Chapter 23: Cause and Effect

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“So, if I do not retaliate and feel shame or even bitterness every time Hutton humiliates me, he will feel happy and comfortable. That happiness and comfort is the reward for him bullying me. The more rewards he gets, the more he will want to bully me.”

“That analogy fits quite well!” Hort opened his eyes wide and looked more closely at Su Ye. He did not expect Su Ye to have such a logical explanation.

Su Ye continued, “But when you are eating honey, do you sometimes feel that you cannot continue eating because you’re tired of it?”

“Yes!” Hort said.

“Then you’ll probably put down the honey, and not long after, you’ll want to eat something better or try even more expensive kinds of honey, like the honey from a magic bee.”

“You’re right!” Hort answered.

“So, Hutton is the same. If I continue showing him that I have the same level of suffering when he humiliates me, then he will feel that the rewards have reduced as time goes on. So he will want to obtain even more rewards. Or, he might wish to obtain even more rewards when he is unhappy about something in order to make himself feel better. What do you think he’ll do?”

“He’ll increase the humiliation or even hurt you!” Hort replied with a serious look.

“Correct. So I have to use every means at my disposal to remove his rewards to prevent him from forming a habit of humiliating me. When he realized that the outcome of humiliating me is not a reward, but is instead suffering, he will definitely stop,” Su Ye said.

“I understand. You’re so awesome.” Hort stared seriously at Su Ye.

Su Ye smiled. “You don’t understand.”

“What do you mean? I know that I can be stupid sometimes.” Hort was frustrated. He had been mocked his whole life for his stupidity. He had joined the Plato Academy when he was 20, but he could not advance to become a Warrior Apprentice even after five years. He had already broken all of the records in Plato Academy for being the weakest student. So he did not care if he was called the First Fool or Second Fool by others.

“There are many reasons as to why he would bully me. The reward I explained just now is just one of the reasons. Merely knowing the reason would indeed cause me to take action, but I would not have taken action that quickly.”

“Then why did you take action that quickly?”

Su Ye laughed. “I was thinking what would happen to me if I did not retaliate.”

“What would happen?”

“At the start, I would suffer. Then, I would be afraid, fearful, and depressed. I would doubt and reject myself. Finally, I would become numb. I would allow him to bully me and never retaliate. I would become their childhood toy. All of these things would leave a scar in my heart, a deep, memorable scar. I would feel fear and have nightmares when I thought back to these events after I grew up. I would still have this deep, memorable scar in my heart even if I had status, wealth, and power in the future.”

Hort looked at Su Ye. He could faintly detect the icy intentions from within Su Ye’s heart.

The blue-eyed young lady who was eavesdropping on the conversation clenched her right fist gently.

Su Ye continued, “If I submitted now, if I knelt now, I would forever live in the shadow of humiliation. Then I asked myself these questions: Am I willing to live like that? Am I willing to hold onto my wounds and scream in grief every single day? Am I willing to burst out in tears every time I’m jolted awake from a nightmare? I am not! So even if I had to risk my life, I had to stop him from ruining my future!”

“But if he really becomes insane and kills you…” Hort revealed a look of worry.

Su Ye smiled slightly and pointed to his heart. “Compared to death, I am more afraid of living with scars.”

“I think I understand, but it feels like I haven’t understood all of it.” Hort scratched his head awkwardly.

Su Ye laughed. “When I looked in the past, I understood the reason. When I looked in the future, I found my meaning. When I knew the cause and effect, all I could do was take action.”

Hort looked at Su Ye, dazed. Sometime later, he said, “You are truly different now.”

“Forced by circumstance.” Su Ye had not provided an in-depth explanation about the situation. He extended his hand to pat Hort’s shoulder but could not quite reach it, and so he turned to pat his upper arm. He then returned to his seat.

The blue-eyed young lady had a spellbook in front of her, but her gaze wandered all over the place.

“The Plato Academy truly lives up to its reputation as a place that hides talented figures. It is no wonder that the mages here are more powerful than the Noble Academy. Even the person placed third to last has such wisdom, such tactics, and such knowledge. How incredible would those who placed at the front be? It looks like I have to take back my arrogance and pride and study seriously even though I am already a Black Iron Warrior,” the blue-eyed young lady thought in her heart.

She gently clenched her fists, then raised her head and pushed out her chest. Battle spirit burned in her eyes.

It was only now that Su Ye realized that he had neglected the new student. He said quietly, “Hello, I am Su Ye, what’s your name?”

The blue-eyed young lady turned her frame slightly. Her fair neck was as elegant as a swan, and her gaze swept over the classroom like a beam of azure light.

She pushed her spellbook between them and pointed to the lower right corner of its cover.

“Palos?” Su Ye read aloud.

Palos nodded, then pulled her spellbook back and continued to study earnestly.

“Not even saying a word, how arrogant. Or could it be that she cannot speak? What a poor child…” Su Ye thought to himself.

Su Ye remembered the letter he received just now and opened it up to read it.

It was sent by his deskmate, Jimmy, when he had just sat down.

“A kind reminder to stay further away from the blue-eyed young lady. Rumor has it that she’s an influential figure. Even Rolon kept his distance and was exceptionally respectful to her.”

Su Ye looked at Palos from the corner of his eye, then glanced at Rolon. He realized that Rolon was quieter than usual.

Rolon was unlike an ordinary student. He always wore black leather armor and carried a battle spear and short sword with him.

Rolon was considered an influential figure in the class. He had enrolled midway through the last semester but scored first place in the final exams, winning over the original number one, Laker.

Furthermore, Laker had a talent—Photographic Memory. Many people could not believe Rolon placed first.

There were many rumors around Rolon. Some said that he was from a Sagely Earl Family or even a Legendary Marquis Family.

He had adopted an aloof demeanor ever since he entered the class and only interacted with the few nobles within the academy.

Perhaps it was his aloof demeanor or the slight hint of melancholy that was perpetually in his eyes, but he was especially popular with the ladies.

If even Rolon did not dare approach this blue-eyed young lady, Palos, that meant that her identity had to be extraordinary.

Su Ye replied to Jimmy and expressed his thanks. Then he flipped open last year’s mathematics textbook.

Su Ye had heaved a sigh of relief when he flipped through the textbook.

The content of first-year mathematics at the Plato Academy was rather superficial, with the hardest concepts merely reaching the fourth or fifth grade level on the Blue Star.

However, Su Ye had already forgotten many simple mathematical concepts, and coupled with the fact that the vocabulary in this world was different, he did not dare be complacent. Instead, he studied using the method he most commonly used.

He first took his notes and wrote down all of the mathematical concepts, terms, and key points. With every note he made, he explained it to himself with words he understood, then provided an example. He would even use an analogy close to life when he encountered concepts that were particularly abstract.

By noon, he had extracted all of the key points from the book. The bell rang when he was about to proceed to the next step.

“Let’s go eat lunch together!” A shadow befell him.

Su Ye smiled. Hort was too tall. An average person can play “hide the kitten*,” but he can only play “hide the elephant.”

Su Ye nodded, closed his spellbook, then stood up.

“You did well just now!” A deskmate who was sitting beside Holt patted Su Ye’s upper arm and gave him an encouraging look before he turned to leave.

Su Ye looked at the back of “Bully” Laker and smiled. Ever since his spot at the top was snatched away from Rolon, Laker had become more hardworking in his studies and had become much skinnier.

*The original phrase is a colloquial term for hide and seek, but the joke is lost in translation.