Chapter 82

The Hero was a child who knew nothing.

Well, if you think about it, it makes sense. This child had no parents to teach them various things, and there were no adults around capable of teaching this child anything.

Moreover, in this Age of the Gods, places like schools where children could be taught were extremely rare—only the largest cities might have something like that, if at all.

Even if someone were a prodigy with an incredible intellect, able to understand ten things from being taught just one, without someone to teach that one thing, it would all be meaningless, wouldn’t it?

After all, new knowledge builds upon existing knowledge as its foundation.

Thus…

“Let us begin learning how to write.”

“Huh?”

I put on a pair of glasses without prescription, hung a blackboard on the wall, and picked up some chalk.

The Hero sat at a desk, looking utterly confused as they stared at me.

“Is writing those thin wooden tablets the Pilgrims used to write on?”

“That’s right.”

Although I had already spread Hangul throughout the world, not everyone could read or write. After all, to write, you need something to write on—and with paper being too expensive, people had to use papyrus, parchment, bamboo slips, or thin wooden planks instead. None of these options were particularly cheap. Wooden planks were relatively affordable, though.

Thanks to this, most commoners resorted to either engraving on clay tablets or scribbling in the dirt. But clay tablets were too heavy, and writing in the dirt didn’t make for proper records.

I wanted to distribute cheaper papyrus, but even the Lizardmen have their limits. Though they’ve been following my guidance well and earning quite a bit of money through papyrus production and sales, pushing production any further could cause problems elsewhere since they’re already maxing out their output.

Increasing production any more could disrupt food cultivation or monster management efforts.

And besides, even though papyrus is an annual plant, it still takes time to grow and produce seeds.

Fortunately, the Lizardmen started farming those seeds recently, and we’ve seen some progress.

But I digress… Anyway, while recording mediums like clay tablets are gradually becoming more widespread, they haven’t reached a point where every commoner can use them yet. The illiteracy rate remains rather high.

There’s also the feeling that the ruling class intentionally obstructs the spread of literacy, but I’ll refrain from commenting on that.

Anyway, what’s important now is this—I conjured up ballpoint pens and smooth paper out of nowhere.

Ah, being able to create things from memory sure is convenient.

Ballpoint pens are definitely the best. Cheap and easy to use, they’re unmatched!

And alongside the pens, I created some paper filled with neatly arranged Hangul consonants and vowels, along with blank sheets for practice.

We should start with ㄱ (giyeok) and ㄴ (nieun). I handed the Hero the paper and pen, then picked up the chalk.

“Let’s start with the basics. Our language combines consonants and vowels, so mastering the fundamentals won’t be too difficult.”

It’s a language that’s easy to learn but hard to master, but grasping the basics shouldn’t take long.

“Alright, copy what I write onto the empty spaces on your paper.”

The Hero awkwardly gripped the pen and looked up at me.

However, their grip was all wrong—it looked like they were holding a dagger upside-down. That’s no good!

“You hold the pen like this.”

I took the pen from the Hero’s hand and adjusted their grip on their right hand using their thumb, index finger, and middle finger.

The Hero, whose small hand tightly clutched the pen, seemed embarrassed by their incorrect grip and blushed deeply.

Tsk, getting flustered over something so trivial—you really are just a kid.

“To make the pen work, press the black part at the back, and the tip will pop out. Don’t grip it too tightly; a light hold is enough.”

As the Hero stared at me with red cheeks, I began writing consonants on the blackboard one by one.

This is the language of this world, personally taught by the Creator Dragon God himself! It’s not difficult, so even someone who knows nothing should pick it up quickly!

…

At least, that’s what I once thought.

“Hmm, well, it’s fine if you don’t do it perfectly. No worries.”

What I saw next made me realize the truth: worm-like consonants and vowels squiggling across the page. Twisted shapes formed by the Hero contorting their entire body.

This child… Their lack of talent goes beyond mere ineptitude. Despite never having learned to write before, I didn’t expect such abysmal results.

Just swiping the pen should’ve been enough, but none of the letters resembled their proper forms. They were scattered everywhere—some parts stuck together when they shouldn’t, others separated when they should’ve stayed connected.

It was nearly impossible to tell whether this was Hangul or some kind of ancient pictograph resembling Hangul.

Ugh… This is going to be a tough battle…

Suppressing that thought, I forced a smile and said:

“Well, Heroes don’t have to excel at everything. As long as you can read and write adequately, that’s all that matters.”

“Is… is that okay?”

Heroes don’t need to be calligraphers. Being able to read and write sufficiently is plenty! Swinging a sword is far more important!

And if it comes down to it, I can always follow around and help with reading and writing.

—

The Hero’s Greatsword slices through the air, narrowly grazing my cheek by a sheet of paper’s width.

Then…

SCHLICK!

The Hero’s sword pierces straight into the solid Black Rock wall as if cutting through tofu with a kitchen knife.

A threatening strike. Though I doubt the Hero’s sword could scratch my skin, the danger lies in…

“Why did you trip there? There wasn’t anything to trip over…”

The Hero losing their footing on a completely flat surface and dropping their sword proved that raising a Hero wouldn’t be smooth sailing.

I mean, I already knew they were inept, but adding clumsiness to the mix was unexpected.

A tiny voice briefly questioned whether my choice was correct before disappearing again.

“Troublesome.”

I sighed softly and pulled the Hero’s sword out of the wall. Due to the sword’s size and depth, the hole left behind was substantial. Hmm… Thankfully, no one was beyond that wall, or it would’ve been a disaster.

With a flick of my fingers, the hole sealed itself as if rewinding time. Good. All fixed.

I looked down at the Hero sprawled on the floor. Hmm… They didn’t fall too hard, but did they faint? Or get hurt somewhere?

“Are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine…”

A timid, almost inaudible voice. Clearly, falling for no reason was embarrassing for them.

“Nobody starts off perfect. With continued effort and training, you’ll improve.”

“And… maybe we should wait until your body grows a bit before wielding the Hero’s Sword.”

Though I intended for them to try swinging it as practice, I didn’t expect *this* level of incompetence.

We’ll wait until they’ve grown taller and developed more muscles before handling this blade. Plus, with its sharp edge, accidents could happen.

“For now, let’s train with a wooden sword.”

I quickly conjured a wooden sword identical in form to the Hero’s Sword. I added an iron core inside to allow weight adjustments.

Balancing the weight and center of gravity to match the Hero’s Sword required some finesse, but I managed to make it decently realistic. With the iron core fully inserted, the weight and balance were practically identical.

Swords can wait. For now, feeding and nurturing their growth is priority.

As I thought this, I heard soft sniffling.

“Sniff… Sniff…”

“Are you crying over something this trivial, boy?”

“But… surely there must be something wrong. How could someone like me protect everyone? There must be some mistake. Why would the Goddess of Life choose someone as weak as me—an orphan?”

Because you’re kind-hearted, that’s why.

Strength can be cultivated—I can enhance their growth with magic or through rigorous training. As long as they possess an unyielding spirit and don’t give up, anything is possible.

But kindness? That cannot be artificially created! If I tried, it’d essentially become brainwashing!

So…

“The Goddess didn’t choose you based on your appearance or strength.”

“Huh?”

“She valued your inner qualities—your kind heart. And your determination to never give up.”

“Kind heart…”

“There are things I can assist with, but that is one thing I cannot change. Anyway, enough self-doubt.”

I handed the Hero the wooden sword with the iron core fully removed.

I’ve cast a durability-enhancing spell, so it won’t break easily.

“From now on, your job is simple: study diligently, train hard, eat well, and grow strong. Understand?”

“Yes!”

The Hero wiped away their tears and stood back up. That’s the spirit! That’s why I chose you!

I smiled as I watched the Hero regain their composure.