Chapter 166: A Walking Textbook (2)

༺ A Walking Textbook (2) ༻

The people in the club room were pretty much the same: the club members, Marghetta, Sir Villar, the Vice Principal occasionally, and sometimes, Irina. There weren't many others who came by.

In that sense, the person before me was the first new visitor I'd seen in quite some time. Should I give them a gift?

"I'm sorry for the sudden visit, but I was so eager to seek advice from the Prosecutor that I just had to come!"

And it seemed that this new visitor might actually be hoping for a gift from me.

Lucky me. I was worried about how to host them since I didn't really have anything to offer.

"Please take a seat. Let's slowly discuss what brings you here."

"Yes!"

So, I guided the guest to a seat. It wouldn't do to keep them standing.

'Rumors do travel fast.'

The visitor introduced himself as Gerhardt, a history teacher. His face was flushed with exertion, maybe because he came rushing in.

He must have come because of the comments I made to the members yesterday. Otherwise, there was no reason for such an abrupt visit.

'How did he hear about it?'

I told the kids to follow what they learned and not to worry about what I said. And yet, here we were, not even 24 hours later.

Whatever happened this morning was a mystery, but it didn't matter. Someone who seemed ready to spill everything without being asked had arrived.

"Is it alright if I call you Mr. Gerhardt?"

"Yes! Please, feel free!"

A mix of enthusiasm and excitement made Gerhardt's voice booming. I've only ever heard such a voice from a minister who was demanding more budget.

I should probably start by making him feel comfortable.

"A single gold coin can feed the children of an orphanage, and ten silver coins can ensure a warm winter for the poor people of an entire city!"

"Understood. Now, please go back. Isn't it enough if I just give more?"

Thus began what could only be described as a verbal sparring match, though it was more like a one-sided moral barrage from the Minister of Welfare.

Anyway, telling someone to calm down in such a situation tended to backfire. They would eventually settle down at their own pace.

"Understood. So, Mr. Gerhardt, you wanted my advice?"

I had a rough idea, but I still asked out of courtesy.

Gerhardt would surely calm down once he began explaining his reason for visiting.

***

History was the culture of the nobility. It was important to know the events each country had gone through and the rise and fall of each noble house. This knowledge formed the basis of social interactions for nobles and was equally important for commoner students who frequently interacted with nobility.

But that was as far as it went. While the education was broad because it was a required subject, it didn't delve deeply. It was treated as part of general knowledge rather than a subject for specialized study. That was the extent of history's significance in society.

Moreover, the current history curriculum was focused primarily on the empire. The histories of other nations were less acknowledged.

'What about the nomads?'

Nomads were just that—nomads. They were considered beings wandering the north, never united to form a significant force. Therefore, they were deemed unworthy of study and was known only for their 'way of life.'

That was the historical view of nomads until four years ago.

Four years ago, the nomads united to form a significant force, establishing their own system and confronting the empire in their own way. They could no longer be dismissed as subjects lacking research value.

'It was a challenge due to the lack of sources.'

The problem was the lack of means to study, even if one wanted to. The academic world hadn't ignored the nomads for centuries without reason.

Indeed, they were deemed unworthy of attention. However, there were occasionally adventurous scholars who attempted to study the nomads, only to end up wasting their time without any fruitful outcome. There was a reason for that.

Nomads did have their scripts, but they varied from tribe to tribe. Even the lifespan of these scripts was short. Add to these the fact that nomads were bad at maintaining records, and you had a heap of challenging conditions.

There was a brief hope when the Gar tribe unified the nomads, potentially heralding an era of a common script. However, it collapsed within two years without anyone having time to record anything significant.

'We have to face it head-on.'

The thought alone was daunting, but there was no other way. Those in need must put in the effort.

Of course, it was far from easy. Records about nomads were scarce, and the nomads' own records were even scarcer. Moreover, the scripts used in the records varied greatly, including some that were no longer in use.

Because of that, we had to be meticulous in our research, almost like taking something apart piece by piece. Our progress was slow, but it was progress nonetheless. It was also highly likely that we made many mistakes, but at least we tried.

"Here it is, sir."

"Thank you for your hard work."

And then, a breakthrough unexpectedly occurred.

"Sarei Dobra Tala?"

My gaze froze as I scanned Tannian's submitted answer sheet.

My hand trembled for a moment. I had taught them 'Sareitou Dobra Gala.'

'How can this be?'

This name had been one of the most challenging to interpret. I had deliberated between 'Sarei' and 'Sareitou' before deciding on the latter, a decision I hadn't shared with anyone.

"Tannian, what is this answer?"

"Ah."

Tannian exclaimed as if realizing his mistake.

"I'm sorry. I wrote it incorrectly."

I was about to let it slide with a light smile, but I couldn't. This could be a significant opportunity for research and interpretation. Did the Holy Kingdom keep any separate records?

After that, I finally got the truth out of Tannian, who had been avoiding answering.

'The advisor.'

The advisor of the pastry club and the academy's prosecutor.

Hearing the truth not only sent shivers down my spine but also a thrill. The answer was closer than I thought.

At that moment, my scholarly passion overcame human fear.

***

I almost applauded Gerhardt's passionate speech. The courage he showed in seeking me out voluntarily to uncover the truth was truly touching.

"Alright. I'll tell you as much as I know."

"Thank you, thank you so much!"

So, I promised to offer whatever advice I could. Brave individuals deserve appropriate rewards.

Moreover, there was no need to be discreet since the emperor himself had allowed the name of the Six Swords to spread. The more people knew about the North, the faster their names would spread.

Then, I could assist as many times as necessary. A little inconvenience was a small price for a decent outcome.

'The stronger the enemy, the better the reputation.'

A prime example of this was how Guan Yu became famous for capturing generals like Yan Liang and Wen Chou. If he had caught only lesser figures like Mu An or Yang Hong, he wouldn't have been as famous.

***

Continuing the discussion in the pastry club room felt somewhat unbalanced, so we relocated. That was when I sensed a familiar scent in the new location.

'This is a professor's lab.'

The realization was dizzying. I hadn't expected to encounter a situation similar to the one I had narrowly escaped from before my possession here.

Something stirred in a corner and caught my eye. This was completely like a scene from a university...

"Please, make yourself comfortable! Miss Christina, could you prepare some tea for our guest?"

"Yes..."

I nearly closed my eyes at the drawn-out voice. Yes, it was indeed the slave I was thinking of.

Still, I deliberately looked away. Slaves who had voluntarily forsaken their rights were the most hurt by the pitying gazes of others.

Though I couldn't fathom why they would make such a choice, they must have had their reasons. After all, I somehow ended up as a civil servant myself.

"I can't express how grateful I am that the Prosecutor has agreed to help."

"Is that so?"

Gerhardt placed a stack of papers on the desk while beaming. Were these all sources?

'There's more than I thought.'

I heard they were struggling with a lack of sources, but perhaps this was still not considered enough for a scholar.

Gerhardt seemed to understand my expression and smiled awkwardly.

"These include my personal interpretations and also some work by Miss Christina."

"You must have put in a lot of effort."

The thought of them wringing out every last drop from the scant sources they had made me feel solemn. Such passion could lead to success in any field, and yet it was invested in this challenging one.

Still, I couldn't just tell someone who had working hard that they were on a path to nowhere, especially since spreading the history of the North would benefit me as well.

I casually picked up a part of the stack and began to sift through it. I figured I should correct all the typos first before discussing anything else.

Then, something caught my eye that made me doubt what I was seeing.

"Excuse me. Mr. Gerhardt, what is this?"

"Ah, that is Miss Christina's thesis. As an assistant teacher, she needs to report her achievements in her field."

He added that she had been working on it for months and that it contained quite decent content, making me hesitate.

'Of all the things...'

The thought that it was a master's thesis made it hard for me to speak. After all, a single word from me would automatically dismiss this thesis.

"Prosecutor? Is there a problem...?"

Noticing my hesitation, Gerhardt asked cautiously. Christina, who was bringing in the tea, also looked at me with trembling eyes.

...Yes, this was bound to come up sooner or later. It'd be better to address it before submission than after, where it would create a bigger problem.

"About this thesis..."

I put down the slave's—I meant, the teacher's assistant's thesis and pointed at the title.

More specifically, I pointed at the two names written there.

[ Aridu Keza, Udesr Zairug ]

It wasn't a typo. To my knowledge, the names were correct.

The issue was that the thesis compared these two, suggesting that they were different individuals.

"These two are the same person."

"...Sorry?"

Gerhardt's voice came out in disbelief.

Crash—!

The sound came from behind Gerhardt as Christina dropped the tray.

However, I didn't look in that direction.

I've actually been blind since yesterday...

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