"I'm afraid I have to confiscate your armor of blades temporarily."
The chairman spoke without nervousness or hesitation. It was as if he truly wanted to uphold his words and was doing for a just cause. But, only a fool would be deceived by someone like him.
"Why is that?"
Kai questioned with a trace of hostility.
To properly confiscate his armor that was his property, they had to have made a very good reason. Or maybe, that's what the 'temporarily' was for. If they wanted to hold onto his armor temporarily, then they could only do so until he leaves the academy in a little more than a week.
Unless I die right before the period ends.
Thinking along those lines, Kai's mood turned cold. Still, he couldn't antagonize the chairman right now. His ultimate goal was to talk to the principal about the vice president and to use that chance for a partnership in the future. If Anne was a ticket to talk to the principal then the chairman was an obstacle
The best choice would be to concede his armor without resistance but...
Like hell I'd allow myself to fall for his plans so easily, if I'm going to compromise, I'll do so after taking him down with me.
Kai's pride wouldn't take that.
"It's simply a matter of public safety. You see, some of the teachers have expressed their worry after knowing that your armor is made up of living metal, something that can only be found in very small amounts in contemporary times. From the tournament, they could tell that your armor didn't need to be commanded by you to attack after all."
The chairman made a troubled expression.
"Also, the students who you defeated in the tournament might suffer trauma when they see those blades appear to protect you."
Kai made a mocking expression. His attitude towards the chairman wasn't important. After all, no matter how powerful the chairman's influence was, he still needed reasons to openly undermine Kai and take the armor in the end. If he doesn't set his foundations early, then who knows how much of the living metal would be claimed by the others.
"So you're saying that students from Aubrey Academy, the academy that has stood tall over the past hundreds of years, through wars, disasters, and diseases have students this weak?"
If the one in front of him were just a student or somebody unrelated, they'd have no need to mind their words but with the chairman's position as one of the most influential in the academy, his words were law. If he admitted to Kai's words, then that means that he was unsatisfied with the students, unrest would spread among the student body and the consequences would be massive.
Though word of their conversation may never even leak out, he was more than aware that Kai was S-class, he had his means. On the other hand, if he were to deny Kai's words, then that means one of the few reasons he could use to take the armor would be removed.
Figuring out the meaning behind Kai's question, the chairman narrowed his eyes but kept the smile plastered on his face.
Though they were both enemies, the same thought passed through both of their heads.
'I can't underestimate this villain.'
"It's not that I think the students are that weak-willed but nevertheless, we're still human, even a strong person can't be sure they won't get a trauma."
I'm mostly inhuman though. Kai retorted the chairman's words.
"If the students of the great Aubrey Academy are humans who can make that sort of mistake, then it's better if they just leave."
Simultaneously promoting the academy and bringing down the students, Kai cornered the chairman from moving the conversation in that direction any further. An affirmation would once against show how he isn't satisfied with the students but denial would instead show that he has no faith in the academy.
Seeing as how the chairman stayed silent, Kai scoffed.
"And what of the teachers who care about public safety? If they're so concerned, then they should do something about it. They are stronger than students."
Perhaps seeing Kai's words as a chance, the chairman's eyes slightly narrowed.
"...They aren't just concerned about public safety in general, they are concerned about you. Though your assessment in class barely reaches E-class, you've shown the prowess of an S-class. Having S-class as teachers would be difficult in many ways, as they are not abundant."
It appears I overestimated him, thought the chairman.
"Hooh~ Shown prowess of at the level of S-class, you say? Then doesn't that mean that your magic power measuring devices are even more faulty than those classic scrolls?"
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Kai said in extreme nonchalance which made the chairman's brow twitch.
"Though the devices are trustworthy, they aren't capable enough to see through artifacts and magic to hide power but in a few years, it wouldn't be so difficult."
"And what does that have to do with me? I have neither an artifact or magic to do that, I just used less of my power than usual."
Your magic power measuring devices are just trash. That was what Kai's words sounded like to the chairman. It was well-known that the one who devised the idea of these devices to measure above A-class was the chairman and he personally funded the lab doing research.
Where did this boy hear of that?
Even if Kai did have an artifact to hide his power, the chairman couldn't very well call him a liar given his position.
Two arguments lost, the chairman's face turned for the worse. The two S-class by his side was practically killing Kai with their eyes. They appeared to be over forty and both controlled fire, it matched their temper quite well, to be agitated by something like this.
"This doesn't change the fact that even our S-class have to be wary of you, stating that you're on the same level as them and at your age... it's quite strange for you to be enrolling temporarily in our academy, is it not? Unless you have some sort of goal you need to accomplish."
An outright accusation was out of the question, but if he intentionally kept it vague, the other party wouldn't take offense unless they were really guilty.
And in his words 'enrolling temporarily', meaning that he should've either enrolled for real or not enroll at all unless he had some ulterior motive.
"Well, my country really needs me to come back soon. I can't go and become a permanent student of some other institution in a different continent. Besides, my wives are accompanying me and I don't like the bugs trying to get close to them."
The chairman's expression changed again. He was really conflicted this time. If he asked and dealt with it, Kai could leave the armor with him without problems but if he asked and couldn't deal with it, then it was just a demerit on his side.
Well, there's only one student who can cause trouble for me after all.
Anne Willow Mathers. Recent observations have made it obvious that the man in front of him, Satou Kenji is trying all he can to court her. That meant that she wasn't the person trying to get close to his wives.
To think he actually had wives... then it must be in that new batch of transfer students.
"May I hear the name of the one trying to do such a vile act?"
Convinced that he could deal with anyone except Anne, he decided to risk it.
Kai made a smirk that sent chills down the chairman's spine.
"William Rede, student council vice-president. I believe that you'll find justice for me, won't you? And, it's not just trying to court my wives, he has also sent assassins after my head on not just one occasion. If you do this much, it'd be hard for me not to trust in your sincerity, right?"
Meaning that unless he did this for Kai, he wouldn't be able to hold onto the living metal in his lifetime.
Of course, to him, this sounded like an empty threat but his instinct, his years of experience told him that if he didn't take this deal, it would really come true.
Although it was true that he could do anything to anyone other than Anne and the principal, he still weighed the pros and cons of Kai's deal in his mind. On one side, was someone backed by the Redes and on the other side was someone backed by an unknown stronger power.
There was even little suspicion that the backer wasn't human. After all, Aubrey Academy is humanity's strongest force, this fact was accepted by the entire human race. The current peak of human power was S-class, not even Aubrey Academy was an exception to that. If by chance, an SS-class human was born on any of the continents, then the seat that Aubrey Academy has held for centuries would immediately be passed on.
If the gap between A-class and S-class was like the ground and the sky, then the distance between S-class and SS-class was the ground to the moon. Simple numbers wouldn't be able to contend against that level of power. Just a single one would be enough to destroy all of the currently existing human continents.
The continents ruled by angels and demons, on the other hand, have an abundance of powerful people. The demons and angels had a hierarchy. Demons were ruled by the Demon King and his vassal Devils while angels were ruled by Gods. Gods were above SSS-class and so were Devils, it was why they weren't allowed to appear on the face of the world for too long.
But, the ones standing above those Gods and Devils, the True God and the Demon King, those were existences far from Kai's reach. Even though he managed to gain the power equaling a God, he still wasn't anywhere near the level of those two existences. No, perhaps he never will be.
Kai, who managed to hold such large amounts of living metal and even forge them into a full set of armor and a mantle, how powerful was his backer?
As the chairman and Kai stared each other down to scrutinize the other's thoughts. A thought often formed in the mind of the former:
'Is he really human? And, in the case that he is, who taught him?'
An originally one-sided conversation about Kai handing over the rights to his armor to the chairman was turned around by Kai's tongue. It didn't matter if he was the son of a merchant, a prince of a faraway land or someone used to underhanded dealings, his experience in matters such as this didn't seem so shallow.
"...Alright, I'll talk to him."
After a slight hesitation, the chairman finally conceded. If he could get the armor without fighting against Kai, the better. After all, Kai was still S-class, no matter how young. The chairman was only A-class and that's why he placed two S-class to guard him when facing against Kai.
Was it because of Kai's confidence? Or has he just grown senile? He felt that if the two S-class beside him were to fight Kai, then the latter would come out victorious.
"Then, I'm looking forward to the news."
Kai turned his back and as soon as he did, a blade made of living metal stabbed into the desk of the chairman.
"Consider that an early deposit."
Although they weren't able to use it, they could use it for research. The chairman formed a smile and rubbed his hands together.
"Of course, of course, I'll handle this matter as soon as possible."
As Kai's figure disappeared from the room, the smile on the chairman's face faded to be replaced by eyes of greed.
"You, bring this to the lab as fast as possible. Tell them to find a way to separate the link to his mind."
The chairman pulled the blade from the desk and threw it towards one of the S-class before sitting back down.
I'll have it all soon enough.
Forming such malicious thoughts in his head, the chairman laughed.
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"Anne."
Kai called out to Anne who was in the hallway near the chairman's office.
"So you were called by the chairman... What happened?"
Kai waved his hands and told her not to mind it.
"Your armor wasn't taken away?"
Anne asked.
"Do you think anyone has the ability to take it away?"
Kai said with arrogance.
Seeing Kai's attitude, Anne could only shrug her shoulders and follow him back to class.