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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Professor’s Quarters, Clarice Academy,
Diena Ashkar’s office.
Her auburn hair, smooth skin, and toned physique defied her age, giving her a youthful aura.
Her voice, too, was unexpectedly soft.
“So you are Cadet Lev Denec?”
Her use of honorifics was strange, but I didn’t mind.
The whole ‘war hero’ thing was just a non-canonical 설정 made up by the author.
All I cared about was her stats.
Indeed, stats befitting an academy professor.
Her summoning me here was a predictable scenario.
She must have been intrigued after witnessing my Wind Archery.
“First of all, congratulations on your victory in the duel.”
“Thank you.”
“I was watching, actually. A battle between archers is quite rare.”
That was a lie.
Diena Ashkar only cared about the students she directly taught, she wasn’t the type to pay attention to others.
She must have heard about it from Bella or Sylvester…
“It’s admirable that you held your ground despite dueling an upperclassman. I wouldn’t have been able to do that at your age.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
She was buttering me up; she definitely wanted something from me.
Thanks to that damn author, my trust in humanity was dwindling.
“Professor, if you’ll excuse me, I have personal training to attend to.”
“Ah, I see. Then, I’ll get straight to the point. Could you demonstrate the archery you used in the duel for me?”
I didn’t expect her to be so direct.
As I stared at her with a “How could I possibly do that?” expression, she smiled faintly and said,
“Follow me.”
She led me to an archery range.
A private range inside her office, no less.
The perks of being a hero were certainly real.
She casually handed me a crossbow from the weapon rack.
Despite its low rank, it had a unique name, suggesting it was a valuable weapon.
“Make yourself comfortable.”
“……”
In the game, this kind of script usually signaled an opportunity to gain significant proficiency.
It was a bit awkward, but I couldn’t hide my Wind Archery forever.
I took the Arbalest, which was much heavier than my own crossbow, and took a deep breath.
In the prolonged silence, I fired a single [Wind Arrow – Quick Shot].
Whoosh!
Thud!
The steel bolt sliced through the awkward air between Professor Diena and me, piercing the bullseye.
[Crossbow Proficiency increased!]
[Additional increase due to Luck trait!]
It was a clean, effortless shot.
At a distance of about 20 meters, my proficiency was more than enough to hit the target.
“Amazing… it really is true.”
“…”
“How… how did you learn Wind Archery?”
“Well…”
Professor Diena stared at the target in a daze for a while before muttering,
“Blue…”
I wasn’t a mind reader, but I could read her expression. Even in the novel, she was known for being less than composed for an archer.
She wasn’t simply surprised.
Her expression showed she had realized something serious.
Several deductions flashed through my mind.
First, she had summoned me to her private office instead of the archery range.
Second, she had a crossbow ready, even though she wasn’t a crossbow user,
and the Arbalest, a weapon difficult to handle without Wind Archery, was brand new, suggesting she had prepared it specifically for me.
And I hadn’t even used any extraordinary techniques, just a single, weakened Quick Shot.
Her reaction implied that
she wasn’t just concerned about the fact that I could use Wind Archery,
but rather, she saw something fundamentally wrong with my Wind Archery itself.
As I reached this realization, a status window appeared.
-Cha-ching.
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[Anonymous Feedback: Why are there no evil elves?]
[Due to feedback that a world with only one type of elf is boring, elves corrupted by demons are now classified as Dark Elves, and the color of Wind Archery is used to distinguish between allies and enemies.]
‘That was close…’
In the original ‘Reincarnation Hero’, Wind Archery was green.
But mine was blue.
With this new setting added, it was understandable that I looked suspicious.
At that moment, Diena cautiously asked,
“Cadet Lev, would you be interested in becoming my teaching assistant?”
Teaching assistant.
At Clarice Academy, a teaching assistant was practically a professor’s chosen disciple.
Since Diena was a recent war hero and directly affiliated with the imperial family, many students in the archery department would be vying for the position, hoping for a guaranteed future.
As someone bound by the game system, I could level up faster as her assistant than alone.
However, Diena’s intention wasn’t to nurture me as a disciple, but to keep me under surveillance.
She suspected I might be connected to the Dark Elves.
I had to look at the bigger picture…
Who held the upper hand here?
My thoughts settled, and I replied firmly,
“I refuse.”
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Master Archer – Diena Ashkar.
Renowned for her marksmanship, she had spent years traversing battlefields during the demon war, earning a reputation as a legendary sniper. Human archers were a rarity, with talents like hers emerging only once every 30 years, earning her a position directly under the imperial family.
Even she had never encountered anything like this.
A human, not a half-elf, wielding Wind Archery.
Moreover, it was an ethereal blue, unlike any wind magic she had seen before.
The problem was that it might be the legendary Dark Elf Wind Archery.
According to the legend, when the color turned red, it signified complete corruption.
Of course, it was an unsubstantiated claim, with no firsthand accounts to confirm its validity, but
what if, what if the legend was true?
[B-rank – Lev Denec]
[Total Penalty Points: 49]
‘A real troublemaker…’
If this boy, enrolled in Clarice Academy, the institution dedicated to the empire’s survival, and belonging to the archery department, were to succumb to corruption and cause problems, it would undoubtedly escalate into a major issue.
It would be a disgrace to Diena Ashkar, a war hero.
There was no other choice.
Though reluctant, she had to accept him as her assistant, observe his abilities until graduation, and then decide his fate.
However, contrary to his reputation as a troublemaker, he was surprisingly cautious.
She had assumed he would readily accept, considering the benefits that came with the position.
But his answer was…
-I refuse.
“Wh… why? If you become my student, you’ll be entitled to numerous benefits within the academy…!”
“Ah, yes.”
His expression was indifferent,
as if he saw through her intentions.
The tables had turned.
Now it was Lev who proposed a counter-offer.
“I heard you enjoy making wagers, Professor. How about we settle this with a bet?”
“A bet…?”
He was indeed a troublemaker.
A student, a freshman no less, proposing a bet to a professor. It was unheard of.
But it was true that Diena had a penchant for gambling.
“A bet on whether I can clear Trial 2 or not.”
“Trial 2…?”
Evolution Chamber, Trial 2.
While the number of students clearing Trial 1 was gradually increasing,
no freshman had yet conquered Trial 2.
In short, it was deemed ‘impossible’.
Trial 2 wasn’t divided into two sectors for nothing. Even with Wind Archery, it would be impossible for him with his current stamina and mana levels.
“The deadline is before the ranking matches. If I can’t clear it by then, I’ll become your student.”
Unbelievable. Students would kill for the opportunity to become Diena’s disciple, and he was treating it as a punishment.
But Diena had no other viable options.
If a guild noticed the anomaly in his Wind Archery during the upcoming ranking matches and decided to scout him,
she would lose all leverage over him.
Moreover, Instructor Sylvester and Professor Maclon were quite perceptive, so she had to yield for their sake as well.
“One more condition if you lose. The contract will remain in effect even after graduation.”
Diena wouldn’t let herself be taken advantage of.
And Lev smiled in response.
“Alright. But if I win, can I have the Scatter Shot?”
“Th-that’s!”
The Ash Grey Scatter Shot.
It was the crossbow Diena had obtained after defeating [the Great Demon – Leraje].
She didn’t use crossbows, and because it was a demonic weapon, she had left it untouched, collecting dust.
It was unusable anyway, missing its string.
He wanted that useless artifact…?
Diena hesitated for a moment but quickly realized there was no need for further thought.
It was highly unlikely that he could clear Trial 2.
Cynatis, the monster who had been one of Krun’s allies,
wouldn’t be easy to overcome.
In short, she saw this bet as his bluff.
“Very well. But the deadline is before the Dungeon Exploration Practice.”
Diena replied curtly, her voice laced with an air of elegance and authority.
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Aria Bluebell’s room, Yegudi Green Dormitory.
Tagging along, trailing behind, following…
“Was… that how I appeared…?” she muttered to herself.
She had tried her best to keep up with him…
Yet that was the impression he had of her actions.
One would think he’d find it annoying to have someone constantly following him, but he didn’t seem bothered, treating her comfortably.
It made her feel strangely embarrassed.
Aria acted according to her convictions.
He might be dangerous.
But the other day, she had found herself enjoying his company.
She had been led by the very subject of her surveillance, someone who could be a demon or even a devil…
-You said you haven’t eaten, right? Come on.
-Huh? Me?
-I saw you back in Ebenbahu. You couldn’t take your eyes off those chicken skewers.
-M-me?
Lev Denec was surprisingly considerate.
More importantly, he knew her tastes all too well.
Or perhaps, it was more accurate to say that Aria, who rarely ventured outside, was simply vulnerable to such kindness.
To think such a vibrant festival was taking place right next to the academy…
-Wait here. I won’t run away.
-Here you go.
Even though his words were blunt, they were laced with care.
In Aria’s room sat a box of high-quality chocolates, a gift from him.
‘Why does it have to be so delicious…?’
It was frustrating that she found his gift more to her liking than the desserts Melissa had given her.
Hug.
Aria hugged her pillow tightly.
Starved of selfless affection for so long, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Unrequited kindness was frightening.
There had to be something more to it.
Perhaps she was falling for the whispers of a demon named Rev!
“What if… he’s truly… a villain?”
What should she do?
At that moment, a subtle, unfamiliar emotion surfaced within her.
“… ”
She had been asleep during the incident in Ebenbahu, so she didn’t know what had transpired…
But there was definitely something different about him.
She couldn’t let her guard down.
Aria reminded herself not to forget her duty.
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Sure stalker no 1. Not like that yandere tag is there for decoration
Well, op crossbow incoming