"Year 742"
A young and beautiful lady was sitting in an office with a lit candle, reading a book named "The Originator." It was a book about the originator of magic, although the history of the century in which the so-called "originator" lived had been completely erased from historical records — as had the century after it.
The young lady was immersed in reading, forgetting the time and the need for rest. A faint knocking sound could be heard. The lady stood up to unlock the door. Click. Click. The door was unlocked, and a maid was standing there, looking worried and angry.
"Rin, I told you before about getting rest."
Rin didn't know how to answer since her maid, Aria, was like her mother — warning her to make a good face and act elegantly for her position. Rin answered in an evasive tone, "I was about to get some rest, but I got immersed in reading." Aria didn't get mad, since she was used to this.
Rin was young and beautiful, as well as holding a political position and having high executive power. She had long black hair reaching under her shoulders, kept in a ponytail. Her eyes were dark blue, close to black. Her height was 160 cm, and her weight was about 60–65 kg. Her right hand was rough and had many scars, while her left hand was smooth and well taken care of. She had another scar on the top left of her head that could barely be seen due to makeup and her hair covering it.
"I have made the bed. Go now and sleep. There is an important meeting early in the morning," explained Aria in a well-mannered tone.
Rin went back to the desk to grab the book. After she caught the book, she walked toward a storage drawer, bent down, and opened a hidden compartment. She put down the book next to a couple of other books in the hidden space. After she put in the book, she made sure to leave no trace of there being a secret compartment in the storage drawer.
After that, she stood up and went to the changing room to wear more comfortable clothes for sleeping. After changing, she called one of her maids. When the maid arrived, she told her to wash the clothes and to wake her up by 4 in the morning. After the maid left, she walked down the hallway to her bedroom. She entered, closed the door behind her, and jumped on the bed to sleep like a little child.
Early at dawn, near 3 a.m., Rin was woken up by a memory — a memory that haunted her, one she would never recover from. She sat up in her bed and sat silently for nearly an hour. After the time had passed, a knocking sound was heard, and the door creaked open. A maid entered to wake Rin up, but Rin was already awake before the intended time — a rare sight, as she would never wake up on time if someone didn't wake her.
After the maid saw her, she said in a respectful tone,
"Lady Rin, it's 4 a.m. at this moment. What would you like for your morning drink and meal?"
Rin replied half-consciously, "Boiled eggs with a cup of green tea."
The maid responded, "Please head to the changing room; Aria is waiting for you, my lady."
Rin, after hearing her words, stood up and started walking. The maid got out of the way and bowed. Rin walked fast and ignored her walking manners. When she got near the changing room, she adjusted her pace — she knew she would get yelled at if she walked into the room like that.
When she got to the room, she opened the door without knocking. After all, she didn't need to knock to enter. After entering, she saw Aria standing with a set of formal clothing in her hands.
After Rin changed, she sat in front of a pure glass mirror, and Aria started brushing her hair. Glass mirrors were rare and expensive due to how hard they were to make, and they could be broken easily while being transported. Only high-class citizens and nobles could afford one.
As Aria was brushing her hair, Rin opened a conversation.
"Do you have any news if there are any book merchants in the area?"
"No, there haven't been any in the area," replied Aria. "There is no need for them to go into this town, as it is far from the main cities, and this town's population is mainly composed of knights."
Aria gave a logical explanation.
"Well, if some merchants are passing through a nearby town, send someone there to look at what they might have. I have a list of the books I am looking for kept in my office; send it with a butler," Rin said in an ordering tone.
After finishing her routine, she stood up and started walking to the dining hall, with Aria following her. The dining hall was on the ground floor, while the bedroom, office, and changing room were on the second floor. After walking down the hallway and the stairs, she arrived at the dining hall and sat at the seat of honor. Aria and another maid sat to her left and right.
Aria only sat there to be ready for any orders or questions, while the other maid was responsible for ensuring the food quality and checking for toxins. In less than 10 seconds, the food was served — exactly what she had requested. After the food was tasted, Rin began eating. The maid didn't start small talk because of their lower status and rank. The only one who could act more freely was Aria, as she was a secretary, a guardian, and a parent figure to Rin — though she, too, didn't act out of place.
After finishing the meal, Rin stood up and went to the meeting room. It was next to the main entrance. The meeting room had awards, weapons, documents, and more. It had a desk with three chairs in the back and a seating area like a small living room with six chairs. Outside the room stood a butler, whose only job was to prevent anyone from entering during visits.
Rin had multiple butlers and maids — seven maids, including Aria, and three butlers. Of the maids, two were responsible for cooking, one for toxin tasting, and three for cleaning. The last was Aria, responsible for supervising the butlers. One butler was responsible for shopping and getting materials, another for driving the carriage, and the last one guarded rooms during private discussions.
Rin sat at the desk while waiting for someone, and Aria sat in one of the chairs. The third chair was left empty, which meant one person was coming to the meeting. It didn't take long until the sound of horses was heard outside, and then the noise stopped.
At the carriage that had stopped, a handsome knight paid the coachman with 13 copper stags and got off. He was wearing a knight's official clothing, carrying a sword, and had a leather bag with items he might need. A butler was standing outside, ready to welcome him. He bowed his head as the knight entered the manor and stood right at the entrance from the inside, holding the door and pointing toward the meeting room.
Since the knight got off the carriage, he hadn't spoken a word. He walked silently toward the meeting room, where a guard stood outside. The guard bowed and then knocked on the door. After knocking, he opened the door gently, and the knight entered, bowing his head since his arrival. He spoke in a calm, mannered tone:
"Good morning, Captain Rin. I hope you have been okay."