Chapter 153: The Youngest Disciple (5)
43IHuSThe plan to establish the Ravenclaw Academy was progressing rapidly.rxdTQbo
pHA6hL7When Dereck went out to the site where the opening schedule was already confirmed and the civil works were in full process, he felt a strange stab of headache and couldn’t avoid pressing his temples.NJB32lK
o8m“Ah, Sir Dereck. You’re here! I heard the news about the support from the house of Count Renuel. It seems we’ll be able to expand the size of the auditorium more than planned!”Kbs
IMUNAiselin Eleanor Duplain, the noble lady so extraordinarily elegant and distinguished that even Diella, Ellen, and even that beast Trisha had been moved by her, was holding an iron shovel, with a towel hanging over her shoulder as she wiped her sweat.64kFz5
usBMFTo top it off, the hem of her dress bothered her so much that she had tied it up with a rope.fehXp
sYVIf she was going to do this, better not wear a dress—was what Dereck thought, but the thought vanished from his mind with Aiselin’s next words.EjJ
QyDi4t7“Ahaha. I stepped out for a moment to check how everything was going, but the land they were clearing for the garden didn’t convince me. You only need to correct the last part a bit and that’s it, but calling the workers just for that felt like too much…”n6k
oXcvzxG“……”mCU
vYRWjGB“I finished already! The soil at the end of this flowerbed needs to be rounder so that, when we plant roses or pansies, it looks more harmonious. Once I decorated a flowerbed during a floral arrangement class, and I discovered that if the basic groundwork of the soil isn’t done well, later it’s harder to achieve a nice harmony. It’s the first time I do it alone, but it has its charm…”ri5
i4FCaring for a flowerbed or doing floral arrangements could be considered an elegant pastime, but deliberately picking up a shovel and digging soil was another thing entirely.D1ypc
fn1n5WConfused, Dereck ended up letting himself fall onto any bench near the flowerbed.Z6mS
eNBjycS“Lady Aiselin, that is…”vUn2B4
vIDw“Yes?”rmSS
mlQcK“Nothing.”RDt
2dhGrMGWith that naturally innocent expression, almost as if she were wagging a tail, Dereck didn’t know where to even begin pointing something out to her.vm9efg
70x8rAt first she had opened her eyes to commerce and administration, then to civil work and construction, and now she was even doing heavy labor on her own.ydHOs3
ejpqbXThe Duplain house was already regaining strength quickly, but she still considered herself a fallen noble lady.gFcyG5M
BNKThe truth was that the Duplain house had gone through a real crisis, so it wasn’t strange that Aiselin, with a slightly disheveled air, rolled up her sleeves for everything.of1c
lkzaWhSHowever, at this point, some things could become problematic.TJy
yk3v“The influence of the Duplain house is beginning to grow as fast as before. Of course, it still can’t be compared to its golden age, and the size of the domain has shrunk a lot, but if you regain the authority proper of a duchy, your position will change considerably, Lady Aiselin.”Lq33Y8B
8eF“You are right! You have helped us so much, Sir Dereck! I’m always grateful!”4v0u75X
JFyEk“Precisely for that reason I’m telling you this—if you continue behaving like this, it could become problematic.”EKuv
xC2PR“…”YsfMYA
JpOWSlAiselin also understood, at least a little, what he meant.PKO77
pTBkrNVShe froze as if thinking, ‘Is it okay for me to be doing this?’ She felt a slight sting of guilt, but even so, she thought.KexMnRT
wNpK7Ever since her house wavered, life seemed to have gained meaning.gf2EI
TLDqGxInstead of being trapped in a cage reading philosophy, learning a bit of magic, and receiving lady-like education, she felt like she was sailing in a world full of rough waves.NWYhGB9
xJ8hKThat stirred something inside her.oNe
KkqBut precisely because her efforts had borne fruit, the Duplain house was returning to the right path.K7M5n
8fS3SD“I’m sorry to tell you this, but you should refrain from doing physical labor yourself.”BUC
8iUi“W-what do you mean… Sir D-Dereck? There are still many vegetables to take care of in the garden behind the mansion…”ZCOq
7FMr“…”0eu09
4pD“Coming down, I also saw there was still some dust on the railing of the central staircase of the main hall… I planned to finish here and clean it all with the dry cloth I had already prepared…”OaNii
7Yeaj“Order the maids.”QtJaF
xsLWvt“Then… what do I do about the vines on the exterior wall? If we leave them, they’ll take root between the bricks…”8L0h1
AC9zHln“I’ll speak with the gardener.”MMDfNB
YSUuDereck lifted his chin slightly and spoke firmly.79dRAGk
0mDaFi“How can the noble young lady of the house Duplain personally do that kind of work?”Nk8
KFrf“N-no… it’s my joy… it’s my only pastime!”XyWq
psFBl“It is an issue that directly affects the dignity of the house. I cannot yield on this.”ShSb
Nd4i7wv“This weekend I was thinking of making lasagna from scratch. I grew those tomatoes for that…”XuL
RBg4UciShe remembered the hot summer days when, under a scorching sun, she herself removed pests one by one, trimmed leaves, watered the plants, and then wiped her sweat with a satisfied expression.oh6M9U
kZ5“For that… ask the cook and the chef.”fYU
WbfAiselin opened her mouth as if she had lost the whole world. There was no alternative.Fnn0Kd
aJv5BoiHer social status was far too high to do that kind of thing.glGGkQ
9idyWhen the house was wavering, it was a different story; now that it was regaining strength, she had to act according to its dignity.5PEdfaH
2Pqas“…Sir Dereck. This may sound strange…”R8E
CyG“…”1FZ5N
X8I3O“Does the Duplain house… have to rise again no matter what…?”c8bez
tyCncO“Of course. Think of your family and your servants, how much they have suffered…”il7M6y8
xB0“That… is true…”IRaJN6d
5b6Aiselin bit her lower lip, holding back tears.AnOQH6
uZs7WKBy her nature, she couldn’t ignore her family or her servants in difficulty.KJTI
zEcThere was no escape.PQX5Ll
ZjwKRfZClang! Clang!XBr5no
WXS“Move it here! Carefully!”RQyFK
xmGpzShrinking a little, Aiselin sat in the shade watching the workers carry construction materials in silence.iteLy
yzmkyR4“I heard you delegated completely to Lady Diella the authority over the staff and the students of the school. Honestly, I found it unexpected.”Cc80A
8orJLxI“Oh, really?”p45N
gzJRIAiselin must also have had her ears wide open regarding the changes in Ebelstein society.DnBcBJ
x4IDereck’s help and her naturally tyrannical temperament had made Diella now practically capable of leading the Rose Hall de facto.p1Lo
tuh5MWatching these changes, Aiselin seemed half happy, half worried.JDM
7tV“I thought it would be difficult for her to handle people, evaluate them, and deal with them, compared to Lady Ellen or Lady Denise.”YmSNr
3JU18eV“That’s true. But I also wanted to give the Duplain house a little push and, above all, it was necessary for Lady Diella herself.”LQF
Vx51vWhile they flipped through documents together, Dereck spoke in a low voice.aKIjhE
i6mY“Handling people is a very difficult task, you know that, Lady Aiselin.”X3HQ
DX9FcG8“That… is true.”v3tG
Fya5U9Aiselin watched Dereck’s expression for a moment, slowly closed her eyes, and then looked again at the blue sky at the end of winter.xcfmZ
LyPqH“Diella will have to learn it too.”STezcL
3yKDSeeing her accept it in silence, it was clear Aiselin was truly deep-thinking.gSPVMjE
odHlFEven if she naturally acted like a ruined noblewoman, in the important moments she always made wise decisions.jKA
IGr8jqDereck looked at her for a moment, then turned his eyes back to the construction in full motion.nTgR4b
nXfKgs“The construction is going quite fast. At this pace, we’ll meet the schedule without any problem.”Kuv
wZdrwjJAnd he simply continued talking about work matters.QSNREl
puRZNFz***Lt7pUm
710LxThe cold that filled the hallway of the Elfontain Building showed no signs of dissipating.scnP7
E3FTrisha suddenly hurling insults at Diella, the worst of the hooligans, a wild mare of the plains, was something no one gathered there could have anticipated.iAk0
MREmplRIt wasn’t just sly provocation or a battle of stares.9FitR
ygiShe used such vulgar and crude vocabulary that no one could have imagined a noble young lady uttering it, all to deliberately provoke Diella.cAKZ
nRZQqvGAt this point, it wouldn’t have been strange if Diella had raised her hand and slapped her.syzWcWZ
OYXYfGiven Diella’s history, she had never been someone who cared about the gazes of others.rib7i
JQGQEven in a situation like this, observed by countless noble young ladies, if something displeased her, she would kick Trisha and stomp on her.3MLt
O3SK7tHowever, Diella didn’t do it. The reason was only one when something is too absurd, it doesn’t even make you angry.AzPFED
DgpL“Did I hear that wrong?”ROMdE
e3ZjGC“Are you deaf already? Let’s go at it. I’m going to crush that arrogant pride of yours.”rDo1RJX
YrWcBang! Fwoosh!uYp1
dvWSuddenly, a gale exploded.BoO
lyY1DiThat freezing wind formed by magic burst out from Diella, upsetting everything around her.KED
dMO1U1At the center of the storm, the girl with shining, fluttering hair opened her chilling eyes impossibly wide.UCNLa
AdOQSAhJust facing that gaze, so clear even in the darkness, the noble young ladies, greenhouse flowers, trembled in their legs.wFi
PRBTrisha was no exception; from her nails to her arms and nape, her skin erupted in goosebumps.KbMQZb
85qnqEven so, she never showed it. She raised her head even higher, straightened her nose, and forced a defiant smile.qeN50Jq
jyPa“Lately the Duplain house has been acting very conceited, and you behave as if you were someone too. That look of yours is the same as that of a sacrifice that thinks it can cling to a thread of hope to survive.”wCg5N8
qIv9G3O“…”eco
CibMBM6“Diella. If it weren’t for Lady Aiselin, you’d be nothing more than a common troublemaker. You have a bad temper, a foul mouth, and the only thing you know how to do is crush others. And even with that, you act like everything belongs to you. You look like a child holding her first toy. It’s so pathetic it embarrasses me to look at you.”IV2m
t6f“…You really are begging to die, Trisha.”RpvW
6YPLgIOFwooosh! Crack!hA3tWn
qqeCcZThorny tendrils burst from the ground, and ice spears floated around.wf9c3
QcwSeeing magic manifest instantly, without even a prior chant, it was clear that Diella had already risen to the rank of 2 stars.3kUgyq
I6GSeDiella was someone with such exceptional talent that she didn’t even require Dereck’s intervention.SWPi
otD4YH7She was in a completely different category from Trisha, who had barely begun to study 1-star magic.5CRY
9k6PZJ6A wall in the hallway cracked, and the heat of the magic began to rise.hwkf0
lFwZGNo matter what happened to the Elfontain Building, the only thing filling Diella’s mind was punishing that insolent young noble who stood before her.l0Na
Z9blWmP‘Not scary, not scary, not scary, not scary, not scary, not scary. No… actually it is a little scary. No, not that scary. No, not scary at all. Not scary. I don’t know fear. What is fear? What does it mean to be afraid?’soR
hTCBMurmuring, Trisha took a step back. She swallowed, but didn’t let a trace of fear appear on her face. Then she cleared her throat and spoke.35L
gQEqeWd“Diella, they delegated to you the personnel authority of the Ravenclaw group, but it seems you have no intention of exercising that power the way your master wishes. You don’t want the number of the baron Ravenclaw’s direct disciples to increase. Is that it?”caq
uZ8“What?”mvZ
LorOCnJ“It’s obvious. But tell me, do you really think that’s what the baron Ravenclaw wants? That you step forward, cut down the nobles who want to learn, and rule like a tyrant? Do you think that’s what he wanted?”15UV5J
gQxDuaTo keep her voice from shaking, Trisha pressed the tip of her chin firmly.7NGLW
ULypvbM“You think you have all the legitimacy, don’t you? Because the baron Ravenclaw decided to trust in your judgment. Too bad. Because your ability only reaches that far.”F2WjWp
w79yC“What nonsense are you spouting?”T4S0K
STd9h“It’s not nonsense, it’s a fact. The baron gave you authority, and you only think about using it as you please. Without reason, without cause, just drunk on that power.”87GDvAJ
15HDWTrisha was so tense she was almost breaking into a cold sweat, but gritting her teeth, she maintained an incredibly arrogant expression.GxGGMN
x8vsvi8Even though she looked like she was about to burst into tears, the one thing she had inherited from her father—the swagger and shamelessness—was indeed real.Rp1S
pgeIH9She had nothing, and if someone hit her she would go flying but she must never back down.tqP4xkU
hkiWKNo matter how arrogant, greedy, or wicked she appeared, she must never lower her head.TIZI
QMCD“You can hit me or insult me, but that truth will never change, Diella.”2Bf
NEhaThe matter of legitimacy.w8vxzm
jf0Especially when dealing with delegated power, legitimacy in exercising it is crucial.kCFg1QI
sTP2m61If Diella simply didn’t want the number of Dereck’s disciples to increase then she had no argument to counter.2wAQGga
kNxuDGEven a tyrant ruling the world couldn’t act without legitimacy.fmn
kUiAnd if public opinion pointed to her as someone arrogant who only abused the entrusted power, she would face problems too.AAYVWWH
cVtEB8That’s why, if she wanted legitimacy, she had to find another approach.ftV
becGi“I don’t care. If you want to argue that, do it in hell.”vPa
EaCBFwooosh!jLAihZd
raF‘Hiiik!’sEF72P
JZQNegotiation only exists among equals.tmw3g
I1abLtjDiella’s face, already distorted with rage, was that of a furious beast. Trying to play word games with someone like that was ridiculous.8Dqwv
loYmVJust when Trisha’s vision began to blur.DEhBy7j
3lsjWWhoosh! Crack! Crack!BV2Q
wCqZIt wasn’t a good idea to cause destruction here.r0JaIP
O8ivThe one who intervened after assessing the situation was the person who held the second place in the Ravenclaw group, the place Trisha dreamed of entering.96j9n
aoWBangs half pinned up, the rest of her hair fluttering behind her, and eyes as red as her hair.bFiCAPm
mQUVEllen of the Belmierd house.Gwxn
Ypt9kYyIt was the first time they saw her use magic outside a dueling hall.HqB3
SNFhuRlBurn!VGlEIa
mhsYHxjThe thorny tendrils around Diella, ready to lunge at Trisha, burned and disintegrated completely.mSemJ5
taWdIn front of them, holding several books in one hand and shaking the other she had just used to channel magic, Ellen appeared.UHEj
5YDq“Control yourself, Lady Diella. If you want to continue, do it in the dueling arena.”qFR
UODSgjaTrisha lowered her skirt more to hide the shaking of her thighs.JUyd7D
OzICcEllen, shaking off the flames, shifted her gaze slightly, narrowing her eyes.gQd89Y
zm81YZTrisha had expected this.oHGX
LWQpJXyIn such a situation, Ellen would never stay silent. She was a fair and strict defender of principles.IaSIanf
Wqw“And although Lady Trisha was too harsh, what she said is not incorrect. A principle must be something everyone can accept.”UsbfD4m
LoBSeeing Diella calm down a little, Ellen also lowered her posture slightly.KKj
o1Y“Of course, as I said at the last meeting, I will respect Lady Diella as much as I can. But if your actions begin to affect the rules of the Rose Hall, I also have a position, and I cannot remain with my arms crossed.”yIO
I1R09R“Fine. I admit what I must admit. I was too emotional.”vkX4yu
zVRmeDiella let out a long sigh. But, perhaps because her anger hadn’t disappeared, she looked fixedly again at Trisha, forcing her to hold her breath.bmU
ANlvWKF“You’re right. It’s not good to decide and announce everything according to my whim. You say I have no legitimacy, right?”NfpW
rtuaVzL“…”avPYPF
2A7OIt was strange that Diella responded so obediently. She was surely plotting something.y7j8WuP
r4PJ5“All right. Then I’ll set a clear standard. If you want your name to appear in the Ravenclaw group you’ll have to prove your ability. Clearly prove that you are not inferior to the others. Only then can I accept you as the youngest, or not.”uabs
wFWWtm“So… you propose a magic duel?”yBkRy
tG2t59J“Doesn’t sound bad. But I’m too busy to face you. And I don’t want to see your face. So go and defeat the one who is at the very bottom of the Ravenclaw group’s hierarchy.”ti32
P8YrvzSaying that, Diella waved her hand and turned around.Pt7
7zD“…”W8pR
WBnPJiTrisha mentally reviewed the hierarchy of the group.RAqepI
C0tPX2And remembering who was in last place, she had to hold her breath. Diella, at least, acted within logic.6CRbwo
AqWQaPBut there was someone who was beyond even that.Ac2
iL76A person so reckless that it was impossible to imagine how Dereck had managed to turn her into a disciple.YgMDV
Tf7kiOIf you irritated her, you died.PxP
4hRZ3pIn front of her, one felt an indescribable murderous intent.KSO
My4WoqjThat girl had crushed northern beasts with her bare hands, and had been soaked countless times in human blood.GWYu52
MLx“Me?”VoE
VGaTJmxA low voice emerged from the crowd.3IoD35
W0smThe girl with ash-gray hair, sitting lazily while playing with a strand, spoke, and people instinctively opened a path around her.CWg
HnyLSitting on a luxurious sofa against the wall, stroking her hair, the young woman radiated a chill that made the spine quiver just by speaking.tP3EPPh
AR1OUNormal people couldn’t identify the origin of that fear.Xwy
N9wRK9They didn’t understand why the gaze of that murderer who had killed so many people was so terrifying.q1liOg
juFvSensing that murderous intent belonged to the realm of the sixth sense.m2V
BJBF3lvThe youngest mage in the entire region to reach 3 stars.jzEFQ8g
pjC6lcYSiern Alaina Rochester opened her eyes and stared straight at Trisha.Rekq3F
gVzZ“Are you going to fight me?”oGU
0IHopGAt that simple question thrown without emotion, the heaviness of the hallway seemed to multiply.Nr47Z
Q2bhThat someone like her was the “youngest” of the group showed how deranged the Ravenclaw group was.FR6MUkr
kFOFPTrisha swallowed.ER4
7cdyqCould she nod here?27x
PqeBJust a few gestures would be enough to kill her.9mc
toCCourage had to be distinguished from recklessness.E3g
nyr90cYThis was the moment to lower her head. The impossible was impossible. No one could blame her for running away from such a situation.HVG
MJkTrying to hide the shiver running down her spine, Trisha straightened up and looked around.XuyC
MjYrDiella, since childhood in the study of wild magic, was a 2-star mage with mastery in ice and plant magic.BNJ9r9H
gobLwEllen, who bore the weight of the Belmierd house, prepared to rule the world as a monarch. And Siern, who was a monster in herself.0JE
OOphJLooking one by one at Dereck’s disciples, Trisha closed her eyes.aktSzaE
urjOA small laugh escaped her. Had she lost her mind? No. It was just a strange feeling.nDkRu
zE3‘It’s always like this.’jfxCp2w
FkYXklMThat she could still smile in a situation like this was ridiculous.yOyo7Ef
iK56zL‘All these bastards are geniuses.’Sfwd7
mqbDGiant mountains rising into the sky.ZuaQ
Kc5VKAnd she, a tiny hill among them.FySbsbL
tyQxWhat would change if she lamented, despaired, or bowed her head before a level impossible to reach?dmAt1
LwjDubNothing. Absolutely nothing.Yvcyd
tUvp9iShe remembered a clenched fist.eBJqmF
GLs7SdoThat old banker holding a firm fist before the young Trisha, as if trying to give her strength.H0gnvW
JrOjpVRBehind that closed fist appeared the smile of a father who was no longer there.uHmZ
mMFIDIn his eyes hid complex emotions. It looked like the face of a man who had seen his daughter’s limits.9nkcxA
JIk5G“If it has to be done, then it’s done. The standard is clear, how nice. Hahaha.”foHjh9
XkEIt wasn’t the posture of a noble heroine confronting absolute evil.7hZkBzQ
08mPjVeTo the eyes of the gathered noble young ladies, Trisha laughing and raising her voice looked like nothing more than an ignorant girl who didn’t know her place.tlKvLt4
hf0aqYCA third-rate villainess.h0b1LHk
c48SCAn unbearable plebeian.ml2
p93A hopeless braggart.cEaivy
nJmVNo matter how they saw her. Trisha had no intention whatsoever of shrinking.a6f
PGfu“Then come on, go ahead.”qO1
ih5hFwooooooosh!MHDN
5d9nH1uAnd so, in the magical arena of the Elfontain Building, Siern appeared wrapped in a torrent of magic so vast it was impossible to measure at a glance, ruling the field with her sovereign presence.Z7DSdBC
tP6l4ulWith just a touch of her finger, everything seemed like it could collapse.80ELcK
2oo4HThe beast of the snowy northern steppe released a murderous intent capable of subduing an entire pack of wolves.zA7pg
SSVh3DWIt was already too late to retreat. The magic emanated with such intensity that not even the protective barriers of the place seemed capable of containing it.kgunE
9ntThat was the “youngest.”Ixc23E1
ZgNOjBCThe one of lowest rank among Dereck’s disciples.lN7
y2JbQk0“…..”jFOoDf1
2InFacing that storm of magic, Trisha gripped the edges of her skirt tightly and thought.DlhwC7e
hI461BOActually, now that I think about it again this isn’t right.1C5e9y
JjpHcLiThe only good thing was that, being far from the observers’ area, no one would see the tears beginning to form in her eyes.rH1dm
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