The Claris Academy Fitness Center is packed with students during the early morning and late evening.
This is a natural occurrence since there are classes during the weekdays.
– Is that Lev Denec?
– Yeah. Can’t shoot for crap.
Perhaps it was my impulsive action of provoking the senior Gaelon, or maybe it was that the guy had a big mouth and spread rumors all over town.
The passing seniors were snickering behind my back.
– How many points did he get?
– They say his name isn’t even on the freshman chamber ranking!
– Guess there’s nothing to bet on then.
And so, I found myself unintentionally becoming the center of attention from the start of the new semester.
Classes are fine since I attend them with my peers, but in the fitness center or shooting range, it’s another story.
I had directly addressed a senior without using honorifics nor a hint of respect, so rumors definitely wouldn’t have been kind.
-…
At that moment, a sudden hush fell among the onlookers.
And then came a delayed murmur about… compliments on looks.
– Who… who is that?
– I think he’s a freshman?
– She’s pretty…
It was Aria.
She came up to me, perhaps with something she needed to discuss.
“I heard you’re going to duel.”
“You’re not supposed to come up here unless you’re practicing.”
“I reserved 2 for you, and I’m in 1.”
I looked around.
The seniors, especially the guys, were watching me with mixed emotions in their eyes.
One of those emotions was clearly jealousy, likely due to Aria.
I readied my crossbow and said, “If you keep hanging around me, you’ll get caught up in some bad rumors too.”
“Hmm… Well, I’m just returning borrowed equipment.”
What she handed me was a neatly folded blanket.
I was going to toss it anyway, but I guess I’ll keep it for another use.
“Put it behind you.”
Saying that, I lifted the crossbow and aimed at the target.
“…What are you thinking this time?”
“Just acting on impulse, I guess.”
“That’s reckless. You chose the wrong opponent.”
“Do you really think I’m gonna lose?”
“Of course…”
Her gaze dropped when our eyes met.
Is she worried…?
Then, Aria seemed like she was about to say something, then casually asked.
“Gaelon Sharptie. He’s got a bad reputation among the freshmen. Is it related?”
“Hmm… I can’t say it’s not.”
“……”
In the [Reincarnated Academy], Gaelon, being the villain, was known for flirting with freshmen only to discard them, the classic playboy type.
His fairy-like appearance made him attractive, plus he was the top archer in the Archer Department right now, so he seemed like a capable senior.
Ultimately, the reason I ended up dueling him was indeed to raise my favorability with Selena, so I can’t deny there’s a connection.
Aria placed her hand softly on her chin, deep in thought.
And after a moment, she said…
“Could it be… related to demons…?”
“You’re quite the overthinker, aren’t you?”
“…I spoke out of turn.”
Turning her head slightly, Aria was embarrassed by her own words.
Am I a demon hunter who’s laser-focused on hunting demons…?
I suppose that’s somewhat accurate.
It’s easy to misunderstand.
“Anyway, it’s reckless.”
“Why are you worried?”
“…Ah? Well, as a classmate…”
“Yeah, you really are nice.”
In that moment, I blurted out a compliment without even realizing it.
It’s natural for her to be nice to everyone.
-…
For a brief moment, we fell silent and just held our peace.
I continued shooting my crossbow, and Aria… well, I couldn’t know what kind of expression she had behind me.
“Honestly, your actions are… totally unpredictable…”
So Aria left without even using the borrowed chamber.
*
Selena Windforce.
She was using the shooting practice room as frequently as a senior.
She had already been here for over 6 hours today alone.
If she were in the lounge or cafeteria, Gaelon would surely come and hit on her.
– Hey, Lena!
Why’s he calling her by a nickname so casually?
– Haha, is the Sylph still not here? No news yet?
– Don’t worry; I’ll take responsibility. Don’t sweat the future, okay?
He brings up Wind Archery, knowing full well.
But the family that had taken care of the half-elf Selena since she was young couldn’t completely ignore him.
In a nutshell, it was a gamble.
Ultimately, staying locked in her room to avoid him only made her restless.
After her day of classes ended, she spent all her time practicing alone in her room, and so she became a total practice addict.
One good thing is that drawing her bow feels as natural as breathing, and above all, she loves it.
Yet, even though she loved it so much, she was slowly realizing there are areas she couldn’t reach solely through effort.
That is, just like magicians, there’s a ‘wall’ in archery too.
Even while she was constantly caring for her mindset, nobody was more self-aware than her, so she couldn’t overlook this fact.
——————————————————
Awakening Chamber
1st Year Rankings
1 – Aveline Valantes: Trial 1 (00 minutes 25 seconds)
2 – Melissa de Prominence: Trial 1 (00 minutes 41 seconds)
3 – Caeran Hiss: Trial 1 (00 minutes 58 seconds)
4 – Andre Sbenia: Trial 1 (01 minute 21 seconds)
5 – Raymond Toledo: Trial 1 (10 minutes 30 seconds)
6 – Lily Forget: Trial 1 (10 minutes 52 seconds)
7 – Anonymous: Trial 1 (6 hours 34 minutes 01 seconds)
(And below are vacancies)
.
.
.
——————————————————
As the semester started, many students began to challenge the Evolution Chamber.
Though the top and second place archers hadn’t tackled the chamber yet,
Selena couldn’t even pass Trial 1, let alone rank.
Her arrows hit the target with perfect precision, but ultimately didn’t inflict significant damage.
And the gap could clearly be attributed to Wind Archery.
As her anxious mind gradually consumed her,
There was one particular guy who had been catching her eye these past few days.
Lev Denec.
Gray hair, rare black eyes.
He has an expression that seems annoyed, and just looking at his face gives a somewhat unpleasant vibe, but for some reason, he consistently shows up at the shooting practice room just like Selena.
Like a little kid doing homework, he picks up his crossbow.
It doesn’t seem like he gets much satisfaction from it.
Strangely enough, he seems to genuinely enjoy it.
– Is that him? The crossbow freak?
– What a loser, nothing special about him.
– Just a wannabe.
Despite the harsh evaluations, he continues to fire arrows.
‘…’
His form is at least more stable than last time, which is something.
‘Relax a bit more… slowly.’
In that instant, Selena realized she was conscious of him.
No? Not just conscious, but she was even considering how to correct his form.
For some reason, it felt like if she taught him just a little, he’d improve much more.
Selena recalled what it was like when she first held a bow.
What was she feeling then?
She probably wanted to prove her worth when she was mocked as a nobody and faintly heard the village adults whispering about her genius talent…
She wanted to grow stronger,
And yet, lamented not being able to connect with spirits.
It was vague, very vague.
It had been too long ago to reach back to that initial feeling, a past tarnished with scars.
– Thud!!!
At that moment, the arrow he shot swiftly flew and hit the bullseye.
“…You’ve improved.”
It’s a stretch to say it was directly in the center, but it definitely felt better than before.
Of course, to be realistic, his skill wouldn’t be enough to beat Gaelon, let alone match the average archers of Claris Academy.
But the speed of his growth could be considered astonishing.
Even if he was a beginner, despite his prowess, the shooting distance at the Claris shooting range would be a challenge for ordinary folks.
How much practice would one need to reach this level with magician talent?
At the very least, it’s deemed impossible to train alongside.
Selena couldn’t help but keep glancing at him.
Perhaps… he might have the talent of a marksman as if he had passed some test.
As she thought that, his suggested words suddenly popped into her mind.
– It’s fine. You just need to teach me.
– Wind Archery.
Ridiculous.
Wind Archery belonged to Elves.
Thus, Selena shook her head.
But…
Considering that both of them couldn’t use their family’s blessings nor Wind Archery, perhaps that’s why she felt a sense of kinship.
“Ha…”
– That’s not how you shoot.
– Just relax a bit more.
– Keep your eyes focused on the target until the end…
– How on earth did he pass the test…?
Selena desperately felt the urge to coach him in real-time.
*
– Swish!
——————————————————
▶Status
[Strength]: 2.3 -> 2.5 (new)
[Stamina]: 2.5 -> 2.75 (new)
[Dexterity]: 1.95 -> 2 (new)
[Magic Power]: 1.45
[Mana]: 1.7
[Mental strength]: 1.7 -> 1.8 (new)
[Perception]: 1.45
[Luck]: 3.0
[Specialization]
Circle Magic (1)
Crossbow – Proficiency (5)
——————————————————
No matter how much I received the fitness center buff, it was no easy task for my stats to surpass 2.0.
Indeed, the only way to skyrocket is to hit the dungeons.
But dungeons have long pathways and many traps.
Moreover, the difficulty isn’t Solo but Party mode.
After all, from the end of the first semester, it’s practical dungeon runs repeatedly, so just hold on a bit.
The reason I’m doing this grinding is solely for one thing.
While enhancing my stats has value, the core of it is to grab Selena’s attention.
I’ve already dropped four intriguing hints for her.
The first was that I beat her in the selection test.
The second was that I’m going to duel Gaelon.
The third was that I know the solution to Wind Archery.
The biggest fourth was I’m drawing Selena’s attention like a high-class fish.
It’s already been three days.
Without even sparing her a glance, I maintained this awkward atmosphere.
It’s about time.
For today, she came down from her usual private room to the common shooting room, perhaps to observe me.
‘This is it… a chance.’
– Whoosh!
I deliberately held an anxious pose while shooting the arrow.
Just a little adjustment, enough to make it seem a tad clumsy, around 2% off.
‘Can she endure this?’
Her personality is without flaws, and her altruistic heart would make it easy to exploit.
Gaelon, who was dueling me, harbored a lecherous desire to dominate Selena as his concubine through his family’s power, so there’s no way she’d like him.
But what if I, who could barely handle a bow let alone Wind Archery, was to duel with him?
She wouldn’t be able to hold back…
From Selena’s perspective, it’s inevitable that some pity would arise.
How many arrows had I shot like this?
Surprisingly, the intervals between her shots began to grow as she approached me, finally letting out a big sigh.
“You don’t shoot like that.”
Finally…
“If you keep this up, you’ll just embarrass yourself against Gaelon.”
The long-awaited coaching time has arrived.
