SSS Class Awakening: Start With A God-Level Choice System-Chapter 172: When the Principal Lowered His Head

Faced with Principal Magnus’s question, Ainsworth bluntly replied, "Yes, it was me."

"I broke the record for the Highest Awakener Rank achieved in the First Otherworld Mission, then due to the nature of my class traits, I managed to become an SSS-rank Awakener after some twists and turns."

"Oh, and I’ve also defeated a few Demon Kings who ganged up on the Archmagister Supreme."

To prove the authenticity of his claim, Ainsworth merely summoned his Awakener Rank badge.

When Principal Magnus saw the diamond badge with five stars surrounding a large "SSS," and Ainsworth’s name engraved beneath it, confirming him as its rightful owner, he fell into stunned silence.

For a moment, Magnus simply stared at the badge, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing.

It wasn’t Magnus’s fault for his ignorance. It’s just that such a situation, like Ainsworth’s, where it took him roughly just one Otherworld Mission to become an SSS-rank Awakener, was truly unprecedented.

Maybe it was due to the progress of the pioneering Awakeners who assisted in boosting the Earth’s world level, which allowed the Earth to send new generation Awakeners to better worlds and give better rewards; it was still unheard of for Ainsworth to achieve his current power level.

Even Elyndra and Mira’s records that broke the previous First Otherworld Mission Awakener Rank record were indeed higher than what the SSS-rank Awakeners and upper echelons of the Awakener Association had estimated, but still within their range of acceptance.

Even if it took Ainsworth a year to reach SSS-rank Awakener, the Awakener Association and other big shot Awakeners would still find it hard to accept.

Anything related to SSS-rank Awakeners, let alone someone as strong as a Five-Star one, would already be more than qualified to sit at the upper echelons of the Global Alliance regardless of what background and faction they were in.

Yet for Ainsworth to reach it in just around a week in Earth’s time, it took Magnus a few minutes to regain his composure.

After all, Ainsworth was already an existence way stronger and nobler than him. And for Ainsworth to even let the Archmagister Supreme, a Four-Star SSS-rank Awakener, owe Ainsworth a favor, Magnus Ironhart knew that he could no longer treat Ainsworth lightly. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Even if Ainsworth was still nominally a student of his Edenbridge High School, to treat him as such would be overstepping his boundaries.

To put it simply, Ainsworth’s power alone was enough to deter those who wanted to take advantage of him, let alone the fact that behind him was the Valtoria Empire and the Archmagister Supreme.

Since it involved four SSS-rank Awakeners and a few Extraordinary SS-rank Awakeners, Magnus was no longer qualified even as a One-Star SSS-rank Awakener to intervene in Ainsworth’s affairs.

At this point, it would be doing him a great favor if Ainsworth would continue staying at Edenbridge High School as a student, let alone becoming an honorary principal.

Although Principal Magnus Ironhart knew it was wishful thinking for Ainsworth to accept becoming the honorary principal, he also knew that trying to bind him to the academy in any way would only invite resentment.

Someone like Ainsworth was destined for heights far beyond Edenbridge High School.

Magnus let out a slow breath and finally spoke, his tone no longer carrying the authority of a principal but the sincerity of someone facing a higher existence.

"Ainsworth," he said, "I have no intention of keeping you here with obligations."

Ainsworth looked at him calmly, neither surprised nor offended, silently waiting for him to continue.

Magnus met his gaze and continued, "You are young, but your potential is already beyond what this academy, or even the Global Alliance, can easily accommodate. Someone capable of pursuing the illusory X-rank was never meant to be confined to a single institution."

He paused briefly, then added, "That is why I wish to offer you the title of Honorary Principal."

Elyndra raised an eyebrow slightly as she looked between the two with visible curiosity.

Magnus quickly clarified, "It is merely a formality. You would not be required to handle any administrative matters, nor would it restrict your freedom in any way. When I am absent, it would grant you legitimate authority to act within Edenbridge High School, should you choose to do so."

"In all other cases," Magnus said with a faint smile, "you may ignore the title entirely."

Ainsworth understood immediately.

This was not an attempt to bind him, but an offering of mutual benefit.

"With this title," Magnus continued, "Edenbridge High can openly stand behind you, providing its background and support whenever needed. At the same time, it ensures that no one within the academy would dare overstep their boundaries in your presence."

After saying that, Magnus lowered his posture slightly, a gesture that would have shocked anyone familiar with him.

"To be honest," he added, "it would already be a great honor for this academy if you were willing to remain here as a student. Anything beyond that would be us overreaching."

The area fell silent.

Magnus waited patiently, fully prepared for rejection.

As he indirectly stated, any powerhouse factions would want someone as powerful as Ainsworth as part of them.

The only advantage that Edenbridge High School had over them was that it wasn’t hostile to the Valtoria Empire that Elyndra is in, as well as Ainsworth’s identity as a student before he became a Five-Star SSS-rank Awakener.

However, the former wasn’t really a huge restriction, as any neutral factions like the Aetherian Dominion’s Council of Grand Magi that Archmagister Supreme Lucien Arkvale was part of would definitely want Ainsworth to be one of them.

Moreover, the Freedom Nation in the Avalonia Continent, where Edenbridge High School was located, was the birthplace of the World’s Strongest Awakener.

It was for this reason that the Global Alliance was spearheaded by the Freedom Nation, as they were the ones who took the initiative to establish it. It was also a rare nation that had democracy rather than a monarchy or theocracy.

Since Ainsworth was born in the Freedom Nation, it was highly likely that the World’s Strongest Awakener would invite him to join his faction.

At this point, due to already being taken by Elyndra and the Valtoria Empire behind her, those monarchy-based factions who’d want to ally themselves with Ainsworth via a marriage alliance would already lose their advantage.

So, neutral factions like the top three global academies became the best options for him.

Faced with Principal Magnus’s offer, Ainsworth contemplated, ’Becoming the Honorary Principal only brings me benefit, and they can’t even force me to act if I don’t want to.’

’Although Lucien owes me a favor, it will inevitably run out, so having a neutral yet powerful faction like the Edenbridge High School supporting me is ideal. The former principal is also a powerful Four-Star SSS-rank Awakener.’

Wanting to lighten Elyndra’s burdens, Ainsworth was about to make his choice, but a familiar notification sound interrupted him from doing so.

-Ding!

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