"Th-that’s not a realistic amount. We won’t be able to acquire even half of that amount before we graduate," Vlad replied, his eyebrows furrowed, taken aback by the absurd sum Lirien had suddenly demanded. His voice carried a genuine edge of disbelief.

"And a Primordial mana stone is realistic?" Lirien retorted, her tail curling around her again as she regained the upper hand in the negotiation. The fluffy tip swayed with smug satisfaction.

Vlad fell silent, his jaw tightening. After a moment, he said, "Please give us a minute to discuss it."

"Hmph, you have thirty seconds," Lirien replied with a small bounce, her body jiggling on the chair. She definitely had not given thirty seconds because Vlad had asked for a minute.

Vlad decided not to waste the time and moved closer to Chloe. Their hands rested on each other’s shoulders as they murmured something between themselves in a low, hurried tone, their breaths mingling in the small space between them.

As soon as the thirty seconds were up, the duo parted, turning their focus to the plushie sitting on the chair. The air in the room grew expectant.

"Miss Principal, I have an offer that will satisfy both parties," Vlad said, his tone confident.

"What is it?" Lirien asked curiosity flickering in her button-like eyes.

"How about Chloe’s temporary loyalty to the academy unless we pay a certain amount of credits before our graduation? If we fail to pay the said amount within the three years, Chloe will swear her loyalty to the academy," Vlad explained, his words measured and deliberate. "As for the amount, how about twenty thousand credits, since you are getting Chloe’s temporary loyalty as well?"

The end of Lirien’s tail tapped against her round head as she gave thought to Vlad’s suggestion. "Your offer is tempting, however... I will be the one deciding on the amount. Seventy thousand credits!"

Vlad released an exaggerated gasp at her demand, his hand flying to his chest as if he had suffered a heart attack. His face contorted in mock agony. Chloe immediately grabbed him by the shoulder, supporting his sudden collapse.

"You are the Principal of Arcane Academy, yet you ask such an exorbitant price from poor commoners like us," Chloe said, trying to sound pitiful, although she was completely failing at it. Her voice was flat and mechanical. "Our young minds won’t be able to focus on studies, too distracted by the burden of the loan."

"Tch, as if being a commoner or noble makes any difference in the academy," Lirien retorted, yet her defence seemed to weaken. Her tail drooped slightly. "Sixty thousand credits."

Vlad released another gasp, falling to his knees. The sound echoed through the small office.

"A second heart attack," Chloe gasped, quickly rubbing Vlad’s chest with exaggerated concern. She turned to the Principal and muttered, "You are so heartless. He is dying because of you."

"Aghh... fifty thousand credits!" Lirien shouted, her voice echoing through the walls. "Take it or leave it."

"We have a deal," Vlad said, tapping on the table with finality, his face carrying an ear-to-ear smirk that felt so offensive to Lirien that she wanted to slap him right there.

She released a deep sigh, the air leaving her in a long, defeated rush. The end of her tail moved in the air like a pen, silver lights sparkling around it as a paper formed in the thin air.

"Sign the contract," she said as the paper floated into Chloe’s hand. They read it carefully, their eyes scanning every line to ensure no hidden clauses had been added. The Principal gave the impression of someone who might actually do that. Or perhaps it was just Vlad’s instincts. After all, the person most afraid of being robbed is often a robber themselves.

The contract had no hidden clauses. Chloe would temporarily serve the academy until she paid fifty thousand credits. If she failed to pay before her graduation, she would swear her loyalty to the Arcane Academy. Naturally, it also mentioned that if information about Chloe forming a Primordial Core were to leak through either her or Vlad, the contract would become null and she would immediately serve her loyalty to the academy.

Once Chloe signed the contract with a feather pen, the document vanished into silver sparkles, dissolving like morning mist. The particles drifted upward before fading completely.

"Tch, I have never suffered such a loss before," Lirien muttered before ordering Chloe, "Bring the green jade box from the shelf."

"But there is no shelf—" Chloe’s words stopped mid-sentence as her head turned towards the side wall, where a wooden shelf with a glass window had suddenly appeared. When they had entered the room, the space had been completely empty, containing only a table and three chairs, one for Lirien and two that might not have been intended for Vlad and Chloe, since they were never offered a seat.

Chloe did not question the sudden appearance of the shelf. It was the least surprising thing among everything she had witnessed from the moment they were teleported by Aldric.

She opened the shelf. A dark green polished jade box was placed on the highest section, its surface reflecting her face. She reached up, took it carefully, and brought it to the table.

"You will be staying here for the next two days to form the core," Lirien ordered Chloe before turning her gaze towards Vlad. "And you, get out."

"No, I must stay until she forms the core," Vlad instantly rejected the order, his voice firm and unwavering, as if the matter was not even up for discussion.

"You will only serve as a distraction. Primordial mana stones are dangerous. One small mishap and she might become crippled for the rest of her life," Lirien answered with an annoyed tone, her tail flicking impatiently behind her.

Vlad was already aware of the risks, having formed a Primordial core just a few hours ago. Still, he did not want to leave Chloe alone with a suspicious person like Lirien. His protective instincts screamed at him to stay.

"Do you think you will be able to stop me if I do something suspicious to her?" Lirien asked, reading him cleanly.

Vlad’s brows twitched at her words, annoyance clear on his face. His jaw tightened as he prepared to argue further, but before he could speak, Chloe said, "It’s fine. I will be alright."

Vlad released a long sigh. Perhaps he was being overprotective of her.

Seeing the expression of defeat on Vlad’s face, Lirien snapped her tail forward and declared, "Now scram."

A sudden burst of mana slammed into Vlad’s body, hurling him backward. The fabric of reality behind him fractured like glass, jagged cracks racing across empty space. Beyond the shattered surface stretched a surreal expanse of swirling watercolors, vibrant hues bleeding into one another across an endless canvas. Vlad tumbled helplessly into the strange dimension, and the moment he disappeared, reality sealed itself shut as though nothing had happened.