The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 170

Until she smelt the morning air, it didn’t feel like she had properly started her day.

Bell Maya, who had been living in the same pattern for the past ten years, was used to waking up with the early morning air before the sun even rose.

The chirping of sparrows was heard throughout the rose garden of Ophelis Hall.

There was still quite some time left until morning would come, but Bell Maya was already wearing her maid outfit as she crossed the hallway on the first floor of Ophelis Hall.

The hardworking senior maids had already opened all of the windows in the hallway during the early dawn. It was very important to ventilate the hallway with the fresh morning air.

She would greet the other maids who were cleaning in the morning, sign the logbooks of the maids who had been working throughout the night, and go to inspect the various ingredients that were delivered to Ophelis Hall’s cafeteria.

The inspection itself was a job that the senior maids took care of, but Bell Maya, the head maid, had to go there to make sure that everything was going well.

Because of the strict food policy at Ophelis Hall, about 15% of all the groceries that came in from the Elte Company were rejected on the spot every day.

Vegetables that had gone a little bad as they were being transported, or livestock products that weren’t fresh, wouldn’t be paid for.

You might think that they were being too unreasonable from the perspective of the supplier, but in the first place, the orders placed at Ophelis Hall were all for the highest-quality ingredients. They didn’t complain about their large orders in the first place.

The profits generated by major business partners such as Ophelis Hall were so massive that the amount discarded during inspection was nothing to fret over.

However, as for the ingredients that didn’t pass inspection, it didn’t mean that they were returned to the company.

In the first place, if they brought it all the way back to Oldek—the freshness of the ingredients would greatly worsen. Also, the costs for transporting them were too high.

Thus, because there was little to no benefit in doing so, it was better for them to use their time and funds to do something else, rather than bringing it back to Oldek.

In other words, ingredients that did not pass inspection were discarded at Ophelis Hall. Normally, the delivery workers or the maids on duty took a few.

As for the dairy products and spices, Bell Maya also… thought of grabbing them and bringing them back to Ed’s camp, as they were difficult to obtain.

It was going to be discarded anyway, so it wasn’t really a crime.

“Here is the checklist, head maid. By the way… that is…”

In any case, the checklist needed to be approved by the head maid.

The only difference was whether the senior maid would go to visit the head maid with the documents or if Bell Maya was already at the location to sign it.

Bell, who accepted the checklist, tilted her head for a moment while looking at the prices of the various ingredients written on it.

“Food prices have gone up a lot. Compared to before break… It’s definitely troubling.”

“I checked the production and distribution of crops, but there were no major issues…”

The senior maid lowered her head as if she were apologetic.

Bell shrugged as she continued to check the price of items on the list. It was definitely an unnatural rise in price.

“I will explain that.”

It was a boy who was at the location as a representative for the Elte Company. His name was Dune.

He wore a beret and looked rather cunning.

“The price of logistics from Oldek to Acken Island has risen overall. In fact, it’s not just ingredients, but the prices of school supplies and magic supplies, especially magic engineering supplies, have risen quite drastically. As a result, other items that need to be delivered have also increased. We have to charge at least this much to make a profit, so it’s something that we can’t help.”

“Was this matter approved by the deputy director, Lortel?”

“Yes, of course~”

Bell Maya looked at the cunning-looking boy as she thought things over for a bit.

In any case, her job was to look over the documents, not to make a political judgment about their decision.

The list of prices presented by the Elte Company showed a consistent upwards trend for all of their items.

“I understand.”

Bell nodded as she signed the checklist.

* * *

Whack, Whack, Whack!

When Bell Maya arrived at Ed’s camp, there was a periodic sound, as if someone were hitting a tree.

Nearing the river, she could clearly tell that the noise was Ed chopping wood.

His condition hadn’t fully healed, but he had already started working.

Bell gripped the wooden basket full of various ingredients as she entered the camp.

The campfire was still burning as a familiar-looking suitcase was lying next to it.

The wooden luggage made from birch wood of the Pulan region belonged to Yennekar Palerover. Judging by the wand lying next to it, it seemed that Yennekar Palerover had returned last night.

Summer break was slowly coming to an end, and it was already time to start preparing for the next semester, so it wasn’t that strange for her to already be back at school.

“Hmm.”

Bell took a short breath as she looked at Yennekar’s cabin.

Before going over to tell Ed to stop working so hard, she wanted to say hello to Yennekar. Putting the basket full of ingredients on Ed’s workbench, she went to Yennekar’s cabin, knocking on the door.

Knock, knock

Creak

As soon as she knocked on the door, the door opened on its own.

Bell tilted her head as she looked inside. There, she saw Yennekar lying on the bed, buried like a corpse with her head covered by her pillow.

“Lady Yennekar… ?”

“Oh, Bell…! It’s you, Bell…! I-I was surprised because I thought Ed had come in!”

“Ah, I apologize…”

“Oh, no… There’s no reason for you to apologize…”

Bell was confused, but she didn’t let it show. As always, she succeeded in responding calmly and quietly.

“I see you have come back. Are you sick? Your complexion is a bit… it doesn’t look great…”

“Oh, uh… I-It’s because I didn’t sleep well.”

“It’s been a while since you last slept in this bed, so that makes sense. You look very tired.”

“Yeah, ah, no… well… I just had a bunch of thoughts, that’s why.”

“A bunch of thoughts…?”

“Yeah, they were just random thoughts! It’s nothing that great and there’s no need to be so curious about it. It was just miscellaneous thoughts!”

Yennekar grabbed her pillow tightly as she sat up, raising her upper body.

“S-Seeing your face after such a long time really makes me feel as if I’ve come back to Silvenia. H-Have you been well?!”

“Are you sure you’re okay? If you are sick, I can give you some medicine.”

“N-No, I’m really fine! I got a little hot last night, but it wasn’t because I was sick or anything! I-It was just that… I just got a little hot for another reason!”

“You got hot, but you aren’t sick? You shouldn’t be too quick to come to that conclusion on your own, Lady Yennekar.”

“N-No I’m sure of it! I didn’t get hot because I was sick! It’s my body, so I’m sure of it!”

Why would a person’s body heat up without them being sick?

Bell hesitated for a moment, as she couldn’t understand. Then, another possibility came to mind.

The quick-witted Bell quickly realized that Yennekar’s behavior was unusual.

However, it was still a possibility that was difficult to even guess, so she decided to just test her luck.

“It seems that Young Master Ed has been cutting firewood since early in the morning. His health has not fully recovered yet, so if he starts going back to work already, his condition might get worse.”

“I-Is that so…?”

“Yes. So, as his caregiver, I want him to hold back a little… Would you like to come with me to talk to him?”

Yennekar was living in the same camp as Ed, and she was not the type of person who hated him, either… It was a suggestion that she had no real reason to refuse.

“N-No thanks… I’m a little…”

But Yennekar was holding her pillow tightly as she swallowed her breath. At that point, Bell Maya was convinced.

Something happened last night.

It was clear from the fact that Yennekar’s luggage was still outside, as she didn’t’ bring it into her cabin. There was also her strange attitude, as if she was pretending that she was fine.

Yennekar and Ed, who were reunited after a long time… Who knows what kind of conversation they had while looking at each other with the campfire between them… One’s imagination could run wild.

It was a private matter, and that secrecy deserved to be kept, but… Bell Maya was only human…!

No matter how professional a maid she was, she couldn’t completely control her curiosity…!

Not only that, but it was also Ed’s camp, not Ophelis Hall. That meant it was an environment where she could be free from the heavy burden of being the head maid…

Bell Maya’s unchanging principle of always acting like a professional slowly started to crack.

In fact, Bell deserved it. Considering her dedication, being curious about something like that wasn’t all that great a crime.

However, it was impossible to ask Yennekar for the details.

As a veteran, she decided to elicit Yennekar’s confession with a quick attack.

“…By any chance, did you sleep with Young Master Ed last night?”

Bell knew that couldn’t be the case.

“What are you talking about?!!! We didn’t go that far!!!”

With a completely startled expression, Yennekar raised her voice, frowning.

“…’That far’…?”

“Huh.”

In the end, Yennekar couldn’t escape from Bell Maya’s palm.

Her eyes widened as she tried to belatedly close her mouth. However, the trap had already been set.

“Then… How far did you go…?”

Checkmate.

* * *

[ 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 4

Wind Element Magic:

܀ Wind Blade Lvl 16

Spirit-type Magic:

Spiritual Resonance Lvl 18

Spiritual Understanding Lvl 18

Spirit Manifestation Lvl 13

Sense Sharing Lvl 13

Resonance Level: 8

Spiritual Efficiency: Perfect

Innate Skills:

܀ Blessing of Fire Fortune (Temporary Immunity to Fire)

܀ Explosion (Low-level Explosion)

܀ Increased Ability of Fire-Type Magic

Resonance Level: 5

Spiritual Efficiency: Really Good

Innate Skills:

܀ Water Lioness’ Blessing (Temporary Immunity to Flames)

܀ Manifestation of a Water Source (Intermediate Water Magic)

܀ Increased Ability of Water-Type Magic

Resonance Level: 6

Spiritual Efficiency: Normal

Innate Skills:

܀ Storm’s Blessing (Periodically Neutralizes Damage)

܀ Updraft (Intermediate Wind Magic)

܀ Increased Ability of Wind-Type Magic ]

“Huff, Huff…”

When I was in good shape, I was able to cut firewood for two hours and be completely fine. But in my current state, I was exhausted just working for thirty minutes.

My body had not yet fully recovered. However, if I started rehabilitation now, I should be fine when the curriculum started at the beginning of the semester.

Wiping away my sweat, I continued looking over my magic skills.

Through various hardships, I was now close to being a master at beginner level magic.

As for Wind Blade and Ignite, there were only a handful of magicians who had more firepower than me.

My magic power efficiency had also fully developed. It had almost reached a point where I could use it as easily as breathing.

Now, I wanted to increase the number of intermediate spells I could use. Advanced magic as well, if possible.

As for intermediate magic, as long as I followed along with my classes, I would likely be able to learn a few. But for advanced magic, it was a completely different story.

Normally, most people were unable to use advanced magic before they graduated.

Even when you became a full-fledged magician, you still had to train for many years to reach the realm of advanced magic.

Students who wielded advanced magic… They were so rare that there were only one or two students who were capable of such a feat in each grade level.

Currently, there were less than ten students who could use Advanced Elemental Magic at Silvenia Academy.

Lucy Mayreel, Ziggs Eiffelstein, Trayciana Bloomriver, Atalanta, and a few other honor students in fourth year.

It was too greedy to expect student magicians to be capable of using advanced magic. That was why advanced magic wasn’t included in the school’s curriculum. It was a field that was only allowed to some geniuses.

In other words, it was an area that could not be reached through the school’s regular classes… I had to find another way.

“Well, if you’re having a hard time in school or if Assistant Professor Cleoh is acting like an ass, you can come and tell me about it. Because if there’s one thing that I’m really good at, it’s harassing someone.”

“Then, I’ll teach you how to handle advanced magic.”

What suddenly came to mind was Professor Kaleid, who I had faced in the final exam.

There weren’t many professors who could teach advanced magic to students. Because advanced magic itself was so complicated and difficult to learn, it wasn’t an easy task to teach it.

And I just happened to be a student assistant in Assistant Professor Cleoh’s lab. So, that meant I can easily meet with Assistant Professor Cleoh’s advisor, Professor Kaleid.

However, there were already so many rumors about Professor Kaleid…

He was constantly drunk and always smoking. He really was the worst of the worst. Without his experience, there would be no way he would be able to make a living. He was the definition of a person who lived life haphazardly.

Because he was a professor with such poor rumors about him going around, no one wanted to learn magic from him.

“Hmm…”

I remember seeing Professor Kaleid several times in the setting book.

The three professors that followed the guardian Obel Forsyth to Acken Island to teach: Inquirer Glast, Outlaw Kaleid, Amputator Zellan.

From the setting books, I thought he was a great person. In reality, it seemed that was not the case. Though, from my position, there were too many things that I was still unsure about when it came to him.

Should I think about it a bit more?

Deciding to organize my thoughts, I took a break.

Clap, Clap, Clap

As I took off my top and splashed cold water from the river onto my face…

Bell came out of the bushes near the camp… as she started to clap her hands.

It was strange to see the veteran maid, who was always composed and barely changed her expression, suddenly appear while clapping her hands like that.

“You were here, Bell?”

Clap, Clap, Clap

“……”

“So, this is where you were, Young Master Ed.”

“Why are you clapping your hands…?”

“Just… I was a little touched.”

As if she knew something, Bell had a complex expression on her face that seemed as if she was relieved.

“Even a relationship that looks like it will be stagnant forever starts to move forward with time… I’ve worked as a maid for a long time, and there were many moments when I felt rewarded and proud… And now, it feels like another page has been added to those many experiences…”

“You’re talking quite a bit compared to your normal self… Well, whatever…”

I hadn’t been chopping wood for that long, but I was already quite exhausted. I poured the river water over my head again as I took a deep breath, sitting down on a flat rock.

Dawn had already passed, but it was still not quite morning yet. I was now a morning person.

“I brought some ingredients that were discarded during our inspection this morning. I put them on your workbench, so when you have time, you should eat.”

“Thanks. I owe you a lot. But… There is no way to pay you back. If you run into any trouble while working at Ophelis Hall, let me know. I will help you however I can.”

“That’s okay. There are many things that I have to take care of at Ophelis Hall as my personal duties. In fact, seeing that your condition and life has improved quite a bit makes me feel relieved.”

“Thanks for your concern, but… Shouldn’t you take care of your own body as well? It looks like you lost a bit of weight recently?”

Bell tilted her head as she stood with her hands clasped in front of her.

“I did lose some weight, but… It’s nothing to worry about. The first thing you learn as a maid in Ophelis Hall is to take care of yourself. You have to always have a clean appearance, always be presentable, and maintain a healthy body to be able to serve properly.”

“If that’s what you say, then I guess it’s fine… But it must be exhausting to live a life so perfect.”

“Well, If we’re talking about taking care of our bodies, then you are the issue, Young Master Ed… Aren’t you in a condition where you shouldn’t be working yet?”

I nodded my head roughly as I checked my body, which had no strength left.

I tried moving my body around, but it didn’t move as easily as before. I couldn’t count on Bell forever, so I’d have to get better soon…

“I think I can at least manage the basics in the camp.”

Compared to before, I could now use a bit of magic power. I’d gained enough strength that I can at least carry on with my daily life.

“When the semester starts, I’m sure you will also be busy. So, I need to start taking care of myself again.”

“But aren’t you still recovering your magic power? Won’t you run into problems when you study magic?”

“I’ll just have to try my best. Aside from magic, I also have other things that I needed to pay attention to as well.”

“Other things?”

I looked at the entirety of my camp as I spoke.

“Making the cabin a bit bigger. That’s one of my goals for next semester.”

In terms of magic, becoming capable of advanced magic.

In terms of survival, a major expansion to the cabin.

For now, that was the plan I had.

Aside from that, there were plenty of other things I wanted to do. For example, crafting a special bow, signing a new low-ranking spirit contract, crafting additional legendary magically engineering items, and training my celestial magic… For now, I was sure of my major goals.

In particular, it was very inconvenient to have to go to the soul library every time I wanted to train my magic engineering.

The act of going there itself was difficult, but the problem was when it snowed or rained, or I had other schedules to take care of.

If you always had time to practice magic engineering, you needed to set up your own workshop at the camp.

However, if I built a new cabin, the heating efficiency would be lowered, and it would require more effort to manage.

That was why I thought it would be better to do some construction and build a second floor to my cabin.

“I want to increase the number of rooms a little more and make a second floor to use as a study and workshop.”

“Then, you will need quite a bit of materials and manpower.”

“I plan on asking Yennekar and her spirits to help, as well as discuss construction personnel and materials with the Elte Company. Since this is a financial matter, I have to think about it carefully.”

“Can you afford it?”

“Since I became the top student in my school year, I now don’t have to pay any tuition. So, I plan to invest that extra money into the camp.”

Bell had a strange expression on her face.

I sat on a flat rock as I stared at her face, wondering what was wrong.

“I’m surprised that you still have no plans to return to the dormitories. Life would be much easier there.”

“This is my home now.”

It was a camp that I built after crawling through the dirt and persevering through various hardships.

Even when I was completely exhausted and needed a break, in the end, I chose to come back to the camp.

“Anyway, you don’t have to help me with the basic management anymore. Whether it’s cleaning or gathering firewood, I’ve recovered enough to be able to do those things myself.”

“That is nice to hear, but I have to come to camp regularly anyway, so don’t worry too much!”

“Hm? Why?”

I realized it after I said it, but I already knew the answer.

Bell took out an old-fashioned key from her pocket as she showed it to me.

“I was going to do some cleaning in the villa today…”

Bell’s expression looks strangely complicated.

“Lady Lortel is returning to school tomorrow.”

* * *

Yennekar was holed up in her cabin, not coming out until after lunchtime.

Occasionally, I could hear the sound of her hitting the walls of her cabin, throwing her pillows around, and such, but… I pretended not to know.

For now, it looked like she still needed some time. It was clear that it would only have the opposite effect if I went to see her first.

[It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so satisfied]

As if she drank a ton of nutritious medicine, Merilda, whose complexion had improved dramatically, was in a bright mood.

“…Now, keep your promise.”

[Of course.]

After lunch, the fire was lit again. That was to prevent unnecessary wild animals from approaching and to boil some drinking water.

I wanted to prepare lunch, but Bell, who was cleaning Lortel’s villa, had come out, stopped me, and started preparing the ingredients herself.

I ended up sitting in a corner of the camp, having a small conversation with Merilda.

[The spirit’s remains aren’t accessible all the time. So, I’ll let you know when the time comes.]

“…Is that all you’re going to say, and then just move on?”

[You don’t believe me? That’s a bit disappointing.]

Playfully talking back to me, Merilda opened and closed her sinister eyes as the wind blew by.

[It’s not time yet. When the wind blows stronger.]

“……”

[You won’t regret your choice. I’m sure of it.]

After Merilda spoke, she shut her mouth as a breeze blew through the camp.

Late summer was also a great time to be outside at the camp, since the tall grass helped cool down the heat.

Because of the bright clear sky that was unique to summer, and the forest full of vitality… I couldn’t even feel the scorching heat.

Rather, I felt the faint scent of autumn in the passing breeze.

Ed Rothstaylor, third year, second semester student at Silvenia. Could he rest a bit this break?

I’d been running around without a break, so maybe it would be fine to take it easy for the next semester. There was still a lot of work left to do, but maybe it would be worthwhile to take a short break.

With that thought, I also closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the passing breeze. I hoped that I’d be able to rest a bit during the next semester.

And that was how break came to an end.

Tanya, who was extremely busy with the affairs of the house. Princess Penia, who must have been nervous while preparing for the competition to the throne. And Lucy, who went to the imperial court on my behalf. They all must have been thinking about returning to Acken Island soon.

How would things at Rothstaylor Mansion be finished up…? For me, who was recuperating on Acken Island, there was no way to know.

I just hoped everyone was doing well on their own.

* * *

That evening, a letter from the imperial family arrived at the camp.

Naturally, I thought it was a letter from Princess Penia. Surprisingly, the person who sent it was Princess Selah.

‘The First Princess of the glorious Kroel Empire, Selah Einer Kroel.’

The letter was full of flowery words, and just looking at it, it seemed luxurious. It was rimmed with a gold frame and there was a seal that symbolized the Kroel Imperial Household.

“……”

Sitting by the campfire, I opened the letter with a puzzled expression on my face.

‘To Sir Ed Rothstaylor,

At the Kroel Imperial Household, an Imperial meeting was held to determine the policy of treatment towards the survivor of the Rothstaylor family, and their successor.

However, it was concluded that the truth behind the events were not fully understood, so it is necessary for the related parties to appear.’

The strangest thing was… The title by which she was calling me. It had been upgraded to ‘Sir Ed Rothstaylor’.

I started to have a strange feeling about it.

‘Lady Tanya Rothstaylor has participated in the investigation as Sir Ed Rothstaylor’s replacement. However, the conclusion has yet to be completed… Thus, the policy of treatment was also put on hold for the time being.

‘However, we have decided that we need to return the talents of House Rothstaylor, who currently occupy key positions, back to their original houses. Thus, there will be quite a few people who will be unable to be reinstated in the process.’

‘As the decision has been made, in regard to Lady Lucy Mayreel, who attended the meeting as Sir Ed Rothstaylor’s representative, we would like her to immediately return to Acken Island.

‘There was a small disturbance by Lady Lucy at the imperial meeting, but it was decided to acquit her in thanks to the merits she acquired during the Rothstaylor disaster.

‘However, even after that, she continues to stay in the Imperial palace in her private room for several hours, holding onto the Imperial household’s chef, entering the forbidden section within the top of the palace, and running around underground… There are so many problematic actions that she has taken that it is impossible to write them all down in this letter.

‘No matter what we do, she refuses to return to the school. I hope that Sir Ed Rothstaylor will personally send her a letter urging her to go back.’

“……”

“Who is the letter from, Young Master Ed?”

“…Hmm.”

I already knew that House Rothstaylor would be dealt with at the Imperial Central Meeting.

Well, it was obvious what had happened.

Those who supported and those who were against House Rothstaylor must have been split, fighting fiercely with each other to decide whether Rothstaylor’s authority should be maintained or taken away.

In the process, there must have been various debates over whether I should appear in front of them, be protected, or be executed.

However, it seemed that Lucy was not sitting quietly in the meeting room. Although they needed her there as ‘a necessity’… It seemed that she had caused such a commotion that they had already taken away her merit of getting rid of Mebula.

Not only that, but it seemed she was also causing a riot inside the imperial palace. In the end, Princess Selah had to bow her head and send me a letter of request.

In other words, the contents of the letter were long, but… In summary, the key points were as follows:

Lucy Mayreel.

Please, take her back.

“That girl… Just what in the world is she doing in the Imperial Palace…?”

The letter was written in a proper and political tone, but beyond that, the feelings of Princess Selah’s were clearly visible….

I suddenly… felt somewhat bad for her…