30. It Was Just Foolish
30. It Was Just Foolish
The Academy was, well... it was divided into various departments like the Swordsmanship Department, the Natural Magic Department, and the Spear Arts Department.
Of course, separate from that university-like aspect, the students clearly weren't adults yet, so there were high-school-like aspects where the school set the timetables and lectures.
So, naturally, just because you're in the Swordsmanship Department doesn't mean you only learn swords; you learn various other things, too.
"...This is disastrous."
"Haha...."
"Of course, there are a lot of aristocratic aspects, and it's not that I don't understand why they're difficult. But this is pretty serious."
"I suppose so...."
The Academy had literature, history, and various liberal arts courses prepared.
There were also lectures on noble etiquette, culture, and the like.
Therefore, it was naturally expected that Noah, being a commoner, would have quite a bit of trouble with those parts.
Being a polite and well-mannered person is clearly different from knowing noble etiquette.
And naturally, you have to learn something to know it.
"...But aren't these grades a bit much?"
"Ha... haha...."
"It looks like you just didn't attend class at all."
Of course, it was true that there were times when that guy Noah actually didn't attend class.
Because sometimes he would come to my convenience store during class hours.
But as I recall, those were swordsmanship classes, which shouldn't have mattered much... yet, the results Noah briefly explained regarding his history class grades were quite pathetic.
Of course, things like history or literature are things only the nobles know well.
Most commoners have no choice but to not know them.
After all, I barely knew them either until I started attending the Academy.
"......Sigh."
"Weell, it does seem a bit strange to call it a hobby."
"That's true."
"I'm sorry. It's just because of my master lately. I kept focusing only on swordsmanship, so my other grades dropped too much."
"I doubt they were that high to begin with, though."
"That's also true...."
The grades were indeed pathetic.
By his own claim, he said his grades in swordsmanship were high and his skills were decent.
He really has no talent for this kind of thing.
"I was thinking about a hobby, but now I'm just adding to my workload."
"Haha...."
I was honestly dumbfounded.
I was looking for a hobby to spend time relaxing, not to spend time getting exhausted.
Of course, he had mentioned exercise, not just studying. There was no need to be too hard on that guy Noah.
"......"
But separate from that... honestly, the state of his subjects other than swordsmanship was alarming.
It wasn't this bad even when I attended the Academy.
It was to the point where I was genuinely worried he might run into serious trouble.
It probably won't reach academic probation. His grades in his major were quite decent, after all.
But....
"......Sigh."
It was also true that he needed help.
Of course, I didn't need to help him, and it would be right for him to manage on his own. But ignoring a kid asking for help felt a bit wrong, too.
"If I teach you, will you actually keep up?"
"Well, since you're the one teaching me, Nuna-nim, of course I should."
"...If you had just listened to your classes quietly and diligently, there wouldn't be a need for this."
"Haha...."
"Well, learning something you already knew again is different from learning something you haven't learned before, I suppose."
So, my thoughts leaned slightly in that direction.
It was only Academy first-year classes anyway, and in reality, it wasn't that difficult. I could teach him simply.
Of course, it's been almost 10 years since I graduated from the Academy, though.
"But are you really planning to teach me?"
"Then should I ignore you?"
"Ah.... That's not it. If you really help me, Nuna-nim, I'd be truly grateful. Honestly, I even thought... it wouldn't happen."
It wasn't that I didn't understand Noah's words.
But I wasn't the type to completely ignore a request for help.
To say he had strange intentions—his grades were actually quite bad. He really looked like he needed help.
He was in a state where he really needed help, and in a situation where he was asking for it, ignoring him completely felt bad. And besides, weren't there people in the Academy he could ask for help...?
That question popped up immediately, so I had no choice but to ask.
"...But isn't it more comfortable to study with your friends?"
"Friends?"
"Yeah. You have your childhood friend, and Katrina, she's there too."
"Ah.... They're all better at it than me, but...."
"......Sigh."
It's probably one of two things. Either he doesn't want to show his pathetic side in front of his peers, or it's a scheme to spend time with me. Maybe it's a combination of both.
"I'll help you."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really. I was bored of just doing convenience store work every day anyway."
But that didn't mean that guy Noah—that kid Noah—was the type to do bad things. He wouldn't do anything particularly strange.
Especially against someone who is helping him study.
I just decided to help him. Like I told Noah, I was bored, too.
I thought that if I used my spare time to spend time differently than usual, it might be a little less boring.
"On weekends or weekdays... I think I can do it once or twice a week."
"Oh...."
"I have convenience store work too, so it's hard to help every single day."
I have to work on weekends, too, though. But it's still a bit more comfortable compared to weekdays....
As I thought about that, the thought that it would be difficult to spend time comfortably on weekdays as well came to mind.
"Let's just do one day on the weekend."
"The weekend?"
"You have a dormitory curfew on weekdays. How much could we really get done if I helped you study after the Academy ends?"
"......Ah."
He was a kid who lived in the dormitory. He was truly just a kid, enough to have a curfew.
I thought it would be more comfortable for both of us to just set one day on the weekend and help him study for about an hour then....
"Since I'm going out of my way to help, you have to do it properly, okay?"
"Yes, Nuna-nim."
And so, somehow, I ended up doing a new job that wasn't convenience store work.
There's no particular financial reward, and I'm not really getting anything out of it. Still, it'll be better than spending time bored and listless.
Actually, rather than boredom, it would be most comfortable if weird jerks didn't come looking for trouble like before, but....
"Ah."
"Why are you like that?"
"In exchange for tutoring you, if any jerks come by, you should scold them a bit."
"......Yes?"
It seems I accidentally got an unpaid security guard part-time job.
A security guard that I can use through something other than money, and at the same time, looks quite capable.
*
"Skadi, thanks for letting me spend this summer comfortably. Next time I visit the Academy, I'll bring a reward just as good."
"You don't really have to do that. But if you do, I'm happy with it."
The middle-aged lady boss, who hadn't worked during summer vacation despite not being a student, was dressed properly for the first time in a while.
On top of that, she had a travel bag and a briefcase in her hands.
It was a weekend evening, but,
"Haa, I really don't want to start working again."
"Why don't you just leave it all to your underlings like a noble?"
"How could I do that? It's a business I run; if I did that with everything, it would be seriously dangerous."
"Then do some work."
"Haa...."
It was time for Vivian to go back to work.
She had made a few contracts within the Academy, but she's a president who has a lot of other work to do, after all.
Therefore, it was naturally time to go back.
"Anyway, it was good to meet a friend after so long. See you again next time?"
"Yeah. Work hard this time, and try making lots of good products."
It had been quite a while since I met a friend, but there was no need to have a super sentimental farewell.
It ended with us finishing our conversation roughly.
Vivian opened the house door and went outside.
I just did some housework as usual after Vivian left.
I had to tidy up the bedding that the noble bitch left behind without cleaning, and since she didn't clean up after eating for free this morning, I had to clean that up, too.
After cleaning the house a bit and spending time in the house that had become quite quiet for the first time in a while, I heard a knock.
"You came earlier than I thought?"
"I thought it would be better to come a little early than to come late."
"If you're late for the first lesson, you'd have to be scolded, obviously."
When I opened the door, Noah was standing there as expected.
Since I had decided to help him study, naturally, he had textbooks, notebooks, and writing utensils prepared in his hands.
Honestly, I expected him to just show up with one textbook or something. Still, seeing him bring notebooks and writing utensils to study looked quite serious.
"Come inside. It's still hot outside, right?"
"It's still a bit cooler than before, so it's okay."
"It'll still be hot, though. I'll give you a drink, so go sit down."
"Yes, Nuna-nim."
If it were Noah's first time at my house, it might have been awkward.
But since he had visited a few times already, we could just talk normally.
It had been quite a long time since I graduated, but... I could still help with first-year level content normally. And things like noble culture... I was surprisingly used to them, after all.
And as with most things taught at the Academy, the subjects Noah found difficult... were mostly not that hard during the first year.
But it was just that, unlike swordsmanship, those were fields that guy Noah had no major interest in. So that's probably why he was even worse at them.
"Tsk tsk.... You're a first-year at the Academy, but you don't study properly and just keep coming to my convenience store; I was worried from the start."
"But isn't it admirable that I'm trying to study even like this?"
"Not really?"
The way he said that while smiling at my words. In his own way, it seemed like he was trying to make an excuse, but....
"He was just being foolish."