Conversation

Roa thought for a moment, then said, "With my Water Saint-level magic skills?"

For a moment, Philip and everyone else fell silent, especially Philip, whose hand holding the teacup was trembling slightly.

He was somewhat surprised and looked the young man over again, murmuring, "To have such accomplishments at this age… Paul, you've certainly raised a good son."

Actually, Roa was downplaying his abilities by saying Water Saint-level. If he included his Magic Sword, which was King-level magic, Roa could have called himself a King-level mage. Moreover, Roa's skill level was top-tier among King-level mages, not to mention the unique properties of the Magic Sword.

But saying Water Saint-level was enough to command respect.

While it was true that swordsmen generally overwhelmed mages in terms of individual combat power in this world, it depended on the situation.

In terms of personal combat strength, swordsmen were indeed the strongest, but in terms of threat, mages were the primary concern.

Although powerful mages needed a significant amount of preparation time to cast high-tier magic, and the magic's power also depended on specific conditions, there was no doubt that once successfully cast, magic could move mountains and fill seas.

Therefore, for a nation, a powerful mage was equivalent to a nuclear weapon, primarily used for deterrence.

However, while others were astonished by Roa's strength, Eris felt nothing at all. Eris didn't even have the most basic concept of magic.

She was only interested in swordsmanship. The reason she didn't reject magic was simply because magic could conjure various elements like wind, fire, water, and earth out of thin air, like a magic trick.

Eris said indifferently, "Ghislaine is a King-level swordswoman. Are you stronger than Ghislaine?"

Roa fell into thought. An ordinary Water Saint-level mage would be instantly annihilated by Ghislaine; even if Rudeus grew into a King-level mage, it would still be uncertain.

But if he himself had to fight her, what would his chances of winning be?

Roa didn't know. However, at that moment, he didn't make any bold claims like Ghislaine not being his opponent.

But the problem was, how could two things from different systems be compared?

Eris was already being a bit unreasonable.

However, Roa didn't mind. He shook his head, admitting he was not as good as Ghislaine.

Perhaps after the projection returned, his swordsmanship would reach a new height.

Although he admitted he wasn't as good as Ghislaine, he didn't say he would go easy on Eris.

Roa's golden-red eyes stared directly at the girl. He said calmly, "Ghislaine is Ghislaine, and you are you. While I may not be as good as Ghislaine, I am more than capable of teaching you."

The young man's eyes held no emotion, and a faint pressure emanated from him, causing Eris to instinctively avert her gaze, unable to meet his eyes.

However, once Eris realized what she had done, she became somewhat angry, furious at her own cowardice. She abruptly lifted her lowered head and stared directly into Roa's eyes.

Their gazes met.

Roa did not yield either, just staring at her.

Sensing the slightly heavy atmosphere, Philip intervened appropriately, "Alright, Roa, to have the strength of a Water Saint at such a young age, you should be more than capable of teaching my daughter, who isn't even a low-level mage. And you, Rudeus? What are you good at?"

The atmosphere eased with Philip's interjection. Roa stopped staring at Eris. It was clear she was a person with high self-esteem, and if he embarrassed her further, he would be the one suffering during the future tutoring sessions.

He had no habit of looking for trouble.

Rudeus thought for a moment and replied, "I'm actually quite talented when it comes to arithmetic."

That's what Rudeus said, but he didn't get to the main point.

Roa sighed and appropriately came to Rudeus's rescue. "I will only be teaching Eris for a short time. In fact, I can only stay here for two years. The remaining three years will be handled by Rudeus."

Philip fell silent.

Seeing Philip's expression, Roa spoke again, "Actually, Rudeus can also be considered a Water Saint-level mage. Rudeus's talent and strength are beyond doubt. If it weren't for me this time, I imagine Rudeus would have been the one to teach Eris all subjects."

"Is that so?" Philip fell into thought.

Then, for the first time, he seriously examined the two of them.

Rudeus clearly looked only about five or six years old.

Roa was clearly around eleven. If judged solely by accomplishments, Rudeus's achievements seemed far greater than Roa's.

But judging by the situation, Roa seemed to be the one leading the conversation, and Rudeus always seemed to be leaning behind Roa.

He began to examine Roa, this time truly, not just his appearance, but his physique.

Philip was, after all, a shrewd man. In his youth, he had learned some sword fighting, but only a little.

The aura emanating from Roa was clearly that of someone who practiced the sword.

Even though he wasn't deliberately projecting it, that faint dignity and pressure were undeniable. Or rather, Roa had a sharp quality about him, like a blade that had been honed for years but never drawn, waiting for the right moment to soar.

And in fact, that was precisely the case.

Roa was indeed waiting for his time, waiting for the return of the projection.

Philip pondered, then said, "In that case, let's give it a try. What do you think, Eris?"

Eris said with great dissatisfaction, "You want these two brats to teach me? And besides, isn't it okay to not learn arithmetic?"

Rudeus stepped forward and said, "Arithmetic is actually very important."

He said that, and what awaited him was Eris's fierce glare. Her hair stood on end, and she roared as she charged at Rudeus, shouting, "I said it's not important!"

"Uh." Rudeus instinctively tried to shrink back, but for some reason, Roa's words, "You need to change that personality of yours," echoed in his mind.

He braced himself and said, "Actually, math is quite important."

Eris walked straight up to Rudeus, a menacing look on her face. She said, "Oh, you dare talk back."

With that, she prepared to strike, intending to slap Rudeus across the face.

Roa watched from the side, naturally unable to stand by and watch his own brother get hit. He grabbed Rudeus by the collar and threw him backward. With a displeased expression, he said, "Rudeus is your teacher, no matter what. What kind of attitude is that?"