Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 167: Ancient Hero (1)

The Palace of Gremport, regarded as the most lavish, vast, and refined building ever constructed by human hands.

At the highest spire of that structure, which symbolized the power of the Empire, Kohella sat alone, gazing at the night sky.

The glittering firmament looked like a sea made of stars.

Extending her hand toward the center of that sea, the elderly mage murmured to herself.

‘I have almost found them all.’

The Big Dipper, discovered among the multitude of stars.

What kind of inspiration might that cluster of seven brilliantly shining stars have given Adelbert, the great mage?

Recalling the depth of that magic, she gently closed her eyes once more.

The seventh domain that Adelbert never set down in his writings and kept jealously hidden.

Combat, confusion, transformation, summoning, exploration, the forbidden, and something that extended beyond all of that.

To reach it, it was necessary to gather in one place those who had reached the limits of each discipline.

That was the conclusion Kohella arrived at.

Six-star mages, those who had touched the threshold of human limits.

Melverot, mage of the combat system.

Kohella, mage of the transformation system.

Drest, mage of the exploration system.

The world acknowledged the existence of only those three, but Kohella was convinced that could not be all.

There had to be more six-star mages who did not show themselves to the world, who even escaped Kohella’s eyes.

The memories of Adelbert that she had glimpsed could not have been mistaken.

It was said that, blessed by the stars shining in the sky, there was always at least one six-star mage in each system.

Just as the positions of the stars do not change, that was a natural truth, part of the order of the world.

They might not yet have fully awakened their talent, or they might be living hidden from the world.

All that remained were the system of confusion, the system of summoning, and the forbidden system the necromantic system.

***

“I think something is happening in the house of Baron Tigris.”

The territory of Baron Tigris lay at the southeastern edge of the continent, a small, remote mountainous region.

The territory of Baron Ravenclaw, which Dereck managed, was also modest in size, but Tigris went even further, being little more than a couple of villages.

Baron Tigris had received those lands from Count Elvester, one of the figures with the greatest real power in the east of the continent, and was responsible for administering the surrounding area.

His contribution consisted of containing the creatures that prowled the Lockrail mountain range, the backbone of the east, or subjugating occasional labyrinths.

Due to its small scale, for Count Elvester it was nothing more than an auxiliary force under his command.

The territory of Tigris itself was not particularly fertile, had no distinctive products, nor did it control trade routes or strategic points, so there were not many reasons to give it great importance.

“Hmm…”

Late in the afternoon.

Inside the spacious dressing room of Count Elvester’s palace, Katia stood with her hands behind her back, presenting her report.

After making a long journey to the southwest of the continent, fatigue showed on her face, but even so she maintained a serious expression, as if it were an important report.

“I thought you would bring back a relevant report after going all the way to Ebelstein, but you have brought up an unexpected topic, Katia.”

“Internal affairs are not your concern. I don’t know why you are suddenly showing concern for the house of Baron Tigris, but coincidentally, this very morning a report arrived from the baron himself regarding the recent situation.”

Count Elvester, one of the most influential nobles in the east of the continent, was adjusting his coat with the help of his servants.

Through the large mirror in front of him, he met Katia’s gaze, revealing his sharp features and piercing eyes.

He was an authoritative and dominant man, worthy of the head of House Elvester, but his trust in Katia was firm.

Having had her as a vassal for so many years, he knew her wisdom well.

For that reason, even when she seemed to be meddling in the internal affairs of the house, he showed no obvious displeasure.

“…You say a report had already arrived?”

“That’s right. As always, the territory of Baron Tigris showed no significant changes. I personally confirmed the baron’s seal as well, so I would like you to stop worrying, Katia.”

At those words, Katia swallowed silently.

She seemed to want to say that that could not be true, but presenting a warning without evidence before the count could bring consequences.

“What I expected from you was not that kind of concern. From what I see, you also passed through the territory of Baron Ravenclaw. How were things in the high society around Ebelstein?”

“Ah, yes. I verified both the state of construction of the Ravenclaw Academy and the situation of Ebelstein’s high society. Their momentum is remarkable; it seems that major changes are approaching.”

“House Elvester has always reigned at the center of high society. Even if these events occur at the far end of the continent, if the waves are large, they will undoubtedly end up affecting the high society of the east as well.”

“I know you have a keen eye for the education of young nobles, so I don’t think you will fall behind. But I want you never to forget this. No matter what happens, House Elvester cannot lose its authority in high society. And you are on the front line of that battle.”

“Yes.”

Katia bowed her head and replied firmly.

However, her mind was mired in deep confusion.

It had already been quite some time since Fina caused that uproar in the house of Baron Ravenclaw.

Even so, Fina had taken no further action.

And that silence, far from reassuring her, made her increasingly uneasy.

***

“When the weather becomes milder, the Ravenclaw Academy will also be finished. Lately, it seems that Lady Aiselin has been very busy recruiting teachers and administrative staff.”

The residence of Baron Ravenclaw.

After finishing a long session of magical training and wiping away his sweat, Dereck listened to the report from the butler, Delbriton.

The maids, who had been waiting in a corner of the training grounds, immediately approached with cloths and wiped his back with quick, coordinated movements.

“I’m worried she might collapse again from overwork…”

“I share that concern. But I didn’t dare stop her.”

Dereck noticed that Delbriton had hesitated before continuing his report.

Even so, he did not press him to go on.

He knew perfectly well what was making him hesitate.

‘Another new task…! Personnel management seems complicated, but it also has surprisingly simple aspects…’

The image of Aiselin completely absorbed in her work seemed to radiate an almost demonic energy.

The passion burning in her eyes was such that, if someone tried to stop her by force, she seemed capable of reducing everything to ashes without distinguishing between allies and enemies.

“…”

Lately, even Dereck had begun to feel a certain fear toward Aiselin.

She was the woman who, with her own hands, was rebuilding the Duplain family.

Judging her only by her delicate appearance was a sure way to get burned.

An odd silence settled between Delbriton and Dereck.

A silence laden with tacit understanding.

“Additionally, regarding the incident that occurred last time, we ordered a thorough search, but no traces of any intruder were found. I truly apologize.”

The next thing Delbriton reported was the matter of Fina.

Fina had passed through the strict security alone and had sat in the reception hall of the residence, covered in blood.

She had attacked Katia and had also directly threatened Dereck.

Of course, all of this would be kept secret. There was nothing good to be gained from it becoming known that they were involved with a black mage.

However, the wrecked reception hall could not be completely hidden, so only formal investigations were ordered as a cover.

“Leave it. In any case, she’s not someone the vassals can track.”

“…Understood.”

When Dereck closed the matter, Delbriton expressed no further opinions.

He seemed to sense that his lord knew more, but he had no intention of probing into what Dereck was not saying.

‘She definitely didn’t look normal.’

Dereck brought a hand to his chin and fell into a brief moment of reflection.

Fina had always been a young woman who acted with elegance and composure, maintaining a haughty façade.

He had never seen her tremble, cornered like that.

She was someone who seemed to have lived through everything, incapable of forming attachments.

And yet, at that moment, she seemed to harbor an intense and twisted desire of possession toward Dereck.

‘At least, if I knew what happened in the territory of Tigris, it would be easier to assess the situation…’

Becoming the target of a six-star black mage was not something that could be taken lightly.

After sharing all the information with Katia, Dereck had been carefully observing the movements around him.

But nothing had happened.

That unnatural calm, far from reassuring him, gave him an unsettling feeling.

Even so, it was not a situation in which he could act rashly, so he merely kept all his senses on alert.

Without noticing, almost a week had passed.

Even in the midst of all that, he had to handle the internal affairs of the barony, review the academy’s construction schedule, and not neglect his magical training.

Daily life continued to move forward, without stopping.

“Regarding the incident, I have a rough idea of what happened, so there’s no need to continue with further investigations. There are too many things to attend to inside and outside the residence to waste the vassals’ time.”

“Are you sure? That the lord himself was attacked in the heart of the barony is no minor matter.”

“The person involved says she is fine. Limit everything to what is necessary and make sure the residence functions without problems. From what I can see, things outside might get a bit noisy. At times like these, the inside must not waver.”

“Understood. As for other important reports—”

When Dereck made a gesture indicating that it was enough, the maid who had been drying him flinched and immediately stepped back.

Looking at the group of maids with an indifferent gaze, it was clear that they were novices, newly arrived.

Lower-ranking maids, still inexperienced, often felt an inexplicable fear when seeing Dereck train magic.

Dereck did not scold them upon noticing their obvious nervousness.

From the four-star rank onward, the magic one begins to use no longer seems human.

Destroying, freezing, distorting, or ravaging an entire area ceases to be something exceptional.

It was not strange for commoners, with no prior knowledge of magic, to feel a certain distance.

The admiration and respect of ordinary people only reach up to the three-star rank.

And those who could truly understand that difference were not many across the entire continent.

“In your study, you will find a letter from the Duchy of Rochest.”

“Was it sent by Lord Melverot? Now that you mention it, it’s been a while since we last exchanged messages.”

“You see… he requests that you visit him soon in the territory of Rochest.”

“…Lord Melverot in person?”

It felt as though another matter had been added to the list.

He could not so easily ignore a request from Melverot, who had pulled many strings for Dereck to obtain his noble title.

“So suddenly?”

“Yes. He said not to worry about your schedule and to come to the territory of Rochest immediately.”

“Did he indicate the reason?”

“He said that… it had been a long time since he had seen his daughter’s face.”

“…”

One of Dereck’s disciples, Miss Siern, came from the distant and frigid Duchy of Rochest in the north, covered in perpetual snow.

Although she seemed to have adapted to the warm and gentle climate of the southwest, at times Dereck wondered if she missed the snowy lands.

However, he had never considered the opposite.

He would never have imagined that the cold and aloof Lord Melverot would order a busy Baron of Ravenclaw to travel back and forth just because he wanted to see his daughter.

He knew how to use his subordinates. Calling someone from so far away without a compelling reason was not an intelligent decision.

‘Is there another reason he can’t write in a letter…?’

Dereck had already noticed it.

That Melverot was calling him with such urgency, and that the reason was simply wanting to see his daughter, did not fit his character at all.

Even so, if that was the pretext, the proper course was to go along with it.

“My father sent a letter saying he wanted to see me…?”

When Dereck brought the news to the private residence in Ebelstein, Siern began making small hops, her eyes shining like stars.

If she had had a tail, she would probably have been wagging it nonstop.

Even so, outwardly she still appeared calm.

After frequenting the Rose Hall and gradually learning the etiquette of a lady, her demeanor had become noticeably more refined compared to the days when she lived secluded in the tower of the Duchy of Rochest.

Her hair, her eyes, and even the ruffled dress she was wearing were completely white.

And yet, the energy she emanated seemed to shine with all colors.

Although she normally maintained an expressionless face, those who knew her well could easily read her mood.

“Yes. It seems we’ll be going to greet the Duchy of Rochest soon. You will come with us, Miss Siern.”

“Of course. I have to show him everything I’ve learned at the Ravenclaw residence and at the Rose Hall… Dereck, if you’re not busy right now, help me choose the clothes I’ll wear to the north before we leave.”

“For that… other ladies or the maids would know more than I do.”

“Choose them yourself, Dereck. I think my father will like it more if you choose them.”

Her voice was calm, but her attitude and expression revealed how excited she was.

Seeing her so happy, Dereck could not help but feel satisfied as well.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Web Novel