The Nameless Extra: I Proofread This World

Chapter 369: Why the Hell Is She in My House?

’Calyra might not be able to join us?’

Ruvian mulled over what she had just said. That would put a serious strain on the plan if Calyra, one of the key figures of the upcoming arc, was unable to accompany them.

"Clarify."

Ruvian spoke curtly, his face grew more tense.

But before Silvena could explain any further, a knock suddenly came from the door before Vible stepped inside.

Silvena first addressed Vible and informed her of Ruvian’s order.

Only after Vible left the room did Silvena finally speak again.

"Calyra is actually the only person who still hasn’t replied to the letters we sent about the gathering at my guild, and it has already been a few days, so I’m starting to think something came up on her side."

Silvena sighed and gave her spoon a lazy little spin.

"Now that I think about it again, I almost forgot that her parents are rather strict when it comes to things like this."

Ruvian frowned slightly at that.

’Right... she has a point there.’

Calyra had already been involved in accidentally entering a high-scale inter-dimensional dungeon once when she was young, and that incident had left a deep mark on her parents.

After nearly losing her once, it was only natural that her parents became more protective of her.

"And from what I’ve heard, her parents were already worried about the Deepmarch Dungeon expedition she joined with the academy before, and they weren’t exactly comfortable with the Vazrun Island Test either. But academy officials managed to reassure them both times, so they eventually allowed her to participate."

She paused for a moment, her eyes lowering toward the table.

"So this is only my deduction, but if her parents have already heard about the academy suddenly starting the break early, then Calyra is probably in a difficult spot right now, trying to figure out what she should tell them."

"I see." Ruvian replied calmly. "If that’s really the case, then it could become a serious problem."

Silvena suddenly seemed to think of something. "What if we just tell her to lie? Wouldn’t that make things easier?"

"No, that won’t work."

Ruvian shook his head.

"Calyra has never been the type to leave the house often, so no matter what excuse she gives, suddenly disappearing somewhere for several days would look far too suspicious."

Silvena sighed before reluctantly nodding.

"Ah, right. I forgot she was practically a recluse."

She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Damn it, Calyra."

A moment later, Vible returned carrying Ruvian’s order, a cinnamon cappuccino. She placed the cup in front of him, gave him a brief side glance, and then turned to leave.

Ruvian gave her the same look in return.

Once the door closed behind her, Ruvian stared down at the drink for a few seconds, clearly contemplating something.

"She wouldn’t put anything strange in my drink, right?"

Silvena casually waved one hand. "Relax. She wouldn’t do something like that now, she’s already trying to turn over a new leaf."

Ruvian still did not look entirely convinced, though he had already lifted the cup toward his lips.

Silvena then added almost casually, "Maybe not poison, but she might have spat in it."

Ruvian coughed and immediately lowered the cup back onto the table.

’Ah, what a perfect way to ruin my appetite.’

Silvena smiled lightly at his reaction.

"I’m just joking."

After that, the two of them continued discussing the preparations they would handle in the meantime before the gathering.

Ruvian also explained that he would try contacting Calyra soon and see if he could help her secure permission from her parents.

Silvena then gave him another update.

Julian and Violet were already staying at the guild, and thanks to the warning Julian’s mother had given them beforehand, it had been much easier to convince him not to return to his estate.

For the time being, Julian would simply remain within Silvena’s guild until they were certain it was safe for him to go back.

As their conversation continued, Ruvian’s gaze suddenly drifted toward the strange door on the opposite side of the room.

The faint runes carved around its frame were still glowing softly, and after ignoring it for most of their discussion, his curiosity finally got the better of him.

He pointed toward it with his chin.

"By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask. What exactly is behind that door?"

Turning slightly in her seat, Silvena followed his gaze toward the strange door.

"Oh, this?" She gestured toward it casually. "It’s one of the teleportation doors connected to my guild. It’s not finished yet, though. Belle said it should be ready in a few days."

Ruvian’s eyes widened slightly.

’A teleportation door? What?’

Teleportation devices were not exactly something people could simply install wherever they pleased.

Even within Averenthia, stable teleportation artifacts were mostly limited to places such as the Magus Spire, major military facilities, royal institutions, and a handful of extremely wealthy organizations.

The amount of mana, rune engineering, and spatial calculations required to maintain one made them absurdly expensive. More importantly, even a small mistake could send someone somewhere they definitely did not want to be.

And yet Silvena was casually putting one beneath a cafe.

’Just how much money is she throwing into this place?’

Perhaps noticing his expression, Silvena quickly raised one hand.

"Before you start thinking I somehow built my own teleportation network, this thing is still being tested."

She pointed toward the glowing runes surrounding the frame.

"Belle said the distance between this cafe and the guild is short enough that it should be manageable. We’re only connecting two fixed locations, so it’s nowhere near as complicated as a normal long-distance teleportation gate."

Silvena then leaned back into her chair.

"And the door itself is an artifact we recovered from a dungeon. We didn’t create it from scratch, we’re just modifying it and figuring out how to make it work properly."

She gave him a small smile.

"Building an entirely new teleportation device ourselves would be crazy. But anyway, this would surely be convenient for you to visit the guild whenever you need to. Since this cafe is much closer to your house."

*****

After saying everything he wanted to say, Ruvian eventually left Cafe Delaciel and began making his way back home.

By then, the sun was already hanging high above the town. It was well into the afternoon, and before leaving, Silvena had given him several magic letters to take with him.

One of them was meant for Calyra.

Ruvian planned to send it the moment he got home, but the problem was what he was supposed to write in it.

’How am I supposed to convince her parents?’

He continued turning different ideas over in his head, barely paying attention to where he was going.

By the time he finally looked around properly, he realized he was already standing in front of his house.

’Maybe a shower thought would help me.’

For some reason, his best ideas had a strange habit of appearing whenever he was washing up, whether he was soaking in a bath or standing beneath running water with nothing else to distract him.

With that hope in mind, Ruvian stepped forward and knocked lightly on the door.

"It’s me, I’m back."

Almost immediately, his mother’s voice rang out from somewhere inside. "Ruvian? Just come in, sweetheart! The door isn’t even locked~!"

Ruvian blinked.

Why does she sound so happy?

There was something strange about her voice. Avina was normally cheerful around him, but this sounded different, almost like she was barely holding back her excitement about something.

Still, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"I’m home."

The warm smell of food immediately entered his nose, causing him to unconsciously glance toward the kitchen.

"What are we having for lunch?"

He expected his mother to answer from the kitchen, but instead, his gaze casually shifted toward the living room, and his steps abruptly slowed.

Avina was sitting comfortably on one side of the sofa. There was a strange, powerful smile spread across his mother’s face.

’Hm?’

And then he noticed the person sitting across from her.

A young woman with long white hair sat quietly on the other side of the sofa, her expression almost completely blank.

Ciela was sitting comfortably on her lap.

Her little sister appeared perfectly content while the white-haired woman slowly ran a comb through her hair, carefully untangling each strand.

Ruvian stared at her, dumbfounded.

’...Huh?’

As though sensing his stare, the young woman slowly raised her head.

Their blue eyes met.

Ruvian’s eyelid twitched.

Before he could even open his mouth, Avina leaned slightly forward, her smile becoming even brighter.

"My, my, Ruvian~"

Her teasing voice immediately made his stomach sink.

"Why didn’t you ever tell your mother that you had become friends with such a lovely young lady?"