Today, we’ll be holding a joint freshman and sophomore class. Our topic of the day is mandrake-gathering. However, there are far too many of you for me to teach individually. Thus, I expect the sophomores to look after the freshmen. Pair yourselves up for this exercise.
Let's be clear about one thing—this is a hazardous assignment. You need to remain ever vigilant. Remember what went over in class? The mandrake emits a deadly scream when it’s pulled out. As I have no desire to die, I expect you to follow my instructions to a T.
Okay, the plant's outta the...dirt! ...Still workshopping that catchphrase. Now to get it in the bag and seal that sucker up before it starts moving... There.
So basically, you do all the grunt work picking the mandrakes, then you give them to the ghosts, and ghosts pay you. Then the ghosts go on to sell 'em to the public at the market?
Oh, Epel? He’s crazy quick on the uptake. He finished his quota before I could even finish going over everything with him. He may look like your typical Pomefiore snob, but that guy sure knows his way around plants. So here I am! And now I’m gonna help myself to everything I can pull. Close your ears, guys!
Wow, you really do have the process down pat. You work fast, too. Tell you what, Ace. I'm gonna let you hold the mandrake bag. When you pick mandrakes, you gotta stuff 'em in fast and close the bag up tight. You know how to do that?
They're drawstring bags, so you just pull the cords to either side and the bag closes on its own, right? Jamil covered that with me earlier. Anyway, I'm gonna get picking!
That's two more for the...BAG! Geez, it's chock-full of these little suckers now. But I think I can squeeze more in if I push 'em in tighter. I should get another bag when Ruggie gets back. The more I can harvest right now, the better. Heh heh! Nothin' nicer that earning some cash on class time! Earplugs, check. Now for one more!
Hoo boy. You didn't close the bag all the way, did you? Mandrakes are runners. We went over that in class! You gotta pay attention to the teacher, dude!
Yeah, sure, I'm on it. C'mon, Jamil. Let's get all the loose mandrake back in the bag. Hrgh! Hup! Geez, this one's a squeezer. What are you, some kinda mandrake magnet?
Somehow I'm not inclined to be sympathetic. Here. This is the report for today's assignment. I've already filled out the sophomore column. Class will be over once you turn this in to the teacher. I went ahead and gave you passing marks. You can go back to the classroom now.
I guess you've gotta clean up Kalim's messes too, huh? I think it worked out okay, personally. The teacher never caught on, so it's not gonna be a hit to your grade or anything. On that note, it's about time I get go...ing?! Yo, Ace, where do you think you're goin' with that bag? Those are the mandrakes I'm sellin' to the ghosts! You can't just walk off with those!
