Extra's Ascent-Chapter 149: She’s Good Alright, A Little Too Good Even

"Mister Aldaman," Gerald began with an air of strained patience, "what say you to her proposal? Do you truly consider it more worthwhile than my offer? An opportunity to save thousands of lives, to be immortalized as a hero among men?"

He conveniently omitted the part where his offer involved long hours, little rest, abysmal compensation, and frequent brushes with death. In contrast, Marvelous Kennedy's proposal promised lucrative pay, flexible terms, and significantly less danger. But sure, heroism over a stable livelihood.

"You must consider the merits of joining the Mystic Executive Arm, Mister Aldaman," Gerald pressed. "Don't allow material wealth to cloud your sense of duty to society."

Eric remained unmoved. The only 'duty' that mattered to him now was ensuring the safety and happiness of his children. Society, in his eyes, could crumble and fall into the sea for all he cared.

"And yet," Marvelous interjected smoothly, her voice calm but assertive, "this society you speak so reverently of runs on wealth. Governance itself bends to the will of those who possess it. To reject material riches while demanding societal contribution is to deny the very mechanism that makes the world turn, Mister Gerald."

Her point landed with precision. She didn't just deflect Gerald's argument, she cracked it open and laid it bare. With one well-aimed statement, she wounded his pride and advanced her cause.

"Perhaps for civilians, that may be true," Gerald replied stiffly. "But mystics, true mystics are above such temptations. We're guided by principles, not paychecks."

"Oh?" Marvelous arched a brow, her tone turning playful. "I seem to recall a mystic by the name of Hector known in certain circles as the 'Wonder Ice,' if memory serves. A mercenary for hire. A terrorist who was contracted to eliminate me, my business associate, and, if I'm not mistaken, Mister Eric as well. Isn't that right, Mister Eric?"

The sudden shift caught Eric off guard. His body stiffened.

"Y-Yes," he responded hesitantly, eyes flicking between the two verbal duelists.

Gerald's composure cracked. "Nonsense! You can't judge the collective by the actions of one man. Hector was a rogue, a traitor to the mystic code. His behaviour doesn't reflect on us all, he was an outlier."

But as he spoke, Marvelous tilted her head and gave him a look, a piercing, amused gaze that made his words falter.

"What?" he asked irritably. "Do I have something on my face?"

"It's not what's on your face," she replied with a smirk. "It's what just came out of your mouth."

His frown deepened. "What do you—?"

Then it hit him.

He had just done exactly what he accused her of. When discussing society, he lumped all civilians into a single mold, greedy, materialistic, ruled by wealth. But the moment she applied the same generalization to mystics, he objected on the grounds of nuance. He was neck-deep in contradiction, and she caught him red-handed.

Marvelous didn't need to say more. The smug triumph in her eyes said it all.

"That was... that was, oh, you know what I meant," Gerald muttered, throwing up his hands in surrender. There was no point in arguing. She wasn't in this for clarity, she was here to win.

"And I do know what you meant, Mister Gerald," she said with a victorious glint in her eye.

Turning her attention back to Eric, Gerald made one final push. "Mister Aldaman, understand this: working with the Mystic Executive Arm isn't just a job, it's a calling. A path of purpose. There is no profession more noble."

Marvellous let out a soft chuckle. "And yet here I am," she said smoothly, "offering him a position with superior compensation, flexible hours, and a work environment free of peril and bureaucracy."

The tide was shifting fast. Marvelous maintained a serene elegance, stating her case with clarity and poise. Gerald, meanwhile, floundered. Every sentence he delivered was either too desperate or too vague to counter her strategic finesse.

Eric's expression said it all. The numbers attached to Marvelous's offer had caught his attention and held it. Gerald could see it in the way the young man's eyes occasionally drifted toward her, betraying interest no words could hide.

In truth, Gerald couldn't match her offer. Not financially, not strategically. Not even close. And the realization left him grasping for footing on crumbling ground.

"This is ridiculous," he snapped. "It shouldn't even be up for debate."

He stepped forward, imploring. "You are a mystic, Mister Aldaman. To turn your back on us is to turn your back on your nature, your birthright."

"Are you suggesting he no longer has the freedom to choose?" Marvelous's voice was silk over steel. Every word dripped with calculated intent, twisting Gerald's passion into tyranny.

She took his own rhetoric and weaponized it, reducing his arguments to little more than hollow demands. The more he spoke, the tighter her grip became on the room and on Eric.

Marvelous wasn't just cunning, she was masterful. A businesswoman with a strategist's mind, dismantling Gerald's defences with quiet precision and cold grace.

He never stood a chance.

"You know that's not what I meant!" Gerald barked, his composure cracking under the pressure.

"Oh?" Her brow rose again. "Then enlighten me. You said those words, didn't you? Or are you suggesting now that your own statements don't reflect your intent? That makes you seem... unreliable, Mister Gerald."

A liar, in other words.

"Miss Ken—

"Uhm... Sir Gerald," Eric cut in firmly, his voice calm but decisive. "If you don't mind."

The tension in the room twisted like a tightening rope. Eric had remained quiet too long, letting the verbal war unfold around him.

Say he was enjoying the sight of two people fighting over him, verbally. The desperation in their voice to want to have him by all means necessary.

Eric let it play this long for that reason.

However, now, as the clash escalated toward a boiling point, he knew he had to step forward. If not to choose, then to restore balance before everything collapsed into chaos.