"I didn’t spend a single cent."
Evenson’s expression was so sincere it bordered on holy.
"I wouldn’t dare."
"I’m the heir to generations of Warlocks."
"My predecessors entrusted that fortune to me for one purpose alone."
"To save the world when the day finally came."
He slowly shook his head.
"They placed that responsibility in my hands."
"How could I squander it on my own desires?"
"I couldn’t."
Perhaps money truly was a Warlock’s native language.
The moment the conversation turned toward finances, Evenson’s persuasive abilities seemed to ascend to an entirely new level.
Even the Eredar twins found themselves wondering if they ought to cut back on their wholesale purchases of laundry detergent.
The performance was that convincing.
The Ancient One, naturally, was even more affected.
She looked at Evenson with genuine admiration.
Here was a man living in relative austerity while pouring mountains of wealth into protecting the world.
What kind of conviction did that require?
After a moment, she cleared her throat.
"I... may be able to help."
"How?"
"I could invest in your company."
Evenson’s eyes lit up.
In an instant he was sitting behind a desk with a calculator already in hand.
"Excellent."
"First, let me be clear."
"This is a project to save the world."
"If you’re thinking of investing one or two million dollars..."
He tapped the calculator dramatically.
"...that won’t even make a splash."
The Ancient One stared.
"...What?"
The change in tone was so abrupt she briefly wondered whether she’d accidentally wandered into some elaborate investment scam.
"I’ll need to review Kamar-Taj’s finances first," she admitted.
Over countless centuries, Kamar-Taj had accumulated considerable wealth.
They owned property.
Artifacts.
Investments.
Entire settlements at the foot of the Himalayas.
Exactly how much all of it amounted to...
She had absolutely no idea.
She was the Sorcerer Supreme.
Not the accountant.
Unlike a certain someone who apparently enjoyed recalculating his net worth whenever he had free time before attempting to throttle a husky for bankrupting him.
"And I’ll have to discuss it with the others."
"The funds belong to Kamar-Taj, not just me."
"If I’m going to move that much money..."
"...they deserve to know."
Evenson’s expression immediately became grave.
"Please don’t delay."
"We’re running out of time."
"Every day matters."
"I understand."
The Ancient One nodded quickly.
"I’ll return immediately and review the accounts."
As she turned to leave, one suspicious thought quietly surfaced.
His terrifying speech about cosmic extinction...
...wasn’t secretly just a very elaborate fundraising pitch... was it?
She sincerely hoped not.
Claire, now mostly recovered, glanced reluctantly toward Evenson before following after her teacher.
She was still a disciple of Kamar-Taj.
Whatever personal feelings she carried...
Duty came first.
The two had nearly reached the doorway when Evenson called out.
"Sorcerer Supreme."
"One moment."
The Ancient One stiffened.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
She turned back.
"...Yes?"
I’ve already agreed to invest.
What more could he possibly want?
Surely he isn’t about to ask me to sign something.
Instead, Evenson frowned thoughtfully.
"When you return..."
"How are you planning to explain all this to your disciples?"
She stopped.
That...
...was actually an excellent question.
"I’m not trying to insult your students," Evenson continued carefully.
"But compared to you..."
"They’re considerably less open-minded."
"And considerably more stubborn."
It was an odd irony.
The oldest sorcerer alive was also the most progressive.
Many of the younger mages, meanwhile, clung to centuries-old prejudices with remarkable enthusiasm.
Imagine the situation from their perspective.
The Sorcerer Supreme left Kamar-Taj intending to eliminate a dangerous Warlock.
Instead...
She came back having reached an agreement with him.
Worse.
She intended to hand over a significant portion of Kamar-Taj’s funds to support his organization.
How would they interpret that?
Surrender.
Compromise.
Capitulation.
Few of them would consider the broader picture.
"We’re Sorcerers."
"We don’t negotiate with dark magic."
"We defeat it."
That would almost certainly become the prevailing attitude.
"They may never say those words to your face," Evenson said quietly.
"But they’ll be thinking them."
"And resentment inside Kamar-Taj..."
"...is the last thing we need."
He folded his arms.
"If humanity is going to survive what’s coming..."
"...every major organization has to remain united."
"Kamar-Taj is one of the most important."
The Ancient One nodded slowly.
"If your organization faced the same problem..."
"...what would you do?"
Evenson answered without blinking.
"I’d drag the loudest troublemakers into the courtyard."
"And execute them."
His smile was unsettling.
"Then I’d tell everyone else..."
"’If you don’t follow me...’"
"’...you can follow them.’"
The room fell silent.
After a moment he sighed.
"But..."
"I don’t imagine you’re willing to solve personnel issues that way."
"No."
She answered immediately.
"I thought so."
He smiled again.
"So let me offer another solution."
"I’m listening."
"Leave one of your Sorcerers here."
The Ancient One raised an eyebrow.
"When you return, tell everyone you’ve assigned an official observer to monitor me."
"That way your disciples will believe you’re exercising oversight rather than placing blind trust in me."
He continued before she could interrupt.
"We’ll be working together more and more."
"Having a liaison will also make communication much easier."
The Ancient One considered the proposal.
The more she thought about it...
The more reasonable it sounded.
An official observer would reassure Kamar-Taj.
It would preserve confidence in her leadership.
And, truthfully...
She wasn’t prepared to trust Evenson completely either.
Leaving someone here would provide an extra layer of security.
If I’m about to invest hundreds of millions of dollars...
Assigning someone to watch the operation is only common sense.
The only problem was choosing the right person.
She mentally reviewed her disciples.
To her growing frustration...
Very few seemed suitable.
"Sorcerer Supreme!"
Claire suddenly stepped forward.
"I volunteer."
"I request permission to remain here."
The Ancient One looked at her.
Then at Evenson.
Who was nodding with such enthusiastic agreement that his head threatened to detach itself from his shoulders.
Something about this felt...
Suspicious.
Very suspicious.
An uncomfortable thought crept into her mind.
I came here prepared to destroy a dangerous Warlock.
Now I’m investing in his company...
...and somehow my favorite disciple is staying behind with him.
Am I paying reparations... or arranging a political marriage?
She rubbed her forehead.
Still...
Claire possessed a flexible mind.
She already understood Evenson better than most.
Sending someone else would probably end with the unfortunate necessity of identifying a box of ashes.
"...Very well."
"You’ll remain."
Claire’s face brightened instantly.
The Ancient One wasted no time after that.
She opened a portal and stepped through.
The faster she left...
The less chance Evenson had of somehow convincing her to invest the Time Stone as well.
The portal vanished.
The pocket dimension dissolved.
The Eredar twins resumed their human disguises.
Saloras, now dressed in a fitted black business suit, crossed her arms and smiled knowingly.
"Evenson..."
Her expression carried just enough amusement to be dangerous.
"Care to explain something?"
She glanced toward the spot where Claire had disappeared only moments earlier.
"Why were you so determined to keep the little mage here?"
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