[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/saJefsm.png[/img]
[h2][color=ab0000]C[/color]armillia [color=ab0000]C[/color]arbonneau[/h2][/center]
[b]Place: Carmillia's Dorm
Time: The Past: Orredes, Assani 13, Dami-Zept 54, 3:03 HI [/b]

Even for someone like Carmillia, going without sleep for two nights was starting to take its toll. The past two days had been eventful. Twenty-five students who had passed his test had been summoned into the Paradigm's study. Right after, Hugo split them into teams and casually used temporal magic to dispatch them to their assigned missions. The Lorentine Queen had ended within that night itself, late into the hours of Shune. Though some others in her team had taken the day off, Carmillia herself had gone about her lessons as usual. The rest of Pandes was spent socializing and assembling the rest of the hand.

Which meant it was only now, in the wee hours of the morning, that she was finally alone. It would be prudent to get an hour or two of rest, enough to power her through Lepdes but there was one last matter to attend to.

Sitting upon her nightstand was a tome. It was one of items, amongst several others that Hugo had retrieved from the Lorentine Queen on his accord. [color=ab0000][i]Which meant our mission was entirely a farce, that old fart could have retrieved the Lyre on his own.[/i][/color] The haul consisted of three chests; two containing freshly-harvested spratz and the other containing gold, five schluckodil eggs, an exquisite-looking and bejeweled wand, a strange map in a waterproof tube, a box of Kerremen watches and lastly, an old and leather-bound tome.

Truth be told, Carmillia's interest in the items had centered around the chest of gold. However, Hugo had other plans in mind and had chosen to divide its contents amongst them. Manfred had abstained for some reason, the Kerreman had been throwing a fit ever since what happened to Dorothea. Even after the mission and back in Hugo's study, he was still staring daggers at her. Not that Carmillia minded, as there were more spoils for her. That meant the remaining five of them each received an egg each as well. Out of the remaining items, Carmillia had almost requested for the wand when Zarra single-handedly began making a huge commotion about the demonic looking tome and how it was a perfect fit for him. 

It had been tempting to challenge him for the book as a petty revenge for the trouble he had caused her aboard the casino. Her fractured relationship with Dorothea and Manfred's anger at her were largely a result of his chaotic actions. But Carmillia was not the type of irrational individual that would do so for such an inconsequential reason. Much to Zarra's dismay, she had called for the book only due to the fact that [i]it had called for her.[/i]

The tome had laid untouched in her dorm, but it was now time to unravel its secrets. 

[color=ab0000][i]Now, what exactly do you contain, little grimoire?[/i][/color]

As if sensing her thoughts, it began emitting a shadowy and ethereal glow. It was a new reaction, something it had not revealed itself capable of doing back in the study. Carmillia wagered if Zarra knew the book was capable of this, he would be kicking up an even bigger fuss. The very thought made her smile in glee. In response to that, the tome now began pulsing.

[color=ab0000][b]"Impatient, are we?"[/b][/color] said Carmillia.

Taking risks was folly but a life spent avoiding them was tantamount to insanity. She had ignored the aberration back in Zeno Fades-in-Moonlight's townhome because the risk hadn't been worth the reward. Her instincts were roaring at her that this was not the case here. She reached out and grabbed the tome. 

The backlash was immediate.

Malevolence.

Though she had discerned sentience in the tome, no, grimoire when it had first called for her, that faint sensation was unlike anything she was currently experiencing. What dwelled within the book was a being of unfathomable power and malice, to the extent that even Carmillia felt repulsed. Despite her attempts, she found herself unable to let go of the ancient book.

[color=ABABAB][i]ℭ𝔞𝔯𝔪𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔞 ℭ𝔞𝔯𝔟𝔬𝔫𝔫𝔢𝔞𝔲.[/i][/color]

Though the word weren't spoken out loud, she heard the whisper clear as day. And just as she did, flashes of imagery and knowledge seared themselves into her mind. Pain. She was subjected to pain far beyond anything she believed possible. It was as if her brain had been forcefully ripped apart and meticulously put back together, albeit with additional parts. In that split second, she developed a sparse but unmistakable understanding of what dark magic was, and the being that had given her that knowledge.

She felt her knees buckle but she held strong, her pride refusing to let her kneel. Her entire body shivered with weariness.

[color=ab0000][b]"...Belthagor," [/b][/color]said Carmillia, after a brief pause.

[color=ABABAB][i]ℑ 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔟𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔴𝔞𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔬𝔫𝔢 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔞 𝔡𝔦𝔰𝔭𝔬𝔰𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔰𝔲𝔠𝔥 𝔞𝔰 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔰. 𝔅𝔢 𝔥𝔬𝔫𝔬𝔯𝔢𝔡 𝔠𝔥𝔦𝔩𝔡, 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔤𝔦𝔣𝔱𝔰 ℑ 𝔰𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔣𝔞𝔯 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔳𝔦𝔞𝔩.[/i][/color]

Carmillia was not one to miss significance in words. Gifts. Plural. She immediately braced herself, and she was right to do so. While it was several magnitudes less than the previous [i]assault[/i], more knowledge was smashed into her very being. This time, she refused to even twitch. 

If what Belthagor had engraved into her mind prior was a foundational understanding of the concept of dark magic, what had just came was a level higher; the skill and knowledge to cast five elementary spells of the school. As if to test her new-found powers, she raised her remaining empty hand and fired a bolt of dark energy towards a stool on the opposite end of the room. The bolt sizzled out of reality midway but not before taking nearly half the stool with it.

There had been no impact. No explosion. Instead, part of the stool had simply been erased from existence. 

She stared at it in amazement. Though her skill with it was mediocre at best, she had just drawn more energy that she had ever used for any singular spell [i]and in an instant[/i]. The results of the dark bolt were also terrifying. 

She could sense Belthagor's amusement.

[color=ABABAB][i]𝔚𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔟𝔢 𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔦𝔫 𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔞𝔨𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔦𝔫 𝔞 𝔤𝔞𝔪𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔢?[/i][/color]

The imagery of an advanced spell flickered in her mind. It was a spell on the level of the Paradigm himself. The possibilities of such a spell were limitless. She could spy on whomever she wished, steal whatever she desired. In a way, it even granted her invulnerability.

[color=ab0000][b]"And if I lose?"[/b][/color]

[color=ABABAB][i]ℑ 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔯𝔢𝔳𝔬𝔨𝔢 𝔪𝔶 𝔩𝔞𝔰𝔱 𝔤𝔦𝔣𝔱.[/i][/color]

[color=ab0000][i]Tomfoolery.[/i][/color] This was not a gamble by any means. Her understanding of Belthagor told her how much the creature valued its words. Revoking his last gift meant she would lose the knowledge of the five spells he had given her. But that was it; Carmillia was not barred from relearning them on her own. Carmillia lacked in the RAS department, but her aptitude for learning magic was prodigous. This was by no means a heavy penalty. But the spell he was offering? It was at a level that could take her years even if she dedicated herself fully to the task.

[color=ab0000][b]"I accept. Begin the game."[/b][/color]

She could see a twenty sided die in her mind's eye. Though the numerals that laid on its faces were of a language she did not recognize, she knew their meanings. 

The shadowy die began rotating, increasing the speed of its revolutions till it become a blur before abruptly stopping. Nine. Though Carmillia was unaware of how much she was required to roll for, a number that dwelled in the middle didn't bode well. 

The book becomes frigid to the touch. Sound deadens and lights flicker. For a moment, the world wavers and something else peers through the translucent fabric of reality. 

[color=ABABAB][i]ℭ𝔥𝔦𝔩𝔡, 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔩𝔬𝔰𝔱. 𝔅𝔲𝔱 ℑ 𝔞𝔪 𝔪𝔢𝔯𝔠𝔦𝔣𝔲𝔩. 𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔪𝔞𝔶 𝔯𝔬𝔩𝔩 𝔬𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔢. ℜ𝔬𝔩𝔩 𝔞 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔯𝔱𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔞𝔟𝔬𝔳𝔢 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔨𝔢𝔢𝔭 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔣𝔦𝔳𝔢 𝔰𝔭𝔢𝔩𝔩𝔰. ℌ𝔬𝔴𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔯, 𝔯𝔬𝔩𝔩 𝔱𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔳𝔢 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔟𝔢𝔩𝔬𝔴 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔯 𝔩𝔬𝔰𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔞𝔟𝔦𝔩𝔦𝔱𝔶 𝔱𝔬 𝔞𝔠𝔮𝔲𝔦𝔯𝔢 [b]𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱[/b] 𝔰𝔭𝔢𝔩𝔩.[/i][/color]

Yet again, it was an easy choice for Carmillia.

[color=ab0000][b]"I refuse."[/b][/color]

[color=ABABAB][i]𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔤.[/i][/color] Belthagor's voice crackled and hissed like flame in her mind's ear. [color=ABABAB][i]𝔄𝔫𝔡 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔥𝔞𝔩𝔣 𝔞𝔰 𝔟𝔯𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔞𝔫𝔱 𝔞𝔰 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔟𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔢𝔳𝔢, 𝔟𝔲𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔢𝔡 𝔞 𝔩𝔢𝔰𝔰𝔬𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔡𝔞𝔶; 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔭𝔬𝔴𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔫𝔬𝔴 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔱𝔬 𝔦𝔰 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔞 𝔭𝔩𝔞𝔶𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤. ℑ𝔱 𝔦𝔰 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔬𝔰. 𝔗𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 𝔦𝔰 𝔞 𝔯𝔥𝔶𝔪𝔢 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔞 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔰𝔬𝔫 𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔳𝔬𝔦𝔡. 𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔫 𝔦𝔱, 𝔠𝔥𝔦𝔩𝔡, 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔭𝔯𝔬𝔰𝔭𝔢𝔯 𝔟𝔢𝔶𝔬𝔫𝔡 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔡𝔢𝔰𝔱 𝔡𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔪𝔰.[/i][/color]

The die began spinning once more. Belthagor had not requested of her choice in the matter this time. Fortunately for her, it stopped on a larger number, seventeen.

[color=ABABAB][i]𝔗𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔡𝔞𝔶, 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔟𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔰𝔱𝔲𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔶 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔤𝔯𝔢𝔢𝔡 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔦𝔪𝔭𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢, 𝔟𝔲𝔱 ℑ 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔡𝔢𝔠𝔦𝔡𝔢𝔡 𝔱𝔬 𝔯𝔢𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔴𝔥𝔦𝔠𝔥 𝔴𝔞𝔰 𝔩𝔬𝔰𝔱. 𝔇𝔬 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔢𝔵𝔭𝔢𝔠𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔪𝔢𝔯𝔠𝔶 𝔞 𝔰𝔢𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔦𝔪𝔢, 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔦𝔱 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔟𝔢 𝔬𝔣𝔣𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔡.[/i][/color]

Four spells would be returned to her. One would have to be forfeited. This was Belthagor's mercy. 

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/dDAl8GI.png[/img][/center][b]Place: The Student Faire
Time: The Present: Lepdes, Assani 29, Dami-Zept 54, 1:07 HE [/b]

Her application to The Fauna Society would likely go without a hitch. Beryl Mundi had excitedly chatted about Rody. Schluckodils were a rare sight in Ersand'Enise and she was pleased to have one added to their society's registry. Carmillia duly noted that unlike Evander, Beryl had abstained from asking Carmillia how she had come upon him. An implication that many of the exotic creatures that were shown in the faire were obtained by shady means. There was perhaps a business oppurtunity after all.

The Fauna Society was the only selection that deviated from her original plans.

Carmillia had quickly dropped by The Gamers Union. Originally, she had deemed it necessary to join at least one 'surface' club in order to maintain appearances. Now, those clubs numbered two, including The Fauna Society. The Gamers Union was a logical enough choice, it was large club known to all and there were plenty of opportunities to be harvested. Though it was kept hush, given that many of its members possessed economic clout, it was no surprise that rumors of an illegal gambling ring existing spread. It was two birds with one stone.

Jonas Hahn, the current head of The Gamers Union was manning the booth. Through a combination of her inconspicuous magic and distractions with her silver tongue, she ended Jonas' 15-0 streak in chess, begrudgingly earning his respect as well as five incantors. However, Carmillia wagered if a rematch were to occur on equal standings, she'd lose nine out of ten times. The alumni was irritatingly capable at chess.

Her victory had resulted in an awkward silence from the surrounding crowd but Jonas had quickly rebounded from his dismay and turned it into a celebratory occasion. He was pleased that talented new member was entering the fray.

The two remaining clubs she aimed for were the underground ones: Faceless and Rat Bastards. It was necessary that she entered them under a secret identity, less the backlash affected her public appearance. Faceless had been the more difficult of the two to gain access to. Through his own efforts, Bernhard had finally managed to find a seller willing to sell his invite, though at an exorbitant price. If not for the gold bar given to her by Hugo, she wouldn't have been able to afford it with the current funds she had brought to Ersand'Enise.

The Rat Bastards on the other hand, was a whole other story. As long as you could prove it, any bastard or orphan was allowed to join. Even if you [i]weren't[/i] one, you could buy your way in. But the latter method came with its own disadvantages. The camaraderie that existed within The Rat Bastards wasn't extended to such people, not at the same level. It turns out that bastards and orphans are a scrutinous bunch. Bribes to administration had to be paid for Carmillia to meticulously create a false identity believable enough for her to be accepted. Elena Albiso, codename: The Muscle. The codename assigned to her irked her. 

[color=ab0000][i]The Muscle, really? Eshiran damned bastards.[/i][/color]

[hider=Carmillia’s Club Selections][b]Guild:[/b] Magicians’ Guild
[b]Clubs:[/b] The Fauna Society, The Gamers Union, Rat Bastards, Faceless[/hider]