Bab 62: Chapter 62
[1st POV]
The reception with the queen was much more lavish and grander than the first one I attended.
I noticed Luthor again, along with his assistant.
Over the past time, my relationship with him has improved.
I have received notifications from the system, not only from him but also from Killer Frost, Lucifer, Maze, Pamela, and Harton.
However, what surprised me the most was that when I checked the list regarding my relationships with others, I saw a line with the name Amanda Waller 800 (interest).
That scared me.
I had managed to miss this detail earlier.
After scrolling through the message's history, I realized it started after Los Angeles.
I can't believe I didn't get a debuff for such carelessness.
"Mr. Dinklage, it's a pleasure to see you again or should I now address you as Lord Dinklage? Or is "Sir" the appropriate word here?"
Lex smiled as he approached me.
We were on the balcony, alone. Well, I was, and Luthor approached me a little later.
"I prefer using names. Though, it's not a big deal."
I smiled in response and shook his hand.
"Then I think neither of us will mind if we switch to a more informal tone?"
I nodded.
"Alright, Isaac. I've really wanted to talk to you for a while. At first, I thought you were a simple man. But when I learned some information that the Bialya military had skillfully hidden, I was very, very surprised."
Well, he managed to find out after all, but that was to be expected from Lex Luthor.
"And what about it?"
"That a certain individual, behind a mask, single-handedly destroyed an entire modern, fully equipped, and armed unit, equipped with the latest technology and science. You know, I haven't shared my thoughts on this with anyone, no one in the USA will ever know about it, I guarantee that. However, I still want to share this with you."
I keep a poker face and listen to him.
"From my observations, this person is neither a meta-human, nor a magician, nor an alien, but still used some strange power that helped him win. I think we both know who I'm talking about."
"Let's assume that's true. But so what? You're not planning to "rat me out," I realized that almost immediately. And I also think that even if I refuse whatever it is you're offering or implying…"
"You're a very wise person, Isaac. That's what I like about you and now I'll ask you one more question that's been on my mind. Would you consider changing your line of work?"
"To what exactly?"
"Head of security for my personal guard... Officially."
"However, there's something unofficial that you want to offer me and could it interest me?"
I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.
"That's what I'm hoping for."
Lex nodded and reached into his inner pocket, pulling out a business card.
"Here's my card. If you want to discuss this matter in more detail, give me a call. But for now, I think I should take my leave. I came to this event mainly because of you. I'll be leaving soon; my "vacation" is over. It's time to head back home."
"Then I wish you a pleasant journey, Lex."
I shouted after him, examining the business card.
It's quite interesting.
There is an alternative to fall under the wing of Lex Luthor himself.
However, I'm not ready to think about such things right now. Besides, Lex didn't expect the conversation to continue.
That brief exchange of words aimed to grab my attention toward his persona and the possibility of something...
In the midst of these thoughts, Queen Beatrice found me.
She was dressed in a dark yellow dress, with a beautiful golden diadem on her forehead and her long hair flowing freely."
"How's your evening?"
She asked as she stood next to me.
"Wonderful, Your Majesty..."
I bowed.
"Stop it! I'm not particularly fond of excessive flattery. Although, I have to admit, there's a certain moral in the fact that many people bow before you, and men are ready to kiss your feet..."
Beatrice said dreamily, taking a sip from her champagne glass.
"But that's all in the past. So, I'd prefer if at least you stopped this foolishness."
After a brief pause, she added, "In unofficial meetings, of course."
I've already realized, over the course of our time since our very first conversation, that Beatrice isn't as stupid as one might have thought at first.
She is still young and perhaps even impulsive but knows how to think logically.
If she weren't a ruler, she'd most definitely be a military person.
"Alright. To be honest, I'm also not accustomed to my new role."
"Don't get too carried away. It does have its advantages, of course. But my ancestors took care that the nobility wouldn't have too much power in this country back in the eighteenth century. So your role will boil down to swearing allegiance to me and my descendants, and 'appearing before me at my first request, to protect your ruler...' Although, we don't really like to participate in wars as such. The last war we officially took part in was the Israel-Arab War thirty years ago. So, we limit ourselves to politics and economics when it comes to exerting pressure on other countries."
"But I doubt that you could withstand, say, the USA in an open confrontation."
I said thoughtfully to keep the conversation going without any hidden agenda.
"Ha-ha-ha..."
She burst into wild laughter, and when she had calmed down somewhat, she continued the conversation, "I think I need to explain something to you, Lord Dinklage. After all, a nobleman... correction, a hereditary nobleman of Bialya, should know a thing or two about the country from which his documents for his first citizenship are from."
"I'm all ears, Your Majesty."
I enjoyed this conversation and was finally going to learn what had happened between the USA and Bialya at some point.
She perched on the railing and started swinging her legs.
"Three hundred years ago, when the colonies declared their independence, we did not recognize it as a sovereign state due to our friendly relations with the English crown. It wasn't until about a hundred and fifty years later, during the reign towards the end of the reign of Queen Victoria that my great-great-grandfather established contact with them in the economic sphere. There were trade agreements made,which in a way existence the USA as a legal entity but not more than that. Even now, we have not recognized the USA's independence. Therefore, there can be no embassies or active cooperation, not even consulates. Although our representatives communicate indirectly and exchange notes at various conferences or informal events, and there are transportation connections. But still, you must understand what this means. For us, the USA is just unstable country with natural resources but one with a good standard of living and nuclear warheads."
"That's very entertaining and enlightening."
I smiled, "But still, I heard that in the last century, there was a possibility for the States to gain your recognition, but that didn't happen. May I ask for more information? We didn't learn much about that case or your country in school."
"Ha-ha... Yes, it was indeed an amusing case. But at the same time, it's also insulting for us. Oh!"
Queen Bee's glass cracked in her hands, and a thin stream of scarlet blood began to slowly trickle down her arm.
Apparently, this incident touches her pride as a ruler.
"Wait."
I stepped closer to her and took her palm in my hand.
"Impudent. Before you stand your queen, you dare to touch the royal hand without her consent."
She pretended to make a serious face, but in her eyes, I saw mischief.
"You can do whatever you wish to me as punishment. But please, allow me to heal your hand. Otherwise, there might be a scar left on this beautiful hand. Also, my curiosity has played a cruel trick on you, and I feel guilty."
She didn't resist and freely extended her hand to me.
I then used Mystical Palm Jutsu and healed the small cut in just a few seconds. Then I saw surprise and confusion in Beatrice's eyes.
"How?!"
"My power can not only cause harm but also heal."
I smiled and waved.
"And what else can you do with it?"
I wonder if, right now, her mind is working with more power than Batmobile.
"It's not as much as I'd like for now. The key is time and the desire to develop it."
"Hm. You're full of surprises and mysteries. That amuses me."
[100 relationship with Queen Beatrice.]
"I'm glad to serve you, Your Majesty."
I joked with a bow.
At that moment, amidst Beatrice's laughter, Pamela joined us.
"I stepped away for just five minutes, and you're already having a nice chat with Her Majesty."
"Need I remind you that you're her subject? And that I'm right here?
Oh, how tightly my hand was squeezed..."
"Well, no need to be so harsh with him, Miss Isley."
Queen Beatrice defended me, "He helped me heal my hand. By the way, I think Isaac's skills could help many in Bialya. Of course, this will remain a secret for those you don't want to trust with this secret, meaning your acquaintances from America."
Now, that's an idea!
I'll improve my medial jutsu, gain experience, and then earn respect among the locals.
That's not bad at all.
So, for the remaining half hour of our stay at the reception, Pamela and I discussed the possibility of me "moonlighting" as a local Dr. House.
Then, at home, I'd have to prove to Pamela how much I love her, but I wasn't exactly against that...
To be continued...
...
A/N: PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO DROP SOME POWER STONES... THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
https://www.patreon.com/Sothisq
You can find up to 10 advance chapters on my patreon.
Bab 63: Chapter 63
[1st POV]
Pam has now started walking around the house without clothes... not at all shy in front of Maze, who occasionally sneaks glances at Pamela's butt.
Pam was overjoyed, then upset, then happy again... in total, about five times.
I tried to understand what was happening, but she wouldn't tell me.
Pam and I arrived at the palace using Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
We got where we needed to go in just two jumps.
Pam's vision was a little foggy the first minute, but everything was fine afterward.
We walked through the grand entrance and were met by the butler.
He escorted us to the very top floor of the palace, where we were already expected.
Beatrice and Harton were at the table.
She had recently promoted him to general, and now he was officially in charge of the guard as well.
"I'm glad to see you again."
Beatrice greeted us with a radiant smile, "Please, have a seat."
"Your Majesty, if I may ask, what is the purpose of today's meeting?"
Pam inquired, "Not that I mind, but I'm quite curious."
"Just call me by my name. And yes, there is a reason but it seems you both have forgotten about it."
She said, looking at us with a hint of surprise, "Actually, that makes it even better. It'll be a surprise."
Meanwhile, Harton was smiling through his impressive mustache. I wondered who had the bigger mustache—him or Gordon.
"You know how to intrigue, Beatrice."
I said, "But I really can't recall what we're supposed to remember. I've gone through all our conversations in my head and still can't find the answer.
"Well-ll-ll."
She stammered, "Considering your busy schedule and lifestyle, it's no surprise. But you won't have to wait long until midnight.
After that, she steered the conversation in a different direction. However, Pam tried to ask a question but didn't get the chance.
Beatrice is quite expert at managing her speech and controlling the flow of a conversation.
A true politician, no doubt about it.
Glancing at her stats confirmed my thoughts:
Name: Beatrice / Queen Bee
Level: 36
Race: Human
Class: Politician
1st Subclass: Diplomat
2nd Subclass: Lawyer
Trait: Willpower, Lonely Woman, Monarch, Experiment Survivor
Age: 23 years
Attributes: See details.
From her attributes, what really caught my interest was her skills:
Musician - Level 71
Persuasion - Level 48
Troll - Level 11
Hand-to-Hand Combat - Level 12
Regeneration - Level 11
Polyglot - Level 48
Mistress of BDSM - Level 26
Politician - Level 89
I'm not even sure what surprises me more that until recently, she still played a secondary role in the state despite her Level 89 in "Politician," or the skill level in "Mistress of BDSM."
The next few hours I spent chatting with Harton while Pam and Beatrice occasionally excused themselves for a couple of minutes to go somewhere.
The conversation went from everything to nothing.
I even made some light attempts to probe what Pam and I had forgotten, but Harton just smoothly redirected the discussion to a new topic.
But everything became clear when the clock struck midnight. System messages began pouring in:
"Ding!"
[Your body has turned 24 years old.]
[As a gift from the system, all your attributes and skills have increased by 1 level, and you've received +10 free points.]
[New Quest: "The Mystery of Origins!"
Death mentioned in a conversation with you that the history of your body has quite an intriguing nature and backstory. Find out what exactly she meant by this.
Objective: Uncover the secret of your origins.
Duration: 1 year.
Rewards:
+25 C.O.
+10,000 relationship with ???
-1,000 relationship with ???
[Failure or Refusal:
Feature: "Orphan."
And the most puzzling part is that I can't understand what's hidden behind those question marks.
If the God of Games Himself decided to give me such a quest, then there's a 100% chance there's some kind of trick or hidden surprises involved.
What concerns me most are the two individuals—one with whom my relationship will improve and the other with whom it will worsen.
I have no idea who they are or what this could lead to.
However, I really don't have a choice because I need to gain power to fight for this world.
After that, there were notifications about my skills—some of them even evolved.
For example, "Accuracy" transformed into "Enhanced Accuracy" upon reaching Level 50 while "Cheater" evolved into "Con Artist."
Then, a few servants brought in a cake, followed by a slightly tipsy Pamela and Beatrice.
With their sweet, drunk voices, they tried to sing me something resembling "Happy Birthday!"
Harton and I ended up having to put them both to bed within fifteen minutes.
After putting Beatrice to bed, I headed back to Pamela.
As I was about to fall asleep, my instincts alerted me to danger… from Pamela's tentacles.
I chose to go outside and get some fresh air because I was afraid of the place they seemed to be trying to get to.
On the terrace, I found Harton drinking alone. He saluted me with a glass filled with some ruby-colored liquid, probably wine, and gestured for me to join him.
"Thank you for the surprise, General. I must admit, I'd completely forgotten what day it was. Seems I've gone a bit wild."
"It happens. I understand—I'm the same way. But Beatrice is a girl with a sharp memory; she doesn't forget anything or anyone."
"I already figured that out."
I nodded and poured myself some port, as it turned out.
"By the way, could you tell me why there are no proper diplomatic relations between the USA and Bialya? Beatrice tried to explain it to me, but when she got to the 1930s, we were interrupted by Pamela."
"The story is the ambassador from your country who came to us back then arrived at the official meeting completely drunk. As we later found out, he got drunk that way at a tavern in the port. By the way, he was a highly respected diplomat who had served in various countries for over twenty years before coming to us. We still don't know what drove him to drink so heavily that day, but the fact remains that during the conversation the ambassador began insulting His Majesty and his family. That was something he couldn't tolerate, so he simply ordered the ambassador to be thrown out of the palace. He told him not to return until he repented and apologized for his actions. In my opinion, he was too forgiving but that wasn't even the real cause. Two days later, the ambassador's right-hand man requested a new audience. The King accepted him, and this fool messed everything up again in both diplomatic and even moral terms."
"Even so? My country wanted to start a war?"
I asked, genuinely surprised.
"No. However, the messengers they sent on that mission were indeed incompetent. Moreover, establishing official relations between our countries was something we needed at that time, but not for us—rather, for the United States. We had the means to help them with the Great Depression. Our economy could have handled it but after a series of failed negotiation attempts, they withdrew their mission. And two weeks later, an article appeared in a famous publication, 'Daily News,' claiming that our Foreign Minister had drugged their ambassador with some poison to discredit the US government. The article suggested it was all under the influence of the Soviet Union and we 'beat up' their ambassador, and two days later, when the 'good' US ambassador tried to resolve the issue 'for the future of both nations,' he sent his assistant to fix the conflict."
"And I guess you became the 'barbarians'?"
I asked, understanding the direction of the conversation.
"After that, the king was called a 'dictator,' and we were somehow labeled as racists, like the Nazis, and so on. Then came World War II, and Europe, especially the US, needed our connections. We helped them, but not out of a desire to improve relations, but out of an even greater hatred for Germany than for the Americans. After that, our relationship warmed slightly, but it was still far from perfect."
I was pretty surprised by this.
I had already gathered from the clones' research, and what I had heard earlier was that Bialya was a wealthy country, ranking among the top ten in the world.
However, I had no idea what kind of connections Europe, and specifically the US, needed back then.
"I see you're surprised. However, let me explain the reason for our 'importance'."
He said, smiling smugly.
Actually, I wasn't opposed to hearing what had been on my mind for the past few weeks.
"Bialya is a country with a three thousand years of history. Our homeland can rightfully be called one of the most tolerant in the world. I'm not talking about sexual minorities or the nonsense of America, but we are tolerant towards them as well. The thing is, we welcome any religion except the traditional faith in the Mother Bee. In the twelfth century, the king married a Jewish woman, and since then, we've had a large Jewish poeple, and Judaism is the second-largest religion in our country. In addition, we have Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, and various small religions. Thanks to the connection with the previous religion, we maintain relations with most of the major banks and conglomerates in the world. We also maintain ties with the League of Arab States, and countries developing in the Asian part of the world. Furthermore, we have several non-aggression and non-interference treaties with large countries. The only country with which we do not have such a treaty is yours. Moreover, we have always supported scientists. We are rightfully recognized as the second country in the world in terms of Nobel Prize winners. Many of them work successfully in the field of military development, which allows us not to worry about an invasion from another country or nuclear weapons. After all, a sledgehammer is heavier than a hammer. Ha-ha-ha..."
"It seems I'm starting to understand what's going on. This country possesses something that not only allows it to effectively deal with others but also gives it the ability to give a good knock on the head to 'The Most Powerful Country in the World,' if we go by what I was taught in school about America."
"... I see you're starting to understand me. And there's much more that gives us unique opportunities to influence world politics. However, the most important thing is our economy and science especially economic levers of pressure. After all, our country supplies huge quantities of oil, metals, precious stones, and machinery. Though the list can go on for a long time. As for tourism..."
He waved dismissively, "It's just a small source of income. Although even from that, we make hundreds of millions."
"You sure have it lively here."
I nodded, calculating just how rich the kings and queens of Bealia must be.
"Well, I could go on about this for a long time. But the fact is that even now, we are essential to the USA, because due to our disputes, they can't trade freely with half of the countries in Africa and Asia. And the Middle East and Arabia are completely closed off to them."
In the distance, fireworks began.
Apparently, someone was celebrating their birthday or some other holiday.
"By the way, there's something you need to talk to Beatrice about."
"Why? And why do you think I should talk to her?"
"Believe me, I've lived on this earth long enough. I understand a lot. I also have information about your 'feats' in Gotham City. So, you're quite the 'negotiator,' in my opinion."
Harton slowly stood up and turned toward the exit, adding one last thing, "Believe me, you two should talk. Ah, youth!"
I was left there, pondering his words.
What is it we need to talk about?
What's the topic?
To be continued...
...
A/N: PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO DROP SOME POWER STONES... THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
https://www.patreon.com/Sothisq
You can find up to 10 advance chapters on my patreon.
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