The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 257

The shape of the valleys across Pulan looked like massive claw marks when viewed from high in the sky.

People often said that looking at the shape of the valleys along with the mountain ranges, it was as if the mountain had a scar. In fact, the terrain was believed to be traces of a large bear’s attack from long ago.

It was hard to even imagine just how massive that ultimate-rank spirit must have been to claw at the mountain, creating five distinct valleys. It was such a grand sight that it was hard to believe that scholars had only recently begun to properly research it.

“They call it ‘the Calamity of the Mountains.’ Some parts are exaggerated, and others must have been left out… They say the occasional appearance of a giant bear in the clouds that stretch across the sky is truly magnificent.”

“How old is that story?”

“It’s hard to say, as it’s been passed down. As you know, here in an isolated mountainous village, we don’t have any systematic ways to record our stories or interact with the central part of the continent.”

Even though it was an isolated village between the mountains, after witnessing such a large event, the story continued to be handed down…

The more I thought about it, the more Torren Village began to feel like a world entirely separate from the rest of the continent.

“Back then, it must have happened all so quickly. Perhaps our ancestors believed that God was angry, or a great natural disaster had occurred.”

“Given that it was such a large incident, it would make sense. It’s surprising that they’re only fully looking into it now.”

“As you know, Pulan is completely isolated. When it happened, long-distance transportation and communication weren’t available. Ultimately, the only records of that disaster remain in the form of our landscape.”

The village chief, Glems, spoke as he quietly looked at the peaceful mountain scenery.

Now that it was morning, the village became lively. Ranchers and laborers were throughout the village. You could hear the boys pulling along their mules, shepherds leading their sheep to the pastures, and wives changing the clothes on the clothing line.

There was a scent in the air that was unique and could only be found in the countryside.

It was completely different from the Rothstaylor Mansion, where I had needed to act with dignity and authority, or at Silvenia Academy, which was filled with enthusiastic students.

Since life had kept me so busy, it was strangely relaxing to spend time in such a quiet rural landscape for once.

“It’s been less than thirty years since our village created a large route that leads to the central continent. It wouldn’t have been easy for the imperial household to do it themselves, so naturally we were the ones that made the effort.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. And all of the villagers seem to be adjusting well, so as the chief, it’s quite a fulfilling feeling. By the way, Yennekar. What are you doing over there?” Chief Glems asked Yennekar, who was sitting on a bench off to the side with her head lowered.

Yennekar hadn’t gone back to her usual self yet. After what we did the night before, she had fallen into a period of embarrassment and shame.

Induced by the atmosphere, she had done something she would have never imagined doing. Now, she was struggling to make eye contact with me, trying to calm her breathing. It was obvious what she was saying in her head. She was clearly berating herself for her impulsiveness.

It was hard to believe that she was a person who held a baroness title. Her pink hair was braided hastily, with pieces of hair protruding here and there. Her eyes were wide open, and her lips trembled.

She tried to get up using her large wand as support, but she only groaned before sitting back down on the bench.

“M-my back…”

I glanced at Yennekar and briefly stiffened.

Yennekar looked fine just the day before. However, now she was complaining about her back pain as if she were dying.

I could not say what others might have thought, but for Village Chief Glems—who had long since seen it all—it was not hard to guess what had happened.

He gave a loud laugh as he whispered to me.

“Just like I heard. You are full of power.”

I was thinking about what to say.

Should I have simply told him not to go around saying things like that?

I wanted to be considerate towards Yennekar, but if she found out what I said later, I was sure she would be even more embarrassed.

In situations like that, the best thing to do was to not say anything to him.

“Yennekar.”

However, Chief Glems was also a person from Pulan, after all. When I didn’t respond to him, he suddenly spoke up so that Yennekar herself could also hear.

“Don’t tell Orte and Saila what I’m going to tell you. Try and eat as many foods that give vitality as you can, Yennekar,” he said with a warm expression on his face.

Yennekar smiled blankly and giggled. However, when she suddenly understood why he had said such a thing, she started to blush again.

“Wh-what are you saying?!”

“Hm? I was being literal?”

“…Y-you’re right! I have to eat food that gives me vitality! Lots of it! That way I can do my research properly! And I’ll have to go back to managing the estate when I return to my baroness house, so I need the strength and energy! That’s right!”

It was painful to watch her force a smile like that while her lips trembled and her hands pressed hard against her knees.

After telling Chief Glems I’d go ahead and do that, I turned my head and looked out towards the mountains once more.

“Young Master Ed, you also believe that those valleys are the traces of the Ultimate-rank spirit Tyrcalaques running wild, yes?”

“That’s correct. Though reports and research regarding the topography in the Pulan region have not been looked into for a while… No matter how much I think about it, that is the only possibility.”

“Then why did the wind spirit from the distant past run wild? And if a being that strong had run wild, who could have possibly stopped it?”

Chief Glems asked me a few reasonable questions.

If the ultimate wind spirit Tyrcalaques had truly run wild in a fit of rage, it would have been more than enough to devastate the entire region.

However, the giant bear was subdued by someone and disappeared after leaving only a claw mark in the mountain range.

“Even the legendary Archmage Glockt Elderbane struggled to subdue an ultimate spirit. Who could have possibly done so in this rural mountain range, where there has never been such a talented person?”

After saying that, he fell silent. It was not the sort of question anyone could answer easily. The story belonged to the distant past.

However, I felt like I roughly knew the answer. There was no clear evidence, but considering the circumstances, I could roughly put the pieces together. There were only a few people on the continent ever capable of subduing an ultimate spirit.

The story of Tyrcalaques, the ultimate wind spirit that descended on the distant and isolated lands of Pulan.

How would Merilda, who lived for hundreds of years on Acken Island so far away, know the story of that giant bear?

Given that fact, there was only one conclusion that could be drawn.

“The Great Sage Silvenia.”

It was the great sage who defeated Tyrcalaques that wreaked havoc on the Pulan region.

* * *

“Oh my, Young Master Ed! When you arrived in Torren Village, I should have come and greeted you first. I apologize! I was in the middle of checking on the grazing cows out in the mountains, so I couldn’t come…!”

I was about to walk around the village to collect information about Tyrcalaques. After arriving at the Palerover Ranch, one of the most famous ranches in Torren Village, a friendly face showed up and lowered their head in front of me.

It was the owner of Palerover Ranch, Orte Palerover. He was a cheerful middle-aged man with sturdy muscles and a lively smile.

Since we’d already met each other before on Acken Island, there was no need for another introduction.

“You must be very busy with the ranch.”

“Of course. When you go and check the cows one by one across the pasture, you’re forced to pack up your camping gear and sleep outside overnight. You must be exhausted after your long travels coming here. Come inside and eat something! You too, Yennekar!”

“Y-yeah!”

Yennekar’s expression started to relax a bit after we’d arrived. It seemed that she could relax a bit after being in her regular comfortable environment.

When I entered, Saila Palerover—who had been cooking some food—quickly bowed to me. It seemed that she was told beforehand that I might stop by, as she was cooking up quite a feast.

Saila Palerover had also kicked Yennekar out of the house the night before. When she saw Yennekar’s awkward and bashful smile, she started to grin.

“Young Master Ed. I’m sorry that you have to come to such a shabby place…!”

I took off my coat and sat down at the table. Yennekar followed along slowly, sitting down as well.

Even though it was Yennekar’s house, she was acting even more awkward than me. That was because of her parents’ large grins as they looked towards us.

It was obvious what had happened the night before, so I felt somewhat uncomfortable as well.

“Ed…”

“What…?”

“I don’t know how you feel, but I think I’m going to die of embarrassment…”

“…Get used to it…”

Her parents were like a ticking time bomb. Since I had no idea what they would end up saying, I decided to start the conversation first.

“I was walking around town because there were some things I wanted to ask the villagers for my investigation.”

“For your academic research, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. I’m looking into the tale of a bear-shaped monster that was large enough to completely cover the sky. It’s an old tale that has been passed down here in the Torren region for quite some time.”

After saying that, there was a moment of silence.

Part of me felt as if they knew something, but another part of me felt as if they knew nothing at all… It was an ambiguous reaction.

“Has the village chief told you anything?”

“He gave me a basic overview, but seemed to be avoiding going into any specific details.”

“…That makes sense. The elders here in the village know the story well, but it’s not something that can easily be spoken about.”

“Is that so?”

“He must have decided that rather than sharing it directly himself, it would be better for you to listen to the villagers instead.”

Yennekar tilted her head as she looked at the table, which was covered in salads and meat dishes.

“Hm? This is the first time I heard about this, though…?”

“Of course, Yennekar. It’s something that doesn’t really need to be spoken about.”

Orte sat down at the table as he began to speak with a heavy expression on his face.

“Actually, at first we were against sending our Yennekar to Silvenia Academy.”

Suddenly, the conversation focused on Yennekar. There must be a reason for it, so I quietly listened.

“We knew that Yennekar was talented in Elementalism. This was actually the reason we were so hesitant.”

“What do you mean?”

“This is a tale from the distant past that has only been passed down from word of mouth. Long ago, there was actually another elementalist that was born here in Torren Village.”

Yennekar had an expression on her face that said she couldn’t believe there was a story that had been passed down for generations in Torren Village that she had never heard.

She couldn’t help but be quiet and listen to the story that they had avoided telling her.

“I don’t know if you are aware, but supposedly, spirits that live for a long time and accumulate a certain level of magic power can manifest themselves in the form of a human.”

Of course, I knew that. In fact, I had one with me that was also capable of doing so.

“Tyrcalaques was a spirit that was capable of that. He was also a spirit that fell in love with an elementalist… Have you heard this story?”

Saila quietly lowered her head as Orte continued to speak.

I started to think that perhaps Chief Glems wanted me to hear the story from Orte himself. It seemed as if it was something he shouldn’t be talking about himself.

If that was the reason, then that meant…

“That elementalist’s name was Katin Palerover.”

It was because it was someone else’s family affair.

Spiritual resonance was sometimes thought of as a talent that could be inherited. So, if we looked at how Yennekar got her extraordinary spiritual resonance, it must have come from someone in her bloodline.

Her parents, Orte and Saila, didn’t seem to have much talent in that area. However, that didn’t mean it couldn’t have been passed down to their children.

“…She is our distant ancestor.”

“Is that so…?”

After saying that, Orte closed his mouth for a moment. Yennekar looked at a complete loss for words.

A story they never even told their own daughter, Yennekar… There was probably a good reason for that.

“It seems that this story doesn’t have a happy ending.”

“This is a story that only a few villagers are aware of.”

Orte put down his fork as he looked up at the ceiling.

“She was forced to sign a contract with Tyrcalaques, but her magic power resonance started to run wild, leading to her death.”

“…”

“This is just a story I heard from my grandfather. At first, she didn’t have any talent in Elementalism at all. So, for someone like her to suddenly one day make a contract with a high-ranking spirit… Tyrcalaques had become mad, forcing her to make a contract with him, ending his own life. However, it’s a bit strange.”

At some point, Yennekar had started listening to Orte earnestly. It was the first time she’d ever heard such a story, even though it was of her own family, whom she’d lived with her entire life.

“Aren’t ultimate-rank spirits considered incredible beings? Isn’t it a great achievement to even be capable of summoning them once? It was already difficult enough to even forcefully manifest one for even a second, so why did they try and forcefully form a contract…? I can’t help but be confused by this.”

“What do you think, Orte?”

“Well… It’s a story from the distant past. In fact, it was one I never thought much of before. Nor did I have to.”

For Orte, it was nothing more than a legendary story told to him by his grandfather long ago.

However, things completely changed when his precious daughter began to show proficiency in Elementalism.

“So, when Yennekar started to form contracts with spirits and said she wanted to go to Silvenia, naturally we were worried. We are proud of our daughter, but… We couldn’t help but be concerned.”

Considering the terrifying end of their elementalist ancestor, how did they feel when they learned that Yennekar—who was born with the same blood—wanted to follow the path of an elementalist?

“Dad… That’s why you were against it.”

“Well, after seeing how determined you were, I couldn’t help but let you go. But when you failed to summon Glasskan and lost your sanity, how do you think we felt?”

Orte and Saila must have felt as if their world was ending.

Ever since they were young, they had heard the story of an elementalist that died while trying to form a contract with an ultimate-rank spirit. So, the moment they heard that their own daughter had lost her sanity and fainted after getting involved with an ultimate-rank spirit, how would they have felt?

“Though I am so glad that you were able to become a truly capable elementalist now, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy while you were on your journey, Yennekar.”

Saila, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

Katin Palerover.

An elementalist that died while trying to forcefully form a contract with the ultimate-rank spirit Tyrcalaques.

Something about the story felt off to me, but for the moment I kept that thought to myself.

* * *

Just as mornings came early here, so did nightfall. Perhaps that was simply what rural life meant.

By the time the sun began to set, most of the villagers had already ended their day, and once the moon rose, they were ready for sleep.

Sleep early and wake up early. Of course, that was a great lifestyle, but it didn’t match with someone like me. I studied and worked late every night.

Yennekar, however, seemed to be the exception, since she came out to see me while I smoked in front of the accommodations.

It was late summer. That also meant that soon, autumn would be approaching. It was still hot and humid at Acken Island, but here it was already rather chilly because of the tall mountains.

“Ed.”

“Why did you come out of the room?”

Even though Yennekar was used to the chill, she was still wrapped in a long gray shawl over her cozy pajamas.

The shawl draped from her shoulders all the way down to her waist, making her look as though she were half-hidden beneath a curtain.

“It’s just… I couldn’t relax…”

She then came over to sit next to me as I leaned against the outer wall of the town hall.

I was sitting down pretty low on a wooden stump, but Yennekar didn’t seem to care as she came down next to me. She let out a deep sigh, struggling to speak.

“H-how should I say it…? Maybe because I was alone in the room…I couldn’t think properly…”

“I see. After all, you did just hear a rather difficult story about your ancestors that your parents had been keeping from you.”

“Hm? Ah, yeah! That’s right! But besides that…”

“Besides that…?”

Yennekar acted as if she was suddenly turning herself inward as she looked my way and spoke.

“I-I’m still not used to sleeping in the same room as you…”

“Still…? Even after yesterday?”

“L-let’s not talk about that. I’m not ready yet.”

“I guess you’re embarrassed about these things.”

“I-it’s because it was my first time! I-it’s weirder if you’re not embarrassed about it for the first time…! I-it’s just…”

Yennekar put her hands on her knees as she leaned her head against my shoulder.

“I just never expected to experience it myself.”

“You’re making a fuss. It’s something everyone goes through.”

“I know that, but… It’s just… I can’t help but think about it.”

Yennekar leaned on my shoulder a while longer as she looked up at the moon. The moon over Pulan brought silence. Those in Pulan went to bed early, the moment the moon rose. So, the village of Torren always fell silent when it was lit by the moonlight.

“It’s been a long time since I saw the moon here.”

With the two of us in the quiet town, where everyone was sleeping, it felt as if just the two of us were there.

It was as if time had stopped. The only thing that reminded me that time continued to pass was the occasional sound of the bugs and wild animals.

“You must be tired after following me all day. You should go to sleep.”

“No. I actually feel like I’m relaxing more right now.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.”

With her head on my shoulder, she spoke softly. “Can I tell you something strange? Back then… When I saw you for the first time, I was actually uncomfortable with you, Ed.”

“That makes sense. Everyone despised me back then. In fact, you were the only one that didn’t show disgust towards me. Thinking back on that, you were quite incredible.”

“Even though I say I was uncomfortable with you, it wasn’t anything unpleasant like you may think. It’s just… I didn’t know how I should talk to you, and I couldn’t predict what you would do…that’s how I felt. So, to me, you were someone that was uncomfortable to be around.”

Yennekar put her cheek on my shoulder as she looked up at me, making eye contact as she put on a playful smile.

“But now, when I lean on your shoulder like this, I feel at ease and relieved. Rather, being alone in the room made me feel restless and nervous.”

I continued to listen contentedly.

“It’s strange. You used to be so difficult and awkward to be next to, but at some point, you became so comfortable and reassuring. And I’m not sure when that happened. All I know is that things have completely changed from back then.”

I lifted my arm and put it around her shoulder. After hearing her tell me that I was comfortable to be around, I had no intention of sending her away. After all, Yennekar helped me a lot as well.

Back in school, when I was always busy running away from my fear of death, that shy and timid elementalist changed my life. It may not have been anything massive, but the small things she did gradually accumulated over time.

Back then, seeing Yennekar on the other side of my campfire was one of the brightest moments of my life. It was impossible for me to explain in words just how much she had helped me back then.

“I feel rather safe and calm now… Which is why my sincerity or inner thoughts seem to be coming out. Is it okay for me to say them?”

“What is it?”

“…You can act as if you didn’t hear anything I am about to tell you.”

Yennekar quietly spoke with her face buried in my shoulder.

“When I heard about my ancestor Katin Palerover, I had this thought. She loved an ultimate-rank spirit. A distant being that was completely different in strength, status, and everything else… I wondered how that felt?”

“I’m not sure… It must not be easy to have such an experience.”

“But to me, you’re that type of person, Ed.”

I was at a loss for words. I had somewhat suspected what Yennekar was thinking about, but I needed to organize my thoughts to decide what to say.

Yennekar smiled as she spoke. “It was like a reminder of sorts after hearing that story. This is something so obvious that it’s funny that I am even saying it. But…”

Time seemed to have stopped. Rather, it seemed that time was moving too fast. The words she said quickly went through my ears.

“I love you, Ed.”

I took hold of her shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace, resting my chin lightly atop her head.

At times like that, it was better to quietly listen than say anything. The human mind was a strange thing. The moment you tried to say something, everything became confusing.

That was why people clung to silent sympathy. It was strange how much could be conveyed simply by holding each other without saying a word.

“That’s why… I really want to know what happened to Katin Palerover. I want to learn what really happened, rather than hear stories from others.”

Yennekar’s words were heavy.

“But I heard that her end wasn’t all that great… If we dig any deeper, it might be worse than you can imagine.”

“Still, I want to see it with my own two eyes.”

“I see… But what if it’s much more horrific and bittersweet than you thought? What if…”

I had a feeling that I knew what Yennekar was worried about. I then spoke bluntly, getting straight to the point.

“What if it’s like your own future…?”

“That’s why I want to see it. I want to know if I can love you.”

She didn’t need to do that. Katin Palerover and Yennekar Palerover were two completely different people.

The situation was different, and their abilities were completely different. However, most importantly, I was not someone who would neglect Yennekar.

Still, if she was determined, then it was entirely her decision.

“Yes. I am sure you can.”

So I answered her question plainly.

I came all the way to Pulan for academic research. So, naturally, I had made some preparations.

I could use Celestial Magic. If the medium and the surrounding conditions were prepared properly, then peering into the distant past was possible—though far from easy.

“Tomorrow, let’s bring the magic engineering equipment down from the carriage.”