I Don’t Know the Original, I’m Too Busy Trying to Make a Living

Penelope blurted out her remark without realizing it, and Caserin and Lube, the junior mages under Ahwin’s tutelage, nodded emphatically as if fully agreeing with her. It was astonishing how skillfully Ahwin could frame his actions to sound so impressive.
Ahwin shot his two followers a sharp look before speaking.

“From the start, the only thing the Elders wanted when they put me in this position was for me not to cause trouble.”
“Really?”
That was news to Penelope. She had never heard of such a deal being part of Ahwin’s appointment as Tower Master. It was unexpectedly intriguing.

Shrugging, Ahwin continued, “Look at things now. Just by sitting in this seat, the Holy Church can’t utter a single word against me. It’s been ages since they interfered with the Tower’s sale of potions. They know if I move, things will get incredibly messy for them.”
“Wow…”
Penelope finally began to grasp the gravity of Ahwin’s role.

So, simply by holding his position, Ahwin was able to keep various factions in check and maintain the continent’s balance of power.
‘Breathing counts as work for him. Amazing.’
Penelope almost felt tears of envy welling up in her eyes.

Ahwin, noticing her expression, raised his voice in protest.
“I’m not just lazing around! I do incredibly important work as Tower Master!”
“Of course, I’m sure you do,” Penelope replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Ahwin’s lips twitched in irritation as he realized she wasn’t taking his words seriously.
At that moment, a loud whistle sounded, and the train began to move slowly.
“It’s finally departing,” Penelope said, turning her gaze toward the window.

Ahwin crossed his arms and kept his mouth shut, still feeling a twinge of injustice. He had no intention of explaining his work in detail—too much of it was highly illegal, and some of it would make Penelope question her sanity.
‘Only an idiot would spell it all out.’
The magical engineering train swiftly crossed the central and northern territories, arriving at the mid-station of Dallas.

As Penelope stepped off the train, she stretched her arms and let out a yawn. Sitting in one place for so long had left her body stiff.
Sain, who followed her off the train, looked up at her with curiosity.
“Baroness, are we staying here for the night?”
“Yes. We’ll spend the night at a hotel and leave in the morning,” Penelope replied.

At the mention of a hotel, Sain’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“A hotel? Really?”
“Yes. It’ll be your first time staying in one, won’t it?”

“Yeah!”
The hotel was located just a short distance from the train station, and the group quickly made their way to its grand lobby.
Sain’s eyes grew wide as he took in the luxurious and spacious interior.

Unable to sit still, he fidgeted with his hands and feet, clearly eager to explore the hotel. Penelope chuckled softly and gave her permission.
“Just make sure you’re back in time for dinner.”
“Yes!”

Sain grabbed Giselle’s hand and dashed off toward the elevator, which appeared to be a newly installed magical lift. This time, Damian followed them to keep an eye on things.
Penelope watched them fondly, a small smile on her lips. Beside her, Ahwin silently observed her expression.
And then, in that moment...

“Isn’t this Baroness Halo? How curious to meet you here so often.”
“…Branch Manager of the Imperial Bank. It’s been a while.”
Penelope’s expression turned neutral, erasing the faint smile she had worn. The branch manager, Lihenz, politely tipped his bowler hat in greeting.

“You’re on your way to Halo, I presume? As for me, I’m headed to Pellar.”
“I see.”
It was information Penelope had absolutely no interest in, and she decided to delete it from her mind immediately.

Lihenz lowered his voice conspiratorially, the meddlesome streak he seemed to reserve for Penelope surfacing once more.
“This evening, I’m dining with a high-ranking noble from the capital. How about joining us? It would be delightful to have you there.”
“That won’t work,” Ahwin interjected coolly. “Penelope already has plans with me.”

Lihenz stiffened as his eyes fell on Ahwin, who was staring directly at him. The young man’s breathtakingly beautiful face, partially hidden beneath a deeply drawn hood, was enough to leave Lihenz momentarily speechless. Until now, he hadn’t even noticed the man’s presence.
Ahwin’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Ah, right. You were here too. I’d almost forgotten.”
“W-what do you mean by that…?”

Lihenz’s voice trembled unconsciously.
He wasn’t entirely ignorant of the identity of the striking young man at Penelope’s side. Rumors whispered among nobles had already reached him.
‘Blond hair and green eyes. That must be the Tower Master.’

Cold sweat trickled down Lihenz’s back. According to his information, the Tower Master resided in his estate in the capital. Aside from a single appearance at an imperial banquet, he hadn’t participated in any official activities.
Yet here he was, practically glued to Penelope’s side on her journey to the northern territory. Lihenz hadn’t imagined this possibility.
‘Isn’t the Tower Master supposed to be too busy researching magic? Why is he here with Baroness Halo?’

Come to think of it, Lihenz recalled seeing this striking young man at the same hotel before. The “young paramour” he’d assumed Penelope was harboring turned out to be the Tower Master himself!
‘Could the rumors about them being in a secret relationship actually be true…?’
Flustered, Lihenz stumbled over his words. “I-I wasn’t aware you already had plans. In that case, I’ll just be on my way now.”

He fled hurriedly, as if worried someone might stop him. Ahwin watched his retreating figure with an icy gaze and a faint, unsettling smile.
A shiver ran down Penelope’s spine, and she waved her hand in front of Ahwin’s face. “Ahwin? Don’t you think staring at people like that might scare them?”
Ahwin’s expression immediately returned to normal, but now he looked slightly sulky.

“Pepe, am I scary to you?”
Penelope quickly shook her head and took his hand. “Don’t worry about him. He’s not worth the effort. Besides, I’ve already repaid all the loans from the Imperial Bank.”
“That’s good,” Ahwin replied, holding her hand firmly.

“Shall we head up and rest for a bit?” Penelope asked.
“Alright,” Ahwin agreed.
“I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Are you going to sleep?”
“Yes, even thirty minutes would help,” Penelope said, barely suppressing a yawn. She was visibly tired after working late into the night and catching up on paperwork during the train ride. While a recovery potion might alleviate some of her fatigue, it couldn’t entirely erase her mental exhaustion.
Ahwin watched her enter her room, which was conveniently next to his. He quietly lingered for a moment, listening.

Through the door, he heard Penelope groan softly before collapsing onto the bed.
“Lucky you, Ahwin. I wish I could stop working too…”
Ahwin chuckled under his breath. He doubted Penelope would stop working even if she became a wealthy retiree.

‘Pepe would probably invent work just to stay busy.’
Though Penelope seemed certain that Ahwin did little, he was constantly managing matters behind the scenes. Even now, he was expanding his magical barrier to monitor for potential threats near Penelope.
When no suspicious presences surfaced near her, he turned his attention outward. Among the various signals in his range, he identified one in particular—the man from earlier.

‘Lihenz, was it?’
Ahwin could sense the man’s filthy desires directed at Penelope. While he itched to deal with the annoyance immediately, he knew better than to act recklessly with Penelope so close. If something happened to Lihenz nearby, she would catch on instantly.
“Hm, I’ll take care of something else for now,” he muttered.

In an instant, a blue magic circle materialized around Ahwin, its runes forming intricate patterns that symbolized the Tower of Arcsante. Within moments, his body disappeared from the room.
When Ahwin reappeared, he found himself in the depths of a dense, ancient forest.
The forest, a grove of colossal beech trees, exuded a mysterious and serene beauty.

Ahwin lifted his head upward. Twisting around one of the massive trees was an enormous serpent, its scales gleaming like steel and its body unnaturally thick. A grotesque horn jutted from its head, adding to its menacing appearance.
The serpent gazed down at Ahwin, unblinking.