The Nameless Extra: I Proofread This World

Once they reached the outside, Vanessa looked around for somewhere they could sit. A few steps to the left, she noticed a wide stone resting beneath the shade of a tall tree.

The stone was flat enough for both of them, while the thick leaves above blocked the harsh sunlight. Then, Vanessa slowly led Rosalin toward it.

”Careful.”

Vanessa helped Rosalin lower herself first before sitting beside her.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

The sounds of leaves moving above them filled the silence. Vanessa kept her eyes forward, trying to calm the loud beating inside her chest.

Rosalin was the first to break the silence. She slowly turned her head toward Vanessa, her tired eyes fixed on the side of her face. ”So, why exactly did I lose to Calyra, and what message did she ask you to give me?”

Vanessa’s fingers tightened against the edge of the stone. She turned toward Rosalin and met her gaze, remembering every word Ruvian had told her to say.

Then, after taking a slow breath, she finally spoke.

”When you were fighting Calyra, what was going through your head?” Her voice stayed calm, without a trace of blame.

Rosalin blinked. She clearly had not expected that question.

”What was going through my head?”

Vanessa gave a small nod.

She waited without rushing her. Her eyes never left Rosalin’s face.

Rosalin lowered her gaze and thought back to the battle.

After a few moments, she finally answered.

”I guess... all I wanted was to land a hit on her,” Rosalin said softly. ”I kept looking for a chance to break through her defense, because I thought if I could just wound her once, everything would change. Is... is there something wrong with that?”

’Huh? Just that? How... how can anyone be this ridiculously simple-minded when fighting someone like Calyra?’

Vanessa slowly shook her head. She folded her hands together on her lap before speaking again. ”No, it’s not. I don’t think it’s simply right or wrong...”

She inhaled.

”...When you’re fighting someone as strong as Calyra, sometimes forcing your way through with strength alone isn’t enough. Y-you have to change your attacks, predict what your opponent will do next, and—”

Her voice suddenly stopped.

Vanessa’s expression froze.

’And... and what was it again?’

No matter how hard she searched her memory, she could not remember the final line Ruvian had written.

Rosalin quietly looked at her. Then her lips slowly moved: ”—and control the pace of the battle instead of letting your opponent control yours?”

Vanessa’s gaze lifted as she met Rosalin’s eyes. They seemed to shine a little brighter now. ”Yes... something like that.”

”I see. I think I understand what you mean... and you’re right about it.” She paused as she stared at the distant tree. ”It has been a habit of mine ever since I was young.”

She laughed softly.

”Whenever I want something, I tend to become so engrossed in it that it becomes the only thing I can see, causing me to neglect everything else.”

Rosalin recalled the time she had practised her swordsmanship from noon without realising that night had already fallen.

Even then, she had not stopped on her own. Her brothers had eventually come looking for her because she had completely missed dinner.

Recalling that moment made her smile with quiet nostalgia.

Vanessa chuckled softly and covered her mouth. ”Isn’t that obvious, though? It still happens whenever we train together in the hall.”

The two of them shared a small, genuine laugh.

”Yeah...” Rosalin murmured.

After a short while, silence filled their space again.

Then, Rosalin’s expression slowly grew troubled. ”But what about... the message? What did Calyra want to tell me?”

Vanessa caught the change in Rosalin’s voice. She knew this part would not be easy to hear, so she let a few quiet moments pass before speaking.

”She asked me to thank you on her behalf.”

Rosalin’s eyes widened.

”She said, ’Thank you for never giving up on our promise.’” (+500PP)

Vanessa paused for a moment before continuing.

”She also said that... right now, she has lost the reason she once chased that dream. So, before she can keep that promise, she wants to find that reason again and understand why she wanted it in the first place.”

Vanessa looked straight into Rosalin’s eyes.

”Until that day comes, she asked you to keep moving forward and continue leading the way for both of you.” (+500PP)

Then, Rosalin let out a quiet laugh.

It was so soft that it almost disappeared into the wind, while a thin layer of tears slowly gathered in the corners of her eyes.

’I see. So she hasn’t given up yet... that’s good to know.’

Vanessa smiled as well. Seeing that small smile return to Rosalin’s face made the tightness in her chest ease a little. Then she reached toward her dimensional ring.

A glass vial appeared in her hand.

Bright crimson liquid gently swirled inside, giving off a faint glow that was far richer than any ordinary healing potion. Even without drinking it, Rosalin could already feel the dense mana sealed within.

”I almost forgot,” Vanessa said as she held it out. ”This is for you.”

Rosalin blinked before carefully accepting the vial. She looked between the potion and Vanessa, clearly puzzled.

”Where did you get something like this?”

Vanessa scratched her cheek with a small laugh.

”I got it as one of the rewards after clearing that dungeon a few days ago. I kept it just in case someone really needed it.”

Of course, that was only the story Vanessa had prepared. The truth was that the potion had never come from the dungeon at all.

Earlier that morning, a strange envelope artifact had quietly appeared beside her while the others were distracted. Inside was this potion, along with a short letter from Silvena.

The letter explained everything.

Ruvian had asked one of Silvena’s teammates to brew the potion on the island first. After that, Silvena had simply used the envelope artifact to deliver it to Vanessa.

’Now that I think about it... Just how many people has Ruvian already brought onto his side during this island test?’

Vanessa slowly frowned.

The academy never openly encouraged different squads to work together, it had never forbidden it either. As long as they found a way to communicate, forming alliances was completely possible.

However, most squads would only cooperate to earn more points.

But Ruvian...

It did not feel as though he was merely gathering allies for the exam. Rather, it seemed as if every move he had made since the test began had been steadily leading toward something far greater.

’I wonder, Am I... also a part of that?’

Vanessa immediately dismissed the thought and shook her head.

’Why... why did I think of that? It’s not like Ruvian is some sort of mastermind. He probably did this just to solve Calyra and Rosalin’s friendship.’

”Violet, are you alright?” Rosalin asked.

Vanessa quickly nodded.

”Yes. Come on, drink it. We need you to recover as soon as possible.”

”But... this looks quite valu—”

”J-just drink it, Lady Rosalin! It would be put to better use on you!”

”O-okay... Why are you suddenly being so forceful?”

Unable to argue against Vanessa’s sudden insistence, Rosalin raised the potion to her lips and drank it.

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[Chapter 286: The Scars of Defeat (2)]

Plot Points= 60,000