"Can I really do this?
Could you perhaps reconsider?"
Those words rose to the tip of the puppet’s tongue.
But in the end, they remained unspoken.
Surely, there must be a reason why the Master entrusted such a task to them.
And so, the puppet resolved to play the role its Master desired.
***
Ever since coming to the Tower, Demia felt like she was rely surviving, not truly living.
The never-ending complexities of administration, no matter how much she learned.
The relentless workload that refused to diminish, no matter how hard she worked.
The complete lack of freedom or autonomy throughout the process.
Sotis, she found herself resenting the Master who had entrusted her with all this.
But whenever such thoughts arose, Demia forced herself to recalibrate.
“The Master wouldn’t have given this role without reason.”
“If there’s a problem, it must be because I’m not trying hard enough.”
She endured, holding onto a single hope: that soday, all this would end.
That one day, as the Master intended, the Tower would stabilize, and she could finally enjoy a well-deserved rest.
And now, it seed that dream was within reach, close enough to grasp.
Of course, she knew.
She wasn’t perfect—she wasn’t even enough.
But what could she do?
This was her limit.
She couldn’t try harder, and she couldn’t do better.
Whenever she managed to get so sleep, she felt inexplicable guilt.
When fatigue left her staring blankly into space, the walls around her seed to close in.
There were even tis when tears welled up without warning.
Still, through her clumsy perseverance, she had built sothing.
And now, she found herself sowhat satisfied with the results.
“Lisir…”
But that man had ruined everything.
Demia intended to resent him with all her might.
And yet, why was it…
“You called for ?”
The mont she faced him, all her negative feelings lted away like snow.
It felt as though sothing warm was soothing her.
Was it because he now commanded the attention of all the guild leaders in Bondales?
She didn’t know.
The only certainty was that, with his help, perhaps this never-ending nightmare could finally end.
“I am standing in for the Master. I must never appear weak…”
After repeating her usual mantra, Demia steadied herself and began to speak.
“Yes, I called for you. You know who I am, don’t you?”
Her youthful appearance, untouched by ti, still held a trace of girlish charm.
But the fatigue, resignation, and dark circles etched into her face added an unintentional air of gravitas.
Sitting upright with a rigid posture, the acting Tower Master looked down at her guest.
“Of course. You are the Acting Tower Master.”
“Do you also know why I’ve summoned you here today?”
“…Would it be because of the matter I resolved last ti?”
“That’s correct. Folda seed deeply impressed by your efforts.”
Demia handed Lisir a prepared docunt.
“He has expressed his intent to offer long-term support, and at an amount double the previous contributions.”
Lisir’s eyes widened as he scanned the figures on the docunt.
“As expected of a major guild leader, his generosity knows no bounds.”
“They’re not always so generous.”
“Pardon?”
“rchants know exactly when to open and close their wallets. For them to show this level of sincerity ans you’ve demonstrated imnse value.”
Lisir nodded, and to Demia, it seed as though he was moved by her praise.
This was the mont her lessons from How to Manage Subordinates paid off.
“He must have a good impression of now.”
Having laid the groundwork, Demia decided to move to the main point.
“I’ve spoken enough. The reason I’ve summoned you here today is to discuss the next steps. It seems the example set with Folda has spread among the rchants, and many guild leaders now view you favorably. They’ve pledged support for the Tower and requested a eting with you. You understand their intentions, don’t you?”
“They’re also dealing with problems involving that man, Karl?”
“Not just him. It seems they believe your influence now extends across the entire northern underworld.”
“…I see.”
“Do you have any insights to share?”
Lisir pondered deeply before letting out a soft chuckle and nodding cautiously.
“Well then—”
Demia hesitated.
How could she convince him to lend his strength willingly?
“Why did the Master entrust the Tower to soone like him?”
“This would be so much easier if he weren’t Honorary Mage.”
The thought plagued her constantly. Managing subordinates while standing in for the Master was no easy task.
No matter how much effort she put in, dissatisfaction seed inevitable, as if to remind her that her authority was borrowed.
“Well then…”
A sharp pang of discomfort hit her stomach.
“Co to think of it, he’s just an Honorary Mage—”
Lisir wasn’t formally affiliated with the Tower, which ant he had no obligation to bow to her authority, not even on the surface.
“What if I say the wrong thing, and he refuses to help?”
She pictured disappointed rchants, revoked pledges, and her goals slipping further away.
The worst-case scenario played out vividly in her mind, making her stomach churn and her lips heavier than ever.
“Does he know I opposed his appointnt as Honorary Mage? He must secretly despise …”
Sothing felt off. She didn’t usually feel this way.
It was as though the mask she had carefully constructed was thinner today.
Demia focused all her energy on maintaining a composed expression and voice, desperate not to betray her pathetic inner self.
“Well, I’d like to give you the opportunity to help the Tower…”
Despite her efforts, the words that ca out of her mouth sounded utterly pitiful.
The content was even worse.
Oh no!
Just as Demia panicked and prepared to recover, Lisir smiled mischievously.
“Well, such an honor! I’ll be happy to accept.”
His playful response, as if he were indulging her, felt entirely out of place. It was as though he had no preconceived notions of how an Acting Tower Master should behave.
Demia didn’t know how to handle this situation. None of the difficult books she’d read covered scenarios like this.
“Well… make sure you’re grateful…”
She spoke instinctively, then glanced at Lisir to gauge his reaction.
How must I look to him right now?
Once again, he simply smiled, as though amused.
Demia, too, let out a laugh.
It was a genuine, unguarded smile, devoid of any pretense of the Acting Tower Master’s dignity.
***
──────────────────────────────
[Today’s Diary] [Weather: Overcast]
I hate rainy days.
I love the sound of rain tapping against the windows, but everything else about it? No, thank you.
This Tower is unnecessarily large, and when it rains, it gets ridiculously eerie.
It’s enough to make think, What if a ghost shows up!? (Apparently, there really is a haunted spot in the Tower [The Screaming Painting]).
Especially at night!
When the Masters and staff leave, and the students go ho, leaving the entire place deserted!!!
At that ti, all the lights in the Tower go out, and I have to endure it alone in this massive office with only a candle for light!
Is that reasonable?
It’s absolutely terrifying!
When the wind rattled the windows, I was so scared I almost beca a ghost myself.
On days like this, I miss the Master more than usual.
I wonder if the Master is doing well.
Surely they aren’t out in the rain, right?
I hope they return soon.
If the Master were here, I’d even be brave enough to visit that haunted spot with them.
──────────────────────────────
──────────────────────────────
[Today’s Diary] [Weather: Clear]
As I was walking down the corridor today, I thought I misheard sothing.
Apparently, the students were talking about sothing called a rainbow cake!
It’s a dessert sold at a new café.
Why is it called a rainbow cake?
Is it huge, like a rainbow? Shaped like an arch? Or could it be—colored like a rainbow?
What do I do? I’m so curious.
If it is rainbow-colored, how did they make it?
Red is strawberry.
Orange is grapefruit.
Yellow is… yellow is… orange? (Not tangerine! Definitely not!)
Anyway, moving on. The real problem starts here.
Green.
What did they use for green?
Apple?
Surely not leaves, right?
Oh! Of course—matcha!
…Then what about blue?
Indigo?
Purple?
Honestly, in my opinion, we could leave those three out.
They don’t seem very appetizing.
But then, can you still call it a rainbow if those colors are missing?
It’s complicated.
Maybe it’s not rainbow-colored after all but just shaped like a rainbow?
I guess I’d know if I tried it. No! We’re already short on resources! As the Tower’s acting head, I must set an example!
That’s right, isn’t it?
Ugh. I hate this.
This position is way too much for .
Why did the Master entrust with this role?
Because they believe in ! ★★★
Yes.
The Master trusted to handle this because they knew I could.
So I can’t give up. Let’s push through another day!
──────────────────────────────
──────────────────────────────
[To-Do List for Soday]
Spend an entire day in bed.
Read one of those romance novels.
Visit a café.
Try a rainbow cake. ★★★
Go ghost-hunting with the Master (no need to fear—Master’s stronger than any ghost!).
Learn how to use makeup.
Fall in love??? (Still unsure about this one).
...
...
...
Forget everything and just make it all stop.
──────────────────────────────
[Forum Post: “Who Even Is Demia???”]
Content:
So, I found this “Demia’s Diary” thing in the Tower and started reading it.
Seriously, though—it’s so... girly.
I couldn’t stop smiling like a proud dad.
Reply: Dude, you’re reading a girl’s diary and smiling like a dad? Wtf.
Reply: This guy should never beco a father, omg.
OP: Bro, it was just lying there! Totally left for to find!
Reply: Funny how "found" translates to theft.
Reply: We call that misappropriation of lost property where I’m from.
OP: The staff probably planted it there, okay!?
Reply: Wait, isn’t Demia the acting Tower Master?
OP: ?
OP: You an the dark-circles lady?
Reply: There’s no other Demia, though?
OP: ?
OP: Are you telling she wrote this diary???
OP: What the heck—does she have split personalities or sothing???
Reply: Pretty much. Forced split personalities.
OP: ?????
OP: Is that for real???
Reply: Yeah, it’s like this:
Puppet modeled after her own teenage self.
Puppet made by accident when the Master ssed up.
Reply: When she wrote the diary, her ntal age was around 14.
OP: So they put a 14-year-old in charge of administration?
Reply: She’s older now, but yeah, that’s how it started.
OP: This Master is insane.
OP: And no one noticed that a 14-year-old was running things?
Reply: 14-year-old Master > Everyone else.
Reply: The programming is based on the Master, so even at her worst, she sohow managed.
Reply: The Masters say she’s rough but serviceable now.
OP: The bar to be Master is brutal, lol.
***
As Lisir stepped out of the office, he found Masters ltas, Didoa, and Marina waiting for him with faces full of concern.
“Lisir, are you alright!?”
“Were you uncomfortable waiting without explanation? If so, I’m sorry. Oh, by the way, the reason I was here—”
“You’re rambling, Didoa!”
Their deanor was akin to greeting soone who had barely escaped the jaws of a beast.
And perhaps that was justified—Demia’s peculiar personality was infamous even within the Tower.
She was known to obsessively assert her authority and the Tower Master’s power even in front of senior Masters.
It was only natural to assu her behavior toward Lisir, a re Honorary Mage, could be even more extre.
On top of that, Demia had fiercely opposed Lisir’s appointnt as Honorary Mage.
If he had been treated unfairly during their eting, no one would have found it surprising.
“Hm? Oh, she’s quite amusing, actually,” Lisir said nonchalantly. “We even made plans to explore the city together after eting with the guild leaders. There’s a place she said she wanted to take her.”
“?”
“?”
“…Execution grounds, maybe?”
The three of them reacted as if they had just seen a ghost.
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