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“Young Lord, what do you mean by ‘personal mage’? Weren’t you originally planning only to hire mages?”

Thanks to Ghislain explaining his plan in rough terms earlier, both Belinda and Gillian knew about the plan to hire mages.

Though they hadn’t expected it to actually work out this well.

“Well, it’s a bit of this and that. We couldn’t even get ten mages.”
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“From what the elder said, that person doesn’t seem all that exceptional and seems more suited for odd jobs. Are you sure that’s okay?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. It all depends on how you use a person.”

When Ghislain confidently responded, Gillian said no more.

Using people was entirely up to their lord; it wasn’t a subject a subordinate should interfere with. All he hoped was that this new addition wouldn’t become a burden.

Meanwhile, Kaor, having listened to the explanation, wore a peculiar expression.

Receiving a single maid in place of four missing mages wasn’t a good deal, no matter how he looked at it.

And making her a personal mage at that—what noble in the world would make a maid from a magic tower their personal mage?

‘Damn, I really can’t figure out what he’s thinking.’

In truth, it didn’t matter to Kaor who Ghislain hired as his personal mage or if it was a loss.

He was curious about Ghislain’s thinking, but Ghislain wasn’t obligated to explain it to him.

However, there was one thing that needed clarification.

“Young Lord, is hiring these mages really to prepare for territorial warfare?”

“Yes, just in case. It’s never a bad idea to be prepared.”

“Even if you keep their connection to the tower a secret… wouldn’t it be better to announce that you’ve hired mercenary mages? With the Runestone, if you openly say you’re training a large force, others would think twice before provoking you.”

Kaor’s suggestion had merit. Sometimes, displaying power could act as a deterrent to war.

But that logic didn’t apply this time.

The Delfine Duchy would attack the Ferdium family no matter what. Hiring a few mages wouldn’t scare them.

It would be a relief if they didn’t mock them instead.

The Ferdium family was still far inferior to its enemies in every way, so if it hoped to win, it needed to hide its full strength as much as possible.

“For now, I’d prefer to keep it hidden. Kaor, you’ll need to be discreet as well.”

“Me? I don’t mind… as long as you pay me, I’d even tell you my wife’s underwear color.”

At Kaor’s sly response, Ghislain chuckled.

Soon, Hubert and the elders returned with a group of mages.

Six mages are dressed in splendid robes and expressions full of confidence.

And behind them, a woman stood hesitantly.

‘Finally, we meet.’

Ghislain spotted the woman and smiled, clearly pleased.

She appeared to be in her early twenties.

Her dark red hair was a tangled mess, and unlike the other mages, her robe was torn and dirty.

She looked so anxious and uneasy, constantly glancing at others to read the room, that it was apparent how much mistreatment she had suffered at the tower.

Hubert smiled and introduced the mages to Ghislain.

“Now, these are the mages who will assist you for the next year. I’ve emphasized the need to maintain secrecy so you don’t have to worry.”

Among the six mages, a young man stepped forward to introduce himself.

He seemed to naturally lead the older mages, indicating that he was pretty capable.

“My name is Alfoi. I have been entrusted with the important task of leading the mages this time. In accordance with the Tower Master’s orders, I will serve you with the utmost sincerity, Young Lord.”

His words were polite, but his expression was anything but.

Clearly, he was only following orders from above without any personal dedication.

Alfoi smirked as he looked down at Ghislain as if he were some country bumpkin.

His expression was unpleasant, but Ghislain didn’t care. After all, they were merely temporary assets he would borrow.

“I am Ghislain, the Young Lord of the Ferdium family. I look forward to working with you. It’s impressive to be a 3rd-circle master at such a young age.”

Hubert cleared his throat and answered on Alfoi’s behalf.

“Ahem, well, it’s not to brag, but… he’s one of the most promising talents in our tower. At his age, there are very few who can match him. I’ve invested quite a bit of effort into him.”

One of the elders chimed in from the side.

“Alfoi is the Tower Master’s disciple. You could say he’s the successor of our tower. So, how about it? We’ve done our best.”

In truth, they reluctantly sent their prized successor only because no one else was trustworthy enough, but they intended to make it sound like a grand gesture.

“Is that so? I didn’t expect you to send even the Tower Master’s disciple.”

Ghislain smiled as he replied, but he wasn’t genuinely impressed.

After all, the person he truly wanted was someone else.

Still, he offered praise to Alfoi readily. Flattery costs nothing, after all.

“Having the successor of the tower with us is reassuring. I have high expectations.”

Alfoi bowed his head naturally in response.

“Please feel free to speak comfortably. The Tower Master has instructed us to serve you with our utmost effort. You are a very important guest to our tower.”

He deliberately adopted a humble tone, emphasizing how much attention Hubert had paid to Ghislain.

It was his way of currying favor with those above him while maintaining politeness toward their guest.

Hubert looked pleased, and Alfoi was also satisfied, thinking he had done well.

However, the person they were dealing with lived in a completely different world.

“Got it. I’ll be counting on you. There will be much for you to do in the estate. From now on, stay on your toes.”

As soon as Ghislain dropped the formalities and spoke down to him, Alfoi’s eyes wavered sharply.

Usually, when one showed humility, the other party would reciprocate with courtesy.

No one had ever spoken so casually to him, the heir of the tower.

But the filthy man before him didn’t show the slightest respect for Alfoi, treating him like a subordinate instead.

There wasn’t a shred of thought given to respecting his status.

‘This ignorant country bumpkin… How dare he, without knowing his place!’

Alfoi felt humiliated, grinding his teeth in frustration, but he couldn’t show it outwardly.

All he could do was lower his head to hide his flushed, angry face.

‘They say there’s an important contract, so I’ll endure it for a year. But… let’s see if you can act this way once I become the Tower Master.’

While Alfoi was gritting his teeth and holding back his anger, the other mages stepped forward one by one to greet Ghislain.

After all six had finished their introductions, one woman standing at the back was still nervously fidgeting, unsure of what to do.

One of the elders roughly shoved her forward, irritated.

“What are you doing? Hurry and greet the Young Lord! All you’re good for is wasting food, with no sense at all. Tsk tsk.”

Suddenly pushed to the front, the woman couldn’t hide her frightened expression. In a trembling voice, she managed to speak.

“I-I greet you, Young Lord. M-my name is Vanessa.”

Ghislain smiled at her anxious demeanor and extended his hand.

“I am Ghislain Ferdium. I look forward to working with you.”

Vanessa, flustered, wiped her hands vigorously on her robe before shaking his hand.

As she kept bowing her head repeatedly, Ghislain laughed and spoke again.

“There’s no need to be so nervous. You’ve been briefed by the Tower Master, right?”

Vanessa shook her head, trembling.

“I-I haven’t been told anything… I was just cleaning, and…”

Her voice trailed off. Ghislain frowned and turned to Hubert, silently pressuring him for an explanation.

Hubert, flustered, quickly stammered out a response.

“We brought her here in such a hurry that we haven’t had time to explain yet. Vanessa, from now on, you will leave the tower and serve this Young Lord. Understood?”

“What?”

Vanessa stared in shock at Hubert and the elders.

She had always braced herself for the day the tower’d discard her, but she never imagined it would be so sudden.

“M-my master told me I could stay in the tower…”

Vanessa tried to protest with a shaky voice, but Hubert shouted sternly.

“Hmph! Lonato is already dead. Are you saying you’ll defy the orders of the Tower Master?”

“B-but…”

Hubert glanced sideways at Ghislain, who wore a curious expression, then quickly changed his tone, speaking more softly.

“This is a good opportunity for you. Isn’t it better to serve the Young Lord as his personal mage rather than doing menial chores around here?”

“B-but I can’t even use magic properly…”

“Tsk! Why do you talk so much!”

Hubert hastily cut her off, alarmed at the risk of revealing that Vanessa couldn’t use magic.

Vanessa looked utterly lost, her face crumpling as if she were about to cry. One of the elders nearby, wearing a serious expression, gently tried to console her.

“The tower took you in and fed you for years when you were an orphan. You should repay that kindness by serving the Young Lord properly. Understood?”

Vanessa hung her head low.

Realizing she had been abandoned after all, tears threatened to well up in her eyes.

Ever since her master died, she had lived in constant fear, unsure of when she might be cast out.

Since she had lived in the tower her entire life, Vanessa couldn’t imagine what she could do if she suddenly left.

She had no confidence in surviving alone in the outside world.

She had even accepted the role of a servant to stay in the tower, but it had all been in vain.

Vanessa cautiously glanced at Ghislain, then quickly lowered her head again.

‘S-so scary.’

Not knowing why he wanted her and being uncertain about what would happen to her, she couldn’t help but feel terrified.

‘I… I really wanted to become a mage… I worked so hard…’

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Charmed by her intelligence, Lonato took her in as a disciple and taught her magic even though she was an orphan.

However, no matter how hard she tried, Vanessa couldn’t accumulate mana within her body.

She had mastered all the formulas in theory, but without mana, she couldn’t cast any spells. Her master had pitied her, but he hadn’t been able to find a solution.

After his death, she had been left alone, and the tower began to treat her as a freeloader.

Still, she didn’t give up. She cut down on sleep, tirelessly searching for the cause and continuing to study the magic formulas.

She had never given up hope that one day, she, too, would be able to use magic.

‘I don’t want to go…’

If she followed that Young Lord, she would no longer be able to study magic.

Even if she was treated like a servant in the tower, she could still continue her studies.

But if she went to a noble’s house, she would truly be nothing more than a servant.

As Vanessa hesitated, unable to give a proper response, Hubert grew furious and shouted loudly.

“What are you doing! Hurry up and greet the Young Lord!”

Hubert had barely managed to reduce the number of mages by agreeing to hand Vanessa over, and he knew that if he delayed too long and Ghislain changed his mind, it would cause a headache.

Growing impatient, he lost control and revealed his true temper.

“If you don’t listen to me, do you think you’ll be able to continue learning magic here?”

Vanessa flinched at the harsh tone, her body trembling.

The elders also chimed in with their own sharp remarks.

“It’ll be better for you to go when the Young Lord wants you to. It’s for your own good.”

“Your talents are too great to be wasted here. Now go while we’re still speaking kindly.”

“The tower has taken care of you for so long; it’s only right you repay that kindness!”

Under the pressure of the hostile atmosphere, Vanessa’s face turned pale.

It was already decided that she would follow Ghislain. She wasn’t in a position to refuse.

The talk of repaying the tower’s kindness was also true.

“I-I understand…”

Though she understood in her mind, her voice kept catching in her throat, unable to come out properly. Finally, she burst into tears out of frustration and sorrow.

Seeing this, Ghislain sighed heavily and stepped forward.

“If you speak to her so harshly, won’t she just get more scared? You should speak gently.”

“Ahem…”

Hubert and the elders cleared their throats and turned their heads away, all just wishing that Ghislain would hurry up and take Vanessa away.

Ghislain gently patted Vanessa’s shoulder and spoke.

“I need your help. I want you to be my mage. Won’t you come with me?”

Vanessa looked into Ghislain’s eyes.

His gaze held a warmth like he was greeting an old friend he hadn’t seen in a long time.

That warm voice and look gave Vanessa a small glimmer of hope. In a trembling voice, she asked,

“If… If I refuse… what will happen? Can I stay here?”

“Really? You won’t regret it?”

“Y-yes…!”

“You’ll regret it.”

Ghislain, who had been smiling, suddenly wiped the smile from his face and answered firmly.

“If you stay here, you’ll die.”