"Tell me more."

Saquin's request was met with a visible relaxation from the four holograms. They had hooked him. Now, they just needed to reel him in.

"To understand the offer, you must first understand the board," Nathasa began, a map of the galaxy materializing in the center of the conference table.

She pointed to a sprawling, dimly lit section of the spiral arm.

"This is the Middle Quadrant of the Milky Way's Human Domain. To the Federation, it is the Resting Frontier. To the common folk, it is known as the Dead Man's Locker, the Pirate Zone... or simply, the Lawless Space."

Saquin watched the map with interest.

He knew of the reputation.

It was a vast stretch of deep space located at the outer edge of humanity's domination. It was too far from the Core to be tightly regulated, yet too populated to be ignored. It was a breeding ground for crime, black markets, and rogue Empowered.

It is also a breeding space for slave trading.

He thought to himself as he had flashbacks of his days in his private room.

"And within this delightful neighborhood," Nathasa zoomed in on a specific cluster of star systems, "lies our Stormwing Sector."

"It is relatively better than the rest of the quadrant," the old man chimed in defensively. "We have structure. We have commerce."

"But you have no Divines," Saquin cut to the chase.

"We have not had a Divine born in this sector for three centuries," Nathasa admitted, her voice flat. "We have talents, yes. Hyper talents and higher, some Unique bloodlines and the rare Supreme ones. But ultimately, they fall short of the glory and power a Divine commands. And those few who show promise? They leave. They go to the Core or the Capital Sector. No one stays in the Dead Man's Locker if they have a key to get out."

"So, you want to use me as a mascot to boost property values?" Saquin asked dryly. "To show the universe that the Stormwing Sector isn't just a dump for space debris?"

"Essentially, yes."

Saquin scoffed. He leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head.

"You paint a grim picture, Nathasa. Crime rampant, subpar technology, bad reputation. You just spent five minutes explaining why everyone leaves. So, tell me... why would I agree to stay?"

"A hunch," Nathasa replied instantly.

"A hunch?" Saquin raised a brow. "You are betting the political future of a sector on a hunch?"

"I am betting on your personality, Eminence."

Nathasa leaned forward, her hologram flickering slightly with the intensity of her gaze.

"The Stormwing Sector may be a hellhole for the weak, the law-abiding, and the safety-seeking. But for someone like you? It is a playground."

She gestured to him.

"You possess talent that allows you to prosper anywhere. Your strength is already an anomaly. But most importantly, the two things that force talents to flee to the Core, safety and resources, are non-issues for you."

She glanced at Shalis.

"You have a Master-level guardian for safety. And you have a backing that treats Tier 3 Access points like trash for resources."

Saquin felt the corner of his lip twitch.

She wasn't wrong.

At least in the protection side, but what backing?

Technically though, his backing, the World Will, won't really fret for such minor things.

[ Yea, what is a Tier 3 Access in front of the great I. ]

The World Will had to add her piece.

"This lawless region is perfect for someone who does not like cages," Nathasa continued, pressing her advantage. "In the Core Sectors, every step a Divine takes is monitored. Every breath is regulated. But here? As the Face of the Youth, you would have free rein. You would be the biggest fish in a chaotic pond."

"Free rein," Saquin muttered.

"Complete autonomy," the young official added eagerly. "We will grant you a Sector-Wide Pass. No restricted zones. No borders. You go where you please."

"Furthermore," the old man added, "you will be the de facto leader of the Empowered Youths. Any event, organization, or movement related to the youth in this sector will answer to you. You won't just be a figurehead; you will be the authority."

"And the most important part," Nathasa dropped the final bait. "The Priority Slot."

Saquin's ears perked up. "I am listening."

"As you know, sometimes, the System and the Universal Laws often generate Events. Trials, Dungeons, Secret Realms. And usually, slots for these are fought over by millions. As the Face of the Stormwing Sector, you will have the Federation's Priority Slot for every main System Event related to this sector or the Inter-Sector games. You skip the line. You get the first pick. I get you will be provided slots by your backing for some Events, but think about the special ones controlled by the Federation."

Saquin tapped his finger on the table.

He couldn't deny it. It was a good offer.

The authority appealed to his arrogance. The Sector Pass appealed to his curiosity. And the Priority Slot? That appealed to the Seeker bloodline humming in his veins.

More importantly, it aligned perfectly with his plan. Hiding in the spotlight.

If he was the Federation's golden boy, who would suspect he was the Abomination they were hunting?

Well, some would, but still who would be so spontaneous as to act on such baseless suspicion.

"It is a compelling pitch," Saquin admitted slowly. "Being the King of the Trash Heap does sound like my kind of fun."

The officials bristled at "Trash Heap," but they stayed silent, waiting for his acceptance.

"I will do it," Saquin said.

Shoulders relaxed around the virtual table.

"But," Saquin raised a finger, "I have a condition."

"Name it," Nathasa said.

"I will be the Face. I will be the Leader. I will take your authority, your passes, and your priority slots," Saquin listed them off. "I will even throw you a bone. I won't just be a figurehead. I will provide resources and training for the youths under my banner. I might even take them up in the Underworld for protection."

The old man's eyes lit up at the mention of the Underworld.

"However," Saquin's voice turned hard. "I will not rot in a classroom in this backwater sector."

Nathasa frowned. "Eminence, attending the local Academy is part of the image. You need to be seen..."

"No," Saquin cut her off. "I am a Divine. I do not settle for subpar. You admitted yourself that your technology and resources are lacking. If I am to lead the youths of this sector, I must be superior to them in every way. And I cannot do that if I am learning from instructors who are weaker than I am."

He stood up, walking through the hologram of the map.

"I will represent the Stormwing Sector. I will wear your badge. I will fight in your tournaments. But I will do it while attending an Academy in the Capital Sector of the Quadrant."

The room went silent.

The Capital Sector. The heart of the Middle Quadrant. It was still technically part of the "Lawless Space," but it was the diamond in the rough. It was where the true powers of the quadrant gathered. The Academies there were leagues ahead of anything in Stormwing.

"You want to be a remote leader?" The young official asked skeptically.

"I want to be an effective one," Saquin corrected. "If I stay here, I stagnate. If I go to the Capital, I conquer. When I return for the Inter-Sector tournaments, I will bring the prestige of the Capital back with me. Would you rather have a big fish in a small pond, or a shark that went out to the ocean and came back a leviathan?"

Nathasa looked at her colleagues. They exchanged silent looks.

It wasn't the standard arrangement. Usually, the Face was meant to uplift the local institutions. But Saquin was right. A Divine wasting away in a rural academy would be a tragedy. And if he washed out because of poor instruction, the Federation would look incompetent.

Besides, having their representative dominating the Capital Academy would bring even more glory to Stormwing.

"It is... unconventional," Nathasa finally said. "But not impossible."

"It is the only way I sign," Saquin stated. "Take it or leave it."

Nathasa looked at the young man in front of her. Arrogant, demanding, and utterly unwilling to compromise.

He was perfect for the Lawless Space.

"Very well, Divine Saquin," Nathasa nodded. "We accept your condition. You will represent Stormwing, but you will enroll in the Capital."

Saquin grinned.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Nathasa. Now, if you would kindly excuse me, I am getting quite hungry."

Saquin voice drifted in the room as his form disappeared.

The four hologram were momentarily taken aback.

"Space Affinity?"

According to the report, Saquin possessed the Ice Affinity and he had used it to perpetually freeze the vampire after giving everything he got. After which, an Artifact of his was then employed to expose the vampire to the Sun.

"That boy..." Nathasa muttered under her breath in awe.

He did this to show her that truly, she cannot sense through a Divine.

"I will also take my leave."

Shalis brought the officials out of their shock.

She locked eyes with each of them before her form dispersed with the wind.

The young man of the officials shook off his goosebumps.

"She is truly stronger..."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.