The noble district of Ebelstein, to which they were returning after so long, was still as luxurious and dazzling as ever.
When they returned after finishing the journey through the north, winter in Ebelstein was already coming to an end.
In the shadiest corners there were still traces of unlted snow, but the temperature had beco pleasant, and new buds were beginning to sprout on the trees lining the road.
After such a prolonged cold, the warmth felt all the more welco.
The nobles strolling through the streets wore attire more elegant and refined than the previous year, fully enjoying that long-awaited warmth.
The tea houses along the street were filled with young noble ladies chatting animatedly, while young aristocrats heading out to ride horses, accompanied by their attendants, walked with light steps.
After spending ti in the cold and lonely snowy plains of the north, Dereck also felt that contrast clearly.
The territory of Rochester, in the north, was a place that, just by sitting in silence, could inevitably make one’s spirits sink.
Without a doubt, even for emotional well-being, it seed far better to send those children to the noble district of Ebelstein.
“…Then, next ti we’ll see each other in the Duplain territory.”
“Yes. Until then, please listen carefully to everything Lord Hamilton tells you.”
After leaving Siern in front of her private residence, Dereck gave her that final recomndation.
At her side stood Hamilton, an elderly mage with a gaunt appearance.
In truth, that na was a pseudonym; his real na was Kalimford.
However, there was no advantage in revealing that na in Ebelstein.
Kalimford’s sole wish was to watch Siern grow well, from up close.
The fact that he decided to stay at Siern’s private residence to assist her until the opening of the Ravenclaw Academy faithfully reflected that wish.
“Hmmm…”
With her arms crossed, Siern looked at Kalimford with a clearly dissatisfied expression, as if she had a lot to say. Kalimford swallowed with difficulty.
Ever since he had attacked Dereck without rcy, he felt that Siern was acting strangely hostile toward him.
Of course, Dereck had tried several tis to convince her that it was fine and that he bore no resentnt toward Kalimford.
Even so, a psychological barrier once ford does not collapse easily.
Seeing Kalimford’s pale face, Dereck silently prayed for his good fortune.
From now on, everything depended solely on how Kalimford handled his relationship with Siern.
The ti he had left was not abundant, so he could only hope that he handled it well.
“Then, we’ll see each other again in the Duplain territory.”
When Dereck said that as he boarded the carriage, Siern looked at him with a clearly disappointed expression.
In any case, she would soon return to the Ravenclaw territory to learn magic, so it was nothing more than a brief farewell.
Even so, after having spent so much ti together, she seed to feel it deeply, slightly puffing out her lips in displeasure.
Dereck inclined his head toward both of them and settled comfortably back into the carriage.
‘Hiring Kalimford as a professor at the academy…’
An academy where a six-star mage taught magic.
Just imagining it was enough to make anyone’s throat go dry.
Even if he did not directly reveal his identity, simply seeing the level of magic Kalimford wielded was enough to know that he was no ordinary mage.
The Ravenclaw Academy seed to be becoming more extraordinary by the day.
With that thought in mind, Dereck ordered the coachman to depart.
***
The next place Dereck visited was the outskirts of the Duplain territory, that is, the land where the Ravenclaw Academy was being built.
“…Why has the scale of the construction grown so much compared to the original plan…?”
“Miss Aiselin persuaded the nobles of the southwest and managed to attract more investnt. She even visited the Renouel family several tis and succeeded in having them send two hundred additional workers.”
“What on earth happened while I was in the north?”
“If I had to explain everything in detail, it would take too long. Would it be all right if you received a written report?”
At the beginning of the road leading to the ducal residence of Duplain, the vast Lergel prairie stretched eastward, a place peaceful and temperate throughout the year.
There, without one even realizing it, a long row of splendid and elegant buildings had arisen.
Each was carefully decorated with marble, adorned with beautiful sculptures, and featured walls, benches, fountains, and vegetation perfectly arranged.
At a glance, the size was exactly double what Dereck had imagined before leaving for the north.
Delbriton, the head butler who had co out to receive him and was now traveling with him in the carriage, recalled with a pale face the ti when Aiselin took command and personally directed every phase of the construction.
Great figures were always like that, but those who worked under their orders often suffered greatly. Aiselin was undoubtedly the best possible partner, but probably the worst boss imaginable.
“May I ask you a personal question, without reservations? I know it is disrespectful.”
“…Speak.”
“…Will Miss Aiselin continue to take command in the future?”
Delbriton had served for half his life in the ducal house of Rochester.
For soone like him to ask a question that, in theory, belonged solely to his lord’s judgnt was sothing very unusual.
Depending on the person, it could even be considered a great insolence.
The weight of Aiselin’s presence was sothing that even Dereck could not clearly asure.
Even so, Dereck could not give Delbriton the answer he desired.
“That… does it really depend on my will…?”
“Baron…”
“Have a little more patience. In any case, I will speak with Miss Aiselin…”
“Ho… hello… De… reck…”
Even Diella, the small tyrant who normally intimidated everyone with an energy worthy of a lion roaming the prairie, was sitting in the guest hall of the main mansion with her face completely pale.
It was the first ti Dereck had seen her with so little color in her face.
Upon seeing him, although she tried to hide it, her usual cheerful expression imdiately showed itself.
Her small body and her blonde hair falling freely resembled a lion’s mane, making her presence seem even more imposing than her stature suggested.
But now it was not so.
Diella was practically sunk into the guest sofa, as if her soul were escaping through her mouth.
Her appearance was so deplorable that it even gave the impression that she had learned necromantic-type magic.
“Miss Diella… did sothing happen to you…?”
“It’s nothing serious. It’s just that Aiselin is handling the academy matter entirely on her own, and I ended up taking on roughly half of the managent of the Duplain main house… Managing the servants isn’t difficult, but doing it at the sa ti as my studies is exhausting…”
“…Half?”
“Yes, half. And just so you know, Aiselin handles the other half, while regularly attending the Rose Hall, participating in all social and academic gatherings, managing the territory, and also overseeing the construction of the academy…”
“…”
Diella crossed her arms, and her body trembled slightly.
Most of the young noble ladies of Ebelstein froze just from eting her gaze.
And yet, even soone with such presence seed to feel an indescribable fear when thinking of Aiselin.
“Listen to , Dereck. The construction of the academy is already almost finished. And then… do you know what Aiselin said the last ti we walked together down the corridor?”
“Lately… I feel a little bored… Could it be because there’s less work…?”
“…”
“…”
“…She’s my sister, but I’m starting to be afraid of her. I decided that soday I would beco the central pillar of Duplain, and later a recognized ruler… but lately my confidence is starting to waver…”
Diella usually jumped with joy like a puppy on a snowy day whenever she saw Dereck.
That she was now complaining like this, even after he had returned from the north after so long, was sothing unusual.
“Brother Leigh is busy with external matters, Aiselin is completely absorbed in making money… I never imagined the Duplain family would once again be so full of vitality…”
“Isn’t that a good thing? In the center of the continent, the rumors that the Duplain family was in decline have already been left behind for quite so ti.”
“Yes… that’s true, but… it seems my sister doesn’t see it that way…”
Click!
Whoosh!
At that mont, the door to the guest hall burst open forcefully.
“Dereck! I heard you’d already returned! Oh, the door creaks a bit… I’ll have to order them to lubricate it…”
“Lady Aiselin.”
“It’s been a long ti. Did the trip to the north go well?”
If Diella’s appearance was the most exhausted Dereck had ever seen, Aiselin was the complete opposite.
She overflowed with energy.
Moreover, it was the beginning of spring.
Like green sprouts erging from the grass, Aiselin’s face was full of vitality.
As always, she wore an elegant noble outfit, impeccably arranged, and carried in one arm a thick stack of docunts pressed tightly against her chest.
To Aiselin’s eyes, that bundle of papers seed more beautiful than any bouquet of fresh flowers, and the fact that it was classified so neatly by categories was especially striking.
Although everyone working within the academy, whose opening was practically ready, wore faces of extre exhaustion, Aiselin alone radiated a dazzling vitality, like a freshly blood flower.
Dereck had to admit it. He might not know what kind of superior she was, but from his point of view, there was no one more reliable than Aiselin.
“What do you think? It turned out well, didn’t it, Dereck? I’ll give you a tour inside. This main building is the Delphinia Pavilion, and using this pavilion as a reference, the classroom buildings are concentrated to the east. The building where the ladies’ education is mainly conducted is the Silver Crown Pavilion. The magic classrooms extend from the Ravenclaw Pavilion to the Ribelten Pavilion. The dormitories are to the west, in Amaryllis House, and to the north we’ve prepared a large training field. In addition, along the southern path that connects to the main mansion, I plan to install various cultural facilities for the young ladies.”
“When you say facilities… what kind of facilities exactly do you an?”
“In addition to Ebelstein, I made business trips to the Rotein Comrcial League and even to the port city of Bullix. There were many rchants and artisans who were interested. They told that if they could establish business relations in advance with an educational institution of this size, they would even be willing to invest additional capital. That ans the budget will increase.”
While Dereck was in the north, Aiselin seed to have made no fewer than three trips to major cities.
“No… and how did you manage to keep up with your studies during all that ti?”
“Sitting around doing nothing in a carriage is boring. Besides, I don’t usually sleep much at night.”
“…”
“During your absence, too many matters requiring approval piled up. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble… could you review them all right now?”
Aiselin had carefully selected only the matters that required Dereck’s direct confirmation, but even so, the number of docunts was so large that she could barely hold them with one arm.
Dereck seriously considered whether it might be better to simply hand the entire academy over to Aiselin.
“Everything moves along much more smoothly when you’re seated as the general supervisor.”
However, Aiselin seed to have perceived even that rather unworthy thought.
The pressure emanating from her bright, radiant smile was, without exaggeration, more terrifying than the beasts lurking in the labyrinth of the white zone or the army of corpses that once covered the Beltus mansion.
No matter what happened, Dereck had to remain in the highest position as the final authority.
Although Aiselin was one of the most respected and revered nobles of the southwest of the continent, rather than the qualities of a ruler, she seed to have been born with an innate talent for being a strategist or administrator.
For the first ti in his life, Dereck felt an enormous and indescribable fear.
***
“I’d also like you to review the faculty list. I’ve already set the start date for classes, so it would be ideal if you could give the opening address that day. If you need it, I can prepare a draft.”
“Lady Aiselin… don’t you feel that I’m exploiting you too much?”
“Lord Dereck… don’t misunderstand… I think I like being squeezed for work… Now that I say it out loud, it’s a little embarrassing…”
“…”
The sight of Aiselin nervously twisting the tips of her fingers, as if she had just confessed an inclination impossible to ntion, was almost surreal.
While inspecting the academy grounds together, Dereck decided to completely give in.
Like it or not, from now on he was the general supervisor of the enormous Ravenclaw Academy.
“The enrollnt list is practically closed. We could accept a few more, but for now there will be around ninety-six students. It may seem like few for the size of the academy, but each will bring between ten and fifteen servants, along with carriages and luggage, so it will be quite chaotic.”
“Then we’ll also have to manage the rchants who enter the comrcial area.”
“Ah, I’ve already more or less arranged that. I plan to set up a supervisory agency, and I’m thinking of appointing Delbriton as the general manager.”
Dereck silently prayed for Delbriton’s soul, whose face was already completely pale.
“Delbriton will be the general administrator of the Ravenclaw Barony, chief secretary of the Ravenclaw Academy, head of managent of the comrcial district, chair of the advisory committee, and director of academic support.”
“Then… what is your position, Lady Aiselin?”
“I’m fairly ordinary. Vice chair of the operations committee, spokesperson for the general supervisor, auditor, policy planner, personnel manager, instructor of feminine etiquette, welfare policy auditor, and operations administrator… more or less that. Nothing special, right?”
Dereck decided to remain silent.
“In any case, almost everything important is already decided. What worries most now is the audit that will co from the imperial palace.”
“When will it be?”
“They said they would set the exact date at the beginning of spring, so it will be soon. An audit team of seventeen people will co… and the chief person in charge will be none other than His Majesty Emperor Gattrel.”
It was sothing lverot had already ntioned to him before.
Emperor Gattrel would co in person.
Although, considering the scale of the academy, it wasn’t that strange, for Aiselin, who had to prepare all the protocol, it was a trendous burden.
Even so, she seed determined to handle everything herself.
“Let’s see… the chief person in charge will be His Majesty Emperor Gattrel, along with Chief Magical Counselor Kohella and eight mbers of the magical council… about four high-ranking officials from Gremport Palace… and in addition to the escort… Princess Roselin will also co in person.”
Each na was more unsettling than the last.
Especially Princess Roselin, whom lverot had explicitly warned him to avoid.
In Gremport Palace, divided by the weakening of Emperor Gattrel, she was considered the person closest to the imperial throne.
What kind of figure soone capable of dominating such a vast empire would be was impossible to gauge at that mont.
“Then, to be safe, we have roughly a week.”
“More or less. We’ll have to prepare the audience with His Majesty as soon as possible…”
“Lady Aiselin. As far as the academy is concerned, didn’t you say that I am the general supervisor?”
“…Eh?”
Dereck suddenly snatched the thick stack of docunts from her arms.
“Then I’ll take this opportunity to assign you a very important task.”
“A… an important task?”
It wasn’t common for Dereck to emphasize sothing like that personally.
Without knowing what it was, it was obvious that it would be work of unimaginable intensity.
Aiselin began to pant, her face completely flushed.
“W… what task is it?”
“From now on, for three days, do absolutely nothing.”
“…?”
“Do not act as vice chair of the operations committee, nor as spokesperson for the general supervisor, nor as auditor, nor as policy planner, nor as personnel manager, nor as instructor of feminine etiquette, nor as welfare auditor, nor as operations administrator. Do nothing. Just rest quietly at the mansion.”
Aiselin swallowed.
“W… what are you saying, Lord Dereck? At a ti as busy as this…”
“The major matters are already practically finished. Four days are enough to prepare for the audit.”
“B… but everything has to be reviewed several tis so that no problems occur…”
“I’m telling you clearly. Rest.”
Dereck knew it. Between the Duplain territory and the Ravenclaw Barony, the only person capable of taking work away from Aiselin was him.
She had already collapsed once from overwork.
For Dereck, that had been a very heavy blow. At this mont, there had to be at least one person capable of putting a brake on her.
“Haah……”
Aiselin put on the expression of a warrior who had just lost her holand.
It looked as if lightning and gales were crashing down behind her.
“Haah……………………………………………………………………………”
Dereck felt he had seen that vacant look before.
It was exactly the sa face a large dog made when it was forbidden to go out for a walk for health reasons.
Either way, it was necessary.
***
“….”
When Delbriton confird that Dereck had taken into his hands the enormous stack of docunts Aiselin had been carrying, his eyes filled with tears and he began to sob, deeply moved.
It was the first ti Dereck had ever seen that man, always so cold and rational, show such an emotional reaction, so he decided to pretend he hadn’t seen anything.
Since he had co all the way to the Duplain territory, Dereck thought he might at least go see Leigh’s face before leaving, and headed toward the mansion.
While reviewing the docunts one by one inside the carriage, he couldn’t help but be impressed by how ticulously organized they were.
‘Does she really spend the entire day without resting, just working and studying…?’
After organizing the pending matters, the carriage arrived at the mansion and Dereck dismounted. At that mont, in the main hall of the Duplain residence, he caught sight of a familiar figure.
It had been so long that he almost didn’t recognize him, but as he drew closer and saw those tufts of unkempt beard sticking out here and there, along with the red hair pulled back like a tail, he identified him imdiately.
“Oh, well, look who’s here. Guaaah… ah, sorry.”
Even that pathetic image of soone who belched whenever alcohol got the better of him was still intact.
The inveterate gambler, Linus.
Although he hadn’t seen him in a long ti, it was impossible not to recognize him.
He was the eldest son who had fled from the Belmierd family, Ellen’s older brother, and the person who had most actively helped Dereck obtain the title of baron.
However, no one knew for certain why he had abandoned such a prestigious family as the Belmierd.
He was nothing more than a loafer who wasted his days drifting between gambling tables and taverns.
For soone like that to appear in the main hall of the Duplain mansion was, at the very least, strange.
“What brings you all the way here? I was under the impression that you didn’t usually frequent noble residences.”
“That’s true. But well, I just ca to drink a bit with an old friend, Leigh. It seems he’s doing as well as ever.”
“Were you also close to young master Leigh?”
“Of course. Just so you know, the only thing I can really brag about is the network of connections I built back when I was a noble. Hahaha.”
Linus shook the bottle of liquor and let out a carefree laugh.
Perhaps his greatest weapon was precisely that ease in getting along with anyone.
Thanks to his wide network of contacts, he always managed to obtain information that was anything but trivial.
“Won’t our Lord Baron have a drink as well? I brought so interesting news about Princess Roselin of the imperial family.”
“Interesting news…?”
“If I tell you it has to do with a six-star mage, does that pique your interest a bit more? I don’t know if you’ll believe , but…”
Seeing Dereck frown, Linus broke into an even deeper smile.
He knew very well that Dereck would not ignore what he was about to say.
“In Ebelstein, you know? They say there’s a six-star confusion mage. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?”
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