Chapter 28

"Ianus-sensei, I'm very sorry to have troubled you to come, but Lord Cain is currently under house arrest and will not be able to study today."

When Ianus visited the Elgrandeur Duke's residence, the butler who greeted him said this.

Huh? If that were the case, shouldn't there have been prior notice of the day off? Ianus wondered.

Noticing the doubt on Ianus's face, the butler continued.

"We should have informed you in advance, but Lord Elgrandeur wishes to speak with you. Today, I will guide you to the study."

"Understood."

What could it be? Did I make a mistake? Ianus felt a moment of unease, but Cain's studies were progressing smoothly, and he couldn't think of anything specific. Since Ianus also had a request for the Duke's family, he decided to take it as a good opportunity. He had originally planned to make the request through a butler or maid, but thought it would be better to explain it directly.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Ianus-sensei. Please, have a seat."

"It's been a while, Duke Elgrandeur. I apologize for the intrusion."

Ianus had a good impression of Duke Elgrandeur, who, despite his high rank, was approachable and kind.

Ianus, the second son of a viscount, had left his family upon marriage and was now a commoner. He had achieved results in the exploration of magic veins and the creation of artificial magic stones, and there were rumors of a knighthood, but at the time he was asked to be Cain's tutor, that was not yet the case. Despite his noble background, Ianus was grateful that the Elgrandeur family had chosen him based on his academic ability and character. After all, research was expensive.

"Lord Elgrandeur, I also have something I would like to discuss later. Would it be alright if I could have a little more of your time after we finish our conversation?"

"Oh, then let's start with your matter. I only wanted to hear about Cain's progress in his studies."

"In that case, the content is the same. I have a request regarding Cain's study progress."

Hm, Dismaia nodded and leaned back into the sofa, resting his back against the cushion. He gestured for Ianus to continue.

"Cain is currently at the level of a third-year student at the Unlimited Magic Academy."

"…What?"

"Therefore, there are subjects where I find it difficult to teach. It would be best to hire specialists for each subject."

"Ah?"

"I will continue to handle natural sciences, magic theory, domestic history, and arithmetic, but for foreign languages, poetry, law, and economics, I suggest hiring other teachers… Lord Elgrandeur?"

Admission to the Magic Academy starts at age 12. A third-year student would be 14. Cain is currently 7 years old.

Dismaia had thought Cain was doing well and deserved praise, but he hadn't expected this much. Despite maintaining a calm exterior as a noble, he was internally shaken. This made it difficult for him to respond, and Ianus noticed his hesitation.

"No, I apologize. I didn't realize he had progressed so much… Thank you for letting me know. Foreign languages, poetry, law, and economics. Understood, I will look for tutors."

"Thank you. Cain is a very honest and good child. I would have liked to teach him until the end, but I thought it would be a waste of his potential."

"No, no. Please continue with natural sciences and arithmetic."

"Of course. I will gladly serve."

After the conversation paused, Dismaia leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. His attitude became more casual, and Ianus sensed that he still had something to say.

"Ianus-sensei, when Cain's lessons are halved, there will be some free time. Is your research very busy?"

"My research is as busy as usual. To be honest, I'm thinking about how to make up for the reduced income. If you have any leads for part-time tutoring in natural sciences or arithmetic at other households, I would be grateful… But since I suggested reducing the lessons, I can't be too pushy."

Ianus had suggested halving the lessons for Cain's benefit, not his own. He could have continued teaching all subjects if he had kept quiet, which only showed his kindness.

Dismaia smiled and said, "Actually, I have a proposal."

Ianus was being guided down a corridor by Ilvaleno.

They arrived at a door, and Ilvaleno knocked before opening it.

"Hello, Diana. How are you feeling today?"

"Ianus-sensei? Hello!"

This was Diana's room. Since she still slept with her parents, it was a room where she spent a little time during the day. It was equipped with a bookshelf full of picture books, a low table, and chairs.

"Ianus will be teaching you natural sciences, history, and arithmetic from today. Let's have fun studying together."

Ianus approached Diana, knelt down to her level, and smiled warmly.

"Ianus-sensei will teach me too! I can study with my big brother?"

"The pace will be different, so we'll study separately. But we can do field observations together."

"Okay!"

Diana raised her hand enthusiastically. Ianus smiled at her and then turned to Ilvaleno, who was standing behind her.

"Cain will be under house arrest for a while. If there's anything he hasn't caught up on or doesn't understand, feel free to ask. It must have been tough following Cain, right?"

"…Is that alright?"

"Of course. Arithmetic, for example, must have been difficult to follow from the middle, right?"

Teaching Diana, who was 4 years old, would give Ianus more time and preparation than teaching Cain. It was unreasonable to expect Ilvaleno, who had just been taken in from an orphanage and was a servant, to keep up with Cain, who had started studying at age 3. While he managed to keep up with some subjects, the foundational ones were challenging.

"Let's do our best with your studies."

With a bright smile, Ianus encouraged Diana and Ilvaleno, who both nodded vigorously.

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