The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 264

There was no time to waste.

You could never underestimate a merchant’s intelligence or caution. It was only a matter of time before people realized that Lortel was no longer in her right state of mind, and once that happened, the news would spread.

I could fully understand why Lienna was so concerned about information security. Not only that, but in the current situation there were enemies on the inside as well. At the moment, we had to be most careful of Slogg Keldricks, who was a part of the same company.

Since he was also a part of the Elte Company, he would immediately notice something was wrong if Lortel’s actions became strange.

“The deputy director already visits Rothstaylor Mansion for no official reason. She only goes to visit you, Young Master Ed, which is why if she suddenly goes to the Rothstaylor Mansion now, no one will think it’s suspicious.”

Since Lortel’s condition wasn’t good, we had to urgently hide it.

If it were revealed that Lortel was now like that, it would be impossible to know just how much change would occur in the Elte Company’s power structure.

“A place where Deputy Director Lortel can go without raising any suspicions, as well as a place with the authority and power to protect her, if need be.”

Rothstaylor Mansion was the only place. Lienna had made a wise judgment.

Rattle, rattle.

In the end, Lortel and I sat across from each other in a carriage bound for Rothstaylor Mansion. Until Lortel recovered, Lienna said she would do her best to cover for her absence. She truly was the ideal subordinate to have.

“…Uhhh…”

The once-always seductive and sneaky woman was now looking at me with complete innocence and purity.

Her body moved back and forth from the rattling carriage. In her arms, she was holding something like an old notebook of sorts. It was strange to see her holding it as if it were some treasure.

“Uhm, where are we going? Wh-what about Lienna? W-will I not be able to see her anymore…?”

She had a sad expression on her face as she held the old notebook tightly. It was rather terrifying to see. It was the complete opposite of her usual appearance, and I couldn’t help but lose my breath.

“Lienna…she said…that she would compliment me if I was kind and quiet… She said…that she would take me to the beach…”

The way she sniffled in between her words left me in shock. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.

“You really…don’t remember anything…?”

Lortel buried her face in her notebook as she nodded. I let out a sigh. I then tried to speak to her as calmly as possible.

“Then… can you tell me as much as you remember?”

“O-Okay… But I don’t really remember much…”

It wasn’t strange to see her act awkward and embarrassed like that, as she must have not been comfortable with me yet.

“When I came to my senses… I was lying down in a carriage that had fallen over… I was very scared. However, Lienna had come to find me and calmed me down. She told me that it would be fine, and that I should wait. As long as I stayed still, someone would come and save me…”

It seemed she barely remembered anything.

I opened the document Lienna gave me to read. It was a detailed description of what had happened, but to summarize the key points, it was as follows:

There was a meeting at the Elte Company’s Central Branch to review the overall status of the company. Lortel had gotten attacked while on her way to attend the meeting. It was a simple story.

As she was traveling down a remote road, the entire carriage was directly struck by a curse. Fortunately, Secretary Lienna heard the news quickly and went to rescue Lortel. That seemed to be the end of the story.

I read the letter, scratching my chin and frowning.

There were too many things that seemed unnatural. The fact that Lortel allowed herself to be attacked so easily. The fact that Slogg, who was supposed to be wise and cautious, would use such a violent means to bring her down. Additionally, curse magic… It was such a strange method to use.

If he wanted to neutralize her, he could have easily captured her or locked her up after attacking her. Or, in an even more extreme situation, he would have tried to assassinate her.

Of course, the risk in doing so would be high, but it would certainly be more effective in taking Lortel down than using a curse.

While I hadn’t personally met the merchant named Slogg Keldricks yet, I was sure he wasn’t the type to do that. Since Lortel herself was being so cautious of him, I had a hard time understanding the current situation.

“…As you may have heard, you are the leader of a very large company.”

“Y-Yes… I know…”

“Did Lienna tell you?”

“Y-yes, she did, but…here…it’s all written down…”

The notebook she held onto as if it were a precious treasure. It seemed to be a notebook she had used before she had lost her memory. The current version of Lortel could only read through it, trying to remember what kind of person she used to be.

What type of work did she do? How did she use other people? How did she make money? What type of life did she live?

Most likely, all sorts of information about her way of thinking were written down.

I thought it would be a good idea to check it out myself. So, I held out my hand and asked, “Can I see that notebook for a second?”

When I said that, Lortel was startled. She then began to hug the notebook even tighter.

“N-no!”

“No…?”

“Y-you can’t… Never…”

Maybe she was not aware of the seriousness of the situation.

“Lortel… you are a very precious person. Depending on your situation, many other people’s lives are at risk. So, if there’s any sort of clue into what happened, I need to check into it.”

“W-well…. I-I know that, too, but… Um… Even though I’m confused, I know something for certain. Th-that I can never show you what is written here in this notebook… Never…”

Wasn’t she in a state where she couldn’t remember anything? Nevertheless, she seemed to unconsciously have a feeling that she had to cherish that notebook. Lortel was determined to hold onto it forever, and never let it go.

After thinking about it for a while, I finally told her that it was alright. There might be a clue in her notebook, so I wanted to check it, but… I didn’t have to do it right away.

More than that, I didn’t want to terrify Lortel or make her uncomfortable. After all, her mental state wasn’t normal. Once we returned to Rothstaylor Mansion, I would find a way to look at it. She definitely wouldn’t be able to hold onto the notebook twenty-four hours a day, so when there was a chance, I’d ask one of the servants to bring it to me.

I looked at Lortel quietly as I sighed in resignation.

“Okay… For now, let’s go back to the mansion and talk some more.”

At the moment, I needed to be considerate towards her condition. From Lortel’s point of view, it must have felt as if she had just lost all of her memories and was being kidnapped to a Duke’s household.

“Anyway, I’m on your side. Just remember that. Though, I’m sure you must feel rather hesitant, as you just lost your memory and I’m suddenly asking you to trust in me…”

“Th-that’s not it… I trust you… Though, I’m scared.”

Lortel was speaking what was on her mind, despite hesitating a bit. Even though she was like a child, in a way she certainly was like her usual self.

“I know that you are on my side. But…you’re a little different from what I imagined…so it’s a little scary…”

“…What you imagined?”

“N-never mind… It’s just…nothing important.”

She then looked down and sweat profusely.

I watched her quietly as I nodded my head. I didn’t really want to ask anything more about it either.

* * *

“And this…is the situation.”

The meal prepared by the mansion’s chef was excellent. That was only natural, given that the chef had been personally recruited from the Imperial Household’s kitchens.

Even with that being the case, Lortel stuffed the soufflés and vegetables into her mouth with her fork… For anyone who knew what Lortel was normally like, it was an unbelievable scene.

Yennekar felt the same as she looked towards Lortel in astonishment.

“Th-that’s…Lortel…?”

Yennekar was bewildered as she watched Lortel sit at the end of the large table, full of energy as she devoured her meal. Since Yennekar was normally not on good terms with her, she wasn’t sure how to talk to her.

“She became like this after getting involved in a struggle for power with other merchants?”

“Yes. From what I learned, this is a curse-type magic called ‘Regression.’ It’s not high-ranking magic, and it isn’t all that practical, as the conditions to use it are strict. The efficiency isn’t great either.”

“I think I heard of it in magic class as well. It wasn’t talked about much as it requires many magic-related materials and environmental requirements to cast… Was there any reason for them to use such difficult magic?”

“I’m not sure… What is certain is that Lortel has been completely incapacitated. She’s acting completely unlike her usual self, and I barely feel any magic power from her. I’m certain that she was attacked by a curse.”

Since it was just a curse, the effects wouldn’t be permanent. The issue was that it was impossible to know when she would return to her original state.

“I didn’t hear the exact details. All I heard was that she was attacked in her carriage.”

“I see… Lortel must have been having a hard time… I’ve heard many stories of merchants quarreling with each other, but I didn’t know they could end up like this…”

“Delicious!” shouted Lortel suddenly, the most innocent expression in the world on her face. Her face had become completely bright as she spoke.

I couldn’t believe that such a girl could have such an honest expression on her face.

“This is so delicious! I’m so happy…” Lortel cut off with a cough.

“P-please eat slowly.”

Lortel had been devouring her food in pure bliss. Yennekar poured some cold water and handed it to her.

Lortel took it and quickly drank it. She then had a large smile on her face as she let out a refreshing noise.

“Thank you! Sister!”

Yennekar fell silent for a moment.

“It’s okay if I call you sister, right? You’re so kind!”

It was such a bright smile.

After knowing that she always smiled like a snake, deviously planning something… Seeing her now, you could tell just how innocent and pure her smile was.

The difference was terrifying.

Since Yennekar was well aware of how Lortel normally behaved, seeing Lortel act so pure and innocent was like a fatal blow to her.

Lortel suddenly realized she made a mistake, acting anxious and nervous, like a small puppy whimpering when it got into trouble. Seeing that, Yennekar’s strange protective instincts started to take over.

“Ahh, I-I apologize…Baroness… I was rude… I-I apologize…for what I said…”

Lortel put down her fork as she lowered her head in shame. Yennekar was silent as she held her chest as if she had been shot.

No matter how she felt, at that moment Lortel’s appearance was undeniably cute and innocent. Seeing such a young child look sad ate away at her heart.

Yennekar took a deep breath and slowly stood up from her seat, holding Lortel’s hands.

“I-it’s alright…” Her pupils trembled as she tried to speak to her calmly. “I-it’s okay… You…can call me sister…”

Is that really okay, Yennekar…?

Is that…really okay…?

* * *

“Yeah, it looks like she was struck by curse magic. More than anything, her magic power itself has clearly weakened, and traces of forced regression due to external factors are evident.”

There were quite a few people I could consult with about magic, but the one closest to me happened to be an expert.

At the moment, because of the recoil of Professor Glast’s Phoenix Ring, she couldn’t use magic much herself. Still, compared to even professors, she was somehow who held an incredible amount of knowledge in the field.

After asking where Lucy was, I found her resting in the garden of Rothstaylor Mansion. She looked as if she had run out to the bench after being harassed by the maids.

Since it had been a while since we had last seen each other, her face visibly brightened the moment our eyes met. I walked over to her as she kicked her feet in the air. It was a relief to see that she was in good health.

“If it really is the ‘Regression’ curse, the best thing to do is just wait. I don’t think it will take all that long. The issue is what the other person’s intentions are…”

“That’s what I’m also worried about.”

If Slogg’s plan was to neutralize Lortel, it worked. However, if that were the case, it was clear that he would take drastic action now that Lortel was unable to do anything.

“Chief Secretary Lienna said she would somehow manage things, but I don’t think she can take on that old veteran merchant alone. Even Lortel herself is wary of him…”

“Then shouldn’t you do something yourself? As for me… I can’t even use magic, so there’s nothing I can do to help…”

“I didn’t come to ask you for help. I just want you to keep taking care of yourself and working hard to restore your magic power.”

Lucy smiled as she looked over the garden. Lortel was running around with the dogs the servants were raising. She really looked like a young, innocent child. Like Yennekar, Lucy broke out in a cold sweat seeing such an unusual sight.

“It’s shocking to see it in person.”

“Yeah… Do you know anything more about the ‘Regression’ curse? Whether it’s a way to speed up the process or any potential after-effects…?”

“Ummm… To be honest, it’s not an efficient sort of magic. There are too many things to prepare, and there are many conditions to use it… Though, I’m sure you know such basic details already…”

Lucy yawned as she rubbed her eyes and buried her head in my lap. She waved her feet in the air, telling me that there was nothing we could do at the moment.

“The good news is that with time, she will return to normal. She’s thankfully only acting strangely kind. In any case, it doesn’t seem like her life is in any danger.”

“I also only feel that she’s acting strange.”

“Anyway, once she returns to normal, all of her memories will come back. Also, all of the memories she’s experiencing now won’t disappear, so there won’t be any major issues…”

What she had just said… I couldn’t take it lightly.

Whatever Lortel was experiencing at the moment would be imprinted in her memory even after the curse was lifted.

I watched that bright girl run around the garden with the dogs, only to leap into Bell’s arms whenever the woman came near…

Even after she returned to normal, she would remember every single thing she did…

“Right now… She’s building up a dark history…”

Lortel ran around with a bright smile on her face. She then looked my way, waving her arms and greeting me warmly.

When we were in the carriage earlier, she struggled to even look at me. However, now she was smiling, openly waving my way. I could clearly see the unique characteristic of being an innocent child.

Then she suddenly fell down on the grass, looking up with tears in her eyes…

Lortel…

What are you going to do after returning to normal…?

I really… don’t know what you’re going to do…

“When she gets her memories back… If I were her… I would just want to die.”

I couldn’t say anything to Lucy’s blunt response.

* * *

Time continued to pass. In the first place, there wasn’t much I could do anyway.

I wasn’t capable of going to Oldek and taking care of her business myself, and if I suddenly intervened, it would only raise more suspicion.

Because of that fact, I decided to leave Oldek to Lienna. Of course, that didn’t mean I didn’t worry. Once things were finished, I felt that I should go and visit Oldek once more.

However, my priority at that moment was to protect Lortel until she recovered… So I asked Bell to look after her as well as she could.

As a result, for five days or so, Lortel continued to spend her time running around Rothstaylor Mansion. Sometimes, I would find her playing with the dogs, rolling around in the garden, or taking a nap under a zelkova tree with Lucy…

Sometimes I even saw Yennekar bathe her, dress her up, and feed her.

She quickly became close with everyone inside the mansion. Even when she was running around the hallways, she always made sure to greet them with a cheerful smile. At some point, it all started to feel natural. She was like a mascot of the mansion with her innocent appearance and bright smile.

“You are a really nice person, Sister Yennekar! When I grow up, I want to become a nice and beautiful person just like you!”

However, the reason I would break out into a cold sweat was because…of the dark history that Lortel continued to build. It was getting to the point where she wouldn’t be able to handle it…

“You too, Sister Lucy! I heard that when you were strong, you even fought against the giant Holy Blue Dragon! I want to be a cold and incredible magician just like you!”

Lortel…

Please… stop…

I don’t know why… But I can’t help but worry about how you’re going to handle all of this in the future…

“Me, too! When I grow up… I want to be a princess! A princess who wears nice dresses and lives happily in a palace with a prince!”

Please…

Please…stop…

I really…don’t know how you’re going to handle this…

* * *

The situation changed around the end of the fifth day.

As I was walking around the mansion, inspecting the working conditions of the servants… Bell rushed over to me and gave me a report.

She pulled out a letter from her pocket and presented it to me with a serious expression on her face.

“A distinguished guest has asked for permission to visit Rothstaylor Mansion. He said that he would like to personally meet with the head of the house, Tanya Rothstaylor, and her older brother, Ed Rothstaylor.”

“Who is it?”

Bell looked around before she lowered her voice.

“Slogg Keldricks.”

Did he smell something?

The old veteran snake, and current head of the Elte Company, was coming to visit the Rothstaylor Mansion personally.