Full Cup

Suye picked up the black pottery wine glass and slowly walked toward Horton.

"No... Don't..." Horton hurriedly shuffled backward, curled up in the corner, and kicked desperately, slipping again and again as if the floor were covered in ice.

Seeing his son like this, Harmon was furious and anxious, but he did not dare say a word.

Even Senit had betrayed him without hesitation. What could he do? Suye placed the black pottery wine glass on the edge of the table, then slowly reached out toward Horton in the corner, wearing a gentle smile. "Do you remember what we said yesterday? We're friends, classmates, and companions, not enemies."

Seeing Suye's kind expression, Horton's fear eased slightly. "Will you forgive me?"

"Of course, of course." Suye's smile grew even more sincere.

Horton hesitated for a moment, then slowly extended his hand. Suye pulled Horton up a second time and led him to the table.

Suye reached out and gently straightened Horton's robe. "Look at you. You could have been a decent person, but instead you had to harm me and make yourself look so miserable. Why bother? Just study hard and grow properly. If you become good enough, wouldn't that be enough? Why do you have to trample on others to prove yourself? Let me think... It's probably because you feel you can never become outstanding, because you think you're trash, a piece of shit, so you can only use this method to show yourself off."

Before Horton could understand him, Harmon's expression tightened. Then he saw Suye grab Horton's hair with his left hand, while his right fist came down like a sledgehammer, pounding Horton's nose again and again.

Blood poured from Horton's nose like a waterfall.

At first, Horton wailed in pain. Soon, he was beaten half-conscious. If Suye had not been holding his hair, he would have already collapsed.

Horton's face looked like rotten pork.

Suye took the black pottery wine glass in his right hand and held it beneath Horton's chin.

Blood mixed with tears and slowly flowed into the wine glass.

Suye turned to Harmon and smiled. "Don't rush. Wait a little longer. After all, you chose such a large glass."

Harmon's body trembled, and his soul quaked.

At that moment, he felt as if a demon were sucking the blood from his son.

He could not believe he had developed an unprecedented fear of a child.

Suye was clearly smiling, yet Harmon's world had frozen.

"The flow's a little slow. You're Senit, right? Come over and help." Suye looked toward the Egyptian.

Senit said nothing. He strode over and punched Horton three times in the nose, each punch more vicious than the last. Suye almost lost his grip on Horton's hair.

Splash...

The nosebleed began flowing again.

Horton let out two screams before fainting once more.

Harmon clenched his teeth so hard they nearly cracked. He wanted nothing more than to skin Senit alive.

Suye said helplessly, "I told you to hold Horton. I didn't tell you to hit him."

Senit froze, then hurriedly held Horton firmly.

Kelton was amused by the scene and turned to Hark. "He's the one you defeated in three seconds?"

"Two and a half." Hark thought for a moment before answering seriously.

Senit's face darkened.

Harmon felt as if he had fallen into an icy pit.

After a while, Horton opened his eyes groggily. Before he could see what was happening, he heard Suye's voice.

"It stopped again."

Then everything before Horton's eyes went black. Confused and in terrible pain, he fainted again before he even had time to feel angry.

No one knew how much time passed before Suye finally placed the full black pottery wine glass on the table before Harmon.

"Uncle Harmon, this is what you wanted." Suye asked softly.

Harmon's body jerked violently. Suye's voice sounded like a whisper from hell.

Harmon looked at his wretched son, then at the wine glass filled with blood mixed with mucus and tears. He collapsed into his chair, his eyes vacant.

"Suye, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I should have restrained my child. I should have made him treat his classmates properly. I should have taught him to be kind to others..." As Harmon spoke, his anger and panic finally brought a slight sob into his voice.

"Fear and shame are the roots of cowardice," Kelton said.

Suye gently pushed the black pottery wine glass forward.

"You wanted it. Drink it." Suye's tone was so calm that it made the others tremble.

Harmon raised his head and stared at Suye, his eyes filled with disbelief.

This youth was like a demon.

"Drink it." Suye's tone remained calm.

Kelton suddenly sighed. "Harmon, I've heard of you. You're supposed to be a fairly intelligent man. Why were you so foolish as to provoke Suye? Even I wouldn't have the courage."

Harmon's body trembled. His regret deepened, and he began to suspect that Suye was very likely the illegitimate son of some Great Noble, with an unimaginably terrifying background. Otherwise, Kelton would never have said something like that.

Senit's hand was very steady. Otherwise, he could never have played with a dagger like a butterfly. But now, he could not stop his right hand from trembling.

Kelton turned to glance at Hark. "You didn't even see how badly he frightened Hark. Hark didn't dare ask for the Magic Short Sword he lent to Suye."

Hark shot Kelton an irritated glance. Even at a time like this, Kelton still would not stop teasing him.

Suye pretended not to hear Kelton and said to Harmon, "Are you waiting for someone to toast you, or do you want to add another dish?"

Harmon gritted his teeth, grabbed the black pottery wine glass, closed his eyes, and gulped it down in one breath.

His hand went slack. The black pottery wine glass fell to the floor, and he bent over, retching dryly.

"Urgh..." Harmon felt countless rusted iron blocks churning in his stomach.

Senit watched his old friend coldly. In the end, he was merely a merchant, not a warrior.

Only then did Kelton smile. "Suye, what exactly happened?"

Suye then recounted the entire affair from beginning to end.

"Pelius? That's the same name as the child of a friend of mine. But are students at Plato Academy really this cowardly nowadays? Back then, a noble student used to run wild and bully everyone, but we beat him quite badly. He finally apologized in public, and the matter was settled. Still, I didn't expect you to strike so viciously."

Kelton looked at Suye with interest. He had witnessed countless bloody scenes, but the methods displayed by this sixteen-year-old boy shocked him far more than mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Suye smiled. "I'm particularly good at knowing how to treat friends and how to treat enemies."

"Not many people can distinguish between the two. How about having a drink together today?" Kelton asked.

The image of the overflowing black pottery wine glass surfaced in Suye's mind. He said helplessly, "I don't really like watered-down grape wine."

"Everyone does it that way. You'll get used to it," Kelton said.

The Greeks believed wine could make people go mad and affect their minds. Only wine diluted with water was considered a rational and elegant way to drink.

Suye glanced at Harmon, then suddenly turned back and smiled at Kelton.

"What?" Kelton could not figure out what Suye was smiling about.

"His judgment is better than yours." Suye was still smiling.

"Mm." Hark agreed.

Kelton recalled Suye saying that Harmon was willing to invest two hundred Golden Eagles. His expression darkened, and he lowered his head in thought.