Chapter 143

Chapter 143
## Chapter 143

Dereck, who had returned after finishing the work on Beltus’s side, was in a truly pitiful state.

An arm bandaged and splinted, a patch on his eye due to the bruising on his eyelid, a limp in his leg, and his magical power greatly weakened.

It was the sign that he had pushed his body to the limit to break through the 4-star barrier.

In fact, it was an injury that would have killed anyone instantly, but Dereck, who since childhood had been resistant to pain and injury, managed to endure it.

The simple fact that he was walking and moving in that manner was strange in itself.

“It seems Lady Denise is the one taking the lead in organizing the Beltus mansion. I have already finished organizing my position, so there shouldn’t be any problem.”

“It breaks my heart to see my dear disciple in such a pitiful state.”

“I think it would be better if you said that without smiling.”

The servants of the Ravenclaw barony were completely shocked when the lord of the manor returned in such a state.

They immediately took him to a private room so he could rest, and carefully gathered all kinds of medicinal herbs and nutritious foods.

Dereck was sitting on the bed, removing the bandages from his arm.

There was too much blood, so his clothes had to be changed. He could have called a maid, but he had the habit of healing his wounds himself since his days as a mercenary.

“How does it feel to reach a new level? Does it make you go crazy?”

“Honestly, it was quite stimulating. I couldn’t help but laugh a little and I felt somewhat embarrassed.”

“Mmm, mmm… I see. Well, I also gained a lot, so it was a very simple process.”

Fina was sitting on the windowsill.

To an outside observer, it might look like a dangerous scene, but those who knew her true nature understood there was no point in worrying about her.

“So, have you mastered summoning magic yet?”

“Well, I think I understand the principle quite well, but I don’t think I can handle high-level summons. It seems I am not very compatible with summoning magic.”

“There is no need to force something that doesn’t work. As I said, you only need a foundation solid enough to apply different types of magic.”

Fina cast a shrewd glance at Dereck with narrowed eyes.

“You are lucky to have a great teacher like me. Do you know how much time and effort it takes even for the most talented to overcome the 4-star barrier?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“…It would be nice if you at least pretended to be annoyed when I tease you, but you are too boring to joke with.”

Fina sighed and looked out the window again, leaning her face on her hand.

The snow that had fallen overnight was accumulating. Winter had completely arrived.

“About the archlich that broke into the mansion.”

“Oh, Happy?”

“…?”

“That guy. He was very hurt. It seems like only yesterday when I raised him, hugging and stroking him because he was adorable, and now he is already a full-grown adult and he’s scary…”

Imagining the gigantic lich invading the mansion, dripping blood and cold, anyone would wonder about the meaning of the name.

Dereck decided not to comment.

“He disappeared with the corpse of Grand Duke Beltus.”

“…Why? Is that a problem?”

Fina, a 6-star necromancer, aspired to perfect the advanced resurrection of corpses.

Dereck knew she needed the body of a high-level mage for that. But he didn’t fully understand her exact intentions.

So he tried to look into the matter, but surprisingly Fina answered bluntly.

“I plan to resurrect the late Kalimford. For that, I need many things.”

It wasn’t about resurrecting just any corpse.

It was about reviving a 6-star mage. It wasn’t something that could be done easily.

“I have a commitment to Kalimford. Well, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“…”

Dereck tried to say something else, but stopped.

Every time Kalimford was mentioned, Fina wore a strange expression, almost nostalgic. It didn’t seem like a good idea to delve into that topic.

In fact, Fina changed the subject immediately, as if she didn’t want to go deeper.

“Well, now that you’ve overcome the 4-star barrier, you’ll be even busier. There is much to learn.”

“That’s true, but there are also many things to attend to during the winter break at the training center. First, I need to visit the Duplain family, so I need to recover soon.”

“It’s not normal for someone who was on the brink of death to think about wandering aimlessly again.”

“I am very busy.”

Dereck stroked his chin and looked at the large continental map spread out on the table.

Each territory and power was briefly summarized, but the information regarding the southwestern region of the continent needed to be completely revised.

A 4-star mage is equivalent to a semi-master.

To ascend even further, one had to watch the movements of the noble families throughout the territory and the central imperial family.

From that level onward, influence begins to alter the political landscape.

If he ever aspired to reach 5 stars, he had to strengthen his support base.

This was because one never knew when characters like Grand Duke Beltus would appear, clinging to their privileges and trying to block Dereck.

Having understood that during recent events, Dereck was determined to roll up his sleeves and create an environment where he could focus entirely on magic.

“There is much to do. I need to perfect the new 4-star level, prepare the center’s schedule for the next semester, and completely finalize the alliance system with other families.”

“Ho… alliance?”

“Beltus has suffered a major setback and Duplain is going through a difficult time. There is no better time for a major political change.”

The traditional powers of the southwest had been Duplain, Belmierd, and Beltus.
The new emerging powers were Renwell and Ravenclaw.

Dereck intended to unite those five forces and create a complete alliance system.

Nobles are a race obsessed with power and territory; they never unite with each other.

However, Dereck, who had connections with key figures in each family, had the potential to become the focal point.

If the plan worked, Dereck’s position would change completely.

His influence would extend not only to the southwest but to the entire continent.

Even Emperor Grutell and Kohella would have to take him into account.

If that happened, no foreign force could interfere with him.

‘Then I could focus exclusively on improving my magic.’

To do this, he had to monitor the situation of the allied families.

Belmierd would hold its own.

The Count planned to transfer all power to Ellen, so that didn’t worry him.

Beltus would have to reorganize during the winter with the joint effort of Denise, Robenalt, and Orel.

It was difficult to intervene in such a chaotic moment.

In the end, only Duplain remained.

***

“Are you requesting some kind of investment?”

“Yes. I am thinking of expanding the Ravenclaw training center, but it is unstable to expand it only with the funds received as grants, and the size of the territory is limited, so there are many ambiguous aspects.”

Dereck is a man I cannot understand. That was Leigh’s conclusion.

When they met, he had come to the Duplain family as a tutor to teach Diella, but by the time Leigh came to his senses, Dereck was already a titled noble with a considerable territory and the owner of a large training center.

Then he became a 4-star mage, and one day he suddenly appeared in pieces. Each year, it seemed harder to predict his movements.

In the foyer of the Duplain mansion, where restoration work had progressed a bit, Dereck was holding a serious conversation with the head of the family, Leigh.

“Since we have been in contact for some time, I will be honest: the Duplain family is in no position to support or invest in anything. In fact, we cover our living expenses with the money Aiselin has earned through her work at the training center. What else could we invest?”

“It doesn’t have to be money. Territory, manpower, authority… there are many things we need.”

Leigh was sitting in the large armchair of the head of the family, listening intently, and beside him sat Aiselin and Diella.

Several high-ranking officials had also entered and were standing at the end of the wall listening to the conversation, but none of them could grasp Dereck’s intentions.

“Lord Dereck. Leigh is right. Actually… from the perspective of the Duplain family… we should already be grateful to the Ravenclaw barony for having resolved our urgent financial crisis… we have no room to invest more…”

“Well, it’s not about who should be grateful to whom. To begin with, the Ravenclaw barony would not have been able to function with such efficiency without the help of Lady Aiselin.”

In reality, Aiselin’s contributions to the Ravenclaw barony were impossible to measure solely with money.

Both the administrator Delbriton and Aiselin had risen to positions that could no longer be excluded from the administration of the territory.

“In short, after this winter and the start of the next semester, it seems there will be many more students than we can accommodate. Having reached the level of a four-star institution and gained greater prestige, it seems the training center can no longer admit all applicants.”

“Lord Dereck, then…”

“…It would be better to expand the facilities, yes… turn the training center into something the size of a school or an academy.”

Saying that, a particular fatigue was noticeable on Dereck’s face.

In fact, running the Ravenclaw training center was a business that considerably increased Dereck’s authority. Managing an institution that welcomed and trained talents who were then disseminated among noble circles… how could that not influence the political scene?

However, he did not expect it to grow so much.

“…Then, that means…”

Aiselin shivered.

The scale is growing.

Bigger than a center: a school, an academy. More academic buildings.

More students. More investment.

That means more work.

The financial plan would have to be redone, land sought, the academic building redesigned, and personnel and maintenance plans prepared.

A monstrous workload.

But suddenly, a spark began to shine in Aiselin’s eyes.

“So many… so many tasks…! So many things to attend to…!”

Faced with that strange glow in her eyes, not only Dereck but also Leigh swallowed hard.

Leigh understood better than anyone how unusual Aiselin had become.

After declaring herself a fallen noble and rolling up her sleeves even for the most insignificant matters, she had become a workaholic who suffered if she had nothing to do.

Where had Aiselin gone, the one who used to stroll like a lily through the garden?

Only an industrial soldier dressed in a pretty gown remained.

While Leigh lamented that, he also felt a strange emotion: Aiselin seemed happy.

“Leigh, Aiselin’s eyes look weird…”

“It’s okay, Diella. You should be used to this by now…”

Even Diella, who in Ebelstein society was a fierce lioness who dominated the atmosphere, was here just the younger sister, breaking into a cold sweat as she watched Aiselin get excited at the prospect of overwork.

“So… you also want to open a branch in the Duplain territory? Is that what you are saying?”

“Of course, I will guarantee sufficient profits. Not just the distribution of profits… if everything goes well, it will be a great opportunity to revitalize the weakened Duplain.”

At Dereck’s proposal, Leigh stroked his chin more seriously.

The rapid growth of the Ravenclaw center was already so well known that no one in Ebelstein was unaware of it.

Many said that in ten years, it wouldn’t be strange if the social center of the southwest moved from the noble district of Ebelstein to the Ravenclaw barony.

If the Duplain family managed to carve out a place there, there would be no better opportunity.

‘How strange. No matter how I look at it, this only benefits Duplain. There isn’t a single reason to refuse.’

Leigh examined the proposal carefully but found nothing negative.

And precisely because of that, he was even more worried.

What was Dereck lacking to offer so much and roll up his sleeves to help the Duplain family?

Dereck had finished his explanation, and now the decision fell to Leigh.

The head of the family took a deep breath and looked around.

The high-ranking officials were mentally calculating the profits.

Aiselin and Diella were looking at him with eyes bright with expectation.

These two had already fallen for Dereck’s eloquence and ambition.

During Duplain’s darkest moments, they had been the only flowers that kept shining.

If these two defended Dereck in unison, it would be difficult for Leigh to refuse.

“We already owe enough to the Ravenclaw barony, so we cannot reject it.”

Leigh replied firmly and added:

“However, it would be good if we could have a say in the specific direction of the project. Incorporating additional facilities into the Duplain territory requires greater consideration.”

“I will leave the main matters in the hands of the Duplain family.”

“All right.”

Aiselin and Diella lit up with joy.

They seemed delighted with the idea of working with Dereck in their territory.

‘…’

Seeing his sisters, Leigh began to think seriously.

The flowers of Duplain have already fallen into the hands of this young baron.

Leigh, always dedicated to training, had little intuition for these things, but it was impossible not to notice how obvious it was.

“Dereck, how do we proceed with the concrete plan?”

“Dereck! If we are going to carry out the training within Duplain territory… I can attend too, right…? It’s much more useful than those boring philosophy classes at Rose Hall…”

He watched as his sisters spoke enthusiastically with the wounded mage.

Leigh felt a chill.

‘…But doesn’t Dereck already have a partner?’

He watched his two sisters with blushing cheeks.

Leigh swallowed hard.

‘They are walking a thorny path, my poor little sisters…’

He didn’t know whether to support them or stop them.

As the expansion plan progressed, Dereck’s workload naturally increased.

Naturally, most of the detailed work would be done together with Aiselin while he remained at the Duplain mansion.

“Much of the Duplain territory is fertile and has a good climate, making it suitable for an academic center. But compared to its former glory, its scale has diminished too much; there is much to consider.”

“Lady Aiselin will know the details best. Recommend several suitable candidates to us.”

“Yes. And as for hiring personnel, you should also review…”

When the meeting with Leigh ended, Aiselin, with a radiant face, began to talk enthusiastically with Dereck about work.

“…”

The two walked quickly down the hallway, discussing their plans.

Behind them, Diella, with her lush golden hair, watched them in silence.

“…”

It had been quite a while since she had seen Dereck.

Since so much time had passed, she had prepared her appearance with care, thinking all night about what topics to discuss.

She couldn’t sleep, fearing her skin would be ruined.

But when they finally met, Dereck only offered her some formal courtesies and spent the whole day talking to Aiselin about territorial work.

It was only natural. Aiselin was a key figure of the training center.

And Dereck had too much work.

It wasn’t that Diella didn’t understand, but still, she felt something bitter.

While Dereck was close to her as a mentor, he spoke with Aiselin with depth and seriousness.

That made Diella feel a strange distance.

Aiselin Eleanor Duplain. Her older sister.

The person Diella had always admired, obeyed, and loved more than anyone.

But then, an unknown feeling surged within her: a pang of jealousy.

Suddenly, Diella puffed out her cheeks.

“Boo—”

As she watched in silence, something inside her boiled with irritation.