Chapter 19: The Academy's Competition (I)
The royal capital was full of life, the streets were buzzing with excitement, as the sweet chirp of the birds flowed naturally through the air.
But today, there was a special event.
The Academy's Competition!
This wasn't just some small event—it was the competition where the best students from the five biggest academies faced off to prove who was the strongest.
And there were currently five academies facing against each other.
The previous champion, Eternum's Royal Academy, their students were the best of the best, mostly nobles from powerful families with talent and resources that seemed impossible to rival.
Then, the Beastkin academy, whose students are only beast people from the Western continent where the law of the jungle rules.
The Holy Academy, from which most priests and priestesses graduate, has significant power due to their divine energy, despite being primarily healing students.
After that, there's the Sword Academy where most of the sword users come from, having excellent swordsmanship.
This was also where the first Sword Duke graduated from.
Finally, there's the Silverleaf Academy.
There's nothing much to say about it, except that it was the weakest academy for ten years straight, but this time there's a horrendous talent coming from it.
None other than the Moonlight Swordsman!
"Ugh..."
The sun filtered through the tall windows of the hotel lobby, casting warm light on polished marble floors.
Students from all five academies filled the space, their distinctive uniforms making it easy to see who belonged where.
The air was thick with tension, excitement, and just a little bit of arrogance—mostly from Eternum's group, who stood in their usual demeanor, looking down on everyone else.
I mean, what would you expect from the academy that the novel follows?
Silverleaf's group wasn't as large as the others, but I believed we could win—or at least that's what I wanted to tell myself.
It was impossible to ignore the sideways glances from the other academies.
Their whispers are just loud enough to catch the occasional "weakest school" or "do they even stand a chance?"
I shrugged it off.
Let them talk.
I wasn't here to entertain them.
I walked into the lobby, the click of my boots on marble catching a few glances. The noise around me seemed to dim as I made my way toward my classmates.
"Ah... Aestrea, you're here." Professor Vivian's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
She stood at the center of our group with her usual confident smile on the luscious red lips that I had recently kissed.
"Yeah."
I replied simply, taking my place among the group.
Some of my classmates looked nervous, their eyes darting to the larger groups from the other academies.
Vivian clapped her hands, silencing everyone.
"Alright, listen up!"
"This competition is our chance to show the world what Silverleaf can do. I don't care what they say about us being the weakest. We're here to prove them wrong. Every one of you has worked hard to get here, and I expect you to fight like it."
Her gaze lingered on me for a split second, and I knew exactly what she meant without her needing to say it.
I straightened up, my hand instinctively brushing against the hilt of my sword.
The competition hadn't even started yet, but I could feel the expectations, not just from Vivian but from my entire academy.
"Head to the registration desk," she continued.
"Aestrea, you're with me. The rest of you, stick together and don't get lost."
I followed her as we moved towards the registration desk. The chatter in the lobby dissipated into the background, replaced by the sound of my own footsteps.
This was it.
The beginning of the Academy Competition.
I'll destroy everyone.
...
After the registration was all wrapped up, Vivian handed me a neatly folded outfit—a sleek black suit with silver embroidery.
"This is the Leader's Suit."
She explained with an unusually serious tone.
"You'll need to wear it."
Without waiting for me to respond, she guided me toward one of the changing rooms.
The hotel we were staying at was relatively close to the grand stadium where the competition would happen.
"Change your clothes."
I nodded, not bothering to question her this time.
She didn't tease me this time, which was strange, but I got it. This competition is something serious, and even Vivian wouldn't joke about it.
I slipped into the changing room and put on the suit.
The fabric was light yet sturdy, fitting perfectly like it was tailored just for me.
The silver embroidery gleamed faintly in the light, giving off an air of quiet authority.
When I stepped out, Vivian's eyes scanned me from head to toe.
"This fits just right..."
I muttered, adjusting the sleeves slightly.
Vivian stepped closer, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Almost. Here—this part should be like this."
She reached out and adjusted a small silver chain that ran across the chest of the suit, carefully positioning it so it rested neatly.
Her hands were quick, precise, and surprisingly gentle.
"Perfect."
Her lips curled into a satisfied smile as she stepped back to admire her handiwork.
"Thanks."
I replied, glancing down at myself.
"Now", let's go. It's almost time."
In a flash, we both disappeared from the hotel, arriving at a seemingly waiting room where the rest of the Silverleaf Academy was.
"Aestrea! We're almost entering the arena!"
One of my classmates blurted out as soon as he saw me, his voice shaking a little.
"Relax..." Another chimed in, clapping him on the back.
"We've got Aestrea. If nothing else, he won't embarrass us."
Gosh...
Good job bringing down everyone's morale.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
"Don't worry, everyone. I'll do my best to make sure we get through this. Just stick to the plan, alright?"
"Yes, Sir!"
Damn.
What's up with that military greeting?
"Anyway, the other academies have already entered. It should be our turn soon, right?" one of them suggested, and just as he expressed his words, the announcer's voice reached us.
"And now, last but not least, the Silverleaf Academy!"
I took a deep breath and straightened up, running a hand through my hair to push it into a more comfortable position, just in front of my eyes, making sure it wasn't in my way.
The gates ahead of us creaked open, and we started walking toward the center of the stadium, where all the other academies were lined up with their flags.
As we moved forward, the students in the back began waving our academy's flag proudly.
As we reached the center, I could feel every set of eyes on me.
Normally, this was where the academy leader gave some kind of speech or rallying cry.
But I had something different in mind.
I could feel the eyes of the crowd on me.
There were the emperor, the empress, dukes, duchesses—everyone watching, waiting.
This was a very prestigious moment after all.
Shing...!
The sound of metal ringing through the air cut through the silence, sharp and clear.
The sword gleamed in the sunlight, acting as a perfect mirror of the sky.
I raised it high, pointing it toward the sky.
The wind picked up around me, and I could feel the clouds shift.
For a moment, everything was still, as if the world was holding its breath.
Then, a silver thread of mana shot out from the tip of my sword, swirling in the air like smoke.
It sparkled in the light.
I pushed my hair back, focusing, and a crescent moon symbol appeared on my forehead, glowing just enough for everyone watching to notice.
I swung my sword smoothly, and the mana wrapped around our group.
Swoosh!
The air felt heavier, charged with energy.
The ground beneath me hummed with power.
The wind picked up again, louder this time, almost like a storm was coming.
The sky above seemed to darken a little.
I swung my sword again, and the mana spread out, surrounding us.
Voom!
The energy pulsed in the air, but only around Silverleaf Academy.
I stopped, holding the sword still.
The mana hummed quietly around us, and the moon symbol in my eyes glowed faintly.
The whole stadium went quiet.
I let the pressure build for just a moment longer, and then I spoke...
"The Silverleaf Academy has arrived."
As soon as the words left my mouth, the pressure exploded.
CRUSH!
A heavy weight slammed down on every other academy except ours.
Some students from the other schools dropped to their knees, their faces covered in sweat.
Others struggled to stay standing, their bodies shaking.
I let the pressure lift just as fast.
The wind calmed down, and the sky lightened.
The crowd murmured, but I stood calm, feeling their eyes still on me.
Behind me, my classmates quietly, with their excited gazes full of appreciation stood.
From the crowd, Vivian gave me a small, approving smile, not to mention the gazes full of interest coming from the high-order people.
I could sense the intense emotions of the dukes, duchesses, barons, and even the empress; they were watching me with interest.
Yeah.
This should be enough...
A small smirk tugged my lips.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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