The golem alternated between looking at her pale, delicate hand and his own hard, gray one.
Why was she different from him? Why was her body so fragile, while his was dull and coarse?
The newly born golem was curious about everything he saw. But his curiosity was not something his exhausted master could afford to deal with at the moment.
“So if you truly don’t want to work, then fine. I’ll just get rid of you and make another golem who will obey me.”
<You’re going to get rid of me?>
<Please wait, Master! Try persuading him a little more…! With your current condition, casting a new spell would be difficult!>
Andeon’s worried plea only made Karia more irritated. She had been holding back all day—since the moment she woke up that morning.
The fact that someone who had once ruled the entire continent was now living a life of rejection, unwelcome wherever she went, was already infuriating enough.
And now, even the seat of her former glory—weathered and faded as it was—offered no comfort, and to top it off, a golem she had created with her own hands dared to defy her orders!
“Do you know who I am? I am Asmoph Rubaltverhi—greatest alchemist of the continent, and the strongest mage! I fought on the front lines even after going ten days without food! This is nothing! This is… ugh!”
Suddenly, her heart pounded violently, and her legs gave out.
<Master!>
Magic is the act of rearranging mana in nature to produce mysterious phenomena. But just because it uses ambient mana doesn’t mean it comes at no cost.
The caster’s mental energy fuels magic. And that energy is amplified by emotion, which is why spellcasting often leads to extreme fatigue.
Moreover, casting magic while angry or depressed can cause the mage to fall into an uncontrollable state of excitement. This is why mages must always maintain emotional stability.
“Damn it—”
Karia collapsed where she stood, her strength completely gone.
And in that moment, she realized just how desperate her situation had become—so much so that she’d forgotten the basic foundations of magic.
Of course… she wasn’t only the once-great “Asmoph Rubaltverhi.”
She was also Karia Pandeon—the timid woman who had lived her life unable to raise her voice, always watching others’ reactions. And Karia wasn’t strong enough to face this situation calmly.
<-ster! Maste—!>
Her vision darkened slowly, and her ears rang. Her body felt heavy, while her mind felt strangely light. The darkness beneath her eyelids pulled her into a peaceful dream.
—
—
In her wide-open view was a night sky full of stars. Beneath it stood a woman.
She stood in the chilly night breeze until her cheeks turned red and the tip of her nose went cold.
It was the terrace of Castle Rubaltverhi, the grandest and widest estate in the capital aside from the royal palace itself.
‘Madam, what are you doing out here?’
“Ah, Gilford.”
A voice as sweet as melted sugar called out to her. When she turned around, she saw a man with silver hair shining like the stars.
Perhaps this is what the gods of beauty in mythology looked like. The woman couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the stunning man.
Gilford, the silver-haired beauty, wrapped a thick shawl around her shoulders with a concerned expression.
‘It’s chilly tonight.’
‘The stars are just so beautiful.’
‘Yes… perhaps because it’s the first clear night in a while.’
She couldn’t bring herself to say she had been remembering her nights on the battlefield—how she would fight off sleep, fearing a sudden ambush, and yet no matter what horrors occurred on the ground, there were always beautiful stars above. It was heartbreaking, and yet beautiful.
But that was all in the past. The woman smiled gently and held her husband’s hand as she looked up at the sky.
She now enjoyed the peace that had been won with the lives of many friends and foes alike. She was grateful for that peace—for the dead who could no longer be.
‘Ah, a shooting star!’
‘Oh no, it disappeared too quickly! I didn’t even get to make a wish.’
There’s a legend that if you make the same wish three times on a shooting star, it will come true.
The man drooped his lovely eyebrows in disappointment, but the woman smiled calmly.
‘That’s okay. I have you and Edi in this beautiful castle. I couldn’t ask for anything more.’
She meant every word. As a child, she hadn’t even been treated like a person—barely lucky to eat one meal a day. Yet here she was, a duchess, a wife, and a mother.
What more could life offer? Her husband silently returned her words with a warm smile.
He must surely feel the same way. At least, that’s what she believed.
‘Then I’ll go back inside. I only came out to give you the shawl after spotting you from the upper floor.’
‘A letter? To whom?’
‘—That’s a secret.’
“Oh, don’t tell me it’s another woman?” she teased playfully, feigning jealousy.
The man bent over theatrically and said no woman in the world could dance past the eyes of the great archmage.
They shared a silly laugh, and he kissed her cold hand before returning inside.
‘Wow, I didn’t think the Captain could even laugh like that.’
A deep, rough voice rang from below the terrace.
Frowning, she looked down to see a large, calloused hand gripping the terrace rail.
A man dressed head to toe in black climbed up from the shadows. Clicking her tongue in disapproval, she muttered:
‘Noah, I’ve told you a hundred times—use the door like everyone else.’
‘This is a door. A window.’
With a sigh, she pressed her forehead. She warned him to at least change his outfit if he didn’t want to be mistaken for a burglar. But as always, “Noah” ignored her advice and rambled on.
‘Come on, isn’t this unfair? You treat your husband and me so differently! I’ve known you longer, and I’ve put up with you more!’
‘Then you should’ve been as handsome as him.’
‘Handsome? He looks like a half-finished elf sculpture.’
He pouted like a child. The woman scoffed at the sight of the huge man whining like a little boy.
‘So, Sir Noah, what brings you to the home of this elven couple?’
‘…No reason.’
‘This isn’t some pub you pop into when you’re bored, you know. It’s a house.’
‘I said… the stars were pretty.’
Her face twisted in disbelief. The man before her didn’t strike her as the poetic type. When she gave him a sour look, Noah blushed and quickly turned away.
‘I remembered you when I saw the stars! It reminded me of those night watches we did under the stars! What, is that not allowed?’
‘I never thought you of all people would get sentimental about the battlefield. Treasuring the memory of getting smacked awake during guard duty? Seriously?’
She laughed aloud, clearly amused. She hadn’t expected him to be thinking the same thing she was.
Noah frowned at being teased but couldn’t help the smile that crept up at her laughter.
They had met as commander and subordinate on the battlefield, and over ten years, two orphans forged a bond as tough as steel.
‘You hit hard, Captain. No one forgets a slap like that.’
‘Now that I’ve got some land and a title, you think I won’t smack you again? Want me to remind you under the moonlight?’
‘Ow! I’m too old for that now! Seriously, back then—!’
Once they started reminiscing, the memories flowed endlessly. Though those peaceful moments were brief amid hardship, they glowed all the brighter—like stars in the darkest sky.
‘Mom!’
But the joyful conversation was suddenly cut off by the groggy voice of a child.
‘Oh dear, Edi woke up. If it’s nothing urgent, you’d best head back now.’
‘I’ll wait until you put him back to bed.’
‘Next time. It’s late. It’s chilly—dress warmer next time.’
She tossed the shawl to Noah. It landed over his shoulders, far too long and flowing.
Without even watching him leave, the woman turned and hurried into the castle. But even after she was gone, traces of her presence lingered on the terrace.
‘This is bad. Once Edi wakes up midway, it’s hard to get him back to sleep…’
In the distance, she could hear the child’s fussy voice calling, “Mommy, Mommy.” Ignoring etiquette, she ran through the long halls of the castle.
But no matter how far she ran, the hallway didn’t end.
<…Mom.>
Was the castle corridor always this long? And was Edi’s voice always this faint?
<Mom!>
Her once-clear vision blurred. Like rising from the depths of a lake, she was being pulled away from Castle Rubaltverhi of the past.
“—Edi?”
With a jolt, Karia opened her eyes and realized it had all been a dream.
Cold air brushed her nose, and something heavy pressed on her chest. When she looked down, she saw a pile of stones sitting on her.
“You’re…”
<You’re awake?>
“Did you call me?”
<Yeah, Mom.>
At the golem’s confident reply, Karia made a very strange face.
Did… did that golem just call her ‘Mom’?
