Chapter 20 Translator: XZY
Chapter 20: Journey (4) ***
Nothing more to teach.
Those who heard Derek's declaration could not help but tilt their heads at first.
Derek's disciple, Diella, was now in the position of mastering 1-Star magic, but Derek had almost mastered 2-Star magic and was getting a glimpse of the 3-Star realm.
It was no exaggeration to say that the magical level between the two was like heaven and earth, yet Derek had declared that it was meaningless to teach Diella anything more.
"From this point on, I cannot judge whether my intervention will have a good effect on Lady Diella's magic mastery."
The place was the Grand Duke's office.
The Grand Duke's office, which had a strangely dark atmosphere even in the middle of the day, felt as if it was intimidating people.
The Grand Duke of Duplein was sitting there with his chair turned, quietly listening to Derek's story.
"As Your Grace the Grand Duke may have noticed when you saw Lady Diella's use of magic, the Young Lady utilizes mana in a slightly different way from the aristocratic and discipline-based magics."
"It would be the magic theory of the Wild School."
"You knew?"
"I had noticed Diella's specialness to some extent since the last duel. Though I wasn't certain."
Raymond Oswald Duplein, the master of this territory, was a mage who had already reached the 5-Star realm.
As a person who was well-versed in most magic theories, he had also seen through the fact that Diella's magical achievement was not a normal situation.
"So?"
"Originally, the magic of the Wild School is based on self-study. A good master can be efficient in leading up to a certain level, but once a certain level is passed, one must worry about adverse effects."
"What exactly are those adverse effects?"
"It's a case where a restriction is placed on the mage's own free-spirited use of mana."
Derek continued his explanation as it was, standing firm with his hands behind his back.
"Lady Diella's use of magic is like painting a picture. Even among the free-spirited mana uses of Wild School mages, her own color is exceptionally strong."
"It's as if she's doing art."
"Yes, that's an appropriate analogy. The stronger an artist's own color, the more one cannot carelessly give advice. It is because it may result in cutting out that color and its strengths."
Derek added.
"Perhaps, she may become a mage of a much higher level than I had initially imagined."
The Grand Duke of Duplein listened to Derek's explanation quietly and then slowly closed his eyes once.
The appearance of the Grand Duke, lost in thought, was always similar. It did not take much time to reach a conclusion.
"Yes. I see what you mean. Then does that mean you no longer have a reason to stay in the ducal estate."
"What meaning is there in a magic master who does not teach magic?"
"Diella is emotionally relying on you a lot."
"..."
Derek quietly lowered his gaze and did not reply. The Grand Duke saw Derek's reaction and soon understood.
It was a story that it would not be good for Diella to rely on Derek more than necessary. If she was a Wild School mage, she had to know how to stand alone.
"...Yes. You were a man of high ambition in the first place. In an environment like this ducal estate, there would be a limit to your own magic training. With your personality, it would be hard to endure a situation where your magical achievement is restricted."
"...Yes. I only gain speed in mastering magic in a practical combat-oriented environment. The ducal estate is too... peaceful for me."
"It seems you are not destined to live a comfortable life either."
"I consider it a blessing in its own way."
The Grand Duke of Duplein then turned his chair, rested his chin on his hand, and spoke while looking out the window.
"Still, my youngest daughter, who was a sore spot, has benefited a lot. I can't say I was a good father, but it's a relief that I can remain a father who cares for his daughter. It must be thanks to your efforts."
"You praise me too much."
"I don't know how these children grow up so fast. When I'm distracted by the territory's affairs for a while, it's sometimes scary to see them grow by a handspan."
Valerian, Reigh, and Aiseline were all doing their own parts and establishing their places in this aristocratic world.
Was Diella's wandering, the only one left, the big thorn in his heart?
As even his youngest daughter found her own way, it seemed as if he, as a parent, was entering a new phase.
The feeling of a mother bird looking at the empty nest left after all the children have gone is somewhere between relief and solitude.
The Grand Duke of Duplein was quietly lost in thought, watching his children find their own paths.
"When will you leave?"
"Next time Lady Aiseline visits the mansion and returns, I plan to ride the carriage with her to Ebelstein."
"I see. Return the library key now."
"Yes. I will return the grimoire I am currently reading and deliver it separately through the head butler."
"There's no need for that. Return the key now."
It took a moment to understand the meaning implied in those words.
Derek flinched and, with a sideways glance, looked at the 3-Star grimoire tied to his waist.
No matter how great a duke of a country he was, it was a matter to be careful about to carelessly hand out such a precious grimoire to a commoner. In terms of monetary value, this single old book often commanded a price of a decent house.
Nevertheless, the Grand Duke of Duplein did not seem to have any intention of getting the grimoire back, and was just resting his chin on his hand with his head turned.
Derek placed the library key on his office desk.
"If you have no further business, you may leave."
The dark office of the Grand Duke.
As always, the Grand Duke was sitting quietly in a lot of responsibility and a little bit of loneliness. His appearance was like a solid stone statue.
Derek bowed his head to express his gratitude and then quietly left the Grand Duke's office.
Valerian and Diella were waiting in the hallway of the office.
Valerian had a slightly worried face, and Diella had a surprisingly calm expression.
"Did you report to Father?"
"Yes. I have decided to leave for Ebelstein on Lady Aiseline's carriage next time."
"...Is that so."
Valerian looked at Derek with a disappointed expression.
The reason he had come to see Derek from early in the morning was to ask if he could look after Diella a little more. However, Derek's opinion was firm.
The point that he did not know if teaching her any more would have a good effect on Diella. The point that Derek was also wasting time to master his own magic.
In that there was nothing good for either of them, only the conclusion that they could not continue the magic lessons meaninglessly came out.
In the end, Valerian had no choice but to accept Derek's words and quietly pat his shoulder a couple of times.
"Yes. You've worked hard. The Duplein family owes you a great debt."
"Not at all. Rather, in the process of teaching Lady Diella, I feel that my own magical theory has been re-established."
"...Take this."
Valerian took out a metal medal the size of a thumbnail from his pocket. On the front, the seal of the Duplein family was largely engraved, and on the back, the seal of Lord Valerian was engraved in intaglio.
"If you show it to the shops in the noble district of Ebelstein, it will prove that you are under the protection of the Ducal House of Duplein. They will show you good products that are exclusively supplied to our family."
"...Thank you."
Derek decided to accept his kindness and put the medal with the Duplein seal in his pocket.
And after quietly bowing his head to Valerian, he looked at Diella.
Diella was looking at Derek with a surprisingly determined expression.
"You came suddenly, and now you say you're leaving suddenly."
"Isn't that the way of a wandering mercenary's life?"
"I know you won't listen, but I'll say it anyway."
Diella hesitated for a moment with her lips sealed, and then, as if she had to say it, she lifted her head and said.
"...Can't you not go?"
As if those words were a dagger in his heart, Valerian slowly closed his eyes.
Derek looked down at Diella quietly, and then said with a much softer face.
"I will be spending my time as a mercenary in the tavern street of Ebelstein as I have always done. I will also study magic a lot."
"...Yes. I suppose so."
"Lady Diella will also be coming to the noble district of Ebelstein after acquiring liberal arts here and being gifted a mansion for her social debut practice, won't you? Just like Lady Aiseline did."
Derek gave a quiet smile. It was not easy to see the smile of that blunt man.
"We will see each other again soon. If my level is a little higher then, there might be something more I can teach you."
At Derek's calm, soaking words, Diella could only nod her head.
Derek's words were always like that. Since he always said the right thing, she could never refute him.
<><><>
That night, Diella had a nightmare.
It was a dream of the time she was cooped up in the annex without achieving anything.
As she was sitting in a quiet room and wasting her time, something like a devil's whisper came to her ears.
Diella, you are a useless child. An incompetent child. A piece of trash that can do nothing, with nothing to show for but your bloodline.
As those whispers seemed to fill her ears, the walls of the room began to close in. The whole world gathered into a single point as if to crush Diella to death right away, and in that, she woke up with a start, tormented and unable to even breathe.
When she sat up in bed, covered in a cold sweat, it was a dark room where the moonlight was seeping in through the fluttering curtains.
In front of her, a maid with a flustered expression was fidgeting.
"L-Lady Diella. Are you alright? I heard a groaning sound, so I came in quickly..."
"..."
Diella, after calming her panting breath, let out another big sigh.
Thinking that Derek would be leaving soon, a great sense of helplessness of unknown origin was rushing in. She realized that she had been relying on Derek for many things at some point.
To be honest, she did not want Derek to leave.
However, she had no justification to hold him back.
'In the first place, isn't the initiative in this whole situation with Lady Diella?'
Then, a word he had said suddenly flashed through her mind.
That's right. In the end, the initiative in this whole situation was as good as in Diella's hands.
Derek was leaving because Diella had completely turned over a new leaf and there was no reason for him to intervene anymore.
If so, she just had to create a reason for Derek to stay. It was obvious that she could hold him back if she beat up the servants, acted like a hooligan, and made a mess, making her current self seem colorless.
Since he was the only one who had changed Diella, the Grand Duke and Valerian would also try to keep him in the mansion again. If that happened, she could continue to be with Derek.
Diella looked quietly at the maid who had worried eyes.
She could just slap that face and reprimand her for daring to enter the room where a young lady of the Duplein family was sleeping without any permission, as a mere junior maid. If she made a mess like that and caused all sorts of trouble, stirring up the mansion, Derek would eventually stay for Diella again.
And so, Diella's eyes flashed.
"....No. I'm fine. Can you just get me a glass of water?"
"Yes! I'll be right back from the kitchen. Please wait a moment."
However, Diella did not do so.
Diella sat quietly at the tea table in the center of the room and wiped her face, bathed in the soft moonlight coming down.
For whom would she cause such a disturbance?
Even if she made such a mess, it would be nothing more than denying what Derek had done so far.
Even if it meant he would leave her side, Diella could not do anything that would turn what Derek had built into meaninglessness. She absolutely did not want to tarnish the meanings he had left behind with her own hands.
How had she regained this daily life? How happy was this every day, where all the servants of the mansion gave her a friendly smile, and her family also spent each day with a relieved face.
Derek would not want her to cast this aside either, so Diella could only wipe her face and sniffle.
What pierced her heart the most was Derek's own ambition.
His ambition, which he had revealed while looking up at the sky in the garden together, was to become a mage of a higher level, not satisfied with his status as a commoner.
Being tied to this ducal estate was nothing more than hindering his journey.
Therefore, Diella could not hold Derek back. He was a person with wings.
The girl, holding back her tears, soon made a determined expression.
<><><>
Four days later, it was time for Lady Aiseline, who had visited the mansion, to return to Ebelstein.
At the main gate of the Duplein ducal estate, a large, magnificent carriage and numerous servants were out to see the young lady off.
Lady Aiseline, with a slightly complicated expression, greeted the servants, and then, when Derek approached, she nodded her chin.
"Should I drop you off at the entrance of Ebelstein? Or the commercial district?"
"The commercial district would be more convenient. Thank you for your consideration."
"Not at all. I should do at least this much."
It was an early dawn with the air full of moisture.
As was always the case with late spring dawns, there was a little fog, but the refreshing feeling unique to the early hours still remained.
The borderline between day and night.
At that subtle time, the world felt as if it were empty.
Only the chirping of birds echoed emptily through the garden where the sun had not yet risen.
Derek expressed his gratitude to Lady Aiseline, and before getting on the carriage, he looked around.
Valerian and Reigh, who were out from early in the morning, gave a quiet nod, so Derek also bowed his head in greeting.
Soon, Diella, who had been bowing between her older brothers, came forward.
Diella still had a firm expression. Although she was a crybaby, she surprisingly had a determined expression at the moment of parting.
He had thought she would cry and make a fuss and tell him not to go, but it was more unexpected than he had thought.
As if she had predicted Derek's thoughts, Diella smiled elegantly and said.
"Why? Did you think I would throw a tantrum and tell you not to go? I'm not a child anymore."
"...Is that so. I'm certainly impressed."
Derek let out a hollow laugh, and then, after quietly looking at the sky that was beginning to dawn, he said to Diella.
"Still, it was an honor to be able to teach Lady Diella. I won't be able to go around proudly identifying myself as your master, but I hope you will at least remember the magic you learned with me."
"Sorry, but I'm going to go around proudly identifying you as my master."
"..."
"I'm sorry. Even if you want to live quietly, it won't go as you wish. The master of that very Diella Katarina Duplein, how people will whisper. Uhuhu."
The girl let out a playful laugh, and then, after brushing her abundant golden hair a few times, she said bluntly.
"Don't get hurt doing mercenary work."
"I'll be fine. I hope Lady Diella will take good care of herself first."
"You don't have to worry about me."
Diella did not make a big fuss. She quietly twirled the end of her hair, and then, with a firm expression, she just spoke.
"I'm already an adult. See. I can take care of myself now."
Saying so, she placed her hands on her hips, proudly puffed out her chest, and gave a satisfied smile.
─The moment he saw that, Derek was surprised and his eyes shot up.
It was a memory that had suddenly ambushed him.
It was an old memory that had been buried in Derek's deep consciousness for a long time, left unattended without being understood.
'I'm already an adult. I can take care of myself.'
A long time ago, Derek had also said such a thing. Just like Diella now.
It was a word he had said with a smile on his face, with his whole body tensed, because he did not want to worry someone who was leaving.
So that the one who was leaving could go on their journey with a relieved heart, so that they would not have to worry about him who was left behind. With that feeling, the Derek of that childhood had said so to his worried master.
However, rather than having a relieved expression, the master had instead lowered her posture with a more worried face and hugged Derek tightly.
And... she had whispered something to Derek.
He had not understood for a long time why she had said such a thing, but in any case, he had lived with the memory of that farewell buried in a corner of his heart.
And as the years passed, he got a disciple.
And watching that disciple, in front of him who was about to leave, proudly puffing out her chest and declaring that she was now an adult... everything connected like a domino and he understood.
The girl was still too young. She had a long way to go.
The trials of the world were still plenty, and as she went on the journey of life, she would experience more wandering.
On that wave of life, how precarious was the sight of that tiny girl, saying that she had become an adult herself.
How did the sight of that small disciple, getting up with an unsteady gait and saying, I am an adult, remain in his heart.
Only now did Derek finally understand the emotion that was in Katia's face that day.
Those gentle words that the master had whispered, he also finally understood them completely.
"Lady Diella."
Therefore, Derek lowered his posture and placed his hand on Diella's shiny golden hair.
And in a gentle tone, he quietly told her.
"You don't have to become an adult too early."
Diella's pupils widened for a moment at those words, and then she bit her lip.
It seemed she had been suppressing her emotions in her own way. As if she could not stop the welling tears, she just blinked her reddened eyes quietly.
Derek quietly stood up and pulled up the hood of his robe.
"Derek!"
As if she did not have the leisure to say anything more, Diella called out with a short, raised voice. The words that followed were not very long either.
"See you again."
The girl would come to the Ebelstein social circle. Therefore, as he got on the carriage, Derek could say goodbye with a light heart.
"Let's meet again in Ebelstein."
<><><>
Creek
The door of the heavy carriage opened, and Derek walked down from it.
When he dusted off his light body and looked around, it was already quite late.
The narrow and winding alleys were still vibrating with the stench of daily life, and piles of garbage were piled up in the corners of the streets. The sight of old wooden boxes, food waste, and rusted blades scattered about could also be seen.
"Derek-ssi. If you have any business in the noble district, please be sure to stop by our mansion. I'll treat you to the best tea. And please be sure to consult with us if you have any problems."
"Yes. Thank you."
"You are welcome to stop by the mansion anytime."
Lady Aiseline personally leaned out and said goodbye. They had already talked about many things in the carriage on the way, but it seemed to weigh on her mind now that it was time to part.
When Derek bowed politely, the carriage soon began to move slowly towards the noble district.
Clop clop
And so, after sending off the carriage, he quietly crossed the streets of the commoners, bathed in moonlight.
Barefoot children were running and playing, and here and there, crippled beggars could be seen begging from passersby.
From a distance, the screams of a woman being beaten and the loud shouts of drunken men could be heard mixed together, and an unknown song was flowing out of a cheap tavern.
It was a scene completely opposite to the noble district, where a luxurious fragrance wafted from wherever one went.
The moment he took a deep breath there, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction, like the one he felt when he returned home after a long journey.
"Wow. Your skin has gotten much better. The food at a noble's house must be good."
As he was walking towards the tavern street, a girl sitting with her legs crossed on top of an old wooden box in a corner of the alley spoke to him. The way she threw out her words in a bored voice with her chin resting on her hand looked quite comfortable.
The sight of her wearing an old and shabby robe was unmistakably that of a mercenary. A large bow was slung over her back, next to her platinum-blonde hair, which was tied up neatly and sharply.
"Oh, Felinne."
If this fishy-smelling gutter was Derek's hometown, then that girl was Derek's old hometown friend.
Derek finally realized that he had returned home.
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