Chronicles of Forgotten Extra

Alden let out a big yawn as he stood at the edge of the conference hall, doing what he called "networking with thin air."

After all, nobody really tried talking to him.

He had hidden most of his power, partly because he didn't care and partly to avoid the "He seems strong, I shall fight him!" kind of cliché.

He already had enough people wanting him dead. He didn't need to add more overconfident young masters to that list.

But there was one small problem.

His clothes.

While most of the students wore their neat academy uniforms, Alden had strolled in wearing a plain black tee and jeans.

In his defence, the message hadn't mentioned anything about a dress code.

Still… he hoped—no, prayed—that the universe would show mercy this once.

That no young master would decide to make a scene just because he hadn't worn formal clothes.

But, as they say, the universe can never truly love anyone.

Because right when Alden thought he had managed to avoid all the young masters… a deep voice echoed through the air.

"So this is how Noaxvalen trains its top students?"

The air shifted.

Conversations halted mid-sentence. Most of the students turned their heads toward the source of the disturbance.

Alden didn't even need to look.

He could already feel the waves of pride radiating through the room.

What did I expect?

With his cursed luck, not rage-baiting a young master just by existing would've been the weird part.

He finally turned his head to see a tall boy walking toward him. He had brown hair like a lion's mane and golden eyes gleaming with that trademark young-master superiority.

Behind him walked a blue-haired woman, her tail swaying in rhythm with each step. Her chest, too in love with gravity for its own good, bounced with every motion.

And, of course they had to be some background characters.

"Tell me, human," The beastman boy said, his tone dripping with contempt, "is Noaxvalen so poor that its students can't even afford proper clothes for an official gathering?"

Alden blinked.

Damn. Even his speech pattern was cliché.

But he didn't say it out loud, instead he considered his options.

The first option was obviously to ignore the guy.

He thought about it for a moment… then mentally crossed it out.

From the way the beastman acted and spoke, he was definitely the type to shout something like "You dare court death!"and attack him the moment he stayed silent.

The second option was to reply sarcastically, maybe crack a joke to lighten the mood a little.

But even that was impossible.

The guy looked like the type who took fairy tales at face value, let alone jokes.

The final option was simple, subdue the boy before he could utter another word.

Quick and efficient.

That way, he could save himself the trouble and maybe even excuse himself from this so-called "meet-up."

But while Alden was busy weighing his options, Fenric didn't take it kindly.

To him, the human's silence wasn't thoughtfulness, it was mockery.

He felt ignored and dismissed.

As if the boy standing before him was making fun of him without saying a single word.

Without a warning, Fenric lunged forward, his fist pulled back, muscles coiling with explosive force.

Beside him, Rexica flinched at her lord's sudden movement but she didn't say a word.

She simply watched.

She was just a shadow who was to assist her lord after all.

—

Meanwhile, Alden stared at the incoming fist.

Another option popped into his mind.

What if I just take this punch and apologize? Wouldn't that solve everything? It definitely would.

…But did he have even the slightest intention of doing so?

Nope.

Sure, Alden found it inconvenient to attract useless hate from wannabes but that didn't mean he would ever kneel to them.

He was a prideful man. The kind who would rather die than bow before anyone… even if that someone were a god.

So how could he possibly submit to some nameless guy?

He didn't move. He simply waited, letting the fist inch closer… closer…

Then, with a small sigh, Alden extended his hand and caught it with ease.

A burst of air rippled through the room, the shockwave sharp enough to rattle nearby chairs, a clear testament to the sheer force behind the punch.

Alden didn't even flinch.

"I didn't know Beastmen had a tradition of greeting others so violently," he said, smiling faintly at Fenric, who was now struggling to pull his fist free.

—

Fenric's expression twisted in frustration as he tried to pull his fist free but it wouldn't budge.

No matter how much strength he poured into his arm, it was like his hand had been caught in an unbreakable chain.

And then he felt it.

A suffocating pressure bleeding out from the boy in front of him.

The pressure he hadn't felt before.

It wasn't visible but his beastly instincts screamed in warning.

Fenric's breath turned rough.

His muscles tensed, refusing to obey him.

For the first time in years, his instincts urged him not to fight.

The boy in front of him didn't move much, he simply smiled and raised a hand toward Fenric's face.

But before the hand could even touch him… something shifted.

A single drop of blood splattered onto the floor.

The boy had already stepped back, an amused smile curling on his lips.

Standing between them now was the blue-haired girl—Rexica—her expression neutral.

—

Alden eyes scanned the girl in amusement.

A small cut marked his index finger, nothing serious, just a thin red line.

How did she do it?

He had only meant to scare the beastman boy but the girl… she had appeared out of nowhere.

It was almost as if she had stepped between dimensions, slipping through reality itself.

And the most impressive part? Alden hadn't even sensed her. Not her movement or her intent until the moment she attacked.

Still, he had reacted fast, purely on instinct.

Her attack had been aimed to slice through his arm completely, yet he had walked away with only a shallow cut on his finger.

He had deflected the blow at perfect movement using nothing but his index finger, coated in a thin layer of mana.

He didn't spare the small cut a second thought, it vanished almost instantly as his light mana began its work.

Instead, only one question echoed in his mind.

Who is she?

…and why does she feel so familiar?