Noble Lady Reformation Guide

Clop, clop.

Along the southeastern road of the continent, a young messenger rode with urgency.

Confident in his skill at handling a horse, the youth surged forward like the wind and was already about to reach the territory of Tigris, the outermost area of the County of Elvester.

The young and capable Baron of Tigris was a solid man—he protected that mountainous border region, administered small settlements that could barely be called villages, and maintained order by hunting the monster races that appeared in the area.

It was a place so remote that news rarely arrived, but at the very least, the information that messenger now carried had to be spread to every corner of the continent.

The news that Emperor Gattrel had been assassinated.

With that revelation—shocking like a bolt of lightning from the sky and capable of shaking the entire Empire—the messenger pressed on without stopping, pushing through the darkness of the forest, driven by his sense of duty.

However, when he finally arrived at the mansion of the Baron of Tigris, he could not help but open his eyes in astonishment.

From the settlements outside the castle, a gloomy atmosphere already hung in the air, though at first he thought it was simply due to the late hour.

But the closer he drew to the mansion, an icy sensation, impossible to describe in words, began to crawl through his body.

And when he crossed the boundary of the grounds, the blood-soaked landscape that greeted him left him frozen in place.

‘W-what is this…? W-was the mansion of the Baron of Tigris attacked…?’

The territory of the Baron of Tigris regularly sent reports to the County of Elvester.

As long as they dealt with the occasional monsters and submitted the quarterly taxes, no one felt the need to come and check in person.

It was a region too remote, and moreover, the Baron of Tigris himself was a man worthy of trust.

‘H-how can everything inside be so devastated… and yet nothing leaked to the outside…?’

A profound sense of incongruity overwhelmed him.

Someone had used artificial means to prevent the internal chaos from spilling outward.

In a rural area composed of small settlements, it was not impossible if a powerful figure intervened.

Even so, there were limits to concealing something like this.

He did not know how much time had passed since the massacre, but soon the County of Elvester would discover it.

Just as the messenger decided to abandon delivering the message and immediately turn his horse—

Thunk.

A black-crimson spine pierced his chest.

He could not even scream.

With bulging eyes, he managed only to let out a strangled sound as his body collapsed.

“Well, coming from so far away must have been exhausting. Thank you.”

He had not sensed any presence.

Already sitting behind the saddle, calmly flipping through the letter the messenger carried, was a girl of small build.

“Working as a messenger traveling long distances can’t be easy. Cold, exhaustion, hunger, and on top of that, running into beasts or monster races that can kill you at any moment. I suppose the pay makes up for it.”

The messenger, emitting muffled sounds, slumped against the horse’s neck.

The girl, her pale lilac hair gently swaying, watched him with half-lidded eyes, completely indifferent to the life fading before her.

As she read the letter, it was filled with details about the assassination of Emperor Gattrel at the Ravenclaw Academy.

It mentioned that the culprit was a 6-star confusion-type mage, that the Baron of Ravenclaw had led her capture, and that, in recognition, he would receive both the title of margrave and that of count.

With direct backing from Melverot of the north and Kohella from the Palace of Gremport, once the weather grew warmer, Dereck Lydorf would reach a position to which no one in the surrounding lands could aspire.

There were very few 6-star mages on the continent.

And Melverot, Kohella, and Drest were protecting him.

At that, Fina let out a mocking laugh.

“The central nobles will stir up a fuss again. For someone like me, hidden away in a rural corner, it’s almost like a smokescreen—though I don’t think it will last very long.”

It seemed the County of Elvester was already beginning to notice that something was wrong.

Although the distance was considerable, such a prolonged silence was suspicious.

Moreover, Katia Flameheart was surely already dropping hints.

The time Fina could remain there without concern was running out.

Even so, that place was already practically her kingdom.

Necromantic creatures moved everywhere.

Atop the mansion, a gigantic dragon-shaped monster, reduced to bones, rested with its wings folded.

At the entrance, floating in the air, was her most prized creation—the Archlich named Happy—observing the world from on high.

Amid the sinister fog, corpses and wandering spirits roamed that cursed stronghold.

Thud.

The messenger’s lifeless body fell to the ground.

Fina, seated elegantly on the mount, took his place.

The young man, sprawled on the earth, began to move little by little with a grotesque sound.

He was already one of Fina’s soldiers.

“Soon, Dereck will come to see me. I’ll have to tidy the house up a bit.”

As the horse moved forward slowly, the queen who ruled over death crossed the landscape beneath a moon veiled by mist.

They said Dereck was the most famous master in Ebelstein.

He had been Fina’s student, and also her master.

Did they say that bad noble ladies didn’t exist?

Fina found it hard to suppress her laughter.

After seeing the state to which the territory of Tigris had been reduced, could anyone still say that?

Perhaps those who taught young ladies raised like hothouse flowers could afford such romanticism.

But Fina, the noble lady of the House of the Baron of Tigris, had lived for eons, massacring and profaning countless lives, paving her path with blood.

Regret had no meaning, and she had never intended such a thing.

This was not about correcting proud, ill-mannered young women.

This was on an entirely different level.

No famous master could fix something like this.

Among all the noble ladies Dereck had known, Fina was the one who harbored the deepest darkness.

And she would be the greatest trial in that master’s life.

“Well now, I really do have an expensive disciple.”

She closed her eyes and imagined the scene—Dereck, having become a mage at the level of a family head; armies following him; mages beyond the limit protecting him.

And then, she imagined them all dead.

In the middle of the mansion of Tigris, drenched in blood, embracing Dereck and whispering in his ear that only she could guide him.

That only she could lead him to the starry heavens.

And when he reached the supreme level, mastering all magic and every inscription—then, at last, she could ask him to put an end to that long and exhausting life.

“Ufufu… ufufufu…”

Seated sideways on the horse, laughing softly, she looked like a dreamy girl.

But seeing her cross that mansion covered in the shadow of death and spirits, the only thing one felt was a chill.

Even death bowed its head before her.

The queen of that dark and cursed realm was Fina.

***

“For the beginning of summer, it seems I’ll be granted the title of count.”

“Oh! That’s… truly something worth celebrating, Dereck…!”

“…”

Seeing that Dereck had a somber expression, Ellen tilted her head, wondering if she had said something inappropriate.

“…”

The chaos that had occurred at the Ravenclaw Academy had largely settled down.

The imperial guard took the emperor’s body and placed the culprit in custody before leaving the academy grounds.

Of course, Princess Roselin and Kohella also departed with them.

— Don’t forget what we promised. We’ll see each other again at the Palace of Gremport.

Early in the morning, just before boarding the carriage, Princess Roselin’s gaze as she looked at Dereck was unusually serious.

She seemed convinced that they were now traveling on the same boat.

In any case, she had no intention whatsoever of yielding Dereck to another faction.

For his part, the conditions Dereck had presented to Princess Roselin were also quite satisfactory to him, so he did not see them as a bad option.

Thus, after seeing off the imperial guard at dawn, Dereck gathered the Ravenclaw Academy disciples who were present into the conference room where the large round table stood.

The first order of business was to announce his rise in status.

“D-Dereck…? Then… from summer onward you’ll really become a noble with territory…? You’ll have the same rank as Countess Rodelia of House Renuel…?”

“Something like that.”

Diella, seated beside Dereck, opened her eyes wide.

Ellen congratulated him sincerely, and Denise did the same.

Siern, on the other hand, seemed completely indifferent.

After all, she was someone who behaved perfectly naturally even in front of 6-star mages like Melverot or Kalimpord; Dereck’s increase in authority would not change their relationship much.

Trisha, however, the most sensitive to worldly power, was left staring with her mouth agape.

“H-haah……………… the western frontier territory… you’re going to administer it… yourself…?”

“…You can make expressions like that too?”

“N-no… s-sorry for my lack of decorum, c-count…”

“…I haven’t officially received the title yet.”

“A-ah… th-that is… haah…”

Dereck sat down at the round table, pressing his temples hard.

Seeing Trisha trembling so exaggeratedly, the other noble ladies began to swallow nervously in silence.

When they had first met Dereck, he was nothing more than a ragged mercenary from the slums.

And now, before they realized it, he was about to receive a noble title and take responsibility for a vast territory.

If Dereck truly entered the category of a family-head-level mage, the hierarchy would be completely reversed.

It would no longer be possible to maintain such an informal relationship, calling each other simply by name while exchanging teachings.

An elevation in status changed even the relationships that had been maintained until then.

Administering one or two rural villages as a baron, moving about at one’s convenience, was nothing like becoming a count and beginning to manage a territory directly subordinate to the Empire.

Until now, it had been enough to keep up appearances at official events; in private, they could treat him with the same familiarity as in his days as a mercenary.

But with such a high position, they would have to change their attitude completely.

“…”

And Dereck found that extremely uncomfortable.

Having lived since youth as a mercenary, always far removed from authority and formalities, he did not like seeing his disciples so tense and careful around him.

Even so, rank was rank, and due treatment was due treatment.

Taking those things lightly could lead to mistakes in important situations, which would end up eroding his authority.

“After the academy officially opens, the workload will increase. And once I begin fully managing the territory, I’ll be even busier. Still, from the moment I decided to teach you magic, I don’t intend to do it halfway.”

When it came to the relationship between master and disciple, Dereck was always firm.

If he decided to accept someone as a disciple, he took responsibility until the very end.

He was the kind of person who would storm into the Belmierd family or the Beltus family and raise hell just to protect his own.

“However, I think it will be impossible for me to accept any more direct disciples. That’s why I wanted to make it clear that, at least with those who are here, I’ll go all the way.”

Although Dereck had made a name for himself in the field of educating noble ladies, even he had his limits.

The direct disciples of Baron Ravenclaw, Dereck Lydorf, were only the people gathered there. There would be no more in the future.

It was necessary to define that point clearly and eliminate any unease.

“…Although, to be honest, there is one more disciple I haven’t told you about.”

And then, Dereck moved on to the real topic.

From his days as a mercenary to becoming a noble, he had taught countless noble ladies, improved their achievements, and guided many along the path of reform.

He had accumulated sufficient experience both as a mage and as a teacher, and had begun to feel a certain internal confidence that he could teach almost anyone.

But the world was vast, and all kinds of noble ladies existed.

Among all those he had met and educated so far, there remained one figure who far surpassed any other in difficulty—someone who was, at the same time, his teacher and his disciple.

The direct disciples of the Baron of Ravenclaw were five—that was what everyone believed.

Those present could not help but swallow in surprise.

***

— If Princess Roselin says she needs allies, I can join as well. However, there is a matter I must resolve without fail. If this isn’t settled, even from the princess’s position, it will be difficult to keep me under her command.

— And what are you planning to do now?

— …Could the imperial side help me with this?

Inside the carriage returning to the Palace of Gremport, Princess Roselin reviewed with a grave expression the conversation she had had with Dereck.

There were far too many things to do.

Once back at the Palace of Gremport, she had to interrogate Marilyn, who was still in custody, in greater depth, and also investigate the figures hiding behind her.

However, what Dereck had asked of her just before departing kept returning to her mind, tangling her thoughts even further.

— A 6-star necromantic mage is targeting me.

Baron Dereck Lydorf Ravenclaw always made shocking statements.

The emperor had been assassinated, the Empire was going through a national crisis, and her anger toward Marilyn was at its peak.

She thought there was nothing left that could shake her.

At least, that was what she believed.

But the words Dereck had entrusted to her just before boarding the carriage ended up disturbing her mind even more.

What he had told her in secret, away from Kohella, continued to weigh on her chest, deepening her thoughts again and again.

***

“It’s about time to prepare the reconstruction of the academy and, while we’re at it, the preparations for reopening!”

The next day, Aiselin entered the office carrying an enormous stack of documents, her expression overflowing with happiness.

Dereck, who had spent the previous night brooding over all kinds of matters and was somewhat exhausted, thought as he looked at Aiselin so full of energy.

‘No matter how I look at it, I can’t compete with the endurance of this monstrous woman.’

“I heard that while I was gone, Dereck handled both palace affairs and academy matters! I can’t keep causing you so much trouble! From now on, I’ll take charge of directing the palace staff!”

Dereck glanced sideways at the expressions of the head maid, Elpin, and the chief butler, Delbriton.

Their faces looked like cattle being led straight to the slaughterhouse.

Seeing two people normally so cold and professional with their faces completely drained of color made Dereck’s feelings a bit complicated.

“T-that is…”

“Sir Dereck! You already have far too many important matters to attend to! I appreciate your concern for me, but it’s better that you entrust minor internal affairs to someone like me, so you can focus on larger and more significant things.”

The sad reality was that Aiselin was right.

Dereck looked silently toward Delbriton and said,

“Then… if that’s the case…”

“It’s fine, Baron Ravenclaw… I understand perfectly… perfectly…”

The butler Delbriton spoke with an expression of complete spiritual enlightenment.

The head maid Elpin at his side was no different.

“Yes… that’s right. For all of us maids… it has been an honor to serve Baron Ravenclaw as our lord…”

“Eh…? Elpin? The lord is still Dereck, you know? There’s no need to speak as if you’re saying farewell forever.”

“Yes… of course… I’m still the head maid of the Ravenclaw palace… of course I am… but… I will live remembering this month that was like a paradise… remembering this beautiful spring…”

“Elpin… seriously! There’s no need to say goodbye so nostalgically! It’s not like there’s a staff transfer or anything!”

Seeing the lively Aiselin and the two servants completely pale, Dereck inclined his head in silence, as if offering a funeral prayer.

Be that as it may, this was not a time when he could devote attention to palace management.

He had to deal with the administration of the Ravenclaw Academy, private magic lessons, and, on top of that, the schedule for the granting of his title.

And the only person capable of handling all of that at once was, in the end, Aiselin.

In the servants’ eyes, she must have looked like a Grim Reaper wielding a scythe.

Dereck let out a sigh and stood up.

The weather was beginning to soften.

It was spring.

The turbulent inspection itinerary, one way or another, had come to an end.

Now, the reopening ceremony was just around the corner.