BXBX NOVEL Chapter 71 Undercurrent
Still maintaining the role of a warm hospitable guest, the Silver Knight boomed enthusiastically;
"Glad to have you here Mr. Xzavier, truly."
More careful than he had been a few moments ago, Xzavier didn't issue Dale an immediate reply. Instead, he merely grunted something inaudible.
Dale didn't seem to mind. As he reached out to pour out a cup of coffee for himself, he continued his attempt to engage Xzavier in a friendly chat.
"I believe you might have already heard the whispers, but you're something of a local legend around here."
Xzavier feigned surprise at the release of the information. Dale noted his reaction and pounced on it immediately to further the conversation.
"Oh yes, I can tell you for sure that this isn't a baseless fib…"
As he spoke, he poured out generous amounts of coffee into a pair of a fine set of china stationed on the table to his far right. The delicious steam soon filled the air, giving it a sort of homely vibe, and slowly eradicating the cold generic atmosphere that came along with official place of business or workplaces. Xzavier thought to himself;
"These fancy folks here sure do love their coffee."
He made a mental note to not be seduced away by the inviting scent of the beverage drink. Xzavier didn't know much about this place, but one thing he knew was he couldn't trust anyone. Especially this sweet talking fellow seated behind the large desk and sipping coffee in a fancy manner.
Dale was no fool, he knew Xzavier was on guard. So, it wouldn't be easy to warm up to him and pry away the answers he was hoping to get from him. So, Dale deployed every weapon he had in his charismatic arsenal, as he tried to charm Xzavier into letting down his guard. He took on the role of a friend and enhanced it further by toning down his extravagant words and fancy speech.
The Silver Knight was dying to know everything there was to know about the mysterious and powerful man seated across from him. Dale was willing to do everything possible to make sure his curiosity was satisfied. He sipped his coffee gingerly to maintain a kind of chill vibe that masked his desperateness, as he threw subtle questions hidden in the seemingly harmless banter.
"…the tales of your exploits travelled all the way from the scene of the battle to Victoria City. I must admit it Xzavier, I was skeptical myself of the whole news at first. It seemed pretty preposterous at the time, you can't really blame me can you?"
He looked at Xzavier, expecting him to react to the subtle hint he had just dropped, hinting at the fact that Dale was still nurturing some kind of doubt as to Xzavier's authenticity. It was a play for his ego, and he had very sneakily dropped it right after praising Xzavier.
Xzavier didn't indulge the Silver Knight's whim. Instead of giving him the words that he was so desperate to get, Xzavier simply shrugged, much to the dismay of the entertaining host who was still seeking avenues to plunder any kind of information from Xzavier.
As a politician, Dale knew more than anyone that words carried power. That was why he always maintained the fact that one could know the type of person a man was just by listening to him speak. Right now, the cautious nature of Xzavier was actively robbing Dale of the opportunity to glean any kind of information from Xzavier. But he wasn't one to give up easily. Like a dog with a bone, the Silver Knight could be relentless when he wanted something.
And so, the interrogation (which was hidden in the form of a conversation) continued between both men.
"That was quite a feat you accomplished! I mean, I am no hunter, but even I know that a single orc is problematic enough, but taking out an entire band of orcs? Phew! Now that is something!"
As Dale spoke, he deliberately left out Xzavier's crowning achievement from the list. Hoping to provoke Xzavier into saying something incriminating. But once again, Xzavier simply chuckled, indicating that he was listening, but at the same time, pointing towards the fact that he was not nearly interested in what Dale was saying.
Xzavier himself was not a great orator or the ideal conversationalist, but even he was familiar with the flow and manner of the conversation. This particular trait also boiled down to Xzavier's army background. In the course of Xzavier's military career, specifically during his early days, Xzavier had dabbled in the science of the human mind. So, his hobby had driven him to hanging around some of the most competent psychiatrists in the army. So, Xzavier had picked up a couple of things that came in handy for him along his much later days in life.
Xzavier couldn't fault the strange Knight for choosing to take this path. Though it wasn't justifiable, it was at least understandable. Xzavier knew that if the roles were reversed, he would probably consider using this gambit. Strangers weren't to be trusted. And Xzavier wouldn't have taken the Silver Knight seriously if he had simply chosen to take Xzavier's words and reputation at face value. This was standard procedure.
But one thing irked Xzavier about the man. It wasn't just one thing, it was a couple of things actually. It was his shiftiness and coy nature that reminded Xzavier of a fox. It was also the way and manner with which he had chosen to go about the whole investigation thingy. The stunt he had pulled with the handshake wasn't something that ordinary people could do.
So with these thoughts running through his head, Xzavier began to deliberate on the fact that maybe Dale wasn't from Earth where a completely different set of rules applied which was completely different from this particular Isekai. So, inadvertently, Xzavier found it easy to circumvent the landmines which Dale had so cleverly planted in between questions. Like a prey cleverly evading every single trap set by the fowler, Xzavier bounced off every question that was intended to ensnare him.
Assuming a serious tone, Dale suddenly dropped the cup on the tray to his side and leaned forward.
"…I have to confess this to you Xzavier…"
The dramatic Silver Knight paused for effect, hoping that he would capture Xzavier's interest with the thought of a juicy piece that was the hot salacious news of a confessed truth.
"The truth is difficult to come by these days, but I am not one to mask the truth in exchange for some trinkets. So, I must tell you this Xzavier- I truly do applaud your modesty in the face of such an accomplishment. It is truly uncommon."
It was all a ruse, but it was all part of Dale plan. Even a humble man feels good when he is praised about his humility, thus making him vulnerable in the face of adversity. So, having ambushed Xzavier with such a personal note, Dale cornered Xzavier with another question;
"So where are you from Xzavier? I am well-traveled myself but I just can't seem to place your accent…"
Of course the question had been intended to push Xzavier into some kind of reaction, any kind of reaction really.
"Much like the wind, I have no permanent place of residence."
Xzavier's reply was simple and curt. It was still very ambiguous, but it was just the kind of reply that Dale deserved for being so nosy. Out maneuvered and out gunned, Dale sat back in his chair and chuckled softly to himself. Once again, Xzavier had bested him. Indeed, Xzavier wasn't a small fish. Dale realized this quickly. But that didn't deter him one bit. In fact, he was a bit excited.
The competitive side of the Silver Knight was deeply aroused. His curiosity was also piqued. This was proving to be more interesting than he had originally thought it would be. So, with renewed tenacity, Dale delved back into the conversation that was now a tug-of-war of intellect and ego.
Xzavier was more than ready for him. Both men went at it with the cold subtlety of shadow warriors. Their battleground was their conversation, and their arsenal was their words. Dale, being the persistent one, was constantly on the attack. When he saw that he couldn't get Xzavier through the conventional beguiling, he used his wiles to try to ensnare Xzavier into trapping himself in any kind of contradiction or falsehood.
But this was like trying to use a net to hold water. His gambit proved to be futile for so many tangible reasons, chief of them being the cold hard fact that Xzavier gave him little or no answers to work with. It wasn't as much as his clever omissions as it was about his subtle assertions. With the elusiveness of a cat, Xzavier expertly waltzed over every single trap that Dale had set for him. Not showing his full intellectual capabilities, and at the same time, hinting just enough for his opponent to know that he was a deep well of secrets.