Chapter 243: This is Considered Average Talent...

"Let's start with a brief introduction. My name is Roxy Migurdia. As you can see, I'll be your magic instructor. Don't be fooled by my small stature—don't treat me like a child just because of my appearance. I'm actually older than your mother, Zenith, because I'm a member of the demon race from the Demon Continent."

Wood and Rudy's display of talent caught Roxy off guard. It was a blow to her pride, and she felt the need to make sure these talented students took her seriously. To avoid being underestimated due to her small size, Roxy decided to reveal right away that she was a demon from the Demon Continent.

For the people of Central Continent, the Demon Continent was a terrifying place, and the demon race had a reputation for being ruthless, even used to scare children into behaving.

However, Roxy's plan to intimidate Wood and Rudy completely backfired.

Neither of them reacted with fear. In fact, Rudy knew nothing about the Demon Continent, and when it came to "demons," he wouldn't mind at all if they all looked as cute as Roxy. Rudy wouldn't hesitate to advocate for some sort of "interracial integration."

Wood, on the other hand, having read numerous books over the years, had only a vague understanding of the Demon Continent, but enough to know it wasn't as terrifying as some made it out to be.

Instead of being frightened, Wood startled Roxy with a greeting in the demon language.

"Wood, you've gone and scared Roxy! You should go practice swordsmanship with Paul. After all, Roxy was hired by Zenith to teach me magic," Rudy said, trying to deflect.

Wood's family lived in a rather secluded forest area, so it wasn't common to have visitors or even neighbors nearby. As a social recluse with a habit of leering, Rudy hadn't had many opportunities to develop "relationships" with women due to the lack of potential candidates around him.

Now that Zenith had hired a cute magic tutor for him, Rudy was determined to get rid of his good-looking twin brother, Wood, and have some time alone with Roxy.

"Rudy, don't pin this on me. You're the one who's been sneaking glances at her legs ever since she walked in. You're just trying to see her underwear!" Wood called Rudy out.

Roxy, realizing where Rudy's gaze had been, promptly whacked him on the head with her staff, which was almost as tall as she was.

After a bit of playful banter, it was time for introductions.

Rudy was quick to introduce both himself and Wood, but in typical fashion, he couldn't resist inserting some self-serving commentary.

"My name is Rudeus Greyrat, six and a half years old, the eldest son of the family. Roxy was hired by Zenith to teach me, and Wood is just tagging along. He's Wood Greyrat, my younger brother. Though he's my twin, he's nowhere near my level of magical talent. However, Paul claims Wood is the most gifted swordsman he's ever seen and might even become a Sword Emperor in the future."

Wood rolled his eyes at Rudy's introduction. While most of it was true, the part about him being a mere "tag-along" was clearly Rudy's attempt to downplay his presence. Was Rudy really that worried about competing for attention?

Rudy's insecurity wasn't without reason. Although Rudy was the eldest, it was clear that the family had a special affection for Wood.

Lilia, for one, always tried to avoid Rudy whenever possible.

Paul treated both boys equally on the surface, but it was obvious that he was more invested in Wood, who had inherited his talent for swordsmanship.

Zenith adored both of her children, but there was no denying that Wood's polite and respectful demeanor made him more endearing.

Zenith also felt guilty knowing that, despite being only minutes younger than Rudy, Wood would never inherit the family's estate. Because of this, she sometimes favored him more openly.

Hearing Rudy's introduction, Roxy felt even more dejected.

She had once been called a "genius magician." Despite being relatively young for her race, she had always taken pride in her talents.

But now, here she was, standing before two six-year-old children who could already cast intermediate and advanced spells without chanting. And to top it all off, Rudy had described Wood's incredible abilities as merely "average."

If Wood's talent was considered "average," what did that make her, Roxy, the so-called "genius magician"?

In addition to being impressed by their magic abilities, Roxy was also curious about how Wood had learned the demon language.

"Actually, I only know a few basic words. The books in the house are limited, so I couldn't learn much more. If you're willing to teach me, Roxy, I'd be very grateful," Wood said, with his usual politeness.

Over time, Roxy began to understand more about the two boys she was hired to teach.

Rudeus Greyrat was a peculiar child, with magical talent that Roxy had never seen before. Despite his perverted tendencies, his intelligence and ability to learn were exceptional.

Wood Greyrat, Rudy's younger twin, was a boy so intelligent it was almost unimaginable. His manners, humility, and grace made him seem more like a noble than a child. While his magical talent wasn't quite as impressive as Rudy's, it was still extraordinary.

But what truly amazed Roxy was the fact that, despite Wood's magical ability, the family insisted that his real talent lay in swordsmanship.

At first, Roxy didn't believe it. She suggested to Zenith and Paul that they shouldn't let Wood's magical talent go to waste and should have him study magic seriously, like Rudy. She even offered to teach Wood for free, as she enjoyed teaching and felt it would be a shame to let such a gifted child go untrained.

However, Zenith only smiled apologetically and shook her head. She then led Roxy outside, signaling for her to follow.

Zenith wanted Roxy to see Wood and Paul's sword training with her own eyes.

Only then, Zenith assured her, would Roxy understand why they had made this choice.

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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 380+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a