NOVEL NEXT Chapter 82
Chapter: 82
The hero was just a clueless child.
Well, it was only natural. There were no parents to teach this kid various things, and there were no adults around capable of teaching him anything.
Plus, during this era, schools for teaching children were extremely rare—perhaps just one in a big city at best.
Even the geniuses who could understand ten things after being taught just one would find it meaningless if there wasn’t someone there to teach them that one thing.
Because even when creating new knowledge, it needs a foundation supported by existing knowledge.
So…
“Let’s learn how to read and write.”
“Huh?”
I made some prescription-less glasses for myself, created a blackboard on the wall, and held a piece of chalk in my hand.
The hero sat at a desk and chair, looking at me with a completely bewildered expression.
“You mean the writing that pilgrims used to inscribe on thin wooden boards?”
“Yep.”
I had spread the Korean language globally, but not every human could write.
To write, you need something to write on. With no cheap paper around, folks had to use papyrus, vellum, bamboo slips, or thin wooden boards… none of which were exactly cheap. Wooden boards were relatively inexpensive, but still pricey.
As a result, commoners mostly carved into clay tablets or wrote on the ground, but clay tablets were way too heavy, and writing on the ground didn’t count as proper records.
I really wanted to distribute papyrus at a lower price, but the Lizardmen had their own struggles.
While the Lizardmen were obedient and making decent money from producing and selling papyrus, they were already maxing out production. If they tried to increase it even more, it could cause chaos in areas like food production or monster extermination.
Plus, growing papyrus plants takes time. Even as an annual plant, they need time to grow and spread seeds, right?
At least the Lizardmen had started growing papyrus using seeds, and there had been some recent success, so that was a relief.
Hmm, I’ve drifted off a bit. Anyway, while paper as a recording medium is gradually spreading, the literacy rate is still quite low since not everyone has access to it yet.
Well, it felt like the ruling class was intentionally blocking literacy acquisition, but let’s not dive into that.
In any case, that’s not the important part.
I snapped my fingers and conjured up a ballpoint pen and smooth paper that didn’t quite fit this era.
Hmm. It’s nice that I can whip things up from memory.
The ballpoint pen, of course, is Monami. Cheap and easy to use, Monami.
And the accompanying paper… was filled with densely written Hangul consonants and vowels, along with several blank sheets.
We had to start with the basics first. After handing the hero the paper and pen, I picked up the chalk.
“Let’s start with the most basic things. Since the language is made by combining consonants and vowels, picking up the basics shouldn’t be too hard.”
It’s easy to learn but hard to master, so it won’t take long to get the fundamentals down.
“Now, copy what I write into the blank spaces on that paper.”
The hero awkwardly wrapped his hands around the pen and looked at me.
But he was holding the pen all wrong. You’ve gotta use your thumb, index, and middle fingers—not grip it like a dagger flipped upside down!
“You’re supposed to hold the pen like this.”
I took the pen from the hero’s hand and adjusted his right hand to hold it correctly.
With his small hands, the hero tightly gripped the pen. His face turned beet red, probably from the embarrassment of holding the pen like a weirdo.
To get embarrassed over something so trivial. He’s definitely just a kid.
“Alright, now press the back end of the pen, and the tip will pop out so you can write with it. Just don’t squeeze the pen too tightly. Holding it lightly will do.”
As the blushing hero watched me, I began writing the consonants on the blackboard one by one.
The language of this world, directly taught by the Creator Dragon God. It shouldn’t be too tough, and even a clueless hero should pick it up quickly!
…
Well, at least that’s what I thought back then.
“Well, I guess it’s okay if he can’t write properly yet. No biggie.”
The consonants and vowels looked like squirming worms. Watching the letters twist and contort, I had an intuitive revelation:
This kid is so talentless that calling him dull would be generous.
Though he’s never learned to write before, I can’t believe he’s this bad at it.
He’s literally just got to scribble with a pen. Not one letter came out looking even halfway decent.
I’m not expecting perfection, but at least it should be recognizable! The letters are all jumbled—the bits that should be attached are separated, and the ones that should be apart are stuck together!
It was hard to tell whether this was Hangul or some weird, ideographic script.
Ugh… This is going to be a rough journey…
Holding back my thoughts, I forced a smile and said,
“Well, you can’t be great at everything just because you’re the hero. All you need is enough skill to read and write decently.”
“Is that so…?”
Just because you’re a hero doesn’t mean you have to be an amazing calligrapher! Being able to read and write moderately well is enough! The real important part is swinging that sword!!!
And honestly, if he struggles with writing, I can just follow along and write or read for him if he needs it, right?
———————
The hero’s sword sliced the air, just barely missing my cheek.
And then…
Screech!
The hero’s sword hacked into the solid rock wall, cutting through it as easily as a kitchen knife goes through tofu.
A seriously threatening move. Well, I doubt that sword could leave even a scratch on my skin, but that recent swing had some threatening undertones because…
“Why are you tripping over nothing…? There was nothing on this flat floor to trip on…”
The sight of the hero tripping on the flat floor and dropping his sword was a sure sign that raising this hero was going to be a bumpy road.
I mean, I knew he was dull, but I didn’t think he’d be such a klutz too!
A tiny, very tiny doubt about whether my choice was right popped into my mind but quickly faded away again.
“This is troublesome.”
After a short lament, I pulled the hero’s sword from the hole it had made in the wall.
It’s a large greatsword, and it went in pretty deep, leaving a sizeable hole. Phew… Good thing there isn’t anyone on that side. Otherwise, it would have been a disaster.
I gently brushed the hole with my hand, and it sealed up like time was rewinding. Great, all good now.
I looked at the hero, who was still lying there unresponsive. Hmm… He didn’t fall that hard, but is he knocked out? Or did he hurt himself somehow?
“Are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine…”
His voice was thin and shaky. It seems he’s pretty embarrassed about tripping over nothing.
“No one gets everything right from the start. Keep training and practicing, and you’ll get better.”
And…
“For now, you should probably wait until you’ve grown a bit more before trying to swing the hero’s sword.”
I mean, I did say to give it a go as a demonstration, but I really didn’t expect this happening!
Let’s wait until he’s taller and has built more muscle before he swings this thing around. Besides, that sword’s no ordinary blade—one little mistake could lead to a big mishap.
“So, let’s use a wooden sword for now during training.”
I quickly conjured up a wooden sword that matched the hero’s blade.
I even made it with an iron core inside, allowing for some weight adjustments.
Getting it to match the weight and balance of the real sword with all the cores in was a bit tricky.
Well, it turned out quite well. After adding all the cores, the weight and balance were nearly identical to the real sword.
Sword techniques can wait. First, I need to feed this kid, raise him right, and help him grow strong.
Just as I was thinking this, I heard a small sobbing voice.
“Sob… sniff…”
“Are you seriously crying over this little issue, kid?”
“But… what if there’s something wrong with me? How can I protect everyone like this? Clearly, something’s off… Why would the Goddess of Life choose a weakling like me?”
Well, it’s because you’re a genuinely nice kid.
Strength can be sorted out somehow. Whether I magically boost your growth or train you hard—if your spirit is strong enough to keep trying, you can achieve anything.
But that kind heart? Yeah, you can’t just manufacture that! If I could, it would basically be brainwashing!
So…
“The Goddess didn’t choose you for your looks or strength.”
“Huh?”
“What she valued was your inner strength, not the outside. Your kind heart. And, of course, your determination to never give up.”
“A kind heart…”
“I can take care of everything else, but that part? That’s up to you. So let’s stop with the pity party.”
I handed the hero the wooden sword, completely devoid of iron cores.
At least I cast a durability spell on it, so it won’t easily break.
“From now on, all you need to do is study hard, train hard, eat well, and grow big! Got it?”
“Yes…!”
The hero wiped away his tears and got back on his feet. That’s right! That’s how it’s gotta be! That’s the payoff for my choice!
I smiled as I watched the hero regain his composure.