The Extra is a Genius!? - Chapter 425

Chapter 425: Chapter 425: Reunion
The following morning, the Thorne estate lay quiet beneath the pale light of dawn. Smoke still rose faintly from the cracked stones, and the scent of ash lingered in the cold air. The soldiers moved slowly, exhausted yet determined to restore order to the once-proud mansion.

Two carriages stopped before the main gate — black and silver, their doors marked with the imperial crest of Valor. From the first stepped Seraphina of Valor, her pale pink hair flowing freely, tied loosely with a single dark ribbon. Her gaze swept across the courtyard with composed precision, eyes a striking shade between blue and silver that seemed to reflect every scar of the battle. Even surrounded by ruin, her presence brought a quiet gravity.

Behind her came King Alveron IV, his tall figure unmistakable. His golden hair, tied neatly at the nape of his neck, caught the dim sunlight, and his crimson eyes glowed faintly beneath his calm expression. Though he said nothing at first, the sheer weight of his presence silenced the courtyard.

Albrecht waited to receive them, his posture formal despite the fatigue lining his face. He bowed deeply, one hand resting over his chest.

“Your Majesty. Princess Seraphina. It is an honor to have you here.”

Alveron’s gaze moved over the ruined walls, the soldiers, the wounded. His tone was level — neither cold nor warm. “I’ve heard the reports. The attack was unexpected.”

“Yes,” Albrecht answered. “It was.”

The king turned slightly, his red eyes landing on him again. “Your soldiers say the defense was led by your daughter — Sylvette Thorne. Is that true?”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Albrecht’s mouth. “Yes, Your Majesty. She did well — far beyond what I expected. But she was not alone. My sons Noel, Damon, and Kael all stood their ground. They fought together, and without them, the estate would have fallen.”

Seraphina’s gaze softened for a moment, though her tone remained formal. “Then House Thorne owes its survival to more than one hand. Valor will be pleased to hear of such unity.”

Albrecht inclined his head. “They did what was necessary. Nothing more.”

Alveron’s expression didn’t change. He studied the man for a moment longer, then looked toward the horizon where the first light of morning touched the broken towers. “Then let’s discuss what happened here — in full.”

He started toward the hall, and Seraphina followed beside him, her presence composed yet quietly observant. Behind them, the Thorne soldiers bowed once more, their movements steady despite the fatigue that still clung to every breath.

When the formalities ended, Seraphina excused herself politely from the discussion with her father and Albrecht. Her steps echoed through the cracked marble hall until she emerged into the open courtyard again — where Noel and the others waited.

The faint wind tugged at her hair as she smiled, the steel from before melting into warmth. “It’s been a while,” she said softly, her tone carrying a gentler cadence now that the royal formality had lifted. “I wish our reunion had been under better circumstances.”

Elyra was the first to approach her. “You came all the way here yourself, Seraphina?

“Of course,” Seraphina replied with a light shrug. “When I heard what happened, I left before my father could stop me. He’s still not pleased about that, by the way.”

That earned a faint smile from Noel. “You’ve always had a habit of doing what you want.”

Seraphina crossed her arms with a teasing look. “And you’ve always had a habit of attracting chaos. Some things don’t change.”

The group laughed quietly — a brief, fragile comfort amid the ruin. But Seraphina’s gaze softened again as she looked at each of them in turn — Selene’s calm eyes, Elena’s sharp composure, Elyra’s steady poise, and Charlotte’s faint but kind smile. “I’m glad you’re all alive,” she said. “When I heard about the attack, I feared the worst.”

Before Noel could answer, a voice brushed against her mind.

‘She worries too much, doesn’t she?’

Seraphina froze, blinking once. Her head turned slightly toward Noir, who sat beside Noel, tail lazily flicking. “…Did you just—?”

Noel smirked a little. “Yeah. She talks. Or, well—thinks.”

Noir yawned, unimpressed. ‘I prefer communicating with people who don’t panic.’

To everyone’s surprise, Seraphina chuckled. “I see your manners haven’t improved, Noir.”

‘Nor have yours, princess,’ Noir replied dryly.

The others exchanged surprised looks, but the moment somehow felt… normal. Familiar, even. For a brief instant, the weight of everything that had happened seemed lighter.

Seraphina finally exhaled and smiled again, softer this time. “It’s good to see you all together. You look tired — but stronger.” Her eyes lingered on Noel for a beat longer than the others. “You especially.”

Noel tilted his head. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It was,” she said, and her expression turned faintly mischievous. “Though I suppose I’ll have to make sure you’re not breaking any more hearts before we talk business.”

Elyra rolled her eyes with an amused sigh. “Here we go…”

Seraphina’s teasing grin lingered for a heartbeat before fading into something more measured. She clasped her hands behind her back and looked toward the damaged courtyard — the collapsed columns, the bloodstained stone, the silent rows of exhausted soldiers. “Jokes aside,” she murmured, “this place… it’s worse than I expected.”

Noel followed her gaze. “You should’ve seen it a few hours ago.”

“I heard,” Seraphina replied softly. “Two Pillars. Both dead.” She turned back toward him. “You fought again, didn’t you?”

He hesitated before nodding once. “We all did.”

She exhaled slowly, her tone quieter now. “I don’t know how you keep doing it. Every time I hear your name, it’s because you’ve walked through something no one else would survive.”

“That’s kind of how my life works now,” he said dryly.

Her lips twitched faintly, but her eyes didn’t lose their concern. “You know, if you keep this up, the Academy might start naming buildings after you.”

Elyra smirked. “Or a graveyard.”

Selene sighed. “Elyra…”

“What? I’m just being realistic,” Elyra replied with a shrug.

Seraphina shook her head lightly, an amused sound escaping her. “Still the same group.” Then, her tone shifted again — calm, authoritative. “But in all seriousness, I need to know exactly what happened. My father will expect a report before he makes any decision.”

Noel nodded. “We can talk inside. It’s a long story.”

As they began to walk toward the inner hall, Seraphina slowed her pace beside him, lowering her voice so only he could hear. “Before that… one question.”

He glanced at her. “What is it?”

She smiled faintly, but her eyes were sharp. “If you ever hurt my best friend, I’ll personally make sure you regret it.”

Noel blinked. “You mean Elyra?”

“Of course,” Seraphina said, tone matter-of-fact. “She may be stubborn, but I trust her judgment. If she trusts you — then I do too. But if you betray it…” Her smile widened slightly, though her voice stayed calm. “Well, you’ll find out why they call me the Iron Rose of Valor.”

Noir’s voice echoed faintly in Noel’s head, half amused. ‘You attract dangerous women, Dad.’

‘Yeah,’ he thought back, suppressing a sigh, ‘I’ve noticed.’

They entered the corridor side by side, the echo of Seraphina’s calm footsteps mixing with the murmur of distant soldiers.

Inside the great hall, the air was cooler — faintly tinted with the metallic scent of dust and old stone. The vast chamber was alive again with activity: healers tending to the wounded, soldiers repairing cracks with faint glows of earth magic, and aides documenting the aftermath of the attack.

Noel, Seraphina, and the others entered quietly, their boots echoing softly across the marble.

Selene’s eyes swept over the room, analytical as ever. “Efficient recovery,” she murmured. “Even after a siege, they’re rebuilding faster than most cities would.”

“That’s House Thorne,” Seraphina replied. “They’ve endured too many wars to be caught unprepared.”

Elena crossed her arms, her tone neutral but respectful. “Still, it’s impressive. I expected more chaos.”

Seraphina smiled faintly. “You’d be surprised what discipline looks like under my father’s gaze.”

Charlotte, who had been quiet since the morning, finally spoke. Her voice was softer than usual, hesitant. “Is the Church… aware of what happened here?”

Seraphina turned to her gently. “Not yet. My father intends to control the information before panic spreads. If word gets out about the enemies striking again, it’ll cause unrest.”

Charlotte nodded slowly, her eyes lowering. “That might be for the best…”

Selene shot Noel a sidelong glance. “You’re unusually quiet.”

He gave a half-shrug. “I’m thinking.”

“About what?” Elena asked, tilting her head slightly.

“About how long we have before the next disaster,” he said dryly.

That earned him a faint glare from Elyra. “You could try being optimistic for once.”

“I’ll work on it,” Noel muttered.

Seraphina watched the exchange with mild amusement before clearing her throat, the professionalism returning to her tone. “If you’re all finished bickering, I’ll need to report everything to my father soon. I want your version of the events first.”

Noel nodded, stepping closer to the large map sprawled across the war table. His gloved finger traced the outline of the surrounding territory — from the Thorne estate to the scorched ridges where the battle had taken place. “Two Pillars,” he began evenly. “Both confirmed dead. The third party that intervened wasn’t identified. They took something from the ruins — a relic the Thornes were protecting.”

Seraphina’s eyes narrowed slightly. “A relic?”

Noel hesitated — just a breath, but enough for her to notice. His gaze dropped to the map again before he answered, tone careful. “Yeah. Something old… and important. I don’t know if I’m allowed to talk about it.”

Her expression shifted, curiosity flickering behind her composed calm. “Not allowed?”

“I think my father intends to tell your father directly,” Noel said, his voice low. “So it’s better if you hear it from them. There are… details I can’t share.”

Seraphina studied him for a long moment, unreadable. “Understood,” she said finally, though her tone suggested she’d file that away for later.

Elyra glanced at Noel, clearly uneasy, but she didn’t interrupt. Neither did the others — even Charlotte, who looked like she had questions of her own, kept silent.

Noir’s tail flicked once beside him. ‘You handled that well,’ her voice murmured in his mind.

‘Let’s hope so,’ Noel thought back, jaw tightening slightly.

Seraphina exhaled softly, her posture straightening. “Then I’ll wait until my father finishes speaking with Lord Thorne. Once the report’s complete, I’ll join him.”

“Good,” Noel replied, stepping back from the table. “Until then, we’ll stay put.”

Seraphina’s expression softened again, the sharpness in her tone fading. “One more thing before I go—Nicolas asked for you,” she said. “He’s finally stable. Recovering slowly, but… better. He wants to see you when you have the time.”

Noel blinked, surprise flickering across his face. “Nicolas…?”

She nodded. “Yes. And since the next semester starts soon, this might be your only chance. We’ll be heading back to the Imperial Castle in two days. If you wish to visit him, you can come with us.”

Elyra crossed her arms immediately. “I’ll pass. I’m heading straight to the academy tomorrow to help with the reopening preparations.”

Elena nodded soon after. “Same here. They asked me to assist with the archives — apparently, half the records are still a mess from last semester.”

Selene adjusted her gloves with a faint shrug. “And I’ll join them.”

Charlotte hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly. “I… I’ll go to the castle instead.”

The others exchanged quick glances — and small, knowing smiles.

Elena leaned forward slightly. “Well, someone should check on Nicolas, right?”

Selene’s lips curved just enough to show amusement. “And someone should make sure Noel doesn’t get into trouble.”

Noel sighed, realizing exactly what they were doing. “You’re terrible at pretending, you know that?”

Elyra winked. “We try.”

Charlotte smiled faintly, her expression warmer now. “Then it’s settled.”

Seraphina nodded approvingly. “Good. Then it is settled.”

The others began discussing their plans for the trip back to the academy, voices light despite the exhaustion in their eyes.

Noel glanced once more at Charlotte, who stood quietly beside him, her pink hair catching the pale light from the windows.

For the first time since the previous night, she looked a little more at peace.