The Extra is a Genius!?
Chapter 84: Watchful Eyes

Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Watchful Eyes

The soft clatter of cutlery and the low hum of morning conversation filled the academy cafeteria. Sunlight spilled through the tall, enchanted windows, casting warm light over the rows of students beginning their day. Elena sat at one of the side tables, a tray in front of her mostly untouched—just a piece of bread and a cup of steaming herbal tea.

Her two closest friends, Mira and Tessa, sat on either side of her. Mira, the more talkative of the two, tapped her spoon restlessly against her bowl of oatmeal.

"Do you really think she’s alright?" she asked, her voice hushed but pressing. "It’s been a week, Elena."

Elena stirred her tea, watching the steam curl upward before answering.

"Let’s not assume the worst. There’s still no evidence of anything bad happening," she said, her tone calm but tight around the edges. "We can’t jump to conclusions."

Tessa, always the skeptic, leaned in slightly. "But isn’t it strange? No one’s heard from her. No letter, no magic transmission, nothing. If she left on her own, she would’ve said something."

Elena nodded slowly, eyes on the swirling liquid. "I know. I’ve thought about it too. But panicking won’t help. Right now, we can only hope that wherever she is... she’s safe."

Mira tilted her head, glancing around before whispering, "You really think she’ll come back?"

Elena’s amber eyes lifted from her tea, calm but resolute.

"I do. She’s strong. Smarter than most people give her credit for. I believe she’ll return."

"Okay, let’s change the topic. So?" one of them asked, setting down her spoon. "Is there any boy who’s caught your eye lately?"

Elena looked up, a little surprised by the question.

"Huh?"

"Oh, come on, Elena," the other one pressed, leaning in with a teasing smile. "You always dodge this topic, but you can’t keep hiding forever."

The elf blinked. Then she looked down at her tea, gently swirling it with her spoon.

’Maybe... Noel...?’

"I don’t know," she finally said, but her tone wasn’t as convincing as she might’ve hoped.

The two girls exchanged a look. Then turned back to her.

"There is someone, isn’t there?"

Elena didn’t answer. She simply lifted the cup to her lips, as if the steam might hide her from their eyes.

The training field was still damp from the morning dew, but it was already teeming with activity. Noel stood slightly apart from the crowd, observing quietly as Marcus, Garron, Clara, and Laziel approached.

Clara gave a small wave. "There you are."

Noel nodded. "Something happened?"

Marcus grinned. "Nice to see you too."

Noel raised an eyebrow, uninterested in banter. "Did you need something, or...?"

’Laziel looks off again... It’s been days now.’

Marcus scratched the back of his neck. "Right. We found something during our last patrol. Clara wasn’t sure if we should tell you, but—"

Clara crossed her arms. "We still don’t know what it means."

"It’s okay," Marcus continued. "I told her we can trust you. You were the one who asked us to share anything odd we discovered."

’That’s true. After the Banquet, we got all the credit... but I know who really moved behind the scene.’

Garron nodded in agreement. "He did say that. No need to be cautious."

Laziel added quietly, "Yeah..."

Noel glanced at him again. ’Still not normal. I’ll look into it later.’

"So," Marcus said, "we found traces of blood. Not human, we think. But fresh."

Noel’s expression didn’t change, but his mind was already working.

"Thanks for telling me. Report it to the director. Better to let the higher-ups handle it."

Marcus blinked. "Just like that?"

"I’ve got somewhere to be."

And just like that, Noel turned and walked away.

Marcus stared after him, exhaling. "He doesn’t even say goodbye..."

Laziel echoed softly, "Yeah..."

Garron clapped Laziel on the back. "Cheer up, man. You’ve been like a ghost for a week."

Noel knocked lightly on the office door.

"Come in," came the calm voice from inside.

He stepped in to find Professor Lereus seated at his desk, as usual, impeccably composed. The room smelled faintly of parchment and herbal ink. A few documents lay scattered, and a thick ledger was opened in front of him.

"You’re early," Lereus noted without looking up.

"I prefer it that way."

"Good. Then help me with these," he said, gesturing to a stack of papers on a side table. "Organize them by subject and date. The right drawer has tags."

Noel moved silently, grabbing the stack and doing as instructed. A few minutes passed in quiet as the only sound was the rustling of parchment.

"Pass me the roster logs too," Lereus added.

Noel complied.

Lereus glanced at him briefly. "You’re good at this. Almost like you’ve done administrative work before."

"Just good at adapting."

A brief pause, then Lereus leaned back.

"That’ll do for today. You can leave early. I have a meeting scheduled soon."

Noel gave a short nod. "Understood. See you tomorrow, Professor."

As he turned to leave, his gaze sharpened slightly.

’Wherever you’re going, I doubt it’s on school business.’

He closed the door behind him quietly.

The night was still. Only the faint toll of distant bells from the academy’s towers echoed on the breeze.

Noel moved like a ghost across the rooftops—low, silent, deliberate. He wore dark leather gear tailored for stealth, nothing like the academy’s uniform. A black cloak clung to his shoulders, hood pulled low to mask his features.

’I look like a damn ninja,’ he thought, adjusting the weight of Revenant Fang on his back. ’Let’s see what you’re up to tonight, Laziel.’

From his perch, he spotted the boy slipping out of the dormitory’s north wing. Laziel walked alone, shoulders tense, pace steady but cautious. Something was off.

Noel trailed him, jumping between rooftops and shadowed ledges with fluid precision. When Laziel turned a corner into a small courtyard, Noel dropped down, landing in the cover of darkness.

That’s when he saw it.

A tall figure stepped out from behind one of the stone columns—Professor Lereus.

Noel froze.

’What the hell...?’

The two exchanged a few hushed words. Noel couldn’t make them out from this distance, but Laziel nodded. Then Lereus glanced around and motioned for him to follow.

Together, they headed for the eastern gate—one normally locked at night.

Noel moved quickly, keeping to the shadows. A soft shimmer of light pulsed briefly near the gate before it swung open without a sound. Magic.

They slipped through and disappeared into the dark forest beyond.

Noel exhaled, low and slow.

’So it’s true. You’re involved in something... and now I have proof.’

He adjusted his cloak and stepped forward, following them into the night.