It was Void and Liam’s voices.

Startled, I quickly got up.

“What are you doing? Are you awake?”

The door opened a crack and their faces peeked in.

Dad sighed like he couldn’t stop them.

“I told you not to run to Ruby’s room the moment you wake up. Are you ready to leave?”

“We’re not teasing her, and we didn’t come the moment we woke up, and besides, it’s noon now! Dad!”

Void dragged out his words playfully as he ran in. Behind him, Liam walked over, cleaning his glasses.

“Ruby, let’s play!”

“Yeah!”

I jumped off the sofa.

Just then, Dad gently grabbed the back of my neck.

“But Rubian Zebert.”

“Dad?”

He looked down at me with his arms folded, looking strict...

I got a bad feeling.

“Didn’t I tell you not to run out of the house without permission?”

Gulp.

“You broke the rule again.”

That’s right.

“But that was a special situation...”

“No excuses.”

His voice was stern.

Void and Liam, sensing trouble, stepped in front of me protectively.

“Um, what’s wrong, Dad? What did Ruby do?”

“Dad, before you decide, shouldn’t you hear Ruby’s side too, instead of judging right away?”

The boys tried to shield me, but as soon as Dad stood up, it was useless.

He looked very serious.

“You broke your promise to me, so you have to be punished this time.”

“Sir...”

Even the servants tried to stop him, but it was no use.

I had no choice but to raise my hands.

“Uh... I’m sorry. I’ll reflect on it.”

Do I have to stand in the hallway with my hands up?

But suddenly, Dad’s arms scooped me up from under my armpits and lifted me into the air.

I blinked in surprise.

“Huh? Why are you hugging me?”

Dad looked even more confused.

“...Didn’t you ask for a hug? You put your arms out.”

Well... I did put them out...

“Why are you hugging me when I’m supposed to be punished?”

He finally realized, looking embarrassed.

Dad rolled his eyes, thinking, then put on a strict face again.

“Your punishment. Helping me in my office for three hours.”

“Whaaat?”

“...Is that too much? Then thirty minutes.”

“Whaaaat?”

It was such a light punishment, I was shocked!

“What, three seconds is a bit much?”

“Oh, what am I going to do with my parenting...”

If he keeps being so soft, there’s nothing to do but raise myself well.

In the end, after breakfast, I had to do my punishment in Dad’s office.

Whenever Dad pointed at a spot on the documents and said, “Stamp here,” I had to slam the seal down.

“Here.”

Thump.

“This side.”

Thump.

“One more time.”

Thump, thump.

To be honest... it was so fun I could do it all day!

After that, we went to the villa to say goodbye to His Majesty the Emperor.

“So you’re going back to Zelox? Take care, miss. If you’re bored, come visit the palace.”

“Yes!”

“Really, come visit the palace.”

“...You just said that.”

The Emperor just smiled.

No one brought up yesterday’s incident. Everything felt normal.

‘Honestly, a royal magician died in Bamilon. I thought the Magic King would protest...’

But everything was quiet.

I overheard Butler Adolf reporting in Dad’s office that the kingdom was acting carefully so they wouldn’t be kicked out of the “continental alliance.”

‘Looks like things will be peaceful for a while.’

Let’s hope I don’t see them again for a long time, ptooey!

The next person I met was Asha.

That was the real reason I’d come to Ipsen!

“Asha! I’ll get straight to the point. Do you want to come to Zelox with me?”

“Yes!”

“...” 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

She nodded so quickly, I was a bit shocked.

“Um... I know this is weird, but what about your little brother? And your family in the east?”

“He’s happy with Grandma! I can go back and forth whenever I want... But most of all, I want to be with you, Rubian!”

She rubbed her cheek against mine.

I explained, with my puffy face, why I needed her in Zelox—about her blueprint, about the barrier I was planning...

She just nodded and said “yes, yes,” to everything.

So today—

“Wow, it’s my first time seeing an unregistered magician.”

It was a historic day, with three (troublemaker) magicians in one place.

The runaway magician (me), the unregistered magician (Khal), and the base magician who had emotionally betrayed her kingdom (Asha).

“Is this the one who helped you on the battlefield, Rubian? Impressive...”

Asha looked Khalid up and down with her usual blank face.

Khalid clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed by her stare, and Asha stepped back.

“Don’t bite, Khal. You can’t bite people.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Eek! He bites? Amazing...”

What did she just believe?

I just laughed and finished tying up my luggage.

Outside, we could hear people loading bags onto the carriage. Now my sword pose was perfect!

“By the way, Khalid, why are you an unregistered magician?”

Asha asked while helping me tie the knots.

“Oh. His mother was a magician who ran away from the kingdom to have him.”

“What? So he’s the child of a runaway magician? Did she die?”

“Yep.”

“Wow...”

“That’s what we think, anyway.”

“Huh?”

“Actually, neither Khal nor I really know.”

I shrugged.

There’s no way Khal was born in that cave out of nowhere... We made up a story that made sense.

I didn’t say anything about being trapped in the cave, but Asha’s eyes sparkled.

“A boy with a secret birth... So mysterious.”

“But how did you ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) end up there yesterday, Asha?”

I asked about last night.

“‘The Fourth’ called me there, that’s all...”

“Oh. And did His Majesty bother you afterward?”

“Not at all! He just said I should act like I didn’t hear anything and not worry. So I agreed.”

“I see.”

It made sense.

Asha couldn’t just go around saying, “The kingdom’s magician tried to attack a noble in Bamilon! I heard it myself!”

After all, on the surface, she was still a magician from Arcadia.

‘If she did that, it’d basically mean declaring war on the Magic Kingdom.’

Neutrality is the base magician’s silent rule. The Emperor understood that.

“Phew. Anyway, you did great.”

“You too, Rubian...”

Asha stroked my cheek with a sad expression.

Khalid just threw a quick look over and stacked my things neatly in the bag.

“By the way, did Duke Zebert agree to you coming to Zelox, Asha?”

Khalid asked.

Asha suddenly looked worried.

She just agreed to come without thinking, huh.

Well, it worked out.

I grinned.

“Of course!”

Honestly, convincing Dad was easier than breakfast. Liam was on my side!

“Liam, by the way, do you want to meet the author of the Monster Encyclopedia?”

“What?”

“Well, to be exact, the person who wrote the ‘Monster Weapons’ section.”

Asha knew a lot about monsters.

She’d gained knowledge as a base magician, especially as a dwarf’s descendant. She wrote some research papers, and they ended up in the <Monster Encyclopedia>.

Since she didn’t like being noticed, she’d hidden her name cleverly.

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

Liam immediately ran to Dad’s office with me hanging off his side.

“Dad. I found my tutor.”

“When did Ruby become your tutor?”

“That’s not it...”

After Liam explained, Dad just raised an eyebrow.

“Well, do what you want.”

“Yes, I was planning to anyway. Also, can you button this for me?”

“But there’s not much for a base magician to do in Zelox. What’ll you tell the palace?”

“Ah, I’ll announce it!” I interrupted.

“We’re hiring a new employee! At our magic stone shop!”

And that’s how Asha Drukan became my employee.

“Wow, I’m a shop worker...”

“What do you think? You can work with magic stones and research magic tools. There’s a blacksmith next door, he’s really unique and nice. Isn’t it great?”

“Yeah... I’m excited, Rubian.”

Nice neighbor? Khalid shot me a sharp look, but I ignored him.

Just then, someone approached.

Liam came through my door.

“Teacher.”

He walked up to Asha with a glowing face and bowed.

“W-What are you doing?!”

Asha’s short hair shook wildly. Liam smiled with a perfect, polite expression.

“I’ve been waiting for you. Let’s go to my study right now.”

He started rolling a cart away, apparently ready to take Asha with him.