Elara cleared her throat before addressing Astron, her voice calm and composed despite the chaos unfolding in front of them.
“Quite a scene, huh?” she remarked, her gaze focused on the intense competition between Lilia and Adrian.
Astron turned his attention towards Elara, his expression unreadable, and he responded in a monotone voice, “Indeed. It seems tensions are running high within the club.”
Though she had approached him, Elara didn’t know what to say.
‘Hmm….How should I converse? Should I just imply that I know something is wrong with him….No….This junior is somehow close to Lilia, so getting his opinion on her would be better.’
Instantly, she made the conclusion in her head as she nodded in agreement, noting the understated observation in Astron’s words. She glanced at him briefly before continuing, “You seem to have a keen eye for detail, Junior Astron. Have you noticed anything particularly interesting about the competition?”
She first decided to test the waters, especially his observation skills. His awareness would be the indicator of how well he knew Lilia.
Astron’s gaze remained fixed on the intense competition unfolding in front of them. After a second of careful observation, he turned his attention back to Elara, his expression thoughtful.
“It’s quite evident that the competition heavily favors Adrian,” he replied, his tone measured. “The obstacles are designed in a way that requires sheer strength and power to overcome rather than skill or finesse. And in that aspect, Adrian clearly has the upper hand.”
Elara nodded in agreement, impressed by Astron’s astute observation. It seemed that his keen eye for detail extended beyond just the physical aspects of the competition.
“Indeed,” she concurred, her gaze returning to the arena where Lilia and Adrian continued to face off. “It’s a clever strategy on Adrian’s part, but it puts Lilia at a significant disadvantage.”
“That is right.” Astron nodded. He already knew from the game that Adrian was going to use this method, though the exact date wasn’t clear.
Elara glanced at Astron; her curiosity piqued a little. She wanted to test this junior a little bit more. She knew that there was more to this competition than just a simple display of skill, and she was eager to hear Astron’s thoughts on the matter.
“So, what do you think is Adrian’s reason for setting up this kind of competition?” she inquired, her voice laced with intrigue as she turned to face him.
Astron paused for a moment, considering Elara’s question carefully. He already knew that Adrian’s actions were driven by more than just a desire for competition. However, instead of providing a direct answer, Astron posed a question of his own.
“From your first impression, what would you say is the most likely reason for Adrian to orchestrate this kind of competition?” he asked, his gaze steady as he awaited Elara’s response.
“Why do you think it wasn’t Lilia who had instigated this whole event?” Elara replied with her own question.
“She is not that stupid. She will never enter a competition where she will be disadvantaged, especially when it concerns such a crowd.”
Astron’s words made sense. In a way, he knew Lilia more than anyone else in this school since he had seen her character in the game.
‘Though a real human is incomparable to a game character, one can still obtain the characteristics of the said person if it is consistent with the source of the information.’
He thought inwardly, watching the game.
“That makes sense,” Elara remarked, nodding in agreement with Astron’s assessment of Lilia’s character. It was true that she wouldn’t willingly enter a competition where she knew she would be at a disadvantage, especially in front of such a crowd. From the small interactions she had with Lilia Thornheart, Elara was well aware of her somehow ‘thorny but hearty’ personality.
“Then, senior, what do you think about my question?”
As Astron prompted her to answer his question, Elara considered her response carefully. After a moment of contemplation, she replied, “Well, from the first impression, it seems that Adrian’s reason for orchestrating this competition is to show his superiority as a senior. He wants to assert his dominance and reinforce his position as the leader of the Archery Club.”
Astron nodded at her response, acknowledging the validity of her analysis. “That is most likely what most people will think,” he concurred, his gaze still fixed on the intense competition unfolding before them. “But, senior, that’s precisely why his goal is different.”
“Why do you think his goal is different?” Elara inquired, intrigued by Astron’s perspective.
Astron turned to face Elara, his expression serious. “Because people are not stupid, especially not the students of Arcadia Hunter Academy,” he explained calmly. “They can see that this competition heavily favors Adrian. It’s not a valid comparison point for showcasing their skills. Therefore, this whole ordeal is essentially useless in terms of determining who the better archer is.”
‘Hmm…. Interesting, I never thought about this from this perspective.’ Elara thought to herself, furrowing her brows and considering Astron’s words carefully. “Then why would Adrian go through all this trouble?” she asked, puzzled by his motives.
Astron glanced back at the competition, his gaze scanning the crowd of club members. “Can’t you see the cheers for Adrian?” he remarked, gesturing subtly toward the spectators. “Many of the members openly ignore the unfairness of this competition and support him regardless. What Adrian wants isn’t just to give the impression that he’s stronger than Lilia. He wants to give the impression that he’s already in control of the club.”
Elara’s eyes widened in realization as she processed Astron’s explanation.
‘I see, this was his goal from the start….I also immediately sensed it and was intimidated by his acts…..Considering Junior Lilia is now in the center of that pressure, he is actually trying to mentally suppress her, making her submit.’
It was true that Adrian seemed to command a considerable amount of influence over the club members, and this competition was just another display of his authority.
It wasn’t about proving his skills; it was about asserting his dominance and solidifying his position as the leader of the Archery Club!
‘And, he was able to see through this in an instant….As expected, this Junior is definitely not normal either…..’
At that point, Elara had already confirmed Astron’s skills inside her mind. His observation and deduction skills passed her test.
Turning her attention back to Astron, Elara decided to delve deeper into his insights. “What do you think about Lilia Thornheart?” she asked, her tone curious as she studied his reaction.
Astron paused for a moment, considering Elara’s question carefully. “Could you elaborate on what specifically you’d like to know about my thoughts on her?” he responded, his expression unreadable.
Elara furrowed her brow, pondering her question before providing clarification. “What are your thoughts on Lilia as a person? Her skills, her character, her potential?” she clarified, hoping to gain more insight into Astron’s perspective on the talented first-year student.
Astron nodded in understanding, his gaze thoughtful as he considered his response. “Lilia Thornheart is certainly a remarkable individual,” he began, his tone measured. “Her skills as an archer are evident, but what truly sets her apart is not her archery skills alone. Her creativeness in the usage of mana and arts is what truly sets her apart. But aside from that, she is a calculative and profit-oriented logical person with a lot of pride. Though she dislikes trusting other people, she also seeks ultimate trust. She is talented at leading, and her pride will never allow her to bend down to others.”
Elara listened intently, impressed by Astron’s thoughtful analysis. It seemed that he had a keen understanding of Lilia’s character and admired her qualities as a person.
“A person who seeks the ultimate trust, huh? That doesn’t seem to be the case to me.” Elara mumbled as she remembered the certain interaction she had with Lilia. How that cheeky Junior approached her, looked down on her with a clear pride and smirk.
“Not everyone is how they look from the outside. You should already know that senior.” Astron replied.
As his words entered his ears, Elara couldn’t help but chuckle a little. “Indeed, that is right…” She replied, a smile on her face. She looked into the Junior beside her, amusement and curiosity in her eyes. “Isn’t that also the case for you, Junior?” She asked.
“Of course,” Astron replied without any hesitation. “I am no different to that.”
“Indeed…..I wonder, for what reason you are hiding your abilities?”
Astron maintained his composed demeanor, his expression unchanged as Elara posed her question. “Hiding my abilities? I’m not sure what you mean, senior,” he replied smoothly, his tone neutral.
Elara studied Astron’s reaction carefully, noting the lack of any visible reaction to her inquiry.
‘No signs of frustration…..Am I wrong? Was that just a coincidence?’
She thought. Astron’s reaction was clearly not showing any signs of getting caught. That meant either he was adept at concealing his true thoughts masterfully, or he wasn’t hiding his abilities.
‘No…. There is no way it can be a coincidence.’
Elara decided to press further, choosing to address a specific incident she had observed earlier. “I was watching while the targets were being recorded for official documents for the tournament,” she began, her tone calm but probing. “And I noticed something peculiar. There was an arrow that appeared to have stabbed a mosquito instead of the target. What are your thoughts on this matter, Junior Astron? Do you think it’s possible that this was merely a coincidence?”
Astron maintained his composed facade, his expression unchanged as he listened to Elara’s question. Though, he inwardly knew what she was implying. After a brief pause, he replied with his usual measured tone, “It’s certainly an interesting observation, senior. It is definitely a very low-
probability event.”
“Right? So, what would you think if you were in my shoes?”
‘Hehe…Let’s see how you play this, Junior….’
“If I were in your shoes, senior, I would consider two possibilities,” he began. “Firstly, if the person coincidentally hit the mosquito, then it’s simply a stroke of luck, and there’s no need to pursue the matter further. However, if the person intentionally hits the mosquito, it suggests a high level of skill and precision. In that case, the person must be rather famous for their talent.”
Elara nodded, understanding Astron’s reasoning. “But since I’m not sure of their identity, that would mean this talented person prefers not to show their talent for various reasons,” she concluded, echoing Astron’s assessment.
Astron nodded in agreement. “Precisely,” he confirmed. “In such a scenario, there are a couple of approaches you could take. Firstly, you could try to understand the reasons behind their decision to hide their abilities and exploit this weakness. However, this method would likely antagonize the said party. Alternatively, you could simply take note of their talent and attempt to befriend them, entering into a more amicable relationship with lower risk.”
Elara smiled at Astron’s words, clearly amused by how he clearly defined how he would act.
‘It is clear that he is aware that I know about him….Is he saying if I wanted to befriend him, he would be open to it….This Junior is clearly different from rumors and how he looks…
Conversing with him is kind of smooth.’
Elara thought inwardly as she turned to watch the scene. “Then, I guess there is no need for me to antagonize you, right, Junior?”
“That would be better for yourself.”
“You are cheeky.”
“I hear that a lot.”
“Makes sense.”
Just as the two were conversing, suddenly, the arena fell silent.
“What?”
In the midst of there, the blocks before Lilia were all in shambles….