The First Lesson in Literacy

The morning air was crisp as Ethan awoke to the distant sounds of the city stirring to life. The faint light of dawn crept through the wooden gaps in his shack, casting a soft golden hue over his modest living space.

For a brief moment, he remained still, staring at the ceiling. Today was different.

Today, he would officially begin his journey toward literacy.

With a deep breath, he pushed himself off the straw mattress and stretched his sore muscles. His body had grown somewhat accustomed to the daily grind of cleaning the Grand Library, but the aches remained—a constant reminder that survival in this world was a struggle.

He quickly washed his face in the public trough, the icy water shocking him awake. After grabbing a stale piece of bread from a street vendor, he made his way toward the Grand Library of Cordoba, his pace slightly quicker than usual.

His mind buzzed with excitement. Today, he would take his first step toward real knowledge.

As Ethan entered the Grand Library, he immediately spotted Raya Allen at the reception desk, already busy sorting through stacks of parchment and ink bottles.

She didn't bother looking up when he approached.

"You're late," she said flatly.

Ethan smirked. "Technically, my shift hasn't started yet."

She finally glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "If you had half as much dedication to work as you do to arguing, you might actually accomplish something."

Ethan chuckled. "I prefer to save my energy for more important things."

She sighed and held up a neatly written contract, sliding it across the desk.

"Here," she said. "This is your student-teacher agreement. Read it carefully."

Ethan picked it up and immediately frowned. "You do realize I can't read this, right?"

Raya stared at him for a moment before sighing. "Right. I forgot you're functionally illiterate."

"Hey," Ethan said, feigning offense. "I prefer the term knowledgeably challenged."

She ignored him and tapped the parchment. "The contract is simple. You are now officially my student, and I am your teacher. Half of your daily wage will be deducted until you've paid the five silver tuition fee. In return, I will teach you how to read and write."

Ethan nodded. That was fair. He wasn't particularly thrilled about losing half his income, but knowledge was worth any price.

Raya handed him an ink pad. "Press your thumb here to sign."

He did as instructed, leaving his thumbprint beside his name, marking the contract official.

Raya did the same, stamping it with her own seal before rolling up the parchment and placing it into a small wooden case.

Ethan leaned against the counter. "So… this contract is now legally binding?"

Raya smirked. "It's more than legally binding. It's divinely binding."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Meaning…?"

Raya placed her quill down and looked at him seriously. "Official contracts in the Holy Dominion aren't just words on parchment. Scholars and priests infuse them with divine power. If either party breaks the agreement, they will suffer backlash or divine punishment."

Ethan's smirk faded.

So this wasn't just some casual document—it was an oath.

"Wait," he said slowly. "You mean if I break the contract, I get smited by God or something?"

"Something like that," Raya said casually. "Depends on the severity of the contract. Some cause painful migraines as punishment, while others…" She trailed off.

Ethan gulped. "Others…?"

Raya smiled sweetly. "Let's just say some contracts are lethal."

Ethan mentally cursed.

"I need to be careful about signing things in this world."

Still, this was a good lesson. Contracts weren't just agreements—they were magical bindings.

"I'll keep that in mind," he muttered.

"Good," Raya said. "Now get to work. You still have a job to do before your lesson."

Ethan sighed but didn't argue. Knowledge had a price, after all.

The rest of the day was routine.

Ethan spent hours dusting bookshelves, rearranging misplaced tomes, and sweeping the marble floors.

The library was a world of its own—a silent, sacred place where knowledge was stored, but not freely given. The fact that he was finally taking his first step toward unlocking that knowledge made his mundane chores bearable.

By evening, as the last rays of sunlight painted the stained-glass windows, Ethan returned to the reception desk.

Raya tapped the table. "Alright, time for your first lesson."

Ethan grinned. "Let's do this."

Raya opened a thin book and placed it in front of him.

"This," she said, "is the Hermes Alphabet."

Ethan looked at the neatly printed characters on the page. Each letter was structured, simple, much like the alphabets he had known on Earth.

"Hermes is the common tongue of the Holy Dominion and its neighboring nations," Raya explained. "It's a simplified version of Ancient Hermes, which is far more complex."

Ethan nodded attentively, soaking in the information.

Raya began teaching him the basic letters, their pronunciations, and how to form simple words.

Ethan, being naturally intelligent, picked up the patterns instantly.

However, he was careful not to show his full capabilities.

If he memorized the alphabet too quickly, it would raise suspicions.

So he acted like he was struggling, pausing every now and then, furrowing his brows as if he were trying to process the letters.

Raya, unaware of his act, seemed satisfied with his "progress."

By the time the hour was up, he had learned enough to read and write simple words.

"Not bad," Raya admitted, closing the book. "You're slow, but at least you're not completely hopeless."

Ethan smirked. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

She rolled her eyes. "Take this book home. Study it."

Ethan took the language book, feeling an odd sense of pride.

This was his first real step into knowledge.

As he walked home, he held the book tightly, as if it were the most valuable treasure in the world.

Because to him, it was.

He had always taken literacy for granted in his past life, but now, he understood its true power.

Back at his shack, he wasted no time—he immediately sat at his wooden table and began studying.

Unlike earlier, he no longer needed to pretend to struggle.

He traced the Hermes alphabet over and over, memorizing each curve, stroke, and pronunciation.

His intellect and scientific mind allowed him to process information quickly, and within three hours, he had completely mastered the alphabet.

It was something that would have taken weeks for an average student.

And this was just the beginning.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the candle's flickering flame, a satisfied smirk on his lips.

"I finally made real progress."

With a final glance at his book, he extinguished the candle and lay down on his bed.

As sleep claimed him, one thought echoed in his mind—

"This is just the first step toward something much greater."