Chapter 23

Chapter 23
## Chapter 23

“For a commoner, his magic level is quite impressive. It seems the rumors about that veteran mercenary were not exaggerated.”

Felmier played down the praise Jayden had dedicated to Dereck. After all, the standards of common people tended to be mediocre.

It was true that his limitations were evident—primarily using one-star magic—but the delicacy with which he handled the flow of magical power was the most refined Felmier had ever seen among the common folk.

Occasionally, individuals of humble origin emerged who could have had a different future. They rarely appeared among the common people, but most surrendered before the barrier of lineage.

Watching how mages of noble birth quickly reached levels that had cost Felmier years of hard work was difficult to swallow. In the realm of magic, lineage was everything: first, second, and third.

That mercenary, though young, seemed to keep his determination intact. For Ellen, there was no better training partner. There was no need for formalities as with other nobles: a fair exchange of blows was possible, and even if they were injured during combat, it would not be a great problem.

Felmier remembered Jayden’s confident look when recommending Dereck. Without a doubt, the wisdom of a famous mercenary in the Dawn War was on another level.

“Was it the Beldern Mercenary Group…? It seems Lord Belmiard would be interested.”

Thinking he should remember the name of the group, Felmier continued watching the duel. It remained in an almost perfect balance.

***

“Oh, fire of judgment that punishes all…!”

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*Buzz!*

After reciting a unique incantation from the Regulated Academy, Ellen, after creating some distance, once again invoked one-star fire magic.

This time, with a serious expression, she resorted to her specialty: the fire spell series.

A dozen small fire arrows formed in the air.

Dereck’s red eyes flickered once, and in an instant, he recognized the flow of magic. Ellen also caught his gaze in that brief moment.

“He’s already predicting the direction of my magic…!”

Ellen quickly re-evaluated her strategy. If she used magic conventionally, Dereck would find a way to neutralize it, just as he had moments before. Magic transmitted the caster’s intention.

By following its course, manifestation, and speed of change, one could sometimes guess the user’s purpose.

Dereck was an expert at that.

Furthermore, he was a master of the duel. Ellen realized immediately that he had perfected his ability to interpret the magical flow through real combat.

Among demons, mutants with magical abilities occasionally appeared, so reading spells was not an option but an essential requirement to hunt and kill them.

If Dereck was truly a veteran, lukewarm attacks would only benefit him.

Therefore, a spell cast indiscriminately in all directions would be more effective for dominating him.

Thanks to the magical barriers protecting the exterior of the arena, there was no need to worry about destroying the building. Ellen made her decision in an instant.

In a burst of instinct, she changed all her plans.

The dozen fire arrows bloomed, not aiming at a single point, but with the intention of enveloping the entire platform.

“Oh…?”

Dereck’s eyes widened in surprise. It was an interesting decision.

Although Dereck had witnessed noble wonders on many occasions, it was rare to see mages of that era adapt and change tactics so quickly.

Noble mages, with their vast reserves of mana and power, could easily crush commoners. But, having always lived as the strong, they often lacked the ability to adapt quickly or apply magic to changing situations.

Adaptability and deception tended to develop in the hands of the weak.

For that reason, Ellen’s quickness of judgment could be considered innate.

*Boom!*

The magical current expanded in all directions, making it unpredictable.

Dereck quickly reorganized his magic to defend himself.

In a square arena like that one, the edges were the parts least likely to be hit.

If the opponent’s attack lacked a pattern, it was best to secure a more favorable position.

Dereck jumped to a corner, wrapping himself in magic. After neutralizing several approaching fire arrows, he quickly prepared for a counterattack.

“I knew you’d be there.”

Ellen perceived Dereck’s position instantly and finished casting her next spell.

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The rain of fire arrows had been a smokescreen to corner Dereck and ensure her next spell hit its mark.

From the magnitude of the spell used simply as a distraction, it was not difficult to deduce that she possessed considerable magical power.

Dereck was already a bit delayed in manifesting his magic while manipulating the fire arrows.

Ellen seized that moment to attack, launching ice spears. This time, she was determined not to allow them to be neutralized as before.

However, Dereck had already read all her intentions.

He closed his eyes briefly, then raised his hand and used the one-star spell Light Creation at full power.

*Flash!*

Instantly, the light clouded the vision.

Dereck didn’t have much confidence in transformation magic, but it was effective enough to create an opportunity during a duel.

Seeing the light, Ellen instinctively closed her eyes.

However, she sharpened her hearing and surrounded herself with a defensive spell.

“Good reaction.”

Dereck quickly activated his magic and commented mentally.

At all times, Ellen made optimal decisions; without a doubt, she was exceptional.

Even with her eyes closed, she concentrated all her senses to counteract Dereck’s magic.

‘If I focus on the magical aura and the sounds, I’ll be able to defend myself…! So I’ll wait until the direction is clear…!’

*Clang!*

In that instant, one of Dereck’s magic arrows struck Ellen’s barrier.

Her reaction was somewhat late, but she managed to block Dereck’s attack with a delayed spell. Its offensive power was not very great.

Ellen narrowed her eyes to locate Dereck. The light had faded, and the white-haired mage, who once again manifested offensive magic, appeared before her eyes.

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*I don’t hear anything…!*

She had vaguely sensed the direction of his magic, but the fact that she heard no sound approaching meant that… the spell had been deliberately silenced.

*Confusion magic…! He even anticipated that I would resort to sound…!*

Among the basic one-star confusion spells was the blocking of sound.

Switching between different types of magic in that way was very difficult. Dereck’s magic arrows were relatively weak due to the difficulty of concentrating on a single enchantment in such an environment.

But if it had been a more powerful two-star spell, the barrier would have manifested under the attack and the duel would have ended.

The only reason the duel continued was that the opponent was a one-star mage. Realizing this, Ellen grit her teeth and unleashed more magic.

“If he continues challenging me technically, I’ll crush him with overwhelming force!”

Ellen gathered more mana and jumped backward.

But Dereck, catching her intention, closed the distance quickly.

“Is he going into close combat…? Does he trust the speed of his manifestation?”

Ellen specialized in casting spells quickly.

She had confidence in her offensive power, but she didn’t shy away from a speed competition either.

Her gaze fixed on Dereck’s fingertips.

While she concentrated, magic accumulated in her fingers, and she prepared to pierce his barrier with her ice spears.

*Pak!*

However, Dereck’s magic activated half an instant sooner than Ellen had anticipated.

As a typical mage of the Regulated Academy, she assumed the spell from his fingers would envelop her… but Dereck’s magic was different.

As he approached Ellen and struck the ground with his foot, a force erupted from below.

Force Manifestation, a one-star spell.

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The image of energy bursting from the foot used to propel himself from the ground.

Ellen, her mouth open in surprise, barely managed to launch her spell and received the attack.

*Bzzz! Bang!*

Witnessing such a manifestation for the first time, Dereck was surprised by the skillful response. He hadn’t expected such a perfect defense.

But, in reality, Ellen was even more astonished. She had never seen magic used in that way.

“Phew…”

After calming down, Ellen gathered her magic once more.

She would not accept another direct attack. To hit that boy, she would have to create an opportunity with another feint.

Several exchanges of spells followed, but the boy dodged them with exceptional agility.

His improvised magical control was so unpredictable that it disoriented the systematic approach of the Regulated Academy.

The wonders of the Academy, explored almost entirely through theory, could be maximized efficiently within predictable limits if followed correctly.

But the boy’s use of magic seemed inefficient and incomplete, as if he were playing with a different theory.

Even so, that made him even more unpredictable, like facing a swordsman holding his sword backward or swinging it wildly.

Though with serenity, such tricks could be easily overcome.

When Dereck retreated to gather magic, Ellen closed the distance with an attack.

Preparing a quick magic arrow, Dereck got ready to counterattack, but Ellen, with a mischievous smile, lifted her skirt.

“Is this how it’s done?”

With an elegant movement of her skirt and a bold jump, she unleashed a Shockwave spell upon Dereck.

She had imitated Dereck’s conjuration after seeing it only once. She was a mage who learned with astonishing speed.

Ellen deliberately attacked his weak point, not expecting to be hit by her own method.

However, using unconventional magic against Dereck was not the best strategy.

*Burst!*

Dereck took advantage of the spell and redirected the shockwave Ellen had released.

—Imitating the magic of the Wild Faction poorly would only lead to being surpassed.

Ellen, without knowing it, was surprised by Dereck’s action. She had never seen a technique that used the opponent’s magic against them.

*Burst!*

*Boom! Crack!*

The redirected force passed dangerously close to Ellen’s ear.

The explosion hit the empty ground, producing a deadly sound.

If that previous attack had been direct, the duel would have ended in that very instant.

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Ellen hurried to gather her magic again, but after casting a spell, there was always a brief pause.

And Dereck was not going to let such an opportunity pass. While she gathered her strength, he sensed that the next attack would not be countered.

It was then that Dereck launched his next attack.

*Ring! Ring! Ring!*

The bells in the corner of the platform, filled with magic, began to ring on their own.

They marked the end of the duel. According to the rules, any encounter not decided after 10 minutes was declared a draw.

“Well done,” Dereck said, as if he had been waiting for the moment to say it.

Ellen stared at him with her red eyes, silently observing Dereck.

***

“You are a great mage.”

After several exchanges, Ellen, after recognizing Dereck’s magical skill, spoke with grace while adjusting her dress.

Her attitude and posture had changed significantly since before the duel. Although she had looked down on him inside, she now chose to show him a bit of courtesy.

“If you could have used more powerful magic, the result would have been easy,” she said.

“That’s not true. Lady Ellen, among all the nobles I have met, your mastery of magic is the best. Truly, the Countess Belmiard is exceptional.”

“Well, we’ll see.”

After the duel, Ellen’s ladies-in-waiting approached and quickly began to fix her appearance and hair.

A noble lady could not lose her dignity even for an instant; not even a brief duel justified a disheveled appearance.

Ellen sat in a chair in a corner of the stadium, brushing her hair.

Even so, her expression seemed quite satisfied, as if she had enjoyed the duel.

“I’ve heard you don’t come from a special lineage, but you are very well trained. That must have required a great effort.”

“Rather, it was a situation I couldn’t avoid. When you join a group of mercenaries to earn a living, you end up doing things you don’t like.”

“No need for such modest excuses. I admire those who make an effort.”

Although they lacked noble blood, commoners who reached the three-star rank were born once in a generation. No doubt, people like them did not surrender to their circumstances but persevered until reaching that level.

Ellen, concluding that Dereck’s life had been more a path of thorns than a bed of roses, gave him a small word of encouragement.

“That grumpy old man standing outside the platform pretending to be dignified… I don’t like him very much, so it’s better not to make an enemy of him, right?”

Ellen said with a mischievous smile, nodding toward Felmier, who remained standing with his hands behind his back outside the platform.

Dereck didn’t even bother to look in that direction. There was no point in revealing they were talking about him.

Ellen felt pleased by his discretion and found herself trying to remember where she had heard the boy’s name before.

“Today’s duel was quite inspiring. Perhaps the next magical encounter will yield better results.”

“Lady Ellen, your dueling skills are exceptional, so I don’t think you should worry too much.”

“Hmm? Well, mediocre mages are no match for me, but I don’t even consider a real duel with someone like that.”

Ellen spoke while brushing her hair several times and looking down.

“There is only one person I really want to defeat.”

“Does someone more skilled in duels than Lady Ellen exist?”

“Hardly anyone. There is only one opponent I have faced repeatedly and whom I have never managed to beat.”

Ellen didn’t even bother to mention the name.

But guessing who it was was not difficult.

The mages of the Rose Hall, to which Ellen belonged, generally did not exceed her level.

If there was any noblewoman who matched her magical skill, it could only be someone from the Beltus or Duplain families.

It was rumored that Denise, of the Beltus family, had been defeated by her on several occasions, so, by elimination, only Aiselin of the Duplain family remained.

“…”

Every time Ellen thought of her, a strange tension made her frown.

Aiselin, often compared to a blooming lily in the gardens of House Duplain, surpassed Ellen in every sense.

The Belmiard family could not compete with the Duplains in lineage, and surpassing Aiselin in grace and nobility was no easy task.

She was a girl who excelled in all aspects of female education, apparently flawless.

Even her character was irreproachable; those who had spoken with her on rare occasions praised her as a person of absolute integrity.

Normally, when someone meets someone far superior, they feel admiration.

People considered that cult of someone unreachable to be idolatry, no matter how hard they tried.

But respect and admiration were feelings reserved for distant figures.

For someone who seemed almost within reach, but not quite, those feelings did not arise. Instead, the opposite usually emerged: envy and resentment.

If Ellen, who seemed to have everything, had a flaw she could never overcome in life, it was her hatred toward the one at the top, the one who had defeated her.

Dereck, perceiving her sudden silence, lowered his head discreetly, pretending not to notice.

Although she didn’t show it openly, this girl, admired by many, was the personification of envy.

If she lost in family prestige, in development as a woman, in elegance… shouldn’t she at least win in magic, the field she believed in?

Questions like these were silenced by the extraordinary magical talent of Lady Aiselin, who even complemented her grace with power.

It was a total defeat in all aspects.

However, the tempting distance that seemed within reach if only she grit her teeth and climbed higher dragged her even deeper into the abyss. The world called this abyss an inferiority complex.

“Thank you for your effort.”

Ellen dismissed Dereck abruptly.

Every time she thought of Aiselin, a cold irrationality clouded her mood.

Shaking her head vigorously, she considered it a bad habit.

However, it seemed a new magical inspiration had reached her, and she reflected that she should dress properly and train more.

Aiselin.

As soon as she thought of her, a chain of memories suddenly surfaced. Ellen’s pupils dilated instantly.

It was a conversation buried deep in her memory, eroded by the passage of time.

Although the winter cold was near, Ellen heard that story for the first time during the warm glow of spring.

—Ah, Dereck was the name of that magic instructor. A mercenary from the Beldern Battalion, his magical power was extraordinary and his method of handling mana was unique.

Dereck.

In a meeting at Rose Hall, he was the magic instructor Aiselin had praised to no end.

The impostor of the Duplain family, Diella Katherine Duplain, whom he had trained and taught spells up to one star, was the mercenary turned teacher.

In that summer meeting, she had heard the regret of Aiselin, who lamented not being able to keep the mercenary and having to let him go.

—That boy is the wandering magic instructor that even Aiselin of House Duplain couldn’t hold on to.

*Thump.*

Ellen grabbed the hand of the maid brushing her hair and stood up from her seat.

Lifting the hem of her dress, she ran toward the exit, grabbing Dereck—who was about to leave—by the collar.

When Dereck turned with a slightly surprised expression, Ellen raised her head to look him in the eyes and spoke.

“Are you the mercenary who taught magic in the lands of Duke Duplain?”

The girl’s red eyes shone intensely.