Help! I'm just an extra yet the Heroines and Villainesses want me! Chapter 77: Going Home

William spent the next few days going through his normal routine while trying to decide how to respond to his mother’s letter. He went to classes as usual, he attended the Inter-Academy training and then there was his evening sessions with Kai.

And so occasional ti with his friend group. Everything felt surreal knowing he would be returning ho soon.

On Wednesday morning, he finally sat down and wrote a response.

[Dear Mother,]

[I will visit this weekend as requested. I can arrive Saturday morning and stay through Sunday evening if that suits your schedule.]

[Regarding the Inter-Academy competition, I will represent House Cross to the best of my ability regardless of father’s opinion on the matter.]

[William]

William stared at it for a mont wondering if it sounded rude but he couldn’t tell.

He kept it brief and formal. His mother appreciated directness over flowery language anyway.

The response ca back Thursday afternoon, delivered by the sa academy ssenger service.

[Saturday morning is acceptable. A carriage will arrive at the academy gates at nine o’clock. Do not be late.]

[Duchess Arabella Cross]

"Should I be worried?"

"Probably not. Your mother seems to actually care about your success, even if she expresses it through brutal training thods." Kai set the letter down. "But stay alert. In loop eight, political complications with your family created additional stress that affected your performance."

"What kind of complications?"

"Your father tried to pull you from the Inter-Academy team for ’family reasons’ two weeks before the competition. Your mother intervened but it caused a whole ss." Kai’s expression was flat. "That didn’t happen in other loops, so it might have been specific to sothing you did differently in loop eight."

"What did I do differently?"

"You were more openly dismissive of your family’s expectations during a formal academy event. It embarrassed your father publicly." Kai pulled out one of his books. "This ti just be civil, listen to what your mother says, and don’t create unnecessary drama."

"I can manage that."

The rest of the week passed with William trying to maintain focus on his training while his mind occasionally drifted to the upcoming visit. During Thursday’s Inter-Academy practice, he was distracted enough that Reylan called him out on it.

"Cross, your head’s not in this," the instructor said after William mistid a coordination drill. "Whatever’s bothering you, deal with it later. Right now you’re here."

William forced himself to focus for the rest of the session, but it was harder than usual.

That evening, during training with Kai, he worked on the environntal essence sense again. It was becoming more natural, requiring less conscious effort to activate. He could now maintain awareness of his surroundings for several minutes before the ntal strain beca too much.

"Good progress," Kai said after watching him navigate the simulated tunnels with his eyes closed. "At this rate you’ll be able to use it reliably during actual combat within a week or two."

"It still gives a headache."

"That’s your brain adapting to processing information in a new way. The headaches will fade." Kai threw a practice blade at him from an unexpected angle.

William sensed it coming and dodged smoothly without opening his eyes.

"See? Already instinctive." Kai retrieved the blade. "Keep practicing this while you’re at your family estate. Find quiet monts to activate the sense and maintain it. The more you use it, the more natural it becos."

Friday was relatively uneventful. Classes felt like they dragged on forever. William’s mind kept drifting to what his mother might want to discuss, what his sister might say to him, how his father would react to his presence.

During lunch, Marcus noticed his distraction.

"You okay? You’ve barely said anything all al."

"Just thinking about this weekend."

"Got plans?"

"Visiting my family."

Marcus made a face. "That sounds terrible based on how you’ve described them."

"It won’t be fun, but it’s necessary."

"Well, good luck. Try not to let them stress you out too much."

That evening, William packed a small bag with clothes appropriate for a noble house visit. He selected outfits that were formal enough to satisfy his mother’s expectations but not so elaborate that he felt like he was performing so role.

Kai watched him pack with his usual detached observation.

"Take this," Kai said, holding out a small knife in a discrete sheath. "It attaches to your belt under your jacket. No one will see it unless you draw it."

"You think I’ll need a weapon at my own family estate?"

"I think you should be prepared everywhere until the competition is over." Kai demonstrated how to attach and conceal the sheath. "If anyone tries to attack you there, it ans the assassination attempts are escalating beyond what I’ve seen before."

"That’s comforting."

"I’m being realistic. You’re going into a situation I can’t control or monitor. I need you to be prepared for anything." Kai handed him the knife. "It’s small and light. You probably won’t need it, but having it is better than not having it."

William took the knife and practiced attaching it a few tis until the motion felt natural. The weight was barely noticeable under his jacket.

"What are you going to do while I’m gone?" William asked.

"Sa thing I always do. Read, train, wait." Kai returned to his desk. "I might explore the academy’s restricted archives section. There are historical docunts about the competition venues that might be useful."

"You can access restricted archives?"

"I’ve had six months to learn academy security patterns across sixteen loops. Yes, I can access restricted archives." Kai didn’t elaborate further. "Don’t worry about what I’m doing. Focus on your family visit."

William finished packing and went to bed early, knowing he’d need to be up before dawn to be ready by nine.

---

Saturday morning arrived cold and overcast. William woke at six-thirty to the sound of rain pattering against the window. The weather matched his mood about the upcoming visit.

He got dressed in formal clothes that he rarely wore — dark tailored pants, a pressed shirt, a jacket with the subtle House Cross colors worked into the trim. The kind of outfit that said "noble family mber" without being ostentatious.

Kai was already awake, sitting at his desk with a book and a cup of tea.

"You look like a proper noble," Kai observed without looking up.

"I feel uncomfortable."

"Good. Discomfort keeps you alert." Kai finally glanced at him. "Rember what I said. Be civil, don’t create drama, co back Sunday evening. If anything feels wrong, leave imdiately."

"You’re being paranoid."

"I’ve watched you die sixteen tis. Paranoia is justified." Kai returned to his book. "Just be careful."

William grabbed his packed bag and left the dormitory. The campus was quiet this early on a Saturday morning — most students were still sleeping, enjoying their weekend freedom from classes. The rain had lightened to a drizzle but the sky remained grey and heavy.

He made his way across campus to the main gates, his formal shoes clicking on the wet stone pathways. A few early-rising students gave him curious looks, probably wondering why he was dressed so formally on a weekend.

The carriage was already waiting when he arrived at the gates, pulled off to the side under the shelter of so trees. It was an expensive piece clearly marked as House Cross property, with the family crest emblazoned on both sides in silver and deep blue. The horses were well-bred and well-maintained, standing patiently despite the rain.

The driver was an older man with grey hair and a weathered face. William vaguely recognized him as so of the servants he saw before coming to the academy.

"Master William," the driver said with a formal nod, his voice gruff but not unkind. "The Duchess sent to collect you. Right on ti, I see."

"Thank you..." William searched for the na and couldn’t find it. The original William would have known.

"Henrik, sir. Don’t trouble yourself if you don’t rember. It’s been a long ti." Henrik opened the carriage door. "We’ll have you ho in about four hours if the weather holds."

"Thank you, Henrik."

William climbed into the carriage and settled into the cushioned seat. The interior was comfortable — padded benches, small windows with curtains, enough space to stretch out if needed. It slled faintly of leather and wood polish.

Henrik closed the door and monts later William felt the carriage lurch into motion. Through the window, he watched the academy gates pass by, then the familiar buildings and grounds gradually disappearing behind them as they headed down the main road.

The countryside rolled past slowly. Farmland with crops struggling in the cold rain. Small villages with smoke rising from chimneys. Stretches of forest with bare branches reaching toward the grey sky. The landscape was dreary but there was sothing honest about it — no pretense, just the reality of late autumn in this region.

William tried to read the book he’d brought but couldn’t focus. His mind kept drifting to what waited at the end of this journey. His mother with her intensity and impossible expectations. His father with his cold disappointnt. His siblings who barely acknowledged his existence. And his younger sister, who apparently wanted to see him for reasons he couldn’t guess.

He rembered almost nothing about her. The original William’s mories weren’t available to him, and since transmigrating he’d had minimal contact with any of his siblings. She was younger — maybe thirteen or fourteen? He wasn’t even certain of that detail.

The carriage rattled over a rough section of road, jostling William from his thoughts. Through the window he could see they were passing through a larger village now, with proper buildings and what looked like a market square. People moved about their business despite the rain, bundled in heavy clothes against the cold.

They continued on. The rain picked up again, drumming steadily on the carriage roof. William found the sound almost soothing in its monotony.

Ti passed in a strange way when traveling — simultaneously too fast and too slow. William dozed off at so point and woke to find they’d traveled much farther. The landscape had changed subtly. More developed areas now, estates belonging to various noble families visible in the distance.

Then finally, familiar territory began appearing. Stone markers along the road indicating the boundaries of Cross family land. Well-maintained forests that his family used for hunting and timber. Small villages that paid taxes to House Cross in exchange for protection and administration.

William felt his stomach tighten as each landmark beca more familiar. He was almost ho. Or rather, almost to the place where William Cross had grown up, where his body had lived for seventeen years before William Everett’s consciousness took over.

The carriage slowed as they approached a checkpoint. Guards in House Cross colors verified Henrik’s credentials and waved them through without much fuss. They clearly recognized the carriage.

The main estate road stretched ahead, lined with trees that would have been beautiful in spring but now just looked skeletal and bare. William could see the manor house in the distance now, growing larger as they approached.

Then they were pulling up the final stretch of the approach road and the full scale of the estate beca visible.

It was massive — a sprawling complex of buildings centered around the main manor house. The manor itself was three stories of grey stone and elegant architecture, with wings extending from the central structure like arms reaching outward. Tall windows reflected the grey sky. Towers at each corner gave it an almost fortress-like appearance despite the refined design.

Gardens spread around the manor, currently dormant for winter but clearly maintained with care. Training grounds were visible to one side, with practice equipnt and combat platforms. Servant quarters and storage buildings scattered throughout the property ford their own small community.

Everything was organized, efficient, maintained to the highest standards. This was the seat of House Cross’s power, and it looked the part.

The carriage pulled up the circular drive and finally stopped in front of the main entrance. Through the window, William could see servants moving about their duties despite the rain. Guards stationed at the doors, their postures perfect even in the bad weather.

The carriage door opened. Henrik stood there with an umbrella, rain dripping off its edges.

"We’ve arrived, Master William."

William stepped out of the carriage carefully, his formal shoes finding purchase on the wet stone. Henrik held the umbrella over him while another servant rushed forward to take his bag.

"The Duchess is expecting you in the west drawing room," the servant said with a quick bow. "I’ll take your things to your room."

"Thank you."

Henrik nodded to him once more before returning to the carriage, presumably to take it and the horses to the stables.

William stood there for a mont in the rain, the umbrella-holding servant waiting patiently beside him. He stared up at the manor house — at the cold grey stone, the tall windows, the imposing architecture designed to project power and permanence.

He’d woken up here six months ago in a body that wasn’t his, with no mories of the life he was supposed to have lived within these walls. He’d spent three brutal days being trained by his mother before being shipped off to the academy with minimal ceremony.

Now he was back.

The manor house lood above him, simultaneously familiar and foreign. Sowhere inside, his mother was waiting. His sister wanted to see him. His father was probably maintaining his studied indifference.

And sowhere in this whole situation was whatever his mother wanted to discuss about the Inter-Academy competition and his representation of House Cross.

William took a breath, adjusted his jacket to make sure the concealed knife wasn’t visible, and started walking toward the entrance.

The servant followed with the umbrella, protecting him from the rain as they approached the heavy wooden doors.

This was going to be an interesting weekend.

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