A group of around a dozen students were currently standing in front of Ares and Prince Theo. At first, both Ares and Prince Theo tacitly decided to just ignore any annoying bugs but those bugs stubbornly continue to be annoying.
"Hey bastards, give us your points," a slightly chubby guy said with a smug face.
"Can't we just grab it from them? Who cares about these motherless *bastards anyway," another guy said encouraging the others to surround the two people.
*(bastard as in illegitimate child)
All of them were the sons of noble families thus that was where their confidence came from.
"Is he talking about us?" Prince Theo asked something so obvious as if to taunt those people.
"I'm not sure since the way they talked sounded too uncultured thus I couldn't understand them properly. I'm sorry, Your highness," Ares went along with the charade.
"Nah, it's ok. Not everyone can understand what stupid people said"
"Y-you bastards...Do you think we are afraid to beat you up just because your family's status is higher than ours huh?" One of them started to get angry.
Seemingly enrage because they didn't get the reaction they desired, a few of them started to attack Ares and Prince Theo at the same time. Having no way to run because they were surrounded, both Ares and Prince Theo gladly receive the incoming attacks.
-Clink-Clunk
Sounds of swords clashing with each other reverberated throughout the area. Since it was only two of them facing more than ten people at the same time, Ares decided to use all the daggers that he currently had.
"No matter how talented a Zanuki is, we have the advantage of numbers here. Plus he had to take care of that useless second prince."
Contrary to what they thought, Ares didn't seem to care about Prince Theo at all and continue defending and counterattacking every people that came at him.
"Hey hey, who is the one that is weak huh?" Prince Theo snickered while slashing his swords toward the students without any restraint, seemingly didn't worry if they died.
"Fuck, you can't even fight two people when our side has this many people?"
"Shit, can't you see those flying daggers coming at us as if they going to stab us the second we turned around?"
-Boom
Sounds of the small explosion also resounded among the sounds of metals clashing. Prince Theo not only used his swordsmanship but also use magic in between his fight causing his opponents to be caught off guard.
Ares on the other hand didn't use any spell other than psychokinesis and just use mana to strengthen his body. Using two Katanas on both hands and multiple daggers floating around him, there were no gaps in his defence. He parried all the attacks that came at him and counterattack every time there were opportunities.
Unlike Prince Theo who sometimes talked to his opponents to taunt them and made them unable to think rationally due to anger, Ares's silence made the people that decided to attack him, shuddered a bit.
The group that was at first motivated to extort other students' points started to panic. Two or three of them managed to flee during the chaos.
Seemingly didn't want to proceed any longer, Ares just let them flee after knocking off around half of them unconscious. Prince Theo also didn't seem to mind them too much.
"Hey isn't it a waste to just let them get away?" Prince Theo asked since he was curious about why someone like Ares would just let them be.
As far as he knew, Zanuki never let anyone that picked a fight with them go easily. He knew Ares didn't look like a typical Zanuki but still, it was weird.
"Who said it was a waste?" Ares said nonchalantly before picking up smartwatches on the ground not far from him.
Seeing those smartwatches, Prince Theo suddenly realized, why Ares let them flee. It was because he managed to extort all of their smartwatches.
"Hey don't tell me your target is those smartwatches from the start?" Prince Theo knew Ares's psychokinesis spell has some restrictions on it but it was enough to stealthily grabbed away those smartwatches from their owners.
Price Theo shuddered a bit when he thought about how Ares fought and he still managed to focus on taking away those smartwatches and control his daggers floating around him.
"Yes," Ares just answered as if nothing happened since there was no reason to lie.
At first Prince Theo already felt weird why Ares asked him about a path where they would stumble upon groups of students instead of using a more hidden path. But looking at how he nonchalantly transferred all those points into his smartwatch, it seemed he really had planned to extort points from others but only doing it if the other party provoked him first.
'Cunning bastard' the corner of Prince Theo's mouth seem to rise especially when that 'bastard' gave the rest of the smartwatches to him.
"What are we going to do with those guys that fainted?" Prince Theo asked.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"If they wake up before the test period ended or before any monsters find them, then they can continue collecting points," Ares answered calmly.
"Sigh, this heartless bastard. I have already notified the overseers to collect them. Those who flee will blame us if their friends died"
"Ok" Ares answered before walking away. He wasn't someone talkative like Prince Theo thus it's enough that he just gave at least one syllable of response.
Prince Theo knew that what Ares said wasn't wrong. If the situation was reversed where it was him and Ares that was knocked out by those guys, they would probably just leave them after extorting their points and didn't bother to notify the overseers. In that situation, it would be them that might get gnawed by monsters.
However, his elemental told him that two persons were currently watching him and Ares. As someone that always put on a kind prince facade, he didn't want anyone to know his true nature. Not now. Not until he was strong enough.
He and Ares are similar to each other. That was one of the main reasons he chose to get close to Ares. He knew Ares wasn't someone that would stab people in the back. If he wanted to, he would directly stab you in front of your face.
Ares behaving like that didn't seem weird as Zanuki tend to do whatever they want but Prince Theo's situation was different. He was an unfavored prince. Since young, he didn't have anyone to depend on.
He was always afraid his brother would do something to him and he also couldn't trust his sister. Unlike Ares where he had his family as his dependent and backup, they would always make sure Ares had a place to fall on unlike him.
Prince Theo glanced toward Ares who continued walking silently in front of him. Seemingly curious, he asked, "Hey, do you think those guys will come at us for revenge?"
"Maybe"
"You seem like you don't mind"
"Because it doesn't matter"
"Hey, why can't you show that you're at least a bit angry or annoyed?"
"I did feel annoyed but not as much as you thought I would"
"Why aren't you angry?"
"They didn't say anything wrong aren't they."
Prince Theo pondered for a bit before nodding, "Yes they didn't say anything wrong...."
He didn't want to admit it but from what he knew, the Zanuki already put Ares's mother's status as possibly deceased since it had been so long since anyone saw her. Thus it wasn't wrong to say Ares was motherless or an orphan. He was also considered an illegitimate son since his father was unknown.
Unlike him who lives in the palace, he was already used to the term *bastard and 'motherless kid' since the servants at the palace never really hide their ridicule of him. But Ares was different, the Zanuki seemed to care about him just by looking at how many Shadows were put to guard him.
"Aren't you curious where your mom is?" Prince Theo blurted out the question he had desperately tried to suppress inside for a long time.
"Not really."
"Hmm, why? Is it because your family had told you everything about her?"
"No. I know nothing and that's also why I'm not curious since she has never been part of my memories growing up"
"Tsk, you're making me pity you more" Prince Theo commented nonchalantly.
At the same time, he felt that he understood Ares's reasons. If you don't know and never see something, you wouldn't get curious about it. Ares knew he had a mom because it was a common fact since everyone supposedly has one but he knew nothing about her.
Parents weren't a need and so did children. It's a choice to be a parent and is also a choice to conceive or abandon your child.
Knowing Ares up until now, the main reason he didn't feel curious might be because he didn't feel it was a need to know someone that had never been part of his life. He grew up well without his parents thus was there a need to know about those people he never see or met.
Ares and Prince Theo continue walking to search for the hidden task.
Meanwhile on the other side of the dungeon.
"Ouch ouch, Amanda! Why the hell are you pinching my ears?" Shino said in pain. He thought his ear might fall off due to how strong Amanda pinched them.
At first, when he was looking around to find the teleportation portal, he stumbled upon Amanda who was crouching behind a thick bush, looking at something.
Feeling curious, he greeted Amanda but that didn't end well since he made Amanda shocked and Shino was slapped as the result.
"Arghhhh!- Errr oh it's you," Amanda said flatly after the short scream.
Shino was dumbfounded after being slapped, "What did I do to suddenly got slapped?"
"It's your fault for suddenly showing up behind me."
"Hey isn't your perception a bit weak if you couldn't even detect me when I just walked towards you?"
In order to survive in a dungeon, an individual must have a sharp perception to be able to avoid a dangerous situation.
"Shh, I was too focused looking at them. So shut up," Amanda rebuked him while pointing in a certain direction.
Two people were getting surrounded by at least ten guys. Shino knew who those guys were since they were in the same class. All of them were noble but Shino still frowned after he realized what those guys going to do.
"Isn't it too much trying to extort the second prince and a Zanuki?" Shino muttered.
"So what? Are you going to be their knight in shining armour saving two princesses in distress?" Amanda said in a mocking tone.
It was well known that Manic hated Zanuki and hated useless people even more. Prince Theo was deemed a useless prince since he was a kid thus many looked down on him.
Ares on the other hand got picked up because he was with Prince Theo but even if he was alone, some students might still try to fight him since he looked weak. Despite performing well during their combat class, a lot of them still thought he was weak and Adrian purposely went easy on him.
Shino who had sparred with Adrian knew that Adrian wasn't someone that would purposely go easy on someone. Furthermore, Adrian looked a bit pleased after his spar with Ares which means he didn't go easy on Ares.
"Sigh, these guys are digging their own grave," Shino muttered but Amanda didn't say much and they just continued watching the scene unfold in front of them.
A few moments later, everything was settled as what Shino had expected but he was still shocked since at first, he thought Ares might struggle to fight and protect Prince Theo at the same time. On the contrary, both of them didn't care about each other and just focused on their fights.
"It seems Prince Theo is a magic swordsman" Shino muttered.
Unlike normal swordsmen, magic swordsmen didn't use aura but preferred using spells and mana in battles and fights. While fighting, they would use magic attack spells in between their attacks making their opponent feel overwhelmed.
Ares on the other hand uses a really fast and light dual swordsmanship.
"Hey Shino Kiba, if you fight one of them, how high is your chance to win?" Amanda suddenly asked.
Shino glanced towards Ares and Prince Theo who still dividing their battle loots.
"Not sure. Don't you see Ares also capable of using spells continuously while fighting? Maybe I would lose if I fight one of them" Shino wasn't overconfident. He knew he was always at a disadvantage with people that proficient with magic spells.
But if he fought a normal mage, there might be a chance to easily win if he fight in close range but both Ares and Prince Theo seemed to be able to fight close range and long range effectively.
"Tsk, muscle head Kiba" Amanda muttered before she stood straight when Ares and Prince Theo were already gone from the area.
"This muscle head is stronger than you Amanda," Shino said calmly since he had already known Amanda since they were young thus he was already used to Amanda's arrogant and rude way of talking.
"If I set up a few traps, even that Zanuki guy would fall into them," Amanda said arrogantly before walking away towards the opposite direction of where Ares and Prince Theo had been to.
"Sigh, should I accompany her? Nah, just let her be since she wasn't stupid to let something happen to her," Shino decided before continuing to search for a teleportation gate.