The Extra's Reincarnation-Chapter 114 : Return (3)

When Julian opened the door, he found two of his junior apprentices with their heads bowed to Ophelia.

They sat in the two seats in front of her desk where she was standing.

As they heard someone enter, both turned to look at this young male who appeared tall and striking for his age. Though they didn't know who it was, his features were undeniably attractive.

Fletra asked, "Duchess Ophelia, did you call for this person here?"

Ophelia nodded. "I did. Now that he's here, I hope he can make a good introduction—not just as a person, but as one of your superiors. Isn't that right, Julian?"

She shot him a sharp glance, and immediately he understood what she had him here for.

"I'm Julian Uzziel," he began, facing Mel and Fletra with a composed demeanor.

"Chief of Operations for the Florence household. I'm fourteen years old."

He bowed to them in utmost respect.

"...!"

-Is he being serious?!

-Our superior, who we thought was older than us...

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-Was just 14?!

The two were at a loss for words however, they were thinking of the same thing.

Both were astonished that someone so young held such a role and they could only begin to wonder just how strong he had to be to earn the position.

"How did you even manage to escape the temple?"

Mel stared at Julian in disbelief.

"His priority was ensuring you two were safe. Someone as righteous as him would've traded himself just so you could get out safely. After all, the people he fought weren't any match for him."

Ophelia answered before Julian could speak.

Even with their skepticism, Mel and Fletra were taken by Ophelia's words; they rang true as they realized the strength of this person who greatly surpassed theirs.

"This should teach our chief a lesson in carelessness," Ophelia said pointedly, her gaze never leaving Julian.

"I hope he learns much more in the future." She waved dismissively.

"You're both free to go."

Mel and Fletra left the room, exchanging glances with Julian and bowing towards him before leaving the room.

"Take a seat," Ophelia instructed once it was just the two of them.

Julian sat down, readying himself for what would surely be another intense debriefing from the Duchess herself.

Ophelia wasted no time. Julian barely had a chance to settle in before she spoke, each word precise and cutting.

"You'll be relieved of your duties soon," she said, her tone unwavering. "The promise I swore to keep you will come sooner than expected."

Julian blinked, caught off guard by the candor. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with feigned nonchalance. "I've already made more than enough working as Chief of Operations."

A rare smile flickered across Ophelia's lips, a mix of amusement and pity. "That role doesn't exist. You've been filling tasks I'd hire adventurers or even mercenaries for."

The admission hit harder than Julian anticipated. He'd known on some level that "Chief of Operations" was just a title—a delusion that had kept him motivated. But hearing it from Ophelia's mouth stripped it bare.

He waved it off, unwilling to show how much it stung. "Fine by me," he replied casually.

Ophelia's gaze sharpened, slicing through his facade.

"In a few months, admissions for Aethel Academy will begin. You always wanted this, didn't you? To secure a future for your mother? Or are you backing out now?"

Julian stared at her, the full weight of what she was saying sinking in.

The academy had been his dream since before he could remember—since he'd first told Erica he would change everything for them both.

"I'm not backing out," he said firmly.

Ophelia nodded approvingly, as if she'd expected nothing less. "And if you don't pass the exams?"

"I've been studying these past years," Julian shot back with more conviction than he felt.

"Then if that's not enough, you're a lost cause."

Her words were blunt but carried an edge of belief that fueled him more than anything else could.

Julian met her eyes with renewed determination; they both knew failure wasn't an option.

But rather than getting Julian's application prepared Ophelia had one more thing to explain.

"Before I get the papers ready and everything else, I'll give you a month to train and prepare yourself for the academy."

Julian tilted his head, puzzled to why she would ever ask him to train.

"If training for the academy and going on missions aren't any different from what I usually do, what could possibly be awaiting me that requires extra preparation?"

Ophelia smirked proudly, as if about to say something inspiring. Instead, she replied…

"You need to learn how to hold back your strength. Every mission in a civilized area turns into ruins after you're finished. I'm not paying your destruction expenses anymore. You'll be training with the guard sector for the next month. If you can't figure out how to hold back, I'm not sure what I'll do."

Julian sighed, thinking this was hardly more important than their previous conversation.

Still, he just agreed, since he didn't plan on standing out, anyway.

***

[Julian's POV]

I left Ophelia's office with more questions than answers, but what else was new? I headed to my room, brushing past the servants and nobles who looked at me like they'd seen a ghost.

It was the first time I'd been in there since I was ten. The door creaked open, revealing a space that felt both foreign and eerily familiar.

Nostalgia hit me like a punch; everything was just as I remembered—neat, untouched, waiting for my return.

"Boy, what a room you have!" Vykekard's voice boomed from somewhere overhead. "To think humanity has come this far! I wouldn't be surprised if we had technology around the room right now."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smirking at his enthusiasm. "Maybe next century," I muttered.

Silence didn't last long.

"Ever since you got to the second stage of your soul core, you've been too relaxed with your work!" Vykekard chided, his tone half-serious, half-joking.

He wasn't wrong.

My supposed title of "Chief of Operations" had let me coast more than a little.

Now, facing the reality of Aethel Academy, it struck me how far behind I'd fallen.

"I know. I need more training."

But where could I find opponents that would push me? Every job they sent me on ended the same way—too easy, no challenge, nothing like what waited at the academy.

Vykekard remained silent this time, maybe waiting for me to figure things out myself.

I sat on the bed, feeling its softness engulf me and wondering how I was going to survive the next few months.

The truth was, even if I signed away every day of my life to train, I'd never be ready.

Not with secrets like mine. Things like soul cores weren't known in this part of the continent, and I'd prefer it stayed that way.

Before Vykekard came along, I thought pushing to unlock my mana core would be enough. Then he changed everything.

Soul Arts

Imagine a second heart, deep within your chest, hidden from every human eye.

That's a soul core—a part of you so raw and pure it can't be seen even if you cut yourself open.

It fuels soul arts, attacks made with the essence of your very being.

An energy that is a reflection of a person's true soul.

It's as if you're're using your own life force as a form of attack.

In the novel: The Hero Who Saves The World From Ruin, it's known that Soul Arts is the truest form of power.

And that when mastered it can be stronger than those who use high tier moves from Spell Arts Of Magica.

The concept of the Soul Arts is divided into 5 distinct levels.

1. Basic Stage - Awakening

2. Intermediate Stage - Control

3. Advanced Stage - Power

4. Transformation Stage - Change

5. Pinnacle Stage - Balance

The basic stage is learning to control the output of your soul core. Just like mana, the energy of your soul is a powerful force, but it can be unpredictable.

You need to learn how to direct it, how to channel it, how to keep it from tearing you apart from the inside. It's about finding that spark within and learning to ignite it.

I've only recently reached the second stage myself.

Vykekard told me that stages three through five... well, those are things I shouldn't be worrying about right now.

He said I'm way too far off to truly know what they entail. Even though I've managed to pick up some knowledge about them, the truth is, it's more speculation than anything concrete.

He emphasized that focusing on the basics, mastering control, is far more important than chasing after some distant, half-understood power.

He believes that by the time I need to worry about those later stages, I'll have earned the right to understand them through experience, not just through half-assed information.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Vykekard interrupted my thoughts as if sensing my anxiety.

"You've still got much to learn."

Julian shook his head, half-amused, half-exasperated. "Can you really read my mind?"

"If I could do that, I would've told you a long time ago," Vykekard replied with a chuckle.

"True," Julian admitted with a smirk. "But how did you figure out how to communicate with me through telepathy in the first place?"

Vykekard laughed, the sound booming and full of life.

"Simple! You're hearing me from within your soul."

"Ah… that does make sense."