"You can count on our discrection, but since the current suspicion points on your family, I expect some explanation " says the Monk and makes sure that he is close enough to catch Headmaster if he decides to make a run for it ...
Regaining confidence, Alika rises to her full height and reintroduces herself.
"Thank you, Headmaster Ornelos!" She beams proudly. "I am
Alika Adrezi, once a former third-year Arcanist at the Acadamae majoring in the School of the Boundary, now a Pharmacist at the Temple of Sarenrae."
Nodding expectantly, Alika says; "Of course I'll keep the matter as discrete as possible, Headmaster Ornelos! But if you could start at the beginning that would be ideal - I've only ever seen Volshyenek Ornelos in pictures around the campus...and I flunked out of magical history, so his history is unfamiliar to me." The Alchemist admits sheepishly.
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"Ah, yes! Now I remember! Firstly, I apologize for calling you an abomination. The ... events of late have frayed my nerves more than before. Secondly, I am impressed that you have done well without magic."
"All right, my great-uncle, Volshyenek Ornelos, founded the Acadamae in 4473 AR. The position of headmaster is hereditary, though I came close to losing my position during the Breaching Festival, where Caelios supposedly conjured the image of Queen Ileosa in Kendall Plaza. My great-uncle faked his death over a century before but still controls the Acadamae from the shadows. He's up to something but I know not what. I suspect that his longevity comes from infernal dealings. For all I know he might even be the third party in Ileosa's contract."
He takes a breath before continuing. "So, as you can see, my position here isn't as strong as I'd like. I'm really no more than a figurehead. I want him out but I can't really act against him. You, however, can. If you can expose his role, I can make my move and, for the first time since its foundation, the Acadamae will be in the hands of 'someone trustworthy and capable of guiding it into a brighter future'."
"I am afraid these ghost sightings are orchestrated by a mysterious group that has the support of someone powerful at the Acadamae or perhaps even Hell itself."
He looks relieved, as if glad to finally get it off his chest. Looking back at you, he then asks, "How about you -- what have you discovered?"
"Someone powerful such as your great-uncle or would it be someone else ultimately behind this? And their goal is to restore infernal control to the throne?" Kamzask's head spins with the Headmaster's revelations of a dark cabal controlling things.
"Do you know where your great-uncle is? Or how we might be able to find him?"
He glances at the others uncertain how much to tip their hand to someone they barely trust. "We did find some evidence related to Queen Ileosa's contract, but it's hard to say what it is. If your grand-uncle was the third party to the contract, would he want to steal it? Would have give him any control, even with the queen dead?"
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Veracruz considers "faking his own death" as a form of retirement. What a clever idea! And how hard could it be?... But back to the topic at hand: The Acadamae must have some practical use to Volshyenek Ornelos - else, why retain control of it even from the shadows? He begins his line of inquery, topic by topic.
Research?
"Are there any Research projects currently underway? Of what do they involve? For how long have their been going on? Do they bear fruit? Have there been any accidents or strange occurances?"
Alumni?
"What is the fate of the alumni upon graduation? Do they typically pursue various forms of employment within or beyond the institution? Are they recruited? Have any gone missing? For how long?"
He pauses, trying to rule in or rule out possible reasons for wanting to keep involvement. "Hereditary? Can it work backwards? Say, if something were to happen to you, would he be able to retake the position of Headmaster? To what end?"
"Do you know then were Volshyenek Ornelos can be found? He needs to live somewhere, food be eaten, a bed to rest on." says the monk slightly relaxing, hearing plausible explanation
"And who your grand-uncle could be working with? People of such position would belong to some society, have high positions people. Probably who are around for more than a century, there shouldn't be that many of such indyviduals"
"I always suspected that things around here weren't poorly run just because of incompetence! An inky hand from the shadows, eh?" Gund seems excited at the prospect of taking care of it.
Petal Sakura calms down as he apologies and begins explaining. "Good. Now this makes more sense."
"Someone stole a contract, we have a frightened guard, great uncle of the headmaster coerced someone into taking a blame." She thinks."And he's in hiding."
"I don't have enough information. Is there anywhere else we can go?"
She takes a moment to lay a hand on Alika's suit's leg as a comforting gesture.