There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

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“The Duchy of Beltus is located in the most inland area of the southwestern continent, bordered by the Torm Mountains to the north, the County of Belmiard to the southwest, and the Delros Plains to the east. The major cities are the commercial hub of Ropellen, the city of transformation magic in the northwest, Stonecrown, and the religious city on the outskirts of the Lorm River, Heln.”

“The exact location of the Beltus mansion?”

“It is located in the Abiton Hills in the center of the duchy. It is surrounded by dense forests, forming a natural defense line, and the estate is vast and heavily guarded, making it difficult to approach.”

Derek was listening to the report of the head butler, Delbritton, as he crossed the corridor of the Ravenclaw Baron’s mansion.

Following behind him with light steps was Pellin, humming a tune, and Aislin, who was looking at him with worried eyes, was also accompanying them.

Delbritton, with his head held high, maintained his dignity as the head butler while speaking.

“I have visited the Beltus mansion before.”

“Really?”

“When I was a junior, I went there a few times to deliver letters or to meet carriages.”

The head butler, Delbritton, had outstanding experience since his time working in the Rochester estate. It was not unusual for him to have visited various noble mansions for official duties.

As he polished his gold-rimmed glasses, Delbritton kept pace with Derek’s brisk steps.

“Centered around the five-story tall main building, the eastern tower houses a seven-story magic research institute, and the western spire is occupied by the military command. The southern part of the estate is entirely a garden, so vast that it’s hard to tell if it’s a garden or a forest.”

What is the form of the grand duke’s mansion?

Derek had also stayed in the mansion of Duplain during its heyday.

In a mansion of that caliber, it wouldn’t be surprising to feel as if there was an entire forest within the grounds.

“Baron, sir.”

Suddenly, the head butler Delbritton called out to Derek in an even heavier voice.

Derek looked at him with a nonchalant expression.

“What is it?”

“Are you considering… military action?”

“…”

To an outsider, it would have sounded absurd.

The Grand Duke of Beltus’s territory encompassed three large cities, and if you included the smaller towns and villages, it easily exceeded twenty.

It was not something that the Barony of Ravenclaw, which barely managed a population of a few hundred, could contend with.

However, Delbritton asked Derek with serious eyes.

To Delbritton, Derek seemed like a man who could challenge the grand duchy, as colossal as it was, if he set his mind to it.

“Of course. Although the barony’s private soldiers are modest in number, I plan to rally forces from here and there. Nobles tend to gather if there’s a cause.”

“…”

“The structure of the Beltus ducal mansion doesn’t seem much different from that of the Rochester or Duplain ducal mansions. Although its scale is larger… the structures of noble mansions have many similar parts when you look closely.”

Derek entered the reception room and unfurled a parchment on the table.

On the empty parchment, he drew a rectangle with a quill and quickly sketched symbols representing structures within it.

Central building. Eastern magic tower. Western military command. Southern garden. Northern training ground.

While more detailed information about the internal structure and defense system needed to be gathered, the rough outline wasn’t hard to draw.

“The eastern magic tower will probably be guarded by the eldest son, Robenalt. Since it’s the facility that manages the mansion’s entire protective magic, the most important person will be stationed there.”

“I’ve met Prince Robenalt at a social gathering.”

Aiseline, who had followed into the reception room, recalled.

“His appearance is outstanding and his demeanor is upright, which made many young ladies express their favor, but… he had a peculiar tendency for self-deprecation and a sinister aura that made him unappealing.”

“How is his magical ability?”

“Exceptional for his age, but honestly, he can’t compare to you, Derek.”

Although his name was renowned as the heir of the Beltus family, it was said that his qualities as a ruler were far inferior to those of Drenis.

Nevertheless, the Grand Duke of Beltus seemed unwilling to remove him from the position of heir. Probably because he appeared much more suitable as a puppet than Drenis.

Derek organized his thoughts and then turned his gaze to the western spire.

The center of the military garrison. It was where the mercenary group led by retired General Orel was stationed.

Although the size of the Grand Duke of Beltus’s private soldiers was modest compared to his authority, he had stationed General Orel’s mercenary group within the territory.

The maintenance cost was astronomical, but it was rumored that the mercenaries were worth every penny.

Pellin followed right next to Derek and whispered in a small voice.

“Yes. It’s the very Orel Mercenary Corps led by the one-eyed Orel. While it’s fun to capture nobles, the thought of seeing the most famous man in this mercenary world makes me smile.”

A satisfied smile spread across her face.

“Uncle Jayden would be thrilled to hear this news after a long time.”

When Derek looked at her with half-moon eyes, Pellin cleared her throat and composed herself.

With Aislin and Delbritton right next to them, it wouldn’t be wise to show hostility towards the nobles.

Pellin seemed to understand the meaning of his gaze, as she started humming a tune again, pretending to be indifferent.

“The Grand Duke Beltus must be in his office at the top of the central building. Once the operation starts, to bring him down, we need to disable the protective magic of the eastern magic tower and subdue the Orel Mercenary Corps at the western garrison.”

“Considering the size of that mansion, we will need a lot of external help.”

“Don’t worry, Delbritton. We plan to get help from the Count of Belmiord and the Beldern Mercenary Corps for the western tower, and we’ll solve the protective magic of the eastern tower with the Viscount of Renwell. Or rather, the Count of Renwell now.”

To subdue the Duke’s mansion at once, it was necessary to form an allied force.

And Derek had already drawn the big picture completely. From the moment Beltus showed hostility towards Derek, his counterattack plan had already begun.

In the wild world where enemies were everywhere, one never knew when a predator would appear and bite their neck.

Therefore, bite first before being bitten.

Jump in and cut off the opponent’s breath before being attacked, and strike the back of the head before being struck.

That was the law of life for those who crawled up from the bottom.

“We’re almost ready.”

A carrier pigeon flew to the window frame of the Count of Belmiord.

A girl with red hair extended her slender hand and took the letter from the pigeon sitting on the window frame.

Though she was filled with worldly ambition… she had completely fallen for a man. She was Ellente, the most prestigious noble lady and the precious daughter of Belmiord.

Ebelstein Tavern Street.

A shabby pub frequented by drunkards, ‘Tears of Beldern’.

The one-armed mercenary with a good-natured impression and a hearty laugh looked just like a friendly pub owner.

However, despite losing an arm, he was a legendary mercenary who survived the ‘Dawn War’.

And when he received a request for help from a mercenary he cherished like his own son, he bared his yellow teeth and grinned.

Under the protection of Emperor Guttrel, the Countess of Rodeia finally received the rank of border count and the title of count.

The elderly woman who wielded the holy sword and lived to behead necromancers.

She, too, was sitting in a corner of the holy white mansion, reading the letter Derek had sent.

The clue about necromancy. As it caught her eye, her brows furrowed, and she made a ghostly expression.

Trisha, who had been watching her mother, was so frightened by her appearance that her hand holding the teacup was trembling.

On the roof of the Ravenclaw Baron’s mansion.

Sitting there, quietly gazing at the crescent moon slowly disappearing into the western sky, Fine smiled faintly.

Humming a tune while pressing her knees, she let out a sinister aura at the end, raising the corners of her mouth as if she found it amusing.

If they succeed in capturing Beltus, Derek will achieve a level of advancement incomparable to now, whether as a wizard or a noble.

To Fine, Derek’s existence is an ‘insurance’. If the advanced necromancy she is currently researching does not yield proper results, she plans to use Derek to embark on the long-awaited path to peace.

Before the beginning of that plan, she couldn’t help but look forward to seeing how the arrogant Beltus would crumble.

Watching the downfall of the defeated is always enjoyable.

The Duke of Duplain’s mansion, where restoration work is almost complete.

Reig, who is starting to move in earnest as the acting head, and Diela, who is rallying the remaining Duplain forces.

While worrying about Iselin, who had gone out to earn money, the two also hardened their expressions upon seeing the letter from the Ravenclaw Baron’s mansion.

In response to the Ravenclaw Baron’s declaration to attack Beltus, Iselin also seemed to tacitly agree. Although Iselin was always gentle and mild, she did not seem to oppose Derek’s will.

Attacking Beltus.

What that means… Iselin herself would know better than the two.

In addition, Derek’s letters containing his plans are secretly spreading across the continent.

The content of the letters, sent only to those Derek truly trusts, raises suspicions that there might be a connection between the Beltus family and necromancy.

Some knew it was just a pretext to attack Beltus, while others actually believed Derek’s claims.

However, the conclusion of those who received the letters was unanimous.

They thought that there must be a reason for Derek, who was always cautious, to make such a belligerent decision.

“…There will be a great upheaval in the power structure of the southwestern continent.”

“Yes? Master? What do you mean?”

And the headquarters of the eastern continent’s social circle. The Elvester Count’s mansion.

Katia Flameheart, who was teaching magic to Countess Freya, was reading the contents of the letter sent by her beloved disciple Derek with a serious expression.

Grasping a pretext, punishing those who oppose him, and mercilessly bringing them down.

It was the behavior of a lord trying to protect his territory and power, and there was no hesitation in his actions.

Derek, who was Katia’s disciple, had finally become a noble.

“…”

In Katia’s memory, Derek was a beggar from the slums, stuffing hard rye bread into his mouth in a corner of the tavern street.

Seeing him now, leading his territory and army to punish his enemies, she realized that he was indeed different from the beginning.

Katia closed her eyes gently, then opened them, quietly gazing at the sky towards Ebelstein at the far southwestern end of the continent.

The next time I meet Derek, he will surely have grown so much that I might not even recognize him.

While it was a cause for celebration to see a disciple racing down the path of success, watching a child leave the cradle and spread their wings sometimes brought about a peculiar sense of loneliness.

– Tap, tap.

Finally, having completely finished predicting the internal structure of the Beltus family mansion, Derek organized the letters in the office.

Watching him neatly gather the documents and tap them down, it seemed there was no longer any hesitation in his demeanor.

Delbritton, who was assisting him by his side, swallowed dryly.

Even he, who had been through countless trials and tribulations, had to suppress the lump in his throat in this situation.

The origin of the letters in his hand.

Count Belmiard’s territory, Duke Duplain’s territory, Duke Rochester’s territory, the Beldern Mercenary Corps, Count Renouel’s estate, Count Elvester’s estate, Baron Tigris’s estate, and the Ebelstein noble district-.

For a baron from a rural frontier to be the focal point of such a gathering, it was an incredibly unrealistic scale of a list. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone thought Emperor Guttel had gathered them by imperial decree.

The reason these formidable figures could send their replies so promptly was because the man’s life journey had been genuine.

Gaining the trust of all these people─ is by no means an easy task.

Each one of them was a hero who ruled their own mountain.

Nevertheless, the white-haired mercenary-turned-rural baron, whom he served as his master, showed no sign of being concerned about being at the center of this turmoil.

The only thing that weighed on his mind was the presence of a certain young lady who remained in the Duke of Beltus’s territory, loyally serving as a chess piece until the end.

Even so, he had no choice but to respect her decision. That too, was her journey.

Therefore, Derek simply pushed back his chair and stood up, murmuring.

“Let’s go.”

With his head bowed and eyes raised, Derek’s expression was solemn.

He was already prepared to become a high-ranking noble.

*

– Bang!

The Beltus mansion. Dennis was pushed into the guest room located at the center of the main building.

The servants were treating her with gentlemanly manners, but in reality, it was almost like imprisonment.

The clean guest room had all its windows covered with cloth, and not a single ray of sunlight entered.

The room, which at first glance seemed grand and luxurious, had a separate entrance for meals under the door.

Dennis swallowed dryly upon confirming the existence of that door. This room, though dignified, was no different from a prison in reality.

“What, what is this?”

“It is by the order of His Highness the Grand Duke.”

Dennis had intentionally concealed the secrets about the weaknesses of the Ravenclaw barony.

It meant that she had chosen loyalty to Derek over loyalty to the Beltus family.

Denise had lived her whole life for Beltus, and although she might occasionally be lazy, she would never betray them.

The Duke of Beltus knew this about Denise’s nature, which is why he had been using her as a chess piece without hesitation.

However, Denise was about to bare her teeth at the Duke of Beltus.

The Duke of Beltus sensed this with an animalistic instinct more than anyone else.

Denise, with her sharp mind and quick wit, could use any trickery at any time.

A blade is a good weapon the sharper it is, but if not handled properly, it can end up stabbing oneself.

The Duke of Beltus was not someone who would leave a blade that might stab him alone. Denise knew this better than anyone.

“The Duke will be coming down personally soon. Until then, you must wait in this room. The Duke has ordered that all your belongings be re-examined, so you must change your clothes as well.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“Just as I said. All the luggage you brought from the baron’s residence must be sent up to the reception room. I will come back in the afternoon, so please organize all your belongings.”

With that dry tone, the butler conveyed the Duke’s orders, bowed deeply, and left the room.

– Bang.

“…”

Left alone in the room. Only emptiness and solitude quietly remained.

In that space, Denise, who had been stepping back for a moment, sat down on the table with a despondent look. The hem of her frilled dress flowed down the table.

What happened to those who had rebelled against Beltus so far?

The vassals? The servants? The collateral relatives?

From noble mtl dot com

She didn’t know.

──They just disappeared one day. That was all.

Suddenly, she recalled the face of the Duke, who had looked down at her with cold eyes, devoid of his usual warm smile.

The cold-blooded look in his eyes made Denise feel like she was a discarded pawn.

“……”

At some point, Denise realized that her chest was trembling.

So, she thought to herself, finally admitting her true feelings.

“Ugh… Ugh…”

She was scared.

Even in the dirty political arena filled with all sorts of mind games and trickery, she had been a silly girl who would lie down and read romance novels.

Only in this situation did she finally learn the emotion of fear.

However, unlike a girl of her age, she did not shed tears and beg for forgiveness.

She just pressed her brow tightly, swallowed her emotions, and bit her lower lip.

Choices come with responsibilities.

Even if it was just a momentary impulse, she had sided with Derek anyway.

If she made such a choice, responsibility naturally followed.

However, since it was a choice made by Denise herself, not as the lady of Beltus, she didn’t want to regret it.

Therefore, she had to suppress and swallow the fear rising in her chest.

That was Denise’s way of showing respect to Derek.

“Ugh… Hoo… Huhuh…”

At that moment, when Denise was holding her breath tightly.

– Hooo

“Huh…?”

Her personal luggage, pushed in along with Denise.

From the gap, a strange magic began to emanate.