Mariel's Windstorm easily dispelled Frederick's fire magic punch and it made him surprised.
"Wind magic power? I didn't think I'd see people using this kind of magic either. I thought it had been lost." Frederick said.
"Fire rings of magic!" Frederick said as he created 10 fire rings, surrounding him and shooting at Mariel in unpredictable directions.
"Wall of fire!" Mariel hurriedly turned her Qi into a line of fire magic and created a medium-sized wall of fire in front of herself. The ring of fire clashed with the wall of fire until both disappeared at the same time.
Frederick created a fire magic sword in his hand and stared at her with an angry eye. Mariel also created a fire magic sword too.
They soared towards their opponent and used their fire magic swords to slash each other in several moves. Both received minor wounds, but it did not reduce the intensity of the battle in any way.
The teachers and other students stood and watched the battle with excitement. Everyone was so thrilled that it took their breath away.
"Mariel fought equal to Frederick, it's unbelievable." Tiera said.
"That's it. I heard that there was another village. Frederick's fighting skills were superior to other children of his age. I didn't think I'd meet someone who could fight this close to him." Syndra said.
Meanwhile, a group of girls were gathering and talking about this fight. The teachers stood there and took care of their students. They also talked with each other with excitement.
"From now on, I didn't expect Mariel to have such good sword fighting skills." the male teacher said with admiration.
"Agreed, her fighting style looked similar as a boy." the female teacher said, wondering at what she saw in front of her.
As the fight continued, Mariel and Frederick began to lose their strength, but neither one gave up for this fight and they still used the power of fire magic to fight each other seriously.
"How can you fight against me? I don't believe it!" Frederick said angrily as he slammed a large ball of fire magic power at her.
Mariel cast a wind magic skill to surround the two of them, creating a small storm and spun in a spiral around them.
"I can hardly see anything." Other students said.
Several small storms gradually coalesced into a medium sized storm while Mariel and Frederick were in the center of this storm. This was exactly what Mariel wanted it to be like from the beginning.
Flame Magic! Fire Ball!
Fire magic slammed back and forth, coming out of the storm in many directions, causing others to have to avoid being exposed to the fire magic.
Mariel and Frederic used both hands to coordinate in the center of the storm. They tried to press and squeeze the other's hand with all their strength.
"Why do you have to do this? Just said Apology!" Mariel started to ask Frederick questions.
"Don't mess with me. Whether I apologize or not, it is none of your business." Frederick shouted but his eyes began to turn red, as if there was something he had kept in his heart and was waiting to explode out.
(That's right. This boy must have some kind of problem inside his mind. I remember all the time; my family came to pick me up at school. He always goes back home with his butler, and I never saw his parents even once. Why can't I think of this?) (Chai thinking)
Mariel slowly spoke to Frederick in a gentler tone. It seemed like she knew something.
"You want to be attracted to other people, right?" Mariel asked.
"How do you know?" Frederick continued to reply in a dissatisfied voice.
"Do your parents ever care about you?" Mariel asked again.
After this, Frederick's consciousness suddenly snapped and started to lose control of himself, his face was red and his right hand pulled away from Mariel's hand and made a fist, then slammed into Mariel's left cheek, causing her face to follow with the force of his punch.
Mariel's nose began to bleed but she refused to respond in any way, allowing Frederick to slam punches into her face with his left and right hands non-stop.
"Why! Why! Why are you loved by others more than me? What did I do wrong?" Frederick shouted.
"Why my parents aren't like your parents. Why!!!!!!" Frederick started to cry while shouting.
"Why!!!! *Sob*" Tears streamed down Frederick's cheeks without stopping. He stopped punching Mariel in the face and just stood with his head down and cried out.
Mariel herself had a slightly swollen face. Her nose and mouth were bleeding non-stop, but she stared at Frederick with a look of pity in her eyes.
(His parents didn't have time to take care of him. So, he tried to make himself stand out from the crowd and got to act in the wrong attention. I wanted to help him and made his family to be like my family too.) (Chai thinking)
The storm around Mariel and Frederick gradually dispersed completely. The teachers slowly walked in and separated them, but everything didn't end there because both parents had to be called to the school to listen to all the problems that occurred.
After that, Deric and Claudia arrived at the school after the teacher sent an urgent call.
After a while, Frederick's parents arrived as well. His parents parked in a black luxury car outside and immediately walked into the headmaster's room.
"Who dares to harm my son?" A sharp-faced man with a mustache who wearing a black suit, probably about the same age as Deric just shouted.
"You had a bad habit of hurting my son!" The woman looked a little older than Claudia who wearing a long dress that looked expensive and spoke while looked at Mariel.
"Look who's here, Fabian and Minestra." Deric said.
"They have often been seen in newspapers because of many successful trades with neighboring cities," Claudia added.
"It's good to know from you but your daughters dare to harm my son!" Fabian began to argue.
"Watch your mouth! If you know it from the beginning, your son starts at first and you can ask the teacher about the whole story." Deric said, turning his head to look at the male teacher.
Then the male teacher told the whole incident, but it didn't make the situation any better.
"I don't believe it! My son is a good boy, good at studying, intelligent, respectful, and his training is more advanced than any others. There's no way he would do something like this." Fabian still held his son's back.
"I don't believe it either. You guys might unite to slander my son." Minestra said loudly, trying to slander the opponent.
"Whatever you say, be careful with your words. You were a famous merchant who used inappropriate words like this. It's a shame the reputation that you built." Deric shout back with a hurtful voice.
"You were the person who should keep quiet and saw that who was better than others." Fabian said.
"Huh? Just being good at business, who cares? The reputation of this path has a certain level. Why must I be inferior to you?" Deric said.
The situation became even more tense and unpredictable. Mariel also looked at Frederick, who was trembling with fear, and it seemed like he had been repressing it in his mind and wanted to burst out at any moment.
"If you want to say something, say it. Frederick." Mariel said.
"What are you saying to my son? Look at yourself and be modest!" Minestra reprimanded with harsh words.
"It's too much! You blamed my daughter like this. I've been listening to this for a long time." Claudia couldn't stand it anymore. Mariel had to look back with a shocked expression because she didn't think her mother would be angry like this before.
The two sides looked like they were ready to fight in the headmaster's office at any time.
"The repair costs won't be expensive. Let's gave them a lesson." Fabian prepared to cast an ice magic skill.
" The cost of repairs could be divided in half. Fair enough, we would find out who's cooler. Deric said with a smile.
The headmaster and other teachers started to lose control of the situation. They didn't know what to do next.
Frederick trembled even more than before. He stood with his head bowed with tears flowing nonstop.
"You were the only one. To stop everything." Mariel tried to encourage Frederick to be even more courageous.
"Didn't I tell you? Don't talk to my son, you troublemaker!" Fabian turned and shouted at Mariel.
"That's enough, let's fight!" Deric said loudly, throwing his full power at the opponents.
The two families were about to cast spells at each other.
"ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Frederick's voice shouted in the room, causing everyone to immediately stop attacking.
"Frederick???" Fabian and Minestra said with shocked expressions.
"I hate everything! Why! Why! Everything must be like this. I just want to live my life like a normal kid. I want to have parents who talked and cared of me like everyone else, but my parents have never done this for me!" Frederick shouted out loud and his voice trembled.
"What do you say? I'm not going to…" Fabian tried to explain.
"I can't take it anymore. Every day, my father and mother only went out to deal with business, met elite group of people until midnight. What's about me? Have you ever cared about me?
A son who sat and waited to have dinner with his parents every day, but it never happens. Even on my birthday, I only had one piece of paper taped to the dining table with a happy birthday message. The toys and the money are not value to me at all!" Frederick shouted.
"But mom and dad always do it for you, my dear." Minestra tried to explain the reason.
"For me or for yourselves?" Frederick said, staring at his parents with sadness in his eyes.
These words left Fabian and Minestra speechless.
The butler who had been standing at the back for a long time slowly walked over.
"Excuse me sir, Fabian and Minestra. Throughout the past, both of you have done everything for our family to the utmost. This is something I sincerely admire. But...the only thing I want to ask you is this: Have you ever looked back and think that what does family is like? Young master, how many nights did he have to cry alone on his bed?
The Young Master saw every day that other parents driving to pick up and drop off their children every day. How much pain did it hurt in the young master's inside?
Nevertheless, you still didn't have time to stay with him. I couldn't say that was your mistake or not because of how important the work and society of you were but the young master was the most important to the master as well." The butler explained his feelings.
Frederick couldn't stop crying and looked up at his parents with sad eyes.
"Did Mom and Dad ever love me?" Frederick said.
Fabian felt like his son's words had stabbed him right in the heart. His expression was calm and there was no further response. Minestra stood still, not daring to say another word.
They slowly remembered stories from the past. The first day Minestra gave birth. That day was the happiest day of their lives. Fabian runs after Frederick happily in the large backyard. Minestra and the butler also prepared many snacks for her son too.
Fabian slowly knelt in front of Frederick and held his son tightly with both hands. Those words made Frederick cry out with joy.
"I'm sorry, son."
Minestra also had tears in her eyes and slowly leaned down to hug her son too.
"I apologize to you too, my dear."
This sight made everyone feel relieved. Deric and Claudia also patted Mariel's head with a seemingly appreciative expression. "You did a great job, Mariel."
Two families then apologized to each other and embraced forgiveness. Deric, Fabian, Claudia and Minestra were talking to each other. Mariel and Frederick embraced each other and then went back to their classrooms to do other activities.
In the evening, Fabian and Minestra also requested to cancel all of today's schedule, then let their assistants do it for them and waited to return home together with Frederick and the butler.
Frederick has changed into a different person. The expressions in his eyes looked very happy. He turned around to wave goodbye to Mariel who was preparing to go home with Deric and Claudia as well.
When they came back home, Fabian and Minestra also wanted to show off their cooking skills that they hadn't seen in more than 10 years. Frederick was waiting at the dining table with a smile on his face and his stomach rumbling with hunger.
There were lot of dishes lined up on the table. It gave him a very nice aroma.
"How long has it been since we cooked together, darling?" Fabian said sweetly to his wife.
"I can't remember it too, but I guess we have to find time to cook together more often. Do you like to be my cooking assistant? Frederick." Minestra asked.
"Sure! Mom." Frederick answered while preparing to scoop food onto his plate.
The butler stood watching from a distance with a happy expression with tears.
"I'm so glad to you, young master. All of you are back together as a family again. I am extremely happy." the butler said.
From that night, Fabian and Minestra have completely changed their work schedules by allocating more time to Frederick because they have realized that the most important thing was family, which should be together and give their energy to continue their business more successful.
The morning dawned; they all rode in a car to drop Frederick off as well. When everything finished, they hugged their son and waved goodbye, then got in the car and got ready to go to work.
Frederick came to study with a smile on his face. He talked with friends more politely, then he walked to the front of the classroom and saw Mariel with the other girls standing and chatting happily.
Frederick walked in slowly with a slight blush on his face.
"Well...Thank you very much, Mariel, for everything that happened yesterday. If it weren't from you and your family, my parents would never be like this and care for me this much." Frederick said.
"It's okay. I am so glad that your family is back together again." Mariel said with a smile.
Frederick was silent for a moment as if he was thinking about something in his mind.
"This is for my thanks." Frederick slowly said, walking closer, until their faces were almost close together.
"!!!!!!!" Mariel was suspicious...
*Kiss...*
Frederick slowly closed his eyes and kissed Mariel's right cheek softly. This made her stand still and stunned.
"Thank you again." Frederick said as he ran into the classroom with a shy expression on his face.
Other students standing behind Mariel let out soft screams of excitement.
But...Mariel...
She was standing as stiff as a stone. An expression seemed shocked, eyes wide open as if the spirit had slipped out of her body and drifted far away. Everything around her seemed like time had stopped.
(No Way! I got kissed on the cheek by a boy??? No!!!) (Chai thinking with shocked)
Then her friends helped to drag Mariel, who was still unconscious, into the classroom together.