Value (1)
Jayden was a man who sometimes picked up a Greatsword and headed to the battlefield.
He could have sat in a corner of the tavern, wiping glasses and wasting time without any problem making a living, but he had ambition.
The dawn war that broke out when the gigantic monster 'Zvet' of the north burst out of the labyrinth.
Having lived walking through battlefields since those days, he found his heart at ease only in the middle of a sea of blood rather than in the hometown where he was born and raised.
By the time he had come of age, he was already making a living by wielding a sword, and without a proper partner or any descendants, he devoted his life to the battlefield. To him, comrades were family.
That was why his ambition to establish a proper mercenary corps was not such a strange thing. Since the battlefield was part of his life, he wanted to gather and hold onto as many companions as possible to wander together there.
However, life on the battlefield, like walking a tightrope, was such that it would not be strange if one's head were to fall at any moment. He lived while clearly watching countless comrades lose their heads.
"This time, I almost lost my own head. It's truly fortunate that I came back alive by giving up one arm. Looks like I still have some luck left, haha."
"Captain, you're a veteran. I didn't think the White Zone's labyrinth was that extremely dangerous."
"I got ambushed by a gigantic sand worm crawling underground. If I had been standing just a little closer to the wall, my head would have flown off in one go."
"A sand worm appeared?"
Even in that dreadful dawn war, if one were to point out the monster race that produced the most casualties, it was always one of the monsters whose name came up.
To the sand worms swimming through the ground, humans who crawled into underground labyrinths were nothing more than prey that walked into their jaws on their own.
"But still, I properly cut off that bastard's head. I got my revenge, so my heart feels lighter."
"I don't think that's something you can talk about so comfortably… It's obviously a huge wound, and the aftereffects will be severe. It's really amazing that you can still laugh in this situation."
"I'm not exactly thrilled either, since I have to close the tavern and rest. But isn't it better than not even getting revenge?"
Jayden was a man who laughed heartily even while one arm had been cut off.
When Derrick looked at Felnine with a dumbfounded expression, Felnine was also shaking her head.
Jayden's will to still roam the battlefield so vigorously even at this age was worthy of applause, but even so, bringing back such a huge wound made it impossible not to worry.
"…Recently, as the Duplein Ducal House has started to lead the subjugation of the White Zone, more and more exploration requests are coming in among the other nobles. Derrick."
It seemed that this was where Jayden's real point began.
The full-scale subjugation of the White Zone was currently being led by the troops of the Duplein Ducal House. However, when a new source of profit is opened, forces that cling to it are bound to appear.
Even large groups like the Beltus family were drooling over the capture of the White Zone, but for a group of that size to move, they needed the permission of the Duplein Ducal House. However, for minor nobles or small mercenary groups, it was a different story.
Those who used the paths opened up by the Duplein Ducal House to explore the small labyrinths on the outskirts of the White Zone began to appear.
Since it was not easy to control each and every one of them, the Duplein Ducal House did not interfere with such microscopic movements, but in fact, there was no need to interfere. Most of the time, the endings were not good.
If explorers with mediocre skills challenged the labyrinths of the White Zone, they would only lose their lives.
There were even labyrinths dangerous enough that even Jayden, who had been through every possible ordeal, had to give up one arm to get out.
If luck was bad, one would go in dreaming of a fortune and end up only securing a grave.
"Derrick. If a request for exploration toward the White Zone comes in, refuse it unconditionally for now. I went there myself, and something feels off.
For the time being, it's better to watch the situation."
"Off, you say?"
"From the days of the dawn war until now, I've been to just about every decent labyrinth, but I've never seen ones that unstable and unpredictable. Unless you bring a troop like the Duplein Ducal House, accompanied by mages of 4-star or higher, and just overwhelm them with numbers… there are almost no labyrinths that can be broken through in the adventurer's way."
He had read a lot in books about the scenery of that White Zone, filled with dying vegetation and ominous energy.
Derrick rested his chin on his hand and quietly listened to Jayden.
"I can't stand seeing you die, Derrick."
"… "
Even while his own arm had been torn off, Jayden was saying things like that.
That old mercenary was that kind of person.
*
An excellent opportunity like this, when Derrick was not around, did not come often.
Denise sent a letter to the Duplein Ducal House through her most trustworthy servant, Bella.
She sat alone in the garden of the mansion with a satisfied smile. The quiet that had come after a long time made her feel lighthearted.
Delia would probably feel doubtful when she checked Denise's letter, but in the end, she would surely propose a magic duel. Because she was the kind of person who would accept any sacrifice as long as she could take Derrick.
So she would appropriately lose the magic duel, and though it would be frustrating and lamentable, a promise was a promise, so she would wrap everything up in the form of handing Derrick over.
Then she would be able to get these peaceful days back.
It would mean finally escaping from that magic instructor who always encouraged her saying she could do it and followed her around all day long.
'The responsibility for having carelessly lost the most promising magic instructor in the Ebelstein High Society… can't be helped, I'll have to bear it. I'll just have to achieve a similar merit next time.'
Even though the plan had been neatly organized, somehow she felt a stifling sensation in one corner of her chest.
Time was passing beyond late afternoon and approaching dusk. Long-stretched clouds were floating quietly across the sky dyed in reddish paint.
Since it was the beginning of summer, the middle of the garden was hot, and sometimes bugs would gather.
Even so, Denise did not go inside and just stared at the sky.
The thought that the day felt this long came out on its own.
Recently, each day had felt like it was flying by like an arrow, so the contrast was strongly felt.
Since neither Bella, who always accompanied her, nor Derrick was here, she felt even more bored. One way or another, those two were always the ones who kept Denise company.
Bella usually exchanged trivial stories, and with Derrick she would grumble or complain.
After making a fuss all day and then spending time alone like this, memories that had been coiled up in the back of her mind suddenly started poking their heads out.
They were all memories that had already passed.
The elders of the Beltus family smile while patting Denise on the head.
They rejoice at Denise's magic achievement and, saying that she will someday become the pride of the family, they stretch out the wrinkled corners of their eyes into wide smiles.
Numerous noble Young Ladies look up to Young Lady Denise, even squabbling with each other over trying to exchange even a single word with her.
Lovent, the incompetent next Family Head, feels both inferiority and envy toward his one and only younger sister's capable appearance, but soon sincerely acknowledges her.
From her childhood, among the piles of Magic Books, she also sees the note her mother left behind. Always love you, our pride of the Beltus family.
It was handwriting dripping with pride in the family.
"How futile."
Suddenly, Denise leaned back against a pretty wooden chair in the garden and let out a hollow laugh.
She knew well that all of this admiration pouring toward her could, with a single misstep, be overturned into disappointment in an instant. There was no need to look far; the other contributors of the family had all been like that.
Many who had been called geniuses fell like that and disappeared below the cliff.
Expectations always carried the possibility of disappointment. Denise only wanted to escape from that long, grinding pressure.
A person cannot live succeeding endlessly.
One must prepare for failure in order to maintain a stable life. The expectations of others are the same.
It is not that she is not expected, but it is also not trust close to worship.
It is not that she does not produce results, but she is also not the hero of the family.
Not too excessive, and not too lacking. Somewhere between cold and hot. Only in that hazy lukewarm water did Denise feel like she could finally swim.
Suddenly, she thought of the most noble Young Lady of the Duplein Ducal House, who was receiving the admiration of all and rising straight upward.
"…."
Denise could never become Aiselin.
Because the underlying mindset itself was completely different.
"Haah.."
Feeling oddly unsettled, Denise stood up from her seat.
She could just return to her bedroom and read the books she loved so much, but instead, she raised her hand into the air and tried to sense the flow of mana. That faint feeling made Denise want to manifest magic for no particular reason.
The mana gathered at her fingertips into a single point, and then she felt it spread throughout her whole body.
It was the sense of detecting the flow of mana that Derrick had emphasized until he was hoarse. In fact, refining this kind of sense was Denise's specialty.
Since Denise was born with the blood of the Beltus family, there was no way her innate amount of mana would be lacking.
Then what remained was the technical aspect, and her own will to do it.
Denise's biggest problem was that she had no will to do it.
Derrick also knew that fact well, which was why he had been pushing her so hard.
Once you start running, even if you're pushed, it is human nature that you can't help but at least jog.
And once you start jogging, your body will adjust to it anyway. In the end, what is needed to reform someone like Denise is that steel-like consistency that can push through to the end no matter how much the person resists.
–Hwaaaaaak!
The magic manifested from Denise's fingertips and began to fill the surroundings.
The hem of her pretty dress fluttered, and the grass around her began to sway. At the center of that surging mana, Denise clenched her fist tightly as if it were nothing and chanted.
"O flow of mana that observes all things-"
Her neatly brushed silver-gray hair fluttered several times. Soon, Denise's fully constructed magic formula began to fill the surroundings in earnest.
2-star Search-type Magic Surveillance
It was an ability that filled the area with the energy of a magic circle and detected without missing a single anomaly, mana fluctuation, or physical movement that occurred within it.
The size of its range varied depending on mastery of magic. It was said that Drest, a 6-star Search-type mage, could exert power enough to completely cover several huge castles.
Denise's magic, at best, could only barely fill one corner of the garden. Still, within this range, anyone whose realm of magic was lower than Denise's would inevitably be seen through without exception.
The true value of Search-type magic came from that kind of information advantage. That was why, once you were caught in the trap of a Search-type mage, you could never escape.
'Huff… haah… I… can do it too.'
Denise was panting.
At Denise's current level, just implementing 2-star magic was an extremely strenuous task. She couldn't maintain it for very long either, so there wasn't much meaning to the surveillance.
However, just being able to use it at all was an incredible thing.
When Aiselin of the Duplein Ducal House manifested Fireball, a 2-star magic, didn't the entire magic dueling hall get turned upside down?
Denise also could do it if she gritted her teeth and put in the effort. She just didn't show it off.
That was the essence of the girl named Denise.
"Hoo… haa. I-it's hard, but… anyway, at this level…"
"The outer part of the magic formula has become disturbed. This will create a blind spot in the detection area."
Denise almost stopped breathing on the spot.
Just by deploying the 'Surveillance' magic, this entire area had effectively become Denise's domain.
And yet, Derrick's voice was heard right behind her.
When she turned around, Derrick, who had returned after finishing his business, was adjusting his clothes as he spoke.
Even within this web-like magic formula, she could not feel his presence at all.
"Y-you… when did you…!"
"If you lose concentration, the mana will get tangled and you'll become even more exhausted. Maintain the magic."
Denise tried to say something, but Derrick met her eyes, strode forward, and released his mana.
Even though Denise was skillfully manifesting 2-star Search-type magic, he did not show even a hint of being flustered.
It was.
During the time he had been training with Denise, he had already roughly gauged Denise's realm of magic.
He must have long since seen through the fact that Denise was not manifesting her mana with her full strength.
That was why he had been pushing Denise's back repeatedly and relentlessly.
–Pak!
When Derrick raised his fist and clenched it tightly, a disturbance occurred in Denise's magic formula.
Because of the flow of mana that Derrick had intervened with, it was becoming difficult to maintain the magic itself. Derrick was intentionally breaking Denise's magic.
"In the end, Search-type magic will often face off against other Search-type mages. High-level Search-type magic can only be broken by Search-type magic of an even higher realm."
"Derrick… y-you… how are you controlling this magic formula…"
"From now on, I will intentionally interfere with Young Lady Denise's magic formula. The more you endure, the more your ability to withstand the breaking of magic by external interference will increase."
When Derrick applied another shock, Denise's magic formula shook violently.
Denise instinctively swung the mana filling her body to interfere with Derrick's intervention. However, Derrick's vast mana did not show its end with just a single clash.
Search-type magic and Search-type magic were colliding, trying to devour each other's domains.
She had heard that in large-scale wars, this domain competition between Search-type mages often became a factor that decided victory or defeat on the battlefield.
She had only heard about it, but this was the first time she had faced an opponent who pressed in such a direct and violent way with mana.
No matter how much of a teacher one was, they would not normally unfold a mana battle this seriously against a noble Young Lady.
However, that mercenary-born master was a person who did not know any such restraint.
Derrick was thoroughly practical-minded, and he did not place much importance on Denise's family background.
He showed minimum courtesy because she was a Young Lady of a successful noble house, but in his underlying mind, she was clearly just one of many disciples.
After clashing mana like this, that fact seemed to become even clearer.
An ordinary noble might have felt humiliated, but strangely, the corner of Denise's mouth lifted upward.
"Don't regret it."
Denise drew out all the mana in her body with full sincerity.
Since she was going to cut ties with this magic master anyway, there was no longer any need to worry about such things.
To the master who had been absent all day and only just appeared now, Denise intended to pour out her mana in earnest.
It was something that happened only a few times a year, at most, for her to go all out.
Derrick received that mana with a relaxed expression.
It was the first time Denise had smiled while training.
*
"Since it's such an obvious trap, I feel more at ease instead."
The annex of the Duplein Ducal House.
Delia, who was sitting alone and examining her mana sense, snorted as she looked at the letter Denise had sent.
She would hand over Derrick, so stake something precious and propose a magic duel. She would intentionally lose.
Delia made an incredulous expression at a story that not even a passing dog would believe, but in fact, the contents of Denise's letter were one hundred percent true.
Denise placed her hand on her chest under the sky and wrote a letter filled only with sincerity, but to Delia, who had her quills raised like a hedgehog toward everyone, this writing looked nothing more than a declaration of war.
In short, Young Lady Denise was clearly planning to pretend to hand over Derrick, accept the duel, knock Delia down, take everything she could, and even break her pride once. There was a high chance that she found Delia, who had openly sharpened her edge at the meeting at the Rosea Salon, unpleasant.
Delia was calmly angry.
Ever since receiving Derrick's teachings, her anger had become closer to cold chill than hot heat.
The corners of her mouth trembled slightly on her frozen face. Denise was openly scratching at Delia's pride.
Normally, no one would walk straight into such an obvious trap, but Delia decided to accept that proposal with pleasure.
"How ridiculous. Do you think I would lose to a mage of High Society salon level?"
Delia was a person who had resolved to defeat not only Aiselin, but even Valerian.
–Hwaaaaaak!
Delia, who had been refining her mana sense, swung that vast mana as it was and filled the annex.
Soon, countless thorny vines spread out and covered the entire room. Even though it was not a spell cast with much concentration, its scale and level had reached a considerable realm.
The thorn bushes, materialized by that mana, looked as if they were protecting a noble rose.
Sitting in their midst, Delia crumpled Denise's letter tightly and stood up. The ferocity in her eyes looked like that of a wild beast.
Rather than handing Derrick over to such a slippery person, it made more sense to forcibly bring him to the Duplein Ducal House.
At least, that was what Delia firmly believed.