Episode 5
Undercover Job (1)
He was a tall young man with broad shoulders, yet his frame was leaner than those of the thugs surrounding him.
Despite that, he had already effortlessly taken down one of the gang members.
From afar, the sound of a thug groaning in pain echoed across the ground where he had been thrown.
“Who the hell are you?!”
One of the remaining thugs couldn’t hold back and charged at the unfamiliar man.
But—
Wham!
He was also taken out in a flash.
The man had simply extended his leg and kicked the charging thug in a smooth, clean motion. His extended leg moved with practiced precision.
“I asked what you were doing beside my workshop. I’ve been wondering why it’s been so noisy outside… So, it was you guys?”
The man coolly addressed the thugs.
Though his body looked relatively slender, Temia—who had been watching everything—could feel a strong sense of intimidation radiating from him. More than anything, a deep-rooted fear embedded in her very being overtook her completely.
Towell van Trema.
It was him. The one she had been searching for.
Those cold, red eyes, sunken in a calm yet chilling gaze.
The frigid aura emanating from that glance was not something easily forgotten.
And when his voice reached her ears, memories of being helplessly dragged through a basement overwhelmed her mind.
It felt like at any moment, he could grab her and pin her down. Temia’s entire body began to tremble visibly.
Perhaps realizing he couldn’t handle this any further, the thug restraining Temia panicked, muttered a curse, and bolted.
Because of that sudden release, Temia stumbled and fell to the ground, but the man didn’t even spare her a glance. He simply looked down on the crumpled thugs with a cold, contemptuous gaze.
“If you cause another pointless commotion like this…”
The man still hadn’t vented all of his fury—he raised his hand, and fire began to blaze at his fingertips.
It was a brilliant flame, the very symbol of a mage.
As they watched the fire burn fiercely in his hand, the remaining thugs didn’t even think of resisting—they all fled in a mad scramble.
Temia, who had been blankly watching this scene, finally returned to reality when she felt the rough dirt under her fingertips.
However, she knew—it wasn’t over yet.
The man in front of her had the capacity for violence great enough to attack her simply for being loud.
“Get a grip.”
Now wasn’t the time to be trembling in fear.
She had to act. Temia forced herself up from the ground. Thankfully, her trembling could be attributed to the thugs and not the man, so it didn’t raise any suspicion.
“Um… Thank you.”
Temia met the eyes of the man who was still staring at her indifferently.
Dark green hair, neatly trimmed. Thin-rimmed glasses, behind which his red eyes glowed sharply. And most notably, the sharp, upturned corners of his eyes, which seemed less influenced by the current situation and more a reflection of his natural character—ferocious and fierce.
As their eyes met, Temia involuntarily shrank back.
Feeling her stiffened body, she hurriedly lowered her gaze to the ground.
‘Wait… is he seriously judging me too?’
Hoping not to appear too intimidated, she carefully chose her next words.
But just as she was formulating a response, the man took a step toward her and asked,
“You planning to stand there all day? You’re not leaving.”
Thump.
He was only a few steps away now—Temia’s heart began pounding violently.
That face—the face that had haunted her dreams—was standing alive and breathing in front of her.
Rowell van Treia.
It was him.
He looked younger than she remembered, but there was no mistaking it.
Every word he had ever said to her echoed in her ears. And the way he had once looked down on her with contempt—how could she forget? That look, as if he might devour her at any moment, vividly resurfaced in her mind.
Thump. Thump.
His mouth began to move slowly, and Temia’s heart pounded harder.
But—
“If you don’t have any particular reason to stay, you should leave. I’ve already had trouble focusing on my research because of all this commotion—including your screams.”
His tone was unmistakably laced with annoyance.
Still reeling from the unexpected reunion and her lingering fear, Temia could only babble awkwardly in response.
“Uh, sorry! I-It wasn’t intentional. I didn’t mean to disturb you. Still, thank you. I-I’ll be sure to repay—”
Mumbling a jumbled string of thanks, Temia bowed her head deeply.
After all, he had helped her out of a potentially dangerous situation, so expressing gratitude wasn’t out of place.
Moreover, the idea struck her—maybe she could use this as a pretext to get closer to him.
“I didn’t help you. The noise was annoying, so I just cleared out the disturbance. You just happened to be in the way.”
But her plan crumbled the moment he spoke again.
He looked at her like she was just a piece of trash on the side of the road. No, even trash might have been better—at least that had some utility.
“Are we done here? I’m very busy.”
As he turned to leave, a piece of paper fell from his hand. He didn’t even try to retrieve it.
Seeing that, Temia quickly picked up the paper and read it.
[Assistant Wanted – Room and Board Provided – Salary Negotiable – Green Sandwich Magic Workshop]
“Room and board provided?”
“Hm? Ah, I must’ve dropped it. Hand it over, please. I was on my way to post it somewhere anyway.”
His voice came from behind her.
The man walked up to her and took the paper from her hand.
But at Temia’s next words, he froze in place.
“Wait! That—assistant thing. I’ll do it!”
Yes, this was it. The perfect opportunity to get close and observe him naturally.
She spoke clearly once more.
“Please, will you hire me?”
The thrill of such an unexpected opportunity dulled her fear.
Temia’s mind was working rapidly.
If she lived and worked there, she could observe him more closely than anyone else. Maybe she could even sabotage his future plans.
Posing as a customer wouldn’t get her this far—this was the faster and better route for investigation.
And more importantly, this younger version of him probably wouldn’t attack her recklessly.
Unlike how he had taken out the thugs, he had only been irritated with her.
So it might not be too dangerous to stay near him.
Her heart, once heavy with dread, now swelled with a faint sense of hope.
Thankfully, she had already studied everything she could about magic, from basic theory to advanced techniques.
And since the job description didn’t mention any experience requirements, it was likely just errands or chores.
That meant there was no reason for him to reject her. In fact, he had to accept.
After all, no one in the world knew this man’s future better than she did.
With confidence, she declared:
“I’m from the Royal Kingdom of Rostia, Makanevi! I swear! If you don’t believe me, you can test me!”
“…You are?”
“Yes! My grades were decent too! I’m not a mage, but I’ve taken magic theory as an elective. Please! I can really do this!”
The man looked her up and down silently.
Everything about her—from head to toe—seemed suspicious.
Temia, still a bit disheveled from the scuffle earlier, felt slightly embarrassed under his scrutinizing gaze.
No one had ever looked at her like this before, as if evaluating her worth.
“Well, come in first.”
It turned out his workshop really was nearby.
He walked a few steps and opened the door.
[Green Sandwich Magic Workshop]
Temia steadied her breath and followed him in with cautious steps.
“So, your name was?”
The interior of the workshop was surprisingly refined.
It wasn’t just a simple workshop—this was a magic workshop that must have cost a fortune to operate.
Even the bubbling potions and mineral shelves were made from fine oak wood—enough to impress even her, who had grown up surrounded by luxury.
The fresh flowers adorning the walls and intricately carved decorations gave the place a sophisticated feel.
It was surprising, really, that a man who would later commit acts of terror and try to destroy the world had such an eye for aesthetics.
Back when he had captured her, she had been wearing a bloodstained, tattered uniform—so she had thought he would be completely indifferent to such things.
Temia, distracted by the workshop’s splendor, didn’t answer immediately.
The man clicked his fingers. Snap.
Startled, Temia returned her gaze to him.
“Ah! Sorry. I got distracted. Let me reintroduce myself—Temia. That’s my name.”
“Just Temia? No surname?”
“Uh… yeah. I’m a commoner.”
“A commoner attending the Royal Academy? That’s quite unusual.”
To be fair, she didn’t look like someone who had stolen their clothes—her appearance was too well-groomed.
More suspicious was the robe she wore—it looked like it had magical protection woven into it. Though it was slightly damaged, if it weren’t, one might think she was on her way to teach a class somewhere.
Everything about her screamed suspicious.
And yet, she showed up offering to be his assistant, something he had failed to find for months.
It all seemed too conveniently timed.
To the man, it sounded completely unbelievable.
But Temia remained persistent.
Still, that lie didn’t seem to matter much to him.
He nodded and crossed his arms.
“I still don’t really trust you, but I am in urgent need of help. Better than training a total beginner from scratch, I suppose.”
“Yes! People often say I’m quite diligent. I may fumble at first, but I adapt quickly!”
“Well, the job isn’t just workshop duties. There are personal tasks too, so don’t be surprised. It’s more like hiring a personal assistant.”
He examined her again. Then, as if making a decision, he pulled some reagents and tools off a shelf and laid them out on the table.
“What are you best at?”
