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The skill [G: Fool's Sigh] wasn't such an extraordinary ability.

He made money with a game called SXCraft that gave players mysterious boxes.

I couldn't remember his name, but the hero was a guy who ranked second in that game during his later years.

He was a guy who trembled in anger when he saw the number 2 because he was only in second place.

People teased him for not giving up then, calling him a fool.

But even after hearing such things, he continued to compete, and as always, he maintained second place.

[Fool's Sigh] was an ability corresponding to a disposition, so it was just put in to fill a slot.

In addition, it was an ability I didn’t have great expectations for because it corresponded to the lowest grade of G.

'I didn't expect to use it like this, but it’s fortunate.'

The topography of the strategy board was the entire area of Haytons.

This was possible because it was created by copying the world map drawn by a great wizard.

And it was very similar to the game SXCraft that I saw in 「Fool's Sigh」.

"Haha. I lost. Well, we have days like this too.”

That was what Camelson said after he activated the artifact, and we competed.

Rather than feeling humiliated over losing to me, who was playing this strategy game for the first time, he comforted himself by saying that he had gone easy on me.

"Now! Let's start the next match. Now I will show you what I can really do.”

I caught Camelson within a couple rounds using a cheese rush method.

"Hahahaha… y-you're lucky.”

"Well. I must be since you say so.”

The next game ended in the same way.

I dug up ore, created a soldier with that ore, and took all the miners digging up ore to attack.

It remained in my memory as the best way to break the mentality of a person.

After losing three games in a row, Camelson's jaw muscles were painfully taut.

“…Originally, the pros concede at least three rounds to the beginner. Let's go again.”

His voice was gloomy.

'It's easy.'

With the skill 「Fool's Sigh」, I roughly understood the rules of the game, and with 「Strategy Genius」, I brought out the experience and knowledge that Korant possessed.

Finally, I predicted the terrain, best way to attack, and enemy location with 「Super Intuition」.

Camelson might not know it, but I could predict all of his positions on the map despite not being able to see them.

"Haha… l-let's go again.”

After going through three more rounds like that, for a total of 10, Camelson stopped talking.

“Tessrun.”

“…All right."

<The King of Heroes says that next to those who walk, some run, and above those who run, some fly.>

<The King of Heroes also says that life is a real battle.>

'This isn’t a battle, it's a game, but I'm proud of it.'

Tessrun patted Camelson on his drooping shoulder and sent him out.

It was when Camelson’s pride, the pride of a tactical genius in the Duchy of Widia, completely broke.

***

The next class was etiquette, and rather than education, it seemed more accurate to say that I needed to build habits.

According to Tessrun, today, after a brief introduction and observation session, he would follow me and teach me etiquette starting tomorrow.

However, once class started, a woman bearing a cold and strict impression entered.

'Did he say it's the basics of nobility?'

There was a fallen aristocrat I knew when I was a mercenary.

He had his head hacked off by an orc just a few days after he told me his name, so I couldn't even remember what he was called, but he said nobles learned etiquette from the moment they began to walk.

Not only did nobles walk differently from commoners, but he also said their behavior, manner of speaking, and formal bearing had to be different.

'Come to think of it, even that guy's way of holding a spoon was different.'

Among the mercenaries, some were in such a hurry they ate with their hands, but he always kept himself upright.

Should I say restrained instead of upright?

Anyway, I saw it then and thought it was ‘the world’s most useless way to eat.’

Usually, mercenaries ordered food as a group, so they each tried to eat more than they paid for.

If they ate the way he did, they would be so slow they wouldn’t get any food.

'I wonder what that guy is doing right now.'

I knew him for three or four days at most, but he was someone I could talk to.

By now, he must still be a nobleman, so I might meet him someday.

“I am Vera; as you can see, I am human.”

Of all races, only humans focused on manners.

Half-elves did not learn manners; they sought only knowledge.

Vera, who looked like a cold wind blowing, scanned my body here and there before saying.

“There is a lot to do.”

I felt this was probably going to be the most challenging class.

Vera took out what looked like an expensive wooden stick from her bag.

The handle was silver and gold, and the brownish wood had a reflective sheen, so I could tell it wasn’t an everyday item.

-Tap.

Vera slapped the stick in her palm and said.

“I will start the class right away.”

“…I heard you would be only introducing the topic today?”

“…Oh! Right! I’m sorry. There are so many things to fix, so I guess I was in a hurry without realizing it. I'm really sorry."

Seeing Vera, who didn't look apologetic at all, bow her head in a businesslike manner, I felt a chill I had never experienced in my previous life.

<The King of Heroes panics and puts on their coat, saying that if they were next to her, they would freeze.>

‘Give me one too.’

***

Vera said she would return tomorrow morning and left, and I calmly waited for the next class.

It was finally time for Emperorship.

'Is the physical class the last?'

A long time passed, but the tutor didn’t show his face.

<The King of Heroes tilts their head, wondering if he forgot.>

'I know. Why isn’t he coming?'

I reached for the teacup.

-Spar!

[<Super Intuition> is activated.]

At that moment, goosebumps rose all over my body.

I jumped up and left the room.

<The King of Heroes asks what you’re doing.>

“Pant… Pant...”

The chair overturned when I got up abruptly, but there was no other discernible change.

Everything else was quiet.

‘Was that… killing aura just now?'

That energy I felt every time I encountered a monster I couldn't handle began to creep up.

“Huh? I heard the Young Master hadn’t learned anything, but to think you would react to my killing aura. This is amazing.”

A middle-aged man opened the door and came in, his voice light and cheerful.

“…It should be the emperorship class right now.”

"Ah. The emperorship class will be mine to teach. Didn't I tell you earlier?"

When I was introduced to the private tutors earlier, I was puzzled there was no tutor teaching emperorship, but I ignored it because I was concentrating on the man in front of me at the time.

"No way...”

“They judged that you did not yet have the ‘body’ and ‘knowledge’ to learn emperorship, so instead of a tutor teaching the subject, I came here. My name is Colorance, and I will teach you swordsmanship until you enter the Academy.”

Colorance, one of the past 72 heroes, stood before me.

***

The 72 heroes was a title given to the heroes who had won a victory over those unknown enemies.

Those succeeded without knowing their enemy's identity or ability and were subsequently bestowed with Golden Dragon Shields.

Unlike the existing Golden Dragon Shields, the ones at that time had enough authority to lead the military however they wanted.

'Colorance...’

My experience of fighting in the Legion of Colorance was an unforgettable memory.

'He was a monster.'

He excelled in force, intelligence, money, and power and won many victories over those unknown foes.

“Seeing that you noticed my killing aura, I’m curious about your skills. I think it’s natural to check a student’s ability first before teaching them.”

“Hmm.”

How strong would today's Colorance be?

'He was definitely a swordmaster in the future.'

I wouldn't even be able to compete with Colorance in the future, but now I also had a unique ability, so I wanted to check it out at least once.

“Can we go to the training grounds?”

“Ho… That's good.”

Colorance didn't look frightened by my tone.

If anything, he seemed slightly surprised, but he smiled and followed me there.

"Young Master?"

Maids were cleaning the area.

<The King of Heroes says the maids holding a broom are the best, and the butlers that hold towels.>

'Best at what?'

This entire household, which had previously been run by Tessrun alone, was now very clean, thanks to the two maids.

"I don't want to fight in a dirty place like this."

“Ahem.”

Good thing I didn’t say it would be clean.

Compared to what Colorance was used to, it seemed to be at a level that wasn’t viable.

“The ground isn’t flat, and although they clean it, weeds are blooming here and there. It looks like there are too many stones. Is this really used for training?”

At those words, Tessrun, standing behind him, shook his head and explained.

"No. Originally, it was just a garden, but we needed a training ground, so we removed the grass and flowers.”

"I see. I thought it was strange that a noble's son would train here, but there was such a reason.”

Colorance looked at me and asked.

“What would you like to do? Do you want to wait until this area is properly completed? Or...”

“Let’s start right away.”

"Mhh?"

“Whether the ground is good or bad, whether the grass is growing or not, it doesn’t matter to me. Until yesterday, I trained with a guy named Hals here.”

“Hals?”

Colorance frowned.

“You know him?”

"Yes… well. Even though he is an instructor, he has no talent, so I once gave him a lesson, considering my relationship with Duke Eisen. And after that, well... I didn't expect him to do much, but was he here?”

To that, Tessrun, not me, answered.

“He was teaching the Young Master until yesterday when his head was split open. He is currently lying in the treatment room.”

“Ho?”

Colorance looked at me with even more interest than before.

“That idiot has learned mana, though… How did you do it?”

Hearing Colorance's words, I slowly walked into the training grounds and picked up the fallen wooden sword.

“Why don’t you check that yourself?”

He stood there blankly for a moment before responding with a faint smile.

“That’s right.”