Volume 13 Chapter 3:  (Patreon)

Volume 13 Chapter 3: 

"..."

"...Where does this confidence come from?" Cockiness? That would be what some people say if they heard the child's words. But the boy actually surpassed expectations and got his class to first place! That couldn't be called cockiness. 

"..." Chelan had nothing to refute. 

"And I take it that you still don't understand why you lost to me?"

"It's because I decided to go at it my way and not listen to the other's input?" Throughout the whole process, Chelan decided to use this one-man approach. Because of it, it caused the others to be annoyed. It got to the point where Carolyn and the others did something else on their own accord.

"Yeah, but there's something else fundamentally wrong with you." Keith sipped on his coffee. Carolyn and the others tilted their heads. 

"What?" "There's something wrong with Chelan?" 

"I asked you this question, and I'll ask you again, what is your goal?" 

“Goal?”

“Yes, what is your goal? When you wanted to defeat me, why was it? What will it lead to?”

"..." Chelan paused when he heard that. Why did I do it? 

“...You simply don’t have a goal to strive for.” Keith rubbed his forehead, “You’re essentially walking around aimlessly without any goal or thought as to what to have or do. That was why you set your sights on me as I was the representative." 

"..." Chelan's eyes widened. 

"This is the bad part about getting everything from the get-go; you don't have anything to strive for or understand what to do." In that sense, Herrick was slightly better than Chelan. The man had a confused goal, but he had something he wanted to strive for. Chelan was just wandering around, lost. 

“Personally, I feel like you should drop out from the academy.”

“Eh?”

“Why so?” 

"Hey!" Cadmus wanted to say something, but that was when he got a side-eyed glare from the boy, "Shut it and sit in the corner."

"..." Cadmus did just that as he drew circles on the floor. Long Yueying and Yukiko couldn't help but comfort him while the rest's eyes widened.

"I swear, your child is the only person who could do that." Everyone else would be blown to bits! 

"Why so?"

“Because the academy is not the only way to grow.” Keith calmly stated, “The academy is nothing more than a place where talents come together and build off one another." It's an excellent place for talents to be nurtured and guided. However,

"That is not the only way to grow.” That was one way of growing. 

“...”

“That’s my personal take if you come here to ask me.” Keith sipped on his coffee calmly when he noticed Chelan’s expression, 

“What? Do you think I wouldn’t know about the doubts you have about this?” Saying and feeling were two different entities. He could say he would drop out, but what would he feel? Doubt, anxiousness. 

This feeling of wanting to run away was what he should have felt. 

“...Can I do it?” Even Chelan was having doubts about this. But Keith shook his head, “I don’t know, why are you asking me?”

“...” Dude, do you have to act like this? Keith added, “You’re the only one who has to decide whether or not you can do so.” 

“...”

“Well, that’s all I have to say about what I find wrong about you.” A small grin formed on Keith’s mouth, “How about it?”

“Hmm?”

“Want to work for me?” 

“WHAT?!”

"Keith, are you seriously asking this question after what you said?!" 

“Hmm? What about it?” Keith tilted his head, “Why wouldn’t I ask? When you see a talent in front of you, the best thing is to headhunt.” That was a no-brainer on his part. But that only caused the others to tilt his head. 

"But-"

"That was student Keith; now I'm talking as the owner of the white owl merchant group." 

"..." It's the damn same thing! 

Othniel muttered to William, "Your kid is so calculating."

“Everything decides on you, so it’s not my problem.” Keith sighed as he sipped on his coffee. He just needed to say what he wanted, and that was it.

....

Chelan returned to the island, where Virel and Arolina stared at him. They noticed how the boy was wandering. But what Keith said was true. What does he have to strive for? 

About everything was handed over to him without a thought. It caused him to be unable to aim for something. 

“...” Chelan was thinking about it as well. My goal? What is the goal? Now that he had time to think about it, there was no goal in what he was doing. Most of the time, as he fought against all of these people, why did he do it? To surpass them. But to surpass them for what? 

I’ve been doing it all without a thought. Chelan couldn’t help but realize it. 

Keith was right about him.

Keith continued to sip on his coffee as he rested in the living room. That was when Scarlet muttered, “Weren’t you harsh with him?” That was something they had all realized. They thought Keith was tough on them, but this man only used a butter knife. He was going with a hatchet on Chelan! He literally destroyed him.

“Chelan was the one who asked. And besides, guys like that need a direct answer.” Keith shrugged his head when he heard of this.

“But we need to have a talk about this about you trying to get yourself dropped out!” That was something Carolyn and the others were taking issue with! And so were the others.

“Like I said, it really didn’t matter to me since I can live a happy life without needing to do much now."

“...” Carolyn and the others really had no words to say about this. He was just unbreakable. That will of his is something that no one could mess with.

"...You better prepare yourself." Julius nudged Cadmus. 

"...I know." For all he knew, Keith might jump ship any time he pleased!