Chapter 100: The Riina Heir’s Warning

"Lorenzo, I already warned you once, but it seems you didn’t understand anything I told you."

Elise Valor narrowed her violet eyes, her displeasure evident.

"You should watch your words, Senior Elise," Lorenzo replied coldly. "It’s their fault for messing with me for no reason."

His tone was calm, but there was an unmistakable edge to his voice.

Elise’s expression darkened.

"Do you even understand what you’ve done? You assaulted two students, stripped them naked, and hung them at the academy’s main entrance! Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused?"

"I do."

"Then why are you acting as though you’ve done nothing wrong?!"

"Because I don’t think I did anything wrong."

Lorenzo leaned back against the sofa, looking completely unbothered by her anger.

"Those two idiots approached me first. They insulted me and tried to use me to gain favor with Joseph Goldberg. I warned them, but they didn’t take me seriously."

He shrugged.

"So, I taught them a lesson."

Elise stared at him in disbelief.

"A lesson? You call that a lesson?"

"Yes."

"You—!"

She took a deep breath, desperately trying to restrain her temper.

"Lorenzo, this is an academy, not your family’s territory. You can’t simply do whatever you want just because someone has offended you!"

"You’re right."

Elise paused.

She hadn’t expected him to agree so readily.

Lorenzo continued before she could say anything else.

"This is an academy, and there are rules. That’s precisely why I didn’t kill them."

The room fell silent.

Elise’s expression froze.

For a moment, she wondered whether she had misheard him.

"...What did you just say?"

"I said I didn’t kill them."

Lorenzo looked at her as though he were explaining something perfectly obvious.

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have tolerated their behavior. But since we’re in an academy, I exercised restraint. They’re alive, and neither of them suffered any permanent injuries."

He paused, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Besides, I discovered something rather amusing."

Elise frowned.

"What?"

"Those two idiots genuinely believed I was an orphaned commoner."

Lorenzo let out a quiet chuckle.

"Can you imagine that? I’m a member of a Legacy Clan. My status is above that of an ordinary noble, yet they looked down on me as though I were nothing more than a street rat."

His smile gradually faded.

"Of course, I understand why they made that mistake. My identity has been kept hidden on my father’s orders. Still, I found their behavior rather displeasing."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"And they’re hardly the only ones who think that way. From what I’ve seen, many nobles at this academy treat commoners as though they’re worthless."

Elise didn’t interrupt him.

Instead, she leaned forward slightly, her expression becoming more serious as she listened.

Lorenzo continued.

"You’re a noble yourself, Senior Elise. You serve under the Storms Domain, and from what I’ve observed, you treat people equally regardless of their status. But not every noble shares your principles."

His eyes met hers.

"That’s why, starting today, I’m going to take the commoner students under my protection. I’ll make sure no commoner at this academy suffers injustice simply because they lack a noble background."

Elise studied him carefully.

She hadn’t expected this conversation to take such a turn.

Lorenzo wasn’t merely defending himself. He was announcing his intention to challenge a hierarchy that most nobles accepted without question.

Whether he intended to do it out of principle, ambition, or a combination of both remained unclear.

"But I don’t want us to have problems with each other," Lorenzo added. "So, I’ll be as blunt and honest with you as possible."

His expression became serious.

He leaned closer, lowering his voice until it was barely above a whisper.

"I’m telling you this because I want you to understand my position. You can warn the students in our year, as well as the other nobles associated with you."

His gaze sharpened.

"No one should mess with me. I mean that."

Elise remained silent.

"I’ve killed quite a few people over the past several weeks," Lorenzo continued matter-of-factly. "And although I intend to follow the academy’s rules, I can’t guarantee that I’ll always show the same restraint if someone pushes me beyond my limits."

He paused briefly.

"I don’t want to break any rules, after all. So, as long as everyone minds their own business, we shouldn’t have a problem."

The threat was unmistakable.

Lorenzo wasn’t promising to behave himself.

He was warning Elise that he had limits, and anyone who deliberately crossed them would have to face the consequences.

Elise listened without showing any visible reaction. Her violet eyes remained fixed on him, and her hair partially covered one side of her face.

After a moment, she finally spoke.

"...I understand what you’re trying to tell me, Lorenzo. But since I consider you my junior, allow me to give you some advice as well."

Her eyes sharpened.

"There’s a significant difference between the quality of Awakeners who attend prestigious academies like ours and the people you’ve killed."

She paused, choosing her next words carefully.

"Don’t underestimate anyone just because you’ve won a few battles. Some students here possess abilities you may not fully understand, and others have resources and connections that could make them dangerous opponents."

"I’m not underestimating anyone."

Lorenzo interrupted her, his tone firm.

"They might be able to injure me. They might even kill me if I make a mistake. I’m well aware of that possibility."

He leaned back against the sofa.

"But you’ve forgotten something, Senior Elise."

His lips curved into a faint smile.

"All it takes is one word from me, and anyone who stands in my way could be reduced to dust."

Elise’s eyes narrowed.

Lorenzo continued as though he were discussing an ordinary business arrangement.

"I can mobilize the entire Riina Family, along with the families affiliated with us. And if that’s still not enough, I can ask Overlord Aldric Riina himself to settle the score."

He tilted his head slightly.

"You should keep that in mind, too."

Silence settled between them.