Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 25

The Gloveltein Cultural Hall.

This sizable cultural center, named after Gloveltein Evelstain who founded the city, was where high society members gathered to discuss aesthetics, hold art auctions, and occasionally host small concerts.

As a meeting place for influential figures from all walks of life, it was one of the most meticulously maintained locations in the Noble District. The Rosea Salon's aesthetic discussions were also held here.

After the regularly scheduled viewing session ended, the noble ladies who had gathered to cultivate their refinement began leaving one by one. Though each was a notable figure in their respective territories, even in a galaxy of stars, some shine brighter than others.

"The next gathering will include magic duels. There have been increasing rumors lately about Lady Elente's exceptional magical prowess, which makes me rather nervous."

Several servants in tow, Lady Aiselin smiled gracefully as her admirers flocked to her side. Lower-ranking nobles from the outskirts fawned over her, eager to catch her attention.

Lady Aiselin entertained them with old-fashioned courtesy, though internally she likely didn't consider them meaningful connections. Observing this, Lady Elente felt certain of her assessment.

Elente adjusted her reddish hair before handing her luxurious quill pen, scent pouch, and dainty yet antique-looking opera glasses to her attendants.

After having a maid straighten her dress, she stepped into the corridor and joined Lady Aiselin.

When these two stood together, all nearby lower nobles fell silent. They feared interrupting the conversation between such prominent figures would be considered rude.

"How modest you are, Lady Aiselin. You haven't lost a single magic duel this season at the salon. Truly worthy of being called the Flower of House Duplein."

"My, such praise from Lady Elente makes my shoulders rise with pride."

Though Lady Elente acknowledged Lady Aiselin's abilities, she couldn't help feeling a strange mix of envy and jealousy when looking at her.

The more flawless a person appears, the more inexplicable the resentment they inspire. Such was the nature of inferiority complexes.

Nevertheless, Lady Elente was more spirited than usual today.

Why hide it? News about Derek was something Lady Aiselin would be curious about anyway—no need to keep it secret.

"I've recently hired a new magic instructor. Though Master Pellmier objected, I pushed for it since his credentials were impressive. When I was at the Count's manor, I lacked the authority to override the retainers'opinions, but becoming the mistress of my own estate has its advantages."

"Oh? For Lady Elente to take such initiative... You must have considerable trust in this magic instructor."

"To be precise, it's closer to Lady Aiselin's trust than mine."

"Hmm?"

When Aiselin blinked in confusion, Lady Elente smiled broadly.

"That mercenary Derek you mentioned before. Since he's been taking commissions with the Velderun Mercenary Group on Tavern Street, I arranged to bring him in."

"Oh, Derek?! So he's been busy with mercenary work all this time!"

Hearing his name, Lady Aiselin's face brightened.

Even after he left the Duplein estate, she had often spoken of him during private tea sessions with Diela.

Her younger sister Diela had assured her that Derek was likely just passing time with mercenary work and not to worry too much—after all, Derek only cared about magic and money.

"Well, yes. He's been running around gaining combat experience under the guise of training while also studying magic."

"Having met him yourself, you must know—he's deep and reliable. You've found an excellent instructor. Congratulations, Lady Elente."

'...This isn't what I expected...'

Seeing Aiselin's delighted expression, Elente couldn't help but frown slightly.

She had managed to secure the very wandering magic instructor even Aiselin couldn't keep at her estate—shouldn't that warrant at least a hint of frustration?

Instead, Lady Aiselin was genuinely congratulating her.

Truthfully, Aiselin understood. Derek was born with wings too large to be caged—he wasn't someone who could be confined to a noble estate.

His agreement to teach Elente was likely just a temporary stop on his wandering path.

If someone as magically gifted as Elente received his guidance... Aiselin couldn't afford to relax either.

Lately, her magic duel opponents had been disappointingly weak. Even Aiselin herself felt her edge dulling.

Having a worthy rival like Elente would help sharpen her skills. So Aiselin offered sincere congratulations.

Yet a memory suddenly surfaced in her mind.

-'Diela. I've been thinking of asking Derek to give me some magic lessons too... What do you think?'

-'...Aiselin unnie. That's absolutely unnecessary. You've already reached such high magical attainments yourself.'

-'But having an expert's guidance might help me achieve even greater heights. I was thinking of sending someone to the mercenary group to inquire. Derek doesn't seem to visit the Noble District often...'

-'No, no, absolutely not. Aiselin unnie. Unless absolutely necessary... There's no reason for someone already doing so well to seek Derek's instruction.'

Diela's pale face and serious tone as she dissuaded her had been striking. Aiselin thought it was just adorable jealousy over sharing her personal tutor.

Seeing her sweet younger sister's protective behavior, Aiselin had smiled warmly... but Diela hadn't been trying to stop her for that reason.

The rough mercenary had a habit of teaching noble ladies in ways they'd never expect.

Dragging them into forests to exhaust their magic reserves, suddenly making them run laps while emphasizing physical conditioning... He came up with all sorts of outrageous training methods that noble flowers would struggle to endure.

From the very first meeting where he nearly slapped her and tried to drag her into the woods for a beating, it was clear he wasn't a conventional magic instructor. Noble ladies raised in greenhouses couldn't easily withstand his methods.

"..."

What was there to say? Derek was bitter medicine.

He might grant any wish like magic, but nothing came without a price.

Forewarned is forearmed, but did Lady Elente truly understand what awaited her with this mercenary's brutal teaching style?

Considering this, worry suddenly colored Aiselin's expression.

Resting her chin on her hand, she looked at Elente with concern—only for the jealousy-filled noblewoman to smirk.

'Ah. On second thought, she must realize what it means that I've taken Derek as my instructor.'

Unfortunately, Elente misinterpreted Aiselin's worried expression as frustration over losing Derek. To think she'd live to see the day Aiselin showed resentment... An inexplicable satisfaction welled in Elente's chest.

"Um..."

"My, look how late it's gotten. I must return to my estate—I have my first lesson scheduled today."

Lady Elente smoothed her hair with an elegant smile before striding away confidently.

Lady Aiselin could only watch her retreating back with lingering concern.

The nearby nobles observing the exchange also looked puzzled.

No matter how valuable a magic instructor might be, it was hard to imagine that simply changing teachers would allow Elente to surpass Aiselin in such a short time.

'I knew Lady Elente was jealous, but to pin her hopes on some street mercenary just to win a practice duel...'

Lady Denise, eldest daughter of the Beltus Ducal Family, sighed deeply while watching from a distance.

Pointless.

Though no one would say it aloud, everyone present likely shared that sentiment.

"That's the situation. I'll be focusing on that commission for a while."

"The Belmiere Count Family... You're swimming in deep waters now, Derek."

"At least I don't have to go to the Count's manor. Since it can be handled within Evelstain, it's convenient for me."

The tavern Beldern's Tear was quite crowded today as usual.

As Derek sipped tasty apple wine at a corner table, Jayden approached with a hearty laugh. Derek briefly explained his recent commission and expressed his intention to decline other work for now.

While disappointing for Jayden, considering how much Derek usually handled, he couldn't complain. If anything, he'd been worried Derek was overworking himself.

"And if I'm doing this, I'll do it properly."

"Make her win against Lady Aiselin? From what you say, Lady Elente does seem talented... but Lady Aiselin's reputation extends beyond the Noble District."

"It's not impossible. I have two ideas..."

Derek crossed his arms with a thoughtful expression.

"One is mastering 2nd Grade Magic. With that firepower, defeating Lady Aiselin wouldn't be just a dream."

"Doesn't look easy at first glance."

"Right, so I thought of a second method... I'll need your help for this one, boss. That's why I came to ask in advance."

"My help?"

Jayden was a veteran mercenary who made his name in the Dawn War against the giant monster hordes of the north. Though he lived leisurely now, even Derek acknowledged his skills.

"And for maximum safety... It'd be great if Pellin could join too..."

"Me?"

Pellin, halfway through a bottle of liquor, blinked blearily at Derek.

Drinking so early suggested she had no intention of working today.

"Derek. Nobles, nobles are bad news... You'll regret it..."

"Why is she drinking so much this early?"

"Lost big gambling. Was playing cards with some customers earlier."

"..."

When Derek glared at her with narrowed eyes, Pellin wiped her flushed face and sighed dramatically.

"Who'd'spect an ace to show up there, huh?"

Her habit of throwing money at any gambling opportunity remained unchanged. Derek sighed and patted her shoulder.

"I'll make sure you get a good cut, so cooperate."

"Rather than... chump change babysitting nobles... I'd rather cha, cha, cha... Rather..."

"I boldly asked for 20 Ideal Gold Coins for this commission, and they agreed instantly. Five more than Duplein paid... Nobles really spend differently."

"...Your rate's that high now? How... how can you spend gold like water..."

Pellin collapsed face-first onto the table with a melting sound. That settled it.

Jayden placed a glass of water before her and said:

"Alright. Let's hear your plan."

"..."

When Derek explained his idea, Jayden could only stare in astonement.

'Indeed, being a rough mercenary, his teaching pace is remarkably fast.'

That afternoon, Derek arrived at Lady Elente's estate and immediately began lessons without preamble.

Unlike Master Pellmier's lectures that emphasized ceremonial aspects and lengthy discourses on magical history, Derek's instruction stripped away all unnecessary theory.

He had declared upfront:

Noble rituals and magical history weren't his to teach. He would only impart practical, combat-oriented knowledge.

This suited Lady Elente perfectly.

She wanted only the knowledge necessary to defeat Lady Aiselin, without extraneous elements.

While fundamental principles were important, what she needed now was practical knowledge to satisfy her competitive drive.

Thus, Derek stood in the private outdoor training ground beside the estate, channeling magical energy.

"First, we'll spar ten times like before. After working up a sweat, we'll review basic techniques for mana training. Once that's done, we'll test your fundamentals by casting 1st Grade spells one by one."

"Ten spars right now?"

"They're just practice matches. No need for formalities—let's first assess your practical abilities."

And so Elente and Derek completed ten consecutive spars.

They then reviewed mana manifestation methods before testing basic skills by rapid-firing 1st Grade spells. Before they knew it, the sun was setting.

Drenched in sweat, Lady Elente collapsed in a corner of the training ground.

Derek's magic lessons differed drastically from Pellmier's. While Pellmier spent over half his lectures on theory, Derek's sessions were all about fighting, casting, and repetition.

By halfway through, Elente's mana was depleted. By the end, she had to grit her teeth and scrape together every last drop.

When she finally manifested an ice spear, she was on the verge of losing consciousness. Yet Derek, hands politely behind his back, encouraged her to continue.

"Doing great, Lady Elente!"

"Huff... Huff..."

"One last ice spear. This time combined with confusion magic."

"Y-you said that was the last...!"

"This is really the last one. After this, we're truly done."

"Ugh... Grr... Urk...!"

Gasping on the training ground floor, Elente ground her teeth and forced out more mana.

At her limit, she manifested another ice spear and stabbed it into the ground, then looked at Derek with proud defiance.

"Huff... Huff... I can... do it..."

"Now for the absolute final fire arrow. Rest 15 seconds... One... Two..."

"You said that was the absolute final one!"

After such struggles, the sun began setting in earnest. Lady Elente forgot all decorum and lay sprawled on the training ground, soaked in sweat.

Servants watching from the sidelines swallowed dryly.

Professional as they were, seeing their mistress in such a sweaty, undignified state was clearly painful.

They visibly longed to rush over, comb her hair, spray perfume, and bring a fresh dress.

But Derek shook his head at them. This was Lady Elente's private training ground—no outsiders would see.

The magic lesson continued pushing Elente to her limits for another thirty minutes before finally concluding.

"Ghk... Haa... Hah..."

Whether panting or groaning in pain, Lady Elente lay on her back staring at the sky.

The reddish sky now bore streaks of indigo darkness.

The emerging stars made it unclear how long they'd been practicing magic. Elente had never sustained spellcasting for so long before.

"Good work. You may dine now."

"..."

"...Are you alright?"

Though it felt odd coming from him, Derek expressed concern.

"Giving up when exhausted is also an option."

After lying there gasping, Elente eventually struggled upright and spoke.

"Ahaha."

"..."

"Just this much? After making me vow repeatedly that I could handle anything, what were you expecting? Some rough treatment is all?"

Surprisingly, she was still smiling.

Though breathing heavily as she rose, her determination still burned bright.

"Do you know what I've endured to survive Evelstain's high society? Staying up three days straight studying etiquette manuals was common. Don't worry about me with questions like that."

"...I see. My mistake."

"I was tired today from attending social gatherings, but starting tomorrow I'll train properly. So increase the intensity then."

"..."

After a moment, Derek replied without changing expression.

"Tomorrow...? What do you mean?"

"...Huh?"

"I said it's dinner time now."

The meaning didn't immediately register.

As understanding dawned, Lady Elente's face turned pale.