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"...that sounds like a very demanding and very stressful job if you ask me," Chrissy stated before taking a sip of her tea.
Erica and Isabella didn't say anything just yet. They're still digesting what Cedric just revealed to them.
He finally told them about the offer, one that he had delayed for a good while. He wanted to tell them earlier, but he didn't want to add on to the stress of their pregnancy, so he held it off. But now that they've given birth and have recovered well, he thought that he might as well tell them now while the chance is still there.
Besides, Cedric doesn't have much time left.
He was given until before he leaves the tower to give an answer, and Cedric was just a step shy away from clearing the 10th and final trial there. Actually, his fellow challengers of the same lobby have all left the tower; some left earlier than expected while others already cleared their final trial. He's the only one left there, and even he doesn't have much time left to spare.
"Will it require you to leave us?" Isabella asked, and Cedric could just hear the trepidation in her voice.
He understands why she feels this way. It hasn't been long since their family began. Their children can't even walk or talk yet. Isabella didn't feel comfortable at the idea of having their kids grow up in Cedric's absence. She knows that this hurts him as well, but she can't really hold him back either because that would just be too unfair for him. That said, this was also unfair for the kids.
"If I receive a mission that requires me to be physically present, then yes, I'm afraid I'd have to," Cedric truthfully admitted. "But that's far too few in between. Besides, I'm going to have to start at the bottom to work my way up, and the initial stages of my training can be done in the virtual universe, so until I graduate from training and take on more responsibilities, I won't be going anywhere."
"Oh, then that doesn't sound too bad, then," Erica chimed in. "I'm guessing that the training will take some time as well." Continue your saga on empire
"Well, that depends." He replied, "They said that I could breeze through it if I want, but at minimum, five years is needed. That could be extended as well, depending on what other courses I'm interested in learning."
"So, in that way, you can be with us until our children grow old enough to function without too much guidance from us," Chrissy concluded. "And even then, you said that missions that would require you to leave us behind will be very rare, so honestly, I'd say go for it."
"I thought that you'd have to leave us right away, forcing our children to grow up without you. That's what made me feel hesitant to agree. But if that wasn't the case, then yes, I have no problems with it. I support you." Isabella agreed as well now that her doubts have been clarified.
Cedric treasured these times because it only happens once. He was so immersed in his role as a father that he even forgone any form of training. He wasn't really losing or delaying the progress of his strength by doing this. After all, Prime Earth was simply too underdeveloped to endure the fluctuations of his power, so he needed to seal it anyway. Moreover, any sort of progress for him becomes too slow at this point.
Cedric was already a 3-star Grand Cosmic Sage after passing the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th stages of the trials. He spent most of his tower points to purchase necessary materials to aid in his progress without distabilizing his foundations. That's why he has only come this far into his life evolution. The excess points he had were spent on things that could help his home.
Even as he's just a shy of a step away from clearing the final stage of the trials, he knows that he can't make any further progress in his life evolution, so he didn't bother at all.
A couple of days or months without training wouldn't hurt him, so he could spend it all according to how he likes.
That said, this doesn't mean that Cedric was willingly sinking into stagnancy. He wouldn't ask for his wives' permission to take on the offer of the Tower Master for no apparent reason after all.
And thus, during one idle evening at Prime Earth, Cedric sent a message to both Hunyo and Silas, saying that he accepts their offer.
The response was immediate. He received the contract right away and was told that he could negotiate on certain clauses should he feel the need to.
Of course, Cedric took his time reading through the contract because that's the wisest thing to do, especially in a job that deals with politics. Fortunately though, the contract was rather straightforward, loose, and very generous. If it weren't for the fact that this was sent by the Tower Master himself, he'd think that this was actually a scam. That's how lucrative the offer was.
But of course, he believed that neither Hunyo nor Silas would make a rookie mistake like sending a false contract or resorting to scamming a poor person like him, so he freely signed the contract since he's satisfied with everything.
The moment he signed the contract, it turned into a binding oath in the form of a rune that dissolved on his forehead. It had the cosmic laws as a witness, therefore it couldn't be denied. It's also a security measure that none of the members of the department turns into traitors.
With the confirmation of his membership, Cedric was to start his training soon. His Virtual Universe visor will eventually be able to connect to the Training Office of the SHSD.
As for the incentives he was promised by signing the contract, they will be supplied in the near future.
This was the start of Cedric's real life as a member of the alliance.