Boss Shin’s proposal essentially means he wants me to take charge of nurturing the next generation, right? But the whole conversation is too disjointed. Even without entrusting me, there are plenty of capable adventurers here.
“How is it? How is it!?”
“Don’t get so close to my face…!”
I pressed my hands against the Boss’s cheeks as he tried to push his face closer, trying to shove him away. Damn, this guy’s got some strength, huh?!
“Instead of getting closer, first explain why you’re even bringing this up! Just like with your greeting earlier, there’s something more to this proposal, isn’t there!?”
“Ahaha, so you noticed?”
“And stop imitating Ange!”
“Tch, you’re so narrow-minded. I might have to re-evaluate my opinion of Kelvin-kun.”
With a disgruntled huff, Boss Shin returned to his desk, which he had been sitting on. Even if he *did* need to re-evaluate, something about it made me inexplicably angry.
“Well, I figured you’d react like that, so I’ll explain things in order. Kelvin-kun, did anyone pick a fight with you after you arrived at the pub?”
A fight? I’ve had my fair share of glares and sharp words thrown at me here at headquarters just a moment ago. But if you’re talking about actual physical confrontation, that would be from the first incident.
“Yeah, I was challenged by a party of A-Rank adventurers, someone named Paul. I assume you set that up too, right? It was way too obvious.”
“Correct. I instigated them. Judging by your reaction, you easily dealt with them. But I’d still like to ask. Paul-kun and his party are among the top-tier A-Rank adventurers the Guild boasts. What did you think of their strength after actually fighting them?”
“…Their leadership in coordinating a sizable party, and the fact that all of them possessed strength befitting an A-Rank. They were level-headed, ambitious, and showed potential for growth. It wasn’t just Paul, but all of them had a promising future, wouldn’t you say?”
“Oh my, to be praised so highly by an S-Rank Adventurer, I’m practically bursting with pride. However, that evaluation is a bit… lenient, don’t you think? So, do you think they’ll become S-Rank Adventurers in the near future?”
“Near future? You mean in the next few months? That’s impossible.”
While I do have expectations for Paul-kun, it’s not about immediate prowess, but their potential strength in the future. The same goes for other A-Rank adventurers, and I can firmly state that I don’t have such unrealistic expectations of them.
“Exactly, that’s the point! Starting with Paul-kun at the forefront, while the overall strength of the Guild’s adventurers is high, not a single one of them has reached S-Rank! They’re certainly skilled, but I suppose they’re all just above-average talents? This is a critical situation! And on top of that, they have huge egos!”
“I’ve heard enough about their egos. So, what’s the problem? S-Rank Adventurers are rare, born perhaps once every few years, aren’t they? Glostina just became S-Rank after me the other day, so there are actually quite a few lately. You’re an S-Rank Adventurer at the Guild yourself, so there shouldn’t be any issues, right?”
“… The Versus Match.”
“Huh?”
“There’s an annual Versus Match held between Academy City Lumiest and the Adventurer Guild. Do you know about it?”
No, I’ve never heard of it. I glanced at Ange, silently asking if she knew.
“I believe it was mentioned in the documents Shutra-chan gave me.”
“Was it? Hmm, I thought I’d read through them reasonably well…”
“Lumiest has quite a few annual events, so it’s understandable if Kelvin-kun missed it. I only know about it because I used to be a Guild staff member. Um, in three months from now, at Academy City Lumiest, that Versus Match will be held. One instructor and four representative new students will compete against five adventurers from the Guild in a total of five sparring matches. The purpose of the Versus Match is to invite seasoned adventurers from outside to deepen friendships with the year’s new students through sparring. That was the official explanation, I think?”
“Precisely. But in reality, the aim is to humble those sheltered young lords and ladies. Our adventurers are quite something, but the students there are even more full of themselves and pride. To teach such students about the wider world, we’ve sent suitable A-Rank adventurers to that match every year. However, since some of their opponents are royalty, we limit it to those who are exemplary and well-mannered.”
Lumiest, new students, Versus Match— Ah, I think I’m starting to see the flow of the conversation. And it seems I’m deeply involved.
“Oh, that’s a good thing, isn’t it? In other words, it’s a form of social education. So, what about it?”
“Hahaha. You’re still pretending not to know, even though you’ve figured out most of it. Is this your way of getting back at me from earlier? Well, I did say I’d explain things in order, so I’ll continue. To be blunt, this year’s Lumiest new students are unusually strong, and our usual methods won’t work. While A-Rank adventurers used to have a comfortable victory, the outlook is that they won’t stand a chance. You probably already know the reason for this, Kelvin-kun, don’t you?”
“Well, uh, yeah. Regarding a select few new students, some of them… well, I might have had something to do with them…”
My sister Rion, who rivals even S-Rank adventurers, Bel, who boasts overwhelming combat power and intellect, and my beloved daughter Kuromel, who pales in comparison but could still easily defeat A-Rank adventurers. Regardless of how the rest of the students fare, if they select students based on their strength, Lumiest will win three matches. I can definitively say A-Rank adventurers have no chance.
“The students you’re thinking of are indeed formidable, but this year there are several other dangerous new students. They’re strong enough that we could select them based on the strength of S-Rank adventurers.”
—!
“Oh, really, dangerous new students? Hmm, hmm, hmm. That sounds troublesome. Well then, why don’t you gather adventurers who can match them? Like those S-Rank adventurers. Moreover, I could even participate in the Versus Match myself—”
“—You don’t need to pretend you’re not interested. It’s a given that Kelvin-kun will be interested in this matter. I anticipated that and already filled one of the participant slots for you, so don’t worry.”
“… You’re that far ahead?”
“Indeed. However, here’s the problem. Even with you, Kelvin-kun, included, we’re still short on numbers. Even if I, the Boss, were to participate myself, there are still three slots remaining.”
“What about the other S-Rank adventurers? Like Silvia and Leonhardt?”
“Unfortunately, the others aren’t particularly interested in this event. Besides, Leonhardt, the Beast King of Gaun, cannot easily leave his country, and Silvia is currently a guest at Water Country Traase. It’s not practical to invite her all the way to the Western Continent. Gordiana also seems busy, and even if we could invite her, it would likely only be the up-and-coming Glostina or Farnis Bakke, who seems to be idle year-round. Art, who belongs to Lumiest, is out of the question. At worst, he might even show up himself as an escort instructor befitting the panel.”
Hmm? Does that mean there’s a chance I could fight Art, depending on the opponent?
“Kelvin-kun, dripping drool. Here, a handkerchief.”
“Ah, sorry.”
“It’s fitting that you’re excited hearing this, but no matter how you look at it, we can only have four S-Rank adventurers at most. That leaves one slot open. The Adventurer Guild also has its pride. In my position, I cannot afford to lose to mere students. However, it’s not like just anyone will do. We can’t rely on outsiders for this alone.”
“I see. So the condition is that they must be bonafide adventurers affiliated with the Guild?”
In that case, former Guild staff Ange would be in a tricky position. Ostensibly, it’s a friendly gathering with adventurers, but it would be strange if a former Guild staff member were selected.
“That’s right. I considered putting forward Efil-kun from your party, who has adventurer qualifications, but she’s not in a position to do so right now, is she?”
“Ah, she’s absolutely not in a position to. I’ll oppose it with all my might. …Ah, I see. So that brings us back to the original discussion? You want me to train promising A-Rank adventurers into becoming suitable in strength?”
Boss Shin nodded enthusiastically with a broad smile.
