The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy - Chapter 83

Chapter 83: The Imperial Banquet

[✦ Player Profile ✦]

Name: Aestrea Moon (20)

Identity: Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy, The Moonlight Swordsman, The One Who Loves The Goddess Of The Moon, The Strongest Student, Exchange Student of the Eternum Royal Academy, The One Loved By Dangerous Beings, Baron (NEW!!!)

Affinities: Ice

⤬ Aura: S+

⤬ Mana: A (↑UP)

⤬ Strength: B+ (↑UP)

⤬ Vitality: B+ (↑UP)

⤬ Agility: S- (↑UP)

⤬ Spirit: S+

✦ [Skills & Talents] ✦

[1] Moonlit Ice Lotus Sword Art [S???] ➤ Active Self-Created Skill

[2] Judgement Eye [S] ➤ Active Self-Created Skill

[3] Perfect Memory [Unranked] ➤ Passive Talent

[4] Extreme Combat Instinct [A+] (↑UP) ➤ Passive Talent

[5] Advanced Sword & Gun Mastery [A+] ➤ Passive Skill

[6] Calm Mind [B+] (↑UP) ➤ Passive Talent

[7] Blood Eyes [Unranked] ➤ Your eyes ominously glow red.

[8] Blood Contract [???] ➤ You can use Lumi’s Abilities.

——+——+——+——

Well…

At least, I am getting stronger.

And now, I simply cannot live an ordinary life.

So…

I might as well get to the top, no?

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.

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The ceremony was over, but the night had only just begun.

I stood near one of the tall, open windows of the grand banquet hall, letting the cool night breeze brush against my face.

The scent of wine, roasted meats, and sweet pastries filled the air, mixing with the soft sounds of laughter and conversation.

The hall itself was a masterpiece—golden chandeliers hanging from above, their candlelight flickering against the polished marble floors.

Nobles in their finest silks and military officers in decorated uniforms moved about, their voices overlapping in a symphony of politics and pleasantries.

At the center of it all was Lucas.

He was dressed the part—golden sash, formal suit, the perfect image of a noble hero.

A cluster of important figures surrounded him, speaking with admiration, expectations placed in their every word.

The Hero of Light.

A fitting title.

Violet was off to the side, effortlessly engaging with noble heirs and military officers, her usual business smile never fading away from her face.

Zeva stood among royal knights, silent but her eyes darted around, observing everyone.

And me?

I wasn’t in the mood for any of this.

I leaned against the open window, eyes fixed on the city below.

Eternum, the capital of the Empire.

It stretched endlessly beneath the moonlight, the stone roads glowing silver under the stars.

Even from here, I could see the distant towers of the palace, standing as a some kind of reminder of the power this Empire held.

The moon hung high above it all, watching silently.

Unchanging.

Constant.

I let out a slow breath, my mind finally finding some peace—

Until I heard footsteps approach.

“Enjoying the view, Baron Moon?”

I didn’t turn immediately.

The voice was smooth, teasing, and containing amusement in her tone.

I knew who it was before I even looked.

Ella.

The Second Princess of the Empire.

Well, now everyone from the academy knew her true identity.

She moved to stand beside me, her long silver hair catching the moonlight in a way that made it almost glow.

Her royal gown—deep blue with silver embroidery—flowed elegantly with each movement. She was the very image of imperial grace.

Except for the smile.

That was not the smile of a typical princess.

She had a certain lightness to her expression as if she didn’t take this entire night as seriously as she should.

“I see you’ve been avoiding the important people,” she said, tilting her head. “That’s a little rude, don’t you think?”

Her words were true.

But, I only did that because I didn’t really know how to… communicate.

I mean, back on Earth, I had plenty of good locations.

But here… it feels extremely weird.

Every single joke could be mistaken as an offense.

And even if I had the past memories of Aestrea, even if he did not know how to deal with the nobility.

He only knew how to beat them up…

Ahem.

“Haaaa…”

I sighed, turning my head towards her.

“I’m just enjoying the quiet.”

Ella chuckled softly at my words.

“That’s one way to put it. But you do realize that you’re the main attraction tonight, right?”

Well, that was one way to put it.

But everyone was a bit afraid to talk to me.

So I guess they roamed towards Lucas, who seemed more approachable.

After all, those glowing eyes of mine, are still a bit scary.

“Lucas is the main attraction.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Oh, please. The Hero of Light is nothing new. He fights, he wins, he gets praised. That’s how heroes are, but you?” She leaned slightly closer, lowering her voice.

“You came out of nowhere. You’re a mystery. And the nobility hates mysteries.”

I didn’t respond.

She wasn’t wrong.

The nobles were already watching me like I was some kind of unexploded bomb—dangerous, unpredictable, something they weren’t sure how to handle yet.

And honestly.

That was just perfect for me.

Ella turned her gaze back to the sky.

“The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?”

I froze at her words.

I already knew that she had feelings for me. However, I do not if that expression she just said also counts as a ‘confession’ in this world.

I don’t know if Soseki Natsume exists here.

But yeah, I’ll ignore it for now.

“You know… there’s something really beautiful about the moon.” Ella continued, still gazing at the beautiful night sky.

More precisely, at the moon.

“It never changes,” she murmured.

“No matter what happens in the Empire, no matter how many wars, betrayals, or ceremonies happen… it stays the same.”

I raised an eyebrow at her words.

“That’s a strange thing for a princess to say.”

She smirked.

“I guess I’m a strange princess.”

You are weird, you know?

When I first met you, you were all blushy, and now…

You’ve changed multiple times.

In the academy, you were cold to me and now, you’re being all smiley and mysterious?

What are you exactly trying to do?

Then, just as quickly, the moment passed.

“Well, Baron Moon,” she said, emphasizing the title with a small laugh. “I should let you enjoy your solitude. But I’ll give you some advice.”

I crossed my arms.

“Oh?”

Ella’s blue eyes sparkled for a moment.

“Stay away from my stepmother.”

I froze for a split second.

“…The Empress?”

She nodded, her gaze flickering toward the far end of the banquet hall.

And that’s when I noticed her.

Isabella von Eldoria.

The Empress.

She was seated beside the Emperor, dressed in a flowing white and gold gown, her silver hair cascading over her shoulders.

Unlike the Emperor—who was actively speaking with officials—she wasn’t engaged in conversation.

Because she was watching me.

Directly.

Our eyes met.

And for a brief second—

Everything else faded.

The noise of the banquet.

The movement of the nobles.

The flickering candlelight.

None of it mattered.

The Empress tilted her head, just slightly.

A silent acknowledgment.

Then, she smiled.

A slow yet charming smile.

I finally looked away, my expression unreadable.

Ella scoffed immediately.

“Too late, huh? That damned woman…!”

She gritted her teeth.

At her words, I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.

She did seem to hate her stepmother.

But thinking about it, where’s the First Princess?

She should be here, no?

“Well… Now that I warned you…”

She walked away before uttering a few last words.

“Be careful with her.”

I didn’t exactly answer her words.

After all, she had already walked away.

I let out a slow breath, rolling my shoulders as Ella disappeared into the crowd.

Her warning still lingered in my mind.

The Empress, huh?

I could still feel her eyes on me, even though I wasn’t looking anymore. A presence like that wasn’t something you could just ignore.

But before I could think about it too much—

I heard another pair of approaching footsteps.

Lighter.

More familiar.

“Wow, look at you,” a smooth, teasing voice purred from my side.

“Already making waves at the highest level of nobility. My dear Junior really knows how to charm royalty, doesn’t he?”

I sighed before even turning.

Violet.

I didn’t need to see her face to know she was grinning.

I could hear it in her voice.

When I finally glanced her way, my suspicions were confirmed.

She stood there, her arms crossed, a knowing smirk tugging at her lips.

Her violet dress—fitting for her name—clung to her figure just enough to show off her confidence, yet remained elegant enough for a noble gathering.

A few loose strands of her dark hair framed her face, and her purple eyes shone with way too much enjoyment.

“…I wasn’t ‘charming’ anyone.”

Violet gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her chest.

“Oh? Then what was that little moment between you and the Second Princess just now? Standing together under the moonlight, talking about how ‘beautiful’ it is—” She let out a fake sigh.

“So romantic.”

Did she hear our conversation?

Ah.

I almost forgot that everyone here had heightened senses.

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Mm-hm.”

She didn’t believe me.

Of course, she didn’t.

I exhaled and turned back to the window, hoping she’d just drop it.

She didn’t.

In fact, she leaned on the windowsill beside me, her smirk widening.

“You know, first it was the cute, mysterious exchange student thing. Then you became the strongest student of our academy. Now you’re a Baron, and the nobility is keeping an eye on you.”

“…The strongest student? That is new.”

“…Well, it was what appeared on the student forum. After all, you kept the Archdemon of Pride busy by yourself, what do you think was going to happen?” she smiled lightly.

Then, her eyes suddenly flickered toward where the Empress sat.

“And now, even the most dangerous woman in the Empire seems interested in you.”

Most dangerous woman in the Empire?

There seems to be something about her that I don’t know.

Even Violet’s voice contains respect towards her.

Is there really something about her that I don’t know?

…I’ll need to investigate.

So, I decided to start with Violet herself.

“You think she’s dangerous too?”

Violet scoffed at my words.

“Oh, absolutely. Every noblewoman in that hall plays the game, but she is the one who wrote the rules.”

What’s up with those metaphors?

What kind of game are we talking about?

Chess?

Go?

Blackjack?

Well, considering the subject, she’s probably talking about something related to the nobility, so it must be the power to be in “control” or something along that.

After all, those nobles like to use expressions like, “chess pieces”, and “chessboard”.

I hummed.

I wasn’t sure if that made me feel better or worse.

Then, without warning, Violet’s smirk returned.

“But let’s not forget,” she cooed, “you also have our dear instructor watching you closely~”

I froze.

Oh.

She was talking about Zeva.

“I—”

“Oh no, no excuses,” Violet cut in, her grin sharpening.

“People were already suspecting your relationship with her as soon as you appeared fighting against her in that red dungeon, but now…”

She glanced at Zeva who was looking intently at me with a strange expression.

“…It seems that she really fell for you.”

I opened my mouth.

Then closed it.

She hummed.

“So, let’s see… The Second Princess, the Empress, Zeva—oh, and let’s not forget our dear mysterious maid!”

I stiffened.

“…Quite the competition, huh? If that continues, I won’t exactly have a chance, do I?” she giggled, covering her mouth.

“…..”

I didn’t reply to her words.

There wasn’t something to be really mentioned here.

Besides, she hadn’t fallen in love with me.

She was only teasing me.

“Tsk… you’re no fun!” she puffed her cheeks, straightening herself.

“It has been good talking to you!” She pushed off the windowsill and stretched, her teasing nature returning in full force.

“Well, Baron Moon, I think I’ll go find some wine and pretend to be a proper noblewoman for a bit.” she laughed.

“You? Proper?”

She gasped dramatically.

“I’ll have you know, I can be very proper when I need to be.”

I just shook my head.

There’s still a single month or so until the end of the semester.

And then, I can finally go back to my academy.

Til’ then…

There is plenty of trouble coming ahead.

I can just feel it.