[Discontinued*] The Darling Princess [A Twisted Wonderland Fanfic]

🐙 Chapter 86

"Those guys were tricked into making a deal with Azul in order to get a good grade, and got nothing more than an anemone on the head." Jack rubbed his head, annoyed by the situation. "I don't think I got anything wrong."

Y/N shook her head and looked up from the book that she was reading to see Jack standing by the fireplace. Yuu had gone up to his room to finish some homework, leaving the two to converse about the situation with their friends. 

"The condition was that they had to get into the top fifty grades but because there were so many students who made contracts most of them couldn't make the cut. That's what Azul was aiming for from the start."

"Seems like," Y/N hummed. "It's a little cruel if you think about it. Azul luring all of them in with the promise of success, though he knows that only a few will make the cut."

"There's no meaning in using someone else's power to get good grades," Jack huffed. "Waisting the chance to show off their true power to everyone is what really makes them stupid."

Crowley sighed from where he was sitting on the couch, fiddling with a teaspoon and a cup of tea that he had made for himself upon entering the dorm. "Everyone at this school is self-obsessed, like Mr Howl. It's so troublesome. If they took things seriously we could avoid hardship for everyone, including myself."

"Wah! Headmaster! You scared me," Jack exclaimed, nearly singeing his tail in the fire.

Crowley sighed again. "I couldn't put a stop to Mr Ashengrotto's business again this year."

That caught Y/N's attention. "What do you mean by business? Has this been a reoccurring thing?"

"Mr Azul Ashengrotto. He is a second-year that works as the dorm head for Octavinelle. He is an extremely extraordinary student to be the dorm head as a second-year like Mr Rosehearts but... there are a few, no, a great number of problems."

"Problem like the scam incident? If that's the case, then as the headmaster can't you just order him to stop?"

Y/N frowned. "When have you ever listened when someone told you to stop something? If it was standing in the way of your success?"

Both males in the room ignored Y/N.

"The thing is... precisely because I am a teacher, I can't prohibit his activities."

"What do you mean?"

"The test notebook that Mr Ashengrotto distributed throughout the school wasn't something that he made by stealing test answers, cheating, or anything like that. He thoroughly read through the last one hundred years of test answers from Night Raven College and refined a test key with his own abilities."

"Well, at least he's showing dedication to his work," Y/N joked, trying to lighten the mood. 

"Using his own power to make something like that, he's pretty good." Jack seemed impressed for a split second before he seemed to realise something else. "Wait. So you're saying that because it's not cheating that's what makes it troublesome... right?"

"That's a very good conclusion, Mr Howl. From the position of a teacher, we can't prevent one student from creating a test notebook like that from their legitimate efforts. and the fact that he kindly helped others with their studies."

Y/N frowned. "You and I have a very different definition of kind."

Jack understood the plight of the headmaster. "If you did you'd pretty much be telling everyone, 'don't study' or  'don't work with your friends'. That is troublesome..." Y/N was somewhat surprised to hear Jack growl.

"That is correct."

"By the way, Headmaster, didn't you say something like 'I couldn't stop his business again this year'? Did he actually do this last year, too?"

"Yes. His notebook didn't gain as much fame and notoriety last year, so it didn't become a huge incident like this year but this year it seems the rumour 'if you want to get good grades on your exams then some to Mostro Lounge, was spread all around campus."

Jack sighed and sat down next to Y/N, his back hunched. "And I'm guessing that the nasty little caveat in the contract in the event of a breach stayed quiet because of the confidentiality agreement."

"It seems that way. As a result, Mr Ashengrotto was able to continue making deals with students this year. And in the end, the average test score for all grades in all subjects is over ninety."

"That doesn't really sound like a bad thing," Y/N mused.

"It's better than the average for all subjects being a failure! However..."

"How have the other students been doing," Y/N asked. "Did they get their powers back eventually..."

"Or have they just been going along without actually getting them back," Jack finished.

"For that... In order for the students from last year to get their abilities back, he gave the condition that I allow him to open Mostro Lounge for business on campus."

"What?"

Crowley thought back to the previous year when Azul had approached him.

. . . 

"Nigh Raven College is a prestigious school known for tuning out exceptional wizards in great numbers. It must cause you great pain, Headmaster, to see it become a place for students that can only use meagre magic. For that, I have an idea. It's not something disadvantageous for you."

. . . 

"So that's how he phrased it." Y/N pushed herself deeper into the couch and took a sip of her hot chocolate, watching the flames in the hearth as they danced. It was somewhat inspiring to hear that Azul had managed to accomplish so much even though he had only been at the school for one year prior.

"What a jerk," Jack mumbled. "To go and threaten the headmaster into a deal like that. I think I see why Leona doesn't want to go anywhere near him."

"He went as far as calling it a 'win-win' since the school gets ten per cent of the money earned."

"Tch, you've got yourself a pretty good deal."

Crowley slumped back down onto a chair and his head fell into his hands. "Just what will he demand this year," the headmaster wailed, stunning the two students into silence. They had never seen the headmaster so distraught. "For those stupi- No, those pathetic students, I will have to meet his demands once again. For I am gracious. Mr Ashengrotto is taking his studies seriously and only benevolently helping his fellow students... As a teacher, I can't strongly advise that he stop. Why is it that only students with problems enter this school?!" The headmaster started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Maybe I could go and talk to him."

Jack whipped his head to face the girl sitting next to him. His ears and tail were stiff, showing his shock and worry about her idea. 

"Have you forgotten what that octopus is like?! He'll trick you into a deal and -"

Y/N smiled and placed a gentle hand on one of Jack's hands. "I'll be fine, Jack. I've already encountered Azul before, and I'm sure that I could make a deal with him to release the students. Or even just get him to give them back their magic." She winked. "You forget, Wolf-boy. I can be just as sneaky."

"Yes, Miss Artem, please go and speak with him." Crowley jumped off of the chair. "If anyone is able to persuade him to cease these activities, it would be you!"

Y/N glanced over at Jack and let out a long sigh. "I'll talk to him, but I make no promises."