Chapter 8
‘I’ll have to beg.’
Whatever the cause of the incident, she was the one who had grabbed his g***n. She would just have to beg pitifully and cling to the Thousand Dog Tower. There were still thousands of spells she hadn’t yet learned from Cassius, she couldn’t get thrown out now.
Besides, where else would she find such a handsome master?
‘Why do you think I chose the Thousand Dog Tower in the first place!’
Eki hadn’t known about the TDT’s notorious reputation. She had applied in ignorance, simply because while browsing the list of magic tower representatives from various nations, she had been struck dumb by Cassius’s stunning beauty and run straight there.
Excessive worship of appearances. An incurable admirer of beauty. That was Eki. Which was why her ex-boyfriend had once declared during their breakup,
‘God, you’re unbearable. How can you only ever care about someone’s face?’
‘Idiot.’
If she really only cared about looks, she never would have dated him.
The memory made her stomach churn.
…Wait, was her stomach literally churning?
“Ugh.”
It was only beer, but after downing several glasses and running around, her insides were roiling. Doubling over, she staggered. Someone approached.
“Miss, are you alright?”
“Urgh, y-yes, I-I’m fine.”
“Your face is pale as a sheet.”
It was an older woman. Eki, dropping her guard for a moment, pressed her throbbing forehead.
“Sorry. I’ve got somewhere I need to be in a hurry…”
“Where are you headed? I’ll take you.”
“Uh… over there, the teleportation station.”
“Teleportation? I just came from there, it closed for the night.”
“What?!”
Closed already?
Eki jerked her head up. The middle-aged woman before her was wearing an official’s uniform. Oh no. She was a teleportation station administrator.
“Is it… really shut down? But I have to use it!”
“Where are you trying to go?”
“Uh, um… do you happen to know the Pinon Forest?”
“Pinon Forest? Good heavens, you’re headed there?”
The woman tilted her head, then clapped her hands in realization.
“Are you by chance a mage from the Thousand Dog Tower?”
“Yes!”
“Ah… I thought so. I was wondering why anyone would need to go there.”
Scratching the back of her head, she casually supported Eki and turned back toward the teleportation station.
“Just this once, I’ll reopen it for you. But there’s no second time, got it?”
“T-Thank you so much!”
Eki couldn’t believe what was happening. It was kind enough that the woman was helping her walk, but to actually let her use the device again? Half-dazed from delayed drunkenness, she could only stammer thanks over and over before teleporting to the Pinon Forest.
When she came to her senses, she was already nearing the Magic Tower.
‘Phew… I really was lucky this time.’
Cassius was the kind of man who would erupt in fury if his orders weren’t obeyed. There was a reason people called him Cursius. If she hadn’t arrived on time, he surely would have cast her out again.
‘Wait… This must be the potion effect, right? The luck is finally kicking in properly.’
Eki, staggering, pushed open the main gate… just as someone on the inside pulled the handle. She of course flailed and pitched forward.
“W-Whoa!”
Damn it. That earlier stroke of luck had clearly been a coincidence. If she was toppling like this again, no way luck was on her side!
She squeezed her eyes shut and reflexively flung out her hands. Something firm and solid landed against her palms.
‘Huh?’
She hadn’t fallen. Instead, she was braced against… solid flesh. She opened her eyes.
“…Eki Provanet.”
Once was enough for mistakes. This time, Eki immediately recoiled backward.
Because what she had just grabbed with a squish was none other than her master’s ample chest.
With a face gone deathly pale, she looked up at her master’s chilling expression.
“M-Master, why are you here?”
“You took so long, I thought I’d try this thing called coming to meet you.”
“Whaaat?”
All this just for that? The reclusive archmage who never stepped a foot outside his lab had come all the way here?
Unbelievable. Eki darted her eyes around, searching for some magical tool.
This wasn’t her master. It had to be someone’s horrible prank…
“What are you looking for.”
“Ah!”
Cassius flicked her forehead, not hard, but enough to sting. With a heavy sigh, he crossed his arms over the very chest she had just grabbed. He looked as though pretending indifference, but his expression was dark.
It was the kind of mood where he might cut someone down on the spot. Eki fell quiet at once.
“Get inside. There are things I need to explain.”
“Y-Yes, sir…”
She obeyed her master’s order without another word.
Discussion
0 CommentsReactions
No comments yet.