After finishing our meal, we headed straight to the association. Edith had no college today, which meant I didn’t have to drop her off—one less thing on my plate.
But another burden loomed over us. We needed to establish a new college. This entire week was going to be packed—again.
We arrived in our car, me dressed in my usual suit while Azrael, as expected, was in his all-black casual attire.
“This guy really has a black color fetish,” I muttered under my breath.
Not that it looked bad on him. Actually, it suited him too well. But that wasn’t the point. The point was his reaction when he finally saw the association building.
His eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. He blinked furiously, rubbed them as if trying to wipe away an illusion, and then just stared.
“What?” I smirked. “You don’t like it?”
Azrael tore his gaze from the massive structure before him. “Stop smirking. My reaction is valid. This is your association? It’s a freaking castle! And above all, you named this bad boy Blue Fright?”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter, chuckling as I watched him struggle to process it.
Yes, Blue Fright was a literal fortress. Towering walls, grand spires, and an elegant blue-and-white finish—it was every bit as intimidating as the name suggested.
“Whose idea was it to turn an association into a medieval castle?” Azrael asked, still in disbelief.
I grinned. “Mine. I wanted that ‘old money’ aesthetic.”
Azrael scoffed. “Old money? Brother, this is medieval money… and I’m all for it.”
“Knew you’d like it,” I said smugly. “A castle is like any guy’s fever dream.”
“I wouldn’t say any guy, but yeah, it’s cool.”
I felt strangely triumphant over something so trivial—and fake.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Inside, the castle’s interior was relatively simple. The medieval aesthetic was maintained, but the furnishings were mild, nothing overly extravagant.
Azrael glanced around. “Looks like a castle, but I assume this isn’t just for show?”
“Of course not,” I said, waving a hand. “Back in medieval times, castles weren’t just homes for nobles—they were administrative hubs. The same applies here. We have training facilities, research labs, dueling arenas, and standard administration offices.”
Azrael whistled. “Damn, we really regressed back in time. Do we have noble lineages too?”
I scoffed. “No, nepotism is bad. But our family does have certain privileges.”
Azrael smirked. “Because of you, I’m guessing?”
I flashed him a grin. That gremlin rolled his eyes. Ungrateful gremlin!!
Just then, a voice called out.
“You finally arrived. You know, being late on your first day leaves a bad impression.”
We turned to see Larrisa standing there, her arms crossed, exuding that natural authority she always carried. She was in her usual white shirt and black baggy pants, her sharp gaze assessing us.
I felt Azrael’s smug stare burning into me.
“It wasn’t my fault,” Azrael deflected instantly. “My boss here is the one who’s late.”
I shot back, “Oh, please. You took your sweet time finishing that junk food.”
“You were the one who slept like a log last night.”
Larrisa’s patience visibly snapped. She grabbed my ear without hesitation, making me wince. She even reached for Azrael, but the gremlin dodged her.
“Oh? We have a feisty one here,” he taunted.
“No!! She’s angry,” I corrected.
Larrisa exhaled sharply. “Just so you know, I am your boss, not Arc, mister.”
Azrael blinked. “Wait, what? Actually, never mind. I was stupid to think this guy would have a high position.”
“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” I frowned. “I do have a high position—I’m second-in-command!”
Larrisa ignored me, locking her sights on Azrael. “I was going to let your late arrival slide, but since you dodged me… you need to be punished.”
Azrael raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? What kind of punishment?”
“Run twenty laps.”
A silence stretched between us.
Then, Azrael chuckled. “What are you, my P.E. teacher? Whatever. Sounds easy. I’ll go do it.”
Without hesitation, he strolled out to start running.
I blinked. “I… thought he’d retaliate.”
Larrisa shrugged. “Whether his skinny ass will survive or not is not my problem.”
I groaned. “I swear, dealing with him is going to give me a headache.”
Larrisa only shrugged again. But I could tell—she was going to make his time here a living hell.
She caught my stare. “Don’t look at me like I’m some kind of demon.”
But she kind of was. She liked controlling people’s actions. And Azrael? He was the worst possible match for her.
“Anyway,” Larrisa continued, changing the subject, “I sent a notice to the other two. They’ll be joining as well. I got their acceptance confirmation.”
“You mean Kaltain and Vesna?” I mused. “Hmm… just try to be patient with them.”
Larrisa rolled her eyes. “Again with your look. I’m not a demon. But if they refuse to follow rules, they’ll regret ever stepping foot in here.”
…I have my condolences for those two. Just… my condolences.
“Come on,” she said, turning on her heel. “Follow me to the office. We have a lot of work to do.”
I sighed and did as she said. I wasn’t about to have extra work dumped on me. If I played my cards right, I could slack off under her watch—and I was not making her my enemy for that exact reason.
Inside the office, she settled at her desk while I took my usual seat. The decor was… plain. There were a few antique pieces scattered around, keeping in line with the castle theme, but nothing particularly eye-catching.
Well… aside from Larrisa herself.
If you were a lecherous pervert, then sure, she had every asset to distract someone. Not that I’d ever say that aloud—I valued my life.
The “work” she mentioned? Sorting credits.
We had to manage funds used for various expenses—repairs from the recent destruction of the college, training centers, and multiple buildings.
Most funds were funneled into research and weaponsmithing, but the results weren’t looking too promising. At this rate, we might need to cut their funding off entirely.
…Great. Another problem to deal with.
This week was just getting better and better.