I Became the Extra the Heroines are Obsessed with

Chapter 2
The Heroines are Strange (2)

『 Translator – Divinity 』

“This is crazy.”

Just where did it all go wrong?

I haven’t done anything, but the story has gone off track, and I have no idea where to even begin fixing it.

“That was definitely…”

After the duel ended, the heroines’ gazes were directed at me.

It was a fleeting moment, but I remember it clearly.

It didn’t feel like a coincidence. Their eyes were focused precisely on me.

“Why? How?”

I had already become acquainted with them.

I intentionally lingered around them for a whole year.

But I hadn’t built up enough familiarity for them to look at me even in such an important setting.

Sylvia might, but the others shouldn’t have.

“Grey did say that.”

Grey, who was called the academy’s information hub because he was always wandering around.

He said that Kunbero had skipped all his classes for a week and had been holed up in the training ground, honing his martial skills.

This was definitely something that shouldn’t have happened.

Kunbero, full of noble pride and arrogance, should have underestimated the protagonist and been soundly beaten.

That’s the original story.

But for him to postpone all classes and gatherings, prioritizing practice despite valuing connections so much…

It didn’t make sense.

‘As if he knew beforehand…’

My head hurts.

The information I knew has already been distorted, so I have no choice but to scrap all the plans I had made and suffer from a mental shutdown.

“I should have noticed it sooner.”

The day the entrance ceremony began.

Things I dismissed as my imagination are coming back to me.

—Uh, uh, Theonar, are you cleaning well?

That blockhead who couldn’t even remember my name for a year suddenly approached me in a friendly manner.

—Kyaaaak! Junior! Something strange is following me!

The person who was more serious about supernatural phenomena than anyone else clung to me in fear because of a single will-o’-the-wisp.

—You have arrived. For our devout believer, we will give you a special baptism today.

They suddenly gave me, a mere commoner, a baptism that even royalty would have to schedule months in advance.

—Theo, teach me this too, and… all of that too.

The person who hated studying theory surprised me by coming in with a year’s worth of private tutoring after just a day or two.

“…They’re all different from the people I knew.”

To be precise, they’re not the people written in the ‘novel’.

Was the novel I read written incorrectly?

Or is it that reality has been guided to align with plausibility?

“Ugh, my head.”

No matter how many hours I rack my brain, nothing clicks.

“Sigh… Let’s calm down for now.”

I understand the situation has changed.

But what should I prioritize?

Of course, it’s raising the protagonist.

If I leave this guy alone, there’s no telling how far he’ll fall.

To kill the final boss, I absolutely need his power, so I have no choice but to take him with me, whether he sinks or swims.

“With the divine blood flowing through his noble body, he mustn’t be broken along the way.”

There’s a reason why the protagonist is the protagonist.

Unless the assumption that he’ll grow on his own like in the novel holds true…

I decided to find ways to raise him like a Daddy Long Legs.

***

After the “Welcome the Newbie” incident, where the freshman dared to challenge a senior student and got a taste of reality, the academy returned to its daily routine.

Originally, there should have been heated debates about how strong the freshman who entered as the top student was, and whether he could even win against a third-year, but…

The current protagonist has become nothing more than a foolish freshman with a big mouth.

‘This is a problem.’

I’ve been thinking about ways to raise the protagonist for days, but nothing promising comes to mind.

‘Should I teach him the techniques he’ll use later in advance?’

The techniques he mainly used in the novel were all incredibly destructive.

To the extent that ordinary people couldn’t even come close.

If I could even remotely imitate them, I would subtly teach him during practice duels or something, but…

‘How can someone ranked 975th do that?’

I’ll be lucky if I don’t become a flailing squid.

“Ugh. Is there any way?”

“Why, do you have something on your mind?”

Sylvia approached me as I was sitting on a bench, muttering to myself and lamenting.

I didn’t even notice her until she was right next to me, her face close to mine, that’s how quietly she approached.

“…You surprised me. It’s nothing.”

“By the way, Theo, why don’t you ask me to study with you anymore?”

“Well, we’ve already covered everything up to the exam, so there’s no need.”

“I still have a lot I don’t know.”

“What are you talking about? You’re already good enough to be in the top ranks.”

She pouted, seemingly dissatisfied with something.

After a while of keeping her lips tightly shut, she suddenly turned her head towards me.

And then…

“Hey, Theo.”

“Yeah?”

She hesitated for a moment, kicking the ground with her foot, then…

“If there was a way to become stronger even at the cost of your lifespan, would you do it?”

She brought up a random topic.

“Well, I guess it depends on the situation.”

“…I see. I wish no one would do that.”

“Huh? Who would do such a foolish thing?”

“There is such a thing. Anyway, I don’t think I’d like the situation itself where someone around me chooses that method.”

To pursue strength at the cost of one’s lifespan…

‘That’s a true badass.’

I don’t know who it is, but they’re amazing.

“Sorry for saying something strange. I’ll get going then. See you next time.”

“Oh, okay, bye.”

[Presence increases.]

[EXP + 1]

‘Hmm, was there someone like that around Sylvia?’

At least in the novel, such a character never appeared.

Did she hear that strange story from somewhere, or is there a behind-the-scenes story that wasn’t in the novel?

“Nevermind. That’s not important right now anyway.”

My head is already complicated enough; I don’t have the capacity to think about other things.

I’ll just look into it later when I have time.

“Ugh, should I go to the temple?”

Today is the day the church provides free meals.

It was a very happy day for me, considering I have nothing.

‘Since I have to spend time around the heroines, I have little time to work.’

Because I had to spend my time hovering around the heroines, I couldn’t even dream of getting a part-time job.

At most, I could only do short-term jobs like helping out at events.

If it weren’t for the money provided by Arcane for maintaining appearances, I would have starved to death long ago.

‘Hard bread and bland soup, but it’s better than nothing.’

The dining hall inside the academy is of such high quality that it rivals most restaurants, but the prices are equally high.

While the noble lords don’t care much, commoners like me shed tears every time we pay for a meal.

“Please line up this way!”

After getting an exit permit and leaving the academy, I walked towards the central district for about 5 minutes. I saw an elderly man in priestly robes running around, organizing people into a line.

‘There are more people than usual today.’

Now that the weather has warmed up, waiting a bit wasn’t a problem, so I obediently stood in line for about 30 minutes.

Finally, when it was my turn…

“…You are believer Theonar, aren’t you? I’m afraid you cannot receive a meal.”

The priest, with a troubled expression, shook his head, saying I couldn’t be served.

“Excuse me? What do you mean? The church, filled with mercy and love, discriminates against people?”

“That’s not it… Sigh, please come this way.”

Heaving a deep sigh as if the ground were about to cave in, he led me past the plaza where the food distribution was taking place and into the temple.

“Why are we…”

“Please enter this room.”

He then pointed to a room used for confession and walked away without any explanation.

Question marks kept swirling in my head, but…

“Wow, what is that smell?”

The enticing aroma of savory oil and stimulating spices drew me in.

Creak.

As I pulled the doorknob, the old hinges greeted me with a scream.

The sight that gradually unfolded before my eyes was so unbelievable that my jaw dropped.

“…”

A feast of delicacies, steaming hot as if freshly made.

The table, laden with all sorts of precious dishes, was truly an unrealistic sight.

‘Why is the church being so extravagant…’

For the church, which leads such a frugal life, serving hard rock-like bread and bland soup, to prepare such a feast…

“Why are you standing there blankly? Please have a seat.”

A calm, gentle, and pleasant voice.

It was coming from beyond the table, from the space blocked by the wall.

‘Ah, right, this is the confessional.’

The workplace of the priests who listen to and encourage those who confess their sins.

“Have you had any problems since you were baptized last time?”

‘That voice is…’

Although I couldn’t see her face, the mention of baptism and the familiar voice…

The face and pride of the Holy Church that serves the Goddess Illea…

“Saintess, nothing in particular has happened…”

It was Saintess Venice.

“Your voice is trembling. Is something troubling you?”

“Not really, but I was wondering what all this is.”

“You were curious about that? It’s nothing special. It’s provided by the temple for our devout believers.”

“But the others-”

“It’s alright. Please eat before it gets cold.”

It’s not provided to everyone, and I’m the only one eating so luxuriously…

An uncomfortable feeling crept up from my toes, but…

‘…How can I refuse this?’

For a year, I ate poorly prepared food.

Most spices were expensive, so it was common for food to have a gamey or fishy smell. Some places even used spoiled ingredients.

‘Back then, I almost died because I had constant stomach troubles.’

My head was signaling that this was wrong, but…

My hands were already charging towards the table.

“Hehe, it makes me happy to see you eat so well.”

Forget about the Saintess or anything else, I was consumed by the thought of devouring those dishes, and I moved my hands without rest.

After finishing the almost frenzied meal…

“You said you were a second-year, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

In line with the purpose of the confessional, I continued a simple conversation with her.

“Are you getting along well with your friends?”

“I don’t have many.”

“Who are you closest to?”

“A kid named Grey… and I also have a friend named Sylvia.”

It’s a place to confess and confide sins, but I had no sins to confess or confide, only food to spill, so I just continued with ordinary everyday stories.

“By any chance, who do you talk to most often?”

“Hmm… Lately, I think I’ve been talking to Sylvia a lot.”

As we were talking smoothly like that…

Grit.

“Like a bitch in heat… No, no, that’s not right. Ahem, I see. It’s good that you’ve made many friends.”

Along with the sound of grinding teeth, her tone of voice suddenly changed.

‘What was that? Did I hear wrong?’

She spoke in a low whisper, so I couldn’t hear what she said, but I definitely felt that the atmosphere was quite different from her usual tone.

“Th-then… who is the friend you spend the most time with…?”

“That would also be Sylvia–”

Crash!

“Acting all demure and innocent… you sly fox…”

“…Excuse me?”

“Hoho, it’s nothing. A sudden urgent matter has come up, so I think we’ll have to end here.”

“Ah, yes.”

At her words, which implied it was time for me to leave, I finished the confession and left the temple.

On the way back to the academy…

“What in the world is going on…”

No matter how much I think about it, I can’t figure out what this sense of incongruity flowing through my body is.

From the day of the duel until today…

The heroines’ words and actions are all suspicious.

Where should I start and end my suspicions?

Who should I investigate?

I couldn’t see any clear solution.

“My head hurts enough thinking about our childish protagonist. Why are you guys doing this too?”