The Hunted Regressor: My Heretic Saint System-Chapter 57: Lykos Stood Up

In Ignotus’s past life, he’d created a coalition in a last-ditch effort to survive and ward off the Great Houses’ grabby hands off him and his people. Yet no matter how strong he’d gotten, many of those in his own coalition refused to completely believe in him.

The opportunities that should’ve come his way went to someone else with a higher status, namely, a Great House Runebearer.

Class... something that forever haunted his accomplishments, despite their grandeur.

Although at some point, Ignotus was the only one they could depend on, those cut from a higher cloth still refused to fully acknowledge him...

Even if it had cost them their lives.

It didn’t stop there, as even those who were of the same status as him or lower refused to follow him fully. They abhorred the fact that someone who once crawled through the same grime as them had climbed so high.

It would’ve been funny if it weren’t so tragic.

One couldn’t underestimate how dumb people could be and most often were.

Someone’s "common sense" didn’t exist for another. That was simply how it was and would always be.

After all, if ’smart’ existed, that also meant that ’dumb’ also existed.

Death and life, one couldn’t be without the other...

Ego would forever be the death of many.

Ignotus was forced to accept that.

That was why he refused to recruit any more Runebearers at the end, preferring a more solitary path...

Not that there was anyone left to lead.

But, anyhow, upon his unavoidable end, he realized that he couldn’t keep it up.

Repeating such a path now, or worse, going solitary, would only lead to the same end.

No matter what, he needed more people; the enemy was too powerful and numerous, controlling the realm as he knew it.

So, he’d build himself from the ground up as a new House, become his own man, and ignore that problem altogether.

He’d become this realm’s main character.

Hence, this public reveal was inevitable.

Though his fellow Disciples found it...

"YOU LEFT YOUR HOUSE?!"

Stupid, especially Lykos, who loudly screamed it, making dozens of heads turn.

Even Gaia, who was stuck at the entrance surrounded by her new fan club, had her eyes widen and shoot straight toward Ignotus.

Their thoughts and his were far from similar, as he was thinking of a future they wouldn’t dare believe.

"He left a Main House?"

"Who does that?!"

"Is he crazy?"

"Without a House, he’ll never get any Runes!"

Enjoying their surprise, Ignotus played it calmly:

"...what? It’s not that big of a deal."

He leaned on his desk.

"Houses aren’t all that useful to me anyway."

A sigh was heard from someone two rows down.

It came from a girl of white and gold.

Both human and eagle.

A bird-folk.

Aurelia.

The same one the crowd yapped about earlier.

"You can’t be serious."

Ignotus shrugged.

"I am."

He was serious, and yes, they were right...

Ignoring his reasons, why would anyone leave a MAIN HOUSE?

Even if momentarily, doing so would mean losing out on many benefits, mainly Runes.

Most would kill their mothers to be in one.

Without a prominent House, gaining new Runes would be near impossible.

Of course, they could gain some in the Academy’s Trials, but that was only one Rune that’d be fought over by hundreds of Disciples. The average Disciple had no chance and would most likely be cannon fodder for the other Disciples to kill.

The only way for them to get stronger would be to hug a thick thigh...

And what thighs were bigger than a House?

"My thighs are bigger."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The room fell silent.

What the Hell did Ignotus just say?

Only Eris in his mind, and Ulv shook their heads, one laughing, the other giving up.

Lykos, meanwhile, scoffed and looked away, thinking that Ignotus was somehow teasing him again.

"You..."

Though not all remained silent, as the bird-folk spoke once more.

"...what?"

"My thighs..."

Ignotus repeated with a straight face.

"Are bigger than any House’s... I started training, you know?"

The collective confusion in the room could’ve powered a small city in the Second Stratum.

"You should never change."

Ulv chuckled under his breath while Lykos groaned:

"You’re insane."

And Ignotus hummed:

"Hmm-hmm."

Raising his right arm...

"Hmmmm~."

He lowered it on top of Lykos’s fluffy head.

"Good boy~."

And that sent him off!

"Y-YOU BASTARD!"

Lykos shot up, his hands slamming on the desk.

"HOW DARE YOU?!"

His whole face went red as Ignotus tilted his head innocently.

"You bark louder than usual."

Ulv laughed quietly.

"You missed him, didn’t you? Lady Merlin wasn’t there to take his place."

"I did not! And I don’t care about her either!"

Lykos yelled, crossing his arms and glaring upward.

"Besides, I was perfectly fine without this idiot around!"

Ignotus leaned back with a grin.

"Sure you were—"

"Excuse me."

A soft voice came from his left, nearly cutting him off.

Many turned again as Gaia, the same girl from before, now lifted her skirt slightly and elegantly sat beside him, only to lower her head from all the staring eyes.

"What? You..."

Lykos froze mid-sentence, confusion overtaking his anger.

Ignotus glanced her way, blinked once, and then looked away.

Yes, they were almost married, but she didn’t interest him...

At least not yet.

’It’s becoming a bit crowded.’

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he stood up, about to jump down a level, when a figure stepped directly into where he was going to sit, effectively blocking his path.

"Hold it right there, Ignotus Genus."

Ignotus paused once more, one leg already half-cocked over the wood.

Standing before him was a boy with slicked-back brown hair, pristine noble clothes that probably cost more than a small village’s house, and a face that was twisted into a sneer so familiar it triggered a sense of déjà vu.

"I am Oliver..."

The boy announced and puffed out his chest.

"Oliver of House Ash, son of Mark."

While stepping to the side, Ignotus stared unblinkingly at the boy’s face, specifically at the nose and the slightly weak chin.

’I know this face.’

He tilted his head to the left.

’I’ve definitely seen this genetic arrangement before. It’s punchable, but also... pathetic.’

He squinted, trying to scroll through his mental archives of people he didn’t care about...

It was a very large archive.

’Hehehe.’

Interrupting his search, a soft chuckle echoed in the back of his mind.

It was Eris, of course, and She clearly knew exactly who this was.

’You know, don’t you?’

Ignotus asked internally.

’Spit it out. Who is this bastard?’

’Try to figure it out yourself. It’s funnier this way~...’

The Goddess purred, refusing to elaborate, making Ignotus sigh.

’Great. Helpful as always.’

"Are you even listening to me?!"

Oliver shouted, his face turning a shade of red that clashed horribly with his robe.

"Ignoring me after what you did? You truly are arrogant trash!"

The sudden yelling drew the attention of the entire lecture hall.

"Who’s that?

"He called himself Oliver Ash..."

"Ah, his brother is Dorian, right?"

"Yeah, the one who lost an arm."

"Wait, Ignotus did that? No way."

"I heard they already reattached it, though."

"I heard about that, too! But look at him... is he really the one who survived the Shepherd?"

"Maybe the Shepherd was told to go easy on him."

A Disciple scoffed, leaning back.

"Think about it. House Plant might be declining, but they still have tons of gold."

"That makes sense... but why him? Isn’t boosting his brother’s or sister’s reputation better?"

A girl nodded, eyeing Ignotus with newfound skepticism.

"Lady Rosa’s already perfect... nothing can be done about Lord Acer, but Ignotus is still new, so maybe? Still, I don’t think they expect us to believe it. I mean, there’s no way a guy with a Luck Root Rune survived the test for that long. It was all a show and acting."

"He must be a fraud."

The first guy agreed.

"A fraud who got lucky and maimed Oliver’s brother with a cheap strike."

Oliver, hearing the crowd turning in his favor, felt a surge of adrenaline. He wasn’t just confronting a bully; he was exposing a fraud! He was the hero of this moment!

"Do you hear them?"

He got close, invading Ignotus’s personal space.

"Everyone knows that you’re a trash bastard!"

Oliver spat, pointing a shaking finger at Ignotus’s chest.

"You’re nothing but a lucky coward who used a dirty trick on my brother! You cut off his arm! You ruined his future! And now you stand here, acting like you don’t even remember?!"

Ignotus was still rubbing his chin, looking at Oliver’s eyebrows.

’Yes... yes... I remember seeing those last week somewhere.’

"You will pay!"

Oliver screamed, his voice cracking.

"Right here, right now! I challenge you to—"

Creak.

The sound of wood straining under pressure cut through the noise.

Next to Ignotus, Ulv’s knuckles had turned white as he gripped the edge of the desk. The wolf’s eyes had shifted from their usual calm blue to predatory, glowing slits.

He began to rise, his muscles coiling; no one would ever dare threaten his pack.

But before Ulv could unleash violence, a smaller figure moved.

Lykos had stood up.