Rudeus Greyrat
By the time we reached Roa, dusk was already settling.
The journey from Buena Village to Roa takes about a day by carriage, roughly a six or seven-hour trip.
Roa, the fortified capital of the Fedoa region, is easily the largest city in the province, a fact that hits you the moment you see it. The first thing visible on the horizon is the wall, towering seven or eight meters high and encircling the entire capital, projecting an overwhelming sense of security and power.
"Impressive," I murmured, pressing my face against the carriage window.
"It's just a frontier city," Daiki commented from beside me. "Though the defenses are solid."
From the opposite seat, Ghislaine gave an approving grunt.
We approached the gates, flowing through with a continuous stream of people and carriages. Once we crossed the threshold, the city revealed itself in all its glory: endless rows of stalls and street vendors lining the road, backed by the bustle of inns and stables.
"Brother," I whispered in Japanese, knowing Ghislaine wouldn't understand. "How do you feel?"
Daiki didn't answer immediately. I watched his eyes methodically scanning the city, likely cataloging escape routes, defensive choke points, and potential threats.
Typical.
"Nervous," he finally admitted. "But also... curious."
"Curious?"
"First big city in a long time. First time this far from home."
I gave him a gentle nudge with my elbow.
"We'll be fine. We have each other, remember?"
"I know."
I noticed some people carrying huge bundles, sitting in a small square as if waiting for something.
"Ghislaine, what are those people doing?"
Ghislaine looked at me, visibly irritated.
"...Kid."
"Do you think I'm stupid? How could I not know what they're doing?"
"Ah, no, it's not that," I rushed to explain. "The thing is, I don't know. That's why I wanted you to tell me."
"Ah. My apologies, then." Her attitude shifted instantly. "That is the waiting area for public carriages. They're used to travel from city to city, provided you pay the driver."
She proceeded to point out various businesses: a weapon shop, a brothel—
Did you really just tell a seven-year-old where to find a brothel?
—and in the distance, the Merchant's Guild.
We turned a corner, and the atmosphere shifted. We left behind the stalls catering to travelers and adventurers, entering a zone of established shops. The alleyways thinned out, replaced by wide main avenues.
"Defensive structure," Daiki observed. "Defensible main streets, likely designed to evacuate civilians to the center during an attack."
"How do you know that?"
"Basic fortification logic. This city was built with war in mind."
The deeper we went, the more luxurious the carriages and storefronts became. And right in the center stood the largest building of them all.
"That is the City Lord's manor," Ghislaine explained.
"Looks more like a palace than a manor," I commented.
Daiki remained silent, but I noticed his fingers tapping frantically against his thighs.
"Brother," I spoke low in Japanese. "You okay?"
"Yes. Just... processing."
"Processing what?"
"That we're going to live here. For five years... away from everyone."
I put my hand on his shoulder.
"Together."
The carriage finally rolled to a halt in front of the palace gates.
"Showtime," I muttered.
As we entered the palace, we were led to a reception room. The butler gestured toward some sofas.
First job interview of my life. Gotta handle this carefully.
"Please, have a seat," the butler said.
I obeyed immediately. Daiki did the same, but with a perfect posture I recognized from some etiquette book he'd been reading recently.
When did he even study that?
Ghislaine, without a word, headed to a corner and leaned against the wall, keeping watch over the room.
"The Young Master will attend to you shortly. I ask that you wait here."
The butler served me a liquid that looked like red tea in a clearly luxurious cup, served Daiki as well, and positioned himself by the entrance.
I tasted the tea. Not bad. I looked at Daiki, who was drinking with measured, deliberate movements.
"WHERE IS HE?!!"
A powerful, angry voice boomed through the house, accompanied by thunderous footsteps.
"IN THIS ROOM?!!"
The door slammed open. A robust man of about fifty burst in. Dark brown hair speckled with gray. Physically fit. And... red eyes.
I heard a sharp intake of breath from my brother beside me.
I placed my cup on the table and stood up, bowing ninety degrees.
"Pleased to meet you, my name is Rudeus Greyrat."
The man snorted loudly, dissatisfied.
"Hmph! You don't even know how to perform a proper greeting!"
"My Lord," the butler intervened. "This is the first time Rudeus-dono has left Buena Village, and due to his age, he is not yet familiar with certain aspects of noble etiquette. I beg you to overlook this slight lack of manners."
"Silence."
The butler shut his mouth immediately.
The Lord glared at me, as if my mere existence annoyed him.
"Hmph! Paul doesn't even teach his son the basics!"
"From what I understand, because Father hated the rigid rules of the nobility, he thought it convenient not to teach them to me."
"I see you're just like him! The first thing out of your mouth is an excuse!"
"Does Father always go around making excuses?"
"What do you think? Every single time he opened his mouth it was to give an excuse. If he wet the bed, he invented something; if he fought with someone, he had an excuse; if he didn't try in his studies, it wasn't his fault either."
He's absolutely right...
"If you're going to study something, at least learn etiquette! Up until now, you haven't put in the effort, and that's why you've ended up like this!"
What he said wasn't wrong. Until now, I had only focused on magic and the sword. I never considered other areas.
"You are right. This failure is of my own making, and I apologize sincerely."
I bowed my head.
The Lord stomped on the floor.
"It seems this time you didn't fish for excuses and tried to present yourself as formally as you knew how! For that reason, I accept your stay in our manor!"
And then, like a passing storm, he turned and began to march out.
But he stopped.
Because Daiki had stood up.
My brother executed a perfect bow.
"Sauros Boreas Greyrat-sama." His voice was formal. "I am Daiki Greyrat, older brother of Rudeus. It is an honor to meet our father's family."
Sauros turned completely, staring at Daiki with wide eyes. The fury he had directed at me was gone.
"You... Where did you learn that greeting?"
"From a book on noble etiquette I found," he replied calmly. "I considered it appropriate to study before presenting myself to the extended family."
"You studied... of your own free will?"
"Of course. Representing the Greyrat family properly, even a distant branch like ours, is a responsibility I take seriously."
Sauros took a step forward, studying Daiki intensely. And then I saw it. The exact moment he noticed the eyes.
"Your eyes," he murmured. "They are..."
"Red. Like yours, Sauros-sama," Daiki didn't waver. "When I was born, they caused... confusion. Neither my father nor my mother has this color."
"Atavism. The Boreas eyes. They haven't manifested in generations."
He reached out a hand, almost touching Daiki's face, but stopped just short.
"And your hair. Black as night. I have no explanation for that, but..." A grin appeared on his face. "It makes you look noble. Elegant."
He spun toward the butler.
"Thomas! This is a true Greyrat! Look at how he presents himself! Look at his bearing!"
Then he returned his attention to Daiki.
"How old are you, boy?"
"Seven, Sauros-sama."
"Seven?" Sauros let out a loud laugh. "At seven years old I was still wiping snot on the curtains! And you already have better posture than half the nobles I know!"
He clapped Daiki on the shoulder.
"Good! Both of you are accepted! Although you—" he pointed at Daiki "—clearly need to teach your younger brother how to behave properly!"
"With all due respect, Sauros-sama," Daiki inclined his head. "Rudeus is a genius in magic. He reached Saint-tier in Water Magic at age five. His talents simply lie in areas different from social etiquette."
Is my brother... defending me?
"Saint? At five years old?" Sauros looked at me with new consideration. "Is that true, boy?"
"Y-yes, sir."
"Hmm," Sauros crossed his arms. "Then everyone has their strengths. Good. That is acceptable."
He spun around toward the door.
"Thomas! Prepare appropriate rooms for my grandnephews! And ensure they have everything they need!"
And he left just as abruptly as he'd arrived.
When the door closed, I turned to Daiki.
"When the hell did you study etiquette?"
"During the last two weeks. Every night after training. I knew we were coming to a noble mansion. Preparing properly seemed logical."
"And you didn't think to teach me?"
"I suggested it to you three times. You said you would 'learn on the fly.'"
Shit, he's right.
"Although," Daiki looked directly at me. "I didn't expect the eyes."
"The Boreas eyes?"
"Atavism," he repeated the word. "All my life I thought my eyes were... an anomaly. Something that made me different in a negative way."
"Brother..."
"But it turns out they are a family inheritance. Something that connects me to this family in a way neither you nor I expected."
There was something in his voice. Relief. Maybe even... happiness?
"It's good, isn't it?" I said softly. "Having an explanation."
"Yes. It is... good."
Moments later, another person entered through a side door.
"What is happening, Thomas? Why haven't you closed the door?"
It was a slender man with bright tea-colored hair. Features similar to Paul—definitely family.
"How strange that Father was so happy. Do you know the reason?"
"Sir, I beg your pardon. The Grand Lord has just met Rudeus-sama and Daiki-sama, and they seem to have made a good impression on him."
"A good impression? How unusual. Hmm?"
He headed to the opposite sofa, sitting down.
Proper introduction. Now.
"Pleased to meet you, my name is Rudeus Greyrat."
I bowed my head seventy degrees.
Daiki, beside me, executed the perfect greeting again.
"Daiki Greyrat. An honor, sir."
The man blinked, clearly surprised.
"Ah, and I am Philip Boreas Greyrat," he studied us with interest. "I must say, when nobles greet each other, they place their right hand on their chest and lower their head slightly. Although—" he looked at Daiki "—it seems you already know that."
"I studied before coming," Daiki explained. "It seemed appropriate."
"At seven years old you worry about etiquette?" Philip smiled. "Impressive."
He looked at my attempt to imitate the greeting.
"That's fine for now, Rudeus. Sit down."
We obeyed.
Philip leaned back, observing us with a calculating expression.
"So, what do you know of the situation?"
I answered what Paul had told me in the letter: five years of teaching in exchange for university tuition.
"Is that it?"
"That is correct."
"I see..."
Philip remained thoughtful.
"Do you like women?"
"I'm not quite at Father's level," I replied.
"I have no romantic interest currently," Daiki said with a neutral voice. "My focus is training."
"Really? Good, you're hired."
Philip proceeded to explain about the previous tutors, and the difficulty of his daughter.
"Did the taste for women have something to do with it?"
"Not at all. I was simply interested because Paul would do anything for a cute girl."
Don't lump me in the same category as Paul...
"To be honest, I have no hope that you will succeed. But you are Paul's sons, so I would like you to try."
"I can't say anything for sure until I meet her."
I proceeded to explain my plan for the fake kidnapping.
"Interesting... Do you think it will work?"
"I consider it has better chances than forcing her."
Daiki, who had been silent, spoke up:
"Although I should add that the plan has risks."
"What risks?" asked Philip.
"If it is discovered to be a ruse, she will lose all trust in us. Permanently. Furthermore, exposing a noble child to simulated danger could have political ramifications if other families find out."
"You are right. You are more cautious than your brother."
"Someone has to be."
That drew a laugh from Philip.
"Well, we won't get anywhere if we keep talking. You need to meet my daughter."
And so, I finally met her.
Arrogant. That was the first thing I thought when I saw her. She was two years older than me, had sharp eyes, and her hair was wavy. It was also a shade of crimson so pure it looked like someone had dumped a bucket of paint over her.
But it wasn't like I could just run away. So, instead, I greeted her.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Rudeus Greyrat."
"Hmph!" She shot me a glare, nostrils flaring just like her grandfather's. She had her arms crossed firmly over her chest while she looked down on me. Both figuratively and literally, since she was taller than me. Her expression turned sour.
Then she looked toward my brother, who was calm as always. As if he didn't see what was actually about to happen—or maybe he knew. Knowing him, he'd surely laugh later.
"And you... who are you? Did you get lost?" said Eris, not quite understanding.
I noticed her gaze fixed on my brother's hair. It was probably the first time she had seen a color so dark, one that seemed to absorb the light. It was possibly that which threw her off.
"Daiki Greyrat," was all he said.
I could see Eris's face change from confusion to surprise, and then to anger, just like her grandfather.
"What is the meaning of this? You're younger than me! And you're supposed to teach me? Stop joking!"
I knew it; she had too much pride. But I couldn't just cower.
"I don't think age has anything to do with it," I said.
"What!? Do you have a problem with me!?" Her voice was so loud my ears started ringing.
"Young Lady, what I am saying is that there are things I can do that you cannot."
The moment I said that, her hair seemed to flare up, like a physical manifestation of her anger. It was terrifying.
Aww, shit. Why do I have to be scared? Although if I'm honest... my brother is scarier when he gets mad... And he hasn't gotten mad yet.
"You're very confident, aren't you! Who do you think I am!?"
I suppressed the fear and answered.
"You're my second cousin, right?"
"Second...? What the hell is that?"
"It means my father is your father's cousin. Basically, you're my great-uncle's granddaughter."
"What are you talking about!? I don't understand!"
Maybe that wasn't the best way to put it? Maybe I should have just told her we were related.
"You've heard of Paul, right?"
"Of course not!"
"Ah, I see." That was unexpected. Apparently, she didn't know who he was. Not that it mattered how we were related. It was more important to make her talk.
After all, when starting a video game, the best way to forge a relationship with an NPC was to talk to them repeatedly.
Just as I was thinking that, she swung her hand and slapped me.
"Eh...?" It was too abrupt. She had just hit me in the face.
"Why did you hit me?"
"Because you're acting too presumptuous even though you're younger than me!"
"So that's it." My cheek was still stinging where she hit me.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Daiki. Motionless. Watching. With that expression I knew too well.
Bastard. This is a lesson, isn't it?
"In that case, I have to return it."
"Hah?!"
I slapped her back. Weakly. Clumsily. But I did it.
Then, Eris raised her fist. And so it began.
She straddled me, pinning my arms with her legs, and began to rain down blows mercilessly.
"Ow, oww, s-stop, hey, n-no, stop it!"
In my desperation, I used wind magic, blasting Eris's face directly.
Eris's expression shifted from anger to blind fury.
And I ran.
Eris chased me like a predator hunting prey. My screams echoed throughout the room, along with her hunter's roars.
About twenty minutes of chasing through the courtyard passed before she finally caught me. When she returned, panting but with a satisfied expression, she found my brother exactly where she had left him.
With the same relaxed posture. As if nothing had happened.
...
Daiki Greyrat
I watched her return, sweaty and satisfied. She had the look of a predator after a successful hunt. Interesting. Violence calmed her, yes... but only for a while. In the long term, that method wasn't sustainable.
Her gaze locked onto me.
"You," she pointed an accusing finger at me. "Why didn't you help your brother?"
"Because he made a tactical error," I replied with the same calm I had maintained while she was gone. "Initiating physical violence against a clearly superior opponent, without a victory plan or escape route, is a critical error. He needed to learn the consequence."
"What!? You let me beat him just to teach him a lesson!?"
My tranquility seemed to irritate her more than any direct provocation.
"You're a cold bastard!"
"Could be."
She took a step toward me, closing the distance.
"And you didn't call me 'Lady Eris' either!"
"I did not."
"Then you also need to learn manners!"
She raised her hand to slap me. I caught her wrist before the blow even took form—firmly, but without exerting unnecessary force.
Eris blinked, bewildered by how easy it had been for me to stop her.
"What...?"
"Violence is inappropriate."
"Let me go!"
"If you promise to calm down."
"I promise nothing!"
She lashed out with the other hand in a lateral hook. I caught it just as quickly.
She tried to kick my shin. I simply took a small step back. Her foot sliced through the air.
"Young Eris..."
"Shut up!"
She tried to sweep my legs with a clumsy, desperate movement. I hopped over it without releasing her wrists and landed in exactly the same spot, as if nothing had happened.
Her face flushed with frustration, red up to her ears. It clashed with her hair.
"STAND STILL!"
I decided that was enough. I released her.
Eris stumbled back half a step, breathing raggedly, clearly winding up for another attack.
"Now you'll see!"
She launched herself at me with all her strength. I took a step to the side. Eris flew past, almost tripping on her own momentum. She turned quickly and tried again.
Another side step. Another failed attempt.
"Stop moving!"
"That would be contrary to my survival."
She growled and changed tactics. She began to chase me around the room, trying to corner me against the walls or furniture. Every time she got close, I slipped to the other side. When she tried to block my path, I had already changed direction. And when she tried to anticipate my next move, she was always reacting a second too late. Her attempts to hit me became increasingly desperate and uncoordinated.
"Stand... still... you damn...!"
She was panting now. My breathing hadn't even accelerated.
Philip watched from his seat with an increasingly amused expression.
"ENOUGH!"
Eris stopped in the center of the room, chest heaving, several strands of hair stuck to her forehead with sweat.
"Fight seriously!"
"I am not fighting. I am only avoiding unnecessary violence."
That calm seemed to be the final straw.
"AAAHHH!"
She threw herself at me with everything she had left. No technique, no strategy, just pure fury.
I decided to end this now.
When her fist came toward my face, I caught her wrist. This time I didn't stop there. I pulled gently on one while guiding the other.
And I spun with her, as if we were in a perfectly choreographed dance.
"What...?"
I spun her once. Her confusion grew.
Twice.
She was starting to sense that something wasn't right.
On the third spin, I entangled my feet with hers on purpose. Her legs got caught in mine.
And I let go at the exact moment.
Gravity did the rest.
She fell on her backside, tangled in her own limbs. She stayed there, looking at me with an expression of absolute shock.
Her mind was clearly short-circuiting, trying to understand how she had ended up on the floor without me applying real force.
I remained in front of her, looking at her with the same calm I had maintained throughout the entire chase.
"Young Eris," I extended my hands, but she slapped them away. "As I mentioned, violence is inappropriate."
"You... you..."
Eris couldn't even form coherent words. Probably no one had handled her like that before. For her, that must have been more humiliating than any normal defeat.
I turned to Philip, who was trying to hide a smile.
"Where will our rooms be?"
"Thomas will show you," he replied, with a tone of amusement he barely managed to disguise.
I looked at Eris one last time. She was still sitting on the floor, still trying to process what the hell had just happened.
"Have a good night, Young Eris."
And I left the room, leaving her there, with her pride more wounded than if I had given her a real beating. All her strength, all her fury, all her violence... hadn't been enough to even graze me.
And that was infinitely worse than losing a fight.
The rooms assigned to us were mirror images of each other, joined by a side door.
I heard Rudeus's door open and close, then his footsteps approaching the door that connected our rooms.
"Brother. Are you there?"
"Always."
He opened the door, showing his bruised face. Eris's blows had left marks, though nothing serious.
"It hurts," he admitted, murmuring a basic healing spell. "The pain lessened... but not entirely."
"Do you need help?"
"I'm fine. Just... battered. Nothing permanent, although my pride is going to take longer to heal than my body."
"I warned you." It wasn't a reproach, just a fact.
"I know, I know. I was an idiot returning the slap. My adult brain should have known better, but my seven-year-old pride took over."
I approached, hesitating between intervening or letting him learn on his own. That balance was always complicated with Rudeus.
"I can heal you better. Without an incantation. My magic is more efficient."
"I know, Brother. But I want to do it myself..."
"As you wish."
I stood there, waiting. I knew my brother well enough. Sooner or later he was going to cave.
Finally, he sighed.
"Okay, okay. Go ahead. I'm not going to turn down professional help when I have it right here."
I placed my hand on his head carefully. The pain disappeared completely in a matter of seconds, along with the fatigue and general discomfort.
"Thanks, Brother. Seriously. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"You're welcome. Try not to need it so often."
I returned to my room but left the door open.
"Brother," he called me before I got too far.
"Yes?"
"What do you think of her? Of Eris, I mean."
"Temperamental. Violent. No evident emotional control... But not without potential. She isn't stupid. She just lacks proper direction."
"Potential? You think so? Because from where I was, getting hit over and over, I only saw a wild child with absolutely no filter between what she thinks and what she does physically..."
"Her combat techniques are correct. Ghislaine trained her well in the fundamentals. The way she moved, weight distribution, positioning... it was all technically solid. She just needs mental and emotional discipline to accompany her physical training."
"And do you think we can teach her that? Do you really think two seven-year-olds are going to civilize that... storm?"
"You can teach her magic and reading. You have patience for academics and know how to explain complex concepts simply," I said with my usual pragmatism. "I... will see what I can do with her emotional control and physical discipline. I have some ideas, although I am not completely sure of their viability."
Rudeus stared at the ornate ceiling.
"I hate you, Paul. How dare he send us to a place like this without a proper warning? A letter saying 'the student is a bit energetic...' doesn't even come close to what we just faced."
I let out a brief laugh.
"Although... compared to my previous life, this isn't so bad," Rudeus admitted after a moment. "I have a job, a safe place to sleep, some money, family I care about. Paul organized it pretty well, considering the circumstances."
"Rudy?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you okay? Your breathing changed. Stress pattern."
"Just... thinking about my previous life. Inevitable comparisons, you know."
"Ah."
I understood. I also carried my own past, my own memories of another life.
"Do you think about yours too? About your previous life?"
"Sometimes. Less lately. The frequency has decreased."
"Why do you think that is?"
"Because this life is objectively better. I have a clear purpose. Achievable goals. In my previous life... I had none of that."
"Even being here? Far from Mom, Dad, Aisha, Norn? In this absurd mansion with a violent noble who will probably try to kill us tomorrow?"
"Even being here. Because I am not alone. I have you, Brother. And as long as I have you, I can handle any situation that arises."
Rudeus fell silent for a moment.
"Brother."
"Yes?"
"What happened after I... you know, ran away? With Eris."
I paused for an instant.
"She tried to hit me. Several times. Apparently, chasing you didn't calm her down."
"And? Don't tell me she hit you too."
"She couldn't touch me. I evaded her until she got tired. When she decided to go all out, I used momentum redirection. Water God Style technique. Paul taught it to me: using the opponent's strength against themself."
"Did you make her fall?"
"First I spun her around. Three times. Then I tangled her feet and let go. She fell on her backside, without getting hurt."
"That sounds humiliating..."
"That was the idea. Demonstrate control without violence."
"And did it work?"
"Hard to know. Her reaction tomorrow will be the indicator. Her initial attitude will define the long-term strategy."
"Do you think she'll try to get revenge?"
"It is probable. The unknown is whether she will be impulsive or reflective."
"This is going to be a long five years."
"Probably," I admitted. "But routine turns challenges into background noise."
"Good night, Brother. Try not to dream about violent nobles chasing you."
"Good night, Rudy."
I remained awake for a few minutes, processing the day with my usual method.
Eris was not like the other children I had observed. Violent, yes, but not lacking internal logic. Her pride was excessive, her temper unstable, but she wasn't stupid. She was just... misaligned. Without a proper guide.