Chapter 62: The Meaning of Knowledge

"Teach lessons to banshees? Me?"

Zoe clutched the hem of her long black dress, her face a picture of sheer panic.

She was nothing more than an ordinary maid. The most absurd fantasy she had ever entertained was catching the young master's eye and becoming his secret mistress.

That was a plotline she had only ever seen in the novels she snuck into the manor.

And now, Hughes was telling her that a group of unnatural beings with terrifying names needed her to give them lessons?

What kind of lessons could she possibly teach? She would probably end up on the dining table, arriving only to find a host of monsters sitting around with drool dripping from their jaws, knives and forks in hand, waiting for her to take her place on a platter.

"Relax. They're very pleasant to get along with, and not just anyone gets the chance to interact with them. You passed the background check, which makes you qualified to learn about these matters... I mean, there is a confidentiality subsidy involved."

The word "subsidy" snapped Zoe back to reality. Her wages as a maid were meager, yet she had a weakness for knightly romances. In this era, novels were a luxury pastime that only noble ladies could afford; she had to save up for ages just to buy a single volume.

In truth, a large part of her literacy was self-taught simply from reading novels—a secret she had never shared with anyone.

Teaching monsters was terrifying, yes, but if she could save enough money to buy more books...

"What novels?"

"Eep!" Zoe recoiled a couple of steps. "D-did I say that out loud?"

Hughes's eyelid twitched. Could this maid really be trusted with a secret?

"You're planning to save up for novels? Come to think of it, I wasn't aware you had such a hobby, Miss Zoe. I suppose you wouldn't want anyone else discovering your secret reading habit, would you?"

Zoe stepped back a few more times, terror in her eyes. That plotline—she had definitely read it in a novel before!

Hughes chuckled good-naturedly. "Anyway, there is indeed a subsidy, and it's quite generous. Of course, you are also bound by the duty of confidentiality."

"...Very well, Young Master."

"Then let's go see the banshees now. I'll take you there myself."

As he spoke, Hughes walked toward the fireplace in the study.

"By the way, what kind of novels are you reading? Bring them over so I can have a look too."

Zoe froze entirely.

......

............

......

"So, she's the teacher who's going to teach us?"

Monica swished her tail, slowly circling Zoe and looking her up and down. She kept one pair of hands behind her back, crossed another pair over her chest, and used her final pair of hands to point dismissively at Zoe.

Seeing Zoe's rigid expression, Monica couldn't help breaking into a mischievous grin.

Before she could do more, Ash picked her up by the waist and set her aside.

"Greetings, Mistress Zoe. The banshees bid you welcome."

"H-hello!"

Zoe raised her head. Ash's tall, imposing figure completely blocked her view. With her fluid body curves and a physique exuding raw power, Zoe felt that standing before the banshees made her look like an ant waiting to be crushed at any moment.

Ash bent down, trying to meet Zoe's gaze, which startled the little maid into taking another involuntary step back.

"Hey, spread out a bit, don't crowd her so closely!" Hughes stepped forward, using his hands to gently push the banshees' serpentine tails and urge them backward.

He could sense the curiosity brimming in the banshees' hearts, but this was only going to frighten their new teacher.

"Zoe will be teaching you how to read in the coming days. Once you finish your literacy classes, you can freely choose to study mechanics or other subjects."

"Why do we need to learn how to read?" Monica poked her head out from the crowd. "We have mind-links; we can communicate directly!"

"Literacy is merely the most fundamental part. It isn't difficult, especially not for a child like you." Hughes glanced sideways at Monica, who turned her head away with a huff of annoyance.

She hated being called a child.

The banshees exchanged glances. What Monica voiced was actually the question on all their minds: What was the point of learning these things?

They were born with the ability to wield various spells, and their physical bodies were incomparably powerful. Now, with the symbiotic contract in place, they hardly even needed to fear injury anymore.

Knowing how to read wouldn't make them stronger, nor would it speed up their communication. Wasn't it just a waste of time?

"I understand, Lord Lord." Ash nodded. Then, turning toward the rest of the banshees, she said in a commanding voice, "This is the Lord's will."

The banshees lowered their heads in submission.

Hughes sighed, walking over to Monica's side. "Go ahead, Monica. I know you have something to ask."

"What's the use of studying knowledge?" Monica blurted out. Catching Ash's glare, she shrank slightly behind Hughes. "Big Sister Ash, you actually want to know too, don't you? Lord Lord, just tell us."

Hughes scanned the surrounding banshees. Their loyalty was beyond doubt, but their eyes still held lingering confusion.

"Ash, when the murlocs enslaved you, what did they make you do?"

"Mine," Ash replied without hesitation. "We used flesh magic, which left us with little spare mana. Forcing ourselves to cast spells would rapidly consume our life force and lead to death, so we were only good for hard labor."

"Monica, do you like mining?"

Monica immediately shook her head. "Nobody likes mining. I like building castles on the seabed with coral."

"Have you ever thought about what you'll do in the future?"

Monica shook her head blankly.

"You're going to grow up—taller, stronger. You'll become a qualified warrior. Every banshee is a warrior, isn't that right?"

"Do you like fighting then?"

"I... I don't know..."

"You might like it, or you might not. But you don't have a choice, because you know how to do nothing else besides fight."

Hughes looked straight into Monica's eyes.

"Then how are you any different from being enslaved by the murlocs? Back then, you had no choice but to mine; now, you have no choice but to fight."

Monica was struck dumb.

"Banshees, you once tried to worship me as a god. But is fighting for a god truly fundamentally different from mining for a murlocs?"

"Perhaps there is a difference. You might consider it sacred, or glorious. But individual will cannot alter reality; you've merely been enslaved under a different banner."

A stir ran through the banshees. They looked at each other with unease; some gazed at Hughes pleadingly, hoping he would say it was all just a joke.

Yet Hughes did not.

He merely stared earnestly into every wavering pair of eyes.

"You were born incomparably powerful. You thought it was a gift from the heavens, but in truth, it is an iron chain shackling your neck."

"An inescapable one."

Ash stood frozen in place. Her expression remained steady, but Hughes noticed that her sleek serpentine tail had tied itself into a tight, immovable knot.

Hughes stepped back and pushed Zoe forward.

"She is nothing more than a miller's daughter. After her parents died, she became a maid. Her destiny should have been to spend her entire life trapped in a manor doing chores and cleaning rooms."

"Yet here she stands before you, ready to teach you."

"In the future, she might even fulfill her dream of becoming a novelist, her words selling across the four seas."

"This is not because fate favored her, but because she knows how to read. She possesses knowledge. She studied hard."

"You broke the shackles that fate imposed upon you—why couldn't she do the same?"

"Monica, you asked me the meaning of learning? This is it."

"Fate traps you in one place, but knowledge gives you wings."

"Learn, and change your destiny."