Risa

The new semester at Night Raven College had begun surprisingly peacefully.The cafeteria was bustling as students from every dorm filled the tables. Laughter and conversation blended together with the clatter of silverware against plates, creating the familiar lunchtime chaos.

Ace and Deuce had just left their table, with Epel and Jack walking behind them.

"I'm telling you!" Deuce insisted, waving his hands for emphasis. "There are girls at this school! I saw one leaving the dorm last night!"

"Eeyup," Epel chimed in. "I saw one too. She was runnin' from Vil. Didn't get a good look at her, though. Vil spotted me instead and decided fixin' my posture was more important than chasin' after her."

Ace snorted. "You two are ridiculous. Maybe you saw ghosts." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I've told you a hundred times already. There aren't any gi—"

A delicate perfume drifted through the hallway. The sweet scent stole Ace's attention before he could finish his sentence.

He turned instinctively. A young woman walked ahead of them. Long copper hair cascaded down her back, swaying gently with every step. Sunlight pouring through the tall windows caught the strands, making them glow like polished bronze. She glanced toward the boys for only a brief moment, emerald green eyes meeting theirs before she quickly looked away again.

The four freshmen stood frozen.

"...No way," Ace muttered.

Before anyone could recover, two more girls rounded the corner and caught up with her. One had long chestnut-brown hair that bounced lightly with every step. The smallest of the three had soft pastel-pink hair flowing almost to her waist. The girls exchanged a few quiet words before disappearing around the corner together.

Silence hung over the boys.

Then—

"SEE?!" Epel practically shouted, pointing after them. "Told ya!"

Ace continued staring at the now-empty hallway.

"...So there really are girls here..."

"Mwahaha!"

A high-pitched laugh echoed behind them. The boys turned to find a small gray monster standing proudly with his paws on his hips, blue flames flickering from his ears while his trident shaped tail swished triumphantly behind him.

"Impressed?" Grim grinned. "No surprise there! My minions are amazing! Just like me!"

Jack tilted his head, ears twitching.

"...Is that a cat?"

Grim spun toward him so fast he nearly toppled over."I AM NOT A CAT!" His fur puffed up in outrage. "I AM GRIM THE MAGNIFICENT! GET IT RIGHT!"

Jack flattened his ears. "...Right."

Grim cleared his throat dramatically as though nothing had happened. "Anyway! Since you're all clueless first-years, it's only fair that the Great Grim teaches you how things work around Night Raven College!"

Deuce blinked."...When did this school start accepting monsters as students?"

"Hmph!" Grim puffed out his chest. "I enrolled last year! Along with my minions!"

Ace frowned. "...Your minions?"

"The girls, obviously!"

"The girls are your minions?" Ace repeated, unconvinced.

"Of course they are!"

"You sure a basket of apples didn't fall on your head?" Epel asked skeptically.

Grim gasped dramatically. "You don't believe me?"

The little monster spun on his heel and pointed down the hallway.

"Then follow me!"

Without another word, he scampered off.

The four freshmen exchanged confused looks before jogging after him.

After several winding hallways, Grim finally led them into one of the academy's inner courtyards.

The moment they stepped outside, every one of them froze.

"...Whoa..."

Spread across the lawn beneath the shade of several trees was a massive picnic blanket. Some of the housewarden were there. Along with vice housewardens, upperclassmen... and, of course, the three girls.

The atmosphere was strangely peaceful.

Some students chatted casually while others lounged in the grass. A few simply enjoyed the afternoon breeze.

Grim couldn't have looked prouder.

"See?" he declared, throwing his paws into the air. "Those are my minions!" He pointed dramatically toward the blanket. "Because of them, I'm basically the king of NRC!"

"...How does that make any sense?" Ace asked.

"It'll make sense in a minute."

Grim marched forward a few steps before stopping again.

"Allow me to introduce them!"

His paw pointed toward the copper-haired girl.

"That's Reika!"

The young woman quietly arranged small plates on the blanket, seemingly oblivious to the audience watching from afar.

"She's kinda shy," Grim continued, "but everybody likes her anyway! Seriously, one look and people fall head over heels!"

Ace raised an eyebrow.

"You're exaggerating."

"I'm not!" Grim crossed his arms. "And don't let the pretty face fool ya. She can fight." The little monster threw a couple of clumsy punches into the air. "If you make her mad, she'll punch ya all the way to the next island!”

Back at the picnic blanket, Reika continued arranging the plates, carefully making sure everything was placed neatly.

She barely noticed the presence beside her until something warm and familiar wrapped around her leg.

Looking down, she immediately sighed.

A large lion's tail was lazily curled around her thigh.

"Leona," she said calmly. "Please move your tail. It's in the way."

The beastman lying nearby didn't even bother opening his eyes.

"No."

Reika stared at him."...That wasn't a request."

Leona Kingscholar only gave a small, amused smirk before resting his head back against the grass.

Nearby, the brown-haired girl stepped closer with a small laugh.

"It's okay, Rei. I'll help."

She took the plates from Reika's hands and finished setting them down.

This was Risa.

Unlike her older sister, Risa carried herself with a much brighter energy. There was something almost impossible to dislike about her. An effortless warmth that made even the most intimidating people soften around her.

After finishing the arrangements, she reached into one of the baskets beside her and began pouring drinks into cups.

First, she prepared one cup carefully before walking over to the Diasomnia housewarden.

"Malleus," she said cheerfully. "Here. This one is unsweetened tea."

Malleus Draconia looked down at the cup, then back at her.

A gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Ah. Thank you, Princess Risa. You always remember my preferences."

"I wanted you to enjoy yourself."

The way she said it was so sincere that Malleus looked almost amused.

"I see. Then I shall treasure it."

Reika joined them a moment later.

"Risa wanted to make sure everyone could enjoy today's gathering," she explained.

Malleus's attention immediately shifted toward her.

"That is very thoughtful of both of you. I always enjoy spending time with my friends."

Ace's eyes widened. "Hold on... Are you saying some of them have royal blood?"

"Exactly!" Grim nodded. He pointed toward the two girls. "Reika and Risa are princesses!"

The freshmen froze.

"Princesses?!"

"Yep!"

Grim looked far too proud about information that had nothing to do with him.

"And their brother is a prince too!"

Back on the blanket, Reika smiled at Malleus.

Unfortunately for her, Leona's tail tightened slightly around her leg.

She glanced down.

"...Leona." The lion beastman finally opened one eye.

His gaze moved toward Malleus.

"Oi, Lizard."

Malleus turned his head.

"Yes, Kingscholar?"

"Don't you think you're getting a little greedy?"

A faint smile appeared on Malleus's face.

"Oh? And what exactly do you mean?"

Leona sat up, his tail still wrapped around Reika.

"You should be grateful I let you hang around my women."

The freshmen watching immediately looked confused.

"My women?" Ace repeated.

Malleus's smile didn't disappear, but there was now a hint of amusement behind it.

"I was unaware they belonged to you."

The atmosphere shifted.

"Considering you spend most of your time around the elder princess, I wonder why you believe you have the right to claim the younger one as well."

The words sounded polite. But everyone nearby knew exactly what he was doing.

Leona narrowed his eyes.

"Oh? Do you disagree?"

The two princes stared each other down.

For a moment, it felt like lightning might actually strike between them. And considering Malleus's magic, that was not impossible. Neither of them moved.

Not because they couldn't but because both were fully aware of the other's strength. They could argue all they wanted, but neither would actually hurt the people around them.

Reika sighed and covered her face.

"This is getting old."

Risa leaned closer to her sister.

"Really. Just let them fight it out. They're basically toddlers."

On the other side of the blanket, a third person watched the scene unfold.

A young man with similar chestnut hair, crossed his arms.

"Seriously?"

He looked between the two housewardens.

"You two really think you can just take my sisters?"

The freshmen immediately looked at Grim.

"That's their brother, right?" Deuce asked.

Grim nodded. "Yep. That's Ritsu." He lowered his voice. "He's an idiot."

Ace blinked."...And?"

"And he's worse when he is with his boyfriend."

The four freshmen stared.

"Boyfriend?!" They all shouted at once.

Before anyone could ask more, a familiar voice interrupted.

"Come on, Ritz. Just let them get it out of their system." Lilia Vanrouge happily settled beside the prince.

Ritsu gave him a sideways glance.

"You only say that because you know Malleus could beat Leona."

Lilia laughed. "Perhaps."

Ritsu rolled his eyes before turning toward the two arguing princes.

"Oi! Housewarden Softpaws! Don't forget I'm standing right here!"

Leona ignored him. Ritsu sighed.

"And you too, Scaly McScale."

Malleus paused. "...That is a terrible nickname."

Risa looked at her brother with disappointment.

"Ritz."

"What?"

"At least try harder if you're going to insult someone."

Ritsu shrugged.

"Fine. Next time I'll let them protect your honor themselves."

The argument between Leona and Malleus continued.

At this point, nobody reacted. It was simply normal. The two of them argued like this constantly, but neither ever truly went all out.

Mostly because everyone around them would probably suffer if they did.

Reika simply watched them with tired amusement. "Honestly..."

Risa smiled."They're entertaining."

"They're annoying."

"Same thing."

"SHOW HIM, MY LIEGE!"

A loud voice suddenly joined the group watching.

Grim immediately covered his ears.

"OW! What was that for?!"

The newcomer stood proudly. "I am Sebek Zigvolt!" He pointed dramatically toward Malleus. "My liege, Malleus Draconia, shall prove himself the superior suitor!"

Deuce blinked. "You know about all this?"

"Of course!" Sebek looked offended. "My Lord informed me of the princesses! They would both make excellent potential brides!"

The freshmen exchanged looks.

"...This school is weird.”

"Wrasse-chan~"

A lazy voice drifted across the blanket.

Before anyone could react, a large figure dropped onto Risa from behind.

"Floyd!"

Risa laughed as Floyd Leech wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek on top of her head.

"I'm hungry."

The Octavinelle student looked completely comfortable, as if using the younger princess as a pillow was the most normal thing in the world.

Risa simply smiled.

"Right, I made something for you."

She reached into the basket and pulled out a container.

"Popcorn shrimp."

Floyd's eyes lit up.

"Shrimpy!"

He happily accepted the food, though he continued holding onto her for several more moments before finally letting go and flopping onto the blanket.

Ace stared.

"...Does anyone here have normal boundaries?"

"Nope," Grim answered immediately.

Risa turned toward another member of Octavinelle.

"Azul, I made fried chicken for you too."

Azul Ashengrotto froze. For a moment, the usually composed housewarden looked genuinely caught off guard.

"I..." He adjusted his glasses."Thank you, Your Highness, but I must decline."

Ritsu immediately grinned.

"What is it, octoboy? Scared of some chicken?"

Azul's expression twitched.

"How amusing." Ritsu grinned on.

Despite his words, Azul accepted the small container from Risa.

Inside were several pieces of fried chicken along with a small serving of potato salad.

At first, he simply took one bite. Then another. His expression changed almost instantly. The surprise on his face was almost impossible to miss. The next bite was slower. He was actually enjoying it.

Ritsu noticed and immediately smirked.

"See? There was no fowl play."

Two shoes flew through the air.

One hit Ritsu. The other hit him again.

"Ow!"

Reika crossed her arms. "Stop."

Risa sighed. "Your puns are getting worse."

Ritsu rubbed his head. "I thought they were good."

"They weren't."

"Wow."

Jack watched the scene quietly.

"They really do have everyone wrapped around their fingers."

Ace nodded.

"This is like some weird harem manga."

The moment those words left his mouth—

"HOW DARE YOU SUGGEST LORD MALLEUS WOULD PARTICIPATE IN SUCH A DISGRACEFUL GENRE?!"

Sebek's voice echoed across the courtyard.

Ace covered one ear.

"Indoor voice, dude..."

"Speaking of people wrapped around them..."

Grim pointed toward another part of the blanket.

"My minions have more examples!"

The freshmen followed his gaze.

Near Reika sat Vil Schoenheit. The Pomefiore housewarden looked as elegant as ever.

"My little sprout," Vil said. Reika looked up."You shouldn't waste your time with these barbarians."

Before she could respond, Vil narrowed his eyes.

"Your makeup is slightly smudged."

Reika immediately froze. "Ah..."

"Don't move." With practiced ease, Vil pulled out a small makeup kit and began fixing her appearance.

Reika sat completely still. Her cheeks slowly turned pink.

"Vil..."

"Relax. If you're going to represent yourself, you should do it properly."

Ace blinked.

"Did he just... become a makeup artist?"

Grim nodded.

"Pretty much."

Vil finished the touch-up and smiled.

"There. Much better."

Then he glanced around.

"Now, where is Laleh? She cannot continue avoiding another makeup lesson."

The moment her name was mentioned—

A figure disappeared behind Jade Leech.

"Jade..."

The girl peeked out nervously.

"If you keep hiding me, I will order more singing mushrooms from my homeland."

Jade smiled.

"My, what a tempting offer."

He looked completely pleased.

"Though I would hide you regardless, I certainly wouldn't refuse such a fascinating gift."

Laleh stared.

"...You are enjoying this aren't you?"

"Perhaps."

Epel pointed. "That's the lass I saw runnin' away from Vil!"

Grim nodded. "Yep! That's Laleh." He lowered his voice. "She's even worse than Reika when it comes to social situations. But she's fast! And sneaky! Also, she's great for naps."

Ace blinked. "...How is that a skill?"

"It just is."

Nearby, a suspiciously large blanket moved. Something underneath shifted. Then a tired voice emerged.

"Risa-chi..." A figure wrapped completely in fabric slowly crawled closer. "Why am I here?" Idia Shroud's glowing hair peeked out. "My social battery is at negative numbers."

Risa smiled. "Idia-kun, you promised Ortho you would join our monthly group gathering."

Idia groaned. "I know." He looked around nervously. "But this place has too many high-level characters."

"High-level characters?"

Idia pointed vaguely at the group. "Exactly! SSR troublemakers everywhere!"

Risa laughed.

"You chose your own friends, Mr. Dungeon Master."

"You could have chosen some harmless NPCs."

"But then I wouldn't have met you."

Idia froze. "...Risa-chi just used a critical hit."

She giggled and handed him a plate of snacks.

Idia immediately pulled it underneath his blanket.

"...Fine. Maybe this event isn't completely terrible."

Ace watched in disbelief.

"That guy is seriously a shut-in."

"Yep!" Grim nodded. "But my minion got him out sometimes!"

Grim pointed proudly toward Risa. "She's the youngest of the three siblings."

He paused. "She's dumb. And stubborn. But..." The little monster smiled. "You're never gonna find someone with a bigger heart than her."

Suddenly—

"RISAAAA!"

A beige blur flew across the courtyard.

Before anyone could react, Kalim Al-Asim tackled Risa into a hug.

Both of them fell backward laughing.

"Kalim!" Risa sat up, still laughing. "It's great you could join us!"

"Of course I came!" Kalim beamed. "I would never miss a party!"

His smile softened."Especially not one where you're here."

Risa's expression warmed. "I feel the same!"

Nearby, Reika and Ritsu exchanged a look. A silent conversation passed between them.

When are these two finally going to admit their feelings?

A little while later, another figure finally arrived at the picnic.

"Ah! Jasmine, you're finally here!" Ritsu's voice immediately brightened.

The person who had just arrived stopped. Slowly, he pulled the hood of his jacket further over his head.

"I told you not to call me that."

Jamil Viper sighed, his face already slightly flushed.

Ace blinked. "Wait..."

Grim nodded. "Yep. That's his boyfriend."

The first-years stared. Again.

"Come on, Jasmine," Ritsu teased, casually throwing an arm over Jamil's shoulders. "It suits you."

"It absolutely does not."

Jamil tried to push him away, but Ritsu only laughed.

"Aww, don't be like that."

Nearby, Lilia watched the exchange with a mischievous smile.

"Oh my."

He leaned closer to Ritsu.

"Does your little snake not want to play with you?"

Ritsu immediately froze.

"I can keep you company instead." His voice was far too playful.

Ritsu's face turned bright red. "Lilia—"

He didn't even finish. Jamil suddenly pulled Ritsu closer, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend.

His expression remained calm. But his eyes? They would put a stake through Lilia’s heart if they could.

Lilia smiled. "Kufufu." Satisfied, his plan had worked perfectly.

Ritsu looked at Jamil. "Come on. You know I only love you."

He leaned in and pressed a small kiss to Jamil's forehead. The tension immediately disappeared. Jamil looked away, embarrassed, but didn't move away from him.

Ace watched the entire scene with a tired expression.

"They really do have everyone around their fingers."

Jack nodded. "It's honestly impressive."

"This is like some ridiculous romance manga." Ace shook his head. Then he looked at Grim. "Wait. You said all the housewardens were here." He looked around."But I don't see mine."

Grim grinned."Oh yeah?" The little monster pointed toward the trees." Then feast your eyes!"

Ace followed his finger. And immediately regretted it.

At the base of a large tree, Riddle Rosehearts sat comfortably beneath the shade.

Except...

This was not the strict, intimidating Riddle that Ace knew.

This Riddle looked completely relaxed.

A young man with dark hair sat with him, Riddle leaning against him while the other held a book open in front of them.

The two of them looked peaceful. The complete opposite of what Ace expected.

Standing nearby were Trey Clover and Cater Diamond. They looked almost like royal guards, watching the surroundings carefully while allowing their housewarden to enjoy his quiet moment.

Ace's mouth fell open. "Wait."He pointed. "Does Riddle have a boyfriend as well?!"

Grim shrugged."Nyah." He looked far too casual."They're engaged."

"ENGAGED?!" Ace, Deuce, Epel, and Jack shouted at the same time.

Ace grabbed his hair. "Okay. Nope. I can't do this anymore." He pointed toward Riddle. "I need answers."

Before anyone could stop him, he started walking toward the tree.

"ACE, WAIT!" Grim shouted.

But Ace barely made it a few steps.

Because suddenly—

An arrow struck the ground directly in front of him.

Ace froze. Then came a bright flash. A laser shot past him."WHAT THE HECK?!"

The first-years scrambled back.

From the branches above, a melodic voice laughed.

"Oh la la." A fox-like face appeared among the leaves. "What a brave new face."

Beside him, a smaller figure with bright blue hair peeked out. "Target acquired." The figure looked directly at Ace. "Next time, I will not miss it."

Ace stared. "...Was that supposed to make me feel better?"

A third person appeared from behind the leaves. A blonde-haired hyena beastman sighed.

"Guys." He rubbed his face. "They said warn them. Not to kill them."

The fox-like student placed a hand dramatically over his chest. "I could not risk it, Monsieur Dent-de-lion." He glanced toward Riddle and his fiancé.

"I could not allow such a beautiful moment between lovers to be disturbed."

The commotion naturally caught everyone's attention.

Risa looked over and smiled.

"Oh! Grim, you brought more friends!"

Grim immediately crossed his arms. "Nope! I was proving to these guys who actually run NRC!"

Risa frowned."Grim, that's not very nice."

"Whatever!"

Ritsu waved toward the newcomers. "Come on! Join us!" He was still holding onto Jamil."There's plenty of room."

Lilia also called out. "Sebek! Bring your friends over!"

Sebek immediately shouted back. "THEY ARE NOT MY FRIENDS!"

Everyone stared.

"..."

Lilia smiled. "Of course."

Not long after, two familiar figures returned.

Leona and Malleus.

"Ah, Leona-sama! You're back!"Risa smiled."And Firefly too!"

Malleus looked toward the newcomers.

"You brought more guests?"

Sebek immediately stood straighter.

"They are not my friends!"

Ruggie answered before anyone else could. "Which probably means he won't join."

Malleus tilted his head."What a shame." He looked at Sebek. "You would refuse an invitation from my friends?"

Sebek's expression changed instantly. "My Lord!" His face practically paled. "Of course not!" He turned toward the newcomers. "HUMANS!" Everyone flinched."TAKE YOUR PLACE ON THE BLANKET!"

Eventually, the new arrivals settled in. The picnic became even louder. And somehow, even more chaotic.

Ruggie looked around at the growing group."Aw man..." He sighed. "More people means more mouths. More mouths means less food."

Risa looked over. "Ruggie." The beastman immediately looked at her.

"Did you really think I forgot about you?" She pointed toward two bags sitting nearby.

"I already made some take-home food."

Ruggie's eyes widened. "You are the best!" He practically launched himself at her. Thankfully, Risa caught him. She only laughed.

"Come down from there, you two!" Reika called toward the tree. Rook Hunt and Ortho finally climbed down and joined the group.

Rook sat near Vil and Epel, already complimenting everything around him. Ortho immediately settled beside Idia. His older brother, of course, remained hidden beneath his blanket.

Nearby, Riddle and Mikhail stayed beneath the tree a little longer. They promised they would join soon. Trey and Cater, however, happily joined everyone else.

On another side of the courtyard, Laleh sat quietly with Silver. While Silver talked peacefully, several animals gathered around them. The scene was strangely calm. For once.

Grim happily climbed into Reika's lap.

"Finally! A comfortable seat."

Reika sighed. "You know you could just ask."

"Nope." He settled in."Too late."

Leona soon dropped down beside her as well, resting comfortably.

Reika looked between the two of them.

"...Really?"