Date- 18 April 2321
Time- 09:41
Location- Card World, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City
As a powerful DemiG.o.d, the Field Marshal was gifted with a strong intent sense. She could sense the intentions of all including her family and subordinates. Regardless of how adept they were in masking their true intentions. That was the perk of being the best. Nothing was hidden from her.
However, it made it hard for the Field Marshal to get close to people knowing what they thought and expected from her. She could not get close to them and could not push them away. This was the burden of her G.o.d-like powers. Or just the weight of knowing what was expected of her.
This was because the Field Marshal wanted to do the best for her people but if she wanted to take advantage of them then she would not be burdened as much rather this G.o.d-like ability would enable her so n.o.body could stop her, just like how the Masters behind the central government were abusing their strong intent sense to manipulate their subordinates and subjects.
The Field Marshal wasn't the only one struggling with this, even Wyatt was, which was why Anna's mother could use the fame to bind Wyatt to the Southern region for the foreseeable future. The day Wyatt had risked his life to protect Anna, he had shown his weakness to Anna's mother. Knowing Wyatt was strongest against weapons and weakest against good intentions, she had been using it to fight Wyatt.
The Southern Royal family has been going out of its way to accommodate Wyatt in many ways. They even sent their strongest as his bodyguard. They were being so nice to Wyatt that honestly, he found it overwhelming. Sometimes even Wyatt felt he did not deserve such treatment. What made it worse was knowing that Anna's mother was using it to manipulate him. It would not have worked if it was just the Southern Royal family, but it was the entire Southern region. This was especially because, unlike the Southern Royal family, the Southerner's faith in Wyatt was pure.
'Look who finally decided to speak. Why did you not inform me about this when we were talking about how to deal with Gideon Grim? Do you have any idea what would happen if even one person among the crowd was his puppet' Wyatt asked the Field Marshal.
'Wyatt, last time we tracked Gideon Grim's puppets there were none in the city,' the Field Marshal replied, she had to be tolerant to fix her niece's doing.
'Your Highness, you and I both know a lot has changed since then. Not to mention we are no longer able to track his puppets,' Wyatt retorted.
The last time the Field Marshal checked Gideon Grim's hypnotized puppets, Gideon Grim did not know that Wyatt had revealed his existence to the Southern Royal family and found a way to track his puppets. Not to mention turning him into the most wanted in the world. A lot has changed since then. Who knows how Gideon Grim planned to get back at him. Even if a single person were to detonate themselves in the crowd, the casualty would be devastating.
Wyatt only agreed to Cortney believing that it was a spontaneous request. Had he known about people immigrating to Sky Blossom City to help the 'Hope of the Southern region' he would never agreed to the request. Instead, he would be focusing on ma.s.s-producing cards that would detect if someone was hypnotized by Gideon Grim's origin card.
'Wyatt, you are overreacting. With me watching no one in the city would be able to detonate themselves, let alone a few in the crowd. Just boldly go and greet them all. Give them what they came for. Embrace the glory and show the world that you are not afraid of anyone,' the Field Marshal encouraged Wyatt while subtly using words like 'not afraid' to provoke him.
'You contacted Anna's mother, didn't you? Did she ask you to get me to play the part she has arranged for me? It's no use talking to you about this. Just tell me when she is going to meet me or do I have to go personally meet her? Knowing her ego she is waiting for me to find her, isn't she?' Wyatt finally realized why Anna's mother never came despite Colleen, Ann, and others repeatedly telling him he would find the answers during his meeting with Anna's mother.
'I don't know what you are talking about. With me here what are you afraid of?' the Field Marshal denied all of Wyatt's claims and continued to persuade him to go into the limelight. She could not be more obvious.
'Well, she can forget it. I am never going to seek her. Heck, I will force her to come to meet me,' Wyatt said, with the most s.a.d.i.s.tic grin he could fathom.
'Wyatt, why does it always have to be your way? Can't you just let it be?' the Field Marshal said fearing the worst, the clash between her niece and Wyatt.
'Why does it have to be her way then?' Wyatt retorted, instructing his super brain card to search for Anna's mother's location and learn what she was up to.
'Well—' The Field Marshal could not find an answer that would not simulate Wyatt further, so she said, 'How about this, I will arrange a meet between you two at a neutral place, date, and time. I will decide when, where, and how you two will meet. What do you think? Is this enough?'
'So you agree that Anna's mother never planned to meet me but was waiting for me to find her. I should have seen this a lot sooner. Hahaha, this is going to be fun,' feeling challenged after a long time, Wyatt laughed thinking he might as well enjoy this since it was not often he would feel this way.
'Why do you keep saying and doing the exact opposite of what I ask of you?' the Field Marshal said feeling helpless.
...
[AN: Check out Reader's Quest Board in the Author's Thoughts section for ma.s.s release.]