Dominating in English Class
September 2nd—my first day of studying in five years had begun.
However, with the blessing of the goddess Athena, high school classes were a breeze for me.
Take, for example, English class.
“Alright then, let’s have the Japanese translation of this section and the main point the author is trying to convey, hmm… Oda.”
I stood up straight and confidently recited the translation.
“Sure! The translation is, ‘If anyone could beat the world’s strongest computer, Deep Blue, at chess, it would probably be when they secretly unplug its power cord.’”
“Hmm, correct.”
“And the main point the author is making in this passage is, ‘Computer performance has advanced to such an extraordinary degree that humans can no longer compete with them fairly.’ By the way, Deep Blue was the name of a cutting-edge supercomputer at the time.”
“Well researched. Both your translation and understanding are flawless.”
“Thank you very much.”
As I sat down, Hasumin, sitting next to me, stared at me with wide eyes that seemed to say, “Wow!”
By the way, I’m not particularly good at English.
In fact, it “used to be” one of my weakest subjects.
But now, I have the blessing of the goddess Athena.
Before becoming the supreme deity of the other world Orphermaus, the goddess Athena was originally a goddess of love and wisdom.
Thanks to her blessing, I can now handle English as naturally as I handle Japanese.
This skill was originally granted to me when I was transported to Orphermaus to eliminate language barriers.
Since it was always active from the beginning, it didn’t even have a proper name.
Well, maybe it does have a name, but at the very least, I don’t know it.
When I returned to this world, that skill stayed with me, effectively becoming a cheat ability that lets me understand any language effortlessly.
And it’s not just about understanding the meaning of words.
My comprehension of languages and mathematical formulas has skyrocketed, so much so that I can flip through a math textbook and grasp everything perfectly in seconds.
Last night, when I decided to review some material, I was completely shocked.
Even though it had been five years, high school English and math felt easier than elementary school arithmetic.
(This cheat skill is practically the ultimate ability for thriving in an academic-focused society. And since it’s always active and I can’t turn it off, it doesn’t even feel like cheating.)
I might as well accept this as a talent I’ve been granted and use it gratefully.
Honestly, with this skill, getting into Tokyo University or Kyoto University would be a piece of cake.
Not that I particularly want to go to either of those schools, though.
“Shuhei-kun, you’re really smart, aren’t you?”
Hasumin whispered to me, keeping her gaze forward and her mouth hidden behind her textbook.
“Well, I guess you could say that.”
I replied in a similarly hushed tone, also hiding my mouth.
Even if it’s thanks to a cheat, being complimented by a cute girl doesn’t feel bad.
“I wish I were as smart as you.”
“You’re pretty good at studying too, aren’t you, Hasumin?”
I was pretty sure I’d seen the name Kana Hasumi on the list of top-ranking students posted after the first semester finals.
For me, that was five years ago, so my memory was a bit hazy. But I vaguely recalled thinking, She’s beautiful, popular, and on top of that, she’s smart. That’s pretty amazing.
“I’m more of a grind-it-out type, so honestly, I’m doing my best just to keep up. But I want to get into a good university and become a civil servant, so I have to study hard.”
“I see.”
(Hearing someone say they’re working so hard to improve their grades made me feel a little guilty for thinking how lucky I am to breeze through everything thanks to my cheat skill.)
Still, this skill isn’t something I can turn on or off at will, and since I’m a hero who saved another world, I figure it’s okay to have this kind of perk.