Everyone in the room turned toward the sound.
The deputy leader’s expression was icy.
Behind him, Antonio was frowning.
Antonio approached me. “Did she… I mean, that girl… no, that brat…”
It seemed he couldn’t find the right way to address the lord’s niece.
Then the deputy leader asked, “Did Miss Marina do this to my guest?”
So her name was Marina.
Marina flinched. “That guttersnipe is your guest?”
Antonio, who was helping me up, looked indignant. “Guttersnipe?”
Marina, flustered by their reactions, opened and closed her mouth.
Then, as if an excuse came to mind, she pointed at me. “She was being presumptuous, coveting a dress she doesn’t deserve, so I was teaching her a lesson.”
Antonio muttered, “Dress?” and glanced at the dress Marina was holding.
The servants awkwardly averted their gazes.
That alone seemed to help the deputy leader understand that Marina had mistaken the dress for her own.
His ash-gray eyes gleamed coldly. “She knew exactly who the dress belonged to. It’s someone else who’s being presumptuous.”
He snatched the dress from Marina’s hands and handed it to a servant. “Iron out the wrinkles and package it properly.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Marina’s face flushed red. “Even if you’re the knight commander, you can’t be this rude to me!”
The deputy leader, his expression impassive, whispered in her ear.
The servants looked puzzled, but my ears—trained from my days as a lookout for a thieves’ guild—caught it.
Don’t forget. It was us who chose your uncle, who had nothing but a well, to be the lord of Sanmiguel.
‘Wow.’
Marina’s face turned ashen.
Biting her lip hard, she spun around and ran off.
The deputy leader briefly watched her go before sitting on the sofa.
He told the servants, “Leave us.”
The servants exited the room.
Antonio sat me down on the sofa across from the deputy leader and asked, “Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Um, why did you call for me…?”
I looked at the deputy leader nervously.
His face was as stoic as before, but something about his demeanor felt off.
Was he embarrassed, perhaps?
‘Is he reluctant to tell me to stay away from the city entirely?’
That would be a problem.
I planned to work in the city and win over the members.
That way, when the leader becomes a duke and the Irregular no longer needs to hide, maybe they’d accept me as a member.
‘But if I push too hard and permanently get on the deputy leader’s bad side…’
No, I couldn’t afford to alienate the second-in-command of the Irregular for the sake of my long-term plan.
I made up my mind.
At that moment, the deputy leader finally spoke. “The reason I called you…”
“I’ll leave,” I said.
“…What?”
He flinched at my sad expression.
It must’ve been surprising that I spoke before he could.
I sighed. “I’ll go as far away as possible.”
“No, I…”
“I won’t even dream of working in this city…”
“…”
I’d have to find work elsewhere until the leader becomes a duke.
Then I’d come back.
As I hung my head dejectedly, the deputy leader said in a flustered voice, “Won’t it be hard to find a job…?”
“With recommendation letters from imperial commanders, I can work anywhere.”
“Commanders’ recommendation letters?”
Antonio chimed in, “Her references are incredible. Lieutenant colonels, colonels, brigadier generals… Even that old man Muñoz.”
Right.
They said Brigadier General Muñoz’s fleet once clashed with the Irregular.
He was an exceptional commander who dealt significant damage to them.
‘I think it was the deputy leader who turned the tide.’
In the end, Muñoz’s fleet was crushed under the deputy leader’s command, and he’d throw a fit just hearing about the Irregular.
I nodded. “Yes. If I can’t find work, I can go to Brigadier General Muñoz. Don’t worry.”
I won’t be a nuisance, so please look kindly on me.
I glared at the deputy leader.
For some reason, his eyes wavered slightly.
‘…?’
* * *
‘Damn Brigadier General Muñoz…’
The deputy leader silently ground his teeth and clutched his forehead.
Oblivious, Antonio was busy chatting with Eustea.
“Muñoz is so strict, he doesn’t take just anyone. His crew members are all veterans with over five years’ experience.”
“Really? He told me to come to him. If the brigadier general is difficult, I can go to a colonel. Colonel Lagoni and Colonel Mori both said to come if I need a job. And…”
She rattled off the names of prominent imperial figures.
Why don’t they focus on running their army instead of coveting other talent?
The deputy leader’s head ached.
His earlier words echoed in his mind.
“Foolish.”
“I can tell you’re clever. You’ve got Antonio wrapped around your finger. That’s exactly why I’m reluctant to let you leave alive.”
And then…
“Are you saying you’ll kill her?”
“It’s the surest and cleanest method.”
He wanted to slap himself for saying such things to a heaven-sent teacher.
‘How do I make amends and ask her to work for us?’
She seemed deeply hurt, saying she’d leave the city entirely.
And she had plenty of places to go.
‘But she’s the only one we need.’
They’d gone through eleven teachers.
The only one who could handle that idiot, on the verge of a twelfth…
At that moment, the idiot—no, Antonio—changed the subject.
“It’s a shame thinking those old geezers might monopolize your braised short ribs. You taught me to read so well too.”
“Do you want to learn more?”
“The deputy leader keeps telling me to.”
“Then shall I drop by occasionally to teach?”
The deputy leader’s head snapped up.
It was like a ray of light breaking through.
Antonio asked, “Is that okay?”
“Of course.”
“But traveling from the capital to here is tough…”
“Indeed, it would be,” the deputy leader interjected quickly.
Antonio and Eustea flinched and looked at him.
Clearing his throat, he said, “If you both want, I’ll arrange a position at the castle.”
“At the castle?” Eustea asked, startled.
Antonio frowned. “You were so harsh in kicking her out, and now you’re offering a job?”
“…”
“You’ve been acting strange. Running out shouting for a teacher…”
The deputy leader clamped a hand over the illiterate fool’s mouth.
“Will you do it?”
Eustea’s eyes widened.
When she didn’t answer immediately, he grew anxious. “I’ll pay whatever tuition you want.”
“…”
“I’ll give you full authority.”
“…”
“I can grant you the authority of a department head and treat you as a VIP…”
At that moment—
Grab!
Eustea seized his hands with both of hers and shouted, “Really?”
The deputy leader froze, startled.
Despite his striking appearance, his assassin’s aura usually intimidated girls her age.
No one had ever dared grab his hands like this.
Her small, soft hands.
They seemed so fragile that he hesitated to pull away.
Eustea was ecstatic, practically bouncing. “Wow! Woooow!”
She even jumped up and down, holding his hands.
Antonio, whose mouth was covered, smirked at her adorable smile.
The deputy leader, watching her, couldn’t help but curl his lips slightly.
* * *
A few weeks later.
“A distinguished guest from the capital, I hear?”
“Yes. She must be doing something grand. The head butler said to fulfill all of Lady Eustea’s requests.”
Marina, overhearing the maids gossiping around the corner of the hallway, clenched her teeth.
For days, the castle had been abuzz with talk of that guttersnipe.
‘A distinguished guest from the capital? Ridiculous.’
A filthy beggar, that’s what.
And yet, she strutted around with her chin up.
Marina stormed off, fuming.
Her destination was Viscount Sanmiguel’s office.
“Are you just going to let this continue?”
The viscount, reviewing documents, frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“The knight commander. He’s bringing in guests like he’s the lord.”
The viscount’s hand tightened around his pen, veins bulging.
He’d heard the news.
The girl who’d already been an eyesore when she arrived with the leader was now being treated as a guest.
In a grim voice, he said, “So you want her kicked out?”
“You could do it, couldn’t you? You’re the real lord. The knight commander said it himself—they chose you. How rude—”
“I told you never to bring that up again!” the viscount roared.
Marina flinched, shrinking back.
“I was just saying the knight commander’s going too far…”
The viscount’s expression hardened.
His influence didn’t match the deputy leader’s.
Because the leader hadn’t allowed it.
As the deputy leader said, the current lord of Sanmiguel was a chosen one.
Chosen because his family was insignificant and childless.
Without an heir, there’d be no one to inherit Sanmiguel.
It was a plan to naturally replace the lord after taking over Esgaroth.
‘As if I’d let that happen.’
In a cold tone, the viscount said, “That’s why your role is important, Marina. You need to become the leader’s daughter.”
“…”
“If you win his favor, not just Sanmiguel but Esgaroth will be ours.”
“Yes.”
Satisfied, the viscount smiled and patted his niece’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about that girl. It’s actually a good thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Antonio, that idiot, will never learn to read properly. That girl will prove her own incompetence.”
And then the leader wouldn’t choose her as his adopted daughter.
Marina’s face lit up with a smile. “She’ll be kicked out soon.”
She giggled like a blooming flower.
* * *
At that moment, something strange was happening at the forge outside the castle.
A blacksmith with 54 years of experience—and nearly as many years scamming fools—was panicking.
He’d sold “Big Head” weapons to the members last time.
“Sign a contract?”
“Yes.”
The members were demanding a contract for the weapons.
And…
“You still haven’t learned your lesson! ‘No refunds’ in a contract? Trying to scam us again?!”
“…!!”
Where did these guys learn to read?
* * *
On a sunny morning, I held up a sketchbook to Antonio and the other members.
Before I could even say to answer…
“Correct!”
“Me! Me!”
The members raised their hands eagerly, eyes blazing.
What started as a lesson for just Antonio now had dozens of members participating.
Antonio was the first to raise his hand.
I said, “Yes, Antonio-sama, go ahead.”
“Dozens of merchant ships… uh, sank? Dozens of merchant ships sank!”
I nodded proudly.
He was reading difficult words now.
‘He could handle common script to some extent, but his progress is fast.’
I must’ve chosen the right teaching method.
Apparently, other teachers forced them to memorize words blindly.
But that approach didn’t work for types like Antonio and the members.
I had them read easy, engaging books.
[The invisible dragon roared ‘Kraang.’ It was super strong.]
Or…
[The madam caressed the butler’s chin. She caressed it for a long time. It was super sexy.]
‘They need to be interested.’
I had them look up unknown words and gradually raised the books’ difficulty.
With appropriate rewards, those who could handle common script made tremendous progress.
“Here, Antonio-sama, take it.”
Punching the air, Antonio eagerly grabbed his reward.
“Argh! Awesome!”
The other members, robbed of the chance, glared at him with fierce jealousy.
Even those still learning the alphabet gritted their teeth.
“Once I master this, just you wait.”
“Little Teacher, don’t we get a question?”
The members now called me Little Teacher.
Classes lasted about five hours.
Three hours were for self-study to let them absorb the material.
During that time, I…
‘Need to report.’
I took the members’ assignments to report this week’s progress to the deputy leader.
With the growing number of students, we were using the back courtyard as a classroom.
So I decided to take the southwest passage.
It was the most secluded but also the fastest route.
‘I need to hurry back to answer questions.’
As I walked, thinking this, I noticed someone at the southwest passage.
A person in a hood, their face completely hidden.
And with them…
‘Marina.’
The viscount’s niece.
“Can you pull it off?”
“The barrier’s strong, but it’s no match for me.”
“Good. Then go…”
As she was about to say “go,” Marina’s eyes met mine.
Her expression froze.
The hooded figure flinched and hurriedly fled.
Marina glared at me fiercely. “You dare follow me?”
“I wasn’t spying, I was just passing by.”
“You think I’d believe that?”
This girl was so full of herself.
This wasn’t the first time.
Besides the dress incident, she’d been snapping at me every time we crossed paths these past few weeks.
Saying I was deliberately drawing attention to provoke people.
But I was always just passing through.
Marina crossed her arms and approached me.
Push.
“Where did you eavesdrop from?”
Push.
“What did a rat like you overhear?”
Push.
“You think this’ll make the leader notice you?”
Pushed repeatedly, I was backed against the wall.
Marina raised her hand again.
As she was about to shove me once more, I grabbed her wrist.
“Stop, or my assignments will fall.”
She let out a scoff.
Then she swatted the assignments, scattering them.
“What’re you going to do if they fall?”
“…”
I stared at the scattered assignments.
They’d fallen into a puddle from last night’s rain, getting soaked.
Antonio had stayed up until dawn in the library working on his.
He’d brought his crookedly written assignment, grinning.
“Little Teacher taught so well, so Big Student worked hard too.”
The other members had squeezed in time despite their duties to complete theirs.
Marina stomped on the assignments. “What’re you going to do, huh?”
“…This.”
“What?”
In an instant, I slipped between her arms and twisted her arm, pinning her.
Before she could react, our positions switched, and she was subdued.
I’m a former marquess’s daughter.
I learned self-defense as soon as I could walk.
“Let go! Let me go! Uncle…!”
“Struggle, and it’ll hurt more.”
Your uncle can’t come.
Why?
“Who’s the alchemist you called?”
“…What?”
I recognized the voice of the hooded figure.
The alchemy shop, one of the game’s stores.
You could hire alchemists for specific tasks.
And this alchemist’s specialty was brainwashing.
I could guess who they were targeting.
‘The only ones constantly maintaining barriers are the elite squad.’
In other words…
