"The Strongest Swordsman!? What is that? That sounds incredibly cool!"
"There it is. That’s exactly the reaction we expected from you when we first brought up the Warrior Shrine Maidens."
Yugo’s eyes lit up at the phrase Marcos had just dropped—a title that perfectly captured a young man’s imagination.
While he buzzed with interest as both a hero otaku and a teenage boy, Anhel watched him with a more cynical gaze.
"Hold on, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Rumors like that usually come with a lot of padding. It’s entirely possible that some guy being hailed as the 'strongest' turns out to be a total letdown in person, right?"
"True. The Hero Candidates at this school aren't exactly high-quality individuals either."
Melt agreed with Anhel’s realistic take, using the earlier examples of Cyan and Egos as a benchmark.
Despite their skepticism, their senior, President Presia, offered a different perspective.
"I don't know, that might not be the case this time. This Swordsman-kun might actually be an incredible talent."
"Why do you think so, President Presia?"
"A while ago, I heard stories about previous exchange students from Yamato from a senior who already graduated. The students that senior knew were always daughters of distinguished families or the heirs of prestigious noble houses, just like Marcos-kun said. And they always came in groups of three."
"I see... What does that have to do with this?"
"From what I’ve gathered, exchange students from Yamato are supposed to be limited to three people every time. I was curious and looked into it once; their backgrounds were always similar, and they always transferred into Luminous Academy as a trio. However, this time, the number has increased to five. Don't you think that’s a little strange?"
According to Presia’s findings, Luminous Academy accepted exchange students from Yamato on a regular basis.
She pointed out that the group usually consisted of three heirs or daughters from high-ranking families. The fact that the count had jumped to five for this specific intake suggested to her that the Strongest Swordsman was a special exception.
"The number has jumped from three to five. Moreover, they’ve included a transfer student for the Elementary Division, which is completely unprecedented. This is just my own theory, but perhaps the 'official' exchange students were meant to be just those three Warrior Shrine Maidens from noble families?"
"So the Strongest Swordsman and the Elementary Division child are special cases? But why would the Yamato side do something they've never done before...?"
"It’s not a case of some powerful noble forcibly shoving their kid into the program. If they were from a family with that much influence, there would be rumors about them just like there are for the Warrior Shrine Maidens. Since there aren't, that means—"
"—He’s so strong that they were willing to bend the rules just to give him the chance to train abroad. Is that it?"
Understanding Presia’s point, Yugo murmured as the pieces clicked into place.
While it was strictly speculation—and there was always the chance that Yamato had simply updated their policies—the theory was remarkably persuasive.
"Then what about the Elementary Division child? Is it possible that kid is also incredibly strong...?"
"No, that’s unlikely. While she’s undoubtedly talented, she is almost certainly a blood relative of one of the other students... most likely a younger sister. The strongest theory is that she's the Strongest Swordsman’s sister."
"In other words, he’s so powerful that he convinced the Yamato side to let both of them study abroad together. It sounds a bit like a stretch, but if this guess is right, it would mean Strongest-kun is the real deal."
Though the conversation was fueled by imagination and guesswork, it was a thrilling prospect.
A warrior who didn't belong to the privileged class, yet managed to secure a spot as an exchange student through sheer strength alone... it was undeniably cool.
"I wonder what kind of guy he is. I hope we can become friends...!"
"Hah! Well, you likely won't have anything to do with him. After all, you’re a student known far and wide as the absolute worst scum. There’s no way the faculty would willingly let someone like you anywhere near prestigious guests from another country."
"Ah, right... I guess that makes sense..."
"Marcos! See, that’s why everyone says you have one word too many! You didn't have to bring that up right now!"
Marcos threw a cold bucket of reality over Yugo’s excitement.
Yugo slumped, acknowledging the truth of the statement, but Melt immediately began scolding Marcos for his lack of tact. Seeing his brother looking dejected, Fee spoke up to encourage him.
"B-but still! I don't think it's possible for you to never meet them! We're spending our days at the same academy; our paths are bound to cross eventually! When they do, you can just become friends then! Right!?"
"You’re right... I'll do my best to make that happen!"
Regaining his spirit thanks to his younger brother’s earnest encouragement, Yugo nodded with a smile.
With the mood brightened once more, the group continued to enjoy their housewarming party, letting the conversation bloom over the delicious food.