Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 211

"Teaching people is no easy task. Sigh..."

When Aiselin visited the Sepia Dormitory's common room for inspection, Tricia was sprawled out like a corpse.

Despite openly declaring it a dormitory for underachievers, a considerable number of students had been inspired by her and joined Sepia. Honestly never expecting such success, Tricia could only lie there blinking back tears.

As the overseer of the massive Amarilis House, Aiselin needed to be sensitive to minor issues. Yet seeing Tricia like this didn't particularly worry her.

She simply smiled faintly and prepared warm tea using the tea set in the corner.

"At least the semester schedule is proceeding smoothly. The academy should maintain itself well until Derek returns."

"That's thanks to Lady Aiselin's hard work. I'm... already at my limit just managing Sepia Dormitory..."

Through the window, the view of Amarilis House blended with part of Ravenclaw Academy. The considerable scale made Aiselin feel deeply moved.

Derek, that slum-born private tutor, had come so far. The number of disciples under him had grown substantially.

Tricia's comment about teaching being difficult struck a chord.

Certainly, teaching someone is profoundly challenging. Yet humans are beings who inherently require teaching.

No one stands alone - even our teachers were once students themselves.

Every teacher had their own teacher, and that teacher theirs. Knowledge passes down this way, sometimes lost, sometimes expanding to grand scales like this.

The treasure trove of learning, Ravenclaw Academy. Only now flourishing magnificently, though the tumultuous journey needed no elaboration.

Derek leading this charge was likely on the battlefield now.

All we could do was pray for his safe return.

Yet gazing at the academy grounds settling into the deep night's darkness, one thought persisted:

May today's new lessons take root in everyone's hearts.

- THUD!

- CRACK!

Blood sprayed each time he channeled magic.

Crimson waves gushed from wounds inflicted by Melberot, spreading through the night air.

With every surge of necromantic energy that Kochella had suppressed, his entire body screamed in protest, capillaries bursting at his fingertips.

Yet Phee spread her Yin energy wings wider, pressing Derek to his limits with overwhelming magic.

4-Star Necromancy - Binding Brand.

Phee's eyes glowed crimson as she smiled bewitchingly at Derek. Just clenching her fist completely immobilized his limbs.

But Derek unraveled her restraints through animalistic instinct.

Blood gushed from his nose, capillaries around his eyes bursting as he abused every ounce of magic to dismantle Phee's spells.

Simultaneously suppressing the rising corpse legion, shaking off Phee's pressure, he gripped his sword and charged.

- SLASH! CRACK!

Yet Phee's body, layered with protective spells, couldn't be cut by mere steel.

Having anticipated this, Derek rolled across the ground toward her back and fired multiple fireballs point-blank.

- BOOM! CRASH!

Even masterful 2-Star magic couldn't scratch Phee's skin.

Emerging from smoke, Phee grinned grotesquely.

A sword of crimson blood bloomed in her hand, piercing Derek's shoulder.

Simultaneously, dozens of blood blades erupted from the ground, skewering his thighs and waist.

Blood sprayed from Derek's body as death's shadow loomed.

Yet his expression remained unmoved. This monster of learning who'd conquered fear itself observed, analyzed, and engraved Phee's necromancy into his mind.

- CLANG!

Instantly deflecting all blood blades, Derek retreated while tending wounds.

Phee cackled, taking a step toward Derek.

Layna took a step forward.

Layna—the name she'd used before becoming Phee. A fragment of her past life surfaced in her mind.

As the illegitimate daughter of Gast, Viscount of Mercy Palace in Gremfort Palace, she'd wandered the world hiding her lineage.

Exhuming corpses, researching perfected necromancy, despairing at death's denial—until meeting Kalimford in a rural shack reeking of blood, joining him to slay the Great Demon Noir.

That Layna stepping forward to confront the demon consuming the northern territories—

As this memory flashed by, Derek rose and unleashed 3-Star Combat Magic: Pillar of Flames.

- CRACK! BOOM!

- WHOOSH!

Phee leapt clear of the inferno, cloaking herself in necrotic energy as she floated beneath the moon.

When she tried casting again amidst the blood-soaked ruins, a line of crimson sprayed from her lips.

Phee knew.

Even at her peak as a 6-Star necromancer, fighting Melberot, suppressing Kochella, and continuing battle was pushing it.

Yet before her stood the disciple she'd loved most, risking death to challenge her.

Satisfaction curved her lips as she manifested a massive mana mass blotting out the sky.

5-Star Transformation Magic: Compression.

A desperate spell gathering all enemies to annihilate them at once. By the time Derek realized, tremendous pressure was sucking him in.

Phee clenched her fist and raised her head.

And Eileen raised her head.

The name before Layna, before Phee—Eileen.

Third daughter of the southern Rutback territory, an unremarkable life in her endless reincarnations.

Occasionally picking flowers across southern plains, gazing at snow-capped mountains, watching livestock—these memories etched in her mind.

A quiet life as a backwater noble's youngest daughter, receiving occasional etiquette lessons before dying young.

Though brief, the majestic Rogius mountain range's scenery remained vivid.

A mundane life, yet not without value.

As this dazzling landscape surfaced, Derek twisted mid-air to drive his sword toward Phee's shoulder.

- CLANG!

Despite Phee's transformation magic, Derek regained perfect balance, channeling magic to push her back.

As Compression's effect faded with her broken concentration, Derek calmly gripped his sword.

Yet blood already poured from his body.

Phee was no different.

Both pushed beyond human limits, their conditions were horrific.

Matted hair soaked in blood. Brushing it aside, Phee asked:"Derek, still have fight left?"

Shaking blood from white hair and pale skin, Derek answered:"Naturally."

Both smiled wider before gritting teeth, scattering blood as they charged.

Magic intertwined, blades sparked. Amid brutal exchanges and battle cries in the crumbling world, neither relinquished reason.

Phee's blood blades and Derek's crimson steel clashed repeatedly as chaotic magic embroidered the night sky.

- CLANG! BOOM! CRACK!

Blades crossed.

Before Phee, before Layna—Seraphine. Only daughter of a decaying northern Lamt noble, she'd ended her greedy father's life before wandering snowy wastes.

Gazing blankly at snowy peaks amidst frozen breath—truly a rare experience.

- CRACK! BOOM! THUD!

Blades crossed.

Before that—Isabel. Studied commerce in northwestern gateway city Rohetel. Amid currency exchanges and dawn markets, she learned logistics'foundations. Early mornings at the harbor watching merchant ships depart toward the ocean.

- THUD! BOOM!

Magic struck home.

Before that—Laieth. Illegitimate child of bureaucratic noble Levela in devout Rant City.

Studying theology at the monastery while honing necromancy at night, occasionally exhuming graves to research death.

Watching crowds praying nightly toward the sky stirred existential questions.

- BOOM! CRACK! SMASH!

Derek shattered Phee's barrier spell, thrusting his sword. But even battered, Phee gracefully dodged, embedding another blood blade in his shoulder.

- SLASH! CRACK!

Before that—Foynada. A petite lady who roamed wilds, realizing forests'and mountains'grandeur.

- CRACKLE! BOOM! SLASH!

Before that—Catlan. Young daughter of a fallen gourmet noble on city outskirts.

- CLICK! BOOM! WHOOSH!

Before that—Amelia. Tomboy of a merchant family who sailed oceans fishing.

- Tap. Tap.

Seeing Derek panting with distance between them, Phee gripped her blood blade and stepped forward, step by step, surrounded by malignant energy.

Each step shifted the scenery with accumulated life experiences—was this a flashback or mere daydream?

Each step embraced by landscapes of past lives—Coelin, Magat, Victoria, Frederica, Ines...

The weight of dozens of lifetimes carried in each step toward Derek as Phee.

"Cough... Gasp..."

Phee spat blood again, smiling arrogantly.

Both bodies had reached limits, but Phee still held advantage.

"Gasp... Heh... Ugh..."

"..."

"Life is... so eventful."

After two life-or-death battles with 6-Star mages.

However battered, she wouldn't fall to a 4-Star mage two ranks below.

Everyone present knew this.

"Melberot and Kochella cornered me, but I won't be subdued. Even if torn apart, I won't take a fatal blow from a 4-Star mage..."

- BOOM!

- WHOOSH!

Suddenly, light swirled across the battlefield again.

Kochella, presumed unconscious, rose shakily from the ruins, forcing herself up with trembling hands to gather magic against Phee.

An unforeseen variable. As Kochella tried altering the battle, Phee's necrotic energy engulfed the area again.

- CRACKLE!

- SNAP!

Phee's magic declaring the world's end.

Yet this brief opening gave Derek time to rise.

- WHOOSH!

Silence as if sound vanished.

In that slowed moment, Phee's eyes again scattered crimson light.

- CRACKLE!

5-Star Necromancy: Soul Bind.

Instantly freezing all movement in sight, seizing souls to extract life.

Casting such high-level magic in this state brought burning agony.

But Kochella's surprise intervention forced Phee's hand—she knew Derek wouldn't miss this chance.

Thus despite self-immolating pain, she unleashed the fastest, most irresistible magic her animalistic instincts dictated.

- CRACK!

And Derek anticipated this.

Merely exploiting openings wouldn't defeat her. She was necromancy's pinnacle after endless refinement.

Gritting teeth, Derek thought:

Swinging his sword through pain, he anchored his reason. As his foot pressed down for momentum, the last dregs of magic surged.

A Wild School mage's animalistic instinct.

Combat, confusion, transformation, summoning, detection.

Transcending all categories to touch magic itself. This innate sense pushed Derek to death's brink.

Where would this man, born with overwhelming magic sense, reach when pushed into the mud?

On Ravenclaw Barony's rooftop gazing at stars, Phee had once stretched her hand toward the Big Dipper.

Combat, confusion, transformation, summoning, detection, and taboo.

Magic's seven categories were said to mirror the Big Dipper's seven stars. So what filled the missing one?

As if answering:

At death's door, Derek scraped his last magic reserves.

5-Star Time Magic: Reversal.

"...!!!"

Kochella's eyes widened as Phee's magic overwhelmed her.

Derek's spell spread from his feet, erasing Phee's Soul Bind as if it never existed.

- CRACK!

Derek had no time to process events.

Blood loss made maintaining consciousness difficult. He simply struck the defenseless enemy.

- SLASH!

- CRACK!

The moment of slowed time passed.

- CLANG!

Derek's sword rang against the ruined count's manor.

A slash from right shoulder to left waist.

Crimson bloomed across Phee's petite form.

Closing her eyes, memories of snowy back alleys filled her vision.

"How strange—I never doubted. I was so certain."

Phee, Layna, Eileen, Seraphine, Isabel, Laieth, Foynada, Catlan, Amelia, Coelin, Magat, Victoria, Frederica, Ines, Sirk, Rassiel, Reti... Tracing these lives backward led to Rublen.

A girl granted necromantic talent by heaven, first learning the Cycle's Brand.

This girl who began the long journey ultimately tried ending her life in a snowy slum alley.

In that despair, a man approached, crouching to speak—

His memory blended into the flashback.

A white-haired man like the falling snow.

The first to praise life's value to her ignorant self—a teacher-like figure.

-"Meaning, value... such rigid concepts can wait until adulthood."

-"..."

-"No need to grow up too quickly."

Perhaps her certainty about Derek's future greatness stemmed from this buried memory.

Unaware of time magic's existence, barely surviving each day. She never sought his truth.

Thus after endless years crossing time's valley, facing him stirred déjà vu.

"Derek."

Blood spread uncontrollably across her dress.

Yet Phee staggered toward the exhausted Derek, gripping his shoulders in a tight embrace.

Her abundant hair draped over his neck like a blanket.

The sensation of life draining—this chilling feeling she'd known through countless cycles.

Holding Derek amidst this, Phee smiled wearily with satisfaction.

"You'll become a star someday."

As Elvester Manor crumbled.

Amid collapsing ruins, the girl holding Derek gazed at the starry sky.

Through endless years, everything changed.

Yet this star-filled night sky remained constant.