[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-strongest-student-of-the-weakest-academy":3,"chapter-the-strongest-student-of-the-weakest-academy-the-strongest-student-of-the-weakest-academy-chapter-165":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1027214,1339,"Chapter 165: Silverleaf Academy (13)","the-strongest-student-of-the-weakest-academy-chapter-165",165,"\u003Cp>The wooden door to Hot Pot Haven swung open with a cheerful creak, letting out a puff of spicy steam as the trio stepped back into the cool evening air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea let out a sigh of relief, stretching his arms behind his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hotpot is good and all, but I swear I've lost five pounds in sweat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's the spice detox, bro.\" Derek grinned, patting his belly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cleanses your soul. And your sinuses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You ate half the pot,\" James snorted, slinging his jacket over his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're gonna sweat for a week.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Worth it.\" Derek raised a peace sign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Also, dibs on the leftover broth next time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea chuckled softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They strolled down the lamp-lit street, past food stalls and small shops, the quiet hum of nightlife giving the academy town a cozy, lived-in feel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh! Did you hear about the third-year who enchanted his laundry? Accidentally made all his boxers sentient,\" James said with a grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Again? That's the second time this semester, and it just began!\" Derek laughed. \"Why is it always the underwear?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because everyone wants their boxers to be self-cleaning, and no one reads the side effects,\" Aestrea added indifferently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Next thing you know, they'll unionize.\" James wagged a finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rise of the Clothborn begins.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing those words, all of them burst into laughter—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they were quickly interrupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>HOOOOOOONK—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blare of a deep, regal horn echoed through the street, followed by the heavy clatter of hooves and the rumble of thick wheels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All three of them stopped in their tracks as golden lights danced across the cobblestones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive, enchanted carriage came into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Midnight blue and gold, pulled by four radiant white steeds with manes like silk and hooves that barely touched the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Royal banners fluttered on the sides—emblazoned with the imperial crest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea narrowed his eyes as the carriage rolled toward the Academy's main gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that...?\" Derek trailed off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They finally arrived!\" James nearly vibrated with excitement, clenching his fists like a kid after getting his Christmas's gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boys stepped to the side, watching as the royal carriage passed, behind its enchanted glass windows, faint silhouettes could be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's gotta be the Second Princess in there,\" James said under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea didn't speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And if she's here, then Lucas has to be too,\" James added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Hero, and his whole squad. But...\" James's voice trailed off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that instant, Derek intervened, whistling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The question is...\" He glanced at Aestrea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is the Saintess Christina there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea raised an eyebrow at his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chances of Christina being there were basically null since she was probably going to be transferred to another academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Probably not.\" Aestrea denied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Derek only sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, James spoke out tiredly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is this semester, man? We've got a kitsune, the royal princess, and a hero party? I feel like we're about to enter a war, not midterms.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea's gaze lingered on the crest of the royal family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That crest... soon enough, would be burned into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Right?\" Derek looked at his twin brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There were rumours that the Elven Kingdom was about to attack our Empire, but then—BAM! We got new students in the academy, and they are elves. Interesting, much?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I also thought about that.\" James nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They must be some kind of spies sent by the Elven Kingdom.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The twin brother nodded in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea wanted to laugh at their words, but it strangely made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if that was indeed the cause, why Silverleaf?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His glowing crimson eyes flashed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Was it because of me?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly thought about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, in public, he clearly had a bad relationship with the Emperor, and because of that, they probably wanted to approach him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But still, he wasn't entirely convinced by that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he met Eira, she didn't seem to have the goal of taking him to their side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, he had his own plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...By the way, do any of you know where I can find a high-grade gunsmith?\" Aestrea suddenly asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both twins paused, blinking at him like he'd just asked where to buy dragon teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You? Looking for a gunsmith?\" James finally said, his eyebrows furrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since when do you need guns, Mr. Ice Lotus Death Beam?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Planning to freeze the bullets mid-air?\" Derek joked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea didn't respond immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just kept walking, stuffing his hands in his pockets, eyes straight ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Maybe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea laughed, but he quickly changed his tone into a strangely serious one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I need someone with skills. Top-tier enchantment work. Preferably someone who doesn't ask questions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>James exchanged a glance with Derek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, there's that dwarf guy near the south district,\" Derek offered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The shop's called Iron Forge. Grumpy old bastard. But if you've got the coin, he can probably enchant a fork to kill a dragon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He enchanted our kettle once,\" James added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boils water in 0.3 seconds. Exploded twice, though.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You still use it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nope. It developed sentience and refuses to cooperate unless you sing to it first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Remind me never to trust you two with magical appliances.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rude,\" Derek gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You wound me, Future Tyrant President.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They laughed again, the mood lightening as they passed by a line of glowing crystal lanterns floating gently overhead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Aestrea's mind was elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he probably could deal with many enemies while using Lumi, he still wanted to have a gun at his waist if something went wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he already had the perfect cataclysm to get an extraordinary gun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he didn't want to waste his S-level ranked Gun Mastery for nothing, and thinking about it, he also needed a sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gosh... I miss my morph-weapon. Should've asked Yara to send it over,\" he muttered, furrowing his eyebrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, he said that... a little bit too loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yara?\" Derek perked up immediately, cocking his head like a hound sniffing gossip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who's Yara?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Aestrea could even lift a finger, James lit up like a firework.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn't it obvious?\" he gasped, throwing his hands up with mock shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's our senior sister-in-law, obviously!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Derek whipped around and slammed his hand into Derek's back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, no, no! Our senior sister-in-law is obviously Christina! That Yara should be one of the junior sister-in-laws!\" he barked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Christina?!\" James rolled his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please. You think Aestrea's the type to go for the Saintess? She prays more than she breathes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And Yara sounds way too hot. She's gotta be a mysterious, weapon-smuggling girlfriend type.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You just made that up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So what? It sounds cool!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea rubbed the bridge of his nose, clearly regretting every choice that led him to dine with these two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, how did James come to the conclusion that she was a weapon-smuggling girlfriend type?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea somehow wanted to understand how his mind worked, but he quickly attributed his thoughts to his mention of the morph-weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She's neither,\" he muttered finally, lying through his teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just someone I knew from before.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The twins leaned in together, like hounds sniffing blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So... no romantic tension?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do I look like I have time for that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I do, actually...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, but you smell like someone who needs it,\" James fired back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea gave him a flat look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea said nothing more as the two brothers spiraled into another ridiculous debate—this time ranking Aestrea's \"potential wives\" based on probability and aesthetic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yara's got mystery points, but Christina's got that holy girl-next-door thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, but what about Mia or Maria? They are still top-tier!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't forget Selene. She's a kitsune! And scary. But she's still a kitsune!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea tuned them out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stars shimmered faintly above the academy skyline as they passed the glowing courtyard lamps and winding walkways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn't take them long to reach the dormitories, the students moved in and out, some chatting in their sleepwear, others preparing for tomorrow's morning drills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea gave the twins a lazy wave as he split off, heading for his old room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll grab some uniforms and go back to the hotel,\" he muttered to himself, climbing the spiral stairwell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His dorm door was still the same as he left it. Plain. Untouched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Key in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It smelled faintly of dust, linen, and faint ozone... huh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was untouched, and yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was something abnormal about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed the door softly behind him, his boots quiet on the wooden floorboards as his crimson eyes swept the space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything looked... normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His closet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his instincts screamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>『 Scan 』\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air shimmered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His vision shifted—lines, glyphs, and markings blooming into clarity like ink spilled on paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right near the center of the room—partially concealed beneath the rug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A triangular magic circle, thin and precise, with runes etched so faintly they were nearly invisible to the naked eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Runes... huh? Just when I was starting to think about studying them...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lips curled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Amateur.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kneeled carefully, pulling the rug back to expose the full diagram.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its craftsmanship was refined... but not perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And not lethal, either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn't an assassination attempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a marking spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An embedded sensor linked to an external watcher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever placed this wanted to track him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or eavesdrop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe both.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bold of them to touch my room,\" he whispered to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tapped a finger over one of the outer rings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pulse of ice magic surged through his fingertip—freezing the outer circuit, disrupting the internal link.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The triangle flickered—then cracked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone was watching him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood up, drawing the curtains shut as his eyes glowed faintly in the dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he slowly opened the palm of his closed hand, and a tiny green energy glowed, spinning around the palm of his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this the... Plant Element...?\" Aestrea raised an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one person whom Aestrea knew had the plant attribute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they hadn't even met yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aestrea shrugged, heading out of his room, going back to the hotel where Alaine and the others were awaiting him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll meet her sooner or later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1686,"2026-06-03T09:18:17.304Z","2026-06-03T09:18:22.612Z",1,"novelbin.me","d047f4ec71b18042e1977ff22dd2c059f96f599d219ed246c840ecb48e69dc79","the-strongest-student-of-the-weakest-academy-chapter-244","the-strongest-student-of-the-weakest-academy-chapter-243",547,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-strongest-student-of-the-weakest-academy-cover.jpg"]