Chapter 105 - Aiseline and Elente (1)
Aiseline and Elente (1)
Translator: XZY
Chapter 105: Aiseline and Elente (1)
***
With a grinding sound, Leonard was gritting his teeth.
He was scratching with his fingernails, trying somehow to loosen Derek’s hand that had grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up, but that steadfast arm showed no sign of moving in the slightest.
Leonard’s eyes were turning red as the capillaries burst, and he was even drooling because he couldn't breathe properly.
Nevertheless, with the sole determination to live, he struggled to break free from Derek’s hand.
After struggling like that for a while, the strength in Leonard’s hands finally gave out and they hung limp.
With a choking sound, for a moment, a will as if he had resolved something settled in his eyes.
“…”
At the same time, Leonard’s hair, which was already white, began to turn completely white.
‘…What is this?’
The moment Derek narrowed his eyes and stared at him, an absurd amount of magic power and vengeful spirits began to pour out from around his heart.
FWOOOOSH!
The physical force that spread out in an instant pushed Derek’s body away, and soon Leonard, freed from Derek’s grasp, fell to the floor and started sneezing.
“Keoheok, heok… keok!”
His breathing finally resumed, and as air entered his lungs, vitality began to return to Leonard’s eyes.
However, blood was seeping and flowing from his nose, ears, and the corners of his mouth. Derek, seeing this, narrowed his brow and took a stance.
The necromancers of Rodentz Island, unlike common necromancers, had a specialized field.
It was sacrificial necromancy, which caused strange miracles using flesh and life as a medium.
They often used elaborately made wooden dolls or the corpses of mammalian animals as the medium for the sacrifice… but in the end, the most efficient was a human sacrifice.
However, there was no way he could find someone to cheerfully offer as a sacrifice when he was cornered to the extreme.
That is why the necromancers of Rodentz Island, when cornered… eventually begin to offer their own flesh and body as a sacrifice for necromancy.
Their ends were usually gruesome. There were many who, before being caught and killed, threw away everything they had and tried to take their opponent down with them.
In any case, those who have researched the forbidden are mostly executed horribly or spend their entire lives locked up in prison. If that's the case, they judge that it's better to bury the enemy in the ground, even if it means losing an arm or a leg.
As if Leonard was the same, at some point, one of his legs had disappeared. Only fresh blood was gushing out from around his thigh.
He supports his body with his arms while lying on the ground, and after spitting up blood, he shouts.
“Do you… think I’m going to die here…?!”
“…”
“I… I can’t die here. After living without being able to hold my head up, pressed down by Linus-hyungnim, a chance finally came, and now Elente-noonim blocks my path? Ugh… uheheh… If you thought I would give up just like that, you are mistaken…”
Leonard was spewing out magic that gave off a bizarre atmosphere, and was pouring blood onto the garden floor.
“What, you think I’m any different from Elente-noonim? I wanted to seize power too. I wanted to stand above the crowd and command everyone. That’s all. What’s so different about me from Elente-noonim?”
“And so the thing you do is this kind of trickery?”
“So what? Baron Ravencrow. Life must seem so easy to you. You, who were born with a natural talent for magic, who can handle a magic you’ve never seen before just by glancing at it a few times, and who leaves an extraordinary mark several steps ahead of mages of your age, you don’t know the heart of someone like me.”
The energy of vengeful spirits began to envelop the garden, and skeletal soldiers, reeking of rot, began to rise from the ground.
Seeing how eerie the horde of vengeful spirits circling around Leonard was, the servants all started to scream and run away.
The high-ranking retainers shouted for soldiers to be brought, and the squires couldn’t even think of drawing their swords as their legs gave out and they collapsed.
Derek stood straight before them and gripped his fluttering cloak tightly.
Leonard, crawling on the ground, looked up at him with bloodshot eyes.
“I’m different from you. I know well how harsh and shitty life is. To achieve a goal, you must not be picky about the means and methods. You have to push your competitor off a cliff, deceive the one who tries to deceive you first, be vile, be heartless, be a cold-blooded person. Rather than living pushed around and swayed without any blessings from the heavens, it’s better to be a victor, even if it means being a cowardly piece of trash.”
“…”
“The reason Elente-noonim can act so lofty and graceful is all because she has a blessed talent. You still don’t get it, do you? Do you know why Linus-hyungnim gave up the position of heir on his own and left the family?”
In the midst of the raging spirit energy, Leonard spoke, packing a curse into every single word.
“Linus-hyungnim, in the first place…”
“Not interested. You talk way too much.”
Towards Leonard, who was spewing out his pent-up feelings and resentment, Derek cuts him off in the midst of the raging wind.
Leonard, seeing Derek’s expression, momentarily widened his pupils. And then, it was the moment he was about to shout something in a voice full of hatred, gritting his teeth.
Thwak, thwak!
Two magic arrows flew into Leonard’s shoulder.
Being 1-Star magic, their power might be weak, but the destructive force of Derek’s magic was different.
In that brief moment, Leonard realized that the nerves in his shoulder were paralyzed.
Crunch—
“Kuaaaak!”
Just like that, Derek smashed the rising skeletal soldiers one by one, and then leaped into the center of the central garden. The sight of Derek approaching with long strides in the swirling wind was completely that of an envoy from the underworld.
When he came right up to Leonard and kicked him in the head, fresh blood splattered again.
And when he grabbed his head and lifted it, Leonard, whose eyes had completely rolled back, was bleeding.
However, his tenacity was of a terrifying level.
Leonard, who quickly regained the light of reason, gathered his magic power.
The reason the necromancers of Rodentz Island were tricky was that when cornered, they would all use high-level necromancy without exception.
Even an ordinary person who had barely entered the ranks of 1-Star could use 3-Star or higher necromancy if they were prepared to burn their entire body and life. Their appearance, using their own bodies like a bullet, was truly that of a madman.
3-Star Necromancy, ‘Greater Soul Absorption’.
It was the moment he extended his hand towards Derek, trying to instantly take his life.
Swish!
Leonard’s right hand disappeared.
It did not disappear as a sacrifice for necromancy. Derek’s sword, having already finished its job, was returning to its sheath.
Fresh blood splatters.
Leonard couldn’t even let out a scream.
Fwshk!
Necromancy, which directly touches the soul, results in a fatal wound the moment it is allowed even once.
A veteran mercenary who knew that fact well would not allow him to touch his body.
However, a person has two hands.
The moment Leonard tried to grab Derek’s thigh with his intact other hand, Derek kicked his forearm away.
His response, which absolutely did not allow necromancy, was so skillful that it looked as if he had experienced necromancy many times before.
“Keoheok, keuk!”
It was the moment Leonard, who was rolling on the floor, extended his palm towards Derek and was about to unleash a new necromancy.
Clop! Clop!
Thwack!
The moment Derek was about to take a defensive stance, a third party appeared between them and swung a sword.
A scene as if time was flowing slowly.
In that fleeting moment, Derek clearly saw the image of that sword cutting through the necromancy Leonard had manifested, magic and all.
The words of a holy war, engraved in red letters on that pure white silver sword, come into view.
It was the ‘Holy Blood Sword’ of Rodeia, the hero who was said to have cut down hundreds of necromancers on Rodentz Island.
FWOOOOSH!
KWAAAAAAAK!
Soon, the horde of vengeful spirits that Leonard had summoned turned into light and disappeared.
That near-mystical power, which nullified the necromancy in the area with a single slash, was indeed worthy of being called the power of a hero.
Derek squeezed his eyes shut from the brilliant light that gushed out. When he opened his eyes again, only the sight of Leonard with his eyes wide open came into view.
There is a person standing straight in front of him.
“I wasn't too late. Are you the person who sent the letter to the Renuel Viscounty?”
The one who had intervened between them and brought the fight to a close was the hero of the Renuel Viscounty, Viscountess Rodeia.
The numerous scars on her face were proof that she was a seasoned veteran who had roamed the battlefields.
She was an elderly woman with fine wrinkles, but her pure white hair, braided down her back, was indeed worthy of a holy knight of a sacred war.
Even if she had aged a bit from her prime, her spirit had not died down at all.
Dressed in silver armor that even men found heavy and difficult to wear, she jumped down from her large white horse and looked down at Leonard with piercing eyes.
She was a slayer who had spent her entire life killing necromancers.
And, in front of her, was a necromancer crawling on the floor with his leg cut off.
Soon, Leonard’s eyes began to distort with terror.
<><><>
Clank, clank—
“Heok, heo-eok… keuuk…”
Every time the elderly hero moved, a clanking sound came from her silver armor.
Viscountess Rodeia walked with long strides towards Leonard, who was crawling on the floor, grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him up. Then, blood began to drip to the floor.
Judging by the amount of bleeding, his life was already in a critical situation.
Viscountess Rodeia looked at Leonard silently for a moment and then spoke.
“He’ll die if left alone. We need to stop the bleeding quickly.”
No matter how evil a person was, she would not stand by and let their life disappear in vain—it would have been a beautiful story if it were so.
“You shouldn't think of dying so easily. Isn't that right?”
The reason Viscountess Rodeia was trying to keep him alive was not an act born from such a humanitarian perspective.
Leonard’s face distorts with terror again, but Viscountess Rodeia’s expression does not change at all.
Soon, looking towards the entrance of the Belmeade mansion, the retainers she had brought with her could be seen rushing in on horseback.
Derek could predict the situation without difficulty.
Upon receiving Derek’s letter, she had felt the manifestation of Leonard’s necromancy from a distance on her way to the Belmeade mansion.
It was amazing that she had detected the necromancy from so far away, but she had then gripped the reins of her horse tightly and galloped at full speed, even evading the gatekeepers of the Belmeade mansion and rushing inside.
Her speed was so fast that she had arrived even faster than the private soldiers of the Belmeade family who had been informed of the situation.
A hero is never late in a moment of crisis.
As if to prove that fact, Viscountess Rodeia’s arrival was exquisite.
The retainers who had just belatedly followed her in were riding their horses into the garden, dripping with cold sweat.
“The situation is over. This man is a sinner who has committed a taboo. First, stop the bleeding and treat the wounds. I will interrogate him later for information on the necromancy of Rodentz Island.”
“Yes? I-it’s already finished?”
“The competent mage had pretty much wrapped things up.”
Just like that, Viscountess Rodeia handed the trembling Leonard over to her retainers. Lady Trisha, who had barely arrived with the retainers, was horrified at the sight of Leonard covered in blood.
After organizing the situation like that, Viscountess Rodeia flicked her hands a few times and then walked with long strides towards Derek.
Her build was average, and her appearance, which showed the traces of time, looked old. However, her intelligent eyes shimmered with vitality, and her clanking armor was a murderous sight.
Although she was a woman and had aged a lot, she was still a warrior who soared and flew on the battlefield.
He could see why even Emperor Gutrel acknowledged her, trying to promote her by seating her in the position of a Margrave and even handing her the title of Countess.
All those under her protection were bound to feel as secure as if they had a heavenly army at their backs.
Of course, if she became an enemy, she was a person more terrifying than a demon from hell.
When killing a necromancer, who was like an sworn enemy, she was a murderous person who did not hesitate to tear out entrails and flay skin.
Her gentle appearance was a mimicry to hide her murderous true nature.
As if to prove that fact, Viscountess Rodeia faced Derek with a smile like the warm sunlight.
“You are skilled in dealing with necromancers. Are you the Baron Derek Ridolf Ravencrow who was said to have made a great contribution during the tragedy at the Duplein Ducal House?”
“It is an honor to meet you, Your Excellency, Viscountess Rodeia.”
“Yes. I was thinking it would be nice to see your face once, but I didn’t know we would meet under such circumstances.”
Viscountess Rodeia flicked the blood off the tip of her silver gauntlet and chuckled.
“It seems my foolish daughter Trisha went to the Ravencrow Barony on her own… If there was anything unpleasant due to her impudent nature, I apologize as her mother.”
At those words, the complexion of Trisha, who was commanding the retainers, turned pale.
Trisha, who had been full of all sorts of arrogance, seemed to become a gentle lamb in front of her mother, Viscountess Rodeia.
The troublemaker who had poured black tea on Aiseline’s head at the Rosea Salon was just fidgeting, her face turning pale.
It seemed that growing up under a hero like Viscountess Rodeia only made one quick-witted.
“Usually, when faced with necromancy, people are terrified and run away, or are so flustered they can’t move properly… but you have a composure that is ingrained in your body. You seem to have abundant practical experience.”
“Due to my long life as a mercenary, I don’t get very flustered in real combat.”
“Ho-oh, is that so.”
Viscountess Rodeia quietly rested her chin on her hand and looked Derek up and down.
The fact that she was smiling as if quite satisfied was rather unsettling, but Derek just stood still, hiding his awkward feelings.
Usually, when a high-ranking person smiles so satisfied and their eyes sparkle, something bad happens. It was a fact he knew from experience.
“Well, there are many things I want to ask you privately, but now is not the time. No matter how urgent the situation was because I felt the energy of necromancy, to have rushed into the Belmeade mansion with a horse, evading the gatekeepers without even receiving permission… this will be considered a great discourtesy to His Excellency, the Margrave of Belmeade.”
Given the situation, it was unlikely anyone would question the discourtesy. Nevertheless, Rodeia seemed to place great importance on such rules and laws.
Just like that, Rodeia sheathed her Holy Blood Sword and spoke.
“First, I must meet His Excellency, the Margrave of Belmeade, and offer my apologies. It would be best to speak with Sir Derek separately later.”
Rodeia said so and then turned her head towards the main hall of the Belmeade mansion.
The mansion was in an uproar, the garden was half-destroyed, a necromancer had emerged from among the insiders, and to top it off, Viscountess Rodeia herself had appeared on the scene.
Since all of this had happened in a matter of minutes, the servants were all dumbfounded and unable to grasp the situation.
It was time to resolve this baffling situation.
It was the moment Viscountess Rodeia was about to grab her beloved horse and climb onto its saddle.
Creeeeeeeeak—
Soon, the door of the Belmeade mansion opened, and the master of the family revealed himself.
<><><>
A high-quality silk doublet where red and gold blended harmoniously, the family seal exquisitely embroidered with gold thread on the chest.
A cloak made from the fur of a giant gray wolf was draped over his shoulders, further enhancing his dignity.
Behind him, who came out into the garden while stroking his dark brown beard… Elente was following demurely.
Seeing that sight, the servants of the mansion could not help but tremble.
A lofty and elegant figure. Having already changed into a new dress and with her hair beautifully arranged, she had an appearance worthy of being called the rose of this Belmeade. The sight of her flowing, seemingly burning hair, was like a butterfly with its wings spread.
Her exhausted and broken appearance from the long confinement was gone, and on the contrary, what did it mean for her to appear, accompanying the Margrave of Belmeade?
She was the one who had been accused of being a witch, but now, she had regained all her authority.
“Rodeia of the Renuel family offers her greetings, Your Excellency, the Margrave of Belmeade. I felt the energy of necromancy and committed the great discourtesy of entering the mansion on horseback without permission.”
“…”
The Margrave of Belmeade looked towards Leonard, who was receiving treatment from the retainers of the Renuel Viscounty, along with the state of the completely devastated garden.
A strangely heavy emotion was settled in his eyes. He gently closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again and slowly raised his voice.
“Rodeia, you are a person who will soon rise to the same rank as me. There will be no need for you to show me the courtesy of a vassal.”
“Even so, compared to the prestige of Your Excellency, the Margrave of Belmeade, I am nothing but weak. As authority comes from discipline, how could I, in my position leading a weak viscounty, not kneel before Your Excellency, the Margrave of Belmeade.”
“You are still as stiff as ever, Rodeia.”
“I would be grateful if you would say that I value principles, Your Excellency, the Margrave of Belmeade.”
The appearance of Rodeia, who said so and smiled, seemed endlessly gentle. However, the Margrave of Belmeade also knew well.
One should not be deceived by that appearance and think of her as a purely virtuous person. On the battlefield, Rodeia was a person who had cut down and killed more people than Belmeade in his prime.
“It is a grateful thing that you have come this long distance with your horse to help with Belmeade’s affairs, but as you can see, I am a father who has lost a child today.”
The Margrave of Belmeade’s expression was gloomy.
He was not in a situation to have a pleasant conversation with Rodeia. Rodeia knew that fact well, so she decided to quit the trivial jokes.
“I would like to have a word with Leonard. As the master of the mansion, it would be my duty to sort out this situation first, but…”
The Margrave of Belmeade hurriedly got up and looked silently at the servants who were bowing their heads, and then soon cast a shadow over his expression.
“Consider the feelings of a father who has lost a child, and please be a little understanding.”
“…”
“I will entrust all authority to judge the situation to my daughter, Elente. When Leonard’s first aid is finished, bring him to the office.”
After saying that, the Margrave of Belmeade, who bowed his head in the shadows, once again walked with long strides into the main hall.
His shoulders were weighed down by many things.
The duty as a lord and the duty as a father were pressing down on both his shoulders equally, making it seem as if his back was slowly sinking.
Rodeia, watching that sight, did not express a different opinion.
Rodeia, who had aged as much as she could, also knew well.
The duty of a parent and the duty of a lord often conflicted with each other.
“As you have heard, the authority to manage the situation has been entirely entrusted to me.”
Elente, holding the hem of her skirt, smiled brightly as she demurely descended the marble staircase connected to the mansion’s main hall.
Only then could Viscountess Rodeia and Derek relax and straighten up.
“It is such an honor to meet Lady Rodeia, the hero of Rodentz Island, in person.”
“…I have heard that you have been subjected to much slander. I would like to offer my condolences, as you must have been greatly heartbroken.”
“Well. For now, I’ll say that I’m fine.”
Elente, with a sly smile, glanced sideways at the servants gathered in the garden.
The servants and retainers gathered in the area all turned pale and bowed their heads deeply.
Most of the servants had not gone out of their way to curse Elente, but a few high-ranking retainers had loudly blamed her for her wrongdoing in public places.
Was it time to pay the price for their hasty judgment? As Elente watched the retainers who were muttering to themselves and bowing their heads while swallowing dry saliva, she swept back her beautifully arranged hair once.
“It would not be polite to keep Lady Rodeia standing in such a mess after you have come a long way. For now, why don’t you rest in the reception room, and listen to a detailed explanation of the situation slowly in a little while?”
“It is a great honor for me to be hosted. I have brought some retainers with me, so it would be nice if you could provide them with a space to rest as well.”
“That is a matter of course. For now, it would be best to quickly relieve your accumulated travel fatigue.”
Just like that, Elente, who had returned to her appearance overflowing with grace, skillfully guided Viscountess Rodeia into the mansion.
The servants, dripping with cold sweat, quickly took the retainers’ luggage, and the squires with free hands began to clean up the messy garden.
Derek thought as he watched the scene. The situation had finally been settled.
Just like that, the incident concerning necromancy that Elente was involved in was also concluded, and now everything had returned to normal.
What was the original goal? He had come so far that he had almost forgotten.
Because he had been caught up in a pointless affair and wasted time, the opening date of the Ravencrow Magic Academy was not far off.
Wasn’t it that he was going to ask Elente, one of Derek’s most famous disciples, to come to the academy and show her face a bit?
After having suffered this much, she would grant such a personal request anytime. That’s why Derek’s heart became even more at ease.
The academy being built on the Ravencrow Barony’s side must be almost complete by now.
While Aiseline was suffering, Derek, in his own way, had suffered no small amount. Now that Elente had also regained her authority, it was time to get to the main point.
However, right now, Elente was very busy cleaning up the mansion’s affairs and guiding Viscountess Rodeia.
Let’s ask her when the time is right. Thinking so, it was the moment Derek was about to turn around, having arranged his cloak.
“Derek.”
“…?”
He had thought Elente had gone in to guide Viscountess Rodeia, but she had entrusted the task to the head butler and come back out.
Elente opened her reddish eyes clearly and stared intently at Derek for a moment.
Then she suddenly gives a meaningful smile, then turns her head again and gets lost in thought, then quickly glances at Derek out of the corner of her eye… she was repeating actions whose meaning could not be understood.
As Derek just watched Elente, she seemed to feel awkward about that as well, and she said with a faint blush on her cheeks.
“Th-that is, Derek.”
“Is something the matter?”
“…”
And then Elente realizes that there are many eyes watching around them, and she says again, holding her breath.
“It’s nothing.”
“…”
“I-it’s just. I just wanted to talk to you to say that it’s nothing. L-let’s talk again later.”
“…..????”
And then, Elente quickly fans her face and runs back into the main hall.
Her appearance, cooling her face as if waving her hands, was so unfamiliar that the lofty image he had seen at the Rosea Salon felt like a different person.
Derek too could not help but be bewildered by this side of her.
<><><>
— ‘Derek-ssi… you’re late. The opening day is really not far off now.’
As for Aiseline, she had already finished most of the construction work and was in the midst of organizing and piling up documents that only needed the approval of Derek, the master of the mansion.
The office, which had now become no different from her private room, was filled with all sorts of documents.
She had really managed to carry out this large-scale project all by herself.
For something done by the daughter of a ducal house, the scale was too large, so Delbritten, who had been watching this whole situation, could not help but be dumbfounded.
Aiseline Eleanor Duplein.
She really had a talent for business.