Chapter 6: You cant judge a book by its cover (3)

“Here we are.”
“Wow…”

The archives of the Adventurers’ Guild, which I followed Tachi Swale into, were surprisingly small.

Compared to the massive library at the Hero Academy, with its hundreds of thousands of books and centuries of historical records, this was nothing.
It felt like they’d crammed whatever documents and records they had into a tiny side room.

“Well… given the nature of adventurers, not many people come looking for this stuff.”

…Not many? More like none.

The guild master sighed, his usual struggles evident in his expression.

Researching documents and records is crucial in any place, situation, or profession.
But, true to their rough and free-spirited nature, adventurers probably aren’t too fond of written texts.

Still, this is a bit much…
To think the archives of one of the world’s largest guild branches are like this.
I can only imagine what smaller branches are like.

“It’s fine. Is there a place where I can read these, and… do you have a pen and some paper?”

I need to organize things my way for easy reference later.

“I’ll have a staff member bring some. As for a place… there’s an unused staff room you can use.”
“Thank you.”

A simple table in a corner would’ve been enough, but lending me a staff room?
What a great guy…!

“Take a look around for now. I’ll arrange the empty room for you to use.”

Tachi Swale left the archives with his refined demeanor intact.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.
What a great guy…!

“Let’s see. Where should I start?”

The room is small, but the shelves are packed with books and records.
Finding what I need might take a while…

The good thing is, the books and documents are organized alphabetically,
and the records are sorted by year and date.
…If they weren’t even organized that much, it’d be a real problem.

Guess my expectations dropped after seeing the state of this room.

“Well… let’s get started.”

Sitting and reading books is my specialty.
Easier than eating a meal.

“That’s impressive.”

Tachi Swale, guild master of the Adventurers’ Guild Carmen branch,
had recently picked up a new hobby.

Watching the daily routine of the man introduced as Kane.
Not in a weird way—it was just so fascinating and impressive.

‘Six hours straight already. Aside from eating and bathroom breaks, he’s practically glued to those books.’

Kane’s schedule was simple.

Three meals a day, bathroom breaks, and three hours of sleep.
Aside from that, he spent nearly every moment reading through the guild’s archives.

If he were just reading, Tachi wouldn’t have been so impressed.
There are eccentric mages and alchemists who do that, after all.

‘I glanced at the notes he’s been organizing…’

They couldn’t have been more detailed or easier to understand.

He even cross-referenced knowledge from books and sources not in the guild’s archives, adding annotations.
It was a level of work impossible unless you knew nearly everything about the world.

‘Is this guy even human?’

When Scarlet first brought him, Tachi hadn’t thought much of him.

An utterly ordinary man with no discernible power.
Hearing he was a former Hero Academy teacher made Tachi feel foolish for having any expectations.

But now…

“There’s a reason Scarlet trusted and introduced him.”

Honestly, he was a bit jealous.
Tachi wanted to recruit him as a direct subordinate.

No, even that aside.
The notes he’s compiled, with all those annotations—
those alone could drastically improve adventurers’ survival rates.

‘…Wait. Isn’t this kind of a big deal?’

A compilation that could exponentially increase adventurer survival rates across the continent.
That’s something that could shift the world’s balance.

‘…A subordinate? This guy’s beyond my league.’

Tachi Swale let out a wry chuckle and returned to his desk.

As the master of one of the world’s largest guild branches, his capacity was far beyond most.
But even he realized that Kane’s thirst for knowledge, curiosity, and ability to apply it
were beyond what he could contain.

Greed brings ruin.
Knowing that well, he decided not to covet Kane.

‘I just… want to see what kind of impact he’ll make on the world.’

Tachi had a gut feeling that something exciting was about to unfold.

In the heart of Carmen, the capital of the Kar Empire, stood a grand castle.
Rexron Palace, home to the emperor, was hosting a lavish party.

[Hero Party Appointment Ceremony]

It was an annual event where top-performing graduates from the Hero Academy were gathered
to be officially appointed as heroes, hero party members, or great heroes.

“Pleased to meet you, Duke Fersen!”
“Haha, good to see you.”

As the appointment ceremony for heroes, a key pillar of the empire’s strength,
the emperor and numerous prominent nobles were all in attendance.
Some provincial nobles were absent, but attendance wasn’t mandatory, so it wasn’t a big deal.

However, it was customary for the families of the graduating students being appointed to attend.

“Marquis Sane didn’t show up, huh.”
“A shame. They say he’s so sharp and composed, you’d hardly believe he’s a Harkur.”

Marquis Sane, the older brother of Jenny Harkur, the ceremony’s star, was absent.

“Tch, isn’t that a bit cold-blooded? Not even attending his little sister’s ceremony.”
“Haha, what can you do? A man’s got work to do.”

Normally, such absence would draw criticism, but the nobles and royals held Marquis Sane in high regard.

And for good reason.
Unlike Marquis Harkur, he was known for his strong aristocratic leanings.

The former Marquis Harkur was a ticking time bomb who could’ve blown away half the empire.
His successor, a born high noble excelling in politics and economics, eliminated that threat.
Plus, with his pro-aristocracy stance, how could the nobles and royals not like him?

So, there wasn’t much to criticize, and talk of Sane didn’t last long.
Their attention quickly shifted back to the ceremony.

“I hear this year’s graduates are exceptional.”
“Haha, I heard that too. Less than 5% of students died.”
“Not just that—the average grades are the highest in history.”

The empire’s prime minister, second only to the emperor in power,
Duke Fersen, was speaking to a middle-aged man beside him.

“The Hero Academy’s standards have really gone up. All thanks to His Majesty’s grace.”
“Hahaha, what are you saying? It’s thanks to the hard work of the academy’s teachers and students.”

That middle-aged man was none other than the ruler of the Kar Empire,
Emperor Kar XVII, who had maintained peace for thirty years.

“Still, this year’s impressive. Out of 84 students, only three died. Five top-tier graduates from our empire alone… and the valedictorian set a historic record, didn’t they?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”

The emperor and the prime minister.
The first and second in the empire’s hierarchy.

No one dared interrupt their conversation.
Except for one person.

“Haha, I’m flattered, Your Majesty.”
“Oh, Headmaster Parus, isn’t it?”

A man with neatly trimmed gray whiskers, Headmaster Parus, stepped in.

“Truthfully, this year’s results… were driven by one student leading the way.”
“Oh, I see.”

Parus glanced at a red-haired, ponytailed female student standing at the front of the ceremony stage,
and Emperor Kar XVII nodded in understanding.

“Jenny Harkur. A child of that Harkur family.”

The emperor tilted his head slightly, looking up as if recalling old times.

“…Those were fun days. Harkur, you, and me. We were so young.”

Muttering wistfully that those days could never return, he shook his head.

“Come to think of it, it was Your Majesty who granted Harkur his title.”
“Indeed. That man deserved it.”

Duke Fersen spoke with a slightly stiff expression, but the emperor didn’t care, smiling warmly as he looked down at Jenny.

She stood proudly, her eyes shining brightly, as if being named a hero was the greatest honor.

“A young daughter taking her father’s place… It’s quite a picture.”

The emperor’s expression was warm, like a father looking at his own daughter.

“…”

Duke Fersen, however, watched with a displeased frown.

‘Teacher Kane… no, Brother Kane now? Anyway, Kane, Father—I’m a real hero now!’

Jenny beamed with pride as a serving general pinned the Kar Empire hero badge to her chest.

She didn’t care that her brother Sane wasn’t here,
or what the emperor, Fersen, or Parus were talking about.

Right now, she just wanted to show this moment—her official appointment as a hero—
to two people: Kane and her father.

But she knew well.
Her father was already gone from this world.
And Kane had left the academy as soon as she graduated.

She figured he was still somewhere in the capital, but he wouldn’t be at this ceremony.

‘This place is full of bad people who tormented Kane.’

Students, teachers, and nobles who looked down on Kane for being a commoner.

Even her peers standing beside her, receiving hero party or great hero badges, were no different.

It wasn’t that Jenny hadn’t tried to stop it.

To her, Kane was an absolute mentor.
She couldn’t tolerate anyone insulting him.

But she was just one person, and even as student council president, she was still just a student.
She couldn’t stop all the insults and scorn directed at Kane.

So, she accepted it.
That he had to leave the academy.

In her final act,
during her valedictorian speech, she poured her heart into thanking him.

‘Still, it’s a bit lonely knowing I can’t see him whenever I want…’

It wasn’t like they’d never meet again, but she still felt a pang of regret.
He wasn’t at the academy or at home anymore.

‘No, I’m fine. I’m not the little kid who relied only on Kane anymore!’

For herself and for Kane,
she vowed to carry out her hero duties with pride and confidence.