C162: The Lumos Family (2)
Rudger watched Flora closely. Although she is pretending to be strong, Rudger, who has a keen eye, saw at once that Flora was in a state of mental instability and steps were precarious.
'At that time, she said she came to meet her father, but she showed hesitation in meeting him.'
It wasn't until he heard the Duke Heibaek words that he realized why Flora was reacting like that.
Flora Lumos is the daughter of Caiden, but her mother is a concubine. The absurdity of a concubine's children among the nobles cannot be expressed in words. However, even considering that, because of her talent, her family would have no choice but to accept her reluctantly. It didn't make sense for Flora to react like that.
The biggest reason for her current situation was.
'Lumensism.'
The Lumos family is the most devout Lumensist family of the three great dukes of the Exilion Empire. And Lumensism does not recognize concubine children.
Believing in the monotheistic Lumensis, this church follows a doctrine only for humans. Therefore, they had a history of suppressing all kinds of different races. However, their arrows did not simply point at the sub-races.
Lumensism was not a religion that insisted on human equality for the sake of human beings. The basis of their doctrine is, in the end, a division of superiority and inferiority.
Superiority of humans and inferiority of sub-races.
Superiority of the upper-class citizens and inferiority of the lower-class citizens.
The superiority and inferiority of the fittest.
The Lumos family fiercely follows the Lumensism religion so Flora, the concubine's child, will never be recognized by her family no matter how talented she is.
'Are you still going to your father?'
Although she feared her father who would never treat her like his child, Flora wanted to be accepted by her father. Even in such a precarious situation that she never knew when the mask she was wearing would break.
She did not stop walking but it was at that moment that a girl next to Duke Caiden Lumos talked to Flora, a girl with long dark blue hair like Flora.
Rudger couldn't hear what she was saying because he was far away. However, the expression of ridicule from her expression clearly showed that she was not saying good things.
She looks two or three years younger than Flora, but her position is clearly revealed in her actions. She must be a child of proper descent.
It wasn't just her sister who was picking a fight with Flora.
'Is that the next leader of the Lumos family, Kamal Lumos?'
He didn't hide his negative feelings toward Flora.
Kamal Lumos and Katrina Lumos never recognized Flora as their own family. Flora, who heard insulting remarks from her two siblings, was very intimidated unlike her usual self.
Soon after, Caiden Lumos looked at Flora. It was like he was dealing with someone he didn't need from the beginning and there was no emotion in his gaze while looking at daughter.
The moment he saw it Rudger stepped out without realizing it.
"Oh, oh, hey, teacher!"
There was no time for Duke Heibaek to stop him.
"Is there something wrong with our student?"
Rudger intervened among the people of the Lumos family and said so.
Caiden's gaze toward Flora was directed at Rudger and their eyes crossed in the air. Perhaps he felt the atmosphere flowing strangely, Duke Heibaek rushed up and stood next to Rudger.
Then Caiden Lumos' mouth opened.
"It's a family affair. Mind your own business."
Caiden's eyes were cold and he spoke in a determined tone but Rudger did not back down.
"It's the issue of a student in my class. As a teacher, I can't just watch."
"Are you saying that a teacher should intervene in a family's affairs at will?"
"It didn't seem like a family affair."
Rudger's intention, as he said, was quite straightforward. It was like saying, "Is what you do really a family affair?"
"……!"
The nobles who were listening around were shocked but Caiden's expression didn't change. Rather, Heibaek, who stood next to Rudger, looked around between Caiden and Rudger.
'What's wrong with you?'
He thought Rudger didn't want to get caught up in other troubles, but he suddenly confronted the Lumos family.
'Is it because of the student?'
Rudger, who has been still so far, stepped up as if he was protecting Flora Lumos. Flora Lumos is one of Rudger's students. She is even an honor student who stands at the top among them.
There was good reason for Rudger to step up.
'"Even so, it's simply crazy to have such a blatant confrontation against Duke Lumos.'
The opponent is a duke who can be called the Great nobility. Even as a Theon teacher he will be at a disadvantage if he's hated by him. That's why even though Heibaek teased Caiden he never crossed a certain line. Nevertheless, Rudger Chelici stood proudly in front of Caiden.
Heibaek's gaze calmed down.
'Was he a man who cared about his students, unlike his cold appearance?'
Heibaek recalled Rudger's momentum, when he had warned him. No matter who his opponent is, he won't budge. It's just that he openly confronted a duke.
The nobles who gathered to make connections with the Lumos family were also embarrassed. Flora is a painful issue that even the Lumos family is reluctant to talk about. It was a vague fact that anyone who was deeply involved in the Lumos family knew.
'Are you going to go against the Lumos family?'
'Tsk. You must think you're something because people around you praise you.'
Most of the aristocrats clicked their tongues inside. Rudger is a man of great fame recently, but in the end he is only a fallen aristocrat. His power is incomparable to Caiden Lumos.
There was such a deep silence that someone could be heard swallowing their saliva.
Rudger Chelici and Caiden Lumos kept staring at each other without avoiding their eyes. If they had swords in their hands, they would wield them right away.
At that moment, the second daughter Katrina stepped up.
"Wow! Hello."
Katrina greets Rudger with a smile. She asked, looking up at Rudger with a subtle gaze.
"You're Mr. Rudger Chelici, aren't you? I enjoyed watching the duel yesterday. It was really cool! You shoot magic really fast and use light magic."
"You are…"
"Oh, my. I'm late to introduce myself. Nice to meet you. My name is Katrina Lumos, a legitimate successor of the Lumos family."
Katrina bowed politely, lifting the ends of her skirt slightly with both hands. At the same time, she even glanced at Flora behind Rudger, emphasizing the word legitimate.
"More than that, Mr. Rudger, are you really Flora's teacher?"
Katrina immediately showed her true colors. Her eyes, which curled like a crescent moon, turned toward Flora. There was an unbearable smile around her mouth.
"It's amazing. Flora, who was abandoned by her family and couldn't do anything, is being treated as an honor student here. I guess you don't know about people. Well, she was born with a magic talent, so much magic. Oh, you didn't know? Flora, that kid, she's half-hearted in the family."
Katrina covered her mouth with her hand and giggled. Far from contradicting her, Flora bowed her head.
'I got caught.'
Flora wanted to hide in a mouse hole when she heard what Katrina said. The fact that she was caught by Mr. Rudger, not by anyone else, was more shameful than anything else.
'I shouldn't have come here.'
She thought it was okay now and didn't want anything else. Was it such a big mistake to wish for such a thing?
Was it such a bad thing to at least want to be treated like a human being, if not with compassion? The tears she tried to hold back seemed to overflow again. She thought she let it go in the past, but she still had tears.
'I'm an idiot.'
She thought her father would recognize her because of her talent. What a stupid wish.
'I…'
"Excuse me."
Rudger's voice erased all Flora's thoughts. Rudger did not respond to Katrina's words, nor did he glance at Flora.
He was staring at others with a blunt face as usual and only spoke in a steady voice.
"Miss Katrina, are you interested in Theon Academy?"
Rudger addressed Katrina respectfully because she was an outsider, not a student. Katrina nodded to that.
"Yes, of course. I am also preparing to enter Theon next year."
Katrina spoke confidently, spreading a second-ranked spell over her palm. It was a second-rank ice magic.
A sharp block of ice rises on the palm of her hand in an instant. The casting speed and concentration of mana are so excellent that it is hard to see at her age. In fact, Katrina was already thinking she will win the top spot next year.
"It's a great magic."
"Ho-Ho. It's nothing much. This is a piece of cake."
"As a teacher of Theon, may I evaluate Miss Katrina?"
"Yes, of course."
Katrina readily agreed, thinking that only praise would come out anyway but Rudger's momentum changed at that moment.
"Katrina Lumos, 10 points for poor attitude."
"What?"
Katrina's smile, which expected praises, cracked.
"Five penalty points for failing to achieve the standard for the implementation speed of the spell, 19 penalty points for insufficient skill development and 10 penalty points for thinking light about magic."
"Hold on! What the hell is that……!"
"Let me ask you a question. You just casted the second rank spell Ice Crystal, which consists of a total of four elements. Do you know what kind of structure it has to expand its power?"
"That's…"
"Did you not even analyze the structure of the spell you casted, and just followed what you were taught? Did you show that you were proud of it? Up to 20 penalty points have been added for lack of understanding of magic."
"……."
Due to Rudger's momentum, Katrina failed to make a proper rebuttal. She was so dizzy from the penalty points that piled up in an instant.
She was never treated so harshly because she is from the three great dukes of the Empire. Everyone always said nice things and flattered her.
"Theon looks funny? If you come to Theon with only that kind of skill, your ranking will only be in the middle, let alone taking the top spot."
Rudger's face was shaded as he glared at Katrina. His eyes turned to Caiden Lumos as he watched Katrina clench her teeth and her fists in anger.
"Duke Caiden Lumos."
His eyes, which were empty all the time, were filled with feelings for Rudger for the first time.
Rudger spoke coldly to Caiden.
"In order to be admitted to Theon, you need to re-educate your children."
A feeling of astonishment spreads. Kadushan opened his mouth wide, and Flora, who was standing behind Rudger, also opened her eyes wide. Not to mention the reaction of Lumos followers watching around.
Now Rudger insulted Caiden in front of everyone.
"I, I…!"
One of the nobles pointed his trembling finger at Ludger.
"How dare you do that in front of……!"
"Did you go crazy because you were praised too much?"
"A fallen aristocrat being so arrogant!"
At this opportunity, those who tried to look good to Caiden Lumos screamed and instead became angry. Rudger slowly opened his mouth, looking at them with a calm gaze like a lake at dawn.
"Because she asked me to do so, I just evaluated her as a teacher of Theon."
"You can't just say anything you want to."
"That's it."
The aristocrat, who was furious and tried to fight Rudger right away, closed his mouth when he saw the old man who stepped forward. Heibaek Kadushan, who overwhelmed the crowd, was completely different from when he was frivolous to Rudger.
He spoke with a benevolent smile.
"The issue escalated a lot because of the inevitable conflict of opinions. It's been a while since I had a good time, so why don't you calm down a little? Mr. Rudger, you went a little too far, too."
"I was careful."
"And you. Why are you so agitated when this has nothing to do with you?"
"……But!"
The middle-aged aristocrat tried to protest, but he couldn't finish his sentence.
"Stop. That's enough."
A magnificent voice that touched their souls restrained the nobles. The atmosphere, which was boiling like a volcano just before the eruption, quickly extinguished as if the ice age started.
Everyone looked at Caiden Lumos with a look of anticipation for what he would do
"Did you say teacher Rudger Chelici?"
Caiden Lumos' voice was calm.
"My daughter didn't know anything yet, so she was rude. Please forgive her generously as an adult."
Rudger, who met his gaze directly, could feel it. The anger in his eyes was so hot that it seemed like it would burn him up at any moment.
As he met his gaze, Rudger nodded his head shamelessly.
"Of course. What could be wrong with a child?"
"……."
Caiden Lumos' forehead was wrinkled for the first time.