Chapter 11 Translator: XZY
Chapter 11: Master and Disciple (1) ***
The next morning, when Lady Diella came towards the main building with her ladies-in-waiting in tow, a commotion broke out among the servants.
This was because she was a person who, if at all possible, would stay cooped up in the annex and not come out.
When the head of the maids, Katarina, came out to the central hall of the annex, a girl leading her ladies-in-waiting was walking through the vassals with a sullen expression.
Her casual, navy-blue frilled dress looked more adorable than elegant, perhaps because of the wine-colored ribbon decoration attached to her chest.
The maids of the annex followed her with short, quick steps, and the vassals who were passing by quickly bowed their heads, dripping with sweat.
Every one of them looked tense, as they had to be prepared to receive a torrent of verbal abuse if even a single pretext was found.
It had been too long since she had come to the main building in person, and she did not know where Derek was staying, so the girl randomly grabbed a passing vassal.
"Hey, you."
"Yes, Lady Diella. G-good morning."
The vassal, who had been carrying ropes to be used for garden maintenance since early in the morning, stood at attention with his discipline on full display, dripping with sweat.
The head of the maids, Katarina, took a sharp breath and quickly went down the hall stairs. The lowest-ranking vassals often did a lot of physical garden work from early in the morning, so they were often tired or their hygiene was not well-managed.
It would be troublesome if she were to beat him up, saying he smelled of sweat or looked like a beggar, so Katarina intended to go and handle it herself right away.
"Do you know where the mage from Ebelstein is staying?"
"Uh, the mage from Ebelstein... you mean the, the mercenary who was escorted by Lady Aiseline."
"Yes. Answer."
"I-I'm sorry! I'll go and find out right now!"
The vassal broke out in a cold sweat, still in his at-attention posture.
He was tensing his lower abdomen to prepare for a fist or a kick that would come flying at him for not knowing even that.
However, Diella did not want to spend her time on such things.
"Never mind. I'll ask the head of the maids, so go back to what you were doing."
"...?"
"What's with that expression? Are you dissatisfied?"
"Not at all! Th-th-then I'll be on my way!"
The vassal quickly gathered the ropes and ran off, and the head of the maids, who had run down as if taking his place, quickly approached and bowed her head.
While she was inwardly surprised by the fact that she had not beaten the vassal, she spoke with the utmost courtesy for now.
"L-Lady Diella. If you had given us prior notice, we would have been prepared. I am sorry for such a disorderly situation."
"Never mind. Just guide me to that mage from Ebelstein."
"Yes. He is staying in the guest room in the detached room on the second floor."
And so, the head of the maids swallowed a dry gulp of saliva and walked demurely three steps ahead.
When she glanced at Lady Diella from time to time, she did not seem to be in a particularly foul mood. It was a completely different sight from how she used to be, shouting at the slightest pretext.
'Oh, it seems she is in a good mood today. I must be careful not to displease her greatly.'
No matter how much of a Diella she was, she did not carelessly beat up the head of the maids, who was among the top three in rank among the mansion's servants. At the very least, the head of the maids would be able to handle the infamous hooligan Diella one way or another.
As they watched the head of the maids, who had taken on the burden, walk away with Diella, all the passing servants and vassals offered a silent prayer. Her spirit of sacrifice was indeed not lacking to be called a Madonna.
And so, after walking for a long time in silence with Diella, they finally reached the front of the detached room on the second floor, which was being used as a guest room.
As the head of the maids knocked with a demure movement, knock knock knock, a sound as if a person was dying came from inside the door.
Creeak
And so, the wait was brief. When the door opened, a human-shaped corpse, or a corpse-shaped human, came out.
"What is it."
Derek had just been in a chase, firing magic wantonly last night, and after taking Lady Diella to the annex, he had returned to the main building and had a discussion with Jayden about their future course of action.
And only after finishing his routine grimoire reading and mana training did he go to sleep. In terms of time, it was a situation where he had not even slept for three hours.
Shadows were heavily cast on his face, which was dripping with exhaustion, and his matted white hair also clearly revealed the fact that he had just woken up.
The head of the maids, Katarina, felt sorry for Derek, but at the same time, she prayed that he would somehow resolve this disaster named Diella, who had appeared from early in the morning.
In any case, Derek was now the person who had been entrusted with full authority over Lady Diella's education by the Grand Duke of Duplein.
"Lady Diella was looking for you, so I came to guide you."
"Lady Diella?"
As soon as Derek asked back, Diella, who had stepped forward with short, quick steps, looked up at Derek and said.
"Teach me how to handle the manifested mana. I tried it alone, but it's not working well."
"..."
"You said you would teach me."
Katarina heard Diella's words and doubted her ears. The servants who had worked in the mansion for a long time all felt sorry for Diella's magical achievements.
'Lady Diella manifested mana?'
This was a matter that needed to be reported to the Grand Duke of Duplein right now. The members of the ducal family would probably all be turned upside down.
She also seemed to understand the reason why she had come all the way to the main building from early in the morning. Mages who have just manifested mana feel as if their entire mind is uplifted by their daily increasing achievements.
Once they were fascinated by that sense of accomplishment, there were many cases where they would be bewitched and enter into magical training on their own. That heart-swelling emotion was more addictive than the intoxication that came from drinking any high-class liquor. Everyone was similar until they hit a wall of growth.
It was understandable why the grand duchess of the Duplein family had come in person since morning. The scholarly passion of mages who had awakened to magic was beyond imagination.
And she also seemed to know the reason why she did not bother to harm the servants. It was only natural, seeing as she had found something to focus on.
Katarina looked at Derek with sparkling eyes.
It was a feeling that this boy might be able to save the servants from the hands of this hellish hooligan.
And so, the moment she was about to say something to the boy-
"Come back in the afternoon."
SLAM!
Derek, who was steeped in exhaustion, gave his notice and closed the door.
"...."
In front of the closed door.
The head of the maids and Diella had to stand in silence for a long time.
"What?! Are you kidding me?! You're giving me the cold shoulder?! Who do you think you are?!"
Soon, Diella raised her voice, pounding on the door, bang bang, but Derek put in the earplugs he used when exploring and buried himself in bed again.
Derek, who had already had two masters, knew. The master-disciple relationship was a law that would only run smoothly when the initiative was with the master.
No matter how much she was the grand duchess of the greatest family on the continent, it was no different. In any case, hadn't the Duke of Duplein himself given him full authority?
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Open the door! Open the door right now!
Even in the midst of the refreshing sound of the door being pounded on, Derek was ready to get a good night's sleep.
After living as a mercenary for a long time, the skill of falling asleep in the midst of noise was something that naturally developed.
The head of the maids, Katarina, who was watching the scene, could only wipe her face.
Whether it was the master or the disciple, they were both stubborn people who had gone to the limit.
<><><>
"Today, Lady Diella did not break a single plate while having her meal."
"I-I wasn't hit by Lady Diella even once. She seemed to be in a bad mood, but..."
"When she woke up in the morning, she was definitely handling mana with those hands."
The first son, Valerian, who was sitting on a table on one side of the Grand Duke's office, had a surprised expression.
Since he was cupping his chin, his mouth was not visible, but his psychology could be easily understood just by his slightly widened pupils.
He then looked towards the Grand Duke of Duplein, who was sitting at the office desk, and made eye contact.
The Grand Duke, who was moving his quill pen, put it down for a moment and asked the maids who had come to report.
"Is that true?"
"Yes. I have come to report after cross-verifying it several times. It seems that Lady Diella has finally manifested mana."
"Did you hear that, Father? What a relief. It's truly a relief."
Valerian let out a sigh of relief. It was no different from saying that they had avoided the worst-case scenario for now.
Of course, it was strange in the first place that it was a cause for celebration just because she had manifested some mana, having been born with the blood of the Duplein family of all places. But considering Diella's past behavior, this alone was a great boon.
"Father. I told you that Diella could do it."
"It certainly seems there has been some progress. It seems there is value in putting off sending her to the monastery and observing the situation."
The Grand Duke of Duplein cupped his chin and fell into thought.
"However, speaking coldly, it is also true that her achievements are still lacking."
"Father... but Diella has tried so hard. Please take that fact into consideration."
"That is why the monastery is off the table. However, giving her a separate mansion and starting preparations for her social debut is a separate story."
One had to be able to handle at least one 1-Star magic to be able to say that they knew how to use magic. In noble society, that was a given. Even that was not something to be proud of, but just proof that one was not below the basics.
"Certainly, it is a cause for celebration that she has manifested mana, but it is still unknown whether she has come to her senses, Father."
At that moment, Reigh, who was sitting next to him, spat out a blunt remark. Valerian frowned upon hearing those words.
"What do you mean by that, Reigh."
"Isn't that the truth, Hyung-nim. It is the law that when one first manifests mana, one gets excited and other things don't catch one's eye. But once they calm down a little and recognize the situation again, there is no knowing when their true nature will return."
She might have taken a step forward as a mage, but she might be in the same place as a noble lady. That was what Reigh was saying.
When Valerian looked at Reigh's expression, it was as firm as always.
To put it bluntly, Reigh really hated Diella. Putting aside her innocent days of old, it was strange for him to like her when she ran wild like a hooligan and caused harm to the family.
It was not that Valerian did not understand such a Reigh. It was Valerian or Aiseline, who patiently embraced Diella until the end, who were amazing; it was a situation where it was difficult to blame Reigh, who was disappointed in Diella and no longer had expectations for her.
"A person's true nature does not change easily, Father."
"Reigh. Still, since she has made progress, can't you trust Diella a little more?"
"Hyung-nim's way is too soft. On the contrary, at times like this, we must be more firm. Please do not so easily reverse the decision to send her to the monastery, Father. That is how she will listen."
The Grand Duke of Duplein picked up his quill pen again and underlined a document as he spoke.
"Reigh's words are not without reason. Still, since it is a fact that she has made an achievement, it is not strange to have a slightly softer policy. It would be good to watch a little longer for now."
Reigh made a dissatisfied expression, but Valerian had a much more relaxed face.
The Grand Duke of Duplein tapped his desk for a moment like that, and then soon lowered his head and focused on the documents.
'That commoner mage. He is not ordinary.'
He had thought he was not ordinary from the moment he asked questions back and forth without a single sign of being intimidated, even in the middle of the Grand Duke's office.
However, there was a large gap between not being ordinary and actually producing results. The Grand Duke of Duplein could not help but raise his evaluation of the boy named Derek by one level in his mind.
However, in the end, he was still a commoner. There was bound to be a limit to his background. Although he had reached a fairly high level for his age, for now, he was still in the realm of a commoner.
"We will conclude the matter of Diella that way, and what is important right now is the meeting on the next holiday."
"...The Ducal House of Beltus and the County of Belmeade will also be coming. I heard that the Grand Duke of Beltus will be making the trip himself, and I heard that Lady Elente will be attending as the representative of the head of the County of Belmeade."
If one were to pick the three most authoritative families in the western part of the empire where Ebelstein was located, everyone would give the same answer. Beltus, Duplein, and Belmeade.
The fact that the heads of such influential families would gather in one place was not a very common occurrence. It was clear that they would discuss the trade route business near Ebelstein, and countermeasures according to the empire's tax law changes.
'Sending Lady Elente as a representative to such a place? Not even the key vassals?'
The Grand Duke of Duplein felt a strange sense of humiliation. It was not because the other heads of families were free that they were attending the meeting in person. It was because it was that important of a meeting.
However, the Margrave of Belmeade was a wise man. There was no way he would not know that this was a great discourtesy.
It was a strange matter.
The Grand Duke of Duplein remained lost in thought with his chin propped on his hand. Since he was a person who did not easily come out of it when he fell into deep thought like that, his two sons began to organize the documents early on.
"Then I will take my leave now."
And so, with an expression full of some dissatisfaction, Reigh left the office.
It seemed that he was not very pleased that Diella had escaped the crisis of being sent to a monastery.
<><><>
Derek woke up after a good night's sleep, had the meal prepared by the ladies-in-waiting, washed himself, got some fresh air, and had a cup of tea.
When he headed to the annex in the late afternoon, Diella, who was completely sulky, was hugging her knees in a corner of the bed.
"Are you sulking?"
"I'm not sulking, I'm angry."
"Even if you pout like that, it can't be helped. There is an order to everything."
"I'm not pouting, I'm angry."
"If you get excited and run around just because you've manifested mana, you'll be exhausted in an instant and end up lying down. I'm telling you this from experience."
Derek went to the table opposite Diella's bed and pulled out a wooden chair.
And then he placed it roughly next to the bed, sat in front of it, and dusted off the blades of grass from the cuffs of his trousers.
"Regular rest is just as important as learning. Please do not forget that you must always be in perfect condition when doing something."
"Listening to Derek talk reminds me of the stuffy moral teachers who used to read from boring textbooks."
"...Then should I do it in a less stuffy way?"
Remembering the night of being chased in a less-than-stuffy way in the forest, Diella flinched and trembled. She felt that it would be fine even if it wasn't so spectacular.
"Never mind."
"In any case, please come over here. It's time to start practicing the manifestation of mana and build the foundation of 1-Star magic. Don't you want to learn magic?"
The prideful Diella did not like the fact that she had to move according to the request of a mere commoner.
The girl opened her eyes wide like a cautious cat, then, after brushing her abundant golden hair a few times, she came across the bed and sat down.
She was acting as if she would complain at any moment with a pouting, triangular mouth, but when Derek manifested mana in his hand, she immediately opened her brilliant eyes and looked at it.
The way the mana worked was quite different from what her family used. Its colors were varied, and its fluctuating patterns were also diverse.
"If you want to learn the magic of the Wild School, you must first break stereotypes and rules. It will be difficult at first, but once you get used to it, you will be able to study advanced magic on your own."
"Did Derek study everything on his own?"
"No. I also had a master. He was a master of the Scholastic School, so I studied half of it on my own."
Derek showed the mana playing freely on his hand, firmly imprinting the fact that handling the energy freely like this was the first goal.
"It, it looks harder than I thought."
"It's alright. In any case, the basic tone of the Wild School is centered on self-study. The fact that there is no system acts as an advantage at times like this."
"Can I do it?"
"I'm not saying this to make you feel good, but to be frank, Lady Diella has a bit of talent."
At those words, Diella's eyes sparkled.
"M-me?"
"Although the direction of your efforts has been a bit wrong, the magical knowledge you have memorized and the numerous practices were not entirely meaningless. In the first place, not only did you recognize and manifest mana, but you also created an ice pillar by imbuing it with cold energy from the start, didn't you."
"Y-yes..."
"That's not something one can usually do right away. With a little refinement, it will become a 1-Star magic."
Talented.
As if she had some resentment attached to that word, the girl was quietly mulling it over. Considering the girl's past, it was not so strange. In that short word, talent, there was a strange power that made a person's heart thick.
"It is a good thing to have pride as long as it does not become arrogance. So you can have some pride."
"I have never been arrogant in my life."
"Please don't lie."
"Why do you speak so bitingly? Do you want to die?"
"Your mouth is also too harsh. Please maintain some dignity."
Derek scattered the mana gathered in his hand with a flick and ended the demonstration.
He then looked intently at Diella, who had been watching his demonstration. It meant for her to try it herself.
It was not a movement that could be followed after seeing it once, but Diella tried hard to feel the mana extending from her own hand in her own way.
As she repeated it several times like that, she began to feel herself gradually getting used to the mana inherent in her. There was definitely progress.
Honestly, it was fun.
Learning something was a pleasant thing. It was a feeling she had forgotten for a long time.
When she came to her senses, the corners of her mouth were raised, so Diella quickly came to her senses and put on a prim expression again.
"I-I definitely think I've got the hang of it! Just as you said, Derek, I might be a bit of a genius."
"..."
Derek propped his chin on his hand and said.
"I said you have a bit of talent, I didn't go so far as to say you were a genius."
"...You're really unlikable."
<><><>
After that, Diella learned magic from Derek whenever she had the chance.
Seeing her, who would grumble at first but soon focus on magic, made him realize that she had not been such a hooligan from the beginning.
It was a bit much to have lessons only in the annex every day, so they sometimes had lessons in the rose garden next to the annex or in the garden of the main building, basking in the warm sunlight.
When they had some time, they would also go to the forest or stream near the mansion, and in such places, he could show her some large-scale magic as a demonstration.
As they went back and forth like this, they would often be noticed by the vassals or servants who were walking around.
The sight of Lady Diella trotting after Derek as he walked out of the garden, asking him questions back and forth, sometimes looked like the old her they used to see.
At some point, the sounds of wailing began to subside even in the annex of the Ducal House of Duplein.
From the servants' perspective, they could not be more grateful. When they came to their senses, Derek had become something of a savior to the mansion's servants.
"Hmm..."
In the personal office of the second son of the Ducal House of Duplein.
Reigh, who was listening to the rumors about Diella, sat alone with his legs crossed, tapping the desk with his index finger.
Although some favorable rumors were circulating about Diella, no matter how much he thought about it, he could not think that Diella would be reformed so easily.
He was a person who had suffered greatly from Diella in her most vicious days. She would growl and badmouth him at every opportunity, and would bully and drive out his most cherished personal servants. Among them was a person who had been with Reigh for over 10 years.
Even if she turned over a new leaf now, the accumulated resentment would not disappear. That was what karma was.
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