It took a few more push and reasonings for Mallory to agree to pay Kayne's fare back to the manor. He even thought that Kayne is scamming him and he's disowned by his family but that fact is the least probable one.
Inside the institution, it is not a hidden fact that Rigel overindulged Kayne. Staff from the cafeteria are always talking about how Rigel always wants them to serve the best meals for the kid. And from the patrolling guards, they would say that the professor would choose Kayne over his love of books and instead of spending his time in the library, Rigel would rather spar with Kayne. From this, they made a conclusion that Rigel is creating another monster through his son, making the rumors escalate further. Consequently, Kayne also made a contribution to this when stories of his underground trip with Koiren were leaked.
The last one is an unverified rumor but for the rest, Mallory tried his best to catch them in action. It made him decide to befriend Kayne. For Mallory, training with Rigel would help him pass the test this year and Kayne will be his gate for the opportunity but then, news of Rigel's death caused an uproar to the high society in the continent.
They stopped at a white mansion and Kayne jumped off immediately. It is a mansion thrice the size of other mansions Mallory have seen so far.
"Young master," his usual maid greeted them.
Mallory already made an investigation to this maid too. She's Peony Erlangur, a 24 years old lady of the house Erlangur under the Berith Family. Erlangur family is known in military, gaining high positions from their skills in commanding and combating but the reason why Peony is living her life as a maid is very scandalous. Though the girl is worthy of her name as Erlangur, she's ostracized by her own family for being a girl. After reaching the proper age, she travelled alone on a border and disguised herself as a man to officially enlist on the army. An injury caused by a simple slip from patrolling sent her unconscious and from there, the nurse found out that she's a girl and immediately expelled from the army. Her disguise, busted, she applied as a bodyguard for several high ranking nobles but because of her gender, her offers are answered with slamming doors. Lady Latina, Nathaira's mother, took pity of her and hired her as a maid for her daughter.
Kayne whispered something to the maid and the maid followed in haste. She simply bowed to him and smiled at Mallory before leaving.
Mallory felt goosebumps when the maid gave him a forced smile. Seriously, he did not agree to come here only to die at the hands of a beauty. He gripped Kayne's sleeves out of reflex and gulped his own saliva a few times. "You'll pay me, right? With money, right?"
Kayne moved his arm upwards to shake Mallory's grip which is quite effective due to the difference in height. "Of course, I'll pay," he assured him. "She'll come down with your money in a few minutes."
Mallory sighed a breath of relief and supported himself by leaning on a nearby table. His legs are shaking from the unfamiliar space they are currently in. He's completely aware that Kayne's family are dangerous to an extent yet he forgot it as soon as he heard the amount he's paying him. He silently cursed himself and Kayne for luring him with his wealth. He watched him sit comfortably on a luxurious chesterfield. Kayne asked Mallory to be seated too but the latter declined, afraid that his legs would break down from nervousness.
"Then tell me the whole story, from whom did you hear that this powder is for sale?" Kayne took the small container with the white powder from his pocket, lifted it and shook it lightly. "Where did you buy it and relevant things that are interesting." Kayne raised his brow and smirked. "Depending on your answer, I'll pay you handsomely."
Money, since time immemorial, is a trap for anyone who's living in the society's lower class -- that includes Mallory and his family. His mother is a prostitute who died after his birth. He's living with his drunken father until the age of 7 but bandits ransacked their poor household, killing his alcoholic father in the process. Mallory became a houseless orphan that time, sitting on the streets, waiting for alms from passersby. Luckily, a kind merchant allowed him to work for his stables where Mallory collects horse dung every single day. He only realized he can use magic when he turned 15 and since then, he practiced hard, doing all his best to be a better magician. The merchant supported his dream and gradually, he increased Mallory's salary, even allowing him to enroll at Yothopyia Institute but despite all those hardships, he's still a failure for a Neo. He can't survive even a single year inside the institute, leading to him being the student's joke material.
Mallory weighed the situation on his head. Without a doubt, Kayne can pay any amount he'll say. But this is a one-time chance in his life. He still remembers how hard it was to approach him before. But right now, if he used this moment well, he can turn Kayne into someone indebted to him -- at most. He scratched his head and punched it a few times to come up with an idea which Kayne found amusing. Several more minutes passed and Mallory finally voiced out his decision. "I'll tell you everything."
"That's what we agreed earlier," Kayne stated as a matter of fact.
"No, let's change the terms."
Kayne's eyes narrowed. He can't fathom what are the new terms Mallory would be wishing for. If it is money, he already asked Peony to prepare twice from the original 400 golds he said before. "Well, let's hear it," he challenged Mallory.
"I'll tell you everything. Every single information that I have. In return..." Mallory's voice became quiet. He fumbled on his finger while stealing glances from everywhere, hoping that something would calm him down. "Every information and then... hire me as your servant?"