"It's possible, yeah."

"Maybe we should check and see how many mals other groups are seeing."

"If we can do that subtly..."

"Put the question to Liesel, maybe."

"She might've already noticed."

"Then it won't cost very much to ask."

"And we might get an answer quickly."

"Got a crafting appointment with her tonight. Can ask then."

"That'll work."

Even only working on the artifact only part time, progress on this collar is going faster than the last. Shouldn't be too much longer before they're done.

"So," El says to Liesel. "Got a question about current events, if you're willing."

"I'm willing to hear it."

"How much mal activity have you heard about, this year?"

"Not much - your freshmen have been gossiping about their weekly gauntlet, but the only time I've run into a mal was in our shared seminar. I haven't heard about much outside of you two's immediate vicinity."

"How many would you have seen this time last year?"

"Personally? I might have gotten this lucky. But over the entire school? A lot more."

"Yeah, that tracks."

"You think the school is targeting you?"

"Yeah, something like that. All the mals that no one else gets bothered by are funneled at Lu and me."

"How many?"

"At least two bigger ones a day. More on Wednesdays. I don't even keep count of the small ones anymore."

"That's not a school's worth, though."

"If the graduation hall got cleansed..."

"Possibly, though normally we'd be seeing more infant mals now - do you have any way to check the graduation hall?"

"Not unless the access shaft is still open."

"I don't know if it is or not."