chapter 57
57. Grade Test (8)
-Kudangtang!
“Keuh-euk!”
He fell to the ground with his back flat on the ground, groaning as if he was having trouble breathing.
I didn’t hit or kick any additional shots in that state.
There is nothing more frustrating than being caught defenseless in a surprise attack.
I stood there slowly waiting for him to recover.
“Nod, huh,”
He got up and ran towards me, throwing his fist at me.
It was as if his body had been strengthened by magic, and he was moving quickly while enduring pain.
… I dodged the punch lightly.
To me, who was already at 3-star level, his fist, which hadn’t even reached 2-star level, seemed like it was moving in slow motion.
Some of the time I just let him keep attacking, and some of the time I just avoided him. Some of the time I didn’t even counter him.
Because I had to make the power gap known.
When my attacks didn’t work, he distanced himself and started arguing with me.
“Don’t avoid me like a stray dog, come in! Are you a coward?!”
“Okay. I’ll go in.”
Now was the time.
Similarly, he strengthened his body with a small amount of magical power.
And then, moving so fast that he couldn’t react, he punched him in the stomach.
To his eyes, it must have looked like I had teleported.
“Ugh!”
He clutches his abdomen and bends over, repeatedly retching painfully.
“Nonsense, that’s impossible…!”
The confusion in his expression was evident, as if he couldn’t believe that he hadn’t responded.
“He must be a lowly person, but why…? T, t, I let my guard down. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense!”
“There are a lot of things in this world that don’t make sense.”
“Shut up! You’re only talking as if you’re above me now!”
He takes something out of his sleeve.
It was a dagger. A small, sharp dagger of a rather sophisticated design.
“Are you going to keep going until you get there?”
“Shut your mouth!” -Huh?
-Tingling.
His dagger fell to the floor.
I kicked his wrist and made him miss.
When something happens in an instant and he is not aware of what happened.
He kicked him in the stomach with his foot.
“Whoa!”
Darius collapses, his legs losing strength due to the shock to his entire body.
I then grabbed him by the collar and started pounding his face, which was between my fist and the wall, without mercy.
puck.
“Ugh!”
One. Blood flowed out from the bridge of his nose.
Still.
“Snap!”
Two. One of my front teeth was knocked out.
Phew.
“Crunch… .”
Three generations.
His eyes become unfocused, dizzy from the unbearable pain.
I let go of his collar, crouched down and said.
“Do I still think of you as a lowly, incompetent person?”
“You lowly b*stard… .”
“… … .”
How dare you gossip in front of someone stronger than you, even with your eyes wide open.
Normally, if it got to this point, he would try to apologize to get out of the situation, but this guy was more vicious than I thought.
… It would be great if he had used this level of tenacity for the sake of those around him rather than expressing his inferiority complex.
I turned back to him. Hedi would be waiting too, and there was no point in messing with her any more.
If you come again next time, I’ll beat you up the same way.
That’s when I thought.
“Don’t think this is the end… I’m going to take down everyone around you, you lowly b*stard. Hehe… You brought this upon yourself. I’ll show you what happens when you mess with the upper class… .”
His words made my blood boil in my head for a moment.
I thought that this guy was a danger to my smooth academy life.
If I leave him alone, he will continue to loiter around me like he said.
Of course, Lloyd, Bobby, Louis, and Hedy are at least counts or higher, so there’s no need to worry too much.
Darius, who sensed something strange, could investigate me and find out that I was the son of the Principality of Brace. Of course, rumors could spread.
“Phew… .”
“Kikki, are you scared, commoner?”
How much inferiority complex must a person have to be filled with to become like that?
How much baseness must one be immersed in to become so vicious?
… I tried to finish it off by squeezing it a few times, but I don’t think I can leave this guy alone.
After gathering my thoughts, I slowly looked around and explored the backyard.
No one cared about the situation here at the moment.
I approached him again and asked in a tone that had become calmer than before, as if my emotions had been fluctuating.
“…Did you say Darius of House Trevan?”
***
Left alone, Hedi got up from the bench, unable to wait for Sian.
I knew Si-an’s skills well, but I was still anxious.
Darius Trevan.
He was a vicious man. He was a man who would keep pushing forward even if you rejected him every time, and if things didn’t go his way, he would even swing his sword at you.
Of course, I stepped on it every time.
Even after that, he continued to indirectly harass Hedi from time to time.
Even though Hedy was a fallen noble, she couldn’t do much because she was from a count’s family.
Will he remain still after losing to Xian, whose identity is unclear?
At least that’s not the Darius Hedy saw.
‘I guess… I should go and stop it.’
Until now, it was thought that Si-an was a commoner and had hidden his identity and family name.
Of course, Hedy didn’t care. How could she turn away from her lifesaver, a commoner?
To Hedy, Cyan was already a colleague and friend.
A precious friend who broke my prejudice by personally showing me that such men also exist.
But Darius… .
… had to stop Cian from beating him.
Hedy moved. In the direction of Cian and the backyard they had gone.
There wasn’t much time left. If I ran quickly now, I could get there before anything bad happened.
Finally, Hedy arrived nearby.
I can see the backyard beyond that.
‘Darius is down. Is this the end?’
Darius’ face was covered in blood and he was leaning against the wall.
I don’t know what he said to provoke Sian, but he must have been the one who used violence first, so Sian responded in kind.
But before the situation got any worse, we had to stop the Xi’an quickly.
At that moment, when I was trying to approach Si-an.
Cyan suddenly starts looking around, leaving Darius lying on the ground.
‘Huh.’
Hedy hid her presence and body behind the wall without realizing it.
It was a reflexive action. There was no reason for me to hide.
After making sure that no one is watching, Cyan approaches Darius again.
Then Darius’ voice began to be heard.
“I’ll make you regret it. I’ll use my family’s power to make everyone around you miserable… Hehe.”
also.
Darius wasn’t the type to just let it go like that.
Just as Hedy was about to approach the backyard where Cyan was again.
“What, what! How did you, you lowly wretch, have that?!”
Hedy is startled by Darius’s voice suddenly shouting loudly.
Hedy, wondering why he was so flustered, secretly watched the backyard again.
Then there.
‘uh…?’
Cyan was holding something and showing it to Darius.
It was a nameplate.
A gold nameplate engraved with the family symbol.
“Did you say Darius Trevan? I wanted to keep it quiet and just let it pass, but… It just won’t work.”
“Yes, I mean how did you have that!”
“It’s simple. Because I am the prince of the Duchy of Brace.”
The moment she heard Cyan’s words, Hedy’s eyes widened.
‘Confucius… you say?’
The prince of the duchy is a member of the royal family.
A being of a different class with immense wealth and power.
‘Why? Why on earth… .’
Xi’an is a prince.
Then why have you been hiding it until now?
Hedy was confused. She just continued to hide behind the wall and eavesdrop on their conversation.
“Lies! The prince of the duchy isn’t as skinny as you! He doesn’t even do well in the academy!”
“So this nameplate looks fake?”
“… … !”
A nameplate made entirely of pure gold and engraved with the knight’s emblem.
It was undoubtedly the Brace family’s nameplate.
“Really… the nameplate of the Brace family…?”
“I do not normally prefer this method, but since you have come out this way, I will do the same. Darius Trevan. You have threatened me and those around me. Therefore, you will be punished for treason against the Crown. As of today, a letter of demotion will be sent directly to the head of House Trevan… .”
“Hey, wait! That can’t be! Something is definitely wrong! Oh, no… Oh, it’s a misunderstanding! I think there was some kind of misunderstanding…!”
“Shut up. Hmm?”
Heidi was so surprised that she forgot to clear her mind.
Cyan was getting closer to Hedy.
Hedy ran hurriedly, hiding behind the wall.
I couldn’t meet him until my confused feelings and thoughts were sorted out.
So, I used my magic to get out of that place.
Cian looked behind the wall where Hedy had been, but Hedy was already gone.
***
After clearly warning them that they would be punished more severely if they leaked the information.
Leaving Darius hanging around in a daze, I headed to the place where I had been having lunch with Hedi.
Hedy is still sitting on the bench over there.
I also saw two sandwiches left in the lunch box. Maybe they were worried and didn’t eat them first.
Hedy looks at me, having confirmed that I have arrived.
I said, sitting naturally next to her.
“I’m here.”
“…huh.”
Then she nods briefly and falls silent.
…what?
Hedy’s airflow was strange.
It seems like he’s intentionally avoiding my gaze.
She turned her head away from me and looked awkwardly in the other direction.
I was puzzled and spoke to her again.
“Aren’t you going to ask what happened?”
“… What happened?”
“I’ve taken care of it. He won’t touch us from now on. I told you I’m Iris’s disciple.”
“That’s fortunate.”
“… … .”
Short and cold speech.
…there is definitely something.
For a moment, a bad feeling crossed my mind.
When I tried to talk to her, she was so anxious that she remained silent.
“if….”
Suddenly, she looked at me clearly first and then said.
“I heard.”
“…what?”
“I heard.”
“… … .”
There was silence between her and me.