Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 257

"There was already a commotion at the drawbridge, and despite the reversal of night and day, the military officers stationed in the barracks show no reaction from the royal guards."

The late-night garden was filled with a chilling atmosphere.

Melberot shook his sword once before frowning at Kochella, who was draped in a blood-soaked robe.

"Did you use some trick?"

"Who knows? Perhaps everyone is simply deep asleep."

Melberot's piercing gaze fixed on Kochella, while Damon groaned and bled before them.

Had Kochella not intervened at this moment, Damon might have met a gruesome end. But Kochella had no intention of letting Damon die just yet.

"That won't do, Lord Melberot. Killing people recklessly is a grave sin."

"..."

"Life is inherently sacred and must be protected. Staining your hands with blood for worldly reasons will inevitably lead to regret. For your own sake, Lord Melberot, you must stop this meaningless slaughter."

Kochella spoke calmly, even as she herself was covered in blood.

As Melberot stared sharply at her, Kochella seemed to quickly grasp the meaning behind his gaze.

"Oh my, is the blood on my clothes bothering you that much?"

"..."

"As I said, meaningless slaughter is a grave sin."

She spoke as if she genuinely believed it without a shred of doubt.

"I... don't engage in meaningless actions."

Her fervor for magic, her elitist conviction of being right, her fanatical devotion to lofty ideals, and yet the patience to suppress herself for her goals—all these traits mingled in her words. Melberot immediately gathered his mana.

Kochella had already crossed the line.

Even if he beheaded her here, he wouldn't bear the sin of killing a nation's Head Magic Advisor.

The protective barrier of her high status had already lost its value. Her supporting faction, the Elvester County, had been annihilated, and she had committed the heinous crime of attacking the rightful emperor.

- Crack!

- Whoosh!

Then, the enormous magical barrier Kochella had deployed became visible.

It instantly became clear why the royal guards stationed in the barracks hadn't noticed this massive anomaly. The military camp stretching behind Gremfort Palace had been completely isolated from external changes by Kochella's barrier spell.

Kochella's barrier spell was vast enough to envelop the entire Ravenclaw Academy.

Of course, carving sealing runes across such a massive territory to subdue everyone inside wasn't easy.

No matter how skilled a transformation mage one was, it would take a long time to manifest. She must have moved in and out of the military camp, carving the barrier's runes everywhere and maintaining them diligently.

It might have taken years.

But sixty years had passed since Kochella entered Gremfort Palace.

Asking when she prepared this was a foolish question. After all, time was all she had left.

"You didn't construct the barrier in the main palace. There must be another purpose."

Kochella smirked bitterly.

As the storm raged, Melberot steadied his stance, and Damon screamed in agony.

- Whoosh!

"I can feel it. Those who have reached the pinnacle of magic, those who have touched the limits of every field, are gathering in one place."

Damon, the summoning mage, lay collapsed on the ground, bleeding.

He had abandoned everything for the sole reason of survival. In the end, he had even discarded the memories of the woman who had given him purpose.

It was Kochella who had handed him control of Gremfort Palace.

Melberot, the combat mage, had come to Gremfort Palace to capture Damon.

Hearing news of Gremfort Palace, Count Ravenclaw had headed for the imperial capital, and Marilyn, drawn by Damon's peril, had also begun to move.

As Derek headed to Gremfort Palace, even Drest was set in motion. Drest would surely bring the artifact Phee had created by fragmenting her soul.

Kochella had been present at the scene of Phee's death. She had discerned that Phee's Cycle's Brand hadn't fully manifested and that part of her soul had been transferred to an artifact. Such transformation magic was Kochella's specialty.

Some fragments must have gone to Derek or another trustworthy mage. The only candidate besides Derek was Drest, who had been at the scene.

Thinking this way, everything fell into place.

Finally, all the 6-Star mages had gathered at Gremfort Palace.

"Somewhere in the sky above. Grand Mage Adelbert, who has reached the 7-Star realm and observes all from among the stars. The Big Dipper has finally gathered in one place. At last, the preparations to advance to the center of the starry sky are complete!"

Kochella's usual gentle, mature, and soft tone had completely changed.

It couldn't be helped. The 7-Star realm was the goal she had pursued all her life, and now, at last, she was reaching that pinnacle.

"Humans can touch the realm of the gods. Finally, I will prove it! In this... world filled with unbelievers, among these ignorant fools who understand nothing of magic's nobility... I will finally reach out to that realm!"

- Whoosh!

As she swung her arm, an enormous white staff materialized.

It was the 6-Star magical artifact"Light of the Empire,"considered a treasure of the Gertrel imperial family.

It was something she had painstakingly recreated by poring over ancient records, and it was also the key to Adelbert's tomb deep beneath Gremfort Palace.

When the Big Dipper gathered in one place and illuminated the truth of magic, the key would finally fulfill its purpose.

- Whoosh!

Kochella's mana coalesced and began transforming into a massive form of light.

An indescribably enormous mana illuminated the night sky. Stretching outward, the radiant mana began taking the shape of a tree.

6-Star Transformation Magic:"Branch of Truth."

The colossal tree of light, resembling a world tree, stretched upward, enveloping Gremfort Palace. It was so vast it seemed to extend its roots to the very center of the world.

Though it was night, the light was blinding.

The enormous tree of mana Kochella had manifested was itself casting light upon the world, as if preparing to embrace everything in its radiance.

All magic and truth originate from a single source.

Symbolizing this, the colossal world tree of light emitted infinite mana.

- Whoosh!

Melberot acted swiftly.

The first target to attack here wasn't Kochella.

Kochella's goal was to gather all 6-Star mages in one place to reach the truth in the night sky.

Then, eliminating the 6-Star mages would suffice.

Just as Melberot's mana bullet flew toward the near-death Damon—

- Bang!

A massive surge of light rose from the ground and instantly nullified all of Melberot's mana.

The absurd sight made Melberot frown again.

Standing atop the enormous tree roots, Kochella looked down as if observing all beings and laughed.

"I told you meaningless killing is a sin."

"As self-centered as ever."

"That's just how humans are."

As Kochella gripped the"Light of the Empire"and prepared to release mana into the night sky—

- Thud!

- Whoosh!

A throwing dagger flew and embedded itself in her shoulder.

It happened in an instant.

Had it been a magical attack, she might have reacted swiftly, but this was a primal, physical assault, delivered with such speed that she couldn't sense it coming.

This wasn't the movement of a soldier but of a mercenary.

"Tch."

As Kochella gritted her teeth and shook off the dagger, Derek, riding in on horseback, unleashed a barrage of fireballs.

The pure white light filling the area was now mixed with the crimson glow of Derek's fireballs.

- Kaboom! Crack! Whoosh!

"Lord Damon!"

At the same time, Marilyn, who had been riding behind Derek, leaped down and rushed toward Damon.

"I've heard that 6-Star Detection Mages occasionally glimpse the future."

In a foul-smelling corner of the underground sewer, Empress Rozelyn trembled as she caught her breath.

She wasn't surprised by Drest Wolftail's explanation of Kochella's plan. She had always suspected the cunning woman was hiding sinister intentions.

But she hadn't expected her to overturn the imperial palace so recklessly.

Perhaps Kochella no longer needed anything. Even the authority and power she had built over the years—she was prepared to discard it all for magic.

As Rozelyn marveled at her terrifying resolve, a new question arose.

Drest Wolftail occasionally saw the future.

He could create variables to alter its flow or let it proceed as destined.

He was an observer of the world, a guardian of balance.

Such a mysterious figure had even anticipated the broad strokes of Kochella's plan.

But why had Drest walked into Gremfort Palace of his own volition?

Had the 6-Star mages not gathered, Kochella wouldn't have revealed her true colors, and the palace wouldn't have been overturned like this.

"Even so, why... are you here?"

Of course, Empress Rozelyn owed her survival to Drest's presence.

She was grateful, but she couldn't help asking. Had he ignored Kochella's massacre just to save one empress? He didn't seem the type.

"Show me the Anti-Magic Seal."

Even before a legitimate imperial princess, he neither bowed his head nor used honorifics.

His otherworldly aura made it hard for Rozelyn to object.

But he insisted on seeing the Anti-Magic Seal.

The mark that granted complete immunity to all magic, bestowed only upon a select few blessed members of the Gertrel imperial family.

It was an absurd demand to ask an empress to bare her skin, but Rozelyn sensed a rational reason behind Drest's request. Slowly, she revealed the mark.

"..."

After confirming its existence, Drest closed his eyes and spoke.

"The Anti-Magic Seal suppresses and neutralizes all mana. Whether it's the shock of external mana or the surge of immense power from within... before this seal, it's nothing but meaningless resonance."

"I... know that. I've lived with this mark all my life."

"Then you're the right person."

Soon, a ring fell onto Rozelyn's palm.

A large sapphire was embedded in the ominous-looking ring. Just holding it made the surroundings feel eerily cold—clearly no ordinary object.

'A magical artifact...? A relic...? At the very least... it's no ordinary item.'

Having frequented the imperial treasury, Rozelyn could tell. Even most 6-Star artifacts didn't emit such a sinister aura.

This was beyond something one could easily obtain... it was an object no ordinary person should possess.

"Do you... wish to help Derek Ravenclaw?"

The old mage's cold gaze bore into her.

Was this a trap? But Drest Wolftail was said to be firmly on Count Ravenclaw's side.

Then what was the nature of this ominous ring? There was no time to ask for details.

"This ring contains a fragment of the soul of a necromancer who once ruled the world long ago. Just holding it unleashes infinite mana and destructive impulses. Wearing it means surrendering part of your consciousness."

A necromancer who once ruled the world long ago.

It wasn't hard to guess who that referred to. Not long ago, a necromancer had devastated the eastern continent, and Rozelyn had been on that battlefield.

The source of this immense mana, which even resisted the Anti-Magic Seal... could only be emitted by someone at the absolute peak of 6-Star mages.

'In all my life... this is the first time I've felt power rivaling the Anti-Magic Seal on my body... Is it another type of brand magic?'

'Cycle's Brand.'

Grand Mage Phee Rafaela Tigris had said it was a mark engraved not on the body but on the soul itself.

The fragment of her soul was palpable in the ring. The 6-Star brand magics interfered with each other, maintaining an endless equilibrium.

Empress Rozelyn swallowed dryly.

This was the soul of the necromancer who had overturned the continent.

Time was short. Kochella, who had attacked the empress, had no retreat left.

She must have already infiltrated the depths of Gremfort Palace.

Every passing second weighed heavily on Rozelyn's shoulders.

"I am Rozelyn of the Gertrel Imperial Family. In all my years, I've never encountered magic that could interfere with the Anti-Magic Seal on my body. Not even a 6-Star Confusion Mage could touch my consciousness."

"That's true for everyone. But even among 6-Star mages, there are hierarchies of power. Especially when it's the most vicious wielder of mana, infused with the same brand magic."

She remembered the calamity of Elvester County, who had ignored even Melberot, Kochella, and Drest to rule the world.

-'Derek, you'll become a star someday.'

She had died solely for her disciple.

The monstrous mage's end was something only Derek could bring about.

How could one not be dominated by that absurd mage's mana?

But the Anti-Magic Seal could suppress the impulses and control the power. The one saying this was none other than Drest.

Then, why hesitate?

Rozelyn decisively slid the ring onto her finger.

- Whoosh!

Soon, a crimson aura of mana began coiling around her.

A familiar violet hue tinged her red eyes.

"Ghk... Hah...!"

The suffocating heat felt like her veins were burning.

An unimaginably dense and terrifying mana seemed to seep into every pore. The Anti-Magic Seal on her body tried to suppress the overwhelming power, but the endlessly surging mana clashed against it.

The sensation of two immense forces colliding and generating friction, as if producing heat.

This unstable state, where opposing existences failed to harmonize and instead raged wildly, continued relentlessly.

At the end of it, Empress Rozelyn clutched her chest in agony... then gritted her teeth and raised her head stiffly.

The colors of her eyes were different.

A new consciousness had taken root in a corner of her soul.

Its presence was unmistakable.