Sword, Magic and Academic Society-Chapter 316Vol. 1 - - The Duty of a Private Tutor (3)

We walked the streets of Royal Capital whimsically as I listened to Cain's story, unraveling his heart.

The conversation sometimes lingered on what subject he was best at, or what he disliked the most, basically about his studies, though for the most part I inquired more about him; like did he have interest in any thing, or if there's something troubling heart right now.

With the conversation unfolding, I gradually brought puzzle pieces of a human called Cain together to gain a deeper understanding of him. And eventually, I pinpointed the cause of his trouble which, to be frank, couldn't have been anymore commonplace.

He had been slowly but gradually paving the path for the civil course ever since his childhood, as his parents wanted him to, but it occurred when he suddenly failed to gain a good score in an important exam by quite a margin. For the first time, doubt sprang up, and a fear settled inside him when he thought how the coming exam would cement how his life ahead would be.

Should he really continue to push forth? ...Maybe, they're just in start contrast to each other. As much he doubted, he also had no courage to abandon the path he'd been walking for as long he could remember.

The maze of thoughts, in particular when there's no answer to the dilemma, was like an abyss that hid away your path to leave when you lost inside. And eventually, the small issue would snowball to become a major obstacle unwittingly.

He had his questions—what was his drive for following the footsteps of his steps? Had he ever questioned himself about his motivation? Did he ever think of becoming a photographer that he respected that much? Or perhaps, the world wasn't so easy to make a living out of hobby.

Such dilemmas gradually emerged, overlapping, causing him to fall into his woven web.

I had seen this so many times. And yet, it wasn't so easy to get out of such a slump. I knew this very well, because... I had been through the same. I had faced the same lack of motivation, unable to muster any will by any means, due to the similar dilemmas before I went through awakening.

"My parents, and cram school teacher both say it's fine not to decide your future right now. I should focus on the exam, and think about college. There will be plenty of time then...... What about you, teacher? Do you think I should push aside these to focus on the exam?"

I gestured with a shake of my head.

"The decisions that influence one's life are extremely important. Just remember this, Cain. The dilemma you currently face is the biggest, but most important, challenge of your life."

The consequence that would sprung up when you mistook your priority could be painful. That's how I had felt in the previous life, full of agony.

It really didn't matter. You could have been taking the path of an elite that would make everyone green due to jealousy. You could also drop out from the school and live whimsically. In the end, if it wasn't a path chosen by one's own will, there would be no true happiness.

After all, you couldn't decide other people's happiness for themselves.

"Let's start with one step at a time. First, accept that you're currently troubled. Remember what I said a while ago? If just telling you to focus on studying would've been enough to make you concentrate, no one would've been going through a similar debacle. Instead, what you should do, if you find yourself plagued with lack of focus, is to strengthen your heart."

"Strengthen my... heart?"

"Yes. There's no straightforward answer to how you should live, or if that path would lead you to your happiness. There's no shortcut. Even though I had been unsure during the exams, I still have some dilemmas. But I managed to bring myself to focus, all because I had prepared myself."

I figured what had him ensnared in fear. It was, undoubtedly, low confidence to face the world.

It was humane to fear what you couldn't understand.

There was a huge gap between the perspective of what Cain could see and what his parents or cram teachers saw. It was like trying to convince a kid, shaking from fear on a suspension bridge, that the bridge is safe, just cross it.

Anyway, the foremost thing to understand was that the dilemma wasn't something that could be resolved simply with words. ...Of course, there were some measures.

"......But fear no more. Let me show you the vastness of the world. I will be visiting you tomorrow morning at 7 o' clock."

"At 7?! But the appointment time was from afternoon to evening...?" 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"You sweat over trivial too much. We're just going to play around, so it's not like we have to stick to agreement! It's decided then. Sleep early and don't forget to have your breakfast by then!"

◆◆◆

"...And this is pretty much the gist. Allen Rovenne-sensei would come to pull Cain with himself to hang out outside all day long for the last four days. And now Cain's homework has all become a stack too. ...Duid-sensei, you will be teaching him from home like anyone else, right!?"

With her face wrapped in anxiety, Felia cornered Duid.

It was the weekend, so Cain's father, Yubaru, was also present at the scene. Albeit, he appeared too nervous to even say anything, and remained in his seat in complete silence.

A wry smile tugged on Duid's lips as he gave a nod to Felia.

"Yes, I only have the intention to teach Cain here. Al-chan's methods are far too much for me to replicate."

After reassuring Felia, Duid then shifted his gaze to Cain, the latter sitting amidst his two parents.

"Well, I have taken over Al-chan, but you don't have to worry. He spoke highly of you, like how you still have room for growth. Your straightforward personality, and above all, your ability to self-think is impressive."

As if something caught them off-guard, an astonishment covered Felia and Yubaru when they heard Duid's word, and glanced at their son.

Cain's face bore the same expression, seemingly finding it unexpected. In Duid's eyes, the current Cain was in stark contrast to the Cain he had seen when he first visited. It was like he was altogether a new person.

"Sure enough, you look so different now. Al-chan really have knack for such things, eh... He told me he forbade you from studying for the last four days."

"What, did he really?!"

Felia stood up from seat in shock, almost on the verge of fainting.

Duid followed to explain the study plan Allen had contrived. He had been hesitating how to lay it out, but seeing the reaction, it was probably better to explain now to move forward or they would be stuck in one thing forever.

He pulled out a notebook from his bag, and placed it on the table.

The preface read "Absolute Success Project X! - Ver. Cain." It was apparent the writer was quite excited from the handwriting.

"......These are the notes Al-chan wrote for Cain-kun to help him in exams. He put it down after analysing the past exam papers of Civil Economy School, and Cain-kun's present understanding of his subjects. To be frank, even I was surprised with his plan. ...I guess this is the essence of Schord Bainfaus."

"A-Allen Rovenne did this... for Cain......?"

Felia's eyes displayed her dumbfoundment as she took the notes in her hand gingerly, and examined it.

"......This... to make notes of everything in just... four days?"

The notes were too many, including everything from the past exam paper's questions to Cain's grasp in his syllabus. It was also listed what Cain should be focusing on to increase his efficiency and how he could improve his score.

He had even written down what Cain must understand, and what he must memorise in an order of priority. It was a full-on walkthrough on how to conquer the exam. He also made sure to highlight why it was important to learn a given section, or some interesting trivia about the aspect he was learning.

Felia never saw the exam as just Cain's alone. She saw it as a three-legged race that they must face together. It took her not even a moment to see the notes—Allen had used model books from his previous life as reference to consolidate these notes—were not some last minute work, but something meticulously prepared.

"Allen-sensei did it...? But, we barely covered anything about my study... how did he do it?"

Cain was just as astounded as he peered into the notes by his mother's side. Duid's lips twisted into another wry smile.

"He was quite serious about this job as a fact. He told me, "It's just natural to do the best as a disciple of Schord. I will make sure every single rea of the hefty fee counts." Of course, he only did it because he truly enjoyed being a tutor. Well, the notes are in fact a collective effort, including him and others though."

"W-what... do you mean by 'collective effort'?"

Duid's face winced, as if he found it awkward to reveal, at Felia's inquiry and replied.

"Err... I do not want to put it as further pressure on Cain, but It may be better to reveal now than coming to know later at unfortunate timing. So... when other students and teachers of the academy hear Al-chan is quite seriously taking the tutor job, it immediately picks their curiosity and joins Allen in his venture."

As Duid explained, Felia's face was dyed in startle.

If, if she heard him right, that mean—

"I wasn't there, but I heard the Class 2-A students had debates till late night as they exchanged their ideas on how Cain-kun's success can be guaranteed. Well, it was quite intense, even saying 'the prodigal son, Leon, is just naturally talented so his perspective was largely redundant, but the Zaitsinger family's education was thorough.'"

—Allen Rovenne has taken a part-time tutor job, and took an oath in the name of Schord that he would see it through to its complete end.

The rumours immediately garnered the attention of the academy's teacher, so much that they'd even gone out of their way to adjust their already crowded summer schedule just to take part in the situation.

"Wh—... no way..."

The more Felia heard, the more she was astounded. The notes held the perspective of both teachers and students of Royal Academy; some of them were even personas like Feyroon von Dragoon, Jeuri Leverance, Bester von Stockload, or Coconial Canardia. There would barely be anyone who hadn't heard of their names, and how they were seen as shining beacons of Yuglia's future.

It was no exaggeration to say what she held in her hand was one-of-a-kind treasure. A thing that consolidated the academy's perspective, their exam philosophy and talk-of-the-town Schord's guidance.

The shock was so much that notes fell from Felia's trembling hand. She hurried to pick them up.

She couldn't even begin to imagine the value these notes had. ...Or perhaps, it was outright impossible to give it a value? After all, it wasn't something anyone could buy even if they'd the money of the whole world.

It might be tailor-made for Cain, but she knew a whole crowd, as many as the stars are out there, would die to get these notes on their hands.

"Well, the only one who couldn't help out was Kate-chan. It appears her Sarkanp family drew out the history section at the behest of those education institutes. She might reveal too much so she stayed aside. She looked quite sad when she said that."

"Why, why would they do so much for someone like me......"

Cain murmured as he reached to pick up the fallen notes. Duid revealed a warm smile as he explained.

"—"These notes are but tools. It's yours to decide how to bring them in use, or not at all. However, you must not lose sight of what's truly important. After all, life is anything but a one-way route." Al-chan left me this message for you."

Cain's hand froze mid-air.

"W-what might be the meaning of this... Cain...?"

Perceiving an oddity in the situation, Felia nervously inquired. However Cain remained silent. His gaze was fixated to the notes, his knitted brows revealing a contemplating appearance.

"With these notes, Cain's success is unshaken. But I think Al-chan might be telling him there's more than just the exam."

Duid gazes at Cain for a moment, then he cleared the air with a faint cough and remarked, his brows knitted together as if troubled.

"...If it's not too much, can you tell me what you did for the last four days? Al-chan brushed it aside, saying we just hang out here and there, but the others are quite curious about the details..."

Cain stayed silent for a while, but eventually spoke, his tone tinged with a resolve.

"Err... Teacher Allen just said I don't have to say anything if I don't feel like..."

And then, his eyes lingered at his father, his expression slightly twisted in awkwardness.

"The first day, we... The teacher led me to the government district on 2nd Avenue 2nd Street."

As soon Cain's words poured out, Yubaru's eyes, who had quietly listened to everything with a streak of nervousness until now, trembled slightly.

The government district on 2nd Avenue 2nd Street.

It was the heart of the kingdom that managed the national affairs. Whether it was domestic affairs or international, about commerce, agriculture, or logistics, and even police. All such affairs were processed there. It was the hubbub of officials.

As the mainstay of government affairs, it was known to attract the graduates of not just Civil Economy School, but even Royal Academy's students. At the same time, it was also where Yubaru, an elite bureaucrat, was employed at.

"It was just a coincidence we... happened to be there and saw it. How some creepy noble was... lashing out at father."