"I accept that deal," he straightforwardly told her.
Ultimately, while he had qualms about taking on a sort of leadership role, he was deeply attracted to what the headmistress was offering in return.
She smiled at his words.
"I am happy to hear that."
"So…" Cæ raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to draft the contract or should I?"
Her eyebrows furrowed as she tilted her head. "…Contract?"
"One that specifies our agreement," Cæ replied. "You didn't think I would just take you at your word, did you?"
The difference in power was far too large for that. He was not confident that he could get what he was promised if it was merely a verbal promise. Of course, he was not naive enough to believe that a simple contract would be enough to shackle a master mage with as much influence and authority as the headmistress.
However, once signed, the probability of it coming back to bite the Headmistress if she chose to violate it was not zero.
Even if he lacked the magicapita to pursue a civil case for any violation of the contract, he was certain that someone as powerful as her had enemies and opponents who would like to watch her downfall.
It was possible that they would exploit this possibility to make this case actually hurt.
Additionally, this was also a test that allowed him to verify whether she was actually committed to this agreement or whether this was just a light verbal promise that she would be able to wiggle out of.
"Hahaha…" a bemused chuckle escaped her. "I see, I'm starting to understand how you are indeed inclined to pursue a business enterprise."
She composed herself before directing a powerful gaze into his gray eyes.
"I accept that condition. I will draft a contract and have you sign two copies. Additionally, I will stamp it with the Institute's seal in my capacity as Headmistress. Does that sate your concern about my sincerity?"
Cæ stirred at her words.
Admittedly, it did. She would not put the institution's seal if she didn't intend to adhere to every word of the contract. That would just be beyond foolish as it would open her up to far too much liability to be worth anything she could gain by deceiving him on this particular matter. Monetarily, the venture magicapita that his business idea would need was peanuts compared to the revenue and investment that the school received from its loaded sponsors and stakeholders.
"…Might I ask why you are doing this?" Cæ asked with a solemn tone.
She frowned. "I believe I have explained my rationale deeply enough for the purposes of this transaction, have I not?"
"…I suppose you have," he admitted. "But I don't understand why you are inclined to even pursue talent maximization in the first place. I don't understand how this benefits you in any way. Just what is there for you in all of this at the end of the day?"
His tone was earnest as he genuinely conveyed his conversation.
The perfunctory smile on her elderly face as she simply gazed at Cæ with a serious expression.
The air grew a little heavier with the silence.
"You strike me as a person who has never run into someone who aims for a principle," she began. "I believe that this institute can do better, and as the headmistress, I simply seek to aim for that. On a broader level, I believe that this nation can do better."
A small smile emerged on her face. "That is why I am a part of the Equitist Faction."
Cæ simply stared at her for a moment. Her brown hair was checkered with white hair while her skin had it's fair share of wrinkles, and yet her vibrant green eyes were clear as they peered into his.
"…I see." He heaved a sigh. "Then, I will take you at face value. As long as the contract you draft accurately codifies everything we have agreed to, I will sign it."
"That's good to know," she replied simply with a pleased smile.
"As for not having run into someone who aims for a principle…" his eyes grew melancholic. "You're wrong."
His tone was soft.
Solemn.
"I once knew a person who truly lived and embodied her principles and values."
His hardened expression softened as an uncharacteristically gentle smile emerged on his face for just the briefest of moments before withering away.
He got up abruptly, directing one last glance towards the Headmistress. "Then, I will await the contract. I will be late to class if I prolong this meeting any further, so please excuse me and thank you for your generosity, Headmistress."
"…Not at all, I apologize for taking more of your time than I anticipated." She smiled. "I appreciate your patience."
He bade her goodbye before departing from the office.
She waved her hand as the large doors locked in place before pulling out a special artifact checkered with glowing runes from within her robes.
"What do you think?"
Her tone was more serious and severe.
The air grew heavy.
The faint tingle of peril lurked in the air electrically.
A transmitted male voice emerged from the artifact. "Calm and composed. Sharp and keen. Handled the conversation rather confidently and did not let the power differential impede his negotiations with you. It is very much unlike what you would expect from a freshman of the Apprentice Program."
The tone of the speaker was clinical and frosty.
"Impressive, isn't he?" she smiled knowingly. "I suspect it's his background. Living in the dangerous slums for much of his life must have raised his barrier of fear."
"Indeed, he has a tremendous potential." The man concluded. "His magic aptitude test scores would have earned him rank one if not for Lisha Pyrosche. His temperament is highly conducive to his future as a mage. Additionally, with his background, it is possible for us to recruit him to our cause by appealing to it his past, or so I thought…"
She nodded with a serious expression. "I was rather certain that he should have strong feelings on the matter surrounding the tribulations, suffering, and challenges that those from his background, but he was able to quash them and focus on benefits and incentives. That is not what I hoped."
"A competent, self-centered man is a better asset than a naive, selfless fool," the male voice replied. "I don't think his desire to make the best for himself is bad. He can still be recruited to our movement, nonetheless. You will just need to be more patient."
"I am aware. I believe that his venture at attempting to lead the students of this magicademy should allow him to get a better understanding of just how unjustly wide the gulf between students is. It should help him be more predisposed to aiding our movements," she remarked. "For now, I believe we should proceed with caution. There is no point in trying to rush this particular case. Especially when he could become an extraordinary asset to our interests…"
Her eyes shifted to a document on her table as she skimmed past, stopping at a report.
A medical diagnostic report on a particular patient who was in the hospital more than half a year ago.
[Acquired Savant Syndrome.]
It had shown up on the regular background check on all admitted students. She had decided to go as far as to erase all records about it to ensure that nobody else could get their hands on a potential super-asset.
"I am not particularly convinced that this increases his value to us in our mission," the male voice's tone was uninterested. "Acquired Savant Syndrome, from what I understand, could center around aptitude in any particular field of pursuit in the world, including any one of the countless mundane fields that are irrelevant to our objective. The probability that it is useful or relevant to our evaluation of his strategic potential is extraordinarily low."
"I am not unaware of that," Headmistress Lenolia replied with a calm tone. "But my intuition tells me that it could be of great import."
"Intuition, hm?" the male voice was skeptical. "Well, I'll leave the matter to you. I am busy commencing preparations for our plans for the Mana Festival that will be celebrated in a few years' time. Regardless, make sure you recruit him to Twilight."
The name hung in the air like an impending storm.
"More importantly, make sure that your identity as a member of Twilight and surrounding activities is kept a secret," the man's frosty voice grew sharp. "Our means have changed from overt to covert when we failed all those years ago in the Twilight Rebellion. You must ensure that the secrecy of Twilight is never jeopardized, no matter what when recruiting students to our cause."
His tone was fierce, emphasizing every word he uttered.
It chilled the atmosphere by a few degrees.
"I am well aware of that," she remarked with a firm tone. "I am among the people who designed the protocols for our furtive modus operandi, after all. Rest assured that I will adhere to it."
"Good."
BZZZT
The call was cut as the special artifact on her table went dark. She heaved a sigh as she returned it to her sleeve, falling into a deep thought.
She had the vague intuition that Cæ was hiding something but was unable to understand what it could be. And as much as her intuition told her otherwise, she, too, thought it was unlikely that the details of his neurological condition were going to be of any relevance to Twilight.
Still, there was something about him and the way that he carried herself that gave her the profound impression that he harbored deep secrets within him.
"I suppose I will just have to monitor him more extensively."
She thought back to the agreement, the soon-to-be contract that they had come to. She hadn't expected that he would bargain so diplomatically. It was hard to even think of him as a freshman for the magicademy for whom she would need to put on an extra friendly facade to calm down and relax.
Yet, he was as cool as a cucumber and walked away after maximizing the benefits that he got from the meeting.
"Fascinating, he truly does have a mindset suited for business."
She thought about the intelligence reports that the Divination Corps had given to her regarding the rendezvous that he had with one Feidin Norton.
"Housing in the slums…" her eyebrows rose with interest.
It was a business proposition that sounded absolutely ludicrous on the surface, yet upon actually understanding his detailed intentions, she realized that it was actually extremely clever.
It was remarkably divergent in its novelty.
And more importantly, she interpreted his decision to target the hardest market segment in the country instead of more lucrative market segments as a sign that he wanted to do some good for the poorest of the poor because he had been through what they had been through.
She didn't realize how much virtue she was projecting on him.
"This is a business venture that I would have supported even without anything in return."
She had managed to hide that well enough to instead get something out of him as well. Cultivating a leader out of him would surely play in the favor of the Equitist movement and perhaps even the other organization of which she was a member.
She also saw the potential to contribute to them even more if he actually succeeded in blowing up his business in the slums.
After all, he who controlled shelter controlled people's lifelines.
A soft smile emerged on her face as she gazed at Cæ's profile.
"I look forward to seeing how he develops."