II-138 We

There's an art to picking out your benefactor in the Claimed Hells, and that's understanding that you're going to be screwed. How much you get screwed is a negotiation between you, your benefactor, and the environment you occupy. But ultimately, you're going to get a little bit hurt.

That's fine. Your goal here shouldn't be to avoid pain. It should be to maximize your own benefits while doing everything possible to spare yourself from critical damage. That being enslavement, death, or any kind of crippling to your spirit or body.

Now, the first thing you might want to do is go for the most powerful benefactor you can reach. This is not advised. Powerful benefactors will not view you as an investment. Instead, they will view you as something closer to being a pawn. They will effectively spend you and never remember you.

No, you still want someone relative in power to you. Someone that you can influence, or at least can remind, of your existence.

If you are supported by, let's say, a prince of the claimed hells, you're likely going to die very soon. Princes spend lives. They've spent lives all the way up to dukes. You don't fully understand the sheer scope of power possessed by a prince. But when they use it, you will learn. And you will quickly learn that you don't matter. Not unless you have something very, very unique and special.

If that's the case, then do go for a prince. But remember, and always remember this, don't be desperate. Make sure you always have another choice. Or something to counterbalance against them. Because if you make your benefactor truly greedy and truly jealous of who you are and what you possess, then maybe this isn't going to be such a mutually beneficial relationship.

Maybe instead of a so-called mutually beneficial relationship, you'll find them fitting your neck for a special leash. And then you'll be picking between the rules of slave or pet.

-The Trespassers’ Compendium

II-138
We

"You know something, Greatest, you're actually not a bad conversationalist when you're not actively talking about shoving things or people up your rear." William sneered.

Wei watched as the Prince of Pride put down his cup of tea and grinned. "You know, part of being the Prince of Pride means that you learn to be charming. It's not all about what you want."

Greatest leaned back in his chair. "It's mostly about what I want, though. Mostly. Right now. Of course they want to keep drinking this tea. It's pretty good."

They were within a special conference chamber inside the Grey House. Gathered here was Moonscar, who simply lurked in the corner as if haunting. Bishop was nearby as well, and he spent most of the conversation just glaring at Greatest. Wei’s inner sect was also nearby, and Agnesia continuously sent to the Prince of Pride dirty looks. But her scorn was softening with every passing moment of dialogue.

"But also, a big part of pride is self-confidence," Greatest said as he looked down at his cup. "Self-confidence, because that's ultimately what keeps me so stable. You would be surprised how many princes are so very fragile on the inside."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Wei shot back. The young master frowned slightly. "I wouldn't be surprised due to personal understanding."

"Ah, well, self-awareness goes a long way too. Then, what, you're even 18 yet, kid?"

Wei didn't reply to that. Instead, he simply frowned. He stopped keeping track of his own age. He stopped keeping track of a lot of things ever since he arrived in the claimed house.

Greatest let out a long breath. "Well, rough life. Rough life for you. Rough life for me. Rough life for everyone. But it doesn't need to be rough forever. As long as we make it through the next part, you can have everything you want." Then Greatest paused. "Well, within reason. You can have everything you want, so long as it doesn't bother me overly much."

"I suppose another thing about being a prince of pride is the selfishness," Wade asked.

"Oh, yes," Greatest nodded. "Being selfish is one of the best things you can experience once you have enough power. So, let's go over everything one more time. I have a nuke, and you have shards. Shards are for luring the other Princes, Princesses, Kings, and Queens in. The nuke is for killing the sovereign and scaring the other ones."

"We're going to want to focus in on him specifically because he is your adversary," Wei interrupted.

Greatest closed his eyes and let a breath out through his nostrils. "Yes, but that's not the main thing. The main thing is he will come after you. He will try to control you."

"He's heavy-handed, so you say," Wei said, uncertain if Greatest was telling the truth. Ultimately, it didn't matter, so long as Greatest's plan had made any sort of sense whatsoever, it probably would work. Probably. Maybe. Wei wasn't entirely certain. He cast another look at Bishop and Moonscar, but they didn't seem overly worried either. At least not any more worried than they usually were.

"Alright then," Greatest said, taking in a breath, "let's go over the basics one more time. What's going to happen tomorrow?"

"You'll be seen visibly entering the unblossomed," Wei said, "and that will draw the attention of the other great powers of the claimed hells."

"Alright," Greatest continued, "and then, when the Sovereign sends his messenger…"

"I will tell him that I'm already spoken for," Wei replied, with a slight wrinkle of distaste lining his forehead.

"And that's also the look you want to keep," Greatest said, framing Wei's face between his fingers, "that look of slight disgust that you might just turn on me, or you're shopping for a better option. Always remember, sell a potential. Sell the potential that you might want something better, or someone better." Greatest leaned back in his chair and just smirked. He reached up and dumped the remainder of the tea down his throat. "Even though there is no one better than me."

"Are all princes like you?" Agnesia asked.

Greatest eyed her, and his right eyebrow climbed higher. "Girl, weren't you listening? There's no one like me." And then he grew serious. He leaned forward, and shadows fell over his eyes. "No one. And I do mean no one. Because no one has any interest in actually holding the power they can hold. It's always climb, climb, climb, and then followed by lose, lose, lose. You can't take everything. You really can't. You gotta hold on to what you find to be comforting. What you find to be your spot. And that's why the sovereign is going to come for you, see? Because he doesn't like to stick to his spot. Neither do all the other princes, princesses, kings, and queens, for that matter. When we're done today, there's not really any going back. Not for you, my boy."

A silence followed. Wei nodded solemnly. "And the other princes and princesses. The other circles. Their elites. You've not talked much about them."

"Too many to count for," Greatest just smacked his lips loudly. "But ultimately, they're not the ones I'm worried about. See, they're risk-averse. And so long as you show them one of their like can fall, the rest will collapse. Because they'll remember what they have to lose, lose, lose. And they'll stop climb, climb, climbing. But most importantly, after they get scared, we can bribe them. And things should be smooth sailing after that. Should be."

A scoff escaped Bishop, and Greatest's eyes snapped to the trespasser. "You doubt me?"

"I doubt everyone," Bishop replied. "But feels like we're stumbling into something that there might not be a way back from."

"That's just tomorrow, Mr. Bishop," Greatest said with a sigh. "We can't play a cautious game anymore."

"Oh, so it's ‘we’ now," Bishop said.

"Yes," Greatest replied, "it is we. Because the moment I stepped in your door, the moment I gave you that submarine, the moment I attached myself to him," Greatest pointed a finger at Wei and kept it there. "The moment I bound myself to the concept breaker was the moment that there was no return. So yeah, it's going to be we."

"All right, then," Bishop said. "Suppose all that's true. How soon you want us to start making our arrangements for the…" Bishop coughed, "deportation progress."

And that brought a large and vicious smile to Greatest's face. "As soon as you can, as fast as you can. God, I like you, Bishop. I like you for getting to the meat and bones of the thing. You know what I like most of all."

"What?" Bishop asked, though he sounded like he didn't care about the answer.

"I like the idea of my Claimed Hells being reclaimed, my Claimed Hells being clean, just for people like me, people who belong here."

"And what gives you the right to decide this for someone else?" That question came from Rafael.

Greatest slowly turned away from Bishop and smiled sweetly at the lich. "Me? No, it's not what I decided it's what's wrong with you. I'm sure you fancy yourself some kind of character, some kind of noble hero who'll fill through the world, or someone who gets to experience all the lost pleasure he never got in his previous life. Here's the deal, you don't belong here, your presence just makes things worse. Sure, you can make the argument that it was already bad, but…” 

Greatest held out his hands. "It was bad for a reason. There's a reason why anything happens to us, there's a reason why we exist, why we suffer, why we thrive, why life passes us by day after day, night after night. But there is a narrative. There is a point. You come in here and you tear that point apart. You tear it to shreds because there is no meaning behind you. You put on glasses and wear souls like they're clothes, clothes," greatest nearly shouted. He was genuinely outraged again. "You, you guys, you're like a pocket of nothing, just eating through this place. Before you were here, I wonder how neat and orderly and stable everyone's position was."

And that made Waze narrow his eyes. Position. Holding onto roles that more than anything mattered to greatest. He was an adherent of hierarchy, no, more than hierarchy. He was an adherent to specific types of order. Order that governed the fathoms and made everything oh so neat. Everyone had a classification, and greatest simply wanted to hold on to his and not be threatened by anyone who was beyond the context of this place.

"Very well," Waze said, "understand that for your service, we will be conducting this operation. But I want something from you, greatest."

"Oh, you want something from me?" The prince of pride smiled. "Like more, more than what I've already given."

"Yes, but this shouldn't be much to ask for at all. I want you to promise that you won't hasten the process."

Greatest narrowed his eyes. "Hasten the what?"

"The removal of Trespassers," Waze replied. "I understand that you hate them. I don't care why you hate them, but I do mind if you kill them."

Greatest blinked. "Oh, why do you mind if I kill them? Why do you mind if I remove a few Trespassers?"

"Because," Wei replied, "they are going to be my responsibility soon. They owe me a world, and a world is comprised of people."

The bishop swallowed, as he eyed Wei. A look of worry crossed over him, but he didn't elaborate. Rafael was not so subtle.

"People?" Rafael said.

"Yes," Wei shot back. "People compose a sect."

And suddenly all the tension left the Lich's body. "Ah, ah, I see. Very well then. Yes, people. We are all going to be common people. Peace would be most optimal for our world."

"I pray for an economy," Ellena commented off by the side.

"I do not," Rafael replied with a slight hint of heat in his voice. "They will learn the proper way, or…" the Lich paused. "Well, they will learn the proper way."

A slight smirk adorned the Prince of Pride's face. "Well, unleashing you back on your own people seem to be a wise thing for me to do. Well, I think we're done here for today." He placed his hands against his knees and rose. "Time for me to depart now. So, until tomorrow." The Prince of Pride took everyone in the room in one final time and nodded. "Enjoy this day. It's going to be probably one of the last quiet days you'll get for some time. The great thing after this is going to be wheels in motion, spinning faster and faster. And I, for one, can't wait."

"For us to get out of your home, you mean," Bishop said.

"For you to get out of my home," Greatest replied. "Pick it up." And he winked at Wei. "See you tomorrow, kid."

"Greatest," Wei began. "Can you leave the normal—"

"No." Greatest cut him off and immediately began vanishing into his own sphincter. Wei looked away, letting out a groan of dismay, as everyone else in the room cringed in disgust as well.

"So," William said, "who wants to do lunch after this? Because it's been a while since I ate. I'm kind of tired of looking at assholes."

***

After debriefing, everyone departed the Grey House and returned to the Unblossomed. Bishop went along with Wei, gathering materials on the other princes and princesses of the Claimed Hells. While he did that, Wei returned to the office and simply sat there for a while. The shape of his life had always been strange. He'd been the child of the matriarch and patriarch, groomed to succeed his sect. After the tragedies, after he arrived in the Claimed Hells, things only grew more surreal. And now, now with Greatest here. A strange feeling was building in the pit of Wei's stomach, and it felt like he was at a point where there was no road back, just as the Prince of Pride said.

A door creaked open, and Wei noticed Agnesia with his omniscience. He let out a quiet sigh, and she just stood next to him.

"You're right?" she asked.

"As much as I ever am now," Wei replied. "She let out a tired breath. There's always something, some kind of trouble, some kind of madness I have to deal with."

"Wei?" Agnesia added.

"Right. Wei," Wei accepted. "But still. Feels like I'm drowning, and now there's more water coming down. Mother always said politics is like getting wine poured on you, between sprays of piss."

Wei snorted. "And Ellena said that."

"Yes," Ignisia said, "mother can be quite colorful when she's annoyed." And then the princess frowned. "She was often annoyed when talking to the minister of the treasury."

Just then a loud banging was heard from down the stairs, and Ellena started screaming slurs at Rafael. Right after, the princess pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh.

"It seems like some things don't change," Wei commented.

"It seems so," Ellena replied.

A comfortable silence slid between them, and the young master turned to face her. "I haven't forgotten about your world," Wei said. "When I'm done with…" He trailed off. What was he even trying to do anymore? He had an idea about taking Earth, about claiming it from the Trespassers, but what was he going to do with it after? All those people were Trespassers by potential. If he could train them, if he could mold them, but then Wei just frowned harder. If he could train and mold them, what would he do with them? Would he use them as an army against the Fathoms? Would he deliver retribution against the dying queen?

"I will help you retake your world," Wei finally said, "one way or another. The Dying Queen must be slain, as the Unfallen must follow thereafter, and the Inheritors…" the young master clenched the armrest of his chair tightly. "They must be purged to the last man. We are surrounded on all sides by enemies, and behind us are questionable allies at best, and strange figures who wish to benefit from the situation themselves."

"What do you think about Greatest?" Agnesia asked.

Wei considered the Prince of Pride, and then he simply shook his head. "I think he is open about what he wants, but even then I cannot be sure. This place is just a miasma, and the deeper I crawl the worse it gets. But I do think that he is honest. He's given too much for this to be a masquerade or a deception. 

He's too powerful for such means of subterfuge to be practical. If he wanted to harm us, he would have just gone for us. He would have buried us with a lawyer and trapped us in the court of the claimed hells, or he would have tried to kill us at some point through more direct means. No. He wants the Trespassers gone. That is the only thing I am certain about."

"And what does that mean?"

"Well," Agnesia said, "that means that he is not an ally. He will simply fool anyone that will help him be rid of the outsiders. So we need to make arrangements of our own, always. I think I am going to try and speak to Mepheleon, before this mess finally hits us.”