The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 76

As the saying went, if you wanted to see the worst of a person, give them power. Tanya had lived her life sympathizing with that saying time and time again.

When the eldest daughter, Arwen Rothstaylor, was the heir to the house, the Rothstaylor residence remained peaceful.

Everyone living in the residence treated her and viewed her as the next heir to the house, yet she had never become arrogant nor intimidated from that treatment.

Tanya looked up at Arwen, who had never lost her noble grace and wasn’t interested in anything other than bettering herself. Seeing that, she honestly believed that, even with all that power in her hands, she would never waver and was the true meaning of elegance and grace.

Hidden beneath Arwen’s perfection and elegance was the Rothstaylor house’s second child, Ed Rothstaylor.

Up until that point, there wasn’t anything strange to say about him.

But after Arwen Rothstaylor’s death, just what type of person had Ed become as the new heir, who ruled over the Rothstaylor family?

As petty as he was, he became much like a tyrant as he took the little power that came with being named the heir and came to his own conclusion, assuming that both heaven and earth were his for the taking… That was the true Ed Rothstaylor that Tanya had observed.

Being corrupted by just that little piece of power… Just how hopeless was the future, given that a man with so few wits had become the heir to House Rothstaylor? She couldn’t sit around and do nothing.

That was why Tanya had to defeat Ed.

To carry out her will, no matter what trick or method she needed to use, she had to stop Ed from becoming the head of the house at all costs.

Was she going to kill him?

If that dagger were enough to solve all her problems, there wouldn’t have been a reason for her to worry so much.

Just how heavy was the weight of title as heir to House Rothstaylor?

It was obvious to anyone that if Tanya had stabbed that dagger through Ed’s chest, she wouldn’t have been safe. Even before that, Tanya was still just a young girl that had only recently opened her eyes to magic power.

It was too much to ask such a young girl to resolutely stab that dagger into him with her own two hands, or to ask her to kill him without anyone finding out by using any underhanded method necessary.

In the end, there was only one fixed path for Tanya.

In the dark shadows, she would clench her teeth as she trained herself, waiting for the right time.

She would stay up at night studying, learning manners, training in magic, and continuously enduring it all until the sun rose.

Ed never assaulted his own young sister, whom he shared blood with.

However, living for years underneath such a pathetic person… Just how difficult was Tanya’s life?

She clenched her teeth as she acted like a kind younger sister.

As he went around making all the people within the residence suffer, she endured it. Although she could sympathize with the complaints from other people… She lived her life as a person without any strength unable to solve the problem.

Even though she took pride in the fact her blood was that of an aristocrat, she never once raised her voice to use its power.

After a long day, Tanya let out a deep breath as she laid on her bed in her private room at Ophelis Hall.

Even though it was just one day, she had gone through so much. There were also many things that she couldn’t understand.

Yet, there was still so much left for her to do.

For half of her life, she had been held down by her tyrant-like older brother.

Living her life, improving upon herself regardless of not knowing if she would be able to become the next head of house, how could she go through all of that?

If someone were to ask her that question, Tanya would repeat quietly.

“I have lived my life pretending to be dead.”

She strongly believed that if she kept living her life as such, she would eventually be given the opportunity.

Now that Ed had been excommunicated, all she needed to do was prove herself.

For Tanya, the student president election for the next semester seemed like the perfect opportunity.

“But before that… I’ll have to do well in the class assignment examination… In three days, at the entrance of the Right Mountain… Hmm, as for the preparation materials…”

The end of her sentence was a slur of words as she quickly fell asleep, unable to overcome her fatigue.

It’s been a very long time since she had gotten a good night’s sleep.

***

“Please introduce me to some guys.”

For the head maid Bell Maya, personal connections outside of Ophelis Hall were quite valuable.

One of the reasons was because, with most of her outside relations, she was close with them and had been able to speak comfortably with them ever since she was a senior maid. However, they were also an important source of information for Bell Maya, who didn’t leave Ophelis Hall often.

Among them, one of Yennekar’s best friends, Anise, was someone who often came by and someone that she was glad to see. Most of the time, she came to talk about Yennekar’s love affairs and to hear Bell’s opinions.

Bell knew Yennekar well, since she was a maid in charge of Ophelis Hall and Yennekar used to stay there. In the first place, she had a good eye at quickly recognizing the nature of human relations.

With Anise coming to visit, she secretly expected to hear some progress between Yennekar and Ed.

Since Bell was only human, she couldn’t help but be curious about Yennekar’s love life. Bell was prepared to listen attentively, since Anise had come to see her so enthusiastically to hear her opinion. There had to have been a big incident.

“If it’s someone handsome, tall, and good-looking, that would be great.”

Anise boldly stated that without any mention of Yennekar.

“A-All of a sudden?”

“You’ve been working here at Ophelis Hall as a maid for quite a long time, so don’t you know a lot of decent guys that aren’t dating?”

“I can’t just recklessly leak the personal lives of those that are staying here…”

“You don’t have to leak anything. Just introduce me to a guy that you think is okay.”

It was early morning in Ophelis Hall’s Rose Garden.

To prevent any of the new students from getting pricked by the thorns, Bell was clipping the sides of the rose’s stem.

Anise looked peculiarly exhausted, as if she had stayed up all night. But that wasn’t anythingtoostrange.

That was because she was a student that was always shouldering a heavy workload. Managing both her workload as a scholarship student and her regular studies, she was the senior assistant of Assistant Professor Cleoh’s lab, all on her own.

It was a workload that was too much to normally handle, unless you were both capable and had good time management skills.

“I’m just quite surprised, Lady Anise. I thought you wouldn’t have much interest in dating.”

“I can have a relationship, too. It’s okay if he’s not that nice a guy, but please introduce me to someone who is tall and handsome.”

“But you’re not the type to go around dating guys like a playgirl…? No, in the first place, have you ever been in a relationship…?”

“I-I apologize. I… I didn’t mean anything bad by it.”

Unlike her usual self, Bell made a slip of the tongue. It was something she only occasionally committed, perhaps once a year. That was how embarrassed Bell was by her mistake.

“You’re always busy and you’re the type to do your best to put yourself first. So, I thought that you naturally wouldn’t have dated. Well, uhm… For example, like that third year, young master Ed. You two strangely share a lot of similarities…”

“Hmm…”

It was unusual to see her bashfully hold her chin as she looked off the side to avoid eye contact.

Speaking of Ed Rothstaylor, didn’t it go without saying that he was Yennekar Palerover’s crush?

And the fact that Anise was one of Yennekar’s best friends, one that she could fully trust… That degree of relationship was already clearly drawn in Bell’s head.

For Bell, who had incredibly quick sense, had carefully tried to hear Anise out.

“B-By some chance…”

Anise looked at the roses in the garden as she subtly avoided eye contact.

Bell held her breath for a moment.

“S-Since you are quite quick with these things, I won’t try to hide it from you, Bell. You’re right. It’s exactly as you think.”

“H-How did that happen…?”

“Well, it’s a funny story, but… the rumors surrounding him were quite awful, as you know. I also heard that he has had quite the experience with women, as well. Even though I heard that most of the rumors around him were false… I still thought I should personally check on him myself.”

“I-I see… So, what happened…?”

“So, well… After doing such, we somehow got involved… And then things happened… We had a lot more in common and we communicated better than I had thought… he was quite a thoughtful person, and, well, things like that…”

Halfway through her story, she randomly turned her head, speaking a slur of words. But Bell, who was quick to catch on, saw just how red the tips of her ears had gotten.

Just what kind of major incident was this? Bell was so dumbfounded that she was barely able to hold on before she lost her mind.

“I don’t have to hide it. I’m good at rationalizing myself. I’m not the type to do something useless, like trying to ridiculously deny my own feelings.”

“So, in the end, with young master Ed…?”

“Yes. I’ll just come clean and admit it. As a female, I feel some attraction towards him. That can happen. After all, I’m just a girl. Now that things have come to this, I’ll just have to admit the truth and come up with some plan to take care of it. Don’t you think so?”

Being a senior assistant, her ability to grasp problems, her skills to solve them, and her determination were all worthy of applause.

But it wasn’t possible for a person-to-person relationship problem to be dealt with as cleanly as that.

However, that wasn’t something that Anise cared about. Rather, it was much more convenient for her to just cut it off in a business-like manner.

“Ms. Bell. Yennekar is one of the few friends I have that I truly cherish with all my heart. So rather, this is good news. If that man is so genuine that even I can become attracted to him, then that means Yennekar really has found a good partner. What better news is there?”

“Lady Anise…”

“In the end, if I can come to terms with it quickly then there won’t be any more problems. I’m glad that I found out about it early. Falling in love is ultimately just a part of the chemistry that takes place in one’s head, right? Thinking of it as a malignant tumor, it’s actually such a relief that I was able to find out about it so early.”

“It’s great that I have the ability to look at myself objectively.”

Saying such, Anise took a deep breath as she sat still in the pavilion of the rose garden. There wasn’t anything in particular that happened, but the look of fatigue on her face… Bell didn’t like seeing it.

“Now that the problem has been recognized and the plan of action has been made, all that’s left is for the treatment to be completed cleanly. Just think if it were a disease that I discovered too late, to the point I couldn’t treat it anymore. Just how terrible would that have been? I really am so happy that I was able to find out about it in the early stages.”

“Describing it as a medical treatment is a bit…”

“I really think there are similarities. Anyway, he is just another relationship that I had made in my lifetime, and it’s not like he’s the only guy out there in the world… I just have to go out, meet new people, and fall in love with them. Right?”

“You say it as if it is so easy…”

“Even if it’s something that seems complicated, as long as you systemize it, it will be easier than you think.”

Anise put the file she was holding onto on the table in the center of the pavilion. She then wrote something down with a quill.

Bell raised her head a bit, looking at the file.

The papers in the file were scattered around. On the bottom page there were traces of various mind maps regarding Ed Rothstaylor’s good points and countermeasures she could take in the future. There were many marks on the papers, as it seemed that she was quite detailed in writing things down.

She pretended to be relaxed, but in her head, it was like she was going to war alone.

“Anyway, I just need to cover my feelings for him with another bigger feelings for someone else. If I meet a better and more hardworking man to share my love with, everything will be solved, right? So, if you can find a guy to replace him and there comes a rumor about us being lovers, then…”

“I have two things that I want to tell you.”

Unlike her usual self, Bell cut off Anise. Anise flinched back, surprised as she listened to Bell.

“First of all, asking me to introduce you to another person that can ‘replace him’… that would be a great disrespect for the person involved. At the very least, for that reason I can’t introduce you to someone.”

The way she gave a strong argument so firmly while not offending Anise was definitely at the level of a veteran maid.

“Even if it is for you, Lady Anise, I can’t be this inconsiderate to others. If you are looking for a new relationship, you just have to slowly get to know each other. There’s no reason to quickly label yourselves as lovers, either. In my eyes… It feels like you are being chased by something…”

“……”

“By chance… Did Lady Yennekar find out about your feelings?”

Anise took a deep breath and gasped.

“That would explain why you are in such a hurry to find a lover. “

Anise knew very well just how sharp Bell was. That was why she had been visiting with Clara from time to time to consult about Yennekar’s love life.

But she had never imagined that those sharp eyes of hers would even be directed at her.

“Either way, your heart is somewhere else… The surest way to prove your innocence would be to find a new lover…. Lady Anise… you must really care about Lady Yennekar.”

Anise was more concerned that Yennekar would be hurt than over her own feelings. That was why she had quickly tried to come up with a plan.

Anise hesitated for a moment, hearing what Bell said, but then she raised the corners of her mouth and put on a smile.

“Saying it like that is nice. But I’m not all that great.”

She then cleared her throat a few times as she continued her story.

“You said it in a very grand way, but I think that all human emotions are just a collection of coordinated organic reactions. It’s not that I am being particularly considerate. Since it’s still the early stages, if I can just slowly manage it, then…”

“Have you seen Lady Yennekar?”

Completely ignoring what Anise was saying, Bell’s question went straight into Anise’s heart and left her at a loss for words.

Eventually, she slowly confessed everything.

“Yes… I ran into her yesterday as I was passing through the education district… We didn’t even greet each other as we left… It was like… we were falling apart… and her expression was rather down…”

“I see.”

“And… I have to supervise the class assignment examination next week with Ed… and I don’t know how I should feel about that…”

After saying that, Anise lowered her head, unable to say anything more.

Bell sighed deeply as she held her chin, falling deep in thought for a moment.

There was a long silence within the rose garden, the sparrows chirping in the early morning’s sun.

“It may not be as big a deal as you think. In fact, this might have a positive effect…?”

The conclusion Bell had finally come to was unexpected.

“Pardon?”

“If you think about Lady Yennekar… She can’t stay a pure white canvas forever.”

After careful consideration, she came up with a way that wouldn’t hurt anyone.

There would only be one person that would have to be troubled, but there was nothing that could be done for the moment. Bell gave a deep silent apology, stemming from the bottom of her heart, to Ed.

“As you know, Lady Yennekar is someone that is always honestly kind and sincere towards others. It might be hard right now, but surprisingly this way will also be helpful in allowing you to shake off your feelings, too.”

“I-Is that so…?”

“More than anything else, jealousy is the emotion that stimulates the most. Lady Yennekar is a very altruistic person, so she may have little experience when it comes to feeling deeply jealous of another. And once she becomes confused by those feelings, her heart will also become weaker. She will end up having quite a hard time.”

That was what Anise was worried about. As Anise was going to bring up that nothing was being solved, Bell continued.

“Wasn’t it a problem that Lady Yennekar was too perfect in the first place?”

Anise was once again speechless at Bell’s words, which once again hit the nature of the problem spot on.

“Now, repeat after me. Protective Instinct.”

She remembered what Clara had said that one day… Anise’s jaw dropped.

It was something Bell already knew.

When she was struggling and confused, it was obvious where Yennekar would go.

Bell sat still, patting Anise on the back.

As she worked to convince her that there wasn’t a need to feel so guilty, Anise’s heart was no longer heavy.

***

“What the? When did you get here?”

“……”

I had brought the magically engineered items over to the area around the entrance of the library and set up tents to cover them so that snow wouldn’t accumulate on top of them.

It was about time to prepare the materials for constructing a storage area.

Just because my production skills’ proficiency was decently high, that didn’t mean that I could just neglect my training.

And above all else, I felt the need to expand the interior of the cabin.

Most of the magic engineering training would be done in the library, but I thought it would be nice to be able to make simple necessities or take care of simple work back at the cabin.

I wanted to make a storage room by taking out one side of the outer wall, and I also wanted to make a living room by making some space on the opposite wall. But doing all of that would mean a lot more work, so I was contemplating… I’d first have to check my schedule for the rest of the break and see if I could make some time.

Anyway, considering my production schedule, by the time I got back to camp it was already really cold. Coming out with a blanket over her shoulders, Yennekar sat with her knees in front of the campfire.

She didn’t feel as lively as usual, and her expression was rather dark.

“It’s cold. Should I make you a cup of tea?”

After I said that, she softly nodded her head as she put her chin on her knee.

I could tell from a glance that Yennekar, who would normally be making small talk and such, was not in a great mood. Something had happened.

I prepared the remaining herbs and poured some tea leaves into two cups I prepared.

I sat down next to Yennekar as I gave her a cup. She took the fairly large mug with her two small hands.

Sitting by her side in front of the campfire, she silently drank her tea.

“It’s snowing again. It was already piling up a lot, but now it seems to fall every other day.”

The place where the light snow would calmly fall was already full of previous visitors.

They said that even in the winter the evergreen trees didn’t lose their color, but there was nothing they could do in the face of the white snow.

As the whole world turned white, only the bright light of the burning flame stood out.

Looking to the side at Yennekar, she was still holding onto her knees as she looked at the tea leaves floating around in her mug.

It was rare to see Yennekar so openly depressed.

She was always so bright and simplistic, so she knew well just how taken aback people around her would be to see her depressed.

“You can tell me if you have any worries.”

When I said that, Yennekar quickly raised her head and looked up at me… It seemed as if she were about to say something but stopped herself.

But that sadness in her eyes said it for her.

“I’m sorry. But I can’t tell you.”

“Then you don’t have to say anything.”

Sometimes I forget that Yennekar was still a person with her own limits.

Seeing her with her head down, holding onto her knees, she looked like a small animal that had been pushed into a corner… It brought up an unexplainable protective instinct within me.

I raised my hand as I brought it up to Yennekar’s shoulder… I gently patted her. Plus, it was a bonus that I was able to share the warmth of that thick blanket.

I was worried that since I had moved close to her, she might have been startled. Instead, she raised her head like a mole as she tried to say something. But once again, she closed her mouth. It seemed as if she was still depressed about something.

Then, Yennekar buried the side of her head into my shoulder.

And like that, we silently stared at the campfire for a long time.

The winter continued.

The cold was too much to endure with a mere blanket and campfire.

But still, spring was slowly approaching.