Chapter 17 Translator: XZY
Chapter 17: Journey (1) ***
Creeak!
As the heavy iron door slowly opened, the air from inside the library flowed out.
A heavy smell of dust, the smell of old paper, and a strange smell emanating from the ancient books imbued with mana mixed together and tickled the inside of his nose.
The marble floor that met his carefully placed steps was quite cold.
The mana torches lining the walls were glowing faintly with a blue light. The bookshelves, illuminated by that light, had a strangely mysterious feeling just by looking at them.
"...This is beyond imagination."
Derek swallowed a dry gulp of saliva.
The shelves were packed with books lavishly decorated with all sorts of gold and purple.
The spines of the books, engraved with strange patterns he had never seen before, were glowing faintly.
It was a wondrous sight, to the point of making him wonder if such a place existed in the world. There was no way a commoner would be allowed to enter a place like this.
Derek took out a book from the bookshelf.
The cover was wrapped in soft leather, and on top of it, exquisitely embroidered gold thread was shining brilliantly.
Rustle, rustle.
The hand that turned the pages of the ancient book. The heavy, old smell of paper tickled the tip of his nose.
The letters densely engraved on the thin paper, which seemed as if it would crumble, were all unfamiliar sentences.
'A 3-Star grimoire...'
1-Star grimoires were something that even commoners could get their hands on if they pushed themselves somehow. Of course, their value was considerable, and it wasn't that they could learn magic just by getting their hands on them.
However, from 2-Star grimoires onwards, it was difficult to get one easily unless one was a considerable magnate, and from 3-Star magic onwards, there were many cases where the price was whatever the seller asked.
And here were 3-Star grimoires filling the bookshelves. Indeed, the library of a grand ducal family, one of the top three in the western continent, was different.
However, being able to view a grimoire and being able to learn from it were two separate issues. Moreover, many of the books filling the shelves were theory books based on the Scholastic School of the noble class.
Of course, since Derek was born with a natural genius for magic, it was not so difficult for him to apply the magic theories of the Scholastic School to suit himself. However, upon reaching 3-Star, parts that were difficult to handle also began to catch his eye here and there.
'It's certainly difficult.'
Derek, who had taken out a book and flipped through the pages at a reading desk, came to a conclusion. The realm of 3-Star was certainly not easy.
A 3-Star mage, even by the standards of nobles born with a proper bloodline, referred to individuals who had reached a considerable level of mastery in magic.
If they were treated as such even among nobles, then among commoners, they were a level of mage one might see once or twice in a lifetime.
Derek himself had barely heard of a 3-Star mage of commoner origin. At best, he had only heard rumors about Tracy, a 3-Star detection mage from the Ebelstein Magic Society.
'It's certainly worth staying at the ducal estate a little longer. Felinne would fly into a rage if she heard.'
Felinne was the name of an archer he had worked with for a long time in the Veldern Mercenary Corps. Since she hated nobles to the point of her teeth chattering, she would let out a hollow laugh if she saw Derek spending time in a place like this.
However, he couldn't help but be greedy for 3-Star magic.
Right now, the theory was too abstruse and the mana utilization was too complex, so he didn't dare to try, but he thought that if he gritted his teeth and threw himself at it, something might come of it.
'...Still, I can't stay forever. In the end, my magic has no choice but to be oriented towards practical combat.'
Derek quietly monologued as he looked at the grimoires filling the shelves.
<><><>
After the duel between Reigh and Diella ended, the Grand Duke of Duplein formally recognized Derek as a member of the ducal estate.
Since the master of this huge ducal domain had practically put his seal of approval on it, no one in the ducal estate could carelessly object.
For the time being, it became Derek's job to stay at the ducal estate and teach Diella more magic.
"I'm a 1-Star mage now."
After resting for a bit, when he visited the annex where Diella was staying about three days later, her wounds had almost healed. In fact, although she had bled a little, it was not a very big wound.
When Derek entered the room, dusting off his neatly managed mercenary attire, Diella had her hands on her hips and was wearing a triumphant smile.
"...I thought you were greatly disheartened. When you had just lost the duel, you were clearly full of tears..."
"Kyaak! Don't point out things like that one by one when I'm trying so hard to chase away the embarrassing memories!"
"Still, I'm glad you seem to be in good condition. I saw you use 1-Star magic in the duel. You are certainly growing fast."
"Yes, of course!"
When Derek praised her as she was, Diella once again answered with a face full of smiles and a sparkling face. Just by her expression, it looked as if she was jumping up and down.
She had been downcast right after she had lost, but it seemed she had recovered quickly after it was confirmed that the Grand Duke had recognized Derek and would not kick him out.
"I told you, didn't I? I'm a person who can do it if I try."
"..."
"For some reason, you're making a face as if you're not very pleased with my triumphant appearance. If the person you taught has achieved something, you should be happy too. Now, loosen up your expression."
"What are you talking about. I am truly happy."
"For some reason, it doesn't seem like there's any soul in it..."
Diella looked at Derek with a pouting, triangular mouth, but there was no way this tiny girl could see through the poker face of him, who had been through all sorts of things.
In the first place, this boy named Derek had always been hard to read, so now Diella didn't bother to try anything.
She just let out a deep sigh and plopped down on the bed, which was full of frills.
"Anyway, I protected your position after a hard fight, so you have to teach me a lot more magic. Isn't that right?"
"It is a good thing to be full of motivation, but for the time being, it would be better to train to become proficient in handling mana as you have always done. Learning 1-Star magic is a great thing, but it is difficult for you to handle it freely, isn't it."
"Umm... that's certainly true. Compared to how you use magic, Derek, my range of movement is too narrow, and I seem to get very tired even after using it just once."
"That is all because you lack the basics. The foundation of magic ultimately depends on how efficiently you are utilizing mana. The output and efficiency of the same magic can vary depending on how skillfully you handle it."
Derek pointed that out.
However, he knew that even if he said so, she would not be very satisfied.
The race of mages had a tendency to get excited and want to reach a higher level after making a new achievement.
As it was Diella who had succeeded in using 1-Star magic for the first time, she would want to handle all kinds of 1-Star magic. If she studied various kinds of magic that were not suited to her level, it often ended up being a superficial understanding.
Therefore, Derek had thought in advance about how to respond if Diella started to grumble, asking him to teach her other 1-Star magic.
"Hmm... right. If you say so, I guess there's a meaning to it."
However, Diella propped her chin on her hand and said so in a listless voice.
Derek crossed his arms and looked at Diella. A feeling of wonder was in his eyes.
Diella, seeing Derek's expression, flinched and said belatedly.
"Ugh. Why, why are you looking at me with those eyes? Is it so strange that I'm listening to you obediently?"
"...I was sure you would pester me to teach you more amazing magic. I even came up with several ways to deal with it in advance."
"W-what do you take me for! Didn't I respect your words from the beginning?"
Derek propped his chin on his hand and said.
"The beginning... you definitely poured dirty water on my head..."
"...You still remembered that?"
"...Does one normally forget such a thing?"
Diella blushed as if she was embarrassed and hesitantly avoided his gaze.
In any case, she couldn't deny that her first impression was the worst, and the way she fidgeted with her fists on her knees was quite pathetic.
A person's dark history originally had a mysterious power to make one want to put up a wall for no reason and to beat one's blankets. Even for a noble young lady, it was not easy to escape from that sudden feeling of shame.
The sight of her fidgeting and sweating profusely was not very comfortable for the person watching either, so Derek let out a deep sigh and sat on the edge of the table next to the bed.
"In any case, the magic lessons will proceed as usual, but... I hear you will be a little busier."
"Umm... you heard too, Derek. They say I'm starting liberal arts classes next week. They say I'm starting to prepare for my social debut in earnest..."
"Isn't that a joyous occasion? Now that you've learned about 1-Star magic, you have the basic skills of a noble, so you should acquire the accomplishments of a lady."
"...To put it bluntly, I don't want to do it."
"...You still have to do it."
Diella scratched her abundant golden hair and lay down on the bed. A sound of despair, Kya-haak!, was also heard.
"Basic noble etiquette, foreign languages, geography, history, botany, piano playing, sewing... do I really have to do all of this?"
"That will probably be nothing more than a superficial understanding at the preparatory level. After your coming-of-age ceremony, there will be many more things you have to learn in earnest."
"...How did Aiseline Unnie handle all of this?"
"That is probably why she is called the flower of Duplein and is shining in the social circles of Ebelstein."
Aiseline Eleanor Duplein.
She, who was already building up numerous connections in the noble district beyond the northern walls of Ebelstein, was practically performing the role of the face of the Duplein family.
He had heard that rumors were rampant that numerous men, fascinated by her always graceful appearance, were proposing one after another, but she always refused them with a troubled smile.
The social circle was originally often regarded as a place of exchange to find a good partner, but it seemed that she was trying to build many good relationships to be of great help to the Duplein family in the future.
She was a person for whom there was a reason why the family members all doted on her. If I were the Grand Duke, I would be so proud that I would let out a hearty laugh.
"I just... I just want to study magic..."
"..."
"Still... this huge mansion and noble status probably aren't obtained for free... so I have to do what I have to do..."
"Lady Diella..."
Derek looked at Diella with a serious face and said.
"...You've learned to say such commendable things..."
"...Derek, you know too precisely how to hurt a person's pride."
"That is a misunderstanding."
"Ugh."
Diella bounced her body and sat up straight, then sat on the edge of the bed and swung her feet for no reason.
"Still, you said you can continue to teach me magic for a while, so I'll quickly learn what I can. I want to use the 1-Star magic Ice Spear a little more skillfully too."
"Well, there's no need to be in too much of a hurry. Now there's no one who would take issue with me teaching magic, is there."
"That... I wonder about that..."
Diella suddenly had a worried expression. Derek knew well enough what she was thinking.
"Are you talking about the Duchess Miriella?"
"...Although Father recognized you himself, Mother is not a person who would just stand by."
"Is that so?"
"Even if there's no way to get rid of you right away, she will surely try to find a way somehow."
Diella looked at Derek with an anxious expression and offered words of worry.
"She might try to find a flaw in you... or make up a reason to kick you out."
"A reason... in the first place, what reason would the Duchess Miriella have for trying to kick me out?"
"That's... it's probably because your methods are too far from noble dignity. She might also be doing it because she's afraid it will act as a flaw in the social circle later on..."
"Then it's nothing much."
"Nothing much... you say that because you don't know my mother well."
"Lady Diella. Shutting the Duchess Miriella's mouth is not as difficult as you think. You just have to get rid of the pretext."
Derek crossed his arms and said, as if tossing out the words, while still sitting on the edge of the table.
"In the first place, isn't the initiative in this whole situation with you, Lady Diella?"
"...Huh?"
<><><>
Chirp, chirp.
Morning came early at the ducal estate.
By the time the chirping of birds came into the room over the window sill, the lower-ranking vassals had all woken up and were managing the garden or checking the cleaning situation of the mansion.
There were also various people who supervised or managed them. The head butler, the head of the maids, the head of the ladies-in-waiting, the head chef, etc... the person in charge was different for each department.
And it was the role of the noble lady, the mistress of the mansion, to gather all such people and supervise them.
Jeobeok, jeobeok.
The Duchess Miriella, who had come out early in the morning to check the work status of the servants, was still gritting her teeth.
Since the duel, Miriella's expression had always been severely hardened.
Even while being slapped by the Grand Duke and receiving the pitying gazes of the servants, her mind was filled with only worry for Diella.
'I will never tolerate having such a lowly master attached to her. Even if my husband, the master of the domain, has acknowledged it, I, at least, must continue to say what is right.'
She was always irritable, as if it was a source of regret that she could not kick out that commoner master who was only having a bad influence on her lovely youngest daughter. Because of that, the servants who assisted her could not help but be on edge.
'In the first place, there's no way that lowly master can teach noble etiquette. The sight of Diella, who should always be noble and graceful, getting used to the filthy order of the bottom... I will not tolerate it, even if my head splits in two.'
She closed her eyes and imagined. The humiliation that Diella would suffer when she entered the noble circle with frivolous words and actions.
Miriella, saying that she could never tolerate that, was walking through the mansion hall, organizing her thoughts to devise some method.
At that moment, the figure of her youngest daughter, who had just passed through the central door of the mansion, came into view.
Diella, as always, was leading several servants and was walking into the main building in a frilled dress and pretty ribbon decorations.
Miriella's face lit up at the sight of her lovely youngest daughter, and she went forward.
This was because she wanted to see her youngest daughter Diella act spoiled after a long time, and also see her flirtatious behavior here and there.
Although she might have been slightly stained with the filth of the bottom from the teachings of a vulgar commoner, the fact that she was her lovely youngest daughter who had inherited her blood did not change. Miriella did not hide her pleased expression and greeted her brightly.
"Oh my, Diella. You look beautiful today too!"
Miriella smiled broadly, opening her arms for Diella, who would, as always, come into her arms.
However, instead of childishly coming into her arms, Diella demurely lifted the skirts on both her sides and bowed her head.
"Did you spend last night in peace, Mother."
"Uh...?"
"I missed the opportunity to catch up because I couldn't leave the annex while treating my wound. I want to share many pleasantries... but unfortunately, I have a piano lesson from the morning."
Diella smiled gently and asked for Miriella's understanding. That appearance, noble as if a flower was blooming, was just like Aiseline's grace.
"Uh, uh... i-is that so?"
"I will come for tea in the afternoon. I haven't even heard what happened at the southern social gathering yet. Then, since my liberal arts class schedule is tight, I'll be on my way..."
She knew well that Diella had recently started basic liberal arts classes. Although it was just at a preparatory level, she had been busy arranging for the relevant instructors. However, she knew that she had not yet started classes on etiquette.
Nevertheless, seeing Diella, who was being polite as if she were a completely different person, she was momentarily stunned.
Putting aside Miriella, whose eyes were wide open, the servants were in a state of shock, as if the world had been turned upside down.
A vassal who was going to repair the garden fence froze and dropped the planks he was holding in his arms, yet he still could not even move.
What kind of girl had Diella been for the past few years? Wasn't she a person who would break plates and kick the servants, saying she was bored?
If you asked who on earth could fix that tyrant's mind, you wouldn't be able to name anyone. Where on earth would such a person be?
However, the girl had paid her respects to Miriella with all due courtesy and had gone up the stairs of the main hall with short, quick steps.
"Oh my. The planks are all scattered on the floor. Be careful not to get hurt."
"Y-yes... L-L-Lady Diella.."
Miriella could only watch the scene with her mouth agape.
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