The Useless Extra Knows It All....But Does He?

Chapter 468: Chapter 467 - The Reason!

The morning atmosphere of Arcadia Academy carried its usual energy as students moved through the sprawling grounds, their conversations blending together beneath the warm rays of the rising sun. The training fields were already occupied by ambitious students seeking to improve themselves before classes began, while instructors occasionally walked among them, offering corrections and advice.

Among them stood Luca.

Or more accurately—

His body stood there.

His mind was somewhere else entirely.

The twin sabers moved through the air with practiced precision as he executed one technique after another, silver and black arcs slicing through the morning breeze. Every movement was clean. Every transition was flawless. The rhythm of his training remained steady.

Yet his thoughts never once settled upon the sabers.

Aurelia.

Kyle.

No response.

No message.

No explanation.

The questions had been circling through his head since the previous evening.

Even now, while his body repeated thousands of hours of muscle memory, his thoughts remained elsewhere.

The final saber form came to an end.

Luca exhaled slowly.

The blades disappeared into his storage ring.

His gaze lingered toward the horizon for a brief moment.

Still nothing.

A faint sigh escaped him.

Eventually he returned to his dormitory, climbed the familiar stairs, and entered his room. A quick shower followed, cool water washing away the sweat accumulated during training while giving him a chance to organize his thoughts.

Unfortunately—

The shower did little to help.

By the time he emerged and changed into his black academy uniform trimmed with gold, the same questions remained firmly lodged inside his mind.

As he adjusted the collar of his uniform and stepped out into the academy pathways, the uncertainty that had lingered since last night had already transformed into determination.

His expression gradually sharpened.

His pace quickened.

"I’ll ask Kyle today."

The decision felt simple.

Direct.

Reasonable.

Whatever was happening, Kyle would explain it.

With that thought in mind, Luca continued toward the classroom.

Unlike his usual routine, he didn’t immediately head for his seat upon arrival.

Instead, he stopped near the entrance.

Then waited.

Students gradually entered the room one after another.

Groups gathered.

Conversations formed.

Laughter echoed through the classroom.

Yet Luca remained near the door.

Watching.

Waiting.

Looking for one specific red-haired troublemaker.

Minutes passed.

The classroom steadily filled.

Still no Kyle.

The uneasiness inside him deepened.

Eventually Professor Seraphina entered the room, her blue hair tied neatly while her composed expression immediately restored order to the classroom.

Seeing that the lecture was about to begin, Luca finally abandoned his position near the door and walked toward the back row.

He dropped into his usual seat beside Eric.

The blond young man took one look at him before raising an eyebrow.

"What’s wrong with you today?"

Luca leaned back in his chair.

"You know where Kyle is?"

Eric blinked.

That clearly wasn’t the answer he had expected.

Then a small grin appeared on his face.

"I don’t."

Luca frowned slightly.

Before he could ask anything further, Eric continued.

"But I know someone who might."

The blond student subtly shifted his gaze toward the front of the classroom.

Luca followed it immediately.

Aiden.

The blonde-haired young man sat calmly in his usual position while preparing for the lecture.

Aiden looked completely normal.

Which somehow made Luca even more suspicious.

The realization caused him to nod slowly.

"Right."

Eric looked at him curiously.

"Did something happen?"

Luca hesitated.

Then shook his head.

"I’m not sure."

Eric observed him for a moment before deciding not to press further.

The lecture began shortly afterward.

Normally Luca would have found some way to distract himself.

Normally he would have exchanged comments with Eric.

Normally he would have spent half the class pretending to pay attention while thinking about entirely unrelated matters.

Today was different.

His attention remained divided throughout the entire lecture.

Every passing minute only increased the feeling that something was wrong.

Aurelia still hadn’t replied.

Kyle still hadn’t appeared.

Even Seraphina’s lecture seemed unusually long.

By the time it finally ended, Luca was already standing before half the classroom had gathered their belongings.

Students began leaving.

Conversations resumed.

Chairs shifted.

The usual post-lecture chaos returned.

Luca barely noticed any of it.

His eyes were already fixed on Aiden.

The moment an opportunity appeared, he moved.

Quickly crossing the classroom, he reached the blonde-haired young man before the latter could escape.

Aiden looked up.

Then immediately understood what this was about.

Luca didn’t waste any time.

"You know where Kyle is?"

The question came instantly.

Then after a brief pause, he added—

"I haven’t gotten a single message from Aurelia either since yesterday."

The moment those words left his mouth, Aiden’s expression changed.

Only slightly.

Most people probably wouldn’t have noticed.

Luca did.

The shift lasted less than a second.

Yet it was enough.

Enough to confirm that Aiden knew something.

The blonde-haired young man glanced around the classroom.

Several students still remained nearby.

Others were slowly making their way toward the exit.

Aiden remained silent for several moments.

Then he released a long sigh.

The kind of sigh someone made when realizing a conversation could no longer be avoided.

His expression grew serious.

Far more serious than Luca had expected.

And immediately—

Luca’s stomach sank.

Because whatever this was—

It wasn’t something trivial.

Aiden finally looked directly at him.

Then quietly said,

"Come with me."

And for the first time since this whole situation had begun—

Luca felt genuinely worried.

The atmosphere throughout the academy corridors remained lively as students poured out of classrooms and headed toward training grounds, cafeterias, libraries, and dormitories. Conversations echoed from every direction, creating the familiar noise of academy life that normally made Arcadia feel vibrant and alive.

Yet Luca found himself paying attention to none of it.

He simply followed Aiden.

The blonde-haired young man remained unusually quiet as they walked through several hallways before descending a staircase that led toward a quieter section of the academy grounds. Eventually, they arrived at a secluded stone pavilion overlooking a small garden rarely visited during the afternoon.

The noise of the academy became distant there.

Only the rustling of leaves and the soft sound of water from a nearby fountain remained.

Aiden finally stopped walking.

Luca remained silent.

His expression had already grown serious.

Aiden leaned lightly against one of the stone pillars before letting out a long breath.

"I wasn’t planning to involve myself in this."

Luca folded his arms.

"But?"

Aiden gave a small smile.

"But you’re already involved."

For a moment neither spoke.

Then Aiden looked toward the garden and began explaining.

"The situation isn’t limited to Aurelia’s family."

Luca frowned slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Aiden remained thoughtful before answering.

"Several ducal houses have suddenly started accelerating succession matters. Discussions that normally would have taken years are being pushed through within months. Potential heirs are being recalled, family councils are being convened, and internal political factions are becoming much more active."

The more he spoke, the deeper Luca’s frown became.

Because even to him—

That sounded unusual.

Very unusual.

Aiden continued calmly.

"The exact reason hasn’t been disclosed. Officially, nothing is happening. Unofficially..." He paused slightly. "Even my grandfather has hinted that major changes may be approaching."

Luca immediately understood who Aiden was referring to.

The Sword Duke.

One of the most influential figures on the continent.

A man whose words carried enormous weight.

If even someone like him was taking succession matters seriously...

Then something bigger was happening beneath the surface.

Aiden shook his head.

"Unfortunately, I don’t know the details. Grandfather only warned me to focus on becoming stronger and to prepare myself for responsibilities in the future."

The blonde-haired young man laughed lightly.

"Which is old man language for telling me trouble is coming without actually telling me what kind of trouble."

Despite the joke, neither laughed.

The atmosphere remained heavy.

Then Aiden looked directly at Luca.

"As for Kyle and Aurelia..."

He paused briefly.

"I received word that both of them returned home because of these succession discussions."

Luca’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

At least they were safe.

The worry that had built throughout the last day eased somewhat.

Yet another concern immediately replaced it.

Because he knew something Aiden didn’t.

His thoughts drifted back.

Back to one of the conversations he had shared with Aurelia.

Back to the determination in her eyes whenever she spoke about her future.

Back to the ambition she carried.

Unlike Kyle—

Aurelia genuinely wanted it.

Not the power.

Not the title.

Not the prestige.

She wanted to lead.

She wanted to prove herself.

She wanted to become someone capable of carrying the family forward through her own ability.

Luca remembered how serious she had become whenever the topic surfaced.

How her eyes seemed to shine with conviction.

How much effort she had invested toward becoming worthy of that position.

And now—

If the Iron Duke truly intended to name Kyle as the next heir...

Luca could only imagine how difficult that conversation must have been.

A small sigh escaped him.

His gaze drifted toward the sky above the academy.

"I should have realized something was wrong."

Aiden raised an eyebrow.

"How?"

Luca smiled faintly.

"Aurelia isn’t exactly the type to disappear without saying anything."

Aiden chuckled softly.

"No. She definitely isn’t."

For several moments both young men remained silent.

The breeze moved gently through the garden.

Students could be seen walking in the distance.

Life within the academy continued normally.

Yet Luca’s thoughts had already traveled far beyond its walls.

Toward a distant estate.

Toward a stubborn red-haired girl currently fighting for her dream.

Toward responsibilities and ambitions far larger than most first-year students would ever face.

Eventually Luca looked back toward Aiden.

"Thank you."

The words were simple.

Yet sincere.

Aiden merely shrugged.

"I figured you deserved to know."

Luca nodded.

The uneasiness that had plagued him since last night hadn’t vanished completely.

But at least now he understood.

Kyle wasn’t missing.

Aurelia wasn’t ignoring him.

They were dealing with something important.

Something personal.

Something that mattered deeply to both of them.

And somehow—

That realization made him worry even more.