[Paul's POV]
"Hmm?..." I slowly opened my eyes as the first rays of dawn hit me directly in the face.
"How strange... I could have sworn I was struggling..." I muttered, but the memories of that night came flooding back to me like a sledgehammer.
"!!!" I instinctively brought my hand to the hilt of my sword, but it wasn't there. I jumped up and looked around, sweat pouring down my face. But to my surprise, I was fine.
I had clearly remembered how I had fainted with a huge cut on my back and leg, but now I was intact and... alive.
"Healing magic?" I muttered, uncomprehendingly, until I saw the bodies next to me.
"Ugh...damn bastards," I said, looking at the corpses of Nuckle and Gard beside me. Their bodies were bruised, and their faces of terror were etched on their dead bodies. Whoever killed them must have been extremely strong.
"P-Paul?" Laws's voice brought me back to my senses, and to my surprise, I found him unharmed and just as confused as I was.
"What happened? Did you kill them?"
"No... I don't know who or what it was... but let's thank Millis for that," I murmured, genuinely relieved. I truly believed I would die that day, and now it turns out some or something unknown saved us.
"..."
"..."
We both fell silent as we reviewed the events of that night. The corpses of the bandits and NuckleGard littered around us, making me even more anxious.
"Should we go back? What about my family? Will they be okay?"
Those questions were starting to get to me, so I simply closed my eyes and took a deep breath to ease my nerves.
"Laws... how important is it for you to go to Roa right now?" I asked my elf companion, who looked at me in confusion.
"How important? W-well, I have some unfinished business, and it would be helpful to find supplies for my family...how about you?" was his response. He was just as nervous as I was; he must be thinking the same thing.
I just looked up at the sky as I considered my options, but staying here wouldn't solve anything.
"Let's go to Roa. It's a couple of hours away if we walk, and we'll buy a horse there to get back," I said, and Laws nodded without hesitation.
I had only been in this village for four years, but he already trusted me that way. His trust in me is something I would never take lightly.
So after walking for three hours, we arrived in Roa, and I was finally able to place the announcement for my son…it better be worth it, Rudeus. Your father literally risked his life for it, and I also need to have a serious conversation with Zenith. It would be a terrible shame to leave Villa Buena after all these years.
…
[Rudeus POV]
It's been a week since Paul returned from Roa. I don't know what happened there, but he seems like a changed man, just like his partner, Laws.
"We had a problem on the way," was all he told me. But I'm not stupid. Something had happened, but I knew he wouldn't say anything, not to me.
Fortunately, he had a talk with my mother and Lilia in the kitchen when they thought I was asleep. Even though I didn't know what it was, it would be good for my mother to know.
But the change didn't stop there. The next day, Paul got up very early to train and didn't finish until Mom dragged him into the house for breakfast. When he returned from his patrol around the village, he continued training until nightfall. That's how he's spent the last week.
Most likely, they were ambushed, and Paul's strength was compromised, which motivated him to train harder. Which is good. He finally took his training seriously and didn't just brandish his sword to show off in the morning.
But that's a separate topic. Finally, the application for a magic tutor was answered, and today is the day it will arrive.
I realized that the position of personal instructor to a young nobleman was very well paid.
Paul was one of the few knights in the area, which made him a low-ranking noble, so I wondered if he could offer a competitive salary. We were on the outskirts of the kingdom's distant border, however, and on the border, high-level talent (especially for something like a mage) was scarce. If we applied for something like that to a Mages' Guild or an Adventurers' Guild, would anyone respond?
My parents also seemed concerned about that prospect, but apparently they found someone quickly, because my classes were to start today. And since there was no inn in our village, my teacher would be living with us.
My parents were fairly certain my teacher would be a retired adventurer.
Young people wouldn't come all the way here, and there was no shortage of work for real mages in the capital. As I understood it, in this world, only advanced-level mages taught the arcane arts. Therefore, whoever we had would be an Intermediate or Advanced-level adventurer, possibly higher. In my mind's eye, I pictured a middle-aged or elderly man with many years of diligent study under his belt, complete with the long beard necessary for such mages.
"I'm Roxy. It's a pleasure to meet you." My expectations were misplaced. The person who appeared was a young girl, perhaps in high school.
She was dressed in brown sorceress robes, her blue hair styled in braids, her posture prim and proper.
Her white skin looked untouched by the sun, and her eyes were somewhat sleepy. Her expression didn't exactly radiate sociability, and despite her lack of glasses, she looked like the kind of girl who liked to hide in a library with her nose in a book. In one hand, she carried a bag, and in the other, a staff worthy of a mage.
The family came to greet her, my mother carrying me in her arms.
"…"
"…"
My parents examined her, speechless.
I'm not surprised, really. This couldn't be what they expected. When you hire someone to be a private tutor, you expect to get someone a little later in life.
And instead, here was this tiny little thing who could easily have been my daughter in my past life.
"Oh, uh, are you... are you the private tutor?" my mother finally asked.
"Aren't you a little...?" Paul wondered.
My parents were fumbling with their words, so I decided to be direct and finish my father's sentence. "How old are you?"
"It's not polite to ask a woman's age," the girl grumbled, but eventually sighed. "Where's my student?" she asked, looking around.
"Oh, that would be our boy right there," my mother replied, bouncing me lightly in her arms.
I smiled as best I could at Roxy; her eyes widened, and she sighed again. "This happens sometimes," she murmured softly. "The boy shows signs of growing up a little too fast, and the damn parents get it into their heads that he has a special talent."
Hey!I heard that, Roxy! I mean, I totally agree with her, but still…
"Did you say something?" Paul asked with a strained expression.
"Oh, nothing," she replied. "I'm not sure your son can understand the principles of magic," she said, shrinking slightly.
"Oh, don't worry," my mother said, brimming with maternal pride. "Our little Rudy is brilliant!"
Once again, Roxy sighed. "Very well, then. I guess I'll just have to do what I can." She sounded as if she'd already decided it was useless.
And so, that was the first day I took lessons with Roxy in the morning and practiced fencing with Paul in the afternoon.
…
"Right, then this magic textbook… Actually, before we get to that, how about we see how much magic you can use, Rudy?" Roxy had taken me to the courtyard for our first lesson.
I realized that magic was something typically practiced outside.
"First, I'll demonstrate it to you... Let the vast and blessed waters converge wherever you wish, and let a single, pure stream gush forth—Waterball."
As Roxy chanted her incantation, a basketball-sized orb of water formed in her palm. Then, she hurled it at high speed at one of the trees in our yard.
"Ugh... Master Roxy... my mother really took good care of that tree," I muttered weakly.
"Huh? Really?!"
"No doubt about it," I said.
Once, when Paul was swinging his sword, he had accidentally severed one of the tree's branches. Zenith had never been so angry as that day.
"Oh, that's no good," Roxy stammered, running to the tree in a panic. "I have to do something about this." With a grunt, she replaced the fallen trunk.
Then, red-faced and straining from the effort, she began to chant. "Nngh... May this divine power be like a satisfying meal, giving someone who has lost their strength the strength to rise again. Healing!"
And just like that, the tree reattached itself and regenerated as if nothing had happened.
"That was incredible, Miss Roxy!" I said, feigning excitement. She must still be wary of me, so I have to give her the good-boy look.
"Oh, not at all! With the proper training, anyone could do this." Roxy's tone was a little gruff, but the corners of her mouth softened, and her nose twitched with pride.
Yeah, she was happy, all right. All it took was a little flattery. Man, she was easy to please.
"All right, Rudy. You try it."
"Okay!" I held out my hand and… Shit. It had been almost a year since I performed Waterball using the charm, and I couldn't remember what it was like. Roxy had just said it.
"Hmm. Let's see…" "Um, how's it going again?" I mumbled, somewhat embarrassed.
"May the vast and blessed waters converge wherever you will and emit a single pure stream from them," Roxy said matter-of-factly. Apparently, she thought this was within my capabilities. She'd said it so matter-of-factly, though, that I couldn't remember it after hearing it just once. "May the vast and blessed waters..." I began, before I stopped remembering the rest, so I cut the incantation short. I made a ball of water a little smaller and a little slower than Roxy had; after all, if I outgrew it, she might get a little grumpy.
I like being nice to young girls.
The basketball-sized ball of water streaked through the air, drifting slightly across the sky before falling like raindrops. Roxy stared at this sight, her expression hardening.
"You cut your charm short, didn't you?" she asked.
"Yes." Uh-oh. Was I in trouble?
"Do you usually cut your charms short like that?" she asked. I wasn't sure how to answer that, and after some hesitation, decided to be honest. "I usually, uh... don't use them at all." After all, I would be studying with her, so she would catch on eventually.
"Not at all!?" Roxy's eyes were wide with shock and disbelief as she looked at me. But she quickly regained her composure.
"Ah, yes, I get it now. That makes sense. Are you feeling tired right now, then?"
"A little, but I'm fine," I murmured.
"I see. Well, the size and strength of your Water Ball were fine."
"Thanks." Finally, Roxy smiled genuinely. And then she muttered to herself.
"Maybe this Kid is worth training." Again, I can still hear you.
"Okay, let's move on to the next spell," Roxy said excitedly, flipping through the magic book a little more.
That day I became a beginner magician in the four main styles of magic, much to Roxy's surprise, which changed her behavior towards me since she discovered that I could do magic without incantations.