There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

Value (1)

Jayden is sometimes the man who takes up the greatsword and heads to the battlefield.

He could spend his days idly polishing glasses in a corner of the tavern without any trouble making a living, but he had ambitions.

The Dawn War, which broke out when the giant monster ‘Zvet’ from the north burst out of the labyrinth.

Ever since that time, having wandered the battlefields, he found peace of heart only amidst the sea of blood, rather than in the hometown where he was born and raised.

By the time I had come of age, I was already earning my keep with the blade, having devoted my life to the battlefield without a proper companion or offspring. To me, my comrades were my family.

Thus, it wasn’t so strange for me to harbor the ambition of raising a proper mercenary band. The battlefield was a part of life; my goal was to gather and hold onto as many wandering souls as I could.

But life on the battlefield, akin to walking a tightrope, could end at any moment. I lived witnessing countless comrades lose their heads.

“This time, it was nearly my neck. Lucky to escape with just an arm lost. Seems my luck hasn’t run out yet, hahaha.”

“Boss, you’re a veteran. I never thought the White Zone labyrinth would be that perilous.”

“I was ambushed by a giant sandworm burrowing underground. Had I been standing a bit closer to the wall, my head would’ve flown off in one go.”

“Sandworms appeared?”

Even during the dreadful Dawn War, they were among the monsters that claimed the most lives.

To the sandworms swimming through the earth, humans crawling into the underground labyrinths were nothing more than prey that had willingly entered their embrace.

“Still, I managed to slice the creature’s neck properly. Having avenged myself, my heart feels at ease.”

“You’re taking it too well… That’s a serious wound, and the aftereffects will be significant. It’s amazing you can laugh in such a situation.”

“Not exactly thrilled about having to close the tavern and rest. But it’s better than being unable to avenge at all.”

Jayden was a man who laughed heartily even as he lost an arm.

Derek looked incredulously at Feline, who was shaking her head in disbelief.

Even at his age, Jayden’s will to roam the battlefields was commendable, but one couldn’t help worrying over such a grave injury.

“…Lately, since the Duplain family started leading the purge of the White Zone, other nobles have been sending more expedition requests, Derek.”

It seemed this was Jayden’s main point.

The official purge of the White Zone was led by the Duplain family’s forces. However, as new territories were opened, other powers began to emerge.

Large groups like the Beltus family drooled over the prospect of conquering the White Zone, but they needed the Duplain family’s permission to move. Smaller nobles and mercenary bands were a different story.

They began to explore the smaller labyrinths on the outskirts of the White Zone, using the paths opened by the Duplain family.

Controlling these individuals was not an easy task, and the Duplain family didn’t interfere with such minute movements, mainly because there was no need – the outcomes were often unfavorable.

Adventurers of dubious skill who challenged the labyrinths of the White Zone usually lost their lives.

Even Jayden, who had survived many battles, had to sacrifice an arm in the perilous labyrinth. If luck was against them, those dreaming of quick riches would only find a grave.

“Derek. If any requests for exploring the White Zone come in, reject them outright. I’ve seen it myself, something’s off. We should observe the situation for a while.”

“What do you mean, ‘off’?”

“I’ve visited nearly every labyrinth from the Dawn War to the present, but I’ve never encountered ones so unstable and unpredictable. Unless you’re using an army with four-star mages like the Duplain family, pushing through with sheer numbers… there are hardly any labyrinths that adventurers can penetrate.”

I had read much about the dying vegetation and ominous aura of that White Zone in books.

Derek rested his chin on his hand, listening intently to Jayden’s words.

“I can’t bear to see you die, Derek.”

“…”

Even as his arm was severed, Jayden kept spouting such nonsense.

Such was the man, this aged mercenary.

*

Such a golden opportunity, in Derrick’s absence, seldom comes.

Denise sent a letter to the Duplain family through Bella, her most trustworthy servant.

She sat alone in the mansion’s garden, a content smile on her face, feeling unburdened by the rare quiet.

Diella, upon reading Denise’s letter, might feel uncertain, but it was clear she would eventually challenge her to a magical duel. After all, Diella would risk anything to capture Derrick.

So, the plan was to lose the magical duel on purpose, a bitter and lamentable act, but a promise is a promise, and Derrick would be handed over.

That way, she could reclaim these peaceful days.

It meant finally escaping the magic teacher who, despite his encouragement, had been a constant, day-long shadow.

‘The responsibility of losing the most promising magic teacher in the Ebelstain social circle… unavoidable, but I’ll bear it. I’ll have to earn similar merits next time.’

Though the plan was set, a certain tightness lingered in her chest.

The time had passed into late afternoon, the sky soaked in a ruddy hue, with long clouds floating serenely.

As summer approached, the garden’s center grew warm, occasionally attracting insects.

Yet, Denise remained outside, gazing at the sky, rather than retreating indoors.

‘Was a day ever this long?’ she mused, feeling the stark contrast to the recent days that had flown by like arrows.

Without Bella and Derrick, her constant companions, the silence felt even more profound. They had always been there to converse with her.

Bella exchanged casual banter, while Derrick often grumbled or spouted doom.

After a day of chaos, now alone in leisure, memories long nested in her subconscious began to stir.

They were memories of times now past.

The elders of the Beltus family would stroke Denise’s hair and smile.

They rejoiced in Denise’s magical achievements, saying she would one day be the pride of the family, their wrinkled eyes crinkling further in joy.

Noble ladies looked up to Lady Denise, vying for a word with her, even squabbling among themselves.

The inept heir apparent, Robenalt, felt both inferiority and envy towards his capable sister, but eventually, he sincerely acknowledged her.

From her childhood, she could see her mother’s notes left among the magic books. ‘Always loved, the pride of our Beltus family.’

The handwriting dripped with pride for the family.

“Pointless, really.”

Suddenly, Denise chuckled wryly, leaning against the pretty wooden chair in the garden.

She knew well that all this reverence towards her could flip to disappointment with one false step. There was no need to look far; other contributors to the family had experienced just that.

Countless geniuses, once hailed, have thus toppled and vanished beneath the precipice.

Expectation always harbors the possibility of disappointment. Denis merely wished to escape such grueling pressure.

One cannot live on success alone.

Preparation for failure is essential for a stable life. The same goes for the expectations of others.

It’s not that he isn’t expected to achieve, but it’s not a trust bordering on worship.

He’s not without accomplishments, but neither is he the hero of his lineage.

Not too excessive, nor too deficient. Somewhere between the hot and cold bath, in that elusive tepid water, Denis finally felt the urge to swim.

Suddenly, he thought of the most noble lady of the Duplain family, adored by all, stretching ever upward.

“…”

Denis could never become Aislinn.

The very foundation of their mindsets was entirely different.

“Sigh…”

Stirred by a restless feeling, Denis rose from his seat.

He could return to his bedroom and indulge in his beloved books, but instead, he raised his hand to the void, sensing the magical energy. That distant feeling compelled Denis to manifest magic just once.

The magical energy at his fingertips coalesced into a point, then spread throughout his body. It was the flow of magic that Derek had so emphatically stressed. In truth, honing such a sense was Denis’s forte.

Born into the Beltus family, Denis was never lacking in innate magical power.

What remained were technical skills, and the will to act.

Denis’s greatest problem was his lack of will.

Derek knew this well, which is why he had so persistently pushed Denis forward.

Once pushed, one must start running, even if it’s just a light jog. It’s human physiology.

And once you start running lightly, the body adjusts accordingly. What’s needed to rehabilitate someone like Denis is that ironclad consistency, even if the person resists to the end.

– Whoosh!

The magic emanating from Denis’s fingertips began to fill the surroundings.

Pretty dress hems fluttered, and the grass around started to sway. At the center of that surging magic, Denis clenched his fist as if it was nothing and chanted.

“O flow of magic that observes all things-“

His silvery-gray hair fluttered several times. Soon, Denis’s fully constructed magical formula began to fill the surroundings.

Second-tier search magic ‘Surveillance’

It fills the surroundings with the energy of a magic circle, detecting every anomaly, magical fluctuation, and physical movement within, without missing a single one.

The range of this ability varies with the magician’s proficiency. Drest, a six-star search magician, was said to have the power to cover several large castles.

Denis’s magic could barely cover a corner of the garden. Yet, within this range, anyone with a lower magical realm than Denis was bound to be fully discerned.

The true value of search magic lies in such informational superiority. Once caught in the trap of a search mage, there is no escape.

‘Gasp… Huff… I can… do it too.’

Denise was panting heavily.

For Denise, even manifesting a two-star spell was too arduous a task. It didn’t last long, so there was hardly any point in surveillance.

But the mere fact that she could use it was incredible.

Hadn’t the magic dueling arena been turned upside down just because Aislin of the Duplain family manifested a two-star spell, Fireball?

Denise, too, could do it if she gritted her teeth and exerted herself. But she chose not to show it.

That was the essence of Denise, the girl.

From noble mtl dot com

“Phew… Haah… It’s tough, but… at least this much…”

“The outer part of your magic formula is disrupted. This will create blind spots in the detection area.”

Denise nearly stopped breathing.

Just by spreading her ‘surveillance’ magic, this whole area had become her domain.

Yet, Derek’s voice came from right behind her.

Turning around, she saw Derek, having finished his errand, tidying up his clothes and talking.

Even within this web-like magic formula, she hadn’t sensed his presence at all.

“You, you… When did you…!”

“If you lose focus, the magic energy will tangle and exhaust you even more. Maintain the spell.”

Denise tried to say something, but Derek locked eyes with her and strode forward, releasing his magic power.

Despite Denise skillfully manifesting a two-star search spell, Derek showed no sign of being flustered.

He had already gauged the extent of Denise’s abilities during their past training sessions.

He must have realized long ago that Denise wasn’t exerting her full power when manifesting her magic.

That’s why he had been relentlessly pushing her.

– Grasp!

As Derek clenched his fist, a disturbance rippled through Denise’s magic formula.

The flow of magic power Derek introduced made it difficult to maintain the spell. He was intentionally disrupting Denise’s magic.

“In the end, search magic often faces off against other search mages. Higher-level search magic can only be countered by even higher realms of search magic.”

“Derek… You, how do you… control this magic formula…”

“From now on, I will intentionally disrupt Miss Denise’s magic formula. The more you withstand, the more you’ll be able to resist external disruptions to your magic.”

With another shock from Derek, Denise’s magic formula shook violently.

Denise, out of habit, swung the magic power filling her body to counter Derek’s interference. But the sheer force of Derek’s magic was unending with just one collision.

As the search magic clashed against each other, they vied to devour each other’s territories.

I had heard that in large-scale wars, this competition for territory between search mages often decided the outcome of the battlefield.

It was only hearsay until now, but facing an opponent who wielded magic so directly and violently, exerting such pressure, was a first for me.

Even as a teacher, there had never been a case where one would engage in a genuine magic battle against a noble lady to this extent.

But that mercenary-turned-teacher knew nothing of such delicacies.

Derrick was thoroughly practical, and he didn’t hold Denis’s noble lineage in high regard.

To him, she was just another noble lady, deserving of the bare minimum of courtesy, but at his core, he saw her as just one of many students.

As their magic collided, this truth seemed to become even more evident.

While most nobles might feel humiliated, strangely, Denis’s lips curled into a smirk.

“Don’t regret this.”

Denis summoned all her magic with sincere effort.

After all, there was no need to be wary of a magic teacher she was going to dismiss.

Having been absent all day, she was determined to unleash her magic on the teacher who had just appeared.

It was rare for her to exert her full power, maybe a few times a year at most.

Derrick received her magic with a relaxed demeanor.

It was the first time Denis had shown a smile during training.

*

“It’s rather reassuring when the trap is laid out so openly.”

In the Duplain family’s annex.

Sitting alone, reviewing her magical senses, Diella snorted at the letter sent by Denis.

“Bet something valuable and challenge me to a magic duel. I’ll purposely lose.”

Diella wore a look of disbelief at such an unbelievable story, but the content of Denis’s letter was, in fact, one hundred percent true.

Denis had written the letter with her hand on her heart under the sky, filled only with sincerity, but to Diella, who was like a hedgehog bristling with spikes against everyone, these lines appeared as nothing more than a declaration of war.

In short, Lady Denis seemed to be pretending to hand over Derrick while accepting the duel, planning to knock Diella down, take what she wanted, and break her pride. It was likely that Diella, who had been openly challenged at the Roséa Salon, was particularly irksome to her.

Diella was calmly furious.

Since being taught by Derrick, her anger had become more like a cold chill than a hot blaze.

Her lips trembled slightly on her frozen expression. Denis was blatantly scratching at Diella’s pride.

No one would walk into such an openly dug trap, but Diella decided to accept the offer with joy.

“How amusing. Do you think I would lose to a socialite-level magician?”

Diella was determined to overcome not only Aiselin but also Valerian.

– Aghast!

As Diella honed her magical senses, she unleashed that vast power, filling the annex with it.

Soon, countless thorny brambles stretched out, covering the room entirely. Despite not being a spell cast with intense concentration, its scale and level had reached a considerable state.

The brambles, inflamed with magic, seemed to protect a noble rose within.

Nestled among them, Diella crumpled Denis’s letter in her hand and rose from her seat. The ferocity in her eyes was akin to that of a wild animal.

To hand over Derrick to such a serpentine human, it would be more fitting to forcibly bring him to the Duplain family.

At least, Diella was certain of that.