Chapter 414: The Pillar’s Offer

Alexander opened his eyes. The ceiling and dim lights of the TMC medical center were the first things to come into focus. After an inspection, he confirmed that his body was in condition, and his perception detected no hint of danger in the room, so he sat up on the bed with composure.

To one side of the room stood men dressed in suits. Among them, the eldest stood out, his presence radiating an aura, known as one of the Four Pillars of the World.

"Good morning," said the elder man, taking a step forward with a smile. "My name is Brian, I am one of the Four Pillars of the association. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

"Alexander," replied he, observing him calmly. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Well, well..." said Brian, adjusting his suit cuffs. "You look lively. I spent political leverage to meet you, so let’s not waste time. I have handed over the country of Sandoria and its jurisdiction to the TMC, registered under your name. No faction from Earth will set foot there as long as the Federation exists, you can rest assured about that."

"I appreciate your help, Great Pillar," said Alexander, offering a nod.

"Don’t call me Pillar, call me Brian," said he, waving his hand. "It makes me feel distant. At the end of the day, we are members of the same race and we must support each other."

"I understand, Brian," said Alexander, keeping his eyes locked on the sovereign. "I assume that wasn’t the only thing you wanted to talk to me about."

"That’s right, that’s merely what belongs to you by right," answered Brian, pulling an envelope from his jacket. "Now I must hand you this envelope. It contains an access code; you can input it into your teleportation device and it will send you to a different planet."

Alexander took the envelope in silence and stared at it, waiting for the veteran to elaborate. Brian kept his eyes on the youth with a smile, waiting for Alexander to ask about the details of that destination.

"Thank you very much then," said Alexander, tucking the envelope away without opening it. "If you’ll excuse me, I must go attend to a matter."

Alexander made a move to get off the bed. Brian blinked, caught off guard seeing that the youth hadn’t fallen into his trap, nor displayed desperation to probe for information.

"Don’t you want to know the details?" asked Brian, his smile fading as he noticed the youth’s indifference.

"I assume they’ll be in the envelope, so I’ll read them later at my pace," replied Alexander without flinching.

"Unfortunately, that’s not the case," said Brian, adjusting his suit lapels. "There is no information inside, only the code."

Alexander paused and looked at him.

"I would like to ask about the mission’s destination, then," said Alexander, handing the initiative back to him.

Brian shook his head in silence. The young man advanced and retreated with skill, maintaining composure; he showed no desperation for information, nor did he seem intrigued, treating the encounter as a bureaucratic process. Well, it seems that’s how geniuses are... unbothered, thought the sovereign to himself.

Brian reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue box, extending it toward him.

Alexander accepted it and opened the latch. Inside rested a medal shaped like a silver shield, adorned with a star at its center.

"Congratulations, you have been recognized as a Platinum-class warrior," said Brian with a tone. "From this moment on, you are one of humanity’s hopes for survival. I hope that despite all the situations you have faced or may endure in the future, you understand that we are humans before anything else. Regardless of the differences we might have, the survival of the planet is the priority for everyone on this world."

"I understand, Great Pillar," said Alexander, snapping the box shut with a click. "I will do everything I can for humanity. As long as I live, I won’t let anything happen to our brothers."

"Very well, very well..." nodded Brian, satisfied with the response. "Now, regarding what’s inside the envelope: it is an advance location. Sandoria, as you know it, is a planet we call Little Blue, since it resembles Earth. It shares the environment and biosphere, as you might have noticed; there is no difference from Earth. However, it is a thousand times larger than Earth, and yet we consider it a low-priority location. Do you know why?"

"You must have something more important on your hands," said Alexander coldly.

"Indeed," replied Brian, his expression hardening. "There is a place more dangerous where top-tier warriors are deployed... It’s called The Breach."

"The Breach?" asked Alexander, narrowing his eyes.

"That’s right, The Breach," answered Brian with an expression. "It is a place that, according to our records, used to be an interdimensional battlefield. However, at some point in history, something occurred and the battlefield structure was destroyed, leaving a rift in the middle. It is a wondrous place, complicated to explain, but your boss’s abilities and my own stem from that site. That coordinate in the envelope belongs to an advance fortress. I am nominating you to become a general in the army and be deployed there. What do you think? How does that sound to you?"

Alexander remained silent as he weighed the old sovereign’s words.

Isn’t this the exact same situation as when I was sent to Sandoria? thought Alexander, staring cold-eyed at the envelope. If I become a general in their army, I’ll just end up tied to their rules and chains. Wouldn’t it be easier for me to go on my own? I wouldn’t want to have anything to do with the world government or their wars.

"I appreciate the nomination, Brian," said Alexander aloud, keeping his tone neutral. "But leading an army involves political skills I don’t consider myself fit for. I prefer to move independently."

Alexander extended the envelope back toward the old sovereign to return it to him.