—On the top floor of the World Mage Academy Babel.
Laila had followed my instructions, reporting everything to Chief Headmaster Chloe.
With Babel's Investigation Department launching a full-scale probe, the details of the incident had become largely clear.
"Lord Kai! Please accept our deepest apologies for what has occurred!"
Led by Chloe, the key figures of the Headmaster Faction—including Bly, a swordsman-like man in a bright red bandana, and Sigma, a narrow-eyed man draped in black robes—all bowed deeply to me in unison.
According to the findings of the Investigation Department, the mafia syndicate known as Black Stake had accepted two separate contracts.
The client for the first was Pattashi Toni, my homeroom teacher for Class 1-D at Ouboro Academy. He had hired Black Stake to assassinate me.
The other contract had targeted Lumine directly. That one had been commissioned by the leader of the group clad in white. Through Belze's interrogation, we learned that those people were affiliated with a group of nuisances calling themselves the Heavenly Army. Furthermore, the master of that white-clad outfit went by Teltel, who apparently shared a past with Azazel.
My initial thought was to dispose of that piece of trash Teltel immediately. However, the mastermind pulling their strings, a figure named Tartarus, was evidently quite troublesome. At the very least, Asta and Girimehkala were maintaining a high level of vigilance even now.
That said, they had laid a hand on Lumine. There was no way I would let things slide simply because they warranted caution. In truth, I had two reasons for holding back on direct retribution.
First, Azazel harbored a deep-seated grudge against Tartarus. I could not simply use brute force to snatch away the prey my subordinate had pursued for so many years.
Second, that piece of trash Tartarus was an exceptionally cowardly creature. Due to his innate ability, once he concealed himself in his home realm, finding him would be a daunting task even for Asta. In Asta's words, it would be akin to searching for a specific grain of sand in a vast desert. Therefore, we needed Tartarus to involve himself more deeply with this world until there was no turning back, allowing us to crush him in one fell swoop.
Even so, the self-proclaimed gods of the Heavenly Army and the Evil Army were all frail across the board. To be honest, such elaborate precautions might not even be necessary, but I could not entirely rule out the possibility that I had simply crossed paths with the weaklings thus far. The fact remained that Girimehkala and the others were on their guard.
Hence, I decided to let that trash Teltel run free for now, intending to eliminate him alongside Tartarus. Well, seeing as they had offended me to this degree, I was already drawing up various grand designs for their ruin. I planned to structure that retribution around Azazel.
At any rate, the interrogations of the Black Stake thugs and Pattashi Toni were finished. Pattashi had apparently been doing whatever he pleased here in Babel hand in glove with Black Stake, and a mountain of additional crimes had come to light. Among them, what infuriated Babel's leadership the most was the fact that he had drugged students and sold them to slave merchants. This scandal alone threatened to severely tarnish Babel's prestige. At the same time, the Holy Amelia Kingdom would be forced to respond. In the first place, both the boss of Black Stake and Pattashi were citizens of the Holy Amelia Kingdom. If anyone owed me an apology, it should have been the kingdom itself rather than Chloe and her staff.
Given how thoroughly they had provoked Babel, no matter how the Holy Amelia Kingdom might try to shield him, a severe punishment was certain. On that front, I had no complaints.
"There is no need to apologize. Your only fault in this was a failure of oversight. Babel bears no direct blame. More importantly, what will become of the students who tried to frame me?"
Incidentally, the boys had all been safely secured by Girimehkala. From the start, that mansion had fallen within the Girimehkala Faction's territory, and the boy whose throat had been slit had actually been rescued before he could die.
"In truth, that is our greatest dilemma. If their testimony holds true, they merely wished to punish you, Lord Kai; Lady Lumine was purely collateral, and they harbored no intention of harming her at the outset. In fact, Black Stake intended to frame the boys for your murder and Lady Lumine's disappearance before executing them."
I understood what Chloe was getting at. Those boys had merely been pawns. Under normal circumstances, the academy would not go so far as to expel them, but Lumine had been caught in the crossfire. If their actions displeased me, she was prepared to punish them; she was subtly asking for my judgment. Though...
Shirayuki, Satori, and the others had reported that while the boys had ended up harming Lumine in the heat of the moment, they had viewed it as nothing more than the continuation of a schoolyard fight. In that regard, they were distinctly different from the Black Stake scoundrels.
"Understood. Handling it within the bounds of your ordinary disciplinary standards is fine with me. However, they clearly crossed a line. The only reason I am sparing them this time is sheer whim. Make sure you impress that upon them thoroughly."
"We are deeply grateful for your benevolence."
Without breaking her composure, Chloe offered a graceful bow. It seemed she had already anticipated my answer.
Honestly, if they had simply targeted me directly from the start without dragging Lumine into it, it wouldn't have been an issue at all.
Things had become extraordinarily convoluted because corrupt adults and monsters from that Heavenly Army had meddled, but without their interference, it truly was just a petty spat.
Regardless, my own handling of the situation had undeniably been flawed. I had found their hostility amusing and left it unchecked. I resolved to give them a harsh lesson at some point. It would do them good to learn just how vast the world truly was.
"Black Stake is under the dominion of the Lawless City Induram, correct?"
Oboro and the rest of the underworld were furious, their pride wounded by this incident. If only to settle accounts, sanctions against Induram were necessary.
Currently ruling over Induram was an organization known as Kyou.
Their true strength remained unknown, but they had reportedly ramped up their activities around Babel of late.
Since the chance had presented itself, I intended to make good use of them as well.
"Yes. That place has become a sanctuary for outlaws."
"A sanctuary for outlaws, is it? It's merely a scrap of land where survival is conditionally tolerated. More importantly—"
The factors that allowed Induram to exist were far more critical. After all, a large number of otherworlders seemed to be involved.
According to Girimehkala's estimation, that group called Kyou appeared to be otherworlders as well. I had heard that otherworlders possessed considerable power. They warranted far more vigilance than small-fry outfits like the Heavenly Army or the Evil Army.
At any rate, the Lawless City Induram was not directly tied to Lumine's abduction. In that case, I could afford to proceed at a leisurely pace.
"Is that city connected to the recent wave of incidents around Babel?"
Chloe asked hesitantly.
"Most likely. We haven't fully grasped their situation yet. Even so, if they have cast aside their humanity, I will simply trample them into dust."
If you do not wish to be robbed, do not rob others. If you wish to live in a warm, peaceful world, you need only lead a quiet, ordinary life.
However, once you stain your hands with blood, that possibility vanishes. You must be prepared to rot away miserably. For that was the sole unwritten rule binding all warriors.
"I see..."
"So, assuming Pattashi is removed, what will happen to the homeroom teacher position for Class 1-D?"
"In light of Ouboro Academy's failure in this matter, Babel intends to dispatch an instructor directly to serve as Class 1-D's homeroom teacher. We have already selected the candidate."
"That would be best. I cannot bear to witness any further disgraceful displays."
Having the homeroom teacher change repeatedly in such a short span was a nuisance, and the students wouldn't be able to endure it either.
I rose from my seat.
"Since our business is concluded, I shall take my leave."
As I turned toward the door,
"Lord Kai, please watch over Ouboro Academy."
Looking back over my shoulder, I found Chloe bowing deeply to me.
"I am merely a student. It is misplaced to ask that of me."
"I am well aware of that. Even so, I ask it of you."
"Very well. I will do what I can."
Raising my right hand in parting, I stepped out and began walking back toward my estate.