Chapter 222: Changing The Rules! (2)

"Since the creature may have been compromised, I propose that we repeat the evaluation with another beast. This time, we can select one of a lower rank to account for Kane’s exhausted condition. If he manages to subdue it as well, then we can acknowledge his victory without any further dispute."

The arena fell into a brief silence.

Aisha’s expression turned cold.

She had expected someone to interfere with the evaluation, but she hadn’t anticipated that they would go this far after Kane had already passed the inspection.

Her grey eyes narrowed as she studied Dean Marcus.

So, this was how they intended to handle the situation.

They couldn’t prove that Kane had cheated, and since they couldn’t openly dismiss the guards’ findings, they had found another excuse to invalidate his victory.

Aisha’s brows furrowed.

The Verpent had been subdued by Jayden before Kane’s turn, but it had recovered almost immediately. If the academy truly believed the creature was unfit for the evaluation, why hadn’t they raised that concern earlier?

It was obvious that they were merely looking for a way to secure Jayden’s victory.

Beside her, Sabel was already on the verge of exploding.

"Are they serious?!" she hissed. "Kane already passed the evaluation! What else do they want from him?"

Aisha didn’t answer immediately.

Her gaze remained fixed on Dean Marcus.

She had originally expected Zeke to be present during this part of the event. With someone of his standing watching the evaluation, the academy’s officials would have found it much harder to manipulate the result so blatantly.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t there.

And without someone powerful enough to challenge their decision, Dean Marcus had considerable room to maneuver.

Still, the dean couldn’t simply declare Kane the loser without making himself look unreasonable in front of the audience.

That was why he had chosen to invalidate the result instead. By questioning the Verpent’s condition, he could force Kane to repeat the evaluation without having to acknowledge that his real intention was to ensure Jayden’s victory.

Aisha’s eyes grew colder.

What a convenient excuse.

One of the other deans shook his head in disapproval.

"I disagree. Repeating the evaluation will only waste everyone’s time. The inspection has already confirmed that Kane didn’t cheat, and his record has surpassed Jayden’s. We should just acknowledge the result and allow Class 7-D to proceed to the next round."

Several professors nodded in agreement.

They had already witnessed enough to make a judgment, and there was little reason to prolong the matter.

However, Marcus wasn’t willing to give up so easily.

"I understand your concerns, and I would also prefer to conclude this matter as soon as possible. But don’t you find the result intriguing?"

He turned toward the professors and the royal family members seated nearby.

"A D-rank Guide has managed to surpass a C-rank Sentinel in an evaluation involving a corrupted beast. If we accept the result without further examination, we may never know whether his performance was a genuine display of ability or merely an unusual circumstance. Surely, everyone is curious to see whether he can repeat such a feat."

Some of the professors exchanged glances.

Although they had reservations about Marcus’s proposal, his words had caught their interest.

After all, a Guide who could subdue a corrupted beast of a higher rank was an unusual sight. Even if Kane’s previous performance had been a coincidence, repeating the evaluation would provide an opportunity to observe his abilities more closely.

Marcus noticed their changing expressions and continued, "Furthermore, if Kane succeeds in subduing the next beast, I will personally recommend that he be moved out of the lower class. His performance would demonstrate that he possesses abilities beyond what his current classification suggests."

That finally caught their attention.

Several professors looked at Kane with renewed interest, while the princes and princesses seated nearby began discussing the proposal among themselves.

Being promoted out of the lower class was no small matter for a student like Kane. It would open up better training opportunities and give him access to resources that had been difficult for him to obtain.

After a brief discussion, the majority nodded in agreement.

Marcus smiled faintly.

He had secured the response he wanted.

With the professors and royal family members agreeing to the arrangement, he no longer needed to argue with anyone who opposed him.

He turned toward the announcer.

"The decision has been made. The fourth round will be repeated, and a lower-rank corrupted beast will be selected for the next evaluation. If Kane succeeds in subduing it, his victory will be recognized, and his classification will be reconsidered."

The announcer hesitated for a moment before relaying the decision to the audience.

Another commotion immediately broke out.

Some spectators were excited to witness another evaluation, while others felt that the arrangement was unfair to Kane.

However, the decision had already been approved.

There was little anyone could do to change it.

Kane felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.

He had barely recovered from the shock of being accused of cheating when he was informed that he would have to repeat the evaluation.

His face turned pale.

He had already exhausted nearly all his energy trying to subdue the Verpent. His legs felt weak, and even lifting his arms had become difficult.

How was he supposed to fight another beast in this condition? He couldn’t even condense his guiding energy properly anymore.

Kane lowered his head, staring at his trembling hands.

He wanted to object, but the words refused to come out. Even if he complained, would anyone listen?

"Wait."

A clear voice suddenly rang out after the announcement.

Kane lifted his head.

The students in the waiting area turned toward the speaker, while the audience followed their gaze.

It was Aisha.

She stood behind the barrier, seemingly unfazed by the sudden attention. Her expression had grown colder as she lifted her chin and turned toward the professors’ viewing area, where Dean Marcus sat.

Dean Marcus lowered his gaze toward her.

"Student Aisha... do you have any objections to the arrangement?"

Aisha shook her head.

"Not exactly. Since the decision has already been made, I understand that there’s little point in arguing against it."

Her response surprised him slightly.

He had expected her to complain, especially considering that the decision had been made to the disadvantage of her class.

Aisha’s expression remained unchanged as she continued, "Since the dean wishes to change the rules, I would also like to propose a change of my own."

Marcus raised an eyebrow.

"A proposal?"

Aisha smiled faintly.

"That’s right. If we’re changing the rules for this round, it shouldn’t be a problem to change the participants as well, should it?"

The dean’s expression stiffened.

Aisha met his gaze without wavering.

"After all, if the rules can be changed, why can’t the players be changed as well?"