OLD-WORLD EXTRA-Chapter 345: A Little More Than Student And Teacher

"What do you two want?"

||||

"..."

...Right, that was what he asked.

Even though it was so obvious that they came here to ask about the assistant position.

Just like how Amon played games with Emir, he did the same to his students, never being direct... At least when off duty.

Elijah and Xavier Jr glanced at each other then lowered their heads, bowing to him while requesting at the top of their lungs:

"Please let us be your assistants!"

Emir smiled at them, and then...

Snap!

He flicked his fingers, materializing two Aether constructs that crashed into their chins. "Ugh!"

"Gah!"

Their necks almost cracked as their heads shot upwards, and their feet staggered as they stepped back, barely stopping themselves from falling.

After stabilizing themselves, their heads locked onto his, and their eyes landed on his shades, understanding what he wanted.

Eye contact... one-sided, sure, but, again, when was he ever fair to them when his benefit was involved?

'Good.'

Emir nodded.

"There's no need for all the theatrics. Elijah, I was waiting for you to come. Look at the contract I sent, sign it, and you'll be my assistant."

"I will!"

Elijah, like most of those who came before him, didn't take a moment to even skim the contract, he opened it just after receiving it and had its hologram materialize a step in front of him.

Signing it took him three seconds, and once he was done, the contract dissipated into the air. "I'm done, Sir!"

Xavier Jr watched the scene unfold while showing a face full of disappointment. He didn't have high hopes of being accepted, not only due to their clashing ideologies but also due to his own weakness, yet it still hurt to see himself ignored like that.

He lowered his head like before, giving up-

"Xavier-too long. Hey Jr."

His head snapped straight as he looked at Emir, his depressed thoughts kicked out of his noggin.

"You'll be working as my assistant's assistant. I'll leave the details of your contract to him, so discuss it between yourselves."

He wasn't forgotten. Not air. He was someone.

Jr pumped his fist as if he had just won a one-in-ten-million chance lottery, then repeatedly bowed toward his professor.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Emir gestured for him to shut up and shooed them out of his office.

"Okay, okay."

"Thank you, Sir!"

But just as they left, another came.

It was Aria.

With a look that screamed betrayal, she stared at Elijah as he walked away with Jr.

"This betrayer..."

Shaking her head to focus, she knocked on the door and was allowed entry, Ava following behind her.

They stepped to the front of his desk, about to speak, but before they could do so, Emir interrupted them:

"Are you here for the assistant position?"

Aria replied quickly, not giving her friend a chance as she slapped her twin tails into her face: "Y-Yes. You're good enough to have me as your assistant!"

|| ||

Emir blankly stared at her for a few seconds, inviting awkward silence into the room, until a thought eventually crossed his mind:

'...Usual.'

Ava looked at her in a similar fashion to Emir, but with an added touch of embarrassment at being associated with her.

"That's alright. I already have Elijah as my assistant."

They were rejected before they could even ask.

How embarrassing.

And to proud people like them who had almost no one say no to them, that embarrassment was felt tenfold.

So they didn't even reply and rushed out of the room, Aria first and Ava following behind her, both with faces looking to be the ripest of tomatoes.

With their exit came the ice queen's arrival.

Her body showed disinterest as usual, but inwardly she was pretty nervous.

The sight of the two students scurrying away increased that nervousness even further, but she still didn't let that show.

She was Sofia, and while lacking compared to her sister, she was still the daughter of Richard Alexander, the leader of Stellar Solution Inc. A genius above geniuses.

If not for her intelligence and second rank, Emir would most probably still accept her to try and gain favor from her father.

Sofia would NOT be denied...

"Oh, you're here for the position as well? Sorry, but it's already taken."

...Or she thought.

As soon as she entered his office, he shut her down, not allowing her to say a word.

||

Stunned, she stood in place for the longest minute of her life, then turned around and silently

left.

'She'll learn. It's too soon to cuddle her.'

Emir, who enjoyed her reaction, continued his work, helping Lyra on her quest for never-

ending Corpo greed. Which basically meant that they were managing everything related to

their two companies.

But while he was doing that, another knocked on the door.

He checked who it was... and grinned.

Quinn Mercer.

She stood outside with a face full of scorn, as if she were forced to be there.

'Heh, she's trying hard, alright.'

Inwardly laughing at that sight, he welcomed her in:

"Come sit."

Entering his office, she stepped forward and stood, quietly looking at him.

"..."

A chuckle escaped him as he said:

"It's fine, you can stand if you want."

She sat down as soon as she processed his words, appearing to be doing the exact opposite of

what he asked of her.

""

Emir easily noticed that, so to prompt her to speak, he stated:

"If you've nothing to say, you should leave."

|| ||

His attention returned to his terminal as he continued his work, showing that he meant what

he said.

That riled her up.

"Make me your assistant!"

And her demand was announced.

Slowly blinking his eyes, he looked back at her and stared for a few seconds.

[So you'll do it?]

Lyra's voice suddenly echoed in his mind, indicating that she was watching their interaction

the entire time.

Emir didn't react and simply replied:

[Yeah.]

He chose Elijah to be his assistant to show everyone that the boy was under his protection,

sending a clear message that anyone who dared touch him would not see the light of day.

Trust was a factor-hence, Jr was chosen-but it wasn't the main reason. They wouldn't be

doing much anyway.

Now the reason they wanted Quinn as well was because Emir planned to mold her into his disciple, to become the second Emir, an Aetheric Duelist.

This would easily provide an excuse for them to meet so often.

Meanwhile, on the other end, it was obvious what Quinn wanted.

By being his assistant, she believed she could find any dirt on him that would land his head on

a spike.

'It's too bad that isn't possible~.'

He had dealings with the Elite themselves, so no matter what she uncovered, it wouldn't compare to the cards he held over them: their betrayal of Earthkind and collaboration with the

Order.

That is, if she could dig up anything at all, for he left close to no traces. "Sure, you'll be working with Elijah. The contract has been sent, do check it out."

She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again as the seconds ticked by. The

girl was utterly speechless.

Something she had worked so hard to request, or rather demand, was given to her so easily.

"D-Dammit..."

Quinn Mercer felt cheated.

But she didn't share her feelings and quickly left the room, her body trembling.

As she stepped into the hallway, her movement halted abruptly, as if time itself had paused.

The door closed behind her, sealing her in silence and indicating that time wasn't frozen.

Only she remained still.

...Why?

Well, Sofia stood before her, arms crossed, wearing an unfamiliar expression-jealousy.

Quinn, not emotionally mature but perceptive, sensed the tension.

So, feeling threatened, she blurted out:

"What do you want?!"

Showing no reaction to her tantrum, Sofia slowly asked:

"Why did he choose you? What's your relationship?"

|| ||

Like before, Quinn didn't know how to react. Sofia's question came out of left field, even

stranger than Emir's quick acceptance.

Out of all the things she thought Sofia would say, this wasn't one of them.

"Is that why he lets you challenge him so much? And why are you so adamant about

challenging him in the first place?"

But the girl herself treated that silence as an answer, solidifying what she theorized as the

truth.

The truth that the two of them had something going on behind the scenes. Something more

than a simple teacher-student relationship.

""

Quinn remained frozen and was now even more confused.

'Why is she asking such dumb questions?'

'Was she THAT jealous that Emir picked me over her?'

'Blatantly lying like that...'

That "bastard" allowed her to challenge him?

No, no, she simply found a workaround every time she could.

'He allowed nothing!'

Her pride was hurt, and she wouldn't let Sofia trample on her feelings of revenge.

But even if what she said was true, why would Emir even allow that?

Because he felt guilt over killing her dad?

"Fuck that!"

She screamed her thoughts out loud, surprising Sofia, but not for long, as the girl looked

down at Quinn one final time and left.

"Stupid Quinn."

Those two words echoed as a stupefied Quinn remained, her eyes trailing the girl's exit.