Abandoned in the mountains, I was adopted by a lizard ~I mastered magic and surpassed my parents, but I didn't know they were legendary ancient dragons~ - Chapter 56 & 57

Chapter 56   Called to the Principals Office

A few days after receiving the informal job offer from Zelgius Marine Insurance.

Just as I finished my second period dungeon training and was heading for lunch, I was stopped by a teacher once again.

“Hadar-kun, do you have a moment?”

“Yes, what is it…?”

Today’s training went without any issues. I simply followed Ian and Cecilia, mapping out the enemies. So, I couldn’t think of any reason to be called out.

“The principal has requested to see you. I know you might be busy, but if possible, please stop by the principal’s office sometime today.”

It had nothing to do with the class. Being called by the principal, what could it be about…? From the way the teacher spoke, it didn’t seem like I was in trouble.

“Understood.”

I had a free third period, so I figured I could go then. With that in mind, I replied.

“Thank you. The principal seemed quite earnest about it, so I’d appreciate it.”

“Really…”

Earnest… Maybe it’s something like the Abyss Lizard subjugation again. But since it’s “sometime today,” it doesn’t seem extremely urgent. For now, I decided to go have lunch.

◇

After lunch, I headed straight to the principal’s office. Upon entering, the principal guided me to the reception sofa before briefly leaving the room.

After a short while, the principal returned with two cups of coffee.

“Thank you for coming today. Please have some coffee while we talk.”

He said, placing one cup in front of me.

As I took a sip from the cup, the principal began to get to the main topic.

“The reason I called you today, Hadar-kun, is because I want you to participate in the annual inter-school martial arts tournament against Metro Capital Magic Academy.”

An inter-school martial arts tournament?

“This tournament involves three selected participants from each academy competing in mock battles in the arena to determine the champion school of the year. Usually, the participants are chosen from second or third-year students, but this time we want to make an exception and have you as a participant.”

The principal explained the purpose and details of the tournament, and what he wanted me to do.

I don’t particularly want to participate, but it’s not something I’d refuse either. However, there is one thing that concerns me.

“Why are you making an exception to include me this year? If there are such traditions, I think it would be fine to participate next year…”

I asked.

“Actually… we’ve heard that there’s an extraordinary talent among the third-year students at Metro Capital Magic Academy this year. From what I’ve heard, it seems like no one from our school would stand a chance unless we send you. Additionally, the same student cannot participate in the tournament more than once. So, we need to bend the rules and rely on you as our trump card this year.”

The reason was more extreme than I expected. Why does the principal assume I can win against that prodigy…?

“And that talent has already taken your magic power-enhancing potion…”

Well, our situation should be similar then. I haven’t heard any updates on the status of the Seitan Virus mRNA vaccine, but since it was delivered to Tridia, it’s unlikely that the vaccination status would differ between the two schools.

“Hasn’t our school taken it yet?”

I asked, just to confirm.

“Not yet. That ‘talent’ is also an S-rank adventurer. S-rank adventurers get workplace vaccinations earlier than school students. Coincidentally, the tournament day falls between the vaccination schedules for adventurers and students. This means that the ‘talent’ will benefit from the magic power enhancement while our students won’t…”

So, it’s due to such administrative issues.

Well, if that’s the case, there are ways to handle it.

“How about I provide separate doses of the vaccine—the magic power enhancement potion—just for our participants? Since I’m the developer, I can arrange that.”

I proposed.

“That’s very helpful, but… even with the potion, the ‘prodigy’ is incredibly strong. It would be a great help if you could not only provide the potion but also participate yourself,” the principal said, bowing deeply.

Well, if he’s asking this much, it’s hard to refuse… but I’d like to have some incentive for participating.

…I know.

“Would performing well in this tournament be advantageous for job hunting?” I asked.

Depending on the answer, this tournament could suddenly become something I’m eager to participate in.

“Is that really what you’re concerned about…?”

“Of course, that’s the most important part.”

“I heard you already have several high-paying job offers from some excellent companies… Well, to answer your question, yes, the school’s alumni who work in large companies’ HR departments often come to watch, so it would be a good opportunity to make a strong impression. Additionally, participants in the tournament generally end up with better job placements than the average graduate.”

That was the response I received.

Well, that makes the decision easy.

“I’ll participate.”

“Thank you… thank you so much!”

The principal, with tears in his eyes, bowed repeatedly.

I feel like I’m being relied on a bit too much, but I wonder if I can really beat this “prodigy”…

◇ ◇ ◇

Chapter 57   Upperclassmen’s Dissatisfaction

“Then, I’ll register you as the team captain,” the principal said, beginning to fill out some paperwork after I confirmed my participation.

“Captain?” I asked, not understanding the term in this context.

The principal explained, “Oh, I forgot to explain the tournament rules. This tournament is a team-based knockout competition. Each school appoints three participants: the lead, the middle, and the captain. The match starts with the leads. If our lead wins, they continue to challenge the opponent’s middle and captain. If our lead loses, our middle takes over, and if they lose, then the captain steps in. Essentially, we want you to be our final, strongest participant.”

So, I’m being reserved as the last resort.

“Understood,” I replied, appreciating the thought behind this strategy. It seemed the principal wanted to ensure I was in the best condition to face the “prodigy” by having the upperclassmen handle the earlier rounds.

This arrangement worked for me, as I’d prefer to face the strongest opponent at my peak.

“I’m relieved,” the principal continued. “Some teachers mentioned that you tend to be overly modest at times. I was worried you might say something like, ‘I’m fine as the lead,’ which could have led to a situation where you single-handedly defeat all three opponents, causing unnecessary criticism about ‘improper team arrangement’ and damaging Metro Capital’s reputation.”

The principal’s confidence in me was overwhelming. Why did he assume I could defeat everyone?

Well, no point in overthinking it. As long as my participation benefits my future job prospects, I’m fine with it.

I’ll do my best and let fate decide the outcome.

With these thoughts, I left the principal’s office.

◇

A few days later, I found myself summoned to the principal’s office once again.

When I arrived, the principal was there, looking deeply troubled.

“What’s the matter?” I asked, noticing his unusual demeanor.

He hesitated before answering, “It’s a difficult matter to discuss, but one of the upperclassmen selected for the tournament is upset that they weren’t chosen as the captain.”

Ah, I see where this is going. I felt a mix of emotions as I listened.

I could understand their feelings. The upperclassman might have been told last year, “You’ll be the captain next year!” only to have the rug pulled out from under them when the selections were announced.

It’s all because of that so-called “prodigy,” an unavoidable situation, but it still felt awkward.

The principal continued, “We’ve tried to explain your achievements to them, but they just accused us of exaggerating and being biased towards you, saying, ‘If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable. You’re all in cahoots with him, aren’t you?'”

Any sympathy I had quickly faded. Accusing the teachers of favoritism? My parents aren’t nobles or tycoons, so there’s no way they’d have such influence. I was raised by a dragon, but that’s beside the point.

“Therefore, I have a request,” the principal said. “We’d like to hold an internal match to decide the captain for the school tournament team. The winner will be the captain. Would you agree to this?”

That seemed like the quickest and most peaceful solution. I didn’t witness the initial conversation, so I couldn’t tell if the teachers were truly exaggerating my accomplishments, but it wasn’t impossible.

“Alright,” I agreed, understanding that this would resolve the matter efficiently.

Regarding entrance exams and classroom activities, the teachers likely conveyed the facts accurately since they were directly involved. However, when it comes to internship-related matters, there might have been some embellishments that the teachers accepted without question, passing those exaggerated stories to the upperclassman competitor.

In this context, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to clarify things by checking each other’s skills and then deciding the order of participation based on mutual understanding.

If the upperclassman defeats me, it would make more sense for them to face the “prodigy.” Of course, if that happens, my participation this year would be unnecessary.

“Understood. Let’s proceed with that plan.”

“I’m truly sorry. It’s unfortunate that a stubborn upperclassman is causing you such trouble…”

“No worries. When will the internal captaincy match take place?”

“If you’re available, we could do it after school today.”

“That works for me.”

And so, I was set to face an upperclassman to determine the captaincy. I wonder what kind of person they’ll be…