The afternoon sun hung lazily above the academy gardens.
Golden light filtered through ancient trees.
The fountain continued its endless song.
Students passed along nearby pathways, laughing, discussing assignments, or simply enjoying their free day.
Yet beneath one particular tree—
A surprisingly serious business meeting had begun.
One involving a newly established guild.
A confused mermaid.
An ambitious blonde girl.
And one academy student who somehow turned every peaceful day into an administrative meeting.
Kel sat calmly across from the girls.
The guild documents rested upon the stone table.
Several pages.
Several contracts.
Several operational guidelines.
Everything neatly organized.
Because even after sealing ninety-nine percent of his strength—
His habit of creating systems remained intact.
Unfortunately.
That habit was apparently immortal.
Inside his mind—
Seiren sighed.
"You built another organization."
"It's only a guild."
"You said that about Frostbound."
Kel immediately stopped talking.
Because technically—
She was correct.
Again.
The blonde girl crossed her arms.
Blue eyes remained fixed upon Kel.
The confidence from earlier had not disappeared.
Though it had become noticeably more serious.
Because she finally realized something.
This wasn't a game.
Kel wasn't casually handing out positions.
He was building something.
And positions carried responsibilities.
The silver-haired young man finally spoke.
"I forgot to ask."
The blonde girl blinked.
"Ask what?"
"Your name."
Silence followed.
Then several nearby girls started laughing.
The blonde girl stared at him.
"You spent twenty minutes discussing guild management before asking my name?"
Kel considered it.
Then nodded.
"Yes."
The girl covered her face.
Several others laughed harder.
Even Seraphina looked amused.
Finally.
The blonde girl sighed.
"My name is Elena Hart."
Kel nodded.
"Good."
A pause.
Then—
"Elena, I am willing to make you temporary Vice Guild Master."
The laughter vanished immediately.
The atmosphere became serious.
Elena straightened her posture.
Her blue eyes brightened.
Seraphina looked surprised.
Several nearby girls became excited.
Meanwhile—
Kel remained calm.
Completely calm.
Then continued.
"Temporary."
The word carried weight.
Elena immediately understood.
This wasn't a reward.
It was probation.
A trial.
A test.
The blonde girl nodded slowly.
"I understand."
Kel leaned back slightly.
His silver eyes reflected the afternoon sunlight.
Then he spoke carefully.
"You're receiving authority before proving yourself."
Silence.
"That means I am taking a risk."
The words were direct.
No sugarcoating.
No unnecessary politeness.
Just truth.
"I don't know your abilities."
A pause.
"I don't know your work ethic."
Another pause.
"I don't know your decision-making."
Elena remained silent.
Listening carefully.
Kel continued.
"If you perform well."
The guild documents shifted slightly as the wind passed.
"You remain Vice Guild Master."
Reasonable.
Then—
"If you fail."
The atmosphere became noticeably heavier.
"You lose the position."
Simple.
Clear.
Fair.
Elena slowly nodded.
No complaints.
No arguments.
Because she understood.
Responsibility and authority always traveled together.
The blonde girl eventually asked.
"What exactly counts as failure?"
A good question.
Kel immediately appreciated it.
Many people asked about rewards.
Few asked about standards.
The silver-haired young man answered.
"Several things."
Elena listened attentively.
"If the guild suffers major losses because of negligence."
The blonde girl nodded.
Reasonable.
"If contracts fail because of poor management."
Another nod.
"If members repeatedly leave due to leadership problems."
Again.
Reasonable.
Then—
Kel looked directly into her eyes.
"If you stop trying to improve."
Silence followed.
The blonde girl blinked.
That answer surprised her.
"Improvement?"
Kel nodded.
"Everyone makes mistakes."
The girls listened quietly.
Even nearby students had begun paying attention.
Because the conversation sounded strangely professional for academy students.
Kel continued.
"I don't care about mistakes."
Several girls looked surprised.
The silver-haired young man shrugged.
"Everyone makes mistakes."
True.
"I care about repeating the same mistake."
The words settled heavily.
Because everyone understood them.
Including Elena.
Inside his mind—
Seiren spoke softly.
"You're sounding like Duke Aktaris."
Kel paused.
Then frowned slightly.
That realization disturbed him.
The Guardian immediately started laughing.
Meanwhile—
Elena remained thoughtful.
Then finally asked:
"How long is this temporary period?"
Kel answered immediately.
"Three months."
The blonde girl nodded.
Reasonable.
Long enough for evaluation.
Short enough for correction.
A practical timeframe.
Then Kel picked up the contract.
The document floated toward Elena.
Then another floated toward Seraphina.
The former mermaid immediately looked nervous.
Very nervous.
She stared at the papers as though they might bite.
Inside his mind—
Seiren laughed.
"Your Guild Master looks terrified."
"Yes."
"Excellent leadership candidate."
Unfortunately.
That was exactly why Kel chose her.
Not because she wanted authority.
Because she didn't.
People who chased power often abused it.
People reluctant to wield authority usually treated it carefully.
Seraphina carefully raised a hand.
"Aedon."
"Yes?"
"What exactly does a Guild Master do?"
Silence.
Complete silence.
Elena slowly lowered her head.
Several girls stared at the sky.
One girl laughed.
Another nearly fell from her chair.
Kel simply answered.
"Lead."
The mermaid blinked.
Then blinked again.
"That doesn't help."
Reasonable.
Very reasonable.
The silver-haired young man decided to explain properly.
"Your role is simple."
The documents opened.
Several pages turned automatically.
"You understand the ocean."
Seraphina nodded.
"You understand marine creatures."
Another nod.
"You understand local maritime routes."
Again.
A nod.
Kel pointed toward the guild proposal.
"Most contracts relate to those areas."
The mermaid gradually understood.
A little.
At least.
Then Kel continued.
"Elena manages administration."
The blonde girl looked surprised.
"Me?"
"Yes."
A pause.
"You're the Vice Guild Master."
The answer sounded obvious.
Which somehow made it harder to argue against.
Elena eventually sighed.
Then looked through the documents.
Several moments later—
Her eyes widened.
Then widened further.
Then widened even further.
The blonde girl looked toward Kel.
"What is this?"
"A commission system."
The answer came immediately.
Now everyone became interested.
Kel leaned forward slightly.
For the first time since arriving.
Genuine interest appeared in his eyes.
Business.
Systems.
Organizations.
These topics always interested him.
The girls noticed immediately.
Inside his mind—
Seiren groaned.
"Here we go."
Kel pointed toward one section.
"The guild will have target revenues."
Elena read quickly.
Seraphina tried reading.
Several girls simply listened.
"If the guild reaches expected revenue."
Kel continued.
"Everyone receives standard payment."
Reasonable.
Simple.
Straightforward.
Then—
"If revenue exceeds targets."
The girls became attentive.
Very attentive.
Kel smiled faintly.
A dangerous sign.
Because it meant he was explaining economics.
"Additional profits create commission pools."
Elena's eyes brightened immediately.
The blonde girl understood.
Fast.
Very fast.
Interesting.
Kel noticed.
Then continued.
"The people contributing most receive larger rewards."
A pause.
"If someone secures important contracts."
Commission.
"If someone resolves major requests."
Commission.
"If someone improves operations."
Commission.
"If someone recruits valuable members."
Commission.
The explanation continued.
Long.
Detailed.
Practical.
By the time he finished—
The girls looked stunned.
Not because the system was complicated.
Because it was motivating.
Everyone benefited from success.
Everyone gained from growth.
No one remained trapped at fixed earnings.
The guild's prosperity became everyone's prosperity.
Elena finally looked up.
A strange expression filled her eyes.
Respect.
Genuine respect.
The blonde girl slowly asked:
"You've done this before."
Silence.
Inside his mind—
Seiren immediately laughed.
"Understatement of the century."
Kel remained perfectly calm.
Then answered.
"A little."
The girls accepted the answer.
Mostly.
Though Elena clearly suspected otherwise.
The afternoon wind moved gently through the garden.
The fountain continued flowing.
The contracts remained upon the table.
Waiting.
Opportunity waited alongside them.
For Seraphina.
For Elena.
For the guild.
And perhaps—
For something much larger.
Because none of them realized it yet.
But the systems Kel casually created had a strange habit.
They always started small.
And somehow ended up changing entire regions.
The future Azure Horizon Guild had just taken its first step.
And destiny quietly watched with interest.