— Leon Greyrat —
"That's good form, Eris. Keep going like that."
"G-Got it, Ghislaine!"
Nodding at Eris' words, Ghislaine then turned to me.
"Now, I believe it's time we begin our first lesson," she said as she drew her sword. "You know what touki is, right?"
Huh?
Touki?
"Uhh… no? What is that?" I asked.
Ghislaine's eyes widened in surprise. "What? But you became an Advanced… never mind."
I was very confused.
"Despite having the fighting prowess of a Saint, Paul was an idiot when it came to swordsmanship, so I should have expected this," she said, shaking her head.
Yeah, he definitely is an idiot.
But a Saint?
"Paul was that strong?" I asked.
"Yes. Due to his natural talent, his unique three-styled swordsmanship, and his experience, he was strong enough to fight a Sword Saint," she said. "Unfortunately, with his terrible work ethic and being an instinctual fighter, he couldn't advance any further. Being the instinctual type is also what makes him a bad teacher."
"Yeah, no kidding," I said with a laugh.
"Indeed. I used to be the same, but once I started using my head, I could advance to the King rank," she said with a smile.
Huh… I didn't know whether to raise my opinion of my father for being so naturally skilled, or lower it since he could've become so much more.
Ah, well… not like it mattered now.
He was living the domestic life of a husband, after all, even if he had already failed at it in the most important aspect.
"So this… touki, you called it? What exactly is it?" I asked.
Ghislaine narrowed her eyes in thought before she responded, "Touki… also called Battle Aura, or Fighting Spirit by some, it is what swordsmen and warriors use to boost their physical abilities to perform techniques. As an Advanced-rank swordsman, you must have done something like this already."
Hmm… wait.
This touki… was it the 'feeling' that Paul had talked about?
The feeling I thought of as mana being used to enhance my body?
Yeah, it must be… right?
Haa… couldn't you have at least known the name, Paul?
"Yeah, I think I do. Something like this, right?"
Remembering the feeling of when I cut the boulder, I then brought my blade to my side before launching forward with a leap.
Twisting my hips, the sword cut silently through the air, before a sonic boom followed shortly after I finished the swing.
Turning back to Ghislaine, I saw her nodding her head.
"Exactly. That is the Advanced-rank Sword God technique, the Longsword of Silence. I also noticed you using touki in our previous spar, though it seemed to be used unconsciously."
"Anyway," she continued. "Your next goal is to become a Sword Saint, and I'm sure you have the talent to do so. The key to reaching this rank is mastering the basics acquired with the Advanced rank. Most notably, perfecting the Longsword of Silence so that it becomes the Longsword of Light. What that entails is constant practice and correcting any faults in technique. So… are you prepared?"
That sounded quite ominous… but it's not like I could refuse.
"Of course!"
— Information on the Six-Faced World —
Ghislaine Dedoldia
Ghislaine has dark skin and a very muscular and scarred body that she shows off with her revealing outfit that consists of the leather jacket given to practitioners of the Sword God style that achieves the Saint rank. She wears an eye patch that covers her Demon Eye, which allows her to see the flow of mana. She has grey hair that reaches down to her chest that matches her grey tail and beastfolk ears. She also has a large chest.
She is a very strong-willed individual, and while she used to be extremely violent and dumb, she was able to curb this trait by training under Gal Farion, the current Sword God.
Ghislaine is an S-ranked adventurer, a rank that she achieved along with the party Fangs of the Black Wolf.
After returning to the Sword Sanctum, she achieved the rank of Sword King and was given one of the Sword God's Seven Swords, Hiramune - Flat Core, as a result.
She is currently a hired guard for the Boreas Greyrat family and is Eris Boreas Greyrat's swordsmanship instructor.
— Leon Greyrat —
It had been a month since arriving at Roa and starting the grand task of tutoring the Young Miss.
I had also just sent my first letter back home, telling them that I was alright and had gotten the job with no issues, along with a few silver coins from my first salary.
Although it had only been a short time apart, I was already deeply missing my family, especially Mama.
Though, it was to be expected, right?
I hadn't been separated from her since… well, since she adopted me, I guess.
And as for right now?
Thwack!
"Cover your defences! Make sure to watch the opponent's toes to prepare for attacks and position your body so that they have minimal area to strike," Ghislaine lectured before whipping her sword toward me once again.
Ghislaine, as it turned out, was good at teaching.
And when it came to swordsmanship, she was a genius differently from Paul.
A genius that had the hard work and the intelligence to back it up other than pure talent.
She would point out the flaws in my posture, sword strikes, and strategy that I didn't even know I had.
And most importantly, she would tell me how to correct said flaws and improve.
Paul was also able to point out when I was doing something wrong, but his explanation was horrible… if he explained at all.
I would then be forced to translate his gibberish into actual instruction, or just copy whatever movements he was doing until I got it right.
While that wasn't a horrible method for my growth, it did mean that I would have any flaws he did, which Ghislaine was currently trying to beat out of me.
And it was damn painful, even if I did enjoy the feeling of improving.
"Good. Remember, unless you are protecting something, it is better to dodge than to block. And don't extend your foot so far. It becomes a target," Ghislaine advised before our blades clashed again.
The sound of wood clacking was pleasant.
Calming, even.
It helped me deepen my focus on our exchanges and take in her instructions without overwhelming my mind.
However… I couldn't say the same for the force behind said sounds.
That just hurt.
"Alright. That's enough," Ghislaine then said, ending the lesson.
Collapsing onto my back, I let the chilly afternoon air cool down my burning body as Eris soon sat down beside me, nudging my shoulder.
Not even sharing a word, I then summoned some water that splashed onto her sweaty face before I summoned a gust of warm air to dry her off, much like I did with Sylphy after a day of playing.
While she was still a bit bratty, Eris and I's relationship has become much closer over the past month, and that was especially shown here after our swordsmanship lessons, where Ghislaine worked us tirelessly to the bone.
She couldn't whine and complain much when she was too busy catching her breath, after all.
Just as I was about to get up and stretch, a maid walked up to me before taking a bow.
"Master Philip would like to see you, Lord Leon," the beastfolk woman said gracefully.
Sitting up, I blasted myself with air to dry off before answering, "Right now? Wouldn't he prefer if I washed up and changed beforehand?"
She shook her head. "No. He mentioned that your state of dress was of no matter. Please follow me."
Getting up to my feet with a sigh, I then waved to Ghislaine and Eris before departing, following behind the maid as she led me to Philip's office.
"I have brought him, Master."
"Thank you. Leon, please come take a seat," Philip said from the couch.
Following his words, the maid closed the door behind me as I took a seat opposite him, where a steaming cup of what I assumed to be tea was placed on the table in front of me.
"May I ask why you called me here?" I asked.
"Straight to the point, huh? I suppose that is better than wasting breath with pleasantries," Philip said, taking his cup before meeting my eyes. "I would like a report on Eris' studies."
Oh, right. I should have expected this.
"Of course. I guess I can start with magic, if that's alright," I said.
"While the other more… academic subjects are of more importance, I am indeed interested in my daughter's abilities," he said.
Nodding my head, I continued, "I have been trying to teach both Eris and Ghislaine the basics of healing, water, and fire magic, as those are the three schools I believe are most useful. While they have been unable to perform healing magic yet, I believe it's only a matter of time for Miss Eris."
His smirk grew. "That is indeed quite something. I would never think that viscous daughter of mine could be a healer."
"Well, that's because she finds it interesting," I shrugged. "Water and fire magic have found more success, and while they can form a basic Fireball and Waterball, they are still unable to launch the spell. I wouldn't call them Beginner-rank magicians quite yet, as their spells are unable to be used in their true form, but since I taught them it only for the sake of generating those elements for survival, I believe their current level is sufficient."
"I see," he said. "I should also thank you for teaching Ghislaine with no extra cost."
"No need. She is teaching me the Beast God tongue in exchange, and having her with the Young Miss has been a huge help," I said.
"Hmm… my father also learned the language in his youth due to his love for beastfolk. How has your progress been?" he asked.
The Beast God tongue, huh?
It was pretty different from the human tongue and the Demon God tongue, and paired with the fact that Ghislaine was a worse teacher for such things than Roxy, it was pretty difficult to get the hang of.
"I can perform basic greetings and common sentences, but I am a long way from being fluent," I answered.
Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to learn the writing of the Beast God tongue any time soon, due to Ghislaine being illiterate, but the language focused on linguistics rather than writing anyway, so it wasn't that bad.
"I see. Anyway, how is her arithmetic coming along?" he asked.
"Better than I thought, to be honest. She can now perform basic subtraction and addition, as long as the numbers aren't too big. She should be moving onto multiplication and division soon," I said.
Teaching Eris numbers with swordsmanship and combat situations had been a wonderful idea on my part, and with Ghislaine telling her stories of how she had gotten into trouble without knowing numbers, I was even able to get through some traditional sit-down lessons as well.
"Wonderful," Philip smiled. "And how about her reading and writing?"
Ugh… reading with Eris… now that was a chore.
"It's… getting there. I have been having her read fun and exciting stories along with me, much like I did with my brother when he was little, to advance her reading. As for writing, we have been slowly chronicling some of Ghislaine's stories together, as Miss Eris wants said stories to be remembered," I answered.
He nodded yet again. "Good. And finally, what about history and Asura Kingdom politics?"
I leaned back in my seat. "History has been a bit easier, especially the exciting parts such as the wars. In fact, it has often gone hand in hand with her reading. Politics, on the other hand, has been difficult. Though I imagine I can sneak in some knowledge through casual conversation rather than lessons."
Philip smiled. "Politics are not too important. As long as she knows the basics before her second birthday."
Right.
Much like commoner children enter an apprenticeship, nobles enter the world of their class on their second birthday at the age of ten, which meant that Eris would debut at that time.
Philip then fished through his pocket before flicking me a silver coin.
"What's this?" I asked.
"It's to commemorate your hard work. As of now, your salary will be increased to ten Asuran silver coins per month or one Asuran gold coin. I'm sure my father would demand it be done once he hears of Eris' accomplishments regardless, so I'm just saving myself from getting punched," he shrugged.
Well, that was… concerning to hear.
I had spotted Sauros a few times during my stay here, and while he was very loud and stern, if I simply bowed politely while complimenting Eris, he would pass by with a smile.
I had also caught him having 'fun' with the maids a few times… I guess his liking of beastfolk wasn't a lie, huh?
"Now, do you have anything else to add?" he asked.
Hmm… there had been a couple of things I had been thinking of regarding Eris' education.
"Yes… I have three proposals," I said.
"Well? Let's hear it," he said, gesturing at me to continue.
"First. I would like for you and Lord Sauros to limit the spending done by the Young Miss' request, and instead, give her a weekly allowance. This would enable her to begin to understand the value of money, while also putting her arithmetic lessons to good use."
"Done. What are the others?" he said, nodding.
Well, that was easy. These last two might not be as much.
"I was… hoping you could allow a day of rest for Miss Eris each week, where she could spend the day doing whatever she would like. This 'break' not only gives her mind time to rest and take in the lessons she learned that week, but it would also give her something to look forward to and work towards."
This was something Rudy introduced when Roxy began teaching, and although at first I thought he was just being lazy, it soon proved to have its benefits.
And for Eris, who hated studying unlike me, it would be a great addition to her curriculum.
Steepling his fingers, Philip nodded at me to continue.
"Ahem. I was also hoping you would allow Miss Eris to visit the city. This could be done under my supervision alone, or alongside Ghislaine and other guards. This would allow her to get a more practical understanding of some subjects while also giving her a reason to learn them. Knowing how much something costs, reading signs, and things like that."
The room was then enveloped in silence before Philip eventually spoke up, "A day of rest and city visits, huh? Hmm… well, if you believe it would be best, then I will allow it. Though I may ask you to perform more duties past tutoring on this day of rest."
"Of course," I said with a bow. "Thank you. I am certain this will bring results."
And that was how the aptly named 'weekend', as Rudy called it, was introduced to the Boreas Greyrat household.
— Leon Greyrat —
"Come on! Let's go!" Eris exclaimed.
"I'm coming, I'm coming. Jeez… have some patience, will you?" I sighed.
She huffed, "I'd have patience if you hurried up!"
No… I don't think that's how patience works, Eris.
With my sword strapped to my side, and Ghislaine following us from behind, we then made our way through the city.
"Now remember Eris. While this outing is meant to be fun, it is also a way for you to put your lessons into practice. So I'll be asking you a few questions along the way, alright?" I said.
"Hmph! You always have to make things so boring, Leon!"
While she said that, the smile on her face hadn't dulled in the slightest, so I think she was just feigning her annoyance.
Walking past a food stall, I noticed Eris' eyes trail over to the set of skewers.
And their price… yeah, this would be good.
"Here. How about we do our first lesson of today," I said, gesturing for the two to follow.
"Hey! What do ya want? The skewers are-"
I put my hand up to stop the stall keeper. "Thank you. We'll take three chicken skewers, please."
As the man begins cooking three meat skewers, I then turned to Eris.
"Now, you see that sign there?" I said, pointing to the price on the front of the stall. "Tell me how much each skewer is worth."
Eris scrunched her nose as she looked at the letters before suddenly shouting, "I don't know!"
"Just try. You know this one, right?"
She nodded hesitantly, "That's… monster, right? Why does it say monster?"
"Close. It's copper. Or rather, copper coins," I corrected.
It wasn't that close, but praise was important for a kid, especially when they hated the lessons.
"Two copper coins for each skewer is the listed price. And since we ordered three, how much will we have to pay?" I asked.
Eris then held out her hand before raising two fingers at a time, just like I taught her. "That's… eight! Right?"
"Close. How about you, Ghislaine?" I asked.
"Six," she said seriously.
"Yep," nodding my head proudly, I continued. "So we'll have to pay six copper coins for our order. And since we know that one large copper coin is equal to ten copper coins, how many copper coins will we get back if we pay with a large copper coin?"
The currency system in Asura was quite simple.
There was the gold coin, which was valued at ten silver coins, which were valued at ten large copper coins, which were valued at ten copper coins.
Each coin was multiples of ten, which led to easy calculations, something important to have when most of your citizens didn't know basic arithmetic.
While the value of each coin fluctuated depending on the harvest and multiple other factors of the economy, that was the general rule for currency conversion.
Eris then started swinging an imaginary sword, counting down under her breath with each strike.
"That's… four!" she then exclaimed.
While she wasn't nearly as bright as Sylphy was, seeing Eris improve her skills despite despising the subjects was quite endearing to watch.
It filled me with a different, yet equal, sense of pride.
"That's correct, Eris. Wonderful job," I said as the skewers in question were handed to me. "Ah! Thank you!"
Taking the three skewers, I batted away Ghislaine and Eris' reaching hands before casting a detoxification spell on the food, checking for any poisons, malicious or not.
And luckily, there didn't seem to be any.
"Here you go, you two. And don't trust food not served by the manor so easily."
They both nodded their heads before greedily digging in.
How ferocious… I guess Eris' table manners went out the window when not at the table, huh?
Continuing our walk, we stopped by a bookstore on the way, with me checking for anything that might be of interest to Rudy or Sylphy.
Books, as it turned out, were just as expensive as I thought.
Well, while I had found a few that would interest them, and even a cookbook for Mama, it would still be a while before I could get them anything.
After all, I was doing this job for my siblings' futures, so it would be unwise to spend everything right now.
Heading down the merchant street, another shop piqued my interest, this time being a tailor.
"Here, let's head into this one," I said.
"Hm? Alright. But I didn't think you needed new clothes," Ghislaine said.
"It's not the clothes I'm looking at," I said.
Walking into the shop, I exchanged a small greeting with the clerk before perusing the shelves.
More specifically, the one with dolls and a few stuffed animals.
Looking at the shelves, I then found their price labelled underneath.
Six silver coins.
Yikes… that was a bit pricey, but I suppose I have a few months until they're born, so by then, it wouldn't be too much.
If I'm lucky, I could probably haggle it down to a five, especially if I bought them together.
"Hmm~? Did you want one that bad?" Eris interjected teasingly. "Well, if you really want a stuffed animal, then I suppose I could lend you mine. But I didn't think you were into those types of things, Leon."
I shook my head in exasperation. "It's for my soon-to-be-born siblings, you dolt. Not me."
"D-Dolt!? How dare you!"
Whoops. A bit of Paul slipped out there.
But I guess I could just count that as some Water God practice, as my words had definitely provoked her.
"Well… I thought it would be nice for them to have something soft and warm, you know? Being a baby is quite boring otherwise," I said, stroking the scarf Lilia got me.
While I had brought Paul's sword and Lilia's present, I decided to leave my barrier magic book at home, as it would be bad if anyone found out about it.
"Hmph. You're always wearing that thing. Even inside… Why?" she asked.
I smiled as I began explaining, "It's a present from my mother, Lilia. It helps remind me of home and the love they have for me."
"Huh… I see… That sounds… nice," Eris mumbled before backing away.
What the heck?
I had never heard Eris talk in such a tone before.
It sounded so… sad.
Looking at her face, I saw that her eyes were downcast, creating a glum expression that radiated loneliness and longing.
Why? What's with that face?
It was almost as if she was… jealous, yet at the same time, it looked really sad.
…Oh.
Right… Mama and Paul had talked about this before to me.
How nobles' pride and duty get in the way of familial affection.
I had forgotten about it due to how much Sauros doted on Eris, but come to think of it, Philip had only expressed his satisfaction behind closed doors, and Hilda, Eris' mother… I had only seen her a scant few times at the dinner table, and when I did, she was very… distant.
Hmm… maybe…
"I think this is a good time to end our little lesson, no?" I said to the two.
Eris turned to me with a frown.
"Don't worry. We can have more city trips like this later. This was more of a test run than anything. Ghislaine… could you bring Eris home now?" I asked her with a smile.
She looked at me confused, but seeing the earnest pleading in my expression, she soon nodded her head.
"Sure. Miss Eris, let's head back home. We can begin your swordsmanship training after you get changed."
Watching as they left the store, I then perused the shelves once more, but this time, instead of shopping for my upcoming siblings, I was searching for something for a certain bratty noble girl.
Hmm… Eris, much like her grandfather, seemed to have an affection for beastfolk, at least judging by how she looked at the manor's maids.
So… how about a little puppy?
That would surely be nice.
And considering she had turned eight only a few days ago, it could double as a birthday present, even if it wasn't one of the three celebrated ages.
Unfortunately, this meant that the rest of this month's salary, as well as the spending money Paul gave me, would be used up, but that was fine.
I wasn't planning on buying anything for a while, and I had already sent my family's savings back home.
So, with my pockets soon becoming lighter, I purchased the stuffed animal from the clerk.
Now… I just needed to have someone give it to Eris and make that gloomy expression a thing of the past.
— Leon Greyrat —
Having asked a few servants, I was finally able to find where Hilda was, that place being the manor's library.
Knowing that, it wasn't that hard to find her sitting in the corner, with the characteristic long red hair flowing over her shoulders.
Walking up to her, I took a deep bow before introducing my presence, "Miss Hilda. I apologize for interrupting your time, but if you could spare me a moment, I would like to propose something to you."
Over the past month, I had gotten close enough to Philip and Sauros that I felt comfortable only using basic manners with them.
The most important thing was using proper titles when addressing them, especially with Sauros.
But with Hilda… well, I wasn't nearly as close, so I decided to test the waters first.
"Tsk."
Well… it seemed that she didn't like me very much.
"What is it?" she snapped.
While I was certainly confused as to her displeasure toward me, I wasn't here to deepen my relationship with the woman.
"I would like to ask you to gift this to Miss Eris," I said, showing her the stuffed puppy. "Gift it to her as praise for doing well in her studies."
She continued to glare at me, though this time with confusion mixed in her expression, "Why would I do that? Why can't you give it to her? You bought it, after all."
I shook my head. "I apologize, but this would only have meaning if given to the Young Miss by you."
"What? Why is that?" she asked.
…Were all nobles this socially awkward?
No… it can't be, right?
Or perhaps it was just how they were raised, making a constant feedback loop?
"Because… you are her mother, Miss. I am sure that Miss Eris would appreciate such a gift from you," I said.
Hesitantly, she took the stuffy before looking at it with curiosity. "It… seems well-made. But why would you purchase something so… childish? Eris has long since grown out of dolls and toys."
I shook my head. "It is less about the doll itself, Miss Hilda, but rather the feeling behind it. The feelings of love and pride that you bear for your daughter."
My words seemed to affect her, as she widened her eyes before suddenly turning away to look down at the stuffy.
Seeing that, I give her the final push. "Please. Miss Eris has worked very hard this past month."
"…Fine. I will give it to her tonight. Now, please leave me be," she said.
"In person, yes?" I asked.
She turned to glare at me. "Leave."
Taking the hint, I quickly make myself scarce after giving a polite bow.
The woman seemed very emotionless, especially so when her attitude didn't change around her daughter, one couldn't be faulted to think she held no emotions toward Eris at all.
But… I don't think someone who didn't love her daughter would show a face like she just did.
But I was curious as to why her eyes, brimming with unshed tears, looked to be in so much pain.
Perhaps there was a story behind that, but it wasn't exactly my place to find that out, was it?
— Eris Boreas Greyrat —
Laying down on my bed, I felt my cheeks cramping from my wide smile.
It was only natural, right?
Mother had just told me how well I was doing, and she even gave me…
I hugged the stuffy closer to my chest, closing my eyes and thinking of Mother's arms wrapping around me like she did when I was little, but unfortunately, such things were not things done by 'proper noblewomen', so it had been a while since I had felt that.
That's why I hated the stupid formality and dumb dignified behaviour of nobles!
Demanding respect?
Of course! That was a given!
But… not being able to hug my mother?
That was just… unfair.
And it was unfair how Leon was able to feel such love so easily all the time.
Thinking about Leon, I felt my chest tighten in a way I didn't understand.
As soon as I saw the stuffy, I knew who had gotten it.
After all, I had seen it in that shop before Ghislaine took me home, and it didn't take a genius to know that he had told Mother to give it to me.
But even if it wasn't directly from Mother, her feelings and her compliments were still genuine, so I didn't care.
But… why would Leon do that?
I knew that I was annoying to deal with.
I wouldn't be surprised if he hated me for everything I had done.
But instead… he did something like that… for me.
In fact, he had done many things for me, like making learning such boring subjects somewhat tolerable in ways others didn't try before.
He was… relatable in a way, too.
He didn't use the annoying words all the maids and servants did, and he didn't wear an annoying, cunning smile like my father, and most importantly, he saw me as… me.
Eris.
Not just the 'Young Lady' of the manor or the blood of the Boreas Greyrat family.
Thinking about such things made me annoyed, but annoyed in a way I… didn't quite understand.
The type of annoyance where if he had shown up here, rather than yell and punch him, I would rather run away.
These feelings… they were annoying!
Gritting my teeth, I quickly blew out my bedside candle before snuggling under the sheets, hoping that I could fall asleep quickly to stop these annoying feelings from persisting.
Closing my eyes, it didn't take long before sleep began to take hold of me as one last thought crossed my mind.
Maybe… I'll try to listen better in my lessons from now on.
Just maybe.