The Extra is a Genius!?-Chapter 175: The Report

The atmosphere in Nicolas’s office was quiet—but dense. The kind of silence that only existed before serious words were spoken.

Noel sat across from the director, his posture straight, gaze focused. He wasn’t tense exactly, but he knew this wasn’t a casual conversation.

They both did.

Nicolas tapped his fingers once on the desk, then folded his hands.

"First," he said, voice calm but weighty, "I’ll tell you what I found out myself..."

A pause.

"...and what King Alveron’s reunion uncovered. Though as I mentioned before—his response was truly disappointing."

Noel didn’t speak. He listened closely, eyes sharp. He already had a general idea of how things had played out, but every variable mattered now. Every overlooked piece could be dangerous.

There were people he wanted to protect.

Elyra. Elena.

The two most important names in his life right now.

He couldn’t afford another mistake like Erick.

If he had skipped the wedding... gone straight to the Holy Capital... maybe things would’ve been different. But what tie did he even have to that family anymore?

None that mattered.

Nicolas leaned back slightly in his chair, fingers still interlocked.

"Thanks to Father Orthran," he began, "I was able to get a clear picture of what happened. The Holy Capital had several infiltrators. Their strategy wasn’t new—it’s the same pattern as before. Quiet integration. Disguise. Long-term manipulation."

He shook his head, irritated.

"That makes three times they’ve used this method now. I’m done taking chances. No new professors will be hired for the time being. I’ll make the current staff pull double shifts if I have to. They’re paid enough."

Noel nodded slightly. "That sounds reasonable. A solid first step."

Nicolas gave a short grunt of approval, then continued.

"Based on both recent incidents—here and in the capital—I can say with certainty: we’re dealing with demons."

Noel interrupted him without hesitation. "Not exactly."

Nicolas raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"The one in the Holy Capital... looked like a dark elf, yes. But according to Charlotte, she wasn’t. She was a normal elf. It was corruption that changed her—warped her appearance and mana entirely."

He leaned forward slightly, tone steady. "I know you hate demons. But on paper, she wasn’t one. Her race is still separate."

Nicolas narrowed his eyes slightly, then cleared his throat.

"Well. Call it what you like. Whatever she was, she wanted the same outcome."

Nicolas rested both elbows on the desk, his tone shifting toward something colder.

"They’ve now attacked two of the most important locations in the empire," he said. "The Imperial Academy of Valor... and the Holy Capital even though they are independent."

He tapped the desk once.

"Two very deliberate choices. They want to cripple us at the roots—cut down future leaders before they grow, and eliminate the only figure who can rally the faithful."

Noel nodded. "Exactly. The attack on the capital wasn’t random. It was planned long before it happened. Charlotte’s purification in the north... it weakened her. They knew she’d be vulnerable."

Nicolas exhaled. "And still, you managed to stop it. All of you. You realized it in time."

Noel’s eyes lowered slightly. "We didn’t stop it entirely."

The room went still.

"...You’re still just students," Nicolas said finally. "You’ve done more than anyone could’ve expected. And you... more than all of them."

There was no pride in the way he said it. Just recognition of fact.

"Tell me everything," Nicolas said. "I want to compare your version with what Orthran sent me. You were there—firsthand."

Noel gave a slow nod. "Alright. I’ll start from the beginning."

He leaned back slightly in the chair, arms relaxed but mind sharp.

"I met up with Marcus on the ship heading to Teralis. I had to attend my sister’s wedding... but Marcus mentioned they were planning to visit an orphanage. Wanted to give the kids some encouragement—to inspire them to awaken their cores and maybe attend the academy one day."

He paused for a second.

’It’s not completely true... but close enough.’

Nicolas didn’t interrupt.

"I arrived at the Holy Capital a day or so later. An old pope greeted me at the gates—looked harmless. Kind, even. Later, we found out he was one of the infiltrators."

He glanced aside.

"Charlotte told me he had served the church faithfully for decades. They corrupted him. Twisted him."

Noel’s voice turned quieter.

"I had a bad feeling from the start. I couldn’t explain it. Just... something was off."

He looked back at Nicolas.

"I spent two full weeks investigating. Nothing came up. Eventually, Marcus and Charlotte joined me. The three of us worked together—but still... no leads. It was like chasing a shadow."

"We couldn’t find anything solid," Noel continued, "but something didn’t sit right with the way the orphanage kept announcing adoptions. It should’ve been good news. Those kids deserved a future. A home."

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"But it didn’t feel right. The numbers were too high."

Nicolas gave a slow nod, listening without interruption.

"One day, we decided to follow one of the girls. A quiet kid named Mira. She was being adopted by a pair of parents. Looked like a normal, happy family. Nothing out of place."

Noel paused.

"And then... Noir reacted."

As if on cue, a soft shadow rippled beneath his chair. From it, Noir emerged silently, taking her small pup form and hopping up onto the edge of the desk, violet-tinted fur glinting faintly under the sunlight.

Nicolas raised an eyebrow, though his tone stayed level.

"So you finally show her."

"You knew she was there?" Noel asked.

"Do you think someone like me can’t detect a creature hiding in your shadow? Please."

Noel smirked faintly. "Fair enough."

He rested a hand lightly on Noir’s head.

"Thanks to her, I stayed behind and watched from a distance. At first, everything looked normal. The parents gave Mira a drink—probably drugged. She collapsed not long after."

He glanced at Nicolas.

"And then the old priest appeared. Took her himself."

"They didn’t take her through the main road," Noel said, voice steady. "Instead, they moved along the west side of the holy capital, past the outer walls."

He leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing as the memory sharpened.

"There was a barrier there—an illusion. Covered an entire section of ancient ruins. Completely hidden from the inside. You’d never find it unless you were looking from the outside... or unless something like Noir guided you."

Noir let out a quiet breath from the desk but remained silent.

"I followed them through it. That’s how I discovered the place."

He didn’t go into every detail.

But the weight of his words lingered in the room.

Nicolas remained silent for a moment. Then, with a slow exhale, he leaned back in his chair.

"I see."

Noel didn’t add more. He knew the director had received most of the official version already.

But now he’d heard it from someone who lived it.

From someone who saw the rot firsthand.

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m