Belmiard (1)
Unlike the gardens of noble houses, which were lined with antique artworks in orderly rows, the streets of the commoners reeked of musty smells and were filled with dampness. This gap was something only those who knew, knew.
The environment one lived in was like clothes tailored perfectly to one's body; it was easy to go up, but not easy to go down.
Even so, Derrick felt rather good crossing the tavern street together with an old friend.
"If you keep drinking the nobles' shit water, you'll end up becoming a fat pig with rolls of flesh. When I heard you were stuck in that Ducal House for months, Derrick, you have no idea how much I sighed."
"Felnine. You worry too much about pointless things. And not all people from noble houses have rotten personalities."
"Oh my. Just look at you. After eating and sleeping in luxury for a few months, you've already become their retainer, haven't you. At this rate, you'll even swear a knight's oath."
"Aren't you overreacting a bit?"
Derrick let out a hollow laugh and glanced sideways at the tavern street.
This place, where burly-looking mercenaries came and went, was known even in Ebelstein as the most dangerous area.
Since this was where people gathered who would kill someone for a few silver coins, surviving here meant living close to violence.
And Felnine, like Derrick, was a girl who made a living by working as a mercenary on these tavern streets.
You should not judge her by her slender appearance and ignore the rock-like firmness inside. She was someone who could butcher dozens of demi-human Tribe without changing her expression.
Derrick and Felnine did not bother prying into each other's pasts. Still, considering the occasional hatred she spat toward nobles... it seemed her family, too, had met a rather bad end at the hands of nobles.
It was that kind of era.
Even though he thought it was a common occurrence, Derrick was not tactless enough to say such things in front of the person involved. There was nothing more senseless than presenting an objective, analytical perspective in front of the protagonist of a tragedy.
In any case, Felnine had grown up harboring considerable hostility toward nobles, but that did not mean she was completely narrow-minded.
She would curse nobles behind their backs, but she was not the kind of person who would cause a scene right in front of them, and from time to time she even took on requests involving nobles.
Throwing away one's pride in front of money was common in this mercenary world. At this point, calling that kind of behavior hypocritical would just be old-fashioned.
In a place like this, the one who survives is justice.
Words like cowardly or petty were, in most cases, nothing more than the complaints of those who had been weeded out.
— Creak.
When they opened the shabby wooden door of the tavern 'Tears of Veldern', located in a fairly secluded corner even among the tavern streets, the owner, who had been yawning behind the bar table, immediately came into view.
"Captain uncle. Look who's here."
"Oh, Felnine. And... isn't that Derrick? Wow, seeing the magic instructor who's about to make a name for himself in Ebelstein is an honor for me."
"Goodness, you're still making a fuss as always, Captain uncle."
As Jayden greeted them while stroking his scruffy beard, Derrick showed his delight without reservation and went to sit at the table.
It was late, but there were still quite a few customers in the tavern. Most of them were mercenaries equipped with shiny gear, and the fact that they had come all the way to such a secluded tavern suggested they probably did not like noisy environments.
Derrick did not want to interfere with Jayden's business, so he spoke quietly in a low voice.
"It took a bit longer than I thought. A fifteen aidel gold coin request isn't exactly easy."
"Yeah. It's never easy to make money. At this level, it's more than worth it. No, I should probably be the one bowing in thanks."
Jayden laughed heartily and poured fruit wine into a large mug, placing it on the table.
Felnine drank it down without a shred of elegance, then let out a satisfied breath with a "Kya-haah".
Derrick, who had been watching noble young ladies elegantly lifting teacups for a long time, felt oddly refreshed seeing her drink so boldly.
Perhaps sensing Derrick's gaze, Felnine stared straight back at him as if asking what he was looking at.
"Why are you looking at me like I'm something strange?"
"When I look at you, Felnine, I feel like I've come back home."
"It sounds nice when you just hear it, but thinking about how you've been to a noble house makes me feel bad all of a sudden. Are you saying I have no elegance?"
"That's true, but you don't like acting elegant like nobles anyway."
"Hmm... can't really argue with that."
Felnine adjusted her platinum-blonde hair tied up behind her head. While she fixed the strands sticking out here and there and tightened her hair tie again, Jayden also held out a mug toward Derrick.
"Have a congratulatory drink. The only mage of our Veldern Mercenary Corps has finally returned. Where else would you find such good news?"
"Thank you. But you're going to put all this on my tab, right?"
"Being needlessly sharp is your biggest flaw, Derrick."
Before long, both Jayden and Derrick burst into laughter.
Derrick lifted his mug and took a few sips. When he set it down, Jayden asked with his arms crossed.
"So, did you get all the money?"
"Of course. But actually, that's not the important part."
"What could be more important than money?"
"More money, of course."
Derrick lifted one arm and showed the old book tied at his waist.
At first, both Jayden and Felnine looked at the book with puzzled eyes, but the moment they realized it was a Magic Book, their eyes widened.
"W-what is that, Derrick. Don't tell me... a 2-star Magic Book?"
"No, it's a 3-star Magic Book. I got it from the Duke's underground archive."
"... 3-star? I didn't hear wrong, did I?"
Felnine leaned forward again and checked Derrick's waist.
Since she had little knowledge of magic, she could not tell the star rank of a Magic Book just by looking at it. However, knowing that Derrick would not lie about something like this, she could only be dumbfounded.
Even a 2-star Magic Book was something commoners could hardly afford. A 3-star one was something that only occasionally appeared as a competitive item at high-end auction houses in noble districts.
Jayden, too, seemed unable to believe that what was tied to Derrick's waist was a 3-star Magic Book, and had to check again and again.
"They gave something like that to a commoner? Derrick, did you drink too much noble water and learn how to brag like this?"
"I'm just telling the truth."
"I can't believe it."
Felnine took another sip from her mug to calm herself. The phrase 'sudden fortune' fit the situation perfectly.
If they could sell that Magic Book at a proper price, they could live in a much better place, with much better equipment, and a much better life.
It was an amount that could end their life as lower-class people if they wanted, but Derrick did not seem to have any intention of selling the Magic Book right away.
"When the day comes that I turn it into cash, I'll treat everyone big."
"Yeah, you should. Make a big donation to our Veldern Mercenary Corps too."
Jayden laughed heartily again. In any case, he was someone who sincerely rejoiced in Derrick's achievements.
"So, have there been any requests lately? I'm thinking of starting work again from tomorrow."
"Hardworking as always. Don't worry about that. As you know, in this line of work, mages are always in short supply, never in excess."
"But, Derrick. You haven't even been back that long yet. You're already going out to work?"
Felnine spoke with some concern, but Derrick brushed it off lightly as if it were nothing.
"I should start early with some light subjugation work. I rested too long in a comfortable noble mansion, so I'm a bit out of practice."
At Derrick's lament, Jayden let out a small, hollow laugh.
*
From the next day on, Derrick spent his time carrying out various monster subjugation requests that came in through the Veldern Mercenary Corps.
The peaceful days he had spent seemed like a lie as he wandered around the outskirts of Ebelstein, killing numerous monsters.
Sometimes he moved alone, and sometimes he went around together with Felnine.
There was always more than enough work.
It was quite common for monsters like goblin, troll, and gremlin to roam around the border regions. In many cases, they were monsters that had escaped from nearby labyrinths, and since they attacked merchants and travelers, they had to be subjugated regularly. In most cases, hunting them was the mercenaries' livelihood.
Besides that, there were many small tasks... chasing away beggars who had crept near the territory, beating up thugs, driving off ruffians who harassed merchants, and even simple escort missions. The range of work Derrick could handle was truly wide.
Derrick did not particularly pick and choose his jobs and handled everything he could manage.
Just as he had done since childhood, he tried to do everything he could. When the sun was up, he walked the tavern streets and earned the trust of various clients, and when the moon rose, he shut himself in his dwelling in one corner of the market district and read Magic Books.
On days he went into actual combat, he tried to use magic he had not used much before in order to improve his proficiency, and on his days off, he sat alone in the grasslands on the outskirts of Ebelstein and practiced using mana. By spending each day diligently, even saving time he should have spent sleeping, time flew by like an arrow.
When Derrick returned to the tavern street, it was late spring, but when he came to his senses, he had already passed the hot summer and was heading toward autumn.
During that long time, he steadily honed his magic without being lazy even for a moment. One of Derrick's greatest strengths was precisely that consistency.
"... Hmm. I feel like I'm getting close, but it's still vague."
Whenever he had time, Derrick, who was wielding mana in the grasslands outside Ebelstein, suddenly stretched his hand toward the sky.
The boy wanted to become a 3-star mage.
It might be an excessively big dream to harbor at such a young age, but even so, he never once stopped training his magic.
Among nobles, it was said that prodigies among prodigies sometimes entered the 3-star rank around the time of their coming-of-age ceremony.
It might be a story from above the clouds for commoners, but for Derrick, who had started mastering magic faster than nobles since childhood, it might not be such a far-fetched story.
With that hope in mind, Derrick was devouring 3-star Magic Books every day. However, the wall of 3-star was indeed not easy to break through. It felt like he was lacking some kind of trigger.
Still, the only thing Derrick could do was continue to make steady efforts. Even someone born with natural talent would not see results if they did not put in the corresponding effort.
There were hardly any days when he slept more than four hours, and since he devoured Magic Books every night, the cost of candles was becoming a burden. He had to think of this as an investment as well.
By the time Derrick's magic skill had improved to the point where he could skillfully handle even 2-star magic, the leaves had already all fallen and the first snow was beginning to come.
*
–Kwang!
The tavern 'Tears of Veldern'.
As its creaking wooden door was thrown open energetically, the blood-soaked figure of Derrick came into view at a glance.
Cold air from outside seeped into the tavern, which was filled with the heat of a crackling bonfire.
A few snowflakes drifted into the tavern and tapped against the wooden floor, then soon melted into water droplets and dampened the floor.
The drunkards who were drinking beer while basking in the cozy heat of the winter night tavern swallowed dryly when they saw the boy at the entrance.
The boy, letting down white hair as white as those snowflakes, showed no particular change in expression. He was covered in blood, but he looked as if it did not bother him at all.
Seeing him standing perfectly fine, one could easily infer that the blood was not his.
The boy walked into the tavern with boots covered in clumps of hardened snow. He was carrying the huge head of a monster over his shoulder.
Behind him, Felnine hurried in as well and ran toward the bonfire to warm her hands.
"Ughhh. It's cold, so cold! Captain uncle! Just one cup of hot tea, please! At this rate, my fingers will fall off!"
Passing by the fussing Felnine and walking further inside, Derrick slammed the huge head of a harpy onto the bar table with a thud. A strong stench of blood rose up.
"It took a bit longer."
"Wow, you really went all the way to the middle of the Kent mountain range in this weather? Young, you're young."
"I admit it was a bit reckless. I never want to experience camping in the snow again. I thought I was going to freeze to death."
"Well, what can you do. You experience all kinds of hardship while you're young."
While Derrick took off his leather gloves, which were covered in monster blood, and placed them on the bar table, Jayden quickly picked up the hideous harpy head and took it to the back workspace.
After briefly discussing how to settle the request fee, he brought out warm mead.
The customers who were drinking beer on the other side of the tavern were murmuring in low voices. Since most of them were mercenaries, it was not hard for them to guess what kind of person that blood-soaked boy was.
Derrick was gradually becoming quite well-known even among the mercenaries of Ebelstein.
There were many mercenaries, but very few who would always complete their assigned jobs.
There were already many clients who wanted to entrust work to Derrick, and Jayden, who was in the middle, had reached the point where he had to carefully choose which jobs to accept.
"......"
When Jayden brought a cloth soaked in warm water, Derrick used it to wipe away the dried blood around his face. The boy, without even showing any sign of caring about the mercenaries in the corner whispering, first checked the condition of his equipment.
Derrick's request fees had already increased several times compared to when he was younger, so even after saving all the money he had received from the Duplein Ducal House, he could live comfortably enough. If he kept this up, buying an expensive personal wand or staff did not seem impossible.
"You worked hard, Derrick. There's probably no one else who would climb the mountain range through this snow and bring back a harpy's head."
"Other mercenary groups are also taking on monster subjugation requests regardless of the weather, you know."
"They go in large groups, carrying lots of camping gear and taking several days. There's probably no one else who goes and comes back so quickly like you're just climbing the hill behind your neighborhood."
"... I didn't go and come back like it was just the hill behind the neighborhood. I really almost froze to death."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll pay you well for this request. The client will understand that it wasn't an easy job."
Jayden chuckled as he tidied up the cups.
Since he needed to finish tidying things up quickly so Derrick could return to his dwelling and rest, Jayden's movements became a bit more hurried.
"You've worked hard this time, so are you going to rest for a while?"
"Are there more requests coming in?"
"It'd be harder for there not to be."
"I think I should rest tomorrow, but after that, anything's fine."
Derrick answered as if it were nothing while tightening the laces of his boots again.
Seeing Derrick say he would take on more requests even after going through such hardship, Jayden could only click his tongue.
Still, having a mage in the mercenary corps who moved around this actively was a great blessing. Jayden laughed and rummaged through the stack of documents organized under the bar table.
"I did cause a ruckus in the snowy mountains, so I am a bit tired. I'd prefer something that doesn't require going too far."
"Hmm... actually, there is one simple and well-paying request."
"Where in the world does something like that exist?"
"Of course, easy and well-paying jobs always have a reason. If you don't want to take it, you can just pass."
Jayden took out a request sheet and placed it on the bar table.
"It's a request from the Belmiard Count Family. It's a job that got rejected by the Rohel Mercenary Group on the western street. They're looking for someone who can use magic."
"... A noble house request got rejected? The Rohel Mercenary Group is a pretty big place, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it's a strange thing, right?"
In the first place, it was not common for a famous noble house to give a request to a mercenary group swarming with commoners. The more powerful the noble, the more surplus manpower they had.
So noble house requests themselves were not common, and yet this one paid quite well. Nobles were known to spend money freely.
That was why when a request from a major noble house came in, mercenary groups naturally rushed to take it.
Last spring, the reason the Veldern Mercenary Corps had been able to take on the Duplein Ducal House request was simply because Young Lady Aiselin had been scattering requests everywhere to find a teacher to teach Delia.
Normally, it would be unheard of for such a small mercenary corps to receive a noble house request.
Derrick narrowed his eyes and examined the request sheet.
"... I see, there's always a reason."
The Belmiard Count Family was looking for a commoner to help with magic sparring. It even said that anyone would do as long as they could use 1-star magic.
There would be plenty of opponents for magic sparring in a noble house. The fact that they were specifically looking for a commoner mage meant they were basically looking for someone to beat up as practice.
It was absurd for a mere commoner to try to beat a noble mage, and in the first place, there were hardly any commoners who could do that.
Derrick felt like he understood why no one was taking this request.
Commoners who could use magic and were young and active were not that common. They were always flooded with better-paying jobs, so they would not bother taking a job where they had to throw away their pride and just get beaten up.
The mages of the Rohel Mercenary Group would rather go on planned monster subjugations or escort missions than act as punching bags for immature nobles.
Unless the pay was enormous, it was not that attractive for a noble house request.
"So I just have to accompany them for some magic sparring in the noble district?"
However, Derrick was extremely tired from going on a long harpy subjugation.
He did not want to take on something that required going far right away, so he rather wanted something like this, where he just had to go along and play along a bit.
"You're going to do it?"
"I just have to lose properly and take a few hits, right. Please process it as me taking the request."
"If you're fine with it, then alright."
Derrick said that roughly, tapped the floor a few times with his tightly laced boots, then slung his leather bag over his shoulder and stood up.
"Thanks for the mead."
"I put it all on your tab, you brat."
"I said it knowing that."
Derrick planned to return to his dwelling, wash up, and read Magic Books. Even after returning from a long journey, he had no intention of neglecting his magic training.
Watching Derrick still live such a busy life, Jayden waved his hand lightly.
"Felnine. If you fall asleep there, you'll get burned."
"Yikes."
Felnine, who had been dozing off while basking in the warmth of the fire with a drool at the corner of her mouth, snapped back to her senses.
Leaving a goodbye saying he would see her tomorrow, Derrick once again pushed open the tavern's wooden door and plunged into the freezing cold.
The tavern's customers, who had been quietly drinking beer, watched Derrick's back as he pushed through the sleet of the winter night.
The passing time tempered the boy.
The sight of him returning to his dwelling through the blizzard already looked like that of a seasoned veteran mercenary.
A year passes.
When his birthday comes, he will be 17 years old.
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