Chapter 23: The Humilated Person (2)

"Hey, teach us the skills of your special technique!"

"God, why is this freak in the same class with us?"

"Stop coming to the academy if you want to sleep, you idiot!"

"Are you trying to get attention?"

As Cale left the training grounds, he ignored the people who passed by and mocked him. He was good at ignoring things when he wanted to.

When he got to his room and threw himself tiredly on his bed, he fell asleep.

***

"Hey, did you guys see how everyone made way for us?" Sylvie smiled cheerfully.

"It was because I was here," Elliot said, smiling and grinning with his hair in a cool way.

Hearing Elliot's answer, Veronica shook her head and walked away from him.

She hated communicating with stupid people.

Sylvie, on the other hand, had known Elliot since she was a little girl and had gotten used to him, causing her to ignore him.

Amy rolled her eyes, laughing at her fiancé's smugness.

"Did you see that guy sleeping with his eyes closed at the training ground?" Damien asked, changing the subject.

"... Do we need to know about that idiot?" he was joined by Veronica and Elliot. Out of the corner of his eye, Elliot saw Amy tense up, but chose to ignore it for now.

"Let that idiot go and let's go eat," Elliot said, putting his arm around Amy's shoulder and picking up the pace.

"Hey wait!" Sylvie said as Veronica followed after them.

Damien laughed at the silliness of his friends walking and teasing each other and quickened his pace as they made their way towards the cafeteria.

Damien's instincts told him that the red-haired man who always sat with his eyes closed in the training area was not as simple as he looked.

"Forget it, maybe I'm overreacting."

***

In the meeting room of the Hoop Academy, all the professors were waiting for the head of the academy, Professor Diane Reinhart.

Markus Herbert, professor of Magic Theory, Khaled Snowfield, professor of Monster Anatomy, Rebecca Woolf, professor of Artifact Analysis, Giles Qarat, professor of Mana and Aura, Jessica Hill, professor of Elemental Teachings, were among those gathered.

When Diane Reinhart entered the meeting room, all the professors sitting around the long table stood up to greet her. Diane Reinhart was a fascinating woman with long violet hair and eyes the same color as her hair. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, although she was older than all the professors sitting here.

Diane gestured for them to take a seat and then sat down at the head table. The meeting started with Diane's arrival and went from the basics, such as the situation of the students and the adequacy of the courses, to the main topic.

"I think the students need a new approach," Giles said, drawing everyone's attention. "I think students need to be given tasks to show them what their chosen paths are," he said, and there was a murmur in the room.

"What do you mean by that, Professor Qarat?" asked Markus.

"The students are all prospective hunters and if we want to train them, they need to get out of their safe spaces."

"You're right," Jessica continued, her eyes narrowing. "The students know that if they make a mistake they will start again. In training, we allow them to duel each other, but we ask them to avoid any action that would bring out their full power. That way they are only defenseless in the face of real danger," he said as murmurs of approval filled the room.

"Good thinking," Diane's calm and thoughtful voice silenced the murmuring in the room. "You and Giles take care of this. Not only will the students get a real education, but we'll eliminate the corrupt Slayers," she smiled. "The elite families will like it."

They all agreed with her, even if the timbre of her voice offended some. Diane Reinhart was the only nine-ringed sorceress who used the wind element. Even the most powerful swordsmen would think twice about fighting her. That's why she was as frightening as she was beautiful.

"If there is nothing else to discuss, I will end the meeting here," she said and left the meeting room.

Thus, the first steps were taken for the students' missions.

***

"This weekend we are going to train in the city of Python in the Southern Desert. There you will have the chance to practice with various monsters. Then you will be given your missions. Factors such as the time it takes you to complete your mission, and not revealing yourself will also contribute to your evaluation."

Cale was now listening to the details of the trip to the city of Python in the Southern Deserts. He tried to recall if such a thing had happened in the novel, but it was blank.

He could tell from Jessica's words that the monster training was a pretext. Most likely, their main goal would be the missions.

"You won't get any help from us trainers on the mission. So try not to die." She saw some of them trembling with fear.

"Alright everyone, this is the end of the lesson, I hope you enjoy the trip!"

After Jessica left the classroom, Cale wanted to give Hope her books before she left.

"Thank you for the books," he said, and Hope looked at him a little surprised, but quickly straightened her expression and smiled at him.

"I'm glad I could help, and if there's anything else you'd like me to help you with, I have a pretty big library at my house. I will help you as much as I can," she said with a smile.

"Not for now, but if I need your help I will consider your offer," he said, leaving himself an open door in case he needed your help in the future.

"Alright, I'll see you later then," Hope said as she left the classroom and Cale went to his desk to gather his things.

"Look at that asshole staring at Hope Duncan with his worthless eyes!"

"God, do you really think you can pick her up without looking at yourself?"

"For you to think that a beautiful girl like her would be with someone as lowly as you... How pathetic!"

He frowned at the three people surrounding him. He was surprised by their aggressive behavior. Normally they made fun of him all the time, but this time it wasn't as hostile.

He turned his head to the right and saw two people standing side by side by the door, arms folded across their chests, looking at him.

'Terry and Nevil'

These two were the ones who started it all a month ago. They had been warned from the first day of the academy, so they couldn't do anything after the incident. But apparently they couldn't wait much longer and sent their followers.

"What happened?" said the burly one of them. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Why are you harassing Hope Duncan with your disgusting eyes!"

There were two ways to deal with people like that. Either you ignore them and drive them crazy and eventually they get bored, or you beat them up and make them afraid of you.

Cale chose the first option.

"..."

"Hey! Are you deaf?"

Duels were allowed at the Academy. As long as mana and aura were not used, students teasing each other was ignored. Still, Cale was a patient man.

"I'm talking to you, idiot!" Cale sighed at his attitude. When he took a step to leave, he was pushed on the shoulder.

"What, are you leaving?"

"Say something, idiot!"

"I think he's too scared to talk," they said and laughed.

'Think what you like, just don't bother me!'

"If it's over, can I go?" he said, annoyed that the trio ignored him.

Most people in the class were watching, including the protagonists of the novel.

"Not so fast," the big one grinned. "Who let you go?"

Cale sighed and looked around the classroom, locking eyes with Amy. Seeing Amy's amused look made him angry.

Cale was a very patient person, but he was bored. He was tired of all these bastards insulting him for not caring, for ignoring them.

"Move!"

He looked coldly at the trio in front of him and they all laughed, even though they were surprised by his answer.

"Did the kitten turn into a tiger?" laughed the skinniest of them.

"Who are you that I should back off?"

Rolling his eyes and sighing, he was about to walk past them when the big one grabbed him by the collar and lifted him into the air, causing the class to erupt in laughter.

"Where are you going without my permission?"

"If you don't take your hands off me, I won't take responsibility for what happens next," he said coldly.

"What can you do?" they laughed as Cale grabbed the hand on his collar and turned it over. The sound of bone breaking filled the classroom and all the noise instantly ceased.

"Arghhh!"

Cale straightened his collar with a cold expression on his face as the burly one grabbed his broken wrist and screamed in pain.

"I told you you'd regret it."

"This bastard!"

"I'll kill you!"

Cale looked on indifferently as the other two attacked him in a rage.

When the scrawny one punched him, Cale grabbed his fist and hit him in the face with his own. When the other attacked from behind to hold him, Cale grabbed the scrawny one by the head and hit the other in the head.

When the two collapsed, the big one crawled back and fell back a step.

"Don't come!"

Cale went to him and stepped on his throat with his foot. A cold smile formed on his face as the man under his foot turned red.

"Learn who you're dealing with before you dog someone else," he said and let him go.

The students around him took a step back as he took him bag and descended the stairs under puzzled stares. When he got to the door he found Terry and Nevil standing by the door looking at him in disbelief.

When he smiled sweetly at them and walked out of the classroom, they both exploded with rage.

"That bastard!"

"I'll kill this bastard who thinks he's something!" Nevil vowed.

Cale left a bewildered and curious class in his wake, some of whom were only mildly intrigued. Because neither Terry and Nevil nor the other three were high grade. They were F-level hunters.

So even though he aroused interest, Damien still did not see him as a threat to him.