Chapter 106

Chapter 106
Here is the complete translation of the text provided:

***

**Chapter 106**

With a screeching sound, Leonard gnashed his teeth.

He tried to break free from Dereck’s hand, which was holding his neck and lifting him up, but the sturdy arm didn’t move an inch.

Leonard’s eyes were bloodshot and drool was dripping, as he could not breathe properly. Even so, with a desperate determination to survive, he struggled to break free from Dereck’s hand.

After a long struggle, his strength finally failed him, and his body went limp.

With a choked sound, a flash of determination appeared in his eyes for an instant.

“…”

At the same time, Leonard’s hair, which was already white, began to turn completely white.

‘…What?’

As Dereck frowned and looked at him, an incredible amount of mana and vengeful spirits began to sprout from the area around Leonard’s heart.

Whoooosh!

The sudden explosion of physical strength pushed Dereck backward, and Leonard, freed from his grip, fell to the ground sneezing.

“Cough, ugh… cough!”

As he resumed breathing and let the air fill his lungs, life returned to Leonard’s eyes.

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However, his nose, ears, and mouth were bleeding. Seeing this, Dereck narrowed his eyes and took a combat stance.

The necromancers of Rodentz Island had different fields of specialization than common necromancers.

Their specialty was sacrificial necromancy, which produced strange miracles using flesh and life as mediums.

Although they usually used wooden dolls or mammal corpses as offerings for their rituals, in the end, the most effective method was human sacrifice.

However, when they were cornered, there was no practical way to find someone to sacrifice. Therefore, when the necromancers of Rodentz were cornered, they began to offer their own flesh and body as a sacrifice.

Their end was usually gruesome. Many bet everything just to drag their enemy down with them before being captured and executed.

After all, those who practice forbidden arts usually end up being executed in atrocious ways or spending the rest of their days in prison. In that case, they preferred to take their enemy to the grave with them, even if it cost them an arm or a leg.

Perhaps Leonard thought the same, as one of his legs had disappeared without anyone noticing. Only fresh blood was sprouting from his thigh.

Propping himself up with his arms from the ground, he vomited blood and shouted.

“Do you think… I’m going to die here…?!”

“…”

“I can’t… I can’t die here. After living in the shadow of my brother Linus, unable to spread my wings, I finally had a chance, and now my sister Ellen stands in my way? Phew… Phew… If you thought I would give up because of that, you are very wrong…”

Leonard exuded a strange aura, letting the blood drip onto the garden floor.

“Do you think I’m different from Sister Ellen? I also wanted power. I wanted to be above everyone and give orders. That’s all. How am I different from Sister Ellen?”

“So this is your plan?”

“So what? Baron Ravenclaw. Life must seem easy to you. You were born with innate magical talent, you can master new magic just by seeing it, leaving your peers behind with extraordinary grades. You don’t understand someone like me.”

As the aura of vengeful spirits engulfed the garden, skeletal soldiers that reeked of rot began to emerge from the ground.

The group of spirits that swirled around Leonard was so gruesome that all the servants began to scream and flee.

High-ranking officials shouted to call for the soldiers, and the squires, without even thinking about drawing their swords, collapsed as their legs gave way.

Dereck stood firm in front of them, gripping his fluttering cape tightly.

Leonard, crawling on the ground, stared at him with bloodshot eyes.

“I am not like you. I know how hard and miserable life can be. To reach your goals, you must use any means. Push your rivals into the abyss, deceive those who try to deceive you, be ruthless, cold, and implacable. Without divine blessing, it is better to be a despicable winner than to live mistreated and miserable.”

“…”

“The reason Sister Ellen can act so nobly and elegantly is because she has been blessed with talent. You still don’t understand. Do you know why brother Linus renounced his position as heir and abandoned the family?”

Amidst the whirlwind of spirits, Leonard uttered every word like a curse.

“Brother Linus, from the beginning…”

“I don’t care, you talk too much.”

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Dereck interrupted Leonard, who was spitting resentment and rage amidst the howling wind.

Seeing Dereck’s expression, Leonard’s pupils dilated for an instant.

Then, gritting his teeth, he tried to shout something full of hatred.

Thump, thump!

Two magic arrows pierced his shoulder.

Although it was a first-tier spell and its power was not high, Dereck’s magic was different due to its destructive strength. In that instant, Leonard realized that the nerves in his shoulder had been paralyzed.

Crack!

“Aaaargh!”

Then Dereck crushed the skeletal soldiers one by one and rushed to the center of the garden. His figure, advancing through the raging wind, looked like that of a reaper.

When he reached Leonard, he kicked him in the head, causing fresh blood to sprout again.

And when he lifted him by the head, Leonard, with his eyes completely white, was still bleeding.

However, his determination was chilling.

Leonard, who quickly regained his lucidity, gathered his magical power.

The reason why the necromancers of Rodentz Island were so troublesome was because, when they were cornered, they all resorted to high-level necromancy.

Even a criminal who had barely reached the one-star level could use three-star spells or higher if they were willing to sacrifice their entire body and life.

Seeing them use their body as a projectile was pure madness.

Three-star Necromancy: “Advanced Soul Absorption.”

He reached out toward Dereck and tried to snatch his life in an instant.

Slash!

Leonard’s right hand disappeared.

It was not sacrificed for necromantic purposes.

Dereck’s sword, which had already fulfilled its purpose, returned to its scabbard.

Blood splattered.

Leonard couldn’t even scream.

Delete!

Necromancy that directly touches the soul causes lethal wounds with a single success. The veteran mercenary, who knew this very well, would never let himself be touched.

But humans have two hands.

Just as Leonard tried to grab Dereck’s thigh with his other intact hand, Dereck kicked his forearm.

His response, that of never allowing necromancy, was so precise that it seemed as if he had already faced it many times before.

“Ugh, agh!”

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As Leonard, rolling on the ground, extended the palm of his hand toward Dereck to cast another spell…

Boom! Boom!

Slash!

The moment Dereck took a defensive stance, a third person appeared between them and brandished a sword.

It was as if time had slowed down.

In that fleeting instant, Dereck clearly saw how the sword cut through the necromancy that Leonard had manifested along with his magical power.

The sacred text engraved in red letters on the silver blade caught his attention.

It was the “Sacred Blood Sword” of Rodelia, the heroine who had killed hundreds of necromancers on Rodentz Island.

Flash!

Roar!

Shortly after, the spirits Leonard had summoned turned into light and disappeared.

The mysterious power that nullified all necromancy in the area with a single slash was undoubtedly worthy of the title of hero.

The light that burst forth was so dazzling that Dereck squeezed his eyes shut.

When he opened them again, the only thing he saw was Leonard, with his eyes wide open.

And a figure standing in front of him.

“You didn’t arrive late. Was it you who sent the letter to Viscount Renouel?”

The one who intervened and ended the fight was the heroine of the Viscounty of Renouel, Lady Rodelia.

The scars that covered her face were proof that she was a veteran of the battlefields.

Although she was now a middle-aged woman with some fine wrinkles, her white hair braided back was worthy of a holy knight.

Despite the years, her vitality had not diminished.

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She wore heavy silver armor, even for men, and jumped from a large white horse, staring at Leonard fiercely.

She was a necromancer hunter.

And before her, there remained only a necromancer crawling with his legs severed.

Soon, Leonard’s eyes began to distort with fear.

***

Clank, clank.

“Gasp, gasp… Phew…”

Every time the middle-aged heroine moved, her silver armor resonated with a metallic crash.

Lady Rodelia approached Leonard, who was crawling on the ground, and lifted him by the collar of his shirt. Blood began to drip onto the ground. Due to the amount he had already lost, his life was in danger.

Rodelia looked at him in silence and said.

“If we leave him like this, he will die. We must stop the bleeding immediately.”

No matter how evil a person was, the fact that their life would not be extinguished in vain would have been a touching story, if that had really been the case.

“Don’t think you’re going to die so easily. Isn’t that right?”

Rodelia’s attempt to keep him alive had nothing to do with compassion.

Leonard’s face contorted in fear again, but Rodelia’s expression did not change in the slightest.

She looked toward the entrance of the Belmierd mansion, where her companions were arriving on horseback.

Dereck easily understood the situation.

After receiving his letter, Rodelia sensed the trace of necromantic magic from afar while she was heading toward the Belmierd mansion.

It was impressive that she detected the necromancy from so far away. She grabbed the reins tightly and galloped at full speed, ignoring even the gatekeepers to break directly onto the property.

She arrived so fast that she even beat the soldiers of the Belmierd family, who had already been alerted.

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A heroine is never late in times of crisis. Rodelia’s punctual arrival was proof of that.

At that moment, her companions, who had followed her, entered the garden with their faces drenched in sweat.

“The situation is already under control. This man is a criminal who has violated the taboo. First, let’s stop the bleeding and heal his wounds. Then we will interrogate him about the necromantic magic of Rodentz Island.”

“Eh? Is it over already?”

“The competent mage has already solved almost everything.”

Having said that, Rodelia handed the trembling Leonard over to her companions. Trisha, who had just arrived with them, turned pale at the sight of Leonard covered in blood.

After organizing the situation, Rodelia shook her hands and walked with a firm step toward Dereck.

Her complexion was normal and her features, marked by the passage of time, reflected her age. However, her intelligent eyes shone with vitality and the metallic sound of her armor commanded respect.

Although she was a woman and of advanced age, she was still a warrior who had traversed the battlefields.

Even Emperor Gatrell recognized her, granting her the title of countess and elevating her to the rank of countess to dignify her status.

Those under her protection must have felt as if they had a thousand soldiers at their backs.

Of course, if she became an enemy, she was more terrifying than a demon from hell.

When it came to killing necromancers, she was a ruthless figure, capable of tearing out intestines or flaying without blinking.

Her kind appearance was nothing more than a mask to hide her ferocity.

As if to confirm it, Rodelia greeted Dereck with a warm smile, radiant as the sunlight.

“You seem to have great skill in dealing with necromancers. Are you Baron Dereck Lydof of Ravenclaw, who made a great contribution during the disaster at the Duke Duplain house?”

“It is an honor to meet you, Lady Rodelia.”

“Yes. I thought it would be nice to meet you someday, but I didn’t expect it to be under these circumstances.”

Rodelia chuckled while wiping blood off her silver gauntlet.

“It seems my foolish daughter Trisha went alone to the Ravenclaw house… If her insolent attitude caused any trouble, I apologize as her mother.”

Upon hearing those words, Trisha, who was giving orders to the attendants, turned pale.

Although she was usually overflowing with arrogance, in front of her mother Rodelia, she became a meek little lamb.

The brat who had thrown tea at Ellen in the Rose Hall now just stood there, with a blue face.

Raised under the tutelage of a heroine like Rodelia, it seemed that the only thing she had learned was to be cunning.

“Normally, in the face of necromancy, people panic and flee, or become paralyzed with terror… But you seem to have calmness engraved in your soul. You give the impression of having real combat experience.”

“Thanks to my long history as a mercenary, I rarely lose my composure in real combat situations.”

“Oh, really?”

Rodelia rested her chin on one hand and watched Dereck closely from head to toe.

Although her satisfied smile was unsettling, Dereck simply remained silent, hiding his discomfort.

From experience, he knew well that when a powerful person smiled that way and their eyes shone, it meant that something bad was about to happen.

“Well, there are many things I would like to ask you personally, but now is not the time. Although it was an emergency due to necromancy, I entered the Belmierd mansion on horseback without asking for permission, bypassing the gatekeeper… That could be considered a grave lack of respect toward Count Belmierd.”

Given the circumstances, it seemed unlikely that anyone would question that lack of etiquette. Even so, Rodelia valued order and rules highly.

While she sheathed the Sacred Blood Sword, she said.

“First, I must present myself to Count Belmierd and apologize. It would be better to speak with you later, Mr. Dereck.”

Having said that, Rodelia headed toward the main building of the Belmierd mansion.

The place was a total chaos. The garden was half destroyed, a necromancer had appeared among the staff, and Rodelia had burst in directly.

All this happened in just a few minutes, leaving the staff completely bewildered.

It was time to start resolving the confusion.

Just as Rodelia was about to mount her beloved horse.

Creeeek.

The door of the Belmierd mansion opened and the owner of the house appeared.

***

A red and gold silk doublet, with the family crest embroidered in gold thread on the chest. A cape made from the skin of a giant gray wolf rested on his shoulders, giving him an imposing air.

He stroked his thick brown beard as he descended into the garden, followed by Ellen with a serene air.

Seeing them, the servants of the mansion could not help but shiver.

Noble and elegant. Already dressed in a new outfit and with her hair carefully styled, she had the dignified appearance of being called the Rose of Belmierd. Her flaming hair fell like butterfly wings.

The haggard look that had remained after her long confinement had disappeared, and walking beside the Margrave of Belmierd, the message was clear.

She had been despised and labeled a witch, but now she had regained all her authority.

“Rodelia, of the Renouel family, greets Count Belmierd. Upon sensing necromantic magic, I entered the mansion without permission, committing a grave lack of respect.”

“…”

Count Belmierd contemplated the devastated garden and then Leonard, who was being attended to by the vassals of the Renouel family.

An intense emotion was reflected in his gaze. He closed his eyes for an instant, then opened them and spoke slowly.

“Miss Rodelia, you will soon have a rank equal to mine. It will no longer be necessary for you to treat me as a superior.”

“Even so, compared to the dignity of Count Belmierd, I am insignificant. Authority is born from discipline, and as leader of a humble viscounty, how could I not bow before you?”

“You are still as rigid as ever, Lady Rodelia.”

“I thank you for saying that I value principles, Count Belmierd.”

Rodelia’s smile was infinitely sweet. But the Margrave of Belmierd knew it well.

He should not be fooled by appearances and think that she was simply a kind woman. On the battlefield, Rodelia had spilled more blood than he had in his glory years.

“I thank you for coming to help me with the affairs of Belmierd, but as you can see, today I have lost a son.”

Margrave Belmierd’s face was somber.

He was not in a condition to hold a pleasant conversation with Rodelia.

Knowing this, she avoided making trivial comments.

“I would like to speak with Leonard. As lord of this house, first I must resolve this situation…”

Count Belmierd straightened up with difficulty and looked at the servants, who still kept their heads bowed. A shadow darkened his face.

“Try to understand, even if only a little, the feelings of a father who has lost a son.”

“…”

“I leave all the judgment on this situation in the hands of my daughter, Ellen. Once Leonard stabilizes, bring him to my office.”

Having said that, Count Belmierd, with his head bowed and wrapped in the shadow, returned inside.

His shoulders were burdened with many responsibilities. The obligations as lord and as father weighed equally, making his back bend more and more.

Rodelia said nothing as she watched him.

She too had aged and understood well that the duties of a father and those of a ruler often came into conflict.

“As you may already know, I have been entrusted with full authority to handle this situation.”

Ellen gracefully descended the marble stairs that connected to the great hall and smiled elegantly.

Only then did Rodelia and Dereck relax and stand up.

“It is an honor to meet the heroine of Rodentz Island in person, Lady Rodelia.”

“I have heard that you have been the subject of many slanders. My condolences; it must have been very hard.”

“Well, let’s say I’m fine for now.”

Ellen smiled mischievously and took a glance at the servants gathered in the garden.

Everyone turned pale and lowered their heads.

Many had not openly criticized her, but some of the high-ranking officials had blamed her for her conduct.

Was it time to pay for hasty judgments? Seeing them gulp nervously, Ellen fixed her hair.

“It would not be appropriate for Lady Rodelia to remain standing in the middle of this chaos after her long journey. Why don’t you rest in the reception hall and then we will give you a more detailed explanation?”

“It is a great honor to receive such consideration. I have brought some companions, I would appreciate it if they could also rest.”

“Of course. It would be best for them to regain their strength.”

Having said that, Ellen gracefully led Rodelia inside the mansion.

The servants, drenched in sweat, quickly gathered the luggage, and the idlers began to tidy up the garden.

As he watched everything, Dereck thought that, finally, the situation had come to an end.

The necromancy matter in which Ellen had been involved had been resolved and everything had returned to normal.

What had been the original goal? So many things had happened that he had almost forgotten it.

He had been dragged into unnecessary trouble and had wasted his time, while the opening of the Ravenclaw Magic Academy was approaching.

Didn’t he plan to invite Ellen, one of his most outstanding students, to make an appearance?

After so much commotion, she would surely accept such a trivial request. With that thought, Dereck felt more at ease.

The training center that Baron Ravenclaw was building must be almost finished.

Although Aiselin gave it her all, Dereck had also faced his own difficulties. Now that Ellen had regained her authority, it was time to get to the point.

But Ellen was busy, managing the mansion and attending to Rodelia.

He thought it would be better to ask for the favor at the right moment. Just as he was preparing to leave, he heard a voice.

“Dereck.”

“…?”

Ellen, whom he thought had already left, had delegated the task to the butler and had returned.

With red and wide-open eyes, she stared at him for an instant.

Then, suddenly, she showed a meaningful smile, looked away as if she were thinking, and looked back at Dereck… repeating actions without a clear meaning.

As Dereck watched her, she became a bit nervous and blushed.

“T-that, Dereck.”

“Is something wrong?”

“…”

Noticing all the stares, Ellen took a deep breath and spoke again.

“It’s nothing.”

“…”

“I just wanted to say that. We’ll talk later.”

“…?”

Having said that, Ellen quickly fanned her face and ran toward the hallway.

Just as she was, her figure seemed so unfamiliar; the dignity with which she had behaved in the Rose Hall gave the impression of being that of a completely different person.

Dereck was also surprised to discover this facet of hers.

***

“Mr. Dereck… you are late. The inauguration is near.”

For her part, Aiselin had already finished almost all the construction and had left the documents ready, awaiting only the approval.

The study, which had practically become her office, was full of documents.

She had managed to carry out this huge project completely alone.

Seeing everything that the daughter of Duke Duplain had achieved, Delbriton was speechless.

Aiselin Eleanor Duplain.

She truly had a talent for business.