Twisted Wonderland - Beanfest: Bean or Be Beaned

Chapter 12: No Promises

A little earlier at the Botanical Garden of the Subtropical Zone...

Rook finds a supply crate, "Looks like this supply crate's untouched. I suppose it has yet to be visited by any adventurers," He looks inside the box and finds some useful items, "Ooh, a magic camo jacket! And...a communicator? Ah, and this looks like a raquet that deflects beans.

Oh, this is quite the handy haul. I think I'll take it all."

And with that, Rook puts the camo jacket and other items on him.

"Heh... I can only hope I can do Vil's fashion tips justice," Rook says to himself.

Then says in his thought, "Now, if my reading is right, HE should be showing up any minute now..."

Suddenly, he hears footsteps, and quickly goes to his hiding spot.

"There he is. I'd know that gait and breathing pattern anywhere!" Rook says in thought.

He continues to hear footsteps, and soon jumps out of his hiding place, "Bonjour, Chevalier des Roses! Comment allez-vous? How are you?"

And Trey ends up letting out a yelp, "WHOA!" And soon sees Rook, "Oh, it's just you, Rook. You nearly scared the pants off of me."

"Ooh là là, pardonne-moi. I wasn't trying to, I assure you," Rook says.

"Come on, we both know better than that. And that smirk on your face certainly isn't helping your case," Trey replies.

"Heh. You have me dead to rights. For you see, I've been waiting for you, " Rook says.

Then Trey asks, "How did you even know I'd be coming?"

And with that, Rook explains, "Well, you see... Ever-aware of your position as vice housewarden of Heartslabyul... You strive to achieve exceptional marks in any situation that could reflect upon your dorm or its housewarden, the Roi des Roses. More so in exams or extracurriculars—any occasion with discernible outcomes for all dorms involved. But you don't like drawing attention to yourself. You are not a proactive man when it comes to events such as the one we find ourselves embroiled in today," Rook then smiles, "Yet I imagined you would regard an early elimination as a blemish on the Heartslabyul name. And indeed, the Trey Clover I know wouldn't go out of his way to seek out and nab farmers for a chance in the spotlight. You weren't likely to take an aggressive stance. Therefore... You would hunker down in territory familiar to you, behind natural fortifications, and wait out the enemy for a spell. Then, once a sufficient amount of time has passed, you would go on the move. That's where the botanical garden comes into play. It's full of obstacles that block line of sight, and you'd be more familiar with it than most, given your affiliation with the Science Club. Hence... If I wanted to encounter you, I was much more likely to do so by waiting here than by wandering the fields at random. And there you have it—my reasoning, as someone who's been in the Science Club with you since enrolling. How far from the mark was I?" The lecture leaves Trey with a stunned expression.

Trey lets out a nervous chuckle, "Ahaha... Boy, that was a mouthful and a half. I wasn't expecting a full lecture. You really are observant," And soon mutters, "It's kinda scary."

"Those words are music to my ears, my friend," Rook says.

Then Trey asks, "So, why go to all this trouble to search for me?"

"I thought we might enjoy the game together, as fellow vice housewardens," Rook says.

"I'm flattered you'd offer, but... You just said that I'm not the proactive type," Trey says, "And you're absolutely right. All I care about is surviving long enough that the housewarden and my underclassmen won't give me a hard time."

And Rook says, "Trey. Have you ever thought about why it is that housewardens and vice housewardens are placed on separate teams in this contest?"

"To avoid a power imbalance, I'd assume," Trey answers.

"But in this game, all magic is forbidden, no?" Rook responds, "A housewarden is not necessarily more physically adept than his vice housewarden."

"Huh... That's a good point, actually," Trey says, "What is it that tips the scales so heavily in one direction or another, then?" But soon, Trey realizes, " ...Oh, I think I get it."

"Heh," Rook replies.

And Trey says, "This is the third Beanfest game I've played in. But in the past two games, the people who made it all the way to the end were always in groups of at least three, if I recall correctly."

"You strike right to the heart of the matter. Brilliant deduction, Trey!" Rook happily says, "What is it that teams need to persevere? Why, leadership! That is an asset that can only be honed through personal experience. There are no shortcuts or substitutes for it."

"Okay, sure. I'll grant that more people means more options for formation-based tactics," Trey says, "But banding together with random people you happen to meet doesn't exactly make for great teamwork. Especially considering how uncooperative most of the student body is."

"Ah, but Vil has already leveraged his strength to enlist the aid of Savanaclaw," Rook says.

Trey becomes confused, "Huh. Leave it to Vil to casually assert authority over another dorm's students and have them accept it enthusiastically."

"Indeed. Truly, he does the seat of Pomefiore housewarden justice like no other!" Rook says, "I presume Vil will seek to recruit more allies to his side. If I am to challenge that fair, deadly beast, I must gather assets of my own. I need cooperation—from someone whose leadership ability rivals that of the housewardens themselves. So please, my friend... Would you be willing to lend me your aid?"

Trey thinks for a second and has to agree that Rook has a point.

"Okay, fine. I'll go with you. Sheesh. But no promises that I'll actually be useful," Trey answers.

Rook happily says, "Merci beaucoup, Chevalier des Roses! I'm most grateful to have your friendship!"