Chapter 1: Fake Ideal (3)

Oh my, what on earth is she saying?

Chloe was startled by her friend’s words, which skipped over all the intermediate steps.

‘I knew she was like this, but today it’s particularly surprising.’

With a perplexed expression, another question came flying in.

“Then why did you do it?”

“That…”

Unable to answer immediately, she covered her eyes with both hands and groaned.

She knew she shouldn’t have intervened. But.

The princess’s childish words and the Grand Duke’s dead eyes irritated her.

“…I was annoyed.”

“I see.”

Chloe confessed as if she were making a confession to Riel, who agreed without knowing any of the circumstances.

“I had no intention of getting involved between the two of them at all. But they both pissed me off.”

“Uh-huh.”

“The princess has a mouth of disaster, and the Grand Duke has no self-esteem.”

“Really?”

Riel, who had started munching on a snack she had taken out of her pocket, seemed as thoughtless as ever.

Even though she seemed uninterested in the conversation, she always responded. She wasn’t a bad person to talk to when there was a lot to unload.

Chloe continued her lament, twirling Riel’s silver hair around her index finger.

“Somehow, I didn’t even get paid for the warp gate inspection today.”

“Go back tomorrow.”

“Uh-huh… Should I wear a hood and change my voice?”

“If necessary.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that. Thanks, Riel. How’s your thesis on barrier runes going?”

“So-so?”

Talking about various topics from outside work to research and material procurement, Chloe checked the wall clock as she began to feel slightly hungry.

‘I should get going.’

She had a mountain of work to do, and she had wasted too much time. She had been caught up in Riel’s leisurely pace, which was unlike a mage.

What could she do, though? She was her only remaining friend. Chloe shrugged lightly and stood up.

“I should head to the lab.”

“Wait, Chloe.”

Chloe turned to Riel, who had grabbed her robe sleeve before she could take a step. The still-absent-minded-looking woman finally conveyed the purpose of her visit.

“The master is calling you.”

“Did he say why?”

“No.”

What’s this about at this time? 

Chloe hid her curiosity and nodded.

“Thanks for letting me know. I’ll go see him right away.”

“Take care.”

“…Yeah, you relax.”

Chloe chuckled and turned away, looking at Riel, who had already become one with the sofa in her personal room.

‘Since I’m going to see the master, I should bring some Rakpe tea leaves.’

She rummaged through the cupboard, grabbed a small pouch, and left the room.

* * *

“Chloe, welcome.”

“Master.”

As she moved to the top floor of the Mage Tower through a simple warp array, a white-haired man with a gentle smile greeted Chloe. His light green eyes behind a monocle and his long hair braided to one side made his luxurious robe look neat.

Mage Tower Master Isrion. He was the only Grand Mage of the current generation and was known for being the warmest of all the Mage Tower Masters in history.

“Have you been waiting here all this time?”

“I thought you might arrive around this time, so I came out to meet you.”

He’s so kind. Even though he must be very busy.

Chloe walked out of the warp array in the spacious waiting room and answered awkwardly.

“You didn’t have to…”

“I also wanted to make tea. Rakpe is tricky to suit my taste.”

“Did you see?”

How did he know I was bringing Rakpe?

Chloe handed the pouch of tea leaves to her master, who sometimes foresaw the future. Isrion, who smiled instead of answering, received the pouch gratefully and said,

“More importantly, sit down inside, Chloe. A guest will be arriving soon.”

A guest? For the master?

Chloe was slightly surprised by the rare news but nodded without showing it.

“Yes, Master.”

As she entered Isrion’s reception room, she plopped down on a familiar sofa. It was a modest room overall, except for the portraits of former Mage Tower Masters hanging on the uniformly patterned brown walls.

It was rather shabby for a place belonging to someone with as much influence as the Emperor, but mages weren’t the type to care about such things. The Mage Tower was a place where it was hard to find any ostentatiously decorated spots, as they were of the mindset that having only what was necessary was enough.

‘But who could be visiting?’

Chloe glanced at the reception room door. Just then, the door opened with a click, and Isrion appeared.

Following him was a man with blue eyes, and Chloe froze as their eyes met.

“Say hello, Chloe. This is Grand Duke Escalante. Grand Duke, this is my apprentice, Chloe.”

“…”

“…”

An awkward silence.

Seeing the stiffened face opposite her, Chloe thought,

‘This is driving me crazy.’

Judging by his reaction, this meeting wasn’t planned, but how could it be so coincidental?

Seeing the face she had last seen just a few hours ago made Chloe’s mind whirl. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn’t have run away. It was too late for regrets.

‘No choice. Let’s greet first.’

Before the silence grew too long, she swallowed dryly and spoke with a casual smile.

“Nice to meet you, Grand Duke. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“…Nice to meet you too, Miss Chloe. I didn’t expect to meet you here either.”

Mages of the Mage Tower are outside the usual class system and do not use titles like ‘Your Highness’ for even the highest-ranking individuals. Unless it’s a special case, they use basic titles or add ‘Mr. or Miss’ to the name, treating everyone equally.

Though few in number, they are a separate group respected by the Emperor. Blessed by mana, they are a new race beyond humans.

That’s what mages are.

“Do you two know each other?”

“Yes, Master. I was responsible for the warp gate inspection in the Grand Duchy.”

And I pretended to be his lover. In front of the princess, I pretended to kiss him.

As Chloe struggled to swallow the words she couldn’t say, the Grand Duke stepped in to assist.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen her without a hood today. Miss Chloe is quite…”

As Tehis chose his words, Chloe hoped he wouldn’t say she looked like a madwoman. After all, she had done something crazy.

Unaware of her thoughts, Tehis made a quick decision.

The apprentice of Mage Tower Master Isrion, the mage responsible for the warp gate in the Grand Duchy.

And the woman who helped him pretend to be in a relationship in front of the princess.

‘It’s best to build a relationship somehow.’

But not finding a suitable way, he blurted out the reason they got involved.

“……I was surprised because she fits my ideal type.”

Chloe’s expression twisted momentarily before returning to normal. 

Is this man the crazy one?

Though she managed to compose her face, she quickly changed the subject, unable to handle the conversation any longer.

“So what brings you to the Mage Tower, Grand Duke?”

“I invited him. The Grand Duke requested support from a mage, but we rarely take on jobs that require us to stay outside for long. So I told him to come and persuade us himself.”

Chloe, who had been nodding at Isrion’s explanation while observing them with interest, suddenly stopped.

“……And I’m the one he’s looking for?”

“Specifically, he requested a senior mage. I didn’t expect you, Miss Chloe, to be the one.”

Though slightly offended, Chloe understood the slight distrust in Tehis’s eyes. It was hard to believe that someone so young had been given the title of senior mage.

The senior mage stage, which had never exceeded a single digit in a generation, was that difficult to achieve. Equivalent to a sword master for swordsmen, it was extremely challenging to be officially appointed, as one had to pass a thesis as well.

As expected, Chloe, who was not a senior mage, shrugged.

“Then I don’t know why I’m here. I’m still an advanced mage.”

At her words, Tehis looked at her again. Though he had expected she wasn’t a senior mage, it was still impressive that she was an advanced mage in her twenties.

Just as he was about to comment on her achievement, Mage Tower Master Isrion smiled warmly and spoke first.

“The Grand Duke’s request is perfect for you, Chloe. Even though her theoretical side isn’t complete, her magical skills are sufficient for a senior mage.”

“…!”

While the Grand Duke looked surprised, Chloe, who was indifferent, brushed her purple side hair behind her ear. Her amethyst-like gemstone earrings swayed slightly, reflecting light.

“What exactly is the request?”

It’s not to catch monsters, right? 

The master of the North is a top-level sword expert.

Remembering the famous story, Chloe glanced at Tehis. The current Grand Duke of Escalante was said to be the closest to becoming a new sword master.

With less than five sword masters on the entire continent, this man would soon become the Empire’s strongest sword.

‘Isn’t he… thirty? Twenty-nine?’

Unaware of his mysterious defeat, Tehis (Grand Duke, 28) answered her question.

“The number of monsters appearing in the northwestern border of the Grand Duchy has increased significantly over the past few years. Something seems to be happening in the Winter Forest, but we can’t figure out the cause.”

“…Are you saying we need to go deep into the Winter Forest?”

“Yes.”

Chloe looked at Isrion with a troubled face. Even if it was just to find the cause, it was an excessively dangerous task, requiring a trip to a place designated as forbidden due to the violently changing mana patterns.

It was understandable why he was looking for a senior mage.

Honestly, she was surprised that the Grand Duke had planned a scouting of the Winter Forest, and even more surprised that her master had invited him, seemingly intending to accept the request. He had never assigned dangerous tasks to his apprentices.

‘…No. If the master said I could do it, it must be okay, right?’

Isrion, who was believed to have near-perfect foresight, was almost considered a sage. Known for his wisdom, he was rumored to be close to enlightenment.

Seeing his reassuring smile, Chloe nodded.

“The senior mages won’t move easily, so it’s better for me to take it.”

“Then are you accepting the request?”

“No.”

Ignoring the Grand Duke’s hesitation, Chloe smiled brightly.

“Let’s hear the payment first.”