POV: Eris Greyrat
"...this is my master, Verdia Solarion."
When Rygar said that, I looked at him for a moment and then continued staring at the woman before me. This was Verdia. Rygar's master.
The person he probably admired most in life. I could tell by the way he spoke of her, and he spoke a lot.
Always with a light in his eyes, a silent passion, a reverence he made no effort to hide.
I mean, he looked at me that way too, but it felt different.
She was the one who taught him magic, who told him about the world, who shaped his view of life.
As far as I knew, she had lived for a very long time.
She looked like a mature woman, yet with youthful, captivating features.
After all, she was an elf. Her long hair shimmered as if it glowed from within, a vibrant gold that seemed to outshine the surrounding light.
Her eyes were kind, yet with an intensity that made me furrow my brows.
Yes, she was beautiful. Too beautiful. The kind of woman who draws every gaze without even trying. Her chest wasn't as large as Ghislaine's... but it wasn't small either.
I found myself wondering, half involuntarily: will mine grow more? I'm still changing, right? I'm still growing older, maybe one day I'll mature too...
Rygar seemed to have a certain preference for more mature women. And me? Was I really right for him?
I shook my head, trying to chase away those silly thoughts. After all, he was the one who confessed his feelings to me! He was the one who said he wanted to be with me and that he loved me! I should trust that. Sёarᴄh the NovelZone.fun* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I glanced at him discreetly... he was saying something, but I wasn't listening. My heart was racing.
He said he wanted to take Verdia as his wife from the start. I knew that. So why do I feel like this? Why this uncomfortable tightness in my chest?
I looked back at the elf... then down. 'Why did it happen so fast?' I thought.
At that moment, something pulled me out of my daydreams. I heard my name being called:
"...Eris!"
I jerked my head up in surprise. Everyone was looking at me. Rygar, Verdia, even Ghislaine. I froze.
The elf had spoken my name at the end of some sentence I hadn't heard.
I opened my mouth to reply, but nothing came out.
"A-ah, I-I, wh-what..."
I failed miserably. My cheeks burned; my face flushed. I couldn't even form a sentence.
'Why now?!' I chastised myself.
Then I felt something warm and comforting on my face. A hand. Rygar's hand. I looked up into those golden eyes that gazed down at me with concern.
"You okay, Eris?"
My face turned even redder. I whispered back:
"Y-yes, I'm fine... I just..."
I looked away and faced the elf again.
"I didn't catch what you said."
She still smiled, with that same warmth in her expression, as if nothing had happened. Then, she repeated:
"I said it's a great pleasure to meet you, Eris!"
I was a bit dazed for a moment, but replied automatically:
"The pleasure is mine as well..."
---
POV: Rygar Adoldia
Alright, Eris seemed a bit nervous meeting Verdia.
And she showed that nervousness by practically scorching my master with her gaze.
I think she might have thought I was introducing her as my third wife... but how would I do that so soon? After all, I've only just arrived.
Although, honestly, I must say my chances look pretty good.
My bond with her is stronger than ever, and she doesn't seem disinterested. In fact, she's been quite assertive... as expected of her.
Anyway, Eris was visibly tense, lost in thoughts I couldn't fully guess.
I planned to talk to her about it later, just to make sure nothing was wrong.
But she seemed to return to normal after speaking with Verdia.
My master specifically asked who Eris's family was, upon learning she was a Greyrat.
She seemed a bit worried, but relaxed upon discovering she was a Boreas Greyrat.
Ghislaine, on the other hand, appeared more curious than anything.
She asked questions far more often than usual, wanting to understand more about Verdia—what kind of woman had shaped so much of my life.
The conversation turned livelier than I'd anticipated. At one point, Verdia commented with a smile:
"It's true! When he was only six years old, he was already able to kill a North Saint!"
I responded immediately, shaking my head: "I had your assistance in defeating him, master. I didn't do it alone. Besides, he didn't know chantless magic. That was a big advantage."
Verdia smiled and said:
"That doesn't make the feat any less impressive! Honestly, I wasn't as surprised as the others to learn you reached God Level at just sixteen. With your talent and focus, I pretty much expected it."
Ghislaine nodded and added: "That's true. From the moment I met you at the Azure Dragon Range and confirmed you were only ten, I was certain you'd achieve great power."
Eris spoke with conviction: "Of course! Rygar is going to be the number one in the world!"
The three of them seemed to find common ground in agreeing that I was incredible... which was a bit embarrassing, but I couldn't argue with their logic.
Even as a child, with the talent and the knowledge Verdia gave me about this world—and what I retained from my previous life—I already knew I had a real chance to reach the top of this world.
Still, I answered honestly: "But being number one isn't certain... until we know the Technique God and the Fighter God, it's hard to say if I can achieve that. Not to mention the Dragon God..."
At the mention of that name, both Eris and Ghislaine grew serious. Verdia noticed the change in atmosphere and asked curiously:
"Huh? What about the Dragon God?"
Everyone fell silent.
I thought for a moment, 'Anyway, she'd find out sooner or later—since I've mentioned it now, it's better to tell her outright.'
I looked at Ghislaine and Eris, and they were looking back at me, waiting for my decision.
I took a deep breath, and then began to tell Verdia everything that had happened in the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw.
Our encounter with Orsted, his oppressive presence, the terrible fight, and, finally, Eidar's death.
Eris and Ghislaine remained silent. Sharing that weighed down the atmosphere, but I wouldn't hide it from Verdia.
Verdia listened quietly, her expression grave. When I finished, we stayed silent for a while, letting the elf digest the information.
Finally, she spoke with a serious, concerned look: "Eidar was killed... so, will you take vengeance?"
The question was kind of unexpected, but I replied firmly: "Yes. I will kill the Dragon God."
Verdia frowned, visibly more worried, as if pondering something difficult internally.
Her next question came laced with caution: "Orsted... does he happen to have resistance to divination magics?"
I found the question odd, but answered honestly: "I don't know about that, but... I couldn't sense any intent from him. Now that I think about it, maybe he has something like that... Why?"
Verdia lowered her head slightly, her eyes narrowed in concern. She murmured: "It's nothing... Just... don't fight him as you are now. He's probably still much stronger than you, right?"
I nodded: "Yes. I don't plan to fight him until I'm much stronger. And I don't intend to face him alone."
Verdia nodded, more at ease: "Then that's fine..."
At that moment, I felt a familiar presence rushing through the house. It was Aisha. Her light, agile steps echoed through the hall until the door to the room suddenly swung open.
The little girl, appearing about seven or eight years old, burst in with a radiant smile on her face: "Master! Master! I did it! I learned Holy Healing!"
She stopped as soon as she noticed all of us gathered. Her gaze immediately fixed on Verdia, who sat elegantly beside us.
Her expression flickered between excitement and confusion.
Verdia looked at the girl and smiled gently.
"You must be Aisha! It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Verdia."
Aisha looked around with a puzzled expression, until her eyes lit up with sudden understanding.
"Oh! It's a pleasure to meet you, Grandmaster! I'm Aisha Greyrat!" she said enthusiastically, giving a respectful bow.
I laughed at her display—it was so very Aisha.
Verdia, on the other hand, looked somewhat taken aback. Her expression briefly faltered.
"Y-yes, it's a pleasure to meet you, miss... Greyrat, right?" She hesitated. "Can you tell me who your parents are?"
Huh? Again? She asked the same of Eris. Why was Verdia asking about the Greyrat family?
Aisha, still excited, straightened up and answered:
"My parents are Paul Greyrat and Lilia Greyrat! Oh! I don't know if it matters, but there's also a Zenith Greyrat, who is also my father's wife!"
Verdia's expression paled slightly. She shot me a worried look.
I wondered why she reacted that way. Could it be because of Rudeus Greyrat? She probably heard about the conflicts he caused here.
Verdia then asked:
"And what is your relationship with your family in general?"
Aisha seemed suspicious of so many questions, but thought for a moment and replied:
"I like my mother! The rest of the family... well, I don't know them, so I don't care. Hmm, oh! About my brother Rudeus... he'd be better off dead!"
Aisha seemed to have reached the same conclusion I had, clarifying her relationship with her brother.
Her blunt words surprised Verdia.
Then she sighed in relief for a brief moment. But her gaze turned back to me, hesitant.
"Hm, how do I put this...? Do you know that swordsman who almost killed me? The one you cut in half?"
I was confused for a moment, but the thread of thought struck me like lightning. I asked cautiously, hoping it wasn't what I feared.
"Yes... what about him?"
"Ah... well, his name was Paul Greyrat. Of House Latreia."
"..."
The silence that followed was almost suffocating.
Not even Eris spoke a word.
Everyone processed what that meant.
Verdia had asked about Aisha's parents. Aisha answered. And Verdia... Verdia had just said that the man I killed protecting her... was her father.
I looked at Aisha. She seemed surprised.
Not frightened or shaken... just surprised. Eris remained silent.
Ghislaine kept a neutral expression, but she too was surprised.
I took a deep breath. After several seconds, I spoke, somewhat hesitantly:
"Alright... how did this happen...? Why would Paul Greyrat try to kill you, master?"
Everyone leaned in slightly, attentive to the answer. Verdia sighed heavily.
"One of our few spies in Milishion informed us that his wife, Zenith, was originally a Latreia, and that his daughter is Norn Latreia. Because of that, it's assumed Paul ended up joining Milis's ranks. The rest... the rest is simple to understand."
"..."
I put a hand to my face, letting out a heavy sigh. Alright... this just became more complicated than expected. Much more complicated.
I looked at Aisha, trying to find the right words, but they escaped me. So I simply said, honestly:
"Aiz... I'm sorry."
Aisha shook her head frantically, crossing her arms in an X, as if desperate to take the blame off my shoulders.
"No, no, no! I really don't mind, master! If he was trying to kill the master of my master... it was well deserved! Seriously, I really don't care!"
I watched her expression closely—her eyes slightly wide and her body a bit tense. But her voice didn't waver.
Her words seemed genuine, her discomfort not about losing her father... but about fearing I might think she cared.
That was both good... and bad. Good because she wasn't hurt by me. Bad because, in the end, I had still killed her father.
I sighed and turned my gaze to Ghislaine.
"And you, Ghislaine?"
She answered without hesitation:
"No. I don't mind. Your enemies are my enemies too."
I looked at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Part of me felt satisfied about having killed that bastard. After all, Paul was a scoundrel. On the other hand... he was Aisha's father. What rotten luck.
And Lilia would probably be very sad to learn of this.
What was I doing? Was I hunting down her entire family without meaning to?
With that thought, something inside me solidified. A resolution. An imaginary line I couldn't cross.
"Alright... where is Zenith?" I asked. "Is she still alive? Is she participating in the war?"
Verdia crossed her arms, thoughtful.
"Hmm... I believe not. Zenith is a high-ranking noble and doesn't have great martial abilities. Although she's an advanced healing mage, I doubt she's involved in the war."
I mentally breathed a sigh of relief. 'Alright, Lilia... Zenith will have to serve.'
I absolutely cannot kill her too... Right?
Silence settled for a moment, dense and uncomfortable. For a moment, no one seemed willing to break it. Until Verdia, with a small smile, took the initiative:
"Anyway... you said you learned the Saint-level magic, Holy Healing?"
Aisha, clearly seizing the chance to dispel the somber mood, brightened up again, straightening and speaking cheerfully:
"Yes! I just learned it! Although... uh... I haven't had the chance to test it yet. After all, you need someone with a severed limb, right?"
Everyone let out soft laughs at her straightforward, awkward comment.
From there, Verdia and Aisha began talking more naturally. The topic shifted from magic to training, and from training to trivial matters.
Eris and Ghislaine were soon included in the conversation as well, and the atmosphere lightened. The tension gradually dissipated, like smoke carried away by the wind.
I watched those two—Verdia and Aisha—both trying to change the subject to blow away the heavy air.
And for some reason, I thought with amusement:
'Those two... aren't they kind of alike?'
-----
Hello! If you want to support my writing, check out my subscription P@treon
By subscribing, you will get access to up to 20 advanced Chapters of the Webnovel and polls to decide various things about the story.
Your support will encourage me to continue writing more Chapters! Check it out here: pa treon.com/DaoistJunkYard