The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 271

Kaldem’s Grand Inn was where the most distinguished guests visiting the Commercial City of Oldek stayed.

It was a massive inn made up of four large buildings right at the entrance of Oldek. The two tallest buildings were dedicated to catering to the most distinguished guests, with all of the rooms being luxuriously decorated.

One guest alone was given two entire floors for their personal use. It was hard to imagine, but for the sake of the most distinguished guests on the continent, that much couldn’t be considered extravagant.

As the inn had been catering to the highest of nobles and aristocrats for a long time, they were rather experienced.

However, with the Saint of the Holy Capital Karpea suddenly arriving on a day’s notice, it was too much for them to prepare.

As soon as they heard from the director of Oldek’s Government Office that Saint Clarice was coming, they worked towards preparing her room with all they could. However, no matter how much they tried, they were unable to reach the standard she deserved given the short notice they had.

However, within six hours they had managed a fairly respectable level of preparation. As a result, the Holy Father Building voiced no complaints about the room that had been arranged. In the first place, the visit itself had happened without notice only because of Saint Clarice’s sudden whim.

“I was supposed to go and hold a service in the Holy Father Building…”

“I’m extremely grateful that you were willing to reschedule on such short notice for my sake. I am greatly in your debt.”

“Well, I know that you aren’t one to suddenly call on me without reason, Sir Ed. There must have been a good reason for you to ask me to come.”

With so many eyes watching them, she was forced to speak to Ed in an overly formal manner.

In the most luxurious room of Kaldem’s Grand Inn, Saint Clarice and her aides sat together. The atmosphere was no different than back in her office at the Holy Father Building.

As she was a Saint whose every move was carefully observed, if she treated Ed as she did at Silvenia Academy, it would surely cause an outrage.

Ed was aware of that as well, so he showed no sign of confusion at Clarice’s formal manner of speaking. Aside from Clarice herself feeling uncomfortable about it, it was not a major issue.

“…The battle of ownership over the Elte Company will be of great importance to the Holy Father Building in the future.”

Since he had called Saint Clarice to Oldek without any explanation, he first needed to explain the situation. Since Ed Rothstaylor had called for her, she quickly came all the way to Oldek. However, friendship and loyalty weren’t enough to justify such actions.

The Saint was an extremely important person who practically controlled the entire religious group. Each of her actions greatly affected the entire schedule of the Holy Father Building, forcing her various servants to follow her.

That was why Saint Clarice needed a good reason to have traveled so far on such short notice. She fully trusted that Ed had such a reason.

“This will be a great chance to gain the favor of the future head of the Elte Company. More than that, it will also be valuable in securing more power and authority that will personally benefit you, Saint.”

Hearing that, the Saint’s aides started to look at each other. Even though Clarice might be the face and one of the heads of the Telos Religious Group, that didn’t mean she had complete authority over everything.

The Holy Father and Archbishop were also watching over everything, out of the public’s view… Just like every other group that held power, the Holy Father Building was no different.

They were also a group that was split and led by a few people who held authority.

And it was only human nature to quarrel. One needed to wield as much independent power as one could, in order to hold authority over others.

“The deal with the Elte Company… I see. It was a ‘plan’ you had come up with yourself, Sir Ed.”

The mutual relationship between the Holy Father Building and the Elte Company. Saint Clarice would be the one who confirmed that the deal regarding the Holy Father Building and the Elte Company was led by Lortel.

There was no person greater than Saint Clarice to support Lortel in a deal that would bring incredible profit to the Elte Company. With Saint Clarice and Lortel personally teaming up, it would be impossible to tear Lortel from her position as the next head of the company.

As for Clarice’s position, being the person who had personally managed the deal with the Elte Company, which would also benefit the Holy Father Building, would allow her to increase her voice and influence within the Holy Father Building.

The more the Holy Father Building became dependent on the Elte Company, the more power Saint Clarice would hold. After all, she was the one that the new head of the Elte Company would be personally indebted.

Ed Rothstaylor was the person in the middle of the two, creating this opportunity and acting as a neutral middleman.

Saint Clarice and Lortel Kehelland… They were only able to take action because they both had full faith in Ed.

The saint’s aides swallowed their dry saliva when they looked towards Ed, who quietly had his head lowered.

It felt as if he were playing a game of chess on a large map over the entire empire. The attack on the Elte Company would be seen as a mere accident that stemmed from an internal power struggle.

People would eventually turn their attention towards Saint Clarice, who arrived in Oldek, and Lortel, who would become the new head of the Elte Company.

While that happened, the name of the aristocrat who broke into and destroyed the Elte Company’s headquarters would be quietly forgotten…

The name of the blond-haired aristocrat who was the real power behind everything.

In events like this, the name of the person truly at the center of everything rarely rose to the surface. That was why the Saint’s aides in the room, feeling as though they had overheard something they should not have, could only hold their breath in silence.

“Then from my point of view, there is no reason to refuse your offer, Sir Ed.”

Clarice listened to Ed’s explanation while smiling kindly. She couldn’t smile as brightly as when they met at Silvenia Academy, but she could still at least show her favorable feelings. Either way, she never had any intention of refusing Ed’s offer.

“Then there was plenty of reason to travel such a long distance and change my schedule.”

“Thank you for thinking so.”

“I’ll instruct my aides to take care of the contract. But…. As for how we are going to deal with the aftermath of the attack…”

After saying as much, Clarice looked towards two people kneeling and bowing at the entrance of the room. One was Bell Maya, a maid who was calmly and collectively showcasing her perfect etiquette.

The other was a girl who was hesitating awkwardly, unsure what to do… Lortel Kehelland. Unable to bear with the serious atmosphere of the room, Lortel began to panic in a rather cute way.

“With Lady Lortel being in such a state… I am unsure of what to do. It would be great if she were to quickly return to her normal state and take the position as the head of the Elte Company…”

“…The only thing we can do is wait for time to pass to fix things.”

“Well, it’s no urgent matter, so I don’t mind. But I don’t think Slogg will stay still.”

They had come to the Grand Inn right after the ruckus that was caused at the Elte Company’s headquarters. Thus, Clarice—who did not know of the entire situation—couldn’t help but have various worries.

“…You don’t have to worry about that.” Ed closed his eyes slowly as he spoke. “Slogg Keldricks is dead. I saw it with my own eyes.”

* * *

“You have done a great job, Young Master. I will send a letter to Lady Tanya saying that business with the Elte Company has been taken care of.”

“You did great too, Bell. You followed my orders just as I told you to.”

The accommodation Bell had reserved wasn’t luxurious, but good enough. She had followed my instructions to find an inn that could easily see the quayside. A place where you could see the various ships across the coast.

On the other side, you could see trees stretching out across the hill all the way to the horizon.

I put my arm on the table as I enjoyed the breeze, relaxing. Lortel, who had been following Bell around, was already asleep on the bed. Seeing everything at peace made me feel rather warm inside.

“What are your plans for returning home? Silvenia Academy’s new semester will soon begin, so I think it would be best if you soon return to Acken Island to make it in time.”

“Yes. I had the same thought, but there is still something I have to take care of here in Oldek first. For now, I’ll hand Lortel back over to Secretary Lienna.”

Secretary Lienna would take good care of Lortel until the curse was lifted. However, Secretary Lienna also seemed to have her hands full dealing with those who tried to betray Lortel… So, she is probably too busy at the moment.

“…Young Master Ed…”

“You don’t have to say it. Since this is the first time you’ve been away from the mansion for so long, the state of the mansion must be rather poor.”

As I had said many times already, Bell was the main person responsible for managing the mansion. Since we still did not have enough people to replace all the work Bell handled, it was obvious what state the mansion would be in without her. Of course, Bell could not help but worry.

When I entered the room, I saw that Bell had already packed her luggage. The fact that she didn’t get a room for herself made it obvious that she was getting ready to head back.

I put my feet on the table as I laid back in my chair. Feeling the midday sea breeze come in through the curtains, I could feel my fatigue slowly being lifted.

“You can head back first. I have a couple of things left to do here…then I’ll head back as well.”

“Thank you for understanding my position. I will make sure to take care of the mansion as quickly as possible so that when you return, you will not be ashamed.”

Bell had gone through quite a bit during the trip to Oldek. She had to travel such a long distance by carriage, and as soon as we arrived, I gave her all sorts of miscellaneous orders… She surely had to be tired as well.

However, now that the main issue had been taken care of…

Since it was the first time she’d been out of the mansion for such a long time, I thought she would use the trip as a chance to rest a bit… But it seemed that she would rather head back home quickly and get back to work.

Thunk.

She lifted the wooden suitcase she had packed earlier and set it on the table, doing one final check to make sure she had everything. I looked at Bell, who moved through the task with her usual expressionless face, and then suddenly spoke up.

“Hey, Bell?”

“…Yes?”

“How long have you been working as a maid?”

She had first run out of House Flanchel, briefly stayed in Cledric Monastery before going to Ophelis Hall, and was now residing at the Rothstaylor Mansion. Bell had been working as a maid her entire life. She couldn’t even count with both hands just how long she had worked.

“…I’ve never counted the exact number of years before. Like I told you before, I have been working ever since I was a young girl…”

“I see.”

“Yes. Is there something that’s bothering you?”

“…No.” I laid further back in the chair, then added, “I just wanted to ask if you’re tired.”

“Thank you for worrying about me. However, I also make sure to take occasional breaks to avoid overworking myself. It’s important for a maid to take good care of her own health.”

“It’s not that I was worried… I was just curious. I don’t know what it feels like to do only one thing for your entire life.”

“…May I ask why you are curious about such a question all of a sudden?”

“…I’m not sure.”

I rested my head back, looking out the window. The sky was blue with the sun high above. The sea breeze flew past my face. I could hear the quiet whispers of Lortel sleeping and the rustling of the curtains.

“When do you think you’ll retire?”

“…Retire…?”

“Yeah. I was just wondering… When do you think you’ll finally feel like you should stop working?”

“…I never thought of it before. Let me think for a moment…”

Bell stopped as she looked out the window, thinking it over for a moment. She then opened her mouth.

“…Do you remember when I worked at Ophelis Hall?”

“Of course.”

“The former head maid, Elris… Things didn’t end well for her, but… She only decided to quit after her body stopped working as well. I think it’ll be the same for me. I think I will continue to work as long as I can continue to move.”

Bell looked down before closing her eyes and saying, “Retiring from what I’ve been doing my whole life… It’s not an easy decision.”

“…Yeah.” I looked at the pier outside my window. It was still full of busy merchants. “Well, I guess it’s the same for everyone. I’m sorry for bothering you with such a stupid question.”

“Not at all.”

Then I slowly let myself drift off to sleep. I was sure that, by the time the sun rose, Secretary Lienna or the government office would contact me.

Until then, it was time to take a sweet break. As I relaxed my overworked body, I quietly exhaled.

* * *

Thunk!

I woke up to the sound of something being hit.

Before I closed my eyes, the sun was high in the sky. However, when I opened my eyes back up, the sun was already setting. The sky was painted red as those who were busy making a living at the pier were wrapping up their long day.

The sound of the screeching seagulls had also become quiet.

With the red sunlight coming in through the window, the area around the table I slept at looked completely different. The room had become quite dark. I was only going to take a nap, but I ended up sleeping longer than I planned.

I suppose I was pretty exhausted.

There was a letter left by Bell on the table. It seemed she had quietly left for the mansion, afraid to wake me up. I gave her permission in advance, so it wasn’t a problem.

I fixed my hair as I rose from my seat. My throat had gone dry, so I lifted the kettle to pour myself some cold water, only to find it empty.

Come to think of it, I had already drunk it all before I fell asleep, as I was thirsty. I figured I should go down to the lobby and get some more.

“Ugh…”

I stood up straight as I began to stretch my body. Lortel was still sleeping under a blanket in the room. I took the kettle with me as I left the room and headed toward the lobby.

I stepped on the creaky wooden floor as I went down to the lobby, asking the staff for some more water. The employee took the kettle with a kind smile as she quickly refilled it with cold water.

“Uhm… Should I go out and buy new clothes?”

“…What?

“Ah, I apologize if I was rude… I shouldn’t have asked…”

I was confused by the strange question she asked, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. I brought the cold water back upstairs, but before I went back into my room, I could hear a strange noise inside.

It seemed that Lortel, who had been sleeping quietly, had just woken up. Since she had fallen asleep before I did, I had expected her to wake soon enough. After everything that had happened that day, she must have been both startled and exhausted, so I figured I should go in and calm her down.

I nodded my head as I opened the door and entered.

“Hey, Lortel. I see that you woke—”

Fwoosh!

When I opened the door and entered, Lortel was startled as she quickly went under the blanket.

I wondered why she was so surprised. I walked into the room and put the kettle on the table in front of the window. I sat down on the chair and spoke in a relaxed manner.

“Bell went back home first. She is rather busy herself, so it was hard for her to stay with us here any longer. But there’s no need to cry that Bell is gone. I will call Secretary Lienna to come and watch over you soon…”

As I spoke, I started to have a strange feeling. Looking towards Lortel, who was underneath the blanket, something didn’t seem right…

“…Lortel?”

As I looked near the bed, I saw some clothes that had fallen on the floor. They were the children’s clothes that Lortel was wearing…

“Lortel…you…”

There was no response. Lortel continued to hide under the blanket, not coming out. Seeing the shape underneath the blanket, she seemed bigger than usual.

It would be best not to say anything in haste. Even though I was a person who was rather ignorant when it came to such things, even I knew the bare minimum.

Feeling thirsty, I poured myself another glass of water. Only the sound of me gulping the water could be heard in the silence. The hellish silence continued for a while longer.

After drinking a few more cups of water, I put down the cup as I wiped my dry face.

But we couldn’t stay in silence forever. I wiped my face again and again. I let out a short exhale as I slowly crept to the side of the bed where Lortel was lying.

I sat down on the bed as I slowly spoke.

“…Hey…”

Silence.

“When did you wake up…?”

“I-it’s…been about…an hour…”

The tone of her voice was clear. It was definitely the Lortel that I knew.

“If it’s not too much, can you tell me about your physical condition…? I think I should know if there are any side effects… Like pain, or your psychological state…” I spoke as calmly as I could, looking at the blanket Lortel was hiding under.

“My body… I think…it’s okay…”

“Alright.”

“It’s been a while since I woke up… But I was hoping you would sleep a bit more, Ed…”

I watched her silently.

“Uhm… Clothes… I don’t have clothes that fit… So… I’m rather embarrassed… I was going to run out wearing a blanket…but…it didn’t go as planned…”

That weird question from the worker downstairs—I finally realized what it was about.

“So… Uhm… Sorry if it sounds like gibberish…”

“No, it’s fine… Take your time…” I reassured her calmly.

Probably…the memories she made while under the curse… She was remembering all of them…

Nightmare fuel—it wasn’t enough to just express it with such a simple term. The situation was much more nightmarish and deadly.

Lortel then spoke painfully with a soft voice. “Uhm… Ed… Please don’t misunderstand what I’m going to say…”

I waited.

“…But I want to die…”

Yeah… That was understandable. But this is just the beginning… This is going to be a hard fight against yourself. I hope you can brace yourself, Lortel!