As Arad continued, his voice carried a faint bitterness.


    “Those bastards! I helped them out so much! One guy was on the verge of bankruptcy because of a rental scam, so I usedpany funds to bail him out. Then, when things got tough and I froze sries for a year, what did he do? Jump ship to apetitor!”


    Grrrind!


    Arad ground his teeth, clearly recalling the memory.


    “Haaaah…”


    Momentster, he exhaled and regained hisposure.


    “…?”


    Arina didn’t understand half of what he’d just said, but his frustration was palpable.


    “Then… Do you think I’m trustworthy?”That was the question lingering in her mind.


    “Oh, of course, I trust you,” Arad replied without hesitation.


    “What? Based on what?”


    “Just a feeling. That’s why I hired you on the spot.”


    “…!”


    His straightforward answer struck a chord deep in her chest.


    “So, don’t betray my gut, all right?”


    “O-Of course, sir!”


    Arina’s heart swelled at his words, while Arad thought to himself:


    ‘Honestly, if I didn’t know the original timeline, I’d have doubted her and kicked her out immediately. Even if Isabelle rmended her—because my gut says something’s off about her.’


    Despite what he’d said, his actual opinion of Mary was cautious at best.


    Sometimes, a well-ced white lie was necessary.


    ‘Still, she’s sharp—probably why she’s destined to be the Archwitch of the Snowfield.’


    Watching Mary’s rapid improvement, Arad smirked to himself.


    ‘That ne and bag she’s wearing aren’t ordinary either. Clearly, she has a knack for magitech.’


    His keen observational skills had already analyzed Mary’s enchanted essories when they first met.


    ‘That ne must be hiding her power and abilities.’


    With eyes as precise as a magical scanner, Arad had picked up on theyers of enchantments on her gear.


    ‘The bag is simrly enchanted, though the leather ovey is a bit crude. I’ll have to refine thatter.’


    He’d made the request to bring Mary from the Frost Knights not just out of whimsy.


    ‘She’s diligent. Her calloused hands prove it.’


    The more he thought about it, the more Arad’s evaluation of Mary improved—aside from that lingering sense of unease. On paper, her potential was wless.


    “Um… Boss?”


    His train of thought was interrupted when Mary called out to him.


    “I’m done.”


    “Huh…?”


    She hadpleted everything he’d instructed her to do.


    “Wow, you really are done!”


    Arad examined her work, checking for defects.


    Everything was wless. The finish was clean, and there was virtually no margin for error.


    Thump!


    His heart skipped a beat as he reviewed her work.


    It felt as though he had stumbled upon a piece of his destiny.


    If she’d been on Earth, she’d have been fast-tracked to a full-time position on the spot.


    “Hmm… Not bad. Pretty decent work.”


    But outwardly, Arad remained reserved.


    Overpraising someone could inte their ego, making themcent or demanding. Too often, talented employees turned intopetitors after being nurtured.


    “Want to try your hand at this next?”


    Arina made a fatal mistake in response.


    ‘If she can handle this, I can delegate the magical circuit engraving!’


    Unaware of the dangers of standing out in apany run by a corporate-savvy boss from a harshlypetitive world, Arina eagerly agreed.


    ‘She’s a witch—pushing her a bit harder will only help her grow. She has the skill and potential.’


    Suppressing his excitement, Arad decided to pass on the intricate work of engraving magical circuits to Mary… or rather, teach it to her as a valuable skill.


    ‘She seems thrilled to learn!’


    Seeing Mary’s enthusiasm made Arad all the more eager to share his knowledge.


    ‘It’s a good thing I’ve been reading magic theory books.’


    Arina’s habit of studying magic theory as a knight had turned out to be unexpectedly useful in this new context.


    “This is how you do it, right?”


    “Exactly! Perfect execution!”


    “This is surprisingly simple. Hehe.”N?v(el)B\\jnn


    “Mary, you’re a genius! A prodigy!”


    Arina threw herself into the task with the same fervor and focus she brought to her sword training.


    And yet, some timeter…


    Arina began to sense something was off.


    ‘What’s going on? He’s praising my abilities, recognizing my talent… but why… Why does this feel harder?’


    By the time she realized something was amiss, it was already toote.