The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 69

She was born with the gift of naturally having many people help her.

Assistant Professor Cleoh didn’t know when she would finally be able to become a full professor. Seeing her in such a state, the other veteran professor around her would come together and all say the same thing.

While her carefree way of thinking was often seen among entry-level professors, Cleoh in particular seemed to be different.

They often caught sight of her sitting alone on a bench in the corner of the commercial district, smiling and eating an egg tart. And they often overheard the librarian Elka scolding her for missing the return date. Even walking down the street, she often tripped over her own legs, hurriedly gathering the scattered papers she dropped.

Everything she did made it seem like she had a screw loose, and they couldn’t feel a drop of the dignity that a professor should possess in her. The veteran professors let out deep sighs, but… at the very least, she had an image of being close with her students and was popular among them.

Without a doubt, of all the entry-level professors, she was the one with the most fortune when it came to people giving her a hand.

From when she was still a student to graduation, then her degree program, and finally when she received education in teaching… without knowing the reason why, she was always surrounded by the best teachers.

Professor Flubin, who was an expert in monster ecology; Professor Glast, who was the most educated when it came to research in Celestial Magic; and even the maverick Professor Renouer, famous in the field of Elemental Studies… She completed her degree with guidance from all sorts of prestigious scholars. One way or another, all of the professors in charge of her ended up being those types of people.

After being appointed a role in the teaching faculty, Professor Glast was assigned as her advisor. Being forced into doing all sorts of important tasks, she had the opportunity to gain various working-level experiences.

Her good luck for having beneficial teachers was great, but the same went for the students she was in charge of, as well.

She was definitely someone that was amazing when it comes to studying, but being good at studying didn’t mean that she would also be good at practical work.

After becoming an assistant professor, she started working out in the ‘field’… An area completely separate from academic knowledge and everything else she learned in school. In other words, there were moments when she need to have ‘sense’.

Naturally, for someone clumsy like Assistant Professor Cleoh, who was only good at studying, there was no way she was someone that could have that. There were many times where she would rack her brain, trying to figure out what to do, only to get stressed out and ultimately fail.

Nevertheless, she still had that fortune when it came to people helping her.

A veteran student assistant, whose work-related skills had been proven to the point that there were even rumors circulating that the professors were trying to steal her for their own laboratories. A second-year student that was considered the most capable assistant, to the point that even other faculty members that had been working at the academy for years could only nod their heads in recognition.

Anise Hayland, who held the title as the best teacher’s assistant.

Assistant Professor Cleoh really did have luck when it came to the people around her. All of the veteran professors grumbled back and forth, saying the same thing.

I wish she would also give me some of it too.

***

“Wow! What is all of that?! Th-That must be heavy! Should I hold it for you?”

“Uhmm, it’s fine. But thanks anyway.”

She swept her plentiful grayish-brown hair away and gave an elegant smile, just like a lady of noble birth.

Anise behaved in a way that would make a man’s heart flutter. Naturally, the boys in the combat department were taken aback as they started to fall for her, offering to give her a hand. But Anise skillfully walked past them.

She made sure not to show them any of the documents she was holding onto. It seemed as if she managed to deal with it smoothly.

Anise left the classroom building in the education district as she walked over to the research building. While holding onto a pile of documents, she greeted acquaintances as she walked into a room in the corner of the third floor.

Assistant Professor Cleoh’s laboratory was more familiar to her than the dormitory. There was still about twenty minutes before the person in charge of the lab would arrive. She was sure that she had gone to the bakery to buy some snacks again after she finished her afternoon class.

Thud!

Anise, who had dropped a pile of papers onto the main table in the lab, quietly took a deep breath.

It felt like she had clicked the switch inside her heart. It was time for her to get rid of her dignified and elegant behavior.

Assistant Professor Cleoh’s personal laboratory was surprisingly neat, unlike her clumsy personality. But that was all thanks to Anise.

She grabbed the hair at the back of her head and tied it up with a string. She then took off her uniform coat and rolled up her sleeves.

She quickly checked over all the work she had to take care of that day.

Checking the papers submitted by the Elemental Studies Academy, organizing the list of submitted assignment in the Beginner Elemental Studies Class, grinding new ink for the quills for grading, discarding documents that were no longer needed, checking over the academy’s security personnel, checking the scheduling for teacher evaluations, organizing the work that needed to be taken care of over break, and preparing a basic plan for the incoming first-year class assignment examination.

While determining the priority for the work, she made sure to boil some water for Assistant Professor Cleoh, who would soon come in. She was sure that she would ask for a cup of tea to have with her snacks with a bright smile as soon as she walked into the lab.

As she thought, the first thing that she needed to take care of was organizing all of the documents that she had brought over.

Data collected from the student library, Trix Hall’s Administrative Processing Room, and the dormitory’s night-duty room.

All of the information that was collected was about ‘Ed Rothstaylor’. The amount of information was already nearing the level of stalking, so it wasn’t something she could show just anyone.

She planned it out by dividing the time by minutes. There was twenty minutes left before Assistant Professor Cleoh would come in. Before that happened, she planned to check all of the information within the documents.

With the water boiling, she ground the ink for the quill pens and threw the documents that needed to be discarded into the trash bins.

Then, she took in all the information from the documents with her eyes.

All to analyze just what type of person Ed Rothstaylor was, as well as his background.

“The Rothstaylor House. The strongest family in the Kroel Empire. There are three children descending from the head of the house. One son and two daughters, with Ed being the second born. The first-born daughter was Arwen Rothstaylor. After that came Ed Rothstaylor, who is the sole son. The youngest daughter is Tanya Rothstaylor. The first-born daughter Arwen ended up dying while she was a child.”

“Hm. The family is also not on good terms with Duke Kelleg. Isn’t this kind of foreign information useless? Where is the history of the Rothstaylor House? Ahh, here it is. Looking at it, considering Ed Rothstaylor’s age…”

In the end, her ladylike appearance and behavior was just a mask.

In reality, amongst the student teacher assistants she really was the best with hand-on work.

When it came to her gathering, deciphering, processing, organizing, analyzing, and concluding information, even the professors that had years of experience would be in awe of her skills.

“The year he was born, the head of house Krepin Rothstaylor seized his seat. At the age of two, he was honored as the formal successor. Ever since then, he has lived his life being fully supported. There was a high chance that, because of that sense of privilege, he became arrogant. At age five, Krepin was baptized by the Telos Religious Group… and I wonder if that guy also had it done then? Though, he could have his own religious beliefs. He probably started taking etiquette courses at the age of eight, so he would have been able to start taking other proper courses at the age of twelve. But looking at the way his grades were always at the bottom, you could tell he wasn’t the type to be overflowing with talent.”

Analyzing information and systemizing the efficiency of work were Anise’s means of survival.

As soon as she entered the academy, Anise was in a situation where her family was unstable and she was forced to be on her own. To survive, she had to take on the role as a student assistant as part of the academy’s scholarship program.

In order to survive at Silvenia while being poor, you needed to find a way to adapt in some way.

The ability to survive by adapting in a difficult spot. For her, the role model that she considered to be the best at such a thing was Lortel Kehelland.

Even though she was a grade younger, she had greatly admired Lortel’s ability to build up a tower of gold herself, despite starting in a swamp of poverty.

Of course, Anise wasn’t born with her sense and ability to figure out the flow of money and sniff out gold. Such a talent was a blessing given from heaven.

However, Anise had her own way of doing things.

Don’t worry Yennekar.Anise kept repeating those words as she began to strain her eyes.

“He grew up in an oppressed environment where he was instilled with overbearing ideas.”

Every person could be broken up into patterns. By analyzing their environment and the tendencies in which they lived, you could end up revealing much of their inner self that you originally wouldn’t be able to see. Anise had that natural ability.

“Thinking about his background from coming from such a family, I’m sure that he didn’t have any issues with lacking money.”

Yennekar Palerover was the only counter example. Without making any calculations, she was a precious friend that she could communicate with.

For Anise, who lived every day of her life trapped in a corner and having to break people apart piece by piece, having a friend that was as transparent as glass was more precious than any amount of gold. That was why she couldn’t let her waste her precious feelings over a man that didn’t seem to be worth anything.

“He has no academic talent, nor does he show any outstanding ability in any other field. There’s a good chance that he is lacking in self-confidence. He takes the lead in everything but tends to avoid the responsibility that comes with it. There is a high chance he prefers people who overlook things and only think positively, rather than exchanging productive opinions. Perhaps he prefers a girl that is more submissive and bright?”

“At the same time, he doesn’t want them to show off their abilities. Probably because he wants to show off, himself. So, he wouldn’t want someone that would get in his way. His ideal type would probably be closer to someone that is willing to sacrifice a bit more for his sake. He would feel more comfortable in a relationship where he could break it off whenever necessary. Of course, he would prefer someone beautiful. Since he grew up seeing a lot of fancy objects, he must have a preference for expensive items.”

“But he might also feel attracted to someone whose charm comes from being pleasantly simple, so it might not be a bad idea to try that instead. He should be weak at accepting compliments since he hasn’t had much experience in achieving anything, and perhaps his preferred topics of conversation would be about luxury goods or other things that those of higher class enjoy? Rather than receiving gifts, he would prefer giving a gift so that he could show off his wealth.”

“Given his situation, I don’t think he will be able to give a great gift. Because of that, even if he gives something small, if you are happy about it, he should think highly of you. More than being obsessed with him, I should be dependent on him. And more than acting competent, I should act modestly. That is the key.”

The speed at which she was absorbing and analyzing the documents was no longer normal.

With her eyes darting around, she organized her thoughts while making sure her hands never stopped moving, and she didn’t stop taking care of her work.

“There’s a high chance that he would be sensitive when it comes to benefits and losses, as he is one without much practical ability. If that’s the case, it would be great if I could utilize psychological characteristics behind human relationships. It would be great to check the way his thought process has changed after getting excommunicated, and to see if his policies regarding life have been affected in any way.”

“I’ll also have to check what type of feelings he has towards Yennekar. If he does happen to have a favorable impression of her, I need to properly check if he will be shaken up or change his mind after meeting another girl. And if he does happen to have his feelings shaken, does he feel any guilt for it… Or, maybe he is just a pathetic person that will try to defend himself, as he is a selfish playboy. I’ll have to properly check to see if that is the case…”

“As a student assistant, I am his senior. Thanks to that, I have the upper hand. Still, he doesn’t seem to prefer females that take the lead, so the key will be to carefully walk that line. I don’t think playing into his ideal type will be all that difficult. It seems to follow the standard patterns of desire for a person born with aristocratic qualities.”

“Recently, with his environment being changed and him being put in a tight spot, he started to show all sorts of new changes. But his inner self, the one that he has been living with over the past decade, couldn’t be fully reversed to his core in just a span of a year. He may have become a bit more reliable, but his signature arrogant attitude is still the same as always… After organizing everything, this won’t be that hard. That’s all there is to it.”

The words that were coming from her mouth so smoothly were suddenly cut off.

After all, something like human preferences were subject for analysis for Anise. All sorts of patterned tendencies coming together in different ways were similar to an accumulated aggregate.

One’s ‘Ideal Type’ could only be formed by precisely assembling the detailed patterns she found.

It was also very easy for her to gain someone’s interest and to make them express their feelings. For Anise, grabbing ahold of and letting go of another’s emotions was no different than solving a rather complicated formula.

That meant none of her plan would be too hard for her.

After she finished thinking it all over, the air in the lab settled down peacefully.

Anise sat there alone, raising her head quietly.

“It would be great if I could get some practice.”

After all, relationships were nothing more than a mask. It was all about first targeting someone in particular, then changing into the appropriate mask given the situation.

At least, that was the case for Anise… Except when it came to two specific people: Yennekar and Clara.

Slam!

The lab door burst open as Assistant Professor Cleoh came in with a cheerful greeting.

“Hi~ As expected, you were already here, Anise. You’re always so diligent, that’s why!”

Giving a lively greeting, as if everything in the world was great, Anise put the tray she got from the bakery on top of the table.

All of the documents on Ed Rothstaylor had already been fully analyzed and organized, hidden in the corner of a drawer.

“I bought a Mont Blanc from Laplace Bakery~ Let’s eat, first!”

Cleoh kept smiling brightly as she served a plate of the Mont Blanc.

“Wow, you already prepared the black tea. As expected, you’re the best! You already expected me to buy and bring over a snack… Ahh, Tea! The tea!”

Being so excited, she almost spilled the tea. If she had ended up spilling the boiling water on her hands, she would have ended up getting burnt.

As Cleoh was always clumsy, Anise—who was quite thoughtful—surely would have warned her to be careful beforehand.

Cleoh smiled, laughing awkwardly as she was about to apologize, when…

“Ah, you didn’t get hurt…?”

“Uh, yeah?”

Cleoh tilted her head as she felt a somewhat soft feeling coming from her.

“That’s a relief… You didn’t get hurt… That’s really such a relief…”

Anise definitely looked the same as usual, but there was something different about her that she couldn’t describe… Assistant Professor Cleoh nodded her head.

If you had decided on a course of action, you should work towards it completely.

That was Anise’s policy when it came to survival, one that she had firmly followed throughout her life.

***

“I think I am going to go back to my hometown this break.”

“Why? What was that librarian’s name… Elka, is she going home, too?”

“How did you know?”

Ziggs would jog throughout the woods regularly, so seeing him had become routine.

He would stop by the camp once in a while to compliment the cabin, chat about academy life, and then he would head back… It wasn’t that different that day, either.

Ziggs, who sat across the campfire from me, twisted his body as he stretched. Compared to the early part of the first year, he seemed to have gotten a lot stronger. He had definitely gone through many hardships.

“Since I am living in Elka’s house, when she goes back home it’s okay for me to go as well.”

“Are the people in of Elka’s mansion not very nice to you?”

“That’s not exactly the case… Well, actually, the main reason is that I just want to spend more time with her.”

Ziggs’ pure love wasn’t something that only lasted a day or two, so it made sense that he could be so devoted.

“What about you, Ed? Will you stay at your camp over the entire break?”

“I guess so. Once I become a third year, I will have to be able to handle intermediate magic. I was planning on studying.”

“You’re already doing that? Wasn’t it just a year ago that you could only use beginner magic?”

Ziggs had taken off his jacket and started doing pushups, despite the cold weather. Training every single day like that at his age… Just what would he become when he grew up?

“Huff!”

Having leisurely finished his first set, Ziggs sprang up and sat down on the long bench opposite of me.

“Phew… It’s not good to overdo it. Didn’t you also train a lot with magic power today?”

“Magic power training?”

“Yeah. With my resonance, I can’t feel a single drop of your magic power. I thought you might have ended up training until you had run dry. That was why I asked. Like last time, if your magic power gets tangled up and you faint, it won’t be good for your body.”

“Hmm…”

I raised one of my hands up to my face and opened it a few times.

“There is a reason for that. It’s nothing to worry about. It’s just that, for the time being, I don’t think I’ll be able to use magic.”

“Hmm… That does make me worried. If you collapse from overworking yourself… I know that ultimately you are the one that gets hurt the most, but the other people around you also start to panic.”

“Is there a reason to go so far to say that they panicked?”

“When you passed out last time… Hm… Never mind. That was just a slip of the tongue. It’s just an embarrassing memory for the people that were involved…”

It was as if he had gotten silenced by someone as Ziggs finished his sentence oddly.

The last time I fainted, Ziggs was the one responsible for looking over me at the camp. Thinking of that, I really did owe him a great debt.

“Looking at you, it seems you also have a fever. Is your health really not hurt in any way?”

“There’s a reason for it all. Since I’m taking care of it, you don’t have to worry.”

“Well, if that is what you say, there’s no reason for me to poke my nose into it anymore.”

The best thing about Ziggs was how cool he was.

Perhaps because he had lived his childhood growing up in the free wilderness, he never pried into unnecessary matters more than he had to.

Well, I had a reason for it all. Just saying that one easy phrase was enough for him to move on from the topic.

“Ah, right. Ayla asked me about you.”

“Ayla?”

“Yes, After the incident with the Seal, Ayla explained everything that had happened with you to me. I heard that you ran out first to go and get help.”

“Well, it was something like that.”

“I even saw on our way in that you cleared the path for us to some extent… It seems that there must have been some major misunderstanding. She wanted to grab me and drag Taylee along to see you and politely apologize, but she didn’t know where you lived so she had asked me to tell her.”

The fact that my camp was located at the outskirts of the northern forest was something that was already known to everyone.

But that only applied for the people that I knew, I supposed. That didn’t mean that everyone in the entire academy would know.

“And since I was the only one that knew where you lived… I was wondering if I should tell them. But giving away your personal information without your permission is a bit…”

“Well, there’s no real reason to tell them. I don’t really want to receive their apology anyway, so you can just tell them that it’s fine.”

“Oh, is that so? You must be really upset about it all.”

“Huh? What do you mean I’m upset? It’s just as I said, they don’t need to apologize to me.”

I used the poker to push things around in the campfire.

“Well, I already know that they are sorry, so it’s fine. I don’t have any ill feelings towards them, so you can just tell them that I got it.”

Saying that, I started assembling the hunting traps. The snare trap was only catching small animals, so I was in the process of devising a pit trap with iron skewers to hunt the bigger ones.

Ziggs sat on the log, smirking.

“Rather than being understanding… you’re just completely indifferent.”

“I’ve just been too busy lately. Hm… By the way, Ziggs, you’re pretty tight-lipped.”

When I suddenly said that, Ziggs tilted his head.

It wasn’t particularly important information, but he still didn’t reveal the fact that I had built a cabin in the slightest, even though he was probably pretty close with Taylee and his group of friends.

In the first place, he was the quiet type.

“Hmm… I just don’t like carelessly talking about other people’s circumstances.”

“I see. Then, can you help me with one more thing? I’ll even compensate you.”

“You really don’t have to compensate me in any way this time around, though?”

“The amount of physical labor is going to be rough. I don’t think it’s at a level where I can just simply ask for a favor out of goodwill.”

Ziggs tilted his head.

“I’m going to tell you this since your lips are pretty sealed, but I ended up being able to use that underground library.”

“You mean the place that was connected to the underground waterways and the secret passageways?”

“Yeah. The entrance to it all is closed off now, but there’s still another way in. But it’s a complete mess inside, so I need some help with physical labor to clean it up. Before you leave to go home over this break, give me a hand. Also, since I can’t use magic right now it’s a bit rough.”

“…Well, if I just think of it as training, it’s not a problem… But with you being my upperclassmen, giving me money like this is a bit…”

“Just don’t worry about it, take it. In the first place, it’s helping me with my personal business. The amount I’m giving you isn’t much, so it won’t hurt me.”

After saying that, I threw a leather pouch that was on top of the simple wooden table towards Ziggs. It flew in an arch, but he was able to skillfully catch it.

“What are you going to use that library for?”

It was a natural question.

It was nearly time for the materials I requested from the Elte Company to be ready. Since there was a bit of a setback with training my magic power, it was necessary for me to devote my time and effort into training my magic engineering.

However, depending on the type of magically engineered items, the volume could sometimes be extremely large. Some of the material might not be able to be stored in the camp since they were sensitive to the environment.

“I’m going to use it as my own workshop.”

All of the other magically engineering production formulas were laying down in the library anyway. So, to save the trouble of bringing them all outside, I intended to turn the library into my very own private workshop.

“Did you say a workshop?”

“Yeah. Since there’s already a decent amount of things I can use inside it already.”

Accessibility wasn’t all that great, considering I had to go all the way down into that deep hole, and it wasn’t well ventilated since it was underground. Also, the distance from the education district was quite far. However, it wasn’t a bad space for me to train in magic engineering.

It was a perfect place, one where I could set a date, sit down, and just mass-produce magically engineered items the entire day.

“You’re even doing magic engineering?”

“Well, it’s nice to have more tools.”

“Your lifestyle here at the camp, training in magic power, elementalism, magic engineering, and even training in archery… And aren’t you going to start your work as a student under the academy’s scholarship program tomorrow?”

“Has the list of students in the scholarship program already come out?”

“Yes, it has. Well… I guess it’s fine… But youarestill extremely busy. You always being so out of your mind makes sense.”

Ziggs looked at me with a complicated expression as he tucked the leather pouch into his pocket.

“I am not the type to normally flatter another person, but… In the long run, people that are like you will definitely succeed, Ed. Well, anyway, I got it. I’ll be leaving now, so take care of yourself.”

“Alright, get back safely.”

I could hear the crunch of the snow as he walked away. It sounded strangely refreshing and overall pleasant.

I waved my hand at Ziggs, who was leaving the camp. I skimmed through a sheet of paper that was sitting on top of the empty tree stump next to me. I took out a spare quill and began writing my checklist.

Things to do over winter break.

***

Announcement on the Class Assignment Examination for the incoming first years.

I am Cleoh Elpin, an Assistant Professor, and I will be in charge of managing the incoming first years.

The class assignment examination scheduled for the incoming students will take place during the middle of the upcoming winter break.

The contents regarding it are quite long, so I have included a document with the relevant information separately. Please check the visitation schedule in advance and know that if you don’t attend, there may be a disadvantage in your class assignment.

The examination may consist of a mix of simple combat-related tasks or tasks related to searching. It would be greatly appreciated if you could participate while wearing comfortable clothing.

A list of the staff at our lab.

If you have any further enquiries regarding visiting the academy, please contact one of the following staff members at either the academy’s office or Trix hall.

Head Professor: Cleoh Elpin

Senior Assistant: Anise Haylan

Students under the scholarship program: Onyx Pelomier, Clevius Nortondale, Ed Rothstaylor.

“Rothstaylor.”

The girl folded the paper as she pronounced that name.

It was a sound that flowed gently off her tongue.As if made of oil, it was smooth and comfortable to her.

The sheer weight of that name was not something that just anyone could throw around.

The history of the Rothstaylor House stayed side-by-side with the Kroel Empire, through rise and fall. Those that dared to disgrace that achievement deserved death.

At least, that was what the girl’s values were.

Duke Krepin was benevolent, dignified, and respected by all. The fact that such a man was her father from birth was the greatest blessing in her life.

Therefore, it was only natural to have the desire to attend Silvenia. It was a place where there were many other people of ‘the same class’ as the Rothstaylor House.

A place where all sorts of honorable and powerful people came together to improve themselves.

However, with every historical great achievement came a stain.

“Ed Rothstaylor.”

He had been excommunicated, so he wasn’t in a position to call himself a Rothstaylor. At the very least officially.

Nevertheless, the name Rothstaylor was written on that notice… It must have been because the professor in charge that had sent the document was oblivious to that fact. She was sure that he wasn’t the type to purposely do such a thing.

Anyway, that guy now had the name Rothstaylor attached to him to such a public extent.

It was all too natural to attach the name Rothstaylor to him, and the people around him must have been calling him that out of habit. It made sense that, even on an official document, they would so blatantly write that name.

“Lady Tanya, the carriage is ready.”

The employee, who appeared mature at just a glance, quietly called out the girl’s name. The young girl turned her head, and the employee saw a face that was quite familiar to her.

Blonde hair that shone like the sun, eyes that held a strong assertiveness to them that were passed down amongst the house. At first glance, she might appear sharp. Thanks to the long years of receiving education in etiquette, she was overflowing with elegance.

Indeed, she had the class to be called the esteemed daughter. However, arrogance, a sense of privilege, and an elite mindset were also something that would naturally be inherited as well. That was the case because of the environment of the house.

“I need to see my father.”

Silvenia was full of all kinds of stars. Tanya admired such honorable and dazzling talents.

She hadn’t personally seen any of them, but… by just hearing the vague rumors, she could guess just how amazing they were.

From a princess of the Kroel Empire, one with authority over the Elte Company, an elementalist that was able to make a contract with a high-ranking spirit while still being a teenager, a grand alchemist that had created the ‘Imprinting Elixir’ while still being a student, a savage beast that ruled over nature up in the north, a swordsman from House Nortondale, and even a warrior that was able to use the Swordmaster’s Skill.

Among them all, the one Tanya was the most excited about was the rare genius magician that might have received the blessings of the stars by the Archmage Glockt. Just by imagining her, she could guess just how dignified and graceful such a person would be.

It was time for the first-year class assignment test. It was an important test that symbolized the beginning of her academy life.

Her heart fluttered the more she thought about it, and the list of nobles she was excited to meet kept getting longer and longer.

In order to live a fulfilling academy life amongst all of them… there was a piece of garbage that she had to clean up.

Thinking over that fact, Tanya let out a deep sigh.