Aster Magicos let out a long, complicated breath he had been holding in and leaned back into his chair.

“Of all people, the one who developed monster-taming magic… it had to be Selena.”

Now that he knew, it made sense, how she had managed to preserve that dreadful orc crap so freshly before throwing it.

And yet, understanding it didn’t make things any easier.

The thought that he would have to keep seeing Selena Freya—the very person who had dealt him the greatest humiliation of his life—made his head throb.

“Ha… what kind of cursed connection is this…”

***

Three days later.

At last, Aster’s overwhelming thirst for knowledge triumphed over the discomfort of their ill-fated connection.

Unable to hold back any longer, he made his way to the fifth floor of the Magic Tower—to Selena’s research lab.

“At least I’ve stopped having nightmares.”

Fortunately, the lingering image of orc crap had begun to fade into the depths of his memory.

Stepping off the warp circle, Aster quietly reassured himself.

Just then, a hushed conversation between passing mages drifted into his keen ears.

“You know Selena? Apparently, her fiancé broke off their engagement because of her terrible personality.”

“No wonder. She spends all day staring at monsters,  it’s honestly kind of creepy. So what if she’s a genius? She doesn’t respect her seniors, barely speaks, and always keeps to herself. I’d understand that fiancé a hundred times over.”

“Same here. I really don’t like her. She can spend her whole life alone in that lab for all I care.”

As they snickered and disappeared down the stairs, Aster’s gaze turned cold.

It seemed Selena’s blunt personality hadn’t earned her any favor among the rigid senior mages.

‘I made it clear—this Tower values skill above all else.’

Instead of improving their own abilities, they chose to envy and resent a newcomer’s talent.

‘Pathetic.’

Perhaps it was time to cleanse the Tower.

Suppressing the chill in his eyes, Aster pushed open the lab door.

Inside—

Selena hadn’t even noticed his arrival.

Her head was nearly buried in the desk, completely absorbed in a magic formula.

She was so focused, it was as if the rest of the world didn’t exist.

Aster hesitated for a brief moment, uncharacteristically so.

Then, for no real reason, he reached out and lightly nudged the red-feathered bird-like monster in the cage nearby.

A phoenix.

Flutter—

He thought the sound of its wings might draw her attention.

But even as the phoenix let out a sharp cry, Selena didn’t so much as flinch.

And then—breaking the silence—her shoulders trembled.

“Sniff… hic…”

A quiet sound of sobbing followed.

‘…Is she crying?’

Because of the treatment from the other mages?

Come to think of it, Selena hadn’t long ago been hurt by people.

And now, if she was being mistreated again…

‘No matter how strong someone is, they can still break.’

The thought unsettled Aster.

After all, any bullying within the Magic Tower ultimately fell under his responsibility.

Without hesitation, he stepped closer to her.

“Selena, are you alright?”

At his urgent voice, Selena slowly lifted her head.

But her face—was not tear-streaked with sorrow.

Instead, it was filled with a strange, radiant exhilaration.

“Tower Master? When did you get here?”

“Just now… More importantly, weren’t you crying?”

“Oh—no. I just found a way to improve the magic formula by another step. I got so happy I started laughing… and a few tears came out.”

So she wasn’t crying—she was laughing.

“…I see.”

Embarrassment washed over Aster like a rising tide, and he quietly stepped back, but at that moment, Selena suddenly sprang to her feet.

“Wait—did you think I was crying because I was upset, and rushed over because you were worried about me?”

“Rushed? Not at all—”

“And look, you even came in with a phoenix feather stuck to you.”

With wide, curious eyes, Selena reached out and plucked the red feather sticking out from Aster’s blond hair, then held it up for him to see.

“When did that…?”

As Aster Magicos stammered in confusion, Selena Freya smiled brightly and added.

“Tower Master, you’re unexpectedly clumsy… and kind of cute.”

“What?!”

‘Cute?’

It was a word he had never once heard in his life as the cold, composed Master of the Magic Tower.

‘Is she mocking me?’

Aster’s gaze darkened, but in Selena’s violet eyes, there was not a trace of malice.

She meant it.

And faced with that clear, untainted gaze, Aster found himself unable to grow angry.

‘Why is it that I lose myself like this only when I’m around her…?’

It felt as though his perfectly maintained composure kept unraveling.

With a faint frown, Aster quickly straightened his disheveled hair.

Watching him, Selena smiled once more.

For some reason, that smile lingered deeply in his mind.

His chest tightened in an unfamiliar way.

‘I shouldn’t stay here any longer.’

Deciding to discuss monster-taming magic another time, Aster turned to leave the lab, when suddenly, a communication spell from Seoden came through.

[“Tower Master! A dungeon with ancient magic has been discovered in the western region of the Kingdom of Denbury—inside an orc habitat!”]

Despite his desire to avoid her, a place had appeared where he had no choice but to go with Selena.

“Selena, you’ll have to come with me to the Kingdom of Denbury. Immediately.”

***

“It’s done, Tower Master.”

Having perfectly calmed a raging group of orcs using the monster-taming magic she had developed, Selena turned to look at Aster.

“Truly… remarkable.”

The admiration in Aster’s voice was sincere.

Though his magic circle far surpassed hers, when it came to understanding monster-taming magic—

Selena was far ahead of him.

After all, the magic itself had been born from her mind.

That was precisely why Aster had entrusted the spell to her instead of stepping in himself.

For him, it was far easier—and far more natural—to incinerate the orcs all at once.

But this was their habitat.

There was no need to sl*ughter creatures that had not attacked first.

Especially when there was a way to resolve things without bloodshed.

“Thank you.”

Selena smiled, clearly pleased.

Aster gave a small nod and stepped toward the dungeon entrance.

“A dungeon inside a monster habitat… Is something like this common?”

Selena asked with curiosity, and Aster glanced around as he replied.

“No. This is my first time seeing something like this as well. My guess is that it was created by an eccentric mage with a deep interest in monsters… If we’re lucky, we might find something useful for developing taming magic.”

“Really? Then let’s go in quickly!”

Her eyes lit up as she moved to take the lead, but Aster immediately stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

“From here on, I’ll go first. Stay close behind me no matter what happens. And don’t touch anything inside the dungeon without my permission.”

His warning must have carried weight, because Selena nodded with a tense expression.

“Understood.”

Together, they entered the ancient magic dungeon.

The air inside was damp, heavy, and ominous.

Unconsciously, Selena drew her shoulders in slightly but ahead of her, Aster showed no sign of hesitation, his blue eyes sharp and alert.

And then—

Rumble—

The dungeon, sensing intruders, began to tremble violently.

“They’re coming.”

Aster muttered lowly before issuing a firm command.

“Selena, stay right behind me.”

No sooner had he spoken the ground split open.

Dozens of mounds of earth surged upward, rapidly taking shape forming massive golems.

“—!”

Selena gasped, her breath catching in shock as the grotesque golems charged forward with heavy, thunderous steps, rushing straight toward Aster.

“Ugh—!”

Before Selena could even cry out a warning, Aster Magicos’s cold voice rang through the dungeon.

“Fireball.”

In an instant, dozens of blazing spheres ignited in the air, illuminating the dark dungeon as if it were broad daylight.

They curved gracefully through the air, then surged forward all at once toward the golems.

Grrr—!

With a noise that sounded almost like a scream, the golems were engulfed in flames.

Stone bodies crumbled—fire roared and surged—the entire scene was both terrifying and overwhelmingly magnificent.

But more than that, what held Selena Freya’s gaze was Aster himself.

Not a flicker of hesitation.

A cold, composed expression, and magic that dominated everything in its path.

She had long heard the rumors that he was the strongest Tower Master in history.

But the Aster she had seen until now had seemed… somewhat careless, even gentle.

Not quite like a grand archmage.

And yet, the man before her now was untouchable.

A supreme archmage, beyond reach.

‘…He’s amazing.’

As she found herself staring at his golden hair, brighter than the flames themselves, Selena felt a faint flutter in her chest.