The archmage Adelbert, considered the patriarch of the aristocratic disciplinary school, evaluated factors such as scale, range, duration, spell complexity, and effect potency when categorizing magical levels.
While the recognized magic levels go up to the sixth, among secular mages, there is talk of a seventh level—a realm never before attained.
In his moirs, Adelbert revealed he was inspired by the Big Dipper when designing the magical system.
The Big Dipper has seven stars, so why should the magic system stop at six?
Thus, mages believe in the existence of a mythical seventh level, a realm no one has yet reached.
On the other hand, unorthodox mages who’ve recently deviated from tradition claim the seventh level is rely a tribute left by Adelbert, a devout follower of the Bolton continent’s religion, as an homage to his god.
Essentially, the seven-star rank is seen as the domain of the gods, implying humans should not aspire to it, and therefore, it should not be given undue significance.
The debate over the existence of seven-star beings has always been heated, but in practice, it’s difficult to discuss seriously.
After all, the number of mages who have reached the sixth level in human history can be counted on one hand.
Across all history, there are only ten, and the number of currently known living sixth-level mages across the continent is just four.
Sixth-level mages, having reached such a degree, cannot be easily utilized even by the most powerful. Each one is a legendary being.
Sixth-level magic can rewrite the laws of the world or redraw entire maps.
Calimford, the sixth-level battle mage who fell in the “Dawn War,” was said to be able to summon teor showers.
And Kellin, the fad chaos mage of the Delrim Mountains, supposedly could completely dominate soone’s mind with just eye contact. Of course, he too is a figure of the past.
Most sixth-level mages are historic figures, their nas found only in history books.
In this era, only four sixth-level mages remain alive: Sir lverot, victor of the North and sword of the royal family; Cohela, chief magical advisor to the imperial family; and the other two are lesser known compared to the royally affiliated ones.
Naturally, Dereck knew a bit about the other two.
Being a sixth-level mage ant having overwhelming influence in the world, so even soone like him, not very invested in the ga’s lore, had heard their nas.
One was Pineda, the youngest daughter of a small baronial family in the southeastern grain-producing region. She was a master of forbidden necromancy—corpse magic—and due to her cursed talent, her existence was kept secret.
And the other was… Sir Drest WolfTail of the southwestern continent.
The spiritual pillar of Drest Magic Academy, located north of Belmierd County, and the world’s only sixth-level scout mage.
“Drest is visiting Ebelstain?”
“Yes. The customs agreent schedule was accelerated, probably considering Sir Drest’s movents.”
“So that’s why the young and generous lord of Belmierd is headed to Ebelstain, hiding such a secret.”
Duke Duplain furrowed his brow as he calmly listened to Valerian’s report.
The ruler of Belmierd was always a fool when it ca to Ellen. But that didn’t an he wasn’t thinking.
There was a reason for the sudden change in the eting’s schedule toward Ebelstain. If possible, he intended to et Drest first.
There had to be a reason Drest, who rarely left the academy, was visiting Ebelstain.
He was the one who had acquired the sixth-level scout magic “Vision of the Future.”
If he began engaging in external affairs rather than staying within the academy, all the surrounding nobles would grow tense, closely watching his movents. Whenever he took part in external matters, it usually ant historically significant events were about to unfold.
In short, he was a living on.
‘That dying old man must be plotting sothing again. I might have to act on my own.’
As Duke Duplain pondered this, he also considered his next move.
As a scout mage, pestering him clumsily would only breed hostility.
“Father. There’s also a letter from Aiselin.”
“Oh? From Aiselin?”
Duke Duplain rarely showed changes in his expression. He had always been a stoic figure, seated at his desk, diligently performing his duties.
However, when it ca to news of Aiselin, the treasure of the Duplain family, even a rigid man like him seed to soften slightly.
“Yes. The contents include inquiries about the family’s wellbeing… and she’s requested a magic instructor.”
“A magic instructor for Aiselin? Of course, in her childhood we provided several, but ever since she grew older, she preferred to study magic on her own, claiming it was more efficient…”
“That’s just it. Perhaps she’s begun to feel so limitations…”
“Hm…”
Duke Duplain thought deeply, stroking his chin several tis. If his beloved daughter had gone to the trouble of writing a letter, it was only natural to grant her request.
Moreover, Aiselin rarely made such requests in advance. Rather than asking others to do things for her, she was a model young lady who first thought about what she could do for the family and the household. A request from her was incredibly valuable.
As a father, he often wished his daughter would depend on him more, so when Aiselin herself asked for help, he was more than ready to give his full support.
“But… she specifically ntioned Dereck.”
“Dereck? The rcenary who taught Diella?”
“Yes. It seems he’s been working as a rcenary in Ebelstain.”
“Then it’s simple. Why not just hire him directly?”
Dereck had left the Duplain family lands for two reasons. One was that he had nothing more to teach Diella, and the other was that he could no longer pursue his magical achievents there.
His rcenary work in Ebelstain, exploring real battlefields, was also a ans to further his magical progress.
In that sense, there were no major obstacles. He could continue his rcenary work in Ebelstain while occasionally tutoring Aiselin in magic. Money wasn’t an issue.
However, Valerian’s expression suggested there was a problem.
“This… isn’t so simple.”
“Is there a problem? If it were simple, Aiselin wouldn’t have sent such a letter.”
“Well… he’s currently under contract teaching the young lady of the Belmierd family.”
“Hm…”
Valerian’s worried expression now made sense.
Given his itinerant status, it wasn’t unusual for him to teach anyone, anywhere.
There was always a shortage of talent. In the current social climate, finding a great magic instructor was as difficult as plucking stars from the sky, and the only reason soone like Dereck wasn’t famous was purely due to his humble origins.
However, if his skill was recognized enough to outweigh his background, the story would be different. When it ca to recruitnt competition, there were aspects Aiselin couldn’t handle on her own.
She seed determined to bring Dereck back. It was the first ti the gentle young lady wanted sothing so strongly.
“Should I send Butler Delron to negotiate assertively? Sending the butler in person might create gaps in estate affairs, but for external matters like this, it’s better to be sure, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Eh?”
Duke Duplain looked at the weather outside. Winter was nearly over, and it seed the warm sun would soon shine upon the land.
“Since I need to visit Ebelstain regarding Drest, it’ll be easier to handle everything at once.”
“…You’ll go yourself?”
Valerian’s eyes widened in disbelief. How could a duke of a nation personally travel just to recruit a magic instructor?
However, intending to et Sir Drest WolfTail in person and resolve the customs agreent in one trip, it seed he had planned to visit Dereck while there.
“…”
Even though he was killing two birds with one stone, every step the duke took was worth its weight in gold.
No matter how expensive the magic instructor, no one could refuse a direct invitation from a nation’s duke to Ebelstain.
*
Lady Ellen’s duel ended in defeat, but she still paid Dereck the full promised gold.
His principle was not to accept full paynt for a failed commission, but Ellen insisted so firmly that Dereck eventually accepted the full amount.
His conscience was slightly uneasy, but the sum was large enough to offer so comfort to his heart.
“Dereck. I think I’ll take a break.”
It seed Ellen had realized sothing during her duel with Aiselin, and the fatigue was evident on her face. She planned to take a break from her studies, staying at the mansion to calm her mind.
Dereck observed Ellen’s expression and finally nodded in agreent.
For a teenager, a suitable period of introspection was an important part of life. Getting lost and finding oneself at least once was essential.
Because of that, Dereck gently encouraged Ellen with a few words.
“You’re still working with the Beldern rcenaries, right?”
“Yes.”
“Will you co teach
magic again?”
Though she seed tired, Ellen spoke as if she needed confirmation of sothing.
Dereck looked at her calmly and then replied quietly.
“I’m not sure what more I could teach you, Lady Ellen. Haven’t you already reached a competent level in first-tier magic?”
“…That’s true.”
Ellen looked at Dereck, then continued slowly.
“But even so, Dereck. When I look at you, I feel like you’re not just a first-tier mage like .”
“I’m just a rcenary who knows a bit of first-tier magic.”
“If you keep developing, you could be more than that. You seem to have enough talent.”
“Thank you for your kind words. However, there are limits to how high magic can go for commoners.”
Ellen’s intuition was sharp, but Dereck firmly denied it.
So Ellen calmly looked into Dereck’s eyes. Her gaze, soft yet firm, was held by Dereck for a long ti. It was a gaze without sharpness.
Eventually, Ellen chuckled humorlessly and said cheerfully, “Then, it’s fine.”
–Creak.
The creak of the wooden door marked its closing. It was the sound of Dereck returning ho.
Dereck still occupied the residence once used by his ntor, Katia.
Not for any special reason, but simply because moving elsewhere was too much trouble. He had no desire to spend money unnecessarily, and its location was strategic—close to the tavern district.
Late at night, Dereck returned ho and pulled a small wooden chest from under his bed.
Inside the sturdy chest was a large amount of gold coins, along with various treasures and gems. They were the result of various commissions he had undertaken.
“I’ve saved quite a bit. Maybe it’s ti to think about buying so magical equipnt.”
Dereck dread of having his own staff or wand, but high-quality magical artifacts were so expensive that even nobles thought twice before buying them.
He longed for a staff capable of casting advanced magic, but even that was out of reach unless he surpassed the threshold of the three-star rank.
In reality, such items were inaccessible to commoners, and even if purchased, they wouldn’t be easy to use freely. Perhaps a magical wand, easier to carry and conceal, would be a better option.
The most important thing was to master three-star magic as the top priority. Three-star magic was on a completely different level compared to two-star.
While two-star magic focused on personal attack power, three-star introduced spells on a scale usable tactically even in group battles.
In combat magic, there were spells like seismic shifts or walls of fire capable of large-scale area attacks, and in the confusion domain, there were spells that could disorient soone’s senses.
Especially in the detection field, mastering three-star magic allowed one to directly perceive all magical tricks around them.
“Taking commissions from nobles is certainly profitable, but it consus too much ti and isn’t related to real combat, which doesn’t help my magical progress. That’s definitely a problem.”
Hunting magical beasts and exploring labyrinths felt aningful for Dereck’s magical advancent.
Supervising a noble lady’s magic might bear so fruit but rarely contributed to his own mastery. Sotis teaching provided insights, but the limits were clear.
After earning enough money, maybe it was ti to focus on his magical accomplishnts.
With that in mind, Dereck carefully counted the money in the chest. It was enough to live worry-free for a while.
“Yes… For now, I should focus on my achievents and avoid accepting any teaching commissions.”
He believed there was value in teaching others, but more importantly, he wanted to beco an extraordinary mage.
His desire to break through the three-star magic barrier was more urgent than anything else.
“I’ve rested enough; it’s ti to take on aningful commissions. I wonder if Pheline is available.”
With that, Dereck decided to take a break from being a magic instructor.
It was one week before the visit of Belmierd, the Prince of Change, and Duplain, the Grand Duke, to Ebelstain.
Unfortunately for Dereck, rulers had a way of never leaving capable individuals alone.
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