The Runaway Warrior from Extra

Chapter 11: Extra Hunter (1)

All ciphers in the world worked on the same principle.

“Sid. Focus.”

“Hwaang….”

“Young Master. You only need to find a few key words. Once we have those, we can backtrack the pattern and decipher the code!”

Changing the characters to obscure the original text or mixing up the order systematically—those were the basics of encryption.

“Easier said than done!”

However, actually cracking the code felt like there was no pattern at all.

All we could do was list out a few words that must be in the walkthrough and try inserting words of the same length into the code to see if the sentence made sense.

In other words, it was like solving a puzzle where you just had to fit the words into spaces of matching length.

Except, of course, that this particular puzzle had thousands of pieces on a single page and tens of thousands of possible combinations.

“What if… what if we spend so much time on this that the main story kicks off while we’re still here?”

Naturally, this wasn’t something that could be done overnight. It required an enormous amount of time or a tremendous workforce.

“Ugh. If only you could just use the Eye of Truth, Young Master, this would be over already.”

“I don’t want to suffer either. We’re doing this because I can’t use it right now….”

Or, if not that, we could use a power that transcended all logic and allowed us to find the answer in an instant.

Fortunately, we had the legendary blessing that could see through all illusions and lies, uncovering traps and secrets—the 「Eye of Truth」.

“Sid. If even you, who possess the blessing, don’t know how to use it, then we’re out of options.”

“Ugh, it definitely worked before….”

If only the Eye of Truth would activate, then the crude cipher written by the Extra, Lucas, in the walkthrough would be as good as non-existent.

The problem was that neither I, who had the blessing, nor the Extras themselves knew the exact activation method for the Eye of Truth.

“That’s strange. The Eye of Truth should be a passive skill that automatically activates once acquired.”

“Technically, it would activate when an event occurred or when a hidden trap was visible… but it’s hard to explain since I don’t know what the sensation is like.”

The knowledge the Extras had about the game was incredibly useful, but that didn’t mean it could always be applied directly to reality.

“So, when exactly has the Eye of Truth activated before?”

“Uh… when I was in mortal danger?”

“Hmm, plausible, but it’s not really a condition related to ‘Truth.’ The fact that the Eye of Truth activated suggests that there was at least some level of cognitive activity.”

“Ah! Now that you mention it….”

The first time, the blessing appeared when I discovered the true identity of the Extras. The second time, it activated when I uncovered the truth hidden by Lucas.

“Oh! That’s it. It doesn’t reveal something completely unknown. It feels like you need to meet a minimum requirement, like having a hint or a clue first.”

“Yeah. That makes sense.”

I couldn’t read a single character in this walkthrough right now. But I had a strong hunch that if I could read even a bit of it, the Eye of Truth would activate immediately.

“But… if the Eye of Truth has such conditional usage, then it works a bit differently than what we know, doesn’t it?”

“That’s odd. It’s more likely that there’s an unknown activation condition.”

Why was this the only instance where the information from the Extras differed, when everything else they knew matched reality?

“Right. Originally, the Eye of Truth is a blessing that you could only earn after advancing to a high-ranking class like a Grand Mage, but our Young Master obtained it absurdly early. That’s probably why this is happening.”

In other words, there had to be an obscure minimum requirement to use the ability.

And since this was a blessing granted by the virtue of truth, that minimum requirement was likely…

“It’s all happening because we lack basic knowledge.”

Being well-versed and knowledgeable.

It made sense, really. The more you knew, the more you could see.

“Looks like we….”

Emily and Walter seemed to have reached the same conclusion, nodding to each other.

“We need to hire a tutor.”

So, to summarize my situation:

I needed the walkthrough to grow quickly.

To decipher the walkthrough, I needed the Eye of Truth.

To use the Eye of Truth, I apparently needed a new tutor.

“What kind of ridiculous situation is this?!”

I had to take the long way around just to find a shortcut. And that detour led straight to studying!

“Why do I still have to study even after running away from home?”

“Sid. We just didn’t realize it before, but your studies are important.”

“Exactly. Our Young Master may seem clever for his age, but he’s still a kid.”

Both Walter and Emily were brimming with confidence, always saying to just trust them. So, I did.

I genuinely believed in them!

But these Extras always ended up tricking me.

“Well, really. Who could have expected our Young Master’s lack of basic education to be a problem?”

“Yup. An elementary student still needs to study.”

Since it wasn’t their problem, the two of them laughed and started planning my educational regimen.

“Looks like I’ll be getting a fantasy-style homeschooling.”

“Not exactly what that term means, but… not wrong either.”

I was going to go bad.

***

“Knowledgeable and wise? That means a Mage! And when it comes to Mages, they’re definitely knowledgeable, right, mister?”

“Yeah. Besides, we needed to recruit a Mage for dungeon exploration anyway.”

Emily and Walter seemed to have someone specific in mind, exchanging knowing glances as they set our next course.

“A Mage? Are you seriously hiring a Mage as my tutor?”

“Yes, Young Master. Mages are incredibly useful. They can easily start a campfire, make heavy loads light, clean clothes without water, and—”

“Wait… all of that sounds like it benefits you, Emily.”

“No way~ Would I really hire a Mage, paying that expensive fee, just to make my life easier? This is all for you, Young Master.”

A Mage.

Seekers of truth rather than mere virtue.

Leopold, our butler, was technically a Mage, but I’d rarely seen him use actual magic.

“Still, can we really find a Mage so easily?”

Mages were rare, high-value professionals. It wasn’t easy to recruit one as a personal tutor.

“Of course. The person we’re going to see is a mercenary Mage, someone who can be hired with just money.”

“Oh, I see.”

Mercenary Mages were even rarer. Mages were generally both scholars and semi-nobles, holding a status comparable to knights.

The fact that there was a mercenary Mage available without stringent requirements—only money—seemed almost too lucky.

“Is this person famous?”

“Not yet. But every Extra knows the mercenary Mage James.”

“He must be quite something.”

“Actually, it’s the opposite. His skills are average, and his fees are reasonable, so he’s an easy ally to recruit early on.”

“Uh… so he’s probably not an Extra?”

“Yes. That’s James’ biggest advantage.”

This was a story straight out of the ‘game system.’

According to the brief knowledge I gained from deciphering the walkthrough, the classic game 「Astoria Saga」 was an SRPG (Strategy Role-Playing Game) where, as the Hero, I embarked on adventures with various companions, ultimately saving the world.

And from a game system perspective, there was one crucial element that distinguished Extras from non-Extras.

It was the sole differentiating factor between me, Rena, and the other Extra reincarnators.

The key difference was whether a character was ‘playable’—whether they were part of the main character’s party or not.

“The mercenary Mage James doesn’t play a major role in the scenario, but he’s a companion you can recruit from the very beginning, so he grows at the same pace as the protagonist. I even took him to the final boss battle.”

PC, or ‘Playable Character,’ meant a main character of the story, and thus, there was a high chance they weren’t an Extra. And James was a clear example of a Playable Character.

“…Did I hear that right? You raised James all the way to a Grand Mage?”

“T-That’s because… he was my longest-serving companion, and it felt wrong to take him out of the party….”

“Oh my god. This is why you’re a game noob….”

“Ugh, what do you know, mister? James saved my stream so many times with his area-of-effect spells. He was my best Mage!”

“But his basic stats were low, and his health was poor, so you always had to assign him a bodyguard, right? I bet the only reason you kept getting into trouble was because you were one person short. And I’m sure you gave all the exclusive Mage gear to James, too?”

“Uh…?”

“That’s why you’re a game noob.”

“Ugh! You don’t put any love into your playstyle, mister!”

“What was that? I can’t hear you over the sound of your viewers groaning.”

“Ughyaaaak!”

“Oh, Walter won this time?”

And so, the second round of the Extra bickering ended with Walter’s victory.

“Well, I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of what kind of person he is.”

James wasn’t exceptionally powerful, but he was trustworthy. Especially during my toughest and weakest moments, he seemed like the kind of solid rock I could rely on.

“Let’s go meet him already.”

Though I hated the idea of studying, I was excited to meet the Mage James. I wanted to see what kind of person he was and what his personality was like.

Though his evaluation was mixed, he was still a potential companion who might stay by my side until the end of our adventure.

So, we followed the leads and finally arrived at the mercenary Mage James’s home….

“J-James? Uh, some knight came by and hired him for a huge sum of money….”

“James, not you too!?”

At this point, I had been through this so many times that the scene awaiting us felt almost familiar.

Grit, creak.

“…Who did it?”

“P-Pardon?!”

“First, they loot the dungeon before us, then they steal the Moon Blade right out of the dungeon, following the standard protagonist build, and now they’ve even taken James?!”

However, this time was a bit different from when we were robbed in an uninhabited dungeon.

“Who the hell was it?!”

“T-The truth is, I don’t know his name, but he was carrying a really white and long sword….”

“A white, long sword? Wait, was it a single-edged sword with a pattern like this?”

“Yes! It had that exact pattern!”

This time, we had a witness who had seen who took James away.

“Mister, don’t tell me….”

“Yeah. It’s definitely the Moon Blade.”

The very culprit who had repeatedly made fools of us.

“A-Aah… finally.”

The one who brought such a vicious yet ecstatic smile to Emily’s face.

“Fi. Nal. Ly. Found. You.”

It was an Extra who had taken the protagonist’s route.

***

“How dare they… How dare they not only steal the items prepared for the protagonist right under our Young Master’s nose but also take James too?!”

“Emily, I’m currently a runaway and officially missing.”

“That doesn’t matter! That bastard has already violated the unspoken rule of Extra stories!”

“There’s a rule like that?”

“Of course! Just like a fisherman releases small fry to preserve the future stock, Extras must only take a reasonable share! Otherwise, the protagonist’s growth is hindered, like now!”

“…So you do steal a bit, huh.”

I wasn’t too upset since I never really felt like those things were mine anyway, but Emily was fuming.

“E-Excuse me…!”

While none of us dared to try and calm down the enraged Emily, a soft, thin voice broke through.

“Yes?”

“Y-You’re really going to spare James, right?”

The speaker was none other than James’ younger sister, Hannah, who had told us he wasn’t home.

“Why do you think we’d hurt James?”

“W-Well, it’s because she….”

“Oh.”

Yeah, I suppose Emily did look scary.

She was practically shouting that she’d kill the Extra, holding a shovel sharp enough to shave with. It would have been strange if Hannah wasn’t terrified.

And with Emily being a witch by nature, just looking at her could give off an unsettling and ominous vibe.

“It’s okay. Emily…”

Whisper, whisper.

I leaned in close to Hannah’s ear, speaking softly so Emily wouldn’t hear.

“She may look fierce, but she’s actually super weak.”

“T-There’s no way… Actually, that makes sense.”

Exactly.

Walter was the only one in our party responsible for actual combat, while Emily was more of a support character. She was originally my dedicated maid, after all.

“So… you’ll really pay me the promised wages?”

“Yeah. I swear on my family name.”

The reason we hired Hannah instead of James was simple—she was the only person we knew who had seen the Extra’s face.

“T-Then, I need ten percent of the reward as an advance. The minimum employment period is a month, and next month, we’ll have to renegotiate under new terms.”

“…You suddenly got really businesslike.”

“Well, since you swore on your honor, I believe you, and now that we’ve made a contract, I-I’m a real m-mercenary too!”

Her stuttering didn’t inspire much confidence, though.

And so, in place of a pheasant, we settled for a chicken.

Or rather, instead of James, we hired his sister, Hannah.

With that, we officially began our Extra hunting.