It's been three months since I became the tutor of the little demon known as Eris Boreas Greyrat.
From the moment I started teaching her, she didn't listen to me.
As soon as it was time for reading, writing, and arithmetic, she would disappear. She wouldn't reappear until
it was time for sword practice.
There were exceptions, of course. Magic class was the only one she faithfully paid attention to.
The first time she produced a fireball, she was happy and excited. She watched as its flame roared, engulfing the curtain, and said,
"Someday I'll make fireworks in the sky like you did!" Of course, I immediately extinguished the flames and warned her not to use fire magic when I wasn't around.
Eris peered through the half-burned curtain, pleased with herself.
She looked like a pyromaniac, but at least she was motivated.
I felt confident I could surpass the rest of her resume, or so I thought, since after all this time, she simply doesn't want to learn.
I wouldn't be lying if I said I deeply regret coming to this place, but the only thing holding me back were my fencing classes with Ghislaine, which I felt were already bearing fruit to some extent. It also reaffirmed my belief that Paul is a terrible teacher...
Apparently, the "force" I use to enhance my physical abilities is a derivation of mana, and its official name is Touki.
This discovery didn't make a huge difference, but still, learning it was a derivation of mana might make things a little more interesting than they already are.
Maybe injecting the mana I use for magic can be used in my touki and thus enhance my physical abilities?
Who knows, I should ask Ghislaine about it during our training today.
Today, like the day I arrived, Ghislaine told me to give us both wooden swords and had us fight while she guided us.
"Remember your attack stance, remember your opponent closely."
I repelled Eris's sword with a smooth movement. Since I arrived, she hasn't been able to land a single blow on me, but I've noticed that the strength and speed behind her attacks is gradually increasing daily. The sword is the only thing she's improving at...
"If you can move faster than your opponent, read their movements and aim with your sword. If you're slower than them, then move your body to avoid the trajectory of their sword!"
Another blow came towards me, and I easily dodged it.
"Grrr..." Eris growled angrily, but I could see that she wasn't losing control like before; she was getting better at containing her emotions.
"Watch out for the tips of your opponent's toes and predict their movement!"
I received another blow, which I dodged.
Now that I think about it, I've always been on the defensive during our training, even though it's obvious I'm still too fast for her.
"Eris! Don't stop your attacks! Your opponent hasn't given up yet!"
"Yes!"
Despite our training sessions, Eris's determination to defeat me is still present in the girl.
That's good. I don't want her to come back more bitter than she is because I'm better with the sword.
The difference between us was more than obvious, but it seems she was using me as some sort of motivator. That's good.
(Clap!)
Eris's sword lunged at my neck, and I quickly blocked it, leaving her exposed.
She's still clumsy at recovering when I parry her attacks, so counterattacking has never been a problem. A moderate blow to her shoulder sent her stumbling and falling on her butt. "Okay, that's enough, you two."
At Ghislaine's words, Eris made another of her usual pouts while crossing her arms, but now she wasn't looking at me angrily. Instead, she looked as if she were thinking... Are my eyes deceiving me?!
"Why are you staring at me so much?!"
Forget it, she's the same as always.
"Rudeus," Ghislaine suddenly called out to me, and I looked at her.
"What's wrong?"
"You've been training with Eris all these days, but I've never seen your true abilities. Let's spar together. After all, this was part of the agreement," she said with a small smile.
I'm 67.8% sure she respects me, but not too much, so I nodded.
Eris stepped back slightly from where we were. She had never seen Ghislaine in a fight, but the title of Sword King isn't something that is bestowed on just anyone, according to Paul.
Ghislaine and I were about ten meters away from each other.
She slowly drew her sword, and a chill ran down my spine.
I quickly wrapped my body in Touki while holding my sword tightly. I knew I couldn't defeat her, not yet, so my only option now was to rush her first.
"Haaa..." Sweat trickled from my forehead as I exhaled the breath I didn't know I was holding.
Wait a minute! She's using her real sword, and I'm just using this piece of wood!
"Grr..." I gritted my teeth tightly as fear took hold of me, but I couldn't back down now, so I gripped the handle of my sword so hard my knuckles turned white, ducked slightly, and with a sonic boom, I shot out of the ground toward Ghislaine.
(Krooom!)
A crater appeared right where my feet had been a few moments ago, and the distance between Ghislaine and me closed in less than a second.
With all the strength I could muster in my arms, I swung my sword, a move I'd practiced thousands of times before and with which I'd begun to defeat Paul in our recent training sessions A longsword of silence...
My most powerful sword attack yet, my trump card against Paul. Even though he can use it just as well, it seems like I'm faster than him in that regard, but what happened is beyond explanation, in my opinion.
My sword broke the sound barrier, and I could feel it strike Ghislaine right on her left shoulder...but it didn't, and before I could even begin to feel myself flustered, I lost consciousness.
...
"huh?!"
I opened my eyes quickly as I looked around, I was in the same training area so I guess it hasn't been that long.
"Are you okay?" Ghislaine asked suddenly entering my field of vision.
Eris was a couple of meters away from us with her typical pose but when she saw me wake up she looked away with a sound of "hmmp!"
Little devil...
"Uugh...what happened?" I muttered as I nursed my aching head.
"I hit you too hard, my mistake, you took me by surprise with the long sword of silence, Paul wasn't lying when he said you were faster than him."
"Huh? Really? I'm faster?" I couldn't help but look at her in disbelief.
"Yes," she replied dryly.
A smile formed on my face as I got up from the ground, this means I've been getting faster, that's good.
I turned to Ghislaine and picked up my wooden sword that was lying on the ground.
"Again, I want to keep training...but you Will use a wooden sword," I said seriously.
Ghislaine looked at me in surprise for a second but then she nodded with a smile.
The result was my total defeat in the three matches we had, although I had already expected it.
Still, it was refreshing to be able to attack someone without fear of hurting them, and I took the opportunity to release all my frustration that I had stored for the red-haired demon that I teach which is why I came out of that training session very relaxed.
Still I could notice how Eris looked at me with a frown when I returned, not that it matters, I'm used to it.
So the days passed, but since my training with Ghislaine, Eris has shown herself to be slightly more willing to learn to read and do math, which was progress...
...
[Orsted Pov]
I frowned at the view I had in the sky.
The mission to find Gesse Nukadia had resulted in a resounding failure.
No matter how much I searched in Millis, which is where it should be at this time, or in Asura, I couldn't find it.
There was only one logical explanation and it was obvious.
Hitogami has been helping him hide from me; after all, Nukadia was his most competent apostle, if I may say so.
He was only able to gather three of the world powers to fight on his side, although it was through lies, but that doesn't take away from his merit.
Hitogami obviously wouldn't risk losing one of his most important apostles now that I've killed Darius, Reida, and the ogre god. But that's not the topic here; it has been three years since my last visit to Roa, and now that I've returned, I was unpleasantly surprised to find that the orb is already formed.
But by its size, everything indicates it appeared only a year ago.
That's strange, but this loop is much more chaotic than the previous one, so I'm blind again.
Rudeus should already be tutoring Eris Greyrat, and the last time I checked, Roxy Greyrat was already teaching Pax Shirone in Shirone.
The loop had followed its course up to a certain point, which was fine, but one of my concerns is up in the sky. I have no idea what that orb is or why it was generated, but it's there, intangible and waiting to fully form.
I've completely cleared the teleportation labyrinth and destroyed the crystal that would keep Zenith Greyrat captive, and made arrangements for Laws and Hope not to appear so vulnerable in Begaritt.
But still, nothing indicates they will be teleported to the same place... we'll leave that to fate.
These last eighty years of solitude have made me reflect on the enormous change that Rudeus Greyrat brought to my theater of loneliness and rampant killing. I feel alone; Rudeus and his descendants have made me realize this.
I am alone in this world until we ally ourselves, which only leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
After more than 20,000 years, I realize how much I longed for company and how happy I felt seeing someone not fear me... maybe that's why I helped Nanahoshi in the first place.
"Haa... what would Lara say if she caught me thinking this?" I murmured to myself with a self-deprecating smile.
Knowing her, she would never let me forget it for my embarrassment, but still, it felt good having her company; I'll never forget the moments I spent with that family... but it's not the time to think about that; right now, I need to find Gesse Nukadia to get this thorn out of my side, but he is simply too elusive.
"Maybe I shouldn't have killed Darius so quickly..." No, another useless thought; his information network would have been very useful... right now I would have simply resigned myself to doing it in another loop, but I'd be risking losing even this second chance I have with Rudeus's second birth; honestly, I don't know what I would have done if he hadn't been born again...
"Hey buddy! Looking for something?! We have the best glassware and jewelry if you're looking for something!"
"Hmm?" Suddenly a man approached me with a fake smile on his face.
Ah... a salesman.
Honestly, it still feels strange for people to talk to me of their own accord, but seeing my gaze made him turn away without saying anything else.
"...I guess the mana disaster is a fact" the last time I checked Ruigerd Superdia was still on the demon continent and I made sure to help the Superds in Biheriel with their plague before it manifested completely. If all goes well, events will continue their natural course and Rudeus and I will meet at the lower jaw of the Red Wyrm in five years... I don't even know what I'm going to say to him; should I let everything happen as it should? But the idea of attacking him with intent to kill seems too hasty now...
"Or maybe I should be the one to meet him on the Demon continent?..." The words got lost in the air as I walked out of Roa but stopped immediately.
It wouldn't be a bad idea; with that he would gain confidence in me and I could train him while escorting him back to Asura... But that would mean I'd be three years without looking for Gesee or attending to matters of utmost importance...
And then there's the matter of Nanahoshi, she would be a side effect of the mana disaster upon arriving here, so I would have to go find her...
This made things even more complicated. I couldn't choose whether to help Nanahoshi or Rudeus, both were important people to me.
"Then we'll have to meet at the Red Wrym's jaw then..."
But this time I can defeat Hitogami?
Doubt immediately invaded me before fading away with a sigh.
But couldn't I do everything just because he built the path and I simply walked it? Do I really trust him that much?... Yes, the answer was yes; I already considered this loop won simply for having him; the only difference now would be having to kill Hitogami...
"Then we'll meet in five years Rudeus; hope you enjoy yourself for now." With those words, I left Roa and continued on my way.