Chapter 38
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Course Registration
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1.
Sunday morning.
The freshman library at Arsen Academy.
1st Grade Chief Librarian Erban Yugen leaned back in his chair, a relaxed smile on his face.
Chirp! Chirp chirp!
Birds chirped outside.
Basking in the warm sunlight streaming through the window, he leisurely sipped his coffee.
'Luck's on my side this year.'
Arsen had a total of seven libraries.
First, there were five department libraries exclusive to students in each faculty.
Next, the central library next to the main building. And finally, the freshman-only library.
Erban had been assigned to this freshman library this year. And among the academy's librarians, it was the most hotly contested posting.
The reason was simple.
There was less work than at the other libraries.
'And one more thing.'
There was a special perk unique to this place.
Hardly any freshmen visited until the midterm schedule came out.
'Not that it's surprising.'
Most freshmen were busy making friends or focusing on classes. It was rare for them to head to the library so soon after enrollment.
Of course, there were exceptions.
"I'm here to check out some books."
A girl with ash-gray hair and glasses.
Her studious face matched the mountain of books she brought.
"All of these?"
"I-Is there a checkout limit?"
"Well, no, but..."
"Then I'll take them, please."
The girl bowed politely.
There were always a few freshmen like this—overflowing with enthusiasm, borrowing stacks of books. She was probably one of them.
After finishing the checkout log,
Erban added a note.
"Return them by next Sunday at the latest. Violating the deadline could result in penalty points."
"Yes, understood."
She neatly stacked the books into her backpack and promptly left the library.
The library fell quiet once more.
Erban glanced at the checkout log.
【Class 3-1, Silpi Rudhina】
<Checkout List>
- History of the Ancient Desert Kingdom
- On the Disasters of the Desert
- Definitions and Types of Heretics
Mostly books related to the southern desert.
Erban looked intrigued.
And rightly so. In the Empire right now, all books on the southern desert were classified as forbidden texts due to their association with heretics.
'Of course, this isn't Empire territory, but...'
Still, he'd never seen someone openly check out nothing but forbidden books. But his curiosity didn't last long.
Ding-a-ling!
The bell on the entrance door rang, and suddenly a massive shadow appeared.
Erban's face stiffened.
"...He's here again today."
His eyes, laced with tension, fixed on the freshman straight ahead.
A familiar face. The student had been visiting the library every day for the past three days.
'Ullan Bator.'
He'd even memorized the name.
How could he not?
A 2-meter frame. And always shirtless. Only one student fit that description.
"Good morning."
"H-Ha, good morning to you too."
After the awkward greeting,
Ullan got straight to business.
"Could you recommend something again today?"
The moment the question ended,
Erban put on a resolute expression.
The reason for his reaction dated back three days, to Ullan's first visit.
Back then, Ullan had made an abrupt demand.
「I want all knowledge about weapons.」
A completely out-of-left-field request.
But Erban didn't panic. He was a 1st Grade Chief Librarian, after all. So he recommended a book that matched the request.
A whopping 800 pages—
the Encyclopedia of Weapons.
'But...'
The next day, Ullan returned to the library.
With a nosebleed gushing out.
He said it wasn't what he was looking for and asked for another recommendation.
'So I recommended related theses.'
Over a hundred pages of them.
That should satisfy him, he thought.
But no.
Yesterday morning, Ullan staggered in looking half-dead. Double nosebleed and all. And said it wasn't it either.
'No idea why he's getting nosebleeds.'
If he didn't get the right book today, would he show up covered in blood tomorrow?
A strange fear gripped him.
And his pride was wounded too.
He was a 1st Grade Chief Librarian. An elite with a doctorate from Arpen Public University. Yet he couldn't even find a book for a mere freshman?
'This time, I'll nail it.'
On his honor as a 1st Grade Chief Librarian!
Erban burned with determination.
He looked at Ullan.
"Could you give a more detailed description? Like the weapon's name, or maybe what battlefield it was used on..."
"I don't know the name. Or if it was even used in battle."
A firm reply.
Is he messing with me?
How am I supposed to find it without that? As his eyebrow twitched, Ullan spoke.
"However..."
"However?"
"It'd be great if it was the strongest weapon in the world. One that wouldn't break even against the giants."
The serious answer ended,
and silence blanketed the room.
'What? Giants?'
Those giants from old tales?
Is this a joke?
Erban looked baffled. But he couldn't ask if it was a joke. The eyes were too earnest.
"Ah, weapons like that probably only exist in myths or legends?"
A wise deflection.
Weapons to fight mythic giants would be mythic weapons themselves.
But then.
A massive hand slammed the desk.
Thud!
The desk shook violently. As Erban jumped, Ullan shouted excitedly.
"That's it!"
"...Pardon?"
"That's what I'm looking for."
Ullan grinned happily.
Erban looked deflated. Just a throwaway line, and it was right?
But the shock was brief.
Process didn't matter—he'd found it. Erban handed over a slip with the shelf number.
"Then I recommend Mythic Legendary Weapons. Show this to the apprentice librarian on the east side of the third floor."
"My thanks for the recommendation."
Ullan bowed and strode up to the third floor.
The room quieted again.
Erban sighed in relief and sipped his cold coffee. Then his eyes widened.
He'd realized his mistake.
'Oh no, I recommended the wrong one.'
Mythic Legendary Weapons.
Two books by that name in his memory. One a thesis. The other for children.
And the one on the third floor was the latter.
'Should I go warn him?'
He shook his head. Explain when he returns.
Leisure returned.
As he reached for a book to read,
Ding-a-ling!
The door bell rang again.
More visitors today. Erban closed his newly opened book and looked up.
Then froze.
"...!"
A petite girl entered his view.
Silver hair like moonlight, golden eyes shining like the sun.
Princess Dilia Arpen of the Duchy.
At her appearance,
Erban shot to his feet.
"P-Princess!"
It was only natural.
Erban was a noble of Arpen Duchy.
A mere baronet, but to him, Dilia was royal blood.
"Erban Yugen greets the Prin—"
"Hello."
But her greeting came first.
As she bowed politely, Erban shut his mouth. He'd caught her intent.
This was Arsen Academy.
The world's only neutral zone. She wanted no royal treatment here.
Realizing that,
Erban sat back down.
"Yes, hello."
After the slightly awkward exchange,
silence fell.
Dilia stared at him silently.
Unable to bear the quiet gaze, Erban asked cautiously.
"...Are you looking for something?"
"The giant. Just now."
"Pardon? Giant?"
Why does everyone suddenly want giants?
As he tilted his head,
Dilia's voice came.
"Where'd he go?"
"Ah! You're looking for Ullan...?"
"Yes."
He'd guessed right.
From Dilia's perspective, Ullan might as well be a giant. Or just a nickname.
"Third floor, east side. Probably near the apprentice librarian."
"Thanks."
After her thanks,
Dilia trotted off.
Toward the stairs Ullan had taken.
2.
Meanwhile,
Ullan received the book from the apprentice librarian.
The exact one Erban mentioned.
Mythic Legendary Weapons
- Recommended for future heroes!
- Explosive popularity among children under 7!
Hero. That word convinced Ullan.
This was it.
He flipped the pages eagerly. Soon, he muttered with interest.
"Lots of pictures."
More pictures than text.
No, mostly pictures.
Over 80% illustrations, with weapon names and brief descriptions below.
Ullan sighed in relief.
If it were like yesterday's book, packed with text per page, his head would've overloaded and nosebleeds would've flowed.
'Not this time.'
With a satisfied smile,
he turned the page.
The first was one of the Holy Kingdom's three sacred treasures, a sword from myth.
"Holy Sword Kadaron."
Familiar to Ullan.
Companion from his past life, one of the seven heroes.
The sword used by holy knight Ian.
'Definitely powerful.'
Sliced through even the toughest monster hides effortlessly. And great durability.
But Ullan couldn't use it.
Not just because he didn't want to take a comrade's weapon, but a more fundamental reason.
'Holy Sword requires holy power.'
Pure holy power at that.
Without it, one couldn't wield its true might. And without true power, it was just an ordinary sword.
Shaking off regrets,
he turned the page.
"This one..."
Familiar design again.
A longbow made of spiritwood. Massive size.
'Divine Bow Elishiker.'
Sniper Sven's bow from the hero party.
Made from spirit-infused wood, usable without arrows.
'But...'
Another unusable weapon.
Handling Elishiker required spirit communion. But Ullan never tried, due to spirits' aversion to the smell of iron.
As past memories faded,
he was about to turn the page.
"Interested in that?"
A familiar voice tickled his ear.
Choppy, dry tone.
Dilia.
Peeking on tiptoes, she continued with a strange expression.
"It's our country's. National treasure."
Come to think of it, yes.
In his past life, Dilia had pulled strings as princess to acquire it, letting the hero party have Elishiker.
Recalling that,
Ullan turned to her.
"Do you need something from me?"
"Not really."
Dilia shook her head.
But her prim reply was short-lived.
She asked with worried eyes.
"...You okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"Mana Spring. Disappearance. Heard."
The disappearance three days ago.
Everyone returned safe, but it became quite the talk at the academy.
Of course she'd know.
Ullan answered promptly.
"Nothing happened."
"Liar. You were hurt."
"I'm fine now. All healed."
Thanks to the 'Hero's Engraving'.
As Noa explained, stamina recovery sped up after the engraving. Wounds healed faster too.
And the result?
All scars gone in three days.
"Really. Glad."
Dilia let out a small sigh.
Of relief.
Silence returned.
Dilia fidgeted with her fingers, eyes darting. Searching for a conversation starter.
Then her face brightened.
She'd thought of something.
"Course registration. Done?"
Arsen Academy's registration ran Sunday 6 AM to 6 PM.
Simple process.
List desired lectures, visit classrooms, get professor approval. Done.
Current time: 11:30 AM.
Most students finished.
Dilia too. Ullan probably had as well. So she asked what he'd signed up for.
But the reply was unexpected.
"Planning to do it later."
"...What?"
Dilia's eyes widened.
Thought he'd finished early, but not yet? She asked in confusion.
"Not worried?"
"Why worry?"
"Popular classes. Full by now."
"Pick others then."
"Well, true, but..."
She trailed off, at a loss.
Normally, you picked classes for good grades or strengths.
Ullan was different.
Didn't care what he picked.
Dilia narrowed her eyes.
'Confident in anything?'
Probably.
Top admittee. Must have something up his sleeve. She figured.
"Decided on. Classes?"
"Picked a few."
"Can I see?"
Dilia cautiously offered notepad and pen.
Nothing to hide, so Ullan nodded and jotted his list.
◆ Military Faculty
[Weapon Techniques], [Combat Skills], [Tracking]
"Main major. Military Faculty."
Somehow expected.
Dilia nodded silently.
Next, minor list.
◆ General Faculty
[History of Weapons], [History of War], [Advanced Mathematics]
Dilia's eyes widened.
Surprised by general faculty minor, but more by the unexpected class.
"Advanced. Math?"
Ullan? Math?
Didn't suit him at all.
Unable to hold curiosity, she asked.
"Good at math?"
"Know it decently."
Confident expression.
Unexpected. Looked math-averse.
Dilia eyed him anew. Meanwhile, Ullan clenched his fist.
'Addition and subtraction mastered.'
Two digits? Mental math now.
Nothing more to learn there.
'Time for...'
multiplication.
The pinnacle even Ajuh, who taught two-digit addition, skipped!
His scarlet eyes gleamed challengingly.
"Ullan."
Dilia suddenly called.
Subtle tone.
"Magic faculty. Not signing up?"
"No plans."
"...Why?"
"No need."
Firm reply.
Precisely, he didn't even know magic principles, so couldn't learn. And even if he could, no interest.
Simple reason. Swinging an axe was easier than chanting spells.
With the answer,
disappointment flickered on Dilia's face.
As vague gloom settled,
"...Huh?"
Something caught his eye.
The notepad's end.
'Practical Hunting' in Ullan's handwriting. Staring puzzled, Ullan explained.
"That's on hold."
"Meaning?"
"In case a class is full, backup."
Practical Hunting professor, Stella.
Met at entrance exam specialty test. She said she'd accept him even if full. Anytime.
Perfect hold.
Hearing that,
Dilia smiled oddly.
"Got it. I'll remember."
"Remember what?"
"Something. Like that."
Dilia brushed it off.
Not curious, Ullan dropped it. Silence returned, and Dilia turned sideways.
"Then, later..."
See you later.
That was the plan.
But she couldn't finish. A unfamiliar voice beat her.
"Huh? Ullan?"
Surprised tone.
Ullan and Dilia turned. There stood a light blonde girl hugging sword manuals.
Ivela Elead.