"Oh no, I'm so sorry."
The nameless person apologized. The Number's boss looked surprised. I took the soda cup off her head as ice cubes drizzled down. Boss shut her eyes.
"Please wait just a moment. I'll go get a towel…"
The nameless person suddenly froze. His eyes turned lifeless, and he walked away in a zombie-like manner. I glanced at Boss' neck and saw a faint light. I almost recognized that necklace, but couldn't quite remember. I wasn't too keen on item.
"Haaa."
She sighed and turned towards me. I scratched my neck. I had a tiny pack of tissues in my pocket, but it wasn't enough to clean the mess on her.
"…"
She kept staring, so I took out the tissues.
"Um, you can use this…"
She looked back and forth between me and the tissues. Then she grabbed them and wiped her face, legs, and arms.
"Thank you."
She lightly bowed. I couldn't believe what just happened. Suddenly, the host's loud voice resounded.
— We will now begin!
The crowd loudly cheered. Countless reporters aimed their cameras at the arena. Although they weren't allowed to film, they could take pictures. The reporters from England were incredibly excited.
— Rank 3 Rachel vs. Rank 4 Lila Dawn!
A clash of steel and string—there was no doubt in my mind who would emerge victorious.
From my seat, I watched the duel unfold with startling clarity, as though I stood at the edge of the arena. The archer's lips moved, her voice carried to me with eerie sharpness.
— Today, everything shifts, highness.
The swordswoman offered no reply. Her eyes stayed calm, unreadable.
— Starting now! Three! Two!
The bow was drawn, the blade raised. Neither moved, each reading the other's intent in the silence between heartbeats. The air crackled with stillness, as if the arena itself held its breath.
— Start!
Lila Dawn fired immediately. Her magic arrow flew at lightning speed. However, Rachel efficiently skirted past by a hair's breadth.
The moment the signal dropped, Lila acted. She released her first shot without hesitation—a shimmering bolt of energy loosed with terrifying velocity. It sliced through the air like a bolt of judgment, but Rachel was faster. With a subtle twist of her body, she slipped past the arrow's edge, so narrowly that it seemed to brush against her uniform.
But Lila wasn't finished. She unleashed a flurry—one arrow after another, her fingers moving like a blur as arcane energy gathered at her fingertips. The sky above the arena seemed to ripple as the arrows arced upward and fragmented mid-flight, splitting into clusters of glowing projectiles that spiraled and descended with chaotic precision.
This wasn't random fire. It was a calculated assault—an attempt to cage Rachel, to trap her between trajectories too numerous and erratic to evade. A net of destruction fell from above, shifting paths as if responding to Rachel's every move. Lila knew that simple direct shots wouldn't land. She had adapted, turned the battlefield into a maze of death.
But Rachel kept moving, her steps light, her blade steady. Calm. Controlled.
---
The stadium roared to life. Cheers thundered from every direction, a wave of awe sweeping over the audience. Lila Dawn's mastery over magical energy was undeniable—far beyond what one would expect from someone still in training. Her control, her finesse, the sheer scale of her barrage—it was breathtaking.
But even so, the result was never in question.
Lila was a formidable marksman, but Rachel was something else entirely. She was born to dismantle ranged opponents. With a body honed to an almost unnatural degree of precision and fluidity, Rachel weaved between the projectiles like wind through a forest, evading with movements so slight they bordered on stillness. Her strikes, though few, were deliberate and invasive—perfectly timed to throw Lila off balance and interrupt her rhythm.
Lila tried to adapt, conjuring a radiant barrier to steady herself and keep her stance firm. It was a smart move—but a costly one. Every second the shield remained drained her reserves further. She was holding on, but not winning.
And that was the cruel truth of it.
Rachel didn't need to overpower her. She only needed to endure. The longer the duel stretched on, the clearer it became: once Lila's strength ran dry, the blade would end it.
---
"I saw your match against Den Garry. You've gotten stronger."
The voice came from my side—quiet, composed. I flinched, just slightly. I'd been so locked into the duel that I hadn't noticed her approach.
I turned to see a woman standing next to me, poised and observant.
"…Um, thank you," I replied, keeping my tone neutral.
"Was that your Gift?" she asked, her gaze fixed on me with unsettling sharpness.
"…That's not something I can disclose," I answered after a brief pause.
A smile flickered across her lips—just for a second.
"Of course."
Without another word, she slipped a card from her coat pocket and held it out to me.
"This is who I am."
I accepted it cautiously and glanced down:
Mary Shaw
Independent Guide
ID: 0102-3563-8703-94
C Rank Hero
The title was vague, but the design was too refined for an ordinary freelancer. And that name… it didn't feel real.
I didn't say anything. Neither did she.
But for a moment, her eyes betrayed something familiar—like a ghost I should've recognized.
It was one of her many fake identities. Even so, my heart trembled as few people could contact her. I simply smiled and muttered. "It's illegal to scout cadets in advance."
"…"
She tried to put away her business card.
"Ah, but…"
I caught her wrist before she turned away. Just as I figured—she wasn't exactly subtle. Well, I didn't have her number yet. Might as well keep this one.
"I'll hold onto yours."
"…" She nodded and gave me her business card.
"I'll leave now. Contact us whenever you want."
"I'll be expecting your call, Paulie."
"D-Don't call me that," I muttered, more out of reflex than anything else.
She chuckled softly, then reached out and gently patted my head. The touch was familiar—too familiar. It carried a warmth I hadn't felt in what felt like forever.
Without saying another word, she stood up and turned away.
I watched her leave, still seated, eyes locked on her back as it disappeared into the crowd. For a moment, I forgot everything else.
"… What did she come here for?"
I couldn't figure out why she would visit me.
***
All the duels ended by 5 P.M. Saul Mayne, Louis Hall, Rachel, and another cadet named James Younhoo were the only ones who won all their duels. Many unexpected outcomes occurred due to fatigue as cadets fought up to three times a day,
— Wow, that was amazing. Did you see Saul Mayne? He's so stylish!
— Lila Dawn lost to Rachel… I'm a bit bitter. This is the first time I've seen Belester's rising star lose against a foreigner.
By the time I left, the sky had already turned dark. Spectators brushed past me as they chatted about today's battles. Before I returned to the dorm, I went into an alleyway at the back of the arena. I sat down and took out the drone from my cross bag. This drone was different from the original because I added several settings like battery life boost, stealth mode, and target lock-on. These modifications would only last four days until the Numbers and Big Sis leave, costing relatively little SP.
"Fly."
I threw the drone into the air as it flew into the forest. Then I headed back to the dorm.
— kuk… huk… kuk…
"… Huh?"
I heard someone crying and stopped. It sounded a bit like an animal, but was pitiful enough to make me turn. My eyes saw through several walls into a nearby forest. Lila Dawn hid between the trees crying. Her body shook with her face buried between her knees.
"Ah."
Well, I figured Saul or Louis would go to comfort her. It wasn't really my business.
I turned away without much thought.
"…Tsk."
But my feet didn't move.
Even if Saul or Louis tried to console Lila Dawn, their kindness wouldn't change anything. You can do better next time. Work hard with me. I'll help you get stronger. Words like that wouldn't reach her.
Sometimes, the right choice wasn't to push forward—it was to let go, to adapt, to change.
But Saul Mayne wasn't the type to give up on anything. He'd never suggest abandoning something, no matter how painful it became.
And Lila… she wouldn't give up the bow either.
She'd keep pushing forward, but what she needed now wasn't comfort.
What she needed was to accept her limits—and start nurturing the talent that had yet to bloom.
"… Huuu."
I turned on my smartwatch and decided to send Lila Dawn's a message from last night was still there.
[Hey, don't ignore me. If you don't reply, I'll nominate you for real.]
I responded after 19 hours.
[What are you doing?]
I quickly hid in the back of a tree I could see Lila Dawn 's smartwatch ring. She didn't check it because she was crying, so I sent another message.
[I saw your duel today]
Lila Dawn n glanced at her smartwatch.
— What does this moron want now?
She planned on ignoring me, so I sent her a message she couldn't ignore.
[See, I told you. You should have nurture your sword talent and leave or keep the bow. It's not too late to change your weapon or nurture your sword talent. I did too.]
— This son of a…
It was incredibly effective. Lila Dawn fumed and tapped on her smartwatch.
[Screw off before I kill you.]
["Oh, I'm shaking in my boots."]
I replied with another message that would drive her over the edge.
[Come on, you defeated a Phantom with a sword, so why do you insist on using the bow? I just can't understand. It's almost… pitiful. If you fought Rachel like how you fought that Phantom, do you think the result would had be different?]
[What? You wanna die?]
[Think a little. You beat her when you were in the Military Academy, so why do you think you're losing now? It's because you don't have a 100% aptitude for bows.]
[You piece of shit where are you do I look like a pushover you bastard don't be so arrogant just because you took down Den Garry]
I could hardly understand her emotional message with all the punctuation errors. I didn't bother replying either. I wanted to mess with her more because of her funny reactions and also for all the insult, but we were interupted.
— Huh? Lila Dawn?
Kim Saul peeked behind the tree where she hid.
— Eh?
— What are you doing here?
— W…What!
Lila Dawnn quickly wiped away her tears. She tried to run, but Saul Mayne caught her.
— Let me go
Lila Dawn tried to shake him off, but Saul Mayne wasn't the type to leave a crying girl. He had a typical main character personality.
"… It's time to leave."
I didn't stay to watch what would happen between them don't want to spoil the mood. I only made sure Lila Dawn didn't forget about her new gift. That was the extent of my role.
***
The next combat exam began on Wednesday. Cadets would fight against monsters, so guests couldn't spectate. Furthermore, because the summoned monsters varied, the exam was graded on an absolute scale rather than a relative one.
"Be especially careful in today's exam. If you refuse to give up, you might die.
Park Leon solemnly warned. The monsters couldn't comprehend complex orders. Annihilate the enemies and protect allies, was the extent they could understand. An order like, test that cadet's skills, was out of the question. Not to mention, summoned monsters didn't disappear after magicians reverse summoned them, so cadets had to be careful after surrendering.
"If you think your life is in danger, give up immediately. You can yell, I surrender, or simply tap on the ground twice."
"…"
I calmly listened to Instructor Leon's explanation. Lila Dawn glared at me, but I ignored her.
"The magicians in charge will explain the rest. Give them a warm welcome."
The door opened and robed magicians walked in. Summoner magicians weren't given any special treatment. The Magician's Tower had a strict hierarchy depending on specialties, and summoner magicians were average. They didn't have twisted personalities like most magicians because they often worked outside the Magician's Tower.
"Nice to meet you all. I am the Chief Magician, Jin Jooh."
The lead magician bowed to the cadets.
"Today, you will fight monsters we will summon. Be careful, since summoned monsters are no different from real monsters. Even if we reverse summon them, they won't disappear immediately. If things look dangerous, please surrender immediately."
The cadets nodded at the magician's kind explanation.
"Good. Then we will tell you how the exam will proceed."
Jin Jooh smiled.
"Four cadets will go in at a time, and each cadet will be given 15 minutes. You will not be graded based on victory or loss, and your role will be taken into account."
Jin Jooh stuck up his index finger.
"First is how long you last. Next is how calm you responded. In other words, you don't expect you be able to kill the summoned monster."
Wiing—
A smartwatch sound cut him off. The magician looked around the room.
"Please turn off all your smartwatches we don't need any distractions"
He spoke concerned as we turned off all our smartwatches.