The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 285

“You were alive.”

That was the first thing Yennekar Palerover said as she stood from the altar.

Lucy Mayreel, who was said to have died, had survived. She was simply acknowledging that fact.

However, the Yennekar Palerover that Lucy Mayreel knew would have acted more surprised, asked about what happened, or even said something of concern.

Now, she was simply acknowledging the fact that Lucy was alive.

The Yennekar Palerover standing before Lucy Mayreel was not the same one she knew. That much was obvious from her appearance alone. The coldness in her emotionless voice felt like a sharpened blade.

The cold gaze she had as she looked down at Lucy from the altar didn’t feel like her usual fairytale-like warmth and comfort. After surviving in that cold and brutal reality for a long time, the warmth from before had been lost.

Acken Island had completely fallen under her grasp, and she reigned as queen of that hell.

She had long white hair that fell loose down her back. Underneath her hair, Lucy could see a dark red wand. It was worn out, as if it had been used for some time. It was the same wand Ed Rothstaylor had used when he was alive.

Even the way Yennekar held that keepsake, which must have been her most precious treasure, felt strangely different.

“…I wondered if you were alive.”

Yennekar stood up as she spoke coldly. Lucy didn’t expect her to say that. The Lucy Mayreel of that world had died. Lortel had told her that. However, Yennekar had remained suspicious about whether Lucy had truly died.

“After I decided to turn Acken Island into a sanctuary, I couldn’t find Ed’s body despite searching every corner of the island.”

Ed Rothstaylor had been executed by Prince Lindon’s forces in Silvenia Academy’s square. That meant his body had to be somewhere on the island.

But Yennekar Palerover couldn’t find it.

“You took Ed’s body, didn’t you?” Lucy looked up at Yennekar with blank eyes, just like usual. “The fact that you’re alive proves all of my suspicions. The number of people that can hide on this island for so long without being caught…there aren’t many.”

“I…don’t know anything.”

Only then did Yennekar Palerover feel as if something was strange. There wasn’t a single speck of sadness in Lucy’s eyes. She simply looked up at her like usual, with those drowsy, blank eyes.

“Give me Ed. This altar…will become his final resting place.”

“I told you. I don’t know anything.”

“Why are you lying?”

“I’m not.” Lucy calmly told the truth. Whether or not Yennekar would believe her was another matter. “I’m…not even from this world. I happened to be dragged here.”

Yennekar was silent.

“I want to go back to my original world, but I need the power of the altar to do that. I can’t go back unless I can recover my magic power.” From Lucy’s point of view, it was hard to say such things. However, she continued calmly, “Get out of the way.”

Yennekar glared at Lucy quietly. Ed Rothstaylor’s death changed many things in that world. Yennekar would know as well, since she was close to them—she knew just how much Ed Rothstaylor meant to Lucy Mayreel.

Nevertheless, she continued to talk to Yennekar in a calm and casual manner. The girl had never lost Ed Rothstaylor. Intuitively realizing that fact, Yennekar titled her head. Maybe what Lucy was saying was true. Otherwise, there’s no way she could act as if nothing had happened.

Lucy had nothing more to say as she looked back at Yennekar. Yennekar looked devastated. Ed had been taken from her, and with him, all meaning in her world—yet the Lucy standing before her had never lost him.

How did Yennekar feel? Was it jealousy, sadness, or perhaps anger?

Yennekar lifted her head. There was a strange feeling around her for some reason… But her response was brief.

“…I see.”

Lucy assumed the worst and thought that a battle would take place. Unexpectedly, when Lucy said she wanted to go back, Yennekar only trembled.

Lucy didn’t want that situation.

Just looking at Yennekar, she could tell that something was wrong. She knew that it wouldn’t be a good idea to lower her guard, no matter what…

“Tell me one thing.”

Yennekar stepped down from the altar, quietly speaking. The wind blew by, scattering the ash in the air.

Yennekar had a depressed expression on her face as she asked, “Where you’re from. Is Ed happy there?”

It was simple question, one filled with emotion. Lucy couldn’t hastily answer her. After thinking about what to say in response, she concluded that there was no way to answer her perfectly.

Lucy just nodded her head a few times.

Yennekar closed her eyes slowly. She was saying that it was okay to pass her by. Lucy pressed on her hat as she walked toward the altar. The strong wind at the top of the mountain made her hair and torn clothes flutter.

However, she continued to trudge her petite body forward.

That was it. From Lucy’s point of view, everything worked out well. She just needed to go past Yennekar, who wasn’t stopping her, then use the remains of Tyrcalaques at the altar to observe the other worlds and call for help. Yennekar wouldn’t stop Lucy. She had said it herself.

Walking past Yennekar, Lucy looked back for a moment.

The gloomy sky was filled with layers of a magic circle made by the grief-stricken Yennekar. She had summoned Friede alongside countless other spirits, trying to erase all of the remaining life on the island.

Yennekar stood alone on the mountain, but none of this mattered. It was a story of a different world.

Lucy took out the remains of Tyrcalaques from her pocket. Magic power soon began to slowly flow from the small, marble-shaped artifact. She closed her eyes gently as she felt the magic power assimilating with her.

A normal magician wouldn’t have been able to handle such magic power, but Lucy had always been capable of using a large amount of magic power without difficulty.

The Substitute Altar wasn’t able to fully process all of the magic power in the remains, but there was enough for Lucy to absorb. As she felt the magic power enter her body, Lucy slowly turned her head.

Behind her, Yennekar looked the same as before.

“I envy you.”

Did she have eyes on the back of her head?

While looking out at Acken Island, which was nearing its end, Yennekar spoke to Lucy quietly.

“Ed is waiting for you in your world. But I have my own work to do here.”

Lucy tried to say something in response but stopped. She simply closed her eyes. In order for Lucy to get to the altar, many had to be sacrificed.

Lucy was their last hope. She was the last person who could somehow recover Yennekar, who had been consumed by grief and darkness.

But in the end, even if it was coldhearted, it had nothing to do with Lucy. It was only right to leave things as they were.

Lucy continued to tell herself that it was right. The correct and rational answer was to leave things as they were.

Lucy had a place to go back to. A place where the person who meant the world to her was still alive.

And that boy had lived as difficult a life as Lucy had.

He was abandoned by his house, yet he had a determined expression on his face as he overcame any hardship or trial that came his way, no matter how painful it was.

He accepted Lucy, who was always lying around lazily,

He was never jealous of her talent and blessings, nor did he ever wish for anything more than necessary. He simply stayed by Lucy’s side without any ill intent, focused on his own goals.

Whenever she missed him, she closed her eyes and remembered sitting next to him at the camp late at night in front of the campfire. Like always, he was cleaning the equipment he needed to survive another day.

What Lucy had learned from him was the desire to survive. A tenacity and drive to never give up on surviving—no matter what.

Lucy loved his mindset and attitude.

He was like the opposite of Lucy, who ran away from everything and tried to live as futile and empty a life as she could.

Lucy may have not realized it herself…but her values had changed over time. Solitude and emptiness, which she had been living with her entire life, had been replaced with something more important.

“I don’t understand you. Just like you don’t understand me.” Lucy’s voice became more powerful.

Yennekar also quickly noticed how Lucy’s voice had changed. There was now a sense of determination in her tone. Yennekar made way for Lucy Mayreel because, ironically, she understood Lucy better than anyone else.

Lucy would naturally want to return home to Ed. More than anything else, the most important thing for Lucy was to regain her magic power and go back to Ed. There was no way she would use her limited magic power for something else.

Lucy couldn’t afford to stand in the way of Yennekar, either. Yennekar was well aware of how much Ed meant to Lucy, and she knew that Lucy would never give him up.

Yet the first thing she did when she recovered her magic power was send all of the nearby spirits flying away.

Booom!

Fwoosh!

The Ultimate Electric Magic, Divine Judgment.

After Lucy had recovered her magic power, she cast a powerful lightning bolt that obliterated the nearby spirits into nothing. Gathering more magic power, she jumped down from the altar. She stood up tall, right in front of Yennekar.

Instead of going home, she stepped back. That was Lucy’s choice.

“You…”

The strong wind passed as Lucy looked up, fixing her dirty and worn-out clothes.

“I can tell just by looking at you, Lucy. You’re not in a state where you can waste magic power like that. Right now…do you actually think you can stop me?”

“That’s for me to worry about.”

“Why would you do this?”

Yennekar’s face was stained with pain. Letting Lucy pass tore Yennekar’s heart to pieces. Despite feeling a storm of emotions while looking at Lucy, who hadn’t lost Ed, she chose what was right and let her pass.

What was lost was lost forever.

The Ed of that world was waiting for one thing—Lucy Mayreel.

Knowing that fact, she overcame her emotions and let Lucy pass. She only had one job to do herself.

However, after Lucy recovered her magic power… She didn’t go back. Instead, she stood in Yennekar’s way.

“Magic power is something that I’ll somehow manage to eventually recover.”

Even if she ran out of magic power, she could still recover it one day. The side effects of the Phoenix Ring wouldn’t last forever. Even if it took years… She would eventually come up with some way to go back home.

Ed wouldn’t give up on Lucy after just a few years either. Because of that faith in him, she was able to do what she felt was right.

Yennekar simply couldn’t comprehend Lucy’s decision. For Lucy, the world must have felt like a terrible hell. She would want to leave as soon as possible. Nevertheless, she continued to get in Yennekar’s way despite her injuries and lack of magic power.

“Running away here, as if I don’t know anything, would be an insult to the man who gave me life.”

The world was full of people struggling to survive. There were also many people who helped Lucy get there, despite risking their own lives.

All of them had only one purpose.

Survival.

As the wind passed by, Lucy pressed down on her hat as she lowered her head. Just like the way Yennekar was different from what Lucy knew…

Lucy was different from what Yennekar knew.

You couldn’t tell from a glance, but after all the time they spent together… Yennekar could clearly tell.

“Everyone who tries their best to survive deserves respect.”

“You…”

The wind continued to pick up as her eyes glowed. The girl who was once empty—who was the one who gave her such new, profound values?

The way she stood there resolute, despite the strong winds, made her look like someone else in Yennekar’s memory…

Was she mistaken because she longed for him?

That girl was given a lot. She was given a life, a reason to live, and a newfound value to live by.

And to live by that value, she had to become a hero.

A whirlwind of magic power began to form.

Due to the strength of the whirlwind, the ash covering Right Mountain began to rise high into the night sky.