Akhirnya, Noah kembali ke kamar mudanya.
Ia meletakkan Nancy dengan lembut di atas tempat tidur panasnya sebelum menatap sekeliling ruangan.
"Kamar saya masih bersih."
Pandangan Noah melengkung perlahan di sekeliling ruangan.
Semua terlihat tepat seperti sebelumnya sebelum ia meninggalkan istana hampir sepuluh bulan yang lalu.
Rak buku yang rapi. Kaca kayu yang dipansangan.
Tempat tidur yang besar dan bahkan tirunnya tetap tak berubah.
Tidak ada yang terlihat tidak wajar.
Sebuah senyum kecil muncul pada bibirnya. "Baik."
Ia duduk di tepi tempat tidur di samping Nancy. Perlahan, ia menyentuh kepala milik mulut hitamnya itu dengan lembut.
Kucing hitam itu mengeluh sedikit.
Namun tidak ada usaha untuk menghilangkan dirinya.
Jika ada yang pernah berubah, Nancy ini diam-diam mendekatkan kepalanya ke lututu Noah, jelas menyetujui pijat lembut itu meski berusaha menyembunyikannya.
Noah tertawa.
"Serba tsundere."
Jari jarinya terus menyentuh bulu hitam yang lembutnya.
Kemudian warna bulunya mengingatkannya pada seseorang.
Mary.
"...Ampun."
Senyum itu perlahan menghilang dari wajahnya.
Ia sudah melakukan segala cara untuk maju ke depan.
Sebagian besar waktunya terpakai untuk latihan. Atau menghabiskan waktu dengan orang lain.
Setiap kali ia mengisi waktunya dengan aktivitas lain. Ia hampir tidak pernah terpikirkan padanya.
Tapi setiap kali ada sesaat diam di sekitarnya, ingatannya kembali perlahan.
Seperti selalu.
Ia menjeritkan dahi dengan lelah.
"Tampaknya... Butuh waktu lebih lama."
Nancy diam-diam memandangnya sebelum duduk ke lututu.
Noah sekadar terus mengusap bulu lembutnya dalam keheningan.
---
Malam tiba sebelum Noah sadar.
Ruang makan diterangi dengan majemuk crystal yang elegan menempel di langit atap.
Sebuah meja panjang berada di tengah ruangan, dilapisi selimut putih yang tepang dan assortedan hidangan mewah.
Keluarga Eldritch akhirnya duduk bersama.
Julian duduk di kepala meja. Di sampingnya, di kanan, duduk Catelyn. Nathan menempati tempat kiri Julian.
Sementara itu, Noah duduk bersebelahan dengan Nathan.
Suasana tetap tenang sambil semua orang menikmati makan malam dengan tenang.
Setelah sebanding, Julian menaruh garpu dan fuluknya di meja sebelum mengangkat pandangannya ke arah Noah.
"Reputasimu di akademi telah meningkat sangat banyak."
Suaranya tetap tenang dan otoriter.
"Akhir-akhir ini, beberapa keluarga bangsawan telah bilang padaku seberapa besar perubahanmu."
Noah mengangguk sopan.
"Saya senang mendengarnya."
"Saya akan terus berlatih keras."
"Aku akan lebih baik pada semester berikutnya."
Julian mengangguk dengan puas.
Tiba-tiba, Catelyn menghubungi sesuatu.
"Menarik, kalau begitu..."
Ia menatap Noah dengan rasa ingin tahu.
"Apa yang terjadi dengan hasil semestermu?"
"Apakah kamu sudah menerumapkannya?"
Perhatian Julian juga beralih keputra muda itu.
"Memang."
"Saya tidak pernah bertanya."
"Apakah akademi telah mengeluarkan peringkatnya?"
"Ya."
Noah mengangguk dengan tenang.
"Saya sudah menerumapkannya."
Nathan tersenyum.
"Oh?"
"Itu baik."
"Jadi..." dengan napas tertahan, ia menunggu...
"Apa peringkatmu?"
Noah tersenyum lembut sebelum menjawab seolah-olah itu tidak biasa.
"Aku berperingkat dua."
Ketiganya berhenti sejenak.
Seluruh ruang makan menjadi sangat sepi.
bahkan Theon, yang sedang menunggu dengan hormat di samping meja, tidak bisa menyembunyikan kekagetannya.
Catelyn mengkabut-kabut mata.
"...Apakah aku mendengar dengan benar?"
Nathan perlahan mengangkat wajahnya ke arah Noah.
Mata besar dan terkejutnya.
"Saudara kecil..."
"...kamu jebak betulkah, ya?"
Julian tetap diam.
Ekspresinya tidak berubah. Namun ada yang sudah mengetahuinya, Duke ini tidak bicara karena belum memproses apa yang Noah katakan.
Noah mendehapkannya.
"Serius..."
Ia mengeluarkan ponsel.
Membuka aplikasi akademi, ia mengecek profilnya sebelum menaruhnya di atas meja.
"Lihat semua ini."
Semua orang melongo ke depan.
Mata mereka langsung menemUKAN profil Noah.
Peringkat Akademiktahun Pertama: Peringkat 2
Peringkat sebelumnya... 1786
Tiba-tiba, peringkat itu menghilang.
Di tempatnya hanya ada satu angka yang tersisa.
Peringkat 2.
Noah mengeluarkan klik dengan rasa tidakpuas.
"Hmph..."
"Aku sudah rela menerima peringkat pertama..."
"...kalau Damien Ashworth tidak melontar dari Alam Inti Terkondensasi itu."
Nada icangpadanya terbawa rasa rendah hati.
Walaupun semuanya...
Noah lagi membajak setiap siswa di tahun pertama.
Kaelan juga telah mencapai Tingkat Tinggi dari peringkat Inti Bangkit.
Namun ia hanya melontar itu baru-baru ini.
Lyria, Arisha, Leonard, dan Emm. Semuanya masih berada di Tingkat Menengah dari peringkat Inti Bangkit.
Noah telah secara pasti menempati peringkat kedua.
"...Ini..."
Catelyn menatap ponsel dengan kosong sebelum mendekatkan pandangan ke Noah.
"Ya ampun... Ya ampun, Noah!"
Gelang wanita bangsawan yang dingin dan telang susu itu lupa untuk menjaga penampilan elegannya.
Kebahagiaan mengalir deras di wajahnya.
Ia tersenyum bangga.
"Kamu telah melebihi semua ekspektasi."
Nathan tertawa pelan.
"Itu luar biasa, saudara kecil. Pada masa kususu di tahun pertama...aku tidak bahkan masuk dalam top lima! Bahkan aku tidak pernah mencapai sesuatu seperti ini pada semester pertama."
Ia menggoyangkan kepala dengan banggang.
"Kamu benar-benar berlatih keras."
Setelah itu, tawa keras merujut di seluruh ruang makan.
"Hahaha!"
Julian tersenang terbuka, sesuatu yang hanya terjadi pada saat jarang.
"Ini... sangat tidak disangka."
Ia menatap Noah dengan kebanggaan yang terbalak.
"Saya pernah bilang supaya minimal menjadi top sepuluh."
Sebuah senyum tetap berada di bibirnya. "Saya hanya mengatakannya untuk memotivasimu... Saya tidak pernah membayang... kamu benar-benar melewati semester pertamamu berperingkat dua di seluruh akademi."
"Benar. Instruktur Morgana benar-benar sangat membantumu. Dia adalah seorang guru yang luar biasa." Noah berkata.
"Oh, dia. Saya kenal Morgana dengan baik," Julian berbicara sambil mengangguk dengan pemahaman. "Dia adalah Pahlawan peringkat S dari Angsuran Celestine. Sang kreator dengan bakat luar biasa."
"Jadi, Bapak... kamu juga pikir Morgana luar biasa?"
"Tentu saja," Julian mengangguk dengan tenang. "Saya memiliki rasa hormat yang besar padanya. Meskipun usianya muda, ia telah mencapai peringkat yang luar biasa. Sangat jarang orang yang dapat mencapai apa yang ia capai."
Catelyn mendadak mengeluh.
"Noah..."
Mata birunya sempit bersuspisi.
"...kamu tidak berpikir tentang hal yang tidak pantas, ya?"
Noah memandangnya dengan netral.
"Apa yang kamu maksud, Ibu?" ia bertanya seolah-olah benar-benar bingung.
Ia tetap menatapnya, tidak tereduksi.
Noah langsung memutus
Finally, Noah returned to his bedroom.
He gently placed Nancy on the large bed before looking around the room.
"My room is still clean."
His gaze slowly swept across the chamber.
Everything looked exactly the same as it had before he left the manor nearly ten months ago.
The neatly arranged bookshelf. The polished wooden furniture.
The large bed and even the curtains remained unchanged.
Nothing seemed out of place.
A small smile appeared on his face. "Good."
He sat down on the edge of the bed beside Nancy. Slowly, he reached out and gently stroked her head.
The black cat frowned slightly in protest.
Still she made no attempt to move away.
If anything, she quietly leaned into his hand, clearly enjoying the gentle petting despite trying not to show it.
Noah chuckled.
"Such a tsundere."
His fingers continued brushing through her soft black fur.
Then the color of her fur reminded him of someone.
Mary.
"...Damn."
The smile on his face gradually disappeared.
He had been doing everything he could to move forward.
Most of his time had been occupied with training. Or spending time with other people.
Whenever he kept himself busy. He hardly thought about her.
But whenever he found himself alone. Her memory quietly returned.
Just as it always did.
He rubbed his forehead tiredly.
"Looks like...it’s going to take a little longer."
Nancy quietly looked at him before resting her head against his thigh.
Noah simply continued stroking her soft fur in silence.
---
Night arrived before Noah even realized it.
The dining hall was brightly illuminated by elegant crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
A long dining table stood at the center of the room, covered with an immaculate white tablecloth and an assortment of luxurious dishes.
The Eldritch family had finally gathered together.
Julian sat at the head of the table. Across from him, on his right, sat Catelyn. Nathan occupied the seat to Julian’s left.
Meanwhile, Noah sat beside Nathan.
The atmosphere remained calm as everyone quietly enjoyed dinner.
After a while, Julian placed down his knife and fork before looking toward Noah.
"Your reputation at the academy has improved considerably."
His voice remained calm and authoritative.
"I’ve even had several noble families personally tell me how much you’ve changed."
Noah nodded politely.
"I’m glad to hear that."
"I’ll continue working hard."
"I’ll perform even better during the next semester."
Julian gave a satisfied nod.
Then Catelyn suddenly remembered something.
"Now that I think about it..."
She looked at Noah curiously.
"What happened to your semester results?"
"Did you receive them?"
Julian’s attention also shifted toward his younger son.
"Indeed."
"I never asked."
"Did the academy release the rankings?"
"Yes."
Noah nodded calmly.
"I already received them."
Nathan smiled.
"Oh?"
"That’s good."
"So..."
"What rank did you obtain?"
Noah smiled faintly before answering as though it were nothing unusual.
"I ranked second."
Silence.
The entire dining hall became deathly quiet.
Even Theon, who stood respectfully beside the table waiting to serve the family, couldn’t hide the surprise on his face.
Catelyn blinked several times.
"...Did I hear that correctly?"
Nathan slowly turned toward Noah.
His eyes had widened in disbelief.
"Little brother..."
"...you’re joking, right?"
Even Julian remained silent.
His expression barely changed. Yet anyone who knew him could tell, the Duke wasn’t speaking because he was still processing what Noah had just said.
Noah sighed helplessly.
"Seriously..."
He pulled out his phone.
Opening the academy application, he navigated to his student profile before placing the phone on the table.
"See for yourselves."
Everyone leaned forward.
Their eyes immediately landed on Noah’s profile.
First-Year Academic Ranking: Rank 2
His previous ranking...
1786
Had completely disappeared.
In its place...
Only one number remained.
Rank 2.
Noah clicked his tongue.
"Tch..."
"I would’ve taken first place..."
"...if Damien Ashworth hadn’t broken through to the Condensed Core Realm."
His tone carried a trace of dissatisfaction.
Despite everything...
He had once again finished behind Damien.
Still at least he had surpassed every other student in the first year.
Kaelan had also reached the High Rank of the Awakened Core Realm.
However, he had only broken through recently.
Lyria, Arisha, Leonard and Emm. All of them remained at the Mid Rank of the Awakened Core Realm.
Noah had firmly secured second place.
"...This..."
Catelyn stared blankly at the phone before suddenly looking back at Noah.
"Oh my... Oh my goodness, Noah!"
The cold and composed noble lady completely forgot to maintain her elegant demeanor.
Joy overflowed across her face.
She smiled proudly.
"You’ve exceeded every expectation."
Nathan laughed softly.
"That’s amazing, little brother. When I was a first-year student... I wasn’t even among the top five! Even I never achieved something like this during my first semester."
He shook his head in admiration.
"You’ve really worked hard."
Then a loud laugh echoed throughout the dining hall.
"Hahaha!"
Julian laughed openly, something that happened only on rare occasions.
"This...was completely unexpected."
He looked at Noah with unconcealed pride.
"I remember telling you to at least aim for the top ten."
A smile remained on his face. "I only said that to motivate you...I never imagined...that you would actually finish your first semester ranked second in the entire academy."
"True. Instructor Morgana really helped me a lot. She’s an amazing teacher." Noah said.
"Oh, her. I know Morgana well," Julian said with a nod of understanding. "She is an S-Rank Hero from the Celestine Household. A true genius with extraordinary talent."
"So, Father... you also think she’s amazing?"
"Of course." Julian nodded calmly. "I have a great deal of respect for her. Despite her young age, she has already reached such a remarkable rank. Very few people can achieve what she has."
Catelyn suddenly frowned.
"Noah..."
Her blue eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"...You’re not thinking something inappropriate, are you?"
Noah looked at her innocently.
"What do you mean, Mother?" he asked, genuinely trying to appear confused.
She continued staring at him, unconvinced.
Noah immediately decided it was wiser to change the subject.
"Oh, Brother," he said as he turned toward Nathan, "when are you planning to get married? I think you’re old enough."
"What?"
Nathan frowned.
He had been peacefully enjoying his meal until Noah suddenly threw such an unexpected question at him.
"Well, you know what I mean," Noah continued with a grin. "You’re at the perfect age to bring Mother a wonderful daughter-in-law. She must get bored being the only woman in this manor."
"Hey! I’m only twenty-six!" Nathan protested. "Why are you trying to marry me off so early?"
"Noah isn’t entirely wrong, Nathan," Catelyn said thoughtfully. "If not marriage, then at least try dating someone."
She glanced at Noah for a brief moment before looking back at Nathan, as though she had suddenly remembered something important.
"And the woman should be around your age..."
She paused.
"...Not older."
Noah’s lips twitched.
She was obviously referring to the joke he had made earlier about Morgana.
’Seriously... what’s wrong with Instructor Morgana? Noah complained inwardly. She’s only twenty-eight... or maybe twenty-nine. That’s still young. What’s so wrong if I wanted to marry her? She’s only ten years older.’
As far as he was concerned, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.
"Mother," Nathan said helplessly, "I’ll date someone if I meet a woman who genuinely interests me."
Catelyn sighed softly.
"I only hope you don’t remain single for the rest of your life."
Then Julian looked toward Noah.
"By the way, Noah... I heard you’ve become quite close to Duke Sunweave’s daughter."
Noah frowned.
’What the hell...? Were they secretly keeping an eye on me? How did they even know something like that?’
Julian seemed to read the suspicion on his son’s face and chuckled.
"Haha, don’t worry. I didn’t assign anyone to monitor your every move."
He calmly cut another piece of meat before continuing.
"I learned it directly from Duke Sunweave himself. We were discussing official matters not long ago, and during our conversation he casually mentioned that his daughter had become rather close to you."
"I... see."
’So Lyria must have mentioned me to her father... or perhaps Duke Sunweave had simply been keeping an eye on her. Considering she’ll become the future Saintess... that wouldn’t be surprising.’
"I’ve met that girl before," Catelyn said with a gentle smile. "She’s very sweet... and quite beautiful."
"Cough..."
Noah awkwardly cleared his throat.
"Mother, I think we should leave that topic alone. I’m still young. There are many things I need to learn before thinking about relationships."
"Very well."
She smiled knowingly before changing the subject.
"Regardless, I’m truly happy that you managed to achieve second place."
Julian nodded in agreement before asking,
"Tell me, Noah. Is there anything you want?"
He paused briefly before adding,
"Ah... although I suppose we still have to maintain the appearance of your exile before the other noble families. So I can’t lift the tag of exile from you."
"I understand, Father."
Noah nodded.
"There is something else I’d like to ask."
Julian looked at him.
"Go ahead. You may ask for anything."
Noah straightened his posture before speaking respectfully.
"Then... please train me while I’m here. I plan to spend my entire summer vacation training. Having your guidance would help me improve far more than practicing alone."
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