Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 57

"Please stay by the bedside in case I get hurt."

"W-wait... Derek. Breaking the window just like that? If you recklessly damage Duplein Manor's property..."

Denise trembled as she watched Derek suddenly prepare to act, seeing the deadly seriousness in his expression.

Crises often arrive without warning. Derek knew this better than anyone, so he tended to act first and think later when things felt off.

Overreacting was far better than responding too late. He'd never regretted following this principle.

- Crash!

"Kyaaak!"

The chair Derek threw shattered through the window and tumbled across the garden below.

No one was around the darkened garden area anyway.

After kicking away the remaining glass shards with his boot, Derek leaned out to survey the surroundings.

Even with both windows broken, the space was barely enough for one person to squeeze through. But Denise's petite frame might just make it.

"D-Derek. What are you doing?"

"Focus your mana senses on the corridor. There's an unfamiliar magical presence filling the hallway."

Denise had considerable skill in detection magic.

She immediately concentrated and began scanning the area with 1st Grade Magic"Mana Detection."

It didn't take long for her expression to harden. The mana swirling through the corridor carried an ominous, viscous crimson hue completely unlike normal magic.

Though encountering this type of magic for the first time, Derek had heard tales of such phenomena.

'This must involve forbidden magic. My first encounter since coming to this world.'

Beyond the five standard schools of magic—Combat, Transformation, Confusion, Summoning, and Detection—there existed forbidden arts banned across the continent.

Their methods of harnessing power differed fundamentally, often involving blood consumption, soul absorption, or corpse devouring—practices far removed from human ethics.

Forbidden magic was forbidden for good reason.

"Excuse me."

"Eeek!"

Derek abruptly scooped Denise into his arms.

Though she blushed at the sudden contact, Derek had no time for such concerns as he stepped onto the broken glass and leaped into the dark garden.

- Whoosh!

Jumping from the third floor would normally be suicidal.

But as Derek channeled 2nd Grade Transformation Magic"Earthen Wall,"magical barriers materialized along the mansion's exterior for him to rebound off.

After bouncing between several such platforms, Derek landed smoothly in the garden with Denise.

"D-Derek...!"

Denise looked dizzy as her feet touched ground.

"...The mansion looks wrong."

After setting her down, Derek studied the building where Lady Diela's debut ball was being held with all the empire's elite in attendance.

Yet the mansion stood eerily silent, with crimson mana seeping from every crack like bloody smoke—a sight unsettling even to magic novices.

"Wh-what is that...? How could no one notice?"

"There should be several 3-Star mages among the guests, even two 4-Stars... Strange that none sensed this."

Derek had memorized the guest list well enough to know the high-ranking mages present.

Yet the mansion remained disturbingly quiet despite the palpable evil energy.

"We need to check inside. With so many powerful figures gathered, any incident would be catastrophic..."

"From what I see, the incident has already begun."

"...What?"

"That crimson energy... It's either necromancy or plague magic."

Denise gasped. Necromancy was the most infamous forbidden art, requiring practitioners to consume corpses or slay powerful mages to advance—explaining why history's notable necromancers were all mass murderers.

'Safety first.'

Derek quickly assessed their priorities. Staying near the tainted mansion was dangerous.

"Heading inside now would be unwise. Let's exit through the main gate first. We can assess the situation from outside."

Crossing the central garden to the main gate was their safest option. If locked, they'd break through—property damage being the least concern.

"O-okay! Derek! I'll follow you!"

Denise didn't argue. In emergencies, she trusted Derek's expertise.

As they raced across the garden, only their footsteps echoed in the unnatural silence.

Though panting heavily, Denise's training with Derek helped her keep pace.

Just as they passed the rose-covered gazebo near the main path, a figure emerged—forcing them to halt.

"Who goes there?"

"Derek, is that you?! It's Dellon! Head Butler Dellon!"

The familiar face of Duplein Manor's longest-serving butler appeared, his sharp eyes and immaculate uniform now stained with blood as he clutched a wound.

"Head Butler! You're Duplein's head butler!"

"L-Lady Denise! Thank heavens you're safe. The mansion's in chaos. Strange monsters emerged from the annex basement... slaughtering staff indiscriminately."

Blood gushed from Dellon's grievous arm wound as he spoke.

"I must warn the main house... Lady Denise should evacuate... As head butler, I must deliver the message..."

"Monsters from the annex? How... in a populated mansion...?"

"I don't know. Monsters usually emerge from labyrinths... Perhaps one manifested beneath the annex... Explanations can wait—we must evacuate the main house guests!"

"Y-yes! The main house is full of noble representatives! Any casualties would be disastrous!"

Seeing Dellon's condition, Denise hesitated—his arm hung uselessly, shredded.

"Head Butler...! Your injuries first...!"

"No time! Derek, please! Warn the main house about the monsters! I beg..."

As Dellon staggered, Denise moved to support him—

- Thud!

"Kyaaak!"

Derek yanked Denise back just as Dellon's claws slashed where she'd stood.

- Swish!

The word"claws"felt wrong. Derek swallowed dryly.

The moment Denise approached, Dellon's seemingly ruined arm had lashed out—no, not the same arm.

- Squelch! Pop!

A new limb sprouted grotesquely from Dellon's shoulder—a rotting, nail-covered abomination that made Denise tremble.

Derek's brow furrowed as Dellon's intelligent gaze dulled, his skin hardening like stone while vile veins pulsed beneath.

After vomiting blood, Dellon charged with guttural growls.

Without hesitation, Derek kicked the monster's stomach and twisted its rotting arm, hurling it onto the lawn.

- Crash! Bang!

Though its neck bent at a sickening angle, the creature rose again—clearly no longer human.

"Wh-what is... this..."

"Stand up, Lady Denise..."

"What... what is this... This is... KYAAAH!"

- Squelch! Pop!

More grotesque hands burst from the lawn as buried corpses began rising—a sight to chill the bravest soul.

One hand seized Denise's wrist with inhuman strength, nearly crushing bone before—

- Slice!

Derek's dagger severed the arm. Rotten flesh splattered as black ichor dripped down Denise's arm, nearly making her faint.

"KYAAAH! Gasp... gasp..."

"Lady Denise. Stand up. This is urgent."

"M-my legs... won't... Gasp... Hrk..."

Denise's thighs trembled violently as she hyperventilated, face splattered with gore.

Derek crouched, gripping her shoulders to meet her gaze.

"Regain your composure. Lady Denise."

"Derek... D-Derek... Gasp..."

Having survived countless dungeon horrors, Derek adapted quickly. But for a noble-raised girl, this nightmare understandably froze her mind.

Yet as Derek maintained eye contact, matching her breathing, Denise's panic gradually subsided—calm being as contagious as fear.

"Gasp... Derek... s-sorry... I... can't handle..."

"That's natural. Can you stand?"

"Yes... We must... escape to the gate..."

Derek glanced toward the exit where more corpses rose, seemingly trying to trap guests inside.

Even if they fought through, the open grounds offered no shelter—they'd exhaust themselves against endless undead.

'If only we could commandeer a carriage, but the grooms are surely gone.'

Derek reassessed their strategy.

"We're returning to the mansion. Outside is worse. Without knowing their numbers, you'll exhaust yourself fleeing."

"R-really?"

"The mansion has guests—several 3-Star mages, even some 4-Stars. Finding allies is our best chance."

The main house's silence was concerning, but better than fighting in the open.

As Derek helped Denise up, the reanimated butler and other corpses began pursuing.

"Gasp... gasp..."

Denise's quick mind gradually restarted despite the horror.

"The west wing's for guest leisure, right? It was silent when we left. Either everyone fled or..."

"...Or?"

"They've already been subdued. Whatever's happening, the perpetrators would neutralize powerful mages first."

Logical. Any attacker would prioritize disabling threats.

"You said 3-Star mages should detect this anomaly? You noticed it first."

"Yes. There are several such mages among the guests."

"Right. They must have been targeted somehow."

"But... I'm unaffected."

"Your skill level isn't widely known. A commoner mercenary reaching 3-Star is unexpected."

Derek was an outlier. Few knew his true capabilities.

"Worst case, you might be the only high-ranking mage still active. You'll need to check others'conditions."

"..."

"We'll secure the mansion while gathering able allies."

As Derek calmly laid out the plan, Denise took a deep breath, her trembling subsiding.

"I made a fool of myself."

"Anyone would tremble in this situation. I've just seen worse in dungeons."

"Right, you're reliable. But the other noble ladies inside must be terrified too. Casualties could skyrocket."

"..."

Denise was right.

Most guests lacked combat experience—especially the noblewomen who might freeze in terror as corpses overran the mansion.

- Thud! Splat!

A reanimated servant collapsed as mana arrows tore its rotting arm off, spraying black blood across the room.

- Crash!

"KYAAAAAAH!"

A tea table overturned as a minor noble lady screamed, urine staining her dress when the severed head rolled to her feet.

Elennte pretended not to notice—maintaining composure in this nightmare was nearly impossible.

The attack came shortly after Derek fled. A"servant"entered with tea before convulsing and lunging at Elennte.

She'd calmly destroyed it with mana arrows while her companion sobbed.

"What... is happening...?"

Though known as Belmierd's shining star, Elennte's calm amidst gore was unnerving.

But for her, it was normal after the dungeon horrors her mercenary-turned-tutor had shown her.

'She's completely panicked. Useless in a fight.'

Elennte sighed at the trembling noblewoman before peering into the eerie hallway.

What she saw froze her breath.

In the west wing's guest quarters, more reanimated servants were dragging unconscious nobles from rooms—like sacrifices for some ritual.

'This... will be a historic tragedy.'

If those were indeed corpses, this would become the empire's worst scandal.

And she was at its epicenter.

'Where... is Derek...? He must be here somewhere...'

Strangely, the veteran mercenary was the first person she thought to rely on.