There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

Magic (1)

[ List of Acquired Magic ]

✦ Combat Magic

★☆☆☆☆☆ Mana Arrow

★☆☆☆☆☆ Shockwave

★☆☆☆☆☆ Ice Spear

★☆☆☆☆☆ Flame Arrow

★☆☆☆☆☆ Full Power Manifestation

★★☆☆☆☆ Fireball

★★☆☆☆☆ Shadow Bind

★★☆☆☆☆ Large-Scale Shield

✦ Transformation Magic

★☆☆☆☆☆ Light Creation

★☆☆☆☆☆ Attribute Imbue

★★☆☆☆☆ Earth Wall

★★☆☆☆☆ Crystallization

✦ Delusion Magic

★☆☆☆☆☆ Soundproof

★☆☆☆☆☆ Illusion – Small Animal

★★☆☆☆☆ Hallucination

★★☆☆☆☆ Confusion

✦ Summoning Magic

★☆☆☆☆☆ Summon – Guide Fairy

✦ Exploration Magic

★☆☆☆☆☆ Direction Sense

★★☆☆☆☆ Clairvoyance

★★☆☆☆☆ Magic Detection

★★☆☆☆☆ Life Detection

Derek learned the basics of combat magic from an old man.

And he learned proper delusion magic from a fallen noble named Katiara.

The influence of a mentor cannot be ignored. Even afterwards, Derek continued to master magic on his own, but most of his achievements were centered around the progress of combat and delusion magic.

I diligently practiced the arts of transformation, exploration, and summoning magic. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, there were moments when progress seemed to halt, as if hitting an invisible wall.

“I feel like I’ve completely grasped the essence of exploration magic.”

How long had it been since I was engulfed in magic in this dark cave?

Drest Wolfetail said one day, a rare occurrence for the old man to comment first on Derek’s magical proficiency.

“…I still feel a bit stagnant, though.”

“The rest is for the boy to master on his own.”

At those words, Derek felt a pang of disappointment.

The chance to be taught directly by a six-star exploration magician doesn’t come often. Given the opportunity, he wanted to learn everything he could.

But he knew that having a good mentor was as important as self-reflection and mastery in learning magic.

“If one could discover all the truths of magic by sitting in a corner of a cave, then all the great mages of the world would be hermits, never leaving their rooms.”

“I have heard there are many who do just that.”

“…Anyway, I think I’ve done all that’s necessary from my end.”

Derek lifted his palm, clenching and unclenching it several times in front of him.

He closed his eyes tightly and felt the flow of magical power once again.

Observing Drest Wolfetail’s use of magic and trying to emulate it, he constantly gauged that vast energy.

Gathering the magic that hovered before his eyes to his chest, he released it into the world as if exhaling.

A sensation as if part of his body was burning, another part freezing cold. The cold and heat merged within him, clashing and transforming into magical power.

He had felt a similar sensation in the labyrinth recently.

That peculiar dissonance, as if the output of magic was not moving as he willed. The unique struggle of a magician entering the next phase, unable to easily control that vast power.

He had felt that sensation often in the past, struggling to master the various exploration magics that Drest wielded.

It was a repetition of days reaching for something beyond his level, a higher realm not yet his own.

Again and again, he suppressed the sensation of battling the unruly magic.

Like taming a wild beast, he controlled the sensation of all the magic in the world converging and running wild, gritting his teeth.

And finally, he focused the magic lingering at his fingertips to a single point.

“…”

As if drawn by something, Derek placed his hand on the cold stone floor and released the magic as his heart led him.

– Whoosh!

With great resolve and sincerity, he manifested his magic, but no change occurred around him.

“…”

It was a moment of sudden emptiness that washed over him.

– Thump, thump.

– Crash!

A massive vibration began to spread throughout the cave.

The aftermath wasn’t enough to cover the entire vast cave, but it was sufficient to overturn this huge clearing.

The trembling intensified little by little, and several stalactites shattered and fell, cracks starting to form on the walls.

– Thump! Thump! Crash!

Before Derick could grasp what was happening, Drest quickly conjured up a shield with his magic.

With telekinetic magic, he pushed Derick away and swiftly moved towards the cave’s exit.

– Swish-crack! Boom! Crash!

At the entrance of the Raspa Cave.

Derick sat down, looking at the collapsed entrance.

His fingertips trembled from the aftermath of the magic he had drawn up from the ground.

Drest, standing upright with his arms crossed behind him, let out a hollow laugh.

Derick was of age to soon undergo his coming-of-age ceremony. Yet, the magic he had manifested had already completely demolished the entrance of the Raspa Cave.

“Heave… Heave…”

Sweating profusely, Derick steadied his trembling hands and somehow managed to stand up.

He was about to ask what had just happened, feeling the aftershocks of the vibration.

[ Newly Acquired Magic ]

3-star combat class ‘Tectonic Disturbance’

Derick swallowed dryly.

To find a commoner magician who had learned a 3-star magic at this age, one would have to search through historical records or biographies of great figures.

As always, the old magician with sagging wrinkles placed his hand on Derick’s shoulder from behind.

“As I said, there seems to be nothing more to teach you at this point.”

*

The stars were clearly visible.

Adelbert, who first conceived the concept of magic’s hierarchy, was said to have been inspired by the stars that filled the sky.

Derick sat by the campfire at the ruined cave entrance with Drest, laying their bodies amidst the darkness of the night.

Derick looked at his palm with a dazed expression.

He had just turned the ground around him upside down.

3-star magic. Among the nobles, a magician with 3-star magic was referred to as an ‘advanced magician,’ recognized as someone who had attained a certain mastery of magic.

When word spread that a commoner had become a three-star mage, even the nobility had to respect the blood, sweat, and tears that went into such an effort. Most three-star mages of common birth had dedicated their entire lives to magic.

Yet, there had never been a three-star mage as young as Derrick. It was doubtful whether he would receive such favorable gazes.

The living proof of this sat across the campfire, an old mage named Drest.

“I’ve said it before, but as a common-born mage, you can’t survive on mediocre talent alone.”

“…”

Though his words were delivered without emotion, the weight of years lingered in Drest’s speech.

Drest had lived his life as a common-born mage, sacrificing too much to maintain his life and to overcome even the nobles.

“To be revered, you must be overwhelming. Rise so high that you’re out of reach. It’s human nature to try and pull down those who seem within grasp.”

“And how overwhelming must one be?”

If Derrick, at his age, had mastered three-star magic, most mages would be wide-eyed with astonishment.

Yet, Drest simply closed his eyes.

In the fight against the world, it’s either a crushing victory or a devastating defeat.

Drest looked at Derrick with a gaze clouded by time, a century’s worth of years densely settled in his eyes.

He seemed to overlay something from the past onto the blossoming existence that was Derrick.

“Judge for yourself.”

With that, Drest rose from his frail body.

“Where are you going?”

“Just to get some fresh air.”

“…”

Saying so, Drest shook out his robe.

The darkness of night filled the forest surrounding the cave. To some, this darkness might seem like an endless void.

Drest, now fully aged and in the twilight of his life, did not exude the grandeur that flowed from the world’s most renowned mages.

Despite being the greatest common-born mage, he looked utterly ordinary.

His shoulders were slight, his limbs as thin as dead branches, wrapped in a worn robe, nibbling on food meant for commoners.

He lived simply, and would die just as simply.

Derrick knew that Drest’s end would not be as dramatic as his reputation suggested.

After a tumultuous life, he would wander until sensing his death, then return to a quiet village on the outskirts of Count Jebelon’s lands.

In that now desolate and quiet countryside, he would nonchalantly enter a house, nonchalantly sit in a worn-out chair, rest his chin in his hand.

And quietly close his eyes, never to open them again.

That was the way he lived and died.

The night air is still quite chilly, Master. Please, stay by the campfire a little longer.”

Derek said so.

Then, Drest fell into thought for a moment, and eventually, as always, showed no expression.

“It’s alright.”

“…”

“Be wary of Cohela.”

With that contextless warning tossed into the air, he quietly blended into the darkness of the night.

And Drest did not return again.

Derek knew it would be so.

In the place where the old man had left, Derek sat alone, idly poking at the campfire with a stick. The crackling sound rose.

Round and round, and in the end, as always, he sat alone.

The old beggar had done so, Katia had done so, Drest had done so… it was all the same. Those who embraced like a cradle were bound to leave someday.

Once you realize that, you come to understand that parting is also a natural part of life.

It was one of the many principles of life.

*

After a long time, Derek returned to his dwelling near the commercial district of Ebelstain.

He washed, laundered all his mercenary attire and gear.

He sharpened the rusted blade. Oiled it too.

He tidied up the dusty room, threw out all the spoiled food.

He laundered the blankets. Placed scented candles here and there in the room.

He repaired the worn-out door, discarded the old furniture, and bought new ones.

He neatly trimmed his bushy hair and shaved.

He pushed the magic book Katia had left him deep into a drawer. He was beyond the need for this spellbook now.

Dressed neatly, he checked all the piled-up letters.

From the mercenary band, from the three great houses, from the Ebelstain headquarters, from employers who wanted to hire Derek separately. Many sought Derek, but he had not responded to any of them.

After the basic tidying up, he went out to the sunlit doorstep. The smell of bread overflowing from the bakery across the street was unchanged.

Ebelstain was still a city with a thousand faces.

It was Derek’s hometown.

*

“We’ve received a message from that Derek. He has requested an audience with His Grace, Duke Beltus. What should we do?”

Clerven, the head butler of the Beltus family, couldn’t help but be astonished as he reported. How could a mere commoner speak of wanting to meet with a grand duke of a nation?

Yet, Derek was a successful magic instructor. Recognized magic instructors sometimes made their voices heard, even among the high nobility.

Indeed, Derek had already sent several letters to the Beltus family, inquiring about various conditions.

“Has he finished his magic training already? It seems he has wrapped it up.”

Derek had shattered the pride of the Duplain grand duke, who had confidently claimed that Derek would surely come to the Duplain family. With that alone, the grand duke of Beltus was already brimming with vigor.

It was inevitable that he would wear a satisfied expression, having chosen the Beltus family over Duplain or Belmierd.

“Dennis will be taught magic, and since Dennis’s magical proficiency has been stagnant lately, this is a good opportunity. If he’s as competent a magic instructor as they say, he should produce significant results, right?”

“The rumors are rife that he has already achieved outstanding results while working for the Duplain and Belmierd families.”

“Indeed. Since it was Dennis who persuaded him, and he will be teaching Dennis, I should tell Dennis to meet with him separately. There’s a lot of urgent domain work to be done, so I’ll leave that matter to Dennis.”

Thus, the grand duke of Beltus began to write a letter to be sent to Ebelstain, his quill dancing on the paper.

Seeing the dripping satisfaction on his face, the head butler felt reassured that there was no need to worry.

“The magic teacher is supposed to visit the mansion today.”

“Eek…!”

As always, Dennis, who had been holed up in a corner, swallowed hard.

Having returned home, Dennis lay quietly in his room, slowly sorting through his complicated thoughts. He couldn’t understand the mindset of the magic teacher who, leaving Aiselin and Elente behind, insisted on teaching him.

After considering various hypotheses and possibilities, he even began to wonder if this decision was some form of punishment.

After all, Dennis had tried to use him, feigning enthusiasm for magic he didn’t particularly care for. Some magicians took that as an insult, so he wondered if the teacher might do something to get back at him.

How could a commoner harbor resentment against the lady of the Beltus family? But he was no ordinary commoner. He was a magic instructor coveted by all three major families.

Realizing how strange his position had become, he thought:

From noble mtl dot com

“If I, who have been taken in as a student by the legendary magic instructor who reformed Lady Diela, earned Lady Elente’s recognition, and even kicked Lady Aiselin aside, achieve nothing…?”

Even if he was a commoner mercenary from the slums, he was a person who had built up such a reputation.

If there were no achievements here, who would people point fingers at? The likelihood was high that the blame would fall on him, who had a great teacher yet remained stagnant.

He hadn’t thought he would fall into such self-contradiction, but there was no escape route available.

“Bella… I just want to lie down and do nothing… Can’t I just cut it off at my discretion…?”

“You know better than anyone that won’t work… The grand duke won’t just sit by…”

After splashing his face several times, Dennis finally got up. Staying like this wasn’t going to solve anything.

“Good day. It’s been a while since we’ve met.”

In the noble district of Ebelstain, at the residence of Lady Dennis.

Guided by the servants, Derek strode down the corridor.

He approached, letting his cloak fall, and greeted Lady Dennis. As always, his demeanor was brusque.

—

But Miss Denise could only stand there, eyes wide open in disbelief.

It was the first time she had met Derek in proper formality. Of course, she had first seen him in the spectator seats of the combat training ground, but the impression he made during their brief encounter had since blurred.

In Denise’s mind, Derek was a hermit, secluded in a corner of a cave no one visited, his face weathered and hair unkempt, wholly consumed by his magic.

Dressed finely and greeting her with such decorum, she almost failed to recognize him.

“Derek…? Is that you…?”

“Yes. I am grateful for your help back in the Raspa Cave. The supplies you provided were of great assistance.”

“Oh, I didn’t know… you were someone who observed such formalities…?”

“Yes?”

“…”

Even if Derek’s sense of status was vague, he wouldn’t behave the same in the nearly deserted Raspa Cave as he would in her family’s estate.

It was, of course, to be expected, but Denise found herself unable to adapt to Derek’s transformation, her thoughts momentarily stilled.

‘This is not the time to be flustered. There’s so much to ask, so many intentions to uncover.’

He was the one who had been buried in magical training in the corner of a cave. His magical prowess must have surely grown.

Miss Denise subtly gathered her mana, manifesting her specialty, the exploratory magic, at the corners of her eyes. She intended to gauge at least the extent of his mana.

“…”

However, Derek’s mana was immeasurable to Denise’s eyes.

Either his mana was too faint to be seen, or he had learned to conceal his mana from exploratory magic.

If he had such a skill, one couldn’t measure his mana unless they were of a higher realm.

Clearly, he was a person who saw a broader horizon than Denise.

Swallowing dryly, Denise spoke.

“You’ve traveled far. I hear you’ve come to teach me magic?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Derek dusted off his hands a few times, then let a faint smile show.

“I’ve heard you’ve grown quite disillusioned with magic.”

“…”

“Honestly, wouldn’t your pride be hurt? To judge magic as good or bad without having properly glimpsed its realm is an insult to magic itself. After all, I have devoted my life to it.”

“Perhaps I was too hasty in my judgment. I apologize. Are we settled now?”

“No. While I appreciate your unreserved apology, isn’t it a pity? To live with only disillusionment and aversion towards such wonderful magic. That simply won’t do.”

Denise met Derek’s gaze. In his deep, captivating eyes, there flowed an indescribable, strange energy.

It seemed like endless seriousness, yet there was a hint of madness beyond that.

—

‘Eek…’

Denise realized. She had touched someone she should not have.

Before laying a finger on someone, one must first ascertain if the person can handle it. It was common sense, yet the gap between commoners and nobility sometimes made one forget even that.

Regrettably, what’s done cannot be undone, such is the way of the world.