Cain pinched the bridge of his nose before finally speaking.

"Get up," he said, his tone weary.

Zara scrambled to her feet so quickly she nearly tripped over her own legs. He could feel dozens of eyes still on him from all around the courtyard. The whispers had not stopped since this ridiculous scene began. He already knew what would happen next. By lunchtime, there would be wild rumors about him making girls prostrate themselves before him. He sighed heavily.

"I will let it go this time," Cain said slowly, watching as Zara froze like a criminal awaiting judgment. "But if I ever catch you trying to take naked photos of me again, I will not be so kind."

Zara paled, then nodded frantically. Her hands clutched the front of her uniform like she was keeping her soul from escaping her body. Tears gathered in her eyes as though she had just cheated death itself.

Cain was about to tell her to go when her expression changed.

The relief was still there, but something far more troublesome had appeared behind it. A spark of realization.

He had not told her she could not take normal photos.

Before he could open his mouth, Zara straightened her back and immediately fell in step behind him as he turned toward the main building. She looked for all the world like a puppy who had just found its owner.

Cain stopped walking. "Why are you following me?"

Zara saluted like she was reporting for duty. "I would like to call you Boss and become your loyal follower."

Cain stared at her, speechless. He opened his mouth to say no, but Zara began talking at the speed of a runaway carriage.

"I can be your PR manager! I can squash rumors before they even start! I can gather information, scout out your opponents for the upcoming tournament, keep an eye on your rivals, and maybe even run errands if you need me to!" she said in a rush, standing ramrod straight like she was addressing a military commander.

Cain blinked slowly. She was actually marketing herself like some kind of professional spy.

He crossed his arms and asked flatly, "What do you want out of this?"

Zara clasped her hands behind her back, rocking on her heels like a child about to ask for candy. "Permission to sell your photos," she said without hesitation.

The words hung in the air for all of two seconds before Jayden exploded.

She stomped over and grabbed Zara by the collar, lifting the smaller girl almost onto her toes. "Why," Jayden said slowly, her voice sharp enough to cut glass, "would you let strangers have photos of my man?"

Cain sighed. This was already turning into a circus.

Zara trembled under the fury burning in Jayden's jade-green eyes. She reached into her pocket with shaking fingers and pulled out another photo, this one showing Cain from yesterday while he was sparring with Maris. His shirt clung to his skin, sweat glistening across his muscles under the setting sun, his face sharp and focused like a predator in his element.

Zara held it out with trembling hands. "A-any photo I take… you can have first pick," she whispered nervously.

Jayden froze. Her grip loosened. She stared at the photo for a long moment before releasing Zara entirely.

She brushed the smaller girl off, took the photo with a perfectly calm expression, then stepped behind her and wrapped her arms around the blue-haired menace like she was a plush toy.

"This sounds like a good idea," Jayden said sweetly, resting her chin on top of Zara's head. "You should take her in."

Cain felt his eye twitch. "You just threatened her."

Jayden smiled faintly. "I changed my mind."

The two of them turned in perfect unison to look at him.

Both had wide, innocent eyes.

Puppy dog eyes.

Cain stared back, deadpan. He had fought monsters in dungeons. He had survived assassination attempts. He had been betrayed by people he once trusted.

Yet somehow this was worse.

The blue-haired girl was practically vibrating with hope while Jayden's arms remained looped casually around her shoulders like they had already been friends for years.

He pinched the bridge of his nose again. The headache from earlier was returning with reinforcements.

"Fine," Cain said finally, letting his shoulders sag in defeat. "Prove your worth to me, and I will do more than let you take photos of me."

Zara blinked once, then turned bright red.

Jayden's head snapped toward him instantly, her glare sharp enough to cut steel.

Cain realized how that sounded. "I meant I would give you a salary," he said quickly.

Zara, still pink-faced, nodded furiously like this was the best deal she had ever heard. Jayden narrowed her eyes but said nothing, though he could feel her suspicion like a physical weight pressing against him.

The crowd of students, finally realizing the drama was over, began to drift away, whispering amongst themselves as they left for morning classes.

Cain straightened his uniform with a tired sigh. "I have class," he said. "If you are coming with me, stop marching like a soldier."

Zara immediately fell into step behind him again, though her posture was only slightly less stiff than before.

Jayden walked on his other side, expression smug now that she had secured first rights to any photo Zara produced.

Cain felt like the day had only just begun, yet it was already shaping up to be exhausting.

He was genuinely starting to regret coming to school today. It would have been best if he had just skipped.

Once word of this reached Kiyomi and the others, the fox earred girl would probably have a field day laughing at him. However, he also had to admit that Zara's stealth magic was pretty good. If he hadn't consumed part of her magic before and the fact that he now had command over water magic to a certain degree, he wouldn't have noticed her even if she was right in front of him.

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