Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 140: 4-star (5)

– Crack! Crunch!

In an instant, the mansion was covered in ice, and everyone gathered on the battlefield blinked in astonishment.

It was an anomaly that occurred just as they sensed the flow of magic emanating from beyond the main hall.

‘This is… war magic!’

Among the types of combat magic, those that influence the entire battlefield are classified as war magic.

Even those without a deep understanding of magic could recognize it, and Countess Rodelia, who was a four-star mage, understood immediately.

That massive freezing spell radiating from inside the mansion was Large-Scale Spatial Freeze, the same one used by Lord Melverot during the Northern War.

A spell classified as at least four-star level, even by the lowest estimate.

In short, that meant there was another four-star mage inside the mansion besides Countess Rodelia.

“Don’t panic! Mages often use spells to control the battlefield environment!”

Rodelia swallowed hard and looked up again toward the Archlich floating above.

Despite the fierce battle, with sword wounds all over its body, the monster continued raising corpses and blocking the subjugation squad.

However, with the sudden release of that war magic, a large portion of the monstrous creatures was instantly frozen.

Of course, some members of the squad were also caught in the spell and lost mobility, but most were experienced enough to escape its effects on their own.

The enemy’s losses were undoubtedly greater. It was an opportunity.

If left unchecked, it would once again create a ridiculous number of monsters to slow the squad’s advance.

That brief moment when the number of monsters had drastically decreased was a respite granted by the heavens.

That monster had to be eliminated.

Thus, Countess Rodelia climbed up the icy railing.

The Archlich, realizing her intent, roared again and tried to cast a spell, but a pair of arrows flew and struck its chest.

– Kaaah!

As the Archlich screamed in pain, a fierce-eyed archer rose among the monsters’ corpses.

With silver hair tied back, she shouted to the mercenaries:

“Now!”

Slash! Thud!

With a single swing, Jayden, who had charged ahead, swept away all the goblins and advanced toward the railing.

The extended slash of his sword cleared the path to the Archlich.

It happened in an instant. That opportunity wouldn’t last long.

The monsters began to swarm again, but Ellen, Denise, and the other forces who had joined the battle worked together to hold them back.

Wielding the Sacred Blood Sword, Rodelia leapt through the gap and finally reached the Archlich.

“Out of my way, you damned monster!”

Light flowed from the red runes engraved on the blade, trailing along its edge, and following the arc of her swing, the sword aimed to cleave the Archlich in two.

A slash from the left shoulder down to the center of the body.

She tried to cut it apart in one blow, but the sword’s progress stopped against the Archlich’s resilient structure.

– Kaaah!

The sword halted near its solar plexus.

Even so, it was a fatal strike. A distorted scream echoed throughout the mansion.

The six-star necromancer Fina had affectionately called it “Happy” and crafted it with great care.

It was the result of months of work and power granted directly by her, yet before Rodelia’s Sacred Blood Sword, it yielded under a fatal blow.

Crackle! Pop!

Tremble!

She tried to push the sword deeper where it had stopped at the solar plexus, but couldn’t completely subdue the Archlich, which continued to resist.

Bang!

Somehow, the sword was repelled, and the Archlich floated again toward the railing of the mansion’s second-floor hall.

“Ugh, I couldn’t finish it in one strike!”

Crash! Clang!

Rodelia rolled across the floor, and her Sacred Blood Sword also fell against the railing.

The heavily wounded Archlich moved to destroy the troublesome sword, but the blade forged by Rodelia, a four-star transmutation mage, repelled the touch of the impure being.

Bang!

The Archlich, damaged once more by the holy power, staggered, floated, and collapsed onto the railing.

It was trying to summon more demonic creatures, but it seemed to have reached its limit.

It was already cornered.

Although Rodelia wasn’t a combat magic specialist, with the help of other mages and ranged attackers, it wouldn’t take long to eliminate that nearly defenseless creature.

Just as she was about to order a full assault—

– Groooh!

A deep sound, like the horn of a massive ship, echoed through the air.

Above the shattered roof, the enormous demon summoned by Grand Duke Beltus came into view.

That colossal being, which looked capable of devouring the world itself, was beginning to fade into magical energy.

The soldiers on the battlefield looked up with wide eyes.

The great demon summoned by a five-star summoner was vanishing.

What did that mean?

Someone had defeated Grand Duke Beltus.

A mage of the highest rank, who had achieved five-star magic, delved into necromancy and masterfully merged various magical disciplines—and had been defeated.

– Whoosh!

The massive body visible beneath the starry sky gradually faded into smoke.

“No… it can’t be…”

“Did they capture… Grand Duke Beltus…?”

Members of the Beldern Mercenary Corps and Countess Rodelia’s guards halted their fighting, unable to look away from the sky.

When the demon’s figure completely vanished, the dying Archlich rose once more and began to float.

“Don’t lose focus! We’re still in battle!”

“Y-yes, Your Excellency!”

The soldiers, regaining their senses, raised their swords again.

The Archlich roared, and countless monsters began to rise once more.

Entrusting the battle to its minions, the Archlich started retreating into the mansion.

“What… what’s happening?!”

“The Archlich is fleeing! It’s retreating inside the mansion!”

Rodelia was taken aback by the scene.

Liches seen in numerous danger zones, starting with the White Labyrinth, never fled.

They were fearless creatures, and their territory was their home.

Fleeing at the prospect of defeat was inconceivable.

There had to be another reason why that Archlich was fleeing the battlefield.

“Damn it! After it! We must finish it completely!”

Rodelia grasped her sacred sword and, dragging her exhausted body, ran down the corridor.

Following the Archlich’s escape route, she found the mansion’s halls in ruins—clear evidence of the battle between Grand Duke Beltus and Dereck.

The Archlich, flying over the wreckage, descended through a large hole in the middle of the corridor.

Descending further and further, it wasn’t difficult to reach the underground cellar.

Crack! Bang! Crack!

Rodelia, who had followed with the swiftest movements, saw something incredible as she landed and looked ahead.

The wine barrels were shattered, and the cellar floor was soaked in wine.

In the midst of that crimson scene, as if blood were flowing like a river, sat Baron Dereck Lydorf Ravenclaw, panting.

His body was covered in wounds and bloodstains, and his magical energy was almost imperceptible.

He had fought to the very last drop. It was rare to see Dereck, who always fought calmly, having gone this far.

And before that broken man, who could no longer even stand on his own, was Grand Duke Beltus—completely frozen and subdued.

‘What am I looking at right now?’

Countess Rodelia held her breath.

Baron Dereck Lydorf Ravenclaw, who at most seemed to be a three-star mage, had single-handedly subdued Grand Duke Beltus.

Grand Duke Beltus had already been shattered by Fina, his magical power nearly exhausted, his body barely under control, driven mad by the power of necromancy.

Of course, even if that were the case, the idea that a five-star mage could be defeated by someone two levels below him was absurd.

The magical hierarchy was such that each ascension represented an unimaginable gap.

In particular, as the rank increased, the difference became so extreme that, while a one-star mage might occasionally defeat a two-star, it was nearly impossible for a three-star mage to defeat a four-star one.

‘Traces of ice magic…’

But if he wasn’t a three-star mage, how was this to be interpreted?

A cold air flowed around the utterly exhausted Dereck. It was clear where the immense ice magic that had frozen the entire mansion had come from.

Dereck had become a four-star mage.

The implications were enormous. The difference between a three-star and a four-star mage was so vast it was often described as the distance between heaven and earth.

From that level onward, the Empire sought to register every individual who reached such a rank, for their power was comparable to that of a weapon of war.

They were renowned mages, few enough to count on one hand; even among the most prestigious noble families, a four-star mage was considered their most valuable asset.

In some cases, those who achieved such feats rose to become the heads of their houses.

Therefore, the emergence of a new four-star mage at that moment was like a bomb dropped upon the power structure of the continent’s southwest.

At that age, a four-star.

It was an unbelievably rapid progression, with few historical precedents—comparable to, or perhaps even surpassing, Melverot himself, the lord of the north.

Rodelia swallowed hard and quickly regained her composure.

‘This isn’t the time to think about that! There must be a reason the Archlich came here!’

Dereck was already at his limit after his battle with Grand Duke Beltus.

In fact, he was barely conscious, gasping for breath and leaning against the floor.

He had pushed his body to the extreme, and if he used four-star magic again, he would feel pain so intense it would be as if his entire body were burning.

Even Rodelia, in perfect condition, was left drained after casting a single spell of that level.

Using such magic in his condition was no longer a matter of skill, but of sheer mental willpower.

There was no way he could withstand the Archlich’s attack. At that moment, Dereck was completely incapacitated.

From Rodelia’s perspective, loyal to the Empire, she could not allow that young genius—whose name had yet to leave its mark on history—to die like this.

“Monster! Over here!”

With a roar, Rodelia drew the Sacred Blood Sword and confronted the Archlich.

Whack! Thwack!

Once again, arrows flew and struck their target.

They were silver arrows—a special weapon against spectral beings. Pheline, quicker than anyone, aimed her bow from the first-floor hallway’s opening.

Soon, other members of the subjugation squad followed, and Jayden and Orel, swords in hand, burst into the underground cellar.

– Thwack! Crack!

“Protect Baron Ravenclaw! He must stay alive!”

Countess Rodelia shouted desperately.

The Archlich was already in a critical state. If they maintained their all-out assault, they could finish it off completely.

However, the Archlich, staggering at death’s door, gathered the last of its magical power and let out a deafening roar.

– Kyaaa!

The air trembled.

It was a third-class confusion magic—the Cry of Chaos.

The soldiers, caught by the magical vibration spreading in all directions, dropped their weapons and covered their ears.

The intense disorientation, as if their brains were being shaken, made them scream in pain.

It was the Archlich’s final attempt, using the last of its energy.

Taking advantage of that moment, the Archlich flew toward the completely defenseless Dereck.

“No!”

Just as Rodelia, gripping her sword, was about to charge—

– Whoosh!

The Archlich, showing no interest in Dereck, passed him by and headed for Grand Duke Beltus, who lay in a secluded corner.

His lifeless body slumped as the Archlich lifted him with magic.

The end of that greedy noble, who had sought to rule the world as the lord of the Beltus family, was truly pitiful.

The Archlich pulled the lifeless body close, wrapped it in magical power, and with a roar, cast another spell.

It was the same summoning spell it had used at the start of the battle.

But this time, it was not summoning something—it was being summoned by another.

Whoosh!

The Archlich, clutching the body of Grand Duke Beltus, was enveloped by an immense magic and disappeared completely.

Whaack!

Crackle!

When everything ended, only dust rose.

“It escaped…”

“Damn it! We almost had it!”

“The monsters are vanishing…! Even so… it’s our victory!”

The underground wine cellar had been completely destroyed.

And now, only one man remained—the one whose talent had finally bloomed.

The floor was soaked in blood, and his body was covered in wounds.

He could die at any moment from blood loss.

“This isn’t the time to celebrate! Call the healers immediately!”

Rodelia ran through the spilled wine.

The hero of the battlefield, who had fought the necromancer to the brink of death and finally achieved victory, was dying.

Thud!

Dereck, unable to remain standing, collapsed into a pool of wine.

Splash! Splash!

Hearing the soldiers shouting for help and the hurried footsteps of Countess Rodelia drawing near, Dereck slowly let go of consciousness.

“Sir Dereck! Hold on! Hey…! Hurry, bring the healers! Damn it…!”

Even Rodelia’s voice faded into the darkness.

How long had it been since the last time he’d risked his life in a real duel?

Suddenly, he remembered the day, as a trembling child, when he faced a wild boar.

That was the moment he first awakened his magical power. Since then, Dereck had begun to understand the mysteries of magic.

In retrospect, nothing had changed.

With that ironic thought, Dereck slowly closed his eyes.

Light from outside streamed into the dark cellar.

Dereck’s blood-soaked body, lying beneath it, looked like that of a knight who had just finished a holy war.

Biting her lower lip, Rodelia removed her gauntlet and pressed Dereck’s wounds with her bare hands.

Even so, the blood kept flowing. The amount spilling out was alarming.

That man had truly gambled his life just to capture the necromancer.

Seeing the endless bleeding, Rodelia clenched her teeth.

She had to save him—no matter what.

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