Chapter 82

Chapter 82
## Chapter 82

There comes a moment in life when you must accept your current reality as your destiny.

Siern thought it was so obvious that she had never even questioned it.

Living and dying with hands stained in blood on this vast snowy land seemed miserable at first glance, but if you accept it, you can somehow endure it.

Living in a warm and fertile land like the territories of Duplain or Beltus, strolling through fields of flowers, was a life permitted only for people like Aiselin.

She envied it, but she did not covet it.

Sometimes, when she looked down from the top of the tower at the northern territory with the snow falling upon it, she had no choice but to accept that this land was her home.

In the cold and lonely snowy field, trees with bare branches protruded like thorns.

That was Siern’s home: the Duchy of Rochester.

***

“Why… why are you alive?”

“I’m sorry for being alive… You must have been very scared…?”

“No, I didn’t mean it that way… Surely… by that guy’s sword…”

When Siern asked with a confused expression, Aiselin slowly explained what had happened to her.

Dereck had planned to make it seem as though Siern had killed. He deceived Aiselin and attacked Siern.

He simulated stabbing Aiselin with a knife and used dye and confusion magic to create an illusion.

From the beginning, Dereck had no intention of killing Siern; every effort had been made to guide her in controlling her killing instinct.

It was easier said than done, as he had to be willing to face Siern’s attacks, driven by genuine rage.

No other teacher had gone so far to try to control Siern’s instincts.

After experiencing that killing intent just once, nine out of ten would flee in terror.

“Why… why go so far…?”

“Because that’s just how things are.”

Even though he had been promised a noble title, Aiselin didn’t even bother to mention it.

Even without that reward, Dereck would have done his best to correct Siern.

The fact that, upon seeing her true nature, he immediately thought of how to guide her proved it.

Whether conscious of it or not, Dereck was already developing a genuine sense of professionalism as a magic teacher.

In the world, there are no “small girls,” only those who have not yet received a proper education.

If someone was lost, he tried to guide them toward a better path. The simple fact of constantly thinking this way already made him a respectable master.

“Anyway… I came to apologize. No matter how good my intentions were, the result was that Lady Siern was frightened, and even if it wasn’t intentional, I ended up involved…”

“…”

“And… as I already told you, I thought maybe you were very frustrated or sad… I wanted to tell you that you don’t have to be. I am alive and well, and Dereck had no intention of killing Lady Siern… that’s all.”

Aiselin sighed as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and then smiled to show that everything was fine.

“We came to the north for Lady Siern. I just want you to know that.”

Seeing that, Siern lowered her head for a moment, as if contemplating the sun shining warmly over a meadow.

The anger she had felt toward Dereck had now lost its direction and wavered.

Only a faint sense of betrayal remained. If he had truly taken on all those harsh roles solely for Siern, at whom should she direct her anger?

Perhaps she should direct it toward herself. It was then that the thought occurred to her.

“In any case, Lady Siern did not kill anyone. Even yielding to instinct and anger, you managed to regain your sanity. If you did it once, you can do it twice or three times.”

“Do you really… think I can do it?”

“I will help you. As I told you, you don’t have to trust me completely. You can use me and then discard me. So…”

“…No.”

Siern spoke in a voice barely audible, like the buzz of a mosquito, while hugging her knees tightly.

She hid her head as if she were embarrassed and seemed very shy.

“I will try to trust you.”

Aiselin clasped her hands and smiled, her eyes shining like stars. She seemed very happy that the cold and distant Siern was finally beginning to open her heart to her.

She approached quickly, sat beside her on the bed, and spoke to her in a soft voice.

“Thank you, Lady Siern. That makes me very happy.”

“You don’t have to be so happy. It’s not like it’s that important for someone like me, a monster, to trust the flower of the Duplain family.”

“What are you talking about, Lady Siern? It is a great honor.”

Placing her delicate hand over one of Siern’s, she spoke with a warm smile.

“In fact, I have a younger sister your age, Lady Siern. She also went through a time of confusion, but she met good people and now leads many, with the ambition of becoming a ruler. I’m sure you two could be good friends.”

“R-really…?”

“Yes. I remember she always followed me, calling me ‘sister,’ and now she has become so reliable that I can’t help but feel proud every time I see her. Lady Siern, even if you seem lost now, you will be able to control that blood and become a great mage.”

Offering words of encouragement to Siern and embracing her was the role Dereck wanted Aiselin to play.

In fact, even before talking about “roles,” Aiselin was simply that kind of person by nature.

“Hey…”

Siern, still hugging her knees with her head down, spoke with hesitation.

Her voice was so low that one had to strain to hear it.

“Can I… can I call you sister too…?”

Aiselin’s face lit up with joy upon hearing those words, and an uncontrollable emotion washed over her.

It was like seeing a wounded stray cat finally approach.

***

The head of the maids, Serena, swallowed hard as she bandaged Dereck’s wounds.

Although he maintained a serene expression, the scratches and cuts covering Dereck’s body were severe enough to be quite painful.

But for mercenaries who had roamed battlefields, were these types of wounds commonplace, or did Dereck simply possess extraordinary mental strength?

Sitting on the edge of the sofa in the private room with his arm extended, Dereck’s face showed not the slightest reaction.

“I’ve already treated all the cuts and scratches on your right arm. I only need to attend to your ankle and lower back.”

“Yes, you’ve worked hard. Thank you.”

“No, Mr. Dereck, you have worked much harder than I have.”

Serena had also been hit by Siern on several occasions, but it had never been this severe.

Among the servants of the Rochester mansion, an atmosphere of recognition toward Dereck had begun to form. Everyone had seen him face the furious Siern inside the mansion.

Seeing how he managed to handle what was practically a walking disaster ignited a spark of hope that perhaps he could take charge of Siern.

In any case, the only thing Serena could do was heal his wounds.

Just as she began to unroll a new roll of bandages…

*Creak.*

*Thud, thud!*

Without even knocking, the door to Dereck’s private room flew open.

Turning his head, he saw Melverot enter, dressed in the fur attire typical of a northern noble.

Serena flinched and trembled, pulled the bandages away, and tried to stand up.

“Remain seated. Continue with the treatment.”

Dereck, who was also about to get up, sat back down on the sofa at Melverot’s command.

Melverot entered the room with a firm step, passed by the seated Dereck, and sat by the table at the window.

He silently contemplated the snowy landscape through the glass, crossed his arms, and spoke in a low voice.

“I saw you causing a commotion in the garden.”

“I have caused damage to part of the property. I apologize.”

“That is a trifle. But it seems Siern has regained her sanity.”

Letting oneself be momentarily carried away by instinct and then regaining reason was nothing extraordinary.

However, Siern had managed to regain her sanity in the midst of unleashed fury and murderous impulse.

While it was thanks to Dereck’s perseverance, it represented a significant breakthrough.

Compared to the times when there was no hope and they simply kept her confined, it was a huge change.

However, Melverot showed no signs of joy. He simply acknowledged Dereck’s effort.

“What are the plans from now on?”

“Now that she has managed to control her instinct once, I plan to try again. We must repeat the process based on that successful experience. Before the killing instinct resurfaces, I also plan to teach her some relaxation tricks…”

“Do you think Siern will follow you?”

“It may take time for her to follow me, but with Lady Aiselin, there is nothing to worry about.”

Aiselin had the ability to open people’s hearts. Melverot seemed to agree with that opinion, as he raised no objection.

Dereck extended his other arm toward the maid. She quickly applied the ointment and began to bandage the wound.

“I admit it. You are better than those desk academics who came boasting that they could teach Siern. I am glad to see that Siern is changing.”

“Thank you. But… you don’t seem very happy.”

“Did I not say it from the beginning? Siern is nothing more than a subject of my magic research. How could I love the detestable blood of Noir? She is a monster that caused the great disaster of the Dawn War.”

“…”

Dereck silently watched his arm being bandaged, and then looked at the maid’s expression.

She seemed tense seeing Dereck speak so naturally with Melverot, the ruler of the North.

In fact, the difference in status between them was as great as heaven and earth.

However, Dereck felt he had to say one more thing.

“This time, while instructing Lady Siern, I had certain reflections. Indeed, it is not something just anyone can do. There are not many people capable of enduring such overwhelming magic, ensuring Lady Siern’s safety, protecting their own life, and at the same time, maintaining calm in a true battle.”

“Are you trying to highlight your achievements?”

“Well. At least within this mansion of Rochester, there is no one else. Except Lord Melverot, of course.”

Dereck spoke in a low voice while looking at his bandaged arm.

Melverot continued to look out the window, where the snowflakes kept falling.

“But… it seems that even you did not go that far. I wondered if there might be some reason why the great mage Lord Melverot, a six-star mage, could not personally intervene… that thought crossed my mind.”

“…”

“Actually, to go that far, one must push Lady Siern to the limit. Furthermore, one must be willing to endure her hatred and resentment. Pushing someone into the void to teach them a lesson… that is what is needed.”

Dereck had played that role without hesitation. To Siern, Dereck was the incarnation of evil, a monster that deserved to be erased from the world.

Receiving that look meant nothing. When one does great things, those kinds of things are natural.

Someone like Melverot would know that better than anyone.

Dereck remained silent for a moment. In the quiet private room, the only sound was that of the maid wrapping the bandage, while he watched the snow fall on the window glass.

“You said you glimpsed the seven-star level in Lady Siern. However, when I explored the nearby high-level labyrinths, I found no trace of subjugation or research. No matter how much I searched, there were no signs.”

To research monster magic, exploring labyrinths was not an option, but a necessity.

Monsters like liches or reapers, which use various types of magic, only appear in high-level labyrinths.

In the lower-level labyrinths near the mansion, several traces of subjugation attempts to maintain public order were found, but no sign that anyone had ventured into the higher-level ones.

He claims to be interested in Siern’s magical power but shows no interest in monster magic. Such was Melverot.

“Is it true that Lord Melverot is… trying to reach the seven-star level?”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Actually, it is a senseless intrusion.”

Dereck spoke in a low voice, his head down.

“Lord Melverot is recognized as a national hero. When Lady Siern discovered she had the blood of Noir, I can only imagine the tremendous burden that noble honor must have placed on her… that is what I thought.”

“…”

“That’s all I wanted to say.”

Dereck said nothing more and closed his eyes gently. After that, there was nothing more to explain.

The day Siern opened her eyes among the slaughtered wolves. The day her first killing instinct was revealed to the world, what did Melverot think when he first saw her?

Only Melverot would know. If he didn’t speak, no one in the world could ever know.

However, it can be inferred.

The daughter his fallen comrade left behind. During the years he spent with the daughter of that deceased friend, what feelings did Melverot harbor?

Watching Siern, raised in those snowy fields, slowly become a young lady, what thoughts crossed his mind?

When he realized that the killing instinct that had blossomed came from the blood of Noir, what expression did he show?

Melverot was the hero who killed Noir.

He knew better than anyone the scars Noir had left on this land. An unimaginable number of people died, and even his most beloved comrades were killed by Noir.

Unable to overcome his personal feelings, the fact that he had left behind a trace of that Noir—a potential seed of disaster in the world—was something his heroic self could never accept.

That’s why he needed another reason.

He had to find a grander justification for keeping Siern alive, one that was not personal or private.

Not to convince anyone else, but to convince himself. He needed to find a justification.

Perhaps that reason was the fervor for “seven-star magic” that would be recorded in the history of magic for a long time.

A mage before a hero. A mage before a father. The legendary realm left by the great mage Adelbert, which would bring a new air to this vast history of magic. That was reason enough.

However, there was one person he could not deceive. Even if he deceived the world and himself, there was one person he could not lie to.

“Lady Siern left a message. She asked me to deliver it to you.”

“A message?”

“Lady Siern believed she would die today.”

— *Tell Papa… that he worked very hard to accept and take responsibility for a daughter like me. At least I… didn’t hold a grudge against him… for trying to love a monster like me until the end… thank him for that…*

Those were the words left by the daughter who chose to accept death while crying in the middle of the snowy field.

Just as she asked, Dereck simply delivered them. Since it was only a message, he added no special emotion to it.

“…”

Lord Melverot did not particularly look at Dereck upon hearing those words. Just as he had been doing the whole time, he continued to silently watch the snow falling outside the window.

When he closed his eyes, he sometimes thought about it.

The image of Siern standing among the wolf corpses.

Although his hand was on the hilt of the sword he wore at waist height, in the end, he had no choice but to grab his wrist and return to the mansion.

In any case, that daughter must have clung tightly to his arm as she followed him through the cold snowy field. On the path from the center of the snowy field to the mansion, the footprints in the snow belonged to two people.

Since that day, it had always been that way.

“You are a capable and intelligent person, but you talk too much.”

“My apologies.”

“It’s fine. If you wish to teach Siern, those qualities may be necessary.”

Lord Melverot, who had been silently watching the snowfall through the window for a long time, finally spoke in a low voice.

Dereck apologized properly and accepted his words without protest. Thus, both remained sitting in silence for a long time, without saying much more.

“There is a small vineyard area near Rodelen.”

After a brief silence, Melverot spoke again.

“It is a place famous for its wine. It is right next to the territory of Duke Beltus and the plains of Delua, so its location is quite good and the trade routes are not bad. But it is too small and relatively remote, so the nobles of the central regions almost consider it an exile.”

“Oh, really?”

Dereck replied indifferently, raising his now fully treated arm and clenching his fist tightly.

“For some, it might be an exile, but for others, not. Even if it is small, it is still a territory, and its inhabitants must be ruled. So, unless one possesses a noble title, there is not enough justification to manage it. It is a problematic area that, at the very least, needs a baron to oversee it.”

Melverot turned his head and asked:

“Do you like wine?”

“Even if I don’t, I suppose I should.”

“Good.”

He rose from his seat and let out a loud laugh.

No matter what happened, his arrogant attitude never seemed to fade.