Brilliant red hair as red as the reddest apple, a pair of cold amethyst orbs staring down at those standing in front of her despite being the same eye level as her. More or less.

The Dorm Leader of Efren Dormitories is petite for a boy. But the air around him shows the strictness like a war general. It feels like this is someone who would look the part of the tyrannosaurus who had been terrorizing Arthur and Eden’s sleep schedule alright.

“Arthur Briville. Eden Stynes. The last two rats that dared to escape the training for the Orbelesia Grace’s preparations. I commend you Hanzel and Fay, for dragging these two back to where they are supposed to be.”

It almost shocked the girl who had just visited the place for the first time. The voice is firm and loud - enough to snap the two zombies in front of him to their senses. It’s obvious that Dniel is indeed someone with an actual authority over his dorm residents.

The event must be of some great significance for him to order the students of Efren Dorm to sacrifice their sleep in order to prepare for this Orbelesia Grace.

“... The both of you are to return to your stations immediately. This is my first and last warning to you freshmen who dared to escape your duties! Don’t try to escape again or I’ll make sure you’re sent to the gallows” Daniel said. Aediva only watched with googly eyes as her friends got dragged by Hanzel - leaving her and Fay right before the Dorm Leader.

“... The gallows?” Aediva blurted out, couldn’t really handle her curiosity. The moment she looked into Daniel’s violet eyes, she suddenly feel the same feeling when she was around the majority of the students she had been facing with since the first time she entered class.

“Hmph. Unrefined. Completely insignificant. You’re the one who helped the two boys to escape this morning’s training?” he said. Aediva gritted her teeth. A preemptive assumption.

“Hey! We didn’t help anyone! They came to us early in the morning! Banging at the doors when we’re sleeping peacefully! They are the ones who are being rude!” Cath retorted to the Dorm Leader who raised his eyebrow at the monster on Aediva’s shoulder.

“... A monster?” Daniel murmured to himself when a smirk carved on his face.

“Ah, I remember you. You’re that monster that I trapped and threw out of the academy during the entrance ceremony” the redhead boy said. Cath flinched, growling at the dorm prefect.

“I don’t really expect anything from the both of you to be honest. But you bear the consequences of your actions. You’ll assist my dorm residents for the preparatory works in the garden. Unfortunately for you, I don’t take “no” for an answer” Daniel said with unwavering strictness. Aediva was silent, staring at him with an impassive look until she decided to snap the rope binding her hands together - shattering the thick rope like it was made from dried feeble grass. Fay and Daniel looked at her with surprised looks as the girl shoved her hands into her sweater while Cath moved to her other shoulder.

“And unfortunately for you, I don’t do free labor. Still pretty traumatized after being enslaved by a ruthless bitch of a mage, you see” she said, her voice sounding playful but not her words. Daniel grasped his staff, frowning at the girl who only observed him like a hawk.

“... Sure as hell, I won’t keep quiet when you look at me like I'm disposable trash. You sure think that you’re subtle with that condescending look you have on your damn face do you?” she said, annoyed.

“... You little…” Daniel growled, the tip of his staff starting to glow.

“D-D-D-Dorm Leader!” Fay suddenly shouted, quickly gaining the attention of the redhead second year student.

“I almost forgot to inform you that the lead for the group responsible for the decoration at the entrance said they need more people to help with the pillars!” the blonde said, the nervousness still quite present on her pretty face. Aediva frowned when Fay suddenly pushed her to a direction.

“I’ll make sure she helps us with the heaviest thing! That would be good enough punishment for helping the slacking boys right?” Fay said with a smile. Daniel’s eyebrow visibly twitched but before he could part his lips to say something, Fay was already pushing Aediva who was turning annoyed at the rough push from the female senior student.

Daniel let out a huff, seeing that Fay had taken the silver-eyed Frost mage away from where he is.

“Tch. Someone as crass as that brat is a ‘Frost’ mage? Hmph, don’t make me laugh. Someone like her doesn’t even know how to wield power properly…” Daniel murmured.

“... What a shame for the academy…” he muttered spitefully.

“I just said I won’t do anything for free! Stop pushing me around like you own me dammit!” Aediva barked, snatching her hand back from Fay’s grasp and stopping in her tracks as Fay turned around to look at her.

“I’ve got something else to do this evening and I don’t want to be in some prick’s territory” the annoyed girl said. Fay pouted.

“Right right. I get it. But punishment is punishment. You did help those two by sheltering them after they ran out of the Efren Dorm after curfew” Fay said.

“Ha?” Aediva retorted with a frown. Fay scratched the back of her head.

“Can’t you help us? It won’t take long I swear!” the senior student asked.

“No” the junior student’s response was quick.

“Ehh….” Fay sighed.

“I said I don’t do work for free and I got some business to do this evening. Bye” Aediva said as she turned around.

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks.

Cath panicked first when seeing the collar around his neck. The same thing it is for Aediva and even Fay herself.

Dumbfounded as they are, it was then when they heard an announcement over the broadcast.

“Greetings, students of Efren Dorm. As you all know, Orbelesia Grace is the first event of the academy every year. A month is enough time for you to get used to the academy, so I refused to take any excuse for tardiness after getting lost or not knowing where it is.”

Aediva growled the moment she heard Daniel’s voice booming across the dorm’s sky. She grabbed the red collar around her neck and tried to pried it off. To no avail.

“It has been a week and sadly, there’s a lot of students especially freshmen who tried to escape their responsibilities to the dorm. Of course, I will not condone this. And so I’ve placed a magic restriction on everyone on Efren Dorm’s grounds. Anyone who tried to leave without explicit permission from me, will be sent to the Gallows for a night. That is all. Do your best and keep those arms working.”

The broadcast ends with visible shouting from around the dorm areas. Aediva contributing to it too as she shouted, completely lost her patience when she failed to rip the collar that is around her neck. And what’s stupid is that, it also completely blocked off Cath’s fire breath.

“OI! WHAT’S THE MEANING OF THIS!?” Aediva snapped at Fay who looked at her just as surprised.

“Ah…” Fay doesn't exactly know what to say either. Although, this is not the first time it happened.

“Hey! We’re not even living in Efren Dorm! Why did he place these collars on us as well?!” Cath shouted. Fay scratched her cheek.

“... Um… Then we best start working…” she said meekly. Aediva growled, her eyes were calm no more.

“ARE YOU FUCKING WITH ME?!” she shouted, picking up Cath and stomped her way to the teleportation gate not far from them - passing the groups of student nearby who looked at her as she rushed her way to the place where they first arrived when stepping into the dorm area. She ignored Fay chasing after her - calling out to her in a frantic manner.

“WAIT! AEDIVA-CHAN!”

Aediva stepped into the gate and instantly she shouted.

“AHHHHH!!!” her shriek echoed in the main road leading to the dorm’s main building as everyone nearby watched both her and Cath trembling as they stepped back from the gate. Aediva fall to her back, vomiting onto the floor as her body still shaking from the aftermath of her action.

“Oya, someone already tried to escape from the dorm? How utterly foolish” hearing the pompous voice of the dorm leader who had just made the announcement earlier, Aediva looked up. Daniel was smirking at her as if enjoying the damn show of her being electrocuted by magic from the collar.

“At the very least, finish your punishment first, little junior. Maybe I’ll think of taking the collar off your neck. Unless you’d prefer to have electric shock passing through your body again” the redhead said, tapping the end of his staff beside Aediva.

“Prove that you’re at least of some use to the academy. Of course, I don’t expect anything from you to accomplish anything with magic. After all, you can’t even do the basics with magic. Maybe your muscles could be more useful” Daniel said. Aediva grasped her fingers, balling them into fists as she grovel on the ground - recovering from the unannounced shock she had suffered.

“Fay, report to me once she’s done with helping you guys. If she can’t finish today, drag her back here. I’m not pleased if someone does their work halfway” Daniel said before leaving. Fay looked at Aediva who was still trembling on the ground.

“Ae..diva-chan…?” she called out.

“... Every… fucking… one… of you…” Aediva muttered before she stood up, shakily to her own feet. When Fay tried to help by supporting her, she only received a hard slap on the wrist.

“What the hell do you need me to do?” Aediva asked, her voice growling like a pissed-off lion. Fay nursed her hands, pointing at the marble pillars at the side of the road.

“We need help with those pillars. We don’t have much manpower to move one….” before Fay even finished her words, she fell speechless.