"Aeris, you did great. You lasted so long against Ruijerd. I probably wouldn't even last a single round."
Rudeus offered Aeris some words of comfort, though inwardly he was envious of her and Ruijerd's abilities.
In his past life, as a hardcore otaku, Rudeus had always admired swordsmen more than mages. But, alas, his talent for swordsmanship was painfully lacking.
Despite having guidance from Paul, Ghislaine, and even Wood, who was practically a swordmaster, Rudeus was still a mere intermediate swordsman—mediocre at best.
Even though his techniques were of intermediate level, his strength was far weaker than the average intermediate swordsman.
Like Wood, he was unable to channel Battle Aura, so his sword strikes lacked the power of those infused with it. His magic was far more effective in comparison.
Although Wood had developed something called Sword Qi, which was different from Battle Aura, and even taught it to him, Rudeus found it too difficult to learn. To this day, he hadn't mastered it.
Rudeus couldn't help but admire Aeris and Ruijerd even more, knowing his limitations.
"Hmph, you're a mage, so why are you comparing your swordsmanship to mine? If it were Wood fighting Ruijerd just now, he might have even won," Aeris grumbled, clearly not satisfied with Rudeus's consolation. She knew full well that Rudeus's strength lay in magic, and as far as swordsmanship was concerned, he was below average.
"That last counterattack of yours, the one where you traded blows—did you learn that from this 'Wood' person you keep mentioning?" Ruijerd asked, curious.
After spending time with Aeris and Rudeus, Ruijerd had come to realize that these two were far from ordinary children.
His view of them had shifted from "children who needed protection" to something more akin to companions and friends.
And throughout their time together, the name he heard most from them was Wood Greyrat.
Initially, Ruijerd hadn't paid much attention to this name, but after seeing Aeris use that risky counterattack technique, his curiosity about Wood began to grow.
"Wood? He's Rudeus's younger brother, but he's smarter, stronger, and more polite than Rudeus..." Aeris began, her eyes lighting up as she proudly listed Wood's many virtues.
As she went on, Rudeus's expression became more and more awkward, especially when she kept emphasizing how much better Wood was compared to him.
But Rudeus didn't find this surprising. When he first visited the Boreas family's home, he realized how incredibly popular Wood was.
Apparently, the Boreas family treated Wood as if he were their own flesh and blood.
Even Hilda, Aeris's usually melancholic mother, became much more cheerful after Wood came to live with them.
Rudeus himself had benefited from this, receiving a warm welcome from the Boreas household just because he resembled Wood.
"The one who taught you that dangerous counterattack—is he really a child like you? And you're saying he's even smarter than Rudeus?" Ruijerd asked, his voice full of disbelief.
He suspected that Aeris's admiration for Rudeus's younger brother might be clouding her judgment.
The counterattack technique Aeris had used was something only seasoned warriors would know, the kind of move that came from years of life-and-death battles.
And yet, according to Aeris, this Wood was only a child, just like Rudeus? A boy that young couldn't possibly have such extensive battle experience.
Moreover, Ruijerd had grown to admire Rudeus for his vast knowledge and intelligence.
To be blunt, Ruijerd considered Rudeus a genius. Even at the age of eleven, Rudeus had demonstrated intelligence that surpassed Ruijerd's own, despite his centuries of experience.
From creating their adventurer party to working toward restoring the reputation of the Supard race, every step Rudeus took was well thought out and precise.
And in terms of strength, Ruijerd hadn't encountered many children—let alone adults—who could match Rudeus in a fight.
So to hear that there was someone even greater than Rudeus... well, Ruijerd found it hard to believe.
"Even though it pains me to admit it," Rudeus sighed, "Wood really is better than me. His knowledge is staggering, and it's not just because he reads a lot. He's genuinely smarter than I am."
"In terms of magic, he's probably not on my level, but when it comes to swordsmanship, I don't stand a chance."
"If we're talking about overall skill, I'd say I'm definitely weaker than him. Besides swordsmanship, he's also proficient in hand-to-hand combat, and he knows a fair bit of magic, too."
"I developed chantless magic, and he picked it up in no time. But the Sword Qi technique he created? I still haven't mastered it. If we're being honest, he's probably as strong as a Sword King at this point..."
Ruijerd was stunned. An eleven-year-old Sword King? That was basically a reincarnation of the Sword God!
Unlike mages, who could advance to King-level if they had enough magical power and talent, becoming a Sword King required more than just skill and technique. It demanded extreme physical strength and countless battles.
Strength and experience couldn't be achieved through talent alone—they required time and dedication.
An eleven-year-old reaching the level of Sword King? Ruijerd had never encountered such a phenomenon before. The boy must have been training since birth.
"All I can hope is that when the teleportation disaster struck, Wood was with Norn and Aisha. Paul can handle himself, but Norn and Aisha..."
Rudeus had absolute confidence in his brother's strength and ability to adapt. What worried him was the rest of his family, especially his two young sisters.
Hearing this, Aeris's expression also darkened.
Like Rudeus, she was concerned for her family, even though she didn't have younger siblings.
Her parents, Philip and Hilda, held high positions in society, but they weren't exactly skilled in combat.
If they had been teleported to a relatively safe area, things would be fine. But if they ended up somewhere like the Demon Continent...
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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