"What a waste. Truly a waste."

On the way back in the carriage,
Baron Avril sighed deeply as he looked out the window.

"That kind of talent buried away in a rural backwater like this…"

The image of the young mage girl, Lunaris Evermoon, still lingered in his mind.

An overwhelming display of magic that didn’t suit such a small and delicate body.
He’d met plenty of mages while traveling around offering aid to nearby towns, but none like her.

"I was surprised as well, my lord,"
the knight riding beside him agreed, nodding.

"She could’ve been arrogant, yet she’s humble. She’ll go far, without a doubt."

The baron gave a wry smile and nodded.

"With talent like that, even the Imperial Court would welcome her with open arms."
"Especially in an age like this, when skilled mages are so scarce."

Mages had always played a crucial role as a deterrent in times of war.

And since magic had become such an essential part of everyday life,
the demand for capable mages far exceeded the supply.
Each one was a priceless asset.

"Besides, Lady Lunaris isn’t just an ordinary mage, is she?"
"No. She’s a high-tier mage—one who’s mastered both the water and wind attributes. And she’s only the age to be entering the academy."
"At this rate, she’ll no doubt become the ace of the Imperial Mage Corps. Perhaps even the first transcendent-level mage since the founding of the Empire."

The knight stopped, realizing he’d gotten carried away.
He wasn’t usually this excitable.

But the baron was even more enthusiastic.

"Indeed! If only we could secure such talent for the royal court…"

He could almost see the hefty reward the Empire would bestow upon him for such a recommendation.
His voice carried the thick scent of regret.

"But Lady Lunaris seemed quite firm, my lord. She had no intention of leaving that forest."
"Hmph. That’s just youthful stubbornness born of ignorance. She’s clearly still sixteen at heart."

Of course, Baron Avril couldn’t imagine that Lunaris refused to leave simply because she was too lazy to bother.

"All she needs is a little push, that’s all…"

Then the knight suddenly recalled something and turned to the baron.

"Ah, my lord—didn’t the Imperial Court say they were dispatching a mage to investigate this incident? Perhaps you could consult with them about this matter?"

The baron’s eyes lit up.
He smiled with satisfaction and nodded.

"Now that’s an excellent idea."

I had finally reclaimed my peaceful, sleepy life.

Today again, the bed was soft, and the blanket was warm and fluffy.
The village had returned to peace, and the forest had settled back into its usual rhythm.
And that troublesome baron who tried to drag me off somewhere strange? Cleanly dealt with.

A perfect, blissful, lazy life.

Lately, I’d been killing time by studying herbs.
Not because I was worried about Ria’s injured leg—definitely not.
It was purely for fun. I’d just been bored after reading too many books.

While lazily stirring the bubbling cauldron, I yawned wide.

"Luna~ Could you open the door, dear?"

It was the familiar voice of the village lady.

I snapped my fingers, and the door opened on its own.

"Welcome, ma’am."
"How have you been, Luna? You’re getting prettier by the day, my dear~"
"Ahaha..."
"What’s your secret? Is it all that sleep? Oh, I wish I could sleep like you, but my husband’s snoring keeps me up every night!"

She walked in holding a heavy bundle.
As usual, it was full of food supplies, daily necessities, and a few things I’d asked her to bring.

"Here, I even got the herbs you asked for. Took me a while, what with everyone in the village getting injured these days, haha!"

I took a gold coin from the pouch on the table and placed it in her hand.

"Oh my, a gold coin? Don’t you have any silver ones? I don’t have change for that."
"It’s fine, ma’am. You always go out of your way to help."
"Well! You’re quite generous, aren’t you~ Then I’ll just count this as payment for the next delivery too, all right?"

Truthfully, I’d just forgotten where I’d put the other coins.
I could look for them, but honestly, I couldn’t be bothered.

"By the way, thank you again for what you did last time. Thanks to you, everyone in the village is still alive."
"It was nothing. Just luck, really."

I hadn’t expected her to thank me so suddenly, and the awkwardness made me scratch my hair.

"I still remember the ice falling from the sky like it was yesterday. That was magic, wasn’t it?"
"Uh... yeah, something like that?"
"Goodness, I never knew you were a mage! You always seem to spend the whole day lying in bed. I used to wonder if you even did any work at all."
"Ahaha..."
"So, that person who came looking for you must be a mage too, right?"

...Huh?

"What person?"
"Oh, your coworker, dear. Said they wanted to see you, so I brought them along~"
"My... what now?"

Coworker?
How could I have a coworker?
I don’t even have a job!

"My, what a lovely place you live in—so quiet and rich in mana."

Then my so-called “coworker” appeared.

He was a man with a calm, dignified air and streaks of gray in his hair.

"Truly, this place is overflowing with mana. Wonderful indeed."

Naturally, this was our first meeting.

"Um... who are you?"
"Who am I? Why, Lady Lunaris’s coworker, of course."
"???"
"Well, to be precise... your future coworker."
"??!?!?!"

What in the world is this guy talking about?

"My dear lady, thank you for guiding me here," he said to the village woman with a smile. "I would have gotten lost in the forest without your help."
"Oh my, such a charmer you are, haha!"

Yeah. Definitely an old man with bad eyesight.
That’s the only explanation for mistaking me for a colleague.

"Well then, Luna, I’ll see you next time."
"Wait! You’re just going to leave me here alone with this weird guy—"
"What are you talking about? Didn’t he say he’s your coworker?"

...You actually believe that?

"Doesn’t that sound a little suspicious to you?"
"Oh, nonsense! A gentleman like him wouldn’t lie."

My head started to throb.

"Come down to the village sometime, dear. I’ll cook you some chicken stew!"

Lady, please—I might be the one getting cooked here!

But the old woman ignored me and left.

–Creak. Slam.

And just like that, only the strange man and I remained inside the cabin.

–Bubble, bubble.

The sound of the boiling cauldron filled the silence.

"Now then, allow me to introduce myself properly."

Still smiling kindly, the man spoke.

"I am Albert Marcellin, Deputy Commander of the Imperial Mage Corps."
"...!"

I flinched before I could stop myself.
That name was very familiar.

The entire plot of The Diligent Mage at the Academy flashed through my head like a fast-forwarded scroll.

Seven years in this world.
And for the first time, I was meeting a named character from the novel.

But wait—if I remembered correctly, Albert wasn’t supposed to be Deputy Commander...

"Deputy Commander? Not Commander?"
"Hm? Yes, that’s right."

My heart sank a little.
So this must still be the past—before the events of the novel had even begun.

The story proper...
Hadn’t started yet.

I thought dealing with the baron was the end of it,
but no—now an even bigger name had shown up.

And not just a bit higher up the ladder—this guy was practically at the top.

My instincts screamed a warning.
If I got involved with him, it’d only lead to endless trouble.

He calmly scanned the room, taking in every detail.
His eyes landed on the cauldron bubbling away in the corner.

"Ah, brewing herbs, are you? I hope I’m not interrupting."
"You’re definitely interrupting."

He laughed heartily at my flat tone.

"My apologies. But I came with a very important proposal for you, Lady Lunaris."
"A proposal?"
"The Imperial Mage Corps would be honored to have a talent like you."

Here we go again.

"Have you ever considered moving to the capital?"
"The Imperial Mage Corps? That’s far too much for me."

I didn’t even pause to think.

"I still have a lot to learn."

And yes, my expression absolutely screamed ‘please go away.’

But the Deputy Commander only smiled wider.

"Haha! Ever so modest. But if you were truly lacking, our former Commander would never have taken you in as his granddaughter."

...What?

"Former Commander?"
"Don’t tell me... your grandfather never mentioned us? Or me?"
"You... knew my grandfather?"

I frowned. He nodded pleasantly.

"Of course. When I was still a rookie, I learned much under Commander Evermoon."

I froze on the spot.

"He scolded me often, but thanks to him, I eventually rose to this position."

I was stunned.
So Grandpa wasn’t bluffing after all?

All this time, I thought he was just an old man obsessed with the Empire’s mages, gaslighting me every day.
Turns out... he was actually the Commander himself.

But wait—if he was really that powerful, why had he lived in a shabby hut in the middle of nowhere?
Don’t tell me he’d been hiding after some political fallout or something?

"Um, Deputy Commander, what kind of person was my grandfather?"
"He was a man who dedicated his entire life to magic research and the Empire’s safety."

Well, at least Grandpa wasn’t some criminal who got his whole bloodline executed.

"Even upon retirement, he donated all his wealth to the Imperial treasury, asking that it be used to advance the study of magic."

...So instead, he was a saintly fool who left his descendants broke.

Next Chapter →