Chapter 11: Chapter 9: The Offer.

Chapter 9: The Offer.

Zeke couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated by the old man in front of him. Despite his kind eyes and jovial appearance, there was a certain air of authority and power emanating from him. Maximilian's long white beard was braided and adorned with intricate gold beads, and his robes were made of the finest fabrics, embroidered with arcane symbols and patterns. His round belly stretched the fabric of his robes to its limits, and his staff, adorned with sparkling gemstones and intricate engravings, leaned against his chair. Zeke couldn't help but feel a bit out of place in the luxurious office, surrounded by ornate furnishings and rare artifacts. He fidgeted nervously, unsure of what to say or do in the presence of such a clearly renowned and powerful figure. Maximilian seemed to sense his discomfort and chuckled, breaking the tension in the room.

"Don't be nervous, my boy," he said, his voice warm and friendly. "I didn't call you here to scold you or give you a lecture. In fact, I've been searching for someone like you for quite some time now." Zeke's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Searching for me? Why?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Maximilian leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his belly. "Because, Ezekiel, your affinities are quite uncommon. You possess not one, but three affinities, that alone is less than one in a thousand among Mages. And the variety is extremely rare. I believe that, with my help, you have the potential to do great things." Zeke couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had felt like an outcast since coming to the academy, struggling to fit in with the other students due to his unusual affinities. But now, this powerful and respected mage was telling him that his abilities were something to be celebrated, not ridiculed.

"I don't know if I should believe you," Zeke said, his voice hard. Maximilian chuckled again.

"There's no need to give me an answer right away. I just wanted to meet you and have a good look at you. Now that I have seen you, I have a proposition for you, if you're interested. I want to adopt you into my family." Zeke was taken aback by Maximilian's offer. He couldn't believe that this strange old man was offering to adopt him and make him a possible heir to his title. Didn't all the noble students wholeheartedly believe that nobody would be interested in him because of his affinities. Yet here was a man who wanted to take a chance on him not inspire of his affinities, but because of them. Zeke was unsure if he could trust this old man, but he had to admit; The offer was tempting!

He didn't know what to say, and he couldn't shake the feeling that there must be some catch. He looked at Maximilian skeptically, trying to gauge his sincerity. The old man seemed genuine, but Zeke couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. The treatment of the past weeks having had instilled a deep sense of inferiority in him. Zeke knew that it was not rational, but he had a hard time accepting that anybody could want or need him for his affinities.

Maximilian nodded understandingly. "I can understand your hesitation, my boy. But let me assure you, my intentions are pure. I have been searching for someone like you for a very long time, and I believe that you have the potential to achieve great things. I simply want to help you reach your full potential, and in return, I ask for nothing more than that you use my teachings for the betterment of the world."

Zeke was intrigued by the mention of research and couldn't resist asking Maximilian about it. The old man smiled, his eyes lighting up at the opportunity to discuss his work. "I call it the Trinity Project," he said, his voice dripping with excitement.

"I need a tri-affinity mage with mind and space affinities, as well as one of the body affinities. It's extremely rare, even for a tri-affinity mage, to have such a wide spectrum of affinities." Zeke nodded, taking in the information. He had never heard of such a project before and was curious to know more.

"What is the Trinity Project exactly?" he asked.

"Ah, now that is the million gold question," Maximilian replied, a sly smile spreading across his face. "You see, I am a researcher at heart. I have always been fascinated by the mysteries of magic, and the Trinity Project is my attempt to unlock some of those mysteries. It's a secret set of skills; only a few people I trust even know that I've been working on this. But I believe it has the potential to change the world and revolutionize the way we think about magic."

Zeke couldn't believe what he was hearing. The thought of being part of such an important, groundbreaking project was almost too much to comprehend. He looked at Maximilian, his mind racing with questions.

"How do you plan on doing that?" he asked.

"Well, that's where you come in," Maximilian said, his smile widening even further. "Your unique affinities make you the perfect candidate to be the core of the Trinity Project. With your abilities, we can push the boundaries of what is possible with magic. We can unlock new realms of understanding, new ways of harnessing the power of the arcane. You see, the mage community of today is like a blind man in a treasury. They stumble upon something new occasionally, but they have no system, no logic, no nothing to guide them. The Trinity Project is to a mage what a compass and map is to an explorer, instead of risking his life in uncharted waters, you would know exactly where you are going."

Before Zeke could respond in any way, Maximilian surprised him by asking a seemingly unrelated question out of the blue: "Do you know what I am famous for?"

Zeke looked at Maximilian for a moment and then shook his head. He had never heard of Maximilian before today. The only reason he even knew that Maximilian was a noble was because of his middle and last names.

Maximilian's eyes lit up with excitement as he told Zeke about his invention. "Explosion magic, my boy," he exclaimed, "is something I am quite famous for. It was a stroke of genius, if I do say so myself." As Maximilian spoke, Zeke listened with fascination. He had never heard of anyone using magic to create explosions before. It seemed like an impossible feat.

"How did you manage to figure out how to create explosions with magic?" Zeke asked, his curiosity piqued.

Maximilian chuckled. "Ah, we'll get to that later. But let me tell you how I came up with the Idea first: I was inspired by nature. I was traveling in the mountain ranges south of the empire, searching for some rare stones for my research. I came across an active volcano. It fascinated me! You see, my boy, I have a duo-affinity for fire and earth magic. So what could be a better expression of the potential of fire and earth than a volcano? It was there that I witnessed my first volcanic eruption. The power and destruction of it was awe-inspiring. I knew then that I had to find a way to harness that kind of power with magic."

Zeke's eyes widened in amazement. "And you actually managed to do it? That's incredible!"

"Yes, it took many years of trial and error, but I finally discovered a way to create explosions with magic," Maximilian said, pride evident in his voice. "And now, I believe that with your help, we could take my research to the next level. Together, we could change the world." Zeke was fascinated by the possibilities described by Maximilian, but he still didn't know how he could be of any help with that kind of research.

So he tried to calm his excited heart and asked as nonchalantly as possible: "And how could I possibly help with that?" Maximilian's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, the casual demeanor he had previously exhibited now replaced with a seriousness that seemed to radiate from him. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to invent explosion magic?" he asked, his voice low and grave.

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Zeke shook his head, feeling a sudden sense of pressure wash over him. He had no idea what the old man was getting at, but he was interested to hear what he had to say.

Maximilian seemed determined to share his story, and he began speaking in earnest, his words tumbling out in a rapid-fire succession. "It took me sixteen years. Five years alone, just learning everything there was to know about how volcanic eruptions worked. Six more years constructing a magic model that could mimic a volcanic eruption. And another five years mastering the spell to a level where it could be used safely, without danger to the caster. That's how long it took me to create explosion magic."

Zeke listened in stunned silence. It was a staggering feat, one that seemed almost impossible.

But there was more to come, as Maximilian continued: "Do you know why it took me so long?"

"No, I don't," Zeke replied, looking at Maximilian with a mix of confusion and interest.

"Because I, as well, am like a blind man in a treasury," Maximilian said, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "I didn't know enough about volcanoes, or magic constructs, or how to properly control my spells. And I had to find ways to learn more about all three of them. This is what took me so long, but I finally found a way to shorten that time to a mere fraction of what i needed the first time, and that's where you come in, Ezekiel." Zeke raised an eyebrow.

"Me? What do I have to do with it? I don't know anything about those subjects, either."

"Not yet, my dear boy, but you have three affinities that can be used to solve exactly this problem," Maximilian said, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Body, mind, and space. Those three affinities can give you a unique perspective on magic that I simply don't have. With your help, I believe we could finally bring light to the field of magic research. We could create new spells, new constructs, new ways of understanding and manipulating magic. And, to be sure, even surpass my own explosion magic."

Zeke couldn't help but feel a little flattered by Maximilian's words. He had always known that his tri-affinity was rare, but he had never found out about any hidden potential it held. "But what would I have to do?" Zeke asked, still a little hesitant.

"The Trinity project that I spoke of is a set of methods I theorized," Maximilian said, his eyes twinkling. "A set of methods to help perceive the world around you in a new and far more academically relevant way. But here's the catch - for it to work, you need to have three very special affinities. I can't use the fruits of my research myself, as I have none of them, while you have all three. I am afraid that's all that I can tell you before you agree to my proposal." Zeke looked at Maximilian with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. He had never heard of the trinity project before today, but the old man's insistence on secrecy only served to pique his interest further.

"I'm not sure if I understand," Zeke said, frowning. "What's so special about those three affinities?"

Maximilian grinned, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Ah, my dear boy, that is the crux of the matter."

"I-I don't know what to say," Zeke stammered, still trying to process everything.

Maximilian patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Take your time, my boy. I understand this is a lot to take in. But know that I am offering you an opportunity unlike any other. With my guidance, you could become one of the greatest mages the world has ever seen. All you have to do is say yes."

Zeke couldn't help but feel tempted. The prospect of working with such a legendary mage was something he had never even dared to dream of. But at the same time, he was hesitant. He had only just arrived at the academy, and he didn't know enough about the world of magic to make an informed decision.

"I-I'll have to think about it," Zeke said, feeling overwhelmed. Maximilian nodded understandingly.

"Of course, of course. Take all the time you need. But do not wait too long, my boy. Opportunities like this do not come around often. And if I may say so, every day you attend those classes, is another day wasted."

While listening to Maximilian, Zeke got more and more confused: "Wasted? What do you mean?"

"Ezekiel, I understand that you've been studying hard at the academy, but I fear that you are wasting your time," said Maximilian, his voice laced with concern. "The Arkanheim empire and the Elementium Academy are neither equipped nor willing to teach all forms of magic equally, such as blood magic, space magic, and mind magic. They may offer classes on these subjects, but the knowledge and instruction provided are far from satisfactory. You deserve better than that, Ezekiel. You deserve to reach your full potential as a mage."

Maximilian took a seat on a luxurious couch and motioned for Zeke to sit across from him, his eyes intense as he continued to speak. "You see, Ezekiel, the empire and the academy focus almost exclusively on elemental magic. Fire, water, earth, and air. It's important, don't get me wrong. But it's not the whole picture. There's so much more out there, and it's a shame that it's being overlooked. Take the knights of the kingdom of Valor, for example. They may be small in number, but they are some of the strongest warriors on the continent. They use body magic, that is blood, bone, or flesh magic to strengthen their bodies, and space or wind magic for mobility. The strongest of them can take down dozens of mages from the empire without any problem."

Zeke listened intently, his brow furrowed in confusion. "But what can I do? I'm already enrolled at the academy. I can't just drop out and start over somewhere else."

Maximilian chuckled, his belly shaking with mirth. "That's where I come in, my boy. I have spent many years studying these three affinities, and I have developed a unique method of teaching them. I told you about the Trinity Project, and it combines my extensive knowledge and experience with specialized techniques to help you achieve mastery in the arcane arts. What do you say, Ezekiel? Are you willing to take a chance and join me on this journey?"

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