Chapter 161: Who are you a disciple of? (1)
MnRKFuT“When I met him at the Duplain house, I never imagined he was someone with this level of ambition…”UKNLA
zC5vs3The mansion of Baron Ravenclaw was already filled with various educational facilities.X8Y
C8gTAYMost of them would eventually be moved to the academy being built in the Duplain territory, so the spaces within the mansion would later be repurposed for other uses, but at least for now, they were still diligently functioning as educational facilities.v3iz
PQcMKThe path that ran through those buildings toward the mansion.LNj
NzbklIt felt as though a residence had been planted in the middle of an academic complex, which was quite disconcerting.9hG
xx9UHvThe young Countess Freya, gazing at that scenery, let out an awkward bead of sweat and commented,NHA
i5tO4RO“D-don’t you get tired of living surrounded by all of this?”dxhuJj
oti“It wasn’t exactly my intention…”75lC
2VZjkEven for someone devoted to education, it was unusual to completely surround their own residence with educational facilities.OuwE
IJyk6uCAnyone unaware of the circumstances might easily think he was someone obsessed with the education business.yxOD
LjVCaYThe reality was that Aiselin, with her usual drive, had shifted budgets here and there until this result came about, but explaining that in detail would not be very elegant, so there was no choice but to leave it at that.jLcZhIa
L4uDereck accepted those subtle looks, recomposed his expression, and led Freya and Katia into the mansion.Zeu
NYhZXHThe butler Delbriton greeted them politely and guided them to the dining room, indicating an enormous table.ePsj
Qu6bcjA pastry chef so talented that even Fina praised him until she was hoarse had prepared a wide variety of sweets, along with appetizers made from seasonal ingredients and an abundance of expensive, high-quality liquor.YK4
MCYEThey had been told not to overdo it so as not to make Katia uncomfortable, but they also could not afford to treat carelessly the most cherished teacher of the lord of the mansion, who had come in person.dzU
wrfcPWith the servants’ pride at stake, the table ended up as a delicate balance it appeared understated, yet at the same time clearly meticulous.JDP
fakHgKatia took a seat with a pleased expression, uncorked a bottle of rum, and said,7EeR
QaJ“Alright, Dereck. How about you tell me a little about your life? It’s been a long time since we last met.”Fvk7jOJ
q1VWTzUSeeing her drink strong liquor with such a relaxed voice, Dereck could not help but feel as though he had returned to his childhood, and his heart naturally eased.Uvx
FLWsrDv***2TKY
5Uwcd“Four-star magic, and not just barely touching the level, but already quite well mastered. I knew you had extraordinary talent, but I never imagined you would grow this fast.”pILvIlw
mzcI“I’m still inexperienced. I’ve practiced manifesting four-star magic several times, but after using it just once I become completely exhausted and have to end the day’s training. At this rate, I can’t even come close to the five-star level.”e5IqUxl
nNS“Thinking about five stars already is premature, Dereck. You’ve reached a level of mastery that borders on the absurd.”USYgY
2GD3After a brief chat in the dining room, Katia wanted to see Dereck’s magical level, so they went out to the open area behind the mansion.gKJT1RK
vr2gFreya also watched with curiosity, but when she saw Dereck deploy genuine four-star magic, her expression completely stiffened.zol
v4HFrom that level onward, magic was known as war magic, as its scale and power surpassed all imagination.o8DP
dKLp3Katia had long striven to reach that domain, yet she had not even managed to come close.GimX
5Z5As the saying goes, the disciple surpasses the master.2wKUv
VidDereck had long since far surpassed Katia and was gazing toward a much higher place.wMYDXQj
oTknKNo teacher could witness such a scene without feeling deeply moved.gArb
ALmEHowever, that was Katia’s perspective.I8kZ
3kaRyjFrom Freya’s point of view, it was impossible to relax her expression.Slxrq
DlNaEGa‘Even though we learned from the same master, this difference is far too cruel…’rrM2
TmTLRecalling Katia’s educational policy made it impossible to take it with a smile.AOO
Q5QShe had always insisted that one must train to become the best and have the confidence to surpass anyone.uyrc
R8uZA0That was why, upon seeing Dereck, her senior in the master–disciple relationship, she had told herself she needed to stay strong, but this was not a level she could even aspire to.Jnf06Bf
nHLi‘With this, the master’s standard becomes far too high…’8f6qSYE
04paCKEHaving Dereck as the point of comparison was simply merciless.1VwY
hWXSlHhFreya, tears welling up in her eyes, was about to bring her fist to her mouth.1Nq
zPboML6“Don’t tense up so much, Miss Freya. I’m not going to demand something as unrealistic as reaching the four-star level.”boDFLB
8mx4F“…”5vhyt
F45Z7ObAt times, Freya felt that Katia could read her mind.aAF
ZQp9NtQ“I see… if it was Drest Wolftail… then it’s not so hard to understand.”J1P
FQhBack in the mansion, seated once again at the tea table, Katia rested her chin on her hand as she spoke.4U8CAq3
xGzOk3In Dereck’s life, he had had four teachers up to now.9dAe
oiERpSIThe person he cherished most was Katia, but the ones who had influenced him the most were Drest and Fina.FV8SU
CFwBoth of their magical levels reached the highest point a human could aspire to.B5Ivus
KH0Their teachings, of such an elevated level, had raised Dereck’s magic in the most efficient way possible, especially given the enormous potential he already possessed.q5M2dI
mZg2EAnd several years had already passed since then, so Katia had no choice but to accept that unnaturally rapid growth.XaL6gS
bzhThat said, Dereck had told her about Drest, but never about Fina.jMAZI
RxqYzThe existence of a six-star black mage was an absolute secret, and leaving written evidence of a relationship with someone like that would be nothing more than unnecessary exposure.a6H
VpQMNky“Dereck, you’ve met great masters, and for that very reason, you’ve also become one yourself.”vxrh
HcQ“If I had to choose the most outstanding among them, it would undoubtedly be you, Master Katia.”IJxy
c3vGX1u“Haha. There’s no need to flatter even me, Dereck. No matter how confident I am in my ability to teach magic, I know full well that I cannot compare to six-star mages who, by name alone, already fall into the realm of legend.”K5PU
TZIWntxUp to the three-star level, no one could match Katia’s pedagogical ability, but from the fourth star onward, it was literally another world.Lm7wH
pfXpEspecially upon reaching five-star magic, the number of people capable of teaching such a thing across the entire continent could be counted on one hand.gHk
LEmc9Katia knew perfectly well that Dereck was already moving beyond her reach.veYc
FitL“Even so, the fact that you still call yourself my disciple gives me great strength. You’ve also tasted the waters of high society, so you know this well a good disciple is just as valuable as a good master.”otlZedv
GrlJyXLeaning more comfortably against the backrest, Katia continued in a much more relaxed tone.VHXFuh
vu9HHZ4“That one of my two disciples is Miss Freya and the other is you, Dereck… it seems that even among the nobles, they don’t dare take my name lightly.”JKgLf
htjEV“…”mN9cNI
PvSjhhAt that point, Freya was watching the situation with some discomfort.8VkhGG
ZNdWhile Katia was a famous figure in eastern high society as the teacher of the young Countess Freya, it felt as though, over time, she was becoming even more well known as Dereck’s teacher.0658Np
gCWhdc“Although, at times I feel the weight of that reputation. If I behave carelessly, I’ll end up tarnishing your name as well.”bOEu0GZ
uGFg“You don’t need to worry so much about that. I myself come from mercenaries, so I’m not accustomed to the exaggerated formalities of nobles and often make mistakes. In that case, I would be the one who should worry about not tarnishing my teacher’s name.”asewrp9
wN09l0“Ahahaha, don’t worry about such trivialities. I’ve never been particularly interested in that kind of superficial prestige. However…”m9DKS
Vah5yFor an instant, Katia’s gaze sharpened.5Lc
XBQ7Accustomed as she was to looking at Dereck with warm, almost maternal eyes, that change felt all the more pronounced.dqNGm
G0T17m“The master from whom you received instruction after me really was only that legendary exploration mage, Drest?”AdMt
54Yew“…”rgZA
iUpPgjM“You haven’t forgotten what you wrote in your letters, have you? I’ve heard that this Drest has a very strong wandering spirit and appears and disappears, rarely staying in one place for long. It’s already been quite some time since you reached the three-star level, so I find it hard to believe that he continued supervising your magic all the way until you reached four stars.”gos
hTB8An intuition honed through many long years.iFef
jp5KLaAs she observed the latent maturity in Dereck’s magic, Katia felt a strange sense of incongruity.H8Um7
TWVtBThe four-star or higher war mages she had known back when she was the lady of the Flameheart house.m5Ig
ydaWThe efficient flow of mana they displayed was not very different from Dereck’s.Qqvey
Ihm6Overwhelming talent could lead to achievements beyond all logic, but that particular maturity was not something that could be attained through talent alone.hMicfe
LwhIt was a domain impossible to reach without the guidance of someone who had already arrived at that level.FHsAsfW
0wEYwmWhere had she felt that subtle sense of strangeness before?VLm
ZSEyGKatia closed her eyes for a moment.ffX220
ZwFFor the elderly woman, it was a memory from a past far too distant.Sp2GTlh
ysAiFrom before she even became the magic teacher of the Elvester house.uqcFPN
7BgOFrom before she wandered the mercenary streets of Ebelstein.PZl4
ZqzVFrom before she dominated noble society as the lady of the Flameheart house.7lDo
bHTvlIt was from when, after her debut as a young noble, she roamed the high society of the east in the flower of her youth.cFJEe
Rw6SSfeA past so remote that she could barely recall it clearly now.Xr7
IGIQfyY— Miss Katia is skilled at applying mana, but she is somewhat clumsy in its more orthodox usage.zDU
Nsya6QIn the cultural city of Calperon, in the noble district of eastern high society,
a young Katia, dressed in a beautiful gown, her hair neatly arranged and brimming with romanticism and a thirst for knowledge of the vast world, received that advice from someone.THzY
2lkMi5jEyes of a pale lilac hue.bN9FV
2iUDVLSA languid appearance, as if she had already seen everything life had to offer.asTG
j2h4ydShe even looked younger than Katia, yet she observed the social scene with evident weariness, resting her chin on her hand and viewing the world from a distance.9GG
hI6RcIHKatlan.FyID5IY
FPAThe young noble Katlan of the viscount house Eloar.RgsvdVC
oyj1YThat sinister girl was one day discovered to be deeply involved in black magic and was executed.V4K
vL96m90It was truly shocking news, but it had happened so long ago that almost no one remembered it anymore.60i
ElupzYFor the Eloar house, her existence was a stain, so they desperately strove to erase her history.ujC1hp
DeRnr7That unsettling young woman who, straying from the rigid style of formal schools, wielded mana with a freedom characteristic of four-star or higher mages.nUgxHV
sRG7iYGWas it mere coincidence that someone who no longer existed in this world now came to her mind?rAmOnH
wWW0While Katia remained with her eyes closed, immersed in memories, Dereck was the first to speak.d2gH6MJ
PsZ“Master. From the beginning, I decided not to hide anything from you, but in this matter, I cannot say more.”7YKYvcF
TFCDereck’s gaze was serious.7JhJH
B21W0axSince Katia had arrived, his spirits had been subtly lifted, and upon seeing that expression, Freya swallowed.iunsRp
dNFKpDereck’s judgment was correct.Qhj
8YMgThe fewer people who knew about the existence of a six-star black mage, the better.nFE
9df9mvBeing connected to such a figure alone entailed enormous danger.zMMP3H
Snq1cBxDereck was already deeply involved, but he could not drag his most cherished teacher into that risk.kPiwL
jtuQwAL“…”lDay
ks4Katia also trusted Dereck.tz6Q
1gFUHHGIf he refused to speak even to that extent, there had to be a reason.Smb
yxJocVAlthough Katia could have pressed him and perhaps made him talk, she chose not to.8wa
RQoBoAThat respect for Dereck’s decisions was precisely one of the reasons he trusted her.1wt
70s“I see. Even so, let me say one thing out of concern.”YCEzkq
vSGtBy then, Katia’s expression had softened.emjo
4fg“As I told you, a good disciple is something valuable. That you continue to call yourself my disciple gives me strength, but I worry that that other master of yours might feel jealous. Ufufu.”gqHbE
SEeIt was a joke meant to lighten the atmosphere.mUGQ
DhGR6XeBy saying it that way, Katia also made it clear that she would not probe further into Dereck’s secret.fkjNTFN
BNrXDereck smiled faintly as he replied.eyeOT8x
BnAlKQT“I don’t think that will happen.”z2GHo
9aDt8Fina might pretend to be upset, but even that would be nothing more than a joke.z9GUl3N
Iw4EHaving lived through everything, she was not someone who clung obsessively to people.2CN59
g7gDereck was merely one of the many disciples who had passed fleetingly through her long life.hK8
t84zYearning only for rest in an existence without an endpoint, there was no reason to cling to a passing disciple.dv15DeK
T3JD3That was why Dereck smiled calmly.leU
R8Pi***2FMHl
vVZi‘It’s not like me to be this unsettled. I can feel my heart pounding.’3sy62W
1nDM87EFina entered the mansion of Baron Tigris, greeted the servants with a smile in her eyes, and trudged heavily inside.19FME
0Y6Thanks to the commotion caused by Dereck, she had managed to obtain the corpse of a five-star mage while avoiding the gaze of the nobility.sYs
ZjtSCgtFor Fina, who was researching advanced corpse resurrection, this represented enormous progress.wcX
JGeOtUntil now, she had tried to revive Kalimford using countless bodies, but all had failed for being containers too fragile.w3HlA3
uIkSq09Finding a body capable of housing a legendary six-star mage was practically impossible.RTnz
0zqHowever, this was the corpse of a five-star mage, someone whose very existence could crush the majority of mages.oqMrl0f
KD5oObtaining the body of one of the few five-star mages on the continent was an extremely difficult feat.GJU
uaAoKilling him would not have been a problem for Fina, but fleeing while carrying the corpse of someone of that level would inevitably attract the attention of the empire.SboI
pjwRO6How much had she suffered to finally obtain a vessel suitable to withstand Kalimford’s spirit?rfTE7
eyHNow she could die.HaDjI
54wrNow she could finally sleep in eternal rest.PLB
cuQWhat irony that her heart began to beat right at the end of life.Y0zd6P
MdwRStanding upright amid that paradox, Fina descended to the underground laboratory to check the results of the research to which she had devoted her entire life.VM1Fjd
Gx9Plop, drip.Do0Z
UkgKFina’s laboratory was permeated by a stench of blood.zSYT2c
XLd64jAs she stepped into that underground space laden with the resentments of unjustly dead spirits, her precious archilich, Happy, floated in the air, its body covered in wounds.b57y9N
LTLhEQThey were scars inflicted directly by Countess Roselia, the natural enemy of black mages.xxR
F6t2oWounds caused by the sacred blood sword did not heal easily, as they were antagonistic to black magic.EI9ReNj
1jm6h“…It’s been a long time since I came down to the laboratory. It’s well maintained. Good work, Happy.”ErdIK
kzk5jWith a gaze full of affection, Fina gently stroked the head of that grotesque creature.KDg
cZ3ykyThe Tigris territory was already completely under her control.lBcQzu
J6KRa7wThe inhabitants of the domain had fallen under her seductive gaze and were nothing more than her subordinates.C9TV
xE7xUXAlthough she had been settled in this small border territory for quite some time, that long era felt like an instant.U4Yx
RbYWith a constant surge of ecstasy, Fina fixed her eyes on the old corpse positioned at the center of the laboratory.GfxN
OrbThe vessel destined to become Kalimford’s body.SM6g
SBLThe corpse of a five-star mage.tFS7
wcHy3At last, the moment had come to fulfill her long-held, profound longing.Gc6
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