I’m In Trouble Because The Darkened Heroes Are Obsessed With Me

[Breaking News!] Beast attack near the capital revealed to be the work of current Mage Tower Master…The Imperial family has issued a warrant for the arrest of the current Tower Master, Rashiel Celeste, and vowed to do everything in their power to resolve the incident swiftly…Tracia let out a deep sigh, tossing aside the morning newspaper she had been reading.When the representative of all mages—the Tower Master—went astray, it tarnished the image of the entire mage community.If hostility toward mages spread, it would inevitably affect the sales of shops and merchant guilds run by mages.Of course, magic tools made daily life more convenient, and once people tasted that convenience, they wouldn’t easily give it up entirely.However, not all magic tools were essential. Many were luxury items that people could live without.And such luxury magic tools were often high-priced. A decline in demand for these items would significantly impact sales.Worried about how the imperial citizens might be swayed by the negative public sentiment, Tracia frowned.Rumors had surrounded Rashiel ever since he became Tower Master three years ago, but baseless gossip and being publicly branded a traitor were two very different things.“…Ugh, what a useless man.”Muttering in frustration, Tracia pressed her fingertips to her temples.Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by the butler’s voice.“My lady, a guest has arrived…”“I’m not in the mood to meet anyone today. Just make up an excuse and send them away.”Before the butler could even mention who the guest was, Tracia cut him off.The butler gave a short reply and retreated.However, moments later, another knock came.“Um, my lady… the guest said they’ll wait as long as necessary, even if it’s late at night, until you’re available.”Tracia’s  brows furrowed deeply at the guest’s persistent attitude.Who just shows up unannounced and insists on waiting indefinitely?Grumbling inwardly, she decided it would be quicker to deal with the visitor and send them away.“Fine, bring them in.”After a brief wait, the door opened with another knock.Tracia raised an eyebrow at the unexpected guest who entered her office.“…Lady Rohen?”“Hello, Viscount.”Elsez greeted Tracia with a friendly smile, while Tracia , frowning in annoyance, responded curtly.“Do you think I have nothing better to do? Just dropping by like an old friend.”“Huh? Aren’t we friends? A friend of a friend is a friend too, isn’t it?”Elsez cheekily countered Tracia’s grumbling, her smile just mischievous enough to be irritating.Tracia let out a dry chuckle in disbelief.“Who’s friends with who? I never liked that girl, you know.”“Hmm, really? Yet you made her a bracelet.”Elsez toyed with the transparent bracelet around her wrist, her playful tone suggesting she already knew the truth.Tracia, scowling at her, pressed her lips together tightly in irritation.‘She talks just like that annoying girl. How irritating.’Tracia cleared her throat awkwardly and changed the subject.“Ahem! Anyway, what do you want? I’m really not in the mood to meet anyone today.”“I’ll get straight to the point. Do you trust the Tower Master?”Hearing the name of the very person who had ruined her mood today, Tracia’s expression twisted instinctively.“No. Of course not.”At first, she had almost been captivated by his otherworldly, almost mystical charm and handsome face.But after working with him? That illusion shattered completely…“Then do you really think the Tower Master is behind this incident?”“I don’t know the truth… but if it’s about opening dimensional gates or whatever, yeah, that sounds like something he’d do.”“Why do you think that?”Tracia, who had been answering without much thought, suddenly realized her slip and clamped her mouth shut.Her suspicion wasn’t just based on rumors.Two years ago, when she had just become a mage and worked under Rashiel, she knew exactly what he had been trying to create—a gateway to another dimension.…Though it ultimately ended in failure.But revealing that to anyone made her uncomfortable.Whether she liked Rashiel or not, spilling secrets that could be someone’s downfall didn’t sit well with her.Her experience had taught her that staying out of such matters was always safer.“Well… he’s the kind of guy who wouldn’t surprise me no matter what insane thing he did.”Tracia glossed over her answer, and fortunately, Elsez didn’t seem to catch on that she was hiding something.Instead, she asked another question.“Are you close with the Tower Master?”“No. Not at all. I’d erase the time we worked together if I could. Happy now?”“You don’t care if he ends up rotting in prison?”“Not at all. In fact, I’d prefer it if he stayed there quietly.”Hearing Tracia’s firm response, Elsez finally revealed her reason for visiting.“Then, can you get me into the Mage Tower?”“…Why are you suddenly asking that after talking about the Tower Master?”“Because I’m going to catch him.”Just in case you were close with him, I didn’t want to ask for your help if it’d put you in an awkward spot.Tracia let out a scoff at Elsez’s nonchalant tone.“Did you come here just to crack jokes? I didn’t let you in for this nonsense.”“I’m not joking.”Glancing at the newspaper on Tracia’s desk, Elsez immediately grasped why Tracia was in such a foul mood today.“I can solve your problem.”“How do you know what my problem is?”“I’ll help recover the plummeting sales for your merchant guild.”Tracia stared at Elsez, visibly startled.She knew Elsez was well-informed about market trends, but realizing she had figured out her exact concern from a single newspaper lying on the desk was impressive.“…And how exactly would you do that?”“First, I’ll catch Rashiel—the Tower Master. Then, we’ll spread the word that I beat him using equipment crafted by the Fren Merchant Guild.”Tracia squinted at Elsez’s overly cheerful plan.Sure, magic-made equipment, especially combat gear, was always the most expensive.High-end gear boosted combat power, which allowed hunters to take down more dangerous beasts. The more dangerous the beast, the higher the price of its materials.In other words, money begets money.If the equipment that helped defeat the Tower Master went on sale, it would fly off the shelves.But Tracia immediately shot down Elsez’s plan with cold reality.“Denied.”Even if it was a brilliant plan to boost sales, it only worked if Elsez could actually defeat Rashiel.“He’s the Tower Master. One of hero who saved this world from the Demon God.”No matter how strong Elsez was compared to ordinary people, she was no match for him.“You really think you can beat that monster? No matter how good your gear is, you’re still just a rookie chick in front of him.”Tracia, hoping to stop the seemingly naive noble lady from getting involved in such a dangerous endeavor, bluntly crushed her hopes.At the same time, the smile that had been playing on Elsez’s lips vanished.‘She’ll realize reality now.’Tracia thought Elsez would give up and leave.But what came out of Elsez’s mouth completely defied her expectations.“I will win.”“……”“No, I must win.”Her golden eyes, slightly lowered, reflected a mixture of emotions—anger, pain, and something else difficult to define.“I have to stop him.”It has to be me.Staring up at Elsez, who radiated an unshakable determination despite the turmoil in her eyes, Tracia found herself speechless.She knew it was impossible. No matter how strong Elsez was, the idea of her defeating that monster was absurd.In fact, Elsez was more likely to die trying.‘So why…’Why do I feel like putting my faith in this hopeless plan?