Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 52

To the Teacher, From Vanessa 52 (52/146)

Side Story: Gideon Sol Balder 1

The first time Gideon Sol Balder saw her, he honestly didn’t think anything of it.

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Gideon Sol Balder was born into the only Duke family in the Kingdom of Friva.

He was educated as the sole heir to the family, but the Duke and Duchess did not overly restrict him.

Rather, they worried about the boy who spent all day with a sword in his hand and took time to pore over books, hoping only for his happiness.

“Do what you want. We can at least do that for you.”

“Really? Even if I don’t want to inherit the title?”

Young Gideon tilted his head in puzzlement, and the previous Duke, his father, chuckled.

“If that’s your happiness, I’ll have to find someone else.”

The look-alike father and son sat facing each other, laughing. Golden hair gleamed in the shining sunlight.

But happiness did not last long.

Heirs from fairly influential families born in Friva all graduated from the Academy. It wasn’t mandatory, but it had become a custom with the establishment of the Royal Cabinet. The idea was that the children of distinguished families should not fall behind the children of ordinary commoners.

Naturally, with the immense prestige of the Night Vandalu, the Bamberg Academy was considered the best, followed by the Rosenbaum and Bordeaux Academies.

Gideon also entered the Bamberg Academy according to custom, taking the time to refine his abilities.

He knew he had much, but he also knew that much effort was needed to lead the family well.

He spent countless nights awake.

However, he tried to hide the fact that he was a mage until the very end. The obligations he would already bear were enough. So, another price that came with great power was rather bothersome.

Jonah Hillman, whom he occasionally encountered in the library, noticed his magic.

Jonah Hillman looked at him with disdain.

“I’ve never seen anyone like you. Are you stupid? An ability that would be a waste even if you polished it.”

“You failed because you were too lazy, too. What’s the difference? Oh, was it not because you were too lazy?”

“…Do you often hear that you’re annoying?”

Gideon curved his eyes at a strange angle. It was a smile that would captivate anyone, but Jonah Hillman was not fooled.

“You must have deceived everyone with that curve.”

“There are definitely times when it helps.”

And that day. He still couldn’t quite remember what happened.

He was probably looking for a book in the Academy library. After receiving an urgent letter from the family, he blankly got up.

What he faced upon returning to Balder Castle with the Academy’s permission were two ornate coffins. It was an excessively unrealistic event.

The hands he placed on their foreheads to say his last goodbyes were very cold.

Left alone, Gideon immediately went through the procedures to inherit the title of Duke.

The king was satisfied with him, and it was expected that it would not take long as his abilities were deemed sufficient.

He tried to entrust some of the family’s affairs to trustworthy people. He thought he would graduate from the Academy as quickly as possible and then lead the Balder family as a proper head.

He trusted the people of the family, who had been peaceful and excellent under the previous Duke. So, he treated them truly well.

Until his relatives began to harbor absurd greed.

Fortunately, Gideon had a temperament that disliked troublesome things, but he did not have the generosity to overlook those who coveted what was not theirs.

He revealed that he was a mage for the fastest graduation. The Academy was abuzz with the power he possessed. Even the king did not hide his delight.

The king said with a satisfied smile.

“With excellent swordsmanship combined with innate talent, there is nothing lacking.”

And finally, the moment the Academy’s diploma arrived at Balder Castle, there was no one left to protect him.

Alone, Gideon had felt a strange chill in the castle for some time.

The warmth of the past, when he was with his family, had already faded from his memory, and the castle seemed cold and empty. It was even more so after he suppressed the relatives’ opposition and finished organizing the family.

His maternal grandfather was the only one who worried about him. He visited Gideon often. On those days, he could relax and rest.

His maternal grandfather passed away around the time Gideon became unshaken by the cold wind.

“Gid, I’m just going to rest. None of this is your fault.”

His maternal grandfather seemed to know what he was thinking in his heart. His wrinkled hand patted Gideon’s hand with all his strength. Gideon lowered his head silently.

Soon after, his last breath escaped, and the old man’s expression became peaceful.

Gideon slowly raised his hand and closed the old man’s eyes for him.

In that way, all those he loved had disappeared. He was left utterly alone.

After that, Gideon did not refuse the unreasonable demands of the king and the cabinet. Even when the king finally entrusted him with the position of commander of the special combat unit, he simply bowed his head and accepted it.

There was no attachment to the place where he was left alone, so there was nothing to fear.

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“It seems to be over now.”

Gideon pinned the monster’s head with his foot and pulled out his sword.

The sword, which had pierced all the way to the ground, came out stained with blood. His gauntlet wiped the sticky black blood off the blade.

“Ugh, it was really sickening.”

Lieutenant Colonel Riet repeatedly tapped his neck, expressing his fatigue. The fact that Riet, who was secretly called the ‘mad dog of the Special Forces,’ even said such a thing meant that monsters were terribly widespread in the Danan region.

They drove the monsters to the least populated areas possible and killed every single one, without exception.

Even creatures that would not normally be classified as monsters behaved savagely towards humans, and the number of those dealt with was high. Alimun, who recorded the types of monsters and reported them to the royal family, even stuck out his tongue.

“It’s definitely strange these days. The aggressiveness of magical creatures is excessive.”

“I will report accurately. Don’t worry.”

Finally, Gideon ordered the Special Forces to return freely.

The exhausted members hurriedly ran to the inn to tidy themselves up. Those with families would return to their families to rest their tired bodies.

However, Gideon decided to check all the surrounding areas of the Danan region before leaving. Only then would he be able to report to the king that the subjugation of the Danan region was truly complete. The king was really not easy to deal with….

He rode his horse, meticulously checking from small cities to secluded villages, without missing a spot.

The work took quite a while. But after seeing it, he felt relieved. He was now confident that he could take the portal to Fydom.

After the small city of Louisie, Gideon got off his horse.

The black horse, whose coat gleamed even with dirt, nudged its head against its owner, demanding affection. Gideon chuckled softly and stroked the horse’s muzzle.

It was late at night, so he planned to find a suitable lodging to rest and move as soon as it was light. He slept well anywhere, so there was not much to worry about.

Gideon was soothing his horse as he passed by a shabby, low fence.

At that moment, a faint light flickered beyond the fence in the darkness. He turned his gaze to see what it was.

He really… He really didn’t think anything of it. But he could not deny that what he saw there was impressive.

In the small front yard where darkness was settling, a woman with red cheeks flushed from the cold was hanging a heavy cloth on a line after soaking it in water.

Her white wrists, protruding from the short sleeves, were thin and slender, and her thin clothes did not properly cover her frail body despite the cold weather.

Nevertheless, the woman’s movements were somehow light, as if she were dancing.

The woman’s face was not clearly visible as the pure white cloth fluttered in the cold wind. However, striking blue eyes flashed past.

The reason why all of this caught his eye was probably because of that cluster of light. Round lights scattered from the woman, driving away the darkness.

The woman did not seem to know what those lights were. However, he recognized them at a glance.

The first magic of someone who has not recognized magic.

Gideon paused for a moment, about to call out to the woman. It was a scene he didn’t want to disturb. Despite the cold winter and the lack of abundance, there was somehow a warm atmosphere.

It would be better to find out separately and contact her in the family’s name.

Gideon checked the location of the shabby building and the name of the alley and turned his body.

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“It’s an orphanage. It’s a small orphanage in Louisie, which belongs to the Danan region, and it houses a large number of children compared to its size.”

One of his aides, Ronan Bayer, reported calmly.

“I looked for the woman you mentioned. Her name is Vanessa Rose, and she was said to have come of age this January and will have to leave. They are postponing it, but it’s only for a few months.”

“That’s good. As always, convey the intention to sponsor without revealing the family name.”

“Do you have a place in mind?”

“She showed magical talent, so should we send her to Bamberg Academy? Decide on the amount of support yourself.”

“Yes, I will set it similarly to other beneficiaries.”

Ronan, who bowed deeply, gathered the documents and left the office.

Gideon did not even raise his head. It was the first time he had chosen someone directly, but the emergence of a new beneficiary was nothing special.

The enormous wealth under the Balder crest. Even if there were dozens of beneficiaries, it would not be noticeable.

It was always a good thing for a new mage to be born in Friva.

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That day was the day of the joint meeting.

Count Zenyata’s thin, noisy voice still seemed to pierce his ears.

He had been harboring resentment and making a fuss every time since he failed to push his daughter into the Balder family.