Chapter 261: Aestrea Against The World (XXXVIII)

A few weeks later…

Aestrea was back in Silverleaf Academy because today wasn’t just another ordinary day… it was his graduation day.

Though, in truth, it was a little different from everyone else’s. The headmistress herself had granted him an early graduation.

Her reason was simple: there was nothing left to teach him.

After all… in terms of battle power, he was probably the strongest person in the entire world right now.

The courtyard was filled with students and staff, all gathered to witness the unusual ceremony.

Aestrea, dressed in the leader’s silverleaf uniform, walked slowly toward the podium with his usual calm expression.

His steps were steady, but his gaze was distant, almost detached from the excitement buzzing around him.

“…Ah, man… they grow up so fast…” James muttered, arms crossed as he watched from the crowd.

His tone was exaggeratedly sentimental, as if he were sending his own son off into the world.

Derek, standing beside him, gave a faint smile.

“Couldn’t agree more.”

“You two are unbelievable.” Mia, who stood a step behind them, rolled her eyes so hard it was almost audible.

“You do realize you’re talking like old men, right?” Maria added with a mocking smirk.

“Aaaah!” James gasped in mock offense. “Hey! This is a moment, alright? You wouldn’t get it—”

“…Girls wouldn’t understand,” Dexter cut in with a smug shake of his head, clearly enjoying himself.

“Oh, I understand perfectly. You’re all just being dramatic.” Mia shot him a flat look.

“Dramatic?!” James clutched his chest as if stabbed.

“This is history in the making! The great, almighty, and perfect Aestrea, graduating alone, no classmates, no ceremony speeches, just him. It’s poetic!”

Derek smirked at his twin.

“You’re acting like you’re the one graduating.”

“Hey, if we’re being honest, I’m the reason he made it this far. My emotional support was unmatched.”

“Huh?” Maria let out a snort. “Emotional support? You barely spoke to him unless it was about food.”

“That’s still support! Besides, I even helped him choose his wive—” James tried to protest only for Dexter to slap a hand over his mouth.

“Shhhh!” Dexter hissed in his ear.

The girls rolled their eyes, ignoring the pair, their attention back on the main stage where Aestrea was making his way forward.

When he finally reached the podium, Ruby, the headmistress, was already waiting.

Her expression was warm but tinged with something bittersweet, like a mother letting go of her child.

“I guess it’s time to let you spread your wings,” she murmured with a small smile.

Aestrea nodded.

“…Will you give a speech?” she asked.

For a moment, Aestrea hesitated.

His eyes wandered over the crowd, so many familiar faces, people who had fought beside him, laughed with him, even cried with him.

That warmth in his chest was real.

Slowly, a small smile touched his lips.

He stepped forward, turned toward everyone, and with a casual wave of his hand, his voice spread across the entire field as if he were speaking directly into each person’s ear.

“Hello, everyone…”

The gentle greeting was enough to quiet the whispers in the crowd.

“As you can see… I’m finally graduating. And honestly… I have to admit, these four years I’ve spent at Silverleaf have been some of the best of my life.”

His smile grew, and the people watching seemed to mirror it without realizing.

“When I first got here, I didn’t know what to expect. I’d been rejected by the so-called most ’prestigious’ academy, and somehow… I ended up here. And I’m glad I did.”

He glanced toward the group of friends who had been with him through so much.

“I made very special friends.”

James immediately waved both arms like a man trying to flag down a carriage, mouthing, ’That’s me!’ while Derek gave a small, knowing nod and a faint smile.

“And even… met two very special girls.”

His gaze fell on Mia and Maria.

Both of them blushed faintly, but neither tried to deny it.

“The truth is… I really loved my time here. If I could, I’d stay longer. But there are things I still need to do, places I have to go, people I have to protect.”

He scratched his head, looking a little awkward now.

“So yeah… from the bottom of my heart, thank you all for giving me such an amazing time.”

He bowed deeply.

For a second, there was silence.

Clap.

CLAP.

CLAP, CLAP!

The sound swelled until the entire courtyard was filled with applause.

“We’ll miss you, Aestrea!” someone yelled from the back.

“Come back and visit, you idiot!” James shouted over the noise, even though he’d seen Aestrea yesterday.

“You better not forget us!” another voice cried.

“Don’t you dare die out there!”

“We’ll always be cheering for you!”

A few students had tears running down their cheeks, while others were smiling so hard their faces hurt.

Even Ruby, who rarely let her emotions show, was blinking a little too often, as if trying to hide the gloss in her eyes.

But just as the applause echoed like rolling thunder across the courtyard…

“WE’LL MISS YOU, AESTREA!!”

“DON’T FORGET ABOUT US!”

“COME BACK AND VISIT, OKAY?!”

Dozens of voices started shouting all at once, the emotions of the crowd spilling over.

Before he could even raise his head from the bow, a wave of movement suddenly swept forward.

RUMBLE!

The entire front row of students surged toward him like a stampede.

“W-wait—!” Ruby, the headmistress, blinked in surprise, trying to step in, but it was too late.

“Aestrea!”

“Take a last picture with me!”

“Please give me a goodbye kiss.”

He barely had time to straighten his back before the first few students reached him, grabbing his hands, tugging his sleeves, clinging to his arms like overexcited children.

“You saved my life during the beast attack… I’ll never forget you!” One girl hugged his waist without warning, her face buried in his coat.

“Autograph! Please, before you disappear into some god-tier realm or something!” Another boy shoved a notebook in his face.

Within seconds, dozens more had swarmed him, hands on his shoulders, arms, even tugging at his hair for “luck.”

“Whoa, whoa—! I can’t even—” Aestrea tried to step back, but it was hopeless. The sheer amount of bodies pressed around him felt like a living wall.

Truthfully, he could easily break through… but it wasn’t needed for a situation like this.

“LET HIM BREATHE, YOU ANIMALS!” James shouted from somewhere in the chaos, shoving through to pull one overzealous girl away.

“Back up before you crush him!”

“James, you’re just jealous you didn’t get to hug him first,” Derek smirked, only to get elbowed in the ribs.

Mia and Maria exchanged glances, both stepping forward at the same time.

“Okay, that’s enough—” Maria started, but her voice was drowned out by another chorus of:

“Aestrea, take us with you!”

“Marry me!”

“Teach me magic before you go!”

Aestrea sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, though there was a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“I swear… you’re all insane.”

Still, he didn’t push anyone away too harshly.

His hands moved automatically, patting a few heads, giving a couple of quick handshakes, and letting people take their ridiculous “farewell” photos.

But then, Ruby finally stepped in, clapping her hands sharply, her voice amplified with mana.

“Alright, everyone! Back to your seats before I fail you retroactively!”

A few students groaned but reluctantly began to pull away, still calling out:

“BYE, AESTREA!”

“COME BACK WHEN YOU’RE A LEGEND!”

“YOU’RE ALREADY A LEGEND!!”

As the crowd slowly backed off, Aestrea let out a deep breath, straightening his clothes.

“Man… those crazy fans,” James muttered as he somehow appeared right beside him, shaking his head like he’d just witnessed a battlefield.

“They almost tore his clothes off,” Derek added from the other side, giving Aestrea a once-over as if checking for missing buttons.

Aestrea just chuckled under his breath, letting their words slide without protest.

But before he could step away, the two of them suddenly hooked an arm around each of his shoulders, grinning like troublemakers.

“So,” James started.

“Shall we have a celebration drink?” Derek finished, their voices blending almost perfectly.

Aestrea tilted his head, raising an eyebrow.

But then, slowly, his lips curled upward.

“…Of course.”

But the moment Aestrea tried to take his first step…

“Now wait just a second!” Mia’s voice rang out, sharp enough to stop them mid-stride.

Maria was right beside her, arms folded tight, eyes narrowed like a prosecutor ready to make her case.

She slowly tapped her own arm with one finger. “And where exactly do you think you’re taking our Aestrea?”

James and Derek froze.

For a second, nobody moved.

Then the brothers exchanged a single look, one of those quick, silent glances where an entire plan gets communicated without words.

“Uh… we’re just going for a drink,” James said with the most innocent smile he could muster.

“Yeah, yeah… just a little drink,” Derek echoed, his tone just as unconvincing.

Then, in perfect unison, they shifted their stance ever so slightly, blocking Aestrea’s view like two guilty guards.

Hidden from him, their hands began moving in a silent, criminal pantomime…

A finger poking into the circle made by the other hand.

A pointed gesture at the two of them… and then at Aestrea.

A slow, exaggerated tilt of the hand to mimic a drinking motion. Finally, a lazy, swaying walk with a sly grin pointed back to themselves.

It didn’t take a genius to piece together the implication; apparently, Mia and Maria were both very smart.

The girls’ eyes widened, heat creeping into their cheeks almost instantly.

They hesitated… just long enough to seem reluctant… but the truth was, they’d been waiting for this kind of opportunity as much as the brothers had.

“…I’ll let you, this time,” Maria said, averting her gaze with a little huff.

“Only this time,” Mia added sharply, though her blush betrayed her stern tone.

James and Derek’s grins widened in perfect sync.

“Perfect.”

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