A dozen or so days after the entrance ceremony, inside Babel's grand conference hall.
This was a restricted chamber where entry was strictly forbidden to anyone outside Babel's top leadership.
Seated around the circular table of polished black stone were the leading figures of Babel.
"I cannot accept this!"
Kudan, a mage serving as an aide to the vice headmaster, slammed both hands down onto the table and raised his voice.
The target of his furious glare was someone he would normally never dare challenge.
"Accept it. In the first place, this matter has already been decided; we are not seeking your opinions. Isn't that right, Lady Chloe?"
Paying no heed to the fierce anger radiating from his subordinates in the vice headmaster faction, Rasputin Grahart brushed back his long blonde hair and addressed Chief Headmaster Chloe, who was seated beside him.
"Yes..."
Chloe's response was laden with bitter anguish.
"But—that man is the world's most incompetent Gift Holder!"
"He is right! We agreed that while all other classes would be decided by lottery, the S-class would be determined purely by merit!"
Indeed. It had been decided that each academy would select three students and that the class assignments would be determined by lottery. However, as the sole exception, a secret agreement had been struck to establish an S-class comprised of the top-ranking students throughout Babel. This proposal had been made by Rasputin in the midst of the chaos at the entrance ceremony.
If she hadn't accepted it under those circumstances, the classes might very well have been divided strictly based on the ranking of each academy. Had that happened, the vice headmaster faction's warped meritocracy risked being deeply ingrained into the students' minds.
Mages were creatures who dedicated their entire lives to personal study in pursuit of the ultimate truth, and hunters belonged to a profession where one staked their very life to seize glory. Chloe had no intention of denying meritocracy itself, as every graduate was forced to carve out their own path through sheer personal power once they left Babel.
However, the vice headmaster faction's brand of meritocracy was nothing more than an excuse to unfairly discriminate against students based on entrance exam scores. Admission to Babel's various academies inevitably involved pedigree and innate talent, so it could hardly be called a pure meritocracy. Above all, what truly mattered was what one achieved after entering Babel; judging a person's worth solely on their pre-admission performance was putting the cart before the horse.
Thus, Chloe had agreed to the establishment of the S-class. It was an indisputable fact that the students affiliated with the Tower of Babel and the top-tier academies were a cut above the rest. She had genuinely thought it would not hurt to have one such elite class.
Yet never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that Rasputin would nominate Kai Heinemann—the supreme, strongest Transcender—for the S-class.
"So they say. What are your thoughts, Lady Chloe?"
What a shameless man. According to reports from her subordinates, Rasputin had witnessed the altercation between Kai Heinemann and Torla, an elf from Lorelei, with his own eyes.
Chloe had heard about the incident directly from Avery Renren Lorelei, the current Queen of the Lorelei Nation.
When she first heard that Avery's relative, Torla, had turned his contract spirit upon the Holy God of War Ares and provoked Kai Heinemann's wrath, she had honestly braced herself for the total destruction of her homeland, Lorelei.
In the end, however, Kai Heinemann had forgiven Torla, and the young elf had become remarkably humble—as though an evil spirit had been exorcised from him—and accepted his punishment.
For better or worse, Rasputin was exceptionally competent. He had likely gathered and analyzed ample intelligence regarding Kai Heinemann. He was undoubtedly well aware that that Great One was the strongest Transcender. And yet, he had still made this nomination knowing full well who he was dealing with.
"I can vouch for Kai Heinemann's strength. And since you nominated him, wouldn't you share that opinion?"
That Great One had already grown distrustful of her homeland, Lorelei. She could not afford to displease him any further. She had to firmly refute any insinuation that she was the one forcing his recommendation.
"Naturally."
Rasputin nodded, sporting an audacious smirk—an exceptionally rare sight for a man who seldom even smiled.
"The S-class ought to be comprised of the most capable students in Babel. Vice Headmaster, do you truly believe Kai Heinemann is qualified to study in the same classroom as Lancelot and the other top students?"
"Qualified? He has no such qualification."
"Then—"
"That is precisely why."
At Rasputin's cryptic reply, Kudan furrowed his brows and pressed him.
"Precisely why? What is that supposed to mean?"
"You don't understand, do you... Kudan, that is why you fall short."
Chastised by his superior, Kudan bit his lower lip in frustration.
"Even if it is your decision, this is the one thing I cannot accept!"
With that shout, he pushed back his chair and stormed out of the conference room. Following his lead, other key figures of the vice headmaster faction also exited with sullen expressions.
Witnessing the sudden rift among their political rivals, many of Chloe's subordinates blinked in utter bewilderment. The only ones who remained unfazed were Bly and Sigma, who had managed to read Rasputin's intentions. They were among the few who had experienced Kai Heinemann's sheer absurdity firsthand.
"Are there any objections to the S-class list I have submitted?"
To Rasputin's question,
"......"
Everyone fell silent, waiting for Chloe to speak. It was an unspoken declaration that they were leaving the entire matter in her hands.
(Don't you dare dump this on me!)
Through the trials imposed by Lord Kai, Prince Gilbert—the formerly irredeemable, wicked brat of the Holy Amelia Kingdom—had become the King of monsters and the demon race. What kind of ideological reprogramming could possibly compel a prince steeped in aristocratic bloodline supremacy to resolve to become the king of monsters? It was a psychological transformation so profound that calling it an alteration of his very personality was no exaggeration.
What would happen if someone like Lord Kai were placed into the S-class? It was plain as day that it would descend into utter chaos. She had even heard that the promising Okame Nato had fled Babel entirely because of Lord Kai. It was entirely conceivable that the future pillars of the magical and hunting worlds could be broken beyond recovery.
However, given the circumstances, she could not possibly refuse to put Lord Kai on the S-class roster. If she did that, people might jump to unwarranted conclusions and assume that Chloe was rejecting Lord Kai. The top echelons of the great powers already had a clear grasp of Lord Kai's true nature—including her homeland of Lorelei, as well as the Dwarf Nation, Dvelb. If it were perceived that Chloe was on bad terms with Lord Kai, foreign ties could be severed in an instant.
At the same time...
"I, too, have no objections to your list, Rasputin."
She had to make sure it was never perceived that she had actively pushed Lord Kai into the S-class. That Transcender abhorred such special treatment above all else.
"Then it is settled. Everyone, please devote yourselves to the implementation of the specialized class starting shortly."
Delivering his final statement unilaterally, Rasputin swept out of the room.
"Headmaster Chloe, is this truly all right?"
Sigma asked hesitantly, to which she replied with a question of her own.
"Let me ask you in turn: do you really think we have any other choice?"
Sigma closed his eyes.
"We do not."
He gave a firm, resigned shake of his head.
"Well, things'll work out somehow, won't they?"
Bly clasped his hands behind his head, tossing out the remark as though it were entirely someone else's problem.
(None of you have any idea what I'm going through!)
Silently cursing her colleagues, Chloe prayed for a peaceful resolution to this situation, even as she foresaw with absolute certainty the raging tempest about to sweep through Babel.