There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

Journey (2)

– Whoosh!

A bluish magic gathered at the fingertips and then vanished completely.

Aislinn, at the edge of the old-fashioned training ground, lifted the hem of her dress and, with an elegant smile, greeted her opponent.

“Well done.”

Marble sculptures crafted by ancient masters, gleaming wooden floors, oak pillars placed all around.

In the lustrous spectator seats, each was draped with a violet velvet cushion. Each one a luxury, and the space around was amply cleared for the audience bringing in their servants.

On the opposite end of such a lavish dueling hall sat a disheartened noble young lady. She was the youngest daughter of the Glaven Barony.

She had secured a chance to duel in magic against Lady Aiselin, one of the brightest stars of the Ebelstain social circle, yet the match was decided in less than a minute.

She should have quelled her fluttering heart since the night before, to learn even a little more, but she was so captivated by Lady Aiselin’s graceful use of magic that the duel ended before she knew it. She was deeply disheartened by the wasted golden opportunity.

“I hope to learn from you again next time.”

Lady Aiselin descended from the podium amidst the admiring gazes of numerous nobles.

*

If one were to name the largest city in the western empire, it would undoubtedly be Ebelstain.

True to its nickname, ‘the city of a thousand faces,’ it wore many expressions, from the slums to the commercial and residential districts.

Among the various districts of Ebelstain, the wealthy neighborhood stood out like a distinguished flower. Commoners referred to it as the noble district.

The noble district lay beyond the northern walls of Ebelstain, a gathering place for nobles from all over the western provinces. Upon entering, one is greeted by a landscape entirely different from before.

Gone were the shabby wooden houses, replaced by grand mansions lined up with beautifully manicured gardens, fountains, and antique statues.

Considering the slums where Derrick resided, this noble street of Ebelstain could indeed be described as a paradise on earth.

Instead of the smell of rotting food waste on the streets, the scent of flowers filled the air, and instead of muddy roads, well-paved streets curved gently forward.

The shops stretching between the mansions dealt exclusively in high-end goods, and the carriages on the streets were all lavishly decorated for distinguished guests.

Strolling among the cherry blossoms in bloom, one could look up at the open blue sky and see petals fluttering freely among the lovely gardens.

The attire of the passing nobles was dazzling.

Noble men wore jackets made of fine brocade and vests with elaborate patterns. Noble women were always dressed in silk gowns adorned with jewels.

Not a single one was seen in disarray. It was a dignity reminiscent of the royal court.

Looking at the sun-drenched square, it wouldn’t be strange to think one had entered another world. The contrast with the dark and dingy slums was indescribable.

“Lately, Lady Aiselin seems to be in quite a good mood. Until the last meeting, she seemed so worried, I feared it might mar her porcelain skin.”

“Was it that noticeable? I didn’t want to cause any concern… But still, most of my worries have been resolved, and I feel much lighter now.”

On one side of the central street of the noble district.

A tea house adorned with beautiful flowers was where the noble ladies gathered.

After finishing their morning magical dueling practice, those acquainted with each other had come together for a chat.

Those passing by couldn’t help but glance at them.

Among them were the most admired figures of Ebelstain’s nobility.

Lady Denice of the Beltus Ducal Family.

Lady Aiselin of the Duplain Ducal Family.

Lady Elente of the Bellmead Earldom.

Among the noble families of the Empire’s west, if one were to choose the three most influential, the young ladies of those houses were gathered here. They had not come together for any grand purpose, but rather, they were in the habit of regular social exchanges.

─The Rosea Salon.

A fellowship formed around the nobility backed by the three families. They would gather to exchange discourses on magic, occasionally engage in artistic activities together, or partake in light exercise.

The Rosea Salon was indeed the most prestigious of the magical salons that had sprung up around the social circles.

Many nobles of Ebelstein strove to set foot in this gathering, for it was a fellowship where the true power-brokers and the roses of high society converged.

Though it professed to be a magical salon, in truth, magic was only a part of it. The salon was a place for exchanging ideas on art, culture, and the overall political climate. All sorts of stories would emerge there, such as various rumors circulating among the noble families.

“I was so worried when I heard the rumor that Lady Aiselin was venturing outside the noble district to save people. Especially near the slums or the tavern streets, those are dangerous places, so please always be careful.”

“…Thank you for your concern. Actually, I needed to find someone to teach magic to my sister Diella.”

“Diella? Of the Duplain family…”

Basking in the warm sunlight, Lady Denise cautiously inquired as she lifted her teacup.

Even Lady Aiselin, said to be perfect, was not without flaw. It was her sister.

Spreading rumors about a lady of one’s own family being a troublemaker was undesirable, so families typically tried to silence such talk. However, there were limits.

Among the servants who had left the Duplain household or the magic teachers who had tried to instruct her, Diella’s notoriety was already well-known.

It was unexpected for Aiselin to bring up such rumors herself, as no one dared to speak of them in her presence.

“I visited the mansion recently and saw Diella. She has transformed into such a proper young lady, you wouldn’t recognize her. She’s even manifested first-tier magic… and her demeanor is so graceful, it made me think I need to work harder myself.”

“…Lady Diella has?”

“Yes. Even I, as her sister, was amazed at how much she has changed… It’s like seeing the innocent child she was in her youth, and it makes me so happy. These days, I find myself humming to myself or smiling for no reason, feeling almost giddy. I’m always careful not to seem too frivolous.”

Watching the delighted Lady Aiselin, one could see a smile blooming like a flower.

Lady Elente, sitting quietly beside her, sipping tea and browsing through various newsletters, glanced sideways.

With a cool demeanor and glossy red hair cascading down, Lady Elente tilted her head for a moment, then asked in a subdued voice.

“You’ve found a good magic teacher, then?”

“Yes. His status or mastery may not be particularly remarkable for a magic teacher… but he seems to have an exceptional talent for teaching. I never imagined he could guide Diella so well in such a short time.”

“That’s wonderful. Finding a magic teacher these days is said to be harder than plucking stars from the sky, so Lady Aiselin, you’ve made a significant contribution.”

“What have I done? It’s all thanks to Mr. Derek. Ah, Derek is the name of the magic teacher. He’s a former mercenary from the Beldern Mercenary Corps, and his magical prowess is so extraordinary, even his way of harnessing mana is quite unique─”

A mercenary by origin.

Such a word was interwoven into Lady Aiselin’s enthusiastic explanation about Derek.

At that word, both Lady Elente and Lady Denise couldn’t help but tremble at the fingertips. To think that a mere lowly mercenary would be teaching the fearless Lady of the Duplain family.

Lady Aiselin was known for her broad-minded and unbiased judgment of people, but the two ladies of the Rosea Salon were not quite so. They could only smile awkwardly.

However, Lady Elente’s reaction was subtly different.

“If it’s about Diella Catherine Duplain… wasn’t she the notorious troublemaker the chef mentioned…?”

The chef at the Countess of Belmiard’s estate, where Miss Ellente resided, was from the Duplain family. He was the one who had been beaten and chased away for serving Diella’s soup too hot.

That corpulent chef harbored deep resentment towards Diella. After being chased away, he wandered until the Belmiard family took him in. Now, he served the Countess with full gratitude and loyalty.

“From what I hear, it’s as if such a devil never existed… Not only to reform such a person but to make her a one-star magician too…?”

To think that a human who couldn’t properly wield magic was made into a one-star magician in such a short time.

It was hard to believe, but the source of the information was Lady Aiselin.

Miss Ellente knew well that Lady Aiselin was not one to boast without cause.

Her gaze sharpened.

Miss Ellente was someone who would never miss a story about a worthy talent.

*

Miriella felt both joy and frustration at the same time.

It had been a while since she experienced such mixed emotions, and even with her beloved daughter Diella before her, she found herself at a loss for words.

“The tea leaves are from the Delarvail tea shop in Ebelstain, brought especially by Sister Aiselin. It’s been a while since I’ve savored them, but the fragrance still lingers.”

In the lady’s reception room.

Having finished all of today’s etiquette lessons, Diella hurried to the room and gracefully took her seat at the tea table. Then, she began to speak in an elegant tone.

What’s there to say? Her demeanor was everything Lady Miriella had hoped for, overflowing with the grace befitting a young lady.

With the excellent example of Aiselin close by, and plenty of etiquette books to reference, she had all she needed.

Before her deviation, she had briefly taken etiquette lessons, and her tutor, Derek, was not entirely ignorant of noble manners. Combining these factors, she had enough knowledge to act like a noble lady.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t done it before; she just hadn’t wanted to.

Miriella knew this, but she never thought it possible to reform someone so thoroughly.

“Di, Diella. You’ve studied etiquette on your own, I see.”

“Yes. Some self-study, and Derek taught me a bit. I can’t remain a child forever.”

“…Indeed. To study on your own is truly commendable.”

“Yes. I studied on my own, and Derek taught me as well.”

“Did you find any part of studying by yourself difficult?”

“There were quite a few stumbling blocks, but Derek knew more than I expected.”

Derek, Derek, Derek.

The subtle emphasis on Derek’s contributions was significant. Miriella had to suppress the urge to clutch the back of her neck.

Derek had taught Diella what it meant to be a lady of nobility. Regardless of the reality, that’s what Diella claimed.

Derek was not an etiquette instructor. His knowledge was likely limited.

Indeed, Diella’s manners were but in the most rudimentary realm… Yet, it was Diella of all people. The very Diella who had weathered the stormy times was beginning to embrace dignity.

I remember the sight that met all the servants’ eyes as we walked together to the reception room; their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at the sight of Diella behaving with such grace. They blinked in disbelief or pinched their own cheeks upon seeing her.

It wasn’t hard to predict the rumors that would soon spread throughout the mansion.

“The new teacher, Derek, has refined Diella’s grace.”

“It’s definitely Derek.”

“No one thought that rascal could be reformed, but what an incredible teacher he is.”

Such assessments were not hard to imagine flooding in. This meant that Mirella’s pretext for expelling Derek would soon vanish.

Hadn’t she consistently opposed Derek’s appointment because it would tarnish the nobility’s dignity?

Yet, if Diella herself was now aptly learning the nobility’s etiquette, Mirella’s authority would be as good as trampled underfoot.

Either way, it was a checkmate.

Mirella felt her mind growing faint.

*

[ List of Acquired Magic ]

✦ Combat Magic

★☆☆☆☆☆ Magic Arrow

★☆☆☆☆☆ Shockwave

★☆☆☆☆☆ Full Power Manifestation

★★☆☆☆☆ Fireball

✦ Transformation Magic

★☆☆☆☆☆ Light Creation

★★☆☆☆☆ Earthen Wall

✦ Confusion Magic

★☆☆☆☆☆ Soundproof

★★☆☆☆☆ Hallucination

★★☆☆☆☆ Confusion

✦ Summoning Magic

★☆☆☆☆☆ Summon – Guide Fairy

✦ Exploration Magic

★☆☆☆☆☆ Direction Sense

★★☆☆☆☆ Clairvoyance

Please let me know if there’s anything else you need help with!

★★☆☆☆☆ Detection of Life

Derek was diligently studying a three-star grimoire he had brought with him, having received permission to read it at his private room’s table.

However, even Derek, who was born with exceptional magical talent among the commoners, could not easily master three-star magic at his age.

Among the commoners, those who had reached three-star status were all either venerable gentlemen who had lived their lives with magic or old wizards. Perhaps for young Derek, still green behind the ears, this level was a bit too lofty.

“Hmm… The knowledge of the Discipline School is indeed a bit crude. Learning through practical application is the most efficient for me… but it’s a bit difficult in this environment.”

Most of the magic he had learned so far had been mastered quickly by applying it in the field as a mercenary.

That was the way of most wild school mages.

Feeling somewhat blocked and stifled, Derek was nevertheless experiencing a strange sense of pleasure.

For some unknown reason, he felt that if he twisted and turned his body in research, he might reach three-star level. It was a peculiar intuition that sprang from within, without any logical reason to support it.

“Is it not said that a mage and ambition are inseparable?”

He was truly feeling the words that his mentor, Katia, had once told him.

– Knock, knock.

Just then, someone knocked on the door of Derek’s private room. Before Derek could respond, the door burst open, and a robust man strode in.

It was Leig, the second son of the Duplain ducal family.

With bulging muscles clinging to his arms, he walked in swinging them and stood firmly, silently observing Derek.

“What brings you here?”

“…I came to talk about Diella.”

“…?”

Derek closed the book and placed it on the table.

Leig, who had glanced sideways at the book and recognized it as a three-star grimoire, shuddered.

Wondering why he was reading a three-star grimoire that he couldn’t even understand, Leig suddenly remembered what the Grand Duke Duplain had said.

Derek’s magical realm is currently on a different level from Leig’s.

Whether Leig, who will inherit the Duplain blood, will be able to surpass it in the future is uncertain, but for now, the realms are different, so don’t challenge him rashly. Only someone of Valerian’s caliber could be a worthy conversationalist.

Leig was reminded that the Grand Duke’s words might not have been empty after all. Moreover, from three-star grimoires onwards, it was impossible to even read them without the Grand Duke’s permission.

Leig narrowed his eyes and then eventually sat down across the table where Derek was seated.

His serious demeanor made Derek adjust his posture as well.

“You’ve come all the way to ask me… What is it?”

“…Don’t misunderstand, just listen.”

“Yes.”

“…”

With a solemn face, Raeg asked,

“Do teenage girls these days… what do they like?”

“…”

“Would they be pleased if I made them a doll, embroidered to look like themselves?”

“That’s absolutely not going to work.”

Derek, recalling the twisted visage of horror that Valerian had created, hastily dissuaded Raeg.