Chapter 7: Students and family. New Contract by trade?
The tutoring went off without any problems. The class was packed. Way more than he expected it to be. Going through each took longer than he needed. But at noon, Max called time. Some groaned and made appointments to remember to come next weekend at a decent time.
The information was on the board to ask questions and what time to expect responses.
Waving the students off who went to their other classes, Max stared at the remainder.
"Alright what do you want?"
"The old man said we are related. Very distantly but related." Asuna grumbled. She spent almost all night trying to figure everything out. "So why treat me so badly if we are? Shouldn't family love each other and take care of each other?"
"Hell no." Max said annoyed. "To love someone just because they are family is very disgusting in itself. If... let us say you found out that your mother, whom you never met came to you after 20 years of being away, and she assimilate into your life easily and everything was good and wondrous would that make you happy?"
"Yes, it would. To be with her after all that time would be the best."
"What if your mother turned out to be a serial killer?" Max gave her a smirk.
"I would still love her." Asuna said plainly.
"Stupid. What if it turns out she was not your mother?"
"EH?"
"What if she just killed people and wanted to get to know you for her own sick enjoyment? What if she.. let's say stole your mother's body. Then what?"
"That can't happen!" Asuna said angrily. She was confused and felt slightly sick thinking about it. Her memories were slowly coming back to her making the situation even worse.
"OK then." Max thought of a different scenario. "What if the people who raised you all your life as your parents, turned out not to be your actual parents. What would you do then?"
"I would get angry for them lying to me."
"In what way did they lie?"
"They claim to be my parents but they didnt give birth to me." Asuna felt what she said was wrong.
"But they were the only parents you knew. They did everything society expects of parents. They loved a complete stranger. Someone else's child and raised them as its own. Is that not more compassionate than someone just doing due to birth?" Max walked up to her desk. His eyes searched her own. "Asuna if they never told you that you were adopted you would have never known. Studies show only a few adopted children ever experience a slight disconnect. And those are ones who do not see a physical similarity to their parents and grandparents."
"But the ones who look like them?" Nodoka of all people asked. Her bangs slid to the side as she looked up. "What happens with them?"
"They generally turn out fine. Not knowing, there were no outside stimuli. Lived relatively normal lives. But the place they live was not the best." Max gave her a smile before walking to the front of the class. "Anyway, enough of that for now. Anything else?"
"Wait those people were real?" Ayaka asked suprised. She caught the words the others ignored or fail to respond to.
"Yes." Max said plainly. His tone let her know he would not go into any more details for now.
"I just want to get to know my family a little." Asuna muttered. She felt depressed that Max was the only one who knew answers. Well, the Dean did as well. But he was not speaking on them. She placed her head down confused. "Ughh your such a jerk."
"This is true. But I am also worse than that." Max reached into his pocket pulling out a photo. It was created using magic and pulled from time. It wouldn't be missed since it was right as it burned away at the timeline it once belonged to. "A picture brat. But you must never show anyone." Max pulled it back from her. "Do you understand?"
"I promise!" Asuna said to quickly for his taste. "Gimme it!"
"No. You are to stupid to follow a small agreement. This picture can cause all sorts of trouble. And you would very easily show it off like a fool. The stupidity of a child can not be overlooked."
"Mr.Max..." Ayaka's voice turned pleading. The rest of the girls doing the same for the most part. They gave him puppy dog eyes and a few actually had real tears. He was very much reminded of his own daughters. "..she will do her best to keep it safe."
"You should thank Ayaka and the rest of the class. They care deeply for you. Despite you not doing anything to deserve it really." Max dropped the photo onto the desk. "And they are not even related to you." He gave a shrug and walked away. "Just people in your class. You might not even see them in a year ot two."
*Thunk!* The door slammed as Max left. Conflicted as he couldn't shake thoughts of his own children currently.
"She is really pretty." Asuna looked at the picture smiling. The picture had a girl that looked adorable on a woman's lap. "She looks like me. But her hair is longer."
Of course the other girls couldn't help themselves and snuck peaks. Luckily Max was not completely foolish and had a second spell running on the picture to block magical perception to a large degree.
They would see just a woman and child, nothing more.
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-City Outskirts-
.
Max appeared right in front of Joseph. No one else was around for a few miles.
"The higher-ups have decided to not pursue anything further." Joseph said fearfully. After reading the reports he couldnt help but feel intimidated. All reports said Max should be only 10 or so and going by the name Negima. But he was an adult in front of him. "Using magic to change your age.."
"What I do to "my" body is not the concern of others." Max smiled evilly. His eyes lit up with Devil magic. "Your little group has other things to worry about. Like not getting all the other Magi killed."
"You will not help still?"
"Nope. You all deserve death. Watching it will be amusing, to say the least."
"Then I have no choice." Joseph activated the magic circles on the ground. "I have to bring you in for questioning."
*Pow!* A sniper round cut through the air. It caught Joseph in the chest. Knocking him off his feet and disrupting his magic flow. His magic was disabled for the time being and caused him trouble when trying any spells the very next second.
*Vrrmmm!* Something vibrated in the air alerting his attention. It was the robot Chachamaru. On her back was Evangeline. But neither had a gun visible.
"Such a fun thing." Max had a cheerful smile on his face. He had know idea why either of them was here. They just made it easier for him to kill Joseph. "Sucks to be you."
Max snapped his fingers summoning vines from the ground. They were as strong as steel tightening on his legs. Needles dug into his flesh injecting a toxin inside Joseph.
"Can you not kill him so quickly?" Evangeline said more than asked. She landed to the side with a serious expression. "Killing him will bring problems."
"Not at all. He made the mistake that the little magi council was not gonna pursue things. So.. why not take care of someone acting on their own?" Max tightens the spell around Joseph. The toxins were also draining all his magic away. Which in turn made the needles stronger.
A loop spell that feeds itself.
"A trade. His life for someone to work with you." Evangeline stated. Next to her, a magic circle appeared letting out who she wanted to trade. It was Mana. "Spare him and Mana works for you. Both I and the Dean will not interfere."
"Hump, fine." Max could not pass this up. Besides, he received what he wanted from Joseph. As the vines retracted with the needles, countless spores were left inside. They burrowed into his bones mixing with his marrow. "For you Mana Tatsumiya."
*Poof!* A contract was formed in front of the half-breed with improved conditions.
Mana read it over saying nothing. Her hands trembled slightly at the details. Joseph took the chance to flee. Using the last of his magic to escape. He felt it best to disappear for a while. The council gave orders to not cause problems. He broke that trying to get himself ahead.
'At least he is not pursuing me. Need to find a way to get the council to reconsider.'
"You would have killed him, a bit of a monster." Evangeline stated. She eyed Max who was eyeing Chachamaru intently. "You better not try anything funny with her."
"Sure." Max shrugged. He did however pass over another book to the robot. She in turn gave him the previous one back. "Keep up the studying."
*Bzzt!* Mana had lighting dance around her as she signed the contract. A large amount of information entered her mind. Secrets of her origins and her family in detail. She turned to Max genuinely happy about the arrangement.
"I will do my best to serve you." The grin on her face was a tad predatory. "I get to move in to the mansion right?"
"Hehe yeah.." Max scratched his cheek a little. "I have no problem with it. Just make sure you do not cause problems with personal stuff." Mana and Chachamru left quickly for some reason or another. Leaving just Max and Evangeline. "What is it now?"
"You really hate Nagi don't you?" Max nodded. "I fell in love with that brat a long time ago. But then he sealed me in the school and left me there. I was so lonely. So angry thinking he would return for me. Then he gets himself captured." She stomped on the ground frustrated. "I will help you acquire the magic you want. I will also help them. But you have to help me once in the future. Is that a deal?"
*Poof!* A black contract formed up. It was longer than the usual ones. Which meant more power for Max but more clauses he had to follow with Evangeline. Watching her sign it was funny. She kept scrolling through initialing in several places.
"This magic is beyond ancient. How did you come across it?"
"Not telling." Max felt the increase in his mana reserves. It was even more to his already large amount. Now he just needed to spend time making it his own. "Time to head home. Are you coming with?"
"Ehhh?" Evangeline had a slightly puzzled look on her face. She tentatively took his hand as they teleported away. Max missed the smile on her face. And the look of the old dean watching from a distance.
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-Dean's Office-
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"Haaa, have know idea what has happened to the young man but he is dangerous." Behind the old dean were Takamichi, his grandaughter Konoka, and Setsuna. He hated what he had to ask them but it needed to be done. "Do your best to involve yourselves with him. Learn as best you can and find out what you can. The Academy is at stake."
"I do not mind. He may not be the kid I once knew, but that doesn't mean he can't be helped. I will see what I can do." Takimichi ageed no problem.
"He is our teacher, so it should be easy." Setsuna said. "I will make sure to keep vigilant."
"We will make sure to keep vigilant." Konoka said as reassurance. After what Max said previously she couldn't help but view Setsuna a little more than before. Small things were falling into place from the past. Every time something was wrong, Setsuna was there to help her. Or her grandfather. The clan... not so much. "We haven't thrown him a welcoming party. So we can do that as an excuse."
"I doubt he will allow it at his house. Maybe a restraunant." The old dean stroked his beard in thought. "I know just the place. Before I forget, Takamichi."
"Yes?"
"Have you been able to get in contact with the others?"
"No response back. It seems Max was right. Each of them seems to be busy or can't be located." Takimichi had a distressed look on his face. "Think he knows himself where they are?"
"They are strangers to him. I doubt he cares." The old dean had a faint premonition on what to do next. But it was too risky at this time. "Just invite him to the party. See how it goes."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
FrozenTidez
FrozenTidez Name: Maxmillion (Negi) Springfield
Class: Ancient Sorceror
Realm: Advanced Sorceror
Str: 12→ 14
Con: 30→ 32
Dex: 16→ 18
Int: 46→ 47
Wis: 41 → 43
Cha: 16 → 21
Spells: Growth, Wayward, Tresspass Alarm, Traps, Vines
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone