Chapter 127

Chapter 127
### Chapter 127
**“Have you ever seen a master-level mage fight with all their power?”**

At times, Fina was so carefree and disheveled that Dereck doubted whether she was truly a 6-star mage.

However, because she occasionally possessed a chilling gaze and struck weak points with precision, Dereck never underestimated her; yet Fina seemed to think she did not receive enough respect and grumbled for no reason at all.

She would get angry and tell him to respect his master, who was “as important as the heavens,” but she seemed not to realize that her own behavior was far from reliable.

On the day the first semester of the Ravenclaw Training Center was about to end, most of the young ladies were returning to their territories to enjoy their vacations, but Fina did not seem to have any intention of returning to the Tigris territory.

She was simply lying on the sofa in a corner of Dereck’s office, munching on financiers and mont blancs baked by the servants, speaking with pride.

Ironically, once you reach the position of master, you almost never have to compete using magic. When you become someone who rules, you have fewer opportunities to use your power. It is a true paradox.

“Have you seen it yourself, Master?”

“Of course. Well… in the southwest of the continent, Duplain, Belmierd, and Beltus were the true powers… I heard that the Duke of Duplain could lift the entire grounds of his mansion into the air if he wanted to, and that the Count of Belmierd once sank three or four ships at once.”

It was said that a 5-star mage could be considered a weapon of war.

Of course, since there were not many of them, all of them enjoyed significant social status; they simply rarely had the opportunity to demonstrate their power directly.

There is always a reason why those who hold power cling to their positions. Even the Count of Belmierd remains a four-star mage, having not yet reached five. It is unimaginable how far his level could go.

“…”

“When you encounter monsters like Melverot and Drest, you lose your sense of reality. Always remember that master-level mages are like armies in themselves. Munch, munch. Sip…”

There was not a trace of seriousness in Fina’s expression as she chewed the bread with puffed lips.

The new pastry chef who had joined their household fit her tastes so perfectly that Dereck had even added a note indicating he should not be fired without his permission.

After all, from the perspective of a great mage who had reached the 6-star rank, even a chief mage was seen as “someone who can only do a little.”

Dereck felt a strange unease looking at Fina, but soon sighed and spoke.

“Grand Duke Beltus is a 5-star summoner, and I’ve heard he can summon high-level spirits, legendary creatures through biological summoning magic, and historical magic artifacts through non-biological summoning.”

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Yes. If you become too confident, even I could be surprised by that very annoying man. He seems ambitious, power-hungry, and with a twisted personality, but in reality, he is nothing more than a stubborn old man. You should consider yourself lucky to have a master as open-minded as I am.

“It is not realistic to expect me to face someone like that.”

“Yes. You should take this seriously.”

Fina spoke with a seductive smile, narrowing her eyes.

“If you lower your guard, you will die instantly.”

“You make it sound easy.”

“Oh, please. I’m not asking for the impossible. Do not underestimate my critical eye. Didn’t I tell you? I can clearly see what kind of mage you are, Dereck.”

While watching him devour mille-feuilles, brioches, croissants, and madeleines, he looked like a rodent eating, but his eyes remained as sharp as ever.

Some say it is pitiful and lamentable that you, Dereck, were born in poverty and lived like a beggar wallowing in the slums. Honestly, they are fools without judgment. Dereck, that hostile environment was a blessing for you, an opportunity fallen from heaven.

Fina had a general idea of what she wanted to say.

It seemed she was developing a kind of empathy toward Dereck that she did not show toward others.

Do you think you would have reached your current level if you had been born a noble and lived a quiet, elegant life in a mansion? Not at all. The power of the nobility is so sweet… it would have been a miracle if you hadn’t become a fat pig.

“…”

“Even extraordinary talent means nothing if the environment does not mold it. And you… are someone whose eyes only come to life on a bloody battlefield, not in the refined magic training courtyard of a mansion. Your talent flourished in the ruthless struggle for survival between life and death.”

Fina spoke without changing her expression.

“So crawl toward the crisis of death. Luckily, the specialty of this heavenly master is precisely dealing with death.”

“And if I die?”

“That would be regrettable.”

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“…”

“But if you survive, you will become stronger.”

Fina, not caring about the crumbs on her cheeks, looked at Dereck with bright eyes and said:

“Probably more than you imagine.”

***

*Slash!*

The ominous magic power emanating from Denise’s luggage began to take on a gigantic form.

It was not difficult to feel that even the pressure of that magic was far from ordinary.

When Denise approached the luggage to see what was happening, an explosion of magic surged from within, throwing her against the wall.

*Boom! Bang!*

*Fwoosh!*

“Ah, ah…!”

Denise’s small body was sent flying toward the bookshelf and crashed into it, causing the books to fall and cover her head.

As Denise looked confusedly at the luggage, a sinister dark-red magic began to slowly spread from it.

What is happening right now?

Anyone else would have been paralyzed, holding their breath before such a scene, but Denise swallowed hard and regained her composure.

She had always been a person capable of maintaining calm in crisis situations.

She needed to knock on the door and ask for help. It was not something she could handle alone.

Pushing aside the scattered books and standing up, a withered hand emerged from the massive surge of magic.

“W-What… what…?”

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While Denise made a sound of astonishment, a terrifying figure emerged from the light.

It was an Archlich, a necromancer of death that could only be found in the deepest labyrinths of the White Zone.

Although the existence of magic creatures was known, this was the most malevolent of all. The place where an Archlich resided became an immense labyrinth, a breeding ground for magic creatures that consumed everything in its path and sowed death.

A skull covered in beads and tattered cloths began to float, holding a massive staff.

The cold emanating from its magic was enough to freeze anyone who touched it.

Death itself had arrived; even the labyrints of the White Zone were safer than this room.

After exhaling an icy breath, the sinister skull floated upward and scanned its surroundings.

This grand mansion, where noble humans resided, seemed the ideal structure for the skull to claim as its own.

There was a separate facility for the handling of magic, and the hill that rose in the middle of the vast forest offered significant geographical advantages.

The being that had summoned it into this world, a 6-star necromancer, had engraved an order deep into its instincts.

**Build a nest.**

This mansion of Beltus was the perfect place for the Archlich to reside and exert its power over death, thus expelling every living being and claiming it as its lair.

When that instinct was activated, an icy light emanated from the hollow sockets of the skull.

A 5-star necromancy spell: “The Arrival of the Dead.”

Creatures that dealt with death… no one knew anything about the monster known as Fina, who could summon such beings from the furthest corners of the White Zone labyrinth.

Only the result remained: gathering magic in this place.

The spirits began to converge and the corpses began to rise from the ground.

As the blood-soaked traces of necromancy filled the room, Denise did not hesitate for an instant.

*Boom!*

Denise kicked the door open with combat magic and ran out.

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Fear was evident in her eyes, but she had not completely lost her sanity.

She was on the verge of collapse, her legs almost failing her, but her instinct to flee remained intact.

*Crash! Bang!*

She tripped on the threshold and fell flat on her face, but Denise gritted her teeth and stood up.

When she burst into the hallway, the servants, startled, shouted at her.

“Miss Denise! This is… You can’t do this! If you destroy the mansion…!”

“The room…! Look at the room…!”

Denise said this while clutching her bloody knee, scraped against the floor. Just as she was about to start running again, the servants also froze upon seeing the massive catastrophe that had broken out in the room.

Denise thought she should leave them and escape alone.

When she was about to run down the hall, she turned around, grabbed a trembling servant by the collar—too shocked to react—and shouted:

“What are you doing?! Run, run fast!”

While Denise dragged the servants, a large number of vengeful spirits began to pour out of the room.

It was the prelude to a disaster.

***

“We must go immediately to the Duchy of Beltus. Gather as many troops as possible.”

Dereck, who had left his territory early in the morning, spoke firmly before Countess Rodelia.

The reason he sought out Countess Rodelia first, and no one else, was because she was the type of person who never hesitated when it came to necromancy.

If she detected any trace of it, she was the type of person who would storm without a second thought into the mansion of the Duke of Beltus, going straight through the front gate.

He was sure she would be the first to act, as she had a certain degree of trust in him.

“Yes. I received your letter. I was sure that necromancy was involved in the Duchy of Beltus.”

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Countess Rodelia looked at Dereck with a favorable expression. She had seen firsthand how skilled he was at dealing with necromancy when they captured Leonard.

Even so, Countess Rodelia was also a ruler who commanded and administered a territory.

There was a reason why her daughter, Trisha, was so afraid of her.

It might have seemed she was driven solely by hatred toward necromancy, but she was also someone who never overlooked crucial details when necessary.

“However, the deployment of troops requires caution. Above all, taking military action against the Duchy of Beltus based solely on your word is too reckless.”

Dereck already expected this.

She would not mobilize her armies just on his word.

Therefore, he had to create an urgent situation, one so serious that if they did not act immediately, something terrible would happen, and at the same time, something serious enough to topple Grand Duke Beltus.

“There is a high probability that a high-ranking demon—of at least five stars—has appeared in the mansion of the Grand Duke of Beltus. A demon that practices necromancy.”

Is that true?

The luxurious reception hall of the Rodelia County.

Even during training, she always wore her armor meticulously, and her imposing presence was even greater considering her small stature.

The holy sword she always carried at her waist was quite large; one could not help but wonder how such an old woman could even wield it.

“An entity like that cannot be easily summoned without a high-level necromancy spell. Could it be that Grand Duke Beltus truly…?”

“If we delay, the situation will worsen. We must act quickly.”

“Can you assume responsibility for that claim?”

“I swear it on the honor of the Barony of Ravenclaw.”

These were not the words of some random vagabond, but those of a noble with a clearly established status, spoken under oath.

It was something that could not be easily dismissed, but also not something to be blindly trusted.

The determination of a leader was needed, but it was not a matter of acting rashly.

Countess Rodelia frowned, showing the cautious attitude of someone who, even in extreme situations, verified what needed to be verified.

“Even if that is true, how do you know? Grand Duke Beltus is a shrewd man. He would not easily reveal his weaknesses to a border baron.”

“Yes. But I also have certain knowledge of how to deal with necromancers, such as when we captured Leonard. And… I did not discover this top-secret information on my own.”

That meant Dereck had a reliable informant.

She could not help but ask who it was.

At those words, Dereck spoke with a serious expression.

“Grand Duke Beltus used his status and authority to strictly control everyone in his domain, but not everyone obeyed him. Among the people of Grand Duke Beltus, there was someone who warned me about the existence of necromancy and revealed everything to me.”

“You understand the authority of Grand Duke Beltus better than anyone, right?”

“Yes. Despite that, there was an insider who revealed all the facts.”

To topple Grand Duke Beltus.

If he allowed the man who had trampled and humiliated him to continue acting as he pleased, Dereck would live forever in disgrace within noble society.

Therefore, he could not leave him unpunished.

However, he also did not want his disciple, with whom he had maintained a long-standing relationship, to be dragged down by the ruin of her family.

So Dereck devised a new strategy.

“Lady Denise. She came to the Barony of Ravenclaw and confessed to me the darkness that inhabited Beltus.”

Everyone knew that Denise had studied with Dereck for a long time.

Countess Rodelia also knew well that Denise deeply trusted Dereck and that she had significant contacts in social circles.

Therefore, it was not an implausible claim.

If they were investigating necromancy in a manner so dangerous it bordered on recklessness, it is very likely that a serious accident has already occurred. She foresaw that possibility. She was an expert in exploratory magic and understood Beltus’s internal affairs perfectly.

When everything was over, if someone was going to become the true power behind Beltus, it would be best if it were someone aligned with Dereck.

That is why, if only one person was to be saved from the ruined Beltus family, that person was already decided.

“…”

Rodelia’s expression became even more serious.

If moving the troops turned out to be in vain, Dereck would have to bear the responsibility.

But if they did not move and a disaster occurred, who would be to blame?

Risk and reward. When both are weighed, the conclusion comes faster than one might think.

In the end, Countess Rodelia’s decision was already made.

Her determination and her momentum were extraordinary.