Wild Horse (3)
Dear Young Lady Delia,
Even though quite some time has passed since late spring arrived, when night comes a chilly air still rises. Since you are standing before an important period, I hope you will always take care so that your health does not suffer any major problems.
The reason I am moving my pen in secret like this to write a private letter is because it pains me so much that you hold such great hostility toward me.
I could not openly show it in a public place, but I am someone who has absolutely no reason to be so hostile toward Young Lady Delia. More than anything, I am in a position where I am always stomping my feet because I want to dismiss that magic master named Derrick whom you mentioned.
As you know well, the Beltus family will never want to dismiss Derrick. In other words, my will to dismiss Derrick like this is going against the will of the family.
I think that just by conveying this intention, I have already shown you my weakness, Young Lady Delia. If you think that this letter is false or that I am playing tricks, you can simply take this letter and come to the Beltus family.
If you push this letter in front of my father and report that a noble Young Lady of the Beltus family is committing an act that harms the household, it will naturally bring great disadvantages to my position as well.
The reason I am openly revealing my weakness like this is simple. It is because our interests align.
As I said, I am in a position where I beg that anyone at all would take away that magic master named Derrick.
However, since I cannot openly decide an issue that involves the practical interests of the family as I please, I would like to make you a proposal.
Let us have a magic spar.
I will put Derrick on the line. Please stake something that matches it.
Since he is a magic master whom all three great families are eagerly eyeing, a trivial price would not make the spar work, but in truth it does not have much meaning. After all, I intend to lose the spar on purpose.
If the Duplein Ducal House side puts up a price that even my father can accept as valuable, then this spar can be made to happen.
Losing the spar like this and handing over Derrick is something I can bear. This too will be accepted as my fault, but it will be far less of a backlash than openly going against the will of the family and handing over Derrick. This much must be endured.
As I said at the tea party, Derrick is truly a good magic master, and he will become an even more outstanding person in the future. But as for me, he is still not someone I can handle.
A good teacher shines even more when he meets a good disciple. I sincerely hope that an outstanding person like Young Lady Delia can take this treasure called Derrick well.
Then, I ask that you please be sure to send a reply.
I repeat myself, but since this is an important matter that involves my position within the family, I ask that you make absolutely sure that this letter does not leak out.
Denise.
*
–Scratch scratch
Dawn, with only the sound of insects crawling over the window frame.
In the darkness, Denise's hand was busy as she relied on a small candle and swiftly moved her quill pen.
The way she wrote the letter while frequently checking the door and the window looked extremely urgent.
In any case, she had to complete the letter without being discovered by anyone, and deliver this to Delia by some means or another.
At this point in time, the only person who could take Derrick away was precisely that wild-horse-like noble Young Lady.
'I hope there aren't any parts that go against proper etiquette because I wrote this in such a hurry… Let me review it just once. Even if it's a bit rough, Young Lady Delia will understand.'
Since there was absolutely nothing good about the contents of the letter becoming known somewhere, Denise wanted to finish things quickly.
It was practically evidence that Denise herself was actively going against the will of the Beltus family.
Even if they were servants of the family, she could not show this content to anyone.
Thinking that, at the moment she glanced nervously toward the door—
She ended up locking eyes, through the gap in the door, with the head maid who was walking down the corridor late at night.
"Gasp…"
"…!"
The head maid also had a somewhat startled look.
However, she was someone who had assisted Denise for a long time. Hiding her surprise as much as possible, she spoke to Denise in a quietly whispering tone.
"I, I felt a presence, so I wondered if there might be an intruder and came to check for a moment."
"Th, this is… I mean…"
"Ah, no. It's fine. Since I've confirmed that there is no intruder, I will be going now. In any case… um… I'm sorry for breaking your concentration… um… please… do your best with your writing!"
"….."
The head maid, being considerate of Denise, quickly walked into the darkness between the corridors. It almost looked like she was running away.
"…."
Denise could not help but fall into a wistful and complicated mood.
*
As the season changed, the heat began to rise little by little even in the southwestern region of the Empire.
The warm scenery of romantic spring days gradually retreated, and it was the time when all the mountains and rivers and plants became green.
In preparation for the heat that would soon arrive, the servants of the Duplein residence were moving busily day by day.
–Creak!
–Tadatak! Tadak! Tadak!
Every day was busy, but today was a day that could not help but be even more hectic.
It was the day when the family's troops, who had gone to subjugate the White Zone north of the territory, were making their first return.
Among the private soldiers who had first dispersed at the entrance of the Duplein territory, Valerian and Raig were entering inside the gates of the residence, bringing with them only the most reliable Adjutant and a few soldiers who had made the greatest contributions.
The two sons, riding large white horses, were splendidly dressed in thick armor.
The soldiers who followed them, and their uncle Flam who had gone along in the role of teacher, were also accompanying them behind. A mature 4-star mage, he was someone who had accompanied them in order to pass on knowledge about battlefield command to the two sons of Duke Duplein.
The young master Valerian, who was leading the group, already possessed all the dignity of a reliable noble.
"Father. The subjugation of the White Zone is still a long way off, but it was not without results."
Valerian had defeated the monsters of the White Zone together with many soldiers and explored several labyrinths.
He already looked as if he had aged several more years and become more reliable.
Duke Duplein looked at his eldest son and made a satisfied smile, then rose from his seat in the office and approached the armor-clad Valerian, patting his shoulder.
"It must have been your first battlefield experience, but I'm glad you came back with such a bright expression."
"No. As I said, we subjugated several labyrinths near the White Zone. The number is not yet large, but the number of monsters in the border region will be reduced quite a lot."
"Yes. You cannot be full with the first spoonful. It is enough that you returned safely and in good health. You must have received many teachings from Flam, yes?"
"Yes. Uncle, who is certainly a seasoned soldier, taught us a lot about how to lead troops. I think we will be able to bring back even more results on the second expedition."
Duke Duplein also saw the appearance of Raig standing sturdily behind Valerian with his arms crossed.
The second son also looked much more solid compared to when he had been training alone in the residence.
The Belmiard and Beltus families, the other two of the three great families, were certainly powerful as well, but one of the reasons they could never catch up to Duplein was precisely the presence or absence of reliable successors.
The eldest son of the Beltus family, Lovent, was diligent in everything but had a bad head and a small capacity, so he still had a long way to go,
And the sons of the Belmiard family had all either wandered off or devoted themselves to religion, so in reality the eldest daughter, Ellente, was bearing all the burdens.
However, the Duplein family had Valerian, Raig, Aiselin, and Delia, and there was not a single one lacking, so rumors spread that they had truly reaped a bountiful harvest in raising their children.
That was why Duke Duplein could stretch out his legs and sleep peacefully even with Duke Beltus and Margrave Belmiard, who were always eyeing the Duplein family's position, right in front of him.
"We have brought back to the residence a few soldiers who made many contributions in the subjugation of the White Zone. They are people who truly risked their lives and fought for the glory of the family, so please be sure to praise them."
"Very well. Bring them out to dinner tonight. Aiselin and Delia have also come to the residence after hearing the news of your return. Be sure to see their faces at least once before dinner."
"Oh, is that so?"
It had been quite a while since he had seen the faces of his cute younger sisters.
Valerian's face brightened, but Raig behind him was making an awkward expression.
Aiselin, who was kind to everyone, was one thing, but Delia was still somewhat uncomfortable around Valerian.
Because of the memories of how he had behaved like a ruffian in their childhood, it seemed that an awkward feeling still remained.
Whether it was Valerian or Raig, they clearly wanted to reconcile with that adolescent girl, but Delia's attitude, which still seemed somewhat uncomfortable, did not change at all.
In the end, whenever those two sturdy men stood in front of Delia, they would stomp their feet and be at a loss. The sight of two sturdy men being flustered by one girl who was about half their size looked like a scene from a third-rate comedy.
"Don't worry, Raig. I have prepared my secret weapon."
"…Pardon?"
Seeing Raig's expression, Valerian spoke as if he had read his mind.
"Didn't we retrieve something from a labyrinth during the subjugation of the White Zone? The clay of Raintheim."
"Ah… that, you mean? I heard it's quite rare. Isn't it an item whose shape changes according to the user's will? I heard its durability is poor, so it's not very practical…"
"Yes. While on the battlefield, thinking of Delia and Aiselin, I manifested it in the form of statues of the two of them."
Valerian took out from the leather backpack a servant was holding two statues shaped like Delia and Aiselin.
"How is it? It's completely different in quality from the handmade dolls I failed with last time, right? Certainly, it was my fault to try to win my sisters' favor with such tasteless things."
"...."
"Even if they look at this themselves, they will clap and be amazed. Not only does it show the beautiful appearance of Aiselin and Delia, it also shows their gracefulness."
The head maid, who was watching the two from behind, had a wistful expression.
The statues that took the shape of the two girls were not just similar, but to the point that you would think they were exactly the same. Rather than being amazing, it was enough to give one goosebumps. It looked like something you could even call a kind of cursed doll.
Raig, who was examining the statues, made a serious expression for a moment, then looked Valerian in the eyes and said with conviction.
"Oh… they're very good, brother. With such a witty gift, the two of them will surely be happy. When did you prepare something like this?"
In truth, he was not much different from Valerian either.
"Haha… no matter how busy the battlefield is, how could I stop thinking about family? Coming back to the residence after a long time makes my heart feel warm."
Valerian showed a bright face and rose, wanting to hurry to go meet his two cute younger sisters.
Still, everything that had to be reported had to be reported. In fact, he had not yet brought up the most important report.
"In any case, the most important report remains. While subjugating one of the White Zone labyrinths, we discovered one magic weapon at its deepest part. It is stored in the carriage, and I ordered the servants to move it to the warehouse."
"Oh, is that really so? If it's something that came out of a White Zone labyrinth, it must be quite a high-grade item. We should check it."
"…However, that…"
Valerian's expression became a little troubled. Raig also lowered his gaze.
Sensing that something was not right with the two sons, Duke Duplein stroked his chin and said,
"…Is there some problem?"
"…It was a large staff, but it seems to be an item used for Necromantic-type magic. I think you should check it yourself."
Duke Duplein's expression gradually hardened.
He had heard that there were many strange items among the treasures buried in the White Zone, but this seemed to be among the most ominous of them.
*
"Hah."
When Denise suddenly opened her eyes on the bed, the chirping of morning birds was climbing over the window frame and entering the bedroom.
It was morning—no, it was dawn.
Since she had started sharing her daily life with Derrick, waking up at dawn had become too natural. Recently, it had even reached the point where her eyes would open by themselves when daybreak came.
Her mood became complicated at the situation where even her body had already completely adjusted to Derrick's lifestyle pattern, but in any case, since her eyes were open, she had to get up.
Derrick maintained such a precise daily pattern that one might think he was a machine, so within five minutes of Denise opening her eyes, he would open the door and come in, and recite today's training schedule.
Then, as always, Denise would drink a glass of milk with a face like she had chewed sand, let her messy hair hang down, and go to get herself ready looking half-dead.
Because the series of processes was easily drawn in her head, Denise wanted to cry as soon as she opened her eyes.
During those five minutes before Derrick barged in, she saw the panorama of her life. It had been a fairly happy life.
"...."
However, not even after ten minutes did Derrick barge in.
As always, only the sound of birds chirping flowed into the quiet and calm bedroom.
"…What? Does that machine-like man get his schedule mixed up sometimes too?"
In the past few months, the man who had kept his schedule without a single error showing such an irregular pattern like this for the first time.
Denise struggled to raise her body and sat at the table in the center of the bedroom.
After stretching her stiff body and yawning, the pleasant air of the early dawn filled her lungs.
Then, as she sat there quietly, a maid came to check on Denise's condition.
"Miss Denise, you're awake. I will tell the kitchen to prepare breakfast."
"Uh, y-yeah. But… Derrick didn't come?"
"Yes, I was going to tell you that. The Captain of the Veldern Mercenary Corps, Jayden, was badly injured and is in critical condition, so he urgently requested one day off. The Duke permitted it as well, so it seems today's schedule will be empty."
It was truly wonderful news. It was the perfect opportunity to deliver the diligently written letter to Delia.
"…..Really?"
"Yes. He said that he is very close with the Captain of the Veldern Mercenary Corps, so he granted the request. He also said that he is truly sorry for suddenly changing the schedule, and he sincerely apologized, saying that he would fill today's gap no matter what."
"No, he doesn't need to fill it. Really, there's no need. Tell him there's no need to apologize."
Denise suddenly saw an illusion as if flowers were blooming all over the world.
She didn't have to do anything.
Her schedule was completely empty all day.
She felt as if her whole body was being soaked in honey at that supreme happiness that had come for the first time in months.
Derrick was not coming. That man who was like a reaper of hell would not even show the tip of his nose all day.
She chewed on that fact again and again, but she could not believe it. However, it was the reality in front of her. In reality, Derrick did not even visit the residence even though it was training time.
"This can't be…"
Denise, in a dazed mood, quietly went to the window and looked at the scenery outside. The wide-open view embraced her.
It came back.
Life. This is life. The daily routine she had lost, those lazy days that were like gold and jewels, returned into the girl's arms.
With tears welling up in her eyes, Denise first lay down on the bed.
"I'll just skip breakfast."
"Th, is that so? Then I will pass that along."
After sending the maid out like that, Denise took out all the many famous books she had bought but could not read.
However, since she had put books down for a long time due to training, she hesitated, not knowing which one to pick up first. In the first place, Denise usually read books in the late afternoon or at night; she did not start reading books from early morning when her mind was not even awake.
"Hm…"
The girl lay down on the bed for a moment.
Amidst the books scattered everywhere, she first quietly looked up at the ceiling.
The cool dawn breeze entering the quiet room was scattering the curtains by the window.
In the room after the maid had left, only quiet peace had taken its place.
"...."
Quiet.
The boy mage who had remembered every little movement of Denise and worked for her with all his heart was not there.
With just one person gone, this bedroom felt like a huge hollow. She newly realized how passionately he had worked.
"…What did I usually do at this time?"
When you spend a long time buried in one thing, sometimes you cannot remember what your daily life was like before that thing was finished.
Like that, Denise just lay there quietly, looking at the ceiling.
It was a day without Derrick.
*
- Creak
'Tears of Veldern' was temporarily closed.
After returning to Ebelstein, Derrick had not had the leisure because he was carrying out requests from the Beltus family. Even so, he had come by this tavern a few times to check on them, but the past few weeks had been so busy that he could hardly come to the Tavern District at all.
Thus, when he opened the front door of the tavern that he was visiting for the first time in a long while, only a counter covered in dust welcomed Derrick.
Derrick nodded and passed through the inner kitchen, then moved his steps toward the door to the inner room.
"I'm coming in."
Saying that roughly, he opened the door, and saw Jayden lying on the wide floor of the inner room, and Felnine nursing him.
At a glance, it was not a very good atmosphere.
"Oh, it's been a while. As you can see, I'm not in a state to go out and greet you."
"Derrick…."
Next to Jayden, who was speaking in an extremely relaxed voice, Felnine was sitting quietly with a complicated expression.
As usual, she did not tie back her platinum-blonde hair, and had let it flow long while wearing her cloak.
Derrick swallowed a sigh and went to sit on a wooden chair in the corner of the room. Then he said quietly.
"Did you go on some dangerous request?"
"Keuk… To even make a busy guy come running at once, it seems I really have gotten old."
When Jayden raised his upper body, Derrick's expression had no choice but to harden even more.
"I went to a labyrinth in the White Zone."
Jayden, who had struggled to raise his body, did not have his left arm.
Only thickly wrapped bandages were replacing that place.
"There's something I need to say, Derrick."
Jayden's expression and voice became serious.
It was not something that happened often.
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