The Perfect Ideal
Lunchtime.
Lee Dam, who had slept in and woke up, scratched her neck while tossing and turning.
There was nothing to do until the negotiations with the various nations were scheduled.
Normally she would have been busy at the giant blast furnace, but today it was quiet because of the visitors from outside.
The massive blast furnace was, of course, the Iron Magic Tower’s own technology.
They were just taking a break so they wouldn’t accidentally show something similar to outsiders and let them copy it.
On Exchange Day there were so many things to be careful about, so even the relaxed habits they usually enjoyed had to be limited right now.
‘Ugh, I’m so damn bored.’
After yesterday’s secret discovery that she had been playing with iron, every x in the room had been confiscated.
Thanks to that, Lee Dam had nothing to do but lie there blankly staring at the ceiling, swimming in bed.
Splash splash.
“I’m so fucking bored.”
While she was roughly tossing around, a knock came from outside.
She wasn’t in the mood to meet anyone, but the persistent knocking eventually forced her to open the door.
“Who is it?”
“Who is it?”
The one standing outside was **Tower Guardian Theodore**.
A handsome man with golden hair, the kind of pretty boy that quite a few women in the Iron Magic Tower secretly admired without them realizing it.
“You wouldn’t speak like that.”
‘Ah, damn it.’
It was annoying, but the real reason she hadn’t stepped out was her tone.
She had to use a polite tone until the negotiations started so she wouldn’t negatively affect the talks.
That was why she had deliberately locked herself in her room.
She had even surprised herself by admitting she might snap at any moment because of her personality.
“If you stay locked up like this, the bet is off. Come out.”
“You came all the way to the girls’ dormitory just because of that? Perverted?”
……
Her tone was somehow unpleasant yet still not completely wrong, so she couldn’t reply properly.
Theodore cleared his throat and took a step back.
“Today is a rest day, but you’re different. You have to work.”
“Oh my, how delightful.”
Her words were light, but her expression was anything but. She looked like she wanted to punch Theodore right then and there.
He swallowed hard and decided to end the conversation quickly.
“The Tower Master rewarded the mages with special decorations for their hard work on this Exchange Day. You’re supposed to deliver them to every mage’s room.”
‘This is bullshit.’
Theodore clearly wanted to ruin the bet by forcing her to interact with other people.
It was dirty, but he meant it.
Who knew what kind of trouble Lee Dam would cause at the negotiation table?
In the end, she ended up as an unwilling mail carrier.
In the hallway already waiting were the decorations.
They were high-quality steel, knife-shaped trophies, well made.
‘But it’s a shame.’
To someone like Lee Dam who made x every single day for fun, it felt like a waste.
No one worked with that level of precision, and she was unmatched in taste.
Now her mana was as clean and detailed as a factory machine.
‘Ugh, the design is disappointing.’
Even though the trophies were trophy-sized, it just felt wrong.
“Then, please take care of it. After this, if you act spoiled and I find out, you won’t be able to attend the negotiations as promised.”
“Yes, sir. Go quickly. You make me feel uncomfortable.”
“Whatever.”
Theodore left without another word.
Lee Dam squatted in front of the box and looked down at the decorations.
They were heavy because they were made of strong steel.
Of course, she could just lift them with mana, so no problem, but…
‘Ugh, this isn’t it. This definitely isn’t it.’
The Iron Magic Tower was supposed to be showing off the Knight Armor now.
“Fine, I’ll give you something even better.”
It wasn’t Christmas or anything, but today she had just received an amazing gift.
* * *
Knock knock.
“Yes, who is it?”
A rare holiday at the tower.
Especially after working like slaves at the giant blast furnace all this time, it had been precious.
Backflik, who had once tried to intimidate her, now stayed far away because he had realized how much credit Lee Dam had earned and how stupid his own actions had been.
But when she opened the door, it was Lee Dam.
She sat with her legs crossed and arms folded.
Her chest stood out prominently, but Backflik flinched like it was a trauma.
The day the fire mages had stormed the furnace.
When she had pretended to go berserk and he accidentally touched her chest.
He had thought his skull was actually cracking that day.
“W-what is it?”
“Pick one.”
A huge box floated up behind her back.
Because it was so sudden, she grabbed it and opened it.
It was a Knight Armor model the size of a palm.
“Oh, lucky me. Did you pull the original? That’s rare. Something that changed human history.”
“Y-yes?”
He nodded even though he didn’t know what was good about it. He just wanted to get away quickly.
‘The tone doesn’t match at all.’
She said she had made some kind of promise with the Tower Master to speak like this.
At first she hadn’t believed it.
“If you think that’s good, at the beginning—”
She suddenly started explaining, the way she sometimes did when she rattled off things only she knew.
It could be thirty minutes of nonstop talking.
While smiling happily, Lee Dam kept going.
Backflik carefully interrupted.
“B-but Lee Dam? Is it okay to do this here? You said you were giving them to everyone.”
“Ah.”
Lee Dam nodded, smiled sweetly, stepped back, closed the door, and waved.
“Thank you. I almost stayed until tomorrow. See you later.”
Thud.
“O……”
What was that just now?
Sky-blue hair.
A warm, kind smile that made her heart feel soft.
Was the woman she had just seen really Lee Dam?
‘My heart is pounding like crazy.’
Backflik looked at the Knight Armor model she had given him and muttered without realizing it.
He felt like he wanted to see more.
So he quietly opened the door a crack and peeked out to see where she had gone.
“Ah, damn it. I almost wanted to throw her head against the wall for her temper, but I held back.”
Because it was the usual Lee Dam, Backflik closed the door again.
* * *
That day was so busy that a quiet rumor spread through the tower.
Naturally, it was about Lee Dam.
The sight of her smiling while handing out Knight Armor models to everyone had left a deep impression.
Many people confessed that this was the first time they had ever seen Lee Dam as a woman instead of some vague human-like thing.
It had been truly mysterious.
The mages at the tower all hoped Lee Dam would keep being like this forever, but they all knew it was just a summer dream.
“Hoho, what are you all staring at?”
Even now.
Today was the negotiation day.
The mages who had come out to greet the guests on the first floor were looking at her.
Lee Dam smiled demurely while receiving their gazes.
‘That psycho.’
‘She’s crazy.’
‘How does someone with such a pretty face say such dirty things?’
‘Ah, it’s perfect.’
Of course, some people had unusual tastes.
There were a few who had felt that by forcing her original personality to shut down and acting proper, she had hit the right spot, but it was only a tiny number, so she just ignored them.
In the end, the person who came today was the senior senator of the Boulian Republic, Fontaine Hagbris.
The negotiation with the Boulian Republic was scheduled for the very first day, and Lee Dam had strongly requested it.
Unlike other nations, the Republic was advancing its industrialization the fastest, so it was also the nation she was most interested in.
……
Theodore stood beside Lee Dam.
His face was not the usual blank expression; he looked like he had seen something he shouldn’t.
It was because he had never expected Lee Dam to actually win the bet.
“Tower Guardian Theodore.”
Lee Dam called him with a bright voice and a gentle smile.
“I won, right?”
“Ugh……”
“How does it feel? You have to tell me. The girl won.”
“Hoo.”
Lee Dam was bouncing next to him, laughing like a kid. The two of them were at the front of the line of mages, so everyone could see.
“How does it feel? You? How do you feel about losing?”
“Stop it.”
“No, please tell me. I’m really curious what words you’ll use.”
Still grinning and chatting beside her, Lee Dam kept teasing.
In the end Theodore nodded and gave up.
“Whew, fine. You won. I lost. Is that it?”
“The loser Theodore, it’s good that you admit defeat. But losers usually hand over their prizes.”
“……I didn’t fight you, did I? I just had to show some basic manners for sitting at the negotiation table—”
“Yes, it’s fine, you don’t have to give it.”
I’m taking it anyway.
……
Theodore flinched at Lee Dam’s eerie words. The bright smile and proper posture together created a strange aura of madness.
* * *
Fontaine Hagbris, senior senator of the Boulian Republic, was a skilled politician.
Unlike other Republic natives who were obsessed with technology, he was a man who excelled in diplomacy and internal political struggles.
Because of that, he held a lot of weight in the senate even at his age.
The senate trusted his words and believed they would get a satisfactory result from this negotiation.
“Haa, how annoying.”
‘Here we go again.’
Major Jennifer Iba, who was assisting him, sighed internally.
She acknowledged Fontaine’s talent, but he had a major personality flaw, and on top of that he was a notorious lecher who loved women too much.
“Everything at the Iron Magic Tower is men. What fun is that?”
That was the only reason she clicked her tongue.
“The Tower Master is pretty, but it’s not my type. Too small. Right, Major Iba?”
……Senator, we’re arriving soon.
“Too stiff. Women are the best when you can conquer them.”
‘Ah, I want to kill him.’
It was fortunate there was no revolver in his holster since the tower couldn’t have weapons.
If there had been one, she might have unconsciously pressed the barrel to his temple and pulled the trigger.
“Personally, I was hoping for some entertainment from the Water Magic Tower. Do the Water Magic Tower mages have a lot of water down there? Hahaha!”
‘Hurry up.’
Major Iba quickened her pace.
As she arrived at the Iron Magic Tower where the giant blast furnace was installed like a single body, the moment she stepped inside.
“……!”
Fontaine’s eyes widened.
Sky-blue hair like ice.
Voluptuous chest and slender waist that symbolized femininity.
That playful, bright smile as she elbowed the man beside her and teased him.
People tend to become vague when expressing what they truly want.
Fontaine was no different.
Explaining tastes was just vague at best, but now he could be certain.
‘That woman.’
The ideal woman he had dreamed of was standing right there.