When I opened my eyes, I felt unusually refreshed.
Stretching, I got out of bed.
I had a vivid dream—one so real it lingered.
‘Yeah, as if that could really happen.’
The idea of my tree betraying me and signing a contract on my behalf? No wizard would believe such a thing.
‘If it were part of a story, it would be criticized for lacking credibility.’
‘If that were real, then there would be a contract mark on my wrist…’
‘I promise to serve Irien until graduation if I gain admission to the university through Irien’s guidance.’
‘It’s there.’
I ran my hands over my face, and a sudden wave of fatigue hit me.
It wasn’t refreshment I had felt—it was just escapism.
I still couldn’t make sense of it.
Looking around, I saw the familiar sights of my workshop.
Right, I had moved my bedroom to the workshop.
Yesterday, I spent the entire day demolishing the second and third floors, combining them into one massive room.
All the furniture had been moved down to the workshop, and I had crashed here for the night.
Even though I had slept, I felt more exhausted than before I went to bed.
I had to go upstairs, but the thought filled me with dread.
Classes were supposed to start today.
‘What on earth is going to happen?’
I slapped my cheeks with a loud smack.
‘I can’t afford to be weak. The situation is what it is, so I’ll give it my all.’
I still didn’t know what intentions she had when tying me to this contract.
However, one thing was clear: she was going to get me into the university.
I adjusted my mindset.
From now on, I would be her loyal servant.
I would respect, follow, and obey Professor Irien.
‘Looking on the bright side, she’s become my teacher. I’ll learn as much as I can from her and grow. That’s the only way forward.’
I dusted myself off and stood.
Heading to the first floor, I began cleaning with the help of one of my puppets.
At the same time, I quickly prepared breakfast.
Unlike lower-level mages like me, it was said that higher-level mages didn’t even need to eat.
Keeping that in mind, I brewed some sweet honey tea and prepared a few biscuits to go with it.
Yesterday’s snacks were already gone—Professor Irien had eaten them all while I was working on the renovations.
The tea’s aroma spread softly across the workshop.
Just then, Professor Irien descended the stairs with a yawn.
A puppet, programmed overnight with every feature I could possibly add, silently approached her.
From its compartment, the puppet swiftly pulled out a damp towel and presented it to her.
She accepted it naturally and wiped her face.
‘That smooth exchange… I did well. Your name from now on is Butler. Take care of the professor on my behalf.’ All of the puppet’s features were designed to assist her.
Professor Irien tossed the towel back to Butler, who seamlessly tucked it into its body for washing and drying.
Catching the scent of the tea, she smiled faintly.
Following the aroma, she approached the table and picked up a biscuit.
Butler, without missing a beat, poured her a cup of honey tea and handed it to her.
“Mmm, this is nice. That’s why I like your puppets.”
She smiled with satisfaction, and her approval eased my nerves.
Butler continued to assist her, carefully refilling her cup whenever it was empty and maintaining perfect timing.
I stood nearby, making minor adjustments to Butler’s movements—fine-tuning the angle of its arm, the way it poured the tea, even the direction of its gaze.
I didn’t let a single detail slip as I worked to optimize the flow.
As she sipped her tea, she suddenly pulled out a scroll from nowhere.
“These are the flaws in your puppet’s design. I’ve listed improvements. Study and implement them by tonight.”
I carefully took the scroll from her.
She stood and headed to the door.
I followed her to see her off, shutting the door once she left.
‘Phew, she’s gone.’ Just as I exhaled in relief, the door suddenly swung open again.
She peeked her head in.
“I’ll be taking that puppet with me. Hand it over.”
She pointed to Butler.
Taking a few mana stones, I affixed them near Butler’s mana core.
These would automatically recharge its energy when it ran low.
After making quick adjustments for outdoor activities, I handed Butler over to her.
Her mana enveloped the puppet, and it vanished into the void in an instant.
“If you fail your assignment, there will be punishment.”
She smiled before closing the door.
I swallowed hard. ‘Punishment? What kind of punishment?’ Memories of her immense mana flashed through my mind.
‘Just one hit from that, and I’d be reduced to dust.’
‘Survival depends on studying.’
I hurriedly unrolled the scroll.
It was filled with diagrams of puppets she had previously purchased from me.
There were at least dozens of designs, far more than I remembered selling.
Yet these diagrams were different.
While the bodies were the same, the internal circuits were far more complex.
‘…What is this?’
I stared blankly, overwhelmed by the incomprehensible patterns.
While the designs were based on my circuits, their complexity was leagues beyond anything I could fathom.
For example, the first diagram depicted a wheeled cylindrical puppet designed for simple floor cleaning.
Its circuit had originally been very straightforward, only including magic for airflow and wheel movement.
But now, the simple circuit had morphed into something unrecognizable.
The single straight line I had drawn now twisted like a tree trunk, branching out into multiple paths.
‘How is this even possible? At this rate, wouldn’t it run out of mana?’
My original design focused on efficiency, using a single straight line to conserve mana.
I thought a complex design would inevitably lead to inefficiency.
Out of curiosity, I constructed a circuit based on the new design.
Contrary to my expectations, its mana flow was more stable and powerful than before.
The split points in the circuit created stronger currents that cascaded downwards.
‘Why is this happening? I don’t understand.’
When faced with something incomprehensible, there was only one solution.
I went down to the workshop.
Using my puppets to quickly gather wood, I piled it beside the workbench.
Enveloping a carving knife with mana, I started shaping the wood.
‘When in doubt, build. I’ll pound this knowledge into my body until I get it.’
I kept carving and assembling puppets, filling the workshop with them.
Little by little, I began to understand. ‘It’s like a tree.’
The circuit was like the structure of a tree.
As I relished this minor epiphany, the workshop’s protective magic suddenly shattered.
Startled, I looked toward the stairs to see Professor Irien briskly descending.
***
I checked the time—past nine o’clock already.
She surveyed the workshop, her gaze settling on the pile of puppets.
Picking one up, she examined it.
“How’s it going? Making progress?”
I glanced at the scroll, still packed with hundreds of diagrams.
Progress? Hardly. I hadn’t truly grasped a single design yet.
All I had done was vaguely sense the structure of their complexity.
“I’ve only understood a little.”
I confessed honestly.
A sudden force slammed into me, sending me crashing into the workshop wall.
Only then did I realize I’d been hit.
The searing pain followed moments later.
Lying on the floor, I raised my head to see Butler throwing punches into the air like a boxer.
It must have attacked under her command.
Enhanced by her magic, each jab it threw caused heavy tremors in the air.
‘I made it to assist her, but not like this. Too well-made for my own good.’ Coughing up blood, I struggled to my feet.
“That’s your punishment for failing your assignment.”
She smirked.
“This is just a preview. Next time, I’ll extract your soul and use that.”
“I’m sorry! Please give me more time, and I’ll master it for sure.”
I returned to my original position and bowed at a perfect right angle.
One more hit and I’d be done for.
I didn’t know what “extracting my soul” entailed, but I wasn’t about to find out.
She tossed the puppet she had been holding behind her.
“It’s similar but entirely different. You’ve understood nothing. Hmm, you’re even dumber than I thought.”
I had no excuse.
The scroll was meant to be a learning aid tailored to my level, but I hadn’t been able to grasp it.
I realized once again how ordinary I was—someone incapable of seizing a rare opportunity.
“Well, I guess I’ll have to make it even simpler.”
She approached the workbench where one of the puppets I had been working on lay.
“Oh, this one’s a bit different.”
Her expression brightened.
This was the result of my final breakthrough—the first time I had incorporated my understanding into the design.
By modifying the circuit structure, I began to naturally realize how to fit more magic into the puppet.
While far from the perfection of her diagrams, it was a significant improvement over my earlier work.
I smiled with pride.
This was the product of my best efforts in such a short time.
It had been worth placing it somewhere easily visible to her.
“Yes, I’ve revised the parts I could understand.”
“Really? Let’s see.”