Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Not Ashamed to Learn from One's Inferiors -1-
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Today, I watched the academy cadets, beaten to a bloody pulp by the bandits, from the shadows at their feet.
There were plenty of presences hidden here and there, suggesting others besides me were interested in this incident.
'What a bunch of idiots. Not Knight Department level—more like knight wannabes.'
Having witnessed a situation that matched my expectations perfectly, I returned home.
Incredibly, I was harboring anticipation for what was to come. The thrill squeezed at my heart.
"Next up..."
I sat at home and pulled out a dusty old book.
It looked like something that should have had security and preservation spells on it like a hidden piece record, but its condition was abysmal.
The contents were crude, just me jotting down the story as I remembered it, but they were more than enough to stir and awaken my dormant memories.
"Now they'll start looking for new faculty at the academy, I suppose."
The conclusion was already set.
They'd put up a knight for show as the instructor, then bring in an adventurer excelling in real combat as the assistant instructor.
I didn't remember the name of the adventurer chosen as assistant, but I recalled the appearance.
An axe-wielder with a red beard.
'Was there a guy like that at the guild? Who was it?'
Having lived without paying attention to other men, I couldn't be sure if I'd seen him at the guild.
Plenty of guys had red hair and beards anyway.
"Whoever it is, go for it~"
In the end, even recalling it wouldn't make a difference.
The adventurer playing the assistant instructor role was just a MacGuffin to prove the excellence of the 100th enrollment cadets.
More important to me now than such trivial details was...
'How to infiltrate the academy.'
The foundation of this world, 'Akarite', revolved around the academy.
That wouldn't change until the protagonist returned to Korea in his third year at the academy.
And so, the academy— the protagonist's main stomping grounds— was home to various hidden pieces.
Most of them were on a higher level and more practical than the ones I'd hunted so far outside the capital.
'Enrolling as a cadet is insane.'
Me, enrolling as a student? My age was already too advanced, and if I somehow got in, it'd be at least the 101st enrollment.
By then, the protagonist would have sucked up all the benefits and be belching contentedly.
I'd considered killing the protagonist, but that was on hold for now.
The mystery of missing hidden pieces that should have been in place remained unsolved.
I couldn't risk killing the protagonist and triggering their disappearance.
Even if I did kill him...
His family might hold more power than expected, causing problems.
To kill him safely from the start, I'd have to wipe out the entire family cleanly.
"...What a headache."
Spinning the book in my hands didn't help; infiltrating personally was still the best option.
'This 100th enrollment ceremony is festival-style, right...'
This was a prime opportunity to dip my toe in.
"You don't look like the type to joke around. It's a sad state of affairs."
A hulking figure over two meters tall entered the dean's office.
The dean narrowed his eyes as the gaze fell on his empty right sleeve.
"Watch your mouth, Roland. That your head's still attached and your family's alive is thanks solely to His Majesty's grace."
The imperial family's power in the empire was absolute.
With Asen Premiller backing the throne, its authority had never been stronger—rivaling the heavens themselves.
The third prince gets injured?
The academy would be shut down, and the bloodlines of all involved turned to morning dew on the execution grounds, no questions asked.
The previous instructors' families were likely already gone, but he'd traded an arm to survive.
He considered it the greatest stroke of luck in his life.
"Come on— so what did you call me here for?"
The dean carefully pieced together the words swirling in his head and mouth.
Even a longtime friend was still a knight at heart.
If he offended him, it might derail bringing in another knight as instructor.
"How much do you know about this incident?"
"I know the rumors. And what orders His Majesty issued."
With that booming voice in the wide-open academy plaza, how could he not?
Doran Escaro let out a deep sigh and picked up the teacup the administrator had prepared.
"I'm considering various options right now. Like merging the Swordsmanship Department with the Knight Department..."
Unlike the Knight Department, focused on forms and etiquette, the Swordsmanship Department emphasized practical combat.
Merging them risked erasing the Knight Department nameplate altogether.
Doran glanced sideways at Roland's face as he spoke, but saw no displeasure.
On the contrary, he nodded as if in understanding.
"Not a bad idea, but is it a fundamental solution?"
"You're a knight yourself, yet you're okay with the Knight Department potentially vanishing? Unexpected..."
"Hahaha!! You narrow-minded fool!! After squawking like a parrot about empty formalities, you still can't read the hearts of those close to you."
Doran chuckled at his words.
Normally, he'd be fuming that the madman was grating on his nerves again.
But in his current state of detached emotions, he could grasp the man's true intent.
"To be frank, merging departments is for later discussion. For now, I'm thinking of selecting a new instructor from the knights to appease the Knight Department— and hiring a veteran adventurer as assistant instructor."
"More solid than merging. But think the nobles will accept an adventurer? You yourself don't see adventuring as a lowly trade?"
Roland knew Doran's values inside out.
Probably better than Doran himself.
A mage who'd succeeded despite noble elitism.
He knew exactly how Doran viewed adventurers, so this choice genuinely surprised Roland.
"...My views haven't completely changed, but they've shifted somewhat. Not ashamed to learn from one's inferiors."
"Learned all that for one arm? Seems cheap. Heh."
Now figuring it was safe to joke, Roland slipped in a jab.
Getting mad and responding was exactly what he wanted.
Ignoring the provocation, Doran opened a drawer with his left hand and pulled out a stack of papers.
"You know adventurers somewhat, right? These are the candidates. Time to be useful for once."
Roland snorted and began flipping through the documents.
He quickly skimmed, then pulled one out and placed it on the desk.
"This one's the best of the bunch."
A 20+ year veteran adventurer wielding the uncommon axe. A man whose red beard was his signature.
A solo operator active at silver rank.
"The best? Seems more than qualified."
"Don't you get why we can't pick the others?"
"What's the problem?"
Roland swept back his white hair and squeezed his eyes shut in frustration.
His thick, stick-like fingers pressed hard into his temples.
'This is why mages are...'
He spread out the remaining papers.
"Look! This guy's perfect, but he's still in a party!! How do you poach him? And if you force it, think the others will sit still?"
High-ranking adventurers weren't something even minor nobles could mess with lightly.
Nothing let commoners stand equal to nobles quite like adventuring.
And poaching one from a tight-knit party bonded for years—even decades—like glue?
Nearly impossible.
Even if successful, the abandoned party members wouldn't stay quiet.
A gold-rank adventurer ignored lesser nobles entirely.
They knew the value of their own strength.
If they snapped and caused a massive incident before fleeing to the federation, there'd be no catching them.
Doran nodded slightly at Roland's spit-flying explanation.
"I see. So this solo redbeard is the perfect fit..."
"Getting it now? Staring at books all day—what do you even learn from them?"
"Shut it. Then we'll go with this one. I'll tell the administrator right—"
"Hold on!!!"
"What now..."
Doran grimaced at Roland's voice booming through the dean's office.
"I can introduce you to a really solid adventurer. Picking from these candidates is fine, but using some half-baked guy might cause another mess, that's what I'm saying."
"..."
"I'd be a little sad if my friend lost his left arm too."
"...Cut the creepy talk and get to the point. What do you want?"
Roland pointed a thick finger at Doran's collection in the display case.
Expensive liquors hard to find anywhere now. Treasures Doran hoarded without drinking out of.
"Not planning to let those sit as decorations till you die, right? I won't drink alone. We'll share."
"..."
"If it's your neck instead of your left arm next time, who drinks them~? Nah, can't open the bottles without an arm either! Kahahaha!!!"
Doran's expression didn't change, but his face flushed red.
Roland's provocation had landed perfectly.
"Explain who this solid adventurer is first. If I'm not satisfied, you're out on your ass right now."