Chapter 93
Chapter 93
Translator: XZY
Chapter 93: Realization (2)
***
A baron in a remote region was, at best, a low-ranking noble responsible for a couple of villages.
Especially for a baron in a region as remote as Rodelen, the tax revenue was a pittance, and the number of troops that could be mobilized often ended in the mere dozens… among nobles, they were often regarded as little more than chieftain commoners.
In fact, the shabby barons of the remote regions that Lady Trisha had seen usually had disheveled beards and wore grimy leather armor.
Most of them were hands-on types, personally rolling up their sleeves to lead the village affairs or heading out to hunt magical beasts themselves.
It was a residence built by such a low-ranking noble by renovating an old mansion. For the young lady of the Rochest ducal house to be in a place like this was unnatural.
This was because the Rochest family was one of the most prominent among the high-ranking noble houses.
“I’m sorry about last time. My gaze was a bit sharp, wasn’t it.”
Trisha, who had been forced to sit with Lady Siern against her will, already wanted to go home.
However, Siern greeted Trisha in a more ladylike manner than expected.
“There are times when I can’t control my aggression and act impolitely. I hope that Lady Trisha will be generous in her understanding.”
Siern’s pure white hair was rarely ever properly arranged.
This was because she would run all over the place using acceleration magic whenever she had a chance.
Occasionally, when her violent instincts surged, she would also go around killing any nearby beasts she could find.
Contrary to that living bomb-like nature, if one were to look only at her appearance, one would wonder if there could be another girl so mysterious and saintly.
Realizing that gap, one could not help but swallow a dry gulp of saliva. It was the same for Trisha.
‘I-I don’t think this is her true nature… it seems she’s been thoroughly taught etiquette by someone…’
At a glance, Siern was much younger than Trisha.
It would be a problem if she, who had more experience in high society, was older, and had a more refined grace, were to be intimidated in front of Siern.
The power struggle of high society was a game where the one who got scared first lost.
In any case, if she were to seize real power in the Rosea Salon, she could not be intimidated by Siern.
It was the moment Trisha steeled her heart and was about to say something to seize the initiative in the conversation.
“By the way, for what reason have you come all the way to the Ravencrow Barony, Lady Trisha?”
“Y-yes…?”
“Derek is very busy right now. He always sets aside time in the morning to look after my magic, and on top of that, he’s being deprived of his own magic training time by looking after the other noble young ladies who visit from time to time.”
The reason Trisha had come to the Ravencrow Barony was to take a look at the man named Derek, and if he seemed alright, there was something she wanted to request.
Siern, as if displeased by Trisha’s presence, narrowed her brow and spoke.
“If any more vixens… I mean, other young ladies, cling to him asking him to look after their magic, he’ll get even busier.”
“…”
“If Lady Trisha has come to ask Derek to look after your magic, I think it would be difficult to receive a positive answer.”
Siern smiled faintly.
She was a small girl who looked completely harmless, but Trisha knew. This woman was a beast who was ready to rip a person’s throat out without a second thought if things went wrong.
Sitting in front of this monster who could drive a person into a corner with her killing intent alone, one would habitually check if one’s neck was still attached.
She tried to think that Siern wasn't so reckless as to commit murder in the reception room of the Ravencrow Barony, but that was something one could never know.
The killing intent of a slaughterer did not distinguish between time and place.
“So, why don’t you return now?”
Although spoken with a smiling face, the words were filled with a sharp-edged hostility.
Siern did not find the idea of Derek’s students increasing any further to be a pleasant one.
That intention was well received.
Still, to make the young lady of the Renuel Viscounty, who had come all this way, return without even seeing the master of the house once was an act that was excessively against etiquette.
To really say ‘Yes, I understand’ and return here would be a blow to her pride.
If it were only her pride that was hurt, it would be better, but if she were to be swayed by the young lady of the Rochest family after being intimidated like this, she would end up handing over the position of the real power in the Rosea Salon as well.
It was the moment Trisha was briefly contemplating what to say in response.
Creak—
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Lady Siern.”
The one who opened the door of the shabby reception room and entered was Derek.
Following behind him was a person with a familiar face. For some reason, it was Young Lady Elente, wearing a plain blouse that commoners would wear.
“Oh, Lady Trisha?”
Elente, who was sweeping back her red hair, opened her eyes wide upon seeing Trisha.
She looked as if she had never expected to meet her here.
For Trisha, who had felt as if she were sitting on a bed of thorns being alone with Siern.
From her perspective, it felt as if a savior had arrived.
<><><>
Baron Derek Ridolf Ravencrow was an individual who, just as Trisha had thought, did not exude any sense of noble authority.
He was young. He was tall, and his build was on the smaller side for a man.
He had pure white hair and red eyes, and was dressed in a tunic made of patched-together cloth with a simple cloak draped over it.
If one were to encounter him on the street, no one would be able to notice that he was a noble.
That was how much he gave the impression of being detached from authoritarianism.
However, no matter how comfortable an impression he gave, there was a limit.
“Derek… comb my hair for me.”
“Have you been to the forest?”
“Unlike the snowfields, when you walk through the forest here, it’s full of the scent of life. I got excited without realizing it and ran around.”
No matter what, he was the master of this mansion… setting aside Siern, who was sitting in front of that Baron Ravencrow and openly asking him to comb her hair…
The sight of Derek, who was nonchalantly tidying Siern’s pure white hair with a comb, was also quite unusual.
“…”
Trisha was at a loss for words for a moment.
This was because she could not get used to such an unguarded appearance. The difference in authority was almost imperceptible.
In fact, if one were to list the four people gathered in this place in order of their authority, it was certain without any room for debate.
The most authoritative person, no matter what anyone said, was Lady Elente of the County of Belmeade.
She was the rightful heir to the County of Belmeade, which had swallowed the entire coastal region south of the Belkos Peninsula.
More than half of the trade routes leading to Ebelstein passed through there, and it was a place that even housed the Drest Magic Society, the largest magic society in the continent’s southwest, within its territory.
As she was a person who would become the ruler of such a place, she was not simply a child of a noble house but a figure close to a young countess.
Next was the beast of the Rochest Duchy, Lady Siern.
Receiving the favor of Lord Melverot and walking the path of a great mage at a young age, she was the most authoritative person among all the young ladies of the north.
It was to the point where not only ordinary nobles but even those strong-willed high-ranking young ladies of Ebelstein’s high society would be wary of her.
The next in line would be Derek, who had just entered the ranks of the nobility, or Trisha, the young lady of the Renuel Viscounty who was still building her power.
Since it was their first meeting, it was natural for them to be awkward, but looking at the others, there was a feeling of unguarded comfort.
In a state where such a vertical power structure was established, the atmosphere was bound to be somewhat rigid.
However, Elente, who was casually wearing comfortable clothes, and Siern, who was receiving a combing from Derek while sniffing the air with a pleased look, seemed as if they were in their own living rooms.
“I apologize that the atmosphere is somewhat chaotic.”
“Ah, no… it’s fine… is it always like this…?”
“…”
Trisha spoke with an awkward look, but Derek made a somewhat complex and subtle expression.
He seemed to know himself that the current situation was not exactly natural.
In truth, Trisha had intended to show off her arrogance to the fullest and crush Derek.
At best, he was a hollow baron who had just received his title. He had no support base, and though it was called a family, he was just a chieftain of a remote region playing the part of a lone head of house.
He would not be able to hold his head high in front of the young lady of the Renuel family, who was certain to receive the title of Count soon.
So her intention was to make him clearly recognize the hierarchy—but seeing him casually flanked by Elente and Siern, her lips would not part.
This was because the thought suddenly surged up: what if she were to be harmed by Elente or Siern for treating Derek carelessly?
However, Trisha was a tough nut in her own right.
Clearing her throat with a ‘ahem,’ she tilted her head all the way back and spoke with an arrogant look.
“For someone sitting in a hollow noble position, the mansion is well-managed.”
“You praise me too highly.”
“…”
She had blurted out impertinent words right off the bat, but Derek did not show any signs of being emotionally stirred.
On the contrary, he looked as if he had dealt with arrogant and stubborn noble young ladies to the point of being sick of them.
In fact, compared to the prime of Diella or Siern, Lady Trisha’s arrogant and insolent behavior was nothing more than a drop in the bucket. From Derek’s perspective, it was just at a cute level.
If she knew what kind of thorny path he had walked, she would quickly realize how insignificant the single step she had forcefully taken looked. But there was no way for Trisha to know that.
‘Somehow… it’s not like he’s hurt his pride, nor is he bowing his head coolly… it feels like I’m throwing meaningless punches at a stone wall…’
Certainly, the man named Derek had a quality like a steadfast wall.
“A-anyway, there’s a reason I came all this way.”
“Did you come because you want to learn magic?”
At those words, Siern’s eyes, who was suddenly receiving a combing from Derek, flashed.
It was not visible from the perspective of Derek, who was indifferently stroking Siern’s pure white hair, but Trisha, who was sitting directly opposite, saw it clearly.
Her lips were moving. It seemed she was whispering something, but it was difficult to know its exact meaning.
However, just by looking at her expression, it seemed possible to know the meaning. In any case, she was threatening to kill her if she did anything unnecessary.
Lady Trisha swallowed a dry gulp of saliva, her face turning pale.
For some reason, it seemed that Lady Siern had a strange sense of possessiveness toward that magic teacher named Derek.
It seemed she couldn't do anything about the young ladies who had already formed a master-disciple relationship with Derek before her, but she was extremely wary of new insects being drawn to him.
Trisha shook her head with the sole intention of surviving.
“No! Not at all! Why would I have to come all the way here to learn magic?!”
“…Is that so?”
Derek replied with an expression of acceptance.
At that, Siern’s expression changed to a gentle and bright one, as if nothing had happened.
Sniffing happily at Derek’s touch as he stroked her hair, she was swinging her legs as if it didn't matter at all.
‘What in the world is going on…?’
Trisha spoke, her legs trembling.
“I didn’t come today as the young lady of the Renuel Viscounty, nor did I come to ask to learn magic.”
“…Then for what reason have you come?”
“….I came as a client.”
Only then did Trisha get to the main point.
<><><>
Rodeia, the head of the Renuel Viscounty, had performed a great service, to the extent that Emperor Gutrel himself had praised her.
This was because she had killed all three of the necromancers who had set up a base on Rodentz Island.
At the western end of the continent, that Rodentz Island, isolated and covered in all sorts of whirlpools and turbulent currents, was the headquarters where necromancers, forbidden on the continent, had gathered and were making their move.
Rodeia, the head of the Renuel Viscounty, had personally pushed her way in there and, after a bloody battle and chase that lasted over half a year, killed all three of the necromancers who ruled the island.
In effect, it was a service equivalent to having wiped out the evil forces stirring in the west in one fell swoop.
Of course, it was not without a price. She had to lose the sight in her right eye, and one of her arms became almost unusable.
Since Rodeia had to sacrifice her life as a mage who roamed the battlefields, Emperor Gutrel could not help but praise her service.
As a result, at the next birthday celebration, Rodeia, the head of the Renuel family, was scheduled to rise to the position of Margrave, managing all the outlying areas of the continent’s northwest, and at the same time, receive the title of Countess, with the size of her territory also set to grow by more than four times.
She was truly a figure like a rising star, soaring brilliantly in the noble world.
“My mother, who subjugated Rodentz Island, discovered numerous research documents on necromancy in their headquarters.”
“…”
Derek was glad that the Duplein sisters were not at the mansion.
Their wounds from having their family turned completely upside down after bringing in a single necromantic artifact would not have healed yet. For them, a discourse on necromancy would still be an act of reopening a wound.
“My mother, who was a faithful sword of the Empire, burned almost all of them. Except for a few documents, that is.”
“…There were documents that were not burned?”
“Yes. It’s right to get rid of all the materials on necromancy, but she thought she should leave a few of them as evidence. Because there was some rather shocking content written in them.”
Trisha crossed her arms and glanced around for a moment.
Siern was entrusting her body to Derek’s touch as if it didn't matter, and Elente was listening with a narrowed brow.
She wondered if it was alright for a third party other than Derek to hear this story, but in any case, it seemed that the Viscountess Rodeia had judged that it was fine for this fact to be known a little.
In any case, once the request officially began, those in the know would find out.
“The necromancers who were based on Rodentz Island didn’t learn that magic themselves. They treasured a strange book that came from the other side of the continent like a treasure, and while worshiping it, they received those magics as teachings.”
“What? The necromancers of Rodentz Island… I heard they were the most dangerous among those who had committed the taboo…”
Elente said so, her expression hardening.
The head mages of Rodentz Island were two 4-Stars and one 5-Star.
Since high-level mages that were difficult for even ordinary noble families to produce were also using necromancy… suppressing them would not have been an easy task.
Could there really exist an individual who could impart teachings to them?
If one did exist…..
“──My mother came to a conclusion. That a 6-Star necromancer… might have established a base somewhere on the continent.”
Derek narrowed his brow. Elente, who was sitting next to him, also could not help but open her eyes wide.
The existence of a 6-Star necromancer was a top secret among top secrets, known only to a few of the most authoritative figures among the central nobles of the continent.
Not only the real powers of Ebelstein’s southwest, but even most of the imperial family did not know of its existence. Among those Derek had met, the only person who knew of the existence of that 6-Star necromancer was Lord Melverot.
However, it seemed that the Viscountess Rodeia had caught a whiff of the existence of that 6-Star necromancer in the process of subjugating Rodentz Island.
Therefore, she intended to trace the source of that scent.
“There’s intelligence that low-ranking necromancers who escaped from Rodentz Island have hidden themselves in the Ebelstein area. If we catch them and interrogate them, we might be able to get a clue about that 6-Star necromancer.”
“So you came to me.”
“That’s right. We needed someone who is familiar with the geography and situation of Ebelstein, who can come and go anywhere from the noble district to the slums without being awkward, who has experience fighting against necromancy, whose magic level is high, who is tight-lipped, and who is thorough in completing requests. There aren’t many people who meet all these conditions.”
Trisha placed a document summarizing the request details on the table and then placed a large pouch of gold coins on top of it.
“This much for the down payment.”
“Ropellon gold coins from the northwest. Did you receive them directly from the viscounty?”
“With this, you could build another building the size of this mansion, you know? It might be a hollow title, but now that you’ve got a noble rank, shouldn’t you live in a nicer mansion?”
Trisha said with a captivating smile.
If the down payment alone was this much, one could not even fathom how much of a massive reward of gold coins would come upon completing the request.
“Find the necromancers hiding in Ebelstein. They’ll be carrying the necromancy tomes they brought from Rodentz Island. Find them well, interrogate them well, and if you can dig up information about the 6-Star necromancer… I’ll add twice this amount of gold coins on top.”
“I’m sorry, but I must refuse.”
“That’s how it should be~ Then, once you start the work, I’ll send a separate letter… huh?”
Derek flipped the document Trisha had handed him over on the desk and put it down with a thud.
And then, with a serious face, he spoke directly.
“It is unreasonable for me to take on a task of this much importance. I would recommend you entrust it to a more proper mercenary corps.”
“There’s no way we can handle a matter involving necromancy through such official channels…”
“In any case, it seems to be a task that is difficult for me to handle with my capabilities.”
Derek stated it clearly.
Hearing those words, Trisha was left dumbfounded. She seemed not to have expected that he would refuse a request with this amount of gold coins at stake.
“I think it would be best for you to return now.”
However, Derek knew.
The breadbasket at the southeastern tip of the continent.
The youngest daughter of the Barony of Tigris, Young Lady Pinne Rafaela Tigris.
“…”
Known as, the Witch of Tigris.
That woman, the continent’s only 6-Star necromancer, was an individual who should never be trifled with.
It was Derek, who had tried to suppress even Lady Siern, who inherited the blood of Noir, without a second thought, but even he did not think of deliberately provoking Pinne.
It was a fact that those in the know already knew.
─There was not a single normal person among the 6-Star mages.
Especially Pinne, she was an unrivaled figure among them.
It was a wise course of action to not create any involvement with her if possible.
“It would be best for Lady Trisha to also back out if you are not certain. It is too dangerous a request to be used as material for getting a foothold in Ebelstein’s high society.”
Looking at Derek, who was staring at her with a resolute expression, Trisha once again swallowed a dry gulp of saliva.
Although he was an endlessly young person, his eyes held the maturity that only seasoned nobles possessed.
While pretending to be uninterested, he had been sizing up and trying to see through what kind of person Trisha was.
One of the reasons Trisha had tried to entrust the request to Derek was because he was a famous magic teacher in Ebelstein’s high society. She had intended to create a point of contact with him through the request.
He had seen through even that fact.
He was not a person who would move around like a chess piece just because you handed him money.
A hollow title, and attire in which one could not find a shred of dignity, but… there was a reason why even the young ladies of considerable influential families did not treat him carelessly.