"I think it's safe to say that everybody with an anemone stuck on their head...gambled on Azul's contract and lost," Jack stated. "The terms of the said contract were apparently to be placed 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" the wolf boy continued.

"Talk about a racket" Y/n shook her head in disapproval. "I DID find it weird that Grim managed to score over 80 on the test without attending my tutoring..." she muttered before taking sip of her tea while crossing her right leg over the other. She was sitting on the couch like some sort of bad-ass lol.

"I mean, c'mon! If you're gettin' good grades off someone else's work, what does that even prove?" Jack huffed in annoyance before continuing, "You're throwin' away a perfectly good opportunity to show others what you're capable of. Frankly, you're cheating yourself."

Crowley let out a sigh, taking of sip of the tea that Y/n gave him. He was sitting next to Y/n, leaving a respectable space in between. "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 headmaster spoke, scaring the poop out of Yuuna and Jack.

"Eep!" Yuuna shrieked

"WHOA! Headmaster! You startled me!" Jack exclaimed, almost falling on his butt.

Crowley let out another sigh. "So transpires another year of me being unable to clamp down on Ashengrotto's little 'side business'" he complained.

"'side business'? What do you mean?" Yuuna asked.

"Do you know something about this, Headmaster?" Y/n asked as well.

"Azul Ashengrotto: Sophomore. Housewarden of Octavinelle Dorm. Much like Rosehearts, he is a highly capable student already running a dorm as a sophomore, just as impressive as Y/n becoming a leader of Amaryllis on the 2nd day of her 1st year, but...He's a bit-no, I daresay QUITE a bit troublesome" Crowley explained.

"Are you talking about him swindling people?" asked Jack. Y/n had a threatening smile. "I thought that one word from the oh-so gracious headmaster could put a stop to this whole mess" she added.

"Ah.." Crowley flinched a bit at Y/n's smile. "B-but it is precise BECAUSE I am in a teaching position that I cannot prohibit his actions"

"huh?" Yuuna tilted her head in confusion.

"Why not?" asked Jack, crossing his arms.

"Here's the thing about those study guides that Ashengrotto handed out to the students," Crowley stated. "There was no illegitimate activity involved in their production. Nobody snuck looks at test questions or answered beforehand. I was crafted exhaustively by hand, after researching the past century's worth of Night Raven College exam questions and their patterns. In other words, it's an entirely legitimate study guide" he explained.

"A century's worth of test questions?!" Yuuna asked, shocked.

"Hm, that is pretty amazing for a mortal" Y/n smirked.

"huh. Well, I'll be. If he did that all by hand, the guy's got chops" Jack smiled in amusement before he realized something. "hm? Wait...So the problem is that there IS no problem with it?"

"You strike right to the heart of the matter, Howl" Crowley smiled. "As a teacher, I can hardly prohibit a student from crafting an exam study guide via honest work. Nor I can prohibit a student from 'kindly' sharing their notes with friends"

"If you did, then you saying that that the students 'can't study' and 'no helping each other'..." Yuuna mumbled.

"Grr...Talk about a seriously briny pickle" Jack said.

"That is most certainly is." Crowley nodded.

"And earlier, you said 'another year,' yeah? Did the same thing happen last term?" Jack asked.

"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" Crowley explained.

Jack let out a sigh. "And I'm guessing the nasty little caveat in the contract in the event of a breach stayed hush-hush because of the binding NDA"

"So it would seem. Thus did Ashengrotto have a steady stream of students lining up to accept his bargain this year. 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 our subject averages were failing grades. But still!" Crowley continued.

"What you're saying is that most of the student body cheated," Yuuna stated after coming up with a conclusion.

"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 the students last year as part of an arrangement he made with me" Crowley said. "In return, I granted him permission to run the Mostro Lounge on school property" he added.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Yuuna and Jack.

"Night Raven College is a historic and prestigious institution famed for producing the finest of magicians. Yet now the campus is replete with students capable of only minor feats of magic-a fact I'm sure you're none too pleased about, Headmaster." Azul explained, before letting out a smirk. "Which is why I have a proposal...and it's one I think you will find to be quite beneficial"

"So that's how he put it" Y/n muttered.

"Talk about brazen. I mean, blackmailing the headmaster into a deal? No wonder Leona wants nothin' to do with this guy" Jack shivered a bit.

"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?" Crowley asked.

"Wait, so you're gettin' something from it?" asked Jack.

"That does seem like a good deal," said Yuuna.

"Dear oh dear" Crowley spoke, slumping down from the couch, his head in his hands. "I can only wonder what demands he'll make of me this year. Whatever he wants, I will undoubtedly be forced to acquiesce" he complained. What else can I do for our idiotic-ah, this is, our poor, unfortunate students? 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 each earnest behavior. Why must every student in our school arrive with some amount of baggage to sort out?! Oooh, woe is mee!" he cried out.

"I-I know where this is going" Yuuna mumbled, flinching a bit.

"And that's where you come in, Yuuna. I can't bother Y/n since she is so busy, so would you be so kind as to persuade Ashengrotto to cease this little game of his?" Crowley asked as he turned to the human girl.

"I suggest not to ask for the impossible" Y/n sighed in annoyance. What has become of her dis- I mean, the headmaster?

"I don't think anybody could 'persuade' him to do anything!" Yuuna exclaimed.

"Incidentally, Y/n sweats expenses have been mounting as of late, as I recall. It would be a shame for poor Y/n to receive a 5-hour scolding for her butler if she bought her own sweets...And alas, I'm so preoccupied researching a way to return SOMEONE to their home, I have so little time to address other problems..."

Y/n's face turned into a shocked one when Crowley mentioned her sweets.

"Oh but don't worry about time, really. I am, as you know, a philanthropist to the core" Crowley graciously said.

"M-my sweets..." Y/n sniffled a bit.

"With teachers like this, no wonder our students are the way they are" Jack scoffed.

Y/n immediately turned towards Yuuna with an angry look on her face, basically saying 'you better say yes' look.

Yuuna sweatdropped a bit before averting her eyes away from Y/n and towards Yuuna. "...You drive a hard bargain. I suppose I can't say no" she sighed as Y/n expression shifted back to the look of indifference.

"You'll accept my request, then?" Crowley asked, a little shocked. "Wonderful, Eri! I knew I saw potential in this vice-prefect! Then I'll be going now, as I am a very busy man. I'm counting on you!" Crowley said, patting Y/n's shoulder before taking his leave.

Jack let out a sign "Man, you never know when the headmaster will 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 like how Y/n acts" Jack says.

Y/n let out a hmph. "Gathering intel seems like the place to start," Yuuna said.

"Indeed. A good investigation starts with observing the target with reconnaissance" Y/n replied.

"True. A successful hunt starts with learnin' all you about your target. You actually know your stuff" Jack smirked. "Besides, letting Ace and the others stew in the mess they made might help 'em learn something from this