Chapter 57

Finally, I made it to the third river. I'm quite excited... I'll post my thoughts later, updating now, and while I'm at it, I'll ask for votes for the third river. I might as well, since I have nothing better to do... Oh, and I'd also like to ask for recommendations and favorites, thank you all.

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The student council's invitation was rejected without a second thought!

That's the student council! The student council that other students would break their heads to get into! This guy is a freshman, only the third day of school, and he received an invitation on the first day of classes, yet he rejected it without hesitation!

The onlookers looked at Ji Ran as if he were a monster.

"Ji Ran, don't you want to consider it? If you join the student council, you will have all sorts of conveniences. Not to mention, you can get extra points on exams. And when choosing off-campus tasks, you have priority. These things are quite important at Azure Wind."

The student council president, Kurizalde, was not angry at all, still smiling at Ji Ran.

These two conditions were indeed tempting. One reduced the risk of failing exams and being expelled, and the other increased the rewards from school tasks. Ordinary students would find it hard to resist such temptation.

However, Ji Ran was indifferent to these things... Were they important to him?

Ji Ran was confident in several courses, and with the memory-enhancing seaweed and egg flower soup, he was even more confident. As for school tasks... his brewing plan was about to be implemented, and he wouldn't be short of task money then.

"Sorry, I came to Azure Wind to learn knowledge I don't have, not to gain power in the school. I'm not good at that kind of thing, and joining the student council would only be a burden. So, I'll pass."

Kurizalde did not say anything more but stared at Ji Ran. Ji Ran, of course, returned the gaze fearlessly. I'm not asking for anything from you, so what can you do, bite me?

"Ha ha ha, it's rare, I actually got rejected so directly. But I admire Ji Ran's attitude of not joining any organization and focusing on studies. Since you really don't like it, I won't force you."

After a moment of staring, Kurizalde suddenly laughed.

"However, the door of the student council is always open to you. If you encounter any unsolvable problems or difficulties, feel free to come to the student council. If it's something we can solve, we will definitely help you."

Kurizalde showed no sign of disappointment, still smiling brightly.

"...Thank you, President. If there's nothing else, my afternoon class is about to start, so..."

Ji Ran saw that Kurizalde had no intention of making things difficult and felt relieved. Better to avoid trouble.

Kurizalde smiled and stepped aside, and the people behind him naturally followed. Ji Ran nodded politely and walked toward the classroom. Of course, he gave an extra smile to Rex as he passed by.

"President, is it okay to let him go like this?" A well-mannered person with glasses, standing next to the student council president, came over.

"There's nothing wrong with it, right? This Ji Ran is a smart person. Not joining the student council shouldn't cause any trouble for the students."

Kurizalde smiled as usual.

The well-mannered person thought for a moment and looked enlightened.

"From the beginning, he said he wouldn't join any organization, showing his attitude. He also said he just wanted to learn knowledge, indicating he wouldn't cause trouble in the school. He's declaring his harmlessness..."

Kurizalde nodded. "That's why I said he's a smart person. If he had agreed from the start, I would have been disappointed."

The well-mannered person, who seemed like a counselor, also laughed.

"Right, if he had agreed eagerly when you recruited him, there would be only two possibilities. One, he has ulterior motives, ambition, or a plot; the other, he's just a simple-minded brute. Recruiting him would be like recruiting a thug."

The student council president nodded. "Right, in that case, his value would have dropped significantly. Now, he has fully demonstrated his talent, and I find him interesting."

The counselor student was a bit puzzled. "Didn't the president just say there was nothing wrong with it?"

"That's right, there's nothing wrong with it. But if possible, having him on our side would bring us more benefits. However, that would require not our effort, but his foolishness."

The counselor's eyes lit up. "The president means..."

"That lunatic won't let him off as easily as I did. It will be interesting to see what happens..."

Ji Ran, of course, had no idea that after he left, the student council president Kurizalde still gave him a high evaluation—though knowing it wouldn't make him grateful enough to join the student council.

His thoughts were simple: attend classes and study.

A perfect score in swordsmanship brought both good and bad. Professor Lawrence was a good thing. Having a swordsmanship master guide his practice would certainly boost his strength rapidly. But the student council president was an unexpected trouble.

He had no interest in getting involved in the power struggles among students in the school.

What did this have to do with him? Could they give him what he wanted? What they could offer was nothing more than the opportunity to join a powerful family, the favor of a military, or the recruitment of a country...

Ji Ran didn't value these things, so he didn't care.

Sitting in the history class, Ji Ran was quite satisfied with his performance today. Facing the student council president without being humble or arrogant... in his previous university, what was a student council president? Only those obsessed with power would take him seriously.

But the student council president's attitude was also good. If all the classmates he met in the future were as reasonable, that would be great...

However, his wish was shattered after the geography class.

On the way back to the old dormitory, Ji Ran was stopped by two people again. These two didn't have the same aura of leadership as Kurizalde; they looked more like robbers.

"Did you get a perfect score in the swordsmanship exam?" The leader was a vibrant young girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a ponytail. She was wearing the Azure Wind uniform, but it seemed to have been modified in some details to better suit high-intensity activities.

The girl had a well-built figure, with a curvy body and long, powerful legs. She carried an unusual longsword on her side.

The longsword was slightly longer and thinner than a regular one. It would definitely require some special techniques to wield.

Ji Ran didn't recognize the girl or the somewhat timid boy behind her. He naturally felt annoyed by their sudden and impolite question.

"You must have the wrong person." Ji Ran never hesitated to lie in such situations.

"...This year's freshman, Ji Ran, is it you? Living in the old dormitory, with rare black hair and black eyes?" The girl was taken aback by Ji Ran's words but clearly had done her research and wasn't easily fooled.

"...You must have the wrong person. That person is still in class and hasn't returned yet." Ji Ran really didn't want the trouble. This girl seemed to have come with bad intentions, and he had to go back and cook dinner.

"You're lying. You are Ji Ran, right?" The girl saw Ji Ran's impatient expression and became even more convinced.

"...Okay, senior... What do you want? I'm a freshman, and my studies are very demanding." Seeing that he couldn't avoid it, Ji Ran admitted it.

"You are Ji Ran? Great! I'm here to challenge you to a swordsmanship duel!" The girl's eyes lit up, staring at Ji Ran intently, her right hand already on the hilt of her sword.

"...Why?" Ji Ran looked at her.

"...Why what? Why do I need a reason to challenge you to a swordsmanship duel?" The girl was clearly taken aback again.

"Do I have to accept just because you challenge me? If every student in the school, tens of thousands of them, challenged me, I'd be exhausted in no time, right?" Ji Ran's tone became even more impatient.

"Why would every student in the school challenge you?" The girl, though intuitive, didn't seem to think quickly.

But at this point, the timid boy behind her couldn't stand it anymore.

"Anya, he means... if everyone was like you, he wouldn't be able to handle it." The boy's attitude was somewhat weak.

"Everyone like me... wait, are you saying I'm impolite and don't respect your wishes?" The girl, named Anya, finally understood.

Ji Ran sighed impatiently. "Isn't my meaning clear enough?"

This made Anya's eyes widen in anger. Her grip on the sword tightened, even showing veins.

"I can tell you're looking down on me! As a member of the Lawrence family, I formally challenge you! I will use my sword to teach you what respect for others means!"

"Respect for others? Do you show respect? Blocking the road and challenging someone without a word, where is the respect?" Ji Ran's temper also flared up.

If it were someone like Kurizalde, who spoke politely, he might have been more willing to deal with it. This girl's approach naturally caused his dislike.

Even if he didn't want to offend anyone, he couldn't agree to every request, right?