The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy-Chapter 152: Silverleaf City—The Place I Truly Belong.

"Mm... big brother...?" she mumbled, her voice still sleepy.

"Yeah, it's me," I chuckled quietly.

"Get up, Leaf. We're going back home."

"Home...?" Her eyes lit up immediately, and she sat up quickly.

Next to her, Ruli yawned loudly, waking up from the noise.

"Are we really going to your academy?!" she asked, his voice full of excitement.

"Yup," I said, ruffling her messy hair.

"But first, we need to leave quietly, okay?"

They both nodded hard, wiping the sleep from their faces.

It didn't take long before we were ready.

I carried the bag over my shoulder, and the two of them held onto my coat tightly as we sneaked out of the hotel.

The streets were still a little empty because it was early.

Good.

It took us a while to finally get onto the train.

First, we had to buy the tickets.

Now, we had to wait in line to get them checked.

It was a bit annoying, but at least it gave me time to think.

In the meantime, I took the chance to contact Lumi and the others.

They had already arrived at Silverleaf City and were currently staying at a hotel, awaiting my return.

That was good news.

It made me feel a little better.

Even so, a small part of me was still worried that the Emperor might have sent more people after me.

But honestly, after the fear I shoved into him, he probably wasn't thinking about me anymore.

He was probably scared out of his mind, focused on that "masked guy" that had attacked him. He had no clue it was me.

That thought made me chuckle a little.

Still, there were some things I needed to handle once I got back.

First, that sword.

I needed to sell it.

When I got back to my dormitory, I planned to open the gate to Yara's house.

I would ask her to help me sell the sword at the auction house.

It would sell for a lot of money.

Maybe around 20,000 platinum coins.

A huge amount... but even then, it might not be enough.

The Dragon's Heart base price was 40,000 platinum coins. And it would probably get even more expensive as the auction went on.

That was going to be a big problem.

But luckily...

I had made a deal with Violet.

Thanks to that, I had a way to get it.

I just had to be careful.

And very patient.

After we finally got our tickets checked, we walked into the train and found our seats.

The kids were super excited.

Ruli grabbed the seat by the window, her eyes sparkling as she stared outside.

Leaf sat next to her, swinging her legs back and forth like a little kid full of energy.

I sat across from them, watching them with a small smile.

It felt... peaceful.

"Look! Look! We're moving!" Ruli shouted, pointing outside as the train started rolling forward with a soft clack-clack-clack sound.

"Woahh!" Leaf leaned forward, pressing her nose against the glass.

I chuckled lightly.

"Hey, don't smudge the window, kid," I said, ruffling her hair.

She pouted but grinned.

Ruli turned around and smiled at me too, her little hands tapping the window excitedly.

I leaned back against my seat, closing my eyes for a moment.

After everything that happened...

This quiet, simple moment...

It felt nice.

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Really nice.

Time passed quickly after that.

The train kept speeding up, the steady sound of the wheels and tracks making everything feel calm.

I was half-asleep when suddenly—

Ding!

A voice came from the speaker above us.

"Dear passengers, we are now arriving at Silverleaf City. Please make sure to gather your belongings and prepare to exit the train."

I opened my eyes slowly, feeling the train start to slow down.

The kids were already up, grabbing their little bags, their faces filled with excitement.

"We're here! We're finally here!" Leaf shouted, shaking Ruli a little.

"Finally!" Ruli giggled, standing up on her seat for a second before I pulled her down gently.

"Careful," I said with a small laugh.

I wonder why they're still so excited.

The train trip was more than fifteen hours...

With a small sigh, I stood up too, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

The train gave a soft jerk as it fully stopped.

The doors slid open with a soft hiss, and a fresh breeze rushed in.

"Come on, you two," I said, waving my hand.

Leaf and Ruli quickly followed behind me, their small hands grabbing onto my coat as we stepped off the train.

The Silverleaf station looked just like I remembered — busy, a little noisy, but still full of that warm, small-town feeling.

I took a deep breath.

Home.

I led the kids through the crowd, scanning the area.

And then—

"ASTREA!!"

I heard a loud, cheerful voice.

I turned my head and smiled.

Lumi was running toward us, waving her hands like crazy.

She was also in her disguised form, which made her look like a normal human. All thanks to Alaine, of course, she was the one who had disguising magic.

Behind her, I spotted Alaine and Chaerin also waving their hands.

Step, step, step!

When Lumi reached us, she didn't even hesitate — she tackled me into a hug, making me stumble a little.

"Master~, you're finally back!" she said excitedly.

I patted her head lightly.

"Yeah... I'm back."

Ruli and Leaf giggled beside us, and soon Elaine joined, gently pulling Lumi off me so I could actually breathe.

Then, she picked up the bags I was carrying before smiling softly.

"Come on. Let's head back to the hotel."

I promptly nodded my head.

I had already briefly introduced Leaf and Ruli through my message to Lumi, so they didn't seem to be bothered.

And surprisingly, both Ruli and Leaf weren't as shy as before.

Was it because they were women?

Maybe...

The walk to the hotel wasn't too long.

The streets of Silverleaf were just as peaceful as I remembered—stone roads, hanging lanterns swaying in the breeze, and the sound of people chatting, laughing, living.

Ruli held my hand the whole way.

Leaf stayed close to Lumi, pointing at things with wide eyes, quietly asking questions that Lumi happily answered.

By the time we reached the hotel, the sun was starting to dip.

The sky turned soft orange, casting long shadows across the ground.

We stepped into the lobby.

Warm lights, the smell of polished wood, and the gentle murmur of voices welcomed us inside.

Alaine handled the room key with ease and led us up the stairs.

Our rooms were right next to each other.

When we entered, Ruli and Leaf looked around with curious eyes.

The beds were soft, the room was clean, and the window gave a perfect view of the sun setting behind the trees.

I sat down slowly on the bed, letting my tired legs rest for a moment.

Lumi dropped a pillow onto my lap and flopped down next to me, sighing dramatically.

"We missed you, you know," she said, eyes closed.

I gently ran my hand through her disguised hair.

"I missed you, too," I whispered.

Chaerin helped the girls with their shoes, and Alaine started unpacking the bags.

Ruli and Leaf were already curled up together near the window, whispering to each other while watching the fading light.

Not long after we settled in, Alaine called us over for dinner.

We sat around a small wooden table in the hotel's private dining room.

The lights were warm and soft, and the smell of stew and fresh bread filled the air.

Alaine brought in plates stacked with food—roasted chicken, buttered vegetables, soft rolls, and a big pot of thick, warm soup.

Ruli's eyes sparkled. Leaf stared at the food like it was treasure.

"Eat as much as you want," I said with a soft smile, passing a bowl to Ruli.

"Really?" she asked, her voice tiny but filled with hope.

"Really."

Lumi leaned her head on my shoulder, already chewing on a piece of bread.

"This almost feels like a family dinner," she mumbled with her mouth full.

I didn't say anything, but I smiled to myself.

For a while, everything was quiet.

Just spoons clinking.

Soft laughter.

Chaerin even cracked a rare smile when Ruli accidentally got sauce on her cheek and Leaf tried to wipe it with her sleeve.

Alaine sat beside me, sipping from her mug.

"You're good with them," she said quietly.

I looked down at Ruli and Leaf, who were sitting across from me, both smiling softly, slowly starting to relax in this new world.

"I'm trying," I replied.

But, even while I'm treating them well...

Their training is going to be a bit... messed up.

I'll need to make sure that they can kill without feeling a single ounce of emotion, and be ready to attack at all times.

And also...

I'll need to a spend a shit load of money.

That, of course, was the worst part.

But well, I'll save it to later...

After all, I'm in...

Silverleaf City—The Place I Truly Belong.