Roxy's troubles

It had been almost two years since Roxy came to their home, and Rudeus and Radeus were nearly five.

Rudeus could now cast all kinds of combination magic without chanting, but his healing magic only reached the intermediate level, and he still needed to chant to use it.

Radeus could also use combination magic, just like Rudeus, while his swordsmanship had already reached Paul's level. That was right: Advanced level in all Three Sword Styles.

Paul could only smile helplessly at this. He had known Radeus would soon catch up to him, but he had never expected it to happen so quickly!

Good grief!

Thanks to their long-term mana training, both Radeus and Rudeus had recently felt their mana increase dramatically. Rudeus in particular said he simply could not use up his mana now.

Radeus's mana reserves had also grown nearly tenfold. While they were not as absurd as Rudeus's, they were still far beyond the ordinary!

If Radeus had possessed one Kakashi's worth of mana before, he now had as much as a regular Naruto Uzumaki. As for Rudeus, he was Complete Naruto, with the Nine-Tails and Sage Mode activated and power bestowed on him by the Sage of Six Paths!

To be honest, Radeus had once used his Six Eyes to look at Rudeus's mana reserves, and it had nearly made him throw up.

That's ridiculous! My mana reserves are nothing next to his!

The good news, though, was that Rudeus was still only at the Advanced Swordsman level. That was genuinely good news for Radeus.

Rudeus was currently training with Paul in the yard, while Radeus watched from the side.

Rudeus knew his swordsmanship was no match for his father's, so he could only use magic to compensate for that weakness. But against Paul, who had reached Advanced level in all Three Sword Styles, he still could not escape a beating.

"Father, go easy on me!"

After the fight ended, Rudeus stood to one side and complained to Paul.

"Hahaha! If you can't handle even this much, you still need more training!" Paul laughed happily beside him.

Practicing with Rudeus really does feel like stomping a novice-no, teaching!

Radeus improved so quickly that Paul could never find anything to give him pointers on. Sparring with Radeus always felt like fighting himself. It was no fun.

"Really? Then you can practice with my brother from now on, Father!" Rudeus said deliberately, hoping to knock Paul down a peg.

"Huh? Don't do that. I'll definitely go easier next time."

At Rudeus's words, Paul surrendered on the spot.

"That's more like it!"

After training, Rudeus walked to the fence around the yard. Gazing at the endless golden fields, he felt an indescribable sense of ease.

Roxy was also out in the fields now, helping the adults by using magic to harvest crops, bring down rain, and so on. She was very popular in the village now.

Paul often grumbled that Roxy had stolen all his popularity after being here for only a little over a year!

There were children playing in the fields, too. Radeus was still sitting in a chair when a voice suddenly sounded in his mind.

So scary!

He turned toward Rudeus and found him crouched beside the fence, his arms wrapped around his knees.

"What's wrong, Rudeus?"

Radeus walked over and looked beyond the fence, but he found nothing. He had no idea what had happened to make Rudeus so frightened all of a sudden.

"N-nothing!"

"I'm a little tired. I'll be fine after resting in the living room!"

Forcing himself to look calm, Rudeus stood up and went back to the living room.

"Hmm?"

Radeus looked puzzled, not knowing what had happened.

Not long after Rudeus returned to the living room, Roxy came back from the fields, and Radeus went to the door to greet her.

"Welcome back, Miss Roxy. How are things in the fields?"

"Very good. The crops are all growing nicely!"

"My hometown is a barren place where not a blade of grass grows. The soil is poor, and there isn't much food, either, so seeing the scenery here always gives me a feeling I can't put into words."

Roxy spoke to Radeus as she looked at the endless fields behind her.

Radeus did not know what Roxy had experienced as a child, but at least she was happy now.

"Master Roxy, I'm so glad you could be my master. I've been happy spending these days with you, and I hope this life can go on forever."

Roxy said nothing. She knew she would eventually leave, so she could only change the subject. Raising a hand, she pointed at the distant mountains and spoke to Radeus.

"Look at those mountains. Do you know what they're called?"

"The Red Dragon Mountains, right?" Radeus answered.

"That's right. And far north of those mountains is a country called Ranoa. The snowy scenery there is beautiful in winter, and there's a university of magic there, too. It's the best magic school in the world. If you want to study magic further in the future, it's a good place to go!"

Roxy's gaze passed beyond the Red Dragon Mountains, as though she could see the Ranoa University of Magic.

Watching Roxy, Radeus read nostalgia in her eyes. Did that mean she really treasured her days there?

"That sounds great. I'd like to visit if I get the chance, but for now, having you is enough, Master Roxy!" Radeus told her.

After hearing Radeus's words, Roxy did not look at him. Her eyes glanced into the distance, with a hint of inferiority and sadness in them?

"Don't call me that. You and Rudeus will definitely surpass me easily someday, and you wouldn't want to call someone weaker than you your master, would you?"

"That's not true. To us, you're our master, Roxy, and that will never change. Besides, Master Roxy, I wonder if you've ever heard this saying," Radeus immediately countered.

To think she'd have an idea like that. It looks like Rudeus and I really dealt her confidence a blow!

"A disciple need not be inferior to their master, nor must a master be more capable than their disciple. Some learn the way sooner than others, and everyone has their own specialty!"

Radeus was quite familiar with inspirational platitudes. In his previous life, he had been fed countless such platitudes and empty promises.

"What does that mean?" Roxy was drawn in by Radeus's words.

"It means students aren't necessarily inferior to their teachers, and teachers aren't necessarily wiser or more capable than their students. People come to understand things at different times, and everyone has their own strengths in knowledge and skills."

"So there's no need to feel that way, Master Roxy. You've taught us so many things, not just about magic, but about life, too."

"Rudeus and I are proud to be your disciples, Roxy!"

Radeus smiled at Roxy. The boy's smile was always so captivating that it drew the girl's heart closer despite herself.

"Is that so?"

A faint blush appeared on Roxy's face. She kept fiddling with her hair as she answered timidly.

"That's right. Nothing wrong with that, bro!" Radeus replied without thinking.

"Bro? What's that?"

Roxy was puzzled by the word that popped out of Radeus's mouth. Sometimes, Radeus and Rudeus would blurt out strange words.

"Uh, it means a good teacher!"