Chapter 4: International Apprentice

「...Why is Violet here?」

When I came back with Violet-san and Yuuki riding on my back, Nina said that in a somewhat chilly voice.

「Huh? Didn’t you send Yuuki along because you figured this might happen?」
「What are you talking about? I only had Yuuki go with you because I thought you wouldn’t do anything reckless if she was there.」

So she was a chaperone, of all things.
If anything, Yuuki’s the one with a reckless streak—and I feel like she actually did pull some stunts...

「Dropfruit-sama. I will be in your care here for a while.」
「Don’t. Just Nina is fine.」

At Violet-san, who knelt respectfully and bowed her head, Nina grimaced in distaste and waved a hand.

「So why did you bring her?」
「Yeah. We’re short on teachers, right? I figured we could have Violet-san help out too.」

The instant I said that, Nina’s eyes flew open and she took Violet-san’s hands.

「Do your best. I’m counting on you.」
「Uh, y-yes. I’ll do my best.」

Bewildered by Nina’s sudden about-face, Violet-san still nodded.

「We really should increase the number of teachers.」
「It’s urgent.」

When I muttered that, Nina stated it flatly.

「Amata wants to be one.」
「Amata, huh...」

At Yuuki’s words, I folded my arms and knit my brows.
He is reliable, and I feel like with a little guidance he could manage the role of teacher.

...But.

「But he also has duties in the Sword Clan.」

Not that I imposed that duty, but the head of the Sword Clan naturally comes to be regarded as the village’s representative and its key defender. Right now their father, Amaga, holds that post, but Amata will inherit it someday.

「Ahh, right.」

Beside the nodding Yuuki, Nina shot me a look like she had something to say.
At some point she started making that face often. Yet for someone who normally says even hard things without hesitation, only when she has that look does she say nothing no matter how I press. Lately I haven’t even asked; if it’s truly necessary, I trust she’ll tell me.

「I’ve been thinking this for a while—I want to take in exchange students.」
「Exchange students?」

At my words, not just Nina but everyone there tilted their heads. It was the first time I’d used the term, so of course they would.

「Right now only the children of Hiiro come to this school, right? I want to accept students from other places too—not just humans, but from other races as well.」
「Are you serious?」

Nina screwed up her face in open displeasure.

「It’s not like I mean dozens. Just a handful.」
「You say we’re short on teachers—so why add more students?」
「Even if we wanted to add more, it’s not like there are that many people who can serve as teachers.」

People without prejudice toward humans and with the skills and magic to teach—someone like Violet-san is rare. And even she couldn’t just become a teacher starting tomorrow.

「So first we train people who could become teachers.」
「People from this village will do, won’t they? Even if it’s not Amata, there are a few who look capable—Itsuki, Kerel, Hakanaku, for example.」

At Nina’s perfectly reasonable question, I nodded.

「Yeah. But I do have reasons. First, long-lived races like elves can serve as teachers for a long time. Having to retrain teachers every few decades is tough, right?」
「That is... well, fair.」

She must really not want to increase the students, but even so Nina nodded with a troubled look.

「Second, different races excel at different kinds of magic. I’m good with fire, and elves all use plant-related magic, right?」

Whether that’s merely upbringing, genetic, or some entirely different reason, I don’t know. But it’s certain that specialties are skewed by race.

「So I’d like to gather various races and study various kinds of magic.」

Humans don’t seem to have any magic they’re innately good at, at least. What each person becomes good at varies too widely. Conversely, that means they can learn any magic. In that case, researching a variety of magic won’t be a waste.

「Hmm... fine. And?」

It probably wasn’t a particularly pleasant idea for Nina, but neither was it something to oppose. Looking not especially interested, she urged me to go on.

「Third is balance. It might not be good for us to keep favoring only humans like this.」
「What do you mean?」

Nina’s sharp gaze pinned me.

「You know this too. Humans develop very fast. For now they’re still behind elves in terms of civilization, but it’s only a matter of time before they overtake you. When that happens... humans might become the elves’ enemies.」
「But Onii-chan won’t let that happen, right?」

With an anxious look, Yuuki clutched my sleeve.

「Of course I’ll do what I can. But, Yuuki, people will surely let go of my hand someday—just as children eventually become independent of their parents.」

Everyone in Hiiro is very easygoing and good-natured. But history proves people don’t stay that way forever. It’s the history of my former world, but I’m sure that much won’t change here.

「So we share our research results. We keep the balance so it isn’t one-sided—at least with races friendly to humans.」

Besides the elves, there are a few other races we have relations with.
Back in my world, every species of the genus Homo except Homo sapiens went extinct.
I used to find it terribly lonely that humanity was the sole surviving Homo species.
I don’t want the same thing to happen in this world.

「Those are my reasons.」
「...All right. If that’s the case, I suppose it can’t be helped.」

With a sigh, Nina gave her reluctant approval.

「I’d wondered how Violet got permission to leave the forest—so that was why.」
「Eh? Ah, uh...」
「Yes. I intend to learn human strength here.」

Cutting over my faltering reply, Violet-san said with a pleasant smile.
In truth, I hadn’t told the Elder any of what I just said.

He granted permission almost immediately because of the condition Violet-san proposed: she would regularly report on Nina’s situation. It seems that lately Nina has learned countermeasures to block eavesdropping, so even the elven Elder couldn’t observe us at all and had been worried.

It makes me feel like I’ve brought in a spy, but there isn’t anything in particular that would cause trouble if it were known.

...Besides.

What I truly felt guilty about lay elsewhere.

The fourth reason for taking in exchange students—the one I didn’t tell Nina.
The real reason that mattered most.

My goal is to make this magic school big and famous.
That doesn’t just mean making Hiiro bigger.
I needed to spread this school’s existence across the entire world.

—Because there’s no telling where in the world Ai will reincarnate.

Just as I went from human to dragon, she might not even be born as a human.
So the school must be known not only among humans but among every race.

So that someday she can return here without hesitation.