"So, if you apply this method, it should be easier to use magic... At least in practice. Though that doesn't mean it's for everyone." I looked at the two in front of me: a contemplative look on one's face and frustration on the other's.
"I think... I understand, maybe," Ghislaine whispered as she looked at the notes I'd given her.
They weren't anything special: just the rudimentary basics of magic.
Of course, it didn't help that she couldn't read yet.
But that allowed me to use them to teach her how to read while also teaching her magic.
It was my way of cutting out the middleman.
"I still don't get it!" On the other hand, the other person I was teaching wasn't as lucky in their studies. At least so far.
"Magic isn't the easiest thing in the world, Eris. Not everyone can do it in such a short time." Eris hadn't the slightest luck with magic.
But that didn't mean she didn't try hard. In fact, she was trying harder to learn magic than she was to learn how to read or do math, but I understood.
I, too, would rather be throwing fireballs than spending all day doing equations and reading.
"But you make it sound so much easier than it is!" Eris was furious. It wouldn't take long for her to try to hit me and run away, but by now I was used to that kind of violence... Besides, how is it my fault?!
It had been two singular weeks since I arrived on Roa: two weeks of pure, unadulterated agony that I was teaching Eris Boreas Greyrat.
I'd be lying if I said it was easy.
I'd also be lying if I said that, sometimes, I didn't feel like ripping this brat's head off in frustration.
But I didn't let that stop me.
I'd be doing Roxy a disservice if I stopped teaching a girl who needed my knowledge.
The only problem now was that the girl I was supposed to be teaching usually decided she didn't feel like learning that day.
So it's not like I didn't have my work cut out for me.
Still, trying to convince Eris, of all people, to learn was a hell of a lot better than dueling with some god.
Still, there were times when Eris didn't seem willing to budge. This was one of them.
"It's easy for me because I've spent years learning how to do it." A small flame formed on my fingertip with a flick.
"Learning even a little magic proved immeasurably valuable in adventuring. Being able to light a campfire at will or fill a canteen in the middle of the desert just made everything easier in life. I'm sure you can get just as good at it with practice." She didn't seem entirely convinced. In fact, she looked like she was about to bolt out the door at any moment.
I looked to Ghislaine for help, but she was sitting by the window, completely unfazed by everything that was happening.
It seemed like i would do it alone...
"What could I do to convince you?" I guess I was left with bargaining.
Eris never made it easy.
"Hmph!" She didn't seem too intrigued by that either.
She remained in her usual defiant stance.
Honestly, I'm surprised she didn't just hit me and run.
I guess that means she does want something.
At that moment, an idea struck me.
"How about I teach you some magic that's useful for swordsmanship?" With those words, I saw her interest starting to pique.
"Swordsmanship magic? I've never heard of it." Ghislaine chimed in after my statement. It seemed I'd even managed to catch her attention.
"Well, it's not especially useful for swordsmanship, but it's helpful if you're one—"
"Get it out already!" Eris suddenly shouted. She was impatient.
And I just grunted in response, even admiring my restraint at times.
Controlling her mood swings definitely made this job more complicated than most would like.
I understood why so many tutors had already been fired, and I was still the only one who'd made it this far.
At the very least, I could expect some tolerance from Eris whenever I taught her. She seemed to admire my strength in some way.
"I mean healing magic."
Ghislaine and Eris stared at me. Confusion was evident on their faces. Did they really not understand why it was so useful? Wasn't it a little redundant?
"Really?!" Eris was furious. In fact, she was already about to pounce.
And before I could say anything, she lunged at me.
She connected with a direct blow to my cheek, but I quickly covered my head with the "force," so I barely moved.
She, on the other hand, grimaced as she retracted her hand.
This scene had happened several times, but she just didn't understand.
Honestly, I already hated this girl with all my might.
"If I heal your hand, will you listen to me?" I murmured softly.
"...fine," she replied weakly.
Looks like I'm going to be using a lot of healing magic...
"Oh, you mean like, use healing magic every time you're in a fight?" Ghislaine chimed in, having not spoken for a while while I was treating Eris's wounded stump.
Did it take her that long to realize it?
"Yes. It's inevitable that you'll get cuts and scrapes every time you fight, and you never know if you'll need magic to make it out alive."
"Then I'll have you heal me!" Eris returned to her usual attitude.
"I can't always be with you when you get into trouble," I growled.
She frowned.
"Rudeus, I'm teaching Eris the Sword God Way. If she kills whoever she's fighting with a single strike, there's no need for healing. Besides, the incantation you mages use for healing spells takes too long." That's why Ghislaine was confused by what I said.
I suppose it would be confusing for a woman who ends conflicts with a single sword strike.
But for people like me, it made perfect sense that being able to heal any kind of laceration or deep cut with a couple of sentences would trump death.
"I understand what you're saying, Ghislaine, but even you must have had moments where you almost died from some injury you received."
"I suppose you're not wrong."
"Besides, Eris still has time to learn the non-chanting versions of spells."
"What if I don't chant? Tell me!"
You couldn't possibly shout in my ear when you asked me for something you bitch...
"Normally, you have to learn non-spell magic around the age of ten. So you only have a couple of months left until that period is up. Sure, I know someone who's managed it with a lot of practice and learning magic from scratch, but it's much harder after a certain age. So I'd like you to bear with me for a bit."
"I still don't get it!"
You damn demon brat...
"Being able to heal your wounds in the middle of a fight without a chant sounds too good to be true." Ghislaine looked at me sincerely.
It seemed she was now seriously considering what she was saying.
"Eris."
"Yes, Ghislaine?" The girl looked worriedly at the beastwoman.
"Do your best to learn it. It will be useful for your sword training." With that, the woman seemed to have made a decision.
Eris looked at her with a look of surprise and hesitation.
"If you say so." If it meant improving her swordsmanship, Eris was destined to accept. But she still seemed unsure of what she had agreed to.
"Okay!" Let's get back to studying!" With a clap, I returned to where Ghislaine was sitting. She immediately perked up and began to concentrate.
As for the other person in the room...
"I don't want to!" With that, Eris ran off and disappeared from sight.
I honestly came close to decapitating that bastard right there, but Ghislaine would have done the same to me, so I stopped.
...
A wooden sword swung toward me in a swift motion. But it was quickly deflected with a simple parry.
Even though she had plenty of power and bark, Eris was still a beginner with a sword
It felt good to be better than her with a sword but unfortunately I couldn't go too far with her.
"Keep pushing him, Eris!" Ghislaine shouted from the sidelines. She always watched our mock duels when we trained.
It helped Eris and me correct any flaws in my technique that she could, while being realistic.
"Don't let your strikes be so obvious! You'll never hit him like that!"
"He keeps dodging! What do I do if I can't even hit him?!" she was slowly getting annoyed.
This was how most of our sparring sessions went. We'd spar, and I'd dodge every blow possible. In the end, I'd finish our duel with a single riposte.
Still, all my training with her only seemed to make her hate me even more.
Something I wasn't necessarily opposed to. The more distance between us, the better.
I was just doing my job.
"Of course he dodges! He's a mage and a swordsman of the Water God! Less thinking, more swinging!" Ghislaine's training method helped Eris, but it didn't help me at all.
In the end, I was a repetitive apprentice. When I first started sword training, it was the same old thing. I just repeated the same strike over and over again.
It went on for years.
I was getting a little bored, so I smirked as I dodged her blows.
"Why are you making such a weird face?!" Eris whirled around to face me. Too bad she wasn't careful.
It was a simple trick.
With a flick of her wrist, her sword was deflected, and with a simple, swift motion, mine struck her neck with a light thwack.
"I win." With that simple statement, Eris looked back at Ghislaine.
The woman nodded with a deft motion, and in the next instant, Eris threw her wooden sword to the ground and sat down in a huff.
I didn't even know anyone could sit down in a huff in the first place, but I guess I'll leave that to Eris.
"This isn't fair," she grumbled to herself.
In essence, she wasn't wrong.
Sure, she wasn't naturally better with a sword than I was, but I had quite a few years' head start on me, and unfortunately for her, much of that experience was from sparring with my incompetent father.
"Rudeus is advanced—a triple advanced, of course—he'll beat a beginner in the Sword God style no matter how hard You try, Eris. It's just the situation." Ghislaine walked over and gave me a small nod.
I had no idea what that meant.
Swordsmens were so hard to understand, I could only guess at what Eris was thinking on a daily basis.
"That doesn't mean it's fair!" She crossed her arms defiantly as she remained seated.
Impeccable logic, as always, Eris.
As I looked at the girl, I suppressed the smile that wanted to form on my face.
"You'll get there sooner or later, Eris. But for now, you might want to focus on your technique. It's still too easy for me to block and parry any of your blows." The girl looked at me, literally and probably metaphorically.
"Hmph!" She turned her head as she assumed Eris's pose.
"Rudeus, you did a good job today. You're certainly much stronger than Paul mentioned."
Ghislaine praising me? How odd.
"Thank you for that, but I'm afraid I'm still too weak for your words. I still have a long way to go." It was gratifying to hear a Sword King praise me for my efforts, but no matter what, I couldn't allow myself to become complacent.
I needed to be better. To be stronger. That's why I was here teaching this little demon in the first place.
"Come on, Rudeus! Let's get back to training! I'm going to beat the shit out of you!" Eris dragged me along while grabbing my arm.
...
As Ghislaine watched the two of them begin to train, she couldn't help but think about what Rudeus had said.
She didn't understand what he meant, but she couldn't help but think of her master when he said it.
For some reason, Paul's son evoked a feeling in her that she'd only felt from the Sword God himself.
A feeling of superiority.
For some reason, when Rudeus said he was weak, she realized just how strong Paul's son was.
Ghislaine knew that only the strong could call themselves weak when they had the power to change things.
Ghislaine knew that only the strong had that luxury. A luxury she'd never had.
Needless to say, Ghislaine was going to enjoy teaching the boy everything she could. "These five years will be interesting, that's for sure," she said to herself quietly as she watched the two continue their argument.