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 only language they understood.

Knowing fully well that Quaid couldn't be trusted, Xzavier decided to come up with something. He was going to tell Quaid a partial modulation 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 blank 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…"

The last three words echoed in Quaid's ears like a resonating tuning fork. They were like music to his ears. He played 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 very complex mechanism and an even more complex 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 to completion. 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 in large quantities, but first, I need to complete some specific tasks and meet some very demanding conditions. But the complex 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 available in my hometown."

He exhaled deeply and concluded with the last part of his long explanation.

"But I cannot return home. At least not until I have completed 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."

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 declaration. 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, he communed with the system and ended up exchanging one thousand points for ten pistols and a large 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 black bag out of nowhere!

Quaid was flabbergasted! 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 place. 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 forthcoming, all Quaid could do was simply wait it out and hope that it all played 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 black 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 the last 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 black 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 surveillance at all time! Otherwise, even the handler may end up with a permanent injury, or maybe something worse."

The last 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 what comes 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 similar 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.