Na-Isekai Ako
Chapter 17: A Dash of Magic, A Pinch of Trouble

Chapter 17: A Dash of Magic, A Pinch of Trouble

The moment Katherine clasped Eldritch’s hand, the world exploded into a blinding light. The sheer intensity of it forced her to squeeze her eyes shut as a low hum of energy vibrated around them.

"Okay— this feels like a serious business deal," she muttered, half-impressed, half-wondering if she was about to be vaporized.

As the light pulsed, Eldritch’s calm voice cut through the haze. "I will state the terms of the contract. First, you are not to speak of our encounter to anyone. Second, you are not to reveal the details of our transactions."

Katherine peeked one eye open, her expression playful. "I hope that goes both ways? I’d rather not wake up to find my trade secrets mysteriously leaked."

Eldritch’s lips twitched—just barely. "For sure, my lady."

The lingering glow slowly faded, revealing the room once more. The candlelight flickered gently, as if pretending the dramatic light show had never happened.

"Wow," Katherine breathed, blinking rapidly. "That was extra. Do all magicians conduct business like this? Or is this just for premium customers?"

Eldritch, as composed as ever, merely turned toward a large, worn book on his desk. "I keep track of my clients," he said, his finger trailing down a list of names. "You will be registered as one of my valuable customers."

"Oho," Katherine leaned in with interest. "I feel special."

"You should," he replied smoothly, flipping another page.

"So," she asked, resting her chin on her hand, "how does this work? It’s my first time hiring a magician. Do I get a receipt? A loyalty card? Maybe a free spell after ten purchases?"

Eldritch didn’t even blink. "I will send you a letter once your request is completed."

"Boring," she sighed dramatically. "Okay, at least give me an estimate. Are we talking days? Weeks? Should I take up knitting while I wait?"

His crimson eyes flickered toward her, unreadable. "Are you in a hurry?"

"Well," she gestured vaguely, "I am asking for magic that turns six months into a minute, so yeah, I’d say I’m on a bit of a time crunch."

A quiet chuckle escaped Eldritch. "What an impatient lady."

Katherine paused, momentarily distracted by his expression. His red eyes—so striking against his dark hair—reminded her of someone. Adolfo. The resemblance was eerie enough to make her wonder... Were they related?

Before she could dwell on it, Eldritch’s voice brought her back. "It won’t take long," he said smoothly. "I simply need to refine the magic so that a novice like yourself can use it without issue."

Katherine perked up. "Actually, I have an idea to make it easier for me."

He arched a brow, curiosity flickering in his expression. "Oh?"

"You should make stickers."

Eldritch stared at her. "Stickers."

"Yep!" Katherine nodded. "They’re small, thin, and can be stuck onto things—like bottles, for example. If you embed the magic circle into them, they’ll activate when used and disappear afterward. One-time use, so no risk of someone reusing them without permission!"

Eldritch steepled his fingers, studying her. "Interesting. You’re rather innovative."

She beamed. "I do try. Oh, and one more thing—can the sticker change once the magic is used? Like, after activation, the magic circle vanishes, and a different image appears instead."

His curiosity deepened. "An image?"

"Yeah! Something simple but meaningful." Katherine grabbed a quill and sketched a small five-petaled flower on a scrap of parchment. She tilted it toward him. "This."

Eldritch examined it. "A flower?"

Katherine hesitated for a fraction of a second before replying, choosing her words carefully. "It’s... a flower from a distant land. A rare one. If I’m going to start a business, I want it to stand out."

A faint glint of intrigue crossed his crimson eyes. "An elegant choice."

Katherine grinned. "So, is it doable? If it’s complicated, I can pay extra. And I’ll need at least twenty to start."

A slow smile curved Eldritch’s lips. "Yes, my dear lady. It is quite doable."

She clapped her hands together. "Amazing!"

Eldritch nodded. "Give me a day."

And just like that, magic and innovation blended seamlessly, bringing Katherine one step closer to making her wild ideas a reality.

***

Katherine stepped out of the room, leaving Eldritch seated at his desk, his fingers rhythmically tapping against the polished wood. Amusement flickered in his crimson eyes, but beneath it lay a deeper curiosity.

When he had held her hand, he had felt something—something that shouldn’t exist in this world. Her energy was foreign, its resonance familiar yet unplaceable. And then there was the way she spoke—so effortlessly local, yet with an occasional slip of something... odd. Uncommon words. A rhythm that didn’t always fit.

It was subtle, but for someone as perceptive as Eldritch, it did not go unnoticed.

"You’re quite strange, Lady Katherine," he murmured under his breath, lips curling into an intrigued smile.

Moments later, Roiselin re-entered the room. He carried himself with his usual efficiency, but there was an amused glint in his golden eyes. "Young master, the young lady has boarded her carriage and appears to be returning to the marchioness’s residence."

"I see," Eldritch responded, absently.

Roiselin hesitated before adding, "It seems she intends to use the magic she requested from you on the peculiar ingredients she purchased from the market."

Eldritch exhaled a quiet chuckle. "Curious indeed... Everyone from that household continues to intrigue me."

"This isn’t the first time you’ve received an odd request from the Marquis estate," Roiselin pointed out.

"No, it’s not. And that’s precisely why I find this client so fascinating."

Roiselin crossed his arms, watching his master carefully. "But you seem more interested in this particular lady than in any previous clients. Is she your type, young master?"

Eldritch exhaled through his nose, rubbing his temple. "Roiselin."

"Yes, young master?"

"Feed Arzu."

"...Sorry?"

"Go feed Arzu," Eldritch repeated, tone unyielding.

Arzu was a young female wolf Eldritch had adopted when she was just a cub. She tended to grow agitated when she was hungry—or when anyone other than her master approached her.

It was a convenient excuse.

Roiselin sighed dramatically. "You’re just being mean to me because I hit the nail on the head, correct?"

Eldritch turned his back to him. "Roiselin."

"Yes, young master?"

"Just go."

"This is tyranny..." Roiselin muttered under his breath, but he obeyed nonetheless, exiting the room with exaggerated reluctance.

Left alone with his thoughts, Eldritch leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting to the high ceiling of his study. His mind wandered back to his brief encounters with Katherine. Twice they had met—once in the marketplace, and again at the ball. Both times, her manner of speaking had caught his attention.

Her accent was odd. Not foreign exactly, but inconsistent. The way she structured her sentences, the words she chose—sometimes she spoke like a noble lady, and other times, she used phrases that felt entirely out of place. A commoner’s slang here, an unfamiliar turn of phrase there. It was as if she were translating her thoughts from another language, adjusting to this world on the fly.

What an unusual girl.

His crimson eyes darkened slightly as his thoughts shifted.

"This will be my last request before I return to the academy," he murmured, voice laced with bitterness.

His brief reprieve in the tower was coming to an end, necessitated by a recent altercation in Athens. He had quarreled with Florante—again—and the consequences had forced him into temporary exile. A suspension, they called it. He called it an opportunity to clear his mind.

His hands tightened into fists. Why did people always side with Florante over me?

He, too, worked hard—pushed himself to the brink time and time again. And yet, he remained in the shadows while Florante basked in the light of favor. Florante, with his effortless charm and natural brilliance, never had to fight as Eldritch did. It was as if fate had granted him every advantage.

Even Antennor, his father’s trusted partner in founding this tower, had chosen Florante over him. He hated that man. Everything about him. His effortless grace, the way the world bent to his will, the ease with which he succeeded where Eldritch had to claw for every scrap of recognition. It burned like acid in his veins.

His gaze shifted to the corner of the room, where an ancient tome lay on a pedestal. It had been his father’s—a book filled with theories on magic, many of which Eldritch had spent years refining. He had power, knowledge, and ambition. But recognition? That was always out of reach.

Even his father, the man who had always been the cornerstone of his life, had never once given him the acknowledgment he truly deserved.

Then, without warning, his father disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a legacy and the weight of an unspoken truth.

In his absence, Eldritch was suddenly handed the title—the one thing his father had never acknowledged him for—but it felt more like a burden than an honor, a constant reminder of what could have been.

"The world can be a bit overwhelming at times, don’t you think?"

A memory surfaced—his first conversation with Katherine at the ball. He hadn’t realized it then, but that single exchange had left an impression on him. Perhaps more than he was willing to admit.

Katherine, with her strange energy, unorthodox ideas, and that peculiar way of speaking, was an anomaly in his carefully ordered world.

And anomalies, if nothing else, were worth studying.

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