"Well, that sort of went how I expected," Osho said while scratching his neck.
"I mean. I’d be damned if anyone reacted calmly to it." Sam shrugged.
"That’s kinda arrogant though." Irene pointed out. "I think you guys are downplaying the insanity they are witnessing. Come on now, beast tamers with Grandmaster rank potential barely appear a few times each generation. Sometimes not at all. With Beasts with Legendary rank potential even less. And they just witnessed 4 of the former appear at once in what they could describe as a ’backwater’ place, acting like it’s just another Tuesday." She half-scolded them.
"I see your point. But that indirectly means you agree that their reactions are expected." Sam retorted with a small smile.
"Well... yeah. But you don’t have to make it seem like it’s not a big deal." Irene mumbled while scratching her head.
The group was well aware of how they were being stared at by the rest of the people in the booth, and multiple of them were making calls of their own.
"Ready to cause an uproar?" Ellie whispered into Osho’s ear, her breath warm against it.
Osho flashed her a smile, but he didn’t answer.
He knew to a degree just how staggering the news would be.
That is, if the people from Stellaris even revealed this information to the rest of the world.
Chances are that they would limit the number of people who knew about this outside of their own people to prevent Osho and the others from being poached.
A sentiment Osho agreed with, if he was being honest.
The only reason he went for Stellaris and not the other two colleges on its level was because Stellaris was the only one that bothered to send envoys to their Bastion. Otherwise, Osho’s choice wouldn’t have been set in stone, and if the other 2 colleges managed to get in contact with him and offer better deals, who was he to say that he wouldn’t go along with them?
It’s not like he held any loyalty to Stellaris.
Not too long later, the wolan from before came back again. She had managed to regain her composure somewhat, but it was a far cry from what she displayed originally, and her smile seemed more forced as she almost looked slightly scared.
"Sorry for the delay, I just needed to get in touch with my superiors to... confirm a few things." She said, sounding a bit nervous.
"Anyway! Congratulations, what you’ve displayed is more than enough to meet our criteria. In fact, you have even been offered complete scholarships! Meaning that if you decide to join our college, you would not need to pay a single dime! This comes with a series of other benefits as well." She explained, and the group shared glances before Kurt asked.
"May we know what these other benefits may include?"
Hearing this, she seemed a bit excited as that meant they were considering the offer.
"Certainly. Just... wait a second." She tapped a watch on her wrist and a holographic list appeared in the air in front of her as she began to read out.
"First and foremost, you will all receive prime accommodation. Each of you will get your own private suites instead of standard dorms that are far larger, secure, and customizable for your beasts. Moreover, there will be dedicated habitats for your beasts that will have simulated climates as well as mini training fields, and anything else you think would suit them and would help with their development, with the help of professionals." She started, and while Osho showed no outward reaction, he was nodding inwardly.
’That seems pretty good already. Granted, Gale would be happen with anywhere as long as it’s vast open space. But for the others, those will work well for them. Especially Inagi. Irene said that he can ingest different toxins and venoms to produce them on his own, so an environment made up of different toxins would work great for him.’ He noted as the woman continued.
"Next, you all with have exclusive access to resources. First picks on rare beast food, medicines, and training materials, being able to skip past any waiting lists. Moreover, rare relics, equipment, or cultivation resources will be allocated to you directly if they are suitable for your beasts. Moreover, you will receive priority healing or medical treatment for your beasts on-site. No matter the queue." Osho was a bit surprised at this one.
’The resource allocation and priority treatment is expected, but everything else along with that is pretty nice. Especially the thing about relics. If that’s true, then maybe I could find the items I need to evolve the others faster than I expected.’ Osho thought as he resisted a smile.
"You guys will also receive specialized mentorship, with high-rank beast tamers and instructors personally teaching you and giving you important tips, with the possibility of Grandmaster and above Beast tamers making time to teach you personally. Moreover, you will have access to restricted lectures, archives, and research data not given to regular students, and you will all have personal development programs which include, but are not limited to combat training, politics, and even reputation management as you are being groomed into future assets." She continued, and Osho was once more unsurprised by this.
It was only natural for people with high potential to be taught by equally powerful people who could nudge them on the right path. He did find the personal development programs part to be nice, and if he could guess, he could customize it to a degree, so he could make it so that his desire to experiment with his ability whike engaging in combat could be fulfilled. Granted, he couldn’t care less about the reputation thing. Not that he was downplaying any of it, but it pretty much fit within his expectations.
"Following that, you will also have financial and political leverage. You will have generous living stipends, so you will be steady financially and not need to worry about cash. You will also have free travel permits, so your movement between Citadels won’t be regulated as much. Moreover, the college will ensure that no other Citadel or organization can harass or attempt to poach you without any consequences." Read full story at novel·fiɾe·net
Now, while Osho had expected something , it was still sweet to hear.
This was one of the issues that concerned him, as his potential alone was going to draw a lot of attention. If that happened, then he’d be under a lot of pressure, especially when it came to using his ability.
The influence Legendary rank beast tamers possessed could not be underestimated for many reasons, and each one was, understandably, a powerhouse that needed the utmost respect.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that if one became a Legendary rank beast Tamer, they were effectively the peak of humanity.
Besides the Mythical Beast Tamers, of course.
However, this also meant that they were subject to a lot of scrutiny, and before they reached the peak of their potential, many people would be vying for many things concerning them. Whether to make connections with them, tie themselves to them.
All in all, it was a lot of stress, so having a shield right off the bat was nice.
"Finally, you will all have expedition and opportunity priorities. That is to say, you will have guaranteed first slots on high-vakue missions, competitions, or special hunts where rare beasts or treasures can be acquired. Moreover, early graduation or elite fast-track programs can be provided if you prove that you’re worth it, and after graduation, you will have direct recommendation into high-class Citadels, the military corporate alliances, and so on." She finished and exhaled before facing them.
"So... How does that sound?" She asked nervously.
"Can we discuss alone a bit?" Osho asked.
"Of course." She said and moved out of earshot.
Gale then created an isolated barrier using his domain, allowing the group to discuss away from prying eyes.
They were silent for a moment before Sam said.
"So, I’m all for agreeing. Those benefits sound sweet, not gonna lie." Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
"Yup. If they truly provide everything as mentioned, then that’s practically everything we are asking for, both in the short and long run." Ellie concurred.
"Moreover, if I’m not wrong, the benefits are subject to change based on how well we do. So if we excel, we could get even more things." Kurt pointed out.
"Yup. Plus, we will have a shield, something Osho will need the most due to his ability." Irene added her two cents.
"What everyone said is true. Realistically, we don’t have a reason not to go." Osho nodded. "If no one had any disagreements, then I suppose we can go for it?" He asked, and no one disagreed.
Osho nodded and was about to ask Gale to take down the isolation barrier when the bird suddenly made a suggestion through their bond, and his eyes widened briefly before a slight grin appeared on his face.
"Well... I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to try." He said, and everyone looked at him curiously, and he decided to relay what Gale said.