Scarlet

“I know you’re going to say no to me just like you did miss Wright, but I wanted to offer you my support in any situation where you may need it,” she says, not beating around the bush. “And this isn’t just because you saved both my life and the life of my daughter. It’s also because my daughter has taken quite the shine to you and will not stop talking about you.” The councilwoman glances at my ears as she says this, sending a shiver down my spine as I wrap my arms around myself, feeling actual fear for once.

She chuckles again before meeting my eyes again and adding, “And I can’t say I disagree with her, as you are a very interesting person. Very interesting indeed.”

Something about the way she says that twice feels slightly off to me, but I overlook that when Viper finally speaks up, standing up from her seat while doing so, “Now wait a minute-” Only to get cut off by a glance from Councilwoman Rose. Viper then turns to me after taking a deep breath and asks, “Are you sure? No one’s forcing you into this decision, right?” She adds this with a glance towards the councilwoman, who I can tell right away is not on good terms with her.

“Yes, I’m sure,” I tell her with a nod of my head and a serious look on my face.

I would very much prefer to live, and dying at the hands of your poison after you find out I’m half demon is not on my plan of things to do today. Or, rather, ever, for that matter.

Just doesn’t sound fun.

Tar snorts at that.

She frowns for a second before sighing with a defeated look on her face. She then glances once at Councilwoman Rose before focusing on me again and saying, “If you ever change your mind, just shoot me an email, and I’ll be happy to become your instructor, alright?”

I nod without saying anything in agreement nor denial.

Viper then frowns at the councilwoman before saying, “You have ten minutes with her here. Anymore and it’ll have to be on both your and her own time off of campus grounds.”

The councilwoman just waves her off while saying, “Yeah, yeah, I know the university doesn’t like having government officials on its grounds, much less non-Guardians. Now please leave us be.”

Viper very clearly does not like that, but she doesn’t say anything and instead just gives me a polite nod and walks out of her office, closing the door behind her and leaving me in the room with the councilwoman. Alone.

And the very first thing I ask once she’s gone is, “Are you the one suppressing my status as an orphan from reaching the public and other students?”

She just smiles without saying anything.

“Guess that’s answer enough,” I mutter before asking, “I’m guessing you have business you want to discuss?”

Her smile grows as she says, “Yes! Now, while I am a councilwoman, I am also the owner of a couple of private cities, and the major shareholder of several different companies, and I would like to sponsor you.” I open my mouth to reject it, but she’s too fast and raises a hand while saying, “And don’t worry, this will be give and take, as you would be allowing us to use sponsorship videos of you in any building of ours you fight in, you would model for us in some of our outfits – all outfits to your particular style of course” she says this part while looking at my magi-tech armor “and you could wear a simple keychain or maybe a hair tie made by one of our companies with our logo on it to help sponsor us when you’re just out and about.”

I close my mouth, my eyes narrowing in the process.

She really knows me well.

“We would even pay you a portion of the royalties you earn outside of our initial sponsorship of paying your entry fees in the Interschool Tournaments normal competitions, any tuition you have at this university, and I will act as a legal advisor for you should you need it,” she continues, hitting me where it hurts.

She knows me very well.

Did Allen put her up to this? He did suggest that she was trustworthy.

What do you think, Tar?

“It’s up to you,” he answers, meaning that he isn’t against it.

I sigh.

Even if the woman has ulterior motives, there is absolutely nothing for me to lose from this. So there's no reason to deny it.

Not like she can find out what I am or use me in some horrifying way by having me model in some regular street clothes or use some footage of me fighting.

“As long as you keep the outfits simple without any skirts, dresses, or anything that exposes too much skin,” I specify, “and to make it not very often either, since I have to train and study, not to mention fight in the Fractures too. Then we have a deal.”

I was wondering how I would pay for my tuition here. Because while the government does pay for all of your room and board, along with your required classes, and food, and all of that stuff, they don’t pay for the electives we take. Meaning I would’ve had to scrounge up the money for three classes each semester as I am not wasting the opportunity to learn stuff that could save my life.

Which wouldn’t have been the end of the world. Just would’ve required me to do some more promoting under Allen and would’ve had to be careful about making my payments on time.

Now I won’t have to do that, and I won’t have to owe Allen either.

Not to mention the fees for joining the tournament. Because while the primaries is paid for fully by the school, since I’ll be representing the Class I students there, the regular tournaments aren’t. And while I could probably ask Michael, Emily, Denise, or even Belle for the money, I’d feel like crap doing so.

The councilwoman just continues smiling before reaching her arm out. We then shake on the agreement and let go of each other. But before we do, I can’t help but catch a whiff of her scent. A scent that smells very… metallic? And leathery.

Odd.

“Shall we work on signing a contract for this now?” she asks, and I nod my head, putting aside the odd smell as I think about the credits I’ll be earning from this deal.

“Always with the credits…” I hear Tar mutter, and I can’t help but perk up with pride a little bit at that. “That wasn’t a compliment.”