Chapter 22: The Cursed Man Vs The Elite Noble

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: The Cursed Man Vs The Elite Noble

Xavier stared at him, his eyes flat with boredom, a sharp contrast to the fury written across Ethan’s face.

Around them, the academy employees had already begun murmuring, wondering how far things would escalate between the so-called cursed husband and the academy’s elite young noble.

Xavier had been looking forward to starting his first day of work. Instead, someone had already appeared to ruin his morning.

He sighed.

"Move," he said.

Ethan froze.

"What?" he asked.

"You’re blocking the entrance," Xavier said, his expression remaining completely indifferent.

"If you have nothing useful to say, get out of my way," he added.

The surrounding students immediately backed away. Everyone knew Ethan’s temper. More importantly, everyone knew his family had enough influence to make ordinary students think twice before provoking him.

Ethan’s face flushed with anger.

"You dare—" he started.

Marcus quickly stepped forward.

"Ethan, we’re academy employees now. If you have a problem, take it up with Supervisor Caleb Hart," he said, his voice tense as he tried to stand his ground.

Ethan sneered.

"Caleb Hart?" he said.

"You think I care about a common employee?" he added.

Ethan’s expression hardened. As far as he was concerned, Xavier was no threat, a powerless nobody without the family backing to stand against the Carters. He had already decided to put Xavier in his place, and Marcus would get the same treatment for daring to stand beside him.

The fool had dared to invoke Caleb’s name to threaten him. Using a mere employee to shield himself pissed Ethan off down to the bone. Deal with Marcus first, he decided, and maybe Xavier would fold and give him the apology his ego demanded.

His hand shot toward Marcus’s face. Before it could land, Xavier stepped forward and caught his wrist.

Ethan’s expression changed instantly. For a moment, he simply stared at Xavier’s hand around his wrist. Then he jerked his arm backward.

It didn’t move.

Ethan pulled harder, using all the strength he had, but Xavier’s grip remained firm. There was no visible strain on Xavier’s face, not even the slightest sign that he was struggling to hold him.

Ethan’s eyes widened.

That wasn’t normal strength.

He had always assumed Xavier was just another ordinary person without mana. Ethan himself had never awakened his mana, and because his family had always protected and provided for him, he had never bothered to develop any real combat ability. As far as he was concerned, Xavier was no different.

But this strength...

"You awakened mana?" Ethan asked, almost without realizing he had spoken.

Xavier looked at him calmly. The answer was obvious from the way he was holding him. An ordinary person could not have stopped Ethan’s attack so effortlessly, much less hold him in place when he was trying to break free.

Ethan’s face tightened. So Xavier wasn’t powerless after all. He had actually awakened mana.

The realization was humiliating enough on its own. Ethan had come expecting to slap Marcus and use his family’s influence to make Xavier look helpless in front of the academy. Instead, Xavier had intercepted his attack as though it were nothing.

"Let go," Ethan demanded.

Xavier held his gaze for another moment before releasing him.

Ethan immediately pulled his arm back and took a step away, rubbing his wrist. His face was already burning with embarrassment.

Xavier looked at him calmly.

"Don’t raise your hand against my friend again," he said. "If you have a problem with me, deal with me directly. Leave him out of it," he added.

Ethan’s face twisted with anger.

"Who do you think you are to—" he started.

Before he could finish, Xavier’s hand swept across his face.

Smack!

The sharp crack echoed through the academy entrance. Ethan staggered sideways and crashed to the ground. A red handprint quickly appeared across his cheek.

For several seconds, the entire crowd stood in stunned silence.

Ethan slowly touched his face. The pain was insignificant. What he couldn’t accept was the humiliation. He had arrived intending to put Xavier in his place, using his family’s reputation to make sure everyone understood who held the power. Instead, his attack had been stopped in front of everyone, his assumption that Xavier was powerless had been shattered, and he had ended up on the ground with half the academy watching.

"You..." he said, his eyes becoming bloodshot.

"Get him!" he shouted.

The two men who had accompanied him immediately rushed toward Xavier. Both were only at the first rank of their magical state. Xavier didn’t even take them seriously.

The first man threw a punch. Xavier shifted sideways, caught his arm, and drove his elbow into his stomach. The man doubled over. Xavier followed with a kick that sent him stumbling backward.

The second man attacked immediately afterward. Xavier turned and struck him across the chest. The man flew backward and crashed onto the ground.

Both men were left clutching their injuries.

The surrounding students erupted into whispers.

"That’s it?" one asked.

"Two men went down just like that!" another squealed.

"So Xavier really can fight," someone added.

"I thought he was just an ordinary man," another student said.

"He’s definitely hiding his strength," someone else said.

"None of that matters. He just humiliated Ethan Carter," another lowered his voice to say.

"Exactly. The Carter family won’t let this go," someone replied.

"And don’t forget that Xavier is only an alchemy apprentice. Gideon Lowell isn’t going to fight an entire family for him," another added.

"Especially now that Gideon has entered seclusion," someone finished.

The whispers reached Ethan’s ears. His face became increasingly twisted. He had already suffered one humiliation yesterday. Now, on his first day back at the academy, he had been beaten in front of everyone. He couldn’t accept it.

Rage finally overtook whatever restraint he had left.

"Xavier Kane!" he shouted.

He suddenly reached behind his waist. A small blade appeared in his hand.

Marcus’s expression changed.

"Xavier, watch out!" he said.

Ethan charged forward, the blade flashing as he thrust it toward Xavier. Blinded by fury, his attack came in wild and uncoordinated, nothing like the calculated intimidation he had planned only moments earlier.

Then, "Enough!" a clear voice suddenly rang through the entrance.

A figure moved faster than anyone could react. A burst of magical energy struck Ethan in the chest.

Bang!

He was sent flying backward. The dagger slipped from his hand and landed several feet away.

The crowd fell silent.