第２７７堀：手段 (Part2)
"That’s the thing. Researching monsters isn't something exclusive to the Academy, and Amanda herself isn't exactly renowned for her monster research. More importantly, she’s still a student, and aside from her wyvern, she has zero track record."
"Normally, one would need to earn credits as a fifth-year student to graduate, and then reach the third-year level to be recognized as a faculty member or researcher..."
"Since there’s no way to evaluate her, and she hasn't even earned her credits, we can't just force her into a position..."
"Breaking established rules like this would look bad to the public, and it would be an insult to all the students who have worked so hard to get where they are."
"Everyone acknowledges that having Amanda the Dragon Knight join us is a good thing. The issue is simply which department we can place her in without ruffling any feathers."
So, they do acknowledge her joining. That means my inner circle understands the value of a wyvern’s combat power and the significance of taming one.
"From what I’ve heard, there’s no issue with her joining internally. But since the combat capability of Amanda the Dragon Knight is unknown to the outside world, bringing her in carelessly might invite unnecessary trouble from external parties."
"Exactly. While they might not be on the level of a wyvern, if she brings in something like an orc, we’ll have idiots thinking they deserve honorary faculty status, too."
"That sounds like a headache."
If it were our vegetarian Orc King, it wouldn't be a problem, but the orcs on this New Continent certainly aren't fond of vegetables.
"So, for the time being, we intend to have her earn her credits properly as a student, build up a track record, and then transition her into a teaching position."
"Yes. Amanda has talent as a tamer, and she seems to enjoy teaching the children."
Ah, right, she was getting along well with Aslin.
"We couldn't give her a high-ranking position at the Academy immediately, but since she’s married to Eoid, she’s already a resident of the Academy city. As a student, she’s well within our reach, so that’s not a problem."
Phew. I was worried when they mentioned the "seat" issue, but it sounds like it really was just about the formal position. The rest of the problem, however...
"So, have there been any updates from Cleena’s homeland, August, in the last few days?"
Right. The Holy Sword Users had mentioned an impending attack on this Academy and the nation of August. Because it would be a major national issue if we were seen flying back and forth without notice, we’ve been using the "unveiling" of Amanda the Dragon Knight as a pretext to prepare and move without raising suspicion. But that means if the last remaining Holy Sword User makes a move, we might be caught on the back foot.
Well, if they do make a move, we’ll have a legitimate reason to act, but... it is Cleena’s homeland, after all. Since it’s my wife’s wish, I’d like to minimize the damage as much as possible.
Cleena, for her part, stares at Popuri’s face with a serious expression, determined not to miss a single piece of information. Seeing her look, Popuri meets her gaze and speaks.
"Cleena, you can rest easy. There has been no information regarding any disturbances."
"I see. That’s a relief."
...I hate to say it, but there’s always the possibility that it’s already been wiped off the map. If there’s no one left, there’s no one to send a report. If they can summon monsters on the level of Enaria, a war of annihilation would be easy.
No, wait—maybe not. It’s like trying to scatter a nest of spiders; killing everyone is difficult. Well, considering that monsters don't just spontaneously swarm out of the Academy’s monster forest due to mana accumulation, I think we’re safe for now.
"...Which is exactly why it’s so unsettling."
"...President, what do you mean?"
"They said it themselves, didn't they? The Holy Sword Users. They said they would attack the Academy and the nation of August."
"...Yes. They definitely said that."
"And a Holy Sword User did come to the Academy, only to be captured by Taiki-dono. It stands to reason that one went to August as well. Yet, there hasn't been a single report of damage."
"...It hasn't been that many days yet. Could that be the reason?"
Lara suggests this, but Popuri immediately counters.
"For them, communication between individuals is easy, and they have teleportation, so they don't need time to gather information. If we take the moment Yuki-dono and the others headed for Roday as the signal for them to start, it’s already been nearly a week. Considering that the Holy Sword User at the Academy made their move just one day after you all left, this is unnatural."
She’s right. Given the speed of their previous actions, the lack of movement now is strange. With Popuri’s observation, everyone falls into deep thought.