Chapter 20: Erwin Emerald
Dave woke up in the morning, and as usual, he prepared food for Draco. Afterward, he got ready to go to the academy.
While walking toward the academy, he overheard a group of people discussing the latest news.
"Did you hear that someone hung Earl Sandro outside his gate?" one of them said.
"Yes, I also heard that he was a spy from the Black Turtle Empire. Those bastards are getting more arrogant by the day, moving in silence," another added.
"You're right. The investigators didn't know who hung up the Earl, but they did a great job."
Dave couldn't help but smile upon hearing this news. When he woke up in the morning, he received many Sin Points from Karl.
No one knew that he was the one responsible for the incident, and even if they attempted to investigate it, they couldn't trace it back to him.
Dave had meticulously covered his tracks, ensuring that no evidence remained.
Even if they were to discover the truth, he didn't care.
He believed he might even be rewarded for this meritorious act.
He suspected that Karl might have realized that a powerful individual was guarding him, the one who had dealt with Sandro.
What they didn't know was that their target had turned out to be the real hunter, and they were playing with fire.
As he approached the academy's gate, he spotted Rose waiting for him, looking at him shyly.
Rose's skin had become even more radiant and her overall appearance had improved since she became romantically involved with Dave.
He couldn't help but recall the enchanting image of her face during their intimate moments.
Dave smiled and immediately held her waist, teasing, "Can you walk properly now?"
Rose was initially angered by his words, but she playfully punched his chest, already having accepted that he was her boyfriend.
She didn't realize it, but every time he provoked her, she thought she hated him, only to later discover that she liked him.
He was handsome, despite being occasionally irritating, and he was sweet enough to cook for her and take care of her.
She had resolved to change her personality for Dave because she didn't want him to leave her.
Dave had a constant presence in her thoughts, and after hearing his parting words, she realized that she had been overly harsh on him.
She also recognized that it wasn't her loss, as Dave was a much better option than being forced into an arranged marriage with some prince from a distant land.
"Let's go."
Dave noticed her behavior change and held her hand as they walked together.
Rose was stunned, but she recalled that he had already touched her body in many places, making holding hands seem rather innocent.
Many people witnessed this scene, and Dave could hear many hearts breaking.
Rose was a top beauty, despite her fierceness, and Dave was handsome.
Dave received many love letters every day, which he simply ignored.
Suddenly, he found himself gaining numerous Sin Points, all originating from envy and wrath.
He felt that envy and wrath were the emotions associated with most of Sin.
Dave realized that his Sin Points had reached 700,000 and decided that he would need to level up his skills and power later. He enjoyed the attention he received from everyone.
As they continued walking, he suddenly encountered a man blocking their path.
This tall individual was of similar height to Dave but had a face marred by acne.
He had some underlings following him.
This man, Erwin, looked at Dave and said, "How dare you steal my beloved Rose? Don't you know who my father is?"
Their bet remained a well-guarded secret among those who were privy to it.
The fear of offending both Dave and Rose, who held significant status and influence, discouraged people from spreading the information widely.
Dave was amused because very few knew his identity on campus, as he usually kept a low profile.
The reason people didn't recognize his face was that he had changed in physical appearance after unlocking the Sin of Lust.
He was even more handsome than before, but he rarely went out due to his father's training, so nobody knew of his altered image except his exes.
Though he had always been handsome, he now looked even better.
Rose was shocked by Erwin's audacity in antagonizing Dave.
'He's dead!'
She recognized him as the son of Duke Emerald, Erwin, a 17-year-old second-year student who had continuously attempted to court her but had been ignored.
He had been spoiled since birth, enjoyed causing trouble, and had grown even more arrogant due to his father's status.
However, his father had warned him not to provoke anyone, especially the Guardian's son.
Erwin ignored his warning and enjoyed bullying the weak while fearing the strong.
She recognized that Erwin was rather dense and rarely heeded his father's advice, making him a source of trouble within the empire.
Rose only realized that Dave's appearance had changed significantly; it was as if a mysterious fog now shrouded his face.
On the first day of classes, nobody almost recognized him among the students.
She had been warned by her father not to provoke him, and she vaguely remembered meeting him when they were just three years old.
However, she had never expected such a drastic transformation in his features.
She now also realized that she was similar to Erwin before, who had failed to recognize Dave as the guardian's son.
Dave smiled and responded, "Why should I care about your father? Is he the emperor? Is that why you're acting so high and mighty?"
Erwin, angered by Dave's cocky attitude, retorted, "You're quite cocky, huh? Do you think that the princess will protect you from me?"
Erwin then commanded his subordinates to teach Dave a lesson.
As his subordinates charged forward to attack Dave, Dave immediately released his Aura, causing them to kneel on the ground.
Everyone was shocked, except for Rose, whose hands were still held by Dave.
She couldn't help but admire how cool he appeared at that moment.
Her face turned red as she remembered how fierce Dave had been when they had been intimate.
Dave looked at the kneeling figures with disdain and kicked them all, causing their bones to crack and leaving them severely injured.
"Arghh!"
They screamed, but nobody dared to help them to avoid further provoking Dave.
Afterward, he turned his attention to Erwin and seized him by the neck, lifting him like a chicken.
Dave said, "You know I despise it when someone ruins my mood when I'm with my women, so I'll punish you lightly."
He then destroyed Erwin's cultivation, the source of his power, leaving him immediately crippled.
His strength was now at the level of an ordinary person, despite previously being a Master.
Everyone was shocked by the brutality of Dave's "light punishment."
Dave whispered a few words in Erwin's ear, leaving him shocked and afraid.
Dave tossed him aside like trash and continued walking as if nothing had happened.
The guards had witnessed the scene but wisely chose not to intervene, preferring to avoid offending the duke rather than the Guardian.
They acted as if nothing had happened. Even though it was forbidden to cripple someone inside the academy, they believed that the dean would turn a blind eye to it.