"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!"
Robin leapt out from the piles of fire when he saw them. Bruises marred both faces. Caesar's right eye was swollen shut, while Theo's left arm dangled at an unnatural angle, blood dripping steadily from his fingertips.
"What do you think?" Caesar muttered bitterly, tossing the broken halberd aside before grabbing water and bandages to tend his own wounds.
Robin rushed to Theo, pulling at his arm to inspect the damage. The shoulder was dislocated, and deep cuts ran from his shoulder all the way to his fingers. Whoever had done this hadn't simply fought—they had taken their time, enjoying every moment of cruelty.
"They used my own halberd to do it," Caesar said grimly, pressing wet cotton against his swollen eye.
Robin instantly knew who he meant: the group of arrogant youths who had stolen house 208 from them. Since that day, they had harassed the brothers at every opportunity. The more Robin and Caesar stayed silent, the bolder their tormentors became.
And after Theo joined them, it grew worse. Almost every trip he took outside ended with torn clothes and fresh bruises. To bully a slave was far easier than targeting two students wearing official badges, and tormenting the three of them together had become a sport for that pack of jackals.
Robin had endured it in silence. Their current weakness demanded restraint. Instead, he had quietly increased Theo's quota of energy stones to heal faster, while Caesar clenched his teeth and trained harder, desperate to grow strong enough to retaliate.
But now—now the smell of blood in the room was too much.
For the first time in his life, Caesar felt killing intent from Robin. Not just anger—murderous intent, sharp and suffocating, so intense that Caesar's skin prickled and every hair on his body stood on end. He had always known Robin as calm, patient, immersed in study. He often forgot this man had lived more than a century amidst beasts, carving his way through endless slaughter.
"Those sons of bitches… they've gone too far!" Robin roared, his voice shaking the walls. "What next? One of you walks in missing a limb? Or dead?!"
His foot smashed against the door, kicking it wide as he stormed straight toward the house marked 208.
He didn't even pause at the entrance. With a wave of his hand, the door erupted into smoke and ash, vanishing in an instant. Robin strode through the black haze and shouted, his voice like thunder:
"GET OUT HERE, YOU DAMN PIGS!"
"You bastard, you want to die?!" Remus, the leader of the group, snarled. He shoved the girl off his lap and lunged at Robin, fist raised. But just as he swung, Robin's voice cracked through the air like a whip:
"Touch me, and I'll report you to Lady Mila Bradley!"
Remus froze, his fist stopping just a breath from Robin's nose. "You're bluffing! How would trash like you know the number one genius in the kingdom?"
But his heart skipped. If Robin and Caesar truly were under Mila Bradley's nomination, then their presence here—even as weak commoners—suddenly made sense.
"He's lying!" one of the lackeys shouted.
"If he knew Lady Mila, he'd have begged her for help long ago."
"Right! Lady Mila is destined to become a sage. How could she waste her time on peasants like these?"
Robin stepped forward, seizing Remus by the collar. His eyes burned as he hissed, "Maybe I'm lying. Do you want to find out? Go ahead—lay a hand on Caesar or Theo one more time, and I'll report you immediately. Mila promised me a safe environment in this institution. Let's see how she reacts when she hears you broke it.
I've kept silent because I didn't want to trouble her again… but you test my patience every damn day. You pigs like to play games? Fine, let's play. How about… a bet?"
Remus's sneer faltered. "What kind of bet?"
"The arena," Robin said coldly. "One year from now, my brother Caesar will challenge all of you in the institution's arena. Whatever happens there, I'll accept. Win or lose, I won't report you. But—whoever faces him and loses will compensate us in full. I'll sign a binding contract if you want. Until then, get out of our way!"
A chill swept through the room. Whether it was Mila's name hanging over their heads, or the ferocity of the boy standing before them, none of Remus's companions dared move.
"…I agree," Remus muttered at last.
Robin released him, nodded once, and turned on his heel. He dragged Caesar and Theo out of the house, leaving the bullies frozen in uneasy silence.
Only after a long pause did one of them scoff. "That Caesar's only at the fourth level. Does he really think he'll reach a level where he can beat us all in just one year? Does he think he's a god?"
"Hehe, if he wants to send his brother to die, who are we to object?" a girl snickered.
To them, it was suicide. Every one of them was a noble, wielding powerful family martial arts. Their weakest was already at the sixth level. Their strongest—Remus—stood at the tenth level, having studied the laws for over a year as he worked toward forming his pillars.
But Remus didn't join in their laughter. He sank back into his chair, brooding silently. In his mind, one thought circled endlessly: I need to find a way to avoid Mila Bradley's wrath… after I kill that boy in the arena.
Robin returned to his house and sank cross-legged into the fire. His eyes closed, his face calm, but Caesar, who knew him best, recognized the truth. His father was a volcano ready to erupt.
"Weren't you a little impulsive?" Caesar muttered, unease creeping into his voice. "What can I do in one year? At best, I'll reach the seventh level."
Robin's eyes snapped open, blazing with fire. He looked directly at Caesar and said, voice low and sharp as a blade:
"Trust me. I'll make you strong enough to shove your broken halberd up his ass."