Chapter 2
Chapter 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Everyone Carries a Resignation Letter in Their Heart (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone harbors at least one resignation letter deep in their heart.
Hero Academy.
The name might sound a bit rustic, but this place holds immense importance on a global scale.
True to its name, it was an educational institution that gathered heroes from across the continent—or their party members, or those with the qualities of great heroes—and trained them with a tailored curriculum.
Heroes. Hero parties. Great heroes.
These are the titles given to those said to possess absolute power and save the world.
As a place that gathers and nurtures such individuals, it exists as the world's most important and valuable educational institution.
Just hearing about it makes it sound like a bright, beautiful place responsible for humanity's future... but the reality is different.
"Hey, you fucking low-tier hero wannabe, who do you think you are talking to real heroes like that?"
"Kekekeke, no party will ever take a trash pleb like that."
"Why don't you go be a low-level adventurer instead!"
The inside is rotten to the core.
A person's aptitude is heavily influenced by their bloodline.
And most who were once heroes or hero candidates are now nobles.
They occupy the top positions in their respective nations.
In other words, over 90% of the academy's students come from a nation's nobility or high-ranking families.
Anyone can guess what happens when people like that gather together...
They start dividing, discriminating against, and mistreating people based on their bloodline, skills, and status.
Low-ranking noble children can't even speak to high-ranking ones.
Only the strong and powerful gather at the top, while the rest sink below.
A commoner? Not even worth mentioning.
What about the teachers? Do they just sit idly by?
Think about it.
Who would teach heroes or hero candidates?
Of course, former heroes or hero candidates themselves.
The vast majority of the faculty encourages it rather than stopping it.
So why am I suddenly explaining all this?
Because... I, Kane,
am a 'teacher' at this 'Hero Academy'.
Of course, not just any teacher.
I'm the Hero Academy's very first 'commoner teacher'.
"Hey, that fake teacher's walking by."
"Sigh... What could we possibly learn from a filthy commoner like that..."
The treatment I get... Well, after all that explanation about the academy, I think you can imagine without me adding more.
A place where strength and power reign supreme.
So how did someone like me end up here?
In the midst of people who despise commoners that much.
"I heard he has no hero or hero candidate aptitude. He's just a parachute hire."
"A commoner parachute? That's the worst."
That's right. A parachute hire.
The reason a completely ordinary commoner like me, with no outstanding abilities, could enter this place.
It was thanks to the influence of Marquis Harkur, the strongest hero of the Karr Empire where the academy is located.
If you're wondering why the empire's top hero suddenly appears here.
Before he became an academy teacher, he was my boss—and the benefactor who saved my life.
'You hungry? Come to my place and grab some food.'
Marquis Harkur was the one who saved me when I was abandoned on the streets, not even knowing my parents' faces.
'Kid, you're good at teaching! How about becoming the trainer for my private soldiers?'
He was the one who gave me a place to belong.
'...My youngest daughter has awakened hero aptitude. So she has to enter the Hero Academy. I think I can trust you with her. So... would you become an academy teacher? I'll write you a recommendation letter.'
That's why I don't resent him much for sending me to this hellhole.
His youngest daughter, Jenny, is like a little sister I've cared for since she was young, and honestly, she's got a soft personality, so I was worried about her too.
If there's one thing I do resent...
'...Marquis Harkur has passed away.'
He'd been sickly even before I came to the academy, but to think he left this world after just one year.
That I couldn't be by his side when he passed.
That's the only thing I truly resent.
The man I promised to serve is gone, and no one in the academy—
neither students nor teachers—holds any goodwill toward me.
In the end, there's only one reason left for me to stay here.
"Jenny, student."
"Oh! Big Bro Ka... Ah, no, Teacher Kane!"
Twin tails of red hair tied down to her waist.
Emerald eyes calmly settled, just like her father, Marquis Harkur.
A small, cute frame and big, round puppy-like eyes that give a softer impression compared to her striking features.
Even after three years as teacher and student, this adorable girl who still blurts out 'big bro' before 'teacher'... was the marquis's youngest daughter, Jenny.
Surrounding her were students clustered like a faction.
Of course, a gentle and kind girl like her wouldn't have formed one herself.
It was simply... the power of being the bloodline of the strongest hero.
Top of her grade in magic, martial arts, and academics.
The charisma to lead people.
And a kind personality that looks after others.
All the elements that draw people to her were present, so they naturally gathered.
"That guy's... a servant from Jenny's household, right?"
"Jenny, so kind even to a lowly commoner servant... How beautiful."
"She shouldn't get too close or she'll get dirty..."
Whispers from her followers reach my ears from behind.
Well... there's no rule that good people only attract good people.
If anything, the opposite is more common.
Ignoring their voices, I gaze steadily at Miss Jenny.
Aptitude Appraisal.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 📛 Name: Jenny Harkur 📊 Aptitude Stats 💥 Physical Skills Integration (24 types): S ✨ Magic Skills Integration (13 types): A 📚 Academic Integration (18 types): A ⭐ Hero's Quality: S I've seen it many times before, but it's still overwhelming aptitude stats.
As expected of the bloodline of the strongest hero, Marquis Harkur.
Most people only have one or two aptitudes across physical skills, magic, or academics combined.
Having overlapping aptitudes in physical, magic, and academics like this is precisely the power of a hero or hero candidate.
Especially, possessing two or more integrated aptitudes marks one as having Hero's Quality.
And S-rank Hero's Quality means talent on the level of a world-saving hero.
Her total aptitude skills: 24 physical, 13 magic, 18 academic.
In short, she's a genius at S or A rank across 55 aptitudes.
Oh, by the way, this is my ability: Aptitude Appraisal.
I can see others' aptitudes in detail like this.
Churches or certain mages can check for hero or hero candidate qualities, but no one can see individual aptitudes this precisely.
As far as I know, my Aptitude Appraisal is unique.
And this is why I became the trainer for the Harkur family's private soldiers.
Why a despised commoner like me has lasted three years as a Hero Academy teacher without being fired.
Honestly, what could be easier than teaching when you know someone's exact aptitudes?
Well... that's all thanks to Marquis Harkur recognizing my ability.
That's why I paid extra special attention to his youngest daughter, Jenny.
No, more accurately, I only paid attention to her.
I just gave the bare minimum instruction and education to avoid getting fired as a teacher.
Honestly, I never wanted this job.
"Congratulations on your graduation."
"Ehehe... Thank you. But there's still two days until the graduation ceremony!"
Even so, this filthy job is finally coming to an end.
Because... Jenny is graduating!
Now I have no reason left to keep working at this academy.
"Well, I'll be going now, Big Bro... Ah, no, Teacher!"
She bowed politely and left, her followers trailing after her in a group.
Of course, they didn't forget to hurl insults at me when she wasn't looking.
"Hmph, don't get cocky just because Jenny spoke to you once, you worthless commoner!"
"Just you wait. I'll chop off your limbs one by one and turn you into a cripple."
Extra students 1 and 2 glare at me as they say that.
Well, let's see just how impressive they are to act like that.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 📛 Name: Amon Grace 📊 Aptitude Stats 💥 Physical Skills Integration (4 types): C 🩹 Healing Magic: C ⭐ Hero's Quality: D ⚔ STATUS ⚔ 📛 Name: Diges Rector 📊 Aptitude Stats ⚔ Swordsmanship: C ✨ Magic Skills Integration (3 types): D ⭐ Hero's Quality: E As expected, not particularly impressive guys.
Names I've never even seen properly in three years of teaching them.
Someone with even a single A-rank aptitude in one area would outclass them by far.
...Of course, that's not something for a far more pathetic guy like me to say.
Whatever. In three days, I'll never have to see them again anyway.
Whether they graduate or I quit teaching, either way.
Just three days left now.
#
Those three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Today is the graduation ceremony for the third-years, including Jenny.
And at the same time, the day all the chains binding me to this academy finally break.
Ah, freedom after today.
I'm so happy.
But at the same time, an inexplicable anxiety starts to creep in.
"......"
Hm... What do I do after quitting here?
"...Go back to the marquis's household?"
No... Since Marquis Harkur passed away, his eldest son who seized power, 'Sain Harkur', utterly despises commoners.
He could never understand his father treating commoners equally and always picked fights over it.
Yet he succeeded him because Sain Harkur holds the greatest power within the household.
In other words, going back to the marquis's household now means almost no one would welcome me—just Sain's cronies who hate commoners.
"No way. If I catch Young Master Sain's eye for no reason, my head's as good as gone."
Then what? Become an adventurer?
...Nah, no thanks.
That'd just get me killed pointlessly.
As I said, I have nothing but Aptitude Appraisal.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 📛 Name: Kane 📊 Aptitude Stats 👨🏫 Pedagogy: D As if saying I can only do teaching, I just have a bit of Pedagogy aptitude.
Adventuring requires at least D-rank Swordsmanship or something. F-rank quests are impossible for someone like me.
"...Maybe open a little school in some rural village."
Is that the best I can do?
Well... With my savings, it'd be more like a small tutoring cram school than a real school.
But with the title of former Hero Academy teacher, I could probably land a job as an educator somewhere decent.
Like training a noble's private soldiers, or an adventurer instructor.
"Hm, maybe take a break first and think it over? I've got some money saved up anyway..."
I'll relax, shake off all this built-up stress, and maybe take a trip somewhere.