Chapter 124: The Dangerous Night of the Female Teacher

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. Bring your children to Marabella’s Nursery School!
. They shall learn to read, write, and revere the gods!
. We charge no fees, but donations are welcome.
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...
In the eyes of the little ones, Teacher Marabella is gentle, patient, enthusiastic, and vibrant—a fount of knowledge who knows more than anyone else.
With her brown hair and brown eyes, she lives near Beggar’s Square in the Bits district. While most residents of the Bits are middle-class, the name "Beggar’s Square" says a great deal on its own.
In short, it is not a prosperous area. Public safety is usually passable, but there are always exceptions—just like now...
"No... don't come any closer! Stay away from me! If you come any closer, I'm going to scream!" said Marabella, who was heading home late at night.
The drunkard, wearing a lecherous smirk, replied, "Hehehe, you could scream until your throat rips, and no one would come to save you!"
The thug, his eyes glinting with obscenity, added, "Huhu, it wouldn't hurt to play with us for a little while."
"Help! Help me! Someone, save me!" the schoolteacher cried out in despair.
"Hahaha, aren't you out at night just waiting to be pawed at?"
"Heh! I’d like to see who dares to interfere with the business of the Syndicate."
Judging by their open-chested attire, these three ruffians harassing the teacher were subordinates of "Whoreson." Though they were drunk, the habits of gang warfare naturally kept them vigilant of their surroundings.
And so, when they noticed the woman before them suddenly stop screaming, her eyes no longer filled with panic but with bewilderment, as if something incredible had occurred behind their backs, they turned immediately. There, in the moonlight, they saw a pitch-black, indistinct silhouette.
Yes, tonight, that free man—Batman—made his dashing debut on the grand stage of Novigrad!
As everyone knows, without proper lighting, appearing in an all-black suit in the dark isn't actually very cool because it’s hard to see, let alone scary enough to make villains stumble.
So, Viktor made improvements.
Let there be light!
*Snap!* With a flick of his fingers, a soft white glow emerged from beneath his feet, illuminating the rippling, bulging muscles beneath his leather armor.
"Woah! What is this?" The drunkard was so startled he stumbled backward, losing his footing and falling to the ground.
"What the hell is this?" The thug was equally shocked, tripping as he retreated to the wall.
This was the third-generation Bat-Boots. After enchanting them with "glow-tubes," they provided built-in night illumination, ensuring that the villains could clearly see exactly who was about to beat them up.
As for the teacher, Marabella, who had been trapped against the wall, she pressed her legs together, her eyes shining. She had heard of this man; the emblem on his chest confirmed his identity.
Just as Master Dandelion had enthusiastically extolled in his recently published work, *The Arrogant Bat and the Prejudiced Miss*, he was so brave and bold—no wonder he was able to conquer that proud lady.
He was the Night King of Wyzima, the friend of all women, Batman!
"You must release this lady. Your actions are not those of a good citizen; you have failed this city!"
His voice was deep and powerful, like the rumble of distant thunder. His "judgment" was exactly as described in the poetry...
"No... impossible! How could you be here?" the thug hissed.
The drunkard’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Could it be... are you—"
With a flick of his left hand, the back of the third-generation Bat-Armor also emitted a soft glow.
Amidst this brilliant radiance, the silhouette of his cape billowed. "I—am Batman."
"No! This isn't your city! You should be in Wyzima!" The ruffian tried to drown out his inner panic by shouting.
"A hero can be anyone, and they can appear in any city. No one can stop him from shining, just as no one can save you."
After delivering his cool lines, Viktor stepped into the white light and began his night's work of pummeling.
...
Angoulême learned of Batman’s appearance while eating dumplings at Hattori’s shop, having read it in the paper. She nearly choked on her food.
The front page of the freshly printed *Novigrad Morning News*, smelling of printer's ink, read:
*The Free Man Has Come!*
"Last night in Beggar’s Square in the Bits, a masked man going by the alias 'Batman' launched a forceful assault. Starting by beating up gang members who were harassing a woman, he punished a total of twenty-three ruffians throughout the night. No deaths were reported.
Some readers may not know who 'Batman' is. In fact, he is the 'Arrogant' figure depicted by Master Dandelion in *The Arrogant Bat and the Prejudiced Miss*. In Wyzima, he has long been committed to protecting women traveling late at night...
... (thousands of words omitted) ...
Regarding this vigilante, the Captain of the Eternal Fire guards, 'Chappelle,' stated that such behavior is illegal and that the Temple Guard has the confidence and the strength to maintain peace in the city of Novigrad.
The scope of the guards' night patrols will be expanded in the future, and this cross-dresser is urged to surrender as soon as possible.
As of press time, the local Syndicate has not responded to the appearance of Batman."
After finishing the paper, Angoulême folded it and tucked it into her bodice, planning to take it back for the Captain to see. That lecherous poet had actually done what he said he would and wrote a racy poem for Batman; she wasn't sure if the boy knew.
...
Viktor knew.
In fact, he had just finished enjoying *The Arrogant Bat and the Prejudiced Miss* after leaving the "Crippled Kate’s" brothel.
"Crippled Kate’s" was the nearest house of ill-repute, offering bathing services with a focus on being cheap and reasonably decent.
The poem was quite good, blending many popular elements: a heroic Batman, a beautiful lady, a romance defined by a status gap, and plenty of racy, exciting content... which is to say, it was almost entirely made up, with no basis in reality.
When he first struck last night, the ruffians’ reaction clearly showed they were familiar with Batman, which clued the boy in that something was amiss. After beating them up and talking to the teacher, he realized what "good deed" Dandelion had done again.
This time, he wasn't being sarcastic—it actually felt quite good.
Thanks to the support of the propaganda machine, the third-generation Bat-Armor had a full theatrical effect in its debut, and watching the villains’ panicked, clumsy behavior was incredibly stress-relieving.
So, upon returning to his alchemy workshop, fueled by the satisfaction of his success and with all the materials at hand, he spent the night mixing herbs to replenish his supply of "Blizzard" and "Thunderbolt" potions, once again possessing the confidence provided by his "monetary powers."
Since arriving in Novigrad, he had been dealing with Whoreson’s poetic invitations, the busyness of opening a business, and hiding away to brew potions for profit; he hadn't had a moment of rest.
Finally finding a half-day of leisure, the boy strolled leisurely into "Books and Scrolls" in Hierarch Square—a shop the poet had noticed while out gathering inspiration.