anything about it. After all, she was still just an ordinary secretary. In cases and situations like this, her authority and input was less than meaningless. As a secretary, there were many things that were expected of her to handle. In most cases, officials who had a professional rtionship with her often dumped a lot of workload on her. She didn''t dare refuse them. She couldn''t afford to half-ass it either. Her work ethic always prevailed.

    While her responsibilities sat within the scope of a secretary, Babara''s ability extended well beyond her job title. Quaid oncemented on her, saying that if she had been fortunate enough toe from royalty, she would have probably been the next king. Such a high handedment from the governor was no joke. Those who didn''t know her were forced to acknowledge her. Babara''s reputation spoke volumes for her.

    But unfortunately for her, ''if'' just didn''t cut it. In this world that word was as good as useless. She wasn''t a royal. She could never be. Not even if she somehow managed to touch the sun itself. Her work ethic was worthy of apud. But that was it. It simply wasn''t enough to make her one of them. It seemed that that was the peak of her power and influence. Her world was dominated by men. She hade to ept that as a fact, but just like her humble background, she didn''t let that hamper her progress.

    Somehow, she had risen above the limitation and became a full-fledged official in the city''s government. In doing so, she had zed a trail for others. Babara had made herself into a living example for others. Looking at her struggle and resilience, she silently told the world that anyone could be anything they wanted. So long as they believed in the dream and worked hard for whatever it was that they wanted.

    Surprisingly, due to a certain discovery, Babara had an unprecedented change of heart. It wasn''t like she had nned for it to happen. But fate proved to be fate, and brought things into y that were outside the sphere of her influence. As an unwilling actor in a stage y, she was forced to take her ce and tow the path that life had forged for her. There was no script or manual for this. Babara just had to y along, not knowing when or where the director would say cut, and end it all.

    Babara''s new path started when she stumbled upon a very peculiar handkerchief. Babara stared in unbelief at the handkerchief. For some reason, it awakened something deep in her. Something that had been buried for a long time. Still unsure, she edged her way closer to the person on whom the handkerchief was. As she stepped closer to investigate, she felt her heartbeat rising, and suddenly she began to feel like she was being choked by her own nervousness.

    "Impossible!" She kept repeating it over and over again, as if trying to kill any hope that might spring forth from this discovery. "It can''t be! Could that really be my sister''s handkerchief?!"

    The handkerchief itself wasn''t the issue at hand, it was the embroidery on it. The very sight of it provoked a spring of memories that came with so much emotion, that Babara began to feel a bit woozy in the head. The reason Babara was so drawn to that particr handkerchief was simple, but not exactly easy. The embroidery on the handkerchief was one of a kind. Only Babara''s sister had ever used that type before.

    This was particrly shocking for Babara because her sister, her only sister had disappeared a long time ago. Babara had only been thirteen at the time. Her sister had left without a trace. There had been no body. There had been no report. There hadn''t even been as much of a single rumor. It was almost as if she had dropped off the surface of the earth. She had simply vanished. Seeing that embroidery made Babara remember how scared, alone and distraught she had been when her only surviving rtive abandoned her.

    She thought she had dealt with it. But the very sight of the handkerchief brought back a flood of memories. Memories she had kept buried for a long time. She broke free from the catatonic shock that had temporarily rendered her static, and she moved towards the entity wielding the handkerchief, determined to investigate. At least, for the sake of closure. She had to find her sister. It was the least she could do after all this time.

    Babara actually had good reason to be doubtful. The circumstances surrounding the discovery was palpable, for the handkerchief was in the hands of a prostitute. That''s right, Babara was currently in the biggest and most popr brothel in town, the den of iniquities, the abode of wanton pleasures- the famous Spring! Babara''s work entailed a lot of information gathering. So, sometimes it carried her to odd ces. Spring was one of those ces.

    There was a reason why Spring was the biggest brothel in Victoria City, it was because a lot of government officials had their talons sunk deep into it. There were a lot of shady government backgrounds behind Spring. It wasmon knowledge, but since there were pretty influential people involved, it was always swept under the rug whenever the case was brought up.<novelnext></novelnext>

    In the past, Babara might have recruited some of her assets to assist her with some of her endeavors. This was her usual move and in the past, it had proven to be a tactical advantage for her. But this time was different. This time, Babara knew she had to act on her own. She didn''t dare ask for help from the others. Heaven knew what kind of bombshells would be unearthed in the process of investigating. With these government officials, shocking secrets were always a guarantee. Babara knew that going solo was her best bet. She had to act alone.

    Babara''s skillset was well suited for this task. Anyone who dared tounch such an investigation would not be able to uncover any real thing. Even if they did, it wouldn''t be anything tangible. But not Babara. She was like a dog with a bone when it came to things like this. Her resilience, no-can-do attitude, and thoroughness, made her a real asset in the field. She was also a woman, which in this case was an advantage to her because she would be easily overlooked.

    Babara loved to make ns. She loved to itemize things in the right order, and systematically take them apart bit by bit until she had gotten the best results. Confronted with a sudden new case that was close to home, Babara did what she did best and mentally began toy up a n for this. She had to start from the ground like a pyramid, and steadily work her way to the top. In this case, she had to start with the first real set that was her best bet- the prostitutes.

    On second thought, Babara decided not to relegate her investigation to the prostitutes only, there were other female staff that could be possible leads. The n was fine and all, but at the end of the day, it all came down to execution. Babara did not disappoint in that regard. She considered the logistics of her present situation and decided to take advantage of the full house. She scanned the lounge of the brothel and saw that it was a full house that night. This meant that the entire staff would be working. Consequently, the dormitories would be free!

    Wasting no further time, she immediately dived in the direction of the direction of the dormitories. Within twenty minutes, Babara hadbed through almost five dorm rooms. She expertly went through the personal stuff of the predominantly female staff of the establishment. She left no stone unturned. With the tenacity of a private investigator and the instincts of a hellhound, she went through everything, not sparing even the garbage that was thrown away in the bins.

    Babara''s logic was simple; she figured that the best way to gain intelligence on the activities and data of the staff, she had to get up close and personal. She couldn''t rely on hearsay or on the word of the management. There was always bound to be some kind of cover up. She had to get involved.

    As she worked her way through the dormitories, she did her best to stay out of sight. Getting caught would be a really rookie mistake on her end. She stayed fluid and vignt as she breezed in and out of different rooms, analyzing and re-analyzing. If Xzavier had seen her in action, there was no doubt that he would have been very surprised. Such borate investigative techniques weren''t exactlymon in modern times, talk less of this era. It was trulymendable.

    After about half an hour of snooping around, Babara slithered out of the brothel like a serpent and made her way to a less rowdy location where she could think. She wasn''t an adrenaline junkie, she didn''t even allow herself to get excited when she was in the field like this. She kept a cool head, and after repeatedly checking to make sure that she wasn''t being followed, she gently made her way to a serene part of town to cote her findings and mentally sort them out.

    Her effort hadn''t been for naught. In fact. It was the exact opposite. After intelligently connecting several dots, she intelligently deduced the fact that the source of the handkerchief was not from Spring as she had initially thought, it was actually from a noble''s castle on the upper east end of the city.

    Babara gasped as it all came together like a puzzle. A single name stood out- Princy Castle!

 Chapter 146 Investigate

    Now that Babara had gotten some information, she was hooked. There was no stopping her despite the fact that the governor''s residence hade up in her research. More than anyone, Babara was aware of just how tight security was as the governor''s castle. No one was allowed to enter this upscale castle without the governor''s permission. If the rest of Victoria City was situated in a valley, then the governor''s side was elevated on a kind of hill, as if overlooking the rest of town. Getting up there would be the definition of a real herculean task.

    There was no watering it down- the governor''s mansion was a fortified ce. But Babara wasn''t daunted by the ring impossibility. If anything, she actually weed it as a challenge. She didn''t expect it to be easy. But, she knew that at the end of the day, this task would be done. It had to be done. So, she dedicated the next few days to surveince. Hidden in in sight, Babara dutifully kept watch on the mansion. She took notice of every single arrival and departure. She kept a strict log of the times and individuals involved.

    This was no easy task. Her day job at city hall required her to be at her best. As she bnced her day job with her night job, she didn''t allow the strain to get to her. She could go days on end with just one or two hours of sleep. Her entire being was invested in this endeavor. She saw nothing else. As Babara carried out her surveince during her free time in the day, she often had to put on various disguises. This would have invoked some sort of excitement in any detective, but Babara was way too methodical to take pleasure in that.

    Eventually, after several sleepless nights and long days, Babara finally collected all the data she needed. Data cotion was one thing, data interpretation was another business entirely. Fortunately, Babara was efficient at both. This was what had done  for basically the whole of her career. This was where she thrived the most. This time, she was more driven than before since it concerned her personally.

    Siting alone in the second room of her government allocated t in the city, Babara spread out all her jottings on a table and began to review them extensively. She poured over every single individual that came and left. She noted those who frequented the mansion daily, as well as those who visited sparingly. She juxtaposed this with the public information about the governor''s household (for the governor had a lot of servants on payroll, therefore this information was logged in the office at city hall''s ounting department). After putting her own findings side by side with the public record, she soon began to see a much vivid picture.

    Babara discovered that a lot of the governor''s servants actually lived on the premises. There seemed to be a servant''s quarters located in Quincy Castle. She knew that it was a brilliant move. This way, Quaid could reduce the traffic of numerous people going and leaving wantonly. Thereby reducing the risk of an invader who might want to take advantage of this free flow. It was very astute. Also, it allowed the governor to keep tabs on the people that worked for him. Everything they needed was on ground. They grew their own food. They had multiple sources of water.

    Quaid had brilliantly limited their social lives to the walls of his castle. Everyone knew everyone. Any stranger on ground would be easily detected. Babara eas under no illusion that all of this was a coincidence. It was all calcted, it was all deliberate.The arrangement was foolproof. Babara could see that as she came to the conclusion that the actual number of people residing on the mansion''s grounds was way more than the people who came in and went out on a daily basis. Inadvertently, this meant that it was very possible that her sister was trapped inside.

    Then veins on Babara''s forehead began to bulge as her heartbeat rose frantically. After an awfully long while, she was finally one step closer to finding her sister. It all seemed so surreal. It was really impressive how far she hade. From just a single idental sighting at the brothel, with little resources and time, she had been able to brave against all odds and actually managed to triangte her sister''s location.

    Babara took a deep breath and reclined in her seat. She couldn''t afford to rejoice yet. As she looked at the piles of coted data spread out on her table, she knew she had her work cut out for her. This was only the first step. Babara zed over the schematics of the governor''s house, she knew she had to break in.

    This wasn''t just a reconnaissance mission- it was an infiltrate and rescue mission. She had toe up with a foolproof n that would guarantee her smooth entrance, and most importantly, a perfect exit strategy for not just her, but her sister as well. There was no point of entering if they couldn''t make it out alive.

    Babara began to brainstorm. Just because she was a genius in data cotion and administrative affairs didn''t mean that she could simply breeze in and breeze out.  It wasn''t a sure ticket. It sure as hell was a guarantee for sess. She had to put in the work this time- physically, intellectually and psychologically.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She spent the night (and the many nights that followed) running simtions in her head. This was impossible. For one, she had never been inside the walls of the governor''s mansion. All she had was a very fuzzy blueprint of the governor''s mansion. She had no idea what to expect on the inside. There were so many unknowns. There was too much she was leaving to chance. There was also the fact that she didn''t know exactly where her sister was being held. It was all so overwhelming.

    The next few weeks were torture for the young government official. Babara did her best, but each time, she came up against a nk wall. The impregnable fortress of the governor''s mansion came alive in Babara''s subconscious. It gued the walls of her nightmare, taunting her like a malevolent entity, dwarfing her with the ring fact that she could never ever ovee it. In her nightmares, she saw the image of her sister trapped in iron bars, screaming, yelling at Babara toe save her.

    She hardly got any sleep at night. And even when she did, she was haunted and hounded by her failure to rescue her sister from her tumultuous existence. Babara would often awake with a violent jolt. Realizjg that it had been a nightmare, she would be freshly reminded of her sister, and then, the cycle of torment would start afresh all over again. Unable to bear the pain, Babara resorted to drinking. Each and every night, she would gulp down wholesome quantities of alcohol.

    But that didn''t stop the nightmares. It dulled the pain only for a brief while, and then came back stronger and meaner.

    It was worse for her because she was alone in every way. She had no one to speak to about her suffocating grief. She had no one lean on, no one to be strong for her. With each day, she stumbled deeperer and deeper into the dark tunnel of depression and self loathing. She was now a shadow of herself. She didn''t tell anyone. She couldn''t. In this world, pain and grief were the constantpanions of those who had been unfortunate enough to be born as peasants. For the oppressed ss, it was the default state of mind all day, and every day. Everyone had their own baggage. No one was expected to drop theirs and carry hers.

    Babara work suffered a result of this mental ckness. Even worse, he work colleagues (who were predominantly males) didn''t care enough to notice. Actually, it wasn''t as if they didn''t care, it was more of the fact that they didn''t even see her at all. She might have as well been a piece of furniture or a pet that never changed in their eyes. While Babara suffered in silence, the world around her ignored her coldly.

    Needless to say that as Babara suffered, fate prepared a way out for her. It took a while but finally, she was able to rise up from the flood of grief that was drowning her, and she was able to a faint light of hope in the distance. Fate always seemed to have a way of creating a way out, linking destinies and intertwining the paths of unlikely individuals. Nothing was written the stars yet, however, in this case, Babara''s salvation seemed like it was going toe from Xzavier.

    It all started on a regr evening. It was weekend and it was actually a pretty blissful evening, but for Babara it was simply another bleak day in her miserable existence. Gliding through the city''s streets like a ghost, Babara silently made her way back to her apartment. She had gone out to pick up a few supplies (ny percent of the content in her grocery bag was alcohol) and was preparing for another lonely evening.

    Normally, Babara would zone out every other noise in the background and focus solely on her own internal monologue, but as she picked up on a little chatter on the roadside, she was able to make out one name- Xzavier! Babara was instantly interested. For a moment, she was able to set aside her own sorrows and tuned her ears to listen in on the gossip. She purposely slowed down her steps and tried her best to eavesdrop on the conversation.

    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 147 The Only Hope

    The conversers weren''t even trying to hide their gist in anyway.

    "...yeah mate, I don''t think that''s what truly happened."

    "Sir, I assure you, I do not jest! The stranger Xzavier did that!"

    "But he was just recently awarded the title of Baron! You''re trying to tell me that orc-yer Xzavier, physically humiliated Eadweard of the Anjou n, all because he disrespected an ordinary maid?! Come on!"

    Another man in the small group lent his voice;

    "I also heard about it. My best bud personally shaves the beard of the chief servant of the Anjou family, he confirmed it word for word."

    The chief contender shook his head in disbelief.

    "That is impossible. How can a mere stranger publicly humiliate Eadweard, and then receive a promotion weekster? And all for what, some girl? Bah! It''s absurd!"

    The argument continued, rising aggressively at a point, and then cooling off mncholically at some point further the line. Babara leaned against the wall a few meters away and listened with rapt attention as the conversation continued. It turned out that there was still more to follow.

    "If you think that''s absurd, wait till you hear how that Xzavier fellow dragged out Eadweard from Spring by the scruff of his neck!"

    The eyes of the others opened wide in disbelief as they all chorused collectively; "WHAT?!"

    It was obvious that this was fresh news to the others. The narrator continued his bit happily.

    "Have you guys been living under a rock all this while? What is wrong with you all? Where have you all been?"

    One man angrily snapped.

    "My friend will you get on with it!! What''s the matter with you?! Tell us what happened and be done with it.

    Clearly he was of an impatient disposition. It showed in his brash tone. He was eager for the information and the narrator was ying games with it. Others chorused their approval of his rebuke.

    "Fine, I guess I''ll indulge you ignorant bunch then..."

    The man narrating the tale exaggerated some parts of the events, but some of the details stayed the same. He spoke of how Eadweard had kidnapped a maid that belonged to the Princy family, just so he could get revenge on Xzavier for his misdemeanor. The story had some semnce of truth to it. Even Babara who had been listening knew very well that Eadweard has a predilection for young girls. This was no secret.

    So, with graphic details, as if he was there, he described how Xzavier had called down lightning and thunder on Eadweard''s goons,ying waste to them all at once. He spoke of how Xzavier moved like a ghost and used dark magic to ughter all of Eadweard''s servants. Everyone knew that it was an abomination for a Baron to kill an earl, Eadweard survived of course. But the narrator told the story in such a way that made it look as if Eadweard had barely escaped with his life.

    Babara listened with rapt attention. For the first time in a really long time, she wasn''t totally submerged in her own morbid thoughts. She drank in every bit of information she heard about Xzavier''s performance. Of course the whole part about him fighting was marvelous, but that wasn''t what had kept her hooked all this time. It was the part where he yed the role of a savior to a poor maid;

    "...so, after he hadpletely decimated the Anjou family''s heir, Xzavier descended into the cave where the girl had been kept against her own will, and used his bare hands to break the iron chains that had kept her bound."<novelnext></novelnext>

    By the time he ended his narration, everyone had gone quiet. They all pictured the scene with wonder on their faces. One of them voiced out what was on everyone''s mind;

    "Damn! That Xzavier must really be a psychopath!!"

    The mumblings that followed reiterated this fact.

    "Indeed! He is!!"

    "What kind of man would willingly go up against the Anjou family?"

    "Maybe it''s because the Princy family is backing him!"

    "Really? So this must be some kind of silent war among both families then?"

    "No I don''t think so, I think Xzavier is acting independently. There is no way any human alive can have such a man under his control..."

    Deciding that she had heard enough, Babara quickly scurried away from the location with renewed resolve. Slowly color began to return to her face again, as a ray of hope came alive in her eyes. It was beginning to look like she had found her way in. Yes, Xzavier was the key!

    As drank that night, she paced up and down that night in the living room of her apartment. Xzavier was a key yer whom she had never thought would y a significant part in her life. As she allowed herself to sink into the fantasy of asking for Xzavier''s hep, she remembered the cold warning Dale had given her regrading him on the night of his award ceremony.

    Babara respected the Silver Knight so much. She had worked with him for a really long time, and she had never gone against his wishes ormands on purpose. But even as she remembered his word of caution to her that day, (it had been more of a threat than a word of caution really), Babara decided there and then to ignore his threat this time. It was a pretty bold decision for someone who had walked the straight path for so long that she had never had a misdemeanor. But Babara had already made up her mind. There was simply no going back.

    Faced with the hope of a better tomorrow, Babara began to feel her insides warming up. She now had the drive that came with a new mission. It felt good, Babara couldn''t deny it. Xzavier was her way in. So, she had to dig around on Xzavier''s past. Who was he? Where was he from? What weaknesses did he have? Xzavier was a mysterious man. Right from the very start, she had washed him off as an ordinary fraudster who was driven by the promise of glory and fame.

    She realized with a chill that Xzavier had indulged her. Never for once had he even tried to convince her of who he truly was. This wasn''t lost on Babara. She thought deeper on it and realized that he had been ying mind games all along. This only made him deeper and more mysterious. Babara realized that she hadmitted a blunder with Xzavier. She was too proud to admit it. But at the end of the day, she had been wrong. Xzavier wasn''t what others said he was- he was much worse than that.

    With a new objective in sight. Babara finally had something to look forward to the next day. She now had purpose. And it was all because of a man she had ruled off as a nonentity. It seemed fate wasn''t quite done with her.

    Babara began her search the very next day. This particr investigation was a bit weird for her. She had been warned not to look further into Xzavier, so it would be stupid of her to try to search within any of the government''s agencies. No matter how careful she was, the trail would definitely lead back to her. As an official, she was expected to sign in and leave her details each time she requested for a specific file on someone or something. This way, everything she looked up could be traced back to her.

    It wasmon knowledge that a lot of top government officials had their spies secretly embedded in a lot of these agencies. As soon as they spotted someone who was sniffing around a hot topic or confidential information, a swift move would be put in ce to checkmate such individuals. Usually, it was something passive and indirect. But the message was almost always clear- BACK OFF!!

    Babara knew that a man like Dale would''ve definitely set up a mechanism to catch anyone in the act. It was possible that hiswork of spies were already on the lookout for her specifically. So, she knew that she couldn''t do this using the government''s agencies. Therefore, with this in mind, Babara decided to go old school. Going undercover, she hit the streets and started to ask questions. Her target was not cut out yet. Strangers made up for a lot of her informants. Posing as an Xzavier fan, she asked questions that were popr so she wouldn''t arouse suspicions.

    By the end of a three day period of questioning, Babara reviewed the data extensively and discovered that almost all the answers she had gotten so far corresponded with each other. Looming over her work desk at home, she poured over all the notes she had taken from her various interviews. Babara wasn''t foolish enough to stay centered on one single location. From the center of the city as her ground zero, she spread and fanned out to the four corners of the city.

    It was indeed a long and arduous task. It was also dangerous for her as a woman to frequent these ces where men loved to drink and talk. But nheless, she did it. And it proved to be the ideal gambit. At the end of the day, all roads pointed towards one indisputable fact- Xzavier was an incredibly powerful man. This was baffling for Babara. Here was a man who hadn''t even the slightest trace of mana. And yet, he had managed to be synonymous with power in this iskeai. It was truly outstanding!

    The people absolutely worshipped him. He represented something out of the ordinary.

 Chapter 148 Track

    An anomaly that sat outside conventional living. They liked the way his rebelliousness brought no consequence. Society truly liked bad boys, Babara confirmed it with this investigation. No one seemed to be bothered by the fact that he was a madman. Indeed it seemed as if they liked that part of him.

    The usually xenophobicmunity of Victoria City didn''t seem to mind the fact that he was a foreigner. If anything, his foreignness added an extra ir to his already spicy personality, making him exotic, and attributing this feature to his dangerousness. As Babara delved deeper and deeper into her investigation, she tried to uncover a dark side of Xzavier, hoping to see some skeletons in his closet. But the more she pried open, the less she saw in that regard.

    Babara was stunned. It simply didn''t add up. As someone whose instincts had been refined over time due to her own hardships in life, she knew that powerful men often had a sadistic part of themselves. Even if she had wrongfully dismissed Xzavier as a fraud due to hisck of mana, she knew that she couldn''t possibly be wrong to expect Xzavier to be a bully. After all, all that power on one ordinary person was definitely sure to make them veer left.

    However, yet again, she found out that she couldn''t have been any more wrong. For a man with such a fearsome reputation, she didn''t think it would be hard to find any dirt on him, and yet, whenever she questioned people if Xzavier was proud, or offish, or maybe even abrasive, she was met with either a firm shake of the head, or a puzzled frown! Babara couldn''t believe it! She recalled her own brief encounter with him that first day at the office, and saw that this was indeed true!

    Even though she had clearly given Xzavier every reason to hate her or at least be offish with her, Xzavier had maintained a certain coolness of head that had made her look down on him. Yes, Xzavier was not a bully. In fact, from her investigations, it seemed like he was quite the opposite actually. It was very queer. It was very odd indeed. It wasn''t every day that one would hear of a madman with a fearsome reputation that was known for helping maids and humiliating the ruling ss. It was the very definition of a paradox.

    Babara was thorough with her investigations. Her targets weren''t just random people. After getting information on the ces Xzavier had been to in the past, she went there to interview the parties involved. She interviewed the store owners from the marketce where Xzavier had visited with Adalia, she spoke to some of the staff at Spring, she even spoke to some of those staff whom had served as waiters and waitresses at Xzavier''s award ceremony. It was a very thorough investigation.

    At the end of it all, judging from all that she had gathered from those who hade in contact with him, Xzavier respected and treated everyone curtly. Whether they were servants, waiters, store owners or nobles. He had nothing but warmth for them all. But then again, they were all people who hadn''t looked down on him the way she had stupidly done on their first meeting. So, she decided to take her investigation to the next level- surveince.

    If Babara hadn''t been an official in government, she would have probably made a pretty good detective. Operation watch Xzavier was in full effect now. For days on end, with thepulsive obsession of a stalker, she watched Xzavier furtively, observing his every move and shadowing him like a second shadow. Of course she kept herself hidden in order not to blow her cover. Babara maintained a distance as she trailed Xzavier''s every move, and as she did, she wasn''t disappointed.

    It seemed that the stories of his non-preferential treatment weren''t exaggerated at all. With keen eyes, she watched as Xzavier went about his interaction with regr people. Looking at him as he did his thing, it was difficult, (almost impossible) to believe that he was actually the same person whom people spoke about. The orc yer, the mad baron, the monster killer, all of these were titles that followed Xzavier''s name in the streets. And yet, looking at this man who was the embodiment of humility and decency, Babara couldn''t help but be in awe.

    Never had she found a man like him before. Never had she ever thought that she ever would. Even the homeless people received his warmth.

    At this point, Babara was virtually obsessed. Xzavier was something of an enigma. He was a puzzle she just couldn''t figure out. Everything about him was in direct contrast with everything she thought she knew about powerful men. He tempered fame with humility, power with modesty, and prestige with graciousness. As Babara surveyed his every move, she looked hard to see if she could find any element of pretentiousness. Of course it wasmon for politicians to mask their intentions with the public.

    It truly seemed like Babara was desperately looking for a chink in Xzavier''s armor. She looked for anything, a repulsive look when he shook hands, a slight gesture of detachment when he was in public. Again and again, Babara found herself backed up against a concrete wall in this regard. She found nothing. Xzavier wasn''t a hypocrite. There was nothing ostensible about his social interactions. Babara knew that if indeed he had indeed been putting on a show all this while, then he would have slipped up at some point.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But there had been nothing of the sort. No one could act so well. Babara knew this, but her mind was so cynically twisted that she only saw the twisted version of things. It took a while before she came to ept the fact Xzavier was definitely not acting, no actor was that good. It was impossible to keep up the charade at every single moment. There was bound to be a slip up. And so far, there had been none.

    Slowly but surely, Babara''s interest in Xzavier began to grow into a kind of infatuation. That infatuation began to nurture some deep feelings in her that she could no longer ignore. She had never seen a man like Xzavier in all her life. His manner was suavely persuasive that he would have been able to charm demons. And it wasn''t the fake type. It was all a hundred percent genuine. Each time she remembered how she treated him at their first meeting, Babara felt like kicking herself several times over in the gut.

    That had been her one true chance to make a decent first impression. She had botched it like an ignorant fool. And now, instead of approaching him the way any normal person would, she was now stalking him from a far like a creep. Worse still, she was falling for him by the day. Every minute she didn''t have eyes on him, she found herself twitching like a heroin addict, wondering where he was at that moment, who he was with, and what he was doing. It was an unhealthy addiction that bordered on obsession.

    In more than one way, Babara was taken in by this stranger. It was very weird. They weren''t friends, they hadn''t even had a single conversation with each other, and yet Babara felt like she had known him for a really long time. Well, actually, it wasn''t exactly weird since she had been invested in knowing everything about him by word of mouth and by sheer stalking.

    Babara was ashamed to admit this, but if this business hadn''t been all about her sister, she would have been thinking of wooing Xzavier right now. He had somehow managed to slither into the crevice of her heart like a snake, nosing about the chambers of her inner sanctum, defiling her thoughts with sinful images that stemmed on sensual desires. The young woman was smitten. It was the first time in her young, cold existence that she had felt even the slightest trace of affection for any male.

    Her feelings started to interfere with her ethics as an investigator. She started getting sloppy. Deciding that she was way too far away from the man of her dreams, she decided to get more adventurous. Disguising herself under veils and borate clothing, she would brazenly walk up to him and linger for a moment at his side, hoping to catch a whiff of what he smelled like. Or at least brush up against his thick biceps. Anything to get close to him. Anything to put him in her sights and within range of touch.

    One of those days was going to be her undoing. She was well aware of this. However, what she didn''t know was that it was going to be much sooner than she would expect.

    One fateful day, during one of those her stalking rounds, something unusual happened. As usual, she had tailed Xzavier into town. He seemed to be talking one of his leisure walks in the surburbs of the city. Babara had been careful that day, and had maintained a decent distance from her target. But in the blink of an eye, before she could say jack, she suddenly lost track of Xzavier! Babara instantly picked up her speed, hoping to catch a nce of him that would be enough to keep him in her sights.

    As she ran up along the corner where she hadst seen him, she heard a cold voicee out from the shadows in the alley behind her;

    "FREEZE!" She froze up. "DON''T MOVE!!" She didn''t dare move an inch. She didn''t even as much as dare to think. Her heart was racing with all sorts of possibilities. How exactly did she end up here?

 Chapter 149 Explanation

    Babara knew she had been dancing too close to the streets recently. She knew that it was only a matter of time before this eventually happened. She didn''t know Xzavier''s voice because she had watched him from far all this while. Thinking she was about to be robbed, raped or worse, she began to beg profusely;

    "Sirs! Please don''t harm me-"

    Xzavier thundered; "SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!"  She did.

    "What the hell do you want?!"  He asked angrily.

    Xzavier had every right to be pissed. The past couple of weeks had been particrly difficult for him. He wasn''t the paranoid type, neither was he a superstitious person. Buttely, Xzavier simply couldn''t shake off the eerie feeling that he was being watched. It caused him a great deal of difort. He couldn''t verify this suspicious feeling, and yet he couldn''t seem to shake it offpletely.

    This set of eyes felt different. It felt like aser from a sniper''s rifle, boring into his back. It had all been very strange indeed. For some times, even though he couldn''t exin it, he felt it in a non-threatens way. Xzavier tried his best to think of anyone who held any kind of grudge against him that might warrant this level of surveince.

    He thought it was the governor, but when he considered it further, he saw that Quaid had no reason to tail him in this manner. Xzavier was a guest in his home. He literally slept and ate in his abode. So why go through all this trouble? Xzavier had also considered the Anjou family. There were the most likely suspects. After Xzavier had systematically decimated their heir''s ego, it was possible that they would feel the need to strike back. It had to be them. It was the only thing that made sense.

    So, thinking it was them, Xzavier deliberately walked alone in public ces, hoping to lure his enemies out, tempting them into attacking him while his defense was down. But much to his surprise, nothing came. No one came. And yet, the presence was still very much there!! Xzavier was getting infuriated by the day. So, he decided toy a trap for the enemy.

    Soon enough, as soon as he entered into the city, he felt the presence again watching him from the shadows. On high alert, Xzavier expertly ducked into a corner, luring in whoever or whatever was following him. He knew that if the tracker was a pro, he wouldn''t be easily caught. But he was banking on them being amateurs, and it worked beautifully. It was now time to uncover the person''s face.

    "Turn around- slowly."

    Holding her heart in her hand, Babara slowly turned around in preparation for whatever it was that was to follow. A look of pure astonishment registered on her face when she saw her assant''s identity. Xzavier? How? She thought to herself. Shocked to the bone, she began to wonder how Xzavier had done it. Had he known all along that she had been following him? Not sure exactly on how to proceed from here, she began to quiver nervously. Things did not look good for her at that moment.

    Although she didn''t know it at the time, the truth was that the shocking reveal was a mutual thing for both parties. Xzavier was stunned. Of all the people to stalk him, he had least expected it to be Babara! He remembered their first meeting very clearly. She had been very cold, snobbish and dismissive of him. She carried herself up so high that Xzavier didn''t think for a minute that she was capable of thinking of anyone else but herself. What was she doing following him anyway?

    Babara broke the awkward silence that hung over them like a ck cloud. She had no option. She knew how she must have looked like in Xzavier''s eyes, and it wasn''t favorable at all. So, she tried to assuage his feelings and clear up the situation. Not like there was anything to clear really.

    "Xzavier..." she started gently, slurring her words persuasively and tempering her tone to supresss her embarrassment, "...I know how this must seem, but I assure you, it''s not what you think it is."

    She bit down on her lip when she realized just how much of a clich?? her excuse was.

    "Okay! Maybe it''s what it seems like, but notpletely as you think!"

    She knew she was sounding real guilty. The suspicious look in Xzavier''s eyes showed that he was seriously doubting her mental sanity right now. So she delved further in, trying desperately to save the situation and redeem herself.

    "I can exin okay? I can! Please jus let give me a minute of your time! I promise you I am not crazy!"

    Actually, Xzavier was more amused than worried at this point. The big reveal had churned out something unexpected. Sure it was a bit shocking that Babara of all people was trailing him, (he was very much looking forward to finding out why), but at the moment, his risk assessment revealed that he was in fact under no real threat. Babara wasn''t going to be a problem. Not at the moment anyway. So, he rxed his guard for a minute and gave her room to exin.

    Xzavier mouthed one word authoritatively; "TALK."

    That was all the encouragement Babara needed. Given the situation, it was the best she could hope for.

    "Thank you for giving me the benefit of the doubt Xzavier. First off, I really didn''t mean any harm or disrespect..."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Now Xzavier was really interested. The high-handed Babara was talking about ''disrespect?'' No way!

    "I am really sorry for approaching you this way, trust me I am! But Xzavier, I really need your help."

    Xzavier didn''t see thatst biting. His day kept getting better and better.

    "If you don''t mind though, I''d like us to go somewhere private so we can talk. What I have to say is a bit sensitive. As you know, the walls have ears."

    Now Xzavier was used to suspecting everything and everyone. It was just how he was built.  He wondered if this was all some borate trick to get something out of him. He wouldn''t put it past her to do something of the sort. But looking at her, noting her bodynguage, tone, and desperate look in her eyes, Xzavier knew that something was up with her. She seemed a bit exhausted. Like she hadn''t slept in a whole week. Xzavier gave her his full attention and followed her back to her ce.

    A few minutester, after taking a couple of twists and turns down the busy roads of Victoria City, Xzavier finally arrived at the youngdy''s apartment in the high rise part of the city. She gingerly led Xzavier up the stairs and usher him into her home. Xzavier was a bit surprised. Babara seemed to have done well for herself. It wasn''t surprising though seeing that she hadnded a sweet gig at City Hall as a government official.

    Her living room was simple, and yet aesthetically pleasing. She was like a person who prioritized efficiency and at at the same time, loved aesthetics. The rugs, sofas, statues and books lined up on the shelves all told the kind of person Babara was. Cold, efficient, and still a lover of the arts.

    Babara watched Xzavier take in his new surroundings. She was a bit jittery. Not just because she had a man in her house, not just because she was anxious about her request, but because she had just realized she hadn''t really ascertained what side Xzavier was on. He seemed like a decent dude, but she had heard it said that he was a henchman for the Princy family. He lived there, he worked with the governor, and tutored his kids. Prudence dictated she first find these things out. If not, she might as well have shot herself in the foot with her decision to seek for his help.

    She started out with an ambiguous question;

    "Tell me something Xzavier, what would you do if the governor breaks thew?"

    This was definitely not what he had been expecting. But he already knew the answer to that. There was no need to think too much on it. So, his answer rolled out from his tongue automatically;

    "I would oppose the governor. There are no double standards, there shouldn''t be. Even those in authority are expected to uphold thew. Thew is absolute, and no one is above it."

    Xzavier was already guessing where this was headed. Babara''s question had been quite ambiguous but he could sense that there was a big reveal ahead. Babara on the other hand was deeply satisfied with Xzavier''s answer.  This was the type of man she absolutely needed right now. She exhaled deeply.

    "I am d you feel that way. Sorry but I just had to be sure..."

    Xzavier looked at her with a raised eyebrow; "How do you know I wasn''t just telling you what you wanted to hear?"

    "Don''t worry about that. I am pretty good at discerning lies from the truth."

    Xzavier scoffed mildly. "You mean like the first time we met and you ''discerned'' that I was a fraud?"

    Babara bit her tongue. She deserved that one.

    "I said I was pretty good at discerning lies from the truth. It is all too easy to spot a lie than to see the truth, especially in this job of mine."

    She leaned forward. "In the course of our lives, we all make monumental mistakes in our walks with different people. I definitely made one with you Xzavier and I am sorry for that..."

    Xzavier nodded, epting her apology.

 Chapter 150 Janae

    Babara continued.

    "Now with that out of the way, we can finally get down to the issue at hand. This is no joke Xzavier, neither is this a fabricated tale. Everything I am about to tell you is the truth."

    She pointed towards her workspace where piles and piles of paper sat neatly on the table; "I have well written and well detailed notes on all my investigations. There is no spection here. Just facts."

    Xzavier watched her and listened carefully. When she saw that she had Xzavier''s undivided attention, Babara dove right in and started to narrate her own findings. She spoke with the confidence of one who told the truth. She told Xzavier every single thing she had discovered. She borated as much as she could on Princy Castle. She tried to keep her voice free from pain as she spoke of her sister. Babara kept her own sentiments aside and did her best to stay on track. She told Xzavier everything, leaving nothing out.

    By the time she was done, Xzavier remained quiet for a really long time. In fact, it was so much that she wondered at intervals if he was awake or sleeping with his eyes open. It began to cross her mind that maybe Xzavier had deceived her. Maybe he was actually on the governor''s side and had tricked her into telling him all that she knew. Babara violently shook off those doubts from her thoughts. This was Xzavier, he wouldn''t do that.

    Actually, she didn''t me him for being quiet. This was too much information to offload all at once. She herself had taken weeks to figure it all out. And now, the poor Xzavier was getting it rammed into him all at once. Finally, her guest took a deep breath and broke the silence.

    "You have said quite a lot Babara, but you still haven''t told me what exactly you need my help for. What do you want me to do for you?"

    Babara realized that Xzavier was right. In all her narration, she had failed to make her request of him which was the true reason she hade after him in the first ce. Maybe she had wanted to gauge his reaction first to her theory. She couldn''t have jumped the gun by making her request first. No, it was needful he knew the whole thing. Then he would be in a better position to help her.

    Either way, courtesy demanded she present her request formally. Xzavier wasn''t a mind reader. The only way he could help was if he knew exactly what she wanted. Assumption was the mother of all blunders. He couldn''t simply assume. It was better he knew. If he could do it- fine. If he couldn''t, then it was also fine. But first, he had to know. So, Babara officially presented her request to him.

    "I have tried to get into Princy Castle, but havee up short ofing up with the perfect n. Ick the resources and information to get through. But that''s where youe in..."

    Xzavier kept his eyes on her, never taking it off even for a second.

    "...I need you to get in there Xzavier. I need you to find out for me if my sister is in there. I need to know if..."  she forced a sob downwards that wanted toe forth and finished her own sentence,"I neee to know if she is alive."

    Babara couldn''t believe she was the one saying this. But she had to be prepared to face the worst even as she hoped for the best.

    "We were separated when we were very young. So, I don''t have a portrait of her for you to go by. But Janae, (her sister''s name) looks very much like me. She is older than me but the difference isn''t all that much. She is pretty Xzavier..." she lowered her eyes to the ground and added sorrowfully; "Far prettier than I ever was."

    She lifted her gaze with hope in her eyes and encouraged Xzavier;

    "But don''t worry! You''ll know her the moment you set your eyes on her! I promise!"

    While Xzavier was busy calcting the probability of the suceess of this mission, Babara rose up from where she was seated across from Xzavier and went to a corner of the room. She pulled out a peculiar looking handkerchief and handed it to Xzavier.

    "Here, take this. Janae is a very stubborn and willful girl. There is every possibility that she might doubt you if you tell her I sent you. So when you find her, show her this handkerchief. She will instantly know that it''s from me."

    Xzavier collected the handkerchief and held it up to look at it carefully. Just as he had suspected initially, it was one of a kind. There was some kind of embroidery on it that made it different from anything he had ever seen. As he pocketed the handkerchief, his eyes wandered to the window and saw that time had really flown past since he came here. Since his mission was practically done here, there was no point in staying any longer than he had to. It was time to go.

    He stood up abruptly from the chair he had been sitting on.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "There''s a lot of work to do. As you know, to pull this off without arousing suspicion will require serious nning and a lot of information. I will have to get back to you on this."

    His tone suggested that he was done here and he was leaving. He expected Babara to pick up on this and stand up to see him off, or at least get the door open for him as a guest. But instead, she reclined back in her seat, crossed her legs and fixed her gaze on the door as if her mind wasn''t even on what Xzavier was saying.

    Xzavier thought it was weird. But he didn''t pursue it any more than he had to. He had already gotten used to the strange ways of the people of this time. He thought maybe this was just another one of those anomalies. He didn''t know how wrong he was.

    "I''ll be on my way now. Take care."

    Still no answer. Xzavier turned his back on her and headed towards the door. As he walked towards exit, he felt a very strange energy in the room. It was like the dynamic had shifted in thest couple of minutes. It wasn''t violent, or threatening or anything of the sort. But he couldn''ty his hands on it par day. Either way, he was d he was getting out. Only he wasn''t going anywhere.

    Xzavierid his hand on the door handle and twisted, willing it to move. To his surprise, it didn''t budge. He tried it again, using a much greater force, but nothing happened. It was very strange. Xzavier''s custom ck fitting suit (which he wore under his garments at all times) provided him with an enhanced grip that could break any material made up of matter. It began to dawn on him that maybe, he wasn''t dealing with actual matter here, maybe...

    "Where do you think you''re going Xzavier?" Babara''s cold voice confirmed what Xzavier was thinking already- magic!

    Xzavier slowly turned around to meet the cold ck eyes of Babara burning into him.

    "What''s going on Babara? What is the meaning of this?"

    She rolled her eyes. "I forgot that you have no mana whatsoever." She slowly rose up from her seat like a cobra uncoiling, and strolled over to Xzavier until she was only a couple of meters away from him.

    "For your information, I have used blockade magic to seal this room. You''re not getting out of here Xzavier. Not until I say so anyways."

    Xzavier cringed.  "What do you mean until you say so? I have agreed to help haven''t I?"

    Babara was acting really strange now. Her look, attitude, and general tone reminded Xzavier of the famous ck widow spiders. They were a breed of female spiders that devoured their males after mating.

    "You see Xzavier, I can''t just let you walk out of here just like that..."

    For the first time, Xzavier noticed what Babara was wearing. The disguise she had on earlier on was a big ck cloak which she had draped all around herself like a nket. As soon as they had gotten into the house, while Xzavier had been looking around, she had slid it off and taken her ce opposite him with a pillow on herps. The conversation had been way too dense for him to think about other things. But now, his mind was less upied, and it seemed like Babara wanted to upy more of his mental space.

    As the youngdy stood before him, Xzavier saw that she was d in a very short ck gown that stopped only a few inches above her pubis. Her dark long hair which she had let down over her shoulders, and her thinly strapped ck gown made her appear different than she usually was. Her coldness was still there, but this time, there was a sensual ring to it.

    "You see Xzavier, you know too much already¡­" her voice had dropped to a low, almost inaudible whisper. "You can''t just walk out of here. What if you end up telling the governor of our little arrangement here?"

    Xzavier swallowed hard. "I won''t. You have my word."

    "Tsk, tsk, tsk¡­" Babara shook her head as her tongue clicked against the roof of her mouth repeatedly. "All I have is your word. Forgive me, but that is almost useless to me¡­"

 Chapter 151 Insurance

    Babara never broke eye contact with Xzavier. She kept her eyes fixed on him with the disturbing focus of a serpent cornering its prey. But that wasn''t the only thing that was serpentine about her in that moment. As she spoke, she ran her hands across her shoulders, gently edging herself out of her incredibly short dress.

    "I need more than you word Xzavier¡­"

    Xzavier was no dummy. He already knew where this was headed. He knew this type of women. If he were to out rightly decline her incredibly tempting offer, there was no telling what she might do. She didn''t look like she would handle rejection well. She might end up taking it as a slight and burn him along with Quaid. He had to be careful. Thinking she might shy away from a direct confrontation, Xzavier stepped forward intimidatingly and asked her directly.

    "What are you asking exactly Babara?" he growled, "What do you wa--"

    "I want you to make me feel like a woman¡­I want you to make love to me Xzavier!" as these words brazenly flew out of her mouth, the remains of her ck dress dropped to the floor with a silent thud.

    Xzavier found himself staring at apletely naked Babara. Her small, portable breasts hung firm on her chest. Her bold, inviting brown nipples were hard already. His eyes traced the rest of her milky white body. It seemed like the bogus skirts she wore all the time hid her well-developed pelvis. Her thighs were more beefy than Xzavier had initially thought. On her waist line, where her underwear should have been was a cleanly shaved pubis. She wasn''t even wearing any panties!

    Xzavier was stunned by thatst bit. He had been with her the whole time, right from outdoors to this point. Had she actuallye out to stalk him without wearing any underwear? Xzavier tried to subject his feelings under his will, but for some reason, he found himself getting excited by that revtion.

    While Xzavier''s mind tumbled from the inside out, and while his eyes ran all over her body, Babara stepped forward in a brazen manner, bringing herself much closer to him until she could touch him by stretching out her arms.

    "Listen to me Xzavier, It''s not that I don''t trust you¡­" she took his left hand in her hand and put two of his fingers in her mouth. Babara sensually wetted both fingers, removed them, and lowered them towards her pussy, all the while maintaining eye contact, and still speaking slowly.

    "But I have to be careful. What if you report me to the governor?"

    Xzavier tried to open his mouth to speak, but Babara ced her free hand of his lips, shushing him. Next, she gracefully parted her legs, and with her other hand which was still holding on to Xzavier''s two wet fingers, she used them to graze the outermost part of her pussy. Xzavier was awed. Babara took forey to a whole other level. Still maintaining a diabolic eye contact with Xzavier, she continued to speak;

    "What if you betray me Xzavier? Huh? What if I die?"

    Xzavier wasn''t sure what to say at this point. It was clear that she didn''t want him to speak. His fingers were grazing the outer part of her pussy even in that moment, and even worse, her bold ck eyes had locked themselves with his own eyes in what seemed like an unbreakable gaze. He decided to keep quiet and let it y out.

    "¡­so," Babara continued. Her voice had dropped, almost to a low light moan now. "..this is the only way I can be sure¡­" she lifted up her leg slightly, put her foot on Xzavier''s own foot, and slipped his fingers inside her pussy. She whimpered slightly, almost trembling, and bit down on her lower lip. All the while, maintaining that terribly sinister eye contact with Xzavier.

    Xzavier on the other hand felt the warmth of her insides wee his fingers. She was soft, slushy and incredibly creamy. But above all, one other thing stood out- Xzavier couldn''t get over how tight she was!

    Babara continued to use his fingers, gently removing and cing them as she guided the tempo herself. It wasn''t the typical scene one would see on a first encounter between two people, but it was happening either way, and Babara was fully in control. In between groans, she let out bits and pieces of loose sentences.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "So¡­this¡­is¡­why¡­you¡­must¡­do¡­this¡­" she trembled slightly as she guided his fingers to her own unique spot. "Only when it''s all in the open¡­the governor will not believe you because of what we are about to do¡­"

    Xzavier was intrigued by all this. The fact was he didn''t want to sleep with Babara. It wasn''t because he didn''t find her attractive, the secretary was in her own league when it came to physique. She was actually pretty, and almost irresistible when out of clothes. But if he refused to do this, he knew that he wasn''t going to get out of this ce. His mind began to brainstorm. Xzavier knew that he had to figure something out before things got out of hand.

    While Xzavier hesitated, as Babara leaned her naked self on his chest, moaning and groaning as she used his hands to masturbate, Xzavier got the final push he needed.

    "Major Mace, be advised- you are mandated to make this female one of your harem. Please note, this task must bepleted."

    If Xzavier had doubted the fact that the military system had a sense of sadistic sarcasm, he didn''t doubt it anymore. This time, its timely intervention showed that it was indeed invested in his pleasure.

    Xzavier cursed silently. And acquiesced to whatever it was that Babara had lined up in store for him.

    Babara was a different breed entirely, and it showed in the way and manner she handled intimacy. As ady who had undergone many hardships and trials at the hands of mostly men, she hadpletely ruled out affection from her life and focused solely on her career. But over the past couple of weeks, this had changed dramatically.

    She had watched Xzavier closely, and slowly, without her consent, a strange feeling began to stir in her. Towards the end of her surveince, all Babara knew was that she had to have him to herself. Having him in her apartment had been a real stroke of luck. But either way, it had happened. And Babara, being the tenacious and opportunistic person that she was, wasn''t willing to simply let this slide. She was determined to have him, on her own terms. Even if it meant ckmailing or guilt tripping him.

    Still standing, and with her head on his chest, she slipped her small hands into Xzavier''s breeches. She didn''t need to go too far, her hand found his long hard cock and she whimpered as she felt its girth and budding heat. She began to tug slowly at first, and then increased her tempo.

    Suddenly, she shoved Xzavier violently. Xzavier''s stamina was strong, so he didn''t budge. But he got the feeling that she wanted him to sit back on the couch. So, he took a step back, sat down and reclined on the couch to enjoy the show. It was getting pretty dark outside, so the lighting in the room began to dim by the minute. But it was just perfect for the situation. Babara''s milky white body slithered over to his direction and dropped down to her knees.

    Xzavier still had his breeches on for some reason, so Babara went hard at work to undoing his trousers. Thankfully, the garments of that era wasn''t asplicated as modern zippers, in two swift movements, she was able to free Xzavier''s long hot rod from the shackles of his breeches. She took a moment to get a good look at it. She took her time because she knew she would need to remember it for muchter on.

    Finally, she nervously took Xzavier''s cock with both hands and started to stroke it from top to bottom. From her movements, Xzavier knew that this was most likely her first time. Babara was the type that studied and worked hard to excel at everything. Even though she had never actually done this before, she had read up on volumes and volumes of the art of sexual pleasure, hoping to arm herself with this knowledge in the event that she decided to go all in one day.

    But as she soon found out, theory and practical weren''t necessarily the same thing. Her movementscked the precision and grace that came with experience. She was trying her best to appear skillful and knowing, but Xzavier soon picked up on her nervousness. So, he decided to take charge. He stopped her gently, picked her up from her squatting position andy her down on the couch.

    The feeling of being handled so gently was strange to Babara. As someone who had been self-sufficient for so long, being babied like this was out of the norm for her. She still wanted Xzavier badly, and her own forceful and domineering personality fought against being the submissive in this scenario. But Xzavier was the real dominant here. The scales of power had tipped in his favor, cing him in charge. He asserted his role with his next move.

    His big body climbed onto her, as a stallion would mount a mare, and spread her legs wider to amodate his lower waist. The couch was a bit constrained in terms of space, and didn''t give much room for maneuvering, so, Xzavier grabbed one of the pillows and gently ced it under Babara''s waist for easy pration.

 Chapter 152 2000 Points?

    Even though she had hid it well, it had eventuallye to Xzavier''s attention that he was in fact dealing with a virgin.

    Her body was soft and tender. Much softer than Xzavier had imagined. He ran his lips all over her body, all the while stroking her pussy with the tip of his dick. Babara was tense at first, but slowly, she submitted herself to Xzavier and soon began to melt under his touch. She closed her eyes as she felt his tongue rove all over her body in the darkness. This was just like her dreams, only much better. She yed with her tits and teased her nipples, all the while prepping her pussy for what was toe.

    Gently, Xzavier lowered himself into her. The cap of his dick went in first, causing Babara to grab the fabric of her sofa, tensed up, as she felt Xzavier ease into her bit by bit. Xzavier felt her warm pussy fight to retain its original tightness, as Babara struggled to amodate his intruding cock. With the tip of Xzavier''s cock finally inside of her, he locked both of her legs behind his waist and went deeper, forcing the rest of his rod in, and provoking a short gasp/scream from Babara.

    The sound went straight to Xzavier head, and he shoved his cock further into her with more tenacity this time. Babara bit down her lip trying not to scream. She managed to curtail her soundtrack, but there was nothing she could do about her rapid respiration. Babara was beginning to breathe fast now. Xzavier adjusted his knees, cing himself in a morefortable situation as he prepared to begin his deep thrusts.

    He pulled out the full length of his cock to the tip and drove in into her throbbing pussy, forcing more space to open up and provoking more moisture. Babara yelped with pain. Xzavier enjoyed the sound of her fighting to stretch to receive all of him. Thus, he began to stroke. Babara''s pussy was small, and extremely tight. Plus she was a bit short in stature, so Xzavier was more or less like a giant to her, in body and in organ.

    Every stroke felt like it made its way to her womb, she could almost taste his penis all the way to her mouth. Xzavier began to enjoy Babara voraciously. Gasping for breath, she started to moan in short intervals as she tried her best to hold the pain of him going in and out of her. Xzavier didn''t care. He was loving the coldposed look of the secretary turn into a panicky and disoriented face as she decimated her insides with his dick.

    Xzavier''s thrusts became more and more frequent. He groaned unabashedly and the creamy moisture in between her thighs brought him exceeding pleasure. Xzavier lowered himself onto her, ced hisrge hand on her throat, and began to pump her faster and faster.

    "Fuck¡­you''re so tight¡­" he groaned into her ears. She didn''t say anything back, she simply kept turning her head from side to side, trying to free up her neck from Xzavier''s gentle but firm grasp. Xzavier beat her pussy in that position for some time before her tight pussy began to draw out his seed. Xzavier groaned as he felt his own climax approaching.

    He held her throat tighter and he quickened his pace, shoving his huge fat dick in and out of her small pussy with more frequent thrusts. He increased his tempo, feeling every single bit of her pussy dragging out his seed, until eventually, the flood came through. Xzavier didn''t pull out. He wasn''t that he didn''t want to, he simply couldn''t. Both of their body fluids became one as Xzavier filled her with his milky seed. He didn''t stop until hepletely ejacted.

    As he pulled out, Xzavier couldn''t stop thinking why virgins hadn''t been his preference before now. The beautiful sight of a pretty naked woman sprawled out before him in exhaustion, was always a glorious sight to behold. That rtively brief moment of lovemaking had somehow drained Babara of her energy. Even as Xzavier stood up to wear his trousers, she didn''t stir. Xzavier knew that he had done a pretty good job.

    As he congratted himself mentally, the military system chose that moment to step in;

    "Congrattions Xzavier! You have just earned two thousand points!"

    Xzavier was taken aback. Two whole thousand points? Just for making love? It was astounding. As he headed to the door, he remembered that she ce was sealed. He turned to the naked body of the secretary that was still lying like still like a crocodile at a watering hole.

    "Open the door Babara. We''re done here."

    Without even looking at him, she simply clicked her fingers and let him out.

    Xzavier left Babara''s ce with a lot of thoughts on his mind. Sure, the evening had ended on a surprising note for him, but the euphoria of the sex had vanished, and in its ce was the bombshell that Babara had dropped on him about his host. Xzavier was grateful for the fact that the walk back to the governor''s mansion was a long one. He needed time to think clearly.

    Xzavier wasn''t entirely surprised that Quaid was involved in the business of sex ves. He was a noble in Victoria City. It was what they did. Of course Quaid didn''t rise to be the man he was by simply ying nice, he must have dabbled in a lot of muddy waters to get ahead. Xzavier knew this.

    However, what surprised him was the fact that the governor had kept such a smooth operation hidden for such a long time, such that even Xzavier hadn''t caught a whiff of it despite being so close to Quaid. This was just one of the pointers that Quaid was still very much a dangerous man. Xzavier was repulsed. This was just the kind of thing he hated. The grooming of youngdies to be sex ves was something he would never condone.

    And yet, despite his apparent anger, he knew that he couldn''t afford to let his sense of justice cloud his reasoning. If he was going to pull this off, he needed to stay one hundred percent focused in order to outwit the governor. Quaid was a very perceptive and suspicious man. If he so much sensed an iota of distrust, he knew that it was going to be the end.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As Xzavier trudged down the streets of Victoria City thatte evening, he began to formte a n in his head. This was one thing he loved to do- hunt down and take down foul monsters. Right now, Quaid''s establishment was the biggest monster of all, and the stench of its iniquities stank right up to the high heavens. Xzavier was going to be the instrument to rescue the first prisoner from there. If he seeded, he could do the same for others.

    He arrived at the governor''s mansion and headed right to his bedroom. The stench of Babara''s pussy drip and body fluids was all over him. He needed to wash up first, and he did. By the time he was done with his whole cleansing ritual, it was already prettyte. That wasn''t a problem at all. He knew that the governor stayed upte every single night. So, Xzavier bundled himself and went to seek him out.

    TAP- TAP- TAP¡­ It was the sound of Xzavier''s firm knock on Quaid''s home office door. He answered wearily from the other end; "Come in Xzavier."

    He pushed the door open. "How did you know it was me?"

    "It''s easy, I know everyone''s footstep in my household. You''re the only one who leaves no sound trail when you walk."

    Xzavier chuckled. "So in other words, my own signature is my ghostlike presence right?"

    "Hey! Your words, not mine." He resumed what he was doing at his desk and mouthed without looking up; "What brings you by Xzavier? It''s kind ofte isn''t it?"

    Xzavier passed off his best bored look. "I was bored. I couldn''t sleep¡­"

    Quaid was about to ask him if he should order Adalia to visit him, but he remembered that she was no longer his property. Instead, he shifted the tone of his inquiry.

    "What about Adalia? I would have thought that she would be with you each and every other night?"

    "Why? So, because I fucked her once or twice, that means I have to always be with her? Come on Quaid. I would have thought you of all people would understand."

    Quaid nodded eagerly. "Oh I do! Trust me I do¡­"

    Xzavier noted the double affirmation in Quaid''s reply and knew that the governor was hiding his perversion. Xzavier just had to goad him on a little bit to get him where he wanted.

    "Good, that''s why I need another ything. Someone as exquisite and as divinely beautiful as Adalia. I need a rare gem¡­"

    Quaid listened to Xzavier with great interest. It seemed as if his high self-righteous walls were finally crumbling down. He was d to see that Xzavier was just as hot-blooded as any other male out there. It had taken only a couple of nights with a beautiful maid. So, he poked him further.

    "Why not head over to one of the brothels in town? I hear Spring has some of the nicest girls¡­"

    "Whores." Xzavier corrected him. "Not girls, they are all whores who have virtually copted with half the male poption in this town. I don''t need that kind of mess screwing up my energy¡­I need young, fresh blood. But s, there is nowhere I can find that¡­"

 Chapter 153 Princy Castle

    Xzavier was surprised at his own self. He was getting pretty darn good at this game of smoke and mirrors. He knew he couldn''t very well just walk up to the governor and mention Princy Castle- that would have made Quaid put a bullet in Xzavier''s head with the same weapon Xzavier had given him. Xzavier knew he had to coy, sly, and slick about this. It was thenguage Quaid understood very much.

    Quaid was undoubtedly excited! Not only was Xzavier a hot-blooded male, he was also part of the elite species of males who had a taste for the much darker side of sexual intercourse. Having to share whores was an ordinary man''s dream. But to own a sex ve in body and in soul- that was the stuff of powerful men, it was the nectar of the gods. And Xzavier was on that track!

    Though the governor didn''t show it outwardly, he was ted! This was one more chance to have a greater hold on Xzavier! Calmly, he replied Xzavier;

    "I think I know what you mean. It''s all good. Try and get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow, I will take you some ce special."

    Xzavier purposely looked at Quaid suspiciously, knowing that was what the governor expected him to do. Quaid in turn saw the look Xzavier had given him, and thought that he had piqued Xzavier''s interest now. That was all he needed.

    "Rx Xzavier, it''s nothing to fret about. However, one thing I assure you though, you will never remain the same again¡­"

    Convinced that he had hooked Xzavier into his snare now, Quaid bade Xzavier goodnight and returned back to his work. It was only after Xzavier had banged the door behind him, that Quaid allowed himself to smile one of his evil maniacal smiles.

    "So Xzavier¡­turns out you''re one of us aren''t you?"

    On the other side of the door, Xzavier was also smiling as he made his way back to his bedroom. Both men were ying games. The other thinking they had the advantage of being ahead. It was a beautiful mess.

    Xzavier went to bed, but didn''t get much sleep. Oppression was something that disgusted him greatly. And he was getting increasingly irritated by the fact that he had been a guest of one who partook in such a heinous endeavor. He cursed himself for believing that Quaid was above it all. In actuality, Xzavier was being unnecessarily hard on himself; there was simply no way he could have known. Quaid was a master deceiver. He had taken precautionary measures with Xzavier- and it had worked beautifully.

    He couldn''t believe how blindsided he had been all this while. he thought about all the poor girls being held against their will. He thought of how hopeless their situation was and how no one gave the slightest bit of care about them. Xzavier began to boil with anger in his bed. He was obviously enraged. He knew he had to do something. Clearly, no one else was going to.

    The very next morning, before sun up, Xzavier jumped out of bed to begin his training. It was his hope that he would get some rity with some physical exercise and a new rush of adrenaline. He could do with a change of scenery and his lungs could do with some fresh air.

    A few minutester, as the cool early morning wind rustled through his hair, while Xzavier went for his morning run, he mulled over his ns for the day. Even as he jogged around the mansion''s grounds, he put his body on autopilot, and began to run different simtions in his head. He tried to set everything in order as he would normally do before going on any mission, but he discovered that there were too many unknown variables.

    For one, he didn''t know the location, nor the terrain, nor the general environment. Babara had done her best to paint a vivid picture of the notorious Princy Castle, but her descriptioncked all the core elements of a tactical point of view. He couldn''t me her, she was after all just a civilian. Xzavier guessed that since it was a secretly veiled spot, then security was going to be tight. That was the one thing he was sure off. Great beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead, and trickled down his face.

    Actually, Xzavier wasn''t bothered about the security part. He was more than capable and more than equipped to handle a small army of well-trained mages. The problem was how to rescue the Janae girl in question without raising any suspicions on his own end. It would be a real phenomenal task, getting her out of there. Xzavier was running around in circles, physically and mentally. He decided to just go along with his original n- treat this outing with the governor as a reconnaissance mission.

    The first rays of sunlight began to streak across the horizon, so he decided to round up his jogging. He clocked his time and headed back. A short whileter, as Xzavier made his way towards his living quarters, he saw a servant nervously standing by the door, waiting for him. Xzavier was puzzled, this had almost never happened before. The servant saw his shadow darken the hallway and abruptly turned to face him.

    Xzavier had gotten used to the servants acting like this around him.

    "Is there a problem?"

    "None at all Baron. The governor has requested that you join him for breakfast at the dining area."

    "Right now?"

    "Yes Baron."

    Xzavier sighed. "Inform him I''ll be there."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier was a bit sweaty from his morning run. So, he hurriedly cleaned himself up and put on a change of garments. Each and every time he put on the clothes that had been arraigned for him by either Adalia or the other servants, Xzavier felt like he was in a school y or in a costume party. He never quite got used to it.

    In a jiffy, Xzavier pulled open the wide doors of the dining area and walked in smartly. To his surprise, it was only Quaid that was seated at the long mahogany dining table. The governor always tried his best to have breakfast with his family every morning. But apparently, today was the exception.

    "Good morning governor." Xzavier greeted his host as he strolled over to the seat that had been prepared for him. A different maid pulled back the chair for him, and he sat down. Quaid sure liked his maids beautiful.

    "Morning Xzavier. Hope your night was peaceful?"

    "Indeed it was."

    "Good, have some breakfast. We leave in five."

    Xzavier declined politely. "Actually, I''m not so hungry this morning."

    Quaid shook his head disapprovingly; "I suggest you eat up Xzavier. Trust me, you''re going to need your strength muchter on¡­"

    Xzavier instantly understood and made to dish out some food on his te. But Quaid stopped him saying;

    "Come on Xzavier, you''re a Baron now, you need to act like it."

    He snapped his fingers at the maid,manding her to do her job. Xzavier gritted his teeth. Quaid was getting rather cocky. He never passed up on any chance to show Xzavier that he was a powerful man, and he had the authority to give orders as he wished. Xzavier wasn''t a fan of the whole bit. His hands were perfectly fine. What was the point or having someone else do it when he could do it himself?

    But he wisely kept his calm and allowed the maid to dish out his meal. As soon as she uncovered the lid, the rich aromatic smell of freshly fried bacon and eggs filled the entire room. The inviting aroma wafted through the air and hit Xzavier''s nostrils immediately. The reaction in his mouth was instantaneous as his mouth begin to water. This was very unlike the governor. He was usually careful about his diet. But today''s breakfast was rich in high-protein.

    After heaving a decent helping onto Xzavier''s te, the maid pulled up a goblet, and filled it with freshly squeezed citrus juice. He watched the whole process as the beautiful maid served him methodically.

    "Come on Xzavier, what are you waiting for?" Quaid goaded him on mischievously, "Get in there and enjoy yourself!"

    Xzavier didn''t need to be told twice. He dug in with his fork and knife. But much to his surprise, after taking only a few bites, he was shocked to see that he was satisfied. It was an incredibly rich breakfast.

    After breakfast, Xzavier and Quaid rolled out of the mansion in the custom made coach, and pulled into the streets. As they eased their way down the hill into town, Quaid decided to poke the bear a little bit.

    "Honestly Xzavier, I never would have figured you for the type¡­"

    Xzavier shrugged nonchntly, "I guess you can never really know people¡­"

    "I guess you can''t." Quaid echoed his rhetoric.

    They sat in silence for the remaining course of the journey as the horse-drawn carriage majestically strolled down the hill and into the city. Up until he hade to this isekai, Xzavier didn''t realize just how oddly appealing carriage rides were. He looked through the window as they pulled through the busy streets of Victoria City, until they finally started to leave it all behind.

    Xzavier couldn''t ask what direction they were headed because he wasn''t all too familiar with the City entirely. He knew a couple of poprndmarks, and this had been enough for him to get around on his own. But other than that, he hadn''t really gotten around to exploring the city atrge. As the journey progressed, Xzavier discovered that even if he had asked, he wouldn''t have gotten any definitive answer. But the looks of it, they were headed to nowhere.

 Chapter 154 Impeccable

    Gently, the lofty modern buildings of the city began to recede in the distance as they delved farther and farther away from civilization. Xzavier fixed his eyes on the window. They were on the outskirts of town and seemed to be heading out of the city. Then all of a sudden, without warning, the coach drive wheeled the horse-drawn vehicle off the main road, leaving a cloud of dust behind them as they plunged into a hidden path that led into the forest.

    The road wasn''t as bumpy as Xzavier had assumed it would be. For a path in the forest that seemed to lead to nowhere, it was actually paved for carriage rides. Xzavier had always been a fan of the countryside. The fresh air, the serenity, the vegetation and the noiseless atmosphere sat well with his personality. They travelled further in to the forest for about another half hour or so, until finally, they arrived at their destination.

    The coach driver pulled up on a magnificent castle that seemed toe out nowhere. It sat on arge expanse ofnd like an ind in the middle of the sea,pletely surrounded by nothing but lush vegetation and the towering canopy trees of the forest. As Xzavier looked on, he couldn''t help but see the ingenuity of Quaid in his choice of this location. Here, in the middle of nowhere, if powerful men wanted to do really bad things to little girls, they could shamelessly do so freely, without having to worry about their screams being heard.

    Quaid must have really gone through a lot to keep this ce hidden. Of course such an establishment wasmon ce in this era. Several rich nobles owned and indulged in popr brothels. But since Quaid was the governor and a political figure, it made sense that he would like to distance himself from this profane practices. He had to maintain some semnce of virtue as a leader. He knew that Quaid''s clientele must be exclusive. It had to be, otherwise it would defeat the whole purpose of anonymity.

    As Quaid looked on at the magnificently huge monument, Quaid saw him admiring it and, and couldn''t resist the urge to dere proudly;

    "Breathtaking right?! She''s truly one of a kind." Then, in an exuberant manner, he added; "Wee to Princy Castle! Thergest castle in the entire area! I assure you, you would never find any other castle in this category."

    Feigning interest, Xzavier whistled a shrill note as if he was impressed. "Wow, this must have cost a fortune."

    Quaid made no attempt to conceal his pride and answered Xzavier arrogantly; "Several fortunes actually."

    He guided Xzavier to the entrance, encouraging him on. "Come on, let''s go in."

    "After you Quaid, after you..."

    Xzavier wasn''t just being courteous by allowing Quaid lead the way. He had other ns of his own. As he walked behind Quaid, Xzavier began his own information gathering. This was supposed to be a reconnaissance mission anyway. Xzavier took note of the guards and the security. Quaid had spared no expense when it came to security. Xzavier took one single look at the guards in question and knew that they were trained killers.

    It was obvious that these men were mercenaries. Quaid couldn''t trust soldiers from his own ranks with keeping silent about this. But these mercenaries, Quaid knew that he could trust them because they were loyal to one thing only- gold. And as Quaid would have it, gold was something that he had in abundance. Gold was the only guarantee he needed. For these men were mercenaries, and mercenaries loved gold more than anything in their lives. This was all the understanding and assurance he needed from them.

    The security was constant, all day and all night. No spot was left unguarded- both with physical eyes and magic. Taking deep note of all these contingencies that had been put in ce by a very paranoid mind, Xzavier saw that as an outsider, gaining ess here without permission was bound to be a fruitless endeavor. But that was only the outside.

    As soon as Xzavier stepped into the castle, his jaw dropped in wanton shock. The interior- it was more beautiful than he could ever envisage! The decor was absolutely stunning! Xzavier felt like he had stepped into a fairytale dream! The style was Victorian, but the elegance was simply out of this world. Everything about this ce screamed luxury and ss! It was simply exquisite. Xzavier thought nothing could ever trump Spring in architecture and interior design, but everything about this castle was just impable.

    It was as though the floor itself was a sea of ss. Xzavier thought it was marble itself,  but the more he looked, the more he suspected that magic was at y here. It was just all too surreal. On the walls,rge sized elegant portraits of semi-naked beautiful women hung in exquisitely furnished golden frames, towering over everyone, making it seem like a kind of sex museum or a nude art gallery. The furnishings were simply ethereal.

    Xzavier didn''t even know what some of the pieces were, but he knew that they were probably expensive and rare as well. The rails of the staircase that led up were coated and oveid in gold. Making it look that it was a path or adder to some otherworldly realm. In some ways, it kind of was. The whole ce had been prepared and artfully decorated to y on the human need for good things. There was food as well. Oh there was food. But that was thest thing on Xzavier''s mind.

    Everything here, every single thing could be called a work of art. The mind that had conceived this was nothing short of a genius. There was no denying it. Even as someone who was from a more advanced time, Xzavier couldn''t deny what had been done with this ce. Even without technology, it was still very ethereal.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Quaid watched Xzavier take it all in. He was d when he saw the glint in his eyes as he took in the whole scene. It was truly "gawk-worthy."

    "I told you Xzavier, this ce is special. Actually I used toe here a lot while I was younger..."  the governor had that dreamy look in his eyes as he reminisced on the days of his youth. "Oh yes, I did a lot of damage in this building. But s, those days are long gone now."

    He chuckled to himself

    "Time has really flown by, I am now an old man now. But you Xzavier, young prodigies like you shoulde here often! Enjoy your youth you know, time is on no one''s side!"

    "You speak the truth governor."

    Xzavier found out that Quaid was something of a demigod here. Hardly a minute went by without people saluting and hailing him. As they marched through the weing area that served as the lobbymon room, they came up on a hall way that led to a very conspicuous looking door. Quaid didn''t knock. He simply pushed it open authoritatively and the door opened to reveal a very spacious room.

    It truly seemed like every space in this castle was elegantly designed. This room in particr was beautifully decorated. The velvet rug and the lush decor made the roome alive with a sensual delight. The very space was a derivative of a hotel/brothel. On a golden ted table, with two throne like chairs beside it were mouth watering delicacies. There was a whole roasted turkey on the tter, surrounded by other appetizing side dishes that Xzavier wasn''tpletely familiar with. There were lots of apples and different species of grapes. And of course- there was wine.

    All these things added to the general allure of the space. It was all so the customer could feel extremely at home, with all the pleasures the body could enjoy. The food wasn''t just the only excellent thing. The size and design of the bed suggested that it wasn''t just built for peaceful sleeping. The reinforced sturdy frame, as well multiple handcuffs pinned to the sides of the bed all suggested that customers didn''te all the way here to simply sleep in the bed.

    The bed, bed frame, and essories were designed for a night of adventure. To crown it all, there was even a mini pool in the right section of the reallyrge room. It was all so supercilious to behold. The lighting in the room was one of a kind. Candles were strategically ced at regr intervals. And the view out of the window was simply extraordinary. It was nature''s goodness as well as man''s ever present need to explore and enjoy himself.

    Everything was just pure goodness. It was all a delight really.

    As Quaid watched Xzavier take in the entire space, a female servant came to the door of the room and greeted the both of them.

    "Wee most esteemed governor and baron. We''re d to have you here..."

    Quaid waved his hand dismissively. This wasn''t his first rodeo.

    "Get on with it will you? The baron here is very anxious to see the line up! Bring them in!"

    The servant bowed and retreated through the open door. A minuteter, a stream of exquisitely beautifuldies cat walked into the room in graceful slides. They were truly magnificent creatures. Their skin glistened like marble statues, making them look angelic. Xzavier was spell bound. He had seen beautiful women before, but not like this. Thesedies resembled porcin dolls, each with their own distinct style and aura.

    They looked pretty damn good!

 Chapter 155 Impossible!

    It was evident that these weren''t the regr day prostitutes. No, they were the type of high end courtesans that ran around in the circles of rich and powerful men. They were well taken care off. They lived a life of leisure here. No stress, no problems, all so that that could look good and radiant.  Xzavier didn''t even want to think about the extensive beauty regiments that had to undergo.

    Most definitely, their diets were controlled. But it wasn''t just their faces, eachdy here had a body of a goddess. Even those who were rtively much slender than the others had firm bodies that entuated their already appealing allure. They were all oozing inordinate degrees of sex appeal. Their rosy cheeks and fresh skins suggested that they ate the choicest fruits and made time for exercise and meditation.

    Truly, they were the cr¨¨me of the cr¨¨me. They best of the best. The one percent. And they were all in one room- standing before Xzavier, twirling and turning like expensive cars on disy. There were ten of them. Ten shades of hotness. Ten beauties with faces of angels and bodies that corseted into hoursses.

    Xzavier was impressed, but he wasn''t distracted. He was very much aware of the fact that he was on a mission. And the first part of that mission was identifying and isting his target. So, without wasting much time, he began to take in every single face carefully as he looked for the person that would be Janae.

    As Xzavier observed them all, he saw that they were all very different from each other. Each girl was unique in her own sphere, as if the establishment was capitalizing on the diversity they provided. Quaid watched Xzavier closely. He saw the way Xzavier looked at at every single women. It excited him to be the one to provide Xzavier with the link to such an exclusive service. As he observed Xzavier observe the merchandise, he concluded that he was indeed one of them.

    Any basic person whocked sophistication would have gotten excited and rushed to pick the first beauty he saw. After all, these were a once in a lifetime women. But not Xzavier. In Quaid''s mind, this was noteworthy. He liked the way Xzavier was taking his time, noting the details, looking for even the slightest blemish in the midst in the sea of perfection. He was delighted and a bit envious of Xzavier that he was experiencing this for the first time.

    Xzavier on the other hand wasn''t exactly inspecting thedies for the reason Quaid thought. From across the room, Xzavier''s eyes zed over every single face, juxtaposing it with Babara''s face, desperately looking for a connection. After the eighth girl, Xzavier was about to give up hope when his eyes finally fell on the ninth girl. The girl in question had some make up on. But beneath all of that, Xzavier could vaguely make out the familiar form of Babara''s face line on hers. Xzavier looked on for a moment, he had to be sure, if not it would end up being a catastrophic miscalction.

    Recalling Babara''s description of her sister, and still holding up the mental image of Babara''s face in his head, Xzavier lingered on the ninth girl for a bit, and then finally concluded that she was the one. She was ady of stunning proportion. Although Xzavier didn''t like topare women, especially sisters, but it was undeniable that Janae was much prettier than her sibling. It was a ring fact that couldn''t just be ignored.

    Xzavier thought of all she must have had to endure, and began to feel a tide of righteous wave swelling in him again. He knew that Babara''s guess wasn''t far from the truth- Quaid must have done a whole lot of illegal stuff that went against thew. He knew that Quaid had only been hiding his true colors, all this while perpetuating his heinous acts from the shadows, making profit off young girls that were old enough to be his daughters.

    Xzavier stilled himself. Now wasn''t the time to get riled up. Eventually he would get to Quaid, but first, he had to settle things with Babara''s sister. At the moment, her rescue took precedence before all other things.

    ? Quaid recognized the wandering look in Xzavier''s eyes and thought that he was having trouble finding his mark. He went on to hype thedies here;

    "It is okay Xzavier, I know it is quite the sight. You can see that I clearly wasn''t kidding earlier on. Truly, before you stands the ten most beautiful women in the entire Princy State- except Adalia of course." He stretched forth his hand towards the lineup and dered boldly; "These are the kind of women that the average officer would only dream of being with. But you my friend are going to enjoy the treatment that has been reserved for only a select few!"

    Xzavier was growing weary of the governor''s incessant boastings that were bing more frequent ofte. If Quaid knew just how disgusted Xzavier was, he would have kept his mouth shut and spared himself the embarrassment. But s, the fact still remained that Xzavier''s thoughts stayed inside his heart, and Quaid remained oblivious of his true intentions- as it should be. So, Xzavier simply indulged the egocentric governor;

    "I am truly grateful for your hospitality governor. But truly, this is all too much. I feel like I may waste a good portion of my time just trying to figure out the right one."

    It was a lie. A tant lie at that.

    Quaidughed understandably. "That''s fair, but I don''t think you''re thinking big enough. You know you can have as many as you like right? Take them two at a time, or three if you''d like?"

    Xzavier feigned shock. "You have severely over estimated my stamina governor, I''m afraid not all of us can live up to your youthful days."

    Quaid beamed at thepliment. He was really starting to like this Xzavier guy.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "¡­besides," Xzavier continued, "these women are like once in a lifetime appetizers. They are not to be rushed, they must be savored individually. It would be a real crime to rush them."

    Quaid couldn''t agree more. So, Xzavier pretended to hesitate some more before finally, he lifted up his hand and pointed at the one girl that looked like Babara.

    "You, number eight, step forward."

    She shyly stepped forward. Separating herself from the line up behind her, giving Xzavier a full view of the package she offered. But of course, Xzavier wasn''t interested in that.

    "Alright then," Quaid announced, "We''re done here. The rest of you can go." Quaidmanded them like they were his properties, not even like employees. It was evident in his tone that he simply regarded them as property that was owned. They belonged to him and he could trot them out as much as he wanted. It irked Xzavier, like a spider crawling on his skin. But he simply couldn''t kill it yet- it wasn''t time.

    After dismissing the remaining ninedies, the unsuspecting governor himself winked at Xzavier before leaving the room himself.

    As the door closed shut, Xzavier took two steps closer to the girl and looked her squarely in the eye. There wasn''t even the slightest trace of shame in her eyes. Though she respectfully lowered her gaze under Xzavier''s intense stare, she still managed to somehow retain a dignified stance, despite the dynamic of the situation. It was all part of the allure. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as the strange man glossed over her.

    It was the strange way he was looking at her. In fact, it wasn''t that he was looking at her at all, he seemed to be looking into her! It made her very ufortable. As far as she could tell, all her life, most men had only been interested in her outer looks. No one had cared enough to see what is beneath the outwardyer.  So, for her to be subject to Xzavier''s piercing gaze in that manner, it didn''t quite sit well with her. She herself didn''t like what was on the inside of her. Why should this stranger?

    When she heard that a baron and the governor were around, she had half expected a fat, middle-aged, potbellied aristocrat. And yet, here was the exact opposite. While the ufortable silence ensued, Xzavier''s first words to her pulled her out of her day dreaming.

    "Are you Janae?"

    The abruptness and the shock of the question shook up the young girl. She was so taken aback by Xzavier''s question that for about ten seconds, her mind wentpletely nk, robbing her of her psychomotor skills and her ability to speak. Watching her reaction, Xzavier concluded that even if the girl wasn''t Janae, she most definitely knew something about whom he was looking for. He took another step forward, bringing himself closer to her.

    "Listen to me, if you''re indeed Janae, you need to know that Babara is looking for you¡­"

    At the mention of the name Babara, a flicker of light suddenly came on in the girl''s otherwise dead eyes. She couldn''t believe it. After so many years!

    "Ba-ba-raa?" she stammered in unbelief. Xzavier made no move to intervene. He kept noting her reactions, waiting for her to give up some involuntary information that suggested that she was who he thought she was.

    "Babara''s alive?! How? Oh my lord Baron please tell me!"

    "She sent me."

    "Impossible! Governor Quaid told me that she is dead and has been for a long time now..."

 Chapter 156 Misery

    Even as she said it, she looked at Xzavier doubtfully. Xzavier truly pitied the poor girl. She had been manipted and lied to by the governor, and now, after so many years, a stranger was telling her that not only was her sister alive, but she had sent him to her, it was all too much for her to bear. So, Xzavier took pity on her and brought out the one evidence he had of his truth.

    "Here, she told me you would doubt me so she asked me to show you this. She said you would understand once you saw it."

    It turned out that Babara was right. Janae melted at the sight of the familiar handkerchief. Finally, the fact that her sister was alive settled in on her fully, flushing out the nagging suspicion that this was all a hoax.

    For someone who had been hopeless for such a long time, this sudden ray of hope that shed into her tunnel not only threatened to blind her, but also threatened to give her a brain seizure. It was all too much handle. For a long time, for a really long time, she had believed that Babara was dead, and now, just in an instant, her whole world had changed as a result of this revtion. It took a while for her to get herself.

    After her mind absorbed the shock, her entire existence began to adjust to the fresh news. Tears began to well up in her eyes. She held the handkerchief up to her chest with both hands and began to weep softly. It was a pitiable sight. It was both heartwarming and cringe worthy at the same time. Xzavier didn''t rush her. He knew that she had a lot on her mind. He couldn''t me her for that. Finding out that a sibling was alive and had been out there all this while was a lot.

    Xzavier was a bit worried about her weeping. She wasn''t loud, but if the room wasn''t soundproof, it would certainly seem like he was inflicting pain on her. On a second thought, Xzavier weed this detail. He knew that Quaid had a lot of eyes and ears all around. Most definitely, they were waiting to report what kind of soundtrack wasing from the baron''s room. This was the kind of information Quaid would like to have over a person.

    So, Xzavier allowed the girl to weep. If there were indeed any listening ears, they could never have guessed that Xzavier was in fact doing nothing to the girl. From their perspective, her soft whimpering and light weeping was suggestive of the fact that Xzavier might be into some bondage-dominance type of thing. It was all to his advantage anyway.

    Finally, after a long bout of tears and soft weeweeping the girl started toe to terms with the new development. As she wiped her eyes, she introduced herself properly and began to fill Xzavier in.

    "Forgive me for being so emotional my lord Baron. I am Janae, Babara''s older sister..."

    Xzavier nodded. Thest bit was a bit unnecessary. It was obvious that she was the older one. But Xzavier waved it aside. He knew how fickledies could be about their ages, so it was actually good that she introduced herself as the older one. If Xzavier had been the one to suggest it, it would have probably been misconstrued as him being presumptuous when in fact it was actually ring.

    She continued. "I know how this might seem, but I promise you lord Baron, I didn''t abandon my sister! I would never!"  Xzavier believed her. As she spoke, her voice was thick with emotion. It carried within it an unbearable amount of pain and regret that was going to take a lifetime to unburden.

    "I loved my baby sister sir!  I still do and always will! Oh Babara! How is she now? Is she well? Did she grow up good?"

    She looked at Xzavier with bulging expectant eyes, waiting for even the slightest bit of information he could give her about her sister.

    Xzavier in turn wasn''tpletely sure how to answer that. He wasn''t sure how to tell her that he had only known Babara officially for less than forty eight hours now. He didn''t think it was a good idea either. It was better she focused on the fact that she was out there and safe. So, Xzavier answered evasively.

    "Your sister is well. But we''ll circle back to herter. Tell me, how did youe to be here? Howe you didn''t know that Babara has been alive all these years?"

    These were the questions troubling Xzavier''s mind. He feared the worst, but he knew that he had to know. This information would position him further on how to handle Quaid.

    Janae choked back a sob and started to narrate her ordeal;

    "I can''t remember details exactly, but I know that when I was but still a child, some official looking men approached me on the streets one day. They told me I was beautiful and that I could be well taken care off if I followed them."<novelnext></novelnext>

    As she spoke, her regret was evident. It was clear that she wished she could go back in time and change what happened.

    "You see, I was but a child at the time. We were poor, and always in need of food. My beauty was useless to me at the time. I saw no need for it. So, here was a chance for me to escape a life of wretchedness and misery."

    She wiped back a tear and continued.

    "But I remembered Babara and hesitated. I asked them what about my sister, and they said that I shouldn''t worry, that they would take care of her. That was all I needed to hear..."

    She paused to collect her thoughts.

    "Because of my greed, I did what no child was supposed to do; I foolishly steeped into a carriage with a bunch of strangers. That was the end of it. A mighty hand grabbed my neck immediately from behind and another hurriedly began to take off my underwear with both hands. I tried to scream, but a hand mped my mouth shut. That was the beginning of my new life. Right there in the carriage, I was deflowered. After the first one had his way with me, the second and third men had their way as well. By the time the third man entered me, I had stopped kicking and screaming, I had no more energy left. I simply sat still as he heaved and heaved till he was done.

    "Iid still for a long time in the carriage, as a bleeding mess, thinking they would let me go since they were all done. But to my horror, the long ride continued and didn''t stop until I was brought here. Here I met the governor and he told me that I was now his ve. He said I shouldn''t even bother trying to run back, that there was nothing waiting for me. That was when he told me that Babara was dead.

    "The news broke me, I lost my will to fight... I submitted my self to fate, and began to be groomed as a high ss sex ve. Since then, for me it has been one steady spiral. I tried to kill myself on so many asions, but for some reason, I just couldn''t bring myself to. It wasn''t like I had any reason to live. But now, I see why..."

    Xzavier listened to thedy as she narrated her tale. It was all so terrible. He willed himself to focus. For him, Ine positive thing came out of all this- he now had a clearer view of how Quaid operated. It was going to be to his advantage. He looked at Janae and assured her;

    ? "It''s alright. I am here to take you away. You will leave this ce far behind you and nevere back."

    With despair in her eyes, Janae shook her head in fear.

    "I am afraid that is impossible lord baron. I don''t know what arrangement you have with my sister, but the truth is there is no escaping this ce. There are troops of powerful mages stationed in concentric circles round about this perimeter. No offense sir, but even a senior mage would find it impossible to breach this ce."

    She stepped forward pleadingly; "I beseech you, please forget about me. Your friendship with the governor would be severely fractured by this singr act. I am more than contented with the fact that Babara is out there and very much still alive. That knowledge alone is bliss!"

    Xzavier was touched. Here he was trying to save this girl from the shackles of very, and instead of selfishly agreeing with him, she was considering the consequences on him and his rtionship with the governor! Now Xzavier was convinced that she truly didn''t belong here. He simply had to get her out!

    Xzavier now had all the information he needed. But he found out that it didn''t make any difference from before. The fact was that Xzavier had many ways to save Janae. Off the top of his head, he coulde up with multiple ns that would grant him a smooth extraction of the target. But one thing was missing from the whole n, it was an element that Xzavier couldn''t afford to do without; discretion.

    The more Xzavier looked at it, the more evident it became that getting out was the easy part. But even he could see that what would follow would be like hell on earth. There was no way he and Quaid could remain friends after such a bold slight against his honor.

 Chapter 157 Just Do It

    In this isekai, sex ves were private property. A man couldn''t just wake up and snatch another man''s sex ve. It was an unforgivable affront that came with a lot of heat.

    Xzavier couldn''t help but see the irony of it all. Society got enraged when another a man steals another man''s sex ve, but remains cid about the whole sex ve situation!

    While all these thoughts raced through Xzavier''s mind, Janae started to undo the strap of her robe, saying; "My lord, if you would have me, I will give you the best service I can offer."

    Xzavier was stunned. She was speaking as if her ''service'' was something like a contracted  artist or a party nner. Aghast, Xzavier promptly refused.

    "I think you might have misunderstood. I am not here for that. I meant what I said earlier on, you''re getting out of here."

    Janae saw the look on Xzavier''s and countered him; "Please understand sir, this is my duty."

    "I get that. But I am notpelling you to do anything."

    Janae shook her head.  "I don''t have a choice in this matter. If I don''t do this, I will be severely punished."  She stepped forward towards him with a purposeful step, "If you truly considered me, please use me..."

    Xzavier was not having it. But something else stepped in and changed his mind. Something that he simply couldn''t ignore.

    "Major Xzavier..."  Xzavier cursed under his breath. Not again.

    "You have been mandated to make this woman one of your harem. Be advised, this task cannot be averted. Proceed!"

    Xzavier cursed again! ''You''ve got to be kidding me!'' He thought to himself. Now of all times? He wondered.

    Again and again the military system was proving to be more and more sadistic with each mission. It was almost as if it was nking him, goading him on, leading him down a path of perverseness in the middle of a serious crisis. He gritted his teeth, knowing that he was in a dire situation that couldn''t be helped. As he began to prepare himself to fulfill his mission, what happened next made him forget about any doubt he had been previously nurturing.

    Janae was d in a very light kimono. It was a bit long and modest, but in one single move, all of that modesty vanished away. She loosed open the robe that kept the two sides of the robe together, and immediately, Xzavier was faced with only a partial view of her frontal area. That was enough to make him stagger.

    He discovered that the robe had kept her features hidden more than he had thought. Though her thick shape was visible on the outline, it wasn''tpared to even a fraction of her true form. His eyes feel on her heavy cleavage that met at the middle. Before now, Xzavier had been deceived by her baby face, thinking she was still a girl. He didn''t realize just how wrong he was. This was the body of a fully formed matured woman.

    Very slowly, almost like in dream like motions, Janae lifted up her palms to her shoulders and slipped out of the robe. The soft kimono fell gracefully on the floor like autumn leaves falling to the earth. But that wasn''t what held Xzavier''s attention. In that moment, he felt like he was beholding a cinematic experience firsthand. As a young man, he had been with several women, eachpletely different from the rest. But nothing came close to the sight before him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Janae was a matured woman that was in the prime of her life. She was exceptionally beautiful, but that wasn''t her most powerful physical feature. It was her fully formed body. Janae was fleshy. It wasn''t the kind that bordered on obesity or unhealthy dieting, no, it was one that stemmed fromvish living and steady exercise. Even themon defects that gued the regr female seemed nonexistent on this goddess. She wasn''t just beautiful, she was the definition of the vulgar phrase ''smoking hot.''

    Janae''s breasts wererge-rger than normal. What made them so glorious was that they seemed to defy gravity. They sat on her chest like a pain of sensual sentinels. Her colored nipples stood invitingly in the middle of each fleshy sac. It was a truly stunning sight to behold. This fleshiness extended to her thighs and blown out hips. Making each thigh appear like a turkey''s leg, waiting to be devoured. Her pubis was neatly shaved, and free from any discoloration.

    Xzavier was a fitness enthusiast, so, he could very easily discern anybody who worked out. He saw clearly the evidence of squats, in the ampleness of her thighs. There was a delicateness to her, and yet, at the same time, her body was built like a tigress. It was a dangerousbination. Her thick long ck hair that had been tied in a ponytail was let loose, falling across her shoulders in long, curly waves. Enhancing her already ming physique.

    Janae''s face had truly been a deception. From her arms to her, shoulders, to her ares and, her stomach, he saw that truly, this was no girl, this was a fully formed woman.

    Xzavier took one long hard look at her and knew that this was the kind of woman that would be skillful, pleasing, and knowing. Her voluptuous body seemed to scream out loud, calling to him. Her tanned skin glowed under the lighting, making her look like a bronze statue. There was some kind of lotion, or scenting oil draped all over her body, painting the picture of a living, walking, live statue. Xzavier was mesmerized. He was under no illusion. He knew he was about to have the time of his life.

    He wasn''t wrong. Her next move confirmed what he already knew.

    Like a cat walking on a ledge, Janae gingerly walked to him. She put one feet in front of the other, and effortlessly strolled over to him with the grace of a jungle cat. Her hair bounced on her shoulders, her breasts also bounced rhythmically, and her ass jiggled in tune with her walking steps. Xzavier was d that he got to witness that sight. As she walked up to his face, Xzavier expected her to reach in for a kiss or something of the sort. But she didn''t. Instead, she did something else entirely.

    With just a couple of inches between them, Janae slowly turned around, backing Xzavierpletely, revealing the crown jewel of her body- her fat supple, jiggling ass. Xzavier''s eyes burned in their sockets just looking at the southernmost part of her back. Before now, he hadn''t even thought of what her ass would look like. She looked like all those cartoon characters with unreal figures. Monumental, invitingly soft, and squishy.

    Still backing Xzavier, she adjusted her full hair and brought it to the front of her. Then, she backed up a little until her supple ass was pressed up firmly on Xzavier''s breeches. Xzavier was already hard as fuck even before this moment, so Janae had no problem locating his dick with her ass. The pronounced bulge on his trousers pressed up on Janae''s ass, and slowly, she began to move her hips in concentric circles. She dropped down further a bit, and slowly went up, packing his dick up along the way, and bringing it down with graceful movements.

    Xzavier was turned on, his stony erection was clear proof of that. So close to her body that he could practically taste her, Xzavier resolved to do unspeakable things to her. Xzavier didn''t just want to fuck her bloody, he wanted to devour every inch of her perfect body with his mouth. He wanted to spread her on the bed and eat her like a snack. He wanted to flip her on her backside and blow her back out till she felt his cock deep in her womb. He wanted her on the wall, on the table, heck even at the foot of the bed.

    Janae was still molesting his dick with her naked ass. Then with her own hands, she found his hands and guided them to her waist. From her waistline, slowly she brought his hands upward to her belly, before lifting them up to her heavy boobs. Xzavier''s palmnded on her soft fleshy breasts and groaned. He couldn''t believe how diabolically soft she was. Still guiding his hands, she didn''t squeeze them yet, instead she began to run them all over, softly grazing her nipples all the way. Then finally, she let go of Xzavier''s hands, giving him the freedom to do as he wished.

    Xzavier didn''t waste anytime, he had been patient enough, so he decided to reward himself. As her hands left his own hands, Xzavier edged his way to the bottom of her breasts, and began to squeeze firmly. Janae let out a diabolical moan and pressed her voluptuous ass harder against his dick. Xzavier groaned. With his other hand still on her right boob, his free hand wandered southwards, traveling until he found her pubis.

    Janae refused to part her legs to let him through. Xzavier struggled with her until she shifted her legs apart ever so slightly, barely making enough room for his fingers to warm through. That was more than enough for Xzavier. He enjoyed having to struggle for it. It only made him appreciate it more. As his fingers found the thick mass of flesh between her thighs, he greedily fumbled them, taking his feel of her tender regions by rubbing them until her had gotten theyout of thend.

    Xzavier was satisfied with what met his fingers.

 Chapter 158 Diabolic Orgasm

    In fact, he was more than satisfied. Just as he had expected, her pussy was fat. He had had beefy girls with insanely small pussies before, so he really appreciated the fact that Janae was also fleshy down there. Just as he was about to slip in his finger, Janae pulled away from him and turned to face him fully.

    Xzavier was once again reminded of the fact that he was with a beautiful woman indeed. She whipped her hair back, and looked at Xzavier dead in the eye. Still maintaining eye contact, she began to skillfully undo Xzavier''s breeches. In no time, his trousers dropped to the floor, revealing his protruded erection, throbbing hard against Janae''s thighs. She didn''t go down immediately, instead she reached up to Xzavier to kiss him. Xzavier had to meet her halfway, and their lips met in a sensual lock.

    It was a long and scious kiss. She teased his tongue with hers, and slowly broke away from him. And as she did, she lowered herself to the ground and didn''t stop until she was in a squatting position. Xzavier wasn''tpletely for what came next.

    Janae was skillful. She didn''t bother to hide it. With her left hand, she held up Xzavier''s cock, and took his ball sac in her mouth. As Xzavier felt his balls dip into the warm moist region of her mouth, he groaned like a bear. It was a surreal feeling. Xzavier didn''t think he had been sucked in this manner. Whilst holding up his full cock in one hand, Janae allowed Xzavier''s hot balls to marinate in her salivating mouth for a few seconds before finally engaging her tongue.

    As she used the tip of her tongue to run all over his ball sac, she used her thumb to tease the tip of his cock. Xzavier groaned deeply. She continued in that manner, until her gentle tease graduated to a full, foot long stroke. With his balls gently sittingfortably on the moisture of her tongue, Janae began to wank off Xzavier with the daft precision of a nasty creature. She tightened her grip along his girth, and made ample use of her oily hands.

    Janae''s hand movements weren''t just mechanical, as she went back and forth, she made sure to twirl and initiate as much contact with the tip as possible. Finally, she ran her tongue all over Xzavier''s full length and weed his rocky erection into her mouth. Xzavier had long been awaiting this part. Impatiently, his fingerstched onto her hair, and he forced all eight inches into her small mouth. He waited for the gag, but it didn''te. She maintained the position for about half a minute before extracting his cock from her mouth.

    Having sufficiently lubricated his dick, she began to assiduously suck on the tip, provoking the base to swell up more and more. As she stroked the shaft, she sucked harder on the tip, making ample use of her tongue to cushion thending. Xzavier made love to her mouth, so much so that his dick began to swell with the rising wave of hot semen. Janae sensed it too, but continued either way. She tightened her grip on his dick, inducing a little bit of pain, as she tried to force the wave back, but it proved to be counter productive.

    As the first few drops of pre cum spilled into her mouth, she hurriedly removed it and quickly stood up and made her way to the edge of the bed. Sheid down on her back, parted her legs (exposing just enough of her pink raw flesh) and raised her voluptuous ass up in the air. She had almost sucked Xzavier to the finish, it was now time for him to fuck the rest into her.

    Xzavier didn''t even hesitate for a moment. Seeing her sprawled on the bad waiting for him in that manner, Xzavier admitted that he had never seen anything quite so exquisite like this before. Very quickly, he made his way to her, and with his dick still dripping with her saliva, he bore into her. To his surprise, his entry wasn''t as smooth as he had expected it would be. The folds of her pussy was fat, but her insides were not.

    Janae yelped aloud in pain as Xzavier forced himself into her. He eased his way into her soft warm flesh, and began to pound her voraciously. Her butt cheeks bounced back against his pounding. He fucked her deeper and deeper until she could no longer support her own weight on her knees. She copsed onto the bed, whimpering and crying in soft moans as Xzavier went to town on her ass. He didn''t spare her. He climbed onto her like a stallion and tore her ass up with his heavy assaults.

    Janae began to yelp like a kitten. Crying and moaning, calling him baron and begging him not to cum. This only drove Xzavier further on. He didn''tst up to another twenty strokes before he began to pour his seed into her pussy. As she sensed him ejacting, Janae began to struggle to get him off. She fought and fought, but Xzavier overpowered her. Completely dominating her, he lowered himself onto herpletely, such that his chest touched her back, he wrapped his arm tightly around her neck, and continued to spill into her.

    Somehow, her struggle and screaming seemed to add to the diabolic orgasm. He didn''t stop until everything came out. Only then did her pull out, his dick wet from both her vaginal fluids and his own cum. But he was far from satisfied. He looked at her heavy breathing form beneath him and felt another surge of savagery overtake him. He knew that he could fuck this woman till nightfall. So, he dragged her to the edge of the bed, flipped her over and dove right into her again.

    Janae kept moaning and kept trying to fight him off. Xzavier ejacted ten times inside her that day. He fucked her on the table, he fucked her on the floor, and he even fucked her on the wall. He didn''t stop until he had nothing to spare. As at theirst round, in a mess of a cesspool of their own sweat, body fluids and stained sheets, Xzavier was pretty sure he had ejacted nothing but dust.

    Even he didn''t know when he drifted off. He waspletely spent.<novelnext></novelnext>

    By the time Xzavier opened his eyes, he saw through the open window that evening was now closing into night. He lifted up his watch and was shocked when he saw the time;

    "Damn, 7pm already?"

    In his mind, he had only closed his eyes for a few minutes, and now, much to his astonishment, he discovered that nearly four hours had gone by! It was all too sudden. As he tried to sit up, Xzavier remembered the soul snatching sex from a few hours ago. As he recalled how he and Janae had went at it like a couple of sex crazed addicts, he didn''t me his body for taking a long nap. He needed to recuperate. He had been pretty exhausted at the close of it, hence the long sleep. Who could me him?

    As Xzavier tried to gather his thoughts, the ever present military system chose that moment tomune with him.

    "Major Mace!" At this point, Xzavier didn''t even think he had it in him to be startled anymore. "Be advised, you have been rewarded a total of two thousand points after the sess of yourst task."

    That was it. As it beeped in this message, it beeped out in the same manner. Long after the military system had gone, its message kept echoing in Xzavier''s mind like resonance from a vibrating tuning fork.

    "Two thousand points?" He thought unbelievably. "Two whole thousand points for making love to a stranger?! Damn, if I had known, I would have done taken this path much earlier on!"

    He taunted himself further; "I might actually upgrade my entire armory by sleeping my way through this town..."

    Xzavier thought further on the points he had just been rewarded with, and wondered whether it had all been a coincidence or it had anything to do with his overall performance. There was no denying it, Xzavier knew he had enjoyed himself thoroughly. His dalliance with this girl had been the most intense of his recent escapades.

    Xzavier turned to his side and saw the girl lying next to him. Her face was turned over to the other side, leaving her entire back and supple ass in his full view. Even now, he still appreciated how much of a work of art her body was. Truly, this type of women was scarce in an era like this. The basic whores at the regr brothels were nothingpared to the astounding sexual appeal of this woman. This was an example of a high ss courtesan. And finally, Xzavier understood why they were highly sought after, despite their notorious reputations and questionable ethics.

    As Janae slept peacefully by his side like a human flower in its full bloom, Xzavier finally understood why Quaid did all this in the first ce. The governor had had his own fill of exotic pussy and merrymaking in his youth. He confessed this to Xzavier himself. So, all those days were long past behind him. Quaid had no need for pleasurable whores like this, he had his sights set on much bigger things. Things that small men could never attain.

    However, because he had once been a lustful young man with a ravenous appetite for exotic breeds, Quaid was in a much better ce to understand this insatiable appetite in men.

 Chapter 159 Feasibility

    He quickly realized that if he could capitalize on this by providing these kinds of services exclusively to the rich and powerful, he could leverage on this and make sure that he stayed in power. Of course he didn''t mind breaking thew. It was all worth it at the end of the day.

    It was impossible for any hot blooded male to resist such a wonderful experience. This was the type of drug that was more addictive and more sought after that regr psychedelics. Once anyone got a taste of it, it was practically impossible to break away from it. It was the nectar of the gods. It was the kind of thing powerful men enjoyed since a lot of them probably had all kinds of weird kinks and sick fantasies. Stuff that they couldn''t do at a public brothel. So, if Quaid offered them a safe haven for their perversions, they were willing to pay top coin for it.

    Xzavier himself couldn''t deny the potency of the whole arrangement. If he himself wasn''t on a mission, he would have sank into this sinkhole of raw, undiluted pleasure, losing himselfpletely, as well as his own sense of justice. But Xzavier had made a promise to Babara regarding her sister. And he fully intended to keep it. So, Xzavier decided to give it a try.

    Xzavier fully assessed the whole situation and knew that this particr mission called for finesse. By the way things looked, he knew that violence definitely wasn''t the best fit. No doubt, Xzavier knew that if he decided to go all in, guns zing and armor shining, he would definitely seed in getting Janae out of here. But long term, it would be too high a price to pay. No, he knew he had to y it cool.

    So, having factored in all these variables, Xzavier decided to try and test the limits of Quaid''s graciousness. Of course the governor had done him a solid by giving Adalia up. Even though Quaid had benefited immensely from that deal, it didn''t change the fact that he had indulged Xzavier''s request. And now, here was Xzavier, literally about to propose the same deal again (at the risk of looking and sounding greedy).

    If Quaid was as much a bastard as the Anjou boy Eadweard, then staying here would be pointless. He would simply have to retreat and n another strategy. But if Quaid was willing to negotiate reasonably, then there was a slight possibility that things would go smoothly. After all, Quaid had this establishment in ce for a reason. Of course it wasn''tpletely about the steady stream of gold flowing freely into his coffers. No, Quaid was too smart for that.

    The fact was Quaid had other vested interests. This probably included favors from very high ced socialites. And fortunately, the governor viewed him as one of those few people whom he needed. Xzavier knew that now that Quaid had given Adalia up, the governor was probably looking for another way to ensnare Xzavier into making another deal with him- a deal which would most definitely give him room to sneak in another one of his capricious requests.

    The more Xzavier thought about it, the more convinced he was that this was indeed the way forward. With just the basic framework of a newly formed n in ce, Xzavier slipped out of bed, and began to search for his clothes. As his eyes nced across the room, he was once again shocked at just how much of a mess he and Janae had made.

    The whole ce looked like it had been turned upside down. His pants were at one end, his shoes were miles apart from each other (even he didn''t know how that had happened). Xzavier actually had to search for his underwear and shirt. They were atpletely different locations. Xzavier was truly puzzled because he didn''t even remember taking off his shirt in the first ce. As he shuffled across the room to gather his stuff, Janae was roused from her deep slumber.

    Her eyes still heavy from deep sleep, she sat up groggily, and when she saw Xzavier looking for his stuff, her heart sank within her. The whole thing was all too familiar to Janae. She began to fear, thinking this had all been a nasty prank yed by some deranged baron who had only been looking for a little something extra. She thought she had been on the receiving end of a very cruel joke. Had it all been a hoax? She wondered. Janae realized for the first time that the baron hadn''t even told her his name.

    She felt a sick hurt well up in her all over again. Summoning the courage, she called out weakly from the bed;

    "Baron? Are you leaving me?" she struggled to hold back the sob in her throat, as she held her breath, waiting for the bombshell to drop.

    Xzavier heard the sorrow in her voice and turned around sharply. He recognized the look in her eyes immediately. It was fear. He had seen that same look in the eyes of some of the new recruits in his army days. It was the fear of being left behind- the hopelessly crushing fear of abandonment.

    He couldn''t me her. He knew exactly just how the whole thing appeared. He felt bad for her and assuaged her;<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It''s okay Janae I''m not leaving you behind. I just need to take care of some business first. Go back to bed okay? I''ll be right back."

    For some reason, even though she had no reason to trust him at all, his gentle assurances soothed her. The fact was Janae was very much still exhausted from all the crazy lovemaking she had just had. She had only stirred because she heard Xzavier''s movements across the room. She still had a lot of sleeping off to do. So, having received Xzavier''s assurance that he would be right back, she went back to sleep with a hopeful smile on her face.

    Xzavier hovered over her like a guardian angel and watched her sleep for a while, then gently stepped out to look for Quaid.

    As he wandered down the halls of the magnificent castle, Xzavier couldn''t help but admire the architecture, the interior decor, and the all-round ambience. It was choking. Even the air itself wasced with the heavy fragrance of exotic spices and oil. Overhead were delicately hung chandeliers that looked like they cost an entire city''s budget for a year. It was all intentional.

    Along the walls were exquisite pieces of art. All nude of course. The paintings were reminiscent of the renaissance period- lewd, scious and provocative. Along his third turn down another long stretch of one of the many hallways, he finally found a servant.

    "You there, take me to the governor at once."

    The servant vishly bowed. "Of course Baron." And she led him to another wing of the castle that was exclusive to Quaid only. Along the way, Xzavier wondered how the servant knew that he was a baron. He had only been there for few hours, and he hadn''t been sighted by that many people.

    The more he thought of it, the more he knew that these servants probably saw a lot of things in their time here. They probably had a lot of stories to tell. But of course, they would never say a word. Their lives depended on it. While Xzavier swam in his own thoughts, the maidservant led him through a series of turns and finally brought him to an impressive looking door. She knocked lightly, only two short taps, and waited outside the door while Xzavier went in.

    It was arge room that was bedecked with even morevish articles and furniture. Quaid was reclined on a couch that was built ''Roman style.'' And as always, he was working. The governor never seemed to catch a break. He was always up to something, despite being in a ce of pleasurable wonders like this.

    He lifted up his eyes and watched as Xzavier made his way to him. His careful shrewd eyes scrutinized Xzavier''s bodynguage and facial expressions, hoping to read into any subtle change in his demeanor. Anything at all that suggested what kind of time he had just had.

    Quaid hadn''t just beenzing around for the past couple of hours. He had taken his time to research on the skills and abilities of the girl in question Xzavier had chosen. Her ratings were not bad at allpared to the others. But even still, she was part of the one percent. A rare gem amongst gems, and she was more than enough to make any young man burn with passion.

    Quaid didn''t get anything from Xzavier at all. He thought Xzavier was intentionally hiding his delightful experience behind a wall of ice and stone. He chuckled to himself. He truly respected a man that could hold his own. Xzavier had proven many times over to be one of the very few men that belonged to this category.

    Without saying a word, Xzavier walked over to the couch opposite Quaid and sat down. For a minute or two, none said a word, the two men simply sat apart and stared off into space. The view adjacent to both of them was a pretty impressive sight. It was a twelve foot long, eight foot wide portrait of some winged deity descending from the sky with a drawn sword. Xzavier took a closer look and saw that it was a female in a very revealing body armor. It seemed every piece in the castle was of the erotic genre.

 Chapter 160 Inconceivability

    After a few moments, Xzavier finally broke the silence.

    "You know, I am beginning to wonder if you have any vices at all."

    Quaid chuckled. "What do you mean?"

    "I have never seen you smoke, neither have I seen you with a drop of liquor. And now, even in a morous ce like this that is filled with beautiful women, here you are- alone."

    "That is a pretty astute observation Xzavier. But I assure you, we all have our vices. I trust you had a nice time with the girl?"

    Xzavier made no attempt to mask his fascination with Janae. In fact he wanted Quaid to see that he was truly enamored with her.

    "That girl was sublime. A true work of art really."

    Quaid nodded. Xzavier wasn''t a man of too many words. So, he knew that from his reply, he had definitely enjoyed himself.  "I told you this ce was special didn''t I?"

    "Indeed you did. I can get why you spent a lot of time here in your youth."

    "Trust me Xzavier, getting old sucks. Be d you still have time on your side my dear baron."

    Xzavier saw an opening and took his shot; "Speaking of time, I can see myself spending more time here in the near future..." Testing the waters in a bid to gauge Quaid''s reaction, he inserted thest part subtly; "...I am considering spending the next few days here. I feel like I am just getting started."

    Quaid couldn''t believe his ears. Could it be that he had finally found Xzavier''s weakness? So after all this while, Xzavier''s blood actually ran hot just like every other man on the? There was no telling the governor''s joy. He was positively delighted. But of course, on the surface, he maintained a look of indifference, not hinting in any way that he was in fact joyous. He had just found Xzavier''s weakness. There was no stopping him now.

    Quaid thought he had just heard good news. But Xzavier''s next words gave him even better news;

    "That girl Janae, she was an extreme delight. I think I am already obsessed with her..."

    Quaid couldn''t believe his ears. He knew where this was going. So, he waited for Xzavier tond with his proposal. The words finally came;

    "... I want her."

    Quaid pretended as if he didn''t understand what Xzavier was saying. So, he answered him ambiguously; "Of course Xzavier, you don''t need to ask me for that, you can engage her services whenever you want."

    Xzavier shook his head. "That''s not what I mean Quaid. I am saying I want her all to myself- as my own."

    Quaid made a great disy of showing how surprised he was. "That is a heavy request Xzavier. You know you''re not the only one here. There are other high ces socialites who frequent this establishment as well. The girl is high-quality. Hotties like her are not all too easy toe by..."

    Quaid himself was also pushing Xzavier''s buttons, testing to see just how far he was willing to go to satisfy his whim.

    Xzavier wasn''t fooled, he knew that this was all a bluff. He had been with Quaid long enough to know that with the governor, everything was a transaction. It was only a matter of ying the right cards. And right now, he had exactly what Quaid wanted. Though he had hidden his true feelings like a pro, Quaid had expressed his delight with their previous deal. And Xzavier knew this. It was only a matter of pulling the same string again.

    "Quaid, you''re the governor, you can give away whoever you want. I truly enjoyed that girl. She is truly one of kind..." Xzavier wasn''t lying. He was quickly starting to realize that the best lies had an element of truth in them. And of a truth, in this particr case, he wasn''t lying about Janae''s exquisiteness. He wasn''t lying about wanting her for himself either. It was all too clear, and he wasn''t even trying to hide it.

    So, Xzavier spoke the magic words;

    "In lieu of this, I suggest we propose a deal like thest time to make it worth your while."

    Quaid was trying his possible best not to show just how excited he was about this new development.  With his face totally expressionless, he simply mouthed two words.

    "Go on..."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier dove right in and went straight to point; "I propose that in exchange for the girl release to me, I give you ten of the same weapons I gave you like thest time. Deal?"

    Oh it was very much a done deal. But Quaid had to appear like he was simply doing this as a favor to Xzavier. He couldn''t afford to show his eagerness at this point. So, he stood up and began to pace up and down as if he was deliberating on the subject matter. Dramatically, he took long strides with his hands behind his back and his head bowed. asionally, he sighed aloud. Not too much, but just enough for Xzavier to hear him.

    Finally, after pretending to give it much thought, he turned to Xzavier and addressed him;

    "You are still very much my guest Xzavier, I cannot deny you anything. We have a deal."

    Havingpleted the deal, Xzavier retuned back to the room and found Janae had woken up. She was seated up right in bed in her robe, with her full hair draped across her shoulders. As soon as Xzavier opened the door, her worrying eyes red up instantly. A wave of anticipation rippled through her. She hadn''t beenpletely sure that Xzavier would return, but now that he did, her expectations seemed like they were attainable.

    As soon as Xzavierid eyes on her, he knew that she had been expecting him. Looking at her as he closed the door behind him, Xzavier was d that he had good news for her. It would have been a terrible thing if he had actually returned her with disappointing news. Especially since he had raised her hopes. It would have been really cruel of him.

    Xzavier broke the news to her inly, without any theatrics or suspense.

    "It is done. You''re free to go."

    Janae would remember that moment for years toe. Xzavier''s words repeated themselves over and over again in her mind.

    ''It is done. You''re free to go. It is done. You''re free to go. It is done. You''re free to go...''

    He had said them so casually, so freely like it was nothing. Janae didn''t dare to believe it. Surely it couldn''t be so simple. Maybe this was some kind of joke. She swallowed hard, and looked at Xzavier, searching for any signs of foul y. There wasn''t any, not from her perspective anyway.

    Still, it was not so easy to believe.

    "You mean I am free to go? Like I can actually leave this ce?" Even the word ''free'' sounded heavy in her mouth. Like it was something unattainable, or impossible.

    Xzavier nodded. "Yes. You can leave."

    Tears bubbled up in her eyes, blurring her vision, flowing down her cheeks in single stream. Her voice heavy with emotion, she choked on a sob as she asked Xzavier;

    "How?"

    Xzavier wasn''t offended by her doubts. To her, it must have seemed like a dream or something. Twenty four hours ago, she had been living her life as usual as a prisoner in this castle. And all of a sudden, not only had she received the news of her sister being alive, she was also being offered her release from a lifetime of bondage and captivity. It was all too much for Janae.

    "Yes. It''s just as I said. You are now free. You can now leave or do as you wish."

    Slowly, very slowly but surely, it all began to sink in to Janae. The reality of her freedom being handed to her was no small thing. To think that after years of being held against her will, after years of her hopes being crushed, right before her eyes, her freedom had materialized in an instant. The flood of emotions were just too much.

    She didn''t know where the energy came from, but she jumped out of bed and rushed towards Xzavier to squeze him in a tight embrace. Weeping with tears of joy, she kept telling him how grateful she was;

    "Oh thank you sir! Thank you so much my lord Baron! You''re an angel! Thank you!!!"

    She kept showering him with words of appreciation and gratitude. Xzavier had to pull out of her embrace so he wouldn''t suffocate.

    "It''s okay Janae, it''s okay. Go get your things right away and meet me here when you''re done. I will personally escort you out of this ce myself."

    She let go off him and rushed towards the door with crity. Within ten minutes, she was standing behind Xzavier as the guards opened the gates that led out of Princy Castle. It looked like a dream. She followed sheepishly behind Xzavier as she finally left the castle behind her. As soon as the gates closed behind her for good, she opened her mouth and let out a loud scream.

    It had been ten long years of incarceration. It had been ten long years since she had beenst seen outside the walls of the castle. All those years had been filled with moments of yearning to be set free. And now, here she was- A free woman! She had gotten so used to living in a cold castle that she had already resigned to the fact that she would eventually die there. There had been no hope whatsoever of a better future.

 Chapter 161 Reunion

    Hope was a luxury that she hadn''t the pleasure of having. To her, hope was akin to torment.

    Janae''s scream was one of joy. It was fraught with the euphoria that came from a manifested dream. All this while, she hadtched her hand onto Xzavier''s own, terrified to let go. She was scared that if she let him go for even a moment, all of this would go away in an instant like a dream. She stopped screaming only when she ran out of breath. Xzavier watched her through his squinted eyes. On her face was imprinted the very image of freedom. Though unbelief still lurked at the very edges of her eyes, and hovered over her like a dissident cloud, it didn''t change the fact that she was indeed joyous.

    Xzavier did absolutely nothing. He allowed her have her moment. It was the least he could do for her.

    Suddenly, without warning, Janae let go of Xzavier''s hand and threw her hands around him in a tight embrace. Holding her this close, he could definitely feel the tension still in her body. The heat emanating from her was only a subtle pointer to the plethora of emotions that was raging inside her mind. Xzavier''s hand moved on its own ord and wrapped his around her waist, reciprocating the warmth.

    With her head still on his shoulders, she began to sob deeply. Her shoulders heaved and dropped as she sobs came out freely, making her vibrate like a lotive engine. Her tears dropped onto Xzavier''s shoulders, drenching his shirt, and soaking them salty fluids. She cried for a long time. Xzavier''s other hand roamed through her thick hair,forting her (not like she needed it anyway). Janae didn''t stop until she saw the carriage that was supposed to take Xzavier and her away from there.

    That was only when she broke off from Xzavier. In truth, Janae hadn''t considered how they were both going to transport themselves. She actually didn''t care. She had been cooped up for so long, she didn''t mind walking the whole way. Xzavier held her hand and led her to the coach. The driver saluted Xzavier;

    "Good evening Baron. Where to sir?"

    "Head back to the city. I''ll give you instructions along the way."

    "Aye my lord."

    With that, they all headed back to the city. Even though it was dark outside, Janae clung to the window of the coach, looking out to catch a glimpse of anything- anything at all! She half expected some horsemen toe out of nowhere in an ambush, carrying news that this was all a mistake, and that she was to return back immediately. Her paranoia was understandable. Before now, getting free was something that was as improbable as snow in summer.

    Xzavier observed her curiously. The coach was illuminated by a strange light that Xzavier could only assume was magic. So, he could make out her outline.

    "What are you staring at Janae? It''s so dark outside."

    She whipped her head around. "Forgive me baron. But I have been locked inside that castle for ten years now. I want to see everything..."

    Before they had set off, Xzavier had asked her if they would prefer to leave the next day since it was dark already. She had refused stubbornly. Xzavier could see that the stubbornness clearly ran in the family.

    About an hour or soter, they re-entered the city. Janae refused to peel her eyes away from the window. She kept her eyes fixed on the sight of the city''s nightlife, taking it all in, savoring every sound, sight and smell. As always, Victoria City didn''t disappoint. It was still a sight for sore eyes. The streets were alive with vendors and street performers. Young lovers lurked in the secrecy of dark corners and alleys. Hotels, brothels and other shady night-based establishments thrived with life. And Janae feasted on them all.

    Under Xzavier''s directions, the coach driver weaved the coach through the streets right up to Babara''s doorstep. Xzavier told the driver to stand by, and they both alighted. Holding her hand, he led her to the door and tapped three consecutive times. Three short seconds passed and Babara whipped the door open.

    There was serious expectation in the way she had answered the door. All day, she hadn''t been herself. Anxiety had nearly crippled her. All through the day, she hadn''t been able to focus on anything at all, her thoughts had been solely on Xzavier and his mission. So, as soon as she heard the knock on the door, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Hurriedly, with her heart in her mouth, she rushed to open the door, thus, bringing her right to this very moment.

    Babara eyesnded on Xzavier. Janae was standing right behind Xzavier''s towering form, so she was momentarily concealed from Babara''s line of sight. This of course was by Xzavier''s design. Babara''s eyes burned right into Xzavier''s, she didn''t say anything but her eyes might have as well been screaming. She didn''t know what to expect exactly. At most, she had been expecting some kind of news from Xzavier concerning her sister, but, it never crossed her mind, even for a second, that her long lost sister was only a few feet away.

    The usuallyposed Babara was a nervous wreck. It reflected in her bodynguage and her first question;

    "So?" Daring to be presumptuous, she added hopefully; "I gather all went well. What news do you have of my sist--"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Babara?" Janae''s small voice came out from behind Xzavier as she stepped out of his shadow. "Babara is really that you little sister?"

    Babara felt like a log of wood all of a sudden. Temporarily frozen, not daring to breathe, unable to even blink for fear of waking up to discover that this was all but a dream.

    "Babara, it''s me, Janae¡­"

    Of course Babara recognized the voice even though it had been over a decade. She could recognize that voice in a crowd of people shouting all at once. It was the voice of her beloved sister.

    "Janae?"

    At this moment, Xzavier stepped out of the way, leaving room for the long awaited reunion. With nothing between them, the two sisters grasped each other immediately, and buried themselves in each other''s arms. They both began to weep profusely. It was indeed an emotional sight. After so many years, after struggling with the harsh winds of loneliness, here they were, finally together.

    The fact was that both siblings had thought the other was dead. So, they hadn''t even entertained any hope of seeing each other in this lifetime. They had spent the past ten years living their individual lives,pletely oblivious of the fact that the other was alive. And now, thanks to Babara''s tenacity, and Xzavier''s kindness, it had all worked out beautifully.

    They held each other as if afraid to let go. Whispering like a bunch of toddlers on a date, they walked into the room, leaving Xzavier behind.

    On the other hand, Xzavier read the mood, and deduced that this was a moment that was best left to the sisters. They deserved to be alone after so long. So, he stepped out courteously and allowed them bask in the warmth of each other''s presence. Of course he couldn''t just up and eave just like that, so, he turned his back on them and stepped out into the hallway, giving them the much needed privacy they needed. It was the least he could do.

    A decent amount of time went by before both sisters came out with red eyes. They had cried so much that their eyes were puffed and their faces were marked with water marks. It had truly been a lot for them. Holding each other''s hands, they approached Xzavier in the hallway.

    "Thank you so much Xzavier¡­" Babara was the one speaking now. "What you have done for us is a debt that we can never truly repay. Because of you, I have my sister here with me in the flesh! After so long! This is all because of you, thank you, really."

    Janae chipped in as well; "I still can''t believe this is happening. When I think back and see just how much my world has change between twenty four hours¡­I just¡­I just¡­" the poor girl simply couldn''t find the words. "THANK YOU BARON!! THANK YOU!!"

    The pathologically modest Xzavier simply replied her curtly; "It is my duty and honor."

    Janae was stunned by Xzavier''s modesty. In Janae''s mind, she couldn''t bring herself to see Xzavier as anything other than a high ss baron. Babara called him by his name because she was all too familiar with him as a person. Janae on the other hand had seen Xzavier stand toe to toe with the governor, not to mention the fact that he had gotten her out in less than a day after one single conversation. She only saw Xzavier as a powerful baron, it would take her a while to see him as an ordinary person.

    Indeed to her, he might have as well been a demigod or something. Turning to Babara, she said;

    "Forgive me sister, but I think I need toy down for the night, I know we have a lot to catch up on but I-"

    "It''s alright Janae you don''t need to exin yourself¡­" Babara replied her sister reassuringly. "You can rest up for the night. I will be with you shortly, I just need to have a word with Xzavier."

    Janae was truly amused. She didn''t understand how her sister could address the baron so casually by using his name and not his title. How is it that she was so familiar with him anyway? Most importantly, how had she been able to get a man as powerful as the baron to set her free?

 Chapter 162 Decision

    Janae truly had a lot of questions. But she was exhausted and needed to rest up.

    So, she pushed her questions aside and decided to address themter. Sheepishly, she bid both of them goodnight and retired into the bedroom. Janae waited till she heard the thud of the bedroom door closing, before turning to Xzavier to discuss other important things. She addressed the elephant in the room;

    "So, whates next Xzavier? Truly you''ve outdone yourself with the impossible."

    Xzavier shrugged indifferently. "It had to be done."

    "But how? How exactly were you able to get her out of there Xzavier? It''s obvious you didn''t break in and steal her out."

    "Don''t worry about the details. Your sister is home now, hale and hearty. That is the most important thing at the moment."

    Babara couldn''t argue with that. She didn''t know how exactly he had done it. More than anyone, she knew just how the elites of the town kept their sex ves. There was no power on earth that could separate a noble from his ve. Not even other nobles themselves. Babara saw that Xzavier wasn''t going to tell her the details. No doubt, she was eager to know, but what was done was done already. Right now, one thing took precedence; she needed to know his next move.

    "I am not exactly sure how you did it, but I can imagine that Quaid wouldn''t be thrilled about losing Janae."

    Babara was simply using her intuition here. She was very perceptive, but what she truly wanted was to know Xzavier''s next move. That was the key to deciphering the whole thing.

    "If I am beingpletely honest, if I were in your shoes, I would let gopletely. I would absolutely understand if you choose to do so. Quaid isn''t a man that most people would dare to confront. He is the governor for a reason¡­"

    Babara''s point was very valid. But Xzavier was far from what she was saying.

    "I have a strategy in line already. I have surveyed the situation from all angles thoroughly¡­" He revealed his n to her; "If I decide to go all out with violence, the fallout may be more disastrous than necessary. Ultimately, I would be robbing myself of any more opportunities to effect any kind of change."

    He paused to let that sink in, and the perceptive Babara continued to listen attentively.

    ""However, if I decide to take a more diplomatic approach, I may achieve something worthwhile."

    Now Babara was curious. "Diplomatic approach? You mean like proposing a deal?"

    Xzavier nodded. "Yes."

    "But how? No offense Xzavier, but you''re a penniless baron with only an empty title. At best your title is titr. So what exactly do you n to offer Quaid that he doesn''t have?"

    Babara''s biting cynicism was hard to miss. She stated it as it was in her mind without any filter whatsoever. Xzavier wasn''t offended. On the contrary, he actually appreciated her forwardness and blunt nature. In a world of politicians and constant lies he had been living in, he weed Babara''s straight forwardness. She was a straight shooter and she was unapologetic about it.

    "The governor wants one thing that only I can provide- powerful weapons."

    Babara''s blinked. Of course! That made much sense. Xzavier exined further.

    "I know just how attached he is to this castle. He benefits a lot from providing this services to the rich and powerful. Quaid is a man who loves to have a hold over his enemies. He is constantly searching for new means to expand his domain. My deal gives him the same leverage over his enemies."

    Babara was starting to see the n. She kept mute as Xzavier filled her in.

    "So, if Quaid is willing to discontinue this illegal venture for the sake of more powerful and sophisticated weapons, then there might actually be room for reprieve. This is clearly the best bet."

    Babara wasn''t expecting all of this. It looked like Xzavier had given this a lot of thought. Though she couldn''t understand why he was so invested in this.

    "I must confess, I am quite shocked by your proposal Xzavier, but honestly though, you don''t have to do this¡­"

    "Let me stop you right there Babara. If I don''t do this, no one else will stand up to Quaid. And more and more little girls will keep getting roped into his shady business."

    "Xzavier! You''re not listening to me! If you chose to engage Quaid, you might end up sinking down an abyss of endless problems! You have to let this go, your future is bright and filled with endless possibilities, why waste that?"

    Xzavier stubbornly maintained his ground.

    "If I back down now, then I would be no better than Quaid."

    "Come on Xzavier, you know you''re not the same as him."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "If I decide to turn a blind eye, I might as well be the same as Quaid. I would never have undertaken the task of rescuing Janae from the beginning, and not only that, I would have fucked her like a bitch and abandoned her."

    Looking at Babara squarely in the face, he asked her;

    "So tell me Babara, if I had done all of that, would you still be worried about me as you are now?"

    Babara was practically speechless. Xzavier had used logic to corner her,pletely stripping her of anything tangible to say. It took her awhile, but she finally began to see what kind of man Xzavier truly was. Slowly, it all began toe together in her mind. This was a man that truly cared for the masses. He didn''t allow his lofty position, his reputation and extraordinary skillset to keep him from being a decent human being.

    This was the very quality that had endeared Babara to him in the first ce. She remembered all those long weeks of surveince and just how good Xzavier had been to everyone he had met. Even to her, despite her vitriolic attitude at their first meeting. This was just the type of man Xzavier was. So, she began to formte the ideal n.

    "Okay, since you have stubbornly insisted on taking this path, we have to consider all the possible ways this might blow back."

    "That''s a good way to start. What are you thinking?"

    "First off, if I was Quaid and I wanted toe at you, I wouldn''t do so directly, instead I woulde for everything and everyone you care for. Thus, crippling you before the battle even begins."

    Xzavier hated the thought of it, but she was right. "That''s downright diabolical Babara."

    "It doesn''t change the fact that it''s a possibility. We have to consider it. So, who do you think might take the fall for you?"

    Xzavier knew the answer immediately even without thinking too far;

    "Adalia! Quaid would probably try to snatch her back or worse."

    Babara was aware of the maid''s reputation. She felt a pang of jealousy somewhere within her. Adalia got to have Xzavier''s full attention. And Babara on the other hand had to ckmail Xzavier before he could sleep with her. It hadn''t been her proudest moment, but she didn''t regret doing it anyway. So, she set aside her jealousy for the time being and pursued the n.

    "Good. We have to get her out of town, at least for a while."

    Xzavier nodded affirmatively. "Your sister as well- you need to get her out. It''s not safe for her too."

    Babara agreed. This was the best path yet. If a fight were to ever break out, they both knew that Quaid wouldn''t find it easy to defeat Xzavier. So, he was definitely going to scorch the earth to find both Adalia and Janae, just to unnerve Xzavier. Seeing that Xzavier wouldn''t have the extra energy to protect the two of them, then it was best that the twodies skipped town for a bit.

    After concluding their ns, Xzavier went back to the governor''s mansion, leaving Babara to brief Janae on the recent update. He himself resolved to handle Adalia.

    It was veryte by the time Xzavier arrived back at the governor''s mansion. So, with nothing on his itinerary, he went straight to his room to rest. It had been a very eventful day and he needed to clear his head. But as he opened the door, he met another surprise waiting for him.

    Sprawled out on his bed, draped in a very revealing nightgown was the beautiful Adalia. Xzavier was taken aback. He had definitely not been expecting this. The exquisitely beautiful blond sat up to wee him;

    "I have been waiting for you all evening Xzavier e to bed already¡­"

    Xzavier was a bit stunned. How long had she been waiting there for him anyway? She had taken care to light extra candles all around room. Giving it a kind of warm, magical and sensual glow. But Xzavier''s mind wasn''t on all of that. He weed her presence no doubt. In fact, Adalia was the very person he wanted to see right away.

    "We need to talk Adalia."

    She grumbled stubbornly. "Ohe on! Don''t be a grouch! We can talkter, I need you now¡­"

    Xzavier was actually worried that he might have turned her into a sex freak. He refused to go over to the bed. Instead, he strolled closer to her and stood afar off from a meaningful distance.

    "This is serious Adalia, snap out of it."

    Adalia wasn''t in the least pleased. She frowned slightly and asked him sourly;

    "Fine. What is it that can''t wait tillter? I mean you just walked in here, and you didn''t even bother to ask how I am even thoug-"

    Xzavier cut her off sharply; "I need you to leave town for some time."

 Chapter 163 Ready

    Adalia felt as if cold water had just been poured on her head. She didn''t quite understand. Was Xzavier pushing her away? Did he not care for her anymore?  What was happening?

    "What?! Why?!! What''s wrong Xzavier???"

    Xzavier didn''t answer her immediately, and this further fanned the already raging mes in Adalia''s heart. Finally, Xzavier sat down at the bed. Then he looked at the semi-naked agitated blonde sitting upright in his bed, and asked her to simply follow his instructions for her own good. Adalia noted the somberness in his tone and voice. She instinctively knew that he was serious. Though Xzavier didn''t give an in depth exnation, Adalia trusted himpletely. So, she decided to do as he said.

    The very next day, Babara sprang into action. As early as possible, Babara went into town to hire a carriage that was to take both her sister and Janae out of town. She couldn''t risk any of Quaid''s spies sighting Janae, so she had to go get the carriage by herself and bring it back. Tears stung Babara''s eyes as she made her way back to her home in the hired carriage. This was all so unfair. She had only just got her sister back.

    But as painful as it was, she had to part with her sister. It was kind of cruel that after all these years, after finallying together, they were now being forced apart by circumstance. Still, it was the only way to keep her alive. Upon getting back to her house, she saw that Adalia had already arrived in her absence and had been waiting for her to return. Babara noticed that Xzavier wasn''t with her.

    Being the prudent thinking one, he had decided that it was best that she set off alone, so Quaid wouldn''t suspect that they were onto him. Under Xzavier''s instructions, she had disguised herself, hiding her iconic hair and face behind a veil and very modest apparel, so as to limit her chances of being recognized. The n was to leave no trail whatsoever.

    Babara wasted no time. She bundled both Janae and Adalia onto the carriage, and paid the driver handsomely to take both of them to a secret location outside of town where she had arranged in advance. There, they would not be discovered. They would be safe from Quaid''s spies. While fighting to hold back her tears, Babara waved them goodbye (her sister and the driver, not Adalia) and quickly rushed back into her house before she could give into her emotions and ride off with them.

    It was a brave sacrifice, but it was worth it.

    All through that morning, right up till early evening, Xzavier was restless. He went to the training area on the mansion''s grounds, and channeled all of that energy into working out. Sweating like a pig, Xzavier trained furiously till his veins were literally popping out of his forehead. While he physically worked out, he worked things out in his own mind.

    The game was already afoot, and he had made his first proactive move by securing both women whom he had set free. The more he thought about it, the more clearly he saw just how right Babara had been about that move. Babara''s genius thinking augmented his own skills as a field agent. He could see that very clearly now. So,forted by the fact that they were both safe and out of sight, he could now focus on handling Quaid square on.

    As Xzavier lifted up and incredible array of weights, he began to brainstorm. The next stage was to confront Quaid now. Ever since Xzavier had found out about the sex ve business, he hadn''t beenfortable with Quaid at all. He had hoped that freeing Janae would tone down his raging thirst to do something about it, but instead, he found himself even more driven. Something had to be done. If he held in his disdain any longer, it would begin to show out in the open. And that would not be good at all.

    So, after nearly six hours of working out, after pushing his mind and his body to the limits of a full work out session, Xzavier stormed out of the training ground with a new n in mind- he was going to see the governor andy it all out on the table. It was time to end this.

    A few minutester, after cleaning himself up, Xzavier presented himself before the governor, fully determined toy down his terms. Brimming with confidence, he ambushed Quaid in his home office. As always, Quaid was alone. Even at thiste hour, he was still bent over his desk, doing whatever it was that people in administration did. Try as he may, Xzavier had to give Quaid the credit. There was no gainsaying it; Quaid was a hard worker.

    This was actually one of the few things that Xzavier admired about him. Despite the fact that he had hundreds of underlings whom he could assign random work to, Quaid spent a decent amount of time handling his own business. And in Xzavier''s books, this wasmendable. It was just too bad that he was erring on the side of sex ves.

    Xzavier shook off all these interfering thoughts and focused on the issue at hand.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Good evening governor. Mind if I join you for a bit?"

    Quaid answered him without even looking up; "Of course not Xzavier. Sit."

    This was just another one of his typical maneuvers. The fact was that Quaid was actually happy with the fact that Xzavier hade him again. Quaid''s business model was simple. Rein in the prey with just enough bait, and keep hooked and automatically they would keeping back for more. At the beginning, he had had a difficult time reading Xzavier. He spoiled him with a title, and offered himnds and other things that came along with it, but Xzavier had remained stubborn. But just when he was starting to lose hope, Xzavier hade to him for Adalia.

    That had been a stroke of pure luck. But Quaid wasn''t one to miss out on an opportunity. He had capitalized on Xzavier''s need in that moment and took advantage to push his own agenda forth. It had worked like a charm! Then, just when Quaid was looking for another opening, Xzavier came to him for Janae. It had all been too good to be true. Quaid didn''t want to jinx it yet, but it truly seemed that he had found Xzavier''s weakness.

    Quaid remembered his initial supposition about Xzavier in the beginning; a young man that had been raised outside of civilization by a secret cult or something. Maybe Xzavier was finally getting a taste of the forbidden fruit, and was finallying into his own as a man. This made sense to Quaid''s logical mind. So, it was on this basis that he judged that Xzaviering to him once again was probably a good thing.

    Quaid was thirsty for more weapons. And now that he knew what made Xzavier tick, he sure as hell was going to milk him dry. Unfortunately, he was about to find out just how wrong he was. Before he could even open his mouth, Xzavier took him by surprise.

    "We need to talk about the issue regarding your private imprisonment and illegal sex ves."

    Quaid didn''t know if he was imagining, it, but he could hear the underlying tone of judgment in Xzavier''s words. The governor''s mind turned itself inside out just trying to figure Xzavier out. What was this about? For the first time in forever, Quaid frowned slightly in the presence of another person. His face was always a mask of indifference- expressionless and totally unreadable. But now, a look of worry crept across his face, and for good reason too. No one had EVER spoken to him in such a condescending tone.

    Another thing that made Xzavier''s affront all the more surprising to Quaid was the fact that he thought Xzavier had been under his spell this whole time. He had literally just handed him the second woman he had asked for, and now this? It was all too much for Quaid to process all at once! Struggling to understand the full situation, Quaid asked Xzavier the only question that was on his mind;

    "What is the meaning of this Xzavier? Where exactly is all thising from?"

    Xzavier had anticipated that Quaid might deny it and pass off his usations as mere spections. So, Xzavier fired back at Quaid with all the results and information that Babara had gathered over the course of her investigation. Xzavier was well prepared for this, so he gave Quaid no chance to counter or defend himself. it was nothing but the truth, and it made the governor cold because they were all established truths. Xzavier sted on for a full three minutes without stopping. And when he finally stopped, Quaid was as quiet and as still as a gravestone.

    Quaid said nothing, but within him, he was already boiling like a steam engine of a lotive train. At the center of his heart was a raging wild fire that was threatening to burst out and consume everything in its path- including Xzavier himself. Quaid was livid with fury. There was no one in Victoria City who would dare to speak to him in this manner. Just who did Xzavier think he was?! Had Xzavier grown so fat on Quaid''s graciousness that he was now speaking back at him like they were equals?

    Even as he sat his seat and watched Xzaviere at him like a small child, Quaid had half a mind to teach Xzavier a lesson there and then. But then again, experience and wisdom prevailed.

 Chapter 164 Fine?

    With much struggle, Quaid reined in his primitive instinct tost back at Xzavier. Be longed to roar like a dragon that he was, he longed to strike terror in Xzavier''s heart, to break his spirit and make sure that for the rest of his life- he would never try this again.

    But Quaid swallowed it all. He knew that there would be plenty of time left for all that if he yed his cards right. So, in reply, he asked Xzavier one simple question;

    "Where did you get all this information from Xzavier? And you had better not tell me no one, because up until yesterday, you didn''t have a problem with sex ves. And now, all of a sudden, this?"

    Xzavier sneered. After everything, this was what he was truly concerned with? Quaid was unbelievable. It was obvious he was trying to calcte the path that led to this moment. Quaid took great pride in reading people and thinking he knew everything. So, undoubtedly, his brain was swirling with the truth behind all of this.

    He knew Quaid was desperate, but Xzavier couldn''t simply just expose his source like that. Babara had to be protected no matter what. So, he answered Quaid tly.

    "That doesn''t matter! And the fact that you''re hung up on such a minor detail tells what kind of person you are."

    Xzavier dialed his aggression down and lowered his pitch;

    ""What matters right now is the fact that you broke and are still breaking thew. This must stop immediately."

    Quaid clenched his fist at the word ''immediately.'' He did not do well with people telling him what to do- directly or indirectly. But Xzavier of course didn''t give a damn about his ego. He simply wanted to get over with this as soon as possible.

    "I know what you want Quaid, you have made that very clear. As it stands, I have a deal on the table."

    Quaid had long been trying to figure out Xzavier''s end goal to no avail. But hisst statement brought him a lot closer to realizing his goal;

    "It''s simple; if you agree to put an end to all of this, I will provide you with a ton of weapons as the price for yourpliance." Then he charged Quaid sternly; "But all of this has to stop, COMPLETELY! SHUT IT ALL DOWN!!"

    Quaid had been furious before, and didn''t think he could quite possibly get any angrier than he already was. But Xzavier kept pushing him over the ledge with every passing moment. Quaid was practically mad at this point! Annoyed or irritated just didn''t describe his state of mind. But being the snake that he was, he remained calm as the ocean''s breeze. If he hadn''t delved into politics, he would have made a decent living as an actor.

    Quaid quickly surveyed all his options and saw that it was in his best interest to y it cool at the moment. There would be time enough for rage in the far future. Right now, he had to milk Xzavier of everything he had to offer. Even if it meant ying the role of a sucker. So, he deployed his acting skills and smiled. It wasn''t a condescending smile, neither was it patronizing. It was a gentle smile that suggested that he was in fact thrilled by Xzavier''s proposition.

    Leaning back into his chair, and with a seemingly harmless smile on his face, Quaid brought his hands together in a soft p.

    "Bravo Xzavier, bravo. This was well yed, well yed indeed. You had me thinking I had figured you out for a second¡­"

    He gave Xzavier a chance to say something to ease the mood. But Xzavier decided he was done talking. He had spent his allocated word budget for a whole month in one night. It was time for Quaid to dere his stance.

    When Xzavier kept mum, Quaid had no other option but to continue his own monologue;

    "Fine Xzavier. I wee your proposal. At least, now I have a reason to tear down Princy Castle and let go of the sex ves inside."

    Of course Quaid was joshing. There was no way in hell he was ever going to do that to his beloved establishment. There was no one on earth that could make Quaid do that. He would prefer to let a sea of blood flow than give up on Princy Castle. Especially not at the hands of a ckmailing whimsical young man. But he had to sell it like he meant it. After all, he was going to benefit a whole lot more in the end. Let Xzavier have his victory for now.<novelnext></novelnext>

    But Xzavier didn''t see through it at all. Quaid had actually seen through Xzavier''s ploy and saw that at the heart of his rage, there was a certain bitterness against the injustice meted out to the sex ves. So, Quaid had targeted this hole, and assured Xzavier clearly in words that he was going to set them free. Xzavier on the other hand was d. He couldn''t believe it, but after freeing two women, now, the others were going to be set free?

    He hadn''t expected Quaid to fold so easily. But he concluded that the governor''s love for lethal weapons far outweighed his desire to keep Princy Castle. But there was one thing that he didn''t agree with;

    "Great. But I don''t think tearing down Princy Castle is such a good idea. It is a pretty decent edifice, and I believe it can still be put to good use."

    Quaid almost retched when Xzavier used the adjective ''decent'' to describe the crown jewel of modern architecture in Princy State. But he controlled himself. Actually, the part about tearing down Princy Castle was just a ruse. Quaid knew Xzavier might object, and in the event that he hadn''t, Quaid already had something lined out;

    "Wait a minute!" pretending like he just had an epiphany, Quaid asked Xzavier; "I suggest that the castle be handed over to you as a new baron!"

    Quaid was a diabolical maniptor. Of course he had no intention of fulfilling any of these promises, but he had to sell it like it was real! This was a juicy offer and he knew it. There was no way anyone would say no to having a castle like that. Not even the justice driven Xzavier could say no. Once again, Quaid struck a home run with Xzavier.

    Xzavier on the other hand, fell for the trap like a rat on a cheese based snare. He liked the idea of having a base of his own where he could start enacting some of thews he had been wanting to enact for some time. From the castle, he could begin to cater for some of the freed sex ves. Those who wouldn''t be able to leave because they had no one, could stay back and prepare themselves for the world outside.

    Sure the location wasn''t exactly people friendly, but it was a start. Xzavier assumed that this was Quaid''s way of keeping him far away from the city where he would gather any more influence. He weed it either way. Xzavier was more than d with this arrangement. But of course, he didn''t show it. Quaid was the one smiling the whole time. It was ironic that the facial expressions on both men was theplete opposite of their true feelings.

    The two of them continued to speak for a while, fine tuning the details of their transactions andying in ce certain principles to guide their new partnership. Xzavier kept a solemn face, but in his innermost being, he was ted by the result of his negotiation. Quaid on the other hand was smiling ear to ear, but he had already made up his mind to kill Xzavier. In fact, at several intervals during their conversation, Quaid had already killed Xzavier multiple times in his head.

    But still, he kept on smiling all the way like all was well. When in fact, all was far from well. Later that night, after much discussing, Xzavier left that room a happy man. Unknown to him, a storm was brewing already- the likes of which he had never seen before.

    "So, is it done? Have you settled things with the governor?"

    In the dark, Babara''s impatient voice came out from behind him as Xzavier entered his room and shut the door. Prior to this moment, Xzavier had already arranged with Babara to meet up at his room after the whole thing, so they could strategize ande up with a good n. So while Xzavier had been busy with Quaid, Babara had disguised herself as one of Xzavier''s prostitutes and got herself admitted into the governor''s home. A servant had led her to Xzavier''s room, where she sat down waiting for him toe back.

    So, now that Xzavier was back, Babara could hardly contain her anxiety anymore.

    "Come on Xzavier, tell me everything."

    He bid her to reduce the volume of her voice, just in case he was being spied on.

    "I will, but first you must tell me of Adalia and your sister. Is it done? Are they safe?"

    "Of course they are! If they weren''t, I would have told you already!" she rasped impatiently. "Now tell me everything¡­"

    Xzavier absolutely hated having to report incidences or people. But he had to- for the sake of rity. In actuality, he had grown to rely on Babara''s perspective. She was the reason why they had even considered exporting Adalia and Janae. So far, she had proven useful in the aspect of data interpretation. So, Xzavier summarized everything that had happened.

 Chapter 165 NO WAY!!

    "¡­so we ended up making a deal that ensures peace and progress for everyone involved. Including the free sex ves."

    Babara was confounded. With a look of disbelief on her face, she asked Xzavier again to be sure;

    "So Quaid is cool with all of this? Really?"

    Babara had been in business with these people for years. As an active government official, she practically ran around with the same work circle as them. And as a very perceptive soul, Babara knew just how to anticipate most people responses, especially that of powerful people in this city. So far, Babara wasn''tfortable with Xzavier''s version of how the governor had reacted. It just didn''t make any sense.

    Babara was well aware of just how prideful and egotistical the governor was. And yet, Xzavier was telling her that he had simply backed down without putting up a fight? Babara desperately wanted to believe him, for it truly seemed like Xzavier was convinced. The cynical, calctive part of her resisted the news vehemently. She hadn''t expected Quaid to fold so easily. However Xzavier kept assuaging her.

    "Nothing is truly impossible Babara. Quit being so pessimistic."

    "Pessimistic? I am just trying to be real Xzavier!"

    "Listen, before now, one would have deemed it impossible for a sex ve to be released by her master. But look how that all yed out."

    "That is precisely the reason I am worried! Can''t you see? You took two women from him, and now you are trying take away the rest from him¡­surely you see why he cannot possibly sit idly by and let this y out¡­"

    Xzavier rolled his eyes impatiently.

    "Look, I appreciate your concern but I''ve got this all figured out."

    Thinking she was like that simply because she wasn''t in the know. Xzavier made himselffortable on the bed, and proceeded to fill her in on the details of their negotiations. He spoke of supplying the governor weapons in exchange for his promise to shut down the sex ve business.

    He told her how even though he hadn''t requested it, but Quaid had thought it good to offer him Princy Castle. Since it wasn''t going to be used for his nefarious hobbies, it was now free to be used by another. As he revealed this particr detail to her, Babara''s face turned miserably sour. Xzavier didn''t see this, he simply carried on with his narration.

    He proceeded to tell her how he himself suspected that it was just another ploy to keep him far away, since the castle was located in a remote location.

    "¡­so, there''s really no need to worry. As I said, it has all been tied up nicely. Everything is good now."

    When Xzavier finished talking, Babara was quiet for some time. She sat at the edge of Xzavier''s bed, with her elbows on her knees, and her palms supporting her chin. She digested and tore apart every single thing Xzavier had revealed to her, screening and double screening it all. It took a while, but, when she finally roused out of her own thoughts to address it all, she spoke in a cold, metallic voice that almost had a chilling, dead somber ring to it.

    "Xzavier we need to leave this ce immediately¡­"

    Xzavier was surprised by her reaction. Did she not hear the good news at all? He wasn''t sure what had her on edge, but she was making him nervous now.

    "Why?" he inquired.

    "Because you''ve been tricked!!!" Babara got up on her feet and began to pace up and down, breathing and talking hysterically. "Oh Xzavier we have to go right now!! Trust me!!"

    Xzavier still didn''t understand. He didn''t know Babara to be hasty about anything. He had grown to trust her judgment. So, if she was acting this way, it was clear that he was missing something.

    "Calm down." He said as he sat up. "Talk to me, what''s wrong?"

    "Talk to you? Now''s not the time for talking! We need to leave right away!"

    "Babara be reasonable. I am not going anywhere until you tell me what has got you all hot and bothered."

    Seeing that Xzavier was unwilling to cooperate until she gave him something to work with, she walked up to him and told him tly.

    "You can''t have Princy Castle!"<novelnext></novelnext>

    A puzzled look darkened Xavier''s countenance. Before he could ask why, Babara spared him the effort and elucidated;

    "That castle can''t just be handed over to you because it was the official residence of the previous Emperor. It is a symbol of royalty and excellence. Quaid cannot just give it away!"

    Xzavier didn''t reply her immediately but took a moment to go over what she had just told him. But Babara wasn''t prepared to give him the chance to sit around. She stepped towards him with pleading eyes; "Xzavier please listen to me! You really need to be careful..."

    Xzavier appreciated her quick thinking, it had done them both some good in the past. But presently, it was starting to be annoying. Xzavier waspletely banking on the fact that Quaid needed him, maybe liked him even. He wasn''t prepared to side Babara on this at all! Despite the fact that she had never been wrong before. As he prepared for another counter, suddenly his sixth sense started tingling. His base instincts reacted immediately, sending him into high alert mode.

    Babara frowned when she noticed the change in Xzavier''s countenance. She asked worriedly;

    "What''s happening? What''s wrong Xzavier?"

    Xzavier lifted his finger to his lip and bid her to be quiet. Then he tiptoed towards the door ced his ear on it. Babara''s heart was beating loudly now. She was a person that was awfully suspicious of everything and everyone. And right now, Xzavier was giving her reason to be all the more suspicious.

    Xzavier was on high alert. He could feel something in the air, but he just couldn''t ce his hands on it. He turned towards Babara whispered to Babara in a very low tone;

    "Do you hear that?"

    Babara was confused. What was Xzavier talking about, it was deathly still outside. There wasn''t even a single sound. With her eyes looking like those of a wild animal, she lifted up her hands frantically and replied him in a harsh whisper;

    "What the hell are you talking about?! It''s dead quiet outside!"

    "Exactly!" Xzavier rasped back. "Nothing!"

    Now Babara was confused. Was Xzavier going mad? Was it abnormal to be quiet by this time? It waste night already. But apparently, Xzavier thought otherwise. Years and years of training and field missions had hardwired Xzavier. If he thought something was off, something was definitely off. He turned towards her and mouthed very quietly, almost too quiet to be heard.

    "Babara don''t be scared. I need you to move back towards the edge of the room and stay low."

    "What?!"

    "Just do it!" Xzavier growled angrily.

    He had never raised his voice at a woman before, but right now he was as serious as a heart attack, and Babara had constantly been second guessing his every move. He was done with that bit. Xzavier could practically taste the danger in the air now. It was so thick that it sickened him. And yet, he couldn''t ce exactly what the source of it was. One thing he knew though- the silence was overbearingly loud. And that wasn''t a good sign. He had to get a move on.

    With the agility of a cat, Xzavier sprinted towards his gear tucked safely at the foot of his bed, and deftly brought out his high definition infra-red goggles. With the infra-red technology built into the system, he could scan past the walls around him, and see his outside environment. Without hesitation, and with Babara panicking in the background, Xzavier lifted up his goggles to his eyes. An involuntary gasp escaped his mouth almost immediately.

    The sensitive ears of Babara picked it up quickly. She didn''t know what the problem was,

    Xzavier on the other hand kept his eyes fixed on his goggles. He was still very much in a state of perpetual shock,

    "NO WAY!!" Xzavier thought silently. "No way¡­"

    And yet, it was as clear as it would ever be. Right outside the walls of his bedroom, crouched on the floor like grasshoppers, littered around in a thick cluster ofrge numbers, were dozens and dozens of human figures lying in wait in the dark. They sat as still as immovable statues, huddled together in the darkness, waiting for the order to strike.

    "NO WAY!!" Xzavier was still shocked. Here he was, sitting like a fool in the bedroom, literally about to fall asleep, thinking that he and the governor hade to a mutual understanding. What a fool he had been! What a big, bloody, fat fool!! Babara had been right all along! And worse still, he hadn''t been able to see it, right up till the very end. In fact, if he wasn''t seeing the host of evil men who had surrounded him in the dark, he probably would have maintained his ground.

    In the midst of the ensuing crisis, Xzavier began to get a rity of mind that came almost toote. His mind was doing loops around the same subject matter- QUAID! In that moment, Xzavier felt like he was running mad. The monumental betrayal was staggering in different proportions. Xzavier saw the darkest side of humanity he had refused to acknowledge. Suspended in a world of his own, momentarily detached from reality, and briefly incarcerated in a mental prison of his making; Xzavier saw the true depth of man''s depravity, avarice and deception.

 Chapter 166 So Na?ve

    As Xzavier realized what had been lurking behind Quaid''s cid smile. It had been nothing but a demonic charade, a mere attempt to assuage him, while he plotted Xzavier''s capture or even murder. Xzavier was appalled! A cold chill ran over him when he remembered how only a few moments ago, he had left the conversation with Quaid feeling rather pleased with himself, meanwhile, the whole time he had been smiling with Xzavier, making promises and working on how he would deliver them, he had actually been spinning this web of deceit to catch him the whole time?!

    Xzavier was mortified. How could a person be so two-faced? How could a person smile so pleasingly and still be dreaming up ways to end the same person he was jesting with? Xzavier was so stunned, he didn''t even know how to respond to such a vile assault.

    If Quaid had pulled his weapon on him there and then, and told Xzavier squarely to his face that he would never condescend to his demands, then Xzavier would have at least known that that was it. He wouldn''t have been happy, but at least, on a subconscious level, he would have respected Quaid for standing his ground.

    But s, the governor had yed him like a violin. Every single time he was smiling, promising Xzavier the castle, talking about how he was going to free up the ves and focus on the arms deal instead. That had all been a bold faced lie by a bold faced liar! It had all been just a ploy to get him to let his guard down while he prepared for his next move- the mobilization of his army! The cluster outside wasrge enough to be considered a small army.

    Under the cover of darkness, they had surrounded his bedroom, blocking the only exit, cornering him like he was some kind of dangerous criminal that was to be arrested- or killed!

    "Babara, don''t move, we have been surrounded."

    Babara''s face went from being shaken, to straight up paleness. She was visibly terrified. Not daring to even breathe, she stayed still as a rock, as her eyes went back and forth like a trapped animal, trying to see just how exactly she could make her way out of this.

    But the more she reviewed the situation, the more she realized just how hopeless they both were. She knew Quaid well enough to know that he must have gone overboard with his ns to capture Xzavier. Most definitely, she expected there to be over two hundred powerful mages stationed outside the door, just sitting there, waiting for them to make a move, and praying that Xzavier would give them an excuse to go all out and smash their way through.

    Having seen it all, Babara knew in her heart of hearts that it was all over. No matter the stories about Xzavier, no matter how skillful he was, the fact was that he as a person was just one man. And as it stood, he was severely outnumbered. Babara didn''t even allow herself to even hope on him. At the moment, her only sce was the fact that he sister had escaped unhurt. That was the only thing she was taking out of all this and she was very content with it.

    Xzavier on the other hand was still taking a moment to process his emotions. Quaid had proven to be beyond redemption with this stunt he had just pulled. Even when Xzavier had confronted him with the truth about his nefarious ways, he had still stubbornly clung to his vices, and was now looking to add deceit and murder to his bouquet. Xzavier was astounded! Quaid was ying with the lives and destinies of humans like it was nothing. How could a person take something like this for granted?

    This practically went against all things humanity was supposed to stand for. The very ethics of morality weren''t established in stone, there were some vices that just couldn''t be overlooked. And yet, in this Isekai, it seemed that there were no boundaries at all. It was amazing just how it was considered a normal thing for a noble to own a human being as a property, and yet, it was considered atrocious for a noble to take another noble''s ve. This baffled Xzavier greatly! Had the whole world gone mad all of a sudden?!

    Xzavier had been actively trying to understand the ways and thoughts of these people in order to assimte properly. He had actually put in the work. There had been times where he tried to see things from their perspectives. However, it had been a failed attempt. It was like trying to mix up oil and water. He recalled what he had told Tacy earlier on; he just couldn''t get used to the way things were here.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It seemed like the tension in the air finally got to Xzavier. Taken over by a surge of spontaneity, Xzavier''s whole body began vibrate as an uncontroble wave ofughter erupted from his gut through his mouth. The strangeughter cackled through the quiet grounds, disturbing the peace and stillness of the night. Anyone who heard the auspiciousughter would be able to instantly tell that it wasing from a disturbed mind. Babara watched with a horrid expression on her face as Xzavier threw his head back and let out peals and peals ofughter.

    Now she knew that Xzavier had truly lost it. What sort of mind could dare tough in this manner before a situations as precarious as this?

    But Xzavier wasn''t bothered. In fact he didn''t care anymore. He had been terribly ignorant and stupidly na?ve, so heughed it off. Heughed at his own foolishness. Heughed at himself for believing that he could have somehow convinced a man like Quaid to give up on his enterprise. Xzavier imagined just what Quaid must have been truly thinking about him all those moments he was pretending, and smiling. He didn''t know per say, but Xzavier knew that it would be something like this;

    "What a foolish boy! What a dumb, na?ve, senseless boy! Princy Castle? You must be a special kind of stupid to think such a priceless monument will be handed to you just like that! You think you can juste here and dictate how to run my life? All for what? Some lousy weapons? Go to your room, you will not wake up to see the next day!"

    Xzavier reyed this over and over again, causing him to roar even louder in deepughter. Oh what an idiot he had been, what a big fat idiot. Xzavier continued tough. As he held his face with one hand. His eyes danced wildly as his shoulders heaved up and down as he continued his own version of a sick, twisted dementedughter. How stupid had he been! Oh how stupid indeed!

    Then suddenly, with an unprecedented abruptness, Xzavier stoppedughing. It was a disturbing end to an even more disturbingughter. No one could have anticipated it. Most people''sughter normally died down in slow steady waves, like the gradual death of a fire. But Xzavier''s own had been sudden, brash and unnatural, giving the hint that he was truly unhinged. But it wasn''t as much about the disturbing end of theughter, it was more about what came next.

    When his stoppedughing, his body stopped moving. He became as cold as a block of ice. It was as if theughter had purged him of any atom of emotion he had in him. It was as if he became a living statue, cold on the inside. His eyes reflected this coldness. Xzavier had now assumed the role of the grim reaper. To the unfortunate souls outside, they were about to see just why Xzavier had often been referred to as the A-O-D; The angel of death.

    Xzavier''s vision turned red, with his mind on auto pilot now, he sprang into action. Xzavier was acutely aware of his points bnce in the system. As at that moment, he had over six thousand points left. That was more than enough to do some major damage. So, he took a look at the systems weapons list and his eyes fell on the perfect thing for the situation; the terrible, mean looking Leopard 2 A7 tank! Xzavier envisioned the level of carnage that he could wreak upon his enemies with this tank.

    He didn''t bother to hide his eagerness. This was something that he was going to enjoypletely. So, without hesitation, he selected the tank and watched as it gulped down a whooping four thousand, three hundred and ny nine points! This was no small weaponry. A tank of this size and magnitude was something that could be used to take out an entire battalion, and even more. It was a huge armament. And because of its worth, it had brought down Xzavier''s point bnce to a measly two thousand points.

    Now wasn''t the time to dwell on hemorrhaging points. The fact was, Xzavier had been saving this for the worst kind of monsters he might face. After his ordeal in the jungle with the goblins and the chief orcs, Xzavier knew that it was only a matter of time before, he came across something even more dangerous. And so, he had prepared this tank for that time, but never had he thought that he would one day use this against his fellow humans.

    The gigantic form of the tank appeared out of nowhere and filled about seventy five percent of the entire bedroom. Babara nearly fainted. It was merely the shock and fear and kept her fully conscious. She stared askance at the big ck metallic monster. She couldn''t move for a full minute.

 Chapter 167 Crush

    Where had ite from? She wasn''t exactly a magic savvy person, but one thing she knew was that Xzavier definitely had no magic. So what the hell did he do? How could he summon something like this?

    And more importantly; WHAT EXACTLY WAS IT?

    All Babara had were questions upon questions. But it didn''t look like she was going to get any answers. Suddenly, she felt Xzavier had grab hers. She quickly jolted back to consciousness, and turned to face him only to find him ring at her angrily.

    "What are you doing? Come on! Let''s go! Move it!"

    Babara was only half conscious. She still felt like she was in a dream or something. Any moment now, she would wake up in her apartment and forget about this nightmare. As Xzavier pulled her up from where she had been crouched low, she wondered to herself; ''How did he get here so fast?''

    Babara didn''t realize that she had beenpletely mesmerized by the tank that she had spaced out for a moment. Xzavier had been signaling her toe over, but she hadn''t seen or heard him. So, Xzavier had toe over to her and jerk her up. Leading her, Xzavier got into the tank and hurled her in as well. Just as Xzavier was about to close the lid of the tank and settle infortably, he heard a very familiar voice call out his name;

    "Baron Xzavier Mace!!"

    Xzavier recognized the speaker immediately. There was no way he could ever forget the high handed voice of the Silver Knight Dale. He had been so off the gridtely that Xzavier hadpletely forgotten about him. He had often wondered about the role he yed in the governor''s life. But now, judging from the scenario, it was evident that he was just a glorified henchman. Quaid obviously used him and his army as his own personal thugs.

    Of course he was the governor, and it was well within his rights to order his army whenever or wherever he liked. But that was just a convenient arrangement which he took advantage of to cover up the truth. Dale was just another one of Quaid''s instruments. The Silver Knight continued to talk;

    "I hereby order you toe out with your weapons and step out of the room THIS INSTANT!!"

    The authority in his voice was so prominent that even inanimate, nonliving things would have reacted if they had life in them. When he received no feedback at all, he pressed on;

    "Don''t make this any difficult for yourself Xzavier! You are surrounded! If youply without any resistance, rest assured, I will reciprocate the courtesy!"

    Xzavier almostughed aloud. If would be a cold day in hell before he could believe anything that Dale or his master had to say. As far as Xzavier was concerned, they were all a bunch of liars who would say anything to achieve their goals. There wasn''t the tiniest shred of honor in either of them. Xzavier decided that he had heard enough, so,ughing to himself, Xzavier he entered the tank and shut the lid. The time for negotiating was over. It was now time to get the hell out of this abode that was infested with lies.

    Xzavier''s hand reached for the ignition, and just as he was about to move along with his destructive ns, a thought crossed Xzavier''s mind, and he decided to act on it. Instead of the ignition, he diverted his hand towards the loudspeaker system in the tank. He adjusted the settings to full st, and addressed his enemies in a horrifyingly acidic tone, saying;

    "Listen to me the lot of you, I aming out, if anyone dares to stand in my way, I will not hesitate to kill that person."

    Having passed his message across, he switched off the microphone and gave those who wanted to run a chance. Xzavier wasn''t unreasonable. Even in his rage, he recognized the fact that a lot of them were simply following orders. He acknowledged this fact, and was thus giving them a way out. So, at least, when he began to unleash terror, he would have no second thoughts.

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Xzavier''s voice thundered in the ears of his enemies. The loudspeaker had created a simtion of a demigod speaking. He had articted his words, singling each one out, creating the atmosphere of one who was damn serious. The mages were stunned. Here was a man that was practically cornered, and yet, he was speaking with so much confidence like he had their lives in his hands.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Of course his message was loud and clear, but they just couldn''t see how he could deliver on his threat. But they were about to find out just how serious Xzavier was. He wasn''t threatening them at all. He was simply stating what he was going to do, only the poor mages didn''t take his words seriously at all.

    Through the scope of his infra-red disy, Xzavier was able to see that Quaid had actually overdone himself. There were scores and scores of mages that were camped right outside of his door. It seemed like the governor actually took him seriously. At least that was one thing he had gotten right. Xzavier turned on the tank, and its powerful engine roared, causing the earth underneath it to tremble, sending reverberations across the entire grounds.

    The mages, felt this awesome power and braced themselves. But no amount of bracing could have possibly prepared them for what was toe. Instinctively, they backed away from the entrance and retreated a couple of feet away, thinking that that would be enough to save them from what was toe. Holding their breaths, they kept their eyes fixed on the door, then suddenly, Xzavier''s tank burst through. It brought down the door like it was nothing, also brought down the walls on both sides of the door as well.

    Dale looked upon the magnificent iron d monster and his breath seized for a minutes. It was not out of fear, but more out of wonder and astonishment. This was truly beyond anything he had ever seen. Now he hadn''t the slightest clue of what exactly he was looking at, but one thing was for sure; this definitely wasn''t going to be an easy one.

    Dale shook off his curiosity and turned fully to concentrate on the battle at hand. Xzavier had made the first call and he was clearly out for blood. The Silver Knight was a bit excited. On a subconscious level, some part of him had always known that this day was going toe. Though he had never imagined that it would be this soon. Nevertheless, the time was at hand. And he had to respond appropriately. After all, Xzavier was one man wasn''t he?

    Dale assumedmand. The ginormous metallic beast had shaken up the spirit of his own forces, but as a seasonedmander, he knew that the tide of battle lied in the chain ofmand. So, tightening his face in a grimace, he called aloud to his men in his best authoritative voice;

    "MAGES OF THE MARSHI EMPIRE! TO ME! Hut! Hut!"

    Dale''smand did the trick. His voice seemed to have shaken them out of their slumber. The mages gathered themselves together at themand of their general, and braced themselves as they waited for the nextmand.

    "Assume formation seven five seven, fox tail! Engage!"

    The reassuringmand of their leader wafted through the air, lifting their already dampening spirits. They all roared in unison; "hut! hut!"

    They didn''t know exactly what the metallic contraption was, in fact none of them had ever seen or dreamt of anything like it before. It was an anomaly of the greatest proportions and they were frankly unprepared for it. But at this moment, they relied on their training to get them through. They were the elite of the elite. The top brass in the military of Victoria City, and they had been called upon to serve.

    So, assuming the formation that Dale had called for, they moved quickly on their feet, doing their best to encircle the ck beast that their enemy was riding. The tank wasn''t really fast. It moved at a rtively slow pace because of its size. The terrain wasn''tpletely in its favor. Xzavier had to mow down several structures in his bid to get out in the open. But he was still very far from getting outpletely. And that was what encouraged the mages.

    They quickly surrounded Xzavier in loose concentric circles, advancing along with Xzavier as he moved. Dale watched from behind as his men ced themselves in formation. It was a conspicuous sight. The light bearers held up their ming torches in strategic positions, lighting up the area like a runway in the night. Watching to make sure every angle was secured, he finally issued the attack all his men had been waiting for.

    "ATTAAAAACK!!! FULL BLAST!!!"

    In an instant, scores upon scores of numerous sparks of lighting lit up the grounds. It was an electrifying sight. It looked like dozens of power grids connecting to each other in one gigantic ball of sizzling lighting. Powerful bluish-white streaks of lighting flew out at once from over a hundred magic staffs, all rushing towards one target- Xzavier''s tank!

    The sparks were glorious, but what came next was thunderous. Much like the same way lighting graces the sky before the thunderes, it was the same way the deafening st came after the fireworks. Thebined power of over a hundred powerful mages surged together at Xzavier, creating a colossal wave of destruction.

 Chapter 168 Inevitable Tank

    Sparks flew about, as well as the reverberations that shook the ground. The attack was more than enough to waste a small vigepletely, talk less of a ten foot long tank. Surely, it was more than enough. At least that was what they had thought.

    But much to their dismay, and to their perpetual shock, after the dust and the smoke cleared, they all watched with horror as Xzavier''s tank continued to make it way out of thepound-pletely unfazed and untouched! They were all mortified! It was almost as if their attacks had bounced right off. None of the impact had been absorbed by the tank at all! Like an indestructible giant sea turtle, it kept gliding down the estate, totally unperturbed as if nothing mattered at all.

    While the outside enemies wallowed in their despair, from thefort of the inside of his tank, Xzavier assessed the damaged sustained to his tank from the st. As he turned on the screen that read the tank''s vitals, Xzavier was pleased to see that there hadn''t been any substantial damaged. There had been little to nothing in the way of sustainable damage. In fact, if it wasn''t for the asional vibrations and tremors that they both felt inside the tank, none of them would have suspected that they were under attack in the first ce.

    Babara on the other hand was scared to death. She hadn''t fully quitee to terms with the fact that she was in the belly of a metallic monster. In fact, she did not know or understand anything about what was going on around her! The only thing she knew for sure was that they were going to die! She could sense the savage lust and brute intentions of their attackers. But as she saw that somehow they were fine, even after the first wave of attack, she began to rx. Maybe there was hope after all.

    Meanwhile, Xzavier had been struggling to lean in to his humanity all this while. But with every passing minute, it was getting increasingly harder and harder to cling on to his human side. Finally, Xzavier managed to turn the switch offpletely. He had done his best to be considerate of their plight. His hand rested on the mechanism that controlled the machine gun that was configured inside the tank. Taking a deep breath, Xzavier began his reign of terror.

    Battle in this era was conducted mostly with magic, and asionally, traditional weapons got involved at some point. So, it waspletely unfathomable that Xzavier could be able tounch an attack from inside his tank. They weren''t prepared for the rain of metal bullets that rained down on them. The powerful kickback of the thirty millimeters machine gun came after the mages'' coordinated attack. They weren''t expecting a counter, so when the long, thick bullets came flying, they couldn''t do anything about it.

    The first line of unfortunate idiots to take the fall were those who were unlucky enough to be in front of Xzavier''s tank. The steady rapid fire of the machine gun tore through the ranks, sending body parts flying all around, drowning the muffled cries of the mages in the oppressive roar of the machine gun''s fury. The others, still not sure of what was happening, they all scrambled to get away from the stream of bullets flying around. But it was all for naught.

    Determined to get them, Xzavier switched his line of fire from a direct parallel line, and began to rotate all around a three hundred and sixty degree angle, making sure to get at least a few more stubborn enemies from all angles. In doing so, he immobilized thempletely, rendering any attempt to counterpletely futile. All the while, Xzavier was still advancing. But nobody really cared about that. They were all too bothered with staying alive and keeping their heads up.

    The casualties were abysmal. So many mages were either dead, or scouring for the lives to evade the death trap. It was all so morbid, and dour. Especially since they had all thought that this was going to be a grab and arrest mission. How could one man wreak such damage?

    Xzavier causally drove his tank on, leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake. It was clear as day that nobody could stop him now. He knew it, and more importantly, his enemies knew it. So, totally unhindered, he freely eased his way out of the estate. Victory was his at this first stage.

    It was impossible to not hear the terrible sounds of the battleing from the governor''s estate. Everyone in a twenty mile radius all around could hear it clearly. So that not even Cadence and Earlene couldn''t ignore it. They had both been jolted out of their sleep at the sound of the first st. It had indeed been a rude awakening. But nheless, they got the memo. Earlene looked out of her window and saw the lightning sparks in the distance. Her whole body began to tremble along with the reverberations on the earth.

    "What in heaven''s name is this?" she wondered.

    Earlene was the first to rush out. The first person she rushed to find was her brother. With her heart in her mouth, she bundled herself together and sprinted in the direction of her other sibling''s room. It wasn''t that far away. Cadence himself was already awake. It wasn''tpletely unexpected given the disturbing sounds that wereing from all sides. Nheless, it was happening either way.

    "Cadence!! What''s going on?! Are we under attack?" she called out to her brother.

    Cadence replied her calmly; "I have no idea. I thought you knew. What do we do?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    ? Both siblings had never been in this kind of situation before. They had been raised in a bubble, shielded by their privilege from the harshness of life''s reality. So, their survival skills were less than average. Earlene was the oldest, and the one who always took charge. But at this point, she wasn''tpletely clear on what to do. But one thing was ring though, they had to find out what was happening. And the only way to do that was to find the master of the household- Quaid Princy.

    "I think we need to find father. He should have alerted us or at least sent for us by now. Come on quick, let''s go!"

    They both jogged towards, the direction of their father''s home office since his own room was too far away from theirs. But much to their dismay, he wasn''t on seat. Their heads began to turn with worry now. The noise outside now resembled the roaring of a terrifying beast that was splurging out its wrath. Standing alone in the corridor that was barely illuminated by the ming torch, Earlene and Cadence looked at each other, trying their best to stay strong for what was toe- whatever the hell that was.

    "Earlene we need to go outside..."

    The older sibling shed her eyes. "What?! Why would we want to go outside?!" she grabbed Cadence by the shoulders and shook him; "Now is not the time to prove your manliness little brother, snap out of it and let''s find a ce to hide."

    Cadence shook his head, still calm, he exined things further; "Look around you Earlene, there is no one in sight! Not even father. We need to first find out what''s happening okay? The sooner the better. Let''s go!"

    Earlene was hesitant, but she couldn''t argue with his logic. Her little brother was changing, this wasn''t the wimpy Cadence she knew. He had grown to be more assertive and more domineering in the past few weeks. So, even though she was absolutely against it, she reluctantly followed him towards the main exit. Just as they were about to burst open the door and ball out through the main exit, a firm, sturdy figure blocked their path. It was a guard.

    "My apologies lord anddy, but we have been given strict orders not to let you out."

    Earlene breathed a sigh of relief. This was good news. It meant her father was still in control. But Cadence wasn''t totally convinced. He needed to be sure. So he stepped forward authoritatively and questioned the guard;

    "And whose orders were those exactly?"

    Meanwhile, Xzavier had made steady progress outside. At that very moment, with no one stopping him, he surged forward in his powerful tank and brokered his way through the solid oak gates of the governor''s mansion. The impressive gates which once stood tall and proud werepletely decimated by the sheer brute force of the leopard tank. With that out of the way, Xzavier swaggered out onto the street, leaving the carnage and destruction he had caused in his wake.

    Despite the yawning chasm that described the gap difference between Xzavier''s strength and that of his enemies, Dale stubbornly refused to stay down. It was obvious that Xzavier was leagues ahead of him and his army. And yet, somehow, Dale still found the will to try to engage Xzavier. It was uncanny, and it was totally gutsy. But it was Dale.

    The Silver Knight totally ignored the heavy losses he had sustained, and began to plot his next course of action. He assessed the basis of Xzavier''s stance and saw that Xzavier stayed progressive. In spite of the fact that his contraption was monstrous and abnormally heavy, he stayed on the move. Dale''s military mind recognized this fact, and resolved to counter it. Experience from his previous attack had shown that an all-out attack on Xzavier was next to useless. In fact, it was virtually pointless at this point to even consider it.

 Chapter 169 Futile Attempts

    So, resolved to impede Xzavier''s progress, he began to formte a n. Within a few seconds, the Silver Knight began to bark orders at the remainder who had actually managed to somehow survive Xzavier''s reign of terror.

    "Horses! Get me horses right away!! You there, grab some hooks and a ton of ropes!! Move!! move!! Quickly!!"

    They heard the voice of theirmander and responded promptly. The logistics department ran back and forth. They didn''t know what the grand n was, but the energy of theirmander was infectious. Besides, they were duty bound to obey thestmand. This was the way of the army.

    The response time was incredible. Within a short period, about two dozen strong horses had been requisitioned from the governor''s stables. Out of nowhere, several feet long ropes and grappling hooks appeared on the scene. Dale saw that Xzavier was making considerable progress, and it inspired him to move quickly. Running back and forth across thepound, he dished out orders, and gave specific instructions on how to proceed from here.

    The strategy was simple; they were to ce the hooks on the exterior of Xzavier''s tank and tie ropes on the horses, and then ride furiously in the opposite direction. This was a method that Dale had often used to tear down buildings in the past. It had been widely effective. So Dale didn''t think that Xzavier would be able to resist this gambit. In a short amount of time, the mages mounted their horses, and the daring ones approached Xzavier''s death machine and ced the hooks therein.

    Dale watched with glee as the n unfolded. This was his chance to stop Xzavier and render him static. Everything was looking good so far. Teeming with confidence, Dale lifted up his arm, signaling his men to be on their marks, and then he brought it down hard. The horsemen bolted forward immediately. They had surrounded Xzavier on all sides, once again reying that same gambit. The horses neighed and neighed as they tried to pull the impossible weight of Xzavier''s tank on all sides.

    Of course such a daunting task was no small feat. But they all anticipated that Xzavier''s tank wouldn''t stand a chance with over two dozen horses pulling it from all sides. However, yet again they received the shock of their lives! Despite everything that had been thrown at him, the tank did not stop moving forward. At some point it did appear to be as if it had been stalled for a second, but when their horses started to regress, they knew that the gig was up.

    Dale watched the debacle unfold. This whole endeavor was proving to be a cataclysmic failure of the highest proportion! Nothing seemed to be working! The mages had the will and angst, but none of the skills that were required to pull this off. The horses that were stagnant started find themselves getting sucked in by the pull of Xzavier''s tank. They had lost their momentumpletely. And were instead dragged like dead weight. Dale watched aghast as some of the soldiers cut their ropes in other to prevent any further loss.

    It was at this point that Dale lost his cool. The frustration of this whole thing was starting to get to him. He could feel the doubt in the air, seeping into his men like a poison gas. Destroying the years of confidence and trust he had managed to build up over the years. The Silver Knight knew that if he didn''t do something in that moment, it was very likely that he would lose it all. So, with renewed vigor that was brought on by desperation, Dale gave another order.

    "Listen up men! Comrades have fallen in battle, I know you will not let their deaths go unpunished! Will you?"

    "NO!!!" they roared.

    "Good! The fifth battalion, your orders are to perform a saturation magic immediately! Go on!" he cried. "Attack the vessel!!"

    The fifth battalion contained about two hundred soldier in total. They were all some of the most powerful soldiers in the barracks, and their specialty was purely of the attack genre. The bound themselves in formation once again, lifted up their right palms in the air, and pointed at Xzavier''s tank. As they kept out their palms stretched out, they chanted as one, droning out words of power until the air was charged with their energy.

    Dale watched expectedly with glee as the attack gained momentum. Saturation magic was no joke, especially when performed by a league of astute mages. There was no way in hell Xzavier was going to escape this. Not even his tank could protect him. The attack hadn''t even beenpleted and Dale was already feeling confident with himself.

    In Dale''s mind, even if the saturation attack spell wasn''t enough, he was sure that it would weaken Xzavier considerably. And then, he would swoop down at thest moment and finish off Xzavierpletely. He was so close he could practically taste victory- or so he thought.<novelnext></novelnext>

    One and a half minuteter, Dale found himself wallowing in another humiliation. The insufferable Silver Knight was practically appalled. The attack had done nothing but cause a few sparks, and that had been it. Dale was at an impasse! He had never been in a situation like this before. Of course he had dealt with strong enemies in battle before, but no one had been able to get under his skin in the way and manner Xzavier was actively doing.

    And the funny thing was that Dale knew that Xzavier was yet to unleash the full potential of his own arsenal. He swallowed hard when he thought of what it would be like to be on the receiving end of Xzavier''s true wrath. He saw that things weren''t exactly going to be pretty. In fact, the imagination in Dale''s head became so vivid that for a moment, he contemted backing down. He didn''t want to be the one to agitate someone like Xzavier. But s, it was toote already.

    With every attack theyunched against Xzavier, the more he was riled up. He had had it up to his neck with his relentless enemies. It was as if they had all made up their minds to die. The stunt he had pulled with the machine gun was meant to serve as a deterrent to all the other mages. But it seemed like they were hell bent on not making it out of here alive. Xzavier gritted his teeth. If that was what they wanted, he was prepared to help them along that line.

    So, while the mages recovered their strength and stamina from their most recent attack, Xzavier turned the tide of the battle again. His counter attack always had a disastrous ring to it. Dale perhaps was the only one who sensed what was toe next. But that didn''t mean he could do anything to stop it.

    From inside his tank, Xzavier reacted with his twin pair of deadly semi-automatic rifles. The bullets flew out this time with no warning whatsoever. The mages who had stopped to rest briefly after thest attack, found themselves needing to recover much faster than was expected. But of course, it really didn''t matter how fast their recovery time was. In the end, no one could ever hope to outrun or dodge a bullet.

    So, the bullets that were the children of the semi-automatic rifles rippled through the bodies of the mages. Once again, it was a festival of blood and flesh. As Xzavier force fed the soldiers bullets, very slowly, his leopard 2 A7 tank moved away slowly from the governor''s mansion, and headed towards the city''s main entrance. Yet again, Dale was forced to witness the horrendous sight of watching his men get ughtered by Xzavier''s strange weapons. The pistols he had handed to Quaid were fine weapons.

    Dale had been at the demonstration a few weeks back, when Xzavier had shown him and Quaid just how powerful his weapons were. Even at the time, Dale was undoubtedly impressed. But the weapons Xzavier was using against his men right now was something else!

    "The bastard!"  Dale cursed. "So all this while, he had something extra up his sleeves?! DAMN YOU XZAVIER!"

    Dale was visibly pissed off. But he was a very stubborn individual. Regardless of the fact that that he was clearly losing, and might even continue to lose some more, he pressed on resiliently. He was determined to get the best of Xzavier, no matter the cost. Even if it meant him losing the entirety of his force, then so be it!

    Turning to the rest of his men that were crouched low, Dale shouted;

    "COME ON!! MARCH FORWARD!! No retreat! No surrender!! Stay on him men! Don''t lose him!"

    The poor soldiers had no choice but toply. It was the way of battle. There was no circumventing it. So, they followed Xzavier closely on the orders of their vindictivemander, but they made sure to keep a reasonable distance. All the while maintaining a tight perimeter, not daring to even free up even the tiniest of spaces. They didn''t want to risk getting torn apart by the mean bullets of the semi-automatic rifles.

    Words couldn''t describe Babara''s surprise. Even she herself could hardly believe it. Tucked securely inside the tank, Babara reflected on just how quickly things had turned around. She sat with her eyes straight ahead, not even daring to move an inch in case she might anger the strange magical contraption Xzavier had conjured up. Lost in her own mind, she remembered how only just a few moments ago, she had been prepared for the worst thing to happen to her and Xzavier. But somehow, things had turned around in the opposite direction.

 Chapter 170 Laddie

    Her logical mind had assessed the situation of things, and she had surmised that there was no getting out of there alive. Quaid was clearly bent on destroying Xzavier, and by extension, anyone who was close to him. There had been no way out, absolutely none! And yet, here she was,fortably on the run in the belly of a deathly metallic contraption. Of course she didn''t understand it. No one did. But one thing she was certain of was her new found respect for Xzavier.

    Suddenly, all the legends and stories flying around about him started to make sense. Of all his exploits, this was perhaps the most daring, and she was priviledged to have a firsthand experience of the whole thing. Babara''s mind shot far ahead into the future and concluded that when she would tell this story to others, she had to be prepared to be called crazy, or a liar, or even a an attention seeker. Of course she didn''t think she would ever bring herself to me them.

    She herself had sat through it all, and she could scarcely bring herself to acknowledge the fact that this had all happened in the first ce. Xzavier was truly something else. Babara had seen it, she was still seeing it. As she sat in the backseat of the two man leopard 2 A7 tank, she couldn''t help but feel a sick longing for Xzavier in that moment. If for some reason Xzavier decided to take her in that small cramped space, Babara knew that she wouldn''t be able to say no to him.

    Meanwhile, having sessfully pulled out of the governor''s estate, Xzavier had also sessfully changed the location of the battleground. He was now headed towards the city center with Dale''s goons still on his tail like a swarm of flies he couldn''t shake off.

    At that very moment, just as Xzavier steadily made his way towards the main city, Quaid sat in his study with a brooding look. The governor was truly a cold man. He had heard both of his children desperately knocking on his door, desperately in need of their father''s counsel and reassurance. But he had coldly ignored them, making it seem like he was unavable, despite the fact that he was very much present.

    From his perspective, Earlene and Cadence weren''t all that important right now. He couldn''t possibly bear their whining and puppy-like looks right now. This was a moment that called for hisplete and absolute attention. The governor simply didn''t have the luxury of being distracted, so he ignored them until they went away. It wasn''t like they were in any real danger anyway. They could handle themselves. As long as none of them went outside, he was content with that.

    Quaid found himself in a fix. He hadn''t anticipated the fact that his Xzavier problem would escte so quickly. Seated in his throne like chair, and with a stony expression on his face, Quaid brooded in his study. But even though he very much felt alone, the fact was he wasn''t by himself. Seated by his side was Laddie. The senior mage didn''t just carry that title for nothing. The old man was actually the most powerful mage in the entire Victoria City. He had maintained a low profile over thest couple of years due to a lot of reasons. But tonight, it seemed like his services were about to be called upon.

    Both men were quiet. But both men knew what had to be done. Quaid had a problem. He was reluctant to unleash Laddie upon Xzavier for some personal reasons. It wasn''t like he was holding back for any cowardly reason, but it was because he knew that deploying a top mage like Laddie would only mean that he had openly acknowledged Xzavier as a real threat. While this was a superficial reason, it was actually a pretty big deal to the egocentric governor!

    Quaid was always thinking about how things made him seem in the eyes of others. It was the politician in him. He simply couldn''t shake of the optics he would create by sending the top mage into battle. The implications to the people and the army would be that the government was desperate to wrap this up. It was bad press, and it definitely didn''t look good.

    Laddie interrupted the governor''s train of thought.

    "We both know what needs to be done here Quaid. That boy needs to be stopped. He''s heading for the city right now even as we speak!"

    Quaid answered calmly; "I know this already old man."

    "Then what''s the hold up? All I need is your word and it will be done."

    Quaid was liking this idea less and less. He could sense the thirst for glory in the old man''s voice. It wasn''t hard for him to tell that Laddie was eager to go all out against Xzavier. This was actually a good thing, except it posed one problem for Quaid.

    After giving it much thought, reluctantly, Quaid finally gave the order;

    "Fine. But I want to make myself clear Laddie- Xzavier must be captured alive! His corpse is of no use to me!" He reiterated again for posterity sake; "Use whatever means necessary, but he must be captired alive!"

    Laddie said nothing. He wasn''t thrilled about this constraint. Hearing about Xzavier''s assault had made him strangely giddy with excitement. He had been curious as to what it would be like to face Xzavier. His own magic skills were ster, but he also acknowledged Xzavier''s own capabilities and strange ways. The old man knew that this would be the showdown of the century. The part about not killing Xzavier was cumbersome, but he had received his orders already.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Without a word, Laddie disappeared into thin air. Quaid sighed. This was going to be a pretty long night, he could feel it already.

    Mean while, across the hallway, right around the turn in the children''s wing of the mansion, Earlene paced up and down furiously in her bedroom. The young girl was mad. Never in her life had she ever been restrained by a guard before. Even the daring ones who had tried to keep her from escaping her lessons never prevailed against her will. In the end, she always got her way. And yet, as thedy of the house, as the daughter of the governor, she had been denied ess to the outside world.

    It was insane! It wasn''t like she had actually wanted to go out before. In fact she did not want to. But now that she found out that she wasn''t allowed to, she was consumed with the thought of going outside to explore. This was the bane of adolescence- a childish rebellion that was pointless and baseless.

    But it wasn''t all horomones. Sitting there, trapped in her room by her father''s orders, she heard the sounds of battle in the distance, and she couldn''t help but be worried. Judging by the distance and acoustics, she surmisssed that the battle was moving further and further away from the grounds. This didn''t put her mind at ease at all. As she thought of Adalia and her father, Earlene began to worry frantically. She hoped with all her heart that they were okay.

    Much like Earlene and Cadence, the worrisome sounds of explosions and battles in the city center caused a lot of concern in the hearts of the nearby residents. Themotion came along with a certain panic that no one could understand or exin. What was happening? They wondered? Were they under attack? All these questions pounded their way through the minds of the masses. Fortunately, Dale had been prudent enough to forestall this problem.

    Before there could be a pandemonium or a case of mass hysteria in the city, The Silver Knight deployed a fresh set of soldiers to the townspeople, charging them with the task of keeping the city calm, and ensuring order prevailed above chaos. The unit quickly spread through the streets of the city, marching briskly and cautioning the citizens to remain indoors. Just as Dale had anticipated, a group of recalcitrants had already banded together, waiting for the perfect moment to take advantage of the dissension.

    They were quickly suppressed by this wing of the army.

    Having handled the problem of nosy/worrisome civilians, Dale could now focus on the issue at hand. His main problem remained Xzavier''s mobility. He had to stop him from moving forward! And he had to do it now! Dale hurriedly glossed over the map of the city and saw that the path Xzavier was headed towards was a densely packed part of town. It seemed like he was purposely heading in that direction because he knew the tight terrain wouldn''t favor any coordinated attack from his men.

    Dale had to think fast and act even faster! He had severely underestimated Xzavier''s capabilities, and even now, it was clear that Xzavier was thinking several moves ahead. Dale''s ego didn''t want to feel the shame of being left behind, so he thought out a way to counter Xzavier''s strategy. This new n filled him with a fresh dose of hope. So, he jerked up his head and began to bark orders again.

    "Lieutenant!"

    "Yesmander sir!"

    "Take a group of fifty demolition experts, and run up ahead...line up on fifty sixth street and Adjallon crescent, and blow up all the buildings there! Understood?"

    The lieutenant didn''t need to understand, an order was an order. So he simply chorused a; "Yesmander sir!"

    "Good! I want the entire expanse of space in front of the rebel to bepletely blocked by the rubble from the building you razed down. Got it?"

    "Sir, what about the civilians inside?"

 Chapter 171 BOOM!

    Dale snapped. He had expected the lieutenant to use his discretion to handle any unforeseeable factors. Instead, he was still standing there.

    "We are at war damn it! There''s no time for evacuation. Blow up the buildings as instructed, after all who''s to say that it wasn''t the vandal who had did it?"

    The lieutenant kept a straight face, saluted his superior and went out to execute the order he had been mandated to do.

    Dale timed the men he had ordered to carry out his order. He kept his eyes fixed on the horizon ahead, and within fifteen minutes, he heard the ground shake like a mini earthquake was about to happen, and within a few seconds, he saw the rising smokeing up in thendscape; a signal that it had been done. Dale breathed a sigh of relief. He had now sessfully blocked the route that Xzavier had to pass. Dale couldn''t do anything but wait until Xzavier reacted.

    Completely unaware of the n to block his path, Xzavier continued to progress down the path he had already marked for himself. He kept on a steady line, until the line didn''t seem so steady anymore. Eventually, his tank came up on an obstacle up ahead. Dale was close by, keeping an eye on Xzavier, watching to see how he would maneuver his way out of this one.

    "Got you now punk! Let''s see you wriggle your way out of this one! Ha!" Dale felt like he was going mad. Who was he talking to? There was no one around but him. Totally excited, thinking that he had just sessfully caged Xzavier like a bird, he lied in wait as he waited for Xzavier to y his own cards.

    Dale didn''t realize just how shortsighted he was. And because he was deficient of any kind of imagination whatsoever, he kept missing the full extent of Xzavier''s capabilities. It didn''t even cross the Silver Knight''s mind to think that Xzavier might actually be able to forge a path through the mountain of rubble he had installed in his path. He was just so focused on taking even a small win, for Dale had known nothing but defeat and loss all night long. It was starting to affect his foresight as a leader.

    Babara was in the tank with Xzavier, and she also saw that they were trapped. The demolished buildings before them now looked like a rocky hill that looked unclimbable. But surprisingly, Babara found herself rtively calm. Normally, by this time, she would have been freaking out at the sight. But aftering such a long way with Xzavier, she now knew enough than to worry. Babara truly wondered what frighteningly unbelievable stunt Xzavier would pull off this time.

    Xzavier kept his face twisted in a joyless expression. He was clearly not in the mood to be toyed with. He saw the ginormous obstacle and didn''t even blink an eyelid. He was determined to move forward, and not even a childish move like this could stop him. With a stern countenance, and with mechanical movements, his danced reached across the dashboard and took out arge cannonball. There was a hole by the side where it was to be fitted in forunch. So, without hesitation Xzavier slid it inside, and ced his eye on the scope.

    Babara followed his every movement curiously. Seated in the belly of a high-tech armored tank, she couldn''t tell what Xzavier was doing. But one thing she was sure of though- he was going to take care of business as usual.

    Having took careful aim through his scope, Xzavier fired. The cannonball responded with a st and took off out of the long end of the tanks barrel, rushing straight at the middle of the obstacle in question. The loud bang resounded, causing the ground to quake, sending bits and pieces of debris flying all around. The poor soldiers who were too close to the scene were temporarily rendered blind by the cloud of dust and smoke.

    Those who weren''t so lucky were struck down with either random pieces of stone, or some building material. Either way, they all got a small taste of the destructive power of Xzavier''s canon ball. Dale was bbergasted. He felt and saw the st, and instinctively knew in his gut that that was something terrible. His suspicions were tugging at the sleeves of his mind, but he ignored them and instead leaned in to a more optimistic opinion.

    "Maybe it''s our demolition team still destroying buildings¡­"

    It was a hopelessly optimistic supposition. Dale was seriously reaching, and deep down, he knew it. But of course, he was desperate for a win, and he would do anything to feel like a winner at all. Even it mean denial in the face of a ring truth. No matter how hard he tried to ignore it, Dale knew that thisst st had been at least ten times more dreadful and more impactful that that of his own men''s demolition.

    He felt it in this bones. He was starting to realize the truth when the rising smoke started to clear up, revealing the truth that he already knew.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "No way¡­"

    It was an impressively shocking sight! (That is for Dale anyway). As the smoke cleared up, Dale saw that not only had the brilliant Xzavier managed to obliterate the seemingly insurmountable mountain of rubble and debris before him, he had actually managed to advance even farther during the thirty seconds of smoke and dust. The weakness that seeped into Dale''s mind was inevitable. Here he was, a glorified knight in a medieval era, facing the awesome technology that was light years ahead of him! He stood no chance!

    Quaking in his boots, Dale saw the sheer destructive power that was avable to Xzavier and suddenly, themander realized that Xzavier had actually been taking it easy all this while. He didn''t like the thought of it, but with what he had just seen, it was evident that if Xzavier had wanted to turn on them in bloodlust, they wouldn''t have stood a chance. In fact, it was probable that not even bones or flesh would remain as evidence that they had been attacked.

    With every moment, and at every stage in this battle, Dale got some more rity than before. The governor had taken in a monster under his roof this whole time!

    "No wonder he had been sofortable with handing us those measly weapons!" Dale thought to himself bitterly. Sure, the pistols Xzavier had given them looked ''measly'' nowpared to what Xzavier had been hiding this whole time! But only a few weeks ago, they had been the most incredible thing either him or his governor had ever seen.

    "Of course Xzavier had something a hundred times more powerful!" Dale mocked himself; "And to think he had been dumb enough to give up the secret of his abilities! This guy has been ying us from the start! Damn!"

    Dale was only just realizing all of this now, in the heat of battle, and in direct view of Xzavier''s full wrath. But the fact was that all the signs had been there all this while!

    For starters, Xzavier''s terrifying reputation was enough. Maybe Dale had been cooped up too much with politics and the city lifestyle that he had actually forgotten what life was like in the field. Xzavier had killed the chief orc for heaven''s sake! The chief orc! He had managed to take out an entire band of goblins and sent a whole tribe of orcs skipping! What kind of person was that?! It was a bit toote, but amidst the blood, smoke, destruction and the trail of dead bodies, Dale could see it all now. Xzavier was a madman!

    But of course, since Xzavier didn''t fit their view of what a mysterious and ''powerful'' man should look and act like, they had been deceived by his cidness and gainsaid nature. And ultimately, they had paid the price for their folly. This was the truth, and Dale hated himself for not realizing it sooner, (not like he could have done anything about it though.)

    While Dale entertained his cathartic thoughts, Xzavier on the other hand had virtually cruised his way through the city and was now close to the broad gates. It was truly looking like it was the end. There was no stopping him. His enemies had tried the best, and their best hadn''t nearly been enough.

    By now, the petrified Dale hade to the conclusion that little to nothing could be done. He and his men were lucky that Xzavier wasn''t a bloodthirsty monster. Because if he was, their greatest bother wouldn''t be how to stop him, it would be how they could escape for their lives. Dale was very much stunned by the power of the tank. He couldn''tpletely wrap his head around its working mechanism, but it was evident that Xzavier still had a lot more tricks up his sleeve. There was only one thing to do now.

    With a heaviness of heart, and with an unparalleled bitterness, Dale raised his hands up, and gave the order;

    "FALL BACK!! FAAALL BAAAAACKKK!!!"

    His usually powerful and confidently authoritative voice was now fraught with doubt. His lieutenants echoed his attack across the ranks, ordering the soldiers to abandon pursuit. It wasn''t that he thought continuing the siege was pointless, but he didn''t need a seer or a psychic to know that his soldiers were stunned. Not even he as a Silver Knight could dare to stand in the way of such a powerful weapon, talk less of his subordinates who were far weaker in strength and skill than him.

 Chapter 172 Plan B

    As his troops abandoned pursuit, Dale knew that a second course of action was needed. He knew Quaid very well. So, he guessed that a n B was already in ce, since it was obvious that n A had been aplete bust. So, all he really needed to do was sit back and watch his governor swing into action.

    Meanwhile, in his tank, Xzavier noted from his rear view mirror that the soldiers following him had suddenly dropped back. A deep frown darkened his already worried countenance, as feeling of unease crept up on him.

    "This isn''t good..." he thought to himself. "This isn''t good at all."

    Any amateur would have rejoiced seeing that their pursuers had suddenly dropped back. But Xzavier saw through the smoke and mirrors. He knew something was wrong.

    His training as a Special Forces officer transcended the limits of mere physical training. Xzavier was well adapted to battle, and consequently, he had the chilling ability to see things from the perspective of his enemies. And right now, Xzavier could tell that something was off. His alterca with Dale and his small army taught Xzavier one thing about this enemy- they were relentless. It was almost as if they were so determined to catch him that they were willing to lose any and everything else.

    Xzavier had expected them to shy away when they saw the tank, but they didn''t. He had also expected them to desist from the chase when all their attacks had gone south. When he finally began his own assault with the high caliber rifles, they had stubbornly remained on his tail. Xzavier noted all of this and kept them to himself. So, when he saw that they had chosen to abandon the chase, and just when he was close to the gates, he knew that there was something afoot. Something that he just wasn''t seeing yet.

    Babara on the other hand saw that the attacks had ceased and started to feel the tide of victory rise within her. Her head began to swell with pride, and relief. One would have thought that she had actually fought or at least, contributed to the victory. But that wasn''t her concern. She saw that her pursuers had virtually called off their chase, and this ddened her exceedingly. That had been a pretty intense experience for her. It was the closest she had evere to real battle, and she was high on the adrenaline.

    Babara felt like screaming at the top of her voice. She felt like sticking her head out of the tank to mock the enemy, biding them toe and have a taste of some more destruction. Finally, escape was so close that the could literally see it. The city''s gates were in sight and they were very close to dashing off into the sunset. It wasn''t her fault per say. Babara had a very sound mind, and her powers of reasoning were way above the average. Normally, her productive paranoia would have been able to pick up on something.

    But her head was stuck in the clouds. There were just too many emotions clouding her judgement. It was the first time she had been in an intense situation like this. She was more than eager to get out. And with this eagerness came her inevitablepse in judgment. She had seriously underestimated just how badly Quaid wanted Xzavier. But fortunately, Xzavier didn''t share her naivety in this respect.

    Every single decision that Xzavier had taken in the past had been a product of careful consideration. So, his decision to procure the tank instead of his trusty armored motorcycle hadn''t been an emotional one. Sure, he had actually been in his feelings at the time, but ultimately, that decision had been influenced by one major factor- Babara. Xzavier knew that it would have been difficult for him ride his motorcycle, while trying to protect Babara as he also tried to evade his swarm of attackers at the same time.

    It just wasn''t practical. There was also the fact that his armored motorcycle wouldn''t fit into the winding streets of the city. All of these varaibles had been factored into Xzavier''s ns. Hence, the tank. And so far, Xzavier had no regrets about this decision. However, as Xzavier mentally ruminated on the cascade of decisions he had made in thest few hours, he knew that all of that didn''t truly matter. More clearly than ever, he saw that the key factor in this equation was the old man standing in his  way- Laddie.

    This was no figure of speech representing a hinderance. The senior mage was literally standing in Xzavier''s way like a demonic strongman, blocking his way, preventing him from moving forward. Laddie being present there was iconic. There he stood, the most powerful mage in Victoria City, stationed at the entrance into the city, acting as thest line of defense between the''vandal'' Xzavier and his getaway. Actually, he wasn''t acting. Laddie was indeed thest and only line of defense.

    And he alone was more than enough.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The whole scene looked kind of cliche; the grand mage''s wind were fluttering in the wind, casting him in some kind of mythical light. Since the gate of the city faced towards the east, the golden rays of the rising sun made him appear like a kind of strange ethereal figure, augmenting his role here and his already respectable reputation. The whole thing really seemed a bit derivative to Xzavier. Like it had been torn out of a scripted scene in an ancient text.

    But nheless, as crazy as it might have seemed to Xzavier, he couldn''t deny the fact that this was his reality. This was his own life or death situation. There was no way around it. This confrontation was unavoidable. On some level, Xzavier and Laddie had known this along. Both men represented the very best magic and technology had to offer. And because they both knew that they were somewhat regarded as gods in their own spheres, they secretly longed to battle it out. To see who would prevail. To see who was superior.

    They had both gotten the opportunity they had been looking for. It was now time so go all out. With these thoughts raging through both men, Xzavier decided to get rid of the obstacle. After all, he was only just a man. Thus, keeping his eye on Laddie all through, Xzavier, loaded the cannonball andunched it at the old man. Xzavier was no fool, this was merely to test the waters. He knew the old mage wouldn''t be easily killed. At least, not with an ordinary direct attack.

    ? The cannon ball wheezed through the air, flying straight at Laddie. Xzavier kept his eyes locked onto the old man. He held his breath in expectation for what was toe. In that moment, it seemed as if time slowed down. Xzavier watched in slow motion as the cannonball surged furiously towards the static mage. But even at that, Xzavier still wasn''t able to follow what happened next.

    Like a mirage, like a shimmering unstable formless entity, right at the veryst moment, the old man vanished without a trace! Xzavier''s eyes widened in surprise, hoping it was just some illusion or optical anomaly. He was wrong. The swish of the cannonball rushing through the entrance of the city, as well as the resounding boom was all the proof Xzavier needed. The mage had actually disappeared into thin air! Xzavier wasn''t imagining it at all!

    Xzavier hadn''t seen or witnessed anything close to teleportation before. It defied all the physicalws, as well as logic. And yet, before his very eyes, he had actually experienced the unforgettable. How?! He had been right there, until suddenly- he wasn''t. Xzavier was no stranger to magic. He had actually fought some pretty skilled mages before, which hadid the foundation of hisbat experience against magic.

    But again, Xzavier had to remind himself that this was no ordinary mage. This was Laddie, the most skilled of them all. As far as this battle was concerned, all bets were off. Anything could happen, and everything was permissible. Xzavier zoomed into the crash site through his scope, and saw that the cannonball had sped right through the entrance and crashed into a small hill on the far side, causing a loud re in its wake.

    With this attack, Xzavier had established one fact; the tank was next to useless against Laddie. It was time to change strategies. But in order to do that, he had to get up close and personal. Xzavier had the perfect gear for this; his custom ck fitting suit. In an instant, Xzavier transformed and got rid of his regr clothing. Feeling the reassuring fabric against his skin, as well as the oddlyforting ck color of his battle gear, Xzavier began to ease into the whole scenario perfectly.

    He was getting back to his former self, and it felt damn good.

    Totally ignoring Babara, he opened the top hatch and climbed out of the tank. Laddie watched him from his new location which was not all that far out. Immediately Xzavier revealed himself as he stepped out of his death trap, any other enemy would have taken the opportunity to attack. After all, Xzavier had thrown the first punch. But Laddie wasn''t like other enemies.

    He radiated a confidence that stemmed from his own deep well of skill, wisdom and experience. There was really no need for him to condescend to such lowly tricks. He considered himself way to dignified for that. Xzavier seemed to have perceived this, as he made his way towards the old man. Honor was a prized virtue. And it was extremely scarce in this era.

 Chapter 173 The Mini Sonic Locator

    Xzavier recognized this in Laddie and respected him for it.

    So, he greeted the old mage calmly, like a friend.

    "Senior mage Laddie, I greet you."

    Laddie acted as polite as ever. There was a certain humility about the old man. He had never allowed himself to be exalted unnecessarily on the basis of his reputation. This case wasn''t any different. He reciprocated Xzavier''s courtesy warmly;

    "Mister Xzavier, I greet you as well. That was some shot you took at me. Very impressive I must say."

    "Thank you Laddie. I trust you understand that I wasn''t really trying. It was just to test the waters."

    "Oh don''t be so modest. I would have been insulted if you hade at me with something weaker than that. I think it was cute."

    "Cute? You tter me old man!"

    "ttery has never been my strong suit. I speak the truth as it is. I am way too old to do anything but say it as it is."

    Laddie was so rxed. If Quaid were to see him in that moment, he would have assumed that the old man hadpletely forgotten that his orders were to arrest Xzavier.

    "You know what happens next Xzavier. Is there any chance we can resolve this amicably?"

    "It''s just as you said old man, you already know what happens next. Neither of us is willing topromise. You have your orders, and I have my will."

    There was a passive jab in there somewhere, but Laddie refused to take the bait. The old man was way too calm. It was as if he waspletely unaffected by the thought of what was toe.

    As his opponent, Xzavier''s job was to read the senior mage''s entire bodynguage and aura. And for the first time, Xzavier felt a little nervous. Dawn was already breaking over the day, so visibility was no longer an impediment. And with the reassuring rays of dawn washing over the terrain, bringing everything into the light, Xzavier saw that Laddie was oozing confidence. This wasn''t the regr arrogance that was often misinterpreted as confidence.

    No, this was true and absolute belief in one''s self. There wasn''t even the slightest trace of worry or doubt in Laddie''s eyes or body. It was as if the old mage already knew exactly how this was going to y out. And because he knew, there wasn''t even the tiniest bit of doubt. Xzavier recognized this unflinching confidence and knew that this was a problem. His eyes saw what his mind already told him; this was a confidence that was deeply rooted in strength.

    "It''s too bad it has to go this way Xzavier."

    "Well, it is what it is. May the best man win."

    "Indeed, I will."

    With that, the polite conversation ended. And the two opponents began to fight with great understanding. Xzavier noted the wind, the temperature, humidity and time before he started to fight. This was his routine. None of them had chosen this terrain as their battle ground ahead of time. so basically, they were on neutral ground. There were no traps hidden, there were no surprises lying in wait. All was correct. Having confirmed this, Xzavier attacked first.

    Xzavier had learned a couple of things from his first attack using the cannonball; the senior mage was capable of disappearing and reappearing at will. Also, Xzavier deduced that his cannonball had been useless against this ability. Primarily because it was loud, mboyant and prominent. Any fool would be able to see iting. And a trained speedster like Laddie would have no trouble ducking it.

    So, with all this, in mind, Xzavier whipped out the perfect weapon for the battle; the twin portable pistols with silencers. These lethal weapons were perfect. They were small, and the bullets were ultrasonic, making them impossible to detect and evade. Of course Xzavier was counting on the fact that these qualities would negate the old mage''s appearing and disappearing technique. Thus, leaving Laddie with no other option but to use a defensive barrier.

    It was a fine n, and so far, Xzavier saw no reason why it shouldn''t work out at all. So, he lifted up both his guns at the old man. He didn''t waste time on locking in a good aim as that would simply give Laddie room to disappear again. Xzavier already had a very good look at Laddie and knew where to shoot already. So he pulled the trigger twice on each gun, bringing the bullet count to a total of four.<novelnext></novelnext>

    XZAVIER MISSED.

    And it wasn''t just that he missed, it was that he didn''t realize it on time. While Xzavier was still counting on the fact that the old man''s vanishing technique wouldn''t keep up with his bullet speed, Laddie had disappeared within the fraction of a second. Xzavier was still operating on a different inertial frame, so it was only when he felt a powerful punch dig into his back that he knew that he had missed. He fell to the ground after taking the hit.

    As soon as his hands touched the ground, Xzavier knew that he had seriously miscalcted. The old man''s could move faster than sound itself! How could he have missed this? He gritted his teeth angrily. But this was no time for self-rebuke, in fact this was no time at all. Because of his opponent''s ability to bend the time-space continuum, Xzavier knew that time was virtually not his friend now.

    In the sight of the old man, he knew that he might as well be a log of wood trying to move in quicksand. He needed to think fast. As he struggled to get up, he felt another punch ram into him again from behind, only this time it was much harder and much more lethal. Xzavier was still on his knees, clutching both guns even though there were practically useless to him in that moment.

    Still cursing himself for not anticipating this, Laddie began another barrage of attack, as if he was trying to tell Xzavier that he really couldn''t afford to be lost in his own world right now. Blending in and out of the space, Laddie kept appearing and disappearing out of nowhere, leaving Xzavier with painful souvenirs in the wake of his visits. From Xzavier''s perspective, it felt like he was battling an invisible monster with eight hands.

    All at once, the hands besieged him from every angle, mming into him with unbelievable force, forcing him to remain on his knees, holding up his arms to protect his face, and leaving his ribs and back totally exposed. Before Xzavier could realize it, he had already suffered about a dozen powerful attacks. In the midst of all the carnage, the system''s voice came again and again;

    "Major Xzavier, be advised a dozen attacks equals a loss of one hundred points on the custom ck fitting suit."

    This same message came again and again, with everybo attack. And within just a few seconds, the custom ck fitting suit had lost one thousand six hundred defensive points! All in under a minute!

    The numbers were appalling! It was just too bad for Xzavier really. It was all happening so fast. And even worse, he still hadn''t figured out how exactly the old man was attacking him. And because of that, he had been forced to remain in a defensive stance. It was a horrible way to begin a showdown. A terrifying thought upied Xzavier''s mind in thosest few seconds; the old man wasn''t trying to kill him!

    If Laddie truly wanted him dead, he wouldn''t merely be punching away at him. All it would take was just a really sophisticatedly sharp axe, or sword, or even a dagger. Whatever the weapon, if it had been infused with the right amount of Laddie level magic, it would do a significant amount of damage to Xzavier''s exposed body. This only added to Xzavier''s problems. If Laddie wasn''t being serious at all, he dreaded what his attack sequence would be like.

    With the constant nagging of the military systems'' report filling his ears, and depressing him with bad news, Xzavier couldn''t bring himself to think. He had never done this before, but he decided that now would be a good time to try it. So, in an agonizingly bitter voice, Xzavier turned to the military system for help;

    "Military system, proffer possible solutions to defeat Laddie! Stat!"

    Xzavier knew that he was talking to a system. So, his words and request had to be definite in other for the system to producepetent results.

    It was instantaneous. The steady incessant buzzing of the military system yapping away in his mind ceased immediately. The tranquil that prevailed wasn''t much, considering the fact that his body was still suffering multiple blows from multiple angles. But at least, his head space was clear now. The system responded;

    "ording to logistics, the Major would be better off purchasing a c."

    "What?!"

    "As a human, you rely on your own senses to locate objects and threats, but the human senses are somewhat limited. The mini sonic locator exceeds the level of human technology, and simte the sonar system of mammals with higher functioning echo-locators, such as bats or dolphins¡­"

    Even before the system finished exining, he caught the full picture. If he was somehow able to gain this mini locator, it would basically gift him the ability to read a person or object''s location through the sound waves they emitted. Since his eyes and ears were basically useless at this point, this mini sonic locator was the key!

    The system rounded up the short report with the price tag;

    "¡­the mini sonic locator costs one thousand, nine hundred and ny nine points."

 Chapter 174 Hold...

    Xzavier didn''t even flinch. It was worth it. He gave the purchase order;

    "Military system, I want to purchase the mini sonic locator."

    Immediately, he saw his points'' bnce reduce by one thousand, nine hundred and ny nine points. And immediately, a small device that vaguely resembled a Bluetooth headset appeared out of nowhere. Its size and portable nature was so negligible that it didn''t in anyway affect Xzavier''sbat.

    Xzavier was no stranger to modern technology, he had seen the best of humanity''s finest technological advancements. He had seen what prosthetics, medical physics and bio-engineering could do to augment human physiology. But even at that, he wasn''t totally prepared to handle this enhancement. It was simply life changing, especially in the aspect ofbat. Xzavier felt like apletely new person, like he had been reborn entirely.

    The mini sonic locator was worth every penny, and Xzavier felt like he hadn''t even used up to ten percent of its full potential.

    The first notable change was the sudden difference in perception. The entire way he perceived and sensed things had evolved, and in a very dramatic way! Xzavier felt everything, literally everything! He felt the direction of the wind change as well as the exact bearing to thest degree. He read the multiple wavelengths of all objects emitting radiation in his surrounding area. He felt even the croaking of thezy frogs in the drainage system. Xzavier felt everything.

    And because he did, for the first time ever since he began to fight Laddie, he was able to sense something other than the painful feeling of multiple jabs digging into his ribs from unidentifiable angles.

    As a high-speed object rushed towards him, Xzavier felt its movementsing in his direction. It wasn''t like seeing, it wasn''t exactly like hearing either, it was a whole new sense entirely that was more like abination of all his other five senses. It was a feeling that was backed by not just a whimsical baseless instinct, but by actual data. Xzavier''s brain took control of the situation even before his conscious mind could react.

    Without even realizing it, like he was in a simtion or something, just as he sensed the object closing in on him just west of him, Xzavier''s hand rose up ''instinctively'' to parry the attack. Xzavier was stunned, no doubt. But in that moment, no one was more shocked than Laddie. The old man frowned slightly. Did Xzavier actually just read his movements? Or was that simply a lucky guess? Laddie was doubtful, it was very unlikely that an ordinary person like Xzavier would be able to keep up with his speed.

    But Laddie had to be sure. He suspected that maybe Xzavier had actually managed to predict where he would attack, since his attackbo now followed a pattern. If that was truly the case, then he had to take a different route. So, Laddie decided to switch it up, hoping to test his theory to see if it had indeed been fluke. In the fraction of a second, the old man altered his regr cycle of attacks and delved towards the lower part of Xzavier''s torso with a balled fist.

    But yet again, Xzavier''s full body swung into action, his full weight shifted to allow his hands block the attack. Laddie couldn''t help but gasp in surprise. It was an incredible feat. To think that Xzavier could function on such a high speed level was astounding. Totally impressed, the old man backed up a bit and temporarily suspended his attack. He was truly impressed. Xzavier had admirable talent for someone whocked any kind of magic. It was truly astounding! How was he able to do it?

    Laddie had every right to be bbergasted. Xzavier had only just begun to things clearly now. He realized that the main reason he couldn''t see Laddie earlier on (asides from the fact that he had been moving at an inhuman speed of course,) was because Laddie had wrapped himself inside some kind of stealth magic. This hadpletely eradicated the sound of his footsteps, his scent, and even the regr swoosh that came along with a fast moving object had also be eradicated.

    This magic had basically rendered Laddie''s movements ghostlike. And of course his high speed hadn''t helped matters at all. But that wasn''t a problem now. Xzavier wasn''t worried about all of that. He was more aware of his environment than ever. He was hyper sensitive to everything around him now, because he could now sense the varying bandwidths from different sound waves. Laddie''s stealth magic was good and his speed was awesome, but it didn''t in anyway invalidate Xzavier''s new tech.

    He could sense virtually everything now. And at night, this tech was more advantageous than sight. Xzavier was now on even ground with the old mage. He knew he had to make this very small window of opportunity count. His heading was storming with so many ideas, but at the end of the day, he opted for the weapon with the most powerful kickback; the Gatling.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier knew his counter attack needed to be bold, it needed to have the shocking nature of gratuitous audacity. He had to make a statement. Something that would shift the paradigm of the battle. It had to be something that would give him the edge he needed- the psychological factor that would wipe off the smug look on Laddie''s face. It had to be a game changer, because so far, Xzavier had brought nothing spectacr to the fight. And this was supposed to be the battle of the decade.

    So, fully determined to make sure that this counter attack made the impact he desired, Xzavier cranked up his Gatling to the highest intensity, and started to rain down destructive lead bullets on the old mage. Xzavier spared no sympathy, it wasn''t because he wanted the old man to die or something, but because deep down, in his hearts of hearts, Xzavier knew that Laddie could take it. But Xzavier just wanted the old man to get a taste of the destruction that he had to offer him.

    In many ways, this wasn''t just about the physical battle. It was a battle of wills, of ego. To prove which side had the better offensive technique; magic or technology.

    As Xzavier bore down on the old man with the heavy artillery, just as he had expected, Laddie immediately mounted up a magical barrier to barricade himself. The senior mage felt the impact of the bullets against the wall of his barrier, and knew that even one small hit would be enough to render him incapacitated. He couldn''t deny it, Xzavier had some tricks up his sleeve, tricks that could do some real damage if he were to make the mistake of underestimating them.

    So, Laddie focused all his energy on strengthening his barrier. The relentlessly powerful bullets of the Gatling continued to bombard Laddie for a full sixty seconds. Truly, in that moment, it seemed like there wouldn''t be an end to the attack. Laddie''s entire consciousness was focused on keeping his barrier active and strong. He couldn''t even entertain any thought of attacking, at least not while he was under heavy fire himself. So, he remained safely hidden behind his own wall.

    Xzavier on the other hand relished every single moment of it. Seeing the senior mage crouched behind his barrier made Xzavier excited in a sick fashion. He couldn''t exin it, but there was something oddly satisfying about watching the old man take up a defensive position, especially after such a grand opening with the disappearing act. But eventually, like all things, Xzavier''s reign of terror came to an end.

    Normally, Xzavier paid attention to his bullet count. It was something he almost always looked out for. But this time, he had been way too distracted with this battle that he hadpletely forgotten that his bullets had a finite number. Eventually, after thest bullet was spent, Xzavier heard the sound that he never wanted to hear in his lifetime; click. He was out of bullets.

    Xzavier''s face went deathly pale as soon as he heard the click. He knew what this meant for him, in that very moment.

    If Laddie had been an ordinary mage, or even an ordinary beast, Xzavier wouldn''t have fretted about him being out of bullets. After all, all weapons ran out ammunition at some point or the other. But Laddie was the closest thing to a supernatural being that Xzavier had ever fought. In fact, as it stood, Xzavier would have preferred to go toe to toe with any other beast. Any other enemy would have given Xzavier enough time to reload his bullets.

    But unfortunately, in Laddie''s case, time was the one thing that Xzavier didn''t have. So, when he realized he was actually out of bullets, Xzavier''s balls went to his throat. He had only one word to think;

    "Shit!"

    That was the only thing he could think about in the short time he had before Laddie lurched at him at a terrifying speed. The old mage spared no punches. It was as if he had also realized that Xzavier was way too dangerous for him to be puling punches any longer. Laddie had to admit it, Xzavier had been nothing but impressive. First, it had been his ability to somehow keep up with his speed and read through his extremely veiled attacks.

    As if that wasn''t problematic enough, the old man had felt the sheer destructive intent and bloodlust of Xzavier''s bullets. So, as soon as he heard the click from Xzavier''s weapon, he sensed that this was his chance. So, without the slightest reservation, he rushed Xzavier, not willing to give him another chance to continue bombarding him with whatever strange weapon he had been using.

 Chapter 175 Predicament

    Xzavier on the other hand knew that his Gatling time was over. Laddie was not going to give him anymore time. Their battle had now entered the next level, especially now that they had both gotten a taste of each other''s capabilities. It was now time to get real. The old mage charged at Xzavier with a balled fist, this time with an increased speed. Xzavier didn''t think the old man could get any faster. Actually, he could now see Laddieing, but that didn''t make it any easier at all.

    Their fight began. This time, it was at close range. Xzavier managed to duck the first blow. He normally wouldn''t have been able to do that, but because of the enhanced superhuman speed that his custom ck fitting suit gave him, he was actually able to avoid taking a hit. But nheless, it had been a narrow escape. The old man was unbelievably fast!

    Xzavier ducked the punch andnded on his feet in a very good stance. He also decided to go in for an attack. Eager to get one in, Xzavier sprang towards the shifting form of the old man at a very high velocity. The ground underneath his feet cracked under the intensity of the vibration of his new speed. He soared through the air, riding on the momentum his suit gave him, and found Laddie''s face. But at thest moment, the old man somehow managed to duck.

    Xzavier hadn''t expected that. No all. Then to his even greater surprise, Laddie''s free left hand surged forward to the open space between Xzavier''s ribs to strike. On a very good day, even Xzavier knew that there was no way he would have been able to dodge that. But his mini sonic locator, along with his custom ck fitting suit gave Xzavier the speed and echo locator he needed for a decent parry. It was more than enough in that situation.

    ? The two went at it hard and relentlessly, moving at incredibly high speeds, even too high for the normal eye to follow, they seemed to be appearing and disappearing at different locations. Balled fists whizzed by every second. But none seemed to be able toy a hand on the other. Xzavier was more than impressed with the old man''s stamina. Truly. Laddie was old only in age. He still retained a surprising agility and strength even at his age.

    His stamina and raw strength was obvious. With each punch that Xzavier escaped from, he felt the swoosh of the mage''s fist rush past him. If Xzavier himself wasn''t in top shape, only the breeze that followed Laddie''s strikes would have been enough to knock him off his feet. In spite of his great strength, there was also the fact that he enhanced his every punch with a decent measure of magic. All of this added to the ir of the fight.

    On the ground, high in the air when they both jumped, they both attacked each other with great vigor. There were so many punches, there were several uppercuts, there were even some very high handed kicks, but nonended. None at all. Both sides had adapted to the fighting techniques of the other. They were both fast. They were both strong. And to crown it all, both of them had enhancements that augmented their already impressive physiques and skills.

    The battle was intense. The ground underneath them trembled lightly with their every takeoff andnding. The very air around them shifted with the residual energy of every punch and kick thrown. The terrain responded to their quick, brash movements, causing cracks on the ground of the smoothly paved road of the beloved Victoria City. But at the end of the day, it was a tie. Physically speaking, they were more than an even match for each other.

    When it became obvious to the senior mage that they would most likely wear each other out if they continued in a hand to hand battle, he decided to appeal to Xzavier''s social sense. In the course of their battle, Laddie began to converse with Xzavier.

    "Wow! Truly remarkable Xzavier! Truly!" he praised Xzavier as he tried to take a jab at the ce where his kidney was meant to be.

    Xzavier parried with a very flexible turn of his lower body, making room for his left hand to gain momentum as it swung towards smashing Laddie''s right ear. Laddie easily dodged. But that didn''t stop from openly expressing his admiration for Xzavier''s talent.

    "We could do this all day! Why not..." he ducked as Xzavier tried to smash his jaw with an uppercut. "Why not skip all this?! Come work for the governor!"

    Xzavier knew he couldn''t fall for this trap. Laddie was extremely focused, so he could afford to have a conversation with Xzavier and at the same time, fight. He couldn''t afford to be distracted. He also knew it was a very bad idea to get sucked into a banter while fighting the most dangerous mage in all Victoria City. But he had to answer the old man anyway. At least, to show that he wasn''t really trying as well. It was a psychological thing.

    "Sorry Laddie, but I can''t."

    It was a bit strange, here they were, two powerful men genuinely trying to take the other down. And at the same time, having a very polite conversation. Laddie sighed. It was almost as though he was a bit sad to hear Xzavier''s answer.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "That''s too bad Xzavier. Too bad really."

    With that, the old mage stopped his attacks, and backed off to a much farther distance, putting enough space between him and Xzavier. This sudden break gave room for a small timeout.

    "I really wish you had given me a more favorable answer."

    Xzavier had actually read it all wrong. He woulde to realize muchter that the mage hadn''t been trying to get him to lose focus by baiting him into a conversation. if anything, it had actually been a genuine attempt to salvage their professional rtionship and put off any more unnecessary fighting. But now that Xzavier had once again made his stance very clear, the old man decided to kick things up a notch.

    Retreating to a pretty good distance away from Xzavier using his incredible speed, the old man''s countenance suddenly changed. Xzavier was too far away from him to see, but he could tell that something had definitely changed about the old man''s demeanor. He couldn''t ce his hands on it exactly, but he could most definitely feel it. Xzavier didn''t realize just how right he was to be worried in that moment, but he was sure to find out soon enough.

    Laddie opened his mouth and began to chant in a terribly ominous tone. The air suddenly began to grow cold. Xzavier was very sensitive about his environment now. And because he felt just about every single thing, he literally felt the temperature drop by several degrees in just a couple of seconds. Laddie on the other hand began to look like a ghostly figure. In that moment, Xzavier didn''t recognize him at all.

    As Laddie released his words of incantation into the air, his hands moved in rapid motions. Faster than Xzavier''s eyes could follow, Laddie folded and twisted his hands, and intertwined his fingers, making several hand signs along the way. Making the old man seem even more mysterious than ever. As Xzavier observed the old man from afar, he began to have an odd feeling. He didn''t understand it, but his insides screamed at him to rush and stop Laddie.

    When Xzavier finally decided to react, he found out that it was way toote for that.

    Xzavier''s brain sent the neurons to his central nervous system with the message to run towards Laddie, but for some reason, Xzavier couldn''t move. An unfamiliar feeling of dread washed over Xzavier. This was the most basic of the human bodily functions, and yet, he was struggling, nay, he couldn''tplete this task. Sweating already, Xzavier tried to move his feet, internally screaming at them to move, but there was no response. Not even the slightest twitch.

    The sudden realization that he couldn''t move his own body came upon Xzavier like a dreadful nightmare. Xzavier had never been held in ce by an invisible force, it was very much unlike anything he had ever witnessed before. The experience was vaguely simr to dream paralysis, but only ten times worse because he was more awake than ever, given all the adrenaline surging through his being from the fight.

    Petrified and frozen stiff by an invisible force, Xzavier felt like he had been robbed of his own will, pinned down by an external dark force, and held in ce like an unwilling sacrifice. But that wasn''t even the worst thing about the experience. It was the terrifying sight that was right ahead of him.

    While Xzavier had been struggling toe to terms with the fact that he had been rendered motionless, it seemed like Laddie had gotten busy. The early morning sky right above him and Laddie had suddenly darkened. Magnificent dark storm clouds began to swirl over their heads, cackling with thunder, and asionally, shing lightning. The air itself was heavy with an ominous ring to it. A seemingly inescapable foreboding sense of doom hung in the air over them.

    The whole scene was apocalyptically beautiful and even more terrifying. Xzavier realized why he had had the urge to stop the old mage''s spell at the time. Something really bad wasing; he could feel it in his bones, he could sense it lurking about in the skies above him like a palpable entity, just waiting to be let loose to wreak the destruction it was meant for.

 Chapter 176 THUNDERFALL

    But it was already toote to do anything. Xzavier swallowed hard as hell let loose with a crack of lighting and the roaring of thunder clouds.

    With the scene set, Laddie unleashed his most powerful magic yet. It wasn''t something he used often. In fact, in the mage world, it was often discussed in hushed tones. No one had ever seen it live, but there were terrible tales of it. Several versions of the stories called it so many names, but everyone knew it by one name- THUNDERFALL.

    The name wasn''tpensating for everything. If anything, the name itself actually watered down the whole vibe. It was every bit as destructive and as terrifying as it sounded. And for the unfortunate Xzavier, he was about to be on the receiving end of this cataclysmic destruction, only he had absolutely no idea of how ferocious it was.

    After a very loud and terrifying thunderp, a huge bolt of lightning tore out of the storm clouds up above and raced down to the earth, rushing at its target in one straight line like a celestial bloodhound made of pure undiluted electricity. Again, Xzavier had no idea what was about to hit him.

    This bold thick lightning bolt that was charged with what looked like about a trillion electrons, struck Xzavier''s body mercilessly. Babara, who had been watching the whole battle from inside the safefort of the tank, screamed in a high shrill note as what looked like divine judgment struck Xzavier neatly. She wasn''t the one who had been struck, but Babara felt like her own heart stopped for a minute there. The whole sight had just been too gory for her.

    She knew there and then that this was a sight she would never forget for the rest of her lifetime. She knew that all her future nightmares had been birthed in this very moment. This was something not even her worst self could conjure. This was the very definition of a catastrophic debacle.

    Pitch ckness- that was all Xzavier saw for about a full minute.

    "So this is what blindness feels like?" an even darker thought crossed his mind while he pondered on what it would be like to live like a blind person: "Am I dead?"

    It was a morbid thought, but given Xzavier''s state, it wasn''t unjustified. He was right to think he had died. The powerful surge of lightning that had hit him was more than enough topletely obliterate any living or inanimate object. The first of his senses to awaken was his sense of smell. His olfactory nerves picked up the scent of what resembled burnt toast. The putrid smell wafted through his nostrils, reminding him that he was in fact very much still alive.

    "How am I still alive?" he wondered. "Oh that''s right...the custom ck fitting suit."

    Xzavier was under no illusion that he had been saved by anything other than that particr bit of gear. It had made all the difference. There was no doubt that Laddie fully intended to put him in his ce, the shocking attack had shown that. And if not for the suit, then it would have been an entirely different story by now.

    It took a moment for Xzavier to fully stir back to consciousness. This was funny because he had been on his feet the whole time, and yet his mind and body hadpletely shut down for a minute. Xzavier had done what no one had ever done; he taken on the full st of Laddie''s devastatingly disturbing Thunderfall and it had been no small feat. In the first few moments of contact, Xzavier had literally felt like every atom in his being had been infused with a million volts of electricity!

    It had truly been a terrifying feeling. All at once, he felt like his body and mind were about to systematically implode at a quantum level. And just when it was about to be all over, it wentpletely pitch ck for a whole moment. It was onlyter that Xzavier realized what had happened. What he had actually felt at that time was only 0.1% of the entire destructive force that had been vented on him by the old mage.

    The custom ck fitting suit had essentially cushioned the st for him, but that little fraction that seeped through from the impact had been more than enough to knock Xzavier out. It was safe to say that if Xzavier hadn''t been wearing protective gear, there wouldn''t have been enough organic matter that would have remained of his body. He would have beenpletely obliterated by the raw, powerful surge of pure energy.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The entire circumference of earth around him had been burned pitch ck. It had been so bad that it looked like the site of a meteor crash. There was nothing but charred ck waste. Not even ashes remained. The earth had been only a bystander of Laddie''s judgment, and yet, it looked like it had been the intended target. In the midst of all this, just as Xzavier was starting to regain consciousness, the military system chose that moment to update Xzavier on the current status of his gear;

    "Major Mace!" Xzavier''s heart sank, he knew that there was no way this was good news. "Be advised, the custom fitting ck suit''s defensive points'' bnce is zero!"

    Xzavier''s heart sank even lower at the bad news. On some level though he wasn''t really surprised. Laddie''s attack had packed quite the kickback, and it was sufficient enough to drain him of his points bnce. But that was by the way. At that moment, his chances of winning the fight had been significantly reduced by more than seventy five percent. His health wasn''t looking too promising at all.

    There was no way he could continue to fight Laddie as an ordinary human. That would mean death for him. As Xzavier grappled with his new reality, he noted another problem. As he began toe to his senses, his sense of touch began toe back slowly. And with that came another observation; a ck sticky liquid was starting to ooze from his custom fitting ck suit. It seemed toe from the inside, and it melted like jelly.

    rmed, Xzavier hurriedly tried to move his feet, blink his eyes or even open his mouth! But the force of the st had entombed him in his own custom fitting ck suit. It was a struggle, but when Xzavier did eventually manage to get a hold of himself, it felt like he would copse at any given moment. His own weight felt like it had been tripled. Aghast with worry, with each passing moment, Xzavier felt like his own body was a collection of heavy millstones in a sack.

    With the sticky ck liquid oozing from his suit, and with him on the verge of copsing under his own overbearing weight, Xzavier realized that he had failed. With painful regret, he gradually came to the conclusion that he had in fact been overly optimistic about the possibilities of him winning this fight. The loss of his custom fitting ck suit was a significant blow.

    It was the one piece of tech that had levelled the in field a little. So, with itpletely out of the way, Xzavier was merely amb to be ughtered before the most skilled mage in the city. With nothing to support or hold on to, Xzavier felt himself falling back under the influence of the mild wind. That was just how weak he was.

    Just as he lost bnce, just as he was prepared to feel his skull crash on the hard rocky ground, Xzavier felt the soft warm flesh of a woman''s bosom at the back of his head, catching his as he was about to fall. It was Babara. The dutiful Babara had been watching the whole thing in despair, and she sensed that Xzavier was dangerously close to losing himself. So, she had climbed out of the tank immediately, and ran to be by his side.

    Babara wasn''t exactly an athletic person. She couldn''t remember thest time she had actually ran. Physical exercise had never been her forte, and there was a considerable distance between Xzavier and the tank. Babara had to cover a lot of ground in a very short time, so with her heart in her mouth, the former government official ran towards Xzavier, hoping against hope that she wouldn''t be toote. She wasn''t. In fact, as fate would have had it, she was right on time.

    Babara caught him from behind at the dying moment, saving him from the undignified position of falling before his enemy in battle. But that hadn''t been her chief concern at the time. What had bothered Babara most was the fact that the man of her dreams might be on the verge of sudden death. If she had been even a secondte, he might had actually died from copse.

    The old mage was very much a gentleman. He had read the situation, and knew that it would be discourteous of him to continue with his attack. Embarrassing Babara would gain him no points. Also, it was clear that Xzavier was in no condition to fight. The fight was over. Xzavier had fought well, but the battle was over.

    Laddie was impressed. He had to hand it to Xzavier- his skills were top notch. As an ordinary human who had no magic whatsoever, Xzavier had been able to go toe to toe with a top mage in a hand to handbat. Not only that, but Laddie hadn''t been able to break even with Xzavier.

 Chapter 177 177

    Despite his binding speed and stealth magic, Laddie hadn''t even been able tond a single punch on the young man. Xzavier had lost, but he had earned the old man''s respect.

    With all these reminiscing thoughts coursing through his mind, Laddie finally decided to ease up. Since the battle was practically over, there was no longer any need for him to take an aggressive stance. So, easing into his part as a gracious conqueror, he straightened his cor and evened out the creases on his shirt. It was time to y the part of the diplomatic victor. Laddie eyed Xzavier curiously, he still wasn''t sure if Xzavier was actually conscious.

    Laddie could hardly be med for thinking that. Xzavier didn''t look like he was in a good shape at all. His breathing had be very raggedy, and his eyes looked sunken. It was also obvious that if not for the support of the girl by his side, Xzavier might actually have a hard time standing on his feet. All this was apparent to Laddie, but nheless, he had to proceed with carrying out his orders. It wasn''t like he was enjoying this, but orders were orders.

    His coarse husky voice came from his throat, rising above the silence, setting the tone for the next stage;

    "Xzavier¡­it is time. Come on, let''s go back to the governor''s mansion. I''m positive we can still work this out."

    Laddie was truly a gracious victor, and an even more decent human. He was in a position of strength. He knew it, Xzavier knew it, and of course Babara knew this as well. If he wanted to, he could actually bundle Xzavier in one heap and cart him away like a sack of meat. It was well within his rights to do that. After all, he had won the joust, and Xzavier was too weak to do anything.

    But, despite all these factors that were in his favor, he didn''t do any of that. Instead, he had chosen a more courteous path, and Xzavier in a polite manner toe with him. Just the way a host would politely invite a guest. Given the situation, it was far more than Xzavier could hope. But Xzavier wasn''t thinking about that. The young man was disenchanted. He felt like it wasn''t just his body that was broken, his mind had also suffered what seemed like an irreparable damage.

    The truth about the magic of this Isekai being superior became a solidly established fact in Xzavier''s mind. Of a truth, he had despised it. His entire confidence had been rooted in his belief that; no matter the time or situation, advanced technology would always trump magic any time. Xzavier had held on to this creed all through his time here. It had actually worked for him, for he had believed in technology very firmly, as well as its advantages.

    This strong belief had filtered its way into every battle he had fought, as well as every enemy he had engaged. For that period, it had worked beautifully well for him. But unfortunately, he had met his match with Laddie. The top mage had showed him that technology had its limits. If his adversary wasn''t such an understanding man, Xzavier knew that he would have been dead already. It was all over. He had nothing left to fight with. So, he threw in the towel.

    "You''re right old man¡­" Xzavier coughed. As he drew in another breath, he coughed violently again, and then continued after he had gotten himself.

    "I guess the battle is over¡­" Laddie nodded. Of course it was over. "¡­but, I have one request Laddie. If you honored me at all, you would do this one thing for me¡­"

    Laddie frowned slightly. As a self-respecting person, he refrained from making any promises that he would never be able to keep. He wasn''t sure what Xzavier wanted yet, but one thing he wasn''t going to do was to make the mistake ofmitting himself.

    So, the old mage answered warily; "Ask, if it is reasonable and within my powers, it will be done ordi---"

    Deciding the first part was enough reassurance, Xzavier cut him off and stated his own request.

    "The girl¡­" he uttered darkly; "Let her go¡­"

    Both Laddie and Babara were shocked at Xzavier''s request. Here he was, weak and at the mercy of his enemy. And yet, his only request was centeredpletely on the well-being of another person entirely?

    "¡­she has nothing to do with this Laddie¡­please¡­let her go."

    Laddie was yet again impressed. Xzavier couldn''t save himself, and yet, he was trying to leverage on Laddie''s courteous nature to save someone else. The old man couldn''t help but admire Xzavier more. He had also noticed how Xzavier had left out the name of the girl, so she wouldn''t be implicated. But he didn''t know that Laddie not only knew Babara''s name, he also knew that she was a government official.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Laddie saw no point in taking the girl. Sure, he could decide to take her as hostage to make Xzavier cooperate, since it was obvious that Xzavier cared about her. But on the long run, he knew very well that arresting Babara would only create room for more discord and fester grievances. Thus, straining the rtionship between Xzavier and the governor even further.

    After some consideration, he decided it was in everyone''s best interest that he let Babara go.

    "You have my word Xzavier, if you chose to willinglye along with me, I will let Babara go."

    Laddie saw Xzavier''s eyes widen when he called Babara''s name. Of course it hadn''t been a mistake. Laddie had intentionally made it clear to Xzavier that he knew who Babara was. He wasn''t fooling anyone.

    The coast was now clear on all sides for Babara''s release. The deal had been made. Al that remained was for Babara to be on her way. But s, the very person Xzavier wanted to save ended up being the barrier to thepletion of the process. Babara did not want to go. And she made it very clear to Laddie that she wasn''t going anywhere;

    "Look here old man! I am not going anywhere! If you''re going to take Xzavier, you''re going to have to take me too!!"

    Laddie was amused by the young girl''s spirit. He suspected that she had watched the entire battle the whole time, and despite all she had seen, she still dared to challenge him openly, even when he had agreed to let her go. Laddie looked at her amusingly, like she was a rabbit that had just gained the ability to speak.

    "Don''t be foolish child! Get on with it and leave this ce immediately!"

    But the ultra-stubborn Babara red back at the old mage defiantly; "I am not going anywhere! I and Xzavier will stick together! Even in captivity!"

    Laddie found this all to be really entertaining. This wasn''t the typical scene one would see at the end of a battle. The whole scenario was kind of ironic, and also a bit satirical in nature. Here was a man that was doing everything possible to save the girl, and here was a girl who was determined to sabotage his efforts by defying the conqueror who had just agreed to spare her life.

    The old mage looked past Babara and gave Xzavier a knowing look that said; "You''d better get your girl, or I will."

    Xzavier picked up on the message and tried to get her to reason;

    "Babara, you really shou---"

    She snapped back at Xzavier furiously; "Don''t you even dare! I have already told the both of you, weren''t you all listening? I am not going anywhere!"

    As she spoke, she trembled with emotion. She couldn''t bear the thought of losing Xzavier, especially after all they had been through together. Finally, here was the man of her dreams, someone she actually loved, someone who hadn''t treated her with scorn, someone who had been able to take her virginity.

    The thought of losing him to Quaid was unbearable. Especially since it was all her fault that Xzavier was in this mess in the first ce. She was much too in love and guilt ridden to let him go at this time. Babara knew in her heart that she was willing to follow him to the ends of the earth. That was just the way it was. And it showed in her eyes.

 Chapter 178 178

    Once again, Laddie looked at Xzavier. This time, Xzavier also knew what he was thinking. So, he nodded and gave the old man his assent. Before Babara could say ''jack,'' Laddie activated a very mild but potent coercive magic that gently lifted her up in a slight bubble and kept her a few feet away from Xzavier. It wasn''t a forceful spell, neither was it weak either. It simply kept her from staying or moving towards Xzavier, while allowing her the freedom of doing anything else she wanted.

    Babara''s face went pale as soon as she realized what was happening. She struggled and struggled to resist, but found out that she was virtually powerless to do anything else. What hope did an ordinary girl like her have against the potent magic of a top mage? Babara knew she couldn''t do anything. So, when she saw Xzavier''s back turned on her as he made to leave, she did the only thing she could do in that moment; she burst into tears and cried her heart out.

    "No! Please I''m begging you! Don''t leave me! Don''t go!"

    The sound of her wailing fell on deaf ears. Xzavier was cut in the heart for so many reasons, but right now, his only sce was that the ones he had helped to escape would be free for good. Nothing else mattered.

    While Babara was weeping and sniffling through the vale of tears, she saw the vague form of someone creeping beside her. Babara wasn''t sure what to make of the intruder. Xzavier and Laddie were about to take off, and if they left her alone with this stranger, Babara was certain that she would be in trouble. Her only option was to scream. So, she sucked in enough oxygen to fill her lungs in preparation for the scream.

    However, just as she was about to unleash the full force of her vocal chords, the full figure of the intruder emerged from the shadow of the nearby wall, and blessed Babara''s eyes with the full sight of the person in question. Babara held back the scream that had been dangerously close to being let out. It was the lithe frame of a young girl! Babara watched curiously as the girl crept towards her stealthily.

    The girl had already made contact with her and gestured her to be quiet as she made her way towards Babara. Babara couldn''t recognize the face from the distance without her sses on. But one thing was clear though- she didn''t want to be seen by Laddie and Xzavier. Eager to find out who this interesting person was, Babara looked on as the young girl approached. And then, it hit her like a bolt of lightning.

    Earlene? The daughter of the most powerful man in the city?! What was she doing here. Babara had so many questions. Her suspicious mind immediately veered to the left. Could it be that she had been sent by Quaid? Babara thought to herself. No! Of course not! It was very unlikely! Why would Quaid send out his own child? A daughter, while he had an able bodied son, and about a hundred other servants or subordinates that he could send!

    Babara knew that something just didn''t add up. But she was determined to find out. The closer Earlene got to Babara, the clearer she saw that the governor''s daughter was in a state of urgency. There was no time for words, as soon as Earlene was close enough for Babara to see her properly, she mouthed two words;

    "Kidnap me!"

    What? Babara was stunned. Was this some kind of trick? But Babara''s quick mind didn''t let her down. She understood immediately. That was why she had crept up on her without making a sound. This was the reason she hade out all the way here by herself- to save Xzavier! Babara had enough questions to fill out a page, but she decided to save those questions forter.

    If they eventually pulled this off and survived forter, then there would be time enough for questions and answers. But right now, there was work to be done. Earlene took out a sharp de and handed it to Babara in order to sell the ruse. Babara on the other hand wasted no time, she snatched the knife and got into position.

    Holding the de to Earlene''a throat, Babara shouted at Laddie.

    "STOP!!!"

    Laddie didn''t pay her any mind. He assumed it was just another move to try to dy the inevitable, so he pressed on, and ignored herpletely. Babara was desperate now, so with enough luster, she called out to Laddie threateningly;<novelnext></novelnext>

    "If you don''t stop right now, I swear I will slit Earlene''s throat!!! Don''t DARE ME"

    At the mention of the governor''s daughter''s name, Laddie paused. He didn''t turn around immediately, not wanting to fall for such an obvious trick. Could she really be bluffing? He didn''t want to take that chance. This was Earlene she was talking about! The governor''s daughter, and his own dear stubborn student! Laddie simply couldn''t take the chance, he turned around slowly to face Babara.

    His face almost melted into a pile of puddle when he saw the gory sight. How had this happened? How?! There was an unmistakable desperate look in Babara''s eyes. Laddie admitted to himself that the situation did not look good at all. Here was a crazy woman with a sharp knife in her hand, held up to the throat of the daughter of the most powerful man in thend. He immediately understood just how vtile the situation was.

    He wouldn''t put it past her to do something crazy in that moment, just so Xzavier could be freed. Laddie wasn''t the only one who was shocked, Xzavier was even more shocked than the old man because he had given up every hope. And yet, somehow, within the twinkle of an eye, Babara had somehow managed to teleport herself to the governor''s mansion and brought back the one bargaining chip that was sufficient enough to buy his freedom. It was truly something!

    Stupid ones couldn''t pull that off.

    Babara would never sit back and do nothing while she lost out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She would go ahead and do it without hesitation. She had to give it a chance, even though it was quite dangerous. She had to find the courage to go through with it.

    "If you don''t let him go, I can''t promise what I''ll do when I go nuts." Babara''s tone was chilly, she didn''t want to prolong the situation any longer and instead preferred a quick resolution. She wasn''t sure if she had the guts to go through with it, but she knew it was an option.

    Laddie paused. Because the victim was the governor''s sweetheart, he had no choice but to keep her safe. It was unthinkable for him to let her suffer any damage. Laddie was at a loss for what to do because the governor had tasked him with capturing Xzavier while he was still alive. However, because there had been an ident, he waspelled to take it into ount.

    It was a difficult decision to make. Furthermore, Laddie was fully aware that Earlene had carried out the deed on purpose, indicating that the error was not his own. It was possible that something bad would happen if he forced Xzavier to let him go.

    When Xzavier spotted Laddie hesitating, he immediately released himself from the elderly man''s grasp and returned to Babara''s side. He called up his battle armor motorcycle and ran away with Babara and Earlene from the dangerous ce.

    Earlene, it turned out, had only sneaked away because she was concerned about Xzavier''s well-being and wanted to ensure his safety. She didn''t want to put herself in danger, so all she wanted to do was go over to the side of the room and hope no one saw her.

    She was almost taken aback, however, when she saw the corpses of troops dispersed throughout the mansion and the jumbled buildings. However, she found no trace of Xzavier or Adalia; all she discovered were the remains of the struggle.

    What was going on in front of her appeared to be a joke, still, she felt that there was a strong intent to kill present somewhere.

    As a result, she followed the tank''s path all the way here. The fact that there were dead bodies and blood all along the path scared her enough. Despite this, she was more concerned about Xzavier''s safety, and it was for this reason that she summoned the courage to continue. Finally, she was able to witness the violent fight between Xzavier and Laddie, during which she realized Xzavier had lost. Following that, she made her own decision.

 Chapter 179 179

    Despite the fact that she was unaware of the circumstances surrounding Xzavier''s arrest by Laddie, she was positive that Xzavier had done nothing wrong. Despite the fact that she didn''t know much about Xzavier in a short time, she was captivated by the unusual personality he possessed. Earlene would never have any cause to use Xavier of being malicious. There must be misunderstandings on both of parts. As a result, she intentionally agreed to Babara taking her prisoner in order to assist Xzavier in escaping the ce. That was exactly what had happened.

    Following that, Xzavier proceeded through the woods, only for a short time, and they were at the opposite end of the forest in a matter of minutes. An ancient, run-down house that had seen better days stood in the heart of the marsh, on the only piece of stablend there was. A portion of brickwork had been broken up to resemble a statue, but the statue had been removed. The grass on the ground underneath it provided a gentle slope leading up to the structure.

    Xzavier rode his battle armor motorcycle to a secluded ce asmanded by Babara. Adalia and Janae were both staying here for a brief time.

    Adalia''s attention had been distracted since leaving the governor''s mansion, and she was preupied with constant worry about Xzavier. Janae saw how scared the girl was and kept making her feel better while bragging about how powerful Xzavier was.

    "Hey, you know, I''ve never seen such a powerful man like him. " Janae said forcefully, "I don''t want to imply that his fighting tactics are strong; rather, I want to underline that he is a strong individual on his own. I''ve never met a man who was brave enough to bargain with someone as powerful as the governor. He is the sole unique being in existence."

    Adalia was fully aware of Xzavier''s strength, yet this did not prevent her from worrying about his well-being. After all, he was up against government forces, not those of any particr tribe or n.

    "Vrooommmm!!!"

    Adalia''s loud, resonant roar could be heard from outside the house, and she dashed out the front door, excited to see the boy she loved.

    In a greeting gesture, Xzavier extended his hand to her. "I''m back, just as I promised."

    Adalia went over to Xzavier, giving him a bear hug and rubbing herself against him like a kitten. She, on the other hand, seemed perplexed when she discovered that Earlene was also present.

    Following that, Xzavier informed Adalia and Janae of all that had happened recently.

    "No matter what challenges we face together, I will be by your side." Adalia grasped his hand and gripped it tightly, refusing to let go.

    "Me too." Xzavier caressed her hair tenderly.

    Earlene stayed silent after witnessing everything. Aside from that, she couldn''t believe her father would engage in behavior that vited both thew and morality. She recalled that her father had always maintained a sober and responsible tone. Despite the fact that the proof was right in front of her, Earlene refused to ept the truth of the situation.

    "You are not responsible for this." Xzavier addressed Earlene with a direct stare, looked her in the eyes, and repeated what he had just spoken word for word.

    "Earlene, because it has been decided that you are not safe in this ce, it is time for you to return home."

    Xzavier was aware that he would be able to escape unscathed owing to this sweet youngster, but he did not want to rely on her in the future in order to endanger Quaid. Most importantly, he did not want Earlene to be a stopgap between the two conflicting forces. It would just make her feel more self-conscious and depressed.

    Earlene paused for a little moment after hearing his words, as if she was seriously considering an important topic.

    "I don''t think that''s a good n."

    Xavier stated emphatically, "It''s not your job, and there''s no reason for you to be engaged in this mess with me."

    Earlene gave a slight head shake and said, "That was not my intention at all. I am aware of my father''s paranoia because I am extremely close to him. He is willing to go to any length toplete the task at hand. Put your trust in my analysis, because I doubt he''ll let you go so easily. If you wish to ensure your own safety, you must leave the Marshi Empire. You should be gracious enough to let me apany you until then. "

    Xzavier frowned and stroked his chin with his palm, as he was considering her proposal.

    "I concur with her." Babara made the following im at this point, "The governor is a terrible politician. In my opinion, Earlene still has a good measure of belittle for her father. Even if we leave the Marshi Empire, I don''t think our safety is guaranteed in any manner, or form. Certainly, but not nearly as dangerous as it is right now. My concern is that we will have to organize our own army to oppose him.

    After giving it some thought, they came up with a n to leave the Marshi Empire as quickly as possible.

    "So, how do we proceed?" Babara enquired Xzavier.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier''s first thought was of Sikeda Town - the outlying town where he had spent his first time in the isekai and where he still maintained contact with two individuals.

    He''d been missing a lot about Tacy, and he nned to give her onest visit before leaving.

    -------------------------------------------------------

    The governor''s mansion had an unnervingly serene ambiance inside.

    During the investigation, Laddie told Quaid about the mission that didn''t go as nned.

    Quaid maintained the silence by impassively sitting in his chair. Laddie cringed and huddled behind him, unable to speak a single word.

    Quaid showed no negative emotions as a result of the failure; rather, he stayed quite calm throughout the entire event. He didn''t me Laddie for his hesitation. In truth, Quaid was not the type of leader who would shift me to others; rather, he would quietly regret to himself that he had failed to anticipate the crisis''s growth. If he had done the math, he could have avoided taking the risk in the first ce.

    He looked like an experienced hunter at that very moment, hiding in the shadows and getting ready to kill the animal he had cornered.

    Quaid briefly closed his eyes and pretended to be Xzavier. After everything that had urred, he must be eager to leave this environment. Better still, outside of the Marshi Empire entirely. So, which path should I take?

    Oh, yes!

    When Quaid finally opened his eyes again, he did so with a satisfied grin on his face. He cast a nce at the copious information regarding Xzavier in his palm before sending some dire directives once more.

    -------------------------------------------------------

    Despite the fact that his motorcycle was substantiallyrger than a typical motorcycle, the group of five people had to rent horses because they couldn''t rely on just one motor.

    The wanted notice for Xzavier and the others didn''t seem to have been sent out yet, so they were able to ride on the main road without too much trouble.

    "What on earth is going on here?" Xzavier was opposed to making an arrest under the cover of darkness. Did Quaid give up on capturing him? That made no sense. For some reason, something was bugging him on the inside.

    They arrived in this barren border settlement after a few days of travel.

    It felt like Xzavier was returning to a familiar area because it was the first ce he had ever been in Isekai. He couldn''t get the feeling that they were extremely close. After all, things that are familiar can always provide a sense of protection andfort.

    They mounted their steeds and walked through the congested metropolis. Xzavier felt a sharp feeling of longing for Tacy after recalling a few details about her.

    Xzavier was ready to enter the underground exchange to trade his items when he was recognized.

    "Oh my goodness! Are you the savior who ended the orc chieftain''s life?" As they passed, a pedestrian paused to stare.

    "That''s me," he confirmed. Xzavier smiled and gave a tiny nod.

    "You don''t know what happenedst night, do you?" said the unknown person, grabbing Xzavier by the shoulder.

    "Please continue."

 Chapter 180 180

    "There was a fierce battle going on in the basement bazaar. Obviously, the only way I found out about it was from others'' mouths; I wasn''t there. There were many people who were harmed, and I heard that several of your friends were among them."

    Before the bystander could finish his sentence, Xzavier had already remounted his horse and was on his way to the underground exchange. The other girls decided to mimic his actions as closely as they could.

    An uneasy sensation had begun to take hold along the journey.

    It was not that Xzavier hadn''t expected something simr to happen; he had. In truth, he had drastically overestimated Quaid''s tenacity and viciousness. Perhaps he should have arrived first, riding his battle motorcycle fully armored.

    "I hope everything works out!" In his brain, he let forth an internal scream.

    His heart fell when he arrived at the site of the previous underground exchange.

    The majority of the structures in the area had been leveled, indicating that there had been a severe struggle there. Massive blood streaks covered the floor, leading one to conclude that more than one person had been ughtered here.

    "Tacy!" Xzavier called out the girl''s name, but there was no response.

    Xzavier kept stamping his feet in the same spot because he was worried about how well she would be hurt.

    "Fuck! I should have seen iting! I really should have! " He insisted on holding himself ountable for what had urred.

    When Babara noticed how concerned Xzavier was, she gathered the other girls and led them on searching. Nheless, it was evident that their attempts were futile.

    Just as Xzavier was about to give up hope, he woke up to the sound of a familiar andforting voice.

    "Is that you, Xzavier?"

    Xzavier recognized the voice as that of the kind elderly man he remembered.

    "Hey! Kadin, where have you gone? " He let out a yell.

    "Right beneath your feet." Kadin''s voice had a very weak tone to it.

    "Oh my God!" Xzavier then saw an elderly man through a breach in the rubble, who begged him to "Come and help!"

    The four young girls rushed over to help Xavier extricate the elderly gentleman from the rocky entanglement.

    "Holy shit!"

    Xzavier yelled before noticing a massive bloody hole in the elderly man''s chest.

    Kadin''s face was so pale that it appeared as if he wasn''t even breathing. His chest moved in directions very slightly. It wasn''t until his gaze was drawn to Xzavier that he burst forth, hands clutching Xzavier''s cor, " Silver Knight..."

    His mouth couldn''t stop mumbling "Silver Knight," as if he were an elderly man suffering from amnesia and trying to remember something he was about to forget.

    Xzavier couldn''t grasp Kadin''s miraculous survival after such a horrendous injury.

    "Where can I locate Tacy? What the hell is going on in this ce? Is the Silver Knight you''re referring to, Dale?" prompted Xzavier''s mind to be clouded with confusion.

    When the old man heard "Dale", he suddenly shouted, "Go save Tacy!" Afterpleting his sentence, the elderly man hurled himself to the ground and opened his eyes wide.

    "Someone needs toe treat him." Xzavier let out a shout.

    When Babara came, he noticed that the blood in the elderly man''s chest had stopped oozing. She leaned in closer to the elderly man, hoping to detect his heartbeat, but she couldn''t. She said, "He''s dead," with a sad smile on her face as she ced her hand on Xzavier''s shoulder.

    Xzavier was stunned and said, "Wasn''t he alive just now?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "In concept, he should have died before long. I don''t know what kept him waiting for you toe here," Babara said, amazed that the old man had survived what looked like a fatal injury.

    Because everything had happened so unexpectedly, Xzavier found it difficult to ept. It seemed that the great old guy had used his willpower to stay until now in order to await his arrival.

    Despite the rapid onught, Xzavier was able to hide his feelings of misery and suffering. He was very experienced in the skill of coping with feelings of this sort because he had gone through a previous incarnation in which he witnessed the selfless act of a fellow mates. Even so, he was angry and knew that Quaid had gone to great lengths to catch him.

    Seizing Tacy and ckmailing him into submission would have been in everyone''s best interests.

    He needed to save Tacy while protecting himself.

    -------------------------------------------------------

    Standing in front of Kadin''s tombstone, Xzavier was filled with silence. He was down to a few hundred points after losing his tank and his ck clothing, which had been custom fitted to fit him precisely. It was definitely impossible for him to face hundreds of mages and Dale again, let alone Laddie. This time, he was dealing with a catastrophic problem on a never-before-seen scale.

    "I feel it would be in our best interest to leave this area as soon as possible because there is no guarantee that they would not return," Babara said, appearing to grasp what was going through his thoughts. "We aren''t powerful enough right now, but it won''t be toote to save Tacy once we have the required resources. "

    "That''s how I perceive it as well." Earlene had not anticipated a fight between Xzavier and his father.

    "So do I." Janae was a girl who valued traditional values.

    "If we don''t save Tacy right now, there will be no other chance. " Adalia was unconcerned about her current predicament; instead, she looked Xzavier in the eyes and stated, "Honey, I do care about your safety, but I''d hate for you to live with regret for the rest of your life." Adalia''s demeanor was entirely unconcerned about their circumstances.

    Adalia was standing in his way, "You are correct in your assessment of Quaid as a man of unwavering principles. Do you think Tacy has a chance of survival even if you left right now? To tell you the truth, I have no intention of putting your life in danger in any way. Tacy will almost certainly die, if you go now, you won''t have to worry about your own safety for the time being. If you fight back right now, you''ll almost certainly be murdered, and there''s no assurance you''ll be able to save Tacy. "

    "I know it''s a difficult choice, but you have to do it!" she repeated again, looking Xzavier in the eyes.

    Xavier was once again in a state of uncertainty. In truth, as Adalia remarked, it was a difficult decision.

    In truth, Babara was aware of her options, yet, unlike Adalia, she did choose to disregard them. In her opinion, ady she was unfamiliar with didn''t deserve to bepared favorably to the man she adored. She didn''t care whether it was Tacy or Lucy; she should stay out of it. She only wanted Xzavier to be okay and not endanger his life again.

    It was not every day that she came across a man with Xavier''s strength. She believed that, despite hisck of strength at the moment, if he was given enough time, he would eventually be even more powerful.

    "Taking a chance to save Tacy is a high-risk move that I don''t believe is a wise one." Babara gave Adalia a stern look, as if chastising her for being a dumb pig.

    Adalia, not to be outdone, proceeded to dispute. "The question is, how much longer will you hide? Wait until Quaid dies naturally? Given that we are all much younger than he is, I must admit you have a valid point. "

    "I''m not attempting to make a point; I''m simply stating the facts. At the moment, our military resources are insufficient to carry out a rescue mission with any reasonable expectation of sess. You can''t assume that everyone else lives their lives the same way you do. " Babara took a stand and confronted Adalia.

    "Stop!"

    Xzavier quickly put an end to this pointless argument.

    He soonposed himself and resumed his talk after a brief fixation on Adalia.

    "I must fight in order to save Tacy. She is innocent, and her life should not be taken away because of me."

    "But..." Babara made another attempt to stop.

    "Don''t say anything else." She came to a halt when Xzavier waved his hand in her direction.

    After witnessing Adalia''s bravery, Xzavier was able to gather himself. The solution was not to flee and hide, but to tackle the problem head on. If he gave up now, he would be followed by those who wanted him dead for the rest of his life.

 Chapter 181 181

    He admired Adalia''s strength of character. Even in terrible situations, she always inspired trust in him.

    Problems arose after deciding to save Tacy. As Babara pointed out, Xzavier''s side was too frail. They were currently engaged in battle with Quaid, which was like hitting a rock with an egg. Exactly at the point when Xzavier was at a loss for words, [Ding! The host can "borrow" points from the system to get more powerful weapons quickly.]

    He heard the system''s voice just as he was about to give up.

    "Loan? Is that the only way you can y? " Xzavier''s joy knew no bounds.

    However, he immediately developed a skeptical attitude. As is always the case, the system will never do anything positive out of its own volition.

    "What is the current interest rate?" With great trepidation, Xzavier enquired.

    [The overall annual percentage rate of interest is 50%. If the host fails to return the principal as well as the interest within the time frame specified, he will face serious penalties.]

    Xzavier''s face sank gravely.

    He was surprised when the military system revealed itself to be a cutthroat merchant, eager to lend him lethal weapons at a moment when he most needed them. Despite this, he had no choice.

    "I need stronger weaponry," he remarked.

    [The system advises you to don this steel battlesuit. The initial charge is 100k points, but the host can buy its ess of 24 hours for a total of 4999 points.]

    Then, on the screen in front of him, he saw a suit of armor that looked like Iron Man''s battlesuit, along with information about how it worked and how to use it.

    "Wow, that''s quite cool!" Xzavier couldn''t stop himself from eximing.

    The battlesuit not only contained powerful weapons, but it also had extraordinary mobility and the ability to move in a number of ways. It was also armed with weapons that were much better than anything humans had made up to that point.

    "It appears that I can win in any situation."

    Xzavier clinched his hands and exuded confidence. But he rapidly realized his error. His most recent defeat taught him an important lesson. He didn''t dare to underestimate the advanced mage''s power, so he continued to peruse the wares in the system''s store out of curiosity. Soonter, he learned about the "sma Cyclotron elerator," a weapon with an initial cost of 150,000 points and a leasing price of 7,500 points every 24 hours. To be on the safe side, he opted to purchase the 24-hour lease.

    Due to hisck of expertise, Xzavier was unable to be proficient with the steel battlesuit. So, he spent a lot of time getting better at what he already knew and getting used to the new material.

    During this time, he fell several times and came dangerously close to seriously harming himself. Even though he didn''t know how to use it perfectly yet, he was able to understand how it worked after only one night of hard training.

    "The next phase will be to exact our vengeance on Quaid." His eyes erupted in rage.

    Earlene was skeptical of Xzavier''s new weapon; he didn''t believe this strange suit could fight Laddie on its own. He had a strong knowledge of Laddie''s talents because he had spent his entire life around the elderly man. And, given that Xzavier had only recently been vanquished by the elderly man, she didn''t think there was even a distant chance of winning.

    Babara, on the other hand, was sure that the strategy would work because she knew how powerful Xzavier''s weapons were.

    Following that, the two of them started out in search of Dale''s footprints.

    -------------------------------------------------------

    "Look here, this is undeniably the work of a horse that came from outside the area," Xzavier stated. Babara knelt on the road''s shoulder and carefully examined the neighboring hoofprints.

    "It appears that he made no attempt to conceal the trail." In no way was Xzavier a dummy.

    "Perhaps he did that on purpose to expose them to us." Babara reasoned.

    Dale, as Babara pointed out, left no trace. Not only that, but he purposely left many obvious marks, as if he was doing it to grab Xzavier''s attention.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Adalia consoled Xzavier by rubbing him on the back throughout the entire process of looking for it. "Do not be concerned about us. Remember that when ites to fighting, there is no ce for hesitancy."

    Adalia was not the type of girl who would provide advice like "Be safe," but rather showed more boldness in her actions. Xavier was never perplexed by this. That was why he went with her.

    Suddenly, Babara, who was standing on the group''s most dominant side, showed attentiveness by raising her right hand in the air. The others hid their footsteps as fast as they could. They hid behind a dirt mound, and Xzavier pulled out his binocrs before gazing up to see Dale and his crew speeding down the main road in front of them.

    They were the ones to me! Xzavier recognized themander as Dale almost immediately.

    Dale''smand had a small number of soldiers, about fifty, but they were all mounted on horses.

    Because the troops on the horses looked so impressive, Xavier reasoned that this new force had to be far more powerful than the one they had previously met. Dale had clearly done his homework beforeing here this time.

    He had, of course, improved his preparations for this round.

    With the help of the system, Xzavier began donning the battlesuit.

    "I will fight this struggle alone; no one else will join me. If I am not sessful, you must leave this spot as soon as possible. " Xavier stated his intention to leave afterpleting his exnation. He then went back around and added, "Don''t worry, I''m not going to die. "

    After that, Xzavier took off like a rocket and soared to Dale while his thrusters were activated.

    Dale was riding his horse and leading his warriors along the route in front of him. A figure materialized in the sky in front of him, appearing to be pretty high above. The figure went closer and closer before ultimately touching down in a leisurely manner.

    "I didn''t expect you toe to meet me by yourself." Dale asked, "Where''s that gigantic hunk of iron (actually a tank) of yours?" he asked with obvious confidence.

    Although Xzavier was apprehensive about continuing speaking with this cunning knight, he did have one question about the most recent urrence in which Adalia had been kidnapped. As a soldier, he thought that many parts of what happened were not reported correctly.

    "I just have one question: did you have any involvement when Adalia was taken thest time?"

    Dale couldn''t stop himself from eximing, "The governor was right; you really are a lethal foe." After that, he told Xzavier everything that had happened that day. Dale saw no purpose in keeping things hidden at this point.

    "So, you killed Kadin?" Xzavier said, chillingly, after donning his disguise.

    "You mean the elderly man with the white beard?" Dale asked, amusingly shaking his head. He pretended to be exceedingly repentant. "In truth, I wasn''t given the order to kill him, but the elderly man was simply too annoying. It was vital for me to focus on his silence."

    Dale followed this n to give himself an expediency for killing Xzavier because he was frightened of being given more power if Xzavier returned alive. If something like that happened, he would be stripped of the position and fame that he rightfully deserved. Despite the fact that his orders required him to bring Xzavier in alive, things went awry from time to time.

    After working up the courage to be angry, Xzavier lifted himself into the air by adjusting the thrusters linked to his arms and legs. Following that, two weapons erupted from beneath his shoulders and were aimed at Dale''s party.

    "TA..."

    A significant number of shots were fired with precision.

    Surprisingly, the soldiers were able to deflect the oing fire by deploying a wide range of defensive measures. Some built mana shields in front of them, while others managed to duck.

    "This is not going to be as easy to deal with as I had hoped." Xzavier paused.

    The soldiers on the ground were the best of the best, and they began fighting back immediately, even without orders.

    Xavier was forced to dodge a fiery ball that was aimed directly at him. Even though his steel armor could protect him from this degree of magic, he didn''t want his vision to be impaired in any way, so he kept it covered.

    Many magical systems, like fire, water, earth, wind, ice, and others, were always attacking Xzavier.

 Chapter 182 182

    As Xzavier predicted, this new group of warriors, each of whom was at least a level 5 mage, is Quaid''s best close guard, and each of whom had fought a hundred battles. Their precise maneuvers and silent cooperation made battle difficult for him.

    "Oh, no! I don''t even have the ability to counterattack in this situation. " Xzavierined while they were in the air.They didn''t give him a chance to catch his breath because of the adversary''s great cooperation. To avoid their barrage of strikes, he had no choice but to weave in and out of their path.

    Xzavier was startled to discover that one of the magicians had summoned a gigantic eagle and was riding it while attempting to attack him. As the eagle swooped towards him, Xzavier noticed the mage crouching on its back.

    Because Xzavier did not anticipate the adversary''s ability to fly, he waspelled to increase his speed in order to escape the adversary''s pursuit. They were both in a dogfight in the air and were flying around each other like two nes.

    Xzavier abruptly stalled in mid-flight. Because the eagle was not nearly as agile as the battlesuit, it was clearly incapable of making such an unconventional action. It directly hit Xavier in its skull.

    Xzavier used the situation to his advantage by putting a grenade in the eagle''s mouth and then leaving the area.

    BOOM!

    The rapid explosion destroyed the eagle''s head. The mage was riding on its back at the moment and was knocked off, suffering significant injuries as a result.

    Unexpectedly, something went wrong, which threw off the coordination of Dale''s crew and made them temporarily lose their bearings.

    Xzavier took advantage of the opportunity and increased the number of shots he took. A hail of projectiles descended on the mana barrier, where they were deflected and eventually fell to the ground. He was skeptical that the mages could maintain the barrier for long.

    As he expected, some of the weaker magicians were unable to withstand the bullets that breached the barrier and were gravely hurt. This development did not surprise him.

    The formation was thrown off as a result of the injured individuals, and the amount of pressure applied to Xzavier was lessened. As he proceeded into the army''s heart, he took advantage of the opportunity to make a low pass and throw a couple of ready-to-explosion grenades.

    BOOM ...

    A massive explosion erupted in the midst of the crowd, and fires erupted all over the ce. Arge number of the mages were severely wounded and slumped to the ground.

    Dale''s wrath prompted him to draw as much mana as he could from within his body, and as a result, heshed out. He let out a powerful shout before tossing arge silver de at Xzavier.

    Swish! The crescent-shaped de shed onto Xzavier''s steel battlesuit. The impact threw Xzavier over, and he didn''t stop moving until he ran into some trees.

    "Did it work out?" Dale looked in the direction Xzavier had fallen when he had fainted. Despite this, hemunicated his displeasure.

    As a result, Dale''s efforts were futile as a result of the Iron Battlesuit''s powerful defenses.

    Xzavier returned to the skies, resuming his earlier approach of maintaining a saturation of continuous fire. At this time, just a few of the army''s senior mages couldunch a counterattack while defending, and the remainder of them could barely defend themselves.

    At this point, the exchange of positions between the offensive and defensive sides took ce.

    Dale was surprised since he hadn''t expected Xzavier to have be stronger since thest time he saw him. He was extremely bewildered as to how this could be happening. To go from an offensive to a defensive approach, he had to direct the surviving mages to begin gathering, and then he had to lead them to form a collective defensive boundary.

    A defensive boundary in the shape of a half-sphere quickly formed in the avable space.

    Dale''s gang went inside for safety in order to avoid getting hit by gunfire.

    Dale was able to rx because even Laddie was unable to break this strong collective limit in such a short period of time. The bullets struck the border but were diverted by it, just as he had predicted. There was no interruption near the border.

    After discovering that the bullets had no practical effect, Xavier resolved to seek out a more potent weapon to rece them with.

    He extended his right hand and pointed at the boundary with his centre of the palm.

    A tremendous beam ofser light began to gather steadily in his palm before suddenly firing.

    The boundary made by the united mana was cut right away andpletely by a blinding sh of light.

    Theser in the center of Xzavier''s palm pierced the barrier like a rainbow, quickly killing the majority of the mages on the inside. The few powerful mages who were still alive, including Dale, had been badly hurt and were about to die.

    Right at this moment, Xzavier came down and began to float above them as if he were a god.

    Xavier''s power had exceeded their expectations, and as a result, they had all nearly totally lost the desire to fight. They just didn''t dare to oppose them, knowing that those who do would perish quickly.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Xzavier copsed to the ground and moved slowly towards Dale.

    Dale was unable to speak because he was afraid and eventually went mute. He couldn''t figure out how or why Xzavier had gotten to the point where he was scarier than Laddie. Xzavier had only recently begun training.

    This was, in fact, the situation. In a fight to the death, the Xzavier from a few days ago would never be able to defeat such a powerful elite unit. But now that he was donning the battlesuit, things were different.

    Xzavier got directly to the point of the discussion by asking, "Where is Tacy?"

    "I have no idea what you''re talking about," Dale maintained his act of show.

    Crack!

    Xavier''s face was sad as he lifted his foot and broke Dale''s calf.

    "Ahhhhhh!" Dale yelled in agony and rolled around on the ground in pain.

    "I''m not in the mood to hear your nonsense right now. If you want to die in misery, you can deliberately postpone it for some time." Throughout the conversation, Xavier maintained a nk expression.

    Dale nned to lie about what happened, but this time Xzavier cut off his right arm.

    "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Dale''s face was almost distorted with misery.

    "Don''t even try to trick me." Xzavier talked about taking Dale''s another arm off when he was finished.

    "She''s staying in the governor''s mansion!" Dale screamed for no apparent reason due to fear.

    "Got it, thanks."

    As soon as Xzavier learned where Tacy was, he shot and killed Dale.

    He showed no mercy in this particr case. The rest of the mages in this region were a threat to him. He didn''t think twice about killing everyone here.

    To be merciful to his opponents would be cruel to himself.

    He decided not to turn around and look at the dead bodies behind him this time.

    -------------------------------------------------------

    With the exception of Earlene, the other three girls were pleased to learn that Xzavier had returned safely.

    "So, how are you going to cope with my father after this?" With a pleading expression on her face, she implored Xzavier.

    "That''s one way to phrase it. My major goal, though, is to save Tacy rather than kill your father. " Xzavier responded solemnly. After that, he told the other girls, "Tacy is at Quaid''s mansion, and I will go there by myself to rescue her."

    "Don''t do that; it''s dangerous; we''ll apany you." Babara made the proposal.

    "No, you should not go because it is extremely dangerous," Xzavier stated, "In the purest sense, this is about my personal affairs. Furthermore, same as what I previously stated, I do not intend to die."

    Adalia did not persuade him to bring her along, instead turning back and saying, "I''ll be waiting for your fantastic news." As a reward, Xavier was given a cool back figure.

    "Thanks." Xavier expressed to Adalia his heart.

    "By the way, it''s about time you go home." He turned to Earlene and said,

    -------------------------------------------------------

    Earlene, who was being held by Xzavier thousands of feet above the ground, waspletely at ease and had no fear. Both of them were going very fast in the general direction of the city of Victoria.

    Xavier aplished in an hour what would have taken several days on horseback.

 Chapter 183 183

    Before going to the governor''s house, he put the sma Cyclotron elerator on the top of the nearby hill, which was the highest point in the area.

    He then led Earlene to the door of Quaid''s room and showed her in.

    A force that could not be identified suddenly opened the door.

    Xzavier noticed Quaid inside, seated, and Laddie standing next to him. Laddie was also noticed by Xavier.

    They both conveyed the sense that they had been waiting for him for quite some time.

    "I was surprised that you returned so promptly, and I must say that your promptness has made an impact on me." Quaid gave Xzavier counsel in the tone of a parent. He indicated the side with a hand gesture. Tacy, who had been held captive, was eventually released by a servant.

    Tacy''s eyes glowed with joy when she saw Xzavier.

    Xzavier immediately let go of Earlene after seeing her.

    They were both on the same page and knew that the girls weren''t the most significant criteria in selecting who would win.

    "I''m aware that you''re an intellectual man, Xzavier."

    "It''s still a shame that you chose to resist me. " Quaid smacked the table a little. "Despite this, I am willing to give you one more chance. As a result, your choice is..."

    "I guess there''s no need to continue the exchange," Xzavier said, shrugging his shoulders.

    "That''s excellent." Quaid smiled before closing his eyes.

    "I guess that this is not the ideal area for a battle; perhaps the training ground would be a great spot," Laddie, ever the nice gentleman, said as he cautiously exited the study.

    "That''s how I perceive it as well." Xavier, on the other hand, was of the same mind.

    The two then proceeded to the field, where Xavier had spent a significant amount of time preparing for the ultimate sh.

    Meanwhile, Quaid was perched on a loft in the distance, observing what seemed like an interesting fight.

    Earlene and Tacy also watched the battle from a safe ce. They wanted to watch the best fighters in the world fight.

    After witnessing Laddie''s prowess for himself, Xzavier opted to forgo the futile probing and instead engage in a close-quarters battle with Laddie using theser de attached to his arm.

    Xzavier moved closer to Laddie while disying a blood-redser de on his arm. He did this in an attempt to kill the elderly man with a single blow.

    Peng!

    Laddie was able to stop Xzavier from sneaking up on him by fighting furiously with a special rod with lightningand aser de.

    This knowledge took Xzavier by surprise. After that, he showed off his great sword skills, but Laddie was no slouch. For a while, the two contenders were neck and neck.

    When it came to hand-to-handbat, Xavier did not expect to have no advantage. Given that Laddie was the most powerful mage in this ce, it was understandable that he didn''t constantly disy surprise. On the other hand, Laddie fought him even after flying directly into the air beside him.

    Nheless, it was clear that Xzavier''s steel battlesuit had a bit more mobility.

    Laddie could fly, although he was a little less agile. Still, he had greater fighting experience than Xzavier. Whenever Xzavier was about to strike him, he was able to avoid being hit. Xavier was annoyed by this.

    "I was correct in praising your intellect; you truly are a genius." Despite the fact that Laddie''s rod collided violently with Xzavier''sser de, he was still able to speak clearly. "Since thest time I saw you, you''ve developed into a more fearsome foe. Going against the governor''smand was one of the worst judgments you''ve ever made, and it was one of the worst things you''ve ever done."

    After a brief pause, Laddie''s demeanor changed as he inhaled deeply and his face grew solemn.

    Xzavier was afraid to ck off because thest time the elderly man''s expression changed, and then he had suffered a catastrophic loss.

    The sky gradually grew overcast, and it didn''t take long for it to start raining heavily. Laddie continued to chant incessantly. Following that, there came lightning and deafening ps of thunder from the clouds. The hurricane''s winds began to blow in all directions.

    When Xzavier was flying through the air, he ran into a lot of resistance, which slowed him down and made it hard for him to turn.

    "Oh, no!" As a result of the change in his circumstances, he became extremely worried.

    Boom!

    He was suddenly struck by a thick bolt of lightning.

    Xzavier''s form stumbled and fell to the earth, resembling a helicopter in ident. Fortunately, the Iron Battlesuit served as a shield, protecting him from the deadly impact.

    [WARNING: The suit will almost never be able to properly fight against such a tremendous onught. If things continue as they are, it won''t be long before it''s gone.]

    "It appears that I shall have no choice but to do my best."

    Xzavier didn''t waste any time in revealing the multiple weapons hidden within the Iron Battlesuit one by one.

    Laddie was then hit with a lot of different weapons, like sound waves, sh bombs, incendiary bombs, grenades, micro missiles, missiles, miniguns, Gatling machine guns, special cannons, maic fields, electromaic pulses,sers, and so on.

    Laddie had never seen so many odd assaults, and he hade perilously close to being seriously injured on several asions. He was a skilled fighter, and as a result, he was able to escape the majority of Xavier''s attacks. To avoid being outdone, he unleashed all of the many sorts of magic he had learned, including water, fire, lightning, and earth, but in a variety of different ways.

    The governor''s residence was quickly filled with a dizzying mix of explosions and sts. The others only saw a quick glimpse of two fuzzy entities materializing out of thin air before disappearing almost instantly.

    Throughout the heated battle, both of them made many attempts to take the other''s life, but neither was sessful.

    As the intensity of the struggle increased, Laddie ceased to be the well-mannered gentleman and morphed into a demon with a hungry thirst for blood. He was now fully aware that if he didn''t fight with all of his strength, he would very certainly be killed. It was a conflict that may literally have meant the difference between life and death. His sleeves were soiled and fraying at the edges.

    Xzavier was right in the middle of the action, and he understood how he felt restricted by his circumstances. His steel armor was already brittle and on the verge of copsing. He couldn''t imagine what would happen if all of these attacks hit him in the flesh and blood. Still, the outfit had a rather short lifespan than the expectations.

    That Laddie was such a yer!

    Xavier couldn''t stop himself from thinking that.

    As the conflict escted, two gathered around the structures that were being gradually crushed and destroyed. The battleground eventually epassed the entirety of Victoria after beginning in the basic training area.

    Everyone in the city could see the furious fighting going on.

    "Look! A battle between great sorcerers is taking ce in the skies."

    "It appears like it will be Laddie! I''ve never seen him get into such a fight."

    "Who exactly is another one?"

    The crowd began to converse.

    Xzavier''s respiration, on the other hand, remained difficult throughout, and it was evident that he was losing strength. He''d probably pass out before the other if he kept going like this.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Oh, no!

    "This elderly man''s tenacity is pretty astonishing. " He admired Laddie''s tenacity in the face of adversity.

    Laddie, on the other hand, was perilously close to his limit. He did, however, had more precise control over mana and stamina, and he was able to conserve as much stamina and mana as possible when fighting. On the other hand, if this continued, he would most certainly pass out.

    "Please help me turn on the sma Cyclotron elerator System."

    [Its activation has already been initiated by the host.]

    Xzavier had nned an undercard for himself, and before he arrived, he had ced the sma Cyclotron elerator atop one of the highest adjacent mountain peaks. It was already nned for this moment to arise.

    [Start to build up my energy, around 5% done.]

    [10%]

    [20%]

    [30%]

    ... After exerting remote control over the apparatus via the system, Xzavier prepared to discharge the sma Cyclotron elerator. On the other hand, there was an issue that couldn''t be solved in this scenario: Laddie was moving so fast that the sma Cyclotron elerator was unable to hit him exactly.

    If it were unable to strike him, no amount of energy would be useful.

    But not before Xavier had time to devise an ingenious remedy.

    As soon as he was back in closebat with Laddie, he stretched out and grabbed both of Laddie''s arms with both of his hands.

    They were entwined like the ends of a rope.

    "What on earth are you doing?!" Laddie''s entire existence was filled with unease at the time.

    Xzavier shifted their positions, putting Laddie between the weapon and himself.

    "Shoot at me!"

    The system fired the sma Cyclotron elerator at Xzavier once he delivered the instruction.

    "What are you on about!?" He had no idea what the young man was up to until he felt a difort in his side.

    From nowhere, a dense blue particle gun sted at him.

    The "sma Cyclotron elerator" came to a halt at Laddie''s location after slicing through the atmosphere like a knife.

    The event was witnessed by everyone who lived in Victoria.

    "What was it exactly?"

    "I have absolutely no idea!"

    "What a horrible being!"

    The unexpected incident sparked discussion among those present.

    Laddie had the impression that every cell in his body had been ruptured at that precise moment. Following that, he felt weak, as if he were a bird without wings that had fallen from the sky andnded on the ground of the governor''s mansion.

    Quaid groaned as he noticed his subordinateying on the ground in the distance. He didn''t know whether he was still alive or had died, still, he didn''t show any panic.

    Earlene, on the other hand, couldn''t help but scream in disbelief since she couldn''t believe Laddie had been defeated. She just couldn''t believe it. What did that man intend to do to her father next?

    Xzavier descended slowly from the sky andnded near Laddie. "I''m not going to murder you because you spared me thest time," he exined. He then soared in the direction of Quaid andnded directly in front of him.

    "Are you going to end me?" Quaid inquired, sittingpletely still in his chair.

    Earlene and Cadence, who had been watching the fight from downstairs, ran up the stairs and were instantly brought to their knees when they spotted Xzavier.

    "Please spare our father." They were scared that Xavier would embark on a killing spree at this spot.

    Cadence highlighted, "Even though my father vited thew in some ways, his crime does not warrant the death penalty. You are not allowed to penalize him in any way! "

    Quaid, who had been struggling to keep his cool, had failed terribly and had sumbed to his rage at this particr moment. "Take a position! Members of the Princy family have no need to make a final appeal to anyone, even if they are on their deathbeds. This rule holds true regardless of what happens. I previously informed you!"

    After a short nce at Quaid, Xzavier turned and walked towards Earlene and Cadence. He stroked their hair with his fingers "I will not be held ountable for any needless killings. I came to this meeting with the governor to bargain. " He then sat down and turned himself so that he faced Quaid. "Let''s finally get down to the long-overdue negotiation."

    "You do have the credentials now," Quaid remarked, trying hard not to lose his cool.

    Xzavierughed, "Yes. My request is simple: please release all of the ves now imprisoned in Princy''s castle and forbid any further sex ves from being raised in the same brutal manner. "

    "I''ll take care of it."

    Quaid made the promise to Xzavier while cynically smiling.

    "Too innocent! I''m not sure how old you are mentally, but I feel responsible to tell you that in this world, even if I don''t do these things, others will. Are you nning to arrest all of the world''s nobility? "

    "So you can only force me to do this if you really want to? Are you going to ignore what is going on, even though it is concealed from your perspective at the moment? "

    "I can''t believe how hypocritical you seem!"

    "Does that make you feel any better on the inside?"

    "Are you certain you want to live your life as a naive child?"

    Quaid kept making angryments to Xzavier, even if he had idea that he could kill him at any moment.

    "You make an excellent point! The world can be brutal and merciless at times. " Xzavier stood up. "As a result, one of my objectives in this area is to develop a nation that is both free and peaceful. I''d appreciate the chance to be a witness. "

    "That''s not going to happen," Quaid remarked cynically.

    "Then I''ll try," Xzavier answered,ughing.

    After that, he said bye to Earlene and Cadence, leaving only a lonely back figure for them.

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