The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 73

“Eughahyaeughahaha~”

“You did a great job.”

She had just finished submitting the documents on the academy’s agenda, submitting her plans for the incoming student’s class assignment examination, checking the foundation of everything, writing the report on the academic schedule for when school started up again, finishing grading the final examinations and ranking them, and preparing for the examination to become a full professor.

Assistant Professor Cleoh had buried her head into the office desk as if her soul were leaving her body.

“Once you do a good job with the incoming first-year class assignment examination next week, you will be able to rest for the rest of break.”

“Anise, you really are the best. You seriously have so much stamina. And your skin is still flawless. Look at mine, I already have all these dead skin cells showing up… Is this… the difference in youth…?”

Assistant Professor Cleoh turned her head, looking into the mirror on her desk. The reflection showed a dead body.

On the other hand, Anise, who was sitting at the large table in the center of the laboratory while surrounded by papers… was she really a human?

Watching her skim through papers in a dazzling yet elegant manner, it seemed as if she had just come to work and was physically in a great, sturdy state. Surprisingly, Anise had also been staying up all night for the past two days.

That was her level after working alone as Assistant Professor Cleoh’s assistant, a professor who was already short on people able to help with her research.

She was taking care of everything, even if she wasn’t asked to, and everything that she could do to keep the lab running smoothly… Assistant Professor Cleoh could only accept her help, as if she was her master. At that point, you couldn’t tell who the professor and who the assistant was between the two of them.

“As expected… I can’t trust the outside scholarship students that are helping.”

Meanwhile, Anise sighed deeply as she flipped through the papers.

Unlike Anise, who worked as the head assistant for Assistant Professor Cleoh, it was hard to expect the same sense of belonging from the school’s scholarship students.

It went without saying for important tasks, but even for minor tasks she had to carefully make sure that it was all taken care of properly.

Just checking over all the work itself required a considerable amount of effort, so they couldn’t really be considered efficient helpers.

And sure enough, whether it was the third year Onyx or the first year Clevius, their work wasn’t completed neatly. Even though it wasn’t much, it was work that students might find difficult to manage… Either way, things were about the bare minimum as far her expectations went.

For most things, Anise had to take care of them once again. However, the only one that she didn’t need to lend a hand to was Ed Rothstaylor.

He was the one she was most worried about, so Anise carefully stayed around him to check his work. Surprisingly, she didn’t need to.

If Anise didn’t already have plans to watch over Ed for Yennekar’s sake, it would have been more efficient for her to stay near and watch over the other students instead. There was no point in supervising someone that could already do their work alone sufficiently.

There were no flaws in his processing of paperwork or the practical jobs themselves. Usually, student personnel tended to have little experience, so they weren’t skilled at handling work and didn’t pay attention to detail.

But Ed Rothstaylor, didn’t dismiss the majority of problems. Instead, he deftly figured them out in a solution-oriented way.

For example, she had brought over a checklist with her when they went to survey the test site in advance, but Ed Rothstaylor didn’t just adhere to what was written on the checklist. He went even further.

“We’d better close off the entrance in advance, as students may accidentally come and visit before the test.”

“The snow makes it quite slippery. If it’s slippery on the day of the test, that will be difficult.”

“The area of the test site is wider than I thought. If it’s more than she expected, we might end up having to make boundaries here and there—or we might need to increase the number of Magic Power Stones that we are hiding to control the difficulty level.”

“Unexpectedly, it seems that he didn’t grow up pampered and catered to…”

Real-life problem-solving skills were a characteristic that was hard to find in a person that had simply lived their life as an aristocrat.

His actions were rather unexpected. It would be a lie to say that she wasn’t caught off guard.

“By the way Anise, you went out with Ed, right? How was he? He’s similar to you, isn’t he?”

“Similar to me?”

“Hm… I guess you don’t know, Anise. Ed was excommunicated.”

“No… I at least know that much.”

“Really? Then, should I tell you a secret… one that only I know about?”

Perhaps since she was now relieved of all of her work, Assistant Professor Cleoh talked to Anise with a playful expression.

“Ed, do you know where he lives? He lives in that vast forest in the northern part of the island. In the northwest corner of that forest, he built a cabin by himself and is living there now…!”

“…Huh? Really?”

“Yeah. I secretly followed him because I had something to investigate regarding the Occupation of Ophelis Hall… But, uhm… This is a secret from Ed…!”

A secret about Yennekar’s crush. The fact was, even Yennekar didn’t tell anyone else about that.

Anise gulped as she nodded her head.

“It’s surreal that he ended up building a decent camp, one that is even larger than this lab, all by himself…! As for the tools he uses, a workbench, campfire, display stand, drying rack, smoker… Everything seems to have been handmade. That kid, he doesn’t look like it, but aren’t his handicraft skills quite amazing?”

“I-Is that so?”

“On top of that, he even signed a contract with a spirit by himself. As you know, there is quite a high barrier of entry when it comes to training one’s spiritual resonance. I really don’t know how he managed to do it, but wow… I guess he just put in that much effort.”

Only then did Anise seem to find a clue to Ed’s problem-solving ability.

Living alone in the wild, he must have faced all kinds of real-life problems. Solving all of the difficulties that came his way, that was why he was able to naturally build up his ability to solve practical problems.

That practical sense was something that aristocrats who have lived their lives in a safe, protected environment would never be able to get their hands on. It was a seemingly insignificant ability, but Anise knew just how important it truly was.

“That’s why you were nodding your head when you went off with Ed~ You two have quite a lot in common, right?”

“Ed and me? What…”

“Okay~ Have you seen the progress of Ed’s grades? Do you want me to show you?”

“I thought you weren’t supposed to show another student’s report card to others as you wish?”

“Aghk…”

Assistant Professor Cleoh awkwardly laughed as she twisted her hair.

“Anyway, I get the feeling of just how persistent he is and how much he has gone through to live. To the extent that even Professor Glast would probably nod his head in recognition. Despite his unfavorable circumstances, he keeps on living without complaining. That’s really something that not just anyone can do.”

“You’re talking about something quite embarrassing…”

“I-Is that so…? But I really do think that he is quite amazing.”

Saying that, Assistant Professor Cleoh lifted up her head and looked at Anise.

In between the cracks of the mountainous pile of papers, Anise glanced back.

Despite the amount of work, she never lost her dignity.

There was a reason she was considered to be like an aristocrat even though she was just a regular commoner.

“Uhm… I appreciate your comment, but…”

Anise was lost in thought. Even before considering the high praise Assistant Professor Cleoh had given, Ed Rothstaylor was still on her mind.

Given that the way people viewed him had now flipped, and everyone simply started to forget all the terrible things he’d done, she came to a conclusion.

It was hard to say how much Ed, who had been excommunicated and treated like an outcast within the school, had grown as a person.

It was difficult to just blindly believe in him, even though people may have changed their perception. Especially when it came to supporting Yennekar in her beautiful love.

However much she personally tried to tear him down while looking for a flaw, there wasn’t a single one. Looking at him, he was simply a boy that was living a hardworking life.

He wasn’t even someone that tried to show off his efforts to gain recognition. He was just a person that had to put in that much effort to survive.

After all of that, she started to think,Maybe he really is just a good guy?

It was quite a sound thought. Objectively speaking, wasn’t that fine? He was good looking, didn’t seem particularly arrogant, and Assistant Professor Cleoh gave him high praise… Given all of that, it would be stranger to believe that it was all from a playboy’s act…

Thinking back on observing Ed’s behavior while they were together in person, there seemed to be more of a gentle side to him than she thought. In fact, by accident she had even found out that Ed was in good shape. After falling into his arms unexpectedly, his touch and scent was rather warm and comforting.

He didn’t have that particular smell of a student that was covered in sweat after spending all day working. It seemed like he had taken care of it to make sure it didn’t stand out and bother anyone.

“…Anise? Are you spacing out?”

Anise swallowed as she quickly shook her head a couple times.

“No. I was just thinking about something. It’s a bit hot. Shall we open the window?”

“Hm? Sure, let’s let in some fresh air. Be careful that the papers won’t blow away.”

“Alright. Ah!”

It wasn’t a big deal, but Anise felt like she had been hit in the back of her head with a hammer, so she quickly swallowed her breath.

She didn’t do anything wrong in particular. She was just objectively evaluating the man named Ed.

She never thought of it as a sin to grade another person, but it felt like as if her subtle guilty conscience was tightening her chest as she felt goosebumps down her back.

If you were to ask her why, Anise wouldn’t be able to exactly define her feelings.

However, she wouldn’t deny the fact that she felt it was rather special, just how much Ed resembled herself.

It was hard to share with others just how hard and difficult one’s tenacious life had been.

With her friends, who were high on living their romantic lives, she was used to talking about fun, exciting, and cute things rather than heavy and gloomy topics.

The same went for boys that would try to flirt with her because of her appearance. Most of them were people that didn’t have any serious concerns about life and didn’t need to reflect on anything more than the worries of a regular student.

It wasn’t a particularly bad thing. After all, students were the best when they acted like students. Actually, it was stranger to think that she could easily make a friend that she could talk to about serious and heavy topics in the romantic Silvenia Academy.

The cold truth of reality was worse than the freezing cold of the middle of winter. Only those that had experienced it knew that truth.

Because of the fact that she got overwhelmed by their bond of sympathy, she ended up showing Ed her true feelings a bit. Though, she had dismissed it as a mistake.

“Anise, your face is red. Maybe you pushed yourself too much?”

Hearing those words from Assistant Professor Cleoh, Anise felt as if her heart had been stabbed by a knife.

She jumped up from her seat, went over to the mirror, lifted up her bangs, and checked her face. Seeing her expression in the mirror, Anise finished observing herself in an instant.

Surprisingly, her dilated pupils were flushed. She also had a fever.

That was bad.

That couldn’t be right, that was really bad.

Anise grabbed a chair, sitting down as she repeatedly scrubbed her face with both hands and tried to regain her composure. Still, she couldn’t stop her cold sweat from flowing down.

However, it was an undeniable fact.

Anise’s main focus was objectifying ambiguous things like emotions and one’s mind. Given that, she couldn’t pretend that she didn’t realize it.

Still, wasn’t that feeling still manageable? The fact that she detected it early on was good news, at least.

Emotions also had stages, so she could deal with it as long as she pushed them away before they started to develop.

Right as she had barely managed to regain her composure, words from Assistant Professor Cleoh flashed through Anise’s mind.

“On top of that, he even signed a contract with a spirit by himself. As you know, there is quite a high barrier of entry when it comes to training one’s spiritual resonance. I really don’t know how he managed to do it, but wow… I guess he just put in that much effort.”

As Cleoh had said, there was a barrier of entry in regard to training one’s spiritual resonance. It was hard to fully grasp without the help of a fairly high level Elementalist.

As for a fairly high level Elementalist around Ed Rothstaylor, it was completely obvious who that was.

She had also said that Ed Rothstaylor had built a camp and was living in the northern forest. That forest was completely Yennekar’s territory.

Then that meant that the spirit that Ed Rothstaylor must have signed with was inside the northern forest.

If Ed Rothstaylor’s contracted spirit was always following him, or had at least witnessed him while he was with Anise, then…

Anise gulped.

“Since we’re done with work, shall we have a snack…? Should I go out and buy some? What do you want…?”

Assistant Professor Cleoh was completely clueless as she started boiling some black tea and wiping her table.

Everything was a total mess.

***

The Palerover’s ranch wasn’t all that large, but it was always bustling, so there wasn’t anyone in the village that didn’t know about it.

The reason that such high-quality livestock could be cultivated on such a small scale was largely due to the family’s culture, which emphasized internal stability and put emphasis on harmony and coexistence.

As such, Yennekar—who was the only daughter of the Palerover family—never became arrogant despite her amazing natural abilities.

Rather, her beautiful heart—which cared for others and loved everyone—shone even brighter than her ability.

“Yennekar is such a nice girl.”

“I don’t think there is anyone as kind as Yennekar.”

The same went for when she left home and went to Acken Island.

She lived a life like a fairy tale protagonist, loved by everyone. It was a life far from the world of solitude, and thanks to that she was able to make a lot of friends when she entered, but… There’s no such thing as a life without worry.

On a moonlit night, under the Guardian Tree of Merilda, while training her spiritual resonance and looking up at the Guardian Tree—which was still large and green regardless of the season—Yennekar sniffled.

***

“Among all the soon-to-be third years, Yennekar Palerover is the most recognized, popular, and skilled. A true ace. A merchant like me might have financial abilities, but that innate charm of hers that attracts others is rare.”

“After all, politics is divided, right? It’s important to have someone that is supported and loved by the students as an ally. Don’t worry too much. Yennekar is a good natured and thoughtful person, one that will attentively listen to and put her trust in anyone.”

“Well, she is still your upperclassman, so don’t be rude. It probably won’t ever happen, but… is there a chance that Yennekar’s could be feeling a bit down? Hmm… I’ve never seen Yennekar gloomy, but you never know. So, don’t say anything that will offend her.”

Thanks to Lortel, who gave her some sincere advice, Tanya felt like she had won over an entire army to her side.

It was rare to have such an opportunity for a conversation with the person who held so much power in the Elte Company.

When she had met Ziggs, she ended up being puzzled by his unexpected response. However, she didn’t have time to stay confused over such an incident.

Already, the next week was the incoming student’s class assignment examination. Then, the break would come to an end and the election for the student president would start as soon as the new semester begins. She had to work diligently to meet more people and get her name out there.

As a result, after asking people along the way, she eventually found her way to the large tree in the northern forest’s lake. ‘The Guardian Tree of Merilda.’

It was said that it was a tree with a large wind spirit that protected the forest. From Tanya’s point of view, after recently arriving at the school, it just looked like a regular—if gigantic—zelkova tree.

It was a place that she struggled to reach while traveling through the rugged path in the northern forest with her four to five employees. That much trouble was fine by her. As long as she could win over Yennekar, she could do anything.

She saw the back of a girl that was looking up at the zelkova tree. Her petite figure was similar to Tanya’s and her beautifully braided light pink hair flowed down her shawl.

The girl sent off a bat made of flames that she was holding. It seemed as if they were just talking about something.

For Tanya, who of course currently didn’t have any spiritual resonance, it looked as if she had just stretched out her arms.

Tanya gathered her breath as she spoke loudly.

“Nice to meet you, Yennekar!”

She spoke in a respectful tone to make sure that she didn’t come off as arrogant.

Yennekar turned around as she looked up at Tanya. She was exactly as how Lortel had said.

She was an idol, beautiful and kind by nature. Someone that everyone in the school loved. She was the most ideal upperclassman that Tanya had ever imagined.

For Tanya, who had lived only in an aristocratic hierarchy all her life, the existence of an upperclassman that she could truly communicate with disregarding such a power structure was romance in itself.

Just looking at her made her feel warm and comfortable inside. Even if she just stayed by her side, it would feel like all of the stress in the world would fade away. Tanya smiled brightly as she imagined her future at the school with her.

“I would like to introduce myself and talk with you for a bit… Would that be okay?”

She spoke as gracefully as she could, looking over at Yennekar.

She had the same image that she had thought, but she could also see some sort of dark expression over her face as well. Did something bad happen?

Still, she heard that she was a good-natured person that would listen attentively to anyone.

“My name is Tanya Rothstaylor.”

When Tanya greeted her with a bright face, saying her name, Yennekar suddenly looked back at her.

A bright moonlit night.

A girl that turned her back quietly, holding an oak wand under the Guardian Tree as it was shaking in the wind.

There was an indescribable, immense pressure… Tanya gulped.

***

It was a quiet winter night at the camp.

As Lortel gently sat opposite of me at the campfire, I gave her some herbal tea in a mug.

As if she were pleased with the appearance of the camp now that it had become more well-off, Lortel smiled and took a look around.

“Since it seems that everything you needed to deal with immediately has been completed, I’m quite relieved.”

“Yeah… With this much, it’s just like a true home. Since you helped so much, I’m really grateful.”

“What are you saying? It wasn’t a big deal.”

Smiling, Lortel took a sip of the herbal tea.

“There is much I need to speak with you about.”