Maybe I really am a Villian

All of them kept interacting and trying to see if they could form a contract, while Asher simply observed them from afar with a calm expression on his face.

Meanwhile, Aelar and Elisa were standing some distance away from Asher, discussing something.

Aelar said in a serious tone, "So, what do we do about the thing that spirit was talking about? Should we get a healer to check him again?"

Elisa replied in a serious tone, "We will do nothing. Just notify his family, and they can decide what they want to do."

After saying this, Elisa walked away to contact the Astrean Family.

Aelar looked at Asher with a complex expression before looking away and focusing on the other students who were trying to form contracts with spirits, making sure nothing went wrong.

After three hours, it was time to head back.

Only five students were able to form contracts, and unexpectedly, one of them was Noah, who contracted with an Earth Spirit of Silver Rank 4 Stars. It was quite a good match, considering his cultivation was not much higher. He was currently at the peak of Silver Rank and would likely break through within a month.

Asher’s teammates were together again as it was time to head back. Asher looked at them and said, "Let’s go without wasting time."

All of them simply nodded.

He then placed his hand on them, and soon all of them vanished. Everyone else looked at the place where they had been standing before starting to walk toward their accommodations. It had become a usual thing for them to leave like this, so no one was surprised.

Asher and his teammates appeared in his room once again. They then walked toward the cafeteria, took their lunch, and sat at their usual table.

Adam looked at Noah and said, "Hey, can you summon your spirit now?"

Noah looked at Adam, then at Asher, and said, "I can, but not in front of Asher. It just refuses to come near him."

Asher looked at Noah and said, "I knew that broken AC would never get a spirit contract since he is useless, but you’re not much better either. To think that you would actually get a contract—I’m surprised. I guess spirits like dumb and idiotic people. Maybe that’s why they fear me so much, since I’m just too smart."

Adam did not say anything in reply and simply chose to ignore him.

Noah looked at Asher with a complicated expression and then said, "I don’t know if you are praising me or just insulting me."

Asher looked at Noah and said, "I was just stating a fact, nothing more. And the fact that you could not understand that only proves my point that you are an idiot and a fool."

Noah looked at Asher with a blank expression, then simply ignored him and focused on eating his food.

Adam looked at Asher and said, "Did you also take lessons on how to ragebait people during your childhood? And if you did, then please tell me the name of the teacher who taught you this. He seems to be a professional. I would also love to learn it from him."

Asher looked at Adam with a confused expression and said, "What nonsense are you spouting? I never took such lessons, and I don’t ragebait people. I’m just honest. It’s not my fault that people are too dumb to accept the truth."

At Asher’s reply, Noah looked up from his food, then turned to Adam and said in a serious tone, "That teacher of his was more than a professional. He seems to be the world champion of Ragebait Competitions—if such a thing exists."

Adam replied in an equally serious tone, "Yeah, you’re right. I’ll try to find that teacher and take some classes on how to ignore this kind of ragebait."

Asher looked at both of them in confusion and said, "Have you guys lost your brains or something? There is no such thing as a Ragebait Competition. And as for ignoring ragebait, you just have to be smart—nothing more."

While everyone was talking, Aria was simply staring at her food with a blank expression, lost in thought and not hearing a single thing the others were saying.

Asher looked at her and called out to her, but she didn’t even notice him calling her name. After a moment, Asher shook her shoulder. Only then did she snap out of her thoughts. She looked at Asher and asked in an indifferent tone, "What happened?"

Asher looked at her for a moment before saying calmly, "I should be asking you that. What happened? What were you thinking about that you didn’t even notice me calling you?"

Aria looked at Asher for a moment and then thought, "His emotions are still tranquil. He is just asking, but there is neither concern in his tone nor in his heart."

Asher waited quietly for her answer, his expression unchanged.

Aria continued to look at him for a few moments before shifting her gaze back to her food.

"Nothing," she replied in the same indifferent tone. "I was just thinking about a few things."

Asher studied her for a moment. Her voice was steady, and her expression remained as blank as ever. There was nothing unusual on the surface.

"I see," he said simply before returning to his meal.

Aria glanced at him briefly. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"No suspicion. No curiosity. No intention to pry further."

Most people would have asked another question or tried to dig deeper after receiving such a vague answer. Asher, however, seemed completely satisfied with it.

He simply didn’t care.

Adam and Noah looked at Aria for a moment but said nothing and returned to eating their food.

The rest of lunch passed without any conversation. Afterward, everyone either returned to their own rooms or went outside to wander around the Academy.

Asher left for his room.

Aria watched his departing figure and quietly muttered,

"I wish I could be as honest as you."