He inspected her closer. Was she putting on an act? Using his Instinct Realm senses though, nothing could escape his notice. He saw Elizabeth's hands were shaking, her pulse was rapid, and her skin paled. She was neither scared silly, nor blindly ignorant. She clearly understood the chasmic difference between him and herself. She felt fear! However, despite that, she remained unflinching and faced the danger head-on! The Sword King had to admit he was impressed. Deluding yourself into thinking you were stronger was easy. Realizing you were weak and persevering through adversity though… that was the hard part. It was rare to see someone with such strong mental fortitude, doubly-so for people in lofty positions like the heir apparent. Elizabeth successfully gained his respect!
"Are you done yet?" Elizabeth asked.
"I guess I am," the Sword King chuckled. He took a seat opposite to her and continued leisurely, "Aren't you worried that I'd attack you? I'm the captain of the First Hand, and you're the cause of the Whispering Shadow's downfall. I have a good reason to kill you right here and now."
"No, I don't believe you would. We know you had very loose ties to the First Shadow and the Whispering Shadow. There's no motivation for you to act. Furthermore, your Cloud Sea Style, and likewise your personality, embodies the principle of being tied down to none, and drifting wherever the wind takes you. You're a smart man. You wouldn't risk everything for the Whispering Shadow."
"Since you know all that, then what do you want? I doubt you'd organize this show just to confirm my stance."
"I want to make a deal with you," Elizabeth said seriously.
"Oh?"
"The Alzar Kingdom needs your assistance in the Second Great Kingdom War. I'm sure you've heard of the Battle of the Maelstrom Gulf and the Battle of Liguang. We're facing extraordinary threats that exceed our means to handle. This is where you would come in."
"And how would I benefit from this?" he replied while slouched over, intending to watch a good show. And why would he not? He had complete control over the situation!
"First of all, I'm willing to waive you of any crimes and erase your history with the Whispering Shadow. You should know how valuable this is. The Alzar Kingdom ordered every trace of the Whispering Shadow to be annihilated, including you, the former captain of the First Hand. This is your only chance to free yourself from the kingdom's pursuit. Secondly, you'd be able to fight powerful opponents close to, if not matching, your own strength. I heard from Benedict about your endless pursuit of strength; however, once someone reaches a level as high as yours, they will inevitably stagnate without sufficient pressure. The Featherwind Sect would provide an excellent opportunity to sharpen your blade once more. And finally, for my third point…" Elizabeth took a deep breath. Her previous two points were nothing compared to her next point. This would decide everything! "I might help you reach a higher level of Instinct Realm!"
"What?" The Sword King was shocked before turning red with fury. "Don't try tricking me, girl! You're not even an Instinct Realm! What would you know?" He infused Martial Energy into his voice, amplifying it many times over, making it resemble a clap of thunder in one's ears! Even the windows shattered from the shockwave, it was that loud! He was genuinely furious!
Elizabeth jumped in her seat out of fear. She might have soiled her garments had she not mentally prepared herself for his reaction. Despite her brave face, she was inwardly terrified! How could she not be? The Sword King was an Instinct Realm swordsman, one of humanity's few Rank 3 Kings! Barring people like Protector Avin, Lord Wenmord, or Rena, his individual power eclipsed everyone else in the Alzar Kingdom. He could not be angered! He could slap her to death and disappear before anyone knew. Although the kingdom might avenge her afterwards, it was hardly comforting. This was a dangerous gamble because of that. She had a good grasp over the Sword King's personality from Benedict and other sources, but they were ultimately guesses. Treading carefully was the only way she would stay alive.
She exhaled and forcefully calmed down before continuing, "You should know that I'm the heir apparent of the Alzar Kingdom. The information and resources I have access to goes far beyond your means. For example, humanity's other Rank 3 Kings… I can help arrange a meeting with the Protector of the Arcellius Family, Lord Avin Arcellius. His insights into Blue Depth Core could be instrumental to your own Instinct Realm. There's also information about the Featherwind Sect and the true world beyond humanity… I'm willing to lend the kingdom's support provided you agree to our terms."
"Big words coming from someone who doesn't have anything to show for it. Give me one reason to trust you."
"I'm telling the truth. One of my friends is closely related to the Arcellius Family and he spoke with Lord Avin on multiple occasions. They have a strong relationship. I can ask for his help in this matter. As for the Featherwind Sect, I can say this… In the Battle of the Maelstrom Gulf where we lost eight thousand soldiers, only two people attacked us!"
"Two?" Hidek blurted out with wide eyes.
"Impossible!" Lanar shouted and slapped his chair.
They were both proud Perception Realm Masters who could already toy with the greatest experts in the world. They were peerless with only their master above them! Yet, they could never imagine defeating eight thousand people! Eight thousand… That was more people than some cities! They would have to massacre an entire city to match the Featherwind Sect's feat! Sure, they could use a big flashy move to instantly devastate the opposition; however, their Martial Energy fundamentally had a limit. Against an organized army, it was a hopeless dream! Their skepticism could not be helped since they were used to the human world's standard for strength. The idea that one person could surpass an entire collective army was more than unfathomable. It was downright ridiculous! No one would believe it.
The Sword King regarded her calmly and said, "It doesn't seem like you're lying."
A liar would inevitably show flaws in their composure and a Perception Realm could simply leverage their immense sensory prowess to reveal them. This was even more exaggerated for an Instinct Realm like himself. Through this, he could tell Elizabeth was not lying… At the very least, she believed what she said. Whether or not that was really accurate was another question. The Sword King glanced at his two disciples yapping like dogs disdainfully. He would teach them a lesson later.
"Consider me interested, but I'll need proof that you'll uphold your end of the deal."
"Doesn't this work in your favour though? You're not committing to anything either. We both stand in a position where we can leave if we want to. Isn't this the free lifestyle that you wanted?"
"The difference is you need my help." The Sword King smiled ominously, fully intent on bleeding the kingdom dry!
Elizabeth paused. "I did say that the kingdom needs your power, but… that is only temporary."
"What?"
"You underestimate the Alzar Kingdom. The Featherwind Sect might be a great threat now, but what about in one year? Or two? Or five? Eventually, we would devise countermeasures and retaliate, so this precarious situation only exists for the time being. Not to mention, we can call upon other exceptional individuals such as Lord Avin Arcellius. We don't necessarily need your help. If you'd like, then we could call this arrangement off. The kingdom and I won't do anything to stop you," she concluded, leaving the Sword King silent.
As the tension in the room grew, she gulped. This entire conversation utilized every negotiating tactic she knew! First, she emphasized his importance to the kingdom's war. People in favorable positions tended to be more receptive to proposals as they had full control over the situation. Secondly, she listed terms that sounded advantageous, despite the opposite being true. Waiving his crimes was essentially pointless. Looking at General Petra's example, cornering and capturing him was incredibly hard, especially with his vast perception range. The kingdom would struggle to do anything against him. Arranging a meeting with Lord Avin was also left up to interpretation. She said she would try, but nothing more. After all, Protector Avin was unlikely to answer her request, given his awkward relationship with the Zino Kingdom, and the Alzar Kingdom as a whole. Freon said he was unreliable too. Overall, she had very little to offer, yet she framed it to sound impressive.