Chapter 100: Make Sure You Impress Me
"No... no."
"You didn't give her your bank card or savings account passwords, did you?"
"N-No."
"And there isn't suddenly a new loan on your phone, right?"
"N-No!"
Ren was utterly bewildered by the panic in Utahime's voice.
"W-What exactly is going on, Utahime-sensei?"
"Where are you right now? I'm coming over immediately!"
Utahime's tone was frantic.
"Listen to me. That woman is completely obsessed with money. If you aren't careful dealing with her, she'll swallow every last cent you own!"
"Relax, relax."
Ren waved a hand dismissively, finally calming down.
"I don't exactly have much money to begin with, remember, Utahime-sensei?"
"Then don't tell me..." Utahime's voice suddenly sharpened.
"You sold yourself to her?"
Ren fell silent.
For the first time, he felt a powerful urge to sprint back and read that contract again from beginning to end.
After enduring a barrage of anxious questions from Utahime, he finally explained everything that had happened.
"Just as I thought!"
Utahime ground her teeth in frustration.
"I was planning to surprise you."
"A surprise?"
Ren blinked in confusion.
"What surprise?"
"I already arranged your Grade 1 promotion sponsors."
"What?"
"Mei Mei-senpai must have learned about it beforehand."
Utahime sounded thoroughly irritated.
"She exploited an information gap and used it to lure you into signing that contract. In reality, she didn't have to spend any effort at all to recruit you into her company!"
The following day, Ren met Mei Mei at the café once again.
This time, however, Utahime sat beside him, her expression severe and vigilant.
"Absolutely not."
Faced with Utahime's accusation, Mei Mei merely smiled and waved a hand lazily.
"I simply wanted to lend him a helping hand out of appreciation for his talent."
"Who would have thought our plans would align so perfectly?"
"What a remarkable coincidence."
The smugness hidden beneath her casual tone made the excuse utterly unconvincing.
Mei Mei chuckled for a while before finally sighing as she looked at Utahime's resentful glare.
"Well, whatever."
She lifted her chin slightly.
"I'm not someone who takes benefits without giving anything in return."
"Utahime, you may have already arranged his sponsors, but I assume you haven't decided who'll accompany him on his evaluation missions yet?"
She turned toward Ren, who was listening with a puzzled expression.
"The second step of becoming a Grade 1 sorcerer is completing missions alongside a Grade 1 sorcerer and receiving a satisfactory evaluation."
"According to the rules, the recommending sorcerers are not allowed to serve as the evaluator accompanying the candidate on those missions."
Utahime reluctantly nodded.
She really hadn't decided on a candidate yet.
The truth was, Ren was simply too strong. Even if she paired him with a Grade 4 sorcerer, he could complete the evaluation missions without any pressure whatsoever, let alone alongside a Grade 1. In theory, practically anyone qualified would suffice.
"How about I accompany Ren during his evaluation missions?" Mei Mei suggested. "It was one of my original plans anyway."
"Mei Mei-senpai," Utahime said, staring at her intensely, "you were planning to get paid twice, weren't you?"
"Hm?"
Mei Mei put on a mildly surprised expression.
"You first offered to help him contact sponsors and got him to sign your contract."
"Then you planned to use accompanying him on his missions as leverage to make him agree to even more of your demands."
"A-Absolutely not."
Mei Mei smiled sweetly and took another sip of coffee.
"Didn't I already explain? Everything I've done for Ren has come from a sincere appreciation of talent. Utahime, you really shouldn't think of me as such a dark-hearted person."
The vigilance on Utahime's face did not diminish in the slightest.
"I want to see the contract you signed with Ren yesterday."
"Of course."
Mei Mei spread her hands generously.
"All of our contracts are perfectly legal and professionally drafted."
Then she paused, a faint smile curling at her lips.
"However, I should remind you of one thing."
"Since the agreement has already been signed, every clause within it is legally binding and cannot be altered."
"Cannot be altered?"
Utahime's brows immediately furrowed.
Clutching the contract tightly enough to wrinkle the pages, she shot to her feet and grabbed Ren by the arm, clearly intending to drag him straight out of the café.
"Now, now, there's no need to be so dramatic."
Seeing her reaction, Mei Mei quickly moved to reassure her.
"What I meant was only in principle. In principle."
"If there's anything you dislike, we can always revise it through supplementary clauses."
After more than half a day of negotiations, Mei Mei finally left carrying a newly amended contract.
As she walked away, the evening sunlight streamed through the café windows, illuminating her elegant figure and confident stride.
Watching her graceful silhouette disappear into the distance, Ren found himself growing increasingly uneasy.
"Utahime-sensei..."
He looked toward the exhausted teacher, who appeared thoroughly drained after arguing with Mei Mei for most of the day.
"Did I make a mistake?"
"Maybe I shouldn't have signed any contract with Mei Mei-san at all."
"What's done is done."
Utahime rubbed her temples wearily.
"There's no point regretting it now."
"Besides, it's not that serious. At the end of the day, Mei Mei-senpai is a legitimate sorcerer, not some evil curse user. She also maintains close ties with Jujutsu High."
"She's just... a little too fond of money."
After a brief pause, she added:
"Just be especially careful whenever money is involved. Don't let her sell you off and then trick you into helping count the profits."
Ren grimaced.
"That's somehow less reassuring than you think."
Utahime ignored the comment.
"Besides," she continued, "having Mei Mei-senpai accompany you during your evaluations isn't necessarily a bad thing. She's powerful, experienced, and extremely capable."
"With her around, I'll be much less worried."
The two left the café side by side, pushing through the glass doors and stepping into the evening air.
Not far away, a crow perched on a leafy tree cawed loudly before bursting through the canopy and soaring into the sky.
Elsewhere, Mei Mei clicked down the pavement in her high heels.
Click. Clack.
Her silver braid swayed behind her as she hummed a cheerful tune, clearly in an excellent mood.
Through the eyes of the crow overhead, everything she had just witnessed flowed directly into the eye concealed beneath her silver bangs.
"...You're still too young, Utahime."
Watching the teacher and student walk away together, Mei Mei's crimson lips curled into a smug smile.
"You actually think letting me become Ren's accompanying evaluator was a victory for you?"
"Perhaps you've spent so long as a Semi-Grade 1 sorcerer that you've forgotten how the promotion process works."
"Passing this stage isn't simply about completing the mission successfully."
"The candidate also needs to receive a passing evaluation from the accompanying Grade 1 sorcerer."
"Ren-kun..."
Her smile widened further.
Reflected in her deep eyes was the image of a straightforward young man looking increasingly nervous and suspicious.
"You wouldn't want to fail your evaluation and lose your chance to become a Grade 1 sorcerer, would you?"
"In that case..."
Her voice softened into a playful murmur.
"You'll have to perform very well from now on."
"Keep impressing your teacher..."
"Until she's completely satisfied."
Just imagining what lay ahead filled Mei Mei with delight.
The prospect of freely directing the boy's efforts, having him work tirelessly, devote himself wholeheartedly, and earn vast sums of money on her behalf until she was thoroughly satisfied-
The thought alone sent a strange thrill through her body.
Unable to contain herself, she let out a bright, ringing laugh.
Nearby, the crow seemed to sense its master's mood and enthusiastically joined in.
"Caw! Caw!"