Chapter 3
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: The Mage in the Forest (3)
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A very serious problem had arisen.
If I had to gauge the level of danger, it was on par with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
The issue was that I hadn't been able to sleep properly for days.
No matter how I tossed and turned in bed, I couldn't calm down.
"Ughhh..."
I buried my face in the pillow, groaning, and eventually kicked off the blankets in frustration.
But no amount of blanket-kicking or hair-pulling could undo what had already happened.
"I must be crazy. Totally crazy."
It was overkill.
Way too much overkill.
If I'd just used mid-level spells at moderate power, they would've packed the punch of advanced magic anyway.
Seeing Lia get hurt had gotten me a bit heated, so I'd unleashed full-power advanced spells.
And I'd gone all out, spectacularly so.
Worse, far too many people had witnessed it.
The grocery store auntie, the woodcutter uncle, even the rookie guard who'd just been stationed in the village.
That said it all.
To top it off, the visiting lord and his knights had seen my magic too.
If they were coming, they should've arrived sooner to prevent me from needing to cast spells—or better yet, not come at all.
Trouble was inevitable now.
The lord had already announced he'd visit in person to express his gratitude.
I could predict the reaction.
Wow, advanced mage at your age? Impressive!
So, mind casually blowing up that mountain over there?
...They'd try to use me as a human staff or some living siege weapon.
I really should've stuck to my first, second, and third rules: never set foot outside.
Once I started going out, it snowballed into more outings.
As I sighed in depression, a grating chuckle came from beside me.
"Don't beat yourself up~ Thanks to you, the villagers are all safe, right?"
Lia, leaning on crutches, grinned at me.
"And I... If it weren't for you, Luna sis, I don't know what would've happened."
Her bandaged leg caught my eye.
The leg badly crushed by a falling pillar during the wyvern attack.
We'd done all the emergency care possible in a rural village—herbal poultices, splints—but there was no telling when it'd heal.
Sensing my unease, Lia forced another smile.
"I'm really fine, I swear. Don't worry about it, sis."
I silently reached out and stroked her red hair.
Right. Lia was safe. That was enough.
If I hadn't saved her, I'd probably have restless nights for life.
"By the way, with your leg like that, what about the academy?"
A shadow fell over Lia's face.
For a brief moment, she bit her lip and stared at the floor before forcing a bright smile.
"By next year's entrance exam, it should be better, right? I'm confident about the test itself, but the money..."
Her expression darkened as her words trailed off.
"Academy tuition that expensive?"
"Yeah. That's why I was aiming for a scholarship..."
With her injury, it'd be tough.
Even if it healed, rehab time and lack of practice would hold her back.
Swallowing her regrets, Lia mustered a smile.
"Staying in the village with you and everyone else wouldn't be so bad anyway."
"...What if you just skip the academy and stay in the village?"
I tossed it out casually, and Lia's eyes widened.
"Huh?"
"Think about it. We live fine here. Why bother going?"
I watched her reaction closely as my words hung.
She pondered briefly, then shook her head.
"Still, I want to give it a shot at least once. It's been my dream since I was little."
Her resolute gaze brought an involuntary smile to my face.
Fine, how could I stop this stubborn girl?
Plus, entering the academy didn't mean she'd inevitably get dragged into incidents.
The original story's events might've wrapped up while I holed up in the forest.
Maybe I was overthinking it.
Just then, the clatter of a carriage sounded outside.
"Oh? It's the lord."
Here we go.
"He's probably coming to thank you for saving the village."
"If that's all it is, we'll be lucky..."
"It's an honor to meet you. I am Carlos Aubril, head of the Aubril Baron family, which governs these lands."
"Lunaris Evermoon."
I received the lord's polite bow while perched on the bed.
Concept: I'd overexerted myself saving the village with magic and was recovering from exhaustion.
Sitting up to talk was my show of sincerity.
An elderly knight scowled as if to speak, but the lord raised a hand to silence him.
"She'll one day rise higher than I. Her current status is irrelevant."
His excessive courtesy made my stomach churn.
As if I didn't know this was all buildup to turn me into an overworked corporate drone.
"So, what's the business?"
I met his eyes directly, and he cleared his throat.
Then a fragrant aroma wafted from the kitchen.
Lia had gone ahead and brewed tea and baked cookies.
I told her not to. And if she's baking, egg tarts beat cookies.
"I'll fetch it."
A sharp-eyed knight volunteered, probably noticing Lia's injury.
But before he could move, my finger snapped. Telekinesis—why hold back?
The teapot, cups, and cookie plate floated through the air and neatly arranged themselves on the table between us.
I flicked my finger again, grabbed a cookie naturally, and popped it in my mouth. A moan escaped involuntarily.
'...Oops.'
Distracted by Lia's cookies, I'd unconsciously used telekinesis in front of everyone.
And sure enough, the lord and knights gaped.
"So young, yet already at grand mage level..."
"Luna sis is just barely 16."
Lia, who'd slipped into the room, beamed and added politely.
She winked at me proudly.
Did I do good?
I shot her a glare.
What you just did was an own-goal and team-kill, Lia. Just stay quiet.
"Not quite grand mage... I can't handle top-tier spells yet."
"Still, you're at the threshold. Free telekinesis requires at least advanced mage level, no?"
I offered an ambiguous smile instead of answering.
The lord leaned forward eagerly.
His treasure-hunting expression was suffocating.
"I dare say, even across the empire, mages like you, Lady Lunaris, are rare."
"No way..."
"Why not showcase that talent on a grander stage than this remote village? Like the capital."
I swallowed hard without thinking.
There it was.
The very offer I'd been dodging.
"I'm not that great."
"Nonsense. You'd be the empire's youngest grand mage ever—perhaps the greatest."
"I'm just a kid with tons to learn."
Thirsty from nerves, I gulped tea. The knights behind the lord started murmuring.
"Humility with that power..."
"True masters are different."
"Even drinking tea looks elegant."
"Her curt speech must hold philosophy."
"Surely plotting magic beyond our imagination."
S-stop... Misunderstanding, halt...
While I reeled from the knights' relentless hype, the lord pushed harder to recruit me.
"The capital offers more learning: Mage Tower, academy. If you wish, Imperial Mage Corps entry is no issue."
Sorry, that's why I'm holed up in this forest.
Mage Tower, Imperial Mage Corps—
No thanks to walking into overwork hell.
"The palace would support you too. Funds, honors..."
"Baron Aubril."
I set down my cup, cutting him off.
"Do you know why I learned magic?"
Caught off-guard, he faltered.
"I... don't..."
"To protect myself and those around me. This forest, this village—they're precious to me."
Embarrassment crossed his face.
I drove the point home.
"To me, magic is just a tool to safeguard this place that embraced me when I had nothing."
"A-hem...!"
He straightened, coughing awkwardly, clearly flustered by my earnest reply.
But he didn't give up easily.
He persisted until my tea had cooled halfway.
It was pitiful, like someone denying defeat in a hopeless game.
You lost! Give up already!
He was tougher than expected.
I'm a heartless witch, after all. One heavy sigh, then I crushed it thoroughly.
Finally, he rose with lingering regret.
"Understood. But... I'll visit occasionally to pay respects."
"No need for the long trip."
"And this is a token of gratitude for saving the village."
"Oh, come on."
"Think of it as my humble gift, not payment."
If you insist... Fine.
Can't refuse that.
He left the heavy coin pouch full of gold on the table and departed with his knights.
Watching his carriage fade from the window, I clenched my fist.
Good. First hurdle cleared.
Send future visitors packing the same way.
I threw victory punches at the air, then opened the pouch.
Gold coins: one, two...
...This guy's got some serious generosity.
This covers living expenses for a while.
Bonus: funds to research a quick-heal potion for Lia's leg.
"Hmm, for this much, maybe worth the hassle once every three years..."
Suddenly, I felt a steady gaze from the side.
Lia, on crutches, stared in amused wonder.
"What? Something to say?"
"Nah, just~ Seeing new sides of you lately is intriguing."
"...? What do you mean?"
"Like the ice magic, standing up to the lord so boldly. Sis is really something~"
"This is the real me?"
Funny as it sounds, treating an advanced mage—who'd be VIP anywhere—like this is the real abnormality.
That's why I love this village.
I shrugged, and Lia burst out laughing.
"Why the laugh?"
"Claiming that's normal when I only picture you belly-up on the bed~"
"...Lia, come here."
"W-why...? My leg hurts..."
"Walk or get dragged?"
Grumbling, she crutched closer.
"Closer."
I channeled a bit of mana into my finger.
And flicked her forehead hard.
"Ow! Mana makes it cheating!!"