Chapter 10: “Stagnation”.

I turned seven.

My two little sisters, Norn and Aisha, are growing up fast.

They pee themselves and cry,
poop themselves and cry,
get hungry and cry,
get upset for no reason and cry,
and sometimes cry even when nothing’s wrong at all.

Night crying is a given.
Morning crying too.
And during the day?
They wail at full volume.

Paul and Zenith quickly descended into nervous exhaustion.

Lilia alone remained energetic.

“This! This is what child-rearing is supposed to be!
Taking care of Young Master Rudeus was far too easy!
That wasn’t real parenting at all!”

She handled both infants with flawless efficiency.

By the way, I was used to night crying thanks to my little brother in my previous life,
so it didn’t bother me much.
Not to brag, but I’ve taken care of babies before.
I changed diapers briskly, helped with laundry and cleaning.

Paul watched me with an utterly pathetic expression.
This man is like a pre-war Japanese husband—completely useless at household tasks.
His swordsmanship is solid, and the villagers trust him implicitly,
but as a father he’s barely half-baked.
Even with a third child on the way… honestly.

—

Yeah.

Let me restore some of Paul’s honor by talking about what makes him impressive.
I acknowledge this flawed, scumbag of a man.

Why?

Because he’s strong.

First—Paul’s swordsmanship ranks:

Sword God Style: Advanced
Water God Style: Advanced
North God Style: Advanced

All three at Advanced.

They say it takes a talented person about ten years of single-minded focus
to reach Advanced in one school.
In kendo terms, that’s roughly equivalent to fourth or fifth dan.
Intermediate is about first to third dan—
the level of a typical knight.
Anyone with Intermediate is considered a full-fledged swordsman.
Saint-rank requires sixth dan or higher, but let’s set that aside.

In other words,
Paul holds fourth-dan equivalent rank in kendo, judo, and karate—
and he abandoned each school partway through.

He may be a terrible adult,
but his strength is the real deal.
And he’s still only in his mid-twenties,
yet he already has terrifying real combat experience.
His words carry the cunning practicality of someone who’s been through hell.
I only understand about half of what he says because it’s so instinctual,
but I can tell it makes sense.

I’ve trained under Paul for two years now,
and I’m still stuck at Beginner.
Maybe once my body matures in a few more years it’ll change.
But right now—no matter how much I visualize winning in my head—
I can’t see a path to beating him.
Even if I mix in magic and schemes,
I don’t feel like I can win.
At least not in close combat.

I once saw Paul fight monsters.
More accurately—he showed me.
When word came that monsters had appeared,
he dragged me along saying “Watching a real fight is good experience”
and let me observe from a distance.

Let me be clear:
It was insanely cool.

He faced four monsters.
Three Assault Dogs—canine beasts that moved like trained Dobermans.
One Terminate Boar—a bipedal boar with four arms.
The boar led the dogs out from deep in the forest.

Paul toyed with them casually
and beheaded each one in a single stroke.

I’ll say it again:
It was insanely cool.

There’s something… stylish about his fighting style.
It’s thrilling in a strange rhythmic way—
watching it feels oddly pleasant.
I can’t put it into words.

If I had to pick one,
I’d call it charisma.
Paul’s combat has charisma.

No wonder the village men trust him completely.
No wonder Zenith fell for him.
No wonder Lilia gave herself to him.
And there’s Eto’s wife too.
He’s number one on the village “men I want to be held by” list.
Well—setting aside that particular phrasing.

And I’m grateful for his presence.
Having someone stronger nearby is comforting.

If Paul weren’t here,
I’d probably have gotten arrogant in this world long ago.

I’d have challenged monsters just because my magic was decent,
failed to track an Assault Dog,
and been torn apart.

Or maybe not monsters—people.
I’d pick a fight with someone I couldn’t beat
out of sheer arrogance.
Classic story.
Thinking I’d punish some villain,
only to get crushed in return.

The swordsmen of this world are on another level.
At full power they can run nearly 50 km/h,
with inhuman dynamic vision and reflexes.
Thanks to healing magic they don’t die easily,
so they come to kill in one strike.
In a world with monsters,
humans have to become this strong.

And even Paul is only Advanced.
There are still higher ranks within the swordsman framework alone.
Among the famous figures and monsters of this world
are many that Paul couldn’t beat even if he ganged up with others.

There’s always someone stronger.
Paul is the one who taught me that simple truth—
and for that I’m grateful.

Of course—no matter how many good points he has,
at home he’s still just a hopeless dad.
Like an Olympic gold medalist who becomes a criminal the moment he breaks the law.

—

One day, as usual, I was receiving sword training from Paul.
Today too I couldn’t beat him.
Probably won’t tomorrow either.
Lately I don’t even feel like I’m improving.

But if I stop training, I won’t improve.
Even if I don’t feel it,
my body must be absorbing it somehow.
Probably.
Right?
It has to be, yeah?

While lost in those thoughts,
Paul suddenly spoke as though something occurred to him.

“Right, Rudy—about school—”

He started,
then stopped.

“…Never mind. It’s not necessary. Let’s continue.”

He tried to resume as if nothing happened,
raising his wooden sword.

I didn’t let it slide.

“What was that about school?”

“School is an institution in Roa, the city of the Fittoa Region.
They teach reading, writing, arithmetic, history, etiquette… things like that.”

I already knew that.

“Normally kids your age start attending, but…
you don’t need it, right?
You can already read, write, and do arithmetic.”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

I’ve been saying Roxy taught me arithmetic.

After the twins were born money got tight,
and when I helped Zenith with the household ledger
she was shocked.
She started making a fuss about genius again,
so I quickly named Roxy.
As a result Roxy’s reputation went up—so all’s well.

“But I am interested in school.
Kids around my age gather there, right?
I might make more friends.”

Paul spat.

“That place isn’t so great.
Etiquette is just stuffy nonsense with no real use.
History is pointless to know.
And you’d definitely get bullied.
All the spoiled noble brats gather there—
the type who can’t stand not being the best.
Someone like you shows up,
they’d gang up and torment you.
‘How dare a lowborn like you act so arrogant in front of me, son of some Marquis or whatever!’”

Sounds like personal experience.
Paul ran away from home because he got fed up
with his strict father and the ugliness of noble society.
That etiquette and history are probably soaked in Asuran noble vanity—
ugly and stifling.
Even someone like me who gets along with Paul
would probably find it suffocating.

“I see.
I was hoping there might be some cute noble girls there.”

“Forget it. Noble girls cake on makeup,
fix their hair stiff as boards,
reek of cloying perfume,
and when you finally get them in bed—
they’ve never exercised, so their bodies are flabby as hell.
Some do train in swordsmanship and have decent figures,
but most just squeeze everything in with corsets—
you don’t know until you strip them.
Your dad got fooled more than a few times…”

Paul spoke with distant eyes.
His words carried strange credibility.
The content was pure scumbag,
but still.
Well—maybe those experiences led him to find a good wife in Zenith.
Maybe there’s wisdom in there somewhere.

“Then I’ll skip school.”

There are still things I want to teach Sylphie.
Going somewhere I know I’ll be bullied isn’t sane.
I didn’t spend nearly twenty years as a shut-in for nothing.

“Right.
If you’re gonna go somewhere,
better become an adventurer and dive into a labyrinth.”

“Adventurer…?”

“Yeah. Labyrinths are great.
No women wearing makeup—
you can tell right away who’s beautiful.
Swordsmen, warriors, magicians—
everyone’s got toned, attractive bodies.”

Setting aside the scumbag comment…

According to books,
a labyrinth is a kind of living monster.
What starts as an ordinary cave
mutates when mana accumulates,
eventually becoming a labyrinth.
At its deepest part lies a mana crystal—the source of its power—
guarded by a boss monster.

The mana crystal serves as bait,
emitting powerful attraction.
Monsters are drawn in,
get caught in traps, starve,
or are killed by the guardian boss—
and the labyrinth absorbs their mana.
Newly formed labyrinths can even be eaten by monsters
and have their crystals devoured.
Immature ones sometimes collapse entirely.

It feels oddly biological when you hear about the dumb parts.

Now—not only monsters are drawn to the mana crystal.
Humans swarm too.
Mana crystals are used as catalysts in magic
and fetch extremely high prices.
Even a small one can fund a year of carefree living.

For monsters the treasure is only the crystal,
but for humans it’s not.
Over time a labyrinth infuses mana into the equipment
of dead monsters and adventurers—
creating magic items.
Most have mediocre enchantments.
But occasionally one gets a cheat-level ability
that even God-rank people would pale at.

And so—dreaming of striking it rich—
people dive into labyrinths.
And perish.
The labyrinth grows deeper and wider by absorbing their mana.

Among confirmed labyrinths,
the oldest and deepest is the Dragon God’s Hollow
at the foot of Mount Dragon Roar in the Red Dragon Mountains of the Central Continent.
According to records it’s existed for ten thousand years.
Estimated deepest level: 2,500 floors.
It apparently connects to a hole at the mountain’s peak—
jump in from the summit and you reach near the bottom instantly.
No one has ever returned that way, though.
By the way—the hole at the summit isn’t a volcanic crater.
The Dragon God’s Hollow supposedly opened it
to capture and devour Red Dragons passing overhead.
It sucks them in.
Whether that’s true or not is unclear,
but for a monster that’s lived ten thousand years,
it wouldn’t be strange.

The highest difficulty labyrinths are Hell on the Heavenly Continent
and the Demon God’s Grotto in the center of the Ringus Sea.
Both are so hard to reach that even arriving at the entrance is a feat—
and there’s no reliable resupply.
They’re considered top-tier because you can’t settle in and explore properly.

“I read about labyrinths in books.”

“‘The Three Swordsmen and the Labyrinth,’ right?
If you could explore a legendary one like that,
you’d go down in history.
Why not give it a try?”

‘The Three Swordsmen and the Labyrinth.’
The tale of three genius young swordsmen—
later called Sword God, Water God, and North God—
who meet, go through twists and turns,
fight together in a massive labyrinth
amid conflict, laughter, friendship, and parting,
and ultimately conquer it.
Even the one they dove into was only about 100 floors deep.

“Isn’t that just a made-up story?”

“No way.
Each school still passes down swords obtained in that labyrinth.”

“Hmm.
But even people who reach God-rank struggled there.
No matter how hard I try, I’d only get so far.”

“Your dad dove in too.
You can do it.”

Paul then told me more stories.
About a young ogre warrior
who entered a labyrinth infested with sea-fish tribe monsters
alongside human swordsmen,
lost companions,
but defeated the sea-fish tribe.
About a dropout mage
who accidentally fell into a labyrinth,
was picked up by a party that had just lost its mage,
and awakened his potential while growing stronger.

He rattled them off as though he’d been waiting for the chance.

Come to think of it—
Paul once said he wanted me to become a swordsman.
He probably planned to tell me these stories,
read me ‘The Three Swordsmen and the Labyrinth,’
and make me yearn for labyrinths, adventurers, swordsmen.

Labyrinths.

I’m interested.
They sound exciting.
But also far too dangerous.

The characters in those books die abruptly.
In ‘The Three Swordsmen and the Labyrinth,’
other characters besides the three appear.
But everyone except the three dies.

Burned to charcoal by a fireball from the side mid-conversation.
Dropped into a pit trap and pulped.
Head raised for an instant—sliced in half.

People with no reason to take damage in monster fights
die the moment they let their guard down.

The protagonists evade traps with protagonist flair,
but clumsy me?
No way I’d dodge them all.
I’m dense, after all.

“How about it? Adventuring sounds fun, right?”

“No way.”

Why should I deliberately seek high-risk thrills?
In the future I’d rather be surrounded by girls
and live a relaxed life like Paul.

“I’m more suited to chasing girls’ butts.”

“Haha! That’s my boy.”

“Ideally I’d surround myself with several, like you, Father.”

“I see, I see.
But it’s better to chase just one butt.”

He pointed behind me.
I turned—
Sylphie stood there, pouting.
Bad timing.

—

Lately I’ve been teaching Sylphie in my room more often.
Explaining the finer theory of chantless magic
is much easier if I first teach basic math and science.

That said, I was a dropout even in middle school.
I barely got into a low-tier high school
and dropped out immediately.
So what I can teach is limited.
School isn’t everything,
but I regret not studying more.

Sylphie can now read and write simple sentences
and do two-digit multiplication.
Teaching the times table was a bit tricky,
but she’s not slow.
She’ll master division soon too.

Alongside magic, I’m teaching her science.

“Why does heating water turn it into vapor… gas?”

“Um—well, air can dissolve water.
But dissolving requires temperature.
So the warmer it gets, the more easily it dissolves.”

Right now I’m teaching evaporation, condensation, sublimation,
and the processes involved.

“……?”

She doesn’t fully understand,
but she’s honest and absorbs quickly.

“Well—just think that anything melts when heated enough
and solidifies when cooled enough.”

I’m no teacher, so this is as good as it gets.
Sylphie’s smarter than me.
She’ll experiment on her own and figure it out.
Magic gives her plenty of experimental tools.

“Can stones melt too?”

“If you heat them high enough.”

“Can you melt them, Rudy?”

“Of course.”

I haven’t actually tried.
Lately I can roughly separate atmospheric components
if I try hard.
If I pump in oxygen and hydrogen aggressively,
I could probably melt stone. Probably.
By the way, there’s an advanced spell called Magma Gush
that creates lava.
It looks like an earth-fire hybrid,
but it’s classified as advanced fire.

Even within one element, everything is interconnected.
To raise firepower you can just pour in more mana.
But using combustible gases makes it far more efficient.

I understand that much.
But only that much.

Compared to when I parted with Roxy,
my magic skill hasn’t improved much.
Combining existing spells, applying them creatively,
using science knowledge to boost power…
At a glance it looks like progress.

But I feel stuck.
Maybe with my knowledge,
I can’t go any further.

What did I do in my previous life when stuck?
Oh—I looked it up online.
No such convenience here.
I’ll have to learn from someone…

“School, huh…”

There are magic schools too, apparently.
Roxy mentioned something about prestige,
but would they even accept me?

“Rudy—are you going to school?”

I muttered it aloud—
and Sylphie peeked at me anxiously.
She tilted her head;
her green hair swayed softly.

Lately she’s started growing her hair out a little.
My occasional “Wouldn’t it be nice to grow it longer? (glance)”
finally paid off.
It’s now short-bob length,
but her slightly wavy emerald-green hair
floats gently with the smallest movement.
Nice.
Just a bit more until ponytail territory.

“I’m not planning to.
Father said school would just be bullying and nothing useful.”

“But Rudy… you’ve been acting strange lately.”

Huh?
Really?
I wasn’t aware.
Did I do something weird?
I’ve been so careful to act dense in front of her.

“I’ve apparently been strange since the day I was born.”

I said it to probe.
Sylphie frowned and shook her head.

“No—not like that.
You just seem… down.”

Oh—that kind of strange.
I panicked.
I thought I’d slipped up again.
So she was worried.

“I’ve been stuck lately.
Magic and swordsmanship aren’t improving at all.”

“But… you’re amazing, Rudy.”

“Maybe for my age.”

Sure—at this age in this world,
I might be impressive.
But I haven’t accomplished anything yet.
My magic is only decent because of my previous-life memories
and noticing chantless early on.
That’s all.

But my previous-life knowledge is shallow,
so I’m stuck and can’t move forward.
No matter how much I regret not studying more,
I can’t relearn it now.

And previous-world common sense
doesn’t always apply here.
There may be laws in this world I don’t know yet.
I can’t keep relying on past-life memories forever.
Magic follows this world’s theory.
So I need to learn about this world.

“I feel like I need to take the next step soon.”

Sylphie is advancing fast in magic
and getting smarter.
Watching her makes me restless.
I’m the only one standing still—
it’s pathetic.
Right now I act like a smug dense protagonist,
but if I don’t grow,
Sylphie might leave me behind.

“Are you… going somewhere?”

“Yeah.
Father said I should become an adventurer and dive into labyrinths.
There might not be much more I can do in this village…
School or adventurer—which should I choose?”

I said it lightly.

She hugged me.
Soft.

W-What?
A love confession?

No—
Sylphie was trembling slightly.

“S-Sylphiette-san?”

“N-No… no… no!”

She clung with painful strength.
I was bewildered.
What did she feel from my silence…?

“N-No… don’t go…
sniff… don’t goooo…”

She cried.

For now I stroked her head, rubbed her back.
And resisted groping her butt… no, I’m not Paul.
Butt control.
I hugged her tightly,
feeling her warmth against my whole body.

Warm. Soft.
When I buried my face in her hair,
she smelled nice.
Ahh—this is good.
I want this…

“Hic… no… don’t go anywhere…”

I snapped back.

“Ah… yeah…”

Right.
Of course.

Lately Sylphie has been coming to my house even in the mornings.
She watches my sword training with a happy face,
then we practice magic or study together.
We’ve been spending whole days like that.
A person she spends all day with.
If that person suddenly disappeared—
Sylphie would be alone again.
Even if she can fend off bullies with magic,
that doesn’t make friends.

At the same moment,
affection surged inside me.
I’m the only one she likes.
This is mine alone.

“Okay, okay. I won’t go anywhere.”

How could I abandon a child like this?

Magic progress?
Who cares—I’m already Saint-rank and Advanced.
If I need money, I can tutor like Roxy.

Until she’s old enough to stand on her own,
I’ll stay with Sylphie.
We’ll grow up together—
and I’ll slowly shape her into my ideal woman.
The Hikaru Genji plan.
Hehehehe.

…………Wait!

No no no!
Calm down.
I decided to be dense.
What are you getting all excited for…?

But still…

Being dense doesn’t mean
I can’t raise my childhood friend, right…?
Wait—what are you saying!

But… grr.
How long am I supposed to pretend not to notice her feelings?
She’s only six.
She likes me. She’s attached.
But it’s not real romantic love yet.

I have to hold back.
But how long do I hold back?
Ten? Fifteen? Longer…?
What if she ends up hating me by then?
Her favor is maxed out now,
but it could drop later.
Could I endure that…?

I… can’t!

Humans have limits to what they can and cannot do!
She’s this soft,
this warm,
this fluffy,
this gentle,
and smells this good.

She’s desperately throwing her feelings at me—
and I’m supposed to pretend I don’t notice?!

That’s wrong.
That’s insane.
If we’re both aware,
we should move forward.
Instead of me suffering alone and standing still,
we should advance together!

Am I going to waste time on misguided effort?
I know it’s wrong—am I just going to leave it that way?

I’ve decided!

I’ll raise Sylphie into my ideal woman!

I… will stop being a dense protagonist!
Sylphie—!!

“Hey, Rudy…
a letter came for you.”

Paul came in,
so I returned from my own little world.
I quickly released Sylphie.

That was close.
I nearly became a small-time final boss reeking of creepiness.
Thanks, Paul.

But there’s a limit to suppressing true feelings.
I endured this time—
but next time…?

—

The letter was from Roxy.

‘To Rudeus,

How have you been?
It’s already been two years since we parted.
I’ve finally settled down a bit, so I’m writing.

I’m currently staying in the royal capital of the Shirone Kingdom.
While adventuring and diving into labyrinths,
my name somehow got around,
and I was hired as a tutor for the prince.
Teaching him reminds me of my days at the Greyrat house.
The prince is a lot like you.
Not quite to your level,
but his magical talent is outstanding and he’s very bright.
Also, just like you, he peeks at me changing
and steals my panties.
Unlike you he’s full of energy and arrogant,
but his actions are eerily similar.
Do heroes tend to be fond of women?
I’m a little worried he might push me down during my employment.
What does he even see in this scrawny body…?
If this gets found out, will it be lèse-majesté…?
Well—if it happens, it happens.
It’s not meant as insult, so I could probably talk my way out.

It’s temporary,
but the palace seems to intend to appoint me as a court magician.
I still want to continue my magical research,
so it’s convenient.

Oh yes—I’ve finally become able to use Water King-rank magic too.
The Shirone royal library had books on it.
I thought I’d hit my limit after reaching Saint-rank,
but with effort it was possible.
How about you, Rudeus—have you reached Water Emperor-rank yet?
Or maybe you’ve brought another element to Saint-rank.
Knowing how diligent you are,
you might have even dabbled in healing or summoning.
Or perhaps you’ve started walking the path of the sword.
That would be a shame,
but I’m sure you’d succeed there too.

I’m aiming for Water God-rank.
As I said before—
if you ever hit a wall with magic,
knock on the door of Ranoa Magic University.
If you don’t have a recommendation,
there’s an entrance exam—
but for you it should be easy.

Until next time.

—Roxy

P.S. By the time this letter reaches you,
I may no longer be at the palace,
so there’s no need to reply.’

It felt like a nail in my current situation.
Damn it.

I checked Shirone on the map.
A small country at the eastern edge of the southern Central Continent.
Not terribly far in straight-line distance.
But the Red Dragon Mountains block the way—
I’d have to detour far south and loop around.
It’s distant.

And Ranoa Magic University is in the north.
I’d have to loop far northwest.

“Hmm…”

Roxy never taught me anything about King-rank or higher…
because she didn’t know.

I sent a safe, polite reply.
I didn’t want her to know how pathetic I am right now.
I don’t know what kind of amazing figure I’ve become in her mind,
but I didn’t want to disappoint her.

Still—Ranoa Magic University, huh.
Roxy praised it highly before.

But it’s far.
I can’t leave Sylphie.

What should I do…?

For now,
I added a P.S. to my reply:

“P.S. Sorry for stealing your panties.”

—

The day after the letter arrived,
at dinner with the whole family,
I spoke up.

“Father—may I make one selfish request?”

“No.”

Shot down instantly.
But Zenith, sitting beside him,
slapped the back of his head.
Lilia, on the opposite side, followed up.

Ever since the pregnancy incident,
Lilia now sits at the family table.
Before that she always stood by as a maid during meals.
I don’t know the details,
but she’s been accepted as family.
Is polygamy allowed in this country?
Whatever.

“Rudy—say whatever you want.
Your father will make it happen.”

While holding his head,
Zenith spoke sweetly.

“Young Master Rudeus has never made a selfish request before.
This is a moment that tests Master’s dignity and capability.”

Lilia backed me up.
Paul straightened in his chair,
crossed his arms,
tilted his chin up,
and struck a lofty pose.

“Rudy is making a selfish request with a preface—
it must be something incredible that even I can’t handle.”

He took two more hits
and faceplanted onto the table.
Just the usual lighthearted family banter.

Now then—let’s say it.

“I’ve been stuck lately in my magic studies.
Because of that,
I’d like to enroll in Ranoa Magic University…”

“…Hmm.”

“I hinted at it to Sylphie,
and she cried that she didn’t want me to leave.”

“Hmm, you little lady-killer.
Who do you take after, hmm?”

Paul took two more hits.

“So I’d like to attend together with her,
but her family isn’t as well-off as ours.
I’d like you to cover both our tuitions.”

“Hmm…”

Paul leaned his elbows on the table
and glared at me sharply—like when he holds a sword.
The one moment I truly respect him.

“No.”

Paul spoke the same word again.
This time he was serious.
Zenith and Lilia fell silent.

“There are three reasons.
First—your sword training isn’t finished.
If you quit now you’ll stay half-baked forever.
As your swordmaster, I can’t let you abandon it here.
Second—money.
We could manage for you alone,
but both you and Sylphie? Impossible.
Ranoa tuition isn’t cheap,
and we’re not swimming in gold.
Third—age.
You’re only seven.
You’re smart, but there’s still so much you don’t know.
Your experience is overwhelmingly lacking.
As a parent I can’t just abandon my responsibility and throw you out.”

Yeah—figures.
But I won’t give up.
Paul gave clear, logical reasons this time.
That means if I clear all three conditions, it’s okay.
No need to rush.
I’m not saying right now.

“I understand, Father.
I’ll continue sword training as usual.
How old should I be before I can go?”

“Hmm… twelve.
No—stay home until twelve.”

Twelve, huh.
I think adulthood in this country is fifteen.

“May I ask why twelve?”

“Because I ran away from home at twelve.”

“I see. Understood.”

Twelve must be a hard line for Paul.
To avoid wounding his pride as a man,
I nodded quietly.

“Then finally—”

“Yeah?”

“Please find me work.
I can read, write, and do arithmetic—
tutoring or magic-related jobs are fine.
The higher the pay the better.”

“Work? Why?”

Paul asked threateningly,
still serious.

“I’ll earn Sylphie’s tuition myself.”

“…That wouldn’t be good for Sylphie.”

“I know.
But it would be good for me.”

……

Silence fell.
An uncomfortable silence—for me.

“I see… I understand…”

Paul nodded deeply,
as though convinced of something.

“All right.
If that’s how it is,
I’ll look for connections.”

Despite Zenith’s and Lilia’s anxious faces,
Paul spoke with the trustworthy look he wears in combat.

“Thank you.”

I bowed.
Dinner resumed.

—

—Paul’s Perspective—

I never expected Rudeus to say something like that.
My son is growing up fast.
But usually kids don’t start saying things like that
until at least fourteen or fifteen.
Even I only started around eleven—
when I reached Advanced in Sword God Style.
Those who never say it never do.

“Don’t live too fast… or you’ll die young…”

A warrior once told me that long ago.
Back then I laughed it off.
Everyone else was moving too slow.
Humans have such short peak years—
yet no one runs.
Do everything you can while you can.
If you get scolded for it—
whatever happens after that can go to hell.

Well—after doing everything I could,
I ended up with a child,
so to stabilize life I retired from adventuring
and used old noble connections to become a knight.
But anyway.

Rudeus’s pace is far faster than mine ever was.
Watching him almost makes me anxious.
The people who watched me when I was young
probably felt the same.
But unlike reckless, impulsive me—
Rudeus thinks things through properly.
That must come from Zenith’s blood.

“But… I’ll keep him tied to his father a bit longer.”

With that thought,
I wrote a letter.

I’d consulted Rowin recently too.
Sylphie clings to Rudeus.
From her perspective,
he’s the white-horse prince who saved her from hellish childhood.
He teaches her everything,
so she adores him like an older brother—
and lately she’s started to see him as a boy too.
Rowin said if Rudeus would take her in the future,
he’d have no objections.
At the time I thought “If such a cute girl becomes my daughter-in-law, fine,”
but after hearing Rudeus today,
I changed my mind.

The current situation is borderline brainwashing.
If it continues,
Sylphie will grow into an adult who can’t function without Rudeus.
I saw plenty of people like that in noble society—
puppets overly dependent on their parents.

Even so—if the one she depends on is there,
it’s fine.
Even a puppet can be entertaining if manipulated.

As long as Rudeus loves Sylphie,
she’ll be okay.

But Rudeus carries my blood thickly.
The womanizing blood.
He might drift to another woman.
No—he definitely will.
He might not choose Sylphie.

If that happens—
the abandoned Sylphie won’t recover.
A puppet with its strings cut never stands again.
My son’s fault ruining that cute girl’s life—
I can’t allow it.
It’s bad for him too.

The letter is written.
I pray for a favorable reply.

Now then—
how to convince that silver-tongued son of mine…

Maybe I should just use force.

—

The next day after the letter arrived,
with the whole family present,
I spoke up.

“Father—may I make one selfish request?”

“No.”

Shot down immediately.
But Zenith—sitting beside him—slapped the back of his head.
Lilia—on the opposite side—followed up.

Since the pregnancy incident,
Lilia now sits at the family table.
Before that she always stood by as a maid during meals.
I don’t know the details,
but she’s been accepted as family.
Is polygamy allowed in this country?
Whatever.

“Rudy—say whatever you want.
Your father will make it happen.”

While holding his head,
Zenith spoke sweetly.

“Young Master Rudeus has never made a selfish request before.
This is a moment that tests Master’s dignity and capability.”

Lilia backed me up.
Paul straightened in his chair,
crossed his arms,
tilted his chin up,
and struck a lofty pose.

“Rudy is making a selfish request with a preface—
it must be something incredible that even I can’t handle.”

He took two more hits
and faceplanted onto the table.
Just the usual lighthearted family banter.

Now then—let’s say it.

“I’ve been stuck lately in my magic studies.
Because of that,
I’d like to enroll in Ranoa Magic University…”

“…Hmm.”

“I hinted at it to Sylphie,
and she cried that she didn’t want me to leave.”

“Hmm, you little lady-killer.
Who do you take after, hmm?”

Paul took two more hits.

“So I’d like to attend together with her,
but her family isn’t as well-off as ours.
I’d like you to cover both our tuitions.”

“Hmm…”

Paul leaned his elbows on the table
and glared at me sharply—like when he holds a sword.
The one moment I truly respect him.

“No.”

Paul spoke the same word again.
This time he was serious.
Zenith and Lilia fell silent.

“There are three reasons.
First—your sword training isn’t finished.
If you quit now you’ll stay half-baked forever.
As your swordmaster, I can’t let you abandon it here.
Second—money.
We could manage for you alone,
but both you and Sylphie? Impossible.
Ranoa tuition isn’t cheap,
and we’re not swimming in gold.
Third—age.
You’re only seven.
You’re smart, but there’s still so much you don’t know.
Your experience is overwhelmingly lacking.
As a parent I can’t just abandon my responsibility and throw you out.”

Yeah—figures.
But I won’t give up.
Paul gave clear, logical reasons this time.
That means if I clear all three conditions, it’s okay.
No need to rush.
I’m not saying right now.

“I understand, Father.
I’ll continue sword training as usual.
How old should I be before I can go?”

“Hmm… twelve.
No—stay home until twelve.”

Twelve, huh.
I think adulthood in this country is fifteen.

“May I ask why twelve?”

“Because I ran away from home at twelve.”

“I see. Understood.”

Twelve must be a hard line for Paul.
To avoid wounding his pride as a man,
I nodded quietly.

“Then finally—”

“Yeah?”

“Please find me work.
I can read, write, and do arithmetic—
tutoring or magic-related jobs are fine.
The higher the pay the better.”

“Work? Why?”

Paul asked threateningly,
still serious.

“I’ll earn Sylphie’s tuition myself.”

“…That wouldn’t be good for Sylphie.”

“I know.
But it would be good for me.”

……

Silence fell.
An uncomfortable silence—for me.

“I see… I understand…”

Paul nodded deeply,
as though convinced of something.

“All right.
If that’s how it is,
I’ll look for connections.”

Despite Zenith’s and Lilia’s anxious faces,
Paul spoke with the trustworthy look he wears in combat.

“Thank you.”

I bowed.
Dinner resumed.

—

—Paul’s Perspective—

I never expected Rudeus to say something like that.
My son is growing up fast.
But usually kids don’t start saying things like that
until at least fourteen or fifteen.
Even I only started around eleven—
when I reached Advanced in Sword God Style.
Those who never say it never do.

“Don’t live too fast… or you’ll die young…”

A warrior once told me that long ago.
Back then I laughed it off.
Everyone else was moving too slow.
Humans have such short peak years—
yet no one runs.
Do everything you can while you can.
If you get scolded for it—
whatever happens after that can go to hell.

Well—after doing everything I could,
I ended up with a child,
so to stabilize life I retired from adventuring
and used old noble connections to become a knight.
But anyway.

Rudeus’s pace is far faster than mine ever was.
Watching him almost makes me anxious.
The people who watched me when I was young
probably felt the same.
But unlike reckless, impulsive me—
Rudeus thinks things through properly.
That must come from Zenith’s blood.

“But… I’ll keep him tied to his father a bit longer.”

With that thought,
I wrote a letter.

I’d consulted Rowin recently too.
Sylphie clings to Rudeus.
From her perspective,
he’s the white-horse prince who saved her from hellish childhood.
He teaches her everything,
so she adores him like an older brother—
and lately she’s started to see him as a boy too.
Rowin said if Rudeus would take her in the future,
he’d have no objections.
At the time I thought “If such a cute girl becomes my daughter-in-law, fine,”
but after hearing Rudeus today,
I changed my mind.

The current situation is borderline brainwashing.
If it continues,
Sylphie will grow into an adult who can’t function without Rudeus.
I saw plenty of people like that in noble society—
puppets overly dependent on their parents.

Even so—if the one she depends on is there,
it’s fine.
Even a puppet can be entertaining if manipulated.

As long as Rudeus loves Sylphie,
she’ll be okay.

But Rudeus carries my blood thickly.
The womanizing blood.
He might drift to another woman.
No—he definitely will.
He might not choose Sylphie.

If that happens—
the abandoned Sylphie won’t recover.
A puppet with its strings cut never stands again.
My son’s fault ruining that cute girl’s life—
I can’t allow it.
It’s bad for him too.

The letter is written.
I pray for a favorable reply.

Now then—
how to convince that silver-tongued son of mine…

Maybe I should just use force.