TWOD 13
Chapter 13: A Hundredfold
Su Ye held up the hem of his robe with his left hand, wiping the blood from his right hand as he stared into Ravens’ eyes, a brilliant smile on his face. “The IOU.”
“You have no idea what you’re doing.” The firelight danced rapidly in Ravens’ eyes.
Su Ye let go of his robe, looked at his right hand, clenched and unclenched his fist, turned it over twice, and then raised his head again. He walked step by step toward Ravens. He looked up at Ravens, who was a head taller than he was, and drew the magic book from his belt, slowly opening it.
The dynamic magic of the Plato Academy became the brightest thing in the night. Countless people craned their necks and widened their eyes, filled with an indescribable envy. The light in their eyes was brighter than the gold coins on the ground.
“After you left, the assistant to the headmaster of Plato Academy, the esteemed Elf Mage, arrived at my house on a rainbow horse and personally handed me my notice for the new semester,” Su Ye said. As he spoke, the notice floated into the air.
Gasps of astonishment and unconcealed envy filled the air. Ravens’ face was calm, but the people behind him looked at the magic book with terror in their eyes. Those who had been to Su Ye’s house had seen this book, but no one had dared to touch it, just as they hadn’t touched the three statues of the gods. They didn’t know what a rainbow horse was or what an Elf Mage was, but the headmaster’s assistant was certainly more powerful than a regular noble.
Su Ye put away the magic book and tucked it back into his belt. He looked up at Ravens and said in a gentle voice, “You weren’t wrong in what you thought before. I’m just a mediocre student, and if I were to die silently, the teachers at Plato Academy wouldn’t care. But now, His Excellency the Headmaster’s Assistant will certainly remember me. I’ve sent a magic message detailing the events of the past few days to every one of my classmates. I don’t expect every single one of them to help me, but all it takes is one, just one! If one of them mentions this after I die, it will be enough to ignite the fury of all the mages in Athens.”
“The noble mages wouldn’t care about the death of a common student, and they are even powerless against a band of thieves. But a student dying on the eve of his enrollment, dying in the city of Athens, dying right next to Plato Academy—do you know what that means?” Su Ye paused for a few seconds, then his voice suddenly turned sharp. “You are challenging the dignity of every mage in Athens! It’s not me who doesn’t know what I’m doing; it’s you who doesn’t know what you’re doing!”
Su Ye finished, pointing toward Plato Academy. “Headmaster Plato’s gaze is on you now.” Su Ye’s voice echoed through the entire crowd.
Ravens’ face twitched violently. The “centipede” scar seemed ready to leap off his face. The men behind him were terrified. This was their worst fear, and Su Ye had just exposed it in public.
“Even if his gaze wasn’t on you before, it certainly is now,” Su Ye’s voice returned to a calm tone.
This statement was even more chilling. Everyone’s body went rigid, as if they could actually feel the gaze of the great Master Plato. Master Plato had once, outside the city of Lion Port, and in front of hundreds of thousands of witnesses, single-handedly killed three legendary sea monsters.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Su Ye’s right index finger pointed to his heart. He looked into Ravens’ eyes and said slowly, “I have lost my family, my parents, my wealth, and I may even soon lose my place as a student at Plato Academy. I have only one life left.”
Su Ye’s right hand changed direction. His index finger pressed against Ravens’ chest, pushing down hard. “You want wealth, you want power, you want influence, you want a life free from humiliation, you want to rise above your poverty. You’ve worked so hard to become a Bronze Warhttps://orangenuna.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/woman-traveling-in-france-2023-11-27-05-16-47-utc_Easy-Resize.com_.jpgr, to become a leader trusted and feared by your men, to wield power in the poor district—is all that just to die in a mutual annihilation with a sixteen-year-old kid? You’re a desperate man; you’re not afraid of death. But if we die together, I will have won. Now, ask yourself, is it worth it?”
Su Ye’s eyes were filled with undisguised contempt. His index finger pressed down hard on Ravens’ chest twice. Ravens was very familiar with this look. It was the same look he gave to fools.
Ravens’ hands clenched tightly, his teeth gritted. His heart felt like a volcano about to erupt. He couldn’t believe that just this afternoon, he had threatened Su Ye with his strength, and now this boy was returning the humiliation to him tenfold.
No, a hundredfold! If he backed down today, the great “Centipede” Ravens would become the laughingstock of the entire poor district! His own men would spit on him and go find someone else to follow.
Ravens’ eyes were a little dazed. He had once licked a noble’s shoes. He had once been stepped on by a noble as they mounted a horse. He had once knelt and begged for mercy in front of a more powerful warhttps://orangenuna.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/woman-traveling-in-france-2023-11-27-05-16-47-utc_Easy-Resize.com_.jpgr. He had been humiliated countless times. But he had never been humiliated by someone weaker than him.
And a boy he could kill with a single hand.
Ravens could feel the fiery gazes on his face. The people giving those looks were the lowest of the low, who normally didn’t even dare to look him in the eye, and whom he considered to be beneath a wild dog. He clenched his fists, and divine power slowly surged within him like a rushing river.
But if he didn’t back down…
In the end, Ravens didn’t move.
Hark’s right hand was on his sword.
The two soldiers’ right hands were on their swords.
Su Ye took two steps back and held out his hand. “The IOU,” Su Ye’s voice was calm again.
“You have no idea who your enemy is,” Ravens said as if he had regained his composure, but the “centipede” on his face continued to squirm.
“The IOU,” Su Ye said calmly, looking at Ravens.
Ravens took a deep breath, pulled out the IOU, and flung it away. Everyone watched in disbelief. The king of the poor district had been forced to give in to a boy.
The paper fluttered and landed on the ground. Su Ye bent down, picked it up, rolled it up, and tucked it into his belt. Su Ye held the front of his robe with both hands, gave a shake, and released it, as if flicking away all the dust from his body. Everyone watched Su Ye, seeing a sense of authority in his every move.
“I hope we don’t have to see each other again,” Su Ye said with a slight smile and a nod before turning to walk away. The crowd parted naturally, like long hair brushed aside.
They stared at Su Ye, this boy who had subdued Ravens. “He’s either a noble or a powerful mage…” The same thought occurred to everyone.
Hark followed behind him. Behind Hark, the two soldiers each held one of Kolo’s feet, dragging him along like a dead pig. They left a long trail of blood behind them.
Leaving the poor district, Su Ye and Hark said goodbye to the two soldiers and made it home safely in the night. Hark handed over the money bags.
“Thank you, Mr. Hark,” Su Ye said.
Hark nodded, about to leave, but Su Ye hesitated for a moment and said, “You should trust Ravens’ judgment and my mind.”
Hark’s face twitched. It was unclear if he was smiling or if it was just a natural movement.
“Think about how you’ll get through the night,” Hark said, and with that, he walked away.
.
.
Support me on :
Post Comment