The Runaway Warrior from Extra

Chapter 1: The Suspicious Maid and the Extra (1)

Recently, a suspicious figure entered our mansion.

That figure was a girl named Emily, with red hair. She looked to be around sixteen years old.

I was the first to sense that there was something off about this new person, and after observing her for a long time, I came to a conclusion.

This maid was extremely suspicious.

"Young Master Sid?"

Normally, a noble family would never take in a new maid without a recommendation from a trustworthy person.

However, that red-haired maid had somehow managed to win over my mother's heart and secured an official maid position in an instant.

Highly suspicious.

"What are you doing over there?"

"Ugh."

To be fair, if my mother had simply taken pity on the red-haired girl and brought her in as a new maid, it wouldn't have been that strange.

After all, it was the mistress of the house who had full authority over who was allowed to serve in our home.

But our family was different. We were notoriously strict in selecting people, to the point where some said we were too thorough.

"...I have something to ask you."

"Oh my, all of a sudden?"

That wasn't the only suspicious thing about her. Normally, a new maid would be given menial tasks like doing laundry or fetching water. That was how it always was for newcomers.

Yet, not long after entering the mansion, this red-haired girl was assigned as my personal maid.

This was a special privilege that had never been granted before. Suspicious, indeed.

"About the thief who was caught last night."

"The thief?"

What made this even more suspicious was that no one had opposed the decision.

Not even Marianne, the notoriously strict head maid of the mansion.

Not even Joseph, the gardener who always wore a gentle smile but secretly kept a close watch on everyone entering the estate.

Not even Leopold, the butler who introduced himself as an ordinary servant but whom I once saw secretly using magic.

Any one of them would have intervened if something involving me was at stake. And yet, not a single person objected to this red-haired girl becoming my personal maid.

That, in itself, was extremely suspicious!

And above all, the most suspicious thing was…

"That thief… wasn’t just an ordinary thief, was he?"

"Oh my, why would you think that, Young Master?"

The maid standing before me flashed a mischievous smile and instead questioned me in return.

She tilted her head slightly as if she had no idea what I was talking about, placing a finger on her chin in feigned innocence. But I wouldn’t be fooled.

"I overheard it by chance."

I had only been vaguely suspicious before, but last night confirmed everything.

While on my way to the restroom, I happened to overhear a conversation between the red-haired girl and the intruder.

It was a crucial clue to uncovering this suspicious woman’s identity…

"You asked the thief, ‘Are you an Extra too?’"

"Huh…?"

The red-haired girl, who had been so composed until now, was truly shocked when she heard me say the word "Extra."

This confirmed it.

Even her name, Emily, must have been a fake one made up to enter the mansion. Until her true identity was revealed, she would be the red-haired girl.

"Oh my, I didn’t expect you to have overheard that, Young Master. You have such sharp ears. Oh dear…"

"I knew it!"

My deduction was correct.

She had just admitted it herself. The case was solved.

This woman was definitely part of the same "Extra" group as the thief from last night, or perhaps an organization by that name.

She had just confessed that she was working with the thief. Her sinister plan to infiltrate the mansion by posing as a maid was now exposed.

"But, Young Master Sid."

"Y-Yeah?!"

…Or so I thought.

"Do you even know what ‘Extra’ means?"

That was an astonishingly confident response for someone whose secret had just been exposed.

"It’s… the name of the group that sent you to infiltrate the mansion… A thieves’ guild or a criminal organization…?"

"Wrong. Too bad, but ‘Extra’ is nothing like that."

"What…?"

The red-haired girl corrected me with a smile, as if she were my tutor.

For some reason, that smile made my face heat up slightly with embarrassment, but that was beside the point.

"W-Wait a second. Even if that’s true, you still knew the thief from last night, didn’t you? When you asked if he was an Extra, he was also shocked and asked how you knew about it…"

That wasn’t my only evidence. The thief and the red-haired girl had exchanged a rather striking conversation.

"You heard everything in such detail, huh? Most people wouldn’t be able to hear that well, no matter how sharp their ears are."

However—

"This is strange, Young Master. If you truly wanted to expose me, you wouldn’t have come to question me directly. You could have just told someone else."

Something was off. She was the one hiding her identity. She was the one at fault. And yet, why did it feel like I was the one caught red-handed?

"So, does that mean you also don’t really know what ‘Extra’ truly means…?"

The red-haired girl took a step closer, her smile growing even brighter.

Step.

"Or perhaps, you needed a secluded place like this for some other reason."

An eerie sensation crept into my mind. I instinctively took a step back.

"F-Fine! I don’t know what Extra means! But if I tell the others what I found out…!"

"And?"

"A maid who snuck in under a false identity would be kicked out of the mansion immediately…!"

"Oh my."

That’s when I realized.

This place was an isolated corner of the garden, far from where others could see or hear us.

I had followed her here, looking for the right moment to confront her.

"Wait… you didn’t lure me here on purpose, did you?!"

"First question. What am I holding in my hand right now?"

"A… a shovel…?"

She was holding an ordinary shovel.

Except the blade gleamed sharply, and the slightly rusted metal gave it an ominous reddish tint.

"Correct. Now, second question. What do you think I was doing with it?"

Why did the rust on that simple shovel look so menacing today?

And why had she been digging in the ground?

"Don’t tell me… Joseph…?!"

Could that be why the gardener Joseph was nowhere to be seen?!

"If you had said I was burying some trash, you would have been correct. But unfortunately, that’s the wrong answer."

Had Joseph already been buried somewhere, and was she now making room for someone else?!

This was bad. I had discovered the truth too late.

I’m sorry, Joseph!

While I was frozen in shock, the red-haired girl and her ominous red shovel had moved right in front of me.

I was right all along.

This suspicious maid, with her bewitching beauty, was a terrifying being who ensnared people and used sinister magic to eliminate them.

"A… a witch…!"

The word slipped out as a theory formed in my mind, and the answer I received was—

"Oh my, correct."

With an eerie smile, the red-stained shovel was raised high into the air.

"Aaaah!"

I’m going to die! She’s going to kill me!

The fear of being devoured by a terrifying witch known for eating children!

"Hmm... Judging by that reaction, it seems Young Master isn't in the same situation as me."

"Aaaah! Crazy maid!"

Faced with the terror of being murdered by the maid, I chose a strategic retreat.

"Sigh... I thought it was the rule that only one person gets possessed in Extra transmigration stories."

I vaguely heard the redhead let out a sigh.

What on earth is Extra!?

***

"Sid."

Afterward, I was immediately summoned by my mother.

"Sid Valerian Sword."

"...Yes, Mother."

Normally, one’s name would be called plainly, or an affectionate nickname would be used between family members.

But using both the surname and full name? What could that possibly mean?

"Is it true that you spent the entire day tailing the new maid, Emily?"

That confirmed it.

Mother was furious, and this was a warning that she would not let this matter slide.

"M-Mother, that is..."

And that wasn’t all.

"Joseph. Whose words are true?"

Contrary to my assumptions, the gardener, Joseph, had neither been killed nor buried.

Although he arrived a little late, he still managed to bring another person as I had hoped.

"Yes, my lady. It is true. The Young Master had been secretly following Emily since before she left the mansion."

It seemed Joseph had called someone not for my sake, but to protect the maid from potential mischief at the hands of a noble heir.

"Sid. If you have anything to say, do so now."

"Mother, that is..."

To clear myself of the false accusation of stalking the new maid with ill intentions, I had no choice but to reveal the truth I had risked my life to uncover.

"So, in short, you ignored your studies for the day to play detective?"

"Mother, this is not a game of detective...!"

I was only investigating a suspicious person who had entered the mansion for the sake of our family.

"No matter how much you doubt her, Emily’s identity is confirmed."

"What?"

"Contrary to your concerns, Emily is from a family that has been deeply connected to ours since long ago. I personally verified it."

"That must be because that witch used some kind of dark magic—"

"...Sid."

"Yes?"

"Did I ever teach you that it's acceptable to call someone a witch so carelessly?"

"But she admitted it herself just earlier—"

"Oh my, it seems Young Master took my joke seriously. My lady, please pardon him, as this is not entirely his fault."

"Hmm..."

The redhead, as if she found my scolding amusing, barely held back a smirk while pleading for my leniency.

Why am I the one getting scolded because of her!

"Sid, you will be grounded for a week. Additionally, you must apologize to Emily."

"This can’t be...!"

I had only investigated a suspicious person for the sake of our household’s peace, and yet, I was being punished for a whole week? This was too cruel.

"And during your confinement, no storybooks. Honestly, calling her a witch..."

"Hng..."

Losing my storybooks was devastating.

Today, my world crumbled.

"And watch your tone. You are ten years old now, and etiquette training has begun. Speak like a noble at all times."

"...Hng, understood."

I’ll rebel.

"Hehe, how adorable."

And it was all because of that red-haired witch, who was now laughing at me.

***

"Redhead!"

Despite my unfair imprisonment, a whole week of suffering, I did not give up.

The truth would come to light eventually!

"Oh my, Young Master. What is it now? Are you still playing detective?"

She might have fooled everyone else, but she wouldn't fool me.

"This isn’t over yet."

There was still one unresolved mystery I couldn’t ignore.

"Extra."

"You don’t even know what it means."

"Exactly. I don’t know what Extra is."

The enigmatic term that first appeared on the night I began suspecting this maid—Extra.

At first, I assumed it referred to an organization or a person, but no one seemed to know its true meaning.

That meant it had to be some kind of code. Or a secret phrase.

And the easiest way to decipher it?

"So tell me what Extra means!"

Was to ask someone who knew.

"Oh dear... Are you sure?"

"About what?"

"If you ask so innocently, I could lie or give you misleading information."

"Are you saying you’d deceive the noble you serve? That would be grounds for your dismissal. So I don’t mind."

I was a noble, and she was my personal maid.

There was no need to overcomplicate things—I’d simply ask what I wanted to know.

"Oh my, pressing such a powerless, defenseless maid like me... I have no choice."

"Uh... That’s not what I meant..."

Would I get scolded again for mistreating a maid?

At that moment, the redhead gestured for me to come closer.

"This is a top-secret revelation just for you, Young Master..."

She whispered into my ear so that no one else could hear.

"Young Master, Extras are actually very, very terrifying beings."

"W-What?!"

"Especially dangerous to a protagonist like you."

Extras were a threat to me. And she was an Extra.

That meant...?!

"If you keep staring at me with those wide eyes, an Extra might just sneak in and steal something very precious from you~"

"E-Even if you try to scare me, I won’t give up. I’ll find out what Extra really means today."

"Well, if this were a properly structured Extra transmigration story, none of this nonsense would be happening in the first place."

Gone was her usual playful demeanor. She let out a sigh, looking off into the distance as if lamenting something.

"There are just too many Extras besides me..."

It seemed that Extras were the root of all problems.