Chapter 15: The UnexpectedOne year after my younger sisters were born.My daily magic research was temporarily put on hold, turning into happily playing with my younger sisters.Sylphie also frequently came to my house to visit them, and she came today as well." Syl... phie... sis... ter "Aisha said, word by word, as she crawled toward Sylphie.Sylphie squatted down and picked her up." Not sister, it's big brother, you know. "I corrected Aisha's mistake.However, Aisha just glanced at me.Looking at me with an expression as if she were looking at an idiot, she didn't change how she addressed Sylphie.Huh? What's going on?Why was my obedient, cute, and clever little sister not listening to me right now?Aisha is really very clever; she learns everything very quickly.But after all, she is only a one-year-old child, and I don't expect her to become a genius or anything.As long as she grows up well and doesn't get hurt, that's enough..." Rudy. "Paul's voice suddenly rang out." Father, is something the matter? "I looked up; Paul was holding Norn.Norn looked very well-behaved in his arms.Of course, Norn, who usually plays with me, is also very well-behaved." Anyway... Sylphie, please look after the sisters for now. You, come outside with me. "Sylphie nodded.Paul put Norn down." Oh... "I also gently put Aisha, who was in my arms, down.Following Paul, I walked into the yard outside the house.He was looking around, as if waiting for something." You, are you interested in becoming a private tutor? "Paul crossed his arms, his eyes closed, as if making some kind of decision." A private tutor? "" That's right, being a teacher for a cute young lady. Of course, there's a salary. "Paul... are you asking a 7-year-old child to earn money...?Honestly, I don't object to it; in fact, I'd quite like to try. I want to know what Roxy felt when she was teaching me.But... what Paul is doing is not what a father should do." Father, I don't object to becoming a private tutor to earn money, but why do you want me to go? Are there financial problems at home? "" Maybe... there are some financial issues...? But that's not the whole reason. Hmm... this is a promise between me and... uh, between me and a friend. "" Why do I have to fulfill a promise between you and your friend? "" Please! Rudy~ Just help Dad out this once... "Paul pressed his hands together, speaking to me with a fawning smile.Making his own son complete his own unfinished decisions, Paul... even though I just praised you for growing up earlier.One absolutely cannot avoid one's own responsibilities; I intended to make Paul realize this." Father... "But before I could finish my sentence, Paul interrupted me." Rudy, if a swordsman were to attack you right now, do you think you would have a chance of winning? "" What kind of swordsman? "" Uh... stronger than me... a little? "" Then I should have... "Before I finished speaking, I heard rapid footsteps.In an instant, I cast magic to turn the entire yard, including the ground, into ice, then quickly observed left and right, spotting the figure." Father, there's an ene... "I looked up at Paul, only to find he had already disappeared, and those rapid footsteps were slowly closing in.Not good!I stomped on the ground, turning the ice where the sound originated into a swamp.Subsequently, I directly released Lightning Magic, striking toward that spot.After the smoke cleared, I saw the enemy's appearance.It was a beast person, a beast person with silvery-white hair and wheat-colored skin.My series of attacks just now didn't seem to cause her much damage, but that was normal.I only released large-area magic to find her location.After confirming her position, I squatted down, observing the enemy's movements.But the moment that figure stood up, it vanished.My naked eye couldn't observe where it went, but...I touched the ground I had just frozen, using my magic power to sense any living thing moving on the ice surface.As long as she had to step on the ice to advance, I would definitely be able to detect her within this range, no matter how fast she was.When the enemy approached right in front of me, I immediately cast Ice Magic to block her, freezing her feet." Who are you?! "After barely controlling her, I shouted.She didn't answer my question." Then... "Seeing that she didn't answer my question, I immediately cast Saint-level Wind Magic [ Wind-Entwining Dance ] and slashed directly at her neck, preparing to kill her.But... this move was blocked by her sword, and her sword was blown into the sky because of it.I controlled the magic that hadn't completely dissipated, slashing at her neck once more.Just then, her feet broke free from the control of the Ice Magic, and she jumped directly into the air.I immediately cast Ice Magic again, freezing her hands, and her sword slipped from her grasp as a result.A swordsman without a sword in hand is like being empty-handed in front of a beast.Checkmate!I've won; you no longer have any chance of victory...I straightforwardly declared victory in my heart, preparing to kill her here.But, in mid-air, she caught the sword with her mouth." Mouth?! "Just like that, holding the sword with her mouth, she rushed toward me in an anti-physical posture.This was a move I had never imagined; even Paul had never held a sword in his mouth.Think of a way, quickly!!In that almost one-second span of time, I forced myself to think of several types of magic.No, it's too late...I'm... I'm going to die...Suddenly, I felt a blow to the back of my neck.My vision went black.
Chapter 16: PaulI stood in the shadows, watching the battle between Rudy and Ghislaine.The fight progressed quickly, ending in less than two minutes.But as I watched from the sidelines, I realized just how much of a genius my son truly is...Seeing Ghislaine rush at Rudy from the air as if she had lost her composure, I stepped in first to knock Rudy unconscious, stopping Ghislaine.I held the unconscious Rudy and asked with a smile,"What do you think? My son."Ghislaine first crouched down and smashed her frozen hand against the ground.After shaking off the remaining ice shards, she replied,"Very strong. It's hard to imagine he's only seven.""Right? Sometimes I doubt he's even my own flesh and blood.""As a mage, he possesses almost abnormal combat intuition. Among the mages I've ambushed, he is the most troublesome. How is his swordsmanship?""He doesn't have the same talent for swordsmanship as he does for magic.""Is that so? What a pity."Ghislaine seemed very fond of Rudy. If Rudy had forced her into a corner using a sword, she would likely have been excited enough to take my son away right then and there."Alright, take him away.""Aren't you going to wait for him to wake up and explain things clearly?""I can't win an argument against him, but I left a letter. Rudy will understand once he reads it.""Does Zenith know you've made this choice?""I'll let her know tonight. If she knew right now, she would definitely strangle me.""Heh, I really don't know how she fell for you in the first place. I'm leaving then."Ghislaine hoisted the unconscious Rudy onto her shoulder and headed towards the carriage.She hadn't walked two steps before a mud wall suddenly appeared in front of Ghislaine."Stop... Where are you taking Rudy?"I turned to look; it was the girl named Sylphie.So, she is also capable of incantation-less magic?Ghislaine looked at me, seemingly having no intention of answering."Uh... Rudy is going to be a tutor..."I didn't know how to explain it clearly, so I could only bluff my way through.But this girl, shedding her usual weakness, spoke aggressively,"Then why did you knock him out?""Uh... this was a test...""Did Rudy agree to this?!"Just as I was still thinking about what to say, the girl had already launched magic at Ghislaine."What a pain!"Ghislaine clicked her tongue and jumped away to dodge it."Paul, hurry up and explain it to her clearly!""I know."I rushed over and grabbed the girl by the back of her collar."Mr. Paul... why are you doing this..." Her eyes were filled with tears, and she gave up on resisting.Why?The reason...Facing this girl who was only a few years old and clearly liked my son at a glance, was I supposed to say it was because "that bastard Philip got wind of Rudy from somewhere and hopes for a marriage alliance?"Indeed, I hate these messy affairs between nobles... but...[Think carefully about the peaceful life you have now. If other nobles were to find out about your son, could you still live so comfortably?]That's right... Rudy is a true genius.A child who could become a Saint-level mage at only five years old, and who also has noble blood flowing in his veins.These two points alone are enough to drive those nobles crazy. There are very few mages in this world who can reach Advanced Rank, and he reached Saint-level Magic at only five... and now he is even higher.[He's just coming to my house to be a tutor. I won't force your son to do anything. I just don't want your son to be snatched up by other nobles to become their weapon. In three years, if he has no intention of marrying Eris, I will let him come back. I just want the other nobles to know that your son is working for me, so they won't bother you and your family. It's a win-win situation.]That's right... Philip is correct.This is the best choice..."You should write a letter to Rudy."I said this to Sylphie, then turned and returned inside the house...."Paul, you aren't lying to me, are you?""I'm telling the truth..."Zenith slapped me across the face.She was crying again. I've lost count of how many times I've made her cry."Wasn't it because you hated the ways of the nobles that you left in the first place...? Why are you letting Rudy enter that circle now?""It's just for him to be a tutor for three years, so those nobles will think Rudy is working for Philip. That way, those nobles won't come to bother us in the future...""Just because of this... you sent Rudy to an environment he's completely unfamiliar with?! He's only 7 years old! Paul!"Norn and Aisha, as if sensing the change in the household, started crying together.I hugged the weeping Zenith, while praying in my heart that my sensible son would not hate me for this.
Chapter 17: RoaBumping... dim... feeling like vomiting...When I opened my eyes, what came into view was... breasts.Hmm?"Oh, you're awake?"Above the breasts, a woman's voice reached my ears.I sat up and looked at the woman who had just let me lie on her lap.She is...For a moment, my nerves tightened, and I even wanted to use Fire Magic to create an explosion and escape.But on second thought... if she really wanted to do something to me, I should have been dead the moment I opened my eyes.Then...I sat up and tried to clear my head."Hello, my name is Rudeus Greyrat. May I ask what your name is?""Heh, Paul Greyrat's child is actually this polite? My name is Ghislaine.""Uh... You seem to know my father. May I ask what my current situation is...?"This beast-race woman named Ghislaine did not answer my question, but instead pulled a letter from her chest.Wow... this kind of trope actually exists, pulling items out of one's chest..."This is written by Paul Greyrat for you. Paul Greyrat will probably explain it clearly in the letter.""Oh... thank you."I took the letter.And opened it directly.[Rudy, by the time you see this letter, you've probably already arrived in Roa, right?First of all, I am very sorry as a father to do such a thing, but I will give you a rough explanation now. If you are angry, you can beat me however you want when you return.One day, I received a letter from a noble...]I finished reading the general content.It basically said that Paul Greyrat didn't want me to become a tool for nobles, so he's sending me to Philip to be a tutor for three years. This way, the nobles will think I'm working for Philip, and after that impression is set, I can return."Paul Greyrat also asked me to pass on a message to you."Ghislaine, who was sitting to the side, spoke up.I looked up in confusion, hearing her imitate Paul Greyrat's tone as she said:"Because I was afraid I couldn't out-argue you with logic, I thought about just knocking you out and sending you over.""Really... that sounds just like something Father would say."This is a simple task.Just serving as a tutor for a young lady for three years and then I can go back.It's still quite simple...But, Paul Greyrat... I'm afraid you can hardly understand the pride in my heart. If I were threatened by those nobles, I would definitely find a way to exterminate them.However... I can't blame Paul Greyrat either. In his eyes, this is probably the best method.After all, in this world, nobles still carry a lot of weight."Oh, there's another letter.""There is?"Ghislaine reached into her chest again and took out a letter."This was written to you by your friend.""My friend...?"In this world, the only person I can call a friend is... Sylphie.I opened the letter, which contained only a few short sentences.[Rudy, please continue to teach me magic after you return. I will watch over your sisters as they grow up in your place—also, I'm actually a girl.]"Eh?"I couldn't help but make a sound."What's wrong?""Nothing... It's just that some things that have been set in my mind for a long time have shattered at this moment."Ghislaine tilted her head, expressing her confusion.Sylphie is a girl...?Well, I honestly never asked her if she was a boy or a girl.But... every time I said I wanted to train her into a qualified man...Well, she rarely seemed to agree with that statement...Is that so? Was that why I always felt something was off?"We're almost there."Ghislaine's voice pulled me back from my thoughts.Forget it. I'll just be a tutor for three years and then go back. I'll apologize to her then.I stuck my head out to look at the scenery outside the carriage.A city wall about seven to eight meters high.The streets are bustling, lively, and clean...The sight of people wearing armor mingling with commoners and merchants, coming and going, really gives it a [fantasy] feel.I took a deep breath facing outward.I had thought that the streets of such a city would definitely have some strange smells, but in fact, there was no unpleasant odor at all.No, I can't keep looking at this world with the mindset of my previous life... After all, this world has magic, so using magic for cleaning must be very easy.After the carriage passed through a corner of the town, the atmosphere around us suddenly changed.Along the roadside, there were rows of weapon shops and armor shops, the kind that specifically serve Adventurers. Continuing further, it changed into shops that seemed aimed at town residents."It's well planned..."Because of this layout, as you go deeper, you can see that the buildings are getting bigger and bigger, and shops oriented toward high-end goods have also increased.It seems that in this city, the closer you live to the center, the wealthier you are.And located in the center of the town is the most massive building."This is the lord's mansion.""This is truly... more like a castle."Only now did I clearly realize that Paul Greyrat is someone who has truly detached himself from the noble circle.Although our family isn't poor, our wealth definitely doesn't even compare to one-hundredth of these nobles."But since I've come here, it means the young lady I'm to tutor is of quite high status.""Hmm... not exactly."Ghislaine shook her head.Hmm? Did I guess wrong? But the carriage has already entered this mansion that looks like a castle."Is it the lord's daughter?""No.""It's not?""...It's a bit different."What does that mean?The carriage stopped....After entering the mansion, we were led by a butler to a place that looked like a reception room.In front of us were two sofas side by side."Please sit there."I sat down on the sofa as instructed, while Ghislaineretreated without a word and stood in the corner of the room.That should be a position where she can see the whole room, right? Is Ghislaine a bodyguard type of character?"The young master will be back soon, please wait a moment."After the person who looked like a butler poured a drink resembling black tea into a high-class looking teacup, he retreated to the side of the entrance to stand by.I took a sip of the tea that was still steaming.It's really awful... If this kind of black tea is the good tea used to treat honored guests in this world, then this world definitely doesn't have any decent tea.The person who looked like a butler didn't pour tea for Ghislaine. It seems my initial guess was correct; Ghislaine probably holds the position of a bodyguard in this mansion..."Where is he?!"I was thinking about these things when rude footsteps accompanied by a roar sounded outside the room."Is it here!"A burly man opened the door with a rough motion and entered the room.Probably about 50 years old? Although there was some white mixed into his dark brown hair, he still gave the impression of being vigorous and strong."Are you Paul Greyrat's son!""Yes. Nice to meet you, my name is Rudeus Greyrat."I stood up and bowed, imitating the nobles I had seen in TV dramas before.The man snorted disdainfully."Hmph! Don't you even know how to greet someone?""My Lord, Master Rudeus has never left Buena Village, and he is still young, so I'm afraid he hasn't had time to learn etiquette yet. A slight display of rudeness is still...""Shut your mouth!"After being scolded, the butler stopped speaking.Is this my employer?He looks quite angry..."Hmph! Did Paul Greyrat not even teach his own son etiquette!""Father doesn't like the style of nobles, so he didn't teach me.""Making excuses immediately! Just like Paul Greyrat!"Ah... I really want to use magic to freeze this damn rage-aholic.I twitched the corner of my mouth."Does Father like making excuses?""That's right! Every time he opens his mouth, he's quibbling! He makes excuses for wetting the bed! He makes excuses for fighting with others! He makes excuses for slacking off in class!"He really says whatever he wants... To think that this kind of person is actually in the upper echelons of the nobility. Could it be that nobles are actually all idiots?"You're the same! If you had the heart to learn, small things like etiquette shouldn't be difficult! It's because you didn't work hard that you've ended up like this!"Good grief... No wonder Paul Greyrat hates nobles.Although I have indeed only focused on researching magic and swordsmanship since coming to this world... but..."If I remember correctly, I was invited by you to be a tutor, right?""Yes!""I don't have knowledge of etiquette. All I know is literacy, arithmetic, and magic.""Then you must learn etiquette now! Otherwise, you aren't qualified to tutor my granddaughter!"This guy... every sentence makes me almost unable to control myself and freeze him to death."First, you invited me to be a tutor, I didn't come here to apply for a job, so I will only teach the parts I know, such as literacy, arithmetic, and magic.""Second... No, I have nothing more to say. If you don't accept that, I'll go back now.""Hmph! Slick-tongued! Just like that brat Paul Greyrat!"After saying this, he slammed the door and left, looking very angry.But he didn't say to let me leave, so it seems I still have to do this job.What a pain..."Who was that just now?"I turned and asked the butler."That was the lord of Fittoa, Lord Sauros Boreas Greyrat, who is also Lord Paul Greyrat's uncle."Such an angry person, surely the people living in his territory must be suffering.Uh... thinking back, the people living in this territory seemed quite happy on the way here.Could this guy be the type who is fierce with his words but always soft-hearted in his actual actions?Hmm? Greyrat...?"So that makes him my great-uncle?""Yes."I understand.No wonder Paul Greyrat dared to let me come to this noble house with peace of mind. It turns out he utilized his own family connections, even though he had severed ties."What's wrong, Thomas? Why is the door open?""Young Master, I am very sorry. Earlier, the Lord met with Master Rudeus and seemed quite satisfied with him."Eh? Satisfied?What is this butler saying?I saw my great-uncle looking like he wanted to tear me apart with his bare hands."Oh, is he a child that Father would like? Might we have chosen the wrong person this time?"After he finished saying that, he sat down directly opposite me."Nice to meet you, my name is Rudeus Greyrat."I sat there and didn't get up to bow.Honestly, I don't want to do this anymore. Nobles and such... are too much trouble."Hmm... I am Philip Boreas Greyrat. Is this how you greeted the Lord just now?""Not really, I stood up and bowed just now.""Hmm... that was also wrong. When greeting as a noble, you should place your right hand on your chest and bow your head slightly. Your bending over must have made the Lord angry, right?"Philip stood up and demonstrated the noble bowing posture to me.But I didn't stand up to imitate him. He didn't seem to expect me to just sit there, and his expression was a bit surprised for a moment."Yes, he was very angry.""You really are..."Philip smiled and sat back down with a calm attitude."How much of the situation do you know?""I think I understand everything.""Paul Greyrat actually told you everything?""Yes."Philip rested his hand on his chin, lowered his gaze to the table, and seemed to be thinking about something."Do you... like girls?""I think my sexual orientation should be fine.""Is that so? Then you pass."What does that mean?Is he afraid I'm gay? Besides, didn't I come here to be a teacher? Isn't he going to ask any other questions?"What does that mean?" I asked."Because as long as you like girls, you will definitely fall in love with my daughter. Alright! Thomas, show this arrogant brat the way!"After saying this, Philip stood up.And so, I finally met that girl.
Chapter 18: ErisArrogant, haughty, rude.The moment I first saw her, these thoughts came to mind.She was two years older than me.Her eyes slanted upwards, and I noticed her wavy, curly hair.The color was a vibrant red, so red it looked as if it had been splattered with pure primary paint.My first impression was that she was fierce...She looked exactly like the kind of child I disliked."Nice to meet you, I am Rudeus Greyrat."Anyway, she hadn't angered me yet, so I greeted her using the method I had just learned."Hmph!"She merely glanced at me and immediately let out a snort identical to her grandfather's.Then, she stood with her arms crossed and legs spread, adopting a clearly disdainful posture, looking down at me.She was taller than me.She looked at me and spoke with an undisguised expression of displeasure."What?! This person is even younger than me! You want someone like this to be my teacher? What a joke!"As expected, she would say something like that... After all, she seemed to have high self-esteem.However, I didn't care."I think that has nothing to do with age.""What?! Do you have a problem with me?!"Her voice was so loud it made my ears ring a little."Well, as my student, you should learn to respect others, and most importantly, respect me, your teacher."As I said this, it felt like this young lady's hair stood on end.Anger can really be seen with the naked eye..."You're too arrogant! Do you know who I am?!""My paternal cousin's daughter, which means... my cousin?""What?! I don't understand!"This young lady might be more single-minded than I thought.Or she simply wasn't thinking."Have you heard the name Paul?""Of course not!""I see."She hasn't...Hmm, then how should I explain this to this brainless young lady...While I was still thinking, the young lady raised her hand high.Slap...She directly struck down. Although I blocked it with my hand, judging by the force, it seemed she genuinely wanted to traumatize me."What are you doing?"It was quite sudden.The young lady suddenly wanted to slap me. Although I blocked it, wasn't this a bit too rude?Hmm... Recalling what that old man said about etiquette lessons, I suddenly felt like laughing.The girl in front of me still spoke arrogantly."I'm going to hit you!""Why?""Because you're younger than me, yet you dare to be so arrogant!""I see."What an ill-mannered child.Not even half as cute as my younger sisters.But my sisters are only one year old... They won't become such rude women in the future, will they?I'd rather not think about it... it's too terrifying.Focusing my attention on the present, I spoke."Then, I'm going to hit back.""What?!"Without waiting for an answer, I slapped her across the face.Slap!A satisfying sound rang out."Now you should understand how much it hurts to be hit. You should put yourself in others' shoes."No sooner had I finished speaking than the young lady in front of me appeared, shaking her messy hair and raising her fist.It was like a Nio Statue... she really looked like one."Do you know who you just laid hands on?! I'll make you regret it thoroughly!"The young lady swung her fist at me, but I dodged, grabbed her arm, and threw her to the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw.As she tried to get up defiantly, I used magic to freeze her feet, of course, the kind that wouldn't cause actual harm."First lesson: when you don't know your enemy's information, you should first learn to control your emotions. As your teacher, I also need to teach you some combat techniques. Although I'm not great at close combat, it should be enough to deal with you.""Despicable fellow! How dare you use magic!""Hmm?"I see, in her mind, defeating her with magic is cheating.Then, no matter how many times I defeat her with magic now, she won't submit, and I can't kill her.By then, she would try every possible way to kill me, such as throwing a vase at me from the stairs, or assassinating me with a knife while I slept at night."Alright, I'll make you submit with brute force."I released the magic."If you lose to me in hand-to-hand combat, then..."Before I could finish speaking, she had already rushed in front of me.First, she delivered a high kick, seemingly using all her strength to kick me to death.After I reacted and blocked, she then embraced me in an unreasonable bear hug.It seemed she knew she was no match for me in fighting techniques, so she started using brute force.After hugging me, she continuously struck my stomach with her knees."Ugh...!"I spat out saliva from the impact.What a joke! How could I be beaten like this by a 9-year-old brat!I also abandoned all thoughts of dignity and began to purely exchange blows with her.Thus, both of us lay exhausted on the ground an hour later.I gasped for breath and spoke."Heh... hehe, now... now you know to respect your teacher, don't you...?"Hearing my words, she seemed to get a surge of energy again.Although she was weak, her momentum hadn't diminished."What... what a joke! I'll... I'll keep fighting until you submit!""Hehe... Holy power is a mellow nourishment, grant those who have lost strength the power to stand up again---[Healing]"I used Healing Magic on myself, and after regaining my strength, I stood up."How about it? Want to fight again?""You cheated! You despicable person!"She shouted her last words as if using all her strength."Do you surrender? If you don't, I'll hit you again. If you surrender and admit I'm your teacher, then I'll heal you."After a moment of silence, she spoke."I surrender... You... you are my teacher..."Heh... she does know how to bend when necessary..."Very good... Holy power is a mellow nourishment, grant those who have lost strength the power to stand up again---[Healing]"After using Healing Magic on her, I let out a breath.This really isn't easy...Before that thought had fully formed, my back was hit with a fierce blow."You!"I turned around and looked at the red-haired girl who had kicked me."You cheated first!"She roared that, but she didn't launch any further attacks on me."I admit it! You... you are... you are my opponent! Also, I allow you to call me Eris! This is special treatment!"After saying that, she turned and left.Watching her retreating figure, I couldn't help but sigh."Truly... there's still a long way to go."
Chapter 19: New EnvironmentI walked into the room assigned to me.Every furnishing looked very high-class.There was a large bed, as well as exquisitely decorated furniture.Beautiful curtains and a brand-new bookshelf.It's a really nice room... I suppose they prepared a guest room for me instead of a room for hired help because I'm also a Greyrat?Speaking of hired help, for some reason, there are many beast-folk among the maids.Although I've heard this country is particularly discriminatory against the demon race, are they actually quite friendly toward the beast-folk?I threw myself onto the bed, feeling the softness."Ugh..."I rolled over, feeling the bruises on my body still aching.Damn it... it's hard to imagine she's a nine-year-old child.Is it inherited from her grandfather? After all, her father doesn't look like the type who gets angry easily.Teaching, huh... I feel like no matter how I approach it, she's just going to fly off the handle."...No wonder she got kicked out of school."Her fighting style is quite practiced.Those are the movements of someone used to hitting people; regardless of whether the opponent resists, she just beats them up indiscriminately.Can I really teach someone like that?Teaching Sylphie magic went too smoothly, which made me think being a teacher wouldn't be difficult..."Anyway... I'll just sleep for now."...Waking up the next day, I had just finished washing up and opened the door when I saw a beast-folk maid standing at my door."Master Rudeus, please come with me."She led me to the place where the staff eats.Even though I'm staying in a guest room, I have to eat with the hired help?Well, it doesn't really matter.After eating, that maid led me to the yard again. The moment I stepped into the yard, the beast-folk maid left.She only said that one sentence the whole time; what efficiency.I walked into the yard.Bang! Bang!I'm familiar with this sound; it's the sound of wooden swords colliding.I walked toward the source of the sound.Ghislaine... and Eris.They were practicing swordsmanship.No wonder she's so violent; it turns out her teacher is also the type to start a fight at the drop of a hat...Seeing me, Ghislaine stopped."Rudeus, spar with Eris."She tossed the wooden sword in her hand toward me."Fine! If Rudeus loses, then he's not fit to be my teacher!"Eris said brazenly.So, did I get beaten up for nothing yesterday?"Sure, that's fine. If I win, you have to listen to me obediently.""Ah! No using magic!""Understood."I smiled.She's just a nine-year-old kid, after all.My swordsmanship has been practiced for several years, so no matter what..."Start!"As Ghislaine gave the order, I realized just how wrong I was.That red hair rushed straight at me; her movements were much faster than I had anticipated.I swung horizontally at her, but she vanished from right in front of me.She crouched low, dodged my sword, and then struck my stomach with her wooden sword.This girl... why does she always attack there..."I surrender..."I fell to my knees, holding my stomach with both hands."Divine power is the mellow grain, grant the one who has lost strength the power to stand again — [Healing]."After using recovery magic on myself, I stood up.At this moment, Eris stood with her arms crossed, looking down at me like a victor."I won!""Yeah, you won..."I lost to a nine-year-old child.I can't find any excuses; a loss is a loss.This girl... she might be a genius at swordsmanship.Paul Greyrat said my swordsmanship was already much better than my peers, so why is it like this?Is the little girl in front of me really a genius at swordsmanship?Just as I was deep in thought, Ghislaine, who was standing to the side, spoke up."Rudeus.""Yeah?""You focus too much on sword forms. If you lack speed and power, knowing only the forms is meaningless."Is that so? I focus too much on forms?I had just picked up the sword and hadn't even gotten into a ready stance before I was defeated. In Ghislaine's eyes, is that a sign of focusing too much on form?Anyway, I'll just agree with her for now; she's the expert."Indeed...""Also, why have your reflexes become so dull? When I first fought you, your reaction speed was clearly much more impressive than it is now.""That's because..."Before I could finish, Eris interrupted excitedly."What! You've fought Ghislaine!""Yes...""Who won! Who won!"She was like a child wanting to know if the anime protagonist defeated the villainous boss, despite knowing in her heart that Ghislaine must have won, yet she still had to ask."Of course I lost.""I knew it!"Satisfied with the answer, Eris pulled me along with a smile, wanting to continue training.Ghislaine then spoke up."Rudeus, you haven't answered my question."I scratched my head and said."I first cast a large-scale spell that wouldn't dissipate, then used my magic power to perceive your movements, and finally fought you by predicting your actions. It wasn't the reaction time you're talking about."Hearing my answer, Ghislaine's eyes widened as if she had heard something incredible."The way you fight as a mage is the most outstanding I've ever seen. This is also the first time I've heard of being able to perceive an opponent's actions using magic power.""It only works if I perceive it through the magic I've already cast... If I hadn't cast such a large-scale spell at the beginning, I wouldn't have been able to perceive you.""I see... It seems I'll need to be careful of a mage's actions after they cast large-scale spells in the future. Although I've never heard of magic that can perceive actions, I'll be mindful of it after fighting you.""Yeah, if there's anything you don't understand about magic, feel free to ask me anytime."After I said that, I clearly saw the tail behind Ghislaine wagging.Is that a sign of happiness? Like a dog?"Eris, I actually almost lost during that fight."Ghislaine turned to Eris."Eh?!""Rudeus's mastery of magic exceeds that of the vast majority of people in this world. If he is truly willing to teach you, he might even be able to train you into an Advanced Rank mage."Hearing Ghislaine's words, Eris was stunned for a long while.She walked up to me and said."Rudeus! Use your strongest magic and show me!"Oh~ So Ghislaine was speaking up for me, trying to get Eris to willingly become my student.Although I don't know if Eris has any talent for magic, now, as long as I demonstrate absolute strength, she should listen.And I can return home directly in three years; the rest will be up to her.So, I nodded."Alright, I'll let you see my ultimate technique."I took out the staff Roxy gave me.Saying it's absolute strength... actually, that's not necessary.For a child, the magic she wants isn't the strongest magic, but the flashiest, coolest magic.And for me... that's very easy.To raise her expectations, I opened my mouth."Oh, demon fire that burns endlessly in the depths of hell! In my name, I summon you to come forth! Become my magic sword, and crush all those who stand in my way! Fire Ball!"I chanted so much, but it was actually just a large Fire Ball, and the incantation was just something I made up on the spot.Although I haven't done much research on Fire Magic, but... Fire Magic is the easiest to control.And so, in Eris's eyes, a giant dragon made of flames appeared in the air, and after it fully spread its wings, it almost covered the entire courtyard.Two minutes later, I dispelled the magic.Mainly because I had indeed made it too big, and I was afraid of causing some trouble."So... so cool!!"Eris's eyes were shining.Sure enough, children always have this reaction when they see this kind of magic.Ghislaine... didn't really react; I suppose she could perceive that it was just a Fire Ball."Rudeus, teach me that magic!""Hmm~ Let me think...""Alright! I admit you're my teacher! Teach me quickly!!"Eris completely abandoned her previous stubbornness."There's really no helping it~ After all, teaching students is what a teacher is supposed to do."And so, I prepared to start teaching Eris from low-tier Fire Magic.Walking to Ghislaine's side, I whispered."Thank you, Ghislaine."Ghislaine tilted her head."What are you talking about?"Well, I was just overthinking it.
Chapter 20: TeacherHalf a year had passed since I became a tutor.Eris quickly became a child who refused to attend lessons.Whenever it was time for arithmetic and reading/writing, she would vanish without a trace, only to reappear when it was time for sword training.Of course, there were exceptions.She was still willing to learn magic lessons.When she first cast Fireball, she danced with joy, wearing a very happy expression.Watching the curtains rapidly catch fire, Erisdeclared,"One day, I will cast magic even more powerful than Rudeus!"Of course, I immediately extinguished the fire and strictly ordered her to only use Fireball when I was present.Illuminated by the glow of the burning curtains, her satisfied expression made her look like a pyromaniac, but she was certainly full of motivation.In that case, other subjects shouldn't be a problem, right?That was what I had originally thought, but I had to admit that my insight was too poor.Eris simply refused to accept lessons in arithmetic and reading/writing.Even if I tried to persuade her, she would run away.Every time I wanted to catch her, I had to have a big fight with her, and then drag her to class, exhausted.Although I won most of the time, I gradually began to realize something.If she continued to grow like this, I would definitely not be able to defeat her in hand-to-hand combat, because every time, I secretly used Wind Magic—a type of magic that wasn't easily detected—to assist myself.So now, I was discussing with Ghislaine how to get Eris to listen obediently in class."Hmm... Eris just doesn't understand the importance of arithmetic and reading/writing. I need to find a way to make her understand."I said this to Ghislaine, who was by my side.She nodded without offering any comment."How about this: later, when I drag her to class, you pretend to nonchalantly talk about your experiences as an Adventurer. Of course, talk about the miserable things you encountered because you didn't know arithmetic or reading/writing."Because Paul Greyrat had said that Ghislaine's brain was made of muscle, if she were the one to speak about the importance of arithmetic and reading/writing, then Eris should be willing to learn a little."Hmm... Okay."Ghislaine thought for a moment and nodded.So you really had encountered such things... I had originally thought about making up two stories for you to memorize.Since you have, that's for the best; after all, having experienced it counts as genuine feeling....With the plan set, I finally found her.Eris was lying in a pile of hay in the stable, exposing her belly and sleeping quite soundly."Hoo... Hoo..."She was sleeping very soundly; this face was actually quite cute when she was asleep.However, this was just an appearance; if she opened her eyes, she would surely start fighting with me again.Anyway, to prevent her from catching a cold, I pulled Eris's clothes down to cover her belly."Can she really sleep so soundly in a pile of hay..."I had thought that a pampered child would definitely not be able to get used to this kind of environment.It seems that wasn't entirely the case... Eris didn't look like a young lady at all; she was always like a savage... Even though her father and mother both fit my imagination of a noble...After Eris slept for another ten minutes, I approached her side."Eris, it's time to wake up and study arithmetic."She opened her eyes slightly, saw it was me, seemed to think she was dreaming, and closed them again.Good grief...Forget it.Harboring some thoughts of giving up, I sat down next to her.Her eyelids twitched, but she kept them closed."Eris, arithmetic and reading/writing are actually very important."There was no response."If you really want to be an Adventurer, arithmetic and reading/writing are indispensable. Otherwise, an Adventurer who doesn't even know how to write their own name will definitely be swindled out of everything.""Then... then wouldn't it be fine if I just learned to write my own name..."Eris whispered softly."What about money? Think about it: suppose it's a 5-person party, and you kill a monster and receive 10 gold coins. How would you distribute them?"Hearing my question, Eris thought for quite a while.Finally, looking as if she had given up, she shouted,"I don't need it!"She sat up and ran straight outside.Well... such an answer really has the style of a young lady....At my wit's end.In the end, the next day, I forcibly dragged Eris to class and used the method I had previously discussed with Ghislaine.During class, Ghislaine suddenly spoke up.She talked about her past experiences as an Adventurer, first describing the process of hunting monsters, and then talking about how she had been swindled.I didn't expect Ghislaine to know how to build suspense; she was quite good at telling stories! It's just that the man who swindled her in her story felt a bit familiar to me..."Rudeus! Ghislaine! If I learn arithmetic and reading/writing, will you go on an adventure with me?"Go on an adventure with this young lady...That sounds really nice. Although I hated this child at the beginning, after spending half a year together, I gradually discovered something.She's just a brat with a good heart, that's all. Of course, she's still a bit too wild."Of course you can. I will assist you from the back as a magician."Ghislaine also nodded."Then it's a promise!"Just like that, Eris became full of motivation....This motivation lasted for a week before it dissipated.Eris lay on the desk, motionless, sighing, her eyes lifeless.It was very normal, just like the children at school in my previous life; because of one bad grade, they might start to study hard, but before long, that feeling of studying hard would dissipate, and they would return to their normal state.This is the nature of children; there is really no need to suppress it.Looking at it this way, I'm still a master of pedagogy."Eris, you can rest after you finish these few problems."I used my most common tactic, but today she seemed to have made some kind of resolution and ignored me.Hmm... perhaps I should adopt some systems from my previous life, like having two days off a week... No, in this world, there should be three days off a week.No one is competing with Eris for anything; as long as she knows the basics of arithmetic and reading/writing, that's enough, hmm!"Eris, do you want to take a day off tomorrow?"I said softly. After speaking, I clearly saw Eris's ears twitch, but she didn't get up immediately."What about two days? If you finish your homework, I'll let you rest for two days..."After I said that, Eris immediately got up and slammed the table, saying,"Okay! It's a deal!""Hmm, you should also have a good rest, but after the rest is over, you still have to study.""I know!"Eris said straightforwardly, and then started doing her homework.So, half an hour later, I received a test paper where almost two-thirds of the arithmetic was wrong."How is it!"Eris seemed very confident, looking at me with her hands on her hips and a beaming smile.How should I put it? I know Eris is a hardworking child. Although she is always unwilling on the surface, she does listen to lessons and do homework... Hmm... as long as she comes to class.But why? Why does she know multiplication, but fail completely when it comes to division?Looking at her confident appearance, I opened my mouth and then pressed my lips together.No... I can't directly negate the child. When she first started, she didn't even know addition and subtraction... I have to be gentler and not crush her confidence."Hmm... There is a lot of room for improvement. Anyway, that's it for today's teaching. After you finish resting, come back and make corrections.""Oh!"Just like that, Eris left the classroom happily.When I was packing up and preparing to leave,"Rudeus, this is mine."Ghislaine handed her own test paper to me.I picked it up and looked at it; she had even more wrong than Eris...I raised my head and looked at Ghislaine again.Her tail was swaying gently, and there was a smile on her face.Damn it..."Hmm... There's progress. Let's make corrections together after you finish resting.""Okay!"Ghislaine also left the classroom with a smile.Sigh... I really am a soft-hearted teacher.
Chapter 21: HolidayThe first day off had arrived.I greeted Philip first before preparing to head out to the town.My purpose for going to town was simple: I just wanted to look around.Since coming to this world, I hadn't truly wandered around a metropolis yet.It would be a lie to say I wasn't looking forward to it. After all, this was another world, and I often saw beastfolk and demons when I arrived. It would be even better if I could communicate with them using the Demon God Language or the Beast God Language.Since I had never had anyone to use those languages with after learning them, I had no idea if my pronunciation was standard or correct.Those beastfolk servants didn't dare to speak with me at all. I didn't know if they were afraid of me or if they considered me some sort of high-ranking person, but they always avoided me."Hmm...?"Ghislaine suddenly came to mind.Why hadn't I asked Ghislaine for advice? She was clearly a beastfolk...I quickly realized the answer to that question: she usually looked so dim-witted that it was hard to imagine she knew two languages.As for the Demon God Language, I should write a letter to Roxy-sensei; she would definitely be able to help me.After finalizing my plan, I walked out of this large castle.Just as I took a deep breath, I discovered, for some reason, that Eris and Ghislaine were lying in wait for me at the entrance."Where are you going!"Since it was the first day off, Eris seemed a bit restless.I heard this was the first day she had completely unscheduled.So she was probably very curious about what I would do at a time like this.But... despite having a schedule every day, did it really not teach this young lady anything at all...? The teaching methods in this world were truly rigid."I'm planning to go sightseeing in the city of Roa.""Sightseeing... that just means going for a stroll, right? Going alone?""Do I look like I have companions?""That's cheating! I've never gone out alone before!"A frustrated Eris stomped her foot hard."Young lady, you are still young; the probability of being kidnapped if you go out alone is quite high.""Rudeus, you are clearly younger than me! Two years younger!"Oh, right.I had been looking at Eris with the mentality of a parent and had completely forgotten that I was also a child."Because I'm very strong, you know. Even if I fought Ghislaine, I would have a chance of winning."I chuckled, but Eris raised her fist. I reflexively moved to defend myself, but she didn't strike.How rare; this young lady had actually learned to stay calm.She pulled her hand back, crossed her arms, and looked down at me."I'm going too!"It seemed Eris had decided that.Up until now, she would have hit someone before saying something like that.Looking at it this way, Eris had grown as well..."Then let's go together.""Is that okay?"I had no reason to refuse."Ghislaine will be coming along too, right?"Eris looked up and asked Ghislaine, who was standing to the side."Yes, my duty is to be the young lady's bodyguard.""Yay! Then wait a moment! I'll be ready right away! Alphonse~! Alphonse~!"I watched as Eris noisily ran back into the mansion.Her voice was still so loud; wouldn't she go hoarse?"Rudeus."Hearing Ghislaine call me, I turned around and saw that she had already come to my side.I looked up at her. Since Ghislaine's height was nearly two meters, I would probably still have to look up even after I grew up."Do not trust your own strength too much."She gave me a firm warning beforehand.Probably because I had said I had a chance of winning even if I fought her, right?"I understand, I was just teasing the young lady."After all, if that fight went to the end, my head would probably have already fallen to the ground."I see. If you encounter danger, just shout, and I will come to save you.""That's truly reassuring."Not long after this topic ended, Eris returned.She had probably changed into clothes for going out; I hadn't seen this outfit before."Hmm, it's very cute."It was truly very cute; I wasn't saying that just because I had parent-tinted glasses on."...Hmph!"After praising her outfit, I got a knock on the head.What exactly was that about...The fortress city of Roa in the Fittoa Region was the largest town in this area.However, in terms of area, Buena Village, located in the vast countryside, was actually larger.Even if you walked out of the city gate and circled the outer wall, it would only take about two hours to finish.However, the scale of this place was actually quite large.After all, the entire town was enclosed by an outer wall about seven to eight meters high.Because it wasn't a perfect circle, but rather had indentations and protrusions according to the terrain, it was impossible to know the exact length, but the covered area was probably about thirty square kilometers? Although in my opinion it wasn't big at all, I could still understand that creating a city wall of this scale was not such a simple matter.Was there magic that could create city walls?If there was, it must be King-tier or Emperor-tier.Or perhaps they just roughly manufactured the bricks and stones and then stacked them manually?Just as I was thinking about these random things, Eris seemed to have taken a liking to some merchandise.I leaned over and discovered she was staring at a short sword, but this was a place that sold high-end goods."Eris, do you want this sword?"I asked straightforwardly."I do! But I don't have enough pocket money..."Oh... it was said that Eris had once gone out with servants and, being extravagant, had been swindled out of 430 gold coins, after which she was restricted to bringing only five gold coins as pocket money when going out."I see."I walked toward the shopkeeper."Shopkeeper, how much for this sword?""Oh? Young master, you have a great eye! This sword only costs 20 gold coins!"I ignored the shopkeeper and spoke to Eris."Remember this: this sword costs 20 gold coins.""Huh?"I pulled Eris along and found a blacksmith shop.Inside the blacksmith shop, various swords were displayed. Eris's eyes were wide open as she looked left and right."Go ahead, pick a sword you like.""Really!?"Eris's eyes lit up first, and then she ran into the sword-selection area."Yes, of course. After you pick one, I'll consider whether or not to give it to you."Eris didn't seem to hear the second half of my sentence; she was fully immersed in the world of swords.No wonder her swordsmanship grew so fast... It seemed she really loved swords.After picking for nearly 20 minutes, she picked up a somewhat short sword with a ruby embedded in the hilt; it looked very suitable for her."I want this one!""Hmm."I led her toward the blacksmith shop's owner."Shopkeeper, how much for this sword?"The shopkeeper looked up at us, and just as he was about to open his mouth, he saw Ghislaine, who looked like she really knew swords, standing to the side, so he began to say:"Uh... 11 gold coins...""Eris, how many gold coins was the sword you looked at in that shop earlier?""Hmm... hmm... 20!""Correct. Then how much cheaper is this sword than the one from before?""Huh! Uh... 20 minus 5... then minus 5... uh..."She counted on her fingers.Damn it, this is addition and subtraction, Eris!!You were able to do addition and subtraction within 20 just two months ago!I screamed in my heart, hoping Eris could come up with the correct answer."Uh... then minus 1... it's 10 gold coins cheaper!"How did she calculate that?"Wrong, the correct answer is 9 gold coins.""It's only off by 1! If I add 1, wouldn't it be the correct answer!"Oh? Correct answer... No, even adding one is wrong!Had she forgotten the underlying logic of addition and subtraction... What exactly had I been teaching for the past six months...Forget it, I should still praise her. Although she forgot addition and subtraction, she hadn't forgotten multiplication recently...The more I thought about it, the weirder it was. She forgot addition and subtraction but was learning multiplication and division?I had a feeling that one day she would return all the knowledge to me."Hmm, that's the correct answer this time. My, Eris is really smart.""Hmph! Of course!""Seeing as you were correct this time, this sword will be a gift from your teacher.""Oh~~!!"So, I took out the money and paid the bill.Actually, this money was given to me by Philip the previous night. After knowing Eris would go out with me, he was afraid Eris would be swindled, so he had me take the money to buy things for her, which also happened to be a good way to build favorability.Eris excitedly swung the sword in the shop for a good while, making "ooh ooh" sounds during the process.After she finished swinging, she walked in front of me."Uh... ah... hmm!"Eris acted bashful and didn't say a word for a long time.What is this?"Tha... tha... thank you! Ru... Rudeus!"After suddenly shouting this, she ran out of the shop, and Ghislaine followed.Leaving me alone in the shop to savor my child's gratitude.I see... Was this the feeling my mother had when I first said thank you?"Heh... hehe..."Noticing my own silly smile, I composed myself and walked out of the shop.After that, it was time for real sightseeing.Eris, Ghislaine, and I tried almost everything we hadn't eaten before that we saw.I have to say, although the monsters in this world were all very strange, their taste was actually not bad.Hmm... it must be that these merchants specifically chose the ones that tasted good to sell.Near dusk, Eris was still bouncing around."Rudeus! Ghislaine! Look at this!"Eris stood on a fountain statue, holding up her new sword and striking a pose."Come down quickly, it's dangerous!" I reminded her."It's fine! Even if I fall, Rudeus will use magic to catch me, right!""That's hard to say..."Just as I finished speaking, Eris jumped down.Subconsciously, I used Wind Magic to make a cushion for her."Hmph! Even if you didn't use magic, I wouldn't have gotten hurt, Rudeus!""Got it, got it."Honestly, my subconscious actions made it seem like I was a stubborn person.Similar to those tsundere female characters in the novels I read in my previous life?"Rudeus, Eris, it's getting dark, it's time to go back.""I know!"Eris's voice was that loud all day long.She was really energetic.The three of us walked toward the direction of the castle."Rudeus..."Eris suddenly walked to my side."What's wrong?""Uh... Rudeus... did you have fun today...?"Oh? This willful child was actually starting to care about others.She had really grown... so gratifying."I had a lot of fun. How about you, Eris?""Me too! And, thank you for the gift...""You've already thanked me for that. If you can work harder in your studies the day after tomorrow, I'll be even happier.""I... I know!"Over the past six months, this young lady had transformed from a willful and arrogant beast into a little girl who was somewhat cute in my eyes.It really wasn't easy...In short, today's day off ended perfectly just like that.
Chapter 22: BirthdayHalf a year had passed.Eris's education was going smoothly, except for arithmetic...She seemed to be a true genius in swordsmanship, having already reached Advanced Rank before turning ten.Being Advanced Rank meant having the strength to hold one's own against an average knight.According to Ghislaine, Eris should be able to reach Advanced Rank within a few years, even though she had only just turned ten...After I asked, "What about me?", Ghislaine's tail stopped wagging, and she looked away.It seems my swordsmanship wasn't as good as I thought, or rather, it was in the very poor category.Although I once thought that if I wanted to, I could train my swordsmanship to the same level as my magic, over these past few years, my swordsmanship has truly and completely stagnated, no matter how hard I tried...Eris's tenth birthday was approaching.Ten is a special birthday.Nobles have a custom of holding large-scale banquets and celebrating enthusiastically on their fifth, tenth, and fifteenth birthdays.On Eris's birthday, the mansion's great hall and the atrium leading to it would be opened up.Gifts would also be received from all over the territory, and nobles from the town would be invited.Since Sauros was an unrefined military official, the original plan was to adopt an informal buffet-style format."By the way, are there cakes for birthdays around here?"There were no cakes in Buena Village.It was said that they existed, but I had never actually seen one.I wanted to eat something sweet once in a while.With this thought in mind, I headed toward the kitchen.Although I could just ask a maid to find out if there was cake, a stroll only counts if you actually walk.If I was lucky, I might even be able to get some of the test dishes prepared for the birthday banquet.Well, or rather, I was actually hungry."That's enough!"The door in front of me was suddenly flung open, and Eris rushed out from inside.Upon seeing me, she froze for a moment, then lowered her head and dashed down the corridor at an astonishing speed, finally disappearing around the corner.Someone chased her out of the room, and it was none other than Edna."Young Miss...!"She looked left and right down the corridor, and after realizing she couldn't find Eris, she let out a heavy sigh.Midway through her sigh, she seemed to notice I was also there.She then showed a listless smile."Oh my, Rudeus-sensei..."This smile seemed to convey, please listen to my grievances.It was rare to see Edna make such an expression."You've worked hard, Ms. Edna.""I apologize for letting you see such an unsightly scene."I raised a hand as I approached, and Edna curtsied elegantly.Her movements were truly very practiced.I also placed my raised hand on my chest and slowly returned the bow formally."What happened?""This... it's embarrassing to say, but Young Miss ran away."Well, I saw it, so I know very well.Eris's escape maneuver was truly astonishing; she would disappear without a trace in the blink of an eye.Edna seemed troubled as she rested her hand against her cheek."Actually, I have been teaching Young Miss how to dance recently, but it seems nothing is going well, so for the past few days, whenever dance practice begins, Young Miss immediately runs off to hide somewhere.""Oh my, that must be tough; I can really empathize with how you feel."Because she often ran away during my lessons, too.Eris's philosophy is "If you don't like it, don't do it."Edna really had it tough; after all, it wasn't easy to catch Eris when she ran away, and she didn't look like someone who could force Eris to submit through physical strength."...There is less than a month left until the birthday. If this continues, Young Miss will make a huge fool of herself in front of the numerous guests."Listening to Edna's tone, she seemed to think the situation was serious.But my thought was, "It's just a birthday." If a child's birthday only makes the child miserable, then the birthday is truly meaningless.Harboring such slightly doting thoughts, I smiled and nodded.However, honestly, she had already made a fool of herself, right? Because in this area, Eris has always been regarded as a creature of the violent world.Just not being able to dance in front of everyone, that level of failing really doesn't count for much."It is a rare tenth birthday, yet she is to become an object of ridicule... No matter how you look at it, it is too pitiful, doesn't Rudeus-sensei think so?"Edna looked at me very deliberately several times.If she had something to say, I really wished she would just say it directly."In other words, what would you like me to do?""...Um, could I ask Rudeus-sensei to also help persuade Eris? To get her willing to come back and practice dancing."So that was what it was about....And so, I began to search for Eris.As the teacher who taught her most often, I naturally knew where Eris would hide.Soon, I discovered her whereabouts.She was lying on her back on a large pile of hay behind the stables."Hmph!"As soon as she saw me, Eris huffed unhappily.I climbed onto the hay pile and sat down beside her."I heard you can't dance properly?"Eris suddenly lifted her leg and kicked at me, but I caught it and held her leg down.To be honest, I had gotten somewhat used to this child suddenly lashing out when she was being difficult.Is this... desensitization?Even though when I first arrived, I would still get angry at her disrespect."Aren't you going back to train?""Dancing or whatever is completely unnecessary!"I glanced at Eris; she was staring at the sky."I think so too.""On my birthday I also... Hmm? Rudeus thinks so too?""Yeah, dancing is completely unnecessary.""Right? But Father and Grandfather keep saying...""What do you think, Eris? Do you really not want to dance?""I can't...""Is it that you can't because you don't want to, or you don't want to because you can't?"Eris didn't know what to think, or perhaps she didn't understand.In any case, I didn't continue; after all, she was only ten.I moved closer to Eris and sat beside her.My gaze followed Eris's gaze toward the sky.After gazing at the sky leisurely together for a while, Eris spoke up."I might... actually want to dance, I want to make Grandfather and Father happy...""I see.""Has Rudeus ever had that? Wanting to do something but finding yourself not good at it..."Wanting to do something but not being good at it?Plenty... In my past life, there were many things I wanted to do, but I hardly ever accomplished any of them.I didn't know if I was good at them; I just gave up for all sorts of reasons."Rudeus surely hasn't, you're so amazing..."Eris pouted and said this unhappily.I could actually empathize with her feelings. Although I had lived in this world up to now, I rarely had "things I wanted to do but couldn't." If I had to name something I couldn't do in this world, it would be swordsmanship.But if it were my past life... then there were just too many things I couldn't do.So I knew very well what the effect would be if I said something like, "If you don't do it now, you'll definitely regret it.""That's a difficult question to answer.""Rudeus, you can do everything, so you definitely don't understand how I feel."Can do everything, huh... From Eris's perspective, perhaps that really was the case."Eris, there are a great many things I cannot do, and I am not as amazing as you think.""Hmph..."Eris seemed unconvinced by what I said.But she didn't press the issue."However, if you strive with all your might to achieve a goal, the sense of accomplishment you gain upon achieving it will be even stronger.""Is... that so?"Eris looked at the sky with an uncomprehending attitude."Let me give you an example. For instance, if you worked hard and surpassed Ghislaine in swordsmanship, or surpassed me in magic, wouldn't that be something very worth being proud of?""I don't understand things I haven't experienced! And I don't want to defeat Rudeus or Ghislaine!""It's not about defeating us, but surpassing us...""Rudeus, you're so annoying!"Eris shouted, interrupting me, and jumped off the hay pile.Just like that, the conversation ended...I thought that I, a master of pedagogy, would definitely be able to make Eris understand.Let me think of another way..."Rudeus!""What is it?""I'm going back to practice dancing, you come with me!"It seems there was nothing wrong with what I said; it was just that her way of expressing approval was different."Alright."I followed her back to the ballroom...."My goodness... Rudeus-sensei is also... not good at dancing."Edna smiled somewhat awkwardly.This was normal; whether in my past life or this one, I had never danced."Hahaha!"Seeing that my dancing was also so terrible, Erisseemed very happy.In short, we practiced for two hours with almost no improvement.Edna's teaching was fine; it was simply that I had no talent for dancing.However, I was also observing. Although I couldn't see why I was dancing so poorly, I could observe why Eris wasn't dancing well.She was different from me; she was clearly not the type of person who lacked talent for dancing.It was as if she had already reacted before every beat of Edna's rhythm sounded... Was this the instinct of a swordsman?It was just like how she would already have rushed in front of an opponent as soon as they prepared to draw their sword.And so"Eris, I think you should wait until you have completely heard the sound before moving.""What do you mean...?""Your pacing is always a beat too fast. No... at the beginning it was just one beat, but later on, it was faster by who knows how many beats.""I don't understand!""Then, how about this: Edna-sensei, you don't need to keep the beat."Edna looked at me with confusion but didn't ask any questions.I cast magic, causing tiny ice crystals to appear in the air."Eris, this Ice Magic will make a sound when it shatters. Once you hear it, start following the dance steps.""Oh..."As the dance began, Eris, just as I expected... was several beats too fast.After thinking for a while, I discovered the fundamental problem."Eris, dance just like before, but this time you must close your eyes."Although Eris tilted her head in confusion, she followed my instructions.With that, the Ice Magic began to shatter, and Erismoved her body in time with the sound.After repeating this action for a while, I timed the shattering of the ice blocks to be slightly delayed.[Pop! Pop!]Eris didn't hesitate at all; she reacted the moment she heard the sound."This... this is it!"Edna cried out in surprise.Eris successfully stepped out the dance steps.Although she was still a little fast, it could be considered in sync."You did it! You did it, Young Miss!"Eris opened her eyes and asked back, beaming with joy."Really?"I smiled and continued to instruct."Alright, let's keep practicing like this; remember the feeling you just had.""You tell me to remember... but I was just making the moves after hearing the sound, the same as before."That's right, just making the moves after hearing the sound.But Eris was always a beat too fast before because she was seeing it.The instincts of a swordsman made her move a step ahead, so all she had to do was close her eyes.Close her eyes, tell her when to move at the correct time, and then everything becomes very simple."Eris, this shows that your previous dance training wasn't the problem, it was just that the method was wrong. Yeah! You worked very hard!""Ah... yeah..."Eris opened her eyes, which was rare, and without saying anything, she honestly nodded repeatedly.With this, dancing should be fine now."As expected of Rudeus-sensei, who was able to teach Young Miss arithmetic for a whole year..."Edna seemed to be in awe, looking at me with eyes full of emotion.But in fact... Eris had already forgotten almost all the arithmetic she had learned...I didn't say those words out loud."It was just luck, and noticing it through careful observation.""I see... such attentiveness is precisely the reason why Rudeus-sensei can truly be Young Miss's teacher."Edna regained her smile and began to praise me."That's right! Rudeus is really amazing!"I don't know why, but Eris replied while puffing out her chest."Alright, alright, let's continue training; remember the feeling from just now.""Yeah!"
Chapter 23: The BallThe day of the ball.After getting Eris, dressed in her finest, to sit down like a princess, Sauros loudly announced the start of the ball.I stood in the corner of the venue, listening to his declaration.Once the ball began, Philip and his wife skillfully handled the swarm of middle and lower-ranking nobles who had gathered in hopes of currying favor with the Greyrat family, and time passed just like that.Their actions could only be described as masterful; it seemed no one could find an opportunity to approach them.Some people tried to go straight to butter up Sauros, but they had to face his booming voice and unreasonable, one-sided responses, eventually having to retreat in embarrassment.After these people fled, their last hope was Eris, the star of the ball.Eris had no authority and didn't understand political topics. So, under the assault of "Please make sure to tell your father," she became nothing more than a robot responsible for relaying messages.According to the original plan, I would be Eris's first dance partner.The dance steps were for a simple song suitable for children. Although I have no talent for dancing, I could still manage to step in the required spots at the required times.In short, just doing it like we did in practice would be fine."W-w-w-what is it...! "Eris's voice wasn't loud, but I could feel that she was so nervous her whole body had stiffened.If things continued like this, it wouldn't be a question of whether we could dance well; she was very likely to scream and run away just like before."Eris, don't be nervous. My dancing is much worse than yours~"I said to Eris in a relaxed and comfortable tone.Then, I began to release the magic from our training. I kept the magic controlled very small, so the cracking sound could only be heard by me and Eris."What is it..."After she muttered that again, I could feel that she had relaxed.Afterwards, although I stepped on Eris's feet quite a few times, we managed not to fall and successfully finished the dance."Good work, Teacher Rudeus."After it ended, Edna came over to talk to me.It seemed that even from a distance, one could clearly see that the young lady had relaxed.My task was done.So, I started looking for food.In the year since I arrived here, I had always eaten with the servants. Although Eris would often bring a bento made by the servants to share with me, I had never eaten much of it.Therefore, I was still a bit curious about what the nobles actually ate."Oh... Oh!"Pies made with some kind of sweet and sour fruit I didn't recognize, meat dishes prepared from an entire cow, and beautifully decorated cakes, among other things.I was happily stuffing food into my mouth when I made eye contact with Ghislaine, who was in charge of security.Although she didn't have a look that seemed to be saying anything, drool was dripping from the corner of her mouth.I didn't need to be good at reading expressions to tell at a glance that my muscle-brained student really wanted to eat.So, I called over a maid and had her pack up several portions to send to my room.After handling these matters, I suddenly noticed a cute young girl standing in front of me.She first said "Nice to meet you" before stating her name.She seemed to be a girl from a middle-ranking noble family, but her name was too long, so I didn't bother to memorize it.Anyway, she asked if I could dance with her, but after thinking about my status, I declined.After refusing her, another little girl immediately came over and also invited me to dance.Hmm... If someone simply said it was because I was good-looking and popular, I definitely wouldn't believe it.After declining them one by one, Philip came over to explain things to me.Because the original goal was to let the nobles know that Rudeus had become a member of the Greyrat family, my information had been made public.This was reasonable; I had no questions....After the ball ended, I invited Ghislaine and Eris to my room.Actually, it would have been fine if only Ghislainecame, because the food I prepared was originally intended only for her, but since Eris was there too, I brought her along as well.Seeing the food on the table, Eris's stomach let out a rumble.Well, it seems the star of the party didn't have time to eat either.I gave a bitter smile for a moment, then took out a bottle of high-quality red wine from behind the cupboard that I had bought in town previously for my collection.I had originally intended to use it to bribe someone someday in the future.But today... seeing that Ghislaine seemed to have been holding back for a long time, and I hadn't had a drink in a long time either.In this country, you can't drink alcohol until you're 15. Although Eris was making a fuss about wanting to drink, I still refused."No! Eris is still too young!"Like a final ultimatum, I rejected Eris's unreasonable request, completely forgetting that I was also a child, and poured the red wine into Ghislaine's glass.Although Eris gave up, she still watched Ghislainedrink it all in one gulp."What does it taste like?" Eris asked curiously."Hmm... It's not as good as the fruit wine from my hometown.""I see."Eris showed a somewhat disappointed expression.Are you kidding me! This bottle of wine cost me 8 gold coins!So I poured myself a glass and took a sip.The taste was clearly good..."Ah! Rudeus, you drank alcohol! You're clearly younger than me! How cunning! I want to drink too!"Eris shouted, snatched the glass from my hand, and downed it in one gulp.Fine, today is her birthday; doing something bad occasionally is no big deal.Let's put these things aside for now."My master once told me that a magic teacher should prepare a magic staff to give to their apprentice. Because I didn't know how to make one before, and the materials were a bit hard to find, I delayed it for a long time. Since today just happens to be Eris's birthday, if you are willing, please accept these."I took out the staves and said to them.As soon as Ghislaine heard this, she slowly stood up, then knelt on one knee in a respectful manner.What is this?!"Yes! Master Rudeus! I humbly accept it.""Mm, no need to be so formal."Seeing her solemn appearance, I also respectfully handed it over.Ghislaine looked at the magic staff with a very happy expression, her tail swaying gently."Can I call myself a mage from now on?""You can."I only just realized now that a mage needs to receive their master's recognition before they can claim the title...Roxy didn't tell me that back then.It seems my teacher didn't explain many things clearly to me... How careless."Mm... Eris.""Mm!"Eris seemed to be infected by the atmosphere just now and also looked at me with a respectful face.Ah... don't do that.This makes it seem like I'm deceiving you, because I didn't even know this was such a serious matter.I handed the staff over, and Eris received it respectfully.She seemed to want to say some respectful words like Ghislaine, but she must have forgotten Ghislaine's lines."Th-thank you! Master Rudeus!"Wow... Eris called me Master for the first time...This feeling... how should I put it...I feel like I can understand those people from my past life who played raising simulation games on their phones with such joy."Mm, please take good care of it."And so, Eris's memorable tenth birthday passed peacefully just like that....After our party of three ended, Eris collapsed onto my bed, dazed.Seeing Eris like this, Ghislaine also suggested that she should leave, so she left Eris behind and returned to her room."Eh... still a child, sleeping after being full and satisfied."Carefree, that's nice.Come to think of it, I shouldn't have any worries either.As long as I teach Eris for two more years, I can go back too...Zenith... Paul... Lilia... my sisters... and"Sylphie..."I miss them a little.Mm... I also kind of miss the Sylphie who was still a boy in my memory."Hoo...~ Hoo...~"Eris was fast asleep.Forget it, I'll just sleep on the floor today.Walking out of the room, I asked the maid to prepare bedding for me.After making the bed myself, I lay down and fell asleep....When I woke up the next day, I opened my eyes and found Eris staring at me.Still groggy, I spoke up."How did you sleep?""Mm... I slept very well!""That's good."It seems that after passing that tenth birthday, she also felt she should grow up.At least she didn't throw tantrums casually...Just as I was thinking this, Ghislaine walked in.She first looked at me, then looked at Eris."Nothing happened?""Uh... what do you think would happen?""Because you are Paul's son, I thought something would definitely happen."Are you kidding me... I'm only 8 years old...But fortunately, Eris didn't understand, and she walked outside noisily.There were no lessons today, so the three of us were wandering around outside."Ghislaine, what is that tower?"I pointed to a tower not far from us."Mm... I don't know either, but we can go in."Ghislaine answered me like that."Rudeus! Why didn't you ask me? I know!"Eris said with her hands on her hips, looking very smug."Then what is this tower used for?""Grandfather uses it to dote on cute beast-folk!"Eris's answer made me freeze for quite a while.That is to say... hmm.A tower for Sauros to vent his desires? A tower for venting desires?Holding the thought that Eris was probably just talking nonsense, I, Ghislaine, and Eris walked in.The scene I imagined didn't happen; the tower was empty.When we reached the top floor, I saw a glowing orb in the sky in the distance...What is this...A red orb floating in mid-air.Perhaps because of the light, I always felt like the things inside were moving."Ghislaine... what is this...?"Ghislaine looked at it and tilted her head.Then she took off her eyepatch and looked at it for a long while."This is... an orb formed of magic...?"Magic? This huge? This..."It's so close to us! It's much closer than the stars!"Eris said carelessly.But I felt that this orb was not right...By the way, can Ghislaine's eye actually see magic?"Rudeus... what's wrong?"Seeming to see my very serious expression, Eris also asked with a bit of worry.If this orb really would cause some kind of explosion or harm, it was definitely not something I could stop..."It's nothing... I just thought of some things.""Is that so? Are you really okay?""It's fine, don't worry."Holding the thought that since I couldn't solve it, I would just pray that the orb wouldn't cause any harm, we walked down from the tower, preparing to go play in the town.