The Extra's Rise
Chapter 594 - 594: Meilyn Potan (1)

After I finished the integration with Valeria, I had just a few days left before the end of winter break. I ended up spending most of my winter break in the Western Continent, but it had been necessary for my advancement—creating a symbiotic Ancient Undead wasn't exactly something I could have accomplished anywhere else. The time investment had been worth every moment.

Surprisingly—or perhaps unsurprisingly, given how this winter break had developed—another invitation arrived while I was spending time with Kali at one of the capital's quieter cafés. Jin was occupied with royal duties now that his parents had returned, leaving us to enjoy a rare moment of relaxation after the intensity of the past week.

"Oh, Meilyn Potan is inviting me," I said absentmindedly as I read through the formal letter that had just been delivered. "I should visit her."

The words had barely left my mouth when Kali's coffee cup froze halfway to her lips. For a moment, she stared at me with an expression of pure disbelief. Then she inhaled sharply, choked on her coffee, and proceeded to spray it across the table in a spectacular display of shock.

Luna immediately conjured a small wind barrier to deflect the spray away from me.

'Well, that's certainly a reaction,' Luna's mental voice carried obvious amusement.

"Wait, wait, wait," Kali said, setting down her cup with shaking hands and raising both palms toward me as if trying to physically stop my words. "Grand Marshal Meilyn Potan? The second strongest person on the continent? The Scythe Sage? The Death Dancer? She wants to see you?"

I narrowed my eyes slightly, a bit annoyed by her tone. "I saved her life, you know."

The reminder of my encounter with the Axe King two years ago—when I'd made that fateful deal to duel him in eight years' time—seemed to do nothing to diminish Kali's shock. If anything, her eyes grew wider.

'Wait, that was two years ago,' I realized with a start. 'So around six years left until that duel.'

"You..." Kali began, then stopped, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "You actually... with Grand Marshal Potan... the legendary..."

I watched with growing bewilderment as Kali—the same Kali who had confidently negotiated with royal representatives, who had faced down dangerous magical situations with unflappable composure, who had never shown anything but cool professionalism in every circumstance I'd witnessed—began to completely fall apart at the mere mention of Meilyn's name.

"She's incredible," Kali breathed, her eyes taking on a starry quality that was deeply unsettling to witness. "The way she combines necromancy with close-combat scythe work is absolutely revolutionary. Her tactical innovations during the Border Wars were pure genius. And her scythe techniques—oh gods, her scythe techniques are like watching death itself dance."

I blinked. Then blinked again. "Kali, are you... fangirling right now?"

"I am not fangirling," she said immediately, though the bright flush creeping up her neck rather contradicted her words. "I'm simply expressing professional admiration for someone who has achieved mastery in multiple disciplines simultaneously."

"Uh-huh." I leaned back in my chair, trying to process this bizarre character shift. "And the fact that you just called her techniques 'death dancing' is purely professional admiration?"

"Death dancing is a legitimate tactical classification," Kali insisted, though her voice had gone up about an octave. "Grand Marshal Potan pioneered the integration of necromantic energy manipulation with traditional scythe combat forms. She can channel death magic through her weapon while maintaining perfect blade work, creating a fighting style that's both beautiful and absolutely devastating."

'This is fascinating,' Luna observed with obvious delight. 'I don't think I've ever seen such a dramatic personality shift. Meilyn certainly has that effect on people—though I have to say, her reputation is well-deserved.'

"Meilyn Potan is the Grand Marshal of the Western Continental Defense Forces," I explained aloud, as if thinking through the details myself. "She has distinctive cyan hair and golden eyes, uses necromancy but fights with a scythe at close range. Two years ago, I helped her survive an encounter with the Axe King. I got the Star of Valor for that."

I watched in growing horror as Kali pulled out her phone and began scrolling through what appeared to be saved articles and images. "Look, this is from her demonstration at the Continental Symposium three years ago. This is the tactical formation she developed for dealing with large-scale undead incursions completely changed standard military doctrine."

"Kali," I said slowly, "how long have you been... studying her work?"

"Since I was fifteen," she replied without thinking, then immediately flushed an even deeper red as she realized what she'd just admitted. "For purely academic reasons. Professional development. Strategic analysis."

"Right. Professional development." I looked at the phone screen she was enthusiastically showing me, which displayed what appeared to be a compilation of Meilyn's most impressive combat moments. "And you just happened to have all of this saved on your phone for easy reference."

"Information management is important for any serious dark mage," Kali said defensively, though she was now holding the phone protectively against her chest as if I might try to see how extensive her collection actually was.

'Arthur,' Luna said with barely contained laughter, 'I think you've discovered that your cool, professional associate has a very human weakness for hero worship. Though I have to admit, Meilyn does inspire that kind of reaction wherever she goes.'

"Hero worship," I whispered under my breath

"She's not my hero," Kali protested. "She's just... an exemplary practitioner whose techniques I happen to admire. Professionally."

"Of course," I agreed solemnly. "Very professional. That's why you're currently clutching your phone like it contains sacred texts."

Kali looked down at her protective grip on the device and immediately forced herself to place it casually on the table, though I noticed she positioned it so the screen wasn't visible to me.

"So," she said, clearly trying to regain her composure, "what does Grand Marshal Potan want to discuss with you?"

I glanced back at the invitation, which was written on official military stationary with elegant script that suggested personal attention rather than bureaucratic formality. "She mentions wanting to follow up on our previous meeting and discuss some matters of mutual interest. It's fairly vague, but given that she's inviting me to her private residence rather than an official venue, I suspect it's more personal than professional."

"Her private residence," Kali repeated faintly. "You're going to visit Grand Marshal Meilyn Potan at her personal home."

"That appears to be what the invitation suggests, yes."

Kali was quiet for a long moment, staring at the invitation with an expression that cycled through envy, awe, and something that might have been existential crisis.

"Can I come with you?" she asked finally, her voice carefully controlled but carrying an undercurrent of desperate hope.

I raised an eyebrow. "That would depend on whether you can manage to act like a normal person instead of a starstruck fan."

"I am not starstruck," Kali said with as much dignity as she could muster. "I simply have deep professional respect for her achievements and would appreciate the opportunity to observe her techniques firsthand. For educational purposes."

"Educational purposes," I repeated skeptically.

"Completely educational. I would be the model of professional decorum."

'This should be interesting,' Luna observed. 'I give her about thirty seconds before she starts asking for autographs. Meilyn usually handles admirers with good humor, but this level of enthusiasm might even surprise her.'

I looked at my friend—this competent, intelligent woman who had helped me navigate complex magical and political situations—as she tried to convince me that her obvious hero worship was merely academic interest. The contrast between her usual composed demeanor and her current barely-contained excitement was both amusing and oddly endearing.

"Fine," I said eventually. "You can come. But if you embarrass me by asking her to demonstrate the 'death dancing' techniques you were gushing about, I'm leaving you there."

"I do not gush," Kali said firmly, though the smile that spread across her face rather undermined her attempt at dignity. "And I won't embarrass you. I'll be completely professional. You won't even know I'm there."

'Famous last words,' Luna commented dryly. 'Though I have to say, I'm looking forward to seeing how Meilyn reacts to having such an enthusiastic admirer.'

As I folded the invitation and tucked it away, I reflected on how this winter break had consistently exceeded my expectations in every possible way. Creating a symbiotic Ancient Undead, gaining royal backing for revolutionary research, and now apparently taking my secretly-fangirling friend to meet her idol.

At least life was never boring.

"So when do we leave?" Kali asked, her voice carefully casual but her eyes bright with anticipation.

"Tomorrow morning," I replied. "And Kali? Maybe leave the phone collection at home."

The slight deflation in her expression suggested that she had, in fact, been planning to bring additional reference materials.

This was going to be interesting indeed.

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