Academy's Strongest?

Haaa… damn it!! That piece of s**t of a driver!!” I shouted at the top of my lungs; my voice went nowhere, as I was currently floating in a void for at least hours, by my count. ‘Is this hell? Because this clearly isn’t heaven…’ I thought while looking at my surroundings, which were just pure darkness. My body continued floating, following a flow like a river even though there was no water. ‘What did I do to deserve this, man? I know I wasn’t a saint, but still I have tried to live like a good man throughout my life?’ Contemplating my life choices, I began to hear unaudible voices that were coming closer and closer to me. By the time I could understand, the words were being said right next to me. My body was being pulled down at extreme speeds toward the light below, and the moment my body touched the light, I was sucked into it as the sensation of pain came back to me. “Argghhhhhhhhhh!!” After the pain that felt like tearing through my body. I was able to finally open my eyes and look at my surroundings again. Multiple people were crying while looking at me, but I did not know these individuals. There were at least a couple of steps away from where I was lying. ‘Did they mistake me for their relative? How is that even possible in the first place?’ I raised my hand and noticed that it was a baby’s hand, small and fluffy. My bed was inside a cradle. ‘Don’t tell me!? I have reincarnated!! Why god? Why? Just when I already had all the money I needed to live without working for the rest of my life …’ I cried out of regret for not being able to spend a couple of thousands of my hard-earned money. Seeing my reaction, the man wearing a white cloak with a face that was littered with jewels let out a relieved expression, which I assumed was a doctor. ‘Is my suffering that good to you, you creepy doctor!!’ I glared at the doctor. “Hooooo … Fortunately, the baby managed to get the treatment in time before the infection progressed further. Duke Kain, please be assured that the infection has finally been purged from the baby’s body.” He spoke respectfully to the stoic man beside him, then his eyes slid towards me, and tears began to flow. This man, Kain, is a duke with a build similar to a certain bald Spartan general from the games I’ve played. He had a bald head and brown eyes along with a long black beard. I clenched my hand and said like a dignified soldier. “Stop crying.” But because I can’t speak yet, it simply came out as. “Dahhh!” “Are you cheering me up, my son!” He caressed my face like I would when touching something priceless. The others also approached the cradle. A beautiful, mature lady who completely contrasted with her husband then picked me up from the cradle and held me on her arm as she trembled. She had long silver hair paired with sapphire-like eyes, making her look like a gender-bent version of a popular fictional character I often saw in edits. “I thank the gods for letting my baby boy be with us.” She uttered while kissing my forehead. Two toddlers, along with a teenager, slowly walked towards me, who was being held by my new mother for this new life of mine. ‘So these are all the people who will be my family in this new life, hu-?’ A girl who, from what I can tell, is six to seven years old is pinching my cheeks for some reason. She has the same hair color as father, with eyes similar to mother. While the other one, who is hiding behind mother’s leg just looking at me, has mother’s hair and eyes. “Whoa, the youngest’s cheek is so fluffy.” “Sophia, I think you shouldn’t touch the youngest that carelessly…” He muttered under his breath softly. Sophia turned around towards him. “Hmm? Did you say something, Lorenz?” “Nothing…” “Is that so?” ‘Also, when are you gonna let go of my cheek!’ I pushed her hand away, but to no avail, as a baby and toddler have a heaven-and-earth kind of gap in strength. Instead, she simply interpreted my action as trying to play. “Hehehehehe… Want to play with big sister?” “Dahh (Nooo)!” My complaint was reduced to cute baby language, which doesn’t help at all in this case. “Mother, can I hold the youngest?” Sophia asked with pleading eyes, but then she was interrupted by the oldest. Unlike the rest of the siblings, he had this student council aura along with the aesthetic of one, as he wore a buttoned black uniform with gold outlines while pushing his glasses up his nose using his trigger finger. “Mother, please do not grant her that wish. Because with how clumsy Sophia is, there’s a chance she will accidentally drop the youngest. Instead, you should allow me to do it, Mother.” “Hmph! What does that have to do with you being the first big brother!” “No, it has a lot to do with it, as I am trying to reduce the chance of the youngest being hurt.” “Big Brother Lucas probably just wants to be the first to assert his superiority over Sophia,” Lorenz muttered softly while still hiding behind his mother’s leg, but Sophia managed to hear that. “Lorenz is right. Big brother, you are doing this to prove superiority over me.” Lorenz was shocked to see Sophia drag him down to this argument that didn’t include him. Watching the three siblings argue over who among them should hold me first, like I was some harem protagonist, made me feel good; for once in my life, I was wanted as just me and not anything else. The feeling of sleepiness seeped into my body, and I fell asleep in my mother’s arms. It was in the middle of the night; Kain, along with his wife Gabriela and the trusted doctor Ter, were discussing the youngest’s sickness. Ter sat across the table while Kain and Gabriela sat beside each other. “Duke Kain and Duchess Gabriela, I found this within the youngest’s master body while I was exterminating the corruption.” Ter put a small bottle containing a dark, pulsing flesh that radiated the power of an outer. Both Kain’s and Gabriela’s faces hardened in anger as they looked at the bottle; Kain’s killing intent intensified, making Ter unable to stop trembling in fear. “Dear, calm down right this second! You don’t want to wake the kids, do you?” Gabriela held Kain hands, and the killing intent that engulfed the room slowly vanished. “Ahem… forgive me, Ter. I lost my composure for a bit there” “It is okay, Duke Kain, as every parent would have the same reaction.” “I’m glad you understand, Doctor Ter,” Gabriela added as she then looked at Ter with cold eyes, and even though she doesn’t have a bit of killing intent, he was just scared when facing Kain’s killing intent, if not more. After taking a deep breath. “Hoooo… I believe the one who put this thing on the youngest is the newest organization that emerged after the descent of the outer. Temple of the Red Sea, although relatively new, has already amassed hundreds of thousands to join their cause. Even though I don’t want to sow this seed of doubt, I believe that one of your vassals, or more, has sided with the cult.” Kain and Gabriela, hearing Ter’s explanation, couldn’t help but nod, as it made sense why one of the cult members was able to sneak into the territory of Australis that the duke governed. They then entered Australis as servants and infected the youngest with flesh from the outer. “Did the cult member spill the information yet?” Gabriela asked in a cold tone that was enough to freeze the room. “Unfortunately, no, Duchess Gabriela. Those crazy bastards won’t budge even after the torture and continue spouting nonsense.” “Have you tried using mind magic Ter?” “We did, but, Duchess Gabriela, they put an entire magic circle around their head, making the magic unstable and causing them to die on the spot.” “Our best course of action right now is to hand over the cult members to the church, as they possess a way to get around the cult members’ protectio-.” Ter’s voice came to a stop after seeing the Duchess’s expression. He then stood up and bowed down towards the Duchess. “Forgive this foolish self for my transgression.” “Never mention that again! Understand, Ter.” “Thank you for your forgiveness, Duchess Gabriela.” Ter sat back down on the chair. “Ter, prepare the sinner who hurt my youngest. I will get the information myself.” Gabriela declared as both Ter and Kain's faces turned into shock mixed with fear. “I will prepare it at once, Duchess Gabriela.” Ter bolted out of the room and headed to the torture chamber under the knights’ barracks. Once Ter arrived inside the chamber, he went up to the prison where they kept the other cult members, with their limbs chained to the wall using a thick metal handcuff with a carved magic sigil sealing their bizarre abilities. “Be honored, you traitorous bastard. The legendary torturer shall grace you, folks, with her expertise.” His mouth curled into a hideous smile as he pulled one prisoner from the bunch that was chained to the wall.