DEVIANT

282 Talk between men

Alex walked down the hall with the envoys, Sharyn, and the little beast following him tightly behind. His eyes looked calm and cold and his face had regained some color. Throughout the journey, Sharyn remained behind him with her face lowered while the hell cat kept shooting her strange glares.

The envoys could feel the heavy atmosphere between Sharyn and the cat while Alex simply chose not to care about their little squabble.

“Hahahaha! He is here” Emperor Qikath laughed as he watched Alex walk into the room with an air of invincibility around him.

On what could be considered the largest table in the world, the emperor sat at one end with his new officials seated around him, all sending cold and fearful glares at Alex while Alex took a seat at the other edge with his envoys and people around him. His eyes remained calm as he gazed at the dishes on the table, all of which consisted of different varieties of fish.

Meow!

The hell cat seemed overjoyed and forgot its vendetta against Sharyn and weakly began munching on the closest fish dish it could find. The officials shot it a cold glare but seated next to it was Alex so they dared not let their eyes linger for too long.

“I hope you rested well?” Emperor Qikath asked with a raised eyebrow and a cruel smile bloomed on Alex’s face.

“Of course I did. Fighting with this emperor left me drained, but now I’m at peak condition again. So tell me, why are you so kind?” Alex’s eyes flashed with cruelty and the emperor only smiled at this and acted as if he didn’t notice.

Apart from the hell cat, no one else had eaten or even taken a bite from all the various dishes present.

.....

“Do you really think I would poison your food? Even if I plan to do so, I don’t think such a method would work on your leader, why would I kill you all and leave him alive? If I plan to kill anyone, he would be the first” Emperor Qikath said to the envoys and Sharyn who haven’t even attempted to eat.

Only then did Alex realize these people were not eating. He quickly picked up the chopsticks by his side and pulled up a piece of fish and threw it into his mouth. He silently chewed while savoring the taste and only when he swallowed did he look at the Emperor with a hint of surprise.

“A beautiful city and tasty meals... I’m beginning to envy this emperor” Alex said with a calm smile and upon hearing this praise both the emperor and the officials couldn’t help but smile.

The tension in the room lessened as the envoys and Sharyn began eating after they saw Alex eat.

“I was told about the invasion but I found it hard to believe... Tell me, is it true?” Emperor Qikath asked with a deep frown on his face.

The envoys that came told him the same story no matter how much they were tortured. They also showed him the same footage over and over again and he began to believe their claims, that’s why he didn’t kill them even when his old cabinet of nobles ordered for their deaths.

He was skeptical, but seeing someone as powerful as Alex here, he couldn’t help but believe it now.

If it wasn’t something that concerns the entire universe, what else could make someone as powerful as Alex come knocking at his door?

“I’m sure your people have noticed some remnants of the past left behind by your ancestors. A point in life where all life was wiped out, forcing them to vanish without a trace. Leaving behind so many questions... The things coming are the ones responsible... if we don’t join hands and resist, we will vanish just like those who came before us” Alex said with a calm tone before gulping down his wine.

Emperor Qikath kept gazing into his eyes in silence for a while and sighed. Hidden within Alex’s confident eyes was fear, hidden away so well, only someone close to his level would notice.

“If I had refused to listen, you planned to wipe out my race?” Emperor Qikath asked with a bitter smile.

“I have a son.... I have people I love and wish to protect. People I am willing to die for. So yes, if you and your people insisted on fighting I planned to kill everyone. Even if it means I can only take back fifty or five of your people with me and force them to fight for me... I will do whatever it takes to protect those I care about” Alex answered honestly with frosty eyes.

Buzz!

Everyone in the room frowned as the tension in the room rose again. Alex’s words triggered some nobles and even made them fearful. Meanwhile, people on Alex’s side prepared themselves for a possible fight as they sensed the tension in the room.

“Who are you?” Emperor Qikath asked with a frown.

“I am Alex Briggs. A human, an Estosian... A deity.. a sky demon... A Danite... A father... A son... a grandson and a fighter... I will not sit back and wait for death, I would rather gather my strength and confront it head on...” Alex said with lost eyes as he stared into the distance.

His voice trembled as he spoke and everyone soon realized this was the first time he was speaking from his heart, stunning everyone. It was rare to see Alex open up like this in public.

“You are not a king or a God?” Emperor Qikath asked with a hint of surprise. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novelenglish.net . ꜰire

“Hehehe... I wish I could say I am, but unfortunately, that’s not the life I want... I only play that role now because there are too many lives on my shoulders. Too many people depending on me... For their sake, I must become a God who they can pray to and feel safe... People need the hope of a force far stronger than them. That is why religion exists” Alex said calmly.