There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

＜ How the Sun Rises (2) ＞

Derek, who had returned after finishing the work on the Beltus side, was in a truly miserable state.

One arm was wrapped in bandages and splinted, he wore an eye patch due to a bruise on his eyelid, he was limping, and his magical power was greatly weakened.

It was a sign that he had pushed his body to the limit to break through the four-star barrier.

In fact, it was a wound that would not be surprising if anyone had died instantly, but Derek, who had been resistant to pain and injury since childhood, managed to endure it.

The fact that he was walking and moving around like this was strange in itself.

“Lady Drinis seems to be taking the lead in organizing the Beltus mansion. Since I’ve finished organizing my position, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“It pains my heart to see my beloved disciple in such a wrecked state.”

“I think it would be better if you spoke without a smile.”

The baron’s retainers of Ravenclaw were all shocked and turned upside down when the master of the mansion returned in such a state.

They immediately pushed Derek into a private room for rest, and it felt almost excessive as they gathered all sorts of medicinal herbs and healthy foods.

Derek was sitting on the bed, unwrapping the bandages from his arm.

There was too much blood on them, so they needed to be replaced with new ones. He could have called a maid to do it, but he had a habit of tending to his own wounds since his mercenary days.

“How does it feel to reach a new realm? Does it drive you crazy?”

“Honestly, it was quite exhilarating. I couldn’t help but chuckle, which made me feel a bit awkward.”

“Hmm, hmm… I see. Well, I also gained a lot, so… it was truly a smooth process.”

Pine was sitting on the windowsill.

To an outsider, it might have seemed like a dangerous scene, but those who knew her true nature would understand how pointless it was to worry about her.

“So, have you gotten a grasp on summoning magic?”

“Well, I think I understand the principle quite well, but I don’t think I can handle high-level summoning magic. It seems I’m not very compatible with summoning magic.”

“There’s no need to force something that doesn’t work. As I said, you just need to build a foundation strong enough to apply various types of magic.”

Pine glanced at Derek with a sly smile, her eyes half-open.

“You’re lucky to have a great teacher like me. Do you know how much time and effort it takes for even the most talented people to break through the 4-star barrier?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“…It would be nice if you at least pretended to be offended when I tease you, but you’re no fun to tease.”

Pine sighed deeply and looked out the window again, resting her chin on her hand.

The snow that had fallen overnight was piling up. Winter was in full swing.

“About the arch-lich that stormed the mansion.”

“Oh, Happy?”

“…?”

“That guy. He was badly injured. It feels like just yesterday that I raised him, hugging and petting him because he was cute… and now he’s all grown up and menacing…”

Imagining the giant lich invading the mansion, oozing blood and cold, one can’t help but question the naming sense.

Derek decided not to argue.

“He disappeared with the corpse of Grand Duke Beltus.”

“…Why? Is that a problem?”

Pine, a 6-star necromancer, aimed to perfect advanced corpse resurrection.

Derek knew that she needed the corpse of a high-level mage for this. However, he didn’t fully understand her detailed purpose.

That’s why he tried to probe Pine, but surprisingly, she answered straightforwardly.

“I’m planning to resurrect the dead Kalimford. For that, I need quite a lot.”

It’s not just any corpse lying around, it’s about reviving a 6-star magician. It would be impossible with just any effort.

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“I have a promise with Kalimford. Well, you don’t have to worry about such things.”

“…”

Derek tried to say something more but stopped.

Whenever Kalimford was mentioned, Pine always had a strangely wistful expression. It didn’t seem like a good idea to pry into what kind of promise was shared with that historical magician.

In fact, Pine changed the subject as if not wanting to go into detail.

“So, now that you’ve broken through the 4-star barrier, you’ll be even busier. There must be a lot to learn.”

“That’s true, but there are also many things to handle during the winter break of the training center. First, I need to visit the Duplain family, so I need to recover quickly.”

“It’s not normal for someone who was on the brink of death to think about wandering around again.”

“I’m very busy.”

Derek stroked his chin and quietly scanned the large continent map spread out on the table.

Each territory and power was briefly summarized, but the content about the southwestern part of the continent had to be significantly revised.

A 4-star is a semi-master level magician.

To go higher, one must also keep an eye on the dynamics of the surrounding territorial nobles and the central imperial family.

From this level onwards, the influence becomes significant enough to really affect the political situation.

If you ever aim for 5-star, the support base centered around Derek must be solidified.

This is because you never know when and where people like Grand Duke Beltus, who cling to vested interests and try to check Derek, will appear.

Realizing this through the recent events, Derek was determined to roll up his sleeves to create an environment and foundation where he could focus on magic in earnest.

“There is a lot to do. I need to hone the newly broken 4-star area, prepare the training center schedule for the next semester, and completely finalize the alliance system with other families.”

“Ho… an alliance?”

“Veltus has faced great hardship, and Duplain is also going through a difficult time. There couldn’t be a more appropriate time for a major political shift.”

The traditional powers in the southeastern continent were Duplain, Belmiard, and Veltus… The new emerging forces are Renwell and Ravenclaw.

Derek was thinking of uniting these five forces to create a full-fledged alliance system.

Nobles are a breed obsessed with power and territory, so they never join forces.

However, Derek, who maintained connections with key figures of each family, had the potential to become the focal point.

If the plan was well executed, Derek’s position in the nobility would change completely.

He would start to exert significant influence not only in the southwestern continent but across the entire continent.

Even Emperor Guttrel of the central continent and Kohelama would have no choice but to be conscious of Derek.

If that happened, no miscellaneous forces would dare to check Derek.

‘Then I could focus solely on advancing my magical prowess.’

To do so, it was necessary to keep an eye on the situations of the families that would join hands.

Belmiard would make its presence felt just by staying still. The Marquis of Belmiard was thinking of delegating all power to Elente, so there was no need to worry much.

Veltus would have a period of reorganizing its forces with the combined efforts of Drenis, Robenalt, and Orel. A long winter was coming. It was not easy to help in such a chaotic time.

In the end, the only one left was Duplain.

*

“Are you asking for some investment?”

“Yes. I’m thinking of expanding the Ravenclaw training center, but it’s unstable to expand with just the funds received as subsidies, and the territory size is limited, so there are many ambiguous parts.”

Derek is a man I can’t figure out. Raig concluded so.

When we first met, he came to the Duplain family as a tutor to teach Diela, but when I came to my senses, he was already a titled noble with a decent territory and owned a large training center.

Then he became a 4-star mage, and one day he suddenly showed up in a battered state… Every year, he felt more and more unpredictable.

In the reception room of the Duplain mansion, where the restoration work had been somewhat completed, Derek was having a serious conversation with the head of the family, Laig.

“Since we’ve known each other for quite a long time, to speak frankly, the Duplain family is not in a position to support or invest in anything. In fact, we are covering the maintenance costs with the money Aiselin has earned from her shares in the training center. What more investment can we make?”

“It doesn’t have to be money. Territory, manpower, authority… there are many things we need.”

Laig was sitting in a large seat prepared for the head of the family, listening seriously, and next to him, Aiselin and Diela were sitting quietly.

Several high-ranking retainers had also entered and were standing at the end of the wall, listening to the conversation, but they couldn’t understand Derek’s intentions at all.

“Mr. Derek. Laig is right. In fact, from the Duplain family’s perspective… we should be grateful to the Ravenclaw barony for resolving our urgent financial crisis… we don’t have the luxury to invest more…”

“Well, it’s not a matter of who should be grateful to whom. In the first place, the Ravenclaw barony wouldn’t have been able to operate so efficiently without Miss Aiselin’s help.”

In fact, Aiselin’s contributions to the Ravenclaw barony were hard to quantify in monetary terms.

Butler Delbritton and Aiselin. These two had risen to positions where they could no longer be excluded from the management of the territory.

“To get straight to the point, after this winter and the start of the next semester, it seems that there will be more students than we can handle. Having risen to the rank of a 4-star institution, and with a higher reputation… it seems that the training center can no longer accommodate all the students.”

“…Mr. Derek. Then…”

“…It would be better to expand the facilities, yes… to upgrade the training center to the scale of a school or academy.”

There was a peculiar weariness on Derek’s face as he said this.

In fact, the operation of the Ravenclaw training center was a business that greatly enhanced Derek’s authority. Running a facility that first accepted and nurtured talents who would later spread into the social circles, how could it not have an influence on the noble political scene?

However, he hadn’t expected things to grow to this extent.

“…Then, that means…”

At those words, Aiselin shuddered.

The scale is growing.

Beyond the training center, it would be called a school or academy, attracting more academic facilities and students, and seeking to attract as much investment as possible.

That means… there will be more work.

We need to re-establish the financial plan in more detail, look for more land if we want to expand, and re-draft the construction plan for the new academic building, the manpower supply plan, and the maintenance plan.

How arduous this task is!

However, a sparkle began to shine in Aiselin’s eyes.

“So many… so many tasks…! So many things to handle…!”

At the strange excitement in her eyes, not only Derek but even Raig sitting next to him swallowed dryly.

Raig also felt a sense of incongruity closer than anyone else regarding Aiselin’s change.

After she declared herself a fallen noblewoman, she started rolling up her sleeves for even trivial matters, and now she was becoming a workaholic to the point of suffering if there was no work.

Where had the image of Aiselin, who used to stroll through the garden like a lily, gone…

There was only an industrial soldier dressed beautifully in a lovely dress.

While lamenting, Raig also felt a subtle emotion that was hard to describe because Aiselin seemed happy in her own way.

“Brother Raig… Sister Aiselin’s eyes look strange…”

“It’s okay, Diela. It’s about time you got used to it…”

Even Diela, who always seemed fierce and subdued the atmosphere wherever she went, was just the youngest here, where the family was gathered.

She was just sweating while watching Aiselin, who was looking forward to the upcoming heavy workload with a bewildered expression.

“So, you want to build a branch in the Duplain territory as well? Is that what you mean?”

“Of course, I will guarantee sufficient interests. Not only profit distribution… if things go well, it will be a great opportunity to revive the staggering Duplain.”

At Derek’s proposal, Raig stroked his chin more seriously.

The rapid growth of the Ravenclaw Training Center was now known to the point where no one in the Ebelstein aristocracy was unaware of it.

Many said that in ten years, it wouldn’t be strange if the social center of the southwestern continent shifted from the Ebelstein noble district to the Ravenclaw barony.

If the Duplain family could also get a foothold there, there would be no other opportunity like this.

‘Strange. No matter where I look, there is nothing but benefits for the Duplain family. Just by listening to him… there is not a single reason to refuse.’

As the head of the family, Raig carefully reviewed Derek’s proposal, but no matter how he looked at it, there was nothing to lose.

So, he felt even more uneasy. What was Derek lacking that he would go this far to roll up his sleeves for the Duplain family?

Derek had finished his explanation, and now the decision was up to Raig.

Raig took a deep breath and looked around.

The high-ranking retainers were calculating in their heads, and his two beloved younger sisters were looking at him with eyes full of expectation.

These two had already fallen for Derek’s smooth talk and were just waiting for Raig to nod his head.

Aiseline and Diela.

During this desperate time, filled with nothing but darkness for the Duplain family, it was thanks to his always bright and lively younger sisters that they could endure it positively.

If these two were to defend Derek with one voice, it would be hard for Raig to shake his head in refusal.

“We owe quite a bit to the Ravenclaw barony in the first place, so we can’t express a refusal.”

Raig answered coolly and added.

“However, it would be good if we could have a say in the specific direction of progress. Bringing other facilities into the Duplain territory is something that requires more consideration than expected.”

“I will leave the major matters to the Duplain family.”

“Alright.”

When Raig answered like that, Aiseline and Diela visibly brightened with joy.

It was as if they were overjoyed at the prospect of working with Derek within the territory.

‘…’

Watching his two younger sisters, Raig thought seriously.

It seemed that the flowers of Duplain had already fallen for this young baron.

Rayg, who had always been focused on training, was somewhat lacking in that area of intuition, but in any case, they were his precious younger sisters. It was impossible not to notice when it was this obvious.

“Derek, how should we go about establishing a concrete plan?”

“Derek! If we’re going to conduct training within the Duplain estate… I, I can attend too, right…? It seems much more helpful than the boring philosophy classes at the Rosea Salon…”

Watching his younger sisters eagerly ask Derek this and that… Rayg felt a strange chill in his side.

‘…But doesn’t Baron Ravenclaw already have a partner?’

Seeing his two younger sisters excitedly chatting with flushed faces, Rayg suddenly swallowed dryly.

‘…They’re walking a thorny path. My beloved sisters…’

He couldn’t decide whether to support them or dissuade them… This young lord couldn’t make a judgment.

As the plan for the Ravenclaw training center branch, which was part of the Duplain revival plan, became more concrete, Derek’s workload inevitably increased.

Of course, most of the work details would be shared with Iselin while staying at the Duplain mansion.

“Most of the Duplain estate is fertile and has a good climate, so it’s suitable for a school site. However, compared to its heyday, its scale has greatly reduced… There’s quite a lot to consider.”

“Miss Iselin would know more about the details. Please recommend some suitable candidates.”

“Yes. And regarding the recruitment of personnel, you should also review…”

As soon as the meeting with Rayg was over, Iselin, with a bright face, began discussing work matters with Derek.

“…”

The two of them busily crossed the corridor, talking about future plans.

Following quietly behind them, Diela, with her lush blonde hair, silently watched the two.

“……”

It had been quite a while since she last met Derek.

Since it had been a long time, she had put a lot of effort into her appearance and spent the night thinking about what topics to discuss.

Unable to sleep for no reason and staying awake until dawn, I had to worry if my skin might have burned.

However, when we finally met, Derek only exchanged a few formal pleasantries and spent the whole day talking about the management of the territory with Aisellin.

In fact, that was natural. Aisellin was one of the key personnel at the Ravenclaw Training Center.

It was only natural that Derek, who had so many things to handle, couldn’t pay much attention to Diela.

It wasn’t that Diela didn’t understand that… but still, it felt strangely unfair.

While Derek expressed intimacy with Diela as a mentor, he was deeply engrossed in serious conversations with Aisellin, making Diela feel a subtle sense of distance.

Diela’s older sister, Aisellin Eleanor Duplain.

Diela, who growled like a young lion showing its teeth to everyone in the world, always bowed her head and obeyed like a kitten only to her kind, noble, and beautiful older sister.

However, now she couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of envy or jealousy.

For Diela, who had always held Aisellin in high regard, this sense of competition was truly unfamiliar.

Suddenly, Diela puffed out her cheeks with a “boo-“.

Just watching quietly, a feeling of resentment welled up inside her.