Nick creased his brows in response to Jessie's question.
(This family, that family. Why does it seem that the world just revolves around these rich families and whatever they are doing? I am sick of hearing about legacy families.)
Nick replied while maintaining his indifferent expression:
"No, I don't know anything about the Nefari family."
Jessie expected as much so he explained:
"The Nefari family is one of the richest and most influential families in the country. Their patriarch is actually the head financial comptroller within the Ministry of Magic."
Nick didn't think much of what Jessie was telling him but still listened intently. Seeing that Nick remained silent throughout and after his explanation, Jessie continued:
"The Nefari family will be sending representatives on an exploration mission to a realm whose access rights is partly owned by the British government. The British royal family even intends to send along a representative on this mission, one from their own bloodline. The mission start date is six months from now and a group of third years from this academy will be going along as well."
At this point, Nick decided to ask the obvious question:
"Okay...what does any of that have to do with me?"
Jessie decided that it was finally time to reveal his intentions behind asking Nick to have a discussion with him:
"I want you and I to be two of the third year representatives from Richter Order Academy."
Nick squinted his eyes in suspicion immediately after Jessie spoke.
(Oh really...)
"Why would you want me to be a part of such a mission. I get that there might be benefits for you but how would it benefit me and why would you care about my benefits?"
Jessie's face became serious as he explained:
"The realm that the Nefari family will be exploring is called Glory Sea and it is a realm consisting of many islands that are mostly inhabited by humans native to the realm as well as magic beasts. Their goal is one particular island that has many inheritances hidden on it as well as some that have already been unearthed. My interest in the realm is that there is a transformation path inheritance on said island that I would like to have and it happens to be related to space path as well. You are a space path Magician, right?"
Nick was starting to understand what Jessie was after but he had his doubts:
"If your family is as well off as you say, you probably know many space path Magicians."
Jessie sighed bitterly, then said:
"Sure, my family has relationships with quite a few but they cannot make use of those relationships just for my sake; space path Magicians are relatively rare and thus don't necessarily move on request. In addition, once inside another realm, having a powerful Magician that you can hardy control at your side may not be a good thing since that Magician could get rid of you if the situation suited them and blame something else for your disappearance."
Nick raised his right eyebrow and remarked:
"So your interest in me is that I am a space path Magician and also a relatively weak one."
Jessie's expression softened to a more genial one before replying:
"Don't say it like that. All I'm saying is that I need a space path Magician that is willing to cooperate with me on equal footing. My objective is simply obtaining the one inheritance."
Nick then asked with no emotion in his tone:
"What would I get if I were to help you?"
Jessie flippantly responded:
"Is my friendship not enough?"
Nick said nothing and just sat in his seat while looking at Jessie indifferently. Soon feeling awkward, Jessie sighed and then asked:
"What do you want in return for helping me?"
Nick internally snorted, thinking:
(This guy is trying to get my help but didn't even bother making an initial offer. He's clearly spoiled, believing that someone of my background should just be glad to be a part of the scene. Fine, since you want my help, I'll give it to you but only at a suitable price.)
Nick replied:
"I will only accept a deal where I act completely as your consultant, not your helper or servant and I will not do anything that is unrelated to finding and obtaining the inheritance."
Jessie's right eyelid twitched a bit before replying:
"I can accept that."
Nick continued:
"I will only accept payment up front and as soon as possible. I want 500,000 rank 2 magic beast souls."
Jessie's expression became serious and he replied without considering his words:
"You're insane."
Nick's indifferent expression momentarily broke apart as he chuckled and then responded:
"Maybe I am. Do you accept or not, I have places to be?"
Jessie's serious expression soon reverted back to his usual genial one and then he replied to Nick succinctly:
"Go extort someone else."
*********************************************************
Jessica walked out of the bathroom with her hair and body wrapped in clean, white towels. She then looked over at her sister, Rebecca, who was working on something at her computer.
Rebecca Jones had long, blonde hair, thin red lips, a thin body and wore a light blue Magician's robe at this time as well as a pair of blue rimmed reading glasses. Jessica sat at Rebecca's work table using the wooden and padded chair beside her sister. She softly asked:
"Why do you bother wearing reading glasses, you're a light path Magician?"
Rebecca turned away from her computer to look at her little sister and replied with her own question:
"Why do you shower, you're a water path Magician?"
Jessica opened her mouth as if to answer, then closed it. Rebecca flicked Jessica on the forehead with her right index finger and asked her:
"Was the end of year exam a good learning experience?"
Jessica lightly nodded, saying:
"I learnt that Magicians have to be skilled in finding materials in nature and not just at combat and movement."
Rebecca remarked:
"It's good that you were able to pick up on that. Did anything interesting happen?"
Jessica thought for a bit, then replied:
"I fought with Nick again. I lost badly this time."
Rebecca put some effort into trying to remember who Nick was. When she finally remembered the young man that accompanied Thompson Varrow to the last auction that they attended, she replied:
"Oh, that young man. How badly did you lose?"
"He dropped an enormous boulder from the sky at me and when I couldn't destroy it, he stepped in to destroy it himself after getting me to admit defeat."
Rebecca raised both her eyebrows, then laughed loudly. After about a minute, she stopped laughing and spoke:
"Oh, so you lost that badly. Well...It's natural to meet students more powerful than you are, a little less typical at your standard but it does happen. Did you learn anything from the defeat?"
"You didn't have to laugh so hard, Rebecca. I learnt that Magicians who practise multiple kinds of magic are tough. Nick's methods made him very adaptable and quick to counter anything that I threw at him."
"Hmmm...from my experience, Magicians skilled in more than one path are usually troublesome but in terms of what you can achieve by focusing on one path, you are at no major disadvantage. Besides, at rank 2, dabbling in two paths is much easier that at higher ranks where specialization is key."
"I counted at least three paths."
"What?"
"He used at least three different kinds of magic and I don't think that 'dabble' is an appropriate word for referring to his skill level in any one of them."
"That's...uncommon but not without precedent. Don't worry, as long as you keep working hard and cultivating faithfully, you will manage to eclipse even someone that strange."
"I hope so. Ummm...Rebecca, do you know what exactly a friend is and not just in terms of someone you just get benefits from?"
Rebecca found her question a little strange but answered anyway:
"From my experience, a real friend is someone who would not hesitate to risk their life in order to save yours. There is an old saying, 'To sacrifice your life for a friend, there is no greater love than this...'."
"Okay, how exactly do you make a friend like that?"
"Uhh...Jessica, where is this coming from all of a sudden?"
"I'm just asking a question, Rebecca, don't read so much into it."
Although Jessica said that, Rebecca could see the feint blush on her face as she spoke.
(I guess she's at that age now. Better late than never I suppose.)
Rebecca answered her little sister as best she could:
"Jessica, let me just say that making friends is great and all but will likely interfere with your ambitions in the short run. As long as you understand that, however, making a good friend is far easier and it's actually very simple. All you have to do is take a genuine interest in their lives and make above average efforts to show them that you care for them."
"But won't doing the latter seem fake since I would hardly know them?"
Rebecca shook her head slowly and then said:
"Friendship isn't about how long you've known someone or how much you've interacted with them. Remember, love is a choice, not a feeling. You can choose to love someone no matter how much you actually know about them."
"That sounds so weird coming from you, Rebecca. How comes you don't have any friends?"
Rebecca sighed, then replied:
"Most women I encounter are snakes or surround themselves with snakes and most men I encounter are also snakes with the added problem that they will say and do anything in order to try to sleep with me. Since I am not actively looking for friends, the former and the latter prevent me from making true friends but I do have quite a few trustworthy acquaintances."
Jessica thought about something for a while before she said:
"I'll think about what you said. Thank you, Rebecca."
Rebecca reached out her right hand to pinch Jessica's left cheek and then replied:
"No problem, little Jessica."
***********************************************************
"Huh? You're saying that Nick Capitol is possibly a space path master."
Pearl spoke to her uncle using her smartphone while lying on her dorm room's queen sized bed. She insisted:
"That's what I suspect, uncle. Nick used a method that felt as if it was a true extension of himself. I remember feeling the exact same thing when father used one of his favorite spells in front of me years ago. He said that when someone becomes a master in a particular path, their spells start to reflect them as people, becoming 'alive'."
Pearl remembered that time spent with her father soon after feeling the magic power of Nick's Jupiter and she made the connection between the spell's power and Nick's attainment level.
Lieutenant Andrew Wiles paused for a moment before replying to Pearl:
"If you are right, then it is even more important that you get Nick to our side. What is your progress in that area?"
Pearl spoke plainly:
"I haven't made any progress."
Andrew sighed and then said:
"Pearl, you're young so you might not understand but a family remains a family only if it possesses strong men to lead it. It's not fair but your duty as a woman of the Wiles family is to drag one such man onto our pirate ship for the sake of the family and I am telling you that Nick Capitol is the man that I want dragged."
Pearl tried to argue:
"But, uncle Andrew, can't I take up leadership within the family too? I shouldn't have to be latched on to a man just because."
Andrew knew what was probably going on inside the head of his niece but he could not budge on the issue because he knew one truth that made female leadership a doomed endeavor:
(Women don't know how to raise men...at least not men fit to carry their own crosses. Magician society is ruthless and the quality of one's allies play a big part in the long term survival of any group. Like I said, it's not fair but the strength of an organization is exclusively based on the quality of its men, not its women.)
"Pearl, I'm not saying that you cannot be a leader in your own right but talented men must be recruited into the family somehow and you just told me that Nick is very talented and I know that he is from my own personal experience. If we can obtain a space path expert without paying too high a price, we should."
Pearl asked with a small bit of emotion in her voice:
"Am I not too high a price?"
Andrew openly sighed. Even if he was supposed to be the next patriarch of the Wiles family and needed to be prepared to lead it with an iron fist, that did not mean that he didn't want his niece to at least be content with her own decisions, she was his family, after all. He spoke solemnly:
"You may proceed as you like for now but if Nick Capitol ends up being our adversary in the future or impervious to my influence, someone will have to pay for it."
Andrew Wiles hung up the phone and Pearl mused:
(I am not satisfied with that Nick Capitol and I will not be the tool that you use to lure him to us, uncle Andrew. Hmph! All I have to do is overshadow him with my own skills and uncle will have no choice but to let me do as I please.)
************************************************************
Nick sat in his first floor office talking on the phone with Carla Jenner:
"I've set up a meeting with a representative from the Spirit Nectar Company which specializes in soul path related goods. They also happen to be one of the companies that I plan to sell soul healing scrolls to going forward. The meeting will take place at the Smiling Chief Restaurant tomorrow at 10 am. Are you fine with that?"
Nick didn't care about the time and place, he just wanted the magic beast souls at a fair price.
"I'm okay with the time and place. There is something else that I want to ask you about, Carla."
"What is it, Nick?"
"Do you know anything about a mission to Glory Sea being undertaken by the Nefari family six months from now?"
Carla was a little surprised that Nick knew about that since the subject involved quite a bit of national and inter-family politics.
"I do know about it. Word is that the Nefaris are going to attempt to retrieve an inheritance that they had previously unearthed but failed to obtain and they are bringing all sorts of man power along with them including some students from different academies. Why do you ask about it?"
"Someone mentioned it to me and I wanted to know if it was worth my interest."
"Accept some of my unsolicited advice. Stay away from the Nefaris, they have no problem draining you of your blood in order to preserve just a bit of their own. You didn't hear that from me."
"Understood, Carla."
After Carla hung up the phone, Nick mused:
(Jessie wanted to use me to obtain an inheritance and it looks like the Nefaris are doing the same but on a larger scale. It's probably for the best that Jessie rejected the price of my help. What do they say? Rejection is the ultimate protection.)
Nick then went to his workspace on the second floor to take another look at his now complete soul refining formation.
"All in all, the formation consists of over five hundred thousand symbols and requires soul path and formation path materials costing about £1,800,000 per activation, most of which will only last a few days into cultivation. To better maximize the formation's value I have to at least triple the amount of souls that I am asking for and and have Dewy continue to procure materials. My soul path cultivation will take a while so for the next two weeks, I'll try to resolve the things that need my attention that aren't related to my cultivation."
Nick's third year at Richter Order Academy would begin in two months but he wasn't concerned with that. Third years had the advantage of not having to attend classes or attend exams so Nick was, as of the end of his last exam, free to use his time as he wished until he graduated.
Nick quickly decided on his next course of action:
"I should rewrite this formation using the mystical language that I received from the Pit of Suffering. Even that is a difficult thing to do but probably worth doing."
Nick sat at his work desk and summoned a note book from his space band in order to start making progress. He worked for many hours before meditating and then getting some sleep.
The next morning, Nick readied himself for his meeting and then left his commercial building, wearing his usual style of a pair of blue jeans and a polo shirt. Nick arrived at the Smiling Chief Restaurant in less that three minutes using Blink and took a seat at the back of the restaurant before Carla or the representative from the Spirit Nectar Company arrived.
He ordered a breakfast of eggs, waffles and sausages with fruit juice and after he finished eating, he waited thirty more minutes before at exactly 10 am, Carla and a man wearing a black and white three piece suit walked into the restaurant.
Upon noticing Nick sitting at the back of the dining area, Carla led the man to Nick's table. The man was clearly white, middle aged, had well groomed, grey hair and a thin body. Nick stood up to greet them both:
"Good morning, Carla and Mr..."
Carla used Nick's queue in order to introduce the older man:
"Nick, this is Zane Parlance and he is one of the Spirit Nectar Company's sales executives. Mr. Parlance, this is Nick Capitol."
Nick noticed the attitude with which Carla treated the man. It was like he was an honored guest even though Nick was sure that the man wasn't a Magician. His opinion of Carla became a little more positive.
The man smiled genially at Nick and spoke:
"It's great to meet you, Mr. Capitol. Carla tells me that you are interested in doing business with my employer, so let's see how best I can help you."
Nick, Carla and Zane sat down and Zane decided to kick off the discussion and did so, not minding in the least that he would be negotiating in the presence of two Magicians:
"Nick, Carla tells me that you would like 100,000 rank 2 magic beast souls. That is quite the order so my employer will at least need 50% up front and the rest can be collected up to a month later, the total being £4,500,000,000 at £45,000 per rank 2 soul."
Nick immediately shook his head while holding up three fingers.
"I actually need 300,000 rank 2 magic beast souls and with an order like that, I'm willing to pay £39,000 for each soul."
Zane's eyes opened wide when he heard those figures, he thought:
(A big customer! 300,000 souls at £39,000 a piece is £11,700,000,000. Who would have thought that someone this young has that kind of money. My commission on this sale is going to buy me a huge mansion.)
Carla observed Nick from the corner of her eye, confused at his request.
(I know that Nick should be very rich from his sales of the soul healing and beast capture scrolls but how can he waste his money like this. What use could a rank 2 Magician have for all those souls?)
Zane wasn't interested in Nick's reasons like Carla, however, and he found Nick's offer acceptable even with the 15% discount that Nick would be receiving. Zane acted to make the sale final:
"Mr. Capitol, since you are requesting our products so sincerely, we won't treat you shabbily. I will immediately go to our regional office to write up the paper work and email them to you for your signing today; I just need your email and personal phone number. If that is all, may I leave to act on your offer?"
Nick accented while handing over a business card with his contact details:
"Go ahead."
Zane took the card and then immediately gave Carla a light bow before running out the door like his car was being towed. As soon a Zane left, Carla voiced her concern:
"Nick honey, is this really the way that you want to spend your money?"
Nick's spine shivered when Carla called him 'honey' but he hid his discomfort and answered her question:
"I absolutely need the souls and I have enough money to cover their price."
Nick had about fourteen billion pounds in his bank account so he was set to make the transaction. Carla knew that it was not appropriate for her to pry even if she was Nick's senior so she changed the subject:
"I still need time to negotiate with my relatives before I can generate paperwork to buy your company. At worst, we might have to finalize the details when we attend my family's lunch next week."
Nick just remembered that he had agreed to such a thing but honestly, he did not really want to attend and he thought that he might as well try to get out of it now:
"Hey Carla, you don't really need me..."
Carla, who was currently taking a look at her nails, suddenly shifted her eyes to look at Nick, interrupting his words and nearly causing Nick to fall from his chair from the intimidation:
"What was that, Nick honey?"
Nick sighed with extreme bitterness internally:
(This woman has me in her corner and she knows it. Although forcing a refusal to attend is possible, it will likely result in an unpredictable response from her.)
Nick had already learnt that people were not truly rational creatures all the time, therefore, he needed to sometimes give an inch and endure until he no longer had to.
"Never mind, I will be there. Just call me the day before with the time. You'll be picking me up, right?"
Carla gave Nick a sweet smile in response to his words. Although Carla was at least a decade older than Nick, he could not deny that the woman was beautiful, even more so when she smile but his heart remained unmoved.
(Women are...troublesome.)
Carla answered:
"I will definitely call you, Nick honey. Don't forget to wear a suit and I will send you a cologne that I like; you should apply it before we leave for the lunch."
Nick's right eyelid visibly twitched when Carla said that last part but he remained composed nonetheless. Carla had observed his reaction to her words clearly and internally laughed in response:
(Well, at least Nick here has quite a bit of sense. All the benefits that I've brought to him are not for free and he has to allow me some influence on his life. Ha, you know what, if he wasn't still attending this academy, I might have forced him to become a Jenner already to make full use of his money making value...)
Carla reached across the table and tapped Nick on the nose with her right index finger before suddenly transforming into a black mass and disappearing into the surrounding shadows.
Nick shook his head slowly and then cast Blink several times in order to return to his commercial building. When there, upon checking his emails, he discovered that he had been ranked 1st in the year by virtue of his end of year exam score. Nick didn't care much about that so he moved on to an email that he received from the Spirit Nectar Company which detailed the exact terms that Nick and Zane had discussed in an attached contract.
Nick didn't waste any time in printing and signing the contract, then sending it back to the Spirit Nectar Company via email. Nick immediately received a response that the souls would be sent over after he made his first payment of half the total sum. Nick didn't hesitate to transfer the billions of pounds owed, after which he emailed the Spirit Nectar Company again to confirm their receipt of the money.
Nick was immediately emailed a response, telling him that a space band with the 300,000 magic beast souls would be delivered to him by tomorrow.
Nick went straight to his second floor workspace afterwards and continued working on the rewording of his formation. Nick worked on it non-stop and only took a break when on the next day Dewy brought up a disposable space band that had been delivered by the Spirit Nectar Company. Nick summoned an object from the space band, after which the space band turned to ash.
The object was a translucent crystal orb containing the 300,000 rank 2 magic beast souls that Nick would by using. The orb came with instructions carved into its surface that stated that the holder of the orb just had to pour their magic energy into it and depending on the amount of magic energy, a corresponding number of souls would be released.
Nick stored the crystal orb within his space band and then went back to working on his soul refining formation. Since the semester already ended, Nick had no more combat classes to attend so he focused fully on his cultivation. Nick worked on his formation all the way into next week until he received a call from Carla:
"Nick honey, my family's lunch will be tomorrow. I will pick you up outside your building by 10 am and don't worry, I've already cleared it with the academy so as long as you are accompanying me, it is fine to be off campus grounds."
Nick accepted the information and ended the call soon thereafter. He didn't appreciate having to interrupt his cultivation over something like a lunch meeting but he knew that it was probably a necessary thing to do.
Nick cultivated until an hour before Carla said that she would pick him up and at that point, he showered, put on a suit that Dewy had bought for him and applied a cologne onto his body that Carla had sent to him.
Nick looked in his bathroom mirror and felt disgusted at what he saw.
"This isn't me but I have no choice but to play this part..."
Nick fell quiet for a long time, his expression remained indifferent and his breathing remained even but his mind was filled with negative emotions at this time:
(Someday, I'm going to kill that woman...)
Nick holstered Failed Tool and Pressure Piece to his sides and then left his commercial building, waiting outside for Carla to arrive. Carla's black town car soon arrived at Nick's building, at which point Nick opened the door and entered the car, encountering Carla who sat on the set of leather seats opposite of himself.
Carla wore a long, sleeveless orange dress that reached down to the middle of her forelegs and her hair was allowed to flow down freely to the middle of her back. She looked at Nick thoroughly before saying:
"You clean up well."
Nick had trained his body for years and so his muscles were well developed and since the three-piece, black suite that Dewy had bought him fit him perfectly, Carla noticed his athletic form. Nick replied plainly:
"Thank you."
He then sat quiet while the car moved off. After some minutes of silence, Carla asked Nick:
"Aren't you going to compliment me regarding my dress?"
Nick shook his head and replied while maintaining his indifferent expression:
"I don't want to die just yet."
Carla lightly chuckled but then spoke seriously:
"The point of today's lunch is just so that my Uncle can see his closest family members in one place so there is no pressure on you to do anything but eat during the event. After that though, since the family members that I intend to bring on as share holders to our company will be there, we will have the chance to finalize a contract after they get to meet you properly."
Nick rubbed his chin lightly with his right hand and then asked:
"I still don't get why you wanted me to come along in the first place. Do you need me to show my face for something?"
Carla understood Nick's doubts so she explained:
"Nick, my family is very important to me and since much of my business involves both them and you, I would like them to at least know that you are in the picture long term."
Carla paused for a few seconds before she continued:
"It also helps that considering our close relationship, you are assisting me with blocking many questions that my relatives have about my unmarried status."
Nick immediately lost interest when he heard the latter part and pretended to fall asleep by leaning backwards and closing his eyes. Carla saw what Nick was doing and snorted:
"Hmph! Don't play dead now, Nick honey. Since we've met, I've treated you with respect and kindness despite my status but make no mistake, you will return the favor so long as we are working together and that means going along with things like this from time to time without resistance."
Nick internally sighed.
(Carla finally revealed some of her true colors. Well...not like I'm at all surprised. This just makes things easier.)
Nick opened his right eyelid and said:
"I don't mind playing along. Just so long as my principles don't need to be violated."
Carla repeated:
"Principles?"
Carla let some of her magic energy emerge from her body and spread it throughout their section of the car, the driver's section being blocked from view. Nick instantly felt troubled as he could no longer move, not even to speak but he could open and close his eyes. Carla moved her body to the seat right beside Nick, then caressed his face lightly with her right hand.
Nick knew that the situation just became complicated but he kept his thoughts rational despite his irritation:
(Carla isn't stupid, she wouldn't risk our partnership just to make a point but she is also a powerful Magician that has her own wants and desires. What she wants is clearly my compliance and maybe even my loyalty and she is using her power to try to sway my thinking. That, however, would never work.)
Nick remembered all the years that he spent under his grandaunt's thumb being humiliated and treated with contempt and disdain. He knew there was no going back to that even if he died. Nick looked into Carla's eyes with absolute defiance in his stare.
Carla was a little surprised that even in this situation, Nick managed to remain calm and not try to lash out.
(If he did overtly try to resist, with my status I could use an excuse to discipline him and gain greater control of him after he hands over his company to me but it looks like he has seen through my intentions and so he is not even trying to defend himself using his magic.)
Nick wasn't ignorant of the games that people in authority tried to play.
(They will at times try to lure you into combative situations in order use your resistance or overt displeasure to frame you or put you into a passive state. The best course of action here is difficult to undertake but I learnt through painful lessons that many right decisions don't always feel right in the moment. To get out of a situation like this clean, the answer is non-resistance. Let Carla have her way, let her try to incite and intimidate. So long as I remember who I am and keep my actions within my control and not hers, there is little she can do to harm me. If the enemies within are controlled, then the enemies outside can do us no harm.)
Nick did not try to move, did not try to speak and did not try to put up a resistance. Carla's brows creased in frustration because she knew that her actions had failed to bring about the result that she wanted.
(I...lost.)
Carla retracted her magic energy and Nick became able to move and speak again. Carla asked plainly:
"You picked up on my little scheme, huh?"
Nick replied:
"I grew up around a she-devil. Such schemes don't work on me."
Carla lightly chuckled, then explained:
"You know, if I wanted to, I could make you mine forever by just telling my family that we've had sexual relations. My uncle would immediately go against the academy to see that you and I were married as soon as possible. Once you became a Jenner, you would have to do as I say."
Nick replied:
"Then why don't you do just that."
Carla was internally annoyed by Nick's nonchalance.
(My status and power should have him frightened but he doesn't seem to care.)
Carla asked, maintaining her creased brows:
"Why aren't you afraid of what I might do?"
Nick answered:
"I have no delusions about what to expect from people in authority. For a long time growing up, I thought I would never make it out of a seemingly hopeless situation and there were many times that I wished I was dead. After going through all that, I will not be pushed into being a slave now just because it would make your life easier. I'd rather die."
Carla listened intently to Nick's reply, then let go of his face. She remained at his side and said:
"Our partnership will result in a very big investment on my part. How can I be certain that you won't betray me?"
Nick mused:
(So that is why she insisted on me having lunch with her family. She is trying to use them to pressure me, forcing me to think twice before I attempt to betray her. Since I am still studying at the academy, if I betray her, she can't just kill me after all.)
Nick spoke plainly:
"What do you want from me? You're already stronger than I am."
Carla lightly smiled and replied while summoning something from her space band:
"It's good that you asked, Nick honey."
Nick opened his eyes wide as he witnessed two matching gold rings appear within Carla's right palm. Nick screamed internally:
(What the fuck is she trying to do?)
*********************************************************
Less than one week ago...
Carla sat at her office desk watching a video recording that she received from one her contacts within the academy's administration. The recording ended after showing Nick turning a boulder the size of Ayers Rock into dust within moments.
After watching the video, Carla leaned back in her office chair, pondering:
(Was I that strong at rank 2? Of course not. Nick is starting to seem like a better investment than I thought. His use of space path is extraordinary for his level and all his other methods indicate that he is extremely skilled in those paths as well. Considering his ability to make me money and his strong potential as a Magician, there is no way that I can just let him wonder around as he pleases. What if his affiliations change and that harms our relationship?)
Carla continued thinking at length. She had been in business for many years and was adept at recognizing long term appreciating assets. That was mainly how she was able to get to rank 4 without exploring other realms while only having slightly above average talent.
"I need to lock in Nick somehow but this young man is a loner and very independent so I can't make use of people close to him. I don't even know if he has any vices because he has been careful to keep his personal life a confidential matter up until now. Hmmm...there is probably one way that is cleaner than threatening him and also benefits him as well but our difference in age might cause him to resist..."
Carla thought for a while before she snorted, saying:
"No. When a rank 4 Magician like myself makes him such an offer, it's either he accepts or he pays a corresponding price for his freedom."
***************************************************
Nick had to force down the urge to jump out of the moving car, remembering that it was a rank 4 Magician that he was dealing with. Carla raised one of the gold rings using her left fingers and spoke with a serious expression on her face:
"I think highly of you, Nick. Very highly. Therefore to preserve my own benefits, I am making you an offer that you must accept. Put this ring on your finger and promise to join the Jenner family after you graduate, becoming my very special someone."
Nick uttered without thinking:
"Have you lost your mind?"
Slade chimed in at this time:
[No, she hasn't. Humans are social creatures and while that may be a strength in many cases, it is a weakness in others. She wants to use some sort of marital arrangement to bind you to her so she can nurture and make use of your potential. It's actually a very old and common trick among families with high status, at least where I came from. You have two choices, either accept or refuse but if you refuse, prepare for a fallout. How this plays out is up to you.]
Carla replied without changing her expression:
"Like you said, I am much more powerful than you and therefore I have the right to demand this much if it so pleases me. Will you accept this commitment? I promise, if you do, you will not lose out so long as you do not disappoint my expectations."
Nick's right eyelid twitched continuously like he was having a muscle spasm there but after about thirty seconds, he calmed down and came to terms with the situation. He asked:
"I'll ask again, Carla. What do you want from me so much so that you would resort to this?"
Carla didn't need to think for too long to come up with an answer to the question because she had already thought about what she wanted. This was a big life decision for her as well; she said simply:
"Loyalty and the promise of a bright future."