Lucinda stood in the center of Master Iacchus's shop, patiently waiting for him to complete the work on truth-stones and other everyday items, such as enchanted pens and message parchment, commissioned by the Watch.

And she was bored.

Bored to death.

Her job with the Watch provided financial support for her studies and allowed her to hire sporadic tutors, including the purchase of a Tier 3 spell. [Fire Whip] might not have been a glamorous choice for a noble child, but Lucinda believed that mastering it would demonstrate her potential for greatness to any Archmage.

But yes, she was bored.

As her boredom grew, she was relieved when Claudius entered the shop, dark circles under his eyes. Eager for some company, she greeted him enthusiastically.

"Hey, Claudius! How's it going?"

The Watch had asked Lucinda to wait for Master Iacchus to put pressure on the old man, but she doubted her presence was sorting any real impact.

Master Iacchus was very erratic in how he delivered his work. And this, sadly, was the norm, even though Lucinda didn’t believe she was putting pressure on the man at all. But the [Captain] had his protocols followed to the letter. Random checks were run routinely to ensure everyone was actually doing their job. And while it worked, that also meant a lot of unhappiness made it through the files of the lower rank employees.

Including Lucinda.

"Hi, Lucinda," Claudius replied timidly.

She had noticed that, unlike his master, Claudius struggled to converse with people about anything other than enchanting, particularly with women.

I suppose he doesn’t have much experience, Lucinda thought.

Not that she had much herself, sadly.

“What’s new? Any juicy magical gossip?” she inquired.

Claudius seemed momentarily lost in thought before recalling a recent event. "Right! Have you heard about Joey? You came with him last time. He made a rotating enchantment for gears!"

Lucinda was taken aback, as Joey's name was the last thing she expected to hear. "What do you mean? What's an enchantment for gears? He learned how to do a Telepathic Enchantment? And why would he do that? He told me he was done with magic the last time I saw him."

“Done?” Claudius was about to foam at his mouth. “Joey just discovered how to move gears with Light Magic! Master Iacchus doesn’t even believe me! I don’t know what he did, but he can power this enchantment at Happy Bakery that mixes dough!”

“Power? By himself?”

“Yes! It’s revolutionary!” Claudius grabbed his hair before letting his arms down with an embarrassed cough.

Lucinda frowned.

“But how?”

"He said he just applied some principles of Light Magic and what he’d learned through Cantrips. He didn't share the details with anyone, though."

"And it works?" she questioned.

"Yes! That's the fascinating part. He just gives it one charge, and it spins for twenty minutes or more, depending on the amount of dough! You should really check it out! You and he are friends, right?"

Lucinda bit her lip. "Something like that, yes."

…

“There you go, piggie.”

Lucinda looked up from the book she had purchased at the market with some of her limited savings reserved for magic-related expenses.

“Thanks, Dulcia. But stop calling me a pig.”

Lucinda studied the plump innkeeper as the woman sat down at her table with a huge plate full of mashed potatoes, meat, and spices.

“Little piggie, I’ve seen [Barbarians] eat much less than you. I wonder how the Watch agrees to pay for their employees’ meals when their employee is you.”

Lucinda sighed, closing the book and placing it in her bag of holding.

"I'm worth the trouble," she smiled at her long-time friend.

"According to whom? Well, at least it seems all the food you consume goes to the right places," Dulcia said, playfully poking Lucinda's chest.

"Dulcia!" Lucinda swatted her friend's hand away with a look of indignation.

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"What? Since you don't have a husband to appreciate them, someone has to!"

"You're terrible," Lucinda laughed as she began to devour the massive portion of food.

"Have you been reading one of those romance novels again? I saw you from the kitchen. I just don't understand the appeal — aren't they so unrealistic and fake? Who would travel an entire continent to save a barmaid if they were a wealthy and powerful prince? If I were the prince, I'd spend all my money on more exciting pursuits; I'll tell you that much."

Lucinda rolled her eyes at her outspoken, feisty friend.

"Sure, sure. It helps me take my mind off magic when I'm out of Mana. I can't practice 27/9."

"You would if you could," Dulcia retorted, rolling her eyes in return. "Anyway, any juicy updates? Have you seen that Human again? I'm all set to write my own love story about a [Baker] courting an [Archmage]. Guess what the [Archmage] likes about the [Baker]? Hint: it's not the food."

“Dulcia!” Lucinda slapped her friend’s arm.

"No? Need another hint? Well, it's definitely more half-giant-sized than human-sized."

Blushing furiously, Lucinda focused on her food to hide her embarrassment.

"So? The Human?"

"I haven't seen him in a while," Lucinda replied curtly.

"No? Why?"

"I don't know," Lucinda tried to keep it vague.

"Piggie, I've known you since you were learning to walk. So what's going on with the Human? You seemed much more interested in him than any other guy."

“He was just funny,” Lucinda shrugged. “Not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal?! Funny?! Piggie, you have murdered every other dating proposal sent your way. Rotten roots, not even the nobles are good enough for you. A Human gives you some food, and you totally crumble—how is that not a big deal?”

“What are you even saying, idiot?!”

“Did he have a small—”

Lucinda flicked a piece of a potato at Dulcia’s face before her friend could elaborate any further.

Wiping her face, the [Innkeeper] got closer to her friend, putting an arm behind her shoulders.

"Lucinda," Dulcia said seriously, "we're friends. You'd rejected every class and apprenticeship in Amorium, and you were the laziest kid I'd ever seen. My parents told me to stay away from you, afraid your laziness would rub off on me. Then, you discovered magic, and now, you hardly spend time with me or anyone else. I only see you because you come to eat here. You never mentioned a guy to me other than to say, 'That idiot is bothering me.' But you talked about the amusing Human you met for days, and then, after having lunch with him, you started bad-mouthing him. What's going on?"

Lucinda contemplated whether it was worth making an excuse or not. Knowing that Dulcia would pester her relentlessly, she relented.

"He doesn't want to pursue magic. He just wants to be a baker. And he doesn't even have the baker class yet."

The sentence seemed to hit Dulcia like an [Empowered Arrow].

“That’s it? He doesn’t like magic?”

“Well, he clearly has a talent for it,” Lucinda said, gesturing with her fork. “Why wouldn’t he want to learn at least some magic?”

"Oh, my," Dulcia suddenly said, covering her mouth with her hand. "You were considering bringing the `human to the Nine Towers Academy!"

"What?! I didn't say that!"

But Lucinda blushed so intensely that no one needed a truth-stone to confirm she was lying.

Dulcia kept her mouth open for half a minute before she remembered to close it.

"You really did. And what now? You haven't seen him since? So, wait, he just said he didn’t want to pursue magic? I'm not following," Dulcia asked.

"He did say he didn’t want to practice magic. But today, I was talking to Master Iacchus's apprentice, and he told me that apparently, Joey has created an incredible, never-seen-before enchantment."

"And now, you want to bear his children," Dulcia added, nodding.

"Dulcia!"

“It’s true, though,” Dulcia nodded. “The Human first says he’s not sure about magic, and now, he shows off some crazy magic. Our Little Piggie is under his enchantment, it seems. So, when are you seeing him again?”

“I have to study and practice a lot, not talk about work,” Lucinda evaded.

“Sure. But when are you seeing him again?”

Dulcia pinched Lucinda’s side until the redhead answered.

“I don’t know, Dulcia,” Lucinda grimaced. “I insulted his profession. I told him that being a [Baker] was nothing compared to being a [Mage].”

If Dulcia hadn’t known Lucinda for so long, she might have actually taken offense, given that her own class wasn’t that far from [Baker].

“I don’t understand your obsession,” Dulcia exhaled, “what’s with being a Nine Towers [Mage]? You could easily have found an apprenticeship here and gotten a good job by now. You could already be looking at settling with your favorite Human and having his children.”

“My family sacrificed a lot for me. I need to pay them back. I can’t just be a common [Mage].”

Dulcia clicked her tongue.

"Your parents were worried you’d turn into a [Thief] or a [Gambler], Lucinda. I’m sure they’d be fine with a normal [Mage].

Lucinda only paid attention to the huge serving in front of her, ignoring Dulcia talking about her past.

“Piggie, you went from bothering every last one of us who got an apprenticeship because no one could hang out anymore. Now that we have started getting into the actual jobs, you are working so much you barely even hang out here anymore.”

The redhead [Mage] raised her purple eyes to meet Dulcia’s.

What was she supposed to mean now?

Lucinda was at a loss for words.

She had always felt restless long before becoming a [Mage]. Now, she’s simply found something that made her feel like she was doing something that truly fit her talents.

“I’m trying to get an apprenticeship under [Archmage] Titus, Dulcia. I’ve already told you. It’s hard.”

“Excuses upon excuses,” Dulcia chanted. “The [Necromancers] up North just killed a bunch of Adventurers, did you know? The [Mages] Guild just got the word out to everyone that the expedition was successful, but they also gave out a list of all those who died or might die. It’s a long list. What’s going to happen when you apprentice under some big shot [Mage], and you have to fight in some stupid battle to become stronger?”

The jolly [Innkeeper] grabbed Lucinda’s forearm and stared her down with a serious frown.

“Dulcia, I—don’t worry. It will be a while before I get there,” Lucinda replied, looking at her friend.

“Is it? Really? And what happens when you do get there?”

“I’ll fight,” Lucinda aggressively shrugged off Dulcia’s hand. “That’s the path I’ve chosen, Dulcia. I am a [Mage]. I will fight all the battles that need to be fought.”

Dulcia shook her head and averted her gaze. Lucinda’s eyes could get intense in a way it made it hard to keep looking at her.

“Just… don’t die,” Dulcia sighed. But again, Dulcia was an [Innkeeper] with more than enough experience. “If I can [Read the Room], Lucinda, I think the Human is still on your mind. I think you should try baking something for him.”

“What?”

“You insulted his profession,” Dulcia explained. “Try putting yourself in his shoes. Bake him a simple cake.”

“I’m not a [Baker],” Lucinda said with a frown.

“Nor am I. I can still cook food. Plus, I’m pretty sure that whatever you make will be so disgusting he’ll take pity on you. You’ll have a chance to act like one of those [Barmaids] you read about, getting rescued by the [Prince] and whatnot.”

Lucinda narrowed her eyes.

“We’ll see,” she replied.