Extra's Fate
Chapter 52: Trip

Chapter 52: Trip

A couple of days had passed since the auction, but news of what had transpired during the auction spread throughout the whole academy like wildfire.

Basically, everyone and their mother had heard about it.

Currently, I am lying on my table, waiting for my next lecture. Lost in my own thoughts.

I thought that since I didn’t directly influence the main story of the game too much the future wouldn’t change.

I thought I had full control of my memories, so I decided to take advantage of them and help myself to some of the benefits whilst also trying to not affect the plotline.

But I was wrong...no matter how small the change was, once it began... there was no stopping it.

I had already somewhat accepted this when I managed to get in the Top Ten or wiped out a dungeon in a port city, but I didn’t expect my actions to influence the decisions of the main characters so drastically that even if a Princess would participate in a random auction, she shouldn’t have attended.

I was too arrogant.

And because of it, the story’s course was altered. In a way that I was losing control of the advantage that I had as a previous player.

Despite me repeating to myself that everything is fine, I was simply lying to myself. I couldn’t deny something that happened right before my eyes.

I fundamentally needed to change the way I was thinking.

The current situation of the game was no longer something I could comfortably say ’I know what will happen’ to.

Ring... Ring... Ring...

Snapping me from my thoughts was the sound of my cell phone ringing.

[ A massive bidding war between the Princess and a mysterious individual... ]

During these past few days, my and Aveline’s bidding war in the auction managed to garner so much attention that even the biggest news outlets in the empire covered it. That’s why I wasn’t surprised in the least when I saw the caller ID.

Normally, bidding and outbidding someone was something that happened too often to even mention. Auctions, especially high-profile ones, were always filled with nobles, merchants and collectors fighting over valuable items. It was the nature of these events.

However, this time was different.

Aveline wasn’t just another wealthy bidder, she was the Princess of the Empire.

There were only a handful of people with the wealth and status to challenge her in an auction and most of them wouldn’t dare oppose the royal family so openly. And yet, someone had. Someone who remained completely anonymous.

That alone turned a simple auction into a spectacle.

The fact that none of the usual suspects stepped forward to claim responsibility only deepened the mystery.

A noble looking to make a name for themselves?

An eccentric collector?

A foreign dignitary?

Speculation ran wild. Every newspaper, gossip column and information broker latched onto the event, spinning stories around the identity of the one who dared to challenge the Princess.

A mysterious bidder, powerful enough to go head-to-head with royalty, yet unwilling to reveal themselves?

It was the perfect setup for intrigue.

That worked in my favor. My identity was completely safe.

And my daily life returned to what it was before...

Well, that was how it was supposed to go, but...

Ever since Monday, I felt two eyes deeply staring at me in the classroom.

Who else but the Princess, Aveline herself, had been intently observing me from her seat.

I tried to subtly ignore it, but it seemed that my action only further increased the intensity of her stare.

’What the hell did I do!?’

I thought as I tried my best to look in her direction.

Suddenly, the classroom door creaked open and Professor Zane strode in, carrying a massive box filled with small papers. He moved with his usual air of authority, his sharp eyes scanning the room as he placed the box on the teacher’s desk with a resounding thud.

A hush fell over the students as they curiously eyed the box, whispers of speculation rippling across the room.

Gesturing for the class to quiet down, he lightly raised his palm. Soon, everyone stopped talking.

"Today we will select the groups you will be split into during our trip to Leden."

I felt my heart skip a beat when he said that.

I completely forgot about that.

I was too caught up doing my own thing that I almost disregarded one of the most important arcs of the academy.

The trip to the land of Elves, Leden.

It was a place very different to the human-dominated western regions of Eden. While humans had built sprawling cities and fortresses, the Elves had cultivated a harmonious relationship with nature, their southern territories teeming with lush forests, crystalline rivers and mana-rich landscapes. It was said that even the air in Leden felt different, thicker, purer and alive with the hum of natural magic.

Elves were renowned for their innate connection to mana and their mastery of magic. Their sensitivity to nature made them unparalleled mages and their culture revolved around preserving the balance of the world. For humans, visiting Leden was like stepping into a living dream, a place where the boundaries between the physical and the magical blurred.

I couldn’t help but steal another glance at Aveline.

Her mother was an Elf of high standing who had married into the human royal family, making Aveline a half-Elf. This unique heritage granted her extraordinary magical abilities and a deep connection to nature, it also made her outward appearance... stunning.

"..."

I quickly averted my gaze, not wanting to be caught staring.

Professor Zane’s voice pulled me back to the present.

"The groups will be decided by random draw."

He announced, gesturing to the box of papers on his desk.

"Each of you will pick a slip with a number and it will determine your group. These groups will be your team for the duration of the trip, so I expect everyone to cooperate and make the most of this opportunity."

A murmur of anticipation spread through the room as students began lining up to draw their slips.

I hung back, my mind racing.

When it was finally my turn, I reached into the box and pulled out a slip of paper. Unfolding it, I read the number written there.

[ 4 ]

After all the students had picked their numbers, the classroom buzzed with a mix of excitement and nervous energy. Some whispered to their friends, comparing slips, while others sat quietly, clutching their papers like they held their fates.

Professor Zane clapped his hands once, the sharp sound cutting through the chatter like a blade. The room fell silent again, all eyes turning to him. He adjusted his glasses, peering over the rims with that stern, no-nonsense look that made even the boldest students shrink a little.

"Alright, settle down."

He said, his voice carrying an effortless authority.

"We’ll go through the teams now. When I call your group number, raise your hand. No switching, no complaints, this is final. Understood?"

A few students nodded, while others exchanged wary glances. I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around the slip of paper.

"Team number one!"

Professor Zane called out.

Arthur raised his hand with his usual emotionless look. Next to him, some random guy I vaguely recognized from the back of the lecture hall raised his hand too. He had a mop of brown hair and a nervous grin, clearly relieved to be paired with someone like Arthur. I couldn’t blame him, Arthur was ranked second in the entrance exam.

"Team number two!"

Two girls near the front raised their hands, one of them giggling excitedly while the other looked mildly annoyed. I barely paid attention, my thoughts drifting elsewhere. Specifically, to one name I desperately hoped wouldn’t come up in my group.

’Please, anything but Ian...’

I felt a cold sweat trickle down my back.

I wasn’t religious, but at that moment, I was ready to start praying to any deity that might listen. Ian hadn’t done anything to me personally, not yet, at least, but I knew him too well from the game.

That borderline sociopathic personality of his wasn’t just a quirky character trai, it was a warning label. He was the type who’d slit your throat in your sleep because you looked at him funny during breakfast. I had zero desire to roll the dice on that kind of teammate.

"Team number three!"

Cordelia, the Saint, raised her hand with a serene grace that seemed almost otherworldly. Beside her, another girl hesitantly lifted her hand, a petite figure with dark braids and wide, anxious eyes.

I vaguely recognized her as one of the quieter students, someone who always lingered near the edges of the room.

Professor Zane scribbled something on his clipboard, then moved on without missing a beat.

"Team number four!"

The moment he said it, my stomach tightened.

I took a deep breath and slowly raised my hand, the slip of paper crinkling slightly in my grip. My eyes darted around the room, scanning for the others who’d drawn the same number. For a few agonizing moments, nobody else moved.

Then, from the corner of my vision, a single frail, pale hand rose into the air.

My heart sank.

’You have to be joking.’