Their second battle was a messy affair, Viers fought the three of them in straight-up fist fight befitting their ages. Not completely straight for Viers’s side. Since it was three versus one, Viers used trickery, objects around him, and the terrain to his advantage. He avoided them when the three swarmed on him and kept his fight focused on one person at a time or at least made only two was possible attacking him at the same time.
As the fight progressed, Viers was bruised and so were they, but Viers already experienced worse pain than mere punch and he knew his healing factor would make his injury heal quickly, therefore, he could recklessly throw his body into the fight, compared with the three of them, Viers was more wild and aggressive. He traded blow for blow, when they were staggering, Viers gritted his teeth to strike them again.
Unlike last time, Viers did not aim for vital points like eyes, throat, and groin. He fought them with kiddy fight rules, no inflicting permanent and overly heavy damage. Viers thought the trio also didn't mean to inflict him with fatal injury, a few times they targeted Viers’s groin as payback for their last fight but Viers was extra on guard for the attacks thus none were successful.
After a few minutes, the fight ended. Three boys were knocked down and groaned with painful voice, while only one still standing, he was bloodied, bruised, face swollen, clothes dirty and torn, he wasn't looking good. Nevertheless, he was still standing while the rest was down, he was hurt but it’s not impeding his movement.
“...”
Viers wanted to say something, he wanted to gloat like a villain before the fallen hero party, but he suppressed the urge. They were unconscious and despite the fact that they were fighting in the relatively hidden from the main roads, some audiences were watching. Viers’s next course of action… was to loot them.
He checked their pockets for something valuable and he found a quite a sum of silver and gold coins, the amount was quite substantial supporting Viers’s guess that they or at least Classmate J was from a wealthy family. Why they brought those coins he had no idea and not interested to know, he took their money and left.
In this world, 100 copper equals to 1 silver, while 100 silver equals to 1 gold. Mana crystals value was above gold in currency but Viers wasn't too sure how much.
After he walked past the onlookers, he threw much of the silver coins around and a few gold coins here and there, some tens of people were picking them after Viers was a few meters away. Despite his bruised and messy appearance, Viers went to the main street where there were many more people, most gave him a curious look but he didn't mind them. He’d continued to throw his taken coins on the street as he went back to the dorm… he’d thrown away about 100 silver which is all the silver he got from them and 5 gold, Viers still had about 15 gold on his person.
Now I have an excuse to tell others that I threw away most of their money on the streets out of spite, and the rest was used to buy potions to heal my wounds. I will hide all my gold immediately so even if Yisha or the town official asked me to return the trio’s gold, they couldn't find anything, after that, they perhaps would give me labor penalty or something... perhaps cleaning the toilets but they shouldn't take my stuff or expel me.
Worst case is they put me in debt to pay them all the money I’d thrown away... that's fine too cause in the end, I would know J’s backing and the guild’s stance in this conflict.
If the TC people intervene to resolve this peacefully, then all the involved party... meaning the four of us, would be given a strict warning to not fight again unless incurring heavy penalties, that means unless the trio wanted to be expelled, they won't cause trouble for me anymore, perhaps some petty effort to inconvenience me like breaking into my room and break my stuff but no more straight-up fight like today and this petty affair finally can be brought to a close… I think this is unlikely.
If the TC’s response was lukewarm and halfhearted, they would turn a blind eye unless the fight happened in the dorm or class… then I must prepare for contingencies, I provoked them and humiliated them to bait for the third encounter after all. I would be prepared for this eventuality.
After they lost to me, I even humiliated them by taking their money and letting them lie on the streets. They will be back with a bitter vengeance next time, perhaps attacking despite the heavy consequences, but as long as I’m on guard for permanent damage, I can take it. For the third encounter with them… I will use THAT.
The issue would be if Classmates JKL brings outside help, their parents most likely, like those young masters on wuxia stories. This is where my anticipations halted, depending on what kind of help they would bring… it may cost me a lot but as long as Classmate J’s parents are not the Adventurers Guild’s master, I shouldn't be expelled. Some harsh scolding and some penalties but nothing serious.
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I’m prepared to pay the price should Classmates JKL cried to their moms for help, but it may not come to that. I admit the looting and throwing away the money may have gone a bit far but they aren't suffering permanent injury thus this stayed within the boundaries of kid’s fight. The third encounter is when I would settle this… nuisance.
Viers hid his money pouch at the nearby abandoned house, he once used this empty building to test his sprint. Viers just used some rock in the garden to hide the pouch. Then he went straight to the class even though it was very early, he didn't even change his sweat-soaked running clothes, Viers patiently waited for his classmates to come.
After a while, his classmates started to appear. They were surprised and curious when they saw his battered face, Viers told them a metaphorical story of what happened to him earlier without omitting any detail, more and more of the other kids came to the classroom, even Mirella came but he paid her no mind and continued his story, he gave a summary of what happened to the kids that came later.
The reason he heavily hinted the truth and spread the news of what happened, about his first clash before and the second clash this morning, was not to brag about his second victory of 1 vs 3 but to lay the foundation of his future plans, he needed the other kids to be aware of Viers and the trio situations.
The trio didn't come even after Nakala came inside the class, he stopped his narration as she came. Nakala approached him and she watched Viers straight in the eye for a few seconds, her eyes were asking Viers about what happened, naturally she already had suspicions about what happened but she couldn't be sure. Viers replied back with a silent tranquil gaze, he’d full intention to hold his silence as long as he needed to be.
Nakala didn't press him for an answer and the class went on as usual until the trio came. Their face was bruised worse than Viers’s, but Viers’s face injury was already much better thanks to the healing factor although, he told his classmates with his metaphorical story that he used their money to buy the most expensive potion he could afford and drank it immediately after the purchase.
Classmate J approached him, anger oozed from his gait and steps, he stood beside the sitting Viers, his fists were clenched tightly and visibly trembling. Viers stood up, he was standing face to face mere inches from each other, his eyes showed no fear and met Classmate J’s fiery glare head-on, Classmate K and L came and stood beside their boss, the four boys bruised faces spoke the results of their brawl. The class felt as if they were inside a boiling pot, the other kids watched with bated breath.
“Stop! Stop this at once!” Nakala's voice broke the uncomfortable silence, “What’s going on here? Were you fighting?” She added.
Viers knew that Nakala herself already know the answer to her own question, he let the tension simmered for a few seconds before he replied.
“We were talking… using one of the most ancient language known to man…”
Violence.
Viers didn’t speak the last word of his sentence.
After Nakala repeatedly told them, the trio sheathed their anger and reluctantly sat down. The class went on awkwardly, despite all evidence pointed that the four of them fought, none actually point them outright, not Viers and not the trio said to Nakala that they were punching each other this very morning.
Viers hinted to his other classmates quite clearly so it was an open secret, however, if any the classmates pointed the fact out, Viers would deny them. If the trio didn’t want to be expelled, they would also deny the claim that they fought. Without hard evidence or confession from the four of them, only circumstantial evidence remained and not enough to sentenced expulsions.
Viers, the trio, and Nakala, the three sides didn’t want to handle the matter of expulsion. Viers and the trio didn’t want to be expelled, Nakala didn’t want to expel them… so they had a silent tacit understanding. For the three sides, the reality of the matter was… James, Tej, Raymond, and Viers MIGHT have had a fight.
After class, Nakala lectured them, just standard scolding about they were all classmates and shouldn't fight for petty differences, the same kind Viers’s primary school teacher once told him after he fought some kid whose face he didn’t even remember all those years ago on Earth.
Unlike at Earth’s schools where children who fought were sent to the headmaster's room to be lectured and given a strong warning that they shall be expelled the next time they fought. Nakala was only a teacher, her job is to teach the kids designated by the TC. She lacked the authority to preside over this affair. She couldn't do anything except to scold the four of them that they shouldn’t fight and the four of them were all equally wrong. Viers already suspected this, he thought perhaps Yisha also didn’t have the authority.
When Viers told his classmates about his first fight with them at the dorm, Viers highly suspected that Yisha might be listening, but other than stopping Classmate J before he did something rash, Yisha didn’t do anything more.
Just like Nakala now, Viers now convinced that unless the fight happened at the two places under TC’s jurisdiction or witnessed directly by the TC employees, they would turn a blind eye to Viers and JKL affairs. He didn’t blame Nakala and Yisha, they were just doing their jobs, he simply didn’t place any expectation that others would solve his problem.
The money issue was placed in the air, the trio also didn’t mention the subject, either too embarrassed or simply the sum was mere small change for them. Nakala gave them a slap in the wrist, made them promised that they won’t fight and she let them go. Viers promised, he said the words as did James, Tej, and Raymond. Viers didn’t place a single iota of weight to their promise of peace. He already prepared for battle, for their next encounter, it was simply a matter of when.
Outside of Nakala’s office, after Nakala let them go, Viers asked them before they went their separate ways.
“Do you remember the first reason that leads us to this place? Was it worth it?”
“…” James didn’t answer and the trio went away.
Viers was looking at their back as they left.
Stupid kid and his puppy love… since he’s so idiotic like a monkey, I will call his… monkey love.