Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

"What in heaven's name just happened? Who is this child? And 'mommy'? Why does she call you that? Don't tell me she's the one you were talking about," Clarence asked, clearly taken aback.

"Yeah, she's the one. Apparently, she appeared from my gacha egg," Jett explained, trying to keep his composure.

"But she clearly recognized Freya as her mother just now," Clarence pointed out.

Jett felt a wave of anxiety wash over him as he realized how many questions Clarence was likely about to unleash. The sheer number of explanations he'd have to give made him feel overwhelmed.

"Here's the thing… she's the product of both our bloods," Jett began, trying to make sense of it all. "An incident happened, causing Freya's blood to spill on the egg before it hatched, and this is the result."

Clarence leaned closer, peering into the young girl's eyes, and a flicker of amusement crossed his face as he realized something.

"I see, so it's a dragon species," Clarence said, a bit of excitement creeping into his voice.

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"How can you even tell?" Jett wondered aloud as he looked at the girl, then suddenly it hit him. 'Right, her eyes gave it away.'

Clarence nodded, his gaze still fixed on the girl. "I can see it just by looking at her eyes; she's a dragon. They're the only ones who have those eyes."

The girl's eyes were indeed unique, with an oval-shaped pupil that gave them a mystical, almost ethereal quality. It was a telltale sign of her draconic lineage, something that couldn't be mistaken.

"Well, that's beside the point. Can you watch her for us?" Jett asked, trying to shift the conversation.

"What? Why?" Freya interjected, clearly opposed to the idea.

"And why the hell would I do that?" Clarence added, raising an eyebrow.

"It'll be easier for you to watch over her with a valid excuse. She obviously doesn't stay put and will definitely cause a lot of trouble," Jett explained.

Freya was just itching to make him shut up. He was making decisions without consulting her, and while everything he said was true, it didn't make it any less irritating.

As Clarence reached out to touch the girl, she suddenly lunged, her mouth opening wide as if she was trying to swallow him whole.

"Seems like your child is hungry," Clarence teased, a playful glint in his eyes. "But what's her name, though? It might get a bit annoying for us if we keep calling her 'little girl'."

"This is such a pain," Jett blurted out, "I haven't really thought of a name... maybe something like 'dragon girl' or—"

"Absolutely not," Freya cut him off.

Clarence and the little girl watched quietly as Jett and Freya began to argue over what to name her.

"What? I was joking," Jett tried to defend himself.

"You didn't even put much thought into that," Freya said, her anger flaring.

"Well, I'd like to see you do better," Jett shot back.

"Ella," Freya replied almost immediately, her voice firm and decisive.

"Well, that's… hmm, that's actually better," Jett admitted, though he wasn't sure whether to be happy that Freya saved him the trouble of coming up with a better name or annoyed that they had to argue about it. "I guess it's Ella from now on."

"Definitely better than 'dragon girl," Freya replied with a satisfied smile.

Jett couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at how smug she sounded.

"So, are you helping us?" Jett asked, turning back to Clarence.

"On one condition," Clarence cleared his throat, drawing their attention, "I'll have you enter the yearly Clarendon Competition, and you're going to win."

"Clarendon Competition? What's that?" Freya asked, her curiosity piqued.

"At the end of every year, our academy holds a team tournament for the first years, second years, and third years, along with other activities to showcase their worth to other kingdoms. A school festival." Clarence explained to Freya.

Freya's confusion deepened. Why would Clarence ask Jett to participate in something like that?

"And you want Jett to participate with the hope that he'll win? Why him?" Freya asked, utterly baffled.

She didn't know Jett well enough to believe he could actually do it. In her mind, he wasn't that strong, certainly not strong enough to win such a competition.

Jett, however, could almost guess what was going on in her mind. He could see the doubt in her eyes, and it only fueled his determination.

"Well, that's… hmm, that's actually better," Jett admitted, though he wasn't sure whether to be happy that Freya saved him the trouble of coming up with a better name or annoyed that they had to argue about it. "I guess it's Ella from now on."

"Definitely better than 'dragon girl," Freya replied with a satisfied smile.

Jett couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at how smug she sounded.

"So, are you helping us?" Jett asked, turning back to Clarence.

"On one condition," Clarence cleared his throat, drawing their attention, "I'll have you enter the yearly Clarendon Competition, and you're going to win."

"Clarendon Competition? What's that?" Freya asked, her curiosity piqued.

"At the end of every year, our academy holds a team tournament for the first years, second years, and third years, along with other activities to showcase their worth to other kingdoms. A school festival." Clarence explained to Freya.

Freya's confusion deepened. Why would Clarence ask Jett to participate in something like that?

"And you want Jett to participate with the hope that he'll win? Why him?" Freya asked, utterly baffled.

She didn't know Jett well enough to believe he could actually do it. In her mind, he wasn't that strong, certainly not strong enough to win such a competition.

Jett, however, could almost guess what was going on in her mind. He could see the doubt in her eyes, but that didn't bother Jett on bit.

"It's only a temporary request; it's not like I'm making her stay with you forever," Jett bargained. "When I'm sure I can keep her at bay, you won't need to watch over her for me."

'This old man, what are you planning?' Jett wondered as he studied Clarence's expression.

"That's my condition, and it's not a hard or impossible task either," Clarence encouraged him. "Just show them how strong you are."

Freya watched the exchange, bewildered. 'Was this really the same Jett she knew? How could he possibly win such a tournament? He wasn't even in the top 20.'

"How would he win such a tournament at his current level? He's not in the top 20," Freya pondered as she watched them go at it like two children arguing over candy. "Can someone please explain to me what's going on?"

Clarence and Jett stopped their back-and-forth and turned to Freya.

"I want him to stop acting like he's weak. I may not know his reason, but it's appalling, especially as the son of Jerry Grift," Clarence explained. "I do have some personal reasons why, but that's not important."

"You want me to show the world how powerful I am. You're basically telling me to put a target on my back," Jett said in desperation. "I have a few things I'd like to accomplish before I ever do something like that."

"Then you better get them sorted out before the festival. Plus, I can guarantee your safety within the school grounds," Clarence assured him.

"Then what about the person that attacked Rey and Asher? And the one that keeps spying on us?" Freya countered, his tone becoming more serious.

"Hmm, that's odd. Someone was able to infiltrate the academy under my watch? I can't believe that, but I also can't ignore something like this," Clarence pondered for a moment, lost in thought. Then he shifted back to the main discussion. "So, what do you say about my proposal?"

Jett weighed the options. The proposal wasn't a bad one, but it meant he'd have to take a different approach moving forward. He'd have to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

"I presume hiding my identity is out of the question," Jett asked, trying to confirm the situation.

"Definitely out of the question," Clarence replied with a sly smile, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Jett could tell that Clarence was going to get a yes from him, whether he liked it or not.

"What if I say no and just take care of her myself?" Jett challenged, testing the waters.

"Good luck with that," Clarence responded, the hint of amusement in his voice.

'He's right,' Jett thought, 'taking care of a child isn't an easy task. It's more like a prolonged babysitting endeavor with no experience whatsoever.'

"And what if I don't win as promised?" Jett pressed on, seeking an out.

"Then I'll expel you immediately. I hope you haven't forgotten the library incident," Clarence said with a diabolical smile. "I can't be sure what really happened there, but you definitely went in, and that alone is a feat I can acknowledge."

Jett was being pushed into a corner, and he didn't like it one bit. 'This sly old man, resorting to blackmail? How desperate are you?' He shot Clarence a defiant look. "You'd really bring that up at a time like this?"

Jett thought hard, searching for a way to gain the upper hand. Finally, he spoke, "Alright, you win, but I get to make three requests that you have no choice but to accept."

"And why would I do that? Remember, I'm the one with the upper hand here," Clarence boasted, confident in his position.

"How about this: if you agree to watch over her, I'll participate and win, but you'll also let me leave the academy for a whole year, give me a free pass to the Hall of Techniques, and a teacher's pass," Jett listed with a smirk, confident he'd cornered Clarence.

"Where are all these demands coming from, you ungrateful child?" Clarence said, a bit annoyed by the audacity of the requests.

"If you agree, then I'll explain exactly how I developed my Lumix so quickly. Plus, Valetta never finds out about Ekris," Jett replied, his unsettling smile growing wider.

Freya stood there, lost in their conversation, unsure of what they were talking about anymore. The tension between the two was palpable, but the specifics were beyond her understanding.

"Freya…" Clarence said softly, masking his unease as he glanced at her. Without warning, he opened a portal beneath her, forcefully sending her and Ella away so that he and Jett would be the only ones left in the office.

"Tell me everything you know," Clarence demanded, his expression darkening with a menacing look.

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What is he so scared of?