Chapter 13 – I think I heard something snapping
(Author’s note: For this chapter, Azkun’s
lines got longer in the latter half and might
be harder to read. I’m sorry!)
As Girigiri sounds came from my shoulders, Keisan
put his hands on Anisan’s.
「Calm down. You’re hurting Az.」
to regain his calm and he released his hold on me.
With the pressure on my body finally gone, I breathed out. Even though my
shoulders were released from the pressure, I could still feel it tingling.
While I was confirming the state of my body, Keisan
seat before he sat down as well.
「What are you planning to do after going to Tournons Kingdom? Do you have any
relatives there to… that’s impossible, isn’t it?
Do you have someone you can rely on?」
was probably going to keep asking until he got an answer he could accept.
That’s the kind of vibe he’s giving off. Would I be able to give him a reason that can
get him to give me his consent?? I’m really worried now. It seems like Keisan
the same mind, so I wouldn’t be getting any help.
How the heck did things turn out this way? Recently, it feels like this is the only
thing I’ve been saying, but it can’t be helped. The events that happened recently
were all things that I had no control over. And they were also not something I could
understand, which makes me want to sigh.
For now, should I try the standard excuse? I feel bad for the earnest Keisan
but I can’t possibly tell them the truth.
「I don’t have anyone like that in Tournons Kingdom. But I have been saving up for
the sake of migrating alone, so I think it’ll be fine. As for the reason why I chose
Tournons, it’s because I heard that it’s a country of magic and I wanted to see their
spirit magic in particular.」
This is what I told Mookssan
as well. In his case, he thought I yearned for magic
since I couldn’t use them myself, so it probably didn’t feel out of place.
I didn’t know if it would work on the two of them, but it wasn’t completely a lie. I do
want to see spirit magic! If it’s really possible to see spirits, I want to try it! There’s
finally a fantasy world component after all, so I definitely want to fully enjoy it!!
「Our country won’t lose out to Tournons in terms of magic. We also excel at
swordsmanship and the like, unlike Tournons.
Spirit magic is rare, but you can learn it at the academy. Isn’t this country’s
academy considered the best amongst all countries?
Even if the magic probing stone did not react and you can’t use magic, you would
be able to enter the academy with your swordsmanship and a bit of studying. After
getting in, if you get good results, you’ll be able to work in the royal palace. On the
other hand, if you just graduate with poor grades, or even if you drop out of school,
you’d have grabbed the attention of a lower class noble.
It would also be better that way; you wouldn’t have to keep taking on requests at
the agency, but instead you can get stable employment. Your wages would also be
much higher than it is now. There isn’t even one unfavorable point for you. There’s
no need for you to migrate to Tournons unreasonablyno,
Eeh~ Why is he so against me going to Tournons? To go so far as to say there’s no
need for me even go there at all, much less migrate there.
And besides, for him to talk about dropping out before I even enrolled, does that
mean that it is something quite common? He even said if I ‘just graduate’!! Does the
academy produce that many students who can’t study? After passing the difficult
enrollment exam, would they just do as they please and have fun? I don’t
U~n, it’s actually because of my unique magic power, isn’t it? Although it isn’t magic
power but mana essence. Keisan
seemed to have realised that I was a little taken
「Ani, calm down. You can’t convey what you want to say when you are angry.」
exhaled fuu~ while still looking discontented, causing Keisan
「However, I do understand what Ani wants to say. Az, do you hate the academy?
I had my breath stolen from me for an instant when I heard his words, and his
expression rendered me speechless. The reason being that he looked extremely
「I do like this country. Everyone is surrounded and protected by flowers of all
colours and it is gentle.
Everyone around me is nice to me. This is my favourite place.」
looked slightly less sorrowful after I said that. As I was feeling somewhat
next words made the two of us freeze in place.
「If that’s the case, you should just continue living in this country!
Is it a monetary problem? It’s true that for commoners who can’t use magic, that
might be an issue. If that’s the case then let me handle it. You can also leave
everything after enrollment to me! It’s an investment. You should just attend school
advancing this topic by himself? Why?
If the magic probing stone had reacted, I would have been forced to enroll in the
academy, but school expenses and the like would be covered by the country. It
seemed that I would then have to pay back a certain portion of the expenses after I
get a job, postgraduation.
Generally, everyone will work for the royal palace and
get reduced wages from them. The magicians are trapped in this way and they
become part of the nation’s power.
I’ve heard that it is rather costly to enroll by other means. The same goes for school
fees. It’s not something a mere commoner could afford. I gathered this information
despite not having any interest in it, just in case something unexpected happened.
But, an investment, huh? Who said I wanted to enter the academy? Aah this isn’t
good…I’m going to snap for the first time in a long while.
「Ani! What a great line 『It’s fine. I will cover it with my personal assets.』 」
Was the snapping sound putsu that I heard in my head just my imagination?
I stood up from my chair with a loud bang and glared at Anisan.
「What are you joking about? Do you think I’m stupid? Who wants to enter the
academy? I really hate it, no matter how much money I have, I wouldn’t want to
You will use your personal assets to cover my enrollment fee and school fees? An
investment you say? What’s that supposed to be? I don’t need it. If I wanted to go,
I’d earn the money myself. Who would borrow money from some noble!? Didn’t I
say I saved up money myself to migrate to Tournons? It’s my own life, I’ll live it the
I noticed that they have both gone pale and stiff, but I’m still angry.
「How is it a highly regarded academy if it’s fine if you graduate with poor results or
even if you drop out? Just who the hell thinks it’s a good academy? Aah? Who or
what is this academy for?」
who was still being glared at answered 「For the country and its
citizens…」, causing me to laugh in scorn.
「Are you an idiot? What do you mean for the country and its citizens? It’s all for
sake of a portion of the nobility and the rich. The academy is only a place for nobles
to pursue their selfinterest
and deepen their relationships among each other.」
not true! Everyone is there to receive the necessary education and
argued with a flushed face while Keisan
who was behind him still looked
「Aah, there are probably earnest nobles as well. But, I think the majority there are
those who would obtain their worldly desires by force.
Naa, can I ask you? Just what the heck do the nobles learn in the academy?」
My anger has overflowed and burst forth, I can’t stop. I don’t know how to stop.
The faces of the kind villagers and townsmen, the staff at the agency and the
martials artist pop up in my mind. As the time we spent together increased, we’ve
talked about various things. Of good things and of bad things. Furthermore, there
are also things I’ve seen during this short life I’ve lived.
I know that it’s useless to tell the 2 of them this and that this is just me venting my
anger, but I can’t stop. My frustration had been piling up… no, I had just been
averting my eyes. I would not have been able to go on otherwise. It’s painful to see
this world with my previous life’s outlook. I’ve only been experiencing situations I
can’t do anything about, so no matter how unreasonable it was, I’ve been
pretending that I didn’t see it for my own sake.
「They learn all that is necessary to become magicians, knights or soldiers.」
replied painfully, and it was obvious that he’s depressed.
「That’s right. But, nobles hire home tutors to teach them from young. Well, they
might not focus as much on actual techniques but there are probably those who do.
What would these people learn in the academy? Commoners are tested on their
magical capabilities at the age of 10. Nobles? Right after they are born, right?
Why’s that? It’s for them to be able to use magic from young. Naa, is the academy
necessary? Aah…don’t say things like commoners can enroll too. After all, didn’t
you say it earlier? That it might be an issue for commoners to enroll without magic.
It might be better if it was just an academy for magicians, since everyone with the
makings of a magician will be forced to enroll even if they were commoners.
Teaching them the right way to use magic? I do think it’s important. But, as for what
it’s not like I don’t understand. They have to work for the
country and become the country’s strength. If they went to other countries, what this
country preciously nurtured will become a threat to it. So they are trapped in this
but he was no longer saying anything in response. No,
there’s nothing he could say, is there? He’s in shock.
「Well, to the magicians of this country, being able to work is probably a good thing
It’s just that it’s not easy to reach that point. I gave it some thought. How are the
commoners – who can’t read, write or count – going to learn after enrolling? How
are they going to read textbooks on magical studies if they can’t read at all? How
are they going to make their notes when they can’t even write?
The nobles will just make fun of these commoners who can’t do anything. “Why
can’t you even do this?” They will just look down commoners at the end of the day.
“Why can’t they even do this?” It’s because they weren’t taught to. Without money,
just living is the best they could manage; there’s no way they could have studied. If
they studied, there will probably be commoners with better results than nobles. It’s
true, isn’t it? After graduation, some commoners can enter the royal palace. Just
how much did they have to study?
Nobles have their parents, and the environment, to thank for giving them everything
they need. That’s why they study from young as though it’s natural and think it’s a
matter of course. Not one bit comes from their own capability. Certainly, they do
have to actually study themselves, and what they learn is also a part of their ability.
However, the environment that makes this possible is all due to their parents.
After the commoners enroll, they use the 4 years in school to reach the nobles’
level or even surpass them, right? Isn’t that incredible? But, even with all their hard
work which enables them to be able to enter the royal palace, they are scorned by
the nobles, and I’ve heard that they are never able climb very high up. Really, who
the hell do these nobles think they are? Do they think they are that great? What
have they accomplished to make them think so? I don’t understand what they are
so proud of. I don’t want to understand it too.」
Haa… I sighed. Seeing the 2 of them now made me wince. Keisan
hard that it bled. He probably clenched his fists so hard that he hurt himself too. I
can see the blood after all…
I quietly used recovery magic. The moment I used it, Keisan
showed a bitter smile while tearing up, surprising me.
「Haa… sorry. I was just venting my anger. I know it myself but I couldn’t stop. The
2 of you are good nobles so I took advantage of that. I’m really sorry.
This is just my own opinion but nobles should learn to have conduct befitting their
pride. I would like them to learn the weight of their words and actions, and be
responsible for them when they are home tutored. It’s the basics of basics after all.
The academy would become a slightly better place in that case. Well, I think the
decent nobles have no need to learn it though!」
When I became my current self, I was speechless at the excessive irrationality of
this world. While this is true of only a portion of the nobility, these nobles view
everyone outside of nobility as trash. I initially thought of them as idiots, and
expected them to be the minority. But, I was wrong. In this world, such a thing was
Even if it’s irrational, they were nobles, so I could only give up. I could only accept
things as they were. Despite us all being human beings, what’s so different about
Even in my previous life, I encountered irrational things. It’s a part of life. Even if
that’s the case, this world has way too many irrationalities.
「I can’t remember how many years ago it was but I met 2 brats when I went to
take down a magic beast.The 2 of them were covered with injuries – one of them
was probably the attendant. He was heavily injured while fighting to protect the
noble. He probably would have died had I not been there. Nn? Even though I say
brats, they were taller than me so they were probably older? Well, it doesn’t matter.
The noble was overconfident and came to take on a magic beast on his own. The
attendant came along somehow or other. While I was covered in wounds from
protecting the 2 of them, I set up a trap and managed to defeat the magic beast.
But, do you know what that noble said in the middle of the fight? “Aren’t you
embarrassed to use traps!? To use such a method for the sake of victory, as
expected of scum. Have you no pride?” 」
I hang my head down and stare at the floor. Even though telling them this will only
It’s really a nuisance to them. But, if I rant this much, we won’t meet again, right?
While I’m being a nuisance, I’ll make them listen to the end! I raised my head to
「It’s so dumb that it’s unforgettable. It’s not like I mind being told something like
that, but at that time, what came to my mind was that the incident was caused by
this mistaken pride of his. Just what the hell is this “pride of the nobles”? Where
does this pride come from and what are they so proud of? Or rather, who the hell
do they think they are? The roads, the villages, and the companies are all the
same. Do they think that if they use prideful words however they want and in any
situation, they can overcome anything? Even though they didn’t fulfill their duties?
I would not look down on this “pride” if it was used for the sake of establishing
oneself, instead of being used to look down on others. There are things nobles
must do. The world of the nobility exists, doesn’t it? But, the country doesn’t just
belong to the nobles. Commoners and nobles are all citizens of the country.」
I sighed and sat down. Keisan
That’s not surprising, since I said all that, huh? I looked up, closed my eyes and
「I do think education is important, you know? But just a small mistake and it’ll be
brainwashing….is what I personally think.」
Did he hear my monologue? Keisan
sounded confused as he said that. I faced him
「Un. Should I say common sense? No, a person’s way of thinking? I think there
exists strange educational methods, for example – this might be an extreme case –
but if children were taught that hurting others was normal, and continued to be
taught that way, wouldn’t they not feel anything while hurting others? They would
think it’s natural to hurt others.
For nobles, if they grow up surrounded by idiots, and are taught that way by their
parents, it’d be natural for them to turn into idiotic nobles, right?
The commoners are like this too, if they see their parents debase themselves
before nobles more than is necessary they would probably end up thinking it’s
normal. There are negative examples too, so I can’t generalise it.
Education… I think it’s really difficult.」
But, how did I come to this topic? Aah, it’s because I lost control, isn’t it!? I spewed
out my emotions as it is, and ended up losing track of what I wanted to say….
(TL note: probably short for tehepero which is something like this )
I ended up ranting about all the complaints I had about the nobles. Thanks to that, I
feel refreshed, but their expressions have become tragic~!