The Nameless Extra: I Proofread This World-Chapter 27: Where the Waters Rise

A moment later, another knock followed, firmer this time.

Knock. Knock.

Without turning fully, she looked toward the door.

"Yes. Come in."

The handle turned without the slightest delay, and this time, the woman who made her way in was not dressed in black-and-white maid uniform.

Rather, in its place, she wore dark, close-fitted hide armor made for battle, shaped to her frame and strengthened with steel at the shoulders and forearms.

A sword rested comfortably at her side, and behind her, its cold presence balanced by the fall of her long platinum hair down her back.

When she lifted her gaze, her silver eyes, accompanied by a scar on her left eye, slid across the room imperiously, canvassing all therein in a single glance.

Once done, she stepped forward and bowed deferentially.

"My lady."

The woman was no mere attendant. Her name was Seraphine, and she was also among the Golden Ciphers. Within their ranks, she was the eldest, in her early thirties, and the very first to undergo training when the order was established.

Where others struggled to endure the early trials, she endured them all. She became the first among her peers to complete the full sequence of drills and earn the title of Golden Cipher.

Her progress did not slow after that.

In time, she ascended further still—becoming the first of their ranks to reach the might of a Grand Magus. It was a feat none had anticipated with such celerity, and none had since rivaled.

Within the Golden Ciphers, Seraphine stood as their foremost blade and their firmest wall, arguably the most formidable among them, and certainly the one entrusted with the greatest confidence.

Then, her gaze shifted sideways.

It slowly traveled from Irene’s neatly pressed apron... to the tied ribbon at her collar... then, to the modest fold of her sleeves.

The silver-haired woman frowned, but there was no harshness in it.

Irene crossed her arms at once, her apron strings swaying with the movement. "What?"

"Nothing," Seraphine replied, brushing an invisible speck of dust from Irene’s sleeve. "I was only admiring your... dedication. It takes remarkable commitment to maintain devotion for such an unseemly pursuit." She said dryly.

"What?" Irene repeated, this time more defensively, a faint blush crept up on her cheeks.

"This attire is worn because Lady Silvena prefers it so," she said quickly, pointing at the dress she was wearing.

Silvena, who had been watching with open amusement, blinked. "Eh? Was it?" she asked lightly, tilting her head to the side.

"I don’t recall issuing such an order."

Seraphine let out a small, shrewd smirk.

Irene slowly turned toward Silvena, staring at her in disbelief.

"Pffftt... sorry, sorry. I was just joking." Silvena covered her laughter with her fingers.

"Hmph. Whatever." Irene turned her face away.

After a moment, Silvena set her cup down gently and straightened in her seat. "I apologised. Now then, Seraphine. What brings you here?"

Exhaling softly, Seraphine’s teasing expression fades into businesslike calm.

"Yes, I have come with news, my lady."

"The appeal has been submitted. All necessary documents for the academy transfer have been processed." She paused. "It was... a bit troublesome, too, given the lateness of the request. But it has been handled."

Silvena listened quietly.

"There were additional fees involved, as well. However, those have been settled. So, there is no need for concern." (+1000PP)

"May I ask, though... why the sudden decision to change academies so late? If it were only you, my lady, the process would have been simpler. But enrolling Irene alongside you required additional arrangements."

She hesitated briefly before continuing.

"Your father, Lord Martinus, is still rather confused by your decision too. I believe he would appreciate an explanation soon."

Silvena lifted her cup and took a slow sip, the warm chamomile cappuccino scent rising once more between them.

"I apologize for the trouble. And thank you, Seraphine. Truly. You’ve done well."

Seraphine inclined her head slightly.

"As for the reason... I am still refining my explanation, to be honest," she offered a small, almost sheepish smile. "Many things have happened recently. And there is... another matter I must discuss with Father."

She did not say the word. And she believed that she did not need to. Seraphine’s gaze grew contemplative just slightly, understanding what Silvena meant by that.

Of course, almost every single Golden Ciphers had received the news that Silvena and Irene had encountered a demon.

It was staggering news, frankly speaking. A discovery that no one would believe. Though, she did brought one of the horns with her as evidence.

Silvena leaned back lightly in her chair.

"But yes," she added, more firmly now. "This is my decision. I am convinced. And my intuition says the same. So, both Irene and I will enroll into Velthia Academy."

Seraphine studied her for a moment longer, then calmly nodded.

"If that is so, then it shall be so."

Seraphine’s eyes softened.

"I have never doubted your instincts, my lady."

Silvena tapped her fingertip lightly against the porcelain rim of her cup, as though recalling something only just out of reach.

"Ah, yes, speaking of Velthia." Her eyes shone brightly. "Calyra is enrolling there as well, is she not?"

At the mention of that illustrious name, Irene’s posture became subtly attentive, while Seraphine inclined her head with composed affirmation.

"Yes, my lady. That was the intelligence conveyed by Aqua several weeks prior."

"To be entirely forthright, I had expected Lady Calyra to select Wellencrest Academy, and not Velthia. Over the past several years, Wellencrest has demonstrated a steady and measurable rise in both martial distinction and magic innovation."

"Its combat divisions have secured consecutive victories during the Sevenfold Tournaments, and its faculty roster has been strengthened by the appointment of several renowned magus and educators."

"Among the younger generation of noble houses, it is increasingly regarded as the institution most reflective of contemporary excellence."

Seraphine slightly paused.

"Velthia Academy, however, predates every other academy still standing. It was established in the aftermath of the Second War with the demons, and one of the Seven Virtuous Paragons personally oversaw its founding. Its legacy is not a trivial one, I believe."

"For centuries, it has produced individuals of extraordinary caliber. Its traditions are stubbornly intact. And its teachings are... rigorous. Excessively, some would say. But effectively, I would argue for it."

She reluctantly sighed.

"However, the last decades have told a less flattering story. Its prominence has receded to a shadow of what it was commanded. Its performance in the Tournaments has ceased, as well. In which other academies have seized that role aggressively."

"Their enrollment has followed the same pattern, too, dwindling in kind, particularly among ambitious noble houses who prefer their heirs to stand where fame and glory are guaranteed."

"True, Velthia still remains dignified. Its halls have not lost their solemnity yet. But influence is not sustained by solemnity alone nowadays. It must be... asserted."

"But as of late—"

"Velthia has not asserted itself at all."

Silvena finished for Seraphine, her expression thoughtful, savoring the cadence of Seraphine’s careful analysis.

"Yes," Seraphine replied at last. "That is precisely why many would deem it an unremarkable choice."

Then, Silvena added.

"Well, that’s understandable. However, after learning the name of this year’s enroller, I am less interested in measuring the academy by its current state of records."

Silvena’s sirenic viridian eyes softened.

Irrepressibly, her thoughts drifted toward that dark-haired man—Ruvian Castelor. His name and his hometown, in truth, was the only detail she had managed to glean from their brief exchange.

He had claimed the ability to glimpse fragments of what was to come, and though the claim defied convention and reason alike, she could not entirely dismiss the resonance his words had left behind.

A faint warmth settled within her chest.

"It may be no more than intuition, though." she continued lightly, her tone holding an undercurrent of sincerity,

"Still... I cannot shake the feeling that Velthia’s stature will experience a rather pivotal resurgence in the coming year."

Both Seraphine and Irene glanced at each other.

Silvena continued: "And should such a renaissance occur, I would find it most regrettable to have observed it from afar, don’t you think?"

Seraphine regarded her with steady composure. "I see... you believe this year’s enroller to be the catalyst for that, my lady?"

Silvena’s gaze lifted toward the window, where light filtered softly through the glass, illuminating the quiet luxury of her study.

"Who knows~?" she replied.

"Even I cannot say it for sure."

Her sanguine smile deepened.

"But if the tide is indeed about to turn, then I would much prefer to stand...."

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[Chapter 27: Where the Waters Rise]

A/N: I bet whoever write this is lazy... Where is the next Chapter? Why 30th March is still so far away? sob sob