The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 166

I had never heard the name ‘Patriciana’.

However, I was quite familiar with the Bloomriver name that came after it.

Act 5.

The final act, which dealt with the story of The Holy Blue Dragon Velbrok and The Great Sage Silvenia, was full of episodes that were about the war of nerves between the houses until the entire truth was revealed.

As it was a story that spoke of the establishment and origins of Silvenia Academy, many characters were involved—some of whom were characters from houses that had been briefly mentioned or shown up as the story progressed.

If you were to pick a famous swordsman from the Kroel Empire, it would have to be from either House Callamore, House Nortondale, or House Elpelan.

If you had to pick a famous magician, it would be between House Sanile or House Whitefeld.

House Bloomriver was another famous magic house that could fit on that list, but after Emperor Kroel took the throne, there were many accidents. Thus, it became a house that was disgraced and lost its prestige.

The previous head of house was more interested in alchemy than magic. In a ridiculous experiment, they ended up seriously injured, even blowing up an entire hill… Despite facing various accidents, they never gave up on their violent magic experiments.

Of course, compared to House Rothstaylor, who studied the power of an evil god, those accidents seemed rather peaceful… The problem was the frequency. There were the explosions, food poisoning, water pollution, environmental damage, and on and on… Just being a little negligent caused an accident that led to the Kroel Imperial Household considering them a headache.

Nevertheless, they made sure to not research anything taboo. And Sinir Bloomriver, who had been newly appointed as the head of house, had more common-sense than they thought… The outcasts somehow managed to maintain their positions as high-ranking aristocrats.

House Bloomriver, which was normally called the ‘Witch’s House’ for their extraordinary research into magic… Had also admitted two members of their house as students at Silvenia Academy.

The twin daughters of Sinir Bloomriver, Trayciana and Patriciana Bloomriver.

Contrary to the expectations that they would be admitted to the Alchemy Department, both of them entered the Magic Department. Surprisingly, the older sister, Trayciana, held the position of top student in the magic department.

“Well, now that the second-year top student Lucy Mayreel has risen to such an absurd level, they no longer shine.”

Of course, the higher the school year, the higher the student’s level.

It only made sense that the fourth-year top students would be at the highest level among all the top students of the other years. It was just that the characters in the protagonist’s generation had ridiculously high averages.

Top student in the combat department, Daike Elpelan. Top student in the magic department, Trayciana Bloomriver. Top student of the alchemy department, Dorothy Whitefeld.

The person who wrote the letter was the twin sister of Trayciana Bloomriver, who was currently the top student in the fourth year.

I’d already met with two of the three fourth-year top students.

Daike Elpelan, the top student in the combat department and the overall top student among the fourth years. During my duel with Professor Kaleid at last semester’s exam, he intervened.

Wearing those gauntlets on his hands with that large body of his, he looked just like a bear when he ran around.

And I saw Dorothy Whitefeld when I was chasing after Professor Glast. She had already been subdued by Yennekar, so she couldn’t show me her true strength. Either way, she belonged to the famous House Whitefeld.

She was also the older sister of Joseph Whitefeld, who was the first-year top student in the Magic Department. A girl who was treated as a real ace within the alchemy department, and one of Professor Glast’s top pupils.

However, the twin magicians Trayciana and Patriciana were completely unknown territory. Their names were long, and I couldn’t really tell, but they weren’t important characters in .

As a magician from the troublesome House Bloomriver, I thought that she would have a crucial role. However, when the scenario started to escalate, the twin magicians graduated… They left without receiving any spotlight.

So, it was necessary for me to go and personally investigate the person who had sent me such an absurd letter.

“Trayciana is famous among fourth years as one of the few who can use two types of advanced magic. Not just anyone can be a top student in the magic department. Especially in their fourth year. Though, even taking that into account, she’s still at an incredible level.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

The student shelter was located in front of the student center. With many wooden tables lined up, it was usually full of students, regardless of the time of day.

However, during the summer break the entire education district was quiet. It was no different in front of the Student Center. Usually, it was a place where you would have to compete to find a seat, but over the quiet break it didn’t matter.

“Well, there are a lot of bad rumors about House Bloomriver, but… It’s also a place where many advances have been made in the field of alchemy. Even I know that fact really well.”

Sitting across from me is the second-year top student in the alchemy department, Elvira Aniston.

She was a student with a deep academic passion for alchemy and magic engineering. She was also in charge of managing various reagents and magic engineering items within the ‘protagonist generation’ group led by Taylee.

Her orange hair, which was a mess as it protruded here and there, showed her character as someone who was not particularly interested in things like managing one’s appearance.

Still, that sharp and playful face of hers still gave off the cute feeling—like a little devil.

“I know about Trayciana, but… I don’t know Patriciana. Aside from the rumors.”

The older sister was the top student within her grade, and she was quite famous among the other students because she often walked around public spaces.

However, the younger sister, who sent me the letter, was more of a mystery. And she did not go to class all that often.

Elvira read through the letter I gave her… She scratched her chin a few times with her eyes half-opened.

“You said it was sent to your old address, Ed?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm…”

I met with Elvira on the way to Glockt Hall.

I saw someone doing something strange, and when I went closer to see what it was, it turned out to be Elvira and her group.

As Elvira was well versed in alchemy, I thought she might know about House Bloomriver, as they are closely related to alchemy. So, I ended up taking a bit of her time.

“According to the rumors, I heard that Patriciana, unlike her older sister, is someone locked up in a corner of the laboratory and rarely comes outside. She almost never goes to her classes, but I’ve heard that she pretty much made up for her entire attendance scores through her practical and self-taught written grades.”

“Is that possible?”

“Well, her older sister, Trayciana, is said to go to class all the time… Maybe if she also went to classes, she would be a top student?”

Just because they were twins didn’t necessarily mean that both of them would do well in their studies. Anyway, it seemed the academic brains they were born with were similar.

“These are just rumors I heard in passing, but she supposedly has no interest in rumors or the current state of things within the school. She is purely immersed in her own research… A typical outcast stuck in her own room.”

“……”

“So, she probably sent you a letter to your old address not knowing that you were excommunicated and kicked out of Ophelis Hall?”

“How long has it been since I was kicked out of the Ophelis, and yet she still doesn’t know that?”

“I also think it’s a little creepy. Does she also not know that the student council president changed?”

We were attending the same school, so how could she be so disinterested in the current news?

Basically, all school events were announced as major announcements. There were also many cases where the professors would bring it up more than one time in various different classes.

So, it was completely unrealistic to say that she didn’t know anything about the major pieces of news that took place in the school… was what I thought.

“Actually, alchemists like us have a strange habit. To us, there is a bit of romance in setting up a secret laboratory somewhere and doing a bunch of experiments…”

Elvira opened her eyes slightly, as if confessing a sin as she spoke.

I already knew that Elvira secretly set up a laboratory in a corner on the eastern cliff.

“So, the alchemy department sometimes provides students private labs in an underground facility, but… Because that by itself isn’t enough, they sometimes set up a secret laboratory somewhere else. So, if she secretly made such a thing and locked herself up in there…”

“Still, wouldn’t she have to come out to go to class? It’s not like she can just stay inside 24 hours a day.”

“That’s true, but…”

As if she thought of another possibility, Elvira smiled with a sneaky smile as she said.

“So, you know how Trayciana and Patriciana are twins, right? To be honest, if they simply change their hair color with magic, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.”

“……”

Did Trayciana go in her place for attendance?

The reason her grades were so good was because she took some classes twice?

“Is that even possible for a human to do?”

“Well, she is the top student, after all. Well, that might not actually be the case. This is just my guess. That’s all.”

After Elvira looked through the entire letter, she folded it in half and handed it back to me.

“Anyway, simply reading the contents of the letter, it seems that Patriciana is strangely righteous. That’s why people shouldn’t go around kidnapping and imprisoning people recklessly.”

“Why do you act like doing such a thing is normal…?”

“No, I’m just saying that if it was necessary to kidnap and imprison a person, it could happen. Wasn’t that what happened to you?”

Elvira spoke quickly as she blinked.

Looking at the seat next to her, a boy was struggling with his arms tied behind his back and his mouth and eyes covered with a cloth.

“Hm! Hmm! Hmmmm!”

A slender physique and a gloomy atmosphere around him. It was Clevius, a swordmaster of House Nortondale.

“I’ve been trying my hardest to just ignore it, but… Still, I want to ask.”

“Yes?”

“Why is he tied up like that?”

Elvira took a deep breath as she scratched her chin.

“I’m making him into a person.”

“……”

“Hear me out. He still has no brain. Whenever he has the chance, he starts saying all these depressing things and argues with anyone that makes eye contact with him. Last time, he was openly shouting and getting angry at you too Ed, right?”

I didn’t particularly mind Clevius’s aggressive remarks.

He was like that in the original storyline as well. He was negative and gloomy in everything he did, which made him feel rather depressed. And yet, he still went ahead and kept doing it.

“Clevius needs to cultivate his social skills a bit more. Whenever he can, he turns off all the lights in his room and mumbles in a dark corner saying strange things to himself.”

“……”

“It’s a waste to leave him as is because he can become a much more confident and wonderful guy. That’s why I take him to parties and dress him up nicely. Sometimes he tries to run away by refusing to act like an extrovert, but there are a lot of calming reagents available so I can easily subdue him.”

As Clevius wriggled his body around, the cloth that was covering his eyes slightly lowered.

He made eye contact with me with a desperate look on his face, as if he were sending an SOS asking me to help him just this once.

“…How long are you going to keep him like this?”

“Until he agrees to go with me to the alchemy department’s dinner next week.”

“Are you sure you want to take him there?”

“There is no better place to build a network of connections and to train one’s social skills.”

I stared at him for a long time thinking that was ridiculous, but Elvira snorted as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“I also want to go with a decent male student. Because I am a woman too~”

Seeing her grin as she said that, I swallowed my dry saliva.

As I made eye contact with Clevius again, his desperate eyes started to get wet.

Please save me just once. I’m not going to talk about nonsense again. I will treat you well and no longer try to fight or argue with you… It seemed like that kind of message was being conveyed.

I hurriedly averted my eyes.

Clevius… being tied up like that… wasn’t all that bad…

[ Magic Skills Details

Grade: Proficient Magician

Specialized Field: Elements

Common Magic:

܀ Fast Casting Lvl 13

܀ Mana Sense Lvl 14

Fire Element Magic:

܀ Ignite Lvl 18

܀ Point Explosion Lvl 3

Wind Element Magic:

܀ Wind Blade Lvl 16

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Celestial Magic:

܀ Expression of Celestial-Type Magic Power Lvl 4

܀ Property Transformation Lvl 3

܀ Death Immunity Lvl 0

܀ Time Prison Lvl 1 (New!)

܀ Short-Distance Spatial Movement Lvl 0

܀ Forced Collection Lvl 2

܀ Expression of Visual Hallucinations Lvl 0

܀ Dazzle Lvl 1 (New!) ]

I had already read more than ten times already. At that point, I had already memorized everything in the chapters in the order of the table of contents.

There were quite a few cases where I couldn’t fully remember the minor details, but I felt like I had come to understand all of the major concepts anyway.

Nevertheless, it felt like the growth of my Celestial Magic was still stagnated. Even if one were to train for a long time, their magic power level wouldn’t necessarily go up.

Since the other types of magic were in the original story, there were guidelines on how to raise them. However, Celestial Magic was really something I was experiencing for the first time.

Therefore, the only effective training method I had was to learn it through direct contact with my body.

Thus, I continued to read through the book as I practiced Celestial Magic again and again… And finally, a new area of magic was unlocked.

Time Prison and Dazzle.

I’ve seen Time Prison used by Professor Glast and Lucy before.

It was a spell that completely blocked the movement of a target for a few seconds to several minutes. However, since time around the subject was stopped, it was impossible to affect their body.

It was very different from suppression magic, where ‘you can attack while they’re suppressed.’ It was magic that worked better in removing someone from the battlefield for a period of time.

And the other magic, ‘Dazzle.’

That magic, which temporarily controlled the mind of the target and caused them to behave as desired… It consumed a much larger amount of magic power compared to the other celestial spells.

Additionally, if my opponent’s magic power resonance were higher than mine, or if the skills proficiency were too low, the range of control would be noticeably reduced.

If you could raise the skill proficiency to its limit, you could truly dominate every aspect of the target. However, at a low skill level, you couldn’t even command the opponent to stop resisting.

But even if you increase the skill proficiency of Dazzle enough to break through the target’s rejection, making them do unreasonable demands… The magic power consumed would also be enormous.

With low skill proficiency, it was only possible to induce the movement of your opponent or naturally break the flow of their thoughts.

“Hmm…”

Every time I looked at the skills of Celestial Magic, I really did feel that it was magic with an incredible power.

Compared to elemental magic that was mainly used for firepower, Celestial Magic was specialized in controlling the battlefield and creating variables.

I wanted to practice it as much as possible because I felt that it really suited my fighting style.

So, it hurt a bit to know that I couldn’t practice the magic I had unlocked, since I couldn’t use my magic power properly at the moment.

As I was checking my newly learned magic and newly increased stats, I arrived in front of Glockt Hall.

“You’re finally here, Ed Rothstaylor.”

Stairs leading to the entrance of Glockt Hall. A girl, sitting in the middle of it, caught my eye.

“…Patriciana?”

“You’re still making such a face as if you don’t know anything! Even after reading my letter!”

The first thing that caught my eye was her short purple hair. Her bangs were held up with a hairpin, which showed her beautiful pale forehead. Her two assertive eyebrows were narrowed cutely.

“You have a camp in the northern forest, don’t you?”

“……”

She quickly stood up as she glared at me. She started to stomp her feet as she fumed.

“You thought I didn’t know?!”

“Ah yes… So, you know about it?”

In fact, almost everyone knows about it.

Well, it seemed that most of the students didn’t even believe that I would actually live such a miserable life in the wild northern forest. But it wasn’t like I was trying to keep it a secret.

“Honestly tell me what the hell you are up to over there!”

“…There’s not really anything I’m doing. I just didn’t have a place to live, so I ended up living there.”

“Don’t lie! The dormitory is perfectly fine, so what nonsense are you even saying!”

“It’s been almost two years since I was kicked out of the dormitory.”

“…Huh?”

Patriciana tilted her head for a moment at what I said. She cleared her throat for a bit as she continued.

“I see. I’m… a bit in the dark about news of what goes on outside.”

Having said that, Patriciana hesitated as she wiggled her fingers. She suddenly got ahold of herself as she raised her voice.

I felt as if she was getting angry for a good reason, so for the moment, I quietly listened to her.

“Anyway, that’s not what’s important…! A girl who is slightly taller than me and has white hair that is tied up … Do you know her…?

“……”

After hearing that, only one person came to mind. No, it wasn’t a person, it was a spirit.

A high-ranking wind spirit who had left the camp as if she were a runaway.

“She was walking in and out of that camp every day. And not long ago, I saw her finally running out of the northern forest barefoot!”

“…So?”

“Once I was sure of it, I protected her. Every day, she disappears near your camp. Then, for the next few days she never leaves. The only time I have ever seen her leave is when she went on a small walk before! I’ve never seen her eat properly and she looks exhausted every day… She couldn’t even leave the forest, as if she were bound by someone! I don’t know how you’re threatening her, but…!”

It was definitely misleading if you just listened to her explanation.

“Always barefoot, no proper clothes… She is not being treated like a human being! So, this time when I saw her, I grabbed her to protect her! If you don’t tell the truth this time… I will have to report this to the school!”

“Before I explain… Uhm… How do you know the situation around my camp so well?”

Hearing that, Patriciana swallowed a gasp as her pupils trembled.

“So… How does a person who doesn’t know anything about the school know so much about my camp and this girl’s situation…?”

“…Why do you care?!”

“Something like a private secret research facility that the school prohibits… Have you perhaps made one near the northern forest?”

“……”

I had to ask. If there really was such a facility in the northern forest, I would have probably seen it before.

Well, I was only human… Although the range of my movement was limited, there was no way that Merilda, who managed the entire forest, wouldn’t have known.

“You saw it…!”

The kid really went ahead and confessed about it.

Suddenly, magic power erupted around Patriciana. Now that the situation was like that, she was going to use her skills.

Well, I didn’t know if she’d actually hurt me, but… was she planning to take the initiative in the conversation by pressuring me through force?

Unfortunately, I couldn’t use my magic power at the moment. The moment I was about to reach into my pocket and take out a magically engineered object…

Whoooooosh!

For a moment, it felt like the air was splitting apart.

As the wind blew, someone showed up between me and Patriciana.

The appearance of the girl who showed up in the wind… She looked a lot like Patriciana Bloomriver.

However, her eyes were a bit more innocent, and her hair was bluish. Aside from that, she was completely similar to Patriciana. If it happened to be your first time seeing them, you really wouldn’t be able to tell them apart aside from their hair color.

The girl who appeared in the wind held a large wand in one hand. She immediately cast a magic circle and exploded all of the magic power that Patriciana was casting.

Kwakakakak!

“Kyaaaak!”

Whooooosh!

In the raging wind, Patriciana grabbed the railing to control her body.

The girl who landed as the wind settled was the fourth year’s top student, Trayciana Bloomriver… She tucked her school uniform coat in tightly as she looked back and forth between Patriciana and me.

“Sister…! It’s a good thing you’re here! This person…”

Trayciana, with her blue hair, walked towards Patriciana as she pulled her by the earlobe and brought her towards me.

“Ah, Ahh! Aaaaaahh!”

“I’m sorry, my little sister is a bit immature!”

“Sister! It hurts! Let me go! I want you to listen to what I have to say!”

Trayciana apologized by pressing down on Patriciana’s head firmly.

“She has the temperament to come to a quick decision on her own, but she is a good person by nature, so I hope you can look past it this once!”

“Sister! That’s not it! Sister! The camp where that guy lives… there… That girl…!”

“You mean the kid you caught and put in Lorail Hall? Anyway, I brought her along! The kidnapper isn’t him, it’s you, Patriciana!”

After saying that, Trayciana cast her magic power as another wind formed. Then a girl landed from the sky above Glockt Hall.

The girl with the pure white dress and fluttering hair was someone I knew well.

“…Merilda.”

Merilda opened her mouth as if to say something. It seems that she didn’t want it to be discovered that she was a spirit.

While playing around the school, Merilda moved around as a human being. She was wary that she might not be allowed to comfortably play around the school ground if it were revealed to the public that she was a spirit.

However, if a spirit simply speaks, you can feel the magic power that is being transmitted through their voice. She would immediately be recognized as a spirit.

That was why Merilda, in her human form, didn’t speak in front of strangers.

However, it seemed that she did her best to explain that she hadn’t been kidnapped… It seemed that, because of Patriciana’s weak resonance level, she couldn’t properly understand Merilda’s explanation because she was in her incomplete manifested state.

“Y-You…!”

Only then did Patriciana look at Merilda in surprise. Merilda quickly ran towards me as she hid behind me.

Patriciana looked at what was happening as she stared back and forth and Merilda and my face for a moment…

She quickly bowed her head.

“I am sorry!!!!”

It would have been great if she had realized it sooner.

* * *

Patriciana was crying in the corner of the bench with her arms raised as if she were being punished.

“I got a letter from the head of house, Sinir. It’s rare for Mother to send such a sudden letter, so I was a bit surprised.”

Unlike Patriciana, Trayciana Bloomriver looked oddly mature.

It was amazing that even though they looked so similar, the atmosphere they gave off could be so different.

“It seems there was a disaster at House Rothstaylor. The news hasn’t reached Silvenia yet, but soon enough, rumors will start to spread because it was such a massive event.”

Sinir Bloomriver was at the scene of the catastrophe that took place at Rothstaylor Mansion.

I, Ed Rothstaylor, who was involved in the incident, had returned to the academy already. So, she must have sent a letter to her daughters, who were currently at the academy, to inform them of the news. The letter Trayciana was holding seemed to have just arrived.

“You don’t seem to be particularly wary of me despite hearing the news, Trayciana.”

“I’m on your side, Ed Rothstaylor. Our mother judged that you were not a part of the disaster that took place in Rothstaylor Mansion.”

Trayciana showed me the letter that Sinir had sent. It also meant that she trusted me.

“If mother judged you as such, I should believe in you, too. Even so, once the news is announced, rumors and public opinions about you will spread throughout school. After all, you hold the Rothstaylor name.”

“Will it negatively affect me in some way?”

“I’m not sure. We will just have to watch and see. Anyway, I wanted to meet with you, so this is good. From the looks of it, the public opinion of you with the fourth years seems to be in your favor.”

Trayciana was sitting on the bench as she cleaned her wand.

“I don’t know why, but Daike, the top student in the combat department, likes you very much. He said it was rare to see people like you these days. And Dorothy, the top student in the Alchemy Department, seems to have a bit of animosity towards you… but it seems to be more of a fear rather than a dislike.”

“……”

“I’m just asking, but what did Yennekar do to her?”

“Can I just say, ‘no comment’ and move onto the next subject?”

“…Alright, I won’t ask any more. Patrin, raise your hands properly.”

Patriciana groaned as she raised her hands upright. Even though they were twins, she seemed to have some authority over her.

Maybe Patriciana was inferior to Trayciana in many ways? And that name Patrin seemed to be a nickname…

“Anyway, since we are in the same boat, I will tell you. My mother, the head of House Bloomriver, Sinir Bloomriver… is on Tanya Rothstaylor’s side.”

I was startled to hear that, my body trembling. I slowly moved my gaze towards Trayciana.

My house was currently in a state where it wouldn’t be strange if it were immediately destroyed. I couldn’t believe that she would have taken the side of such a house, even though I was a member of that house.

“Once the news of the Rothstaylor Mansion Incident starts to spread, opinions will begin to divide even among the students from various houses within the school. When that time comes, you will have to distinguish between those who are on your side and those who are not.”

“I’m already used to everyone looking at me with an irritated gaze.”

“This is completely different from just being irritated with you. They will be looking at you as a traitor.”

Listening to her, I nodded my head. She was right.

“You can trust Daike, the top student in fourth year. However, I don’t know about Atalanta, the top student in the third-year alchemy department. The same goes for Wade, the top student in the first-year combat department. Their houses are completely loyal to the imperial family. I don’t know what type of sudden action they will take against you… Just like Patrin did today.”

“All right. Thanks for the advice.”

“What do you mean advice…? This is just the obvious. Then…”

Trayciana got up as she patted her clothes. She then grabbed Patriciana by the cheek as they bid me farewell.

“Anyway, it’s a shame that my first impression turned out to be bad. See you again. Maybe… we’ll see each other again at the next combat practice or joint class.”

As I nodded, Trayciana dragged Patriciana away as they disappeared into the distance. She said that she would be on my side as an ally, so she looked like a rather reliable upperclassman. Though, her physique is a bit small.

“Well, that’s that… Let’s hear a little bit about how this happened…”

As I said farewell to the two magicians, I looked back.

Merilda was there, averting my gaze.

* * *

“Next.”

The guest rooms in the splendid and glamorous imperial palace.

Among them, on the sofa in the most dazzling and spacious room, Lucy Mayreel sat quietly.

The chef gathered all the jerky from the Imperial Kitchen and put it on the table… He was sweating profusely.

Lucy Mayreel, a genius magician who had sent the evil god Mebula away on her own, was lying on the sofa taking one bite of the jerky before throwing it aside.

Selah, who was sitting opposite her, had smiling eyes although her mouth was not smiling at all.

“…Not this flavor…!”

Lucy Mayreel, who has been having a jerky feast for about three hours and acting like that… had not been satisfied even once.

She was someone who was being treated as a first-class guest of Selah. The man, who had been the chef of the imperial family for thirteen years, was sweating profusely in a state of torment, wondering how to satisfy her.

Selah had to keep smiling with her eyes, while enduring the throbbing headache.

That magician, who came to the imperial court as a replacement for Ed Rothstaylor… had lied on the bed with dirty clothes and stepped on the carpet without taking her shoes off… The truth was normally never the truth.

And her taste was so picky that she only showed a sullen attitude at the imperial banquet.

To put it bluntly… She was frustrated, and despite that girl…

However, Selah didn’t say a word as she kept smiling. She simply sat opposite her, the edges of her lips trembling.

Her actions didn’t have the slightest bit of manners… She kept thinking about sending her back, but she couldn’t.

However, Lucy herself also seemed to be rather dissatisfied with the treatment she was receiving. So, it looked like she would head back at any moment.

Naturally, if Lucy decided to return, the imperial family could not stop her through force. However, she wasn’t actively trying to negotiate or say anything.

Selah was being driven absolutely crazy.