If it were the President Robb from a few years ago, as long as he sees such an outrageous application form, he would call in the person who wrote the application to scold them harshly.
Only two years have passed, President Robb's mentality… hasn't really changed much.
Deep breath. Then another deep breath.
"Calm down, calm down, don't get angry, this is…"
'FU**!'
Although that title wasn't directly shouted out loud by President Robb,
In his heart, that's exactly what President Robb thought.
Isn't Asher exactly the key figure for NY City's rise, a big shot of ancestor level.
Thinking that, President Robb calmed down a lot.
He put aside that application form.
Main point is: out of sight, out of mind.
As long as he couldn't see it, it was fine.
Then he kept comforting himself, "This is what Asher deserves. I can't push my luck."
He repeated this sentence several times, and President Robb felt like his mood truly settled down.
Looking again at the application form…
President Robb still couldn't help but reveal a "nonsense" expression.
Then he quickly signed his name on the application form.
'Alright! Alright! Application approved.'
After signing, President Robb, quick-eyed and fast-handed, stuffed the application form into the stack of already reviewed documents beside him.
Still the same line. Approved but that doesn't mean his heart doesn't ache.
Still better not to look at it. Even heartache can be lessened a bit.
After getting off work at five o'clock, President Robb thought it over and over again, and still made a phone call to… Iris.
———
Iris, who received the call: "?"
On the other side of the video call, Iris's eyes almost had two big question marks popping out directly.
"Seriously? Don't you think there's something wrong with what you did here?", Iris looked at President Robb with a face full of doubt.
President Robb calmly gave an "oh".
["I understand what you mean."]
["You're just saying I should go find Asher."]
Iris gave President Robb a look.
Everything that needed to be said was in that look.
President Robb grinned, ["Isn't it because Asher is in seclusion, and I don't want to disturb him."]
Iris: "..."
"So you chose to come bother me instead," As she spoke, Iris couldn't help but roll a big eye.
"If you ask me, this is because you have too little work to do, that's why you're stirring trouble."
"Let's see when the year-end report comes around, will you still have the spare time to come vent to me."
Upon hearing this, in President Robb's mind, the scene had already uncontrollably emerged.
That familiar pain and exhaustion rose in his heart. President Robb frantically shook his head.
'No! Don't mentally substitute in painful memories ahead of time.'
'Wait until that day really comes, then we'll talk.'
President Robb decided to skip this topic.
["Do you know why Asher applied for so many materials and resources?",] President Robb listed a few items from the application form submitted by Asher's research institute.
The look he gave Iris carried a bit of puzzlement and doubt.
"I really can't figure it out."
"Clearly, they all look unrelated, resources that can't be used together."
"Not only did Asher apply, he even applied for so much all at once."
The most extreme part is, he hit right on the quota limit of Asher's quarterly resource application.
If you say this wasn't a result of precise calculations, President Robb wouldn't believe it.
President Robb smacked his lips as he spoke.
Iris, however, didn't care at all.
"So what?"
"This is what Asher deserves, isn't it?", As she spoke, Iris paused, finally looked at President Robb properly.
And from top to bottom, meticulously.
If they weren't separated by the screen, she might even check inside and out, that kind of thoroughness.
President Robb: "..."
He felt a bit creeped out on his back.
Before President Robb could say anything, he heard Iris on the other side speak.
"No way no way?"
"No way there's really someone who thinks he shouldn't, couldn't, mustn't apply, right?"
"How many faces do you have, to dare think like that?"
Gotta say, sarcastic Iris really had some skills.
That voice, that tone, made President Robb's fists start to clench just a little.
Iris rolled her eyes at President Robb so hard they were about to reach the heavens.
"This is Asher's right."
"None of your business."
"I advise you to adjust your mindset, don't blame me for not reminding you."
"If in the end, things really fall apart…", Iris stopped abruptly as she was speaking.
President Robb had still been about to complain about something, but he also suddenly stopped.
'Is my mindset wrong?'
President Robb silently asked himself this.
'Did I really think Asher shouldn't apply like this?'
Because it didn't need to be said.
President Robb listened to all kinds of voices in his heart explaining, saying things like "it's okay but shouldn't be this way," "consider this…," and so on and so forth. In the end, President Robb shut up.
No matter how many explanations there were, he knew himself best.
Ultimately, it was because he hadn't properly positioned the distance and place between himself and Asher.
Moreover, if a situation like what Iris mentioned really happened, no matter how ugly the process got, as for the final outcome, no need to say it, President Robb still had a pretty clear idea in his heart.
At his age, President Robb still wanted to shine in his position until the very last moment.
Thinking of this, President Robb clenched his fist and knocked it twice heavily on his own head.
["…Thanks."]
Letting out a long breath from his chest, President Robb calmly expressed his thanks to Iris.
Iris waved her hand carelessly.
"Just feel like you're still a smart guy, working with you has been pleasant."
"If not necessary, I don't really want to deal with someone else."
["Troublesome,"] President Robb really wanted to roll his eyes upon hearing this.
But considering Iris had just given him quite a bit of help, President Robb still forced himself to hold back.
No, he still had to roll his eyes for satisfaction.
Asher still knew nothing about the wind and rain of the outside world.
Did it have anything to do with him? Not a bit.
Under the support of abundant resources and materials, Asher finally could start attempting to configure the "inheritance memory" in him.
Anyway, according to World Tree Lily, that's how it was. The nutrient solution in the inheritance memory.
"Green grass, inchwood… moon essence, ah!"
Accidents always happened in operations.
After trying twice, Asher had to admit.
Unlike his talent in pet evolution research, when it came to mixing these potions, Asher might really not be that talented.
However… Even if Asher wanted to throw in the towel, it wasn't something that could be done so easily.
After all, according to the inheritance memory, only he could configure the nutrient solution.
Oh, Also World Tree Lily could.
But when Asher conveyed this idea to World Tree Lily, World Tree Lily decisively refused.
["My current power is insufficient to support me in mixing the potion."]
World Tree Lily waved the two small twigs on her head and looked at Asher confidently as she spoke.
Asher fell silent.
Even so, what could he do?
Wanting to complain was one thing, but having to admit World Tree Lily was right was another.
Just by looking at World Tree Lily's current state, it was clear.
If she couldn't do it, she really couldn't do it. No use forcing it.
In the end, he could only do it himself.
"Sigh!", Looking at the once again scrapped liquid, Asher skillfully beckoned to the little jellyfish at the side.
Little Jellyfish: 'Ehehe~'
The little jellyfish waved its tentacles happily and zoomed over to Asher.
It extended a tentacle and dipped into the scrapped potion Asher had configured.
In no time at all, the liquid inside disappeared without a trace.
All swallowed down by the little jellyfish.
Asher: 'Waste disposal… wait no.'
"Meow! Meow!", The Cat-Worm poked its head out from the side, looking at Asher with an expression full of indignation.
It was loudly questioning Asher:
'How dare you! Why can't I, the dragon, drink it?'
Asher looked helplessly at the Cat-Worm, "Didn't I give you a taste earlier?"
"You were the one who turned your nose up at it."
As he spoke, Asher waved his hand at the Cat-Worm, "Don't try to mess with me. It's not my fault you're picky."
"Wait a bit. Once I configure it properly, the taste should be…"
'Decent?'
The last three words Asher didn't say.
Don't ask, just know he was actually a bit guilty about it too.
The taste of the failed nutrient solution was not great.
But the taste of a successful one… sorry, that part hadn't been inherited in Asher's memory.
He only knew such a thing existed, and drinking it was beneficial.
Drinking a failed solution wouldn't cause harm either. At most, it only had a thousandth or even ten-thousandth of the intended effect.
After all, the resources and materials used were all good stuff.
Failure came down to technique and skill.
It didn't affect the inherent value of the good stuff.
The other few pets in the house were still pretty picky.
Specifically pointing out Little Raven, Cat-Worm, and Little White Snake. Each was pickier than the next.
Only the little jellyfish, truly accepted everything without question.
Since drinking it wouldn't cause illness, and it was a waste to dump it, Asher didn't waste anything, all went to the little jellyfish.
"Alright, let's continue," Asher shook his head, flinging away the bit of fatigue from his mind.
Taking a deep breath, Asher's expression became serious once more.
"Little Raven, bring over the moon essence."
"Little White Snake, yes, that herb just now."
"Little Jellyfish, hold the test tube steady with your tentacle, don't move, stay steady."
"Cat-Worm, bring over the star sand."
Asher methodically instructed the few pets to take action.
He was mixing a nutrient solution with special properties, but even so, Asher still hadn't forgotten to train the pets at home.
Angel and World Tree Lily didn't need Asher to worry when it came to ability and skills.
Just letting them grow steadily again was enough.
But the other pets at home were a different matter.
Pure power increases no longer held the same meaning for Little Raven and the others as they did at the start.
Tier 7 pets, Tier 6 pets, Tier 5 pets, was that strength still not considered powerful? It was, definitely.
However, sven among tier 7 pets, there were differences between one and another.
From what Asher knew, a tier 7 Fluffy Cloud defeating a tier 7 Dragon Lizard was no joke, it had actually happened before.
Indeed, dragon-blooded pets had strong power, not comparable to ordinary ones. But being strong had never been absolute.
Even with similar levels, experience, details, and many other accumulated factors couldn't be matched by pure strength alone.
What Asher was now training the pets for was more delicate control over ability and skill use.
"First aim for stability," As he operated, Asher tried to keep his hands as steady as possible, avoiding unnecessary shaking that could cause the nutrient solution to fail.
One previous failure had been due to this reason.
That one failure had given Asher enough experience.
And he promised himself that on the next try, he would not repeat the same mistake.
That was Asher's demand of himself.
World Tree Lily shook her leaves at the side, as if observing Asher.
Watching Asher improve rapidly, it shook its leaves happily.
World Tree Lily: ( ◜‿◝ )♡
'As expected of my bloodline descendant. So amazing!'
'Good good good. Just like that. Keep it up.'
Asher didn't know all this, he was working hard with the pets.
The little jellyfish had wrapped several tentacles together into what looked like a powerful one.
This was a method it came up with after failing to stay still in previous attempts, the tentacle would always end up shaking.
The little jellyfish had been feeling quite proud of its idea. Thinking it was such a genius to have thought of this method too.
But when it actually tried it, the little jellyfish discovered a new problem. That was, while the bundled tentacles were more stable, the strength also increased.
Faced with the glass container, it was easy to use too much force by accident.
Then…
Crack!
The crisp sound of shattering glass rang out the next second.
Asher: "..."
Little Jellyfish: "..."
Clearly the little jellyfish had no eyes.
Yet under Asher's gaze, it still somehow felt a guilty conscience.
'Mhm… The Beastmaster seems more skilled this time?'
It clearly looked like it might succeed, but now because of it… as the little jellyfish was about to get discouraged.
Asher calmly reached out and took all the shattered glass shards from its tentacles.
"It's nothing," Asher's voice also sounded that calm.
As someone who had spent a long time with Asher, the little jellyfish, of course could tell that Asher really wasn't angry.
The little jellyfish curiously bent its tentacles, forming a question mark shape.
It couldn't really understand, why wasn't Asher mad?
'Humans should get mad in this situation, right?', The little jellyfish thought.
As a jellyfish who had been exposed to human society, it had at least a little unique insight into human behavior.
Asher: "..."
Asher smiled helplessly but replied in a stable tone, "Not mad. What's there to be mad about over something this small?"
Asher relaxed his brow and tossed all the broken shards into the trash, then switched to a new one.
[T/N: I can testify that belts are more common in this situations than forgiveness. At least from where I am.]
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