[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-noble-lady-reformation-guide":3,"chapter-noble-lady-reformation-guide-noble-lady-reformation-guide-chapter-176":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Noble Lady Reformation Guide",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1706137,2179,"Chapter 176: Seat of Thorns (4)","noble-lady-reformation-guide-chapter-176",176,"\u003Cp>Dereck was certain he was dreaming the moment his vision returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place was Duke Duplain’s study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There he was, the great Duke Duplain, a figure who had left this world long ago, moving his quill smoothly as he focused on his work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beard of just the right length, the keen gaze, and the imposing bearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the very image of the man who symbolized the golden age of the Duplain family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the first day Dereck saw him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duke Duplain was the first 5-star mage Dereck ever met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, when he had just escaped the slums and begun to immerse himself in the noble world, the pressure emanating from that 5-star mage had been so intense that he had not even dared to speak to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a single exchange of glances, that man had measured Dereck’s level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That memory remained vivid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The realm of 5 stars, a domain that seemed absolutely unattainable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet after countless years of advancing without stopping, now that he lifted his head again, he felt he was almost about to reach that level where the duke had stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Dereck was still young, his magical level was drawing dangerously close to that of the family head mages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only one more step remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could surpass a certain invisible limit, he would finally be able to see the same landscape they beheld.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck closed his eyes once and opened them again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sovereign who had ruled the world had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he was a corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seated in the chair, with a pale face, he had met an empty end after being caught up in the effects of black magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wherever high-level black mages appeared, wandering spirits always swirled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Duplain family’s banquet hall, reduced to ruins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the main seat, where the duke’s body lay, a small-statured girl appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hair and eyes of a soft lilac hue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was a 6-star black mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had the appearance of a delicate young noble lady, but without a doubt she was a researcher of the forbidden, someone who profaned corpses and manipulated souls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl crossed the hall humming, took a few light steps, and when she turned, she looked at Dereck while saying something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could not hear those words clearly, but Fina smiled calmly and waved her hand, as if it were of no importance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck frowned and strained his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, as if making a special concession, Fina approached and whispered into his ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll come get you soon. My adorable disciple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if you try to reject me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck opened his eyes abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The maid who was changing his damp towel jumped in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hiiek…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck tried to sit up without saying anything, but a sharp pain that ran through his shoulder made him shudder for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, he was someone with exceptional pain tolerance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With effort, he managed to lift his torso and look around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was filled with implements to ward off the cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The walls and interior were covered with furs, and the fireplace crackled with a constant fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick, high-quality blankets were piled atop the luxurious bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The maid, wringing out a cloth in warm water, quickly composed her expression and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Baron Ravenclaw… you’ve awakened. You were unconscious for nearly half a day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Half a day?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, sir…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Dereck turned his head, he saw Siern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was sitting on the other side of the bed, her head resting against it, breathing softly as she slept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just before losing consciousness, he thought he had heard her voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck ran a hand over his face several times and let out a long sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I felt like I was just about to understand something…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of Siern’s involvement, Kalimford had not been able to hold back completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under normal circumstances, he would never have experienced a training bout so close to the boundary between life and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to that, he had been able to exchange magic with a 6-star mage to the very limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a way, perhaps he should be grateful to Siern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the training stopped just when he was about to grasp something essential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only he had endured a little longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had managed to manifest the magic just one more time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps he would have opened an entirely new domain, something he had never reached before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The feeling of having been so close made him feel suffocated, restless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Just one more time… just one more time…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just having awakened after losing consciousness due to blood loss, those were his thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it allowed him to raise his magical level even further, Dereck considered a serious injury to be no big deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before that sensation faded from his fingers, he wanted to face Kalimford again in a real battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was at that moment that that unbearable desire began to burn in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creaak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door opened with a creak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the saying goes, speak of the tiger and it will appear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kalimford entered the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body was visibly exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He surveyed the interior and, upon confirming that Dereck had awakened, opened his eyes wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Y-you’ve… you’ve awakened. Is Siern… asleep?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. It seems she stayed by his side the whole time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She follows you more than I imagined. When you collapsed bleeding… all the color drained from her face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kalimford gestured to the maid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gathered her things, bowed, and left the room, apparently to inform Melverot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kalimford approached and sat down on the care chair beside the bed, setting his staff aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I must begin by apologizing. My body no longer responds as it did in my prime, and on top of that I let my emotions get the better of me. I made a grave mistake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no need. Thanks to you showing your strength without holding back, I learned many things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck pressed the bandage on his shoulder several times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a pain that would make an ordinary person scream, but he endured it, clenching his teeth for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wish we had exchanged magic at that level from the very beginning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t even joke about that. If this had been a battlefield and not training, you could have suffered permanent damage without receiving treatment in time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true, but how can one grow quickly without taking any risks?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck spoke with a serious gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This wound will heal soon. When I can move again, I’ll ask you to train with me again in the same way. To learn something, this level of intensity is necessary. In fact, I think I understood something about confusion magic…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That will be difficult.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck raised his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kalimford avoided his gaze, sweating cold, with an awkward expression unbefitting a great legendary mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It struck him as strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did Siern… get very angry…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She didn’t raise her voice or say anything, but she looked at me with such coldness that it felt like a knife was being driven into my chest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kalimford’s face was even paler than Dereck’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When asked what had happened while he was unconscious, he replied in a trembling voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After tending to your wound, I went to look for Siern to explain the situation. We crossed paths in the hallway…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that cold gesture, Siern turned her head and passed by Kalimford without stopping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it… I’ve spent my whole life perfecting mana control, and yet I failed at something so basic… I made an unforgivable mistake…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah… it wasn’t that serious. I don’t think you should blame yourself so much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. It was my responsibility. I failed you, Dereck. So… allow me to ask you for something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, don’t say ask. That puts me in a bind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. This is the greatest favor I will ask of you in my entire life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kalimford firmly grasped Dereck’s forearm and spoke with a gaze full of supplication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When Siern wakes up… could you please speak well of me to her…? I beg you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he was the great mage who had slain the great demon Noir, in front of his own daughter he had no chance at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If someone were to say that there existed a person capable of subduing Kalimford with just a glance, who would believe it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Siern could do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Dereck stated it with absolute certainty, probably no one would believe him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please… if I continue to be hated by Siern like this… what reason do I have to go on living…? If you just speak well of me, perhaps Siern might soften her heart…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah… yes…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with Kalimford’s desperate attitude, Dereck was unable to refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Siern… clicked her tongue and turned away…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right… Melverot… I no longer have any reason to go on living…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it, Kalimford. You’re an annoying fellow, but I never wanted you to face such a cruel trial…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Kalimford returned to Melverot’s study, he looked like someone whose soul had been ripped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, being an old friend of Melverot’s, Siern had not openly insulted him or treated him with hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he had the premonition that she would never treat him with closeness again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With an empty expression, Kalimford began scratching his already gaunt face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Melverot… I think my life ends here. I’ve endured for years with this withered body. Yes… when the effects of necromantic magic end, this fragile life will disappear. This is where I put a period. Live well, Melverot…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait. Don’t draw conclusions so quickly. Perhaps Siern’s mood is just low right now. With time, she might treat you kindly again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That… may be… but there is no hope. If Siern keeps clicking her tongue when she sees me or shooting me icy looks… how am I supposed to react? Damn it… I never imagined I would face such a merciless trial…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Calm down, Kalimford. There must be some solution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Melverot, known for his sharp tongue, to show such a conciliatory attitude was unusual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For both of them, being openly hated by Siern felt like unimaginable suffering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Melverot rested his chin on his hand and said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fortunately, Siern is still favorable toward me. I’ll cooperate as best I can.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“R-really…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From what I heard, she’s currently in the room where Baron Ravenclaw is resting. I’ll take the opportunity to check on his condition and speak with him directly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, Melverot arrived at the room where Dereck was resting, accompanied by several servants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Dereck startled, Melverot gestured for him to keep quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he observed Siern, who was sleeping soundly with her head resting on Dereck’s legs, and sat down beside him with heavy steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“M-Melverot, sir… to what do we owe your personal visit…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t speak at length. Just answer what I ask you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck knew well that Melverot cherished Siern just as much as Kalimford did, even if he did not show it openly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dealing with Kalimford was already difficult; now feeling Melverot’s pressure with that piercing gaze left him completely at a loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Dereck looked at him nervously, Melverot spoke in a low voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is there anything that makes you uncomfortable during your stay here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? …How could there be? I’m receiving excellent treatment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if it’s something insignificant, say everything now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There really isn’t any problem. On the contrary, I can train magic in a perfect environment, and that is very—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do I look like I’m joking?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was an overwhelming seriousness in Melverot’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereck understood it instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing the pitiful state of his old comrade Kalimford, Melverot had realized that he himself could end up the same way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dealing with the heart of an adolescent in the midst of an emotional storm was far more complex than facing an army of monsters stretching to the horizon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Siern puffed out her cheeks and got angry, even a 6-star mage capable of covering the sky with mana and tearing the earth apart would be completely helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing that, Dereck began to see Siern, sleeping peacefully beside his knee, as if she were death itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even the slightest detail… say everything… this is… an order…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bead of sweat ran down Dereck’s throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never before had he felt that he was sitting on a seat so full of thorns.\u003C\u002Fp>",2056,"2026-06-06T14:44:05.188Z",1,"novelbin.me","f1c065528f391e3de3a843cee334d582a310ef5da89ffbdb906a38a8fa0a9f93","noble-lady-reformation-guide-chapter-177","noble-lady-reformation-guide-chapter-175",177,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fnoble-lady-reformation-guide-cover.jpg"]