Chapter 25

Chapter 25
## Chapter 25
### The Globeltein Cultural Salon

This majestic hall, named after Sir Globeltein Ebelstein, the city’s founder, was the place where high society discussed aesthetics, auctioned works of art, and occasionally held small concerts.

As a meeting point for influential people from all social strata, it was one of the best-managed locations in the noble district. The aesthetic debates of the Salon of Roses were also held here.

After the exhibition concluded, the young women who had gathered to cultivate their culture began to leave one by one. Each was an important figure in her own territory, but even in a galaxy full of stars, some shone brighter than others.

“At the next meeting, a magic duel is scheduled. Lately, there has been much talk about how extraordinary Lady Ellen’s magic skills have become, and hearing those stories makes me nervous as well.”

Aiselin, surrounded by her maids and wearing a charming smile, walked flanked by her followers. Lower-ranking nobles from the border flattered her, hoping to catch even a sliver of her attention.

Aiselin treated them with a polite smile, but deep down, she likely did not consider them significant relationships. Ellen was sure of this as she watched.

Ellen, smoothing her reddish hair, handed her maid a luxurious quill, a scented sachet, and a pair of antique-looking opera binoculars.

Then, after her maid carefully adjusted her dress, she followed Aiselin down the hallway.

When the two were together, the lower-ranking nobles surrounding them fell silent. They feared interrupting their conversation and breaching the rules of etiquette.

“Miss Aiselin, you are far too modest. You haven’t lost a single magic duel in the salon this quarter. Without a doubt, you deserve to be called the cream of the crop of House Duplain.”

“Oh, Lady Ellen, your compliments make me blush!”

Although Ellen emotionally acknowledged Aiselin’s feelings, she couldn’t help but feel a strange envy and jealousy toward her.

The more perfect and flawless a person was, the greater the inexplicable resentment one harbored. It was a common feeling, rooted in inferiority complexes.

However, today Ellen was more spirited than usual.

Why hide it? The news about Dereck had also piqued Aiselin’s curiosity, so there was no reason for secrecy.

“Recently, I decided to accept a new magic instructor. Master Felmiar objected, but I insisted because he has a good track record. I have no authority to ignore the opinions of the noble district staff, but being the mistress of a mansion has its advantages.”

“Oh, really? Lady Ellen, you are very proactive. You must have a lot of confidence in this instructor.”

“In fact, it is more like a show of confidence, Lady Aiselin.”

“How so?”

When Aiselin asked innocently, Ellen responded with a smile on her lips.

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“The mercenary named Dereck that you mentioned last time. He is currently on a new mission with the Beldern Mercenary Corp in the tavern district, so I spoke with him and brought him here.”

“Dereck?! He must be very busy with his mercenary work!”

Upon hearing his name, Aiselin’s face lit up.

Even after he left the Duplain mansion, Aiselin mentioned him frequently during her tea meetings with Diella.

Her younger sister had assured her that Dereck was probably busy with mercenary work, so there was nothing to worry about if he didn’t appear. It was true: Dereck was a man who only understood magic and money.

“Well, it’s true. He has participated in real combat whenever he’s had the chance, under the pretext of training and also studying magic.”

“Since you know him personally, you know he is a deep and reliable person. You have found a good teacher. Congratulations, Lady Ellen!”

‘…This doesn’t feel right…’

Seeing Aiselin’s radiant expression, Ellen felt a slight discomfort.

Wasn’t she the one who brought the wandering instructor that even Aiselin couldn’t keep at her mansion?

She expected some negative reaction, but instead, Aiselin sincerely congratulated her.

In reality, Aiselin understood to some extent. Dereck, born with enormous wings, was not someone who could be caged.

Ellen had accepted his teachings knowing he was only looking for a temporary place.

However, if someone with magic talent like Ellen received Dereck’s teachings… Aiselin could not remain indifferent.

Lately, there were few worthy rivals in magic duels. Even Aiselin felt her senses dulling.

Having a competent rival like Ellen would help her immensely in perfecting her skills. Sincerely, Aiselin wanted to support her.

However, a sudden memory came to her mind.

— *Diella, I was thinking of asking Dereck to evaluate my magic someday… What do you think?*

— *“…Aiselin, sister. It’s really not necessary. You have already reached a high magic level.”*

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— *Even so, I think an expert review could help me improve even further. I was thinking of sending someone to the mercenary corp to inquire. It seems Dereck doesn’t come to the noble district much…*

— *“Absolutely not, sister. There is no need… Someone as established as you does not need Dereck’s teachings.”*

Diella’s pale face reflected seriousness as she tried to dissuade her. Aiselin thought her charming younger sister was simply jealous that she had “stolen” her teacher Dereck.

While Aiselin responded with a sweet smile to her adorable sister… Diella did not stop her for that reason.

Dereck’s brutal training methods sometimes included techniques unthinkable for noble ladies.

He would take them to the forest and force them to exhaust all their mana, or make them run suddenly, emphasizing the importance of physical endurance… He invented all sorts of strange methods that the delicate flowers of noble houses struggled to endure.

From the start, slapping them upon meeting and dragging them to the forest to toughen them up was not normal for a magic instructor. It was something that noble ladies, always protected, simply could not tolerate.

“…”

What would be the point of saying it? Dereck, the instructor, was like a bitter medicine.

It was magic capable of granting any wish, but not without a price.

If she had known beforehand, perhaps she could have prepared herself mentally. But if Ellen knew the mercenary’s harsh teaching methods, it was something no one else knew.

As these thoughts crossed her mind, concern appeared on Aiselin’s face.

Resting her chin on her hand, she looked at Ellen with unease, but Ellen, consumed by jealousy and resentment, sketched a mocking smile.

‘Of course. Now I understand why it was important to bring that instructor, Dereck.’

Regrettably, Ellen misinterpreted Aiselin’s expression of concern.

She thought it was resentment for having “stolen” Dereck. She never imagined that Aiselin’s expression would crumble like that… An inexplicable satisfaction grew in Ellen.

“Excuse me…”

“Oh my goodness, look at the time. I’m supposed to have my first class today, so I must return to the mansion.”

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Having said this, Ellen fixed her hair and left with an elegant laugh, walking away confidently.

Aiselin, still worried, could only watch as her figure receded.

The nobles standing nearby also observed Aiselin and Ellen with bewildered expressions.

No matter how valuable a magic instructor could be, it was hard for them to imagine that the dignified Aiselin could be surpassed so easily just by having a new teacher.

“Even though I knew Ellen was prone to jealousy, I didn’t expect her to place her hopes on a street mercenary who can’t even win training matches…”

Denise, from the Ducal House of Beltus, sighed from a distance.

Futile.

Although they couldn’t say it out loud, those present shared similar thoughts.

***

“That’s right. I’ll focus on that request for a while.”

“The Prince of Belmiard… You’re swimming in deep waters, Dereck.”

“But there’s no need to go to the Count’s residence. It’s something that can be solved within Ebelstein, and it suits me.”

The Tears of Veldern tavern was as lively as ever that day.

Dereck, who was enjoying a delicious apple cider, was sitting at a secluded table when Jayden approached laughing. Dereck relaxed and told him about his latest commission, expressing his intention to refuse new jobs for a while.

It was a shame for Jayden, but considering the type of missions Dereck usually accepted, he couldn’t complain much. What worried him most was that Dereck was pushing himself too hard.

“And if I accept it, I intend to do it well.”

“Do you plan to train Ellen to defeat Aiselin? From what you say, Ellen seems talented, but… Aiselin’s reputation transcends the noble district.”

“There really isn’t an easy way. I have two ideas in mind…”

Dereck crossed his arms with an expression of unease.

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“One of us is reaching the level of two stars. That would give us the power to beat her, making victory over Aiselin not just a dream.”

“At first glance, it doesn’t seem easy.”

“Yes, that’s why I thought of a second method… For that, I might need your help. That’s why I came to warn you in advance. If I ask for your help later, please support me this time.”

“My help?”

Jayden was a veteran mercenary who had carved out a reputation in the Dawn War, a major conflict against monster hordes in the north. Although he now led a quiet life, his skills were undeniable, something even Dereck recognized.

“And to avoid mistakes for security reasons… I would like Pheline to participate as well.”

“Me?”

Pheline, who had been drinking liquor by his side, looked at Dereck with narrowed, unfocused eyes.

Judging by her habit of drinking in broad daylight, she didn’t seem to have any interest in working today.

“Dereck. I already told you that you would regret those noble children dragging you around…”

“And why are you drinking at noon?”

“She lost a lot of money gambling. She was playing cards with some of the customers today.”

“…”

Dereck narrowed his eyes at Pheline, who, with a flushed face, rubbed her cheeks and moaned.

“Who would have thought an ace would appear at that moment?”

She still hadn’t abandoned her habit of sneaking off to gambling houses and wasting money. Dereck sighed and patted her shoulder.

“Either way, I’ll make sure you get a fair share, so, will you help me?”

“Ha, instead of chasing money to serve nobles, I’d rather… I’d rather…”

“I unhesitatingly asked for twenty Adel gold coins for this job, and they accepted immediately. That’s five more than for the Duplain job… Nobles spend very differently.”

“…Did you really raise the price that much? What… are you throwing gold around like it’s water…?”

Unable to finish her sentence, Pheline collapsed onto the bar table with a dull, defeated thud. It seemed she had given up.

Jayden placed a glass of cold water in front of her and said:

“Very well. Tell us your plan.”

“…”

After Dereck explained his ideas, Jayden couldn’t help but gape in surprise.

***

‘Of course, her learning capacity is fast for someone with a background as a mercenary.’

That afternoon, upon visiting Ellen’s mansion, Dereck began the lesson without preamble.

Unlike Belmierd’s lessons, which always emphasized ceremony and grandiosely dissected the history of magic, Dereck’s lessons eliminated all unnecessary theory.

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He had already explained it beforehand.

He couldn’t teach noble ethics or magic history. He only taught practical knowledge.

And that was exactly what Ellen wanted.

She wanted to quickly acquire the means to surpass Aiselin, without luxuries or extras.

Fundamental teachings were important, but what she needed now was practical knowledge to satisfy her competitive spirit.

Thus, in the private outdoor training area next to the mansion, Dereck gathered magic energy.

“First, we will practice combat like last time. We will repeat the process ten times, analyze the fundamentals, and then review the key skills needed for magic training. Afterward, we will go through the one-star spells one by one to check if you have mastered the basics.”

“Do you mean we are going to duel ten times now?”

“It’s just combat training. No formalities needed; first, let’s see how much your practical skills have improved.”

In this way, Ellen and Dereck completed ten consecutive rounds of training.

Then, they reviewed the magic manifestation methods they had recently discussed and spent time reciting and reviewing one-star spells. Before they knew it, the sun began to set.

Ellen, drenched in sweat, collapsed in a corner of the training field.

Dereck’s lessons were very different from Felmiar’s. While Felmiar spent more than half the time reciting theory, Dereck made her fight, attack, and constantly repeat the use of magic during every lesson.

Halfway through the process, Ellen’s mana reserves hit rock bottom, and at the end, she had to grit her teeth to squeeze out every last drop of her strength for one final spell.

When she finally managed to materialize an ice spear, she was so dizzy she nearly fainted. Even so, Dereck encouraged her firmly, hands clasped behind his back.

“You’re doing great, Lady Ellen!”

“Pant… Pant…”

“Let’s manifest the ice spear one more time. This time, use it together with a confusion spell.”

“But you said that was the last one…!”

“This will be the last one. Just for this time, and then we’re finished.”

“Agh… uff…!”

Sitting on the ground of the training area, Ellen gasped, but somehow gritted her teeth and unleashed her magic.

Reaching her limit, she manifested the ice spear again and looked at Dereck proudly, as if to say, “See? I can do it too.”

“Gasp… Gasp… I… I can do it…”

“Now, for the last time, let’s manifest fire arrows. Rest for 15 seconds, then… one… two…”

“You said the last time would be the last time!”

After that exchange, at sunset, Ellen, forgetting all etiquette and drenched in sweat, collapsed on the field.

The attendants watching from a distance swallowed hard.

They felt responsible. It was difficult to see their mistress collapsed and sweating.

They wanted to run in, comb her hair, spray her with perfume, and bring her clean clothes.

But Dereck shook his head. That was Ellen’s private training area, and no one else was allowed to enter.

Thus, Dereck’s magic lesson, which pushed Ellen to her limit, continued for more than 30 minutes before ending.

“Sob… Gasp… Gasp…”

It wasn’t clear if she was gasping or sobbing, but Ellen lay on the ground, looking at the sky.

At some point, the sky turned a deep red, and at its edges, the darkness of twilight loomed.

Stars were beginning to twinkle faintly, and it was hard to calculate how long she had been casting the spell. Ellen had never used magic continuously for so long.

“You have worked hard. You can eat now.”

“…”

“Are you okay?”

I felt a little uncomfortable asking, but nonetheless, Dereck expressed his concern.

“If it’s too much, quitting is an option.”

Gasping, Ellen remained motionless, but finally stood up and said:

“Ha, ha.”

“…”

“Is that all? After all my bold statements about doing anything, is this all you expected? It’s just a bit of physical effort.”

Surprisingly, she hadn’t lost her smile.

Even though she struggled to stay on her feet, her determination remained intact.

“After all the strenuous efforts I’ve made to survive in Ebelstein society, do I look like someone who would complain about something like this? I spent three days and three nights reading books on etiquette. Those kinds of questions are unnecessary.”

“…Understood. My perspective was limited.”

“Today I’m a bit tired from attending a social event, but starting tomorrow I’ll be able to dedicate myself fully to training. So it would be better to increase the intensity compared to today.”

“…”

Dereck listened and then, with the same expression, said:

“Tomorrow…? What do you mean?”

“…Eh?”

“I said it’s already time for dinner.”

At first, she didn’t understand.

But when she understood what he meant, Ellen’s face began to pale.