Chapter 52

Chapter 52
## Chapter 52

Most mages are motivated by the desire to become stronger.

This is a field where progress is felt at every step, and that sense of advancement is more stimulating than any pleasure, often leading individuals into a state of ecstasy. Once they experience it, they pursue higher levels as if they were bewitched.

“…”

The eagerness for self-improvement transcends age and social status.

The Grand Duke of Duplain, belonging to the noblest lineage, was no exception.

However, one cannot always keep ascending. After years of striving to reach higher levels, one must finally face their own limits.

Despite his efforts over decades, the Grand Duke failed to reach the level of a 6-star mage.

Level 6 is an extraordinary realm, accessible only to those chosen by the heavens from among countless geniuses. Although he understood this, the inability to continue progressing as a mage often left an inner void within him.

***

‘You’ve hit the nail on the head. It’s true, just seeing that staff makes one want to grip it tightly.’

The Duplain family storage room.

The Duke’s expression, as he silently observed the staff that Valerian brought from the White Zone with his hands behind his back, was far from favorable.

Occasionally, weapons imbued with magic contain a “demon” inside. This occurs when a certain will or ego becomes sealed within the magic artifact, or when an aura manifests that confuses the mind.

The staff Valerian brought was exactly that. Knowing how seriously he spoke when informing me, I wondered what kind of object it would be, but I never imagined something so sinister.

“The Staff of Rozin, of which I had only heard rumors? A relic of Rozin, the 5-star summoner from before the War Era…? But Rozin was famous for redefining the fundamentals of summoning magic, so why does this remind me of necromantic energy?”

Rozin’s staff looked like withered, twisted wood. A necromantic aura enveloped it, making it look more like a fortune teller’s artifact than a summoner’s to any observer.

Necromancy was a taboo, and the mere act of practicing it would attract the attention of the Imperial Family.

A particular will within the staff seemed to whisper to the Duke.

It tempted him, telling him that if he wielded it, he would reach the 6-star level; that he should use its power to ascend. This was not the first time the Duke had encountered an object with demonic properties. He was not someone easily influenced by evil intentions.

After abruptly suppressing the staff’s aura with his own magic, he called the housekeeper, Katarina, and said:

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“We must send a letter to the Imperial Family. Rather than keeping it and provoking their wrath, it is better to report it and give them the authority to dispose of this staff.”

“I will send a messenger immediately. What should the letter say?”

“Tell them to send the Chief of Magic Advisors.”

His intention was to summon the most experienced advisor of the Imperial Family, the highest magical authority in the empire: the 6-star transformation mage, Kohella Deinalt Elvester.

The old fox of the Imperial Family who safeguarded the magical history of the kingdom, the oldest member of the Lontel Society—brimming with expert alchemists—the greatest transformation mage ever produced by the noble House Elvester, and lifelong rival of Drest WolfTail… His career was full of titles like “the best.”

Among all of them, only one truly defined him: the magic advisor who had served the Imperial Family the longest. He was a mage so formidable that even the Emperor sought his personal counsel. Only someone like him would know how to properly dispose of this staff.

***

The magic training hall, as immaculate as if it were new, was one of the best-prepared spaces in Diella’s mansion.

With great ambitions to achieve magical feats, and since her time with Dereck, she had perfected her skills without a formal tutor.

At the request of Diella, always immersed in the pursuit of magic, her servants had equipped the training space to the highest standards in all of Ebelstein.

The result was this hall. Facilities far more sophisticated and complete than the training rooms near the noble district square.

Standing on the practice platform while adjusting her clothes, Diella frowned as she met the gaze of Denise, who smiled sweetly at her from the other side.

This was Diella’s mansion, her training hall, surrounded by her own servants.

Everything was arranged in her favor. A potentially uncomfortable setting for her opponent.

However, Denise calmly gathered her magic energy, without the slightest hint of concern.

‘She isn’t afraid of losing. Seriously… Were the letters she sent truly sincere?’

Diella was confused.

Denise had claimed she would lose the duel deliberately, regardless of the terms of the bet.

If her true intention was to free Dereck, Diella would welcome it. Her claim that their interests coincided was not entirely empty.

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Even so, Diella did not lower her guard. The servants, the ladies of the Rose Salon, and the gossip of the nobility all agreed on the same thing: Denise was kind, elegant, and refined in appearance.

But Diella did not rule out that it could all be a farce, a trap to shatter her arrogance and pride.

To some, that might seem excessive, but Diella was not one to trust easily. It had cost her more than a decade to open up to the members of the Duplain family. For a stranger, earning her full trust was practically impossible.

“I hope it is a good match. It is a great honor to compete with Lady Diella, known for her free magic and her mastery of advanced spells.”

“Yes, me too.”

Diella, gathering her magic energy, responded with indifference and shook her head.

In any case, everything would be decided in this duel. She trusted her skills.

She only needed to avoid losing.

*Snap!*

*Ring!*

When the bell adorned with beautiful roses rang, tension spread through the platform.

It was the signal for the start of their magic duel. Although it was only a training match, much was at stake: the pride of both families was on the line.

Diella wanted Dereck.

As a girl, she yearned to learn again from the teacher who had shown her the magical path during her days of exploration. An untamed genius born into the Duplain family, the heart of the Order School.

Despite her peculiar past, she had perfected her magic in her own way. Surely Dereck had reached even greater heights since then, and she could learn even more. Just imagining it made her heart race.

Furthermore, Dereck was an exceptional assistant.

Indifferent to status, always seeking the depth of things, unafraid to speak frankly.

In the cold social climate of Ebelstein, having someone like him by her side would be an unparalleled weapon.

“I’m not going to drag this out.”

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That’s why Diella gathered her magic power with determination, resolved to end the duel quickly.

The first spell she cast was ice, specialized in cold.

The wild magic she had studied in the pavilion was mainly related to plants, but under Dereck’s influence, she had gradually opened her eyes to illusion magic.

Though much younger than most noblewomen, her magic prowess was unmatched.

*Whoosh!*

Large blocks of ice formed around Diella.

They were larger, more twisted, and sharper than when she had first manifested them.

Soon, thorny vines sprouted from the ground with the intent to trap her opponent, while several confusion spells that obscured magic energy flooded the training hall.

‘Of course she uses various spells. And she is still so young.’

Denise was marveled by Diella, who deployed a variety of magic in such a short time.

She had heard that the young mage had trained on her own after Dereck left.

It was rare for someone her age to master so many advanced spells. Denise retreated quickly, drawing a wide circle while adjusting her posture. Her skirt spread out like a petal and her magic energy was unleashed in an instant.

She had no intention of countering all of Diella’s magic. Truth be told, she had never planned to.

*Crash! Bang! Thud! Thmp!*

Countless spells collided, and Denise’s magic shields materialized, making it look as if the duel had ended.

However, once the dust settled, Denise emerged unscathed.

Still holding the edge of her dress with an elegant smile, not a single spell had reached her.

“…”

Diella frowned. Denise had opted to dodge all of Diella’s magic instead of resisting it.

Evading all those spells was a reckless feat, like trying to walk through a storm without a single drop of rain touching you.

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And yet, there she was, standing, calmly adjusting her posture, even the hem of her dress remaining intact.

As if she had anticipated every trajectory. That made Diella feel like she was wasting her magic.

‘She’s incredible at detecting magic, isn’t she? Did she spend all day training to detect it?’

Denise was considered peerless among her peers in magic detection. Even the magic senses that Diella had sharpened under Dereck’s influence were no match for Denise in the midst of the chaos.

Seeing her serene countenance, it seemed as if the duel hadn’t even begun.

‘…’

Diella swallowed hard.

She suddenly remembered: Denise had also been Dereck’s student.

Now she was facing a mage personally trained by him.

Dereck, increasingly prominent in Ebelstein’s social circles, was also famous for his students.

It was said that, if he chose to dedicate himself to teaching, he could sharpen someone’s magic senses to the point that even first-level spells wouldn’t affect them.

In reality, Dereck pushed people to the limit, squeezing their magic to the extreme. Those who failed to maintain their sanity ended up exhausted. He was a ruthless mage who did not bow to anyone, not even nobles.

As for Denise, who had endured months of that training, she seemed to instantly understand the flow of every spell Diella cast.

Her expression, still with a slight smile, radiated serenity.

‘You can’t hit her with conventional methods.’

Diella had to reconsider. Denise’s counterattack was imminent. After dodging once, Diella would need more advanced confusion spells to block her evasive maneuvers.

Their magic exchanges were repeated several times.

Each time Denise gracefully dodged Diella’s spells, her movements were as elegant as those of a dancer.

“Ha… Ha…”

Meanwhile, Diella, with no choice but to waste her magic, began to gasp.

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Even her confusion spells were countered, and the ice spears were destroyed by magic arrows or dodged as if Denise had foreseen their trajectory.

The thorny vines sprouting from the ground and the walls of fire didn’t even brush Denise’s hair; they only drained Diella’s energy.

Meanwhile, Denise only used a few simple spells, without resorting to large-scale magic.

Like a skilled swordswoman toying with a warrior wielding a two-handed sword. Diella grit her teeth, staring at Denise, who maintained a noble smile and a charming bearing.

Diella clenched her jaw.

It is true that Denise had perfected her magic senses under Dereck’s strict training, but she wasn’t the only noble he had instructed.

*Hiss!*

As Diella stepped onto the platform, cold began to spread, covering the area.

Without even casting a spell, she began to freeze the entire stage. The sudden magic burst forced Denise to step back and reconsider the situation.

*Zap!*

Free and unrestricted: that was the hallmark of wild mages.

She sacrificed attack power and efficiency but produced completely unpredictable results for the opponent. Soon, the platform was covered in ice.

Her goal was to restrict Denise’s movements by altering the environment itself.

“…”

As Denise watched closely, Diella struck the ground with her foot again.

*Crack!*

*Crash!*

Countless ice pillars surged from beneath her feet, rushing toward Denise.

Denise quickly cast a magic shield to block Diella’s attack, but the impact nearly knocked her back.

“Couldn’t dodge it this time, huh?”

Diella’s blonde hair, wrapped in icy magic, floated in the air.

In that moment, even formal titles were forgotten. Diella was furious, focused solely on defeating Denise.

“It’s funny to see you try so hard to dodge after saying you would surrender. Do you play with the women of Ebelstein’s social circles with such petty tricks?”

It was a blatant provocation. Saying such a thing to a young lady of the Beltus family left the servants breathless.

Denise remained silent, absorbed in her thoughts. She felt no guilt whatsoever; it had been she who had changed her mind as easily as one moves a hand.

“Ha… Ha… Grrr…”

White vapor escaped Diella’s mouth. Although summer was near, the training hall seemed to be in the middle of winter.

Diella could look like the most adorable girl in the world when she was quiet, but now she bared her teeth and stared fixedly at her opponent.

Before this, most nobles would have lost their nerve. But someone like Denise was not easily intimidated.

*Crack!*

*Crash!*

Every time Diella stomped her foot, rows of ice pillars emerged, trying to trap Denise.

Denise quickly conjured fire arrows to melt the ice around her, while deploying shields to resist the spells. But unlike her previous evasions, her consumption of magic energy had increased drastically.

With every exchange, Diella shortened the distance bit by bit.

At close range, prediction and detection were useless. She planned to end the duel with a point-blank attack.

“I knew from the start that this was all you had. I accepted the duel fully aware of it.”

Diella, enveloped in icy magic, advanced with a steady step: a true winter queen.

The power of the ice pillars she launched against Denise became more destructive with every strike.

Diella’s magic, fueled by rage, seemed to pierce the sky.

“I don’t care how petty and vile the lady of House Beltus is. I didn’t come to Ebelstein to play social games or seek comfort.”

Her eyes glowed like those of a beast spotting its prey in the snow. The cold emanating from her made her opponents tremble.

“So I don’t care if you rule the Rose Salon with your power… Just give me Dereck.”

Let him go and leave. Then I won’t care what you do.

After declaring that to Denise, she unleashed her magic energy.

“…”

Denise stared at Diella. Her elegant silver hair waved in the wind from the power emanating from Diella.

It was clear why this girl named Diella was so desperate to take Dereck away.

It was evident she yearned for the days under his tutelage. In reality, Dereck was the type of man who altered the lives of others without hesitation, transformed them to his liking, and then disappeared without accepting any recognition.

A strange and enigmatic man.

As Denise thought of him, she realized that even when exhausted by magic, he had pushed her forward, even if it meant pushing her away from him.

The internal affairs of the great noble houses were like natural disasters: impossible to endure.

But that man, with his indifferent expression as if nothing mattered, knew how to play with people’s feelings.

If you underestimate a drizzle, you’ll end up soaked.

Denise naturally accepted the attitude of the man who took her by the wrist. A mocking smile appeared on her lips, but she did not feel humiliated.

Sitting in that dimly lit art storage room, every time that cold, white-haired boy—who even mentioned the embarrassing drafts of her novel—blinked before her eyes, she couldn’t help but think:

I would feel empty without him.

“Ahaha.”

That’s why Denise smiled at Diella.

It wasn’t the polite and noble smile she always showed.

“Hahaha… Hahaha… Hahahaha.”

It was a genuine and meaningful laugh, almost mocking Diella.

Her eyes, as cold as Diella’s, shone with a threatening gaze that contrasted with her angelic image. Even Diella, burning with rage, paused for a moment.

A little lioness had shown her fangs, demanding that Denise hand over Dereck.

In the face of such an adversary, Denise spoke, still smiling:

“I don’t want to.”

Finally, the thread holding Diella’s reason together snapped.