Celina lightly smiled as she saw Vale being tempted by her request.
The allure of the Shadow Step and Vale's desire for a powerful movement technique was her bet to take Vale outside of the Academy.
She believed that by tempting him with this opportunity, she could ensnare him in her web of manipulation, ultimately achieving dominance over him…
She couldn't help but feel excited about this.
She wanted Vale to be hers before the competition started. After all, if her Personal Shadow Knight achieved great results in the competition, then it would be the same as the Vermont Family achieving results!
She would then become famous in her clan and would be envied by many.
On the other hand, Vale's mind raced as he analyzed the situation.
He knew that Celina was cunning and had her own agenda, but the allure of the Shadow Step Spell Model was undeniable. The power and advantage it could provide him in his pursuit of Dark Arts were tempting.
She was also right about the difficulty of procuring the Shadow Stone needed to record this Spell Model. After all, his highly-rated Dark Spells like the Create Shadow Soldier and Moonlight Curse were just stolen or extracted from others.
Even the Spell Dispersion and Incorruptible Body required some unique potions to record them.
Nevertheless, Vale was not one to be easily swayed or manipulated. He had learned to trust his instincts, especially when it came to matters of danger and deception. He also trusts his own strength to deal with any problems that he might encounter in this request. As he looked at Celina, his expression remained cold and guarded.
"Celina," Vale finally spoke, his voice laced with caution, "I appreciate your offer, but I cannot simply accept it without more information. What is the nature of this mission? Why do you want me specifically? And what guarantee do I have that it is not a trap?"
Celina's smile wavered slightly, her eyes narrowing as she realized that Vale was not as easily convinced as she had hoped. She knew she had to tread carefully if she wanted to gain his cooperation.
However, she wasn't too disappointed about this since she still had other plans to ensure that she could take him outside.
"Senior Vale, I understand your concerns…" Celina responded, her tone tinged with a hint of frustration. "The mission I speak of involves retrieving a rare artifact from a hidden location outside the Academy. It requires someone with your unique skills and knowledge in the dark arts... To be exact, your Advanced Realm Ghost Hands would be useful on this mission."
She paused for a moment, carefully choosing her words. "As for the guarantee, I am willing to offer you a binding magical contract. It will ensure our mutual cooperation and safety throughout the duration of the mission. You have my word that I have no ill intentions towards you."
Vale's eyes narrowed further, his mind working through the possibilities. A binding magical contract would indeed provide some level of assurance, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to this than meets the eye.
He then recalled something and asked doubtfully. "Wait… How can you accept such a mission? Retrieving a rare artifact? Isn't that supposed to be given to higher years?"
"Of course, not… Second-year students can now accept these missions as long as they have a senior with them and it isn't rated to be highly dangerous. After all, there were changes in the Twelve Academies Competitions, so they're probably preparing the students a lot earlier. As for the reason that it requires two months of preparations, it's related to the new port being built to the town where the mission's objective is located." Celina replied.
That sounded a good argument, so Vale could only nod. Anyway, he could also check this mission later.
"Very well, Celina," Vale finally replied, his voice firm. "If you are willing to provide a binding magical contract and answer any additional questions I may have, then I will consider joining you on this mission. But remember, I am not one to be easily deceived or used. Should I sense any treachery or manipulation, our agreement will be null and void."
Celina's expression turned serious as she met Vale's gaze. "Agreed, Vale. I understand the weight of your words, and I assure you that I have no intention of betraying your trust. We will discuss the details of the mission further, and I will answer any questions you have."
As the conversation continued, Vale couldn't completely shake off his suspicions. The mission outside the Academy held both promise and danger, and he knew he would need to maintain his guard so he wouldn't suffer if he was met with a trap.
Soon, Vale left the clubroom, and Celina was left alone.
Unbeknownst to Vale, as he walked away, Celina's smile transformed into a sinister grin. She relished in the success of her plan… It was unfortunate that the mission would still happen in two more months, but it would also allow her to complete the stage she had prepared and fully use her family's Elite Arcanists to capture Vale and bend his will.
Once they were outside, she could guarantee that no one would be able to save Vale from her plans.
'It's your fault for rejecting me…'
***
On the next day, the third-year class continued as usual. There weren't any early assessments for now, but there would be many of them before the academic year ends since they would have to choose which Dark Arts Branch they'll take next year.
That's right. During this year, they have to really consider what path to take so they won't waste a year of study.
As the morning sun bathed the Academy in golden hues, Vale prepared himself for another day of learning and discovery.
Today, he would attend his Alchemy class, a subject that had always intrigued him. This subject wasn't something he could easily learn outside the Academy, so he really wouldn't dare to miss this class.
Nevertheless, there was another reason he was excited about today's class, which was also the reason why he wouldn't choose the Dark Alchemist Path.
Well, he currently held an advantage over his classmates thanks to the collection of memories he had extracted from the corpses of skilled alchemists inside the Dark Soul Tower!
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