Chapter 28

Chapter 28
## Chapter 28

When Aiselin entered the noble district’s magic dueling arena, a large crowd had already gathered.

Magic duels among nobles were, essentially, an ancient pastime: a means to evaluate one’s magical progress, hone skills, and engage in social activities.

However, once word spread that descendants of influential families would be dueling, many rushed to witness it, splitting into two distinct groups.

The first were those genuinely interested in magic itself, and the second were those with ulterior motives, hoping to ingratiate themselves with the nobility.

The first group usually included members of southwestern magical societies or royal guests, while the second generally consisted of wealthy merchants or children from influential families.

As the people congregated, knights and soldiers were mobilized to ensure safety, and commanding officers mingled among them, inevitably causing overcrowding.

Being a descendant of an influential family always involved attracting public attention. Although Aiselin was aware of this, scenes like this often overwhelmed her.

“It is a duel between the Duplain and Belmierd families, so of course, more people will gather…”

But it was only a practice duel.

The outcome of such a duel could easily be reversed over time. Even so, the spectators would talk about the result of this trivial magic duel.

Aiselin detested the pettiness of these people, but she never showed it.

She was kind to everyone.

***

“Hello, Lady Aiselin. It seems the cold has subsided a bit.”

“Yes, Madam Taniem, please take care of your health, especially in times like these.”

“I took a look at the book you mentioned at the last tea party, Lady Aiselin. As you said, it is full of moving expressions and descriptions.”

“Oh, really? Did you read it? I’m so glad you liked it, Lady Lakail.”

While Aiselin greeted her followers with a radiant smile, she did not stop her pace. She wanted to prepare quickly for the duel, warm up, and finish the magical encounter with Ellen.

The lower-ranking noble ladies accompanying her shuddered at her busy attitude, but they knew they wouldn’t have another chance to speak with her.

For those who wished to exchange a few words with her, crossing the old corridor was quite an exhausting task.

As she walked toward the center of the dueling arena, a boy absorbed in reading a small book in a corner of the hallway caught her eye.

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“…!”

When Aiselin quickly turned her head, her followers and servants halted their steps.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Aiselin apologized to the girls following her and moved quickly, walking with grace.

She approached the boy, who was huddled among the crowd in a corner of the dueling arena hallway, reading a book on the history of magic.

His white hair and red eyes, his face that at first seemed soft but upon closer observation revealed a firm temperament, were just as she remembered them.

“Mr. Dereck!”

When Aiselin exclaimed enthusiastically, the boy’s pupils trembled slightly.

Surrounded by so many people, he turned his head in surprise, as if he hadn’t noticed her presence until that moment.

There was Aiselin, as always, elegantly dressed in a beautiful gown, speaking in a lively tone.

Behind them, several lower-ranking nobles, followers, and maids watched closely. The boy had to quickly evaluate the situation.

“It has been a long time, Lady Aiselin.”

A polite bow seemed the appropriate response.

From their farewell at the end of spring until now, at the end of winter… quite some time had passed since he last saw Lady Aiselin.

“Did you come to see the duel, Mr. Dereck? It’s been so long, but nothing has changed.”

“Yes. Lady Aiselin, you are as beautiful as ever. You have even become more elegant.”

“Oh, you flatter me. Mr. Dereck, you have become an expert at charming ladies. Is it because you’ve been working in the noble district? Hehe.”

It was no wonder Aiselin seemed so pleased.

Dereck was the one who solved a deeply troubling problem that Aiselin had kept for years, and he was also extremely talented in magic.

He was a polite man, though he retained the roughness typical of a mercenary. Lady Aiselin did not see Dereck’s roughness as rudeness, but as a sign of his free spirit.

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However, the looks from the followers and attendants surrounding them were revealing.

They were eager to gain Aiselin’s favor, so it was not surprising that they looked with envy and suspicion at someone who suddenly became so close to her.

“…”

At first glance, Dereck looked like an ordinary guy. He wore a tunic and tight pants, leather boots, a cloak-like mantle, a dagger on his right hip, and a longsword on the other. Although he still retained traces of youthful innocence, it was evident he had entered the first stage of adulthood.

It was not difficult to guess, from their conversation, the reason why Aiselin greeted a commoner so cordially.

“It’s winter, and here I am, inviting you to enjoy some good tea at the mansion.”

“I am honored. I greatly appreciate your kindness, but I have been very busy lately.”

“I heard you’ve been in charge of Lady Ellen’s magic training.”

“You are well-informed. We met by chance and I gave you some advice.”

Those nearby finally realized that the man before them was the traveling magic instructor Aiselin had told them about.

He was the mercenary who had reformed the black sheep of the Duplain family and whom Lady Ellen fully trusted for her magic duel lessons.

However, Aiselin seemed worried.

“You haven’t been too hard on her, have you…?”

“…?”

“Lately, Lady Ellen seems very tired… I’m a little worried.”

Aiselin knew well, from the testimony of her sister Diella, that Dereck’s magic lessons were not something an ordinary noblewoman could endure.

She wasn’t receiving knightly training; where else would you find someone who would subject a refined and beautiful lady to training that even the most experienced soldiers would struggle with?

But Dereck was someone who did not hesitate to use any means necessary to achieve a client’s goal.

Seeing the concern on Aiselin’s face, Dereck finally said:

“Don’t worry, Lady Aiselin. In fact, it’s not good to worry too much about others.”

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“Is that so…?”

“Don’t be too soft.”

Dereck said this and gave a polite bow.

Aiselin was also busy with her schedule, and the gazes of the people around her were a heavy burden.

Realizing too late that the current situation might be overwhelming for Dereck, Aiselin said with an awkward smile:

“Next time, please visit the mansion for a chat, Mr. Dereck. I have another commitment, so I must go.”

“Yes, sure.”

With that said, Dereck pulled up the hood of his cloak and walked away, with firm and confident steps, in the opposite direction of Aiselin.

Although he was still a boy with a year to go until his coming-of-age ceremony, he often seemed like an old man who had lived through all the hardships of life. He was, without a doubt, a mysterious boy.

***

Aiselin was also somewhat aware of the inferiority complex Ellen felt toward her. In fact, it would have been strange if she hadn’t noticed.

But she didn’t give it much importance. It was because she had a generous heart.

For those who had reached the top, feelings like envy and jealousy were simply part of life. Ellen wasn’t the only one who envied her.

While Ellen’s jealousy was particularly intense and persistent, there were many others, besides her, who tried to defame Aiselin.

Despite all the checks and balances, only those who knew how to stand firm deserved to be truly called the lady of House Duplain.

That’s why the emotion Aiselin felt toward those who envied her was compassion.

She wished that those consumed by negative and corrosive emotions could free themselves as soon as possible from that useless cycle. It wasn’t good for Aiselin or for them.

The same was true for Ellen.

Useless envy only consumed them. She wished they would break free from those bonds, share conversations, cultivate culture, and become worthy rivals. However, she knew well that it wasn’t as easy as it seemed.

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***

“Hello, Lady Aiselin.”

“Are you well, Lady Ellen? You’ve missed many salon meetings lately, haven’t you? I heard you’ve been busy preparing for the duel… I suppose you should be nervous.”

“…”

In Lady Ellen’s gaze, as she stepped onto the dueling field, a poisonous intent was reflected.

On the grand stage of the duel, various influential figures and noble ladies had gathered in the stands, engaging in conversations about magic.

At the center of it all, Ellen and Aiselin were the stars competing in today’s event.

As the two beautiful roses adjusted their dresses on stage, warm applause resonated from the podium.

Protective spells had been cast around the luxurious dueling arena.

The rules of the duel were the usual: a 10-minute time limit, and the first to activate the protective spell embedded in her accessories would lose.

“So, I hope it’s a good match.”

Aiselin gathered her magical energy and bowed her head to Ellen.

Ellen silently raised her head in response, repeating the same words. The coldness in her eyes was a familiar sensation.

“…”

An indescribable discomfort grew.

As always, Ellen remained composed, with her beautiful red hair flowing freely.

However, the glint in her eyes as she looked at Aiselin was tinged with an unusual unease.

Aiselin, absorbed in her thoughts, silently observed Lady Ellen’s behavior.

It didn’t take her long to understand the nature of that unease.

Every time she spoke with Aiselin, a subtle emotional agitation remained in Ellen’s eyes.

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But now, as she coolly observed Aiselin, focused solely on her magic, Ellen did not feel the same.

Ellen’s eyes, which had previously burned like fire, had turned icy. She was focused on the duel.

Had Ellen finally freed herself from the envy that had tormented her for so long?

Had Dereck, with his skill as a mentor, freed Ellen from the chains of those dark and gloomy days?

It was a moment full of hope. But Aiselin soon realized that was not the case.

When she opened her eyes after blinking, her entire field of vision was tinged with red.

It was then that Aiselin finally realized that Ellen’s burning fire arrows had swept across the battlefield.

In the midst of the flames, Ellen, with her burning gaze, resurfaced like a phoenix.

***

“You really can’t win by relying solely on magical power. Move the battlefield elsewhere.”

«…Move it elsewhere? In a magic duel, if it’s not by magical skill, what else determines victory?»

Noble ladies used to practice magic elegantly in luxurious training halls under the tutelage of renowned instructors.

But Ellen had asked Dereck, who was sitting on the ground in the middle of a labyrinth that reeked of blood and putrid mucus.

Her body was completely exhausted, and after a day of watching monsters being torn apart, she felt dizzy. Her face was pale, resigned to the idea that this was truly the hell Dereck spoke of.

Although he looked disheveled, Dereck continued teaching. He was a person who always fulfilled his duty.

‘It’s mental strength.’

Upon hearing this, Ellen could only show an expression of skepticism.

Who in the world was unaware of the benefits of mental strength? If one could win a magic duel only with mental strength, why would differences in magical levels and superiority exist?

However, Dereck was not one to talk nonsense. During the last few weeks of classes, Ellen was sure there must be a deeper meaning to his words.

‘Haven’t you been pushing your magical energy to the limit in every session?’

“I thought that was just a matter of twisted tastes.”

«I don’t have those kinds of hobbies. When the magical energy of both sides is completely exhausted, it is often a person’s mental strength, not their magical prowess, that determines the outcome.»

Dereck’s voice became more serious.

«Unleash your magic with all the grandeur and magnificence you can; drag it into a battle of attrition. In the end… the one who manages to cast a spell that seemed impossible will be the winner.»

‘…What if Aiselin has more magical power than I do?’

‘Then you lose.’

‘…’

«Of course, a person’s magical capacity is largely innate, but Lady Ellen of House Belmierd is not far behind. So… trust yourself.»

Dereck was covered in demon blood. He had just split a spider larger than a man in two with his sword and burned it with magic.

Watching him kill demons made him look like a completely different person. At every moment she followed him through the labyrinth, Ellen couldn’t help but think: if a real demon existed, it would definitely be this boy.

This was not a safe arena for magic duels, but a den of demons where a moment of carelessness could cost you your life.

Someone who had lived their whole life in a place like this would see a simulated duel as child’s play.

Only in life-and-death battles can the full potential be reached.

Only on thin ice, where one false step can cost everything, do humans unleash all the power hidden in their subconscious. That sensation is not easily learned, even with all the money in the world.

That’s why Dereck pushed Ellen into the labyrinth.

He forced her to use magic all day.

He made her dodge axes among attacking goblins and burn the noses of trolls.

Life and death. Scenes in between.

The pressure of not knowing when the multi-layered protective spell would break.

Cold sweat ran down my body even while standing still. Trembling legs. Blurred vision.

Only in such an environment could one feel, even slightly, the sensation of extracting all the remaining energy from within.

There is a realm that one can never reach by sitting in an old mansion playing with appearances.

Flowers in a greenhouse never know, until they wither with age, the feeling of pulling everything from underneath and resurfacing.

As a teacher, Dereck knew how to awaken that kind of thing.

Snap!

-Boom!

The spectators witnessing the magical duel near the stage were stunned.

No matter how extraordinary someone’s magical skill was or how vast their magical power, the limit of one star still existed.

Even so, Ellen’s fire magic, which lit up the stage with a dazzling glow, was impressive to behold.

-Hiss!

Aiselin quickly wrapped herself in magic to protect herself and tracked Ellen’s position.

On the flame-covered stage, in the middle of the scorching heat, Ellen, wrapped in fire like a mage, stared intently at Aiselin.

Envy was reflected in her eyes, without a doubt. An immense envy directed at the perfect Aiselin, mixed with a bit of self-deprecation.

Reading those eyes, Aiselin understood.

Too emotional on one hand, but relentless in her logic during a duel: that was the same look her sister Diella had when she faced Leigh.

Dereck’s students harbored a burning passion in their hearts and a frigid gaze.

Their teacher taught them to combine the burning desire for victory with the cold rationality of competition.

It was a spectacle where heat and cold collided fiercely, giving off an aura that made opponents swallow hard.

Only then did Aiselin understand why Leigh had to fight so hard against Diella that day.

Dereck’s students, unlike common noble ladies, had a different competitive drive.

Faced with their almost obsessive determination, anyone would falter.

However, the one standing before her was Aiselin Eleanor Duplain.

“Even so… I will win.”

She was not one to boast of her achievements, but she had immense confidence in her abilities.

No matter how skilled Dereck’s students were, Aiselin was about to become a two-star mage. Even compared to a one-star mage like Ellen, the level difference was significant.

She was sure she wouldn’t lose if everything depended on pure skill.

And so, an icy magic began to sprout from Aiselin’s body.

At the same time, Ellen’s eyes widened. A rain of fire arrows began to erupt from the opposite side.

“…”

Ellen had spent the last few weeks observing Dereck’s world.

The vestiges of that world were briefly reflected in her pupils. Most of it was blood. The rest was equally ghastly.

Sticky fluids, pungent odors, severed monster limbs, poisonous spider eggs, scattered corpses, the cold of the stone floor, remains of massacres, seas of blood, the screams of monsters.

After emerging from all that, standing firm in her original place, everything now seemed peaceful and warm, like a meadow.

Even this dueling field, bombarded with countless spells, conveyed that feeling. The girl calmly evaluated every situation amidst this grand magical spectacle.

When magic clashed with magic, a radiant glow began to envelop the dueling arena.