There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

Belmiard (2)

Among the influential families of the empire’s west, the youngest, Belmiard, the Marquis of the Frontier, was a man of perfection.

Ruling over the entire coastal region south of the Belcos Peninsula, he alone managed sixty percent of the trade routes leading to Ebelstain, and the northern part of his domain cradled the largest magic academy on the continent, the Drest Academy.

Not only that, but he also single-handedly managed the vast granary stretching north along the coast, and it was often joked that the annual revenue of the Marquisate of Belmiard could fill a sea with gold coins.

He was, quite literally, a man swimming in a sea of gold. However, even for him, who had always been on an upward trajectory in life, there was one thing lacking—blessings of children.

His eldest son, Linus, was lost to gambling and debauchery, spending his days in dissipation, while his youngest, Leonard, had suddenly decided to devote himself to the divine will and embarked on a pilgrimage, barely showing his face except on feast days and important family events. It was enough to drive one mad.

At least the second child, Ellente, had her head screwed on right and was faithful to her duties, making her the sole treasure of the Marquis Belmiard, who was always troubled by his children.

“It’s time to go for your magic duel practice, Miss Ellente.”

“…Has it already become so late?”

Miss Ellente, the beloved of Marquis Belmiard, had long since come to the noble district of Ebelstain to begin her social debut preparations.

She sat in the corridor of a large dome building next to the noble district’s plaza. Known among the nobles of Ebelstain as the Cultural Corridor, it was a place where various salons and small clubs gathered to foster camaraderie and build networks.

Miss Ellente, who was only involved with the Roséa Salon, had just finished a meeting and was taking advantage of a brief moment of free time to peruse a letter filled with news from her domain.

“I heard there’s a tea party at the Viscount Belorn’s residence. If you plan to attend, I can postpone the duel practice for later.”

“That’s fine. I don’t want to waste time on such child’s play.”

The girl, though still over a year away from her coming-of-age ceremony, was already mature.

Marquis Belmiard had already exposed her to various practical affairs. She oversaw the cultivation and harvesting of crops in the granary, reviewed livestock management, and even delved into financial tasks like reviewing leases and rents, dispute resolution, and military duties such as managing private soldiers and weapons.

There were rumors that he harbored ambitions to change the long-standing family motto and pass on the inheritance to make her the head of the family. If true, she would become the only female Marquis in the western empire.

“…”

Though she was still in the stage of gaining experience with the help of old retainers, she had already learned a fair amount of domain administration. To her, these social circle games often seemed like child’s play to the naive young ladies.

Nevertheless, she fulfilled her duties as a noble lady, but whenever she received a marriage proposal, she couldn’t help but scoff.

Looking at the letters from men inflating themselves with all sorts of flowery language, trying to win the heart of a woman who hadn’t even made her social debut, she would muse to herself, “So this is what they mean by empty pomp.”

The girl aspired to be a ruler, not to be subservient to any man. As if to prove this point, she rose from her seat, her red hair cascading down, a commanding presence.

“Today feels good. I might even be able to use a two-star spell.”

“You shouldn’t be too greedy. Mastery of magic is something that must be built up steadily and solidly.”

As Miss Ellente murmured to herself while leaving the corridor, her elderly magic tutor followed, offering calm advice.

*

Entering the magical dueling arena located in the northeast of the noble district, Lady Ellente suddenly felt a question arise and asked,

“But, as far as I know, there isn’t a magical duel scheduled for today… With whom am I to practice?”

“Today, we have specially arranged a commoner to serve as your opponent so that you can practice offensive magic more seriously.”

“What?”

As Ellente, her dress trailing behind her, entered the magical dueling arena, she shot a glance at her elderly magic tutor.

The old tutor was a gentleman named Felmir.

He was a figure directly scouted by the high vassal of the Belmierd Count’s family from the northern part of the empire, an aged magician of the Maxton viscountcy. Although a 3-star exploration magician, he was also quite proficient in combat and summoning magic. And he was someone thoroughly steeped in aristocratic ideals.

Lady Ellente, too, was immersed in the aristocratic society, and it could not be said that she lacked a sense of privilege or elitism. However, there were quite a few points of conflict with this elderly magic tutor named Felmir.

Like the matter at hand.

“The person standing opposite you in the arena today is merely a commoner, so you may practice your magic as much as you wish. A little injury is something that can be compensated with gold.”

“Felmir, did you come all the way down from the cold north to Ebelstain to teach me how to beat people?”

“That’s what a duel is all about.”

“Weren’t you the one who taught me that I must always display manners, refinement, and elegance?”

“That was in reference to duels between nobles.”

Lady Ellente stopped walking towards the dueling arena and looked up at her old tutor with a sharp gaze.

In an era where the level of magic among commoners was so meager that it hardly needed scrutiny,

Even the magic level of a commoner who came to be hit for a mere coin was at best the very beginning of 1-star, or more likely, just a half-wit who hadn’t even mastered grade-level magic.

Felmir stood firm, hands clasped behind his back, unfazed by the girl’s piercing stare.

Felmir was not unaware of Lady Ellente’s character.

She considered it a disgrace to exert full power against an inferior, and thought it barbaric to cast magic at an opponent who could barely resist.

Unlike Felmir, who regarded commoners as somewhere between beasts and humans, Ellente believed that they should at least be treated as people.

“Nevertheless, I have summoned a commoner who can handle 1-star magic. They won’t be completely unable to resist.”

“You call that an excuse…”

“If you truly respect your opponent, then give it your all. That is the etiquette of the dueling arena, is it not?”

Felmir was indeed a tutor whose words flowed like a clear mountain stream. Lady Ellente couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

“Then today, let’s focus on mastering combat and disorientation magic among the 1-star spells.”

“If it doesn’t seem right, I’ll have to stop.”

“With that attitude, you’ll never improve.”

Lady Ellente let her tutor’s words go in one ear and out the other as she headed towards the dueling arena.

*

“Good heavens, you’re just a child.”

Lady Ellente couldn’t help but furrow her brows again.

The boy sitting across the training ground, fixing his boots, looked no older than a peer of Lady Ellente.

Commoners, even if they were first-grade magicians, were often of an advanced age.

It was almost exclusively the nobility who could master high-grade magic at a young age. It was clear that this was just some nobody who had managed to manifest a bit of magical power, or had been lucky enough to do so.

He had the look of a mercenary.

It seemed that Felmir must have put out a request to the mercenary guilds in the tavern district and brought someone in.

“…”

Noticing Lady Ellente’s arrival in the training ground, the boy dusted off his boots and stood up, bowing politely.

His neat tunic and leather belt, the metal parts of the sheath at his waist, and even the buckles on his belt and the buttons on his clothes shone, indicating he was no street beggar.

His hair was white as snow, and his eyes, like Ellente’s, were red.

Somehow, his appearance felt alien. He was surely just a child of Ellente’s age, yet there was an inexplicable maturity about him.

‘…He’s not just some nobody, is he?’

“My name is Derik.”

“Ellente.”

Ellente didn’t bother to reveal her full name. He wasn’t worth such formality, and besides, it was likely he already knew.

However, the name Derik felt strangely familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before. It must have been a name she had overheard in passing, but it felt like a distant memory, hard to recall.

Ellente chewed the end of her chin several times, lost in thought, but dredging up buried memories from the distant past was no easy task.

There was always a reason when Ellente kept the name of a commoner in her memory. There must be a reason why this name felt familiar too.

She tilted her head a few times, pondering, but nothing special came to mind. Only her wavy red hair tickled the back of her neck a few times.

“How much magic can you use?”

“I can handle first-grade magic to some extent.”

So he had learned high-grade magic after all.

Considering the boy’s age, it was quite an achievement, but it was clear that he was far behind Ellente, who was already eyeing the threshold of second-grade magic.

Ellente considered sending the boy away and glanced at Felmir for approval. But Felmir, with his eyes tightly shut, shook his head. That stubborn master always managed to make Ellente sigh.

“Do you know the basic etiquette of a magic duel?”

“Yes. I only know the basics, but I’ve seen and heard enough.”

“Good, that’s fortunate. Resist as much as you can. I’ll make it quick.”

Power began to surge from the tips of Lady Ellente’s fingers. The influence of her magic caused her red hair to float and the frills of her luxurious dress to flutter.

Among the nobility, she was known for her rapid magical achievements, and by the time she had matured, her magical power had already manifested itself. She was indeed a person of exceptional talent.

—

To flaunt one’s spirit against a commoner boy who roamed the mercenary underworld would only tarnish one’s dignity. The girl summoned her magic mechanically, without a flicker of emotion on her face.

It would be best for both if this were over quickly. For Elente, it would leave no bitter aftertaste, and for the boy, it meant easy gold.

It was then that Elente began to draw forth more magic.

“Resist as much as you can… How much do you mean?”

“What?”

“It would be helpful if you could specify the level of resistance required.”

Elente looked at Derek with an incredulous stare at his words.

Even as a fully-fledged one-star mage gathered magic right before him, the boy showed no sign of tension.

“What kind of… nonsense is that?”

“I am a mercenary. As you know, mercenaries pride themselves on fulfilling their client’s objectives to the letter.”

Looking into the boy’s eyes, which seemed as serious as ever, Elente wondered what he meant.

“I came here upon a request to assist with magic proficiency. If that’s the case, how much should I resist to best aid Miss Elente’s magical training?”

Elente was unaware, but Derek had honed this principle through countless mercenary tasks. He was, after all, a seasoned mercenary.

A mercenary’s prime directive is to achieve the client’s goal. Whether it’s slaying monsters, confronting bandits, or escorting a caravan… all actions and decisions revolve around the client’s objectives.

If the client’s wish is to improve magic proficiency and they’ve paid a fair price, Derek will act towards that goal. That’s why he looked at Elente with such earnest eyes.

He might have casually said that taking a few hits and losing would suffice, but if the essence of the request truly lay in mastering magic, Derek’s stance would inevitably change.

And it was this earnestness that made clients seek out Derek among many mercenaries. Not just anyone could make a name for themselves in the ruthless world of mercenaries.

But, that was a tale for the bottom rungs of the mercenary ladder.

There was no reason or need for a noble lady, soaring above the clouds, to understand such things.

“Ha.”

Elente let out a scoff and said dismissively,

“Didn’t I tell you? Resist with all your might.”

“Understood.”

– Whooosh!

Dismissing Derek’s futile question, Elente began to emit a substantial magic from her hands.

Even among one-star magics, the caliber differs depending on the wielder. Proving this point, the aura of magic flowing from Lady Elente’s hands was of a different quality than that of ordinary one-star spells.

– Hmmm!

“O winds that sweep the earth…”

In an instant, Lady Elente continued her incantation, summoning the one-star spell ‘Shockwave.’

While most combat spells take on elemental forms, this spell simply generates an impact, sending the opponent flying far away.

—

In most combat situations, magicians who need to maintain distance primarily use this magic, and in such duels, it’s often drawn to push the opponent out of bounds and quickly decide the victory.

Without proper countermeasures, one wouldn’t even realize what happened before being skewered outside the fence.

In a dignified magical duel where decorum is paramount, such brute force magic is not permitted, but Elente’s goal was simply to blow away that commoner, give him a coin of gold, and send him packing.

Thus, the magic drawn from Elente’s hand soared towards Derrick.

Derrick’s red eyes widened in an instant. Elente felt a strange dissonance at that moment.

– Whoosh!

With a light leap to the side, Derrick evaded the shockwave.

Since the shockwave has no visible form, one must instantly detect the magic and guess its range. It’s natural to have a well-developed sense for utilizing magic, and agility is necessary to evade.

At that moment, Elente narrowed her eyes and quickly upgraded her assessment of Derrick.

‘He’s not just any ordinary fellow, is he…?’

Quickly gathering additional magic, she conjured a 1-star magic ice spear.

Diela’s newly learned 1-star ice spears were small and few, but Elente’s, now adept, were larger than a person’s upper body, and their number easily exceeded a dozen.

‘Still…! I don’t want to waste energy unnecessarily, so I should finish this quickly…!’

If numerous ice spears are thrust without a blind spot, there’s no escape.

One or two might be sensibly countered, but against overwhelming numbers, the mercenaries’ characteristic agility means nothing.

It was when Elente turned her gaze towards Derrick to set the direction of the ice spears.

– Clang! Clang! Crash!

When she came to, all the ice spears floating around Elente were shattered.

– Crackle!

Elente felt as if time had slowed down for a moment.

The shattered ice fragments around her slowly fell away. The twinkling pieces reflected in Elente’s wide-open eyes.

All Elente saw was Derrick, his fist raised and tightly clenched. She had barely observed the aftermath of him seizing control of the magic flow.

Had he, in that brief interval, drawn out as many magic arrows as there were ice spears and shattered them all?

The problem was that none of this process was visible. There was no incantation, no sluggish bottleneck that occurs when manipulating magic.

The smoothly drawn magic made it impossible for the opponent to even recognize it.

From the precise impact of the numerous magic arrows on each ice spear, one could feel the refinement of magic utilization was of a different caliber.

Had he introduced himself as a 1-star magician?

Even if one is a 1-star magician, could such mastery be achieved with extreme training?

The boy unclenched his tightly held fist, then seemed to relax his wrist, shaking it off.

Elente’s eyes narrowed even further.

And so, she leapt backward with great force, once again summoning her magical power. A seriousness had already taken over her expression.

The girl, sharp with magical intuition, discerned it in just two exchanges.

He was not someone to be dealt with casually.