Episode 16: Genre Misunderstanding: An Extra's Survival Story

Episode 16: I’ve Got a Bad Feeling

Even after Abel and Seria had left, Flam and Portus simply remained standing there.

They were the kind of people you’d expect to shout, “Let’s settle this right now!”, at any moment—but not this time.

Right now, all they could think about was the pink-haired girl who had stood so boldly before them moments earlier.

“Hey. Portus Sparrow.”

“What is it, Flam Phoenix?”

“I was planning to settle the score with you today, but the mood’s totally gone. How about we just drop it?”

“Coward. Is what I’d usually say—but just this once, I agree. I’ve lost my steam too. Not really feeling up for a match right now.”

Anyone who knew these two elemental users—one of fire, one of water—would be shocked.

To think they’d reach such a peaceful agreement! Even when they agreed on something, it was customary for them to argue at least once unless the sky itself split in half. But this? This was unprecedented.

With their eyes avoiding each other, Flam crossed his arms and Portus rubbed his chin.

The more they thought about it, the stranger they felt.

At first, they were stunned. But now… their hearts were pounding.

No one had ever stood up to them like that before. Just thinking of that Seria girl, standing proud and resolute, stirred admiration in them.

‘At first, it was her bold tone that got to me…’

‘But looking back—have I ever seen a woman that beautiful?’

They were rivals who usually kept each other at arm’s length.

And yet right now, they shared the exact same thoughts, as if they were of one mind.

If either of them had realized this, they would’ve probably thrown fire and water at each other in disgust.

“Arsonist.”

After a long silence, still lost in thoughts of Seria, Portus suddenly spoke as if something occurred to him.

“I’ve got something I want to ask you.”

“If it’s something stupid, you’re dead. If it’s weird, you’re dead.”

“Just listen, alright? …Did you get one too?”

Get what? Flam was about to snap back—until his eyes narrowed.

He had caught on to what Portus meant with that oddly specific question.

“…Wait, you too?”

“Looks like we both got one.”

A letter, addressed to them personally.

At first, it seemed like just another attempt at political flattery.

But inside was something else entirely:

[Those who do not rise for the chosen shall be buried with the discarded.]

“Those damn superiority freaks. They’ve lost their minds.”

“I usually hate your phrasing, but I agree this time. They’re absolutely insane.”

The senders of the letters were rogue ability users—ones who had turned their backs on society.

Just as there are good and evil people in the world, so too are there good and evil ability users.

Some used their powers for crime. Others called themselves prophets and started bizarre cults.

But the worst of them all were the ability supremacists.

They called themselves the “chosen,” and saw non-ability users as trash to be culled.

They believed that the powerless should be ruled over by the strong—and eventually broke away from their nations and families to form their own organization.

These supremacists didn’t just attack ordinary people; they went after any ability user who disagreed with them.

Claiming that “betrayers of their destiny deserve only death,” they resorted to assassination, terrorism, and every tactic imaginable to spread chaos.

Their ultimate goal was to create a so-called utopia—where ability users ruled and the powerless were subjugated.

“No matter how deranged they are, sending death threats to top-ranked ability users is a new low.

Do they seriously think we’ll get scared and join them?”

“They’re idiots—wouldn’t be surprised if that’s exactly what they believe.”

Maybe it started with big dreams, but now their ideas only inspired hatred.

There aren’t that many ability users to begin with, and even they often have powerless family members.

There’s no way their beliefs could ever succeed. To cling to it so desperately meant their brains had to be scrambled—that much, Flam and Portus were sure of.

“There are probably others among the freshmen who received one of those death threats too.”

“You don’t think they’ll target the Academy itself, do you?

I mean, even crazy bastards wouldn’t—KRAAAGH! What the hell!?”

A bucket of cold water was dumped over Flam’s head mid-sentence.

“Ever heard the saying, Don’t tempt fate with reckless words?

You keep talking like that, and you’ll invite disaster.”

“You seriously splashed me?! You wanna go, huh?”

“Thought you’d never ask. Come at me, you arsonist demolition freak.”

“Alright then. Let’s end this today!”

And just like that, the two rivals were back at it again.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Despite half the training hall wall being blown out, the Academy remained perfectly calm—like nothing had happened.

That’s the Continental Academy for you. This is an ability-user world.

Anywhere else, in any other world, there’d be international outrage over what just happened.

“Pretty impressive, don’t you think, sis? I’d heard stories, but seeing it with my own eyes is different.”

It was Abel’s first weekend since entering the Academy.

He was now meeting with his older sister, Lumine, who had arrived earlier.

“Really? I think you’re the impressive one.”

“…Sorry?”

“You fought off some second-year bullies on your first day. You held your own against the sons of Lord Phoenix and Master Sparrow. And you even beat your own upperclassman peer in a duel, didn’t you?”

He wasn’t exactly the talk of the student body—not officially.

But among those who knew, his name had started to spread.

After all, it’s no small feat for a first-year to completely dominate a third-year in a duel.

“I figured Senior Haim went easy on me since I’m a new student.”

“Not a chance. If it’s the Haim Warhess I know, he doesn’t do ‘going easy.’

If it’s a duel, he’ll always try to win—no matter who he’s up against.”

“Really?”

Lumine didn’t say it out loud, but she knew something else about Haim’s personality—

He absolutely couldn’t tolerate having his position shaken.

At first, he was ahead during their entrance evaluations,

But when Lumine later surpassed her in grades, Haim stopped seeing her as a peer and started treating her almost like a rival.

What’s more, Haim was from the Kingdom of Ragem,

While Abel was from the Kingdom of Ascal—so the idea of her “going easy” on him was laughable.

Every time something made the news back home, it always began with “Ragem and Ascal clashed again…”

To expect upperclassmen kindness in that situation? Impossible.

“Anyway, have you given it any thought?”

“You mean about joining a club?”

“Yup. Now that the semester’s started, second-years are going to start recruiting you freshmen into clubs.”

Abel tapped the table with his fingers, looking unsure.

A club, huh?

To be honest, he didn’t really want to waste his precious time on something like that.

It wasn’t like lectures, where you actually learned something useful.

But it also wasn’t as short and easygoing as a break, either.

“Judging by that look on your face, you’re not too thrilled.”

“That’s not true, sis.”

“Oh, please. I can practically see you grumbling, ‘What a waste of time!’”

“….”

She hit the mark so perfectly that he couldn’t even deny it.

All he could do was scratch the back of his head awkwardly while Lumine smiled and gave his shoulder a pat.

“Just like how rest is important during training, taking a mental break is also important in learning, Abel.

Club activities are how burnt-out students regain their sense of balance—and a great way to form new connections.”

“….”

“I know the senior-junior dynamics are still new to you, but it’ll definitely help.

Even if there’s no huge benefit, there’s nothing to lose either.”

After thinking a bit, Abel finally brought up the one thing bothering him most.

“Well, I understand what you’re saying to some extent. I’m sure club activities offer some value.”

“Right?”

“But I was thinking more along the lines of something like a swordsmanship club. Or a physical training club. But the club you’re running, sis, is…”

“What? What’s wrong with my club?”

The club Lumine managed was, quite surprisingly, a performance club.

It wasn’t the kind of club where you got special one-on-one training or advice from upperclassmen.

All they did was help out with various performances during school festivals or events.

“It might not look like much, but it’s actually worthwhile. I used my ability to produce all kinds of light effects for performances. It gave me tons of experience with ability control.”

“But that’s you, sis.”

“Also, the performance club always participates in festivals and events within the academy.

That means you get to meet a ton of students, faculty, and even outside guests.”

“…Oh.”

That last part caught Abel’s attention—being able to build relationships with many ability users.

That was definitely appealing.

It might not directly involve combat training, but it was still a major advantage.

“Or, you could always go with something more low-key. Like a baking club, or gardening, or even the reading club.”

“Why those?”

“Well, a lot of people think like you do. They don’t want club activities to eat up too much of their time. So they choose ones that are low-maintenance and easygoing.”

So? What are you going to do?

It’d be good to decide ahead of time.

Thinking over Lumine’s advice, Abel decided to go with the most sensible answer.

“I’ll think on it a little more, sis.”

Sometimes, taking a step back when you’re unsure isn’t a bad choice.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

One hour later.

“Abel-nim, have you decided on a club yet?”

This time, Seria had come to ask him about club activities.

“Not really. I haven’t made up my mind just yet.”

“I see… then, um… would you consider joining the gardening club?”

“Gardening? Oh, right. You’ve always had a connection with flowers, haven’t you?”

“You remembered.”

“Of course. Your stories about your family and hometown left a deep impression on me.”

A gentle smile appeared on Seria’s lips for a moment—

Probably because thinking about her family put her in a good mood.

Seeing that, Abel seriously considered joining the gardening club.

‘Tending flowers and grass doesn’t sound all that exciting, but…

A quiet club like that probably won’t have too many people.

If there’s nothing going on, I could even squeeze in some training during club time.’

If I have to join one, better to pick something peaceful.

Besides, since he’d be training with Seria anyway, sharing a club with her didn’t seem like a bad idea.

“Cultivating flowers and trees to strengthen the mind doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Sounds good.”

To become a great ability user, it wasn’t just the body that had to be strong—the mind needed to be, too.

After all, there were ability users who could manipulate a person’s thoughts or emotions.

So Abel decided he might as well take this opportunity to train his inner peace and mental focus.

With that in mind, he gladly chose to submit the application form for the gardening club.

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