That evening, Roxy found Luo Ge in his room.
"Amazing... I never thought you could go this far. Even Mr. Paul..."
Roxy slowly walked over to Luo Ge and sat down, looking at her pupil with a complicated expression.
With a pupil this outstanding, she ought to have been happy.
Yet she could not feel happy at all.
After all, having two such outstanding pupils really put a lot of pressure on their teacher.
By comparison, she, a Water Saint-level magician, seemed utterly unremarkable.
Of course.
Her unhappiness.
Absolutely had nothing to do with secretly holding a grudge over Luo Ge beating chantless water magic out of her last time.
In any case.
Roxy had already calmly accepted her own shortcomings. After all, the person who ought to have suffered the greatest blow now was their father, Mr. Paul.
"You don't have anything else to prepare, do you, Teacher Roxy? Then... let's set off. This time, my family won't stop us from being together."
"Uh, why does that sound so strange? You make it sound like we're in that sort of relationship." Roxy covered her forehead, somewhat speechless.
Just as the two reached the front door under Rudeus's envious, jealous, resentful gaze.
"Wait!"
Paul, who was leaning beside the door outside, suddenly spoke. He looked as though he had been waiting there for some time.
Instinctively, Luo Ge thought Paul was going back on his word. After all, given his father's character, there was no guarantee he would not do something like that.
"Ah, you've got the wrong idea."
"I'm not here to stop you. You've already proved yourself to me, after all."
"Then what is it, Dad?"
"Well, here's the thing."
"I'm your father, after all. You might already be stronger than me, but we're still family, and family should help each other."
"Um, to make sure your journey goes smoothly... I wrote a letter asking an old friend from the Sword Sanctum to help escort you."
After hearing that, Luo Ge was a little surprised by Paul's connections.
Then, at Paul's prompting.
The two calmly sat down on chairs and began a heart-to-heart talk, face-to-face.
Hmm...
In any case, Luo Ge accepted Paul's kindness.
The Sword Sanctum lay in the northwest corner of the Central Continent, far from the Asura Kingdom.
An unfamiliar country, unfamiliar surroundings... a place where he knew neither the people nor the land.
Although Roxy, an experienced A-rank adventurer, could help protect him.
Not only was the journey north long, but they would also have to cross dangerous uninhabited territory, the Red Dragon Mountains...
To make things safer.
Paul had also put his connections to use to pave the way for his son.
"A friend?"
"Don't tell me it's an old flame of yours, Dad? By the way, does Mom know?" Luo Ge's curiosity was piqued.
"Hey!"
"Kids shouldn't talk nonsense. That friend was my companion back when I was an adventurer in Black Wolf's Fang. Anyway, she's someone very reliable."
"When I mentioned an old flame, your eyes darted away, Dad. Feeling guilty? Did I hit the nail on the head?"
"..."
Paul scratched his head, his expression becoming inexplicably awkward.
After their conversation ended, Luo Ge decided to wait a little longer, staying home for the friend Paul had mentioned.
As for Roxy, she had no objections, but putting her to all this trouble.
And doing so by using leverage to threaten her, at that.
Did weigh on Luo Ge's conscience somewhat, so he did his best to repay his teacher's kindness in his own way.
For example, whenever he had nothing to do, Luo Ge would rub her shoulders, pound her back, or make her some sweets.
In this home.
Perhaps everyone knew perfectly well that Luo Ge would soon be leaving, and the whole family treasured the time they had left together.
Even Lilia, who had never been particularly close to the brothers, began approaching him to chat, bringing up things to watch out for while traveling, whether deliberately or not.
It was a warm home. Everyone except Rudeus was showing concern for Luo Ge.
Because every day, Rudeus was either getting beaten up or on his way to getting beaten up.
Every day, he could be seen with his face bruised and swollen like a pig's head. Luo Ge's handiwork, of course.
Hmph, who told that sleazy fellow... to betray his flawless plan?
Luo Ge held grudges.
As punishment, Luo Ge had also confiscated the holy relic Rudeus hid under his bed and worshipped every night.
Uh!
It was a pair of panties.
Their appearance and style were Roxy's...
It fit Luo Ge's definition of island-nation perverts perfectly.
When Luo Ge returned this holy relic to Roxy, there was a little incident.
Namely, Roxy misunderstood on the spot and took Luo Ge for a panty-stealing pervert.
Fine!
Out of nowhere, he had taken the blame for Rudeus and been branded a panty-stealing pervert by Roxy.
There was nothing for it. His brother's blame... Luo Ge accepted it.
Only.
In the end.
Roxy never took back that holy relic. Perhaps she thought Luo Ge had used it for something strange and found it utterly disgusting.
Of course, it was also possible she wanted to leave it with Luo Ge as a keepsake.
In the end, the holy relic landed back in Luo Ge's hands.
He had intended to find somewhere to dispose of it or return it to Rudeus, but after some thought... Luo Ge put it away after all.
Of course, this was not out of some perverted collecting fetish, but because he intended to use this holy relic to get a firm grip on Rudeus in the future.
Nothing happened during the period that followed.
The family spent their days in peace and tranquility, and Luo Ge treasured every minute and second he spent with them.
Before they knew it, more than half a month had passed.
The friend Paul had spoken of finally arrived.
At noon that day.
The weather was clear, and the sun shone brightly.
Luo Ge and Rudeus were having a friendly spar in the yard-in any case, it was absolutely not a one-sided beating.
Suddenly, Luo Ge, who was sitting astride Rudeus, stopped his fist. The brothers looked up almost simultaneously.
"Hey! Get up, stop playing dead! We have a guest." Luo Ge hauled Rudeus up.
Paul and Zenith also came to the door.
A carriage slowly approached along the country lane, drawn by two handsome white horses. A flag bearing some noble crest hung from its side, fluttering in the wind.
Luo Ge thought it looked familiar.
Right, Roa.
When he had eloped with Roxy last time, he had seen that sort of noble banner in the city of Roa.
Was their visitor some noble?
Luo Ge could already picture a potbellied, greasy-faced middle-aged nobleman.
Uh, no.
The carriage stopped, its door opened, and out stepped a woman with cat ears and a tail-a beast-eared girl.
Her entire upper body was spectacularly voluptuous, even describable as burly. That size was greater than Luo Ge's and Rudeus's heads put together...
"Yo, Ghislaine. Long time no see." Paul went up to greet her with a smile.
The moment Ghislaine saw Paul, she pulled a sour face. "We meet again, Paul."
Then she greeted Zenith as well.
Compared to Paul, she seemed closer to Zenith. Paul was not particularly well liked.
Next, Ghislaine noticed Rudeus and Luo Ge in the corner. "Paul, are these the two children you mentioned in your letter?"
"Yes, they're my children."
"Rudeus, Luo Ge, come say hello."
Luo Ge and Rudeus stepped forward. "Rudeus Greyrat."
"Rog Greyrat."
Their brief introductions were complete.
Ghislaine nodded lightly, then fixed her gaze on Luo Ge. "So you're Luo Ge? Your father praised you to the skies in his letter. He made you out to be a genius with the makings of a Sword God."
"..."
Luo Ge felt a little awkward.
Does this father of mine really need to show off everywhere? Didn't we agree before that the tallest tree catches the wind, and that we should keep as low a profile as possible?
Besides, is having the makings of a Sword God something you can just casually say?
No matter how you look at it, it sounds a little unlucky.
Ghislaine, however, kept sizing Luo Ge up, seemingly judging whether the information was true.
After all, Paul's credibility was questionable.
Paul, however, was exceptionally confident, even more confident than Luo Ge himself. He grinned. "Ghislaine, get ready for a shock. Luo Ge is really strong."
"Shut up! You talk too much... I'll find out by testing him myself."
"Um, may I ask who you are?"
Luo Ge finally asked.
"I'm Ghislaine."
Ghislaine.
Beside her, Paul smiled and added, "She was a companion of mine and Zenith's back when we were adventurers. Don't let that vacant look fool you. Out there, she's the famous Black Wolf Sword King!"
"Sword King?"
Luo Ge's eyes brightened slightly.
In this world, swordsmen were divided into seven ranks, from lowest to highest: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Saint Rank, King Rank, Emperor Rank, and God Rank.
If he remembered correctly, although Paul's overall strength had reached Saint Rank, he was ultimately only an Advanced Swordsman.
In other words, this person before him was two ranks above Paul?
Not bad.
Luo Ge grew interested and immediately looked at Ghislaine. "Miss Ghislaine..."
"Just call me Ghislaine."
"All right, Ghislaine. Then let me experience your strength."
"Sure. That was my plan anyway. Paul might have praised you to the skies, but I won't just take your father's word for it."
"Luo Ge, was it? Are you ready? I won't go easy on you for Paul and Zenith's sake."
"Yes, that's fine... Please don't hold back. I want to experience a Sword King's true strength too. I look forward to learning from you."
After exchanging just a few words, Luo Ge and Sword King Ghislaine went to the center of the yard under everyone's eyes.
The two put some distance between themselves and took their fighting stances, watching each other.
"Are you ready?"
"I'm ready."
"Good, then..."
"Begin!"
Rudeus had taken on the role of referee again and blew a whistle.
At the signal.
Unlike Paul, Ghislaine did not seize the initiative. Instead, she abruptly lowered her body, drew the longsword at her waist with tremendous speed, and raised it overhead in both hands, aiming at Luo Ge before her.
High Stance.
This was one of the opening stances for the Sword of Light.
It laid the next move out clearly before the opponent, openly telling them an attack was coming, then slew them with a completely overwhelming force of intimidation.
"She really is... much stronger than Paul."
Luo Ge saw it.
With the gift the system had left him, Luo Ge possessed an extraordinary talent approaching the Transparent World.
The world in his eyes was different from that of ordinary people.
As long as Luo Ge got serious.
The world could be likened to a mirror. He could see through the surface of everything in the world and perceive its inner essence.
The flow of blood inside Ghislaine's body...
The patterns of muscular contraction throughout her body...
And the nerve signals he sent out to attack...
He saw them.
But sometimes, that did not mean he could beat his opponent.
What if he used the Water God Style to overcome strength with softness and counter after she struck?
No!
He seemed to have already foreseen the future.
The sight of himself using the Water God Style, only to fail to counterattack and instead be cleared in a single stroke without leaving a scratch on her.
The gap was too great. There was simply no way to counter her.
"The best defense is a good offense... I'll do the opposite."
While pretending to use a Water God Style stance, he had already secretly begun gathering strength for his coming burst.
At last.
The two moved.
Almost in a flash, they charged at each other simultaneously, and the battle ended swiftly.
Bang!
Dust swirled up around them.
The battle had ended the instant they collided. A duel between two Sword God Style swordsmen was not as flashy as those of other styles.
It came down to explosive speed...
And the outcome was decided in an instant.
Boom!
The result was no surprise.
Luo Ge was still sent flying backward.
Throughout his journey, he had never known what it meant to meet his match, and could even defeat Paul with ease.
At this Sword King's hands, he experienced the first crushing defeat of his life.
Even with his maxed-out talent, a gap in strength was still a gap. Sometimes, it was not something technique alone could easily bridge.
It was like a child who scored full marks on every theory test and mastered all the world's fighting techniques, only for an adult to disregard all that.
He only needed one punch to knock you flat.
Without a doubt, he had been crushed by raw stats.
Zenith immediately rushed forward to help treat him with healing magic.
Paul thought he had failed the interview and looked somewhat dejected. "This boy... he might just be having an off day..."
In Paul's view, he could clearly have played it safe with Water God Style techniques, yet he had insisted on using Sword God Style techniques against this Sword King.
Luo Ge had lost.
Although it left Paul feeling somewhat embarrassed, he felt more reassured than anything. It was quite a surprise-so Luo Ge had a childish side, too.
But Ghislaine's next words.
Interrupted Paul's private thoughts.
"No."
"Paul."
Ghislaine cut him off. "Just now... I actually almost lost."
"Huh?"
Everyone froze.
Luo Ge had clearly been the one knocked down so easily, so why would Ghislaine say that?
"The technique that boy used should have been the Silent Blade, right?"
"To use a Silent Blade like that at his age, whether in strength, speed, or power..."
"All of it has already reached an inconceivable level. It already has the beginnings of the Sword of Light. It's truly hard to imagine... that this is a child's level."
"But didn't he still lose to you? Besides... if he'd used the Water God Style, he shouldn't have lost so quickly."
"Paul, don't you understand yet? This boy was prepared to die!"
Under everyone's utterly bewildered gazes, Ghislaine tilted her head slightly, revealing a shallow sword mark on her neck.
Although it had only scraped the surface of her skin.
It spoke for itself.
Everyone's pupils abruptly contracted.
Luo Ge had actually grazed Ghislaine with a Sword God Style technique.
"Now you all understand, don't you?"
"This child's potential is limitless. He didn't lose to me; he lost to his own age. He's still too young."
Ghislaine said slowly, "If he were a little older... that strike just now might really have brought me down."
"Huh?"
Paul was astonished.
If even the Sword King Ghislaine said so, wasn't this boy far too outrageous?
Whose five-year-old child could accomplish something like this?
Such talent for swordsmanship could hardly be called powerful. Terrifying was a far more fitting description.
When he grew up... perhaps he could become one of the Seven Great Powers and fulfill the dream Paul had once pursued.
At that thought, even Paul could not help looking forward to it.
"Paul, you really have fathered an incredible child."
Ghislaine sighed in admiration. She turned to glance at Luo Ge, who lay on the ground, unable to rise, without the slightest trace of contempt in her eyes.
They had only sparred with wooden swords just now. If they had used real swords, perhaps... he really might have injured her.
"Paul, this boy has already begun to reach the level of a Saint Rank swordsman. You didn't lie to me. He really is impressive, and he has the potential to become the Sword God in the future," Ghislaine gave her final assessment.
Ghislaine's assessment surprised everyone.
"So you're agreeing?"
Ghislaine glanced at Paul, who had spoken, then nodded. "Yes, I've passed my test. I'm starting to look forward to this child's future, too."
"Did you hear that?"
"My son will definitely become the greatest swordsman in the whole world."
"Boo-hoo, he's made us so proud." Zenith smiled happily beside them, already unable to keep herself from dancing with joy.
Unlike the elated Zenith.
Paul's face was filled with worry, holding both joy over his genius son and the frustration of being a father who had been so easily defeated.
Sigh.
In short.
His feelings were complicated.
If he could already accomplish this much at five, Paul simply could not imagine how far Luo Ge would go in the future.
Inviting Ghislaine to help guard him along the way was the last thing a useless father like him could do for his child.