Twisted Wonderland Book 5: A Beauitful Tyrant

Chapter 21: A Training Camp Bribe

And suddenly, Crowley makes an appearance, "You're only half right, Grim. In my infinite generosity, I shall field that question!"

And hearing Crowley speak up, catches everyone by surprise and shock as they scream.

Grim practically screams in fright, "Myah! Headmage!" Then angrily says, "Again with the poppin' outta thin air? You're scarin' the daylights outta me!

"Oh, I beg your pardon. I did not especially mean to conceal my presence, for what it's worth," Crowley apologizes, though it seems to the point.

Then says, "Ahem. Anyway. Allow me to explain why you were summoned here with the ensemble this weekend, we will have four weeks until the Song & Dance Championship kicks off. And I would be ever so appreciative if you could share Ramshackle Dorm as the site for their training camp!"

Everyone exclaims in shock, "TRAINING CAMP?!"

"You want them to stay at Ramshackle Dorm?!" Briar asks, shocked.

She tries to calm herself and says, "We do have a lot of empty rooms, but..."

Then Jamil speaks up, "Headmage, why would we need to stay together at a training camp when it's already on campus? We all have our own dorms."

"It's a team-building exercise," Crowley says, "You come from different dorms, different class years, different birthplaces, different cultures... It is my hope that living together will help you foster a greater sense of camaraderie."

"It's true that first-rate music groups eat at the same table and sleep under the same roof to build rapport," Vil agrees.

"I considered Pomefiore as an option, but I feared that would make some members feel more out of their element than others. At Ramshackle Dorm, however, everyone would be starting from the same baseline," Crowley says

Shocked, Crowley says, "Th-this is still really sudden..."

"Yeaaah, I'm suddenly getting a powerful urge to drop out," Ace says.

However, Kalim is excited, "I think a mixed dorm training camp sounds like a blast!" But then says, "My only question is, would it be okay for both me and Jamil to be absent from Scarabia for a whole month?"

"Worry not, my boy. I will be exercising my authority as headmage to support you all in whatever capacity you need.," Crowley says.

Then says to himself, "Oh, what a kindly soul I am!"

And continues, "It is in Night Raven College's best interest to take other schools down a peg and win the title of "the world's greatest" for ourselves."

However, Grim says, "Hold your horses, Crowley. If we ain't in the ensemble, why should we contribute to this at all? I don't want anything to do with it!"

"Really, Grim? Are you certain of that?" Crowley questions, "You know, if you find it in your heart to share your dorm for the training camp, there might be something nice in it for you..."

That piques Grim's interest, "Myah? Wh-what kinda 'nice' are we talkin' here?"

Then Vil says, "Should our team win first place, Rook and I will donate our shares of the prize to Ramshackle Dorm."

"Are you sure? We're not even competing," Sereia asks.

Then Vil says, "It is a pittance to me—hardly worth the time it would take to enter it into my ledger."

"It's only fitting to provide proper compensation to those contributing to Vil's cause," Rook says.

Grim thinks for a bit and says, "So if you split fifty thousand thaumarks seven ways, then get two shares of that, uhhh..."