Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Fate Tends to be Bad More Often (7)
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Fate tends to bring more misfortune than fortune.
Heroes usually die around their mid-forties.
People who seemed invincible, never losing to anyone, succumb to incurable diseases with no known cure and leave this world.
It's regrettable, but that's how it's always been.
Since about three hundred years ago, maybe?
There are many theories about why heroes have such short lives.
But the most credible one is this:
From their youth, they roll around in battle constantly.
And since they're exposed more than anyone to demonic energy or dark attributes, they fall victim to diseases caused by it.
In any case, most heroes die around their mid-forties.
No matter how long they lasted, none made it past fifty.
But Parus Remnant.
He was an exception.
Even Marquis Harkur, who seemed utterly immune to illness, passed away at forty-five.
Yet Parus Remnant was currently forty-eight.
Not a single ache or pain, and he was still carrying out his duties as Hero Academy principal.
Was it because he slacked off in his youth?
Because he stayed in Marquis Harkur's shadow and didn't have much to do?
No, that wasn't it.
He had fulfilled his missions as diligently as any other hero. In fact, twenty years ago, he even contributed to slaying an upper demon alongside Marquis Harkur.
Though Marquis Harkur did almost all the fighting, of course.
In any event.
His current condition was abnormal.
Even for someone living relatively long, at forty-eight, it was normal to start creaking and groaning here and there.
But Parus was not just fine—he brimmed with vitality.
"I'm not saying I hope you get sick. Haha."
The emperor, who had dropped that loaded remark, soon relaxed his expression into a hearty laugh.
"...I see."
Mersenne felt a twinge of discomfort at the emperor speaking ill of his father, whom he revered.
But he couldn't show it in front of the empire's number one.
He simply nodded quietly.
"Speaking of which, I hear there's a capable instructor named Kane at the Hasler branch."
"...!! Even Your Majesty knows of ... no, of Mr. Kane?"
"Of course. It was in the papers, wasn't it? He played a big role in wiping out the Troll Lord."
"As expected of Your Majesty. You have a keen eye for people."
Of course, that discomfort vanished in an instant at the emperor's praise for Kane.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"......"
After leaving the Hero Management Bureau, seeing off the emperor, and heading back alone to Hero Academy.
Mersenne sank into thought.
"Father..."
It was because of the conversation he'd just had with the emperor about his father, Parus.
Parus Remnant was indeed strange.
A hale and hearty hero at forty-eight, without a single illness.
There were probably only a handful like him on the entire continent.
And of all people, it had to be his own father?
'Maybe he's in pain but hiding it? Suffering in silence?'
Such thoughts crossed his mind.
Maybe Parus's body was already ruined, and he was just forcing himself to seem fit for the sake of upholding the academy principal's image.
'No, that can't be.'
It was the kind of thing his father might do.
But it wasn't the case.
Mersenne's eyes weren't so blind that he couldn't tell genuine health from gritted-teeth endurance.
'Come to think of it, that's not the only odd thing about Father.'
The way he desperately kept the academy afloat, insisting that if it fell, the world would follow.
His obsessive attachment to the academy's traditions and those of heroes and heroines.
Mersenne had once taken it for granted.
But after meeting Saint Kane and Goddess Jenny, his values had shifted a bit.
Even if they became adventurers.
They could save the world without following some rigid tradition or mold.
He'd realized that now.
So Parus's bizarre fixation started to feel off.
As if he were afraid of something... hiding something...
"Mersenne. Back already?"
"...Father."
Lost in those thoughts, Mersenne had arrived at the academy before he knew it.
At the entrance stood his father, the academy principal, Parus, waiting.
"So, how'd it go?"
"Ah, it all worked out, thanks to His Majesty."
"Good."
A faint flicker of unease crossed Parus's face at the mention of the emperor.
That was peculiar too.
Parus was one of the major contributors who had put the current emperor on the throne.
Why did he seem so wary of him?
Because he was the principal training heroes and heroines?
Or was there something else?
"...I was thinking of staying at the academy a bit. That okay with you, Father?"
"Hm? Of course."
Mersenne had originally planned to head straight back to where the saint and goddess were once his business was done.
But his father seemed off.
The man hailed as the most heroic, the Light's Iron Mace.
Something felt suspicious.
He decided to stick around the academy a while and dig into what his father—the principal Parus—might be hiding.
If, just if, he had fallen to evil.
Even if it was his own father, whom he admired endlessly.
He would deliver the light's judgment without hesitation.
His belief that he alone was qualified to vanquish evil might have changed.
But his conviction that evil must be vanquished remained unshaken.
In that regard, he was still the most heroic of heroes—the "Hero of Light."
"Then I'll be in your care, Father."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Daily life in Hasler isn't exactly ordinary...
"Instructor Kane! Good morning!"
"We admire you, Sir Kane!"
On the way to work in the morning.
Guild staff and adventurers I pass greet me with sparkling faces.
Hm... what is this?
It feels like I've become the company president or something.
Everyone looks at me with eyes full of admiration, bowing their heads.
Wait, but don't employees badmouth the boss behind his back while smiling to his face?!
Is this a fake expression?!
...Of course not.
Ever since the Troll Lord incident, the way everyone looks at me has changed.
It's because I supposedly shone brilliantly and saved Hasler, thanks to the lord and branch chief spreading weird rumors.
No, all I did was offer a few suggestions on what might work.
Even without me, someone would have eventually caught on to the Troll Lord's plan and stopped it.
The real stars were Veronica, Jenny.
And the knights, soldiers, and adventurers who were there.
Not me, who just watched from the sidelines.
...Not that telling them that does any good.
Nobody listens.
They just say Kane is amazing.
I don't even know what for.
Sigh, fine.
At least they're just greeting me and moving on. Could be worse.
"Meeting Kane first thing in the morning? Today's off to a lucky start!"
"Ah, thank you. May blessings be upon you."
...What, am I some holy icon?!
Who are these guys saying it's good luck to see me or praying for blessings?!
At this point, are they all conspiring to tease me?
Anyway, after navigating this treacherous(?) commute.
That's when the real day begins.
Teaching.
I've been doing it forever.
Back in the old days, teaching private soldiers at the former Marquis Harkur's estate.
Or maybe even earlier... when I was surviving as a thug in the back alleys.
For so long, I'd believed this was a way even a powerless guy like me could help others—and acted on it.
But in nearly twenty years of teaching.
Nothing like this has ever happened. Not once.
"Uwaaak! Don't push!"
"This classroom's tidy and it's still cramped?!"
"Hey, you're not C-rank! Why are you here?"
"Hey! B-ranks can audit C-rank classes too!"
"......"
Adventurers are clamoring to take my classes.
Fighting tooth and nail for it.
Okay, fine.
I'm flattered, sure.
But...
"Please keep it civil."
Hey, you lot!
This is why people call adventurers rough and barbaric!
Basic manners, people!
"This is the C-rank regular class. Non-C-ranks, please leave for now. Anyone not in Team 1, out as well."
These days, it's at least better than before.
They used to crowd outside, smashing windows to listen.
Now it just devolves into cramped shoving inside.
...Branch Chief.
So when are you moving us to a bigger classroom?
Am I seriously splitting classes into Teams 1, 2, and 3 forever?
"Go for it, Kane."
Then, quiet cheers come from the side.
Over there are Jenny and Lin, assigned to C-rank for now.
"Big Brother Kane, you got this."
The two beam and cheer me on.
Being academy heroines around the same age, they hit it off quickly.
Less friends, more like Lin reveres Jenny as a master.
...And whenever I come up, they tune out the world, chattering excitedly.
About how amazing I am, stories from back in the day, all the special things I did for them... super heated stuff.
People even nicknamed it "Kane Discussions Begin" when they start.
Look, I get the admiration and affection.
Can't you do it where no one's watching?
I'm embarrassed.
"...And that'll be it for today."
After finishing the scheduled lesson.
Come the one-on-one consultations with adventurers.
"Instructor Kane, I have a question about this commission..."
"Got some questions about this monster..."
"Kane, what do you do on breaks? Wanna catch a play with me?"
"Out if no adventurer questions, Miss Sonya."
"Hing..."
A few weirdos sneak in midway, but overall, it goes smoothly.
One-on-one keeps the rowdiness down.
After about three hours and nearly twenty sessions.
My instructor duties for the day are done.
Of course, that's just as instructor.
As Kane, my work isn't over.
Or less "work," more personal hobby.
"Yesterday's records..."
I review the adventurers' logs.
What happened on which commissions.
Why they failed, if they did.
Why they succeeded.
What variables cropped up.
Or why none did.
Analyze, note personally.
Me doing this makes the staff meticulous too—thousands of pages a day.
Takes time to read and sort.
Why bother?
Told you.
Just a hobby.
It's fun?
Going through these feels like experiencing the field vicariously.
Stuff you can't grasp from theory alone.
Real combat insights, only felt in the thick of it.
As always, acquiring new knowledge is pure joy.
Hours fly by unnoticed.
Mostly stuff I already know, sure.
But that's fine too.
Reviewing reinforces it, sparks new applications.
Combine with fresh knowledge for something entirely new.
"...The spectrum of magic used by orc shamans..."
"I see, hobgoblins have more specialized jobs than reported..."
"Goblins surprisingly rely on smell..."
Known knowledge, new info, potential combos.
So damn enjoyable.
Filling my head with this stuff.
"Hey, Kane."
Lost in my world like that.
Someone called out.
"Ah, Veronica."
It was Veronica.
How many hours passed? Training time already?
Man.
This is the downside of too much fun.
Lose all track of time.
Well, no plans to quit.
Time's up anyway.
Time to stretch the legs?