Chapter 205: Status
"Hmm," a frown appeared on the female guard's face as she contemplated the features of the youth and compared them to the person she had information about.
Since the youth's demeanour and the natural presence he emitted were different from others, she was naturally able to discern that he wasn't an ordinary individual. She also possessed information about strong individuals and their talents, which she considered a strength.
Information was power!
Knowing about strong and talented individuals allowed her to avoid offending them and even to curry favour with them.
"He must be Aur?" she thought uncertainly.
The features matched the description she had received: a face with red eyes and long white hair, and even his demeanour seemed to fit.
However, there was one difference: his unusually tall stature and the more terrifying presence he exuded, as if Aur were a beast beneath human skin, ready to release his ferocity and slaughter everyone.
While she was lost in thought, the youth had already approached them.
"Open the gate," Cameron came forward for Aur and said lightly.
"Ye… yes," the male guard stammered, hastily opening the gate with a nervous expression, while she observed silently.
"Master, please," Cameron turned back with a smile on his face. Aur nodded and entered the premises.
"Since even the inner guard of the academy is so respectful to him, what kind of status does this Aur have?" the female guard wondered, feeling a sense of shock. Three stars on their silver armour indicated that the guard was a high-tier one wizard, and four stars represented the pinnacle of tier one.
As for the commander of the academy's inner guard, he was a tier two wizard, indicated by the badge on his distinctive black armour—a blue bird emblem.
However, she suddenly thought of something. From the information she had gathered, Aur's father was a teacher and a tier one wizard with barely any combat capability, and his mother was a housewife.
Thinking of these, her eyes widened.
"Is he the new elder?" she whispered.
She turned to catch a fleeting glimpse of Aur's back, a regretful expression on her face.
As Aur entered the place, attention immediately gravitated towards him, especially from those in high positions. However, those in lower positions remained oblivious, as they were deemed unworthy of such knowledge.
"Brother Aur, I have to congratulate you," Jack suddenly appeared, a smile playing on his lips.
Aur returned the smile. "Thank you, Brother Jack," his crimson eyes glinting mysteriously.
"Hahaha," Jack chuckled graciously.
Some of the others nearby strained to eavesdrop, though they remained clueless about the conversation.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Jack eventually departed from Aur, returning to his social circle.
Aur remained silent, patiently waiting. He felt a bit isolated, even though people came to greet him. Once greeted, however, they quickly moved on to mingle with others in their own group. The older generation didn't acknowledge him at all.
Since he had been in seclusion, Aur hadn't had the time to interact with people, rendering his social circle practically null.
However, Aur didn't concern himself with this. Previously, when he was weak, he needed to mingle with others and form connections. But now, with his status as an elder announced, there would be no need for that. People would flock to him on their own.
There was a difference in status now.
Everything could be converted to strength—from talent to background to luck, even reputation—all could be counted as one's strength. Strength didn't merely refer to an individual's combat prowess.
Soon, Aur noticed some new faces appearing one by one. As a third-year student, the next two batches were already present, and with the addition of the new batch, even more familiar faces popped up one by one.
"Aur, are you here?"
Suddenly, Aur heard a voice from behind him, causing him to raise his brows and turn to see a familiar face: Anne, Leo's girlfriend.
She was dressed in a seductive manner, accompanied by three individuals who followed her with a respectful expression. However, their eyes betrayed a lecherous gaze, lusting after her body.
Aur glanced at them briefly before turning back, his expression indifferent.
A frown creased Anne's face.
"My chance has come," one of the men muttered with a smirk before he walked up to Aur.
"Hey, it is rude not to reply when Anne wants to talk to you," the man said, advancing towards Aur. However, before he could draw close, he noticed the guard standing beside Aur, adorned in silver armour with three intricately crafted stars.
The man's expression immediately shifted from haughty to thoughtful, then to a frown, before finally settling into an expression full of despair.
"What were you talking about?" Aur inquired, his tone laced with curiosity and a hint of suspicion as he observed the swift transformation in the man's expression.
"Nothing," the man replied curtly, his movements mechanical as he swiftly turned his head away, retreating back to Anne's side with an air of defeat etched across his features.
"Hey, where did all your bravado go? You were putting on quite a show in front of Anne, but now it seems to have vanished," remarked one of the other males beside Anne, his voice tinged with amusement as he let out a snicker.
However, the man remained unresponsive, his silence made the other man snicker even more.
Anne's brow furrowed with concern as she witnessed the sudden change in his demeanour. "What happened to him?" Her eyes shimmered with a curious glint.
"Despite my reputation, these three guys have already become my shadows, and their status isn't insignificant either. If I play my cards right, I could potentially gain valuable resources without exerting much effort.
No matter how formidable Aur has become with the combined influence of these three individuals, he won't be able to make much waves," she mused, a confident smile spreading across her lips as she contemplated her strategic advantage.
Aur regarded the situation with a peculiar expression on his face.
"Is this what they call being a 'simp'?" he mused quietly to himself.
Suddenly, he was distracted by a commotion nearby and turned his attention towards it. To his surprise, he saw Noah, dressed casually, emerging with a warm smile, accompanied by William and Amelia.