Magic (4)
"It has already been quite a while since Derrick entered Duke Beltus's family as a master."
As she absentmindedly listened to the presentation on magic theory research at the academy, Ellente, the Young Lady of the Belmiard family who was considered like the rose of the Rosea Salon, could not help but lose her concentration.
Thinking about that mercenary master who loved talking about magic so much that he could go on all night made its way into her mind.
Ellente let her red hair fall and gave a short sigh.
The Belmiard family had been utterly defeated in the recruitment battle to bring in that Derrick, and in the end, they had their Derrick stolen away by Duke Beltus's family.
Of course, competition among nobles to recruit talented people always had an unpredictable ending, but losing Derrick was something that could not help but be painfully regrettable. Even the Margrave of Belmiard had apologized to Ellente, saying he was sorry.
In fact, since it was the first time Ellente had ever so actively demanded a master, even the Margrave of Belmiard would have rolled up his sleeves and gone all out.
"Maybe I only ended up burdening father for nothing... still, just what kind of conditions did Duke Beltus's family offer to be able to take Derrick?"
In any case, even in Ellente's own opinion, Derrick was an excellent magic master.
It was an age where a magic master with outstanding skill could name any price, but she could not help but be curious about just how much Duke Beltus's family had offered.
Looking at the reality of things, the most important variable had been Derrick's intention to create a connection with Duke Beltus's family... but from Ellente's standpoint, there was no way she could know that.
All that was clear was that from the moment he kicked Aiselin away, it had become obvious that he did not accept just anyone as a disciple.
"Hm... should I suggest having a cup of tea with Young Lady Denise and casually sound her out...?"
Ellente did not particularly like the kind of social maneuvering unique to High Society. Calling out the Young Lady of a rival family separately and acting underhanded just to probe their internal affairs was not like her.
However, it was also true that she was curious about how Young Lady Denise was learning magic from Derrick.
"Right, just making an appointment should be fine. I'll ask the head butler to get in touch for me."
The Young Lady Denise she had seen at the gathering of Ebelstein High Society and the Rosea Salon had always given off a mysterious feeling.
Like other Young Ladies, she was both friendly and elegant, but... somewhere deep inside, it felt as though she was hiding a temperament she did not openly reveal. Among the three of the Rosea Salon, she was the most mysterious figure.
"Young Lady Denise... she definitely won't be an easy person..."
Teaching such a veiled person would not be easy either. In the end, teaching someone meant having to grasp and control that person, did it not.
How on earth was Derrick teaching that mystery-filled Young Lady Denise.
Ellente wanted to check at least once.
When the presentation at the magic academy ended, Ellente stood up from her seat and straightened the hem of her dress.
It felt like her motivation was bubbling up for the first time in a while.
*
"I don't know what kind of scheme you're plotting... but in the end, the servants can't help but all be on my side.
Structurally, they all belong to Duke Beltus's family, after all."
The next morning, after finishing breakfast, Young Lady Denise said this to Derrick while standing in the corridor.
Derrick tilted his head slightly with his hands behind his back and looked at Young Lady Denise.
"Pardon?"
"It looks like you've been running around lately trying to get close to the servants... doing something behind the scenes like that isn't very nice. We should just purely teach and learn magic, shouldn't we? Hmm?"
"I think there's been some misunderstanding... I certainly am trying to get along well with the servants, but it's not because I have some big scheme behind it."
Young Lady Denise swallowed her dry saliva.
Denise had openly tried to use Derrick, and he would also know very well that Duke Beltus's family regarded Derrick as a chess piece to use in the nobles' power struggles.
Even so, although he would not be someone who could feel favor toward Denise or Duke Beltus's family even in empty words, Derrick wore an unconcerned expression. Denise found it hard to grasp what was in his heart.
"Certainly, as Young Lady Denise says, I do need to become closer to the servants. It's also true that I have a purpose in acting like this. But that reason isn't anything particularly suspicious, and if you ask, it's not something I can't tell you."
"W, what is it...?"
"What else could it be? Aren't the servants who have assisted Young Lady Denise for many long years the people who know Young Lady Denise best?"
Denise spoke as if interrogating him, but Derrick met her gaze directly and spoke as if it were nothing.
"I need to know Young Lady Denise better. Since I came as your master, isn't it only natural that I want to know even the smallest details about what kind of person the one I am to teach is?"
"You don't have to go to such troublesome lengths for that, I'll tell you everything..! I, I mean, if you say you're the Young Lady of Duke Beltus's family, you must have already heard all the rumors at the Rosea Salon."
"That is true, but information based on such rumors has very clear limits."
Derrick was someone whose eyes became endlessly serious whenever he talked about magic.
His immersion and passion were enough to make anyone click their tongue in admiration.
"Magic is extremely profound, and each person's way of handling mana is also subtly different. One must comprehensively consider that person's temperament, thoughts, habits, values, and way of seeing the world. The distinction of schools is important, but just as important is grasping the temperament of the mage himself."
"...Th, that's what I was saying..."
"How can one truly know a person called Young Lady Denise based only on superficial information circulating at the Rosea Salon? What I want to know is not the superficial achievements of the Young Lady of Duke Beltus's family...
It is Denise herself. Only then can I teach magic better."
There was conviction in Derrick's firm tone.
Having grown up from the very bottom, he had his own considerations about the process by which a person comes to wield magic well.
What he felt while being taught by the old man and Katia, and then by Drest. And what he felt while teaching Delia and Ellente. And what he felt while exploring magic itself and studying alone.
All of those lifelong experiences had come together into one, forming his own philosophy about what one should value most when teaching magic to people.
"Th, then... you asked the servants about me?"
"Since they are the people assisting you right by your side, there were many things that couldn't be known from rumors alone. Of course, I thought they might be embarrassing things for you, so I didn't bring them up."
"Wh, what did they say...?"
"They said you are widely respected by the servants. They said that although you always say everything is bothersome and you don't want to do it, when it really matters, you know how to roll up your sleeves."
Derrick listed without embellishment what he had heard from the servants.
Since Denise was hearing it directly like this, she could not help but feel a little embarrassed.
"I also heard that whether it's magic or study, if you decide to do something, you're the kind of person who would achieve great things, but you're just not showing any motivation... and that although you act indifferent, you take good care of the servants. I also heard that you have a good eye for things... and that you write well."
"Th, the servants said that. Ah... ahaha... uhehe..."
"...."
"Didn't they say anything about me being pretty? Like prettier than Aiselin or Ellente..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Derrick was not someone who told empty lies.
In truth, Denise's appearance was quite outstanding, but no matter how so, if you brought Aiselin and Ellente and compared them, anyone would have no choice but to tilt their head and fall into deep thoughts.
"You really never tell empty lies.
"That way, when I say something with conviction, my words gain credibility, don't they?"
"It's good to have conviction, but I worry you might get hurt somewhere for it."
"I already have, many times."
"I thought so."
Denise let out a deep sigh, then finally relaxed her shoulders.
She felt like she had gotten to know this boy a little more. The reason Derrick had gone out of his way to spend time with servants he didn't need to flatter, even cutting into the time he didn't have, was solely to teach Denise magic better.
Unlike Denise, a flower in a greenhouse, he must have gone through all kinds of hellscapes while traveling through many labyrinths.
Even so, unless it was necessary, he did not stubbornly treat others harshly, and often treated them with gentlemanly consideration.
It was completely different from when he would hide in a cave, dirty and worn, buried only in magic.
Like the city of Ebelstein itself, he seemed to have a thousand faces. That was why it was hard to see through his true intentions at a glance.
"Still... th, the servants seeing me so favorably does make me feel proud. I don't really think I'm that considerate though... having a good eye for things and all... and writing well... huh?"
"..."
"H, how do they know that I write?"
"I heard it from the head maid."
"N, no, how does the head maid know?"
Suddenly, Denise's complexion turned pale. Derrick had also expected it to turn out like this, but as he said, he did not tell empty lies and simply conveyed what he had heard.
"They probably thought there was a reason you always look sleepy. Many maids have seen you sitting at your desk moving your pen before going to sleep at night. When there's the sound of scratching coming from inside the room, from the standpoint of someone assisting you, isn't it only natural to look?"
"N, no... I was always watching my surroundings carefully?"
"You shouldn't underestimate the maids. They are the ones who always follow you like shadows and assist you, so wouldn't they have that much awareness? If you oil the hinges well, even if you open the door a little, there's no sound. You should have watched the door side more carefully in case someone was looking."
Having gone this far, Derrick had no choice.
He told her everything he had heard without holding back. In truth, the servants themselves must have been worrying about when and how to convey this.
"I also heard about the pale pink book that comes out when you lift the bottom of the third drawer next to your bed."
"Th, the servants knew about that?"
"Yes. Weren't you writing every night? The title was...
"...."
Suddenly, Denise's breathing stopped.
"I heard that the psychological depiction that seeps out from the graceful and beautiful prose and the firm penmanship is absolutely superb."
"......"
"I didn't read it because I wanted to... but the maids kept pestering me so much... I looked at it a few times when you went out to salon gatherings... certainly... um... there were many parts where the descriptions and narrative really hit the heart. It seemed to have quite a few devoted readers among the maids... I could understand why."
"...H-hic."
Denise was letting out completely mismatched hiccups.
Come to think of it, for some time now, no answers had been coming back from Denise.
Derrick briefly examined Denise's expression. Thinking that he should choose his words carefully, he added weight to his voice. In truth, for a girl of Denise's age to harbor such girlish imaginings was not such a strange thing.
"You don't need to be so flustered. Creation is something that's originally embarrassing... and even to someone like me who is an outsider to that field, your writing was certainly something to admire."
"Reading about the unfortunate circumstances of the protagonist Tracy made my own chest ache. Especially since I myself am from the slums, I couldn't help but be surprised by those details. However, whether someone like Sir Robein could exist in reality... I'm not sure. Certainly, his fierce nature and, on the other hand, the tender feelings of a man who harbors a faint love for Tracy were impressive."
"..."
"The crossing paths and obsession, and the possessiveness toward Tracy... and allocating seven pages to describing Sir Robein's wild charm might have been a bit excessive, I thought... but if you search the world, there might be one such man somewhere. It's not like it's impossible, is it? I respect it."
"Kyaaaaaaah!!!"
Denise could no longer listen to Derrick's story and ended up grabbing her head and running into her room.
Derrick held his chin and thought.
Certainly, the sensibilities of girls this age were hard to keep up with.
He had said all sorts of things, but in any case, Derrick had not lied.
The reason Derrick had been interacting with the servants was truly to get to know Denise better.
To be more precise... it was to see if she had any weaknesses.
*
"Good morning, Young Lady Denise."
The next morning, Denise was having her disheveled hair arranged by a maid.
Perhaps because she had barely slept all night, the area around her eyes was dark. The servants, who had the duty of always keeping the young lady's appearance beautiful, were having a hard time.
"Did you do some writing again last night? You look very tired. Wouldn't it be better to do it within limits that don't interfere with your daily life?"
"H-hic..."
When Derrick said that casually, the servants around them swallowed their breaths.
In fact, the maid who reacted like that was also one of the mansion's servants who was an avid reader of Denise's work.
"Wh, what are you talking about, Derrick? W, writing...?"
It seemed that Denise was adopting a strategy of treating yesterday's conversation as something that "didn't happen."
Of course, Derrick was not the kind of person who would play along with such a pointless act.
"I'm talking about
"...."
"Maybe because it was the last scene, I still remember it well. Watching Tracy in such a precarious state, Sir Robein's tender feelings, seeing her like a glass craft that would shatter at the slightest wrong touch...."
"Derrick!! Today we should work hard on magic training too! Why are you saying such useless things!"
Denise, drenched in cold sweat, jumped up from her seat. It was the first time she had ever stepped forward saying she would do magic training first.
The leisurely, slow attitude she always had was gone, and she was stamping her feet while soaked in sweat like water.
"..."
All the servants who were watching the situation ended up holding their breath.
They thought Denise was quite harsh, but Derrick was even more relentless.
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