Ch.15Education Makes the Person (2)

Each of the 26 metropolitan cities in Hero City had its own distinct characteristics.

As if all the countries on Earth had been forcibly stitched together.

The D City managed by the Okami family becoming Japanese-styled under their influence was just one example.

And now, the prestigious elementary school in Hero City where I was about to enroll.

‘Almighty Elementary School’ was located in E City, considered to have the most exceptional educational fervor even within the “Monster Frontline” universe.

It was known as an “educational special district” in the setting.

‘I only took a bus for about an hour, but suddenly the scenery changed from a Japanese tourist city to something like Daechi-dong in Korea.’

In the original work, this place was frequently used as an “outing spot” for developing characters’ knowledge.

Perhaps that’s why.

When I saw it through the screen graphics, I didn’t realize it would be this exotic.

The city was plastered mostly in white, and seeing schools behind schools was a common sight.

The high-rise buildings clustered together like apartment complexes were all dormitories for each school.

According to the setting, E City, where only restaurants, schools, and dormitories were built, housed approximately 5 million people.

And I finally arrived at Almighty Elementary School, classified as a “special special district” even within this educational special district.

Gulp.

“…Huh?”

But isn’t this supposed to be an elementary school?

Naturally, all the gacha characters in “Monster Frontline” were adults whose “chest could be touched.”

Thanks to that, there was never a need to enroll adult heroes in elementary school.

Even as a veteran player of the original game, I had never heard of a place called Almighty Elementary School.

And I thought, no matter how good an elementary school is, it’s still just an elementary school, so I was expecting something like a good private elementary school in Korea.

Swimming pool?

Artificial turf?

I’m not one to be impressed by just that.

But as I was getting off the school bus that supposedly served the surrounding metropolitan areas.

Why was I, who was supposed to arrive at an elementary school, standing in the middle of what looked like a “domain”?

“Almighty Elementary students, from here you need to take the ‘in-school bus’ to continue.”

Another bus?

Wait, there’s a bus stop inside the elementary school?

“It’s just eight stops to the elementary school building, so please make sure you don’t get off at the wrong stop and be late for class. Understood?”

“Yes, understood!”

The kind guide lady explained to us new students who had just gotten off the school bus.

Normally, if a young elementary school student were to take a bus alone, the common practice would be to accompany them out of concern.

‘Is this level of independence considered basic for everyone here?’

Indeed, the children of Almighty Elementary, the special among specials, seemed to have no difficulty using public transportation, like young working adults.

At this point, this elementary school could legally compete with Seoul National University, not just any private elementary school.

“Wow, that looks like an aquarium! I heard it’s used as a practical training site when studying ocean-related subjects!”

“Whoa! Looking at that rocket standing there, that must be the space center for studying space development?”

“There are cornfields stretching beyond the horizon over there? That must be an artificial food cultivation site for agricultural studies?”

…No, I take it back.

Even Seoul National University would probably be classified as a no-name college compared to this place.

‘I’m a 37-year-old college graduate, yet why do I seem no different from these kids here…’

***

An elementary school reminiscent of a medieval European palace.

The scale easily surpassed that of the Palace of Versailles where French royalty once resided.

“Now, new students. Would you please follow me?”

“Yes, understood.”

And that wasn’t the only surprising thing.

I thought I had gotten used to the unusually mature children, but I was wrong.

The approximately 50 children who had been with me since the school bus, whom I thought were just some of the new students at Almighty Elementary, turned out to be all the first-grade new students.

‘Wait, the school is this massive but there are only this many students?!’

Elementary school has six grades in total.

Even combining all students up to the sixth grade, the total student body barely filled more than half of 500.

In other words, each child here was a genius among geniuses who could freely use this vast “domain of knowledge.”

‘Do I really deserve to be here…?’

Each grade had a total of two classes, so the new students were divided into groups of 25.

As soon as I entered my assigned classroom, my astonishment didn’t subside one bit.

Murmur, murmur, murmur.

Cold sweat was now openly flowing from my forehead.

That’s because “Monster Frontline,” true to its name, was not only a world with monsters but also a female-dominated society.

According to Madam Makoto, the gender ratio was roughly 1:8.

The number of males was quite small, to say the least.

But here’s the thing.

Even with that ratio, how could I be the only boy in a class of 25 students?

‘Wait, by calculation, there should be at least 3 male students in the class…’

Or when divided in half.

Did all the other 5 or so male students among the 50 get assigned to the other class?

Even in elementary school, I needed at least one same-gender friend to confide in, especially in such a diamond-spoon facility.

So, holding onto my last hope, I carefully peeked into Class B next to our Class A.

But that place was literally a women’s bath.

“…Why?”

Returning to our classroom, I could understand by reading the atmosphere of the young girls whispering around me.

‘Female-dominated society… a world that can only continue because of women with abilities… so that’s it?’

I didn’t know because I got in through connections.

But to actually enter this Almighty Elementary, one would have to pass numerous difficult tests.

A world where females are superior.

And this elementary school was at the pinnacle of such a world.

In a world where men were expected to cook and do laundry rather than study, there was no way there would be male elementary students in the top 0.1%.

‘Damn…’

I was simply in a place where men shouldn’t be.

‘Madam Makoto… I understand you wanted to send Miss Hoshino to this school, but to use me as a “meat shield” like this…!’

So there’s no such thing as ordinary goodwill after all.

…No, that’s not it.

Even if that was the purpose, enrolling a boy, not even a girl, into such an elementary school without any tests was already pushing it.

That in itself was already an extraordinary favor, so Madam’s goodwill towards me must be genuine.

It’s just that my level as a human being is too low to accept her goodwill at face value.

‘Well… since I’m already in this prestigious elementary school, let’s try my best.’

There’s still about 10 years until the original story begins anyway.

I had nothing else to do until then, so why not study from scratch again?

Even though I was destined to be an outcast from the first grade with no one around me.

But humans smile when times are tough.

“K-Karmilla, is that you?”

“I saw you in books! You’re the youngest hero in Hero City!”

“Wow… it’s really Karmilla!”

Just then.

In stark contrast to my deserted surroundings, a girl surrounded by young female students.

‘Karmilla? …That sounds familiar.’

Karmilla.

Somehow, it was a familiar name.

But maybe because it had been over 10 years since I deleted the game.

The name alone didn’t immediately ring a bell.

So I focused my gaze through the crowd of female students to look inside.

“Fufu. Just so you know, this girl enrolled here as a new student two years late due to hero activities, so if you have any difficulties or troubles, feel free to ask your ‘big sister’ anytime~sawa yo.”

A lady-like speech ending with ~sawa yo.

At the same time, what came into view were brilliantly spinning twin drill hairstyles.

‘Wow… she’s as pretty as our Miss Hoshino.’

An appearance so striking she could be mistaken for a child actress.

And I unintentionally overheard that she’s already active as a hero at that age.

To be able to subdue monsters with such a young body.

I never expected there to be another “genius” besides Miss Hoshino who could do such things at our age.

…So who exactly is she?

‘Drill hair? I’m sure there was a character with drill hair…’

Maybe it’s because this is 10 years before the original story.

If she had her original body, I might recognize her.

But with everyone being “younger” now, including Miss Hoshino, it wasn’t easy to identify without something definitive.

So even if I didn’t know right now.

Thud.

“Hm?”

“Everyone, class is about to start, so please take your seats.”

“Ah, yes, Miss Karmilla!”

Since we were in the same classroom anyway.

I was planning to figure it out later at my leisure, but.

Did she not notice her wallet falling in the tiered classroom?

“Excuse me.”

“…?!”

She seemed to pass by without noticing her wallet on the floor.

Since I was sitting nearby, I picked it up and held it out to the owner, this girl called Karmilla.

What I heard next wasn’t a thank you…

Slap.

“…Huh?”

…but the crisp sound of a slap.

At the same time, my right cheek stung, and maybe because this was still a child’s body with baby teeth.

“How dare…”

“Hm?”

“How dare a mere male speak to me without knowing his place?!”

I could feel my teeth wobbling slightly inside my mouth.