My brother Rudeus's plan consisted of a series of steps that, honestly, didn't inspire much confidence. However, against all odds, it was the only leverage they had to make her start understanding his position and gain some respect for him.
As for me, I knew he stood no chance in a physical or verbal confrontation, so I assumed I had that side of things covered. Even so, the fake kidnapping was vital to reinforce the importance of studying, and arithmetic for survival in this world.
We were currently outside, with Eris at the market.
His plan was as follows:
1 — Go to a clothing store in the city with the Young Eris.
2 — Have Ghislaine escort her as usual, then "accidentally" look away and allow the Young Lady to slip away.
3 — Let her twisted personality run its course and get her to wander off on her own.
4 — My brother would tail her without being noticed.
5 — She would get carried away by her interest in adventurers and head toward the edge of the city.
6 — Have someone from the Greyrat household appear.
7 — Have them knock both of them unconscious, kidnap them, and lock them up somewhere in a nearby city.
8 — My brother would use magic to stage a breakout.
9 — Once they were free, he would tell her he suspected they were in a neighboring city.
10 — He would use the money he hid in his underwear to pay for a carriage ride.
11 — They would return home safely, and he would hold his head high while scolding the Young Lady.
Before the operation began, I decided to have a word with him.
"Rudeus, are you sure?" I tried to sound calm. "I can go with you if necessary."
"No, I'll be fine," Rudeus replied. "Besides, I feel it's better if you don't go. That way I earn her respect; I think that part is already settled regarding you."
"Well, I'll be keeping watch just in case," I nodded. "You know the drill. One explosion and I'll be there in a heartbeat."
And so, Rudeus set his plan in motion.
---
I returned to the mansion as quickly as possible, before Eris realized I wasn't with them.
Upon entering, I noticed a tall woman with red hair matching Eris's glaring at me with evident hatred before vanishing down the hallway.
[I think she hates you a little.]
'You think? I believe it's simply the fact that I'm a stranger in her house.'
[Maybe, maybe not. Who knows.]
"Daiki," a voice called from the distance. It was Ghislaine.
"Yes, Ghislaine-san?" I replied, turning around.
"Just Ghislaine," she said, crossing her arms. "You will teach me to read and write. In exchange, I will train you. Understood?"
"Yes, understood. Let's go outside; I already have something planned for you."
She smiled and followed me.
In the mansion's backyard, there were several large wooden boards.
"Right," I grabbed a board. "This is a character. Do you know which one?"
"I've seen it many times," Ghislaine replied.
"Well, that's because it is a basic character that appears frequently in the language."
Ghislaine seemed curious. Despite being a warrior, she sat cross-legged with a hand on her chin.
"You must carve it into the wood with the same precision..." I picked up a sword, "using your talent with the blade."
She looked at me in confusion.
"A sword?" Ghislaine asked, puzzled by my proposal. "I thought we would use a piece of charcoal."
"Yes. To learn to read and write, you need to know how to use the letters instinctively. At first, you feel rigid doing it, but with practice, you will understand how easy writing flows. Besides, once you switch to a fine piece of charcoal, you'll be able to write quickly without overthinking it. And by learning to write, you learn to read." I handed her the board.
Her eyes lit up, and she began the task.
---
By the end of the day, Ghislaine had carved quite a few characters, and I had also walked her through reading them. That, combined with physical training, allowed me to find a way for her to learn quickly by leveraging her greatest strengths.
This is what we call talent-based learning.
"Arithmetic is something we use every day, even if you don't notice it. It's used to count coins, calculate orders, assess how many enemies are facing you, or figure out how much food you need for a trip. Without numbers, you're just guessing through life... and guessing usually costs you."
Ghislaine told me she had been the victim of several scams throughout her life, so learning was an absolute necessity.
Well, setting that aside, she needed to learn urgently.
I grabbed a piece of charcoal and marked the ground.
"If you have ten coins and spend two on food, two on firewood to cook it, and two on lodging, how many do you have left?"
She didn't answer; she started getting tangles in her fingers trying to count.
"Forget the coins for a moment."
I drew again, circles this time.
"You have ten rations of food," I explained. "You eat two today, two tomorrow, and two the next day. How many do you have left to keep traveling?"
Ghislaine frowned.
Her fingers began to move clumsily, counting over and over.
"I bought ten..." she muttered. "Eating two, nine and eight... seven and six... five and four..."
She looked at me with four fingers raised.
"Four, I have four left!" she replied, her tail wagging.
"Very good. But that is the easy part. There will come a point where you won't even need your fingers."
The sun was about to set after we finished a few more basic exercises.
I stood with hands on my hips, gazing toward the horizon.
"Kid," Ghislaine said with a slight smile, "do you think you're clever enough to handle my training?"
"Yes, of course. That is what I came for," I nodded. "Being trained by the Sword King is an honor not everyone can afford."
She smiled.
"I'm glad you aren't like Paul," she said, resting her hand on my head. "Now, go rest a bit. I'll take the watch outside."
I nodded and she withdrew.
---
Too much time had passed since my brother launched the plan.
[Two whole days without returning. That is...]
I couldn't stay calm. Despite being part of the plan, the lack of intel on how it was going made me restless. Every time I tried to close my eyes, Analysis started throwing data at me about possible failures, risks, and variables that could have gone wrong... and naturally, that didn't help my nerves.
'Shut up already...'
[If he's taking this long, he's in trouble...]
'He is a great mage. He can pull it off. I trust him.'
[That's ironic.]
'What are you talking about?'
["Trusting" and "worrying" shouldn't apply to the same person.]
'No, Analysis, he will be fine... and that's final. Shut up, okay?'
[Even so, you should go to...]
I didn't give it time to finish.
I grabbed the same sword my father had given me when I turned five and, without a second thought, bolted out to find my brother.
I sprinted across the rooftops at full speed.
Was I overreacting?
Considering my brother is a powerful mage, perhaps. But this time he wasn't alone; he had to look out for someone who might not be able to keep up.
This time I am strong enough to act, right?
BOOOOOM!
An explosion roared, followed by an intense flash of light.
"An explosion," I had told him, but he really went overboard with the theatrics.
That was definitely my brother, I thought as I arrived at the battlefield.
I dropped from the roof, landing in front of him.
"Rudeus," I turned to face him. "What is going on?"
He simply pointed with his chin.
When I turned, I saw Eris being held by a man.
In that instant, I understood everything. I flexed my knees and launched myself directly at him.
"Huh!"
The man expected a direct slash, but when he looked down, he realized Eris was no longer in his arms.
Instead, she was in mine. I held her gently as she looked up at me.
"Eris, is everything okay?" I asked as softly as possible, trying to get a read on the situation. "If they hit you or anything, you can tell me."
She didn't answer. She was still overwhelmed by everything that had happened, so I read between the lines of her silence.
I set her down carefully, away from the danger.
"You have a lot to tell me," I unsheathed my sword, "so you'd better start talking, or you'll be finished before you realize it."
One of them laughed.
"Come on, kid..." a bald man sneered. "Think you're superior just because you snatched that brat from us?"
He already had a sword in hand, while the other, who seemed more experienced, stood with arms crossed, oozing confidence.
"And speaking of that," the bald man continued, "why don't you join us? You're still a brat, but in time you'd be a great addition to our cause."
"...You call this a cause?" I clenched my fists tight.
"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" the other remarked. "I mean, the bandit pays well, and we can feed our families. We could share the reward if you join. You're both smart, right?"
I didn't give him time to continue.
I lunged with massive momentum, gouging a hole in the ground as I unleashed the Longsword of Silence.
In less than a second, I was already grazing his neck. However, the man panicked and ducked mid-swing.
Even so, I drove a knee directly into the bald man's face.
"GRAAAGH!"
Before he could hit the ground, I aimed for his chest and slammed him down with the pommel of my sword.
"Are you going to tell me why you sell little girls?" I crouched to his level, planting the blade near his fingers. "Because I can do this all night, you know? Besides, if you want to keep your fingers, you'd better be quick."
Nothing.
He remained silent, despite the threat.
I grabbed his fingers and snapped them with a sharp crack.
"Aaah! My fingers! You damn demon! Kill him! Kill him now!"
Ignoring his order, I kept staring at him.
"Aaah!"
The man threw his sword—a technique known as the North God Style.
Rudeus tried to intervene, but I stopped him with a signal.
As I had predicted, the sword shattered into a thousand pieces before touching me.
In less than a second, the man's head rolled across the ground.
Behind me, Ghislaine had appeared.
I turned to face the bald man.
"Well then, who hired you?"
"I... I just... The butler! It was the butler of the Boreas family! He hired us... he said a noble wanted the girl..."
"The girl? What would a noble want with a girl?" I asked coldly.
"To... to make her his... Please, I just needed the money. I'm a father, I have a family with..."
I kicked him in the face.
"You have a family? Interesting. But that girl you wanted to kidnap has one too. If you truly had a daughter, you'd know the terror of having her taken away. What would you do if I sold her myself? You know I could do it, so give me more information."
He began to spill the details.
The "noble," or whoever it was, wanted to buy Eris. To break her will to live. To leave her "hollow," so she would only smile or nod. Basically, to kill her while she was still alive.
And also... to leave her empty, just as I was.
"Brother..." Rudeus said. "What are you going to...?"
"What is necessary."
I used to kill.
In my past life, I made sure to leave every criminal lifeless. However, this would be the first time I did it while fully conscious of my actions.
Besides, if I'm going to follow the path of the sword, it won't be the last time I have to take a life.
So...
I raised the sword and swung it toward his neck.
"One less piece of scum," I said, sheathing the sword. "Now all that remains is to go home."
I looked seriously at the body of the person I had just killed. My heart was pounding, but I didn't feel regret. He deserved it, so there was no reason to feel otherwise.
"Very good, kid," Ghislaine said. "Now we know more about what really happened."
I nodded and approached Rudeus. He was stiff, his gaze lost on the ground, unsure where to look. It was the first time he had witnessed a human death at the hands of another, and his body had simply refused to react.
"Hey, Rudeus," I shook him by the shoulders, forcing him back to reality. "Look at me."
After a few seconds, his eyes finally focused.
"I... ah..." Rudeus stammered. "I mean..."
"Trembling? I'm doing it right now," I said, listening to my own heart. "The hard part isn't the act itself, but accepting what comes after. And here, in this place, in this world, nothing will give us rest."
"Y-yes... thank you very much, Brother..."
"Don't thank me," I interrupted. "You could have finished this alone. You were exhausted. You had to protect someone else. With that weight on your shoulders, anyone would have wavered."
With that said, he stood up, and we continued on the path toward the mansion.
...
A few hours later, the sun was about to break over the horizon. I walked in front, despite having Ghislaine with us.
Why?
Being on alert made me feel calmer.
Looking back, I noticed Eris was behaving strangely.
"Did something happen, Young Eris?"
She didn't answer, until she stepped a little closer and looked me dead in the eye.
"Nothing! There's nothing wrong with me!"
"Ah, okay," I replied to her shouting.
I tilted my head, noticing how she was gripping her left arm tightly, and decided to do something about it.
"You're holding your arm," I said suddenly.
"It's just a scratch, dwarf! I don't need a brat two years younger than me telling me if I'm hurt or not!"
"I never mentioned a wound."
She opened her mouth, but said nothing.
"Scratches get infected," I continued. "And people who try to act tough usually die before they ask for help."
Rudeus looked at Eris.
"Eris-san, what did we discuss about shouting? You promised, no shouting until we get home," Rudeus mentioned.
She growled and turned her head away.
[Typical tsundere behavior.]
'What are you talking about?'
[Your brother Rudeus mentioned it once in Buena Village. They are girls who act aggressive, proud, or cold to hide what they really feel. They usually hit first and admit it later.]
'...Ah, I see.'
[And if you say that out loud, she'll probably hit you.]
'Maybe.'
I approached and took her arm.
"Hey! Let me go, I told you to...!" she protested.
I lifted the sleeve and placed my hand directly on the wound.
This was necessary, since healing isn't possible from a distance; direct contact is required. Eris gave a slight gasp that I interpreted as pain, it wasn't a simple scratch, so I used healing magic to wrap this up as quickly as possible.
"...What...?" she stammered. "What the hell did you just do?"
Eris stared at her arm when I let go.
"Advanced healing," I replied.
"I told you I didn't need help!" Eris shouted, forgetting the promise again.
"And I decided that you did."
"You have no right to touch me without permission!"
I held her gaze.
"Yesterday you didn't have permission to try and smash my face in twelve times in a row either... We're even."
She opened her mouth.
She closed it.
She opened it again.
And simply growled.
"When we get home, you'll put on a clean bandage even if you don't need it anymore," I said, starting to walk again. "And next time, speak up."
.
.
.
.
When we arrived at the mansion, Eris collapsed onto the floor, completely exhausted. Her legs must have finally given out now that the adrenaline was gone.
The maids hovered anxiously around Eris. When they reached out to help, she swatted their hands away and stood up on her own. Her legs were shaking like a newborn fawn's, but she stood imposingly, arms crossed over her chest.
Maybe she had recovered her spirit now that she was on home turf.
Seeing her this way, the maids seemed to realize something was different and kept their distance.
Eris's gaze darted between Rudeus and me.
"I will grant you the special privilege of calling me by my name, Eris!"
"Huh?" Rudeus blinked.
"Not just anyone gets that privilege, okay?!"
[It seems he understood everything.]
'Quiet, you're exhausting.'
"Thank you very much, Lady Eris!" Rudeus said.
"Drop the formalities! Just call me Eris!" she declared.
[It seems she finally got it.]
'Quiet, talking to you exhausts me. Literally.'
"Thank you very much, Lady Eris!" Rudeus repeated.
"Drop the formalities! Just call me Eris!" she insisted.
I just nodded.
"Well?" she demanded, glaring at me. "Aren't you going to say anything?"
"Understood, Young Eris," I replied.
"'Young Eris'?" she asked, confused.
"Yes," I confirmed.
"I just gave you permission to call me just Eris!" she shouted.
"And I appreciate the gesture, but 'Young Eris' is more appropriate," I replied.
"Appropriate?!" Eris took a threatening step forward, ignoring the trembling in her legs. "Rudeus gets to call me Eris! Ghislaine calls me Eris!"
I decided to mull it over while she kept ranting.
"Look!" Eris continued without letting me speak. "This is an order! Just Eris! No 'Young'! No formalities! Understood!?"
"No," I replied.
"What!?" she exclaimed.
"When you are capable of defeating me in combat," I said calmly, "I will reconsider the terms."
Eris's eyes went wide at my proposal.
"Are you serious?"
"I am always serious," I concluded.
A fierce smile began to form on Eris's face, despite her exhaustion.
"I am going... to beat you..." Eris murmured, closing her eyes. "And then... you will have to... call me Eris..."
"I'll be waiting for that day," I replied quietly, handing her carefully over to the maids.
"Make sure she rests," I ordered them. "And check her for more wounds. If you find any, call me. Understood?"
And that was how Rudeus became Eris Boreas Greyrat's tutor, and I became her sparring partner.
***
NAME: Eris B. Greyrat.
OCCUPATION: Granddaughter of the Feudal Lord of Fittoa.
PERSONALITY: Fierce.
WHAT SHE DOES NOT DO: Listen to what people say.
READING/WRITING: Can write her own name.
ARITHMETIC: Can add.
MAGIC: Not interested.
SWORDSMANSHIP: Sword God Style – Beginner Rank.
MANNERS: Can perform the Boreas style greeting.
PEOPLE SHE LIKES: Her grandfather, Ghislaine.