Chapter 44
Chapter 44
Translator: XZY
Chapter 44: Wild Horse (1)
***
Countless days had passed since Derek had left the Duplein family, and the seasons had changed many times.
Diella Catherine Duplein had sent off the teacher who had the greatest influence on her life, but despite that, her growth curve never bent nor did she take a step backward. Rather, once she had set her direction, her innate talent began to blossom.
The story that the most important thing in magical achievement was, first, bloodline, and second, bloodline, was already famous.
Her previously stagnant magical achievements began to soar towards the sky like a fish that had found water, just from Derek slightly adjusting her direction.
The growth curves of ordinary talents were usually quite similar, but the ways in which geniuses blessed by the heavens were perfected were each different.
Valerian, Reigh, Aiseline, Diella.
Even among the siblings of the Duplein family, all of whom were achieving unique magical accomplishments, Diella’s growth was the most peculiar.
She did not try to pierce the essence of magic like Valerian, nor did she aim for worldly advancement like Reigh, nor did she absorb the vast knowledge of the Scholastic School at a desk like Aiseline.
As always, she roamed the forests, gazed at the night sky, and accepted magical truth in her own way, unbound by any rule.
The ice spear she manifested would bend and break in various ways, and her fire arrow would burn with a dark red light. Her Transmutation magic produced results different from theory, and the influence of her Confusion magic was subtly different from what was known.
And yet, if you were to ask if she was completely detached from aristocratic culture, that was not the case either.
She absorbed everything from etiquette and liberal arts education, to the arts of dealing with people, statecraft, and even the study of kingship, all conducted at the family level, as if it were nothing.
She learned the Central Continent's language, social dancing, flower arrangement, piano, flute, history, literature, modern philosophy, and political science, and she also completed her studies on clothing and etiquette, enabling her to carry herself with a demure demeanor.
In the field of art, she was already making a name for herself.
Her works, born with an exceptional talent for landscape and portrait painting, had already begun to catch the eyes of artists, and a few pieces were already circulating in Ebelstein’s art auction houses.
Diella’s artistic world was completely detached from the common painting style of her contemporaries. She had already been recognized among critics and was considered to be on track to become a renowned artist on the continent once she matured a little more.
Having come this far, rumors began to circulate rampantly even though she had not yet made her debut in Ebelstein’s social circle.
The rumor was that the small girl hunkered down in the annex of the Duplein estate was a threat even to Aiseline, the most noble figure in Ebelstein’s current social circle.
Did this mean that the only person who could rival the flower of the Duplein family was, in the end, a young lady from that very same Duplein family?
It was as if all the families that could break the might of the Duplein family in Ebelstein’s social circle would eventually disappear. It felt as if the era of Duplein was dawning.
Aiseline herself heard those rampant rumors more closely than anyone else... but in truth, her feelings couldn't help but be complicated.
There was no anxiety about being caught up to by Diella. She was a kind person with deep family love, so she was, in fact, genuinely happy about Diella’s growth.
However, there were also parts where the rumors and reality were a little different.
“I really don’t see any reason why I have to belong to the Rosea Salon. Honestly, besides you, Unnie, Lady Elente, and Lady Denise, it seemed like everyone else was pretty much the same.”
“...N-No, Diella. It might seem that way if you only look at magical achievements, but everyone is very cultured... and there are many good people it would be beneficial to know far and wide.”
“Hmm...”
Aiseline had come down to the Duplein estate to help with Diella’s debutante.
As Aiseline had experience with a successful debutante, it was thought that she would be a great help, but Diella, surprisingly, didn't need much help. To be honest, there would be no major problems if she were to debut in the social circle right now.
The mansion Diella would soon move into was scheduled for completion, and within the family, the selection of servants and high-ranking vassals to assist Diella had also been finished.
A grand banquet to celebrate her social debut was also scheduled, and dresses as expensive as any magic weapon had been prepared. The period before and after the debutante, said to be the most glamorous time for a young noble lady, was just around the corner.
A splendid path was laid out before her, but Diella’s expression, as she sat at the garden tea table, did not look so refreshed.
This was because for the ladies of noble families, a social debut was always considered to be filled with dream-like romance, but Diella seemed to have no interest in such things.
The reason she was even a little bit expectant was due to the slight sense of adventure in leaving the Duplein estate where she had spent her entire life. She had no interest whatsoever in the social culture of the glamorous Ebelstein noble district.
“I saw a few noble ladies from the Rosea Salon when I went to the tea party hosted by the Elora Academy, and when I went to the festival in the Elontine region. Most of them were only interested in useless, show-off social activities. Just trying to win favor, spouting empty sweet talk they don’t even mean...”
“D-Diella... It’s something that can’t be said in a public setting, but you have to understand the difference in their positions. We are high nobles belonging to the Duplein family, so we often fail to realize it, but for lower nobles, the opportunity to expand their connections is precious.”
Aiseline was a high noble from birth, but she understood the position of the lower nobles well.
That was why she didn't become arrogant even when her followers sometimes spouted embarrassing sweet talk. Half of the favor she received was awe for the girl Aiseline herself, but the other half was respect for the background of the Duplein family.
“Only when you look at them after taking off those colored glasses can you see a person’s true nature. We need to practice seeing through to that essence a lot. Joining a salon and meeting people from various classes is also for that reason...”
“Since you’re saying that, Aiseline Unnie, I will go to the meeting next week...”
Since she hadn't even completed the debutante process, Diella’s visit to the salon would be nothing more than making an appearance.
Despite that, Diella wore an indifferent face.
She was born with extraordinary talent and was making it bloom, but the underlying essence of the person named Diella never changed.
She was arrogant, did not think highly of those inferior to her, and loathed the stuffy rules made by incompetent people. However, she had become proficient at not showing it on the outside and wearing a mask of courtesy.
It was a sort of unwritten rule for the young ladies of the noblest families to belong to the Rosea Salon.
However, Diella was a person like a wild horse on the plains, who paid no mind to such rules and regulations. One should not be fooled by her lovely appearance, like a beautifully crafted doll.
She was a person who stood at the complete opposite pole from her older sister, Aiseline, so telling the noble young ladies who grew up as flowers in a greenhouse to control her was too much of a demand.
“It would be good for you to check on the servants who will be working at your mansion as well. You’ll be the mistress of the mansion now, so they will all be directly under you. Receiving help from the Duplein estate’s servants and having to command them as their master will feel very different.”
“Actually, most of the maids who worked in the annex are coming over, so I don’t think my living environment will change much. I think the only difference will be whether it’s the Duplein estate or Ebelstein.”
“That may be so. Still, even servants you haven’t had contact with before will all come under your control. The guards who watch over the mansion’s surroundings, the squires who do the heavy lifting, and even the vassals who handle accounting and financial affairs will all work after receiving your confirmation and permission.”
Understanding that gap would make the fact of becoming the mistress of the mansion feel much more real.
Diella couldn't feel it yet, but seeing the ever-thorough Aiseline, she could at least tell that it would not be an easy task.
Still, it was something that all the young ladies from high noble families who moved on to the Ebelstein social circle went through.
“Not only that, you might have to personally select someone to be in charge of your security outside the mansion... and you might have to look for a dedicated chef who suits your tastes, or a personal teacher you need.”
“Most of them are pretty much the same, so I don’t think it will be a big concern... But a personal teacher...”
Diella, who hadn't shown even a hint of nervousness despite having the once-in-a-lifetime event of a debutante ahead of her, suddenly started to have stars in her eyes when the matter of a personal teacher was mentioned.
“You said Derek is working as a mercenary in Ebelstein, right?!”
“As I said, he’s currently teaching Lady Denise at the Beltus family. I went to see him once before Mr. Derek’s affiliation was decided... but he seemed to have already made up his mind to become Lady Denise’s teacher.”
“Hmm...”
Quite some time had passed since she had bid farewell to Derek. Nevertheless, Diella remembered clearly what kind of person Derek was.
Derek was not a person who had any great fear or aversion to getting involved with nobles, but no matter what, he had a tendency to prioritize his own magical achievements above all else. She couldn't understand why he was sticking with the Beltus family despite that.
‘Of all places, the Beltus family...? He shouldn't have any connection or anything with them...’
In any case, there was often a reason for his actions.
It seemed there must be a reason why he had headed to the Beltus family out of the blue, despite receiving letters from Duplein and Belmeade.
‘...Could he have been caught with a weakness? I heard that Lady Denise is a person whose inner thoughts are completely unknowable...’
“D-Diella... I’m telling you in advance just in case, but poaching a person who has already entered the service of another family can be a great discourtesy. There’s a reason why Father isn’t pursuing this matter any further.”
Of course, a war of nerves was taking place beneath the surface to poach personnel from rival families, but doing it openly was a completely different matter.
It might have been different when Derek had no specific affiliation, but now he was in a situation where he had formally contracted with the Grand Duke of Beltus and had become Lady Denise’s teacher.
It might be a different story if the previous contract had been completely finished, like when Elente had hired Derek... but no matter how powerful the Duplein family was, there was a certain business ethic that had to be observed.
Of course, business ethics weren't always observed. However, when breaking such unwritten rules, one had to be prepared for feelings to be hurt with the other party.
Aiseline, who had become afraid that Diella might do something unexpectedly rash, quickly gave her a warning, but Diella spoke nonchalantly with her chin resting on her hand.
“I saw Lady Denise from a distance when I went to the festival on the Elontine side. I didn't particularly talk to her or have any contact... but she was very graceful, and the sight of her sitting in the carriage, enveloped in her silver-gray hair, looked truly mysterious. I thought... she looks like an angel drawn in a religious painting.”
“Th-That’s right. Yes. Lady Denise is a precious person cherished by the Beltus family... so a competent teacher like Mr. Derek must have been assigned to her.”
Diella was about to take a sip of her tea but put the teacup down and spoke with serious eyes.
“Aiseline Unnie. Don’t you feel indignant? We are the Duplein family.”
“.....D-Diella?”
<> <> <>
“How is it? Isn’t it a bit fun?”
There was nothing unnecessary in Lady Denise’s mansion.
The artworks were displayed only to the extent of maintaining a minimum level of dignity, and the building's exterior was also done just to the point of not being overshadowed by other mansions. This was because Denise, the mistress of the mansion, liked to just go with the flow to that extent.
Therefore, there was no way there would be magnificent training facilities like in Lady Elente’s mansion.
In the end, Derek had no choice but to demonstrate his magic in the grasslands on the outskirts of Ebelstein, accompanied by a few servants and guards.
Even if Derek’s magic was at a basic level, its firepower was tremendous.
Despite having considerable knowledge of magic herself, Denise could not help but admit that Derek’s skills were a cut above. This boy had polished his mana utilization to the extreme, producing results that were no different from those of a seasoned mage.
At first, she had clapped while watching Derek’s magic demonstration, but as they entered into proficiency training in earnest, her composure quickly vanished.
It felt like they had left the mansion after lunch, but the sun was already setting.
Denise, who was sitting on the grass floor and panting, was already drenched in sweat.
And, Derek, sitting in front of her, leaned his face in and said.
“Compared to the beginning, the operational range of your mana arrows has greatly increased. You are now capable of intercepting enemies outside your field of vision, Lady Denise.”
“R-Right....”
“You can feel the sense of the mana itself properly, can’t you? The sensation felt by your body will be different from when you were just shooting arrows in one direction.”
“Ugh... pant... pant... I-I guess so...”
“It is a subtle difference, but if you become more sensitive to the sensation each time you use magic, you will perceive it more strongly. And when you can clearly feel that difference, your sense of mana will also rise to a higher level.”
“I-I see... pant... pant... wait, I can’t... breathe...”
Derek pushed his face even closer and spoke.
“That is how you experience the rise of mana. Isn’t it fun? To train innately given mana in this way, isn’t it profoundly deep?”
Isn’t it fun?
Say it’s fun.
Denise swallowed a dry gulp of saliva at Derek’s tone, which even felt intimidating. The white-haired boy before her was truly and utterly mad about magic.
Denise could feel her magical proficiency growing by leaps and bounds with each passing day, but in that process, she just couldn't keep up with Derek’s overflowing energy.
Was it fun?
Honestly, if she were to put all her pride aside, it was fun. The time when a person felt enjoyment in something was when every bit of effort they poured in returned as results.
In fact, as she was training with Derek, she could feel her own magic skills improving by the day.
However, for Lady Denise, who had a strong disposition of a homebody shut-in, the process of this training itself was hell. She was born a freshwater fish in the first place; it was only natural that she would suffocate and die if dragged into the sea.
“Hmm...”
“D-Derek?”
“It seems that you, Lady Denise, have not properly realized the profundity and enjoyment of this process. I feel that I must take a different approach...”
“H-Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“It is exactly as I have said. It has not been many years since I started working as a teacher in earnest, so there are many areas where I am inexperienced. If you, Lady Denise, do not feel much interest in magical achievement, it is likely due to the shortcomings of an inexperienced teacher like myself. I am keenly feeling that responsibility.”
Derek placed a hand on one of Denise’s shoulders and spoke seriously.
“You will only feel more interest if we move on to more serious training and achieve great results. Just scratching the surface like we have been so far is not enough, so let’s try to do it more properly. I will also completely re-evaluate the training intensity.”
“What do you mean by that, Derek? I find magic so much fun. I love magic.”
“Lady Denise... you do not have to be so considerate of me. In fact, such consideration pains my heart even more.”
It was not consideration but a struggle for survival, but Derek would not accept that.
“If one has not felt a sense of accomplishment, it is entirely the teacher’s fault. I am greatly disheartened by my incompetence. I apologize, I will make sure something like this never happens again...!”
“No, it’s fine. I said it’s fine, Derek! Where are you going! Wait, aaah!!!”
Derek already had Denise’s entire future schedule in his head.
She would attend the upcoming Rosea Salon meeting, and on the weekend, she would attend the reading club at the cultural cloister. There would be liberal arts classes scheduled in between, so if he combined all the various bits of spare time, he could secure enough training time to advance to the next level.
Of course, Denise’s own intentions were a separate matter.
In the deepest part of the noble district, at the Adelbert Cultural Center, which served as the hub of cultural exchange among the various salon members, the young ladies of the Rosea Salon were gathering.
Their numbers were quite large after including the lower nobles, but in the end, their center consisted of only the three known as the most noble: Aiseline, Elente, and Denise.
Many followers sent them pleasantries, spoke sweet words to win their favor, and at every opportunity, they would speak to their families to send gifts or request artistic exchanges.
Thus, for the past few years, these three young ladies had been leading the Rosea Salon centered around the Adelbert Cultural Center, but today was a day when a great upheaval was expected in that structure.
This was because the younger sister of Lady Aiseline, hailed as the most noble young lady in Ebelstein’s social circle, Diella Catherine Duplein, was coming to make an appearance at the salon meeting today.
Gazes were gathering on her figure as she crossed the hall where a grand tea and refreshment table was set.
Even among the girls of her age, her frame was petite, and her demeanor had a cute and dainty feel.
As that doll-like girl, dressed in a pretty frilly dress, entered the salon’s tea party hall, gazes couldn't help but be drawn to her.
She was a lovely girl that made one want to hug her tightly at a single glance, but at least those who had been close to the Duplein family knew her past well. She was a troublemaker of a caliber that was rare even in the history of the Duplein family.
If Aiseline was a girl like a warm spring, she was a harsh winter. It was a surprising thing that close sisters who shared the same bloodline could be so completely opposite.
Speculation was also quite rampant that although she had been greatly reformed after meeting a good teacher, her fundamental nature had not completely disappeared. But in any case, the current Diella had cultivated quite a bit of social grace. The troublemaker-like appearance of her prime was already gone.
However, if one were to ask if she was a warm person like Aiseline, one could not nod in agreement.
‘Everyone’s got their eyes lit up, trying to grab even a slightly better connection.’
Diella climbed onto the platform and briefly looked at the lower nobles, then finally scoffed.
Even to this young girl, their greedy gazes, buried in worldly hierarchy, were clearly visible.
They were discussing art, philosophy, and magic, but in the end, what they were clinging to was the obsession to exchange even one more word with the children of prestigious families.
One could understand why the young ladies of high noble families, after spending a long time in the social circle, would have their self-esteem soar to the sky and become arrogant. If one were to spend all four seasons in this environment, they would truly feel as if they had become a king.
‘I thought I’d be disgusted, but it doesn’t feel so bad. I think I can see why everyone gets addicted.’
Diella scoffed inwardly and went deeper into the tea party hall.
And in the innermost part, she saw the figure of a girl exchanging pleasantries with a few lower nobles who were speaking to her. The sight of her with her pretty silver-gray hair hanging down looked like a noble angel.
However, whether her inner self was also an angel was another matter. She was famous in the social circle as a person who did not easily reveal her inner thoughts.
She looked quite weary, but in any case, she knew the name of the girl who possessed a dignity befitting her reputation. It was Lady Denise of the Beltus family.
She was the person who had broken through all those numerous recruitment competitions and had gotten her hands on Derek.
She had heard that the Beltus family was holding Derek tightly in the grip of their power and had absolutely no intention of letting him go.
“...”
Diella straightened the hem of her dress for a moment, then approached Denise with a firm expression.
The gazes within the hall subtly shifted towards the two of them.