Farmboy becomes King with the Lust System-Chapter 267: Return from war

The morning sun fell across the academy courtyard, warm and bright, chasing away the chill that lingered after the long war. The walls of the academy, tall and gray, caught the sunlight and threw long shadows across the stone pathways.

Birds called from the towers above, and the faint scent of spring flowers mixed with the lingering smoke of the previous night’s fires, still smoldering in corners where the guards had not yet cleared. The air carried a different kind of energy now, excitement, pride, disbelief. Word had already spread before they even reached the gates.

Students crowded the paths leading up to the main hall, leaning over railings, standing on benches, and craning their necks for a glimpse. Their whispers rose and fell in waves, a tide of awe and curiosity that seemed to push and pull at everyone walking through it.

Eyes followed every step, heads turned, and even those who pretended not to care found themselves stealing glances.

Jae walked in the middle of the group, his travel cloak thrown over one shoulder, catching the sunlight so that his blond hair glinted gold. His stride was easy, confident but not loud, as though he moved through the crowd without demanding attention, yet impossible to ignore.

The others walked close behind him, each carrying themselves in their own way, their presence marking them as a unit, a small circle of survivors and fighters. Elise was just behind him, clutching the strap of her satchel like it grounded her, her calm eyes taking in the curious and wary stares.

Tirel walked with her usual confident sway, fire in her eyes even when she wasn’t casting, and a faint smirk playing at the corners of her lips. Yuna followed, smiling softly, hands clasped behind her back as though she measured every step.

Fin chatted easily with anyone nearby, waving at familiar faces or teasing the younger students, while Byun kept a step to Jae’s left, his grin sharp and easy, eyes constantly darting to watch the reactions of those around them.

The noise followed them like a wave, swelling and cresting, spilling over into every corner of the courtyard.

"There he is," someone whispered from a bench above.

"The farmborn mage," another voice said, laced with awe.

"He really beat Lord Veynar?" a third asked, disbelief mingling with curiosity.

"They say he burned through a whole battalion by himself!" a younger cadet added, voice tight with excitement.

Some voices were awed, others doubtful, but all of them carried the same fascination. Even the older students, the ones who had once looked down on Jae or dismissed him as just another boy from nowhere, had their attention fixed. Jae had become something new, something larger than a student, larger than the expectations of those who had once sneered at him.

He didn’t seem bothered. If anything, the attention amused him. His lips curved into that familiar lazy grin as he glanced toward the gawking students. "Guess we missed the quiet days," he murmured, voice low but carrying enough to reach those immediately around him.

Tirel laughed, brushing her hair back with a flick of her hand. "Quiet? You? Please. You live for the noise."

Byun snorted, flicking the coin from hand to hand even as he walked. "He just likes pretending he doesn’t."

Jae rolled his eyes, stretching his arms behind his head in a lazy gesture. "You talk too much," he said, but there was no real irritation in the tone.

Elise smiled faintly from beside him, her voice soft but teasing. "You don’t fool anyone, Jae. You like it when they talk about you."

"Do I?" he said, glancing at her sideways, eyes narrowing just enough to make her smile wider.

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "You just don’t like admitting it."

He chuckled, giving a mock sigh, the kind that sounded like surrender without really giving anything away. "Maybe a little," he admitted, and the words felt lighter than the weight of fame that had just settled over him.

They passed through the courtyard gates, stone arches rising overhead and sunlight spilling across the floor. The crowd parted but didn’t stop watching, creating a corridor of curious eyes and quiet murmurs. Whispers slid over each other, urgent and low, carrying both awe and fear.

Cadets who had once looked down on them, especially on Jae, now avoided his eyes, or bowed their heads as he walked past. Some muttered under their breaths, comparing his stride to stories they had heard of dragons or storms.

The change was strange, even for those who knew him best, a silent reminder of the power and reputation he had earned, not from title but from action.

"Feels weird," Fin said quietly, his voice barely audible over the shifting murmur of the crowd. "Before, they wouldn’t even look at us."

"Now they can’t look away," Tirel said with a smirk, brushing a strand of fiery hair behind her ear. "Fame suits us, doesn’t it?"

Elise shook her head, expression thoughtful. "It’s not fame. It’s fear, a little."

Byun laughed softly, the sound low but carrying enough to turn a few heads. "Or both," he said. "People love heroes right until they remember heroes bleed too."

Jae only smiled again, brushing a strand of hair from his face. "Let them think what they want," he said. There was no arrogance in the words, just a calm acceptance of the attention and judgment alike.

They started up the wide stone steps that led to the academy’s grand hall. The stairs were worn smooth by centuries of students, the edges of each step rounded from the weight of thousands of cadets. Their boots echoed faintly as they climbed, a steady rhythm amid the buzz of murmured voices.

At the top, in the full light of morning, stood Sun. He was dressed in his usual dark uniform, cloak hanging loose, expression unreadable. His posture was perfect, shoulders squared, gaze steady, a man molded by discipline and command.

The nobles around him, students from old families who had once sneered at Jae, were talking quietly among themselves, eyes flicking repeatedly between him and Jae, as though weighing power, lineage, and the reputation of the battle just ended.