Ahwin settled onto the sofa and casually remarked, "Seems like things have gotten busy again now that the snow’s stopped."

"You must be bored. Want to work?" Penelope shot back.

"Not exactly," Ahwin replied immediately, clearly uninterested in the suggestion. Despite his nonchalance, Penelope thought otherwise.

“No, the Mage Tower Master needs to work. The contract ends in spring, after all.”

There were only two months left on her contract with Ahwin. Leaving such a highly skilled individual idle felt like a colossal waste.

“What should I have him do?”

When Penelope fell into deep thought with a serious expression, Ahwin raised an eyebrow.

“What is she planning to say now?”

Lately, Penelope had been avoiding meeting his eyes. Whenever their gazes accidentally locked, she would flinch as if burned, then cover it up with an awkward smile. The forced nature of her grin was painfully obvious.

Finally, Penelope broke the silence.

"By the way, about the soap. Once spring comes, I plan to start selling it to the nobles."

"I know. Why bring it up now?" Ahwin asked, caught off guard by the sudden shift to business.

Penelope continued, "Soap lasts longer than people realize. Eventually, there will be a decline in sales. Plus, relying on a single product as a tourist attraction limits our promotional impact."

"That’s true," Ahwin admitted.

"So," Penelope said, pausing briefly to organize her thoughts. She needed a product with similar benefits to the Green Herb Soap but one that would be consumed more quickly. Ideally, something that could be used alongside the soap to encourage repeat purchases.

"I’d like to develop a cosmetic line using the Green Herb," she announced.

"Huh? But the soap isn’t even fully established in the market yet," Ahwin responded, bewildered.

The workshop was still in the process of developing soaps for the common folk. The Green Herb Soap had only just begun to gain traction, so launching a new product line seemed premature.

"A businessperson has to think ahead! I want to explore as many possibilities with the Green Herb as I can," Penelope argued passionately.

Once her contract with Ahwin ended, she’d have to hire someone new. Penelope was determined to make the most of their agreement before the time came.

Her enthusiasm was infectious as she continued, "If the soap is this effective, imagine how incredible cosmetics made from the Green Herb would be!"

"…"

Ahwin had no counterargument.

Soap lasted months, but cosmetics, with their shorter shelf life, would be used up in just a month or two. Plus, their expiration dates meant unsold products would still be discarded, ensuring consistent demand. Cosmetics were undeniably a more profitable product.

Ahwin found himself wondering why he hadn’t thought of this sooner.

With a hopeful expression, Penelope asked, "How long would it take to make them?"

"Much harder than soap. We’d need to study existing cosmetic recipes first."

"Do you think it will be difficult?"

"Not really. It’s not like we’re making some rare potion. We just need to tweak the recipes a bit."

"Really?" Penelope’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

Ahwin found himself momentarily flustered. Her shining gaze sent an unexpected thrill through him, and for some reason, he felt an urge to live up to her expectations.

He blurted, "I can do it in a week."

"Really?" Penelope asked, incredulous.

Ahwin answered confidently, "Really."

***

The very next day, Ahwin regretted his decision.

Once the excitement had worn off and cold logic took over his mind, he realized that he had absolutely none of the materials or resources needed to create cosmetics.

In other words, everything required for the project was back in the Mage Tower.

This meant he would have to open a portal to the Mage Tower—a spell that consumed a massive amount of mana and was notoriously inefficient.

"Why on earth did I make such a promise?"

Ahwin couldn't understand himself.

To begin with, even his impulsive decision to cut his hair made no sense.

“I was planning to grow it out, wasn’t I?”

It must have been when Penelope had complimented Lianel's appearance. He'd felt an inexplicable surge of competitiveness, wondering how she would react to seeing his true self.

So, he had rushed to the barber and cut it all off.

"Why have I become so childish?"

He let out a deep sigh, gazing into the distant sky.

It was clear that he had been changing lately. And while he thought he might understand why, he wasn’t entirely certain.

Still, now was not the time for self-reflection.

Ahwin decided to simplify his thoughts.

“At least creating something new sounds fun.”

Cosmetics infused with Green Herb? He was genuinely curious if they could be even more effective than the soap.

"Fine. Let’s do this."

He began organizing his plan.

First, he would need to gather information and materials for the cosmetics, which meant accessing the Mage Tower’s library. To do that, he needed to open the portal, a process requiring the Mage Tower's permission...

“Wait, I am the Mage Tower itself, so I don’t need anyone’s permission.”

The only thing Ahwin truly worried about was the bothersome wizards who would cling to him like leeches the moment they noticed his presence in the tower.

Although he planned to keep a low profile, there was always the chance a mana-sensitive wizard might detect him, leading to endless questions and disturbances.

“Lately, more and more wizards have been asking about mana absorption techniques. How am I supposed to explain that?”

He grumbled to himself.

Ordinary wizards restored their mana by absorbing it from mana stones.

But as a grand mage, Ahwin could directly absorb pure mana from the atmosphere.

He could naturally convert it into magical energy through his breathing, even tapping into mana from the Abyss to perform spells.

This innate ability, rare even among geniuses, was why he was revered as a once-in-a-millennium talent.

However, Ahwin couldn’t explain this method to others. No matter how brilliant he was, it was like trying to teach someone how to breathe.

"Ugh, just thinking about it is already tiresome."

Muttering complaints under his breath, Ahwin retrieved his robe and draped it over himself.

There was another matter to deal with before he visited the Mage Tower. His original contract with Penelope had been to protect the estate from monsters during the winter.

"Lianel, that idiot, stirred up something strange while wandering in the forest."

The northern forest had been restless for several days. Something enormous deep within its depths had been emitting a presence that constantly grated on Ahwin’s nerves.

Ahwin’s mana field was vast, allowing him to sense the movement of every living being within its range.

While he usually ignored most presences, exceptionally large ones made him unbearably irritable—one of the reasons he was perpetually sharp-tongued and prickly.

Opening the window, he was met with a biting gust of wind.

"Clicking his tongue, he muttered, “If it weren’t for me, this estate probably wouldn’t survive the winter.”

The next moment, Ahwin harnessed his mana and floated into the air.

As soon as he stepped outside the window, the wind whipped at him from all sides. He quickly cast a barrier, and the transparent shield blocked the harsh gusts.

With effortless grace, Ahwin soared into the sky, heading directly for the heart of the northern forest.

***

How much time had passed?

Ahwin soared over the northern forest, battling a sense of boredom. Below him, the dense greenery of the forest rippled like waves.

At some point, he descended to the ground.

He had landed in the shadowy heart of the forest.

Ahwin instinctively sensed the dense, pure mana pooling in the area.

“Why am I even doing this?”

He tried to ignore the fleeting, distracting thoughts that surfaced in his mind.

With a sweep of his arm, the stagnant mana began to ripple, as if disturbed by a stone thrown into still water.

The deep blue energy started to swirl slowly, flowing toward Ahwin’s body.

Before long, he closed his eyes and assumed a relaxed posture, allowing the pure power to pour into him.

He resisted nothing. Having been born beloved by mana, this phenomenon was entirely natural for him.

At some point, Ahwin opened his eyes again. Those fairy-like eyes shimmered with a golden hue, glowing faintly in the dim light.

It was then that a shadow darted out from the depths of the forest.

"Graaaaaah!"

A monster had followed the immense power Ahwin had inadvertently released into the forest.

It was the apex predator of the northern woods—a mayong. The creature’s hideous body was adorned with horns and jagged hooks protruding grotesquely from its flesh. Flames flickered from the barbs on its tail.

With terrifying speed, the mayong lunged at Ahwin.

"Raaaaagh!"

Its slit-like eyes glinted with murderous intent, and its razor-sharp fangs gleamed as it opened its monstrous jaws to swallow Ahwin whole.

At that moment, Ahwin extended his hand.