The surrounding space was utterly silent; Sebastian had retracted the rest of his shield, taken a step back, and bowed. His demeanor now held no trace of disdain.
And Aiselin? The lady of the Shirakawa family was looking at me, her gaze stripped of any aristocratic arrogance or scrutiny. Her pupils were wide open, sparkling with the fanatical light of analysis.
"No chanting... No drawing magic circles... Even the trajectory of the mana flow completely contradicts every basic theorem I was taught," Aiselin murmured, her voice soft but distinct, as if speaking to herself. "It's illogical. Patchwork. Chaotic. But... it's so effective that it suffocates all conventional laws. You aren't borrowing the power of nature; you are tricking it."
She closed her eyes for about two seconds, taking a deep breath to regain her inherent aristocratic composure. When she opened her eyes, the smile on her lips had changed. It was the smile of a predator who had just locked onto its target.
"What is your name?"
"My name is Zero, My Lady!"
"Zero..." Aiselin repeated the name, the sound escaping her lips softly, lightly like a whisper to engrave it into her memory. She stepped closer to me, her usual elegant demeanor seeming a bit rushed.
"Alright, Zero. You have proven your worth. I accept this deal. Although I do not carry magic books on me at the moment, I have another proposal. If you agree, what you receive will far exceed what you just asked for."
"Here comes the rhetoric of recruiters luring interns," I clicked my tongue inwardly, but outwardly maintained a respectful attitude. "My Lady, could you please tell me what that proposal is?"
"Zero, I really want to learn the bizarre system you used. I really want to know how you can calculate the details for every single flying dust particle like just now. So, Zero, I want to hire you as my magic tutor." Aiselin said, her eyes boring straight into me.
"As a tutor?"
"Forcing an engineering student to tutor a magical genius? Are you kidding me?" I was startled, instinctively taking a step back.
"My Lady..." I hesitated, pulling out the eternal excuse as a shield. "You are a genius; to have a lowly commoner tutor you, I am CONCERNED it would severely affect the reputation of the Shirakawa family."
"You don't need to worry on behalf of the Shirakawa family, Zero," she gently yet decisively brushed aside my background shield. "Yes, family honor is the lifeblood of nobles. But academic stagnation is the true death sentence."
She stepped a little closer, close enough for me to catch the faint scent of orchids from her attire—a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere of the recent testing session.
"The truth is, I am on the verge of breaking through to become a Two-Star Mage. And I have a premonition that your eccentric system is the key for me to surpass that limit," Aiselin tilted her head slightly, her eyes shining with determination. "If your knowledge can push me to an unprecedented height, then the Shirakawa family's reputation will not only remain untarnished, but will grow even more radiant."
She paused for a beat, smiling meaningfully. "And naturally, when that happens... your reputation—as my tutor—will also skyrocket. From an unknown commoner, you will have my absolute protection. Not a bad trade, is it?"
"So this is the sweet trap of capitalism," I sighed inwardly.
The offer sounded very tempting: Win-Win, mutually beneficial. But from the perspective of someone who had tasted the empty promises of capitalist contracts, I fully understood that the so-called "skyrocketing reputation" coupled with protection meant I would be tightly bound to the carriage bearing the Shirakawa crest. Once I stepped on, I would automatically become the target of any political enemies this lady currently had or would make in the future.
"But My Lady, I currently cannot even use one-star magic. How could I possibly be qualified to teach you, someone who is about to reach two stars?" I still tried to find an excuse to decline.
Hearing my refusal, Aiselin was not offended; instead, she laughed. Not her usual elegant laugh, but the laugh of a negotiator who had victory firmly in her grasp.
"What I need is not your meager mana, Zero, but that anomalous theory residing in your head." Aiselin leisurely walked around me, her tone shifting into an extremely professional mode. "Furthermore, I can compensate for that flaw of yours. Upon accepting this tutor position, you will move to live directly at the main estate of the Shirakawa family."
I flinched slightly. "Straight into the tiger's den?"
She continued laying out the attached terms: "You will be granted privileged access to the Library, which houses all documents and magic from one to two stars. However, for magic of three stars and above... you will need direct approval from my father, the Head of the Shirakawa family. In return, you will have a private room, three meals of the highest standard per day, and free use of the isolated training grounds. In short, all your essential needs will be fully covered."
I swallowed lightly. "Free room and board, a private room, and free access to documents. This welfare package is truly no joke for a poor student."
But before I could open my mouth to bargain further, Aiselin delivered the final blow.
"And of course, the monthly remuneration for your services will be... fifteen gold coins."
Crash.
I could hear the sound of every risk-defense barrier in my brain collapsing simultaneously. In this strictly hierarchical world, one silver coin was enough to buy bread to feed a farming family for a whole month. Fifteen gold coins was not just a salary. It was a massive research and development fund! It was a golden ticket for me to buy magical materials and components without a second thought.
My eyes definitely just reflected an extremely pragmatic gleam. Selling oneself to capitalism is the same in any world, as long as the price is high enough.
But before my brain could picture scenes of splashing cash on gear, Aiselin's calm voice cut through that delusion.
"Naturally, I will not hand over that entire sum to you at once. If you accept, I will give you one gold coin upfront as a deposit. This advance is enough for you to send back to your parents so they can live comfortably, consider it a guarantee from the Shirakawa family."
She looked straight at me, her tone carrying an undeniable authority: "You may visit your family or go wherever you wish, but as my personnel, you must request permission prior to any travel schedule. I need to ensure the safety of my people."
"Closing the sale without even waiting, what a capitalist maneuver," I clicked my tongue inwardly.
"As for the rest," she continued. "I will disburse five silver coins each month to pay your base salary for living expenses. The entire remaining balance will be fully settled on the day this contract ends."
This condition was too much of a bargain; having one gold coin in hand right now was enough for me to help my family solve all their problems.
Aiselin suddenly cleared her throat. Her previous pride and clarity suddenly diminished. Aiselin slightly avoided my gaze, her expression revealing a rare hint of hesitation.
"And... there is one more supplementary clause. Later, when you have been granted access to the documents and mastered one-star magic..." Aiselin spoke slower, choosing each word extremely carefully. "I also want you to tutor my younger sister. Her problem is... somewhat very special."
I watched the young lady's hesitant demeanor; there clearly had to be some serious issue for her to want to hire me as a tutor for her sister, but the compensation was too good, I thought to myself.
"I understand, I accept this deal, My Lady." I smiled and replied.
End of Chapter 5