For the time being, the dungeon search has come to an end and I've returned to my regular classes.

　As I was finishing up my assignments that had been piling up without a hitch, I was called out by a caller.
　The person who called me up is Heimdall Doc Itosia, the head of the adventurer's school.
　He's the headmaster of the Adventurer's School.

　I immediately go to the headmaster's office.
　The headmaster of the Lizard tribe, with a fine beard and horns, was sitting on a chair and conducting his duties.
　He takes his glasses that he placed on the top of his nose as he urges me to hang them on the chair by his side.
　He placed his hands on the desk and spoke in a slow, measured tone.

'Lacelle Singh Stark. This time I've called you in to do you a favor.

Excuse me?

I'll make a point.


　Would you be an instructor at our school...................


　.........What?

　I'm an instructor?

'No wonder you're surprised. It's the first time since we opened an adventurer's school in the Villa Amst Kingdom.

　Heimdall speaks with a bit of a scowl on my face.
　It was a bit crisp.
　After all, he asks his students to play the role of instructors.
　In fact, it would be strange for him to be so imposing.

'Let me go through this in order. For one thing, your knowledge and understanding of magic, your basic abilities, and your experience. For one thing, your knowledge and understanding of magic, your basic abilities, and your experience are all greater than the instructors in our school. It's kind of embarrassing, though...

　Heimdall confesses honestly.

　Indeed..........
　I refrained and didn't show it on my face, but I nodded my head in my heart.

　To be clear.
　The level of classes at the Adventurer's School is too low.
　If I were to compare it to the old days, it would be at the level of the childhood class of its predecessor, the magic school.
　I wondered how they even gave them an adventurer's license and let them out with this.
　This is what it is in school.
　The level of modern adventurers can be considered quite low as well.

''Your ability is already far beyond the level at which you can graduate from our school. Even if you joined the guild right now, you could still be an A-ranked adventurer. However, we think it's a shame to let go of someone like you so easily.

So you want to keep me on as an instructor, so...

'Oh..... And there's another reason I'm recommending you for the instructor position.

　Heimdall's expression took a turn for the worse.
　Giraffe's dark blue eyes flashed.

''It's to get you to win the annual event held in the fall term--the Nine Dragons (Coulomb) Cup.

　The Kowloon Cup is a competition in which students from the nine adventurer schools in Galvale get together and compete against each other with the results of their daily training. Various competitions such as party games, all-out games, dungeon games, etc. are held, and the top school is determined by the overall score.
　The location of the tournament changes every year, and this year's tournament will be held in--" "Here in the Kingdom of Vila Amst.

This year's event is held in the Kingdom of Villa Amst. Therefore, we must win. We can't let His Majesty be embarrassed by this.

I understand. And by the way, how are we doing at the school?

He's 0-for-22 and has never won a game.

　I think I've heard something of the same thing recently....

''But our school isn't the only one that has lost all of its games. There is a school that has been winning the Kowloon Cup for years. That's the great Eisteddfod Empire, where the main school of the Adventurer's School is located.

　The upper management in charge of school management has basically set up a meritocracy, and it seems that the system is such that the results of the Kowloon Cup are directly related to the allocation of the budget.
　If the budget is large, they can improve the facilities and attract excellent instructors with the power of money.
　Then the best students will hear the rumors and come to our school to take the exam.
　The more students we get, the more money we can bring in.

　An excellent school attracts an excellent student.
　In a sense, it's a natural progression.
　But that would weed out the other schools.
　In fact, there are schools that are in the red and receiving government subsidies.

　There is a problem for the government as well.
　The reason for this is that they are losing their best people to other countries.
　It would be nice if they would come back, but apparently only about half of the students return.

'I think there's a problem with the system itself...'

'I agree. But our school is just as bullish. They have no intention of changing the current system. Since they have the right to make decisions, there's nothing we can do about it.

　Heimdall let out a deep sigh.

''The Nine Dragons Cup is no longer just a competition between students. It has become a world of politics that is unbearable to watch. The faculty and students don't want that.


　That's where you are. Lacelle Singh Stark.


'Our school will win the Kowloon Cup and stop our school's winning streak. If we win, I think it will soften attitudes a bit and make it easier for them to get their point across about changing the current system.

　Please..........

　Heimdall gets up from his chair.
　He bows his head deeply to me, his student.

'I believe you are the only person I could ask to do this. Please. It's not just our school. I want to be an adventurer. I want to be good at magic. I want to be strong. We need the victory of the Dragon's Cup to guide those children who think so. Please. Lacel Singh Stark. Just like this.

　Why, then.
　I was looking at Heimdall's head and thinking about my homeland.

　A man came to mind.
　His name was Bornga.
　He was a boy my age.

　My father was a nobleman.
　That's how I was able to get into the Adventurer's School.
　I had some money to spend.

　But Boronga is different.
　Even though he's a lord, he's a peasant in reality.
　They live a much more modest life than I do.
　That's why I couldn't get into the Adventurer's School.
　Because I had no money.

　But he was a man who wanted to be an adventurer more than anyone else.
　He would want to be good at magic, too.
　Most of all, I think his will to become strong was genuine.

　If the Villa Amst Kingdom Chapter had a budget.......

　Would a person like Borunga have been able to enroll in the school?

　I don't know why.
　Suddenly such a question occurred to me.

　I put that question straight to Heimdahl.
　With a bit of a bemused look on his face, the headmaster replied, "I suppose it's possible.

I suppose it's possible. Or perhaps that is the proper form of an educational institution.

　I don't go to school because I have money.
　You go to school because you want to be an adventurer.
　That's the way the system should work, I thought.

　I don't care about the political games of school.
　Let the dogs eat the prestige of the country.

　But you know what?

　I want to be strong.....

　The only thing I understand is your innocent desire to be strong.
　That's enough to get me fired up.

I understand. I'll accept the position of instructor.

　And I promise to win.