XElenea
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MT - 60 Teaching
🕑 Added 2024-12-18 06:25:20 +0000 UTCIt must be said that Roy's storytelling skills were rather lacking. Even Rudeus couldn't help but laugh at the side.
Eris, however, was completely unmoved. She lazily rolled over, casually interrupting with a dismissive tone, "Yes, yes, I get it. I'll study hard, I promise."
Roy's expression darkened, his golden eyes growing colder as they fixed on her.
Rudeus, instinctively sensing the growing tension, knew exactly what that look meant—when Roy got like this, he was ready to strike.
He cautiously glanced up, noticing that Roy's youthful face had turned completely frosty. His eyes narrowed as he moved closer to Eris.
Rudeus quietly tugged on Roy's sleeve and whispered, "Are you sure this is okay?"
"Don't worry, I know when to hold back." Roy replied coldly.
Eris slowly began to sense something was off. She sat up in bed and froze as Roy approached her, now standing right in front of her.
A shiver ran through her as she flushed with a hint of embarrassment. "What do you think you're doing? I haven't broken any promises! You can't lay a hand on me!"
Rudeus perked up, his face turning serious as he adopted an upright, almost righteous stance.
"Lay a hand on you? What's that about? Do tell!"
Roy sighed, then waved his hand at Rudeus. The latter, who had been standing off to the side, walked up to him. Roy fixed him with a serious look. "Do you think you can really teach Eris?"
Without hesitation, Rudeus shook his head. Roy fell into deep thought, weighing the pros and cons.
After a long pause, he sighed and clapped Rudeus on the shoulder. "Alright then, I'll teach her the basics—math and such, for the first two years. You…" Roy looked at Rudeus questioningly. "What are you going to do?"
Rudeus straightened, responding in all seriousness, "I'll teach her for the remaining three years."
Roy pinched the bridge of his nose, disheartened. He smacked Rudeus on the forehead with a look of disdain. "You do realize, don't you, that magic isn't all-powerful? In this world, swordsmen are still the strongest. Understand?"
Rudeus nodded solemnly. Roy gave a wry smile. This guy was always like this—lazy and indifferent.
Roy couldn't help but wonder if it was truly a good thing for him to be here, considering Rudeus' attitude.
Meanwhile, Eris, who had been observing the exchange, gave a smile so forced it looked more like a grimace. She regretted picking on Rudeus and scaring him off, only to end up with someone even scarier.
The thought of her future being dominated by Roy, the demon king, made her eyes well up.
Outside, the warm sunlight streamed through the window, casting a soft glow over the room.
But despite the sunlight, Eris couldn't feel its warmth.
Roy looked at her with a smirk, teasing, "You seem happy, Eris."
She said nothing, silently getting out of bed and putting on her shoes, her expression resigned as she sat down at the desk, her mood clearly soured.
Roy looked at her with a raised brow. "Do you want to learn here, or would you rather go outside?"
Eris stared at him without saying a word. Her silence spoke volumes—her defiance was still there, but her eyes revealed the truth: she wasn't going to make an effort to learn.
Unable to push her any further, Roy instructed Rudeus to fetch paper and a pen from his room. He began writing simple characters on the page.
The characters were basic, like something from a first-grade textbook in his previous life.
Roy read them aloud, then asked Eris to read them after him.
Though she didn't resist directly, Eris read the words reluctantly, repeating them a few times. Roy then asked her to read them on her own.
And then, an unexpected turn of events.
The page held just five words. Eris had no trouble reading the first one, but paused when she reached the second, and by the third, her eyes were fixed on the character, confused.
Roy didn't need to say anything. He could tell what was going on. He read the words aloud again, and Eris nodded obediently, her gaze now moving to the next word, only to fall silent once more.
Roy sighed, resigned. At least she recognized two words already. In just ten minutes, she had learned two words. In an hour, that would be 12 words, in a day 24, and in a year, she'd be able to read hundreds of words. Even someone as slow as Eris could become a genius at this rate.
And then came the real pain.
Teaching a child was like this—requiring an immense amount of patience, especially when teaching Eris.
But clearly, Eris was not the type to sit down and study earnestly.
The more she studied, the more frustrated she became. And it wasn't just Eris—Roy could feel his own patience wearing thin. Soon, the room was filled with nothing but the sound of Eris' restless foot tapping on the floor.
Rudeus, amused by the scene, watched them with a grin, finding the whole thing particularly funny, especially their impatient expressions.
Finally, Roy let out a deep sigh. Slowly, he spoke, "How about we go find Ghislaine and learn swordsmanship instead?"
As the saying goes, Haste makes waste.
Teaching a child required steady guidance, a gentle hand, and patience. After all, there was no need to rush. Roy silently reassured himself that as long as Eris was willing to listen, it would be enough for now.
Upon hearing Roy's words, Eris instinctively let out a sigh of relief. She tore up the paper, throwing the pieces angrily onto the floor. Her expression shifted from a scowl to a more peaceful one.
She had almost reached her breaking point.
"Let's go, Rudeus. I'd like to see how far you've come." Roy said, casting a blank glance at Rudeus, who was clearly enjoying the scene.
"Uh… is that a good idea?" Rudeus shivered slightly.
Roy's golden eyes fixed on him with a piercing gaze. "You, a high-class magician, can't even handle a little girl, and yet you still dare to complain?"
Rudeus instinctively opened his mouth to defend himself, but Roy had already turned and walked out of the room toward the corridor.
The room was now left with only two people.
Rudeus, wanting to follow Roy, started to step forward, but he was suddenly yanked back by his collar.
Surprised, Rudeus turned around to find Eris, her hair standing on end. Her once peaceful expression was now twisted with fury, her eyes flashing with a dangerous light. She growled, "So, you're the one who went and told on me?"
Rudeus cursed inwardly, but his mind raced as he quickly tried to defend himself. "I didn't tell on you! When did I ever say anything?"
Eris wasn't having it. "I saw everything."
Rudeus took a step back, his expression stiffening. "Saw what?"
"You… you were laughing at me."
The next moment, Rudeus was slammed to the ground by Eris, who began pounding on him mercilessly.
The room was filled with the sound of a heavy thud and Rudeus' pained cries.
In the end, Rudeus used his magic to send Eris flying a short distance, quickly escaping before she could catch him again.
