Chapter 40: MT - 40 Sisters
It's worth noting that Paul, that fool, inevitably made the same mistake as in the original story.
Should we say it's just like Paul? Although he promised to live a good life with Zenith, it seems he couldn't control his lustful nature.
So, during the winter of the past two years, Paul found himself in quite a difficult situation.
Paul had always been a man full of energy, something that Roy was well aware of.
When Zenith became pregnant, Paul had been forcing himself to live a life without desire, trying to suppress his instincts.
But given Paul's nature, how could he remain so disciplined for long?
And then, well… there was no then.
As expected, things didn't go as planned.
That day, watching Paul squirm uncomfortably, Roy couldn't help but laugh.
In theory, having multiple wives or concubines wasn't a problem in this world. As long as you had the means, you could marry as many as you wanted.
However, Zenith was a devout follower of the faith of Milis. She strictly adhered to the doctrine of monogamy and, despite knowing that Paul might one day break their vow, she chose to marry him based on his verbal promise.
This naturally meant that Paul had deep feelings for Zenith.
Zenith was aware that Paul had a close relationship with Lilia, but she still allowed Lilia to serve as a maid in their home. However, upon learning of Paul's infidelity, she was understandably furious.
The situation was complicated, so Roy couldn't say much. Also, since it was winter, if Lilia were to return to her hometown now, both she and her unborn child would face certain death. Roy, helpless, gave Rudeus a knowing glance, and through their coordinated act, they shifted the blame entirely onto Paul, allowing Lilia to stay in the household.
Roy could still vividly remember Paul's stunned and helpless expression, but in the end, it was Paul's own fault, and only he could bear the consequences.
However, after that, Rudeus's life wasn't easy. Once winter passed, Paul, with a sinister grin, sought out Rudeus under the pretext of training and subjected him to a harsh regimen.
Rudeus groaned in agony, forced to endure the intense training.
As for Roy, his own strength was formidable, and there wasn't much anyone could do to make his life difficult.
As time went on, Paul's understanding of Roy's strength became clearer.
With the birth of Zenith and Lilia's children, Paul found himself overwhelmed in the past year.
Due to the Lilia incident, Paul's status in the family had fallen drastically, and he had become the lowest-ranking member of the household.
He was now as insignificant as a worm.
Time, however, has a way of softening everything.
Looking at the two adorable little ones, even Zenith's anger had lessened considerably.
Though she still held a grudge against Paul, she had come to see Lilia as part of the family.
Zenith was a kind person, and having a daughter-in-law like Lilia made Roy marvel at just how fortunate Paul had been.
With the birth of the two pink-cheeked babies, the entire family was filled with joy.
Paul was running around, and Roy couldn't help but smile.
In the future, he would have a little sister too—he'd be a sibling now.
Zenith's daughter was named Norn Greyrat, and Lilia's daughter was named Aisha Greyrat. Both of them were incredibly cute little girls.
As for Paul, he had plenty on his plate. Recently, he had been busy taking care of his two daughters, while Roy and Rudeus couldn't simply leave things unattended.
After nearly six months of lax management, Paul finally found himself with some free time to truly train alongside Roy and Rudeus.
And that's when Paul's headaches began.
He knew well enough about Roy's natural talent and had always expected that one day, Roy would outgrow this household and venture into a broader world.
But he never imagined that Roy's progress would be so rapid. It reached a point where even Paul had to use most of his strength to contend with him.
And as the number of their sparring sessions increased, this disparity only grew more pronounced.
At first, Paul only needed to use about seventy percent of his strength, then eighty, and eventually, ninety percent.
Now, he had to employ every trick in his arsenal just to keep up with Roy.
Though it had been a while since they last sparred, due to Paul's responsibilities with his daughters, he could still keenly sense that Roy's strength was continuing to grow.
Paul was a confident man, and also somewhat arrogant. But as he watched Roy rise step by step, even he had to admit—Roy had surpassed him.
And so, more than once, Paul had turned to Zenith, his face filled with worry, and said, "My son's future shouldn't stop here; he deserves a better teacher."
Paul had thought he could hold out for a while longer, but Roy's speed of growth caught him off guard.
The question was—who could teach him? Paul didn't know.
Lately, he'd been feeling a headache from reading letters from Roxy, particularly about the Magic Academy.
The Magic Academy gathered the world's top scholars, but unfortunately, the tuition fees were steep. With both Roy and Rudeus being exceptionally talented, sending one of them to school would be unfair to the other.
Yet, if they didn't manage to find the funds, it would be impossible for both of them to attend the academy at the same time.
On top of that, Rudeus wanted Sylphy to join him at school as well.
Paul's wrinkles were becoming more noticeable as the days passed.
Sighing, Paul realized it was time for their next assessment.
He stood up, dressed, grabbed a wooden sword, and stepped outside.
The grass was lush, the birds were chirping, and everything was coming to life.
It was spring—neither the intense heat of summer nor the biting cold of winter. A gentle breeze swept by, brushing against Paul's coat.
Outside, Roy stood silently next to a wooden post, holding a slender sword in his right hand. But upon closer inspection, one would notice that the sword was a bit different.
To be precise, it was a self-made wooden sword. The blade wasn't as thick as usual wooden swords; it was slim, measuring three feet in length, and being made of wood, it wasn't sharp.
This wooden sword symbolized the path Roy planned to follow.
He intended to focus on speed.
Paul inhaled deeply. The more they sparred, the more unsettled he felt. He was starting to lose track of his son's strength.
Putting on a stern expression, Paul said, "Roy, let's begin your training. Show me what you've got."
Now eleven years old, Roy still had the handsome face of a doll. Despite his growth, he remained as strikingly beautiful as ever, and for some reason, no matter how much older he got, his appearance seemed frozen in time. Roy had long since stopped worrying about his looks.
Years of training had shaped his body—tall and lean, yet far from frail.
As Paul entered, Roy shrugged off his coat, revealing his strong, well-toned frame.
Wearing a simple white shirt, Roy's abs were faintly visible beneath his clothes.
Paul's smile stiffened as he stood ten meters away from Roy. "Let's begin. Only swordsmanship, understood?"
Roy nodded, gripping his wooden sword horizontally and assuming a standard stance from the Sword God style.
Paul's expression grew serious as he mirrored the same stance.
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Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
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