The mansion of a noble buried beneath the snow is, by nature, gloomy throughout the year.
Living every day in a place like that would cause even the most lively and active person to gradually become somber and depressed without realizing it.
Melverot had sent Siern to the southwest of the continent even by exercising his authority, and now it was easy to understand why.
At the very least, it was not a suitable place for a young girl to spend her formative years.
In the antechamber of the annex, where a few snowflakes slipped in, a gaunt man sat down on a fur-covered sofa in front of an enormous fireplace.
Crackle, crackle.
Even the sound of the fire was part of winter.
In the territory of Rochester, where no season existed other than winter, the crackling of firewood was an everyday occurrence.
“…”
Dereck swallowed and once again glanced sideways at the lean man.
His detection magic had already fully reached the three-star level.
At the very least, he could immediately grasp the magical level of anyone whose mastery was below his own.
The fact that he could not measure it at a glance meant that the man was at his level or above.
He could feel the flow of mana within him, but he could not calculate its depth.
That sensation was like standing before a colossal mountain.
Dereck sharpened his gaze, but the other spoke in a surprisingly relaxed tone.
“There are several things I would like to ask you about Siern. If you are the one who has instructed her most closely, you should know her recent condition better than anyone.”
“…”
“Why don’t you sit across from me? It’s cold near the door.”
He did not even introduce himself.
It was already clear that he was no ordinary person, but Dereck had not expected him to refrain from revealing his identity at all.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and calmly walked over to the sofa opposite.
During those few steps, his mind began organizing thoughts at high speed.
Someone who could move about the Rochester mansion as if it were his own home, with Melverot seated as the lord of the place.
Someone whom the servants did not even dare to look at directly.
That could only mean that Melverot fully acknowledged his authority within the territory.
And on top of that, his magical depth was so profound that it was impossible to measure.
However, the strange energy residing in his right shoulder was different.
It was undoubtedly necromantic-type mana.
Dereck knew that well after spending so much time alongside Fina.
But if he were a necromancer, Melverot would never keep him so close. Then was he someone influenced by necromancy?
And if that was combined with his direct interest in Siern, the conclusion was inevitable.
That brief moment as they walked together to the annex and sat down before the fire was enough.
As he brushed the snow from his boots, Dereck spoke.
“It is an honor to meet in person the great archmage Kalimford, whom the world believes to be dead.”
Kalimford’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
Without him having said a single word, the mage from Ebelstein had uncovered his identity.
Kalimford closed his eyes for a moment and spoke in an even lower tone.
“You have a vivid imagination. Are you implying that the dead can return to life?”
“It must be the work of Miss Fina’s magic. After rising again, you came to the territory of your old friend, Sir Melverot.”
“…You are perceptive. Melverot does not dislike people like that. Now I understand why you are the one instructing Siern.”
Kalimford picked up a log with his weakened arm and threw it into the fireplace.
The wood burned with a soft sound, as if representing the remnants of his own life.
Kalimford had lived like a flame, consuming himself to save the world.
An ancient hero who had ended his life as a legendary figure.
His eyes, filled with nostalgia, watched the fire for a few moments before settling on Dereck.
Dereck knew at that moment.
With this man, he would have to talk at length.
***
The two men conversed in front of the fireplace.
One was an ancient hero whose achievements had been buried beneath the snow of the past.
The other was a young mage living in the present and approaching his peak.
The flames danced, and with them the elongated shadows of both men.
Through his conversation with Kalimford, Dereck came to understand many things.
The reason why Fina, always so detached, had ended up with her heart in pieces.
And how she had ultimately become obsessed with him.
Kalimford, for his part, also obtained answers.
Fina’s actions after expelling him from the laboratory, and the current state of his beloved daughter, Siern.
It was not an especially long conversation, but in front of the fire, in that dark room, both obtained answers to many of the questions they had been carrying for a long time.
By then, both Dereck and Kalimford already felt that the other was no ordinary person.
‘How many years have passed since his coming-of-age ceremony? Reaching four stars at such a young age… that speed is comparable to Melverot’s.’
Kalimford understood why Fina had become so obsessed with that man.
Perhaps someone fully developed like him could find a solution to the seal of reincarnation that even Kalimford had been unable to resolve.
Of course, reaching such a level would require a great deal of time.
But for Fina, that time was nothing more than an instant.
“You are not without worth. That girl is like a specter. Once she sets her sights on something, she never lets go.”
“…”
Dereck had many things he wanted to say. No one became the disciple of a necromancer by choice.
Fina had been the one who appeared first.
And although not everything had been beneficial, he could not deny that he had learned a great deal.
Moreover, he did not wish to oppose her.
After all, she had been a good teacher—only now her heart was broken.
“…But I am also not in a position to say much. It is likely that her straying is my fault.”
“Do you feel responsible?”
“I don’t know. I don’t even know if I have the right to feel that way.”
Without Fina’s help, Kalimford would never have been able to kill Noir.
That fact was undeniable.
Even so, his expression was filled with pain.
“At the very least, I cannot allow you to be harmed.”
“…”
“Becoming the target of a six-star necromancer is not something that can be taken lightly. You have reached an astonishing level for your age, but even so, it is not enough.”
Few people would dare tell a four-star mage that his level was insufficient.
But the one speaking was Kalimford, the legendary six-star combat mage who had completely changed the map of the north during the War of Dawn.
Even if he was now nothing more than a withered body, his feats still lived on in history.
“I do not truly belong to this world. Someday, I will have to turn back into dust. Before that happens, if there is anything I can do to help you, I want to do it.”
“Why would you do so much for me?”
“Because you have not only suffered because of my mistakes… but because you are Siern’s teacher.”
Kalimford spoke while letting the warmth of the fire envelop him, gazing into the distance.
“Siern’s teacher must be impeccable in every respect.”
The weight of those words was so profound that Dereck could not reply.
***
Step, step.
Kalimford and Dereck returned to the main building of the Duchy of Rochester, walking side by side down the corridor.
They were completely different people in age, build, position, and affiliation.
And yet, the determined way they advanced, with solemn expressions, gave the impression that they had shared a deep bond for a long time.
Kalimford had just said that he would take some time to observe Dereck’s magic.
They were on their way to the training field when, suddenly, a familiar figure appeared at the other end of the corridor.
For Kalimford, that instant seemed to unfold in slow motion.
In the brief moment when he opened his eyes wide, everything became drawn out—the snow striking the windows, the sway of the girl’s dress hem, even the icy air brushing against his cheeks.
“Oh, Dereck!”
Siern seemed cheerful after having returned to her family mansion.
She was the same Siern whose name had echoed through the north as that of a wild beast, a bloodstained killer.
However, seeing her walk docilely down the corridor in a lovely dress, no one could imagine that this young woman was the subject of such rumors.
Although cold and sharp by nature, Siern had also diligently learned the manners proper to a noble.
Compared to the time when she lived shut away in the tower, it could now be said that she had truly become a lady.
She advanced with gentle steps, and the servants, who were still not accustomed to her new image, hurried to follow her.
Unable to believe that the girl who once scattered blood without hesitation had transformed like this, their hands still trembled.
“It was a dress I had chosen with care, but it ended up soaked in blood and became unusable. It took me too long to get ready again.”
“The outfit you’re wearing now suits you very well too.”
“Really? I don’t know if my father will like it.”
Although she said that, her expression was clearly enthusiastic.
Seeing her like that, she looked like an ordinary girl her age.
“…”
Judging by her appearance, she had already finished getting ready and was heading to the audience hall to speak with Melverot.
It was enough to observe how light her steps were to deduce that.
Siern looked at Dereck with shining eyes and then shifted her gaze to the gaunt man walking beside him.
She tilted her head, intrigued.
Who was that person?
In a mansion where everything was perfectly ordered, that disheveled-looking man was strolling freely without anyone stopping him.
It was only natural that he would arouse curiosity.
While Dereck hesitated over what to say, Kalimford knelt down on one knee to be at Siern’s eye level.
Then, with a gentle smile he had never shown before, he spoke calmly.
“I am an old friend of Sir Melverot. I am nothing more than an insignificant commoner, so there is no need to treat me with too much formality. It is an honor to meet the famous Miss Siern in person.”
“A friend of my father? A commoner?”
Siern frowned slightly.
“I suppose that if that weren’t the case, you wouldn’t be able to walk so freely through the Rochester mansion.”
“Just as the rumors say, she is firm yet serene, and possesses a natural elegance. She is truly beautiful.”
“Save your pretty words. I know better than anyone the rumors that circulate in the north about killers and monsters.”
Siern let out a soft laugh, straightened her back, and spoke with dignity.
“Even so, if you are a friend of my father, I cannot treat you poorly even if you are a commoner. If my attitude seemed discourteous, I offer you my apology.”
The servants opened their eyes wide upon hearing her.
They found it hard to accept the reality that Siern had been the first to apologize.
They knew she had learned magic and the manners of a lady in the domain of Baron Ravenclaw, but they had never imagined she had changed so much.
“The territory of Rochester welcomes you. Everything is snow as far as the eye can see, but even so, it has its own charm.”
“As you say, miss. Although this wasteland is harsh, it also has the capacity to embrace those who live within it.”
“I see you know what you are talking about. You are a calm person, like the snowy plain left clear after a blizzard.”
Siern slightly lifted the corners of her lips and left those words as a courtesy to Kalimford.
“Well then, I must go see my father after so long. If the opportunity arises, let us speak again.”
Having said that, she lifted the hem of her dress and walked away with light steps.
“See you later, Dereck!”
The sound of her footsteps echoed softly through the corridor.
The dress fluttered as if it were petals opening in the wind.
She was a girl who appeared and disappeared like a sudden gust.
She was still young, with much to learn, full of wounds in her heart and with a difficult life ahead.
And yet, she knew how to stand tall with determination, speak with firmness, and leave behind the scars of the past to move forward without hesitation.
With just that brief exchange, it was easy to imagine the harshness of the life she had lived.
And also to feel the certainty that she was overcoming it, living her own life with strength.
At least in her world there were no longer wars capable of overturning the world, nor great monsters ready to devour the continent.
“…”
Although Siern had already disappeared down the corridor, Kalimford remained kneeling on the floor.
Dereck stayed in place for a moment and spoke to him.
“As you can see, she still has much to learn, but she has grown in an admirable way.”
“…”
“After finishing her conversation with Sir Melverot, she will appear at dinner. Then you will be able to ask her more calmly about how she has been.”
“…”
Kalimford did not respond.
He simply placed his other knee on the floor as well and lowered his head.
Shortly after, his back began to tremble.
Seeing him unable to rise, with his face against the corridor floor, Dereck did not rush him.
It was ironic.
That man who had turned the world upside down, who had reigned over countless mages and whose name was revered as a legend, had been saved, in the end, by a single girl who had simply walked past, healthy and steadfast.
There was still quite some distance to reach the training field, but Dereck merely lifted his gaze toward the snow falling softly beyond the window.
There was time to spare.
