<div style="text-align: center"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(250, 197, 28)"><i><span style="font-family: 'Didact Gothic', 'sans-serif'"><span style="font-size: 18px">Ian, The Teacher</span></span></i></span>​</div><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(160, 115, 221)">"Ye are not finished here... as there was one other who ye must conduct this with. They may be different... Yet odd butterflies attract the most peculiar of wandering gazes..." </span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255)">Ian nodded to the cryptic words. Not entirely sure what they meant. And watched Mystera steal a glance at Dayyan before leaving. </span><br/><br/>Waiting a second or two, Ian turned to Asterrio beside him with an incredulous look.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(250, 197, 28)">"That girl."</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"I know she's a bit much, Teach. But i've been tutoring her for a while now. She's eccentric but not a danger."</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255)"> Asterrio said with a slight chuckle. The look on Ian's face very much similar to his own first reaction of Mystera. Confused in more ways than one.</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(250, 197, 28)">"Right, i'll take your word for it. I'll get to know all the students more on the trip south anyways."</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"How do you plan on getting the carts?"</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255)"> Asterrio asked. He heard mention of carts, but from what he could tell the pair had arrived on foot. </span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(250, 197, 28)">"I imagine the Baroness will rent me a few, if i ask nicely."</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"Ah. Then you're going up the hill tonight. Good luck then. She's a tough one that woman."</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255)"> Ian hummed to confirm, taking a sip of his drink. He'd heard a bit about the current Baroness of Ashburn. Dangerous and tough to please. Rotating his chair, he turned to face Asterrio directly. </span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(250, 197, 28)">"Alright. We've waited long enough. And i've been heckled about it quite a bit already from the students. Why didn't you let the goblin girl take the test of potential? She seemed eager to test herself." </span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"It's complicated with Moeilikheid, Teach. She's a good student, exceptional even, quick to pick up new information and imaginative enough to start her own projects. It's just."</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255)"> Asterrio took a second to find the words. And Ian waited patiently for them.</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)"> "She's in a terrible position politically here. She can't go to White Castle. Even administering the test would be a terrible idea. As her score would easily outshine most of, if not all of my current students. There's nothing i can do here."</span><br/><br/>Ian looked to Dayyan in confusion. Not quite connecting the correlation here.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(250, 197, 28)">"What do you mean? If she's exceptional then that's perfect. White Castle, and Mages in general are outside of political and social hierarchy. You know that Asterrio, so why wouldn't the girl-" </span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"Teach stop. How do you not see it?! Maybe because you're in the middle of it you don't understand. But Dayyan you lived it. Politics, status, Magic, nobles, money, power, they're all the same thing. Everything is connected here!"</span>Asterrio was on his feet now. Gesticulating and pacing. Ranting in a way outside of his normal self.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(250, 197, 28)">"Asterrio." </span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"No! You listen to me. Goodness you're so smart-stupid. Why is it that you haven't found a single student until now. This entire time months of searching, with no finds until now? Why is it that you have to go to the far reaches of the north just to find one commoner worth your time. And when you do go this far north you find three students easily. You've walked a majority of the continent Ian, tens of cities and town and gutters and markets and streets. Thousands of faces seen but not one commoner worth your time. Not a single commoner child worth teaching? Does no one of the lower class have the potential to go to White Castle? What's the odds on that Teach? Tell me the probability. <br/>
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It's said that White Castle has opened their doors! Commoners are allowed to enroll and take classes, at a all nobles school! An opportunity to elevate yourself from the dirt. The opportunity of a lifetime. And yet the great Ianice can't find a single commoner worth teaching in months of searching? Did you think it was coincidence? Everywhere you went, everyone's eyes were on you. The <i>great </i>Ianice. Looking for commoners. But all you found were half-baked nobles right? So convenient." </span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(250, 197, 28)">"That's absurd... If what you're implying is true, i mean who would try and... What's your point." </span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255)">Ian felt sick to his stomach. He had a feeling he knew where this was gonig.</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"What's the difference between a commoner and a nobleman? Birthright. Money. And <i>Magic.</i> And what happens when a commoner obtains some of those privileges? Or even one of those privileges. Well you can't call them a commoner at that point can you? Can't boss them around like you used to. They're a noble. Right? If not technically then actually. And hypothetically, if the greatest school of the magical and mystical tried to open their doors, and say, i don't know, give commoners one of those privileges en masse. Well, how do you think the existing nobility would react?"</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255)"> Asterrio stopped in front of Ian, hands on his hips. Disgust on his face.</span><br/><br/>Ian took a second and mulled the words over.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(250, 197, 28)">"You're saying everywhere i've gone these last few months. Nobles have gone out of their way to keep me from finding talent.... I've been blinded."</span>It made sense. The improbability of not finding a single prospect. It had niggled at the back of his mind for weeks. If high ranking nobles were going out of their way to distract and circumvent him, it wouldn't be too difficult with enough resources allocated. It could even be coordinated if the had a mind to. Ian grimaced at the thought of all of the people denied an opportunity because of his shortsightedness. Some of which impoverished or homeless, dead or dying either physically or mentally emaciated. Lost. With no hope in sight. Because of his oversight.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(250, 197, 28)">"Is that why you're here in Ashburn? The town with the weakest nobility. Estranged in the north. To help those who would be oppressed? If so then why not let the girl take the exam? What you're saying and doing contradict."</span><br/><br/>Asterrio blinked at the observation.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"Yes. That's one of the reasons why i'm here. But like i said, Moeilikheid is a special case. While the power of nobility is weaker here, it's not nonexistent. She's a bit of a troublemaker in this town. And it's made her some terrible enemies. I can only shield her so much. She's kick the royal nest a few times, so to speak. Baroness Astrea has explicitly told me to deny her entry to the scholarship program."</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(250, 197, 28)">"That's not for her to decide." </span>Ian said firmly.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(250, 197, 28)">"She'll recieve a fair evaluation, like everyone else. Now that i know i can do something of it."</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"Teach listen. I would usually be with you here. But, the Baroness has made it clear. Life for Mue's family. Myself. Everyone down here in Countryside. Will get a lot more rough if you take her. And i'm not willing to call that bluff. The alternative. I can continue to tutor her here. Give her training and resources, a fair lot in life. Much better than she would have otherwise. You've found a good lot of students. In large part thanks to me."</span>Asterrio smiled a smug/teasing grin.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)"> "Take them with you. But leave Moeilikheid here. She can't go. It'll cause more trouble than we can handle."</span><br/><br/>Ian felt the words sink in his chest at the implication. Another soul lost, and a promise broken.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(250, 197, 28)">"Dayyan what do you think?"</span>Ian asked his intern.<br/><br/>As he asked the front door to Asterrio's home sounded with a loud knock.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(84, 172, 210)"> "Summons from Lady Baroness Astrea! For a David Iance, and his ward <span style="font-size: 15px">Dayyan Avernoch."<br/>
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