Chapter 36

Chapter 36
## Chapter 36

The massive cave of Raspah, located on Ramhel Hill, had been abandoned for quite some time.

Long ago, it housed a labyrinth filled with treasures, but a labyrinth so close to a metropolis like Ebelstain would surely have been conquered quickly. Now, it was nothing more than an empty maze, yet merchants continued to avoid the area. It was not a main thoroughfare, and tribes of wandering monsters often wandered into that desolate place. No one wanted to get into trouble crossing an infrequently traveled area full of dangers. Therefore, it was the perfect hiding place for Dereck and Drest.

Denise observed the cavern entrance from a distance, maintaining a serene expression, although Bella, her head maid, was deeply worried.

—”Lady Denise, I believe it is not prudent to venture too far in. Let us explore the surroundings of the cave first, and if it proves difficult to find him, we can inform the master and consult with the private guards, alright?”

She was anxious, wishing to be the first to discover Dereck’s whereabouts, but it seemed imprudent to her for a noblewoman to venture inside with only a few guards. If Dereck were simply near the cave entrance, locating him would not be difficult, but if he were further inside, prudence would suggest withdrawing.

Even so, Denise had no intention of yielding.

*‘There could be monstrous tribes… The interior is vast and complex, so it is prudent to enter with caution. But Bella, if we report from here, all my effort will have been in vain.’*

—

“Is that so?”

“If we bring all the private guards, the other houses will notice. And Dereck, who is inside, wouldn’t want to deal with a massive arrival of nobles.”

“So you intend to enter?”

“Talking is a waste of words.”

Bella exchanged anxious looks with the guards. The men tasked with protecting Denise looked at each other. If she were injured inside the cave, they would all be lost. But stopping her was not an option: her magical condition had been evaluated, and she was heading into the cave. Their only alternative was to follow her.

Denise created a sphere of bright light with magic to illuminate the path, took a step forward, and the guards followed her immediately, scanning the area. The maids wondered if she intended to reach the deepest part of the cave.

“Ah…!”

Fortunately, it happened before they ventured too far. There, sitting on a wide, flat rock, was a man. He looked much more haggard and exhausted than the last time he was seen from a distance during the magic duel. His thick white hair, unkempt, fell over his eyes; his worn clothes denoted neglect. It was impossible to guess how much he had endured this past week. The mage, motionless on the rock, seemed to have reached some kind of enlightenment.

He did not wear flashy clothes nor did he give off an aura of superiority. However, his silent presence, waiting calmly on the rock, was subtly captivating. Indeed, he was different. Denise recognized him and approached him.

“What brings you to a place as modest as this?”

His words were extremely polite and formal. He looked up and responded directly to Denise with a measured tone. The maids accompanying her swallowed hard. They were tense, not knowing who this “Dereck” might be. However, Denise showed an expression of confidence upon seeing him.

*‘He may look scruffy and humble, but perhaps it is due to his dedication to training… He is polite, undoubtedly reasonable. After all, he made an impressive impression during the magic duel.’*

The mage before her was a highly coveted tutor, sought by both the Belmierd family and the Duplain family. If she managed to convince him, Grand Duke Beltus would gain influence in the upcoming tripartite negotiation. Count Belmierd and Duke Duplain would do anything for their daughters, and the Beltus family could leverage their position in many ways. If she managed to incorporate him into the Beltus household, all the merit would fall on Denise.

She cleared her throat and smiled, tilting her chin up.

“Mr. Dereck… it’s you, right?”

Her face shone with the innocence of someone foreign to the ways of the world. After fixing her outfit in the carriage and touching up her hairstyle during the journey, she looked exquisite. With her elegant silver-gray hair tied up, she looked almost like a living work of art.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“I… I found the right place…! I am… so nervous… I lost my words for a moment… excuse me…”

“Huh?”

“I wanted to meet you, Dereck. I searched for you so diligently… just… to speak with you, even if only once…”

Her serene but kind attitude, striving to maintain her composure, made Bella, standing behind her, swallow hard. In fact, now dressed in noble clothing, Denise was almost a different person.

***

What does the art of captivating someone consist of?

Denise, who dedicated her days to studying the works of a famous romance novelist and maintaining the dignity of a noble lady in society, had a solid philosophy on how to captivate someone. First of all, one must be beautiful. With a confidence in her appearance that could pierce the sky, she lacked nothing in that regard.

However, not all characters in the world can be captivated solely by appearance. To get others to want to follow you and be with you, one must possess a dignity and charm that go beyond mere appearance. Not even Denise herself considered herself internally perfect. However, she had the ability to appear as though she were.

Denise clasped her hands humbly, her face flushing.

“You cannot imagine how many times I have seen Mr. Dereck in my dreams. There are many rumors among the ladies. They say he is a very skilled and reliable magic mentor, and that if you learn magic with him, you can level up overnight. Moreover, he is an admirable person, a true gentleman.”

“That is an exaggeration. While my students do receive direct help from me, many achieve success on their own. I cannot create qualities that do not exist, and as an ordinary person, I find it difficult to accept such admiration.”

“That humility is one of the reasons you are so respected, Mr. Dereck. Even so, I sincerely wish to learn magic from you.”

Denise’s gaze, overflowing with pure admiration, seemed wrapped in wonder. Anyone would be moved seeing the respectful expression of such a beautiful girl. Men have a strong desire to be recognized. When a noble lady like Denise looks at them with pure admiration, their hearts melt.

Denise knew how to take advantage of her noble lineage and her beauty. No matter how skilled Dereck was in magic and teaching, he was still a young man. How could he so easily ignore the advances of a lady of the Beltus family? Denise, with her mask of innocence, spoke kindly to Dereck. However, Dereck did not let himself be convinced as Denise expected and did not become someone who nodded at everything she said.

“Why do you speak with such a theatrical tone, Lady Denise?”

“…”

“I have heard much about you from Lady Aiselin and Lady Ellen. They praised you as an insightful and wise person.”

It was to be expected. Dereck was well aware that Denise was not as naive and pure as she appeared. Bella, who stood three steps behind Denise with her hands clasped, adjusted her expression. If she were Denise, she surely would have died of embarrassment at that moment.

But Denise was a woman of strong character. What could be done? Even being aware of it, it was known that beauty could deceive.

“Lady Aiselin and Lady Ellen praised me too much. I am only one of the three ladies of Rose Hall, always trying not to cause embarrassment.”

“I see. I apologize for having judged someone I did not know based solely on the opinions of others.”

“There is no need, Mr. Dereck. It’s fine. Think well of me.”

Did Lady Denise’s performance work? Dereck’s intentions were difficult to decipher. The young mage seemed kind to Denise, but he also maintained a certain distance… It wasn’t clear what he really wanted. Denise sensed the same, but she remained unperturbed. She never thought he would be an easy catch. Not even Aiselin or Ellen had managed to convince him.

*‘Now… how should I handle this…?’*

Denise looked at Dereck calmly and, deliberately, blushed again.

“Anyway, what I wanted to say is that… the Beltus family is looking for a magic tutor. I came personally because I wanted to ask you to consider it.”

Had the young woman of the Beltus family not come all this way after deep reflection? No matter how talented someone was, if they came from the slums, they were simply a commoner. The gap born of the inherent difference in status would undoubtedly represent a heavy burden.

Indeed, Dereck had a somewhat worried expression. Surely he did not expect to be found in such a remote place while he was hidden training. If they only needed a mercenary, there were many substitutes. However, Dereck was the only one sought by the three great houses. Although Dereck himself, hidden in that cave, seemed unaware of recent events in the Ebelstain social circle, this was quite advantageous for Denise.

After all, she was the first of the three houses to find Dereck. If she hesitated, the others would soon catch up. If she didn’t manage to convince Dereck today, things would only get complicated. And Denise, who hated complications, was determined to bring Dereck back this very day.

“I greatly appreciate that someone like you has found an ordinary person like me. However, as you can see, I am not sure I am capable of teaching or performing that kind of work.”

“Is it because you are concentrating on your magic training?”

“Yes. Currently, I have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity before me. My sincere desire is to focus on my own training.”

There was an exchange of looks among the maids. The young lady of the Beltus family had come in person, and he rejected her directly? There might be an important reason, but dismissing her request to train was not easy.

Denise was not one to give up easily. If a noble lady so decided, it was not difficult to manipulate a commoner. However, Dereck had reached a position where it was not easy to look down on him. His origins were humble and he lacked contacts, but his talent was coveted by all the important families. Raising one’s voice with pride at that moment carried the risk of ruining everything. Of course, Denise was one of those who could handle such an insult with elegance, like a snake sliding through the grass.

“Thank you for your honesty, Mr. Dereck. But I am also desperate.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. In the last magic duel, Lady Aiselin and Lady Ellen’s effort in their training deeply impressed me. You, Mr. Dereck, having seen them up close, must know better than anyone how hard they strove to maintain the dignity of a noble lady.”

Denise spoke with an expression firmer and more sincere than ever. Bella, seeing her, was left speechless. Denise knew perfectly well what moved people: sincerity. It was ironic that she was the one talking about sincerity, but at least her outward charm was unmatched. With her fists clenched and her eyes full of tears, her pleading gaze awakened anyone’s protective instincts. Even Bella, who knew her well, swallowed hard seeing her.

“Being left behind is a sad thing.”

“…”

“When everyone progressively ascends to a higher plane, being the only one left behind destroys self-esteem and weakens the heart. I will no longer hide it; I fear I cannot match their achievements.”

Denise took a step forward and took Dereck’s thin, tanned hand with her soft, pale hands. Without hesitation, she took it in her hands, looked into his eyes, and pleaded with all her soul.

“That is why I came to find you after all this time, Mr. Dereck.”

Denise asked with an anxiety that seemed on the verge of breaking her down.

“Please, I beg you. Save me from the swamp of anxiety in which I fall asleep every night. With my own magic progress… it is too much to bear.”

“…”

Dereck observed Denise in silence. In the dark cave, Denise, with eyes full of tears, looked longingly at Dereck. She maintained eye contact with him for a long time. How many men could endure that fragile and ghostly gaze without wavering? Not only Bella, but even the guards who had sworn to protect her could not help but shake their heads in their hearts.

However, Dereck spoke in a low voice.

“Lady Denise, it seems you do not have great ambitions regarding magic achievements. You used a star-light spell upon entering the cave, did you not?”

“Eh? Did you sense it from here?”

“Yes. While the amount of magic power is exceptional, it does not give the feeling of being refined daily. It is not about talent, but about will.”

Denise’s pupils dilated for an instant before returning to normal.

“What do you mean…?”

“Lady Denise, with all due respect, it is not prudent to feign sincerity about magic in front of someone who is immersed in it.”

Dereck was a man obsessed with magic. Those whom Dereck dedicated time to teaching had something in common: whether it was Diella or Ellen, they were all people genuinely dedicated to achieving magic.

“Some might consider it an insult.”

Before his cold gaze, Denise had no choice but to accept the truth. She wore a thick mask, but that boy had discovered her from the beginning.

“I am not sure why you need me, Lady Denise. But it does not seem to be to perform magic feats.”

Dereck brushed off the dust and stood up. He had been so absorbed in magic that he had barely been able to sleep, but he still managed to contain himself.

“How can I accept a task if I don’t even know what the client wants? I do not accept jobs I cannot perform. It would be a lack of respect toward the client.”

Saying this, Dereck bowed his head. It was a polite but firm refusal.

“So, please, find someone more suitable than a humble wandering mercenary like me. Someone worthy of your status, Lady Denise.”

His attitude was so respectful and formal that there was nothing more to say in response.

“Eh…?”

Denise felt as if she had been hit in the head with a hammer. Her performance, capable of astonishing the heavens, had become useless, and she remained silent. Soon, she felt a deep blow to her pride. She had prepared herself, knowing that neither Aiselin nor Ellen had managed to acquire such talent.

But she never imagined that Dereck would reject her so quickly. Even a little hesitation on his part would have spared her this feeling.

“No, how is it possible that I, a lady of the Beltus family, have put in so much effort to find this place and have bowed openly…?”

The resentment surely came from aristocratic pride… But there was another reason, deeper.

“How is it possible that I, who look so beautiful, shed tears…?”

What was the point of saying it? The wound to her pride was already deep.

“Then, I will go finish my training for today.”

“Wait a moment. Mr. Dereck. First…”

Before Denise could call him, Dereck jumped nimbly from the rock and walked toward the depths of the cave. The maids watching were left speechless. They had heard rumors of the boy who lived like a hermit, but they did not expect him to be such a mystical figure.

“Should we… should we follow him, my lady?”

When Dereck disappeared into the darkness, Bella quickly approached and asked. If they were going to follow him, they had to act quickly. However, Denise just stood there with a wide smile.

“Lady Denise?”

“Mmm. I thought he was a person with clear convictions, but I didn’t know he was so firm.”

Bella seemed anxious.

“Yes, it seems so. I came here with tears in my eyes, carefully applied makeup, and expensive perfume, and he simply gave me a cold look.”

“My lady, please, calm your anger and think rationally. First we must inform the main house about the location of the cave…”

“Eh? Anger? Why would I be angry? How funny, Bella. Anyone would think I’m crazy.”

Though she said it, Denise only smiled with her eyes, while a vein throbbed visibly on her forehead. Bella swallowed hard. Frankly, she wondered if it was a matter of her pride being hurt because her beauty hadn’t worked, but she bit her tongue for fear of the consequences.

Denise was a person to whom everything was bothersome and who was rarely motivated, but once she set her mind to something, she was relentless.

“Just… a little bit… the stubbornness is starting to show… hehehe…”

Bella had to press her temples and suppress a headache as she looked at Denise. After so much time together, Bella knew her well. She was the type of person who would bite harder and cut deeper if the tree did not fall.