Chapter 292: I Surrender! Thank You, Lady Claire!

"I surrender in this match. Thank you, Lady Claire, for going easy on me. Otherwise, with my abilities, I certainly wouldn't have been a match for you."

Both of them were strong in both swordsmanship and magic. However, Claire's swordsmanship was not as refined as Wood's, and she also didn't have the advantage of casting magic without incantations like he did.

That said, Claire possessed something Wood didn't—battle experience. In terms of swordsmanship, that might be one thing, but when it came to magical power and combat tactics, Wood couldn't even come close to her.

Originally, Therese had believed her nephew could fight on equal footing with her mother, perhaps even win. But to her surprise, Wood admitted defeat so quickly and decisively.

"Did Mother really go easy on him? Because I couldn't tell at all," Therese's voice slipped out at an inopportune moment, prompting the old butler nearby to cough repeatedly, warning her to hold her tongue. A quick glance at her mother's dangerous glare made Therese realize her mistake.

Wood glanced sympathetically at his dazed aunt.

Why had Wood surrendered? Was it because he truly wasn't as skilled or because his body wasn't in peak condition?

Of course not.

The real reason was that, as the younger person in front of an elder, especially with other onlookers present, this was the most appropriate course of action.

From what Therese had told him, and from his brief interaction with Claire, Wood had already gauged her personality. Since she was a proud and stubborn woman, losing to her twelve-year-old grandson in front of others would have been humiliating.

Claire had even brought two skilled healing mages ahead of time, just in case Wood got hurt. Now imagine if the healers, who were meant to tend to Wood, ended up treating Claire instead—how would Claire, as the head of the Latreia family, save face?

Wood wasn't here to add to the bad blood between his mother and grandmother; he was here to smooth things over. He knew exactly what the best course of action was in this situation.

Unfortunately, his well-meaning yet naïve Aunt Therese hadn't realized the delicate nature of the moment, and her words had only made things worse for Claire.

"Aunt Therese, I really wasn't a match for Lady Claire," Wood said quickly, trying to smooth over the situation. "If she hadn't warned me about the danger behind me, I would have been caught off guard.

"Besides, my magic reserves are quite limited. After summoning the water blade and casting the Fire Saint-level spell, most of my magic power was nearly depleted.

"For mages, overexerting their magic comes with significant risks, so I lost this match fair and square."

Wood's explanation was reasonable, and even those present couldn't find fault with his reasoning.

After all, Wood was only twelve years old and had already reached the level of a Fire Saint. It wasn't surprising that his magic reserves were limited at his age.

Moreover, even if others had doubts, none of them would have been foolish enough to voice them as openly as Therese had, effectively putting Claire in a difficult position.

"Mortiel, thank you for your assistance. You can return to the temple now. The rest is a Latreia family matter, so it wouldn't be appropriate for you to stay."

Hearing Claire's words, the temple knight, who had been standing in the background for a while, respectfully bowed and left without any sign of displeasure. After all, besides being the head of the Latreia family, Claire's late husband had once been the captain of the temple knights' sword unit.

"Madam, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave as well," the old butler said, bowing politely and excusing himself.

Now that all outsiders had left, only Wood, Claire, and Therese remained in the now-destroyed backyard following their sparring match.

"Since you're now officially employed by the temple knights, you need to learn to be more independent. Don't expect to get any more allowance from me," Claire said sharply.

At her words, Therese's face immediately fell, like a wilted flower.

Sure, being a temple knight came with a salary, but for a girl used to spending lavishly, that meager income was barely enough to get by.

After dealing with Therese's finances, Claire turned her gaze to Wood, her stern expression softening into something akin to pride.

"Child, you've exceeded my expectations in many ways," she said warmly. "What's even more remarkable is that despite your immense talent and power, your heart and wisdom are just as extraordinary."

"I'm curious, what kind of environment fostered someone as outstanding as you? Don't tell me it's all thanks to your mother's teaching. No one knows Zenith better than I do—she's not exactly what I'd call a wise person."

Ouch. Claire's blunt words effectively threw all her children under the bus.

How would Zenith and Therese feel hearing this? Well, based on Wood's understanding of the two sisters, they weren't exactly shining examples of high intelligence.

Therese was one thing, but Zenith had almost been sold into slavery at one point...

Aside from Zenith and Therese, did the Latreia family have any other siblings?

Of course they did. Zenith was the second daughter, and Therese was the fourth. As for the eldest and third daughters, Wood hadn't met them.

Perhaps they had died in battle or were stationed elsewhere, but either way, none of the Latreia children had come close to their mother's level of talent and strength.

Among her children, Claire had the highest hopes for Zenith, which was why she had raised her to be the perfect noble lady. But no one had anticipated that Zenith would rebel against noble customs and arranged marriages, ultimately severing ties with her mother and leaving home.

"You're too kind, Lady Claire," Wood replied with humility. "I just enjoyed reading books when I was younger, so I've learned a bit more than others. As for my swordsmanship and magic, I was lucky enough to have met excellent and dedicated teachers, which is why I've achieved what I have today."

Wood's humble response earned even more approval from Claire. However, her expression showed slight dissatisfaction with one particular detail.

What was this? He calls Therese 'Aunt,' but addresses her as 'Lady Claire'?