The morning after the uproar of Viscount Karon prostrating himself.
Danil, facing Elena, did not look well.
It was only natural.
“Did I… cause a major accident?”
“To put it bluntly, yes?”
“Urgh!”
Danil clutched his head.
He had only said it to soothe the man, who had been making things so awkward.
But after hearing the story, he realized he absolutely should not have.
‘Normally, we should only be doing work for the dispatched agency, but I went and immediately accepted a request for help from a subcontractor under them. Was I insane? Past me!!!’
At the time, silence had been the answer.
He had realized it far too late.
Of all the troll moves, how could he have pulled such a massive troll move?
How on earth was he supposed to clean this up?
Danil wanted to cry.
“Don’t worry too much, Supervisor Danil.”
“Pardon?”
Danil, who had been fidgeting anxiously, raised his head.
Instead of reprimanding him or kicking him in the shins, Elena was offering words of comfort, and her expression was strangely bright.
“We managed to settle it amicably one way or another.”
“Excuse me?”
For real?! No, that’s great, but how on earth???
“If you look at it closely, they were the ones who did wrong first. It was fault on both sides, but their share of responsibility is greater. And since you also achieved overwhelming merit, it would be a little much to reprimand you without consideration, wouldn’t it?”
“Ah.”
“So we came to the conclusion that we should not make things unpleasant for each other and simply wrap it up nicely. It will be glossed over.”
“R-really?”
“Yes.”
‘Wow, thank goodness! I was terrified because I thought I was seriously fucked!’
Was this how it felt to see a single ray of light in a gloomy abyss?
Danil’s complexion, which had turned dark as words like written apology, pay cut, suspension, and dismissal flashed through his mind, rapidly brightened.
“I’m sorry, Grade Five Elena. You must have had to hear all sorts of unnecessary things because of me…”
“It’s all right. Things like this happen when you work. Please be careful from now on.”
“I’ll make sure something like this never happens again.”
Danil bowed at the waist.
He simply could not raise his head in front of Elena, who had cleaned up the mess he had caused.
“I truly have no excuse. I don’t know how I can ever repay this debt.”
“Mm. You don’t have to worry about it that much.”
Danil, with his head lowered, did not know.
He did not know what sort of expression Elena was making right now.
‘This will be easier to persuade him than I thought.’
“Then may I ask you for one favor?”
“A favor, you say?”
“Don’t worry. It’s nothing major.”
She smiled sweetly.
Danil, failing to see through the smile of a scheming witch, tilted his head.
*
Elena, who had stepped out for a while, returned with someone in tow.
“Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Magician Danil. My name is Irina.”
“Uh. Hello.”
Danil greeted her awkwardly.
It was definitely their first meeting, but her impression felt strangely familiar.
At Danil’s gaze demanding an explanation, Elena nodded.
“Irina is a distant relative of Department Head Titania.”
“Pardon? Why would someone like that be here?”
“She’s preparing to apply to the Magic Tower next year.”
“Hm?”
Danil blinked.
What did aiming for the Magic Tower have to do with the North…
“Before I came on this business trip to the North, the Department Head asked me for a favor. She said Irina wanted to make an eye-catching entry on her application, and there was no place more suitable than the North right now. Miss Irina agreed as well.”
…There was a connection?
“Wow.”
Danil let out a hollow laugh.
A news article from his previous life flashed through his mind: 『Examinees Crossing the Pacific to Write 200 Hours of Overseas Volunteer Work on Their Application Résumés』.
Sometimes, he got confused as to whether this was a fantasy world or a modern fantasy world.
“Isn’t this place too dangerous just to build up experience?”
“That is precisely why it can make for a differentiated career record. Those were the Department Head’s words.”
‘So the Department Head was a lion.’
They said lions dropped their cubs off cliffs to raise them strong, and no matter how he looked at it, that sounded like something straight out of an educational philosophy from a prestigious noble family.
“Let’s get to the point. I would like you to take charge of Irina, Danil.”
“Pardon??? What do you mean by that?!”
The loud voice burst out reflexively.
Elena did not appear flustered and calmly continued.
“Originally, I intended to take her with me and assign her appropriate work. But fewer things that would help her experience came up than I expected.”
Elena’s meaningful gaze turned toward Danil.
“And then, Supervisor Danil brought work with him, didn’t he?”
“Ah…?!”
“An expedition mission. Combat experience against barbarians, achievements, and the qualifications Miss Irina needs. Wouldn’t she be able to write not just one line, but several?”
“…It’s too dangerous.”
“Don’t worry. I know Supervisor Danil’s abilities well. Precisely because you are a person of your level, I can entrust Miss Irina to you with peace of mind. If the Department Head were here, she would have agreed as well.”
‘I’m screwed.’
Danil sighed as he watched Elena make an offer he could not refuse with a smiling face, as if the answer had already been decided.
Babysitting a superior’s kid!
Wasn’t that one of the corporate power-abuse assignments one wanted to avoid the most?
If he could, he wanted to refuse. But that was impossible.
Because of yesterday’s accident, he owed Elena a debt.
‘One debt ended up costing me damn dearly.’
Danil sighed and nodded as if giving up.
“Understood. I will take her along. I’ll pay as much attention to her as possible and look after her convenience.”
“Thank you for accepting my request, Supervisor Danil.”
The sight of the person who had shoved the mission of babysitting a superior’s kid onto him smiling somehow felt irritating.
Irina greeted him properly.
“I’ll be in your care for the time being, Supervisor Danil.”
“Yeah. Let’s get along for the time being.”
Danil, who had suddenly ended up with an expedition mission plus the role of guardian for his superior’s relative and prospective applicant, looked up at the ceiling.
He couldn’t help but think this must be what it felt like to create a debt of a thousand nyang with a single word.
‘Please, I hope no more trouble happens.’
Danil prayed and prayed again to the heavens.
*
Less than an hour after the emergency meeting with Rainer ended.
Elena began another meeting in her room.
Looking at Irina, who was seated across from her, Elena spoke.
“That is all I had to convey. Do you understand what you need to do?”
“I am to accompany Magician Danil and assist and protect him.”
“Correct.”
At Irina’s satisfactory answer, Elena nodded.
The day before the northern dispatch, Titania had quietly called Elena over and introduced Irina to her.
Irina was from a collateral branch of the Titania family and had shown outstanding talent since childhood.
Having grown under the family’s support and elite education, she had become, at only twenty-two years old, a talent who could be called a prepared 3rd Circle magician and secretary candidate.
There was only one reason such an outstanding talent had been attached to Elena.
A Plan B in case Elena and Danil were separated.
The time had come to use that insurance.
Elena spoke not with the eyes of a magician, but with those of an administrator and politician.
“Keep this in mind, Irina.”
Her voice was calm and cold.
“As you know well, Supervisor Danil is an excellent magician. But when it comes to politics and social awareness?”
“Zero points.”
Irina answered immediately.
The corners of Elena’s mouth rose.
“Exactly. Zero points. And the northern nobles are now moving to target that zero-point failure.”
She sighed.
“If they employ even a small trick, Danil will end up shackled with debts, obligations, and restraints. If that happens, the Magic Tower will lose Danil, and that will lead directly to Lady Titania’s loss.”
“……”
“Your mission is to prevent that worst-case outcome from happening. Understood? Do your utmost.”
“I will complete the mission by any means necessary.”
“A good answer.”
Elena clapped her hands.
“I was secretly worried you might say something foolish like you would do your best, but that concern was unnecessary.”
In the world of politics, “best” was nothing but an excuse.
Only results mattered. Producing results alone was truth and justice.
Both Elena and Irina knew this well.
“Become the secretary who assists Supervisor Danil and make sure he does not fall for the nobles’ temptations. Unnecessary promises, unfavorable conditions, any kind of yoke—cover him perfectly so none of them are imposed on him.”
“Yes. I will become a political barrier that will not fall short even in your place, Lady Elena.”
“Good.”
Elena placed a hand on Irina’s shoulder.
It was for encouragement and warning.
“If you handle this mission well, Lady Titania will remember you and make important use of you. However.”
Elena’s voice dropped by one tone.
“Mistakes will not be tolerated. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”
Irina’s answer was already decided.
“I will produce results. That is why I came here.”
“Excellent. I wish you luck.”
With Elena’s nod, the meeting came to an end.
On the way back after leaving the room.
Irina quietly steeled her resolve.
‘This isn’t a simple substitute role. Originally, this is an important mission Lady Elena should have taken on herself.’
She had never imagined she would gain an opportunity to catch Titania’s eye before even entering the Magic Tower.
Irina decided to use this as the first stepping stone for her own advancement.
‘Supervisor Danil. I will protect you without fail so the North’s hand cannot reach you. For your sake, and for mine.’
Thus was born Irina: outwardly a 3rd Circle Magic Tower aspirant, but in reality Danil’s political shield and watcher.
*
And back to the present.
“Thank you, Sir Danil. I do not know how I can ever repay this grace.”
“Please pay it no mind. I merely did what I had to do.”
“…Looking at that, it doesn’t seem like he lacks political ability or tact, though.”
Watching Danil’s flawless etiquette as he faced the lord of Rohenberg, Irina shook her head.