Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 29: Ellen (4)

If levels and magical ability determine the perfection of a technique, then the total amount of magical power can be equated with basic endurance.

No matter how many impressive spells one learns, if the magical power to materialize them is insufficient, their meaning often fades.

If someone asked why ordinary people can’t match the magical achievements of the nobility, there would be dozens of reasons, but one of the main ones is the innate amount of magical power.

Mages born into noble families often possess an exceptionally large amount of innate magic.

Especially mages from families like Duplain, Beltus, and Belmierd—nothing more needs to be said.

Whoosh!

The first-level spell Ellen cast with her hand was so large in scale that even those at the entrance to the second level took notice.

The difference between the first and second levels is comparable to that of an arrow and a cannonball. There’s an inherent gap in power between the two, but when the number of participants is large, the meaning can shift.

Such was Ellen’s spell. The wall of fire that exploded around her seemed to consume the entire world. Who could deny it? She was the most talented mage of the Belmierd family.

But her opponent was Aiselin Elenore Duplain.

Her father was one of the few fifth-level mages on the continent, a man capable of casting massive spells without even blinking.

Anyone witnessing such magic for the first time would be overwhelmed, but Aiselin had seen it before. She didn’t panic. Instead, she used her mana to cast the first-level spell Shockwave.

Bang!

It wasn’t necessary to completely neutralize that colossal spell. It was enough to defend against it.

Aiselin didn’t ignore flashy spells. In a magical duel where honor was at stake, there was more to it than size alone.

Ellen knew that too, but she pressed Aiselin with an overwhelming spell, as if to say:

“What now?”

Each heavy strike carried Ellen’s sincerity, her desire to win.

“Her mana amount is amazing…! But if she’s not careful, she’ll burn through it fast…!”

Sweating from the increasing heat, she refused to let down her guard.

“The bigger the spell, the more chances to break through…! I see a gap…!”

Aiselin observed Ellen, who was radiating mana. A swiftly charged magic arrow curved and shot directly at her.

That was the moment of victory. Ellen’s mana-emitting form vanished in an instant, transforming into pure mana.

Aiselin immediately readjusted her stance. It was a confusion spell: Minor Illusion.

Illusion magic, a hallmark of the confusion school, but even a first-level illusion was just a crude imitation barely able to move or resemble the original.

A single hit, and it would vanish into mana—a mere decoy.

However, in such an extreme situation, surrounded by magical fire, distinguishing the illusion wasn’t easy.

When she regained her awareness, she saw Ellen’s figures everywhere. A closer look would reveal the flaws in each, but Ellen had no intention of giving her that chance.

She now understood why Ellen had cast such a large-scale spell, even at the cost of her mana. The goal was to continually pressure Aiselin, disorienting her.

In such chaos, if an unexpected attack occurred, even Aiselin might not react properly.

“Her technique has matured, and the way she uses it has become more varied…!”

Above all, it was dazzling. It was the perfect scale for a magical duel between prestigious families, witnessed by many. Displaying magical prowess while honoring the family name was not unusual in these duels.

From outside her line of sight, Ellen’s magic arrows flew in and latched on swiftly.

Aiselin intercepted each with quick reflexes, but even a moment’s delay could change everything—a sharp strike that would decide victory or defeat.

Deception and confusion were her tactics. Such maneuvers might seem petty if handled poorly, but Ellen’s diverse and vibrant use of them concealed any trace of cowardice. Almost like a ruse to defeat the opponent, yet the blossoming fire buried that intention.

It was true: the spectators were captivated by the beauty of the blooming flames.

If Aiselin was a pure white lily, Ellen was a rose in full bloom, dazzling.

As if to prove it, she revealed her identity through her magic.

Walking gracefully through the flames, swaying the hem of her skirt, she resembled a peacock preening its feathers. Her loose red hair blended with the fire.

In Ellen’s brilliant display, Aiselin sensed the subtle influence of the white-haired mercenary.

She had absorbed the cunning and agility characteristic of mercenaries without losing her own grandeur.

“Don’t get overconfident.”

Aiselin fully understood the advice Dereck had given her.

Unlike when he taught Diella, the mages trained by that boy often used strategies aimed at exploiting their opponent’s weaknesses.

Considering that confusion magic was one of his specialties, it was clear Ellen’s strategy was influenced by him.

“Seems I have no choice but to use weapons…”

Aiselin didn’t like to flaunt flashy magic, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t.

If she couldn’t outmaneuver her opponent with each move, like in a sword fight, then she too had to unleash a barrage of attacks.

So Aiselin summoned her magic and materialized dozens of large ice spears.

“Oh!”

“To summon magic of that scale with almost no chant!”

Exclamations of awe rose from the spectators.

Aiselin’s spellcasting speed was such that even seasoned mages would nod in approval.

However, the ice spears she summoned shattered before they could even find a direction and fly.

Bang! Crack!

When she realized, Ellen’s magic arrows had struck them precisely and exploded.

Ellen had experienced this with Dereck.

Even before the opponent could determine the direction of their spell, Dereck would respond first and neutralize it.

That subtle manipulation of magic wasn’t something one could imitate after seeing it just once, but she had witnessed it dozens, even hundreds of times while exploring the labyrinth with him.

Magic has direction. If you can read the opponent’s intent, you can tell where the spell is heading.

The theories Dereck had tirelessly repeated were now materializing in her, used in a real battle.

Ellen felt a strange emotion. The everyday advice that boy used to give now made sense in practice.

Even trivial words that could easily be ignored—she now realized—were practical, experience-based tips.

In a real fight, there was hardly a better teacher than Dereck.

Both Aiselin and Ellen understood this fact.

Aiselin’s eyes widened for a moment, then settled.

After subconsciously underestimating Ellen’s magical abilities, she soon realized such thoughts were born of arrogance.

She quickly reflected and adapted.

Aiselin decided to reorganize everything from scratch and go all out.

Woosh!

The feeling of going head-to-head with Aiselin.

Ellen, who had been riding a wave of excitement, suddenly faced a cold reality.

Aiselin’s magic, resolved to give it her all, began to engulf the duel field.

Then, it all happened in an instant.

The fiery festival that filled the arena vanished as if it had never been.

And Ellen’s accumulated magic arrows were also destroyed by the overwhelming magic, disappearing as if they had never been there.

Ellen’s eyes widened.

The girl standing across the podium, like a flower of the Duplain family, made no grand gestures nor emotional expressions.

She simply closed her eyes tightly, took a deep breath, and with her skirt fluttering from the magical energy around her, focused her gaze with determination.

At that moment, the world turned calm.

It wasn’t even a rushed spell. It was the sheer volume of accumulated magic that crushed Ellen’s.

No technical skill was involved in the process.

Like an adult overpowering childish techniques with brute strength… the girl neutralized all of Ellen’s magic with pure magical power.

A nearly second-tier mage, and a mage who had just matured into the first tier.

The gap that had seemed small was in fact a massive chasm, and now was the moment to truly feel it.

All of this wasn’t to suppress Ellen’s magic. It was merely the setup for the next spell.

Her posture remained elegant. As if the term “pure white lily” fit her perfectly, her hands, which had gently touched the hem of her dress, finally closed into fists.

At that moment, Ellen’s vision was blinded by a burst of light.

Bang!

The sound of the explosion followed shortly after.

*

— Dereck, honestly, I’m not sure I can beat Aiselin.

— I’ve been telling you all along. You’ll win.

— Are you really that confident?

— Yes. In fact… exactly…

Ellen remembered the words the boy had said among the corpses of beasts.

— You’ll win.

The boy’s affirmation that Ellen would definitely make Aiselin lose.

She had gone through hard times relying on that one promise, but now she found herself doubting his words once again.

When Aiselin’s eyes turned serious, magic burst from her hands in an instant: the second-level spell Fireball.

Its explosion, large enough to swallow the entire stage, expanded, and cries of awe and admiration echoed among the spectators.

The girl had just used a second-level spell.

Even the observers from the magic academy widened their eyes at the display.

“This… is this reasonable…?”

Ellen managed to shield herself from the blast impact.

The only reason she could maintain her protection spell while a second-level spell flew at her was sheer luck.

Aiselin, still inexperienced with second-level spells, had tried her best to improve her accuracy, but her fireball missed completely, leaving Ellen only with the fallout.

Had it been more accurate, the duel would have ended there.

“Haah… Haah…”

Aiselin panted, exhausted. From the situation alone, it looked like Aiselin was on the defensive, but the scale and impact of her attacks told the truth. The same tricks wouldn’t work against Aiselin.

Each of her attacks rendered all tricks useless.

Faced with such a wide skill gap, what technique could have meaning?

Nevertheless, Ellen took a moment to catch her breath and quickly distanced herself, gathering her magic once again.

While spectators marveled at the use of second-level magic, Ellen paid them no mind.

With the firm determination to win, she cast her magic once more, using every type of spell to confuse her opponent as before.

If she couldn’t win by brute force, she would use every means at her disposal to corner her.

After exchanging several blows, when a second fireball flew, gasps once again rose from the spectators.

Its offensive power remained impressive, but it wasn’t easy to completely subdue Ellen with underdeveloped second-level magic. She barely managed to evade it, but even a scratch could decide the outcome.

And yet… even in the face of such a significant power gap, Ellen vaguely felt the tide turning in her favor.

Aiselin’s face flickered in and out of view amidst the magic exchanges. The composure on her face had diminished greatly.

Beads of sweat revealed that she was slowly being pushed into a corner. It was then that all of Dereck’s strategies seemed to come together.

She could never defeat Aiselin with her abilities alone.

But Dereck had also calculated for Aiselin’s honest nature.

Once she recognized her opponent and considered them a worthy rival, the honest Aiselin gave it her all.

She would show all her cards, seeking a fair and serious duel. That was the kind of person Aiselin was. The problem lay in her second-level magic, still in a transitional and unpolished stage.

Uncontrolled second-level magic was a monster that devoured mana. It would be more efficient with skill, but a hastily cast immature spell would quickly drain her energy.

Given her nature, if she decided to go all out, it was obvious she’d resort to second-level spells. In a duel, giving her all was a sign of respect and courtesy to her opponent.

This would change the efficiency of mana usage between them. It seemed like a puzzle revealed—the reason Dereck had dragged the duel into a war of attrition.

He had foreseen that Aiselin would soon master second-level magic.

Survive and win. There was no need to face her approach head-on.

So what if it was a little cowardly or underhanded? What was wrong with exploiting the opponent’s upright nature?

Proud of her sense of honor, Aiselin, using unstable second-level magic, would soon show her vulnerability.

Or the duel would become a test of will—who could draw a bit more mana from their reserves.

And when it came to mental endurance, that was what Ellen had been building over the past weeks. The mental fortitude she had developed under Dereck’s relentless training was on a completely different level from someone pampered in a greenhouse.

Had the young instructor considered all of this in his strategy? Ellen stepped back sharply and clicked her tongue.

Either way, she understood his reasoning. If things continued like this, winning the duel wasn’t impossible—second-level magic or not.

Bang! Clang!

Bang!

After about ten more exchanges, the duel neared its climax.

“Haah… Haah…”

Both were completely drained of mana. There was still time before the tie bell rang.

Ellen, who had started with her magic, began to tremble. She had exhausted her magic to the point of fatigue many times before, but she never got used to this exhaustion.

On the other hand, Aiselin’s fingertips were trembling. She seemed to have never experienced such reckless use of magic. What else could be expected? No instructor from the Duplain family would push their trainees this far.

That gap would decide everything. Under extreme conditions, Ellen gathered the last remnants of her mana. Clenching her teeth, she seemed determined to cast one more spell.

Ugh, gasp… gasp…

Aiselin was also panting, trying to gather her magic, but this situation was unfamiliar to her, making it no easy task.

She tried to gather what she could, but upon seeing the amount of magic flickering in Ellen’s hands, she had a feeling.

She would try to block it with everything she had, but the next strike… or the one after that… would decide it all.

Even so, Aiselin clenched her teeth. Defeat loomed before her eyes, but she still fought with all her strength.

“…It’s over! I’ve got you cornered! I… I’ve cornered Aiselin…!”

Ellen felt a surge of euphoria, even through her blurry vision.

The fact that she was overpowering Aiselin, that everything was going according to Dereck’s plan, seemed to dominate her thoughts.

In that state of exhaustion, Ellen prepared her magic for the final blow.

“…”

But upon seeing the determination in Aiselin’s eyes, it felt like cold water had been poured over her head.

If the battle of attrition continued, the scales would surely tip in Ellen’s favor. Her magic level was high, but she lacked the finesse to distribute her strength properly… With that, she could declare victory over Aiselin, walk away smiling, and the future seemed easy to picture.

How long had she dreamed of a satisfying victory?

However, silence enveloped the spectators.

High in the stands, leaning against the wall, watching the duel, Dereck stared at her.

Aiselin, completely exhausted, and Ellen, still able to clench her teeth and draw more strength.

The boy, who seemed to have anticipated this outcome from the start, watched with a blank expression and cold red eyes.

When those eyes fell on Ellen, it felt like a knife piercing her heart.

“…”

A brief pause.

The dazzling exchange of magic ceased, and both women were panting, drained.

Ellen couldn’t help but wonder quietly—why did she want so badly to defeat Aiselin? The answer was clear.

She hated herself for envying and being jealous of an idol admired by everyone—alone. She wanted to beat Aiselin to escape from this inferiority complex.

But now, she wasn’t so sure. Even if she won this war of attrition against Aiselin, would she stop envying the still-shining idol?

Could she free herself from the disgusting inferiority complex that had corroded her for so long?

Though cornered and gasping, Aiselin looked noble and radiant. Her eyes still gleamed, as if she could overcome any trial with ease.

There was a certain nobility in her demeanor.

— Then let’s win.

“…”

Even when he declared, “Let’s win,”

Dereck didn’t show relief.

Ellen finally understood everything. She had thought she fully grasped Dereck’s intentions—but even that was arrogance.

What Dereck wanted to teach Ellen in this duel wasn’t how to win, how to corner Aiselin, or how to free herself from that disgusting complex.

Only in this moment did Ellen finally realize. She had been fighting a battle she could never win.

As a cornerstone of the Belmiard family, she had learned all sorts of practical skills, but her heart was still that of a girl her age.

There were things she couldn’t understand with an immature life. That is, humans live their whole lives feeling envy.

The jealousy and resentment boiling in her heart—those she hated and tried to suppress—were like a part of her body she couldn’t get rid of. Because she was human.

Like everyone struggling in a harsh world, each carried their own burdens. This was something everyone came to understand eventually, fighting desperately to overcome those dark emotions again and again.

That’s why Dereck had helped Ellen with all his heart.

Though they were close in age, Dereck sometimes seemed as though he’d lived decades more than Ellen.

The boy already knew.

Trying to suppress those feelings meant Ellen was fighting a battle she couldn’t win.

With that in mind, Ellen finally looked around her.

Among the spectators were those watching the duel with sweaty palms.

All their gazes of admiration were fixed on Aiselin. It was understandable.

With her dignified appearance that captivated everyone, and her noble character that embraced all, she had even managed to cast a second-level spell in this duel. It was obvious to anyone that she was the protagonist here.

Right below a bright source of light, there is always a cool shadow. Ellen, who had lived in that shadow, felt like she finally understood something she never had her whole life.

“…”

Silently, Ellen closed her eyes tightly, then opened them—and immediately smiled with dignity. It was a noble and beautiful smile.

Aiselin’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight.

“Truly, I can’t compete with Lady Aiselin. My magic is completely exhausted.”

Aiselin, who had been watching her opponent carefully, had already sensed it.

She knew that if she scraped the bottom of her reserves, she could fight a little more. If this war of attrition continued, she would be the one to lose.

Even so, Ellen, with a dignified smile as always, lifted her skirt hem and gave a polite bow.

“This is my defeat. It was a good duel.”

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Then, the hall erupted in thunderous applause.

Respect for Aiselin filled the place.

*

“Lady Aiselin! That was incredible! A second-level spell!”

“There were already rumors that Prince Valerian had enlightened House Duplain, but with Lady Aiselin too…! The Grand Duke will be thrilled.”

“I’m Belia of the Redon family! I’ve always admired you… This duel… was so moving…”

As soon as the duel ended, many people, along with Aiselin’s supporters, rushed to praise her.

Amid the crowd swarming her, Ellen could be seen adjusting her skirt in a corner of the arena.

Before Aiselin could catch her breath and call out, Ellen quickly gathered her skirt and slipped beneath the podium.

“Ellen…!”

Before Aiselin could call out to her, she was already gone down the corridor. Watching her figure disappear into the distance, Aiselin rubbed her eyes, head bowed.

Dereck, leaning against the wall in a corner of the stands, stood up quietly and followed her.

However, Dereck turned to bow politely to Aiselin.

In the midst of the crowd singing her praises, Aiselin could only stand there, stunned, watching it all unfold.

Regardless of what others said, Dereck was now one of Ellen’s subordinates.

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