There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

Beltus Subjugation Battle (2)

The first to notice the anomaly was Orel, the leader of the mercenary group stationed at the western tower of the Beltus duchy.

He was a veteran who had experienced all sorts of battles while serving the imperial family for a long time. Simply being strong and having a fierce personality was not enough to hold such a position.

To hold a key position in the imperial guard, one must have both fiery spirit and ice-cold rationality.

His rugged muscles, one-eyed face, square jaw, and the imposing greatsword on his back. Each feature seemed to signify a strong man.

Although he had now left the imperial family and become the leader of a large mercenary group, he still maintained the same thorough readiness for battle as when he served the imperial family.

“…Something seems off at the main building?”

Orel furrowed his brow as he drank beer with his strategist in the command room of the garrison.

“…What?”

“I hear the servants screaming.”

“…I can’t match your hearing, commander.”

He was in charge of the security of the Beltus duchy.

The reason why the Duke of Beltus, with his small number of private soldiers, could hold his head high in front of the three great noble families was because he had General Orel under his command.

If one were to ask why someone as wise and experienced as Orel was working under a greedy man like the Duke of Beltus, it all came down to money.

The amount of gold coins that Orel’s mercenary group received annually from the Beltus duchy for maintaining security was enough to easily buy a small frontier village.

And the virtue of a mercenary is to do as much work as they are paid for.

There were few mercenaries in the southwestern continent, including Ebelstein, who were as renowned as Orel. Leading this large mercenary group was possible because of his exceptional capabilities.

Therefore, some ambitious mercenaries harbored a desire to challenge Orel, but meeting him was not easy as he rarely left the Beltus territory.

Orel adjusted the greatsword on his back, checked the two long swords at his waist, the dagger on his thigh, and various supplies on his belt, and stood up.

He completely removed the tent of the garrison and turned his gaze towards the main building of the Beltus duchy.

There, terrified servants were running out of the mansion.

Orel’s eyebrows furrowed into a single point. Focusing on the tip of his nose, he could smell the scent of blood mixed in the blowing wind.

General Orel was a man with an unusually developed sense of hearing and smell. He was also a man who never hesitated when it mattered.

“Reven.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Wake up all the sleeping men. It’s time to work.”

*

– Whooosh!

– Crackle! Snap!

The main building of the Duke of Beltus, the isolation room where Denis was confined.

The ‘Arc Lich’ that Pine had meticulously crafted was a disaster akin to death itself. The mere act of the monster rising to its feet turned the surroundings into a cold abyss, and it began to multiply its forces, making its nest wherever it existed.

When you came to your senses, the walls of the isolation room were already filled with all sorts of necromantic magic and vengeful spirits, making it dizzying just to breathe.

With just a swing of the Arc Lich’s staff, an army of corpses rose, and decayed monsters began to stagger out into the mansion’s corridors.

If left alone, countless casualties were inevitable.

Pine enjoyed such scenes of massacre. However, unfortunately, Derek did not favor unnecessary casualties in these covert power struggles.

Derek was a man who had no hesitation in killing, but he was not a madman who committed meaningless massacres. All he wanted was to occupy the Beltus mansion and make it the headquarters of necromantic magic.

Therefore, Derek repeatedly urged Pine to control the level of the monsters summoned by the Arc Lich’s necromantic magic.

Even with that, the Beltus mansion would appear as a den of evil closely associated with necromantic magic.

Such a place must be exterminated. Creating that justification was all that was needed.

– Creak! Crack!

– Screeeech!

The army of corpses rising with bizarre sounds would send chills down anyone’s spine.

Especially for the common folk who had never encountered necromantic magic before. They inevitably fell into chaos, the servants screamed, and the mansion was reduced to ashes.

– aaah!

– Save me! It’s a monster! A monster!

Banshees flew over the main hall railing, and ghost knights clad in armor and greatswords began to occupy every room with clanking sounds.

The aura of necromantic magic spreading along the walls quickly obscured the light and began to engulf the mansion in darkness.

Gradually, the Beltus mansion became stained with the shadow of death. As with the labyrinths of the white zone commanded by the Arc Lich, it was becoming a labyrinth filled with vengeful spirits, corpses, and the stench of blood.

– Boom!

Denis clenched his teeth as he jumped down from the main hall railing connecting the second and first floors.

Around Denis, terrified servants were crying their eyes out, trying to move their feet somehow. If left alone, they would surely collapse and meet a gruesome end.

Using first-class combat magic, ‘Magic Arrow’ and ‘Ice Spear’, they suppress the corpses that rush in immediately.

Fortunately, the main body, the Arch Lich, is currently focused on engulfing this mansion. Thanks to this, the monsters summoned by that creature were not yet of a very high level.

‘If I run out now, I can survive!’

With that thought, Dennis pulled out a terrified maid, gritted his teeth, and ran down the stairs.

He stumbled and rolled down the stairs once, but the thick, luxurious carpet laid out on the stairs prevented him from getting seriously injured.

– Crash!

“Ouch!”

However, the pain was inevitable. As he pushed himself off the floor, the servants who had been thrown far away also began to move towards the exit, trembling with their hands.

Moving almost by crawling to the first-floor hall, he barely managed to reach near the mansion’s main door.

He thought to run out of the mansion and inform the situation to the tower. With that thought, he rushed towards the marble stairs of the main door.

“…What is this…?”

When Dennis ran out of the mansion’s main building, the whole world was already being covered by monsters.

The estate of Duke Beltus, which is about the size of a decent rural village. There is a huge garden on the southern side, almost like a forest, but from there, spirits and monsters were rising.

The eastern tower was also filled with wizards who had rushed out, cutting down the monsters, and the same was true for the camp of the Orel Mercenary Corps.

What on earth is happening? He couldn’t grasp the situation well.

Even Dennis, who had experienced all sorts of ups and downs in the noble social circles all his life, was thrown into such a battlefield for the first time.

The magic of the Arch Lich, which engulfed the mansion’s main building, seemed to be engulfing the entire estate.

Before long, this place would become a labyrinth ruled by the Lich, and the splendid appearance of the Beltus mansion would remain only as a glory of the past.

The necromancy wielded by a sixth-class necromancer could turn even the mansion of a historically noble family into a den of death in an instant.

Facing such a different level of power, it felt as if the whole world was collapsing.

Everywhere was a battlefield, and death permeated every place.

Seeing the momentum of the monsters that had arrived all over the mansion’s estate, Dennis sat down on the spot for a moment.

“Huff, huff… Huff…”

The main building of the Beltus mansion, located at the highest point.

Dennis, who was looking at the estate from the railing that spread out as soon as he ran out of the main door, took several deep breaths while watching the terrible battlefield.

His hands gripped the railing tightly, and the open chest of his frilled dress rose and fell repeatedly.

Deep breath, another deep breath.

‘Calm down, calm down, calm down. Don’t panic, never panic.’

Even while all the members of the mansion were struggling in fear, this girl tried to regain her reason somehow.

Even in a situation where every single hair on her body stood up and goosebumps rose on her back… the girl gritted her teeth to avoid being consumed by fear.

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However, her heart began to pound wildly, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

Denise removed the pansy-shaped pin from her hair and, with its sharp point, stabbed her thigh once.

The rising pain swallowed the fear, and soon her breathing calmed, and a composed rationality settled in Denise’s mind. A stream of blood flowed down her thigh, but Denise paid no mind.

‘Think, think, don’t stop thinking. Every second is precious. What should I think about? What should I consider and decide now?’

‘The isolation room, the monster that sprang from my belongings. What on earth is that monster? It clearly seems to be a high-level demon, but why was it among my things… They were just the usual items I carried around…’

Gathering her trembling body, Denise collected her thoughts.

What came to mind were the gifts from the lady of the Tigris estate. All the other belongings were things she usually carried, but the gifts from the lady of Tigris were not.

Was it a trap?

However, the lady of Tigris was just a nameless country lady from the outskirts. She was diligent and earnest in everything she did, and her magical achievements were not particularly remarkable.

However, Denise had kept an eye on the lady of Tigris’s actions to some extent because Lady Aiseline was concerned about her.

The lady of Tigris was said to be one of Derek’s most sincere disciples, always seeking his teachings.

She would likely be the most sensitive to Derek’s influence. If she acted for something, it was highly likely that Derek’s intentions were involved.

However, that was all she could speculate.

What on earth was that vast-scale necromantic magic, what were Derek’s intentions, and how did this crisis threatening to engulf the entire Beltus family come about… Everything was a mystery.

However, there was one thing she was certain of.

All these events were moving within Derek’s grasp.

She didn’t know how far his reach extended, but she couldn’t help but recall the look in his eyes as he sat alone in the office of the Ravenclaw barony.

The garden of the mansion.

The words the man left as he departed, leaving Denise alone.

– ‘I don’t mind if you stab me in the back.’

What was the intention behind those words?

Was it a heartwarming story revealing his magnanimous nature, always understanding and affirming Denise?

No. She had misunderstood everything.

Recalling Derek’s departing figure, she couldn’t clearly see his expression.

‘He was trying to use me.’

Denise’s legs gave out, and she collapsed, biting her lower lip hard.

After enduring the emotional torrent that surged through her, a hollow laugh escaped her lips.

‘Ahaha… It’s funny…’

It was such an obvious story. The Beltus family, wary of Derek Lydof Ravenclaw’s rising power, tried to crush him, to break his spirit by pressing him down.

In the process, they attempted to kidnap the baron’s wife, spread scandals to undermine his influence, and were even prepared to carry out an assassination if they wished.

How could one treat the young lady of a family filled with such people with pure goodwill?

Perhaps once, it might have been possible.

In the dusty basement of the art storage. When the disheartened Dennis uttered a self-deprecating sound, he shook his head, saying it wasn’t so. He assured Dennis that he was a valuable person.

Though Dennis had lived his entire life under the pressure of the Beltus family, he believed that within him lay an irreplaceable value.

However, even such kindness has its limits.

How could one maintain kindness to someone who threatens their territory, their family, and eventually their life?

He is also a person, and Dennis is a man who follows the orders of Beltus.

At the very end, when his patience finally reached its limit… it was not surprising.

‘It’s laughable… my situation is laughable…’

Despite that, Dennis himself was agonizing over how to maintain a friendly relationship with Baron Ravenclaw.

Without considering the betrayal or contempt he might have felt, he was merely swayed by his own emotions and anguish, unable to look around.

The delusion that he was the center of the world.

Writing day in and day out, he fell into the illusion that he was the protagonist of this vast world and story. Imagining such a ridiculous self, Dennis couldn’t help but clench his hands tightly.

Blood flowing from his thigh, the intense pain from the scratches all over his body, the monsters singing of death, the screams, fear, and despair filling the surroundings.

He thinks about what will happen next.

If not handled properly, it will become a catastrophe, and even if it is handled, the aftermath will be indescribable.

Whatever happens, the Duke of Beltus must explain the source of the necromantic magic.

Who is the person to be sacrificed?

If he were the Grand Duke of Beltus… who would he choose to escape this crisis?

The summoning of the Arch Lich, the root of all events. A person who brought the medium directly into the Beltus mansion.

Moreover, that person abandoned his loyalty to the Duke of Beltus… and tried to defend a weak country baron.

If used as a discard card… there is no more suitable card than this.

Dennis trembled at his fingertips amidst the scenery of the Beltus family heading towards ruin.

He recalls the red-haired young lady of the Belmiard family, cursed as a witch due to necromantic magic. The cursed hands of necromantic magic that could turn even such an authoritative figure into a witch in an instant… seemed to be reaching towards him.

He remembers the white-haired mercenary with fierce eyes, looking down at all the pictures with his chin resting on his hand.

It is undeniable that the starting point of all this catastrophe was the evil deeds of the Beltus family.

And, he is a person of Beltus, and he will be the sacrificial lamb to be abandoned.

A trembling chest. Suddenly, a hollow laugh rises.

Deep despair sometimes brought out a smile. It was a paradoxical thing.

In any case, his end was decided.

To become a witch.

A witch who will bear the curse of all.

*

“Even in that abyss of evil deeds, if there is one person who could be called a saint, it would be Lady Denise, who would confront all the malice of the family and reveal everything.”

“…Indeed, is that so.”

“To discern right from wrong and act righteously in such an environment is not something just anyone can do.”

– Tatadak, tatadak.

Countess Rodeia and her elite troops were so swift in their actions that they were already leading their horses towards the Veltus estate before the sun was high in the sky.

There was no time to ride in a carriage, so everyone was gripping the reins tightly from their saddles.

Their pace was so incredibly fast that to keep up with them, one had to cling tightly to the horse’s neck.

– Tatadak, tatadak!

From the saddle of his horse galloping through the forest path, Derek spoke firmly to Rodeia.

If there is one person who still acts righteously in the rotting Veltus, it must be Denise.

Rodeia also listened intently to Derek’s words as they raced down the road towards the Veltus estate.

And in the distance, the hill where the Veltus mansion stood began to appear on the horizon.

Even from afar, Countess Rodeia frowned. Even from this distance, it was clear that the state of the estate was unusual.

A swarm of vengeful spirits was swirling above the estate.

The momentum of the spirits gathering in a vortex was such that it could be considered the headquarters of necromancers.

“…Sir Derek. You were right.”

Countess Rodeia was a person whose hatred for necromancers was incomparable to anyone else in the world.

The hero gritted her teeth, drew her holy blood sword, and shouted to the soldiers.

“Let’s go faster! Necromancy is rampant in the Veltus duchy!”

“Yes!”

At that moment, the morale-boosted soldiers struck their reins and spurred their speed.

– Huuung

The destination was still far enough away that it could only be seen on the horizon.

However, even from this distance… the sound of the immense magical power swirling from the mansion grounds was clearly audible.

The aura of that magic was so palpable that everyone, including Derek, couldn’t help but be captivated.

Above the Veltus mansion, a giant flame rose among the spirits.

Soon, it took the form of a giant in armor – lifting a massive flaming sword in its hand.

The size is beyond words.

A giant of fire so enormous that it can be seen clearly from this distance, a summoning magic of an absurd scale, several times larger than the entire mansion.

It was at least a 4-star summoning magic.