Chapter 72: To the North (3)
FqqUX— When you teach Siern, you’ll have many questions.kk2
KELKBefore heading north, Dereck had visited Lord Melverot to give his final confirmation.VNjykM
KfGT0WvMelverot, who sat working with his legs crossed arrogantly, was pleased with Dereck’s intent, but as Siern’s father, he had something to say.72jU0
5DoDoc— Many mages have tried to teach Siern and gave up. Each had their own reasons, and many ended badly.Tacy
qjP82Z— …AW4DyAA
AfYlhwj— I just want Siern to adapt well to noble society. To properly learn magic according to the star-level system and to become a lady worthy of the Rochester family. I’m not interested in anything else. Just keep any questions that may arise during that process to yourself. That’s all.fYi4Er
oY9Though it sounded straightforward, Melverot’s expression carried a hidden nuance.vEzQw
lDr8It seemed he was concealing something, but Dereck wasn’t in a position to question him.tdF0ze
03vzX2Besides, he wasn’t particularly interested in the details. He only needed to win over Siern and teach her what was necessary.xzChkR
mYc4tD6Still, he couldn’t shake off a strange sense of intuition.ngb4B
Uw1***7mK
4hUdDA freezing wind was blowing.8r2
ygpPA7The carriage, completely destroyed by the monster’s corpse, was no longer usable.8ma
ESoePassing the terrified servants, Dereck stepped forward and spoke.9ZOg
3eh9“Lady Siern. I am Dereck of Ebelstein.”edRU
OUXAeHe had decided to try his first strategy—communicate through dialogue.HzaGtkY
yMaUEHe knew many instructors had tried the same without success, so he had no great expectations. The fact that she didn’t care about the beast corpses or the stench of blood made it clear she wasn’t reasonable. Still, he decided to try.zBKAK1A
ucuc8DThen came an unexpected reply from the girl holding the bodies.jln
PegNWdW“I heard about you from Serena.”d9B
yTcEHHer disheveled hair fell over her forehead. Her white eyes, visible between the strands, looked directly at Dereck.4GytZ
6Pw4Her voice was clear and pure, with an intellectual air. Her tone was calm and composed, and for a moment, she gave the impression of being a kind and elegant person—if it weren’t for her bloodstained appearance.XWo5F
9apSj99“I heard you’re here to teach me magic.”JOhJgOl
L9Alhny“Yes. Though of humble status, I make my living teaching magic.”IZvv
HCJnpk“Interesting.”8LKot50
pWyXSurprisingly, the conversation seemed to be working.ooYL
KpIlUB7Just as Dereck thought his first method might succeed, Siern’s bluish hair began to float, and magic surged through her body.x4U
zKxFHEA blue energy began to radiate from her white eyes, and she smiled ecstatically.i72ajJ
WJ7“Then… you must be stronger than me?”Si9pJ
56QVvgF“What?”0Nas
poz09As soon as Dereck replied, Siern vanished.79x7pL
h2hHer movements, blending with the icy wind, were hard to track with the naked eye.R87
f7kWhen Aiselin and the servants blinked, Siern was already in front of Dereck, her skirt lifted by a gust as she floated.cWRK2
tt6Her bare feet dug into the snow, and at that moment, a massive wall of earth surged up to crush Dereck.iaae
TtvMsWThere was no chant or preparation. The speed of her actions didn’t match the body of a mere girl.alel66x
ozlW‘Transformation magic? Level 3? No… almost full level 2.’xOANu7
OdnQTjXDereck couldn’t help but be surprised.enm
2Su1bThere are exceptional talents who reach level 3 before their coming-of-age ceremony.Xb20lk
6MWRbw7With the support of a prestigious noble family, one or two of those talents may emerge per generation across the continent.AiKmBlJ
u1CGBut for a girl in this barren land, with so many failed instructors, to reach this level… was nearly impossible.I5A9
C09lCrash! Crash!FV2V0
VAClCDereck stepped back swiftly to dodge the wall of earth and lowered his stance. His eyes turned serious.5uR
bOS7OPWhoosh!lPSK2
DluThe earth walls continued trying to crush him, but the magic arrows he instantly conjured shattered them before they could form.tfu85z
yFgf0cuNot only the servants were surprised—even Siern widened her eyes in shock.S34
dg9Dereck’s reaction speed far exceeded normal.wld
NIkjO8‘From the start… this isn’t careless magic. Nor does it seem wild magic. What kind of person is this man?’KdF9eJa
k733There’s one immutable truth about magical talent. Effort, instructors, and a good environment all play a role.3yE2WP
J9EZS2But if one had to choose a single decisive factor, it would be blood. First, blood. Second, blood. Even a third… still blood.UwSF0I0
xMGhLZKAnd this girl was the daughter of a six-star mage. Her high level was no surprise.P1Pf6kR
FBupHowever, her magic style was far different from Melverot’s. It was hard to believe she was the daughter of a man who had strictly followed the aristocratic magic path.7mPefb1
jr3She was so free-spirited, it made one doubt she was his biological daughter.97R8
BcJm“You dodged?”C4bdU46
oMq1us0Siern, regaining her cold expression, snapped her fingers and looked at Dereck. There had been killing intent in her attack. She wasn’t a girl who knew how to hold back.txC
CDGu18KIf ranked by stars, Siern’s magic was nearly level 3.MNTc
zqnCTransformation Magic Level 2: ‘Earth Wall.’dbvn
VOjTransformation Magic Level 3: ‘Acceleration.’4m8D
iVBlqcHowever, her magic didn’t seem bound by that system.qLWWFn
ztQ“Lady Siern.”ytH
uHNxDereck’s tone grew even lower. Straightening up, he adjusted his loose leather gloves and looked at her sternly.bNI
9Gach“You must not attack people without reason.”bQsMR6
h3rvlbFirst, establish the correct rule. That was Dereck’s style.2s7YNF
i0bTbCDiella, Ellen, and Denise always said the same. Dereck always spoke the truth.RjUxzh
gPLh3dBCorrect principles are irrefutable. But Siern gave a mocking laugh as she looked at him.AXAa7j
n7NgW“You sound like someone from the southwest. They say the open plains and mild weather there are like paradise.”mQm
tQvlAnother blast of cold wind stirred her hair. Despite the chill that would make most men tremble, she walked barefoot and gloveless through the snowy field.R4PsjB
AoDkHer appearance was unusual.IsAhVv
VDui9g“Do you think that just because I don’t attack without reason, others will leave me alone?”2j1ETgK
HSI“That’s what it means to live in a civilization.”SrkC98
MibkYf“Those words don’t apply here in the north. You kill before being killed, eat before being eaten. That goes for both beasts and humans.”XXfKQh0
MQf4The girl’s values were extreme.mj8q
dRkXGGrowing up in the northern cold might explain that mindset, but Siern was a noble lady. Surely she had lived more protected than most.uvWj
ETRYet with eyes as cold as ice, she spoke calmly.60TCwy
gsUS“If you want to teach me… prove your worth.”NRtSYN
vKuu“And what is that worth?”aSVWe
YPYB“Not dying by my hands.”FTG2
P0i1ZThe girl stood among corpses. She felt no guilt in taking a life.wDyd
kG1KqRDRabbits, wolves, deer, bears… whether snowy field beasts or humans, if necessary.H073N7
ALzThe girl’s eyes, surrounded by bodies, were equally serene. For her, skinning a rabbit or a person was the same.CS7
SMvsURSSome would call it purity. Others, madness. Dereck was clearly one of the latter.oNkZZLW
OXvRq9jBang!xAE
mIc9ISiern vanished again, stomping hard. Her movements, sliding between bare trees, could no longer be tracked by eye.aUg
pX1wVLdJust as Dereck began focusing on the sound…ERhId
IPNoWhoosh!KxYTz2
1B5SA spell was cast: ‘Sound Block,’ level one. Siern had blocked his hearing.ptfQ
uHMq‘Her combat instinct is impressive.’Ztg
D04LDereck remained calm, and Siern’s pressure intensified.135hbG4
FumE2gLevel one combat spells flew at him—shockwaves, ice spears, fire arrows.heHnzN
Tq8eAnd despite all that, she didn’t cancel the level 3 ‘Acceleration’ spell on herself.8NrTJ
yvHo26Boom! Bang!bZd9
jMdeDereck felt a strange affinity as he watched her.SEz
eC8yhUzHer lone stance in that frozen tundra reminded him of parts of his own past.pSeri
hjmVmBut there were two key differences. She had been born with noble blood, a gift from the heavens.Qpq
kgs8bAnd her combat style was excessively raw.T56Y7e
OD6To Dereck, who had endured countless battles, her moves were still immature.l5K
G1rNIfrCrack!fwW
8gUopDMCrunch! Crack! Crackle!ILoa
RurSiern’s eyes flew open.38l
LOh4By the time she came to, all her combat spells had been shattered by magic arrows.2mS
xApPkmcIntercepting magic before activation was Dereck’s specialty. No matter how sharp someone’s combat senses were, it wasn’t easy to deal with Dereck’s flexible magic use.YGc8VT
sO0This time, Dereck propelled himself from the ground and charged. The distance closed in an instant, but Siern leapt backward, her tousled hair flying.nCIXF
y5xL“Trying to catch me with speed? What a foolish idea…”GpDhJvc
fUFJust as she tried to mock Dereck for his “foolish idea,” a sharp sensation ran down her spine.gky9dU
uUXIt was a realm beyond the five senses—the sixth sense. An instinct engraved in Lady Siern, who had grown up roaming the north and hunting monsters.32U
ipYDqiThud!uhbjC
MyMCrash!XLFxQB
kj9Without gaining much distance, Siern rolled across the snowy ground.RmKh7
oJqU1pDereck’s foot was stepping on Siern’s shadow. It was the two-star combat magic “Shadow Bind.”MVfmQ1
58f2keeIt was a spell that used mana to trap the opponent’s shadow and immobilize them. Though slow and impractical, Dereck compensated for those flaws with his innate magical sense.d6z
1bMtD9“H-how did you do that…?”KPRE
iWlYhlShe tried to ask how he had tracked her, but it was a pointless question.fWxd
aj0Dereck approached Siern, who lay on the ground due to the binding spell.pWSIqc
kpmD4s4He had learned tracking magic directly from the legendary tracking mage, Drest Wolftail.rvDjWe
T5MLHoDereck had already developed a sense capable of reading an opponent’s movements through mana flow.q9IM
VwDNThe level 3 transformation magic “Acceleration” was useful, but had a fatal flaw—it left mana traces with every movement.P9Jh
OfcTThat meant that when facing a high-level tracking mage, every move would be exposed. They were experts in tracing and reading magical effects.3ksb3
45urIn combat, the natural enemy of a transformation mage was a tracking mage.fF7
eClOf course, Siern, who had fought purely on instinct, was unaware of this theory.ZkxwS3k
mZIWAnd from the perspective of someone without that knowledge, it looked like Dereck could predict all her moves.lsW
OAifM“Lady Siern. If you continue causing chaos, I—”1LfqF
K54PKPo“Haap!”yExDOOR
5sJAjjBefore Dereck could finish his sentence, Siern picked up a rock buried in the snow and threw it.Q9U
aaXCaught mid-sentence and off guard, the rock flew and struck Dereck’s temple before he could dodge.hXcG
ZlFhhR5Thud!8Nf3SN
vwdUIt wasn’t a fatal wound, but his concentration broke for a moment, canceling the binding. Siern took the chance to cast Acceleration again and bolted away.4CLcmCa
g2QWhoosh!Cxo
CBlHer movements were astounding.KH65Iy
0h6K7“…”Qh6
vAJEMDereck stood still.OjLN
YENb0RsA line of blood trickled down his temple. A drop fell with a plop onto the pristine snow, staining it red.SbPzPg
PahpDereck, who had been silently watching the scene, finally pressed his fingers to his brow.EGXIeha
butJ2c“Mr. Dereck! A-are you okay?”KLc2xwI
LWXCREVAiselin, worried, rushed toward him but lost her breath the moment she met his gaze.WZLBZ
okMUJRHBecause Dereck’s expression was unusual.osgFhE
DvsLUR“…”IUQf
O8pdAaTDereck was, by nature, someone who was not swayed by emotions.XXA4l
yLQhEven when Diella insulted him, or when Ellen looked down on him, Dereck never showed any sign of agitation.Xzp
fX3Even if someone he had just met tried to kill him, threw a rock at him, and made him bleed… his steel composure would remain unaffected.WgA
RDRuHowever, Aiselin couldn’t help but swallow nervously upon seeing Dereck press his forehead and wipe away the blood.F0Fm
WjWShould it be called a ghostly aura, or perhaps a murderous intent?tc11Hu
cPs5An indescribable sense of intimidation could clearly be felt in Dereck’s cold gaze.xtHPqP
T9tNcC4Just because he didn’t act recklessly in a fit of rage didn’t mean he lacked emotions. If he was in a bad mood, he was in a bad mood. He simply considered it trivial.6Hc
S1hThat’s why Dereck spoke in a low and calm voice, without raising it.eRZ
dvIa“You remember I said I had thought of three methods, right?”83dJ
DudQJ“Y-yes… yes, you did…”Vquje
Z2BHlOHe continued in a voice as sharp as a blade.5joM
PnW3DgT“Looks like we’ll have to use the third method.”TutCVHi
DjgxX“Mr. Dereck…”tcbo408
tCo9c“If you have any objections, please state them, Lady Aiselin.”isHd
l9tpEven in that situation, by asking for his companion Aiselin’s opinion, he was the epitome of composure.ZQOy
wfe8mAiselin couldn’t oppose him. She merely took a step back… and with a trembling voice, barely managed to speak.9REVDha
xpm0“Please… be merciful…”As2
iba“Understood.”1xYNwq
dFzAt that moment, Dereck’s figure vanished.RgGiQx
wHi3L***Qld7
GnqPESwoosh!dP93C2H
6f4Siern held her breath.oPFxRW
P49RrShe found herself face-to-face with Dereck, who had suddenly closed the distance and was staring at her intently.gbqQ
ZT8UKThe killing intent in those red eyes felt familiar. It was like that of the giant wolf I saw during a snowstorm, while wandering alone through the snowy mountains as a child.exeGT
JO5xAPIn the wild world, everyone ends up in one of two positions. Predator or prey.q9CZ
xK5oThat position is relative. A predator won’t always remain one, and prey doesn’t always stay prey.Sg5
kHRIn this vast world without rules, it all depends on who you meet. If you encounter a rabbit, you’re the predator. If you meet a wolf, you’re the prey. It’s that simple.CIX
YSwuPThen… am I the predator or the prey now?jQky
cxbThe moment I asked myself that question, Dereck’s hand reached out to grab me by the neck.1mb
G88bkCrack!IRq3fp6
TVXjpxCrunch!0Y3W
PI5However, with sharp instinct, Siern grabbed Dereck’s hand and bit the callused palm hardened from training.73M6M
hXygxWhen his grip loosened for a moment, she leapt again, but it was a useless move.2J41
ybW9WyNo matter how much acceleration magic she used, Dereck seemed to know exactly where her movements were going. In this case, the difference in speed was almost irrelevant.tmRaH2
RTcpcSnap!78X0sm
VqDThat’s why Siern decided to move in a straight line to maximize distance.08lf
jDbMiTrying to confuse him with zigzagging movements wouldn’t work, so she decided to widen the gap with pure speed.olTDn1
7oXTDnHowever, that too was part of Dereck’s plan. When the distance had significantly widened, Dereck raised his hand and gathered mana.Xj0
mKdWhoosh!2gaH
CbmLlz7Dereck extended his hand into the air and closed his fist tightly.FuC4XA
AAnqCc“The energy of the earth that embraces all without hesitation…”Mtm
gK7bSiern’s intuition screamed something was wrong.zLk
ig9L1Aiselin felt it too.7Yvcz9
Z4qIt was the first time she had seen Dereck chant a spell.M2lOPw
Ghg8TYDereck rarely did so.b7BZ2
2YYiwThe boy, who had reached the limit of his magical sense, had become so advanced that he could cast level 1 and even level 2 spells without chanting.Z1qz
0MAovANWhooosh!fCXY
wKGJSrPThe gathered servants looked on in disbelief.G3xDS
kdh6ufmThe amount of mana concentrating around the boy, who was about to undergo his coming-of-age ceremony, far exceeded that of most noble sons.gjo7cm2
8D0qPYiWhoosh!a8DY
lAZRumble!w6Q0o
mDcDereck was not someone who favored a combat style based on brute force. Despite being born with innate magical talent, in basic duels he relied more on his combat sense than on magic.4KDrEPQ
7hIHe often used magic to trick his enemies and gain a psychological edge.TKz
vsSBut that didn’t mean he couldn’t fight with pure force.gzWtLBM
y1xo0He simply chose not to. However, if it was a situation that required overwhelming the enemy with absolute power, Dereck wouldn’t hesitate to use high-scale magic.Xtp
mm6MlWHe had already reached a considerably high level among 3-star mages.tyzG
hM7KpkYBoom, boom, boom.jqbhH
WuOAvThe incoming magic had to be avoided.9d5
7ySBIt was the moment Siern swallowed and took her stance. But the magic Dereck unleashed was not something that could be dodged.pqrzpN4
FNNBoom!inqQ
6bnLYeThe ground began to crack, and a blizzard rose up.s11
VbxRB“Ahhh!”0qbmP4
0iXwmZ3-star combat magic: “Earthquake.”mEo
xte2fzIt was a high-level combat spell that overturned the ground in a wide area, subduing the opponent along with the terrain.8V12FWz
b11However, Lady Siern’s combat sense had already reached its peak.M73Gq
1QKEIf the magic couldn’t be dodged, the caster had to be stopped. Even though the distance was dangerously wide, she had to close the gap quickly and interrupt the chanting.gISe9D
N5URs21Just as Siern was about to activate her acceleration magic and dash forward…IjvZy
vZYyHCNThe ground was no longer there.u5wSC7p
sGLfREWrapped in a feeling of weightlessness, she saw Dereck casting magic from afar.diJq
J6JHThere was no emotional agitation in his gaze, even as blood trickled down his temple.7bM
hosLT5‘This scale of magic… has he already finished chanting?’U6ZOy
y7hHis chanting rhythm was always several beats faster than anyone could imagine. At that moment, she understood. They were on completely different levels.jXh0L
LXEThe killing intent in the boy’s eyes was now entirely that of a predator.5zYl2
ICBFoAnd the prey… was her.z3iYc
mM4Whoosh!d3a4
86BSIn the end, all that remained was the fall.Kna
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