Chapter 11

Chapter 11

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 11: Private Tutoring (2).

“…You are wonderful,” Sonia said calmly, opening her mouth. She clenched and unclenched the hand holding the wooden sword and nodded her head.

“If you have reached this state in just three months, it is really commendable. At the very least, you will avoid failing.”

This was enough. The original goal was merely to practice enough to not fail. Aidel placed the wooden sword down as if discarding it and sighed. His hand tingled, and his muscles screamed in protest. From his calves upward, there wasn’t a single spot that wasn’t bruised.

Aidel popped a peppermint candy into his mouth and gulped down a sports drink. Ceti just stared blankly at all this.

“How…” Ceti mumbled, unable to comprehend.

She had learned swordsmanship, so she understood. The movement Aidel had just shown wasn’t normal. It was the realm of a master. Or perhaps, the realm of a madman.

‘It was just practice, but he defeated Sonia,’ Ceti thought.

Sonia is an android specialized in combat. To face a rogue like Aidel, one fundamentally needs the mind of a warrior. And Aidel had deflected Sonia’s sword.

Ceti’s thought was brief. ‘It must have been luck,’ she concluded.

Aidel hadn’t been holding a sword for long. At most, three months. Lacking the basics, it was insufficient to show any meaningful performance. Even if it was possible by chance, there was no guarantee that such physical ability would be demonstrated in the same way in the examination hall.

After all, it is a battle won by students who have consistently worked hard from the start. In the Stellarium entrance tests, momentary tricks won’t work. The admission officers are not fools.

“Yah, little sis!” Aidel stepped back, teasingly. The hot air and the stinky smell of sweat made Ceti frown and step back.

“Don’t come close, you’re dirty.”

“It’s something that can be washed… but did you see? Wasn’t I pretty fine just now?”

“No, not really?” Ceti responded curtly. But Aidel didn’t mind. He was in a good mood.

“Sonia, you know what today is, right? I’ll be ordering chicken.”

“Haa.. young master.” Sonia scratched her head and grabbed a wooden sword, then lightly struck Aidel’s head.

Thwack! A dull sound, like beating a drum, echoed. Aidel shuddered and groaned.

“You didn’t mention anything about ordering chicken.”

“What? That’s different from the promise!”

“There’s no need to order and pay the expensive delivery fee.” Sonia brushed off her hands and continued, “Be patient. Frying chicken will take some time.”

Sonia, having swept her hair back, turned and walked away with an expression of subtle amusement. The corners of her lips were also slightly twisted, in a way that one might not notice unless looking closely.

‘W-what…’ Ceti’s face was a picture of bewilderment. ‘What exactly happened between them…?’

She stared blankly at Sonia, then turned her head, only to find Aidel silently tidying up—astonishingly, Aidel himself.

[‘The God of Wisdom and Curiosity’ sends a slight commendation for your training.]

[You have received a donation of 550 Pron!]

The Outer God of Wisdom, Cartesia, appears to desire that I dismantle the legions of the other Outer Gods as swiftly as possible. Well, it’s not like Outer Gods always get along with each other. But, this is good for me.

I invested half of the pron I received into ‘Thought Acceleration’. As a result, I gained computational speed akin to that of a machine. It felt like living with a supercomputer in my mind.

[Thought Acceleration (+790%)]

Now, I can think and make decisions about 90 times faster than an average person. Blocking Sonia’s sword attack was largely thanks to this ability. This should suffice for a while.

I chewed on the fried chicken Sonia had made, pondering my next steps. “Practical skills are now sufficient. It’s time to prepare for the interview. Hiring a tutor would be alright, right?”

Sonia nodded and said, “It would be best to have the interview content reviewed by someone who has passed. Please do as you wish, young master.”

I inwardly cheered, happy to think that I had gained a good enough trust from Sonia in the past four months. I wiped my greasy hands clean and picked up the tablet. I browsed through the site. The interview content was said to be confidential, even in the novels. Therefore, I had to coax someone who had taken the test to know what it entailed.

“Woah.” There was just one fact I learned as I scrolled down. “Tutoring fees are ridiculously expensive.”

“It’s an academy that assures your value as soon as you’re admitted.”

“Still, isn’t a hundred million credits too much for a month?”

“If the young master passes, you will gain such status as well.”

A society more obsessed with educational background than South Korea. Still, being from a wealthy family is a consolation. I continued to scroll down.

[Edward Meyer]

[Stellarium Academia Course, 1st year enrolled]

A month’s hiring fee is tens of millions of credits. Still expensive, but half the price compared to other private tutors.

[Working part-time at Ergos Comprehensive Academy.]

[Expert in written and interview consultations.]

Was it cheaper because he was working as an academy assistant? Either way, it didn’t matter. I had already made my decision.

“You will take this person?” Sonia asked.

“Yes.”

“The price is too low. Even the surname is one used on frontier planets, suggesting that the person might have an unsavory character or insufficient skills. It seems unreliable; how about considering someone else?”

“It is fine. I will go ahead with this person,” I said, opening the account and ignoring Sonia’s words. I can confidently say there was no disappointment.

There was an implicit caste system within the Federation. Those residing inside the ‘Ether Belt’ were akin to royalty, primarily because the land value in this area was exceptionally high. Notable families, such as the Reinhardts or the Adelweins, all had their homes within the Ether Belt.

Conversely, individuals living in the frontiers were treated with disdain. These areas were plagued by monsters and the pervasive influence of Outer Gods. The residents were easily provoked, and with numerous unexplored territories, law enforcement was scarce. Consequently, it was nearly impossible for a child to be raised properly in such an environment.

In essence, it was the slums of the universe.

Edward Meyer was born and raised in such a place. He was a freshman who had recently been admitted to Stellarium the previous year.

‘Really, just because I was born in a lowly place like that?’ Edward pondered his humble origins as he browsed a tutoring website.

He was seeking tutoring opportunities, but nothing seemed to fit. ‘With the money earned as a teaching assistant, I can’t even pay for next semester’s tuition…’ He was anxious, yet finding another job wasn’t an option.

No benevolent employer was willing to hire a boy from the frontiers who hadn’t even graduated from the academy. Thus, he continually reduced his tutoring fee from 90 million, to 80 million, to 70 million… eventually dropping it to 50 million credits.

No students were requesting tutoring, primarily due to his surname. A distinct surname was assigned to those from the frontiers, and Federation law made it difficult to change. This label hindered their opportunities for growth.

‘I should become someone’s adopted child or something…’ It was while Edward Meyer was sighing and scrolling that he saw it.

[Tutoring request from student!] Edward’s eyes widened. “Finally!” He exclaimed in joy. Any student would suffice. He could pay for next semester’s tuition immediately!

He quickly pressed the tutoring consent button and clicked on the student’s profile.

[Aidel von Reinhardt]

Edward’s smiling face crumpled at that. “Re-Reinhardt?” It was surprising enough that a family among the galaxy’s TOP10 prestigious families had called for him to be a tutor.

But “Aidel Reinhardt?” The problem was that, of all people, it had to be a Reinhardt troublemaker.

Edward rubbed his eyes as he looked at the screen, but the letters didn’t change. “Of all people…” Edward sighed.

Who is Aidel von Reinhardt? A notorious troublemaker known to everyone in the galaxy. A golden trash with a good family name but no skills. The abuse he was about to face was clear as day.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it!” If he had known this would happen, he would have checked the name before hitting okay. But a mutual agreement had already been made. If he breaks it now, the one who backs out will have to pay compensation. Edward didn’t have such money.

“… ugh.” Tuition fees. That was the only goal. ‘Let’s not worry about anything else,’ Edward thought.

Whether he is cursed or has a vase thrown at his head, he will endure it all. Just until those 50 million credits are deposited into his account. Edward packed his bags with interview materials and past questions. Since he was also working part-time at this cram school, copying materials was an easy task for him.

‘Let’s see what kind of bastard he is. If he really is trash, I will just superficially teach and run after taking the money.’