Chapter 92
Chapter 92
Translator: XZY
Chapter 92: Realization (1)
***
Near Elfontaine Hall in the noble district of Ebelstein, many teahouses established for the young noble ladies were lined up.
In one of them, sitting while basking in the warm spring sunlight, Trisha... was lost in deep thought with a serious face.
‘Why did the young lady of the Rochest ducal house come all the way to the continent’s southwest…?’
After the Duplein family was pushed down, the authority of the Renuel Viscounty was soaring to the heavens.
If the head of the Renuel Viscounty were to receive the title of Count at the next birthday celebration, it seemed the day they would stand shoulder to shoulder with the young ladies of the Belmeade or Beltus families was not far off.
Trisha’s arrogance had already grown as high as it could, and every single moment she spent walking through Ebelstein’s high society was as happy as a dream.
However, with the young lady of the Rochest ducal house suddenly appearing in Ebelstein’s high society, the entire situation had gone awry.
No matter how vertically the authority of the Renuel Viscounty was rising, it could not be compared to the Rochest ducal house led by Lord Melverot.
‘Of course, it’s not a position decided solely by the secular power of one’s main family…’
No matter how strong Lady Siern’s backing was, if one could excel in all other areas, pushing her out was not entirely impossible.
Even though Duplein’s secular authority was higher, the current situation where Lady Trisha could raise her voice proved that.
However, that was by no means an easy thing to do.
‘First of all, it’s absolutely impossible to surpass Lady Siern in magical skill. As for knowledge of high society in general or understanding of noble culture, it seems I’m far superior, but…’
If she failed to seize this opportunity, the chance to rise to the top of the Rosea Salon might not come again.
Knowing that fact well, Trisha tried to gain a stronger influence within the salon than Siern, one way or another.
However, Siern was too mysterious and unknowable an individual.
The killing intent that bloomed just from meeting her eyes invoked fear, but on the other hand, it wasn’t as if she didn't observe basic etiquette or manners.
If she were to push out that mysterious snow maiden somehow, she had to know her weaknesses or her triggers.
‘…Come to think of it, I heard that the three members of the Rosea Salon were all taught magic by the same teacher… was it the same for that Lady Siern as well..’
In the end, the underwater battles of the noble world were wars of information.
Lady Trisha had already gathered as much information as she could on the young ladies of Belmeade and Beltus.
All the young ladies who wielded some influence in Ebelstein’s high society had a period where they were taught by that magic teacher named Derek, and that fact was strangely significant.
‘Does that mean everyone except me is bound by school ties? That’s… a problem…’
Of course, since Derek was a private tutor, there would be almost no instances of them taking classes together or forming separate connections.
Nevertheless, the fact that Trisha alone was isolated did not seem to be a good thing.
‘If I’m to break through the current situation, I’ll need to meet that magic teacher first. He’s the head of the Barony of Ravencrow, and was given a small territory in a remote region, was it… it’s not that far from Ebelstein.’
Trisha stood up, intending to visit him herself.
She was a person who could do anything for greater power.
<><><>
Quite some time had passed since the Ravencrow baronial mansion had begun to function properly.
In the meantime, quite a few honored guests had stopped by, and as time passed, its appearance also became quite neat.
In the backyard of that Ravencrow baronial mansion, there was a small clearing.
Compared to the training grounds of a typical ducal house, it was an endlessly shabby level, but for Derek, who had conducted his personal magic training by going out to the back mountain or the meadows, this much space was more than satisfactory, to the point of being a luxury.
Derek, who was sitting in the center of that place and catching his breath for a moment, was gathering mana while holding the large staff, ‘Footprints,’ in his hand.
He focused his mind, extending the mana gathered at his fingertips straight up toward the sky.
The flow of mana surged up, rode along the staff, and advanced toward the clear blue sky. Before long, the soaring mana stopped at a single point and began to cover the entire area.
At that moment, Derek narrowed his brow and clenched his fist tightly.
The mana transformed into a different energy and soon began to take the form of a cloud.
Drip, drip, drip—
And slowly… raindrops began to pour down.
[ New Magic Acquired ]
3-Star Transmutation Magic ‘Rain Cloud’
Magic that manipulated the climate was considerably high-level magic, but if the range was limited and the duration was also given up, it was not unreasonable to manifest it in the realm of the 3-Star level.
As a result, he became capable of pouring rain over an area for a short time to drench it in water. It was an efficient scale for creating variables on a complex battlefield.
‘I’ve certainly gotten used to learning 3-Star magic itself.’
Derek did not unclench his tightly held fist and quietly stood in the pouring rain.
Just a moment ago, it had been a day with the sun shining brightly. It was a situation where he was suddenly drenched in rain, but he showed no sign of being flustered.
That was a matter of course. It was because it was a rain he himself had summoned.
‘But… 4-Star seems difficult to learn through self-study. Come to think of it, whenever I first learned the magic of each star-rank, there was always a master who guided me…’
Derek, before being an excellent magic teacher, was also an excellent student.
1-Star magic was taught by a beggar in the slums, 2-Star magic by a female noble of a fallen house, and 3-Star magic by an old mage who wandered the world aimlessly.
Putting aside everything up to 3-Star, finding an individual who could impart 4-Star level magic to another was not so easy.
Above all, it was because at the 4-Star level, the system of magic took on various forms depending on the individual’s capabilities and disposition.
If one were to consider only the diversity of that magic, 4-Star magic was the most varied, even more so than 5-Star or 6-Star magic.
Even when using the same 4-Star fire magic, one person’s would burn red and brilliantly, while another’s would flow out as a calm, blue flame.
Even with the same 4-Star summoning magic, if used by a person who grew up loved in a warm environment, a beautifully shaped spirit would pop out, and if used by a person who lived through struggle in a harsh environment, a blood-soaked hunting dog would pop out.
There were probably not many masters in the world who could completely impart such diverse 4-Star magic. This was because there were many variables in the acquisition process for each mage.
Therefore, Derek had no choice but to be lost in deep thought.
‘It would be nice if Lord Melverot could teach me some… but he’s not the kind of person to kindly teach others.’
In the first place, he had personally gone to the trouble of securing a baronial title, a mansion, and even a grant for him.
To ask for anything more here would be a thick-skinned act.
As Derek focused on his thoughts, the rain began to grow even stronger.
Swooooossssh—!
“Kyaa!”
The moment the rain, lashing down even more fiercely, was about to cover the world, a girl screamed.
“Hmm?”
“Ugh..! I didn’t expect this…”
When Derek quickly gathered his mana and turned around, Lady Elente was standing there, drenched in rain, with a somewhat awkward look.
<><><>
“I apologize. When I’m concentrating on magic training, I don’t check my surroundings well.”
“No. It’s fine. The fault of me, who came secretly to watch, is much greater.”
Elente was someone who wore clothes with lots of frills and rose-shaped decorations even in the most comfortable situations.
The blouse prepared by a low-ranking maid of the mansion was too plain for the young lady of the Belmeade family to wear. But it couldn’t be helped. The clothes she had originally come in were completely soaked.
The person in question, as if it were nothing, was drying her reddish hair while wearing clothes without a single decoration.
The fingertips of the maid who was patting Elente’s moisture away with a soft cloth trembled with tension.
It seemed she had never imagined that a low-ranking maid of a barony would ever have the chance to touch the hair of the young lady of the County of Belmeade.
Only veterans who had worked for over ten years among the maids could style the hair of such a person of high stature.
The young, freckled maid, who had been working for just over a month, swallowed a dry gulp of saliva and put all her strength into her hands.
“By the way, 3-Star transmutation magic… Derek… you surprise me every time I see you.”
“There are still some immature parts, but it seems I’ve almost gotten used to 3-Star magic.”
“…”
Elente, as if at a loss for words, just stared at Derek for a moment and then soon sat down on a wooden chair in a corner of the clearing.
While drying her still slightly damp hair, she was pressing her brow firmly.
“I recently learned 2-Star magic. I succeeded just last week.”
“Is that so? That is truly a matter for congratulations.”
“I thought I should at least boast to you, Derek, so I came running, but the first sight I see is you casually wielding 3-Star transmutation magic… it’s embarrassing to say anything now.”
She said that, but being able to use 2-Star magic at Elente’s age was truly a great stride in development.
Officially, she was right behind Lady Aiseline, who had manifested 2-Star magic a long time ago.
Of course, if one considered Lady Denise, who had secretly reached the realm of 2-Star already, she was the third.
“At least among the commoners I’ve seen, there seems to have been no one faster or more proficient in magic achievement than you.”
It was an honor to hear her say that, but Derek did not bother to give a perfunctory reply.
He just offered a brief word of thanks. That reaction was also so like Derek that Elente ended up chuckling.
After she had dried her hair to some extent, a maid brought out tea.
Compared to the service at the County of Belmeade, it was a cheap teacup with cheap tea leaves, but Elente accepted it with a happy expression, not caring at all.
“Come to think of it, this baronial mansion has also started to become well-organized at some point. To think they even bring out tea when a guest arrives…”
“The Rochest ducal house sent over a pretty good person as a head butler. Since he takes the lead in managing it, there’s surprisingly not much for me to do.”
“There is no blessing greater than having good talent. The more I learn about being the head of the house at Belmeade, the more I come to that conclusion.”
Elente tied her back hair up again.
Seeing her reddish back hair parted to both sides and tied up in a bunch on each side, the authority she always seemed to exude disappeared, and it felt as if a bit of the liveliness befitting a girl of her age was present.
“Since you’ve also become a baron, you’ll come to realize it fully.”
“I’m just the lowest of the low, I suppose.”
“Whether you’ll continue to be the lowest of the low in the future is something we don’t know. That aside, I’m surprised the Grand Duke of Beltus approved your title conferment. He wouldn’t have been very pleased about a new territorial noble appearing in the borderlands…”
Elente spoke as if it were strange.
Derek looked at Elente, propped his chin on his hand, and fell into thought for a moment. It seemed he had to tell her about a certain person he had met at the tavern before receiving his title.
“Actually… there was one more person who helped.”
“Is that so? It wouldn’t have been an easy task, who helped with such a thing?”
“…It was Lord Linus of the Belmeade family.”
At those words, Elente’s expression hardened in a flash.
She put down the teacup that was heading toward her lips and touched her lips with a look of disgust.
“…That hooligan-like brother of mine visited you?”
“…Yes.”
“What state was he in? It’s been quite a long time since he last returned to the main house. I heard he’s been wandering the gambling dens of the big cities, always lost in drink and gambling…”
Elente spoke with utter disgust, as if she truly loathed that drunkard named Linus.
“Was he still walking around drinking with that untidy beard of his?”
“…Yes.”
“Aigoo… for what on earth did he return to Ebelstein. If that insolent brother of mine committed any rudeness, I will apologize.”
“Not at all. On the contrary, he helped so that I could persuade the Grand Duke of Beltus. He attached the condition that I must help Lady Elente when I become a baron.”
“…Me?”
Elente blinked her brilliant red eyes a few times, then tilted her head while arranging her hair again.
“…There’s no way that insolent hooligan would worry about me…”
“Isn’t some great upheaval about to happen in the Belmeade family? It didn’t seem like Lord Linus would engage in such bizarre behavior without any meaning.”
“I also tend to have a hard time grasping what that pathetic drunkard is doing… hmm… anyway, since he helped you receive your baronial title, it’s a rather thankful matter, but…”
No matter what, it didn't seem likely that a great upheaval, to the extent of collapsing in an instant like the Duplein family, would occur.
However, one could at least surmise that something would happen to Elente’s personal safety.
When Derek showed a strangely worried look, Elente finally spoke with a smile.
“Well, you don’t have to worry too much. I have a rough idea of what to expect.”
“Is that so?”
“He must have been worried about Leonard returning to the family and tried to secure some support for me. Regardless of me, if that Leonard were to seize real power, it would get annoying in many ways.”
Elente, as if she had a feeling of how the situation was unfolding, stopped the hand that was stroking her chin and spoke with her eyes wide open.
“Leonard… was the youngest son of the Belmeade family, wasn’t he?”
“Oh, Derek. You’ve gotten a taste of the noble world and now you even remember our Belmeade family’s family tree. Yes, that’s right. Right now, he has devoted himself to religion and hasn’t shown his face at the main house, saying he’s on a pilgrimage.”
The sons of the Belmeade family never seemed to stay put in the main house.
That was also the reason Elente was able to solidify her position as the heir of the Belmeade family.
“Actually, the heir to the head of the Belmeade family was not me, but my brother Linus. The reason Leonard didn’t obsess over family affairs and left on a pilgrimage was because, even if he stayed in the family, he would be pushed aside by my brother Linus and would have no way to properly access the family’s power.”
“Did that person named Leonard have a desire for the family’s power?”
“Well… I don’t know for sure now. It was quite a long time ago. Anyway, Leonard gave up on the succession of power early on and wandered the continent to live his life in his own way.”
“But then, Lord Linus gave up the succession of power.”
“That’s right. You’re sharp, Derek.”
There was no need for further explanation.
For reasons unknown, Linus had given up on succeeding to the position of head of that great noble house of Belmeade.
He chose to wander the gambling dens and waste his life. Only Linus himself would know the reason for that.
As a result, the only person left to inherit the position of heir was Elente. This was because the youngest son, Leonard, had left the main house and was wandering the world.
However, no one knew what thoughts that Leonard would have if he returned to the main house and learned that Elente had inherited the position of heir.
It wasn't as if there were no cases of a daughter succeeding to the position of head of the house, but it was generally an unwritten rule for the son to inherit.
“…What kind of person is that Leonard? Seeing as he devoted himself to religion and went on a pilgrimage, he seems like a sound person…”
“Well… I, for one, don’t think he’s that good a person. His devotion to religion was also all a political judgment. As Derek said, a religious person gives the impression of being morally good.”
He had never met the person named Leonard. However, Derek could infer from Elente’s expression that he was not a very good person.
“If that little brat tries to push me out of the Belmeade family, I can’t just stand by and take it. I’ve lived my life working hard to protect my position as heir.”
“…”
“If he says he’s going to crawl back into the family now that it seems a chance for succession has come, after having ignored the family situation and wandered the continent… do I have to bow my head and hand over the succession rights to that youngest brother? And my father would approve of that?”
Elente’s red eyes seemed to burn fiercely.
Power struggles between families were a common occurrence, but the rift of conflict in the Belmeade family seemed to be deeper than expected.
In fact, it was stranger for the members of a family to be as harmonious as in the Duplein family.
It might have been possible for Duplein because there was a powerful successor to the head of the house named Valerian.
If a conflict due to a power struggle remained, like in Belmeade, situations where even those of the same blood would fight with red faces were frequent. This side was actually more normal.
“I have no intention of yielding the succession rights of the Belmeade family to anyone. And there’s no one who can make me.”
Elente lifted her chin and gave Derek a captivating smile.
“Because I am strong.”
That confidence seemed to be the secret to how the girl could protect her rightful position as heir of the Belmeade family.
Derek was looking at Elente with a strangely worried expression.
Certainly, the rightful successor of the Belmeade family was Elente.
She was authoritative, capable, and a well-bred lady acknowledged even in the Rosea Salon.
She was already receiving education to be the head of the house, and in the salon, she had polished her skills in both magic and academics.
There was no reason to set her aside and give the position of head of the house to the late-returning Leonard. No matter what anyone said, Elente would become the Countess and command Belmeade.
Therefore, from Leonard’s perspective, if he wanted to inherit the position of head of the house, there was something he absolutely had to do.
That was, to break Elente’s authority and tarnish her honor.
No one knew what he would do to achieve that. When his thoughts reached that point, Derek was about to part his lips to say something.
However, Elente stood up, letting the hem of her decoration-less blouse hang down, and brought her index finger to Derek’s lips.
“You don’t have to worry too much, Derek. You’re much more of an expert in the magical field, but this kind of intrigue and power struggle is for me to handle.”
“…”
“You must be busy and flustered since it hasn’t been long since you received your baronial title, so don’t worry too much. You can forget about that kind of private request from my brother Linus.”
Elente smiled brightly, then placed her hands on her hips with a lively look.
“Wearing these plain clothes, I feel like I’ve become a village maiden, it’s a refreshing feeling. If I were the kind of girl who wore these clothes and worked at a mill or a chicken farm, would you have been able to speak to me comfortably?”
“I wonder. If it were Lady Elente, I think you would have run out from working at the mill and started a business or something.”
“Ahahat. Even your way of complimenting is so strange. This is why talking with you is fun, Derek.”
Elente shook her arms out and then let down her completely dry hair with a flick.
Her long hair fluttered in the warm wind of the Rodelen region.
“The spring breeze is warm, so it feels good. Well, anyway, since I’ve come this far, you’ll have to look at my magic, Derek.”
“I don’t have any particularly big schedules in the afternoon, so it’s perfect. You said you learned 2-Star magic, right? May I see it?”
“Of course. Don’t fall over in surprise at my faster-than-expected growth.”
The sight of Elente laughing without a care afterward was like a flower in full bloom.
<><><>
It was around the time Trisha arrived at the Ravencrow Barony.
Even though she had come leading a carriage without any prior notice, the head butler did not show a single sign of being flustered and greeted her naturally.
‘…The servants are used to suddenly welcoming honored guests. For such a weak baronial mansion in a remote region, they’re well-educated, aren’t they?’
The movements of the maids who rushed to lift the hem of her dress as soon as Trisha got out of the carriage were perfectly synchronized. It was not a skill they had practiced just once or twice.
In fact, from Trisha’s perspective, she had no way of knowing that the servants of this mansion were assisting all sorts of noble young ladies almost every day.
This was because it was her first time visiting this Barony of Ravencrow.
“Thank you for making the journey to our humble abode. However, may I ask the reason for your visit to a place like this?”
“I’d like to meet Baron Ravencrow in person. I heard his skill in teaching magic is outstanding, so I became interested.”
“It is a great honor. However, His Excellency the Baron is currently looking over the magic of another noble young lady.”
At those words, Trisha narrowed her brow.
The Renuel Viscounty was currently the real power in Ebelstein, with its authority rising the fastest.
For the young lady of such a Renuel Viscounty to make the journey in person, yet he couldn’t even come running in a single breath, but was looking after someone else… was this not a great discourtesy?
Trisha did not hide her discomfort and spoke bluntly.
“Who is so important that he doesn’t even show his face when I’ve come in person?”
“…It is Lady Elente of the Belmeade family. Earlier in the morning, Lady Aiseline and Lady Diella also stopped by for a cup of tea.”
“…”
Hearing that name, Trisha shut her mouth for the time being.
The others may be one thing, but if it was Elente, it couldn’t be helped. After muttering that to herself, she quickly backed down.
If the opponent was weak, she would bare her teeth in an instant, but if they were strong, she would quickly tuck her tail.
The world might call it cowardly, but Trisha considered this to be a cunning and smart action.
“Alright. Then I can wait for a bit. You have a reception room, I suppose?”
“It is a rather shabby place, so I would appreciate your understanding.”
“Hmph. I don’t have high expectations for a beggar’s den-like mansion in a remote region like this. Just bring me some tea.”
“Understood. However, there is a guest who arrived before you, so it would be good if you could converse with them.”
“What? A guest?”
For what on earth were there so many guests in this remote barony.
Still, since there was at least someone to talk to, Trisha shook her head and entered the reception room.
“………”
There, the young lady of the Rochest family, Siern Aleyna Rochest, was sitting quietly, waiting for Derek.
“…We meet again, Lady Trisha.”
Not just anyone, but the sight of the young lady of the Rochest family, the hegemon of the north, sitting demurely and waiting for Derek.
Where in the world would a weak baronial house in a remote region make the young lady of the north’s greatest ducal house just sit and wait. It was a scene that went beyond rudeness to the point of being unrealistic, but the ducal young lady herself seemed as if it were nothing.
She couldn’t understand the scene at a glance, but for now, that wasn’t the important thing.
“…”
The day she first met Siern, she still remembered the distant killing intent engraved in those eyes.
That clear killing intent, which was just like a wild animal’s, was so chilling that it was a relief she hadn’t wet herself.
To be alone with her was no different from being told to sit quietly in the same cage with a beast that might lunge with its claws bared at any moment.
“Ah, yeees… nice to see you, Lady Siern. You look as beautiful as always. It was truly an honor to see you. I’m sorry for interrupting, I’ll be going now.”
Trisha quickly backpedaled out of the room, demurely closed the door, and came out into the hallway.
The entire process was so smooth that it was a sight as if the world’s time was rewinding.
“…”
However, in this tiny mansion, this was the only waiting room for honored guests.
The head butler, Delbritten, immediately recited that despairing fact.
Originally, things in the world never went as one pleased.