The morning sky above the academy island was covered by layers of gray clouds.
Cold sea winds swept through the harbor district.
Ships rocked gently upon dark waters.
Seagulls circled overhead.
The scent of salt filled the air.
Meanwhile—
Kel walked toward Azure Horizon Guild.
His academy classes had ended early today.
A rare occurrence.
Most students used such opportunities to rest.
Or train.
Or socialize.
Kel naturally decided to inspect the guild.
Inside his mind—
Seiren immediately laughed.
"You mean supervise."
"I am visiting."
"You built an organization."
A pause.
"You are incapable of merely visiting."
Kel chose not to answer.
Mostly because she was correct.
Again.
The guild building appeared ahead.
Unlike its first day.
The structure now looked alive.
The faded walls had been repaired.
The entrance cleaned.
Several new signs had been installed.
People continuously entered and exited.
Fishermen.
Students.
Researchers.
Merchants.
The guild had become part of the harbor's daily life.
Not large.
Not powerful.
Yet undeniably present.
Kel stepped inside.
Immediately.
He noticed activity.
Several members sorted requests.
One group discussed navigation routes.
Another reviewed monster reports.
The reception desk handled incoming commissions.
The atmosphere felt organized.
Productive.
Efficient.
Exactly as intended.
Then—
He heard voices.
Familiar voices.
Very familiar voices.
Coming from the Guild Master's office.
Kel walked toward the room.
The door remained partially open.
Inside.
A mountain of paperwork existed.
And somewhere beneath that mountain—
Seraphina and Elena fought for survival.
Administrative survival.
The former mermaid sat behind her desk.
Silver hair slightly disheveled.
Several books surrounded her.
Notes covered the table.
Three different reports remained open.
Meanwhile.
Elena occupied the opposite side.
The blonde Vice Guild Master looked equally exhausted.
Dark circles rested beneath her eyes.
A pile of contracts towered beside her.
Both girls looked like veterans returning from war.
A paperwork war.
The most dangerous kind.
Kel quietly entered.
Neither noticed initially.
Because both remained focused on documents.
Several moments later—
Seraphina finally looked up.
Her silver eyes brightened.
"Aedon."
Elena immediately followed.
Then both girls visibly relaxed.
As though reinforcements had arrived.
Kel became suspicious immediately.
Very suspicious.
Inside his mind—
Seiren spoke.
"Run."
"What?"
"They're going to give you work."
Reasonable concern.
Unfortunately.
Too late.
Kel sat across from them.
The room felt surprisingly comfortable.
Sunlight entered through large windows.
The distant sound of waves echoed from outside.
Warm tea rested upon the table.
Yet despite the pleasant surroundings—
Both girls looked tired.
Not dangerously tired.
Academically tired.
The unique exhaustion created by balancing responsibilities.
Kel observed them quietly.
Then asked.
"How are you managing?"
The question seemed simple.
Yet both girls immediately understood its meaning.
"You mean the guild?"
Elena asked.
"The academy."
Kel corrected.
"The guild."
A pause.
"Both."
The room became quieter.
Outside.
The harbor continued moving.
Inside.
The conversation turned serious.
After several moments.
Seraphina spoke first.
"It was difficult."
The former mermaid looked toward the window.
Thoughtful.
Reflective.
"When you first created the guild."
Kel listened quietly.
"I thought it would be impossible."
A faint smile appeared.
"I barely understood paperwork."
Reasonable.
"Human laws confused me."
Also reasonable.
"I didn't understand contracts."
Very reasonable.
The silver-haired girl laughed softly.
"Actually."
A pause.
"I still don't fully understand contracts."
Elena groaned.
"Please don't remind me."
Seraphina immediately laughed.
The atmosphere lightened slightly.
Then Elena leaned back.
Looking toward Kel.
"Aedon."
"Yes?"
"Do you know what the hardest part was?"
The blonde girl sounded serious.
Kel thought briefly.
Then answered.
"Management?"
"No."
"Finances?"
"No."
"Recruitment?"
"No."
The blonde girl pointed directly toward him.
"The fact that you disappeared."
Silence.
Inside his mind—
Seiren immediately burst into laughter.
"Direct hit."
Kel remained calm.
Mostly.
Elena continued.
"You created the guild."
True.
"You created the systems."
Also true.
"You explained commissions."
True again.
Then—
"You handed us responsibility and vanished."
The accusation echoed throughout the room.
Seraphina nodded vigorously.
Far too vigorously.
Kel stared.
Both girls stared back.
Inside his mind—
The Guardian laughed mercilessly.
Eventually.
Kel spoke.
"I attend classes."
Elena immediately answered.
"So do we."
Silence.
A devastatingly effective response.
The blonde girl folded her arms.
Then sighed.
"At first."
Her expression softened.
"We tried doing everything ourselves."
A pause.
"Worst decision of our lives."
Seraphina immediately agreed.
"Absolutely."
Both looked traumatized.
Elena continued.
"We attended lectures all morning."
The blonde girl pointed toward academy notes.
"Then rushed to the guild."
A pause.
"Then returned for training."
Another pause.
"Then handled reports."
Yet another pause.
"Then studied."
The final words sounded painful.
Very painful.
Seraphina lowered her head dramatically.
"I nearly fell asleep during Mana Theory."
Kel blinked.
The mermaid pointed toward herself.
"Me."
A pause.
"I fell asleep."
The correction came immediately.
Elena laughed.
The memory clearly remained amusing.
The former mermaid covered her face.
"The professor threw chalk at me."
Kel blinked again.
"The professor what?"
"He threw chalk."
The answer arrived instantly.
Elena added helpfully.
"It was accurate."
Inside his mind—
Seiren nearly lost control from laughter.
"I wish I could have seen that."
Kel honestly agreed.
Eventually.
The conversation returned to the original topic.
Elena leaned forward.
Then spoke more seriously.
"So we changed things."
Kel nodded.
Interesting.
The blonde girl continued.
"We hired people."
A pause.
"Not many."
Another pause.
"But enough."
The guild had gradually recruited part-time workers.
Receptionists.
Record keepers.
Request coordinators.
People who handled routine operations.
Nothing expensive.
Nothing excessive.
Yet enough.
Seraphina smiled slightly.
"That changed everything."
The former mermaid pointed toward several employees working outside.
"Now we focus only on important decisions."
A pause.
"They handle daily operations."
Kel nodded slowly.
A familiar system.
Very familiar.
Administrative delegation.
One of Frostbound's foundations.
Inside his mind—
Seiren noticed immediately.
"They copied your methods."
"I noticed."
"Proud?"
Kel looked toward the girls.
Then toward the guild.
Then toward the organized activity outside.
A small smile appeared.
"Maybe."
The conversation continued.
Long.
Comfortable.
Natural.
The girls explained everything.
How they divided responsibilities.
How they scheduled work.
How they balanced lectures and guild operations.
How they rotated duties during examination periods.
How they prevented burnout.
How members supported one another.
The more Kel listened—
The more impressed he became.
Because they had solved the problems themselves.
Without him.
Finally.
Seraphina asked quietly.
"Aedon."
"Yes?"
The silver-haired girl hesitated.
Then smiled.
"You don't have to worry."
The words carried surprising confidence.
A confidence she lacked when they first met.
"We can manage."
Elena nodded.
"We really can."
The blonde girl smiled.
"Go be a student."
Silence followed.
A strange silence.
Because those words felt oddly meaningful.
Inside his mind—
Seiren spoke softly.
For once.
Without laughter.
"They're growing."
Kel looked toward them.
The former mermaid who once knew nothing about human society.
The academy girl who had never managed anything larger than herself.
Both had changed.
Grown.
Improved.
And now stood on their own feet.
The harbor winds continued blowing beyond the windows.
The ocean stretched endlessly beyond the island.
The guild continued operating.
Students continued learning.
Life continued moving forward.
And for perhaps the first time since arriving at Aetherial Institute—
Kel realized something.
The guild no longer needed him every day.
It could survive.
It could grow.
Even without his constant guidance.
Which meant.
For once.
He could simply be a student.
Unfortunately.
Inside his mind—
Seiren immediately ruined the moment.
"Now you'll probably start another project."
Kel sighed.
Because deep down—
That possibility was alarmingly high.