Chapter 108

Chapter 108
## Chapter 108

Explaining who Dereck Lydorf, Baron of Ravenclaw, was did not require many words.

He was a mage of humble origins from the suburbs who awakened his first-class magic on the streets, without any lineage.

Afterward, he lived as a mercenary for a time and, by chance, ended up becoming a magic instructor within high society.

As expected, being only a mercenary mage, he did not receive much recognition, but the young noblewomen who studied magic with him began to achieve remarkable results.

As one after another achieved breakthroughs, rumors about the magic instructor Dereck began to circulate in the social circles of Ebelstein, and over time, a competition to recruit him broke out.

It didn’t take long for him to forge a solid reputation among the nobility.

Then, during the necromancy disaster that affected the Duplain family, he played a decisive role in saving the lives of many nobles. Finally, under the protection of Lord Melverot of the North, he was granted the title of baron and became a noble with his own territory.

“Even though he may seem like an ordinary person at first glance, his magical achievements are extraordinary.”

The Count of Belmierd sat in a corner of his office, silently contemplating the pile of accumulated documents.

He had a lot of pending work, as he had been dealing with matters related to Leonard.

His youngest son had delved into necromancy, and when the time came to put an end to him with his own hands, his mind was so full of anguish that he could no longer continue his work.

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‘Leonard… What a tragedy… but there is no other way…’

Leonard’s body was already shattered; there was no way to help him.

Even covered in blood, he had begged the Count to trust him once more.

Though he offered pathetic excuses and said he could explain everything, even the last spark of compassion had vanished.

However, the Count of Belmierd could not simply nod his head and say it was all Leonard’s fault.

It is said that the fault of a son, in essence, is the fault of the father.

He had only cared about his heirs, Linus and Ellen, without caring about the ambitions or goals of his youngest son. For that reason, the Count of Belmierd could not be angry with Leonard.

He could not say he had no responsibility for the dark path his son had taken.

Thus, facing his own lack of virtue, the Count of Belmierd gently closed his eyes and spoke.

“Leonard. I have asked Viscountess Rodelia to at least spare your life.”

“Ah, father…!”

“However, I told her that nothing else matters. So, as a form of atonement, you must carry the weight of your error.”

The Count of Belmierd, without scolding or shouting, simply closed his eyes with serenity and informed him.

Seeing Leonard’s face turn pale again only made his heart ache even more.

Falling into the hands of Viscountess Rodelia was, in truth, a curse disguised as a pardon.

He had seen countless necromancers on the island of Rodentz beg to be killed.

Leonard screamed, but the Count of Belmierd looked away and ordered his servants to take him away.

Once the matter of Leonard was resolved, it was time to move on to the next, although he felt a great sadness.

There were many pending things, but what he needed to analyze now… was nothing other than the shocking declaration of his beloved daughter Ellen.

In fact, reading the reports and documents about Baron Dereck Lydorf Ravenclaw was a direct extension of that matter.

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The Count of Belmierd thought that Dereck was, without a doubt, a talented and useful man, but he was not interested in anything else. From his elevated position, he was accustomed to occasionally seeing extraordinary people like Dereck emerge.

It was enough for him to think “impressive” and let it go. However, due to Ellen’s surprising declaration, he could not simply ignore it.

“I… asked them to stay three more days. So… I need time to organize my ideas…”

Ellen, who always behaved like the mistress of the Belmierd mansion by taking care of domestic affairs, began to stutter and hesitate awkwardly every time she spoke of Dereck.

The Count of Belmierd, who had spent his entire life observing Ellen, found this facet of his daughter so unfamiliar that a cold sweat ran down his nose every time he saw her like this.

“I have many things to consider, but… does it really have to be Baron Ravenclaw…?”

The Count of Belmierd pushed aside all the documents on his desk, composed himself, and spoke.

Dereck was not a man with obvious flaws, but Ellen, being a lady of her position, could meet men who were more noble, more capable, and more handsome.

Marriage proposals arrived at the private residence and the main house of Ebelstein in such quantities that they could not be counted on one’s hands, and among them were names known by everyone.

The heart does not always follow logic, but how was it possible that a noble among nobles, comparable to anyone except the crown prince, insisted on Dereck?

Furthermore, he was already officially married.

According to the information gathered by the maid Briana, he was married to a commoner archer from the mercenary district of Ebelstein, and he had a family, which was also not easy to deal with.

From the perspective of the Count, who adored his daughter, he thought that the perfect and impeccable Ellen could easily defeat that commoner archer, but public opinion might be different.

The flower of the Belmierd family, the lady of the house, was infatuated with a rural baron who cultivated vineyards on the outskirts, and moreover, a married man… No matter how prestigious the Count was, shouldn’t Ellen also take her dignity into account?

Taking all that into account, the Count of Belmierd spoke calmly.

“Ellen, I must tell you this. Baron Ravenclaw is a good man, but there are many others just as good among the nobility of Ebelstein. Do you know Robenalt, the eldest son of the Beltus family? He is a grand duke, handsome, and has the support of his family.”

“I heard about him from Lady Denise in the Rose Salon. But I also heard that his magical achievements are insignificant and that he lacks manly spirit, always influenced by his servants.”

“Is… is that true…?”

In reality, Ellen, more active than anyone in social circles, knew much more about noble families.

Ellen toyed with her fingers, embarrassed, and murmured in an almost inaudible voice.

“And… Dereck is quite handsome, don’t you think…?”

“…”

“He has a strong build for his age… and ambition… his magical achievements are excellent… he has firm convictions… and he is not rude…”

“…”

The Count of Belmierd’s vision clouded over.

He had raised two sons, but this was the first time he had raised a daughter.

Seeing this facet of his daughter for the first time, he could not find a single flaw in Dereck.

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It was what people call “love blindness,” but he could not understand what had led Ellen to it, and he found it disconcerting.

“He is picky with food, which has its charm… the veins that stand out when he rolls up his sleeves are strangely attractive… he is meticulous with equipment maintenance… and he stands firm even before powerful people… and…”

“Enough… Ellen.”

“…”

Realizing she had spoken too much, Ellen held her breath, combed her hair back with her fingers, and stared out the window, which seemed innocent.

It seemed that making eye contact was uncomfortable for her, so she deliberately avoided looking at the Count.

The Count of Belmierd rubbed his temples, lost in thought.

For his beloved daughter Ellen, he would be willing to pluck the stars from the sky, but winning over Baron Ravenclaw was no easy task.

He was a man whom even the Duplain family, in their glory days, had given up for lost. A man with a deep thirst for freedom, who would leave without hesitation if his environment interfered with his magical achievements.

And, more importantly, whether Dereck felt anything for Ellen was another matter.

Of course, from the Count’s perspective, Ellen was an angel fallen from heaven, and even if all the beauties of the world were gathered, they would be ugly women in comparison… Naturally, this was only from his perspective.

In any case, due to his profession, Baron Ravenclaw would have had many opportunities to meet noble ladies, so there must have been a reason why he married a mercenary from Ebelstein.

If his ideal type was a simple and strong person, Ellen was the opposite. More than a wise and virtuous wife, she was like a noble saint, and more than a resilient housewife, she was a trustworthy ruler.

And, above all, if Ellen, who always had to be the center of attention, paired up with Dereck, it seemed she would end up being swept along by him.

Of course, to be honest, all of this was nothing more than excuses.

“No matter how good a man he is… it would be a waste to give Ellen away! Ellen is the treasure I have protected all my life…!”

As happens to many fathers with daughters, the Count of Belmierd had to hold back tears of blood.

But seeing Ellen fidget shyly, his heart softened once again, realizing that being a father was not easy.

‘Yes… I know it instinctively. No matter what happens, in the end I will do what Ellen desires.’

The Count of Belmierd let out a deep sigh.

Ellen, who had always tried to live up to his expectations, almost never asked him for anything. Facing such a request, his heart could not resist.

Baron Ravenclaw. Conquering him was not easy, but he had to devise a plan.

“Very well, Ellen. The human heart is not always moved by gains or losses.”

“Father…!”

“But, as I already said, Baron Ravenclaw is like a lone wolf, difficult to bind to the forces of others. Even so, it is not impossible to persuade him. I will do what is in my power.”

Having said this, the Count of Belmierd rose from his desk.

“For now, try to keep Baron Ravenclaw in the mansion for as long as possible and think about how to convince him during that time.”

Seeing Ellen’s face light up again, the Count’s heart softened once more.

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The wound of having lost Leonard still ached, but at least he could be grateful that Ellen was safe.

Just as the Count of Belmierd began to devise a plan.

“An important guest has arrived at the main gate of the mansion.”

“An important guest? Who could it be at this hour?”

“Well…”

The servant, bowing politely, replied.

“Lady Aiselin, of the Duplain family, has come personally.”

***

Ellen was a bit surprised to see Aiselin.

In the Rose Salon, she still wore a beautiful dress and behaved like a noble lady, but while helping with tasks at Baron Ravenclaw’s mansion, she had become a completely different person.

She still wore a pretty dress with ruffles, but without unnecessary ornaments and with her sleeves rolled up, giving her a slightly more active look.

Even so, Aiselin was still Aiselin, and her characteristic noble elegance had not disappeared, but it certainly felt different than before.

The most surprising thing was that she had not arrived by carriage, but on horseback, with a leather backpack tied to the saddle and her back.

The image of her carrying a leather backpack over an elegant ruffled dress was indescribable. It was like seeing a princess plowing the fields… a strange sight.

“Oh, Lady Aiselin?”

“Oh, Lady Ellen! Long time no see! I haven’t been able to attend the last meetings at the Rose Salon, so I haven’t seen you much, and it’s very sad!”

Seeing her smile so gracefully and speak so elegantly, it was clear that this girl was, indeed, Aiselin.

However, Aiselin, who had dismounted with a slight groan, left her leather backpack on the ground and wiped away her sweat.

The servants of the Belmierd mansion who saw this were stunned and ran out to pick up her luggage.

Aiselin handed them the luggage and greeted them with a radiant smile.

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“Thank you. The employees of the Belmierd mansion are very kind.”

Saying this, Aiselin handed over the rest of the luggage tied to the saddle.

Inside were basic items and a leather blanket she had used during the trip. It was probably the first time she had traveled such a long distance on horseback, but she had completed the journey without major problems.

That a noble lady would travel without a carriage was unheard of.

While Ellen looked at her with an expression of surprise, Aiselin laughed nervously.

“I didn’t expect Lady Aiselin to come all the way to the Belmierd mansion. If you had sent me a letter in advance, I would have sent a carriage for you.”

“Oh, just hearing you say that makes me feel so sorry and grateful. But it was an urgent matter, so I couldn’t.”

Is it urgent? Has something happened?

“Actually, I have been staying at Baron Ravenclaw’s mansion, doing various things.”

Ellen knew that Aiselin frequently visited Baron Ravenclaw’s mansion for matters related to the training center.

However, she hadn’t thought that Aiselin was doing anything beyond that, so she tilted her head in confusion.

“Doing things? How can a noble lady of the Duplain family be at a baron’s mansion on the outskirts…?”

“Well, if I went around saying things like that, it would affect the prestige of the family… Lady Ellen, could you keep this a secret, please?”

“Oh, that’s not hard… but doing things?”

“Well, the family is going through a difficult time lately, so I’ve been studying hard. While helping at Baron Ravenclaw’s mansion, I’ve been practicing and applying what I’ve learned. It’s quite fun.”

The expression on Aiselin’s face as she said this was so radiant and refreshing that it was hard to believe she was a disgraced noble carrying her family’s crisis on her shoulders.

“I’ve been doing practical work like financial and personnel management within the mansion… looking after the servants… supervising important projects related to the training center business… and also keeping an eye on the Rose Salon… attending social events… these days, even ten people wouldn’t be enough for me. Hahaha.”

“S-so much…?”

Ellen looked at Aiselin with wide eyes.

No matter how it was, going to another noble family’s house and supervising their internal affairs… wasn’t that practically like being the lady of the house?

Although there was a baroness named Pheline, seeing her move so freely through the mansion almost gave the impression that she was becoming the true power behind the Ravenclaw barony.

At times, it seemed her intention was to take over the entire barony, but when she sought Dereck’s approval for important matters, she gave a different impression.

Lately, Sir Dereck has been very busy, so he has not been able to give his final approval to the matters developing in the Ravenclaw Barony. There are quite a few things that could be resolved with his confirmation… but waiting indefinitely is not an option, so I came first.

No matter the circumstances, the fact that a duke’s daughter traveled to a rural area just to obtain a work permit was something for which no law existed.

Aiselin, however, seemed completely indifferent to those questions of authority and smiled brazenly.

Observing her, a strange sense of crisis began to grow in Ellen.

At least Pheline did not see Dereck as a man. If she were asked to resign her position as baroness, she would do so gladly, humming happily as she returned to Ebelstein.

But with Aiselin, things were a bit more complicated.

“I see. So, the reason Lady Aiselin brought herself to the Belmierd mansion is…”

“Yes! I need to take Sir Dereck with me!”

Aiselin replied enthusiastically.

Hearing that, Ellen’s face tightened for an instant.

“Hmm… I suddenly feel a chill down my spine…”

Dereck, who was sitting in the guest room of the mansion reading a magic book, shuddered for an instant.

Shortly after, he put down the magic book he had borrowed from the Belmierd mansion library and sighed deeply.

‘As expected, unlike the Duplain family, here in Belmierd there are no suitable high-level magic books.’

In fact, from the 4-star level upward, there were limits to what could be learned from magic books. Finding a good master was the most effective method.

Dereck crossed his arms, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

Dereck’s magical achievements, which had taken off like a rocket, now seemed to have entered a slight stagnation phase.

In fact, it was a barrier that every mage faced at least once. And now it had reached Dereck.

He was thinking about how to overcome that obstacle with intelligence.

He had learned 1-star magic from a scruffy old man in the slums.

2-star magic, from a disgraced noblewoman of the Flameheart family.

3-star magic, from an old archmage wandering aimlessly through the world.

So, where could he find someone to teach him 4-star magic?

Dereck, whom countless mages considered a master, now could not find a master for himself.

It was a problem tied to the fate of those born with extraordinary talent.