On the continent of Haylan, there exist countless heroes, and each country establishes its own military academies to nurture skilled heroes.
The Kingdom of Clepe was a nation that was quite renowned among them.
The kingdom’s capital, Tristan.
Within it stood the grandly built ‘Tristan Hero Academy.’
As a military academy with a long-standing tradition and distinguished reputation, it had greatly elevated the quality of heroes within the kingdom.
The educational standards were known to be so high that any hero candidate in the kingdom aspired to enter.
Especially with heroes from Tristan making significant contributions in infamous battles such as the ‘Great War’ and the ‘Northern Reclamation Operation,’ their renown began to extend beyond the kingdom, reaching the entire continent.
It was now one of the most prestigious hero academies on the continent.
That was the Tristan Hero Academy.
And with such fame, of course, there were many who wished to work as instructors or staff.
“I don’t expect you to become a lead instructor. Even a research instructor, or if not that, a discipline instructor would be fine. First, take the instructor exam and enter the academy’s Magic Department. It’s unthinkable for a member of the Mulick family to do nothing and waste away in the household.”
My father suggested—no, commanded—that I join the academy as an instructor.
The moment he entered the dining hall, his face filled with fury, he declared that he would disown me if I didn’t go.
‘…I’m glad I went to another world.’
Without realizing it, I sighed in relief.
Though I almost died when I first arrived there, looking at the situation now, I felt fortunate.
After all, upon returning, I was no longer the reckless person I once was, but someone with considerable abilities.
Moreover, after seeing my father’s unyielding, ironclad stance, I realized that spending my life lazing around as a family freeloader was never an option to begin with.
‘Instructor, huh… it could be fun.’
I felt a bit of interest welling up.
To be honest, as a knight and as someone in power, I had already enjoyed all the honor I could in that other world.
I had served as the leader of a knight order, commanding countless subordinates, and had made a name for myself in the political world as a duke favored by the emperor.
While fighting on the battlefield was always a daunting task, I had done it so many times that it had become tiresome.
I even felt a bit bored of it.
Ten years may seem long or short depending on how you look at it, but in that time, I had experienced and achieved a great deal.
Now that I had returned, I didn’t want to go back to doing what I did in that other world.
I wanted to take it easy.
Comfortably.
But still, do something meaningful from time to time.
In that sense, being an instructor seemed to fit perfectly with the conditions I wanted.
‘The sword I have yet to complete… I can always finish it whenever I want.’
Of course, I still had a small goal of my own.
I have lived my life entirely devoted to the sword, and even now, I continue to breathe where the sword is.
The swordsmanship I’ve spent my entire life crafting.
It was my long-cherished desire as a swordsman and a personal ambition.
However, completing my unfinished swordsmanship has little to do with my profession.
No matter what job I take or where I go, as long as I have time, I can always pursue it.
“Do I really have to enter the Magic Department?”
After finishing my thoughts, I asked my father.
Becoming an instructor wasn’t a bad idea.
In fact, it was rather appealing.
However, the direction needed to be somewhere other than magic.
“I have already made myself clear. If you reject your father’s suggestion again, I’ll erase the name Edgar from this family…!”
“P-Please calm down, Father. That’s not what I meant.”
I quickly tried to calm my father, who was on the verge of becoming hot-tempered again.
Then, I slowly explained my reasoning.
“As you well know, Father, my talents as a magician aren’t that remarkable. I started as an <Apprentice Mage> and, no matter the process, my growth has been stagnant ever since.”
“?”
For a moment, my father’s face showed a mix of surprise and confusion.
While what I said was objectively true, he seemed shocked that such words had come from me.
I was someone who had given up entirely on becoming a hero through magic due to overwhelming feelings of inferiority, yet I had been too proud to admit it.
That was the me from ten years ago.
But now, it wouldn’t be wrong to say I was a completely different person.
“I’d prefer to join a different department, rather than the Magic Department.”
“What on earth are you… No, wait a moment.”
Hearing the absurdity of a Magic Department graduate applying for a position in another department, my father furrowed his brow.
But soon after, he tilted his head, as if something had dawned on him, and looked at me.
“Edgar, are you… saying you’ll take the instructor exam?”
“Yes? Ah, yes. I can’t just sit around doing nothing in the family, can I?”
“I… I can’t believe it…!”
My father abruptly stood up from his seat, his posture awkward, and approached me with a look of disbelief as he grabbed my shoulders.
“You’ve finally come to your senses, Edgar!”
“…Excuse me?”
“All this time, when you rejected every career I suggested and holed yourself up in the house, I was seriously tempted to throw you into a monster-infested hunting ground by yourself. I couldn’t believe a child like this came from our family.”
“It took you ten times to get the point! But at least you finally listened. Haha. If you understood after only ten times, I suppose that’s a relief. You weren’t a complete scoundrel after all. As expected, there’s no way my son would turn out like that.”
I had momentarily forgotten.
My father, as the head of a great magic family and a hero who had gained extensive experience on the battlefield, knew all the rough and crude language just as well as I did during my time in the other world.
Of course, as a noble, he had been holding back to maintain his dignity.
But once that restraint was loosened, there was no stopping him.
The flood of crude words directed at me was raw and unfiltered.
…
I glanced sideways without realizing it.
Ray, the butler, was quietly bowing his head as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
‘Come on, why are you pretending not to notice? You clearly heard everything.’
I couldn’t help but think that.
In the silence of one loyal butler, the dignity of a war hero within the kingdom was being preserved.
“Good. If you’ve made up your mind, that’s all that matters. Whether it’s the Magic Department or somewhere else, do as you wish. I will fully support you.”
Thanks to that, the icy atmosphere in the dining room quickly melted away.
My father, with a bright smile, patted me on the shoulder.
I had agreed to take the instructor exam as he suggested.
I had agreed to start working and leave the family’s confines.
That one sentence resolved all the tension.
It was as if the weight of all the unresolved frustrations had been instantly washed away from my father’s face.
Just like that, I had easily gained permission to take the instructor exam for the Swordsmanship Department.
‘…This isn’t how I planned it.’
Without realizing it, I scratched the back of my head.
I had a lot to say.
I wanted to explain how I had a talent for swordsmanship, how I had coincidentally gained the fate of a <Swordsman>, and why I wanted to apply for the Swordsmanship Department instead of the Magic Department.
If he didn’t believe me, I was prepared to demonstrate my skills.
There were so many things I had planned to say to convince him.
But all of it had become unnecessary.
—The family’s troublemaker finally decided to get a job!
That single fact had satisfied my father entirely.
“Come, let’s eat. It would have been nice if Jane and Todd were here on a day like this.”
Jane Mulick was my older sister, the eldest daughter of the family, and Todd Mulick was the second eldest, my older brother.
In the past, I probably hadn’t gotten along with my siblings, and my father surely knew that.
For him to mention them now must mean…
‘He’s really in a good mood.’
There was no other way to interpret it.
“Ray, you sit and eat as well. Ah, and starting tomorrow, you’ll be accompanying Edgar, so pack your things today.”
“Understood, Master.”
My father gave orders with enthusiasm, and Ray responded in kind.
Watching this exchange, I couldn’t help but smile to myself.
‘It’s not such a bad feeling after all.’
In the past, I was consumed by feelings of inferiority, convinced that my talented father and siblings disliked me.
Even though it was me who had failed to meet the family’s expectations and behaved like a troublemaker.
But looking at things now, it doesn’t seem that way anymore.
Despite being a noble, my father possessed a rather ordinary fatherly concern.
‘Was he simply worried about his son’s future?’
The belief that he was disregarding me might have been nothing more than my own misconception.
All he wanted was for his son to not go astray and to find his own path.
He wished for me to be productive, not just relying on the family’s glory, but contributing something of value.
That was all.
This was the moment I realized a new side to my father, whom I had always thought of as strict.
‘I’d better submit my application tomorrow.’
In any case, I had received my father’s approval easily, and now I could prepare to become an instructor in the Swordsmanship Department.
Starting tomorrow, there would be plenty of things to do.
I had to prepare for the instructor exam and adjust to being back in this world.
I also needed to rebuild relationships with the family members I was still not familiar with.
‘Ah.’
Suddenly, I tilted my head in confusion.
A question crossed my mind.
‘Can a graduate from the Magic Department even apply to become an instructor in the Swordsmanship Department?’
It was an unexpected obstacle.
Thank for the chapter
Thanks for the chapters