"So," Crassus asked, standing in the doorway of Madeline's dorm room, "why were you meeting with the dirt-eater?"

Word travels fast, Madeline reflected, glaring at her visitor in irritation. Lily had been almost prescient in her expectation that their meeting would be noticed, but the young noblewoman hadn't expected Crassus himself to take an interest. The young man might have been cruel and vicious, but he was also very short-sighted, seeing very little beyond what he wanted or needed, as well as blinded by his own prejudices.

She often wondered if he inherited it from his mother, given that his father was actually quite liberal as nobles went.

Doing nothing to keep the annoyance from her expression or tone, Madeline replied, "She often makes trips to the labyrinth to pick up items for pocket money. Since she was on her way there, I offered to pay her double the going rate for any mana crystals she came across on the way. The tournament will be right after this weekend, and they're sold out just about everywhere."

Crystalized mana was common enough in the labyrinth, and being able to absorb the energy in such crystals allowed a wizard to replenish their mana faster than even the best potions might allow. The supply of such crystals is often quickly depleted before major events and tournaments at RASS. Asking someone who normally goes on trips to the labyrinth to pick some up was hardly suspicious.

Apparently, Crassus agreed, stating, "Fine, fine, that's no problem." He paused, seeming to take in the room, and asked, "She didn't... mention anything, did she?"

Madeline rolled her eyes, then said, "If you mean the rampant mistreatment, bullying, and outright threats you've made against her, she didn't need to. You've hardly been subtle." Crassus didn't show any reaction to that statement, seeming unperturbed.

"Neither has Madame Goldentone or most of the other faculty. Sooner or later, that is going to come back to haunt you all," she continued, taking a moment to pick up and admire a small bauble she'd been given by a potential suitor last year. While said suitor himself wasn't anything special, he definitely had an eye for quality. "If you think acting in defiance of the king's will is going to end well for anyone, you're fooling yourself," she said, admonishingly.

Crassus only glared in response for a moment, before declaring, "And you're only being nice to her because the king is wanting nobles and dustborn to get along."

Turning her back on her guest, the young noblewoman said, "I never do something for just one reason. Would it help me to look good in the eyes of the king if I were friends with the one commoner student in the school? Certainly. I won't deny it. She's also a competent healer and skilled with the use of barrier spells, two things that would be a boon to any noble house even if she drops out of the academy. Being nice to her will make it far easier to scout her if she gets fed up with this place and drops out."

"However, she's also a young woman in desperate need of a friend in a school where everyone either mistreats her or ignores her. Even if there was no other benefit to me being her friend, I'd still be willing to reach out a hand to help out of common human decency, if she were simply willing to come out of her shell."

The young nobleman rolled his eyes, and said, "Whatever. Just don't get too attached to her. I expect that cowering turtle is not going to be staying long after the tournament."

"And I suggest you be careful," Madeline retorted, "lest you break your toes kicking at a turtle shell. It would be a shame if you wore yourself out on her before our match in the second round. I doubt you want to embarrass yourself in front of the king with a poor showing." With a sniff, she added, "Now please leave. I've had about as much of you as I can stomach today."

The nobleman scowled, then turned and left without another word. As she arranged the flowers in a vase on her desk, Madeline chuckled to herself as she thought about the future. It would certainly be interesting to see what the fight between Crassus and Lily would look like.

While she questioned whether or not the young commoner really had it in her to overcome her bully, even just seeing the look on his face when she started fighting back would be well worth the initial investment. And if Lily really did win? Well, good for her. The young girl desperately needed a win in her life, and Madeline would be happy to shake Lily's hand and congratulate her on a victory well-deserved before their own match in the tournament.