Chapter 136: Oppresion
Hellas von Arheim.
As an individual, there’s truly nothing all too significant for him to be called remarkable even if it is among the freshmen.
Sure, he has some good grades, and of course, with the amount of care that comes with being a noble, a graceful face that is guaranteed to attract attention even if said attention is somewhat small.
Still, seeing him here, most people will think that there is more than likely a good reason for him to be able to study in this academy at all.
And this very reason is the family that is the source of his surname.
While it pales in comparison to either of the Argenta Family and the Heavenblade Great Clan in terms of military prowess, this family of great merchants developed in a completely different way compared to other mages.
They have their connections far and wide, meaning that once this family sets a certain power as their target, it is not only the Arheim and a couple of their allies that will come knocking at said power’s door, but multitudes of connections that they forged through their long history of merchantry and trades.
That is exactly why Hellas felt so confident that even if it is the eldest daughter of the Heavenblade Great Clan, his offensive remarks would just slide, after all, not only would she look petty if she picks a fight with him just from such words, but the threat of his family and its wide network also serves as some sort of protective barrier for him.
This conceptual protective barrier however, doesn’t seem to do much right now.
The students starting to gather all around, waiting in the hopes of a commotion breaking out, couldn’t help but stop in their tracks, the ones who already arrived feeling like they should leave right now as a primal dread begins wrapping around their being.
The air they breathe, their bodies, their limbs, arms and legs alike, along with their head, changes in their perception, as if something they are not capable of seeing suddenly took them on its grasp, refusing to let them move.
The feeling is extremely heavy.
To the point that some of them starts feeling cold, sticky sweat being excreted from their skin, their foreheads becoming populated by droplets and their backs starting to turn drenched.
Silence ensues.
Not a single step, not a single mutter, their eyes, no, their entire senses focusing on who they assume to be the very source of that eerie, chill-inducing feeling.
There is but a single sound that they can hear as an unprecedented event unfolds, these freshmen, seeing something so unbelievable that they couldn’t help but wonder whether they are dreaming or not.
One step, two, then three and more.
The sound of a young man’s step is the only thing that enters every onlooker’s ears right now, the palpable pressure as mana trembles making them feel that they are starting to suffocate.
’Run away.’
Several different people, one warning coming from the depth of their being, to get as far away from this place as possible before it is too late.
Those who are affected because the source fails to completely control himself is already suffering so much, so what worse suffering is the target of such terror-inducing intent is going through right now?
Novus finally stops taking steps forward as he met the target of his intent face-to-face.
That would’ve been the case, had it not been for the target himself, Hellas, falling down the ground, his legs shaking and his arms trembling as he struggles to prevent his body from falling completely flat on the academy’s cold, hard floor.
Right now, he doesn’t even have the time to pay attention to and comprehend the things happening around him, as the only thing that he can pay attention to is his subconscious mind’s repeated screaming warning to run away, and if he cannot, to surrender to the absurdity standing in front of him.
In an attempt to defy such humiliating will, he lifts his head to meet his aggressor’s gaze.
Or at least, he tried to.
As soon as his eyes saw a part of that figure, he was taken aback, shivers running through his entire body as he saw something his mind refuses to acknowledge, refuses to comprehend.
It was completely different from what other people describe as their experience seeing beings that are far superior to them, completely different from how the people serving his family often describe him as like seeing a towering mountain from the pressure he exudes.
There is no great mountain towering over him nor a massive wall that feels unsurmountable, no.
He just took a glance, not even grazing its depth with his gaze.
But the abyss already gazes back.
His head falls back to its bowing position, and his already struggling limbs finally hit limit after such shock, the trembling making him look like he is having a seizure barely keeping his consciousness intact.
"If you dare say anything like that to Medea ever again, then this won’t end with just this..."
Seeing Hellas falling down the floor, Novus finally regained some semblance of decorum, reigning in the heavy intent he is letting out as he announces a final warning.
With the way things had gone however, it was far from being a warning at all, as it seems more like a threat than anything else.
Moments that felt like hours passed before the freshmen watching the commotion finally regains their bearing, the result of the exchange making them feel baffled as only now did it sink in to them that one of them was dealt with by the very person they thought is one of the weakest among they, the freshmen.
And in an incredibly domineering fashion at that.
"W-what the hell was that..."
"Argenta... he..."
"That’s why I keep telling people that they should be careful who they are talking about... no one really knows who is actually strong or not..."
"Strong? Just from that alone? If that’s all he can do then he still doesn’t stand any chance when someone casts a spell—"
"Do you really think you can even cast a spell when you are being suppressed by something like that?"
Some argues that it might just be something that the Argenta’s descendant pull from nowhere because of desperation, thinking that such odd technique still means nothing when it comes to real battle against mages.
Some however, assumes otherwise, seeing that their very existence are frozen from fear once Novus acted like that, the seed of doubt whether the rumors of his mediocrity is real at all begins taking root on their minds as they begin thinking of this batchmate of theirs in a new light.
Students continues talking among themselves once more, causing yet another rumor of great interest regarding the Argenta’s ’mediocre’ heir begins spreading across the academy that day as the very center of this rumor disappears back to his dormitory room.
"Hohoho~~ for a lady... really, youth... how impressive"
Meanwhile, opening his eyes as an amused glint escaped out of it, as if he just watched something even he himself thinks is way too interesting, an old, wise-looking man laughed as he stands up, intrigued at the fact that Novus begins giving up on completely hiding himself for the sake of the Sword Princess’ reputation.
’Really, watching students grow is always quite the delight for this old man...’ this old spectator, one of the Ten Great Mages and the Galilea Magic Academy’s Headmaster, Kyrios Vereas Vanitas, laughed to himself as such thoughts appears in his mind, a faint, impressed smile lingering on his olden face, unbeknownst to anyone in the world.