The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 99

She tapped on the horse head shaped chess piece with the tip of her index finger. A chess piece that symbolized a knight.

Pushing on the top of the chess piece that resembled the teeth of a saw, it tilted diagonally to the side.

The finger pushed the chess piece back and forth, barely stopping before falling over. Then, with a strong push, the balance was tilted as the piece fell over with a clank, rolling on the floor.

And with that, the knight had died. It was a piece thrown away for an exchange.

Princess Penia, who sat alone by the window, moved the chess pieces around as she sighed softly.

She ran her fingers through her platinum blonde hair before tying it up, only to untie it once more letting out another sigh.

She felt depressed.

The news she had just heard from the Escort Captain Claire was of Ed Rothstaylor’s death.

Although the exact story had not yet been fully determined, according to the school’s primary investigation it seemed that it was an assassination that came from the forces of House Rothstaylor.

“How… did things end up like this…?”

Between her and Ed Rothstaylor… Their relationship was probably best described as a love-hate relationship. But even that wasn’t a completely accurate representation either.

In fact, it might be better to say that Princess Penia felt as if she had a debt to pay towards Ed Rothstaylor.

After hearing the news about his death, she couldn’t help but look back at her previous encounters with him.

From the start, their first meeting wasn’t great. And the time they spent together was mostly filled with arguments and getting on each other’s nerves.

If one were to bring Ed Rothstaylor back from the dead and asked how he felt about Princess Penia, he would probably talk about how awful a person she truthfully was, especially to him.

There was a high chance that Ed Rothstaylor saw Princess Penia as nothing more than a thorn.

Yet, Princess Penia was still the third princess of the Kroel Imperial Family.

The expression of Heaven and Earth was still not enough to compare the difference in class between her and Ed Rothstaylor, who had been excommunicated and turned to a mere commoner.

It was strange that the high-ranking Princess Penia felt grief over the death of Ed Rothstaylor. Did her depression come from the fact of just how unique their relationship was?

Still, for Princess Penia, who lived with constant suspicion and doubt about House Rothstaylor … The existence of Ed, who had jumped over the fence to run away, held enough reason for her. At the very least, he wasn’t someone that deserved to die in vain.

So, in order to somehow unravel their twisted and unfortunate relationship… She had delayed and canceled her previous plans ahead of time to make some time to have a proper conversation with him.

And the day of their meeting, which was slowly approaching, was scheduled for tomorrow. Yet House Rothstaylor did not wait for Princess Penia.

Grrrr.

Suddenly, the sound of grinding teeth filled the air.

Princess Penia was surprised to find out that such a sound came from her own mouth.

Not doing anything, sitting quietly by the window and playing with the chessboard… It was like she was a defeated Tosa dog.

What did it matter to be called the Princess of Benevolence and loved by the people?

Whenever Princess Penia did something as a monarch, nothing had ever gone the way she wanted.

The only reason she was able to win over the public’s adoration was because she didn’t bother to use her power. Her two older sisters, who were actively aiming for the throne, would go against the will of the public—bravely pushing forward with what they believed was right.

In the first place, most politically made decisions acted like a double-edged sword. If you gained something, oftentimes you would have to lose something else.

In doing so, there would be countless times where one would have to be sacrificed.

The image of Ed Rothstaylor overlapped with the knight that was lying on the chessboard.

Her first impression of him was the worst, but as time went on Ed Rothstaylor began to show his true nature… If he were still alive, he might have actually become a person that could achieve anything without borrowing from the prestige of his house.

However, his death was probably completely in vain.

Princess Penia had a chance.

There were many chances for her to spend a little more time listening to his thoughts, untangle their complicated feelings, to let go of her pride, and to develop a more serious relationship with him.

Her busy schedules, low self-esteem, and confidence that had run out after repeatedly failing… were all things that prevented her from doing so.

Realizing that fact, albeit late, she quickly went through all her overdue tasks—putting aside future schedules to meet with him, but… The wretched blade of fate ended up being slightly faster than her.

That was an inexcusable, major failure for her. Princess Penia herself could never be free from that guilt.

“……”

Turning her head to look at her desk… It was full of various materials that she had collected in hopes of becoming the Student Council President.

The students of Silvenia Academy came from various nations. Penia wanted to become the representative of them, wielding academic power.

Compared to the power of the Kroel Imperial Family, it was a pathetically weak power. But at the very least, in Silvenia she would be able to use that independent power.

She wouldn’t just be the third princess that relied on the protection of the Imperial Family. Instead, she would be able to exert her own independent power as the student council president of Silvenia Academy. Not with her background as a member of the imperial family, but of her own position that she had seized.

That was the first goal that Princess Penia was looking towards.

“I’m… someone who shouldn’t be in power…”

As she lowered her head for a moment, muttering softly, Princess Penia closed her lifeless eyes.

Knock, Knock.

At that moment, a knock was heard at the door.

After granting permission, the door slowly opened with a squeak as her escort appeared.

And next to her… was Tanya Rothstaylor, gasping for breath, covered in a robe that was completely drenched by the rain and covered in mud.

***

At the main entrance of Ophelis Hall, the rain had almost completely stopped as the stars started to shine through the clouds. The situation had been resolved to some extent.

Those that had been hardened in place like a statue by Lucy’sTime Prisonwere left as is for now. That was because Ed still needed time to make sure that those that knew he was alive would be able to match their stories.

Ophelis Hall, which had already been evacuated, was completely silent. A few students might have still been inside, but none of them were currently visible.

The remaining maids that were helping the students evacuate all seemed to be gone as well.

It all happened in an instant. Although they had very little time to react, they certainly were a group of elites. Even after their leader had been frozen, they quickly divided who would be in charge of what area as they evacuated all of the students in about fifteen minutes. There was a high chance that they had also gone to the education district and made a report on the situation.

“Alright… Now that we’re all here…”

Ophelis Hall, which was located on the outskirts of the commercial district, was not as close to the education district as one might think.

Once they received the report about Ophelis Hall, it would still take ten minutes at a minimum to arrive, no matter how much they might rush.

Still, since there wasn’t much time, I tried to explain at least all the key points quickly… but the conditions of everyone that had gathered wasn’t normal.

First off, Clevius was unconscious. With Elvira supporting him, he leaned against a pillar.

She sat down next to Clevius, hugging her knees as she quietly stared at the group. She must have been exhausted, and I was sure that she had a lot of questions about what happened for the situation to end up like it had.

Aside from those two, there was Ziggs… He was bowing his head and continuously apologized to Yennekar off in the corner of the main entrance. Yennekar’s entire face was red as her cheeks puffed out. It seemed that Ziggs had acted out of character and said something disrespectful to Yennekar.

And then there was Lortel… Who was in the opposite corner, covering her face with both hands.

It seemed that there was a heat coming from both sides.

“What are you doing, Lortel?”

“……”

Lortel pulled on the hood that was wrapped around her shoulders, adjusting it. She then looked at Ed’s face as she smiled.

“As expected, you’re perfectly fine, Ed.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry that I made you worry for no reason.”

“No. I wasn’t worried. With common sense, it was obvious that someone like you wouldn’t have died so easily. Come to think of it, you had mentioned before about theDell Heim’s Hourglass’production formula. That’s pretty useful in saving one’s life.”

Lortel smiled proudly as she continued to speak.

“It’s important for a merchant to always maintain their composure and reason. It was shocking to hear, but I shouldn’t lose my cool and act heartbroken without even checking with the facts. Isn’t that right, Ziggs?”

“……”

Ziggs, who was sweating profusely next to Yennekar, rubbed his chin for a moment as he looked troubled.

“Right, Ziggs?”

“…Uh, uhmm…”

“Right, Ziggs?”

“Uh… yeah… Lortel didn’t have the slightest change in emotion…”

Was he feeling pressured? Ziggs continued to wipe his face as he spoke.

“But… Still, looking at the circumstantial evidence, Tanya seemed very suspicious. So, she pressured Tanya a bit. But she only did it once to try and induce her to turn herself in. In the process, she made a few minor threats, but she really didn’t do any physical harm to her.”

“Y-Yeah… That’s what happened…”

Ziggs kept making a fuss as he acted full of anxiety, like he was afraid of something. He also kept on looking over at Lortel with fear in his eyes.

“Really… Is that really a merchant’s way of life…? I can’t tell if that’s even true…”

Ziggs reaction was as if he didn’t know what to do, as Lortel smiled and responded calmly.

“Did you really think I would worry that you died just because of something small like that? Well, I was worried a bit, only because I’m human, but…”

Lortel stood up as she walked forward. Then standing on her tiptoes she grabbed Ed by his collar. Sticking her face closer to his, she took a look at him.

“That’s because making a rational decision doesn’t always work out the way you might think.”

She lowered her head and smiled.

“Actually, seeing your face up close like this makes me feel relieved… I guess I must have actually been a little worried.”

It felt like all her previous worries were now being pushed down in her chest. Lortel let out a sigh of relief.

“Seeing this, I guess it is true that you made me worry about you, Ed. Just as nothing is ever free, since you made me worry so much it’s only right for you to pay me back.”

“What?”

After saying that, Lortel was getting ready to hug him when–

Right at the moment she went on her tiptoes to put her face next to Ed’s chest, a girl came between them.

It was very rare to see Lortel be genuinely surprised. Since she was generally able to maintain her composure, whenever she did show a surprised expression, it was all just acting.

However, that time it was for real. She was completely taken aback for a moment.

Lucy, who had jumped between them and push Lortel away, took a defensive stance with her arms stretched out.

Her expression was displeased, as if to say, ‘Don’t come any closer!’

…Lortel was stunned for a moment.

What type of person was Lucy Mayreel? Wasn’t she the type of person that was always dazed and yawning, half asleep and not caring about others?

Seeing that same girl now blocking her path to Ed, Lortel felt the anxiety that was sleeping, hidden away in the corner of her chest, awaken.

A girl that was waving her arms around with her cheeks puffed up… No matter how you looked at it, she was a girl that had jumped between them, unsure of how to handle her jealousy.

Lucy was now staring at Lortel as if she planned to get rid of her… But when her butt, which she stuck out while taking a defensive stance, suddenly touched Ed’s body—she became startled. As if a shock of electricity had run through her body, she quickly jumped back away from Ed.

Was that not the same girl that would always cling to Ed whenever she could? The same one that would sleep on his stomach while chewing a piece of jerky? Yet it was completely unnatural for someone like that to jump backwards with her cheeks a bright red from only that level of skinship.

“……”

Not just Lortel, who was watching that unfold, but also Yennekar, who was receiving repeated apologies from Ziggs, started to have a similar feeling.

The reason Lortel and Yennekar weren’t especially conscious of Lucy Mayreel was because she always acted like she was in her own world… She always seemed to be someone that was living in some type of higher dimension than everyone else… It was because she had that strange, God-like atmosphere floating around her.

She wielded an overwhelmingly strong magic power and was constantly revered by everyone. Yet she didn’t feel any particular sense of achievement or pride and she doesn’t show any desires… Rather than a real person, she really just felt like some type of character off in the background.

Was it really possible for that type of person to cherish someone, fall in love, and look out for someone else? Since those things didn’t seem to be realistic, Yennekar and Lortel subconsciously stopped worrying about Lucy.

Lortel, who had a habit of always considering the smallest possibilities, was aware of such a chance, but… she didn’t expect it to become a reality so suddenly.

“L-Lucy… You…”

As Yennekar was about to say something, Ed then put his chin on top of Lucy’s head, grabbing her.

Then, casually like he always did, he pulled Lucy to his side and hugged her close. He then gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

That was something that had become so common, it couldn’t be considered romantic skinship for Ed.

In fact, for Ed, who was always having Lucy up close in his personal space, grabbing her by the shoulder and pulling her closer to him wasn’t something he thought of as skinship.

He had already gotten used to Lucy always clinging onto him.

However, for the new Lucy, it was like a disastrous surprise attack.

Unfortunately for her, Lucy had just changed her entire perception of Ed Rothstaylor.

The way she thought of Ed had been completely established. Now, it was impossible for her to not steadily think about their relationship as a man and woman.

However, that was only the case for Lucy.

For Ed, it was only natural to treat her the same as usual.

“—!”

Without saying a word, with her mouth shut heat rushed towards Lucy’s head as if she was about to explode.

Thinking back on it, it was absurd. A girl that was always quiet with an emotionless face, who didn’t care about personal space while living with him. Now, that same girl was conscious of every single small movement—who wouldn’t laugh at such a nonsensical situation?

However, when one’s opinion or attitude towards a person changed, their actions and reactions towards them were also bound to change. That was what it is to be a human.

“What’s wrong, Lucy? Lortel was just saying how she was worried about me, so you don’t need to be so suspicious of her. I understand that your emotions are just starting to settle, so you’re a little on edge, but…”

Ed didn’t particularly care or notice anything about Lucy’s heart. He was just worried about Lucy’s behavior and how she was acting wary of Lortel…

Lucy didn’t even hear any of those words. All she could do is keep her large witch hat tight on her head as she tried to control her heart.

Tug.

Yennekar then pulled Lucy aside, away from Ed.

“You’re too close…!”

Honestly, that reaction of hers was also absurd.

Yennekar had always gone in and out of Ed’s camp whenever she had the time, so she had seen Ed and Lucy stuck together next to the campfire time and time again.

Despite that, Yennekar still didn’t feel any danger because of Lucy’s disinterested behavior… But today, no matter how you looked at it, Lucy Mayreel was acting strange.

So, the intuition inside of her made her take action.

Then Lucy, who was thrown into Yennekar’s arms… finally came to her senses.

She then gave a yelp, as if she were still on edge, jumping back out of her arms and confronting her head on. Lortel’s gaze was also cold.

“……”

Then, for a moment in the main entrance where Yennekar, Lucy, and Lortel were all standing, silence spread out.

“This…!”

Ziggs, who was watching them with his arms crossed, swallowed his hard. It was much more entertaining than the gladiator fight he had gone to see once while living in the Islam mansion.

He wasn’t in a seat far away from the action, he was right there in the front row. Then, when Ziggs let out a ‘Ohhh?’ sound as he tried to sit down, acting as if he was an audience member…

“Excuse me~”

Elvira, who was sitting down next to the unconscious Clevius, broke the silence.

“We… Don’t have a lot of time, do we…?”

“……”

That was right. This group didn’t have the time to waste like that.

Ed needed to explain the reason he wasn’t able to publicize the fact he was still alive, apologize to both Clevius and Elvira… Had to find Tanya, who ran off, has to make sure everyone could match their stories in case they had to testify to the school in regard to the situation, and after all of that… Ed had to run away from that place right away.

Ziggs slapped his knee in regret. Still, what Elvira said was right.

“Alright. I think it’ll be better to hurry up and start discussing everything.”

***

“Ah, hmgh!”

When Clevius opened his eyes, the place he was in was around the main gate of Ophelis Hall.

From the aftermath of being beaten to the brink of death by Lucy… his body was in shambles.

“Wh-What…! What happened…?”

The wounds on his body had decreased to some extent, and the bleeding had stopped. Rather than the use of medication or emergency medical supplies, it was treatment that came from directly using magic power.

Barely able to raise his upper body, he looked around. Realizing that Elvira was sitting right behind him, he let out a screech in surprise.

“Wh-What the…?!”

Scratching his shoulder, it revealed some of Elvira’s long wavy orange hair.

Judging from the situation, it seemed as if he had been lying with the back of his head on Elvira’s lap for quite some time.

“Why are you making such a fuss, stupid Clevius?”

“…Wh-What happened? Did… I die…? I ended up putting in so much useless effort that I died like an idiot. I have nothing to say to that…!”

“Stop being so noisy and sit over there. I’ve heard about what happened, so I’ll tell you, too.”

The rain had completely stopped. As if it had never rained at all, the large moon rose high in the sky as the moonlight lit down below.

The night was full of stars that filled the sky, like pieces of salt as the dark clouds passed by. Underneath the moonlight, Clevius and Elvira looked up at the sky quietly under the trees of the garden.

“Soon, the school’s faculty will arrive. Then, you can testify about how you stopped Lucy.”

“What? Me? How could I have stopped that monster?!”

“Don’t be so noisy. Jeez. Everyone already agreed to it. Later on, I’ll explain the entire~ reason to you…”

Elvira grabbed Clevius by his hair. Clevius was dragged by his hair, and he let out a sound of discomfort as she put his head back in her lap.

“…You, just get some rest.”

“Huh? What are you doing…?! Ahh-ahh…!”

The situation wasn’t all that comfortable as his injured body made some cracking noises… Elvira then pushed down on the bridge of his nose.

It was surprising that Lucy had politely lowered her head in apology after destroying all of the magically engineered equipment and beating Clevius to a pulp. She had even given first aid to Clevius’ body.

Other than that, it was a matter of compensation and confidentiality. Right now, there wasn’t enough cash to deal with everything, which was an issue. But later on, they would easily be able to receive a pledge from the Elte Company to help with that. Elvira was quite surprised to see that Lortel was willing to guarantee that fact.

Ed Rothstaylor’s personal situation, where he was being chased after by his own house… it wasn’t something that she couldn’t understand.

Even if he wanted to explain the entire situation in full to them… he thought that it would first be better to have Elvira and Clevius lay down somewhere.

Clevius, who had twisted his body back and forth a few times, could no longer fight against Elvira’s hand as it pressed down on him. He quickly relaxed his body.

He laid there in silence for a while… before his eyes shut.

“Again, with this… I can’t help but to think that this is ‘only the beginning’…”

Laying down on Elvira’s lap, he looked up at the clear sky. Clevius began to speak with his teeth clenched.

“Life… Is seriously a piece of shit…”

Clevius already knew that fact well enough from experience.

Grumbling like that in front of Elvira, she was only going to beat him up and tell him to quit whining.

However, this time Elvira only smiled as she looked up at the night sky with him.

Elvira’s life wasn’t easy either.

Day in and out, being the headache of House Aniston, constantly harassed by her older sisters. The outsider of the Alchemy Society and the top student of the alchemy department.

Even if she thought of trying to explain the ups and downs of life, she couldn’t help but think it was a stupid thing to do.

Then, she spoke softly.

“You’re right, Clevius.”

The two of them continued to look up at the starry sky for a while, until the school’s faculty arrived.

The dark clouds that had been hovering over them were gone. Now, only an open sky filled their view.

The vast seas of stars were quite far away, but the dazzling light was still easily visible with their eyes.