“Given the circumstances… I’ll leave it this time.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

“However, as I mentioned earlier, it is not possible to repay the debt within a month.”

“Of course, I understand. To be honest… I didn’t come here expecting to collect the full 1 million krangs within a month. My purpose was to convey that we cannot rely solely on the current credit of the Marquis’ estate and wait indefinitely. I also wanted to make a proposal.”

“A proposal?”

“Yes. Either provide a guarantor to give us confidence and allow us to wait, or transfer some of the assets of the Marquis’ estate to us.”

A guarantor… If they could secure one, it would secure the Marquis’ lands and heirlooms.

But at the moment, there wasn’t a single nobleman willing to act as a guarantor for the Blante estate.

The head of the Company undoubtedly knew this too, which meant that, as Ariel had predicted, his real target was the heirlooms of the Marquis’ estate.

Ariel shifted her gaze from the head of the Company, his eyes glittering with greed, to the butler.

Anticipating this, she had instructed the butler to prepare some of the heirlooms, just in case.

It was painful to part with the Marquis’s treasured heirlooms, but there was no alternative.

Steeling herself, Ariel was about to summon the butler when a man’s voice suddenly interrupted her.

” Let’s use a guarantor.”

Startled, Ariel turned towards the lobby to find her cousin standing there.

He was the only man in the Marquis’ household capable of making such a statement.

But her cousin looked equally startled, looking around as if trying to locate the source of the voice.

As Ariel stood there, equally perplexed, the man’s voice echoed once more.

“I will act as guarantor for the estate of the Marquis of Blante.”

This time Ariel didn’t have to look for the speaker. The answer revealed itself.

In the lobby of the mansion, a man in a dark blue robe with a hood pulled over his head approached her.

As he approached, Ariel’s gaze hardened, her eyes narrowing in recognition.

Unlike the others, who stood frozen in shock at the sudden appearance of this enigmatic figure, Ariel realised immediately who he was.

The dignified stride, the familiar deep voice – it was unmistakably the Archmage she had met at the party yesterday, the one who had taken her pocket watch.

Although he had mentioned returning the repaired watch to the Marquis’ estate, she hadn’t expected him to arrive so soon.

And certainly not at such a crucial moment.

With purposeful strides, the man closed the distance and stood before her. But instead of addressing Ariel, he turned to the head of the company.

“Why are you just standing there, dazed? I said I’m the guarantor of the Marquis of Blante’s estate.”

“…Pardon?” 

The head of the company blurted out, staring blankly at the man. He was startled not only by the stranger’s sudden appearance, but also by the extraordinary aura that emanated from him, making him instinctively feel small. 

Ariel quickly regained her composure. 

For a moment she had been so distracted by the Archmage’s unexpected arrival that she had forgotten what he had said. 

He was offering to act as guarantor for the Marquis of Blante’s estate. 

But why? 

Ariel called to him in a calm voice, carefully shaping her tone to avoid arousing the head’s suspicions as she worked to grasp the situation. 

“Sir Mage.” 

He replied in a cheerful tone, completely brushing aside her subtle approach. Without even looking at her, he gestured towards the head with a casual wave of his hand. 

“Oh, let’s leave the formalities for later. Let’s settle this matter first.” 

The mage’s unwavering demeanour, showing no signs of retreat, left Ariel watching him with a mixture of surprise and confusion. Her eyes wandered to his hair, visible just beyond the edge of his robes.

Golden locks, gleaming like strands of spun gold.

Yesterday… his hair had definitely been brown.

But that had been a disguise, a fabricated appearance to hide the Archmage’s true identity.

Could he have revealed himself this time?

Ariel’s gaze lingered on the man, now cloaked from head to toe, in stark contrast to his appearance the day before.

If this had been another disguise, there would have been no reason to hide so completely.

This had to be his true appearance. And as far as Ariel knew, there was only one Archmage with golden hair.

Could it really be… him?

As Ariel’s emerald eyes widened in recognition, the head of the company, taking his time to process the situation, asked hesitantly.

“…My Lady, who exactly is this man?” 

At that moment, the man pulled down the hood of his robe. 

His long golden hair, shining like molten gold, spilled out, revealing his strikingly elegant face. 

At the sight of him, Ariel let out a soft gasp. What she had thought was only a possibility had become a reality. 

Eyes as deep and brilliant as sapphires, paired with a face so flawless it was almost otherworldly. 

He was, as Ariel had suspected, none other than the Tower Master – the most powerful of all Archmages and the ruler of the Mage Tower, Aster Magicos. 

“You are…” 

“Gasp!” 

“The Tower Master!” 

The murmur of astonishment grew louder as others in the room began to recognise him. 

Not only the head and his advisor, but every servant in the Marquis of Blante’s estate recognised him. It was inevitable. 

The Tower Master was famous not only in the Pentium Empire, but across the continent. With each new Tower Master, a portrait was commissioned, magically replicated and sold throughout the lands. 

This Tower Master, the youngest in history, of royal descent and strikingly handsome, had seen his portraits sell like wildfire. 

Even children in the streets recognised his face. 

But Ariel couldn’t afford to be stunned for long. 

For the Tower Master had just announced his intention to act as guarantor for the Marquis de Blante’s estate. 

“I owe you a great debt, my lady,” he had said yesterday. But even now, knowing his true identity, Ariel couldn’t remember what that debt could be. 

If she really had helped him in such a significant way, there was no way she wouldn’t remember. 

To have the Tower Master act as guarantor for the Marquis of Blante’s estate was an extraordinary and excessive gesture. 

“Head, would you mind waiting in the drawing room for a moment? As you can see, an important guest has arrived and I’ll have to step away for a moment.”

But the Tower Master showed no intention of stepping aside, gesturing dismissively with his hand. 

“There’s no need, my lady. He was here first. Besides, he must have a busy schedule, so let’s get this over with. The deal’s already done, isn’t it?” 

The Tower Master gave Ariel a playful wink before turning to the Head, who was still stunned by the situation. 

“I, Aster Magicos, as Tower Master, will act as guarantor for the Marquis of Blante’s estate. Surely that’s a reliable enough position, don’t you think?” 

“Well, I… er…” 

Aster flicked his fingers lightly in the direction of the head. 

A sudden icy breeze hit him in the face, bringing him back to his senses. When his eyes met Aster’s cold, sapphire gaze, he froze, visibly shaking. 

The piercing blue eyes conveyed a clear message: “Answer quickly and agree.” 

Forcing an awkward laugh, Head replied promptly. 

“Haha, of course, absolutely! No noble could be a better guarantor than the Tower Master. If you are willing to act as guarantor, we can extend the repayment period of the Marquis of Blante’s estate from 30 to 50 years!” 

He meant every word. The Tower Master, a figure whose influence rivalled that of royalty, would probably regard a million krangs as mere pocket change. With him as guarantor, there was no risk of losing the money. 

Besides, if the Marquis of Blante’s estate really did have a connection with the Tower Master, continuing to do business with them would undoubtedly benefit the Company. 

“All those rumours about the Marquis’ estate being on the verge of collapse were utter nonsense!” 

As the Head rejoiced at this unexpected windfall, the Tower Master spoke in a serious tone. 

“However, you must keep my role as guarantor strictly confidential. If you can promise to maintain that secrecy, we can proceed immediately.” 

The Head nodded quickly, his eagerness evident. 

“Confidentiality is the cornerstone of a trading company! Rest assured, I swear on the reputation of my company to keep this a secret. Ralph, get the contract!” 

The Head’s advisor hurriedly retrieved the contract for the Marquis of Blante’s estate, fumbling slightly in his haste. 

With a quick movement, the Head used his fountain pen to add a new section labelled *Guarantor* under the estate’s signature line. 

“All you need to do is put your seal here,” he said, holding the contract out to the Tower Master. 

At that moment, Ariel reached out and grabbed Aster’s wrist. The situation was moving so fast that she acted instinctively before she could even form the words to intervene. 

But before Ariel could speak, Aster gently pulled his wrist away from her grasp and gave her a charming, effortless smile. 

Then, without the slightest hesitation, he stamped his seal on the *Guarantor* section of the contract. 

A flash of blue light spread across the paper, leaving the mage’s indelible seal etched into it.

The whole event had taken place in the blink of an eye.

The Head turned to Ariel, a beaming smile on his face. 

“Thank you, Tower Master! And my lady, you may rest now. Take as long as you need to repay your debt. If you ever need help from the Kuno Trading Company, don’t hesitate to let us know.” 

“Wait, wait…” 

“With that, I’ll take my leave.” 

Before Ariel could stop him, the Head hurried out of the mansion, clearly wanting to avoid any possibility of her changing her mind. 

As the Kuno merchant’s carriage sped away as if in flight, Aster chuckled, his amusement evident. 

“Well, it seems rather impossible to stop him now.” 

Ariel looked at Aster and let out a soft sigh before finally speaking. 

“Tower Master.” 

Her gaze, a mixture of unease and annoyance, rested on him, but Aster simply responded with a faint smile that curled the corners of his lips. 

“My lady, I was in such a hurry to get here that I skipped breakfast. Would it be possible to have a warm cup of tea?”