The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy

It didn't take long.

With one light movement of her hand, Valieth sliced open a spatial ripple, inviting me in with a wide smile that almost looked… sincere.

Almost.

We stepped through together.

And on the other side, I found myself standing in the middle of a dim, canyon-like space carved deep beneath the surface.

The rocky ceiling was high above, cracked in places where faint purple mana leaked through like veins of eerie light.

This was their "base."

Surprisingly… it was simple.

Rough tents built from leather and bone.

Wooden tables stacked with scrolls and blades.

Small fires lit the camp with a sickly yellow hue, casting shadows that danced like twitching fingers along the jagged walls.

But...

What stood out most…Were the people.

Dozens.

Maybe over a hundred.

Dark Elves stood scattered around the space, each of them radiating strong mana pressure. A few were A-rank… some were S-rank… even several S+ ranks.

They were warriors, clearly.

But no SS-rank.

Not one.

So this was it?

This was the army meant to challenge the Elven Empire?

I let my eyes roam calmly, moving from figure to figure.

They watched me too, some with curiosity… others with veiled hostility.

And yet… none approached.

Not while I stood beside her.

Valieth suddenly raised her hand and stepped forward.

Her voice rang out like a bell echoing through the cave.

"Everyone—! Look who's finally here!" she shouted with a bright expression, arms wide open

. "Our savior… the one we've been waiting for! Aestrea has arrived!!"

The reaction was immediate.

The camp grew louder.

Voices buzzed in the air.

Some started clapping, others bowing respectfully. A few even knelt, pressing their fists to the ground in what seemed like a strange mix of reverence and… fear.

I said nothing.

I only stood there, calm as ever, my gaze sliding across them all.

Their mana was strong. But their intent?

Pathetic.

They looked at me like I was a weapon they could point at their enemies and forget about until the job was done.

And yet, none of them realized…

They were already standing inside the barrel of a gun.

My hand stayed relaxed by my side.

But my fingers twitched slightly...

...itching.

I tilted my head to the side as I spoke in a quiet voice.

"…This is your base?"

Valieth looked at me and smiled brightly.

"Mhm! Not what you expected, huh?"

No… not really.

I expected worse.

And that… was even more disappointing.

"So," I asked, still looking around, "where's the one pulling the strings?"

Valieth blinked, her expression still cheerful.

"Hm~? You'll meet him soon. He's so excited to see you, Aestrea."

I didn't say anything, but my eyes narrowed just slightly.

I could sense a very slight... ominous aura in the air, and I didn't like it at all.

"Lead the way," I said softly, giving her a nod.

"Mhm!" she nodded.

We passed tents where dark elves peeked through the folds, some smiling, some whispering to each other.

None dared approach.Good.

My presence must've still been pressing into their bones.

Eventually, she led me toward the back of the cavern, where a deeper tunnel split off, natural rock smoothed unnaturally, like someone had carved it out with magic instead of tools.

"We keep the council chamber down here," she said lightly, tossing me a grin over her shoulder.

"Only the highest-ranking members are allowed inside. So consider yourself… special~."

I gave her a slow blink.

She giggled nervously.

Her mana trembled for just a second.

We continued down the tunnel.

The deeper we walked, the colder it became.

Mana crackled faintly along the wall with darkness and wind swirling together, like two lovers locked in a slow dance.

When we reached the end, she stopped in front of a large obsidian door etched with ancient runes that pulsed softly with violet light.

She placed a hand on it.

"It'll just be a moment."

The runes lit up.

Creeeaaaak...

...The door opened inward with a heavy groan.

What I saw inside was…

Pathetic.

It was a round chamber, not too big, with a glowing crystal in the center acting as a light source. Around it sat six cloaked figures on rough stone thrones.

Their faces were hidden, but I could already feel them analyzing me, measuring me like some animal brought in for slaughter.

Valieth stepped forward with her chin high and her voice proud.

"He's here!" she announced, her eyes glittering. "The Vessel of the Moon! The one who will help us overthrow the Elven Emperor!"

Excited murmurs broke out immediately.

The room wasn't as quiet and ancient as I expected; no, this wasn't some silent cult hidden in the shadows.

They cheered.

Literal cheers erupted from all corners of the round chamber.

Some stood up.

Others clapped their hands together, excited beyond belief.

A few dark elves even rushed forward instinctively before stopping themselves, remembering who I was.

"He really came!"

"Valieth wasn't lying, he's real!"

"The Vessel… he's younger than I imagined!"

"Doesn't matter! He's here!"

Even the cloaked elders stirred from their rigid seats. One of them, voice hoarse but thrilled, leaned forward and said:

"Truly, we are blessed… This is the beginning. The tides will finally turn. With your power, the throne will fall!"

A woman nearby wiped tears from her cheeks.

"Praise the Stars…"

They were looking at me with such raw hope.

Like children seeing a miracle.

Like I was some hero come to answer their prayers.

It was… pathetic.

I stepped forward slowly, and then the heavy black door behind me slammed shut.

BOOM.

The echo rolled across the room like a warning bell.

But they didn't care.

No, their excitement only grew.

Valieth turned to me with a grin.

"Well, say something!" she laughed.

"They've been waiting for this day forever!"

She looked radiant, hopeful... even a little smug.

Waiting for me to play along.

To raise a hand, smile softly, and whisper, "I'll help you."

But instead…

I looked around slowly, meeting every pair of eyes with a calm, blank gaze.

And then I said, voice low and even:

"No."

The room fell silent.

Like a switch had been flipped.

You could hear breathing now.

Even the heartbeat of the woman who had cried just moments before.

Valieth blinked.

"...What?" she laughed weakly.

"S-stop joking."

"I'm not joking."

I tilted my head slightly.

"Why would I help you overthrow the Elven Emperor?"

"We—because—!?" She flinched back a step. "You—You said you'd help the dark elves!"

"...Really?" I raised an eyebrow at her words.

"I don't recall that moment..."

Fwip!

A spatial crack appeared next to me, and then, a familiar figure stepped out.

A figure... that made the Dark Elves fall in complete fear.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The moment the Elven Emperor stepped through the spatial tear, silence fell over the chamber like a suffocating blanket.

The light in the dark elves' eyes dimmed instantly, and Valieth staggered back, her lips parting without sound as her mind struggled to register what she was seeing.

"N-No..." she whispered, eyes trembling.

"Y-You brought him here?" one of the elder elves muttered, voice cracking.

"But why?!"

But Aestrea didn't even blink. He only stood there, calm and unbothered, while the Elven Emperor raised his hand, and the air twisted.

『 ✦ Divine Wood Series ✦: Thorn Forest Annihilation (✯ 9th-Level Spell ✯) 』

SHHHHKRACK!

Dozens of thick, golden roots erupted from the stone floor beneath them, snaking up like living spears.

They tore through furniture, through bodies.

A dark elf screamed as a root burst from the ground and pierced straight through his back, exploding out of his chest with a wet sound.

"AAARRGGHH—!"

A female caster tried to raise her staff.

"Shadow Net!"

Dark strands of cursed energy coiled toward the Emperor, but...

SWOOSH!

A golden whip of bark lashed out, cutting her spell off mid-cast and wrapping tight around her neck.

"Nggh—!"

With a sharp pull, her body slammed against the wall with a sickening thud, bones cracking as she slid down, motionless.

Valieth screamed, her voice sharp and loud.

"Protect the Council!"

Two dark elves formed a barrier, swirling dark and wind mana between their palms.

『 Wind Series: Gale Fortress! (✯ 7th-Level Spell ✯) 』

『 Darkness Series: Shadow Dome! (✯ 7th-Level Spell ✯) 』

The dome shimmered to life around them, but before it even stabilized...

『 ✦ Divine Wood Series ✦: God Root's Judgment! (✯ 9th-Level Spell ✯) 』

KRRRRRACK!

A single golden root, glowing with runes, smashed down from above and shattered the double-layered barrier like glass.

BANG!

SHINGGG!

"Ghhk—!"

One man was bisected instantly, clean through the waist. His upper body fell with a muffled thud, twitching.

Another elf tried to run, only to be skewered through the stomach by a jutting spike.

Blood sprayed across the walls.

Some tried to escape through the door.

Fwoop!

One teleported, only to reappear directly in front of a waiting golden vine that twisted around his throat, crushing it with a snap.

The others screamed and pushed against the doors, but the entire room was sealed by Aestrea's earlier ripple.

There was no escape.

One last elf, a young girl no older than twenty, dropped to her knees, sobbing.

"P-Please—we didn't—mean—! W-We just wanted… our place…!"

The Elven Emperor didn't even glance at her.

Vines curled up around her body like snakes.

Snap.

And then, silence.

Only the sound of dripping blood.

The door creaked open with a gentle touch.

The Elven Emperor stepped through it slowly, golden cloak brushing over the blood-streaked floor. His hands didn't tremble, not even once.

Outside the council chamber, a group of sentries turned toward the noise, but their reactions were too slow.

『 ✦ Divine Wood Series ✦: Forest Sovereignty— Branch Execution! (✯ 8th-Level Spell ✯) 』

Roots tore through the ceiling and slammed down like spears.

One man let out a choking gurgle before being flattened beneath the weight.

Another's face twisted in terror as vines wrapped around his limbs and pulled him limb from limb.

Bones cracked, his body snapping apart like a broken puppet.

The screams echoed through the halls as more guards arrived, only to be butchered one after another.

A powerful mage stepped forward.

『 Wind Series: Stormfall! (✯ 8th-Level Spell ✯) 』

He shouted, sending a massive lightning bolt directly toward the Emperor.

KRAKOOOM!

It hit, and then disappeared into nothing, absorbed by the Emperor's golden shield.

His roots moved again.

This time, they didn't pierce.

They crushed.

Beneath the grinding weight of living wood, his body was flattened like a sheet of paper.

Thud.

More dark elves were trying to flee through the canyon, throwing up every illusion, barrier, and trap they had.

A wall of wind, a spray of cursed daggers, clouds of toxic mist.

None of it mattered.

The Elven Emperor simply raised his hand, and from his hands, escaped a spell created by himself.

『 ✦ Tree of Final Judgment ✦ 』

A single glowing tree grew from the center of the battlefield.

It bloomed once.

And then exploded.

KABOOOOOOOM!

The shockwave wiped out the remaining survivors in an instant. Nothing was left but burning earth, severed limbs, and a sharp, bitter silence.

Aestrea stepped out slowly, his arms crossed.

"...Are you satisfied now?"

The Elven Emperor asked, turning towards Aestrea.

"Very."

Aestrea smiled faintly.