BXBX NOVEL Chapter 91 Quaid's Thoughts
"Name - Xzavier Mace
Occupation – Hunter, Level Six.
First cited- Around Sikeda Town.
Accomplishments- Cheetah (confirmed kill), Goblin\'s leader (confirmed kill), Orc\'s leader (confirmed kill).
Human contacts – 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 particularly 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 succeeded, but his achievements were so loud, there wasn\'t any place big enough to hide them on the continent.
Attaining information on any human being alive was nothing to Quaid. There was a vast network 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 information network 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 the land, at every given time.
Similar 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 general composure was because he had probably spent much time with the Sages in his mysterious family, before finally coming out into the world. This made much sense to Quaid.
"Actually this explains why such a brilliant young man can be socially awkward sometimes. He had been robbed of any form of social life with regular people..."
Quaid was giddy. He thought he had finally found a chink in Xzavier\'s otherwise impenetrable 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 planned 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.
"No, it\'s very unlikely…"
In this case, empirical data or hard evidence wasn\'t necessary. The truth of the matter was glaring, 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 what lay 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 aflame.
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 exhilarating to note that this strange technology had a more tactical advantage compared to the traditional magic system.
As a man who simply loved to shock people, especially his enemies, Quaid was particularly 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 to land, Quaid was forced to address the issue he had been pushing to the back of his plans.
The governor hated to admit it, but there was simply no way around it. All of his lofty plans, the entirety of all his high end thoughts and packages were hinged on one variable- Xzavier Mace! It was uncanny, and yet, strangely comforting. 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 plans 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 the last 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 glanced at his ledger on his table and sighed when he remembered another variable that had always been an impediment in the way of the success of past endeavors of this nature; BUDGET COSTS. This was a very touchy subject for him as a governor.