BOBBY

For a moment, Stare would have sworn he noticed Bobby had grown somewhat paler. His eyes grew uneasy, and his hands quivered. Just as Stare was about to reach out to him, the kid had already burst through the crowd of students, running toward Imma, the teacher at the front of them all.

Amidst the looks of shock, complaints, and muttering from the surrounding students, Bobby's gaze was fixed on Orion, whose attention was now also on him.

He seemed reluctant to speak at first but eventually managed to get himself talking.

"Please... Please, you can't put me in the support class…"

"Please... I know I might not be in the best position currently to ask this... but, I promise... I promise to work harder, to work harder than anyone else... please, I have to be an actual hero, not in a supportive class, I have to be an actual hero so-"

Just as he was about to finish his stuttered words, which were already sounding tearful, Orion stretched out his hands to stop him.

He silently scanned the pale boy who, at this point, was already on the verge of tears.

"Tell me, what's your fief?"

Bobby instantaneously moved back a few steps at the question, his face also dropped down as he repeatedly fiddled with his fingers, obviously not wanting to look up.

Seeing this, Orion's expression, which had been blunt since Bobby's sudden display, instantly turned to a scowl.

Advancing menacingly towards Bobby, with his face now just a few inches away from him, Orion used his hand, now underneath Bobby's chin, to lift his face up.

"I wasn't asking you, kid. Tell me, what's your fief?"

Bobby shivered even more, noticing a flicker of dancing flames in Orion's eyes as he gazed into them. He pondered pushing back further but knew better, nervously casting a sidelong glance to find the students' eyes fixed intently on him. With a gulp, Bobby gathered his courage and, after a few more seconds, finally spoke again.

"I... I can influence emotions with the tone of my voice."

For a moment, silence hung between them before Orion suddenly erupted into derisive laughter.

"Is it really that bad? Do you think this is some sort of singing academy?"

"You're hardly in a position to make demands, kid. What good will your hard work do when ultimately it'll still revolve around your rather useless fief?"

"You shouldn't feel entitled, kid. Instead, you should be grateful just to have a class and enjoy it while you can. Who knows if you'll even make it to the end with the kind of fief awakened."

Bobby stood motionless, silently enduring Orion's onslaught of insults. His eyes appeared vacant, with tears streaking down his cheeks, and his expression now devoid of emotion.

Stare, like the others who had witnessed the scene, wore a deep frown on his face.

The impression he formed of the kid after their meeting the day before, combined with the dorm coincidence and his apparent secrecy, led him to tread carefully when dealing with the kid. At least until he was certain the kid wasn't associated with the Oracle's Path. But now, witnessing all of this, perhaps he had misjudged the kid.

Maybe the kid was simply insecure, harboring grand aspirations of becoming something meaningful—a kid who likely endured a lifetime of bullying and belittlement, possibly worsened by the fief he awakened.

To make matters worse, the one who currently ruthlessly crushed his dreams was meant to be his source of encouragement.

"…This bastard." Stare muttered through gritted teeth.

From the beginning, he had his suspicions that the guy wasn't the most suitable teacher, but he hadn't anticipated him being this useless.

What criteria did the Academy even consider before hiring these people?

The more Stare contemplated it, the more his anger swelled, reaching a point where he could barely restrain himself from confronting Orion. He couldn't discern if it was the Oracle's trait or his genuine irritation fueling his frustration.

Given his circumstances, he realized he couldn't afford such a confrontation. The risk of it backfiring, particularly with his plan in mind, was very high.

However, he had expected at least one of the Elite kids to speak up at some point.

Orion's actions were clearly bullying, and although students like him weren't in the best position to speak out, the Elites, on the other hand, were the opposite.

Being highly regarded by the Academy and likely society as well, the chances of repercussions were quite low for them. At most, they would probably receive a mild reprimand. Unfortunately, even after so much time had passed, none of them uttered a word.

Not even Ava, the daughter of the Rector, or Ares, who should have harbored a false sense of heroism.

They barely displayed any expression as they observed, in fact, none of the so-called Elites did, except for Ruby, who wore a slight frown but still remained silent.

Stare turned to Joel, who had been standing by his side, his eyes also fixed on Orion and Bobby, his fists clenched. It was evident that he wanted to intervene, but unfortunately, he wasn't in a position to do so.

On the other hand, Orion didn't seem to care about the state Bobby was in, as he had already turned away from him, despite Bobby now appearing like an empty husk.

"Excuse me, sir,"

However, his attention was suddenly drawn back, prompting him to turn back with a hint of annoyance.

A few steps away, stood another kid with black hair and shockingly fixed emerald eyes, closely observing him.

'At least this one tries to hold his gaze,' Orion thought.

Orion's gaze then shifted sharply to the watch on Stare's hand. However, upon seeing the green display on the watch screen, he relaxed.

"What is it, kid?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Stare spoke up.

"I just wanted to say you're wrong, sir," Stare replied unwaveringly, unaffected by the change in Orion's expression upon hearing his words.