Chapter 07

That Bastard Came Looking Again (5)

Hmm.

The person who greeted her was a middle-aged mage who appeared to be around the 6th Circle.

Somewhat mediocre.

From the 7th Circle onward, mages were treated as unquestionably high-ranking and could even choose which commissions to accept. That meant the man standing before her was probably the strongest mage one could normally encounter in the lobby.

Which also meant that if she could successfully win over this mage, who appeared to be the branch’s overall manager, today’s deal would be a success.

But wow, what a personality.

Whether he simply liked flaunting his strength or was naturally authoritarian, the mage was subtly releasing pressure from his body.

Had Mariela been an ordinary noble lady, she would have frozen under that pressure and gone completely blank.

Honestly, what a childish thing to do.

Deliberately, Mariela picked up the teacup resting on the table.

She calmly took a sip.

The mage’s eyes immediately sharpened with interest.

Oh?

He would have been curious even if she had merely maintained eye contact.

But instead of showing fear, she acted as if his intimidation didn’t even exist.

At the very least, she didn’t seem like some spoiled young noblewoman who had come to waste his time with nonsense.

Only then did the mage withdraw his pressure and speak in a much more courteous tone.

“I greet the young lady of House Esteban, rulers of this territory. My name is Gilbert. What business brings you to the Magic Tower?”

“It is an honor to meet the renowned Sir Gilbert.”

Her new life had given Mariela a more humble tongue and a more flexible neck.

“I’m sure you’ve heard this sort of thing many times before, but I would like to propose a business opportunity to the Magic Tower.”

“Oh? A proposal, you say.”

Mariela placed the neutralizer she had brought onto the table.

“Before meeting you, I took a brief look around the lobby. It seems your headache potion is quite popular.”

“It is in considerable demand among noble ladies and aristocratic women.”

Though he smiled, Gilbert’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The headache potion currently sold by the Magic Tower was highly effective, but it had one flaw.

After taking it, users tended to sleep much longer than usual. Truly busy people disliked that side effect and often chose not to buy it.

“If only that minor flaw could be resolved, even more people would seek it out. What a pity.”

“Haha. You speak as though you possess the solution.”

“Sometimes a problem requires not deep wisdom or knowledge, but simply a fresh perspective.”

There.

A relaxed smile at exactly the right moment.

“This is a neutralizer capable of reducing the side effects of magic potions. I was fortunate enough to create it through a combination of effort and luck.”

Gilbert had lived long enough not to show his shock openly.

But he was stunned.

A neutralizer?

Wasn’t that the dream every potion-making mage longed for?

Something akin to a universal remedy.

Leaving aside how tempting the claim itself was—

Even if it’s mostly exaggeration…

If she had truly created a potion imbued with mana, then the young lady before him was undeniably a mage.

Yet I sensed nothing from her.

There were only two possibilities.

Either the bottle contained nothing more than an ordinary medicine made through herbal knowledge.

Or—

She possesses mana control refined enough to conceal her true level from me.

He had originally intended to humor the young lady out of respect for House Esteban and then send her away.

Now his thoughts grew complicated.

“I understand that it’s difficult to believe a young girl who suddenly appears and starts making outrageous claims.”

“Hmm.”

“No matter what I say here, it would be difficult for you to accept it immediately. That’s why I brought samples. If you test them personally, won’t that provide proof?”

“You seem quite confident.”

“Would I have come all the way here if I wasn’t?”

Further conversation was pointless.

After studying Mariela’s face one last time, Gilbert spoke.

“If it isn’t too rude, may I ask who your master is? Today’s the first time I’ve even heard that you call yourself a mage.”

Ugh. Suspicious and unpleasant too.

She obviously couldn’t answer, I simply awakened on my own.

Though the Great Witch Shyloi basically did!

But she was no longer a witch—just an ordinary human.

Let’s just say Shyloi taught the adorable and lovable Mariela magic.

Mariela smiled sweetly.

“I received secret instruction from a truly great person. By chance, they noticed my talent.”

—What nonsense. Who taught whom? A dog from your castle would make a better teacher. You’d die trying to learn magic from someone like that.

How strange.

Was this the aftereffect of encountering that lizard?

She could almost hear a voice that sounded exactly like his.

Nah. It’s probably because I haven’t slept properly for days while making the neutralizer.

Before her anxiety could grow any larger, Mariela forcefully crushed it.

“A great person, you say? You must respect your master greatly.”

“Of course! Is there such a thing as a disciple who doesn’t respect their master?”

Mariela deliberately smiled even brighter.

For the first time, Gilbert’s expression cracked slightly.

Served him right.

“When might I be able to meet you again, Sir Gilbert?”

“If all goes well, you’ll hear from us within a month.”

Damn it.

That basically meant:

We’ll finish all our own work first and then review it at our leisure.

How frustrating.

Still, what choice did she have?

Unless she borrowed the authority of her eldest brother, the duke, all she could do was wait patiently.

“I understand.”

“Then have a safe journey.”

Gilbert watched her leave before carefully gathering the ten bottles of neutralizer she had left behind.

Not long after Mariela and Betty departed, another visitor entered the Magic Tower.

The moment the silver-haired man appeared, countless eyes turned toward him.

Ordinary visitors simply admired his striking appearance.

The mages present, however, froze in shock.

“H-He is…!”

Moments later, Gilbert hurried across the lobby and stood before him.

“I, Gilbert of the Magic Tower, greet the Commander of the Imperial First Mage Corps and the young marquis of House Belmore.”

His attitude was incomparably more respectful than when dealing with Mariela.

“I see you’re the manager here. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Hereis Belmore.”

Hereis Belmore.

The future head of House Belmore.

A magical prodigy famous since childhood.

A man who had reached the 7th Circle before the age of twenty.

The youngest commander ever appointed to lead the Imperial First Mage Corps.

No one dared be disrespectful in front of him.

“What brings you here today?”

Naturally, everyone was curious.

Someone who should have been in the imperial capital had suddenly appeared in the duchy.

“My dear friend recently became the new head of House Esteban. Is it not natural that I come to see him and catch up?”

“Ah, of course.”

Gilbert nodded.

Then Hereis added casually,

“I also stopped by because someone I know well seems to have visited this place just now.”

The moment he heard that, something clicked in Gilbert’s mind.

“I received secret instruction from a truly great person.”

The bold young lady.

Could her master be this man…?

It was entirely possible.

After all, nearly everyone in imperial high society knew of the close friendship between the eldest son of House Esteban and the young marquis of House Belmore.

Perhaps he had visited the ducal estate, noticed the young lady’s talent, and taken her as a student.

Haha. So that’s how it is.

If Mariela had heard this assumption, she would have exploded in outrage.

But the timing was so perfect that Gilbert naturally reached that conclusion.

“You mean Lady Mariela of House Esteban?”

Hereis merely smiled instead of denying it.

At the same time, he cast a sound-blocking spell to prevent others from overhearing.

Gilbert immediately continued.

“When the young lady said she had secretly studied under a great person, I was terribly curious. But if that person is you, Young Marquis, then both the description and the secrecy make perfect sense. Hahaha.”

After all, Hereis was widely believed to be the mage most likely to reach the legendary 9th Circle before the age of forty.

For a fallen ducal family’s daughter to have such a master would be an extraordinary privilege.

Naturally, she’d be careful about revealing it.

“So the young lady said that.”

“Indeed. As a matter of fact, she brought a rather unique magic potion today and proposed cooperation with the Magic Tower. I had only just learned she became a mage. With a master as talented as yourself, it seems she learns quickly.”

As he spoke, Gilbert carefully observed Hereis’s expression.

He wanted to gauge how much involvement Hereis had in the potion’s creation.

“If my guess is correct, it would be difficult to find anyone who learns faster than she does.”

“Oh?”

“Though even so, she would do better to be more cautious for now.”

Muttering as if genuinely concerned, Hereis added:

“If it isn’t too much trouble, may I examine the potion she submitted?”**