Archway, North London.
Situated slightly away from the hustle and bustle of central London, this town was quiet, carrying a somewhat aged atmosphere.
Rows of brick houses stood side-by-side, and the cold morning air swept through the streets.
In a small terraced house located in a corner of such an ordinary residential neighborhood, Alisha Gray woke up.
The hands of the clock pointed to exactly six-thirty in the morning.
Dim morning light filtered through the gaps in the thick blackout curtains.
Alisha slowly sat up and perched on the edge of the bed.
At her feet were fluffy slippers.
She let out a small breath and surveyed the inside of her room, which was enveloped in silence.
It was an empty, simple room.
There were no magic circles, no grimoires, nor glowing artifacts.
"...Yeah. It's quiet again today."
Her mutter dissolved into the air of the room, heard by no one.
Once, she had been called a Royal Mage.
Standing at the pinnacle of the Royal Magic Association, maintaining national-scale barriers, and at times, confronting terrifying monsters.
The whole world sought her power, clung to her judgment, and needed her existence.
However, that was a story from three years ago.
Right now, she was just Alisha Gray.
Living quietly, living so as to not remain in anyone's memory—just an ordinary neighbor.
She had run away to this place.
To escape the curse of being needed.
Those who possess immense power are constantly forced to use that power for the sake of others.
For the sake of peace, for the country, for the greater good.
People called her a hero and praised her, but at the same time, they exploited everything from her.
Her sleep, her personal will, even her time to rest her heart.
Being needed was the same as constantly whittling away one's own soul and giving it to others.
She knew to the very marrow of her bones just how high a price that entailed.
That was why she threw everything away.
Her status, her honor, and her massive fortune.
Solely to obtain this casual "peace" and "silence."
Seven in the morning.
Alisha stood in her small kitchen on the first floor.
A well-used gas stove, a slightly old kettle, and several tins of black tea lined up on a shelf.
That was everything she had right now.
Her morning routine began with brewing a cup of herbal tea.
She poured tap water into the kettle and turned on the stove.
Normally, she could easily boil water in an instant with a single fingertip—no, just by directing her gaze at it.
In the past, she manipulated advanced heat magic as naturally as breathing.
However, she struck a match and stared at the blue flame of the gas stove.
Even so, just a tiny bit.
She used a microscopic amount of magic, truly to an extent that no one would notice.
'Keep the temperature uniform, and draw out the maximum aroma of the tea leaves.'
A tiny, tiny magic, like a little charm, solely for that purpose.
A delicate manipulation of power, so weak it wouldn't even register on a magic detector.
Truthfully, maintaining this microscopic amount of magic at a constant level was many times more difficult than firing a giant fireball, but those folks at the Royal Magic Association would probably never understand that in their entire lives.
"...Smells good."
The aroma of a chamomile and mint blend spread through the kitchen.
She poured the herbal tea into her favorite mug and let the steam hit her face.
The beating of her heart slowly calmed down.
There was no pressure to save the world, nor was there magic communication for emergencies ringing endlessly.
This, right here, was the blissful time she had desperately fought to obtain.
Holding the warm mug as if wrapping it in both hands, Alisha moved to the living room.
She sank deep into a single-seater sofa and slowly took a sip of the herbal tea.
The warm liquid soaked into the depths of her stomach.
Looking out the window, the town of Archway was slowly beginning to wake up.
Salarymen holding umbrellas, walking briskly toward the station.
An old man walking his dog.
All of it was the scenery of "everyday life" that she had wanted to protect, and which she now merely observed from afar.
Strict barriers were set up around her house.
However, they were not meant to prevent attacks from the outside.
They were barriers meant to completely block magic power from leaking from the inside.
In London, the Magic Association's surveillance network was strung up everywhere.
As a former Royal Mage, her magic wavelength was completely recorded by the Association.
If she carelessly used powerful magic, the Association's tracking unit would kick down her front door within a few minutes.
That was why she had remodeled this small house itself into a magical black box.
Under the floorboards, behind the wallpaper, in the gaps of the attic.
Everywhere, concealment runes meant to carefully hide her presence were densely carved.
She had spent a massive amount of effort on that task, but thanks to that, she had been living in this Archway for the past three years without being found by anyone.
Eight in the morning.
To breathe in the morning air as was her daily routine, and to check the mailbox, Alisha threw on a cardigan and opened the front door.
A cold wind brushed her cheeks.
In the mailbox, there was only a flyer for the neighborhood supermarket and a utility bill.
There was no summons from the Magic Association, nor a parchment informing her of a national crisis.
Wonderful. It looked like today was going to be another perfect day.
Just as she thought that and tried to close the door, the door of the house next door opened, and a stout, white-haired woman poked her head out.
It was her neighbor, Mrs. Higgins.
"Oh, good morning, Alisha. Chilly again today, isn't it."
"Good morning, Mrs. Higgins. Truly, it's suddenly gotten very cold."
Alisha raised the corners of her mouth just a little, forming a reserved, amiable smile.
This smile, too, was something she had perfectly mastered over three years.
'A freelance work-from-home translator who doesn't stand out, is a bit shy, but polite.'
That was Alisha Gray's temporary persona in this town.
Her lie.
She was believed by her neighbors to be just an "ordinary human" with some slightly eccentric quirks.
"Up early again this morning. It's admirable for someone so young. My grandson, on the other hand, is snoring away until this hour."
"No, I just happened to wake up. Your grandson must be relaxing during his winter break."
"I certainly hope so. Oh, come to think of it, did you hear? The bakery in front of the station raised its prices again! Honestly, I can't believe charging that much for a single croissant."
"Oh my, really? That's a bit troublesome..."
Mrs. Higgins's small talk always consisted of trivial things.
The bakery raising its prices.
The dog across the street barking in the middle of the night.
The ending of yesterday's TV drama.
Topics that her former colleagues would have dismissed with a single kick, calling them worthless.
However, to Alisha, this very worthlessness was precious.
That, exactly, was the symbol of peace she had been seeking.
"Well then, see you later, Alisha. Make sure you don't catch a cold."
"Thank you. Have a good day, Mrs. Higgins."
Waving lightly at each other, Alisha returned to her own house.
She closed the front door and locked both locks.
The metallic clack disconnected her from the outside world.
Leaning her back against the door, Alisha let out a deep, deep sigh of relief.
She had managed to perfectly play the role of "just an ordinary human" safely again today.
Her true goal was only one thing.
Peace. Silence. And never being found.
Those folks at the Royal Magic Association must still be frantically searching for her even now.
Because the fact that "the strongest mage has gone missing" was an unforgivable loss for them.
If she were found, those hellish days would be waiting for her once again.
Endless missions. The heavy pressure called expectations.
The sensation of herself as a human being being consumed simply as a convenient tool.
"...Like I would ever go back."
Alisha muttered in the dim hallway, as if telling herself.
She would do anything to protect this quiet life.
No matter how boring it was, no matter how lonely it was, she loved her current life.
Not shouldering anyone's life, just the taste of herbal tea brewed solely for herself—she could no longer let that go.
Returning to the living room, she drained the herbal tea that was starting to get cold.
What should she do today?
She would read the continuation of the novel she was halfway through.
For lunch, it might be nice to put in a little effort and make some soup.
In the afternoon, she would clean every corner of her small kitchen...
She was mapping out the schedule for such a peaceful, boring day in her head, when it happened.
—Zap.
The air trembled faintly.
A wave of magic power, weak but undeniable, that prickled her skin.
Alisha's movements stopped completely.
Still holding her mug, her eyes narrowed sharply.
It wasn't her imagination.
The multiple layers of elaborate barriers she had strung up around this entire house.
The outermost warning net of those barriers had "touched" something.
"...The Association?"
The voice that inadvertently leaked from her mouth was terribly cold.
No, that's wrong.
It wasn't that orderly, controlled magic wavelength emitted by the Association's mages.
It was heavier, darker, and... terribly chaotic, a power to a terrifying degree.
An overwhelming pressure, as if the abyss itself were standing right in front of the door to this small house.
She could tell that whatever it was, it was intentionally suppressing its power.
If this entity were to get serious, the town of Archway would be blown away in an instant.
Alisha's heart began to beat violently, like an alarm bell ringing.
Three years since she retired.
The barrier, which hadn't reacted even once, was now screaming.
Had she been found?
No, what was this in the first place?
It wasn't human. A monster? Or something even more terrifying?
Should she run?
Or should she prepare to intercept?
Her combat thinking as the former "Royal Mage" instantly raced through her brain, completely ignoring her three-year blank.
She placed her mug on the table without making a sound and focused invisible magic into her right hand.
So that she could unleash lethal-class attack magic at any moment.
Holding her breath, she stared at the hallway.
And then.
Knock, knock, knock.
Breaking the silence, a terribly reserved, polite knocking sound echoed.