When my registration with the Mage Guild was completed, a flickering system window appeared in front of me:
[New Quest Acquired!]
Quest Title: First Step
Description: You've been accepted into the Mage Guild with Archmage Lucian's permission.
Objective: Join your first field mission as a mage apprentice.
Reward: 20 Gold
Bonus: Complete the mission successfully to receive your first paycheck.
I read the "first paycheck" part three times.
So… the system finally recognized me as a real mage. With a salary.
Nice.
But… only 20 gold?
I mean—Garon's stupid rusted wrench quest offered 50 gold!
I muttered, "I really should turn that one in already. Is this what they call fair compensation?"
⸻
The quest led us to the outskirts of a small town, near the edge of the forest.
Mana leakage detection—classic mage scanning job.
I wasn't alone. Two other mage apprentices were with me: Nina and Orren.
Nina: brown-haired, glasses-wearing, hyperactive information goblin.
She held the mana detector like it was a wand and talked a mile a minute.
"If the crystal vibrates like this—it just did a few seconds ago—it means the spiral density is rising!"
Orren: the embodiment of silence.
Silver hair falling into his eyes, constantly scanning with his device.
Didn't speak much, but observed everything.
⸻
My detector gave a faint flicker. I crouched beside a scorched shrub.
Still warm.
Someone had burned this recently—with magic. And not just a minor spark spell.
"I think someone tampered with this area," I murmured. "And not long ago."
Nina knelt beside me.
"The crystal pulsed here too," she said. "Likely an unstable mana leak. Or someone covered something up."
She adjusted her glasses, voice dropping.
"Sometimes the trail vanishes… but it never truly disappears."
Right then, Orren looked up.
"They're coming."
⸻
Footsteps.
And a voice.
"Watch that path! Mana flow is unstable. Tracks are overlapping!"
I knew that tone—only one person could sound that formal and that irritated at the same time.
Kai.
My lungs relocated somewhere near my ankles.
I turned my head—and there he was. Standing at the forest's edge.
His armor gleamed in the morning light.
Frown sharp, stance commanding.
I didn't wait.
⸻
I dove straight into the bushes.
I mean, full body dive.
Shoved my detector into the ground and curled up like a root.
Face full of leaves.
Nina: "Elysia?!"
"Botanical research," I whispered urgently. "Wild herbs. Educational protocols. Extremely important."
She sighed. I couldn't see her face, but I felt the judgment.
⸻
Kai got closer.
But thankfully… he never looked my way.
He addressed Nina instead.
"This shrub was recently scorched. If you found something, why wasn't it reported?"
Nina responded calmly but firmly.
"It caught fire. Spiral energy spike. We acted fast to contain the damage."
Kai pressed, voice rising.
"This is the fifth time. Mages show up first, tamper with the scene, and leave nothing behind. No evidence, no residuals."
Nina lowered her glasses slightly.
"There was a fire hazard, Kai. We stopped it. Also… you've said this before. Fifth time, right?"
Kai stepped closer.
"This level of carelessness could be hiding illegal activity. You're erasing key traces."
Nina's tone sharpened.
"I'm following orders. If you have a problem, take it up with Lucian."
Kai fell silent for a beat.
Then walked off.
Never looked my way.
⸻
Once the clanking of his armor faded, I rose from the dirt like a reborn shrub goddess.
Leaves in my hair. Pride in the mud.
Nina came over.
"You can come out. The knight brigade has left. Your botany is safe."
Me: "I'm just really committed to plant-based learning."
⸻
Then…
I felt it. A strange tug in my chest.
Not mine—my familiar's reaction.
Something ahead. A pile of oddly placed stones.
Too neat. Too… intentional.
"Nina," I said slowly. "There's something here."
She raised a brow. "The detector didn't ping."
"Good thing I don't rely on gadgets."
Translation: familiar's sixth sense for shady stuff activated.
I started digging.
Nina sighed but joined me.
"You're really serious about this?"
"Always."
My fingers brushed metal.
Cold. Smooth. Not natural.
Nina gasped.
"What did you find?!"
Brushing off the dirt revealed an old iron box.
Its surface was etched with faint runes—one of them unmistakably dark magic.
The system popped up immediately:
[Hidden Quest Unlocked!]
Quest Title: The Box of Shadows
Description: You've uncovered traces of dark magic. Proceed with caution.
Me: "And still no guide? Seriously, system? Love that for me."
Nina knelt, eyes wide.
"How did you even see this?"
"Blended with the bushes, achieved shrub-nirvana, stumbled upon secrets. Normal Tuesday."
Even Orren joined, staring at the box.
"It's sealed. Could be dangerous. We should take it to Lucian."
Nina nodded.
"And not mention it to you-know-who. He'd throw a 'told you so' tantrum for a week."
⸻
Kai hadn't seen me.
That was a win.
⸻
On the way back to the Tower, we were all quiet.
Nina kept analyzing the box.
Orren… was Orren. Silent as a statue.
Me? I enjoyed the peace.
Let's recap:
Kai almost stepped on me, I dove face-first into shrubbery, system gave me a hidden quest, I found a cursed box, and I'm still hiding my mage status from one very grumpy knight.
Just a normal day.
When we reached the Tower, a system window popped up:
[Quest Complete!]
Title: First Step
Status: Successful
Reward: 20 Gold
20 gold dropped into my wallet.
Was I excited? No.
Rich? Definitely not.
"So much for full-time mage work being lucrative," I muttered.
But gold wasn't the real issue.
I kept thinking about Kai.
Should I tell him? Wait for the right time?
Pretend I'm just mage-adjacent?
I glanced at the sky.
"For now… it's better he doesn't know."
I stepped inside the Tower.
"Today… is done."
⸻
Except Lucian had no concept of what "done" meant.
I barely crossed the archway when he appeared between the marble columns—
White robes flowing with the wind, golden hair cascading to his collar.
He looked like a demigod posing for a divine portrait.
Strong jaw, sharp cheekbones, a sly smirk always dancing on his lips.
One eye glimmered with shifting blue light, the other… unreadable wisdom.
And those eyes—
You'd spill your secrets before realizing you had any.
"I heard about today's fieldwork," he said casually. "Especially the part where you dived into a shrub."
Then he walked up. Close. Too close.
He reached out—
I flinched, but he merely plucked something from my hair.
A small yellow leaf.
"A special fondness for foliage?"
His voice was smooth as silk and twice as dangerous.
My cheeks ignited.
"It was an emergency response. Environmental analysis. Totally academic."
"Oh yes. The face-first leaf research technique. Very progressive."
"Don't mock me," I muttered.
He was still brushing another leaf off my head.
Then, locking eyes with mine, he murmured:
"If you'd like, I can help you publish your findings.
Title: Headbutting Nature — An Empirical Study."
"Ugh…"
He shoved a thick bundle of scrolls into my arms.
"Take these. Basic spells. Light, levitation, energy shots. Fundamentals of everything you need."
I looked at the pages.
Thick. So thick.
"Tonight?"
Lucian tilted his head, eyes narrowing playfully.
"Unless," he said slowly, "you prefer… more personal tutoring."
Pause.
"In my room. Two glasses of wine. Quiet.
Hands-on demonstrations. No bushes involved."
I blinked.
Then sprinted.
"I'll study! I'll finish everything by morning! I swear!"
As I vanished around the corner, he called after me:
"If I'd known this motivated you, I'd have locked you in the archives on day one."
I whispered to myself:
"Please let this job come with a bonus…"