Neo's abrupt appearance had drawn everyone's attention from the two quarrelling parties to him. Students parted ways for Neo to walk through as nobidy else wanted to be embroiled in the conflict between aristocrat families and commoners.
Neo ignored all of them and headed straight to the middle. Between Kale, Ayna and Damian. He first looked at Kael, tilted his head and waved, "Hello, mighty warrior. You look like someone in need of assistance. And my greetings to the princess!" His last sentence was aimed at Ayna of course, accompanied by a dramatic bow, leaving the duo stunned.
Then Neo turned to Damian and unexpectedly smiled brilliantly. Or maybe he grinned madly. Nobody could tell. Everyone was waiting to see how things would turn out. After all, Damian's open conspiracy had been speculated by many. The next action of Neo though, caught every one off guard, leaving their mouths hanging open and eyes wide in confusion.
"Damain Sunblade. Or should I call you, Young Lord? My apologies, my friend here has no leash on his mouth. So he may have uttered some words just in the hear of emotion. Don't take them to heart."
Neo's vouce was gentle and his smile polite. It was as if he was speaking with a long lost friend. But everyone clearly knew about the grudge between Neo and Damian. Even Damian himself was utterly confused.
Damian thought to himself, 'What the heck! Did he become an idiot after being sent to jail? I refuse to believe that! Everything I had done until now, including burning his Heavenly Tome would at most, just startle him badly and leave a scar in his heart. Wgere did things go wrong actually?
Meanwhile, Damian's Lackey, the brute Boras seemed unable to think that deeply and said somewhat naively, "It is a good thing that you have some sense. Otherwise, you and your friend will both end up badly. I suggest you control his mouth."
By his side, the cunning Selin was speechless. 'Just because he apologized, ypu 5ake it for granted? What if he says one thing but means another, huh?
However, the reply from Neo silenced Selim, sending a shiver down his spine, causing him to tremble unknowingly. Because Neo just nodded his head and said, "Thanks for your suggestion. I will keep it in mind."
Kael finally came to his sense, dragging Neo by his arm and speaking harshly, " Neo! What has happened to you? Wht are you bowing to them? You weren't like this! And don't forget you were framed by them!"
Hearing his accusatory words, Damain remained expressionless but his lackey Selin had stepped forward and rebuked him, "I am telling you again to mind your words! How dare you accuse the heir of Sunblade Linage?"
Only at this moment did Ayna come forward and say, "Oh, what will you do? Frame Kael too? Don't worry and go ahead. We won't fall for the same trap again."
"You-", Selin's words were caught in his throat as Neo had already turned to look at him. For some reason, Selin found the current Neo to be utterly dangerous. Like a wild beast. Why did he have such a feeling, he didn't know. But he trusted his intuition.
"Alright, every one. Let's stop here. We should stop arguing. Arguing like that will only ruin relationships. Existing harmoniously is the true way. Otherwise, teacher Heimsdall might come anytime to give us all a beating.", Neo began acting like a gentleman and preached for everyone to be harmonious. Everyone started looking strangely at him.
Kael and Ayna exchanged a glance and Kael facepalmed thinking, Ay, my good brother had been turned into an idiot by that prison. I heard that Abyss Prison can turn even the deadliest of criminals into docile lambs. I didn't believe that at first, now I do!
Finally Neo looked at Damian and said cheerfully, "Thank you, Damian. These days you have been of great help. Without you, I wouldn't know what to do or how to progress."
His words of course elicited strange expressions on all students around here and even some teachers stealthily listening to the gossip lost interest. Then, before the eyes of all, Neo stepped forward and hugged Damain like he was his best friend while Kael looked on with eyes wide open.
Unbeknownst to them, Damian's eyes widened in terror and his back was drenched in cold sweat. After the interaction, Damian quickly took his leave. Nobody found it strange. After all, they too had been unsettlwd by Neo's behaviour.
___________
Outside the Academy
Damian looked around repeatedly to confirm no one was following him and finally relaxed. His strangeness didn't go unnoticed by the two. Damian just looked at them and spoke, his voice grave, "I have provoked a greater trouble. Just drove that Tiger when an evil Wolf barges in. Damn luck!"
Boras was utterly confused while Selin pondered deeply before asking, "Boss, what did the guy told you? Why ....do you seem.... afraid?"
Damian's eyes were staring ahead blankly, still recalling the event that just happened. At that time when Neo higged him, Damian was about to push him away when he found himself powerless! He was not some weak children who can't push an adult away.
What's more, at that moment, Neo took advantage of the closeness to whisper in his ears. Thw contents of which still haunted him. He increasingly felt that his actions might have released a devil from cages.
This made Damiam Sunblade, the noble young lord to feel uneasy. He was increasingly confident that Beo hadn't gone mad. Unlike what everyone thought. Because Neo's words were like cold water. Instantly awakening him from that hazy unawareness
"Thanks a lot for breaking his spirit. Even if slightly. Thanks to you I am free! As a reward for your hardwork over the years, I will leave you with an intact corpse. Of course your family won't enjoy that benefit,neither will your Lackeys."
The murderous intent behind these words did scare him badly. For he knew Neo was a law abiding person. A very strict one at that. These words couldn't have possibly come from him!