Aftermath

{Part 1}

"What the heck happened?"

"It's the kidnappers. I suspected that its completely different from what we planned."

Rudeus starts to explain about his plan to make Eris realize that education is important.

Using a roundabout method, he planned to instigate a fake kidnapping.

Eris' father consented and arranged it too.

"You could just have beat her senseless until she listens."

"Psssshhhh!!!" Rudeus told him to lower his volume down. Eris is with them after all, she might not take kindly upon someone talking disrespectfully at her.

"What's... wrong?" Eris seems to hear it.

"Ah, n-nothing ojou-sama. I'm just talking something important." Rudeus managed to calm her down.

Eris doesn't seem to pursue the matter any further as she just followed the twins on the way back home.

And so the brothers resumed their conversation in whispers.

"So, your reason?"

"I don't want her to teach that violence is the way to go." Rudeus told him as he made a heavy sigh of exhaustion from days travelling.

"Hmph, and now look at what happened. You might have messed up big time if I haven't intervened." His words pierced to Rudeus' chests.

"And not teaching violence? Listen up idiot..." Reinhard made a serious face at him looking him in the eyes. "Violence has existed since the dawn of time. Violence has historically proven to be the human race's most effective means of achieving resolution. Violence is the most reliable method to make others listen, or safely deny their demands."

Like a teacher lecturing his students, he's stating the facts.

"But this and that are completely different."

It seems you truly still understand what I'm saying." Reinhard immediately turned his words into actions.

He suddenly grabbed Rudeus' collar and lifted him high up in the air with one hand, and slammed him to a nearby wall with moderate force.

Rudeus was shocked by the development. He didn't even had the time to react and defend himself. Even if he's truly a master magician, if you're in range by a close combat fighter they're doomed.

"Listen, if that girl died when they use her as a hostage, do you truly think you could bring her back to life by diplomacy?"

No...

Even in an alternate universe where those kidnappers is still alive, and offer Rudeus 100 Asuran Gold Coins to work with them. At the end of that event, Rudeus still ended up using Magic as Violence to save Eris from the kidnappers.

"At the very Beginning, you should have already realized you were kidnapped. It's a matter of life and death to both of you, shithead. What's use for all the Magic you have if you die without using them." He let him down and massaged his temples easing the accumulated stress. "Listen... I'm not always there to save your ass. What happens if you end up dead, because you hold back your power? Can you see bear seeing Mom cry?"

At least for him if he's going to die, he's gonna struggle and fight with all he's got before going down.

Rudeus had the power to flood the entire city.

And yet look at this guy.

IF at the very start, he utilized his Magic to its full potential they had a higher chance of going through this unscathed without a scratch. "I have no issue with you wanting to teach that girl violence is wrong... You are the tutor..."

"But in life and death matters like this, don't take things too lightly and do what you can do... or you'll truly regret it."

Yes... Cliff died because he was so hesitant to kill the Temple Knight Order from the Holy Kingdom of Millis... Though it was only far into the future, and in a different timeline at that...

If he's the one kidnapped, Reinhard would show no mercy those who dare...

Reinhard had been worried about this guy. If he won't change, he will suffer and people he cared about. He shook his head as he removed any unnecessary thoughts.

Reinhard just gave him an advice since he felt that he owed him big time when he saved Lilia.

He had no expectations about Rudeus if this keeps up. His talents in Magic is wasted, since he's mentally too weak.

'So in the end it was up to me huh.' Reinhard got his resolve.

He would get stronger to protect the people he cared. He will have to pull Rudeus' weight.

And he will pursue his ambition while he's at it.

-*-*-*-

{Part 2}

Soon enough, they arrived at the manor.

Ghislaine saw them as they entered the gate.

Eris sank her knees on the ground, completely exhausted. Her legs must have given out now that her nerves had settled.

The maids anxiously swarmed around her. When they reached out to help her, she batted their hands away and stood up by herself. Her legs were trembling like those of a newborn deer.

Meanwhile Reinhard was already marching off out as he still had to give a report to his superiors, especially after the incident. "I'll have to leave."

"Wait!" Eris stood haughtily, with her arms crossed over her chest. Maybe she had regained her spirits now that she was home. Seeing her this way, the maids seemed to realize something was odd, and stayed back. "You, tell me your name!"

Reinhard stopped and looked at Eris who seems calling out to him with glaring eyes.

How dare this little plebian look down on him? Is she courting death? Like a Chinese webnovel trope.

"I am Reinhard-sama, remember that name."

"I will grant you the special privilege of calling me by my name, Eris! Not just anybody gets to do that, okay?!" Eris then points her finger at Rudeus. "That goes for you too!"

"Huh?" Her words took Rudeus by surprise.

Seeing this girl trying to act tough but was already in her last limits, he shook his head.

"Whatever, I'm out of here. I'm busy." Reinhard left giving them a cold shoulder.

"Hey! Don't ignore me! Who do you think I am?!" Eris got angry when he's disrespectful on her. He didn't even felt the honor of being able to call her name directly.

Just as Eris was about to pull him on his shoulder, Rein dodged the incoming physical contact with a slight footwork and faced Eris.

His hands moved at a blinding speed, and before anyone could see what happened clearly Eris fell to her knees.

Reinhard caught her fall in his arms. "Hey the maid over there, get her from me."

The maid that he called out carried Eris.

Reinhard didn't bother wasting his time further and left.

-*-*-*-

{Part 3}

A month passed by.

Reinhard, Rudeus, and Eris were in the training yard holding their wooden swords.

The difference of height between Eris and the other two can clearly seen, since she's two years older than them.

But when it comes to the presence in the battlefield, Reinhard had the upper hand.

Reinhard and Eris were practicing on fighting, while Ghislaine was giving guidance.

"Remember your attack stance, watch your opponent closely."

"If you can move faster than your opponent, then read their movements and aim your sword. If you're slower than they are, then shift your body to avoid the trajectory of their blade."

"Watch the tips of your opponent's toes and predict their movement!"

"Reinhard! Don't hold back and finish it already!"

There is no holding back in the Sword God Style.

THUD

Eris collapsed under her knees out of balance. The whole fight, Eris was on defensive.

When Eris attacks, Rein dodge and throw her out of balance. If she recovers, he attacks. He finds a slow rhythm and attack her in slow time intervals just enough to beat her.

"You still had a long way to go..." With the sword on his shoulders, Reinhard mumbled.

"Grrrr..." Eris glared to Reinhard like a beast from the humiliation.

"Don't get ahead of yourself Reinhard. If you slack off Eris will catch up." Ghislaine told Reinhard giving hope to Eris that as long as she works hard, she will be on the same level as him.

Reinhard frowned. "I know, you don't have to tell me that."

Ghislaine nods her head knowing how he's been working hard this past month. His fundamentals are just as developed like a sharp katana forged again and again.

"You too Eris. Don't get your emotions cloud your judgement. It could be used as a strong weapon if used correctly."

"I understand that!" Eris folded her arms as if trying to take her words to mind.

"Though it is strange that Rudeus slows down when he's getting attacked." Ghislaine pointed out Rudeus' flaws.

Earlier him and Eris fight and he got his ass handed on him.

"That's because it's scary facing an opponent who's attacking you for real." Rudeus.

As soon as he said that, Eris bonked him on the head. "What the heck was that?! How pathetic! That's why people look down on you!"

"It's because he close his eyes when an attack come. Open your eyes and think." Reinhard gave a slight advice. He saw it many times when er he fights he cowers.

"Sorry, but I don't know how to fix your cowering. You'll have to do it yourself." Ghislaine said.

"Okay." Right now, it didn't matter who his opponent was, he just froze up. He had a long road ahead still. "But I do at least feel like I have gotten a lot stronger since you started teaching me."

"That's because Paul is the instinctive type. Doesn't make for a good teacher."

"What's that, 'instinctive type'?" Eris asked.

"The type of person who can just do things without being able to explain how they learned to do it."

She pouted when Ghislaine explained, probably because she was the same type of person.

"Is there something wrong with that?" Eris asked.

"There isn't. But it doesn't matter how much talent you have. You won't get stronger if you don't use your head, and you won't be able to teach people well either."

"Why won't you be able to teach people well?"

"Because you don't even understand what you're doing. Besides, if you can't understand the entirety of it, then you won't be able to improve."

It seemed, to a Sword King like Ghislaine, that the key to reaching an advanced skill level was being able to apply the basics in practice. If you mastered the essentials, you would be able to use them in any given situation. Only then would you be considered a Saint-tier swordsman.

"I used to be the instinctive type as well, but once I started using my head and thinking logically, I became King-tier." Ghislaine said.

"That's amazing." Rudeus was impressed. "Then wouldn't Rein make a good teacher? He always seems to know what he's doing."

"You just don't use your head fast enough idiot." Reinhard frowned by the compliment. Humans developed techniques based on scientific discovery of their brilliant minds. It's the same with any field of work. "And I'm not teaching anybody."

"True, based on fundamentals alone. You can already be called a Saint-tier." Ghislaine says. "You're a Saint-tier water magician yourself, Rudeus."

"I'm the instinctive type as well. But magic is different from swordplay. You can do anything as long as you have enough magical power." He said.

"Hm. If you say so... But either way, the basics are important, you understand?" Ghislaine pressed on.

"I understand. In this case, however, it was because my teacher was so good at what she did that I achieved Saint-tier." He praised his Goddess as always.

"Well I'm not worried about becoming that strong, so it has nothing to do with me!" Eris proudly said her incompetence of being an instinctive type.

Reinhard sighed heavily and mumbled. "It seemed we have another idiot. Well not like it's got to do with me."