Between Rudeus and Eris, leaves twirled and danced in the air above their palms.
Everyone's reactions were different.
Rudeus stared at his palm, his mind filled with Allen's tireless encouragement over the past two years.
Through his correspondence with Roxy during this time, he had also confirmed his own level of magic in this world. He had finally shaken off the frustration of being outshined by a native like Allen in terms of talent.
He wasn't weak—far from it. In fact, when it came to magic, everyone around him recognized him as a "genius."
It was just that Allen was far too exceptional in every aspect.
There was nothing to be discouraged about.
And right now—
He fully understood that Sylphy and Allen had built up so much just to let him showcase the charm of magic at this very moment, to help persuade the young lady to learn magic properly.
So he struck a pose, putting on the airs of an authoritative instructor.
That would certainly increase his persuasiveness.
As for why he deliberately avoided looking Eris in the eye—
He wasn't sure that if she threw him a taunting or arrogant expression, he could keep his composure. That might trigger Eris' wrath and ruin all the efforts Sylphy and Allen had made for him.
Next to him, Allen and Sylphy widened their eyes, eagerly watching the "fish" of leaves in Rudeus' hand.
They were sneakily watching Eris' expression from the corners of their eyes.
At this point, Sylphy's careful guidance, Allen's timely support, and Rudeus' well-timed display of "air magic" had done all they could.
Now, would Eris show any interest in magic?
From the corner of their vision, they saw Eris frown at Rudeus—not focusing on the magic itself.
She smirked, raised her hand—
And slapped Rudeus on the head with a thwack!
He stumbled from the impact.
The magic was instantly disrupted, and a flash of anger rose in him. He couldn't help but snap.
"What was that for?!"
"Tch."
Eris crossed her arms and cast a subtle glance at Allen and Sylphy before turning to walk away.
Allen and Sylphy froze simultaneously, while Ghislaine, who had been observing everything from afar, smiled subtly.
Rudeus took a deep breath, realizing he hadn't sealed the deal on this "lesson." He didn't even have the heart to chase after her in annoyance—he just stood there, helplessly glancing at Sylphy and Allen.
The two sighed in unison and returned a wry smile.
Then, suddenly—
A spirited voice rang out beside them!
It was Eris again, her voice full of enthusiasm as she recited the chant:
"May the great blessing of water descend upon the place you seek, and let a gentle stream appear—Waterball!"
But no waterball formed in front of her hand.
Eris curled her lips, then abruptly turned to look at the stunned trio. Her gaze stopped on Rudeus, the "magic instructor," and she shouted with an annoyed tone:
"Hey! Weren't you gonna teach me magic?!"
Rudeus blinked. Although her tone was still as rough as ever, he found—absurdly—that he didn't dislike her as much anymore.
He instantly cast off the disappointment from the earlier slap and felt a surge of motivation. He quickly stepped up, observing Eris' arm.
"You're still in your sword-swinging posture. You need to relax and let the chant naturally channel your mana."
"Huh? Speak plainly!"
Rudeus stroked his chin and studied the tension in her arm muscles. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"Got it! Imagine you're not in class, but having a meal—or when you're completely relaxed. Your problem is that your arm is too tense."
At those words, Eris stole a quick glance at Allen and Sylphy watching her closely.
"Relax? That's… that's impossible!"
Allen, hearing this, blinked and suddenly interjected.
"Eris, close your eyes."
"Huh? Okay!"
"Focus on your senses. Gather your aura and let it surge through your body like you're practicing swordsmanship. Imagine a sword in your hand."
As soon as he finished speaking, Eris' brows relaxed.
Her extraordinary talent in swordsmanship allowed her to enter that state with ease. Her entire body tensed instinctively. She could feel the wind crawling over her arms.
Her hand tightened slightly, as if gripping a hilt.
Then Allen's gentle voice came again.
"Good… very good, hold it. Don't open your eyes, Eris."
"Mm!"
"I'll count down from five. Then 'let go' of the sword in your hand and repeat what I say, okay?"
Eris responded with a firm squeeze of her imaginary sword hilt.
"Okay!"
"5…"
"4…"
"3…"
"2…"
"1…"
"…Let go of the 'sword'."
Eris repeated aloud:
"Let go of the sword."
With that, her hand relaxed, exiting her sword stance. Her whole body softened.
"Open your hand."
"Open my hand." She opened it.
"May the great blessing of water descend upon the place you seek…"
"…"
Eris' eyelashes fluttered, and she softly followed Allen's words:
"May the great blessing of water descend upon the place you seek."
"Let a gentle stream appear."
"Let a gentle stream appear…"
At that moment, without needing any prompting, she whispered the final words of the incantation herself:
"Waterball."
And then—
She felt a liquid-like energy flow from the depths of her body, converging in her hand.
It felt similar to the feedback of aura.
But also entirely different!
Glurp.
Eris opened her eyes.
A transparent, fist-sized waterball floated in front of her palm, shimmering with ripples!
Her eyes widened in shock. She turned her head.
Allen, Sylphy, Rudeus, and Ghislaine all stood there smiling.
"I… I did it…"
Before she could finish her sentence—
The waterball dropped from her hand, splashing weakly onto the grass.
Her expression changed, and she quickly looked down.
But before she could examine the puddle—
Rudeus shouted in her ear!
"You did it!"
She turned to him in surprise.
The joy on his face was completely genuine.
"You completed the first step!! Now you just need to control the next output of mana to adjust the speed and size of the waterball—then you'll be able to cast it properly!"
"That's Waterball!"
"You did it!"
Eris blinked, stunned for a second—then a smile slowly spread across her face.
"I… I really did it?!"
"Yes!"
"I did it!"
"That's right!"
"Hmph! That was easy, wasn't it?!"
"Exactly! You've learned it!"
"May the great blessing of water descend upon the place you seek! Let a gentle stream appear! Waterball!"
Splat. A waterball hit the ground.
"May the great blessing of water descend upon the place you seek! Let a gentle stream appear! Waterball!"
Splat.
Beside the wild pup—
Allen shook his head in amusement as Eris ran about, happily spamming half-formed waterballs like a living sprinkler, with Rudeus hyping her up the whole time.
Then he turned to Sylphy, and they shared a knowing smile.
Through their joint efforts, Eris had grown interested in magic.
And only now did Allen realize why she had smacked Rudeus earlier.
Because under everyone's intense gaze…
The wild pup got shy.
Her straightforward, untamed nature came with an intense sense of pride. Deep down, she longed for recognition and was surprisingly sensitive.
That's why she avoided doing things she knew she'd fail at—she didn't want to be laughed at.
But her decision to start chanting and practicing Waterball Magic wasn't because she believed some lie about it being a stand-in for the Ryū technique.
She had sensed it.
That long-winded message Sylphy gave her had hidden an expectation: "We want you to keep learning magic."
And because she saw Rudeus—who was shorter and younger than her—demonstrating precise magical control without mocking her or acting condescendingly…
Because everyone was helping her in their own way to rekindle her passion for magic…
She was willing to try.
To try again.
To…
Answer everyone's expectations.
That's the wild pup.
That's the tsundere young lady who, even in the original story, though she didn't want to learn birthday dance steps, still chose to "try again" because of Rudeus' clumsy but sincere encouragement.
Smoke and dust swirled to life.
[Instant Task Completed—Main Cast Formed Ahead of Schedule. Time Taken: 00:06:52.]
[Private Tutor Arc Participation Rating Increased!]
[Current Phase: Childhood Tutor Arc. Total Participation Score: 50 Points.]
[Before you knew it, a "group" has formed around you—one you built with your own hands.]
[With shared intent, not every idea needs your direct hand to succeed.]
[Evaluation: Winning by lying down is still winning.]
"To hell with that, I didn't lie down at all."
[Ah, right.]
Allen waved his hand, dismissing the system panel.
The smoke dispersed.
In the courtyard, on the green grass—
Eris continued joyfully casting her flawed Waterball spell, now a walking sprinkler.
Sunlight warmed Allen's face.
For the first time during this tutoring arc, he smiled with genuine happiness from the heart.
(End of Chapter)
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