Ortho, NRC and Hacking

Pre-Book 6 Ortho did not have classes of his own to attend and only attended classes on non-test days, with Idia.

He expresses surprises when he is selected to be Lilia’s interviewer for his second birthday vignette, as he “thought the Magical Birthday Dice chose an interviewer from the student body,” and he did not count at the time.

Ortho explains, “When I can’t be with him, I take walks on campus and chat with people. I recently visited Professor Trein, and he let me read his books. He also played games with me. That was lots of fun. I’ve never met my grandpa, but if he were here, maybe he’d be like that. The other fun part about visiting Professor Trein is getting to talk with Lucius.”

Before enrolling in class 1-C Ortho says that all he would do in Idia’s classes was “sit next to him and optimize my internal memory…sometimes I take classes with everybody else when the mood strikes. The teachers don’t say anything about it.”

Ortho was also not qualified to participate in the Beanfest event.

In Book 5 we learn that Idia got permission from the headmage to allow Ortho to attend his classes with him, and in Book 6 Jamil makes the connection that someone from as prestigious a family as the Shrouds wouldn’t attend school without any aids (much like how he himself serves Kalim), and that that is why Ortho received that special permission.

Phantom Bride begins with Ortho reporting that Idia has been kidnapped by Eliza, and Crowley explains that marrying Eliza will kill Idia. (Much to Crowley’s disapproval Ortho hacks into the campus security cameras to prove it, later following up with threats to hack into TV stations and broadcast the rest of the cast as “backstabbing students” in order to force their participation.)

The other students refuse to help and Ortho settles on vaporizing the main building of the school to solve the problem, which Crowley interrupts.

He watches the attempts to save Idia during the event through the school’s surveillance feeds.

At the conclusion of the event he teases the first-year students for “lacking in formative adolescent experiences compared to data from other boys your age” and praises Ace for his efforts to save Idia, revealing to the other students that Ace’s monologue had been sincere (contrary to what Ace himself was claiming).

Ortho says that it is “a piece of cake” for him to access the school’s camera feeds and the cameras on computers and smartphones.

“I don’t miss a scrap of info. I can pick up all kinds of personal data.”