Choice

Allen's enthusiasm was truly high.

As a big shot who could land himself in an Asylum and still guarantee his newspaper serials never missed a deadline, his hand speed—honed by twenty-five years of being single since birth—was top-tier.

Three days after receiving the outline, Allen found Angell again with a manuscript totaling a full one hundred thousand words.

Angell was shocked when he saw the manuscript.

Especially in this day and age without computers; even with a Typewriter, it was all paper. Holding a heavy manuscript in one's hands was a completely different experience compared to looking at a light, airy document on a screen.

However, this touch of emotion was fleeting.

Angell noticed that the content of the manuscript was entirely world-building, not a script.

This kid was looking for trouble!

Angell glared warily at Allen, who sat across from him sporting matching dark circles under his eyes.

Angell didn't know much about screenwriting, but he knew about content planning.

Every content planner for a pay-to-win mobile game had a heart set on creating a AAA masterpiece, so they would inevitably slip some "deep" plot points into the main setting to create "surprises."

But Angell only wanted to make a low-cost mobile game (X)... Angell only wanted to film a low-cost commercial; those blockbusters with hundreds of millions in investment were truly out of the question!

Angell had sensed this tendency earlier, and he certainly couldn't let the situation spiral out of control.

Ignoring the long-winded world-building sections of the manuscript, Angell flipped directly to the protagonist's profile to see if the other party had followed his outline.

Fortunately, this part was quite normal.

A young girl living in Cecilia City, Angie, finds an abandoned Magic Wand while playing in the warehouse of her family's Alchemy Workshop, awakening the sleeping ancestor Cecilia...

"...Change the protagonist's name, and change her family background as well," Angell requested.

"Is the Alchemy Workshop not good?" Allen asked. "I thought it could explain why the protagonist has so many Magic Items."

"That would ruin the thrill of obtaining the Magic Wand as a cheat item, and besides, Magic Items aren't the point," Angell commented objectively. "It must be an ordinary little girl who gets the wand, can transform, and can beat up enemies looking pretty."

"Alright, then how about changing her into an ordinary girl from a Charity School who isn't interested in magic?" Allen said submissively.

Angell said, "Also, it's best if the ancestor isn't Cecilia."

The Grand Mage Cecilia commonly referred to was, of course, the one who built Cecilia City.

This mage had slaughtered an army of one hundred thousand mages, forcibly tore open a Spatial Rift, drove the Demon Race into the Abyss, and saved the world. While her achievements were undeniably great, for a little girl, such feats were far too bloody and too distant from their lives.

Angell requested, "Try to choose a beautiful female mage with high approachability. If there really isn't a suitable one, creating an original character is fine too."

"Ah, I didn't set it as the Grand Mage Cecilia," Allen said instead. "I set it as 'God's Favorite' Cecilia."

God's Favorite?

Angell paused for a moment before he realized who that was.

Cecilia wasn't a rare surname; there were over a dozen who had left their mark in history alone.

However, not many were as famous as the Grand Mage Cecilia who drove away the Demon Race. If one had to mention another, only the Cecilia who ended the Plane wars could count.

This Cecilia was world-renowned for her beauty.

It was said that her appearance made even the gods sigh in admiration, and mortal beings were utterly captivated by her. It wasn't just humans; even races with subtle aesthetic differences from humans, such as Elves, Orcs, and even Dwarves, bowed at her feet, willing to abandon years of grudges and sign a thousand-year peace treaty for her sake.

In terms of achievements alone, this beautiful Cecilia was on par with the Grand Mage Cecilia, but unfortunately, people preferred to talk about her scandals. It was said that the God of Light was infatuated with her, which was why she was called "God's Favorite."

The "Lady of Charm" mentioned earlier by Mithril, for whom various races crowdfunded the Sky Spring, also referred to this Cecilia.

In short, this Cecilia was a total Mary Sue.

Angell felt she was indeed quite suitable, but: "Is this Cecilia a mage?"

"This Lady Cecilia is very mysterious. Her background, age, profession, and final whereabouts are all unknown, so I think it wouldn't be a problem to say she's a Witch!" Allen argued.

Very good, you've grasped the essence of screenwriting.

Angell finally revealed a satisfied expression.

The main plot of the setting was fine—still an ordinary little girl transforming, finding friends, and defeating the Demon Race.

It seemed he had indeed overthought things.

Angell flipped through the background settings at the back and found that the long-winded parts were things that might not even be reflected in the plot, so he handed the manuscript back to Allen: "Very good, just write it according to this!"

"Understood!" Allen replied with a smile.

He was also very satisfied.

Allen didn't mind that Angell clearly hadn't read the content behind his settings.

As an author, settings were never meant to be seen by others—they were the parts beneath the water's surface. Allen was an autocratic creator; he hated editors who interfered too much with his work.

As a screenwriter, if a client came up to you saying, "We are planning to make a grand blah-blah-blah," and started nitpicking the background settings... run, don't hesitate! Even if you don't run, you should double your fee! Nine times out of ten, such clients have no idea what they want to create, or even who they want to sell it to.

But Angell only required that the plot be "loved by little girls" and "thrilling enough," without interfering in other aspects. Clearly, just as Editor-in-Chief Hector said, he was only doing this to revive magic and had chosen to pique the interest of little girls as an entry point, without demanding anything else.

Allen was very happy that his client was such a straightforward person.

He would certainly not let the other party down; while meeting their requirements, he would write this work into a super masterpiece!

Not only would the plot be exciting, but the level of professionalism would also be top-notch!

Showcase the interesting and cool side of the Mage profession!

Speaking of which...

"By the way, Lord Angell, I heard that Magic Gear has staff dormitories?" Allen asked while putting away his manuscript. "May I stay in the dorms while I'm writing the script?"

With not only Angell in his black robe here, but also other Rune Apprentices, wouldn't this be the perfect place for observation?

Angell did not perceive Allen's underlying intentions.

In fact, Angell still hadn't figured out Allen's background—Lance and Editor-in-Chief Hector both assumed Angell already knew, so they hadn't provided a detailed introduction—and he simply assumed Allen was a fresh graduate from the Liberal Arts Department. It was only natural for such a young man to be short on cash, so he didn't think much of it.

Angell granted permission: "I will have them prepare a room for you immediately."

Six o'clock in the afternoon, Rune Studio.

Mira finished the final stroke of a rune and stretched her back.

With this, she had completed the daily quota set by Mr. Angell. Any additional work beyond this counted as overtime, and each qualified Rune Core earned her two silver coins in overtime pay.

Mira was saving money, so she had volunteered for the extra work.

Of course, she still needed to eat dinner. Besides, after transcribing runes all afternoon, Mira felt quite exhausted. She rubbed her arms, stood up, and glanced left and right.

The person on her right had already gone to eat, while the one on her left was still scribbling away.

"Gru, aren't you going to eat?" Mira asked.

"No, I'm heading back once I finish this," Gru replied vaguely.

His financial pressure wasn't as heavy, so he rarely stayed for overtime.

However, the boy sitting across from them heard their conversation, looked up, and said to Mira, "Mira, bring me a Ham Sandwich and some milk when you come back."

"You aren't even planning on working overtime, are you?" Mira complained. "Can't you just go eat dinner yourself?"

"Hehe." The other boy chuckled, unbothered.

Once he finished his quota, he planned to head straight to the storefront downstairs; going all the way to the Cafeteria and coming back was just too much trouble!

It wasn't just this colleague; several others had also entrusted Mira to bring them food from the Cafeteria.

"There's really no helping you."

Mira complained, though a smile played on her lips. She noted down everyone's requests before leaving the studio.

Mira liked her current life.

It was simple.

Effort was rewarded.

She could be in contact with her favorite runes without having to live in constant fear of her secrets being exposed.

This was the happiest time she had known in her nineteen years of life.

However, as Mira passed through the Resting Room, this good mood was shattered.

"Mira-meow?" A white Receptionist Cat was lounging lazily on a Cat Climbing Frame. Seeing Mira pass by, it pointed toward a table in the Resting Room. "You have a letter; remember to take it back."

"...Oh." The smile on Mira's face vanished instantly.

The white cat observed the change in Mira's expression and asked curiously, "It seems like you're never happy when you receive letters! If you're being blackmailed, you can tell Boss Mithril-meow; he will handle it!"

"No, there's no blackmail," Mira said with a dry laugh. "It's just a letter from my family."

"Family members wouldn't blackmail you-meow?"

"Most of the ones who sold us off were family members-meow!"

A scoffing laugh came from the Cat Climbing Frame. Several pairs of eyes glowed in the shadows, peering at Mira.

Mira hurriedly shoved the letter into her pocket and rushed out of the Resting Room.

She didn't understand how the customers could find these cats cute.

They were clearly terrifying!

And it seemed that from this moment on, Mira felt as though she were being plagued by bad luck.

When Mira arrived at the Restaurant, she saw Silverleaf introducing something to a strange youth.

She had heard that a newcomer was moving into the dorms, and Silverleaf had been sent by Mr. Angell to receive them. Was this the person?

Mira approached hesitantly.

"Silverleaf."

"Mira, you've come at the right time. This is Allen, who will be moving into the dorms today. He'll be living right next door to you," Silverleaf said, nodding at her before turning to Allen. "Allen, this is Mira. If you run into any trouble, you can look for her."

"Hello," Mira said with a polite smile to Allen.

Silverleaf had already given her a heads-up about the newcomer moving in next door.

The room next to Mira's had a large balcony and excellent lighting; it was the best room on the staff dormitory floor. However, because the Rune Apprentices had arrived at Magic Gear feeling anxious and uncertain, no one wanted to stay long, and naturally, no one was in the mood to pick rooms, so that one had remained vacant. Later on, no one felt comfortable asking to switch.

With a newcomer arriving, Silverleaf decided to hand the room over to him, and since Mira was quite attentive, he asked her to keep an eye on their new neighbor.

Mira had always been looked after by Silverleaf, so naturally, she did not refuse such a request.

However, when this newcomer named Allen looked at her, Mira's heart sank.

The youth named Allen was not unpleasant to look at; on the contrary, he was quite handsome. Yet, his expression seemed somewhat neurotic, especially the way he stared deeply into people's eyes, making one feel as if they were being seen through, which was incredibly uncomfortable.

The man's personality was indeed just as his appearance suggested.

"Hello, Mira... Ms.?" Allen said, scrutinizing her. "You are a girl, aren't you?"

Mira felt the hair on her arms stand on end.

Silverleaf immediately stepped forward, shielding Mira behind him, and smiled. "Mr. Allen, is that really relevant?"

Silverleaf's smile was beautiful.

Silverleaf was naturally handsome and possessed a unique charm; especially when he smiled, everyone was subconsciously drawn to it, unable to look away.

Thanks to the presence of such a Chief Student, Mira's "oddity" had never been noticed by anyone else.

But Allen seemed immune to Silverleaf's smile.

His neurotic gaze remained fixed firmly on Mira. "Why dress as a boy? Is it your own preference? Or a special requirement from Lord Angell?"

Hearing Angell's name brought into the mix, both Rune Apprentices felt they could no longer avoid the topic.

Mira subconsciously wanted to take the blame. "It's my own—"

"It is a requirement of the Rune Major," Silverleaf said.

He pressed down on Mira's shoulder, shook his head, and said softly, "You're graduating anyway."

Mira lowered her head, feeling very uneasy.

Allen watched their interaction with interest.

This writer had keen powers of observation, yet he lacked the ability to read the room—or perhaps, he chose to ignore the atmosphere on purpose.

"Does the Rune Major not recruit girls?" Allen continued, asking the pointed question. "Gender discrimination?"

The one with gender discrimination was that Rune teacher.

"...It can be considered an objective fact," Silverleaf said, though he didn't want to speak ill of his teacher. He tried to steer away from such a sharp topic from an academic perspective. "Unlike men, women's mana is more easily affected by the Moon Tide, making it somewhat unstable. It can even affect the body and emotions, so some believe they are not suitable to become Rune Masters, who must output mana with stability."

"Oh, I've heard of that!" Allen's eyes lit up inexplicably.

He pulled out a small notebook and asked while recording, "I heard that female mages with too much mana can even fall into becoming Witches. Is that how it is?"

"There is no such thing as 'falling,' and it has nothing to do with the level of mana; rather, unstable mana itself is dangerous!" Silverleaf explained. "Even for men, under the influence of unstable mana, it is easy to lose control or even go insane. In the end, female mages and Witches are two completely different things!"

"Can you be more specific?" Allen asked.

"Female mages are similar to male mages; both are beings who have mastered formal spellcasting to release magic. However, due to the inherent instability of their mana, their numbers are fewer than male mages. Witches, on the other hand, are different. On one hand, they prefer to cast magic through tools to avoid the stimulation of unstable mana on their bodies; on the other hand, they are more compliant with the influence of mana on their emotions, appearing more emotional, but their control over their own mana is actually more sophisticated and stable—"

Silverleaf explained in detail.

Relying on his own Succubus abilities, he could tell that the Allen before him had no malicious intent, only curiosity.

But simple curiosity, if left unchecked, could also cause harm.

In fact, Silverleaf already regretted placing this person next to Mira; he hadn't expected the man to be so "frank."

Therefore, while Silverleaf diverted the man's attention with topics Allen found interesting, he secretly waved at Mira, signaling her to leave quickly.

Mira breathed a sigh of relief and left silently.

However, even after such an incident, she still bought the "fodder" for her other colleagues at the cafeteria. Only after feeding them did she take that letter, which had brought such bad luck, and hide in the workshop's Tea Room to secretly tear it open.

The letter's address was very close.

The Mage Tower in Cecilia City.

Mira had recently figured out the location of Cecilia; if she walked there, it would probably only take two hours.

But Mira did not want to go.

Mira hadn't lied; this letter was from her family, from her sister.

Mira's sister was also magically gifted. When she entered the school, she gave her family a sum of money; when she entered the Mage Tower, she gave them another sum; and she had even found a mage fiancé. Thus, she was the pride of the entire family and the "best daughter" in her parents' eyes.

Mira was supposed to have done the same.

In fact, the Magic Academy in the City of Academies had a majority of girls, because compared to boys who had to inherit the family business, it wasn't bad for girls to enter the Magic Academy, which provided subsidies. Moreover, besides the Magic Academy, most students in the other colleges of the City of Academies came from decent backgrounds, some even from noble families. Finding a husband in either the City of Academies or the Mage Tower was a relatively good choice.

But Mira had become obsessed with magic runes.

At the time, Mira's sister had warned her that the Department Head of the Rune Major hated girls who cheated for funding, and the entire major did not recruit women. Yet, Mira had developed "bad intentions." Relying on her status as an honor student at the Charity School and taking advantage of administrative oversights, she had secretly changed the gender on her enrollment records and pretended to be a boy to sign up for the Rune Major.

This matter had terrified her family, who were deeply afraid that Mira's identity would be exposed, that she would be kicked out, and that the City of Academies would demand the subsidies back.

Mira had indeed almost been exposed.

Living with boys in the dormitory every single moment, it was almost impossible not to be found out.

So, Mira's female identity had actually been inevitably revealed in her first year. It was just that Silverleaf and Jack were present at the time. Not only did these two help Mira hide her identity, but they also didn't know what they did afterward to convince the other boys in their cohort. Over the following years, everyone in their year helped Mira keep her secret. In the end, she didn't know if the Department Head ever found out, but regardless, Mira had successfully graduated.

Before Mira could catch her breath, she was informed that this year, the Rune Major would not be assigned to the Mage Tower, but must go to an Alchemy Workshop instead. This had caused her family to explode in a panic once again.

If she didn't go to the Mage Tower, wouldn't she lose the commission that the Mage Tower provided?

Not to mention finding a mage husband.

Ever since Mira arrived at the Magic Gear, she had received several letters from home and from her sister, all blaming her for having secretly changed the gender on her enrollment records back then.

Although Mira had drawn her salary in advance and sent money home several times, that meager amount was clearly not enough to convince her family.

Mira was doing the same thing now; she was working overtime to save money so that she could send home an amount that wouldn't lose out to what her sister sent. Perhaps that would convince her family and make them believe that the Alchemy Workshop was a decent job.

But before that, was it inevitable that she would have to endure these "unfortunate letters"?

Mira quickly read the letter in her hand.

She decided that once she confirmed there was no important content in the letter, she would soak it in water and wash it away.

But after reading the contents of the letter, Mira's blood nearly froze.

"What does the letter say?"

"My sister says she helped me find a Mage Tower..."

Mira answered subconsciously, then she whipped her head around and discovered Gru watching her eerily.

"As I thought!" Gru said, unsurprised. His face appeared dim and indistinct in the shadows of the Tea Room. "I heard that this year's assignments have begun. The top-performing students from other majors have all gone to the Mage Tower."

"...Do you want to go too?" Mira asked.

She knew that Gru's grades were good; he was just a hair away from being the Second-in-Command Student of this year.

--The rankings at the Magic Academy were determined by the scores of the unified public Courses exams, not by major, so Silverleaf being the Chief Student meant he was the Chief Student of the entire academy.

Gru choosing Runes was just a coincidence; he yearned more to become a mage. Therefore, while being assigned to the Magic Gear wasn't bad, he certainly yearned for the Mage Tower even more.

Sure enough, Gru nodded: "If I don't go to the Mage Tower to take a look, I'll always feel a bit unreconciled."

"But, I think the Magic Gear is already very good..."

"Then are you going to ignore the painstaking efforts of your family?" Gru asked. "Besides, perhaps the Mage Tower is better? You could pursue advanced studies and learn higher-level runes inside, couldn't you?"

"I..."

Mira took a step back.

Fortunately, at this moment, a voice rang out:

"Don't pressure her, Gru! You're just afraid yourself, so you want to drag someone along with you."

"...Silverleaf!"

Mira looked gratefully toward the source of the voice and saw Silverleaf standing at the entrance of the Tea Room.

Allen was there too.

"Mr. Allen said he wanted to see our workshop, so we came over," Silverleaf explained.

However, Allen's point of curiosity was clearly not the workshop; he was looking at Mira and Gru with an amused expression.

Gru didn't notice this strange outsider. He said with a gray expression: "Silverleaf, I don't want to betray anyone, I just..."

"You're unreconciled, right?" Silverleaf said. "Actually, I'm the same. After all, I had already made arrangements beforehand."

He paused, and the Chief Student of the academy displayed his basic competence, beginning to lecture on grand principles: "However, since you have made a choice, you must be responsible for your own choice—"

Silverleaf was very eloquent.

According to the usual development, Gru would definitely be persuaded, and then nothing would happen.

The reputation of the Magic Academy's "most stable and united class" was not just talk.

But a third voice cut in: "No, if you want to go take a look, you actually can!"

The Rune Apprentices looked at the speaker.

A neurotic smile appeared on Allen's face: "Your boss wants to film a Movie, and there will be shots of the Mage Tower. When the time comes, you can request to go as assistants and go directly to the Mage Tower to take a look. Won't you know how you should choose then?"