Chapter 3: Derrick (3)
–[2-star magic is now accessible. ]
–[ You have acquired the 2-star magic 'Auditory Hallucination'. ]
*
From that day on, Katia began to take Derrick with her in earnest and started teaching him various kinds of magic.
At first, she had only planned to set the framework of the basics, but Derrick's talent was far more outstanding than Katia had expected.
It wasn't that she harbored some grand ambition to take in a good disciple and nurture the next generation.
Katia simply saw a great misfortune that would come to Derrick, and she found it hard to pretend she hadn't seen it.
"You've probably been through your share of hardships, so you should know this well, but living as a mercenary is really not easy. Still, there are such things as know-how."
Katia accompanied him on requests to hunt small monsters, and also taught him how to handle minor errands smoothly.
When requests were slow, they would walk together through scenic places on the outskirts of Ebelstein, drink good-quality tea together, or bargain for ingredients together in the market streets. She tried, as much as she could, to broaden Derrick's horizons as much as possible.
At the same time, whenever she had the chance, she would also pass on various kinds of knowledge about magic to Derrick. As the seasons changed again and again, Derrick listened carefully to Katia's words and quickly absorbed everything she taught him.
Before they knew it, everyone in the mercenary world who knew anything knew about the elderly woman and the young boy who walked after her. Quite a long time had passed.
During that long time, Katia continuously emphasized to Derrick that excessive talent could also become poison.
"Among mages of commoner origin, it's not that there have never been people who reached beyond the 4-star."
"Is that so...?"
"However, most of them did not end well. So you must never forget that you always have to conduct yourself carefully."
In even a famous noble family, there are usually only about two mages who have reached the 4-star.
It is absolutely not a realm that one can reach simply by being born with a good Bloodline.
If one goes up to the 5-Star, they become someone on the level of a family head, or become a core force of the Empire, and as for the 6-Star, there have been only a few in all of human history.
No matter how extraordinary, the realm of a Bloodline-less commoner is only up to the 3-star.
As if telling him to be sure to remember that fact, Katia whispered to Derrick in a worried voice.
"Nobles usually hold their coming-of-age ceremony at eighteen. If, by that point, you've mastered 1-star magic, you're considered to have decent talent, and if you've entered the 2-star, the elders of the family will start paying close attention to you."
"…."
Derrick was now fourteen.
He had to understand what that achievement meant.
Thus, Katia brought Derrick back to her small house located at the very edge of the commercial district.
There was almost no luggage in the single shabby room. It was a place more than sufficient for a single woman to live in, but it was far too miserable to be called the dwelling of someone who had once lived in a splendid noble mansion.
However, Katia was already used to this kind of life.
Dust would fly everywhere, and there were almost no furnishings. Since mercenaries never know where they might wander off to, they always needed to keep their belongings light.
After sitting Derrick down on the hard wooden bed, Katia sat on a creaking chair and spoke in a calm tone.
"Considering your age, be careful not to use magic recklessly wherever you go. In places with many people, it's best to only use 1-star magic. Even that alone is an achievement that doesn't suit your age."
"How far had you learned magic by the time you had your coming-of-age ceremony, Master?"
" ….. My coming-of-age ceremony was so long ago that I don't remember it well. If I think about it, I think I could handle about two 1-star Illusion-type magic spells."
The Viscount Flameheart Family wasn't famous to the level of being a great magic family, but nobles were still nobles.
Since Katia, who was quite recognized for her magical ability even among nobles, was at that level at her coming-of-age ceremony, Derrick's magical ability was clearly something that would make anyone's eyes widen in surprise.
"Using me as a standard probably isn't very accurate. Back then, I had just become an adult woman, so rather than focusing only on magic, I received more education to become a proper young lady."
"Living as a young lady of the Viscount Flameheart Family ... was it hard?"
"Are you interested in noble culture?"
" ….. I'm curious, after all."
Katia took a gulp of cold water and then met Derrick's eyes as he quietly looked at her.
Was it the product of pure curiosity?
He was a boy who seemed far too mature for his age, but at times like this, it seemed that the reckless curiosity unique to his age was also blooming.
That 모습 looked as if even this young orphan, worn down by the world, still had some childlike innocence left.
Feeling something like a strange sense of relief at that sight, Katia spoke in a slightly lighter voice.
"You know how there are lots of rumors about young ladies of noble families, even in the markets or among mercenaries, right?"
"There weren't many good stories. They say that, of noble young ladies, five out of ten have no manners, and the other five have nothing but flower gardens in their heads. Either they're rude, or they have no sense of reality, I guess."
"I can see why people would say that, but that's a bit too harsh an evaluation. If the environment you grow up in is different, your values can't help but be different."
They were a master and disciple who always talked only about mercenary work or magic.
As they wandered together through this bleak mercenary world, they ended up exchanging only heavy and gloomy stories, but sometimes it was necessary to put that heaviness down as well.
Looking up at the starry sky and reciting stories of the distant mythological age, or reading even a fairy tale before sleeping. As if longing for such hazy bonds, Katia spoke calmly in a softly lowered voice.
"Most of them may be like that, but not everyone is."
"When you were living as a young lady in a noble family, Master, was it different?"
"No. To be honest, I was similar too. Girls called noble young ladies at that age all seem different, yet they also have similar parts. Especially around the time of the coming-of-age ceremony, when they start preparing for their debutante, they often fall into the feeling that they themselves are the protagonist of the world."
"Debutante?"
"It means entering high society."
Katia leaned her body against the back of the wooden chair and spoke as if reminiscing about the distant past.
"You put on a pretty dress, arm yourself with the manners of a lady, go all the way to the Empire's capital to have an audience with the Emperor. Then you hold a ball at your own home to grandly announce that you've officially debuted into high society. It's the time when a noble lady shows off her splendor the most."
"I think I've heard about it before."
"Around that time, there are really a lot of things that noble young ladies have to learn and prepare."
It was a voice like she was reading a fairy tale.
Katia, still leaning against the backrest, gently closed her eyes and recalled scenes of the past that had already gone by.
"Elegant posture and way of walking, etiquette and manners among high-ranking nobles. And mainly the cultivation needed to enrich conversation. You had to build up knowledge in many fields like art, history, and politics. Besides that, you also had to have refined hobbies. Things like flower arranging, embroidery, horseback riding, and playing musical instruments."
" ... Did it suit your aptitude?"
"Not at all. If you look at me living as a mercenary like this now, doesn't that give you a rough idea? I was a tomboy."
At those words, Derrick laughed helplessly.
So this boy can laugh too. Swallowing such a monologue, Katia continued the story.
"Besides that, you also had to practice dances that you could match and dance simply at balls, and learn the complicated history and traditions of your family ..... but the most important thing was still magic, I think."
"I thought so too."
"However, the magic of nobles is a bit different from what you, Derrick, think. You will use practical, combat-oriented magic, but in nobles' magic, etiquette and rules are valued more."
Nobles do not regard magic simply as a means to show off power or as a practical tool.
It felt like they regarded it as a kind of art or a refined hobby.
When there is a need to chant a spell, they do it as if reciting poetry.
Magic circles, too, are designed like works of art rather than just combinations of simple shapes,
and textbooks are made of high-quality materials, and are written in elegant prose along with refined illustrations.
" ….. Looking at your expression, it seems you think it's really overdoing it."
" ….. Was it that obvious?"
"It might be a story far removed from you, who has always lived in real combat, but I believe there is value in such etiquette and rules too."
"If you say so, Master, I'll try to think that way too."
"No, it's fine. If you say you'll forcibly adjust your thinking like that again, my position becomes strange, you know."
After saying that, Derrick and Katia looked at each other for a moment, and then both burst out laughing at the same time.
The two of them differed in age, in background, and in values.
And yet, it felt as if the deep parts of their hearts somehow resonated with each other.
Katia brushed off the hem of her robe and spoke in an even lighter voice.
"Derrick, even you, who think all of these things are just empty formalities and fuss, will someday, at least once, have different thoughts."
"Different thoughts?"
"A dignified young lady of a noble family looks like a blooming flower. There is always a reason why so many ladies admire that and reach out their hands."
Katia gently smiled as she smoothed Derrick's messy hair.
"Someday, I hope you will understand that too."
*
"I think it will be hard to teach you magic any longer."
Derrick's farewell with Katia came the following year.
As always, when they returned to Katia's residence after carrying out minor requests, she suddenly told him that.
If it meant that there was nothing left to teach him, that would be a happy thing, but the number of 2-star magic spells Derrick could use was still the same.
However, since his fundamentals had been refined in a more systematic and clean way, the technical completeness of his 1-star magic was now close to perfect.
The number of 1-star magic spells he could use had also noticeably increased, so it was obvious that before long he would be able to use 2-star magic cleanly and skillfully as well.
"…."
Katia had an expression as if she had made up her mind.
No matter what anyone said, she was the person who worried about Derrick the most. Even so, there was a reason she had to give him such a notice.
"I received a letter from Count Elvester, the border count. He says he wants to appoint me as a private tutor in his county."
"Count Elvester ... "
"Yes. He's the most famous hero in the eastern region. They say that the young lady of the Margrave Elvester family has entered training for her debut in high society, so it seems she needs a teacher."
He was not some minor low-ranking noble, but Count Elvester, whom even the dukes of the capital could not treat lightly.
From Katia's standpoint, it was not something she could easily refuse.
"I've rejected most similar offers, but I never thought a border count would send a letter personally. It probably spread somehow that I was walking around the mercenary world with you and teaching you magic."
It certainly isn't easy to find a teacher like Katia.
To begin with, she is a person with an unusual background, and on top of that, rumors must have been added that she had turned a kid from the slums into a solid mage.
That was largely thanks to Derrick himself having extraordinary magical talent, but to those around them, it would also look like Katia's achievement. In fact, even Derrick himself thought she was indeed a great teacher.
In any case, from a third party's point of view, there could be no better piece of good news than this.
If she became a private tutor to the Margrave Elvester family, both money and honor would be fully guaranteed. Not only that, Freya, the young lady of the Margrave Elvester family, was known to everyone in that region as a graceful and proper person.
Being able to become the teacher of such a person was close to a blessing from heaven.
"…."
Even so, it wasn't hard to guess why Katia's expression was heavy.
There was no way she could stay in the Margrave Elvester's residence, which was practically the headquarters of the eastern region's high society, while bringing along a lowborn commoner from the slums.
Unfortunately, it was time to prepare for farewell.
After that, until the day she left Ebelstein, Katia moved about busily.
She spent part of the money she had saved to prepare some simple equipment for Derrick.
They were not the everyday clothes or magic supplies he usually used, but proper mercenary gear.
She also made arrangements so that Derrick could use the residence she had been staying in for as long as he wanted until she left, and she handed him one Magic Book that contained some simple magic theory.
Books that allow one to acquire magical knowledge are valuable. Derrick's previous master had been beaten to death for trying to steal a Magic Book.
Since Derrick knew its value, his eyes widened when he received the book.
"You'll probably be able to finish that kind of Magic Book in just a few years. It's not as good as direct teaching, but considering your ability to learn, it won't be bad. When you think you've mastered it completely, sell it and add it to your funds."
"Master. Still, this is..."
"Anyway, once I enter the Margrave Elvester family, I won't have to worry much about money. So take it."
And so two months passed, and the day came for her to leave for the county.
After packing all her belongings, Katia neatly arranged the hem of the gray-white robe she always wore and picked up a bag containing her simple luggage.
On the road in front of the residence, as always, countless citizens of Ebelstein were heading somewhere with their steps. Katia, too, would blend in among them and drift away from this city.
They had done everything they could in those two months, but on the eve of the journey, Katia's face was still filled with worry.
Looking at Katia, who showed her heavy heart as she looked back at him, Derrick smiled calmly.
"Don't make that kind of face. You're the one who taught me for years without asking for anything in return."
"Derrick."
"Look at me, Master."
Derrick raised both arms and spoke in a showy, cheeky way.
A boy who was still only fifteen was far too young to be called an adult. Even so, Derrick had become much more solid compared to when he used to roll around in the slums.
A robe made of good leather, a wool tunic, clean trousers, and even a leather belt with a shining buckle. At the very least, he definitely didn't look like someone who would starve wherever he went.
"I'm already an adult. I can take care of myself."
Though he was still infinitely young, he was very different from the time when he would stuff cheap bread into his mouth in the corner of a mercenary tavern.
When you look at such a Derrick, you can see a dependable side that you wouldn't normally see in a child of this age.
Katia quietly lowered herself and wrapped her arms around Derrick's shoulders.
And then what she told him was completely outside of Derrick's expectations.
"There's no need to become an adult too early, Derrick."
Harsh reality may have urged you to become an adult quickly, but even in that mud, make sure you live while remembering the childlike innocence you once held.
Leaving those words behind, Katia waved her hand and blended into the crowd.
"See you again."
Derrick quietly waved his hand and saw her off.
*
After parting with Katia like that, Derrick quietly returned to the residence she had been using.
When he closed the door and went inside, only a small space with a wooden bed, a shabby table, and silence remained.
It was the first time since coming to this world that he had become conscious of such silence. From before, this world had been nothing more to Derrick than part of a game he had played long ago.
However, now, he knew well that this place was already one real world.
"…."
He poured cold water into a wooden mug, took a few sips, pulled out the chair in front of the table, and sat down.
In the silence, as if time had stopped, he sat still for a while.
Soon, sounds came drifting in through the window from time to time.
The sound of neighborhood kids playing. The sound of merchants' carts clattering past. The sound of the church bell announcing noon. The sound of the baker across the street sweeping in front of his shop.
Even though Katia had left, the world was still flowing on energetically.
The absence of his master left a small emptiness in his chest, but the world still flowed on, and life continued.
Amid such miscellaneous noise of the world, Derrick, who had been sitting blankly alone in the room, eventually took out the Magic Book and opened it.
–Scratch, scratch, scratch.
The pages were turning like flowing water.
Time was the same.
[Acquired Magic List ]
◆ Combat Magic
★☆☆☆☆☆ Mana Arrow
★☆☆☆☆☆ Full Power Manifestation
★★☆☆☆☆ Fireball
◆ Transformation Magic
★☆☆☆☆☆ Light Creation
◆ Illusion Magic
★☆☆☆☆☆ Sound Block
★★☆☆☆☆ Auditory Hallucination
◆ Summoning Magic
★☆☆☆☆☆ Summon - Guide Fairy
◆ Search Magic
★☆☆☆☆☆ Direction Detection
★★☆☆☆☆ Clairvoyance
–Thud.
Derrick closed the Magic Book while examining the list of magic that came to his mind.
"….. It's about time I head out, I should be able to make it in time to meet the Captain."
After finishing his daily routine of reading the Magic Book, he got up from the table to go out for the request appointment he had in the afternoon.
He roughly stuffed a sandwich into his mouth, tied the laces of his leather boots, and opened the door to go out. The midday sunlight streamed into Derrick's residence.
In just one year, Derrick self-studied two more 2-star magic spells.
At that age, he was only sixteen.
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