Being asked by the teacher to call my parents was more embarrassing than anyone expected.
Ford Hill, 27 years old this year, has a successful career and a great reputation. He is a single Alpha with no bad habits and good character. The Omegas who want to marry him can line up from the capital's Coliro district to Maan Fort.
At noon, Ford was summoned to school from the company by a voice message from the head teacher of Class 7, Grade 1 of Capital No. 3 Middle School. Facing the gloating gazes of his colleagues who had established families and said, "You have come to this day too," Ford felt a strange feeling in his heart. In his eyes, Erica should be a well-behaved and sensible girl, not the kind who would fight with others.
Until the head teacher told him that the Omega boy who had fought with Erica was named Terry Griffin, the youngest son of Langman Griffin, the current head of the Griffin family.
Ford thought he had found the reason.
Although Erica is now registered under Ford's household registration in order to transfer her school status, commentators know that due to the existence of the evil god, his status in this family is by no means higher than Erica's, let alone exercising his guardianship rights to discipline the little girl.
So, after receiving the teacher's call, he hurriedly asked his boss for leave and left work. After less than five minutes of deliberation, he decided to report the matter to Azathoth. Sending the email took him another forty minutes, mainly because during this process, Ford realized the absurdity of asking the gods for help.
But that’s better than the matter getting out of hand and the young believers being bullied outside, right?
After sending the email, before receiving a reply from the other party, Ford had already entered the school.
Capital No. 3 Middle School is a key junior high school in the local area. Because the children of powerful and wealthy often attend the school and large sums of donations flow into the school's account, the school's teaching buildings have been expanded again and again, and the area it covers is almost equivalent to that of a university campus in a remote area.
The homeroom office was not far from the main entrance. Ford, never one to hesitate in the face of a crisis, strode into the building and knocked on the office door.
The door of the room was opened from the inside, and Erica poked her head out. The first time she saw Ford, she apologized to him: "I'm sorry to trouble you."
"It's okay." Ford quickly looked her over, confirming that the little girl had no obvious injuries. He breathed a sigh of relief, lowering his inner alarm slightly. He pushed open the door, walked in, took off his hat, and bowed to the head teacher. "Hello, I'm Ford Hill, Erica's guardian."
"Mr. Hill." The homeroom teacher was an elderly Beta, his sharp eyes fixed on him through his glasses. "I've already explained this once on the voice call, and I'll repeat it again to make sure you understand. This morning, Erica and her classmate, Terry Griffin, had a minor altercation, and then at noon, Terry and his friends played a prank on Erica."
"They put some silver needles for the sewing elective in Erica's desk and nearly cut her fingers."
Ford nodded. "I understand. Although I personally think that isolated acts of revenge carried out by small groups on campus are tantamount to bullying, since Erica wasn't seriously hurt this time, if you have already punished Mr. Terry Griffin fairly, then we can..."
Erica couldn't help but pull Ford's clothes with a guilty look on her face, while the head teacher covered his forehead and made a pause gesture to him.
"Please wait a moment," the head teacher said. "As far as I know, although you are Miss Erica Bacon's temporary guardian, she is not actually your biological daughter, right?"
"Yes," Ford replied, "she was born in Port Alpert and I adopted her last month."
Homeroom teacher: "So, do you have anyone you need to notify? For example, Miss Erica's biological parents?"
It's no wonder she asked. Due to the war, educational resources were limited, and many outsiders resorted to changing their children's temporary guardians to enroll them in areas with higher enrollment rates. The capital, home to many universities, was particularly affected, and the teachers within the education system were well aware of this. Ford sensed something was amiss. "No, if you have any questions, just tell me… Sorry to interrupt, but where's the other child Erica was arguing with? Where's little Griffin now?"
The homeroom teacher looked as if you'd hit the nail on the head. "Mr. Griffin is in the infirmary right now. His father, Langman Griffin, arrived at the school before you. As the family of the 'perpetrator'—" she emphasized the word 'perpetrator,' "I think it's necessary for you to meet with him."
Ford: “…”
He looked down at Erica.
Erica's eyes wandered, the guilt on her face sincere: "I'm sorry."
She whispered, "You know I never went to school in Port Alple... In the past, when I argued with Betas and Alphas, I always ended up resolving the issue this way."
The class teacher also knew that the popularization of Omega education in Port Yarple was still a problem.
She sighed and said to Ford disapprovingly, "The child is innocent, but I think you should at least give her some advice on how to get along with her peers before sending her to school."
As the teacher walked out the door and led them to the infirmary, Erica whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Mr. Ford, you didn't tell the God about this, did you?"
"I told you," said Ford grimly, "what did you do with that little Griffin?"
Erica: "...He lost two teeth."
Ford: “…”
Erica: "I thought we were both Omegas... so we should be evenly matched in a fight."
So when they walked into the infirmary, both the adult and the child had sad expressions on their faces, which made their apology to the victim seem particularly sincere.
Langman Griffin was sitting by the bed, asking his youngest son how he was doing. The child, with a flattered expression on his face, lay quietly in his father's arms. It was unclear if it was Ford's imagination, but there seemed to be some unwashed blood on the child's face.
The moment she saw Erica, Terry flinched and then screamed, "Dad! She hit me!"
Langman Griffin raised his head, his cold gaze swept across Erica, and then moved to Ford without any pause.
Then he smiled ostentatiously, stood up with his arms outstretched, and walked over: "Mr. Ford Hill! Long time no see! How have you been lately?"
"Thanks to you," Ford said expressionlessly, stepping back to avoid the hug, "I'm doing pretty well."
"That's good." Langman didn't seem to mind the other party's rejection. He turned around with a smile, put down his hand, and half-knelt down to look Erica in the eye. "Your name is Erica Bacon, right? It's our first meeting. Isn't the capital city much more prosperous than Port Alplai?"
Ford took Erica's arm and led her behind him. He stepped forward and looked directly at Langman. "Don't waste any more time. Mr. Langman, you must be very busy. Why don't we get straight to the point and discuss the compensation issue?"
In fact, he had a vague suspicion that the reason why the other party's youngest son Terry came up to Erica to cause trouble on the first day of school was most likely because of Langman's instructions.
Longman Griffin had been trying to figure out what had happened in Port Alplai and how his brother, Ocasie Griffin, had been driven mad by the shock, so he had his sights set on Ford Hill. A few days ago, he had gone to the Griffin mansion and imprisoned Ford Hill for a day and a night, but to no avail. That's when Erica inevitably came into his sight.
The Griffin family's legacy has always been passed down through generations, with the most capable child in each generation ascending to the patriarchal position, regardless of gender. Langman stood out among his siblings, and his descendants naturally followed the cruel law of natural selection, with Langman's youngest son, Terry, currently the most mediocre of the children.
Normally, even if Terry was seriously injured and lying in the ICU, Langman might not have the leisure to visit him after taking revenge.
This made Langman's gesture of holding his youngest son Terry and asking about his well-being today seem as abnormal as the sun rising from the west.
And Langman didn't even bother to hide this abnormality.
He was telling Ford openly: I have discovered your weakness. If you don't want to make up for it later, you must make up for it quickly or bow to me.
Usually his opponents will choose to protect their weaknesses at this time.
Then, this Omega, who is known for his sharp vision and ability to seize opportunities, can take advantage of the enemy's panic and tear down the east wall to repair the west wall to drop a big fish, or catch them all in one net.
Ford was forced to deal with Langman as soon as he returned from Port Alper. The other party was like a rattlesnake squatting in the grass, watching his every move. The young man inevitably felt bored and tired, and no longer had the mood to perfunctorily deal with the other party.
"Don't worry." Langman noticed his weariness and couldn't help but smile. "I personally believe that a person's behavior is often closely related to their birthplace. Miss Bacon is from Port Alplait. She knows how to protect herself with her fists when faced with a crisis. That's good."
Ford stood calmly in front of Erica, waiting for Langman's next words.
"But—" Of course there would be a twist. The head of the Griffin family maintained a smile, tucking the long hair behind his ear. His eyes, which almost always looked icy, blinked. "What I don't understand is why an Omega from Port Alplai could come to the capital to attend middle school? And she shouldn't even be old enough to attend junior high school, right?"
The homeroom teacher, who had been invisible since entering the infirmary, spoke up at the right moment: "Mr. Langman, this is because Miss Erica passed our entrance exam."
"Then what's the matter with her student status?" Langman stood up and approached Ford aggressively. "Excuse me, but you're just stuffing a wild little girl brought back from the countryside into a school that's supposed to ensure student safety. How is that any different than putting an untamed wild dog among a flock of sheep?"
"Watch what you say!" Before the two men could start a fight, the head teacher shouted, "Mr. Longman Griffin! You should apologize for your inappropriate words!"
"I'm sorry." Langman said docilely.
Under Ford's angry gaze, he leisurely sat back on the hospital bed and casually raised his arm to embrace his young son. "As a relative of the victim, I feel I have the right to find out the details of this Miss Erica Bacon to prevent her from retaliating against my child in the future."
The head teacher tried to calm the situation down: "Mr. Langman, don't worry, we will definitely pay more attention to your child's school safety in the future..."
Langman turned his head and said coldly, "Please shut up before I say anything more rude to you."
The other party was choked up and fell into an awkward silence.
"Mr. Ford, have you made a decision?"
"bite--"
"Excuse me." Ford stared at his mobile device. "I have to take an emergency call."
He pulled Erica to the door. The school infirmary was not very soundproof, so the people inside could only hear Ford's slightly surprised response twice, then he pushed the door open and walked back, looking much more relaxed.
Erica, on the other hand, became visibly embarrassed and nervous, looking like she wanted to bury herself in the floor and never come out.
Langman Griffin noticed their changes and felt that something was out of control because of this sudden and unexpected situation.
"I'm sorry to trouble the school and you, the teacher." Ford's stern face even broke into a smile. "We will handle this matter privately with Mr. Griffin and his colleagues. Let's end our conversation in the infirmary today."
Langman: "You..."
Ford took the initiative and said, "Mr. Langman, please tell me your contact information."
"...I have your phone number." Langman said slowly, "I'll contact you when it's convenient."
"Okay." Ford took off his hat and said, "Then I'll ask you to meet with Erica's family next time."
After saying that, he didn't want to stay in the infirmary for another second, so he picked up Erica and left.
Homeroom teacher: "...Mr. Langman?"
Langman Griffin watched Ford's back and sneered.
He didn't even look back at his youngest son Terry. He straightened his collar and strode out of the school gate with a cold face.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com