The Achievement Junkie

The room was quiet. Each adventurer took turns reading each other's reactions and figuring out the consensus of the room. Rydel sat down, not having anything else to say. Jack and Maynard keep their eyes focused on the king, trying to look past his trained body language.

After a couple of minutes passed, Zariff glanced at everyone and stopped on Rydel, who in turn looked to Jack. When Jack shook his head, Rydel did the same.

Zariff understood their stance and spoke up, "If you can't produce some kind of evidence, then we can't plan to act with you. I want the best for the kingdom and would love to stick it to that pompous mage more than you know, but I can't do that without one hundred percent confidence that what you're saying is the truth. I'm sure you understand that, Leo."

"I do, and I don't blame you. I would do the same in your shoes." King Leodoro laughed and shook his head. "In that case, would you all mind leaving me alone with Jack so we can chat a little?"

"I don't see why we can't chat with everyone else here," intercepted Jack. "If you can say it to me, you can say it to everyone else."

"Please?" the king stared at Zariff as if asking a favor of an old friend.

"You heard him, give the two some time alone." Without another word, the branch chief stood up and immediately exited the room. Most did the same while a few stragglers, like Rydel and Maynard, took a little longer to step out.

Once the room was clear, King Leodoro walked over to the other side of the table and sat beside Jack, turning himself to face him directly. "Now, I can finally speak to you in private."

"What do you want? I don't want to waste my time," Jack coldly stated.

"I'm sorry if I've caused you any harsh feelings and I hope that we can resolve those in due time. For now, I wanted to discuss a few things with you and ask your opinion on some things."

"My opinion?"

"Yes, I'd appreciate it if you entertained a few of my thoughts," said the king. "First off, how on earth did you find a Hell-flame Fox within my kingdom? Please tell me that there isn't some horde of them hidden away near here."

Jack showed a slight smile, amused by King Leodoro's way to phrase the question, unsure if he was genuinely concerned for his people or concerned for his royal position. "I was lucky and, to my knowledge he's the only one here."

"That's good to hear," sighed the king, appearing more at ease. "Then, on to the real matters at hand. I'm sure you're curious about who I really am, the arrogant man you met before or the simple king you met at the meeting moments ago, right?"

"You know how to get straight to the point, don't you?"

"I don't like to waste my time or yours. I'm a king, whether you accept me as your own ruler or not, and you're a hero, whether I accept you as an affiliate of this kingdom or not. At the very least I think we can respect that much, right Jack."

"Correct, Leo," replied Jack, returning the casual tone.

"Great. You may not have sworn loyalty to me, but I want to keep a friendly relationship. I don't think either of us would benefit from having another enemy," stated King Leodoro. "I want to know where you morally stand as a hero. Are you wanting to protect others, or are you only after strength and advancement like many heroes before you?"

"That depends on who the others are that need protecting. If they already have their own means of protection that's working just fine, then why should I interfere."

"But what if their means of protection turned against them, then what would you do?" asked the king.

Jack hesitated. He pondered the possible meaning behind the king's question and was shocked by the thought of the Royal Court turning against the people.

"Obviously, the Royal Court won't turn on my people, not while I'm in charge," added Leodoro.

"But if you weren't in charge? We could all sense some fear behind your earlier statements, so who could say you'd remain in power?" reasoned Jack.

"That's why I ask, what would you do?"

"Me…" Jack took another second to put his thoughts together. "I'd do what I feel is best. If I feel that it's unjust, then I might act, but I wouldn't hold back against the aggressor."

King Leodoro smiled. "On to the next question. What's your take on the chaos of the world? You may have not traveled much yet, but I'm sure others have filled you in considering your position in the association. Also, it would appear that some of the veterans of the branch heavily consider your opinion, especially for a new adventurer."

Jack chuckled, "Of course a king would be great at reading social cues. I understand enough to know that things are getting worse with time. What else can I say?"

"Since that meathead Zariff and the knowledgeable Rydel trust you, I'd like to do the same. You don't need to trust me, but please let me hear your full opinion on this."

"Why are you so adamant to know more about me now? You had your chance before anyone else did? Are you regretting your decision?" sneered Jack, teasing the king.

"I can't say I regret my decision, but not for the reasons you would think. To be honest, as much as I'd like to have the influence of a summoned hero in my court, I have no way of guaranteeing that you wouldn't be influenced by that man instead of me. I prefer to have you here."

Startled by the king's honesty, Jack replied, "Not was I was expecting to hear, but I can't complain because I agree with that last part."

"Then tell me, why do they trust you so much as a new adventurer?" pled the king.

"I can't say that much," stated Jack. "Like you said, I don't need to trust you right now."

"Fair. I'm sure you've already got your secrets, considering the fact that you've already formed a mutual seal with a Hell-flame Fox and you're trying to hide your level, which has rocketed to lv. 18 in a couple of weeks," mentioned King Leodoro with a cheeky smile.

"And I'm sure you love to know other people's secrets, considering your ring of omniscience that lets you read into the finer details of other people's items, levels, and more with only a glance, regardless if they conceal it," replied Jack.

King Leodoro leaned back, amazed that such a novice adventurer could instantly recognize one of his most well-kept secrets. He quickly realized that Jack shouldn't be treated as a novice as he had done previously.

"Well, I should be getting back soon. If I'm gone too long, I'm sure Arnole will realize something is up. Lastly, I want you to know that tomorrow I have no intention of capturing you or framing you for anything. I hope you can do something to keep the Royal Court from winning this case," said the king.

"You want the Royal Court to lose that badly?"

"Yes, I do. Why else would I come here and mention how they plan to frame you using your fox. I'm sure you'll come up with something to turn the tables." King Leodoro pushed off the table to stand up. "Do you have anything you'd like to ask me while I'm here? I can't guarantee that you'll see this side of me very often."

"Rykard was the former crown prince, wasn't he?" asked Jack. "How did he die?"

A frown appeared on Leodoro's visage. "According to the record, he and his small army were slain while on an official mission of the Royal Court. Off the record, I have evidence of poisoned rations and unauthorized changes in their positioning. There's no hard evidence of anything else, but Arnole and his troops were stationed near those unauthorized coordinates and their alibi isn't as solid as they believed it to be." The king's voice trailed off, not wanting to explain anything else.

Surprised to get so much detail, Jack spoke up, "I'm sorry for your losses. I didn't know the guy, but I'm certain he was far better a man than that idiot crown prince I met in Baltwood."

"He sure was," said the king. "I can count the number of people who know the truth on one hand, including you. As I said, you don't need to trust me, but please let me trust you until you can. Thank you for your time and your thoughts. Good luck for tomorrow."

King Leodoro walked out without looking back, satisfied with the outcome of his surprise visit to the association building.

Jack continued to sit there as a couple of familiar faces walked back in and sat around him.

Zariff was the first to speak, "So, what do we do now that they know about Bowzer?"

"We tell the people the truth," answered Rydel. "If we announce it first and paint it as a positive in the public eye then Jack's influence will increase instead of decrease like the Royal Court wants. And if the people side with the association, who controls a Hell-flame Fox, then the association can't possibly challenge it too harshly."

"What do you think, brat?"

Jack kept staring at the wall, distracted by his thoughts. The two others waited for him to sigh and reply, "If there's no other way, but let's keep things interesting." He finally smiled, ready to pitch his plan.