| Previous Chapter | Current Chapter | Next Chapter |
| Chapter 6 | Book 4 • Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 |
|---|
Scarabia Dorm - Lounge
 |
What's going on, Jamil? Nobody told me to expect company! |
 |
Kalim, there's a good reason for this, I assure you. |
 |
Uh, this guy seems like bad news... |
|
How many times must I tell you to always inform me ahead of time when inviting guests?! If you had... ...I would have arranged for an even finer banquet and a whole band! |
|
Huh? |
|
Hiya! Welcome to our dorm. Sorry for not throwing you a welcoming parade! I'm Kalim Al-Asim, housewarden of Scarabia. This is the first time we've met, right? |
|
It's not, actually. Grim burned your posterior at orientation, and you spoke with them before the Spelldrive tournament as well. |
|
Oh, really? Aha ha, sorry! I've always been terrible with faces. I hope you won't take any offense. Regardless, it's nice to meet you all over again! |
| This guy's a far cry from the other housewardens we've met. | Yes, it's nice to meet you too. |
|
All the food looks incredible, as always. How did everything turn out, Jamil? |
|
Splendidly as ever. There are no dangerous substances in any of these dishes, so eat whatever you like. They've also been poison-tested already. |
|
Wh-why is THAT relevant?! |
|
Kalim is the heir to a very wealthy family. The unfortunate dangers related to that mean that everything he eats must be vetted. |
|
You just love blowing these things out of proportion, Jamil. Really, who would do that? Nobody's tried poisoning me since that time four years ago when I went comatose for two weeks. It's a thing of the past now. |
|
Yes, because you've had someone to specifically prevent that from happening for the past four years. I ensure that anything hazardous is identified and disposed of before it crosses your plate. |
|
Wait a minute. When you were feedin' me all those different dishes, was that to test 'em for poison?! |
|
Aha ha ha! There's no real danger for you, don't worry. All the food Jamil makes is safe. Jamil would never poison my food. |
|
Heh. Must you state the obvious? |
|
Y'know, I'm startin' to think these guys were only pretendin' to be nice. |
|
Ooh, Grim! Have you tried the goat's milk blue cheese yet? Nothing beats a smear of it on a cracker! |
|
Huh? Why would I eat somethin' with mold all over—Mmph! *sputter* Don't go shovin' food in my—mmph! |
|
Oh, good, you like it! By all means, have some more! Aha ha! |
|
Mmmph! Awmmph! |
|
Bring out more food and drinks. And kick the music up a notch or three! Today, we party! |
|
I can't eat another bite... Urgh... My tummy's gonna burst. Where does that Kalim guy get off, crammin' crackers with moldy cheese in my mouth? I make it a personal policy to eat any food I get, but that was just too much! |
|
Hey, you two! Care for dessert? We've got ice cream. Or would you prefer a selection of fruits? We've also got baked sweets with pistachios and almonds. I could have Jamil bring you some. |
|
Mrah! N-nope, I'm square! Can't eat another bite! |
|
Aww. They're all so good, I would've loved to share some with you. Oh well. We'll be here over the whole winter break. You're welcome to drop by for a meal whenever you like. Right, Jamil? |
|
Absolutely. Anytime. |
| Why aren't you going home? | Oh, right—I never asked why you were staying on campus. |
|
Hm? Oh... Well, you know how we recently had that Spelldrive tournament, followed by our exams? Well, our dorm placed at the bottom in both. |
|
...... |
|
So I decided to do something about it. Our whole dorm is doing voluntary special training. |
|
I woulda taken last place over what Ramshackle Dorm got in the Spelldrive tournament brackets: a fat lotta nothin'. |
|
Oh, right. Yes, that's a real shame. |
|
On our winter break, we'll be spending six hours a day on studies and practical magic training. |
|
Six hours a day? That ain't any different from regular school hours! "Holidays are for resting. Homework can wait until after break." That's what Leona says. |
|
Yes, I'm sure he does. |
|
Hmmm. When you put it that way, you do have a point. My dad DID always drill the whole "work hard, play hard, and know when to do which" thing into my head. Maybe Leona's right, and we should focus more on striking the right balance between the two. All right! I've decided, Jamil. We should take our breaks when we can get them. I'll let our students go home tomorrow. |
|
What?! |
|
I'll tell them over dinner tonight. Do me a favor and make sure everybody shows up, okay? |
|
R-right. Of course. |
|
Say, [MC], I should give you two the grand Scarabia tour. I'd love to show you a few things. |
|
Kalim, please! You'll be setting a bad example if you task the students with studying and then goof off yourself. |
|
But it's not every day we get guests. Surely one day of slacking can't hurt. |
|
...Kalim. |
|
Erk... Okay, fine. Don't get mad. I'll do some defense magic training, then. A mock battle would make for a nice after-meal workout. Hey, could someone fight me?! |
Scarabia Students |
Yes, Housewarden! |
Battle!
   |
| Previous Chapter | Current Chapter | Next Chapter |
| Chapter 6 | Book 4 • Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 |
|---|