The Scholar's Rebirth-Chapter 37: Not all Knights need a sword

The moment they dispersed, Thalos picked up speed, heading straight for home with Talis and Flynn trailing behind. Despite being the bigger twin, Thalos was actually the younger one—and undeniably a mama's boy.

Without realizing it, he broke into a light jog, already imagining his mother waiting with open arms, probably fussing over whether he'd eaten.

But when he got home, the house was empty.

He paused at the doorway, confused for a beat, then remembered—his parents were now working. His mother in the fields, his father down in the mines.

Just as Talis caught sight of their house, he saw Thalos already sprinting off again.

"Where are you going, brother?" Talis called out.

"Farms!" Thalos shouted over his shoulder without stopping.

Meanwhile, Flynn barely made it past the path before he was bombarded by his younger siblings. They tackled him with hugs and excited chatter, nearly knocking him off his feet.

Thalos ran toward the fields, kicking up little clouds of dust as he went.

As he reached the edge, he spotted a few familiar faces—fellow trainees reuniting with their parents. Some were laughing, others just standing in stunned silence.

Thalos smiled faintly as he watched them, chest still rising from the run.

Then he heard it.

"Thalos!"

He turned at the sound of his name, and there she was—his mother, standing near a row of planted stalks, wiping her hands on her apron as she hurried over.

Her face was streaked with dirt and sweat, but to Thalos, she looked like the sun had finally come out.

Lysa dismissed the workers earlier than usual due to the little celebration. The workers were glad to pack up and leave.

Meanwhile not everyone was happy. Imaris walked alone, her steps slower than the others. There was no proud family waiting for her at the edge of the fields. No siblings sprinting into her arms. No one cheering her name.

She hadn't made it into the Navy or the soldiers.

Instead, they'd given her something called a "police officer." Whatever that meant. It didn't sound important. It didn't sound exciting. It definitely didn't sound like what she'd signed up for.

Everyone else had marched in with pride in their eyes. She'd kept her head down.

By the time she reached her house, the celebrations behind her were already growing louder. She slipped through the door quickly, not wanting to be seen. Inside, her little siblings looked up but didn't understand her silence.

She headed straight to her room and locked the door.

Outside, the village was buzzing. Some parents had already dashed off to tell their friends. Others were planning trips to the nearby islands to buy new clothes for their freshly minted "knights."

Livia was one of them.

She'd heard the cheering while working in the fields and came running, half-expecting her daughter to be standing in the center of it all. But when she reached home, the house was too quiet.

She walked in, confused, until one of the younger kids pointed toward the bedroom.

"She just went inside," they said.

Livia didn't waste time. She knocked once before pushing the door open.

Imaris was curled up on her bed, her face buried in the pillow.

"Why are you hiding in here?" Livia asked, stepping closer. "Didn't I tell you before? You could always try again."

Imaris didn't answer right away.

Livia sat beside her. "So what if you didn't make it as a soldier or navy? A police officer isn't a bad thing. Maybe it's not what you pictured, but that doesn't mean it's worthless."

"You think you failed, don't you?" she said softly. "But listen to me, Imaris—not all knights wield a sword."

Imaris didn't respond, but Livia saw her shoulders tense. She kept going.

"Some protect with strength, others with sense. A police officer... maybe it's new, maybe it sounds strange now. But someone decided this village needed people like you. That means something."

She brushed a bit of hair from Imaris' face. "You wanted action, right? Well, protecting this place—your people—it's still a fight. You just have a different kind of weapon."

Imaris sniffled quietly.

"You don't need to wear armor to make a difference," Livia added, a small smile on her face. "And who knows? You might end up being the kind of knight people look up to—not because you stood in front of a battlefield, but because you stood when no one else did."

This time, Imaris turned toward her, eyes red but open.

"You really think it matters?" she asked.

Livia tapped her chest. "It matters here. And if it matters to you, that's enough to start with." And with that Imaris decided to give this weird job a try.

-----------

Eira stepped into the village hall just as the last golden rays of sunlight filtered through the open windows. Five people stood near the center of the room—three men and two women—all watching her with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. These were the ones Elandor had sent word about.

They looked like they had come straight from a day's work. Their clothes bore smudges of dirt and dust, but they had clearly tried to make themselves presentable. One man even looked like he had tried to comb his hair into submission.

Eira walked to the front and clasped her hands behind her back. "Are you all here for the teaching position?"

They all nodded.

"Good," she said. "I'll ask plainly—are you willing to become teachers?"

The group exchanged brief glances before the eldest, a broad-shouldered man with graying hair and warm eyes, stepped forward. "Yes," he said. "If you're willing to teach us, Lady Eira, we'll do our part."

Eira gave a curt nod. "Your monthly pay will be 350 copper coins."

A stunned silence followed. One of the women, who had been staring politely at the floor, lifted her head sharply. A young man's eyes grew wide, and he visibly straightened. Even the composed older man raised a brow.

"Three hundred and fifty?" the youngest of them, a man in his twenties with a lean frame, repeated. "Each month?"

Eira nodded again. "Yes. That's the rate for teachers."

That did it. The spark had been lit.

They introduced themselves one by one.

"I'm Veras Dorn," the older man said. "I used to work as a carpenter. I have a wife and two daughters."

"Lilia Harth," said the first woman. She had a graceful bearing and calm eyes. "My husband's a miner. I've two sons."

The younger man stepped forward. "Dren Ailos. I'm not married. Was training under my uncle, a stonemason."

"Sella Ven," the second woman said, her voice soft but steady. "I help at the herb garden. My mate's a kni—sorry,what was the word again,right. Soldier."

And finally, a heavyset man with curly hair added, "Joneth Pell. I work in the fields with my wife. Two boys and a girl."

Eira was pleased with the range of backgrounds. Different minds. Different strengths.

"I will teach you every evening," she said. "Three hours a day. In return, I expect dedication. You will need to be confident enough to teach others within the week. That means you'll have to give this your all."

They nodded solemnly.

"For now, we'll use this hall. I'll make arrangements for desks and benches later. And before your first class, I'll need a large piece of wood to serve as a board. I'll coat it with charcoal and chalk."

Their faces showed uncertainty, but none spoke.

Then, Eira opened the crate beside the wall and began pulling out books. She just had One of each but she took out 4 more from her office,They of course couldn't see her as she did that.

One by one, she handed them over.

The moment the first book landed in Veras' hands, he froze.

It was made of smooth, white paper—clean, uniform, with neat lines of ink flowing across each page in sharp, elegant script. The cover was thin but sturdy, stitched neatly by hand. He opened it slowly, reverently.

The others followed. Gasps escaped their lips as they touched the paper, letting it run between their fingers.

"I've never seen paper like this," Lilia whispered. "It's... it's like water frozen into sheets."

Joneth sniffed at his, then laughed under his breath. "And it doesn't even smell like bark or pulp."

Read latest chapters at freёweɓnovel.com Only.

"This isn't parchment either," Dren said, wide-eyed. "How... how did you make these?"

Eira smiled faintly. "The method is complicated, but they're paper. You'll see more of it soon."

Sella's fingers trembled slightly as she turned the first page. "The letters are so clear," she murmured. "Like they were carved."

Eira stepped back and looked over them. "The books are titled Introduction to the Elven Language, Mathematics Book I, and Basic Calculations. Each of you will study them. I've made twenty copies in total, but these are yours to keep. You'll study from them every evening, and I'll guide you through the rest."

The group stood, the books cradled in their arms like rare treasures as they left.

As Eira finished settling things with the five future teachers, she left the hall with a quiet sense of accomplishment. The sun had nearly dipped below the hills by the time she reached home, casting golden streaks across the sky.

Kael was waiting for her, practically bouncing on his feet the moment she stepped inside.

"I passed!" he blurted, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm officially a soldier now!"

Before she could respond, he launched into an animated retelling of the entire test—from the forest trek to the mock battles—as if she weren't the one who had helped design it all. Eira didn't interrupt. She simply smiled, watching him speak with unfiltered excitement. It was rare to see Kael act his age, free from his usual restraint.

Once he finally paused for breath, Eira reached into her pouch and handed him a few copper coins. "Use this to get yourself some new woven sandals and tunics. You've earned it."

Kael accepted the coins with wide eyes and a grateful smile. "Thanks! I'll go tomorrow—"

"Don't," she interrupted gently. "Walter is away. No one will be at the port."

Kael blinked clearly confused. "Oh, okay..."

Eira chuckled to herself. She could already imagine the southern port bustling with parents the next day, all desperate to buy clothes and shoes for their newly recruited sons and daughters—only to find the place empty. What a scene that would be.

"Where's Draco?" she asked after a moment, suddenly realizing she hadn't seen him since morning.

As if summoned, the door creaked open and in walked Draco, his arms full to the brim with fruit—apples, avocados, even a few bananas.

Eira blinked. "Where in the world did you get all those?"

"The forest," Draco replied casually, setting the pile down. "There's quite a lot in the deeper parts, if you know where to look."

Eira's eyes lit up. She grabbed an apple, washed it quickly, and took a bite. It was crisp and sweet.

And just like that,life moved quietly for some meanwhile across glistening waters...