I Want to Be an Extra

Beriel proposed, “If you don’t mind, I can be your guide through the academy.”

Lewin simply nodded in response. When an intriguing person offers to accompany you, there’s no reason to decline.

“I’m in favor of that idea too!” Laila chimed in, relishing the attention from Beriel.

“Thank you,” Daisy added, aligning her opinion with the group.

With everyone’s agreement, Beriel exchanged a few words with the maids who had accompanied her and then joined Lewin’s party.

And so it began.

Beriel pointed to a building and explained, “That is the magic building. It serves as the center for basic and advanced education, as well as various magic-related club activities, unless there are exceptional circumstances.”

The three of them fell silent as they looked in the direction Beriel indicated. Even Lewin, who was used to wandering, and Daisy, who had grown accustomed to Lewin’s ways, were taken aback by the scene before them.

“Is it on fire?” Laila murmured, her eyes widening.

Her words were spot-on. One side of the building’s exterior was engulfed in flames, yet nobody seemed to care.

“It’s a common occurrence,” Beriel casually stated.

“Common?” Lewin questioned.

One might question what kind of academy frequently experiences fires, but judging by the reactions of those around them, it appeared to be true.

Although there weren’t many people around during the vacation period, no one reacted significantly to the fire.

“Yes. Magic is a challenging subject, so failures are bound to happen.”

That explanation seemed reasonable, considering the nature of magic. However…

“Isn’t this unusual in most cases?” Lewin asked.

He had attended the academy numerous times, albeit under the alias Lewin Dee Dryerf. In his previous lives as a hero, he had also attended graduate school. Therefore, he could confidently say that even in the distant past when his understanding of magic was limited, it was not common for the academy building to catch fire.

“True,” Beriel acknowledged his point nonchalantly. “Usually, such incidents are rare at the Royal Academy. However, this is the Beresha Academy.”

Although she mentioned that this academy was somewhat different from others, Lewin focused on a different aspect.

“Did you attend the Royal Academy?” he inquired, narrowing his eyes.

Beriel’s previous workplace was the prestigious Royal Academy? Lewin couldn’t comprehend her statement.

“Yes, that was my previous employment,” Beriel confirmed.

This revelation puzzled Lewin. Switching jobs from the Royal Academy to Beresha Academy seemed like an unusual decision. The Royal Academy was not only significant for students but also for professors, assistants, knights, soldiers, butlers, maids, and even laborers. Being associated with the Royal Academy brought recognition.

“And you left that position for the Beresha Academy?” he probed further.

While personal circumstances might have motivated her job change, Beriel must have possessed the skills and qualifications to secure a position even better than the Beresha Academy.

“Yes, indeed. At the Royal Academy, it’s common for students to reside on campus even during vacations.”

Lewin wondered if others shared his thoughts. Beriel let out a soft sigh, revealing her true reason for the job transition.

“I never had any time to rest. That’s why I transferred here, where there are fewer students during the vacation period.”

Indeed, the vacation period at the Beresha Academy was also quite extensive.

Lewin was taken aback by Beriel’s nonchalant attitude and attempted to say something, but…

“For such a reason…”

The sharp gazes from those around him silenced him midway through his sentence.

“Why would you say that?”

“Exactly. Who else chose this place because of the long vacation?”

Upon hearing this, Beriel naturally turned her gaze towards Lewin.

The news of the young master of the Dryerf estate enrolling in the Beresha Academy surprised many. They never expected this to be the reason behind his decision.

“Never thought that would be the reason.”

How peculiar.

Unaware of Lewin’s thoughts about her, Beriel summed up her initial impression of him.

“Then, Miss Laila…”

“Guess she decided to follow because she has no other friends.”

“Hey!”

Blushing at Lewin’s words, Laila yelled out, but realizing the truth in his statement, she closed her mouth and glared at him instead.

‘It seems we have quite a few interesting newcomers this year.’

While a quiet and relaxing lifestyle was nice, encountering these intriguing individuals wasn’t so bad either. As long as she was working, she might as well have fun doing it.

As Beriel pondered this with a gentle smile, her gaze fell upon a familiar face.

“Ah!”

“We’ve arrived.”

A woman let out a scream as she gazed at the site of the fire, her expression ghostly.

“Beriel!”

“Yes, Miss Tera.”

“Who did this?”

Groaning, Tera muttered under her breath, “Some idiots must have caused trouble again. This time, I’m really going to kill them.”

Laila trembled at Tera’s murderous tone, while Lewin tilted his head in confusion.

‘But they said it’s common, right?’

Considering Beriel’s reaction and the response of a few passing students, it seemed like fires were a frequent occurrence.

But this reaction was different. It was as if they were seeking an arch-nemesis.

“I don’t know either.”

“You’re not covering for the culprit just because it was an accident, are you?”

Beriel shook her head in response to the suspicious gaze.

“Of course not. I happened to be at the scene while showing the new students around the academy.”

At her words, Tera looked around.

‘My image is ruined.’

A boy observed her curiously, while the others seemed flustered.

“Apologies for not noticing. I’m Tera Tartara, the treasurer of the student council.”

The student council oversaw the student associations at different levels within the academy and held practically unlimited power.

‘Even though they say they can’t touch the student council…’

Lewin, who had experience with the student council, knew about the behind-the-scenes dealings.

‘It’s not that they can’t touch them, they simply don’t dare to.’

Having a lot of power meant having a lot of responsibilities. And with many responsibilities, they tended to pass on the troublesome tasks to others while ensuring student autonomy.

Tera Tartara’s condition was a perfect illustration of this.

Her deep blue hair was disheveled, and her face showed clear signs of fatigue. Dark circles were visible under her eyes, although they were somewhat hidden by her unique demeanor.

‘Even graduate students tremble depending on the situation at the academy.’

From the higher-ups, they pass down work, claiming it’s for the students, while from the lower ranks, students accuse them of abusing their power.

With resigning being nearly impossible unless expelled, the academy, brimming with dreams and hopes, felt like hell for the ambitious youth.

The only advantage was that dealing with the overwhelming tasks naturally improved one’s ability to process work. Knowing this, there was a substantial bonus to be gained in the imperial civil service exam.

So, with all the courtesy he could muster, Lewin introduced himself to the person who voluntarily took on the role of a servant in this academy.

“I’m a freshman, Lewin Dee Dryerf. It’s a pleasure to meet you, senior Tera.”

“Master…?”

“Lewin…?”

“Huh?”

The three of them couldn’t help but be surprised by his introduction.

‘Is the young master behaving normally?’

Daisy was surprised to see Lewin acting like an ordinary person.

‘Did Lewin know the word “etiquette”?’

Laila was amazed that Lewin was familiar with manners.

‘Dryerf?’

Tera was taken aback, realizing that she had unintentionally ruined her image in front of the freshman from the prestigious ducal house, who had been a subject of much gossip.

‘Life…’

Despite being the eldest daughter of a count’s family and considered a top predator at Beresha Academy, she was no match for the son of a duke’s family.

Moreover…

“Hello. My name is Laila Reinhardt. It’s nice to meet you, senior.”

“?”

“•?”

From Tera’s perspective, the daughter of the Duke appeared out of nowhere.

‘What? Where did she come from? No, did I ruin things even before that?’

Even as an executive of the student council, she had to pay attention to the children of the Duke’s family. And here they were, meeting right from the start.

‘On top of that, that damn guy enrolled last year and caused a mess!’

Naturally, the nightmare from last year resurfaced in Tera’s mind. How nightmarish was that year because of that jerk?

“Ah, ahahaha.”

The idea of catching and punishing the culprit who started the fire was momentarily put on hold. Right now, she needed to determine whether the winds that would blow this year would be a refreshing spring breeze or a storm that would plunge the academy into chaos.

‘This isn’t my expertise.’

She clicked her tongue briefly, but quickly regained her smile.

A third-year student in the student council. She had stood out since the elementary level and was chosen as an executive, or rather, a slave of the student council as soon as she reached the middle school level. Her name was Tera.

Upon entering high school, she was assigned the role of treasurer in the student council, showcasing her exceptional abilities.

“Ah, ahahahahaha!”

She was not the type to excel in social life.

‘President, save me!’

Naturally, the face of the student council was the president. However, the president of the Beresha Academy student council was slightly different.

This individual boasted excellent interpersonal relationships, not only with students and professors but also with high-ranking imperial officials.

Therefore, despite not possessing exceptional overall abilities and not hailing from an overwhelmingly dominant family, this person was able to become the student council president at Beresha Academy.

“Well, you see…”

Tera’s gaze wandered aimlessly, unable to focus on one spot.

Thanks to the outstanding interpersonal skills of the student council president, the student council members could concentrate solely on their respective tasks.

In other words, the members of the student council were chosen solely for their abilities in their assigned roles.

The executives compensated for any shortcomings in work abilities, while the president compensated for any deficiencies in interpersonal skills. It was a symbiotic relationship.

“Receiving a person is so simple! Yet here I am, meeting with such a VIP.”

The problem was that upon hearing about the fire in the magic building, Tera couldn’t help but feel a sense of dizziness.

What kind of building is this “magic building”?

Among the various buildings in the academy, it was the most prestigious one.

Given the frequent accidents and experiments that took place there, even the materials used in constructing the building were of a different caliber compared to the others.

But that’s not all. It was also a place where senior wizards from the Magic Tower would regularly visit to conduct various magical treatments.

Normally, the building was impervious to ordinary magic, and it was designated as an evacuation site in case of emergencies.

‘Those damn fools…’

However, some idiots in the academy interpreted it differently.

If the building is immune to normal attacks, wouldn’t burning it also be within their capabilities?

It was an incredibly foolish and idiotic line of thinking. Yet, wizards are individuals who dedicate their lives to uncovering the truths of the world.

From one perspective, they may appear cool and genius-like, but from another perspective, wizards can be endlessly foolish and foolish.

Tragically, all the wizards involved in this incident were complete fools.

These fools started spreading a trend called the “Magic Hall Challenge,” which involved attempting to leave their magical mark on the walls of the Magic Hall. Many students took part in this foolish endeavor.

Of course, most of them failed.

Leaving a lasting mark in the Magic Hall with incomplete or underdeveloped magic was an impossible task.

However, a few exceptional students managed to leave their marks behind, inspiring others to take up the challenge.

The maintenance costs for the Magic Hall, which was used for the entire curriculum, began to fall under the responsibility of the student council.

And as a result, those expenses consistently landed on Tera, the treasurer of the student council.

While some people enjoyed their vacation time, someone had to continue working, burdened with the consequences of others’ actions.

Fueled by anger at this fact, Tera erupted from the pile of documents.

And this was the outcome.

“WHO’S THE BASTARD RESPONSIBLE!”

Tera’s voice reverberated throughout the academy, filled with seething anger.

“….?”

“•?”

“..?”

As Lewin and Laila exchanged glances, observing Tera’s laughter and anger after just introducing herself, they were taken aback.

“It’s me.”

A voice dripping with arrogance rang out.