The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 144

The Rothstaylor estate was located on the most desirable piece of land in the heart of the Empire. It boasted an incredibly large size in a highly ideal location.

In order to enter Kroelon, the empire’s capital, from the western coast of the continent— which was full of bustling cities—it was necessary to pass through the Rothstaylor Estate.

Its location suggested that House Rothstaylor protected the Kroel Imperial Family. That was why the citizens of the empire called the Rothstaylor Estate the Shield of the Capital.

And those who have actually passed through the estate understood why such a place was considered the Golden Land of the Empire.

A meadow draped in warm sunlight. A long, gentle road. A wide landscape that was relaxing to look at. Put together, it resembled paradise.

Looking at the flat road ahead of the carriage, all the worries filling one’s head would be blown away. Just hearing the wheels of the carriage turn was enough to relax someone.

The same was true for Tanya, who had spent most of her life at the Rothstaylor Estate.

As the carriage entered the estate, a familiar scene caught her eye. Normally, that would be the moment she calmed her heart and enjoyed the peaceful scenery.

“……”

However, Tanya’s complexion was dark blue. As if feeling the chill of winter, she tried her best to continue looking forward.

The carriage could seat up to four people, and two seats faced each other.

Aside from the driver, there were four people in the party, so there was just enough seats.

However, one of them was left vacant. That was because Lucy Mayreel wasn’t sitting in her seat.

“Uhm…”

For Tanya, her upperclassmen Lucy Mayreel was someone with a four-dimensional personality. Someone that was difficult to understand in a variety of ways.

Usually, her brother Ed was in control of Lucy. However, this time the situation was slightly different.

Lucy sat on Ed’s lap, exhaling in short breaths like a baby bird. The way she sat, with her body curled up, was in stark contrast to the way she usually was. Tanya wasn’t used to seeing such a sight.

And Yennekar, who sat in front of Lucy staring intently at her, was sitting right next to Tanya.

It wouldn’t be strange if a burst of flames were to come out of her eyes at that moment. That’s why Tanya could only straighten her back and carefully hold her breath.

As she kept her head down and hid her cold sweat, she remembered the time she upset Yennekar before.

“……”

Every woman around Ed Rothstaylor was terrifying.

Yennekar was like a heavenly girl, Lucy was like a fluttering feather, and Lortel looked rather mature… But for Tanya, who had seen the opposite side of each of them, her body trembled just remembering it.

Whoever Ed associated himself with was a major issue that could change the relationship within their family. However, Tanya was unable to say anything against it because of the trauma she had accumulated.

Creak

Yennekar slowly stood up from her seat.

Ed Rothstaylor was asleep, leaning against the wall of the carriage.

It was a long journey, one where they had to spend two nights outside. Naturally, the party had also become quite tired. It was about time that everyone began to talk less and lose energy.

It was only natural that he would be sleeping in the carriage. However, Lucy had naturally climbed up on his lap, falling into a deep sleep and rolling her body around.

Yennekar, who was watching her, couldn’t stand it anymore… She grabbed Lucy’s body and put her back in her seat.

“Y-Yennekar…”

“It’s dangerous to sleep like that…”

After saying that, she sat back down. However, Lucy looked around with a blank expression as she crawled back up on Ed’s lap.

She wasn’t drooling, but it did seem as if she were barely half-awake.

Yennekar pulled her away over and over again, but Lucy continued to climb back on his lap, falling asleep. She was very stubborn.

“Euu… Eeeek…”

In the end, to stop Lucy from climbing back onto Ed’s lap, she had no choice but to block the path.

Yennekar stumbled around as she eventually sat down on Ed’s lap herself.

“……”

She then happened to make eye contact with Tanya. She lowered her head as if embarrassed, but she still didn’t get off his lap.

When Lucy quickly opened her eyes, looking at Yennekar, Yennekar straightened her back as if saying ‘what are you going to do about it?’

Compared to Lucy, who was rather petite, Yennekar was much bigger. Plus, the carriage wasn’t all that spacious, so she was worried that if her body started to move around, she might end up bumping into something.

Still, she clenched her teeth as she held onto Ed’s knees. It seemed like it was her last act out of pride, so Tanya couldn’t say anything to her.

“…What the…?”

Shortly after, Ed woke up startled, jumping and making Yennekar hit her head on the carriage’s roof.

* * *

“We will arrive some time tomorrow.”

Even though they had just entered the Rothstaylor Estate, there was still quite a way to go before they reached the mansion.

Lucy clung to Ed’s back as Yennekar stared at Lucy, not giving in.

Meanwhile Tanya’s teeth were trembling as she chewed through a piece of bacon.

Camping… However, thanks to all the luxurious tents and camping equipment the driver prepared, it wasn’t all that bad.

The four of them had dinner sitting around the campfire… Even in the middle of summer, there was still a cool breeze.

Tanya knew just how powerful Yennekar and Lucy were. From her point of view, seeing the two of them fight like that—with sparks flying—was terrifying.

In the first place, Tanya was already afraid of both girls before they even started fighting. It was like lighting a match next to a gunpowder barrel that was about to explode.

Ed, on the other hand, looked a bit uncomfortable. Still, he managed to somewhat mediate between the two of them.

“B-Brother…”

However, Tanya’s fatigue had already reached its peak. Things were like that throughout the entire trip. The only thing she could do was tremble in fear between them.

“Y-You are quite close with each other…”

Tanya’s sharp political senses had pinpointed exactly what needed to be done at the moment.

She had to pick the right side.

Between the two of them, who was the one she needed to stick close to survive… That was what she needed to do. In the end, the most important thing was determining which one Ed looked at more favorably.

“……”

Ed put some bread in his mouth as he looked at Tanya.

They talked a lot while riding the carriage.

How did Ed become so close to people like Yennekar and Lucy? What kind of life did he live after being excommunicated? What hardships did he face and how did he overcome them?

Just sitting still and listening to him was enough to be in admiration of his journey. In the process, Tanya was also able to understand on a deeper level just what Yennekar and Lucy meant to Ed.

Yennekar was his best friend, a rival of sorts in the same grade as him, and they had built up affection for each other while living together.

In particular, she presented the image of someone who would always support him no matter what, even back in his days when he was nothing… There were many moments where Tanya felt emotional just hearing of it.

On the other hand, Lucy was Ed’s strength. In many cases, she was also the solution to his troubles… She was a trustworthy pillar of support. Ed was also the only one who had a deep understanding of her feelings and struggles. Right now, he was also the meaning of her life, and held an incredible level of importance to her.

Even though he pretends that wasn’t the case, Ed also seemed to be emotionally dependent on Lucy for a lot. That was why it was hard to imagine the two of them apart, since they both held a special meaning to each other.

The problem was that there was only one man, but two women. In fact, if you looked at the school as a whole, there were more than just two.

It was hard to imagine just what kind of mess the situation would be if Lortel were with them. Tanya sighed. Fortunately, the only people Ed needed to bring as his means of power were the two of them.

While immersed in the atmosphere, the coachman spoke to Tanya.

“Lady Tanya, when you return to the mansion tomorrow, I believe you will have talks about the negotiations of the seal.”

“Ah, that’s right. It’s already been nearly a year since the Sage’s Seal had been transferred over, so if we proceed with the purchase now, people won’t be suspicious.”

If Lortel sold the Sage’s Seal right after buying it, there was a possibility that the connection between the Elte Company and House Rothstaylor would be exposed, creating suspicions.

That was why House Rothstaylor was judging the appropriate time needed before purchasing the seal. And right about now, the Elte Company should also be thinking about the profits of the Seal… So, it was time to actively negotiate the purchase.

“Also, Roland—who is one of the higher ups of the Elte Company—will be participating in the social event this time. You can talk to him about it then.”

“In actuality, it would be much faster and quicker to handle things with Lortel, but… Being the student council president, who knows what rumors would circulate if I were to personally meet with the highest executive of the Elte Company…”

“It would be ideal to come up with a rough estimate, come up with a plan, and proceed with the deal after school starts up again.”

After the coachman finished speaking, Tanya nodded her head.

And the moment she was about to take another sip of the herbal tea the coachman had brewed—

“Yennekar Palerover.”

A voice called out that name.

Her eyes immediately went to Lucy, who was sitting, wrapped around Ed’s back.

Lucy Mayreel. It was the first time she had seen her call someone else’s name out directly. That guy, that kid, that man, that old man, that person. Wasn’t she a girl who always referred to others in such a manner?

People thought that she didn’t memorize other people’s names because it was bothersome, but right now, that theory was proven false.

Ed was also curious as he raised his eyes, looking towards Lucy.

Then, Lucy looked straight at Yennekar as she spoke.

“Do it in moderation. There are a lot of spirits around here, too.”

After that long confrontation, a preemptive attack finally flew in.

Tanya took a deep breath. However, she was so nervous that she couldn’t exhale.

“…What?”

“Every day, there are all these spirits gathering around the camp. Whenever Ed does something, they run over to you and start chattering away, reporting about it.”

You could guess what Lucy was trying to say. Yennekar shrugged her shoulders for a moment as she broke out in cold sweat.

“At a glance, it’s obvious that they are watching Ed’s every single move. Don’t you think it bothers him, having them watch him every second of every single day and night…?”

Hearing those words, Yennekar swallowed her breath. She glanced over to look at Ed’s expression.

In the first place, Ed was already aware that there were always a large number of spirits around him.

Of course, the Northern Forest wasn’t always full of spirits. But around the camp, there are always a particularly high number of spirits coming and going.

Ed didn’t care all that much because he wasn’t doing anything that he couldn’t show to others.

However, Lucy, who came in and out of the camp as often as Ed, was extremely bothered by it… She snuggled up behind Ed’s back as she spoke straight to Yennekar.

“It’s insidious.”

“Th-That… The spirits, on their own…”

“You could stop them from doing it, but you don’t. While pretending to be pure…”

Tanya raised her eyes as she glanced towards Yennekar. Yennekar wiggled her fingers, trying to avoid Tanya, as if her gaze were heavy.

Unable to watch any further, Ed put some more bacon and bread into his mouth before speaking.

“It’s fine. I don’t really care. Honestly, from my position, they help with safety. It’s not like they’ve only been talkative for a day or two. Honestly, there are many things that the spirits have helped me with.”

“See…! He doesn’t even care…!”

“But at the same time… I didn’t think that it would be at the level of reporting my every move…”

Yennekar swallowed her breath again as Lucy quickly turned her body, sitting down on Ed’s lap. While Yennekar furrowed her brow, she couldn’t help but glance at Ed’s reaction.

“D-Does that… make you feel bad?”

“It’s not that it makes me feel bad, but… It’s just that I didn’t know about it. Don’t worry too much.”

“Eughk…”

Yennekar pursed her lips, unable to say anything else.

She never gave the order for the spirits to report Ed’s every move, but she didn’t stop the spirits from talking about Ed, either.

Since the crime wasn’t any better even if it wasn’t intentional, Yennekar had no choice but to keep her mouth shut.

“Dark, insidious, shady…”

Lucy sat on Ed’s lap, muttering out those words. Like usual, she had dazed eyes as she spoke in a sleepy tone… But strangely, it felt as if she were also smiling.

Yennekar couldn’t stand it since she hated Lucy, but… Unfortunately, everything she said was a fact. A rebuttal was impossible.

“If it were me, I would feel so sorry and go far away as posibleeeee—”

As Lucy was saying whatever she felt like, Ed pulled on her tiny cheeks.

“Don’t go overboard. You know very well that Yennekar didn’t do that with bad intentions.”

“Ed…!”

As Yennekar nodded her head in excitement, Lucy puffed her cheeks as she tugged at Ed’s tie. Although she had a dissatisfied expression on her face, she couldn’t use force against Ed. That was why she was protesting in her own little way.

Ed continued to talk while patting Lucy’s head.

“Anyway, when we get to the mansion, I will probably meet with my father right after a simple luncheon. We should go to the luncheon together, though.”

Now that they were close to the Rothstaylor mansion, they had to talk about what they would do the next day.

“After introducing you two and having a conversation, we will talk about the social event… And each of you will get assigned a room. In any case, I think it would be better if Lucy were assigned the room closest to me.”

“H-Huh… Why?”

Yennekar asked in surprise.

“Yennekar, you need to be in a room a little further away. Use your spirits as secretly as possible to check the overall structure of the mansion.”

“I am already well aware of the mansion’s structure, brother.”

“There is a big difference between hearing words and actually seeing it. And you should check the flow of magic power to see if anything is unnatural, or if there are any suspicious places.”

Putting his hand down on Lucy’s head, Ed firmly spoke to the group.

“We’re here to find evidence to reveal the truth behind Krepin Rothstaylor. Let’s not forget that fact. With our testimony as insiders, if we can find enough evidence to prove it then the position of Krepin will be shaken.”

“……”

Yennekar and Lucy didn’t react to those words, but there was a shadow on Tanya’s expression.

Tanya was a girl that admired Krepin her entire life and had lived all for the glory of House Rothstaylor.

Over the past few months, her opinion must have changed a lot as she learned the truth behind it all. She had even directly experienced the overturning of the murder charges… Still, as the youngest daughter of the family, it was complicated for her to bring down Krepin.

The human mind could not be changed easily. Ed wanted Tanya to steel her heart, at least while they were in the Rothstaylor mansion.

Then Lucy opened her mouth.

“There’s no need for me to go to the next room. After all, I need to always have my eyes on you.”

The Rothstaylor mansion was basically enemy territory.

That was why Lucy always seemed ready to protect him.

Lucy clasped her knees as she spoke in a dazed voice.

“Let’s just share the same room. You can just ask them to do that.”

Again, there was silence.

Tanya got goosebumps, so she couldn’t bear to see Yennekar’s expression.

“Wh-What are you saying…?”

“Your job is to keep a close eye on the interior of the mansion, but mine is to keep him safe.”

“E-Ed… S-She’s saying stupid…”

Yennekar couldn’t finish her sentence. That was because she saw Ed with his hand on his chin, thinking about it seriously.

No matter what, right now Ed was risking his life. The stakes were too large to take any unnecessary risks for no reason.

Seeing that, Yennekar was losing her mind.

* * *

The outer walls of the mansion could be seen in the distance.

The scale of it was so amazing that it looked closer to a village than a mansion.

There was also a small hill and a clock tower that had a massive version of the House crest on it.

The main building of the mansion, the shabbier building used by the servants, one for storage, and another for managing the garden… There were about five or six buildings in sight.

It was the home Ed and Tanya Rothstaylor were born and raised in. It was also the headquarters of the Rothstaylor Household that ruled over the continent.

A mansion of that size was suitable for their glory. It was much larger than Ophelis Hall, where the distinguished students of Silvenia Academy lived.

In fact, that was obvious. If the mansion of the continent’s most powerful man was smaller than a dormitory at a school, what would that look like?

When the mercenaries guarding the main entrance of the mansion greeted us politely and opened the gate, a beautiful road decorated with roses and trees stretched out towards the mansion.

As the coachman pulled his horse towards the mansion, the servants and vassals that were passing by while doing their work politely bowed their heads towards the carriage.

Here, the members of House Rothstaylor were like emperors and gods. Here, the powerful Duke Rothstaylor commanded the land as far as one could see. His words were stronger than those of Emperor Kroel, who was located off in the distant capital.

As we rode the carriage for a while longer, I saw a number of maids and servants lining up at the entrance of the mansion.

“We have finally arrived.”

As the coachman politely opened the carriage door, the entrance to the massive mansion came into view.

The marble steps, decorated with flowers, looked majestic. A procession of workers lined up on both sides as they bowed their heads. Seeing that, Yennekar, who was a mere commoner, lost her breath.

Of course, Lucy didn’t seem to care at all.

“You have gone through a lot during such a long journey.”

The coachman gave his farewells before getting out of the way. Tanya was the first to nod her head. Naturally, she was escorted off the carriage as she handed her luggage to a servant.

After that, Lucy and Yennekar, who were sitting by the exit, got off next.

Lucy jumped down casually, while Yennekar was embarrassed and burdened by everyone around her.

She had never been treated like that in her entire life, so she was flustered. She walked forwards, fiddling her fingers, but when a servant politely asked for her luggage, she became startled and began walking backwards quickly.

She was someone who definitely couldn’t become a noble.

Finally, I got off as I naturally handed my personal luggage to a servant.

Thud!

At that moment, the small wooden bag that held my things fell to the floor. It seemed that I had let go of it too early while handing it over.

In a moment, the noise spread out throughout the entrance. There was tension among the workers. It spread among each and every one of them, as if a great disaster had arrived.

“I-I apologize…! Young Master Ed…!”

Suddenly the servant who was holding my luggage threw his head down onto the floor.

“I-I was just nervous after seeing you after a long time…! Your majesty was so dazzling, seeing you return back home in glory. This humble thing of yours has made a mistake…!”

As if he were still traumatized, he apologized with all his might as he crawled on the floor.

I could easily guess what Ed Rothstaylor’s usual words and actions were like.

I didn’t bother saying anything as I picked up the wooden bag myself. The worker trembled as he took a defensive posture. He must have thought that I would hit him with a swing from my wooden bag.

I looked around, but none of the other workers moved one bit. However, looking closely, I could see each of them in a cold sweat.

“It’s alright. I can carry it myself.”

After saying that, I walked through the entrance with my wooden bag.

Among the workers who lowered their heads, a strange silence spread. I already knew why they felt such a strange sense of incongruity… It’s because I didn’t make a scene.

* * *

The first thing I saw after entering through the front door was a massive portrait.

Behind the eagle statue that symbolized House Rothstaylor’s majesty, there was a massive portrait that took up the large wall.

It was usually a place where one would hang a picture of their ancestors or the current head of the house.

It would be done to clearly state the origins of the House to visitors of the mansion.

However, the portrait hanging in the lobby was of a young woman.

Her wide-open eyes were full of vitality and life. Her blonde hair flowed down tremendously, like her benevolent heart.

Her gentle smile showed so much warmth that one would feel comfort by just looking at it.

And her name was written below the portrait.

‘Arwen Rothstaylor.’

“It must have been a long time since you’ve last seen Arwen’s portrait, brother. But when you lived in the mansion… strangely, you hated it.”

Saying that, Tanya swallowed her breath. She was worried that she might have said something inappropriate.

I shook my head as I looked up at the large portrait once more.

They were no longer in this world.

And I was not in a position to talk about them, either.

It was just Krepin’s intentions for hanging such a large portrait of Arwen… I was curious about them.

Was it the longing for his daughter, who had left the world first? Or was it to simply pay tribute to the eldest daughter of House Rothstaylor?

Unless you were him, it was probably impossible to know.

“You’re here.”

At that moment, the large wooden door above the lobby’s stairs opened. A man appeared with four servants.

“You’ve gone through a lot, traveling such a long way.”

He had a thick cloak wrapped around his luxurious clothes, which were made with all sorts of expensive fabrics.

The reason he looked young for his age wasn’t all that complicated. It was simply because he was rich.

I looked up at Krepin, who was standing by the railing, before speaking slowly.

“It’s been a long time, Father.”

How was he going to take that statement?

Amidst the silence… Finally, Krepin opened his mouth.

“Yes. I worried about you quite a lot. I missed you, Ed. My son.”

Krepin was relaxed as he smiled broadly.

No one in the group could feel the emotions and closeness of a family, despite the affection on his face.

The layers on his face, acting like a mask…We all knew it’s falseness all too well.