Aestrea took a step forward.

“…Yeah. I missed you, too.”

Vivian’s smile deepened, her eyes shimmering just a little.

The wind passed between them, tugging at her red hair, brushing it across her cheek.

Without thinking, he reached out and gently tucked it behind her ear.

Her eyes widened slightly at the touch—but she didn’t pull away.

Instead, she leaned in, resting her forehead against his.

For a moment, they just stood there, close, saying nothing.

Letting silence speak for them.

“…Welcome back,” she whispered.

“I’m back.”

Aestrea smiled.

Then, Vivian gently took his hand, her fingers slipping into his with a soft warmth.

“Come,” she said, tugging him lightly.

“Walk with me.”

Aestrea followed without hesitation, the soft gravel crunching under their steps as they moved along the quiet academy paths.

The trees swayed above them, leaves whispering in the gentle breeze.

“So,” Vivian began with a playful smile.

“You want to know what happened while you were in the capital?”

Aestrea chuckled, glancing at her.

“Hit me.”

“Well… first of all—Mia tried to sneak off to the capital. Three times.”

He blinked.

“Three?”

“She disguised herself as a nun once,” Vivian laughed. “Didn’t even last ten minutes. James and Derek had to drag her back.”

Aestrea chuckled lightly.

“Sounds like her.”

“Oh, and Derek? He tried to bribe the teleportation guy with candy. Actual candy.”

“No way—”

“Yes way,” she giggled. “James tried too, but he got caught in front of the headmaster’s office. Nearly peed himself.”

Aestrea shook his head, smiling softly.

“Idiots…”

“They missed you,” Vivian said softly, her hand tightening just a little around his.

He turned to her.

“So did I.”

Their eyes met again—quiet, sincere.

Aestrea didn’t say anything.

He just kept walking beside her, not letting go.

Grip…

Swissh…

Vivian swung their hands gently as they walked, taking light, almost playful steps.

“Ah—! And you won’t believe this,” she said suddenly, turning to him with bright eyes.

“After your big showdown with the Archdemon… we had a massive spike in applications.”

Aestrea raised an eyebrow.

“Huh?”

“I’m serious!” she beamed.

“The moment word got out that you—a Silverleaf student—had the most achievements against an Archdemon, we were flooded with requests. Kids from all over the continent applied.”

She giggled, clearly delighted.

“They kept saying stuff like, ‘I want to study where Aestrea studied!’ or ‘I want to be strong like him!’ Even the headmaster was shocked.”

Aestrea blinked.

“That’s… kinda crazy.”

Vivian nodded eagerly.

“Oh, and don’t forget the tournament. You didn’t just win—you dominated. People still talk about how you fought, made the arena shake!”

She bumped her shoulder lightly against his, teasing.

“You really turned into a celebrity while you were away, you know.”

Aestrea gave her a quiet smile.

“…I just did what I had to.”

Vivian looked at him warmly, her voice softer now.

“Yeah. And that’s why they admire you.”

She glanced at him again, cheeks slightly pink.

“…Why I admire you.”

Aestrea almost froze as she said those words.

And they eventually slowed down as they passed beneath a tall tree, its silver leaves rustling gently overhead.

Vivian’s fingers curled a little tighter around Aestrea’s hand.

“…There’s something else I need to tell you.”

Aestrea glanced at her.

“What is it?”

She let out a small sigh, though her expression stayed calm.

“The academy ran into some… trouble while you were gone. Funding, pressure from the capital, and a whole mess of politics.”

Aestrea frowned.

“Trouble?”

Vivian nodded.

“Yeah. To stay afloat, we had to open enrollment to students from other continents. Not just humans anymore.”

She smiled faintly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

“We’ve got elves now. Dwarves. Half-beasts. Even some skyfolk and merfolk. It’s… really different.”

“Whoa,” Aestrea muttered, eyebrows raised.

Vivian gave him a side glance.

“And of course, since things changed, the board forced a ranking system onto the school. Public ranks. Competitions, trials, achievements—all of it affects a student’s standing.”

Aestrea’s mouth tugged down.

“That sounds annoying.”

Vivian snorted.

“Tell me about it. Half the professors hate it.”

Then her eyes sparkled as she looked at him.

“But guess who’s still ranked number one? Across every year?”

Aestrea blinked.

“…You’re kidding.”

Vivian shook her head, grinning.

“Nope. First place. Your name’s on every board. Half the new students want to duel you. The other half wants your autograph.”

She leaned close and whispered teasingly.

“Some want both.”

Aestrea groaned.

“Great…”

Vivian laughed sweetly.

“You’re the legend of this academy, Aestrea. Whether you like it or not.”

Vivian’s smile slowly faded as they walked past the quiet courtyard.

“…But with all the new students,” she murmured, “things… changed.”

Aestrea tilted his head.

“How so?”

She let out a deep breath.

“The school split. Into groups. Factions, almost. The elves keep to themselves. The dwarves too. The half-beasts… they’re proud. Strong. And well, the humans…”

She looked at him carefully.

“…Got pushed down.”

Aestrea’s steps stopped.

Vivian’s voice lowered slightly.

“It’s not like before. The peaceful, easy atmosphere? It’s gone. Too much tension. Some of the students couldn’t take the pressure. The other races look down on them. Make fun of them. Challenge them just to prove they’re better.”

Aestrea didn’t say anything.

But his red eyes started glowing faintly.

Fwoop—

A silver mana swirled around.

Vivian’s eyes widened slightly.

“Aestrea—”

She gripped his hand quickly, squeezing it.

His fingers slowly relaxed.

The wind stopped surging, and his leaking mana dissipated.

And then, he smiled gently.

“I’m fine.”

Vivian exhaled, but her eyes stayed on his.

“…James, Maria, Mia, Derek—they tried. They did everything they could to calm things down. Stood up for the first-years. Took hits for the others. Sometimes they came to class bruised up. But they kept fighting.”

Aestrea looked forward.

Then, he stopped walking.

Turned toward her.

“I see…”

He looked up at the trees above, then back at her.

“You don’t have to worry.”

He smiled softly.

“I’ll bring it back. That calm. That peace.”

He turned, gently swinging her hand in his.

“Because that was the best part of this academy.”

His voice was warm and certain.

“And I won’t let anything ruin it.”

Vivian smiled warmly as Aestrea’s words echoed in her heart.

She squeezed his hand again, her voice soft and light.

“…I’m glad,” she said.

“Really, I am. I knew you’d say something like that.”

They continued their slow walk through the paths of the academy.

Then, her tone shifted, a bit more serious now.

“But… just so you know, the students who joined lately? Some of them are monsters.”

Aestrea raised an eyebrow curiously.

“They’re all ranked A… but many of them can fight way above that when they use their bloodlines,” she continued.

She listed them off with a small frown.

“There’s Ulgar, the dwarf with a Titan Bloodline. He’s like a living wall.”

Aestrea nodded slightly.

“Then there’s Eira, a frost elf. Her ice magic almost froze one of the training fields solid. She’s calm, too calm… always watching.”

“Mm,” Aestrea hummed.

“Rayn, from the beastkin tribes. He has lightning magic and reacts faster than most professors. Hot-headed, a bit of a loner, but incredibly dangerous.”

Vivian paused.

“…And then, there’s the second strongest in the whole academy.”

Aestrea turned his gaze to her.

“She’s… a kitsune.”

“Kitsune?” he echoed, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Vivian nodded.

“Her name is Selene. She has two rare affinities—Plant and Seduction. She controls vines that grow from anywhere… and her charm magic has affected students just by walking past them.”

“She’s that powerful?”

“She should be ranked S,” Vivian said seriously.

“Maybe even beyond that. Some of the professors… can’t handle her properly. She’s clever. Quiet. But don’t let that fool you—when she fights, it’s with precision. She’s not one to underestimate.”

Aestrea simply smiled and gave her a confident look.

“You don’t need to worry.”

But as he looked at her, his eyes lingered… and then he suddenly stopped walking.

Vivian noticed and tilted her head.

“What is it?”

Aestrea’s voice was soft.

“Your rank…”

He stared at her for a second longer.

“…it’s still the same.”

Vivian’s smile weakened, turning a little sad. She looked away.

“Yeah… it is,” she said, voice faint.

“S+, and that’s where it’s stayed. I’ve hit my limit, Aestrea. I’ve trained, pushed… but I just don’t have the spark to break through.”

Her words hung in the air for a moment.

Then, Aestrea’s eyes shimmered faintly.

『 Scan 』

In silence, his vision flickered.

Lines of information began to appear in front of him.

And what he saw…

Made his eyes narrow slightly.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

In the quiet upper floor of one of Silverleaf Academy’s most luxurious dormitories, moonlight streamed gently through the tall arched windows, casting soft glows across the polished floors and silk curtains.

A lone figure stood near the window, bathed in silver light.

She was breathtaking—long cyan hair cascading down her back like water, swaying slightly with the breeze.

A pair of fluffy cyan fox ears twitched gently atop her head, and behind her, a matching tail flicked once, slow and elegant.

Her Silverleaf uniform hugged her form perfectly, tailored to her curves, the dark fabric highlighting her pale skin and ethereal presence.

She said nothing—only stared out into the academy grounds below with unreadable eyes, the moonlight reflecting faintly in their shimmering depth.

Knock, knock.

A pause.

“Enter,” she said softly.

Her voice was silky, warm like velvet, yet it carried a weight that made the air shift.

The door opened with a creak.

A young male student entered and quickly dropped to one knee, his eyes lowered, nervous sweat on his brow.

“Miss Selene,” he said, trying to steady his voice.

“I came to report—he’s returned. Aestrea… the Moonlight Swordsman. He walked through the front gates not long ago.”

She didn’t turn.

Only her tail moved—one slow sway.

The man continued, his voice faltering slightly under the memory.

“The pressure he gave off… it wasn’t normal. I think… I think he’s far above A-rank. I just—can’t be sure…”

Silence followed.

Then, a soft hum.

“I see,” Selene whispered.

With a flick of her fingers, she motioned toward the door.

“You may leave.”

The man bowed low, quickly excusing himself without another word.

Click.

The door closed again.

Selene’s gaze remained fixed on the moonlit garden beyond the glass.

Her lips curved—slowly, teasingly.

“…We finally meet again, Aestrea.”

Her smile deepened—charming, dangerous, and utterly captivating.

*Image In The Comments*

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep