TPM 04

TPM

Posted by Elsa, Released on November 2, 2025

Chapter : 4

Aquilán’s personal secretary—though it should really be called “slave”—Ryder sighed as he took the documents signed by Aquilán.

“Weren’t you supposed to return with Themis…?”

Ever since Themis collapsed, Aquilán hadn’t left the palace, leaving mountains of unprocessed documents piled up in the Magic Tower.

“Something came up. I said to bring them here, and we’ll handle the paperwork here.”

“But still… this is terrifying…”

Ryder’s heart shrank to the size of a bean. He had suddenly been tasked with bringing highly confidential documents, which should have only been handled within the Magic Tower, out to the palace. Even though the palace and the Magic Tower maintained a cooperative relationship, taking classified documents outside the tower was still an alarming matter.

“What exactly is the problem?”

Of course, this was due to the presence of the living legend of imperial history, the omnipotent…

“Of course, the Grand Mage!”

It was because of Aquilán. The idea of the Grand Mage staying in the palace and personally overseeing investigations was a heavy burden for the royal family.

“The Grand Mage needs to understand just how much influence he wields…”

“If he starts worrying about everything here, it’ll only get more troublesome. Better to appear carefree.”

Ryder narrowed his eyes at Aquilán’s words, momentarily taken aback.

“So you’re saying that all the time I’ve seen you act carefree was intentional?”

“If it seemed that way, then I packaged it well.”

Aquilán replied with a faint smile. Ryder let out a sigh and, instead of continuing the meaningless conversation, naturally changed the topic.

“How is Themis’s condition? Everyone says it feels empty since her lab, which was always lit, is now empty.”

“She’s awake. But…”

Aquilán recalled Themis, who, upon waking, insisted she wanted to attend the banquet as if she had become a completely different person. Though her bright smile and energetic attitude remained, she seemed strangely changed.

“…She said she wants to attend the banquet.”

“Themis? That’s unexpected.”

Ryder was surprised. It was widely known among the mages of the Magic Tower that Themis usually avoided outdoor activities altogether.

“That’s right…”

Aquilán smiled softly, recalling Themis’s unusually energetic appearance.

‘Maybe she experienced something in her dreams.’

Usually, Aquilán let his students work independently, almost leaving them to their own devices. But now, Themis had surprised him like this. Ryder wondered if the strange energy she had absorbed during the attack had affected her.

‘I should have another doctor, not just the royal physician, examine her…’

If the girl truly decided to live like a normal person…

“In that case, I’ll use some effort on behalf of my student.”

He intended to leverage the weight of his own name.

“You seem particularly attentive to Themis. Even though you don’t show it to her.”

It was always surprising to see Aquilán, who usually ignored complaints from the Magic Tower’s mages—including Ryder—pay special attention to someone.

“I raised her.”

“…It’s been ten years since you brought Themis, Grand Mage, but to call it raising her seems like neglect to me.”

“Regardless, she’s always dear to me.”

Ryder shrugged at Aquilán’s ridiculous attitude. Well, from his perspective, who could possibly look like a woman…

‘That might even hurt her feelings.’

Anyone who knew Themis knew how fond she was of Aquilán. Watching her follow him around happily could even lift others’ moods.

‘And she’s the only human Aquilán genuinely cares about.’

Whenever the Magic Tower people needed to fetch Aquilán, they always found Themis first, hoping things would go well between them. But Aquilán’s treatment of Themis was no more than a mother bird feeding her chick. As a result, their relationship had never progressed.

Ryder, who had once cheered for Aquilán’s happiness—or rather, fewer duties—without expecting much, now watched with little expectation. Yet Themis had changed.

There was a perfect boundary between them. Ryder suddenly wondered if Themis could cross it.

I stayed an additional week in the guest chambers of the palace.

This was necessary because the recent terrorist incident required investigation by the palace knights.

‘It’s the first time I’ve been away from my room for this long.’

Since becoming my master’s student, I had never left the Magic Tower for more than a day.

I missed my room, but… the palace was better for now. The imperial capital, Afranen, was a shopping paradise, full of every fashion trend, unlike the isolated Magic Tower.

‘The banquet and festival celebrating the return of the princess will be held in a few days…’

Until then, there was much to prepare.

‘I need to coordinate dresses and jewelry, and maybe even learn a dance just in case…’

Just thinking about the preparations for the banquet made my head spin. In truth, I didn’t strictly have to do all this.

Being “the only disciple of Grand Mage Aquilán,” no one would criticize me for attending the banquet in something simple. But the less perfect I appeared, the more people would gossip about and belittle my master.

‘I know I pale in comparison to my master…’

He was beautiful and strong—not just in appearance, but in his elegant speech, upright character, and perfect magical abilities. Compared to him, I was just a fledgling dark mage.

Not to mention, my orphan status was widely known.

So I had to prepare flawlessly.

‘It’s not fear of crap; it’s that it’s dirty.’

People in the stuffy aristocratic society excelled at burying others in scandal. So it was better not to give them any reason from the start.

Famous shops would already be fully booked, so I had to target smaller, lesser-known shops in the outskirts.

‘I’m meeting Everett this evening.’

The appointment was at 6 PM. Until then, I would search the capital for a dress.

“Ugh.”

10 AM. The perfect time to head out.

‘I’ll grab lunch somewhere outside.’

Trying street food or a new restaurant wouldn’t be bad. Memories of my past life made familiar things feel new, and I wanted to experience things I hadn’t before.

In my previous life, I was also an orphan, working myself to death between home and work. When I first realized it, I felt so unfairly treated.

‘I should explore famous eateries too.’

Now that my memories were back, I didn’t want to repeat the same mistakes of staying trapped in the Magic Tower.

‘I’ll struggle to change my master’s future and reclaim my own life!’

I gained the courage to pursue the things I had been denied.

‘Then, let’s head out!’

I finished preparing and opened the door, only to come face-to-face with a broad chest. My eyes widened.

“…Master?”

After months of not seeing him, my master stood before me after just one day.

“…Where are you going, Themis?”

He tilted his head as he looked at me in uniform.

“Oh, I wanted to prepare a bit for the banquet. There’s a lot to buy.”