Following the servant, I stepped into the spacious mansion. Along the way, I passed by several people who appeared to be maids.
So being a national strategist really does come with status.
For the first time, I truly felt the weight of Jinor’s position. Back when I was essentially acting as the de facto strategist for Lunarian’s Army, I had been sleeping in a rundown house, relying on a single blanket to keep warm.
Lost in those old memories, I soon arrived at my destination.
“This way, please.”
As the door opened—
Seated at the highest position in the room, dressed in full regalia, was Jinor.
“Swen. You arrived on time.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Lord Jinor.”
“No need for formalities. Take a seat first.”
After settling into an appropriate spot, I carefully posed my question.
“So, the ‘mage’ I’m supposed to teach...?”
“My adopted daughter, Reika. She’s in her room right now. As I mentioned before, she possesses a unique ‘talent.’”
“I see... So she’s your daughter.”
Of course, I already knew that, having met Reika before. But I still feigned surprise as if I were hearing it for the first time.
“You should head to her room and immediately begin the lecture on ‘sensing the energy that lingers in the air’—just as you described. I’ve already informed her that her new teacher would be arriving today, so there’s no need for concern.”
With that, Jinor gave me directions to her room.
“Understood. Is there anything else I should know?”
“Well, it’s nothing too serious... but she’s a bit shy around strangers. I’d appreciate it if you kept that in mind.”
“That’s not a problem. I can relate—I tend to feel the same way when meeting new people.”
“You’ll likely change your mind once you meet her.”
“Is that so?”
I made the comment half in jest, but Jinor remained deadly serious.
Does he have almost no genuine affection for his adopted daughter?
“It would be best if you could help awaken her abilities,” Jinor continued.
“As I mentioned before, I can’t guarantee anything... In fact, I don’t even know if I’ll be of any help at all. Are you still fine with that?”
“It’s fine. Just share what you’ve experienced. As I said earlier, even if you don’t provide any direct guidance, simply hearing the firsthand experiences of a man capable of miracles will serve as a form of education for her. There’s no need to feel pressured.”
“If you put it that way...”
“Now then, I have business to attend to, so I’ll take my leave first. But Swen, I have a request.”
Jinor’s tone grew firm.
“You are free to go anywhere within the mansion. However, do not take her outside.”
“Why is that?”
“...I can’t explain that in detail. Just promise me.”
An overprotective father restricting his daughter’s movements? That was a stereotype I had seen countless times.
But this... this didn’t feel like that.
It felt more like... he was afraid something would disrupt his plans.
“Understood.”
“Then, I’ll be taking my leave.”
After Jinor left the room—
I suppose it’s time to go as well.
After idling for a moment, I made my way to Reika’s room.
*
This should be the place.
The mansion was so large that I got slightly lost along the way, but eventually, I arrived at the right door.
I gave it a light knock.
“P-P-Please... c-come in...!!”
That voice... I’ve heard it before.
As expected, Jinor’s adopted daughter was indeed Reika.
And the moment I opened the door—
BOOM!
A loud noise rang in my ears.
What the—?!
And right before me—
A young woman with long, pink hair tied into twin tails stood trembling, her voice shaking as she spoke.
“W-w-welcome...! Y-you’re my new t-teacher, right...? I-I-I am... R-R-Reika...”
“......”
On the table sat a delicious-looking cake.
And in front of me stood a woman making a fuss for no apparent reason.
“...All...”
As if she had just exhausted all of her pre-prepared words, she stared at my face—
“...Ah.”
And with a short gasp—
Her eyes instantly went lifeless.
She immediately started apologizing.
“I’m sorry... I’m so sorry... I shouldn’t have snuck out... You’ve come to take me back, haven’t you...? I truly regret it....”
“H-Hold on a second. Just wait.”
I let out a long sigh.
Even after playing the game for 10,000 hours and controlling her every move—
It turns out, I still had no idea what kind of person she really was.
***
Reika finally calmed down.
“So... y-you’re not here to take me back? You’re really my teacher...?”
“Yes. Lord Jinor asked me to come and give you a lesson.”
“Then... y-you haven’t... told him yet...?”
Reika broke into a cold sweat, looking genuinely anxious. I had already guessed it when she blurted out I’m sorry for sneaking out, but it was clear now—getting caught would be a serious problem for her.
Even outside, she had wrapped herself tightly in a veil to hide her identity.
I offered her a reassuring smile.
“I’ll keep what happened last time a secret. You don’t need to worry.”
“Wh-what?! Ah, um... th-thank you...”
With that, the conversation came to an awkward halt.
Jinor had said she was shy around strangers. That was an understatement—she was clearly on a different level altogether.
I carefully observed Reika as she fidgeted in front of me.
So this was how she was in the real world.
Her long pink hair, tied into twin tails at the ends, gave her a delicate, almost doll-like impression. Her eyes, a slightly lighter shade of pink than her hair, trembled as she avoided my gaze.
Her sleeveless white dress... was cut a little too low. Not obscenely so, but enough to reveal her soft curves. Considering how she had been fully wrapped in an outer garment when I saw her outside, she probably always covered up when leaving the house.
In this world, she had become Jinor’s adopted daughter.
Somehow, he must have recognized her potential—the makings of the greatest mage.
I wasn’t sure why she wasn’t allowed to leave the mansion, but... judging by the fact that she had snuck out, it was clear that Jinor wasn’t treating her well.
If I want to get closer to her, that’s the angle to approach.
There was no need to rush.
First, I had to make her see that I’m someone who can give you what you want.
Before that, though, there was something I needed to ask.
Casually, I picked up a piece of cake and spoke.
“Mind if I ask you something?”
“Wh-what?! Ah, yes! Yes! Please! Ask anything!”
Her face flushed as she fumbled over her words.
She was oddly adorable.
“When I walked in, I heard a boom. What was that?”
“Oh, that!”
She nodded enthusiastically, looking unexpectedly excited.
“I gathered the air around me and made it explode! It doesn’t do anything except make a loud noise, but I thought it would liven up the atmosphere when welcoming someone new...!”
Huh.
So this girl had basically recreated fireworks in a fantasy world.
She might seem a little airheaded, but as expected of the strongest mage in the world’s setting, she couldn’t completely hide her brilliance.
“I see...”
I spoke absentmindedly as I took a bite of the cake.
Wait.
This is... way better than I expected.
“This is delicious.”
“O-oh, really...?”
Reika’s eyes sparkled.
Don’t tell me...
“Did you make this yourself?”
“W-wha?! Ah, um... y-yes! When I heard you were coming... h-hehe.”
“It’s amazing.”
“R-really? I-I’m so glad...”
She let out a shy, embarrassed laugh.
Honestly, if she just became a baker, she could probably live a perfectly happy life.
But because of her talent, she was trapped here.
Of course, given that she was an orphan, simply having a safe place to live and three meals a day might have seemed like a blessing... but for some reason, I couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy for her.
To shift the mood, I spoke up.
“Oh, right. Could you show me something else?”
“Something else? D-do you mean another cake or—”
“No, no. That would be amazing too, but I was talking about magic.”
“Oh... S-sorry. Right, of course.”
She nodded several times, took a deep breath, and spread her pale hands in front of her.
And then—
“...Oh.”
A small flame flickered to life above her palm.
The fire hovered there, shifting and shimmering in a mesmerizing dance of colors.
But then—
“...Hnnngh.”
Before even three minutes had passed, the flame vanished.
Reika, panting from exertion, looked up at me.
“This... is the most I can do right now.”
So at this stage, she’s still this limited.
I feigned shock.
“Incredible...! Between the air explosion and now this, magic truly is real.”
“......?”
She stared at me, puzzled.
Considering I was supposed to be her teacher, my reaction probably seemed strange.
But I couldn’t let her think I was lying.
I put on a sheepish smile.
“I told your father this as well, but... I’m not a mage. However, I can sense something beyond mere air in this world.”
“Something beyond air...? Do you mean mana?”
“So that’s what it’s called.”
I acted as if I had just learned the term.
“When I focus, I feel as if I’m communicating with something beyond the sky—an absolute being of sorts. Your father seems to think my ability to perceive this presence will be helpful to you.”
“I see...?”
“Yes.”
“......”
She lowered her head slightly, looking disappointed.
She had probably hoped to learn from another mage.
But this was my moment to take the lead.
“Reika. May I ask you a question?”
“A question...?”
“What is your goal as a mage?”
“My goal...”
She hesitated, lost in thought.
Then, in an unusually steady tone, she answered.
“My father told me... that my power is meant to bring peace to this continent.”
“That’s all?”
“...?”
“I mean... this is just my guess, but... do you wish for freedom?”
Her eyes widened.
“H-how did you...?”
It wasn’t hard to figure out.
She had sneaked out, even preparing a veil in advance to hide her identity.
She longed for freedom.
That day, she must have snuck out without Jinor’s knowledge, and by chance, met me and Airen.
In the end, the future was already set.
New novel 𝓬hapters are published on freёwebnoѵel.com.
In a few years, she would become known as the First Mage—an unrivaled sorceress.
She didn’t need training.
All she needed was time.
But for Jinor, it was a race against the clock.
Aishus was a small nation. He knew they wouldn’t be able to withstand Brans Army’s assault forever.
Even if Brans didn’t destroy them, the balance in the south could shift, a new absolute ruler could emerge, or Serpina’s forces could finally invade the central region.
Aishus could collapse at any moment.
So, he was desperate to awaken her abilities as soon as possible.
And to him, I must have seemed like a miracle—a perfect tool that had rolled right into his lap.
This was my opportunity.
If I spent time meditating and leading her through seemingly profound yet meaningless training—
She would naturally grow stronger over time.
But to everyone else, it would look like my training had made her stronger.
As she improved, my influence would grow.
And with that, I could eventually earn permission to take her outside.
To a girl longing for freedom, the only thing I had to do was give her a reason to believe I could make it happen.
“I may not be a mage, but... I’d like to help you refine your ability to sense mana.”
“To sense mana...?”
“Yes. To perceive and control the flow of mana more clearly.”
“To sense it more clearly...”
She nodded, deep in thought.
Of course, I was just making this up.
“If you improve, you’ll become a great mage even faster, won’t you?”
“......!”
I could see the realization dawning in her eyes.
To become stronger, faster—
Which meant, gaining freedom sooner.
That was all I needed from her.
“The training will begin next week.”
She blinked.
“Huh? Not today?”
“The energy flowing through the land is unstable right now. If you train with mana in such conditions, it could consume you. It’s happened to me before.”
“I... see?”
Of course, I had no idea what I was talking about.
But I wore a perfectly serious expression.
“I’ll prepare a structured training plan. In a week, I’ll bring you a curriculum that will truly help you grow.”
“O-oh...! P-please take care of me...!”
“Just call me Swen.”
“S-Swen...! I-I look forward to learning from you!”
And so, our lessons began.
***
After Swen left, Reika let out a long sigh and leaned back against the sofa.
I can’t believe it... The handsome man who saved me that day is actually my teacher.
She had heard he was part of Aishus' army, but she never expected to run into him again.
That was why, when they first met, she had been so terrified—thinking he had told her adoptive father, Jinor, that she had snuck out.
After all, wasn’t it more likely that a random passerby would report her misbehavior than for him to be one of the rare few in the entire continent who could perceive mana?
But—
He said he wouldn’t tell Father.
And not only that, but he had seen through her instantly.
‘Do you wish for freedom?’
That single question had hit her harder than anything else.
But if she were being honest... there was something that made her even happier than that.
The fact that he had genuinely enjoyed the cake she made.
She had always been incredibly shy and had never had any real interaction with men—not even during her time in the back alleys. The idea of having a male teacher had made her nervous...
But somehow, she felt like she’d be okay with him.
...I want to master this power as quickly as possible.
Her adoptive father, Jinor, had always told her—
"Those who wield mana should avoid contact with the outside world as much as possible."
Because of that, she had lived like a bird in a cage, spending countless years alone, doing nothing but training.
Her abilities had certainly improved over time, but the progress was painfully slow.
Jinor had promised—once she reached complete mastery over mana, he would grant her freedom.
Now that she finally had a teacher, maybe that day would come sooner.
Just imagining herself breaking free made her heart pound with excitement.
Swen... I’ll be in your care.
For most of her life, she had viewed the future with nothing but hopelessness.
But for the first time—
She allowed herself to hope.