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The wind whistled through the gaps between red and white strands of hair.
Eris glanced at Sylphie's hands.
"Then why didn't you learn swordsmanship?"
Her reddish-brown eyes shifted slightly, flickering toward the figure behind her.
Sylphie smiled.
At first, she had been deeply fascinated by swordsmanship—inspired by Allen. She still remembered vividly how he had casually flicked his hand, releasing sword aura by the irrigation ditch.
But later, when she realized her "talent" leaned more toward magic, she chose to learn from Rudeus instead.
It had been a decision made on instinct, back when she was still a child.
But now, looking back… Had she really made that choice just because Allen suggested it? Or was it because learning magic was the quickest way to blend into their little "friend" group?
If she had truly lacked talent in swordsmanship—if she had never managed to swing a sword or replicate his obviously advanced techniques—would she have ended up alone again?
Now, she knew the answer was no.
Allen would never have allowed her to keep being bullied by the village kids.
It had nothing to do with swordsmanship or magic.
But back then, she had followed her heart and chosen what suited her best in that moment.
So… where was Eris' heart now?
In that rain-soaked carriage.
Just as her heart had once been by the muddy irrigation ditch.
And so, the answer to persuading Eris to accept magic lessons became clear.
Think a little more. Consider things carefully.
The solution was right in front of her.
That was something she had learned from Allen.
Sylphie's soft voice drifted into Eris' ears with the breeze.
"Because I realized what my true goal in learning swordsmanship was. Once I understood that, I stopped fixating on it. As long as I can achieve what I want, it doesn't matter whether it's through swordsmanship or magic."
Eris blinked, baffled by Sylphie's roundabout explanation.
"Hah? True goal?"
"Yes. What was your reason for accepting us as your tutors?"
"My… reason?"
Eris frowned, deep in thought. Logically, she should have recalled the original circumstances behind the Greyrat family's decision to hire tutors in the first place.
But instead, what flashed through her mind was the sight of an arrow struggling against an invisible force in Allen's palm—right in the middle of that rainy carriage.
And the dazzling sparks that flew when his dagger clashed against a sword midair.
That was the moment burned into her memory.
That was the real reason she had fully accepted them as her tutors.
Eris crossed her arms, about to blurt out her thoughts—but then her gaze flickered toward Allen for just a second, and what came out instead was:
"I-It's the 'Flow' secret technique!"
The trademark tsundere response of the wild dog in her early years.
Sylphie had been watching Eris' face closely, and upon hearing this, she smiled—mission accomplished.
She lightly clapped her hands, as if acknowledging Eris' answer, but then turned to glance at Rudeus and Allen beside her.
The two boys froze for a second.
Then, with the unspoken understanding born from two years together in Buena Village, they instantly grasped what Sylphie was trying to do.
She was persuading Eris to learn magic.
And her method? By leveraging Eris' fascination with Allen's swordsmanship—and her own expertise in magic.
Allen and Rudeus exchanged a look. Then, with a casual wave of his hand, Allen plucked two leaves from the air.
He stepped forward, holding them out in front of Eris.
She instinctively looked down at his palm.
And in that moment—
The leaves floated above his hand.
They swam through the air in slow, circling motions, like fish chasing their own tails in an invisible pond.
Eris' eyes sparkled with fascination as she stared at his palm.
His voice broke the silence.
"The secret techniques of the three major sword styles all boil down to unique ways of releasing sword aura."
"The Water God Style's 'Flow' technique—"
"—is essentially compressing sword aura into a dense, high-quality state and shaping it like water along the skin, giving it 'fluidity' to redirect force."
"If you extend this process, continuously adjusting the 'flow' of aura, you get… this."
Allen pointed at the floating leaves above his palm—which weren't moving on their own but were being guided by the finely controlled, high-density sword aura he was emitting.
"You want to learn this not because it's particularly strong, but because it looks impressive—right?"
The wild dog nodded eagerly.
"Yeah!"
"Want to learn it?"
"Yes!"
"Then you'll first need to master sword aura emission. That's the foundation of the Flow technique."
Eris raised an eyebrow.
"Sword aura emission?"
Ghislaine, who had silently approached at some point, was now crouching slightly, her eyes fixed on Allen's palm. As an expert, she fully understood just how much skill this "simple trick" required—both in aura control and refinement.
No wonder he's recognized as the Water God Style's top disciple of his generation.
She narrowed her eyes and answered Eris' question.
"The Flow technique is a method of controlling emitted sword aura. If you can't even release aura yet, there's no way you can learn it."
Eris tensed.
"Then how do I learn to emit sword aura?!"
"Keep training. Once you reach Advanced-rank swordsmanship, you'll naturally gain the ability. Or, to put it more accurately—if you can emit sword aura, you're already at the Advanced level."
Eris' grin stiffened.
She knew full well she was still only a Beginner-rank in the Sword God Style.
Allen watched as her expression slowly deflated.
"Realistically, you'll need at least another year of rigorous training just to meet the prerequisite. And after that, mastering the Flow technique itself won't happen overnight."
Eris' mouth twisted into a pout.
"…H-How long?!"
"At least two years. Maybe up to five, given your current level as a nine-year-old Beginner."
"..."
Allen blinked, watching the light fade from Eris' eyes and her lips droop further. The fish had bitten the hook.
Time to reel it in.
He shifted gears.
"But… there is a way to shorten that process."
Instantly, Eris perked up.
"How?!"
Her voice rose with excitement—but Ghislaine, catching on, smirked and glanced behind Allen.
His reply was firm.
"Magic."
Eris' fiery eyebrows shot up.
"Hah?!"
"You can achieve something just as flashy—without years of training. All it takes is basic magic."
Allen grinned at her, then stepped aside, revealing the person behind him.
Rudeus Greyrat.
With the exact same motion as Allen, he lifted his hand—right in front of Eris' face.
And on his palm…
Before the eyes of Eris, Ghislaine, Sylphie, and Allen…
A chain of leaves, each "biting" the tail of the next, looped into a ring—spinning, flipping, and dancing playfully in the air.
"No years of training required."
"Just a beginner-tier spell—Wind Blow—is enough."
"This is the charm of magic."
Eris stared, wide-eyed, at Rudeus' palm. After a long pause, she suddenly looked up, expecting to see that infuriating, smug grin he always wore when provoking her.
But instead—
Rudeus' expression was calm, his focus entirely on the leaves. There was a quiet confidence in his demeanor, one that reminded her strangely of Allen.
Why was he so confident?
Because Allen had spent the past two years drilling one thing into him:
"Rudeus, stop doubting yourself. When it comes to magic, you should be confident."
"This is your talent."
"This—"
"—is your domain."
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 195 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 80 power stones I will publish the next chapter.