Eris

"To be honest, I didn't have much hope for you two anyway. I only agreed because Paul asked me to let you try!"

Philip acted reserved, but in truth, no matter what happened, he couldn't possibly let the two of them go home just like that.

"You're certainly blunt!"

Rudeus looked at Philip awkwardly.

"Do you have confidence, then?" Philip asked Rudeus.

"Who knows? I haven't even met her yet," Rudeus replied.

They arrived at the door to a room. Philip smiled without saying anything and pushed the door open.

"Eris, I've brought you a new tutor!"

Inside the room was a little girl with flame-red hair. She wore an exquisite dress, and from behind, she looked like a gentle young noble lady.

But when she turned toward the door, there were those sharp eyes and that displeased expression.

Fierce!

That was Rudeus's first impression. Now he understood what that Finger Universe meant, along with the meaning of those earlier words.

This definitely wasn't going to be an easy job!

Cold sweat ran down Rudeus's face. His hands trembled a little, and he stopped in his tracks.

Only after Radeus gave him a push from behind did Rudeus slowly approach the fierce young lady.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Rudeus Greyrat!"

Rudeus greeted Eris with the etiquette he had just learned from Philip.

He thought he had done everything properly, but the young lady opposite him didn't agree.

"What? Isn't he younger than me? What's a little brat like him supposed to teach me?"

Eris's shrill voice rang through the room.

Wow, she's just as spoiled as I expected! Rudeus is really going to suffer this time! Radeus thought.

"If Rudeus fails, Rad, you'll have to give it a try. Paul already guaranteed that at least one of you would succeed. He even bet me thirty Asura gold coins!"

Philip narrowed his eyes and smiled at Radeus beside him.

"Huh?!!!"

What the hell has that scumbag dad done? Thirty Asura gold coins? Isn't that enough to cover tuition for three people?

Radeus looked utterly bewildered. Wasn't he supposed to be just a bodyguard?

Now he could only pray that Rudeus would succeed!

"I don't think age has anything to do with it, does it?"

Faced with the young lady's hostility, Rudeus refused to indulge her and retorted outright.

"What? You have a problem with me?"

Eris folded her arms and shouted at Rudeus.

"But..."

Before Rudeus could finish, Eris walked up to him and served him a big slap, just the way he liked it!

Smack! The sound was crisp and loud!

Observing with his Six Eyes, Radeus had known all along that she was going to hit Rudeus, but he hadn't warned him because he wanted to watch the show.

"Huh?"

The slap left Rudeus completely stunned.

"You're too full of yourself! Who do you think I am?"

After slapping Rudeus, Eris looked at him smugly as she spoke.

"Heh heh heh..."

Radeus's laughter sounded particularly out of place in that setting.

You knew she was going to hit me, didn't you? Why didn't you warn me?!

If I'd warned you, would I have gotten to see something this entertaining?

I'll fucking kill you!

Rudeus was extremely unhappy that Radeus hadn't warned him, and he decided to drag Radeus down with him.

"My lady, look, someone's laughing at you! Are you going to stand for that?"

Rudeus promptly redirected the fire, shifting Eris's attention from himself to Radeus.

Huh? Holy shit, Rudeus, you really fucking went there!

Looking at Eris, whose attention Rudeus had diverted toward him, Radeus knew he wouldn't escape disaster today either.

Eris walked up to Radeus step by step and shouted at him:

"Who are you? What are you laughing at?"

"How terribly rude of me. I am Radeus Greyrat, the elder brother of that fool who offended you just now, my lady! I was laughing because my foolish little brother's offense was so amusing."

Radeus gave the noble greeting from earlier and spoke with graceful poise.

You're the fool!

Hearing Radeus call him a fool, Rudeus wasn't about to let that slide either.

"Oh? You're pretty polite, aren't you?"

Hearing Eris's words, Radeus thought he had this in the bag, but the very next second, Eris swung her palm at him too.

"But I think you were laughing at me!"

Eris didn't care about any of that. She led straight off with a slap!

Radeus wasn't a scrub like Rudeus, who wasn't even an Intermediate Swordsman. He simply caught Eris's incoming hand.

Facing the hot-tempered girl, Radeus said with a smile:

"My lady, hitting people at random isn't how a proper swordsman behaves."

Eris tried to pull her hand free, but no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break loose.

"Let go of me!"

Eris's voice was already thick with anger. This was the first time anyone had treated her with such disrespect.

"No. If you're capable of it, why don't you make me let go yourself?"

Radeus spoke calmly to Eris, who was already seething with rage.

He's not going to beat Eris up, is he? Her father's right here!

Rudeus thought as he watched.

Oh no, I have to stop this...

Before Rudeus could act, Eris disregarded all decorum and kicked straight at Radeus's head.

White!

Rudeus got an unobstructed view beneath her skirt.

Radeus paid Eris's kick little mind. He blocked it with his other hand and even gave her a mocking look.

"Out of moves, my lady?"

Feeling humiliated, Eris opened her mouth and lunged in to bite him. Radeus hadn't expected her to actually use her teeth, and before he could react, she bit down on his arm.

"Aah!!!"

Bitten, Radeus had no choice but to release Eris's hand, but Eris didn't release her bite.

"Seriously, are you a dog? Let go! Or I'll use Battle Aura!"

"Battle Aura? Are you an Advanced Swordsman?"

Hearing that Radeus could use Battle Aura, Eris released her bite and asked.

Radeus rubbed his arm, looked at the teeth marks on it, and replied:

"Yes, I'm an Advanced Swordsman in all Three Sword Styles. You'd better show me a little respect and stop biting me!"

"You're younger than me. How could you be an Advanced Swordsman?"

Eris clearly didn't believe him and thought Radeus was lying to her.

"Then don't believe me! Believe whatever you want!"

With Eris's explosive temper, how could she stand that? She immediately turned her mouth toward him to bite again. Fortunately, Radeus dodged quickly enough to spare his arm another serious injury.

"If you don't believe me, go ask Rudeus over there!"

Radeus also redirected her hostility.

Oh no!

Watching Eris approach him again, Rudeus trembled inwardly.

"Is what he said true?"

Eris looked at Rudeus haughtily.

"It's true, but shouldn't you apologize to me first?"

Who knew what had gotten into Rudeus.

Already in a foul mood, Eris swung her hand and slapped him as soon as she heard that!

"You're too full of yourself!"

Thinking that he too was an Advanced Swordsman, Rudeus brimmed with confidence and returned the slap.

A flush appeared on Eris's face. This was the first time anyone had slapped her.

What a brave soul!

No one present had expected Rudeus to actually hit back. They all stared at him as though he were an alien.

"Now you'll understand how much it hurts to be hit..."

Before Rudeus could finish, Eris punched him straight to the floor, then lunged on top of him and began beating him.

Huh?

Knocked flying, Rudeus hadn't yet realized what had happened and stared blankly at the floor. Only when Eris straddled him and began pummeling him did Rudeus finally remember that he wasn't Radeus.

Fuck, I only just remembered I'm not an Advanced Swordsman!