ATAPOW Chapter 42
Previous Chapter|Index|Next Chapter
Chapter 42: Tit For Tat
“Oho? You’re going to shout for help even when you’re the guilty party here? I’m going to teach you a lesson today, you little swindler!” Ji Bai said. He had a wicked smile on his face as he firmly held onto the girl’s wrist.
“Let her go, you cockroach. This isn’t your chivalric order where you can do whatever you please here.” Lin slightly knitted her eyebrows as her calm and incisive gaze was planted onto Ji Bai’s back.
“Hmm? Did you say that I was doing whatever I pleased? Have you not gotten a hold of the situation, you parasite? Don’t accuse the good guys, alright? This doesn’t fit your persona.”
“The situation? I’m not interested in those unusual fetishes of yours. I only know that people who are capable of laying their hands on small children have no right to be here.” Lin slowly stood up from her chair. Her eyes were as still as water while her sliver and long ponytail, which had reached all the way to her slender waist, started to drift about even when there was no wind around.
The red-haired troll, who was probably intentionally or unintentionally witnessing the spectacle, jumped down from his table. It shook the ceiling so badly that dust flew off of it.
“You. Are you a knight from the human race?” The rough and thick voice that carried a trace of hoarseness in them resounded through the classroom.
His extremely menacing eyes resembling that of a lion’s narrowed down as he sized Ji Bai up.
As his sturdy and tall body stood still within the classroom, his approximately 3-meter tall height stood in contrast with the less than 5-meter ceiling height, exuding a breathtaking pressure to everyone around him.
Once she realized that Ji Bai’s attention wasn’t on herself, the golden-haired girl knew that her chance had come and quickly took advantage of it. As her little canine teeth forcefully bit into Ji Bai’s wrist and left a deep bite mark on it, she struggled free from the pervert who was grabbing onto her and hurriedly ran to a place where she thought she’d be safe.
As she hid behind Lin’s back, the girl was persistently spilling her grievances while acting in a coquettish manner. As she was doing so, she hadn’t forgotten to pull a ghost face at Ji Bai and stick her tongue out with a ‘bfft’ sound. She had successfully latched onto a backer and was feeling indomitable at the moment.
“I used to be one. Is there a problem?”Ji Bai glanced at the bite mark on his hand and wasn’t too bothered by it. After all, he hadn’t planned on punishing this little girl whose morals were on the wrong track. At best, he would just explain to her the meaning behind the 24 words that made up the core of a socialist society, alongside the eight straight guidelines behind the parliament’s policy-making process.
“A knight’s sword must never be pointed at women, children, or the elderly. This was the doctrine that the Radiant Knight King mentioned before… Just from the surface alone, the degree that you’re heeding them is just too superficial.” Its low and deep voice carried traces of intellect within, the troll had a slight frown on his face. Its probing gaze was squarely focused on Ji Bai’s body.
Ji Bai’s complexion subtly changed. It never crossed his mind that he would actually be referred to as a ‘foreign barbarian’ by a troll, that was lecturing him on the knight’s creed. Was this era developing too quickly that he was losing his touch?
He once again looked at Lin who was also looking at him in a cold manner.
‘Have I already garnered hatred of my fellow classmates on the first day of the new school term?’ Ji Bai was somewhat dumbfounded as he thought this.
“S-Say, everyone. I wonder if you’re willing to listen to this brief remark from a junior?” Upon seeing that the situation was practically in a state of mutual hostility, the experienced swindler, who was terrified and excluded from the situation, chose this moment to interrupt from the side. He weakly waved his hands to gesture his existence in the classroom.
“Sigh, everyone would be fellow classmates from now on and we will be seeing each other quite frequently in the future. Let’s take things into account of us being classmates… and resolve this deadlock between us, alright? A-Ahaha…”
“…”
Ji Bai and Lin glared at each other in a tit for tat manner, this mere act alone caused formless sparks to appear in the air.
“Do you really insist on raining down my parade?”
“Can you please stop hallucinating? You’re simply a barbaric race that relies on doing whatever that pleases your selfish desires.”
“Eeeh…” Seeing that no one was paying attention to his hollow laughter, nor his destitute attempt to resolve the dispute, the awkward smile that was on the pugilistic priest’s expression immediately froze. He then dejectedly withdrew to a corner and became one with the shadows.
“Oh my? It seems like everyone is here. That’s good, today we will be starting the first lesson of this school term… Eerm… What are you all doing right now? Playing Gwent?” Lin Tuo, who had just stepped into the classroom in an extremely inopportune time, was just in time to witness this confrontational scene play out.
As his sensitive nose picking up on the smell of gunpowder in the classroom, the hand that was holding onto the lesson plan faintly trembled.
And the center where the smell of gunpowder was the densest, was a man and woman. They were treating their gazes as a blade’s edge and were fighting back and forth in the air for 300 rounds, it was a struggle that suggested that only one victor would make it out alive.
‘Oh my god! How did these two walking time bombs get put into the same class!?’
The corner of Lin Tuo’s mouth slightly twitched as a series of stomachaches began to surge like tides.
“Cough, cough… Alright, alright. It’s time for class to begin. Everyone, please go back to your seats. Cough, cough. Please show your teacher some respect, alright?”
Because of what Lin Tuo said, Lin concluded the bout by rolling her eyes. She then gently comforted the girl who was hiding behind her thigh and seeking her protection.
“Thank you big sister~ Mwuah~” The adorable, golden-haired girl said to Lin as she capitalized on her charms. While she did so, she hadn’t forgotten to pull a face and stick her tongue out at Ji Bai again in passing. Following which, she vivaciously bounced towards a seat close to Lin and sat down.
The troll nodded its thick and heavy head. With a leap, its butt moved back towards the school desk, whose legs had once again incessantly trembled as it let out a series of anguished creaks.
“Culturalized gangster? Why are you here?” Ji Bai raised his brows.
“Cough, cough! Youngster! Will it kill you to give your teacher a bit of respect? I’m now your teacher as well as the main person that’s in charge of this classroom! Do you know how to show a bit more subservience in your tone?”
“Oh,“ Ji Bai emotionlessly replied. He gave Lin Tuo, who had recovered his amusing mannerisms in front of him a profound look, and returned to his seat.
“Mhm. Alright. There’s a total of 4 people. It seems like everyone in the class is present. ” Lin Tuo, who was standing in front of the teacher’s desk, was counting the students in sequence.
“Uhm… Teacher, y-you forgot about me.” An arm weakly stretched out amongst the shadows in the corner.
“Eh? Oh, that’s right. That’s a total of 5 people… What’s your name, apprentice Daoist-priest?” Lin Tuo embarrassingly asked.
“I…” The pony-tailed guy, who was dressed up as a pugilistic Daoist priest, felt like he was on the verge of tears.
“Pian Zi1, my name is Pian Zi, teacher.”
“Oh… Mhm. There seems to be such a name here.” Lin Tuo verified the list of names on the list once more as he slightly pondered.
“Alright. Seeing as this is the first lesson for everyone, let me introduce myself first. My name is Lin Mingtuo, I will be the teacher in charge of everyone from now on. I hope everyone can show me your guidance from now on; After all, the days that we will be in contact with each other will be numerous… I’m guessing that this is the first time everyone has met each other, right? How about we do it this way and have everyone do a self-introduction of themselves. I will let Teacher L- Student Lin begin.” Lin Tuo slightly adjusted his speech and explained.
“Alright, teacher.” Lin nodded her head in a courteous manner. She placed her hand squarely on her well-developed chest, and slightly bent her waist while performing a greeting courtesy unique to nobility.
“Tch, tch… What a bunch of worthless and unwanted fat.” Ji Bai disdainfully rolled his eyes.
“Lin, of the vampire race. May I ask for your guidance in the future.” After a brief introduction, Lin went back to her chair.
“Huo Lei, troll. In order to delve into the true path of a knight, I have specifically arrived here to cultivate.” The troll stood up as its lion-like pupils swept the surroundings. He then hit his chest once with his fist.
“Heyo, everyone~ It’s fine if everyone calls me Lil’ Sha~ I’m from the Asiatic cat race~ Thank you~” The golden-haired girl, who was wearing a silver dress, stood up and performed an action that resembled a coquettish kitten.
‘Tch, they’re both from the Asiatic cat-race, but why do they have such a wide disparity with each other?’ Ji Bai’s heart was filled with disdain as he thought about this question.
Finally, Ji Bai, who had remained silent, stood up. He ran his eyes over at the various and meaningful gazes that were looking at himself in the surroundings, he said with an indifferent expression, “Ji Bai, human race.”