Chapter 47
Chapter 47
Translator: XZY
Chapter 47: Value (1)
***
Jayden was a man who sometimes took up a greatsword and headed for the battlefield.
He would have had no problem making a living even if he sat in a corner of the tavern, wiping glass cups and idling away his time, but he had ambition.
The Dawn War, which broke out when the giant magical beast of the north, ‘Zvet’, burst out of its labyrinth.
Having lived by wandering the battlefields since those days, he often felt at ease only in the midst of a sea of blood, rather than in the hometown where he was born and raised.
By the time he came of age, he was already making a living with his sword, and he had dedicated his life to the battlefield without a proper partner or descendant. To him, his comrades-in-arms were his family.
Therefore, his ambition to raise a proper mercenary corps was not so strange. Since the battlefield was a part of his life, it was about gathering and holding onto as many companions as possible to wander there with.
However, a life on the battlefield, which was like walking a tightrope, was one where it would not be strange for one's head to fall at any moment. He had lived his life clearly watching the heads of countless such comrades fall.
“This time, it was almost my head that was about to fall. It’s a real relief that I came out alive after giving up an arm. It seems my luck is still with me, ha ha ha.”
“You’re a veteran, Captain Ahjussi. I didn’t think a labyrinth in the White Region would be that dangerous.”
“I was ambushed by a giant Sandworm that crawls through the ground. If I had been standing a little closer to the wall, my head would have been gone in one go.”
“A Sandworm appeared?”
It was one of the magical beasts whose name always came up when one pointed to the magical beast tribes that had produced the most casualties even during the said-to-be-horrific Dawn War.
To the Sandworms that swam through the ground, a human who had crawled into an underground labyrinth would have been nothing more than prey that had come into its embrace on its own.
“Still, I sliced that bastard’s neck properly. I got my revenge, so my heart is at ease.”
“I don’t think it’s something to talk about so carefreely... It’s a big wound at a glance, the aftereffects will be considerable. It’s truly surprising that you can laugh in this situation.”
“I’m not so relieved myself, since I have to close the tavern and rest. But it’s better than not even getting revenge, isn’t it?”
Jayden was a man who laughed heartily even while one of his arms was cut off.
When Derek looked at Felinne with disbelief, Felinne was also shaking her head.
Jayden’s will to roam the battlefields so vigorously even at his age was something to be applauded, but no matter what, one couldn't help but worry when he came back with such a big wound.
“...Recently, as the Duplein family has started to lead the subjugation of the White Region, there have been many cases of other nobles posting exploration requests. Derek.”
It seemed that this was where Jayden’s main point began.
The full-scale subjugation of the White Region was being led by the Duplein family’s army. However, when a new source of income was pioneered, factions that would cling to it were bound to appear.
Even large groups like the Beltus family were drooling over the conquest of the White Region, but for a group of that size to move, they needed the Duplein family’s permission. However, it was a different story for small-scale nobles or small mercenary corps.
Those who would use the pioneering routes opened by the Duplein family to explore the small labyrinths on the outskirts of the White Region had begun to appear.
It was not easy to control them one by one, so the Duplein family did not interfere with such microscopic movements, but in fact, there was no need to interfere. This was because the outcome was usually not good.
Explorers of mediocre skill would only lose their lives if they challenged the labyrinths of the White Region.
There were also labyrinths so dangerous that even the battle-hardened Jayden had to give up an arm to get out. If one was unlucky, they would enter with dreams of a windfall and end up finding only a grave.
“Derek. If a request for exploration in the White Region comes in, for now, refuse it unconditionally. I went there myself, and it’s a little strange. It would be best to observe the situation for the time being.”
“Strange, you say?”
“I’ve been to my fair share of labyrinths from the Dawn War era to the present day, but it was the first time I’d seen labyrinths so unstable and unpredictable. Unless you use an army accompanied by a 4-Star or higher mage like the Duplein family and just push through with sheer numbers... there are almost no labyrinths that can be cleared in the way of an adventurer.”
He had read a lot in books about the scenery of that White Region, filled with dying vegetation and an ominous aura.
Derek rested his chin on his hand and quietly listened to Jayden’s words.
“I can’t bear to see you die, Derek.”
“...”
Even while his own arm was gone, Jayden was spouting such words.
This old mercenary was that kind of person.
<><><>
A golden opportunity like this, without Derek, did not come often.
Denise sent a letter to the Duplein family through her most reliable servant, Bella.
She sat alone in the mansion’s garden with a satisfied smile. She felt lighthearted in the tranquility that had come after a long time.
Diella would likely feel doubtful after checking Denise’s letter, but in the end, it was certain that she would challenge her to a magic duel. This was because she was a person who would endure any sacrifice if it meant she could snatch Derek.
Thus, all she had to do was appropriately lose the magic duel, and though it would be a regrettable and lamentable matter, a promise was a promise, so she would finish everything by handing Derek over.
If she did that, she would be able to get these peaceful days back.
It meant she would finally escape from that magic teacher who followed her around all day, encouraging her by saying she could do it.
‘The responsibility for having lost the most up-and-coming magic teacher in the Ebelstein social circle so futilely... I’ll have to endure it, though it can't be helped. I’ll just have to achieve a similar merit next time.’
Although her plan was all sorted out, a corner of her heart felt somewhat stuffy.
Time had passed the late afternoon, and dusk was approaching. The clouds, stretched long across the sky soaked in a reddish hue, were floating serenely.
It was the beginning of summer, so the middle of the garden was a bit hot, and sometimes insects would swarm.
Despite that, Denise did not go inside the room and was just quietly looking at the sky.
The thought, was a day always this long?, naturally flowed out.
Recently, each day had felt like it was passing by in a flash, so the gap was strongly felt.
Bella, who always accompanied her, was not there, and Derek was not there either, so she felt even more bored. One way or another, the two had always been the people who would talk with Denise.
Bella would mostly toss and receive trivial, everyday stories, and to Derek, she would grumble or complain as if she were dying.
After making a fuss all day, spending this leisurely time alone, the memories coiled in the back of her consciousness suddenly raised their heads.
They were all memories of the past now.
The adults of the Beltus family would stroke Denise’s head and smile.
They would rejoice at Denise’s magical achievements and, saying she would one day become the pride of the family, would split their wrinkled eyes wide.
Numerous noble young ladies would look up to Lady Denise, and sometimes they would bicker with each other to exchange even one more word of conversation.
The incompetent next head of the family, Robenalt, would feel both inferiority and envy at his only younger sister’s competent appearance, but would eventually acknowledge her with all his heart.
She could also see her mother’s note, left among the numerous magic books in her childhood. I always love you, the pride of our Beltus family.
It was a handwriting that dripped with pride for the family.
“How futile.”
Suddenly, Denise leaned her back against a pretty wooden chair in the garden and let out a hollow laugh.
She knew well that from some point on, all this reverence pouring towards her would instantly turn into disappointment if she took one misstep. She didn't have to look far; all the other contributors to the family had been like that.
Numerous people who were called geniuses had stumbled and disappeared below the cliff like that.
Expectation was something that always held the possibility of disappointment. Denise had only wanted to escape from such a long and arduous pressure.
A person cannot live by succeeding indefinitely.
Only by preparing for failure can one lead a stable life. The same applied to the expectations of others.
It wasn't that she wasn't expected of, but it wasn't a trust that was close to worship either.
It wasn't that she couldn't produce results, but she wasn't the hero of the family either.
Not too much, and not too little. Somewhere between a cold bath and a hot bath. Only in that faint, lukewarm water did Denise feel like swimming.
Suddenly, she thought of the noblest young lady of the Duplein family, who was stretching out, receiving the adoration of all.
“...”
Denise could never become Aiseline.
This was because the underlying mindset itself was completely different.
“Sigh...”
Denise, who had become melancholic for no reason, stood up from her seat.
She could just return to her bedroom and indulge in her beloved books, but still, she raised her hand to the air and sensed the energy of mana. That distant feeling made Denise want to manifest magic for no reason.
The energy of mana coiled at her fingertips gathered into a single point, and soon she felt it spreading throughout her whole body. It was the sense of perceiving the flow of mana that Derek had emphasized until his mouth went dry. In fact, honing this kind of sense was Denise’s specialty.
There was no way that Denise, who carried the blood of the Beltus family, would lack in her innate amount of mana.
If so, what remained were the technical aspects, and her own will to do it.
Denise’s biggest problem was that she had no will to do it.
Derek also knew that fact well, which was why he had pushed Denise’s back so much.
It was human physiology that if one started running, even if pushed from behind, they would have no choice but to at least jog lightly.
And if one started to run, even lightly, their body condition would adjust to it anyway. In the end, what was needed to reform a person like Denise was that iron-like consistency that could push through to the end, no matter how much the person in question refused.
— Fwoooooosh!
The magic manifested from Denise’s fingertips soon began to fill the surroundings.
The hem of her pretty dress fluttered, and the surrounding grass began to shake its head. At the center of that churning mana, Denise clenched her fist as if it were nothing and chanted.
“O flow of mana that observes all things—”
Her neatly brushed silver-gray hair fluttered a few times. Finally, Denise’s fully constructed magic formula began to fill the surroundings in earnest.
2-Star Detection-type magic, ‘Surveillance’
It was the ability to fill the surroundings with the energy of a magic circle and detect every single anomaly, magical fluctuation, and physical movement that occurred within it, without exception.
The size of its range depended on the proficiency of the magic. It was said that the 6-Star Detection-type mage, Drest, could produce a power that could cover several huge castles entirely.
Denise’s magic was only enough to barely fill a corner of the garden. Still, among those who entered this range, those whose magical level was lower than Denise’s would be seen through without exception.
The true value of Detection-type magic came from that information superiority. This was the reason why once one was caught in the trap of a Detection-type mage, they could never escape.
‘Pant... pant... I... I can do it if I try.’
Denise was panting.
At Denise’s level, just manifesting 2-Star magic was too arduous a task. She couldn't maintain it for long either, so there was no particular meaning to the surveillance.
However, just being able to use it was an incredible thing.
Hadn't the entire magic training ground been turned upside down just by Aiseline of the Duplein family manifesting the 2-Star magic, Fireball?
It was not an impossible task for Denise either, if she clenched her teeth and put in the effort. However, she did not show it off.
That was the essence of the girl named Denise.
“Hoo... haa... It-It’s hard, but... in any case, if it’s this much...”
“The magic formula on the outer part has become disarrayed. This will create a blind spot in the detection area.”
Denise almost stopped breathing.
Just by deploying the ‘Surveillance’ magic, this area had become no different from Denise’s domain.
Despite that, Derek’s voice came from right behind her.
When she turned around, Derek, who had returned after finishing his business, was adjusting his clothes and speaking.
His presence was not felt at all, even within this magic formula woven like a spider’s web.
“Y-You... since when...!”
“If you lose focus, your mana will get tangled, and you will become more exhausted. Maintain the magic.”
Denise was about to say something, but Derek met her eyes, strode over, and emitted his mana.
He didn't show any signs of surprise, even though Denise was manifesting a 2-Star Detection-type magic so skillfully.
He had already gauged Denise’s level to some extent while training with her over the past period.
He must have long since seen through the fact that Denise had not been manifesting her mana with all her might.
That must be why he had pushed Denise’s back so repeatedly and endlessly.
— Fwoosh!
As Derek raised his fist and clenched it, a wave of disturbance occurred in Denise’s magic formula.
It was becoming difficult to maintain the magic itself due to the flow of mana that Derek had intervened with. Derek was intentionally disrupting Denise’s magic.
“In the end, a Detection-type mage will often face other Detection-type mages. This is because a high-level Detection-type magic can only be broken through with an even higher-level Detection-type magic.”
“Derek... y-you... this magic formula... how are you controlling...”
“From now on, I will intentionally interfere with your magic formula, Lady Denise. The more you endure, the more your ability to withstand the disruption of magic by external intervention will increase.”
As Derek gave another shock, Denise’s magic formula fluctuated greatly.
Denise habitually swung the mana coiled in her body to interfere with Derek’s intervention. However, the end of Derek’s grand mana was not visible with just one clash.
Detection-type magic and Detection-type magic were clashing, trying to devour each other’s territory.
She had heard that in large-scale wars, the territorial competition between these Detection-type mages often became a factor that decided the victory or defeat of the battlefield.
She had only heard about it in words; it was the first time she had an opponent who applied pressure by wielding mana so directly and violently.
No matter how much of a teacher one was, there were no cases of deploying a mana battle so seriously against a noble young lady.
But that mercenary-turned-teacher was a person who did not know such restraint.
Derek was a thoroughly practical-oriented person, and he did not regard Denise’s family background as very important.
He only showed the minimum courtesy because she was a young lady from a well-to-do noble house, but it was clear that in his underlying psychology, the perception that she was just one of many disciples was ingrained.
Now that they were clashing with their mana, that fact seemed to be revealed even more clearly.
Normal nobles might have felt humiliated, but strangely, the corners of Denise’s mouth quirked up.
“Don’t regret it.”
Denise drew out all the mana in her body with all her heart.
Since he was a magic teacher she was going to cut off anyway, there was no need to be mindful of him or anything anymore.
Denise decided to pour her mana into that teacher who had been absent all day and had only just appeared.
The occasions when she went all out were rare, happening only a few times a year.
Derek received that mana with a relaxed expression.
It was the first time that Denise had shown a smile during training.
<><><>
“It’s rather reassuring that you’re setting a trap so openly.”
The Duplein family’s annex.
Diella, who was sitting alone and reviewing her mana sense, snorted at the letter Denise had sent.
I will hand over Derek, so wager something valuable and challenge me to a magic duel. I will lose on purpose.
Diella wore an expression of disbelief at a story that not even a passing dog would believe, but in fact, the contents of the letter Denise had written were one hundred percent true.
Denise had written the letter with her hand on her heart under the sky, filled only with sincerity, but to Diella, who had her quills up like a hedgehog towards everyone, this text looked like nothing more than a declaration of war.
In short, Lady Denise was clearly planning to accept the duel while pretending to hand over Derek, then beat Diella down, take everything she could, and also break her pride a bit. There was a high possibility that Diella, who had openly shown her teeth at the Rosea Salon meeting, had looked displeasing to her.
Diella was calmly enraged.
After receiving Derek’s teachings, her anger had become closer to a cold chill than a hot fire.
The corners of her mouth trembled minutely on her frozen expression. Denise was openly provoking Diella’s pride.
There would be no one who would walk step by step into a trap that the opponent had dug so openly, but Diella decided to accept the proposal with a glad heart.
“How amusing. Does she think I will lose to a magician of the social salon level?”
Diella was a person who had resolved to defeat not only Aiseline but even Valerian.
— Fwoooooosh!
Diella, who had been honing her mana sense, swung that vast mana and filled the annex.
Finally, numerous thorny bushes that stretched out covered the entire room. Even though it was not a magic she had cast with great concentration, its scale and level had reached a considerable stage.
The thorny bushes, transformed by that mana, seemed to be protecting a noble rose.
Diella, sitting in the midst of them, crumpled Denise’s letter and stood up from her seat. The murderous intent in her eyes was like watching a wild animal.
Rather than hand Derek over to such a sly, snake-like person, it was more logical to bring him to the Duplein family, even by force.
At least, Diella was convinced of that.