Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 203: Trust

Date- 26 Mar 2321

Time- 15:13

Location- Sky Blossom City, Guild Association Mall, Warehouse no.234

“What are these cores?” The three brothers suspiciously looked at cores placed on the tea table.

“Does it matter, would you believe me I told you? But by swallowing these cores you three brothers will gain my trust. Next is up to you guys to swallow the core or do not let the door hit you on your way out.” Explaining the core or assuring them that the cores are harmless is of no use as they would not believe me no matter how much I explained to them. So I presented them with the core as a form of a test. Having tasted the rich rewards offered by their family the three brothers would not give up on their mission that easy. But to them, this one was going to be a tough choice.

The three brothers looked at each other’s faces not knowing what the other would choose? They thought the cores should be some kind of new poison and the antidote to the poison must be periodically fed to them by Wyatt for being loyal to him. This only works when the poison is new and its antidote is very hard to make or find. A classic but effective technique dating back centuries in the pages of history, to have the prisoner of war work loyally for their captors.

Thinking that the three brothers’ expressions hardened they knew that gaining someone’s trust who created the rumoured silver milk and dared to trick a card emperor was going to be hard. Still, they resolved their minds to work hard to achieve their mission objectives, falling prey to the rich rewards promised by their elders and the self-sacrifice for family bull crap.

So they were prepared to face various and worst hardships in their lifetime in the journey to gain Wyatt’s trust. But now seeing that swallowing a poison core would put them back on Wyatt’s good grace they were overjoyed. They did not worry about the poison that they would be swallowing because they knew their family would help them find the antidote if the family wanted them to play spies for them. Even they were prepared to swallow the poisonous core they acted hesitant to swallow the core in front of Wyatt to avoid suspicion

Never in their dreams would they think that the core that they were about to swallow is not poison but something which could make them prisoner in their own body or even take away their free will and make them firm believers of Wyatt. Forget completing the mission for the family they no longer would belong to themselves but become the loyal and trusted property of Dalton Wyatt.

Seeing the three brothers look hesitantly at the core and then each other, was I not aware that the three may not choose to swallow the core and report to their family of being asked to swallow weird cores? Completely jeopardizing the one secret I should be trying hard to keep hidden. I was fully aware and ready to summon three Stone Viltronians on their ass the moment they showed any sign of choosing to walk out of here.

Despite their initial hesitancy the three brothers picked up their respective cores and swallowed them. And 3 seconds later their dishonest expression turned into a firm one as they knelt on one knee and greeted me as their new master. It was not I who asked them to kneel and greet me as their new master but it was themselves who chose the best way they knew to show their loyalty and respect for me.

“Get up, and one of you recount your purpose to become my followers” I asked the three brothers to be sure of William’s schemes.

“The Patriarch and family elders wanted us to gain Masters’ trust no matter what it took all the while being in contact with the family.

In return, they would make sure to take care of our parents and siblings while also providing us with enough resources to keep with the master. So that we can remain useful to master for a long period.

And the final objective of our mission after gaining the master’s trust is to steal all possible discoveries of the master for the family.” A neat trick from the Bright family and William to plant their men next to me as they knew what I most lacked currently was self-groomed, loyal and trustworthy manpower which they provided, for now, to reap huge benefits later.

They did not care if they were being obvious because they knew I had to trust somebody and groom someone as long as one of them was one of the three brothers then they would stand to gain a lot at a later date. If nothing they would have contacts next to a potential top 10 university graduate. Which in itself was a great boon.

Hearing that what William schemed is not far from my speculations I felt lonely and could not help but think that there was nobody in this world who would do something for someone not wanting something in return. Not just in this world but back on earth too in some or the other way everyone hopes for something in return for their every action. Just take charity, some do it for self-satisfaction, some do it for branding either way they are expecting something in return.

It’s good because wanting something keeps us wanting to live. And somewhere deep down inside me, a part of me thought that William wanted my friendship in return but it turns out he never cared about anything else other than benefits breaking the little trust I had in him. The same goes for my calamity daughter core but I can trust them because what they want in return is to just serve me more. Their only purpose is to serve me, even if I give them full authority and freedom of will their priority will remain to serve me.

Giving 1000 soul jades each to the three brothers to build their second transformation body I asked them to resume their normal life and continue to build the Bright Lions delinquent gang and send all capable members to join the TSR guild. As for William and their elders, they could just report to them that building the Bright Lions delinquent gang to recruit capable members for the TSR guild was their first step to gain my trust. And I also asked the brothers to send any delinquent gang members who have found their fated ingredients to me.

I had more than a dozen calamity daughter cores but only a few of them were named calamity daughter cores. In terms of power Named calamity daughter cores were very strong and resourceful compared to the calamity daughter cores of the same realm. My enemies were too strong and too many with unlimited resources at their disposal and thanks to the silver milk fiasco I could no longer operate from shadows which meant I needed a huge and strong army fast.