Officially Moving In

"There's nothing to say about the past, and I have no intention of returning to Earth. As for you, to be able to hold on for so long while suffering from tetanus, are you some kind of powerful mage?"

Whether it was because he was thick-skinned or just laid-back, Ruben didn't get angry at Mayuna's ungrateful attitude; instead, he asked with genuine interest.

"Indeed, if you must know, I suppose I'm a minor eighth-tier mage."

Mayuna's current expression was practically begging for someone to write 'shocked' on her face. If the Pope were to see her acting like such a little girl, his jaw would surely hit the floor.

"Apprentice Mage, Mage, Magician, Great Magician, Archmage, Great Archmage, Saint Mage, God Mage... so you're a God Mage."

Ruben counted on his fingers, stopping when he reached eight. His expression and his inner thoughts remained completely unmoved.

"I'm a God Mage, for heaven's sake! Can you at least show a little more surprise?"

Mayuna said, feeling quite stifled. Even the Emperor had to bow and offer salutes when he saw her, yet this ungrateful fellow wouldn't even give her a reaction.

"You can't even understand the most basic circuit diagram. The God of Light is useless to me; what I need is an assistant."

"What is that supposed to mean? I can learn!"

"Forget it. Once you're recovered, you can leave. Science is very dull; go practice your magic."

"I'm so sleepy. Is there a place to bathe here?"

Mayuna yawned. The effects of the medicine and the exhaustion of her body made her feel very drowsy, but she had to bathe before going to sleep.

"To the left... I'll take you there. Just don't dismantle my bathroom, too."

"Look at this. It's called a showerhead. Turn the switch, and water will sprinkle down. Understand?"

Ruben pointed at the showerhead above and turned the switch to demonstrate.

"I'm not an idiot. I don't need you to teach me; I can use it myself."

Mayuna said one thing while thinking another. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the showerhead. This man truly had many wonderful things. Not having to control her mana just to bathe was incredibly convenient.

"Then, if I don't teach you, how do you plan to wash?"

"Bathing is something I can do on my own. Watch: Fire Magic [High-Temperature Roof], Water Magic [Hazy Rain]."

Mayuna raised her finger, and a ring of red mana gradually materialized, floating above her head. Then, another ring of blue mana floated above the red, and a series of fine rain began to fall. As the rain passed through the [High-Temperature Roof], it was heated by the mana, turning into man-made hot water.

"So troublesome, so troublesome. Bathing should be something you enjoy slowly. Controlling mana while bathing is just torture!"

Ruben looked at the composite magic above her head with a look of disdain. Only now did he truly feel that science was wonderful.

"That's why nobles have servants to help them cast magic when they bathe, but I don't like that, so I do it myself. Also, how long are you planning to stay here? Wind Magic [Breeze of Warm Spring]!"

Just as Mayuna was about to take off her clothes, she saw that Ruben was still standing there. She instantly forgot that he was her savior and blew him out with a blast of magic.

"Ruben, where is the room?"

After bathing, Mayuna walked out of the bathroom radiating heat. Her hair had been dried using fire magic, and she had changed into clothes from her space ring, not letting Ruben catch a glimpse of anything.

"You still want a room? I didn't plan for guests. Sleep on the sofa."

"You... you are asking me, the pinnacle of magic on the Holy Continent, a God Mage, to sleep on a sofa?"

Mayuna was truly fuming. Even if she wanted to sleep in the palace of the Holy Empire's Emperor, he wouldn't dare refuse, even if he had to have his concubines accompany her. Yet now, a human with absolutely no mana was telling her to sleep on a sofa! Well, she had just learned the word 'sofa' from him; had Ruben not mentioned it, she would have already treated this soft thing as a bed.

Actually, as a patient, she knew she shouldn't make so many demands of her savior, but this was the main hall. Sleeping on the sofa meant Ruben would see her sleeping posture and face. That was absolutely out of the question. Even if she had to be a bit more willful, she couldn't back down.

"I'm doing this for your own good. Are you willing to sleep in a bed a man has slept in?"

"It doesn't matter. Where is your room?"

"In here."

Ruben didn't refuse. He was used to girls being willful. Besides, a scientist could fall asleep anywhere once tired, so he led Mayuna into his room. It wasn't large, containing only a bed, a lamp, and some things Mayuna didn't recognize.

"Purification Magic [Purify]."

As Mayuna's mana spread through the room, all traces of Ruben's life vanished—the fallen hair, the scent clinging to the quilt. After Ruben took out a magnifying glass to check his glass, he found that even the fingerprints were gone. It was as if it were a brand-new room that had never been lived in.

"Don't you think magic is more convenient than science?"

Mayuna looked at Ruben's surprised face and spoke with the smugness of a victor.

"Nonsense! I don't believe in that. I believe in science. Cleaning it myself is very convenient too!"

Ruben immediately denied it. Although this magic was indeed convenient—no need to wash clothes or clean dust—he would never betray his faith.

"Stubborn guy."

Watching Ruben flee the room, Mayuna chuckled. She lay on the bed, looking at the unfamiliar ceiling, and recalled everything that had happened throughout the day.

"Phantom Magic [Memoir]."

"Little Mayuna, are you afraid to sleep alone again? Even though I am your teacher, I can't sleep with you every day. There are many things in this world you haven't encountered yet: friends, lovers, enemies, people hunting you, people you are hunting, debt collectors... Speaking of lovers, little Mayuna, remember this: once you meet a good man, you must hold onto him tightly. Plant Magic [Vine Entanglement] is simple, right? And also, you must keep a man's wealth firmly in your own hands. Do you remember how to use the Theft Magic [Space Swap]..."

Driven by Mayuna's mana, a translucent Yura appeared in the room. This was a phantom formed from her past memories. Whenever she couldn't sleep, she would use magic to project it. In the image, Yura was smiling gently while tying up the elderly Pope like a rice dumpling with vines, and she was also teaching Mayuna the dark magic of how to loot other people's space rings.

"Teacher..."

Amidst Yura's voice, Mayuna slowly drifted into a deep sleep, and a single tear slid down onto the pillow.

PS: Seeking favorites and recommendations.

PS: The joyful daily life that occurs when science and magic intersect begins now, probably.