Academy's Strongest?

Chapter 2 : New Family

I woke up at the dusk of dawn, accepting my current reality. “Dahh, Dahh (So it wasn’t a dream).”

“Ahh! Young master, good morning.” I turned my head toward the voice and found a maid whose appearance, contrary to her job, which mostly consists of lean and petite ladies, was much more muscular, as her maid dress was barely holding on and was about to explode from her muscles.

“Dahhh (Wow! How did you get that physique?)”

‘Ah!? I forgot I can’t speak yet.’

“Aww! Do you like my muscles, youngest master?” She flexed her muscles, causing her maid dress to explode, with pieces of fabric and buttons flying and landing on the floor. She hit a front double biceps pose, followed by a side chest pose, and finished with an Arnold pose.

“Dah, dah-dahh (Damn, I didn’t know that was possible to flex muscles so hard that the clothing exploded into pieces in real life).” I clapped my hands, appreciating the performance she put on.

“Hahhahaha… thanks for the praise, youngest master.” She scratched the back of her head.

“What the hell happened? I heard the sound of a whip.” An older gentleman entered the room in a panic and saw her flexing her muscles in front of me.

He walked up to her with a menacing glare. “What are you doing, Lisa?”

“Ah? Sir, I was putting on a show for the youngest master using my pristine muscles. Isn’t that right, youngest master?” She flexed her biceps in a crab pose while the older gentleman looked at her in disgust at her behavior.

“Dah (Do the archer pose next!).”

“See, Sir Luke. Youngest master likes my muscles.” She explained while posing with her hands on her hips. To say I wasn’t entertained would be an understatement, as I clapped my hands.

Luke, unable to bear with the clown show, pinched her back, making sure I couldn’t see, then dragged her out of the room. And I was alone again inside the room, but I could hear bits of Luke scolding toward Lisa, who was just outside the room.

‘Now that I have reincarnated, do I get a bonus like a system or some kind of power?’

“Dah (System!) Dah (Status!) Dah (Open sesame!).” But no matter what I did, nothing popped up in front of me. No blue system window. No nothing.

‘Dahhh…(What did I expect? My death is unreasonable as it is. I was a dumbass expecting a gift from something that reincarnated me here).’ I sighed in disappointment at my current predicament.

‘Well, at least I was reincarnated as a duke’s youngest son. A duke is only second to the emperor, and they’re mostly filthy rich. Even though I couldn’t fulfill my wish back in my previous life, I swore to become a rich bum and live the rest of my life in luxury. Considering I am already a son of a duke, even if I am not the successor, I still should be given a couple of assets.’ I began constructing my plan to achieve my goals.

‘I have to maintain a solid relationship with my siblings so I don’t get caught when the succession war takes off and live within their shadow. So that I will never stand out!’

Luke entered the room with Lisa, now fully clothed beside him. “Youngest master. It is time to feed.” He scooped me up from my cradle into his arms as his other arm held a bottle of milk.

After drinking the milk, he patted my back, allowing me to burp. After that, I was taken for a stroll in a wooden stroller with a built-in umbrella that blocked the sunlight. But as Lisa pushed the stroller, Luke watched from behind. I spotted something in the periphery of my vision: it was a wall that was oozing with a blackish aura, and it was in the hallway near the garden.

‘Why is no one saying anything about that? No, could this be my gift? Hoo.. They wouldn’t just send a random civilian to the medieval world without something.’ I was both happy and relieved that I had at least something that could help me survive.

I tried to point toward the wall bust since I can’t really control each finger of mine. I just pointed using my open hand.

“Hmm? Youngest master?” Both Lisa’s and Luke’s eyes followed the direction I was pointing, and they looked at each other with confusion plastered on their faces.

“Maybe the youngest master wants to touch the wall?”

“Possibly, as children are drawn to strange things?”

“But what is it about this wall that is causing the youngest master to pick this wall out of all the walls?

“Dah (Push it)!”I moved my arms into a pushing motion as her eyes panned toward me.

“Hmm? Youngest master, are you telling me to push this? Alright…”

“Wait, Lisa! What are you doing? What if you damage it? The Duke is gonna punish us both?!”

“Don’t worry, Sir Lucas. I will only push it gently. Besides, it’s what the youngest master wants.”

“Alright, fine, do it.”

Lisa pushed lightly, but the wall moved about an inch, which shouldn't happen if it were solid like the other walls. Lisa looked at Lucas with a serious expression.

“Sir Lucas, this is a hidden pathway!?” Lucas, hearing her speak, was confused too.

“Lisa, escort the youngest master back to his bedroom now!” Lucas voice became rough, unlike the gentle voice he used previously. I was escorted back to my room and put inside the cradle as Lisa stood near the door with her arms crossed, looking like she was ready to fight.

Lucas headed to the office where the Duchess was signing documents. After announcing his presence, he was permitted to enter the office and relay the information about the hidden pathway in the hallway near the garden.

After hearing that, she then took the map of the mansion that was handed to her and, after inspecting the map that detailed all of the hidden escapes that the family should take in case of emergency.

She concluded that this pathway was either built during the mansion’s construction and the builder purposefully didn’t include it on the map, or it is something that was built recently.

“Gather the Knights and investigate it. I shall have Ter and his subordinates accompany me and interrogate the builders.” She commanded.

“Yes! Duchess!” Lucas exited the room after bowing and headed to the knights’ barracks. Gabriela called Ter and his subordinates and headed to the builder’s home.

Meanwhile, Kain was leading a monster subjugation team in the Arc Forest, where trees along with the terrain were bent, reflecting that of an arc. Dozens upon dozens of goblins and orcs poured out from the bluish rift on the ground.

“Hoooo… Soldiers intercept them.” He commanded, leading the charge on horseback. Kain held his spear in his right hand and stood on the back of his black horse.

“Kaiser, lead the pack”

“Neighhh!”

“Good!” He leaped from Kaiser’s back into the air and fixed his body into a stance.

“Awaken. Herion!!” His normal spear began to shine as its appearance changed to a green handle with golden outlines across the weapon, with dragon-shaped tassels. While still in the air, Kain swung his spear twice, forming a cross-shaped wave of aura that swept the majority of the monsters into oblivion.

Kain landed on the ground, creating a small crater beneath him as monsters jumped at him at once. Within seconds, the monster bodies were full of holes as they fell to the ground.

The knights were handling a dozen each and dismantling the monsters with some effort. Kaiser was kicking monsters, sending them flying as he circled around the battlefield, helping the knights.

“Kaiser still hasn’t changed? Hmm? You want to help him, Sarah? Well, go.” Kris jumped onto the ground and dashed forward toward the orcs, stabbing one of the ones in the front in the neck with his sword. Two orcs reached out their hands to grab him, but to no avail, as he jumped up and descended with thrusts, killing the remaining orcs as he landed on the ground.

“Captain Kris! All of the monsters that came out of the rift have been slain.” A knight reported to him.

“Why are you reporting to me? Where is the Duke?” Kris’s eyes raised in confusion.

“The duke entered the rift and said he would close it himself, Captain!”

“Is that so… then men harvest the mana stones from the vermin, as we will wait for the Duke here. Prepare the campsite, and Tallon, bring someone with you and hunt some food for today.” he knights moved according to Kris’s command…

After the campsite was finished, Kris removed his helmet with a reddish outline that resembled fire. Revealing his face, which was covered by the helmet. He had long blond hair and orange eyes, and his face had a burn scar on the left side of his face.

Meanwhile, Lucas was accompanied by six knights who weren’t picked for the subjugation, entering the pathway after descending the stairs. They found themselves in a massive hallway filled with torches as the smell of blood and flesh rotting assaulted their noses.

“Take out your blades!” Lucas commanded as a presence was approaching them at extreme speed. Lucas saw a dark blur and ducked the sweeping attack as he uppercut the assailant, sending them flying to the ceiling.