I found it baffling, and I couldn't help but suspect that perhaps those in disguise weren’t just me and Marquis Jayce. Could she be some kind of agent dispatched from somewhere? A member of a secret noblewomen's group that infiltrated in advance to uncover the Republic’s schemes?
Otherwise, there was no way to explain Lady Palette’s original spell. It was of even higher quality than the spell used by that guy who trained in the Blue Guild’s Youth Center facility and did something with griffons.
His spell was all style with no substance, but Lady Palette's spell was on a whole new level.
First of all, it was practical enough to be used in real situations. Its mana efficiency, power, and even originality were all impressive.
Looking again, even the cigarette seemed like part of the casting mechanism. By using the cigarette as a medium to activate the spell and using the smoke she exhaled as mana, it became far simpler to use than other spells.
I had no idea what she was doing right now, but it reminded me of Mist Summoner Cheon Kwan-Wi. Of course, one couldn't truly compare one of the pillars of the Sacred Democratic Country with Lady Palette, but she still reminded me of him.
‘A genius.’
She was a genius, and it was only natural to think that way. She wasn’t a monster like Ha-Yan, who defied common sense itself, but by the standards of ordinary people, she was talented enough to be called a genius.
The smoke flowing out of Lady Palette’s mouth filled the dark space. The new smoke mixed with what was already there, and instead of transforming into something tangible, it spread quietly and engulfed the surroundings.
‘A combined spell focused on detection?’
“Lady Paint, I think we should move to the right,” Lady Palette suggested.
“Thank you, Lady Palette. Please lead the way, Lady Pastel,” Lady Paint instructed.
“Okay, leave it to me, Peneloti. Don’t let go of me no matter what, got it?” Lady Pastel asked.
“O-okay,” I answered.
She sent the smoke ahead to check if someone was there before moving forward.
“...”
“...”
‘Are they really some kind of secret organization?’
Of course, I know better than anyone that it wasn't the case. The titles I could see with Mind’s Eye didn't include anything like that. As unbelievable as it sounded, it seemed like Lady Palette hadn't lied when she told me that this was all part of her general education.
‘The marriage market of the Union of Kingdoms... has it always been this intense?’
I believed this was all because of the necessary qualifications. Anyone would find it hard to believe, even when they were staring at it with their own two eyes, but it had to be the reason behind all this.
From a young age, the noble daughters had been living a life with only the marriage market in mind, so they poured unimaginable passion into their education.
Of course, much of this education was carried out by their families rather than by the young ladies’ own will, but most of them actively accepted and learned everything. Dance and instruments were just the basics; they also studied social and cultural fields like continental history and geography, as well as mathematics and art.
There was a reason people called noble daughters "superhuman." Their training was harsher and more relentless than that of modern students, giving them no rest. It was endless studying, and it was like they were born to study.
It was not considered a part of the basics, but magic was part of the curriculum, so many young ladies studied magic with the support of their families. Although there were differences in ability, most of the young ladies here could cast spells, use spirit arts, or had deep knowledge of the arcane. I could see it in their status windows.
It wasn’t a popular subject, but even basic swordsmanship was included, and...
“Lady Paint,” I said.
“Yes, Lady Peneloti?” Lady Paint answered.
“Did you happen to receive anything like basic combat training as part of your general education?” I asked.
“Yes, of course...”
‘Of course, she says.’
“Ah. Lady Peneloti... you weren’t able to receive support from your family... Ah! I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to say it like that,” Lady Paint apologized.
‘Why are you looking at me like I'm so pitiful... You guys are worse than me.’
Given the times, it seemed some of them actually received that kind of training. With monsters running rampant in this world, disaster training and basic combat training were considered standard.
It was definitely not anything highly specialized. Just like how elementary schools in the modern world run earthquake drills that most kids would never really take seriously, some girls could have gone through that kind of training.
They had to have thought of it as something they simply had to sit through.
However, some people could bloom even in the harshest conditions. Some become fascinated with magic as part of their basic studies and dive deeper on their own. Some would also realize they had talent in swordsmanship and become a practitioner of the sword on their own.
Some would get more absorbed in basic combat training or disaster training than anyone else, even if they hated it at first.
No matter the place or circumstances, there were always people who would pursue what they loved and wanted to do. I was playing the role of a rough, unpolished gem as Aina Peneloti, but the real unpolished gems were standing before me. Nearly every young lady here was a raw, untouched stone waiting to be shaped.
‘Even at a glance, there are dozens who look more than capable.’
Most of them probably had no real combat experience, but they had experience. The young ladies encouraged one another as they moved across the dark hall. They couldn't see even a step ahead, but the way they stuck together was really impressive. Hand in hand, they pushed forward, and the results of their effort were finally coming into view.
They made it out of the ballroom, and the salon was now right ahead of them. Lady Paint seemed the most confident; Lady Palette looked a bit tired, perhaps from using too much mana, but her guard remained up.
It was probably due to the relief of finally escaping the danger zone, but a few young ladies collapsed to the ground with tears streaming down their faces. The pearl lanterns flickered, refusing to stay fully lit, and the elegant scene from the ballroom was nowhere to be found.
Their once-pristine dresses were smeared with blood, dust, and debris, and their perfectly arranged hairstyles had come completely undone. Their carefully pampered and flawless faces had become dirty as well.
“We’re alive.”
“W-we survived. We really survived.”
“Heuk... heuk... Mom...”
“What happened? Why did this happen?”
“Heuk... kgh... is this place even safe?”
“Everyone, stand up. There is no safe place,” Lady Paint said.
“Heuk... heuuuk...”
“Stop crying and get up. This isn’t over yet. The attack is still happening. There’s no one here to protect us. The guards and our family knights are out there. We only came to the salon because it seemed like the safest option. We cannot be sure when this place will become dangerous, too,” Lady Paint explained.
“Heuk...”
“We have to protect ourselves,” Lady Paint said.
“But...”
“Are you planning to stay here and cry? The Union of Kingdoms was attacked. We don’t know when the enemy will break in. Are you just going to sit here and hope someone comes to save you?” Lady Paint questioned.
“...”
“There are still so many young ladies crying somewhere in this castle. Are you planning to leave them behind? All the education we received was for moments like this; it's not for the sake of sitting here praying for help, but so we could act. Our families spent fortunes to prepare us for times exactly like these. You have to stand up. We have to clear your minds and do what we can do now,” Lady Paint added.
“...”
“Lady Rusvilla,” Lady Paint said.
“Y-yes?” Lady Rusvilla answered.
“You are a member of a renowned arcane family, are you not? I once remember you saying that you wanted to pursue the very limits of magic, so where had that Lady Rusvilla gone? Where is the girl who always talked about becoming an adventurer someday, exploring dungeons, and uncovering unsolved mysteries?” Lady Paint questioned.
‘Yes, that’s the kind of motivation we needed. This is exactly the scene we needed.’
“Lady Hamgardia. Who was it that once said she wanted to go to war and make a name for herself like the Duke Hamgardia? Has the girl who challenged young noblemen to duels when they mocked her for taking basic swordsmanship disappeared?” Lady Paint questioned.
“That was... that was just when I was a child. I-I don’t do that anymore. I’m not like the young ladies of the Black Rose Salon. I-I grew out of that,” Lady Hamgardia mumbled.
“How strange. From what I heard, you still haven’t put down your sword. For something that’s supposedly just a hobby, I was told you never skip your morning training. I must be mistaken then,” Lady Paint said.
‘Yeah, her stats did look pretty good. Feels like she kind of missed her timing... but with proper training, she could probably make a name for herself.’
“All of you can fight,” Lady Paint said.
“...”
“We can fight. We may not have received professional training, but we’re more than capable of handling this. Think about the education we were given when we were young. We were not trained specifically for battle, but we endured those hellish years and made it all the way here.
"Compared to that, this is nothing. Stand up. Instead of sitting here crying, we should understand the situation and figure out what we can do to help others within our abilities. That is our duty as noblewomen,” Lady Paint suggested.
‘It is a little embarrassing to listen to, but it's actually pretty good.’
However, the young ladies remained frozen. They only looked at each other nervously. It was completely understandable. Even if they have handled weapons before, going onto a real battlefield is an entirely different matter.
The fear of dying, and the fear of being injured... Moreover, almost none of them had real combat experience. And even for those who had real combat experience, the extent of that experience was probably shooting arrows or casting spells from behind a wall of soldiers.
At best, they joined a monster extermination squad to gain some experience. They simply had no faith in their own abilities just yet.
In the end, Lady Paint was forced to resort to harsher words.
“Is this what you were taught to do in an emergency? Is this what your families taught you?”
‘Is this what your fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, great grandfathers, great grandmothers, and ancestors taught you?!’
“I’m truly disappointed,” Lady Paint commented.
‘What a predictable lineage you must have...’
“We are nobles representing the Union of Kingdoms. How long are you going to act like pampered pigs? If you think our worth is proven only through marriage alliances, you’re gravely mistaken. We were given the privilege to protect the kingdom and its citizens.
"You were educated and have been living in comfort thanks to the taxes paid by the blood and sweat of your people. Now is the time to fulfill your responsibility, you fools,” Lady Paint continued.
“...”
“Are you planning to become no different from those incompetent swine you insult every day? Our worth is something we must prove ourselves. We have been doing that every day of our lives. We have faced challenges hundreds of times before we even got here.
"Are you scared of dying or getting hurt? Do you think sitting here will keep you safe? If you want to be the ones who choose rather than the ones who are chosen, then you have to fight. You must move. As always, we must prove our worth,” Lady Paint added.
“...”
Upon hearing that, I felt like I finally understood why I was dropped here of all places.
I think I know why I came here...’
Until now, the gates never had a clear goal, or rather, there was never any need to look for one.
The goal of the first life was to save Rafael's party, and the first life I reached through the hexagram would always attempt to revert to the original timeline, no matter what I had done.
I meddled with Jung Jin-Ho’s death. I also meddled with Kim Hyun-Sung and Cha Hee-Ra's affairs. I meddled with Jung Ha-Yan’s life and death as well. Then, I witnessed the start of the Outer Gods War, and I watched her die.
All those were part of building a consistency in the narrative, so I had been expecting that same sense of inevitability to approach me again this time. Of course, I disliked moving without a goal, so I naturally tried to figure out the goal of this gate as well.
I honestly thought the goal this time would be to protect First Hyun-Sung, but thinking about it now, I was probably mistaken.
The reason I was dropped here, of all places...
“...”
“...”
It was probably all because of the gems standing in front of me.