Chapter 86
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Translator: Prime Works
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: How to Eradicate Violence (1)
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‘Huh?’
Julian’s eyes went wide.
He had steeled himself and lifted his head, determined to ask Lloyd what had happened in Creemo.
But the moment he looked up, all that resolve and determination flew out the window.
Was it because he saw Lloyd’s face and lost the will to ask?
No.
It was because of the person approaching from behind Lloyd, who sat across the table from him.
Over Lloyd’s shoulder.
‘Diego?’
They were students at the same academy.
The same age, too.
But Diego was much bigger than him.
Naturally, he was stronger, and his voice boomed.
Fortunately, they had entered the academy around the same time, so they got along well.
At least for the first month after enrolling.
But after that...
“Julian Frontera. Didn’t I tell you not to eat in plain sight in the dorms?”
Diego’s low growl came as he approached.
The menacing voice stabbed at one of Julian’s eardrums.
Julian involuntarily bowed his head.
He saw Diego’s burly hand gripping the table.
‘Why now, of all times?’
Julian resented the situation.
It had been so long since he’d seen Lloyd. He’d been trying hard not to lose the mental standoff against his always-delinquent brother.
And yet, right here, right now, he had to run into Diego, who looked ready to devour him.
His luck couldn’t get any worse.
“Uh, that’s...”
“That’s what?”
“......”
Julian chewed his lips.
Diego looked down at him with contempt in his eyes.
‘Always such a pathetic, annoying weakling.’
Diego hated Julian.
Of course, it hadn’t always been that way.
When Diego first entered Magenta Academy, he was a loner.
Coming from a far-off province, he didn’t know a soul.
But someone reached out to him.
Julian.
‘Hey, I just got here yesterday, too.’
Just one day apart.
They enrolled around the same time.
And it turned out their hometowns were quite close.
In his uncertain situation, Julian became his anchor.
They became inseparable.
Stuck together for a whole month.
That’s when Diego was surprised.
Julian was smart and quick-witted.
Grammar, rhetoric, logic, law, natural philosophy, geometry, even astronomy—subjects that stumped others, he grasped and mastered with ease.
And he was diligent, too.
Sharing a dorm room, Diego never once saw Julian oversleep.
He always woke an hour earlier than everyone else. Washed up neatly, dressed properly, ate breakfast, and prepared for the day’s classes early.
So Diego was impressed.
For exactly one month.
‘Here, smarts and diligence don’t matter. I realized that after just one month.’
Diego sneered inwardly.
The realization at the end of his first month at the academy.
Thinking of it brought a bitter smile to his lips.
Magenta Academy had been founded for the education of noble children.
But for the students here, studying wasn’t all that important.
There was something far more crucial.
Family prestige.
Building connections through family ties.
Wheeling and dealing with those connections.
They forged bonds between families early on, building their own cartels and sanctuaries. Maintaining them. Carrying those ties for life. Even after inheriting their houses. Squeezing every drop from those relationships to hold onto power.
That unspoken noble cartel, bound by mutual interests.
The academy’s true purpose was laying the foundation for it.
‘Funny, but undeniable truth.’
The world was power.
Power held firm through relationships.
Let the studious ones handle the actual work.
From the moment Diego realized that, he changed.
‘From today on, don’t act like you know me.’
The first thing he did was distance himself from Julian.
He sternly warned him not to act friendly.
Julian was puzzled at first.
He didn’t seem to grasp what it meant.
So Diego made it clear with a beating.
A black eye finally got through to him.
The reason for cutting Julian off was simple.
‘Son of some backwater barony trash.’
Lowest of the low among nobles.
No power, no fame.
No reason to associate.
Worse, hanging around him risked dragging Diego down to the same bottom rung.
That was the last thing Diego wanted.
‘Our family isn’t exactly famous either.’
Truth be told, Diego’s house was just a viscounty.
They had a specialty product, so money wasn’t an issue, but they couldn’t hope to rub shoulders with the capital’s real heavyweights.
So Diego became servile.
He latched onto the academy’s top-tier students.
Catered to the capital noble kids.
Ran their errands when muscle was needed.
And he never forgot to bully low-status kids like Julian.
It was to constantly remind everyone that he was different from them, drawing a clear line.
In short, Diego became the devoted hunting dog of the capital noble heirs.
This time was no different.
A hound proves itself through the hunt.
Diego thrust his face close to Julian’s, like a predator eyeing prey.
“I’m asking you. Why did you think you could eat here?”
“......”
“Answer me.”
“Uh, that’s...”
“That’s?”
“Today’s situation is a bit...”
“Situation? What situation?”
“......”
“If someone comes to see you, does that mean chit-chat gets you an exception? Huh?”
“......”
“What do we learn in law class? Laws aren’t soft. But you’re breaking the rules right now.”
“......”
“What’s the rule here?”
“That’s...”
“Barony trash doesn’t eat in plain sight. Because it’s an eyesore. Forgot?”
“......”
Julian’s mouth shut tight.
He ground his molars.
He wanted to retort. Stab back at the ridiculous nonsense.
But he couldn’t.
It would only make things worse.
No one would protect him. No one would listen to cries of injustice.
Simple reason.
Their families had far more power.
Memories of dozens of beatings and helplessness crushed his defiance.
Instead of fighting back at Diego, Julian glanced at Lloyd.
A plea for help?
No.
‘Don’t get involved.’
His eyes pleaded with Lloyd.
Don’t interfere in this.
It would only cause trouble for the family. Drag them into needless conflict.
So just pretend you don’t see.
Lloyd, watching the scene, replied with his eyes.
‘Yeah, obviously. Why would I?’
Lloyd shrugged.
Raised his eyebrows pointedly.
At first, he wasn’t sure what was going on.
But he grasped the gist in moments.
It was a scene straight out of Korea.
‘Obvious. Bullying, school violence.’
Bullying.
School violence.
How commonplace in Korea, where he was born and raised.
He’d never been a victim himself.
But he’d witnessed it plenty around him.
In elementary school.
Middle and high school too.
Classrooms always hid jungle law.
The tough kids who ruled, and their pathetic hangers-on.
Once targeted, school life turned hellish. Beyond hellish.
Inhumane torment and exploitation followed naturally.
Everyone hushed it up, but it was everywhere.
Unavoidable for any Korean student.
That was school violence.
This place seemed no different.
‘People gonna people.’
Lloyd eyed Julian across the table.
Short, scrawny.
Shabby family.
Sure, a barony was impressive kingdom-wide.
But this was Magenta Academy.
‘Only nobles recommended by peers get in.’
Julian got in that way.
Backed by his barony.
And branded bottom of the hierarchy among students.
But Lloyd kept his arms crossed.
Just watched.
Because of Julian’s plea?
No.
‘Let’s observe first.’
He didn’t want to jump in rashly.
He was just passing through. Might visit for a day and never return.
If he intervened and escalated?
Blocked the threat.
Repelled it.
Then left.
Never came back.
Leaving Julian alone?
‘The poor guy would suffer worse.’
Relief would be fleeting.
Harsher bullying would await.
Lloyd had seen it countless times in Korea.
‘So, assess first.’
His gaze sharpened as he watched.
How far could Julian stand up for himself? What level was the bullying?
How to cut it off.
What prep was needed.
Lloyd silently observed, thought, calculated.
Meanwhile, Diego’s words and actions toward Julian crossed lines.
Diego raised his pot-lid hand.
Tapped Julian’s small crown.
Lightly at first.
“You and your whole family are trash. Got it? Be honest—does your house have anything to brag about? Fresh air? Clean water? Vulgar, filthy peasants? What else you got?”
Tap, tap.
“Ours? We’ve got a kingdom-renowned specialty. You know it. Racona. Last year, my dad even sent some to Her Majesty.”
Tap, tap!
“So beggars like you, stay in your lane, huh? Eat out of sight. Got it?”
Tap, thwack!
The slaps on Julian’s head grew vicious.
Started as taps, ended as smacks.
“So don’t strut around, huh? Eyes down!”
“......”
Julian couldn’t even resist, taking the abuse. His feeble defense was clumsily shielding his head with his small frame.
His sleeve rode up slightly.
Revealing his arm.
Bruised to hell.
Old yellowed ones.
Fresh purple welts.
Julian’s slender arm was a wreck.
Not from a day or two.
The moment Lloyd saw it.
He made up his mind.
And chewed on a clue he’d just heard.
‘Racona. Figures. Thought his face looked familiar.’
Lloyd’s eyes chilled as he stared at Diego.
Calculations raced in his head.
Plan formed.
Action and reaction. Cause and effect. Tangled threads untangling. Predictions, processes. Ultimate conclusion.
“What’s yer daddy do?”
Propping his chin with one hand.
Low voice, gravelly tone.
Diego’s descending hand froze.
His gaze swiveled to Lloyd for the first time.
“What?”
Diego’s brows twitched at Lloyd.
He glared savagely at the one who’d just mentioned his father.
‘Who the hell is this?’
He’d noticed him sitting opposite Julian earlier.
But ignored him.
Figured he was a visitor for trash like Julian. Trash friend, trash visitor.
No need to care.
Yet now, that trash was sniping at him.
“I asked. What’s yer daddy do?”
“Ha. The wise and merciful Rionero Racona Viscount. And who’re you?”
“Who else? You don’t know me?”
“What?”
Lloyd was on his feet now.
Facing the hulking Diego.
He smiled coldly.
“Get this. Even in Iron-Blooded Knight, they said it. Rionero Racona Viscountcy neighbors ours geographically, but no real exchange, so kids barely know each other’s faces. Guess it’s true—you don’t recognize me.”
“What are you... Gahk!”
Thud!
As Diego tried to retort.
Lloyd’s front kick shot out like lightning, slamming his solar plexus.
“Gurk!”
A mana circle fueled the strike.
Diego folded.
Flew back.
Smashed two tables rolling.
Lloyd’s lip curled ferociously.
The guy had rotten luck.
Wrong place, wrong opponent.
In the king-backed academy, rudeness to a king-invited VIP.
Even the dean couldn’t blame Lloyd.
And...
“What’re ya gonna do? Guess wise and merciful yer daddy hasn’t told ya about the water bills yet?”
Lloyd’s voice dripped genuine pity and sympathy.