The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 292

‘Head Maid’s Direct Order

All servants are to stop what they are doing and gather in the central garden. Leave behind all unnecessary belongings and come as quickly as possible. Exceptions will be made to those who are in charge of external expenses, management of magic engineering devices, and meal preparation.’

The head maid of Rothstaylor Mansion held the authority to call on all servants directly. In that regard, the authority she held was not much different than the head of the house herself.

Because of her lower status, she had grown used to living with her head lowered. Thus naturally, even though she had the authority to control all the servants in the mansion, she would never try to stage a riot. She simply planned to gather them together in one place, activate a barrier, and lock them all together.

Of course, distinguished guests and any aristocrats staying in the residence were exempt from the head maid’s orders. That was why she also had to go and forcibly blockade all the doors of the mansion. By activating the locking magic used in emergencies, she could quickly trap everyone in their rooms.

Being the head maid, even doing that much could be considered a major incident. However, as her fame was so high, that much still wouldn’t be enough.

If she was going to do this, she had to make it count. House Rothstaylor had the authority to discipline the head maid however they saw fit. So, unless she finished things all at once, the situation would only become more difficult to fix. She didn’t have the luxury of making several different attempts to cause a scene to lower her salary.

Thinking that, Bell Maya called on the servants to gather in the central garden using her authority as the head maid.

“H-huh…? Why are you all over here…?” Yennekar asked.

“Sorry to bother you, Baroness Palerover. The central garden will become a little cluttered due to the fact that the head maid has given us a direct order to gather here. Would you like me to guide you to your study?” a maid asked.

“N-no… It’s alright. I’m okay…”

Yennekar, who had been reading a book on elementalism in the central garden, tilted her head in confusion. Even though she was considered a protector of House Rothstaylor, she spent most of her time residing in the mansion. But of the countless times she had visited, she had never seen the central garden so crowded before.

She watched as the maid tried to escort her safely to her study, wondering why all the servants had been ordered to gather in the central garden.

Boom!

Fwooosh!

Suddenly, a massive barrier was activated around the central garden, trapping everyone inside. The servants broke into a cold sweat as they watched the barrier up in the sky surround them with a loud noise.

Everything happened in an instant.

“Wh-what…?”

“Wh-what is this?”

By the time anyone realized what was happening, they were already all trapped in the garden. It was a barrier that was used as an emergency device as a part of the mansions’ defense system. Ed Rothstaylor, who is well versed in that field of magic, inspected it himself, so the quality was guaranteed. Even Yennekar would have to summon at least a mid-ranking spirit to break through it.

“Wh-what…?”

Yennekar, who was sitting around a pile of books, was at a loss for words. That was because this barrier would only activate if House Rothstaylor were in grave danger.

Not just anyone could activate it. In the entire mansion, only a handful of people had the authority to do so. The reason Yennekar was even more confused was because she was one of the few people who could…but she hadn’t touched it at all.

Suddenly, a familiar face appeared on the rooftop of the mansion.

“H-head maid…?”

Bell Maya was standing on the roof of the mansion with her usual blank expression. Standing high up, her collar fluttered in the wind as she looked down at the world.

* * *

Bell Maya cast magic to make her voice louder as she shouted for all of the servants to hear, “All of the members of House Rothstaylor are locked inside. The emergency barrier has activated, and a magic circle has been cast to completely cut off the flow of magic power from outside. Rothstaylor Mansion has now become the perfect locked room, with no chance of outside intrusion.”

The servants and vassals all watched with wide eyes. Yennekar also looked up at the rooftop, unable to close her mouth in disbelief… Next to Bell Maya, on top of the well-maintained brick roof, Ed Rothstaylor was sitting there completely detained, tied to a chair.

It was an incredible sight to see. Bell Maya, the renowned head maid of Rothstaylor Mansion, who was more loyal to her master than anyone else…for some reason, she had stabbed Ed Rothstaylor in the back and climbed to the roof.

“I am Bell Maya…! And as of today, I have cast aside my position as head maid in favor of Ed Rothstaylor…!” Bell Maya shouted.

“Wh-what are you saying, Bell?!”

“It is as I said. As of today, I am no longer the head maid.”

Most aristocrats in history who faced a terrible end had died from the betrayal of their most trusted ally. Yennekar, who had read countless novels and textbooks, knew that fact all too well. That was why she recognized how much of a crisis they were in.

“I can’t do it any longer! Walking behind Ed Rothstaylor, trapped in his shadow…I can’t live being neglected like this any longer!!!” Bell Maya continued.

“Bell…! C-calm down! You’re not that type of person…! Just tell me if there is something you are unhappy with!”

“I’ve always been like this! I’ve just been keeping my true self hidden! I will no longer be the head maid…” Her expression didn’t change, but her voice was getting more aggressive as she continued, “I will now be Ed Rothstaylor’s partner…! I’ve made up my mind! I’ve decided to no longer hide my true self any longer, but to instead show it off to the world!”

A deep and utter silence filled the entire garden. Bell Maya, who always respected and was loyal to her master like a perfect model for other maids, had just dropped a major bombshell. It was hard to tell if it was all some sort of dream or real life.

It could not possibly be real. If anyone had been forced to bet on it, no one would ever have guessed this was really happening. Everyone had the same thought: that it couldn’t possibly be happening.

“What the hell are you saying, Bell!!!” Yennekar Palerover, who was more shocked than anyone else, suddenly screamed, the words echoing through the garden.

Of course, the other servants who had worked with Bell Maya for a while were shocked. However, no one was more shocked than Yennekar, as she had been with her the longest. Not only that, but they had possessed a special relationship ever since she attended Silvenia Academy. Yennekar knew Bell better than anyone else and was confident that she wasn’t that type of person.

However, emotions could easily change. Even though Bell may have diligently served Ed as her master for years, there was no guarantee that she hadn’t had a change of heart. Even in Yennekar’s eyes, she could see how attractive Ed was. It was only natural that a girl could fall head over heels for him.

Right when she finally felt that she had found her place beside Ed, she suddenly started to worry after hearing Bell’s sudden confession. Yennekar was sweating profusely as her complexion turned blue.

All of the women who have lived beside Ed for the past few years had fallen for him. However, it was completely unexpected to hear that Bell Maya was the same. Why was she suddenly acting like a robber who came out holding a knife? If something like that was going to happen, shouldn’t there have been signs?

Ignoring Yennekar, Bell Maya continued to raise her voice from the rooftop, saying, “Everyone has tried to take the position of Ed’s partner, but in the end, it still remained empty. No one was able to claim the position as their own.”

Looking at Bell’s expression, there was not the slightest hint that she was joking. After all, the situation was far too extreme to be considered a joke.

“I was forced to constantly watch the position of his partner remain empty. But now, it has come to an end,” Bell Maya continued.

“Bell! Get a grip! Did you eat something bad?! Have you been brainwashed?!”

“Now, I will be able to stand tall.”

Ed, who was still unconscious, was placed there on top of the roof like a sign. Everyone watched from below, still unsure if it was all some kind of dream or reality. The head maid, who stood up there on the roof, had always seemed like an impossibly perfect maid, like the stars in the sky… but she had come crashing down to the ground.

“The servants who are not trapped in the barrier, listen to me! Open the main gate through the external security system! Prepare a carriage for us to leave on! Make sure to load it with gold and silver so that we have enough to live off of forever! If you don’t, I will end my life here alongside Young Master Ed! It would be an honor to end my life here with him!”

Did the head maid really lose her mind? That was the only explanation that could be given. Yennekar suddenly realized that she needed to stop this quickly. But to do so, she would at least need to call on a high-ranking spirit.

Lucy… What is she doing right now?

* * *

Lucy Mayreel had grown another step. Through her experience at the Lamelin Mountain Range, she was no longer the same childish and immature girl she once was. She had grown into a great Archmage, and the journey after finally stepping outside of her cradle had begun.

However, she couldn’t break free from her old lazy and procrastinating self, who lived her life idly without a care in the world. At that moment, Lucy Mayreel, the genius magician who had left her cradle for the first time in her life…was sleeping soundly.

Since no one woke her up, she continued to sleep in her room. She was the type who would never wake up unless someone else woke her. That was the case even if an earthquake was taking place or a building collapsed.

“Unnm… Is there jerky…” Lucy mumbled.

When she managed to open her eyes for a moment to look at the table next to her, she saw that Bell Maya had brought her beef jerky and other snacks. Lucy turned over on her bed as she shoved some pieces of jerky into her mouth.

Booom!

Even with the barrier being activated outdoors, causing the building to shake and magic power to activate on the doors…Lucy Mayreel continued to go back to sleep without a care in the world.

She did feel that something was strange. Whenever she slept in the mansion, a maid would always come and wake her up early in the morning. It was the first time in a while that no one had been bothering her, and she intended to take full advantage of it. Even if Glasskan’s right hand came falling on the world again, she could sleep soundly. At that point, it was like a superpower she had.

Bell Maya knew everything there was about the Rothstaylor Mansion. As such, she was familiar with the only way to completely subdue Lucy Mayreel, an archmage that anybody would tremble to fight against.

She was a legendary magician who chased away an Evil God and could bring the entire kingdom into chaos all on her own. Yet the surprisingly obvious and incredible way to defeat her was to simply not wake her up.

“Lady Lucy is sleeping in her room. Just so you know, no one is able to access it,” Bell Maya stated.

When Yennekar heard that, she slapped her forehead. Bell Maya knew each member under House Rothstaylor too well.

I’m going to have to take action myself…!

Yennekar took out her wand as she looked up at the rooftop. She didn’t know why Bell Maya was acting like that, but she had to stop her before things turned any worse. However, she couldn’t move hastily. After all, she still had Ed Rothstaylor hostage. If Bell Maya really had lost her mind, it would be too dangerous to take any action at the moment.

* * *

“A rebellion at the Rothstaylor Mansion?”

It had been half a day since the head maid Bell Maya threw Rothstaylor Mansion into chaos. Since the distance between House Rothstaylor and the capitol wasn’t far, if the messenger ran quickly, they could deliver news within a day.

The messenger gasped heavily as he urgently reported the details while kneeling. Upon hearing the details of the situation, the next Emperor of the Kroel Empire, Penia Elias Kroel, shook her head.

She had been taking lessons on becoming the emperor for quite some time now. One could say that her level of dignity and grace had certainly risen compared to before. As she was next in line to hold the highest authority in the empire, she wore a beautiful tiara on her head as she prepared to give out orders.

Bell Maya, the previous head maid at Silvenia Academy… Was she really the type to rebel like this…?

Bell Maya, of all people, started a rebellion in the middle of Rothstaylor Mansion. If the situation got any worse, things could become drastic. Of course, the imperial family wouldn’t need to get involved as House Rothstaylor was powerful enough to take care of themselves…. But for other reasons, it did seem necessary to help finish things as quickly as possible.

Ed Rothstaylor had incredible connections throughout the empire. If he were in danger, there would surely be a few big names quickly taking action to protect him.

“If we leave it as it is, things will only become worse. It’s only a matter of time before the Commercial Union or Holy Father Building join in… For now, we will send an imperial guard to help oversee and report on the situation. This is an urgent matter, so quickly give out my order.”

“W-well…” The messenger struggled to respond.

“I heard that the ‘Three Golden Coins’ have already started to move. And the knights of the Holy Father Building…they’ve also already departed. We’ve received requests from them for permission to cross the border.”

“…What?”

Penia’s eyes widened at his response. Lortel, the president of the commercial union, was an incredibly devious and dangerous person with a massive information network. It wasn’t strange that she would have heard of the news already.

However, it was surprising to hear that the knights of the Holy Father Building had already departed. They were a special garrison-like team that only followed the orders of the highest powers in the Holy Father Building.

They wouldn’t take action so quickly unless the Holy Father or someone equal to his status were personally in danger. That meant that Saint Clarice had personally taken action. Although she was usually a kind and gentle person, she would certainly get furious upon hearing that the head maid was holding Ed hostage.

“No… This is…really bad…”

Bell Maya was a smart woman. Did she really not realize the situation would become so bad? Or did she actually expect it to happen? But if that was the case, how did she plan on handling it? Penia couldn’t figure it out at the moment.

Now that Ed Rothstaylor had been taken hostage and the president of the Three Golden Coins as well as the saint of the Holy Father Building had personally taken action… From Penia’s position, she couldn’t sit still either.

“Contact the escort guards and prepare to depart,” Penia said.

“…What?”

“I will go there myself.”

A personal visit from the future Emperor. Yet another unexpected variable fell like a bolt out of the blue sky.

The president of the commercial union, the saint, and now even the future emperor… The fact that those three people were gathering was enough to make one mistakenly believe there was a major continental meeting being held at Rothstaylor Mansion.