If Destiny Was Alive, I'd Have Killed Them By Now

In the office of the dorm, Azul was busy going through the numbers of contracts in his hands with a wide smile before opening the safe behind him and placing it inside. However, just as he was about to close the door, he paused as he stared inside the vault with a blank look on his face.

"Azul?"

However, Azul was too focused to hear the words of the Moray eel siblings.

"Hey, what's wrong with Azul?" The more laid-back twin questioned the other one.

"Let him be, Floyd." Jade responded with a curious look, "The person who completed that special contract today gained a favor from him."

"Seriously?!" Floyd looked to him with a wide smile, "You don't think he asked to cancel the contract he made with those three, right?"

Jade shook his head, "I don't think that was the case..."

"Eh?" Floyd gave his brother a look of confusion as he watched Azul curiously.

Jade watched Azul standing there staring at the vault before drawing a conclusion of his own with a smile, "Maybe..."

.....

"The Headmaster?" Lotus raised a brow as she sat in the lounge with the prefect and watched Grim sleeping on the sofa after a long day of hard work and downing that pear juice she had prepared.

"That's right." Yuu responded as he consumed another sliced piece of fruit, "He wants me to stop Azul's plans this time."

"I see." Lotus shook her head with a sigh, "This probably isn't the first he's come across this problem, after all."

"How did you know that?" Yuu looked to her in bewilderment.

Lotus replied on her notebook feeling her throat a little sore, "Mostro Lounge is rather popular amongst the students, sure. But, don't forget that it's a business run solely by the Octavinelle students in their lounge. However, we already have Mister S's mystery shop, why does the school have a cafe on campus when business should be prohibited?"

Yuu looked to her in confusion as she sighed and continued to write, "Businesses thrive on three major things: publicity, money, and connections. These are just the most basic things required. Money and publicity are covered by the dorm so they don't have anything to worry about that, but what they should worry about the most is connections. If anyone can run a business, then the world would be completely covered with advertisements and business could even just be run in the homes everywhere. They can stop and start whenever they want and that would become a major problem for those who make cooperate with them in collaborations. Like a group project between two people, but the person performing the experiment has decided to quit. That would be troublesome."

"Oh..." Yuu grimaced and nodded as he touched his chin with his knuckled in deep thoughts, "So, that's why they require the permission of the school."

Lotus wrote down on her notebook, "Azul isn't like a businessman. He is one. He makes contracts and connections to ensure that his cafe would thrive. Despite it being the second year, the cafe has been thriving and gaining popularity."

"Wait, you knew that?!" Yuu looked to her in surprise.

Lotus nodded and wrote down, "If you ask around, you'll come across quite a bit of information. Mostro Lounge must've been Azul's dream for a long time. The cafe was opened last year and Azul is a second year. From running a business to making contracts, he manages everything. The biggest mistake the school had yet to realize is how to restrain his expertise in this field. From the notebooks to the cafe, all of it was started from his contracts. However, it's difficult to fight against it because it is also a part of his unique magic. As you can see, even now, they can't do anything. As much as it's a business work, it's also his unique magic. In the end, the category fell into a loophole in the rules. The school can't do anything."

Yuu leaned back on the sofa and sighed, "That's the problem... Those contracts are really indestructible..."

"The contracts being indestructible?" Lotus wrote and smirked, "I see. Well, I have some matters to attend to tonight."

"Study again?" Yuu raised a brow.

Lotus chuckled as she handed him her notes, "Since when is it that we don't learn? I spent the afternoon watching over Grim and the others work today, I barely had time to study for myself much less help you in the work but do come to me if you need any advice."

"I see..." Yuu smiled, "I'm sure Grim and the others can't even retaliate, but..."

"They won't fight back. There's a reason Azul can continue to make contracts without fear of retaliation or strike." Lotus jolted down with a smile, "But, Grim is still one of the residents here and he isn't accustomed to human society yet. So, I'll continue to watch over him while you work to free them."

"I get it now." Yuu breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks, Lotus... You always are around to give me a hand when things get out of hand. But..."

Yuu frowned as he recalled what transpired today, "Please be careful. Only Grim here can use magic and he can't use his best magic anymore. As for my position..."

Lotus sat there in silence before she sighed and handed him her notebook, "Yuu, it doesn't matter who is stronger or who is wiser here. In this dorm, only you can be the leader and I do not mind supporting you in caring for the residents here."

Yuu sighed, "I know, you don't want to be the dorm leader or the supervisor, but it is true that you are much more capable than me."

Lotus frowned and wrote her scribbled her words out, "That's where you're wrong. If it is capability, remember this, Yuu. In this world, you are more capable than I am to lead and guide. Wisdom can't lead people without trust. Strength cannot protect the people against corruption. In this world, you say I'm more capable than you, but, Yuu, the reality is you're more capable than me to lead this small dorm."

Yuu looked to her in confusion, "I-I'm afraid I don't understand..."

Lotus smiled, "Since when did we ever understand the way destiny works? The reality is you are better than me, Yuu... One day, you'll understand with or without words to describe it."

"But..."

Lotus wrote, "Do you believe in destiny, Yuu?"

Yuu frowned, "I... I don't know... I think destiny is an excuse to some or motivation for others."

Lotus smiled wider as she continued, "I hate destiny. If it was ever personified as a person and would not let me live the life I've struggled to live for, I'd have murdered them in cold blood by now."

Yuu was surprised as he read her words. Lotus took back the notebook and continued, "I don't hate those favored by the flow of fate, but I hate fate itself. How we grow stronger and become wiser should not be from the flow of fate or favorism, but with our own efforts. I believe this school is filled with students capable of attaining the ability to adapt to whatever circumstances comes across them. That's why to say you've failed because it was destined to happen due to circumstances is just plain stupid."

Seeing Yuu's look of confusion, she continued in her notebook, "Right now, you and Grim are the only ones in the school to have attended Night Raven College as a student made up of two people. One a monster who wants to be a magician and the other a human with no magic but unique magic. In a way, this is also your own path, but the question remains... are you the one paving the road or are you merely a follower on what was set before you?"

Yuu hummed in thought as he began to think of his situation, "Just why was I brought to this world? Was it an accident?"

"There's no such thing as coincidences in the worlds..." Lotus spoke up the clearest she could muster as she got up with her notebook in hand, "There's only the inevitable..."

With that, she reached over to the doorknob before pausing and looking back to her prefect and said with a hoarse voice with a yawn, "I can't help you with the case this time, but I'll be there to give you a hand if you ever need it. Don't ever doubt your own abilities though..."

"Lotus..." Yuu shook his head with a sigh, "Good night and tried not to stay up too late..."

"Good night..."

Without looking back, she turned the knob and left the room.

.....

That afternoon, she knew that Jack and Yuu would be going out to fulfill some work to which Lotus went ahead and began on her studies again. However, it was then that she noticed the change in the air and raised a brow. Crystal had yet to find anything amiss nor her butterflies not being around. Like bees, they would be able to share each other's senses without overriding the others, so whose aura was this she was feeling?

"Good afternoon, Lotus."

Lotus looked up from her textbook and smiled, "Good afternoon to you too, Dorm Leader Azul."

So, it was the dorm leader in his school uniform and the purple and white ribbon on his arm. He didn't have his hat or the scarf he had before so he looked to fit in with the other students. He seemed to be here to study with his books tucked under his arm this time too.

"What a coincidence to see you here as well." Azul responded with a smile.

Carefreely, Lotus laughed, "Please, Azul-senpai, I know you're here to speak with me today, but please go ahead and take a seat, if you want."

Azul smirked, "Very well. I won't beat around the bush, then."

He took a seat across from her and continued, "I was told that your prefect would come by the lounge for a visit tonight."

Lotus nodded in thought, "I see. Your friends are fast in getting his attention, then."

Azul smiled, "I hadn't even said who it was yet."

Lotus sighed, "Just leave me with my assumptions, then. There are times where I'm wrong."

Azul shook his head with a sigh to which Lotus added in a light breeze, "I don't mind if the prefect wants to use the dorm as collateral for your contract."

"Oh?" Azul looked to her curiously.

She flipped a page and continued, "However..."

She sighed and put the book aside before turning to the next on ancient spells, "I would need to remain in the dorm."

"May I ask why?" Azul questioned curiously.

Hearing this, Lotus smirked and looked up to him, "I have a lot of stuff to study and I will require my room to work in. Not to mention, parts of the rooms belong to the ghosts and some are still broken down. I also use one of the rooms for my own personal uses. If you want to make use of it, I won't mind cleaning up a few rooms for you, but I recommend you not to travel outside in the middle of the night. Strongly recommended."

She narrowed her eyes, "Or else... you just might come across some... trouble..."

Azul raised a brow. However, Lotus waved her arm in dismissal, "Ha! As if. But..."

She sighed with a shrug, "Didn't I tell you? Metallic Sapphire Tarantulas... Come from the South... Yet, is this the South?"

This time, Azul's eyes widen upon realization. She frowned, "I have the antidote and the school is fine right now, but the next time someone heads out alone in the night? I'm not a hospital, you know. But, if anything happens to anyone in Ramshackle dorm, I don't be able to study in peace... You know? I'm also the caretaker there too."

Azul frowned as he sighed, "I get it."

He shook his head in exasperation, "Then, please do take care of us there."

Lotus smiled, "Of course..."