Applying for the position of teacher? What’s this all about?
“Isn’t that why you’re here?”
“If you don’t explain properly, how am I supposed to understand? Give me a simple explanation.”
“My father has been calling people from everywhere to teach me.”
“Ah. So you have a teacher?”
“Yes. I did.”
She said ‘did’, not ‘do’.
This couldn’t be better.
Anyway, it means she’s free now.
Of course, her words had another meaning.
Either her talent was so exceptional that the teachers who came couldn’t teach her.
“Why are you looking at me like that??”
Or they got fed up with her bad attitude and ran away.
“I don’t expect you to show respect to adults, but isn’t it a bit much to be so sharp in our first meeting?”
“I have no reason to impress you, so why should I?”
“Because I might become your teacher.”
“Aren’t you just here for my father’s money like the others? If so, I’m not interested.”
“I don’t even know who your father is.”
“Hmm.”
Now she shows interest.
The girl stared at me for a while, then smirked and turned away.
“Even so, nothing will change. Even if you become my teacher, I have no intention of respecting someone I don’t acknowledge.”
She really has no manners.
But it doesn’t matter.
What I want is this child’s talent.
All I need to do is nurture that talent and clear the quest. Until then, I can smile and overlook her rudeness.
And originally, the world looks different depending on your perspective.
If I twist that rudeness a bit, couldn’t it become a moe* element, like a mesugaki*?
“Anyway, it seems our talk is over, so let’s go see your father. By the way… what’s your name? Ah, for reference, my name is Lee Hyun.”
“Sowol.”
“…What?”
The girl’s name was familiar.
I stared at her and asked.
“By any chance, is your father So Jung-yang? The head of the Eastern Trading Company?”
“What? You do know about my father?”
Huh. What a coincidence.
I knew this child. Or, more accurately, I knew this child 10 years in the future.
That’s because she’s the villain in the first protagonist’s route, Raigon’s, and the mid-boss of the story.
Sowol’s house.
More precisely, as I headed towards the house of So Jung-yang, the owner of the massive Eastern Trading Company from the East, I pondered.
Ragnarok – Traveler of the Three Stars is a story centered around three protagonists.
In other words, each character has a main story, and there are bosses for each route.
Sowol was the villain in the male character Raigon’s route, tormenting him from the beginning of the story after he entered the academy. This persistent and maniacal villain tripped him up until the very end.
While the character herself was pretty, her personality was eccentric, and she used countless evil tactics, making her one of the worst.
I never thought I’d see this character’s appearance from ten years ago like this…
“Why are you so slow if you’re following me?”
I’m troubled.
Who would have thought that the first talented child I met would be Sowol?
What if I raise her with determination, but she grows up wrong, and I can’t take the Raigon route?
Should I leave now while I still can?
“Don’t want to go? Then don’t.”
“… I’m going. Let’s go.”
But I soon changed my mind.
No matter how I thought about it, I didn’t expect to meet another talented kid like her.
And even if I raise Sowol and it messes up Raigon’s main story, don’t I have other characters? Two of them, in fact.
If it really doesn’t work out, I can abandon the Raigon route and take another character’s path.
The important thing is to see the true ending.
And there’s no need to be tied down to a male character’s true ending, right?
“Your expression seems to have changed?”
“If I’m going to do this, I might as well do it properly.”
I know the basic story about Sowol.
As the owner of the Eastern Trading Company, she enters the academy with vast wealth, power, and strength, quickly coming to dominate the academy’s dark side. And she uses that to attack Raigon.
But if she has a healthy elder like So Jung-yang, why did she become the head of the family at such a young age?
It’s because So Jung-yang was assassinated when she was young.
In other words, if I can prevent that assassination, Sowol won’t need to become the head of the Eastern Trading Company, and wouldn’t that reduce her mischief at the academy?
Sowol doesn’t appear in the main stories of other characters.
However, the darkness of the academy she leads often contributes to attacking or tormenting other protagonists.
In other words, if Sowol follows the right path here, things might be easier ten years later.
If I think about abandoning the Raigon route and making things a bit easier later… this might be better.
Of course, things might not go as I think, but let’s think about that when the time comes.
Originally, it was better to deal with these things according to the situation rather than planning in detail.
“…What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
I looked at Sowol warmly, and she received my gaze with a dumbfounded expression.
Alright, kid. I’ll make a person out of you.
I patted Sowol’s back and walked ahead.
“It’s not that way.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Following Sowol into the village, we headed towards the largest house. As we entered the massive oriental-style manor, several warriors looked at me with wary gazes.
Ignoring them, I could spot a man standing in the center of the yard with his hands behind his back.
That man must be So Jung-yang, the head of the Eastern Trading Company.
“Father. A new teacher candidate has come.”
“Huh? I haven’t found anyone yet. Who might you be…”
“Haha. I’m a person called Lee Hyun. I heard from afar that Sowol’s talent is quite extraordinary, so I came to see for myself.”
Of course, it’s a lie.
But perhaps because it was praise for his child, a smile appeared on So Jung-yang’s lips.
“Ahem. It’s because the child doesn’t try, but our child’s talent is indeed extraordinary.”
“Haha. Yes. As the precious child of the Eastern Trading Company, she should have that level of talent.”
“Is, is that so?! Hahaha! Of course, she should! Whose daughter is she after all!!”
“I heard that many teachers have passed through your daughter.”
“Ah… about that. Yes. Not too many, but quite a few.”
After exchanging a few words, I could guess what So Jung-yang was thinking.
Until now, many teachers have been invited for Sowol but have been harshly criticized. Judging by that reaction, it seems they left without proper teaching due to Sowol’s rudeness or lack of effort.
If that’s the case, there’s one thing I need to say here.
“There’s a saying that greatness takes time to develop. The moment I first saw Sowol, I knew. That this child would become a great vessel. I think it’s not worth saying anything about those small-minded people who couldn’t wait for Sowol to grow.”
“I’m just grateful that you think that way. But… my knowledge is limited, and I’ve never heard the name Lee Hyun…”
Of course, he wouldn’t.
Although I’ve gained a lot over the past time, I haven’t been very active.
In Ragnarok, most notable figures won’t even deal with people of low fame.
If it’s So Jung-yang, the head of the massive Eastern Trading Company, he could kick me out as soon as he sees me, and honestly, I’d have nothing to say. The fact that we can even have this conversation is probably because Sowol brought me here and because of the praise I gave.
I smiled at So Jung-yang, staring at me with deep eyes.
They say you can’t spit on a smiling face, after all.
“I’m not someone so great that rumors would spread. I’m just an idler who knows a few magic spells, martial arts, and swordsmanship and has read a few books.”
“Haha. I wonder if entrusting our daughter to such a person is okay. If you don’t mind, could we see your skills?”
“Of course.”
“White Warrior! Are you there?!”
A giant called White Warrior came out as if he had been waiting.
“Shall we do martial arts? Swordsmanship? Or magic?”
“Do as you please. The conclusion will come quickly anyway.”
He’s saying elegantly that if my skills are mediocre, he’ll beat me down and kick me out.
In that case, I should do my best too.
I took off the coat I was wearing. And I threw it swiftly to Sowol.
-Thud!
That brat! Dodging it!
Instead of catching my coat, Sowol walked to the side and watched me with her arms crossed.
Good heavens.
There’s not a single person favorable to me in this house.
“I’ll yield the first move.”
“I won’t decline. Then…”
I raised my hand and prepared the most powerful magic I could use.
“Lord of Fire.”
A massive flame rises from my hand.
Seeing the enormous flame that could burn down a building instantly, the White Warrior and So Jung-yang seemed quite shocked.
“Not magic!! Let’s see your swordsmanship!”
“As you wish.”
So Jung-yang shouted hastily in fear. Nodding to him, I drew the sword at my waist.
Did he think the White Warrior would be completely burned in one hit?
“Here I come!!”
Perhaps because of the magic earlier, the look of contempt was gone. But confidence was still evident. So the White Warrior drew his sword and charged at me.
-Clang!!
As soon as our swords clashed, the White Warrior’s sword broke. I moved my sword again and brought it to the White Warrior’s neck.
This should be enough to pass the test, right?
Translator’s Corner
Moe is the quality in a fictional female character of being youthfully innocent and vulnerable in an idealized way, perceived as eliciting feelings of affection or protectiveness.
Mesugaki is a compound word used for wild, untamed women. Mesu refers to a female or woman, gaki means brat or childish.
Hope I explained what does mean, but they’re pretty common tropes in anime and novels.
-Ruminas