In a lavishly decorated room inside the Tower of Babel.
A large, elderly man in green robes leaned back lazily in his chair.
"So? How goes the plan?"
He questioned the sharp-eyed man in matching green robes who remained bowed deeply before him.
"The Spear King and that pitiful girl have been placed on the same team as Poison Bee."
"An A-rank criminal, is it? Can someone like that truly kill the Spear King?"
At the large elder's dubious question, the sharp-eyed man spread his arms wide and declared with absolute certainty:
"The Spear King is strong—if you face him head-on, that is."
"A difference in actual combat experience, you mean?"
"Yes. As he is now, the Spear King is a complete amateur who has never crossed a Death Line. Poison Bee should be able to kill him with ease, and that goes double for the girl named Lumine."
The old man nodded in satisfaction and turned toward a beauty dressed in white priestly vestments, her hair as pure white as snow.
"Lord Cardinal, is this acceptable to you?" he asked bluntly.
"Yes. I am truly grateful for your cooperation, Lord Vice Headmaster."
The cardinal curved the corners of her lips upward and offered a deep bow.
"Is it truly fine to eliminate the Spear King, though? Removing him will undeniably weaken the Hero's forces and hinder the war against the demon race. At least, that is how it seems to me."
"There is no need for concern~. Even without the Spear King, if things proceed to a clash as they are, the Lady Hero will prevail nine times out of ten~, and the demon race will be eradicated. We must think about what comes afterward, you see~."
"You believe the Spear King's strength is somewhat excessive, and that the Hero may pose a threat to humanity after the war?"
To the vice headmaster's suspicious inquiry, the cardinal gave a pronounced nod.
"Once the demon race and monsters are gone, a Hero becomes nothing more than a mass of sheer power. If handled poorly, they could very well become a second Demon King. They must be properly managed by our hands~. That is why—"
She spoke proudly, her voice crystal-clear and melodic.
"You mean to say the Spear King's power would be rather excessive should the Hero turn against you, correct?"
"Yees. Precisely so~. Though~, it will not be long before we no longer need to concern ourselves with the likes of the Hero~. This matter is merely a precaution, after all. Therefore~, even if it ends in failure, it makes no difference~. Rather~, please ensure that only the girl named Lumine is erased without fail~."
For the first time, a venomous edge seeped into the cardinal's previously gentle tone, causing the sharp-eyed man in the green robe beside her to swallow hard.
"I do not understand. That Spear King is merely an afterthought? Why would the great Central Church make such a fuss over a trash Gift Holder with an incomprehensible Gift like 'Downhill Life'?"
"It does not align with our doctrine. It is as simple as that~."
Wearing an obvious, practiced smile, the cardinal asserted flatly.
"If it does not align with your doctrine, then a Gift Holder with a joke like 'The Most Incompetent Person in the World' would be far more of an apostate. That alone does not explain your singular hostility toward that girl. Am I wrong?"
"Any further prying would constitute blasphemy against our Father. Are you certain you wish to proceed~?"
The cardinal merely pressed the point with an unyielding smile.
"Hah! Directing murderous intent at me, are you?! By all means! Be it a brawl or a war, I'll gladly take you on to the bitter end!"
The vice headmaster rose from his seat with a beast-like grin, glaring down languidly at the cardinal.
"A breakdown in negotiations, then~? That cannot be helped, I suppose~."
The cardinal's eyes dyed crimson, and what looked like pure white smoke began billowing from beneath her feet.
"Now, now, Lady Pandora~, our purpose for coming here today wasn't to quarrel, was it?"
Running a hand through his hair, a white-haired youth clad in luxurious white attire twirled around and stepped between the two.
Pandora's eyes returned to their original gold, resuming her doll-like smile.
The vice headmaster gave a derisive snort and sat back down in his chair.
"Well then, I shall take my leave~."
"Ba-bye~."
Without uttering another word, the cardinal and the white-haired youth in white garments took their leave.
"Hmph! That vixen!"
The vice headmaster spat out the insult, tapping his index finger impatiently against the desk for a moment.
"What became of the matter regarding those incompetents?" he asked the sharp-eyed man in the green robe.
"That matter is also proceeding smoothly. Arrangements have been made to lure them to the designated location alongside Somni Barrel's team."
"That fool of a prince is a nuisance as well. However, we receive massive donations from that country's nobility. We cannot simply disregard him."
He opened the drawer of the black desk, pulled out a single sheet of paper, and looked it over.
"A pitiful thing, really. Putting aside the incompetent who acted disrespectfully toward the prince, to think he would so easily dispose of his own Guardian Knight under the pretext of insufficient ability..."
Shaking his head from side to side, the sharp-eyed man in the green robe shrugged.
"Indeed. But the weak have no value in existing. As a knight, all the more so; he would undoubtedly be nothing but a liability. In that respect, that prince is not necessarily mistaken."
The vice headmaster nodded slightly and stated firmly.
"The law of the jungle... is that it?"
"Precisely. That brat Somni departing this world on this occasion is simply the bill coming due for steeping himself in lukewarm water until now."
"No doubt about it."
Tossing the document back into the desk as if having lost all interest, they turned their discussion to the administration of the Tower.
Have you ever had the experience where a mountain is so vastly enormous and close that you cannot even perceive its true scale?
This was the very same thing. These pitiful, ill-fated lambs had no idea whose wrath they were about to provoke.
The Tower of Babel, possessing some of the greatest power in this world; the Central Church; and the mysterious entity X, who sought to manipulate them skillfully and watch from on high—all of them had, at this very moment, stepped forward with smug expressions to launch a full-frontal strike at the most dangerous, horrifying monster in this world, one they should never have made an enemy of.