After realizing Wood's intention, Ghislaine was momentarily stunned. She never expected that a child-like Wood could be even more reckless than a beastman like her when pushed!
After all, the swords they were holding weren't just wooden sticks; they were real, solid iron swords. One wrong move and it could genuinely lead to a fatal outcome.
For a typical swordsman who hadn't experienced much bloodshed, seeing such a situation would likely have them frozen in fear. However, this seven-year-old child, Wood, who, according to Paul, had never left home, showed an unimaginable decisiveness. This was something Ghislaine had never anticipated.
After hesitating for a brief moment, Ghislaine changed her plan and decided to dodge the attack. After all, this was just a sparring match, and they weren't mortal enemies. There was no need to take things to such an extreme.
Moreover, she was curious about Wood's limits. Ending the match too early would be far too boring.
Ghislaine stepped away from the spot where Wood was set to land, and since his target was gone, Wood's thrust landed on the ground, creating cracks that spread through the earth.
"I'm curious—what would you have done if I hadn't dodged?" Ghislaine asked, licking her lips with a mischievous grin as she observed the destruction Wood's sword had caused.
Wood's display seemed to have awakened a thrill in Ghislaine. It wasn't just his skill, but the awareness and decisiveness he showed at such a young age, far beyond her expectations.
"In a real fight, if you hadn't dodged that strike, Ghislaine, the battle wouldn't have ended so quickly," Wood responded, his voice calm and analytical. "Although I'm not very skilled with magic, I can still use mid-level healing magic. Even if my heart were pierced, I could administer emergency treatment quickly enough to keep myself from dying on the spot. And with your sword mastery at the Sword King level, it's unlikely that my strike would've landed on your head so easily."
Hearing Wood's composed analysis, Ghislaine was briefly speechless before bursting into laughter. "It seems Paul wasn't lying—you really are quite the monster! Let's see just how far you can go!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Ghislaine shot forward like a wolf, fast and agile, and for the first time in their match, she launched an attack.
Meanwhile, off to the side, Eris couldn't help but feel a tinge of dissatisfaction. Ghislaine had never shown such an expression or initiated an attack when sparring with her. In fact, Eris often had to give it her all just to break through Ghislaine's defense.
"Mountain Crasher!"
With her sword in both hands and her body surrounded by a powerful aura, Ghislaine brought the blade down with immense force. The ground beneath them caved in from the sheer pressure, leaving a huge fissure several meters across.
"Boom!"
A cloud of dust shot into the air, and the entire training ground shook violently. The tremors were so intense that both Philip, who had been reading in the study, and Hilda, who had been taking a stroll in the garden, were immediately alarmed.
At first, Philip thought the estate was under attack, but after asking the guards, he discovered that the commotion was coming from Ghislaine's training session.
Philip was aware that Eris trained daily in swordsmanship with Ghislaine, but they had never caused such a ruckus before.
"It's not Lady Eris sparring with Master Ghislaine—it's Master Wood sparring with her," one of the guards reported, and the mention of Wood caught Philip's attention.
Philip had heard from his father that a distant relative, a cousin from the Greyrat family, was coming to stay with them. He hadn't paid much attention at the time, merely instructing the servants to provide adequate hospitality.
After all, for a family as vast as the Greyrat line, relatives weren't exactly rare, and a distant cousin wasn't something that would usually concern Philip.
However, hearing the guard's report, Philip's interest piqued, and he decided to head to the training ground to see the situation for himself.
When he arrived with his guard, he found that a crowd had already gathered at the usual training area where Eris and Ghislaine sparred. The disturbance caused by Ghislaine had drawn in many of the Borea estate's servants and guards.
Even Hilda, who had been walking in the garden, had rushed over in concern for her daughter, Eris.
As the lady of the house, Hilda was about to order the match to stop. The commotion caused by Ghislaine had already stirred up enough unease within the estate. However, Eris protested firmly, her curiosity piqued. She was eager to see just how far Wood could go against the Ghislaine she so admired.
"Hilda, let them continue," came a voice from behind. "I'm quite interested to see how this unfolds myself. Ghislaine will keep things in check—it won't cause any trouble."
Eris had been sulking, her protests falling on deaf ears. But the moment her greatest supporter arrived, her expression brightened.
It was Sauros Boreas Greyrat, Eris's grandfather and the lord of Fittoa.
"Yes, father," Hilda replied. She might have been willing to disregard her husband Philip's opinion, but when it came to Sauros, she had no choice but to comply.
Sauros, an older man in his fifties with a thick mustache and an air of robust vitality, lovingly beckoned Eris to his side before turning his attention to Wood in the distance. "Paul's boy, eh? If you can force Ghislaine to show her true strength, I'll personally see to it that your stay here is raised to the same standards as a Greyrat of the main household."
Wood had come to stay as a distant relative, with his status just slightly above that of a servant. Beyond basic food and shelter, the Borea family didn't provide him with anything else.
Paul and Zenith's financial support was limited, so if Sauros was serious, this could significantly ease the burden on Wood's family.
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 380+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a