The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 195

“Repairing? If you have clothing that needs repairing, please pass them on to the maid in charge of laundry. I will notify her myself.”

“No. I want to repair things myself. For practice.”

“…Is repairing a hobby of yours?”

When I stopped by Ophelis Hall after my monster ecology class, it seemed that the maids had some free time before they took care of all of their urgent work.

They were usually the busiest right after school started. Only after the students settled back into school and were able to adjust themselves were the maids able to return to their set routines.

However, it seemed that the chaotic period after school started was taken care of quickly. That was why she was now greeting me with a relaxed expression on her face.

“Do you really need to do it yourself? From my point of view, repairing an extra garment or two doesn’t make a huge difference in our workload.”

“Thanks, but I can’t keep coming to Ophelis Hall every time I need minor repairs. To save time, I should be able to do the simple things myself. It’s rather far to travel back and forth from here.”

The rose garden was one of Ophelis Hall’s greatest pride.

There were not only roses, but all different kinds of flowers swaying pleasantly in the cool, early autumn breeze.

The school in the late afternoon was quiet. As if enjoying the atmosphere, several students were walking through the rose garden, taking in the aroma of the flowers.

In the meantime, Bell was checking whether the garden was being well maintained. She walked around the garden looking rather strict. She seemed dissatisfied with the leaves of the under-pruned shrubbery.

If she was taking care of her work inside Ophelis Hall, it would have been difficult to talk to her. That was because even entering the dormitory was a pain in the ass.

Fortunately, she was outside, so I could freely talk to her.

“There are quite a few pieces of clothing that are going to be discarded. Most of them are for the other maids, so they’re women’s clothes, but… I don’t think there will be a problem if you just want to practice simple repairs.”

“Then, if you’re going to throw them away anyway, can I take some?”

“Of course, but it’s a bit too far to carry them all… it would also be strange if people saw you carrying a large amount of women’s clothing. I’ll instruct another maid to deliver them to you later. How about ten pieces?”

“That will be enough. Thanks for your help.”

“You are welcome.”

The only skill I needed to raise for Bow Crafting was my repair skill.

Bow Crafting was only possible after I practiced repairing fabric and leather for a certain amount of time.

As long as I practiced, I would be able to unlock it. However, the fact that I didn’t know how long it would take was rather heartbreaking.

“Have you eaten? There is a banquet being held today to celebrate the new semester. It’s taking place on the second floor hall, so you can go in and eat something. I will inform the staff.”

“No, that’s okay. I already promised I would have dinner at the camp. It would feel as if I was eating out before going home without saying anything.”

“……”

After I said that, Bell looked at me curiously.

These days, it seemed that I’d gotten quite good at reading the expressions of people who didn’t show them.

Both Lucy and Bell… I was able to read them somewhat, despite them not being good at expressing their emotions.

Lucy always looked dazed and absent-minded. Bell always seemed calm and collected. The two of them were strangely different.

However, the fact was, if I paid close attention to them, I was able to notice it.

“What is it?”

“…Pardon?”

“You were looking at me as if you had mixed feelings.”

“I-I did? I apologize if I looked like that.”

“You don’t have to apologize for your expression… I was just wondering if there was something you needed to say.”

Bell responded, looking rather perplexed.

“N-No, that’s not the case… It seems I should pay more attention to my facial expressions. It seems that I’ve become lax in maintaining my expression. Keeping a poker face is the basics for a maid.”

“You’re overreacting. There’s no need to worry about it.”

“I see. Perhaps because you are so good at reading other people, I couldn’t help but feel that way.”

Bell closed her eyes softly as she spoke.

“It’s just… I was once again reminded that you were now living with Lady Yennekar.”

“…Does that bother you?”

“That’s not it. It’s just that I was the one helping Lady Yennekar in her daily life from the moment she came to Silvenia and was struggling to adjust.”

Bell spoke elegantly, with proper posture, not moving one bit.

“Back then, I was a senior maid. Now, I am the head maid. I’ve been promoted quite a bit… However, my feelings towards the job haven’t changed, and I wonder if she’s doing all right.”

“In the first place, that girl came from the countryside. She’s capable of taking care of herself, even without the help of the maids.”

“That’s true… If there are any issues, please contact me right away. Ophelis Hall always purchases a large amount of supplies, so there are always leftover items we throw away.”

I was thankful for her words, but I was already receiving more than enough help from Bell and Ophelis Hall.

If I constantly relied on her help for everything, I wouldn’t be able to properly deal with emergencies on my own.

So, I could only respond to Bell’s offer by saying thanks.

“You must’ve been busy taking care of Ophelis Hall. How is Lucy?”

“She hasn’t come home since she went out this morning. She’s probably taking a nap somewhere. Were you planning to visit Lady Lucy?”

“No, I was just asking to see how she was doing. If she’s not in her room, she might be at the camp.”

“She must have gone through a lot with the new semester ceremony, as well. She’s the top student within Silvenia Academy right now, so there are a lot of expectations on her. It’s to the point we can look past her penalty points.”

A rare, once-in-a-century genius. Something Silvenia Academy might never see again. She was truly in a high seat.

However, at the same time, Lucy was also the person who broke the most rules and had the highest number of penalty points within Ophelis Hall.

Even the worst of the worst only received about 200 points over the school year… But Lucy alone was past 1000. Not only was she the undisputed highest when it came to penalty points, but she was also the undisputed top student.

However, the problem was that Lucy couldn’t be controlled through penalty points at all.

Normally, one’s penalty points would directly affect their grades. However, her grades were so overwhelmingly high, it didn’t even matter.

“Actually, there’s someone else I have business with. Can you tell them something for me?”

“Someone within Ophelis Hall? You are already quite familiar with the other students who reside here, though? However, if there’s someone else you need to talk to, I will go and call on them.”

“Actually, that’s okay. They’re not someone that I should call to meet with me. I’ll just leave them a letter. They’re not an easy person to meet with, after all.”

“……?”

* * *

“So, you decided to go to Cledric Monastery?”

“Supposedly, Princess Persica is going, and there is something serious I need to discuss with Saint Clarice, as well. There are quite a few things I need to take care of. If I don’t go, it’ll be hard to talk with them again.”

When Ed Rothstaylor returned to camp, Yennekar had already finished preparing dinner and was sitting by the campfire, reading an elementalism book.

When Yennekar took care of basic housework at the camp, she usually tied her hair up and rolled up her sleeves… Every time I saw that, I was reminded that she really was a girl who was born in the countryside.

It gave off a strangely different feeling from when she was dressed in her school uniform, looking like the kind student she was. Students who saw Yennekar in her regular clothes in the commercial district were often shocked.

Things were completely different than when she lived in Ophelis Hall and had maids to help her. If she wanted to dress up, she needed to make the time to do it herself. She was no longer able to live like a princess in a fairy tale.

Watching Yennekar as she pondered what daily necessities she needed to get or what ingredients to buy… The other students couldn’t help but have a strange feeling, as if a character from a fairy tale had suddenly come to life.

However, Yennekar rather liked her current position.

That was because, even back in her hometown of Pulan, she often refused offers and kindness from other people who wanted to help her. She preferred taking care of everything herself.

“So, I went to the Ophelis Hall to tell Saint Clarice, but it wasn’t easy to meet with her in person. I just left a letter behind with Bell.”

“A monastery… A monastery…”

Yennekar repeated that word a few times with the book open on her lap.

Since Tanya had stayed at Cledric Monastery for a few days, she had a lot to say. However, Yennekar shouldn’t have known what that place was like.

Except for the fact that it was a religious location near the sea, located along the western coast of the Empire.

Still, hearing the word ‘Monastery’, there was a particular image that came to mind. For one, it would be the nuns who quietly conducted themselves, following the will of their God. There wasn’t anything particularly bad about it, aside from the fact that it seemed like an awfully boring place to be.

Thinking about it, in the end Yennekar had a smile of relief on her face.

“I guess you will need to go if necessary… But if you were to leave now, wouldn’t it be difficult to keep up with the curriculum?”

“I’m only going for a week, so it shouldn’t be that bad. I’m also going to prepare ahead of time.”

“I see. But what do you have to discuss with Saint Clarice? Is it something personal that you need help from someone as influential as her? It seems rather serious…”

Yennekar has a strange admiration and burden towards those of high status.

Though, in actuality, Ed Rothstaylor—who was right in front of her—was also a noble who had recently been brought back into his house.

“……”

“……”

Hearing her question, Ed suddenly looked troubled for a moment.

As if he were contemplating whether to say something or not.

Yennekar continued to stare at him, tilting her head.

“There’s something I must take care of before graduating.”

The Holy Blue Dragon Velbrok.

Ed, who was about to mention the name, shook his head.

He had a feeling that Yennekar would believe anything he said now.

The resurrection of the Holy Blue Dragon Velbrok and how to defeat it… Those were the two major burdens on Ed’s shoulders.

Yennekar was always worried about Ed taking on things by himself and getting hurt. So, wouldn’t it be fine to lessen that load by telling her?

And above all else, Yennekar was bound to find out once he started gathering forces on his side and taking more drastic public actions.

Still, wouldn’t it be better to make some progress first and then slowly explain everything to her? That was what Ed was thinking.

At that point, there was nothing Yennekar could do. Telling her at the moment would only put a weight on her shoulder.

“I have some personal goals. And… Saint Clarice holds a lot of influence. So, since House Rothstaylor is on the verge of disappearing, she’s someone that I want to get close to as much as possible.”

“If it’s a political reason, it can’t be helped… I’m not good when it comes to those things… So, I can’t be of much help…”

For Yennekar Palerover, the world of ‘politics’ was just as difficult as trying to read and make sense of a doctor’s note.

For a girl who naturally received favors and love from everyone, asking her to understand such a thing was too much.

At the same time, because she didn’t understand those things, she could act like Yennekar Palerover.

Ed shrugged as he poured some stew, which had been heated in an iron pot over the campfire, into a bowl. Yennekar had prepared it before he came back.

It was funny to think about him refusing a grand feast in Ophelis Hall only to return to the camp to eat reheated stew.

But the stew was more Ed’s style.

“It’s good. Did you make it after your classes?”

“Yeah! It was great that there were a lot of spices left! Also, I thought we should eat the smoked meat before it goes bad, so I put plenty inside!”

As if she were excited by his compliment, Yennekar quickly closed her book as she started talking about how she made the stew and how they should buy a new pot.

Ed shoved the stew into his mouth as he listened. He was also thinking about just how many more logs he needed to prepare to upgrade his cabin.

The two of them continued to talk about how they should go about upgrading the cabin. Whether to put Ed’s magic engineering workshop on the first or second floor, whether to make a basement, whether to put up a fence, etc.

As the two of them spoke with each other in peace as the sun set, there was a strange feeling of happiness shared between them.

“Bell gave me some recipes. There are so many other dishes I want to try as well… but… I don’t want to waste too much food…”

Ed threw the spoon into the iron pot, which was completely empty, as he sat down on a tree stump. He was completely satisfied with his meal.

“By the way, did I tell you? Bell is going to send someone here to give me some clothes.”

“Clothes?”

“I personally asked her to give me some so I could practice repairing. Maybe she’ll send a maid tomorrow. So, don’t panic if a stranger shows up at the camp.”

“Alright. Taking care of Ophelis Hall and the camp… Bell really is amazing…”

Bell Maya had been taking care of Yennekar Palerover ever since her first year, when she knew nothing.

Although she was slightly older than Yennekar, she was already in the prestigious position of head maid of Ophelis Hall. Compared to her, Yennekar looked rather young.

Reaching such a status at a young age, one would think she would become arrogant or start to slack. However, she was still as thorough and hardworking as when she first started. She really hadn’t changed much at all in the way she thought, either.

While people say it’s important to stay true to yourself, if the situation changed, one couldn’t help but change their values. Usually, it was something that happened naturally, without effort.

So, one couldn’t help but be in awe of her attitude, despite being in such a position. Rather, it felt unnatural that she was able to act like that.

The way she fulfilled her responsibilities and duties to a ridiculous degree was not a level of sincerity you would see in a normal person. There was surely something that made her become like that.

“What was she doing before she started working at Ophelis Hall? Yennekar, do you know?”

“Huh? Well… I know that Bell has been a maid since she was young. And, uhm… I’ve heard a strange rumor before circulating among the maids.”

“A strange rumor?”

“Well… it is a rumor, but they only mentioned that her childhood was rather dark… I don’t know the details. Everything about her is a mystery.”

Among the students in Ophelis Hall, there were many of them with dark pasts. There had been children of nobles whose families were destroyed in battle, illegitimate children of influential families, and some even had their houses collapse while they were attending school.

Working in Ophelis Hall, you were bound to see a lot of people who had unhappy childhoods. So, for those maids to say that she had a ‘dark past’… He had no idea just what kind of life she lived.

Ed tilted his head, thinking about it. His curiosity about the matter isn’t something that could be resolved immediately.

“……”

In fact, it wouldn’t help in defeating Velbrok, either. It was just his own personal curiosity.

There were many people who wanted to hide their pasts, so continuing to dig any further would only be disrespectful towards them.

With that thought in mind, Ed shook his head as he threw away his useless thoughts.

“Well, Bell is capable of taking care of herself. Right now, I should be taking care of myself.”

“Haha… Bell isn’t someone we need to worry about, Ed. Are you planning to work on the logs some more before going to bed?”

“Yeah. I should probably do some more. The size of the cabin is going to be bigger than I first thought. Making a design isn’t enough to get an accurate estimate, I guess.”

“The bigger the better! It’s where you’re going to live, that’s why!”

Yennekar spoke with a lively smile on her face.

Ed stretched his body as he got ready to start working. He still had a few injuries, but it wasn’t to the extent that he couldn’t move his body.

“Is there still drinking water?”

“Yeah. In the bucket!”

He had just finished eating, so he was rather thirsty. To hydrate, Ed went over to the bucket of drinking water, dipping his wooden mug into it.

Watching Yennekar open up her Elementalism book again, Ed gulped down on the cool water. A pleasant, refreshing sensation spread through his body thanks to the cold water that passed through his throat and down into his body.

And then he started to feel a fever rising.

“……?”

Ed noticed something was wrong from the strangely sweet taste on the tip of his tongue, but it was already too late.

“Cough…”

He started to cough. Yennekar was startled as she looked towards him, worried. She told him to drink slowly, but Ed could barely hear her.

“Cough! Cough! Ke…Keuk…”

He continued to cough as he grabbed the edge of the bucket, falling to his knees. As he tried to bear with the heat rising continuously through his body, he started to realize something strange was happening to his body.

“E-Ed…? Are you okay?”

Yennekar saw his discomfort as she closed her book, putting it down and quickly standing up.

She ran towards Ed, supporting him. She was startled by the heat rising from his body.

Ed was perfectly fine just a moment before, with nothing strange about him. He no longer had to deal with the recoil of the ring, either.

So, what was with his fever?

“E-Ed…? Ed…!”

“C-Cough… W-Wait… Cough…”

Ed was barely able to keep steady as he leaned against the bucket of water, breathing heavily. Yennekar’s hands started to tremble watching him.

Where was he hurt? With how suddenly he got so bad so quickly, it must have been a serious illness.

Yennekar bent down as she supported his body. Only then did she see a reagent bottle lying in the grass.

“……”

Goosebumps spread across her arm. She had definitely seen that bottle before.

She didn’t even need to think that hard. It was definitely when she had rejected Patriciana’s offer.

She remembered Patriciana’s strangely dissatisfied and irritated expression as she firmly refused her.

Alchemists often had a strange sense of pride and confidence in their inventions. In fact, most inventors who chased greatness were like that.

These were people who started to show their dark side when their pride was hurt or their inventions, which they put a tremendous amount of effort into, were ignored.

Was Patriciana the same, or was she simply trying to show Yennekar the efficiency of the reagent?

Whatever the case, she could easily infer what happened… Patriciana had secretly poured that reagent into the bucket of drinking water before running away.

“Patriciana…!”

Yennekar supported Ed’s body as she yelled out her name in a resentful tone.

Troublemakers. The alchemy students were often called that. But having become a victim herself, she felt that fact even more.

She thought that she should go and find her to scold her later. For the moment, the first thing to do was to help Ed, who was having a hard time.

She thought the first thing to do was to wipe his sweat. Right when she was about to bring over a cloth to use as a towel, Ed’s hand gripped Yennekar’s wrist tightly.

Yennekar felt a shock run through her body as her breath caught.

“E-Ed…?”

“W-Wait… I think something is wrong with me, Yennekar.”

“Y-Yeah. It looks like it! I’ll bring something to wipe off your sweat!”

Ed Rothstaylor’s mental strength had already far surpassed the other students.

Even though he was drugged to act drunk and lose self-control, that didn’t mean he would break down. Rather, he was someone who would overcome even the strongest of reagents.

Nevertheless, the fact that he was suffering didn’t change.

“For now… I still have some strength. But still, stay by my side… If I lose consciousness, the only person who can help me is you.”

Yennekar’s eyes trembled. Since she was well aware of the effects of that reagent, every word he said was like a critical strike.

Knowing that everything Ed said was how he truly felt, it was a killer blow to Yennekar. Especially since she was a girl who had no experience with dating.

Just imagining that made her breath quicken. Yennekar tried to somehow control her eyes, which were spinning out of control.

“E-Ed…! F-First… wipe off your sweat…”

Flick!

Before Yennekar could finish speaking, Ed pulled on Yennekar’s wrist, forcing her to sit down next to him.

Yennekar fell onto the grass as she sat.

Ed always treated her gently and caringly… He was always careful about how much strength he used with her. So, feeling him use his real strength, her heart pounded quickly.

To love and be loved. To care and to be cared for.

For her entire life, she had always been loved and treated warmly, so suddenly being pulled like that caught her off guard.

Ed wasn’t in a state where he could be considerate towards her. Somehow managing to endure the reagent, he had grabbed onto her wrist tightly, forcefully pulling her to his side.

Yennekar tried to control her beating heart.

Ed’s actions of pulling on Yennekar without consideration… Just thinking of that made her heart beat strangely fast.

Her wrist was sore. It felt as if she were constrained, unable to run away. It was a scary situation to be in, yet strangely… Because it was Ed who was doing it, her heart was racing. The strange sensation of being pulled against her will by him. A somewhat immoral and unknown feeling that she couldn’t resist…

“Ugh…?!”

No, in the first place, was she not even trying to resist? Realizing that, Yennekar couldn’t lie to herself.

At some point in all of it, Yennekar was also breathing heavily. Her eyes widened at the strange feeling she was feeling for the first time in her life.

Still, she needed to resist.

Putting her hand to her cheek, she looked towards Ed, who was somehow enduring the reagent.

Yennekar’s face was already getting as hot as his, but she couldn’t just sit still and do nothing.

First, she needed to check his condition, wipe off his sweat, and bring him to the cabin to rest. Then, she would talk to him about the reagent, prepare a space for him to recover, and ask Bell for help.

A plan of action flowed through Yennekar’s mind.

Even though he was Ed Rothstaylor, she had to be decisive in her actions.

She needed him to let go of her hand. It was sore and it was scary. She hoped that he would be at least a little more caring towards her.

That was why she needed him to listen to her.

Yennekar steeled herself as she raised her voice.

“Hey!”

Her tone of voice was strange, since she was nervous. It came out louder than expected, even Yennekar herself was surprised.

“Keuk!”

But there was no reply from Ed. Rather, he frowned as if his headache got worse from Yennekar’s scream.

“Don’t raise your voice so much… My head hurts…”

“Ed, you can’t do this…!”

“Just stay still… stay by my side…”

Breathing in and out, Ed quietly spoke. It felt as if part of his brain had melted from her loud voice.

“Uh……”

Yennekar was overwhelmed by the atmosphere. She forced herself to speak quieter than a whisper.

“O-Okay… Yeah…”

For the only person who could fix the situation to raise a white flag like that…

She wasn’t able to ask anyone for help, either. To make matters worse, for some reason the spirits weren’t responding to her either. Usually, there were various spirits gathered around Yennekar, but…

Right now, there really was no answer.

* * *

“♪ ♬ ♩”

A private room was specially prepared for Saint Clarice on the top floor of Ophelis Hall.

Even regular rooms in Ophelis Hall were famous for their magnificent size, but Saint Clarice’s private room took up half an entire floor.

Clarice’s petite body was lying on a bed that was covered in expensive lace decorations.

The only person in Ophelis Hall who knew about her double life, the head maid Bell Maya, stood slightly next to her.

“In the afternoon, he came to me to deliver this to you.”

Clarice hummed as if in a good mood. She opened the letter, holding it above her head as she read it happily.

“He said that he will accompany me to Cledric Monastery. I had a hard time because I had to attend all of the school events today, but now it feels as if I have finally been rewarded!”

Clarice smiled widely. She was supposed to attend a ceremony for several days at Cledric Monastery, where there was no hope of having fun. Now that Ed was going to accompany her, everything would change.

Unlike high-ranking faithful clerics, who had no interest in anything outside of religion… It was nice to have a companion next to her.

Unlike how she usually went to Cledric Monastery every year, she would be able to enjoy it quite a bit. As Clarice acted excited, Bell who was standing next to her spoke.

“Are you talking about Cledric Monastery? I guess it’s the time of year they have the ceremony.”

“That’s right. And since I’m the face of the Telos Religious Group, even though I’m a student I am still required to attend. I’ll need to ask for an excused absence from the school.”

“But… Is it really okay for Young Master Ed to accompany you to the Monastery? From what I know, Cledric Monastery is…”

“Well, I have authority… So, I can come up with a number of reasons for him to accompany me. I’m sure there won’t be any problems.”

Clarice was humming happily as she read Ed’s handwritten letter.

“You should also know that Ed is someone who takes care of himself and has a strong sense of self-control, right? So, I’m sure nothing will happen in the monastery.”

Hearing Clarice speak so confidently, Bell had nothing to say against it.

Ed Rothstaylor was quick-witted and wouldn’t even try to make contact with the nuns more than necessary.

“Tomorrow, I’ll have to go and submit a letter of excused absence to the school~”

Waving her feet in the air, Clarice smiled.

Seeing her act so happy, Bell quietly stood there.