Reborn Financier-Chapter 52: The Relentless Barbarian and the Sleepy Demon

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: The Relentless Barbarian and the Sleepy Demon

The sun barely rose above academy walls when Kaidën yawned into the building where the martial arts department was. His uniform looked perfectly ironed—thanks to his obsessive care—but the way he dragged his feet and rubbed his eyes gave the impression of someone who barely made it out of bed alive.

He slipped into the classroom before most of the other students arrived and made a straight line to his usual seat—back row, near the window, second from the left. Prime spot for staring out into the world and pretending the class didn’t exist.

Kaidën collapsed onto his desk with a deep sigh and mumbled, "Please let today be boring..."

And for a while it was.

That is, until the barbarian girl arrived.

Rika Stoneshoulder strode into the room with her thunderous legs. She stood nearly as tall as Kaidën, and her academy uniform looked like it was strangling her, the sleeves rolled higher than they were supposed to go, showing blue-black tribal tattoos cladding her arms. Coppery-blonde hair streamed out behind her in a wildly unruly braid, and her keen eyes immediately locked onto Kaidën.

"KAIDËN OF EVERWOOD KINGDOM," she declared with the solemnity of an executioner. "I CHALLENGE YOU INTO BATTLE!"

Kaidën didn’t even look up. He just raised one limp hand and muttered, "I surrender. You win."

There was a beat of silence. Then—

"What?"

"Congratulations," Kaidën drawled, still lying face-down across his desk. "You have beaten me with sheer presence alone. Your overwhelming...loudness is more than I can handle."

Rika’s eye twitched. A vein popped at her temple.

"That doesn’t count! We haven’t even drawn weapons yet!"

Kaidën finally turned his head slightly, just enough to glance at her sideways. "Didn’t you just challenge me in the classroom? I’m pretty sure shouting counts as an opening move in your tribe."

There were gasps throughout the room as more students came in, drawn in by the drama like moths to a bonfire. Some giggled. Others looked shocked. Some whispered excitedly to one another.

"Isn’t that Rika Stoneshoulder."

"She’s B-Class, right? She ever challenged him?!"

"Hold on, isn’t that the Everwood student who cheated to enter B-Class?"

More and more students were pouring in from the hallway, head jammed into the classroom, bodies wedged against the windows just to see the fight.

He rolled his eyes and sank further into his folded arms. "It’s too early in the morning for that much noise pollution."

But Rika would have none of it. She strode over to his desk, leaned over, and declared, "Why did you quit? Are you laughing at me?"

"Absolutely not," Kaidën replied calmly. "This is me prioritizing my health. You look like the kind of person who lifts trees for breakfast and washes in lava."

"You—! I trained for seven years in the Icefang Dojo of the north, hunted frost-bears with my bare hands, and crushed boulders with my thighs!"

"That... explains a lot." He turned away, clearly trying not to laugh.

Just as Rika clenched her fists and prepared to escalate, the classroom door slammed open with enough force to shut everyone up.

Professor Lyris, a no-nonsense woman with cold eyes and a sharp tongue, walked in with a stack of scrolls under one arm and an expression that said I will kill the next student who speaks out of turn.

They all hastened to their seats out of fear.

Rika paused in mid-bellow, then turned and slowly made her way back to her desk, her features twisting in repressed anger.

Kaidën, meanwhile, was already back in nap mode, mumbling into his arm, "Sheesh... barbarians these days. No chill."

---

Later that evening.

It did not take long for the rumors to spread like wildfire.

"Did Kaidën even resist when he surrendered?"

"He didn’t even get up."

"True to form—he’s just some rich kid who parachuted in, probably bought his way in."

"He does appear weak. Probably can’t even hold a wooden sword."

Increasingly, more students, particularly from lower-tier B-Class and C-Class, started to view Kaidën as an easy target. Easy to rile, easy to challenge. Some even planned out sparring offers, with the intent to embarrass him in public and move up the ranks.

But none of them moved just yet. They where all wait for someone to move first. There was still a trace of doubt—hadn’t Kaidën drawn with Meng Ji, after all?

Even so, the tide of ridicule was rising.

***********************************************

The Days that followed

Rika did not quit.

She went marching over to Kaidën’s desk each morning at the start of class and made the same challenge.

"KAIDËN OF EVERWOOD! I CHALLENGE YOU!"

And each time, Kaidën replied without even lifting his head:

"I surrender. You win. Go collect your invisible medal at the front counter."

Some days he added flair.

Once, he threw a white handkerchief into the air like a general surrendering a kingdom.

Another time, he dramatically slid a note across the desk that read: "This warrior formally yields to your superior savagery. Please let him nap in peace."

Rika’s fury only grew, but strangely... so did her fascination.

***********************************************

49 DAYS TILL BELLS TRIAL

The sky was already stained orange when Kaidën trudged down the stone path toward the dorms, the horizon bleeding into dusk. His hands were tucked lazily in his pockets, his mind drifting toward what excuse he’d give to skip dinner and head straight to bed.

But before he could even round the corner, a familiar presence stepped into his path.

"Meng Ji," he muttered, recognizing the silver-haired girl leaning casually against a lamp post, arms crossed, eyes calm—but intent.

"I was waiting for you," she said softly, pushing herself upright and walking forward. "There’s something I need to say—about our fight. About—"

Kaidën raised a hand, palm out.

"Nope," he said flatly.

Meng Ji blinked. "Wait—what?"

He casually turned on his heel, pivoting to go the other way. "I don’t do post-fight therapy."

"I’m not here to argue!" she called, taking a step after him. "Just listen—"

But Kaidën had already started walking off.

Then—

Crunch.

A heavy footstep echoed through the silence. Another figure emerged from the shadowed alley across the path.

Raelius.

His uniform was torn. His eyes wild. And his lip bled where a fresh cut had only just begun to clot. His fists trembled—not from fear, but rage.

"I finally found you," he growled.

Kaidën stopped mid-step.

Raelius stepped forward slowly, each movement heavy with fury. "I don’t care how you beat me. I don’t care which dirty tricks you played. I don’t care who you think you are."

He raised a shaking finger at Kaidën.

"I’m going to make you pay."

Kaidën exhaled, slow and patient, like someone watching a toddler throw a tantrum. "Ah. So this is what you end up as, can this day go any worse..."

Meng Ji stepped between them, looking from Raelius to Kaidën, then back again.

"Raelius—"

To be continued...