Chapter 154: The Youngest Disciple (6)
WmYWhen the workers who had finished their shift left and only the construction site with the civil works remained, a strange atmosphere formed as one walked through the place.fmPcPl
Q9oThe setting sun stretched the shadows and, in a world dyed red, only the half-built buildings remained.ULi
0G3bAs he walked there with Aiselin to check the progress, Dereck suddenly noticed that the temperature had dropped a little.OM3IkQ
tLo“It’s cold. You should go inside.”LScQ1AS
oRWYcGf“No, we’re almost done. There are quite a few deficient details in the finishes of the auditorium. Since the budget is a bit tight, I think it would be better to reinforce the quality even if that means reducing the scale of the inner courtyard a little.”Nn0s
6GnfAiselin, letting out visible breaths of vapor with every exhale, still said everything she needed to say with consistency.vZxJTlt
rKZLDereck watched her in silence and narrowed his eyes slightly.Opofq1
wfboVZAlthough it wasn’t unusual for him to look at her like that, whenever he did it always felt a bit uncomfortable, so Aiselin showed a somewhat embarrassed expression.2FlnP
qTfAxw“D-… do you have something to tell me?”Hfkvd
Wod“No. Nothing in particular—just that, upon entering and leaving the Duplain territory again after so long, I suppose I’m getting a bit sentimental.”8oOQlSS
AA703Hearing something like that come from Dereck’s mouth—someone who was far from an emotional person—Aiselin couldn’t help but tilt her head in confusion.2xYwu
XuGEDereck lightly shook his white hair and began walking, leaving the area where the wooden frames filled the construction site.veC3ov
B3MdsThe creaking of the beams echoed in the empty space.pyBjR
QnovE“I thought Lady Aiselin has also changed a lot since the first time I saw you.”Q5h77Qk
QhIm“Now that you mention it—when you brought me to the territory the first time, that’s when we met. How much you struggled looking for a master for Diella…”riaH
kUy“It’s been quite a while. And to think that back then I didn’t imagine we would see each other for so long.”nus
XODTBefore meeting Aiselin, Dereck had been nothing more than a low-class mercenary from the outskirts, with no contact with nobles whatsoever.pHMoC
DBiSince then many years had passed, and both he and Aiselin had gone through great changes in their lives.uByyJul
VypiDereck had kept rising without rest, never settling, always dreaming of greater heights.R8zYe
A8GAiselin had fallen all the way down, only to push herself back up again.Qs1l0l
rheDWhen someone has experienced both the ground and the clouds, the ups and downs of life feel natural.z3S4G8s
bCJyBecoming accustomed to trials can be something good. But when one looks only upward, sometimes something is forgotten.9yK
VUFwT“I thought we’ve come very far. Simply seeing you, that thought came to me.”4TCp4
PAq38RW“…?”bCzMp0
sUljPmpAiselin looked at him, tilting her head.tx4
nfjAShe couldn’t add anything about the life of the boy who had ascended fighting from the very bottom.2Pf0f1
Hr9However, Dereck felt a strange affinity with her. Aiselin was the opposite of him—expressive, elegant, noble, refined—and yet, at their core, they were similar.FCM
ggtBoth possessed the attitude held only by those who, after being thrown to the bottom, know how to roll up their sleeves and rise on their own. That grit. That will.daN9
fThJaqvSeeing her, Dereck remembered the hard, cold chunks of bread he used to eat in a corner of the poor district.d83d
WjuAs they left the auditorium site, they saw the sun sinking into the western sky.yTl
r7sm3By the length of the shadows, night was near.dTs
XU9TThinking it would be better to return to the mansion before it got dark, Dereck looked at Aiselin, gently closed his eyes, and added.lKEbe
Xm06mdc“The Ravenclaw family is beginning to be mentioned among the high nobility of the center of the continent. I have reached the rank of 4 stars myself, we are about to establish the academy, and in the society of Ebelstein I’m already quite recognized. Compared to when I first saw you, I have risen a lot.”Ry31
zNF“Well, the truth is that even back then I thought you were someone extraordinary. Do you remember when we were in the carriage and you showed me different ways of using magic? I had a feeling then. That you would rise, one way or another.”ANtV6b
Fbj“When one rises, there comes a moment when one has to look back.”4OtvDD
j7MDereck wanted to reach the highest and brightest star in the night sky.t2I
v23nWhen someone rises that much, their gaze gets fixed upwards and no longer wants to move.E1pnt2R
giiBut there always comes a moment when one must walk again the path that led them there.rwl1mRj
HVLsB“And thinking about it, I realize that my journey began the moment I came into contact with the Duplain family.”tWfI
9RC1wk0“…”GdOt
vbcjPh“That’s why, I suppose it was impossible for me to just stand by and watch the decline of the Duplain family. Though of course, I don’t intend to go around saying it.”wdmr
v1WtAiselin watched him in silence as he spoke, looking at the darkening sky.yUB3D
JUbfOrCThat cold, tearless mercenary rarely showed sentimentality.rogOPpa
X5sp0Hearing him say those things in front of her made her happy, but she also felt there was a deeper meaning hidden there.wpw
vriQ“I wanted to thank you for being the reason I was able to enter the world of the nobility. That’s all.”sHveKT1
HCH“…”m1Az
jbeopThat Dereck expressed gratitude out of courtesy was common. But under the light of dusk, his words carried a different weight, one unrelated to noble formalities.c9jSV9
lCIvidAiselin wondered how to respond, but ended up simply smiling. Then she lifted her gaze toward the same sky he was looking at.eFYWROt
RhyFrom the east, a dark tone was beginning to cover the red in the sky. Darkness symbolizes fear and terror, but when the light of the moon gently mixes in, sometimes it feels surprisingly comforting.mIXN4Rf
FPTeUpoThe presence of a source of light can make even the darkness feel warm.N9ZWnwt
BJK36yxWhen Aiselin had been sunk in her own darkness, she must have been able to lift her head and smile because that light accompanied her from behind.x8Gs
MUWbkEDDereck’s white hair, though it didn’t literally shine, reflected the moonlight and emitted a soft glow.CbJk
cuFIThe moon shines thanks to the light of the sun; Dereck is not much different.YSh
RqYbUKQAiselin smiled upon seeing that and watched the tiny crystals that were beginning to fall from the sky.deIRlmQ
YdT“It’s snowing. Tomorrow will be a little warmer.”u1nhN5
NkJyEThe wooden skeletons of the place, solitary and gloomy, began to slowly be covered with snow.iAtLzi
mBqKIt was a warm winter.woWna
k9Tf***Pq4
QcNRZRIt is a cold winter that cuts the breath. If you let your guard down, it was clear you would freeze to death.WI1Nw
z3UQRDFwaaah!GFev2Fg
ImWQIThe place where Siern reigned seemed to turn into the icy snow plains of the north.7S1Gf01
0zVW4XSiern’s magic, having already reached the level of 3 stars in conversion magic, had reached a level capable of freezing all the air around her.FQzVyA
tkvM8jThree-star magic, Freezing.fbX
phIc0kiThe hair whipping around due to the magic covered her face, making it impossible to see her expression clearly.9qd
VNsaKJZThe figure of the young woman, steady even within the wind that lashed about, was as if that wild era in which she stood barefoot on the frozen steppe was being recreated.NVVmAc
blVBetween the strands of wind-tossed hair you could see a pair of eyes so cold they sent chills down the spine. The moment you met that gaze, it felt as if your whole body became frozen solid.YMpKU
aW7DIf that sensation had to be defined with a single word, it would be killing intent.qvTdy
mW1uCrackle! Crackle!!K2l
D272z4gThe dueling field was not only completely frozen by the freezing magic, but even the protective barriers surrounding it became iced over.7jMXB51
0upThe magical shockwave extended beyond the stands, affecting the entire field the stained-glass windows of the outer walls and even the chandeliers on the ceiling were completely frozen.rpU0P
sEQPgY“Hiiiiiiiik—!”gqG
4Smtf0xTrisha’s feet were also stuck to the ground, frozen. The freezing wave was already climbing up to her thighs, preventing her from moving her body.mc45Z4
pMbkNot even ten seconds had passed since the battle began.Q4O
7KVbjlcIt was the exact moment to surrender.dpg66R
0M1By looking into the eyes of that girl, the youngest disciple of the Ravenclaw lineage, anyone could tell.6uXwV
XhM3vSThat small girl with a short stature knew perfectly well how to kill someone.C7bD
AFPAnd she had absolutely no problem doing it.lHWzD
4xhCUThe extreme fear crawled over her skin.Ezb
SOWThis was not a moment to be discussing whether she could or couldn’t enter as a disciple of the Ravenclaw lineage.mbXw
XoSDiella, Ellen, Denise, Siern—believing she could stand shoulder to shoulder with those figures that shone like constellations had been an act of arrogance.ZwcGLJ
NGZUIf the price for that arrogance was her life, it wasn’t worth it at all.hSQU
nfT8HYqIt was time to cancel the deal and run away.6RByzk
1C3x3tJFwiiiiing!SabF
0HCm“Ugh… Lady Siern…!”NKn
rLiEllen, who was watching from the stands, frowned as she endured the magical pressure. If it looked like something was truly about to go wrong, she planned to intervene immediately; her body was already half-lifted.PjR
f1wXYaHDiella, sitting on the other side, also tensed in her seat as she brushed aside the hair the wind was blowing.c1P6T
Db5The other young noble ladies were already being protected by their escorts.wUa
PYK5LJ2Even someone with no knowledge of magic could understand.Jg2VfgI
PJpHKwgThat creature was no longer on a level that young nobles who were barely learning magic could face.y6VInhV
lhR5WJhShe was someone who needed to be restrained by a high-rank veteran mage to prevent serious damage.kwbpgRg
8pITv3The fear peeled the skin as if tearing it layer by layer.Kgx
apP2WIn the midst of that horrifying sensation, Trisha thought.lcG
n0X0PZThis is definitely it.8LsRor
4UhPWhen she was about to declare her surrender, she saw a fist of an old man piercing through the darkness.Vgm
OypeA fist that stopped right in front of her.RytjO
9T4U63OCompletely firm, not showing a single moment of weakness.aNEqpX
wadFX7A familiar illusion.HPCH
4ODagHutton’s fist had never lost strength. He had lived clenching his fists against the world, never letting go.HAz7
GCNNog4And now, that fist extended toward the young Trisha seemed to still be there.Pf2
JxnaBehind the fist, her father’s voice seemed to be heard.V01b
cME‘Even if the entire world plays on top of your head, never give in, Trisha.’OBG
iGuOWas it even reasonable to enter as a disciple in the Ravenclaw lineage, where figures like Diella, Ellen, and Siern clashed and competed?kkHkB
1f3R9bShe knew well that, without a special talent, an average person among geniuses would only end up shattered.mwPsa
mA6HAvEven so, Trisha’s lips would not open.xWdcT
9vHAnd the sound that finally rose through her throat was—CoCT
ivYOThe chant of a fire spell.U5G
rhYPyRFwaaah!AUuAcZN
shEzCombat magic of 1 star, Fire Arrow.uWdjPUd
BFV4q8TThe only level-1 spell she had managed to master after shutting herself in her room for months, she used it to melt the ice holding her legs.Rqz
oKoaCrunch!W5pt
4I3ZB“Kyaaah!”sSdeP8m
R5WgvaIShe barely controlled it; she still couldn’t adjust her magic properly. The power was greater than she expected and she ended up burning her own thigh.mY0n2g4
K5okyBut even so, she recovered her freedom to move.H87h
SFQRtCCrackle!xPhT
d4a6¡Fwack!zzL0v
WrYsTrisha tried to run, but slipped violently on the ice-covered floor. She stepped on her own dress and a tearing sound echoed.tbEunM0
wmd“Kyaah..! Huff… huff…”UZ8yC
72WzToAt least now she was far from Siern.SnlEE
PPvThree-star spells consumed a tremendous amount of mana. Even Siern would need a few seconds to prepare the next one.6f3
F6gcCKSIt was her chance to think of something.aMJP1nP
wEVq4vFwaaah.XkeY
3brCQZuConversion magic of 3 stars, Acceleration.ly4JsS
7kjJSeeing Siern move with a speed that seemed to skip the flow of time, the young noble ladies in the stands gaped.0h40
d3cXMoving lightly, like a rabbit hopping through the snow, but several times faster.fkf9Y
2oBTrisha barely blinked, and when she opened her eyes, Siern’s face was already right in front of hers.758
fis5GIn her entire life, only two people had managed to counter that speed.BqNqf
vdykHer father, Melverot.mr2K0JG
Ce0FAnd her master, Dereck.Rqj
QWhFacing acceleration magic felt like the enemy was jumping through space itself.w9ss6
Vr5Ng0yTrisha had barely blinked, and she already felt Siern’s breath on her face.q6Hk4Hu
OLkUThere was no way to react.8rRvVNJ
G5TqSiern’s magic and Trisha’s were from different worlds.0FUZc
myAAnd the killing intent in those eyes was still there.JBNbR
UQ3Only one image remained death.Ni3xIiv
Jq0QJust when Trisha felt her breath stop—6xx
GK7o17RFwaaah!du5
YMe5WWhack!UUk
PwfAt the instant the 1-star ice spear struck Trisha’s forehead, the previously prepared protective barrier activated.faR0l
b1Cj3It was a defensive spell that nullified fatal damage and decided the result of the duel.2H2HNf
OeKWhaam!Q691f
WhGt9WThe spear that would have blown off Trisha’s head vanished, and all the barriers around the field also faded.LLjaBS
2HUdThe duel was over.Rs3sei
5HBThe winner—Siern.Cfkw
slkIt didn’t last even a minute.GUU
LIQ0“No good.”s8h69
i7aAsoSiern murmured something incomprehensible while flicking the edge of her dress. She looked coldly at Trisha lying on the floor, and then turned around to leave.5EX
8FwThe result was obvious.KBcW
Yjzf3There was no miracle where Trisha could defeat Siern.m3nj1y
WBaWpaL‘No good.’CIBOMD
6qYmPThe phrase Siern murmured with cold eyes.AqCHzH7
y97ZWhat did it mean?teXXz5
0d2fThat Trisha couldn’t beat her?LyS
aPdLkrAnyone could interpret it that way.5pVulRb
aVOZBut Trisha, who had been closer than anyone to Siern at that instant, understood its exact meaning.qWtd
8r59rhY“Huff… huff… huff… ku-heok… cough! cough! kuh-heok!”X2Es
gSdv6Unwanted tears gathered. She felt her chest trembling as she lay on the frozen field.5w7S7gp
1OLK5The spear that pierced her forehead at the end had not been thrown trusting the barrier.8TkQS62
i1dqt6USiern, as always, had delivered an instinctive strike with the clear intention to kill.FxFsC
OTh4Only the barrier had prevented death.fxwmd
ZJUBPRVThat’s why Siern’s “No good” carried a terrifying meaning.zVdLFF8
tJXThe wild girl still saw the duel as a fight to the death.x38TDR
OXPShe had attacked to kill.J2GauY
ugggyjShe had tried to kill.pKxrw
v9igcn0She simply hadn’t succeeded.rhB6j1
kr4YkEXIf that last blow had been strong enough to ignore the barrier— Trisha’s head would have flown.tU0pfV
tXCThe fear of returning from the brink of death made her entire body tremble.1FQ9but
9C3hNRbSeeing Siern leave the field with total calm, as if she had never shown killing intent—LSI
pl8It made her vision shake.vboi19
z5JkEllen let out a deep sigh.y2qlxF
7lC4Diella also sighed and stood up.0OV
QKNlIIn the end, this was all, they thought.Ymf
WcxAlthough none of them could defeat Siern, they at least expected to see some attempt at resistance.3CT
2MnuWKBut Trisha couldn’t even do that.pTUG
NjxHShe couldn’t land a single counterattack.ujYrLG
mDGAPdpIt was normal.hd6U
p0LErTrisha was someone ordinary.4Uc
CebhZMwSiern was a genius blessed by the heavens.zuK
SLOQppA natural result.kVYUpOB
gStOne simply had to accept it.ghhpM4
rYKGnbd“Well, the result is decided, so I’ll take care of the scheduling for the next meeting he—”xWG
nV8Yd“Once more.”ZMt
m4LZTrisha spoke, stopping Siern just when she yawned and left the field.mVI6
eYeyVHer mouth moved before her thoughts.wJu
iVjE“What?”W5T
HymVUvm“L-Lady Diella didn’t say anything about limits… right…?”ays8
HzwTrisha’s appearance was miserable. Torn dress, burned thigh, cold sweat and tears on her face, her throat trembling, her skin bristling.1lrjPkq
aouBut even so, she forced an arrogant smile.z8HsI0M
eU0Because that was how she had been taught to live.ajgcfV
P7E“A moment ago I was just a little surprised… Yes… That’s right. Lady Siern’s magic is… unimaginable. But…! If we do it again, it will be different!”qNp5F
qrK9UvSiern glanced at Diella in the stands.Ryq
i6iPfkDiella frowned, crossed her arms, and finally nodded.TZRZ
M1gSeeing that, Siern let out a long sigh.e7SgV
yRXqgBang!JMcFi
ZzWThe next duel ended in fifteen seconds.B4aX5
EKDpou5Siern’s combat magic, Shockwave, was too strong for Trisha.Kwnli
ecLkvIBang!eD3qyn
NawCrack!W76
qYykOThud!wB3R5
3QxiThe third duel also ended with Trisha flying through the air.jLFUel
vMZYIn the fourth, simply by squeezing the air with mana, Siern made Trisha’s legs give out.1l2X1IY
hzlZThe fifth, sixth, seventh.KFJfEa
GlPBang!lp2E
7F99JFwaaak!3eLcHB
e5S0Boom!3kQ
1dPZbcvBoom!hiK
qSthEBang!Aex8lnA
8I1oTyRumble!GIxNmT
Ig4qQI8By the time the eleventh duel came, many young noble ladies had already left.Qry
3RmOIcWhoosh, fwoosh.NwL
scoCfxFThrough the rising dust, Trisha appeared in tatters.wZf
gQdcOEven Siern was sweating a little.IyxpK
vBPEven so, Trisha stood up however she could, eyes bloodshot.vszML6z
7zspV7aShe no longer had the strength to speak long.yOr
3TqNdY“Again.”zF84
UmBEgooThe ferocity in that gaze resembled none of the other disciples’.Amevg
oDkThere were people who, even knowing that smashing their head against a steel wall would only break it, did it their whole lives.SxIK
B1yStubborn, foolish people.hNG
UC5rymBoom, bang!2UYyOZo
omfoAMThe sun set, and night fell over Elfontaine Hall.qIMi4
SSJS2ZIn the thirty-seventh duel, the moonlight entered between the stained-glass windows.R3Qye4
PRbCrack!TI2Cw9w
UlsBfIBang!7krdkh1
DKOBoom!9iLH
WiMGhTrisha, destroyed, stood up again and looked at Siern with eyes full of ferocity.Whtb
u80JAt that moment, only two people remained in the stands—Diella and Ellen.qICgCB
t1D“…”nSKTK
678GA line of sweat ran down both of their cheeks.C4z54
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