Becoming Alkaid’s apprentice sounded like a dream—until you realized it mostly meant doing his chores.

The most powerful wizard in town, loved by all, especially the ladies, could summon storms with a flick of his wrist. Yet, for some reason, you were stuck scrubbing his floors and running his errands.

You sighed heavily, scrubbing the wizard’s robes with more force than necessary. This wasn’t what you signed up for. You became Alkaid’s apprentice to learn magic, not to be his personal housemaid.

“For god’s sake,” you muttered under your breath, “he could just snap his fingers and have all this done, but nooo, ‘It’s better not to use magic.’ What kind of—”

“What did you say?”

You froze, the soapy fabric slipping from your hands. Slowly, you turned your head, only to find Alkaid standing behind you, his usual stoic expression unreadable. His piercing gaze held a hint of amusement, but you could tell he was waiting for an answer.

Your mind raced for an excuse, but all that came out was an awkward chuckle. “Oh, um, nothing! Just… appreciating the joys of manual labor.”

Alkaid crossed his arms. “Is that so?”