"Me, an intern?"
Ellen heard about the internship the day after the Renzo incident.
It hadn't been long since Eden had left the hospital when they met, so it was clear that Eden also had business with Frondier.
"......How is his condition?"
"They said he's just in a comfortable sleep. I just left some flowers."
"I see. That's a relief. So, is Frondier alone in the room now?"
"No. Aten is keeping him company."
"I see."
Eden nodded, not even understanding why he asked.
Ellen inquired.
"But, what do you mean by intern?"
"Exactly as it sounds. The ability to sense my intent to kill at our first meeting, the decisiveness and judgment to draw your sword without hesitation. I valued all of that highly. Above all, you made Renzo back down."
Ellen's expression became complicated at Eden's praise.
Of course, she knew Eden's words were sincere, but a question came to mind first.
"So, why not suggest Frondier try for an internship?"
"Huh?"
"If I had made that Renzo step down, it's because Frondier is the very person who blew off Renzo's right arm."
The reason Ellen says "blew off" the right arm is simple.
It's because she doesn't know how the right arm was removed.
Whether it was done with a sword or magic, whether it was cut or pierced, she doesn't know.
Probably, Eden doesn't know either.
"That's exactly why."
"Yes?"
"Having blown off Renzo's right arm, what could I possibly teach him? If I'm not careful, my right arm might fly off too, haha!"
Eden laughed heartily.
Ellen's eyes narrowed.
"You don't really think that, do you?"
"Um. It's not the whole reason. But it's not a lie either. I haven't been able to assess the abilities of this student named Frondier. In fact, I don't even know his identity. Whether he's a swordsman or a magician. It's impossible to recommend an internship to someone whose capabilities are completely unknown. I don't even know what to teach."
It was a better answer than before.
However, Ellen's intuition told her that there was still something being hidden.
'But well, it's not like digging deeper will reveal anything.'
Ellen decided to back off for now.
Eden said, "Ah, could you keep this conversation a secret? Especially from that student named Frondier."
"…Why?"
"It might cause unnecessary misunderstandings. Please, I'm really asking you."
"Okay."
Thinking about it, it was Ellen who had suggested Frondier for the internship, and it was Eden who had refused.
It wouldn't be a pleasant story for Frondier to hear.
* * *
"…Is that really true?"
I asked, frowning.
Malia spoke in an excited tone, as if she fully empathized with my feelings.
"It's true. I knew it from the moment that gentleman arrived here. It just felt uneasy."
It sounded like a conversation from a morning drama, but I truly felt frustrated.
…Enfer never intended to give me a chance in the first place.
Telling me to rank within the top 10 in Constel was just an excuse, merely a pretext for expulsion.
Suddenly, my head began to hurt.
"…But it's surprising that you're telling me this, Mom."
Normally, Malia doesn’t interfere with Enfer's business. Even if it involves Frondier.
Malia may seem affectionate, but she has clear standards and principles. It's not without reason that she's Enfer's wife. Knowing this, Enfer must have brought up the topic of expelling me.
Malia just shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, even after hearing that our son should rank within the top ten of his grade, if he still remained a 'human sloth,' I would have been the first to lead the expulsion. There are many ways to live even if one loses the name of Roach."
"Ah, as expected, right?"
It's not surprising when said with such confidence. Somehow, it feels like the right thing to do.
"Really, if it came to expulsion, I planned to at least find a place for you to live and something to eat. Of course, there's nothing once you becomes an adult."
Malia nodded slightly as if reflecting on her previous thoughts.
Then suddenly, as if overtaken by a surge of emotion, she clenched her fist tightly.
"But! It's different this time, isn't it? Your father is so busy with work that he doesn't see his children grow up. Our son has changed so much! If it weren't for our son during the recent demon attack,"
Malia suddenly became an overly proud mother, vigorously complaining.
It's incredibly embarrassing that she's talking about me.
However, amidst Malia's complaints, another thought occurred to me.
Considering that a quest did occur, Enfer's proposal couldn't have been a lie.
[Subquest: Father's Order]
•Description: Frondier's laziness over the past has pushed his father Enfer's patience to the limit.
•Objective: Rank within the top 10 at Constel this semester
•Reward: Earn Enfer's recognition.
•Failure: You will be disowned.
...There's definitely a quest.
If Enfer's proposal was a lie, then such a quest wouldn't have existed.
Since the failure condition is 'expulsion,' as long as I don't fail, I won't be expelled. This game, at least, doesn't play word games. That's absolute.
This means either Enfer's threat of expulsion is a lie, or his mind changes after I complete this quest.
In any case, I have no choice but to do my best in the final exams.
"So, did you find one?"
"Excuse me?"
After snapping out of my thoughts, I realized Malia was asking me something.
"About the upperclassman. You need to form a team, right?"
"…Ah. Not yet."
Ellen was the best option, but that unexpectedly fell through.
As for the remaining upperclassmen...
"How about Quinie?"
Malia asked. Surprised that she mentioned that name, I asked,
"…How do you know Senior Quinie? I mean, how did you know that name for my team…?"
"Well, because I was asked?"
Malia answered as if it was nothing, but I couldn't quite grasp it immediately.
While I stood there dumbfounded, Malia spoke again.
"I was asked by Quinie to tell her if Frondier is having trouble with scouting."
