Aftermath

A heavy, unsettling silence filled the room.

Alfred crossed his arms, his voice turning more serious than before. "If what you're implying is true… then his growth rate won't follow normal limits."

Eldric's smile widened just slightly. "It already doesn't."

Another professor hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Should we keep a closer watch on him?"

Before Eldric could answer, Elisa spoke first. "I'll handle him."

Her tone was firm enough to make everyone turn toward her.

She met their gazes without hesitation and continued, "He's in my class, and if he's going to grow, I'll make sure he does it properly."

Eldric looked at her for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Very well."

Meanwhile, inside the cafeteria, Asher and Noah were sitting together as usual when Aria joined them again.

Asher glanced at her once before calmly returning to his food. Why is she here again?... Whatever. It doesn't matter as long as no one disturbs my peaceful life.

Noah looked between them for a moment before asking, "Which optional subjects did you choose?"

Asher replied without much interest, "Cooking and potion making."

The moment he said that, both Noah and Aria turned toward him almost at the same time.

"Why would you choose those subjects?" Noah asked, clearly confused. "They aren't useful in combat."

Asher continued eating and answered casually, "Because I want to. Why would I care about anything else?"

Noah frowned. "You don't even like cooking or potion making."

"Yeah, I don't."

"Then why?"

Asher looked at him with a straight face. "To find some master chef in that class and hire them to cook for me. As for potion making, I just want to see if it's possible to change the flavor of potions and yah, they taste horrible."

Both Noah and Aria fell silent after hearing his reply.

What kind of absurd reason is that?

Asher, however, looked completely satisfied with his own logic and simply continued eating.

After a while, Noah could not hold back and asked, "Aren't you going to ask what subjects I chose?"

"I don't care," Asher replied calmly.

This annoying bastard, Noah thought internally while maintaining a stiff smile on his face.

"I chose wilderness survival and beast ecology," Noah said anyway.

Silence filled the table for a moment.

When Asher still did not react, Noah's smile twitched. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Asher finally looked at him and asked in a calm voice, "Are you planning to start a channel and stream yourself surviving in the wild to earn a living?"

"No, you bastard. I want to become an adventurer to make a living," Noah replied.

Then, after thinking for a moment, he added, "But your idea is pretty good too. I would probably earn more that way."

Aria, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke. "You two seem quite close. It is unusual for a commoner to treat a noble this casually."

At her words, Noah stiffened instinctively.

But Asher only replied calmly, "I just don't care about things like status. Everyone is equal to me."

Hearing that, Noah slowly relaxed.

Aria looked at Asher for a moment before saying, "I chose Rune Formation and Illusion Spellcraft to further improve my spells."

"No one asked you," Asher replied just as calmly.

Noah immediately looked at him as if asking, Who even says that?

But Aria remained completely calm, as though she had already expected that kind of response.

"I simply wanted to tell you," she said. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Asher answered plainly, "No."

Trying to dispel the awkward atmosphere at the table, Noah quickly changed the topic.

"So, Asher… are you going to challenge someone else?"

"Why would I?" Asher asked. "I don't care about rankings. I only wanted the privilege of skipping classes."

Noah stared at him for a moment. "You challenged Rank 10 just to skip classes?"

"Yes."

"You know most students would kill to enter the top ten, right?"

"Sounds troublesome," Asher replied while drinking juice through a straw.

Noah looked genuinely speechless, while Aria quietly observed Asher from the side.

No greed, no ambition, and not even pride after defeating someone stronger than almost the entire first year.

It was still strange to her.

Then Noah suddenly asked, "If you hate classes so much, why did you join the academy in the first place?"

Asher answered immediately, "Because staying home was boring."

The table became silent again.

Noah slowly lowered his spoon. "That's your reason?"

"Yes."

"You joined the greatest academy on the continent because you were bored?"

"Yes."

Noah stared at him for several breaths before muttering, "I think the professors would cry if they heard that."

"They probably already know."

Honestly, Noah could not even deny it.

At this point, most professors had likely realized that Asher treated the academy more like a vacation resort than a place of learning.

Then Aria spoke again. "You really have no goals?"

Asher thought for a moment before replying, "I do."

Both Noah and Aria looked at him.

For once, his answer sounded serious.

"What is it?" Noah asked curiously.

"To live peacefully," Asher replied.

Noah blinked. "That's it?"

"Yes."

"No dream to become stronger?"

"Not particularly."

"No desire for fame?"

"Sounds annoying."

"Wealth?"

"I already have enough."

"Authority?"

"Too much responsibility."

Noah stared at him blankly. Then what exactly motivates this guy?

Meanwhile, Aria quietly looked at Asher. His emotions remained calm while saying those words, which meant he truly meant them.

That was what made him so abnormal.

Most people lied to themselves. They claimed they wanted peace while secretly desiring recognition, power, or admiration.

But Asher genuinely seemed content with a simple life.

After a brief silence, Noah muttered, "You should still train properly. What if something dangerous happens in the future?"

Asher shrugged. "I am already strong enough to survive."

Noah could not even argue against that.

Then Aria asked calmly, "If you value peace so much, why do you provoke people?"

Asher looked genuinely confused. "I never provoke people."

Both Noah and Aria stared at him silently.

"You asked Professor Elisa if it was her time of the month," Noah said flatly.

"I was joking."

"You asked if she wanted to see you naked."

"That was also a joke."

Noah covered his face.

This man truly had no self-awareness.

After a short silence, Asher suddenly summoned two juice packets from his subspace and tossed them toward Noah and Aria.

"You guys want to try some juice?"

Both of them caught the packets and took a sip.

Noah's eyes changed slightly. "It's really good."

"Of course it's good," Asher replied calmly. "It's one hundred percent pure, I specifically asked a juice company to make it for me."