| Previous Chapter | Current Chapter | Next Chapter |
| Chapter 18 | Book 3 • Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 |
|---|
That night...
Savanaclaw Dorm - Lounge
 |
What? You guys actually went to the Coral Sea? |
 |
Hah! How stupid can you get? |
 |
Mrah?! But you're the guy who said to "get the ball rolling" right now! |
|
Hmph. I never said anything about diving headlong into the sea. Your time's limited. What I was suggestin' was that you use your head and find a worthwhile use of your time. Challenging merfolk head-on in the water is a losing proposition no matter how you slice it. It's like walking into a carnivore's mouth. |
 |
Wait. Did you guys know the twins were actually mermen this whole time? |
|
Maybe. |
|
I saw Floyd in his natural form at a joint swimming class last summer, and boy, let me tell you... If that guy came after me in the water, I'd be done for. End of story. |
|
It woulda been nice to know that beforehand! |
|
Last I checked, you were the guys who ran off half-cocked without bothering to gather any intel. I would've been happy to share it all in detail if you'd asked. |
|
Yeah! You gotta cover your bases before you start pickin' fights, y'know? Shyeheehee! Back at the Savanna, you gotta tread carefully if you don't wanna end up as someone's dinner. |
|
Grrr... You're the same couple of scheming jerks as always! |
|
Does this mean Azul was planning on interfering from the start when he made the offer? |
|
Uh, duh? Obviously? |
|
The Leech brothers are Azul's top men. They're known for collecting all collateral and compensation from his contractors. And rumor has it they run interference to make sure the contract terms can't be met. |
|
What a bunch of low-down, dirty cheaters! Urgh...If [MC] loses, am I gonna be stuck workin' day and night for Azul forever? |
| Oh no... What if they take Ramshackle Dorm away from us? | I'm sure we'll manage something. Pretty sure, at least... |
|
...... |
|
Leona? |
|
Azul's signature spell is a golden contract scroll called It's a Deal. It enables the caster to take one power from a target if that target signs the scroll. In addition, in the event of a contract breach, the breacher is compelled to obey Azul's every command to a T. |
|
They say spells with tricky activation requirements are especially potent, but man... Isn't that messed up? |
|
When the power gets taken, it's sealed inside the contract and made available for Azul to use as it suits him. |
|
Wait, so all those times Azul busted out different sortsa high-difficulty spells like it was nothing... |
|
I'd bet you anything that those were powers he swiped from contractors as collateral. |
|
That's nuts! That means he's cheating at everything! |
|
Technically, no. As far as signature spells go, his is crazy high-level. Guy's gotta have some chops to pull something like that off. |
|
I've never put my power up for collateral, so I've got no idea how it works, myself. |
|
Wait, then what DID you put up for collateral? |
|
Grrr... What's it matter? It's all in the past anyway. ANYWAY. Contracts with him'll last as long as that special scroll is around. Which is why Azul makes very carefully worded offers. |
|
And then gets suckers to sign on with terms they can't possibly meet. |
|
The only way to win against Azul is to not make a contract at all. Heh. |
|
Mrooow... What are we supposed to do?! |
| We can't affort to lose, but this looks bad. | Please, share some insights with us! |
|
|
|
How do you win against someone stronger than you? You use your noggin. But, hm... If I were in your shoes... |
| Previous Chapter | Current Chapter | Next Chapter |
| Chapter 18 | Book 3 • Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 |
|---|