Dereck was certain he was dreaming the moment his vision returned.
The place was Duke Duplain’s study.
There he was, the great Duke Duplain, a figure who had left this world long ago, moving his quill smoothly as he focused on his work.
The beard of just the right length, the keen gaze, and the imposing bearing.
He was the very image of the man who symbolized the golden age of the Duplain family.
That was the first day Dereck saw him.
Duke Duplain was the first 5-star mage Dereck ever met.
Back then, when he had just escaped the slums and begun to immerse himself in the noble world, the pressure emanating from that 5-star mage had been so intense that he had not even dared to speak to him.
With a single exchange of glances, that man had measured Dereck’s level.
With his mature perception, he had grasped his intentions and crushed the strength of a Dereck who had only just entered the 2-star rank solely with his gaze.
That memory remained vivid.
The realm of 5 stars, a domain that seemed absolutely unattainable.
Yet after countless years of advancing without stopping, now that he lifted his head again, he felt he was almost about to reach that level where the duke had stood.
Although Dereck was still young, his magical level was drawing dangerously close to that of the family head mages.
Only one more step remained.
If he could surpass a certain invisible limit, he would finally be able to see the same landscape they beheld.
Dereck closed his eyes once and opened them again.
The sovereign who had ruled the world had changed.
Now he was a corpse.
Seated in the chair, with a pale face, he had met an empty end after being caught up in the effects of black magic.
Wherever high-level black mages appeared, wandering spirits always swirled.
The Duplain family’s banquet hall, reduced to ruins.
Behind the main seat, where the duke’s body lay, a small-statured girl appeared.
Hair and eyes of a soft lilac hue.
She was a 6-star black mage.
She had the appearance of a delicate young noble lady, but without a doubt she was a researcher of the forbidden, someone who profaned corpses and manipulated souls.
The girl crossed the hall humming, took a few light steps, and when she turned, she looked at Dereck while saying something.
He could not hear those words clearly, but Fina smiled calmly and waved her hand, as if it were of no importance.
Dereck frowned and strained his ears.
Then, as if making a special concession, Fina approached and whispered into his ear.
“I’ll come get you soon. My adorable disciple.”
“Even if you try to reject me.”
Dereck opened his eyes abruptly.
The maid who was changing his damp towel jumped in surprise.
“Hiiek…!”
Dereck tried to sit up without saying anything, but a sharp pain that ran through his shoulder made him shudder for a moment.
Even so, he was someone with exceptional pain tolerance.
With effort, he managed to lift his torso and look around.
The room was filled with implements to ward off the cold.
The walls and interior were covered with furs, and the fireplace crackled with a constant fire.
Thick, high-quality blankets were piled atop the luxurious bed.
The maid, wringing out a cloth in warm water, quickly composed her expression and spoke.
“Baron Ravenclaw… you’ve awakened. You were unconscious for nearly half a day.”
“Half a day?”
“Yes, sir…”
When Dereck turned his head, he saw Siern.
She was sitting on the other side of the bed, her head resting against it, breathing softly as she slept.
Just before losing consciousness, he thought he had heard her voice.
Dereck ran a hand over his face several times and let out a long sigh.
“I felt like I was just about to understand something…”
Because of Siern’s involvement, Kalimford had not been able to hold back completely.
Under normal circumstances, he would never have experienced a training bout so close to the boundary between life and death.
Thanks to that, he had been able to exchange magic with a 6-star mage to the very limit.
In a way, perhaps he should be grateful to Siern.
But the training stopped just when he was about to grasp something essential.
If only he had endured a little longer.
If he had managed to manifest the magic just one more time.
Perhaps he would have opened an entirely new domain, something he had never reached before.
The feeling of having been so close made him feel suffocated, restless.
‘Just one more time… just one more time…’
Just having awakened after losing consciousness due to blood loss, those were his thoughts.
If it allowed him to raise his magical level even further, Dereck considered a serious injury to be no big deal.
Before that sensation faded from his fingers, he wanted to face Kalimford again in a real battle.
It was at that moment that that unbearable desire began to burn in his chest.
Creaak.
The door opened with a creak.
As the saying goes, speak of the tiger and it will appear.
Kalimford entered the room.
His body was visibly exhausted.
He surveyed the interior and, upon confirming that Dereck had awakened, opened his eyes wide.
“Y-you’ve… you’ve awakened. Is Siern… asleep?”
“Yes. It seems she stayed by his side the whole time.”
“She follows you more than I imagined. When you collapsed bleeding… all the color drained from her face.”
Kalimford gestured to the maid.
She gathered her things, bowed, and left the room, apparently to inform Melverot.
Kalimford approached and sat down on the care chair beside the bed, setting his staff aside.
“I must begin by apologizing. My body no longer responds as it did in my prime, and on top of that I let my emotions get the better of me. I made a grave mistake.”
“There’s no need. Thanks to you showing your strength without holding back, I learned many things.”
Dereck pressed the bandage on his shoulder several times.
It was a pain that would make an ordinary person scream, but he endured it, clenching his teeth for a moment.
“I wish we had exchanged magic at that level from the very beginning.”
“Don’t even joke about that. If this had been a battlefield and not training, you could have suffered permanent damage without receiving treatment in time.”
“That’s true, but how can one grow quickly without taking any risks?”
Dereck spoke with a serious gaze.
“This wound will heal soon. When I can move again, I’ll ask you to train with me again in the same way. To learn something, this level of intensity is necessary. In fact, I think I understood something about confusion magic…”
“That will be difficult.”
“…What?”
Dereck raised his head.
Kalimford avoided his gaze, sweating cold, with an awkward expression unbefitting a great legendary mage.
It struck him as strange.
“Did Siern… get very angry…?”
“…”
“She didn’t raise her voice or say anything, but she looked at me with such coldness that it felt like a knife was being driven into my chest.”
Kalimford’s face was even paler than Dereck’s.
When asked what had happened while he was unconscious, he replied in a trembling voice.
“After tending to your wound, I went to look for Siern to explain the situation. We crossed paths in the hallway…”
“Yes…”
“Hmph.”
With that cold gesture, Siern turned her head and passed by Kalimford without stopping.
“Damn it… I’ve spent my whole life perfecting mana control, and yet I failed at something so basic… I made an unforgivable mistake…”
“Ah… it wasn’t that serious. I don’t think you should blame yourself so much.”
“No. It was my responsibility. I failed you, Dereck. So… allow me to ask you for something.”
“No, don’t say ask. That puts me in a bind.”
“No. This is the greatest favor I will ask of you in my entire life.”
Kalimford firmly grasped Dereck’s forearm and spoke with a gaze full of supplication.
“When Siern wakes up… could you please speak well of me to her…? I beg you…”
Even if he was the great mage who had slain the great demon Noir, in front of his own daughter he had no chance at all.
If someone were to say that there existed a person capable of subduing Kalimford with just a glance, who would believe it?
Siern could do it.
Even if Dereck stated it with absolute certainty, probably no one would believe him.
“Please… if I continue to be hated by Siern like this… what reason do I have to go on living…? If you just speak well of me, perhaps Siern might soften her heart…”
“Ah… yes…”
Faced with Kalimford’s desperate attitude, Dereck was unable to refuse.
***
“Siern… clicked her tongue and turned away…?”
“That’s right… Melverot… I no longer have any reason to go on living…”
“Damn it, Kalimford. You’re an annoying fellow, but I never wanted you to face such a cruel trial…”
When Kalimford returned to Melverot’s study, he looked like someone whose soul had been ripped out.
Of course, being an old friend of Melverot’s, Siern had not openly insulted him or treated him with hostility.
However, he had the premonition that she would never treat him with closeness again.
With an empty expression, Kalimford began scratching his already gaunt face.
“Melverot… I think my life ends here. I’ve endured for years with this withered body. Yes… when the effects of necromantic magic end, this fragile life will disappear. This is where I put a period. Live well, Melverot…”
“Wait. Don’t draw conclusions so quickly. Perhaps Siern’s mood is just low right now. With time, she might treat you kindly again.”
“That… may be… but there is no hope. If Siern keeps clicking her tongue when she sees me or shooting me icy looks… how am I supposed to react? Damn it… I never imagined I would face such a merciless trial…”
“Calm down, Kalimford. There must be some solution.”
For Melverot, known for his sharp tongue, to show such a conciliatory attitude was unusual.
For both of them, being openly hated by Siern felt like unimaginable suffering.
Melverot rested his chin on his hand and said.
“Fortunately, Siern is still favorable toward me. I’ll cooperate as best I can.”
“R-really…?”
“From what I heard, she’s currently in the room where Baron Ravenclaw is resting. I’ll take the opportunity to check on his condition and speak with him directly.”
As a result, Melverot arrived at the room where Dereck was resting, accompanied by several servants.
When Dereck startled, Melverot gestured for him to keep quiet.
Then he observed Siern, who was sleeping soundly with her head resting on Dereck’s legs, and sat down beside him with heavy steps.
“M-Melverot, sir… to what do we owe your personal visit…?”
“I won’t speak at length. Just answer what I ask you.”
Dereck knew well that Melverot cherished Siern just as much as Kalimford did, even if he did not show it openly.
Dealing with Kalimford was already difficult; now feeling Melverot’s pressure with that piercing gaze left him completely at a loss.
When Dereck looked at him nervously, Melverot spoke in a low voice.
“Is there anything that makes you uncomfortable during your stay here?”
“Huh? …How could there be? I’m receiving excellent treatment.”
“Even if it’s something insignificant, say everything now.”
“There really isn’t any problem. On the contrary, I can train magic in a perfect environment, and that is very—”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
There was an overwhelming seriousness in Melverot’s eyes.
Dereck understood it instantly.
After seeing the pitiful state of his old comrade Kalimford, Melverot had realized that he himself could end up the same way.
Dealing with the heart of an adolescent in the midst of an emotional storm was far more complex than facing an army of monsters stretching to the horizon.
If Siern puffed out her cheeks and got angry, even a 6-star mage capable of covering the sky with mana and tearing the earth apart would be completely helpless.
Realizing that, Dereck began to see Siern, sleeping peacefully beside his knee, as if she were death itself.
“Even the slightest detail… say everything… this is… an order…”
A bead of sweat ran down Dereck’s throat.
Never before had he felt that he was sitting on a seat so full of thorns.
