Over the weekend, the roster for Babel's specialized class was posted on the bulletin board by the entrance of Ouboro Academy. For students who were normally completely obedient to the academy's policies, they seemed unusually furious.
The names listed for the specialized class were Rosemary Loto Amelia, Muto Caien, and Lumine Helner—three people in total. Of course, the student body was not upset with the selection of these three.
Rose and Muto were transfers from the prestigious, top-tier Saint Clan Academy. In the eyes of the other students, they had been in a league of their own from the start.
As for Lumine, researchers from Babel headquarters had been spending day after day on the school grounds studying her peculiar constitution, which naturally drew spirits and phantom beasts to her. Though they called it "research," from an outside perspective it simply looked like Lumine was squealing with delight as she cuddled the rabbits, cats, and weasels summoned by the staff. Even so, it was exceedingly rare for researchers from Babel to set foot in Ouboro Academy at all. The students seemed to have arbitrarily jumped to the conclusion that there was some profound reason for her presence here.
The reason the students of Ouboro Academy were dissatisfied was the exact same reason I was. There, under the column for the Specialized S-Class, was my name: Kai Heinemann.
Nominally bearing the label of "Special," it was almost certainly an elite class comprised of the most outstanding, hand-picked students. My results on both the Aptitude Test and the Practical Exam had been rock-bottom abysmal; merely being admitted to Ouboro Academy was a miracle in itself. In all likelihood, the upper echelons of the Holy Amelia Kingdom had forcefully pressured Babel into accepting me, purely to satisfy the archaic tradition that a Royal Guard must attend the same academy as an heir to the throne.
Then again, having forced Babel's hand into rather heavy-handed measures regarding Ariel and Schikke myself, I was hardly in a position to criticize their decision too harshly.
Regardless, for someone like me—the most incompetent person in this world, completely unable to cast even a sliver of magic—to be chosen for an S-class made no sense at all. I could fully understand why the other students felt so bitter and outraged. While they might be considered underachievers within Babel, gaining admission here was extraordinarily difficult in the first place, meaning they were still exceptionally gifted compared to the rest of the world. That was precisely why they could not stomach losing to someone who was dead last at the bottom of the barrel. That was almost certainly what they were feeling.
Even so, the fact that I had caused a major scene in front of Babel seemed to have been completely swept under the rug. Not a single rumor had surfaced, which suggested a strict gag order had been put in place. Well, that Elf boy named Torla was apparently the son of the prime minister of Lorelei. After throwing a tantrum in broad daylight, getting utterly pulverized in public by an incompetent nobody like me would be a national disgrace. I could certainly understand why they would want to bury it.
"Why the hell are you on that list?!"
The bucktoothed upperclassman from Muto's entourage the other day shouted at me, glaring as if I had murdered his family.
"Well now, you'll have to ask Babel about that."
I gave a shrug, turning both palms up.
"Just you wait! I'm gonna twist that smug smirk right off your face with terror and regret!"
Spitting out his parting threat, he marched off with his lackeys in tow.
Hmm... Still, what on earth were Chloe and the others really thinking?
Babel was an institution centered on magic. There was no point in throwing a magicless swordsman like me into the midst of Babel's elite.
"Kai, Vice Headmaster Rasputin might have pushed hard for this, but..."
Rose trailed off, sounding distinctly uneasy.
"I know," I replied firmly to ease her worries. "I have no intention of causing unnecessary trouble. Provided the other side knows their place, that is."
"That's not what I meant at all..."
Rose was being unusually evasive today, speaking as if she had something caught in her throat. Either way, now that it had been announced so publicly, it was too late to take it back, and I had no intention of overturning Babel's decision by force. Besides, going with the flow once in a while was entertaining in its own way.
"At any rate, Rose, make sure to do your best now that you've been picked."
Tossing out the nonchalant remark as if it were entirely someone else's problem, I turned on my heel and walked away.