Chapter 1: Everyone has a letter of resignation in their heart

Hero Academy.

Although the name is a bit old-fashioned, its significance in the world is very important.

As the name suggests, a hero.

Or a hero’s party member.

Or an educational institution that gathers those with the qualities of a great hero from across the continent and nurtures them with a suitable curriculum.

Hero. Hero party. Great hero.

These are the names given to those who are said to have absolute power and save the world.

As a place that gathers and trains such individuals, it exists as the most important and valuable educational institution in the world.

Just by listening to it, it sounds like a bright and beautiful place that takes responsibility for the future of humanity… but the reality is different.

“Hey, damn it, how dare a low-ranking hero try to talk to the heroes?”

“Kekeke, that commoner won’t be accepted into any party, will they?”

“Why don’t you go out and become a low-level adventurer!”

The inside is utterly rotten.

A person’s aptitude is greatly influenced by their lineage.

And those who were once heroes or of heroic descent are mostly nobles now.

They occupy the top positions in each country.

In other words, more than 90% of the academy students are nobles of a single country or from families with high positions.

What happens when such people gather… is obvious without even looking.

Based on their lineage, their abilities, and their status.

They begin to divide, discriminate against, and treat people poorly.

The children of lower-ranking nobles can’t even speak to the children of upper-ranking nobles.

Only those who are strong or have power gather, and the rest sink.

Commoners? Not even worth mentioning.

Are the teachers just standing by?

Think about it.

Who are the teachers who teach heroes and heroines?

They are, of course, former heroes or heroines.

Almost the majority of the teaching staff encourages it rather than stopping it.

But why am I suddenly talking about this?

Well… it’s because I, Kane, am a ‘teacher’ at this ‘Hero Academy.’

Of course, I’m not just any teacher.

I’m the Hero Academy’s first ‘commoner teacher.’

“Hey, there goes Teacher Yoo.”

“Ugh, what’s there to learn from a dirty commoner…”

The treatment I receive is… well, I’ve already explained a lot about the academy, so I don’t think I need to add anything.

A place where power and authority are absolute.

So how did I get into such a place?

Among those who despise commoners so much.

“I heard he doesn’t have any aptitude for being a hero or a heroine and is just a parachute.”

“A commoner with a parachute? That’s the worst.”

Yes, I’m a parachute.

The reason I, a normal commoner with no special abilities, could enter this place.

It was because of the influence of Marquis Harkur, the strongest hero of the Kar Empire where the academy is located.

If you’re wondering why the strongest hero of the strongest empire is mentioned here.

It’s because he was my superior and the one who saved my life before I became an academy teacher.

‘Are you hungry? Let’s go to my house and have a meal.’

It was Marquis Harkur who saved me, who had been abandoned on the streets without even knowing my parents’ faces.

‘You, you’re good at teaching! So, how about becoming the training for the private soldiers?’

He also gave me a place to stay.

‘…My youngest daughter has awakened her hero aptitude. So she has to enter the Hero Academy. I think I can trust you with it. So… Could you become a teacher at the academy? I’ll write a letter of recommendation.’

That’s why I don’t resent being sent to this hellish place.

Because his youngest daughter, Jenny, is a child I’ve been looking after like a younger sister since she was little, and to be honest, I was worried because she has a gentle nature.

If there’s one thing I regret.

‘…Marquis Harkur has passed away.’

Although he had been suffering before I came to the academy, he passed away in just a year.

That I couldn’t be by his side when he left.

That’s the only thing I regret.

The person I promised is dead, and no one in the academy.

Whether they are students or teachers, they are all hostile to me.

In the end, there’s only one reason for me to be here.

“Student Jenny.”

“Oh! Kane o.. no, Teacher Kane!”

Twin ponytails of red hair tied down to her waist.

Emerald eyes, which are calm and composed like her father, Marquis Harkur.

A small, cute physique and large, round dog-like eyes, which give a gentler impression compared to her strong appearance.

Even though we’ve been meeting for three years as teacher and student, the adorable girl… the Marquis’s youngest daughter, Jenny, still calls me “oppa” before “teacher.”

Around her, students gathered like a faction.

Of course, her gentle and kind personality didn’t create this faction.

Just… the power of being the bloodline of the strongest hero.

Ability that ranks first in all sections of magic, martial arts, and academics.

Charisma that leads people.

Kind personality that cares for others.

Jenny attracts people because she has all the elements that draw people in.

“That person… wasn’t he a servant of Jenny-nim’s family?”

“Jenny-nim is kind even to a commoner servant… beautiful.”

“I shouldn’t get too close and touch something dirty…”

I can hear whispers from the followers behind me.

Well… it’s not always the case that only good people gather around good people.

Rather, it’s rare.

Ignoring their voices, I gaze at Miss Jenny.

Aptitude assessment.

Paat─

Using the only ability I have, aptitude assessment, a translucent box appeared next to her.

[ Name: Jenny Harkur ]

[ Aptitude ]

[ Physical Skill Integration (24 types) – S ]

[ Magic Skill Integration (13 types) – A ]

[ Academic Integration (18 types) – A ]

[ Hero’s Qualities – S ]

I’ve seen it many times before, but even seeing it again, it’s an overwhelming aptitude.

Truly worthy of the bloodline of the strongest hero, Harkur.

While others only have one or two aptitudes, including physical, magical, and academic.

The ability to have overlapping aptitudes in physical, magical, and academic areas is the power of a hero or heroine.

Among them, if you can have more than two integrated aptitudes, it’s called the quality of a hero.

If the hero’s quality is S-rank, it’s an amazing talent that can save the world, literally.

The total aptitude skills she has are 24 in physical, 13 in magic, and 18 in academics.

In total, she has a genius level of S-rank or A-rank in 55 aptitudes.

Oh, and by the way, this is my ability, aptitude assessment.
I can see a person’s aptitude in this detailed way.

Each church or some magicians can check the qualities of a hero or heroine, but the power to know the individual’s aptitudes in such detail.

As far as I know, my aptitude assessment is unique.

And this is exactly why I could become the training incharge for the Harkur Marquis’s private soldiers.

And why I, who was hated for being a commoner, could work as a teacher at the Hero Academy for three years without being fired.

To be honest, what could be easier than giving education knowing what the person’s aptitude is?

Well… that’s also thanks to Marquis Harkur recognizing my abilities.

That’s why I paid special attention to his youngest daughter, Jenny.

No, to be exact, I didn’t pay attention to anyone other than her.

Because I only gave her guidance and education enough to not get fired as a teacher.

To be honest, I didn’t really want to do this job.

“Congratulations on your graduation.”

“Ehehe… Thank you. But there are still two days left until the graduation ceremony!”

Still, this dirty work is finally over.

Because… Jenny is graduating!

Now, there’s no reason for me to work in this academy anymore.

“Then, I’ll be going, o.. no, Teacher!”

As she bowed and left, the followers who followed her also moved away.

Of course, they didn’t forget to gossip about me when she wasn’t looking.

“Hmph, don’t act all high and mighty just because Jenny-nim spoke to you! You’re a pathetic commoner!”

“We’ll see later. I’ll cripple that *******, cutting off their limbs one by one.”

Extra students 1 and 2 glare at me.

Well, let’s see how great they are.

[ Name: Amon Grace ]
[ Aptitude ]
[ Physical Skill Integration (4 types) – C ]
[ Healing Magic – C ]
[ Hero’s Qualities – D ]

[ Name: Diges Rector ]
[ Aptitude ]
[ Swordsmanship – C ]
[ Magic Skill Integration (3 types) – D ]
[ Hero’s Qualities – E ]

As expected, they’re not that great.

These are names I’ve never seen in the three years of teaching.

That level is much better than someone with an A-rank aptitude in one thing.

…Of course, that’s not something I, who am much more pathetic than them, can say.

Well, anyway, these are the guys I won’t see in three days.

Whether they graduate or I quit as a teacher, either way.

Only three days left.

Three days passed faster than I thought.

Today is the graduation ceremony for the third-year students, including Jenny.

And at the same time, it’s the day all the shackles holding me in the academy disappear.

Oh, is it finally liberation when today is over?

I’m so happy.

But at the same time, an unknown sense of unease begins to rise.

“……”

Hmm… what should I do after I quit here?

“…Go back to the Marquis’s family?”

No… Since Marquis Harkur passed away, his eldest son, ‘Sane Harkur,’ who took over the Marquis’s power, despises commoners.

He didn’t understand his father at all, who usually treated commoners equally, and always picked fights.

Even so, the reason he succeeded him is that Sane Harkur holds the greatest power within the Marquis’s family.

In other words, it means that there will be hardly anyone to welcome me if I go back to the Marquis’s family, and there will only be a lot of Sane Harkur’s henchmen who hate commoners.

“I can’t go there. If I catch the eye of Master Sane, my head will be chopped off right away.”

Then, should I become an adventurer?

…No, that’s not it.

I’ll just throw away my life for nothing.

As I said, I have no power other than aptitude assessment.

[ Name: Kane ]
[ Aptitude ]
[ Education – D ]

It seems that I can only do teaching, as I only have a little aptitude in education.

An adventurer has to have at least D-rank swordsmanship, but someone like me can’t even handle F-rank missions.

“…Should I open a school somewhere in the countryside?”

Is that all I can do?

Well… of course, the school I have with my wealth will be like a small study room.

Even so, since I have the title of a Hero Academy teacher, wouldn’t I be able to get a job as an educator somewhere suitable?

Like being in charge of educating noble private, or being an adventurer education officer.

“Hmm, should I take a break and think about it? I have some money saved up anyway…”

I should go on a trip somewhere to relieve the stress I’ve built up so far.