The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 146

The third princess, Penia, returned to the Kroel Imperial Family.

It had been more than half a year since Princess Penia, who had always stayed within the Imperial Household, had left for Silvenia Academy.

The way she always walked around the Imperial Household beautifully, caring for the servants with the utmost kindness, was admired by everyone.

The Imperial Family was worried about Princess Penia spending four years in a foreign land to graduate from school. However, every vacation she would return to the household to ease their worries.

The same was true for her third break since entering Silvenia.

All of the guards, mercenaries, and servants paid their respects towards Princess Penia, who they had not seen in a while. Princess Penia was the same as always, with her gorgeous platinum blonde hair, a beautiful dress that suited her, and her dignified yet elegant appearance that people admired.

Like a triumphant general, she proudly walked through the main entrance of the Imperial Palace. As she walked through the splendid rose garden, she offered a prayer to Telos. Countless servants and attendants followed behind her as if she were holding a ceremony.

Finally, when she went to the presence chamber, Penia bowed politely in front of Emperor Kroel.

“I have returned for vacation, Emperor. Have you been in good health?”

“It has been a long time, Penia. My health is the same as always. Perhaps it is because I don’t follow my doctor’s advice, since I am always concentrating on my work.”

“All of the people of this land praise your name, so what would it mean if your body wasn’t in good health?”

“That’s true. My body is not only mine. However, you don’t look all that healthy either.”

Penia was suddenly speechless.

Princess Penia returned to the imperial family in a fancy outfit with splendid accessories that embodied dignity and nobility. No matter who saw her, she looked just as beautiful and benevolent as she did before she left the household.

However, to Emperor Kroel, that didn’t seem to be the case. He looked at Princess Penia with even more focus.

He has been watching over Princess Penia since she was a child. That was why he noticed that the current Princess Penia in front of him was unlike her usual self.

For example, whenever she visited Emperor Kroel, she would talk about her experiences and the new things she learned rather than worrying about his health and safety. She was a girl that would become overly excited, telling her stories until she belatedly remembered to ask about the emperor’s health.

Princess Penia’s childhood wasn’t great.

Even though she lived at the peak of power, she was on the receiving end of several secret attacks against her family and authority. However, she continued to show a lively and active appearance in front of Emperor Kroel. Such strength was one of the reasons Emperor Kroel valued Princess Penia the most.

However, the more time she spent on Acken Island, the more Princess Penia seemed to gradually be losing that side of her.

It was her third vacation since entering Silvenia. Now, Emperor Kroel was beginning to worry about her.

Seeing Penia change little by little was something that was all too familiar to him. After all, he was someone that had seen all sorts of people.

“You seem to be frustrated with your failures.”

Hearing those words, which were right on the money, Princess Penia kept her mouth closed.

She had gained much experience since entering Silvenia, and she had even gotten involved in various incidents… However, no matter what she did, things never turned out the way she wanted them to. It was quite different than in the imperial household, where all of her actions worked out as she had planned.

From Emperor Kroel’s point of view, it was impossible to know exactly what she went through. It could simply be issues with her grades, or it could be that she was deeply frustrated with human relationships or politics and reality.

Human growth takes place amidst many setbacks. Emperor Kroel wasn’t unaware of that fact, but it was still heartbreaking to see his daughter, who was born of the same blood as him, continue to walk down such a path of suffering.

The fact that Crown Prince Lindon had been thrown into disarray because of the fierce battle for the royal court, thus giving up on taking the throne, remained a great wound to Emperor Kroel. He didn’t want that history to repeat itself.

“It seems… That I am lacking in too many areas to succeed the throne.”

“Penia.”

“Surely, after being away from the Imperial Household for so long, my position must have also been greatly weakened as well.”

The hierarchy of power within the imperial family was gradually shifting towards the first princess, Selah.

One’s position in the imperial family was ultimately achieved through the support of key officials.

The imperial prime minister, the commander of the general guard, the commander of the knights, the head butler… They were all slowly turning their hearts towards Selah… Only a few key personnel remained under Penia.

In the end, authority was established through subordinates.

It was inevitable that the less people Penia had supporting her, the further away she was from gaining power.

Penia was well aware of that fact. However, she had no intention of re-establishing her foundation.

Chronic lethargy was eating away at Princess Penia.

* * *

“After the heir of House Rothstaylor, Ed Rothstaylor, was excommunicated, I thought that he would never side with Penia. If I didn’t come here, to the Rothstaylor Mansion, there would have been no way for me to know of this.”

When she had entered the audience chamber, wearing a high-class noble outfit, she had a lofty elegance around her. It was as if the air in the room around her was frozen.

Due to the unique chilly atmosphere she created, Selah Einer Kroel was known as the Princess of Frost.

That year, she had finally become an adult. She was the first of the one son and three daughters under Emperor Kroel to become an adult.

After her coming-of-age ceremony, she announced her intent to inherit the throne in earnest. However, no one in the Imperial Household was surprised by it. Rather, being the person who had overtaken Princess Penia, Princess Selah was considered the most powerful.

The second princess, Persica, had a lot of knowledge in various fields. She dreamed of becoming a monarch that valued intelligence.

The third princess, Penia, dreamed of becoming a monarch with virtue. One who embraced everyone, regardless of their status…

And the first princess, Selah, dreamed of ruling over everyone by thoroughly using her high authority and power.

A strong and stable country stemmed from one’s high authority and centralized power. A monarch was one who controlled the center of the vast empire and stood firm. That was the rulership of Selah.

That was why Selah was extremely sensitive when it came to changes in power structure or the direction of it.

“But I heard that Ed Rothstaylor had been excommunicated through the suggestion of Princess Penia.”

“That’s right. It wouldn’t be strange for them to be enemies that were at each other’s throats. So, what exactly happened to the two of them on Acken Island that made them become special to each other, to the point that she would entrust him with an unsealed letter?”

Dest, the butler who was standing next to Selah, refilled the tea in her empty cup.

As she was reading Penia’s letter, which Krepin Rothstaylor had handed her, he even went so far as to pour the tea quietly, to not break her concentration. That showed the skills of a talented butler.

An elderly gentleman dressed in an elegant suit, white silk gloves, a red bow tie, and a neatly trimmed square beard. Even the way he poured the tea was pristine.

Dest, the butler, was Selah’s closest aide and managed Selah’s private palace, Ruhr Palace, for seventeen years.

Selah only wore a lace slip, which made her look half naked, but she didn’t care about Dest’s presence. In the first place, the difference in their status was so great that she didn’t even consider him a person.

For her, a difference in status held such a meaning. It went beyond just being high and low. It was a standard that separated people from those who were less than human.

So, unless they were a person around the level of a member of House Rothstaylor, she wouldn’t even notice them.

Her platinum blonde hair was similar to Princess Penia’s, but it was—strangely—a bit bluer. She brushed her hair to one side as she spoke, as if talking to herself.

“The contents of the letter itself are certainly nothing much. It is just a greeting to Krepin Rothstaylor, one that is sent every season.”

“Then, that letter…”

“Yes, rather than the contents, it was the form that mattered. During a time like this, there must certainly be an important reason she sent such a letter through Ed Rothstaylor. Was she trying to say Ed Rothstaylor was on her side? It is as if she is announcing it.”

Right now, Princess Penia was the biggest thread to Selah.

If he were a person that Princess Penia had brought over to her side, then Selah couldn’t easily laugh about the matter.

Selah crossed her legs as she lifted the teacup with one hand. Her cold gaze turned towards the rim of the cup.

Her bare leg stretched out, tapping the edge of the wooden desk.

“Is he a person of such worth?”

That question lingered in her chest.

“I don’t know.”

There was no criteria when it comes to evaluating another’s judgment of someone. Or rather, one shouldn’t blindly trust another’s judgment.

Selah was a person who saw and judged whatever happened on her own. However, she could still refer to another’s evaluation.

“Well, I guess it’s something to think about during the social gathering. After all, it will begin tonight.”

“How should I prepare your outfit, Princess Selah?”

“I’ll leave it to your discretion.”

The social gathering at the Rothstaylor Mansion lasted for five days. Towards the end, the event got even bigger. It was said that on the last day, the entire large garden would be used to create a large party hall.

Since all of the influential individuals attending were busy people, it was difficult to find time to all meet together. That was why they created such a grand event with the idea that they may not all see each other again for a long time.

The five-day itinerary wasn’t all that complicated. In the evening, there would be parties, social events, dinners, and the like taking place. In the morning, everyone would be resting in their own rooms.

In the afternoon, you could personally go around and meet with those that had come. Wherever you went, whether it be a private room, the mansion’s garden, or a nearby pavilion, you would find yourself talking with like-minded people.

Then, when it became evening, everyone would gather back together again for the social gathering. As one repeated that schedule for five days, there would only be more and more people arriving, making things even more hectic.

“Who else arrived for the first day?”

“Aside from you, Princess Selah, there are a few other influential people. Margrave Zahul, as well as the head of House Bloomriver, Sinir Bloomriver. Other than them, most of the rest are small nobles who have come to try and make even one more connection.”

Dest flipped the document he was holding onto, placing it in front of Selah.

It was a well-organized list of guests. The arrival schedules of those Selah would be interested in were also written down.

“Commander Magnus arrives on the third day and Saint Clarice arrives on the second. As for Investor Roland… he arrives on the third day…”

Folcurt, the commander of the Northern Grasslands defenses, would be arriving with Commander Magnus—both of whom were already under Selah’s power.

Magnus was one who held tremendous military power, so she definitely wanted to make the time to talk with him.

Not only that, but Samuel, the Archbishop of the Telos Religious Group, would also be coming.

Selah was delighted when Samuel had taken over as the successor of the excommunicated Archbishop, Verdio.

Since Samuel was a bishop, he was indebted to Selah. And now that he had grown in power, that meant her relations with the Telos Religious Group were also getting stronger.

Now that he was the Archbishop, he was in a position where he could directly exchange opinions with Saint Clarice and actively express what he desired.

And that meeting was a chance to solidify that connection.

Selah also needed to keep her eye on Roland, an investor and influential member of the Elte Company.

Selah has a history of making the Elte Company’s Kroelon branch review the tax exemption bill time and time again. She was also in a position where she could use the imperial family’s power to strangle him at any moment.

So, if she used the opportunity well, she might be able to create a point of contact with Lortel Kehelland, who was his direct supervisor and had risen to a high position of power.

“The issue is with the one who comes from the alchemy city, Krett…”

Scrolling through the papers, Selah lifted her ruffled hair, putting it at the nape of her neck.

Valvern, the master of Alchemy who resided in the land of alchemy, Krett. She had no connection with him. He was a research fanatic who lived his life buried away.

She needed to build up her relationship with him from the ground up.

“Shall I prepare a present to give him? I’ve been told that alchemists prefer practical gifts rather than ceremonial ones. I’m sure he would enjoy receiving new test tubes or consumable supplies that are nicely packaged.”

“Could you prepare it right now? We are in the Rothstaylor Estate right now, after all.”

“Valvern arrives on the fourth day, so I believe I can manage it just on time.”

“Then, please do so.”

After saying that, Selah put the papers down.

Seh smiled coldly as she gently shook her feet.

“Should I go and talk with the head of House Bloomriver tonight?”

Of course, that was what she needed to do at the social gathering that night. But right now, the sun is still high in the middle of the sky.

“But before that… Hm…”

* * *

Boom!

A dozen wolves, which appeared through hallucination magic, were instantly enveloped in flames as they disappeared.

The ice spear that was cast instantly afterwards was blocked by an enormous amount of magic power.

Even though it was magic that was cast sincerely, Sinir Bloomriver—a white-haired middle-aged woman who was the head of House Bloomriver—was completely surprised. However, she didn’t let it show.

“Are we done now…?”

The duel took place in the practice area of the Rothstaylor Mansion’s central garden.

There, the girl who had been on the receiving end of all of Sinir’s magic was standing as she yawned. Her white hair was tied together as it fell down gracefully. It was Lucy Mayreel.

House Rothstaylor had gathered together to watch the duel. They even had a tea table set on the side of the arena. There was also a wooden stand that was set up to block the sun. All of these were high-quality products.

There, Krepin Rothstaylor sat with his children next to him… Ed and Tanya.

“Not even a single scratch…”

Sinir let out words of admiration.

House Bloomriver was a noble family of the empire that was at the peak of magic.

Particularly, they were a house that focused on practical combat magic to emerge victorious from a battle, rather than digging into the academic field and researching magic.

In order to win, they also used cunning and wicked magic. After all, House Bloomriver was known as ‘The Witch’s House’ within the empire.

That was because the head of the house, Sinir Bloomriver, was wicked in her own way, just like a witch.

However, in the face of overwhelming power, all of those tactics were nothing more than miscellaneous techniques.

It was hard to believe, but it seemed as if that girl had skills in magic that even surpassed Sinir, who had been the head of the mighty House Bloomriver for a long time. And she was only a student.

Sinir swallowed her dry saliva.

She was the one who started the duel.

That was because the previous winter break, she heard stories about Lucy Mayreel, a student at Silvenia.

The current fourth year’s top student in the magic department, Trayciana Bloomriver, and her twin sister, Patriciana Bloomriver.

Both were members of House Bloomriver and were children of Sinir.

The twins came home during break and talked about Lucy Mayreel all day long. So, she wanted to see just how capable the girl really was.

The results were beyond her imagination.

Sinir couldn’t even land a scratch on Lucy.

When Sinir nodded her head in a cold sweat, Lucy turned her head as she yawned. She didn’t even give any greetings or thanks.

She continued to walk away towards Ed Rothstaylor, sitting down in his lap. She didn’t pay attention to the glances coming her way.

Seeing her bury her head in his chest, falling asleep, it was as if that overwhelming power she showed just moments ago was all just a dream.

“…You have quite the strange friend.”

“Yes, she’s quite strange.”

Even Krepin had to admit it after seeing Lucy’s performance. She was beyond his expectations.

Sinir Bloomriver was someone who was recognized and held authority beyond the highest rated magician within the Imperial Household. Thus, it was objective evidence that Lucy had already far surpassed the level of a student. She was strong enough to easily enter the ranks of the most powerful within the Empire.

All at that age… she wasn’t even an adult yet. No one knew what kind of monster she would become as she grew older.

“Thank you for allowing us to have such a duel upon my arrival. My children made quite a fuss about her, so I wanted to test her skills.”

“Don’t worry about it. I was glad to have seen this as well.”

When Sinir politely bowed her head, Krepin responded like a gentleman.

“Since it’s still the first day, few influential people have gathered yet. Still, there will be quite the luxurious social gathering from this evening, so please enjoy it to the fullest.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Sinir lowered her head as she bowed, unable to get rid of her puzzled expression.

Krepin said goodbye to Sinir as such. Lucy wasn’t ignorantly acting arrogantly. Only then did he realize that her confidence was not in vain.

“She looks quite exhausted now.”

“She usually sleeps a lot. She fell asleep most of yesterday as well.”

“Traveling such a long way, I’m sure she’s still exhausted. She probably hasn’t gotten used to the bed yet, either.”

Though, honestly speaking, since Ed stayed up all night reading the letters he found in the drawer, Lucy stayed up as well.

She fell asleep halfway through, but her magic power sense was still as sharp as ever, even while asleep. Even considering how she usually was, she must be really exhausted at that point.

“If she feels better in the evening, I would like to talk with her during dinner.”

A person who could make the great and noble Krepin wait just because they were tired. Aside from Emperor Kroel, could such a person possibly exist in this world?

The servants murmured to themselves as they had that thought.

“Then… We can talk before the evening.”

* * *

Lucy’s room was just as luxurious as mine.

I threw her onto her bed as I left the room, closing the door. There were relatively few things that could take place during the broad daylight, so it was necessary to let Lucy rest during that time.

As I crossed the hall, a familiar girl was standing in front of my room. It was none other than Yennekar Palerover.

“Ed…!”

She quickly walked over to me, speaking slowly.

“Like you said, I had the spirits look around the mansion… There was barely anyone who had spiritual resonance, so it was much easier than I thought. So… Near Duke Krepin’s personal office…”

Fwoosh.

I quickly covered Yennekar’s mouth with my hand as I looked around.

Her cheeks started to blush since I touched her so suddenly. She took a deep breath as I continued to check that there was no one else around.

Seeing me act like that, Yennekar widened her eyes and nodded her head, as if admitting her mistake.

“For now, let’s go to a place where no one can listen in. Let’s go to my room.”

“Y-Your room…? J-Just the two of us…? R-Right now…?”

I opened the door and grabbed her by the wrist. Yennekar entered the room with a bewildered face. She looked around as if she had just visited a city for the first time.

“S-So, this is the room you used… I-It’s definitely clean…”

“The maids clean it every day.”

“I-I see… Uhm… S-So… Where? Where should I sit…? On the floor? Shall I sit on the floor?”

The sofa was large enough for four dogs to walk around on it, so why would she ask to sit on the floor? I couldn’t understand her mindset. She must have just been flustered because it was such a luxurious room.

“Anyway, no one should be listening in on us from here. No one would rashly enter my room. So, the two of us can talk here.”

“O-Okay… B-But… coming into your room… What should I say… Ah, that’s right! Yeah! That’s definitely it!”

Yennekar looked around back and forth as she fiddled with her wand. And as she tried to get rid of her flushed cheeks, deciding what to say next—

“I’m not sure. This doesn’t seem like a very suitable place for a secret meeting. There is someone already waiting here for you.”

It was a clear and sweet voice.

We couldn’t see her, as the sofa was covering her. Suddenly, someone popped up next to the sofa and table.

A woman sat there with her legs crossed and hands on her chin… She was the first princess of the Kroel empire, the Princess of Frost, Selah.

Chilly air wafted through the room. Her strangely alluring smile matched her personality.

I calmly got on my knees to give her my greetings. I tried to be as polite as possible.

Because of Silvenia’s culture, where education takes precedence, I had an upperclassmen-underclassmen relationship with Princess Penia at school. Thus, I didn’t have to act as such.

However, we weren’t in Silvenia Academy, nor did I have the same upperclassmen-underclassmen relationship with Princess Selah.

“I have committed grave disrespect, Princess Selah. I didn’t realize you had come to my room.”

As soon as she heard the name Princess Selah, Yennekar swallowed her breath, quickly kneeling down. It looked as if she were sweating profusely.

“I had ordered my butler to call for you, but I didn’t realize that you would arrive before that. It seems that you must have just missed him.”

“…That is how it seems.”

“That’s that, but it seems you have quite the complicated relationship with women. Reaching your hand out to a commoner and even having a secret meeting with them. You must not be the nicest man towards women.”

After saying that, Princess Selah glanced at Yennekar.

Yennekar blushed as she trembled, but Selah didn’t even recognize her as a person.

Commoners and nobles were different, and nobles and royals were different. Thus, the gap between the two was greater than just two stages.

She treated commoners completely differently than Penia, who treated them equally.

“If I made you feel uncomfortable…”

“As if I would be uncomfortable. It’s quite the classic hobby for high-ranking nobles to play with four or so common women before getting married. I truly have no intention of arguing with your own personal hobbies.”

“……”

“What? Was it a relationship you considered to be sincere? From the looks of it, it looks like you two became close at Silvenia.”

Selah spoke as she laughed for a moment.

“It’s not good to be so sincere about all those miniscule things. Even a child knows the difference between their ups and downs. I’ve seen quite the few noble men who were swayed by a mere commoner like that. How ridiculous they are. Well, now they have all but disappeared.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Princess Selah.”

“Alright. It’s best to be careful when playing around in your private area. You have quite a precious body. One that should be used on another precious body.”

Yennekar had already reached a lethal level of embarrassment as she was on the verge of exploding. It was enough to be embarrassed after being misunderstood for having a secret relationship but seeing as Princess Selah kept making further remarks without a break, it was becoming harder to handle.

However, it didn’t seem like she cared about being looked down upon. In fact, we were both rather relieved.

“Well, I’m sorry for interrupting you at an important moment. Still, since the two of us are here right now, let’s cool off from the heat and have a talk.”

“Do you have business with me?”

“Ed Rothstaylor.”

Selah took out a letter, throwing it on the table. It was the handwritten letter from Princess Penia that I gave to Krepin.

“There’s no need to have a long discussion. She seems like she also knows about it all.”

I knelt quietly, looking up at Princess Selah, who was sitting with her legs crossed.

Princess Selah spoke softly with an alluring smile.

“Will you continue to stay on a sinking ship?”

That… was an unexpected offer.