Chapter 18: The Real World (Patreon)

A new day... A head of red hair. The tsundere noble young lady, Eris, wore an air of pure arrogance. She stood in the training grounds with her legs spread wide, radiating overwhelming dominance.

But the moment Rudy arrived... Eris pressed her lips together. Very reluctantly, she put on a slightly bashful expression.

Off to the side. Ghislaine watched Rudy's approach with obvious anticipation.

Soon enough... Rudy, with Sylphiette in tow, stood before Ghislaine and the noble young lady Eris.

Looking at the two obedient troublemakers before him, Rudy smiled with satisfaction. "Have you both eaten?"

"Hmph, of course we have!"

The instant Eris finished speaking, Rudy sent her flying with a single kick.

"No manners at all. Where's the proper way to address your teacher?"

"S-sorry, Teacher. We, we've already eaten."

Eris was seething inside, but remembering her utterly miserable ordeal from the night before, she had no choice but to swallow her pride and admit defeat.

Seeing the girl fall in line so easily, Rudy couldn't help but laugh. "You've crossed swords with Ghislaine before. Ghislaine, as a King-rank swordswoman, is incredibly strong — more than capable of crushing you. But what I need to tell you now is that I... ...am the one who crushes Ghislaine. I know you're not convinced, Sister Eris. I understand that completely. So I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of performance you can give me from here on."

"What?!"

Hearing this, Eris turned to Ghislaine in disbelief. "Ghislaine, don't tell me you're not even a match for Rudy either?!" she demanded.

Ghislaine nodded and smiled. "Rudy really is an incredibly powerful person. Yesterday, when I went to pick him up, the two of us crossed blades. I gave it everything I had, and I still couldn't so much as graze him. In fact, I nearly got killed just charging at him."

"..."

Eris's eyes went wide. She looked at the boy standing in front of her — only six years old, a full head shorter than she was. What kind of monster was this guy?!

Faced with Eris's disbelieving stare, Rudy asked gently with a smile, "So, Sister Eris? Are you satisfied with me as your teacher?"

Eris nodded, growing noticeably more docile. "I'm actually quite satisfied with you, Teacher."

Seeing that Eris had finally fallen in line, Rudy laughed happily. "Excellent. Then let's begin our first lesson."

While Rudy was instructing the two girls... Eris's father, Philip, and Eris's mother, Hilda, watched the scene unfold with smiles on their faces.

"I never imagined Paul's child could be this strong."

"Indeed. And he's only six years old, and a mage no less!"

"It's hard to even wrap my head around it..."

"Mages are naturally weaker than swordsmen and warriors by nature, which is why so many people choose to become swordsmen or warriors instead."

"That's true, but from now on, perhaps mages really will start to rise!"

"I think Paul's boy is quite something — strong, confident, and clear-headed all at once."

"Mm, are you thinking of making him our son-in-law?"

"Yes, what do you think?"

"That's not a bad idea at all!"

"Indeed — Rudy alone could hold the strength of an entire noble house, even a kingdom!"

"Sounds good to me. I quite like the idea."

Now, it was true that Sylphiette already stood by Rudy's side. But among the nobility, it was perfectly reasonable for a capable man to take multiple wives. And so... Neither Eris's father Philip nor her mother Hilda saw Sylphiette's presence as any kind of obstacle. In fact... They barely spared Sylphiette a second glance at all. Every bit of their attention was fixed on the dazzling boy standing before them — Rudy.

At only six years of age... He had already reached the strength to crush a King-rank swordswoman. That alone was likely enough to place him at the threshold of Emperor.

After all... For a mage, reaching Advanced-rank in a lifetime of study was already considered remarkable. The especially gifted ones might, at most, reach Saint-rank. As for the ranks above Saint — King, Emperor, and God... Those tiers... Were essentially never meant for ordinary people at all. They were reserved for the very peak existences of the entire world. The kind of powerhouses you could count on two hands.

And yet here was Rudy... At such a tender age, already at the level of Emperor. As Rudy grew older... Who was to say he might not one day ascend to God itself — a height countless others could only dream of and never reach! When that day came... Rudy's very existence would practically rival the world itself!

Just imagining such a scenario... The smiles on the faces of Eris's parents grew even brighter.

Meanwhile... Eris, still utterly unaware that her parents had already arranged her entire future, was working hard to master the magic Rudy was teaching her. Rudy was strong, there was no denying that. But the pride burning in Eris's heart refused to let her give up, not even a little. She herself possessed formidable talent. She believed that if she just pushed herself to her absolute limit... Then someday... She would surely gain the strength to beat Rudy black and blue.

After all... Swordsmen, by their very nature, held the advantage over mages!