Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

It is precisely by recognizing one's own immaturity that those who aspire to become "students" can join in—Miss Eina explained with a slightly proud attitude.

"...Miss Eina is really amazing, she knows so much about the 'school district'."

"Heh, because I'm a graduate of the 'school district'?"

"Huh!? Is this... really true?"

I couldn't help but exclaim in surprise at this unexpected answer.

I blushed with embarrassment at attracting the attention of others… I had received so much care from Miss Eina, yet I knew so little about her; it made me feel both guilty and ashamed…

Oh, I see.

Miss Eina's extensive knowledge is not solely due to her being a guild employee.

The vast amount of knowledge taught at that enormous academy, through Miss Eina, has been of immense help to us adventurers.

Thinking about this, I can't help but feel grateful to the "school district" and at the same time, I'm also very interested in it.

I am an adventurer, and I can no longer be a student... but what kind of place is that ship?

"That's right, because I'm a graduate... In order to deal with the return of the 'school district', the guild assigned me to be the main person in charge of handling related matters..."

"...Miss Eina?"

Just then—

Miss Eina, who had initially appeared quite proud, now seemed to have a shadow cast over her expression.

Just as I was peeking at her, the crowd suddenly stopped.

It turns out we have already arrived at the western port.

To be precise, we arrived at a huge shipyard.

The crowd surged forward to get a closer look at the docked "school district," but guild members other than Miss Eina and the Ganesha Familia were already on site managing the situation. From what I observed, it seemed that not only ordinary citizens and adventurers, but even gods couldn't get close to that colossal ship.

"We're back, Harbor City (Melon)!"

"I'm finally back! Ahhhhh!"

"I'm a newcomer here! Nice to meet you in the port city (Merlen) and the labyrinth city (Orario)!!"

Before the cheers of the crowd had subsided, many human and demi-human teenagers could be seen gathering at the outer wall of the "school district," which was more than sixty meters above the ground—a more apt name would be "the edge of the ship"—and waving in this direction.

The uniforms for boys and girls are quite similar, and there seem to be quite a few people around my age, so are they all students from the "school district"?

“…………”

Miss Eina, gazing up at the students, had a strangely melancholy look in her slightly narrowed emerald-green eyes.

No, it should be said that it's...bewilderment?

Confused by this, I decided to muster my courage and was about to ask for my concern when—

"--Hmm!?"

Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind and covered my mouth, quickly dragging me into the crowd.

"...Bell, I'm sorry, I have some work to take care of, so I have to go now...wait, that's strange? Bell? Bell~?"

"Ughhhhhh!?"

The person covered my mouth with one hand and put the other hand on my shoulder, dragging me along as we went against the flow of people.

Forced to walk backwards, I could only desperately try to keep my footing and avoid falling until I left the crowd and finally broke free from my restraints.

"Pfft!? Hermes!?"

"Oh, little Bell! To meet you here is truly destiny!"

After speaking, Hermes flicked the front edge of his ever-present feathered hat with his finger.

After seeing Hermes, who was so moved that he seemed a little over-the-top, I was terrified.

"Based on my observation, given your adventurer's natural tendency to be drawn to the 'unknown,' you couldn't help but run here after seeing the 'school district' in the city... Am I right?"

"Hmm...! Yes, yes, absolutely correct..."

Because I vaguely sensed divine power along the way, I did not forcibly break free from the restraints, and frankly admitted it under the excellent observation of the gods.

Still reeling from the shock, I quickly asked:

"Hormes, why are you here...?"

"Any deity who possesses a [Family] will naturally come to see for themselves after hearing the news that the 'School District' has returned!"

Hermes placed his hand on my shoulder, as if to whisper something in my ear:

"Look, whether it's in the crowd or on the roof of that building... it's not hard to spot gods or adventurers mixed in with the crowd, is it?"

"Wow, it really is..."

Following the direction pointed out by Hermes, one could indeed see several gods with [families] and their retinues. They were all staring intently at the "school district," whispering amongst themselves as if plotting something wicked.

The reason I could sense the "prelude to unrest" from them was probably because I had completely integrated into the life of Orario... Just when I had a strange premonition, the god Hermes revealed the "answer".

"Everyone came here to recruit new members for the [Family]."

"Recruiting new members...? Could it be students from the 'school district'? But why...?"

"Of course, it's because 'school districts' are a treasure trove of talent!"

After Hermes clenched his fists and finished speaking, he said, "I'll chat with you for a bit," and then led me to other places.

Even so, we simply walked between the two buildings and stood at the alley entrance where the "school district" sign was still clearly visible.

Did you know that "school districts" are educational institutions that travel the world?

"Ah, I know, Miss Eina told me..."

"Then I can get to the point. In short, the renowned 'school district' is easily embroiled in all sorts of 'troublesome matters,' such as exorcising monsters at the request of the town, and sometimes even getting involved in disputes between countries."

"Between nations, and between nations?"

"There's a famous saying in the school district: 'Use willpower as your sword, knowledge as your staff, and failure as your crown.' To help students grow, they'll even deliberately seek out trouble under the guise of 'internships.'"

Strange, I suddenly feel that the "school district" is a very turbulent place...!

"In this context, although it is still not as dangerous as Orario, it still creates an environment in the 'school district' where there is no shortage of fights, so the students' ability values ​​are almost all at Lv.2, and I heard that a lot of Lv.3 have appeared recently."

"Lv.3!?"

I've been getting scared since just now, but that's understandable.

Because of the long-term presence in Orario, people's understanding of this aspect is easily confused; in fact, very few Familiars are actually capable of leveling up. Just the fact that having a Level 2 Familiar in a village or town can repel the monster army on the surface should give you an idea of ​​how overpowered leveling up is.

Since the gods descended, people have emphasized "quality over quantity." The idea that a single upgraded individual can completely turn the tide of battle perfectly encapsulates the current era. Reaching Lv.3 after two upgrades—legend has it that in worlds outside of Orario—is considered absolute powerhouse, and organizations will go to great lengths to recruit and poach them. It's rather strange that the labyrinthine city of Orario has hundreds of high-level adventurers; it's a complete exception.

Therefore, even though there are no dangerous places like dungeons, it is still able to cultivate Lv.2 and Lv.3 "school districts", and its combat power alone is enough to be called a "treasure trove of talents".

"Among the active high-ranking adventurers, many come from the 'School District,' among whom the Thousand Elf of the Loki Familia is the most well-known."

【The Thousand Spirits】...an elf with thick, golden hair...Ugh, my head suddenly hurts...!

"After all, the 'school district' is a place of education. Most students will eventually graduate and go out to find their future. Among them are many children who aspire to become adventurers. Naturally, the gods would like to bring these people under their command."

“I-I see…”

In that case... all the gods would indeed flock to it.

If the goddess Hestia were to hear this news, she would probably also come running to poach him with her keen eye...

"The reason for implementing on-site control is not only to prevent the general public from being too enthusiastic, but also to prevent the gods and their families of Orario from coming into contact with the students at will."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, and it's explicitly forbidden to sneak in for 'Recruit' or 'Intern'."

"Rikurut"? "Lying down"?

As I was utterly bewildered by this unfamiliar term, Hermes clenched his fist once more.

"However, as the chief deity of a [Family], you'll always want to claim promising children for yourself first! You should understand that, right!?"

"Hmm, um..."

I was taken aback by Hermes' sudden burst of eloquent speech, and finally managed to nod reluctantly.

Although it was insignificant, the fact that I was talking to someone in the shadows like this, even though I hadn't done anything wrong, still gave me a sense of guilt...

"Therefore, little Bell! You'll be coming with me to infiltrate the 'school district' from now on!"

"Why did it turn out like this!?"

Ah, a strong sense of guilt suddenly welled up in my heart!

"We, the Hermes Familia, are always poaching talent from all over the place; in short, we crave members who can immediately become combatants! Now that the talent pool known as the 'Academy District' is right before our eyes, how can I let other factions get there first!"

"But that's absolutely no reason to ask me for help!? You...you shouldn't even consider me, wouldn't it be better to go find Miss Asphie...!?"

"Speaking of Asphie... because she's always working non-stop, I've given her a break for now..."

what…………

After Hermes finished explaining with an expression as if gazing into the distance, I couldn't help but show the same look.

As a healer, Miss Haici is the same. Miss Asif is often exploited as a laborer simply because she is too outstanding. She can be described as a representative of a hard-working person with a pair of dead fish eyes in the entire labyrinth city (Orario)...

"To be honest, if I didn't let her take a vacation soon, I might die a violent death. Actually, we agreed that she would rest during the 'Goddess Festival'... You know, but it just so happened that the 'Goddess Goes Mad' (that incident) happened, didn't it?"

“Hmm…!”

"This caused Asif to be constantly on the go, as the name suggests, and her already exhausted body had no chance to relax."

When people mention this incident, which I almost certainly caused, I groan as if I had accidentally eaten rotten fruit.

According to the description of the god Hermes, the captain's (Miss Asphie) vacation was like a trigger, and the other members also expressed their desire for vacation at the same time.

In short, Hermes had absolutely no one to help him with his troubles (requests).

"Although I hate to say this, the reason I'm all alone here without any family is ultimately because of you, little Bell, isn't it?"

“Hmm!?”

"Also, I helped Hestia a lot during the 'Faction Wars'~"

Oh no, this is terrible!

The god of rhetoric (Hermes) is trying to force me to submit...!

"By the way, little Bell, in order to keep 'Seele' in the labyrinth city (Oario), I've been secretly lobbying all the goddesses who see 'Freya' as a thorn in their side... So, it's not too much to ask someone to lend a hand, is it?"

Hermes closed one eye and smiled.

After hearing that, I lowered my head in despair.

As one might expect, Bell Craney ultimately couldn't refuse the "god's request."

The "school district" was originally completely off-limits to outsiders.

Apart from the students, teachers, and other related personnel such as the gods, external factions, forces, and ordinary citizens must undergo strict screening before being allowed entry.

The reason is that the entire "school district" is essentially a collection of "secrets," including the production of the hardest refined metal (master-level ingots).

The "Academy District," home to many outstanding graduates—primarily technicians such as mage and alchemist—preserves knowledge of various unique technologies and data that could be called an "institution." To prevent misuse, its information is so tightly controlled. Outsiders wishing to enter the "Academy District" must spend considerable time completing the same tedious entry procedures as those in Orario. No matter how noble the applicant—emperor, high-ranking official, or even a first-class adventurer from Orario—this is what the god Hermes told me.

As for what he was trying to say, it was that infiltrating a "school district" was an extremely difficult task.

Not only are people from the "school district" present at the port, but top-tier adventurers (the Ganesha Familia) are also on guard. Even if you use "invisibility," your presence will be detected by their aura. The various goods being moved in are inspected even more thoroughly. Therefore, attempting to sneak in by land is simply wishful thinking.

Since that's the case, we'll switch to the sea route, but doing so will also be fraught with difficulties.

Approaching in a small boat would almost certainly be discovered, and even if one managed to get close to the colossal ship, the mere thought of climbing over its steep, towering hull was enough to make one's head spin.

Even though I am at least Lv.5, it is still too much of a stretch to sneak into the "school district" with a god... After I gave this suggestion with the mindset of giving it a try, the god Hermes, with a smile, gave the answer directly.

"Then let's take the 'air route'."

"────Wa ...

As I fell from the sky clutching the god Hermes, I let out a pathetic scream.

At that moment, I had forgotten that I couldn't be found by the "school district," and let my cries dissipate in the sound of the wind cutting through the air at high speed.

"Luckily, I borrowed the 'Black Helmet (Hades Helmet)' and 'Flying Shoes (Talaria)' from my family member (Asufi)'s room beforehand! Woohoo!"

"Is this something to be thankful for?!?!"