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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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A dark alley in the black market.
A man concealed by a robe swiftly navigated the intricate paths.
The old town, a product of haphazard city planning, was a labyrinth where newcomers easily lost their way.
But this red-haired young man moved with purpose, as if he had a bird’s-eye view of the entire area, his destination already set.
He was searching for the black market, run by a cat beastman.
“Welcome, Your…”
“It’s a trade,” the man cut him off.
His lowered hood only revealed glimpses of his sharp jawline and fiery red hair.
Even with only his lower face visible, one could easily imagine his handsome features.
“Mermaid’s Scream. I’ll take it all.”
“Uhmm… I don’t have any…”
“Double the price.”
“I really don’t have any…”
“Triple. One more refusal and you’re out of business.”
“Sold out! Someone already bought it…”
At that, the man threw back his hood, revealing his face.
A chilling blue inscription was tattooed beneath his eye,
and his red hair seemed to devour the sun.
It was Kaelan Heath, the runner-up of Clarice Academy.
“No lies, I hope?”
“Y-yes, that’s right…”
He roughly grabbed the beastman’s wrist.
“You almost got caught cheating last time.”
“Really, really! I swear!!”
‘Unexpected.’
The beastman’s reaction seemed genuine.
Kaelan’s plan hit a snag.
He desperately needed Mermaid’s Scream for the upcoming mana sensitivity test, which involved underwater breathing.
Just who could it be? Someone else had gotten their hands on information about the test beforehand.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
In the hallway leading to the [Dungeon Exploration Practice] classroom,
I bumped into Melissa, her pink hair neatly tied back.
“Le… Lev Denec!”
“?”
“You, really…”
She faltered, losing her words as our eyes met, and quickly averted her gaze.
“Do you have something to say?”
When I asked first, she lowered her voice and asked,
“Te… tell me honestly, where did you take Aria the other day?”
“We went out, why?”
“Wh… what did you two do?”
“Just had dinner.”
“Wh-why would you have dinner with Aria…! You know how shocked I was when she said she wanted to move dormitories to be closer to you….”
Melissa began to wail.
Apparently, she had made a fancy dinner reservation for after their tea time.
Of course, Aria had been unaware of this arrangement.
‘Seriously.’
Melissa’s interest in Aria wouldn’t last long anyway.
After the mana sensitivity class and her encounter with Kaelan at Lake Demen,
she would neglect Aria…
Still, she was a princess after all.
Pampered and spoiled, she was a master of throwing tantrums.
“A-anyway, stop trying to seduce innocent Aria…! This is a warning, a serious warning…”
• Flinch!
I took a step towards her, and Melissa recoiled even further.
“S-rank Lady, class is about to start. You should head back.”
“… I-I’m not a Lady?”
“Yes, yes. Princess.”
“Damn… you, with your… annoyingly handsome face…”
In appearance-obsessed South Korea, that would be considered a compliment.
I wanted to point that out, but they wouldn’t understand in this world.
“I-I’ll be watching… watching you. So… you better be prepared for the next test.”
Melissa sputtered out her warning like a malfunctioning robot before stiffly walking past me.
What was with her today…?
Anyway, it seemed the reactions to my duel victory were divided into two camps.
-He’s really fast with that crossbow.
-Yeah, I heard he’s a mage.
-But his attacks weren’t that powerful. Gailon just got careless.
-Didn’t it look similar to Wind Archery, though?
-The color was completely different.
-The fact that I lost 1000 gems betting on Gailon is what hurts the most…
-Ha! Gailon, I was going to crush him myself, but he got beaten to it!
These were the general responses.
I could cheat against monsters with critical hit multipliers, but it was impossible against humans.
And thankfully,
‘A human using Wind Archery, an elven privilege?’
There was no such reaction.
Perhaps because I hadn’t used any signature Wind Archery techniques,
my attacks lacked power,
and unlike the typical green color of Wind Archery, mine was blue.
Even when I racked my brain, I couldn’t recall ever seeing blue Wind Archery in the game.
‘At least no one will mess with me now.’
The wary gazes I had received from other students had softened considerably.
In contrast, Gailon’s status seemed to have plummeted.
The fact that he had lost to a nobody like me had caused quite a stir,
and with his sordid history with women and his disgraceful past coming to light,
public opinion had turned against him.
-Thanks. Senior Gailon kept hitting on me too.
-He would summon me every break time, trying to assert his authority… There were a lot of rumors about him.
-You’re pretty brave for a freshman…
-I didn’t notice on the first day, but you’re actually quite good-looking…
There were even some who approached me with compliments.
The students in temporary Class C had witnessed Lev Denec’s third-rate antics firsthand, but
other students only knew him through rumors,
and it seemed I had gained some positive recognition by taking down a senior who enjoyed harassing his juniors.
Finally, the rewards of the duel were substantial.
The winner’s prize was 3000 gems, and I could impose one condition on the loser.
-You are prohibited from approaching within 2 meters of Selena until graduation.
That guy kept bothering Selena and disrupting her training time…
Selena was a core character neglected by the damn author, so I had to look out for her.
‘But why isn’t she here?’
The [Dungeon Exploration Practice] lecture was a combined class, but she was nowhere to be seen.
I was planning to treat her to a meal as a thank you for helping me train.
Though, knowing Selena, she would have refused a personal invitation anyway.
‘Did she come to watch the duel…?’
Anyway, that matter was settled…
“Everyone, attention.”
Assistant Instructor Bella, who had overseen my duel, appeared for the mandatory [Dungeon Exploration Practice] lecture.
“I’ll announce the schedule for next week.”
“It’s Friday. We’ll be conducting a real sanctuary purification mission to test your practical combat skills.”
Real.
That single word caused a stir among the students.
Until now, training had involved safety measures,
but now they would face actual monsters with malicious intent.
They had prepared themselves mentally when entering the academy, but for freshmen, it was a mix of excitement and apprehension.
“Your seniors, the second-year students, will lead each party as Elders. And the Elders will select one freshman each from S, A, B, and C ranks to form their teams.”
Fortunately, this was going according to the novel.
“The dungeon assigned to each team will be different, and you’ll be notified later. So, your first priority should be getting selected by a senior, an Elder, that is.”
In other words, suck up to your seniors.
“The Elders will be wearing blue ribbons on their left chest. I heard they’re mostly hanging out at the gym.”
The word “gym” sent shivers down everyone’s spine.
-Do we have to train… even more?
“That’s your choice. Additionally, those not selected by an Elder will receive 10 penalty points and be randomly assigned to a team.”
Penalty points seemed to be the easiest way to manage teenagers.
“And one more announcement… um, Lev Denec, are you here?”
“Yes.”
After my brief reply, Bella looked at me and said,
“Professor Diena has summoned you. Head to her office.”
Wait, Diena?
Diena Ashkar.
She was a professor at Clarice Academy and a war hero.
Her primary weapon was a bow.
She only taught upperclassmen, A-rank or above, as far as I knew.
Why would she summon me?
Something smelled fishy… in a good way.
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Clarice Academy was known for its ruthless meritocracy, but for those who followed the rules and excelled in their studies, it was a paradise where every convenience was provided.
Selena, who had never received a single penalty point, had submitted her absence excuse in advance, taking advantage of the upcoming weekend.
And she headed for the Florentine Forest.
Lush forests, streams, endless waterfalls.
It was once the largest settlement of the ancient elves, who lived in harmony with nature,
but sadly, it had been ravaged by the demon invasion.
The reason the elves, who had lived in isolation and remained indifferent to human affairs, joined the war was because the demons had defiled their vast home, the Florentine Forest.
The vibrant forests were stained crimson,
streams dried up, and waterfalls lost their power.
Now designated as a restricted area under imperial control and classified as a level 3 monster habitat, ordinary people were prohibited from entering.
But Selena, an elf, would occasionally visit this place to reminisce.
Despite their longer lifespan compared to humans,
she still cherished her memories here.
Why was it that
even though the wind spirits had abandoned this land,
a small patch of green remained amidst the crimson blight?
It was the place where Selena’s biological parents were buried.
She felt a sense of solace whenever she visited this spot.
-Rustle.
Suddenly, a wolf emerged from the bushes.
It was one of the wolves left behind by the elves who used to keep them as companions.
-Whimper…
It was clear at a glance that the wolf was in poor condition.
It was small for its age, having passed adulthood.
It must have been exposed to the demons’ corrupting magic from a young age.
-Pet. Pet.
-Whimper…
“…”
Selena silently stroked the wolf.
It nestled into her embrace, its breathing gradually slowing down.
-Sigh…
Humans had a tendency to categorize and discard anything that might pose a threat.
She couldn’t take this wolf with her.
There were human rules prohibiting the removal of anything from a monster habitat.
Of course, she understood, considering how long they had been tormented by the demons.
As she closed her eyes, the sound of the wind intensified.
-…
Lev Denec.
Ironically, thanks to that human, Selena, a half-elf, had awakened her Wind Archery.
She didn’t know why,
she truly didn’t.
Wind Archery was an innate ability.
And what was even more surprising was that he, too, could wield Wind Archery.
Blue Wind Archery.
A beautiful, mesmerizing… blue.
A strong gust of wind blew once again.
And as if conveying a message to Selena, a memory of her mother surfaced.
-Long ago, there was a half-elf like you.
-He, too, yearned for Wind Archery.
-One day, he finally gained the ability to use it.
-At first, it was a magnificent blue.
-Everyone envied him, captivated by his power.
-But in the end, it turned red.
-By then, he had become a Dark Elf…
-Selena, my dear daughter, never make such a hasty decision.
It was the story of the Dark Elf who, according to legend, had delivered the final blow to the hero Krun.
Because of his betrayal, most of the Florentine Forest, except for the small area where Selena stood, had fallen into the hands of the demons.
‘Blue Wind Archery…’
And…
‘Lev Denec…’
The faint tremor in the wolf nestled in Selena’s arms faded away.
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Sad for the wolf
Hopefully the wolf just died rather than be snuffed. Also seems like she is thinking that he is a demon possessed too
So they will basically stalk him like crazy, like him later but keep stalking him
And then MC will tell: “why you all obsessed with me, go to protagonist 😢”