The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 211

The next morning, Yennekar’s cabin was noisy with the sounds of spirits scuffling.

We had to go to the royal residence, where Princess Penia resided, as soon as we woke up. So, we both had to wear something nice and head out right away.I definitely told her that, but I had no idea she would take so much time to get dressed.

I just wore a reddish-brown robe on top of my usual shirt. It was a rather expensive product, so it was definitely a step up from the type of outfits I usually wore.

The commoner Yennekar seemed to be arguing with the spirits in front of a mirror all morning long. It seemed she was having a hard time trying to find an appropriate outfit to wear to the royal residence.

Though, there wasn’t any need to think that hard about what to wear.

I sat near the campfire, cutting my bow some more. I could hear her having a detailed discussion with the spirits inside her cabin about what color skirt would be better and which hairpin was nicer.

Things would only get worse if I were to join in, so I waited outside as long as I could.

About fifteen minutes later, Yennekar came out wearing a bluish skirt and an amber blouse. The shawl she wore over her slender shoulders had a cosmos pattern on it, which was like her trademark.

Her hair was beautifully braided, with a persimmon hairpin placed on top. Even without the help of maids, Yennekar was capable of tying her hair up properly and braiding it neatly.

In fact, she was never a girl who couldn’t take care of herself. The same was true for the outfit she picked out.

“Wh-What do you think, Ed?! Judge it!”

“…Judge?”

“If I wear this outfit to the royal residence, will I get rejected at the entrance?! Wh-What is the dress code there?! Is this too much? M-Maybe I should get rid of my hairpiece?!”

‘Whatever you wear will be fine, so let’s just go.’

That was what I was going to say, but I knew that was the wrong answer.

“Asking me to judge your outfit is a bit strange, but… well, it looks good on you. You look very ladylike, Yennekar.”

“Ladylike!”

As if my brief words meant a lot to her, Yennekar suddenly gulped. She then quickly held her hands together in front of her skirt as she adjusted the tone of her voice.

“R-Really? Okay. I probably shouldn’t be making such a ruckus at the royal residence, though…”

“Yennekar… you acting unusually like that is the biggest issue. Don’t worry about how you speak.”

“No. I’ll be careful. I will make sure to speak in a calm, collected tone.”

Hearing her speak like that, it was as if Yennekar had completely matured and become a different person.

“I should just leave my wand here, right?!”

Though she quickly went back to her usual self right after…

***

The royal residence was quite far away from the commercial district and the education district, where everyone else resided. Located on the west coast of Acken Island, it was a structure built with magnificent grandeur, as if it were part of another world. It was also a place filled with suspicion, as barely anyone was ever allowed to go near it.

From the magic products section of the commercial district, if you looked all the way to the west, you could see the shape of the royal residence in the far distance. However, that was all an ordinary student could ever see of it.

If a student ran around the island to exercise or take a walk and happened to take a wrong turn that led them near the royal residence, they would be blocked and forced to turn back. Because of that, many rumors surrounded the royal residence.

Though, I had already visited it a few times, as Princess Penia had called on me before.

For Yennekar, visiting the royal residence must have been quite a nerve-wracking experience. As we made our way there, she kept trembling and making a fuss.

“Since I’m going to a place I wouldn’t normally be able to visit… this is a new kind of feeling.”

She looked anxious as we walked down the path.

Leaving her like that would have been fun, but people would start saying bad things after seeing her so troubled.

However, I couldn’t think of any way to make her less nervous… so I decided to use the time to bring up the story I had decided to tell her yesterday.

“Yennekar. After thinking about it, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Hm? Tell me?”

“Yeah. The reason I’m attending this school.”

As we trudged along the road, I spoke as if it wasn’t anything important.

Though, in truth, it was extremely important. However, if I spoke in an obvious tone, I was sure Yennekar would give me her full attention from the bottom of her heart—and make a big deal out of it in the process.

So, I decided it would be better to act as if it wasn’t all that important. Thus, on the way to the royal residence, I quietly told her.

In a tone that suggested it wasn’t a big deal…

“If I don’t do anything, everyone will die.”

“……”

“……”

…Though, it was useless to even try.

It wasn’t something I could tell someone casually. No matter how I said it, it was always going to be a heavy topic.

And it wasn’t something I could explain while taking the other person’s feelings into account.

The days had begun to pass by without me even realizing it, but I knew that at the end of it all, a disaster awaited us.

When I sat by my campfire at the isolated camp, intoxicated by the peaceful scent of the North Forest, I sometimes forgot about it.

However, that wasn’t something I could forget. I needed to always be keenly aware that a future where we all died—if I stayed still and did nothing—was rapidly approaching.

I still remembered the shape of the dragon that dominated the sky.

In fact, Yennekar was the one who helped me carry Velbrok’s tooth necklace out of Acken Island. We fought together against the Apostles of Telos, ending up exhausted and injured for days afterward.

That was why… it wasn’t difficult to explain the reason we fought so hard on that day to Yennekar.

We were on a quiet road leading to the royal residence.

However, the conversation Yennekar and I shared along the way was rather gruesome compared to the peaceful pathway.

Talking about everyone’s death in the near future… no matter how hard I tried to lighten the topic, it wasn’t possible.

It was an unavoidable discussion.

***

“I’ve been waiting for your arrival. Pardon me, but… is there an issue?”

Claire, the leader of the escort team, was waiting for us at the entrance of the royal residence.

The royal residence, where members of the royal family resided, was not as large as Ophelis Hall. However, Ophelis Hall was a communal dormitory shared by dozens of influential nobles, while the royal residence was a building constructed for only one person.

No matter how powerful a noble was, if they weren’t part of the royal family, the best place they were allowed to live was a private room in Ophelis Hall.

Even Saint Clarice was only allowed a room in Ophelis Hall, though she was given the grandest one.

Being able to live alone in a grand, newly built building… in that regard, you could clearly see just how much special treatment Princess Penia received.

“N-Not at all…”

Claire tilted her head as she looked at Yennekar.

She was completely bewildered by Yennekar’s strange expression—she looked as if she were about to burst into tears.

“I was just telling her a rather sad story on the way here. Everything’s fine.”

I brushed aside Claire’s concerns and asked her to guide us. Claire nodded and led us to the princess’s room.

The royal residence consisted of two buildings with a garden between them. Her servants lived in the building on the left, while Princess Penia used the one on the right.

A large marble building built into the cliffside.

I thought we would pass through the lobby on the first floor and wait in the reception room like last time. Instead, Claire led us further inside—through a door, up the stairs, and finally in front of a large wooden door.

Princess Penia’s private room. Even the entrance alone looked intimidating and high-class.

In , you could visit Princess Penia’s room several times to accept her requests, such as special events.

Since the residence was completely isolated from everything else on Acken Island, entering it was a rather difficult process.

“But… I know Ed has a lot of business with her, but… why was I also called?”

Yennekar asked Claire right before we entered to meet the princess.

“That… you can go inside and see for yourself.”

After saying that, Claire opened the door to Princess Penia’s room. She was waiting for us near the terrace.

She looked completely different from how she did when she took classes in the education district.

In the education district, as it was part of the land of learning, she was not given any special treatment… but when she wasn’t there, her class and royal status returned.

Princess Penia sat quietly in the middle of the gorgeous room, and when she saw Yennekar and me enter, she gently greeted us.

“Welcome, Ed and Yennekar.”

Princess Penia was sitting at a wooden table near the terrace, reading a book under the sunlight.

As soon as our eyes met, she slowly closed the book and spoke.

“Please sit. There is something I want to tell you. I believe it’s something both of you will be interested in.”

“……”

“It’s about the race for the throne, which I need to slowly begin taking seriously.”

***

“If Selah takes power, House Rothstaylor will not be safe. If you’re lucky, you may be reduced to a noble house stationed on the frontier before being slowly pushed out of existence. If you’re unlucky, your entire house may be killed off as punishment for your crimes.”

Princess Penia, with her beautiful white-blond hair flowing down her back, wore a comfortable lace dress as she spoke in a quiet tone.

“I’ve already discussed this with the student council president, Tanya. Thus, I have decided to protect House Rothstaylor.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I’ve known President Tanya for quite some time. Even before she became the student council president, she stayed here at the royal residence. From the start, I knew she was a completely different person from Krepin Rothstaylor.”

A few servants entered with tea. Yennekar awkwardly stood up to take it before I stopped her.

In this situation, the proper etiquette was to let them do their job.

Yennekar, who rarely received such hospitality, sat back down awkwardly. I patted her shoulder to help her relax.

“And you, Ed Rothstaylor.”

“……”

“I can’t say I don’t have my own political agenda. After all, House Rothstaylor has been a major source of strength within the empire for a long time, so I can’t afford to overlook it… and the powerful image your house still carries is an issue.”

Princess Penia wasn’t shortsighted.

She wasn’t so softhearted that she would make a decision affecting the entire empire simply because she couldn’t stand to see injustice.

“With House Rothstaylor still carrying a powerful name, if you recover the remaining strength it has left, you will be able to reclaim various bureaucrats with knowledge of the imperial household’s internal affairs. For these political reasons… I am choosing to protect House Rothstaylor.”

She spoke with firm determination, without the slightest hesitation. It was just like her.

“And aside from that, you two Rothstaylor siblings… I know you are not mad like Krepin Rothstaylor was. Coming to Silvenia, this was one of the most valuable things I learned. I am certain that when you two become heads of the house, you will lead it differently from Krepin.”

The greatest characteristic of Princess Penia was that she didn’t act solely on calculation.

After all, there was a reason she was called the ‘Princess of Benevolence.’

“One can find political profit simply by sitting at a desk and carefully reading documents. However, it is difficult to truly judge a person without seeing them with your own eyes. That is why, if you want to win someone over, you must take action first.”

That was what made Princess Penia fundamentally different from her sister, Princess Selah.

Princess Selah saw authority and status.

Princess Persica saw ability and benefit.

Princess Penia…saw people.

Finally, Princess Penia revealed the reason she had called us.

“Please defeat Daike Elpelan in the Grand Crestle Festival duel.”

She placed her teacup down calmly as she spoke.

However, the name she mentioned was completely unexpected.

“Are you talking about our upperclassman Daike? I was told I would be dueling him, and I’ve met him a few times already.”

“House Elpelan, which Daike comes from, is one of Selah’s strongest and most loyal supporters. In fact, even if she didn’t actively try to win them over, they would still stand by her side.”

Daike himself didn’t seem overly attached to his house. Still, since it was the place where he grew up, he felt obligated to do the bare minimum for them.

In any case, Daike Elpelan could never be completely free from his house’s will, all because of his personality—a personality that ensured he never forgot what he had been given.

“After winning his duel during the grand festival, he plans to give the honor to Selah to strengthen their relationship. During the festival, my father will also be attending. I’m not sure about Persica, but… Selah would never miss such an event.”

“I never realized it was so important.”

“It is a national event held only once every four years. My father travels across various estates to inspect the empire’s condition, but he would never miss Silvenia. After all, it is where all future talents of the empire are gathered.”

Princess Penia gently brushed her hair back. Her knuckles were pale.

“I am not asking you to win the duel and share the honor with me. All I ask is that you stop Selah and House Elpelan from growing any stronger.”

“Will that really have such a large influence on the race for the throne?”

“I have a plan. House Elpelan… will become Selah’s downfall.”

Princess Penia wore a slightly anxious expression. From childhood, she had been harassed by her sister and forced to fight behind the scenes.

Now, she would have to take action herself.

“We need to create a rift between House Elpelan and my older sister Selah. The first step… is this duel.”

She had come to accept that conflict was unavoidable. She could no longer keep her hands clean.

Aside from helping Tanya take down Princess Selah, Princess Penia was also forming her own plans.

“It seems you know something.”

“Please help me. Nothing good will come to House Rothstaylor if Selah wins the throne.”

“But… that upperclassman, Daike… isn’t he the fourth year combat department’s top student?”

Yennekar spoke up worriedly.

Perhaps because she felt uncomfortable, she didn’t touch any of the snacks prepared by the servants and instead raised her voice anxiously.

“There are rumors about him. They say all fourth year students acknowledge his skills and treat him with the utmost respect.”

“That’s correct, Yennekar Palerover. When you were the top student in your grade, others treated you with respect as well. However, Daike Elpelan has a completely different presence. It’s as if… he possesses unshakable mental support.”

There were countless rumors about him.

Daike Elpelan, the King of Power, was a prodigy among duds.

When he entered the combat department, he was nearly dead last. Yet, without talent, he rose to the top through sheer grit and effort.

It was easy to see why those born without talent admired him.

He was like a savior who had faced the same wall they had. His very existence pulled people from despair and gave them hope.

Some even claimed that rising to the top without talent was a talent in itself.

However, anyone who said that had never seen Daike Elpelan train.

“One thing I can assure you is…”

Nevertheless, I answered her.

“…that I will win.”

I was absolutely certain.

For a moment, Penia’s eyes widened at my confident declaration.

“If you want, I can even win by an overwhelming margin.”

Daike was still the top student of the highest grade in the academy. Could I really say something like that so easily?

As I looked at Princess Penia, who was staring at me intently, I made a request.

“Please tell me what kind of plan you have in mind.”

***

There were far too many geniuses on the small island of Acken.

Sitting quietly in an arena within Obel Hall, Daike Elpelan muttered to himself with a grin.

He had attended the academy for nearly four years.

Even though graduation was close, he still didn’t feel as though he had reached the level he sought.

Walking the path of a warrior slowly, like a turtle, while countless geniuses overtook him from behind.

Struggling forward, drenched in viscous sweat, he sometimes felt bitterness toward those who surpassed him effortlessly.

All of them leaving him behind…

Yet, Daike Elpelan continued to stare at their backs as he trudged onward.

As long as he continued moving slowly like a tortoise, he believed he would eventually see those geniuses collapsed by the roadside.

There were many who hit a wall, fell, lamented their limits, and chose another path.

Daike Elpelan stepped over the backs of such geniuses as he climbed the ranks.

Though later than the others, he broke through every wall and eventually sat upon the throne.

His magic power resonance was poor. He had no innate strength or skeletal advantage. Despite coming from a powerful house, he received little support due to his lack of talent until he became the top student.

He learned to write only at the age of ten. By reading vassals’ books one by one, he taught himself each character overnight.

After entering Silvenia, he trained his magic power resonance throughout the night. Even in his fourth year, he still couldn’t reach even one-tenth of the average magic department student’s level.

At the very least, he could use enough magic power to fight physically. That was sufficient.

However, he wasn’t born with physical talent either.

His large, burly body was the result of relentless training.

Each session left his knuckles torn and bleeding.

Over four years, he broke more than two hundred gauntlets and knuckle guards. Aside from sleeping and eating, his life revolved entirely around training.

His body wasn’t born with talent—it was built.

Even then, he lacked natural combat instincts.

Ziggs Eiffelstein, who had trained properly for only one year, already possessed sharper combat senses than Daike.

Slow. Dull. Heavy.

That was Daike Elpelan’s path.

“I’ve learned a few things thanks to you, Daike.”

His efforts were recognized by the academy and its students.

Even Wade Callamore, the arrogant first-year top student, bowed his head to him.

It was a small duel exchange event where combat department elites gathered before spectators.

Daike stood as he faced them.

First-year top student, Wade Callamore.Second-year top student, Clevius Nortondale.Third-year top student, Drake Laygus.

Any of them could have defeated him had they been fourth years.

Yet, they treated him with respect simply because of his grade.

“Did you really learn something? I’m dueling to learn as well.”

Daike stretched his body, his voice deep and steady.

“…I should start warming up.”

“…By the way, I heard you’re dueling Ed Rothstaylor.”

“Yeah. That third-year noble from the magic department.”

Daike recalled the blond-haired noble at the training grounds.

“I’ll probably lose.”

Clevius hesitated.

“Daike… you’re going to lose…?”

“Yeah. He’s reached a point I can’t even see.”

Daike smirked.

The reason he couldn’t smile at his house’s request wasn’t contempt.

It was doubt.

“If you lose… your house—”

“Why are you thinking about that, Clevius Nortondale?”

“Did you fight Lucy Mayreel because you thought you’d win?”

Clevius fell silent.

“You understand.”

On that rainy day at Ophelis Hall…

Daike understood why Clevius fought.

“If you’re born a man, there are times when you must charge forward even knowing you’ll lose.”

Daike stood tall.

Within Silvenia, he was known as the King of the Duds.

The King of Power—Daike Elpelan.

***

“B-But… Princess Penia… I mean no disrespect, but…”

Yennekar suddenly spoke up.

“…Why did you call me here too…?”

Princess Penia met her gaze.

“…You are going to have to rise a little more in this world.”

“…Wh-What?”