Chapter 235
Chapter 235
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 235
Chapter Title: Beyond Salvation (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After Demian vanished, the students of Class 13 still didn’t move.
They were too exhausted to even think of stirring. Rest felt as sweet as honey. A few had even passed out cold.
How much time had passed like that?
“Hey, Oliver.”
One of the students called out to Oliver. He lifted only his head while lying down.
“Why’d you call me?”
“You definitely told us it was a secret passage, right? So how the hell was Demian Haksen waiting right at the exit?”
At that question, the other students all shot up and turned to stare at Oliver. As all eyes focused on him, bewilderment spread across his face.
It was a blatant misunderstanding, but he had no way to clear it up. Even to himself, it looked exactly like something worth suspecting.
“No way... you sold us out to Demian Haksen?”
“That explains why Demian Haksen never hit this guy.”
“N-No, that’s not...”
Oliver felt utterly wronged.
The reason he hadn’t gotten beaten by Demian Haksen was because he’d been stuck with the grunt work of dragging the students out of the hole.
And it wasn’t like he’d enjoyed not getting hit. He’d been in agony himself, his shoulders nearly popping out of their sockets as he hauled out the fainted students.
“Look at him, can’t even speak! So you really were on Demian Haksen’s side?”
“You bastard, we’re not letting you off! Stay right there!”
It was just then, as the furious students moved to surround Oliver.
“Whoa, what’s this? All the trash gathered in one spot?”
An unfamiliar voice rang out. The Class 13 students reflexively turned toward the training ground entrance.
Two male students were walking in. The moment they saw their faces, the expressions of Class 13 hardened.
“So the rumors were true—the Class 13 trash actually training? Is the sun gonna rise in the west tomorrow?”
One of the male students sneered.
But none of the Class 13 students got angry. Or rather, they couldn’t.
The two standing before them were the top and second-ranked students of the first years.
Even the notoriously rowdy Class 13 couldn’t mess with these two lightly.
“But where’s that Oliver guy?”
“H-He’s here.”
Oliver Fortina popped out from among the students. The moment the male student saw his face, he scowled.
“You should’ve bolted out the second your big bro showed up. What’re you dawdling for?”
“G-Gelliver, bro... I-I...”
Oliver, who’d talked back to Demian even on first meeting, couldn’t utter a peep to this guy.
Gelliver Fortina.
Third son of the prestigious Fortina Marquis Family—and Oliver’s older brother.
“A dimwit like you being clueless too? What’re we gonna do with you, huh?”
If that was all, Oliver wouldn’t have been squirming like this.
Unlike Gelliver, born to the first wife, Oliver had come from the second.
Their positions and standing in the family couldn’t be more different.
“I-I’m ashamed...”
“Whatever. Guess why I came looking for you?”
“I-I don’t know.”
Oliver standing before Gelliver couldn’t string a sentence together. Tension was plain as day on him.
“I came ‘cause I’m scared a moron like you’ll strut around and drag the family name through the mud again.”
With that, Gelliver prodded Oliver’s forehead with his index finger.
“You dumb little brother. Forgot already? What happened last time a talentless, brainless punk like you stepped up?”
“I-I’m sorry...”
“And taking lessons from a nobody knight like Demian Haksen? You think Dad’ll sit still if he hears about this?”
The moment his father’s name dropped, Oliver’s eyes widened.
“B-Bro... P-Please, not Dad... I’m begging you...!”
“Sigh, you pathetic thing.”
Gelliver clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“You lot too. You brain-dead idiots. How do you have zero sense—taking lessons from Demian Haksen?”
Gelliver addressed the Class 13 students, who all hung their heads.
Seeing that, he smirked.
“Pathetic bunch. That’s why they call you the family’s filth.”
“Gelliver, enough.”
Then, the other male student who’d come with him spoke up.
“No point talking to them—they wouldn’t get it anyway. If they did, they wouldn’t have been dumped in Class 13.”
“True enough.”
The male student stepped forward. He walked through the Class 13 students and stopped in front of Penelope Borza.
“Penelope.”
Penelope didn’t answer. She just glared at him.
“Didn’t I warn you? Stay out of pointless stuff.”
“And I told you—mind your own damn business.”
Penelope snapped sharply. But the male student didn’t flinch.
“Mind my business? What nonsense. I’m Emilio Borza. As heir to the ducal house, it’s my duty to keep you from your fool stunts.”
Emilio Borza.
Eldest son of the Borza Ducal Family and next in line.
Despite being the eldest, Emilio and Penelope were almost the same age. There was one reason for that.
“Penelope, don’t act above your station. Don’t flaunt that you’re a maid’s bastard.”
Penelope was the duke’s illegitimate daughter.
Her mother was a maid the duke had taken in on a whim.
Unlike Oliver’s mother, who’d at least been accepted as the second wife, Penelope’s remained a mere maid.
“I told you before you enrolled here, didn’t I? Spend your time on etiquette lessons, not swinging a sword. Getting hitched right is the only contribution you can make to the family.”
Penelope bit her lip, glaring at Emilio.
Emilio didn’t recognize her as family. She was just marriage bait to him.
“Keep ignoring me like this... and you’ll regret it someday.”
“Regret it? You still believing Dad when he said he’d reconsider the heir if you beat me?”
Emilio snorted.
“Delusional. You can’t beat me. And even if you did by some miracle, Dad would never pick a thing like you as heir.”
Penelope clenched her fists tight at Emilio’s mockery.
“I’m off. Penelope, heed my warning.”
Emilio Borza turned. Gelliver followed.
But the two had to stop. Someone stood at the training ground entrance.
“What the hell are you punks doing?”
Demian Haksen asked them.
* * *
“What the hell are you punks doing?”
Arriving at the training ground, Demian spoke to the two with a dumbfounded look.
Strangers hurling abuse at Class 13? Absurd.
The two exchanged glances. Then they bowed in unison.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Emilio Borza.”
“Gelliver Fortina.”
Their politeness felt refreshing to Demian. Nothing like Class 13, who’d bantered crudely from the jump.
“Sorry we didn’t come greet you first.”
“We came to check on our little siblings.”
“Little siblings?”
Come to think of it, their surnames rang a bell. Demian pointed at Penelope Borza and Oliver Fortina.
“Them?”
“That’s right.”
Demian eyed them curiously.
Unlike their siblings, the mana radiating from these two was no joke.
It meant top-tier talent and full family backing.
“We’ve heard of Sir Demian’s fame.”
“The Apple Kingdom native who won the Helian Tournament, right?”
They showered him with praise, faces full of respect.
“We hope our worthless siblings haven’t been a bother.”
“Class 13’s such a mess—you must’ve had it rough, sir.”
Demian nodded at their words.
“Yeah, Class 13’s pretty much beyond salvation.”
At Demian’s words, the two looked sympathetic.
“A talent like you stuck with Class 13? Academy’s losing out big time, no matter how you slice it.”
“If you’d like, we could pull strings to move you to another class.”
“No, no need for that.”
When Demian refused, Emilio smiled.
“No need to feel burdened. Just a small favor from us.”
“Our families can make that happen easy.”
Demian started to refuse again. Then he spotted Class 13.
The kids who’d defied him were all downcast now. Like dogs abandoned by their master.
Demian pondered briefly.
He couldn’t switch classes anyway. The principal’s condition.
Like it or not, he was stuck with Class 13.
So instead of blindly “reforming” them, he needed to boost their spirits a bit.
“No, really, it’s fine.”
“Sir Demian, no need to hold back.”
“Please accept our kindness.”
And something about these two’s attitudes rubbed him wrong.
Calling him “sir” as a teacher was one thing, but the “kindness” talk grated.
Worst was their eyes—like they were looking down on an inferior.
“You’re annoying as hell.”
Demian let his irritation show. Emilio and Gelliver’s brows furrowed.
“What did you just say?”
“Figure it out and scram already. Why so damn chatty?”
Their frowns deepened at his follow-up.
“Training’s about to start, so both of you piss off. I’m dying here on time, and flies are buzzing like crazy.”
Demian waved dismissively at the air.
“Sir Demian... you’re refusing our kindness...?”
“Kindness? Kindness, huh.”
Demian scoffed.
Their levels were barely quasi-knight. Impressive for their age, but dust compared to a master-class like him.
Quasi-knights yapping “kindness” to him? Laughable.
“Don’t you know whose families we’re from? Acting like this won’t end well for...”
Emilio’s words cut off.
Demian Haksen had his index finger right under his chin.
“What the...”
Emilio’s face paled.
Why? The finger felt like a blade. If Demian flicked it up, his jaw and brain would get pierced clean through.
“Kindness... nice word.”
Demian said with a smile-free face.
“Then me letting you two walk away alive right here counts as kindness too, right?”
* * *
“Yeah, Class 13’s pretty much beyond salvation.”
When Demian Haksen said that, Class 13 felt crushed.
They couldn’t make sense of it themselves. Why disappointed? Because Demian hadn’t taken their side?
Ridiculous. They’d hated him so much, and now they were bummed he sided with those two?
“A talent like you stuck with Class 13? Academy’s losing out big time, no matter how you slice it.”
“If you’d like, we could pull strings to move you to another class.”
A few students gave bitter smiles at that.
It’d happened before. Every teacher assigned to them had ditched Class 13 without fail.
Demian Haksen would too, naturally...
“You’re annoying as hell.”
But the next words blew past Class 13’s expectations.
“What did you just say?”
“Figure it out and scram already. Why so damn chatty?”
Class 13 students gawked at each other in shock.
What was Demian Haksen saying? Was he... refusing to leave Class 13?
“Training’s about to start, so both of you piss off. I’m dying here on time, and flies are buzzing like crazy.”
Class 13’s faces all went slack.
They hadn’t misheard. Demian Haksen was saying he’d stay with Class 13.
It made no sense, but he was taking their side.
“Then me letting you two walk away alive right here counts as kindness too, right?”
When Demian said that to Emilio, Class 13 felt a wave of relief.
That was when it happened.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
A roar exploded. Intense energy surged in from afar.
A middle-aged man strode into the training ground. With every step, massive mana swirled.
“Do you even know who those two kids are? First-year top and runner-up! And a teacher threatening fine students like that?”
Class 13 stared at the man in alarm.
Dllong Müller.
The man overseeing first-year swordsmanship at the academy.
Once hailed as an imperial hero—a master-class knight.