Aeren returned to his café, the events of the last day already filed away in his mind as simple data points. He opened his shop and began his work. But the usual trickle of customers was now a single drop. A quick glance across the street showed him the source of the problem. A newly opened cafe was packed with people, all of them laughing and forming long queues. Its staff, a group of smiling, beautiful young women, served their products with a dazzling energy.
Aeren was not troubled by this. The competition was just another variable in his calculations. He simply continued his work, serving the few customers who still came to his shop—mostly elderly people who shuffled slowly and looked as though they had walked a long way just for his coffee. He treated them with the same polite, silent efficiency he gave to everyone.
At night, after closing up shop, Aeren practice his knife techniques at his café training ground not seen by other. The blade was a ghost in his hand, a silent extension of his will. He moved with a horrifying grace, his movements a dance of death. He was barely thirty minutes into his training when he heard footsteps and the sound of muffled voices.
"Where is he? It's too dark." one voice whispered.
"Don't worry about him," another replied. "We're just here to destroy the place and get out. It's not worth it."
Aeren's voice, a soft whisper in the darkness, made them freeze. "Did you ask for permission?"
Before they could even react, they were on the ground, their weapons scattered. Aeren stood over them, his eyes cold and uninterested. "Useless," he muttered. He swiftly killed them. They had no value to him, and he had learned too much from Lira that only interesting things were worth keeping. A few moments later, the bodies seemed to dissolve into the ground, leaving no trace. He created a skill that erased the remnants of his victims.
Once his training was complete, Aeren left his café and began walking. He looked up at the moon, a vast red orb hanging in the night sky, and turned toward the royal palace. He needed a library. He needed information. He spent hours infiltrating the immense grounds, a single ghost flitting past guards who did not see him. The sun began to rise just as he reached the inner compound, and without a library in sight, he vanished back into the city, his mission a silent failure.
When Aeren reopened his shop, it was to the same empty chairs and silent counters. Not a single customer came. Across the street, the girls' cafe was bustling, their customers cheering over the products.
Then, a message appeared in front of Aeren. It was from his unresponsive System, but the message was clear and direct, as if sent from a higher authority.
[Mr. Aeren, you are acknowledged by the Academy. Your entrance ceremony will be held with other students. The top rankers are giving a speech. Please attend. Time: 7 a.m. Be on time. - Academy of Genius]
Aeren looked at the message, a flicker of interest in his eyes. He set it aside and went back to work, but his mind was already turning toward the Academy. A moment later, two figures walked through his door. It was two of the children who had taken the exam with him. One was a Kael, and the other was Uria.
"Big brother," the boy said, his voice flat. "I passed the second exam. I got rank 300."
"Good for you, Kael," Aeren replied. He looked at Uria. "And you?"
Uria blushed, her eyes going a bit hazy with a memory. "I don't know how I did it, but I just followed a handsome guy's orders, and I got into the top 100. He helped all of his team member. He is a genius, and I've never seen anyone so handsome in my life."
"What rank did he get?" Aeren asked.
"He got third place," Uria replied, her eyes wide. "He seemed so shocked by his rank. I think he thought he'd do even better."
"Who got first place?" Aeren asked, turning his gaze to Kael.
"I heard from others that she's a royal," Kael said in a low voice. "They said she was lost at verdan territory and came with lady Lira. She's not lost a single match at academy battle ground. but now she rarely seen by others."
"How did you get all the information." Aeren asked.
"I've my ways." Kael said with chin high.
Aeren said nothing, his mind absorbing the information.
"How's your business doing, big brother?" Kael asked. "I heard you have some beautiful competitors across the street. They're selling everything at a lower price and have a huge staff. You're working alone and your prices haven't changed."
Aeren looked at him. "Does it matter?"
Kael and Uria stared at him, stunned. "What do you mean?" Uria asked. "If you can't run the café, how will you pay for your tuition?"
"Oh, don't worry about that," Aeren said, his voice completely casual. "I'll just rob someone."
Uria laughed, thinking he was joking. "Don't joke around, big brother. You have to be serious about this."
Aeren simply placed two cups of coffee on the counter. "I am," he said. Aeren gave them coffee for free.