NOVEL NEXT Chapter 93.1
Did You Have A High Level Of Education In Reading, Writing, And Arithmetic?
“Huh? Everyone, is today a study day?”
“Oh, Yuuri. Are you done with shopping?”
“Yes, I finished it.”
As Yuuri muttered to himself, looking at the apprentices intently facing papers at the living room table, Jake, who was guiding them, spoke up gently. Yuuri, having finished shopping and put the groceries in the fridge, had come to the living room and was puzzled to see the apprentices unusually focused on their studies. Certainly, even treasure hunters and adventurers need academics. At the very least, it’s dangerous if they can’t manage basic reading, writing, and arithmetic.
The risk? If you can’t read or write, or do basic calculations, you’re more vulnerable to being deceived. As far as Yuuri could see, the ones solving problems without particular difficulty were Urgus and Camille. Both wrote with a balanced script. Or at least, it appeared that way. It seemed Yuuri had some kind of auto-translation; the characters in this world were automatically translated. Even the characters they wrote appeared in Japanese, as if they were translated automatically. Maybe it was some sort of transfer adaptation.
However, the numbers and symbols used in equations were the same as Yuuri knew. Urgus and Camille were solving the written calculations smoothly. Yuuri glanced next to them, noticing Magg and Yakk struggling with their writing.
Both Magg and Yakk wrote letters with somewhat awkward movements. Legible, but clearly the handwriting of beginners. Yuuri wondered why they seemed to struggle so much with writing. For Yuuri, a Japanese person, reading and writing were just normal abilities. But this was another world, and it took Yuuri a moment to realize that.
“Magg and Yakk, is this the first time you’re learning to write?”
“…Yes.”
“Not me. I learned a little back in my village. Just a little, though.”
Magg nodded, while Yakk corrected him. Ah, Yuuri thought, I see. He was reminded once again that this was another world. Writing was just a normal skill for him. But here, ordinary schools didn’t exist. There were only institutions where nobles learned manners; there were no schools to raise general literacy. Yakk came from a farming village, but Magg’s background was the slums. In a place like that, where survival took precedence, there probably wasn’t much time to learn reading, writing, or arithmetic. With his usual blank expression, Magg continued his writing with a hint of reluctance.
“So, what about Urgus and Camille?”
“At home, I had a tutor who drilled reading, writing, arithmetic, and other subjects into me.”
“I learned reading and writing, and, since my family were merchants, a bit of simple arithmetic.”
“So, proficiency varies by person, huh?”
“‘Proficiency’?”
As Yuuri started to explain the term, wondering if it was too complex, Jake gently spoke up. Though he was usually known as the bad adult role model, Jake was also a scholar with a wealth of knowledge and a talent for teaching.
“Proficiency refers to how much one has learned or acquired. So, proficiency level means how well each of you has mastered reading, writing, and arithmetic.”
“…Yuuri, you sure know fancy words.”
Camille muttered, seemingly convinced by Jake’s explanation. Yuuri tilted his head, wondering if that was true. The basic education taught in modern Japan probably would meet a high standard in a world without such foundations, even if he wasn’t fully aware of it himself. For Yuuri, thanks to transfer adaptation, the reading and writing were automatically translated, and the numbers and symbols were the same, so he could easily manage arithmetic. But he was still fumbling through this world’s history and general knowledge. To be honest, as the base’s cook, Yuuri didn’t often encounter opportunities to expand that knowledge.
“Yuuri, would you like to join us?”
“Hmm, well, I’m free, so I’ll join in.”
“Then, here you go.”
“Thank you.”
Jake handed him a simple arithmetic sheet. Yuuri solved it with ease. It was elementary-level math, but doing it as a game made it fun. Writing numbers in kanji, for example, could turn it into a quiz and make it harder. For a high schooler like Yuuri, though, it was simple. Ignoring the reactions of Urgus and Camille, who were watching in awe, Yakk with wide eyes, and Magg frozen in place, Yuuri hummed as he worked. Watching him, Jake smiled warmly.
“All done!”
“Yes, perfect score. Well then, Yuuri, here’s the next sheet.”
“Okay!”
The next sheet had more digits, but it was still basic arithmetic, easily solvable in his head. Urgus, who’d been staring, patted Yuuri’s shoulder. Yuuri turned to look at him, tilting his head.
“What is it, Urgus?”
“What’s up with your brain?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“No way! You’re not even a merchant, but you’re that fast at calculations?”
“Oh, this is totally normal~”