Chapter Twenty-Six: Please, Stop Fighting Already

Just as Rudy and Eris locked eyes, the atmosphere growing increasingly tense, a soft sob suddenly broke the silence. A small hand reached out from the side, firmly gripping the hilt of Eris’s blade. Sylphy looked up at Eris, tears streaming down her face. Striving to overcome her usual habit of avoiding eye contact, she spoke with a stutter, yet with profound earnestness.

"Er... Eris... we are... friends. You mustn't fight... please don't..."

Watching Eris’s dazed expression, Sylphy burst into loud, wailing sobs.

Caught off guard, Eris scrambled to sheath his sword. Having only ever intimidated children in both his past life and the present, he had absolutely no experience in comforting them and found himself scratching his head in complete bewilderment.

Rudy, meanwhile, shook off his stupor and glanced at the flustered Eris with a look of silent exasperation.

*...Eris is quite the passionate youth, isn't he? Drawing his blade on a companion just to test who is stronger. Though, it is a blunt-edged practice sword... It seems he is still keeping his cool. So, he truly intends to use this spar to show Sylphy the power of magic...*

*...But it is truly terrifying, Lord Eris! Children really shouldn't be handling sharp weapons!*

*So, do I really have to spar with him? ...Now is not the time to think about that; I should comfort Sylphy first.*

Thinking this, Rudy sighed. With the weary expression of an adult struggling to handle a child, he walked over to the dumbfounded Eris and grabbed his hand. To the latter’s horrified expression, he shoved Sylphy into Eris’s arms, then thoughtfully wrapped Eris’s arms around her back.

Eris watched as Rudy completed this series of actions, his pupils trembling in profound shock on every level. Then, he heard Rudy lean in and whisper in his ear.

"Go on, comfort her. You can do it!"

With the air of an adult, Rudy rose, clasped his hands behind his back, and retreated a few paces to sit on the grass, propping his chin up to watch the show—much like an old father watching children play house.

Eris looked down at Sylphy, who was whimpering against his chest, then back at Rudy, who was cheering him on with a fist pump. His eyelid twitched so violently he could have grown wrinkles. He was truly at a loss.

—

"Stop crying. We’re just sparring! It’s not a real fight."

Sylphy covered her face, peeking through her fingers at Eris’s stiff expression, and let out a soft, "Mmm."

*Wh... why did I suddenly start crying? Eris doesn't like it when people cry... I must never cry again...*

She had known them for less than a full day. Having met them earlier than in the original story, she was even younger and naturally timid. Unlike the future "White Mother" who had already developed her gentle, delicate character after spending time with Rudy, she still needed time to adapt and build their relationship.

*Still, he isn't scowling this time...*

Eris blinked, seeing that Sylphy had calmed down, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Just stand by the tree and watch, alright? Rudy and I are going to spar, and it just so happens you’ll get to see the power of magic. Once you’ve seen it, you’ll naturally understand its appeal."

Sylphy instinctively began to avoid Eris’s gaze again, looking down at her shoes and murmuring a quiet, "Mmm."

Eris then pulled a still-reluctant Rudy several dozen meters down the hillside.

"Alright, this distance should be about right."

Eris toyed with his gleaming blade, gauging the distance, while Rudy shrank his neck back at the sight of the steel.

"Are we really going to spar?"

Eris rested his chin on his hand, pondering for a moment.

*In the original story, Rudy didn't start improving the power of his low-level magic until two years after Roxy left. At this point, before he creates distance, he would likely be decapitated by me in an instant... So, for today, it’s more important to show Sylphy the power of magic. As for the spar, we’ll take it slowly... It would be better to guide Rudy into increasing the power of his spells and perhaps show him some composite magic suitable for the battlefield...*

"Let’s just stop at a light spar today. You’ll be the one casting magic, and I’ll defend. How about that?"

Rudy’s eyes lit up. "That works!"

Then he heard Eris add the second half of his sentence.

"But in two months, I will formally challenge you to a serious duel. You have two months to study and improve your magic, and then we’ll see how you fare."

Rudy’s face stiffened. "Can we not spar?"

Eris’s expression turned solemn. "No. Have you ever considered your future?"

Rudy was taken aback.

*The future? ...Perhaps marrying a beautiful, self-deprecating girl and living a peaceful life... It would be nice to see Roxy again... But that’s unlikely. Who knows when I’ll see her next...*

"When Roxy left, she told me she was striving to become a Water Saint-level mage. What about you?"

Rudy looked up, startled. "Water Saint-level..."

"Do you yearn to reunite with Roxy?"

Rudy didn't speak, but his gaze grew serious as he stared straight at Eris. The latter smiled.

"It seems you have your answer."

Eris held up two fingers.

"She has a lifespan of two hundred years and is currently in her thirties. If, ten years from now, you grow into an adult and enter the prime of your life, she will still be in the first quarter of her lifespan—just like you... So, what kind of person do you intend to be when you face her again? A married village mage? A successful adventurer? Or perhaps an outstanding student at the Magic University? Have you considered this? These possibilities lead to entirely different futures. Have you prepared yourself mentally for that?"

Rudy didn't answer. He silently raised his arm, pressing his other hand against his elbow, his expression firm and composed.

"I accept your challenge for two months from now. But for now, shouldn't we show Sylphy the power of magic?"

Eris watched Rudy’s expression, the corners of his mouth curling into a subtle arc.

"That is a truly excellent look."

Eris pressed his hand to his hilt, lowered his stance, and planted his feet firmly on the grass, his expression turning cold.

"Let’s begin. You attack, I defend."

Rudy took a deep breath. "Alright... here I go."

*Magic—Water Cannon. Size: 10! Speed: 10! Lord Eris, I’m angry, so please, accept this strike born of my frustration!*

As his thoughts finished, Rudy’s chantless magic triggered instantly. Crystalline water flowed from thin air, swirling and gathering before his hands. In the blink of an eye, the water surged like an impending tide.

The next moment, the water erupted from his palms as a pillar so massive it nearly obscured his own body! The powerful impact blew Rudy’s hair back; he couldn't help but take a step back, his heart skipping a beat.

*Oh no, I used too much power! Eris!*

He looked up, his pupils suddenly constricting.

The image was etched into his mind, one he would recall time and again for years to come:

The meter-wide pillar of water surged forward like a thunderclap, completely eclipsing Eris in his vision. For an instant, the sunlight seemed to stall, casting an arc of light across Rudy’s pupils.

Just as panic began to surface on Rudy’s face, the water pillar split.

Right in front of Eris, it parted vertically, as light and airy as a balloon filled with nothing but wind.

Smooth, without a single ripple of disturbance.

Immediately afterward, the water, seemingly robbed of its "weight," poured down on either side of Eris, carving two deep trenches into the ground!

The grass-covered earth was torn away, exposing the ugly, muddy ruts beneath.

A breeze blew.

The grass beneath Eris’s feet remained completely unharmed, swaying gently against his shins. He still held his sword, his posture unchanged, without a single trace of movement.

The residual mist of the water caught the sunlight, bathing Eris in a hazy, ethereal glow.

Eris smiled.

"Not bad. Again."

Rudy stared at him blankly, his expression dazed. In that moment, he felt that the smile in Eris’s eyes was even clearer than the sunlight reflecting off the water.