SWNOVELXO Chapter 143.1
The Reason Jake And Tifaana Have For Being Here
“The reason I’m here, you ask?”
On a peaceful afternoon, Jake, who was leisurely enjoying a post-meal break, tilted his head curiously at Yuuri’s question after finishing the cleanup. Tifaana, who was also present, and the apprentices cleaning up at a nearby table, all looked at Yuuri with puzzled expressions.
But the one who asked the question remained smiling as usual. It was just like Yuuri. As Jake tilted his head in confusion, Yuuri continued.
“Yes. I was just wondering, why is Jake here?”
“…Huh? Am I not supposed to be here?”
“It’s not that you’re not supposed to be here, but this clan’s main purpose is to train beginner adventurers to become treasure hunters, right? Compared to that, Jake seems a bit out of place.”
“O-out of place?”
Yuuri spoke in a relaxed tone, smiling nonchalantly. He sipped his cold tea, enjoying it, but Jake’s eyes widened at the content of his words. The atmosphere seemed to be turning strange, at least for Jake.
Then, Yuuri smiled brightly and delivered the final blow. Without any malice or ill intent, it was just a pure, innocent question.
“Because Jake is just a bad example, right?”
“…Guh…”
“Oh dear, oh dear.”
“Whoa…”
The fact that Yuuri genuinely thought this made it a devastating blow. Unlike the usual sarcastic remarks or deliberate jabs at Jake, this was completely sincere. A completely innocent, yet terrifyingly unaware statement. The natural airhead is scary.
Jake, who had been seriously stabbed by the comment, slumped over the table, twitching. Even though he’s usually a laid-back scholar, being directly hit by Yuuri’s straightforwardness seemed to hurt. But, well, it was probably his own fault, so no one could really comfort him.
Tifaana watched the exchange with a troubled smile, her hand on her cheek. It was a gentle smile, as if she were watching mischievous children. Meanwhile, the apprentices, who were still cleaning up, gave distant looks at Yuuri’s oblivious remark. They didn’t sympathize with Jake, but they thought Yuuri was as clueless as ever.
Yuuri, seeing everyone’s reactions, tilted his head in confusion. He thought he had said something normal, so he didn’t understand why Jake was so hurt. The natural airhead is scary.
“Jake?”
“…I know you didn’t mean any harm, but that really hurt.”
“Huh?”
“…Never mind.”
“?”
When called, Jake managed to sit up, though his eyes were distant. But realizing that Yuuri was completely unaware, he couldn’t say anything. Well, in reality, what Yuuri said was true, so Jake couldn’t really argue. Reality is cruel.
“So, the reason I’m here, right?”
“More like, why did you come here? Jake doesn’t seem like the type for rough stuff.”
“The reason I came here… hmm, to put it simply, I ran away?”
“Eh?”
“Well, maybe ‘retreated’ is more accurate?”
“Eh?”
The laid-back scholar made a statement that went in a completely different direction than Yuuri and the others had expected. The only one who didn’t say anything was Tifaana, probably because she knew the circumstances. She watched the surprised children with her usual gentle smile. The smile of a beautiful woman is priceless.
For now, Jake seemed unfazed, but words like “ran away” and “retreated” carried a slightly ominous tone. What could this seemingly peaceful scholar have run away from? The question lingered, along with the uneasy thought that maybe he had done something somewhere and was hiding.
It’s not that Yuuri and the others thought Jake was a bad person. They knew he was essentially a good person, even if he was a useless adult who often collapsed in the hideout and served as a bad example. He was a kind teacher who patiently explained things when teaching them.
But they also knew this:
Jake was the epitome of a curious scholar. They knew it all too well. He meant no harm, had no ill intent, but when his curiosity took over, he would completely abandon common sense and charge headfirst into whatever interested him. He was a very troublesome man.
“Jake, what do you mean by that…?”
“Well, I used to work as a scholar at the Royal First Research Institute, doing various research.”
“…Wha, whaaaaat!?”
“Huh? Urgus, what’s wrong?”
The moment Jake opened his mouth to explain, Urgus let out a loud shout. His mouth flapped open and closed, unable to form any more words. He was completely stunned. As if he had seen something unbelievable, Urgus pointed at Jake, half-frozen.
“Urgus?”
“…Move.”
“Move?!… M-Magg, you bastard, stop hitting me in the solar plexus…”
“Explain.”
“…You jerk.”
Next to Yuuri, who was calling out curiously, Magg delivered a perfect right straight to Urgus’s solar plexus. Urgus groaned and came back to life, but he was clutching his stomach in pain. His daily life was pretty dangerous thanks to Magg. He needed to work harder.
“Magg, you can’t just hit Urgus because you want to ask him something!”
“Wake up.”
“Wake up? That’s not the point! I told you not to resort to violence! In situations like this, you should shake him or something!”
“…No.”
“Don’t say it’s too much trouble…”
Magg was unfazed by Yuuri’s scolding. He thought he had taken the fastest approach. But, well, normally, getting hit in the solar plexus would make anyone collapse from pain before they could regain their senses. Urgus managing to endure it was commendable.
Amidst this exchange, Urgus turned to Jake, who was still relaxed, and asked. He needed to digest the question in his mind.
“Jake, is it true that you were at the Royal First Research Institute?”
“Yes, it’s true. It’s a great place. They have all the materials and equipment you need, and the budget is generous, so you can research whatever you like.”
“…Why is someone who was at the Royal First Research Institute here, teaching beginner adventurers…?”
Urgus slumped down on the spot. Yuuri and the others didn’t understand, so they tilted their heads in confusion. Tifaana, who knew the circumstances, said nothing. And Jake, who thought his background was normal, didn’t understand Urgus’s shock.
Seeing that Yuuri and the others didn’t understand, Urgus explained with a tired expression. His mood was, “Understand my shock.”
“The Royal First Research Institute is the top research institute in this country, and even if you downplay it, it’s one of the top five in the world. It doesn’t matter your status or age, but you can’t join unless you pass the exams. For people involved in academics and research, it’s probably a place of dreams.”
“…Eh?”
“Just being able to say you’re a staff member of the Royal First Research Institute earns you respect from nobles and royalty. It’s an incredible place.”
“Whaaaat?!”
“…There’s no way someone who could get into a place like that would be here teaching beginners like us…”
“…Whoa.”
Yuuri and the others nodded in understanding, though they were drained. What a terrifying reality. They knew Jake was a skilled scholar, but they had no idea he was this high-spec.
And now, they were even more confused as to why someone who should have been on the elite track was here.
“Um, can I continue?”
“…Go ahead.”
Jake asked casually, and Yuuri and the others responded weakly. At this point, they might as well hear the full explanation. It would bother them if they didn’t.
Jake, completely unaware of their feelings, continued to explain in his usual relaxed manner.
“That place is perfect for research, but the human relationships are just too troublesome…”
“…Eh?”
“I’m not good with things like social status, background, or unspoken rules of interaction. I’d rather spend that time reading more books and doing research.”
“…Ah…”