There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

The Battle of Beltus (9)

“The monsters in the west have been mostly dealt with. The mercenaries have scattered and almost all the key points have been recaptured. It’s fortunate that Miss Denise doesn’t seem to be seriously injured.”

“Oh, Orel…!”

“Be careful, Miss Denise. The members who went to scout around the mansion have already reported back. It was this person who subdued Young Master Robenalt, who was guarding the magic tower in the east. There is a high possibility that he is somehow involved in the chaos centered around the Beltus territory.”

Captain Orel was a man with good instincts.

Even in this situation, where everything was covered in chaos, he instinctively knew that Derek was not an ally.

He shook his sword once and then stood straight, glaring at Derek.

Orel was an elderly man, but he could never be treated as a has-been. His right arm was bulging with muscles, and his belt, tied around his thigh, was adorned with various adventure gear.

Even though he had been stationed at the noble house for a long time, carrying out escort duties, it was clear that he had trained himself to not forget his combat senses.

As the owner of the largest mercenary group in the southwest of the continent, Orel’s maturity could not be ignored, no matter how old he was.

“I heard you were part of the Veldern Mercenary Group that Jaden set up. Isn’t that right?”

He seemed to be an old acquaintance of Jaden, the mercenary captain whom Derek trusted and followed.

When Derek nodded while maintaining his guard, Orel smiled broadly and said,

“Yes. That Jaden, who went through so much hardship during the Dawn War, retired and ended up serving people like you, huh?”

“To be honest, it’s more like living while doing odd jobs. The members should be coming near the Beltus territory now… It would be nice to catch up with Uncle Jaden after a long time.”

“Unfortunately, I’m not senile enough to be reminiscing about old times in this situation.”

Captain Orel stroked his beard and examined Derek’s condition.

He had penetrated through the monsters, infiltrated the tower, subdued Robenalt, and neutralized the protective magic.

Despite this, he didn’t seem particularly tired or exhausted. He must have been a person with a lot of combat experience.

“Sorry, but I’m not gentlemanly enough to fight one-on-one fairly. So, you’d better not have any foolish thoughts.”

When Orel raised his arm to signal, about a dozen members who were guarding Denise spread out and surrounded them.

They were elite members whom Orel personally took with him. Each one of them had enough experience to be called a veteran, so no matter how much of a genius Derek was, it seemed difficult to make up for the absolute number of people.

“We need to subdue you quickly and take care of the situation at the main house…”

“The main house comes first, Orel!”

However, Denise suddenly jumped out, spread her arms, and blocked Orel’s way.

Orel flinched and trembled, looking at Denise with a puzzled expression.

“Miss Denise?”

Orel had been guarding the Beltus territory since Denise was barely able to walk.

He knew her well enough to be surprised by her sudden outburst.

As for Denise, she was breathing heavily, looking confused herself.

Denise also thought of Orel, who had guarded the Beltus estate for a long time, as a much more fatherly figure than the Grand Duke of Beltus.

Although he was essentially a mercenary who worked for money, he always did his best to fulfill his duties.

At least, during the time he was paid, he was absolutely an ally… a model mercenary.

There was a reason why all the mercenaries on the Ebelstein side looked up to Captain Orel as a role model.

“Look, look at the situation at the main house, Orel! You have to… prioritize…! Right now, it’s more important to check on Father than to catch that baron on the outskirts…!”

– Bang! Bang! Boom!

As soon as Denise said that, a loud noise came from the direction of the main house.

It was the sound of a demon summoned by the Grand Duke of Beltus roaring, and the sound of the Rodeia detachment fighting an arch lich in the main hall of the mansion. The screams of fleeing servants were mixed in.

What more can be said? The foundation of the Beltus mansion was shaking.

If the cleanup of the monsters around the mansion was almost finished, the first thing to do was to run to the Grand Duke of Beltus in the main house.

In fact, Captain Orel was on his way to the main house. He just happened to meet the two here.

“Look at the state of the main house. Probably… Father is unlikely to be safe…!”

Denise’s point was correct.

Even in this chaotic situation, her ability to clearly prioritize tasks was a testament to her composure.

However, Captain Orel already felt a sense of incongruity at Denise’s desperate appearance.

“Are you trying to defend that man now?”

“Ugh…”

“…”

After that, Captain Orel couldn’t believe his eyes at the expression Denise showed.

Everyone who worked at the Beltus mansion knew about Denise. She was the elegant and dignified lady of Beltus, who always prioritized practicality over personal feelings.

Therefore, defending Baron Ravenclaw, who was somehow involved in the chaos of this mansion, was… uncharacteristic of her.

As he watched Denise, who seemed tense and breathing heavily, Orel wiped his troubled face and said.

“Miss Denise. This is not the time to let personal feelings ruin things.”

“N-no… that’s not it…”

“My long experience as a general tells me. In times like this, there’s no way that man wandering around the mansion has no connection to this chaotic situation.”

He must be captured somehow and made to testify about the situation.

Orel was speaking clearly.

Orel’s words were so logical that it was hard to refute. Therefore, the only method Denise could take was predetermined.

An appeal to authority.

“You have to listen to me, Orel.”

Denise spoke to Orel with trembling eyes.

“…”

Orel looked down at Denise, who was staring at him with intense eyes, with a complicated expression.

Orel, who had been through all sorts of hardships, was not one to be intimidated by a young lady who had just shed her childishness.

However, having watched Denise grow up, Orel understood the weight behind her actions.

She was a girl who never involved herself in unnecessary matters and lived her life without strongly expressing her opinions. She lived as the Grand Duke of Beltus wanted… merely being manipulated like a chess piece.

It was the first time she had shown such a determined expression in front of Orel, who was in charge of the security of the Beltus mansion.

Her short childhood.

Chasing a ball with an innocent face in the garden, or getting scared when she accidentally entered the garrison area and felt the harsh atmosphere. She was very different from those times.

She definitely had the face of a ruler.

“Think about the current situation again, Orel. Even as an empty word… do you think Father will be safe in this situation? I… don’t think so.”

The Grand Duke of Beltus was the law and justice of this family and mansion. He doubted everything, sacrificed even his family… and could discard anything if necessary.

Orel remembered.

Even the Grand Duchess, whom he claimed to love dearly, was someone the Grand Duke of Beltus would readily sacrifice for power.

If it weren’t for the astronomical salary, someone like General Orel would never have worked under such a person.

“If something happens to Father, who do you think will take the helm of this wavering Beltus?”

Of course, it would be the official heir, Robenalt.

However, that was just the succession structure determined by the family rules… In reality, if you were to choose the person who would rise to power within Beltus, everyone would point to Denise.

And she openly defended Baron Ravenclaw.

The annual income of Orel’s mercenary group was covered by the commission fees from the Beltus family. It was practically difficult for Captain Orel to oppose someone who would become the real power and decision-maker of the Beltus family.

‘I didn’t expect her to come out like this.’

Orel let out a hollow laugh.

It was more of an amused reaction than a troubled one.

It was the first time he had seen Denise, who usually showed an indifferent attitude, actively defend someone like this.

Orel glanced sideways at Derek.

Without showing any sign of surprise, he was assessing the situation while looking at Denise and Orel.

He seemed confident that he could handle it even if the gathered members attacked all at once. No matter how skilled he was, he couldn’t possibly evade all the veterans of Orel’s mercenary group without a scratch.

“Still, I have to ask. Miss Denise. Why are you defending him?”

“He’s here to help with the situation in the Beltus mansion, which is being manipulated by necromantic magic.”

“That may be the justification.”

Regrettably, Orel is a person who has been through many trials and tribulations.

Trying to persuade him with external justifications won’t work.

“I think there are only two possible reasons for this.”

“…”

“First, it might be that Miss Denise is somehow involved in all this chaos.”

At those words, Denise gasped.

In short, what Captain Orel was saying was that Denise had orchestrated everything to somehow push Duke Beltus aside and become the real power behind the scenes.

Whether it was Denise or Robenalt… they had just lived as puppets of Beltus in a situation where they could be sacrificed at any moment.

It wouldn’t be strange if, at some point, they reached their limit and wanted to overturn the entire situation.

“…No, that’s not it.”

“Yes. I don’t think so either. Miss Denise isn’t the type to be obsessed with power. So the second hypothesis is much more plausible.”

“…What is it? The second hypothesis?”

“Miss Denise is just a girl of that age, so she might have fallen head over heels for Baron Ravenclaw and is blinded by emotions. The power of emotions can be terrifying.”

“This isn’t the time for jokes, Orel.”

“I’m not joking.”

“…”

A moment of silence.

“…”

“…”

“……”

“……”

Despite having known each other for decades, a strange silence lingered between Orel and Denise.

At that moment, it became clear. Orel was genuinely serious about his hypothesis.

However, there was a part that was truly frustrating and suffocating.

In such a turmoil, where she felt truly frustrated, suffocated, breaking out in a cold sweat, and her fingertips trembling, Denise thought.

If you ask whether Orel’s point was completely off the mark… not really.

Is this what it means to be a seasoned veteran who has been through many battles?

His insight was as sharp as mind-reading.

“O-Orel. If you have time for such jokes…”

“Miss Denise. I’ve watched you grow while guarding the Beltus mansion for a long time, but you need to make rational judgments when necessary. It’s important to experience such emotional turmoil during the stormy period of youth, but even those things need to be timed and placed appropriately…”

“No, I said no…! Aagh!”

“…”

Denise, who had raised her voice for no reason, blushed like a carrot, and then, after taking a deep breath, said,

“Let’s go with the first hypothesis instead.”

“……”

“The idea that I was driven by a lust for power and tried to overthrow my father seems more serious and plausible. There were many people who suffered under my father’s tyranny. It’s better to be a revolutionary who overthrew the family for the greater good than a fool swayed by a ridiculous infatuation.”

“Miss Denise… I know you’ve always lived as you pleased, but this is too much. Just because you attach a reason doesn’t make it valid…”

“Orel. Listen carefully. I’m a person who feels embarrassment too.”

At that point, it was almost as if she had already answered everything.

However, Denise approached Orel with determined steps and began to speak as if she didn’t care about the consequences. Her face was flushed with heat, making her feelings all the more complicated.

“Fine. I’ll admit it. There was a tiny, minuscule emotional current. But! It’s not like I was completely lost in a field of flowers as you thought.”

“I didn’t think that far.”

“I’m a rational person. Orel.”

“…”

Orel pressed his forehead and sighed in frustration. It was truly an awkward situation.

It was the first time he had seen Denise so flustered, and he had no idea how to react.

If Denise, who was to become the real power in Beltus, had indeed lost her mind over Derek, it would be a tricky situation for Orel, the head of the Orel Mercenary Corps, who lived off Beltus’s support.

Looking at Derek again, he now had a puzzled expression.

It was a situation where it wouldn’t be strange to rush in and subdue Derek, yet they were stuck in a stalemate, repeating conversations that went nowhere.

Orel’s eyes became meaningful.

Derek Lydof Ravenclaw, Baron.

He had heard about him through the grapevine.

Running the Ravenclaw Training Center in the Rodelen region, he had earned the enmity of Grand Duke Beltus.

He was also said to be close to Aiseline and Diela of the Duplain family and had once greatly benefited the Belmird family.

While he couldn’t know all the details, it was certain that he had connections with the three major families.

It wasn’t just simple exchanges; even the next heads of the families and influential figures were all backing him.

Aiseline, Ellente, Denise.

‘In my experience, those who are loved by the powerful never seem to have an easy life…’

Orel already knew enough.

Being loved by those who would become the real powers of the continent meant that he would eventually become the target of recruitment competition.

If all three great families started to grasp him in their hands… it seemed likely that the one who would end up torn apart would be Derek himself.

It wasn’t hard to picture the future heads of the families glaring at each other with him in between. Just imagining it was enough to give him a headache.

He wondered if he should take a moment of silence… but there was one thing that had become clear.

These people might suffer themselves, but having them by his side wouldn’t be a loss.

Anyway, the urgent task now was to handle the situation unfolding at the Beltus main house.

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Thus, Captain Orel raised his hand to signal, and the members lowered their guard.

“…?”

The one with the most puzzled expression was Derek himself.

Captain Orel sheathed his sword and walked up to Derek, extending his wrinkled hand.

“After hearing what Miss Denise had to say, it seems clear that there’s no benefit in opposing you right now.”

“…Suddenly?”

“Isn’t it better this way? You said you came to help clean up the mess at Beltus. That’s fortunate. We’re short-handed dealing with the monsters.”

As Orel expressed his intention first, Derek was able to slowly lower his guard.

The members, who had been eyeing the captain’s actions with suspicion, also sheathed their weapons, like a pack of beasts following their leader.

Derek, who had been bracing for a bloody chase, looked dumbfounded, while Orel laughed heartily and extended his hand for a handshake.

Indeed, to serve as the commander of the Imperial Guard, it wasn’t enough to be merely strong. He was a man who could be called a veteran in both insight and conduct.

“Anyway, since Miss Denise spoke so strongly, I have to believe what I can.”

“…”

Denise, who was oddly blushing and fiddling with her fingers, seemed out of place, but Orel’s decision to completely lower his guard didn’t seem to be a lie.

“Is that… so…?”

Just as Derek was about to grasp Orel’s hand,

– Boom, boom! Boom!

– Crash!

– Screech!

The swarm of bat monsters rose into the sky once more.

The wailing spirits screamed, trying to engulf the Beltus main house.

Amidst the deafening roars, the magic of the Arch Lich was also present, making it clear that if things continued, the mansion would soon become a labyrinth filled with monsters and spirits.

“……”

The eyes of the two, who were about to shake hands, narrowed.

Anyway, it was time to go catch that demon.