Diffuse the Bomb

"Your Majesty."

Wooden doors swing open from the force of my push. With the direction of several knights, I find my way to the office currently holding Melior's one and only king.

"Clement? What brings you to this chamber?"

King Aufrey looks up from the open parchment at his desk. Beside him is a knight without skin, one fully armoured and always at his lord's side. I cross the long space with Peo at my back, placing myself a few strides away from the king.

"I was searching for you, Your Majesty. Word is that merchants are having difficulties finding escorts."

"An interesting thing to mention. I'm sure I need not tell you why this has occurred?"

"Indeed. However, that information serves as the basis for my request."

The king had attempted to continue reading, but that motion was put on pause by my words. Once more, he makes eye contact as if ordering me to speak.

"I request to relieve my escorts to Norwin and travel by my own discretion."

His old eyes don't show me surprise. In fact, they seem to narrow as they analyse my face.

"And why is that?"

"This morning, I encountered a merchant from Norwin whom I am acquainted with. Once informed of the issue, I believed that I should offer my services as a Knight of Melior."

Under the pressure of his gaze, I feel no fear. Compared to negotiations with both terrorists and world leaders in my past life, one stern king is nothing.

"I cannot allow that."

A ticking timer appears in the space between us. The clock is facing away, so I can't see the remaining time on it. However, I have a perfect view of the detonator sitting on the king's desk. One wrong move and the bomb will send somebody sky high.

"You fail to understand your worth, Clement. I will not subject someone of your rank to an escort of some merchant."

"A Blessed Knight I may be, but I fight for the people first and foremost. As do those whom you have assigned to protect me. I do not require such aid, so let them defend the citizens."

A heavy hand slams against the wooden table and shakes the large red button. Were his hand even slightly to the left, it would have detonated the pile of explosives.

"Do you underestimate the Titans? Blessed as you are, you are only human!"

"Perhaps, but Norwin will supply men for protecting their homeland. I see no reason for the blood of our knights to be spilled."

Diffusing a bomb is quite the troublesome process. For a criminal, the bomb can result in the destruction of a building or vehicle. For a president, that bomb may be a war that one nation is entirely unable to survive. Regardless of the potential casualties, the method of handling it is simple. Just convince the one planting the bomb to disarm it.

King Aufrey doesn't slam down on the detonator, but he keeps his hands dancing around its surface.

"Let us assume that to be the case. That still does not address the shame it would place upon our name. Sending our most powerful knight for a simple escort job? We would be laughing stock on arrival!"

"Perhaps our failure to provide such a basic service would place just as much shame."

I can hear the explosion in my head. A particularly impatient enemy would have likely set the buildings ablaze at my persistent retaliation. Fortunately, King Aufrey only lightly taps his finger against the hard plastic button. Were that the end of my argument, I would have lost.

"Rest assured, the merchant is unaware of my name and identity. Were this merchant to be successfully escorted by a single knight, what harmful words would they have left?"

In the end, a king is a politician. Such individuals are always looking out for money, power, and fame above all else.

"As an unnamed representative of Melior, I can use my unique strength to display the power of our crown and its order. Were news of such a safe and secure nation to spread, I see much potential for future business in the city."

Show them some kind of benefit and they have little reason to refuse your requests. Bribes aren't some underhanded tactic, they're a requirement to do business. Compromise is all about finding an agreement that provides merit to both sides in some way, even if that agreement requires paying a large sum of money to turn some heads.

"I see. You intend to improve our reputation while preserving the lives of our knights…"

"We have lost too many already. It would sadden me to see more men perish on the battlefield without reason."

"Indeed…"

My proposal has been delivered and received. King Aufrey becomes lost in thought, but not without slowly moving his hand away from the detonator. With no more reason to shut me down, he allows the explosive to slowly fade away.

"Very well. Do as you please."

The atmosphere returns to that of a peaceful office now that negotiations have succeeded. King Aufrey motions to one of the knights standing guard at the entrance to the chamber.

"Inform knights on the Norwin expedition that they have been reorganised. Send them to Duncan to be deployed on public escorts "

One salute later and the knight is gone. Peo and I take this opportunity to exit the king's office with our mission accomplished. As we pull into the stone hallways, I mumble the shred of pity I feel for our king.

"Sorry, Your Majesty…"

Negotiations involve making promises, not keeping them. I can guarantee that I will acquire results on my end, but the rest of my claims were nothing more than convenient assumptions. Leading King Aufrey through my logic and getting him to the desired result is easy. All I need is his permission and the rest can happen or not. As long as I return with good results, he won't remember the rest of our unwritten agreement.

We managed to prevent a devastating blast that would have derailed all of my plans, not that I've ever witnessed such an explosion before.

"I've never once lost at the table."