Sun had been working away like a hermit without a house for 10 entire months. Since his reincarnation, he hadn't indulged in wine or women, hadn't found trouble where there was none to be found, and had kept his personal relations to the bare minimum.
Why?
All for magic.
He didn't want any trouble before he even managed to take the first step into a proper fantasy setting. After all, he had just reincarnated into an orphan junkyard rat, and even then, it was at a moment when he had no money, income or connections.
It wasn't like the void transferred him while the original body was off to a wizard school, or in the middle of a sect.
He was lucky enough to not die within the first few days but lucky for him, he was adaptable.
Now, finally, after a long yet short wait, his Cat Boss appeared and asked him to follow her. The store sign flipped to "Closed" and she led the way to her office in the back. This was a first as he had always been barred from that office even for cleaning and he never saw his Boss enter the room with him around.
"Now once we're in, don't wander, half my shit might kill you." His boss said in a rough tone all of a sudden which got Sun on his best behavior.
He could understand and read between the lines.
Standing in front of the door that had a weird insignia inscribed on its surface, his boss lifted her paw and intricate designs made of lines matching the insignia magically appeared in the air as she swung her claw around.
Sun saw his boss use magic minimally, since the first time she slapped his forehead with some reading magic, he knew she was magically gifted but it seemed she was more gifted than she let on.
He couldn't help but remember a scene from a certain magical wizard movie with a noseless villain. The scene was when the main character was picked up by a giant and was told he was a wizard.
'You're a Wizard Furrball!' He snickered mentally at the horrible joke.
A splash of water hit his forehead, it felt like a small rock just hit him and indeed, a compressed water bullet awoke him from his dumb thoughts.
"Let's get on with it before I'm late for my afternoon nap!" His boss grumbled while remaining as cute as ever.
"Yes Boss!" Sun affirmed before walking in from behind the door.
"Woah..."
It was the only words that escaped his lips before he was rendered speechless by what the office inside looked like.
Cat Boss had a faint but smug smile seeing this.
The interior itself was somehow expanded to be much larger than what the space outside would show. This was already checking off one of the most obvious fantasy magic, space magic!
Yet there was much more, tons of golden apparatus' and floating crystal balls spanned the large room.
He realized this was the Boss' workshop. After all, how could he not recognize the effort put into this mess of machines and magically enhanced items with shelves of books? He already realized where all the boots with furs were being made as he saw some prototype shoes on a few of the tables.
"Boss, you're shop is so cool!" Sun turned into a fanboy once again.
He geeked out with "ouh's" and "ah's" the whole walk behind his Cat Boss. She let him continue as even she couldn't help but feel elated at her proud workshop being admired. When one is a craftsman and they show you their workshop, praise will always be welcome.
She eventually led to the back where there was an empty space with a rather large magic circuit etched into the ground. He analyzed that it was recently done as the materials used to ground up the ink smelled fresh.
"Hm?" Sun was confused as to why she was showing him this.
"Alright, before we start we should settle the payment." His boss started.
"Sure, where's the mana crystal?" Sun asked confused as he still didn't see this mystical stone.
His Cat boss was slightly surprised before realizing he didn't know what that magic circuit was. Paw on her forehead, she sighed before a cunning look emerged for a brief moment.
"This here is even better better than the mana crystal, why would you need that when you have this?" She said as she pointed at the magic circuit.
Sun suddenly got really suspicious, he hadn't seen much information on wizard rituals and magic circuits. He only read one could test their talent with a crystal. Nothing with a suspicious circle.
Seeing this, his Boss couldn't help but turn speechless at the sudden cautious waryness that was all over her employee's face.
"Boss, on second thought, it's fine. I think I might just visit an auction and maybe buy some more runic books. Forget the mana crystal." Sun was decisive.
He was already walking away and his Boss suddenly felt like she was losing her mind and especially her money.
"Wait! Brat! Hold it right there!" His boss shouted as she quickly arrived in front of him.
"Don't you know what that circuit is!? Don't you know there are many ways to test an individual's magical aptitude? The mana crystal is one but most of the time it's another wizard that performs the test which is ten times more effective!"
Sun suddenly understood but his caution only lessened slightly. He was after all very timid when it came to the supernatural especially since his knowledge of the matter was very limited.
Seeing she had an opening, Cat Boss pounced, metaphorically of course.
"Most organizations have a few wizards that do the testing for new applicants and recruits, it saves costs on precious resources like mana crystals that have more functionality than wasting it on aptitude testing!" She explained.
Hearing this Sun pondered before understanding it was very plausible as it was the magical energy within that one had to sense and if another actual wizard purposefully let out some magical energy, it came down to the same thing.
"Not only that, but since you have the assistance of someone manually controlling the mana, even those with low sensitivity generally feel and get a grasp which makes it ten times more effective than a stone that may take you months or years to gain perceptivity from." His Cat Boss patiently explained seeing that she was getting through.
Her money was on the line and one thing she disliked was her money leaving her fluffy paws.
"Sorry for doubting you Boss, but in that case, where's the wizard? We shouldn't make them wait now right?"
Seeing Sun's attitude do a 180-degree flip, her boss was stunned for a moment before getting slightly angry. A freshwater bullet shot straight for his forehead and although Sun noticed it, he had a hard time dodging it as the speed wasn't the issue, it felt more like some sort of intimidating constriction that held him in place.
"Ouch, what's that for?" Sun asked rubbing his forehead.
"Brat, you dare disrespect a wizard!?" Seeing his easy-going boss suddenly emit a threatening presence that was nearly suffocating him Sun started sweating buckets.
'Oh no, you idiot, you offended a furball wizard! No! Things can't end so soon!' Sun admonished himself as he realized he had mistakenly regarded his boss as a non-wizard. He always figured she was just magically gifted but acquiring the title of wizard was a different story.
"Ah! No! Boss! My Great Boss! You can't kill me! I don't taste good! I smell like runes! I haven't even lost my virginity!"
'True for the current body, not so much for the dude hijacking the body. So not a lie!' Sun's thoughts rationalized his words while spouting nonsense to appease the mighty cat wizard.
"Tsk, calm down brat. I just wanted you to realize I ain't no cheap apprentice offering a hand but a full-fledged Rank 3 wizard. Though, I am retired Meow." She explained casually while licking her paws.
Sun's heart could barely handle the shocking turn of events, his boss was not only a wizard but a rank 3 wizard. His mouth just hung open while staring at his Boss in a new light.