Chapter 19: Journey (3)
cMyOa“Well, anyway, I personally thank you.”eQPGKx
1yaM3yTLeigh, after chatting for a while, spoke seriously in a more relaxed atmosphere.whYJ
XaD“Things at home have been good lately. It seems that brother Valerian can now focus on domain affairs, and our father, though he doesn’t show it much, seems satisfied.”P2hg
L7pJgZY“Really? It’s hard to understand the Grand Duke’s feelings.”rrbX3
y4L8K“Well, it’s hard for me too. Heh.”sQ8Mq
XDfbx5Leigh crossed his legs in a relaxed posture, stroked his chin a few times, and then sighed.c1Dflpn
YLYGeU“Yeah, I guess I have to accept what must be accepted.”HMjmN
YgrY“…”9v9rb
VgIaj“People can change. Especially those in that age group, even more so.”2mv
T3zLeigh, with a distant look in his eyes, seemed to be recalling the past.ketAe4
So6vEXPIt wasn’t hard to guess why he harbored resentment toward Diella, but delving into that specific incident was another matter. He didn’t like Diella, but after their last duel, he had to acknowledge her inner growth. At this moment, it seemed he had revised his former low opinion of her.v7L
VtzW2“She uses first-tier magic, but her way of channeling mana is unique. It feels like… how should I say this?… like painting.”Pp7z4MF
K04Eob“You noticed the difference?”NmqvRTY
0TN“Of course, I saw it firsthand. I don’t think Diella learned the rules and system-based theories that we nobles follow.”Vl6T
y7MsLeigh was more perceptive than expected. After all, he was a prodigy born into the Duplain family lineage.9gF
yvrJXCHis achievements might not compare to his brother Valerian’s, but his innate sensitivity to mana was not inferior at all.mHf5c
45u“Diella uses magic differently?”0UbJ
d372FrA“Yes. The mana usage in the Wild Academy varies significantly from person to person. Perhaps… once she reaches a certain level, she won’t need me to teach her anymore; she’ll be able to learn on her own. At that point, honestly, any so-called ‘instruction’ might actually become a hindrance.”EPme
k629z6“That alone sounds quite special.”x6QkwM
O3JsXLeigh closed his eyes tightly.7HDx
LwrsDHe seemed to be reflecting on Diella’s past—one filled with failures, leading her to silently isolate herself in the pavilion.pWd7
tJDTThen, with a voice that was neither too emotional nor too cold, Leigh said:wjg9
5PPV“The days to see the light will surely come.”I5C
jeND***HNxY
qz7r34And so, spring arrived.AuRTJ
JERraaIf life had four seasons, it recently felt like an eternal spring.qNk3W3
BqBAt least for Diella.ULCDFt
ZadWhile other family members might be busy with estate matters or larger issues… for Diella, who could devote herself solely to training, the whole world felt like a warm paradise.AwWf
UmFmRHer magical abilities seemed to progress with each practice session. As often happens in learning, once you begin to feel your own improvement, it becomes more enjoyable than any form of entertainment.svs1
qnpaThe liberal arts classes were also more manageable than expected. Playing piano and arranging flowers herself were quite enjoyable, so she practiced them in her room even during her free time without being asked.lzQ0Z
i1zWiuLWalking through the garden bathed in warm sunlight, the servants no longer sweated nervously at the sight of Diella. Sometimes, a bold servant would comment on the nice weather, and Diella could now respond with genuine grace.Fhzi
tSzES3RThe servants working in the pavilion began to sincerely believe in Diella and followed her, maintaining their appearance and behavior impeccably. Butler Delron would greet her with a gentle smile, and Diella, in turn, could reflect on how much she had grown since childhood.EIx
v2MtAShe, who once showed no interest in worldly affairs, was now beginning to pay attention to her surroundings. The low-ranking servants, who always seemed to be watching her, were actually more admirable and skilled than she had thought.jsDJ3Wu
BrVnHow busy and capable the housekeeper Katarina was. How early the scolded servants began their daily duties in the mansion.bBB
qoeKpobHow delicious the soup prepared by the chef who once worked in the royal palace was. The quality of the spices sprinkled at the end. The subtle flavor of the black tea served at tea time. The depth of its aroma.WwVd0K
gdnfiVSShe picked up her brush again.aax7
lSYoSometimes, when she had time, she would take her easel and canvas to the garden, painting the diligent gardener or the profile of the great house at sunset. Most didn’t understand her style, full of empty space, but she didn’t care and painted what she liked.BFbhvNs
AUEBjJDipping her brush in the well-mixed paint and tracing it across the canvas, it felt as though time stood still. Once, while painting the blue sky behind the mansion, she realized the day was already turning to dusk.c8N
JxmpTime continued to flow, but the warm feeling of an eternal spring never faded. After a long winter, perhaps an endless spring wasn’t such a bad thing.ADxlr4
sltThat was the thought Diella always held.6k9Ly
2Ja“You’ve gotten used to manifesting magic faster than I expected. Your progress is quicker than I anticipated. You don’t need more practice now.”Cuk
RZH“I told you I could do it if I tried, didn’t I?”A72
vOj25ZDMany flowers bloomed in Diella’s world, but still, the time she spent with Dereck was the longest.Wfglr
x7qKIWho could deny it? That boy was the spring that came to Diella.oKM
aHbHe taught her magic, discovered her talent, showed her the right path, and stood firm in his duty even when faced with her dismissive family. Yet, he always did it with his usual emotionless face, simply fulfilling his role.vOlbJ
TarX6CYDiella felt grateful toward Dereck, but as a teenager, she was clumsy in expressing her feelings. As always, in front of Dereck, who praised her as she was, Diella squinted like a sly cat and, with a victorious expression, placed her hands on her hips.Td2lI3G
zeN“Hmph!”kaxoo2
yvnkCoT“…”sntHH
X65Odg5“Every time I act proud like this, do you always look at me with that pitying expression?”JJgSuD
ev7kwQ“It’s not pity… Sometimes I just envy your innocence.”rMF
9geIVd“You have a very peculiar way of saying I’m naïve about the world.”QCyd
8yhk1“How could I speak bluntly to a lady of the Duplain family? You have noble blood.”3dHO57g
zh2qHIt was undeniable. This boy seemed to fulfill all formalities yet never spoke empty words. In fact, that quality was rather comforting. In the noble world, full of hollow words and pretenses, someone like Dereck—polite but sincere—was worth more than gold.DXMBi
SunMWhat a blessing it was to find a mentor one could trust and follow. Before she realized it, Diella found herself humming a tune whenever she strolled quietly.q0N
cbf2uShe enjoyed the scent of flowers by the roadside or reaching out to the high blue sky. When she had time, she would draw for the mansion’s servants.mq7k
UWNAt first, the servants posed awkwardly, but over time, they began to look forward to her drawings.HrcHYw
Wq4xAfter one month, then two, Diella was remembered among the servants as a loving and dignified woman. She had once been a pure and innocent child, and though she had gone through a rebellious phase, caught up in her own emotions and acting out on purpose, she quickly came to her senses and became again a woman worthy of her lineage.gT5
kVcThus, Diella’s wandering phase was covered over. If one lived in the present and moved forward well, a brief detour in life would only be a minor deviation.r53
U9eqsfEven Lady Miriela, who had once looked disapprovingly at Dereck, had to acknowledge his accomplishments, and when they passed in the hallway, she would simply close her eyes and move along.aBVFe9
F7y1BTPSeeing scenes like that, Diella felt that there was nothing in this world too difficult for her.peBTr
0ccx9“Hey, Dereck.”m4b6A
IzGMaAt the end of spring, as Diella absentmindedly watched butterflies fluttering among the garden flowers, she asked:qzZW9mX
2PS“Dereck, you’ve lived a wandering life as a mercenary.”WqBvHMW
A2l“Yes, that’s right.”dAOQ4
LhzlPb“Then you must’ve lived in truly rough environments, nothing like this noble mansion. After all, the magic you use is based on Wild Academy theory.”U7zW
7LUCAQ8“That’s right. Most mages from the Wild Academy are like that. It’s rare to find Wild Academy theory in such a noble environment. You’re special.”FP8
WvoI5Special.aAznY0
43vc3GFeeling an inexplicable satisfaction hearing that word, Diella smiled brightly.dkNFsA
KVoDereck, absorbed in a three-star magic book borrowed from the library, asked from the other side of the tea table.1YXvY
fcAyf2R“But why do you ask?”LKr
tI1oCMx“I just… wanted to know how you lived.”u8ravWq
znXlUThough Diella had never shown interest in her surroundings before, her perspective had recently broadened, and she began to care about Dereck.VAz
CDq“Dereck, you probably already know this, but I think noblewomen live similarly. There may be some differences based on status or prestige, but generally, they live like me. But that doesn’t apply to commoners.”SpxJPH6
lMYpx“That’s true. The lifestyle of commoners is quite varied. The values they hold most dear differ from person to person, and they’re freer than you’d think. Of course, most live trembling in poverty rather than enjoying that freedom.”jUL2SbD
HKI1“Yeah. That’s why I asked about you, Dereck. I just wanted to know.”sP2TpT
80giDereck quietly listened to Diella’s words and then spoke as if it were nothing.J3r
bwBhp“I only wanted to become a high-level mage. That’s the only goal I have now.”DM9OVn
k7bXAlZ“Really?”HoF
dompj“All I’ve done is fight to survive from the bottom, and the only talent I have is handling magic well.”RdM
u9lLlDereck spoke in an honest tone, as if it didn’t matter, but Diella listened intently to her mentor’s words, blinking with bright eyes.Swrf
1eX“Live doing what you’re good at. That’s all I think. There’s no great reason behind it.”XBG
3ZOSA8j“I think that’s pretty big. Dereck, for a commoner, you use magic at an extraordinary level.”wQbcq4V
97Z“That’s just by commoner standards. For nobles born as mages like you, Lady Diella, it’s a world you’ll reach eventually.”UQgfg
3m6In Diella’s small eyes, Dereck appeared as someone whose ability was far greater than she had imagined.jdw
h8AF“If you want to dream, you have to look further. That’s not something I can say openly just anywhere.”DlRiQR2
p0pShe couldn’t help but think—that was so very Dereck. Every time Dereck spoke of his ambitions, Diella felt a strange sense of disconnect from him.cUPFN
aHBTheir backgrounds and approaches to life were vastly different from each other. Still, following in his footsteps was an exciting endeavor. Diella, who had once wandered aimlessly through life, felt like she had finally found a milestone, and before she realized it, she was always smiling contentedly.XzC4hzG
kHGK***1Bfxh
eo6Yfz“Miss Diella, you seem to be in a good mood today.”6Eq3DN
1lmH“Do I? Actually, I nearly mastered first-tier magic yesterday. Did Valerian also reach this level at my age? Maybe I really do have talent?”EvIxvD
KmNJ“Of course. The magical progress you’ve made in the past few months is extraordinary. There’s no doubt you’ll become a mage on par with Master Valerian.”1DFyRLI
VhYEarly in the morning, the maid brushing Diella’s hair smiled kindly. Diella responded enthusiastically to her words. The maid’s praise wasn’t empty—Diella’s rapidly advancing magical abilities were truly exceptional.DVqwW
cKYIt was said that mastering several first-tier spells before coming of age was considered very talented, and beginning to practice second-tier magic was practically a sign of a prodigy. Even by noble standards, this level of growth was clearly uncommon.ymgwAW
igeDiella had fully absorbed the techniques and mastery methods taught by Dereck, and it seemed she would soon learn a new first-tier spell.i5RX
znw4“Today I have a magic lesson early on. In the afternoon I need to study geography, so I want to practice as much as I can in the morning.”wlVU
CAC“The weather is nice this morning too, so I’ll prepare the tea table in the garden. How about having your lesson there?”ZqPE
A4vD“Yes!”VxHKJ2J
NV8fixDiella replied cheerfully and then stepped lightly into the hallway. There was still time before her morning lesson, but she headed out early, caught up in her excitement.15l9jQ
txIRrAt this hour, her magic instructor was probably hidden away in his private room, absorbed in a thick spellbook. He was someone who always practiced magic in his spare time. If she arrived early and pushed him to start the lesson sooner, he would sigh as if he had no choice and let himself be led outside by Diella.oGDf7
j3cSince the morning weather was so nice, why not enjoy the warm sun while receiving a new transmission of first-tier magic?DCvj9y
SIzwlWith that thought, Diella hummed a tune and moved with a spring in her step.CePU
5NDbCreakxzI
WNq7WWithout thinking twice, she entered Dereck’s private room and raised her voice, full of excitement.lx4vZ
9T4fT“Dereck! It’s time for our morning magic lesson! I’ve been looking forward to this all week because we only had liberal arts classes!”pU3Hi6
CdQHaaZ“…”h8z
SSi6fUpon opening the door, as always, there was the boy in his mercenary outfit, sitting at his desk.IOc6iO
3LwvARQHowever, today, her older brother—the noble Valerian—was visiting his room. Busy with domain affairs, what brought him here?070JdsC
akG“Oh, um. Brother.”8jDFrn6
QpYoQz6“Oh, Diella. Good morning.”9DL7S3v
jYQC1Valerian greeted her with a gentle smile, but a strange unease lingered in his heart. He seemed to have been discussing something with Dereck. Surprised by the unexpected visitor, Diella hesitated for a moment but then continued in a brighter tone.TOcI0
BJymc“Brother, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had a separate appointment with Dereck for magic lessons this morning.”CKGPt
RP3u“No. I’m not here for a lesson. I just came to ask him something.”S97yYU
NWd7Cr“Should I come back after you’re finished?”kY9onRI
eumXJSIt was Dereck who stopped her.waZ0
s4ws9“There’s no problem, Lady Diella. We were discussing your magic lessons.”HjBtJLq
9b0Otm“Huh? A discussion about my lessons?”lwSgQc6
Nmn9As Diella tilted her head in confusion, Dereck spoke with a slight bow.vM7QWe
mumh“Actually, I have nothing more left to teach you.”3iY6i
euySo it was the season.mBCPDj
mMK6Just as there is no eternal winter, there is no eternal spring either.UpD
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