Reincarnation with AI (Unemployment-Free)

Chapter 68 First Encounter

At dusk, the carriage arrived in Roya.

The distance between Buena village and Roya, converted to travel time by horse-drawn carriage, is about six or seven hours.

The carriage traveled at a speed of about 6 to 8 kilometers per hour, or even less.

After all, it was a box-type carriage, which was designed primarily for passenger comfort rather than speed.

Let's calculate based on the maximum number 7*8. Even so, it's only 56 kilometers.

Let's round it up to 60 kilometers.

How should I put it? It's surprisingly close, much closer than Rudius had anticipated.

If it were an asphalt road, it would have taken me just over an hour to get there by electric scooter in my previous life.

Even considering the transportation conditions of the Middle Ages, it was hard to say that it was far.

There's no need to cross mountains or valleys, and the roads aren't particularly difficult to travel.

If you fly instead, your commute will likely be less than an hour—which is shorter than the commute time for many migrant workers in big cities who take the subway in my previous life.

Rudius thought that, to take it to an extreme, he could simply leave for work in the morning and then fly home to stay overnight.

But thinking of Paul's parting words, Rudius felt it would be impolite to go back now.

Rudius looked at the city wall not far away, which was about seven or eight meters high.

The city is surrounded by stone walls.

After entering the city gate, you can see a row of open-air vendors.

It's no wonder it's the largest city in the area.

Rudius felt that the number of people he had seen in just a few short periods of time had already exceeded the total number of the previous seven years.

Is this the kind of shock that people from small towns would feel?

Not far after entering the town, there are several shops that resemble stables and inns.

Places like stables were completely unfamiliar to Rudius, a modern man.

Because there was a horse, Rudeus could roughly tell what it was for at a glance.

In various fantasy works, especially Japanese light novels, "the inn in front of the door" appears as frequently as "the Yue Lai Inn".

If we use this as a standard for judgment, then where is a hotel?

Rudius wondered uncertainly—why not ask Kyrie Illusion?

Thinking this, Rudius pointed to the "inn" and asked, "What's that?"

At this moment, Rudius was already seated opposite Girenius.

Upon hearing the question, Kyrie Irvine looked in the direction Rudeus was pointing and then revealed an unhappy expression.

"Are you looking down on me?" Kyrie Irving retorted.

Rudius looked at Kyrie Illusion in confusion, only to find the other staring at him.

"Huh?" Rudeus was somewhat taken aback by Kyrie Irvine's train of thought. "I really don't know what that is. This is my first time here."

"Oh, sorry, that's what I meant," Kyrie Irvine apologized readily.

He then turned his attention to the "inn" and explained, "That's the waiting area for public carriages. People use those carriages when moving from one town to another, or they pay merchants some money for a ride."

"

"Oh, thank you."

"You are welcome."

Rudius withdrew his gaze from the waiting area and began to observe the other unfamiliar buildings.

But in his mind, he was thinking about Kyrie Irvine's reaction just now.

So you mean you were asked common sense questions and felt like you were being treated like an idiot?

I guess I was mocked like this before —

However, this defense mechanism means that when asked about common sense, you should directly ask the other person if they are deliberately trying to find fault.

Then draw your sword and enter the battle.

When asked about unfamiliar topics, they simply can't understand and become frustrated.

Then draw your sword and enter the battle?

That would make communicating with Gilead too troublesome.

So that's why I wasn't tricked into going home to have a baby?

Then Rudius pointed to the shops and asked Gilead about them.

Kyrie Irvine patiently explained to Rudius.

The feeling of warmth made Rudius mistakenly believe that Girenau's anger was an illusion.

Was that some kind of automated survival reflex just now?

The carriage continued on its way, and Gilead pointed to the largest building in the town center, saying, "That's the lord's mansion."

It looks more like a castle than a mansion.

It's a stone castle like those in medieval Europe.

After all, this is a fortified city.

Paul once told Rudius that Roya served as the final line of defense in the war against the demons four hundred years ago, and it is a town with a long history.

Rudius was thinking that, in four hundred years, the groundwater resources should have run into problems.

Furthermore, Rudius did not believe that, in a unified dynasty with a predominantly flat terrain, fortified cities or castles would emerge as history progressed.

The Kingdom of Asura is not Europe on Earth; it dares to establish a kingdom in a place the size of a village, and the village chief's daughter dares to be called a princess.

While the Kingdom of Asura was indeed wealthier in terms of productivity, what was the practical significance of such a fortress in a world where individual combat prowess was extraordinary?

One question after another popped into Rudius's mind. He turned to look at Kyrie Irvine, who clearly couldn't answer these questions.

Rudius then posed these questions to the AI ​​one by one.

The carriage arrived smoothly at the entrance of the mansion. After the driver nodded slightly to the guards at the gate, the carriage entered the mansion without any problems.

Upon entering the mansion, the butler greeted Rudius and Girenius and led them to the reception room.

Rudius sat down on the sofa as instructed.

Kyrie Irvine stood silently in the corner of the room.

Rudius subtly sensed that Kyrie Irvine's escort mission against him had ended, and he was now back to his original work routine.

A slight sense of insecurity made Rudyus want to stand beside Gilead.

"Young Master will be back soon, please wait a moment." After saying this, the person who seemed to be a butler poured a red drink into a very high-end metal cup in front of Rudius and then pushed it aside.

"Thank you." Rudius picked up the cup to express his gratitude, while observing the other person.

Strong, squinty-eyed, short hair —

In the original work, he was a butler-like person who had an affair with a perverted nobleman and kidnapped Alice.

"This person is untrustworthy," Rudius thought to himself.

Rudyus will not propose any kidnapping operation.

However, the possibility that the other party might know one's true strength and thus betray one's information cannot be ruled out.

This is really troublesome.

Of the known information, it seems that only the butler with glasses is trustworthy.

Rudius took a sip of the still-steaming "black tea." It wasn't bad, but he didn't find it particularly delicious either.

"Where is he!?"

A roar came from outside the room.

"Is it here!?"

A burly man roughly pushed open the door and walked in.

The man was probably in his fifties, with dark brown hair mixed with some white hair, but he still looked like he was in his prime.

Based on the shouts just now, Rudius could sense the other party's enormous lung capacity, as if they communicated entirely by shouting.

Even in ordinary conversation, you can feel that the other person is using chest resonance.

Seeing the newcomer looking at him, Rudeus stood up and greeted him, "Nice to meet you, I am Rudeus Greratter."

"Hmph! Can't you even say hello!?"

The middle-aged man snorted dismissively.

"My lord, Young Master Rudius has not left the village of Buena, and is still quite young. He probably hasn't had time to learn etiquette yet. Please forgive his slight rudeness—"

The butler explained on Rudius's behalf.

"Shut up!"

But after being reprimanded, he stopped talking.

"Hmph! Paul didn't even teach his son manners!" The middle-aged man raised his chin slightly and looked at Rudius.

"Yes," Rudeus replied calmly.

In the village of Buena, Rudius was surrounded by his family, which allowed him to curb his arrogance.

This allows Rudius, who has come to realize the importance of family, to have enough patience to communicate with others.

However, in terms of personality, Rudius never considered himself an "ordinary person".

Rudeus's mother in his past life had looked at him more than once, saying with a puzzled expression, "You seem different from other people's children."

"They didn't even argue back!?"

"Why argue?" Rudeus asked, looking bewildered.

The middle-aged man looked Rudius up and down.

"Hmph! Since you haven't learned it before, then learn it here! I'll allow you to stay in this mansion!"

After saying that, he suddenly turned around and walked out.

Rudius asked the butler, "And who is this?"

"It is Lord Sauros Boreas Grerat, the lord of Fituia. He is also Lord Paul's uncle."

Paul's uncle, who is also my grandfather's brother—this was a completely foreign concept to Rudeus in his previous life.

The Sauros are the head of the Boreas Grerat family, a superior noble family that guards the four corners of the Kingdom of Asura.

Rudius sat back on the sofa and sipped his black tea.

"What's wrong, Thomas? Why is the door open?"

There was another sound coming from outside the door, but this time it was at a normal volume.

"Father seems to be in a good mood. Has something happened?" the visitor continued.

Rudius looked up and saw a man with smooth brown hair, squinty eyes, a thin build, and a casual appearance.

"I'm very sorry," the butler apologized first for not closing the door, then explained, "The master just met with Young Master Rudius and seemed quite satisfied with him."

Rudeus stood up when he saw the person who had come, but since the person was talking to the butler, Rudeus did not interrupt him.

Judging from the other person's casual attitude, it might not be a big deal if they didn't stand up, but it's better to be polite on the first meeting.

"Oh, if it's a child the father would like, wouldn't it be a bit of a mistake to choose the wrong one?"

The man seemed to be asking himself a question, and after speaking, he sat down directly on the sofa opposite Rudius.

It wasn't exactly contempt, but Rudius considered it a form of disrespect towards children.

Few adults see children as equal "people".

"Nice to meet you, I am Rudeus Grerat." Rudeus bowed again in greeting.

"Yes, I am Philip Boreas Grerat." Philip gave Rudius a careful look and then said, "When nobles greet each other, they should place their left foot behind, turn their right hand over, and then lower their head slightly and place their hand down."

With that, Philip stood up and demonstrated it to Rudius.

Rudius felt a sense of familiarity again.

"is that so?"

Rudius adjusted his stance, mimicked Philip's waving gesture, and bowed again.

"That's right, but you were very polite just now." Philip smiled and sat down on the sofa, saying, "Sit down."

The butler poured Philip a cup of black tea, and Philip raised his cup to Rudius, asking, "How much do you know about this?"

"Teaching the temperamental young lady to read, do arithmetic, and use magic will earn her a grant to attend a magic university," Rudeus said succinctly.

"that's all?"

Rudius noticed that Philip's squinty eyes widened considerably.

"that's all."

After hearing Rudius's answer, Philip rested his hand on his chin, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Do you like girls?"

"Hmm?" Rudius looked at Philip in surprise.

Did he then realize that this was a question asked based on Paul's personality?

But you can't lie and say you don't like girls or you like boys, right?

"I like it," Rudius chose to answer honestly.

"I see. — Currently, the only teachers the child likes are Edna, who teaches etiquette, and Kyrie, who teaches swordsmanship."

To date, more than five tutors have been dismissed, including one male who had previously taught in the capital.

To be frank, I don't have any expectations of you.

It's just that he's Paul's son, so we'll give it a try first.

So why ask if you like girls?

Rudius, still harboring doubts, replied, "I understand."

"How's it going? Are you confident?" Philip asked, maintaining his smile, a smile that seemed to come naturally to him.

"have no idea."

Rudeus truly didn't know how his patience would fare against this young lady.

"Does this have anything to do with whether or not you like girls?" Rudius brought up the topic he had skipped over.

"It's alright," Philip shrugged. "It's just that Paul is the kind of guy who'll keep going for cute girls, and I thought you were the same."

Is he talking about winning a girl's heart?

When Philip was introducing her, he was also talking about the person Alice likes.

If you want to teach someone, you have to make them like you first. Doesn't Philip understand that?

After realizing his earlier "disdain," Rudius instinctively felt that Philip was not good at education, but now it seemed that this disdain did not affect his judgment of the child.

"In that case, let's meet in person first." Philip stood up. "Thomas, lead the way!"

This untrustworthy butler is named Thomas.

The group walked out of the room, and Gilead, who hadn't said a word since entering, silently followed.

Rudius then looked at the AI's answer.

Accurate judgment does not necessarily lead to equal treatment.

This is precisely how "disregard" is embedded in education in the most subtle and complex way.

"Alice, I've brought a new teacher," Philip said, knocking twice on the door as a signal before entering.

The group followed and entered.

The girl behind the door turned around at the sound.

The first thing Rudius saw was a head of bright red, wavy, waist-length hair.

Compared to the pedestrians seen when entering the city, one could tell from the sight of that meticulously cared-for hair that the person in front of him was from a wealthy family.

Rudeus followed the hair downwards, looking at the young lady's skirt turning slightly, her legs encased in white stockings, and then at the beastman maid squatting beside her, seemingly tidying Alice's clothes.

Finally, Rudeus's gaze fell upon Alice's face.

The other person was slightly raising their chin, staring at Rudius.

Alice's eyes slant upwards, making her look somewhat fierce, but she is undeniably a beautiful girl.

"snort!"

Alice glanced at it once and then let out the same snort as her grandfather.

"Isn't this even smaller than me!?"

Alice stood with her arms crossed and legs spread apart, displaying a clearly disdainful attitude. She raised her chin even higher and looked down at Rudeus, loudly questioning him.

Alice is two years older than Rudeus and is also taller than Rudeus.

Although Alice was looking at Rudeus as she spoke, Rudeus felt that she wasn't speaking to him, so he looked up at Philip.

Philip responded with a helpless smile to Rudius, without saying a word.

Rudeus then stepped forward and greeted them with the aristocratic etiquette he had just learned: "Nice to meet you, I am Rudeus Grerat."

"How many times have I greeted you today? I've never greeted you this many times in my life," Rudius thought to himself.

"Hmph!" Alice said loudly, her face showing displeasure. "To have someone so young teach me? What a joke!"

Rudius felt that Alice's volume had increased.

Although I had guessed beforehand that my young age would arouse the other party's pride, I did not expect that in addition to the iron fist attack, there would also be a sonic attack.

Sensing Alice's anger, Rudius decided to avoid a confrontation for the time being. He took two steps back and looked at Philip, asking, "Can I teach only Gilead?"

The room fell silent for a moment.

"Only teach Gilead?" Philip looked at Rudeus with a puzzled expression, seemingly feeling that Rudeus had given up too quickly.

Gilead looked at Rudeus with a surprised expression, wagging his tail. "Yeah, is it okay to just teach Gilead?" Rudeus said, then gently tugged at Philip's clothes. "If Miss wants to learn, we can teach them together later."

"Oh, I see—there's nothing I can do about it then, but the promised payment is off the table," Philip said sarcastically.

"What?" Rudeus was startled. Did this guy not understand what I meant?

Or was he saying that on purpose?

"Alright then," Rudius agreed.

Alice stepped forward, looked at Rudius, then turned to Girenius and asked, "Girenius, do you want to learn to read and do arithmetic?"

"Ah," Kyrie Irvine replied calmly, as always.

"Hmph! Can this guy even do that!?" Alice said disdainfully.

"No problem," Kyrie Irvine's tail swished rapidly, adding, "Isn't Rudyus a genius?"

While the two were talking, Rudius kept his position outside Alice's attack range, continued to tug at Philip's clothes, and kept glancing between Philip and the door.

"Alright, alright," Philip said, "Since that's the decision, and it's getting late, let's take Rudius to see the rooms first. Thomas, lead the way!"

Rudius followed the butler who had convinced him to change his mind out of the room.

All that was left was Alice, staring wide-eyed at Rudeus's retreating figure, wanting to say something, but feeling that this matter seemed to have nothing to do with her.

By the time Alice started to get angry because she couldn't understand it, Rudeus had already fled the scene.