#3

With many students absent, a supplementary class was inevitable. As Banteon closed the textbook, cheers erupted from the students.

“Don’t be so happy. It will be included in the exam.”

“Aww…”

“So far, eight naturally occurring Espers have been recorded. Do you remember that?”

“Yes!”

In the nearly thousand-year history of the kingdom, only eight naturally occurring Espers had emerged.

“The first naturally occurring Esper appeared when the concept of Espers didn’t even exist. Because it appeared before records were kept, it was passed down orally and considered a legendary figure. People continued to think this way until the second and third Espers appeared and founded the kingdom.”

Two naturally occurring Espers were coincidentally born in the same era. Each married their respective guides, and their two families together established the kingdom where Banteon now lived.

“The child born from the marriage of the second and third Espers also became an Esper. Only then did people realize that Esper abilities were hereditary.”

“We know that.”

“Listen anyway. After that, those with Esper blood began to be called nobles.”

“We know that too!”

Nobles were a class that emerged from the intermarriage of Esper descendants, significantly increasing the probability of Esper manifestations. Over time, their pride in their unique bloodlines and the bonds among them formed a new ruling class.

Adjusting his glasses, Banteon continued his explanation.

“After the founding of the kingdom, five naturally occurring Espers appeared. All were S-rank. The first Esper, passed down through oral tradition, is the only one presumed to be SS-rank.”

“Is SS-rank even possible?”

“How much stronger is it than S-rank?”

“How do we know the first Esper was SS-rank?”

With the topic sparking their interest, even the usually quiet students became noisy with questions. Banteon rapped on the desk to silence them.

“Quiet. There is no definitive evidence that the first Esper was SS-rank. It’s just a presumption.”

“But there must be a basis for it.”

“The academic community defines SS-rank as having power exceeding three times that of an S-rank Esper.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Wow, is that even possible?”

The students’ chatter filled the classroom even more than before.

“Then how strong was the first Esper to be considered SS-rank?”

A student asked a useful question. Banteon ignored the other noise and continued his explanation.

“In the middle of our continent, there’s a vast desert. You all know that, right?”

“Yes! The Yuarlu Desert!”

“The area that is now the Yuarlu Desert used to be a lush region with towering mountain ranges and dense forests. Fossils of broadleaf and tropical plants found during excavations support this. The reason it turned into a desert is due to the first Esper’s rampage.”

The first Esper never found their guide. They probably didn’t even understand the concept of a guide. It’s said that they suffered immensely throughout their life. Initially, they were tormented by tinnitus and hallucinations, which gradually escalated to excruciating pain that felt like their body was being torn apart.

People who first encountered Espers were terrified by their transcendent power and bizarre madness. Anyone remotely associated with Espers—friends, comrades, lovers—was shunned. Eventually, it’s said that the first Esper killed everyone, even children.

Having lost all loved ones, the first Esper went on a rampage in the center of the continent. The result was an endless desert that still divides the continent. Their power dried up all moisture in the soil, leaving a barren wasteland where not a single blade of grass has grown for centuries.

“That’s amazing.”

“Then what happened to the people living in the central region? Did they all die?”

“Of course, they all died, idiot. How could people survive when the mountains turned into a desert?”

The kids, with their eyes sparkling, listened to the grim history as if it were a heroic tale. It’s the privilege of youth to idolize the strong. Banteon sighed softly at their unending chatter.

The class had already deviated significantly from Banteon’s plan. Seeing the uncontrollable students brought a wry smile to his face.

“Since you can’t concentrate anyway, use the remaining time for self-study.”

“Teacher, tell us more! Is a naturally occurring SS-rank stronger than a regular S-rank?”

“Is there any advantage to being the guide of a naturally occurring Esper?”

Normally, the mention of self-study would have them cheering, but now they were buzzing noisily. Banteon lightly pressed his aching head with one hand and sat down in a chair on one side of the room.

If he indulged them, they’d chatter until the end of the class.

“Quiet and study on your own.”

“Aww…”

Realizing they wouldn’t get more information, the students gradually quieted down, and the flood of questions ceased. Some whispered among themselves, but he let that slide.

Even an adult like Teeroth gets excited and chatty; it’s worse with these kids.

Banteon checked the empty seats again, recalling their family backgrounds. There were more responding families than he expected.

Teeroth’s words about having a bad feeling came to mind. With his animal-like intuition, Teeroth’s words couldn’t be dismissed entirely. While the likelihood of Banteon being directly involved was slim, the surrounding environment would indeed become chaotic.

As the class neared its end, Banteon wrote the assignment on the blackboard. They would have to make up for the lost lesson with homework.

Groans erupted from the back as the list of assignments grew longer. Banteon felt a small sense of satisfaction from the students’ complaints and set the chalk down as the bell rang, signaling the end of the class.

This excited atmosphere would die down in a few days. He just needed to endure it for a while. Naturally occurring Espers weren’t unprecedented. They would ultimately be classified as S-rank and would train with the existing Espers. The center would likely assign a suitable guide as well.

People initially fascinated by this would gradually lose interest over time….

“Hey! Breaking news! That naturally occurring Esper, just got classified as SS-rank…! Oh, teacher.”

A student burst into the classroom, shouting. Having rushed in as soon as the bell rang, the student belatedly noticed Banteon standing at the podium. Though he should scold the pale-faced student, the class erupted into cheers before he could.

The classroom filled with students’ screams at the news of an SS-rank. Banteon pressed his fingers to his ears to dull the rising irritation.

---

Time passed quickly.

“Were you with Lethe today?”

“Impressive. Yesterday it was Joanna.”

Even without overlapping with the SS-rank Esper, unwanted information naturally filtered in.

His name was Delroz. Standing at 192 cm, he was tall even among Espers, with black hair that shimmered with a blue tint.

Those who saw him in person gushed about his looks, but Banteon remained unimpressed. A troublesome person being handsome only made them a more pleasing nuisance. Furthermore, a large man was of no interest to him.

Still, time proved to be the best remedy as life gradually returned to a semblance of normalcy.

Delroz, the SS-rank Esper, had no classes with Banteon. Though he planned to progress quickly through the introductory stages, it would be a while before he reached Banteon’s advanced classes. Banteon hoped the buzz would die down before then.

“Teacher, who do you think Delroz will be matched with?”

“It’ll probably be a female guide.”

“Oh, right.”

There was one thing Banteon did appreciate.

Upon entering the center, Delroz made one condition clear: his guide had to be female.

In a place like the center, where interaction between same-sex Espers and guides was common, Delroz, having grown up as a commoner, had a strong aversion to same-sex guides. It was a rare commendable stance.

As a result, female guides were busy with matching tests with Delroz every day. Some, tired of waiting their turn, snuck into his room at night.

The center strictly prohibited sexual contact between non-matched Espers and guides. Such a thing was unimaginable in a strictly controlled center, but Delroz was too tempting a prey to ignore. People turned a blind eye, hoping for scraps.

One night, a male guide snuck into Delroz’s room. The guide emerged at dawn, screaming and covered in blood. Since then, no male guide, even as a joke, approached Delroz.

Despite not liking someone, an Esper beating a guide to the point of needing intensive care was disgraceful. It was a vulgar action not worth engaging with.

Thanks to this peculiar quirk, Banteon enjoyed a peaceful existence, contrary to Teeroth’s ominous prediction.

“So, which female guide will he end up with?”

“The one with the highest matching rate.”

“Duh, we know that. The problem is that the matching rates are all similar. With so many candidates, who will be the temporary guide?”

“That’s up to the SS-rank’s choice. Now, back to your seats.”

Grumbling at Banteon’s lukewarm answer, the students returned to their seats.