>>6068928“You warded in Borealis as child, didn’t you?” You ask with a sly grin.
He raises an eyebrow. “You told me you didn’t do any research.”
“I didn’t. But you said you’d been to the capital before, and Borealis is right next door. Plus, you get right to business, typical of a Borealian merchant.”
He can’t suppress a grin. “Impressive, if you’re telling the truth, which I’m inclined to think you are. Most people lack that kind of attention to detail. You’re certainly an interesting fellow.”
“I get that a lot.” You reply, smirking.
“Still, you didn’t answer my question. What is your objective? Do you desire to be the next Emperor?”
You shrug, “To be honest with you, Messian, I haven’t figured out yet…” You say casually. “Have you ever been to Chalmuth?”
His stoic expression returns and he regards the question in suspicious silence for a moment before finally shaking his head.
“Well, if you ever find yourself there, you need to know that every man goes in ready to play, to see how the dice fall. These sly jesters have put together a game for us with some good stakes on the line. A game that favors a player with nothing left to lose. Who can take the gems and keep them? Who can take their ambition and replace it with something else?”
He seems puzzled by your sudden speech, and for the first time appears to have lost his composure.
“What I’m wondering is, are you looking for a captain with the right stuff? Or do you already have someone in mind?”
He answers immediately, “I intend to pursue the throne.” For a second, he looks to be debating whether to continue or not, and decides to do so, “Although, it is only because I believe I am the most fit candidate among those present.” He squints his eyes at you, “If, as we close in towards the end of the game, I feel I’m unable to win, I’ll put my gems behind whichever champion could potentially win whom I believe is most fit to rule.”
“And if someone convinces you they are more fit to rule before that time?” You ask with a cheeky smile.
“Then I would support them.” He says frankly. “Although I find that unlikely. There are only a handful of you who I have anything to learn about, and aside from one impressive deduction, none of you have done anything to convince me you’re capable of managing an Empire.”
You shrug, “Fair. As I said, I haven’t decided either.”
“That there is anyone here with an open mind is a relief. I suspect most of our fellow Champions can only imagine themselves on the throne.” He glances at Eric out of the Corner of his eye when he says that.
After that, you and Messian talk a bit about your homes. He tells you about Messian school and culture and you tell him about living on the open waters. By the end, you’ve formed a <span class="mu-s">bond</span> with him. Further, you have <span class="mu-s">Captured Messian’s Interest (1)</span>.
The rest of the dinner passes mostly uneventfully. Once people have had their fill of food, wine, and conversation, they begin excusing themselves one by one.
