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I said, "No... nothing... it's..." My well-timed hesitation piqued her interest, but I didn't stammer for long. As I always did when giving speeches, I answered frankly, "It's an academician from the research institute."

Madam Christine's gaze suddenly turned extremely serious, almost like my mother's... She waved her hand. "No, no, no, Reynold, this won't do! Don't think I can't see through your thoughts. You're going to find a junior mage in a research institute? Haha, listen to that, what kind of status does that person have? And what kind of status do you have that you're so fond of mages?"

I deliberately showed a hint of melancholy and didn't answer.

Madam Christine spent the entire afternoon trying to persuade me, and she even anxiously flipped through the genealogies of royal families from various countries, trying to find a princess or prince of suitable age to introduce to me... So I think I have perfectly achieved my goal.

I come from a small village outside the Northwest Frontier. It's nothing like the Federation capital. When I was a child, only the village chief's family had a television. The internet only became widespread in recent years. We belong to an insignificant little country in terms of administrative divisions, but in recent years, the orcs outside the frontier have been stirring up trouble. Our village has become anarchic, a poor and remote place with no prospects for development. People don't have much motivation in life. As long as they have enough to eat and drink and a stable job, they don't pursue any higher goals.

So I entered the political center of the Osland Federation as an outsider. Many people questioned my loyalty and worried about how much of my sincerity was truly for the Federation. However, I do love this country. Although I do know a lot about rhetoric and how to deal with reporters, I am absolutely true to myself on this point.

In those years, we were frequently raided by orcs outside the northwest defense line. It was always the Osland Federation that was willing to lend a hand; otherwise, where would my neighbors have found peace and stable jobs in that small, dilapidated village and country? And...

At that time, I met a Federation mage. He was dressed in a mercenary's hunting uniform, his hair was tied up very neatly, and his appearance was somewhere between a young man and a teenager. However, his eyes were too clear, so he still looked like a delicate young man with red lips and white teeth. The young man was holding a little girl in his arms—a very small dark elf girl! He and I were hiding together in the anti-aircraft fortifications of the defensive line. At first, I thought he was a new recruit who was too afraid to go to the front line, but his calm and composed demeanor made me very puzzled.

Then suddenly the mercenaries at the front lines collapsed, and the vanguard of the orcs charged forward. The little elf's eyes widened in fright, her ears standing erect like a ruffled cat's fur. The young mage helplessly shoved her into my arms, begging me to take care of her, and then...

Then he went out!

Undeniably, the image of him facing the orc army alone deeply shocked me, but I felt sorry for his suicidal act... Who knew, the next second he waved his hands, those seemingly slender and fragile hands were empty, without any divine weapons or new magic cannons, but with his movement, a large number of ghostly black shadows rose from the ground, and the orcs, caught off guard, were entangled by the shadows and died instantly. Not only me, but the whole world was shocked by this scene.

Later, I learned that this mage was named Mephistopheles Madsen. He rose to fame in one battle and became a legend of his time, known as the "Evil Shadow Manipulator" and the "Lord of Death."

Even now, I still remember the moment when the mage held the elf and smiled at me... it was so calm and warm.

It was around that time that I truly realized the power of magic, which greatly boosted my confidence. I had been accepted into the Royal Magic Academy of the Osland Federation, but I chose to take a leave of absence in my third year to train in the military. I initially applied to the magic academy because it was cheap; otherwise, my family wanted me to take the civil service exam in that small, run-down country, saying it was a secure job. Although everyone says that training a great mage is very expensive, the Federation values magic. If you really can't afford to go to school, but your magic is outstanding, the Federation will pay for it, even if your parents are both alive. But young people, who doesn't like more modern and cooler mechs?

Me too, I want to be a mecha warrior, and eventually lead Magitech Corps or something...

However, after meeting Mephistopheles, I immediately returned to the academy to continue my studies, while simultaneously pursuing my political career in the capital. Several years later, I successfully became a member of the Federal Magic Council, and my background proved to be a significant advantage when I ran for speaker.

I'm glad I didn't choose mecha, because mecha warriors are everywhere. No matter how good your piloting skills are, without a 3S-level mecha, you're just mediocre. But I'm different. I brought out my commoner background, talked about my inspiring past, and showed my certificate for graduating first in the Royal Academy. I quickly won a lot of votes from the commoners. Compared to my competitors who came from magical families, voters preferred me—the commoner magic council speaker with a similar background to them.

I have many governing plans, which I envisioned when I was still quite young. I want to realize them one by one. I believe I will lead the Federation to a better future, but first, I must establish a firm foothold.

I've always known that for politicians, love and marriage aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. So, my marriage should pave the way for my career. As Madam Christine hoped, it's true that finding an upper-class partner would allow me to integrate into the upper class more quickly. But this might lead to negative speculation online—like marrying a rich man or siding with some powerful force. I've always followed a commoner's path, so a marriage with an aristocrat isn't suitable for me. I'm better off marrying someone from a lower social class. If things go well, and I can sell the romance element, I can further boost my approval ratings.

The academicians of the Federal National Magic Research Institute are very good.

Moreover, from a personal perspective, choosing a mage would be a good choice.

The mage was very quiet, spending his days in the laboratory with his head down, conducting experiments. His long hair, which fell beside his cheeks, was the same soft and warm light flaxen color as Mephistopheles's, a little darker than white so it wouldn't look cold, and a little more subdued than golden yellow so it wouldn't be overly exaggerated or shimmering.

He had a very quiet and refined demeanor; when he read, he resembled a delicate, sculpted monk. I chose him from among many suitable candidates because other people only showed that focused gaze when playing mobile games, while he held a heavy book, occasionally rubbing his aching wrists.

Are all monks' hands so slender and fair?

... I'm not referring to those mages who are glued to their phones shouting and playing ranked matches; I'm referring to excellent mages like Mephistopheles who are dedicated to academic research.

However, although this little mage wasn't very powerful, his hands were quite beautiful, and his appearance was also in line with my aesthetic. He had a rather soft face, without any sharp features, and he wasn't flamboyant, so he wasn't stunning at first glance, far from the kind of excitement that Mephistopheles left me with. But he was still quite refined, with delicate features, and if you looked closely, you would find that the corners of his eyes, which held a smile, were very comforting.

So this should be a good match.

I found out his name: Ciprins Field. He was an orphan raised by the Federation. He was a newly recruited academician at the Research Institute and graduated from the Monastery of True Knowledge... What a terrible school that was! I'd never even heard of it. It was a miracle he got into the Research Institute. But that was fine too. He couldn't come up with any money-making projects. He was quiet and unassuming at the Research Institute, and keeping him at home wouldn't cause me too much trouble.

Yes, he was indeed a very gentle-tempered mage.

But it's a bit too mild. I hesitated. In my imagination, a young mage should be like Mephistopheles, full of vigor and able to walk into the battlefield with ease. No wonder one is a great archmage and the other is a junior academician in the research institute who has to read other people's faces every day.

After observing him for a few days, I found that he seemed to have no sense of fun. He did nothing but do experiments and read books. He went straight home after get off work and didn't go out to play. What a waste of such a handsome face.

I quickly forgot about it for the time being. Around that time, I was also frequently visiting the research institute to discuss official business, and Madam Christine was away on a foreign trip, so my previous lie went unnoticed.