Becoming a Hero Right Now Would Be No Problem

But Pan Long could not set off to earn experience points just yet.

The Hero Training Class had sent him an enrollment notice.

When the system panel suddenly lit up and a notice appeared with a tap, he stared at it in bewilderment.

"This... I mean, that's how it worked in the game, but still..."

He opened the notice and read it carefully. The first thing that caught his eye was a passage marked in red.

[Enrollment for the first Hero Training Class is limited. Students will be admitted in order of registration until all places are filled.]

It reminded him of a detail from the story: once all the places were filled, a girl who had traveled from the distant Northern Frontier arrived too late to enroll. She refused to give up, though she caused no trouble. Instead, she dragged a rock to the school gate and sat on it every day, saying that perhaps someone would drop out and she could take their place.

Then, a week or two later, the king came to inspect the school. When he learned about her, he approved an extra place for her.

Pan Long had no desire to follow that unlucky girl's example. He hurried to the school at once and enrolled without a hitch.

After the opening ceremony, he went straight to the headmaster, the retired commander of the Knights Order.

"I'd like to go away and train for a while," he said. "A month or two, probably."

The headmaster did not seem puzzled. "I remember you. When the military training school handed over its student records, an instructor made a point of telling me about you. You only want to become a hero, not attend classes here. Is that right?"

"That's right."

"Why?"

"Because I think... I've