The scene after the door opened was somewhat unexpected.
It seemed that everyone in the knight’s household had gathered to receive me—or perhaps, to test me?
Standing at the very back was a young lady with golden-brown long hair and blue eyes.
She looked gentle and beautiful—the kind of person you’d describe as a virtuous wife and good mother.
Beside her was a dignified maid with reddish-brown hair.
She had no expression and looked very professional, somewhat similar to the attendants I had seen in upper noble households before.
The brown-haired man next to the two women was probably Lord Paul.
The head of the household, a lower noble—he looked somewhat frivolous but very strong.
However, he didn’t seem very eager to welcome me, as he was being held by the sleeve by a child standing in front of him, as if he would run away the moment he was let go.
Very strange.
As for the boy holding the knight’s sleeve, it was obvious at a glance that he was a child of this household, but his reaction of shouting “so small” the moment he saw me was truly irritating.
I didn’t even have time to pay attention to the remaining two children.
Despite being the head of the household, the knight only stepped forward to speak with me as if being forced into it.
Could he be a live-in son-in-law?
This family was truly too strange—nothing about them felt normal.
If not for my consistent belief pushing me to persist and face things to the end, if I had simply followed my emotions, I probably would have turned and left in dissatisfaction.
Then the knight, as if still hungover, opened his mouth with yet another irritating remark:
“You… are you the tutor here to apply?”
“Did you read our recruitment requirements?
Could there have been a mistake on the guild’s side?”
Being rudely questioned one after another, I couldn’t help but retort.
My attitude wasn’t very good.
But when facing upper nobles in the capital and Roa, I had always been like this, so it didn’t matter.
Demon races have dignity too.
If they pride themselves on being noble and elegant, then they should remember that.
Up to this point, it was still manageable.
As for what came after…
I really don’t want to recall it a second time.
That black-haired, blue-eyed child named Gawain was simply a monster.
At first, I thought he might not even belong to this household, and what he said afterward made me extremely dissatisfied.
To be honest, the level of humiliation I felt at the time ranked among the highest in my entire life.
What did he mean, “the current Sylphiette”?
Mana doesn’t grow—what does he mean by “current”?
Does this arrogant brat not even understand basic common sense?
And “quite good for a traditional mage”?
That infuriating arrogance.
If not for my advisor giving me an unfairly low evaluation, I would definitely have been the representative graduate of that class.
I have the talent that even a Saint-level Water Mage instructor was jealous of!
Not only was my learning ability outstanding and my effort immense, I was sought after by various research groups.
I could quickly master Saint-level Water Magic, and my graduation thesis was impressive enough to break my advisor mentally.
I am top-tier!
Calling me a “traditional mage” made me grind my teeth in anger.
Until…
Sylphiette turned out to be the little girl he had been hiding behind him…
About three years old, roughly the same age as the knight’s son.
Although her green hair startled me at first, I quickly realized she was just a green-haired long-eared tribe member, not a Superd with a red gemstone on her forehead.
What truly shook me was that a mere three-year-old girl could display mana comparable to mine.
That’s definitely more talented than me, isn’t it?
But then again, mana is innate.
Perhaps she was simply educated earlier, and combined with natural intelligence and early maturity, it wasn’t entirely unacceptable.
“This is Rudeus Greyrat.
His current mana is about a hundred times yours.”
The black-haired brat continued.
To be honest.
At that moment, my mind completely froze.
My vision went dark my soul seemed to drift out of my body.
It took a long time before I could even perceive my surroundings again.
A hundred times.
Hahahahaha.
I thought that was the funniest joke I had heard all year.
I was definitely going to tell it at a tavern next time.
When I came back to my senses, that child named Rudeus was still shyly waving at me.
Rude little brat number two, are you giving an acceptance speech?
But his mana is a hundred times mine.
Then being rude is fine.
Yes, for some reason, the moment that black-haired brat said it, I believed him immediately.
Even though it sounded absurd, he seemed to possess a kind of convincing aura—perhaps what stories call the presence of a king.
Thinking about it afterward, that instinctive reaction of mine was understandable, wasn’t it?
After all, everyone present seemed to listen to him—even the knight, an adult.
That atmosphere made you want to believe him, didn’t it?
Because of that brat’s attitude and position, all the previous oddities suddenly made sense.
So, the knight, whom I had initially judged to be weak and frivolous, had stepped forward earlier to protect me?
Unexpectedly, he was a good person.
As for what happened afterward… I really don’t want to recall it.
To be honest, I was so thoroughly crushed that my brain almost wanted to erase those memories on its own.
Well, at least I can recall one sentence:
“My mana is only about half of Sylphiette’s.”
I almost want to engrave that sentence onto a metal plate and wear it on my body, reading it ten times every night before sleep.
I admit it—I almost laughed when I heard that.
That arrogant brat’s talent seemed quite ordinary, which made me secretly pleased and somewhat smug at the time.
I’m sorry, past me.
I betrayed your expectations and fantasies—I was completely humiliated in the Q&A that followed.
I wish I could take back the bold declarations I made then.
What “Do you think you can stump an outstanding graduate of Ranoa Magic Academy?”, what “I am a genius mage who has mastered all advanced-tier attack magic and Saint-level Water Magic!”, what “Don’t tell me you’ll ask ridiculous questions that even get basic facts wrong.”
I admit, I lost control of my emotions at the time.
Uuu…
I want to die.
But thank you, Sylphiette.
Thank you for your kindness and comfort.
And thank you, Lady Zenith and Miss Lilia.
Thank you for your concern.
The men present were all terrible.
That was what I couldn’t help but think at the time.
However.
Although I went through many things I don’t want to remember, I did indeed pass that arrogant brat’s test and became the teacher of these three geniuses—also problem children.
Strangely, I can see a bit of my own reflection in them.
Master… no, was that how my advisor saw me too?
Finally, the welcome banquet was very enjoyable.
I didn’t expect everyone to accept me, a demon race, allow me to stay in their home, and even treat me so warmly.
Sylphiette and that brat’s parents were also very gentle and kind.
Classes start tomorrow, huh?
I’m a little nervous.