'What the fuck is happening here?'
Eren looked at Eliza with the same expressions Ivor had written all over his face. Eliza chuckled before making a few things clear:
"Fufufu! Eren, why don't you ask this kid why he was brought here? I want to see how long it takes for you to realize the sheer oddness of your luck."
Eliza snapped her fingers and the runic marks over Ivor's lips vanished. The latter didn't know what change had taken place at first. But he soon found out that his facial muscles had returned to normal. He opened his mouth and tested his voice before shouting at Eren:
"Eren Idril, what is the meaning of this? Who are these bitches and why have you brought me here?"
Ivor looked at Eren, Reen, and Eliza and spoke up with anger and frustration laced in his voice. Reen was too distraught to care. But Eliza heard Ivor's comment and raised her eyebrows. She pointed an index finger at him while raising her hand slowly.
Eren saw Eliza's actions and had creases on his forehead.
Ivor couldn't have known he was talking about C-Rank demon beast and an old as fuck Sage. But the butcher did. So when he saw Eliza's finger getting pointed at Ivor, he tried to intervene. He is yet to figure this stuff out himself. He couldn't let the guy die before that happened:
"Wait, Sage Eliza. I'll punish him for you. No need to get your hands dirty dealing with a Novice."
Eren purposefully used the word Novice and made Eliza remember the rankers' code of conduct that she had rebutted about some time ago. The latter wrinkled her nose at Eren's comment. But she took her hand down– indicating she had agreed with him.
Ivor always had a loose tongue. But he wasn't stupid. He would only unleash his foul mouth on someone he could afford to offend. So when he saw what had just happened and what Eren had addressed the gorgeous young lady with, he started to process what the situation entailed.
"Sage? Who is Sage here? Eren, my man, don't use words carelessly like that. You might get in trouble one day for saying something so casually like this."
Ivor commented and looked at Eliza again. She looked normal to him. He couldn't use his mana sense because of the restrictive runes. He felt no sense of danger from her or Reen. Plus, Eren was practically nobody in his eyes. He figured the people he'd be with will never be that prominent, neither in socio-political standings nor in their ranking status.
Eren didn't speak. He walked towards Ivor and looked at him closely. Then remembered his task and made a quick work of the fellow student's right cheek.
Pataaaaaaaaaaah!
Eren slapped Ivor hard with all his might while not employing mana in his attack. The guy was sitting ducks because he couldn't use his mana core after all.
Ivor's face was tilted to his left. The print of Eren's palm and fingers was slowly becoming visible on his right cheek in the form of a red tint.
Ivor was too shocked to react. He just couldn't understand what was happening to him anymore. But Eren's slap had irked him. He had already lost a fight against him.
"You bastard…. What the fuck are you…."
Pataaaaaaaaaah!
"Saving your life."
Eren slapped Ivor's left cheek this time with equal force before casually replying. Ivor was seething and confused at the same time after listening to Eren's response amid the white noise that was starting to ring in his ears.
"What the fuck do you mean…"
Pataaaaaah!
Pataaaaaah!
Pataaaaaah!
Pataaaaaah!
.
.
.
…
.
.
.
.
Pataaaaaah!
Eren didn't let the guy speak and continued to slap him. This had turned into less about punishing Ivor for his impudence against a Sage ranker and more about the frustration he was carrying in his heart.
*************
The butcher had to admit that the feeling was cathartic. Beating Ivor senseless made Eren feel like he was transferring part of his bad luck to him. That's why he felt happy doing it. He even wondered if he could transfer all his bad luck to him by doing this.
Eliza smirked at Eren's actions. She understood what was going on. But didn't intervene. Her irritation towards Ivor was placated. But she wouldn't miss an entertaining scene unfolding in front of her. She was also expecting to see fun reactions from Eren when he found out what Ivor's role was.
This was a welcome change in Eliza's routine after many years of solitude.
****************
"Haaah! Ivor, you fucking numbnuts, you have been too much of a loose cannon and a pain in the ass. Like, for fuck's sake, understand that the world doesn't revolve around you. You hate your brother and his stupidity so much. But you are walking on the same path as him."
Eren spoke while grabbing Ivor by the collar and looking down on him. The latter couldn't take blatant disrespect from a commoner like Eren and spoke while gritting his teeth that had been bloodied by the slap fest:
"You are dead, Eren. Did you hear me? You are dead. Do you know who my grandfather is..."
Pataaaaaaah!
Eren slapped Ivor again before
"Your status as a LA student and your background as Isen Osan's grandson mean shit to me here, at this place. Try to read the mood here, would you?
I have had it at the academy with your naked threats and your edgelord behaviour. The slaps are a way to teach you to keep your tongue on a leash for the rest of your life, however long or short it may be.
Now answer my question concisely and truthfully. Otherwise, you'd be forced to face another round of beatings. This time it won't be limited to your face though. I have a few questionable habits, you know. Plus, I'm not in the right mood right now. I might take that out on you. "
Eren stared at Ivor coldly before looking at his crotch. The latter shivered when he heard the butcher's warning. For some reason, he believed the threats to be true.
"Wha… aaaah... Ptui!"
Ivor spat accumulated blood in before continuing:
"What… What do you want to know? Let me make it clear though. I would have absolutely no idea about half of the stuff you'd be asking. I have questions of my own, damn it."
AN: Lawman has put an end to my running… And I'm so far from my home!
