Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 129: The Subjugation of Beltus (3)

The first thing the Grand Duke Beltus did upon receiving the report from the legal officer Doles and running out of his office was to search for the source of this entire catastrophe.

The mansion was filled with vengeful spirits and monsters.

Dark red necromantic energy was emanating from the isolation room on the lower floor. It was the same room where he had ordered Denise to be confined by his servants.

Coincidentally, as soon as Denise was imprisoned, this absurd disaster began to unfold.

That obvious connection couldn’t be ignored, but now wasn’t the time to think about it.

In the middle of the Beltus mansion, a completely visible Archlich had appeared.

Why was a necromantic monster, one that only appeared in the deepest parts of the dangerous labyrinths of the White Zone, floating inside the mansion?

One thing was certain—it had to be neutralized immediately.

An Archlich was such a dangerous monster that even a specialized subjugation team couldn’t easily capture it without sacrifices.

However, this was the main mansion of the Beltus family.

The Grand Duke Beltus, a 5-star summoning mage, used this house as his base and was one of the few family-level magicians on the entire continent.

– Whoosh! Clang!

– Slash!

The movements of the swords that burst from the ground were swift.

Dozens of swords made of light shot forward and pierced the monsters running through the mansion, eliminating them.

The reddish spirits began to surround the mansion, striking down the outer monsters one by one, and the magic surging around the Grand Duke Beltus took the shape of a massive staff that appeared in his hand.

The 5-star magical weapon “Light of the Empire.”

A giant staff created by the master of transformation magic, Kohella, a replica of the legendary weapon of Emperor Guttrel.

The summoning magic of the Grand Duke Beltus, capable of reproducing more than 80% of the original weapon’s power, could summon almost any magical armament he could imagine.

He had reached a level of inorganic summoning that no one else on the continent could match.

Whoosh!

As his summoning magic began to envelop the mansion, hope started to rise among the servants.

It was truly rare for a family-level magician to intervene personally. The anomaly occurring in the Beltus mansion was that severe.

– His Excellency the Grand Duke…! His Excellency has come out personally…!

– Good…! It will be over soon…! Don’t panic…! Take cover…! If we endure, this will be resolved…!

‘Damn it…’

The Grand Duke’s face, as he advanced toward the isolation room, was already completely twisted.

He still didn’t know who had done this or how, but he had no intention of letting it pass.

Declaring war on the fortress of the Beltus family—and in such a vile manner.

The mere fact that necromancy was involved meant this was not someone who could be allowed to live.

Entering the isolation room, he ground his teeth upon seeing the Archlich floating in the air, attempting to devour the entire mansion.

‘This almost turned into a place like a high-level labyrinth.’

Even for the Grand Duke Beltus, facing an Archlich was an enormous challenge.

But if he acted personally, he could subdue it. It would consume almost all of his accumulated magic, he would be wounded, but it was possible.

To destroy that cursed monster and find the one responsible, to cut off their head.

If he didn’t make them suffer to death, it wouldn’t serve as an example.

‘I don’t know which bastard had the insolence to do this, but I’ll tear out every organ and make sure they die in agony.’

With that thought, he was about to cast the 4-star transformation spell “Chains of Restraint” toward the floating Archlich.

Fwoosh!

Right beneath the Archlich.

From the spot where Denise had left her luggage, a new light exploded, and the ominous magic that surged forth in an instant wrapped around the Grand Duke Beltus.

Crackle!

The Grand Duke’s eyes widened, and he raised his staff in a defensive stance.

But the density of the necromantic magic was so thick that even he frowned from the impact.

From beneath the Archlich, a human figure began to rise.

It was a scene as if time had stopped.

However, the flow of magic opened a space for the girl to ascend.

Amid that ominous aura, it was as if the queen of death herself was arriving.

Even the Archlich, which had sent countless adventurers to their graves, bowed its head to the unknown figure slowly rising from the light.

“Hello.”

Lilac-colored hair and eyes. A dark red frilled dress.

Despite the elegant appearance, she was barefoot and empty-handed.

The jeweled ring and the tie ornament that Denise had received as gifts.

From that being, revealed through the transformation magic engraved into those objects, emanated an abnormal aura impossible to sense from an ordinary mage.

Even the Grand Duke Beltus, capable of crushing an entire army on his own, had to swallow hard before that overwhelming magical power.

An entity so powerful that even the Archlich bowed before her in loyalty.

That alone was enough to understand.

If there existed anyone who could be considered the most worthy among those who ruled over necromancy, it was undoubtedly that girl.

Even if she had no known name, her presence said it all from the very first moment.

“It would be a problem if you tried to kill our adorable Happy. He’s like a mischievous little thing I crafted myself for over two months… it would be very sad if he died in such an insignificant way, don’t you think?”

“Happy?”

Was that the nickname of the Archlich?

The Grand Duke Beltus clenched his fist to stop the trembling of his fingers.

Even the legendary magical weapon he held seemed like a twig before that girl of unknown origin.

“Are you… the one responsible for this disaster?”

“Yes. Consider it an honor. I don’t usually show my true self in front of others.”

The smile that spread from ear to ear sent chills down his spine.

There was no denying it — she was the living embodiment of death, the queen of necromancers.

The Grand Duke had also heard the rumors.

The countless books the necromancers of Rodentz Island revered as if they were a bible.

There were stories claiming that their creator lived somewhere on the continent.

All kinds of legends existed about that faceless necromancer.

But no one imagined she would be such a young girl.

“As you can see, due to certain circumstances, I have to live in hiding.”

“…”

“So there are only two kinds of people to whom I show my true self — those I’ll see for a long time, or those who will die very soon.”

Fina’s smile had the power to freeze the soul.

“Guess. Which one are you?”

Boom!

Without hesitation, Grand Duke Beltus unleashed elemental combat magic.

However, Fina didn’t even flinch. The enormous Arch Lich floating behind her — the one she called Happy — raised a protective barrier and deflected every attack.

Even though it was lower-level magic, the activation speed was nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye.

But Fina, who had deflected it all with a mocking smile, lifted her gaze and spoke with a seductive grin.

“You’re impatient. If a Grand Duke is this petty, who would ever swear loyalty to you…?”

“Shut up. What is your objective?”

“To kill you.”

With that short phrase, it felt as though a sharp blade grazed his neck.

It wasn’t a joke. This was never a situation for joking.

Grand Duke Beltus frowned and tightened his grip on his staff once more.

“You…”

“Curious about the reason? It’s nothing special. For my personal research, I need the corpse of a mage of at least five stars. That’s all.”

“So you really are… from Rodentz Island…”

“I don’t care whether that rabble on that island serve me or not. I only care about my own affairs. But it’s not easy to face a five-star mage or higher carelessly.”

Fina walked slowly toward Grand Duke Beltus with her small figure.

A slow, relaxed step.

Yet despite her unhurried movement, just lifting her skirt slightly and revealing her bare feet made the air in the entire chamber feel crushed.

The closer Fina drew, the heavier the necromantic energy pressing down on the body became.

Her level of magic was something else entirely.

Even a mage of noble family rank swallowed hard before an existence of five stars or higher.

“Mages of noble houses are all exceptional and well-regarded, so it’s hard to deal with them lightly. But someone like you — if the situation is set up just right, you seem manageable. With so many sins piled up and so many excuses to catch you, you could die at any moment, and it would be completely justified.”

“…”

“You should’ve lived with more generosity. Well, I’m not the best person to lecture others either.”

Fina spoke clearly.

She had come to kill this merciless man who chased power, who framed and murdered the innocent, oppressed those he despised, and treated every member of his family like chess pieces.

But this wasn’t a battle between good and evil.

She had no intention of delivering grand moral speeches.

Neither she nor Dereck had come for moral justice.

In life’s path, there comes a time when you must clash with someone.

When you climb toward what you desire, there will inevitably be people you must step over.

It’s not about who’s right.

The one who falters and falls simply disappears.

That’s how the law of the wild works underneath it all.

Dereck, too, had committed countless killings, but never from a moral justification.

Surviving day by day in the mud was that simple.

“Well, that’s not the only purpose… Anyway, since we’ve come this far, shall we show a bit of skill?”

Whooosh!

In the ominously rising necromantic energy, the girl’s eyes glowed red.

Just by releasing a small fraction of her power, a fierce wind exploded, and everything in the isolation chamber was flung out and embedded into the walls.

The power spun around the girl’s body like the eye of a storm.

The reason she had taken things this far wasn’t just because she needed the corpse of a high-ranking mage.

There was another reason just as important.

She had a disciple she cherished deeply.

If her research into advanced corpse resurrection didn’t go well, she had a rather promising disciple as a backup plan.

However, though Dereck possessed immense potential, asking a disciple barely fighting at the level of a full three-star mage to subdue a fully prepared five-star mage was absurd.

Fina wasn’t ignorant of that fact.

Dereck himself had pointed it out several times, grumbling, but Fina had rejected his opinion.

Because she had already planned everything.

“Grand Duke Beltus. Shall I teach you what magic truly is?”

Fina was completely different from the teachers Dereck had before — the old man from the slums, Katia, or Drest.

Wolves that live a savage life and commit slaughter grow up eating raw, bloody meat from a young age.

If you want to raise my lovely boy properly, you have to feed him nourishing prey.

But if the meat is a bit tough, then it’s the teacher’s duty to beat it several times until it softens.

Even for Dereck, whose potential was fully awakened, capturing the head of a noble family in perfect condition was too much right now.

In that case, all it took was for him not to be in perfect condition.

It’s a simple and crude idea, but the logic of the strong isn’t complicated.

Bang!

Just by gracefully lifting the edge of her dress and releasing a single spell, Grand Duke Beltus was thrown almost all the way to the end of the wall.

He let out a strangled groan and gathered his magic, but he had to endure the intense pain piercing through his body.

Whoooosh!

There was still murderous intent in Fina’s laughter that pushed anyone to their limit.

The Arch Lich floating behind her was such a towering existence that it made any group look like filth.

The girl dusted off her skirt and spoke.

“You, Lord of Beltus, should feel honored. I don’t teach just anyone.”

Kalimpord, Melverot, Feria, Drest, Reveltone — the history books of the continent were full of heroic tales of mythical mages.

And the girl before him was an existence who could stand beside those legendary heroes.

No matter how high a mage’s rank, there was always a limit.

He had to take her seriously.

The moment Grand Duke Beltus inhaled deeply, an enormous flame rose, shattering the ceiling of the guest chamber.

It was a five-star summoning magic — a spell to summon Helim, the giant spirit of flames who first appeared in mythology.

*

The giant of fire rose with enough force to engulf the entire estate.

The influence of five-star summoning magic was as though it could wrap around the entire world.

The heat alone made the area’s temperature rise, and its influence was such that a bright light spread even over the shadows.

Dereck, riding on horseback, also watched the giant.

The eyes of Rodelia’s soldiers following him were wide open.

The servants of the Duke’s mansion, and even Denise, who sat in despair before the mansion, clearly saw the momentum of the blazing giant.

It was the image of a high-ranking mage using all of his magical power.

At that overwhelming pressure — something one rarely saw unless a continental-scale war broke out — one could only believe that all the monsters covering the mansion would be burned away in an instant.

It was said that the flames that purify the chaotic world burn everything equally.

Just at that moment, when the massive sword of fire was about to send all the impure to hell—

Crash!

As if mocking everything, the sky split open and a gigantic demonic hand was revealed.

A hand so immense in size that it rivaled the fiery giant, it seized the giant’s face and slammed it into the mansion grounds.

Crash!

The flames that shot up spread toward the garden, and the giant’s body began to tremble.

It wasn’t even necromancy — it was summoning magic, the specialty of Grand Duke Beltus.

However, anyone could see that the true source of that magic was Fina.

The collapsed outer wall of the isolation chamber.

The rising dust.

The flames spreading through the mansion.

Madness and chaos.

And impending death.

With a laugh full of insanity, the image of the monster crushing Grand Duke Beltus was easily drawn.

She was death itself.

“…”

Dereck, convinced that he couldn’t just stand idly by, took the reins and charged into the forest.

The entrance to the road leading to the Beltus mansion was already in sight.

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