Very few respected the choice Ophelia made. The Headmage most of all.
"You published your paper?!" Ace exclaimed as they entered the cafeteria.
"Good for you!" Deuce praised.
"I worked hard on it. It's not my fault it's a controversy," she answered as she grabbed a chicken breast for Grim.
"I really thought you were going to withdraw it," Ace said.
"I spoke with Trein privately. He assured me that anyone interested in speaking with me about my future would have to go through him first. Agencies need to know that I can't dedicate to anything. They also need to be fully aware that I cannot use magic."
"Can't dedicate? Oh, right, different world," Deuce remembered.
"Y'know, maybe it's because there are so many different personalities at this school, but it really doesn't feel like you're from another world," Ace stated.
"Aside from the magic, it doesn't feel like a different world," Ophelia admitted. She frowned, "I forgot about Christmas."
"Christmas? What's that?" Deuce asked.
"Sounds tasty!" Grim exclaimed.
"It's just a holiday in December where families get together and party it up and give gifts to each other." She smiled slightly, "We always had this Christmas brisket. Everyone looked forward to it. I got in so much trouble when I decided I wanted a brisket taco. Man, was it good, though. The brisket was smoked with hickory chips then coated in a barbecue sauce that was just basically wassail. Man...that was the good stuff." Her friends stared at her. She frowned, "What?"
"Well, now you gotta make it so we can try it," Ace said.
"What's a taco?" Deuce and Grim asked.
Ophelia's jaw dropped, "I KNOW I did not hear you ask what a taco is. I just know that was just some ghost whispering that."
"Yeah, I dunno about 'em, either," Ace said.
Ophelia looked around and headed to Vil, "Vil, important question."
"I would imagine so for you to interrupt my lunch," he said with a frown.
"Do you know what a taco is?"
He gave her a flat look, "Is this a silly freshman game where you make up words and ask people if they've heard them?"
"What about tortilla?"
"No, I've never heard of such, now please go."
She trudged back to her table and sat down, "Tacos don't exist. Grim, buckle up. We're having a taco party!"
"I still don't know what a taco is," Grim said flatly.
"Don't worry, I'll make it and you can try it."
After school, she practically dragged the cat to the cafeteria. After a long conversation, she managed to convince the ghosts to give up all the things she needed before she headed to Ramshackle. She was absolutely ecstatic.
Grim was drooling as she added the spices to the taco meat. After she made the tortillas, she put a taco together and handed it to the cat. "Give it a try."
Grim ate the whole thing in one bite while Ophelia took a bite of hers with a grin. "Man, I didn't know I missed tacos."
"This is good stuff! Tell Ace and Deuce to get over here pronto!"
Ace and Deuce didn't come alone. Cater came because he wanted to see how cammable this new food was. Trey came because he heard she had to bake the tortillas and he was curious about the process. Somehow, Ruggie caught wind of a party at Ramshackle and invited people. Jack showed up. Azul had heard about Ophelia's plans and had arrived at a planned time with Floyd and Jade who were curious about her world's cuisine. Kalim and Jamil showed up because Cater invited them. Vil showed up since he wanted to know what a taco was. Lilia showed up because Cater invited him.
"This is a lot of people," Ophelia grumbled as everyone made their tacos.
"Good thing you got lots of stuff," Grim said. "I don't even recognize some of these people."
"I know," she said as she watched more people pile in, all curious about what the hype in Ramshackle was about.
There were a lot of mixed feelings about the tacos. Cater deemed some of the tacos cammable and tried to recreate them. She wasn't sure he actually tried it. Trey had a few comments about the tortillas that she would try another day. Ruggie ate way too many and Jack had to drag him out, taking a taco with him to give to Leona. Azul was dissecting the flavor of the taco while Floyd and Jade took the time to actually enjoy them. Kalim didn't get to try a full one because Jamil wouldn't let him, but he did manage to sneak a bite of the taco meat, which he didn't hate, but it was below his standards. Vil decided he liked them. They were simple and with the right tweaks to the recipe, they could actually be rather nutritious. Lilia was thrilled and took tacos back to Diasomnia to share with his dorm mates.
Azul approached her when everyone finally left, "I will pay you for the recipe."
"It's just a taco."
"Ophelia, this is an incredibly marketable food," he said seriously.
"Well, obviously. That's why there are thousands of Tex-Mex restaurants in Texas. If you think a taco is impressive, a fajita is going to blow your mind."
"Ophelia, I need the recipe," Azul said seriously.
"How about you give me a cut of every taco you sell. I know you keep up with the orders so you know the popular items from the unpopular." She started writing on a piece of scrap paper she found, "Also, if I decide to make my own tacos here at Ramshackle, you're not going to come after me for copyright or whatever. My world, my food." She handed him the list, "That's what I used."
He looked over it, "Really?"
"If you don't believe me, ask the cafeteria ghosts."
He adjusted his glasses, "I think I will."
She rolled her eyes, "I can't believe tacos don't exist. And Mexican is so good!"
"Mexican?" Jade asked.
"Tacos come from Mexico. It's a country in my world." She frowned at the mess in her kitchen, "Why does this keep happening to me? First, Trey's tart, now my tacos." She looked at Azul, "I get free tacos. I don't want a cut. I want free tacos."
Someone knocked on the door. Floyd answered it.
"Yo, Shrimpy, you got a visitor," he said from the doorway.
"Who is it?"
"Someone interested in your paper. Headmage Manta Ray and Professor Red Squid are with him."
Ophelia didn't like that Floyd hadn't allowed anyone in.
"Do you know them?"
"Yup. It ain't a good idea to let 'em in."
Ophelia sighed, "Let them in. The Headmage will have my hide if I don't comply."
Floyd looked at her then Azul, "It's Catfish."
She didn't need to look at Azul to see how angry that made him. Floyd stepped out of the way, allowing all of the adults in.
"Wow, it really is ramshackle in here," the young man said as he looked around. He started writing, "Not exactly the best romantic atmosphere."
He continued speaking, mainly about the amount of men who were present and what that would suggest to his readers. He went silent when he saw Azul.
Azul smiled venomously at him, "Why, hello, Rhett! I must say I'm surprised to see you on campus once again."
"Azul Ashengrotto, it's good to see you again. I do hope my honest review of Mostro Lounge didn't affect your business."
"Actually, business couldn't be better. After your review was published, Ophelia just so happened to play a concert in Mostro Lounge. Perhaps you would like to come by for a concert? Maybe you can give an honest review of her performance as well."
"Why's Azul bitter?" She asked Floyd.
"Catfish came to Mostro Lounge to give a review. Jade was his waiter."
She frowned, "He trash talked Jade?"
"Yup. Said my cookin' was mediocre at best."
"Leave," Ophelia said loudly, her accent starting to show.
Everyone looked at her, most stunned while Floyd smirked.
"Is something wrong?" Rhett asked.
"I ain't havin' no sort like you in Ramshackle. I ain't gonna tolerate some nobody comin' in here after trash talkin' my friends."
"I'm here about your paper-"
"I don't care what yer here for. Ya ain't stayin' 'n I ain't answerin' none-a yer questions."
"Ms. Darcy, it would be in your best interest to do this interview," Trein said.
"I can't, Professor Trein. He ain't gonna be honest."
"Perhaps you'll just clarify a few points," Rhett said.
"There ain't nothin' to clarify."
"Then, perhaps you'll enlighten the readers why you picked that subject."
"'Cuz it was one-a the first things I learned outside-a class. It ain't no deeper 'n that."
"I must say, your change in dialect is interesting. Where are you from?"
"That ain't your concern," she answered. "Where I'm from ain't got nothin' to do with my paper. Ya got yer answers, now git."
When the adults finally left, Ophelia sighed, "That's like pullin' teeth."
Floyd wiped a tear from his eyes as he started laughing, "What was THAT?!"
"What was what?"
"That accent," Jade chuckled. "I must say, it suits you."
"Nearly everyone talks like that where I'm from," she said, the accent disappearing a bit. "It's a bit hard for other people to understand."
"Makes ya even cuter, Shrimpy," Floyd smiled.
Azul was still stunned, "Ophelia, you must NEVER speak like that in front of others."
The accent came back, "Why? It ain't nothin' to be ashamed of."
"Besides your atrocious grammar?"
"Floyd's ain't no better."
Azul adjusted his glasses, "If Floyd spoke like that, I would send him home and he'd never come back to Night Raven College."
She crossed her arms over her chest with a huff, "Outta tacos and I'm in a bad mood. Well, can't nothin' be done about it. Cmon, Grim. I need ice cream. We'll get ya some tuna."
"Tuna!" The cat cheered.
She looked at the cat, "You's quiet that whole interview. Why's that?"
"The Headmage threatened to put me in the rain," he said, his ears drooping.
She grabbed her umbrella, "We'll be quick. Just keep my neck warm."
Something draped around her neck and was carefully twisted around. She looked at Floyd as he grinned, "You can borrow my scarf. Not like I use it."
She smiled, "Thanks, Floyd. Let's go, Grim."
The cat jumped onto her shoulder as the group left Ramshackle. The Octavinelle group parted at the Hall of Mirrors, leaving the Ramshackle duo to go to the Mystery Shop to get ice cream and tuna.
"Maybe we should look into making tuna ice cream," Ophelia suggested as took a turn at the new two-fighter game Ace had let them borrow.
"There's a million thaumark idea!" Grim cheered.
The next morning was as hectic as ever.
"Hold it right there, Grim! You're not gettin' off easy today, you hear me?!" Ace yelled as he chased the cat.
Grim laughed, "Maybe you shoulda put your name on it if you wanted it that bad!"
Ace had his pen out, "Why, you...!"
"Isn't it a little early for fighting?" Ophelia asked.
"Seriously, don't they ever get tired of this?" Deuce sighed.
"Hey, Ophelia! You're the housewarden! Do some housewardening!" Ace yelled. "This lousy furball swiped the donut I bought and ate it! AGAIN."
"I didn't steal nothin'! I just saw a snack left abandoned on a desk and gave it a home outta the goodness of my heart," Grim said with a smirk.
"It's not abandoned if it's on somebody's desk! If you're gonna keep runnin', I've got some wind magic up my sleeve with your name on it."
"Oh YEAH? Try me! I've got fire magic ready to-"
Both of them suddenly went quiet with a nervous look.
It didn't last long as Ace smirked, "Y'know what? I think I'll skip the magic today. I don't wanna get sent to wash even MORE windows."
Grim chuckled nervously, "For once, I think you've got the right idea. I'd be embarrassin' myself if I was the only one usin' magic, so I'll let you off easy this time."
Ophelia raised an eyebrow as she looked at the two.
"Wow. It's not every day I see you two de-escalate one of your fights without outside intervention. Normally, you go at it until the classroom's blasted to bits and the headmage comes storming in," Deuce commented.
"Hey, what kinda punk would I be if I started fighting with a weasel over one lousy donut?" Ace asked.
"Why do you always have to get one last smart remark?!" Grim yelled.
Ophelia shook her head, "Let's get to class. I'm over you two already."
"It's time for class to start, whelps. Get to your seats. First, I'll pass back your tests." Crewel began.
"This is it - the moment of truth," Deuce said excitedly.
"Gimme! Gimme! I want that test, Prof!" Grim yelled as he jumped in his seat.
"Settle down, Grim. Stay. STAY! I'll call you up by your class number. Number one!"
Everyone was excited about getting their tests back. A select few weren't, and Ophelia was one of them. She could guess what she made and be off by a couple of points. Her spelling wasn't the best and some of the herbs were only one letter difference. For those, she wrote the pronunciation on the side. Spelling depended on what mood Crewel was in.
"SWEET! I got a 92!" Ace bragged.
"I got an 88!" Deuce said in surprise. "I never thought I'd see the day I scored over 80."
"Check it out, Minion! I got an 85!" Grim cheered.
She took the paper from him, "That's a good 30 points higher than what you usually make. One cram session did that?"
He glared, "Hey, I don't like what you're implyin'."
"You appear to have studied a great deal for this exam. Yes...A great deal indeed, compared to your quiz scores. In fact, the class average has gone up to a degree one might call...unusual," Crewel said with a suspicious look.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ace asked.
"The average test scores across every level of Potionology are over 90. Professor Trein has remarked upon similarly positive trends in his magic history classes."
"Say what?!" Deuce exclaimed, fear in his eyes.
"Mraaah?!" Grim yowled.
"Uh-oh. I don't like where this is going..." Ace muttered.
"The school's fifty highest achievers will be posted in the hall. You can look forward to seeing that shortly. Now, let us begin today's lesson. Open your textbooks," Crewel ordered.
No one could focus. There was a nervous energy that vibrated in the room. As soon as class was over, the entire class ran out of the room.
Ophelia sighed as she packed her things.
Crewel leaned against his desk, "One thing before you go, Darcy."
"Yes, sir?"
"Though your name won't be in the top fifty, I believe you should know that you would be ranked 47."
She smiled, "Thank you, sir."
The group of students around the list took up most of the hallway. She managed to find Grim.
"Okay, where am I in the top fifty?" Grim muttered as he searched the list.
"With an average score over 90, we've gotta be in there, right?" Ace questioned.
"First ten places...nope. Twenty...nope. Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty...nope. Wait a minute - I ain't in here at all!" Grim cried.
"N-neither am I..." Deuce said dismally.
"Hooold up. There's a list of the total scores each top achiever got across all subjects," Ace observed. "The top thirty scored perfect marks - 500 points!"
"PERFECT MARKS?!" Deuce and Grim exclaimed in horror.
"B-but if I dont make it into the top fifty, that counts as a breach of contract!" Grim said nervously.
"Wait, 'contract'? Oh no. Grim, did you...?" Ace asked as he turned pale.
"Judging by the look on your face, Ace, don't tell me you also-" Deuce was just was worried.
Ophelia's jaw dropped as a mass of sea anemone popped up on most of the students around her.
Grim shrieked, "MYAH?! What in the world?! A sea anemone just sprouted outta my head!"
"G-Grim, you made a contract too?! You big cheater!" Deuce accused.
"Yeah, whatever, Deuce. You're just as guilty, keepin' your friends close and your anemones closer over there!" Ace pointed out.
"I'll just give it a quick tug, and..." Grim tugged on the blue sea sprout on his head the cried in pain. "OW! It's not comin' out!"
Ophelia frowned at her friends, "What did you do this time?" She noticed a shadow over her shoulder and looked at Jack, "Oh, hey Jack."
He looked annoyed, "I came to see what all the commotion was. Why am I not surprised it's you guys? What're you doing?"
"Jack, did you make a contract too?" Deuce asked. "Wait...you don't have an anemone!"
"So much for looking like a bad boy. You're more of a square than Loosey-Deucey over here!" Ace yelled.
Jack crossed his arms over his chest, "Okay, what? I'm completely lost here. What are you talking about, and what are those things growing outta your heads?"
"Look, it's, uhhh..." Grim suddenly yelped, "What now?! This dang anemone's yanking my head!"
"Owww, geez! It's gonna rip my noggin off!" Ace hissed.
"So when he wrote 'absolute obedience' this is what he meant..." Deuce winced.
Most of the surrounding students were going through the same pain. The mass walked away.
"What now? The way they were walking, it was like the anemones were pulling them in that direction," Jack noticed. "Is a picture that stupid still worth a thousand words...?"
Ophelia watched them leave, "Wow. That's really terrible for them."
Jack stared at her, "You're not concerned?"
"No."
He glared, "Some friend you are."
"If I go, you're coming with me. Unfortunately for them, I couldn't care less."
He hesitated then glared, "You're starting to fit in around here a little TOO well. Fine. I'll keep you company for a while, at least. Let's get one thing straight, though - this is purely out of curiosity. I wanna see what caused this. I couldn't care less about those guys. Just so we're clear on that."
"With how hard you're denying it, I'm thinking you care."
He snarled and walked away. She chuckled and followed after him. When they got to Octavinelle, everything made more sense.
Ophelia had been to Octavinelle a hundred times, but Jack was awestruck. "We're underwater. Night Raven is so cool!" He blushed a bit and cleared his throat, "Just remember we're treading on another dorm's turf. Keep your wits about you."
She chuckled, "I'm good friends with some of the Octavinelle students. I won't let you get hurt."
Everyone gathered in Mostro Lounge. Ophelia whistled quietly at the massive group of students with anemones on their heads. "That's a lot of students."
"There's gotta be a hundred - no, closer to two hundred people here. What is this place, anyway? Some kinda coffee shop?"
"More like a cafe. They've got more fruity drinks and teas than coffee. Food's pretty good, too if you come on the right day."
The lounge went dark then a spot light came on the stage where the piano was. Azul stood in the spotlight, but Ophelia could see Jade and Floyd just behind him.
"Well, well. What have we here? A band of misfortunate souls who failed to break into the top 50. Welcome to Mostro Lounge. I'm sure you're all WELL aware of who I am, but let's go over it again anyway. My name is Azul Ashengrotto. I am the housewarden of Octavinelle Dorm, the manager of Mostro Lounge, aaand...as of today, you have to listen to everything I say."
"Say what?" Jack whispered.
"You made a bet with me, and subsequently lost," Azul continued. "As per the terms of our contract, you are to devote yourselves to my service until such time as you graduate."
"Hey, hold on. This is all a huge scam!" Ace said.
"You're...Ace Trappola, a freshman, if memory serves. Your accusations are insulting, frankly," Azul said. "I upheld my end of the bargain and provided you with an impeccably flawless study guide for your exams. If you used it properly, you should have scores at least a 90."
"Yeah, and I did. I got a 92!"
Azul smiled coldly, "Why, that's wonderful news! I'm delighted to have been of service."
"But you never told me you'd given the same study guide to this many other people!"
"Yeah, Ace is right," Deuce agreed. "No study guide could help us break into the top fifty when the deck's this stacked!"
"When everybody else is scorin' over 90, even with my 85, my spot in the rankings is no different than when I was failin'!" Grim complained.
"Have you boys never heard of client confidentiality?" Azul asked. "'I want an easy way to score high marks. I don't want to flunk out. I want to good off until the night before the test...' All of you fools -I mean, gentlemen - had your own reasons for seeking my help with your finals. Details such as who made a contract with me, what kind of contract it was, and why it was made...That's all privileged data. Who am I to divulge someone's personal information to a third party? I am a man of integrity, thank you very much. You will find this exact topic covered extensively in the non-disclosure agreement clause on page 127 of your contract. I simply abided by its terms."
"O-okay, then what happens to the fire magic I put up as collateral for the study guide?" Grim asked.
"Y-yeah! And what about my water magic?"
"Give me back my signature spell!"
Ophelia grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him back a few feet.
"What's this? Have you really all forgotten the terms of your contract?" Azul asked. "'I will provide you with a final exam study guide. In exchange, you will leave one "personal specialty" in my possession. Should you earn a spot among the school's fifty highest achievers, your power will be returned to you...and I will continue to provide you with study guides for all exams until such time as you graduate. However, in the event that you do not earn a spot among the school's fifty highest achievers...you will act with absolute obedience to me until such time as you graduate.' As outlined in the contract, I now control every part of your being down to every last hair on your head. In other words, your powers are mine, to return or not as I please."
"That ain't fair!" Ace yelled.
Jack growled, "Y'know, I've been listening to this whole spectacle...and ALL of you disgust me!"
All eyes moved to Jack and Ophelia.
"J-Jack?! What are you doing here?" Deuce asked.
"Oh, are you...? No, I don't see an anemone on your head," Azul noticed. "I'm afraid we're having a staff meeting right now. If you don't have a stake in this matter, I must ask your leave for us to sort this out internally."
Jack growled, "You think I don't have a stake in this? I was planning on studying on my own and out scoring these guys in a fair competition. And now you've ruined that. I think I DO have a stake here!"
Everyone parted as if on command, revealing Jack and Ophelia.
"Ophelia? Jack? Are you here to save us?!" Grim asked excitedly.
Jack was mad, "Don't get me wrong. I'm disgusted with every last one of you. Why would
I side with the slimeball offering shady back room deals OR the guys who chose to let others do their work for them?"
"What are you here for, then?" Ace asked.
"Actually, I think Jack's right. He's given me the wake-up call I needed," Grim said. "If you wanna win, you gotta snatch that victory yourself! In other words...If I can snatch my contract from Azul by force and tear it up, it's null and void!"
"Hey, now that you mention it..."
"Who needs specialties when we've got numbers?! GET HIM!"
Ophelia rubbed her temples, "Of all the stupid ideas..."
"Dear me. I really didn't want to resort to violence, but alas. Jade. Floyd. Play with them for a bit," Azul ordered.
Ophelia crossed her arms over her chest, curious. She had never seen the eels fight.
"Understood, sir," Jade said.
"Oh man, I get to squeeze 'em all?" Floyd laughed, "Niiice."
Floyd, Jade, and Azul took on over two hundred students with next to no issues. She could tell the twins didn't take the fight seriously. Even so, Floyd was almost excessively violent and Jade's moves were more cunning, making Floyd more dangerous. With the amount of magic Azul was using and the sheer power behind the spells, Ophelia wondered if he was in danger.
"Geez, what a bunch of wimps. They're barely worth squeezing," Floyd complained.
"It's like a whole school of feeble small fries," Azul agreed.
"How many kindsa magic can this Azul guy bust out?! I call shenanigans!" Ace panted.
"Did Azul's golden contract deflect all of your attacks?" Jack asked.
Deuce groaned, "This is just showing me how hard I lean on my specialty normally..."
"Without his fire magic, Grim's nothing more than your garden-variety weasel," Ace said, disappointed.
"Myah...I ain't a weasel..." Grim cried as he fell to the ground.
"You have all signed these golden contracts," Azul said as he held one out. "An official contract is completely unbreakable, regardless of how many bodies you throw at it. No magic can harm this document in any way. As long as the sea anemones stay on your heads, you will have no choice but to follow my orders. Why don't you start by cleaning up the lounge? You can handle ingredient prep work afterward. Go on, now. On your feet and get to work!"
"Is this for real...?" Ace grumbled.
"Jade. Floyd. You're in charge of instructing the new staff."
"Yes sir."
"Yessir!"
Azul approached the two, "You're...Jack Howl from Savanaclaw Dorm, I believe? I would appreciate it if you took your leave now. Why don't you come by as a customer next time? You're welcome whenever you like."
Jack glared, "You're kicking me out and not Ophelia?"
"Unfortunately, she is one of my partners."
He adjusted his glasses, "She's got Floyd wrapped around her finger. One wrong move and Floyd will leave his post."
"We should leave and regroup," Jack told her.
"Yeah, just a minute. Azul, what's going on?"
He frowned, "I just explained it. Don't tell me it went over your head."
"No, I got that part, but why so long? Why not just until the end of next semester? And why until their graduation? Some of them are freshmen. Why not until your graduation?"
He smiled, "Very observant, Ophelia." He narrowed his eyes, "You're taking this surprisingly well."
"They should have honored the contract. I think the time you're holding them hostage is ridiculous, but that's about it. You have more than a third of the student body. Can you actually get customers when most of them are working for you?"
He adjusted his glasses, "I don't pay them. They got their profit from my study guide. I'm profiting off their labor."
"Ohhh, okay. Well...good luck with all that."
"Ophelia, you have a concert scheduled this weekend," he told her. "It was reserved just this morning."
She sighed, "Yeah, we'll talk about it some other time."
She left Octavinelle, humming as she walked with Jack back to Ramshackle. He was practically stomping the entire time.
When they got to Ramshackle lounge, Jack sat on the couch as Ophelia brought him some tea. "I think it's safe to say that everybody with an anemone stuck on their head...gambled on Azul's contract and lost."
"Yep."
"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."
Ophelia nodded.
"I mean, cmon! 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."
"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!" The headmage said as he suddenly appeared in the room.
"WHOA! Headmage?! You startled me!" Jack yelled as Ophelia sipped her tea.
Crowley sighed dramatically, "So transpires another year of me being unable to clamp down on Ashengrotto's little 'side business'."
"Just what I need," Ophelia grumbled.
"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 dare say QUITE a bit troublesome."
"Are you talking about him swindling people? Seems to me like one word from the headmage could put a stop to this whole thing," Jack said.
"Ah, but it is precisely BECAUSE I am in a teaching position that I cannot prohibit his actions."
"Why not?"
"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 last century's worth of Night Raven College exam questions and their patterns. In other words, it's an entirely legitimate study guide."
That impressed Jack, "Huh. Well, I'll be. If he did all that by hand, the guy's got chops. Hm? Wait...So the problem is that there IS no problem with it?"
"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 can I prohibit a student from 'kindly' sharing their notes with friends."
"If you did, you'd basically be tellin' students 'no studying' AND 'no helping your buds.'" Jack growled, frustrated, "Talk about a seriously briny pickle."
"That it most certainly is," the headmage agreed.
"And earlier you said 'another year', yeah? Did the same thing happen last term?"
"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."
"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."
"So it would seem. Thus did Ashengrotto have a steady stream of students lining up to accept his bargain this year," the head mage despaired. "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 of our subject averages were failing grades. But still!"
"Lots of cheaters in this reputable school, Headmage," Ophelia said, sipping her tea.
"Does that mean that there are guys from last year who lost the bet and still haven't gotten their powers back?" Jack asked.
"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."
"WHAT?!"
Crowley cleared his throat, "How did he put it? Ah, yes, Night Raven College is renown for producing the finest magicians and the campus was suddenly replete with students with the abilities to do minor feats. He had a solution to the problem, and I couldn't deny him the chance to prove himself."
"Wow," Ophelia chuckled, earning a glare from the headmage.
"That was how he framed it."
Jack was stunned, "Talk about brazen. I mean, blackmailing the headmage into a deal? No wonder Leona wants nothin' to do with this guy."
"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?"
"Wait, so you're gettin' something from it?!"
"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?" Ophelia frowned as he smiled slyly at her, "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...It wouldn't do for a teacher to discourage such earnest behavior. Why must every student in our school arrive with some amount of baggage to sort out?! Oooh, woe is meee!"
"Great..." Ophelia sighed.
"And that's where you come in, Ms. Darcy. Would you be so kind as to persuade Ashengrotto to cease this little game of his?"
"Doubt it."
"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."
"With teachers like this, no wonder our students are the way they are," Jack muttered.
"I'll see what I can do," Ophelia agreed.
"You'll accept my request, then? Wonderful! I knew I saw potential in this housewarden! Then I'll be going now, as I am a very busy man. I'm counting on you!"
Jack sighed, "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."
"Well, first I'm gonna ask him to let them go, and if he doesn't, then I'll figure it out from there."
Jack crossed his arms over his chest, "What about those body guards? You saw them fight all those students!"
"So?"
Jack glared at her, "Have you always been this stupid?"
She sighed, "Actually, I think this might be the stupidest thing I've done." Getting to her feet, she stretched, "Alright. Mostro Lounge should be open now. Time to get this ball rolling."
"You can't seriously be thinking about going in alone!"
"If you're that worried, you can come with me. The more the merrier, I suppose. What's the worst that could happen?"