Mathias sighed as he scratched his throat. It was artificially pushed passed the itchy stage, but he still felt somewhat annoyed at its glaring marks.

'No, no. If I get rid of it, I'll have no excuse.'

He sat with Thomas this time.

"Man, I'm surprised. I figured you'd be with Erik, Lisanna and the rest. What made you come out this way?"

'Hiding,' he wrote honestly. Thomas' expression was even as he laughed generously at the blunt statement. Since they were in different classes, he felt it was pretty normal to be with the others in his class rather than Thomas and Jedd like in the beginning before.

"Ah, so the rumours are true!" Thomas said laughingly as he poked Mathias' shoulder, just below the neck. "Hey, is it true that you're all having a massive party on Sunday?"

"...?" He thought a moment.

'Art Exhibition. It started small. Then apparently got bigger. Now we'll be in trouble if there are any fights.'

"But its a formal banquet, right? And with all those people come, you know there has got to be someone bringing their daughters around! It would be so easy to find a match-maker... say, say, where did you get the stones?! We heard about it this morning, but we didn't believe it. When someone saw the scrolls at the break, even Miss Lan said it was true - and we'd be doing it too!"

Thomas was eager, much like the rest of the Lamia students Mathias was sitting with. Of course, it was originally just Thomas, Jedd, and a pair of girls, but apparently they saw the need to expand the tables for 'meetings' as well.

It was much more laissez-faire than then Erik and Ayla structuring most topics of conversation, however.

"Who are you bringing? Lisanna, right? Or is it Jennifer?" One of the girls, Vanessa, asked.

"Yeah, who?"

Originally intending on ignoring the question, he grumbled quietly, and wrote, 'don't know. Don't care.' There was an implicit demand for the question to be answered as Thomas shifted the paper in front of Mathias' face to facilitate the request.

If there wasn't an incident involving the (potential) black-mail of his fur, he would probably just ask Lisanna for simplicity's sake. That was assuming it was a requirement.

A male staff member appeared.

"Are you Mathias Vandiese?"

Mathias nodded.

"These are for you. Instructions as well as the passes are inside. Please keep them safe as there will be no reissues in the event of damage or loss."

The staff member walked away - and the envelope was snatched from his hands.

"Hmm, 'You are cordially invited' - cordially?! My God. 'You are cordially invited to the first-annual Art Exhibition. As a contestant, your responsibilities include the timely production of a respectable work; the timely deliverance of the work; at least two hours of attendance by the sculpture to answer questions regarding its production and inspiration; and the attendance of the subsequent banquet.

"'You'll be permitted to bring five guests - and those already invited and their kin need no tickets from the contestants. We'll be arranging the tables in groups of two to three contestants. Please reserve your table with the number of your guests and fellow contestant(s) by Saturday evening.

"'You must wear school-issued formal attire. Your attendance is mandatory.'"

Mathias grumbled, 'what happened to 'invited'?'

"Yeah, so this is definitely for dates," Thomas said with a laugh. "Nice. Vanessa, want to go with me to ours?"

Thomas asked jokingly.

"Nah," she snickered. "I have my eyes on another one."

She looked at another boy at the end of the table who failed to recognize her glance. Thomas laughed it off fearlessly. "Ah, figured. Good luck."

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"And good luck to you, Thomas! But, Mathias, I'm more concerned... with that?"

She said, pointing to a group at the edge of the table. Mathias gaped for a moment, but Ayla and Wendi grabbed him by the arms and dragged him from his seat.

"...?!" He opened his mouth to shout, but he practised being mute for too long and only incomprehensible growls came out.

"We'll be borrowing him! Sorry to intrude!" Ayla said cheerfully.

"Ah, Lisanna, take this for him, okay?" Thomas raised the opened envelope and letter to Lisanna who stood a distance away; seemingly forced to attend.

"... This is?"

"The same invitation you have, probably," Thomas said with a shrug.

"Yeah, yeah! I'm excited!" Vanessa shouted, "for you, you know! It'll be a lot of fun!"

Lisanna quirked her head and thanked the two. She knew Thomas only vaguely and never talked to Vanessa.

She did not notice the two snickers as Thomas stealthfully passed a stolen ticket to Vanessa who winked at him, keeping one for himself. Jedd sighed but he, too, was forced into the mission. As twins, it would be dreadfully easy to swap out at a moment's notice, thereby just needing one and comb in their pockets to alter their hairstyles.

"... If it's like the other banquets the school holds from the rumours, then we'll probably be able to sneak in later when everyone is done eating and the auction begins."

"Yeah!"

"...? You... sure?"

"It'll be fine! I want to see what we've gotta get ready for on our end. Miss Lan is already breathing down our throats that we gotta catch up so I won't lose!"

"... R-right...?"

Jedd seemed unconvinced, but Mathias' fate was already sealed.

He looked at the half-empty plate across from him with a frown. Jedd got up, took it back, cleaned it off, and set it into the stack with the other finished meals while he gave his brother and Vanessa time to scheme. Rather, time to finish scheming so he wouldn't have to be a part of it.

Mathias, meanwhile, was securely sat down between Lisanna and Wendi, with Lina staring directly at Mathias with folded hands.

"So we wish to discuss the terms of your service."

Having paper and pen supplied to him already, Mathias simply wrote 'no.'

"Unacceptable. We do not agree to your proposal," Lina said.

"...?" He raised a brow questioningly.

Lina nodded. "I understand your confusion. However, it has come to my attention that you can do... 'that'."

'That?'

Lisanna squirmed as she saw both Lina and Mathias mention the fabricated tale. She glared at Lina who did not even flinch when she noted it.

On the contrary, she smiled innocently.

"This pertains your ability to remove scars."

'Oh. No.'

"I imagined you would say that. I do not agree with your terms. May I ask we make a deal?"

'What deal is there to be made?'

"Lisanna can be your date. None will object to it." Lisanna flushed and was about to retort when Lina rose her hand to stop Lisanna. "We'll also pay double the rate. The focus will be made to the face, neck, arms, and legs. Many, including Lisanna, have bought dresses. I myself am one of them. Mina just has... hah..."

"What's that supposed to mean?! I got the same thing, but in a different colour!"

Mina waved off the comment dismissively, making full use of her gestures to imply otherwise. Even if Mina was trying to assure everyone it was, in fact, true.

"Moving on. The terms will be two gold per limb that is visible. We'll permit individual preference and discretion in order of application. However, we demand that we all be treated."

'I don't want money that's that troublesome to earn.' Mathias wrote, seeing past the bend to understand what would be expected of him later.

"Is that so?" Lina asked innocently. "I will freely allow you fondle Mina as much as you'd like."

"WHAT?! LINA!?"

"Ah, I misspoke. You may see her chest for as long as you like."

"LINA!"

"Ah, ah," Lina looked at Mina worriedly. "It's true that her chest is none too impressive..."

"It's the same as yours, damn it! Volunteer yourself!"

"Ah, but I don't work out as much..." Lina said, mock-worriedly. "I think boys like yours more..."

"Th-they d-do?! W-what?!"

Mina covered her flat chest from all the shifting gazes. Particularly the boys at either end of the table, but even the girls once the matter was brought up.

Lina continued. "Moving on from Mina's unimpressive chest, I shall continue the negotiations. What is it you desire?"

'Sleep.'

"Okay, you may sleep on Mina's lap in exchange. She'll even pay you for the privilege."

"I'll do what now?!"

'Just stop this. It's troublesome and I don't want to do it. Try to convince a parlour somewhere.'

Lina sighed. "Ah, I suppose it can't be helped. We should expect that people would have free will... Okay, I'll see to it that Mina burns down Eywre's Fur Shop."

"... Wh-?!" He violently coughed.

Lisanna turned away guiltily. She did not expect the simple request to be weaponized against him. Her, perhaps, but him?

A note slipped in front of Lisanna. 'Was this your plan?'

"NO! It's was Lina's, b-but I-I couldn't do anything...! I'll make it up to you, I promise!"

"..."

Mathias huffed and turned his glare towards Lina. 'Five people only. Five gold per limb. That's it. You determine who'll take those spots. And I'm never doing this again.'

He got up and walked away.

Lina read the note and tilted her head. Mathias had cleared the room in great strides, but it was a satisfactory result. "I've secured five spots, at five gold per limb. I did not expect the fur store to be such a touchy subject. Mina supplied me with the wrong information."

"You forced Lisanna to say that yourself - don't blame me!"

Lisanna bit her lip as she looked back and forth between the girls and Mathias. She ran towards the latter. Lisanna just admitted to being curious about the furs and Lina connected the dots since Lisanna didn't know where it was. Information was easy to obtain if one looked in the right places.

"... Well, there goes that one." Lina said easily.

It was an interesting result all around she was indifferent to the ramifications. In truth, she knew of the rumours about the Headmaster. The groups' mistake was letting her take lead on the negotiations.

Chaos was more entertaining.