The Wind Empire, known for its vast landscapes, only recently started adopting the trend of building tall structures. Regulations forbade the construction of buildings above a certain height within an 18 km radius of the palace, so high-rise buildings were rare.

Still, the wealthy always found ways to show off, and foreign-style skyscrapers began to emerge, eventually leading to the creation of self-proclaimed “seven-star hotels.”

These places became luxurious rest stops where nobles could unwind.

Of course, for an ordinary commoner like me, visiting such places should have been a distant reality, but today was an exception as I found myself at *Hotel Cheongpadan*, the 120-story gem of Taeusan, renowned as a sanctuary for nobles.

Thanks to my collaboration with Alterisha on technical items, I was generally treated as a guest of honor, but I usually avoided such pretensions. The person sitting across from me, however, seemed different.

“This place is quite expensive,” said Zelieal, the daughter of the Star Cloud Trading Company’s chairman.

Contrary to the typical image of elves frolicking in the woods, Zelieal was a high elf steeped in capitalism. Just watching her gracefully cut into her steak, one could tell she was accustomed to such indulgence.

“Anyway, I’m glad I happened to meet you there,” she said.

Meeting Zelieal right after coming out of the Persona Gate had indeed been fortunate. It allowed me to book a VIP room at Furyeong University Hospital under the Star Cloud name and guaranteed that if any dark mana was detected in Anella’s body, it could be kept quiet.

Moreover, Zelieal was the only ally I could rely on to protect Anella until she could enroll in Stella Academy.

Technically, Alterisha was my strongest supporter on a technical level, but Zelieal held significant political power.

Even Princess Hong Biyeon, who hadn’t fully wielded her power yet, couldn’t compare to Zelieal, who was in a position to leverage wealth and influence from the start.

“That’s… lucky…” Zelieal seemed momentarily flustered by my words before a quiet snicker came from the side.

It was Princess Hong Biyeon.

With an aura more aristocratic and poised than anyone, she speared a piece of salad with her fork and swept her hair behind her neck, murmuring softly, “A coincidence, indeed… It’s curious, commoner, how you could coincidentally meet someone from the Howol Plains at the entrance to the Persona Gate.”

Her words seemed subtly mocking, but wasn’t it truly a coincidence? There was no reason Zelieal would have come looking for me on purpose.

“Isn’t that what makes coincidences so interesting? Quite fascinating.”

I replied nonchalantly while poking my steak with my fork, prompting Zelieal to exhale in relief and Hong Biyeon to stir her salad with irritation.

The more I watched them, the more convinced I was that their personalities clashed. One was filled with hidden rage, while the other was icy yet a touch unhinged.

I figured something might explode if they were left together too long, but since we were already having a meal together, there was no avoiding it.

A little tension wouldn’t hurt.

As long as the food was good, nothing else mattered.

Zelieal returned to her usual composed expression and spoke. “I was curious about how you’ve been doing.”

“Huh? I’ve been fine. Not much time has passed since the semester started.”

“...Make sure to keep in touch sometimes.”

She said this offhandedly, like a passing remark, but it was significant.

“That’s why I gave you my personal contact number. It’s not something just anyone gets.”

While her official number as the chairman’s daughter might be known, her personal line was undoubtedly rare.

It was the only private line through which I could communicate with Zelieal.

Yeah, I knew how valuable it was… but that didn’t mean I could just call her whenever I wanted.

Zelieal was probably the busiest among my peers.

“Uh… I’ll contact you occasionally, when I’m bored.”

My half-hearted answer made Zelieal nod with an unreadable expression and resume cutting her steak.

I watched her quietly before turning to look out the window.

An entire wall made of glass revealed a panoramic view of Taeusan in the Wind Empire.

It reminded me of when I stood atop Seoul’s Namsan Tower—a similar feeling, bringing back a strange sense of nostalgia.

Now that I thought about it, the world of Aiter was similar to Earth in many ways. From the Wind Empire to the fae, many places used three-syllable names like in Korea, and the overall culture felt medieval or early modern, yet with a hint of contemporary elements.

‘Though in truth… it all felt like a mashup.’

Some countries mixed modern and medieval, others blended influences from China and Korea. It was as if different nations and eras were jumbled together.

I glanced at Zelieal again. The way she cut into her steak was one of Earth’s most famous dining habits.

Her white lace blouse and black office skirt looked so modern to me, but her pointed ears disrupted that sense of reality.

…Or maybe not.

In any case, it hadn’t even been a year since I came here, yet this place felt more real than Earth did.

A sense of familiarity.

Why was that, I wondered, and realized that my life on Earth had been stark and dry.

Studying, home, gaming, studying, home, gaming.

As an adult, it was work, home, and gaming in an endless loop.

That’s right—my life circuit always included *Aiter World Online*.

Characters like Baek Yuseol and countless others in Aiter. Even though they were just digital beings I couldn’t talk to, and I often skipped the story to focus on PVP all day, I had genuinely immersed myself in that game.

Having spent nearly half my life here, it was no wonder that this vibrant world felt more alive than my mundane reality.

I wouldn’t dare say my current life was “fun.” I never knew what would happen the next day, and I constantly faced dangerous incidents that threatened my life.

But… this life had color. And I might have been quite content with that.

I looked at Zelieal with newfound eyes. The woman I once thought of as just another detestable villain while playing the game now sat across from me, dining at a high-end restaurant.

This strange feeling of familiarity and importance washed over me.

But as I stared at her, Zelieal kept her gaze fixed on her plate, unable to lift her head and fidgeting nervously.

“...Commoner.”

“Huh?”

“It’s not polite to stare at someone while they’re eating.”

Hong Biyeon’s belated remark made me realize my mistake.

“...Is that an impolite human custom, staring at someone’s face while they eat?”

“Ah, sorry.”

“It’s fine…”

She said it was fine, but she still couldn’t lift her head, nervously slicing her steak.

‘Did it bother her that much?’

Zelieal was likely used to such stares. As the daughter of the Star Cloud Trading Company’s chairman, she was always the center of attention. Not to mention, her beauty drew everyone’s gaze wherever she went.

Maybe it only bothered her when there were few people around? But that didn’t make sense. Normally, Zelieal was the type to glare back fiercely and intimidate others with her gaze.

Seeing her this flustered, lips trembling, I felt a little guilty.

“You…”

Zelieal, who had barely eaten half her steak, finally looked up and glanced between me and Princess Hong Biyeon.

“Do you two often go on missions together?”

It was more of a question for Hong Biyeon, but I started to answer.

“Not really—”

“We do it often.”

Hong Biyeon cut me off and answered instead, leaving me no choice but to close my mouth.

“I see.”

Zelieal nodded, fell silent for a moment, then spoke nonchalantly.

“When you’re dispatched on missions, try to come to the southern plains often. I can support you there.”

“Is that necessary? The commoner can handle himself without your help.”

“You never know. Even Baek Yuseol could find himself in trouble, as he did today. Don’t you agree?”

“Uh… well, yes, that’s true.”

If I thought about it, it was thanks to Zelieal that Anella received treatment and safety.

“See, I was right, wasn’t I?”

Zelieal smiled as she said that, and Hong Biyeon nodded in agreement, her face blank.

The meal continued with an undercurrent of tension.

I couldn’t help but wonder if there was some hidden conflict between the Adolevit royal family and the Star Cloud Trading Company.

Both were globally influential, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they clashed frequently. But it was still strange to see them so hostile.

‘Magpie, any recent conflicts?’

[There have been no significant disputes between the Star Cloud Trading Company and the Adolevit royal family in the past 50 years.]

‘Really?’

[In fact, three years ago, the Adolevit family played a major role in forming the “World Merchants’ Coalition,” strengthening their relationship significantly.]

‘…Then what’s with this tension?’

It felt like being a shrimp caught between battling whales.

Their subtle clash continued like a storm, and I barely managed to finish my meal amidst the heavy atmosphere.

“Sigh, it’s tough just to have a meal.”

I used the excuse of having coffee afterward to slip away from the table.

The aroma of

 the premium coffee was enticing, but I wasn’t in the mood for caffeine.

‘Those two… they won’t really start fighting, will they?’

As I sipped my coffee quietly, I heard the sound of slow footsteps behind me and turned my head slightly.

There stood someone familiar.

“Oh, Professor Leydin.”

The New Moon Studies professor at Stella Academy, and a core figure in the dark mage circles.

With his hair neatly combed back and glasses adding to his intellectual image, Professor Leydin came to stand beside me and looked out the window.

“Did you talk about the transfer?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

The truth was, Anella’s transfer had been made possible by none other than the dark mage infiltrated within Stella.

The irony was almost laughable.

To protect Anella from the dark mages, I had to rely on one of them.

If it had been Vice Principal Aki Hayden or someone else, I would have refused outright. I might have even tried to persuade Principal Elteumen in some way.

But with Leydin… things were different.

“Now you owe me a favor,” he said.

“Yes. I’ll repay you one day.”

I owed Professor Leydin a debt for arranging Anella’s transfer.

Someday, he would collect that debt in some form.

I was counting on it.

He wouldn’t use ordinary means to do so. He was clearly aware of my significance.

“A mana oath, perhaps?”

“No need. I know that wouldn’t work on you.”

“That’s too bad. Let’s settle for a legal contract then.”

“Fine. As a mage, you should know what happens if you break this contract, right?”

A legal contract was just that—a legal contract. Breaking it wouldn’t drain mana, but it would impose significant social restrictions on a mage.

“Don’t worry. I’ve only broken a promise three times in my life.”

“…Three times?”

“Yes. When it was too close to the deadline and I really needed to use the restroom, for instance.”

“Enough with the silly jokes.”

Professor Leydin frowned slightly, turned, and disappeared without another word. I didn’t know why he had come here, but I figured the dark mages must have found something valuable in the Wind Empire.

Not everything in the dark mage society was recorded in the Magpie’s glasses, so finding out wouldn’t be easy.

But if Professor Leydin came all the way here, it meant someone or something of significant importance had appeared in the Wind Empire…

‘Would I really be unaware of that?’

I tilted my head in thought but couldn’t come up with an answer.

I’d find out eventually if I prodded Anella for information. After all, she was a dark mage who came here for a reason.

‘But for now…’

I looked back at the restaurant from where I had quietly retreated.

Hong Biyeon and Zelieal were still glaring at each other, locked in a silent battle.

“Sigh…”

Dark mages aside, calming those two women seemed like my most urgent task.