The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy

In the VIP section of the grand stadium, high above the roaring crowd, the most influential figures in the empire had gathered.

Dukes, duchesses, and even the emperor and empress were seated in lavish chairs, their expressions calm yet curious as they watched the competition.

The air was filled with quiet murmurs and the occasional clink of fine glassware.

Elandor, the Sword Duke, stroked his sharp beard as he leaned forward, his emerald cape catching the sunlight. 

"That boy from Silverleaf, Aestrea... Did you see the energy around his sword? He's no ordinary student. Tell me, is he one of yours?"

Beside him, the Northern Duchess, Evelyn, a poised woman with striking light blue hair and piercing blue eyes, stood with her arms crossed.

"No, although his affinity is also ice like mine; it is the first time I have seen him. However. now I'm quite interested in him..." her lips curled into a small smile.

"Haha! It's really funny, this is the first time I have seen the Northern Duchess interested in someone!"

A rough voice came behind them, and immediately, both of their expression changed slightly as they replied politely.

"Your Highness."

They greeted in unison, bowing their heads slightly.

The man behind them chuckled warmly.

"No need for courtesies. We're here to enjoy the competition, aren't we?"

It was Francis Arthur Charles X, the current emperor of the empire.

"But I'll admit," he continued, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "without even the need to fight, that boy made sure to explain that he wasn't here to play around."

The emperor laughed softly.

At his side, Empress Isabella leaned forward slightly, her eyes sparkling with quiet interest. Her gown, a masterpiece of midnight blue and silver threads, shimmered like starlight.

"So this is the boy Ella mentioned," she murmured, almost to herself.

"I like him."

But, her words had reached the emperor, making him frown.

"Ella is still too young!"

"She's of marriageable age, Francis!"

Isabella replied with a sigh, her tone sharp but calm.

"I don't care. She's my precious baby!"

The emperor shot back.

"Tsk. Overprotective as ever."

Isabella clicked her tongue in annoyance.

But deep down, she noted Aestrea's name.

Meanwhile, their quiet exchange didn't go unnoticed.

Whispers spread through the lower-ranked nobility seated nearby.

A younger noble, perhaps a marquis, adjusted his glasses and glanced down at the arena.

"To think a student from Silverleaf would earn the favor of such a crowd. It's unheard of... who could have trained him, I wonder?"

The nobles continued their murmurs, their eyes now frequently darting to Aestrea as if he were the only star in the night sky.

This boy, the strongest from the "weakest" academy had become the center of their attention, even before the first match had begun.

...

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Academy Competition!"

The crowd buzzed with excitement as the announcer's voice echoed through the huge stadium.

"Today, the top five academies will battle to prove who's the best!"

The crowd roared, cheering and clapping.

"The rules for the first round!"

The announcer continued as his voice gathered everyone's attention.

"Each academy leader will draw a number. These numbers will decide the match-ups. Since there are five academies, one will skip this round and advance straight to the next."

"For the match-ups, each academy will send out a student for a one-on-one battle. Each win earns one point for the academy. The first to reach five points wins the round!"

"Each academy will have five matches, except for the ones that get skipped, and after all match-ups are finished, the two academies with the lowest scores will be eliminated!"

In the middle of the field, a table was brought in, draped in blue velvet. On it was a wooden box with a gold latch, simple yet elegant.

"Academy leaders, step forward to draw your lots!"

The announcer called out.

Immediately, the leader from each academy stepped forward, wearing a different uniform from the rest of the students of their academy.

The leader of Eternum Royal Academy was first.

It was none other than Ella.

With her long, wavy white hair and a navy-and-silver uniform that shimmered under the sunlight, she opened the box, selected a scroll with a flourish, and stepped back with a calm expression.

Next, the leader of Beastkin Academy stepped forward.

A massive lionkin with fiery red hair and sharp golden eyes, he grabbed his scroll without hesitation and returned to his spot, his tail swaying lazily.

The Holy Academy's representative...

At that moment, everyone focused on her.

Because it was none other than the Saintess Christina!

Her golden hair swayed slowly in the wind as her dim pink eyes looked forward.

She selected her scroll delicately, as though handling something precious, before stepping back with a soft smile.

The Sword Academy's leader came next, his tall frame and sharp, stoic features drawing a few murmurs from the crowd.

His movements were mechanical and efficient, from picking the scroll to returning to his place without a word.

Finally, it was Aestrea's turn.

He stepped forward, aware of the eyes watching his every move. His hand slipped into the box, brushing against the remaining scroll.

Without a glance, he stepped back to join the others.

"Leaders, reveal your lots!" the announcer said.

One by one, the scrolls were unrolled.

Ella held her up high, revealing a bold 1.

Beastkin's leader displayed a 2 as his grin turned sharp and confident.

Christina revealed the number 1, glancing briefly at Ella with a faint smile.

The Sword Academy leader revealed a 2.

Finally, Aestrea opened his scroll.

The number 3 looked back at him.

At that moment, the announcer's voice rang out once more, full of excitement.

"Here are the match-ups! Eternum Royal Academy will face Holy Academy in the first match! Beastkin Academy will battle Sword Academy in the second match!"

"Finally, the Silverleaf Academy, with lot number three, will skip this round and automatically advance to the next one, earning one point in their total score!"

Instantly, the whole stadium erupted in cheers as the results were announced. However, a few of them were thoroughly disappointed as Silverleaf had earned a free point.

"Lucky bastards...!"

The students from the other academies couldn't but express their opinions, but as soon as Astrea heard those words, he stopped in his tracks.

"Ah... you guys want to die so soon?"

Shing...

He slowly sheathed his sword, and immediately, the students who were talking about Silverleaf's good luck retracted steadily.

Letting out a scoff, Aestrea made his way back to his group.

"That was so damn lucky!"

The students cheered between themselves, trying not to be so loud.

"Pfff..."

Aestrea put his sword back into its scabbard as he let out a small chuckle.

"Alright, everyone! Let's calm down!" Vivian said as she clapped her hands, gathering everyone's attention in her form.

"Now that we got one point in advantage, we only need to win two more, or simply get lucky enough. But don't relax! Take advantage of the time to watch the competition. Study them carefully and learn everything you can!"

"Yes!"

The students replied in unison.

Aestrea nodded, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword. He leaned against the railing as the first match was set to begin.

Eternum Royal Academy and the Holy Academy sent their first fighters into the arena.

Eternum's first representative was a boy named Ren, clad in the academy's elegant navy and silver uniform.

His posture was perfect, his polished sword gleaming under the sunlight.

On the other side was Holy Academy's pick—a petite girl named Mira.

Dressed in the pristine white and gold of her school, she carried a staff adorned with an intricate crystal at the top.

Her calm expression and the faint glow of divine energy around her hinted at immense power despite her unassuming appearance.

The announcer's voice broke the tension.

"Let the first match... begin!"

With a loud cheer from the crowd, the fight was on.

Ren charged forward immediately, his sword cutting through the air in a precise arc.

But Mira didn't flinch.

She twirled her staff, planting it firmly in the ground as a golden barrier flared to life around her.

CLANG!

Ren's sword struck the barrier, sending out a ripple of energy.

The crowd leaned forward, captivated by the clash.

'Mhm...'

As the fight continued on, Aestrea was lost in his thoughts.

He was very troubled as he continued reading the rules of the first round that had been granted to the professors in a scroll.

And the thing that troubled him the most was the 7th article.

[7th Article]: During one of the rounds, a student who had already been chosen to fight, cannot participate again until the next round.

That means Aestrea cannot win the five points alone.

He needs to defeat a student from the other academy, and then make sure four of his classmates win their match too, for the academy to be able to earn another point.

So, Aestrea closed the scroll and looked at every student in their station.

『 Judgement Eye (✦ S-Level Skill✦)』

At that moment, the symbol of a balance scale which is used in law, appeared on the pupils of his eyes.

'I'll make sure to figure out the weakness of each one of them...'

A red liquid flowed down his left eye.