That afternoon, as usual, I went to Philip's office to discuss the business situation. The distilleries have produced the first batch and made some profit. After deducting all costs, I received about three gold coins, less than half of what I estimated. But this is because I suggested lowering the price, so I can't complain.
Besides, more than half of the stock is still being aged to enhance quality to target the mid and high-end segments. So when that stock is released, that's when I'll make a fortune.
My future seems bright, hahaha!
After finishing the discussion, I stayed to chat with Philip a bit. Usually to catch up on noble information and the economic situation. After all, the incident where I was sought out by some guard mage before made me a bit scared. But luckily, nothing related to my name happened, so I was somewhat relieved.
As for the others, according to letters exchanged with people in the Royal Capital, most things haven't changed much. Veronica has started studying law with the goal of becoming a judge as I inspired her. Tantris has become a knight captain in the Knights' Guild. And the biggest upheaval I know of is probably Isolde and Master Reida leaving the Royal Capital, starting a new training journey for the Water Saint. From what I know, they will probably go to the Kingdom of Shirone, the King Dragon Kingdom, and then to the Holy Country of Milishion to spar with strong opponents.
It's unclear who Isolde will meet, but she promised not to lose to anyone before meeting me again, so I'm starting to worry a bit that I'll be left far behind by her again. Also, I feel a bit sad because the journey from the Royal Capital to Shirone doesn't pass through Fittoa.
Although I don't want to say it, I miss Isolde a little.
But because of our promise and goals, I will definitely try my best so that the next time we meet, I will truly defeat her.
Now back to the main business.
"I heard Eris has taken the initiative to learn dancing? You really exceeded my expectations, Atur."
"I was going to report that to you. But it seems your source is faster." I nodded.
"Such shocking news, of course everyone knows." Philip nodded. "Some people even said you used some Dragon Tribe black magic on my daughter to make her obedient."
"I'm just a 7-year-old kid." I smiled wryly. "And I'm human..."
So that Dragon Tribe rumor has spread here too? My appearance is really good at causing trouble.
"Actually, I made an offer that if Eris can dance at her 10th birthday party, I'll take her to register as an adventurer."
I thought Philip would know about this anyway, so I just said it straight.
"A pretty heavy promise." Philip interlaced his fingers and said. "But I don't hate the idea."
"Wait what? You don't oppose her becoming an adventurer?"
"If that brings her happiness, I don't mind." Woah there. When did Philip suddenly become father of the year? Maybe I did misjudge him.
"But being an adventurer is dangerous and tough. Even if you said so, I don't think she should become one. Especially when she's still um… like this."
Now I sound like some strict and overprotective father huh?
"But didn't you promise her to become one?"
"I said 'take her to register', not 'take her adventuring'."
"I see." Philip smiled. "You Notos men are really good at using tricks to seduce women, aren't you?"
"Haha..."
Why am I suddenly seen as a player? I haven't even held hands... ah, I think I held Isolde's hand. Never hugged... but I think I hugged Isolde a few times during wrestling practice.
But no kissing yet, thank god.
Anyway, I have no intention of going far with Isolde because I just want to see her as a healthy rival to develop together. Plus that alcohol thing, I think Isolde doesn't want to see me as a marriage partner either. So if I accidentally take her important firsts, it would be dangerous. If she can't get a husband later because of those things and blames me, I'm dead.
Or maybe if her husband is strong and very jealous, I'm still dead too.
Besides, I have decided to devote my heart to Ghislaine already.
"But what about after that? If you break your word then, my daughter will be very angry."
"I hope by then I'll have completed the mission my master gave me. If not, at most I'll take your 70 gold coins and run to the Sword's Sanctum."
"Deceive and run? You truly are Paul's nephew."
What kind of person is my uncle really?
"Anyway, don't worry about it too much. Even if she can't dance, my daughter just needs to smile and perform the Boreas greeting, and she'll be cute enough."
"That greeting is exactly why I *must* teach Eris to dance."
I know this whole house sees Eris's 'nya nya' thing as normal, but people will judge. Somehow now I'm the only person in this household who really wants Eris to become a proper lady.
"I still think it's not very necessary; instead, why don't you teach my daughter reading and arithmetic?"
"I'll pass. I think I've run out of ways to lure—ah, I mean convince the young lady to learn dancing. Besides, I need time to practice the sword."
"That's a pity."
Just teaching Eris etiquette takes me nearly four hours a day. Now if I teach math and reading, I'll lose the whole day. I want to help, but I value my arm more.
Although putting myself in Philip's shoes, it is truly desperate. Just yesterday I heard another tutor gave up after staying here for only a week. I also intended to support that tutor and point out a few tricks to teach Eris, but the way that guy looked at me and said 'depraved runaway', I just ignored him.
Honestly, he's probably the only person Eris punched that I fully supported.
But thinking about it, this situation isn't very good either. Because after half a year, I can roughly be considered Eris's friend. And as a friend, I want her to develop more comprehensively. It's a bit weird to say, but Eris is a bit stupid; without proper education, she could be tricked to death by people.
In my past life, I fell into the abyss because I had no knowledge of how to live; now if possible, I don't want my friends to fall into a similar situation. So I came up with a plan. Of course. When do I not come up with a plan?
"Although I can't teach Eris reading and arithmetic, maybe I can play another role."
"Oh, I'm listening."
"I would like to be Eris's head tutor. From now on, let me interview and intervene in the tutors' work methods. Even if I don't teach directly, I can still find who is most suitable to teach Eris and give direct advice."
Just like how I'm supporting Ms. Edna in teaching Eris etiquette. Although there are a few things a bit strange to an etiquette tutor's common sense, Edna agreed to follow and had certain results. Even in teaching Eris swordsmanship, although I don't give direct advice, 'maybe' the nonsense I came up with also helped Eris get stronger.
In short, I'm quite confident in my ability.
"Head tutor? That title does sound more suitable for you." Philip nodded, good! "However, you surely don't intend to do it for free, do you?"
"Of course not." I chuckled as I rubbed my hands together like a shady merchant. "What do you think that position should be worth?"
"How about 3 silver coins a month?"
"Deal!"
I thought I had a good deal, but later I learned Ghislaine's salary is 5 gold coins.
But let's not compare with a Sword King.
***
Finding a reading and arithmetic tutor for Eris was harder than I thought. Even though I lowered my expectations, hardly anyone came to ask for the job of teaching the Boreas young lady.
They were really afraid of wasting their time.
Seeing that, I used my own money to put out a huge recruitment drive with the content: as long as they have enough teaching qualifications, they will be immediately rewarded with 1 gold coin if they complete the entrance test I give; if hired, an additional 5 gold coins bonus.
I thought the 30 gold coins I was rewarded by Philip would be more than enough to cover it.
The result was more than 50 qualified applications. I lost 50, so that's another 20 gold coins in debt.
And what's worse?
That's none of those 50 people are capable of teaching Eris.
They were all top lecturers and professors in various fields, but each came with a litany of serious issues. First of all, more than half of them showed open dissatisfaction the moment they saw my face and realized I would be managing them. The rest bluntly stated they just came to take the reward money and then left immediately.
Yep, my plan failed completely again. Ken got another good laugh at my expense.
***
And so, I returned to Philip's office one month after I started holding the position of Eris's 'Head Tutor.'
"It seems there hasn't been much progress, has there?"
"Yes…" I sighed.
I thought there would be some people who just came to finish the challenge for the money, but I expected them to be the minority. I assumed the majority would be those truly passionate about the profession (like me), which is why I came up with that method. But in the end, I underestimated the awfulness of humanity. But still, I'm kind of rich right now because of the whole wine making business so I don't mind that much.
Wait… I should focus on paying off my debt before acting like a wealthy person, shouldn't I?
"I think instead of running around in circles like this, wouldn't it be better if you just taught her yourself? I heard you also like magic and even know how to use chantless magic. If possible, teaching my daughter magic wouldn't be bad either."
"I don't even know how I do it myself, so how can I teach it?"
"I see."
I nodded because I was truly stumped. It seems everything really does end up falling into my lap. But I still want more free time rather than having to be a nanny for Eris.
"By the way, are you free tonight, Atur?"
"Huh? Actually, I planned to go to the training ground to ask Ghislaine for some pointers for a while, then go back to my room to rest. Do you need something?"
"I just received a job application letter from an acquaintance quite a while ago." Philip said as he slid a letter toward me. "I think you might want to try talking to this person."
I wasn't expecting much, so I picked up the letter tentatively.
The name on it was Paul Greyrat, my uncle. Now this is *unexpected*.
"I thought Uncle Paul was a swordsman?" I don't think he knows much about teaching.
"Regarding that, just read the letter and you'll understand."
So I started reading.
The initial content of the letter wasn't anything important, just recounting the situation in Buena Village where Uncle Paul is serving as a guardian knight. Mostly just miscellaneous information like who hit whom, and what matters were resolved. It sounded professional, but the tone was terribly frivolous, not like an educated knight at all.
Ah, I forgot, it seems my uncle also ran away from home just like me.
Then, when I read to the second page, my uncle finally mentioned his son named Rudeus. He talked about how Rudeus wanted to find a tutoring job and expressed a desire to recommend him as a tutor for Eris. He also expressed how talented his son is and thinks he's the best pick.
"So Uncle Paul and Rudeus will be coming to Roa tonight?"
"No, just Paul. I ask him to come alone first."
"Huh? The person who has to do the work is that Rudeus guy, so why is his father the one coming here?"
"I want to ask directly before deciding." Philip just smiled, however, I guessed he knew something he wasn't telling me. "Paul also said he wanted to explain the situation more clearly."
Anyway, I didn't expect much. Countless royal tutors and lecturers from big schools had already failed. There's no guarantee that the son of a noble runaway would be anything special.
But if it's work, I'll still be present to listen.
"But there is perhaps one thing I think I should tell you beforehand so you won't be shocked."
"What is it?" I tilted my head. I hope it's not something crazy like demanding to cut off my hand like Master Reida.
"Paul's son is a Water Saint-rank mage."
My eyes immediately lit up.
***
Sometime after dinner, I was summoned to the mansion's drawing room.
To be honest, I was quite… reluctant to meet Paul. I grew up hearing praises about that genius but unruly uncle of mine, even being compared to him in his youth. But I didn't hate Paul for that; on the contrary, thanks to being mentioned and compared like that, I was quite curious and admired my uncle. There was a time when I even set a goal to reach the Advanced rank in all three sword styles because it was cool.
But lately, I've been hearing nothing but unsavory things about the man. Sleeping around with women, being a playboy,...
In short, bad stuff.
Besides, there's a saying 'never meet your heroes' because if you do, you'll only be disappointed.
"Sigh... well, nothing to lose, I guess."
I stood in front of the drawing room door and knocked. After hearing Philip's voice call out from inside, I gently pushed the door open.
***
Inside the drawing room, there weren't too many candles lit, just a few placed near the tea table. Under the weak light of the flames, I saw a man sitting opposite Philip.
He had a rugged face, long brown hair tied back like a… um… it's like a ponytail but much thinner, so I don't know what to compare it to. Besides that, it was still a handsome face, with a small mole under his left eye. With a face like that and the solid build of a swordsman, I can understand why my uncle is a renowned lady-killer.
However, the way he dressed was too sloppy.
"Lord Philip. I apologize for being late." I bowed slightly to the two seated men. "And this must be Lord Paul? I've heard your name for a long time and now I finally get to meet you. It is truly my honor."
"No need to be formal, Atur. Paul just arrived as well." Philip was the first to speak. "Besides, we're all family here, don't stand on ceremony."
"Yes, sir."
I stood up straight. Immediately after, I felt a rather intense gaze from my uncle. Paul was rubbing his chin, raising an eyebrow at me as if evaluating something.
"Are you really Pilemon's son, kid?" Paul finally spoke. "You don't look anything like him."
"I've heard that a lot." I smiled wryly. It seems everyone says that, right? "But anyway, the more different from him, the better."
Hearing my answer, Paul paused for a moment. My uncle pointed at me and then looked at Philip as if asking a silent question. As for the mayor, he just smiled and nodded.
Result: Paul reached out and slapped my back repeatedly with extreme delight.
"Haha! So you argued with your father and ran away from home like me? And you dared to leave five years earlier than I did. Well done!"
Praising his nephew for daring to run away from home. My uncle has a sense of humor, doesn't he?
"I heard from Philip that you're Reida's disciple?" Paul suddenly asked. "How is she now?"
"Still healthy, sir." I answered honestly. "You know my master?"
From what I know, it seems Master Reida also mentioned Paul once. Perhaps my uncle was also a disciple of the Water God?
"She taught me a few things when I first ran away from home." Bingo. "In the end, things didn't end very well, so since then, I haven't dared to meet her again, haha."
It seems Ms. Ghislaine doesn't like Paul much either. In the end, how many people has this uncle offended?
If I remember correctly, Reida did glare at me when she found out I was Paul's nephew. Even though Master's face is always grumpy, I can guess when she's truly annoyed. There are only two people whose names make her irritable: Ken and Paul. They seem to have something in common: running away from their responsibilities? Will she hate me if I run away when I can't use Perfect Reverse on the Longsword of Light? I think so, but if it were the old me, I'd rather be hated and keep both hands than be liked and lose one. But the current me wants to keep both hands and still be liked.
"Honestly, at first I was a bit surprised that a kid was a 'head tutor' or whatever." Paul admitted. "But if Reida accepted you as a disciple, you don't seem to be ordinary."
"You flatter me, sir. I'm just a little luckier than others." I nodded and sat down in the empty chair in the other corner. "By the way, I heard your son, Rudeus, is a Saint-rank Water Mage even though he's only 7?"
"Hmph. That's both right and wrong." Paul suddenly crossed his arms, revealing an extremely proud expression. "Actually, he was a Saint-rank Water Mage at age 5."
5 years old!? Is he really a human!? Isolde only reached Saint-rank at 10.
"When did your son start learning magic?" I asked again. Even though I know of the existence of many types of geniuses, this type is truly crazy.
"He learned from 3." What the fuck? "Ah no, before that he even taught himself. To the point where he could use Intermediate magic on his own and blew a hole in my house's wall, haha!"
"Intermediate magic at... 3?"
"That's not all. Besides Water Magic, he can use all combat magic up to at least Advanced rank. Not to mention all the other stuffs too."
"All of them!?" A person can spend a lifetime reaching Intermediate or Advanced rank in one magic system. And he can use 'all'???
"I haven't even mentioned that he can use chantless magic, kid."
Chantless too!? That's not a genius anymore; that's a monster!
What the hell is this? Am I an NPC listening to stories about the main character?
But wait, it seems the way mages calculate ranks is different from swordsmanship, so I don't really understand how terrifying a Saint-rank mage is. The strongest people I know are at most Intermediate and Advanced rank in the Academy and the Adventurer's Guild. But most of them don't seem to be highly regarded. Based on what I can see them do, Advanced-rank magic mostly takes a lot of time to cast. Usually, a swordsman of the same rank could have cleared out quite a few magical beasts in that time. That's also why Ken often reminds me that if I want status, I should focus on swordsmanship.
And to use Saint-rank magic, one must have a terrifying amount of mana. I've been training for a long time and can only use Intermediate magic at best. According to what I've read, Advanced magic usually has a large effect, like creating a fireball the size of a house, so I don't have a suitable place to practice. Plus, fearing attention, I stopped at Intermediate with only my Water Magic.
That's also why, even though I didn't want to meet Paul, I had to come. Who knows, maybe this cousin one year younger than me is truly a magic genius. Then I could learn a thing or two.
However, I still have a few worries. I don't mind peer pressure; I've been immune to that for a long time. But it's not certain that this Rudeus has a normal personality. Based on my experience with geniuses like Henry, Isolde, or Eris, everyone has some kind of quirk.
But for some reason, I have a feeling Rudeus is a pervert.
Like many other Notos men.
If that's true, I'll make sure he doesn't touch Eris or Ghislaine.
"Atur." Philip suddenly spoke up. "What do you think?"
You should be the one giving an opinion. Why kick the responsibility to me... ah right, I'm the head tutor.
"Indeed, Rudeus is admirable. Such achievements are something even professors at the Academy cannot reach." I smiled—copying exactly the way Philip usually smiles. "But I heard Uncle Paul intends to bring him here as a tutor for Lady Eris, right? After all, a good mage is not necessarily a good teacher. Besides, this position also requires teaching reading, writing, and math."
Hearing me, Paul looked up at the ceiling and laughed. "Haha! No need to worry about that! My son is a genius!" He said it. "He knew how to read at one year old! He could even read difficult books that give me a headache just looking at them. As for teaching, in his village, he taught a child to read, write, and use magic. Now that girl is as scary as my son."
"Are you... telling the truth?"
"I never lie! When you meet him, you'll understand. Every few days he surprises me. Not only that, he was the one who helped save my family from ruin caused by my mistakes."
"..."
What a kid huh. I really want to have a son like him in the future as well.
I looked at Philip.
"What do you think, my lord?"
"Honestly, I think I'm a little jealous of Paul. I wish Eris had even a fraction of that."
I didn't ask about that.
"Don't worry." Paul was now the one smiling and waving his hand. "Every child grows up in their own way."
"You are right. Thanks to Atur's support, Eris has improved, but I still worry." Philip smiled lightly. "Even now, she can't read yet."
On Paul's side, my uncle laughed heartily. "Some kids born looking like geniuses turn out to be mediocre, while many who look mediocre turn out to be great people later, my friend. So don't worry."
I agree with this. At first, I thought Henry was just a playboy noble, but he turned out to be the person I respect most. Not to mention he's strong too.
"However." Paul continued. "In Rudeus's case, I believe he will only become more talented."
Wow... I wish my father would say that about me. So jealous.
Based on what Paul has shown, my uncle probably isn't lying.
And if that's true, this Rudeus isn't just a monster or a genius. He's a saint. What did my uncle give birth to? If such a person exists, I think he must be some kind of savior of humanity by now. There's no reason for me to say 'no' in this case. Isn't this like having one last card and pulling an SSR?
But because of that, there's one thing I don't quite understand.
"So why do you intend to send Rudeus to work as a tutor? I mean, if he's that good, shouldn't he continue training?"
Even if he's a genius or whatever, if I'm not mistaken, Paul's son is less than a year younger than me. Meaning if he was born in the spring, he's only just turned seven. Being sent to work at 7, is Paul's family situation not good? Sounds unreasonable since the couple are S-rank adventurers. And being the village guardian knight, the salary shouldn't be bad. Unless...
My uncle is the type who burns money like paper and forces his kids to work to pay off debts.
Based on my experience with Pilemon, the Notos family, besides being perverted, is also terrible at treating their children well. It's possible my uncle is the same. If that's true, I'll use exorcism magic on his face.
"Sigh... It's a long story."
But contrary to my thoughts, Paul and Rudeus's story wasn't that 'dramatic'.
Instead, Paul told Philip and me about a girl named Sylphiette, the daughter of an elf hunter. That girl had green hair—the color of the Supard demon race—so she was shunned and bullied by the village children. Rudeus saw that and protected her, and they became each other's only friends.
Rudeus then taught Sylphiette reading, writing, and magic. The green-haired girl also learned chantless magic. Every day, the two of them played together all day long.
"So your son has a friend, what's the problem?" I asked.
"The problem is that a few days ago, he demanded to go north to study at the Ranoa Magic Academy."
I know that name. It's the largest and most prestigious magic school in this world. It's also the training ground for the most powerful mages in recent generations. And also my business rival in the magic tool manufacturing field.
"Indeed, going so far away at 7 is difficult. So you intend to let Rudeus earn money himself to cover tuition?"
"That's part of it." Paul nodded. "The biggest reason is that I want Rudeus and Sylphiette to separate."
"Eh? Why?"
"Because they have become too dependent on each other." Paul sighed. "Lately, when playing with Rudeus, Sylphiette spends too much time outside without helping with her housework. Rudeus demanded to study in the north, but not alone; he wants to go with that girl. If this continues, the two of them will only know each other and won't be able to be independent without each other. I've been adventuring for a long time; such a relationship usually doesn't have a happy ending."
"So you want Rudeus and Sylphiette to separate so they can both mature?"
"Correct."
So this is how Paul thinks about parenting? Anyway, I somewhat understand why he thinks that way. This world is truly not as simple and peaceful as it looks, so losing a loved one is something that can happen. I experienced that and thought about giving up. And I'm a reincarnated person with over 30 years of age. Now imagine how a real child would react?
It would be a scar that lasts forever.
Scars are a double-edged sword. They can be a great motivation, or they can destroy a person.
"If that's the reason, I think I have my answer."
I looked straight at Paul.
"I oppose accepting Rudeus as Eris's tutor."
What Paul is trying to do can be understood as a way to protect his genius son. But somehow I can't agree with that.
The room immediately fell silent. Perhaps no one in this room guessed I would give this answer.
"Huh?" Paul rubbed his chin, his voice deepening. "Can you tell me the reason, kid?"
"It's because you're trying to force Rudeus and Sylphiette to separate."
I could see Paul's expression gradually worsening. My uncle was now glaring at me as if I were rejecting his son out of jealousy. True, I am jealous, but this is not the reason.
"What's wrong with that? If those two stick together, they won't be able to mature!"
"Mature for what?"
"Huh?" Paul froze. "What the hell are you saying-"
"I ask you, what do Rudeus and Sylphiette mature for?"
I took a breath. Although I knew I shouldn't say what I was about to say, there was no turning back now. Because I was very angry. Angry enough to want to punch Paul.
"Even if Rudeus is a Saint-rank mage, even if he is a sensible, strong, talented child, I think you have overlooked an important thing. He is still just a 7-year-old child."
The image and voice of my own father in my previous life appeared before me. Unreasonable expectations placed on me. For what? Because I was once a child who was 'accidentally special'. Then, Pilemon's face also popped up only to make things worse.
"A seven-year-old child doesn't need to mature. They need to be protected by their parents and taught right from wrong. Not being separated from their only friend."
I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the rising emotions.
"A sensible child isn't a good thing, Uncle. It only shows that the child couldn't have the innocence they deserved. That's not a good thing; it's a tragedy."
I gritted my teeth.
"I guess you haven't told Rudeus your intention, have you?" I turned my gaze to Paul opposite me. "You think about his future, but have you really thought about his feelings? And you can still beat your chest and be proud to be his father?"
"You...!"
Paul stood up straight. Immediately, Philip raised his hand to stop him.
"Calm down." Then the mayor looked at me. "You've said a bit too much today, Atur."
Although his face and attitude didn't show it, I could feel that Philip was also somewhat dissatisfied with what I just said.
And rightly so. I just cursed Philip's guest to his face and told him he didn't deserve to be a father.
"I apologize." I bowed. "However, I will not take back what I just said."
"I understand. What you just said isn't without reason." Philip nodded. "I'll keep your opinion in mind. Now go back to your room; let me talk to Paul for a bit."
"...Yes, Lord Philip."
I didn't want to linger, so I stood up immediately. Even though I didn't want to, I bowed to Paul and left.
People are right. Never meet your heroes.
***
"Sigh... sorry, I didn't expect young Atur to have... such strong emotions." Philip laughed as he poured a new glass of wine for Paul opposite him. "Usually, he just smiles and does things no one understands."
"Yeah."
Although he took the new glass of wine, Paul still looked at the door—where Atur had just left not long ago.
"What's with that kid?" Paul asked. The knight's face looked complicated.
"It's a long story. But that kid is also a genius like your son."
"Is that so? He looks like a brat with no manners." Paul crossed his legs and downed the glass of wine he had just been poured. His gloomy eyes suddenly lit up. "This wine is pretty good. Where did you buy it?"
"Atur made it himself."
"That kid? A kid knows how to make wine?"
"Surprising, isn't it?"
Philip chuckled. After all, the mayor had also been surprised like that. At first, he just thought Atur got lucky, but every time after that, he only made better kinds.
"Not only that, that kid also used a secret art of the Water God Style."
"What!?" Now Paul had to slam his hand on the table. "So he's a Water King?"
"No, Atur refused the title."
"What? Why?"
"I only heard about it. If you're curious, why don't you ask him yourself?"
Now Paul felt confused. This feeling was exactly the same as every time he faced Rudeus. And thinking back, the way Atur talked and reacted was also like how his son usually expressed himself.
He doesn't look like a normal kid at all.
"What's wrong with kids these days?" Paul scratched his head in confusion. He already didn't understand how to deal with Rudeus, and now a genius swordsman kid with unconventional thinking popped up. "Little old men everywhere."
"Actually, I think Atur's situation looks quite like yours."
"About running away from home?"
"About having a bad, imposing father."
Although Philip didn't see Paul's father as a bad person, from what he saw and was told by Paul, that man was bad at parenting.
"Sigh... Now you sound like you're blaming me for being like my old man back then."
"Aren't you?"
"Hmm..."
"But Atur has a point. Separating the young couple like that might not be a good idea. If things are really as bad as you say, that girl might hate you a lot."
"Gosh, I think about this all the time. If I don't do anything, and later Rudeus turns out like me, only that girl will suffer. I'd rather be hated than have my son hurt her."
Paul couldn't say outright that the real reason he wanted to separate the two kids was that he clearly saw that Rudeus would sooner or later become a playboy like him. There's a very high chance Rudeus will chase after every girl he finds attractive.
Saying 'very high chance' is an understatement; it should be 'certainly'.
If that kid really ends up with Sylphiette later, there's no problem, but if not, she will be permanently hurt. And as an adult, Paul cannot let that happen. Better to let both kids hurt now than despair later.
So the conversation fell into silence again. Both men, married with children, were now contemplating their decisions.
"To be honest with you, if Rudeus is really that talented, I would look forward to seeing how he performs. If Atur wasn't here, I wouldn't mind giving it a try." Philip admitted. "If he fails, I'll send him back like everyone else. But with the current situation it's hard for me to agree."
For Philip, his goal was to find a tutor good enough to teach his daughter. Atur seemed to be the type who could do that, but he always found ways to avoid it for personal reasons. Now that Atur himself had cut off this only good opportunity, the mayor could use it as a reason to force the silver-haired boy into the position he always avoided.
"So you can't help?" Paul sighed. He had known the answer since Atur stood up and left but still tried to hold onto a little hope.
"Haha, sorry. If I agree, Atur might tell my daughter to beat up your Rudeus all the time."
Although Philip didn't think Atur was that petty, he couldn't rule out the possibility. As for Paul, the knight thought he might have to find another way.
"If you say so..."
"But if you still want the best for the kids, I have a proposal."
Just when it seemed the conversation had reached a dead end, Philip started it again.
*****
NAME: "Eris B. Greyrat"
OCCUPATION: Granddaughter of Fittoa's liege lord
PERSONALITY: A little violent
DOESN'T: Mind listening to what people have to say
READING/WRITING: Can write her own name
ARITHMETIC: Can add single digit numbers
MAGIC: No clue
FENCING: Sword God Style/North God Style – Beginner-tier
ETIQUETTE: Can do a normal greeting and fighting-like dance
PEOPLE SHE LIKES: Grandfather, Ghislaine
PEOPLE SHE WANTS CONSIDER AS FRIEND(?): Atur
WANT: Becoming an S rank adventurer with Atur
LIKE: Deep Fried Chicken KFC Style and listen to adventure tale