"Isn't it obvious what I'm trying to do?" Mr. Smith said with a smirk before his expression suddenly turned cold, causing Victor to frown.
"Hey, why did Mr. Smith suddenly attack Victor?" one of the students asked nervously.
"Heh, isn't the reason obvious?" another student replied with a bitter smile.
"What reason?" a confused student asked.
"He disdains commoners—he's a noble," one student whispered. Many others weren't surprised; they had faced the same kind of discrimination before.
"I was just checking if you really lost your strength. And it seems… you really have," Mr. Smith said in a nonchalant tone. Victor frowned while the rest of the students stood speechless at the teacher's shamelessness.
Mr. Smith walked over, grabbed Victor's arm, and helped him up. But before he did, he leaned close and whispered coldly,
"Hah, you filthy commoner. Do you think I'm happy you're alive? I was far happier when you died—because then, knights from noble households finally had a chance to shine. You were too talented, and I couldn't do anything about it back then. But now that you've lost your strength, the students you've offended will take care of you."
As soon as he finished, his cold expression shifted back into a polite smile for the watching students.
'Some things never change, huh?' Victor sighed inwardly as he dusted off his clothes. Even in his previous world, Mr. Smith had been the same—bullying commoner students in secret, while giving unfair advantages to noble-borns. Being the spoiled son of a noble, he only tolerated a few talented commoners grudgingly, and even then he would suppress them whenever possible. It wasn't until later, when Victor had grown strong, that he gave Mr. Smith a thorough beating and forced him to stop.
'Looks like I'll need to repeat history,' Victor thought, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
'This bastard' Victor's eyes narrowed as he suddenly saw Mr. Smith try to land another punch. Instinctively, he activated the Akasha Eye, and to his surprise—
'Huh?' Victor exclaimed inwardly as the fist slowed down in his vision, the trajectory of the attack appearing clearly before it even landed.
'Is this an effect of the skill?' he thought before easily dodging.
"Huh?" Mr. Smith frowned as he saw Victor slip past his punch.
'Didn't he say he lost his strength?' he thought, trying again. But once more, Victor dodged with ease, which only made Mr. Smith's expression darken.
"Mr. Smith, if you want to spar, we should do it later—not here," Victor said cheekily.
'This bastard—he's mocking me' Mr. Smith felt his rage spike as he noticed the students staring. Some even began whispering and snickering. It was the first time a student had dared make a fool of him in public.
"You—" Mr. Smith gritted his teeth, channeling mana into his fist this time.
'Damn bastard,' Victor cursed, his eyes widening in alarm. The students also stiffened in shock. But before Mr. Smith could strike, someone grabbed his arm.
"Eric, what the hell do you think you're doing?" a cold voice rang out.
Mr. Smith froze, a chill running down his spine as he recognized the feminine voice. He turned back nervously, only to see Amanda glaring at him.
"Tch." Eric sneered coldly, throwing Victor a hateful look before pulling his arm free and leaving. He wasn't foolish enough to provoke Amanda—someone even his father wouldn't protect him against if things escalated.
"Tsk, filthy insect," Amanda muttered coldly as she watched him leave. Then she turned her sharp gaze toward Victor.
"That's just one example of losing your powers—people who are two-faced will start showing their true colors," Amanda said, sweeping her eyes over the nearby students.
'I know,' Victor thought bitterly.
"Listen, everyone," Amanda continued, her tone sharp. "Victor has lost his memories, so don't be offended if he doesn't recognize you." She then turned back to Victor.
"Follow me. The headmistress wants to see you."
Victor trailed after her under the shocked gazes of the students.
Once the duo left, the students who overheard her words began to buzz with heated whispers.
"Damn, did you see Mr. Smith? He's so despicable."
"Yeah, but I'm glad someone humiliated him like that. The look on his face was priceless."
"Hah, I don't think a petty man like him will let this matter go that easily."
"Heh, what can he do? Does he dare fight a student inside the academy? The headmistress would chew him alive, no matter who's backing him."
"Huh, there are other ways, you know. I heard from a senior that one student mocked him, and the next week, when that student went outside for a hunt, he never came back. Most likely, Mr. Smith had a hand in it."
"Hush, keep your voice down."
"Well, he doesn't even need to do anything. I'm pretty sure plenty of others—and even some knights—would pounce on Victor as soon as they learn he's lost his strength."
The students continued chattering about Victor—some worried, some indifferent, while others showed clear ill intent whinheld a grudge against Victor among the knights.
Within minutes, the entire academy already knew: the Sword Prodigy and Bane of Mages had returned from the dead, but had lost both his memories and, most importantly, his former strength. For many, this news made their eyes gleam with anticipation—they finally had a chance to pummel the once untouchable prodigy.
In a particular classroom, a group of five—two females and three males—received the news as well.
"Hey, Olivia, did you hear? Your ex-boyfriend is back," said Jasmine, a beautiful girl, as she glanced at the blue-haired beauty beside her.
"Victor…" Olivia's expression turned complicated, her eyes dazed as she processed the words.
"Hey, Kevin, are you okay?" Blaze, another male student, asked the boy sitting nearby. Kevin, Olivia's current boyfriend, forced a calm look.
"I'm fine," Kevin said, though his gaze lingered worriedly on Olivia.
'Why did you have to return now… and not earlier?' Kevin thought bitterly, his fists clenching tight.