Ch 3 - Negotiation

Shrek Academy, home to several hundred students at any given time, though only a fraction truly call Shrek home. The vast majority of students are incoming children like Adlet, Mirellia and Raven. This is due to the high volume of students who drop out in their first couple years. Children who will only ever be apart of Shrek Academy's outer court. They only have until they're twenty years old to get five spirit rings. And even then they may not get an offer to join the inner court, a place they can choose to live at for the rest of their lives. Not to mention all the benefits that come with it.

Adlet took his first steps into the world's most prestigious Academy, almost walking right past the unobtrusive, seemingly sleeping, elder. The man that lay in a sleeping position wore a white hooded cloak with gold lines partitioning it. The bench he was on, sat at the crossroads between the different gendered dorms, where adlet was about to part ways with everyone.

"I've seen the elder."

"""I've seen the elder."""

Mirellia spoke first, followed by Raven, Adlet, and Skydream. The Elder motioned to each one of them, telling them what room to head towards.

"Go to room 103, it's the second room on the right."

""""Thank you very much.""""

With some proper directions, Adlet parted ways and headed to the boys dorm. Not entirely certain why, he was expecting some ramshackle of a hut. Instead, the building looked like a big luxurious hotel, specifically from the outside. Once he walked inside, he nodded in self satisfaction. This is what he been expecting.

The floors were wooden, and not glossy laminated wood, but the kind that'll probably give some unlucky child splinters. The walls has splotches of new white paint that were likely used to cover markings on the walls from the previous semester. Only the ceiling looked good, and even that had a visible layer of dust on it. Adlet got to his room and found the door already open with someone cleaning inside, so he knocked on the frame.

"Hello, I'm Adlet Myers, I assume we're roommates."

"Ah hell yeah, what's up roomy? Names Huang Chu Tian."

Adlet's roommate had light brown hair that spiked backwards, sideburns and an overall wild look to accompany his hazel eyes. Like most cultivators, he looked older than his age would suggest. In the previous world he'd be mistaken for a sixteen or seventeen year old martial artist. He wore a sleeveless training gi with some dust stains from cleaning up the place.

He ran up to Adlet and extended his hand, before noticing the dust and quickly wiping it off.

"Not much buddy, I see you already cleaned most of the room up, anything I can help you with?" Might As well come off as approachable and friendly. Who knows for how many years they might be roommates.

He quickly got to work helping Tian out, even though there wasn't much left to do. Once they got everything cleaned and unpacked, the walls were covered with posters of scandalous looking women.

"Where did you even get all of these posters?" He had to admire the preteen's dedication to the female body.

"Ever been to an auction house?"

"Yeah?" He wasn't sure where the kid was going with this, so he answered with uncertainty, but he had gone a few times before. Never successfully bought anything though, Mirellia and Raven had.

"Well the women there all have portraits that can be browsed and purchased. I went once and failed to bid on this really cool hammer. Got an album of pictures detailing the serving girls afterwards though. Paid extra for the adult album too if you ever need to borrow it." The kid wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

Adlet sighed, it was best to tell Tian now, instead of him finding out later. "I'll have to decline. I'm engaged, and my fiancées are attending this school as well. I don't think they'd be happy about me taking you up on this offer."

In truth, they wouldn't care. Heck, they'd probably suggest it since none of them would be doing the dirty in their current underage bodies. But Adlet didn't want to say yes. Nearly every female cultivator had a body in perfect condition, due to the very nature of being a cultivator. In other words, they were at a school where the entire senior female student body were walking wet dreams. Why would he ever need such pictures?

His distracting thoughts of what few elder females he'd seen so far left him ignorant of the stunned jealous face Chuang was making.

"Fiancées?!"

*** Raven ***

"Adlet should be more annoyed were not in the same class." Raven pouted.

After walking through the gates of the academy, they found a board that posted class schedules according to students assigned numbers. Adlet just shrugged at getting class 5 while they were in class 4.

"In a few months the tournament exam will put us into proper classes, so it doesn't really matter. Actually, on second thought it might. If memory serves the forward attack and control students are in one class but that doesn't necessarily include Adlet because he's a tank/ defender. Maybe he'll be in my support class."

Raven listened to Mirellia muse. Mirellia now had to seriously reconsider if she'd still be a control without Skydream's ring. Her innate alcohol skills prevent stacking similar effects/abilities. So her second martial spirit would likely have to focus on debilitating abilities, instead of boosting abilities, if she becomes auxiliary focused.

If she wants to continue with being a control, then she'll have to find some offensive and defensive abilities to not directly compete with Skydream. The worm's mental abilities are mostly indirect for combat use. They could all guess roughly what abilities he would have based on what was known about ice worms. The only problem was if she gets compared to that million year worm's capabilities, she'll always appear lacking.

"Let's go find him and check-in with the spirit guide department."

Raven didn't want to think about not being in the same class with him during their whole Shrek career because she's power attack focused, but it was looking inevitable. Instead, she decided they should check out the department where they can, likely, be together.

They hadn't taken long cleaning up the room and would unpack things from their storage belts over the coming days as needed. A habit from traveling around frequently. When they left the girls dorm and cut through the grass, they came upon two boys fighting a short distance away from the entrance.

More accurately, they came across a girl pretending to be a bishounen boy with blue hair that faded into pink tips. This should be the cross-dressing main female love interest of the canon story, Wang Dong. She flipped her opponent over her shoulder and into the ground.

"You will follow my rules during our time as roommates. You break them, and I'll break you."

Her blueish-pink eyes were glaring at the poor boy before she turned around and walked back to the dorm. Raven couldn't help but notice the slightest hip swaying from that 'boy's' pure white stylish pants. She thought of saying something to introduce themselves to the daughter of Tang San but Mirellia stopped her and gestured to their surroundings.

Want Dong already had a growing female fan base. If they went up to her now, they'd probably be mistaken for one of these love struck girls.

"Elder, may we go inside the boy's dorm to get our friend?" Mirellia asked.

"You may not. You'll have to call him from outside the building, or get one of the other boy's outside right now to fetch your friend."

"Thank you elder."

Raven mentally chided herself. She was about to waltz in the boy's dorm and get Adlet without a second thought, propriety be dammed. She followed Mirellia and watched her queen ask the boy, who'd just been beaten up, for assistance in getting Adlet. A hand lightly on the shoulder while maintaining eye contact was enough to send the blushing boy on his way.

"I'll be a monkey's uncle, you were telling the truth? You're engaged to these two beauties?!" A wild haired boy, following beside Adlet, shouted out loud upon seeing them.

"Well you certainly look like a monkey so I'm willing to believe it. Now could you shout a little louder, I don't think the people on the other side of campus heard you clear enough."

Adlet's words weren't exactly quiet either, but at this point the crowd, that hadn't dispersed from watching the fight, was watching them like a new source of entertainment.

"Mirellia, Raven, meet my roommate, Huang Chu Tian. Tian, meet my beloveds, Mirellia Melromarc and Raven Branwen."

"Teach me your secrets Master Adlet. If you can do it, I can learn!"

"And like that it's time to leave."

Tian had fallen to his knees, hugging Adlet's waist, begging. Adlet quickly disengaged with the envious boy, linked arms with the two of them and left. "So, where are we heading?"

"Spirit guide department. The best place to improve our standing and value to the school would be by improving their most under utilized department."

The trio walked along the lakeside path to the spirit guide department. Mist obscured their ability to see what lay in the center of the lake, but they knew that was the heart of the academy. It took about half an hour for them to leisurely get to their destination.

*** Mirellia ***

Hello, we're here to schedule two appointments. One with the department head, and another with whoever can help us with renting a workshop space."

The spirit guide department looked little more than rows of connected warehouse with a little office attached to the front. behind the desk was a frazzled brown haired woman with bags under her eyes. Several cups of coffee, clearly bought on different days, now sat as paper weights on the many loose papers filling her office. The term office was being used loosely.

Her eyes widened before coming to some sort of conclusion. She could easily tell they were fresh off the streets and not yet Shrek students. They didn't even have on their uniforms. She probably assumed they were weak and trying to attach themselves to this department to not be kicked out of the school for their weakness.

"Wha- you want to schedule appointments? Oh, um gimme a couple minutes. People normally just walk right in."

"If we're allowed to just walk in then that's fine too, so long as we're allowed."

"Ah nono no, that's not quite what I meant. Um, new students usually join the department after the placement exam or in their second year. They're scouted by the teachers and invited into the department so no one usually needs an appointment."

The girl talked while opening desk drawers and looking under stacks of papers. After a few minutes she found a tablet like device and started typing on it. Once she was done, she found a layout of the various warehouses.

"These are the workshops we currently have available. These are for the new spirit guide department students below level 4. Do you know about the levels?"

"Yes"

The levels were simple enough. Level 1 was theory only, learning about materials, how to make designs, parts of a spirit guide etc. Level 2 was the ability to follow directions and make a simple 1 core spirit guide device. This tested their control to make the inscribed cores. Most students don't worry about being able to do this until they have at least 3 rings. Level 3 requires the skill to design and create from the ground up, a simple dual core device. No prepared metals or designs. The superior power needed usually kept this level to 4 ring spirit masters.

"Can we see the workshops for intermediary [level 4-6] spirit guide developers. We're level 4 and will of course take any department test needed to confirm that."

It was hard to keep the smugness out of her voice when she saw the surprise on the secretary's face. It felt good. She watched the disheveled girl grab her tablet and start typing in it again. After a few moments of awkward silence, a muscular white haired man with a short beard came out of the nearby buildings.

"Are these the new prospective students?" He asked the secretary, and recieved a quick nod in confirmation. Then turned a very friendly smiling face in their direction. "Hello children, I'm the Spirit Guidance Director of General Affairs and this department's Vice Headmaster Qian Duo Duo. Follow me inside and we'll test your spirit guidance level."

"Actually, may we sit down and talk first. There are a few matters we need to discuss with yourself and, if possible, the headmaster."

Mirellia was going to be the main speaker for their talks with the department heads. She kept a slight smile on her face while maintaining a calm exterior. It was a little nerve wracking to be going into negotiations with people that could kill them with a thought, but at least the man put on a smiling face.

He led them into a nearby building and started making some tea. The room was a little cramped for entertaining guests, but still had a couple couches flanking a well polished coffee table. Mirellia, as the main speaker, sat in the middle of Adlet and Raven. She counted seventeen filling cabinets placed around the room before the door opened and the headmaster walked in.

She had light green hair and clear blue eyes with what looked like a military bomber jacket. She sat on the opposite couch just in time for the vice headmaster to serve them all tea, then join her side. "I'm headmaster Xian Lin Er, I have a few minutes to spare, so I'd appreciate it if we could skip pleasantries and get down to why you wished to speak with us."

Mirellia introduced the three of them, noting the tactic this woman used to seem like she's on a tight schedule. Regardless of her actual schedule, she mentioned that to put a pressure on them and indirectly state that her time is more valuable than theirs. They await on her availability, not the other way around.

"In this school, and the world at large, cultivators must choose between focusing on their cultivation and combat abilities or focusing on becoming spirit guidance masters. The fact children cannot walk both paths means that they must choose one to focus on, and because this school doesn't have much history for its spirit guidance department, you get the short end of the stick, correct?"

"So your offering some solution to this?" The headmaster's voice was quite skeptical.

"Yes. We developed a revolutionary method that combines these two paths into one. We asked you here to sell you this knowledge for a few things." Mirellia didn't immediately go into their price, didn't want to come off as desperate, instead she started drinking her tea to give Lin Er a chance to respond.

If the headmaster asks for their price, she's open to negotiation. Further questions means she's skeptical or trying to get information without paying. A flat refusal means she doesn't believe them or just isn't interested in what they're selling.

Lin Er waited a few moments before responding, he face thoughtful but not convinced. "Any new method/program you offer would be a considerable risk for our department to utilize. Blindly taking the word of inexperienced children would be foolish on our part. If you gave us a demonstration or explain clearly what your offering, we could evaluate if what you're offering is viable."

Mirellia almost broke out into a smile. She was open to negotiate and trying to learn more. "A demonstration would show you our method and void our ability to negotiate further. Our proof of concept can be understood in mere words, there is little to no risk required on your end. And it can be implemented with only some minor changes to how Shrek functions in teaching its students."

Lin Er smiled and responded with a jovial tone. "If it's so minor, then there's no need to negotiate like this is some major business deal. Shrek always compensates its benefactors."

Mirellia put on a smiling face to match Lin Er's. "Minor changes with big effects. We've traveled to all three countries and seen that everyone follows the Sun Moon Empire's flawed ways of developing spirit guidance devices. This change could turn Shrek into a competing powerhouse for spirit guidance development. I would say that you could surpass the Sun Moon Empire, but I doubt you'll have enough time."

"What do you mean?"

This was Mirellia's best negotiation card, she just hoped she wasn't underplaying it. "The Sun Moon Empire has built up a considerable military strength through its spirit guidance technology. Enough to threaten the rest of the douluo continent and maybe come out on top. Call me a conspiracy theorist but I don't think they've been building up their power because it's a fun pastime. They're ambitious. I also don't think they'll stay quite if their one advantage begins to dwindle. I know what I'm offering could make the next superpower of the world given enough time. To give that away for free or cheap would be the epitome of stupid."

The two adults got serious at this turn in the tone of the conversation. If a child knows war is on the horizon, spring their own academy has long since expected, then it couldn't be far away. "That's a lot of speculation-"

"Your expression confirmed it."

It's rude to interrupt someone when they're talking, but Mirellia just used her best reason for why they needed to buy now. War was coming, and soon. She felt it was best to strike while the iron is hot.

"And what is it you think this revolutionary method is worth?"

Mirellia took out a contract she had written weeks ago. They had previously decided to make a deal with Shrek to increase their benefits with the academy. They planned to live here, possibly, for the rest of their lives, they might as well make their stay comfortable.

"It's worth a lot more than I'm selling it for."