A tall, pale woman stood in the open field, gathering herbs and vegetables. It was a day like any other — the quiet routine of the Loner Witch.
But perhaps, today was a bit different for Marina. While she was out in the wilderness, she heard a fiery spark from the sky, a bright blazing object, hurling towards her at an immense speed.
"Alwin...? What did he want this time?"
She murmured to herself as the scorching hot object came crashing to the ground several meters from her. The impact caused the ground to shake slightly, sending debris and dirt flying everywhere. Her vision was blurred for a moment, but she stayed calm and brushed the dirt off her gown.
Then a figure stepped out of the dust. A tall man in luxurious attire approached her.
Marina's vision slowly recovered — the person in front of her was unmistakable.
"Sir Alwin, what business do you have coming all the way here? Destroying my crops ...and my gown nevertheless."
Marina's eyes twitched. She clenched her fist, resisting the urge to strangle him to death. However, she kept a fake smile and decided to play along — for now.
"Sir? My, my Marin, is that how we address colleagues these days? Alwin is fine, you know? Loner Witch."
Alwin replied with dry humor, though his words still carried a hint of sincerity.
Marina, however, snapped. She balled her fist and slammed it onto Alwin's head, knocking him to the ground.
"Yeouch! What was that for?!"
Alwin yelped in pain, crouching while pressing both of his palms where Marina had hit him. For someone her size, she surely packed more strength than one might think.
"Next time, think twice before you burn half of my crops to make a grand entry, Alwin."
Slowly, he rose to his feet, rubbing the reddened spot — grunting and cursing under his breath. He hadn't expected to be welcomed this way.
"Tch... Regardless… Marina, I have something to discuss with you, it's urgent. Do you have time?"
His voice suddenly turned polite — a rare side of him, showing an unusual humility despite his arrogance. That's enough to raise Marina's suspicion.
Seeing the desperation in his eyes, Marina sighed as she turned away from him, walking towards her small cabin. Alwin followed suit; whatever was weighing on his mind, it seemed that it would be a hard job.
"Pardon the intrusion," he said with a sarcastic remark.
Once inside, Marina went to the kitchen, preparing some herbal tea before serving a cup to Alwin as a symbol of hospitality.
"Well, don't mind if I do."
Alwin took the cup in front of him, sipping slowly as he felt the warmth of the tea flow through his body. It was a blend of tea leaves and herbs he couldn't quite name. It was a relaxing sensation that calmed his nerves.
Alwin's gaze fell on Marina, who had been watching him the entire time. He gulped — almost coughed out the tea, but managed to hold it back. He averted his gaze from her piercing eyes.
"Tell me, Alwin, what are you here for? Herbs? Grimoire? Or do you want to drag me back to the conference?"
Alwin set his cup of tea down; his expression turned serious. It seemed he came bearing unpleasant news.
"None of that. I have something I need to discuss with you. I received a letter from the Florence family. Recently, there has been an attack at the Iris Tower, and the nobles are concerned over their heir's safety."
Alwin sighed, reaching for a cube of sugar and dropping it into the tea as it dissolved in the hot water.
"However, I'm not able to attend due to some... complications."
Marina crossed her arms below her chest. Her expression was critical, already guessing what he might say next. He's not going to say what she thought he would say, would he? She took a sip from her cup of tea, leaning back against the chair.
"And... That's why I came to you. I want you to take my place as William Arc's personal guard."
Alwin grinned, expecting her to accept his request. For a moment, everything became tense — not a muscle moved.
"...eh?"
Marina's elegant facade shattered. She spat her tea at Alwin, making him fall backwards off the chair with a yelp.
"EHHHHH?!"
The exclamation was deafening, as the trees shook gently and the birds outside the house flew away. Marina was in a state of shock.
"Y-y-you mean to say.. I.."
Marina couldn't find the right word for the situation; it seemed her brain was not able to digest the sudden and outrageous request of Alwin.
He climbed back into his chair, pulling out a napkin from his pocket and wiping his tea-stained face. Both of them looked equally annoyed.
"Tsk... Was that necessary?"
Marina's eyes narrow at Alwin's question. Her fist clenched tightly at the table's edge, the wood creaking like it's going to break under her intense pressure.
"Necessary? NECESSARY?! You dared to come to my house demanding I take your place as a stupid bodyguard and ask if what I did was necessary?!"
Alwin sighed; it seemed rational negotiations were over. He reached inside his pocket, pulling out a small notebook wrapped in brown leather. He casually flipped through the pages of the notebook.
"I knew you would refuse. So, I have no other choice but to resort to this."
He stopped at a certain page and presented it to Marina. Marina's eyes widened; she hadn't expected Alwin to use 'this' to threaten her. It's...
"Y-you wouldn't dare!"
... her past debts.
"Ten thousand Aryans Dimes, and a bottle of Albino Lily flower. Does it ring a bell?"
He suddenly closed the notebook in front of her, making her jump a bit. She remembers that she has promised to repay her debts after she accidentally destroyed a 300-year-old mural at his gallery.
Marina was paying a visit to Alwin's art gallery grand opening in the main district. Many valuable artworks by artisans were displayed at the gallery.
One of the art pieces was a 300-year-old painting named "King-Emperor of Azrya" that was painted by an anonymous painter. It was the most valuable painting in the whole gallery.
Nobles and civilians alike flooded the building. Marina was completely overwhelmed by the number of people at the gallery. Anxiety was creeping up her spine, sending shivers through her body. She couldn't stand the hustle and bustle of the crowd, as she kept her identity as a Supreme Sage hidden.
Suddy, a conflict broke out.
"Thief!" One of the crowd exclaimed.
Everyone's attention turned to the source of the voice; a man was stealing the 300-year-old painting from the gallery. Once the thief secured the painting, he sprinted through the crowd, as the guards chased the perpetrator and asked the bystanders to stop him.
Marina, seeing this, didn't hesitate; she pointed her hand at the thief.
"Editorial Circuit, summoned."
Below her, a magic circuit was formed; the energy circle was big enough to cover the entire gallery's floor with invisible force.
"Immobĭlus Tenē."
With a flick of her finger, she successfully stopped the thief from running away — his leg was stuck to the floor as if it was cemented by an invisible force.
Just as everything was going smoothly, due to the sudden stop, the painting slipped from the thief's hand and flew up in the air. Marina's eyes widened, and she tried to stop the painting from crashing to the floor, but it was too late.
Thud!
Marina's eyes twitched in disbelief. The most valuable painting in the whole gallery was destroyed, and there is no one else to blame.
Subsequently, Alwin, owner of the proud art gallery, was there to witness the tragedy. His posture remained calm and collected, yet his face was stern. He walked towards Marina; every step was heavy. She could feel herself shrinking as Alwin got closer to her.
When Alwin was right in front of her, she saw his eyes locking with hers, piercing through his soul.
"Marina, you will take responsibility for this mess. Right?"
The question hangs in the air; she can feel her throat tightening, preventing her from saying a word out loud. Under his pressure and her vulnerable state, she was forced to nod, accepting his terms of compensation.
"Well? Remember now?"
Marina snapped from the memory. She looked to her side — Alwin was flicking his finger at her the whole time she was trying to remember.
"O-oh.. right.. b-b-but why me? And how did you plan to sneak me in? You can't just tell them you forfeit your position to me."
Alwin grinned; by the look on his face, he was planning something stupid. He reached for his suitcase, laying it on the table and opening it. Inside... It was a rather questionable outfit. He takes it out and shows it to Marina.
"You'll sneak in through disguise!"
His idea of 'disguise' was a maid outfit — the outfit that a pervert would really love a woman to wear.
Marina's eyes darkened, and she raised her hand flat and slapped Alwin across his face, sending him flying to a nearby wooden box with a yelp. For a brief moment, it feels like his soul has left his body.
"Pervert!"
Alwin climbed out of the piles of boxes, annoyance etched on his face, muttering curses under his breath — his luxurious clothes were disheveled like a mess.
"You can't take a joke... Check under it," he groaned.
Marina raised an eyebrow of suspicion. She hesitated for a while before reaching for the suitcase in front of her, turning it to face her. Inside, she saw a black classy outfit, it doesn't seem like what a noble would wear instead...
"A butler outfit...?"
Alwin stands up from the piles of boxes, brushing and fixing his outfit. He shrugged at Marina's confused claim.
"Better than a maid outfit, isn't it?"
—Penning a new chapter…