What awaited me after the entrance ceremony went off without a hitch was the Student Government Association hearing.
　It was to explain the conflict between the students that occurred earlier this morning.
　Me, Sarasa, Cecil, and Rowan head to the autonomy meeting room.

　Waiting for us was Vael Dee Riviled with cold ice eyes.
　And it was the main members of the borough council.
　There was also the vice-president, Payella, whom I met in the morning, and the secretary, a man named Lucian.
　Also lined up were the treasurer and several other executive officers.

'Welcome to the community association. Lacelle Singh Stark and the newcomers. Let me welcome you.

　The Chairman greets us.
　Unlike the first time we met, his tone was somewhat softer than the first time we met.
　But the way he sat down in front of the thick, monolithic table, he had the air of a veteran general.

'I didn't expect to be welcomed. I had only expected to be narrowed down to the scary chairman, but...

"Lacelle Singh Stark!　You wouldn't have that kind of thing to say to the chairman.

　It was Lucien who suddenly took a bite out of me.
　He's probably still holding onto the events of this morning.
　He was biting my words like a wild dog.

　It's just a loser's howl........

　Then a hand goes up.
　The one who won over the secretary of the neighborhood association was our president.

'Good. It's a fact that I'm feared by the other students.

What do you mean, Master Vael? I'm sure you have a girlish side to you, Vael.

　Lucian is emphatic.
　But Vael has silenced him.
　It seems that there is quite a difference in temperature between the two of them.
　Hang in there, Lucien.
　I gave him a hearty shout of encouragement.

　But the girlish side of the chairman....
　I can't even imagine.

''So when does our hearing start?''

"The inquiry.... Oh. You mean earlier this morning. I'm done with that one.

What?

'It was such a big turnout. There were plenty of witnesses. We know what the hell happened. ...and a mess like that. It's an everyday occurrence here. Every time we call up the parties involved and listen to what they have to say, the sun will go down.

So you're saying we're innocent?

　Vael nodded as Sarasa asked the question.

'On the face of it, I'm supposed to ask you to write a reflection, but it's too much trouble to read it too. And there is no point in having a superficial reflection written down in writing. If that's the case, it would be a hundred times more effective if I made them understand by force. Don't you think?

Ha........... Haha.......... Indeed.

　Cecil gave a wry smile, the edges of his mouth twitching.

''But there's a good reason why I invited you guys to the Autonomous Conference Room.

　Then Vael slowly leaned his body forward.
　He got up on his elbows on the table and placed his neatly shaped chin on his crossed fingers.
　Then, with a thin smile, he said

'Lasser Singh Stark..... Would you like to join your own community?

　----ck!

　The conference room froze in an instant.
　Everyone's expressions froze, as if Vael's ice-attribute magic 【Frozen Prison】 had been released.
　Not to mention Cecil and the others lined up behind me, even the members of the homeowners' association were surprised.
　Probably, even for them, the president's solicitation was watered down in their sleep.

　I'm the Student Government Association, huh?
　To put it bluntly, it's a word of trouble.
　It's the student council, so it's natural that they can't take time for themselves because they have to catch all the people who cause trouble.

　When it comes to getting strong, the most important thing is time.
　For me, time is not about money.
　Time is more valuable than money.

　If you want a man of justice, let Cecil with the twinkle in his eye behind him do it.

'Why me?'

Do you want me to answer that?

By all means, let me ask you...

If anything, I'd like to keep you with me.

What?

'What can I say.... You make my heart boil, or something. For some reason, it's like this........ It's like my heart is beating faster and more excited.

　Oh, come on.
　Could that be.........
　No, even if it was in the first place, even if it was--.

　It's a public/private mix-up to the max!

　For some reason, there was silence, along with a delicate air.
　No one made any attempt to voice their opinion to the chairman.
　Perhaps it was my imagination, but Sarasa and Cecil's faces were red, and Rowan was also scratching his head, eager to misrepresent the atmosphere of the place.

　Gohon.........

　So the delicate air was finally dispelled by a cough.
　Everyone's eyes turned to look at him.
　It was Payella who was standing there.

''Perhaps the chairman is buying your magical skills. And Lacelle-kun. You're a [villager]. Even for such a person to join the executive committee and be active, it will be one of the appeals of the homeowners' association. For us as well, that's a big advantage.

　Brilliant explanation.
　It's the only answer I can think of in this short amount of time.
　Don't do it!　Vice Chairman.

　The person who agreed with Payella's opinion the most was our chairman.

'Yes!　That's right, Payella. That's what I was trying to say.

　Really?!

Do you disagree...?　Lacelle Singh Stark.

　Vael tilted his head slightly.
　Her beautiful silver hair flowed.

'Thankfully...'

'Well, don't say that. Not a bad deal for you either.

It sounds like you've heard nothing but bad things...

It's your job description, for example.

[Villager]...?

　Vael nodded.

'Your profession is the most humble profession in the world. At the same time, it's also the most prominent job function in this school. After all, including the faculty and staff, if you were to gather people from this school - or even from other branches, you're the only one who has the [villager] job function.

I'm sure...

　I laugh to myself.

'So you're inviting trouble. There are a lot of aristocrats here. Most of them are pigs who are bent on authoritarianism. To them, you and the people around you are the perfect target.

I believe the chairman was a nobleman as well?

'You can decide if I'm a pig or not. ...In any case, I recommend that you join the homeowners' association in order to protect you and your surroundings. It's all tedious work, as you might think, but I can guarantee you the effectiveness of that title.

　Indeed......
　It doesn't seem to be without merit.
　As the Chairman says, as a [villager], I would be a prominent figure.
　There's a good chance that the commotion like the one this morning will continue to occur.
　Of course, all you have to do is rip them off without question.
　But every time that happens, it's intolerable to be called into this room.

　I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to do that.
　I didn't enroll in this school to make dumb people understand (I want to be a part of it).

　However, the Chairman's proposal seems to have merit and doesn't seem to change the situation much.

　If you join the local government association, you will have to crack down on those rabble-rousers, and you will be in and out of the meeting room more often than not.

　There is only a difference between admonishing a disturbance and being in the middle of a disturbance.

　But if you don't mind me saying so, it will certainly help prevent people from doing harm to Sarasa and Cecil and the others.

　Now, what to do........

''Please wait.''

　It was Sarasa who raised her hand.
　The hand she raised was modest, but the eyes behind the glasses are serious.

It's not a good idea. Does that mean you want us to join the homeowners' association because we are in danger, Lacelle-kun?

'Oh..... I certainly did.

　Vael let the seemingly feeble plea of the newcomer slide lightly.
　But Sarasa never contradicted him.

'No way!　It's as if we're being held hostage!

Huh?

'If you are joining the community association for the sake of Mr. Racel, that's fine. But if you have no choice but to join the community association for our sake, it's not the same. Mostly--


　We are not as weak as the Chairman thinks we are!


　Sarasa shouted aloud.

　It was Lucien who responded to her appeal.

'You!　How dare you talk to Master Vael!

"Wait, Lucien. She's right. I apologize.

'There is nothing for Lord Vael to apologize for...'

'I was a little underestimated, apparently. I guess I just thought it was all goldfish droppings around Lacel Singh Stark, but it's a bit different in flavor.

　Then Vael's icy eyes glowed.
　She slapped the eye light behind the glasses that Sarasa wore.
　Even so, she didn't falter.
　The pale green iris that housed the [Future Vision] was on fire.

"And it's me who said all the people in the school are the 'enemy'. It would be terribly contradictory to think of that person as protecting people. I'm sorry about that. What's your name?

Salasa Vargard.

Yeah. You have a good eye. If you're interested, you're welcome to join the homeowners' association. You're more than welcome to join.

No. I'm the one who... I'm sorry for being so outspoken.

　Salasa bows her head.
　She finally realized what she had done.
　When she returned to her usual self, she bowed her head in a pecking order.

'But you know what? I wonder if I want Lacelle to join the homeowners' association.

　The person who rehashed the story was, as it turned out, Sarasa's best friend.

Because he's so cool. He's like a righteous hero defending his community association.

　I put my head in my hands.

　Cecil's reaction was almost as expected.

''Hey, hey, Mr. Chairman. Do you mind if I join the homeowners' association?

As much as I'd like to welcome you, community association work is hard. It requires a certain level of competence. Yes. If you can convince Lasser Singh Stark to join us, though, I wouldn't mind giving it a second thought.

　He grins.

　Despite the fact that Sarasa was angry with me earlier, she only intends to fill in the outer moat.
　Well, it's the usual method of negotiation........

Oh......... Then it's easy.

　Cecil replied matter-of-factly.
　As he approached the chairman, he gave his long ears an earful.
　Eventually, Vael bared his teeth like a demon.

'Lacel Singh Stark. Joining the Autonomous Society had one more benefit for you, my dear.

...What is it?

'You can enter dungeons held by the school,'

Nah!

　In the curriculum of the Adventurer's School, there is a hands-on training program.
　In fact, you have to dive into dungeons and defeat monsters.
　For this reason, there are dungeons that are maintained by the school itself.
　Students are not allowed to enter the dungeon except for classes, but members of the neighborhood association are allowed to enter under the guise of cheating or safety checks.

　Moreover, the monsters encountered there are said to be free to hunt as much as they want under the guise of safety checks.

''Just in case you're wondering, what's your strength rank?''

'The best grade you can encounter in class is a C. But--

"But?

That dungeon is pretty deep. No one has ever been to the bottom of it yet. But rumor has it that there are more powerful monsters in the deeper regions.

　Strong monsters!

　The moment I heard that, my head was filled with those words.

　Huh.........

　What kind of monsters are out there?
　I won't say S-rank is a luxury.
　If only there were at least an A-ranked monster....
　If you synthesize them, create stronger monsters, duplicate them and hunt them all over....

　Finally, you might be able to get your hands on some top-tier magic!

　I looked up.

'I'd love to join you.'

Well, it's a quick decision. Why don't you give it some thought?

No. My resolve is unwavering. For the school!　For skill points!　We'd love to have you join our community association!

　Determination.

　Beside the stunned Chairman, Cecil warped the precipice and snorted.

'Hey?　What did I tell you?　It's the best way to catch a russell.

''Haha........ Actually, isn't Cecil the strongest person in this academy who can move Lacelle?

　Rowan stroked his brown hair, a little dumbfounded.
　At the same time, a laugh echoed in the borough president's office.
　I was the one in the center of it all.

　Hmph!
　Whatever.
　To me, the quest for strength is the number one priority!