The Extra's Rise-Chapter 278: Reika Solienne (5)

I was finally home.

Not that it felt like I’d been away for long—being in a coma for over a month had a way of warping one’s sense of time.

Slatemark Academy had its fall break at the same time as Mythos Academy, so my younger sister, Aria, was home as well.

Our parents, however, were busier than ever—both deeply involved in work in Minerva, which meant the house was mostly just the two of us.

And, of course, that meant I had no peace.

"Brother, I wanted to ask you something," Aria said between massive bites of pizza, absolutely devouring her slice like it was her last meal on Earth.

I watched her with mild horror. "Sure, but can you at least pretend you weren’t raised in a barn?"

She ignored me, shoving the last of the pizza into her mouth before grabbing her soda and chugging it like she’d just crawled out of a desert.

I sighed. "Aria—"

"Are you dating all four of them?"

I froze.

Slowly, I turned to face her. "What makes you say that?"

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, tilting her head. "Because they fought. A lot."

I blinked. "They fought?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Well, Rose didn’t fight much, but the three princesses? Total warzone."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Of course they did."

"Cecilia even brought Imperial Knights," Aria continued, completely unfazed. "And Seraphina? She literally brought Mount Hua Elders to force Rachel to open the doors of the estate."

I stared at her.

Then swallowed.

"Crazy," I muttered, exhaling slowly.

"So?" Aria pressed. "Are you actually dating all of them?"

I glanced at her, debating whether or not to lie.

Then, finally, I sighed. "Yes."

Aria’s eyes widened. "Wow."

Then—

Her face lit up.

"I’m gonna be sisters-in-law with all those celebrities?!"

I blinked. "That’s your takeaway?"

"Oh—and I’m gonna have the cutest nephews and nieces now!" she continued, looking genuinely excited. "That’s insane!"

Then, abruptly, her expression turned serious. "But seriously—" she looked me dead in the eyes. "You won’t die, right?"

"No," I replied, leaning back slightly. "In the end, they still care for me."

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Aria studied me for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I figured." She took another massive bite of pizza, barely pausing before adding, "Rachel was literally healing you nonstop with her Saintess Gift."

I exhaled. That, too, was something I had pieced together.

Rachel’s Gift was unlike any other in the world—far surpassing even other Purelight users, despite her only being at White-rank.

In the original novel, she was powerful enough to heal Immortal-rank Lucifer.

And, as it turned out, she was the reason I survived my coma.

"But still…" Aria muttered, tapping her fingers against the table. "She seemed... possessive."

I gave her a flat look. "Seemed?"

She hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. She was possessive. I don’t want to say it, but for a while, we actually thought she was going crazy."

I shrugged. "It’s normal now."

"That’s not normal," Aria pointed out, before pausing. "Wait. Do you mean normal as in, it’s fine now? Or normal as in, this is just how she is now?"

"Yes."

Aria groaned, rubbing her temple. "Great. Well, whatever. I just don’t want you to die before you give me my adorable nieces and nephews."

She sighed dramatically before promptly returning to devouring her pizza like it had personally wronged her.

I watched for a moment, unimpressed. "When you said you wanted a large pizza for yourself, I thought you were joking."

Aria didn’t even look up. "And?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Don’t get fat."

"Ugh, shut up," she grumbled between bites, completely unbothered.

I shook my head and stood up, brushing imaginary dust off my clothes. "Anyway, I’m heading out."

Aria waved a lazy hand. "See ya."

I stepped outside, the cool night air greeting me.

It was time to meet Reika Solienne.

I invited her to a good restaurant.

Nothing absurdly extravagant—none of those ridiculous five-thousand-dollar coffee places where you were probably paying more for atmosphere than the drink itself—but still a nice place. Somewhere comfortable. Somewhere where the food was actually worth the price.

I arrived first and took a seat, waiting.

It didn’t take long before Reika arrived.

"Hey," she greeted, slipping into the chair opposite me.

She looked nervous. Not in the way someone might be if they were about to discuss something serious, but in the way someone felt out of place. Her hands twitched slightly as she adjusted herself, eyes darting to the elegant setting before resting on the table.

I wasn’t surprised. Her family wasn’t exactly well-off.

"Don’t worry," I said easily, leaning back. "I’ll cover it."

Reika exhaled slightly, nodding. "Thanks."

We made small talk for a bit—basic things, nothing too serious—but I wasn’t here to waste time.

"So," I said, cutting straight to the point, "why do you not want to sign with us?"

Reika hesitated for a moment before meeting my gaze.

"...I wanted to see you," she admitted.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Her violet eyes held something I couldn’t quite read.

"I’m willing to join Ouroboros," she said, voice steady. "But I want to work for you directly."

I studied her for a moment. "Is that your decision?"

She nodded.

"Okay."

She blinked. "That’s it?"

I reached into my jacket and pulled out a sleek, high-tech ID card, sliding it across the table.

"This is your five-star adventurer license," I said casually.

Reika picked it up, eyes widening slightly. "Already?"

"You can reach White-rank when using your Gift, right?" I asked.

She nodded slowly.

"Then you qualify for it," I said. "And I’ll be giving you some potions to fix your body further. That way, your base level can reach Silver-rank without over-relying on your Gift."

Reika tightened her grip on the ID. Then, softly, she said, "Thank you."

Before I could respond, our food arrived.

She hesitated for a moment before picking up her utensils, glancing at me. I gestured for her to eat, and she did—though I could tell she was still thinking about something.

It didn’t take long before she finally spoke up again.

"...Why did you save me?"

I took a bite, chewing thoughtfully before answering.

"Because I saw myself in you."

She froze slightly, her fork pausing just above her plate.

I exhaled slowly, setting my own utensils down.

"I know what it’s like," I continued. "To be powerless. To have no say in your own life. To be treated like nothing more than a tool—a weapon meant for someone else’s gain."

Her grip on her fork tightened.

I leaned forward slightly. "I promised to help you get your revenge. And I don’t break my promises."

Reika’s expression shifted.

Something sharp flickered in her eyes—something buried deep.

She swallowed, lowering her gaze slightly. "You really mean that?"

I nodded. "I do."

She exhaled shakily, before managing a small, almost uncertain smile.

"Then I’ll hold you to it."

"It’s a deal," I said, extending my hand.

Reika hesitated, her violet eyes flickering with something unreadable. Then, finally, she pursed her lips and shook my hand.

There. Officially part of Ouroboros.

But we both knew that was just the first step.

"...I’ll need protection, won’t I?" she asked after a pause.

"And your family," I nodded. "Living in Avalon is already a strong layer of defense, but it’s not enough. You’ll need to transfer out of Mavaren Academy."

Her brow furrowed slightly. "Transfer where?"

"Slatemark Academy."

Her lips parted slightly, as if the idea hadn’t even crossed her mind.

"In Avalon, they won’t dare touch you," I continued. "Of course, I’ll have additional security measures in place just in case, but Slatemark Academy is safer than anywhere else for now."

Reika exhaled, nodding slightly. "Thank you. But…" She hesitated, frowning. "How would I even transfer there?"

I arched an eyebrow. "You have a Gift, Reika. That alone gives you enough credibility to apply. But not yet—wait until winter break."

She blinked. "Why wait?"

"Because by then," I said, my voice steady, "you need to reach base Silver-rank. That way, with your Gift, you’ll be able to reach Integration-rank when needed. It’ll cement your position at Slatemark Academy. No one will question your place there."

She swallowed. "And until then?"

"You won’t be attending Mavaren Academy anymore," I said simply. "You’ll be doing your classes in the Tower of Magic instead. It’s safer, more controlled. Less room for unexpected problems."

Reika’s fingers curled slightly against the table.

It was a lot to take in.

But she wasn’t protesting.

She was considering it.

And that was enough.