Chapter 4 - Saving The Damsel In Distress
Turning the corner into the alleyway, Leon was a bit startled. It turns out to be his teacher Lina that was in trouble.
Lina's clothes were torn apart arms pinned down against the wall and her mouth still covered be the two smaller thugs.
Big brother thug was just getting ready for the good part.
Leon was thankful he was not too late.
"STOP!!!"
"Brat, what do you want? Can't you see this daddy here was just getting to the good part?"
Big brother thug paused and questioned him with annoyance.
Hearing the thug proclaiming himself 'daddy' triggered one of Leon's nerve, but he did not erupt and calmly observed the alleyway to see if there were any other thugs hidden around.
Seeing it was just 3 average thugs, Leon was inwardly relieved.
"Yo, some random person tells you to stop and you just stop? Tsk tsk, such a good dog. Here's a bone for you."
Having said that, Leon tossed one of his chicken bones with swift speed.
The chicken bone hit the big brother thug accurately on the forehead with great force, knock him flying back off his feet before anyone could react.
The concussive blow was enough to knock him out cold.
Leon dashed forward after swiftly, giving a chop to the back of the neck of each thug, followed by grabbing them by the collar and flinging their bodies onto the unconscious big brother thug with each hand in the distance.
Taking off his coat, Leon draped it over Lina's body.
"Are you alright, teacher?" Leon asked.
If it was the previous fearless Lina, Leon would probably receive a reply like; "Are you alright...? Do I look alright to you!?"
However, the current Lina was still quite shaken and was not in the right state of mind to process what just happen. Looking at the pile of bodies on the ground then slowly looking up, their eye meet.
"You are... Leon?"
Seeing the familiar face with a concerned look, Lina did not think too much.
She embraced him and started weeping at the grievance she suffered.
Even when the thugs had pinned her down and torn her clothes, she did not cry. But now that it's all over, she could not hold back her tears.
Being embraced so suddenly, Leon's mind was short circuited as he had never encountered this situation before.
He did not know what to say or where to put his hands, which were stilling hovering in midair.
After a moment of difficult pondering, Leon gave her 2 pats on the shoulder and said, "There there."
That was the best choice of action he could come up with.
Leon inwardly had an impulse to shove her away, but he refrained from doing so. It had to said that he is still covered in impurities and smell horrendous.
He must give her a thumbs up for not being put off by his smell.
If the other male students on campus had learned of what had transpired in the alleyway, their faces would have gone red with envy and anger for not being one the in Leon's shoes. But since they aren't, they could still curse him like; 'Dammit, it's like seeing a flower being grown on a pile of shit.' Or something like, 'He's not a man if he doesn't take advantage of the situation.'
After all, Lina was still young and beautiful. She did not have a lack of admirers.
But who was Leon? He was not the same as them. With his father unavenged, he did not have the hearts for romance. He was not interested!
While Lina was still weeping to herself, Leon noticed that big brother thug had awaken and had been trying to stealthily crawl beneath their notice.
Peeling Lina off his body, he said, "Wait here."
Walking over, Leon sat down on top of big brother thug with his bag of unfinished fried chicken, startling him.
'Not good.' Thought the thug.
He never thought he would bump into such a monster, who can throw chicken bones with such power.
"Do you know who I am!?" Big brother thug put on a strong front.
"How the heck would I know who you are?"
Leon gave him a powerful blow on the head, making him dizzy.
"I'm part of the Black Snake Gang. If you know what's good for you, you will get off me, kowtow and apologize." Big brother thug threatened.
"Idiot. It seems like you don't know what sort of situation you're in."
Having said that, Leon unleashed his murderous killing intent on the thug. The killing intent that he honed through the corpses of countless beast he has slaughtered was thick and heavy.
It wasn't considered high level in the Divine Realm but here, it wasn't something a normal person could bare.
"Hm!?" Leon swiftly retreated from the thug's body.
The poor dude could not handle the pressure brought by Leon's killing intent and gone pale, shivering and wet himself.
"Disgusting. Just a bit of killing intent is enough to make you wet yourself." Leon scorned.
"Big brother please spare me. This little brother was wrong." Big brother thug pleaded.
Feeling vexed, Leon kicked him away.
"Who the hell is your big brother? I don't have a little brother like you.
"Right, right! Father is so mighty how can he have a little brother like me? The thug had scurried back and said.
"The fuck? Who the hell wants to be your father? I don't need a trashy son like you." Leon was triggered and gave him a stronger kick, sending him flying.
Groaning in pain, the thug did not get back up and stayed on the ground.
He has already lowered himself and tried boot-licking the person, but the person just kept kicking him. He was so angry and wanted to cry, but no tears would flow.
'When have I ever been bullied like this? It's always been me bullying others.
"What do I have to do for you to spare my life, gran-... boss?" He was going to address him as grandpa but refrained.
BAM**
Pity he still got kicked.
"I don't need a lackey like you either. It's not hard to spare you. You just have to stop committing crimes and turn over a new leaf."
Leon started leaving without waiting for his answer.
"Are you coming?" Leon asked while looking at Lina.
"Ah! Y-yes." Lina snapped out of her thoughts and follow. As to what she was thinking, no one knows.
But the thug was groveled on the ground in joy, having been spared and said to the duo leaving in the distance.
"Y-yes! I will stop and turn over a new leaf!" The thug said with a determined look.
"I hope so. There's no second chance."
Leon's voice trailed from the distance into his ears.
He shivered but once they had disappeared from his view, his face quickly changed into a dark vicious look and gnashed his teeth.
"This humiliation, I will remember it."
Big brother thug swears that when he gets the opportunity, he will kill them but not before he finishes torturing them.
"Hmph! Turn over a new leaf? What a joke!"
Being deep in the underworld, there is no backing out. Being among the higher ranks in the Black Snake Gang, he was privy to some information. He would probably be silenced should he try to leave the gang.
For a crime gang to survive in the capital, they had to have the backing of nobles, someone with a powerful background.
To consider these gangs backed by nobles as their subordinates is just putting it nicely.
They are just dogs who do the dirty work for the nobles.
.....
"Should I escort you home?" Leon offered.
When you decide to help someone, don't stop halfway.
"Thank you... I would be very grateful if you do." Lina accepted the offer as she gripped the coat draped over her.
She no longer had the courage to walk home alone. It is not safe for a lady to walk home alone at night after all.
"So, where do you live?"
"It's just about half an hour's walk in that direction." Lina said weakly as she pointed in the direction of the commoner's district.
Leon heard what she said and was speechless.
'You originally planned to walk that far alone at this time? Women, aren't you just asking for trouble?' Leon thought.
But what Leon did not know what that she does not usually go home this late.
"Is it too much?" Lina bit her lips.
"Ah no sorry, my house is also in the same direction. Let's go."
Lina was relieved. She was afraid Leon would reject her.
The walk home was awkwardly silent. Leon had nothing to say and walked in front calmly, while Lina trailed behind. While she wanted to say something, she does not know what to say.
'Sigh where's my dignity as a teacher? Relying on my students like this. How good would it be if he wasn't my student and a few years older? Huh? What the hell am I thinking.'
Lina was embarrassed to think that way and tried to rid the thought.
The walk continued in silence.
Leon suddenly thought that it was strange that she had to walk home like this. After all, she is an Earl's daughter, not to mention there are cars and carriages. Being a noble, her situation should naturally be different his, who grew up as a commoner.
What Leon wasn't aware of is that her situation isn't much different from his, if one ignores her status of nobility.
The Greene family had already sold away their car and carriages for the extra cash to continue living in the capital.
…..
The Crawford Kingdom is situated right next to the Wildlands, with a great metal wall separating the two. In the distant past, humanity was once on the brink of extinction in these unforgiving lands when the world suddenly changed.
Humanity who was once at the top of the food chain, fell to the bottom. The animals all mutated into beasts, becoming faster, stronger, bigger and more aggressive. The humans that did not mutate along with the rest of the world were hunted down tragically. The weapons of humans were not effective on the mutated beasts.
At that time, a person rose to power from a humble background and fended off the beast invasion alone.
His name was Aldrich Crawford. He was a human, who had awakened a powerful ability to manipulate metal.
With his power, he slaughtered the beasts easily like chickens and erected the great metal wall, establishing the Crawford Kingdom with the duty to guard the wall from future beast invasion.
The people worshiped his feats and capability and refer to him as the first Hero King Aldrich Crawford.
An unfathomable amount of metal was invested into making the wall bigger and more stable to endure the growing beast attacks.
Thus, cars have become a luxury and privilege owned by the nobles and the rich, since metal is strictly regulated by the royal family and their value is sky high.