"An offer?" Zaroth asked, clearly on guard.
Elysia leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Would you like to work for me?"
"Work for you? What do you want me to do?"
"It's simple, really. Judging by the way you act and dress, I can guess you've spent your life in some village in the middle of nowhere, only to awaken an impressive talent and try your luck at the academy."
With each word Elysia spoke, Zaroth's hair stood on end. 'How the heck can she guess so accurately?' he wondered.
"So, you don't have any connections to the world's politics, and you despise the rich. I've placed you in A-Class—a spot usually reserved for the children of the wealthiest families—because I want you to cause chaos in this corrupt system. Considering your past, you must hate the rich as much as I do, if not more."
'She's right... I do hate them. And it would be pretty satisfying to mess up their plans.'
"What exactly do you want me to do?" he asked.
Studying him for a moment, Elysia continued, "After your first lesson tomorrow, all the students in the academy will be summoned to the arena by the emperor. He'll announce a tournament that will take place in a month, with the winner granted a wish by the emperor himself.
But it's just a pretext. The winner has already been decided. Their plan is for that person to use their wish to ask for the emperor's daughter's hand in marriage."
"And… my mission is?"
"To win the tournament and prevent that marriage from happening."
"But why would you want that?"
"It would boost my influence and diminish the emperor's. If you want more details, you'll have to earn my trust by completing the task first."
'She wants me to win the tournament? That would mean beating every single person in the academy. Even with Luna's help, could I achieve something that remarkable?'
"And what would I gain in return?" Zaroth asked. If the task was this difficult, the reward had to be equally grand.
"Aside from having your wish granted by the emperor, I'll also grant you a wish. And believe me, just because he's the emperor doesn't mean I don't have more influence than him in certain areas."
'That doesn't sound like a bad deal… though nothing even comes to mind for what I'd wish for.'
"Oh, and also," she added, "agreeing to the offer means you'll get my support. This won't just make your life easier at the academy, but it'll also come with significant financial benefits, plus—"
"I'm in," Zaroth interrupted, his instant answer surprising even himself. But it was expected. He was facing a great challenge ahead… he was poor.
He used the last of his money to rent a room for the week while waiting for the results. Being sponsored by the chairwoman would mean no longer worrying about money. And the most important part? He'd finally be able to buy as much food as he wanted.
Elysia was startled by his quick response but smiled as she extended her hand, shaking his.
"And one more thing," she added, placing a photo in front of him. It was of a girl with red eyes and hair, wearing tattered clothes, clearly homeless.
"This girl is in C-Class. If given the chance, I want you to keep an eye on her, just in case."
"So, get stronger to win the tournament and keep an eye on the girl?" he asked, wanting to confirm he'd understood everything.
"Yes, pretty much. And if you can, anger the rich nobles as much as possible while being in A-Class. It's not a priority, but it would be highly amusing for me."
"I see." Zaroth stood up from his seat, intending to leave. 'I'm so tired. I just want to sleep.'
As he moved, Elysia also stood. "For your accommodation, your bracelet should have received a map showing the location."
"Got it. Thanks. Good evening," he said, turning his back to her—only to freeze in fear.
Elysia was suddenly standing right in front of him. It looked like she'd moved so fast it was as if she'd teleported.
'What? When did she move? She was behind me a second ago, and now she's centimeters away from my face!'
Leaning close, her breasts brushed against his chest, and he was able feel her heartbeat. Elysia spoke, her deadly gaze locking with his, rendering him too scared to move.
"Don't forget, you work for me now. Not anyone else. Am I clear?"
Her delicate hand had somehow found its way behind Zaroth's neck, gently touching it. The message was clear, she could erase him in an instant, should she choose to.
"Y-yes, ma'am," he responded, both scared and embarrassed.
Seeing his reaction, Elysia smiled. "Good. Don't forget it. Good evening."
As Zaroth exited her office, he gasped for air. 'That was so scary!'
'Zaroth…' Luna's voice broke through his thoughts.
'What is it?' he asked.
'If you're scared… why are you aroused?'
'Wha-'
Zaroth wasn't sure how or when this had happened, but it seemed he was discovering new things about himself every day.
Certain thoughts flowed through his mind, imagining what he might use the wish granted by Elysia for...
"Whatever, let's just follow the map and find this place," he muttered.
Thankfully, the map was easy to follow, so he didn't get lost. He stopped in front of a large apartment building. 'It says mine is on the tenth floor. More climbing, huh?'
Once he reached the apartment, he saw that the door didn't have a knob. Unsure how to open it, he noticed his bracelet glowing along with the door. It opened automatically.
Entering, he saw that the apartment was quite large, with a kitchen, a table big enough for eight people, and a double bed.
"I like it here!" Luna said as she manifested into existence.
Zaroth quickly went through his training routine, took a shower in the bathroom, and went to sleep. The bed was large and comfortable, and as soon as he lay down, he drifted off.
He would need all the strength he could muster, because tomorrow, his life at the academy would begin.
*****
"That went better than expected," Elysia muttered, sitting comfortably in her chair.
"Still… it's better if the fact that he can tame strong creatures remains a secret for now. After the incident with the lost continent, people have been quick to execute anyone showing promise as a tamer."
She sighed, taking a sip of her coffee. It seemed another sleepless night awaited her.
"Not that I can blame them," she added. "If a single legendary beast tamer could cause such devastation… anyone would tremble at the chance of a mythical beast tamer appearing, and what they might do should they succumb to their beasts' temptations.
And for me to be the only one who noticed his potential... this boy seems to be quite lucky."