The students were given a brief break to recover, their wounds were tended to by the medical staff while the instructors monitored their progress. Some of the students limped away to the nearby tables, while others sat with seniors who helped patch up injuries. The air was filled with a strange blend of tension and curiosity. Everyone was trying to figure out what exactly had happened during the trial.
Serian, however, was unfazed. He had been perfectly fine, not a single scratch on him after defeating the alpha wolf. He ate quietly by himself, his book in hand, as he observed the bustling humans around him.
"You're not hurt, right?" A nurse came up to him, checking for any visible injuries, even though she could see that he was perfectly fine.
Serian barely looked up. "No," he answered simply, before returning to his book. He didn't understand why everyone was so focused on him. Humans, always so worried about things that weren't necessary.
The nurse sighed, seeing that he wasn't responding with the same concern as the others. "Hmm… You sure you're fine? Everyone else is being so dramatic about their injuries. You're not even bothered?"
Serian just nodded. "Yes."
Then another instructor, a second-year student who looked a little older and more experienced, walked over, observing Serian with a mix of confusion and irritation. "Oi, kid," the older student said, crossing his arms. "You should be more respectful to the adults around you. You didn't even address the nurse properly."
Serian blinked at him. "Address?" He was confused. Why would it matter how he addressed someone?
The second-year sighed in frustration. "You're supposed to use honorifics when talking to people who are older or in charge. Like 'Ma'am' or 'Sir,' you know?"
Serian tilted his head slightly. "Why?" He asked, genuinely curious. He had never seen humans make such a fuss over something so trivial. In his world, beings like him had no need for such formalities.
The second-year's face turned red with irritation. "It's basic respect! You're in a school for gifted people, not some backwater village. Show some decorum."
Serian stared at him with a blank expression, trying to understand. "I don't understand. If they are not injured, what is the purpose of honorifics?"
The nurse, overhearing this exchange, raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback. "Are you serious? Honorifics are part of showing respect for others, especially those older than you, or with more authority."
Serian just nodded, but in his mind, it didn't make sense. He was fascinated by the complexity of human behavior. Why do they care so much about formalities?
The older student, still irritated, tried once more, "It's about basic manners, you brat."
Serian, still somewhat confused but not really invested in the conversation, just gave a small, polite nod. "I see."
The older student clicked his tongue, clearly exasperated, but he didn't push the issue any further. He probably realized it was pointless to try to explain something so ingrained in human culture to someone who didn't care.
Serian then stood up and walked away, still holding his book as if it were the most important thing in the world to him. He moved to the waiting area for the second exam, completely unfazed by the commotion around him.
Humans were weird. They made everything so complicated. The need for honorifics, the importance of showing respect—it was all foreign to him. Why did they care so much about these little things? Why did they waste so much energy on small details that didn't seem important?
As he sat in the waiting area, surrounded by other students who seemed to be deep in conversation, Serian continued flipping through his book. He didn't look up at anyone, didn't engage with anyone, and simply remained in his own quiet world.
A few students glanced at him, and some whispered to each other, wondering why he seemed so detached from everything happening around him. His indifference was unsettling to them, but Serian didn't notice or care.
"What's up with that kid?" one of them muttered, watching Serian's calm demeanor.
"I don't know, but he's freaking me out. He didn't even care about the wolf. He killed it with a book."
Serian heard the whispers, but they didn't interest him. He didn't understand why they were concerned with him. They were just humans.
He just continued reading, his thoughts far away from the chaos surrounding him.
The interview room was quiet, the only sound was the faint rustle of papers as Kael shuffled through the stack in front of him. The man sat behind the desk, his sharp gaze occasionally flicking to Serian, who sat across from him with an air of complete calmness.
Kael studied him with increasing curiosity. This kid, Serian, was… different. There was something about him that just didn't fit in with the other students who had come through the interview process. Most of them were eager, nervous, or overly confident. But Serian? Serian was an enigma.
"Why did you decide to enroll in this academy?" Kael asked, leaning forward slightly, his tone professional but tinged with an undercurrent of curiosity.
Serian, who had been idly staring out the window, turned his head slightly towards Kael, then gave a short, almost uninterested answer.
"Knowledge," he said simply. "To understand."
Kael blinked, momentarily unsure how to respond to such a succinct reply. He had expected something more. Perhaps a desire for power, fame, or at least a personal reason. But no, Serian's answer was plain, unembellished, almost detached.
"Understand what?" Kael pressed, raising an eyebrow.
Serian tilted his head thoughtfully, as though trying to find the right words for something he had never really questioned. "My ability… Nature… My friends… The world... My guidance."
It was a strange answer, not just because of the lack of detail but because of the way Serian spoke—like he was recounting something so self-evident that it didn't require explanation. Kael stared at him, trying to figure out what kind of person this was. Was he a prodigy? An eccentric genius? Or simply someone who didn't understand the normal social dynamics?
"Your friends?" Kael asked, his interest piqued. "You're here to understand your relationships with others?"
Serian gave a faint shrug, not really engaging in the concept of relationships as Kael might have imagined. "I don't know. I don't understand humans, but I am trying."
Kael stared at him, more perplexed than ever. He expected answers filled with ambition, with dreams of power, but this… this was something else entirely.
"What about your ability?" Kael tried again. "What is it, exactly? Your affinity? Your potential?"
Serian looked him straight in the eyes, as if he was being asked the most obvious question. "Nature," he answered simply again, as though the answer spoke for itself. "The world. My purpose is to guide."
Kael's eyebrows furrowed, and he exchanged a brief glance with one of the other instructors in the room, who was observing silently. Neither of them knew how to process Serian's responses. Was this kid a genius with such a deep understanding of the world that he couldn't communicate it in normal terms? Or was he just completely out of touch?
"Alright," Kael said, trying to steer the interview in a more practical direction. "Let's move on. What do you think about monsters, and their weaknesses?"
Serian's answer came instantly, almost without thought. "Their mana cores are the weak points. If you strike them there, they lose their power."
It was a precise and sharp answer, the kind of knowledge that indicated experience or deep study, or both. Kael was impressed, but there was still something… off. It felt too simple. Too easy.
"And what if you were in an operation, and the people were in danger?" Kael asked, now testing Serian's moral compass. "What would you do? How would you handle it?"
Serian stared at him for a long moment, his face completely blank, as though he was trying to process the concept.
"It is what it is," Serian finally said, shrugging casually. "If the operation fails, then it fails. People might get hurt. It's part of it. You can't control everything."
Kael's expression tightened. He hadn't expected this answer. The cold indifference, the lack of urgency or concern for human lives, disturbed him. He was used to students answering with a sense of duty, or some moral conviction about protecting people. But Serian's response was… chilling.
"What about the people?" Kael asked, his voice growing a little sharper. "How can you be so indifferent when people are in danger?"
Serian didn't seem fazed by the question at all. "Humans are weak. They die, and the world moves on. It's not something to get upset about."
Kael stared at him, his expression a mixture of disbelief and concern. The room was silent for a moment as everyone tried to process what had just been said.
Finally, the headmistress, Emilia, who had been standing quietly at the back of the room, stepped forward. She had been listening closely, her face a mask of professional detachment, but even she couldn't hide the shock at Serian's coldness.
"That's enough for now," she said, trying to smooth things over. "Thank you for your time, Serian."
Serian stood up without a word and walked toward the door, his steps measured and calm. He didn't notice Kael still staring at his back, the instructor lost in thought. Was this child truly a genius, or was he simply so disconnected from humanity that he couldn't comprehend the consequences of his words?
Kael's gaze lingered on the door as Serian exited the room, his mind racing. There was something deeply unsettling about the boy, something that both intrigued and disturbed him. Was Serian a potential weapon, someone to be feared, or simply someone too naive to understand the world he was entering?
Emilia watched Kael, her expression unreadable. "What do you think?" she asked softly.
Kael let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples. "He's like nothing I've ever encountered before."
Emilia nodded slowly. "We'll have to keep a close eye on him."
"Yes," Kael agreed, his voice tinged with uncertainty.