Super Supportive

177

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“I can’t believe they all ditched,” Alden said when he and Haoyu were alone once more. The little cauldron was spewing fresh clouds of steam into the room. He had learned to appreciate the melony scent and the way inhaling a new batch of the stuff seemed to reset the sauna experience. Just when you were getting tired of the heat, the dose of steam pushed you back to that point where the temperature felt therapeutic.

“It’s a rather specific crowd here,” Haoyu said from above him. “They’ve got plenty of money, they’re disproportionately likely to be summoned for something dangerous, and they just found out the person coming to visit is the type who probably doessummon people for the dangerous missions sometimes. Plus they want to relax. Even if they’re not that worried about a summoning, minding your manners around a wizard of unknown temperament could be stressful.”

All true things.

“I’m surprised it was all of them, too, though,” Haoyu admitted. “Normally, in a group that big you’d think there would be a couple who wanted to suck up to an Artonan and a few more who were just not bothered. Can you imagine our teachers running off like that?”

Alden could more easily imagine Big Snake talking Esh-erdi’s ears off than he could imagine him making a rush for the exit.

“I don’t think most of our classmates would have left either,” Alden said.

“Ha!” said Haoyu. “Some of them would bankrupt themselves to buy a membership right this second so that they could come annoy him. Mehdi keeps saying things about how you might be getting secret knowledge and techniques from being around so many wizards at Matadero, and how if he was there he would be getting secret knowledge and techniques and petitioning them to add a bunch of spells and skills to Agi.”