“You want me to what?!”

A shrill scream reverberated out from the VIP ward, causing many busy nurses to stop in their tracks. They followed the source of the sound and found a black-haired woman shouting at an elderly man, all while the muscular patient and his two friends watched from the sidelines. The patient shifted his shoulders to the left, leaning towards the blonde elf while the lean man huddled up close to them. If there was popcorn available, they were almost certainly going to munch down on it while watching this whole scene unfold.

The Ranker’s Association President frowned, expecting Aria’s reluctance. “It’s the only way, Aria.”

“I can’t believe it… Yudonia trained me to be an Archmagus, not a babysitter!” Aria gasped.

“I know that, but you know that our hands are tied...” The President spoke at a lower register to calm the fuming Archmagus. “If we had a choice, we wouldn’t have asked you to be his guardian. Someone like Arius or Minerva would have been a far superior choice.”

“Then ask them!” Aria snorted. “I’m busy with work! I don’t have time to take care of him!”

“Now, now. Look on the bright side.” The old man’s face twitched. Typically, it was the older man who would be quick to anger. However, the twenty-three-year-old in front of him was seemingly bottling in anger akin to that of a ninety-year-old!

“Once you’re done with this ‘favour,’ Yudonia will wipe your scholarship bond clean! Also, we’re willing to fully fund a new laboratory to your liking! You can study anything you want without being disturbed by our scientific field! If you so wish, we can buy any equipment you desire!”

“...” The woman paused. As much as she was shocked by the sudden request, the rewards for fulfilling it were far too enticing. Aria could feel herself calming down quickly. Her ears were becoming colder and her upside-down smile slightly subsided.

The President noticed the change and knew that the fish had taken the bait. And thus, he pushed. “Also, it’s not like we’re going to deal with him alone. There would be a whole team deployed to look after him. You won’t have to clean up after him and wouldn’t look after him in the traditional sense. In fact, you’ll have so much time as his caretaker that you could continue doing research on the side.”

“Why do I feel that I’m entering a trap willingly...” Aria smacked her palms on her forehead.

“Nothing of the sort. Furthermore, didn’t you say that you’re starting to like him a little?”

“Yeah, when I said I wanted to treat him better, I meant going over to the cell more often to have conversations with him! Not become his caretaker and help him integrate into society!” Aria hollered out.

The President closed his eyes, not knowing how to answer the woman. It was true, the favour that he’s asking from Aria was quite the big one. If he were in her shoes, the President would most likely decline as well. However, Yudonia was forced to take this step. “You know how it is… The man… Aurum, he doesn’t listen to anyone but you!”

“I know...”

“Furthermore, didn’t you want to study him? His magic and inhuman toughness? Wouldn’t it be more convenient to study him when he’s always near you?”

“That’s true...”

“Also, Yudonia’s terms for taking care of him is more than fair! Do you know how much we’ve spent on your education? That’s why we placed a ten-year bond on your research! However, if you stay with him for just a year, we’re willing to waive that! Not to mention, we’re willing to invest more into whichever field of research you want to pursue!”

The trap had been laid down beautifully. Aria’s flinching and lips curling upwards were the most distinct indicators of that. The President had to hold back his cheers as he mentally prepared himself for the final touch.

“Come on, Aria… This is the opportunity of a lifetime! You keep talking about investigating the true nature of magic, and here comes a living specimen of the Draconic Era! An era that was rife with magic and quite possibly, the origin of magic itself! Not to mention, if he somehow recovers his memories… Who would he tell first? You know the answer to that question right, Aria?”

“...” The esteemed Archmagus closed her eyes.

‘This damn old man… Are you sure you weren’t a salesman instead of a dungeon diver?’ Aria cursed.

In all honesty, the terms that the President had laid down weren’t all that bad. Aria’s repulsive feelings towards Aurum had also died down since he’d saved her life from the S-Class Metamorph from Raklius. Although she found the idea surprising in the beginning, the more she thought about it, the more inclined Aria was to accept the offer. There was just no reason not to. However, accepting it on first blush seems to go against Aria’s pride, so she was hesitating. To avoid the issue altogether, Aria eyed her elven friend, who had been enjoying the show thus far.

Their eyes met, and a thousand words were shared between them. Aria didn’t use telepathy, and neither did Yvette. But their relationship was close enough that they didn’t need to resort to such tricks. Aria was asking for help, and Yvette got the message. With a dry cough, the elf stepped forward and interjected.

“Mister President. I know that it’s not my place to ask this...”

“Oh no, please! We’ve received plenty of help from Elfheim, and I believe that Miss Yvette’s plea to your motherland has helped us tremendously. Please, feel free to ask anything!” The President put on his most business-like smile.

Crossing Aria was one thing, but pissing off Yvette would likely bring a catastrophe to the budding nation. Yvette was an S-Class Healing Saint, a rare vocation even amongst the elves. Besides, she was from a noble peerage with considerable influence on the elven council. At the moment, Yudonia was a target for every other member of the World Congress, and Elfheim was their only true backer. However, Yvette could likely tip the balance in the opposite direction anytime she chose. So, the President was happy to answer any of Yvette’s questions. In fact, he was eager to.

“I’m a little confused… Why the sudden change of heart?” Yvette thought for a while before finding the right approach. “Didn’t Yudonia want to seal Aurum and study him in secret? Why do you want to let him roam free now? Not to mention, you’ll let him be after a year… Isn’t that just detrimental to your country?”

“Ah...” Aria’s helpless eyes quickly sprung to life. She was so concerned about the terms of the deal that she never stopped to question why it was being brought to the table in the first place!

“Ah, about that...” The President dropped his shoulders and heaved out a deep sigh. “You’re right, our plans have deviated from its original course. We did believe that it would be best to keep Aurum’s existence a secret from the World and have us monopolise him. However, Raklius’ invasion has shown us otherwise.”

The audience kept silent as the President recollected back on the Prime Minister’s words.

“In all likelihood, Raklius already knows about Aurum’s existence. And if it’s something that Raklius knows, the whole World would eventually find out.”

Everyone nodded. Raklius was infamous for its intelligence expertise. Their bread and butter were obtaining and selling information. Although they would keep it under wraps for now since they lacked any evidence, it was only a matter of time before whispers began to spread. The funny thing about rumours… they didn’t need proof. As long as the majority were to believe in it, the rumour would become a fact. And Raklius did have the ability to make a rumour into a reality.

“So there’s no point in keeping his existence a secret anymore. Instead, we should take the initiative and slowly integrate him into our society so that he’ll choose to stay in Yudonia through his own will. As for why we don’t want to keep him imprisoned anymore...”

The President looked at Aria with conviction. “Do you think that our walls could keep him in?”

“No...” Aria paused. The memory of Aurum’s movement and overwhelming physical power came to the forefront of her brain. With a single punch, he sent an S-Class Metamorph flying into the wall, severely damaging it in the process. If for some reason Aurum decides to turn his fist to the exit… Could Yudonia really reign him in?

“The only reason why he willingly stayed within the walls was probably because of his desire to meet Aria and to gain information about the World in the process. However, if one day, he decided to break out... Against his physical might and invincible body, even I won’t stand a chance.”

“Is he that powerful?” Finn, who had remained as a spectator, finally chimed in.

“Very much so,” the President nodded. “I’ve never seen anyone possess that much power in a fist before. Even Giants can’t come close. Perhaps, only the current Goliath of Vishaal might stand a chance, but even then… my money is on Aurum.”

“Even against the Goliath?!” At this point, Finn turned speechless. He had Giant’s blood in him, so he was well aware of how physically capable they were. An average Giant was at least ten times stronger than an ordinary human being, and the current Goliath stood at the apex of them all. If the Goliath couldn’t beat Aurum in physical might… who could?

“That’s right… So keeping him in chains would only be a waste of resources and time. What’s the use of a jail when the prisoner could break free at any moment?” The President scoffed at his own lack of ability. “Therefore, instead of keeping him locked up, we’d thought to rehabilitate him to our own society and unfortunately… Aria, you’re the only one capable of teaching him.”

“That’s annoying...” The Archmagus harrumphed.

“Like I said, you’ll be handsomely rewarded for your assistance. We’re even willing to upgrade your living conditions for the sake of this mission...”

“Wait, wait, wait… Hold on. Why would my living conditions need to be upgraded?”

“Well...” The elderly man scratched his cheek with eyes shifting to the side. “Since we’re assigning him to you… Wouldn’t it make sense for him to be always near you? I wouldn’t say you’ll be living in the same apartment, but maybe… the adjacent one?”

“You asshole...” Aria felt her head throb at the sudden bombshell. Teaching him was one thing, but actually living with the man? That was a commitment that Aria wasn’t all that ready for.

“Don’t be like that! There will be a whole team tending to him, and you wouldn’t have to lift a single finger when it comes to physical matters! You won’t have to cook, clean or even protect him! There will be guards protecting you and him around the clock! All I ask for you is to train him mentally. Whip him into shape, so that he’ll be indistinguishable from a normal human being.”

“...” Aria raised her palms to her forehead, not knowing what to answer. In her heart, she wanted to accept the offer. After all, it was too good not to. All she needed now was a gentle push.

“Guys, what do you think?” Aria diverted the question back to her three closest friends, the ones that knew her best.

“Hmmm, I don’t see why not?” Yvette snappily replied. “Honestly, I’m interested to see the man who is obsessed with my friend. I wonder what kind of eyes he has, you know... to fall for you.”

“You sadist,” Aria snorted. “Finn what about you?”

“I’m… not sure if living together is ideal, but you should accept it. Thinking about how an innocent being was being locked against his will wasn’t sitting well with me. If Yudonia could take this bold step to grant him freedom, I don’t see why you shouldn’t oblige them.”

“... I see,” Aria held back her smile. Finn was ever the golden soul. He may not particularly like Aurum, but he didn’t want to see his rights stripped away as if he were a slave to Yudonia. “What about you Luke?”

“Hehehe, do it!” The Elemental Archer didn’t mince his words. “An unknown being that triggered the current surge in montgen levels! An invincible body and overwhelming physical strength without learning martial arts. Falling in love with the first woman he sees after a long sleep! It’s almost like an epic fiction tale! I want to see how this story continues!”

“... It was useless asking for your opinion.”

“Hehe, I’m not wrong, though!” Luke shrugged his shoulders and sat back down.

The trio could give all the advice they wanted, but ultimately, the decision was Aria’s to make. And well… her mind had been made up for quite some time now. Dropping her tough and indifferent facade, Aria broke down:

“Hah, fine… I’ll do it.”