Ruler Vol 5 Chapter 13
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Author: Anit666
Editor: Weasalopes
【Sam’s POV】
“Teaching some brats just how much of a trash they are.”
I stomped on him some more and lifted my foot.
I turned to the fuming Cecile who seemed like she would attack me at any moment.
“Just what the hell are you thinking?”
“I’m doing what you requested me to last night; teaching them and turning them stronger.”
“And you plan to do that-” She pointed to the students around us. “By this? By senselessly beating them to death like this?”
“I told you, didn’t I? That they would go through hell. For them to become strong they need to realise just how weak they actually are.”
“But there can be other ways-”
“Sure, there are. But this is the most effective. In fact, I think you’ve been too lenient on them, Cecile. Have you looked at Michael? That poor child doesn’t even think that he’s worthy to be a leader. And the others? They are letting him be that leader because they are too afraid to take that role themselves; because they want someone to blame for the deaths of Arthur and Susan.”
Cecile grinded her teeth and clenched her fists.
“I understand, and even share, your sentiment of wanting to care for them and introduce them to these things slowly. But if they remain that way, they’ll be just walking to their deaths in the war. Forget Solomon, these children would never even defeat the Dark Hero. He’ll kill them in a matter of seconds. If you want them to survive, then let me do what I’m doing.”
Cecile scowled at me, perhaps contemplating my offer.
“As you know, Solomon is much stronger than me. If the Heroes cannot defeat me, then they would never be able to face him in a battle; he would demolish them in a head-on fight, while the strategic ones are where he truly shines. Oh, and don’t worry about injuries and the like. Starting tomorrow I’m going to do things in a different way. Today was just a prelude, a performance to make them realise who I am and what I am capable of.”
In a direct battle, perhaps I would have lost in my current condition. There’s only so much I can do after placing so many limiters on me. That’s why I did things in a roundabout way and laid traps to defeat them. It was necessary to show the Heroes that raw power is worthless if one cannot use it properly.
After a long stretch of silence, Cecile let out a huge sigh and looked straight into my eyes.
“Fine. But promise me, that these guys would not forget how to smile. I and Lantz would be keeping an eye on you starting from your next training session, so that if something like this happens again…….”
Again with the threatening, huh.
“You have my word. And even if they were to be accidentally injured, Mary is more than capable of healing them.”
Though to be perfectly honest, I can’t really guarantee the protection of their smiles.
Ah, Sherry is the only exception to that. No matter what, I’ll make sure that when all of this is over, she can still smile as brightly as she used to.
Without my existence in her life.
“We should end today’s session now. I don’t think they can handle anything more than this.”
Though I would have liked to do this some more times, but oh well.
“We’ll do just that.”
“But before that, let’s have a talk with these kids, shall we?”
Just leaving without saying anything would be unprofessional as their teacher.
Cecile nodded, and after making sure that everyone had been perfectly healed, gathered them in front of me. Sherry and Michael were standing at the head of the group, perhaps acting as their representative. Thor, on the other hand, was still lying on the ground with his arm hiding his eyes.
“So? What did you think of being a leader?”
He bit his lip, but still didn’t remove his hand to look at me. I turned towards the other students.
“Now then, everyone.” I clapped to get their attention, and they flinched. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to attack you again. Anyway, you guys failed, and horribly at that. Why do you think that happened?”
A girl from the group (what was her name again?) spoke up.
“It was because Thor didn’t lead us properly!”
The other girls around her, probably from her clique, agreed with her. Almost everyone thought so as well.
Oof, these guys are so heartless.
“What are you saying!?” Blake protested. “You magicians were the ones who failed at your casting!”
“It wasn’t my fault! That-”
“Ah, that was because of me.”
“Huh?”
All the other magicians glared at me.
“I mean, it was obvious that you were going to begin your onslaught by magic spells. It’s only natural that I would disable them first, no?”
“And……… how did you do that?”
Sherry asked.
“That’s a secret.”
“And what about those explosions?”
“They are also secrets, of course.”
“Hmph.”
Sherry cutely pouted.
“There you have it.” That girl, whose name now I remembered was Kamia, harrumphed. “It wasn’t our fault. Thor’s plan itself was imperfect. He should have been prepared for our spells to be interfered with, and should have formulated a backup plan in case things went wrong.” She scoffed. “Yet, he was the first one to be taken out.”
This kinda sounds like a blame-game, but she’s not completely wrong.
“You!”
“Now now, this is enough. Everyone beside Thor, please go back and reflect on the things you did wrong today. We’ll meet up again at the 14th bell. You are dispersed!”
This time, even Thor removed his arm to directly look at me, the incredulous look in his eyes trying to determine what I was up to. Others first looked at each other, and then followed my order and started going back to the mansion.
“Ah, Sherry.” I stopped her. “Meet me in the library after breakfast. I would like to discuss some things with you.”
She nodded and went her way with Michael. Those two certainly have grown closer than they were a year ago. I now turned to Thor.
“Let me ask this again: how was your first experience as a leader?”
“………Pretty horrible.” He frowned. “Especially because I had to watch all of them be taken out by you.”
Yes, I had taken special care to make sure that Thor wouldn’t lose consciousness even after being incapacitated.
He stared at the sky for a moment, then looked back at me again.
“This is how Michael felt when he fought Solomon; this is what you wanted to show me, right?”
“Of course not. I have no interest in mediating between you two.” He frowned again. “I just wanted you to understand that feeling of helplessness in the face of overwhelming power. And I wanted you to realise just how lacking you yourself were. Now, you decide. Do you still have the right to blame Michael for what happened?”
He averted his eyes.
“Let’s go back to your rant from before. You blamed Michael because he was too powerless to protect you. Do you even notice the irony in your own words?” I made my voice heavier and colder. “You are the one who was so weak that you couldn’t protect your own ass, and yet you have the audacity to blame someone else for that? You guys were supposed to support Michael in his fight with Solomon. The fact that he failed also means that your support failed, and yet you guys forced him to bear the burden of the deaths of his CLOSE friends by his own self. If Michael is a failure, then where does that put you, Thor?”
I glared at him some more, but his eyes never met mine. No matter how much he trembled, clenched his fists or grit his teeth, he couldn’t say one word in return.
“Now.” I made my voice softer. “I hope you’ll take this opportunity to reflect and arrive at your own answer. I’ll be waiting for it this evening. Go and rest till now.”
I turned around, where Cecile and Phiria were waiting for me, and made my way towards the mansion. After all that fighting, I was pretty hungry now.
“Sir Samael.” But Thor’s slightly wavering voice stopped me. “You earlier said that Michael could not have cast that teleportation spell. Is that really true?”
Asking the real questions now, eh? Thor has grown in his own way, I must admit. Compared to how he was back on Earth, he’s now a completely different person.
“The chances are really high.”
I left that place without waiting for his reply. Cecile and Phiria followed me. Maybe the former wanted to give Thor some time to think.
“Shall we head to the dining hall?”
Cecile asked.
“No, not today. Send my breakfast to my room.”
“Are you……… worried about them?”
Oh? So she noticed the dread lurking in their gazes back then?
“All I’m worried about is not being able to eat my food in peace.”
They fear me, which would mean they would focus on me if I went to the dining hall now. As someone who abhors attention, I don’t think I would be able to savour my breakfast the way I want to.
“I………… see.”
She muttered.
“I’m confident your interpretation of my words is fatally off the mark.”
Does she think that their fear bothers me in that way?
“Does that mean?” Her eyes widened. “Their terror filled eyes didn’t affect you?”
“Of course not. On the contrary, I was aiming for that effect.”
Dread is one of the easiest emotions to manipulate after all.
Oh well, she’ll have the chance to experience that.
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