Kai Heinemann's Gift was "The Most Incompetent in the World." In other words, it was no exaggeration to call him the least talented person alive. Yet, the monstrous beings were kneeling not to anyone else present, but to Kai Heinemann alone.
Kai Heinemann swept his gaze over the kneeling monsters before turning back toward the monocled woman behind him.
"Was it really necessary to gather this entire crew for this matter?" he asked, sounding somewhat exasperated.
"Seeing as a peculiar outside faction appears to be involved in this affair, I believe it only natural."
"I see. Fair enough. Good work, all of you."
At Kai Heinemann's words of appreciation, the monsters bowed their heads once more. Amidst that overwhelmingly surreal atmosphere, Kai Heinemann turned toward the hooded men and women who had entered the room with him.
"From the looks of it, the freckled boy hasn't arrived yet. Please make yourselves comfortable until he gets here," he said, the corners of his mouth turning upward.
"Y-Yes."
When the woman in the white robe lowered her hood, she gave a somewhat strained nod and smile, and the others accompanying her quickly followed suit. Recognizing those figures, Somni let out an involuntary, shrill cry.
"Lady Inea! Knight Captain Arnold!"
And no wonder. Any knight from the Holy Amelia Kingdom who had sat for the Babel exam knew those two.
That woman in the sleek, lustrous white robe was Inea Renren Lorelei, the chief headmaster of Babel. And that stubble-faced man with blue hair carrying a greatsword was the Holy Amelia Kingdom's strongest knight, Knight Captain Arnold.
"Well, have some tea for now, then."
Kai Heinemann gestured everyone toward the long wooden table in the center of the room, taking a seat there himself.
Sweets and drinks were served, but the extreme tension prevented Somni from tasting a single thing. Only the surreal clinking of cups against saucers echoed through the room.
Amidst this powder-keg atmosphere, the door opened once more.
"Pardon the delay. I have brought him."
A pink-haired woman and a rugged, muscular man measuring fully two mels entered the room, accompanying a meek-looking boy with freckles across the bridge of his nose.
(Princess Rosemary too?!)
With that pink hair and striking beauty, there was no mistaking her. That was Princess Rosemary.
Just as Somni's head felt ready to burst—
"We brought them!"
"We brought 'em!"
"Brought them all, yup!"
Two young girls—a blonde child and a silver-haired beastfolk child, both dressed in black-and-white clothing—dashed into the room. They threw their arms around Kai Heinemann, burying their faces in his stomach. A black puppy that had been sitting primly atop the blonde girl's head leaped into Kai Heinemann's chest as well, licking all over his face.
"Good job. Look, there are baked sweets here, so you two go sit down and eat. Fen, here's the hamburger steak I promised."
Kai Heinemann gently stroked the heads of the two girls and the puppy, gesturing for them to sit in the adjacent chairs.
"Yay, sweets!"
"Sweets! Sweets!"
"Hamburger steak!"
The two girls and the puppy scrambled onto the seats, ready to dig in immediately.
"Manners, please."
Reminded gently by Kai Heinemann, they chimed in.
"Okaaay!"
"Okaaay."
"Okaaay, okaaay, okaaay!"
The two young girls began eating with their knives and forks, while the black puppy wagged its tail furiously, sinking its teeth into the meat.
"Now then, let's begin our discussion."
Prompted by Kai Heinemann, everyone took their seats. And so began Somni's very first discussion on a world-shaping scale.