The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy

"Fuuu..."

I exhaled deeply, finally leaving Zeva's home.

After that conversation, I ended up staying a bit longer than I'd planned. But, strangely enough, she seemed much calmer this time—way calmer than before.

Now, I was heading back to my dorm.

Only three more days until the end of the semester.

And with that...

I'd be done with this damn academy.

I could already feel the relief.

Gosh, how I miss Silverleaf. The city, the people... and especially those little guys.

I couldn't wait to see them again.

I walked down the bustling streets, people chatting, shopping, or just enjoying their time. Small stalls lined the road, selling everything from trinkets to street food.

Couples walked hand-in-hand, lost in their own world.

...Couples, huh?

I couldn't help but think of Vivian. I hope she's doing alright.

And there's also Maria and Mia.

My relationship with them isn't as close as it is with Vivian, but Mia especially... she's always been so forward with me.

"...They must have gotten stronger."

I mumbled to myself.

"Who's gotten stronger?"

A voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts.

"...Rose?"

I turned around, surprised to hear her voice.

But as soon as I saw her, I frowned.

Her eyes were heavy, dark circles under them.

She looked like someone who hadn't slept in weeks.

"You alright?"

I couldn't help but ask in concern.

"...Yes."

She answered, but there was a clear irritation in her tone.

"You sure? You don't look—"

"I'm fine, Aestrea." She cut me off sharply, her annoyance clear.

What's up with her today?

Despite her sleepy eyes, there was something different about her. Her hair was styled, and her clothes... well, she wasn't wearing the usual academy uniform.

She was actually dressed... like she was out to do something.

Is today a 'revolt day' for her?

We stood there for a moment in silence, and honestly?

The whole thing felt weird.

"...Do you need something?" I asked, trying to break the tension.

"...Yeah."

"What?"

"...Kiss me."

I blinked in surprise.

"Huh?"

My eyes widened.

"W-what did you say?"

I was actually surprised by her bold words.

Every interaction I had with her made her shy, and now, she was asking me to kiss her directly, which was VERY unusual of her.

"I said..."

She took a step forward, her soft mountains slamming against my chest, as she hooked her arms around my neck, pulling me closer.

"Kiss me."

She looked up at me, her lips perked up as she tiptoed, closing her eyes.

I stared at her in silence for a moment.

Sigh...

I could've kissed her, really.

I wanted to.

But...

Plop!

I flicked her forehead instead.

"...What are you doing, Rose? Did you have a drink or something?" I smiled, looking at her with calm eyes.

Rose winced, her hand shooting up to rub the spot where I flicked her. She shot me a glare, her eyes filled with frustration.

"...I'm not talking to you anymore!"

With that, she spun around and stormed off, leaving me standing there.

I stared after her, the smile that had crept onto my face fading.

"...Not this shit again..."

My eyebrows furrowed.

Mana Stress.

That's what it was called.

It's a kind of stress related to overusing mana, pushing it beyond its natural limit.

When someone gets Mana Stress, their mental state starts to fracture. They become the exact opposite of themselves—like they're switching personalities.

And just looking at Rose...

I could tell that's exactly what was going on with her.

But it's not a big deal. It's not dangerous. She just needs to rest. Maybe take a break from using her mana for a while.

That's probably a problem for her since she's a full-fledged mage, but still, if she wants to get better, she needs to do it.

Anyway...

This wind is quite nice.

Maybe I should go to the black market and meet up with Yara.

I can take the opportunity to tell her goodbye and talk about the assassin organization that attacked me.

With that in mind, I turned down one of the narrow, shady alleys just off the main street.

Funny thing is, every corner in this part of town seemed to have some kind of secret path leading into the black market.

I dunno why.

As I moved through the dim alley, I spread out my mana, carefully checking everything around me.

I kept an eye on the people sitting or lying along the walls—beggars, drunks, shady types. Anyone could be a threat.

Step...!

And just as I expected.

One of them tried to jump me.

"Haaaa..."

I let out a long, annoyed sigh.

Fwip!

I instantly turned around and grabbed the wrist of the guy who was going to attack me.

Crack!

I twisted it sharply.

The sharp sound of bone snapping echoed off the walls.

"AAARGHHHH!!"

The guy screamed in pain, loud and broken.

Before he could even try to cry out again—

Fwoop!

CRASH!

I threw him hard against the stone wall. He slammed into it with a thud, then crumpled to the ground. Blood started to pool around him, thick and dark.

"...Anyone else?"

I turned my head slowly, letting my eyes scan the others still lurking nearby.

"N-no, no, of course not, sir..."

They backed away quickly—hands raised, eyes wide.

I let out a soft sigh and shook my head.

They were still harboring bad intentions towards me.

『 Ice Generation! (✦ 1st-level Spell ✦) 』

A small shard of ice formed in my hand with a soft hum.

Without hesitation—

Fwoop!

Splurt!

I sent it flying straight into the man on the ground.

Blood sprayed as it hit him. He let out a weak, wet groan.

"This is your only warning," I said plainly.

"HAH!!"

That did it—they all scattered like rats, running in every direction.

With the path clear again, I kept walking deeper into the passage.

The air got colder, the lights dimmer.

Then, right at the end of the narrow tunnel, I saw a big man standing in front of a stone doorway.

Something about his face looked familiar.

...Wait.

Wasn't he at Yara's place?

As soon as he saw me, the man stepped forward and bowed politely.

"Ah, Mr. Moon. It's a pleasure to see you."

I stopped and narrowed my eyes.

"...You know me?"

He smiled gently, standing up straight.

"Why, of course. You're our mistress's little husband, aren't you? My brother made sure to let me know about you."

My eyebrow twitched up.

Little husband?

Seriously?

I stared at the guy for a second.

"Little husband?" I repeated, my eyebrow twitching.

The man grinned, completely unbothered. He had a thick build, taller than me by at least a head, with broad shoulders that made him look like a damn boulder.

"That's what my brother said," he nodded.

"You're the lover of our mistress, after all."

I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

"Just open the door."

The guy chuckled but obeyed, stepping aside and pushing open the heavy stone door.

Creeeak...

The smell of smoke, alcohol, and something faintly metallic hit me immediately.

The black market was always like this—dim lights, people hunched over tables making shady deals, and merchants whispering about 'special products' they had in stock.

I stepped inside, walking past a few stalls selling everything from enchanted daggers to stolen spellbooks. Some eyes followed me, but no one dared to get too close.

Smart.

I made my way toward the deeper part of the market, where Yara usually stayed.

Sure enough, I spotted her sitting in her usual spot—a plush seat in a private booth, one leg crossed over the other, swirling a glass of red wine in her hand.

She looked up as I approached, a sly smile curling on her lips.

"Well, well, if it isn't my dear Aestrea," she purred.

"Finally coming to visit your wife?"

I exhaled.

"Since when are you my wife?"

"Since you let me leave a mark on you," she teased, taking a slow sip of her drink.

I ignored that.

Instead, I pulled out a chair and sat down across from her, leaning forward with my arms crossed on the table.

"We need to talk."

Yara's smile didn't move. Calm, like always.

"About what?"

"An assassin group came after me not long ago. I want to know which group it was and their location."

Her expression twitched.

The playful look in her eyes disappeared. Her brow tightened.

A small vein popped on her forehead.

Crack!

The glass in her hand shattered without warning, sharp shards falling to the floor.

"They seriously tried to kill you?!" she snapped.

Her voice was cold—scary cold.

And then…

The air around us started shaking.

The space around us began to crack.

Like... literally crack.

Crk… crk...

Lines appeared in the space itself, like cracks on glass, and beyond them, tiny stars shone through like we were looking into another dimension.

"Yara! Hey—calm down!"

I quickly reached out and grabbed her shoulders.

As soon as she felt my touch, her wild, glowing eyes began to calm. The rage in them slowly faded. She let out a deep sigh, closing her eyes for a moment.

"I'll take care of them," she muttered.

"I'll wipe them out myself."

I interrupted almost immediately.

"No."

I refused her proposal.

There was no way I was leaving the job of destroying that organization to somebody else after they attacked it.

She opened her eyes, confused.

"There's no way I'm letting anyone else handle this," I said.

"They came for me. I'm going to finish this myself."

Yara stared at me for a moment.

Then… she smiled.

Not a teasing one this time.

She walked over slowly, heels clicking against the stone floor with every step.

Click… click… click...

She stopped in front of me, then suddenly sat on my lap, her hands resting on my shoulders as she leaned in.

I leaned back on the couch, one eyebrow raised.

"Well…" she purred, tilting my chin up with one finger, her lips just inches away from mine.

"What's your plan then, my dear?"

She gave a slow, sly grin, pressing her body just a little closer.

I couldn't help but chuckle softly, wrapping my arm around her waist, pulling her in just a little more.

"First, I need information..."

I slowly lowered my hands.

"I need names, hideouts, anything. I'm going to tear this whole thing apart, one piece at a time."

Upon hearing my words, she gave a playful sigh, like she was both annoyed and impressed.

"That's so like you…" she whispered.

"Reckless. Stubborn... Sexy."

I raised an eyebrow.

This way she was speaking was quite familiar to me.

I think it was when I met her that she gave me multiple adjectives, telling me how "awesome", perfect, and divine I was.

It was something between those lines.

"And so... what shall we do now?"

She curled her lips.

At that moment, my hands were now blatantly squeezing her peach-like ass.

"Mhm~, I wonder..."