Chapter 34 Translator: XZY
Chapter 34: 3-Star (4) ***
'That man, the Grand Duke of Beltus, doesn't seem to age at all.'
The Margrave of Belmeade thought to himself.
The central conference room of the Cleon Hall in the noble district of Ebelstein.
The sight of the three noble families, who had made a name for themselves in the western part of the empire, gathered in one place, made the servants swallow a dry gulp of saliva.
This was because each and every one of them was a person who ruled like a king in their own domain, and a small mistake could develop into a great shame for their family.
'Perhaps the joke that he has dabbled in the forbidden is not just for nothing.'
The Margrave of Belmeade was presiding over the meeting with a magnanimous laugh, but the Grand Duke of Duplein and the Grand Duke of Beltus, as always, were just making heavy and gloomy expressions.
The heads of houses were usually like that. In fact, it was a person like the Margrave of Belmeade who was rare.
"If the Grand Duke of Duplein plans to expand his territory beyond the northern part of the Belkos Peninsula, you will have to be careful of the labyrinths in the White Zone. If you can control the trade fees that circulate through there, it will be a great gain, but if you needlessly provoke the magical beasts of a high-level labyrinth, wouldn't the damage just be greater?"
"The Grand Duke of Beltus has many worries. I have dispatched the domain's knights to investigate, and it seems there will be no major anomalies."
"Since the lives of the domain's people are at stake, you should be more cautious. If need be, we could dispatch some of our domain's knight order."
"Do you call those men a knight order? Not a bunch of mercenaries?"
The Grand Duke of Beltus, with his thin face and bluish hair hanging down, wrinkled his expression.
The domain of the Beltus family was large and fertile, but in truth, it could not compare to the other two people sitting in this place. This was because most of it consisted of islands and mountainous regions.
Although its military power was on par with that of a high noble, more than half of its scale was nothing more than the employment of General Orel's mercenary corps, who were former soldiers.
Since its authority itself could not compare to the Grand Duke of Duplein, who had the blood of the direct imperial line mixed in, it was safe to say that he was always suffering from a shortage of talent. He was a person who was always on edge, afraid of being pushed out of these three great families.
"The Grand Duke of Duplein's words are too harsh. Aren't the men of General Orel's mercenary corps, who are stationed in the Beltus domain, also those who wield their swords with their own convictions and beliefs?"
"Aren't they the kind of fellows who would stab the person they were just protecting without hesitation if you shower them with gold coins? It seems you can sleep with your feet stretched out even after entrusting your domain to such people."
"It seems the Grand Duke of Duplein thinks he can handle that vast domain with only his private soldiers forever. There are plenty of rumors that in the outer regions of the Duplein domain, public order has hit rock bottom and criminals are rampant."
The Grand Duke of Duplein let out a hollow laugh. He knew that General Orel's mercenary corps was valiant, but simply entrusting them with a few requests and entrusting them with the security of the domain were completely different matters.
"You will feel the limit someday. Or, are you thinking of being satisfied with just that much?"
"A ridiculous provocation."
"Did it sound like a provocation? I have stated a fact."
The Margrave of Belmeade let out a deep sigh. In fact, he was not unaware of the reason why the two of them were being so sensitive.
The White Zone, which spread to the north of the Duplein domain, was a forbidden area full of all sorts of high-risk labyrinths.
If they could break through it to improve the trade fees and recover the treasures hidden in the labyrinths, it would be a great gain, but... in truth, there were parts that were not easy with just the military power of the Duplein domain alone. This was because labyrinth exploration was not something that could be solved simply by the scale of military power.
The reason the Grand Duke of Beltus was whispering next to him about dispatching a knight order was because he wanted to take the treasures of that White Zone together. Since he needed a pretext to gain benefits together, he was constantly prodding the Grand Duke of Duplein to ask for help if it was too much for him.
In fact, such disputes over interests were always happening, but it was not a topic to be discussed in a place like this.
Since the discussion on the tariffs for goods passing through to Ebelstein was all finished anyway, the Margrave of Belmeade thought he should just exchange some pleasantries and then part ways.
"Still, with everyone coming all the way to Ebelstein to exchange opinions in person, it is much faster and better than discussing things through letters. Since all the points of contention have reached an agreement, let's conclude the consultation here. Since everyone has made the journey to this distant place, shouldn't we at least see our children's faces in the noble district's social circle after a long time?"
The Margrave of Belmeade turned the topic to their children.
In fact, the people gathered in this place, although their methods were different, were all people who doted on their children.
The fact that each of their daughters held a position in the Rosea Salon of the Ebelstein social circle was also important.
Since the fathers themselves were constantly engaged in a war of nerves, they had a strong desire to make sure that at least their daughters were not intimidated anywhere they went.
"I heard that Lady Diella of the Duplein family will also be entering the Ebelstein social circle after her coming-of-age ceremony. Although she went through a bit of a wandering period, I heard that her magical achievements have been great lately."
There was no parent who disliked praise for their child.
When the Margrave of Belmeade praised Diella to lighten the mood, the Grand Duke of Duplein crossed his arms and leaned his body against the back of the luxurious wooden chair.
"Hmm... it's true she had a bit of a wandering period, but it seems she has achieved a lot lately. However, she has a tendency to underestimate her own achievements, being intimidated by Aiseline's."
"She'll be too busy preparing for her debutante to have time for such pessimistic thoughts, she'll discard them soon enough."
The Margrave of Belmeade lightened the mood by throwing such pleasantries, but in truth, it was not that he was always accommodating to others. Especially when it came to boasting about his children, he was a person who held nothing back.
"However, she won't be a match for Elente."
"..."
"The Grand Duke of Duplein need not be too pessimistic. Even if she falls short of our daughter Elente's achievements, that is by no means something to be ashamed of, is it?"
The Grand Duke of Duplein's brow twitched slightly.
If the topic turned to boasting about daughters, it was not that he had nothing to say.
"It's true that Diella's achievements haven't fully come up yet. However, since she has no hope of matching Aiseline, has she changed her target to Diella?"
"..."
Aiseline was the flower of the Ebelstein social circle and a figure like the pillar of the Rosea Salon.
To be honest, even the doting father, the Margrave of Belmeade, found it difficult to nod his head easily if asked whether his daughter Elente was more noble and excellent than Lady Aiseline.
The fact that his daughter was Aiseline was like holding a winning hand in a child-boasting fight.
Even as he thought it was truly hopeless, he could not bear for his daughter Elente to be treated as inferior anywhere she went.
"It seems the Grand Duke of Duplein has not heard about the recent magic duel."
"What? A magic duel?"
"Yes. Although Lady Aiseline always reigns at the top of the Ebelstein social circle, such dignity may not last forever."
In fact, it was not that he had not heard about this magic duel at all.
This was because Aiseline would frankly confide in the Grand Duke of Duplein about various miscellaneous stories that happened in the Ebelstein social circle.
In particular, it seemed she had felt a lot from the recent magic duel with Elente.
Aiseline was always composed. However, it was clear that in this duel, she had felt a sense of crisis, on the verge of being defeated by Elente.
It was obvious just from the way she, who had always thought only of the family, had actively sought to hire a new master.
In reality, Elente had caught up to Aiseline's very throat. The Grand Duke of Duplein quietly looked at the Margrave of Belmeade, who was looking at him with a triumphant expression, and then slowly narrowed his brow.
He had heard that Aiseline had won the duel. However, looking at the Margrave of Belmeade's expression, it was to the point where one could not distinguish who was the winner and who was the loser.
"Certainly, it seems that the mercenary-born master who taught Lady Diella possesses outstanding skills. Though that mercenary is now completely on our Elente's side."
Although he was speaking with a dignified and refined manner of speech, in truth, the content was nothing more than prodding the Grand Duke of Duplein.
The magic master from whom you benefited so much is now working for our family. Aren't you jealous? It was nothing more and nothing less than that.
However, the Grand Duke of Duplein also looked at the Margrave of Belmeade and snorted.
"On Elente's side? Do you really think that mercenary rabble is the kind of fellow who would put down roots in one place?"
"Pardon?"
"From the looks of it, the Margrave of Belmeade has not met that mercenary."
The Grand Duke of Duplein's words hit the mark. He had not even seen the face of the mercenary who was the magic master that Elente and Aiseline trusted and followed so much.
As the Margrave of Belmeade was momentarily at a loss for words, the Grand Duke of Duplein propped his chin on his hand and said with an arrogant expression.
"Certainly, the fellow has an outstanding talent for teaching people, but he is a talent who cannot be easily tied down to one place, and if you try to do so by force, it will only leave a counter-effect."
He was a mage, one filled with a desire for achievement, before he was a magic master.
If he judged that teaching noble young ladies was beginning to have a negative impact on his own magical achievements, he would not teach anyone even if he were given a fortune.
To handle such a talent, it was more efficient to persuade rather than to force, anyway.
The Grand Duke of Duplein's insight was the kind that could only be had by meeting the man named Derek in person. The Margrave of Belmeade could not make such a judgment at this point.
Feeling as if he had the psychological upper hand, a bit of composure returned to the Grand Duke of Duplein's voice.
"On top of that, the fellow has already worked as a master at the Duplein estate for a long time, and he has also interacted with Diella for a long time. Since he also understands deeply what kind of person Aiseline is, isn't it obvious that he would eventually come in as the master of the familiar Aiseline rather than teaching Elente?"
"Keuk..."
"Did you think you could tie the fellow down just because he had a little deviation at the Belmeade family? A monarch should know how to grasp and handle people."
He could not refute the Grand Duke of Duplein's words.
In reality, Derek, having worked under the Grand Duke of Duplein, understood deeply that he was a person who gave rewards befitting the results he produced.
He did not even know what kind of person the Margrave of Belmeade was, so there was no need for him to be loyal to him.
If there was a person to whom Derek would offer his loyalty, it was ultimately only the Grand Duke of Duplein.
At the tone that was filled with such conviction, the Margrave of Belmeade touched his chin and let out a hollow breath.
'I'll have to meet the fellow.'
Elente seemed to really want to have the magic master named Derek. In reality, it was also true that she had achieved great results in the magic duel with Aiseline because of that master named Derek.
For his daughter to have her master taken away because of the difference in the fathers' authority. That was an unbearable thing.
Even more so, to have her master taken away by none other than that Aiseline; if such a thing happened, he would not be able to sleep with his feet stretched out at night. That, at least, he had to prevent, even if he had to fight for it.
'The Veldern Mercenary Corps, was it?'
After this meeting, the other monarchs would go to meet their daughters in the noble district.
It was an apologetic thing for Elente, but he decided that he, at least, had to head to 'Veldern's Tear' in the tavern street faster than anyone else.
Only after he had pushed that mercenary named Derek into Elente's arms would he feel relieved as he left Ebelstein.
'...'
However, the expression of the Grand Duke of Beltus, who was listening to the two's conversation, was not so light either.
He was an opportunist.
If people like the Margrave of Belmeade and the Grand Duke of Duplein were fighting over a single talent like that, there must be something to him.
Since he was a magic teacher who taught noble young ladies, there was also enough of a pretext.
This was because his own daughter, Lady Denise, had not made much progress in her magical achievements lately.
To be precise, it was because Lady Denise simply lacked motivation and was only doing as much as others did. However, the Grand Duke of Beltus, despite being her father, had not seen through such a lazy disposition of Lady Denise.
'I'll have to send a letter to Denise and have her find out about the magic teacher named Derek. It would be fastest to ask around in the social circle.'
In any case, if Denise herself took the initiative, she would bring something back.
That girl did not take the initiative to do anything, but once she did, she always produced results.
In reality, Denise had already predicted that the Grand Duke of Beltus would give such an instruction. She had already sent a request letter to the Veldern Mercenary Corps.
If she could just get her hands on that man named Derek, it would surely be meaningful on this negotiating table.
<><><>
The sound of water dripping from a stalactite spread out.
Even in the darkness where one could not see an inch ahead, Drest walked forward with firm steps, unconcerned.
As Derek habitually tried to light a torch, the old man raised his withered hand and stopped Derek's movement.
"..."
"Always be aware of how to grasp your surroundings even in the dark."
"How do I do that, specifically?"
"Emit your mana."
"..."
The old man's explanations were always brief.
It was impossible to grasp what was beyond the darkness just by emitting mana.
Among detection magics, there was a magic called 'Darkvision' that allowed one to see even in the dark.
However, there was no sign that the old man was using that magic. No matter how much of a master mage he was, he could not materialize magic without even the process of refining his mana.
However, it seemed there was a knack for grasping the surroundings just by emitting mana.
Derek first closed his eyes and tried to do as the old man said. Emitting mana and letting it out was not that difficult.
However, his emitted mana just hit the dark cave here and there and disappeared.
"...Don't tell me."
"Yes. You're quick to understand. Just by scattering your mana and grasping its echo, you can get a rough grasp of the surrounding environment."
Derek swallowed a dry gulp of saliva.
It was just like a bat emitting ultrasonic waves to grasp the structure of a dark cave. It seemed the old man was so used to this process that he could walk even with his eyes closed.
If he did this, he could get a basic grasp of the battlefield without having to use high-star magic.
However, just because the theory was clear did not mean that it could be done easily.
The old man seemed to have grasped the entire structure of the cave without any trouble, but Derek had to strain all his senses just to grasp his surroundings.
"This... is possible...?"
Derek, who had tried it a few times, tilted his head, but the old man's voice was filled with seriousness.
He was talking as if even this was not some amazing technique, but the basics of detection magic.
The standard was too high. There was no way a technique like this was basic. However, Derek did not express any particular complaint.
This old man was an authority on detection magic that no one in the world could raise an objection to.
"From the looks of it, you don't seem to know the star-rank divisions of detection magic clearly. 1-Star detection magic is simply at the level of detecting danger or seeing through weaknesses, but when it reaches 2-Star, you can track the location of a specific target, detect magic itself, and even get a small glimpse of the past contained in an object or place."
Detection mages belonged to the non-mainstream. This was because they did not directly contribute to combat power.
There were almost no mages specialized in detection like Drest, and most were often utilized in a support role.
"When you reach 3-Star, you can see through disguises created by magic or see faraway places, and when you become 4-Star, you can see through another's magic level or lies. This too is just a part of the many detection magics."
"...What happens when you reach 5-Star?"
"You can read people's minds. Sometimes, you can even talk to the dead."
At those words, Derek had to swallow a dry gulp of saliva.
It meant that the old man, who was murmuring in a voice as if he had lived through everything in the world, was already reading even Derek's mind.
In other words, it meant that he had even seen through the fact that Derek was not a being subordinate to this world, and that his blessed magical talent was also not of the ordinary kind.
However, the old man did not even show a sign of surprise even after seeing Derek.
He was an old man who had lived for a whole century. It seemed there was nothing left in the world to surprise him.
"When you reach 6-Star, you can sometimes get a glimpse of the future and fate. You can't use it completely freely, but sometimes you get the feeling that this is what the gaze of a god is like. Of course, if you fall into such arrogance, the ending is not good. We must never forget the fact that we are humans who crawl on the ground."
"...Then is there a reason for you, Lord Drest, to have come to find me like this?"
"You could say that."
After the old man had delved into the dark cave for a long time, a space like a large clearing appeared.
In the darkness, bats flew around, chirping, and rodents of unknown identity were crawling on the floor.
The old man quietly sat down on a large rock in the center of it.
"You are destined to die before you have your coming-of-age ceremony."
"..."
"However, I just don't wish for that."
You are destined to die.
To hear such a declaration from none other than a 6-Star detection mage was a shocking thing.
However, Derek was not particularly surprised, nor was he emotionally moved.
As a mercenary who crossed battlefields, he was always living a life close to death. He inwardly felt a sense of wonder at his own lack of emotional turmoil.
"I have many questions."
"I'm sorry, but I have no intention of answering. I don't know how my answers will change your future. The future branches out in various ways and sometimes proceeds in a different direction from when it was first observed. But I can be sure of this one thing."
The traces of time were accumulated on Drest Wolftail's face.
He had experienced countless things while living for a century, and it seemed he had realized something at the end of it.
If there was a goal left in his life, who had lived while losing everything, what was it?
Derek could not gauge it well.
"You must not die. Therefore, I will make it so that you do not die. Because you must reach an even higher level than you are now."
"Are you saying you will pass down detection magic to me?"
"Yes. And if you can aim for 3-Star in the combat and confusion schools, it would be right to achieve it now. If you achieve it all, no one among your peers will be able to follow your achievements."
"Why on earth are you doing this? Is there something you want from me?"
Drest closed his eyes for a moment and remained still for a long time.
After contemplating how much to say, the old man seemed to have quietly found his compromise.
"Before you become an adult, Valerian Delomein Duplein will dabble in necromantic magic."
Derek's eyes widened.
"If such a thing happens, you will kill that man."
Drest Wolftail would not speak empty words.
Nevertheless, Derek had to ask back what he had just heard.
<><><>
Jayden, as always, was just wiping a cup in front of the bar table of Veldern's Tear.
However, he almost had his eyeballs pop out when he saw the face of the customer who entered the tavern early that afternoon.
This was because the head of the Belmeade family, the Margrave of Belmeade, had walked in with firm steps, escorted by numerous servants and vassals.
From the entrance of the tavern street, there was already a commotion, with all the passersby bowing their heads.
This was because he was not a person who would walk around the commercial district of Ebelstein as if he were taking a stroll, so unconcerned.
"W-Welcome."
Jayden first bowed his head deeply.
He had heard the rumor that there had been a tariff agreement between the three great noble families in Ebelstein. It was just one of the passing news.
Since he had never thought that the Margrave of Belmeade would make the journey in person, not only Jayden but also the customers gathered in the tavern could not help but have their eyes wide open.
"I heard the head butler sent a letter, but there was no reply."
"I-I didn't know you would make the journey in person. I have nothing to offer you right now. They are all low-grade liquors..."
"That's fine. Did I come here to drink? I must see the face of that mercenary named Derek in person."
The Margrave of Belmeade let out a frank laugh and then sat down at one side of the bar table.
As numerous servants stood behind him with their heads bowed, Jayden, who was standing on the other side of the table, felt like he was dying from the pressure.
In any case, he was the tavern owner right now. If the Margrave of Belmeade had come as a customer, he was in the position of having to serve him.
"I-I have received the request letter. However... there's a bit of a problem..."
"A problem?"
"Yes. W-Well... Derek is currently missing."
A few days ago, Derek had burst into the tavern with a face full of excitement, left a message that he would refuse all requests, grabbed a food pouch, and left in a flash.
Since then, there had been no contact at all. There had been days when he would rest, saying he would take a break, but this was the first time that contact itself could not be made.
'He must have received letters from the Beltus and Duplein families too, so he disappeared at a time like this?'
For the Margrave of Belmeade to have run to the tavern faster than anyone else was a strong move on his part.
He had many schedules set in Ebelstein. He had already sacrificed a lot at the point where he pushed all of them aside and made the journey in person. He was a father who would do anything for his daughter.
If the Margrave showed the sincerity of visiting in person, a mercenary of commoner birth would not be able to refuse any offer. He had to push this much pressure so that he would not be distracted by the offers of other families.
However, that was only possible if he could see his face.
"Ah, perhaps... he might have entered seclusion for training for his magical achievements... is what I'm thinking."
"Training...? And where would he be doing that?"
"That, I cannot know. At times like these, he's a very elusive fellow..."
He was a person whom Beltus, Belmeade, and Duplein were all on edge to recruit.
Whatever the case, he would not be a person bold enough to refuse an offer made by the head of a family who had visited in person.
─If so, the one who found him first was the owner.
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