The Extras Academy Survival Guide

Joint Combat Practice (1)

The joint battle classes for first and second years might seem like a fleeting event, but in fact, they play quite an important role in the overall narrative. It's because this is the event where the protagonist, Taely, first grips a sword.

Until now, Taely has been following the curriculum of the Combat Division, learning martial arts, but suddenly, he takes up a sword and deflects 'Slothful Lucy's' lightning strike. Taely is born with the talent of a Sword Saint. For Taely, who has only trained in hand-to-hand combat without realizing this talent, it becomes a turning point in life.

Of course, Taely is not yet a match for Lucy Mayrill with his unawakened talent. He successfully deflects one of Lucy's lightning strikes, but is overwhelmed and knocked down by an intermediate-level lightning spell that a momentarily perplexed Lucy casually casts. As a result, Lucy is disqualified for breaking the rule that only basic elemental magic can be used.

This becomes the catalyst for Taely to recognize his talent as a Sword Saint, and his name starts to circulate among the first-year students. After all, it's true that he withstood a blow from the formidable Lucy Mayrill, and even though it was due to disqualification, he had beaten her.

"There haven't been any significant variables, so things should proceed as usual, right?"

It was a rare weekend. It was an opportunity to catch up on tasks that couldn't be dealt with during the weekdays when classes were in session.

The food situation had become quite relaxed. Not only had his hunting efficiency improved with practice, but the key was learning how to set up traps.

[ New Creation ]

Snare Trap: A trap set up by tying a rope obtained from the Olen construction site to an elastic tree branch. It's effective for catching small animals.

Creation Difficulty: ●●○○○ [ Your crafting proficiency has increased. ]

It was hastily made according to the survival guide borrowed from the student library, but it turned out better than expected. My woodworking proficiency was close to reaching level 10.

Most importantly, the time efficiency was good. While I was attending class, the traps I set up wouldn't just disappear, allowing me to use my time much more efficiently.

After class, I only needed to collect the wild animals dangling from the trees where I had set the traps.

From small creatures like squirrels and rabbits to the occasional jackpot of catching something like a raccoon—though more often than not, the rope would be broken, or the jerky used as bait would be gone without a trace.

Still, thinking about how setting up the traps was the only labor-intensive part, the benefits seemed greater on balance.

Once the system of hunting and trapping for food was established, I could secure enough meat for myself. Rather than the hunt itself, the labor involved in dressing the game became more burdensome. But it's a happy problem.

Even aside from hunting, after school started, I was able to substantially improve my standard of living.

Though there were limits to the crafting level with materials only gathered from the forest, by collecting discarded items from Sylvania Academy's construction sites and classrooms, I could get materials I couldn't find in the forest.

Especially now, as the academy was expanding several buildings under the patronage of 'Golden Daughter, Lortelle'. Thanks to this, quite a few construction sites were on the outskirts of the academy, and lurking around them allowed me to gather various materials.

Thanks to that, I collected a lot of leftover wood, rusty nails, and ropes left in awkward lengths. But the biggest find was a hand axe.

-Tak! Tak!

The cheerful sound of chopping firewood echoed through the forest.

I was using the base of a tree I had cut down as a workbench. The hand axe, given to me by construction workers who no longer used it due to wear, was this month's best find.

Thank you! Brave workers! Tears are welling up…!

"Phew… It's really hard work.."

After slicing the logs into sizeable chunks with a wind blade, I used the hand axe to split them lengthwise.

Using basic Wind Blade magic alone, you couldn't muster enough power to cut down a whole tree.

So, until now, I had to use any stray branches I found in the forest for the campfire. It wasn't efficient, as they were of various sizes and often still damp.

However, with proper 'firewood', immense efficiency could be gained in managing the fire.

That darned campfire had been nothing but pain. It was necessary to maintain the heat while sleeping and to deter wild animals from coming near the camp; the fire had to be kept lit at all times.

But the meager fire starters didn't last long; they often went out midway, filling the shelter with suffocating smoke. It was already hard enough to get a few hours of sleep a day, and that made it worse.

"Looking at the stack, it's so reassuring."

I had dried about fifty pieces of chopped wood next to the camp. It was backbreaking work to chop them, but it felt rewarding when done. If only I could split them all with a Wind Blade… But then again, my mana would have run out way before even halfway through.

Still… once the moisture left in the firewood evaporates, it will become an efficient and decent fuel.

"Oof.. Look at all this sweat…"

My everyday clothes were drenched in sweat.

On weekends, I washed my clothes twice a day.

Whether collecting herbs and edible plants, hunting, refining necessities, or checking the camp… every moment of life was just a series of aerobic exercises, leaving no day without sweat.

I decided to go to the stream to wash off at least some of the sweat. It wasn't far, just a few dozen meters, but glimpsing the camp in sight brought a sense of ease to my heart. Seeing the camp's appearance improve day by day brought an inexplicable pride.

"…"

However, lately, I've often seen uninvited guests.

The sight of Lucy, sleeping lazily on a flat rock by the stream, made me sigh deeply again.

Ever since encountering Lucy Mayrill at my camp, she often comes to my camp unannounced to nap.

There's no particular pattern to her visits; it seems she pops in whenever she feels like it after wandering around the academy.

– 'Hello.'

Although we aren't very acquainted, we naturally greet each other whenever we cross paths, and she naturally takes naps at my place, waking up later as if nothing happened and leaving of her own accord.

I didn't want to get too close to a person of interest like Lucy Mayrill, but after a few days, I stopped caring.

Lucy Mayrill's visit is like a natural disaster.

It's the weekend, and I'm busy catching up on work. I can't afford to waste my energy chasing away a stray cat.

It's not as if she's causing any great harm. She just sprawls out and sleeps, occasionally steals a piece or two of the dried jerky, and leaves when it's time.

Just think of her as the backdrop or a folding screen. After leaving her alone, she started to expand her territory from my camp, sleeping in the sun on tree branches nearby or on rocks by the stream. She seems to have taken a liking to this stream.

Recently, since I dried and laid out pelts from martens and squirrels caught in traps inside my shelter, she remarked that it was too comfortable because they were fluffy.

… Am I really feeling like I'm raising a stray cat?

"Zzz…. Zzz…."

Ignoring Lucy, who is comfortably sprawled on the rock, I move on to wash my face in the stream.

My reflection in the water looked absolutely exhausted from chopping firewood. I was about to dip my hands in the cool water.

Then, I realized I hadn't checked my stats lately.

….

"OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

"W-What the?!"

Lucy, startled by my sudden outburst, rolled off the rock and onto the ground.

* [ Name : Ed Rothtaylor ]

Gender : Male Age : 17 Grade : 2 Race : Human Achievements : None Strength 5 Intelligence 5 Dexterity 9 Wisdom 7 Luck 6 Detailed Combat Ability ];]; Detailed Magical Ability ];]; Detailed Life Skills ];]; Detailed Alchemy Skills ];];

"Hello, Ed! You're looking good today! Did something nice happen?"

Yes, indeed it did.

I had been diligently improving my woodworking and practicing magic, and both my dexterity and intelligence stats had each increased by one. But the truth is, that's not what's important.

The strength stat had increased by two levels.

Do you know what this means?

It means that finally, after all this exertion in training, a path has been opened in this damn body that was not meant for physical prowess.

Considering it from a normal point of view, it is strange that my strength stat had not increased after all the physical labor I'd been doing throughout the month.

However, this body has never been naturally gifted with strength, agility, or stamina. Despite the training, there was no change in stats, and my spirit was beginning to falter. But now, a two-step increase.

I overcame the wall that persistently blocked my training, ushering me into the next stage. I could now hold onto the hope of steady growth.

How could I not be thrilled!

"What? No, it's nothing…."

Of course, I wouldn't show it on the outside.

The lecture on introductory elemental studies by Professor Hela had just ended, and the students were leaving the lecture hall one by one.

As usual, Yenika approached me naturally, and though I replied as coldly as I could, she still smiled broadly.

"Hey, Ed. Tomorrow's combat practice… we're doing it with the first years, right? We've been assigned the same group. Aren't you too excited to see their faces? It feels so strange to be a senior. Ehehe."

The time for practice had come already. As it was a mandatory part of the curriculum, I also had to participate.

The joint combat practice was, as the name implies, a mock battle training assuming one-on-one combat. Of course, weapons or magic with real lethal force aren't used.

Combat Division students mostly use mock weapons, and Magic Division students are allowed only basic elemental magic, while potent potions and summoning are forbidden to Alchemy Division students.

It wasn't as if being in the same group meant cooperating on something; it was more akin to a randomly arranged bracket of one-on-one duels. Of course, they were all observed by everyone present.

Various scenarios could result from the completely random pairings.

First year vs. first year: it's a chance for still inexperienced first years to show their skills to seniors and receive advice.

First year vs. second year: it's a good opportunity to experience the refined combat abilities and magic through direct sparring between juniors and seniors.

And second year vs. second year grants the first year an opportunity to see the level of combat they should aim for.

Essentially, the crux is watching the battles together.

As far as I know, all the major characters involved in the scenario participate in this observation class. Since the class is so large, everyone from Combat, Magic, and Alchemy Divisions takes part.

Princess of Mercy Phoenia, Golden Daughter Lortelle, spear of Foliage Zix, spirit Mage Yenika, hard Worker Emila, slothful Lucy, Gloomy Clevius, Romantic Adelle… the list goes on and on.

But the most important one is indeed… Fail Sword Saint Taely.

I pretty much know all the matchups. And even the outcomes, I know them all. It's tragically predictable, almost all the duels end in victory for the first years.

Despite the purpose of the lesson being a chance for second years to teach the first years, thanks to the first year lineup filled with heavy hitters, it ends up as a slaughter… Gaze upon the satisfied Professor Glast clapping his hands.

Well, what can you do… If you're jealous, you should've been the protagonist…

Still, there's one second-year who takes victory against a first-year heavy hitter.

Yenika Fellerover, who completely dominates Golden Daughter Lortelle.

As mentioned, she's the final boss of Act 1 and makes her very first appearance in this practice session.

"Ed, do you want to see?"

Yenika, grinning, offered me the tournament bracket.

I should probably just leave and find out later… but suddenly I'm curious who my opponent might be.

I'm not supposed to exist in this scenario. If my participation caused some disruption in the tournament brackets, what would I do?

Most of the first years participating in this class have significant roles in the scenario. My general rule of conduct is to keep a certain distance from such major characters, but just this time, if I end up directly confronting them, there's nothing I can do.

After all, that's how the class is structured.

Let me face whoever it may be and deal with it calmly.

"Let's see…"

"Here, here! Look! Check this out!"

Seeing that she finally got a genuine reaction out of me, Yenika energetically presented the tournament bracket.

To cut to the chase, there were no significant changes. The matchups were mostly as I knew them, with just one exception.

'Group 13 – Ed Rothtaylor vs Phoenia Elias Clorel'

That name was familiar.

"…."

Oh… My God…

"...…"

But, seriously? Isn't that a bit much?

*

The servants of the royal quarters were buzzing with activity. Apparently, the trend was catching on with the new armor accessories recently stocked by the living quarters' clothing shop in the southwest of the island.

The products distributed by Elte Trading Company sold like hotcakes. To Princess Phoenia, however, those facts were less than welcome.

"The fox-like merchant's ulterior motives… they're blatantly obvious…"

For Princess Phoenia, who was born with the gift of insight into human character, the cunning Golden Daughter Lortelle's inner thoughts were particularly irksome.

One of the three A-Class students recognized by Professor Glast in the placement test. A single daughter of continental giant Elte Keheln, she was a girl born with just as shrewd and sly an inner mind as her father.

Despite her seemingly polite and orderly exterior, she hides her true nature, which weighs everything on the scales of profit.