[Check Out My P4treon For +50 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! And get chapters before publishing them here for free on my p4treon][https://p4treon.com/roooaaa]
===
Rudeus was completely stunned.
It wasn't just because of the slap.
From the moment Eris jumped out of the carriage, a flood of impressions had seared into his mind like a red-hot iron rod.
Arrogant, wild, unruly, and fierce.
Her eyes slanted upward, her fiery red hair cascading like raging waves.
It was a vivid red.
So vivid that it reminded him of Allen standing in the crimson lake of the snowy valley.
Her features were delicate, and she would undoubtedly grow into a beauty. However, it was easy to imagine that many men would think, "This type is completely beyond my control."
Even someone with masochistic tendencies wouldn't be able to handle her.
He couldn't help but ask himself:
'Am I a masochist?'
'No, I'm definitely not.'
As he thought this, he heard Philip's "friendly introduction."
'Huh? She's Allen's little sister?? No wonder she jumped out of the carriage looking for her brother. Speaking of which, Allen's family has really strong genes, huh? Everyone's features are so well-defined... Wait, she doesn't have many friends? So she's in a similar situation to when Allen first arrived? If she's Allen's sister, she must be a good person, right?'
'Maybe my first impression was wrong. I should go over and greet her... If I'm rude, Allen might hold it against me. I'd better not...'
With that in mind, Rudeus took a step forward, ready to say hello.
But then he saw Eris, like a predator surveying her territory, scan him up and down with her piercing gaze.
Rudeus couldn't help but shiver, feeling every cell in his body scream in alarm.
'Never mind! If she's looking for Allen, I shouldn't steal the spotlight.'
His foot, which had already taken a step forward, naturally shifted direction, and he retreated behind Allen. Little did he know, this move was interpreted by Eris as a sign of "guilt."
And so, as Allen had anticipated, chaos ensued.
Rudeus was promptly slapped.
He stood there, clutching his cheek, completely dumbfounded under Sylphie's wide-eyed gaze. It took him a while to process what had just happened.
'You're looking for Allen, so why are you hitting me?? Did you mistake me for him?? Wait! Why would you want to hit your own brother? Is it because of this tutoring thing?'
Rudeus glanced at Allen, who was covering his face as if deeply exasperated, and then at Philip, who looked equally stunned. A wave of anger surged within him.
"Why did you hit me? Do I look like Allen?? Sylphie might be flat, but she's clearly a girl, okay?! How can you say that about her??"
Sylphie, who had been flustered and unsure of what to do, froze for a moment. She instinctively glanced at Allen, her expression clearly confused.
But then she remembered Roxy, and her expression relaxed slightly.
Rudeus, however, was still fuming.
"How rude."
He retaliated by slapping Eris back.
Though the force wasn't strong, Eris's delicate, pampered skin made the slap sound crisp and clear.
Silence fell over the scene.
Paul and Zenith, who had been about to step in and mediate, were stunned when they saw the usually calm Rudeus slap Eris in return.
Philip, who had just looked away from Allen's exasperated expression, couldn't help but let out a low, impressed sound from his throat.
"Oh?"
As soon as the sound left his mouth, a flurry of punches followed!
Eris punched Rudeus to the ground with practiced ease!
But she wasn't done. Her training under Ghyslaine was on full display as she pinned Rudeus down with her knees on his arms and began slapping him repeatedly.
"Allen, you're so arrogant! You'll regret hitting me!!"
Rudeus, who had been sparring with Allen regularly in this timeline, was no longer the weakling from the original story who got beaten up by a beginner Sword God style practitioner like Eris.
After the initial shock, he perfectly used a wind spell to create a barrier in front of him, blocking all of Eris's punches.
He gritted his teeth and shouted in frustration.
"I'm not Allen!!"
"Do you think I'm stupid?!"
Sylphie rushed over to try and stop the fight, but Eris shoved her aside.
"Rudeus, stay out of this!!"
Rudeus, hearing this, shouted even more indignantly.
"She's not Rudeus!! She's a girl, how many times do I have to say it?!"
"Stop fighting!!"
"Huh?? Sylphie, can't you see I'm the one getting beaten up here?!"
The scene descended into chaos.
And where was Allen, the center of this storm?
He was standing to the side, covering his face and thoroughly enjoying the show.
He knew full well that in this new timeline, Eris couldn't possibly beat Rudeus. After Rudeus's impulsive slap, he had only been using magic to defend himself, likely out of consideration for Philip's presence.
But that wasn't what Allen wanted to talk about.
He stared in awe at the trio, his heart filled with amazement.
'Holy crap, I must be dreaming. I'm seeing the young Eris beating up Rudeus at the Greyrat family's doorstep in this timeline??'
'And Sylphie is desperately trying to stop them??'
'What??'
'Is this a scene I get to watch for free??'
Of course, not everyone shared Allen's detached, fan-like enthusiasm as he covered his face and marveled at the spectacle, even moving around to get a better view of the chaos.
Paul, after a moment of stunned silence, rushed over to break up the fight, even using his battle aura. Sylphie, meanwhile, tried to grab Eris's arm, but the young lady easily shook her off, sending her tumbling to the ground.
Sylphie got up and prepared to try again.
But then she heard Eris's ear-piercing scream.
"Get out of my way, don't stop me!!"
"How can someone shorter than me be my swordsmanship teacher?! Ghyslaine is my swordsmanship teacher!! Some guy named Rudeus teaching me magic is bad enough!! Why do I have to have someone else teach me swordsmanship?!"
Sylphie blinked, her resolve to stop the fight wavering.
Eris's words were blunt, dragging Sylphie back into the anxiety she had felt when faced with this sudden "variable."
The loud, forceful voice echoed in her ears...
Echoed...
"Rudeus is bad enough, and now there's another person..."
Rudeus...
Allen...
Two people...
Tutors...
Better education...
Growing up happily together...
Sylphie stared blankly at her dress, which she had been so careful not to dirty for nearly a month.
Now it was completely ruined.
She instinctively glanced at Allen, her eyes flickering.
But her gaze settled on a wild weed poking out of the rough soil near his feet.
She didn't look up to see his expression.
Philip had prepared this "variable" for Allen.
But in reality, he had thrown a massive stone into the calm lake of the young girl's heart.
Weighing her down until she could barely breathe.
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 150 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 60 power stones I will publish the next chapter.