Chapter 5

Chapter 5
## Chapter 5

Those who saw Dereck for the first time in the mercenary world always wore a look of bewilderment.

Too young, yes, but despite his youthful appearance, he was well-prepared and seemed far too kind.

Young or kind.

In this world, either of those characteristics would normally lead to you being stabbed in the back and left to your fate. However, Dereck’s face reflected both.

How a young, kind-looking boy could survive in the world of mercenaries was a mystery to everyone.

But there was one undeniable truth: Dereck had lived as a mercenary since he was a child, and yet, there was no trace of weariness in his gaze. That significance could only be understood by accompanying Dereck onto the battlefield.

—Thump! A dull strike!

—Kiekk!

A goblin hit by a first-level magic arrow spat black blood and collapsed in the middle of the forest.

On the narrow path cutting through the forest toward Ebelstain, at the edge of Duke Duplain’s territory.

With a longsword in his right hand, Dereck slashed and split the snout of the grotesque creature, blood splattering across his face.

In the midst of it all, a one-armed, bloodied goblin lunged at him. Dereck evaded the axe by taking a step back and, grabbing the goblin’s face, unleashed his full strength.

—Fzzzzzt!

—Kiekk!

While the goblin shrieked in surprise, Dereck quickly drew the dagger from the sheath on his thigh and drove it into its neck.

Red blood sprayed, filling his vision, and the metallic scent flooded the air, but not a flicker of emotion crossed Dereck’s face.

Not because he was cold like a machine. On the contrary, he maintained the same kind and serious expression he had in the tavern. Only the blood on his body accentuated the dissonance. This boy did not hesitate to take a life. For him, it was as routine and natural as eating or sleeping.

“Is anyone hurt?”

Now with a clean sword, he asked kindly, his body covered in goblin blood. Goblin remains lay scattered around him. Melvin, who had been guarding the carriage, swallowed hard unconsciously.

It wasn’t unusual for a seasoned mercenary to tear monsters apart without a second thought.

But seeing a boy his age, so nonchalantly covered in blood, asking such a question with a tired expression, was unsettling. In an era where magic was the exclusive domain of the nobility, this boy was a mage raised on the streets.

It was a scene anyone could perceive instinctively, unlike the flowers protected in greenhouses.

***

“Traveling with Dereck certainly makes things easier. Locating enemies with search magic and eliminating them from afar isn’t difficult.”

“I appreciate the compliment, but you know the boss took care of eighty percent of those monsters.”

“Tsk… You have no sense of humor. You should learn to enjoy the praise.”

Jayden clicked his tongue and patted Dereck on the shoulder.

“…”

Melvin, who had been rude at the tavern, seemed calmer on the return journey. Just as Jayden had sensed, the task assigned by the mysterious trio from the duchy turned out to be extremely simple.

By sunset, no more monsters were in sight, and they were able to board the carriage back to Ebelstain.

“I must admit your work is commendable.”

Melvin still wore a somber expression, but he finally offered an effusive compliment. Jayden, smiling with satisfaction, leaned back in the carriage and wiped the blood from his sword.

“Your praises are too generous. Now that your problem is resolved, please pay the remaining balance.”

“Understood.”

The advance payment was one gold coin, and the final payment was two more.

Considering that most extermination requests only paid a few silver coins, it was a reward that would certainly provoke a smile.

With a broad grin, Jayden tossed the gold coin into his leather pouch.

“Good job, Dereck. When we get back to the tavern, I’ll give you your share.”

Dereck, leaning back in his seat, nodded indifferently and gazed at the sunset. Though he wasn’t particularly tired, he still felt the fatigue of using magic.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall of the wagon, trying to rest.

“It seems you’ve mastered a good variety of first-level magic.”

But the inspector, still wearing her hood, spoke to Dereck. It was the first time all day she had initiated a conversation. Her voice was clear, with a youthful touch, but Dereck replied without much interest, maintaining his reclined posture.

“I’ve learned a bit of everything. Being versatile helps when you’re a mercenary trying to survive.”

“Did you say you are sixteen? You’re not much older than I am. That’s impressive.”

Dereck looked out of the corner of his eye and noticed that Melvin, the old man, and Delia, the maid, had swallowed hard with difficulty.

They seemed wary of the trainee inspector. Their hesitant attitude denoted discomfort at Dereck’s informality in the conversation. Dereck was also surprised. The girl had revealed she was the same age as him.

To be honest, Dereck had assumed she was at least of legal age, given her extremely mature attitude.

“How did you learn magic?”

“Picking it up on the streets while trying to survive.”

“You haven’t even had your coming-of-age ceremony, have you? It’s amazing that you can handle several first-level spells.”

The question was strange. Dereck felt uncomfortable, but acted with indifference.

*‘He hasn’t even had his coming-of-age ceremony yet…’*

Common folk rarely celebrated such elaborate ceremonies.

“I can cast about three or four first-level spells.”

“Three is three, and five is five… but saying ‘about three or four’ is a bit odd.”

While still reclining, Dereck saw the inspector smile slightly under her hood.

“You know more than that, don’t you?”

“…”

“There’s no need to hide it. I’m truly curious. It’s incredible that someone your age can handle magic at that level.”

Dereck’s mentor, Katia, used to say that exceptional talent could earn the hostility of the nobility.

The inspector was clearly linked to one of the most important families in the world of magic: the ducal house of Duplain. Dereck considered it best not to reveal all his capabilities.

“My lack of clarity is because I didn’t follow the usual route of the magic academies: the Regulated Academy.”

“Oh?”

“I’m from the Wild Academy. While the Regulated Academy strictly classifies magic systems and standards, the Wild Academy is somewhat independent of that.”

Dereck sat up and began to speak seriously.

When the topic of magic factions arose, the hooded girl’s eyes sparkled with fascination.

“The Wild faction, you say?”

“It’s been a long time since the aristocratic Regulated faction became popular, but research into unconventional magic factions continues.”

Dereck’s magic mentor, Katia, had also been a mage of the Regulated faction, but Dereck himself had broken free from that discipline.

When he had to choose a faction after learning magic from the old man, Dereck chose the Wild faction.

The Wild faction focuses on the practical use of mana and magic necessary for immediate survival, not on rules and regulations. Their specialty is the type of magic used on unpredictable paths full of adventure: they are experts at improvising the use of mana according to the situation.

“I’ve heard of mages who use magic from that perspective, but it’s the first time I’ve met one.”

“Well, it’s not like I use high-level magic… I’m just speaking in theory. As I said, I’m only a one-star mage of humble origins.”

Dereck tried to downplay it, but the inspector, still shrouded in her cloak, was full of curiosity.

She seemed deeply interested in magic. That instinct surprised him.

“Of course, the magic of the regulated aristocratic faction is the most researched and developed. There’s a reason why the unconventional ones remain that way.”

“But there must be a reason why you, Dereck, chose the path of the Wild faction, right? May I ask what it is?”

Why was she so interested in something like that? The atmosphere, similar to an interview, was uncomfortable, but given that the other party had paid a considerable sum, it was hard to be rude.

Considering the work had been too easy for the amount received, he thought maybe it was better to see it as part of the service.

With that in mind, Dereck gathered mana in his hand.

“Since you seem to know something about magic, let me explain it simply: it’s because magic is useful for survival.”

As Dereck gathered mana in his hand, a small flame began to burn in his palm.

The flame, materialized with mana, burned in the air without any fuel. To those who knew nothing of magic, it would have been an extraordinary sight, but anyone with a minimum of magical knowledge would recognize it as a rather rudimentary use of mana.

Neither Melvin nor the maid Delia showed any surprise at the flame. If they worked in the ducal house of the Duplains, they must have seen wonders like this many times.

However, the girl known as the inspector watched Dereck’s fire with wide eyes.

“Oh?”

Although she had probably seen magic like that countless times in her noble house, the girl observed Dereck’s flame as if it were something strange.

“…It seems the mana release process is quite simple, isn’t it?”

*Can this girl see mana?*

Dereck was inwardly surprised by her comment. She could feel the flow of mana. In other words, she herself was at least a one-star mage.

“Yes. In the Regulated Faction, the process of using mana is divided into four stages: recognition, extraction, manipulation, and manifestation. But the Wild Faction doesn’t establish such clear distinctions. The process is unified and based more on intuition.”

“…Do you always use magic this way?”

“Yes. It has its advantages, but of course, also its drawbacks. If I explained every detail, the story would be too long…”

Dereck didn’t want to elaborate further. After all, it had only been a brief encounter. He tried to be concise, eager to get back to resting.

“In short, you just have to understand that the world of magic is a bit different,” he said.

The differences between schools of thought cannot be easily separated with a knife.

After ending the conversation that way, Dereck leaned back against the wall of the wagon again.

To the nobility, he was nothing more than a one-star mage. To those who lived with four and five-star mages, a one-star prodigy from an unconventional school was nothing more than an insignificant talent.

With that in mind, Dereck closed his eyes tightly, trying to shake off the fatigue, but…

In the eyes of the girl watching him, there was a peculiar glint.

***

He thought he would never see the strange trio of servants again, but the following week they returned to the tavern.

The request was similar. Monsters had reappeared on the borders of the Duke’s territory.

They were ostentatious people. As expected, Jayden responded with a broad smile. However, since the condition was to bring a mage again, Dereck had no choice but to follow them.

So they hunted monsters, parted ways, and the following week returned with another request… The cycle repeated.

On each occasion, they killed members of the Ayn tribe, and on the way back in the carriage, they held informal chats about the current state of the world or about magic; simple trivial conversations to avoid awkward silences.

However, they were always diligent in hunting monsters.

Goblins, trolls, kobolds… Dangerous enemies for the inexperienced, but they don’t pose a great threat if handled carefully by experienced mercenaries.

After several trips through the duke’s lands dealing with border monsters, they had earned a considerable amount of money.

Jayden spent his days singing happily, and Dereck, after receiving his share, felt satisfied. Money always carried more weight than just coins.

They enjoyed quality meat, well-maintained equipment, and lived in relative comfort.

“After witnessing your skills as a monster hunter, I am certain your experience is reliable. On this occasion, the Duke’s lands are offering fifteen Aydel gold coins.”

*Fifteen gold coins? Did I hear that right?*

With a single gold coin, you could buy a room full of freshly baked bread.

Without exaggeration, with fifteen coins you could replace the entire tavern building with a brand-new one.

“Hahaha, you have a generous heart! Are the monsters tougher this time? Don’t worry! The Beldern Mercenary Group has proven how impeccable our work has been over the last two months! Give us enough preparation time and we’ll even bring you the head of a hell demon! Hahaha!”

Jayden’s face glowed; he was clearly pleased. It was rare to see the old man so happy, but thinking about the reward that awaited him, Dereck couldn’t help but swallow hard.

He had heard stories of noble extravagance, but never imagined it would go this far.

“This request is a bit different from the usual ones. But, as always, you will have to accompany us in the wagon.”

“Yes, the carriage is ready. We’re not strangers anymore, are we? Hahaha.”

“Then, let me introduce myself formally.”

“We’re already close! Haha! Why so much formality now? Please, treat me naturally! Let’s maintain a friendly relationship!”

“I am Delron, the steward of House Duplain.”

Jayden’s warm and friendly smile froze. Melvin had been a false name.

Dereck already suspected they were using lower-status identities. But what did it mean to reveal them now?

Before he could organize his thoughts, the maid standing next to the butler also bowed her head.

“I am Katarina, the estate manager of the duchy.”

Not a simple envoy, but the steward. Not a kitchen maid, but the estate manager.

In a large mansion, the butler was the third highest position among the servants, and the estate manager held a position just below that.

They were the leaders of the staff, who generally never left the estate. People who earned in a few months what common folk earned in decades.

And the girl who had pretended to be an inspector gently lowered her hood and spoke with an elegant smile.

“Aiselin Eleanore Duplain.”

Her eyes were soft yet determined, with an evident purity. That bright gaze was directed at Dereck.

The girl who stared at him spoke with indescribable dignity, as always.

“…”

“My goodness.”

The girl, observing Dereck in silence, added softly:

“Are you not surprised?”

He should be.

But Dereck already suspected her true identity.

He knew it, but pretended to ignore her exceptional status. Dereck only thought about finishing the job and collecting his gold coins.

Now then, why had they revealed their status first?

The reason was evident.

“If you don’t mind, would you accompany us to House Duplain?”

House Duplain was one of the three most prestigious noble families in the entire empire. The girl spoke with utmost courtesy and elegance, but Dereck had no right to refuse.