The Strongest Demon Lord Reincarnated as a Commoner

The incident on the training grounds created a new kind of legend around Leo Vance. He was no longer just the "Orb-Breaker" or the "Ambient Theorist." Now, whispers in the halls called him the "Unmoving Sword."

Kaia Ironhand, far from being humiliated, had become his most fervent, and most annoying, follower. She trailed him during breaks, bombarding him with questions about his footwork, his timing, his "philosophy of non-movement." To her, he was a grandmaster hiding in plain sight, and she was determined to become his disciple.

"Just one more spar!" she'd plead, only for Leo to sigh and find a new corner of the library to nap in. Her boundless energy was a direct assault on his quest for tranquility.

Elara von Valerius now watched him with open, analytical hostility. He was a puzzle she couldn't solve, an equation with no logical solution, and it infuriated her. Her pride as a noble prodigy could not accept that a commoner could be so far beyond her comprehension in both magic and combat.

Luna Brightwood's awe had deepened into something more. She would often watch him from a distance, her heart fluttering. He was the one person who wasn't intimidated by nobles or impressed by power. He was simply... himself. To a girl who had spent her life feeling small and afraid, his quiet, unshakable presence was like a lighthouse in a storm.

Leo, for his part, was blissfully (and willfully) ignorant of the complex social and emotional web weaving itself around him. He just wanted everyone to leave him alone. His ideal academy life consisted of three activities: sleeping, eating, and avoiding people. Unfortunately, he was failing spectacularly at the third.

His newfound sanctuary was the Aethelgard Grand Library, a colossal structure whose ceiling was a dome of enchanted glass showing the real-time starscape. The sheer scale of the place was enough to deter most students, and the silence was heavenly. He found a secluded alcove in the "Ancient History and Forbidden Texts" section, a dusty, forgotten corner perfect for uninterrupted naps.

One afternoon, as he was drifting off in a comfortable high-backed chair, a scent pulled him from the edge of sleep. It was a complex, alluring fragrance of old parchment, exotic spices, and something else... something faintly dangerous and intoxicating, like night-blooming flowers that were rumored to be poisonous.

"Well, well. Look what we have here."

The voice was like honey laced with wine—smooth, rich, and seductive. Leo opened his eyes.

Leaning against a nearby bookshelf was a woman whose every curve seemed to defy both gravity and modesty. She had long, flowing hair the color of midnight, and her deep violet eyes held a playful, predatory gleam. Her professor's robes were worn... creatively. The top buttons of her blouse were undone, offering a tantalizing glimpse of the swell of her breasts, and the robes themselves were tailored to cling to her voluptuous hourglass figure.

This was Professor Morgana Shade, the instructor for "Alternative Magical Studies"—a euphemism for the dark and forbidden arts. She was a figure of rumor and fantasy among the male students and a source of scandal for the faculty.

"A little lamb, lost in the wolf's den," she purred, her eyes raking over Leo. "I've heard tales about you, Mr. Vance. The boy who talks to the air and moves like a ghost. You're far more interesting than the usual peacocks strutting about this school."

Leo stared at her, his expression unchanged. Internally, Azeros's ancient consciousness analyzed her. He could feel the dark magic clinging to her like a second skin. It was old, tainted, but held a familiar signature. The remnants of a pact. A bloodline oath sworn to... him. A family of worshippers from an age long past.

How tedious, he thought. The fan-club is still around.

"I was sleeping," Leo said, his tone making it clear that she was an interruption.

Morgana laughed, a throaty, musical sound. "A sleeping little lamb is the most tempting kind." She glided closer, the scent of her perfume intensifying. She leaned over his chair, placing a hand on the armrest, her body caging him in. The view down the front of her blouse was now impossible to ignore. It was a deliberate, calculated display of power.

"I have a feeling you know more than you let on, Leo," she whispered, her voice dropping to an intimate murmur. Her free hand came up, a finger tipped with a perfectly manicured nail tracing a line down his cheek. A jolt of cold, dark magic flowed from her fingertip, designed to probe his mind, to find his fears and desires, to hook into his soul.

It was an advanced, forbidden technique of mental seduction.

The moment her magic touched his skin, it was like a drop of ink falling into the ocean. It didn't just vanish; it was annihilated. Obliterated from existence so completely that it was as if it had never been cast.

Morgana's eyes widened. Her playful smile froze.

She felt a backlash. Not of power, but of... nothingness. A terrifying, absolute void echoed back through the link she had tried to create. For a terrifying, heart-stopping instant, she felt her own soul teetering on the brink of that same abyss, threatening to be unmade.

She snatched her hand back as if burned, stumbling backward, her face pale. The seductive predator was gone, replaced by a woman staring at a primal terror she could not comprehend. Her breath hitched, and a cold sweat broke out on her brow.

Leo hadn't moved a muscle. He just watched her, his brown eyes holding a depth that seemed to stretch into eternity.

"Are you finished?" he asked, his voice still flat and tired.

Morgana stared at him, her mind reeling. Who—what—was he? The legends of her family spoke of the return of their Lord. A being of absolute power who would cast down the gods and remake the world. They had waited for millennia. She had come to Aethelgard, sensing a shift in the world's balance, hoping to find a vessel, a candidate...

She had thought to make him her plaything, her powerful pawn. The thought was now laughable. She was a candle flame that had tried to probe the heart of a sun.

Her fear, sharp and intoxicating, began to morph into something else. Awe. Terrified, obsessive, and fanatical awe. The power she had craved her entire life, the absolute darkness she had only read about in forbidden tomes—it was real. And it was sitting in a library chair, looking at her as if she were a mild annoyance.

A slow, genuine, and utterly mesmerized smile spread across her face. "My sincerest apologies... My Lord," she whispered, the words barely audible. She gave him a deep, reverent bow, her previous seduction attempt seeming like a child's game in comparison. "I see I have greatly... underestimated you."

Leo just sighed and closed his eyes again, trying to reclaim his nap. This was getting complicated.

That evening, a mandatory assembly was called. The entire student body gathered in the grand auditorium. On the stage sat the faculty, with Headmistress Seraphiel Lux at the center.

"Students," the Headmistress began, her voice calm but resonant. "I have received an urgent communiqué from the Royal Capital. The annual Labyrinth Trials, a tradition where a select group of first-year students explores the newly-surfaced 'Whispering Labyrinth,' have been moved up."

A murmur of excitement went through the crowd. The Labyrinth Trials were a huge honor, a chance to find rare artifacts and gain immense prestige.

"This year, however," the Headmistress continued, her expression growing grave, "the Royal Mage Division has detected an unprecedented surge of unstable magical energy emanating from the Labyrinth's core. As such, this will not just be a trial. It will be a high-risk mission."

Her ancient eyes scanned the crowd, seeming to linger on a few key individuals.

"The safety of the kingdom may depend on what is discovered within. Therefore, I will be selecting the participants myself, based on potential, unique skills, and tactical value. The team will be led by a faculty member."

She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in.

"Commander Evelyn Blade will be the supervisor."

A wave of relief washed over the students. With the kingdom's strongest sword leading them, they would be safe. Evelyn gave a curt, solemn nod.

"The student participants are as follows," the Headmistress announced.

"From the noble houses, for her exceptional magical output and tactical acumen: Elara von Valerius." Elara sat up straighter, a look of fierce pride on her face.

"For her unparalleled swordsmanship and tenacity: Kaia Ironhand." Kaia punched the air with a quiet "Yes!"

"For her latent potential and immense magical sensitivity, which will be vital for navigation: Luna Brightwood." Luna turned pale, looking terrified at the prospect.

"And finally..." The Headmistress paused, her gaze sweeping over the crowd until it landed on the back row, on the one student who looked completely uninterested.

"...for his unique and unpredictable problem-solving abilities: Leo Vance."

The auditorium exploded.

"WHAT?!" Marcus von Adler roared, jumping to his feet. "HIM?! The zero?! This is an insult to us all!"

The sentiment was echoed by hundreds of others. It was madness. Sending the Orb-Breaker, the class clown, on a mission of national importance?

Kaia cheered loudly. Elara looked utterly disgusted. Luna looked at Leo with wide, fearful eyes, finding a strange comfort that he would be there.

Commander Blade's hand instinctively went to the hilt of her sword, her expression hardening. Professor Morgana Shade, standing at the side of the stage, watched Leo with a smoldering, possessive gaze, a secret smile playing on her lips.

Leo himself didn't react. He didn't even seem to be paying attention. But inside, Azeros let out the most profound, soul-weary sigh of his entire existence.

A dangerous labyrinth. A team composed of an arrogant noble, a battle-maniac, a timid girl with unstable power, and a collection of women who were all, for various reasons, becoming dangerously obsessed with him.

His peaceful, unremarkable life was officially over.