The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy - Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Interlude: Snow Festival (III)
Fwip!

“Time Acceleration!”

Puff—

“F—Fuck!”

I barely managed to react as the sudden force of the backlash hit me, sending me stumbling back a few steps.

My hands shook, my head ached, and my body felt like it had just run an entire marathon in a second.

“God damn it… fuu…”

Taking a deep breath, I furrowed my eyebrows, staring blankly at my hands. My fingers twitched slightly, but that was it.

No glow.

No lingering mana.

No sign that I had successfully cast anything at all.

Honestly, when I saw that my second affinity or element was Time, I was immediately ecstatic, however…

But I didn’t think it would be this much of a problem.

From the moment I awakened my second affinity, I had been training like a madman to use it.

Every single day.

Every single night.

I barely even slept.

I even used mana to ease my body so I didn’t need sleep.

The only problem was mental fatigue…

But it was all useless.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t properly activate Time Magic.

I had scoured the entire academy library, looking for anything—anything at all—that could help me understand how Time Magic worked.

But there was nothing.

Not a single book on Time Magic existed in the academy’s collection.

It was almost as if it had been erased from history.

Which meant that if I wanted to learn, I was on my own.

A few days passed in complete frustration, I trained, failed, took a small break, and then tried again.

Again and again.

The cycle repeated itself over and over, but no matter what, I couldn’t even manage a simple first-rank spell.

“Damn it…”

I clicked my tongue in frustration.

“One last try…”

Taking a deep breath, I focused.

This time, I wouldn’t just shout the spell’s name and hope for the best.

I would control it.

I would force it to work.

Slowly, I closed my eyes, reaching deep into myself and searching for that elusive spark of Time Magic buried within me.

It was there.

Faint.

Flickering.

But undeniably present.

I reached out, trying to grasp it—

And the moment I did, my entire body was slammed with overwhelming pressure.

THUD!

I collapsed to my knees, gasping for air as an invisible force crushed me from all sides.

My vision blurred, my head pounded, and my limbs refused to move.

It felt as if time itself was weighing down on me.

“Wh… What the hell…?”

My breathing turned ragged as I struggled to fight against the pressure, but it was useless.

I couldn’t even lift a single finger.

My surroundings distorted, warping like a rippling reflection on water.

For a brief second, I thought I saw something—a crack in space itself, dark and endless, with white, glowing threads stretching across it.

Then, just as quickly as it came, it vanished.

The pressure disappeared.

I collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily as sweat dripped down my face.

“….Fucking hell.”

Click!

The door to the room suddenly opened.

I groaned softly but didn’t bother looking up.

A familiar voice reached my ears.

“Master… are you done with your training?”

Alaine.

I glanced up slightly, still lying on the ground. Alaine stood at the entrance, holding a small basket in her hands.

From the smell, it was clear she had brought food.

I exhaled tiredly.

“…For now…”

Alaine smiled, stepping into the room before snapping her fingers, and casually casting a cleaning spell on me.

A soft wave of magic washed over my body, wiping away the sweat and dust from my clothes.

She then sat down next to me, placing the basket between us.

“I brought food for you.”

I shifted slightly, sitting up properly.

“You didn’t have to.”

She pouted.

“But you barely eat during training. If I don’t bring you food, you’ll just forget.”

She wasn’t wrong.

I sighed, rubbing my temples.

“…Thanks.”

Alaine beamed, opening the basket. The aroma of warm bread, roasted meat, and fresh fruit filled the air.

My stomach growled on instinct.

I clicked my tongue.

“Tsk. Betrayed by my own body.”

Alaine giggled, handing me a piece of bread.

“Eat, Master. You need your strength.”

I took the bread, biting into it.

The soft texture and buttery taste melted in my mouth.

Damn.

That was good.

I gobbled it up in just a few minutes.

“Mhm…”

I hummed in satisfaction, setting the empty plate aside.

As I leaned back, my gaze slowly drifted downward—toward Alaine’s thighs.

Soft.

Smooth.

Comfortable-looking.

The perfect pillow.

Without hesitation, I shifted my position, resting my head right on her lap.

“Ah…”

Alaine let out a small, surprised sound, but she didn’t push me away. Instead, a gentle smile spread across her lips as she reached out and ran her fingers through my hair.

She wasn’t exactly giving me a massage, but it felt good.

Really good.

Her touch was slow, careful, and oddly soothing—like she had done this a million times before.

“Haaaa…”

I exhaled softly, letting myself relax.

But then…

I frowned.

Well…

The view wasn’t bad, but there was a slight problem.

I couldn’t exactly see her face.

Her breasts were too massive.

They completely blocked my line of sight.

So, I simply turned my head to the side.

Problem solved.

And then, her voice broke the silence.

“Master… why are you working so hard?”

I blinked.

Before I could even think of an answer, she continued.

“From the day I met you, I could see that your ambitions were nothing but ordinary, but this past few days… you seemed to have changed a bit.”

Ah…

She noticed it.

Of course, she did.

I let out a quiet sigh.

At first, my goal was simple. I just wanted to fulfill Aestrea’s original wish—to make this academy the best, graduate, and secure a good-paying job.

But then… I lost the competition.

That was the starting point where I started to change.

I mean…

That moment—when I stood there, helpless, because of my “artificial” mana vessel—that was the trigger.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but Aestrea’s memories had already begun affecting me since the day I got here.

Little by little.

I was never the type to care about saving people.

I lived for myself.

That was how I survived in my old world.

But now?

I saved a girl who tried to kill me.

I fought to protect the academy, not just for myself, but for the students.

And even now, I was pushing myself beyond my limits—struggling to control a magic that I knew nothing about, all for the sake of becoming stronger.

Those were small changes that I didn’t take notice. It was if, Aestrea was present here, but not really myself.

Like… my instincts could talk, but my mind and body wouldn’t follow its orders.

Something like that.

I don’t know how to explain it.

But why?

Why was this happening?

Because of him.

Aestrea wasn’t a hero.

Not really.

But he dreamed of being one.

Even though he knew he wasn’t the “chosen one,” he still carried himself like a hero.

And now, that same “heroic” personality of his…

It was starting to change me.

I didn’t realize it at first.

But now?

Now, I knew.

I had been affected.

Back in my world, I learned to live for myself.

And then, the moment I stepped here, because of the future “sight” granted by the system, I decided to fight against that named demon beast myself.

At that time, it just felt right.

But thinking back…

That simply wasn’t something that I would normally do.

I don’t mind saving my loved one, but other people…?

Since when did I care about them?

I don’t mind saving them, but risking my life in order to do so…?

Never.

But I did.

I went alone.

Didn’t ask for help.

Dealt with the beasts myself.

But why?

I thought that I hadn’t been affected by Aestrea’s memories, but now…

…Now…

I was affected by them.

But what could I do?

Those sweet memories.

His happy friends.

Even his emotions…

They weren’t just things I “remembered.”

I felt them.

Lived them.

And because of that, I couldn’t ignore them.

How could I?

How could I turn away when I knew what was coming?

When I knew what they would face?

Even though this wasn’t my world, even though these weren’t my people…

I couldn’t just leave them to die.

Even if I wanted to.

Even if it wasn’t “me” who cared…

I still cared.

So…

Aestrea…

Just be a little selfish.

Is that too much to ask?

“Master…?”

Alaine’s voice was soft, laced with worry.

“Are you okay?”

Her green eyes, bright and filled with concern, met mine.

I stared at her for a second before a small smile tugged at my lips.

“A-ah… I’m alr—”

My voice faltered.

But then, looking at her—really looking at her—I let out a breath.

And smiled.

“I’m better than ever.”

“!!!”

The moment Alaine saw my soft smile, her face lit up like a sunrise.

Her bright green eyes sparkled, and she tilted her head slightly to the side before flashing me an even brighter smile.

“Master… I… I—”

—BEEP!

«Attention, students! The first festival activity—’Mana Football’ of the Snow Festival is about to begin. Every student who has signed up, please proceed to the main arena.»

—BOP!

The sudden announcement cut through the air, and I felt my expression shift slightly as I frowned.

I exhaled softly before slowly pushing myself up.

“I guess it’s time…”

I started making my way toward the exit, but before I could take more than a few steps—

Rustle.

Alaine suddenly stepped in front of me, blocking my way.

Then, like a diligent wife, she carefully adjusted my clothes, smoothing out any wrinkles before giving my shoulders a gentle pat.

Her hands were soft, her movements slow and precise, as if she had done this countless times before.

She smiled up at me.

“Let’s go,” she said lightly before turning around and walking ahead.

I blinked.

Then, with a small chuckle, I followed her.

The main arena wasn’t far, so it only took us a few minutes to get there.

The moment we arrived, I noticed two signs. One pointed toward the section for participants, and the other led to the spectators.

It was time for us to separate.

Alaine turned to face me.

“Good luck, Master.”

Her voice was soft, carrying a warmth that made my chest tighten for a moment.

She then started walking toward the left passage—the one that would teleport her to the spectator area.

I watched her go.

My eyes followed her small, delicate back as she walked further and further away.

And I frowned.

‘Just be a little selfish.’

The thought seemed to haunt my mind.

So…

I moved before I could stop myself.

I reached forward and softly grasped her wrist.

“M-Master…?”

Alaine stammered, turning around, her expression filled with confusion.

‘…What was I doing?’

I sighed inwardly.

Her green, jewel-like eyes locked onto mine, glimmering with something I couldn’t quite describe.

There was hesitation.

Uncertainty.

But also… a faint hint of anticipation.

Her brows furrowed slightly as a few loose strands of her silky, blonde blonde hair slipped onto her forehead, falling just above her lashes.

She looked stunning.

The soft glow of the arena’s lights highlighted her delicate features, casting a faint shadow beneath her eyes.

Her lips—pale pink, slightly parted in surprise—looked impossibly soft.

Tempting.

I felt my heartbeat slow for a moment.

And then—

Fwoop.

With a quick movement, I pulled her toward me.

“Ah!”

Her small gasp filled the air as I stepped back slightly, twisting my body just enough to catch her off balance.

And then—

I caught her.

My arm wrapped securely around her waist, holding her close.

She barely had time to react before I tilted my head downward—

And closed the distance.

“….♡!”

A soft, fleeting kiss.

The warmth of her lips barely lingered before I slowly pulled away.

Alaine’s eyes widened, her breath catching as her fingers trembled slightly against my chest.

I smiled.

“I’ll see you later.”

And without waiting for a response, I turned and stepped into the right passage.

In an instant—

Fwoosh!

I was teleported away.

Leaving Alaine standing there, speechless.