Aria walked confidently toward the room she had been directed to. Crossing the threshold, she noticed the space was smaller and simpler, clearly intended for private meetings.

There was a table for two, adorned with a modest white tablecloth, and a few staff members were there, busy with minor tasks.

The manager, who had guided her, stopped one of the staff members as she passed by and whispered something in her ear. The young woman nodded quickly before leaving, and shortly after, the manager gestured for the others to leave as well.

“Please, take a break. I need to speak alone with our young guest,” she said with a kindly smile.

Once they were alone, the woman sat across from the girl, folding her hands on the table.

“Well, may I know your name, young lady?” she asked politely, tilting her head slightly toward Aria.

“Aria,” the girl answered without hesitation.

The manager raised her eyebrows, visibly surprised. No last name? Her posture shifted slightly, adopting a more formal demeanor.

“Forgive my boldness, Miss Aria, but... could you tell me your background?” she continued, her tone now laced with respect.

“My background?” Aria echoed, tilting her head slightly, as if the question were unnecessary.

“Yes, you see... what you did out there was impressive, and I’m grateful you got rid of those kinds of people. But, to be honest, such actions can lead to complications. Especially if you’re not of noble descent or affiliated with a recognized magical institution. Are you, by any chance, a student of magic?”

Aria shook her head.

“I’m not a student. If anything… I’d be an Ascent.”

The woman’s lips parted slightly, clearly stunned. Her gaze turned inquisitive, and she murmured more to herself than to Aria:

“An Ascent... here? But the Ascent territory is so far away...”

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“Is that a problem?” Aria asked, her tone utterly neutral, her calm gaze almost unsettling.

“No, no, of course not. On the contrary, it’s a relief that you’re a noble. That’ll make it less likely for anyone to meddle with you... easily,” the manager forced a smile, though her nervousness was evident.

Aria tilted her head slightly.

“Then what’s the problem?”

The woman sighed deeply, rubbing her temples before responding.

“The problem, Miss Aria, is that this city falls under the jurisdiction of a very particular noble family. They have strict laws about the use of magic within city limits. And what you did, even though it was in self-defense and for the good of everyone present, could be considered... an excessive response.”

“Excessive?” Aria repeated the word, her tone still emotionless, as if she were merely trying to grasp the concept.

“Yes... Magic use here is forbidden unless you have direct authorization from the royal family or the Count who governs this territory. And well, it’s likely that some of the noblewomen in the shop won’t hesitate to report what happened.”

Before Aria could reply, the room’s door burst open, revealing three armed guards.

“Where’s the mage responsible for the incident in the shop?” the leader demanded.

The manager stood quickly, raising a hand to calm the guards’ tone.

“Please, lower your voices. The person who dealt with those bandits is sitting right here, but I must warn you—she’s a noble.”

The guards exchanged glances, and one of them stepped forward, pointing directly at Aria.

“This girl?” he asked, clearly incredulous.

“That’s correct. She’s a noble from the Ascent family,” the manager replied, emphasizing the family name.

The lead guard narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms.

“And what difference does that make? The laws here are clear. Magic use without authorization is not allowed, no matter the rank.”

“But the Ascent...” the manager began, trying to reason with them.

“We don’t care who these Ascents are,” the leader interrupted, frowning.

“You don’t know who they are?” the manager asked, incredulous.

“No, and we don’t care. The laws of this city apply to everyone, noble or not.”

The manager pressed her lips together, visibly frustrated, before adding:

“This girl’s father is a Count. His rank is equal to the noble who governs this city. A disrespectful arrest like this could cause unnecessary conflict.”

The guards exchanged glances again, doubt now creeping onto their faces. The leader huffed, clearly uncomfortable.

“So, what are we supposed to do? Our job is to make sure these things don’t happen. We can’t just let it slide because someone claims to be from a noble house.”

Aria, who had remained silent this whole time, finally spoke.

“What do you propose?” she asked, her tone cold and direct.

The guards tensed at her question, and the leader muttered something inaudible before responding.

“You’ll have to come with us. We can’t just let this go.”

The manager sighed deeply, rubbing her temples.

‘This is going to be complicated...’ she thought with exasperation.