The Likely Rise of an Extra

Kiel blinked, the sudden declaration of a physical test weighing heavily on his mind.

He wasn't much of an athlete in his past life, and the thought of a physical challenge already had him second guessing his ability to survive.

But then something clicked in his head.

Magic.

This world had magic, and he remembered that the physical test at Ashfield Academy wasn't just about running laps or lifting weights.

No, it was much more... complicated.

From what he recalled, physical assessments always involved using magic or physical abilities or both in one way or another.

Kiel's pulse quickened as he considered this new piece of the puzzle.

If he was accepted into this school, then that must mean he had an aptitude for magic, right?

But how much of an aptitude?

Was he some hidden genius, or was he just barely able to flick his wrist and make something happen?

The idea of relying on magic was both a relief and a curse.

On one hand, it'll give him a fighting chance.

On the other... he didn't even know where to start.

He glanced around the room, noticing the confident smirks on the faces of some of the other students.

Yeah, they probably all have magic under control.

He could almost hear their inner monologues:

"I've got this,"

"I've been training for this kind of thing for years."

"Sudden test or not I'll definitely crush this."

Kiel, however, was feeling more like the guy who had just realized he forgot to study for an exam the night before.

He bit his lip, anxiety creeping up his spine.

"Alright, magic. You better not betray me now…"

"Hey, newbie! You ready for this?"

Harlet's voice cut through his thoughts, and he looked up to see her leaning over, grinning widely.

She looked unbothered, like she'd already made peace with the challenge.

"I... I guess," Kiel muttered, though the uncertainty in his voice was obvious.

"Ha! That's the spirit! You'll do fine,"

She said with exaggerated confidence, slapping him on the back.

"Just so you know, I'll be rooting for you. We've got this!"

He wasn't so sure about that.

But as Harlet returned to her friends, laughing and joking as if this was just another day, Kiel couldn't help but feel a little... envious.

Maybe he should adopt her "just roll with it" attitude?

At least, until he figured out how the hell he was supposed to pass these tests.

◇◇◇

Kiel hurried into the restroom, shutting the door behind him with an exaggerated sigh.

This morning had been a whirlwind, and he hadn't had time to think.

Magic.

In Sayuki's novel, magic wasn't something everyone could wield freely.

Sure everyone has mana in this world but only a select few can actually utilize it.

To use magic, you needed one of two things: a relic item—rare objects infused with stored mana.

Or a Sigil—basically the mutation of mana circuits in the body that results into a visible mark on the skin of a person.

Sigils serve as a direct conduit for magical energy.

They were a game changer.

They gave their bearers immense power but came at a cost.

Each Sigil had its own set of rules, unique to its wielder.

Breaking those rules often led to serious consequences.

Kiel had skimmed over those parts of the novel back when he thought it was just fiction, but now? He pulled up his shirt and glanced down at his body.

If he had a Sigil, it had to be somewhere...

There.

At the right side of his lower abdomen.

A faint mark shimmered on his skin, shaped like a circle with three dots in its center almost in a triangle formation.

It was small but unmistakable.

"My Sigil..." Kiel whispered, tracing the outline with his fingers.

He hadn't noticed it before— he was too preoccupied with figuring out where he was and rushing to school.

But now, seeing it with his own eyes, reality hit him like a truck.

He had magic.

Or at least, he could try to use it.

Kiel stared at himself in the mirror, his reflection looking just as defeated as he felt.

He'd been trying to channel his mana for the past ten minutes.

Nothing.

Not even a spark.

"Damnit why isn't it working"

But then, it struck him.

A reckless, last-ditch thought.

There was one thing he hadn't tried yet.

"This is so stupid, I doubt it'll even work"

He grumbled, but he took a deep breath anyway.

And then, with all the hope he could muster, he called it.

"Asterix."

For a moment, it was as if the world itself gasped.

The air thickened, humming with an invisible resonance that pressed against Kiel's skin like static electricity.

The bathroom lights flickered, their fluorescent buzz drowned by an unnatural silence.

Even the tiny droplets of water hanging from the sink seemed to stop mid-drip.

It was like the universe was holding its breath.

Kiel's heart pounded.

"There's now way!"

Did he have what he thought he did? He felt a strange pressure, like something big was about to happen.

And then—

FLUSH!

The sound of the toilet echoed loudly, breaking the silence.

The bathroom lights flickered back to normal, and the air returned to its usual, boring self.

Kiel's one sided moment of destiny an instant sad death.

His jaw dropped as a guy in white trousers which showed he was an upperclassman—a third year to be exact— walked out of the stall, glanced at him, and gave a short, awkward nod.

"Uh… " Kiel couldn't get his word out, he was completely deflated.

The upperclassman glanced at him, raised a brow, and said under his breath.

"...Weird kid,"

Before walking out.

Kiel stood there, blinking.

"…Seriously?"

The lingering echo of the flushed toilet was mocking him.

"Unbelievable,"

He sighed as he dragged his hands down his face.

He turned on the sink to wash his hands, shaking his head.

"Of course I don't have it, I completely forgot that you can't even call it if you…"

He pushed open the restroom door and stepped out.

Then something stopped him in his tracks.

The girl moved with scary precision, her steps were quiet, and her posture was tense.

"What is she doing?"

The she in question was Harlett.

She was acting strange.

Her movements were too deliberate, too... cautious.

He watched as she glanced around before slipping something into her blazer pocket.

"Yeah this has, 'I'm definitely up to no good, but don't look at me.' Written all over it."

She then began walking away.

Following her would be stupid, right?

.

.

.

He followed her.

His feet moved before his brain could stop them.

But he was careful enough to keep his distance.

Harlett turned around a corner, and Kiel quickened his pace to keep up.

But when he rounded the corner.

She was gone.

"What the...?" Kiel scanned the empty hallway.

A sudden chill ran down his spine, and he couldn't shake the feeling that Harlett was up to something.

"Well," he whispered to himself, "that's not ominous at all..."

Still, he couldn't afford to get involved.

He has enough on his plate just trying to come to terms with his situation.

For now, he headed toward the gym, steeling himself for the assessment test.

◇◇◇

Kiel entered the gym simulation room.

It was a sleek, futuristic looking space that looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.

The walls were pure white, crisscrossed with glowing neon-blue lines that glowed softly.

The noise of students and teachers bickering hitting him like a wall.

He sighed, already regretting his decision to leave the restroom.

"Okay," he muttered.

"Let's get this over with."

In the center of the room stood two women, their faces locked in a silent war of disapproval.

"I don't care why you were late, Reina!" snapped miss Trina Nel, her hands on her hips.

She was tall and very alluring, with blue hair tied up in a ponytail that seemed to vibrate with her irritation.

Her emerald green eyes were both beautiful and intense.

She had a body that was lean and athletic, and her outfit— the classic white long sleeves over a black skirt, fit her perfectly, highlighting her curves.

She was the kind of person who stood out without even trying.

"Class 1-D reserved this room fair and square. You can wait your turn."

Miss Reina, her black hair shimmering under the fluorescent lights, rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please, Trina. Your class hasn't even started yet! We're just wasting time arguing."

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd of students from both classes, who were gathered on the far side of the gym.

Kiel, already regretting his life choices for the millionth time today, froze mid-step.

He glanced around, hoping to slip into the crowd unnoticed, but that didn't work out.

A lanky student from Class 1-D, his messy green hair falling in all directions, approached Kiel without him noticing.

With a sly grin, he blew a wolf whistle.

"Sheesh, your teacher's pretty something huh. Super hot."

Kiel blinked.

"Huh? Oh yeah she's– "

Then, it hit him.

He stopped mid-sentence, realizing who he was talking to.

Standing beside him was the class 1-D future class president, one of the main cast members and the very same person who was going to become the main character's best friend in Primus Novus.

There was no mistaking the messy green hair and brown eyes.

The way he spoke with that nonchalant attitude and carried himself with an utterly unserious aura— it was all so familiar.

"Hm? What's wrong, you look like you've seen a ghost,"

He said, tilting his head slightly.

"Oh, uh, I– it's nothing,"

Kiel stammered, trying to regain his composure.

'Holy crap it's one of them in the flesh!'

"Uh huh, well the name's Zach Thorne. Nice to meet you, fellow first-year,"

He said with a smile, stretching his hand out for a handshake.

Kiel, feeling a bit too eager— since he's finally meeting someone from the main cast, cleared his throat and stretched his own hand to meet Zach's.

"Kiel... Kiel Selfort. Likewise." A natural actor.

Concealing his reactions was second nature to him.

Zach chuckled, shaking Kiel's hand.

"Hey, are you always this stiff? Lighten up, dude!" He laughed.

He was clearly enjoying the awkward energy.

"Well, I guess lightening up wouldn't be easy with what's going on right now," Zach said as he scanned the room.

"Y-Yeah…" Kiel replied, unsure how to respond to that.

Zach's laid-back attitude helped Kiel relax a little.

Zach and the main character were supposed to be inseparable, but it was clear they hadn't met yet.

'Wouldn't be long now before they're both all buddy-buddy.'

The argument continued, and Kiel couldn't help but glance around the room.

Why?

He was looking for the rest of the naim cast.

His eyes first landed on a group of students near Miss Reina.

They were definitely from Class 1-C, even though he hadn't really gotten to know any of them yet.

Then his gaze moved to the other side of the room, where the rest of Class 1-D were behind Miss Trina.

And that's when he saw him.

He stood at the front of the group, his tall frame radiating confidence.

His spiky jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes were almost offensively perfect.

Like someone had copy pasted a shonen protagonist straight out of a manga.

And as if that wasn't enough, his slightly muscular build looked like it had been meticulously sculpted by someone who had far too much free time and an obsession with perfection.

He leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, watching the argument with a stoic look on his face.

Leaning against the wall with arms crossed, he observed the argument with a stoic face.

His name is Levi Aster, part of the main cast of Primus Novus.

Levi was one of the two strongest members in the main cast.

Almost as strong as a third year student in this military academy.

Beside him was Emi Starfell, a petite girl with a fiery aura that didn't match her small size at all.

Her fiery red hair was styled into long twin tails, and her amber eyes sparkled with excitement.

She whispered something to Levi, grinning mischievously. She was also part of the main cast.

Sitting on the floor nearby was Shiro Ravencrest, a quiet, glasses wearing boy who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.

He was scribbling in a notebook, his midnight blue bangs obscuring half his face.

Yup another main cast member.

And then there was Clara Ashfield.

She stood slightly apart from the others.

Her long, silver hair fell in waves, and her soft, lavender eyes had an otherworldly beauty to them.

She had an air of calm about her, though her gaze shifted between the arguing teachers.

For a brief moment, her eyes met Kiel's.

And his heart melted. He couldn't help but stare.

Seeing her in person was everything he had hoped for.

He was a virgin boy with no real experience with girls so of course he was taken by her.

He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity.

Beautiful didn't even begin to describe her— her full plump lips and curves could rival any model he had seen in his previous world.

And to top it all off she was the second strongest member of the main cast as of this time.

A whistle cut through the air

"Hey, you know her, bro?"

Zach asked, slinging an arm around Kiel's shoulder.

The guy clearly had a habit of invading personal space.

"I don't,"

A lie.

He couldn't exactly blurt out that he knew who she was.

She was part of the main cast but she was actually way more important than that.