There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

＜ 4-star (6) ＞

Derek had a deep sleep for the first time in a while and dreamed.

He imagined achieving each of the magical accomplishments he had longed for, one by one, and one day reigning at the pinnacle.

What would he think when he had mastered all magic and there was no higher realm to aspire to?

Even those who had devoted their entire lives to magical research had never reached the final realm.

The very thought might be an act of arrogance, but still, Derek wanted to think about it at least once.

If the lifelong goal he had yearned for came into his hands, what would come next?

Even in his drowsy mind, Derek had such thoughts.

*

“We have done everything we can for now, but his life is still in danger.”

The Beltus mansion was almost completely destroyed, with no intact place left, but at least a secluded guest room was in a suitable state to protect the patient.

The person lying on the dust-covered bed was Baron Derek Lydorf Ravenclaw.

He was the one who made the most significant contribution in the subjugation of the Beltus mansion and was a genius who reached the 4-star realm at an unbelievable age.

However, his life was about to end in vain.

“Report his condition in more detail.”

Countess Rodeia, who was sitting solemnly in a chair in the corner of the guest room with her arms crossed, said.

She was still wearing her large silver armor from the recent battle, and her long white hair clearly showed the traces of time.

The doctor, directly under the Count of Renwell, bowed his head and reported in a clear voice.

“Judging by the traces of magic and the state of his body, it seems he used up all his energy and then drew more magic to manifest 4-star magic. It was literally a suicidal act.”

“Why did he do such a thing?”

“As you expected. To face Grand Duke Beltus with his insufficient skills, he would have had to push himself even at the cost of his own body.”

Although I did not witness the battle scene directly, the fight between Derek and Grand Duke Beltus must have been brutal.

Derek was trying to manifest even stronger magic, even when he felt like his whole body was burning with the energy of magic and blood was gushing out from his body.

‘The nobility of trying to subdue a necromancer at the cost of his own life is truly commendable.’

As Countess Rodeia harbored deep hatred towards necromancy, she had a great liking for Derek’s serious attempt to capture the necromancer.

Therefore, it was absolutely unacceptable for him to end his life here.

“We must inform His Majesty Guttel that a new 4-star mage has been born in the southwest. Please do everything in your power to ensure that Sir Derek does not lose his life.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

– Clank

With the sound of armor clanking, Rodeia stood up and opened the door.

On her way out, she glanced at Derek’s condition once more, and he still looked very dangerous with the bleeding not stopping.

‘Now is the time to sort out the situation.’

As Countess Rodeia closed the door and came out, the hallway was crowded with people.

The outer wall of the hallway had collapsed, so it seemed like people were packed all the way to the garden.

The affiliations of those stationed were diverse. There were people from various families or mercenary groups.

At the very front, those who seemed to be holding themselves up with worried expressions caught her eye.

“How is Derek’s condition?”

“It is a situation where his life cannot be guaranteed.”

The most noble person among the gathered individuals, Lady Elente of the Belmiard family, was the first to step forward and speak in a worried voice.

When Rodeia told the truth as it was, Elente bit her lower lip.

Although she did not stop Derek from stepping forward actively, she never imagined that he would be in such danger.

It was the same for others as well.

“No matter what anyone says, he is a meritorious subject who put great effort into resolving this situation. We must never forget to commend his efforts, but before that, we must sort out what needs to be sorted out.”

The Beltus mansion was devastated, and the Arch Lich fled with the Grand Duke’s corpse.

Happy, the creature most favored by Pine, was merely carrying out orders for its master, but to those unaware of this fact, it seemed like a loyal subject fleeing with the most important person.

In short, it was the Grand Duke Beltus who summoned the Arch Lich, and it appeared as if he fled with the unconscious Grand Duke.

The Grand Duke Beltus wielded high-level necromantic magic and was a master of summoning magic. Considering his efforts to prevent the subjugation force from being sent to him until the end, it was not strange to think that the Arch Lich was summoned by the Grand Duke Beltus.

“Is the Grand Duke Beltus alive?”

“That’s unknown. To my eyes, he seemed completely unconscious, but seeing how the Arch Lich tried so desperately to take him, there is a possibility that he is hiding somewhere and recovering.”

A grievous mistake was made in letting the Arch Lich escape.

If he had perfectly subdued the Arch Lich, Derrick’s efforts in subduing the Grand Duke Beltus would not have been in vain.

Feeling great shame at this fact, Rodeia hardened her expression.

Thus, Countess Rodeia gave orders to the gathered troops, instructing them to organize the situation and thoroughly investigate the chaotic battlefield.

She intended to meticulously investigate the Grand Duke Beltus’s misdeeds and thoroughly uncover the circumstances under which he dabbled in necromantic magic, to report to Emperor Guttrel.

As she walked around the battlefield receiving reports on the situation, she saw a girl resting beside the main hall, with Robenalt laid down.

The eldest daughter of the Beltus family, who was at the center of this disaster. It was Drenis.

Her dress, covered in dust, looked shabby, and fatigue was evident in her weary eyes.

Nevertheless, when Countess Rodeia approached, she quickly straightened her posture, bowed her head, and spoke.

“Your Excellency, Count. This matter…”

“I heard in advance from Sir Derrick. You were the one who understood the darkness of the Grand Duke Beltus the most deeply and were the first to inform Sir Derrick that the family was falling into the wrong path, allowing him to act in time. Lady Drenis, you have held onto the right thoughts and endured in this harsh environment. I sincerely commend you.”

Drenis had steeled her heart.

Because they did not expect that the daughter of Duke Beltus, the mastermind behind this catastrophe, would be looked upon favorably.

However, Derrick had already taken care of that part.

At Countess Rodeia’s words, Denise’s eyes widened for a moment, but Derrick believed that she, being quick-witted, would understand the situation in an instant.

Denise quickly bowed her head, thinking, and then replied.

“Oh, no. I just did what I had to do.”

“When I report to Prince Guttel, I will make sure to mention you. In this crazy environment, you were the only one who kept your sanity, and I will make sure that the consequences of the evil deeds do not reach you.”

“I am overwhelmed by your consideration. However… is Baron Ravenclaw still not in good health…?”

“I just checked his condition in the room where he is being protected, and it seemed like his life could not be guaranteed.”

At those words, Denise swallowed dryly.

He is the man who uprooted the darkness of Beltus, yet protected Denise to the end. If something went wrong with him, Denise felt that her heart would be greatly shaken.

“Some people say that he must be involved in this incident in some way.”

During the process of cleaning up the battlefield, the remnants of Beltus and high-ranking retainers had been gritting their teeth and saying.

Baron Derrick Lydorf Ravenclaw is definitely involved in this matter.

The situation is too perfect.

It is too unnatural for such a thing to happen the moment the Beltus family draws their swords and points them at him, resulting in the family’s devastation.

They were shouting that the one who wove the necromantic magic was that cruel baron, and that they must not be deceived.

Hearing those words, Rodeia listened for a moment, but looking at Derrick lying in the room, she gradually had to let go of her doubts.

No matter what tricks one might play, there is no one in the world who would go so far as to risk their own life like that.

Derrick had indeed almost died, and judging by his condition, it would not be strange if he died at any moment even now. The most skilled medical staff among those brought in were attending to him, but all the forces favorable to him were worried.

What Countess Rodeia overlooked was that Derrick was also not a sane person.

He was a madman who could even stake his own life for magical achievement, and thus, he was able to reach this level.

However, it was not easy to discern such aspects of Derek just by his appearance.

On the surface, he was merely someone who diligently trained in magic… a person who governed a remote territory and taught young ladies as his profession.

‘If Baron Ravenclaw’s intentions were truly behind all this, at least he wouldn’t have been in such danger.’

Others might not know, but Countess Rodeia, who had seen Derek blocking Grand Duke Beltus with all his might, could not doubt him.

This was because his miserable appearance, bleeding profusely and trembling all over, was right in front of her.

“First, we need to examine the situation of the recovered Beltus mansion and organize what needs to be reported. We should listen to the stories of the people inside Beltus, but we still haven’t completely figured out whom to trust and whom not to.”

Countess Rodeia shook her head and spoke to Denis, who had a face full of worry.

“At least, Lady Denis, whom Baron Ravenclaw has vouched for, can be trusted. Can you organize and tell us about the situation in the Beltus duchy?”

A position where she could make suggestions to Countess Rodeia, who held the actual control of the current mansion.

That was the last gift Baron Ravenclaw had given to Denis before he lost consciousness.

At those words, Denis swallowed dryly.

Originally, she was a sailor on a sinking ship. So, naturally, she thought she would end her life with this ship.

However, the teacher who once taught her… had rescued Denis from the sea, calling her his disciple, and handed her the helm for navigation once again.

In return, Derek was lying in the cabin in a state of collapse.

Denis could not make his sincerity meaningless. She opened her eyes wide and pulled herself together.

Now was the time for Denis to get a grip.

*

[You have reached the level of a 4-star. You are a master of magic.]

[You can now access the fusion theory of the magic system.]

“…”

– Chirp, chirp, chirp.

From noble mtl dot com

When Derek opened his eyes, it was already dawn with the sun rising.

His whole body was throbbing with intense pain, but he had become accustomed to enduring pain.

As he somehow adjusted to the piercing morning sunlight and raised his upper body, he saw a familiar figure sitting next to the bed with arms crossed and legs crossed.

“…”

“…Hello, Derek.”

“Feline. What is it?”

“What do you think? I was nursing you.”

Feline was also covered in scratches all over her body.

It seemed like only a day had passed since the chaotic night.

“…You don’t look like someone who is nursing.”

“That’s just a figure of speech. If you see the situation outside, you’d be shocked. There are quite a few people who wanted to come in to check on you, but somehow, I’m the only one who managed to get in and sit here.”

“How did you get in amidst all that chaos?”

“I was going to ignore it too… but they said it didn’t matter since I’m the baron’s wife…”

“…”

“…”

An awkward silence lingered for a moment.

Despite everything, Feline was officially Derek’s partner.

There was no particular romantic atmosphere between the two, but officially, that was their status.

Derek was holding his throbbing forehead, while Felinne was brushing her bangs back with a troubled expression.

“Well, I know how tough you are, Derek… So I thought it was ridiculous to talk about life and death over a wound like this.”

To a stranger, it would have looked like his life was hanging by a thread.

In reality, Derek’s bleeding and wounds were severe, and if he were not properly trained, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had died on the spot.

Facing a 5-star mage with a 3-star status in the first place, it would have been strange if he hadn’t been prepared for this level of risk.

However, as for Felinne, she had seen Derek get seriously injured several times while wandering the labyrinth with him for many years.

At first, Felinne would fuss over him, carrying Derek on her back, bandaging his wounds, and pacing around anxiously, but now that pure-hearted behavior was long gone… She just looked at him with eyes that said, “Oh, this guy is down again, you fool…”

The two of them knew each other so well that they didn’t feel any particular sense of crisis.

“Derek. When I look at you, I feel like you’re someone who wouldn’t be surprised if you suddenly died one day while training in magic.”

“You know well, I don’t die easily.”

“It’s hard to deny… Well, it’s your business. Anyway, thanks to you, I had fun.”

Felinne, who also had considerable wounds, smiled with a grin.

“When else would I get the experience of kicking noble lords’ butts if not at times like this? It looks like we’ll get quite a hefty reward… After all, when an acquaintance’s status rises, benefits follow.”

“You say you hate nobles, but you don’t seem to mind when I act like one and cause trouble.”

“You’re Derek before you’re a noble.”

“…”

Felinne chuckled and then continued to speak to Derek.

“Well, a lot of people are worried about you, so get your heavy butt up and go outside. I heard some people from the barony rode out all night, scared you might die.”

“Yeah. Thanks for the news.”

“Thanks? While I was rolling around in the Veldern Mercenary Corps, you were flirting with many women, and now I’m stuck with the title of baroness… It’s terrifying.”

Feline sighed deeply, gathered her bow, sword, and cloak, and twisted her body this way and that.

It was early morning. She must have been weary in her own way.

Feline, as if she had said all she had to say, swung her arms casually and opened the door to leave.

Her nonchalant demeanor in such a situation was truly impressive. Unlike the noble ladies of various aristocratic families, her constant ease was her greatest strength.

– Creak, bang

Derek stared at the closed door for a moment, then somehow managed to move his screaming body to stand up.

He was still not used to walking, and he felt almost no magic power in his body… but he could definitely feel that his level of magic had risen by one step.

Even the usually stoic Derek couldn’t help but have a slight smile on his face in this situation.

Four-star level.

A realm that even those born with noble blood and extraordinary talent might not reach despite a lifetime of effort.

The fact that he had set foot at the very edge of that realm excited him.

His breathing became rapid, and he felt a surge of exhilaration.

The sensation of progress.

Once you fall into it, it’s hard to escape.

“…”

Now it was time to break through various four-star level spells.

Having pierced through one blood vessel, the acquisition would surely be faster.