I Want to Be an Extra

After a shocking meal that left many in awe, Lewin returned to his room to find his servants silent. Seeking conversation, he asked, “Don’t you want to talk?”

Unexpectedly, their response was a simple “Yes,” which caught Lewin off guard. Even Eyriel and Hains appeared troubled, their expressions hinting at an underlying issue.

“Are you sure?” Lewin inquired, his suspicions growing. Alex, noticing his unease, spoke up with a reassuring smile. “You’re not upset about Young Master not going to the Royal academy, are you?”

As Alex broached the topic, the three servants chimed in almost simultaneously, “We’re actually relieved.” Daisy’s genuine sigh of relief struck Lewin as peculiar. He wondered, ‘Is this not what I anticipated?’

The reaction seemed odd considering the commotion he had caused. “Exactly. Frankly, I was worried we might encounter trouble at the Royal Academy…”

Lewin couldn’t help but question Eyriel’s thoughts. Her pale complexion and trembling voice betrayed her anxiety. “If it were Beresha Academy, we could use the Dryerf family’s influence to cover up any incidents.”

Hains had already been contemplating how to employ their power to conceal any mishaps. “Your decision rendered our survival plan for the Royal Academy useless.”

“The best outcome is to avoid any accidents.”

“In other words…”

“It’s actually a good thing?”

“Uh-huh?”

Each statement resonated with sincerity. Lewin pondered whether he should find solace in this unexpected support or if it irritated him, as he had worried about unnecessary interference.

“We always respect your choices.”

“Then show some respect when I say I don’t want to attend classes.”

“We have no choice; the family’s decision takes precedence.”

“The family pays our salaries.”

“In reality, we are purchased by the family.”

“Indeed.”

They were skilled at rhetoric. It was common for servants to defer to their masters. But why were his servants like this?

‘Is it because of me?’

Initially, things were not this way. Lewin acknowledged that it was all karmic retribution, yet nothing had changed.

‘Living like this isn’t boring.’

9 years old.

By ordinary standards, it was a very young age, but not for Lewin of his previous life.

The Demon Tribe, who live for hundreds of years according to their race, and their king, the Demon King.

In a situation where such monsters could invade, he could not waste 9 years.

He openly displayed his talent, leveraging his family’s influence to attract promising individuals. Every day, every hour was invaluable as he honed his swordsmanship and magic skills. People looked at him with awe and fear, unable to fathom that Lewin of that time and they were the same human beings.

That’s why no one found it peculiar when the Lewin of his former life was chosen as a hero.

‘That’s what’s truly strange.’

What kind of life had his past self lived? The more Lewin contemplated it, the more questions surfaced.

Nine lifetimes were sufficient to experience such a lifestyle.

That’s why, even in the face of his servants’ unexpected reaction, Lewin could still smile.

“I appreciate your enthusiasm.”

“Noooo!”

Lewin’s statement was met with a piercing scream that reverberated through the room.

Perplexed, Lewin turned his gaze toward the source of the scream.

“When did you get here?”

There stood Laila, her face etched with exhaustion as she sobbed uncontrollably.

“Oh my!”

Though she appeared furious, Lewin remained unfazed.

‘How?’

Had she received the blessings of a true stealth god?

Despite being reborn and having his abilities reset, she managed to bypass his senses and enter unnoticed!

‘Laila, she’s terrifying.’

Was it just his imagination?

Gradually, he sensed her presence fading more and more.

‘If she grows up a bit more, she could probably speak right next to me without me even noticing.’

‘It defies common sense, but it seems plausible if it’s Laila.’

With a somber expression, Lewin spoke sincerely to Laila, who was looking up at him.

“It’s okay to be inconspicuous, just grow up to be kind.”

If any part of her innate disposition or environment had been negative, she could have become a significant figure in a detrimental way.

Lewin believed so as he gently stroked Laila’s head.

“What?”

Laila, biting her lip tightly, anxiously swatted Lewin’s hand away.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Are you really going to Beresha Academy? Really? Truly?”

Despite the pitiful look in her teary eyes, Lewin dismissed it lightly.

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you going to stop him?”

“…The opposition wouldn’t change anything.”

Alex’s gaze met Laila’s clear, doe-like eyes, causing him to hesitate. However, she was not his master.

“Am I really going alone?”

Laila envisioned her life at the academy.

Nobody recognizing her, and her living a solitary existence at the academy.

For a very long time!

Laila’s pale face shook vehemently at the thought.

“That can’t happen!”

The mere idea made Laila feel lightheaded.

Of course, there was a possibility that she would meet good friends who would recognize her at the royal academy.

‘If I can’t make friends, it would be a big problem!’

Combining elementary education with high school, that’s over 10 years.

Laila didn’t have the courage to stake everything on a single gamble.

Thus, she saw only one path before her.

“I will go to Beresha Academy too!”

And after a while…

“That’s not possible…”

As expected, her request was rejected.

***

“Why can’t I?”

Laila muttered, her face pressed against the table, wearing a gloomy expression.

“Of course you can’t.”

It was undoubtedly a great disappointment, but it was inevitable.

She had been educated according to the empire’s finest curriculum, so it was only natural for her sudden desire to attend an academy far below that level to be discouraged.

“Why can’t I?”

Laila pouted her lips, raising her head with her cheeks puffed up.

Her cheeks had turned slightly red from rubbing her face against the table for an extended period.

“Because you excel too much in your studies.”

If Laila’s grades had been poor, going to Beresha Academy wouldn’t have been a bad choice. However, her grades were exceptional. She not only qualified for the Royal Academy but also had the potential to be the valedictorian.

“Lewin is better.”

“Yes, and I was better at convincing my parents.”

“That’s true.”

“I never imagined that even the Lord would share the same thoughts as us.”

“That’s why regular behavior is important…”

Hains mumbled, scratching his head.

“Is it really different?”

When it came to regular behavior, Laila was far superior. To be honest, comparing them felt unfair.

“It can be seen as a difference in perspective. Being well-behaved doesn’t always lead to advantages.”

“I guess so…”

“Even if you spot a black dot on a black surface, it won’t stand out. But if you spot a black dot on a white surface, even a tiny dot becomes clearly visible. It’s the same principle.”

Hains nodded in understanding, while Lewin muttered in disbelief.

“…Am I the black dot?”

“Well, it’s quite obvious, young master.”

Daisy, who overheard his mutter, responded, making Lewin click his tongue and shift his gaze to Laila.

“Well, that’s what they say.”

“Hmph…”

“Hmph…”

As Lewin’s finger poked Laila’s cheek, the air leaked out like a balloon with a hole.

“Miss, here’s a cookie for you.”

“Ah.”

Eyriel handed a cookie to Laila, whose cheeks had returned to their normal state. Laila accepted it without refusal and began to chew and swallow.

“Is white a bad color?”

“No, miss. It’s not that white is bad; it’s just that black is more striking.”

“Black is bad?”

“Yes, miss. Think about it. In most tales, the hero is portrayed in white armor, while the demon king is depicted in black.”

“Black is bad?”

Lewin felt that it was going a bit too far to comfort Laila in this manner.

Then…

“And who says the hero’s costume is white? More often than not, it’s black!”

The sword of the gods, the hope of humanity.

While many legends depict the hero wearing pure white armor, wielding a white sword and shield, the reality is quite different.

“Don’t they usually depict it that way?”

“Think logically. The demons are sharpening their blades to kill the hero. Would he wander around the battlefield in such conspicuous attire?”

‘Difficulty in acquiring magical coordinates? Let’s wear eye-catching clothes to make it easier for the enemy to target us!’

The hero’s costume in legends was exactly that.

“And even if they did wear such armor, where would they find the time to maintain it on a blood-stained battlefield? After a few days, it would be stained black.”

If they had the luxury to polish their armor, they should use that time to behead the demon king.

This is why Lewin believed that fairy tales and legends were misleading children.

“Why are you so angry?”

Hains was taken aback by Lewin’s sudden outburst.

He initially thought Lewin was angry because he was being teased, but he knew that Lewin wasn’t the type to get upset over such things.

“Do you think life is as simple as a legend? Huh? The hero and the demon king die together, and the world is peaceful again! Do you really believe it will end the same way?”

Absolutely not.

The hero who had experienced it nine times, the seasoned hero, had long gone on strike.

Yet humanity continued to reassure people with empty legends.

“Will the demon king appear again?”

“I don’t know.”

Lewin shook his head in response to Eyriel’s question.

Not all of his nine past lives had the demon king make an appearance. While there were often connections with the demon race, there were also times when only warlocks or followers of the demon god emerged.

“Don’t the prophets have endless debates about whether the demon king will arise in this generation or not?”

If he does appear, they claim victory. If not, they can simply say, “Well, it was a possibility.”

The chances of the demon king appearing or not are 50 percent.

Even if someone boldly states, “The demon king will appear!” or “No, he won’t!”, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to consider them aspiring prophets.

“So, one must be cautious and prepared at all times… uh… what?”

Lewin shifted his gaze to the sensation of a finger poking his side.

There stood Laila, who had finished her cookie and puffed up her cheeks once again.

“I was talking, and you casually stole the conversation and ignored me.”

“That’s because you lack presence… hey! It hurts when you poke someone with a mana-infused finger, you know? If you do it wrong, you could pierce through!”

True to her status as the scion of a prestigious family, Laila, who had already awakened her mana and was learning magic, weakly poked Lewin’s side with her finger.

“I’m sorry I don’t have a presence. That’s why I wanted to go to the academy with someone who would notice!”

Kkug-Kkug-Kug

Laila’s manipulation of mana was laughable compared to a knight enchanting a sword with magic.

“Does it hurt?”

“Of course it hurts when you’re poking me to hurt!”

But it truly did hurt. It hurt quite a bit.

If he wanted, he could easily put an end to it.

“Master…”

“He made her cry again.”

Sigh…

It’s unfair.

What did he do wrong?

He’s the one currently being struck!

Lewin, though feeling deeply aggrieved, swallowed his resentment.

‘Alright, I’ll endure.’

As a man who had lived through ten lifetimes, what other choice did he have?

“Do you really want to go to the academy together?”

“Yes. I don’t have a choice.”

No choice.

Hearing that pitiful statement, Lewin offered heartfelt advice.

.

.

.

“Like this…”

“Can I… Can I do that?”

“Do you want to go to the academy all by yourself?”

“No, no…”

“Do you want to experience being marked absent because the professor couldn’t find you, even though you’re frantically waving your hand during attendance?”

“Absolutely not!”

“Then, you have to do it like this.”

“Okay…”

While observing Lewin instructing Laila on how to get into Beresha Academy, the three individuals pondered.

‘He’s becoming even more black.’

They wondered if it was okay to let things continue like this.

They believed that they should intervene now, while they still could.

The three of them contemplated endlessly, but upon witnessing Laila’s desperate expression as she listened to Lewin, they found themselves unable to utter a word.