<Sunday Evening, Arcadia Hunter Academy, Archery Club Training Grounds>
As the Monday approached, it signaled the start of the academic week. Therefore, some students utilized the last moment of their weekend while others were training on their training grounds.
‘I hadn’t been able to train much recently.’ Lilia thought to herself, remembering what she had done in recent weeks. She had her own fair share of competitions in her family’s guild, so she needed to focus on that for the time being.
However, there were many assignments as well, thus making it harder for her to focus on her training. Though, now that she had found the chance, she was not going to waste it.
As Lilia entered the Archery Club building, she immediately sensed a change in the atmosphere. The usual tranquility of the training grounds was replaced by a palpable tension, and the space seemed more crowded than usual.
‘That is the expected outcome, isn’t it? After all, rather than hearing about the results of falling behind, seeing it directly will be a lot different.’
She thought. Seeing the consequences of something directly would be a lot more convincing than hearing them, and she was now witnessing that clearly.
‘But, I guess it will no longer be peaceful as before.’
Despite her initial intention to train quietly, she couldn’t help but notice the curious glances directed her way as she made her way towards the archery range.
After swiftly changing into her training attire, Lilia stepped onto the range, bow in hand, ready to focus on honing her skills. However, her concentration was shattered when she caught sight of Adrian leaning casually against a nearby pillar with a smirk playing on his lips.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Lilia Thornheart gracing us with her presence,” Adrian remarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I must say, it’s a rare treat to see you here. Have you finally decided to grace us with your superior archery prowess?”
‘Tch…This bastard…’
Though expecting it, she couldn’t help but get angry. Her jaw clenched slightly at his taunting tone, but she remained outwardly composed. She was all too familiar with these penchants for provocation, but she had hoped for a moment of respite from Adrian’s antics. She had already been dealing with such things in the guild.
Ignoring Adrian’s jibe, Lilia raised her bow and prepared to take her first shot.
“Well, as expected. It is better for you to show respect to your seniors, isn’t it?” Adrian smiled slightly as he took the court just right beside Lilia.
–SWOOSH! THUD!
As Lilia released the arrow, once again ignoring his words, the arrow flew and stabbed the target from the midsection, showing Lilia’s skills.
“A splendid shot,” Adrian remarked, looking at the target and the arrow. Following that, he turned to face Lilia with a smile while raising his bow.
–SWOOSH!
But, just in that instant, Adrian released the arrow while still looking at Lilia’s face. The arrow glided in the air.
–THUD! CRACK!
And in an instant, it stabbed. However, a rather unfamiliar sound came from the arrow range.
“What?”
“This is?”
The arrow that Adrian had shot wasn’t targeted at the target before him but rather the target before Lilia! It smashed the arrow Lilia shot, tearing it into pieces.
“Wow….Captain Adrian is really skilled.”
As Lilia raised her head to assess the damage, her eyes narrowed in frustration. The shattered remnants of her arrow lay scattered on the ground, a stark reminder of Adrian’s calculated interference.
‘Calm down…He is doing this on purpose.’
Anger simmered beneath the surface of her composed facade, but she forced herself to remain calm, unwilling to give Adrian the satisfaction of seeing her lose her cool.
Adrian’s smirk widened as he observed Lilia’s reaction, clearly relishing in her momentary discomposure. “My apologies, Junior Thornheart,” he said with faux innocence, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Seems like my aim was a bit off. But I suppose accidents happen, don’t they?”
Lilia clenched her jaw, struggling to suppress the urge to lash out at Adrian. She knew this game all too well; he was trying to goad her into a reaction, to throw her off balance and assert his dominance.
But she refused to give him the satisfaction. This was the common psychological type of warfare, and she had her fair share of these when she was managing her guild.
“Indeed, accidents happen. Especially for someone like you, whose skills still need a lot more polishing.” She replied with a calm smile, gracefully turning to face Adrian.
“Hmm….My skills need polishing, you say? How come? From this side, you are the one who needs that ‘polishing’?”
Yet, this whole thing was bound to take a toll on her precisely because she was already mentally exhausted.
“Perhaps you’re right, Senior Adrian,” Lilia replied coolly, her voice tinged with sarcasm. “After all, it takes real skill to aim for someone else’s target instead of your own.”
Following that, she walked into a different court and raised her bow with one hand while still looking at Adrian.
–SWOOSH! CRACK! THUD!
And then shot the arrow without breaking eye contact. The arrow flew and then stabbed the same arrow that Adrian had shot, breaking it into pieces.
Lilia’s sneer spoke volumes as she observed the shattered remnants of Adrian’s arrow. “However, if that’s the extent of your skills, Senior Adrian,” she remarked, her voice laced with disdain, “then I fear for the future of the Archery Club under your leadership. After all, it takes more than petty tricks to maintain your position.”
Adrian’s smirk faltered slightly at her words, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features before he composed himself once more with a smirk. “Touché, Junior Lilia,” he replied smoothly, his tone masking his irritation. “But words mean nothing without action to back them up.”
With a swift motion, he retrieved another arrow from his quiver, his eyes gleaming with determination. “How about we settle this the only way that matters?” he proposed, a challenging glint in his gaze. “A competition between the two of us?”
The murmurs among the gathered club members grew louder at Adrian’s suggestion, their excitement evident. The prospect of seeing the esteemed captain of the club face off against a talented newcomer like Lilia was too enticing to resist.
‘And now you are challenging me? You certainly trust your skills, huh?’
Lilia’s lips curved into a smirk of her own as she accepted Adrian’s challenge, her confidence unshakeable. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Senior Adrian,” she replied, her tone dripping with bravado. “Prepare yourself, for you’re about to witness the true extent of my skills.”
As the stage was set for their impending showdown, the tension between Lilia and Adrian crackled in the air, fueling the anticipation of the onlookers.
******
Elara, the vice-captain of the Archery Club, was talking with the club overseer, Instructor Ethan.
“Did you check up on the matter I had entrusted to you?” Instructor Ethan asked, looking at the sophomore student before her.
“Yes, instructor.”
“Then, whom do you think we should choose for the interclub competitions?”
Generally speaking, the people who would participate in the events are determined by the club captain. But Ethan knew Adrian did some shady things behind the scenes; thus, there was a high chance that the participants that he would present wouldn’t necessarily be that good.
“Regarding the interclub competitions, Instructor Ethan, I’ve been considering a few candidates,” Elara replied, her mind already assessing the strengths and weaknesses of various club members.
Though there was still a long time for the interclub competitions, since it was in the second semester, Elara did her observations well.
“First, as you know, we have Lilia Thornheart. She is already known for her talents, and I believe that she has the most potential to represent our club effectively.”
Before she could continue listing other potential candidates, both Elara and Instructor Ethan were interrupted by a sudden commotion emanating from the club training grounds.
The sound of arrows flying through the air and the murmurs of excited voices caught their attention, prompting them to exchange a curious glance.
“What’s going on?” Instructor Ethan questioned, his brow furrowing with concern as they made their way towards the source of the commotion.
Elara followed closely behind, her curiosity piqued by the unexpected disturbance.
As they approached the training grounds, they were met with the sight of Lilia Thornheart, and Adrian locked in a heated competition. Their bows were drawn, and arrows were flying with precision toward their respective targets.
Elara’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected turn of events, her thoughts momentarily forgotten as she watched the intense showdown unfolding before her.
It seemed that their quiet training session had escalated into a high-stakes duel between the two leaders of the Archery Club.
However, as she observed the competition more closely, she couldn’t help but notice a distinct pattern emerging.
‘This…..’
It wasn’t just a test of archery skills; it was a battle of strengths.
The targets were strategically placed behind various obstacles, requiring not only accuracy but also sheer power to penetrate through them.
‘This type of competition is not even fair.’ She lamented, knowing what ‘strength’ meant.
The design of the obstacles left little room for flexibility or finesse, favoring those who could deliver powerful shots with unwavering force.
And in that aspect, Adrian held a clear advantage. As a sophomore-year student, he had likely developed greater strength, muscle power, and mana levels compared to Lilia, who was still a first-year. His arrows soared through the air with formidable speed and force, effortlessly piercing through the obstacles to strike the targets beyond.
On the other hand, Lilia’s shots, while accurate and skillful, seemed to lack the same level of raw power. Despite her precision and technique, her arrows struggled to penetrate through the obstacles with the same force as Adrian’s.
Elara’s brow furrowed with concern as she observed the disparity between the two competitors. It was clear that the competition heavily favored Adrian’s strengths, leaving Lilia at a disadvantage. As the duel continued, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of frustration at the unfairness of the situation.
‘But, that is not all.’
She also noticed one other thing. The number of sophomore-
year students on the sides of Adrian. It was like they were openly trying to pressure Lilia without backing up.
‘This club….He already has a lot of control…..I didn’t know it was this much.’
Initially, Elara was well aware of how Adrian managed the club. There were clear signs of that, and even she herself was affected by his attitude. But she didn’t expect it to run this deep. From how it looked, she was sure at some point, Adrian could have all the students under his wing.
As for what his purpose was, she didn’t know, nor did she need to.
Just at that moment, she remembered the words Lilia had spoken.
–In this world, strength is the currency of influence. Those who can’t adapt to this reality will find themselves left behind.”
‘So, she could already see that before me, at that time…..From how she listened to the interaction between me and Adrian, she was able to find out that I wouldn’t let that happen deliberately contact me….But, she didn’t do anything up to this point….So, she was waiting for me to contact her first before I realized the issue. She knows if I don’t join Adrian, sooner or later, I will be left out of the club … This may even be her test. What a scary girl.’
She thought inwardly, realizing Lilia’s intentions.
Instructor Ethan, sensing Elara’s growing unease, cast her a knowing glance. “It seems Adrian has found a way to stack the odds in his favor,” he remarked, his voice tinged with a hint of amusement. “But let’s not jump to conclusions just yet. Let’s see how Lilia responds to this challenge.”
“I understand, instructor.” She turned to face the instructor and mumbled, nodding her head. But while facing him, she noticed a newcomer entering the club.
‘It is him….’
He was the person she wanted to talk to but didn’t have the time before. It was Astron, whom she suspected of hiding his abilities.
‘He seemed close to Lilia last time….Yes, I should definitely talk to him.’
She moved slightly, swiftly moving from the crowd, and then stood beside him, who was also watching the spectacle.
“Quite a scene, huh?”