The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy-Chapter 348: The Beginning Of The End [X]

Chapter 348: The Beginning Of The End [X]
After burying all the bodies, Aestrea decided to keep the Seraphic’s Base for himself. Destroying it would’ve been a waste.
After all, the base was filled with endless supplies, food, weapons, and rare resources, and if Aestrea wanted to build his own force, he would need all of it.
Of course, he didn’t forget to destroy the teleportation array hidden behind the mountain, making sure no one could invade again.
Now, his soldiers were celebrating the classic post-war feast.
Fires burned in metal barrels, smoke twisting up into the dark sky. Music played from broken instruments someone had fixed just enough to make sound.
The soldiers were drunk, laughing, shouting, and falling over each other. Empty bottles covered the tables, and bits of meat and bread were scattered on the floor.
Aestrea sat a little apart from the chaos, on the edge of a broken stone wall. His silver hair glowed faintly under the firelight.
In one hand, he held a small cup filled with some kind of golden liquor. He didn’t even drink it much, just watched it sway gently in the light.
‘Mhm… The next faction we should attack is the Sanctum Faction since it’s practically weaker than the Valkyric Knights. But it will be very fucking troublesome to do that as it doesn’t have any hidden teleportation array,’ he frowned lightly.
‘For now, I should simply go back to the academy and fulfill the role of a secretary, and hope to find any useful information,’ he nodded lightly to himself.
But then…
“HEEEY! CAPTAINNNNN!”
A voice that was loud enough to shake the barrels interrupted his thoughts.
Aestrea blinked and turned his head slowly.
Frey, the God of Lightning, stumbled toward him.
His blond hair was messy, his armor half undone, one shoulder plate missing entirely. His cheeks were red from alcohol, and he was grinning like an idiot.
“Why’re you sittin’ here all serious, huh?” Frey slurred, waving his cup around. “The big boss shouldn’t be drinkin’ alone! That’s just… that’s just… rude to the liquor gods, y’know?”
Aestrea sighed quietly.
“I’m not in the mood to dance around, Frey.”
“Dance? HA!” Frey snorted, laughing so hard he almost fell over.
“Good thing I didn’t ask! I’m telling you, boss, get your cold ass up, come join us! The war’s over! You killed that bastard!”
“I’m aware.”
“Then act like it!” Frey threw his arm around Aestrea’s shoulder and tried to pull him up.
He was strong even when drunk, but Aestrea didn’t resist, just set his drink aside and let the god drag him into the center of the chaos.
“EVERYONE!” Frey shouted, his voice cutting through the noise. “LOOK WHO’S FINALLY HERE—OUR DEAR ICY COMMANDER!”
The soldiers cheered instantly.
“AESTREA!! AESTREA!!”
“You’re all too loud.” Aestrea gave them a small, helpless smile.
“LOUD?!” one of the soldiers yelled.
“WE’RE CELEBRATING OUR DAMN LIVES!”
“AND OUR COMMANDER’S VICTORY!”
Another shouted, raising his drink high.
“TO THE FALLEN GOD OF KILLING!”
“TO THE NEW LORD OF KARMA!”
The cheer rose like thunder, echoing through the ruined base.
Aestrea lifted a glass someone shoved into his hand, and they all drank at once. The taste was sharp and burned his throat, but he didn’t complain.
Around them, laughter broke out again.
Someone started playing a drum made from an old barrel.
Two soldiers were wrestling near a fire while others shouted bets. Someone fell into a pile of crates, and everyone burst into laughter.
Aestrea shook his head slightly, but a faint chuckle escaped him.
Frey leaned closer to him upon seeing this.
“See? You look better when you’re not frowning like death itself.”
“I don’t frown.”
“You do,” Frey replied, poking his shoulder.
“All. The. Time.”
“You barely know m—”
Before Aestrea could finish his words, a woman’s voice chimed from behind. “Well, look who finally decided to join the living.”
Aestrea turned his head.
One of his soldiers, Ava, a Goddess of Spears from the eastern front, was walking toward him, a drink in her hand, her armor loosened, her long hair tied up messily.
Her eyes sparkled in the firelight.
“Commander,” she said, stopping in front of him, her lips curved in a teasing smile. “You’ve been hiding from your own party. That’s not very heroic.”
“I don’t enjoy noise,” he replied plainly.
“That’s a shame,” she added, stepping closer.
“Because I do.”
“OH, this is good! Ava, get him to dance, yeah? He’s way too stiff for his own good!” Frey laughed out loud.
“No,” Aestrea frowned
“Yes,” she uttered, and before he could react, she grabbed his wrist.
“Ava—”
She didn’t let him finish.
She pulled him toward the center, where others were already dancing in a circle, moving wildly to the rhythm of the drums.
Aestrea tried to resist at first, but the crowd cheered louder, chanting his name again.
“AESTREA! AESTREA! DANCE, COMMANDER!”
Someone pushed him lightly, and Ava spun around him, laughing as her hair brushed his chest.
“See? Not so bad, is it?”
He sighed, but let her move, but just a few seconds into the dance, she laughed again.
“You even dance like a soldier. Relax a little!”
“Relaxation doesn’t suit me.”
“Then I’ll make it suit you,” she leaned closer, her breath warm against his ear.
“YEAH, COMMANDER, LET HER TEACH YOU!” Frey shouted from the sidelines, already halfway through another bottle.
Laughter erupted again at his shout.
Ava also laughed, her fingers brushing Aestrea’s chest as she stepped closer, the flickering firelight catching the sweat on her skin.
The music wasn’t graceful at all; it was messy, with clapping, stomping, bottles clinking against wooden tables, and people shouting in and out of rhythm.
But somehow, they danced in a strangely rhythmic way.
“Relax a little, Commander,” she teased him lightly.
“You look like you’re about to fight the air itself.”
Aestrea laughed lightly.
“I was actually more prepared to fight than to dance,” he replied, shaking his head lightly.
“Then fight me,” she whispered, her fingers trailing down his arm, catching his hand, and tugging him forward.
The movement was unsteady; she was clearly tipsy, her steps wobbling slightly as her laughter rose again.
The sound mingled with Frey’s loud cheers somewhere behind them.
“LOOK AT HIM GO! OUR MIGHTY COMMANDER’S ALREADY GOT A PARTNER FOR TONIGHT!”
“Shut up, Frey,” Aestrea muttered, but he didn’t let go of her hand.
“Oh, don’t mind him. He’s jealous you’re not dancing with him instead,” Ava grinned.
“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Aestrea replied dryly, earning another round of laughter from her.
Rustle~
Her hips brushed against his thigh once, twice, as the song shifted. She looked up at him, eyes half-lidded, glowing faintly under the lantern light.
“You’re not as cold as they say,” she said, tilting her head, watching his expression carefully.
He raised an eyebrow.
“And what do they say exactly?”
“That you don’t know how to smile… or touch… or feel.”
“People exaggerate.”
“Oh really~?” She leaned in closer, her voice lowering to a whisper.
“Then show me how they are wrong, Commander~”
At her words, Aestrea’s stiff posture slowly relaxed. From his past life, he obviously learned how to dance, but he simply does not like dancing.
But well… it’s for today, so it shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Rustle~
He shifted his grip, one hand resting at her waist, while the other gently guided her movement with steady control.
Her breath hitched, and a faint color rose on her cheeks.
“Oh…” she murmured, smiling lightly.
“You actually can dance.”
“Don’t spread it around,” he replied, pulling her a bit closer as they turned.
She laughed, spinning lightly before crashing right back into his chest with a playful thud.
“Whoops~”
Aestrea didn’t move away.
“Careful,” he said softly.
“You’ll make people think you like me.”
“Maybe I do,” her grin turned sly.
“Or maybe you’re just drunk.”
“Maybe both,” she whispered, brushing her lips near his ear but not touching.
The sound of cheering rose again, Frey’s unmistakable voice shouting from somewhere behind the fire pit.
“WOOOOOO! THAT’S OUR COMMANDER! GIVE HER A SPIN, AESTREA!”
The crowd laughed, some banging cups against tables, others clapping off-beat.
“ABOUT DAMN TIME HE SMILES!”
Aestrea sighed again, but this time, it was followed by a small chuckle.
He did as told, spinning Ava around, her hair sweeping in a golden arc under the firelight before he caught her again by the waist.
She gasped, the sound short and surprised.
“See?” she breathed out. “Told you… not so bad.”
“Hmm,” he hummed, his eyes narrowing slightly, but the faint trace of a smile remained.
Her fingers traced the line of his jaw briefly before she leaned back.
“Don’t ruin it by pretending to hate it.”
“I didn’t say I hated it.”
“Mhm…”
Around them, the party grew louder.
Crack!
Someone broke a bottle, laughter erupted; Frey was now standing on a table, yelling something about being “the true god of the dance floor,” lightning sparking faintly from his fingertips as everyone laughed.
It was a cool night; however, Aestrea had completely forgotten about a certain golden-haired figure that was currently looking at him.
Her eyes… were practically swirling on the spot.