Grammar and Language

Morton planned to spend three months laying a solid grammatical foundation for them.

Ace copied the thirty-two letters and their phonetic symbols onto parchment, then drew them on the ground as he memorized them. Compared with the other children his age, Ace was clearly far more serious.

Having systematically studied English in his previous life, he found that this kind of alphabetic writing followed much the same patterns. He could quickly draw parallels and grasp it.

After becoming proficient at memorizing the shapes and phonetic symbols of all thirty-two letters, he asked Mr. Morton if he could borrow the grammar textbook early.

"Mr. Morton, I've already memorized all thirty-two letters. Can I borrow the grammar book early?"

Morton checked how well Ace had memorized them and found that he truly had mastered all thirty-two letters and their phonetic symbols.

"I can lend you the grammar textbook early. It covers the lessons for the next few months. If you study it on your own, you may have many questions. Write them down, and when I begin teaching tomorrow, you can bring your questions to class. It will be more effective that way."

Ace accepted the small parchment booklet. Written on it were the words: General Basic Grammar, by Peter.

Ace had already made his study plan. Working through a grammar book by force would certainly be difficult, but he had a native-language environment. With correct pronunciation and familiar word meanings, he could basically understand it all.

As for the uncertain parts, he could gather his questions and ask Morton every day. At this rate, he estimated that in less than a week, he would develop proper grammar habits and begin reading directly.

Ace's tuition was very low, so he had to improve his efficiency and learn faster.

That evening, after practicing his fighting skills, Ace held the borrowed grammar book before the fire. Ignoring Romon's "Clang! Clang!" from the forge, he immersed himself in studying basic grammar, forgetting food and sleep.

Watching Ace study so earnestly, Romon felt both softened and guilty. He set the finished standard short sword aside, then quietly slipped out the door, afraid of disturbing his son's studies.

That day, he had gone to the tavern and, through the tavern owner, spread word that he wished to sell a suit of inherited full-body heavy armor.

A suit of heavy armor was extraordinarily complicated to forge. Even Romon himself had not yet reached that level; he could only make standard farming tools, weapons, and shields.

Because of its technical complexity, heavy armor was extremely expensive. A full suit of heavy armor was nearly equivalent in value to a villa in the Eighth District.

The armor could not be sold in a hurry, or buyers would drive the price down too ruthlessly. Fortunately, there were three months to wait patiently for a suitable buyer.

The next day, while the sky was still dim, Ace arrived at Scholar Peter's villa with dark circles under his eyes. He went early to the backyard, reviewing grammar with his eyes closed as he waited for Morton.

As Scholar Peter's assistant, Morton was naturally exceptionally diligent. After all, his teacher was an extremely diligent man. Early in the morning, he handled his teacher's miscellaneous affairs and came to the backyard, only to find Ace already waiting.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. Seeing Ace work so hard reminded him of the beginning of his own studies. It was time to give this adorable junior some guidance.

"Ace, you came so early. You must have many questions to ask, right?" Morton said brightly as he walked up to Ace.

Ace opened his eyes. So Morton had arrived. "Yes, Mr. Morton. There's a lot about grammar that I'm not sure of, and I'm eager to learn from you."

As Ace asked his questions, Morton answered them with ease. Before long, Ace's doubts were resolved, and Morton was pleased as well. As a teacher, everyone hoped for a student who could draw inferences from one example.

The others gradually arrived amid their questions and answers. Many were brought by their parents. Seeing this studious scene, Ace would probably become the sort of child parents used to lecture their own children, making the other children's feelings toward him even more complicated—admiration mixed with dislike.

Life continued. Over the next few days, Ace maintained a routine of going back and forth between two places. Every day consisted of studying, eating, training, and sleeping. It was tense yet fulfilling.

By around the tenth day, he had already mastered the grammar knowledge proficiently.

Morton knew his progress well. Though he was greatly surprised by Ace's learning efficiency, when he considered his diligence and intelligence, he felt it was only natural.

Rather than sticking rigidly to the established teaching schedule, Morton decided to let Ace learn the next stage of material.

"Ace, these past few days have truly opened my eyes. I never knew someone could be this intelligent and diligent. Congratulations. You've completely mastered grammar and can begin the next stage of learning," Morton said with satisfaction.

"None of this would have been possible without your guidance. If a student is a ship, then a teacher is a lighthouse. You showed me the right direction."

Mutual flattery cost nothing, and Ace offered the compliment politely. In truth, the reason he could learn so quickly was the solid foundation laid by the intensive exam-oriented education of his previous life.

The compliment pleased Morton immensely. He chuckled softly and said gently to everyone, "You are all here to learn literacy. Your ultimate goal is to pass the Medimous City-State's Unified General Literacy Examination and obtain a qualification certificate. After mastering grammar, you will study three books: Myth, Epic, and The Founding of Medimous. Now, Ace, come with me to get the books. The rest of you will continue studying grammar. When I return, I'll ask questions."

The children below immediately broke into wails of despair. Not everyone was as eager to learn as Ace. Many children only wanted to play freely and had no desire to memorize obscure grammar.

Ace followed Morton up to the second floor of the villa. There was a spacious, sunlit room there, Peter's library. Peter's older disciples took turns managing it. Nearly a dozen bookshelves stood inside, filled with books recorded on parchment.

Ace's eyes could not help lighting up. Knowledge had always been the most precious thing, especially in this life, where knowledge was almost monopolized by nobles and citizens. Fortunately, the city-state was in a vigorous period of expansion, and the paths upward had not been completely blocked.

After greeting the librarian on duty that day, Morton said to Ace, "Teacher Peter's library is a place every person in the city-state who pursues knowledge dreams of visiting. It contains nearly every book in the city-state; only the royal library can compare. Today, I'll borrow out Myth. Use the parchment you brought to copy it here. The original cannot be taken outside, but the copy can. This is our teacher's generous gift. Once copied, it will become an inherited book of your family."

Ace understood the significance of this. Many who taught literacy did not permit students to copy books for free. Knowledge was a form of power, and almost only nobles and citizens possessed inherited family books. Ace's family had originally owned a few as well, but unfortunately, his father had no love for knowledge and sold them all when they moved to the Eighth District.

He quietly thanked Morton. The book's cover was made from thick parchment. Kaya Mythology was written on it in capital letters, while the line below was written in lowercase letters: Peter's handwritten copy.

Ace found a table and chair and began copying carefully with a quill pen. From time to time, some older disciples came to borrow books. Everyone remained quiet, earnestly copying and reading. The atmosphere surpassed even the libraries of his previous life.

In about ten days, Ace finished copying Myth and the other two books. Along the way, he also began learning Peter's beautiful Flying Bird Script. He had also gained a general understanding of this world's worldview.