Chapter 83: A Fair Deal

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: A Fair Deal

Caelia looked at him carefully.

"You know what you’re asking for, right?"

"Yes."

"And you still want it?"

"Yes."

She stared at him.

Damon gave a small shrug.

"I don’t think there’s any point pretending I want something else."

That answer left her speechless.

He wasn’t trying to pressure them.

He wasn’t even trying to bargain.

He simply knew what he wanted.

Cornelius remained silent.

His eyes stayed on Damon.

Damon met his gaze without looking away.

Neither of them moved.

The elders waited for their family head to reject the request.

Damon waited too.

He wasn’t going to back down just because the room didn’t like his answer.

If they refused, he would simply find another way.

But if they accepted...

It would save him a lot of trouble.

After several seconds, Cornelius finally leaned back.

His expression didn’t change.

Then he spoke.

"Fine."

The entire hall froze.

Even Caelia looked at her father in disbelief.

Damon’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He hadn’t expected the answer to come that easily.

Cornelius looked toward him.

"You saved my daughter and helped protect my family."

He paused.

"If temporary access to the Birthground is what you want, then you will have it."

Damon smiled.

"Then we have a deal."

And just like that, his simple request had opened a door into one of the most important secrets of the Winterbourne family.

The deal had been agreed.

But Damon knew the conversation wasn’t over.

Cornelius Winterbourne had the presence of someone who had spent years leading a powerful family. There was no way he would simply give Damon what he wanted without making sure his own family gained something from it.

And Damon was right.

"The access will be limited," Cornelius said calmly.

Damon nodded.

"How limited?"

"One hour."

Damon raised an eyebrow.

"That’s short."

"It is."

Cornelius didn’t seem bothered.

"The Birthground cannot remain open for too long, especially in our current situation. There are security concerns, and I won’t risk giving anyone enough time to cause trouble."

Damon thought about it.

One hour wasn’t much.

Even if someone entered with bad intentions, there was only so much they could accomplish before being forced out.

"And you won’t be entering alone," Cornelius continued. "Someone from the family will accompany you."

Damon nodded.

"Fair."

"Of course, the recently awakened members of the family will also be allowed inside."

That caught Damon’s attention.

"All of them?"

"After they are checked."

Cornelius smiled slightly.

"They will be carefully selected."

Damon understood immediately.

The man had thought this through.

On one side, Damon received access to the Birthground.

On the other, the Winterbourne family gained another opportunity for their young talents to find an Ice Spirit Elemental.

It was a risky decision, but the possible reward was too good to ignore.

If one of their geniuses attracted a powerful elemental, it could change their position in the family and give them another advantage against the Distorted Zone.

Not bad.

Damon almost smiled.

He’s making sure the family gets something out of this too.

But there was something else.

Cornelius wasn’t finished.

The family head had been watching Damon closely ever since he entered the hall.

The request itself was strange.

Damon had no Ice affinity that they knew of, yet he had somehow contracted two rare Spirit Elementals of completely different elements.

And now he wanted access to an Ice Birthground.

Cornelius couldn’t figure out what Damon was planning.

Neither could Caelia.

That made him even more interested.

"There’s one more thing."

Damon looked at him.

Here it came.

Cornelius leaned forward slightly.

"I want you to accompany Caelia in her investigation."

Caelia looked at her father.

"Father..."

"I want the two of you to find out what is happening inside the Frostveil Expanse."

Damon remained silent.

Cornelius continued.

"And if you encounter danger, protect her."

There it was.

Damon smiled.

He understood the real deal now.

The Birthground wasn’t being given to him for free.

Cornelius wanted him involved in the problem threatening the Winterbourne family.

And if Damon was already going to investigate the strange passages and the reason behind the abnormal growth of the Distorted Zone, then there was no reason for him to refuse.

In fact, it was exactly what he wanted.

He could get access to an Ice Birthground.

He could potentially find an Ice Core Spirit.

He could gain resources to nurture it.

And he would have Caelia’s knowledge of the zone to guide him.

I’m not losing anything here.

Damon looked at Cornelius.

"I’ll do it."

The family head studied him.

Damon extended his hand.

"But you’ll owe me one."

Cornelius paused.

Caelia blinked.

Even the expression on Cornelius’s face changed slightly.

Then he laughed.

"You’re quite straightforward."

"I prefer knowing exactly what I get into."

Cornelius looked at his hand for a moment before taking it.

"Deal."

Their hands shook.

The agreement was complete.

Around them, several elders finally relaxed.

They had been worried that Damon would take too much from the family, but somehow Cornelius had turned the situation around.

Now Damon was not only receiving access to the Birthground.

He was also becoming involved in their greatest problem.

The elders soon left to begin preparations.

The Birthground would be opened in one hour.

It would remain open for only one hour.

Cornelius had also ordered them to select trusted representatives and the strongest of the current generation.

Nobody outside those chosen would be allowed near the opening.

Damon found the arrangement impressive.

It was fast and controlled, as there was barely enough time for anyone with bad intentions to properly interfere.

And there wasn’t enough freedom for anyone to abuse the opportunity.

Soon, the hall became quiet.

Only Cornelius, Caelia and Damon remained.

Caelia finally let out a breath.

"I can’t believe you actually asked for the Birthground."

Damon glanced at her.

"You sound surprised."

"I am."

She shook her head.

"Even I wouldn’t have dared to ask Father for that."

Damon smiled.

"Then it’s a good thing I’m not you."