The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 84

The formal academic conference was a more ceremonious and large-scale conference when compared to the usual one.

The number of attendees themselves weren’t much different than the usual conference, except for the fact that the attendees were of one level higher.

While the usual conference would gather full-time professors, assistant professors, and academic staff to discuss general school related topics, the formal academic conference focused more on the bigger operation as a whole.

But the biggest difference was that the Headmaster Obel Forsyth himself would attend.

An event to check the individual academic progress within each department, discuss and voice opinions regarding student curriculum and management, and make decisions regarding important subjects.

In fact, it was a chance for senior professors and administrative professors to prove their work skills. So regardless of how experienced a professor might be, they made sure to always be thoroughly prepared.

Winter vacation was coming to an end. As everyone was busy getting the readings done for the upcoming semester, it was important to hold regular meetings to ensure the direction and policies in regard to the school’s education.

Which was why it was made up of senior professors… A meeting in which every single seat had to be given to upper professors.

Thus, it was unusual to see Cleoh Elpin, who was still just an assistant professor, mixed in as a member of the conference.

“This was the results of the class assignment examination.”

Right in the middle, when Head Dean McDowell was delivering the overall test results to Headmaster Obel.

Obel looked through the results of the class assignments for each department when he suddenly stopped, tilting his head for a moment.

“This year’s magic department… There’s not a single student in Class A…? The person in charge was… The assistant professor Cleoh…”

Cleoh, who was trying to hide herself in a corner, was trembling when Obel personally called out her name.

Usually, there would be no reason for her to attend such a conference in her position. However, due to taking over Professor Glast’s work, there wasn’t much of a choice.

All of the senior professors there were sitting still in their seats, leaning over looking at her intimidatingly. She never expected for him to call out her name personally.

“Doesn’t everyone say that you are Professor Glast’s best pupil? I have high expectations for you.”

“Th-Thank you…”

“I’m not really one to concern myself with the strict criteria chosen to select students, but… Still, I had no idea that not a single student would be accepted into Class A.”

All the senior professors began to flip through the report that was handed out in advance. Cleoh had no idea she would be receiving that much attention.

In the first place, Professor Glast used to have extremely meticulous standards and there were also a few times that he didn’t pick anyone for Class A. She thought that it wouldn’t be an issue.

“As the headmaster, I feel like I should just check with the reason behind it before moving on. Was it because of the level of the freshmen students, or was it because of the more demanding test conditions…? I think I should at least know that much.”

“That’s…”

“Looking at the details of the exam… You had them go against their upperclassmen?”

All the attention was on her…!

Obel began to quickly read through and fully analyze Cleoh’s report, which she had filled out in quite a rush.

“Hmm…”

“Oh my…”

“You even used a top student from the combat department…?”

The reactions of the senior professors, who were also reading her report, differed.

There was a lot of room for the contents of the report to be interpreted differently depending on the reader.

But more than anything, it seemed that the overall consensus was along the lines of, ‘Isn’t it too much to make them face off against the top student in the combat department, second year Clevius Nortondale?’

“The upperclassmen that helped do seem to be at a higher-than-average level… Which makes me think perhaps it might have been a bit too hard for the freshman to handle…”

Cleoh was secretly breaking out in a cold sweat as she tried to respond as confidently as she could.

A bright smile.

“I thought they should at least be able to handle this… if they wanted to prove they are qualified for Class A.”

It was a rushed, made-up response, but if she backed down, she wouldn’t live to see the light. Thus, Assistant Professor Cleoh spoke with the utmost confidence.

With that confident attitude… All the senior professors couldn’t help but sit still and stay quiet.

“Hmm… Onyx Pelomier, Ed Rothstaylor, Anise Haylan, Clevius Nortondale…”

Obel looked over Cleoh’s document as he read off the members of her lab, one by one… Then he closed his eyes, quietly nodding his head.

All the senior professors there looked over the list again, until the name of the members was stuck in their head.

Everyone there knew what it was.

Even the professors that didn’t believe in superstitions no longer had a choice but to slowly acknowledge Assistant Professor Cleoh’s luck when it came to the people around her. So much so that it was to the point that they were certain she must have done something in her previous life.

Others even thought that Cleoh’s foolish appearance was nothing more than a farce. After all, she was born with the talent to select and manage amazing individuals around her.

Otherwise, none of it would make sense considering the amount of talent that always surrounded her.

She was able to become an assistant professor thanks to all the internationally famous scholars helping her, all of her close friends were famous and proven individuals, and even the students she was in charge of were rare, once-in-a-lifetime gemstones.

Cleoh was truly blessed by the gods when it came to her relationships and the people around her. Senior professors couldn’t help but start to take interest whenever they saw new people hanging around Cleoh.

An example of that would be her assistant Anise, who every professor was drooling after trying to steal for their own labs.

As for the other new people around her… It was still hard to judge.

Seeing the way Cleoh was sitting strong in the hot seat with all eyes on her, yet still not willing to back down and voice her personal opinion strongly. It was clear that she was not just a naive and foolish person.

But behind that innocent-looking face of hers… It was hard to tell the full story yet. Just what kind of thoughts could possibly be going through her mind?

“I want to eat a tart…”

Trying to stop her stomach from growling, Assistant Professor Cleoh sat back down, silently not saying a word.

“Anyway, now the class assignments for the freshmen have been completed, and the new list of top students is also done… With this, we are nearly done with our preparations for the next semester.”

The document Obel was given not only contained information about the freshmen, but also academic affairs and the overview of the entire school.

The most important thing, before the student council election, was… The list of all the top students.

1st Year

Combat Department: Wade Callamore

Magic Department: Joseph Whitefeld

Alchemy Department: Claude Vellasus

Overall Top Student: Wade Callamore

2nd Year

Combat Department: Clevius Nortondale

Magic Department: Lucy Mayreel

Alchemy Department: Elvira Aniston

Overall Top Student: Lucy Mayreel

3rd Year

Combat Department: Drake Laygus

MagicDepartment:Yennekar Palerover

Alchemy Department: Atalanta

OverallTop Student:Yennekar Palerover

4th Year

Combat Department: Daike Elpelan

Magic Department: Traycana Bloomriver

Alchemy Department: Dorothy Whitefeld

Overall Top Student: Daike Elpelan

The head professors in each department gathered together to discuss the top students in each department for each grade.

The student presidential election would be largely influenced by the students on the list and the importance they had within the school.

Thus, the position of student president at Silvenia Academy had major significance.

Originally, it would be absurd for a student representative to have authority equal to that of a faculty member. A student was still just a student, and there was no way they should be allowed to exercise their authority beyond that position.

However, in Silvenia Academy the structure of students was rather special.

It wasn’t just the gathering of talented students in a variety of fields. Naturally, there were the commoners that can’t say a word, as well as the aristocrats and children that come from power… It was a place where even one from the royal family or the saint could come and attend as a student.

The student council president was entrusted with the voices of all those students and responsible for upholding their position.

With the support of many students, that was how you became the student council president… A position where you could exercise a level of authority that a regular student could not.

It wasn’tt a position that was backed by just ten or twenty students, but easily over a hundred… From the school’s point of view, it was a position that couldn’t be simply dismissed.

The previous student council president Velos had no immediate issues, allowing him to handle things smoothly to maintain the status quo. He was able to create a rather comfortable atmosphere for the students. And as he held the position for two years, the school also didn’t have any issues with the student body.

But now that he had graduated, it was an important moment to decide who would be the next student president.

“Have you looked at the influence of the top students in each grade…?”

Obel started off the conversation in a light manner.

From the school’s point of view, it was necessary to guess in advance which student will be elected as the student representative.

And the most obvious way to do that was… Looking at the influence of the top students in each grade and how it was affecting the elections

The combat department, magic department, alchemy department… The top students in each department were often those that had the most influence over their grade.

That was because even without saying anything, the students always greatly respected the top students in each grade. Of course, there are some exceptions, but… There was definitely a trend. In the case of the alchemy department, for those who had no idea what to do, it had become a tradition to follow the opinion of the top student.

And if you look beyond just being the top student in their department, for those who were the best in their entire grade… With their power, they were in a position where they could completely change the outcome of the entire election.

That was, unless something unusual took place or someone with a different opinion chimed in… Though, usually most opinions and support came from the power of the top students within the school.

“I will give you a detailed report separately.”

“Alright. Then let’s move onto the next topic.”

As Assistant Professor Cleoh confirmed that she was no longer the focus of attention, she breathed out a sigh of relief. In any case, acting as Professor Glast’s replacement was really no easy job.

“The next item on the agenda… There’s another snowstorm again this year?”

An issue that was always brought up every year around that time. Right before spring, during the late winter at Acken Island, there was a snowstorm that lasted around a week, caused by the climate conditions. While its arrival slightly changed each time, it still came every year without exception.

During that time, students were banned from going outside and were forced to spend their time in the dormitory instead. Thus, each dormitory needed to be checked and repaired for the cold weather, as well as preparing any internal supplies necessary.

There was no reason to worry about Ophelis Hall’s facilities along with the students and staff. But Lorail Hall and Dex Hall still needed to have their conditions checked… As Obel listened to all of that for three hours, he felt rather upset.

Thinking about how that was the last cold snap before spring came, he started to truly feel just how fast time flew by.

***

[ Name: Ed Rothstaylor

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Academy Year: 3rd

Species: Human

Achievements: Resolute Survivor (1 year) / High-ranking Spirit Summoner

Vitality: 13

Intelligence:13

Dexterity: 15

Willpower: 12

Luck: 11

Combat Skills Details ➢

Magic Skills Details ➢

Life Skills Details ➢

Alchemy Skills Details ➢ ]

[ Newly Finished Product

Wooden Windbreak Wall

Well-cut wooden boards stacked together and tied with string. Buried into the ground, it stands up straight.

It can fulfill its job of keeping out a small draft but won’t withstand strong winds above its limit.

Production Difficulty Level: ●◐○○○]

At that point, with those kinds of products I couldn’t raise my production skills any higher.

My dexterity stat has also hit 15, so its growth had slowed down. Since it was at 15 and might not raise any higher, I needed to focus my time on my other stats now to raise them up.

Now for another dramatic growth, it was about time I went looking for another opportunity.

Unlike Taylee, I couldn’t just sit still and wait for all sorts of ordeals to come my way, so I needed to get up on my feet and work.

“Phew…”

After wiping away my sweat, I looked over at the Windbreak that I worked so hard to set up.

All of the random household objects I had laying outside had been moved back inside the cabin.

And for all the other supplies that were too difficult to put inside the cabin, I set up a tent, making sure to tie it down with several layers of rope. I then placed it right behind the windbreaker, storing things there.

“It’s definitely the smart choice to prepare as much as I can for the strong winds.”

Wiping off my sweat, I leaned against the wall of the cabin with my arms crossed when I heard a familiar voice across the campfire.

Quietly looking over in that direction, I immediately understood just what kind of situation this was.

Just looking at her, you could tell from her new maid uniform just how uptight and proper she had to behave.

Bell, who was wearing a spotless outfit with many frills and accessories, was holding onto Lucy.

Rather than a human… Lucy was trembling while hanging off of her, looking like some dried fish on a drying rack. Since her complexion was so pale, she must still hate the Ophelis Hall maids.

“It’s a relief to see you’re doing well, young master Ed.”

“Did you come here to catch Lucy?”

“Soon, the snowstorm will be coming. We got an order from the school. During the snowstorm, entry and exit to the dormitories is forbidden unless absolutely necessary. Personnel management is also more thorough than usual.”

That was why she had come to catch Lucy way in advance.

Though, honestly, in the case of Lucy… Whether it was a thunderstorm or a snowstorm, she wouldn’t have a problem. But school rules were school rules. During those times, I felt bad for the maids, who had to run around dirtying their clothes only to clean it again.

“As she is the most likely to try and run away… I have to keep a closer eye on her. I’m also planning to take over the role of monitoring her for a week.”

“H-Help me…”

“……”

Bell definitely doesn’t leave any room for error in her work. Even though it seemed like she didn’t enjoy it very much, her ability to manage everything as the head maid was quite outstanding.

It might be suffocating for Lucy, who hated being trapped in stuffy places, but… the fact was that she had to stay inside Ophelis Hall for a week. And there was nothing I could do about that.

Like I said… School rules were school rules. To help her try and escape, I would feel all too bad for the Ophelis Hall maids.

“This must be your first time taking care of the snowstorm while in a managerial position. Is there a lot you’re worried about?”

“…Hm… Hmm… Uhm…”

“I’m going to keep speaking formally.”

“……Honestly, there isn’t much to worry about. Ophelis Hall is well equipped, and in the first place, there are barely even any students that would go outside during the snowstorm… As long as I keep a close eye on Miss Lucy to make sure she doesn’t run away, there shouldn’t be any other issues.”

Bell quickly grabbed onto Lucy tightly as she changed the focus of the conversation to me.

“In actuality, what I’m actually worried about is you. In this environment, will you be okay during a week-long snowstorm? I apologize for being so blunt, but with just a mere windbreaker like this… I think it would be difficult.”

“Well, this is just to protect these supplies.”

Besides that, in case something bad might happen to the cabin, I decided to tightly fasten a rope from the roof all the way down into the ground. I also took care of all the hunting traps I had set up and placed them back inside my cabin.

“I have another place where I am going to hide out during the snowstorm, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

“Since you’re saying that, I won’t worry too much…”

During the week where the snowstorm was wreaking havoc, I planned to focus on researching magic engineering in the Soul Library.

As it was underground and it could get a bit stuffy, it wasn’t a place I really wanted to stay for a prolonged period, but it couldn’t be helped. I already prepared enough firewood and moved it over, as well as took care of ventilation. All I had to do was make a fire near the hole.

It was a shame that I wouldn’t be able to borrow Lucy’s magic power, but it was still only a week that I needed to last.

I was just hoping there was no damage to the camp while I was away.

As soon as I finished my long training period in the library, the weather would start to get warmer. By then, I should have made quite a bit of progress in my magic engineering as well.

It was a strange feeling. As if I were an animal that was going away to hibernate over the winter.

“Well, that’s that, but… Master Ed. There’s something else I’m worried about…”

“Yes? There’s something else?”

Bell scratched her chin as an expression of worry crossed her face… But shortly after, she just shook her head.

“It’s nothing. Asking it would be too nosy of me…”

“If you say that, I can’t help but be curious.”

Still holding onto Lucy, who was dangling around, Bell caved in and spoke to me with a stern face.

“No matter what… Good luck… Young master Ed.”

***

The blueberry pie tasted like sand.

Refreshments brought directly from the most famous bakery in the empire. Excited to see her school friends after such a long time, Clara brought back all high-class refreshments.

Clara drank her black tea as she sat in front of her best friends, Yennekar and Anise… when she realized ‘this is the hot seat.’

In the student welfare facilities located in the Student Union Building at the education district, the three of them sat together at a bench off in the corner… and for five whole minutes, they didn’t have a proper talk.

At the start, Clara was excited as she talked about her vacation, next semester’s classes, and such to try and start a conversation. However… it only resulted in a few short responses. But there was a strange tension in the air between Yennekar and Anise.

“What’s wrong with you two…? Did you fight…?”

Anyone could tell that they had fought. Clara started to have a throbbing headache.

Seeing her two friends who she cherished more than anything else in Silvenia fighting… It was certainly heartbreaking.

The image of Yennekar and Anise at the start of the vacation, when they waved her off, wavered in her head. Clara remembered her friends, who would always smile even if they sometimes bickered over small things.

Yennekar and Anise had a long relationship. So, if they really did fight, there was a high chance it wasn’t anything trivial. But it also wasn’t enough to break their friendship forever.

Anise had a strong side to her, but she was still good in nature. And there’s not much to say about Yennekar. So, to see the two of them fighting… just how serious and complex was the issue?

It was the perfect time for her to reconcile the two as a bridge connecting both sides. Thinking that, Clara was about to say the first words.

“I heard she was hugged by Ed.”

Yennekar spoke first, without adding even the slightest bit of emotion into it.

Clara barely managed to hold back from spitting out the tea she drank.

“Wh-What are you saying?”

Clara looked straight at Anise.

Just what is she saying, Anise? Hearing what Yennekar had said so certainly… She wouldn’t hold herself back from saying something, right? Clara carefully watched Anise for any reaction.

But as if she were embarrassed, she lowered her gaze… And with a bashful face she started to sweat…!

With Yennekar… She can’t make eye contact…!

“Anise…?”

“That’s… something like a misunderstanding, yeah.”

Still sweating, Anise quickly looked up towards Yennekar as she began to speak.

“I think the spirits didn’t tell the full story. Actually, more than that, I think the story you heard was only focused on the superficial facts. They don’t know the full story.”

“Wh-What…?”

Anise took in a deep breath as she came back to her usual composed expression.

The top teacher assistant in the school, Anise Haylan. Seeing her expression, as if she were back to her usual self that took care of everything thoroughly while making sure to not make a mistake, Clara started to feel a bit of relief.

“There’s something I need to apologize to you for, Yennekar. This is something that Clara already knows, but… I tried to purposely trick that guy, Ed.”

Only then did Clara understand the full story.

What Anise had told her before vacation and before she had left the school.

That she would flirt with Ed to see how he would react…!

“Ahhh~ That’s right…! Ah, did Yennekar find out?! Anise you’re quite clumsy…! Still, this is… Yeah, it’s something you should apologize for…!”

“That’s right, Yennekar. I’m sorry. Honestly, I didn’t think Ed Rothstaylor was a guy that could be trusted… No matter how I looked at it, he seemed like a playboy… That’s why I tried to play him just once…!”

“What…? That’s… You liar… No, wait… Really?”

This time, Yennekar’s eyes began to tremble. It made sense that she would feel confused, but Clara’s heart also began to pound.

Clara knew Anise wasn’t lying.

Anise had definitely told her about it beforehand. That she was planning to trick Ed to figure out the truth about him.

“In the first place, a guy like him isn’t my type! Don’t worry one bit, Y-Yennekar.”

Anise’s eyes began to tremble as she started to talk confidently out of the blue.

“In the first place, what’s so good about a guy like him, who looks like a thug, full of arrogance, walks around all gloomy, and lives only thinking about himself, right?!”

“You’re too mean, Anise! You don’t even know anything about Ed…!”

“Then what do you want me to say!”

After saying that, Anise took a moment to breathe before hitting the table and standing up.

“I… I’m sorry for trying to trick him like that without talking to you first, Yennekar…! I’m sorry!”

“If you suddenly apologize like that… I… I don’t know what to do…! Having me react like this, it’s like Ed and I… are like… you know… In that type of relationship…”

Clara felt her soul escaping her.

Was she really going to come out and say they weren’t like that after all of that? She didn’t know how Ed thought of it, but at the very least Yennekar was way past that point.

She was always talking about Ed this and Ed that, every single time they met, so anyone would feel frustrated out of their minds seeing how she was currently acting. That was all the fault of her overly shy and pure personality.

“A-And… Why are you doing something I didn’t ask for, Anise?! Whether Ed is a good person or not… That’s for me to decide…! No, wait… Talking like this seems like Ed and I are in that type of relationship… That’s not what I meant…!”

“Yennekar. You are too confused right now. You aren’t thinking straight.”

Yennekar continued to talk while rolling her feet.

“D-Do you know how worried I was?! I couldn’t sleep at night… And Anise, you are such a close friend of mine, so to feel this sort of betrayal from you… Actually, am I even in a position to feel betrayal for this…? I don’t really know… I was just worrying a lot about a lot of different things, and…”

“Don’t worry, Yennekar. At the very least, to him you are a special person. I’m sure that you will be more than a friend, but less than a lover to him. At least, that’s from what I’ve seen.”

“When you say something like that, I really don’t know how I should respond! Isn’t it getting hot? It’s really hot!”

Yennekar, who had reached her limit, started to quickly fan her face as she looked back and forth between Anise and Clara.

Getting embarrassed was something that might happen every so often… But today it was happening way more than usual.

The reason was that Anise was speaking way too directly. For an angel like Yennekar, the speed and bluntness must have been all too much… She started to think ‘just when will this conversation cool down?’

“A-Anyway… Seeing as I mistook everything so greatly… Yeah, it was just a misunderstanding… Okay…! To be honest, I don’t think it’s a good idea to try and judge Ed with such a method, but… since you were only looking out for me, I can’t get mad… Anyway, thanks for being honest with me, Anise!”

Seeing Yennekar’s expression when talking, Clara felt a sense of relief.

That was unlike Anise. She was someone that always did everything perfectly, but accidentally got caught out by Yennekar and started a fight…

But still… It all worked out… It was nothing but a minor argument.

For a moment, she had thought that perhaps Anise had really fallen for Ed, but that would have made no sense. Yeah, it couldn’t be possible.

“Oh, yeah… Alright, Yennekar.”

However, Clara saw through her expression.

Looking down with a face that was slightly red, Anise responded to Yennekar… Seeing that, Clara suddenly realized the cause of her goosebumps.

“Anise.”

After their meeting, Yennekar walked over towards the North Forest.

She said that recently, because she was focusing on training her Spiritual Resonance and mentally so preoccupied due to the misunderstanding with Anise, she hadn’t had time to visit.

Seeing that she wanted to visit Ed regularly, now that she was feeling much better it only made sense that she would head there right away.

Though, from Clara’s point of view, as someone that didn’t know where Ed lived, it looked as if she was only going to train her Spiritual Resonance some more. So, she just waved her hand, saying goodbye to her.

Finally, when she was alone with Anise, she called out her name in a low voice.

“…Clara, can’t you skip asking me more questions?”

“If you want… but Anise… still…”

“I have an idea.”

“What is it?”

As they crossed over the commercial district, Clara quietly asked her question… Anise swallowed her saliva as she grabbed Clara’s collar and spoke with a strangely desperate look on her face.

“I-Introduce me to a guy.”

“……”

She had asked for something like that in the past before, but this time it was special.

But the unfortunate thing was… Clara also didn’t have any experience with dating…

“Th-That’s asking for too much…”

“I-Is it…?”

“In the first place, there’s no way someone’s heart would change so easily like that, Anise.”

“That’s not it, Clara. I’m not entirely sure, but we can just overwrite one’s original feelings.”

As Anise spoke, she shook Clara’s shoulder, looking her straight in her eyes.

“D-don’t look at me like that, Clara!”

“Wh-what are you talking about? I was just looking at you like normal…!”

Anise took several breaths.

“Anyway, I’m sorry that I lied to Yennekar, but… I didn’t want to emotionally burden her right now. I’ll just hide my feelings. I should be able to do that much. It’s just that… I haven’t made any other guy friends like that yet!”

“Y-You can explain it slowly! Anise, you’re too excited right now! And in the first place, I told you it’s not easy to go and find a new relationship like that!”

“R-Really?”

“Anise, you’re busy, and… you don’t invest enough time into others to have a special relationship like that… Wait, is saying all of this right now the wrong timing…?”

“No, no… you’re right… what you’re saying is right…”

Anise grabbed Clara’s shoulders again, shaking them a couple more times.

“Clara. Maybe it’s just a stereotype that we have to date a man. If we think about things more forwardly… If it’s just a special relationship… Clara, do you want to date me?!”

“Please calm down and get a grip, Anise. You have to think about things rationally. You normally have a rational personality. Just forget about your guilt with Yennekar and think it over, please.”

“Y-you’re right, Clara. I can’t get swayed by something like that.”

Anise stopped her head from spinning as she spoke straight to Clara.

“They say out of sight, out of mind. Once the snowstorm passes vacation will end, and the school’s scholarship program students will also be moved to their new workplaces… Soon, I won’t have to run into him anymore. In the first place, besides Elemental Studies, we study different fields. We won’t overlap or share many of the same classes… I’ll just have to manage to get through this scholarship program. That’s right… Just until the program is finished and we all go to our separate places…!”

***

“I have decided to work with the students in the school’s scholarship program as an assistant professor until the end of the semester~!”

On a morning two days later, Assistant Professor Cleoh pretended to blow a trumpet as she announced it to the students gathered in the lab.

“Clevius and Onyx are both hard workers that do a good job. And you, Ed, are especially good at finishing your work. You are active and excel in everything you do. It would be too much of a shame to let another lab take you instead~”

Assistant Professor Cleoh spoke with a delighted smile on her face, a tart shoved into her mouth.

“Of course, as you will be a dedicated student assistant to a professor, the scholarship you receive will also be raised. Compared to other labs, this will be a more relaxing place to work~ So let’s all have a good time~”

Certainly, Assistant Professor Cleoh’s lab wasn’t a bad environment to work in. And more than anything, the professor in charge didn’t overstep her authority at all.

As all the students nodded their heads, listening to what she was saying, all the way in the back sitting alone at a desk was Anise… with her hands covering her face as if she had just lost a war.