Chapter 100

Chapter 100. The Scoundrel of the Liu Family (1)

In a remote classroom for 4th-year Candidates at the school.

I couldn’t help but make a flustered expression when I saw an unexpected face there.

“Huh? Dale, bro?”

Berald, who seemed to have noticed me too, widened his eyes and trudged over to me.

“Why are you here, bro?”

“That’s what I want to ask.”

Why is Berald, still a 2nd-year, in a building only used by 4th-year Candidates?

“Um… well, you see…”

Berald trailed off with an awkward expression.

Then.

“Ha. What? You really came, you scoundrel brat.”

A voice laced with irritation.

A sharp gaze, like the edge of a blade, turned toward Berald.

‘That guy…’

Turning my head toward the voice, I saw a man with hair mixed with black and blue.

The unique hair color, rarely seen, was symbolic of the Liu family.

And currently, there was only one Liu family member among the 4th-year Candidates.

‘Rios Liu.’

A future hero known as the Thunder Emperor and the grandson of the “Brain God,” Raonel Liu.

Not a branch family member like Berald, but a legitimate heir of the main family.

“Haha. Didn’t Grandfather say to bond with family for harmony?”

“Branch family, talking about family? Pfft.”

Rios clicked his tongue with a look of disdain.

“And didn’t I tell you to call me ‘senior,’ not ‘bro’? Did your stupid skull forget already?”

“Hahaha. Sorry, senior.”

Berald laughed good-naturedly and scratched his head.

“Ha. Anyway… how did such a dimwit like you get born into our family…”

Rios sighed deeply and glared at Berald.

“So, you want to take a picture of us eating together to send to Grandfather?”

“That’s right.”

“Tch. Grandfather really gives annoying tasks.”

Rios clicked his tongue, crossing his arms.

“By the way…”

Rios’s gaze turned toward me.

“Who’s this? A 3rd-year?”

Rios frowned, checking the color of my tie.

“Ah, this is Dale, a bro I’m close with.”

“Hmm. Dale… Dale? Where have I heard that before?”

Rios tilted his head, then snapped his fingers.

“Ah, right. That guy. The lunatic among the 3rd-year Candidates who hides his strength and deliberately keeps his overall evaluation score low.”

“……”

So that’s how rumors spread among the 4th-years.

Well, from the perspective of 4th-year Candidates who are obsessed with their overall evaluation scores, someone like me, who maintains a low rank despite having outstanding skills, must seem insane.

‘This is a bit unfair.’

But what can I do?

Even in the recent midterm evaluation, I ended up with a zero.

No matter the circumstances, to others, I must look like a lunatic with a peculiar taste for low scores (not that kind of score).

“You two are close, huh? Berald, you really match well with this guy.”

Rios smirked, looking at me and Berald.

I sighed softly at Rios’s attitude, which lacked even a hint of courtesy.

‘Come to think of it, there were rumors that the Thunder Emperor had a terrible personality.’

I heard it as a rumor in my past life, but experiencing it firsthand, it’s like a male version of Rozanna.

‘Should I teach him some manners?’

I clenched my fist lightly, pondering, but decided to hold back for now.

Even if I were to teach him manners, I couldn’t beat him up in the middle of the 4th-year building hallway.

“Ehehe! Senior, you think so too? Dale and I really do match well!”

Berald laughed heartily and put his arm around my shoulder.

Rios, who had been snickering and mocking us, clicked his tongue with a disgusted expression.

“…Insults don’t work on dimwits.”

Though he said it while looking at Berald, who was laughing as if he’d been complimented.

‘You’re the dimwit, brat.’

I clicked my tongue inwardly, feeling Berald’s grip tighten on my shoulder.

Berald might be dumb, but he’s not clueless.

As soon as he heard the mockery, he put his arm around my shoulder and pressed down, silently asking me to endure.

“Huh? What are you doing here, Rios?”

“Oh my~ Juniors? What’s going on here?”

Then, two figures approached from the hallway.

One was a handsome man with silver hair and sharp features, and the other was a beautiful woman with bright brown hair reaching her waist.

Both of them.

Faces I had seen in my past life.

‘Aaron Baek and Bella Leonhart.’

In the future, known as the “Meteor Spear” and the “Ghost Blade,” they were geniuses competing for the top spot among the current 4th-years, considered the best in history.

Along with the “Thunder Emperor,” they would form a party, and there was one story about them that drew the attention of the continent more than their outstanding skills.

‘A love triangle, was it?’

Rumors that the Thunder Emperor had feelings for the Ghost Blade since his Candidate days had spread like wildfire, stirring up the entire continent.

“Be, Bella? Why are you here…?”

“Why? I was getting ready to go eat dinner. Rios, want to join?”

“Right now…”

Before Rios could answer Bella’s offer.

Aaron smiled faintly and looked at Berald.

“Bella. Rios’s cousin came all the way to the 4th-year classroom to see him. Let’s leave them to spend some family time.”

“Ah, right. Come to think of it, there’s a Liu family member in the 2nd-year too, right?”

“This guy isn’t my brother…!”

“Berald Liu, was it? Rios worries a lot about his cousin. He hasn’t seen him in a while due to hero training. Have a good time together.”

Aaron smiled brightly and patted Berald’s shoulder.

“Then, we’ll be off.”

“Okay! What do you want to eat for dinner, Aaron?”

After a light farewell, Aaron and Bella walked away.

“Damn it…!”

Rios scowled fiercely as he watched them leave.

His clenched fist was trembling.

‘Wow, this is fun to watch up close.’

Now I understand why the gossips kept talking about the Thunder Emperor’s unrequited love.

‘By the way, Aaron Baek.’

Aaron Baek, the Meteor Spear.

A descendant of Baek Seung-hyuk, one of the “Five Great Heroes,” and in my past life, he was said to be Yuren’s rival, a powerful hero.

‘Though he died fighting the Night Witch.’

Still, if he becomes a powerhouse comparable to Yuren in the future, it’s necessary to build a relationship with him early.

‘It’s better to have as many hands as possible.’

Unless I plan to fight the Devil God’s army alone, it’s important to increase allies to prepare for the coming calamity.

Especially if they’re talented individuals destined to rank in the top 5 of the hero rankings in the future.

‘Well, I’ll think about that later.’

For now, Berald’s matter takes priority over Aaron’s.

“Ha.”

Rios, who had been standing still, suppressing his anger, glared fiercely at Berald.

He turned and walked off somewhere.

“…Follow me.”

“Huh? Where are we going?”

“I don’t want to be seen with a dimwit like you, so follow me.”

With that, Rios headed to the back of the building.

Compared to the bustling hallway, it was a place with almost no presence.

“I’ll stay here, so go buy some bread from the store.”

Rios, sitting on a flowerbed reaching his waist, gestured to Berald with his chin.

Berald tilted his head and asked.

“Why are you suddenly asking me to buy bread?”

“Didn’t Grandfather say to send him a picture of us eating together?”

“That’s true, but…”

“I don’t feel like going to the cafeteria with you, so just buy some bread from the nearby store.”

Berald made an awkward expression at Rios’s words.

“Um. But since it’s a photo for Grandfather, wouldn’t it be weird to be eating store-bought bread?”

“Ah, damn it… Are you talking back now?”

“It’s not talking back…”

“Anyway, you’re just like your father, a damn idiot.”

“……”

Berald’s expression, which had been smiling good-naturedly, hardened.

“What? Does it sting to hear about that idiot who can’t even remember his own child’s name?”

“…Bro.”

“I told you not to call me ‘bro,’ you dimwit.”

Rios grabbed Berald by the collar and glared at him fiercely.

Berald lowered his head and spoke in a low voice.

“Stop… it.”

“Stop what? Did I say something wrong? Didn’t your father’s head go blank a few years ago?”

Rios twirled his finger around his temple, laughing mockingly.

“Tsk tsk. Anyway, it’s no wonder he went crazy after having a dimwit like you.”

“……”

“What are you doing? Not buying the bread? Ah~ Sorry. I didn’t give you money.”

Rios took out his wallet and threw some gold coins on the ground.

“Come to think of it, your whole family lives off the support money from our main family, right? Hahaha! To live off others’ support while bearing the Liu name, what a sight…”

“Ha.”

I, who had been eavesdropping from a slight distance, stepped closer to Rios and let out a deep sigh.

“Huh? What? You were still here?”

Rios frowned and turned toward me.

‘Sorry, Berald.’

I really tried to hold back.

‘But I just can’t.’

I clenched my fist and slowly ignited “Ash Fire.”

Just as I was about to deliver a clean blow to Rios’s jaw.

Thud!!!

A dull sound echoed.

“Gah!”

Rios’s body, hit by a massive fist like a pot lid, floated into the air before crashing to the ground.

“Huh?”

I looked at Berald in surprise.

Berald, holding his cheek, rushed toward Rios, who was groaning on the floor, and shouted.

“Ah, oh no! Are you okay, senior?”

“You, you brat, what the hell…!”

“Senior, there was a bug on your cheek, and I tried to swat it away, but I accidentally hit you instead!”

“Wha, what?”

Rios looked at Berald with a dumbfounded expression.

As Berald ran toward Rios, his body suddenly staggered.

“Oops, my foot!”

“Gah!”

Berald, falling forward, kneed Rios in the stomach.

Rios, with Berald’s full weight behind the blow, let out a choked scream and foamed at the mouth.

I quickly approached Berald and shouted.

“Berald, you brat! What are you doing to the senior?!”

“Gah! Sorry! I tripped and fell by accident!”

“Look at Senior Rios’s face! Huh? He’s foaming at the mouth!”

“Uh, what should I do, Dale bro?”

I quickly checked the surroundings to ensure no one was around, then smirked and said.

“Maybe we should cast the ‘Awaken’ spell to help the senior regain consciousness?”

“Got it!”

Berald nodded and raised his arm high.

“Awaaaakeeeeen!!!”

Zap! Zap! Zap!

With Berald’s incantation, the magical energy revived Rios’s unconscious mind.

“Ah! Ah! Damn it! Stop!!! Ahhh!”

The spell’s effect was remarkable.