Later at the infirmary, Merlin was shaking his head while watching the whole scene at the Mostro Lounge.

"My my, what a mess. It seems that my poor child. Has got herself into a pickle alongside with her friends and Howl as well..." Merlin mumbles. Soon the door slides open.

"Merlin."

"Hm? Oh Dire. Pleasure to see you." Merlin greets him as he turns his chair to the headmaster.

"How is the research for the moonstone Opal going?" He ask curiously.

"I'm still searching for it and Vivien is also assisting me along the way. Though she might be working on it during the nighttime." Merlin told him.

"Hmmm very well. I came here to drop by with a request of visiting the ramshackle dorm with me? I must speak with Ms. Corbett about the deals that Ashengrotto that I failed to stop again." Crowley said.

"Aah yes. I heard. I even saw a bunch of students with anemones on their heads from the crystal ball earlier. This has something to do with the contracts that he made a deal with correct?" Merlin guesses.

"Indeed, therefore we must visit Ms. Corbett to inform her." Crowley suggests. Merlin then grabs his staff next to his desk.

"Well that's something that I was about to plan on, Dire." Merlin said as he taps his staff to the floor twice as a cloud poof out of thin air and hops on to the cloud with a grin.

"Shall we go dear friend?" He ask politely and the headmaster nods.

"Let's go, Merlin." He orders.

"Understood." Merlin compiles as he floats after Crowley where they both left the infirmary to the mirror of chambers to visit their female student at the ramshackle dorm.
———————

Meanwhile at the ramshackle dorm, Glory and Jack were at the lounge sitting on the couch discussing over a plan to free the students from Azul's clutches.

"Those guys with the anemones on their heads, in order to get a good test score they were tricked into forming a contract with Azul...I don't think I got anything wrong. The condition was that they had to get into the top 50 but because there were so many students to made contracts most of them couldn't make the cut. That's what Azul was aiming for from the start. He is targeting you, Wildcat." Jack informs making her sigh.

"Sadly yes. Though it was weird for Grim to score above 80 and it pisses me off that he's using my friends as bait." Glory curses.

"But then again, it's their fault for making a deal with Azul. So there's no meaning in using someone else's power to get good grades. Wasting the chance to show off their true power to everyone is what really makes them stupid." Jack bluntly remarks.

"Well..." Glory was trying to find the right words to make her point until...

"Everyone at this school is self-obsessed like Mr. Howl, it's so troublesome...." Crowley mutters.

"Troublesome indeed, Dire." Merlin agrees.

"If they took things seriously we could avoid hardship for everyone, including myself and you Dire." Merlin assures.

"That you are correct, Merlin." He complies. Soon Jack and Glory flinch when Merlin and Crowley appear out of the blue as they both rise up from the couch with stunned looks.

"Wtf!?" Glory curses with her eyes widen to see the headmaster and the nurse in the dorm.

"Waaaah!! Headmaster! Merlin! You scared me!" Jack shrieks.

"Huuuh...I couldn't put a stop Mr. Ashengrotto's 'business' again this year." Crowley laments causing Glory to curl her brows.

"Business? What do you mean by 'business'?" Glory ask curiously.

"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 a few, no a great number of problems." Crowley informs.

"And you didn't even bother doing something about this scam incident? Aren't you the headmaster of this campus Dire?" Merlin questions.

"He has a point. Couldn't you just stop him into making shady deals with other students?" Glory ask curiously.

"What they said. Why can't you just order him to stop?" Jack agrees while questioning his way of handling the situation. Dire grimaces and lays his hands on his hips letting out a sigh.

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

"Wait what?" Glory stutters with her eye widen.

"What do you mean?" Jack ask with a baffled look.

"The test notebook that Mr. Ashengrotto distributed throughout the school...Wasn't something he made by stealing test answers, cheating or anything like that. He thoroughly read through the last 100 years of test answers from Night Raven College and refined a 'test key' with his own abilities." He explains.

"Holy crap! The last years of test answers!? Ok I have to admit. That's...actually pretty cool!" Glory praises.

"Agreed. Using his own power to make something like that, he's pretty good." Jack compliments but soon something hit him.

"Hm? Wait. So you're saying that because it's not cheating that's what makes it troublesome...right?" Jack guesses.

"Mr. Howl, that's a very good conclusion. 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." Crowley.

"That sounds troubling Dire, don't you think he's taking this offer too far?" Merlin questions.

"Plus it's a pain to deal with when you think about it." Glory points out.

"If you did you'd pretty much be telling everyone, 'don't study' or 'don't work with your friends'. Grr...That is troublesome." Jack growls.

"That is correct. Though what makes it troubling is when he tricked the students into making deal with him so he could gain the attention of Ms. Corbett." Crowley assures.

"Yes. I saw everything going down from the Octavinelle dorm a minute ago with the crystal ball I'd used." Merlin said.

"Eeh!? You've been watching us!?" Jack shrieks.

"For a few hours yes." Merlin casually replies.

"You'll get use to it." Glory reassures patting his back.

"Though I must say Sundrop. You may known to get yourself in trouble, but you sure do got yourself in a pickle and I, Merlin, hate pickles." Merlin assures.

"Agreed. Though I didn't expect Mr. Ashengrotto to come this far. He managed to trick everybody into making a contract with him in order to impress you. I never seen Ashengrotto as the romantic type yet this is the first time I ever seen Ashengrotto expressing such desirable love towards a student. Let alone a woman." Crowley mutters.

"And I am not pleased." Crowley stated with a disapproval look.

"Which makes sense she's the only girl in an all boys college. Maybe Sundrop has some sort of mysterious charm that had Azul became attracted to her..." Merlin assumes yet this made Glory deadpan when they said that.

"Um boi. Azul is a shady dealmaker who clearly show signs of obsession with me due to the fact that I hold the sundrop flower on my left hand and wants the full package!" Glory points out getting straight to the point.

"Doesn't Azul know how to take the sundrop flower off of your hand?" Jack ask.

"No and as Vivi mentioned, I'm the embodiment of the sundrop flower. Which means I can't take it off. Plus I have to search and reunite the moonstone Opal at the ocean but I don't know where because I have to guide my left hand to find it if it glows. And if Azul and the twins find out about this, who knows what happens when that creepy bastard finds out about the moonstone. It won't be pretty!" Glory theorizes.

"Correct you are, Sundrop. You are the keeper of the sundrop and the moonstone; therefore, you must protect yourself from Azul and the Leech twins." Merlin informs.

"He's right. You must keep the moonstone opal information hidden from the trio. That includes you Mr. Howl. You must not let them reach her, alright?" Crowley orders him. Jack strokes his head averting his eyes a bit.

"Well I don't have a choice since I'm dragged into this situation so I guess I could stick around, but DO NOT MISTAKEN!" Jack then points his finger at Glory.

"I'm not doing this because I care, I'm doing this because I don't like how Azul's handling things and getting dragged into unnecessary situations like this so don't get that over your head got it?" Jack reminds her. Glory wasn't fazed by his blunt words as she rolls her eyes and grins.

"Sure...I got you." Glory replies with a grin knowing he's a tsundere behind his lone wolf exterior.

My my, looks like we got tsundere underneath a wolf's fur.

Merlin thought with a sweatdrop dripping from his head. Jack huffs with a light blush on his cheeks before turning back to Crowley remaining tough front.

"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?" Jack ask curiously.

"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 rumor 'if you want to get good grades on your exams then come to Mostro Lounge' was spread all around campus." Crowley informs.

"But what would happen if you breach the contract that was kept from spreading based on the confidentiality agreement?" Jack ask curiously.

"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 90." Crowley laments.

"Is the average score on the exam always a 90 Dire?" Merlin ask curiously.

"Its better than the average for all subjects being failure! However..."

"So what you're saying is that most students pretty much cheated on their exams every year, right?" Glory guesses.

"Oooh you have no idea how much it pains me to explain it...." Crowley whimpers, but Glory wasn't moved at all and gave Crowley a deadpan look.

"Then isn't that something that you should do about it? You said it's been going on for years, so why can't you put a stop to it? You're the goddamn headmaster for Christ sakes." Glory bluntly retorts.

"Wha!? Come on Ms. Corbett, no need to be so cold with me!" Crowley whines.

"I've been working here as a nurse for a week now, so this isn't a surprise to me. Considering the fact how much of an ass you are at times. You know the last time you place your responsibilities on other students RIGHT?" Merlin reminds him with a blank look reminiscing back at the Magift Tournament last weekend.

Exposed, Crowley averts his eyes to the left with a straight line forming from his lip before clearing his throat.

"Ummm...that has nothing to do with it." Crowley denies.

This guy, I swear....

Glory thought with a skeptical look.

"Ugh. My goodness, so in denial..." Merlin mutters while shaking his head at the headmaster.

"Definitely not buying what you'd said Headmaster." Jack points out with a blunt tone.

"But that's not the case here. Have the guys that got their abilities taken last year just been going about without getting them back?" Jack ask curiously.

"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." Crowley said.

"What!?" Jack shrieks.

"Are you serious!?" Glory exclaims.

——————
"Night Raven College is a prestigious school known for turning 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 meager magic. For that I have an idea. It's not something disadvantage for you." Azul suggests with a suave smile.
——————

"...Is how he put it." Crowley explains.

"HE THREATENED YOU!?" Glory shrieks.

"W-What a bastard...To go and threaten the headmaster into a deal like that. I think I see why Leona doesn't wanna go near him." Jack said.

"He went as far as calling it a 'Win-Win' since the school gets 10% of the money made..." Crowley mumbles.

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

"Aaah, just what will he demand this year? For those stupi...No, those pathetic students I will have to meet his demands once again." He mourns. Soon Merlin slams his head with his staff.

"WHY IN THE NAME OF PENDRAGON WOULD YOU ALLOW HIM TO TALK YOU INTO THIS YOU NITWIT!?!" Merlin chides with smoke fuming from his ears.

"I don't have a choice Merlin! For I am gracious." Crowley cries.

"Mr. Ashengrotto is taking his studies seriously and 'only' benevolently helping his fellow students...As a teacher I can't strongly advise that he stops. Why is it that only students with a few problems enter this school!? Ooooohhhh!!" Crowley soon wails making Merlin groan and pulls out his hanky for the headmaster.

"Come now. Don't cry now. Here, dry yourself off with this." Merlin suggests handing his hanky to him which he happily takes and dabs his eyelids while sobbing.

"And to add more of this problem, Ashengrotto is forcing Corbett to be his lover. For he is a greedy individual who won't give up until he get what he wants! And that happens to be our beautiful and angelic healer herself aka our future Queen of Twisted Wonderland! Ooooohhh!!!" Crowley sobs while Merlin pats his back letting out a sigh.

"Yes yes, we know. Now would you calm down? You're going to flood her dorm with tears if you keep crying in a time like this!" Merlin reassures. On the other hand, Glory looks like she's done with life as she pinches her temple and let's out a sigh.

"Good grief. What the hell did I do to deserve this?...." Glory mutters. Soon Crowley sniffles and dabs his eyelids twice once more as he lets out a sigh to regain his composure before turning his head back to Glory.

"So that's why, Corbett. Could you somehow persuade Mr. Ashengrotto to cease these activities?" Crowley suggests, but Glory gave him a blank look and curls her brows at the headmaster.

"And you really think this is going to change his mind? He's definitely not the type to be persuaded." Glory points out, but....

"Huuuuh...The food expenses for the Ramshackle Dorm have really been building up lately...My pocketbook hurts...And I'm busy researching a way to get a certain someone home so it's hard to find the time to search for a solution...." Crowley laments.

Annnnd he just pulls out the guilt tripping card...

Glory thought with a blank look as he lifts his head up town a smile.

"Ah, you don't have to worry. For I am gracious." Crowley reassures with a bright smile.

"I'm not surprised we get students like that with a teacher like this, y'know..." Jack mutters. Couldn't contain her composure when Crowley gives her the puppy dog eyes, Glory let's out a reluctant sigh and tucks her strand to his left ear.

"Fine...I'll do it." Glory begrudgingly accepts much to his elation.

"Oh really, you'll take of this for me! That's to be expected of the future Queen of Twisted Wonderland I can always count on!" Crowley beams brightly making Glory grimace.

"More like guilt tripping me into doing your sh#t, but sure whatever. I'll do my best." Glory mumbles.

"Then I am very busy so I bid you adieu. I'm counting on you to solve this! Come Merlin, let's take out leave so our future queen and Howl will solve this case!" Crowley marvels as he struts to the door and Merlin sighs.

"You've earn my sympathies my child, but before I go there's something I would like to give you." Merlin then pulls something from his sleeve and gives her a scroll.

"Huh? What's this?" Glory ask curiously.

"It's a incantation spell, but not what you think." He assures causing her to widen her eyes when she knew what Merlin meant.

"You don't mean...." Glory utters, but Merlin floats to her ear.

"Fret not my child. This is the alternate version of the spell, but use wisely for the future events. Understood?" Merlin whispers her. Though unsure yet uneasy, Glory gulps and nods her head at him.

"I-I got it Merlin. Thank you." Glory thank him as the tiny wizard grins softly and pats her head gently as he plants a kiss on her forehead.

"Have no fear Sundrop. You must focus on the task at hands." Merlin assures and turns to Jack.

"Keep a close eye on Sundrop for me. I'm counting on you." Merlin advises him. Jack blinks before glancing at Glory who is staring at the scroll with an unsure look as a light blush crept from his cheeks and averts away.

"...Sure." He mutters and Merlin smiled.

"Safe travels my friends." Merlin waves as he floats his way to the door and left the dorm. Once they left, Jack scratches his head.

"Headmaster really is an elusive guy. ...But, what did that small old man tell you? What did he gave you?" Jack ask curiously. Glory crumbles the scroll a bit with a grimace look before she responds.

"...It's another incantation spell, but...we shouldn't be worrying about that now." She reassures as Glory folds the scroll and puts it into her bra. Then she turns back to Jack.

"Crowley place us in charge of the case, so we should focus on stopping Azul." Glory informs.

"So, what do you plan to do now? Like you said, he doesn't seem like the kind of person you can just persuade to stop and they'll actually stop." Jack questions as Glory tilts her head humming softly while thinking of a plan until a light bulb pops from her head and crept a side smile.

"Well to initiate the investigation, we must collect information from the main target before we confront the culprit." Glory suggests making the wolf smile and nods at her plan.

"Yeah. The basics of hunting are to know your enemy. You know your stuff. And it might be good for Ace and them to suffer a bit and learn their lesson." Jack remarks.

"Grim and the other two are idiots, but they're also my friends. However, enough of that, let's get to the investigation." Glory states and Jack nods when she and Jack left the dorm where their investigation begins with Crowley's irresponsibility yet again.