Shattered Sanity

(House Argent Common Room, The Imperial Academy)

After all one hundred House Argent recruits entered their secure compound, Cedric quickly isolated ten of them from the rest of the group and led them towards the common room, while the remaining first years were taken away by several seniors for a tour of their new facilities.

Riven found himself among those ten alongside Mary and several other recruits selected during the earlier rounds, as Gwen closed the enormous wooden doors behind them before remaining stationed beside the entrance.

Unlike the crowded chaos Riven had witnessed earlier during Argent’s draft preparations, the common room was considerably quieter now, with only Cedric, Gwen, Marcus and several trusted Second Years waiting around the enormous central table.

”First year’s, please, take a seat.”

Cedric instructed, as the ten First Years gradually settled around the table while Riven chose an empty chair near the middle.

Nobody spoke unnecessarily.

The sudden separation from the other ninety recruits had already made it obvious that whatever Cedric intended to discuss was not information meant for the entire House.

Cedric waited until everyone had settled before placing both hands against the table and slowly looking across the ten unfamiliar faces now sitting before him.

”What I’m about to tell you cannot leave this room for the next forty-eight hours.”

Cedric began seriously, as whatever welcoming warmth he had displayed near Argent’s entrance disappeared completely from his expression.

”I don’t care whether you have friends in another House, siblings in another House or someone you’ve known since childhood sitting inside another compound. Until the trade window closes, anything discussed inside this room remains inside House Argent.”

Several First Years nodded.

”Because from this moment onward, the House Draft is no longer about selecting students.”

Cedric continued.

”It’s about determining which House actually keeps them.”

He paused briefly before gesturing towards Gwen.

She immediately approached the table carrying several sheets of parchment before placing one stack near Cedric.

”Technically, every one of the hundred students we drafted today can still be traded.”

Cedric explained.

”If Sable, Viridian or Aureate offered us enough for one of you, we could accept.”

His eyes travelled across the ten recruits.

”However, I brought the ten of you here because, as far as I’m concerned, that possibility does not apply to anyone sitting at this table.

There is absolutely no chance House Argent willingly trades any of you.”

Mary’s expression changed slightly.

Until that moment, some small part of her had continued entertaining the possibility that Aureate might attempt to acquire her.

Stacy was already there, and considering the offers shouted towards Mary while leaving the Drafting Grounds, Aureate’s interest in her Shadow affinity had appeared genuine.

However, it seemed like that was not meant to be.

”You were our ten highest-priority selections, and unless another House makes an offer so completely ridiculous that refusing it becomes an act of stupidity, consider yourselves Argent members for the next two years.”

Mary’s heart sank slightly, although she kept her expression neutral.

”That doesn’t mean you’re more important than everyone else forever.”

Cedric continued.

”Draft position represents what we know today. Six months from now, somebody selected in Round Eighty might outperform somebody selected in Round Eight, and if that happens, our priorities will change accordingly.”

His fingers tapped against the table.

”But during these forty-eight hours, decisions must be made using the information currently available to us, and according to that information, the ten of you are assets we have absolutely no intention of losing.”

Riven remained silent, although he understood immediately why Cedric had separated them.

There was little risk in revealing House strategy to students Argent had already decided to retain, while revealing the same information to someone they might trade tomorrow would be foolish.

”Now that we’ve established that, we can discuss what we’re actually planning.”

Cedric said, as Gwen unfolded a considerably larger sheet of parchment across the centre of the table.

”I’m assuming that Vice Principal Chadwick must have explained earlier in his orientation speech that every House receives a different starting resource package every year.

Those packages are deliberately unequal, because the Academy expects us to compete, negotiate and adapt rather than simply receive everything we require.”

Several students leaned forward.

”So this year, it seems like House Argent has received an unusually large quantity of food rations and herbal medicine.”

Cedric continued.

”Enough that if we maintained exactly one hundred members and managed our supplies responsibly, we would possess considerably more than we realistically require.”

One First Year frowned.

”How much more?”

”Enough that we could comfortably support somewhere between one hundred and fifteen and one hundred and twenty students without creating any serious shortage.”

Gwen answered immediately.

”The Academy permits each House to maintain a maximum population of one hundred and twenty active students from the incoming batch during the trade window, which gives us twenty vacant positions.”

She tapped the parchment.

”And although we don’t intend to fill all twenty.... Cedric and I have decided to take anywhere between ten to fifteen additional members.”

Gwen explained, as all the first years nodded in understanding.

”You see, it is our understanding that every average house member contributes roughly five to ten house points a year, which means if we are somehow able to maintain a population of fifteen additional students, that’s a seventy five to hundred fifty numerical advantage...”

”Naturally, every additional student eats food, consumes medicine, requires accommodation and competes for access to House facilities.

So adding someone who contributes nothing simply increases our expenses.”

Her finger moved across several calculations.

”But a student who earns even a modest number of House Points throughout two academic years can become considerably more valuable than the food required to maintain them.”

Riven’s gaze sharpened slightly.

That was considerably more calculated than simply gathering additional members for the sake of possessing numerical superiority.

Argent was effectively attempting to purchase future House Point production using resources whose marginal value decreased because they already possessed more than they needed.

”We’ve divided our potential acquisitions into two categories.”

Cedric explained.

”The first category contains a very small number of high-priority targets.”

Gwen placed another sheet upon the table.

”Students we wanted during the Draft but couldn’t select because another House reached them first. There are only a couple we’re seriously interested in pursuing, because those negotiations will be expensive.”

”How expensive?”

One of the recruits asked.

”Potentially too expensive.”

Marcus answered.

”If Aureate asks for one of our strongest recruits plus Merit Seals for somebody we only value slightly higher, we walk away. If Viridian demands enough resources to eliminate the advantage we’re attempting to exploit, we walk away.”

He folded his arms.

”We aren’t desperate.”

Cedric nodded.

”Exactly. Never negotiate like we need somebody.”

His voice remained calm, although his eyes moved deliberately between the ten First Years.

”I don’t care how badly you personally want a target. The moment the person opposite you realizes you’re emotionally committed to completing the deal, you’ve weakened our position.”

Riven quietly absorbed the instruction.

That particular lesson sounded considerably broader than an Academy House Draft.

”If somebody asks what our maximum offer is, you don’t tell them.”

Cedric continued.

”If somebody claims another House has already offered twice as much, you don’t panic and immediately increase your number. If they tell you the offer expires within ten minutes, let it expire.”

He leaned slightly forward.

”We want the ten of you to go out and try to get us this list of students, because unlike the second years who they won’t even talk to.

There’s a very good chance that the other houses talk to you juniors.

Especially since they desperately want to rope you in.

However, instead of allowing them the opportunity to negotiate for you, what you do is play them instead.

You say.... My house leader has said that any talks regarding my trade can only happen after I have recruited this individual on the list for the house.

And in return, force them to trade the other guy first, just in hopes of getting to you later, and then we crush that hope as well.”

Cedric explained as several First Years nodded.

”The moment you receive a concrete asking price, you return here.”

Gwen added.

”You tell Cedric, Marcus or me exactly what they asked for, what you offered, what they rejected and anything else they revealed during the conversation. We will decide whether negotiations continue.”

Cedric then glanced towards the remaining stack beside Gwen.

”Which brings us towards the last topic we need to discuss....”

He said, as he looked away from the stack of papers and into the eyes of each and every junior.

”There are three holding cells inside this fortress.....

You can think of them as jail cells.

When you get a tour, you’ll see them.

But I want you to know that they’re not there just for show.

If one of you is dumb enough to betray house Argent.

If one of you reveals something to the other houses, thinking that they’ll find a way to purchase you....

Or if you betray our trust in any way....

I promise that you won’t be attending a couple months of lectures within the academy.

As house leader, I have the authority to imprison any house member up to a maximum of 60 days.

And I will use it on you just to be petty.....

So remember, if you betray Argent, your academy life will end before it ever began.”

Cedric warned, as all the first years gulped a mouthful of saliva.