Vil and Azul

Vil describes Azul as “a smooth talker as gifted as any conman,” and describes Octavinelle as “caution intertwined with shallow get-rich-quick schemes, much like your housewarden himself,” and has warned Epel to be careful round Azul, calling him greedy.

Vil says he respects Azul’s emphasis on self-improvement if nothing else, “emphasis on ‘nothing else.’”

Azul, Jade and Floyd’s dorm uniform vignettes intertwine in a story of Azul orchestrating how to market a popular drink being sold for cheap at the Mystery Shop through Mostro Lounge at higher prices, which involves getting Vil to promote the drink via his Magicam account without his knowing.

Vil and Azul also overlap in Azul’s ceremonial robes vignette, where Azul promises Vil that he can create a better toner for Vil than the one he has crafted by himself. Vil observes, “You sound remarkably confident. Men who make rash promises are ill-deserving of trust.”

In return Azul requests ten rare, poisonous plants from the Shaftlands that Vil is growing.

Vil agrees and Azul successfully crafts a toner that meets Vil’s expectations. Vil says “congratulations are in order,” but when Azul accepts the compliment Vil responds, “Oh, I’m not complimenting YOU. I am speaking of my own discerning eye,” as he had long suspected Azul and the twins of having unique beauty techniques due to their glossy skin (Vil says that Floyd’s skin is “perfect for applying makeup. You should make sure you moisturize properly, too.”)

Vil takes Azul with him to the Fairest City (EN: Maquillaville), scolding him for handing out business cards instead of keeping an eye on the younger students and ordering him to stop introducing himself as Vil’s “friend from school,” saying, “That’s going to come back to bite me, I just know it…”

Vil and Azul overlap again during Vargas Camp, with Azul suggesting that the Boardgame and Film Research clubs work together, as Vil will be “a tremendous asset.”

Vil refuses on the grounds that he does not want to “babysit” another club, but Azul points out that the Boardgame Club has split up to work on multiple tasks at once while Vil’s club is moving together and could likely use “a few pairs of extra hands.”

Vil concedes as long as Azul’s club does not interfere with their work, but it is then Vil who interferes Azul’s digging up of magestones, submitting one of Azul’s stones on Azul’s behalf and forcibly ending the task for the Boardgame Club on Azul’s behalf.

Azul is not pleased by Vil interfering due to having seen a shadow that no one else noticed, but Vil is then later able to guide Azul, Jade and Trey to the shadow’s location after it attacks them due to having seen it in the mines the day before.

Azul still manages to mine enough stones for the group to use in the battle against the monsters, but when he offers them Vil responds, “He’s clearly about to extort us into agreeing to some outrageous set of terms.”

The terms are revealed to be Vil and Trey assisting at Mostro Lounge for five days, which Vil refuses (“Surely you of all people know just how valuable a day of my time is”), negotiating down to two days and agreeing to Jade’s suggestion that he grants the lounge exclusive sales rights to his homemade smoothies for the duration.

Vil concedes with the conditions that he cannot make them in bulk, they can be sold for only those two days and he will not share the recipes.

Azul is pleased by the idea of receiving the boost in sales from Vil, but it is revealed that he put on a show of haggling for Vil’s time to distract from who he really wanted: Trey.

Azul reminds them of their promises at the end of the event and Vil responds, “Do you think I would renege on a contract? Relax. I always honor my work commitments.”

The two share a preference for reading the entirety of NDA agreements before signing them, and Vil compliments Azul on his taste when he purchases a pair of shoes in the Fairest City. (Azul: “Coming from you, that really means something. Thank you.”)

Vil and Azul also overlap during Port Fest where Azul changes the business plan for their group’s food stall, inspired by Vil: “Our core advantage over the other groups is Vil’s overwhelming name recognition and the strength of his brand!”

They change their menu from “standard festival foods” to a salad cup (“as recommended by Vil”), explaining, “With a model of considerable repute and brand recognition endorsing it, customers would hardly balk at paying a somewhat higher price.”

Vil says that businesses usually need to sign a sponsorship contract to use his name to sell a product via a formal procedure overseen by his agent that he cannot unilaterally change, and Azul explains that he has no intention of running afoul of this policy: “You just happened to be standing by our salad cup stand. That’s all, a mere coincidence of your presence, entirely by chance.”

Vil responds, “You love doing business in these little gray areas, don’t you?,” and agrees to pretend he has not noticed for the day, as he is the group’s leader.

When Azul expresses interest in displaying a picture that the red carpet group took in the Fairest City at Mostro Lounge Vil responds, “Pitiful. First Dad, and now you’re trying to use ME to raise the profile of that little establishment of yours?”

Azul mentions possibly adding a Shaftlands drink to the lounge’s menu and Vil says that he may stop by to have one. Azul offers to give him a meal on the house if he would upload pictures (“perhaps of the menu”) to Magicam and Vil refuses.

We get a rare example of Azul’s physical strength when he protects Vil from a pushy reporter on the red carpet, earning him praise from Vil who says, “It’s not just your handling of the press. You’ve proven a worthy escort as well,” and calls him a gentleman.

A few days after the event Vil makes an appearance at Mostro Lounge (Azul: “Just as promised” – Vil: “I don’t recall promising anything”), saying that he recalls how well Azul supported him and expects a similar level of service there, possibly insinuating that his visit to the lounge was meant to be an expression of gratitude for Azul’s assistance.

Azul and Vil bond over a conversation about tableware in the Fairest City, with Vil calling Azul “quite the connoisseur” and voluntarily joining Azul on his search for tableware for Mostro Lounge, saying, “It would be fun to look at tableware with someone as knowledgeable as you.”

Vil asks if there is much sense in Azul using expensive tableware when his clientele are mostly students, and Azul says that he has no desire to compromise.

When Vil visits Mostro Lounge it is revealed that the expensive cups that Azul bought at the Fairest City are being used by Deuce and Epel, who have no idea of their worth, and nor does anyone else.

Vil asks if Azul still stands by his purchase and Azul reiterates, “I have no intention of making compromises. Ever,” saying, “You must understand that, Vil. How often do you wear an outfit or use makeup that doesn’t fit your own personal tastes?”

Vil observes that Azul seeks to raise the profile of the lounge through high-quality tableware and linens just as Vil himself uses his sense of style to build his personal brand. 

Vil says, “Uncompromising attention to detail… An admirable quality. Perhaps I’ve misjudged you.”

Azul says that when he can serve a customer who understands the value of what they are presented with, however, it is all the better, and that he will be serving Vil in special tableware that he has set aside.