The master Rita faced again in the past smiled kindly.
His demeanor was so saintly that the image of him coldly turning his back and leaving her behind felt like a dream.
‘I can’t even get angry—it’s frustrating.’
Rita felt an indescribable sense of futility.
This was the past.
Even if she had experienced those events, they hadn’t happened here yet.
Frowning, Rita avoided Talos’s gaze.
“It’s nothing.”
Her curt response made Talos tilt his head in confusion.
Rita looked indifferently into his green eyes.
‘He hasn’t reached exceptional status yet.’
***
Mana typically has a golden hue.
But there are exceptions.
When a human possesses mana that exceeds human limits and successfully harnesses that immense power, their eyes take on the radiant color of their mana.
Thus, those with exceptional mana all boast ‘golden eyes.’
‘The current Talos is still first-class.’
Mana ranks range from exceptional to third-class.
Third-class is beginner, second-class is intermediate, and first-class is advanced.
Exceptional is an extremely rare rank, reserved for near-transcendent beings.
In the Mage Tower, those who reach the exceptional rank are revered as ‘Grand Mages.’
But even in the Tower’s long history, only a handful have earned the title of Grand Mage.
Thus, when Talos became exceptional during the emergence of Iskis and its fragments, he was hailed as an unparalleled hero.
‘Talos became exceptional after the seven fragments appeared. I think it was after the extermination of Mammon, the first fragment.’
Rita’s brow furrowed as she tapped her finger on the desk.
‘Now that I think about it, something’s off. Becoming exceptional right after the fragments appeared? Could it be related to Iskis?’
At the time, they were so busy fending off the fragments and beasts that the sudden appearance of an exceptional mage was celebrated as divine providence.
‘I need to investigate Talos’s actions. But more importantly, what I need to do is…’
From what she’d gathered, the red seed had already appeared in the northern regions.
The world was still peaceful for now, but soon Iskis would emerge and give birth to the seven fragments.
Those fragments would then spawn beasts, ravaging the continent.
‘The price of this opportunity I’ve been given is to protect this world.’
She couldn’t help but worry whether someone like her could accomplish such a grand task.
But it was a promise with the ‘god,’ and in exchange, Rita had been brought back to life unharmed.
That alone gave her an obligation to fulfill the contract.
Moreover, the ‘god’ had said something else at the end.
‘It said it would kill me again if I didn’t fulfill the contract.’
Looking back, it was nothing short of a threat.
But Rita was quite satisfied with the deal.
Iskis was humanity’s enemy.
It was an existence that had to be eradicated to survive, and for Rita, it was a chance to erase her foolish past.
Not as Talos’s disciple, but as Rita, the mage.
‘Since the seed has appeared, the beasts will emerge sooner or later. If I can decisively kill Iskis in the upcoming subjugation, that’s all I need.’
It was a simple plan when thought of straightforwardly.
Above all, Rita had knowledge from the future and the special ability granted by the ‘god.’
Of course, openly using it might be risky, but if she wielded it skillfully, she could surely shine in the subjugation force that would soon be formed.
‘The beasts will appear soon, so I can test this ability then. But to be close to Iskis in the final battle…’
She needed to be at the forefront of the subjugation force.
But as things stood, that was impossible.
‘As a first-class mage, I’d naturally be at the forefront when the battle begins. The problem is that guy.’
Alois Gradius.
He wasn’t here yet, but soon he would enter the Mage Tower and take Rita’s place.
Just as in the past, Talos would give all the credit to Alois.
Even if she protested the injustice, the elders would likely remain silent.
A mere research division member like Rita couldn’t stand against the Tower’s core powers.
‘Unless I somehow become exceptional, I can’t overpower them…’
Rita’s face slowly hardened as she mocked herself.
Then, a sudden thought flashed through her mind.
‘Talos said he became exceptional through a stroke of fortune, didn’t he? Fortune means luck, a chance.’
A stroke of luck.
If the present followed the same path as the past, observing Talos might let her witness that moment.
‘If I’m lucky… maybe I can steal it.’
An exceptional mage.
The thought that it could be her made Rita’s heart race.
***
“Rita, did you hear? They’re looking for people to volunteer at the Seranon Monastery in two days. It’s in pairs, teaching the children’s class.”
Rita glanced at ‘Blena,’ who casually took the seat beside her.
‘Why does this busybody keep following me? Doesn’t she dislike me?’
Blena, a fellow mage in the research division.
She was the first person Rita saw after waking in the past.
Since that day, Blena had been sticking to her like a close friend.
“I’m going, so why don’t you come with me? It’ll be a nice change of pace.”
“Isn’t that just asking for help?”
“I think it’s a fair trade for all the info I’ve been giving you. You’ve been asking me about the northern regions, the capital, all sorts of things.”
Indeed, Rita had been gathering information through Blena’s wide network.
She’d also unwittingly relied on Blena for minor memories, so it was time to repay the favor.
“You’ll come, right?”
“…Fine.”
To be honest, Blena had a knack for subtly manipulating people while smiling.
But her extensive knowledge was proving invaluable to Rita lately.
Unlike in the past, Blena was the only one who mingled with Rita without hesitation, despite her changed demeanor.
For Rita, who had no friends, Blena was actually a vital presence.
‘I’m not thrilled about it, but a monastery volunteer job…’
To steal Talos’s opportunity, she needed to monitor his every move.
But at this time, the Tower Master was busy being summoned by nobles.
Moreover, Talos gained his opportunity right after the seven fragments appeared.
There was no need to rush yet.
‘The fragments became active in late summer. I still have time.’
Rita nodded stiffly.
“So I just have to lecture the kids with complicated jargon?”
“No! I’ll do the explaining, you just demonstrate. Make it flashy. The better we explain to the kids, the more points we get.”
Rita tilted her head at Blena’s smug response.
“Blena, are you trying to join the education division?”
“Huh? You’re quick. I’m considering it.”
“That’s a problem.”
“What?”
Rita brushed off Blena’s probing gaze, saying it was nothing.
The education division trained young mages, but Blena was destined to become a master of water magic.
Since Rita planned to have Blena fight in the battle against Iskis, her career choice was a bit troubling.
“Seriously, you’ve been acting weird lately. You used to follow the Tower Master around like a puppy, but not anymore. Why the change?”
Rita’s brow twitched at Blena’s blunt question, a mix of her strength and flaw.
Though the question grated on her nerves, Rita held back, knowing Blena was a valuable asset.
“Because there’s no reason to anymore.”
Blena threw another question at Rita’s dry response.
“No reason? What reason? Honestly, the others say it’s nice that you’re not acting out anymore. But why the sudden change? Did something happen with the Tower Master?”
Rita’s eyebrow twitched at the sincerity in her tone.
‘Acting out, huh.’
But thinking about it, she realized others might have seen her that way.
‘I used to jump into anything related to Talos without thinking, throwing tantrums. No wonder people didn’t look kindly on me.’
Blena, tilting her head at Rita’s faint self-mockery, smiled brightly.
“Well, whatever. When else would I team up with a first-class mage like you? Everyone’s probably jealous.”
“You’re first-class too, aren’t you?”
“I’m second-class. That’s why you used to look down on me.”
Rita froze at Blena’s tilted gaze.
In this time period, Blena was indeed second-class.
She wouldn’t become first-class until later.
Clearing her throat, Rita brushed it off.
“…I got you mixed up with someone else.”
As Rita averted her gaze, Blena’s stare lingered.
Just as Rita hoped she’d drop it, a visitor entered the laboratory, which had only the two of them.
“It’s past work hours. Why aren’t you back at the dorms? What are you doing?”
A man with gray-streaked black hair and green eyes.
His face was wrinkled, but his eyes sparkled with sharpness—an old man.
To Rita, he was now an uncomfortable figure.
“Master! You’re back!”
Blena stood to greet him first, while Rita awkwardly rose and gave a half-hearted bow.
Talos’s eyes deepened as he looked at her.
“Rita.”
“Yes.”
“You haven’t come to my office for days. Is something wrong?”
A kind smile, a gentle voice, a tone laced with concern.
But Rita knew it was all a facade.
‘The slave who conveniently handled his chores suddenly stopped showing up, so he must be feeling inconvenienced.’
The cynical thought churned her stomach, and Rita clutched her collar with an uneasy expression.
“I’ve been busy.”
Talos blinked at her terse reply.
Out of concern, he glanced at Rita’s desk, which was spotless.
No matter how he looked at it, she’d either been resting or slacking off.
He wanted to ask what she was so busy with, but he held back.
Her sharp, unfamiliar gaze made him hesitate.
“Hmm. I see. Well, in that case…”
Rita’s eyes grew fiercer.
Intimidated, Talos cautiously gauged his disciple’s mood.
“…In two days, I have business at the Gaia Plains. Could you come along? The elders will be there, but having an excellent mage like you would be reassuring.”
“No—”
Rita’s eyes widened as she cut off her refusal.
The Gaia Plains were quite close to Aide Hill, the origin of Iskis.
Blinking in a daze, Rita recalled that a spring rain had fallen recently, meaning the seed might have sprouted by now.
A brilliant idea struck her.
‘What if I destroy the tree instead?’
Iskis was a being born from the seed.
‘If I eliminate the source, I might prevent Iskis’s emergence.’
Her eyes sparkled at the thought.
“Yes, I’ll go!”
“Rita? You said you’d help with the monastery…”
Talos let out a small sigh of relief at her response.
Though her expression and voice remained curt, the tension in her eyes had softened considerably.
“Good. Thank you, Rita. I’ll contact you before we depart.”
After Talos left hesitantly, Blena grabbed Rita’s shoulder tightly, her face twitching.
“You agreed to help me, and it hasn’t even been five minutes!”
“Sorry. Something came up.”
“Something? Wow, look at you. This ruins my plans…”
Ignoring Blena’s complaints, Rita was lost in thought.
‘Why did Talos suddenly suggest this? Is it just to mess with me? Or is he trying to get my attention?’
She figured he probably just needed someone to run his errands.
Dismissing it, Rita’s head suddenly tilted.
‘Wait, did I ever go to the Gaia Plains around this time?’
[To be Continued..]