Rudeus wanted to go to school with his companions

The letter Roxy sent sounded a warning bell for Rudeus just as he was about to relax.

Roxy had great hopes for them, and Rudeus did not want to disappoint her.

"Ranoa University of Magic, huh? What do you think? Should we go?" Rudeus asked.

"Don't you already have your answer? If we want to go further, isn't that our only option?"

Radeus sat at the desk, leafing through the magic book Roxy had sent.

Before Roxy left, Radeus had said that he wanted more knowledge about barrier techniques and magic circles.

Roxy had then said she would write a notebook for Radeus.

Although Radeus had not received it before Roxy left, it seemed she had not forgotten.

"But why did you ask Teacher Roxy for a book on barrier techniques and magic circles? Is it interesting?"

Rudeus spoke to Radeus, who was still reading.

"Of course. The magic circles in this world are like magic incantations. Every line represents a different effect, and when countless lines and patterns are combined, they can cast magic on their own once you channel mana into them."

"That way, even people who aren't magicians can use magic. And I have a bold idea."

"What idea?" Rudeus asked.

"The Industrial Revolution!"

Radeus did not keep him guessing and said it outright.

"The Industrial Revolution? You mean those technological explosions in human history?"

Rudeus listened to the words, which felt both familiar and unfamiliar.

"That's right. I plan to use magic circles to trigger a technological explosion in this world."

"Don't you think this world is backward? Magic can do anything, yet people still heat water over fires, light their homes with candles, and irrigate with river water, just like before."

"Magic could replace all of those things, or at least make them more convenient, couldn't it?"

Radeus painted a grand vision for Rudeus.

As he listened to Radeus, a light gradually appeared in Rudeus's eyes.

"That sounds great! It's rare for you to have an idea like this. I'll give you a little praise!"

"You could have left out 'rare'!"

"But the book Roxy gave me alone doesn't provide comprehensive knowledge of barrier techniques and magic circles. I need more knowledge now."

Radeus spoke to Rudeus.

"Wasn't someone saying he wanted to slack off? Now you're being unusually diligent!"

Rudeus teased Radeus.

Faced with Rudeus's teasing, Radeus answered directly with an inequality:

"Wanting to slack off does not equal actually slacking off!"

"Heh heh heh..."

Rudeus had no answer to Radeus's shamelessness.

"Then should we ask Father and the others tomorrow whether they'll let us go to the university?"

"Dad and the others will definitely agree, but what about Sylphie? We can't leave her here alone, can we?"

Radeus looked at Rudeus, and the problem immediately occurred to Rudeus.

"How about asking Father and the others to pay for her?"

Rudeus asked without much confidence.

His parents could probably manage tuition for two, but adding Sylphie would likely be too much, and Sylphie's family probably could not come up with that much money either.

What a headache!

Radeus did not reply and simply continued reading.

The next morning, Rudeus, Radeus, and their family were getting breakfast ready.

Aisha and Norn were still fast asleep in their cribs, looking so adorable that Radeus's heart melted.

How can my little sisters be so cute? This old man's girlish heart is melting.

After glancing at his little sisters' adorable sleeping faces, Radeus sat down at the table and ate the breakfast Zenith and Lilia had carefully prepared.

Unlike Radeus's cheerful expression at the table, Rudeus looked somewhat gloomy.

Rudeus looked at everyone eating breakfast and hesitated for a long time before speaking.

"Father, could you let me be selfish just this once?"

Paul was happily eating breakfast, and when he heard Rudeus's words, he refused without the slightest hesitation.

"No!"

He then suffered a double kick from Zenith and Lilia.

"Ow!"

Kicked once by each of them, Paul's face twisted in indescribable pain.

Zenith looked at Rudeus gently and said:

"Rudeus, go ahead and tell us. Your father will definitely find a way to make it happen."

"Indeed. This is a test of the master's authority and whether he deserves our trust," Lilia agreed.

"But if Rudeus himself is putting it that way, it must be something beyond my abilities..." Paul said to the two of them.

No sooner had he finished than Paul received two more kicks.

Listening to Paul, Radeus could not help nodding.

That's my dad for you! He's exactly like me.

Rudeus ignored Paul's words as well, because he knew that Paul's standing in the family was lower than a horse's. Zenith and Lilia were the ones who really mattered.

"Actually, my brother and I have hit a bottleneck lately, so we'd like to enroll at Ranoa University of Magic..."

"Oh?"

Hearing that Rudeus and Rad wanted to attend Ranoa University of Magic, Paul began listening seriously.

"But when I brought it up with Sylphie, she cried and said she didn't want to be separated from Rad and me..."

"Haha, that's my son! You attract women just like I do."

Paul laughed smugly.

"So I thought we could take this opportunity to go to school together. But her family isn't as well-off as ours. Father, could you pay the tuition for all three of us?"

When Rudeus finished speaking, Paul began to think.

His precious son had asked him for a favor for the first time, and he could not bear to refuse.

Besides, this was only a matter of money, which was hardly difficult for them.

After all, as S-rank adventurers, how could Paul and Zenith possibly fail to afford tuition for a mere three people? That was without even mentioning their backgrounds.

But was it really a good idea to agree just like that?

Paul kept tapping his fingers on the table.

"Hmm, sending all three of you to Ranoa..."

"No!"

Paul decided not to agree just yet, intending to put his sons through a little trial first.

They were too young, and never experiencing setbacks or difficulties would not be good for them either.

Zenith and Lilia both looked at Paul in surprise. They truly could not imagine why he would refuse.

That amount of money was nothing to them, wasn't it?

Paul ignored their gazes and continued.

"There are several reasons. First, leaving Rad aside, Rudeus, you're only halfway through your sword training. As your teacher, I can't let you leave like this."

"Second, while you're clever, you're still young. We can't simply abandon our responsibilities as parents."

"And then there's the money. If it were just you and Rad, that would be one thing, but with Sylphie added in, the family doesn't quite have enough funds."

Although the last point was a lie, at least the first two were true.

After Paul finished, Rudeus understood, so he made his second request.

"I see. I understand. Then may I ask one more thing?"

"Sure!"

Paul did not refuse and told Rudeus to go ahead.

After all, he could hardly turn his own son down twice in a row.

"Could you find me a job? One that pays as much as possible."

"A job? Why?"

Paul had not expected Rudeus to say that either, and he looked at him in surprise.

"Before Father acknowledges that I've finished my training and can leave home, I'll earn enough to cover Sylphie's tuition."

Hearing Rudeus's words, Paul spoke seriously.

"That won't necessarily be good for Sylphie."

Radeus looked surprised as well.

I thought this guy had come up with some great idea overnight, but this is it? Unbelievable.

"But it should be useful for me."

Hearing Rudeus's words, Paul finally smiled. It seemed his son had grown too.

"In that case, I'll ask someone I know."

"Thank you, Father!"

Rudeus was delighted. This had been his goal all along.

Because once people rejected an initial, large request, they would naturally not refuse a second, much smaller one.