Chapter 24

Chapter 24
## Chapter 24
“Let’s get to the point. I will do whatever is necessary to defeat Aiselin.”

The action was taking place in a mansion situated in the heart of the noble district of Ebelstain.

The noble ladies who resided in this district usually had their own primary residences, which served as preparation before becoming noblewomen. There, they enjoyed a status similar to that of hostesses.

For a noble lady, beauty and culture were important, but equally crucial was the ability to manage and supervise a mansion.

The mansion that the Belmiard family had prepared for Ellen in the noble district was so luxurious that one might wonder if it could be even more ostentatious.

Beltus, Belmiard, Duplain.

Among the nobles of Ebelstain, these three families belonged to a league of their own. And with good reason.

In a metropolis inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people, owning a garden of such magnitude was no common achievement.

In a corner of Ellen’s residence, a tea table had been prepared for visitors.

Dereck, who had lived in the Duke Duplain’s mansion, had seen elegantly arranged tea tables everywhere. Apparently, nobles liked to have tea in meticulously maintained gardens.

“Aiselin hasn’t reached the two-star level either. I want to achieve it before her… but if not, at least I want to surpass her in magic duels.”

“Are you referring to Lady Aiselin?”

“Yes. You, who worked as an instructor in the lands of Duke Duplain, must know it well: she is a perfect woman. No matter how hard one tries, one cannot find a single flaw in her.”

In any case, the only problem could be her family relationship with her younger sister, Diella, the troublemaker.

In the nobility, collective responsibility was inescapable, but rumors suggested that Diella had changed almost completely. As for family matters, Ellen was in no position to boast.

Her older brother was a libertine and her sister was a nun. In reality, if the family were to be criticized, it was Ellen who should remain silent.

What else could be said? She was the pillar that supported the House of Count Belmiard.

Unlike Aiselin, who could focus exclusively on self-improvement, Ellen’s situation was different.

Even so, Ellen seemed determined to defeat Aiselin at any cost.

“Your competitive spirit is admirable. Without a doubt, that is how you have reached such achievements.”

“You are flattering me. I am well aware that my personality is not the best.”

In reality, Aiselin had not made any mistakes.

She simply lived diligently according to her duties, but those around her, consumed by their own complexes, clenched their teeth and did everything possible to surpass her.

—
**Discover more**
*Coin shop*
*Language learning tools*
*Romance novels*
—

“Now you might call it a healthy rivalry, but you don’t know the dark things I did in the past.”

“…Lady Ellen, then, have you also walked that path?”

“Jealousy is like that. If, as you say, I had used it in a constructive way to grow, who would have complained? But the human mind doesn’t work that way.”

Ellen’s eyes seemed clouded, as if remembering the past.

In adapting to Ebelstain society, she must have experienced all sorts of situations. Although she didn’t say it openly, her social life didn’t seem to be very pleasant.

“Instead of surpassing myself, I became obsessed with finding flaws in others. There is no point in hiding it. I tried to defame Lady Aiselin, to find her mistakes. And do you know how that personification of elegance responded?”

“…”

“She tried to understand and comfort me. Yes. I was completely defeated.”

Miriela used to say that Ebelstain society was like walking on thin ice. If they showed the slightest weakness, it was seized upon for gossip and slander, thereby strengthening their own alliances. Why were there not people like that in every place where humans gathered? That mob of ugly faces had always existed.

Perhaps Ellen had been… one of those people. Even she herself admitted it.

“What I am about to tell you is my greatest shame.”

“If you prefer not to talk about it, it isn’t necessary.”

“No, I have a special request for you, so I must reveal some of my cards.”

After taking a sip of tea, Ellen placed her delicate floral-patterned cup on the table.

Then, with a somber expression, she calmly continued her story.

“What methods exist to defame someone? When speaking ill of a noble lady, there are always certain ways to do it.”

“What are they?”

“It’s about criticizing her frivolous behavior, spreading rumors about family disgrace, finding faults to accuse her of a lack of culture, or alienating people by saying her arrogance or desire to show off is excessive.”

“…”

—
**Discover more**
*Online bookstore*
*Translator recruitment*
*Short story writing courses*
—

“I have a fairly influential position in Ebelstain society. There are some fools who flatter me endlessly just to get my attention. They are no different from low-ranking nobles. And when one receives so much praise, sometimes one falls into the illusion that they can control the world at their whim.”

Ellen’s expression darkened.

At that moment, Dereck could deduce quite a bit. She had been truly cruel.

Now he understood why she was revealing her own weaknesses to a commoner like him.

He knew that a noble lady like her would only receive superficial answers to those questions, already accustomed to flattery.

That was why she needed to demonstrate from the beginning how serious she was. She hadn’t grabbed Dereck by the collar to hear empty flattery.

With everything that had happened so far, he couldn’t limit himself to giving generic words of encouragement. Dereck kept his gaze fixed on her and finally spoke in a low voice.

“You really can’t win.”

His words were firm.

Upon hearing them, Ellen’s eyes trembled for an instant.

Dereck was sure.

Lady Aiselin’s hotel would soon reach the two-star category.

***

In life, there are things that simply cannot be achieved.

Accepting this reality is not as easy as it seems. Because society values competitiveness.

What cannot be done, cannot be done. Sometimes, it must be said clearly. When someone with credibility makes such a statement, people usually accept their limitations.

Aware of this, Dereck decided to take on this somber role.

Ellen’s current magic level was impressive, and her learning capacity surpassed that of many mages.

But compared to what Dereck knew about Aiselin, she was still far behind.

“…”

—
**Discover more**
*Fantasy books*
*E-book publishing*
*History*
—

When something was stated definitively, there were generally two possible reactions.

The first reaction was to feel offended, with wounded pride, clenching teeth and snapping, “Who are you to speak to me like that?”

It was a reaction of resentment, but understandable: a blow to the ego.

If Ellen reacted like that, Dereck planned to listen in silence, leave, and never return. He had enjoyed a good cup of tea, and that was enough reward for playing that role.

But Ellen didn’t do that.

The most likely reaction was the second: despair.

If Dereck, who seemed to know her magic levels and had experience in duels, was so sure… then there was no hope.

Accepting that and collapsing inwardly was a real possibility. In that case, Dereck planned to offer comfort discreetly.

But Ellen didn’t even despair.

Without changing her expression, she simply said:

“I still want to win.”

It was then that Dereck realized that the determination in Ellen’s eyes had not emerged overnight.

Of course. It wasn’t the first time she had been told, “It’s impossible.”

“…”

“I am willing to do whatever is necessary,” she said. “If you, who even taught the noble mage Diella Katherine Duplain, cannot think of a solution, then who could?”

Her emotional maturity was evident.

She had even captured the subtle considerations hidden behind Dereck’s firm tone.

When Dereck didn’t respond immediately, Ellen tilted her head forward and spoke. She seemed to have a habit of looking fixedly into the eyes of the person she was talking to; it was almost uncomfortable.

“If you have an idea, show it to me.”

“…It’s not that I have nothing in mind, but there are some concerns I need to address first.”

“Like what?”

Teaching Ellen the art of magic duels was not an impossible task.

Whether or not she could defeat Aiselin was another matter… but he was sure he could raise her combat level.

Of course, making Ellen surpass Aiselin was an enormous challenge, but all was not lost.

Even so, it was obvious that Ellen did not know his teaching methods.

“Do you know how I taught Diella?”

“The details haven’t spread much. Wasn’t it a calm approach focused on magic control?”

“…Not entirely wrong.”

When Dereck met Diella, he slapped her and dragged her into the forest, where he threatened her with death using magic.

In short, one might exclaim, “What kind of lunatic does that?”

—
**Discover more**
*Action and adventure novels*
*Adventure games*
*Character products*
—

Such drastic measures were only possible thanks to the tacit approval of Duke Duplain and because Diella was not an ordinary person. Only because of that. He would never do something like that to Ellen.

But it was important to know that Dereck’s methods were more brutal and radical than expected. When he set his mind to it, he spared not even noble ladies.

Could Ellen accept that? It was something he had to confirm first…

“I am willing to do anything. If only I could shatter Lady Aiselin’s pride…”

“Seriously? Anything?”

“…Saying it like that makes me nervous, but you know I mean it.”

There seemed to be certainty in it.

Then, the second point had to be addressed.

“As I already told you, I am a mercenary, Lady Ellen.”

“…”

What did it mean to learn magic from a mercenary? That was the real question.

“Fine, this is not a palace inhabited only by relatives, and this is the noble district of Ebelstain. For someone like me, learning magic from a mercenary could be a stigma. Rumors spread quickly here.”

“…”

“But that is something I will resolve. Did I not just say it? I will do whatever is necessary to defeat Aiselin. Felmiar might oppose it, but I don’t care. After all, I am the owner of this mansion.”

Ellen’s eyes shone with determination. The young woman raised her voice, speaking with conviction.

“Don’t underestimate my sincerity! I really want to surpass her and be the best. If I can’t even stand out in Ebelstain society, how could I aspire to do so in larger waters? I plan for my name to resound throughout the empire. So don’t worry about that.”

Ellen laughed confidently.

It was said that if you managed to find a new direction in your stagnant magic training, you could endure anything. Undoubtedly, her thirst for knowledge burned with intensity.

—
**Discover more**
*Novel subscription service*
*Translation software*
*Fantasy books*
—

And so… Dereck had no choice but to carefully pour cold water.

“…That’s not what I meant.”

“…What?”

“…I meant that you will have to pay a considerable fee.”

There was no mercenary in the world who worked without getting paid.

Upon hearing this, Ellen realized her mistake and blushed.

Her speech was over. The shame was entirely hers.