Noble Lady Reformation Guide

Dereck’s first teacher was a shabby old man who begged in the slums.

Even in Ebelstein, a renowned metropolis on the continent, there were slums where the destitute gathered. avalanche At the entrance to a dark alley frequented by thugs and prostitutes, the old man would loudly proclaim to the empty air that he was a great wizard, as if he had lost his mind.

“The famous Grand Duke Beltus even personally sought me out to deal with the monsters in the frontier! agent Haha!”

“In my prime, I was a grand wizard who soared through the skies in the Great Northern War!”

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

The few remaining strands of hair on his wrinkled head were filthy, and his worn-out leather shirt and pants were stained with dirt and leftover food. arcade To anyone who saw him, he was nothing more than a mad beggar, so naturally, no one believed his words.

In an era where magic was rare, even the most basic magic was an invaluable skill in these slums. academy Passersby would applaud or exclaim in awe at his magic, but those with a bit of knowledge would critically remark:

“Ah, these fools… Tsk!”

Hurt by their disbelief, the old man would occasionally shoot fire into the air or summon a gust of wind.

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Well, it’s just that you seem capable of only basic first-level magic, which noble children often master before their coming-of-age ceremony.”

“Hey, you little brat! amber Who are you to criticize me?”

“I understand you can use magic, but your scale is too small to call yourself a grand wizard, don’t you think?”

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“See? palette I knew it! atlas That annoying old man always boasts about himself when he walks by!”

The old man swallowed dryly at the criticism from a man in the crowd. attic He hadn’t expected anyone in this filthy slum to recognize the levels of magic.

“Of course, it’s impressive to use magic at all in this wasteland, but claiming to be a grand wizard from your past seems a bit much. acid Let’s be honest.”

The man, who looked neat and well-dressed, made it clear that between him and the beggar, there was no need to debate who was more credible. arrow The gathered crowd laughed and mocked the old man, throwing trash and dirt at him.

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Even the ability to use basic magic was admirable to the poor in the slums. antique However, the old man’s arrogant behavior and constant belittling of others had made him a target of ridicule. arena As a result, he was spat on and mocked whenever he lay on the street.

“He thinks he’s special, but he’s just a worthless bum who rationalizes why he doesn’t belong in this back alley!”

“Fools. athlete They don’t recognize true talent…”

The old man would mutter to himself, trying to justify his situation as the only way to defend his pride.

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

One day, while sitting on the ground, angrily biting into a piece of oat bread he found in the trash, a small boy with a dirty appearance approached him.

The boy, who looked no older than ten, with white hair covered in dirt and a malnourished face, was a typical orphan from the slums.

It was clear that the boy was not in his right mind to ask a beggar known for his tall tales to teach him magic. academy Despite his serious eyes, it was a common look in this harsh slum where survival was a daily struggle.

“Please teach me magic.”

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“…Very well.”

“My name is Dereck.”

The old man looked at the boy and then grinned, baring his teeth.

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Haha, Dereck, consider yourself honored to have me as your teacher. atomic Though I may be sitting here in the dirt now, in my prime…”

He had no real ability or intention to teach magic properly. acquire Sometimes, people who have accomplished nothing in life need someone to take their boasts seriously and admire them. sphere The arrival of a naive boy was a great stimulus to his otherwise empty life.

The old man was a braggart. harbor He was not a successful grand wizard from his youth, but a mediocrity who wandered the magical world with unremarkable talent and grew old without accomplishing anything.

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

The old man filled his ego by giving lengthy speeches to the small boy. silence Passersby would click their tongues or look sympathetically at Dereck, but he listened quietly to the old man’s stories.

Time passed, and the seasons changed like a flowing river. portal The colorful autumn leaves disappeared, the weather turned cold, and soon it was spring again.

The boy and the old man sometimes slept by the river, stole bread from bakeries, and endured the cold in makeshift shelters. palette Despite the difficulty of understanding people’s true nature, the old man gradually realized Dereck’s exceptional talent.

Occasionally, the old man would reluctantly share basic magical knowledge, though it was elementary and exaggerated to seem profound. timber Dereck, whether aware of the old man’s nature or not, absorbed the magical knowledge silently.

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

In terms of theoretical knowledge, Dereck soon matched first-level wizards, a feat rare even for noble children with the best resources.

In magic, bloodline was paramount. adjust Even the old man could see Dereck’s extraordinary talent. acoustic He grasped concepts quickly and applied them skillfully.

“Are you a bastard child from a noble family?”

“Not at all.”

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Dereck answered indifferently, the steam from fresh bread wafting in front of him. agent It was a lucky day, having successfully stolen a lot of warm bread. attic The old man greedily stuffed some into his leather pouch and began to eat, pushing the rest toward Dereck.

“Why you’re so eager to learn magic, I don’t know, but you understand that as a commoner, there’s a limit to how far you can go.”

“I wish that were the case.”

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Noble children beyond Ebelstein’s northern walls often reach the third level before adulthood. ability For someone of low birth, it takes decades of training to reach that level. harbor Does that motivate you?”

“Yes.”

The old man couldn’t help but offer some life advice to the boy who seemed prematurely world-weary. sphere Despite needing a follower, Dereck’s old-man-like demeanor made him difficult to like.

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Live selfishly and tenaciously, like me.”

This wasn’t just a story. arena The old man recalled his younger days, when his hard-earned magical skills were effortlessly matched by a duke’s son in a week. accent The chasm between noble and commoner was vast.

“Even if you feel exceptional now, you’ll eventually hit an insurmountable wall.”

Still, time spent together breeds attachment. sphere The old man felt compelled to share his grim outlook.

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“I’m not harboring grand ambitions. apple I just need a way to survive.”

“My bread only smells of grains.”

“Ah, speaking like you know everything at your age… this butter bread is delicious. album Seems we got lucky.”

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Dereck chewed his bland bread, watching the old man laugh with his yellowed teeth on display.

“Haha…”

“I’ve already taken the good butter bread. meadow A disciple shouldn’t eat better than his master.”

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

The old man’s behavior of hoarding the good bread was typical of a beggar. acoustic Dereck, unable to muster even a bitter laugh, quietly ate his dry bread, vowing to secure the good butter bread first next time.

“…”

“I told you, life is about being tenacious. accent If you’re upset, you should’ve kept the good bread for yourself. alpha It’s all in my pouch now.”

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Touching Ebelstein’s guards was suicidal, especially for a despised beggar. autumn No one would defend him.

The old man had tried to steal from the northern wall guards and was beaten nearly to death. album It seemed he attempted to steal a second-level magic book. antenna No one understood why a man with no ambitions would do such a thing.

The next day at dusk, Dereck returned from practicing pickpocketing to find his teacher lying by the river, covered in blood.

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Gah… ha…”

“Master.”

With broken ribs, the old man could barely breathe, trembling in a pool of blood, trying to speak. apple But no words came, only the struggle to breathe. admire His life ended with a trembling hand, true to his beggar’s life.

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Dereck took the pouch, wrapped a leather sheet around his shoulders for warmth, and headed towards the main street of Ebelstein.

Dereck silently observed the cold body, then used a broken shovel to dig a grave by the trash-filled riverbank. audit After placing the old man’s body in a modest grave, Dereck nodded a few times and returned to their usual shelter.

There, he found the old man’s smelly leather sheets, a small wooden drawer, and some cloth used as pillows. atom Searching through, he found nothing of value except a leather pouch with leftover bread.

The old man had said that as a commoner, Dereck’s magic training would have limited success. antenna It wasn’t wrong; most would agree in this world where magic was a privilege.

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

[You have mastered the basics of magic. galaxy You can now access first-level magic.]

[Choose your main school of magic. autumn This choice is irreversible.]

However, the old man never realized that Dereck wasn’t originally from this world.

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

Dereck only needed a teacher to learn the basics. arch For advanced magic, one would need a great master, but for the basics, anyone could be a mentor. wizard In these slums, even such teachers were rare. alien The old man, with his exaggerated stories, was perfect for Dereck’s needs.

Despite his pitiful life, the old man had tried to teach Dereck something. matrix He wanted to impart his desperate tenacity to survive from the bottom.

That was all there was to it.

Content of Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 1: Dereck (1) published by TrungTu Reads.

As Dereck walked towards Ebelstein’s main street, he wore his usual old-man-like expression and bit into a piece of bread from the old man’s pouch. riddle It contained no butter.