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Ramshackle Dorm - Lounge
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I think it's safe to say that everybody with an anemone stuck on their head... ...gambled on Azul's contract and lost. The terms of said contract were apparently to place in the top 50. But with the sheer number of students signin' on most of them never stood a chance of getting in at all. That was Azul's game from the start. |
| Talk about a racket. | I DID find it weird that Grim managed to score over 80 on a test. |
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I mean, c'mon! If you're gettin' good grades off someone else's work, what does that even prove? You're throwin' away a perfectly good opportunity to show others what you're capable of. Frankly, you're cheating yourself. |
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If the rest of the student body here were as principled and tedious... ...I mean, as "serious" as you, it would spare me such grief! |
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WHOA! Headmage?! You startled me! |
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| What do you mean, "side business"? | Do you know something about this, Headmage? |
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Azul Ashengrotto: Sophomore. Housewarden of Octavinelle Dorm. Much like Rosehearts, he is a highly capable student already running a dorm as a sophomore, but... He's a bit-no, I daresay QUITE a bit troublesome. |
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Are you talking about him swindling people? Seems to me like one word from the headmage could put a stop to this whole thing. |
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Ah, but it is precisely BECAUSE I am in a teaching position that I cannot prohibit his actions. |
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Why not? |
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Here's the thing about those study guides that Ashengrotto handed out to the students. There was no illegitimate activity involved in their production. Nobody snuck looks at test questions or answers beforehand. It was crafted exhaustively by hand, after researching the past century's worth of Night Raven College exam questions and their patterns. In other words, it's an entirely legitimate study guide. |
| A century's worth of test questions?! | That's actually amazing! |
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Huh. Well, I'll be. If he did that all by hand, the guy's got chops. Hm? Wait... So the problem is that there IS no problem with it? |
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You strike right to the heart of the matter, Howl. As a teacher, I can hardly prohibit a student from crafting an exam study guide via honest work. Nor I can prohibit a student from "kindly" sharing their notes with friends. |
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If you did, you'd basically be tellin' students, "no studying" AND "no helping your buds." Grr... Talk about a seriously briny pickle |
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That is most certainly is. |
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And earlier, you said "another year," yeah? Did the same thing happen last term? |
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Indeed it did. Of course, last year his study guides didn't have quite the reputation they carry this year. So the commotion was much more contained, relatively speaking. This year, on the other hand, rumors abounded throughout campus that if one wished to score well on a test, they should visit the Mostro Lounge. |
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And I'm guessin' the nasty little caveat in the contract in the event of a breach stayed hush-hush because of that binding NDA. |
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So it would seem. Thus did Ashengrotto have a steady stream of students lining up to accept his bargain this year. And the test average across all subjects and years has jumped above 90, much to my chagrin. Of Course, I would be even more chagrinned if all our subject averages were failing grades. But still! |
| What you're saying is that most of the student body cheated. | The genie's out of the bottle, huh? |
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Does that mean that there are guys from last year who lost the bet and still haven't gotten their powers back? |
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Actually, he returned the powers he took from students last year as part of an arrangement he made with me. In return, I granted him permission to run the Mostro Lounge on school property. |
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WHAT?! |
FLASHBACK START
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Night Raven College is a historic and prestigious institution famed for producing the finest of magicians. Yet now the campus is replete with students capable of only minor feats of magic-a fact I'm sure you're none too pleased about, Headmage. Which is why I have a proposal...and it's one I think you will find to be quite beneficial. |
FLASHBACK END
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That was how he framed it. |
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Talk about brazen. I mean, blackmailing the headmage into a deal? No wonder Leona wants nothin' to do with this guy. |
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And when he offered to contribute 10% of the proceeds to the school... Why, how could I say no to such a mutually beneficial arrangement? |
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Wait so you're gettin' something from it? |
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Dear oh dear. I can only wonder what demands he'll make of me this year. Whatever he wants, I will undoubtedly be forced to acquiesce. What else can I do for our idiotic-ah, that is, our poor, unfortunate students? My immense kindness always gets the better of me. Ashengrotto "merely" studies diligently, then shares his rightfully earned knowledge with other students out of the kindness of his heart... If wouldn't do for a teacher to discourage such earnest behavior. Why must every student in our school arrive with some ammount of baggage to sort out?! Oooh, woe is meee! |
| I'm getting a bad feeling about this... | I-I know where this is going... |
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And that's where you come in, [MC] Would you be so kind as to persuade Ashengrotto to cease this little game of his? |
| I don't think anybody could "persuade" him to do anything! | Please don't ask the impossible. |
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Incidentally, Ramshackle Dorm's food expenses have been mounting as of late, as I recall. You must be terribly strapped for cash... And alas, I'm so preoccupied researching a way to return SOMEONE to their home, I have so little time to address other problems... Oh but don't worry about me, really. I am, as you know, a philanthropist to the core. |
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With teachers like this, no wonder our students are the way they are. |
| I'll do what I can. | ...You drive a hard bargain. i suppose I can't say no. |
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You'll accept my request, then? Wonderful, [MC]! I knew I saw potential in this prefect! Then I'll be going now, as I am a very busy man. I'm counting on you! |
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Boy, you never know when the headmage'll pop up. Okay, so what exactly is your plan here? Because you're kinda right-just going up to Azul and askin' him nicely isn't gonna get you anywhere. |
| A good investigation starts with observing the target. | Gathering intel seems like the place to start. |
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True. A successful hunt starts with learnin' all you can about your target. You actually know your stuff. Besides, letting Ace and the others stew in the mess they made might help 'em learn something from this. |
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