Chapter 149: The Real Bargain
"Fine. We’ll do it as Darius said."
The team continued debating what Darius wanted Silas to do. For different reasons, almost everyone was against the idea, with Silas being the only exception.
Cher saw no benefit in exposing the dragon blood, especially to a teacher as greedy as that man. There were already rumors and suspicions circulating around their team, but confirming them by deliberately revealing the blood seemed foolish.
Alfred disliked the idea for a different reason. The dragon blood was a military secret, and as far as he was concerned, it should remain one.
Terio simply despised the thought of being extorted for a service from one of the academy teachers. He had already branded the man a scammer.
As for Lara, she barely participated in the discussion. Her attention remained fixed on the window, apparently more concerned that the greedy teacher might become interested in her babies.
In the end, however, the matter was settled by a simple question Silas quietly asked Darius.
"Is it something you saw?"
Darius did not answer. He only looked at Silas, and that was enough.
Silas understood that Darius had already seen something through his ability, and if he was willing to take such a risk, there had to be a reason behind it.
Cher still could not see any benefit in bringing a bottomless pit of greed into their circle, but Alfred and Terio changed their minds as soon as they realized the suggestion had something to do with Darius’ ability.
"Fine, then. Do it as he says."
With everyone already agreeing and Lara being hopelessly distracted by her babies, Cher had little choice but to accept as well.
"Still, I need to warn you all..."
Her gaze moved between Darius and Silas.
"That man isn’t simple, and his greed knows no limits."
"Relax."
Darius smiled mysteriously.
"Whatever he takes from us, we’ll take back a ton in return."
He offered no further explanation, leaving the others unable to guess what he meant.
"Then go and invite him here."
Silas did not move like others.
Everyone looked towards him, puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
Darius gave him a strange look.
"It is good to have some privacy here, but we’re alone outside as well."
"No, we aren’t."
Silas interrupted Cher, his expression suddenly darkening.
"There was a jerk looking for me at that class."
He paused, recalling what had happened.
"I went looking for that teacher while he was teaching the fourth-years. That’s where I met him. His name is Cameron, and from the way he was looking for me, I doubt he had good intentions."
Silas recounted the encounter casually, but for some reason, the atmosphere around Cher changed the moment he mentioned the name.
"Is that jerk here?"
Cher asked before he could say anything else. Yet her voice was different now, was far more dangerous.
"Cameron, you say?"
Lara finally tore her attention away from her babies and joined the conversation.
"Tall, always looking as though the whole world revolves around him, rarely talks unless he has something insulting to say, and seems to enjoy humiliating people..."
She continued describing the same young man Silas had encountered. The more she spoke, the more puzzled Silas became.
"How do you know him?"
His gaze shifted between Lara and Cher.
It was obvious that both of them knew Cameron, and considering that the young man had specifically been looking for him, Silas could not help but arrive at a conclusion.
’Is he part of her clan?’
’Is he working for her father?’
"It’s... a long story."
Cher hesitated, but the look she gave Lara was anything but simple, one that Silas failed to notice.
Her vague answer, however, only strengthened his suspicion.
"Is he outside?"
Cher asked again. And Silas simply shook his head.
"He didn’t come." Silas paused, recalling Klain tagging along behind them. "Instead, he sent one of his friends."
"His name?"
Cher’s strange tone made everyone uneasy.
"Klain." Silas paused again. "You know him too?"
"Do you think I know every jerk in the academy?"
Cher scoffed. The simple joke Silas had intended completely missed its mark, and she took his words as an insult instead.
"I only have one idiot in my life now."
She whispered the last part, but Silas heard her anyway. And a wide smile appeared on his face.
"I’ll bring that teacher here." Cher stepped out of the shuttle. "You stay with him and handle the negotiation. Lara and I will deal with the intruder."
Once she left, with Lara following behind her, Darius, Alfred, and Terio immediately turned toward Silas, all wearing the same expression.
"Go," Silas said with a small nod. "Make sure she doesn’t cause trouble or break any academy rules."
"Don’t worry." Darius’ expression turned serious. "We won’t let her make a mistake."
He paused before pulling a small bottle out of thin air.
"Here. One droplet. Make sure to keep him tied to us for as long as possible."
"I will."
Silas wanted to ask how Darius had known they would need this and prepared the dragon blood beforehand, but then he remembered his friend’s ability.
’I really need to get used to that ability.’
He watched them leave just before the teacher finally arrived.
"So..." The teacher looked almost anxious to close the deal. "Did you agree? Will you give me the scale?"
Silas barely paid attention to him. His thoughts were still occupied by what Cher intended to do and, more importantly, whatever connection she had with Cameron.
But then he remembered his current condition.
His curse had left him practically useless, and if Cher truly intended to act recklessly, he could not afford to remain this weak.
’I need to heal. I need to become stronger.’
Silas finally focused on the teacher and slowly sized him up. The simple gesture made the man visibly more nervous.
"How about something far more precious?"
The teacher’s eyes immediately lit up.
"Like... what exactly?"
He noticed how low and quiet Silas’ voice had become and instinctively lowered his own.
"Dragon blood, perhaps?"
Silas did not bother wasting time.
"That orange crystal? It’s worth less than the scale..."
"Not the crystal."
Silas already knew the teacher had misunderstood. He knew what happened when dragon blood came into contact with air and crystallized, and he could understand why the teacher considered those orange crystals inferior.
After all, hurting the dragon and collecting a few crystals was far easier than obtaining one of its scales. If someone possessed a genuine scale, it meant the dragon had been severely wounded, or perhaps even killed.
"Then... what exactly?"
The teacher still did not understand.
Rather than waste more words, Silas reached into his clothes and took out the small bottle Darius had given him.
The moment the orange liquid appeared and its faint glow reflected across the teacher’s face, the man froze, his eyes widened, and his massive body trembled.
This time, it was not merely greed; it was shock, pure, unmistakable disbelief.
"H... How..."
Silas calmly held the bottle between them.
"I believe this is going to be our little secret."
His expression became cold.
"After all, the people who killed that dragon probably won’t have much trouble dealing with a teacher who decides to betray them."
The teacher’s trembling grew worse.
For the first time since their conversation began, he seemed to understand exactly what kind of deal Silas was offering, and what would happen if he chose the wrong path.