Many rembered the image of the great demon Noir, who roared with enough force to overturn the entire northern continent and reduce the world to ashes.
The “War of Dawn,” one of the greatest disasters in the history of the Empire, was still spoken of among the people, and those who commorated that horrid devastation were scattered across the continent.
A dreadful calamity, where blood flowed like rivers and corpses piled up like mountains.
The brave group that stopped that great catastrophe known as humanity’s crisis was still ntioned as legend.
lverot, Peria, Reveltone, Lusric.
And the six-star battle mage, Kalimford, who led them at the front.
The nas of those five spread across the continent, becoming synonymous with the heroes of the previous generation.
However, those who were drawn only to the heroic tales did not know.
Behind their glorious feats lay necromancy, an art everyone considered an atrocious sin.
‘Reina. I need your help.’
It was during the height of the War of Dawn. The place, a dilapidated warehouse in the Ankail Barony, on the outskirts of the continent.
There, the great hero Kalimford, about to embark on his final expedition to capture Noir, was kneeling on one knee, making eye contact with a young girl of innocent appearance.
The hero, with rough beard and a face showing the first signs of age. Behind him stood his old friend lverot, his lover Peria, and his loyal companions Reveltone and Lusric.
The light that entered through the open door of the warehouse bathed them like a sacred halo.
However, the inside of the warehouse, soaked with the sll of blood, was only filled with an ominous darkness.
In that gloomy place, covered with traces of necromancy, the great hero spoke with a firm expression.
“To reach Noir, we need soone who can break his necromantic sorcery.”
The one Kalimford addressed was a girl who had barely passed puberty.
Sitting in a corner of the warehouse, hugging her knees, the girl looked up at him with shining eyes.
Her current na was Reina.
Once she was Aileen, before that Seraphine.
She had also been Isabel, before Laies, then Poyna, Katlan, Alia, Coilen, Magat, Victoria, Frederica, Aines, Cirque, Rushiel, Leti…
And later, she would bear the na Fina.
The girl observed the hero in silence for a mont, until finally the corners of her lips curved into a sly smile.
“Hehehe, hahaha.”
“…”
“The situation is rather amusing. The last hero these imperial citizens have left, who tried so hard to capture
and kill , now cos asking for my help. How ironic.”
A girl who looked barely adolescent suddenly spoke in an archaic dialect of the Central Plains.
It was not difficult to understand, but the re fact that such antiquated speech ca from the mouth of a child caused an inexplicable unease in those who heard it.
This girl was, by nature, an ominous being.
“I’m sorry, Kalimford, but I have no reason at all to help you. If anything, the most logical course would be to hinder you. Why should I help you?”
“…”
“They say the magical level of the Great Demon Beast Noir of the North is astounding. Perhaps that creature can fulfill my wish. So the most reasonable thing would be to kill you right here with my own hands.”
At those words, Kalimford’s companions tensed and instinctively reached for their weapons.
But Kalimford raised a hand to stop them. Still crouched, he stared straight at Reina and spoke calmly.
“Reina. The Great Demon Beast Noir cannot fulfill your wish.”
“Well. That we don’t know yet.”
“Do you regret having studied necromancy?”
Reina’s eyes trembled slightly at that phrase.
In silence, she kept watching him, until he spoke again in a low voice.
“The mark of reincarnation is a blessing that guarantees transcending death, sothing all beings long for. But… it seems you have already understood as well.”
“Shut up, Kalimford.”
“It is not a blessing. It is a curse.”
Reina clenched her teeth. Her hollow eyes cast an even longer shadow.
The repetition of reincarnation. Even if you die again and again, you are reborn as a noble lady and continue your life. That magic grants “eternal life,” sothing everyone covets.
When you lost your youth—whether at twenty or thirty—you died for whatever reason, and life continued, always with the sa young face. It was, in appearance, a perpetual youth.
However, as the centuries passed in that endless cycle, you eventually ca to understand.
Once you touch necromancy, you cannot help but live with bloodstained hands.
And wandering in that shadowy life countless tis, you eventually forget who you are.
Who am I? Am I Reina? No, that is only my current na.
Then am I Isabel? Or Lyes? Poina? Katlan? Alia? Coilen? Magat? Victoria? Frederica?
When you trace back the origin of the origin again and again, you end up forgetting, unable to give aning to your existence. Your original self, what it was, what it lived… all becos dust buried in the distant past.
Sunk in that absence of aning, you beco a wandering ghost, unable to find purpose.
Death, which cos to all alike, is denied to you.
To reach the pinnacle of necromancy ans that.
The mark of reincarnation, once engraved on the soul, never disappears.
During the first two hundred years, you might consider it a blessing.
But in the end, you only wish for one thing—rest. And no matter how exhausted you are, the world never allows it.
Alone, in the curse of necromantic magic, living only among bloodstained shadows, she longed for one thing above all else—rest.
“I can kill you. Not just your body, but also your soul.”
And then, before that wandering spirit, the legendary hero and six-star battle mage Kalimford spoke.
His body aged, but his eyes still shone.
Six-star battle magic Incineration of the Soul.
Kalimford, who had reached six stars by contemplating the constellations alone from the Rotan Mountains, mastered the technique of erasing even existence itself. It was said that, with a few months of preparation, he could erase a six-star necromancer from the world.
It was his own domain, completely different from other six-star mages like lverot, Kohella, or Drest. And, paradoxically, it seed like a lifeline.
Kalimford, the legendary battle mage, could kill her.
That simple truth made the girl lift her head.
And the following year, Kalimford’s group succeeded in subduing the Great Demon Beast Noir that ravaged the North.
However, Kalimford could not keep his promise.
Because he died together with Noir.
*
Fwooosh.
On a rainy and gray day.
In front of the main entrance of Gremfort Palace, where Emperor Gratell resided.
A huge portrait of the legendary hero who had perished with Noir was displayed high above.
During the funeral, countless citizens of the empire shed tears before that portrait.
His old friend, the icy lverot, also bowed his head. All the companions of the legendary hero remained silent with somber expressions.
At the back of the crowd. A girl, with her hood up, silently stared at the portrait of the hero.
At last, she turned around and clenched her teeth.
“Damn… bastard…”
As she slipped away into the crowd and vanished into the streets of the capital, a chilling aura still surrounded her.
Kalimford had not kept his promise.
And so, a persistent coldness settled in the girl’s eyes.
*
In truth, no matter how renowned Master Dereck was, and no matter how ticulous Aiselin was, the first training center they opened was bound to have problems.
Aiselin had envisioned countless unexpected situations in her mind, but even so, she believed that once the center began operating, all sorts of issues would arise.
And she was fully prepared to deal with whatever problems ca up.
However, the Ravenclaw Training Center was running far too smoothly.
“……”
Ten days had passed since the center officially began operations.
Aiselin was sitting in her private room within the mansion that Dereck had prepared for her, silently looking over class materials.
She had already reviewed them several tis, so there was no point in continuing to look.
The court etiquette that had cost her so much effort to master when she debuted in society, the basic manners required for banquet conversations, and the elentary education for a lady were organized clearly and easy to understand.
There was nothing to worry about in Aiselin’s etiquette classes, and the sa was true for the magic classes led by Dereck.
The young noble girls attending the center were growing by leaps and bounds, exclaiming that this was truly a land of learning, even though little ti had passed since classes began.
The ladies receiving training seed very satisfied, and though there were so minor frictions, the newly hired servants were not causing major problems.
The instructors brought in from outside were highly individualistic, but they seed to be fulfilling their roles with dedication, and there appeared to be no serious conflicts within the mansion.
Everything was running smoothly.
There was no inconvenience.
In other words, there was nothing to do.
“…”
“Lady Aiselin… do you have any worries?”
When Chief Steward Delbriton approached and asked, Aiselin answered with a dull expression.
“I’m worried because I don’t have worries…”
“…”
Delbriton had co to know Aiselin quite well since preparations for the training center began.
At first, he thought only Dereck, the master of Ravenclaw Mansion, was peculiar, but upon observing carefully, he realized Aiselin was no less eccentric.
People obsessed with sothing tend to achieve success faster than others.
In any case, it ant they weren’t entirely sane.
“Now that I think about it… is Lord Dereck having any difficulties? I see him at als, but we don’t talk much since he’s always so busy…”
“The baron is handling his schedule without major problems. Rather, he seems to be worried about you, Lady Aiselin.”
“R-really…?”
Aiselin swallowed as she listened intently to Delbriton’s words.
Lately, she felt she only had work-related conversations with Dereck, but even so, she seed to feel a subtle joy in knowing he cared about her well-being.
When Ellen visited her so ti ago, she nearly died of fright, but that was now in the past.
No matter how talented Ellen was, she could not surpass Aiselin, who saw Dereck every day face to face at the training center.
Moreover, the fact that the stoic Baron Ravenclaw personally worried about her health gave her a strange sense of satisfaction.
Although Aiselin knew very well that it was only a courtesy remark, she could not help but feel a peculiar sense of superiority.
It was said that the one who falls in love first, loses.
Aiselin cleared her throat several tis, then looked out the window, where the landscape was beginning to show signs of autumn.
Yes, it was already autumn.
Ti seed to fly like an arrow.
“…”
Suddenly, Aiselin felt a cold sweat down her back.
“When was the last ti I went back to my family’s house…?”
It was a thought that only surfaced after most of her tasks had been completed and her daily routine had settled.
As much as could be said, Aiselin was still a fallen noble who carried the fate of the declining Duplain family.
“Are you talking about the salary? Now that you ntion it, yes, we agreed to split it.”
“Talking about money like this feels a little uncomfortable… but in any case, we must account for it.”
*
Breakfast the next day.
Dereck, sitting at a rather large dining table, was eating simple vegetables, bread, and fruit.
Aiselin approached Dereck intending to talk seriously about revenue distribution.
Dereck, for his part, was reviewing the schedule for the day’s basic magic training, as well as planning supplentary classes for a few young ladies whose recent progress had been slow.
Despite everything, once he took on a task, he completed it diligently, a trait that had not changed since his rcenary days.
One of the reasons Aiselin valued Dereck was precisely because of his diligence.
“This quarter’s tuition fees have already been collected. I’ll give you half, Lady Aiselin. I’ll take the other half.”
“What? You’ll give
half? That, that’s a little…”
“Too little? If you want to negotiate, I won’t object. But let’s discuss it properly with a notary in the office.”
“No, it’s the opposite. You’re giving
too much.”
Aiselin spoke with so hesitation.
In truth, Aiselin was usually quite firm in such matters, but for so reason, her voice always grew smaller before Dereck.
Dereck looked at her in silence, then set his fork aside and pushed the plate away.
At that mont, the servants quickly ca forward to clear away the remains of the al.
“Lady Aiselin… I am aware…”
“Yes…?”
Dereck spoke while pressing his temples.
This Ravenclaw Training Center was established in Dereck’s na, built on his land, and he was listed as director.
However, Dereck only taught magic and did not actually function as the administrator.
Instead, Aiselin was the one who sat in the dean’s chair, managing all the administrative work alone. From the start, Aiselin had laid the foundation of the center and was the one resolving all the scattered problems.
Now that the center had just opened, many things were unstable, but frankly, it seed that even if Dereck were absent from the territory for a while, Aiselin could manage it well on her own.
At that point, it was a little strange for Dereck to monopolize all the center’s inco.
“And besides… don’t you need money? You have to rebuild your family.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“The Duplain family will need many assets readily available. If the center goes well, the flow of money to the Duplains will also increase. So, in a way, working hard here is saving your family, don’t you think?”
Dereck’s words were true.
The amount of gold coins provided by more than thirty noble ladies was enough to be considered a fortune.
If half of that could be taken to the Duplain family, it would be enough to put out all the urgent fires for now.
It was sothing good and sothing to be grateful for, but Aiselin had never imagined Dereck would yield so easily.
Territorial nobles were usually stingy with such divisions, so there was hardly anyone like Dereck who would willingly give up such a large sum.
Aiselin’s eyes began to shine.
She silently watched Dereck, who was brushing his clothes at the end of the long table, and then spoke with a radiant face.
“Dereck…”
“Yes?”
“I… am going to bury my bones here…”
“There’s no need to go that far.”
In fact, even Dereck was beginning to find Aiselin a little frightening lately.
After the Duplain family fell and she accepted that she was a fallen noble, she seed to have awakened in many ways.
Dereck also lived intensely, dividing his day into minutes, but even he found it difficult to keep up with Aiselin.
“By the way, when the first term ends this autumn, I plan to hold supplentary classes with so of the young noble ladies.”
“Oh, yes. There were a few whose performance fell sowhat behind. According to the center’s policy, we never leave anyone behind.”
“Lady Sidr, Lady Rosfeld, and the lady of the Tigris family… I think I’ll give them separate lessons.”
“Really?”
Aiselin knew that Lady Sidr and Lady Rosfeld were sowhat timid and lacking in confidence, which slowed their progress.
But she had not thought that Lady Fina of the Tigris Barony would also be included among those receiving supplentary lessons.
‘…Lately, Dereck has been paying a lot of attention to Lady Fina of the Tigris family.’
It was also out of a sense of duty, but Aiselin felt sothing subtle.
She herself was too busy fixing the problems she had caused, so she hardly had private conversations with Dereck.
Dereck, on the other hand, seed particularly attentive to Lady Fina of the Tigris family.
Even after all the classes ended, he stayed behind to give her countless pieces of advice or even went to the dormitory to give her lessons about life… Sotis, they even went on outings together during holidays, spending much ti together. (Of course, from Fina’s perspective, those were trials as painful as punishnt.)
As if that weren’t enough, he even planned to give her special supplentary lessons separately. (Of course, from Fina’s perspective, it was torture comparable to death.)
In short, Dereck was almost completely neglecting Aiselin.
“…”
How cruel and heartless.
That thought briefly crossed her mind, but Aiselin imdiately opened her eyes wide and ca to her senses.
Cruel? What had Dereck done to deserve being called that? Dereck was simply fulfilling his duty.
Aiselin felt montarily confused by her own thoughts and shook her head, bewildered.
Dereck, seeing Aiselin like that, looked at her with a strange expression, wondering if she was uncomfortable. Considering Aiselin’s workload, it would not be strange if she were exhausted.
Receiving such sincere concern, Aiselin imdiately blushed and shook her head vigorously.
“I-I was just distracted for a mont. Sorry. I’ll go check the morning schedule right away.”
“You always work very hard.”
“Not as much as you, Lord Dereck. Anyway, thank you very much for the revenue distribution. I’ll do everything I can to represent the Duplain family.”
Saying that, Aiselin clutched the docunts tightly and quickly walked into the hallway.
Fanning her flushed face with one hand, she was utterly confused.
Aiselin, who was quite naive about such matters, could not realize what was happening to her.
The sa had happened with Ellen and with Fina.
For the first ti in her life, Aiselin was awakening the emotion of jealousy.
‘…Before this autumn ends, I’ll expel Fina. If I handle the justification well, Fina probably won’t have much to complain about.’
After Aiselin left the dining hall, Dereck once again reviewed the schedules of the supplentary lessons he had organized.
Fina was enduring Dereck’s subtle trials better than he had expected.
Though Dereck behaved like a textbook authoritarian, Fina’s social skills, polished over the years, were much more adept than he had anticipated.
‘…To think she would endure so well.’
A necromancer is like a virus.
If left alone, it will surely infect the group and bring about disaster. The tragedy of the Duplain family was more than enough proof that, if not eradicated in ti, great calamities would follow.
This level of action was still not enough. It was ti to take more drastic asures.
Dereck was ready to act.
“When this term ends, I plan to give additional supplentary lessons. Lady Tigris still has areas where her performance is lacking, so we’ll do more lessons together. During the sessions, I’ll teach her wise ways to face life’s adversities, how to respect her elders, and the truths and subtleties of existence.”
That sa afternoon, after finishing his classes, Dereck called Fina and told her that.
“…Oh, heavens! T-thank you… I truly regret that you must take the ti for …!”
Fina endured the stiffness in her expression with almost superhuman patience. Seeing her barely manage to keep a cheerful face, even Dereck couldn’t help but be impressed.
She was by no ans an easy person. She was as tough as Dereck.
And when two tough people et, the situation tends to escalate to the extre.
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