In the courtyard of the Academy, two individuals are clashing with swords. One is Rou, who has evolved into a High Goblin after only two day into the assignment. He had the least trouble adapting to the new body and hunted the most monsters before meeting the others, making him closest to evolving out of everyone.
The other is a women taller than average, dressed in armour, has burning red hair and a black horn pointing to the sky.
"You are improving."
The Sword Saint and the Head of Security, Ronia is sparring with the smaller goblin.
"…Naturally."
Rou spoke in between breaths as he maintained his stance. In contrast, Ronia is still carefree without a speck of dust on herself.
Rou has been looking for Ronia quite frequently to trade insights on the swords. As a senior, Ronia has little to gain from Rou, but she still came to appreciate his dedication and spars with him.
Today however, Ronia was the one who came to find him.
"That's it for today. Here."
"…What's this?"
Rou asked as he inspected what he caught.
"A key to Aruk's basement. There is a dungeon in there."
"A dungeon?"
"Yes. Aruk said to you four should challenge it until the week is over, after you complete his assignment."
Ronia said as she sheathed her sword.
Normally she would have left after passing on his words, but given the owner of said dungeon, she hesitated.
"…You should go in with the others. And be prepared, mentally."
Rou is surprised. While he had not known Ronia for a long time, he knows that she doesn't say useless words. That means whatever is down in the dungeon is threatening for him, even though he is undying.
"What is down there?"
"…"
Ronia did not answer and only left after giving him a look of pity.
Rou has little experience with gaming concepts like dungeons, but he decided to heed the advice of his senior in the path of sword.
"…And I'm back! Congratulations on completing the assignment, you are all fully fledged High Goblins!"
I hath finally returned from my week of jailtime! Not like I didn't enjoy going through the otherworldly culture.
"Why are you all so gloomy, did you not sleep well?"
After a week of absence, the usual troop of Alni, Goruk, Lina, Rou and me am back together again. As High Goblins they are taller, nearing 150cm and look more human than before. But right now they are either sagging on the tables or staring listlessly into the void.
"Was the assignment that hard? Did it cut into your sleep?"
"…No… the assignment was… easy…"
Goruk spoke like a man dying from thirst.
"…I have never thought… hunting… can be so… easy…"
"Mm, mm. Sounds about right. It would be weirder if you can't hunt monsters above your level with all that training. So? What's the problem?"
"…Base…ment…!"
"Oh! You went to the dungeon."
Ignoring how Goruk's dying words evolving into death throes, I continued in excitement.
"How was it? I made it in consideration of wanderers weak minds. Do you feel improved?"
Now that I think about it, cloudy eyes staring into space, isn't that a symptom for PTSD?
Whoops
"Anyway!"
Quickly cutting off the topic, I started todays class.
"You will be glad to know that a new topic will be added to your class as of today. The topic is…"
-Drum Roll-----!
"Magic!"
…Silence
"What was that, Mr Gobuda?"
"This? It's a contraption I made with reference to Wanderer's culture. Don't you have stuff like this to follow up a grand reveal?"
"We do… But we're surprised to find something like that in a technologically depilated world."
As she spoke, the shine seems to return to Rina's eyes.
"By the way, did you just say magic!!"
Oh, she caught up.
Operation: 'Sweep-Trauma-Under-Rug', success.
"Yes, I will teach you magic!"
They all got excited, except Rou. He seems less excited than thinking how to improve his Sword Art.
"So what spells are we learning?"
Goruk, Rina and even Alni are discussing what spells they want in excitement.
But…
"I won't teach you spells."
My crisp reply killed their excitement.
"You are my students, and I am a Sage. Did you think I will let you half ass magic by relying on skills?"
I slammed a book on each of their desk.
"This is a book for learning the Continental Common Language."
When I visited the market and read the wanderer's novels I realised something: the words they wrote were translated with magic. When I dispelled the translation, all I saw was an unfamiliar language.
"These are reading materials and exercises for you to practice."
I slammed two more books as thick as tomes on top.
That means, while they have no problem communicating in this world, they are not actually speaking Common Language but their own world's language, then translated, probably with an ability given by the Gods. Effectively there is no problem in daily lives, but they are unable to read or write this world's language.
They are basically illiterate, as far as magic is concerned.
"W-were we not going to learn magic?"
"This is magic."
The four look confused.
"When you use your skills to cast spells, you chant. What you hear might be your own language, but you are actually speaking in the Common Language. The Continental Common Language is the simplest Magic Language in this world and most modern chants are centred around it."
No two languages are the same, some words, grammar and jargons would inevitably be lost through translation. Magic skills corrects this by forcefully translating their words into the chant, but without using a skill, even if they spoke the same words again the translated Common Language will turn out different. That's why wanderers cannot do free-casting, using spells without relying on skills.
"Moreover, most books you find in this world will be written in the Common Language. If you want to learn techniques without having to break your bones on a shitty quest, learn it!"
It was truly the most nonsensical thing I ever saw in my life.
In Terrune, a back alley alchemist was asking wanderers to find 10 items from a list of materials in exchange of a recipe for low grade health potion.
My god! Those are rare materials that is scarce in the forest unless you go deeper. And you want to exchange 10 of them for a defective potion recipe of zero worth that can be found in any random library?
There is a limit to being a piece of shit!
I, of course, as a senior alchemist has taught him some proper lessons on moral and ethics. But I can't help imagining my own students getting scammed by these scrooges.
That's why I will raise the literacy rate of wanderers and help them fully adapt to this world. The runic language can wait till later.
"So let's start the class!"