Chapter 21 Translator: XZY
Chapter 21: Belmeade (1) ***
Unlike the gardens of the noble houses, which were lined with elegant works of art, the streets of the commoners smelled musty and were full of humidity. This gap was something only those who knew, knew.
One's living environment was like the measurement of a perfectly fitting garment; it was easy to go up, but not easy to go down.
Nevertheless, Derek felt quite good crossing the tavern street with his old friend.
"You'll end up a fat pig if you just eat the nobles' shit. How I sighed when I heard the news that you, Derek, were cooped up in that ducal house for months."
"Felinne. You have too many unnecessary worries. And not all nobles have ruined personalities."
"Oh my. Look at him. After eating and sleeping luxuriously for a few months, he's already become a vassal of that house, he has. He'll be taking a knight's oath next."
"Aren't you being a bit too dramatic?"
Derek let out a hollow laugh and looked at the tavern street with a sideways glance.
This place, where mercenaries with rugged impressions came and went, was renowned as the most dangerous place in Ebelstein.
As it was a place where those who would even kill a person for a few silver coins gathered, surviving here meant having to live close to violence.
And Felinne, just like Derek, was a girl who made a living as a mercenary in this tavern street.
One should not judge her rock-solid inner self by her slender appearance alone. She was a person who could chop up and kill dozens of demi-humans without changing her expression.
Derek and Felinne did not particularly ask each other about their pasts. Still, considering the hatred for nobles that occasionally popped out... it seemed that her family had also met a not-so-good end at the hands of nobles.
The era was what it was.
While thinking it was a common occurrence, Derek was not so clueless as to say such a thing in front of the person concerned. There was no act more senseless than offering an objective and analytical perspective in front of the protagonist of a tragedy.
In any case, Felinne had grown up as a person with considerable animosity towards nobles, but that did not mean she was completely closed off.
She was not a person without foresight to the extent of acting rashly in front of nobles even if she badmouthed them behind their backs, and she would occasionally carry out requests involving nobles.
Throwing away one's pride in front of money was a common thing in this mercenary world. To look at that now and say that her standards were too double was a childish act.
This was a place where the one who survived was justice.
Words like cowardly or petty were mostly nothing more than the grumblings of the fallen.
Creek
When he opened the shabby wooden door of the tavern 'Veldern's Tear,' located quite in a corner of the tavern street, the owner who was yawning on the other side of the bar table immediately came into view.
"Boss Ahjussi. Look who's here."
"Oh, Felinne. And... isn't that Derek? Wow, it's an honor for me to see the magic teacher who will soon make a name for himself in Ebelstein."
"Aigoo, you're still as dramatic as ever, Boss Ahjussi."
When Jayden greeted him, stroking his rough beard, Derek sat down at a table, expressing his pleasure without reservation.
It was late, but there were quite a few customers in every corner of the tavern. Most were mercenaries equipped with glittering gear, and seeing as they had come to a corner tavern like this, it was highly likely that they did not like noisy environments.
Derek did not want to disturb Jayden's business, so he spoke quietly in a low voice.
"It took a little longer than I thought. A request worth fifteen Idel gold coins wasn't that easy."
"Yeah. Where is it easy to make money? This is a profitable business. No, maybe we should be the ones bowing."
Jayden let out a hearty laugh and poured fruit wine into a large mug and placed it down.
Felinne drank it down without any dignity, and then let out a breath as if she was in a good mood, with a sound of 'kyahaak.'
Derek, who had only seen noble young ladies elegantly lifting their teacups for a while, felt a sense of relief for some reason upon seeing her gulping it down so heartily.
Felinne seemed to have felt Derek's gaze, and stared at Derek's eyes as if to ask what he was looking at.
"Why are you looking at me so strangely?"
"Looking at you, Felinne, makes me feel like I've returned home."
"It sounds like a very pleasant thing to hear, but when I think about the fact that you've been to a noble house, I suddenly feel bad. Are you saying I have no dignity?"
"That's right, but you hate acting with dignity like nobles anyway."
"Hmm... I have no words to refute that."
Felinne re-tied her platinum-blonde hair, which was tied up high. While she was tidying up the strands of hair sticking out here and there and tightening the hair tie again, Jayden pushed a mug towards Derek as well.
"Have a celebratory drink. The only mage of our Veldern Mercenary Corps has finally returned, what other happy occasion could there be."
"Thank you. But you're going to put all this on my tab, aren't you?"
"Being unnecessarily sharp is your biggest flaw, Derek."
Soon, laughter erupted from both Jayden and Derek, without either being the first.
Derek lifted the mug and took a few sips. And when he put the mug down, Jayden asked with his arms crossed.
"So, did you get all the money?"
"Of course. But that's not really important."
"What's more important than money?"
"Bigger money, I guess."
Derek raised one arm and showed the old book tied to his waist.
At first, both Jayden and Felinne looked at the book as if wondering what it was, but soon, as soon as they realized it was a grimoire, their eyes went wide.
"What, what is that. Derek. Don't tell me... is it a 2-Star grimoire?"
"No, it's a 3-Star grimoire. I got it from the underground library of the ducal estate."
"...3-Star? I didn't hear that wrong, did I?"
Felinne, upon hearing that, stuck her head out again and checked Derek's waist.
Felinne, whose magical knowledge was shallow, could not distinguish the star-rank of a grimoire just by its appearance. However, she knew that Derek would not bluff about something like this, so she could not help but be dumbfounded.
Even a 2-Star grimoire was something that commoners could hardly buy. A 3-Star one was something that would occasionally come up as a competitive item at a high-end auction house in the noble district.
Jayden also had to check several times, as if he could not believe that the thing tied to Derek's waist was a 3-Star grimoire.
"They gave something like this to a commoner? Derek, did you learn to bluff like this after getting a taste of the noble life?"
"I just told the truth."
"I can't believe it."
Felinne took another sip of her mug and tried to calm down. The word 'windfall' was a perfect fit for the situation.
If he could just sell that grimoire for its proper price, he could live a much better life in a much better place with much better equipment.
It was an amount that could end his life as a lower-class citizen if he put his mind to it, but Derek did not seem to have any intention of selling this grimoire right now.
"When the day comes to cash it in, I'll treat you all to a big meal."
"Of course, you should. Donate a large sum to our Veldern Mercenary Corps too."
Jayden laughed heartily again. In any case, he was a person who was genuinely happy about Derek's achievement.
"So, have any requests come in recently? I'm thinking of taking on some jobs starting tomorrow."
"You're so diligent. Don't worry about that. As you know, in this business, mages are always in short supply, never in surplus."
"But, Derek. You just got back. You're going to be running jobs already?"
Felinne spoke as if she was a little worried, but Derek lightly brushed it off as if it were nothing.
"I have to start with light subjugation jobs quickly. My senses have dulled a bit after resting for a long time in a comfortable noble estate."
At Derek's lament, Jayden let out a hollow laugh.
<><><>
From the next day, Derek spent his time carrying out various monster subjugation requests that came in through the Veldern Mercenary Corps.
As if to make up for the peaceful times he had spent, he roamed the outskirts of Ebelstein and killed numerous monsters.
Sometimes he moved alone, and sometimes he and Felinne would go around together.
As always, the work itself was overflowing.
It was quite common for monsters like goblins, trolls, and gremlins to roam the border areas. It was often the case that they were monsters that had escaped from a nearby labyrinth, and they needed to be subjugated periodically because they attacked merchants and travelers. It was often the case that killing them was the mercenaries' livelihood.
In addition to that, there were various minor tasks... from chasing away beggars who had crept into the vicinity of the territory, to beating up gangsters, chasing away ruffians who were harassing merchants, to simple escort missions, the types of jobs Derek could handle were really numerous.
Derek did not particularly pick and choose his jobs and handled everything he could.
As he had done since his childhood, he tried to do everything he could. When the sun was up, he would stroll through the tavern street and buy the trust of all sorts of clients, and when the moon was up, he would coop himself up in his lodging in a corner of the market district and read a grimoire.
On days when he went into actual combat, he tried to increase his magic mastery by using magics he had not used as much as possible, and on his days off, he would sit alone in the grasslands of the Ebelstein border and practice mana utilization. As he spent each day faithfully, even sparing his sleeping time, time flew by like an arrow.
It was late spring when Derek returned to the tavern street, but when he came to his senses, the hot summer had passed and he was heading towards autumn.
During that long time, he had not been lazy for a single moment and had steadily mastered his magic. One of Derek's greatest strengths was that consistency.
"...Hmm. I feel like I'm about to get it, but it's a bit vague."
Derek, who had been brandishing his mana in the grasslands of the Ebelstein outskirts whenever he had time, stretched his hand towards the sky.
The boy wanted to become a 3-Star mage.
It might be a dream too big for his young age, but nevertheless, he never stopped his magic training.
Didn't they say that among the nobles, the prodigies of prodigies would sometimes enter the 3-Star level around the time of their coming-of-age ceremony?
It might be a story from above the clouds for commoners, but for Derek, who had started mastering magic faster than the nobles since he was a child, it might not be such a dream-like story.
With that hope, Derek had been poring over the 3-Star grimoire every day. However, the wall of 3-Star was certainly not easily broken through. He felt that he was lacking something of a trigger.
Still, all Derek could do was to keep trying. Even if a person was born with a natural talent, if they did not put in the effort to match it, the results would not follow.
There were almost no days when he slept more than four hours, and since he pored over the grimoire every night, the cost of candles was becoming a burden. He had to think of this as an investment as well.
And so, by the time Derek's magical skill had reached the point where he could handle even 2-Star magic with maturity, the leaves had already fallen and the first snow had begun to fall.
<><><>
Kwaang!
The tavern 'Veldern's Tear.'
As its creaking wooden door was vigorously opened, the sight of Derek, covered in blood, came into view at a glance.
The cold from outside seeped into the tavern, which was filled with the heat of a crackling bonfire.
A few snowflakes came into the tavern and hit the wooden floor, and then soon turned into water droplets and wet the floor.
The drunks who were drinking beer, immersed in the cozy heat of the winter night tavern, swallowed a dry gulp upon seeing the boy at the entrance.
The boy, with his long white hair as white as those snowflakes, had no particular change in expression. He was covered in blood, but he seemed as if it were nothing.
Seeing him standing there fine, one could easily deduce that the blood was not the boy's.
The boy walked into the tavern with his boots, on which frozen snow was heavily attached. He had the large head of a monster slung over his shoulder.
Behind him, Felinne also quickly followed and ran to the bonfire to warm her hands.
"Uaaah. It's cold, so cold! Boss Ahjussi! Please give me a cup of hot tea! My fingers are going to fall off at this rate!"
Passing by Felinne who was making a fuss, Derek, who had walked inside, placed the large harpy head on the bar table with a thump. A pungent smell of blood rose.
"It took a while."
"Wow, you really went all the way to the middle of the Kent Mountains in this weather? So young, so young."
"I'll admit, it was a bit reckless. I don't want to experience camping in the snow ever again. I thought I was going to freeze to death."
"What does it matter. You have to experience that kind of hardship when you're even a year younger."
While Derek took off his leather gloves, which were covered in monster blood, and placed them on the bar table, Jayden quickly picked up the hideous harpy head and took it to the work area inside.
And then, after briefly discussing how to settle the request fee, he brought out warm honey wine.
The customers who were drinking beer in the other part of the tavern were murmuring in low voices. Most were mercenaries, so they could easily guess what kind of person that blood-covered boy was.
Derek was slowly starting to make a name for himself in the Ebelstein mercenary world.
There were many mercenaries, but mercenaries who would surely carry out the jobs they were given were almost non-existent in this business.
Among the clients, there were already many who wanted to entrust their work to Derek, and Jayden, who was in the middle, had to choose well which job to accept among them.
"..."
When Jayden brought a cloth soaked in warm water, Derek wiped the dried blood near his face with it. The boy did not even seem to care about the mercenaries in the corner of the tavern whispering, and checked the condition of his equipment first.
Derek's request fee was already several times higher than when he was a child, and he could live comfortably even with the money he had received from the Duplein ducal family fully saved. If he kept this up, it seemed that it would not be impossible to purchase a personal wand or staff, which were said to be expensive.
"You've worked hard, Derek. You're probably the only one who would go through the snow and climb a mountain range to take a harpy's head."
"Other mercenary corps also accept a lot of monster subjugation requests regardless of the weather, you know."
"They go on a large scale for several days with a lot of camping gear. There's probably no one like you who just pops over as if climbing a neighborhood hill."
"...I didn't just pop over as if climbing a neighborhood hill. I really almost froze to death."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll give you a good price for this request. The client will understand well that it wasn't an easy job."
Jayden let out a laugh as he organized the cups.
Jayden's movements became a little busier, as Derek would also return to his lodging and rest once he had taken care of what needed to be taken care of.
"You've had a hard time this time, so are you going to rest for a while?"
"Are there any other requests that have come in?"
"It's harder for there not to be."
"I think I need to rest tomorrow, and if it's a job scheduled after that, I don't mind."
Derek tied his bootlaces tightly again and answered as if it were nothing.
Seeing Derek, who was going to accept another request even after this hardship, Jayden could not help but be amazed.
Still, it was a great blessing to have a mage who moved so actively in the mercenary corps. Jayden laughed heartily and rummaged through the bundle of documents organized under the bar table.
"Still, I'm a bit tired after making a scene on a snowy mountain. I'd be happy if it's a job that doesn't require me to go too far."
"Hmm... actually, there is one simple and well-paying request that has come in."
"Where in the world is there such a job?"
"Of course, there's always a reason for easy and well-paying jobs. If you don't want to take it, you can just pass on it."
Jayden took out a request form and placed it on the bar table.
"It's a request from the County of Belmeade. A request form that was rejected by the Rohel Mercenary Corps on the west street. They're looking for someone who can use magic."
"...A request from a noble family was rejected? The Rohel Mercenary Corps is a pretty big place, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it's a strange thing, isn't it?"
It was not very common for a renowned noble family to place a request with a mercenary corps teeming with commoners in the first place. This was because the more powerful the authority, the more manpower they had to spare.
So, requests from noble families themselves were not common, but the pay was quite good. Nobles were extravagant.
So, when a request from a large noble family like this came in, it was natural for mercenary corps to rush to accept it.
Last spring, the Veldern Mercenary Corps was able to accept the request from the Ducal House of Duplein only because Lady Aiseline was handing out requests indiscriminately to find a teacher for Diella.
Normally, it was common for requests from noble families not to come down to a small mercenary corps like this.
Derek narrowed his eyes and looked at the request form.
"...I see, there's always a reason."
The County of Belmeade was looking for a commoner to help with a magic duel. It also included the content that anyone who could handle 1-Star magic would do.
There must be plenty of opponents for a magic duel in a noble family. To specifically look for a commoner mage was no different from looking for an opponent to beat up to their heart's content for practice.
It was absurd for a commoner to try to beat a noble mage, and in the first place, there were almost no commoners who could do that.
Derek thought he knew why no one was accepting this request.
Young and energetic active commoners who could use magic were not very common. Since they were always overflowing with better-paying jobs, they would not try to accept a job like this, where they had to throw away their pride and just get beaten up.
The mages of the Rohel Mercenary Corps would also rather do their planned monster subjugations or escort missions, and would not want to be a punching bag for childish nobles.
It might be a different story if the request fee was enormous, but for a request from a noble family, it did not feel that meritorious.
"So I just have to play along with a magic duel in the noble district?"
However, Derek was too tired from the long harpy subjugation.
Since he did not want to take on a job that would take him far away right away, he wanted a job where he could just play along moderately.
"You'll do it?"
"I'll just have to lose moderately and take a few hits. Please process it as me accepting it."
"If you're okay with it, then alright."
Derek said so roughly, and tapped the floor a few times with his tightly laced boots. And then he picked up his leather pouch and stood up from his seat.
"I enjoyed the honey wine."
"I've put it all on your tab, you brat."
"I said that knowing you would."
Derek intended to return to his lodging, wash up, and pore over his grimoire. Even though he had returned from a long journey, he had no intention of neglecting his magic mastery.
Watching Derek, who was still living a busy life, Jayden gave a moderate wave.
"Felinne. If you doze off there, you'll get burned."
"Eek."
Felinne, who had been entrusting her body to the warmth of the fire while drooling, quickly came to her senses.
Derek left a greeting of 'see you tomorrow,' and then opened the wooden door of the tavern again and plunged into the severe cold.
The customers in the tavern, who were quietly drinking their beer, stared at the back of Derek as he made his way through the sleet of the winter night.
The passing time had tempered the boy.
His appearance, making his way back to his lodging through the blizzard, was already that of a veteran mercenary who had accumulated maturity.
A year was passing.
With his birthday approaching, he would soon be seventeen.
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