The Extra is a Genius!?-Chapter 174: Second Year Begins

The days aboard the Estermont ship passed without incident.

After everything that had happened in the Holy Capital, the quiet rhythm of sailing felt almost unreal. There were no missions to chase, no immediate threats to track—just the sound of the waves, the wind in the sails, and the occasional banter among the group.

Mornings were spent training. Noel sparred with Marcus and Garron a few times, keeping his body sharp while avoiding heavier thoughts. Clara usually watched from the side, offering water or feedback, while Laziel stayed mostly quiet—though he didn’t refuse a match when invited.

Evenings were calmer. Meals were shared around the same table. Some stories, a few laughs, even small debates about food, magic, and first-year memories.

But the most surprising change was between Elyra and Elena.

What had started as polite conversation quickly turned into a genuine friendship. They talked more than anyone else on the ship—discussing books, house politics, and occasionally teaming up to mock Marcus’s horrible handwriting.

Charlotte, still using the Sancta Veil when outside her cabin, stayed mostly near Noel’s side when she wasn’t reading alone. She didn’t say much, but her presence was constant.

The ship sailed on.

One more day remained before the start of the new academic year.

Noel sat alone in his cabin, the soft creaking of the ship’s wood and the gentle sway of the sea a constant, quiet rhythm in the background.

Through the round window, the sky was beginning to shift—pale blues giving way to golden hues. It was the last evening before they returned to the academy.

He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, eyes half-closed.

’One year,’ he thought. ’One full year in this world.’

It hadn’t been calm. From the moment he arrived, things had moved quickly. Missions, fights, ambushes, secrets, betrayals—and somehow, he had made it through all of it.

He had completed every mission the system had given him.

Even the last one.

Though, if he was being honest, it didn’t feel like a success. The cost still sat heavy in his chest. Charlotte’s body, impaled by the enemy’s scythe, flashing in front of him—the moment that triggered his instinctive activation of Ashen Sigil.

A six-second rewind.

He had killed himself to do it.

Again.

’That makes it... the second time?’ he thought. ’No... third, if I count the tea Kaelith gave me.’

He shook his head.

It didn’t matter anymore. What mattered was that they survived. The children had been saved, well not all of them. Charlotte was alive.

And now, with the sun setting and the second year ahead, he wasn’t the same person who first stepped into the Imperial Academy of Valor.

—-

The academy grounds looked just as Noel remembered—grand, orderly, humming softly with magical energy flowing through its veins. Students bustled around the entrance, some wide-eyed first-years, others relaxed second and third-years like him.

Noel passed through them with ease. He didn’t need orientation. He knew exactly where to go.

As he neared the Class S dormitory, he spotted a familiar figure leaning against the wall near the gates, flipping through a crystal slate.

Gareth Wren looked up and grinned.

"Look who finally shows up. I was starting to think you fell overboard."

Noel raised an eyebrow. "Nice to see you too, Gareth."

They bumped fists briefly as Gareth stepped in beside him.

"Busy few days," Gareth said. "First-years coming in nonstop, professors arguing over placements, a fire alarm that wasn’t even real—same old chaos."

"You’re still stuck with us in Class S?"

"Stuck?" Gareth smirked. "Please. Best gig on campus. Still your dorm guide this year, so if anything explodes again, I’m blaming you personally."

"Fair," Noel replied, smiling a little.

"Oh, and heads up—ten third-years graduated last semester, so there were ten open slots in Class S. They filled ’em based on rankings and combat scores. The usual reshuffling."

Noel nodded slowly. "So it shifted again."

"Yes. Final placements lock in after the first-semester exams. But I’ve got a feeling this year’s gonna be even messier."

Noel kept walking, eyes forward.

’This time... I’ll beat my greatest enemy. Theory.’

Noel stepped into the central courtyard, the stone beneath his boots warm under the midday sun. Students moved through the academy like a living current—laughing, talking, rushing to settle into dorms or meet up with old friends.

He recognized a few faces in the crowd.

Most, he didn’t.

But something had changed.

People didn’t look at him the same way they used to.

Some students nodded as he passed. Others gave him a little more space in the hallway. No one said anything outright—but the shift was there. A quiet kind of respect.

The incidents from the Holy Capital or the actual academy hadn’t been made public, but rumors had a way of spreading, even when names weren’t attached.

And Noel’s name... was starting to carry weight.

He kept walking, taking in the familiar grounds—and the subtle unfamiliarity of them.

He thought of Elyra—sharp, bold, confident. Always two steps ahead, always there when it mattered.

Then Elena—kind, hardworking, always buried in books but never too distracted to listen. A bookworm with a strong spine.

Selene came to mind next. Their adventure together in the north had been more than just a mission. Something in her had shifted back then. A wall had cracked, and even if it wasn’t fully down... it was enough.

And Charlotte.

Despite the short time they had spent together, she might already know more about him than most. Somehow, she always saw through him—past the deflections and sharp remarks.

And now... she was here. Hidden, yes. But present.

This year was already different.

And it had only just begun.

Noel walked through the main building of the academy, his steps echoing softly against the polished stone floor. The structure was wide and elegant, with tall arched windows that let the afternoon light spill across rows of crests and banners from the different noble houses.

He made his way through familiar corridors, nodding at a few professors and staff members he passed. Eventually, he reached the office wing—quiet, lined with dark wooden doors, each one bearing a silver plaque.

At the end of the hall was the door he was looking for.

Seated outside, behind a tidy desk, was a young secretary dressed in a charcoal gray uniform with silver trim. She looked up from a crystal slate as he approached.

"Good afternoon. Noel, right? What can I help you with?"

"I need to see the headmaster Nicolas," he replied.

She tilted her head slightly. "Is it urgent?"

"It’s... important."

She gave a brief nod and stood, stepping through the office door without another word. Noel waited in silence, eyes fixed on the floor.

’Even if I can’t tell him everything... I have to make sure he knows enough.’

The door opened again.

"You can go in."

Noel exhaled quietly, then stepped inside.

The headmaster’s office was wide and well-lit, with tall arched windows that let the sunlight spill across polished stone floors. Shelves lined the walls—some filled with thick tomes, others holding arcane instruments humming softly with dormant power. A large desk of darkwood dominated the center, carved with intricate runes that glowed faintly with protective enchantments. Behind it sat Nicolas von Aldros, his hands folded, expression unreadable.

"Noel," he greeted simply.

Noel inclined his head. "Headmaster Nicolas."

"Take a seat."

He did.

Nicolas leaned back slightly, watching him in silence for a few seconds before speaking again.

"I know what happened in the Holy Capital. Orthran filled me in."

Noel tensed slightly but didn’t respond.

"And I also received the response from King Alveron IV."

A pause. The headmaster’s eyes narrowed just a little.

"It was... disappointing."

He didn’t elaborate further.

The room fell quiet, the only sound the faint ticking of the arcane chronometer near the window.

Noel waited.

Nicolas finally exhaled.

"Let’s begin."

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