The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 178

Chapter 178: Ed Subjugation (1)

After all of the ordeals in the storyline are over, Taylee, who has now become a swordmaster, leaves the school with a diploma in hand.

The world outside of Silvenia is vast. Since there are many other parties and forces that get entangled, there are still many ordeals and incidents left.

A close-up of Taylee’s back as he leaves Mexes Bridge. A large sword hangs from the back of his now broader frame, while his colleagues stand around him.

The ending credits start to roll as the faint music plays. It’s a scene I’d already seen several times and was now ingrained in my memory.

On a black screen, the ordeals that the swordmaster Taylee McLaure had overcome began to play, one by one.

With names written in English shown, the life of Taylee McLaure is summarized.

Born into a poor family, he had no talent and was looked down upon.

One day, after getting beaten up by a local bully, he wandered the streets at night because he didn’t want to show his parents that he had gotten hurt.

He hid in a barn, hugging his knees and crying. Looking up at the stars, he dreamed of the day he could become someone who could stand proudly before others.

Covered in scars and curled up in the night’s air, his childhood friend Ayla sat quietly next to him.

Sitting next to him, looking up at the night sky, she pretended not to see his wounds as she spoke about what to eat for lunch tomorrow.

Taylee tried to hold back his tears, lowering his voice. That weak appearance of his didn’t change.

After that, he went through many ordeals.

The Act 1 boss, Yennekar Palerover. After quietly continuing her school life, she graduates as a top student and a scholarship student… but her rather mature yet quiet appearance made her look even lonelier.

The Act 2 boss, Glast, is also briefly shown in the credits. His wife and Assistant Professor Cleoh lay a wreath in front of his tombstone, which stands in his hometown of Kohelton.

The Act 3 boss, Lucy Mayreel, lost much of her magic power resonance due to Taylee’s Swordmaster Skill. Even so, she remains incredibly strong and is shown drifting around the school, wrapped in magic. In the credits, she sits in a coastal cave somewhere on Acken Island, staring blankly out at the sea as she watches the sunset.

The Act 4 boss, Krepin Rothstaylor, is shown in a large portrait. With Tanya sitting quietly in front of him and bowing her head, the image of the burning mansion is briefly shown.

And the Act 5 boss, Velbrok. Its fallen scales lie near a cliff, while the Amulet of the Great Sage Silvenia sinks into the depths of the ocean.

An image of Silvenia, who reached the end of her life on Acken Island to seal Velbrok. As her image is revealed through a portrait within the amulet… all of the bosses’ afterstories are quietly concluded.

After that, as the storyline progresses, the appearances of all the extras who were there quickly pass by… and the image of Taylee, who has become a swordmaster, appears at last. The location eventually changed to his hometown.

Taylee, who used to be unable to defeat even one of his local bullies, had now returned home. Even after graduation, the barn that he returned to was the same.

Then, a late, starry night.

A young Taylee from the distant past stands up, wiping his eyes. He wipes his wounds as he clenches his teeth, holding a gauntlet for training as he stands up.

Then, he suddenly makes eye contact with the current Taylee. Clenching his fists, he runs away somewhere.

In that empty memory, Ayla looks at the Taylee who ran away before she makes eye contact with the current Taylee, nodding her head.

Then, she runs off with Taylee, who has gone out to practice.

Swordmaster Taylee quietly sits at the back of the barn as he leans back like he did before.

The night air tickles his nose. As he rests, the Great Sage Ayla comes to him in the darkness of the night.

She’s matured quite a bit compared to when she was young, but even so, her youthful spirit hasn’t completely disappeared.

She fixes the collar of her magician’s outfit, which fits her perfectly… and sits down next to Taylee.

Even when the entire world considered Taylee a loser, she was a girl who always stood by his side.

She then rests her head on Taylee’s shoulder as she rests, thinking back on her memories.

The credits end and the music stops.

Taylee closes his eyes. The screen goes dark.

* * *

When Taylee McLaure slowly closed and opened his eyes, the store employees were already in a panic as he took a fighting stance.

“I won’t beat around the bush.”

In the commercial district, the golden piece of land right in front of Mexes Bridge.

There, the massive Elte Company’s building was built.

An iron fence was built high up, looking quite grand. However, with a single attack from Taylee McLaure, it all came crumbling down.

“Where is Ayla Triss?”

Bang! Booooooom!

Dune quickly appeared in the front courtyard of the store after receiving a report. He grasped the situation at a glance.

Not only the mercenaries that were guarding the entrance to the store, but even the employees of the store were rolling on the floor.

A dozen burly men lay on the ground groaning. At the center of it all stood a boy with a sword in one hand.

Already…?

Dune frowned.

The Elte Company agreed to help Ed Rothstaylor kidnap Ayla.

Of course, it would have been great if it were taken care of neatly with no problems. However, when abducting a person and keeping their body tied up, it was difficult to avoid running into any problems.

Issues with the school or a manhunt to look for her… He was expecting that there would be something that he would have to take care of.

However, he had tracked her down much too quickly.

At the very least, he shouldn’t have learned that Ayla was missing until the next morning. Then, it would take a few days more to come to the conclusion that she had been abducted.

Considering how long it would take to search for her and for suspicion to eventually come upon the Elte Company… That should have taken about a week.

Yet in less than half a day, he had already come after the Elte Company… It was far too fast, no matter how Dune thought about it.

“I know Ayla is being held here, so bring her out quickly!”

The employees who rushed forwards to subdue Taylee were already some of the strongest within the store.

After all, the Elte Company was not a combat group. Although they made contracts with mercenaries, there was a limit when it came to dealing with strong individuals.

Neither members of the headquarters nor powerful mercenaries could be dispatched to the Silvenia branch, located in the southern tip of the empire. In the end, there was a clear limit to stopping Taylee.

However, since they weren’t a combat group, that meant the only way to resolve the situation was not through force alone.

“Please, calm down.”

“…And you are?”

“My name is Dune Grex. I am currently in charge of the business affairs of the Elte Store.”

Dune had broken out into a cold sweat, but he still managed to quickly organize his thoughts.

“At this moment, I am the current de facto chief of the Elte Company.”

“Wasn’t Lortel Kehelland the one in charge of the Elte Company’s Silvenia Branch?”

“Currently, our deputy director is unable to be involved in the store’s business due to personal circumstances.”

Dune raised both hands as he spoke slyly.

“If there is something you want, I will hear you out. However, it will become a serious problem if you continue to riot inside the store like this.”

“I came here knowing that you guys kidnapped Ayla!”

Taylee, who was always respectful, had completely lost his temper as he shouted disrespectfully at the employees in the store.

“If you guys are planning something, I won’t just sit still. Got it?!”

“Calm down. There’s nothing good about causing a scene like this. However, this is the first time I’ve heard of us kidnapping Ayla Triss. Where did you hear such a thing?”

“I already received a letter from Ayla herself!”

It was a letter delivered in advance at the request of Ed Rothstaylor.

When she was kidnapped at Lorail Hall, the letter had already been delivered to Taylee.

The contents of the letter were obvious.

[I’m being kidnapped now. The kidnappers are breaking in through the windows and trying to get in.

Ed Rothstaylor and the Elte Company have teamed up. It seems they are sacrificing me to research Celestial Magic.

Ask the school for help. I’ll try to hold out somehow.]

After writing the letter, she left it on the corner of her desk. It was a somewhat inconspicuous location. However, Ed thought that—with Taylee’s keen eye—he would be able to find it quickly.

Because of Taylee’s personality, he wouldn’t wait until he received help from the school. That was why he had already broken through the front door of the store.

“This is slander. What profit does the Elte Company gain by kidnapping Ayla Triss?”

“You’re working with Ed Rothstaylor! The fact that Ed Rothstaylor is behind you guys… I already know the truth…!”

What he was saying was the truth.

Dune thought that Ed had cleanly kidnapped her, but he had made a mistake.

A few employees rushed at Taylee, but with a single stomp of his foot, he emitted a shockwave that knocked them all back.

Shock Release.

The combat magic used by the combat department was quite simple compared to the magic learned in the magic department. However, it worked well enough to be used directly in battle.

Taylee then gripped his greatsword with both hands and unleashed a massive horizontal slash. The employees around him were subdued at once.

Then, employees holding onto weapons and wands ran out of the front door of the store. They were much more skilled than the guards who were guarding the gate, and there were many more of them.

Taylee frowned as he closed his eyes and focused.

Then, his black hair was dyed white, and his eyes turned red. The magic power surrounding his body also grew stronger as it overwhelmed those around him.

Swordmaster’s Skill.

It was a Swordmaster’s Skill created by the first swordmaster, Luden McLaure. An original technique that was handed down to his descendants who shared the same blood.

The sword that Luden McLaure had set as the goal of his life was a sword that could cut through all ‘existence’.

From things that were physically visible in the world to things that were invisible to the eye. He pursued the extremes of a sword… cutting everything and erasing its complete existence.

Elemental Slash, Thought Slash, Stream Slash, Space Slicing, Explosive Sword, Double Edge Sword, God Slaying Sword, Empty Sword, Dragon Slaying Sword, Predation Sword.

Cutting everything that could be cut.

Because he walked down a path with that single intention… he solely pursued honing his techniques.

Because of that, no wealth or fortune remained in House McLaure. He lived by cutting and defeating the countless monsters that were recorded in the history books of the Empire. However, he never received any rewards or glory. Even his whereabouts were unknown, so it was not easy to meet him.

Because of his dedication towards the sword alone, he was able to remain as the strongest swordmaster in history.

And the potential of Taylee McLaure, who was born with that blood… it was on a level completely different from ordinary people.

Even with the slightest of hardships, he was able to grow rapidly. Able to overcome any hardship and ordeal that came his way, that was how he lived his life.

Each time he swung his sword, three or four people collapsed. The screams of the employees filled the entire yard.

It was late at night and there was no one outside on the street. Thus, their screams echoed, alone on the quiet night.

“For now, escape to the inside of the store! You will get hurt if you stay here!”

One of the employees shouted towards Dune, who was clenching his teeth. For now, he needed to escape to a safe place to come up with a plan to deal with the situation.

Dune and some of his closest aides quickly ran inside the store as the other employees closed the door. At the very end, through the crack of the door before it shut… what he saw wasn’t a human, but a monster.

He made eye contact with the boy who covered his entire body with magic power to use it like a weapon. The boy who was singlehandedly cutting through hundreds of employees all by himself.

Only after the door slammed shut… did Dune sigh in relief.

However, it was still too early to be relieved. Nothing had been resolved. The internal forces within the store weren’t enough to stop him.

“Find Ed Rothstaylor! Right now, he’s probably… in Deputy Director Lortel’s office!”

“Some have already gone looking for him! But…”

The worker who ran down from the upper stairway panted heavily as he reported in. He was holding onto someone behind him.

“There was… No one in the office! Neither Ed Rothstaylor, nor Deputy Director Lortel…”

“What?”

“Thiel, who was serving as his guide, was attacked! And… there’s a problem on the upper floors of the store!”

Dune clenched his teeth as he gripped his beret tightly.

“What do you mean?!”

“From the reports… It seems there is an intruder that came in from the roof. I was just confirming it to report…”

Bang! Boooom!

Another explosion rang out. However, that explosion didn’t come from the entrance, but rather the upper floors of the store.

Aside from Taylee McLaure, another person had broken into the store.

“…Keuk!”

Dune barely grabbed ahold of his body from the sudden vibration. The employee, who was staggering, quickly continued his report.

“Ziggs Eiffelstein! The Guardian of the Northern Grasslands!”

The worker shouted in an urgent tone as he reported to Dune.

“He broke in through the roof.”

“What?”

“I don’t know what his intentions are! I came straight to report it after hearing it from one of the upper managers.”

“I knew he was someone with a strong sense of justice, but I didn’t imagine he would be the kind of person who would get involved in such a behind-closed-doors fight. Block all of the entrances at once! Block them by using the furniture nearby!”

First of all, the most urgent thing to do was hide Ayla.

It wouldn’t be easy to stop Taylee McLaure through force. However, if they could somehow manage to hide Ayla Triss, Taylee would lose justification for his use of force… Then, they could hold him accountable for his reckless behavior.

A merchant should fight like a merchant. With that in mind, Dune quickly started to move.

“Prepare to blockade the upper floors, too!”

Dune clenched his teeth as he spoke. Although he was distracted by the sudden change in situation, he needed to maintain his sense of reason.

“And… find Ed Rothstaylor!”

There was a lot to be done in a short time. Distribution of manpower was key.

Dune quickly came to his senses as he calmly began to sort things out.

* * *

Boom! Bang! Crash!

“It’s a building that is only maintained through the quarterly budget decided by headquarters…”

“Is money really the problem now?”

I grabbed Lortel’s arm as I dragged her swiftly down the corridor.

Lortel, who had calmed down, wrapped her arms around me as she followed me closely.

“I can’t help it. But… What are your plans after this?”

“For now, I have to get you out of here. I don’t know what Dune’s plan is, but it seems like it won’t work unless he is able to keep hold of you.”

“This is rather flashy for something as simple as that.”

“Well, since things are like this, I figured I should take care of my business with Taylee as well.”

Since I was planning on checking Taylee’s specs, now was the chance.

As I was able to get ahold of the Elte Company as the perfect sacrifice, I just needed to create an opportunity.

It wasn’t easy to find a place for Taylee to go all-out, nor was there a good reason for inciting it, either.

However, with the situation as it was, using Taylee to deal with Dune was the perfect opportunity.

“Taylee McLaure?”

“Yeah. The one who is likely to be the next swordmaster.”

“He has potential. Everyone admits that… But the Elte Company isn’t a combat group… It would be an issue for him to suddenly show up and go all-out.”

Although the mercenaries of the Elte Company were quite competent, they couldn’t be compared to the main characters in the storyline.

The reason the Elte Company could stay on Acken Island was financial and political power. So, if he started running wild like he was, of course they would be in a difficult situation.

“It will be difficult for the Elte Company to stop him with their forces alone. I’m not sure if the school and security personnel on the island will take action… but it’s pretty late right now, so I doubt it.”

“Yeah. So, I brought some people to help the Elte Company.”

“What did you say?”

The moment she said that, a familiar face appeared after cutting around the corner.

It was Ziggs Eiffelstein… who had subdued various employees while walking around the store.

“You’re here?”

“I didn’t know you were going to make things so flashy, Ed.”

Ziggs, who knew how to use all sorts of weapons fluently. Currently, he held a small rapier in one hand. It seemed that he had cleaned the entire hallway out in an instant.

“Everything upstairs has been cleaned up as well. I also tied an escape rope to the roof.”

“Taylee is coming.”

I didn’t say much.

Elvira would block him on the first floor.

Ziggs was in charge of the second floor, and on the third floor, Yennekar was waiting in the VIP waiting room. On the fourth floor, there would be an even more difficult opponent waiting for him.

I planned to head up to the roof from the fourth floor and use the escape rope that Ziggs had attached to escape from the store.

I didn’t know how far Taylee would be able to climb up. To be honest, they were far too formidable as opponents for Taylee to face in his current state.

I didn’t even think he could beat me. Though, I was currently unable to use my full powers because of the recoil of the ring.

“I’m glad you look healthy, Lortel.”

“I didn’t realize you had come too, Ziggs.”

“We don’t have time to explain things in detail, so let’s chat about it after things are over.”

Lortel and Ziggs knew each other because they both belonged to Class A. After a brief chat with each other, Ziggs spoke to me.

“I think it would be better to not go near the VIP waiting room on the third floor.”

Ziggs spoke as if he was troubled, looking at Lortel, who had her arms crossed.

“I came to see Yennekar on the way down, but… She was kinda scary.”

“What…?”

“It’s just… It seems she doesn’t like the situation all that much right now. She was only sitting in the VIP waiting room sipping on tea, but… She had an indescribable energy around her… I couldn’t even say anything to her.”

I noticed the way Ziggs was glancing at Lortel. He was thinking that we shouldn’t put Lortel in front of Yennekar in the current situation… And to be honest, I was in full agreement.

“Shucks, I wanted to see her.”

“Lortel.”

“It’s so touching to see Ed go so far to save me.”

After laughing like a fox for a while, Lortel shook her head.

“Well, we have to distinguish between public and private life. After all, a minute or even a second is a precious moment. Right now, there is a lot of work to be done.”

Lortel spoke as she frowned. She seemed to have already grasped the overall picture of the power struggle that surrounded her to some extent.

“Then, we’ll escape from the store and head to the camp.”

“All right. If there are any changes, I will let you know.”

Saying that, Ziggs sat down on a nearby wooden chair. He rested his sword against the wall as he crossed his arms.

“Then… I guess I should go and watch the situation.”

I nodded as I continued upstairs to the upper floors of the building with Lortel.

* * *

Wooooong.

It took less than five minutes to take care of the near-hundreds of employees in the store.

In front of the mountain of defeated employees, Taylee quietly swiped his sword.

He didn’t even drop a speck of blood because of the overwhelming skill gap. They were opponents where he didn’t even need to risk his life.

As he gently lifted his creepy red eyes, he looked at the front door of the store that was tightly closed.

Taylee had a serious energy around him as he slowly walked to the main entrance, holding his sword. With one swing from the sword, the entire front door could be destroyed.

“Oh my gosh, you really did cause a riot.”

However, a familiar voice tickled Taylee’s ear.

Behind the mountain of employees that were piled up. Elvira’s voice could be heard as she walked around it.

“…Elvira?”

Elvira wore a shabby magician robe… and she was fully armed.

Her bag was full of all kinds of alchemy reagents and magic engineering supplies.

Elvira sat on top of the mountain of employees as she crossed her legs and smiled slyly.

“It’s nice to see you, Taylee.”

“Why are you here…?”

“I’m sorry, but I have to stop you here.”

The Elte Company’s Silvenia Branch joined hands with Ed Rothstaylor.

Elvira, who appeared in the garden on the first floor of the building… did not seem particularly friendly toward Taylee.

Taylee sensed that as he quietly gripped his greatsword tightly. In terms of senses, he was someone who was particularly sharp.

Like Ed Rothstaylor had said, she was in charge of Phase 1.

Elvira Aniston, top student in the Alchemy Department among the second years.

The moment she proudly showed up to stop Taylee, an ominous feeling began to creep up on him.