Stepping out of the carriage, Colt once again came face to face with the students of the academy. Holding a smile on his face, he was feeling refreshed today.
He stared at the students coming in the academy and peacefully walked with every step taking the attention of people to him. Murmurs could be heard but he ignored them all with an honest expression on his face.
"Is he the one? The one who defeated Formillo?"
"Yeah, I heard he was challenged out of jealousy towards his fiancée the Queen. Wait, wasn't he also the one who slapped the daughter of the Courtgain Family? Damn, is he brave."
"I heard that too, I heard he acted as such because the Queen was insulted. For him to challenge someone for the one he loves…how I envy the Queen."
His name had already begun to spread. Despite him not knowing about the thing regarding Mina being called as the Queen. He was pretty much expecting this kind of thing to appear as soon as he steps into academy grounds.
At the moment, Colt has one goal in mind – to not get stepped all over by Mina's suitors. The fact had already been established that in a story, a conflict between two people will occur because of a woman and vice versa.
Most of the time, it is harmless insults, but there are times when all of it goes too far, and dealing with them becomes a hassle – just like this situation.
Colt stopped his steps, he looked at the man before him and sighed. The person before him wore the uniform of the Mage Class, he was well built but not so much like the students of the Warrior Class.
"I expected a Challenger but I didn't expect someone from the Mage Class. I would like to warn you that I have no interest in bullying the weak I —"
"Shut your mouth! You were the one who seduced and took the Queen away from us, how dare you, you fucking bastard! Colt Egdeworth, I Porlena Loequio challenge you to a duel!"
In the Academy other than the duel of Certain Conflict, there is also another form of duel a student can issue – personal duels.
This form of duel is something that can be ignored and thrown aside as there is no witness or proof of anything that necessitates one party to accept it.
Regardless, Colt looked at the young man's burning eyes and nodded his head and accepted the duel.
"Okay, I accept."
"If that is so, then, follow me to the—"
"No need, let us just do it here, there is no need to change locations."
"Hmmph, it would seem that your arrogance blinded you. For you to like to endure public humiliation is something I did not expect. I accept, let us do it here, I can't wait to beat the shit out of you!"
The Mage Class student harrumphed as he noticed Colt's arrogance. Thus, he accepted it and as the mage got ready to cast a spell, Colt's toes grasped the world and then darted forward.
With a passive expression, he looked down upon the student and held his sheathed sword ten centimeters away from the student's neck.
Gulp!
The student swallowed his saliva and fell on his knees.
"Are you satisfied or do you wish to continue?"
"Bullshit do you think I —"
Swoosh!
Colt swung his sword once again and this time, it was closer than before. The pressure from his sword was stronger than before.
"So?" he asked a simple question and the student made an incoherent sound before falling flat on his face – he had already fainted. A golden pool formed around the student as he had pissed himself from fear.
Not expecting for such thing to happen, Colt looked around as he tried asking for help. Most of the students avoided his looks as they did not want to get wrapped into having to deal with taking the student to the infirmary.
Thankfully, someone came to his rescue.
"Are you having trouble with another duel, child?"
Turning around, he saw the bear-like person Gilbert and chuckled as he nodded his head.
"Haha! It seems like you are busy even though it is so early. Don't worry about your opponent a guard will take him to the infirmary, let us go I want to ask you something.��
Colt was a little apprehensive to leave his challenger in such a state and indeed, he took the challenger's arms and dragged him to one side. Yes, he still looks pitiful as she slumped down on the wall, but at least he wasn't in the middle of the road.
"Sorry about that, shall we get going? Teacher Gilbert?"
"You're a good kid, I expected no less from the scion of the Edgeworth's family, of Shickly no less."
"You know of my father?"
"Why of course, I frequent his shop for his [Secret Collection] and even get drunk with him and Liron. Oh yeah, we also fought with many Magical Beasts in the past."
Colt released an "Oh" sound as he realized he knows nothing about that as there was nothing stated in the book.
Secretly, Colt peeked over at Gilbert and asked.
"Um, I heard you recently got married, congratulations."
"Ah, why thank you. I didn't think you would know such a thing."
"You're the Dragon Slayer, a hero of our Kingdom, I think many people are trying to know about you. It seems like one lucky lady managed to catch the heart of the great Dragon Slayer, Sir Gilbert?"
Laughing, Gilbert smacked Colt's back to his embarrassment. It felt like Colt's back would cave in, but then again, it didn't happen so all's well.
"Haha, is that how others see it? It seems like I'll be getting in trouble once this reaches Sela's ears."
Colt raised a brow at his words, "Hmm, that's a surprise, is the great Dragon Slayer someone who fears his wife?"
"Nonsense! It's just that it was I who went trying to get her to marry me since we were kids."
"Oh?" Once again, it was not a piece of information he didn't know.
"Yes, she's a fragile flower that a bear like me wanted to get. Since we were kids, I have been trying to woo her, I even tried becoming stronger because I heard she likes strong men. I even found the courage to fight the Fire Dragon because she once told me she adores heroes."
"Then she must have been all over you when you became who you are, no?"
"No it's the opposite, she almost refused to talk to me after all that I did."
"why is that?"
"She said she didn't want me diving headfirst into danger. Haha, now that I remember it, she said that she had already liked me when we were young, I simply lacked the courage to tell her how I feel. And now, we got married though she now keeps a tight leash on me so that I won't do anything more dangerous. Ah, you may think I am getting stepped over in this relationship, that is not true because she is simply trying to protect and I see it as her showing me her love."
Colt nodded his head for he too understood what Gilbert was saying.
Smiling, he nodded his head and agreed to his words.
"Ah, I need to head to the Teacher's Faculty we have a meeting today. I will see you later, student Colt. Hehe, I sounded like a teacher with that."
Gilbert turned his back to Colt and run along. Watching Gilbert now with his cheerful and energetic self, Colt could not imagine how he turned out to become the slaughterer that he was.
Seeing him live his life like this made Colt remember what happened in the original story.
Gilbert, the one who was hailed as the hero went to make a deal with someone and caused a mass slaughter.
His heart ached as he swung his weapon against his people, he cried blood as he did so but he didn't stop. He wished to save the one he loves, his wife who had been inflicted with the Red Vein Disease.
Although Colt didn't know how much he loves his wife and how much affection he holds, right now, Colt could understand.
The one he adored for his life lay sick on the bed smiling at him wishing him to not worry. She grows weaker by the day and a cure had yet to appear.
He who knows nothing other than to fight could not do anything other than to care and smile for his wife to lighten the burden she carries in her heart.
Then one day, someone appeared before him claiming he carries the cure for his wife's disease. He did not think it over and simply did what they ordered.
Under the veil of the night and the rumblings of thunder, Gilbert went around killing people. Those he killed cried and every time he reaps a life, he would cry.
Crushed by the guilt, he didn't want to move forward. But the memory of his wife drove him forward. And when the Hero's group appeared before him, he was already at his limit as he tried to go against his morality.
The hero's party faced him and asked, "Why are you doing this? Please, stop this!"
Gilbert looked at them and cried tears of blood, he bawled as he begged for them to move away.
"Please, do not stop me, this is the only way I can save her. This is the only way I can find hope for her, I am strong but I can't use it for the one I cherish the most, please, move, I do not want to kill anyone I don't need to kill."
A fight broke out and Gilbert fought the opposition, he was too strong and overwhelmed them. But as he continuously apologized and begged for forgiveness before taking their lives, his wife appeared.
Gilbert rushed to her side, asking why she was there. His wife banged his chest, crying and sobbing telling him to stop, she coughed up blood as she held his face. She stared at him and he did the same, she opened her mouth and asked him, "Can we go home?"
Nodding his head, Gilbert went back to their house, as he walked with his wife in his arms, her already weakened body slowly lost its warmth and died shortly in his arms; and as they reached their home, Gilbert slit his throat and followed his wife.
Colt remembers the story clearly and as he looked at Gilbert's back, he decided to not let the epidemic take anyone's life.
"You deserve better."