I once defeated a god, seeking nothing more than a peaceful, slow life. Now? My name's Yuna, and people call me the Great Sage. Despite how young I look, I've got an ageless body, and I can slip through time and dimensions, thanks to the "God of Time," Kronos. But something went wrong on my last journey—something big. Most of my mana is drained, and I'm barely holding on. "This is bad…" I mutter, struggling for control. "I need to land somewhere… but where?"
Just as I'm thinking this, a door appears out of nowhere, leading to who-knows-where. "Well, here goes nothing…" I gather what little mana I have left and throw myself through the doorway. I end up crashing into a room filled with old-fashioned furniture, then everything goes black.
Hours pass before I finally come to. My vision's still a bit hazy, but I make out a figure nearby. Someone's here. I blink, trying to focus.
"Hey, are you okay?" a soft voice asks—a girl's voice. "I found you collapsed on my floor after I heard a loud thud."
"Sorry… for barging into your place like this…" I manage to say, but I'm so exhausted it barely comes out as a whisper.
"Please, don't push yourself! You're clearly worn out," she says, sounding genuinely worried.
I try to sit up, but weakness hits me like a ton of bricks. "Ugh…" My mana is coming back so slowly, and all I can think about is my mana potion.
"Wait! Don't try to move yet," she says quickly. "Just lie back down." Gently, she helps me back onto the bed.
"I… I feel bad imposing like this…" I admit, barely able to keep my eyes open.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asks, concerned. She probably noticed my bags when she found me.
"Actually… do you see a small black bag shaped like a 'V' somewhere around? It should have some ambrosia inside…"
"Oh! I think I saw something like that on your coat." She hurries over to where my coat is hanging by the door. "Is this it?" she asks, holding up the bag. My trusty 'V' bag! Despite its small size, it can store enough supplies to fill a castle.
"Yes, that's it. Thank you," I say, managing a weak smile. She hands me the bag, looking a little happier.
I pull out a small glass vial filled with a blue-ish liquid—my high-level mana potion.
"Wow… it's so pretty," she says, her eyes wide with wonder.
"Uh… it's a mana potion," I explain, watching her face fill with curiosity.
"Mana… potion? You mean… you can use magic?"
"More or less," I reply, taking a gulp of the potion. "Ahh… much better." As my mana fills up, I finally feel more like myself. I sit up and give her a grateful smile.
"Thank you for helping me," I say, bowing a little.
"Oh, no need for that! I'm just glad you're okay," she replies, looking both confused and amazed. It seems mana potions aren't a thing in this world.
"By the way, I'm Yuna. And you are?"
"Oh, um… I'm Yukki." She seems shy, her cat-like ears twitching. "As you can see… I'm a demi-human, part cat."
"Nice to meet you, Yukki!" I hold out my hand for a handshake, but she looks a bit nervous. Slowly, she reaches out and shakes it, giving me a small smile.
"So… Yuna? Are you, um, a magician or something?" Yukki's eyes sparkle, clearly intrigued by the idea.
"Kind of. But I go by Great Sage rather than magician," I say, noticing her confusion.
"Great Sage? What's the difference?" she asks, tilting her head slightly.
"Well, there are levels in magic: Apprentice, Magician, Mage, Sage, and then Great Sage." I explain as she listens with a growing look of awe.
"So… that means you're at the top?" Her eyes are full of admiration.
"Well… yeah, sort of," I say, feeling a little flustered. She's leaning in, clearly fascinated.
"Wow! So, can you do all kinds of magic?" she asks, scooting closer.
"Uh… I can cast most spells if I understand how they work," I reply, feeling my face heat up as she gets closer and closer.
"That's amazing!" She's practically bouncing with excitement.
"Yukki, you're a bit close!" I say, a bit panicked, and accidentally push her back—with way too much force. She goes flying into the wall. Horrified, I scramble over to help her.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" I cast a quick healing spell, no incantations needed.
"It's okay! I got too excited," she says, looking embarrassed as she stands up. She's pretty tough to handle a push like that.
"I'm really, really sorry…" I say, bowing slightly, feeling more than a little guilty. "This is… selfish of me, but…" I hesitate, not sure how to ask.
"What is it?" Yukki asks, tilting her head in that curious way again.
"Well… do you, uh, happen to have an extra room?" I ask, smiling a little awkwardly. She chuckles softly, surprising me.
"Of course! You're welcome to stay here," she says with a warm smile.
I sigh in relief. "Thank you, Yukki. I really owe you one."
"To be continued…"