There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

People (7)

The blizzard rose.

With each step Siern took on the snowy field, the surrounding snow scattered into the sky with the force of his magic.

It looked as if a vortex was alive and moving.

– WHoooSH!

– WHISTLE!

Though his eyes were filled with emotions of anger, Siern did not raise his voice any further.

Aiselin was just someone he had met a few weeks ago, merely a passing acquaintance.

She was the complete opposite of Siern. Nothing matched between them, so they couldn’t have been particularly close.

Therefore, it was strange that her death made him so furious.

– WHISTLE

However, seeing Aiselin buried in the snow, motionless, made him bite his lower lip hard.

Even with that brief encounter, Siern could tell.

She was a person of such complete character that she deserved to be called the flower of the Duplain family, and she was so understanding that she tried to comprehend Siern, whom everyone called a monster. She was a beautiful girl, as if all things blessed her.

Even Siern’s cold heart trembled when he looked at her.

Siern, who couldn’t control his instinct to kill, would have tried to push her away somehow… but even so, she wasn’t someone who should die so easily.

—

—

There is value and superiority even in human life.

If someone had to die, it should have been me. It’s too unreasonable for such a precious person, who tried to embrace and care for even someone like me, to die.

Therefore, the girl raises her head and looks at the mercenary ahead.

Raising her hand and clenching her fist tightly, she effortlessly manifests the 2-star summoning magic, ‘Call of the Beast.’

– Whooosh!

Dozens of wolves made of magic rise on the snowy field.

Those spectral beasts bared their teeth and charged at Derek. Each one was a giant beast the size of a human, but Derek leaped back without a hint of panic and swung his staff.

– Grrrr! Grrr!

– Kaang!

Steam rose between the ferociously bared fangs.

Derek kicked the belly of a wolf that was drooling and charging at him, rolled on the ground once, drew his sword, and slashed its neck.

– Swoosh!

The series of movements was so smooth and skillful.

The wolf, not even realizing it had been struck, turned back into magic and disappeared.

However, there were still dozens of wolves left.

The pack of wolves, circling around Derek, all charged at once, but not a single one could leave a scratch on him.

– Fwoosh! Whoosh!

The massive flames that erupted covered the surroundings, and the wolves summoned by magic all let out yelps and burned away.

Some wolves managed to get close to Derek, but they were soon cut down and disappeared by his sword.

– Slash! Whoosh!

Derek, who rolled once on the snowy field and got up, held a longsword in one hand and a large staff in the other.

Derek, proficient in both magic and close combat, could handle any attack Siern threw at him.

Siern knew that fact as well.

Although Siern’s magical achievements were tremendous for her age, she couldn’t overpower Derek.

Knowing well that she could never defeat Derek with straightforward tactics, Siern was only thinking of distracting his attention.

Thus, among the numerous spectral wolves, a real beast mixed in.

– Kaang!

Siern’s claws flew and struck Derek’s drawn sword.

Though her small, white fingertips had blunt and soft nails, when they clashed with Derek’s blade, a fierce sound and sparks flew.

– Crack! Crackle!

—

—

I remember the first time I met Siern, her fingertips were vividly stained with blood.

She uses transformation magic to control even the strength and hardness of her body. There would be no one in the world who could use such high-level transformation magic at her age.

Siern then sees the expression of the mercenary with white hair hanging beyond the blade.

That expression looked so peaceful that Siern clenched her mouth shut again.

“You must see me as a monster too.”

“…”

“But you don’t seem particularly human either.”

Siern gritted her teeth and drew more magic power.

As the magic power seeped into Derek’s sword, Siern grabbed the sharp blade.

– Crunch, crunch

– Crackle!

Eventually, the blade Siern was holding shattered completely. As Derek furrowed his brows and leaped back, Siern’s claws grazed the spot where he had just been.

– Whoosh!

With just one swing, the aftermath of the immense magic power scattered all the snow piled around.

And through the swirling snowflakes, she came charging with gleaming white eyes.

She took the form of a beautiful girl, but she was no different from a beast blinded by slaughter.

‘Transformation magic?’

Derek threw the sword, now reduced to just a handle, into the middle of the snowy field and grabbed his staff again.

The magic that changes the properties of matter is quite difficult, and the amount of magic power used is enormous.

If she changed the essence of Derek’s solid sword to the point of breaking it like a cookie, even a 2-star mage would be panting and exhausted.

However, Siern’s agile movements did not slow down.

Using 3-star transformation magic and acceleration, she ran around the snowy field with even more intense determination.

At this point, it was clear why even renowned mages couldn’t control her.

To control a girl who charges in without warning and exudes murderous intent, outstanding magical knowledge, culture, or elegance is not enough.

What was needed was the overwhelming spirit to crush her.

– Bang!

When Derek created a shield with magic to block Siern’s next strike, she was already panting heavily.

She had used too much advanced magic in such a short time. It wouldn’t be strange for an ordinary mage to collapse from exhaustion.

Nevertheless, Siern stared intently at Derek.

Facing the clear murderous intent rising from her skin, anyone would have to swallow dryly.

—

—

However, Derek let out a chuckle.

“Are you so angry that Miss Aislin is dead? What makes you so angry?”

“…”

“Do you think Miss Aislin would have affirmed and embraced you, Miss Siern? Are you angry because you feel like you’ve lost such a precious person? What does that even mean?”

– Crackle, snap.

Derek’s protective magic shows no sign of breaking.

In front of him, Derek lowered his eyes and spoke clearly with a fierce gaze.

“Didn’t you kill her yourself anyway?”

“──.”

“Then it doesn’t matter either way, does it? Miss Siern, you are truly peculiar.”

In those cold-blooded eyes, there is an emotion that seems to genuinely not understand Siern.

“Isn’t it rather good that your hands aren’t stained with blood? Or are you disappointed that you couldn’t kill her yourself? If that’s the case, I can understand.”

“…”

“I can’t quite understand the mind of a monster driven by a killing instinct. If you feel some sort of pleasure or joy from directly killing someone you cherished, well, I can’t respect it, but I can understand it. Is that it?”

“Ahaha. Hahaha..”

– Snap!

Siern leaped back, widening the distance.

Landing on the snowy field, she stood up, her blue hair fluttering in the wind.

Her face was shadowed by her deeply bowed head, making her expression invisible.

Meanwhile, Derek nonchalantly dusted off his staff, wearing an indifferent expression.

“Yes. The lady you killed was truly wonderful and complete, to the point where she didn’t even suit a monster like me. Still… I don’t think I can agree with everything she said.”

– ‘There is no one in this world who deserves to die, Miss Siern.’

Even in the middle of the cold snowy field, she affirmed Siern until the end, speaking with a determined face. Until she spurted blood from Derek’s blade, she looked Siern in the eyes and spoke.

Recalling that scene, Siern slowly revealed her fierce eyes.

She spoke each word, filled with seething hatred.

“People like you deserve to die.”

Eventually, even the faint light of humanity left in her pupils disappeared.

Abandoning her reason as a human, she listened to the voice of the great monster that sought to dominate the world.

Someone whispered into Siern’s heart, which had been suppressing her true nature.

He is a person who deserves to die. He is a person who deserves to die.

—

—

As Siern was provoked, the beautiful lady of the Rochester family eventually hid herself from the world.

– Hwaaak!

What took her place was a monster driven mad by slaughter.

*

A massive swirl of magical power could be seen outside the window.

Sitting in his office, with his chin resting on his hand, Sir Melverot’s expression remained unchanged as he looked up at the scene.

It was a phenomenon that occurred when Siern completely lost her reason and revealed her true nature as a monster.

When she revealed her true nature as a monster, she would destroy everything in sight and kill indiscriminately.

Without even her own will, she moved like a natural disaster, driven solely by her instincts.

Usually, Melverot would personally step in to suppress or subdue her.

However, Derrick had earnestly requested him not to intervene until the end, to just watch from there.

Perhaps it was an arrogant judgment.

The wild murderous intent of Siern, fully unleashed, would make even the most battle-hardened veterans break out in a cold sweat.

Perhaps, it would only result in one more victim of Siern.

– ‘If you taught her the weight of death, then you must also teach her how to control her instincts.’

– ‘Is it possible to control the instincts of a monster?’

– ‘It shouldn’t be impossible. After all, humans don’t live solely by their instincts. If you can create a single opportunity for her to overcome that intense impulse, and if she can succeed just once… it will gradually become easier the second, third, and fourth times.’

From noble mtl dot com

– ‘…’

– ‘So, it’s crucial after she completely loses her reason. I will take responsibility and try to restore Miss Siern’s reason. Will you trust me just once?’

Derrick was an expert on monsters. It wasn’t that Melverot didn’t know this, but he couldn’t blindly trust him either.

However, from Melverot’s perspective, there was nothing to lose. If Derrick acted recklessly and got killed, it would only be his own misstep.

But, watching Derrick, he felt a strange sense of certainty.

Melverot muttered to himself with his chin resting on his hand.

‘If he truly is a capable talent, it would be welcome on my part to grant him a title or two.’

The problem was whether he could prove his ability.

– Bang!

The bluish magical power began to turn a dark red and started to surge.

The beast, engulfed in madness, rushed at Derrick, her dress fluttering. The amount and intensity of the magical power were several times stronger than when she had even a shred of reason left.

– Crash! Crack!

– Thud!

—

—

Every time Sierne swung her arm, combat spells that first-class wizards had to cast with all their might flew like arrows.

Derek could defend against all of them with just a single wave of his staff, but he had to dodge Sierne’s body, which was charging at him in a frenzy, with his own feet.

– Whoosh! Bang! Whoosh! Bang!

Each strike felt like a massive explosion.

For an ordinary person without any means of defense, even a graze would be fatal. Despite the countless heavy blows flying at him, Derek’s expression remained completely unmoved.

He was a boy who had lived by killing countless monsters.

He had killed so many monsters driven to madness and desperation that he couldn’t even count them all.

The sheer strength and firepower of such monsters were immense, often resulting in the loss of a body part if one was not careful.

However, a monster that had lost its reason had straightforward attacks and predictable movements. As long as one wasn’t overwhelmed by their tremendous momentum, dealing with them wasn’t too difficult.

– Kwooom!

However, saying it is one thing; reality is completely different.

The moment Sierne’s missed magic arrow struck the ground, a deep crater appeared.

Her body, leaping across the snowy field, was hard to follow even with the eyes.

Her long hair fluttered along her path, looking like the tail fur of a giant beast.

– Kaang!

As she charged again, enveloping her claws in transformation magic, Derek manifested a protective spell.

The sight of her claws trembling as they were pushed back. As Sierne took a deep breath beyond the protective barrier, a massive breath appeared in the cold air of the snowy field.

There was no reason in the light emanating from her eyes.

The teachers who had fled, calling her a monster, had made a rational decision. It was a moment that proved that fact.

*

What does it mean to teach someone?

It was a constant concern for Derek, who had somehow found himself as a magic teacher among the nobility.

Whether it was Diela, Ellente, or Drinis… Derek always seemed to carry such concerns when teaching someone.

If it were simply about conveying knowledge, reading a book would be better. Ultimately, being someone’s teacher and teaching someone must have some greater meaning.

Aisellin always thought it was impressive to see Derek, who was constantly pondering how to lead people in a better way, lost in such concerns.

Aisellin, who had first discovered and recruited Derek, who had been working as a mercenary in the taverns, believed she understood Derek’s deep thoughts better than anyone.

Therefore, she thought Derek’s deviation in trying to kill Sierne was just a slight wandering.

There is no life in this world that deserves to die. No matter who it is, one should ponder how to lead people in a better direction, not just solve everything easily by killing them.

That was the way the upright and kind Aisellin viewed the world. She believed that someday Derek would understand such Aisellin and wanted to believe and wait for him, who was advancing in a misguided direction, until the end.

However, was that too arrogant a thought?

—

—

At the moment when Aisellin was stabbed by Derek’s sword and blood gushed out, she thought.

Trying to embrace and understand everyone might be overestimating oneself.

Perhaps Derek’s nature of trying to solve complex matters through murder was something innate, something Aisellin couldn’t do anything about.

There are many things that cannot be solved with warm idealism. As if to remind her of that fact, the boy’s blade was aimed at Aisellin.

As she slowly lost consciousness in the middle of the snowy field… Aisellin thought.

I still don’t know anything about this boy named Derek.

That ignorance and arrogance must have been the cause of her death──

“…..Kchut!”

That was the moment Aisellin accepted her death.

When she regained a bit of consciousness, it was so cold that she sneezed.

“…?”

The blood spreading under the accumulating snowflakes was surely flowing from Aisellin.

However, as soon as she regained consciousness, Aisellin was able to quickly lift her upper body. She felt no pain in her body, just a bit of chill in her fingertips and toes.

– Kang! Kang! Kaang!

As the sound of battle echoed from somewhere far away, she finally regained full consciousness.

“Huh…?”

Aisellin opened her eyes wide and looked around.

She clearly remembered being stabbed by Derek’s sword. However, there was no wound on her body, just a large hole in the side of her blouse.

Derek’s sword had only pierced Aisellin’s loose clothing. It wouldn’t have been difficult to miss, given that Aisellin usually wore fluttering clothes.

“……”

Looking around, she saw a large leather pouch with a hole in it lying on the ground.

She reached out with her trembling hand and picked it up, finding it filled with red dye that was soaking the ground. The unique floral scent of the dye from the western continent lingered in her nose.

Aisellin instinctively knew. At the moment she was stabbed, she definitely felt the energy of magic rising.

Using the confusion magic ‘Chaos’, her consciousness had been temporarily scattered.

“My… goodness…”

The reason for such a troublesome act was obvious. It was to fake Aisellin’s death and provoke Siern.

Why do such a thing?

To strongly imprint the weight of death on Siern once.

Only by making Siern understand the heavy meaning of the word death several times, the groundwork for controlling Siern’s instincts would be complete. ─That’s why Derek played the role of the villain.

She recalled the back of the man standing firmly with a sword dripping with red dye like blood on the snowy field.

—

—

Understanding all those pictures, Aiselin’s fingertips began to tremble more violently.

“When… did it all start…?”

From where had he been drawing this picture? It was obvious. From the very beginning.

Derek, who did not trust Aiselin’s acting skills, had set up the stage, making her believe that all this was real.

Aiselin, unaware of this, was trying to stop Derek by rebelling against him.

What is a teacher, and what does it mean to teach someone?

If necessary, it means pushing the student off a cliff and enduring being seen as a demon by the other person.

The grace of that teaching is realized too late. If the person being taught notices such intentions from the beginning, it means nothing.

Therefore, Siern would know nothing now.

Derek’s rampage was all to correct Siern. That fact had remained unchanged from the beginning.

The fact that Aiselin was still alive was the clear evidence of that.