Chapter 195 - 195: 6.5 - Stupid Cannon Fodders
Lucian continued to instruct Lion Head, replaying a few scenarios that might happen while he was away.
The ferals' training took more to get through their thick skulls than a normal person's, so it was necessary to repeat things more than once.
Their intelligence should rise with a new hunter rank, and that required raising Lucian's rank as well.
He would definitely have to work on it once he reached the South. It had been on his list for a while, but there was always something more urgent to do, and he always ended up pushing it back.
He let Lion Head carry his son inside the carriage while the two courtesans stayed behind.
They would have to wait until Lucian was back from his business in the Academy (Lucian bought the closest place to the academy for a reason after all).
Edmund's influence as a legitimate heir was not small. Not even the Duke could push his way through the Royal Academy without it affecting the house's political position in the world.
The only way for the Rochefort children to survive was to raise them into powerful leaders that not even the crown could lay a finger on. For that, they had to become someone as powerful as their father, or more.
The academy was not going to let go of a student just because a father was worried about their health or safety.
Celine was not going to get expelled because she bullied a few commoners.
Only the crown had enough power to do that, so that's what Lucian was going to focus on.
He also had to somehow assist the Hunter King Eon with keeping hold of the Lost East Walls.
────────────────────────
After acting like Celine's victim before the Dean, Lucian managed to convince him that she was a threat to his well-being, and he was going to have to resign because of it.
The Dean tried to persuade him into teaching other classes instead, which Lucian politely declined.
"I don't want to be viewed as a spy either, and there have been people who tried to approach me for information regarding Southern politics in my previous class. Until the situation stabilizes, I'm afraid it's better to avoid the risk of getting involved in any way."
The Dean could see Lucian's sincerely in staying as a neutral person in the midst of conflict, and didn't have much to offer to make him stay.
Lucian went to pack his things and spotted three students making fun of Mathieu's no talent as a knight outside of the window.
Someone even challenged him to a duel behind a building. They were all under the impression that Mathieu was still an iron rank.
It must have been Mathieu's siblings who were trying to sabotage him.
'Nobody would have dared to touch someone from a Duremont house without fearing repercussions otherwise.'
Mathieu was in truth one rank below Lucian, a bronze knight (from his latest intelligence sources).
Most of the elite male students were stuck at silver rank, despite having a lot of potential. Not everyone was willing to go through the stage trials.
A sneer appeared on one of the student's faces, "Lady Adeline is being kind by allowing you to stay by her side, but that doesn't mean you have the right to act like you own her."
The Duremont siblings have graduated and were busy with their duties, but their influence still lingered within the Academy. Their younger brother, Mathieu, was still a student, and had to deal with the consequences.
Mathieu stayed composed, not letting the insults get to him, "I'm not acting like I own her. She just happens to enjoy my company more than yours."
This made the other students angry, and they began to surround him, forming a triangle around him. They were not planning on letting him go.
Mathieu made a strange pose that Lucian didn't recognize as an attack stance.
Compared to Lucian's fighting style (scare the opponent with one strike), Mathieu's looked more defensive, parring the strikes and redirecting them with ease. It was a beautiful sight to see, the grace of a skilled fighter.
Lucian enjoyed the scene, until he noticed the glint of a blade from one of the student's sleeves. They were planning to use a weapon on Mathieu, who had no armor on him.
Mathieu noticed too, and dodged the blade, but not before it cut his cheek. He was bleeding, and the students were getting more aggressive.
One of them grabbed Mathieu's arm, and twisted it, another kicked him in the stomach, making him fall to his knees.
That's when Mathieu activated his silver rank, and the tables were turned.
'He has already advanced, huh? I remember his funds being cut off.'
'It seems like he is slowly gaining more influence in the house or has a secret stream of resources.'
Mathieu started to counterattack, fighting back.
Lucian wondered about how to take advantage of this situation.
He searched the area for Lady Adeline with his third eye, and found her walking down a hallway with a group of admirers behind her, occupying her time.
Weakening the Northern factions through their heirs was a good plan. Lucian needed them to get hurt beyond mere bruises and cuts to make an impact.
Lucian had an idea. It was a bit risky, but it could work.
Men's protective instincts were stronger than a mother's wrath at times. If he could turn Adeline and Heroine to damsel in distress, then Edmund and Mathieu's anger could make them kill others in blind rage.
He could also join in to throw a few punches himself.
Lucian finished packing his stuff in the office and went to check on his son, 'The aphrodisiac Lady Lily wanted to use on me will work just fine here...'
'...Not that I will let them go all the way. I'm still a gentleman after all, I can't stand women being treated like that, so I hope the two knights in shining armors will cut off their balls before anything happens.'
Voice interrupted him, seeing the gore scene unfold in Lucian's head, 'You are so weak, you can't even beat the crap out of them yourself.'
'You are weak too,' Lucian replied, 'You can only watch, and whine.'
'My job is to guide others into granting their own wish,' Voice argued, 'But some dumb child wanted to marry while he was still in his diapers. Now he can have anyone, but still chooses the most annoying female in the world to settle down with.'
'You knew I would never be happy with Celine, that's why you didn't approve of her,' Lucian's realization made his steps pause for a second before he resumed walking, 'Failing at your job is not an excuse to insult my life choices, Voice.'
Voice's curses flew Lucian's way as he turned the corner.
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
Lucian is helping me patch up some questions I have whenever I read scenes where some cannon fodders pick up fights with transmigrators like Mathieu. Like why do they always seek death? To show the MC's amazigness or are they just scapegoats? 😭🙏
╚═════════════════╝