The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 142

“So, you’re the student assistant, Anise Haylan. There are quite the few rumors going around about how you are quick with your work.”

Anise covered her nose to avoid the heavy smell of alcohol.

She did it out of habit, but thinking of it, she realized it was rude to do it in front of a senior professor. Even though Anise felt bad, it seemed that Professor Kaleid didn’t care at all.

Kaleid, who came into the lab looking rather drunk, glanced at the corpse-like Assistant Professor Cleoh.

At that point, that appearance of hers has become the norm. He couldn’t remember the last time he hadn’t seen her so exhausted like that.

Aside from the schoolwork that was pushed onto her, she also conducted her own personal research. Even if she had ten different bodies, it wouldn’t have been enough.

“H-Hello, Professor Kaleid.”

“There’s no need to force such an expression.”

“D-Did I make such a face?”

Professor Kaleid looked around the lab, scratching his ponytail.

It had already been a week since the end-of-semester exams had been concluded. After that weekend, it would be the start of the break.

“Well… it seems it’s become a quiet period here in the lab. Only one of the student assistants showed up. Well, I guess it is a time where everyone is preparing for the break.”

Professor Kaleid took a crumpled paper envelope from his pocket, tossing it onto the middle of the table.

“Wh-What is this?”

“It’s a letter from the main office from this morning. They said the results of the exam have been calculated.”

“Then, this is about the grades?’

“Yes. The list of the top twenty students of each grade is also inside.”

Normally, it was a policy to not publicly announce the student’s grades. However, every semester they would post the top twenty students on the wall of the student center to act as motivation.

He went there to drop off the grades so they could take care of the work. Usually, a senior professor would personally take care of the matter—but Kaleid couldn’t be bothered.

“Check the list thoroughly, organize it neatly, and post it on the wall of the student center.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Anyway, Anise had her hands free.

As the semester came to an end, the amount of work allocated to Cleoh’s lab was also greatly reduced.

It was time for the long-awaited break. Assistant Professor Cleoh was lying on her desk in a deep sleep, as there wasn’t anyone giving her work anymore. As such, Anise was left only doing simple tasks, such as organizing the documents that were expired in the storage.

“Hmm…”

Anise picked up the envelope Professor Kaleid had thrown on the table as she swallowed her dry saliva.

Anise boasted outstanding results in written exams due to her meticulous personality, but her practical skills still lacked a lot.

She wanted to do all she could to achieve a high score and get the scholarship, but it was impossible with her lackluster grades.

However, this time she wanted to have a glimmer of hope, but…

“Ah, that’s right. Your name wasn’t on the list, Anise.”

Anise, who was opening the envelope with her heart pounding, was hit with a death sentence.

As Anise glared at Kaleid, he shrugged as he smoked some tobacco.

“What’s with you? If you saw it with your own two eyes, it was only going to hurt more.”

“Eeeghk… Ugh…”

Anise shook her head as she took a deep breath. Honestly, she wasn’t expecting all that much.

Since that was the case, the thing she was most curious about was Ed Rothstaylor’s grades.

Ed Rothstaylor had recently jumped up in standing thanks to his performance in the practical exams. That was because he was no longer just known as someone that worked hard, but also as someone that had actually achieved something.

He was considered the only student that could potentially defeat the current undisputed third year top student and take the seat himself.

Other grades might not be all that interested in it, but among the third years, it was a big deal… Anise herself was also quite curious.

And one of the best things about being a student assistant was that you had access to that type of information first.

“Whew…”

It wasn’t even her grades, but Anise was starting to get nervous again.

In the first place, Anise was someone that favored both Yennekar and Ed.

However, since only one of them would be able to be the top student, she suddenly felt a heartbreaking sadness hit her heart.

Still, the scales inside her leaned towards Ed.

Yennekar was kind, sincere, and one of her closest friends—one that she shared a deep connection with. It was a very precious relationship, but Anise saw a bit of herself in Ed, who always put in the utmost effort.

Anise was self-aware of that fact. That it was a kind of self-identification.

He was a man that had survived, clenching his teeth, without any background or talent to support him. His life could never be considered easy. It seemed that she saw herself in that life of his.

Anise knew the value that came in a life that endured like that. And that effort needed to be rewarded.

However, that didn’t mean that Yennekar didn’t put in any effort herself, nor did it mean she didn’t struggle or have a hard life.

Still, the amount of effort Ed put in was completely different.

“Where…”

Anise took a deep breath as she opened the envelope that Professor Kaleid gave her.

There were a bunch of papers inside. Looking at the top of the front page, Anise’s face instantly lit up.

But looking over the details for a brief moment… Anise’s gaze started to cool down, little by little.

* * *

[Look at these wings, Young Master Ed! When I spread them out like this… I can even cover your entire body! Kahahaha. Kahahahahahah! Khahahahahahahahahhahaha!]

Mugg laughed loudly before starting to cough, as if he were choking.

It was just last week that Mugg had raised his status and become a mid-ranking spirit. It really had only been a week.

[If you keep making a fuss like that, Young Master Ed may start to feel burdened by the magic power.]

[Y-You’re right…! I will refrain from burning my flames any longer. I just got a little too excited, but I’ll stop right away! Thank you for reminding me, Lacia…]

[Why are you talking to me so respectfully? Aren’t we both mid-ranking spirits now?]

[P-Pardon?]

On one side of the bench at sunset, before returning back to the camp after finishing my schoolwork, I sat on a bench eating a light meal.

The closing ceremony where all the classes for the semester were concluded had occurred that day. There were no more classes, which meant I wouldn’t have to go to the education district for a while.

So, I wanted to finish all the work I needed to do in the education district that day.

The camp I lived in was in the North Forest, which was a bit far from the education district. So, I didn’t want to have to keep going back and forth all that distance just to take care of a few trivial things.

[H-How could I ever…! N-No. Th-That’s right! Now that I’m a mid-ranking spirit, I have an equal standing to you, Lacia…!]

[That’s right.]

[S-Still, talking to you informally right away is too much… My heart isn’t ready… So… Can I take it slowly…?]

[……]

Mugg sat on the back of the bench as he flapped his wings around. Lacia was lying on the marble floor, licking the pads of her paws. As I watched the two of them arguing with each other, I had a strange feeling inside of me as I remember the way I had a similar war of nerves against Bell Maya

[You’re fussing over something that’s not even a big deal. And Ed’s magic power isn’t how it used to be. He can easily handle two mid-ranking spirits now, so don’t be so distressed.]

Meanwhile , Merilda snorted as she flipped through a thick book on the opposite side of the bench. She seemed strangely bothered.

“I can handle two mid-ranking spirits, but it is a bit of a burden. On that note, you are always next to me rather than Lucy.”

As I said that, Merilda, who was in her human form, narrowed her eyes as she shook her head.

[She has a lot of magic power, but she rarely ever visits the education district. I want to go to the library as often as I can, but if I followed her, I would need to walk in this uncomfortable body every day just to borrow books. The same is true for when I return them as well.]

“Have you already read all ten of the books you borrowed last week?”

[Art History has a lot of pictures. So, even though it’s thick, there’s not much text.]

After saying that, she hummed to herself while flipping the pages of the book. I was debating on whether I should say anything else to her, but I decided to stay quiet and leave her alone.

[The sky has become quite red. It seems that the sun is slowly setting, Young Master Ed. Isn’t it time to go and take care of the leftover work?]

Lacia asked me politely.

“Yeah. I’ll clean up my food and quickly get to work. I have to go to Trix Hall and apply for a school scholarship for next semester. Professor Flubin said I could also take the leftover textbooks if I needed them, so I’ll also have to stop by the lab.”

[You are quite busy.]

“There’s also a lot I need to do when I go back. For now… I managed to do well on the exams, so it’s about time for me to get ready to go back home. I have to arrange the carriage and confirm those that will accompany me.”

I was sure that the break would be a major turning point in my life.

So, the more thorough I was with preparing, the better things would be.

[When are you planning to meet with Lady Yennekar? Weren’t you planning on going together?]

“I told her we could meet at the student center after I take care of my work.”

I put away my food as I spoke.

“The grades for the semester must have come out.”

As I let out a deep sigh, only then did I realize.

Even though I acted like it wasn’t a big deal, I was somewhat nervous.

* * *

[Student grades for the first half of the year (Top 20)

.

.

– First Year Ranking –

1. Wade Callamore (Top student)

2. Joseph Whitefeld (Second rank student)

3. Dennis Beniams

4. Claude Vellasus

5. Tanya Rothstaylor

.

.

– Second Year Ranking –

1. Lucy Mayreel (Top student)

2. Lortel Kehelland (Second rank student)

3. Clevius Nortondale

4. Ziggs Eiffelstein

5. Taylee McLaure

.

.

– Third Year Ranking –

1. Ed Rothstaylor (Top student)

2. Yennekar Palerover (Second rank student)

3. Drake Laygus

4. Atalanta

5. Seri Camelan

.

.

– Fourth Year Ranking –

1. Daike Elpelan (Top student)

2. Trayciana Bloomriver (Second rank student)

3. Dorothy Whitefeld

4. Grooks

5. Patriciana Bloomriver

.

.]

Student Center

Sunset

Nail Hall stood majestically against the red sky. All the students were gathered around.

The list of the top twenty students that was announced by the school was able to be seen at a glance.

The moment I arrived at the student center, holding all sorts of papers and books, the eyes of all the students were already turned towards me.

The moment I heard them whispering to each other, I already had an idea of what it said.

Due to the structure of Silvenia’s grading, the top student rarely changed.

And the moment I saw my name as the top student for the third years, I slowly closed my eyes.

“H-He really took the seat as the third year’s top student…!”

“Honestly though, it makes sense. He worked so hard…”

“Do you think they would just give that seat to anyone who lives a hard life?”

“—–“

“—–“

With my eyes closed, I slowly found inner peace. The murmuring noises around me started to fade, little by little.

The memories I spent living in a ridiculously difficult environment, and the past years I spent enduring hardship, were playing behind my black eyelids.

The days I spent with everyone looking at me with disgust wherever I walked. The days where I had to endure it all through will and effort, because my body was wretched and I lacked any talents, were over.

After overcoming all of those hardships, I had finally risen to the top of my grade.

It took a year and seven months. During that time, I hardly ever had a proper sleep.

Some might say that I achieved incredible results in a short amount of time. Others might say that it was ridiculous that I was able to endure it all for such a long period of time.

Long or short, none of it mattered. In the end, I persevered and made it. Now, I proudly sat as the student that achieved top grades among the third years.

My chest felt tight. I was determined to silently accept whatever the results were, but seeing my hard work come to fruition, it seemed that a wave of emotions was washing over me.

It couldn’t be helped. I was only human. It was inevitable that my emotions would overflow.

I was barely able to open my eyes again as I grabbed my things, checking what was written on the wall once more. No matter how many times I looked at it, the name of the top student in the third year was Ed Rothstaylor.

“Whew…”

I took a deep breath.

After arriving in that world, had I ever experienced such a deep and immense sense of satisfaction? Perhaps the only time was when I first completed my cabin.

I read the details of the announcement with a heart weighed down with emotions.

The specific grades of each top student was written under their names. The grade difference between Yennekar and I was surprisingly large.

My grades were tallied together without any mistakes. But the moment I looked at Yennekar’s… I felt a strange sense of discomfort.

In that moment, I started to frown.

“Ed…! You’re the top student…!”

At that moment, Yennekar made her way through the students. The eyes of everyone turned to us in an instant. Recently, it felt like I was getting a lot of attention.

“Uaaaaah~ I ended up in second~ I guess, in the end, it was you who won Ed…!”

Yennekar’s expression, as she came skipping towards me, was rather relieved.

“Yennekar.”

“Uh, hm?”

“I have something to tell you. Let’s go to a place where there’s no one listening in.”

I grabbed her arm as I walked out of the crowd. Murmurs followed but I didn’t want to worry about all of that at the moment.

“Ed? Hm? Ed?”

A while after leaving the crowd, I let go of her arm.

Yennekar’s fingers were fiddling as if she were nervous.

“E-Ed? What’s wrong?”

“Did you intentionally do badly on the written exam?”

There was no reason to beat around the bush. I asked her bluntly.

After looking through the grades, I had a strong feeling that something was wrong.

Yennekar’s specialties were Spiritual Studies and Monster Ecology. Her written scores were strangely low in those classes.

It was difficult to control your scores on a practical test, since they looked at your resonance level. However, in a written test you could ‘control’ your score. It was especially easier in a subject that you knew well.

“Did you… give up the position of top student for me?”

When I asked that question, Yennekar’s shoulders dropped. After all, she was a girl that couldn’t lie.

“…Was it obvious…?”

“Why did you do that?”

“Either way… Because of the disciplinary action I received last time, I couldn’t even get a scholarship if I was the top student. And I’m still not allowed to return back to Ophelis Hall…”

Yennekar continued to fiddle with her fingers as she spoke shyly.

“Even though you were also kicked out of Ophelis Hall, you could at least receive the scholarship…”

“Didn’t you say that you would do your best while thinking of all the support you got from the people back home?”

“Well, the second seat is also an achievement. And… the expectations they have for me are heavy… As I lay in the camp and thought about it, I decided that I should step down from the first-place seat.”

Yennekar spoke shyly. She then smiled as she continued.

“And it wasn’t like you cheated your way to the top seat, Ed. Either way, I always thought that it would be better if you were the one that was the top student of the third years.”

I took a deep breath at those words.

I thought that I was able to get the title as a result of my efforts alone. That was also the reason why I felt so overwhelmed with bliss.

However, the truth was that Yennekar had given up.

Looking at the grades, if Yennekar did her written exams properly, I might now have even stood a chance.

That was why the difference in our grades was so much larger than I thought. In reality, there was no way of knowing what actually would have happened.

But that was all a thing of the past.

My desire to be the top student was a testament to my hard work. But ultimately, it was the benefits to being the top student that were important.

And now I had them. It was all thanks to Yennekar being considerate. That was how things ended up.

“Alright. Thanks.”

I softly responded to her.

My expression and tone of voice was the same as always. Without any change, I sincerely thanked her as I always did. In times like this, I was the one that needed to act mature.

“It was all thanks to you, Yennekar. Even if you weren’t able to get any benefits, it still couldn’t have been an easy decision to let go of the position as top student… And there are going to be all those people that look at you…”

“N-No…! It was you that did all the hard work, Ed…!”

“Either way, thanks. I won’t forget what you’ve done for me.”

After saying that, Yennekar’s expression wasn’t all that pleasant.

I tilted my head as if I felt something strange about her.

“E-Ed…?”

Then, at the moment Yennekar—who was contemplating for a while—was about to ask something…

Sasasak.

“This is where the two of you were.”

A poignant yet gentle voice. One I heard often in Cleoh’s lab.

Anise came out from the back of the benches, brushing her hair back. It looked as if she had been searching for us for a while.

“A-Anise…? Wh-What are you doing here…?”

“We promised to go to Laplace Bakery today. You, me, and Clara. To celebrate the closing ceremony. I can’t believe you always forget these things, Yennekar.”

“Today? D-Did we?”

Anise walked past me as she grabbed Yennekar’s arm tightly. But while doing so, she didn’t forget to greet me.

“Hello, Ed.”

“Did you finish all your work in the lab…?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, but I’ll be borrowing her. She had a prior appointment, but she must have forgotten.”

Yennekar tilted her head as Anise pulled her away.

Yennekar murmured that she didn’t remember making such a promise, no matter how much she thought about it. Anise just told her to think harder as she dragged her away, as if she was somewhat abducting her.

“Ah, that’s right.”

However, before disappearing with Yennekar, she turned her head back behind the setting sun and spoke.

“Congratulations on becoming the top student.”

“Thanks.”

And like that… Anise took Yennekar away, disappearing in a flash.

“……”

The sun was setting in the western sky. Before, it was early evening, but now it felt as if it were really going to become night.

I sat down on a nearby bench, placed my arms on the backrest, and looked up at the sky.

Afterwards, I needed to go back to the camp and look over the list of things I needed to do.

Thinking about the fact that summer break was going to start, I realized that there was a lot of work left for me to do.

Suddenly, an inexplicable sigh was let out.

The red sky looked rather beautiful.

* * *

“Why did you do that?’

“…H-Hm?”

“Yennekar, you made a mistake.”

Anise walked along, holding onto her arm tightly. Her arms was sore because of Anise’s tight grip, but Yennekar couldn’t bring up the pain at that moment.

Anise continued to drag her along for some time… After getting far away from Ed, she sat Yennekar down on a flower bed.

Anise lowered her head as she stopped for a moment.

She hadn’t known Ed Rothstaylor for all that long, but she was aware that at some point, she started to relate to him. Self-objectification was her main specialty.

That was why she thought that his hard work and efforts needed to be properly rewarded.

And looking at the results, even if Yennekar hadn’t given up, there was still a chance that he could have still been the top student. However, now things were left as an unknown possibility.

After finding out about that, Anise let out a sigh.

“Honestly, it’s not that serious. It’s not like you had ill intentions after all, Yennekar. You probably just wanted Ed to do well because you like him.”

“S-Saying it like that makes me feel… a bit…”

“But Yennekar. Don’t you remember the days you spent working hard to become the top student?”

Anise pressed on Yennekar’s red forehead as she stopped speaking.

She continued to press on her head, making eye contact.

Eventually, Yennekar started to think of things from Ed’s position.

The days where he worked hard without wasting any time, even giving up on his sleep.

The moment he found out that all his hard work resulted in becoming the top student… Only to find out that the result was nothing more than a ‘concession’. Those feelings Ed had.

Good intentions didn’t always necessarily mean good results.

However, Ed responded to Yennekar’s mistake with a mature thank you.

After thinking things through, Yennekar suddenly swallowed her breath.

“……”

“Yeah, Yennekar. You should know by now.”

In a corner of the school at sunset, Anise sat next to the flower bed Yennekar was sitting in.

“When you are in a higher position, just because you act nice doesn’t mean it’s good.”

Summer nights came early.

Now that it was summer, the darkness was also deeper than usual.

Sitting on the flower bed, watching the setting sun… Yennekar lowered her head.

Anise didn’t say anything useless as she quietly sat next to her.

“……”

“……”

And like that, the end-of-semester exams came to an end.

The top third year student, Ed Rothstaylor.

Because the weight of that name felt heavier than usual…

The two girls sat side by side, looking up at the setting sun.