The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 124

The next Saint, Adele Cerise.

It was a name that circulated among the high priests of the Holy Father Building.

A talented individual that was set to fill the position as the next Saint, which had been vacant for a long period after the death of the former Saint, Elnir.

The qualification to become the Saint that would receive the blessing of Telos and sit at the top of the Holy Capital wasn’t something given to just anyone. They had to be fundamentally pure, beautiful, and gracious to the point that no one could look down on them. They also needed to be born with an enormous amount of divine power and be able to accept the Holy Blessing without any issues.

For Adele… Her divine powers were so tremendous that exaggerated rumors began to circulate that she might be a reincarnation of their God, Telos.

That was because of her Sacred Magic, which manipulated Divine Power as if it were her own Magic Power. There were even rumors that it surpassed the level of Celestial Magic.

All because of her foresight that pulled apart timelines and peered into the future. A miracle that twisted the providence of the world.

An image of elegance, from her long light yellow hair to that constant soft smile on her face as she played the lute. Even when she wore a blouse and rugged skirt that had become frail while living in the ghettos, Adele had a holy energy around her that couldn’t be described in words.

However, she wasn’t without her own flaws.

She had come from a humble orphanage in the commercial city of Oldek. And even though she possessed a tremendous amount of divine power, which could foretell the future, she couldn’t control it on her own.

Those flaws sometimes shackled her ankles. However, despite her shortcomings there was still no one more fit to take up the vacant position of Saint.

Adele was ready to ascend to the position of Saint, as she had finally been baptized, approved for the position of Saint, and received the Holy Blessing.

Since she had received the consent of the Holy Father and the Archbishop, alongside the support of the other bishops, all that was left was the final stigma ceremony.

A ceremony in which she would stab her finger with a dagger, the blood dripping into holy water under the sun at noon in the square out in front of the Holy Father Building.

Now that all the preparations to become a Saint were complete, it was a ceremony to reveal her face to the public and announce her to the entire world.

“……”

The day before the stigma ceremony, Adele sat alone at the top of the spire of the Holy Father Building and looked at the night sky. She slowly closed her eyes.

From an orphanage in Oldek to the top of the Holy Father Building. It was an unbelievable level of status to increase in just a few months. She wasn’t accustomed to the speed of things, but Adele still managed to live while following the flow of the world around her.

However, after being baptized she began to feel a stronger than usual level of divine power revolving around her body… And one day, she witnessed a new future.

It felt like a small branch in the future, one that she could barely grasp. When it felt as if it had barely reached her hand, Adele immediately opened her eyes, getting a grip on herself.

What had bloomed under that night sky was something that she hadn’t seen before… Her own future.

Slam!

Craaaash!

The next morning, the door to the Archbishop’s office swung open.

The priest that rushed in delivered the report to the Archbishop in an urgent manner.

‘—! —!’

All of the plans were already in place. After that day’s stigma ceremony, the birth of a new saint would be announced to the public. Then, the existence of the next saint, who was currently only known to the clergymen of the Holy Father Building, would be revealed to the world.

But Adele Cerise, who was appointed as the next saint… had given up on ascending to the position the day before.

For a long time, there was a commotion. There were quite a few conflicts that occurred, but in the end, Adele didn’t ascend to the position of Saint of the Holy Father Building.

She was still recognized as a priest for her enormous divine power and also given the position of the keeper of the torch at the top of the spire… A trivial job that didn’t require much work.

In the end, the girl sat on top of the Holy Emperor Building, playing the lute as she sang like a secluded poet.

And with that, the position of Saint remained vacant for a while longer.

Rumors that the next Saint had been born were slowly starting to fade… until it was dismissed as a mere rumor.

And for the romantic singer, who sang pleasantly in the wind at the top of the spire of the Holy Emperor Building… There were depressing rumors circulating about her among the lower priests.

Five years passed from that incident.

That was the amount of time it took until Saint Clarice, who was revered by all of the members of the Holy City, was honored.

She held an enormous divine power that was believed to have been formed by monopolizing God’s love. The ability to easily adapt to Sacred Magic as she embraced the Holy Blessing as if it were nothing. She was born with a pleasant disposition and held a mysterious yet sacred appearance.

Sitting on top of the spire, watching Clarice go through the stigma ceremony in the square out in front of the Holy Father Building… Adele put down her lute.

The noon sky stretched out high above her. A large number of believers were cheering and blessing the birth of a new Saint.

If a god up in the sky were to look down on the human world, would he see that same view?

With such a fleeting thought, Adele looked down at Clarice with sadness in her eyes.

***

“I didn’t realize that you were the type to want to show off, Ed.”

She spoke meaningless words.

They were at the carriage storage, near the entrance of Mexes Bridge. Most of the carriages that passed through the bridge stopped there, so it acted like a meeting place among merchants.

Obviously, that meant it was also a part of the Elte Company’s territory. So, when Lortel entered the storage, all of the workers’ eyes widened as they quickly bowed their heads.

“What… in the world is happening…? Anyone would think that she’s hypnotized or something.”

“Well, if I have to explain… It’s quite a long story.”

Lortel and I were consciously avoiding looking behind us.

Behind us, there was a glass window that blocked the entrance of the storage room. And on the other side of it was Saint Clarice, clinging to the window as she looked inside with wet eyes.

The escorts were hesitating, unsure what to do in such a strange situation. Passerbys wondered why the normally noble and dignified Saint was clinging to the window with such a disgraceful appearance.

Even after we had left Nail Hall with Lortel, Clarice continued to stick to me. Because of that, we couldn’t help but grab the attention of the people outside no matter where we went.

I couldn’t do anything as she cried, grabbing my arm tightly in case we were separated.

If we were to enter the carriage storage like that, we would gain too much attention and be unable to gather any information. So, for the moment we decided to leave the Saint back in the carriage as the two of us left it… Outside the window, she was fussing like a dog that had lost its owner.

Lortel took a deep breath as she went to the counter and quietly called on the owner.

The owner, who bowed low, greeted her—afraid that he might accidentally offend Lortel. He was sweating as he ran behind the counter, wondering what Lortel was going to say.

Lortel grabbed my arm as she sat me in a chair in the corner of the storage, sitting next to me.

“Since you told me it was urgent, I went along with it and came here with you. Was there really a good enough reason for me to have rushed here with you, forfeiting the final duel in the Joint Combat Training…?”

Now that she had come with me like I wanted, it was time for me to explain things.

I sat hunched over as I sighed. It was difficult to decide where to start my explanation.

Above all else, when I raised my head slightly, I could see Clarice’s face moving around outside the window.

“I first need to figure out how important this is, and then I’ll decide on the price I’ll charge. Even though I always try to keep a cooperative relationship with you… you should still know that my price isn’t cheap, right?”

“Yeah… I know that well.”

Lortel smiled brightly, but there was a strange sense of anger mixed in with it. Her face had veins popping as she unconsciously glanced towards the window.

“I know your charm all too well. What I don’t understand is how the Saint, who was in the education district acting dignified just yesterday, has suddenly turned into such a sunflower.”

“Yeah, I can’t blame you. The truth is, I don’t really understand it either.”

Time kept repeating, but I was unable to remember it. So, from my point of view, I didn’t even know where to start my explanation.

“What I’m certain of is that… there’s not a lot of time.”

“What?”

“I’m sure you’ll realize it soon enough, but for now we have to do everything we can.”

I was already led to Mexes Bridge by Clarice, took a break at the square near the entrance, went all the way back to the student center, met with Lortel, and finally came with her to the carriage storage.

Going back and forth was all a waste of time. Looking at how much time was left, there was only a little bit before the Joint Combat Practice would end. The peace would be broken then.

As Lortel asked what I was talking about, the owner hurriedly came out to find Lortel.

All the testimonies regarding it, which came from the people scattered all around the storage, had been gathered in an instant.

Most of the nearby horsemen and merchants had walked through the alleys before coming to the storage. So, we were able to quickly discover the information.

Lortel got up from her seat as she walked towards the owner.

He handed the various notes to Lortel while vigorously explaining everything. After Lortel gave a brief thanks, he waved his hand and bowed to Lortel respectfully.

She then sat back down as she spoke to me.

“All the information regarding what they saw has been gathered. Well, this storage near the entrance also serves somewhat like the school’s gate. They must have quickly gathered information from everyone that was in the back.”

“For now, sit down here, Lortel.”

“…Didn’t you say there’s no time?”

“Yes, that’s why.”

“…What?”

Lortel seemed to be thinking of negotiating with me for the information in her hand. But seeing how urgently I needed it, I’m guessing she thought she would be able to ask for a high price. That was an accurate judgment.

However, rather than asking for anything right away, I had Lortel sit next to me.

“You said that you were waiting for the final duel. But it’s already been quite some time since we left Nail Hall and came all the way here. So, the Joint Combat Practice will be over soon.”

“Well… That’s right?”

“Then you’ll find out soon enough.”

“What… Will I find out…?”

I sat still as I clasped my hands, quickly telling her the entire story.

“Lortel. You never panic regardless of the situation. You have a great talent, one that allows you to always understand a situation rationally, and you act accordingly.”

“…Why are you talking suspiciously like that?”

“It’s just… At times like this, your temperament shines. So, whatever happens… Please don’t panic. And I hope you will believe what I am going to tell you.”

Lortel sat still, looking at me silently. I thought she would make a fuss about the cost of the information in her hand, but it seemed that she felt something was wrong. She gripped her hand without showing a reaction.

“I’m not sure why you’re doing this, but how about we go outside first and…”

“No. It’s better to stay in the building for now.”

Before Lortel could say ‘why?’…

A thunderous roar was heard from outside.

Before anyone had a chance to realize what had just happened… A vibration, as if the world were collapsing, struck Acken Island.

It all happened so quickly.

The people in the storage room couldn’t bear the shaking as they fell. Then, wings that covered the sky above Acken Island showed themselves.

Rooooar! Roooooooooooor!

Glass windows shattered as the papers on the table flew away, into the lobby. The tables the customers were sitting at and the bookshelves full of books collapsed.

I heard the gist of the story from Clarice. I didn’t know how many times time had rewound, but she did say that the Holy Blue Dragon Velbrok descended on Acken Island at the end of the Joint Combat Practice. She also spoke of how it destroyed half of the commercial district with a single kick, and how it slaughtered everyone with its scales.

Boom! Boooooom!

Lortel’s pupils trembled slightly. I quickly turned, looking around before I grabbed Lortel’s arm and pulled her close to me.

“Wh-What…?!”

I held onto her tight as I rolled onto the floor with Lortel.

“Wh-What…?! All of a sudden!”

Fwooooosh!

Before Lortel could say anything, hundreds of scales flew through the walls of the storage building.

I covered Lortel’s body completely as I rolled under the stone table.

Fwooooosh!!

Clang, Clang, Clang!!!

Storm’s Blessing activated, covering my body. The strong wind blocked the scales that were coming towards me, but… it couldn’t completely block all of them. Storm’s Blessing was a skill that was always activated. Of course, compared to when Merilda was fully manifested, its power was also weaker.

“K-Keuk!”

It was difficult for me to predict just how powerful Velbrok’s wide-area attack would be. I thought that it would be enough to defend against it, but Velbrok’s scales continued to fly towards me, breaking through.

Since I was aware of the attack and crouching down, it barely missed my vitals. There was a burning in my shoulder and thighs, but it wasn’t to the extent I couldn’t move my body.

Slowly, I stood up. I looked around at the people nearby… and half of them had been killed in an instant, while the other half were lying on the floor, seriously injured.

The storage lobby was full of screaming and moaning.

I slowly looked towards Lortel, who was in my arms.

Drops of blood dripped down her cheek. Fortunately, it wasn’t hers.

“Keuheuk… Phew… Shit… Still… At least it missed my vitals…”

Lortel’s pupils trembled as the blood dripped down. I was sure I looked awful as I staggered, looking down at Lortel. It was a miracle that I was even able to get away with a wound of that size.

The walls of the storage, which were made of marble, were quite strong and were able to block about half of the scales from the attack. And the stone table we rolled underneath was also high quality, seeing as it held up.

Thanks to that… We were able to somehow survive Velbrok’s first attack cleanly. No, it actually wasn’t clean.

“E-Ed…”

Lortel looked up at me, holding her breath. Lortel’s chest went up and down, maybe from momentary hyperventilation.

I staggered as I stood up, then I grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

Lortel, unable to go against my strength, stood up from her spot… Seeing the corpses lying around, her eyes started to tremble again.

Roooooooooooooooooooooooooor!

The Holy Blue Dragon’s roar cut through the sky once more. I was also short of breath because of the sudden situation, but I put my hands on her shoulders as I forcibly shook her.

“So…”

During it all, Lortel was holding the notes that had been delivered to her tightly in one hand.

“…How much…?”

Lortel looked at my shoulder, which had been severely cut. She quickly covered it tightly to stop the blood flowing from the wound. When I let out a moan of pain, I had an overwhelmed expression on my face for a moment before getting rid of it.

In the present situation, it wouldn’t be unusual for someone to panic and tremble without reason.

However, even in the midst of all of that, Lortel grabbed ahold of herself as she spoke.

“Since you saved my life… I should actually be the one paying you.”

Her voice subtly trembled, but seeing as she was able to maintain at least that level of reason, she really did have a ridiculous level of mental strength.

“You can pay me later.”

“Alright. This is quite the business deal. Is there time to explain yourself?”

“Unfortunately not, as you can see.”

The shadow that showed through the broken windows belonged to the Holy Blue Dragon Velbrok, covering Acken Island.

Looking outside and hearing the screams of people throughout the school, I only felt awe, not fear.

Lortel then opened up the blood stained notes as she placed it in my hand.

“There were thirteen sightings of him. I think most of them came from the magic supplies vendors. It seems that the Holy Father and the Archbishop were wearing outer coats covered in hidden magic as they led a special unit through the alleyways. Most of their attendants went straight to Trix Hall. It’s not a lot of information, since it was gathered in a hurry, but it seems that it all points to one place.”

“Where is that…?”

“It’s the school’s cathedral inside the education district. It’s a place reserved for believers of the Telos Religious Group among the students and staff.”

“If they’re only heading there… Did they really need to hide their route…?”

“They must have done it because they had to.”

The Telos Cathedral inside the school was located in a corner of the education district. It was bigger than one would think, since there were quite a few believers among the students and faculty.

While the Holy Father and the Archbishop visited the school, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to have them visit the cathedral.

However, seeing as they secretly went there with a special unit… In fact, it was particularly strange, seeing as they set aside all of their other appointments and there the moment they arrived on Acken Island.

Lortel covered my wound as she looked straight in my eyes, struggling to hold back her trembling voice.

“First, we have to get out.”

***

Clarice was devastated as she tried to forcefully pull open the storage room’s door.

Looking around… there were already tons of people that had been bloodied. Thanks to her Holy Blessing, Clarice was unharmed. However, she wasn’t able to protect the lives of the two knights that had been trying to protect her.

“Ughk… Keuk…!”

She tried to pull the door of the storage room with a face that was drenched in tears, but it was difficult because she only had the strength of a young girl. In the end, right as she was about to destroy it using Sacred Magic…

Boom!

Due to the strong magic power that came from inside, the door was smashed open as it went flying.

Stepping outside was Lortel, who was supporting Ed.

“Ed…! No… No…!”

Clarice took another deep breath. Ed’s death, which she had already watched dozens of times, still remained traumatic for her. And seeing him bleed out like that again made her skin crawl.

Ed looked up and nodded his head, as if to say it was alright. But as if Clarice completely ignored his reaction, she ran up to him while wiping her face.

“Ed… Ed…”

Without paying any attention to Lortel, she examined Ed’s body, trying to look at his injuries. She rubbed her eyes as if she were about to burst into tears again.

“It seems like at least one of the horses can still move, if only just. The wound is bad, but… It can at least head to the education district. That’s a relief.”

Lortel looked at the Holy Blue Dragon covering the sky as she trembled. However, she clenched her teeth as she got a grip on her composure again. Although they claimed that she was able to maintain her rationality under any circumstances, it couldn’t’ be helped that she would be at a loss of words with the situation suddenly taking a turn like that.

“Loosen the reins of that horse. We’re going to ride it.”

Ignoring the Saint, who was looking at Ed and making a fuss, Lortel quickly released the reins that connected the horse to the carriage. She pulled it to the side just as Ed told her to.

She then took a saddle from the carriage’s cargo, putting it onto the horse’s back. She quickly tied the frame down and grabbed the leash.

“Even though there’s a saddle… It’ll be difficult to ride it with more than two people. One of us three should stay behind.”

“Me and the Saint need to go. If I have to explain… It’s quite a long story…”

After saying that, Lortel glared at Clarice and Ed alternately. Ed wrapped his wound as he grabbed the saddle of the horse. Clarice continued to cling onto Ed as she cried.

At any moment, the Holy Blue Dragon in the sky might roar, destroying the world.

Everything that was happening was an overwhelming situation, but Lortel took in a deep breath as she finished organizing her thoughts.

“Please get on quickly, Saint.”

“Ah-Ahh…”

Ed quickly grabbed the horse’s reins as he hopped on. Afterwards, Lortel pushed the Saint up on top of the horse.

Looking up at the two of them, they seemed like a man and women that were escaping for the sake of love… Lortel felt nauseous watching them.

“I’m sure you have your own plans, Ed. Since things are happening so urgently, and it seems there is no time to spare, I’ll put my complete trust into you.”

Lortel suddenly spoke as she grabbed onto the saddle.

“Thank you, Lortel. I promise to pay you back later.”

“No, you have to pay me back now.”

Lortel put one foot on the saddle as she pulled him forward with a sharp tug. She clutched his chest as she pulled his upper body down.

With that, their lips met deeply… She then jumped back down from the horse.

“Eh… Ehhhh…??”

Clarice watched the scene, blushing as she covered her mouth… She let out an embarrassed sound.

“That’s our second time, Ed.”

She had kissed him in an instant, as if to show off to Clarice.

“Well, at least she’s with you to watch your back.”

She looked at Clarice as she let go of the saddle, smiling at her sensuously.

“Saint. In this world there is something called business ethics. If one were to run off with a prized item recklessly, without paying… Things would end up getting complicated.”

There was no way someone as naïve as Clarise could respond. She just sat there in a daze.

Ed also looked at Lortel with wide eyes, as if he were also quite embarrassed… Lortel slapped the horse’s butt with a polite yet bewitching smile.

It was an urgent situation. Before anyone could say anything, the horse ran away as it let out a neigh.

Watching the horse quickly run off, Lortel quietly turned around looking up at the sky.

“Alright… Unless I’m mistaken… The Century of Calamity, where the Holy Blue Dragon ran wild, should have ended three hundred years ago…”

There was an overwhelming magnificence that emanated from its giant appearance. Looking at it, Lortel struggled to put on a smile.

The one that laughed in the face of a crisis was the one that would ultimately win. She hoped that the proverb would remain true… She was sincerely hoping for it.