It was already night by the time we arrived in the City of Roa.
The journey from Buena Village to Roa takes roughly six or seven hours by carriage.
"Look at those walls, Bro," Rudeus remarked.
Following his lead, I looked out the window. Walls spanning seven or eight meters in height stretched around the perimeter. Horse-drawn carriages wove in and out of the massive gate, and as we passed through, we saw lines of merchant stalls flanking the streets.
"Ghislaine, do you know what that is?" Rudeus asked the woman beside him.
Ghislaine was a tall swordswoman. Of the seven ranks in the Sword God Style, Ghislaine Dedoldia stood at the third from the top, a rank known as Sword King. She was the one who would be teaching me, taking over where my father had left off.
"You..." Ghislaine turned toward Rudeus, clearly irritated. "Are you trying to make fun of me?"
Rudeus jumped a little at the scolding. "No, I was just... I was wondering what that was. I don't know, so I was hoping you could tell me."
"Ah... I apologize," she hurried to explain. "That is the waiting area for carriages. It is what people normally use to travel between cities. The other option is to pay for a ride with a traveling merchant."
As the carriage rolled forward, Ghislaine pointed out various locations.
"That is the weapon shop, that is the tavern, that is a branch of the Adventurer's Guild, and that place is best left unvisited." Her face was serious, but her tone was kind.
A gigantic building dominated the center of the city.
"That is the feudal lord's mansion," Ghislaine said.
"It looks more like a castle than a mansion," Rudeus observed.
"Well, this is a fortified city, after all," she replied.
Four hundred years ago, this place served as the last bastion of defense during the war against the Demon Race. That is why a castle presides over the center of the city. However, despite its imposing history, the nobility of the current Imperial Capital considers Roa a vulgar, remote settlement populated mostly by adventurers.
"Defensive structure," I muttered, analyzing the layout. "Defensible main streets. Civilians would be evacuated to the center in case of attack."
The deeper we went, the more luxurious the carriages and shops appeared. Right in the center stood the largest building of them all.
"The fact that we are coming here must mean the young lady I'll be tutoring is of high social standing," said Rudeus.
Ghislaine shook her head. "Not exactly."
"Eh?"
"Then, she must be the feudal lord's daughter."
"No."
"She isn't?"
"Not exactly."
I let out a small sigh.
The carriage came to a halt.
We entered the largest structure in the city, where a butler led us to a guest reception room. Or rather, a holding pen for potential employees.
"Please, take a seat there," he said, gesturing toward two aligned armchairs.
Ghislaine stepped aside silently and stood guard in the corner.
[NOTE: IT SEEMS SHE CHOSE THAT SPOT TO MONITOR THE ENTIRE ROOM.]
Please, shut up Analysis. This isn't the time for you to speak.
The butler served us a liquid resembling red tea in a clearly luxurious cup. The tea was delicious, though I have to admit, I miss Zenith's.
"Where is he!?"
A voice boomed from outside, accompanied by heavy, thunderous footsteps.
"In here!?"
The doors burst open, and a muscular man stormed into the room. Despite the splash of white in his dark brown hair, he seemed well-kept for a man pushing fifty.
Rudeus set down his cup, stood up, and bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Rudeus Greyrat."
"Hmph! You don't even know how to introduce yourself!" the lord snorted.
The butler stepped forward. "Master, Rudeus-sama has never been outside Buena Village. He is still young, so I am sure he has not yet had the opportunity to learn proper manners. Surely you can overlook some of his..."
"Silence!"
The butler fell silent immediately.
This man would be my brother Rudeus's employer, but perhaps mine as well. Paul hadn't specified exactly what I should do or why I was being treated as a second employee, given that I came to train with Ghislaine and teach her reading, writing, and arithmetic.
It seems the bow Rudeus offered was not to his liking. To be honest, he was quite off regarding noble protocol.
"Hmph! Then I suppose Paul doesn't even see fit to teach manners to his own son!"
"I have been told my father detests formalities, which is the reason he left his father's house. I suspect that is also why he hasn't taught me anything regarding them," Rudeus mentioned, trying to diffuse the situation.
"Now you're making excuses! You're just like him!"
"Did my father really make that many excuses?" Rudeus asked.
"Yes! An excuse every time he opened his mouth. If he wet the bed, an excuse! If he got into a fight, an excuse! If he skipped his duties, an excuse! Even you! If you wanted to learn manners, you could have done so! The only reason you didn't is because you didn't want to put in the effort!"
"You are right. It is my fault for lacking proper manners. I apologize," Rudeus conceded.
"However, I will acknowledge that you made a valiant effort instead of being defensive about your lack of education! I will allow you to stay here!"
He looked at him again. "My name is Sauros Boreas Greyrat. I am the feudal lord of the Fittoa region, and I am your father's uncle."
I decided to stand up and perform the correct greeting.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sauros Boreas Greyrat-sama." I tried to sound as formal as possible. "I am Daiki Greyrat, Rudeus's older brother." I bowed my head. "It is an honor to meet you and to be allowed in your home."
Sauros blinked. For the first time, he fell silent. Then he stomped the floor.
"I like you!" He looked at my brother. "You should learn from your older brother."
He looked back at me. "Where did you learn that?"
"Ah, I asked my mother to teach me before coming here. I saw it necessary to study on my own accord to represent our family."
Sauros took a step forward. It was at that moment I saw something that left me paralyzed for a few seconds.
"Oho! Your eyes are just like mine!" he shouted. "That is interesting."
"Yes..." I sighed lightly. "It seems that in the end, it was simply atavism."
"Hmph! What matters is that you are part of the family!" Then he looked at my hair. "Hmm... and your hair. Black as night. I have no explanation for that, but..."
A smile appeared on his face. "It makes you look noble. Elegant."
He turned to the butler. "Thomas! This is a true Greyrat! Look at how he introduces himself! Look at his bearing!"
He returned his attention to me. "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 patted my shoulder. "Good! Both of you are accepted! Although you," he pointed directly at me, "clearly need to teach your younger brother how to behave appropriately!"
"With all due respect, Sauros-sama," I bowed my head. "Rudeus is a magical prodigy. He reached the Saint tier in Water Magic at five years old. His talents lie in different areas than social etiquette."
"Saint? At five years old?" Sauros looked at him with new consideration. "Is that true, boy?"
"Y-yes, sir," Rudeus replied.
"Hmm! Then everyone has their strengths! Good, that is acceptable!"
And with that, the lord of the house turned around and marched out of the room, his shoulders stiff and firm.
When the door closed, Rudeus sighed and looked directly at me.
"When the hell did you study etiquette?"
"During the week before we left, I asked Mom to teach me. Since I knew we were coming to a noble mansion, I thought preparing was the most appropriate thing to do. Especially considering I'm your older brother."
"And you didn't think to teach me?" Rudeus asked.
"Rudeus, I suggested it to you three times. 'I'll learn later,' 'what for,' 'I'm going with Sylphy'... You were so focused on her that you never decided to learn. Besides, I learned while you were always going out to the tree with her."
"Okay, okay..." Rudeus lowered his arms. "It's my fault."
"Although..." I continued, "I didn't expect the thing about the eyes."
"You always carried that burden, didn't you?"
"In both lives..." I began to speak in Japanese. "I always believed I didn't belong anywhere. Even here, although I felt our mother loved me. I thought I was an anomaly, but in the end, it's something normal. So, I am relieved."
For the first time, I felt a weight lift, and a smile formed without my command.
"It's good, isn't it?" said Rudeus. "Having an explanation."
"Yes. It's... good."
...
"What is the matter, Thomas?"
Someone appeared at the door: a slender man with straight brown hair.
"It seems my father is in a good mood. Did something happen?"
Apparently, this was Paul's cousin. The butler replied, "These are the young masters. Just a moment ago, the Lord recognized them. It seems he liked them; Daiki-sama surprised him."
"Haha... if they are the kind of people my father likes..." He looked directly at me. "Perhaps I have chosen poorly?"
He sat in the armchair opposite us.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Rudeus Greyrat." Just like a moment ago, he bowed and lowered his head.
"Ah, yes, and I am Phillip Boreas Greyrat. Nobles greet each other by placing their right hand on their chest and lowering their head slightly. You must have angered my father with your incorrect introduction, or am I mistaken?"
I performed the bow exactly as required. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Daiki Greyrat, and I hope not to be a nuisance during my stay."
"Ah..." He looked nervous. "I see why my father liked you."
We all sat back down.
"How much have you heard?" Phillip asked.
"I was told that if I spend five years here educating the young lady, I would be given enough money to cover the tuition for the Magic University," Rudeus replied.
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
"I see." He brought his hand to his chin, staring at the table in thought. "Do you like girls?"
"Not as much as my father," Rudeus replied.
"My main focus for now is training. Given that, I have no romantic interest," I said.
[So you say now. Who knows. I doubt you'll be able to control your body when you're a teenager.]
Analysis has been talking more and analyzing less lately. What's wrong with it? Well, it didn't always analyze; it simply served as storage.
"Really? Then you're hired," Phillip said, looking at Rudeus.
Then he looked at me. "You are going to teach Ghislaine, correct?"
"Yes. That would be my job, to pay for her training."
"I see, but you are also hired, you know? In any case, if I don't do it, maybe my father will get angry with me. You have much to learn. Right, Ghislaine?"
She nodded. "Daiki is an advanced-level swordsman; he can teach her things I cannot explain, although I will remain her primary teacher."
"Sounds good to me," Phillip replied.
Then he turned to us. "Right now, the only people that girl likes are Edna, her manners tutor, and Ghislaine, her sword teacher. I have already fired more than five people. Among them was a man who taught in the Imperial City."
He was implying that just because someone taught in the Imperial City didn't mean they were good at it.
"And how is that relevant to whether or not I like girls?" Rudeus asked.
"It isn't. It's just that Paul was the kind of man who would work as hard as he could if it was for a cute girl. So I assumed you were probably the same." He shrugged.
So Paul had that reputation even far from Buena Village, I thought.
"I'll be honest, I don't expect much from you. I simply assumed that, since you are Paul's sons, I might as well give you a chance," Phillip said.
"You're right, that was very honest," Rudeus replied.
"What? You mean to say you have the confidence to pull it off?"
"I won't know until I meet her."
Rudeus proceeded to explain the plan for the fake kidnapping.
"Interesting... Do you think it will work?" Phillip asked.
"I think it has a better chance of working than adults forcing her."
"Is this something Paul taught you? Like one of the ways to make a girl fall in love with you?"
"No. My father doesn't have to go that far to be popular with women."
"So popular... Pfff." Phillip began to laugh. "It's true. He has always been popular. He doesn't have to do anything and the girls go straight to him."
"Every person he has introduced me to has been one of his lovers. Even Ghislaine," Rudeus commented.
"Yes, I have incredible envy of him," Phillip admitted.
"I'm worried he might even put his hands on the childhood friend I left in Buena Village," Rudeus said.
Rudeus, brother, did you really have to mention that?
Seeing him frozen with anxiety, I decided to speak. "Although I should add that the plan has risks."
"What risks?" Phillip asked.
"If it is discovered that it was simulated, 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," Phillip observed.
"Someone has to be," I replied.
That drew a laugh from Phillip. "Well, we won't get anywhere if we keep talking. You need to meet my daughter. Come, I will take you to her."
And so, finally, I met her.
The young lady radiated arrogance.
She was two years older than me, had sharp red eyes, and wavy hair in a pure shade of crimson.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Rudeus Greyrat," my brother said.
"Hmph!" She glanced at him, nostrils flaring just like her grandfather's. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest, looking down at him from her greater height. "What is the meaning of this? He is younger than me! And he is supposed to teach me? Stop joking!"
"I don't think age has anything to do with it," said Rudeus.
"What!? Do you have a problem with me!?" Her voice was so loud that Rudeus recoiled.
"Miss, what I am saying is that there are things I can do that you cannot."
"You are very confident! Who do you think I am!?" she shouted.
"You are my second cousin, right?"
"Second...? What the hell is that?"
"It means my father is your father's cousin. In other words, you are my great-uncle's granddaughter."
"What are you talking about!? I don't understand!"
"You've heard of Paul, right?" Rudeus tried.
"Of course not!"
"Ah, I understand," Rudeus said.
Considering how my brother was, I was sure he thought this would be like a video game, where you simply have to speak to a character repeatedly to establish a relationship.
But as expected, she swung her hand and slapped him.
"Eh...? Why did you hit me?"
"Because you're acting too presumptuous even though you're younger than me!" she shouted.
"So that's it."
"Very well, then I will return the gesture," Rudeus declared.
"Hah!?" she exclaimed.
[I can't believe he's going to do it...]
Let him, he needs to learn that lesson, I replied.
And he did it. A weak, clumsy slap, but he did it.
What followed was predictable.
She mounted him, pinning his arms with her legs, and began to beat him mercilessly.
"Ouch, ow, that hurts! Wait, what, no, stop!"
I didn't move.
Then I saw the flash of mana.
Rudeus used wind magic to blast himself away.
Rudeus fled.
I watched him run out the door, with her chasing him like a predator hunting prey. Her screams could be heard throughout the room, along with her hunter's roars.
I stayed where I was.
I crossed my arms.
I waited.
"Won't you do anything?" Phillip asked suddenly.
"No, he must learn that actions have consequences," I replied. "If you do something, you must expect the equivalent."
"Are you...? Cruel? No, that is not the word." He brought a hand to his chin. "If you protected him always, he would never learn and would end up depending on you, correct?"
"Exactly." I looked at him. "I mean, it's not like I don't care. He is a great mage, Eris won't kill him, and later I will speak with him."
"I see. Then I am not worried," Phillip concluded.
She returned, satisfied and sweating.
She wore the expression of a predator after a successful hunt.
[Interesting.]
Violence calmed her, yes, but only for a while. In the long run, that method wasn't going to sustain her, and she would meet someone worse than us.
Looking at me closely, her gaze changed and she crossed her arms.
"You." She pointed a finger at me. "Who are you? When did you appear?"
"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself." I bowed. "My name is Daiki Greyrat and we will be fellow swordsmen."
"How dare you..." She gritted her teeth. "Fellows?"
She swung her hand and tried to slap me, but only a loud CLAP echoed through the room.
My face didn't move at all. I remained still.
"Is that enough?" I asked simply.
She didn't seem to care. She pointed at me again, this time accusingly.
"Is the crying brat your brother?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't you help him!?"
"Because he made a tactical error," I replied calmly. "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."
"How!? You let me beat him just to teach him a lesson!?"
My calmness seemed to irritate her more than any direct provocation.
"You are a cold bastard!"
I decided to ignore her, looking away.
"Damn cold bastard, don't ignore me!"
She kicked the floor. "Then you also need to learn manners!"
She raised her hand to punch me, but I caught her wrist before the blow even took form.
She blinked. "What...?"
"Violence is not appropriate," I said.
"Let me go!"
"If you promise to calm down."
"I promise nothing!"
Having no escape route, she decided to lash out with her other hand, but I caught it just as quickly.
She tried to kick my shin. I simply took a small step back.
"I told you, violence is not—"
"Shut up!"
She tried to sweep my legs with a clumsy, desperate movement. I jumped over it without letting go of her wrists and landed in exactly the same spot, releasing her immediately.
"STAY STILL!"
"I am still."
"Aaaaaaaaah!"
She ran directly toward me, throwing herself with all her might. I stepped to the side and caught her wrist, pushing her toward the sofa and forcing her to sit.
"Do you really want to continue with this?"
She launched herself at me again.
Another side step, another failed attempt on her part.
"Stop moving!"
"That would be contrary to my survival."
She growled and changed tactics.
She started chasing me around the room, trying to corner me against the furniture. Every time she got close, I slipped to the side.
When she tried to block my path, I had already changed direction, and when she tried to hit me, I deflected it using aikido techniques. At one point, I used her momentum and threw her back onto the sofa.
"If you keep this up, I'll end up winning by endurance," I commented.
She jumped off the sofa and tried again. Her attempts to hit me became increasingly desperate and uncoordinated.
"Stand... still... damn you...!"
Phillip watched from his seat with an increasingly amused expression.
"ENOUGH...!" She was breathing heavily. "Stop! Fight seriously!"
"This was never a fight."
"AAAHHH!"
She launched herself at me with everything she had left.
No technique, no strategy, just pure fury.
I decided to end this now.
When her fist was a few inches from my face, I caught her wrist and seized her other hand.
And I spun her like a top.
"Hah?!"
I spun her once.
"What...?" She didn't know what to say.
As she spun, her confusion grew, until I decided to plant my foot.
I released her at the exact instant.
Physics did the rest.
She fell seated, tangled in her own limbs.
She stayed there, staring at me with an expression of absolute shock.
"As I mentioned, violence is not appropriate."
I turned to Phillip, 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.
"Perfect then..."
I turned back to her one last time. "Have a good night."
"You-you... you..."
I narrowed my eyes and walked out.
The rooms assigned to us were practically mirror images of one another, joined by a side door.
I heard Rudeus's door open and close, then his footsteps approaching the door connecting our rooms.
"Brother, are you there?"
"Yes."
He opened the door, showing his bruised face. Eris's blows had left marks, though nothing serious.
"Do you need help?"
"I'm fine. Just battered. Nothing permanent... although my pride is going to take longer to heal than my body."
"Did you learn the lesson?"
"I know, I know. I was an idiot returning the slap. My adult brain should have known... but my seven-year-old pride won the fight."
I walked over, 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."
After finishing healing himself, he got up from the bed.
"Brother," said Rudeus.
"Yes?"
"What happened after... you know... I fled?"
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. Aikido... or, to be exact, Water God Style."
"Did you make her fall?"
"First I spun her. Three times. Then I placed my foot... and physics did the rest."
"That sounds humiliating."
"That was the idea. Demonstrate control without violence."
"And did it work?"
"Hard to tell."
"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 of violent nobles chasing you."
"Good night, Rudy. Try not to dream of big-titted angels again. You told me about it during the whole trip."
"Hey, those are good dreams!"
I allowed myself to laugh in the darkness.
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 proper guidance.