The door to the combat class opened, and a large number of students rushed out of it, as if they were running from a demon.
Among the tide of students, Marcus, James, and Lilian were strolling behind.
As the tide of students gradually began to quiet down, the heavy door slowly closed behind them.
Standing inside, it was Professor Figo once again. His hands were clasped behind his back as he glanced over the tide of students, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"See you next week." As he finished speaking, the door finally closed tightly.
Leaving only his voice echoing hauntingly through the long corridor, it sent a shiver down everyone's spine.
His voice did not linger for long; as a single breath passed, it had already faded away.
The tide of students sank into silence, and after noticing that the door was already closed,
they exhaled slightly, as if they had escaped from a cave of the unknown and finally seen the warm sunlight.
Once again, the room filled with the sound of discussion.
"Professor Figo is really terrifying."
"I didn't even make a sound while inside the hall."
"We should thank God that he didn't start the class; otherwise, we'd be dead meat."
...
The hall was filled with the sound of relief, as everyone finally caught their breath and had the opportunity to relax their bodies.
When inside the hall, they couldn't make a sound or move their bodies. All they could do was stand still, their eyes is the only part of them that moved. It was as though the slightest sound or any action would attract the professor's sharp gaze.
And after the class ended, once they were outside and no longer under the professor's watchful gaze, they finally had a moment to relax their bodies.
Marcus exhaled slightly as he watched the door of the combat class and said, "It's finally over. Inside felt like torture for me; I couldn't even move my head, only my eyes darted around. It was terrifying!"
James also exhaled, unable to hold it any longer, and instantly dropped to his knees. "Ahh, my legs hurt so much!"
He couldn't help but look at Lilian. Shockingly, she showed no sign of fear or weakness; all James could see was an expressionless face.
From the moment the class started until now, she was the only one who didn't break down or show exhaustion. She had stood still the entire time, like a statue.
And when the class ended, she didn't even exhale or show any sign of fatigue. It was unbelievable for Marcus and James to see this.
Why was this woman so strong? She didn't even show a hint of fear toward the professor. Marcus was very puzzled.
Had she read some novel or book that allowed her to control her emotions? It was shocking that she didn't show any sign of fatigue. James seemed to dwell on this thought.
As both of them thought of this, they couldn't help but exchange glance again.
Suddenly, a thought popped up in their in unison.
Maybe it was her actions. Yes, on the outside she just showed her strength and unbreakable will. But inside, she might have been afraid, perhaps even more afraid than us.
Yes, she only showed it on the outside, but inside she might have been feeling worse than us. She was just putting on an act.
As they thought this, their bewildered expressions from before instantly softened.
James finally sighed in relief as he thought of this. He and Lilian were not on good terms; every time they met, they always ended up in mocking battles.
And a moment ago, when James saw Lilian's strong will and emotionless face, he seemed genuinely afraid that he might lose his composure in front of her.
Marcus didn't care as much as James, but he was puzzled. It was unbelievable that Lilian, who hadn't even reached her tenth year, didn't show a single sign of weakness under the pressure of the professor.
As someone who had read novels, he knew very well that the ability to control such emotions was something only cautious and cunning protagonists could manage. But even they had to endure a hard life and suffer greatly to achieve it.
Out of nowhere, a thought suddenly popped into his mind.
Maybe only isekai or regression protagonists could do this at the age of eight, or even five.
As if sensing their gazes, Lilian turned and looked at the two of them. "Hey, why are the two of you so weak?"
As she said that, she couldn't help but reveal a mocking smile and continued, "This is the result of the two of you always slacking off in the foundation class. I always work hard during foundation class, that's why my mentality is stronger than yours."
Marcus and James were bad in every subject, all because of their laziness. During the foundation class, neither of them put much effort into their training, which was why their bodies and mentality were weaker than Lilian's.
She was the one who always worked hard during the foundation class. She didn't slack off for even a breath. No matter how hard or exhausting the training became, she still faced it head-on, pushing herself further each time.
Hearing this, Marcus and James frowned slightly, but they didn't respond, because they couldn't think of any answer to her mocking.
Because every word that came out of her mouth was like a thorn binding them to reality. They really did slack off. The only time they ever moved fast was during mealtime.
As their minds were caught in a whirlpool of unanswered thoughts, Lilian spoke while turning toward the corridor that led to another hallway.
"Let's head to the food hall, otherwise the food reserved for us might be gone or left as leftovers."
Without waiting for them to speak, she moved forward and walked slowly, leaving the two of them behind.
Hearing Lilian's words, Marcus couldn't help but snap out of his wandering thoughts. He quickly glanced at James, signaling that they needed to hurry to the food hall.
Sensing Marcus's gaze, James quickly stood up and strode behind Lilian, with Marcus following closely beside him.
They didn't say anything; it was completely silent, with only the sounds of other students rushing to the food hall echoing around them.
Marcus couldn't help but think back to the moment when Lilian had mocked him, her words echoing sharply in his mind and making him feel both frustrated and humbled.
He seemed to realize that the person he was now truly was as worthless as others had said.
He had done nothing but spend his time on novels, never caring about anything else. Since the day he was born, he had nothing he could boast about.
His reputation in the First Area was completely bad. No one respected him, and as the son of the lord of the First Area, he should have gained trust and respect from others.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but ask himself.
Am I really that useless? I never thought of this before and only considered it the usual behavior of youth, but looking at Lilian now, why do I feel that all my previous thoughts were completely wrong?
It was as if Lilian truly deserved the pride of the First Area more than him. She was extremely hardworking and never slacked off, not even a little. Compared to her, he felt completely insignificant.
Why didn't I think of this before? I should have sensed it from the moment mother summoned me, and when I faced the crowd of members who mocked me.
As he thought of this, he couldn't help but recall the time his mother, Rosalie, summoned him to the Golden Palace.
At that time, while walking with Bella, he passed by members who were chatting with each other. The moment they noticed him, they stopped their conversation and instead began mocking Marcus, calling him trash and saying he didn't deserve the title of the Pride.
As he thought of this, he couldn't help but feel a small, uneasy flicker of not belonging quietly ignite deep in his heart.
But after thinking about the words Bella had said to him at that time, he couldn't help but feel a warmth spreading in his heart.
Maybe it was because of Auntie's words that made me forget what had happened back then.
I wonder if James thinks the same of me. No, I must consult him from now on, work hard, and not let anyone mock us.
At the same time in James mind.
Hehe, when I go back, I'll work even harder to create a magical weapon like the ones in the novels. So I must read more novels to gain more insight.
When that time finally comes, I will show you just how truly talented I am.
He suddenly laughed quietly, covering his mouth with his hand, afraid that his laughter might be noticed.
He thought to himself quietly, his eyes instinctively darting to Lilian's back as he tried to gather his thoughts.
Noticing James' behavior, Marcus couldn't help but feel that his friend might have some solutions to their current situation.
He sighed in deep relief, thinking that he was truly fortunate to have such a clever and reliable friend like James by his side.
He couldn't help but reveal a relaxed smile, feeling a sense of relief, as they continued walking quietly and carefully behind Lilian.
.....
In the room, which seemed to be a study, a man sat quietly on a chair, a quill in his right hand as he appeared to be writing something.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Suddenly, the sound of knocking echoed from the wooden door.
"Come in." The man said in depth voice almost emotionless.
The door opened, revealing the one who had knocked. He wore a black shirt with a fitted vest, black trousers, and polished leather boots. His black hair was slightly tousled, and his deep brown eyes radiated a calm, tranquil presence. It was none other than Professor Figo, but this time, he was without his usual black top hat.
As he entered, the first thing he saw was the man sitting there calmly. Yet the aura he radiated was terrifying, as if a single mistake could allow it to destroy not just the room, but the entire hall.
He was Maverick, the Lord of the First Area. He wore a fitted black shirt that clung slightly to his broad shoulders. Over it, a gray vest hugged his torso, trimmed with subtle silver embroidery. His brown trousers were sturdy yet flexible. He wore simple leather shoes, leaving out his usual boots. Every piece of his clothing showed quiet ordinary but authority.
Aside from Maverick, Professor Figo paid no attention to the interior of the room.
As he closed the door, the first thing he did was bow. Without waiting for Maverick to say anything, he took the initiative to speak first.
He reported the situation that had occurred during the class under his supervision, without going into much detail.
Maverick nodded slightly and asked, "So you used just a fraction of your power?"
"Yes, I used 0.0001 of my power to make the air in the hall feel heavier than usual, and the results were quite good. Everyone could resist it for the first minute, except for a few students. During that time, I noticed one student who could withstand it without showing any sign of fatigue. Not only that, she did not show any fear toward me like the other students, and the emotions she displayed seemed controlled to a degree even some adult or magicians might not achieve."
"Oh, what's her name?" Maverick asked, his face remaining emotionless.
"Her name is Lilian,"