The Dread Knight's Rage-Chapter 59: Undignified Nobles

Solomon rushed past the girls and bolted down the hallway.

He broke into a full sprint as he followed the sound of the screaming.

There is a crowd gathering at the very end of the hall. All of the second years look like they’re trying to get into one very specific dorm room.

Solomon doesn’t ask them to move so much as he barrels his body into theirs to move them out of the way.

He breaks into the crowded room and immediately wishes he hadn’t.

The older students had larger dorms. Making it more than possible to fit an excess of at least twenty people in one space at a time.

Uncovered bodies were everywhere.

The air was rife with moans and sour smells that crinkled Solomon’s nose.

They seemed to relish in the voyeurism as other students watched them from the hallway.

It was clear that this wasn’t an event for couples, at least not any kind that Solomon recognized.

Bodies changed hands from one partner to another constantly. The young nobles took no care to wipe off their intimacy with another before taking a second or third partner.

No one seemed to have a problem with this. Rather, they seemed to relish in it instead.

The debauchery was the point. It allowed these stuffy nobles to take control of their own polished lives for the evening.

Solomon cared little for their vile lust.

His only focus was on the far side of the room, where Everett lay broken and bloody beside three more students from their year.

He didn’t recognize the two girls. But he did recognize the other boy.

It was one of the golden triplets who had accosted him earlier in the week.

But Solomon took no delight in seeing the current state of the man, no matter their prior interaction.

These people were treated like animals by the dirtiest spawns of the gods.

Their skin had been scribbled across and vile words were written.

Everett lay naked on the floor, his form crumpled into a ball.

His formerly beautiful white wings and hair were dyed with yellow and red liquid. Tally marks had been written on his back and above his pubic area.

There were so many. Solomon’s heart tightened for his teammate. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"I don’t recall seeing your face anywhere. What year are you from?"

Solomon hears a voice talking to him that he couldn’t care less about. He ignores it, and takes a knee.

"Everett."

The winged boy flinches when he hears the familiar voice of the person he least wants to see in that moment.

"Get up. We’re going back." Solomon said gently.

Everett uncovers one of his eyes. A blood vessel has been burst, turning the entire oculus red.

Solomon places a reassuring hand on his shoulder before turning to the other students from his yesr.

"All of you, get up. Go back to your dorms." He nudges them, finally rousing their attention after too many seconds of them being unresponsive.

"Can you not hear me, man?" A voice says again.

A retaliatory backhand comes toward the side of Solomon’s face.

His body reacted faster than normal as he held up his arm.

Flames spread along his arm as a black shield forms from out of thin air.

His assailant strikes the shield hard.

The ensuing humming of metal, finally, catches the attention of the nude upperclassmen in the throes of ecstasy.

Solomon lowered his shield for the first time, and his eyes met with an Olympic figure of a man.

He is tall and pale, like a marble sculpture. Every muscle and scar on his body is deeply defined and eye-catching. His face ever more so.

Solomon knows immediately that he is a noble from a very powerful and influential family. His skin is flawless, his nape-length green hair is glossy and gives off a scent like wild berries.

His eyes are fire and brimstone. They swirl with a beastlike savagery.

He seems offended by the fact that Solomon would block his attempt to ’discipline’ him.

But then, he notices Solomon’s eyes. And his offense gives way to an unbecoming humor.

He stumbles backward, laughing aloud as he covers his nakedness with a sheet.

"I was wondering what kind of dog would come into someone else’s room in such an undignified manner. Though I confess, I wasn’t expecting it to be one of you. I thought you were all charred husks."

Solomon could tell this individual is trying to provoke him. Though he did not know why, and didn’t care much to unearth the mystery.

Instead, he focused on helping the four from his year get to their feet.

One of the girls was worse off than the others. She had a broken leg, and had to be supported by the golden boy.

He also shared a glance with Solomon.

The latter could tell there was a degree of humiliation suffered by his noble psyche.

It was as if he expected Solomon to hold this above his head at some point.

Perhaps that would have been the aristocratic thing to do. But Solomon did not exactly consider himself to be a part of that denomination.

"My lord brother assured me that he saw as many of you burned to a crisp as he could find. Though you didn’t actually make it very difficult for him, did you?"

Solomon suddenly freezes.

His mind finally connects the dots that previously alluded him.

He turns around and stares at the green-haired young man again, his face contorted into an overly dignified smile.

"Yes... That’s what he said it was like. All of you, just standing there gawking with your hands to the sky."

The young princeling wraps his arms around a random young man’s neck in a comradic manner.

"Apparently, the biggest losses we suffered that day were to our time and expenses. Had we known that we could have completed our campaign in our pajamas and slippers, we wouldn’t have had to worry about outfitting men with staffs and charms!"

There is a nervous, uncertain laughter in the room that barely passes for something genuine.

The spell of lust over the students is broken. For the first time in hours, people were beginning to cover themselves and inch away from the center of the room.

Everett and the others try to make it to the door, but the green-haired man blocks their path.

"Did I say that any of you could leave yet? The night’s still young and you still haven’t paid all of your seniors the proper respect."