Chapter 7: Time for a Lesson

Lester glanced at the prisoners cowering in their cells. Without wasting words, he climbed up to the top bunk of the two-tiered bed, looking down at the six trembling men below.

If he hadn't discovered that he could gain fear points from them, he would have just killed them all without a second thought. But now, keeping them alive had its benefits—these prisoners' fear was a direct boost to his strength.

"You six, line up and tell me what crimes got you locked up here," Lester ordered as soon as he settled into his seat.

He planned to torment them for fear points, but he needed a reason—he couldn't just start beating them for no reason. Even in ancient times, wars needed justification. If he wanted to punish them, he at least needed an excuse.

The prisoners hesitated at first, unsure of Lester's intentions. Normally, crimes committed by inmates were no secret, so they had no reason to hide them. Soon, they obediently reported their offenses.

First was Hou San, caught stealing in Diagon Alley. His crime was minor—just three months in Azkaban. If nothing went wrong, he'd be out next month.

The rest of them? All convicted of using dark magic to harm Muggles—some had even killed Muggles for fun. But since the Ministry of Magic didn't care much about Muggle lives, these men only got around two years in prison.

Then there was the perverted old man—Lester had already taken note of him. His crime was the worst. He had used dark magic to assault thirteen Muggle boys. It wasn't until two years ago that the Ministry finally caught him and sent Aurors to take him down. Because of the severity of his crime, he received the longest sentence—five years. But surviving that long in Azkaban? Unlikely.

Lester pondered for a moment after hearing their crimes.

Hou San's theft was minor; his crime was acceptable.

The ones who tortured and killed Muggles for fun? They disgusted Lester, and he mentally marked them for elimination.

As for the old man? Just looking at his disgusting face made Lester sick.

"Looks like you're the lucky first," Lester said coldly, staring at the oblivious old man. He had already figured out how to deal with him—something that would make him beg for death.

Lester stood up slowly, looking down at the six prisoners.

"Since you all chose me as your leader, it means you respect me," he declared. "And as your leader, I will guide you on a path of reform. When you leave this place, you will be changed men!"

The prisoners: "…"

Hou San and the others looked at him, dumbfounded.

Dude, you're ten years old, killed a man on your first day here, and now you're talking about reforming us? Do you really expect us to believe that?

Lester ignored their reactions. He didn't care what they thought. He was only here for fear points.

Even he didn't believe the nonsense he was spouting.

"To help you all become better people, I've decided to teach you some important life lessons," Lester continued. "From tomorrow onward, you'll study knowledge from the East with me!"

—

The next day, Azkaban echoed with the sound of reading.

Prisoners in nearby cells froze in shock at the unfamiliar noise. It felt like they had been transported back to a Hogwarts classroom.

"Is it not a joy to learn and practice what one has learned? Is it not delightful to have friends come from afar? Is it not the mark of a gentleman to remain unbothered when unrecognized?"

The deep wisdom of the East spread through the prison, reaching the ears of many bewildered inmates.

—

In Lester's cell, the six prisoners knelt in a line, their eyes filled with terror. In front of them, Lester held a small knife like a teacher's ruler.

They recited the ancient text loudly, their voices trembling as they stole glances at Lester, who was calmly sharpening his knife.

Ding! Fear points from prisoner Leonardo +100.

Ding! Fear points from prisoner Quentin +100.

The sound of system notifications rang in Lester's head as he continued grinding the blade. Every notification meant another 100 points of fear gained.

"You got it wrong," Lester suddenly said, stopping his sharpening. Without hesitation, he stabbed the perverted old man in the leg.

The bastard had dared to lose focus while he was teaching? Unacceptable.

"AHH!"

A pained scream echoed through the cell, sending shivers down the spines of the other prisoners.

Ding! Fear points from prisoner Leonardo +100.

Ding! Fear points from prisoner Quentin +100.

"Focus when reading," Lester said, pulling the knife from the old man's leg. "You barely lasted a few minutes before getting distracted. Pathetic. You're the worst student I've ever had!"

Blood gushed from the wound, spraying onto Hou San, who knelt beside the old man. But even drenched in blood, Hou San didn't dare stop reciting. He feared Lester's knife more than anything.