Chapter 35: Annoying
Little Bartman decided to step up his intensity. "Mr. Brody, you look really haggard. Look at that cloak you're wearing. It's so worn out it looks like it was stolen from some low-class family. My God, this is a disaster. Is this in memory of the Rose Lady?"
Without waiting for a reply, he offered a malicious "comfort," "Unfortunate and handsome sir, please do not grieve too much. Although your taste... has a slightly fishy flavor, once your story reaches the royal city, I'm sure there will be a lady with unique tastes who will appreciate you. Perhaps those letters expressing their affection will flood your mansion like snowflakes."
“…”
The professor raised his eyelids expressionlessly and took a look at the audacious teenager. The teenager was startled by his smoky grey eyes, which were so transparent they appeared inhuman, and the carefree smile on his lips faltered slightly.
"Mr. Bateman," the dark-haired young man chewed on the surname tenderly. "The style of the cloak I'm wearing is called 'Barachi'. It's famous for being spacious, simple, comfortable, and practical. Its history can be traced back three hundred years. You shouldn't have missed it, because it was named after Barachi Bateman, the ancestor of the Bateman family."
"Back then, Barachi Batman was just a sailor making a living adrift at sea. He accidentally rescued the distressed Prince Adram, who later became Cassius I. It was he who, using his cloak as a cover, hid Prince Adram among his catch, helping him evade enemy search. Later artists often depicted this scene, such as the classic oil painting 'The Sailor and the Prince.' The sailor's leather cloak, stained with blood and sweat, attempts to hide him from the pursuers, while the prince, hiding in the shadows, reveals only a single, burning eye. This cloak named after Barachi was equally popular."
Little Batman's face suddenly turned ugly - these were stolen from the homes of the lower class, and now every word sounded extremely harsh. What made him even more aggrieved was that he had said these words himself.
"You are truly knowledgeable," he said, forcing a sarcastic tone, only to sound rather guilty and breathless. "Thank you for your kindness in explaining this. As a descendant of Batman, I didn't even know this."
In the end, the other party actually nodded at him, as if accepting the compliment calmly: "You're welcome."
Percy on the side laughed out loud without giving any face - as long as the person being targeted was not him, it was really interesting and entertaining to listen to his cousin getting angry at others, not to mention that the unlucky one was his mortal enemy.
Little Batman, feeling frustrated and with nowhere to vent, immediately turned his attention to him: "Speaking of which, Mr. Brody's coming-of-age ceremony is in a month. I heard his father decided to make a big fuss and invited a lot of nobles and celebrities. I guess Mr. Brody will be there too, right?"
This time, Percy couldn't help himself and interrupted him, suppressing his anger: "Mr. Bateman, what does this have to do with you?"
The other person had an innocent look on his face. "How can it not be my business? Your father personally sent an invitation to the Batman Residence, inviting my father, brother, and 'Aiko's classmate'—that is, myself—to attend your coming-of-age ceremony."
A nobleman without a title, possessing only bloodline, logically had no right to invite a powerful marquis. He would surely be ridiculed if this were made public. However, this incredibly lucky Outles Brody did have a son: the head of the second-year class at St. Bartolomeo's Warlock Academy, a seventeen-year-old High-ranking Apostle of Light Warlock. Upon graduation, he was sure to be a key candidate for the Luminous Church's training, and would at least rise to the rank of Archbishop. This inevitably earned him a higher regard from the sophisticated and sophisticated aristocratic community.
"A talent like Mr. Brody shouldn't be buried by something," Little Bateman said hypocritically. "My dear brother is also well versed in history. I think he would be happy to meet you. Of course, he would have to confirm whether you will be attending."
The pair of smoky gray eyes suddenly looked at him, and little Batman found himself subconsciously taking a step back - damn it, he thought a little annoyed, this guy is obviously just an ordinary person.
Then, Little Bateman heard the other party say casually, "No, your reason is not valid—you are afraid of your brother because you have some habits that are not acceptable to a noble. He knows this and has had a huge conflict with you because of it."
Little Batman stood there in a daze, his eyes wide open in horror, and the words "How did you know?" almost came out of his mouth.
Those eyes reflected the other person's figure truthfully, as if nothing could be hidden in front of him. "Five months ago, he attacked you seriously, almost killing you. But you eventually reconciled, only to be forced to sign a soul contract... Do you need me to continue?"
"No!" Little Batman subconsciously stopped the other person from saying anything more, and then immediately realized with chagrin that he had actually confirmed these absurd words. For the first time, his eyes turned fearful, even concealing a hint of subtle fear.
"Then, in exchange," the man said, nodding gracefully, his fingers tapping lightly on the railing. His voice was eerily calm. "Tell me, why would you want me to attend Percy Brody's coming-of-age ceremony?"
It was normal for his silly cousin to invite him to his coming-of-age ceremony, since they were related by blood. But it was strange that even his cousin's classmates came to invite him.
After answering with a stumbling hand, little Bartman ran off, looking as if a monster was chasing him, a stark contrast to his arrogance when he came to challenge him. Percy stood there, looking at him with a complicated expression, hesitating for a moment and saying that he had never discussed Tran Bartman with him, so how could he know so much?
If Professor Brody's students were here, they would probably resonate strongly with these two unfortunate young people. The students of White Tower University once secretly voted for the "most terrible professor in the school." This youngest professor of White Tower University was second only to the dean of the seminary because he could casually point out that the students who tried to make excuses had gone to a bar yesterday afternoon and not returned all night, or were planning to sneak out for a date in two hours. He would then use his cold and sharp eyes to ask the students to submit a "well-thought-out paper" before the afternoon. He received the most votes, second only to the dean of the seminary.
"He's been tricked." Too lazy to explain, Nova said calmly, "You can tell your friends that I'm not interested in the little secrets he's trying to hide, and I don't want to know what they are."
My cousin was immediately distracted: "We are not friends!"
The older man gave him a look. "Oh, so why would he help you...humiliate me?"
The younger Mr. Brody was speechless for a moment. After opening and closing his mouth several times, he found that he could not explain himself. He could only show an expression of grievance and sadness, with a hint of guilt hidden in it. But he finally left in despair.
The noisy kid finally disappeared. To others, it looked like the black-haired young man was just leaning against the railing in a daze. In fact, the professor was completely puzzled at the moment.
"...To humiliate me?" He said to another person, somewhat puzzled. "I don't understand. Is attending my cousin's coming-of-age ceremony something to be ashamed of?"
In the original world, due to some pathological factors, Nova knew that he sometimes couldn't understand the subtext of the conversation - but in this world, his brain was healthy, and the professor even wondered if there was a generation gap between him and teenagers.
After hearing his brief account of the troubles within the Brody family, Azuka's expression grew somewhat subtle. "...Perhaps it's because when your cousin reaches adulthood, he'll be qualified to pass the Royal Court's review and seize the title and fiefdom that rightfully belong to you."
"I know that. The problem is, I've never shown any desire for these things. Why do those people think they can humiliate me by doing this? And what good would humiliating me do? Could it be to curry favor with the new Viscount Brody?" The professor didn't even raise his eyelids, but his words were extremely arrogant: "With all due respect, if I truly wanted this, my uncle and cousin wouldn't be alive today. The only thing that can stop me is my moral bottom line."
It was utterly arrogant, but the other person knew he was telling the truth.
"...Mocking 'losers' and fawning over 'successful' people, even if it's just based on one's own judgment, is human nature." The God-Favored One said softly, "People judge others based on their own subjective perceptions. Because I care about him, how could he not care? If he acts like he doesn't care, he's definitely pretending."
Nova thought about it for a moment and had to admit that what the man said made sense: "Interesting logic, I'll take note of it."
The sun rose, its golden rays dispelling the mist and swirling and dancing across the shimmering sea. They had now left the harbor and officially entered the boundless ocean. The hull of this magnificent, ornately decorated vessel was engraved with bizarre incantations. Several sorcerers stood at various points, chanting in unison. Strange rays of light rose from their feet and rapidly flowed toward the outside of the ship.
Nova leaned out with great interest, and saw the spells on the hull flickering one by one until they formed several complicated magic circles. Soon, a thin, almost invisible barrier emerged on the hull, somewhat like the bubble created by the God-favored One near the Wall of Sighs, only it looked thinner and dimmer.
He was just about to discuss the principles behind this kind of magic when he heard someone cough softly behind him.
"Mr. Brody, please be careful, you are going to fall." The visitor gently reminded, and the conversation seemed familiar.
…It just goes on and on, Nova thought expressionlessly, do I look like an NPC who can trigger a conversation?
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Outles Brody: Professor's uncle, Percy's father
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