Chapter One Hundred: You Know Nothing About the Mentally Challenged

"Ah, ahhh!"

Casey continued to shrink back, trying to pry himself away from Ruby's grasp. But that hand showed no intention of letting go; even as Casey's heels pushed up mounds of dirt from the ground, the grip remained unshaken.

"Professor Ruby, let go, please calm down."

Ximei finally reacted, tapping Ruby's arm to urge him. He had never seen Ruby wear such a hostile expression. In the eyes of the students, Ruby had always been a very easygoing person, but this only proved that the gentler a person is, the more terrifying they become when they lose their temper.

"Whose magic is this?"

Ruby finally released Casey’s wrist. Seeing Aqua still trapped in the magic net, he asked in a cold voice. The two students from the auxiliary magic department responsible for the spell immediately dispelled it.

"You, you..."

Seeing Aqua still lying on the ground, grinning foolishly at him, Ruby felt a strong urge to land a proletarian heavy punch on her. But seeing her pure gaze, he lowered his raised hand and instead gently brushed the weeds and dirt from her blue hair.

"Professor Ruby, do you know this mermaid?"

Ximei was already surprised that Ruby would hurt a student for the sake of a mermaid, but seeing him unable to bear watching her lie in the mud and picking her up in his arms, anyone could see they had a relationship.

"Of course I know her. I am his legal wife."

Before Ruby could speak, Aqua spoke first. Clearly, the mermaid was very satisfied with Ruby’s display, and she was now trying to take advantage of the situation by pressing her face against him.

"She is a pet I adopted."

Ruby coldly avoided Aqua’s face. If his hands weren't full, he would definitely have reshaped the mermaid’s face.

"Oh, oh! Professor Ruby is truly extraordinary; you even managed to tame a legendary mermaid."

Seeing the mermaid’s affection for Ruby, how could Ximei not understand? As a man, he couldn't help but want to give a thumbs-up to the teacher he admired most. Forget about the silver-haired and pink-haired girls—he could even tame non-humans!

"How did you catch her?"

Ruby walked to the edge of the lake without a word and tossed Aqua into the water. The mermaid, who had sunk, quickly surfaced. After confirming she was unharmed, Ruby turned back to ask.

"We put some dried fish-flavored spicy strips on a rock, and while she was busy stealing them, we tied her up with a magic net. That’s how we caught her. If all mermaids were this stupid, they wouldn't be humanity's enemy, would they?"

When recounting the capture, Ximei had wanted to make it sound more epic, perhaps involving a dozens-of-rounds battle with the mermaid before defeating her with exquisite maneuvers. Who knew it would be so simple? Aqua was single-handedly lowering the IQ of her entire species.

"Professor Ruby, you've been deceived. Mermaids are enemies of humanity. You must have been blinded by her singing."

The speaker was Casey, the freckled youth who was rubbing his wrist, which had just been treated by the healing magic department students.

"I only believe in what I see with my own eyes. She has been here for such a long time; has she ever harmed a human?"

"If you don't count using her song to hypnotize students into stealing snacks or scaring couples who come here for secret rendezvous in the middle of the night, then no, she hasn't harmed anyone."

Ximei counted the mermaid’s various misdeeds on his fingers. In truth, if Aqua hadn't been so blatant, he might not have bothered coming here to catch her.

"You!!"

Ruby’s expression darkened. Being called out by his students in front of everyone made the teacher lose face, so he simply squatted down and pinched Aqua’s cheeks, pulling them downward to vent his frustration.

"Ow, ow, my face is going to be pulled into a square..."

"That would be just right to help your brain store more wisdom. Why do you tease the students?"

"Because it’s boring! Don't you get goosebumps when you see those couples in the middle of the night? If you’re so capable, why don't you go on a date with me? Plus, I've never eaten snacks from the human world; it’s not like I’ll die from eating a few."

"Still talking back!"

"It hurts, it hurts..."

"Why didn't you fight back?"

After a brief punishment, Ruby let go and asked. Although Aqua’s brain was a bit lacking, it would be a joke to say she couldn't handle these students.

"Because you said being a teacher feels pretty good, and I didn't want to hurt your students."

Aqua replied with a smile, revealing two rows of white teeth. This made Ruby fall silent again. After a while, he said to her, "Next time someone tries to catch you, fight back. In my heart, you are more important than the students."

"Wait, Professor, are you saying this mermaid is stronger than us?" Ximei asked, feeling skeptical. They hadn't felt that the mermaid was very powerful; if she were truly strong, she shouldn't have been caught so easily.

"Show them a little bit of your aura."

"Okay."

Aqua nodded. As if a powerful shockwave had erupted from her, it sent a massive splash across the lake and blew away the fallen leaves on the ground. The students’ eardrums buzzed, and facing such a high-level magical suppression, they couldn't even muster the thought of resistance.

This highlighted the benefit of having no magic power in one's own body—Ruby just felt the wind get a bit stronger and didn't feel anything else. He didn't know Aqua’s true age, but according to records, mermaids were very long-lived. Over the vast passage of time, even if they were a bit foolish, they could easily reach heights that humans looked up to, and they were capable of hiding their magic so well that no one had ever discovered this mermaid’s true strength.

"Is... is she really that strong?"

Only after Aqua withdrew her magic did Ximei feel his own internal mana begin to flow normally again. A Grand Magus—a height even these elite students couldn't guarantee they would reach in their lifetimes. Thinking about their reckless behavior just now, a cold sweat broke out on Ximei’s back. Casey, who had wanted to harm Aqua, turned deathly pale.

"Remember, in any world, do not judge by appearances, or you might end up dead."

"We have learned our lesson... Well then, everyone, let the matter of the mermaid and Professor Ruby be a secret between us. Remember, don't let anyone else know."

Ximei nodded, and under his suggestion, the other students agreed to keep the secret.

"What's wrong? You're smiling so disgustingly."

The illegal fishing incident had come to an end, and Ruby prepared to go back to see if Eve had cooked up anything in the laboratory. He felt like he had been exceptionally busy since leaving the little cabin. Now, Ximei, standing beside him, was looking at him with a nauseating grin.

"Professor Ruby, if we keep your pet's secret, shouldn't you show some appreciation?"

"What kind of appreciation?"

"I heard that the Lord's death has alarmed His Majesty the Emperor, and in a few days, people will be sent to investigate. And the one coming this time is Lord Ryan, the commander of the Golden Lion Magic Corps."

Ximei’s eyes sparkled with what seemed like deep admiration for Ryan; he looked exactly like a star-struck fanboy.

"Ryan is coming? What is your request?"

Ruby still had a deep impression of that man who shone like the sun. He hadn't expected to see him again after only a month.

"Please help us get his autograph!"