-1st person-

"Work for you?" He asked, tilting his head slightly as his greasy hair shook.

"Work for me. I'll pay you properly." I repeat, my smile unwavering.

"Uh- Sure. Does this mean I can keep researching?" He said, raising an eyebrow innocently.

"Yeah, but you have to work for me by selling your potions and pills under my name. I'll earn the income and you get a salary. Also, you can't tell anyone of this." I say, finding a piece of paper and imbuing some mana, cosmos and qi into it. I made a mana contract and wrote the conditions.

[This contract will ensure Party A (Raymond Valtere) hires Party B (Lorence Worden) under these conditions:

1.) Party A will pay Party B according to how hard Party B works.

2.) Party B will keep confidentiality, and will not reveal the contract under any circumstances unless Party A tells him to.

3.) Party B will make any pills or potions requested by Party A.

4.) Party A will fund Party B's research.

5.) Party B will be completely loyal to Party A.

If any of these conditions are violated, Party B will die.]

I handed it to him.

"Read the conditions, I've just drafted it so I'm sure-" I pause, seeing Lorence already signing it without a doubt. "Uh- Shouldn't you at least doubt it or something?" I ask, and he turns to me.

"Why, though?" I held myself back from slapping my forehead. I felt the invisible bonds snap over my soul, Lorence probably felt the same thing since I saw him flinch slightly.

Well, this just makes it easier for me to manipulate him...

"Well- What if I was trying to scam you or something?" I ask, looking at him as his face reddened slightly. Was he ill?

"But I trust you." He smiled at me.

Trust... Bad move...

I rolled my eyes inwardly at his stupidity and spoke, "Well, I'll just thank you for your trust. Even if we haven't known each other for a long time." I paused and continued. "I'll let you meet your co-workers. You should choose a codename, mine is [Dodecatheon Meadia]."

"Dodecatheon... Meadia?" He asked, tilting his head. I nodded my head.

"Strange, right? I based it on a flower." I added.

"No- I didn't find it strange. Just... New." He tried to explain himself. I shook my head.

"No, it's fine." I said, smiling slightly wider in an attempt to calm him down. I take a device from my pocket and hand it to him.

It was a phone.

"Here, this is the communication device we use." I say, giving it to him.

"A phone? Why not something else like the chips that allow to use everything digitally?" He questioned as he took it.

"Barely anyone focuses on phones these days. Better to use these since practically no one knows how to work them." I explain calmly. He nodded his head slightly and pressed it randomly.

"So... How do you use it?" He asked nervously, and I lean closer to direct him on the basic uses. His face grew redder, maybe it was just an illness of something.

"... And that's how it's used, there are different ways to use it but you can find them out yourself." I lean back and start walking away. "Just give me a call when you're ready to start working, I guess." I yawn as I step out of the room and glance at my watch. The time was getting closer to the usual time Rein would enter the classroom, and I started to walk on my way back to my class.

---

A few minutes later,

I walked into the classroom, all the students quietened and looked at me before they continued their conversations. I looked at Xhenia, and walked up to the group silently.

"Anything happen whilst I was gone?" I ask, sitting down in my seat and looking at each human.

"Nothing happened." Vincent replied dryly.

"Well, I just found out that Devron is willing to date someone he hasn't known for long." Crystal said, butting in with a giggle.

"Yeah, I saw that earlier. Were you too busy talking to Vincent to see?" I ask, tilting my head as I notice her ears reddening slightly.

"Yeah, I was..." She admitted as if she had committed a crime.

"Why are you saying it like you feel guilty?" I ask.

"I don't know! It feels like you're interrogating me." She replied defensively, turning her head away as if not wanting to continue conversation. I chuckled slightly and turned to Xhenia, who'd taken her seat.

"Anything happen with you?" I ask her.

"No, nothing as of yet." She answered, as if giving a report and I roll my eyes.

"Okay, then." I looked at Lilith and Devron, "And you?"

Lilith gave a bright grin and Devron smiled sheepishly.

"I guess you can say I'm taken now." Lilith said, forgetting her fear momentarily as she openly held Devron's hand. Their fingers were interlocked and every so often he'd rub her hand with his thumb. His hands were quite a lot larger than hers so his hands almost completely covered hers.

How ironic.

"Does this call for celebration?" I ask, smiling at the two.

He shook his head slightly, holding his other hand up. "No, it's fine, Master." He said.

"I was only joking, Devron." I said, a wry smile on my face. He nodded his head.

"I see." He replied shortly.

They were still holding hands.

"Isn't it a bit hasty, though?" I mumbled, looking from their hands to their faces.

"Nothing's too hasty when I'm in love!" Lilith replied cheerfully and I rolled my eyes inwardly.

"Really?" I asked rhetorically. Lilith seemed to finally realise her fear and spoke.

"And I definitely didn't do anything to seduce him." She added, glancing at Devron for support.

"Ah, yes. She didn't try anything to make me accept." He said, realising her silent plead and tightening his grip on her hand to reassure her.

I glanced at Sayna and spoke in a slightly cold tone.

"And you?" I ask. Sayna jumped from her reverie as she glanced at Devron and Lilith before turning to me.

("Repeat that for me.") She signed.

"Did anything happen with you?" I ask, tilting my head and correcting my tone.

("No, nothing.") She hastily signed, as if the mere thought of telling me her issues would kill her.

Could she be jealous?

I looked back and forth between her and Devron, noticing her occasional glances. It seems she just got jealous of Lilith, and was barely listening to our conversation.

"Sure..." I mumbled in an unconvinced tone, and I turned to the door as I heard footsteps.

Rein walked into the classroom, followed by another student with her hair in a rat tail. Her uniform was basic yet pretty. A skirt began from just below her chest, reaching to half her of her thighs and she had a gold thread. She wore opaque tights and wore short heels, her lips were plump and her skin lively. She had dark brown hair, almost a black and her eyes were a brown. As I finished examining her looks, I glanced at the book in her grasp and barely read the title. I felt a chuckle emerge from myself.

 

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Author's Note

 

Took a while for me to actually write this...