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Originally, magicians are the kind of people who tend to give off a gloomy vibe.

When you’re immersed in your studies, it’s easy to neglect self-care.

Especially for those who became Myohail’s disciples to study magic—their appearance was closer to that of beggars.

But Laura was an exception among exceptions. Her appearance stood out among the shabby magicians.

Her flawless robe revealed a curvaceous blouse underneath, and she maintained a youthful style that didn’t match her age.

Yet, it didn’t look awkward at all. She looked so young that you’d think she was in her late 20s at most.

Compared to Mondri, who looked like he had aged decades, standing next to Laura made him look like a grandfather with his grown-up granddaughter.

Of course, Laura’s youthful appearance was partly natural, but it was also the result of her immense effort in self-care.

Her goal in studying magic was to prevent aging. It was no exaggeration to say her youthful look was the result of desperate efforts.

In that sense, the boy couldn’t help but feel like another exception to Laura.

-From now on, this is the child who will study with you. He’s much younger than you, but he’s clever, so treat him well.

The boy Myohail brought was slender, almost like a girl, and looked sickly.

Laura had seen many young dreamers who aspired to become magicians.

But this boy’s appearance was far from the typical image of a magician.

His long hair was neatly tied into a ponytail, and his long eyelashes made him look like a girl. His coat and white shirt were impeccably wrinkle-free.

His sharp, well-defined features made his appearance even more striking.

He looked more like a nobleman’s son than someone who would study magic.

-William…

The boy introduced himself in a pre-pubescent voice.

-William Ruelberta.

Looking back, that was the beginning of the bad relationship between the Elsink and Ruelberta families.

*

Over the past few days, Laura Elsink had been scouting around Tristan from a distance where she wouldn’t be noticed.

She soon concluded that it would be extremely difficult to tail him.

There were several reasons for this conclusion.

First, Tristan was incredibly busy. From repairing Roelgreen Castle to planning logistics for fortification, there was hardly anything he wasn’t involved in.

Following his schedule alone was exhausting.

Moreover, he regularly summoned commanders to issue detailed orders, like clearing out remaining monstrous beasts around the castle or improving the roads back to the capital.

Laura wasn’t exempt from these orders. Since she had accepted him as the overall commander, she couldn’t refuse his commands.

But it was also difficult to send someone trustworthy to tail him.

Tristan was a meticulous man. He left no room for error in even the smallest actions and gave no opportunity for suspicion.

But the biggest problem was the exceptional skills of those protecting Tristan.

Especially Helga, Tristan’s bodyguard knight, was an outstanding fighter.

Born with superhuman physical abilities and lightning magic, she was from the Wolfbert family, which pursued extreme strength. Just her presence made it nearly impossible to approach Tristan.

Helga’s keen senses detected any suspicious gaze directed at her master.

‘What kind of senses does she have…?’

Once, Laura had tried to approach Tristan using a stealth spell to hide her presence. But Helga was the first to sense her.

It seemed the rumor that one of the Wolfbert ancestors was a wolf wasn’t just a myth.

Even Laura, with her exceptional skills, almost got caught several times by Helga’s animalistic senses.

But Helga wasn’t the only one with such sharp senses.

Blanshe, Bella Izakhel’s bodyguard knight, was the same.

Due to her duties, she was often with Tristan and also possessed animal-like senses. She could pinpoint any gaze directed at Tristan.

With two such individuals around, Laura concluded that anyone with mediocre skills wouldn’t stand a chance of tailing Tristan.

‘I need to find another way…’

By now, Laura’s suspicion of Tristan had turned into certainty. She doubted that he was truly forming an alliance for the sake of the country and the Emperor.

After all, he was from the Ruelberta family.

A family with power surpassing even the Imperial family. The head of such a ruthless family wouldn’t suddenly become a good person.

Power changes people. Those born into immense power rarely change easily.

Laura decided to stop tailing Tristan directly and instead began observing those around him.

If direct access was difficult, it was safer to gather information through those already close to him.

Laura investigated those around Tristan who might know his movements. Among them, she identified a young girl who seemed relatively easy to approach and was close to Tristan.

For Laura, this was a perfect target.

A naive child who had Tristan’s favor? And she was his exclusive maid?

Laura smiled inwardly.

Unlike Helga or Blanshe, she was confident she could easily manipulate a child.

According to her investigation, the girl was quite clumsy despite being an exclusive maid.

Laura guessed that Tristan kept her around for amusement.

She could almost see the sadistic Tristan enjoying the girl’s mistakes.

Though she was said to be favored, Laura doubted it. It was likely a facade Tristan created for his reputation. Surely, the girl harbored some resentment toward him.

With the right approach, Laura might be able to extract valuable information from her.

‘But…’

Finding the perfect target was great, but how could she approach the girl without raising suspicion?

Laura pondered.

Pretending to bump into her casually would only invite unnecessary wariness. It would be best to approach her naturally…

Then, today, Laura got exactly what she wished for.

“I-I don’t know! I didn’t see anything!”

Was it divine intervention?

The girl Laura had been hoping to contact—Wendy—was running straight toward her.

But what was going on?

Laura locked eyes with Wendy. Her teary eyes pleaded for help.

“P-Please help me!”

“What?”

“Sniff… I’m being chased… Please…”

It was clear she was being pursued. A loud voice echoed from behind the barracks.

“Hahaha! Come out quietly, Wendy! I know you’re nearby!”

“Eek! Please hide me!”

Wendy begged Laura almost desperately.

Laura didn’t know the full situation, but this was exactly the scenario she had hoped for. Suppressing a smile, she replied.

“Alright. I’ll help you.”

“R-Really?!”

“Yes. Just sit still over there.”

Wendy sat down as instructed. Laura immediately began drawing a magic formula in the air.

“Wow…”

Wendy’s eyes widened as she watched Laura’s hands move.

Using a multi-formula technique, Laura created a small barrier around Wendy.

Though small, it was sturdy enough to withstand even explosive magic.

In truth, Laura’s actions were excessive.

She used a high-level spell to impress Wendy and leave a good impression.

‘Hmph… This is the high-level barrier taught by Sage Myohail.’

Laura felt a sense of superiority as she watched Wendy marvel at her skill.

When Wendy’s presence was completely hidden, two women emerged from the barracks.

One of them, Helga Wolfbert, recognized Laura and hesitated.

She seemed to remember being scolded by the Count for her rudeness toward Laura and held her tongue.

Instead, Blanshe, standing beside Helga, spoke up.

“Ahem… Lady Laura. Excuse me, but have you seen a young girl passing by here?”

“What? What girl?”

Laura deliberately answered curtly. Sensing her discomfort, Blanshe cautiously continued.

“Ah… Well… We need to ask her something.”

“Hmm. Haven’t seen anyone like that.”

“Is that so…?”

“Yeah. Not at all.”

Laura shrugged, pretending ignorance. Blanshe bowed politely.

“Sorry for the disturbance. We’ll take our leave now.”

As the two left, Laura noticed their eyes still scanning the area.

Despite the high-level barrier hiding Wendy, they seemed to vaguely sense her presence.

They knew Wendy had been here.

But with Laura, one of the Seven Stars, claiming ignorance, the two could gain nothing from this encounter.

Once their presence completely faded, Laura spoke to the girl beyond the barrier.

“It’s safe now.”

“T-Thank goodness… Thank you…”

The girl beyond the barrier looked both cute and somewhat naive.

‘How could someone so clueless be favored…?’

Laura was convinced Tristan kept her around solely to satisfy his sadistic tendencies.

She prepared to dispel the barrier.

“Stay still. I’ll remove the barrier.”

“O-Okay…”

But before Laura could act, Wendy started touching the barrier from the inside.

“Hey! Are you crazy? Stop that!”

“Huh?”

“Don’t touch it carelessly! It’s a high-level barrier!”

How could someone be so clueless?

It’s common knowledge that only the caster should handle magic formulas.

But this girl, how much did she not know to touch the formula so recklessly?

Yet, Wendy showed no sign of panic as she moved her fingers.

“It’s okay. I can handle this level of barrier.”

“What? This level?!”

“Just find the core of the formula and do this…”

As Wendy’s small fingers poked at the formula, the barrier Laura had created began to crack and then… weakly fell apart.

“See? You can easily open it from the inside too…!”

“Huh?!”

Laura’s barrier was a high-level one taught by Sage Myohail.

The complex multi-formula barrier was designed to be unbreakable by anyone but the caster.

Yet, this girl had dismantled it with just a few finger movements.

“Wha… What?!”

Laura could only stare in shock, alternating between her hands and Wendy’s.

 

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