“Alright, everyone, disperse now. I don’t want to create any scenes here.” Candice muttered and with her order, everyone started walking away.
Oswald and his friends glanced at Royce and sneered,
“Don’t worry, fellow students, we will keep showing you how this world works, even more than before now.”
Royce’s body trembled.
“Hahaha~ What a pussy! Look how he is trembling. Hahaha~”
Oswald and his friends started laughing and then, they walked away.
Candice and her men left, and following that, the other students started leaving as well.
“Let’s go,” Manya muttered as she glanced at Nux.
“I think this would be enough for today, thank you for helping me, Manya,” Nux muttered and then, he walked in the direction Royce walked into.
Manya frowned, however, and then her eyes widened in surprise when she recalled that Nux was trying to find a Zero Decade Class’ boy.
‘Is this the boy he wanted to find?’
She wondered.
…
On the other side, Nux followed Royce and saw him sitting near a tree with his head on his knees.
Nux walked forward and sat down beside him.
Sensing movement around him, Royce frowned and raised his head.
Right now, his face was bruised, however, Nux still noticed the resemblance he had with Felberta.
Just like Felberta, Royce had black hair, black eyes and a face that still had a little baby fat. His features were quite cute if you ignore the bruises. (Picture in the Paragraph comments)
Nux smiled, then, his ring shined and a Healing potion appeared,
“Here,” Nux muttered as he passed it to Royce.
“Why are you giving it to me?” Royce questioned.
“Just take it.” Nux shook his hand.
Royce glanced at the Healing Potion and then glanced at Nux’s face.
His body was still aching from pain, therefore, he decided to take it.
In one go, he gulped down the entire Potion and soon, the potion started showing its magical effects.
The bruises on Royce’s face disappeared, however, some marks were still there.
“You want more?” Nux questioned as another Healing Potion appeared in his hand.
“No, it is alright, I will be fine after 5 to 6 days.”
“You sound like it is not your first time being beaten up like that,” Nux muttered.
“It is not, they have been doing this for a year now,” Royce answered.
“Oh? Then why didn’t you tell anything to your mother about this?” Nux questioned in curiosity.
He was sure that if Felberta didn’t know about anything happening in the Academy, otherwise, she would have long removed her child from the academy and would have started finding ways to take revenge.
“What should I tell her? That her son is being bullied by other students?”
“What? Are you ashamed of doing that?”
“No, I just don’t want her to worry about me. Also, I am sure that if I tell her about this, she will remove me from the academy, however, my mother told me about the importance of cultivation.
I want to learn, I want to grow stronger, I want to help my mother in the future.” Royce answered as his eyes shined in determination.
Nux was taken aback.
“You can cultivate outside the academy as well, can you not?” Nux questioned.
“I can, however, the academy is the only place that can bring out my best, I can’t leave.”
Nux smiled.
“What about the teachers? Why didn’t you tell them that those three were bullying you?”
“I was afraid,” Royce answered.
“Afraid that those three would bully you more?”
“No, I do not care about that, they have been hitting me for a while now, it doesn’t matter if they hit me more.
However, they are from an Earl House, mother is just a Viscount, I was afraid that they would target my mother.”
This time, Nux widened his eyes in surprise.
‘This boy is 8 years old? What the heck? Why is he so mature?’
He wondered in his head.
However, soon, Nux frowned.
“Then why didn’t you tell everything to that Candice girl?”
“…”
Royce just gritted his teeth and didn’t reply.
Nux understood.
Being beaten up like this, having his Healing Potion Stolen, his emotions were already a mess, and then Candice came in like a ray of hope.
Royce must have lost control over his emotions when Candice asked her what happened.
He must have thought that he would finally get justice, however, in the end, what he got was a stupid lecture on how the world works.
Not only did he not get justice, he even did what he didn’t want to do and offended Oswald and his friends.
“I-I messed up. Their family might target my mother now.”
Royce gritted his teeth and his body trembled in fear.
Seeing him acting like that, Nux’s eyes turned cold.
Soon, however, a gentle look appeared on his face as he patted Royce’s head.
“Hey… you are worried about your mother right?”
“Of course I am.”
“Do you know who troubles your mother the most?”
“Who?”
“You.”
“Huh?”
“Yes, she is always worried about how you are doing, are you eating fine or not, have you made friends or not, and all that.
How do you think she would feel once she knows about your condition?”
“…” Royce didn’t answer.
“She would curse herself, thinking that she is the worse mother who couldn’t even protect her own child.”
“No! She is not that type of mother! She is the best mother anyone can have!” Royce retorted.
“Huh? Of course, she is. I do not doubt that at all. The only problem is that she has a child who does not trust her at all.” Nux spoke and Royce’s eyes widened in shock.
Nux then smiled and continued,
“Do you seriously believe that those Earls could do anything to your mother?”
“Huh? They are Earls, my mother is only a Viscoun-”
“That is not how things work, Royce.
Your mother isn’t alone, she has her friends as well, she even has a Marquee as her friend and do you seriously thinks noble houses would go after each other just because of the fights between their children?
Everything would have been destroyed if that is how things worked.” Nux smiled and Royce’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You want to make your mother happy, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then there is only one thing you have to do,”
“What?”
“Live happily.”
“…”
“Hahaha~ Yes, it is not something complicated, just live your life the way you want, and your mother will be happy.”
Nux laughed out loud.
Then, his gaze turned serious and he muttered,
“Also, keep in mind,”
Seeing his solemn gaze, Royce’s face turned serious as well,
“Do not let anyone trample on your pride as you did before. Your pride is connected to your mother’s pride, you do not want others to trample on it, do you?”
“I don’t.”
“Then don’t let others trample on your pride either,” Nux muttered.
“B-But what do I do… they are all Beginner Stage Cultivators… I am just an Apprentice right now. How am I supposed to fight against them?” Royce questioned with a sad look on his face.
He wanted to fight back…
However, he was completely helpless.
“You do not have to worry about them, now that I am in this academy, I will deal with them. You just make sure to tell me if they ever bully you again.”
Nux muttered as he passed his ID card to Royce.
A small smile appeared on Royce’s face when he heard those words, however, soon, a frown appeared on his face and he questioned.
“Who are you? Why are you helping me?”
Nux chuckled and then, he answered,
“I am someone very close to your mother.
Don’t sweat the details for now.”