Without wasting any time, the professor began introducing the most reputable Guide bloodlines in the history of the Torren Empire, choosing to start from the oldest and most distinguished ancient Guide families whose names had been etched into history for generations.
"The first family on the list..." the professor announced as he glanced at the digital screen beside him, "is the Ashford Family."
The moment those two words left his mouth, almost half the classroom instinctively turned to look at Ethan.
Some looked amused.
Some looked mocking.
Others simply wore expressions of pity.
Ethan resisted the urge to sigh.
Yeah, yeah...
He just had to be reminded once again that he was the disgrace of his family.
The professor continued without paying attention to the students’ reactions.
"The Ashford Family has produced remarkable Guides continuously for six generations. Every direct descendant before the current generation awakened with extraordinary talent and made significant contributions to the Empire."
The words weren’t directed at Ethan.
Yet somehow...
They felt like they were.
The sentence every direct descendant before the current generation was enough to highlight his predicament.
He was the exception. Still, Ethan refused to acknowledge the countless glances directed toward him.
Let them stare.
He honestly couldn’t care less anymore. He would let them enjoy themselves while they still could. When he mastered Aster’s cultivation method and raised his rank with his own hard work...
He wanted to see whether those same people would still be looking at him with those expressions.
"The Hale Family..."
"The Draven Family..."
"The Everhart Family..."
One prestigious family after another was introduced as the professor patiently explained their history, their achievements, and the extraordinary Guides they had produced throughout the centuries.
After finishing the ancient bloodlines, he gradually transitioned toward remarkable individual Guides whose names had become legendary because of their accomplishments rather than their birth.
At this point, Ethan’s attention had become sharper than ever. His ears were practically perked up.
Surely...
Now...
Now he would finally hear it.
Saint Aster.
He patiently waited. Another legendary Guide was introduced.
Then another.
And another.
Still...
Nothing.
The lecture continued for almost another hour before the professor selected several of the previously mentioned Guides and elaborated on the contributions they had made to the Torren Empire, explaining how some had revolutionized Guiding techniques while others had sacrificed themselves during catastrophic Rift disasters to save countless lives.
Ethan listened attentively from beginning to end. Yet not once...
Was the name Saint Aster mentioned.
Finally, the professor closed his notebook before looking around the classroom.
"Alright. That concludes today’s lesson, you may all leave."
The classroom immediately became lively as students began packing their belongings before making their way toward the exit.
Meanwhile...
Ethan remained seated.
His brows were tightly knitted together in deep thought.
How was that possible?
Surely a Guide who had supposedly risen from F-Rank to S-Rank was remarkable enough to deserve a place in history. Even if he hadn’t founded a noble family, someone who had accomplished something that impossible should at least have been mentioned once.
Unless...
He had never contributed anything significant to the Empire.
Or...
Someone had deliberately erased him. Whatever the reason was, Ethan knew one thing.
Guessing wouldn’t get him anywhere.
After all, whether he liked it or not, he had already begun following the cultivation method left behind by that mysterious man.
At the very least...
He deserved to know what he was signing up for. Whether the book was trustworthy or not, it was currently offering him the only path capable of changing his fate. That alone made learning more about its author worth it.
As the last few students filtered out of the classroom, Ethan finally stood up and made his way towards the professor.
Stopping before the desk, he awkwardly cleared his throat before speaking.
"Professor...."
The professor looked up from arranging his notes before raising an eyebrow. "Ethan Ashford?"
"What do you want?"
"Umm... it’s about today’s lecture." Ethan rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I was listening and—"
His sentence was abruptly interrupted by the professor stared at him in visible disbelief before letting out a short laugh.
"You? Ethan Ashford? You were actually listening?"
Ethan’s expression twitched ever so slightly. What exactly was that supposed to mean Did the professor seriously think he was incapable of paying attention?
"...Yeah."
"I listened."
The professor’s surprise slowly faded before he nodded. "Go on."
"Well..." Ethan began carefully. "There was a particular name I expected you to mention today, but you didn’t."
"Oh... And whose name would that be?"
Ethan answered without hesitation. "Saint Aster."
The instant those two words left his mouth...
The professor’s face visibly changed. Shock flashed across his features for the briefest fraction of a second before disappearing just as quickly, replaced by carefully feigned confusion.
It lasted less than a heartbeat.
But Ethan saw it.
Clearly..
His heart immediately skipped a beat and at that moment he knew he had made a big mistake.
The professor calmly adjusted his glasses before shaking his head. "There has never been any recorded Guide by that name in the Empire’s history." He paused before continuing " And I’ve never heard of such a person either."
His gaze slowly settled on Ethan.
"Now tell me..."
"Where exactly did you hear that name?"
Ethan inwardly scoffed. Feigning ignorance?
Fine. Then two could play that game.
He scratched his cheek as though trying to remember. "I accidentally overheard a group of students mentioning the name earlier."
"I got curious because I’d never heard it before either. So when you didn’t mention him during the lecture, I thought maybe they were just making things up." He added calmly.
The professor quietly observed him for several moments before eventually nodding.
"Well, Ethan."
"As I said earlier...There has never been
Guide by that name."
"I see..." Ethan gave a small nod before turning around. "Thank you, Professor."
However, he had barely taken a few steps toward the door when the professor called after him.