For several days, Elsie had to endure endless humiliation.


    Never before had she bowed her head to amoner.


    There were several moments when she felt her anger nearly spill over,almost losing herposure, but Elsie grit her teeth before suppressing her temper.


    It was both infuriating and draining.


    Why on earth did she have to utter words of apology to meremoners?


    It was only natural for the weak to be trampled on.


    Elsie, who crushed them to the point where they could never recover, did so to prepare for when they might be strong and try to crush her instead.


    The world Elsie lived in had always been this way.


    It had been like this for as long as she could remember.


    The strong dominated, while the weak either submitted or became strong enough to dominate themselves.To her, bullying was a form of self-defence.


    Elsie simply didn’t want to be trampled on again.


    She just didn’t want to return to the painful days of her childhood. Those were her honest true feelings.


    Yes, that’s what she would have said until not long ago.


    Now, whenever she felt sad or wronged, she thought of Ian.


    He was a man who, instead of trampling the weak, supported and embraced them.


    Although their first meeting was not pleasant, she couldn’t deny that meeting him hadpletely changed her life.


    Elsie’s world was no longer confined to the Rine family.


    Ian was her new master, her new life, and had be the new world that she had chosen.


    So, if her new world demanded a new set of ethics, she was more than willing to ept them.


    With this resolve, she grit her teeth and continued down that humiliating path.


    It was on one of those days that she encountered a figure from her dark past.


    “Well, who do we have here? If it isn’t Rine’s mutt… The one who’s been going around tarnishing the names of the high-ranking noblestely?”


    It was a woman who appeared with a lollipop in her mouth.


    As expected, she wasn’t alone. After all, by their senior year, everyone either led or was part of a group.


    Elsie cast a sharp nce at the woman.


    <em>What was her name again? Oh, right.</em>


    “…it seems like you haven’t forgotten the taste of that electric shock fromst time, huh? Ludmi.”


    The woman called Ludmi burst into a giggle.


    She was a woman who had previously shed with Elsie’s group and ended up getting thoroughly crushed.


    Just like Elsie’s group, they weren’t exactly good people, but their status as high nobles meant that nobody interfered with them.


    But when a conflict broke out, Elsie took advantage of the situation, found the perfect justification, and crushed them in one go.


    It had been during Elsie’s prime, when she was at her peak in the academy.


    In return, her right shoulder was shattered, but she could effectively silence Ludmi’s family, so it wasn’t a bad trade.


    Since that day, Ludmi had always cowered when facing Elsie, but today, she seemed oddly confident.


    Elsie found this so absurd that she let out augh in disbelief.


    But Ludmi remained brazenly bold.


    “Rine, I heard you’ve been busy bowing your head tomonerstely. Why don’t you bow that cheap head of yours to me as well?”


    “Fuck off, you bitch.”


    <em>Zap!</em>, electricity sparked from Elsie’s hand.


    She was outnumbered.


    Normally,being a mage, Elsie would be at a disadvantage. However, after her growth during the recent battle with the Corpse Giant, she felt she still stood a chance. ?


    Even if she was at a disadvantage, so what?


    After all, in a fight, thest one standing is the one who wins.


    Despite this, Ludmi continued to mockingly smirk.


    “Are you sure about that? If youy a hand on me again, bad rumours will spread… about how you were involved in yet another act of bullying.”


    “That sort of talk is for weakmoners. Do you really think a gangster like you is the same as them?”


    “Yes, exactly.”


    As Ludmi spoke, she revealed her pale left arm, previously hidden by her uniform.


    Across it ran a thin red line, resembling a scar.


    It was a scar shaped like a bolt of lightning.


    It was clear who had left that mark.


    It was the scar left by Elsie during those days.


    A scar that still lingered.


    A smile spread across Elsie’s face, pleased by the sight.


    “…Well, this sure brings back memories.”


    “Who do you think will believe you?”


    Ludmi spoke in a hushed voice, her eyes zing with a fierce light.


    Elsie’s blue eyes silently locked onto Ludmi.


    “Did you know that brat, Ian, had been following you aroundtely? Just how unreliable must you be… I heard he didn’t even help you when you were in trouble.”


    “What’s your point?”


    <em>Huuu</em>, Ludmi exhaled softly before speaking with a faint smile,


    “I’m just saying that if I set my mind to it, turning you into a total bitch would be such a breeze.”


    “…Master would never believe you.”


    “Aren’t you in this mess because your ‘Master’ already abandoned you? Like some stray dog.”


    <em>Pfffttt</em>, Ludmi burst intoughter, spreading her arms wide.


    “And besides, I didn’te here to fight you…I’m just here to collect an apology.”


    <em>Hah</em>, Elsie let out a short, incredulousugh.


    She finally saw through Ludmi’s true intentions.


    She wasn’t here to fight.


    It was a tactic Elsie herself had often used in the past.


    Just back someone into a corner, hold them there, and torment them with words.


    What made this tactic so infuriating was that it left the victim unable to retaliate with violence.


    If sheshed out first, it would look like she was the aggressor.


    There was no device in the world capable of recording the events happening throughout the academy.


    So, naturally, incidents were judged based on testimony and evidence, with the most undeniable evidence being those left by a fight.


    Elsie scoffed and tried to walk away, but Ludmi wasn’t going to let her go that easily.


    Ludmi firmly gripped Elsie’s shoulder.


    The strength put into the grip was so surprising that Elsie almost screamed.


    But her pride kept her silent, and she merely shot a fierce re at Ludmi.


    Ludmi spoke in a threatening tone,


    “…Just apologise, you bitch.”


    Her tone was thick with resentment.


    Like the growl of a beast whose pride had been thoroughly shattered.


    “With you going around bowing your head tomoners like that, do you know how ridiculous you make me look? And yet, you say you won’t even apologise to me? But you’re busy sucking up to some low-ranking noble, running around calling him ‘Master, Master,’ aren’t you?”


    Elsie tried to sharply p Ludmi’s hand away, but it was no use.


    By now, Ludmi’s gang had surrounded them.


    Facing a crisis for the first time in a while, Elsie bit her lip.


    Part of her wanted to wipe them all out in an instant.


    But there was something nagging in her mind.


    <em>‘Did you know that brat, Ian had been following you aroundtely? Just how unreliable must you be…’</em>


    That was the very reason Ludmi was acting so brazenly.


    If Ian saw Elsie being harassed and chose not to intervene, it could be understood as his way of saying it was eptable, as long as a line wasn’t crossed.


    And Ludmi was skillfully hovering on that line.


    Elsie was conflicted.


    <em>Would Ian truly forgive me?</em>


    Going back to being the ‘Loli Gangster’ she once was was easy for her.


    She could fight like a wild dog, and if that didn’t work, she could just call her old gang and start a brawl.


    But hadn’t Ian made it clear?


    That he didn’t like her because of that.


    Elsie wanted to break away from her past self.


    The old self that out of fear, barked and attacked people like a cornered dog.


    Elsie was human too.


    After spending so much time apologising and enduring all sorts of humiliation, her mind was no longer capable of making sound judgement.


    In fact, her lowered self-esteem was leading her to make poor decisions.


    <em>Right, I should just endure it, even if it means getting hurt.</em>


    The moment she thought that, the electricity in Elsie’s hand faltered.


    Ludmi wasn’t one to miss Elsie’s hesitation.


    She broke into a bright, mocking smile.


    “I’d only heard it as a rumour, but it was true, huh? You crazy bitch… Not only did you fall for the guy who beat you with a hatchet, you even called yourself his pet, and now you’ve even sold out your dignity as a high-ranking noble?


    Ludmi grit her teeth.


    Her long-suppressed inferiorityplex toward Elsie was on the verge of exploding.


    Ever since Elsie had defeated her, Ludmi hadn’t even been able to meet her eyes.


    But now, that once terrifying Elsie had fallen to the level of a mere pet.


    That fact filled her with unbearable hatred.


    It felt as if not just Elsie, but even Ludmi herself, had been reduced to somethingughable.


    Ludmi was almost delirious with the thought that she could finally unleash her pent-up rage.


    <em>Crunch</em>. Unconsciously, she tightened her grip on Elsie’s shoulder.


    Ultimately, Elsie couldn’t hold back anymore and cried out.


    “UGH, AA… AAAAAAH!”


    Even then, Elsie didn’t retaliate against Ludmi.


    That could only mean one thing.


    Her eyes gleaming with a sick satisfaction, Ludmi spoke.


    “My bad, my bad. But just bear with it, okay? It was unintentional… Let’s just chat for a moment.”


    This conversation with Elsie was only just beginning.


    Yes, that’s exactly what Ludmi thought.


    <em>Crack</em>, until she heard a sickening sound like something breaking.


    <em>Wait, did I miscalcte my strength?</em>


    Ludmi found it strange, but when the warm liquid began to wet her cheek, she couldn’t resist ncing over.


    What she saw made her blood run cold.


    Before her was a sight that everyone at the Academy feared.


    A hatchet lodged firmly in her shoulder.


    A shiver ran down Ludmi’s spine.


    As if driven by instinct, Ludmi quickly grasped the situation.


    Then came the searing pain that burned through her mind.


    “AGH, AHHH… AAAAAAAAAHHHHCK!”


    Blood soaked the clearing.


    *


    <em>Huuuu</em>, I let out a heated breath.


    At first, I intended to just observe.


    After all, it might just have been someone Senior Elsie had bullied before.


    But the moment Senior Elsie screamed, my patience snapped.


    By the time I came to my senses, I had already thrown the hatchet.


    I loosened my wrist and began walking briskly.


    The crowd’s gazes, fixed on me, were filled with fear.


    Only Senior Elsie was looking at me with a bewildered expression.


    A female student whose name I didn’t even know was groaning in pain, after being struck by my hatchet.


    As soon as she saw me, she copsed in terror.


    And then, she started scooting backward, shaking her head desperately.


    “D-Don’te any closer! If you do, I’ll report you to the Disciplinary Committee…”


    Hearing that, I couldn’t help but chuckle.


    With a sharp tug, I yanked the hatchet from her shoulder, and it smoothly returned to my hand.


    The moment I removed it, the bleeding that had previously been stemmed by the hatchet grew even worse.


    The female student grit her teeth, trying to endure it. But in the end, she couldn’t withstand the pain and crumpled to the ground.


    “Ugh, ah… Uuuuuugh…!”


    With her groans in the background, I spoke in a nonchnt voice.


    While tapping my palm with the blood-smeared hatchet.


    “Go ahead, report me.”


    <em>I can just use the Dragonblood Script and be done with it.</em>


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!