The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 276

The maids at the Rothstaylor Estate already knew, to some extent, that the moment Lucy recovered even the slightest amount of magic power, trying to control her would become practically impossible.

After all, Lucy’s magic power far exceeded that of a regular magician. Even with the smallest amount of magic power, she far surpassed the ordinary maids.

Nevertheless, the maids at the estate were able to keep Lucy in check thanks to the head maid’s assistant, Bell Maya. Surprisingly, Lucy Mayreel listened to Bell, and it seemed the trauma she had experienced back at Silvenia Academy still remained to some extent.

Thanks to that, the maids who worked beneath Bell Maya were able to do their jobs quite comfortably. Because of that, they ended up slowly lowering their guard.

“…Lady Lucy has disappeared.”

As soon as Bell Maya received the report, she felt ashamed. Bell Maya was a maid who took care of all of her work perfectly. However, there were naturally going to be times when she made mistakes.

“…Lady Lucy…?”

The maid who reported to Bell Maya lowered her head. It was a brief report, but it was easy to imagine how serious it was for the maids. Under the direct orders of their master, Ed Rothstaylor, they were supposed to take special care of Lucy Mayreel. It was safe to say that this had been an extremely important assignment.

Bell Maya didn’t change her expression, but on the inside, she was quite panicked. She leaned on the cabinet, deep in thought for a moment. The maid who delivered the report then began to explain the situation in more detail.

When she went to Lucy Mayreel’s room to check on her, she wasn’t there. However, the window was wide open. There were even traces outside of Lucy moving from the mansion’s central garden to the main gate.

It seemed that Lucy hid in a merchant’s wagon when they came to deliver goods to the Rothstaylor Estate that morning. The carriage’s final destination was none other than Acken Island.

“…Should I contact the merchant and ask them to look inside their carriage?”

“By the time we get in touch with them, it will probably already be too late.”

“…I-is that so?”

It was a special order from Ed Rothstaylor himself. She couldn’t believe she had made such a mistake.

Bell Maya, who tended to be a perfectionist in everything she did, let out a heavy sigh as she wiped her face. However, she knew that sitting around feeling depressed and regretful wasn’t going to change anything.

Given the situation, it was obvious where Lucy was heading.

“Then… Should I send a report to Lady Tanya and Young Master Ed…?” asked the Maid carefully.

Bell stood up and patted her clothes, replying, “I will notify Lady Tanya myself. As for Young Master Ed… There’s no need to contact him. He will find out soon.”

“…Is that so?”

The reason Lucy suddenly ran away was clear.

Recently, Ed Rothstaylor had been too busy to return home to the mansion. It was obvious that he would be short on time once the semester began. Bell Maya felt that she was at fault because she hadn’t anticipated the situation, as she was too busy taking care of the mansion.

The chances were high that Lucy had gone to see Ed in person. No matter how much she preferred to be alone and enjoyed a solitary life, there were still times when she missed other people.

Stray cats on the street might live on their own, but that did not stop them from occasionally slipping through fences because they missed the warmth of a human touch.

Why would a person be any different?

“Lucy’s sudden actions… Right now, it’s not a major issue. Since she’s recovered to some extent, she’s not in a condition where her well-being is at risk…”

Lucy Mayreel was capable of defeating a magician who was capable of intermediate magic with just a fingertip’s amount of magic power. Because of her strength, there was no need to worry about protecting her.

“… A letter of apology… I think it would be better to write one in advance…”

Bell sighed as she spoke. Still, it was inevitable. Given Lucy Mayreel’s personality, she had endured the frustrating lifestyle she was trapped in within the mansion for quite a long time. It was about time she ran away.

Thinking that it was inevitable, Bell Maya felt more at ease. Given that it was Lucy Mayreel they were talking about, the fact that it was only just happening was a blessing.

* * *

“These are the theories necessary to properly utilize Intermediate Magic. Though the way each element reacts to magic power is completely different…it will be much faster for you all to gain a better understanding of it through individual practice.”

Professor Ed Rothstaylor’s Elemental Studies Lecture was the most competitive class among the first-year students. Not only was Ed’s name famous, but his teaching skills were far superior compared to the old professors.

Because the new students wanted to learn Intermediate Magic as quickly as possible, they all rushed to take his class. Because of its popularity, it wasn’t an easy class to sign up for.

In the large classroom packed with students, Ed Rothstaylor spoke calmly.

“Let’s stop here for today. It’s dangerous to try intermediate magic without fully familiarizing yourself with beginner elemental magic. So, for your evaluation later this month, we will be focusing on beginner magic. Later, we will be moving into researching intermediate magic. As for the schedule of practical classes, my assistants will notify you of them later. That will be all.”

Ed put down a piece of chalk, packed away his lecture materials, and walked out of the classroom.

That morning’s Elemental Studies lecture was the last class of the day. However, he still had to go and observe the first years practicing intermediate magic later in the student practice room. That was why he had to leave quickly and eat lunch.

As he walked into the hallway to quickly head over to the faculty cafeteria, a flood of students filled the hallways with various questions.

“You can ask me while I walk.”

He walked down the hallway while answering the students’ questions. Even though he looked like a celebrity, he was simply a professor answering the students’ academic questions. It was a life that seemed much more exhausting than glamorous.

Nevertheless, Ed walked down the hallway answering the students’ questions without showing the slightest bit of irritation or exhaustion.

In the lobby of the building, expensive wooden benches were placed for students on top of the clean marble floors.

All of the students in the area were busy sitting and reading their books. They would eat a simple meal while waiting for their next lecture. A few of them even spoke with their friends. However, in the corner of his eye, there was a student lying down with a witch hat pressed down on her face, as if she were asleep.

Just before he left the building, he glanced back at what he had just seen.

“…Wait a minute.”

Ed had been quickly walking out of the building while listening to the students’ questions non-stop. However, as if seeing something strange, he suddenly stopped. The students that were following him couldn’t help but stop with him.

“H-Huh… ? Professor? What is the matter?”

The students who had just been asking questions all looked up at Ed in confusion. Ed rubbed his eyes as he looked into the lobby he had just walked through. He then quickly walked forward to a bench off in the corner of the lobby.

On the bench, there was a student asleep with a witch hat over her face. Ed sat down right next to her.

However, she wasn’t a student. In fact, she wasn’t wearing a uniform at all. Instead, she wore a cute blouse. After all, she did drop out of school long ago.

“What are you doing here…Lucy?”

It was surprising to see her there, thousands of miles from the estate.

Lucy.

All the nearby students who heard that name suddenly doubted what they had just heard. There wasn’t a student at Silvenia Academy that didn’t know the name ‘Lucy Mayreel’.

She was a legendary former student, one who was considered the next Archmage.

“H-huh…?”

That legendary magician woke up with drool rolling down her cheek. She sat up, holding her witch hat tightly. She then looked around with drowsy eyes.

Lucy Mayreel.

All of the students who heard that name opened their eyes wide as they quickly gathered.

“…Hi. I was bored, so I came to see you.”

Ed Rothstaylor was one of the most powerful individuals in the empire, someone who was greatly respected by everyone. Even so, she spoke to him casually, as if she didn’t care either way…

However, Ed Rothstaylor didn’t look bothered in the slightest. That was because he knew she didn’t speak like that for no reason. After all, the girl could easily defeat Ed Rothstaylor.

“The school hasn’t changed at all even after that incident… Old Man Glockt must be happy about that…”

Upon hearing her words, all of the students in the surrounding area were in complete shock, falling over. The lazy-looking magician in front of them was the same genius magician who had broken every record in Silvenia’s history?

After a moment of silence, there was an explosion of reactions.

“Lucy! I respect you so much! I’m doing my best to become a magician like you!”

“I read all of the records about you, Lucy!”

“Kyaaa! Lucy looked my way!”

“No! At me! She looked at me!

“Lucy Mayreel. Lucy Mayreel. Lucy Mayreel!”

Lucy sat down on my lap as she covered her ears as if they were too loud.

Seeing her wearing that thin blouse, I quickly figured out what had happened.

Lucy must have escaped from the mansion and come all the way to Acken Island by herself. However, it wasn’t a short distance to travel, so she probably used some means of transportation to get there. After all, I didn’t think that her magic power had recovered to the point that she could use Spatial Magic yet.

I put my hands under her armpits as I lifted her up. Lucy didn’t fight back as I lifted her. Instead, she looked down at me with a blank expression on her face. Like that, I had to quickly carry her out of the crowd of students and bring her to my lab.

* * *

“L-Lucy?! I-it’s an honor to meet you!”

When Lucy—the legendary magician—entered the lab, all of the assistants were in complete shock. They quickly went to grab refreshments and tea to serve her, but Lucy ignored them as if she wasn’t interested. She dragged a chair over to my desk and sat down, yawning.

“You work in a pretty noisy environment…” she said.

“You are the reason it’s noisy.”

I dropped the lecture materials on my desk as I leaned back in my chair.

Dead silence.

Lucy was still half-asleep as she looked at me with drowsy eyes. The students were silent as they carefully watched the two of us, completely dumbfounded. For a while, there was nothing but silence in the lab.

I could have sent my assistants outside to ask Lucy why she had come, but given the fact that my assistants also had a lot of work to take care of themselves, I didn’t want to bother them. I ignored Lucy for the time being as I went back to quickly finishing the work I had to do. Once I finished, I grabbed Lucy’s arm as I quickly left my lab.

Rumors spread quickly in Silvenia Academy.

Rumors that Lucy Mayreel, a legendary magician who once attended Silvenia, had returned would have already spread quickly. In fact, by the end of the day, everyone would probably know.

Some passionate students had come to Trix Hall to try and catch a glimpse of the legendary magician. Not only that, but other students were forming long lines in front of Ophelis Hall just in case she might go back and visit. After all, that was where she lived when she was a student there. There were a bunch of students around the education district who were hoping to meet her as well.

The image of Lucy in the students’ heads was a benevolent, beautiful, mature, and admirable magician, one whom everyone looked up to. I didn’t want to shove the dagger of reality into them… So, in the end, the only choice I had was to bring her to my private lab in the North Forest.

It used to just be a shabby cabin, but with the support of the school, I was able to build a large wooden laboratory.

“It’s changed a lot here, but… The campfire is still the same. Now that I’m here…I’m starting to get drowsy again…”

“It has been a while since you were last here, Lucy. I guess you still also think of this as your home.”

It was early evening, just as the sun started to go down. Lucy sat across the campfire as I boiled water in an iron pot. The sound of the bubbling pot over the campfire could be heard.

My life had become a lot more relaxed, and I had the funds to live in luxury if I so desired. Still, when I needed to organize my thoughts or take a break, I found myself coming back to my campfire in the North Forest.

I no longer felt that sense of desperation and struggle in my daily life that I felt when I lived in the wild. Still, everything else felt the same.

I quickly made a cup of herbal tea before I handed it to Lucy in a mug. She grabbed it with her small hands as she sat down on a nearby wooden stump. Before, she would have laid down the moment she came to the camp. However, she was patiently sitting down with the drink in her hand.

It seemed that the maids’ efforts back at the mansion were starting to come to fruition. Though, they probably didn’t realize it themselves.

“I thought you’d be angry,” Lucy said quietly, the mug on her lap.

I cleaned the campfire for a moment. I then grabbed a cup of herbal tea myself as I casually answered her.

“Why?”

“I escaped from the mansion on my own to come to Acken Island to see you.”

“It’s not like I was trying to lock you in the mansion. Though, I’m sure the maids are freaking out that you ran away…”

I surprised myself a little. Despite all of the trouble she caused, when I saw Lucy’s face in the lobby of Trix Hall… What I felt more than anything else was happiness.

“I’m sure you must have felt lonely because I’ve been busy with work.”

Recently, it felt as if I had had no time to take a break at all. It had been a while since I went to the mansion, so I couldn’t help but feel glad to see Lucy, someone I hadn’t been able to see in a while. Even though she escaped from the mansion on her own… It wasn’t like anything could be done about it right then.

“I’m glad you look good, Lucy,” I said honestly.

Lucy then glanced down at the mug she held tightly in her hands. She did her best to reply, although she spoke too quietly to hear.

Maybe she was embarrassed? The subtle change in her heart might be hard to notice for most people, but compared to the first time we met, she was much more emotional.

At some point, Lucy had become a decent girl. Humans changed, and sometimes, in unexpected ways.

“…Anyway, there’s something I should ask you since you’re here. I think I will have to go to the Lamelin Mountain Range pretty soon.”

Amputator Zellan.

I planned to meet with the war hero and make a deal with her using information about the location of the previous residence of the Archmage Glockt.

When I explained to Lucy that I might need some help, she simply nodded without much change in her emotions. I figured that Glockt’s old residence would be a sensitive topic for her, but she didn’t seem to mind all that much. I didn’t know how much time I’d be able to make to go to the mountain ranges, but with Lucy’s assistance, it shouldn’t be a difficult task.

Well…I didn’t think it’d be difficult, would it?

“Hmm…”

“…You don’t look too good.”

“I’m fine. It doesn’t have to do with you, Lucy…”

Eventually, when we went to the Lamelin Mountain Range, we would also have to pass through the lawless region of Kohelton.

Unfortunately, the Kohelton Lawless Region wasn’t a place you could pass through without approval from the Imperial Household. That was because it was the most infamous restricted region in the empire.

Even though the imperial household was protecting me, that didn’t mean I had unlimited privileges. I needed at least some kind of justification so that the Imperial House could save face.

However, even if I came up with a reasonable justification… There was another issue in the way.

There was a member of the imperial family who was in charge of managing all restricted regions, including the Kohelton Lawless Region.

She and I… Recently, we hadn’t gotten along all that well… Strangely, every time she saw me, she raised her voice and tried to start a fight. Still, if I had no choice, I would have to meet with her…

I scratched my chin as I fell into deep thought. Seeing me do that, Lucy finished her tea and moved into my lap with a smile on her face. She seemed happy to see me for the first time in a long time.

I put my chin on her head and slowly fell further into thought.

In the North Forest, where the sun was slowly setting, it was just as quiet and peaceful as it always was.