This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

When Apache handed her the potion earlier, Rita immediately thought of her one-time-use ability, *The Thief God's Theft, Which Can Also Be Robbery*! Unfortunately, the potion's cooldown reset had an upper limit—it couldn't reduce cooldowns longer than six hours. And since it was already a master-level potion, even higher-grade potions wouldn't be able to reset a lifetime-limited ability.

Little Tinker Apache pulled out a scroll, "Here's a map of Moonlake City. I've already marked the library's location."

She then produced three vials of differently colored liquids, "These are perfumes I've prepared—essential for Disguising yourself as a Moon Fox. Every Moon Fox crafts their own scent. Besides that, these perfumes will help you escape; the Moon Fox clan tracks by scent. Each vial lasts 12 hours, and the scents are distinct. Plan accordingly."

Next, she brought out a gem, "This is an escape gem. Crush it to break free from all binding skills and teleport yourself to the safest place in your mind or any specific location you choose."

Rita grinned like a farmer at harvest, hugging all the items to her chest. "Got it, got it."

The goblin's face was an eyesore, even Rita's charisma couldn't salvage it. For a moment, Apache worried that this ugly creature might just run off with all the items.

As Rita gathered up the supplies, she said, "I'll go study the Moon Fox royal city map and the appearance of a six-tailed Moon Fox. I'll come back in a few days, goodbye, teacher."

But just as she was about to leave, Apache grabbed her by the goblin ear and pulled her back. Smiling, she said, "In a hurry, are you? You haven't asked me what I'll pay you as compensation yet."

She had been waiting for Rita to ask about her reward. Apache liked cigars and wine, but that didn't mean she was willing to give endlessly. She could easily craft any fine liquor or cigar she'd ever enjoyed—she just didn't want to waste precious time on things money could buy.

Rita, surprised, said, "There's a reward?!" She had been willing to do the job without compensation, but if there was a reward, why turn it down? "What's the reward, teacher?"

Apache patted the goblin's bald head and smiled, "I'll teach you everything I know about alchemy. Every formula I have, I'll pass on to you. This promise stands until the day one of us reaches the end of our life."

Though Apache didn't explicitly say it, Rita understood—she was now officially her student.

But that didn't bother her. As Apache had once said, "If we meet on the battlefield, we're enemies. Off the battlefield, we're teacher and student."

Rita responded enthusiastically, "Thank you, teacher!"

Hilarious—Rita had already read Apache's autobiography and knew this woman never set foot on battlefields; she only did logistics.

As she left the alchemy shop, Rita said, "Teacher, my name is Rita."

She had hinted at her real name previously when she asked Apache to sign her book, but she felt the need to formally introduce herself now.

Apache merely responded with an "Oh," looking unsurprised. "And Ravenclaw?"

Rita paused for a moment. "That's my nickname."

Apache grabbed a nearby empty bottle and tossed it at her. "Get out."

...

After being kicked out of the shop by a flying bottle, Rita immediately messaged Shadow.Q.

She didn't believe in investigating everything herself before sharing crucial information. Why not let everyone help solve the problem?

**[Rita]:** I've been Disguising myself as an animal while hanging around Lania Kaia. A friend here just advised me not to continue doing that for a while, but I couldn't get a specific reason.

**[Rita]:** Also, your hideout behind Faro Restaurant on West Street in Undercity has been exposed. At least one of the undead I know has found it, and they've identified one of your employees. A woman, medium-length hair, around 160 cm, high nose, wide forehead, single eyelids. Her undead form is no longer safe.

**[Rita]:** They're using a device that can track someone's movements through their hair.

**[Shadow.Q]:** Got it, I'll report this immediately, and we'll start an investigation. I'll share any results with you as soon as we have them.

**[Rita]:** Great.

**[Shadow.Q]:** ∠(°ゝ°) Saluting forever!

Rita couldn't help but laugh. Now she could relax—Shadow.Q would handle it. If the sky fell, Shadow.Q would hold it up.

With over half an hour left on her Disguise timer, Rita didn't head back to Blue Star immediately. She had something important to do—relocate the teleportation circle she'd placed in the restaurant basement.

It had been her secret spot, but now that Apache knew about it, it was no longer secure.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Destroying the circle didn't bring her any satisfaction. She wasn't pleased with her own caution. On the contrary, she felt a deep sadness.

Apache had been so kind to her—both as a teacher and a friend. Yet Rita still couldn't bring herself to fully trust her.

This made her feel guilty and conflicted, as if she were betraying the trust Apache had extended.

Revealing her true name, showing her real face—these were all the signs of trust she could offer. And even that, in some part, was driven by the desire to learn more from Apache. After all, you can't expect a genius to teach someone who hides behind lies and distrust.

Despite her internal turmoil, her hands didn't hesitate as she dismantled the teleportation circle.

No matter how much she liked Nivalis, she had never taken off the Chávez watch in front of her or shared her Divine Gift with her.

She just couldn't bring herself to trust any thinking being completely.

To be safe, Rita relocated the circle to a graveyard outside of Undercity. She'd wait for Shadow.Q's confirmation about any major changes in Lania Kaia before deciding on any further adjustments.

Once that was done, she prepared to return to Blue Star. She had orders to process, Moonlake City maps to study, and the appearance of six-tailed Moon Foxes to research. In the afternoon, she had training at the Special Affairs Bureau camp—even just one hour of practice was worthwhile.

In the evening, she'd practice cooking and crafting recipes—the resulting dishes would go to Nivalis and the cats in her backyard.

Nowadays, Nivalis was feeding the backyard cats, her inventory packed with various dishes Rita had made. For some reason, despite being a dragon, Nivalis was fond of furry creatures.

Rita chomped down on a sandwich and got to work. She had dozens of pending orders, some of which were already overdue. She'd have to send out some extra gifts to make up for the delays.

After all, this business was something she planned to keep running for a long time. Enjoy more content from empire