If Tonya's brother truly held a high position in the Fatui, why would she endure such humiliation?
It was likely just a lie, ant to warn Lucas not to go too far with her.
However, Lucas didn't expose her "lie." He simply whispered, "Now, try screaming a few tis. The louder, the better."
"Why?" Tonya looked puzzled.
"Otherwise, those guys outside will get suspicious," Lucas smirked. "You don't think they'll believe I brought you in here just to have a chat, do you?"
Only then did Tonya realize what he ant. Although she felt embarrassed, she let out a few loud screams. Fortunately, her personality was rather bold, so she wasn't overly shy about it.
When the two of them left the shower room, the dormmates outside all had knowing expressions on their faces.
"Listen up, and spread the word," Lucas said as he wrapped his arm around Tonya's shoulders, grinning. "From now on, this kid is my exclusive property. Tell the others to stay away."
Hearing this, the others couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. After all, such a good-looking freshman was rare, and now he had quickly beco the personal plaything of the campus tyrant.
[Entering Text Mode]
[To maintain appearances, you applied for a double dorm room. Given your outstanding performance, securing this special privilege wasn't difficult.]
[Before long, you and Tonya moved into a double dorm. Of course, to the outside world, your relationship was already quite clear.]
[Especially with Tonya's pretty face, even while disguised as a man, she attracted a lot of attention. Many students even thought "he" was cuter than actual girls.]
[However, you didn't just treat Tonya like a maid. With your increasingly bold demands and threats, Tonya had no choice but to slowly compromise.]
[In less than three months, except for the final step, you had already made Tonya try almost everything.]
[You had to admit that the dull and monotonous life at the military academy was starting to get to you. For many students, the first thing they did after receiving a rare break wasn't to go ho, but to use their ager stipend to blow off steam.]
[Having Tonya around made things much "easier" for you. At least, as a young man full of energy, you didn't end up bottling up your frustrations.]
[As for why you hadn't taken that final step, maybe it was because, in your mind, as long as you held back, you wouldn't feel like you had betrayed your fiancée back in Mondstadt—Eula.]
[Of course, you kept your promise. Under your "protection," Tonya wasn't troubled by anyone. At worst, she endured the occasional whistle or catcall from a few ill-intentioned students.]
[However, you couldn't protect her every second. One day, when you were assigned to instruct freshn in combat techniques as part of your duties, you returned to find Tonya missing.]
[One of your underlings inford you that ten minutes ago, Tonya had been shoved around and dragged to the gym by Senior Gambes and a group of students.]
[Gambes was a third-year student, notorious for bullying others, and he had considerable influence within the academy. Your groups had clashed several tis before. If you provoke him now, it could be the spark that ignites a full-blown conflict between your factions.]
[Though you had established your own faction at the academy, you were still an outsider. If you got into a dispute with soone like Gambes, it might not turn out in your favor.]
[As for Tonya, in the end, she was just a tool for your amusent. Whether it was worth getting into trouble for her was debatable. So you decided...]
[1. Swallow your pride.]
[2. Go save her.]
"Swallow my pride... How could I let that slide?" Lucas said quickly. "I choose the second option!"
After all, I haven't even had my first glass of wine yet!
[Entering imrsive mode.]
[Mission objective: Rescue Tonya.]
[Mission reward: B-tier Talent.]
Snezhnaya Military Academy, Gymnasium.
Normally, the gym was only open during class hours, but Gambes had a lot of connections at the academy, so getting access to it wasn't hard for him.
In fact, this wasn't the first ti he had brought a good-looking male student here.
At this mont, Gambes and his gang of seven or eight students had already cornered Tonya.
Gambes ca from a military family. Though he was only 19, his face was already covered in stubble, and his nearly two-ter-tall, burly fra gave off an imposing aura.
"What... what do you want?" Tonya asked nervously, her back against the wall. "Don't you know I'm under the protection of the Lawrence gang?"
The "Lawrence gang" was, of course, the na of Lucas's faction. While it didn't an she could walk around the school unchallenged, it was enough to offer so level of safety.
"I couldn't care less about that Mondstadt pig!" Gambes sneered, revealing his yellowed teeth from years of smoking. "I've been keeping my eye on you, little pup. Such a fine piece of at, wasted on that pretty boy. What a sha."
Seeing that even invoking the Lawrence na wasn't helping, Tonya's nervousness grew stronger.
She knew exactly what these guys wanted. If they succeeded, her secret would certainly be exposed.
And as Lucas had warned her before, she might even face a lot more than just exposure—she could be cruelly tornted.
"Hmph... You bunch of idiots!" Tonya decided to play her trump card, shouting, "Do you know who my brother is? He's an officer in the Fatui!"
Upon hearing this, the group showed a brief mont of surprise.
Did it work?
But their surprise was quickly replaced by mocking laughter.
"The brother of a Fatui officer would need to attend this academy?"
"You think we're idiots?"
"If you're an officer's brother, then the Tsaritsa's my wife..."
Before the younger lackey could finish his sentence, Gambes slapped him hard across the face. "Are you out of your mind? You dare say sothing like that?"
Unlike in Mondstadt, where poking fun at Barbatos was no big deal, showing disrespect to the Tsaritsa in Snezhnaya was an unforgivable offense.
"Damn it! I've had enough!"
Gambes stepped forward and reached out to grab Tonya. Just as his hairy hand was about to touch her shoulder, a basketball suddenly fell from above, hitting the back of his head squarely.
"Perfect shot."
From behind the group ca a teasing voice. "The Lawrence team scores."
Gambes, now resembling an enraged bear, turned around furiously to see Lucas standing behind them, smiling. "Gambes, I heard you took my toy. That's not okay. Without it, I won't be able to sleep tonight."
"Senior!"
For so reason, the sight of Lucas—the sa guy who was always plotting to bully her—suddenly filled Tonya with a sense of relief.
"What are you waiting for?" Lucas beckoned with his finger. "Co on, let's go ho."
Tonya quickly stood up, about to make her way over to him, but Gambes's large arm blocked her path.
"Mondstadt boy, you just said it yourself—he's just a toy," Gambes sneered. "What's wrong with sharing him with your seniors for a bit? Don't worry, we'll return him to you in three days."
Three days?
Even if Tonya were truly a boy, after three days with these guys, she'd likely be reduced to a wreck.
"That won't work, Senior," Lucas said with a faint smile. "Such a delicate toy... It'd be a sha if you broke it with a toothpick."
The double aning in his words only enraged Gambes further. Already seething, his fury reached a boiling point. "Fine! You've successfully pissed off. Today, neither you nor him will leave here. Coming to face alone—you'll regret it."
"Wait a minute, who said I ca alone?" Lucas clapped his hands. "Alright, boys, co on out."
As soon as he finished speaking, the gymnasium doors swung open. A group of students, ard with training weapons, flooded in and quickly shut the door behind them.
Even in the face of this, Gambes didn't show any fear. Instead, he laughed coldly. "Hey, you guys are all from Snezhnaya, right? Are you really willing to offend just to help this Mondstadt pig?"
"You're the one who should take a closer look," Lucas said casually. "These guys—all of them—are people you've bullied before."
Gambes finally realized that the students now glaring at him with hatred were all people he had humiliated in the past.
When they were alone, they may not have dared to resist. But now, with the chance for revenge, they weren't about to let it slip by.
And as for the consequences?
Do you expect a group of angry Snezhnayan youths to care about consequences? That's laughable.
Everyone knows that teenage hooligans are the most dangerous—they're immature and reckless, and they just might stab you a few tis if you say the wrong thing.
"You can all exact whatever revenge you want today," Lucas said, waving his hand dismissively. "I'll take full responsibility for the actions."
"Aren't you afraid of getting expelled for this?" Gambes's face finally showed a hint of nervousness.
"Expelled?" Lucas chuckled. "I'd welco it. I never wanted to co here in the first place."
"W-wait!" Realizing the situation had turned bad, Gambes quickly said, "Ganging up on —what kind of honor is that? If you've got any guts, let's settle this one-on-one!"
"One-on-one?"
Lucas couldn't help but laugh. "Do you really think being good at fighting matters? In this world, it's all about power and connections!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the students behind Lucas, already brimming with anger, stepped forward, surrounding Gambes and his group, brandishing their weapons.
"White Emperor's Sacred Sword!"
"Sword, follow my lead!"
"Uraaa!"
Shouting and cursing, the gymnasium had now turned into a battleground. Although most Snezhnayans despised ganging up on others, their long-held grudges against Gambes overrode their usual principles. Revenge was far more important.
"Hey, hey, don't go too hard," Lucas said, watching the scene with amusent. "That guy over there, you're hitting way too hard. Do you also want to beco the 'Cracker'?"
"Ahem, um..."
Just then, a hesitant voice ca from behind Lucas. He turned to see Tonya standing there, her eyes filled with a mixture of emotions. "T-thanks for saving ."
"Don't get the wrong idea," Lucas casually wrapped his arm around Tonya's shoulders and whispered, "I just don't want anyone dirtying my toy."
"D-don't do that," Tonya shrank back slightly, stamring, "There are people watching."
"It's fine. Everyone in school already knows about our 'special relationship'," Lucas said, unconcerned, with a smirk. "But you sure are bold, pretending to be the relative of a Fatui Harbinger."
"I..."
Tonya opened her mouth to explain, but before she could say anything, there was a loud "thud" as Gambes collapsed to the ground. He and his lackeys had been beaten black and blue.
Gambes, who normally relied on his size and nacing appearance to bully others, was not much of a fighter. Combined with the overwhelming numbers against him, he had no chance and was swiftly defeated.
"Stop... please stop!"
The arrogant Gambes was now kneeling on the ground, panting heavily. His pride was shattered as he begged, "If this continues, soone's going to die!"
"You've got a point. If soone dies, it won't just be a matter of expulsion," Lucas said, having already accepted the possibility of being expelled and deciding to go all out. "But I think my friends, the ones you bullied, still haven't had enough fun."
The mbers of the Lawrence gang had all been tornted by Gambes at so point. There was no way they'd let him off so easily now, and they began shouting for more.
"I've got an idea!" Lucas grabbed a training spear nearby, examined it, and muttered, "Hmm, this size should do."
"W-what are you planning to do?" Gambes seed to realize sothing terrible and began to sweat profusely.
"Turn him around," Lucas ordered casually. "Quickly."
"N-no! You can't do this! It'll kill !" Gambes's face turned pale, and he cried out desperately, "Please, don't!"
"You guys love doing this sort of thing, don't you?" Lucas smirked, and with a signal, two students pinned Gambes down. "Since you enjoy it so much, let's see how you like it."
"No... please... no!"
Tears welled up in Gambes's eyes, and soon after, the gymnasium was filled with his blood-curdling screams.
This ti, Gambes really lived up to his new nickna: "Torn Apart."
[Mission complete: Rescue Tonya.]
[You have received a talent reward: "Ruthless Striker" (B-Grade).]
[Effect: Increases damage by 20% when attacking a target from behind.]
Another strange talent added to the mix.
There was no way such a serious incident could be swept under the rug. Later that day, Lucas was summoned to the office.
"Outrageous! This is simply outrageous!"
The disciplinarian slamd his hand on the desk, furious. "You started a brawl in the gym, leaving eight students severely injured, and even used a wooden stick... Lawrence, do you realize what you've done?"
"Bullying happens every day in this school, and Gambes has done far worse things in the past," Lucas showed no fear, calmly replying, "The only reason this is such a big deal now is... because I'm from Mondstadt, isn't it?"
---
Author's Note: Haji approves... Childe next chap ??
STONES!!!!
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