There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

Belmiard (3)

‘For a commoner, the level of magic is impressive. It seems the talk of a veteran mercenary was not an empty boast.’

Felmier had dismissed the praises Jayden had relayed about Derrick. After all, the standard of a commoner was predictably mediocre.

Indeed, the limit seemed clear as he mainly applied first-tier magic, but the finesse with which he handled the flow of magical power was the most refined Felmier had seen among commoners.

Sometimes, there are those who, born of good lineage, might have unfolded a different future. Occasionally, among the commoners, such individuals are seen, but mostly they break soon after hitting the wall of lineage.

Watching the magicians of noble bloodlines quickly catch up to the magical realm he had acquired through years of grueling effort, it wasn’t easy to maintain the will. In mastering magic, lineage was the most important, first and second.

That mercenary, looking young, seemed to still have his will intact. For Ellente, there couldn’t be a better sparring partner. No need for formalities like with other nobles, a fair exchange of blows was possible, and even if they hurt each other in a scuffle, it wouldn’t be a big problem.

Felmier recalled Jayden’s confident expression when recommending Derrick. Indeed, the discernment of a mercenary who had made a name in the Dawn War was of a different caliber.

‘Was it the Beldern Mercenary Group… It seems Lord Belmiard would take an interest.’

Thinking he should remember the name of that mercenary group, Felmier watched the two continue their sparring. The duel seemed to maintain an almost equal footing.

“O flames of judgment that punish all things…”

– Whoosh!

Chanting the unique incantation of the Discipline School, Ellente, having created some distance, once again raised a first-tier magic.

This time, with a serious expression, she summoned her specialty, the flame series magic.

A dozen small fire arrows formed in the air.

Derrick’s red eyes flickered once, and in an instant, he discerned the flow of her magic. Ellente also caught his gaze in a flash.

‘He’s already started to predict the direction of my magic…!’

Ellente quickly revised her strategy. If she used magic in the usual way, Derrick would find a way to neutralize it as quickly as he had just done.

Magic carries the intent of the magician.

By following the direction of its flow, the manner of its manifestation, and the speed of its changes, one can sometimes discern the user’s intent.

Derrick was already a master in this regard.

What more is there to say, he is a master of duels. Ellente could easily see that he had honed his ability to read the flow of magic in real combat.

Among the demon races, there are occasionally mutants who manifest magic, so the sense to discern magic is not a choice but a necessity if one is to hunt and kill such beings.

If Derrick truly is such a veteran, then a half-hearted attack would only play into his hands.

Then, magic fired indiscriminately in all directions would be much more effective in subduing Derrick.

With the protective magic outside the arena, there’s no need to worry about destroying the building. Ellente’s decision was made in an instant.

In a moment of fleeting hesitation, Ellente altered all her plans solely by instinct.

Dozens more flaming arrows bloomed, not aiming for a single spot but intending to engulf the entire podium.

“Oh…?”

Derrick’s eyes widened in surprise. It was an interesting decision.

Although Derrick had often seen the magic of the nobility, it was rare to see a mage of this age adapt and change decisions so swiftly.

Noble mages, with their firepower and sheer amount of magical energy, could easily suppress commoners, but having lived as the strong all their lives, they often lacked the ability to quickly adapt and apply magic to changing situations.

Adaptation and trickery are usually developed in the hands of the weak.

Therefore, Ellente’s quick judgment was rightly seen as almost innate.

– Boom!

The flow of magic, spreading out in all directions, was unpredictable.

Derrick quickly reorganized his magic for defense.

In such a square podium, attacks were less likely to reach the corners.

If the opponent’s attacks showed no pattern, it was necessary to secure a more advantageous position first.

Derrick quickly dove into a corner, wrapping himself with magic. After neutralizing a few incoming magic arrows, he swiftly prepared to counterattack.

“I knew you’d be here.”

Ellente, having sensed Derrick’s position in an instant, had already completed the chant for her next spell.

The barrage of flame arrows was merely a smokescreen to corner Derrick and ensure the next spell hit its mark.

From the scale of the magic used just for diversion, it was not difficult to deduce that her magical power was considerable.

Derrick was already slightly delayed in manifesting his magic due to dealing with the flame arrows.

Ellente seized the moment to strike, beginning to manifest ice spears.

This time, she was determined not to be neutralized as before.

However, Derrick had read all of Ellente’s intentions.

He closed his eyes briefly, then lifted his hand and drew upon the first-grade magic ‘Light Creation’ at its maximum output.

– Whooosh!

In an instant, the emitted light obscured the view.

Derrick wasn’t particularly confident in transformation magic. However, it was quite effective for creating openings during a duel.

As soon as Ellente saw the light, she immediately shut her eyes, a reaction almost instinctive.

Yet, she pricked up her ears and surrounded herself with magic for defense.

“Good response.”

Derrick quickly drew upon his magic and silently remarked.

Every moment, Lady Ellente, who made the best decisions, was certainly a prodigy.

Even with her eyes tightly shut, she focused all her hearing to counter Derrick’s magic.

“If I concentrate on the aura of magic and the sounds that come, I can counter it…! So I’ll wait for the moment the direction is determined…!”

– Clang!

At that moment, Derrick’s magic arrow struck the wall of magic Ellente was surrounded by.

Her reaction was momentarily slow, but she managed to block Derrick’s attack with the magic she manifested belatedly. The firepower itself wasn’t particularly impressive.

Ellente squinted her eyes to locate Derrick. The light was gone, and the white-haired magician, manifesting offensive magic again, came into view.

“I couldn’t hear a sound…!”

She had roughly sensed the direction of the magic, but not hearing the sound of it approaching at all meant… it was deliberately silenced.

“Confusion magic…! He even considered that I was relying on my hearing…!”

First-grade basic magic among confusion spells is to block sound.

It’s quite difficult to switch between different types of magic like that. One could guess that Derrick’s magic arrow was relatively weak because it was hard to focus on a single spell in such an environment.

However, if it had been a powerful second-grade spell instead of a first-grade one… the protective magic would have manifested from that strike, and the duel would have ended.

The fact that the duel hadn’t ended was simply because the opponent was a first-grade magician. Realizing this, Ellente gritted her teeth and manifested more magic.

“If he keeps challenging me technically, I’ll just crush him with overwhelming firepower!”

Ellente gathered more magic power and leaped backward.

But Derrick, who had grasped Ellente’s intention, followed closely and narrowed the distance.

“He’s inducing close combat…? Does he have confidence in the speed of his magic manifestation?”

Fast magic manifestation was Ellente’s forte.

She was confident in her firepower, but she wouldn’t shy away from a contest of speed either.

The girl’s gaze turned to Derrick’s fingertips.

As he concentrated, magic gathered at his fingertips, and she decided then to pierce through his protective magic with her ice spear.

– Thump!

However, Derrick’s magic manifested half a beat faster than Ellente had anticipated.

As is typical for magicians of the Discipline School, she thought the magic emanating from his fingertips would engulf her… but Derrick’s magic was different.

As he closed the distance with Ellente and stomped on the ground, power surged from there.

First-grade magic ‘Power Manifestation’

The sight of power blossoming from the tip of the foot that kicked the ground for a push-off.

Ellente, with her mouth agape in surprise, managed to manifest her magic with difficulty and received the attack.

– Whoosh! Bang!

Witnessing a magical manifestation for the first time, Derrick gasped in surprise at the adept response. He hadn’t expected such a flawless counter.

But in truth, it was Ellente who was more astonished. She had never seen magic wielded in such a manner.

“Sigh…”

Having composed herself, Ellente gathered her magic once more.

She wouldn’t simply take a direct attack. To land a blow on the boy, she’d have to draw out an opening with other attacks as decoys.

The magical exchange continued several times, but the boy dodged with extraordinary agility.

His freeform handling of magic was so unpredictable that it baffled the systematic approach of the Rule School.

The Rule School’s magic, being almost completely theoretically explored, could be most efficiently utilized within predictable limits if followed correctly.

However, the boy’s use of magic felt inefficient and incomplete, as if playing by a different set of theories.

But that made him all the more unpredictable. It was like facing a swordsman who held his blade upside down or threw it around erratically.

Yet, with calmness, such tricks could easily be penetrated.

As Derrick stepped back, gathering his magic, Ellente closed the distance with a charge.

Quickly drawing a magic arrow, Derrick prepared to counter, but Ellente, with a sly smile, lifted her skirt.

“So, this is how it’s done?”

With a graceful lift of her skirt and a powerful leap, she unleashed a surge of power that enveloped Derrick.

She had mimicked Derrick’s magical manifestation after seeing it just once. She was a sorceress of alarmingly quick learning.

Ellente had intentionally aimed for his weakness, not expecting him to be attacked with his own methods.

However, using unconventional magic against Derrick wasn’t the best strategy.

– Grasp!

Derrick seized the magic and redirected the lightning Ellente had unleashed.

─Imitating the Wild Faction mage’s use of magic poorly would only lead to being exploited by the opponent.

Ellente, unaware of this fact, was shocked by Derrick’s move. She had never seen such a technique of using the opponent’s magic against them.

– Clash!

– Boom! Crack!

The force Derrick had drawn passed perilously close to Ellente’s ear.

The lightning struck the empty ground, emitting a deadly sound.

Had the previous strike been direct, it would have decided the match instantly.

Ellente hurried to gather her magic again, but having just manifested it, there was inevitably a slight gap.

And Derrick wouldn’t miss such an opportunity. As he gathered his magic, he felt certain the next attack would be unanswerable.

And it was at that moment Derrick delivered the next blow.

– Ding! Ding! Ding!

The bell at the corner of the platform, filled with magic, began to ring on its own.

It signaled the end of the duel. According to the rules of the duel, any match not decided within 10 minutes was declared a draw.

“Well done,” said Derrick, as if he had been waiting to say it.

Lady Ellente looked straight at him with her flushed eyes, silently observing Derrick.

*

“You are a fine magician.”

Having exchanged a few moves, Lady Ellente, who had recognized Derrick’s proficiency in magic, spoke gracefully while straightening her dress.

Her demeanor and posture had changed considerably since before the duel. Although she had been condescending by nature, it seemed she had decided to afford Derrick at least a minimum of courtesy.

“If you had been able to use more powerful magic, the outcome would have been simple,” she said.

“That’s not true. Lady Ellente, among all the nobles I have seen, you have the most excellent use of magic. Indeed, the Countess of Belmiurd is different.”

“Well, we’ll see about that.”

After the duel, Lady Ellente’s attendants approached and quickly began to tidy her appearance and hair.

A noble lady must not lose her dignity even for a moment; not even a disheveled appearance was permitted during the brief duel.

Lady Ellente sat in a corner seat of the dueling arena, receiving a comb through her hair.

Yet, her expression seemed quite satisfied, as if she had enjoyed the recent duel.

“I heard you come from no particular lineage, yet you are so well-trained. It must have taken bone-grinding effort.”

“To be precise, it was a situation I couldn’t avoid. When you join a mercenary group to make a living, you often end up doing things you’d rather not.”

“There’s no need to be so modest with excuses. I quite like those who strive.”

Despite lacking the blessing of lineage, commoners who rise to a three-star rank are born once in a generation. Surely, such individuals do not succumb to their circumstances and continue to strive until they reach the three-star rank someday.

Lady Ellente, deducing that Derrick’s life was more akin to a thorny path than a bed of roses, offered him some light encouragement.

“However, that stern old man standing outside the platform, pretending to be dignified, I don’t care for him much, so it’s best not to fall out of favor, right?”

Ellente said with a playful smile, gesturing with her chin towards the silent Felmiur standing with his hands behind his back beyond the platform.

Derrick didn’t bother to look in that direction. There was no point in revealing that they were talking about him.

Ellente was quite pleased with Derrick’s discretion and found herself trying to recall where she had heard of this boy’s name.

“Today’s duel has been quite inspiring. Perhaps the next magical duel will yield good results.”

“Lady Ellente, your dueling skills are quite exceptional, so I think you needn’t worry too much.”

“Hmm? Well, mediocre magicians are no match for me, but I don’t even consider a duel with such people a duel.”

Lady Ellente said, brushing her hair a few times and looking down.

“Just one person, I desperately wish to defeat.”

“…Are there so many more skilled in dueling than Miss Elente?”

“Hardly. It’s just that there’s one opponent I’ve faced time and again, yet never managed to beat.”

Miss Elente did not bother to mention that name.

However, guessing who it might be wasn’t too difficult.

The magicians of the Roséa Salon, where Miss Elente belonged, were generally not of a higher caliber than her.

If there were any noble ladies who could match her level of magic, they would only be from the Beltus or Duplain families.

It was widely rumored that Miss Denise of the Beltus family had been defeated by her several times, so by process of elimination, it left only Lady Aiselin of the Duplain family.

“…”

Whenever Miss Elente thought of her, a strange tension crept into her brow.

Lady Aiselin, likened to a lily blooming in the Duplain family’s garden, was superior to Miss Elente in every aspect.

The Velmiard family could not compete with the Duplains in terms of family background, and surpassing Lady Aiselin in elegance and noble grace was no easy feat.

She was a girl who always excelled in all areas of a lady’s education, seemingly without a single weakness to be found.

Even her character was impeccable; those who had conversed with her a few times praised her as a person of complete integrity.

Usually, when one encounters someone so high above, they feel awe.

People call the worship of an idol, unreachable no matter how much one stretches their hand, respect.

But respect and awe are emotions reserved for those distant figures.

For someone who seems almost within reach, yet not quite, such feelings are not harbored. Instead, often the opposite emotions arise: envy and jealousy.

If Miss Elente, who seemed to have it all, had one blemish that she could not rid herself of for life, it was the resentment towards the one standing at the pinnacle, having defeated her.

Derrick, noticing her sudden silence, quietly bowed his head, pretending not to see.

Though she did not show it easily, she, who was revered by many, was the embodiment of jealousy.

If she had lost in family prestige, in the cultivation of a lady, in grace… then shouldn’t she at least win in magic, the field she was confident in?

Such questioning was rendered moot by Lady Aiselin’s exceptional magical talent, which even infused her grace with its power.

It was a complete defeat in every aspect.

Yet, the tantalizing distance that seemed reachable if she just gritted her teeth and climbed higher plunged the girl deeper into the abyss. The world called this abyss inferiority.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Elente replied to Derrick offhandedly.

Every time she thought of Aiselin anew, an unwarranted chill tainted her demeanor. Shaking her head vigorously, she thought it a truly bad habit.

Nonetheless, it seemed a new inspiration for magic utilization had struck her, and she mused in soliloquy that she should finish dressing and practice a bit more.

Lady Aislinn.

As soon as I thought of her, a chain reaction of memories suddenly surfaced. Lady Ellente’s pupils dilated in an instant.

It was a conversation buried deep in the recesses of memory, now too far removed by time.

Though winter’s chill is nearing, it was during the warm embrace of spring sunlight that Lady Ellente first heard the tale.

– “Ah, Derek is the name of that magic teacher. A mercenary from the Beldern Battalion, his magical prowess is so exceptional, and his method of harnessing mana is quite unique─”

Derek.

At the Roséa Salon gathering, he was the magic instructor Lady Aislinn praised until her mouth went dry.

The rogue of the Duplain family, Diella Catherine Duplain, had her mana awakened and was taught up to a one-star spell by this very mercenary-turned-teacher.

I heard the story of Lady Aislinn’s regret at the summer gathering, lamenting that she couldn’t keep this mercenary within the family and had to let him go.

─This boy is the wandering magic instructor whom even Lady Aislinn of the Duplain family could not hold onto.

– Clack.

Ellente grabbed the hand of the maid who was brushing her hair and stood up from her seat.

Lifting the hem of her dress, she half-ran towards the exit, seizing the collar of Derek, who was about to leave.

When Derek turned around with a slightly surprised expression, Lady Ellente raised her head to meet his eyes and spoke.

“Are you the mercenary who taught magic at the Duplain duke’s estate?”

The girl’s red eyes were brilliantly sparkling.