Primordial Expanse: I have the Strongest Talent! - Chapter 503

Chapter 503: You know nothing
“I’m here to support her. Not pry into all her secrets.” Alex spoke.

Althea’s eyes narrowed slightly, scrutinising him as though searching for cracks — looking for anything that told her Alex wasn’t being genuine.

“You say that now,” she said quietly, “but the moment you even hear of the burden’s she has to carry, will you still feel the same?”

Alex looked at her condescendingly once again, almost feeling bored from having to repeat himself.

“Once again, you don’t know me. Regardless of what your reports say, I’ve done and seen things even S tiers like you would shrink back at.”

Alex didn’t flinch.

Althea let out a slow breath, relaxing her posture ever so slightly.

“You’ve got conviction. That’s rare in people like you.”

Alex raised an eyebrow.

“People like me?”

‘Why do I feel like this is a backhanded compliment?’

“You know what I mean,” Althea said. “People who clawed their way up from nothing. You fight harder, burn brighter… but that fire can just as easily consume you.”

Alex smirked at this euphemism.

“Maybe so. But I’ve already learned to control the flames.”

Althea didn’t quite understand why he had such a knowing grin on his face, but she guessed it probably had something to do with his abilities.

She had seen videos of his performances on the battlefield, and his flame elemental talent was well known.

But when she watched that, she didn’t really think much of it.

If he was just an ordinary kid, then yeah it might give him the ability to stand out amongst his peers.

But among the droves of prodigies across the Federation, such a talent was subpar.

She looked at Alex with confusion.

Alex watched her reaction intently, and for the first time watched as her expression changed from the usual stoicism, to confusion.

At this moment, it was like a lightbulb went off in her head.

“Wait, when was the last time you paid attention to the media across the Federation?”

His question came out of nowhere for Althea, and she had to think for a second before answering him.

“A year ago. My strength is much better spent on the battlefield than sitting inside an office meaninglessly all day like those old fogies do. Why? Did something important happen?”

‘No fucking wonder… She really doesn’t know me! I was just kidding about that at first, but there was still a part of me that wondered why she dismissed me so easily, when even Principal Farnes sings his praises for me. It turns out she’s basically a hermit!’

Alex palmed his face as he looked at Althea with a little bit of pity.

“You could say that. Let me ask you this, how do you think the war ended?”

It was this question that made Althea look at Alex like he was an idiot.

What did he mean how did she ‘think’ the war ended?

The Federation beat the Red Demons, isn’t that all that had to be said?

The fuck was this kid on about??

“Do I not pay attention to the media? Are you sure you should ask this question to yourself? The Federation wiped out the Red Demons, of course.”

Alex smiled.

“That’s where you’re wrong.”

Alex let his words linger for a second.

“I’m the reason the war ended.”

“…”

“…”

Althea was left silent.

Whether it was because she was too shocked to speak, or because she found the whole situation too funny, was another matter.

But even some of the other military officials passing by stopped to gaze at Alex like he was some sort of simpleton when he said this.

But just like Althea, they were probably still under the illusion the Federation had painted out for them.

Alex didn’t know why an S tier like Althea was also clueless, but he didn’t care enough to ask.

It’s her own fault for being ignorant, not his.

He did feel a little bit too arrogant saying that he was the reason the war ended, but it ‘technically’ was.

Or at least, he was 90… okay, 80% sure he was.

Phoenix was the one that did all the heavy lifting of course, but the reason for him to do that in the first place was him.

He guessed that it was probably a similar situation to the Overseers who showed up and wanted to recruit Alex, with Phoenix coming from another higher level civilisation who wanted to do the same, and decided to provide a little bit more of a helping hand.

***

Alex didn’t stick around for long after bringing the hallway he and Althea were standing and chatting in to silence.

He felt like he had said enough already, but he realised it was quite premature of him to leave so early when he arrived back in the living room of his own ship to take a nap.

‘She didn’t even tell me anything about Mira…’

The one thing, the only reason he wanted to seek Althea out in the first place. Yet, he had completely forgotten all about it until it was too late.

However while Alex was wallowing in his regrets alone on his ship, Althea sat behind her desk in her office.

After talking with Alex for a bit, she decided that it was finally time to catch up on recent events of the Federation over the last year.

Now was the best time to do so, before she was put back to work when the Federation’s fleet set off for Andromeda.

But the more she read, the gloomier her face became.

‘Thwarted a Red Demon plot to deploy devices capable of planetary destruction, saving potentially tens of billions of lives…’

‘Liberated multiple star systems singlehandedly alongside his girlfriend and partner, Mira…’

‘Became public enemy number 1 when he rejected the Overseer’s recruitment offer in exchange for the eradication of the Red Demon race…’

‘Suspected to be at the centre of another plot to recruit him, only the new party hadn’t explicitly revealed themselves, and had already eliminated the Red Demon race, not only as an invasion party, but as a whole…’

The more she read, the more she couldn’t believe it.

And the more she knew Alex was right.

She didn’t know him.

And she didn’t know her daughter as much as she thought she did…