Deciding to Become a Tutor Because It Meant Free Books

Dragon King Calendar, Year 410.

After resting for several days at the Turan Town inn, Cui Ciyou had become much less unfamiliar with this small town in another world.

While Carl and the others handled the caravan's affairs and prepared for their next departure, he wanted to take advantage of the free time.

He intended to take a closer look at the building he had noticed earlier, the one that seemed to be an Adventurers' Guild, hoping to gather more useful information.

When the young guard Dak learned that Cui Ciyou planned to go out, she immediately volunteered to accompany him.

Thus, Cui Ciyou and Dak left the noisy inn together and once again stepped onto the streets of Turan Town.

Guided by his memory, Cui Ciyou easily crossed several streets and soon arrived before the stone-and-timber building with a sign bearing crossed swords and a shield.

There seemed to be even more people gathered here than a few days ago. The entrance and steps were packed with weather-beaten, tough-looking men and women wearing all kinds of leather armor and carrying weapons.

They shouted noisily as they discussed quests, monsters, and rewards, while the air was filled with the peculiar blend of sweat and alcohol.

Cui Ciyou did not linger at the entrance. He instinctively tugged down the edge of his hood, trying not to stand out too much.

Even so, his unusual black hair and black eyes, along with his tall build, still drew plenty of attention.

The two followed several adventurers who had just returned from a quest, grumbling and cursing as they went, and entered through the open, heavy door of solid timber.

The guild's interior was somewhat dim, but far more spacious than it had appeared from outside.

Massive wooden support pillars stood in the middle of the hall, plastered with all kinds of papers.

The air was thick with an even stronger mixture of alcohol, sweat, food, leather, and metal.

The hall buzzed with voices and deafening noise.

Groups of adventurers sat around rough wooden tables, drinking loudly and boasting;

Others gathered around a huge wooden counter, speaking with the staff behind it as they accepted quests or exchanged rewards;

Still more people crowded around a row of massive wooden notice boards near the walls, carefully examining the densely posted parchment and papyrus sheets.

Those... should be quest postings, right?

Let's see what quests are available. Maybe I can get some information about the plot from them.

Cui Ciyou's heart stirred. Taking advantage of his height, he looked over the heads of those in front of him.

He began carefully identifying and interpreting the commission slips written in Human Common Tongue on the notice boards.

After studying for some time, he had learned quite a few basic words and could roughly understand some simple sentence structures.

Carl and the others were not nobles, so they had no books for him to study from.

Cui Ciyou had mainly learned by writing and drawing in the sand, relying on his extraordinary memory.

Although reading these commission slips, filled with technical terms and place names, was still rather difficult for him.

By guessing from context and relying on his exceptional memory and logical analysis, he could barely understand part of their contents:

Such as exterminating goblin nests, escorting caravans, collecting wind wolf pelts, and purchasing low-grade magic crystals over the long term.

The commissions varied widely, and their rewards ranged from a few copper coins to dozens or even hundreds of silver coins.

It seems silver coins are worth far more than copper coins, he thought.

Cui Ciyou patiently examined the commission slips one by one.

Then, his gaze suddenly sharpened.

He had been drawn to one particular posting that looked relatively new, was written more neatly, and had been placed in a conspicuous position.

The material of this commission slip seemed better than the other parchments. Its request was written in elegant cursive, making it even harder for him to decipher:

"Highly Paid Recruitment"

Location: Asla Kingdom - Fitoia Territory - Roa City - Boreas Lord's Estate

Client: Roa City Mayor—Philip Boreas Greyrat

Quest Details:

For the mayor's daughter—"Eris Boreas Greyrat."

Seeking a patient, knowledgeable, and... highly capable in combat tutor. (The wording here was particularly emphasized.)

Requirements:

Proficiency in Human Common Tongue, arithmetic, and reading and writing. Those with a foundation in magic or swordsmanship preferred.

No age or gender restrictions.

Special Notice:

Miss Eris... well... has an exceptionally lively personality and boundless energy. All previous tutors have... failed to last more than a month.

Applicants must be fully mentally prepared and capable of handling the situation.

Compensation: Negotiable (but guaranteed to be extremely generous, enough for you to live a respectable life in Roa).

Contact: "Boreas Estate in Roa City" or "any Adventurers' Guild branch in Fitoia Territory."

As Cui Ciyou painstakingly identified every key piece of information on that commission slip, one word at a time.

Especially when the names "Roa," "Philip," and "Eris" entered his sight, perfectly overlapping with the memories deep in his mind of the first season of the Jobless Reincarnation anime:

Roa City's mayor—Philip, Eris's father, a Boreas noble.

Lady Eris, that red-haired girl with the violent temper and fierce personality, known as the "Mad Dog." Eris is hiring a tutor...

This commission? At this point in time? In this place?

According to the anime's plot, Rudeus became Eris's tutor when he was seven. Eris was two years older than Rudeus.

So Rudeus hasn't become her tutor yet?

That means this point in time is before Eris turned nine, and before Rudeus turned seven.

Cui Ciyou carefully looked over the tutoring commission once more.

Then, expressionless, he turned around and squeezed out of the noisy Adventurers' Guild.

He needed time. He needed somewhere quiet to replan... his future in this other world.

Back in a secluded corner of his room at the inn, Cui Ciyou silently pondered:

The world of Jobless Reincarnation... what did that mean?

He began frantically recalling the broad plot points from the first two seasons of the anime:

The protagonist, Rudeus Greyrat, was a Japanese reincarnator who retained memories of his past life and possessed a cheat-like advantage: a terrifying amount of magical power and Silent Casting.

Magic reserves comparable to the Demon God—Laplace—as well as this world's unique "Silent Casting."

He met his magic teacher, Roxy, in Buena Village, met his childhood friend Sylphy there as well, and eventually met Eris in Roa.

After experiencing the Displacement Incident, he embarked on a long journey of adventure and returning home...

Amid his tangled thoughts and all his considerations for the future, the confusion in Cui Ciyou's deep black eyes was gradually, bit by bit, replaced by a sharp light of determination and resolve.

A bold idea, one that seemed to him full of endless opportunities and limitless possibilities, began to take root in his heart:

Since that's the case... since I have confirmed beyond any doubt that this is the world of Jobless Reincarnation, which I know so well...

And I just happen to have learned, at such a perfect moment, the crucial information that the Boreas Greyrat Family is hiring a tutor for the young Eris... then...

It's decided.

I'll set out immediately for Roa, the central city of Fitoia Territory.

I'll apply to be her tutor. In the original story, Rudeus learned a great deal of knowledge and multiple languages there because he served as the Boreas family's tutor.

After all, books in this world seem very expensive. If I don't rely on a great noble family, I probably won't be able to read even one book for a very long time.

Note:

In the original work, Eris got into an argument at school when she was five after being mocked and beat a classmate nearly to death.

So from the age of five onward, she no longer attended the town school.

Instead, tutors were hired for her. Eris was two years older than Rudeus, and Rudeus became her tutor at seven.

In other words, Eris was hiring tutors from the age of five until nine.