Mira was a mage.

Her mentor had said that her talent was extraordinary, and if she could find the right "medium," she might become a Tower Mage.

A Tower Mage was a title for powerful spellcasters in the world where Mira lived. Over the past thousand years, countless people had walked the path of becoming spellcasters, but only seventeen had ever attained the rank of Tower Mage.

All seventeen had, without exception, been men. If her mentor’s words were true, she would become the first female Tower Mage in the history of magic.

But for now, all of this was just a beautiful dream.

She had taken the place of the kingdom's princess and entered this notorious tower.

The original owner of the tower had been a powerful Tower Mage. However, a giant dragon that breathed scorching fire had killed the mage and taken over his tower.

One afternoon, a month ago, Mira was cleaning her mentor's study as usual when she accidentally saw a letter from him.

The letter said that the time was almost right, and it was time to discuss how to use "her."

"Her" referred to the most perfect magic medium created by the Magic Energy Hub.

In this world, casting magic required a "medium." A medium could greatly enhance the precision and power of a spell, while also protecting the fragile human body from the violent force of magic. Without a medium, a mage would be torn apart by the chaotic energy of the spell.

A medium was something like a staff but was not limited to the shape of a staff.

A suitable and powerful medium was rare and difficult to find. Most human spellcasters used artificial magic crystals created by the Magic Energy Hub.

Mira still had four crystals. Once they were used up, she would no longer be able to cast high-level magic.

The Magic Energy Hub had many artificial medium projects, which made it the largest mage association in the world. The magic crystals were tools they used to control mages.

And she was the latest creation of the Magic Energy Hub, their most perfect creation.

The letter didn’t specify exactly what "she" was, but upon seeing the word "her," Mira’s instincts told her she had to leave, and leave immediately.

She didn’t dare to think too much about what "using her" meant.

She knew she was the medium. And when the letter mentioned the time being ripe, it referred to the fact that she was about to turn eighteen.

It wasn’t overthinking. It was the result of countless details that piled up. Mira didn’t dare to stay. She quickly packed her bags and left the city she had lived in for years without looking back.

On the night of her eighteenth birthday, she hid at the bottom of the moat, using floating magic to evade the pursuit of the Magic Energy Hub's soldiers.

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Then, she saw the kingdom’s recruitment notice. The king was offering a large reward for brave souls to slay the dragon. But everyone knew that even the Tower Mages had perished in the flames of the dragon’s breath. How could a mere hero with a broken sword possibly defeat the dragon?

As the kingdom’s recruiters were at a loss, the fugitive Mira took the bounty notice.

The gray-haired girl had bright eyes and stared at the recruiter without fear.

"Only magic can defeat magic," Mira said firmly.

In truth, she wasn’t sure if she could defeat the dragon. There was still a gap between her and the Tower Mages, and she hadn’t found a suitable medium for herself.

But the recruiter was pleased with this brave girl. Because she met the king’s alternative plan.

Over the years, too many heroes had died to the dragon’s flames, and the king no longer expected any hero to truly kill the dragon.

The recruiter brought Mira to meet the king. As the middle-aged man with a crown appraised her, Mira noticed the princess hiding behind a pillar in the audience hall.

Maria, who was the same age as Mira, was a straightforward and lively girl.

The girl who had just turned eighteen was taking down the bounty notice. The king couldn’t bear to watch her walk to her death, but Mira’s decision was firm, and no one could easily change her mind.

"I can go in place of Princess Maria," Mira said calmly.

She needed a safe place and some money, and the king could provide both.

Though the king didn’t want to watch a young girl die, he couldn’t bear to lose his daughter either.

He gave Mira a magical ring. If she survived, the gold inside would be enough to live comfortably for the rest of her life.

He also gave her an estate. If she survived, the estate would ensure she lived in wealth.

In addition, Mira received a pile of dowry. These were originally prepared for the princess.

Lastly, the king gave Mira the title of princess. She would depart immediately for the dragon’s tower.

Everything happened so quickly. It wasn’t until she neared the tower and felt its chilling presence piercing into her bones that Mira realized how reckless her actions had been.

She had originally thought she would have to face the dragon in a deadly battle, or at least there might be a chance for negotiation.

But the reality was that she didn’t even see the dragon. Instead, she found an unfortunate man on the brink of death in the dragon's tower.

Maybe he knew the dragon’s whereabouts.

Mira sighed. She couldn’t just stand by and let him die.

The man’s chest barely rose and fell.

The smell of blood and charred flesh filled the air. Aside from the dragon's flames, Mira couldn’t think of anything else that could cause such injuries.

She studied the man on the ground. He was lucky to have survived.

But as her gaze moved lower and saw his nearly completely carbonized legs, she wasn’t sure whether to call him lucky or unlucky.

Mira fished out a crystal from her pocket.

The pebble-sized crystal was emitting a soft glow. Its brightness didn’t compare to the blazing flames, but it gave off a refreshing, comforting feeling.

Mira recalled the incantation and extended the crystal in front of her.

The crystal floated in the air.

The young mage whispered the incantation, and the gem began to glow, lifting the man’s body as the light grew more and more brilliant, consuming the surrounding darkness.

Then, the light began to compress and rapidly surged toward the man’s body on the ground.

The crystal floating in front of Mira cracked in increments, until it shattered into dust.

Magical energy was volatile and difficult to tame. Without the crystal as a medium, it would have been Mira’s own body torn apart by the force of the magic.

Mira looked down at the powder on the ground. To save this man, she had used up one of the crystals she brought from the Magic Energy Hub, and now only three were left.

She shifted her gaze back to the man and couldn’t help but feel nervous.

This was her first time performing a restoration spell. She didn’t know if it would work.

Mira quietly watched. After a long while, the man showed no reaction.

Failed? Mira couldn’t help but feel frustrated. She needed to think of another plan.

She turned away, ready to head to a nearby town. She didn’t know if the town’s doctor would be willing to come here.

This was the dragon’s tower, after all.

Mira sighed. Buying some medicine should still be possible, right?

The king had given her so much money.

Just as Mira was hesitating, the man on the ground suddenly moved, and his eyes slowly opened.