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As he ran to the cafeteria, cutting the wind like an arrow and astonishing the students he passed by, Adam pondered the persuasive argument he could employ to sway Shepard.

The man was already an arcanist, leagues above the other teachers. Offering him a way to become an adept would be insufficient.

He couldn\'t share Kwame\'s or Elisa\'s legacies, either. Even if Shepard didn\'t outright kill him for possessing knowledge labelled dangerous by the entire planet, what would happen after the other archmages discovered his advancement? Or worse, the magus in person?

He frowned upon reaching this point as Julius stepped inside the cafeteria.

After swiping the place with his hazel eyes, he noticed a small group of teachers engaged in a heated discussion. Their table was filled with pints or glasses, releasing the sweet scent of alcohol.

"I\'m telling you, my approach to elemental conversion in alchemy is at least twenty percent more effective than yours!" Thurin exclaimed, confronting Vikram with a confident tone.

"Maybe, but it consumes forty percent more mana. You sacrifice stability for efficiency. That\'s why my success rate is higher than yours." Vikram answered, his gaze sharp. He prided himself as the college\'s best alchemist and wouldn\'t step back.

Then, he noticed the approaching Julius. His eyes lit up as he rose from his seat.

"A student requests my support. We\'ll continue this conversation later. Even if you are wrong." He said, smirking at Thurin before walking to meet the boy.

"Big brother has a favor to ask. Can you help us?" Julius said, going straight to the point and astonishing Vikram.

His face turned serious as he said, "Follow me. We\'ll speak in my classroom."

With a nod, they walked behind him until they entered the alchemy class.

After he put his monocle, Adam instantly said, causing the teacher\'s eyes to narrow. "I need three tier-four element-neutral enchanted relics. In exchange, I\'ll help you become an adept."

Vikram gazed at the swirling mist hiding Adam\'s features intently, his eyes burning as he fell deep in thoughts.

The silence lingered in the classroom briefly before he finally opened his mouth. "You just started your journey. I\'m sorry, but I don\'t think you can help me."

Adam smirked in response. "If you don\'t believe me, let\'s bet instead." He said, laying his bait.

"Oh? Concerning what? You do understand it must be of equal worth, correct?" Vikram answered with a playful smile, intrigued by the sudden offer.

"Your son. I\'ll make him an acolyte with tier-two mana control by the end of this month." Adam revealed his contingency plan, forcing Vikram\'s smile to freeze on his face.

Since the beginning, he foresaw that the allure of power might not sway every teacher. That\'s why he designed alternatives.

For Thaddeus, he planned to rejuvenate his old cells after delving into Elena\'s legacy for a few months. For Beatrix, he planned to offer fashion designs after noticing her carry the handbags manufactured by the Kaur family.

Vikram\'s case was the easiest to solve. With how caring and strict he was with his son, helping Arun was an easy way to convince him.

After five long minutes of silence, Vikram\'s conflicted expression finally returned to normal as he gave his answer. "Your proposition is tempting. However, he\'ll eventually become an acolyte in a few months anyway. It is not worth the risk."

Before he could call the meeting off, Adam\'s shocking words resonated in the room. "If it\'s not enough, I can make him an apprentice in, let\'s say, six months?"

Even Julius gazed at him in confusion, wanting to scream, "You\'re not even an apprentice yourself!" but kept his mouth shut. He knew better than to interfere with his brother\'s crazy ideas.

"Hahaha. That would make him the youngest apprentice in history." Vikram\'s laughter resonated thunderously in the room as he slapped his desk in amusement. He knew his son\'s talent. Even becoming an apprentice in his fourth year would require a miracle.

"I know the recipe of a potion that can increase natural mana flow," Adam revealed with an impassive voice, forcing Vikram to stop laughing.

Instead, his face became scaringly serious, and his eyes emanated wisps of fire-red mana. "That\'s lost knowledge. Do you realise I can kill you for possessing it?"

"The same way you could after I attacked you two months ago." Adam snorted, unafraid and still angry about what he did. He was confident in Vikram\'s character, trusting that as long as his sole heir stood to benefit, he would turn a blind eye. That\'s why he was daring enough to reveal the Ghostly Elixir of Ethereal Energy.

Vikram scratched his head, sighing. "Alright, you drive a hard bargain. I\'ll give you the three relics for the recipe. As an additional condition, Arun must become an apprentice by the end of the third month next year."

"I want the relics first. Not giving the recipe for free." Adam answered, his stance firm on the matter. If Vikram couldn\'t trust him, he would revise his plan and ask someone else for the relics.

After a moment, Vikram finally agreed, hints of fear crossing his eyes. He started to realise how manipulative Adam could be and dreaded the thought of becoming his enemy.

Of course, he would win in a frontal confrontation ten times out of ten, but what if strategy and traps were added to the mix? What if he came back after reaching his level to settle the scores?

"I hope we can let bygones be bygones. I\'m sure you understand why I had to interrogate the boy." He said, trying to tie this loose end.

"Sure, help me negotiate with Shepard, and I\'ll forget everything," Adam answered with a mischievous grin.