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After finalizing the schedule, the first trial lessons began immediately under Edna's supervision.
She had insisted on staying, claiming, "In case any adjustments are needed during the lessons."
Allen, too, had remained behind under the pretext of "Since Ghislaine is both a teacher and a student for reading and writing, I'll stay as a student to liven up the atmosphere."
Sylphie, still young and adjusting to her sudden role as a tutor, naturally followed along.
Thus, the usually quiet, cramped classroom was now packed and lively.
But to everyone's surprise, Eris—despite her usual resistance—was in a remarkably good mood and accepted the lesson without complaint.
And so began Rudy's torment.
First Lesson: Reading & Writing
As a former NEET with compulsory education experience, Rudy knew that a proper teacher needed lesson plans—which required assessing his students' current literacy levels.
So, his first task was a basic evaluation.
He glanced at the three "students" before him:
Allen, watching him with faint amusement.
Sylphie, gently coaxing Eris into accepting her as a tutor.
Ghislaine, sitting attentively, exuding the aura of a diligent adult learner.
Rudy felt a flicker of relief.
Allen's handwriting was flawless Asuran noble script, and Sylphie's literacy had been honed over the past two years under his and Allen's guidance.
"Even if Allen dumped reading, writing, arithmetic, and history on me… it's not that bad. They're both staying to help maintain the classroom vibe, and Sylphie's even acting as the 'discipline committee.'"
"Maybe Allen stayed because he was worried about me?"
His thoughts were interrupted when Allen smiled at him.
"Ah… he's telling me to relax and do my best."
Rudy nodded solemnly.
"Good. Reliable allies."
Then he remembered.
Ghislaine.
He turned.
The Sword King sat rigidly, her gaze fixed on him with intense focus. Unlike Eris, she at least looked like a model student.
"Perfect. A manageable teaching environment."
"Allen really thought this through."
"As the oldest here, I'll just have to shoulder the burden."
Clearing his throat, Rudy addressed the class.
"While I know your names, to avoid confusion with homophones…"
He pulled out sheets of paper and handed them out.
"Please write them down. After that, I'll conduct a literacy assessment to plan future lessons—"
"Pfft."
Everyone turned to Allen, who was clutching his face in pain.
"Sorry. Just remembered something funny. Carry on."
Eris, misinterpreting his laughter as encouragement, snatched a paper and proudly scrawled her name.
Rudy, however, froze.
"Wait… does Eris not know how to write?!"
"That can't be… right?"
He snatched her paper—
And nearly collapsed in relief.
Her handwriting was stiff but legible, even with a hint of noble flourish.
"Thank god."
He shot Allen a questioning look, but the latter merely raised an eyebrow as if to say, "What?"
"…Maybe I imagined it."
Shaking his head, Rudy turned back to Eris.
"Not bad. Your penmanship just needs practice. This style… did you attend a noble academy?"
"I did!" Eris declared proudly.
"Then why are you being homeschooled now?"
"Hah?! The teachers were all nagging old hags, and the other kids kept laughing at me! They talked too much—annoying!"
Rudy's expression softened.
"Ah… so she was bullied?"
His tone turned gentle.
"So you… dropped out? Did Lord Philip say anything? Like encouraging you to try again?"
Eris blinked.
"Try what? School? No! I beat up the teachers and students, then Father brought me home. He didn't say anything else!"
Rudy's face paled.
"YOU GOT EXPELLED FOR ASSAULT?!"
He inched away from her.
"Uh… before us, did you have other tutors for reading and math?"
"Yeah!"
"Did they… quit?"
"Quit? What's that?"
Edna's voice slithered in from the side.
"They did indeed resign. Previous tutors failed to win Lady Eris' favor and left… discouraged."
"Lord Philip compensated each generously, of course. Rest assured, Boreas treats its employees well."
Rudy blinked.
"Severance pay? That's… oddly considerate."
Then Allen started rubbing his face again, staring at Edna with undisguised admiration.
Edna continued.
"Compensation for physical and emotional distress."
Rudy's blood ran cold.
"DISTRESS?! THEY WERE BEATEN UP?!"
He whipped his head toward Eris, who smugly nodded.
"I whacked that last one with a wooden sword while he slept!"
Silence.
Only the sound of Allen strangling his own laughter filled the room.
Finally, Rudy took a deep breath.
"Okay."
"Great."
"Moving on."
"Next, write down ten random words. Don't overthink it—just whatever comes to mind."
"Pfft—"
Rudy deadpanned at Allen.
"…Sneezed. Continue. Ten subconscious words, right?"
"Allen, are you okay?" Sylphie asked worriedly.
"I'm fine. Thanks, Sylphie."
Rudy's soul left his body.
He turned to Eris and Ghislaine.
To his surprise, neither looked panicked. Instead, they crossed their arms, exuding the confidence of Sword God practitioners, and began writing without hesitation.
"…Maybe I overreacted."
As the scratching of pens filled the room, Rudy's mind wandered.
This exercise wasn't just about literacy—it was a psychological profile tactic borrowed from dating sims.
By analyzing word choices, he could gauge:
Literacy level (simple words = beginner).
Personality (materialistic terms = vain, practical terms = grounded).
Current mood (angry words = recent conflict).
For example:
Paul's list: "Zenith, Lilia, bed, magic, trash, swordsmanship, awesome, Allen, sparring, family."
→ Horny, sword-obsessed, family-oriented.
Noble girl's list: "Purse, perfume, jewelry, money, dress."
→ High-maintenance, rich, probably a tsundere.
"Perfect for avoiding a 'wooden sword to the face' ending."
"Done!" Eris announced, sliding her paper over.
Ghislaine silently handed hers in.
Rudy looked down.
And his vision went black.
Eris' List:
Eris; Eris; Eris; Eris; Eris; Eris; Eris; Eris; Eris; Eris.
Ghislaine's List:
Ghislaine; Ghislaine; Ghislaine; Ghislaine; Ghislaine; Ghislaine; Ghislaine; Ghislaine; Ghislaine; Ghislaine.
Rudy's jaw hit the floor.
Across the table, Allen and Sylphie had both facepalmed.
"ARE YOU MOCKING ME?!" Rudy hissed. "HOW CAN YOU ONLY WRITE YOUR OWN NAMES?! YOU'VE BEEN TEACHER AND STUDENT FOR YEARS—AT LEAST WRITE EACH OTHER'S!"
Eris and Ghislaine exchanged glances.
Then, in perfect sync, they:
Grabbed new paper.
Peeked at each other's previous sheets.
Began painstakingly copying the other's name.
Like cheating students.
Rudy's brain short-circuited.
"Wait… you mean… you ONLY know how to write YOUR OWN NAMES?!"
Eris raised an eyebrow. "Got a problem with that?"
Ghislaine nodded apologetically. "I can speak human language, but writing… only my name."
Rudy's eye twitched.
"Fine. We're starting from ZERO."
Two hours later:
The result of "starting from zero"—
Eris and Ghislaine could now write each other's names.
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 185 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 50 power stones I will publish the next chapter.