(I knew I had to be careful here. But curiosity gripped me as I entered my mother's heart once more. I have always possessed the strongest desire to understand the goddess who gave me life more.) Kiya's Heart:

I looked at my son, whose face remained mostly stoic. Only his eyes showed a sincerely apologetic expression after our gazes locked. Of course, this was no different from how I expected Lucky to be. He had never disrespected me, even when my curse-fueled actions disappointed him. What made me frown was this superintendent was unexpectedly someone with a bit of power formed, although it was at quite the pathetic level. I knew Ria probably used a special pill to form this superficial power base he was so proud about. It was nothing to fear. Ria's body previously exerted a bit of formless pressure. He was trying to intimidate both myself and my son. Intimidating me was one thing, but how dare this man try to pressure my son. I already decided to punish the superintendent for that. Unfortunately for Mr. Bookend, I was not a weak woman and was completely unaffected. Even my boy only furrowed his brow a bit in the face of this pressure, barely reacting to it at all. I couldn't help but feel proud.

Such a scene instantly calmed Mr. Bookend down, as this was indeed the family of his benefactor. Even if the boy was someone his benefactor disdained, Ria Bookend was forced to accept that he wasn't qualified to disdain this boy or his mother. They were on two different playing fields. Just this little interaction likely reminded this official of my strength and status. Thanks to Marc's influence, the charm curse makes me more demure. It's disgusting. When this official saw me act in a manner outside of demure, he was frightened. Thus, the superintendent immediately revealed his respect for my so-called husband. Does he know that mentioning Marc's name should trigger me to correct my behavior? There's only one way he could know that. I'm sure Ria Bookend didn’t realize he would also expose his confidence level with that man by daring to do so. Men with weak hearts will always be weak. This superintendent is being manipulated by my husband, I had no doubts about that. What did it mean if this man knew my husband but persisted in this hearing? It told me that Marc was likely aware of all of this and tacitly supported the decisions being made. How would the bureau dare to go against Wonder Corporation’s vice president? How could this humble older man have gained a superficial power base if he didn’t have a strong supporter? Nobles completely disdained the commoners and the truly humble, and there was no way a man so old already was favored by a noble. It was impossible. Actually, I knew most nobles would only spit on the man. I sat down and crossed my legs, waiting anxiously for the proceedings. I didn’t want my son to be kicked out of school unjustly, but I also didn’t hate such an outcome. My son showed signs of his talent awakening. The other day, he even brought home a cursed little girl. Thanks to that shock, my inner heart was once again awake. My memories were slowly restoring. The curse could no longer tie me down. I was finally ready to carry out my part of the plan. Somehow the timeline of events Meno had given me was proving to be accurate. "My son has already started coming into contact with the world…" I mumbled to no one in particular. “I have to equip him with the essentials, just as I equipped Miracle. Thankfully, Miracle seems to have taken him under her wing in my place.” My son glanced back at me with an interesting glint in his eyes. It was at this moment I realized how exceptional the boy's hearing was, he clearly heard me just now. I suppose I really did need to remove him from this system, it would only hold him back. This was exactly what Marc wanted, but he seems to be growing impatient. Did he want to encourage delinquent behavior in my son? Would he use Ryatt's subsequent rebellion as a way to secretly kill my son? I couldn't allow such a thing to happen, no matter what.

As embarrassing as this hearing was, this was only a humble school system. Even if these people saw my son as humble for now, would it remain that way in a couple of years? Only in my dreams… My main reason for coming to defend my son was the fact that he was being bullied! Even if Ryatt got expelled, this was just a solid reason for me to send him abroad earlier. It worked out! It could at least advance my plans for him by a bit. Now that I was awake, sending my boy away was a major priority. I couldn't risk drowning in the charm curse once more. However, that also meant I would have to train him a bit, which was much too dangerous with Marc around.

Who could I rely on for his training?

I had only just escaped the charmed state. I couldn’t be an effective teacher, or it would blow my cover. The only reason my presence at this meeting didn't threaten Marc was that the mention of his name was supposed to trigger my demure personality and absolute obedience to his interests! Mr. Bookend glanced at the quiet Kiya Prozen and nodded in his heart. Thankfully, Ria remembered the options which his benefactor gave him. This woman could indeed become 'unhinged and unruly,' as described. The idiot didn't even realize I could follow his every action with my divine sense, I had no need to look at him with my eyes. Ria complacently turned his head and lowered his gaze once more, stopping on my son's face. He dropped the folder in his hand along with his pen, his patience thinning. My son looked up indifferently, causing Ria to pause his words. That young boy's gaze had actually intimidated the older man for an instant.

"Sir…I only have one thing to say." Ryatt looked Mr. Bookend directly in his eyes, speaking eloquently. The entire hall turned to look at him when he spoke, myself included. Lucky only greeted us with calm and determined eyes. "What have I done wrong? I only stood up for those who were too weak to stand up for themselves. Even though things got out of hand…I don’t intend to apologize to any of those injured students. It was us who were attacked, and it was the school that failed to protect us from a group of gangsters that jumped us on the way home! Two of my friends and their families even got hurt by the Black Tyrant gangsters. Yet, my friends and their families are poor and cannot pay you. So, you don't care to investigate this, right? They should hope I don't see them again. Once again, it is us who got attacked. None of you have done a damn thing to seek justice for my friends! I will not apologize for punching their teeth in. They got off easy. I only apologize to the school for my behavior. I’m sorry to have made a mess for you." After my son's high voice faded, the entire hall was quiet for a few breaths of time. Ryatt couldn’t help but think back to that incident in their silence. From his eyes, I could tell that if he ever had the chance, he would definitely go after Luciano. I made a mental note to investigate Black Tyrant immediately. I needed to know who my son's enemies were. After the words Ryatt spoke, the hall fell temporarily silent. 'I only stood up for those too weak to stand up for themselves!' 'Even if things went too far…I won’t apologize!' 'None of you have done a damn thing!' Inspiring! Domineering! Unyielding! The adults present couldn’t help but feel impressed with this youngster’s demeanor. I felt more impressed and pleased than any of them. My boy possessed such eloquence, how could I not be proud? However, the others frowned in displeasure while I was stunned into silence by my son’s statement. Although it was naive to believe in the concept of fairness, Lucky was still young enough. I remained fond of my son’s righteous heart. This was the spirit of a true hero, the same spirit as the ancient lifeforms and the most powerful gods of creation! There was no way my son would be unable to enter the Hero Realm. 'Entering the Hero Realm can also be seen as shedding the first layer of mortality - humility. The sage heart has to evolve from humble to valorous. Only after shedding the two remaining layers of mortality could one become truly profound in form. It's a marvelous system, really...' Of course, I would rather my son stay ordinary. It was far safer in this dangerous world. Unfortunately, Lucky was born to be extraordinary, even more so than my daughters. It was impossible to contain his talent any longer. Given he was so talented, I also wanted Lucky to soar into the heavens one day.

If only life were so simple. ------- Lucky's Heart:

I had just remembered many unpleasant things from the previous week. One of which was the dazed look that was in Micayle’s eyes when she was cursed. Her words and behavior were all strange and creepy.

Wasn’t this the same look my mother possessed until that very day? "Does that mean…my mom was also under a charm curse?" I felt some rage starting to build in my heart when finally asking myself this question. "But then, what happened?"

If my mother had been placed under a slave curse, who was the master? In my mind, there could only be one answer! "Before I brought Micayle home and my mom removed her curse…my mom used to speak about her husband 80% of the time," I mused. The truth seemed obvious, but I was a bit unwilling to accept it. Even though I hated my stepfather, the man had never harmed a single hair on my mother’s head. He treated her like a precious and delicate flower. My mother was always doted on heavily, which made me not completely hostile against Marc. "Yet...since that day, I’ve rarely heard her mention Marc unless he was in the vicinity. When she does…I can tell her mood sours!" I closed my eyes and sat very still as I contemplated.

In the eyes of Mr. Bookend and the other officials, I had said my piece and then calmly awaited punishment. My martyr-like appearance made many of them feel pangs of guilt. In reality, I was doing my best to conceal the fires of rage in my heart. I could feel a slight change in my heart, causing me to immerse myself in the feeling. I made a mental note to ask my mother about that curse later. For now, I focused on my heart’s changes. "Superintendent Bookend, why don’t we take a quick recess to discuss this case in more depth?" a female official on the side of Mr. Bookend asked gently, her gaze still scrutinizing Riot's body. Although it was a question, her tone brokered no argument. "I have a feeling some more research should be done here. What incident is this boy referring to when he says they were attacked?" She waved a feather fan in her hand, had long black hair and exceptionally delicate features. She wore the suit of a businesswoman and possessed an air of elegance. The powerful vibrations of her body made it apparent that this woman was a heroic character. Her heroic air was far more pronounced than the likes of Ria Bookend and Luciano.

I couldn’t help but grow curious due to this discovery.

(Origin Province Supervisor, Susan Darkcloud. My curiosity is getting the best of me again.) ------- Susan Darkchild's Heart:

I felt something was strange about this incident. Certainly, the little boy in front of me hadn’t lied a single time, yet this superintendent seemed intent on finding him guilty. How odd. Normally, I couldn’t be bothered to micro-manage the education bureau’s officials. However, this child, Ryatt Drakel, had an astounding aura of vital energy. It nearly surpassed the Humble Realm. With such a strong body, wasn’t he very suited to be a body former? At the very least, he should definitely become a good mana refiner with enough training. How could I let such an innately talented child be bullied here? Mr. Bookend frowned imperceptibly when he heard my voice. After all, I'm the Provincial Supervisor of Origin Province. Obviously, my heart had been stirred by the youth’s words, which was not a good thing for him. After all, could he go against the provincial government just for the little benefit Wonder Corporation was offering him? The answer was no. "Supervisor Darkcloud, this…is a little inappropriate, no?" Mr. Bookend hesitated a bit before saying seriously.

He signaled the other two officials with his eyes. He actually dared to do so. "Excuse me, Superintendent?" I frowned, furious that this low-level official dared to talk back and even accuse me of misconduct. Ria immediately panicked, but I gave him no opportunity to change his words, "You owe me an explanation. How exactly are my words inappropriate?" "Supervisor Darkcloud, this child has long since been on our bureau’s radar," the one who responded was instead an older woman with silver her and a slightly hunched back. "His misconduct traces back at least three years. This is his third hearing, although it is the first time it reached such a magnitude. He has already admitted to his offense and doesn’t show a shred of remorse. By saying we have more to discuss…aren’t you just intending to shield this youth?" Ryatt was flabbergasted upon hearing this woman directly lie about how many hearings he had, among other things. "You’re accusing me of misusing my station?" my expression darkened, and my eyes narrowed. "You wish to say that I am interfering with this case for personal reasons?" "We wouldn’t dare, Ms. Darkchild," said a middle-aged man with a deep and raspy voice. "However, with the facts as they are, are we able to ignore this possibility? The education bureau’s discipline statutes are unambiguous in how we are to treat repeat offenders. Especially students who consider themselves to be some vigilante. Such behavior is hazardous for our other students and even the staff. You tell me, Supervisor Darkchild. Is it appropriate to stop us from following the protocol?" "Good. Very good," I stood up and snapped my feather fan closed. The fiery look in my eyes revealed how livid I was, but my face and tone remained calm. I closed my eyes and walked away from my cohorts. "Are you all still aware of who requested my presence today? Now that I’m going against your motives, you wish to drive me away? Awesome. What an awesome Education Bureau. You will be getting a visit from the Internal Affairs office." "Ms. Darkcloud is that seriously…" Mr. Bookend’s face changed when he heard the term 'Internal Affairs office.'

He knew he had made a dangerous gamble. But he didn't expect such a thing to escape my lips. He finally felt real fear. "Ria Bookend, please remember your station," I glanced indifferently at the superintendent. "You should be referring to me as Supervisor." As I spoke these words, I had already arrived at Ryatt’s seat. I bent down with a card in my hand, placing it in the boy’s palm. I spoke to him in a quiet voice, "Hello, little man. My name is Susan Darkchild. You can call me Miss Susan. Use that card to find me after today ends. I will make sure you don’t suffer further."