Chapter 36 - 『Contract』

Jet sat on the edge of the empty, leaf filled, fountain. His one uncovered eye was on the man who had stolen his 'beloved' Arche, sitting, right beside him. "I'd like you to relinquish your claim on Arche..."

Jack just stared at the young man giving such a statement, a demand. Why would he 'relinquish' the girl who he had just started to date over to him? Why would he surrender anyone to him? His stare lasted long and silently, building up the suspense.

"Yeah… No, that's not going to happen. She accepted my proposal of courtship."

"What do you mean no? I've known her longer than you!"

"Don't pull that card, it means nothing, and please don't shout," Jack chuckled softly as he rested his elbow on his knee and his chin upon his fist. His eyes stared at the front doors of the manor. "This isn't the reason why I invited you here." He had this blank smile on his face, a smile that meant little to nothing pleasant.

"I... I figured it wasn't. I just wanted to let you know, I'm not going to give up on her."

Jack just looked over at Jet for a few moments before looking back over his shoulder towards the Gates. There was another person standing there, someone in a similar uniform to his own, though of the female variety. His eyes then settled back on the young lad sitting beside him.

"Personally, I think you should just stick to what you've got."

Blinking a few times, Jet glanced over his shoulder towards his childhood friend Nemel. His lips parted slightly as she was leaning against the outer gate, waiting for him.

"Is that not a girl you like?"

"She's just my friend..." Jet turned forward, folding his hands in his lap with a light sigh. "So why did you invite me here?" His one eye glared harshly on the Angel who he had met the night before.

"Your mother has a supposedly incurable disease..." Jack imitated that of a yawn, before looking back towards the doors ahead of him. His eyes closing, "If you sign a contract with me, I will cure your mother. If you break this contract, she will rebound and die shortly afterward."

Of course, the rebound was generally a lie, the mother wouldn't just get the disease again, unless it was some sort of curse. That would probably suck pretty badly. Though he had no problem going through with this contract.

Jet froze almost completely when he was given this offer. It made him break out into a cold sweat, wondering what exactly he wanted out of him. He was just a student at the academy...

"Wha-what exactly do you want me to do for you?"

Jack summoned what appeared to be a piece of parchment from thin air, similar to how he had created that invitation, and held it out for Jet to take.

Jet stared at him for a few seconds before his eye dropped down to look at the decorated parchment. It had the same emblem as the wax on the invitation. He would slowly take it from the man's hand and look over the details which were written down.

"What... Is this?" He looked up from the contract and raised a brow at Jack.

"In exchange for saving your mothers life, you, Jet will be my assistant in the Imperial Magic Academy. You will recruit talented individuals with talents like yourself into a club, which I will supervise."

"How are you going to supervise a club in the Academy, you're not even..." That's when he stopped for a moment and leaned back slightly over the inner edge of the fountain.

"Fluder Paradyne, the headmaster has made me an honorary member of the Academy." Jack rolled his jaw as he looked over the young man with a dull look in his eyes.

"So that's how..." Jet uttered quietly, seeing as this angel was somehow connected with the Head Master and Court Wizard of the Empire itself. Just those connections made him a powerful person, aside from his probable prowess over magic itself.

"Oh... And I'll be hosting a ball at some point for the Emperor, I want to see if you'd like to sample some spices." Jack was using his Greater Identification on Jet, he could see his skills and his talents. Having someone skilled in creating spices through magic seemed rather useful.

Blinking several times when Jack asked him if he wanted to sample spices, "W-what exactly would I be getting out of that?"

"I am for certain that the Empire doesn't have them. You'd be the first to sample and probably replicate them." Jack said as he reached over with his free arm and nudged him in the side with his fist.

Jet stared at this guy. He had stolen the person he believed to cherish as she had gone out of her way to advise and protect him in the past. That and she in a way had a beauty on the level of elegance, at least in his eyes. Yet, this man here... He was offering him the opportunity to expand his skill with creating spices through magic, as well as saving his mother? This would allow him to focus on his studies. Just who was this guy? Why was he giving so much? What could possibly... His mind went back to what he was being asked.

He wants to collect talented people? Jet just locked his eye with Jack's. "Why do you want me to bring all of those with talents together?"

"So you're interested?" Jack leaned towards him slightly as he was remaining slouched over where he sat. "Or are you concerned?"

Jet smiled slightly at Jack for a small moment before slowly standing up, looking over the contract one last time. "You have my attention," he responded quietly as he let his arms fall down to his sides. "I'm in."

"In that case, I want to learn about talents. And I'm sure you and anyone else like you, would like to know how to utilize your potential, and learn new spells."

"You're not wrong..." Jet would very much like to not have to wear his eye patch in order to stop himself from seeing through illusions. Though truth be told, the only reason he hadn't fully confronted Jack the day before, was because he could see through the vale. "But how would we utilize our potential without reaching it?"

Seemingly taking an item out of a hole which appeared out of thin air, Jet's brows raised in confusion. He watched as Jack held this thick leather collar in his hand with a half broken chain. It looked like something a slave or pet would wear.

"The hell is that?"

"I know what it looks like," Jack snickered lightly, "But this item will make learning and gathering experience much easier."

"Gathering experience…?" Jet furrowed his brows now as he reached out and lightly grasped the item. He felt it with his hand, it was definitely leather. 『Appraise Item』『Detect Enchant』

His mouth was hanging open as he learned that Jack wasn't lying. Apparently this item enhanced one's ability to gain power, whilst weakening them in the process. "Where exactly did you get something like this…?" Jet could only stare at the man without so much as a twitch of the eye. "That's a top class magic item!"

Jack simply made a smug expression on his face, "I have five more of them."

Jet's jaw couldn't reach far enough down, it looked as if it was going to pop right off of its hinges.

"Plus various other artifacts and items you've probably never laid eyes on." That smug look on Jack's face didn't go away as he was bragging.

"Where did you even pull that out of!?" Jet palmed the side of his face, feeling rather defeated in the realm of wealth related to magical items. There was no way he could compete with that!

"My talent is spatial storage," Jack replied with a simply tone of voice now, a blank expression on his face, one which almost matched that of stoic angels.

"Though I will give this to you as a gift," Jack took out the Mask of Envy, a rather spiteful joke, and held it out for the boy to take.

Jet stared at the mask red green and blue mask. "Th...thanks?" Taking the mask, he went to appraise it and just narrowed his eyes. It was a Low Class Item, it had no effect and was useless all together.

"Thank you for accepting it." Jack shook his head slightly as he crossed one leg over his knee.

Suddenly there was the sound of fluttering fabric. Without warning, Eve planted a heroic landing directly in front of the fountain, one knee and hand to the ground. As she lifted her head, she raised a brow with a big grin across her face. "Oniisama, What'cha doin'?"

Jet just stared at the tween which had appeared, having jumped from the top level of the building and landed without much harm. "What…?" Looking up towards the roof, then back down towards her, he glanced over to Jack.

"Good Morning Eve," Jack let his head lazily lull to the side, "Just chatting with a friend."

"Ooooh?" Eve's eyes centered on Jet for a moment, pursing her lips. "Why's he wearing an eyepatch? Is it an empty socket or something?"

Jet sighed quietly, "No. It's just really sensitive to the light."

Eve's left cheek puffed up in annoyance the moment he lied to her face, her brows pointing down angrily because of this.

"My sister is a living lie detector. That's her talent."

Jet groaned and face palmed once more, "I can see through Illusions."

"Much better!" Eve's angry face suddenly brightened up immediately.

Suddenly becoming visible standing behind the two boys, in the fountain, Shizu spoke. "Jack-oniisama, Arche and her sisters have finished their bath, they're getting dressed now."

Jet nearly fell off the side of the fountain when the monotone voice appeared out of no where. "By the Great Gods… How many sisters do you have?"

"Plenty," Jack replied without any sign of hesitation.

"Are any of them angels..?"

"Figuratively or literally?"

Jet just took the eye patch off and looked over Eve. She didn't seem to have any illusions. So as he turned to look over to Shizu, he turned right into her fingers as she pasted a sticker his forehead.

"Eh?"

"I think it's about time for you to go," Jack laughed as Shizu began to pet the top of his head, as if he were some sort of pet. "You don't want to keep Nemel waiting, do you?"

All of Jet's thoughts halted the moment he named his childhood friend. He had never named her, he had only said that she was his childhood friend. Someone who he had protected and wanted to protect.

"H-how do you know her name?"

"Angels are no less Monsters than Demons," Jack made his voice low, deep and intimidating, making what he said come off as a threat.

"So… How do you want me to sign?" Arche's former classmate and friend gestured towards the contract in his hand, before narrowing his eyes on a ballpoint pen which was handed out to him. "What's that…?