Chronicles of Eva: Lara Cersta

Pov Eva:

"Alright, this is the contract. Look it over carefully while I explain the job," I said clearly to the woman in front of me.

"O-oh, sure," she responded, a bit nervously.

After drafting a contract with all the tricks I found online, I called the phone number I had for Lara Cersta, which I fortunately still had.

Over the phone, I told her some things about how I valued her social skills and a few more compliments, aiming to arrange a meeting since I had a job for her.

Surprisingly, I didn't have to wait long, and she agreed to meet at noon.

The meeting place was a café downtown, very close to the high school where I graduated.

She didn't take long to show up.

Blonde hair, much longer than I remembered, crimson eyes with a hint of concealed fatigue, a simple orange dress, and heavy makeup.

(She's changed quite a bit, hasn't she? I wonder if it was time or life...), I was a bit surprised by Lara's appearance.

The Lara Cersta I knew was a rather energetic teenager; she had a lively personality after all, always leading the girls in school activities, and she liked to protect those who were... 'different.'

One example was me, a prodigy who skipped several grades, attending the same year as her while being quite young.

(I still remember she thought of herself as my mother...), I had no idea if it genuinely made her happy or was more a form of self-indulgence derived from some trauma, but her help was vital when I needed to form a group back then.

But the person in front of me... is a bit different.

She's much calmer (very different from what I remember). Seeing me made her quite nervous, very unlike the Lara I remember, and her face looked a bit haggard, something I guess she tried to hide with makeup.

(It's a pity I'm a very observant person), after all, one of my great gifts is a photographic memory.

"I understand you're an educator, right?" I asked just to confirm.

"Y-yes, I work at a small school south of the city," she responded with averted eyes and her hands on her thighs.

A clear sign that she was quite nervous.

(I suppose I should take advantage of this and be direct), I really didn't know why she was so nervous, but it worked in my favor.

Nervousness makes us more susceptible or rather vulnerable to certain deals...

"Alright, I called you because I have a job for you, remember?"

"Yes, you said you needed an educator."

"Correct, I need you to help with 40 girls, can you do it?" I didn't beat around the bush and told her directly what her duties would be.

What I needed from her was to teach the cat girls the basics, with the goal of analyzing their learning capacity and seeing if the plan I had in mind was feasible.

"Umm, 40? That's a lot, don't you think?" She didn't refuse, but it was clear she was uncomfortable with the number.

"We'll separate them into cycles so it won't be complicated, 20 in one and 20 in the other. Is that manageable?" I responded calmly while sipping my coffee.

"Yes..."

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask, I'll answer honestly," I saw she had doubts and encouraged her to present them.

"Eva... you still haven't told me the purpose of this. Are you planning to start a school for young children or something?"

(A school, huh?... Not a bad idea.)

The tasks I had planned for Lara were quite basic. After all, she would teach subjects like math, language, and manners to the cat girls.

After that, she would take care of the beastmen that Ethan would bring to the mansion.

(Or that I might steal from others...)

There is no ethics in Genesis currently, so the strongest hand has the final say. What does that mean for my plans?

If I need something, I'll get it, whether it has an owner or not.

(But a school... doesn't sound bad.)

A census hasn't been conducted in Genesis yet, so I don't really know how many female players are pregnant, but there must be quite a few.

(If I start a school... I might be able to indoctrinate those children to be loyal to our cause... I don't think it will be difficult. After all, players just seek fun. So, if I establish some sort of boarding school, they would happily leave their kids there.)

A bit of education and some psychological tricks, and I'll have an entire generation in my hands.

(I think I should present this idea to Aunt Rebecca. She will surely help me gladly... She loves the feeling of power, after all.)

"I don't deny the possibility of founding a school, but it will all be step by step," coming out of my thoughts, I responded to Lara ambiguously.

"I see... you've changed a lot, Eva. You used to not care about anyone, and now, after so many successes, you decide to cultivate talents," still without signing anything, she changed the topic and said that.

(I haven't changed. Education is simply part of my grand plans. As for my successes... does she mean the awards I received after graduation? They were just a means to an end), but of course, I won't say that.

Also, I haven't told her the location of her workplace yet...

"I'm doing it simply for the advancement of humanity," I replied.

(In the game, of course, but it will be vitally helpful for my real-life research), I added in my mind.

"You've changed a lot too. You seem more... calm than I remember," I said, using her previous comment.

"Well... mortals like me have some difficulties... Oh, did I mention I'm a mother?" Her response was... strange, but she changed the topic by saying she was a mother.

"You have children? Congratulations. How old?"

"Yes, a daughter. She's 12 years old."

(12? I'm 26... was it right after graduation?), I was a bit surprised, but didn't change my expression.

"Is she healthy? And... are you married or living with a partner?" I asked just to confirm something.

"Yes, she's a chubby and healthy girl. As for that... well... I'm a single mother, haha, it seems I chose poorly and messed up," she responded and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

(I see, a single mother... Maybe I can use that.)

"Was it difficult? I remember you were from a well-off family."

"My father kicked me out after he found out. It was tough at first, but gradually I managed. Plus, my daughter is quite smart, so she hasn't caused much trouble," she responded with a smile, but I saw something else.

Sadness and shame.

(She was quite skilled. Among the skills she boasted, her social skills stood out the most. If she hadn't gotten pregnant, her future would probably be very different.)

It's worth noting that the high school I attended was quite good. That, combined with her well-off family, results in a life with relatively good opportunities.

"I see... well, in my case, I'm currently engaged to a nice guy, and we'll get married sometime," I said that to steer the conversation towards me and lighten the mood.

"Oh? Really? Someone conquered the cold heart of Eva? Tell me about him," her demeanor changed almost instantly, and she bombarded me with questions.

I had no choice but to answer some ambiguously and make up others.

--

After a difficult chat...

"It was a good chat, Lara, but... what's your decision?" My patience was running out, so I decided to be a bit more assertive.

"Well, I trust you, and I like the pay, but..." she hesitated.

(I don't understand. I researched everything about this job thoroughly and even averaged salaries to make a good offer. So... why hesitate?)

A few ideas come to mind, essentially the most obvious ones, like the type of girls she will be teaching or the place she'll be working...

But if that were the case, why hasn't she mentioned it?

She just looked at the contract doubtfully, while stroking her phone case, which curiously seemed to have a childish drawing.

That's when it hit me to review our previous conversation to see if I missed something.

Among those things, one apparent idea came to mind.

(She knows I'm successful, right? And she also mentioned her daughter was smart...)

I get it.

"If you sign now, I'll become your daughter's godmother and maybe get her a scholarship."

"Oh? It seems this pen has no ink, do you have another?" She immediately hurried to sign.

You're much smarter than I expected, Lara Cersta.

"Tomorrow, I'll tell you the important details, wait for my call."

I chatted a bit more with her before heading to my next objective.

Interestingly, she changed her demeanor to the one I remembered, energetic and happy.

She was so happy she forgot to ask where she would be working...