“It’s hard to get cash immediately, but magic stones can be obtained in no time. All it takes is rummaging through the pockets of a few wizards.”

“This actually worked.”

Penelope let out a quiet sigh of relief. She had just blurted out whatever came to mind, not expecting it to work.

At the same time, an unsettling realization hit her.

“I really am inside a novel.”

There was no denying it now.

This was a romance fantasy novel, and it seemed the story was nearing its conclusion.

“I just didn’t want to admit that I’m neither the protagonist nor even a supporting character.”

After a moment, Penelope spoke again in a calmer tone.

“I’d like to hire a wizard to work in Halo Territory for the winter. Someone who can set up a magic stone barrier for the season.”

“One wizard will cost you 100,000 gold. The magic stones required for the barrier are extra.”

“Then for the herbs, I’ll only accept 200,000 gold worth in magic stones.”

“Oh! How astute of you. That makes things much easier.”

Rector chuckled and strode toward a towering pile of books in the corner.

Then, without hesitation, he began speaking to the stack.

“Get up. There’s a request for a magic stone barrier. Hm? Didn’t you say you wanted to work?”

Penelope’s eyes widened. Who on earth was he talking to?

At that moment, a long leg stretched out from the pile of books, sending the entire stack crashing down.

Sir Kane instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword.

“What the…?”

A low, resonant groan echoed, tinged with irritation.

Before Penelope could react, a man who had been sleeping curled up amidst the books lifted his head.

His hooded robe covered most of his face, leaving only his chin visible, but he looked overwhelmingly grim.

This must be the wizard she was supposed to bring back to her estate.

The wizard spoke.

“Leave me alone.”

Rector grimaced and pinched his nose.

“Ugh, the smell of alcohol. Enough already, get up.”

“Don’t wanna.”

“Is that something a person should say? Please, for once, take a bath, get some sunlight, and interact with other people!”

“What nonsense is this now?”

“Come on, don’t you know a healthy body leads to a healthy mind? A regular routine brings vitality to the spirit!”

He wasn’t wrong.

As Rector’s nagging showed no signs of stopping, the wizard clamped his hands over his ears.

Rector merely smirked, undeterred.

“You do realize I can still hear you, right? Even if you don’t want to work, you’ll need to leave this branch. This isn’t a charity daycare.”

“I’ll pay rent.”

“No, thank you.”

“…”

Hadn’t he just mentioned unpaid work?

Penelope exchanged a glance with Sir Kane, both silently agreeing that these two were quite a pair of eccentrics.

“Well then, up you go. Put some effort into standing.”

“Didn’t I say I don’t want to work?”

Rector ignored the wizard’s complaints and hauled him to his feet, practically shoving him toward Sir Kane.

Caught off guard, Sir Kane ended up supporting the unsteady wizard.

From afar, the wizard had looked frail and unimpressive, but up close, he was taller than Sir Kane, with large, long hands visible beneath his robe’s sleeves.

Rector dusted off his hands and said casually, “He might look unremarkable, but his skills should be decent.”

“Uh, well…”

Penelope hesitated, wincing at the overpowering stench of alcohol coming from the wizard.

Although his face was hidden by the hood, everything about him screamed unreliability.

“Don’t worry. If there’s an issue with the barrier, the branch will take full responsibility for repairs.”

“Don’t say crazy things, Rector.”

To Penelope’s surprise, it was the wizard who spoke, his voice sharp and cutting.

Rector chuckled in response.

“Good to see you recognize crazy talk when you hear it.”

The wizard furrowed his brows deeply before abruptly pulling down his hood. His disheveled blond hair spilled out, limp and lifeless.

Even with his hood down, only parts of his face were visible—his nose and lips. The rest was obscured by the messy hair that hung down.

“Doesn’t that bother him?”

Penelope stared intently at the wizard.

There was something oddly captivating about him, perhaps the precarious and dangerous aura he exuded.

For a brief moment, his hidden eyes seemed to meet hers before disappearing again behind his bangs.

Was it her imagination?

The wizard pressed his palms against his bird’s-nest hair, trying to flatten it with an irritable demeanor.

“I’ll only work enough to earn 100,000 gold.”

“Suit yourself.”

Rector responded dismissively, clearly uninterested.

Penelope noted with some irritation that her opinion wasn’t even part of the conversation.

Hesitantly, she raised her hand.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, Baroness Penelope?”

“Well, um, are there any other wizards available? Not that I doubt him, but… he doesn’t seem particularly inclined to work. Ha-ha.”

Penelope forced an awkward laugh. Rector spread his arms dramatically.

“Unfortunately, he’s the only wizard available in the entire Mage Tower who isn’t otherwise occupied or lazing about.”

“I see…”

Penelope quickly resigned herself to the situation.

“If something goes wrong, the branch will handle any repairs. I suppose I’ll have to trust that for now.”

She wasn’t eager to pick a fight with the Mage Tower. Quarreling with wizards was unnecessary and incredibly dangerous.

Letting go of any expectations, Penelope turned to Rector with another question.

“Do you happen to know any alchemists? I’ll need one for the estate as well.”

“Ah, an alchemist…”

Rector suddenly fixed his gaze on the wizard.

“What now?”

The wizard’s lips twitched in annoyance.

With a sly grin, Rector clapped his hands together.

“As luck would have it, this gentleman is also quite skilled in alchemy. Dare I say, his talent for alchemy might even surpass his magic.”

“…”

Penelope was at a loss for words. It felt as if she was being conned into buying insurance.

“For an additional 50,000 gold, he’ll handle alchemy as well. What do you say?”

A two-for-one deal? Penelope’s ears perked up. It was hard to resist the thought of slashing the cost in half.

The wizard openly voiced his displeasure.

“Shouldn’t you at least ask for my opinion?”

“Didn’t you say you were tired of overthinking everything? That you’d take on a demon king-slaying quest just to clear your mind? Stop drowning in alcohol and start working.”

“Even so, 50,000 is too little.”

The wizard grumbled.

“Think of it as a chance to enjoy a retreat in a peaceful, scenic place.”

Rector’s retort left the wizard speechless.

“Peaceful and scenic, huh…”

Penelope’s resolve wavered. She felt as though 150,000 gold was slipping away into the void.

Meanwhile, Rector rolled up his sleeves with a cheerful grin.

“Now then, let’s hurry and load the herbs onto the carriage.”

***

That afternoon, Penelope purchased an additional 2,000 shares of Durek Railroad Company stock.

She then loaded the empty carriage with essential goods and food supplies and departed Pellar.

Sir Kane suggested staying one more night and leaving at dawn, but the dire food situation in Halo Territory weighed heavily on Penelope's mind.

By now, the people of the territory were surely anxiously awaiting her return. Penelope was determined to deliver the supplies as quickly as possible.

The sound of horses’ hooves echoed rhythmically as the carriage rolled forward. The sky outside the window was already painted in hues of dusk.

“At this pace, we should arrive at the lord’s castle around dawn tomorrow,” said Sir Kane.

“Please encourage the coachmen to push through, even if it’s tough. I’ll make sure they receive extra compensation,” Penelope replied.

“There’s no need for that. I’ll take care of the additional wages myself,” Sir Kane said, as if Penelope’s offer were unthinkable.

From Sir Kane’s perspective, the territory had only managed to survive thus far thanks to Penelope’s efforts.

Amidst the chaos following the lord’s death, Penelope had taken the lead, organizing the funeral and managing the aftermath.

Even today, thanks to her resourcefulness, they had been able to purchase emergency food supplies, secure magic stones, and hire a wizard. (Sir Kane had decided to simply forget about the 4,000 shares of railroad stock.)

Without her decisiveness and wisdom, the people of Halo Territory would have been forced to scatter long before winter arrived.

“Grrr... snooore…”

“…”

“…”

Both of them fell silent at the same time, as if by mutual agreement.