Chapter 80

Chapter 80
## Chapter 80
The blizzard intensified.

With every step Siern took across the snowy field, the snow around her scattered toward the sky by the force of her magic.

It looked as if a living whirlwind were in motion.

*Whoooosh!*

*Whistle!*

Though her eyes were filled with rage, Siern no longer raised her voice.

Aiselin was simply someone she had met a few weeks ago, a passing acquaintance.

She was the antithesis of Siern. They had nothing in common, so they couldn’t be particularly close.

That was why it felt strange that her death infuriated her so much.

*Whistle!*

However, seeing Aiselin buried in the snow, motionless, Siern bit her lower lip hard.

Even with such a brief encounter, Siern could tell.

She was a person of such integrity that she deserved to be called the flower of the Duplain family, and so sympathetic that she tried to understand even someone like Siern, whom everyone called a monster. She was a beautiful girl, as if everything in the world had blessed her.

Even Siern’s frozen heart trembled at the sight of her.

Siern, who could not control her murderous instinct, would probably have tried to push her away somehow… but even so, she was not someone who deserved to die so easily.

‘Even human life has value and dignity.’

‘If someone had to die, it should have been me.’

“It’s too unfair that someone so precious, who tried to accept and care for me despite what I am, dies like this.”

That was why the girl raised her head and looked at the mercenary before her.

Raising her hand and clenching her fist tightly, she effortlessly cast a second-level summoning spell: “Call of the Beast.”

*Whoooosh!*

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Dozens of wolves made of magic emerged in the snowy field.

Those spectral beasts bared their fangs and lunged at Dereck. Each was the size of a human, but Dereck retreated without a trace of panic and swung his staff.

*Grrrr! Grrr!*

*Clang!*

Steam rose from the fiercely bared fangs.

Dereck kicked the belly of a drooling wolf that lunged at him, rolled once on the ground, drew his sword, and slit its throat.

*Hiss!*

The sequence of movements was very fluid and skillful.

The wolf, without even realizing it had been hit, turned back into magic and disappeared.

However, dozens remained. The pack surrounded Dereck and charged in unison, but not a single one managed to scratch him.

*Fwoosh! Whoosh!*

Enormous flames erupted, engulfing the surroundings, and the summoned wolves howled as they were consumed by fire.

Some managed to get close to Dereck, but they were soon struck down by his sword.

*Slash! Thwack!*

Dereck, who rolled once in the snow and stood up, held a longsword in one hand and a staff in the other.

Dereck, skilled in both magic and close-quarters combat, could deal with any attack Siern threw at him.

Siern knew it too.

Although her magic skills were amazing for her age, she couldn’t surpass Dereck. Knowing she could never beat him in a direct confrontation, she only thought of distracting him.

And so, among the many spectral wolves, she blended in like a true beast.

*Kaang!*

Siern’s claws flew and clashed against Dereck’s unsheathed sword.

Even though her small white fingers had soft, blunt nails, as they struck the blade, sparks flew and a fierce sound was heard.

*Crack! Crunch!*

He remembered that the first time he met Siern, her fingers were clearly stained with blood.

She uses transformation magic to control even the hardness and strength of her body. There is no one else in the world who uses transformation magic so advanced at her age.

Siern then saw the expression of the white-haired mercenary on the other side of the blade.

That expression was so serene that Siern bit her lips hard again.

“You must see me as a monster too.”

“…”

“But you don’t seem particularly human either.”

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Siern grit her teeth and gathered more magic power.

As mana flowed into Dereck’s sword, Siern grabbed the sharp blade.

*Crunch, crunch.*

*Crackle!*

Finally, the sword Siern was holding shattered. As Dereck frowned and jumped back, Siern’s claws attacked exactly where he had been a second before.

*Thwack!*

With a single blow, the enormous surge of mana swept away all the accumulated snow. And through the swirling snowflakes, she charged with glowing white eyes.

She had the appearance of a beautiful young woman, but she was no different from a beast blinded by bloodlust.

Transformation magic?

Dereck threw the sword, now reduced to just the hilt, to the center of the field and took up his staff again.

Magic that alters the properties of matter is extremely difficult and requires an enormous amount of mana.

To alter the essence of Dereck’s solid sword to break it like a cracker—even a second-level mage would be left breathless.

However, Siern’s agile movements did not slow down. Using third-level transformation and acceleration magic, she ran through the snowy field with even more determination.

At this point, it was obvious why even the most renowned mages couldn’t control her.

To subdue a girl who attacks without warning and emanates murderous intent, magical knowledge, culture, or elegance alone are not enough.

What is needed is an overwhelming spirit to crush her.

*Bang!*

By the time Dereck conjured a magic shield to block Siern’s next attack, she was already gasping for breath.

She had used too much advanced magic in a short time. Any ordinary mage would have collapsed from exhaustion.

However, Siern stared intently at him.

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Facing the clear murderous intent emanating from her body, anyone would swallow nervously.

But Dereck let out a low chuckle.

“Are you so angry because Lady Aiselin died? What is it that makes you so angry?”

“…”

“Do you really think Lady Aiselin would have accepted and welcomed you, Siern? Are you angry because you feel you’ve lost someone so precious? What does that mean?”

*Crunch, snap.*

Dereck’s protective magic showed no signs of weakening. Standing before her, Dereck looked down and spoke with a fierce expression.

“In any case, weren’t you the one who killed her?”

“…”

“Then, doesn’t it matter at all? Lady Siern, you are truly peculiar.”

In those icy eyes was reflected an emotion that seemed to indicate Siern really didn’t understand her.

“Isn’t it better this way, that your hands aren’t stained with blood? Or are you disappointed that you couldn’t kill her yourself? If so, I understand.”

“…”

“I cannot comprehend the mind of a monster driven by murderous instinct. If you feel some kind of pleasure or joy in directly killing someone you cared for, well, I don’t respect it, but I can understand it. Is that it?”

“Hahaha…”

*Snap!*

Siern jumped back, increasing the distance.

Landing in the snowy field, she straightened up as her blue hair fluttered in the wind.

Her face was shadowed by her deeply bowed head, hiding her expression from view.

Meanwhile, Dereck shook his staff with indifference and an apathetic expression.

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“Yes. The woman you killed was truly wonderful and complete, to the point that she didn’t even seem to be a match for a monster like me. Even so… I don’t think I can agree with everything she said.”

— *There is no one in this world who deserves to die, Lady Siern.*

Even in the middle of the frozen snow field, she reaffirmed it until the end, speaking with a determined face.

Until the moment she coughed up blood from Dereck’s sword, she looked Siern in the eye and spoke.

Recalling that scene, Siern slowly revealed her fierce gaze. She uttered every word charged with boiling hatred.

“People like you deserve to die.”

Finally, even the faint glimmer of humanity remaining in her pupils vanished.

Abandoning her human reason, she listened to the voice of the great monster that wished to dominate the world.

Someone whispered to the heart of Siern, who had been suppressing her true nature.

‘He is a person who deserves to die. He is a person who deserves to die.’

Thus provoked, the beautiful lady of the Rochester family finally hid from the world.

*Hwaaak!*

In her place appeared a monster crazed by slaughter.

***

From the window, a massive whirlpool of mana could be seen.

Sitting in his office with his chin resting on his hand, Lord Melverot maintained the same expression as he watched the scene.

It was a phenomenon that occurred when Siern completely lost her reason and revealed her true monstrous nature.

When she showed her monstrous form, she destroyed everything in her path and killed indiscriminately.

Without even having a will of her own, she moved like a natural disaster, guided solely by instinct.

Usually, Melverot would intervene personally to suppress or stop her.

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However, Dereck had asked him not to intervene until the end, but only to observe from there.

Perhaps it was an arrogant judgment.

The bloodlust Siern unleashed would make even the most seasoned veteran break into a cold sweat.

Perhaps it would all end with one more victim for Siern.

— *If you taught her the weight of death, you must also teach her to control her instincts.*

— *Is it possible to control a monster’s instincts?*

— *It shouldn’t be impossible. After all, we humans don’t live by instinct alone. If you manage to give her a chance to overcome that intense impulse, and if she succeeds just once… the second, third, and fourth times will be easier.*

— *…*

— *The crucial thing is that, once she loses her reason completely, I will take responsibility and try to return Lady Siern to her senses. Will you trust me just this once?*

Dereck was an expert on monsters. Melverot knew this, but that didn’t mean he could trust him blindly.

However, from Melverot’s perspective, he had nothing to lose. If Dereck acted recklessly and died, it would be solely his own fault.

But, as he watched, Melverot felt a strange certainty.

Melverot muttered to himself with his chin still resting on his hand.

“If he really has that much talent, I wouldn’t mind granting him a title or two.”

The problem lay in whether he would be able to prove his worth.

*Bang!*

The bluish mana began to turn dark red and surged violently.

The beast, consumed by madness, lunged at Dereck with her dress fluttering in the wind.

The amount and intensity of the mana were several times greater than when she still retained a shred of reason.

*Crash! Crack!*

*Thump!*

Every time Siern moved her arm, combat spells that first-class mages could barely cast at full power went flying.

Dereck could block them all with a single movement of his staff, but he had to dodge with his own feet Siern’s body as it lunged wildly at him.

*Slash! Bang! Slash! Bang!*

Every attack felt like a massive explosion.

For someone without defenses, even a scratch would have been fatal.

Despite the countless heavy blows he received, Dereck’s face showed no emotion.

He was a young man who had dedicated his life to killing countless monsters.

He had eliminated so many frenzied and desperate beings that he couldn’t even count them. The strength and power of those monsters were immense, and it was not uncommon to lose a limb if one let down their guard.

However, a monster that has lost its reason has simple attacks and predictable movements.

As long as one didn’t get carried away by their momentum, dealing with them wasn’t that difficult.

*Boom!*

Though it was easy to say, the reality was very different.

The instant one of Siern’s magic arrows missed and hit the ground, a deep crater appeared.

Her body, jumping through the snowy field, was difficult to follow even with the eyes.

Her long hair fluttered behind her like the tail of a great beast.

*Thump!*

As she charged again, wrapping her claws in transformation magic, Dereck cast a protective spell.

The trembling of her claws as they were repelled. As Siern took a deep breath on the other side of the barrier, a huge exhale rose into the cold air.

There was no reason whatsoever in the light emanating from her eyes.

The masters who had fled calling her a monster had made a rational decision. That moment proved it.

***

What does it mean to teach someone?

It was a constant concern for Dereck, who had somehow become a magic teacher among the nobility.

Whether it was Diella, Ellen, or Denise… Dereck always seemed to have that concern when teaching someone.

If it were solely about transmitting knowledge, reading a book would be better.

Ultimately, being a teacher and teaching someone must have a deeper meaning.

Aiselin always thought it was admirable to see Dereck, who constantly reflected on how to best guide people, absorbed in those concerns.

Aiselin, who had discovered and recruited him while he was working as a mercenary in taverns, believed she understood his deepest thoughts better than anyone.

That was why she thought Dereck’s detour in trying to kill Siern was just a small mistake.

‘There is no life in this world that deserves to die.’

‘Whoever it is, you have to think about how to guide them to a better path, not simply solve everything by killing them.’

That was how the upright and kind-hearted Aiselin saw the world.

She believed that one day Dereck would understand that vision, and she wanted to believe in him, to wait for him until the end, even if he took the wrong path.

However… was it too arrogant a thought?

The moment Dereck’s sword stabbed her and blood gushed out, Aiselin thought:

‘Trying to understand and accept everyone might be overestimating oneself.’

‘Perhaps Dereck’s impulse to solve things by killing was something innate, something I couldn’t change.’

‘There are many things that cannot be solved with gentle idealism.’

As if to remind her, the young man’s sword turned toward Aiselin.

As she slowly lost consciousness in the middle of the snowy field… Aiselin thought:

“I still don’t know anything about this boy named Dereck.”

That ignorance and arrogance must have been the cause of her death…

“…A-choo!”

That was the moment Aiselin accepted her death.

When she regained some consciousness, it was so cold she sneezed.

“…?”

The blood spreading under the accumulating snowflakes was, undoubtedly, Aiselin’s.

However, as soon as she regained consciousness, she was able to sit up quickly. She felt no pain in her body, only a little cold in her fingers.

*Kang! Kang! Kaang!*

As the sounds of battle echoed in the distance, she finally fully regained consciousness.

“Huh…?”

Aiselin opened her eyes wide and looked around.

She clearly remembered being stabbed by Dereck’s sword. However, she had no visible wounds on her body, just a large hole in the side of her blouse.

Dereck’s sword had only pierced her loose clothing. It wouldn’t have been hard to miss, considering Aiselin usually wore loose, flowing clothes.

“…”

Looking around, she saw a large leather bag with a hole lying on the ground.

She picked it up with a trembling hand and found it was full of red dye that had leaked into the earth. The unmistakable floral scent of dye from the western continent floated in the air.

Aiselin understood instinctively.

The moment she was stabbed, she had undoubtedly felt her mana rise.

Through the confusion spell “Chaos,” her consciousness had been temporarily scattered.

“Oh my god…”

The reason for such an act was obvious: to fake Aiselin’s death and provoke Siern.

Why do such a thing? To imprint the weight of death on Siern, at least once.

Only by making Siern understand over and over again the profound meaning of the word “death” could the foundation be laid for controlling her instincts.

That was why Dereck took on the role of the villain.

She remembered the back of that man, standing firmly on the snowy field, holding a sword dripping red dye like blood.

Understanding the whole scene, Aiselin’s fingertips began to tremble even more.

“When… did it all start…?”

From where had he been painting this picture? It was obvious. From the beginning.

Dereck, who did not trust Aiselin’s acting skills, had prepared everything so that she would believe it was all real.

Aiselin, without knowing it, had tried to stop Dereck by rebelling against him.

What is a teacher? What does it mean to teach someone? If necessary, it means pushing the student to the edge of the abyss and enduring being seen as a demon.

The grace of such teaching is only understood too late. If the student detects those intentions from the beginning, then they are worthless.

That was why Siern would still know nothing.

Dereck’s rampage was only aimed at correcting Siern. That fact had not changed from the beginning.

And the fact that Aiselin was still alive was the clearest proof of it.