Chapter 132

Chapter 132
## Chapter 132

“Young Master Robenalt, you are doing quite well.”

“This is excellent, Robenalt.”

“You’re doing fine, Robenalt.”

Valerian, the eldest son of the Duplain family, was already capable of using two-star magic by the time he reached adulthood, and Linus, the firstborn of the Belmierd family, was widely respected and enjoyed the trust of many both inside and outside the mansion for his unique and carefree charisma.

However, Robenalt, the eldest son of Beltus, was not exceptional in magic, nor did he possess a charisma capable of leading others, and despite his efforts, he had no clear achievements that could be attributed to him.

That did not mean he was incompetent, but his existence was so lukewarm that it was a pity to call him the firstborn of the powerful Beltus.

For that reason, the words Robenalt heard most during his childhood were words of encouragement such as: “You are doing quite well.”

“You’re doing quite well, so don’t worry too much, brother Robenalt.”

His younger sister, Denise, was the same.

Whenever Robenalt’s confidence faltered, she would speak naturally, as if it were nothing, with a calm and indifferent gaze.

“You don’t have to try too hard. You just have to do your part, okay? Just your part.”

That is what Denise used to say.

Born with Beltus blood, receiving respect and affection from everyone, living their entire lives within this glory, there was no need to try too hard or to awaken unnecessary ambitions.

One only had to be grateful for having been born into a blessed environment and live in peace, just as one was.

She seemed to have a lively personality, but deep down, she was very lazy.

Robenalt, who had partially perceived that disposition, once found a strange comfort in her words.

However, Denise changed.

“Pant… pant…”

Late at night, if one strolled through the gardens of the Beltus mansion, it was easy to see Denise resting, exhausted after training magic and strengthening her body all night long.

She read books until late, took advantage of lunchtime to practice exploration magic, and yet still followed the rules of etiquette, good manners, and social activities. Without realizing it, she had moved away from laziness.

She still believed she was simply trying to live comfortably, but from the perspective of Robenalt, who observed her closely, that was not entirely true.

She had been influenced by someone.

Born into the privileged heart of the Beltus family, she was gradually moving away from the comfortable life in which she simply followed Grand Duke Beltus’s orders.

By breaking her shell, she began to understand the harshness of a world whipped by storms.

He already knew she was very active in Ebelstein’s social circles and that she had found a new mentor.

However, he did not know how decisive that had been for her life.

He was only curious about what she had seen.

*If only!*

With those thoughts, Robenalt blinked for an instant.

The white-haired mercenary who had burst into the command room and defeated the servants in a matter of seconds took advantage of that brief distraction.

Leaping like a bird, he drove his leg into Robenalt’s stomach.

*Thud!*

The sensation of the boot sinking into his abdomen was seared into his memory.

Robenalt’s eyes widened, and he closed them tightly against the pain that followed.

Dereck twisted his body and kicked Robenalt in the side with his back leg.

Pain exploded simultaneously in his stomach, side, and chest—areas that had already been struck by magic. The dizziness was so intense that Robenalt could not help but retch.

This was completely different from the honorable duels held at the Beltus magic training grounds, where both opponents respected each other.

Derek Lydorf Ravenclaw, Baron.

The attacks he employed showed no consideration for the dignity or etiquette of the nobility. And that was completely natural.

The central garden and the grounds were in flames, and the buildings were beginning to collapse.

This place was, without a doubt, the heart of the battlefield.

What etiquette or dignity could exist in such a battle?

This was completely different from the beautiful and luxurious training grounds where Robenalt had practiced his entire life.

“…”

Dereck brushed the dust off his boots and began to check the documents scattered around the command room.

To him, Robenalt was no longer someone who required caution.

Just as he had effortlessly defeated those servants, Robenalt was simply another easy prey he could crush with a single move.

“Ugh… ah…”

However, Robenalt gripped the edge of the fallen desk and stood up.

As he watched Dereck search the room, he felt as if an indescribable aura emanated from the man’s body.

“You came to deactivate the tower’s protective magic…”

“…”

“I’m sorry, but… that’s not going to happen… Not while my eyes are still open…”

*Whoosh!*

Finally, a first-level spell, Ice Spear, was conjured.

Its size was not large, and its magic power was so weak that Dereck could clearly see its trajectory and strength.

It was so ordinary and insignificant that Dereck thought the magic Diella had learned at the beginning was more powerful.

The ice spears that Robenalt threw with gritted teeth flew toward Dereck, but he didn’t even bother to dodge them.

*Crash!*

*Whoosh!*

With a single punch, Dereck shattered Robenalt’s weak magic.

The most terrifying thing was that Robenalt had not even been able to perceive the shape of the magic arrows Dereck had manifested.

The speed of his casting and the precision of his interception completely surpassed his magic senses.

Dereck jumped from the desk and lunged at Robenalt.

Robenalt narrowed his eyes and lowered his guard, but Dereck anticipated the move and gave him another kick in the side.

*Crash! Bang!*

Robenalt slammed into the desk beside him.

Even so, he gritted his teeth, stood up, and grabbed Dereck’s leg.

The grinding of his teeth could be heard.

Dereck looked at him and spoke calmly.

“The protective magic seems to be controlled from the top of the tower. There are no objects inside the command room containing magic energy…”

“Ugh… grrr…”

Robenalt endured unbearable pain, and soon flames began to rise from his fingers.

He still wasn’t giving up.

When Dereck stepped back to create distance, Robenalt quickly stood up and ran toward the collapsed inner wall.

Then he took out the tower’s magic control stone and began to resonate with it.

‘I can’t stop him with my strength alone… I must use every means at my disposal…!’

With just a few exchanges of blows, he understood immediately.

That Dereck was not someone he could stop on his own.

Gritting his teeth, he ran toward the top of the tower, thinking he had to find some method.

“If I divert part of the tower’s protection for my own defense… I might be able to match his firepower…”

Who could deny it?

Dereck was a completely superior being.

Although they didn’t seem to have much of an age difference, Dereck was already aiming for the level of a 4-star mage.

In mastery of magic, in combat experience, in everything, Dereck surpassed Robenalt.

Where did that difference come from?

It needed no explanation: it was a matter of talent.

Thinking that, Robenalt clenched his fist. It was no longer the time for regrets.

But the enemy he had to face felt like an insurmountable wall.

From the perspective of Robenalt, who had to defend that tower at all costs, the existence of the intruder Dereck was an absolute disaster.

But would he give up? He shook his head.

Most of the difficulties in Robenalt’s life had been things considered impossible to overcome.

*Thump, thump!*

Looking down, he saw Dereck leave the command room and head up the spiral staircase after him.

The speed was so great that he would soon catch up.

Robenalt gritted his teeth and pushed every cabinet he found in his path down the stairs.

The cabinets tumbled over the luxurious carpet, but Dereck’s magic arrows split them all in half.

The power was so overwhelming that Robenalt realized the magic he had seen in the command room had only been a glimpse.

A chill ran down Robenalt’s arm.

His legs were trembling, and a cold sweat ran down his forehead.

He felt as if an enormous beast were chasing him.

For someone as shy, faint-hearted, and inexperienced as him, enduring it was a colossal ordeal.

Was this what it felt like to be hunted by a lion on the plains? It wasn’t hard to imagine being caught and devoured.

Even so, Robenalt possessed an innate trait: an unusual resistance to fear.

He took the ceremonial sword hanging on the wall and imbued it with the transformation magic *Attribute Conversion*.

Flames erupted from the blade, leaving trails with every swing, and the heat increased.

Robenalt turned and swung his sword at Dereck, who was coming up the stairs.

*Claaang!*

Dereck, who drew his sword at an imperceptible speed, blocked the attack with ease.

The tip of Dereck’s sword didn’t even budge, but the tip of Robenalt’s flaming sword trembled uncontrollably.

The overwhelming pain and the fear in his heart… he couldn’t tell which of the two was making his hand shake.

“T-the teacher who taught Denise… I heard it was you…”

“…”

“At least back then… our families had a friendly relationship…”

Robenalt knew it well. It was the Beltus family that first showed its fangs against Baron Dereck.

The Duke of Beltus’s ambition was so excessive that he did not wish for any new power to emerge. Thus, blinded by that greed, they had touched someone they should never have touched.

He probably hadn’t given it much thought. He had always trampled and crushed countless people, causing their ruin or death as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The result was now before his eyes.

Duke Beltus’s judgment had been wrong, and Robenalt, who had obeyed his family’s will like a puppet, had not prevented that decision. He was someone accustomed to acting exactly as he was ordered.

The price to pay for that was Dereck’s enmity.

Aware of this, Robenalt spoke firmly, though his fingers were trembling.

“If you don’t kill me… you’ll never be able to move forward…”

*Do you think I can’t kill you?*

He caught his breath at those words.

Before the sword, beyond it, the man’s eyes reflected genuine killing intent.

He was someone who had been soaked in blood countless times.

If he swung his sword with determination, Robenalt’s head would surely fall.

Even in the midst of overwhelming fear, Robenalt gritted his teeth and swung his sword once more.

*Hwaak! Hwaak!*

Traces of fire tried to envelop the area, but they could not reach Dereck’s body, as he stepped back with precision, dodging the blade.

Dereck took his staff, *Footprints*, from his belt. It was a high-grade staff that the royal family had granted him directly for his merits during the Duplain disaster.

Robenalt, who understood transformation magic well, immediately recognized the extraordinary nature of the magic weapon.

A sword in one hand and a staff in the other.

It seemed like an unbalanced combination, but Dereck was already used to it. He lowered his guard, twisted his body, and dodged all of Robenalt’s attacks.

Soon, a magic aura surrounded the staff. Robenalt understood instinctively that if he allowed that magic to reach him, he would die without recourse.

From that moment on, the battle had to be to the death. Knowing this, Robenalt concentrated magic in his fingers and gritted his teeth.

“Hahaha!”

With a cry full of determination, he lunged at Dereck.

*Boom! Whoosh!*

But the cry was nothing more than a feint.

From the top of the tower, a sinister magic began to stir.

A portion of the magic that should have been used exclusively to protect the mansion was drawn toward the spiral staircase through the magic stone in Robenalt’s possession.

Robenalt knew he could never defeat Dereck in a direct duel of skills. He was fully aware that he was the weaker one.

The weak must fight with the logic of the weak. Without using every possible means, he could never stop Dereck.

*Clang! Clang! Whoosh!*

Despite the searing pain in his body, he swung his sword, hiding from Dereck’s view the magic disturbance rising at the top of the tower.

If he could redirect the tower’s bombardment toward himself, he could create a situation in which both would end up seriously injured.

Then, he screamed until his throat tore and lunged at Dereck, shrouded in bright flames.

Although his movements seemed clumsy and his magic weak in Dereck’s eyes, as long as he could capture his attention, it was enough.

*Clang! Whoosh!*

*Thud!*

However, Robenalt fell in less than three seconds.

Dereck blocked a strike, stepped aside, and kicked him in the solar plexus with his opposite leg.

When he regained consciousness, he was lying on the stairs, his sword scattered on the floor.

Panting, he looked up and saw Dereck looking down at him coldly.

Dereck snatched the magic stone from Robenalt’s chest and dissipated all the magic it contained.

The magic reigning at the top of the tower began to fade. Dereck had discovered Robenalt’s final move.

“…”

Dereck watched the fallen Robenalt for an instant, then began to climb the stairs again.

Even with the stone, he still had to reach the top to deactivate the protection spell.

*Grab.*

But Robenalt, trembling and panting, gripped Dereck’s ankle tightly.

He was already too exhausted to stand, and he knew the gap between his skills and Dereck’s was unbridgeable.

Even so, he did not let go of Dereck’s ankle, determined to delay him a bit longer.

Dereck looked at him once more.

It wouldn’t be hard to get rid of that weak hand. A simple flick of his foot would be enough to make him let go.

But in Robenalt’s trembling arm, a firm determination was reflected.

Dereck looked at him, puzzled.

“Why go so far?”

“I was ordered to hold this needle… and I must fulfill that order…”

“Is that reason enough to go to such an extreme?”

“I must… so that my worth is recognized…”

Robenalt suddenly raised his head. Although he looked young, his determination was that of an experienced general.

“Duplain, Belmierd, Beltus… they were all names of glorious families, but their succession systems were completely different, weren’t they?”

“…”

“I am nothing compared to Prince Valerian of Duplain or Prince Linus of Belmierd. I have no talent, no innate grace, no spirit. So, to survive, I must follow my family’s will, strive to prove my worth, and fulfill my duties to the fullest… Even if I wear elegant clothes, I am nothing more than a mediocre commoner.”

Robenalt understood it perfectly.

The gap separating him from Dereck was as vast as the distance between heaven and earth, and even knowing this, the result would not change.

“If you want to pity me, go ahead. In every great noble house, there are always pathetic people like me… One more person looking at me with compassion won’t change anything.”

Grand Duke Beltus was cold and ruthless, capable of sacrificing even his own family.

Born as an heir without talent, Robenalt could only crawl and bow his head to survive.

That was the survival method of the young man named Robenalt.

“Denise has told me a lot about you. You were born and raised in misery, you overcame that environment, and you achieved great things. Denise, who is indifferent to everything, never showed respect for anyone. You must have been a truly admirable teacher for my sister…”

“…”

“But just as people like you exist… people like me exist too. Born into a noble family, raised with respect, but struggling to maintain our position despite having achieved nothing… Even if I work hard and strive, nothing changes… But what can I do?”

With even more strength, he tightened his grip on Dereck’s ankle.

Robenalt and Dereck were polar opposites, and not just in terms of magic ability.

A genius who had flourished from the misery of the slums and a mediocrity born to reach splendor.

A privileged birth does not guarantee talent.

“What else can I do but struggle and resist? So… while I am here… with my eyes open… you will never… pass…”

Then, flames erupted once more from Robenalt’s body.

His transformation magic was basic, but his determination to keep fighting even with a shattered body was admirable.

Robenalt grabbed his flame-wrapped sword, leaped to his feet, and ran back up the stairs.

With a sword in one hand and a staff in the other, the blade glowed with fire magic and the staff shone with ice magic.

His platinum-blonde hair was disheveled, blood dripped from his mouth, and his swollen face looked pitiful.

He looked more like a battered wretch than a noble. Compared to Valerian or Linus, it was hard to believe that man was the heir to that great family.

But even with that pitiful face, he was serious in his own way.

They say you are the most famous instructor in Ebelstein. That you can turn any fierce young lady into an elegant one and teach the mysteries of magic even to a mediocre student.

“I am not that good. The rumors are exaggerated.”

“We’ll see. Fine. I admit it. You are stronger and more talented than I am. So what?”

Robenalt raised his voice and spoke clearly.

“I… will fulfill my duty! If stopping you… is my duty… even if my bones are crushed and my body burns…! I will stop you…! That’s all…! Just that…!”

Having been born as the heir to Beltus and fulfilling the duties of a noble: he took that responsibility more seriously than anyone.

His fingers were trembling, but he did not back down. His will to face fear was admirable.

That is why Dereck looked at him and said:

“Truly, Young Master Robenalt, your determination is exceptional. Out of respect for that…”

Robenalt shivered.

Everyone could see that Dereck was incredibly strong. Knowing that, any word he spoke made him tense.

“…R-respect?”

“…”

Could it be possible that he would turn around and leave?

A faint hope flashed somewhere in his mind, but…

“…Without reservation, I will also give it my all.”

“……”

“The respect I can show to Young Master Robenalt, who burns with conviction, is to consider him a worthy opponent.”

Saying that, Dereck began to concentrate all his magic power in his fingers.

A whirlwind broke out around him, and nearby cabinets went flying, tumbling down the staircase.

The pressure of his magic was palpable.

A level 3-star magic was approaching.

It was high-level magic, which even the most talented nobles took years to learn.

*Whoosh!*

Dereck’s magic spread across the staircase, and the staff *Footprints* began to glow. If you tried to block it or deflect it clumsily, you would die without recourse. It was magic that had to be avoided at all costs.

“…”

Robenalt began to regret having said such a pretentious phrase.

He wanted to kill the version of himself from fifteen seconds ago.