Byrne looked up at the imposing bookshelves and myriad of books, feeling a surge of excitement deep within.
For a moment, he transformed into a true scholar, unable to resist making an inquiry.
"Is this all knowledge?"
However, against Byrne's expectations, Aldrich shook his head. Then the middle-aged man calmly extended his hand, and the books left their shelves in droves, swirling around the two men.
He watched the books circling in the air around him and spoke slowly with indifference:
"The tomes stored on those bookshelves, most of them are not the knowledge you imagine. They are primarily my various research works, as well as a lot of intelligence, rumors, and information."
Aldrich paused, then continued:
"I am indeed a scholar, but my most important observation is on people and nations, and I have little interest in knowledge that has no practical use. You might say that I'm a pragmatist."