After discussing the institute for about half an hour, during which Daniel gained the information he needed and satisfied his curiosity, Envy proceeded to make her offer.
"If you're interested in joining the Institute, I can recommend you to the Headmaster. Based on what I know about your proficiency in both artifice and alchemy, I'm confident the Headmaster would welcome you with open arms! Moreover, if you're inclined, you could even become the department head of Atlantean Artifice or the Department Head of Ancient Alchemy," Envy extended her offer.
As one of the three most authoritative executives in the Hightower, she saw great potential in Daniel's knowledge. Reviving lost knowledge such as Atlantean Artifact Creation or the Ancient Alchemy, teachings attributed directly to Hermes himself, would be a remarkable achievement. This accomplishment alone could enhance her faction's reputation, attracting mages who were still deliberating their faction choice.
"No, thank you, Ms. Envy. The current situation here is not stable enough for me to leave the country and assume a full-time teaching position. Moreover, I consider the Atlantean Artifact crafting method to be a closely guarded secret of my business. I want to maximize the benefits I can derive from it before I consider teaching it to others," Daniel paused before continuing.
"However, I have come up with an offer that might interest both you and Miss Greed."
Upon hearing her name, Greed placed the tea and cookies on a plate, setting it on the tea table, and turned her attention to Daniel.
"It's not out of the question if you want to learn the Atlantean Artifact Crafting Method. I can provide you with the necessary materials and a workshop for learning. The condition is that anyone who wishes to learn must sign a non-disclosure contract, promising not to teach it to others or disclose any information they hear or experience in this place to a third party. They would also need to work for me in this place for at least ten years."
"I assure you, ten years is considered an intermediate level of proficiency in the Atlantean Artifact Creation method. To master all its aspects, it would likely take at least 30 years for an average person." Daniel explained.
"But I've heard that you only studied the Atlantean Artifact Creation method for ten years and managed to master both Artifice and Ancient Alchemy. I don't believe it would take that long," Envy countered, attempting to negotiate the terms with Daniel. In her opinion, ten years seemed excessive.
Daniel could only smile and present another offer. "If you believe ten years is too long, then the duration can be reduced. However, if they choose to learn it half-heartedly and cause problems when they venture outside, the responsibility does not lie with us. Furthermore, if they wish to establish their own workshop and sell Atlantean Artifacts, they will still be required to pay us a 25% royalty fee until 2043. How does that sound?" Daniel proposed.
Upon hearing the alternative offer, which imposed greater obligations on those who learned the method, it became apparent that Daniel was firm in his resolve to monopolize this knowledge for at least ten years. Envy couldn't help but release a sigh.
"Fine, have it your way," Envy conceded, while Greed smiled in understanding. As a businesswoman and someone who knows that envy is one of the three leaders in the Hightower, Greed comprehended Envy's stance.
"Aunt Envy, ten years is already quite generous. If I were in Daniel's position and monopolized this knowledge, I might have imposed even stricter restrictions. Besides, we are well aware of the remarkable nature of Atlantean artifacts. I believe Daniel doesn't want his reputation to be tarnished by those who learn the technique half-heartedly, merely to claim they possess knowledge of Atlantean Artifact Creation," Greed explained, providing her perspective to her aunt.
Hearing Greed take Daniel's side, Envy gave her a suspicious look before teasingly smiling at the woman she had raised since childhood.
"Ohhh? Are you taking his side? You haven't even become his girlfriend yet and you're already siding with him? Hmmmm? I don't think Wrath minds sharing him, but are you sure? He already has a daughter with Wrath, so you'll need to prove yourself to little Sylvana, you know," Envy playfully remarked, her eyes fixed on Greed, and Daniel could sense Envy's mana flowing into her gaze.
Greed blushed and quickly responded, "Little Sylvana is fond of me. I believe I can befriend her, and Wrath is also my friend. We can..."
Greed's words abruptly halted as Envy ceased using her magic. Panic flooded Greed's expression.
"AUNT ENVY!!! WHAT DID YOU MAKE ME SAY!?" Greed roared in embarrassment, her face blushing red like a tomato, realizing that she had been hypnotized into revealing her innermost thoughts.
Being the weakest Witch among the Witch of The Seven Deadly Sins, Greed was more susceptible to falling under the influence of other magic and hypnotic gazes. Normally, she would wear multiple magic wards to protect herself from such effects. However, since she had come to Daniel's place with Envy, who was considered the most powerful Witch and her guardian, she hadn't bothered with the wards. Wearing them would have left her feeling drained at the end of the day, as the wards required her mana to function.
She never expected that the person she trusted would play a trick on her like this. Now she didn't know how to face Daniel, as her deepest thoughts had been unwittingly exposed, No! It was just a fleeting and foolish notion, not her deepest desire!!
"Alright, now that the business is settled, I suppose it's time for a third wheel like me to make myself scarce," Envy exaggerated, playing up her act. She then turned to Daniel and added, "Mr. Magitek, I'll send someone to finalize the contract with you once I've returned to headquarters." With that, Envy swiftly exited the room, humming playfully.
Daniel could only offer a wry smile as he witnessed their antics. "Alright, Ms. Greed, let's continue discussing our business. We should be efficient, as I still need to join with Wrath and little Sylvana before the day is over," Daniel suggested, trying to steer Greed back to the matter at hand.
"Oh, right! Let's make it quick! I'm also eager to meet little Sylvana," Greed agreed, redirecting her attention to the business discussion.
—
In a secluded corner of the laboratory parking lot, away from prying eyes, Envy hurriedly made her way to this hidden spot. Once there, she swiftly cast a seclusion field to ensure privacy before finally releasing her tight grip on her emotions.
"Arrrrrrgh!!!" Envy let out a piercing scream, her eyes glowing with a deep purple hue. The seclusion field rippled as it struggled to contain the overwhelming power unleashed by her intense emotions. The surrounding area trembled under the surge of mana and Envy's witch powers, causing the concrete ground beneath her to crack under the mounting pressure.
"I'm so... envious!! Wrath... she has a precious daughter and a husband who loves her despite her foolishness! Why? Why does she possess something I yearn for? Why does Magitek have everything I aspire to? The ancient knowledge of artifice! The lost method of creating a true philosopher's stone without sacrificing lives! Whyyyyy? Why??" Envy's voice echoed with frustration and the depths of her envy were laid bare in her raspy tone. The vibrant purple light radiated intensely, threatening to shatter the very confines of her protective field.
Suddenly, the raging power abruptly vanished, leaving Envy collapsed on the ground, struggling to maintain her balance but ultimately succumbing to the force of gravity. Her once black hair now bore a light purple hue, and the manifestation of her witch mutation began to take hold. Her green irises transformed into a captivating shade of purple. The dormant aspect of her sin had awakened, mutating her body into the embodiment of her greatest fear.
"Ha…. Ha…." Envy stayed on all four panting exhaustedly after she had forcefully suppressed her power after she had unleashed it for a significant amount. This stopped her power from further rampaging but the remaining of her power had backlash and mutated all of her being.
Now, after hundred years of trying to reduce and control her power to not hurt others, in just one day, what she had suppressed had been for naught.
Envy reflected on her long and tumultuous life, tracing it back to the moment she first obtained her powers through a soul fragment of Leviathan, the demon that served as the wellspring of her abilities. It was during the fall of the Roman Empire, a time when she, as the daughter of a noble Roman, faced the harshest of consequences. She had lost everything—the brutal decapitation of her lover by the Visigoths unfolded before her very eyes while she cowered in hiding. Her esteemed and opulent family estate was reduced to ashes, her father ruthlessly murdered by his own servants, and her mother subjected to a gruesome fate at the hands of the Visigoths.
In the aftermath, she relied on whatever meager means she possessed to survive the darkest period of her existence. She resorted to lies, betrayal, theft, and even took lives while her victims slumbered, her blade finding its mark. She cunningly struck down the captain of the Visigoths, who had been charmed by her beauty, before she became the target of his vengeful subordinates. Cornered near a precipitous cliff, with capture imminent, she made a desperate decision. Choosing to deny her pursuers the satisfaction of capturing her, she plunged into the treacherous depths of the sea, intent on ending her own life.
In death's embrace, a foreign soul fragment took possession of her body, resulting in a fierce internal struggle for control. Envy fought tenaciously, ultimately consuming the residual power contained within that meager soul fragment.
New novel chapters are published on fr(e)ewebnov(e)l.com