Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: You Can't Judge a Person by Their Appearance Alone (5)
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Sain Harkur, the eldest son of the Marquis Harkur family, who was now leading the household as Marquis Sain.
His father had risen from commoner stock.
His mother was the daughter of a quasi-baron not even worthy of the noble title.
But he had been born a child of the marquisate.
Of course, he never flaunted it or looked down on those of lower station.
Deep down in his mind, though.
He always thought of himself as the future lord who would one day lead the marquisate, and he paid constant attention to his every action and word.
But that was the extent of it.
He was no different from any other child.
That all changed the year he turned nine.
An event occurred that turned his world upside down.
"...Alicia."
"Mom...?"
His mother, Alicia Harkur, who had been suffering from a mysterious illness for the past year.
Had finally met her end.
The sorrow of losing his most precious person.
Scarlett, who had just turned six and was starting to swing a sword around.
And Jenny, only two and unable to even walk yet.
His two little sisters were too young to even understand, so they couldn't grieve.
But for Sain, the precociously mature nine-year-old.
It hit him with brutal reality.
It was a horrific experience, too painful for a mere child of nine to endure.
Yet he had no time to grieve.
If he just wallowed in sorrow, the Harkur family would crack.
His father was far too haphazard.
His mother's support inside and out had barely kept the household noble-like, but that was it.
She had an open mind and never made much of commoner or noble.
In other words.
Now even that level of support was gone.
Someone had to grab hold and pull things together.
Precocious from a young age, he understood this perfectly.
That's why he pushed himself relentlessly to maintain a noble bearing.
No one forced him to do it.
If anything, that made him try even harder.
'This family is mine to lead.'
He loved his family.
He knew things couldn't go on like this.
His father, the boisterous and rough warrior, had no connection to politics or internal affairs.
His mother had handled some of that, but illness had taken her.
Of course, he didn't resent his parents.
They had their own ways.
If anything, he respected them for rising from lowly commoner and quasi-baron daughter to this position.
That's why he wanted to protect this family even more.
He tried not to cry.
He tried to stay cool-headed.
And like his parents, he tried to treat everyone equally.
But.
"Hey, this could be trouble, right?"
"The marquis won't notice anyway. We can just say it went missing while cleaning."
He saw it with his own eyes.
"...What are you doing there?"
The servants from commoner backgrounds.
Whom his father, mother, and he himself had treated well and accommodated.
"...Huh...? Y-Young Master...?"
"Sh-shit, we're screwed...!"
Stealing his late mother's jewelry keepsakes from her room.
In that moment, he felt a dizzying haze in his mind.
He still hadn't forgotten the grief of the day she died.
"......"
He had treated them well because his parents taught him commoners were people too, and he should protect them.
'But this is all I get in return...?'
Sain felt something shatter in his ears.
And with it, realization dawned.
"...Commoners, given conveniences, just turn into lowly scum."
He had the two servants dragged away and executed in his own name.
His father gave him a harsh scolding afterward, but Sain was convinced he was right.
'Yes, Mother and Father were wrong. They were lowly, but they pushed themselves relentlessly and became great. That's how they rose.'
Commoners—no, people—grow lowly without effort.
The more they strive, the higher their worth.
That became his creed.
"Father is mistaken."
He thought his father was robbing the commoners working in their estate of the chance to raise their own value through effort.
By providing conveniences and easy jobs, he removed their need to strive.
"Most commoners just settle into their place without effort."
And that creed naturally turned to loathing for those content with stability, shirking the effort to climb higher.
Unfortunately, most people he met were commoners.
At least nobles fought daily to hold their position.
Or for greater wealth, honor, power.
Even if their motives were vulgar and methods vile.
They never slacked on effort.
Before long.
His creed shifted from 'Those who don't strive are loathsome' to 'Commoners don't strive. That's why they're loathsome.'
Then one day.
His father brought home a boy.
"Introduce yourself. This is Kane. He's ten, same as you, Sain."
"Hello, sir."
A boy with a similar name to his own.
And the same age.
But a commoner.
Not just any commoner.
His hair was matted and stuck up wildly, as if he hadn't washed properly.
He wore something indistinguishable from rags.
And up close, a stench of food waste made your head spin.
"Please take care of me from now on, Young Master Sain."
But despite his filthy appearance and young age, his greeting was polite.
And he seemed aware of his state, keeping a slight distance from others.
As if he knew his place.
Sain unconsciously thought.
He somehow reminds me of myself.
"...Filthy."
But he had no intention of befriending a commoner boy, so he treated him coldly.
The kid would surely settle into the unfamiliar comfort and become lowly scum anyway.
That notion began to change.
About six months after Kane entered the estate.
"...?"
One day, Sain found Kane reading in the study.
Hmph, he'll lose interest soon, make a mess, and leave.
He knew children's patterns well.
His tomboy second sister Scarlett was just like that.
He passed by, studied in his room for a few hours.
Then passed the study again.
Peeking in just in case.
"...!!"
What he saw.
Kane still in the same spot, same posture, reading.
And three books stacked beside him.
No way... Did he read all those in just a few hours...?
This study was made by his mother Alicia.
Though she and Sain were the only ones in the house who read properly anyway.
Anyway, specialist books even adults struggled with.
And ones written in ancient languages requiring separate study.
I can't even finish one in a day myself.
Even Sain, with his sharp mind, struggled to finish half a book a day pondering the words.
Three in a few hours?
Absurd.
He could dismiss it as a show.
But some inexplicable pull drew him into the study to ask Kane.
"Did you finish these books?"
"Huh? Oh, hello, Young Master Sai..."
"I asked if you finished them!"
Sain realized he was shouting, and flustered himself.
Have I ever raised my voice like this lately...?
Oh no.
But Kane, the one involved, replied nonchalantly.
"Ah, yes. I've finished them. Feel free to take them."
Mistaking it for Sain coming to fetch a book he wanted, his calm demeanor.
At those words, Sain blurted in disbelief.
"...I-Impossible! These are full of ancient languages and specialist terms—I can't even finish half in a day! And you, you worthless little..."
His calm attitude only fueled the anger.
But Kane's next response left him stunned.
"Ah, I've read them all before, so it didn't take long. First time, it took me three or four days per book."
"...What? Read them all before...?"
How many times had he read those books?
[Structure of the Human Body], [History of Ancient Magic], [Pharmacology Map of the Harchi Kingdom]
Books with seemingly no connection.
Why read those over and over...?
He thought maybe Kane just liked that knowledge.
But Kane's next words exceeded imagination again.
"I asked the marquis, and he said these were the only ones here. I want to read something new..."
Kane glancing around the study.
N-No way...'
Sain felt the greatest shock since his mother's death.
'Three times each... all the books in this study...?'
Half a year since Kane arrived.
Impossible without constant reading.
Why?
A ten-year-old orphan, filthy from street life.
Why devour books and knowledge like this?
"Why... why read books...?"
Unable to hold back his curiosity, Sain finally asked.
Kane scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed, and answered.
"Well... I have no special talents. And I'm not particularly good at anything like you or the young ladies. So to be of use to the marquisate, I thought I should at least build up some knowledge."
"......"
Sain was shocked.
He must have enjoyed luxury unknown before entering the marquisate.
Fine clothes, good bed, delicious food.
Most commoners working in estates rejoice in that, grateful for the favor.
They settle, saying odd jobs are all they're good for anyway.
But Kane was different.
As he said, no special talents.
Not good at fighting or weapons.
No magic aptitude either.
But he had something more important.
'Focus, curiosity, and... the will to advance.'
No talent, but doesn't decide that's his limit.
Seeks ways to improve himself and acts.
Spares no effort for it.
"......"
And that side of Kane.
Wasn't just a fleeting glimpse from a ten-year-old kid.
As he grew, he accumulated even more knowledge.
Using Harkur authority to access royal library depths.
Even forbidden books.
And that knowledge he amassed.
"Training the private soldiers...?"
"Yes. The empire's current training methods are too primitive. According to ancient texts, more efficient ways..."
He didn't use it for himself.
It was for teaching others.
Knowledge piled up literally to aid the marquisate.
"Kane, as you suggested, the soldiers' skills are improving by leaps and bounds. Your achievement..."
"No. Young Master Sain. You're in charge of the estate guards. For future expansion, it should be your merit."
He doesn't claim credit.
No, he turns it into the Harkur family's.
And Sain's merit.
For the family's status and smooth path ahead.
'Perfect.'
How could someone be this perfect?
Until now, Sain respected only two: father and mother.
But seeing them never sparked 'I want to be like that.'
Kane was different.
Respect mingled with.
'I want to be like him. Someone who advances endlessly, not for himself, but for others.'
He wanted to emulate him.
A role model.
"...Ahem."
That was when it started.
Sain freezing up tensely every time he saw Kane.
Yes, how could one not tense before their role model?
'...What's this? Does he hate me?'
And that was when.
Kane started thinking 'Does he hate me?' every time he saw Sain.