Even the Headmaster was showing hostility towards me… does that mean that my school life was over even before it began? Should I hope that it doesn't? Yeah, maybe I should.

"Tell me, Relin."

"Oh, don't be on guard so much~ I just came here because I want to have a talk with this boy here."

"Relin."

"...!"

I instinctively put my guard on. The fearsome aura lying inside the Headmaster… was colossal!

I only heard bits about the Headmaster of Central Chaser and Hunter Academy. Even the records allowed to the public didn't have much about him except the fact that he was a former chaser who suddenly rose to power and became the Headmaster of the top academy in the Tower. Even I had some questions regarding this matter, and the old me concluded that there were strings pulled by this man, but now that I see it with my own eyes, I can't say that's the case anymore. This man was the real deal, a real monster.

"Woah woah~ put that monstrous aura down for a bit. I am really here to talk to this brat."

"Haa… are you seriously still joking?"

"Hey, I told you I am not joking."

"...fine."

'Hmm…'

A question rose within me.

If the Levithan Vice-Guild master and the Headmaster of the Central Chaser and Hunter Academy fought, who would win? An interesting question, and maybe I would have gotten the answer right here if the Headmaster was provoked by Relin's cheap provocation but he was the Headmaster for a reason.

"If you wanted to talk then why are you here? The Headmaster's office is not a place for chatting."

"You know why I am here, right?"

"..."

What was that? I couldn't help but think that something bad was going to happen if I didn't play smart right now.

"Ren… that's your name, right?"

The Headmaster leaned back on his chair and stared into my soul.

"Yes sir."

"Then…"

"...!"

"...are you the Demon?"

The gleaming pair of blue eyes stabbed my body relentlessly like spears. His words grazed my body like a thousand knives. Such an unpleasant sensation, really.

'This man… I can't even sense how powerful he is…'

My eyes rolled over to Relin unintentionally.

I could still measure Relin's power. And given that there are practically hundreds of thousands of things going around the media about the Vice-Guild master of Levithan Guild, it was not hard to guess how much power he held. But…

'The Headmaster… he is an unknown territory.'

The question that I asked myself a while ago… who would win if Relin and the Headmaster fought… all this time, the Headmaster was simply suppressing the gigantic sea of power inside him. He was the Headmaster of this academy, so it's understandable that he would. And I am pretty sure he only showed just a minuscule of his true power maybe for a second or two. But that was enough to make the hairs on my hands rise.

"Why won't you answer?"

How the hell was I supposed to answer after seeing that?! And that was certainly a trap.

Trashes like me could certainly not sense the kind of power the Headmaster had shown. And he surely wasn't an idiot who'd say "you are not some ordinary student".

<Quite a terrifying guy, isn't he?>

'Shut up for now.'

"Fuu… I think you are misunderstanding something, Headmaster. Just because I have white hair and red eyes doesn't mean I am the Demon who has been causing havoc all over Central."

"Hmm…"

What was he going to do now?

"You said that you can't take off your mask, right?"

"Yes sir."

'Oi, he can't take off this mask even if he uses his full strength, right?'

<Yeah, I guarantee it.>

Hopefully, he was speaking the truth.

"Relin."

"Yes~"

Relin turned towards me and brought his hands closer to me.

Even though Lan said that no one could take off this mask from my face, my heart still went upbeat in an instant when he brought his hand over my mask.

"You won't mind, would you?"

"I…"

What should be the best response? Should I refuse? No, I shouldn't. That would be the same as saying that I am the Demon. But then again, I couldn't have him see me completely underwhelmed by his attempt, after all, I was just a Potential-less.

"I-I don't mind…"

I didn't have a choice. This was the best acting I could do. Even if they saw through it, I was just simply unlucky then. But I was pretty confident in my acting skills so it shouldn't be a problem.

Relin's hand brushed by my mask.

'Ugh… it feels disgusting.'

"I am pulling it."

That's some great phrasing.

"Yes…"

<Don't worry. Nothing will happen even if he pulled with all his might.>

How could he be so sure? Well, on second thought, maybe it made sense that he was so confident. He was a Divine being and who knows how many more things he possesses that are beyond human understanding and capabilities. Maybe I really didn't have anything to worry about.

"Hmm… it's not coming out even if I put strength in it."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

Both the Headmaster and Relin stared at each other for a moment and, even though it was subtle, they nodded at each other.

Were they planning something? Hope not. I couldn't survive if they were to stretch things as far as to ambush me suddenly to know the truth.

"You can go now."

But contrary to my worries, the Headmaster gave me the green light to leave this wretched room.

'Phew…'

I can now finally have a breath.

***

"Relin…"

"Yeah. Though it was for a moment, he saw your power."

Relin went over to the Headmaster and hopped on his desk to have a seat.

"What do you think? Can we say he is the Demon?" Relin asked cheekily, clearly showing interest that he normally doesn't show.

"First, let me ask you something. Why are you so interested in the Demon? It's not like you. You should be busy preparing for the Ninth Floor and you are here showing interest in a Potential-less?"

"You are still going to act like that? We all know that he is not an ordinary kid. In fact, maybe he is more powerful than most of the students gathered here. Maybe he is just acting as a Potential-less."

That was a justifiable argument. Bribing the Potential Sages to either lower or higher the Potential rating was not a hard thing to do. If someone could provide rough money, then the Potential Sages would happily record someone as Potential-less without saying anything.

"But how can someone who has been Potential-less all his life bribe someone. And also, his parents are dead. He can't possibly gather the money those money-grubbers ask all by himself."

"..."

"But it is clear that the boy is not an ordinary kid. Maybe he really is acting as a Potential-less."

Relin didn't have anything to say.

"Anyway, we still don't know if he is the Demon or not."

"So?"

"Remember the Conference?"

"...?"

Relin was confused? Why was the Headmaster suddenly bringing the Conference?

"That kid, he will bring great harm to us if we let him act as a Potential-less."

"That's a given."

"Then, we will use him."

"Huh?"

"We will use him and I will gain what I was aiming for."

"Hmm… and what will I get?"

"Guild master."

"Hohoho… quite tempting…"

***