An Extra’s Rise in an Eroge

[Quite the show you put on back there,] Sol chimed, her voice laced with amusement as her laughter echoed in my mind.

'What show? You know it wasn't intentional,' I shot back, irritation creeping into my tone.

[Well, you should've thought about that before commanding her to show what she's capable of. And, let's face it, she did exactly what you asked,] Sol teased, clearly enjoying herself.

'How was I supposed to know that even a young thunderbird could be so… "capable"?' I retorted defensively.

[Hah~ Thunderbirds are SS-class beasts for a reason,] Sol replied, her tone turning slightly serious. [They're born with dominion over thunder. Even a young one can wreak havoc. You're just lucky she had no intention of harming you—otherwise, we'd be having a very different conversation.]

'Well… I'm grateful for that,' I muttered, my hand gently rubbing my familiar's head. She chirped softly, tilting her head to look at me with curious eyes. 'I wonder just how powerful she'll become when she grows up.'

[Seems like spending 20,000 EP was worth it, then,] Sol added casually.

Her words stopped me in my tracks. 'Wait. What do you mean, 20,000 EP? When did I spend 20,000 EP on her?'

[Oh, the potion you used on her this morning? That was 20,000 EP,] she said, as if it were no big deal.

"What?!" I exclaimed aloud, drawing stares from nearby students. They exchanged confused looks before hastily glancing away, clearly trying to avoid getting involved.

[Calm down,] Sol said, though her tone lacked any real concern.

I hurriedly walked away from the field, escaping the awkward stares. 'Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down? You know how much I need points right now! And now you're just burning through them!'

[Hey, don't blame me. You're the one who said, "Give the best you have." So I did. That potion was a top-grade healing potion—powerful enough to save someone on the brink of death. You saw the results yourself, didn't you?]

"Yes…" I admitted reluctantly, slumping in defeat. 'How many points do I have left now?'

[Let's see. Before all this, you had 657,000 EP and 97,000 FP. After your "eventful" evening with the warden and your maid, you earned an extra 46,000 EP and 4,000 FP. Subtracting today's expenses, you're left with 683,000 EP and 101,000 FP.]

'Sigh. I've got a long way to go,' I said, utterly dejected.

"Hey, Arthur! What are you doing here all by yourself?" a cheerful voice called out, breaking me from my thoughts.

I looked up to see Alicia walking toward me, her usual bright energy lifting the heavy atmosphere. "Nothing. Just sitting," I replied with a half-hearted shrug.

"Weren't you supposed to be in Beast Taming class right now?" she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Yeah, but it ended abruptly because of this little troublemaker," I said, gesturing to thunderbird perched proudly on my shoulder.

"Ooh~ how cute!" Alicia cooed, her eyes lighting up as she reached out to pet her.

"No, don't touch her! She doesn't like strang—" Before I could finish, the thunderbird hopped onto Alicia's outstretched hand, chirping happily.

"Hah! What were you saying?" Alicia teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh… nothing," I muttered, watching in disbelief as it nuzzled against Alicia's hand.

"I think she likes me," Alicia said with a bright smile.

"Well, we have that in common," I said smoothly, slipping an arm around her waist.

Her cheeks flushed a soft pink, but she didn't pull away. "So, is this your new familiar?" she asked, her voice softer now.

"Yes. She's a thunderbird. Don't be fooled by her cute appearance, though. She just wreaked havoc in the Beast Training grounds, forcing the class to end early," I explained.

"I don't think she'll hurt me," Alicia said confidently. As if understanding her words, she nodded her head, chirping in agreement.

"See? She agrees," Alicia said with a laugh. "So, what's her name?"

I scratched my head awkwardly. "She doesn't have one yet. She's rejected every name I've suggested so far. She seems to hate my naming sense"

"Well, that's not surprising, your naming sense has always been terrible," Alicia quipped with a grin. She looked at Zephyra thoughtfully. "Would you like me to name you?"

The thunderbird tilted her head, then chirped and nodded eagerly.

"Alright," Alicia said, her brow furrowing slightly as she thought. After a moment, her face lit up. "How about Zephyra?"

The thunderbird chirped excitedly, hopping closer to Alicia as if to show her approval.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Excellent name, Alicia," I said, genuinely impressed. "She seems to love it, too." Zephyra rubbed her head affectionately against Alicia's palm, and through our bond, I could feel her joy. She truly adored the name.

"Alright then. From now on, you're Zephyra," I said with a smile.

Zephyra let out a happy trill, her wings fluttering slightly as she soared into the sky, making a graceful circle before perching back on my head. Her feathers crackled faintly with residual energy, and she seemed thoroughly pleased with herself.

"I want a familiar too," Alicia said wistfully, watching Zephyra with a soft smile.

I chuckled. "Jealous already? Well, if you're serious, I could make some arrangements."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yes, really," I said with a grin. "It's not that hard if you know where to look."

Alicia tilted her head thoughtfully, then smiled. "I'd like that. Having a companion like Zephyra would be amazing."

A quick glance at my watch reminded me of my schedule. With a sigh, I stood up. "Alright, I have to get going. Alchemy class starts soon, and I can't afford to be late." Continue reading stories on empire

"Uh~ So soon? I wanted to play with Zephyra a little more," Alicia pouted, crossing her arms.

"Well, if you want, you can take care of her for a while. I doubt she'd enjoy being cooped up in a classroom with me for the next few hours," I said, looking at Zephyra.

"Really?" Alicia's face brightened as she turned to Zephyra. "What do you think, Zephyra? Would you like to come with me? I'll introduce you to my friends. You'll love them."

Zephyra looked back and forth between me and Alicia for a moment, then let out a soft chirp before hopping onto Alicia's shoulder. She nestled there comfortably, chirping in agreement.

"Yay~ Let's go!" Alicia exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over. She turned back to me briefly. "Thanks, Arthur! I'll take good care of her."

I smiled. "Just don't spoil her too much."

Alicia giggled. "No promises!" With that, she darted off, already chatting to Zephyra as if they were old friends.

I watched them disappear into the distance, shaking my head with a small smile. "Well, I should get going too," I muttered, turning toward the path that led to my next destination, Alchemy class.

I entered the alchemy classroom, and the scent of herbs and various magical ingredients greeted my senses. The room was spacious, with long wooden tables arranged in rows, each equipped with a variety of glass vials, cauldrons, and intricate tools. The walls were adorned with shelves holding an array of herbs, roots, and exotic components, each labeled meticulously.

At the front of the room stood the professor, a woman with an air of eccentricity about her. Her hair was a vibrant shade of indigo, cascading down her back in unruly waves. Her attire was equally eclectic—layers of mismatched clothing that seemed to reflect her unique personality. Strands of beads adorned her neck, producing soft clinks as she moved.

"Welcome, students, to the art of potion making!" she exclaimed with enthusiasm, her voice carrying a musical lilt. "I am Professor Layla, and I shall be your guide through this fascinating journey of concoctions and elixirs."

Her enthusiasm was contagious, and the class listened attentively as she explained the basics of potion making—the delicate balance of ingredients, the importance of intention, and the significance of timing. Even those who might have initially been disinterested found themselves drawn into her world of magical brews.

"Today, we shall delve into the realm of healing potions," Professor Layla announced, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Healing potions, as many of you know, are a fundamental part of any mage's arsenal. They mend wounds, cure ailments, and restore vitality."

She turned to the cauldron before her and began demonstrating the meticulous process of creating a basic healing potion. She crushed herbs with practiced precision, added a droplet of moonwater, and carefully placed a sliver of sunstone into the simmering mixture. The potion glowed briefly before settling into a soft, soothing shade of blue.

"Now, your task is to replicate this potion," Professor Layla instructed, her gaze sweeping across the room. "And as we have fewer cauldrons, you will work in pairs. Precision is key. Each ingredient has its purpose, and even a slight deviation can lead to... interesting results."

A murmur rippled through the students as they began pairing up and moving toward the tables. I couldn't help but smile at the mixture of excitement and nervousness in the room. This was going to be an interesting class.