?”As expected, you are different.”
Without a sound, Lilia Thornheart stepped into Elara’s line of vision, her presence finally acknowledged.
“Hello, Senior Elara,” Lilia greeted with a calm and composed demeanor, her emerald eyes glinting with a subtle amusement.
Elara caught off guard, spun around to face the unexpected presence. Her eyes widened as she registered Lilia’s proximity, a mixture of surprise and realization crossing her features.
“Junior Lilia? When did you…?” Elara stammered, her usual composure momentarily shaken.
“I’ve been here for a while,” Lilia replied with a faint smirk, savoring the surprise she had elicited. “You were too engrossed in your little confrontation with Adrian to notice.”
Elara’s gaze sharpened as she assessed Lilia’s demeanor. There was a hint of curiosity and wariness in her eyes, realizing that the heir of Olympus’ Vanguard had been a silent spectator to the altercation.
‘She was here all the time?’
Elara couldn’t help but widen her eyes. A first-year student escaping from her senses? That seemed unbelievable at first.
‘Even if I was not vigilant….’
This fact was both a blow to her pride as a senior and a display of the progress of this Junior right before herself.
‘Well, if it is her, it could make sense.’
Considering Lilia’s prowess that she had seen in the competition, she inwardly justified this scene, though a small crumble of pride still remained in her heart.
“Why are you here?” Elara inquired, her tone neutral.
“I just happened to come to take my belongings and then witnessed the drama unfold,” Lilia responded, her eyes gliding over the archery range. “It seems there’s more to this competition than meets the eye. Adrian’s actions were quite… theatrical, to say the least.”
Hearing Lilia’s words, Elara looked at the hour and noticed that it was a lot later than usual. Considering the competition and how the day unfolded, nobody would let their belongings stay in the club room for such a long time.
Realizing that Lilia was just presenting an excuse, she inwardly shook her head, not buying it. It was evident that she either followed Adrian or was waiting for something.
“So what? What do you want from me by revealing that?” Elara asked, her tone edged with a hint of skepticism as she crossed her arms defensively.
Lilia maintained her calm demeanor, a subtle smirk playing on her lips. The smirk was almost the same as Adrian’s, a smirk that looked down on others. But then again, she didn’t hold any hostility.
“Oh, nothing in particular, Senior Elara. I just thought it was interesting to see the dynamics at play within the Archery Club. And besides, I was also one of those subjected to Adrian’s… creative scoring methods.”
“You, too?” Elara said, her skepticism giving way to a shared understanding. “I thought you might not be affected by such trivial matters.”
After all, the prowess she had shown made it seem like she wasn’t even remotely affected by what Adrian had done.
Lilia chuckled softly, her gaze turning cold for a second. “Everyone has their limits, Senior. I don’t take kindly to being underestimated or toyed with, especially by those who are clearly below me.”
She looked at the targets and the club room for a second. “And considering your words and stance against him, you don’t seem to particularly fond of the idea either.”
Elara’s eyes searched Lilia’s face for any hint of deceit, finding only a genuine curiosity and a touch of determination. It seemed the heir of Olympus’ Vanguard had a more intricate web of motivations and intentions than initially apparent.
“I’m not sure what you’re plotting, Junior Lilia, but count me out if it involves unnecessary complications,” Elara stated her guard still up.
Lilia’s smirk widened. “Oh, Senior Elara, complications can sometimes be the spice of life. But worry not; I don’t intend to drag you into anything against your will.” She approached a little, offering her a hand.
“I merely find it amusing, seeing people like you think they stand a chance against people like Adrian.”
Elara’s eyes tightened, a spark of anger igniting within them as she perceived a subtle condescension in Lilia’s words.
‘Who do you think you are?’
The heir of Olympus’ Vanguard was testing the waters, challenging the boundaries of their interaction.
“Amusing, you say?” Elara retorted, her voice sharp with indignation. “Don’t mistake me for someone who’s merely here for your amusement. I’ve worked hard to reach where I am, and I won’t let anyone belittle my efforts, especially not someone who thinks they can gauge my capabilities in a single encounter.”
Lilia’s smirk persisted, her eyes gleaming with amusement. She extended her hand toward Elara, a gesture that seemed both casual and provocative. “I don’t doubt your capabilities, Senior Elara. In fact, I find them intriguing. But your capabilities won’t be enough against people like him.”
Elara, her frustration building, slapped away Lilia’s offered hand, her tone sharp and resolute. “It is still better than bowing to people like him.”
In her eyes, Lilia seemed to be no different from Adrian, as both of them were using others to their own advantage.
“If you’re here to challenge the status quo, do it without undermining the efforts of those who have worked hard to rise above it.”
Her eyes were resolute, as if she would never expect her help.
Lilia, still holding her slightly stinging hand with a casual indifference, met Elara’s resolute gaze. “It seems you are mistaking something, Senior Elara. I’m not cut from the same cloth as Adrian or the likes of him. I don’t undermine others; I simply recognize the hierarchy of capabilities.”
Elara’s eyes narrowed at Lilia’s words, a mixture of skepticism and irritation evident in her expression. “And what makes you so different? What sets you apart from those people like him?”
Lilia’s smirk returned, a touch of arrogance lacing her words. “The difference, Senior Elara, is that I don’t need to manipulate. I am just better, superior. In this world, those who are superior will always win. It’s not a matter of playing games or using others; it’s the natural order of things.”
Elara’s frustration deepened at Lilia’s confident assertion of superiority. The notion that someone could so openly proclaim their dominance without reservation irked her.
‘Just because you are the heir of the Olympus Vanguard….’
Inwardly, she cussed this girl before herself. After all, she was no different from Adrian in no way.
“You think being better gives you the right to dismiss the struggles of others? To look down on those who have fought tooth and nail to rise above their circumstances?”
Lilia shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m not dismissing anyone’s struggles, Senior Elara. I’m merely stating a fact. In this world, strength is the currency of influence. Those who can’t adapt to this reality will find themselves left behind.”
As she said that, she turned to leave. “And Senior Elara. The moral values you hold….Unless you have the necessary ‘currency’ to back them up, they will always be buried underneath the pages of this world….You should never forget it.”
As Lilia turned to leave, Elara’s frustration simmered beneath the surface. The words lingered in the air, carrying an unsettling truth that Elara found hard to accept.
She watched Lilia’s retreating figure, the heir of Olympus’ Vanguard, walk away with an air of confidence and superiority.
However, she couldn’t deny the fact that her words held some truth inside herself.
********
‘This surprisingly went as it intended.’
After leaving the place, Lilia thought to herself. After all, while everything seemed to happen randomly, it was something she had planned.
She followed Adrian from behind and traced him secretly and then eavesdropped on the talk between the captain and vice-
captain.
That small dialogue alone was enough to analyze what kind of a person Elara was, and then formulating a way to put herself in her heart and brain was just as easy.
‘You may not seem like you believe me….But, soon, it will change.’
Lilia pondered on those words. She understood the skepticism Elara harbored, the resistance against someone seemingly dismissive of the struggles of others.
It was a common sentiment among those who held strong moral values, and Lilia intended to challenge those convictions. After all, behind those moral values, most of the time, there is a trauma of the past.
‘She is a good asset for the future.’
Elara’s talent in archery and her commitment to moral principles made her a valuable potential addition to Lilia’s network since it meant she would be easy to use.
The clash of ideals presented an opportunity—an opportunity for Lilia to showcase her own prowess, not just in archery but in navigating the intricate web of relationships and power dynamics within the academy, and this had a high chance of making another person indebted and dependent on her.
‘Zero chance of betrayal.’
Loyalty was the most important yet hardest thing to acquire.
‘I will get her no matter what.’
Underneath the dark sky, she returned to her room with a smile.
********
“Sigh….I can’t focus at all….”
After the talk with Lilia, Elara shook her head while looking at the bow in her hand. She was training to empty her head, but that didn’t seem to be working.
PAT! PAT!
At that moment, she heard the voice of something falling to the ground.
‘Hmm?’
Turning her attention to the sound, she saw the personnel of the academy putting the targets that were shot by the students in the competition.
“I see…”
In their hand, a small object was shining. It was a special artifact that let the personnel take pictures, scan the targets, and record them in case of an objection to scores.
This was a way for them to confirm exams before an issue about this was raised. That method worked in these competitions as well, and even the pro-Awakened- leagues were using it as a verification system.
Curiosity piqued, Elara decided to approach the workers dealing with the targets and the special artifact.
As she neared the workers, she observed their meticulous process of handling the targets. Each arrow hole was carefully inspected, and the artifact they held seemed to be a crucial part of the verification process. Elara approached one of the personnel, a middle-aged man with a focused expression.
“Excuse me,” Elara began, trying not to interrupt their work. “Can I watch you work?” Elara inquired politely, her interest evident as she observed the meticulous process of the workers.
The middle-aged man, though momentarily surprised by the request, welcomed her curiosity. “Ah, of course, of course. Feel free to observe.”
Elara watched as they carefully examined each arrow hole, recording the results with the special artifact. As they moved through the targets, she couldn’t help but appreciate the precision and thoroughness of the verification process. The technology involved in confirming the results fascinated her.
Lost in her thoughts, Elara’s attention was suddenly drawn to a particular target. It was different from the others, with an arrow visibly piercing the side.
‘What is this?’
Her eyes, trained to notice details, caught small signs of what seemed like blood scattered on the target. A sense of suspicion crept into her mind.
‘Another cheating attempt?’
Approaching the peculiar target, Elara carefully examined it. The scattered marks did resemble blood, but upon closer inspection, she realized it wasn’t what she initially thought. Instead, the arrow had managed to kill a small fly that had unknowingly landed on the target.
‘A fly?’
After closely inspecting the target and realizing the harmless nature of the situation, Elara’s curiosity persisted. She turned to the worker beside her, a question lingering on her lips.
“Whose target was this?” Elara inquired, gesturing toward the one with the inadvertently slain fly.
The worker, engrossed in his meticulous duties, glanced up briefly before consulting his list. His finger traced down the names until he found the relevant entry.
“Astron Natusalune,” he replied, his voice matter-of-fact.
The name struck a chord in Elara’s memory, recalling the encounter she had with the Astron during the archery competition.
‘Wait.’
“Which target is this?”
A hint of intrigue crept into her thoughts as she wondered about her thoughts.
As she asked, the worker took another look at the list, and then he said, “The last one.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Elara’s eyes widened.
‘That shot, don’t tell me?’
At that moment, she felt like she realized something. ᴛʜs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛʀ s ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛ ʙʏ o(v)elꜰre.et
‘This…..’
Elara couldn’t help but mark his name on the corner of her head.