Value (1)
Jayden was, at tis, a man who wielded a greatsword and marched into battle.
He could spend his days lounging around, polishing glasses in a corner of the tavern without trouble earning a living—but he had ambitions.
The Dawn War, which broke out when the giant northern monster Zvet erged from a labyrinth.
Since then, after wandering through countless battlefields, he found peace only amid a sea of blood, not in the ho where he was born and raised.
“Growing up, I earned my living by the sword, devoting my life to the battlefield with no company and no worthy descendants. To , my friends were my family.”
That’s why it wasn’t strange that he harbored the ambition to form a respectable rcenary group. The battlefield was part of his life; his goal was to gather and retain as many wandering souls as possible.
However, life on the battlefield was like walking a tightrope and could end at any mont. He had seen many comrades lose their sanity.
“This ti, it almost got my neck. Luckily, I escaped with just the loss of an arm. Seems my luck hasn’t run out yet, hahaha.”
“Boss, you’re a veteran. I never imagined the White Zone Labyrinth would be so dangerous.”
“I was ambushed by a giant sandworm hiding underground. If I’d been any closer to the wall, my head would’ve flown off in one hit.”
“A sandworm showed up?”
Even during the horrific Dawn War, they were among the monsters that claid the most lives.
To the sandworms swimming beneath the earth, humans who entered underground labyrinths were nothing more than prey voluntarily walking into their jaws.
“Even so, I managed to slice its neck properly. After getting revenge, my heart felt at peace.”
“You took it well… It’s a serious wound, and the aftereffects will be significant. It’s amazing you can laugh in a situation like this.”
“I’m not too happy about it, since I’ll have to shut down the tavern and rest. But it’s better than not getting revenge at all.”
Jayden was a man who could laugh heartily even after losing an arm.
Dereck looked at Pheline, who shook her head in disbelief.
Even at his age, Jayden’s desire to wander the battlefield was admirable, but it was inevitable to worry about such a serious injury.
“Lately, since the Duplain family began leading the White Zone clean-up, other nobles have been sending more expedition requests, Dereck.”
This seed to be Jayden’s main point.
The official cleanup of the White Zone was led by the Duplain family’s troops. However, as new areas were opened, other factions began to erge.
Major houses like the Beltus family were drooling at the prospect of conquering the White Zone, but they needed the Duplains’ permission to proceed. The story was different for minor nobles and rcenary groups.
They began exploring smaller labyrinths on the edges of the White Zone, using the routes opened by the Duplains.
Controlling these groups wasn’t easy, and the Duplains didn’t interfere with minor movents, especially when it wasn’t necessary—often resulting in unfavorable consequences.
Adventurers with questionable skills who challenged the White Zone often lost their lives.
Even Jayden, a survivor of countless battles, had to sacrifice his arm in that perilous labyrinth. If luck wasn’t on their side, those dreaming of fast riches found only a grave.
“Dereck. If any request to explore the White Zone cos your way, turn it down. I’ve seen it with my own eyes—sothing’s not right. We need to observe the situation for a while.”
“What do you an by ‘go’?”
“I’ve visited almost every labyrinth since the Dawn War, but I’ve never encountered one so unstable and unpredictable. Unless you’re using troops with four-star mages like the Duplains, and advancing in large numbers… almost no labyrinth is penetrable by adventurers.”
He had read plenty about the dying vegetation and foul aura of the White Zone in books.
Dereck rested his chin on his hand, listening intently to Jayden’s words.
“I couldn’t bear to see you die, Dereck.”
“…”
Even missing an arm, Jayden was still spouting nonsense. That was the kind of man he was—a seasoned old rcenary.
*
A golden opportunity like this—without Dereck’s presence—was rare.
Denise sent a letter to the Duplain family through Bella, her most loyal maid. Alone in the mansion’s garden, she sat with a satisfied smile on her face, basking in the unusual silence.
Diella, upon reading the letter, might hesitate, but in the end, she would surely challenge Denise to a magical duel. After all, Diella would stake everything to take Dereck away.
So the plan was to intentionally lose the duel—a bitter and sorrowful act, but a promise was a promise, and Dereck would be handed over.
That way, she could reclaim these peaceful days.
It ant finally escaping from the magic instructor who, even with the slightest push, was constantly at her heels all day long.
“The bla for losing the most promising magic instructor in Ebelstain’s social circle… it’s inevitable, but I’ll bear it. I’ll have to earn a similar reward so other ti.”
Though the plan was set, a persistent pressure lingered in her chest. Ti passed into the evening, the sky soaking with tranquil, drifting clouds.
As sumr approached, the center of the garden ward, occasionally attracting insects.
Still, Denise remained outside, gazing at the sky instead of retreating indoors.
“Is a day really this long?” she mused, feeling the contrast with the recent days that had flown by like arrows.
Without Bella and Dereck, her faithful companions, the silence felt even deeper. They had always been there to speak with her.
Bella exchanged lighthearted banter, while Dereck grumbled or delivered ominous prophecies.
After a day full of chaos, now alone in her free ti, old mories stored deep in her subconscious began to stir—mories of the past.
The elders of the Beltus family stroked her hair and smiled. They rejoiced at her magical achievents, saying she would one day be the family’s pride, their wrinkles deepening with joy.
Noble ladies competed to speak with her, even quarreling amongst themselves.
The incompetent heir, Robenalt, felt inferior and envious of his skilled sister, but in the end, he admitted it sincerely.
Since childhood, she’d seen notes from her mother tucked between magic books:
“Always loved, the pride of our Beltus family.”
The handwriting radiated familial pride.
“It’s aningless, really.”
Suddenly, Denise let out a bitter laugh, reclining in the garden’s elegant wooden chair.
She knew well that all the admiration could turn into disappointnt with a single misstep. She didn’t have to look far—other family mbers had experienced it.
Countless once-praised prodigies had fallen and vanished into obscurity.
Hope always carried the possibility of disappointnt. Denise only wanted to be free of that exhausting pressure. One couldn’t live off achievents alone.
Preparing for failure was essential for a stable life. The sa applied to the expectations of others.
It wasn’t that nothing was expected of her, but it wasn’t a devotion bordering on worship either.
She wasn’t lacking in achievents, but neither was she a heroine in her lineage.
Not too much, not too little. Sowhere between hot springs and cold baths, in that incomprehensible warmth, Denise finally felt the desire to swim.
She suddenly rembered the most noble lady of the Duplain family, adored by all, always standing tall.
“…”
Denise could never be like Aiselin.
Their fundantal mindsets were completely different.
“Sigh…”
Driven by a vague restlessness, Denise rose from her seat. She could’ve returned to her bedroom and enjoyed her favorite books, but instead, she raised her hand toward the void, sensing magical energy. That distance compelled her to manifest magic—even just once.
The magical energy at her fingertips fused into a single point, then spread throughout her body. The magical flow that Dereck always emphasized. In truth, attuning to that feeling was Denise’s forte.
Born into the Beltus family, she was never lacking in innate magical power. What she lacked was technique and will. Denise’s greatest flaw was her lack of will.
Dereck knew this well—that’s why he constantly pushed her. Once pushed, one had to start running, even if only at a light trot. That’s human physiology.
And once you started trotting, your body adjusted. What soone like Denise needed was strong consistency, even if she resisted to the end.
Swish.
The magic emanating from Denise’s fingers began to fill the surroundings. The hem of her beautiful dress fluttered, and the surrounding grass swayed. In the midst of that magical wave, Denise clenched her fist and cast it forward.
“Oh, magical flow that watches all—”
Her silvery-gray hair swayed several tis. Soon, Denise’s fully-constructed magical formula filled the surroundings.
It was the second-tier detection spell: “Surveillance.” It covered the area with magical circle energy, detecting any anomaly, magical fluctuation, or physical movent—missing nothing.
The range of this ability varied by the magician’s skill. It was said that Drest, a six-star seeker mage, could cover several large castles.
Denise’s magic barely covered a corner of the garden. However, within that range, anyone with magical ability below hers would be thoroughly exposed.
The true value of detection magic lay in its informational superiority. Once caught in a seeker mage’s web, there was no escape.
“Gasp… Ah… I can… do it.”
Denise panted.
For her, manifesting a second-tier spell was a strenuous task.
It didn’t last long, so it was almost useless for surveillance. But the fact she could do it was amazing.
Didn’t the entire duel shift in Aiselin’s favor simply because she cast the second-tier spell “Fireball”? Denise could do the sa if she gritted her teeth and pushed herself. But she chose not to show it.
That was Denise’s essence.
“Phew… Ah… It’s hard, but… at least this much—”
“The outer layer of your magic formula is disrupted. It’ll create a blind spot in your detection range.”
Denise nearly stopped breathing.
Having deployed her “Surveillance” spell, this area was her territory.
Yet Dereck’s voice ca from right behind her. Turning around, she saw him fixing his clothes after finishing his task.
Even within a magical web like this, she hadn’t sensed his presence at all.
“You—you… When did you get here…?”
“If you lose focus, your magical energy will entangle and drain you faster. Maintain the spell.”
Denise tried to speak, but Dereck locked eyes with her and stepped forward, releasing his own magic.
Though Denise had expertly manifested a second-tier detection spell, Dereck didn’t show any sign of confusion.
He’d already gauged Denise’s abilities in previous sessions.
He had known for a while that she wasn’t using her full strength.
That’s why he kept pushing.
Clench!
When Dereck closed his fist, Denise’s magical formula trembled.
The magical energy he unleashed made it difficult to maintain her spell.
He was deliberately interfering with her magic.
“In the end, detection spells often face off against other detection spells. Only a higher-tier detection spell can counter another.”
“Dereck… how do you… manipulate this magic formula…?”
“From now on, I’ll intentionally interfere with Lady Denise’s magical formula. The more you resist, the more you’ll strengthen your ability to withstand external interference.”
With another jolt from Dereck, her formula shook violently.
Denise, out of habit, mobilized the magical energy within her body to resist. But Dereck’s power didn’t wane after a single clash.
When detection spells collided, they competed to devour each other’s territory.
“I’d heard that, in large-scale wars, battles between seeker mages over territory often determined the outco of the battlefield.”
Until now, it had only been rumors—but facing an opponent using magic so directly, so powerfully, was a first for her.
Even as an instructor, no one had truly engaged in magical combat with a noble lady like this before.
But the rcenary-turned-instructor knew nothing of such decorum.
Dereck was extrely pragmatic and didn’t revere Denise’s noble lineage.
To him, she was a noble lady deserving of basic courtesy—but essentially, just another student. As their magics clashed, that truth beca more evident.
Most nobles would’ve felt insulted, yet strangely, Denise’s lips curled into a smile.
“Don’t regret this.”
Denise summoned all her magic with sincere effort. After all, she didn’t need to show restraint to an instructor she’d soon dismiss.
After a full day of absence, she was determined to unleash her magic on the instructor who had just reappeared.
She rarely exerted her full power—maybe once or twice a year at most.
Dereck accepted her magic nonchalantly.
It was the first ti Denise smiled during training.
*
“It’s oddly comforting when the trap is so blatantly obvious.”
In the Duplain family chambers.
Sitting alone, honing her magical senses, Diella snorted as she read the letter from Denise.
“I’ll wager sothing valuable and challenge you to a magical duel. I’ll lose on purpose.”
Diella found the story nearly impossible to believe, yet the letter’s content was completely sincere.
Denise had handwritten the letter beneath the open sky, brimming with honesty. But to Diella, always on edge like a porcupine, those lines felt like a declaration of war.
In short, Denise seed to pretend she’d hand over Dereck by accepting the duel, only to defeat Diella, take what she wanted, and destroy her pride. Diella, openly provoked at the Rose Hall, had likely irritated her deeply.
Diella was furious.
Since being instructed by Dereck, her anger had grown colder than any fiery outburst.
Her lips trembled slightly under her frozen expression. Denise had blatantly scratched at her pride.
No one would want to fall into such an obvious trap, yet Diella accepted the offer gleefully.
“How amusing. Do you think I’d lose to a salon magician?”
Diella was determined to surpass not only Aiselin, but Valerian too.
Bang!
As she sharpened her magical senses, she unleashed her great power, filling her chamber.
Soon, countless thorny bushes spread and covered the entire room. Though not a spell of high concentration, its scale and level were remarkable.
The burning thorny shrubs seed to protect the noble rose within.
Amid them, Diella clenched Denise’s letter in her hand and rose from her seat. The fierceness in her eyes resembled that of a wild beast. Rather than let Dereck fall into the hands of such a snake, she would drag him to the Duplain family by force.
At least, Diella was certain of that.
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