The Useless Extra Knows It All....But Does He?
Chapter 82 - The Ball?

Chapter 82: Chapter 82 - The Ball?

Luca stepped into the orientation hall.

The doors creaked shut behind him, and at once, a soft buzz of murmured voices washed over him—low, subdued, heavy. The air inside was strangely quiet for a room full of students, hundreds of them seated on long rows of benches. Bandages peeked out from beneath collars, over sleeves, and across temples. Some students leaned back with closed eyes, others hunched forward, hands fidgeting with the hems of their robes.

They looked just like him. Worn. Bruised. But alive.

His gaze flicked across the crowd until he spotted familiar figures—Eric and Kyle, seated together near the middle rows. Without a word, he walked over and gave a tired nod in greeting before sinking onto the bench beside them.

"Hey," Luca muttered.

Kyle looked over, his face stitched across the jawline. "Hey, man. You holding up?"

"I’ve had better weeks," Luca said dryly. "You?"

"Barely. My ribs still feel like they’re rearranging themselves."

Eric gave a weak chuckle. "At least you have ribs. I swear I left half my bones in that mountain."

A faint smile tugged at Luca’s lips. He glanced around again, catching sight of Aiden sitting a few rows over. The knight hero’s usually pristine armor was traded for a simpler academy robe, though the bandages along his arm and across his brow told a story loud enough.

Their eyes met for a brief moment. Aiden gave him a short nod.

Luca returned it silently, then turned back toward Kyle. "How’s Aurelia?"

Kyle exhaled, the sound slow and heavy. "She’s fine. Just... a bit more bruised up than the rest of us. She held the frontline longer than any of us."

"I see," Luca murmured. His voice was quieter than before, laced with guilt and something else—something unspoken.

"You should go visit her," Kyle added, nudging him lightly with his elbow.

Before Luca could reply, a clear, commanding voice rang out from the front of the hall.

"Good morning to all of you, students."

Everyone turned.

Seraphina stood at the podium, her robes dark and flowing, a ribbon of silver magic coiling faintly around her staff. Her expression was solemn but strong, eyes scanning the hall like she could see through every soul present.

"I hope all of you are doing well after the... difficult past few days."

Silence fell across the hall. Luca could feel the tension ripple like a current through the seats.

"Well, there are a few announcements I must make today," Seraphina continued, her voice calm but resolute. "Please listen carefully."

She paused only for a breath. Then—

"First of all—there were a total of 150 casualties across all years from our academy."

The words dropped like stone in water.

The air changed.

Luca swallowed hard. He wasn’t sure if the ache in his chest was from the battles or the names he’d never get to learn.

"They died a brave death," Seraphina went on, her voice unshaken, "fighting against the darkness that has begun to resurface. Their names will be honored at the remembrance ceremony tomorrow."

A deep hush followed. Heads bowed. Some students clenched their fists. A few quietly wiped their eyes.

Luca could feel his own breath catch.

"The second announcement," she said, "concerns the enemy we face."

She lifted her chin slightly, her staff now glowing faintly at the tip.

"You all should know—the devil cult has returned. Their presence is not an isolated event but a wide-scale resurgence. The situation is now classified as a Level Black Threat by the Council."

Gasps and whispers erupted all around. Luca felt the tremble of panic start to coil beneath the surface of the room.

But Seraphina raised a hand.

"That said, there will be no change to the academy’s functioning schedule—for now."

Some students looked stunned.

"You will have your mid-semester exams in a week. They will be purely theoretical—testing your comprehension of magic structures, mana circuits, and spell logic."

Even Eric groaned under his breath. "We just survived hell and now they want theory?"

Luca barely heard him. He was watching Seraphina with narrowed eyes, sensing there was more.

"And after the mid-sem exams," she continued, "there will be a shift in the curriculum."

She looked over them all, her voice darkening.

"You will no longer be trained for simple mastery. You will be trained for war. The curriculum will evolve to prepare you for the battles ahead, both magical and tactical. Whether you like it or not, you are now soldiers in a conflict that stretches beyond kingdoms."

A wave of murmurs swept through the hall. Luca heard questions—scared ones, angry ones.

"They’re making us weapons..."

"What if we’re not ready?"

"War? Already?"

Kyle leaned closer to Luca, whispering, "This isn’t an academy anymore... It’s a forge."

Luca didn’t respond.

He could still feel the heat of the flames from Beastridge. He could still see Aurelia’s bloodied silhouette in the moonlight.

Luca’s thoughts were still stuck on Seraphina’s words when her final announcement rang through the orientation hall.

"After this gruesome incident," she said solemnly, "the Empire will be holding a memorial ball in honor of the brave who gave their lives. The Sun of the Empire herself will be gracing the event. It will be held after your mid-semester exams. All major powers and noble houses will be attending. Medals of honor will be awarded to those who played key roles in the battle."

The already hushed hall buzzed with noise. Excited whispers, disbelief, confusion. But for Luca, her words brought only dissonance.

A ball? After so much death?

He leaned slightly toward Kyle, brow furrowed in disbelief. "Why is there a celebration when so many people have died?"

It wasn’t anger in his tone—just confusion. A very human confusion. Back in my world, there was mourning. Funerals. A moment of silence. Not music and dancing.

Kyle sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "The devil cult’s return isn’t just some hidden threat anymore. It’s public. People are scared. Rumors are everywhere. A ball is the Empire’s way of showing strength. They’re telling the world that the noble houses stand united, and they’re not afraid."

Luca’s lips pressed into a thin line. A show of force... even grief becomes a stage here.

He nodded, though part of him still didn’t understand. And just like that, the students began to file out of the orientation hall, some silent, others chattering with nervous energy or discussing the exams.

Luca lingered for a while, but his feet eventually started moving on their own. He wandered the academy’s sprawling walkways, absentminded, his eyes unfocused.

Too much was spinning in his head.

So many died... and I didn’t even know all their names.

The script’s changing too fast. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. I don’t even know anymore , what should I do more? Things are spiraling out of my control.

Veynar’s death... did I do the right thing by asking Eric to show me as Raymond. Did I exploit someone’s feelings to kill them?

And that man—Raymond. Who is he exactly? He mentioned the devil emperor, so was he a figure from 7000 years ago?

And the egg that veynar gave me? He said it will be hatching soon, but a soon for a dragon is how much time for me.

Luca’s brows knitted together, the weight in his chest tightening. His pace slowed as he passed familiar courtyards, flower beds now half-trampled, benches half-burned from stray spells. Eventually, he found himself standing near a quiet lake behind the east garden—unplanned, his feet simply taking him there.

The surface shimmered gently, disturbed only by the occasional ripple. A soft breeze brushed against his skin.

Then a voice—gentle, airy, but edged with teasing reprimand—broke the silence.

"Hmmm... why didn’t you come to meet me for a month?"