At the moment Ace said that, someone was walking right behind him. "Hm? I'm crazy and I'm the worst?" He asked in a stern voice.

Sitting across the table next to Deuce, Yuu immediately recognized him as the young redheaded boy from the ceremony entrance.

His worried look accompanied the horrified ones from Deuce, Cater, and Trey.

However, Ace had not realized the situation nor did he deign to turn around to see it. "Exactly!" He answered the question. "Only a tyrant would have such absurd rules. Give me a break!"

"Ace! Behind you!" Deuce told him in a trembling voice.

"It was nice meeting you, Ace," Yuu muttered.

Ace's gaze paled immediately as he turned around and saw Riddle. "Eh?! Dorm leader?!"

Riddle kept his arms crossed and his harsh gaze on Ace.

"Wow, Riddle! You look adorable like crazy today!" Cater exclaimed in an attempt to help Ace.

Riddle's gaze turned serene. "Cater, if you keep talking like that, you'll be beheaded next to that talkative mouth of yours," he warned him.

"Come on, don't be mean to me!" Cater answered nervously.

Grim also recognized him. "Ah!? Look, Yuu! This is the guy who put that weird collar on me during the entrance ceremony!" He said while pointing defiantly at him with a paw.

Hearing that, Riddle took a quick look at the first years. "You are the ones who caused a disaster yesterday, right? And you, could you avoid referring to my Unique Magic as a 'weird collar'? Good grief... the headmaster is too soft, ignoring someone who breaks the rules will destroy the balance of the school system. Anyone who doesn't follow the rules should be beheaded," he said with a serenity that shook the atmosphere.

"What he said contrasts with his adorable face," Ace whispered almost inaudibly.

"The headmaster may have forgiven you, but the next time you break the rules, I won't," he warned sternly.

"Uh... By the way, dorm leader," Ace called him with a nervous smile. "Could it be possible that... you took off this collar from me?"

"I was thinking on removing it as soon as you regretted your actions, but judging from what you just said, I see that you haven't yet." Ace's smile disappeared. "I'm going to leave it to you for a little longer."

Deuce, Yuu, and Grim exchanged worried glances.

"Don't worry, first year lessons focuses more on basic theory than magic training," Riddle continued. "Without the ability to use magic, you won't cause another ruckus like yesterday, so that's a good thing, don't you think?" Nobody answered. "Okay," he said, taking a step back, "when you're done eating, hurry up to your next class. Rule #271 of the Queen of Hearts," he announced: "'One must not spend more than 15 minutes sitting at the table after eating'. If you break the rules," he frowned unsparingly, "you know what will happen, right?"

"Another weird rule..." Ace sighed reproachfully.

Riddle stood firm: "The answer is 'Yes, dorm leader'!

"Yes, dorm leader!" Ace and Deuce said aloud.

"Very good," Riddle nodded.

"Come on, come on," Trey tried to calm him down, "I'll take care of them."

"You're the vice-dorm leader, so I expect from you a good job," Riddle replied. "As the Rule of the Queen of Hearts #339 states: 'After eating, one has to drink lemon tea with two sugar cubes'. For the sake of fulfilling that rule, I have to buy more sugar at the school store, so I need to go."

He began to walk and he could be heard whispering harshly to himself: "I can't believe it, leaving the sugarpot running out of sugar cubes should be a capital crime..."

After seeing him go, Yuu didn't feel anything on his left shoulder, but in his confusion he couldn't help putting a hand to his head when he heard a kind of heavy dripping sound...

However, when he got far away enough, the tension on the table disappeared and everyone breathed in relief.

"Man, how scary!" Cater exclaimed.

"That boy is really evil!" Grim growled.

"Hey! That was rude!" Deuce scolded him.

At the next table they could overhear the conversation of two Heartslabyul students. "Has the dorm leader left?" Asked one of them, scared.

"I completely forgot Rule #156: 'One must not eat steak burger on Tuesday!'" His mate said with dread. "What would he have done if he had discovered me?"

"Uh... It shouldn't be a crime to eat whatever we want..."

Trey and Cater looked at them with concern.

"Riddle became dorm leader a week after his first day. He's tough while talking, but he always means well for the dorm," Trey assured them, trying to liven up the mood, "so he's not actually mean."

"Someone with good intentions doesn't put collars on people," Grim snapped.

Trey and Cater laughed nervously at his response.

"Grim, that was your fault for causing chaos at the entrance ceremony," Yuu reminded him with a raised eyebrow. "By the way, guys, he mentioned something about an 'unique magic'. What's that?"

"Hm? You mean Riddle's Unique Magic?" Cater asked him.

"Unique Magic? Is it a type of magic that only the dorm leader can use?" Deuce asked.

"World magic aside, an Unique Magic is one whose use is limited to one person," Trey explained. "To put it in some way, it reflects someone's character. You will learn that in class."

"Riddle's Unique Magic is capable of sealing someone's magic for some time," Cater continued. "The name of his Unique Magic is Off with your Head," he said imitating Riddle's authoritative voice.

"Even the name is scary..." Grim shuddered.

"The feeling that a magician having their magic sealed is the same as being beheaded. Therefore you mustn't break Riddle's rules if you're part of this dorm."

"At the same time, as long as you follow the rules, he won't be so scary," Trey added.

"Are you saying I must come back with a tart or will Cater kick me out again?" Ace asked.

"Exactly! Just like Queen of Hearts Rule #53 states," Cater said cheerfully. "Also, Riddle was really looking forward to eat the first piece of the tart, so he won't forgive you unless you bring him a whole one."

Yuu's eyes widened.

Ace didn't like hearing that. "You said we should get along, but aren't you going to let me pass anyway!?" He asked indignantly.

"That is that, and this is this," Cater replied.

"But aren't whole tarts a bit expensive?" Deuce asked.

Ace sighed in defeat. "I don't have that much money..." He commented as he stretched his arms across the table slowly.

"Then why don't you make one?" Cater suggested. "Those tarts were made by Trey, didn't you know?"

"Oh really?" Yuu asked in surprise. "Look at that, Ace! That way you won't have to pay that much."

"Was it you who made them, Trey!?" Ace asked in amazement. "It's incredible! They look like they were made by a professional!"

Trey laughed pleased. "Thanks. I think I have most of my tools and ingredients, but I'm not going to offer you help for free."

"Eh!? Do I have to pay you!?"

"I would never ask money from a junior, you know? A tart that Riddle looks forward to eat is made from lots of chestnuts. Could you go pick some up for me?"

"It's still a nuisance... But hey, how many do you need?"

"It's going to be for the Unbirthday Party, so it will be enough... about two or three hundred," Trey said confidently.

"That many!?" Deuce, Yuu and Grim exclaimed.

"I'm also going to ask you to toast them and peel them," Trey added.

The three of them looked at each other realizing that they were included to cook with Ace.

"Can I go home?" Grim asked without any intention to help.

"Me too," Deuce said in the same way.

"Traitors!" Ace exclaimed.

"Come on come on!" Cater encouraged them. "Do you know that food tastes better if you make it with other people? And that you can take photos to remember the moment? You could even start a food blog."

Upon hearing that, Yuu looked at the ghost camera hanging from his neck and remembered what the headmaster told him.

"And don't tell this to the dorm leader, but these chestnut tarts, called Mont Blanc, taste better when they are freshly made. And the first to try them right out of the oven are the ones who make them," Trey said persuasively.

Grim quickly lifted his ears and got up on both of his legs. "Oh, oh, guys! Let's go!" He shouted enthusiastically. "Let's collect each and every one of those chestnuts!"

Yuu laughed in amusement. "How quickly you changed your mind, huh? By the way, where can we find chestnuts?"

"There are a lot of chestnut trees in the forest behind the botanical garden," Trey replied.

The four agreed to go there after finishing classes for the day.

That same afternoon they went around the huge greenhouse to reach the forest, there were countless trees of different types, from huge apple trees to the chestnut trees they were looking for.

"Oh! There's so many chestnuts over there!" Grim exclaimed after approaching a particular chestnut tree and quickly climbing onto its branches. "With all this we will make lots of Mont Blanc tarts! Let's hurry and... Ouch!"

When he said that there was a paw to try to catch one of the spherical bark with thorns that covered the chestnuts and he pricked his pawpads with them.

The poor monster got down in pain and Yuu picked him up to cheer him up.

"It's going to be impossible to pick them up without gloves," Deuce said. "We should also find a bucket to collect them."

Ace proposed looking for everything they needed inside the botanical garden and they entered through a nearby door.

It was the first time they had visited that greenhouse, so it was inevitable that the three boys and the little monster looked in amazement inside the gigantic glass dome, full of plants, trees and colorful flowers.

They decided to separate to find the necessary tools. Yuu and Grim stayed to search the central area while Ace headed to the right and Deuce to the left.

"Hey, Yuu, look at this," Grim called after approaching the foot of another tree. "There are a lot of fruits around here! It smells good!"

"You're right, there are also a lot of plants I've never seen before," he commented as he walked. "Of course, remember that you can't eat anything from here."

Looking at Grim vigilantly, he didn't see where he was walking and stepped on something hard.

"Ouch!" a deep voice sounded at the spot.

Yuu startled and raised his foot quickly. He saw that what he had stepped on was not a plant, but an animal tail sticking out from some bushes.

He didn't have time to process what happened when a hidden person stood up and glared at him.

He was a dark-skinned young man with long hair and lion ears who wore a yellow vest. "Hey, you have the guts to dare to step on someone's tail," he said unfriendly.

Yuu recognized him from the entrance ceremony. Grim, on the other hand, approached curious.

"Are you in charge of this place?" he asked him. "Wow, you have a scary face."

"Grim!" Yuu exclaimed effusively for that comment.

"I went here thinking I can have a peaceful nap, and now you come and step on my tail. This is the worst."

Yuu swallowed hard, he knew that he had been the one who had let his tail stick out right next to the road, so anyone could not see it and step on it. But he did not seem to be the type of person that he would reason at a time like that.

"I'm really sorry!" He apologized. "I swear it was an accident, it wasn't my intention."

With that, Leona quickly inspected him with a glance and smirked. "You... are the little herbivore that the Mirror said he can't use magic..."

He approached Yuu and started sniffing him. The young boy took a step back in discomfort. "What... What are you doing?"

Grim hid behind Yuu's legs, the stranger's gaze and attitude made him feel chills down his spine.

The person stopped and took a couple of steps back. "Ha. I don't really smell a single bit of magic on you," he concluded. "I'm sorry I have to hurt an opponent with a lovable face that can't even defend himself."

"Eh... We don't want trouble!" Yuu exclaimed. "My friend and I had to go anyways, so we won't bother you anymore."

That did not satisfy the stranger. "Do you really think I'm going to let you go after stepping on my tail? Me, Leona? You woke me up from my nap, so now I'm in a bad mood. Be prepared."

He moved one of his hands towards the pocket where he had his magical pen. Fortunately for Yuu and Grim, who were about to run away and search for Deuce and Ace, another person came up.

He was a much younger looking boy than the one now known as Leona, he had dark blonde hair and a pair of big animal ears. He was wearing a yellow jacket and a uniform jacket that was too big for him. "Leona!" He called him and the man immediately calmed down. "Ah, so this is where you were. Leona, you have to go to supplementary lessons today."

"Ah... here comes the noisy one..." Leona complained as he put a hand to his head.

"You've already repeated a year, Leona. If you continue like this, we will be classmates next year," the newcomer said amused.

"Ah, shut up. Stop bothering me, Ruggie."

"It's not like I wan't to bother you either!" Ruggie replied in annoyance. "Geez, you can do anything if you put your mind to it, but you don't do it at all. Come on, we gotta go"

Leona saw that he had no other choice and clicked his tongue in frustration. "You better be careful next time you see me, herbivores..." he warned them coldly before leaving with Ruggie.

"Fuah! So scary!" Grim exclaimed. "What's wrong with that attendant?" He has a beastly powerful aura.

"Grim... I don't think he's an attendant," Yuu murmured, his heart still beating at a thousand an hour.

"We found a basket and some tongs here!" Ace exclaimed from afar, accompanied by Deuce.

"Did something happen to you?" Deuce asked, noticing Yuu and Grim's uneasy expressions.

While collecting chestnuts in the forest, they told them about the incident with that terrifying student.

"And that's what happened," Grim finished.

"No, there's no way that dude was an attendant!" Ace exclaimed, terrified.

"He was wearing a yellow vest," Yuu said. "If I remember correctly, those are Savanaclaw students."

"Could it be that Night Raven College has a lot of delinquents?" Deuce mused, thinking of Savanaclaw and the two boys from Heartslabyul at lunchtime.

They finally collected all the chestnuts they needed and went to meet Trey in the school kitchen.

He was already waiting for them there.

"Welcome," he greeted them. "I see you have collected a lot."

"With all these we can make a lot of tarts! You know?" Grim asked enthusiastically.

"Well, I think peeling all of them is going to be difficult. But I hope you do your best," Trey told them.

"All of these, huh?" Deuce commented. "I feel like we're going to be here for a while..."

At the beginning of the task, Trey proposed using magic to peel them more quickly.

"Yuu and Ace can't use magic, so help us peel them normally, please," Deuce recalled.

"I will show you that I am faster than your magic!" Ace replied in frustration.

All of them were dedicated to do it. The atmosphere got lively in no time with the hilarious rivalry fights between Deuce, Grim and Ace.

They finished quickly, but the celebration lasted shortly after Trey told them that they should grind the peeled chestnuts in order to make a cream with them.

After finishing that part, everyone felt fatigue in their arms.

"I've never done anything like this in baking before," Yuu sighed.

"Oh, have you made cakes before?" Trey asked him.

"Yes, I used to do it once in a while with my sister and my mother. I also know how to make cookies."

"Oh! How come you haven't told me that before?" Grim asked with recovered spirits.

"I'm telling you now," the young boy smiled.

"Then the next part will be easy for you," Trey told him. "We have to add butter and sugar to the paste. And we add oyster sauce as a secret ingredient."

"Oyster sauce?!" Deuce, Ace and Yuu exclaimed at the same time in horror.

"Yeah, the salty flavor of the oysters gives the cream a rich flavor," Trey said. "I use this one in particular: Mr. Walrus' Young Oyster Sauce brand." He showed them a tall bottle filled with a brown liquid with the imprinted image of a little oyster wearing a skirt. "All famous patisseries use this sauce for tarts."

Yuu gulped, more than from adding a salty sauce to a sweet dessert, by a strange feeling of horror and discomfort accompanied by a prick in the left shoulder after hearing the name of 'Mr. Walrus'.

"Really?" Deuce asked. "It's a pretty salty sauce."

"It must be similar to put chocolate in curry, so... I guess it makes kinda sense" Ace commented.

Trey bursted out laughing. "I'm joking!" He exclaimed. "It's obvious you can't put oysters in sweets!"

"What!? I really thought you were serious!" Ace exclaimed, angry at the deception.

Trey laughed again. "If you thought about it, you would realize that it's impossible. You believe everything you are told, be a little more skeptical. Take this as a lesson."

"He seems like a good boy, but he's the guy who can lie without a problem," Grim commented incredulously.

Trey finished calming down and went back to the counter next to Yuu. "Now we have to add the whipped cream..."

As soon as he said that, his calm expression turned to one of shock.

"What's wrong?" Ace asked.

"You have brought a lot of chestnuts, so we ended up making a lot of dough. I don't have enough whipped cream to mix it up."

"I can go buy it," Deuce offered. "Do they sell at the school store?"

"I think they sell basically anything at that store, so I'm sure of it," Trey stated. "Is it okay if I ask you to buy other things?"

Deuce nodded and Trey wrote down everything all they needed on a piece of paper and a pencil he pulled out of a drawer.

"I don't think can carry everything alone," Deuce said after calculating the total weight. "Yuu, can you come with me?"

"Sure," he answered. "I haven't seen the school store either, so this is a good time to do it."

"I'm going too! I'm tired of mixing dough all the time!" Grim exclaimed.

[Published in 12-8-2021]