Chapter 114: Stellar Academy

Louis walked out of the classroom with Ruby trailing quietly beside him.

Or rather, he walked while Ruby read.

The little girl held her book wide open with both hands, her green eyes moving rapidly across the printed pages as she followed him down the hallway.

She showed no intention of putting it away, even though they had already left the classroom behind.

Louis glanced down at the title on the cover.

The 51 Laws of Dominance.

He stopped dead in his tracks for half a second.

Then he looked at Ruby. Then back at the book.

‘What in the world is this child reading?’

The book had been made publicly available several decades ago, containing ruthless strategies for establishing authority, manipulating social dynamics, exploiting an opponent’s psychological weaknesses, and maintaining dominance in hostile environments.

Although many of its core principles had originated from bloody military campaigns and galactic political conflicts, the author had adapted them for everyday social interactions.

It was a popular, cutthroat read among ambitious young Lords and aspiring military commanders.

It was also a rather terrifying choice for a seven-year-old elementary student.

‘Isn’t she supposed to be reading about magical unicorns and fairy princesses?’

Louis looked down at Ruby again.

She calmly turned a page.

Apparently, social manipulation tactics were far more interesting than her immediate surroundings.

The Overseer sighed heavily and resumed walking.

‘This family is certainly something else…’

As they proceeded down the corridor, the words Mrs. Smith had spoken privately to him earlier returned to his mind with alarming clarity.

”Ruby is an exceptionally intelligent girl,” the teacher had explained in a hushed, nervous tone. “She consistently scores at the very top of her examinations, and she understands most advanced subjects far beyond what I would expect from a child her age.”

That part had hardly surprised him. Considering who her grandmother and father were, extraordinary intellect would have been one of the less unusual traits Ruby could inherit.

However, Mrs. Smith had quickly continued. “There is a reason she was placed back in this class, though.”

Louis had listened carefully, sensing the dark turn the conversation was taking.

”On the final day of her previous grade, one of her classmates insulted her father. The girl mocked Ruby because her family couldn’t afford the latest Starlight Doll.”

”Ruby didn’t argue with her,” Mrs. Smith murmured, shuddering slightly. “She didn’t complain to the staff, either. She simply waited until the other students were distracted, then lured the girl somewhere they wouldn’t be interrupted.”

”By the time anyone found them, the girl had been hospitalized. She remained there for two full weeks, and the experience left her so severely traumatized that she eventually developed severe PTSD. Her family withdrew her from the academy shortly afterward.”

Louis had stared blankly at Mrs. Smith.

‘She’s seven years old.’

The girl had inflicted enough psychological and physical damage on a peer to permanently drive her out of the school.

Under ordinary circumstances, such a violent incident would have resulted in immediate expulsion and criminal charges. Depending on the severity of the assault and local laws, Ruby might even have been referred to a juvenile detention facility.

Yet none of that had happened.

Instead, she had simply been placed in a lower grade, ostensibly to give her more time to “develop socially.”

Louis wasn’t naive enough to believe that hollow administrative cover-up.

With his firsthand knowledge of Seraphina’s terrifying capabilities, he could easily picture what had transpired behind closed doors. If that domestic monster had decided her granddaughter was staying at the school, no principal on Earth would dare disagree.

‘That explains why she’s in this class…’

His gaze drifted down toward Ruby once more.

The little girl was still casually reading.

An hyper-intelligent child who could casually traumatize her classmates and manipulate adults… Wonderful.

Louis genuinely wondered whether there was a single person in the Voss family who could be considered remotely normal. He was rapidly beginning to suspect the answer was an absolute no.

At that moment, Ruby finally spoke up.

”I’m surprised Grandma hired me a tutor,” her voice was casual, almost absent-minded, as she turned another page without looking up. “I don’t think my academic grades require one.”

Louis glanced down at her. “Is that so?”

”Yes,” Ruby replied smoothly. “I’ve already completed most of the advanced curriculum for my current grade. I could probably finish the rest of the year’s work without much difficulty.”

There was no juvenile arrogance in her tone.

That was precisely what made her statement so troubling, she wasn’t bragging or attempting to impress him. She was simply stating what she considered an indisputable, mundane fact.

Louis rubbed his temple, feeling an oncoming headache. “A young child can’t possibly know everything.”

”Of course not,” Ruby answered so instantly that he paused in his stride. She kept reading. “But that doesn’t mean I need a tutor.”

Louis stared at her.

‘Did she just agree with my premise while completely dismissing my conclusion?’

He was beginning to understand why Seraphina had insisted that he personally oversee her education.

Perhaps the woman wasn’t trying to help Ruby learn.

Perhaps she was simply trying to find someone physically strong enough to keep her occupied.

His thoughts cut short as his combat instincts screamed in alarm.

The playful, tired irritation vanished from his face, replaced in a split second by the cold, lethal vigilance of a Tier V Ascendant Lord.

A hostile presence!

Before Ruby could even register the shift in air pressure, Louis raised his right hand.

A thick, translucent barrier of spatial force erupted into existence, enveloping both the Overseer and the little girl in an impenetrable protective sphere.

BOOM!

The reinforced side wall of the hallway violently exploded inward.

Concrete shattered into dust, structural steel beams twisted like paper, and a deafening shockwave tore through the corridor.

A blinding cloud of debris burst into the air, showering the floor as an entire section of the building collapsed.

Louis remained completely motionless behind his barrier, his eyes narrowing into cold slits as he watched the smoke clear.

Through the rising dust, several armed figures sprinted into the ruined hallway through the breach.

They wore sleek, dark tactical gear and wielded high-tier weapons built for military engagements. Their movements were sharp, their tactical formation disciplined, and their lethal intent absolute.

The spatial barrier around Louis pulsed as another wave of shockwaves washed over it uselessly.

Beside him, Ruby finally lowered her book.

She looked at the shattered concrete, then at the heavily armed mercenaries invading the school corridor.

”…Oh.”

Ruby tilted her head with mild curiosity.

Louis’s expression turned terrifyingly murderous.

Whoever these fools were, they had just made the ultimate mistake of their short lives. They had chosen to launch a military raid while he was personally responsible for Seraphina’s granddaughter.

And he was not a ruler who tolerated threats under his watch.