Chapter 218 — Law Of The Jungle

"..."

Silence spread as both women understood the significance.

Fear was a teacher nothing else could match.

Kaiser continued, his tone showing something approaching respect.

"I’ve been paying attention secretly the entire time. Watching how he manages them. How he knows exactly when to step in and when to let them struggle."

He finally turned to look at them, his ancient eyes showing depths of experience.

"That boy is a far better teacher than any of our so-called professors despite being sixteen years old. He might be young, but he understands instinctively what needs to be done to actually prepare students for reality."

His voice became harder.

"He’s right when he says pushing students straight to Monster-infested battlefields without preparation was foolish... I’ve known it for years."

Seraphina couldn’t help but interrupt.

"...Then why did you never change this rule? You have absolute authority here. You could have reformed the system decades ago."

Kaiser looked back at the clouds, wind ruffling his beard and hair, his expression becoming distant.

"When that rule was established, humanity was in genuine crisis. The portals had just opened. Monsters were slaughtering us by the thousands. We didn’t have the luxury of gradual training."

His voice carried the weight of terrible memory.

"We sent every student to the battlefields. Changed the age of adulthood to fifteen just to justify sending children to their deaths. The Federation did whatever was necessary to survive those first decades."

He paused, the silence heavy.

"Most of them died. Thousands of talented young people, cut down before they could reach their potential. It was... necessary. But it was also wasteful."

Elizabeth’s voice was quiet but persistent.

"...Then why not change it after that? We haven’t been in that level of crisis for years. Why continue sacrificing students unnecessarily?"

Kaiser turned to face them fully, his expression becoming something cold and pragmatic.

"All the people currently in power within the Federation government – the Marshals, the Senior Generals, the Council members – they were among those children we threw into battlefields... Most died, yes. But the survivors became the backbone of our entire civilization."

His ancient eyes showed no guilt and no regret, just cold calculation.

"So... I never stopped the practice. I don’t care how many die, as long as the process produces capable individuals who can lead humanity against the next crisis."

"..."

The calm, matter-of-fact way he said it chilled both Seraphina and Elizabeth to their cores.

They both understood: He’s sacrificing children deliberately. Not out of necessity anymore, but because the process creates strong leaders. He’s treating human lives like forge material – most burn away, but what remains is steel.

Then Kaiser’s expression shifted slightly, showing he wasn’t completely inflexible.

"But implement all the changes that boy is forcing through. Every single one of them. They’re beneficial for the current situation."

He looked at Elizabeth directly.

"The Federation doesn’t want this talented generation of first-years to die prematurely. They’ll be crucial for the catastrophe that’s approaching. My methods served their purpose, but they’re old now... Let the boy try his way."

Elizabeth gathered her courage.

"What about the other rules he’s implementing? He’s going directly after powerful families and dismantling the entire recruitment system they’ve relied on for decades. They won’t accept this easily... including my own Imperial family."

Kaiser’s expression became almost amused, though his eyes remained cold.

"Don’t talk to me about so-called powerful families. The truly powerful won’t care much about these changes – they have resources and methods beyond Academy recruitment. It’s only the current generation of family heads – children playing politics – who’ll throw tantrums."

He waved his hand dismissively.

"But they’ll have to give this old man some face. I founded this Academy and I will protect it. They won’t move against my decisions openly."

His voice became harder, more serious.

"Also, understand this clearly: I and the other founders started this Academy for humanity’s survival. Not for your families to recruit subordinates. I don’t care who holds power within these walls. When your families dominated, I never intervened. Now that it’s my disciple reshaping things, I won’t intervene either."

He looked at both of them with intensity that made them feel pressure.

"It’s the law of the jungle. All of you – Nobles and commoners alike – struggle and fight amongst yourselves inside my Academy. Growing stronger through competition and gaining experience through conflict.

I allow all of this because when the time comes that you face real enemies of our race, you won’t be like children in front of them."

Elizabeth’s voice was almost a whisper.

"But what about the crimes Nobles committed? The injustice commoners faced for years? Should we just ignore all that suffering?"

Kaiser turned fully to face her, and something in his expression made her take an involuntary step back.

"Murdock girl... You’re just like your grandparents – idealistic and focused on fairness and justice. So let me give you advice that might help you survive what’s coming."

His voice became almost gentle, which made the words more terrifying.

"Don’t focus on justice and fairness. I’m more than two centuries old. I saw the world before the portals opened and I saw the world after. I’ve watched our civilization rise and fall. Seen countless young idealists break themselves trying to make things ’fair.’"

He gestured toward the campus below.

"I don’t care about ideologies anymore. I don’t care how much commoners suffer or how much Nobles exploit them. For me, there’s only one consideration that matters: Will this make them stronger?"

His ancient eyes showed depths of pragmatic cruelty.

"Most commoners’ minds will collapse under the oppression. They’ll break and become useless. But if they survive with vengeance burning in their hearts... they’ll become weapons I can point at humanity’s enemies."

Seraphina and Elizabeth wore deeply uncomfortable expressions, their faces showing they wanted to argue but couldn’t find solid ground.

’He’s not wrong. Pragmatically, suffering does create stronger individuals. But the cost...’

Seraphina changed the subject, her voice carefully neutral.

"Elizabeth, how many students are you planning to expel based on the reopened cases?"

Elizabeth’s face became complex, her purple eyes showing she’d been dreading this question.

Even Kaiser looked at her with renewed interest.

She took a deep breath.

"Seventy-eight students need to be expelled permanently. Two hundred face temporary suspension of varying lengths. This includes all years, including the second-years who are about to return from their battlefield missions."

Silence!

Complete and shocked silence!