Then Archery is my path

We said goodbye to the instructor and headed toward the commercial area of the academy.

"Ahhh, I'm starving. Do you have anything to eat at your place?" Liam asked, clutching his stomach dramatically.

"No, I was actually planning to go to the commercial area to buy supplies."

"Then let's go together. My fridge is empty too."

Possibly with a higher rank, his room has more necessary goods.

"What else do you have in your room?" I asked curiously.

"Nothing extravagant—just a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and a small training room."

Compared to the miniature space I'm stuck with, that definitely sounds extravagant.

"I don't even have a kitchen."

"Seriously? You should've gotten a decent rank, though. What happened?"

"Do you think so? I was ranked dead last."

"601?!"

"Exactly."

"Ahhh, that makes sense. You probably started with an extremely low initial rank. Considering the relationship between the ManaArmis faculty and the Academy Director, it's not that surprising."

"What relationship?"

Liam sighed, his tone shifting as he explained. "The fronts with other nations have stabilized now, right? Because of that, ManaArmis fighters don't have as many opportunities to progress. It's different for ManaDomain users—they just need access to a lot of formulas and enchanted books to advance quickly. Fewer and fewer ManaArmis students show decent abilities these days. That's why the faculty's intake numbers have been shrinking."

"But this year, 601 people were admitted," I pointed out.

"Only because the Director added all the students whose ranks were originally above 600. You were probably admitted by the professors before that decision was made. Once the Director restored the ranks and admitted the top 600, you got pushed to the bottom since you weren't part of the initial 600."

"Why would he do that?"

"For the statistics," Liam explained, shrugging. "If the number of admitted students drops year after year, the ruling coalition—which is made up of various organizations—might step in and get involved. That would only make things worse."

We continued discussing the academy's structure and its politics, so engrossed in the conversation that we didn't even notice when we arrived at the commercial area.

Located at the edge of the academy's grounds near its exit, the commercial area was massive. Shops offering everything from clothing and food to construction materials, jewelry, and electronics stretched out before us. Curiously, there were no weapons stores.

The entire area was divided into four sections, and in the center stood a six-story shopping center. Unlike the outer shops, the central building was purely for entertainment. It housed luxury brand stores, a cinema, bowling alleys, billiards, karaoke rooms, and—most importantly—the academy cafeteria.

We entered the shopping center and headed straight to the far end where the academy's bank was located. According to Liam, even though all purchases were made using our own money, payments could only be completed with the academy-issued card.

After I collected a coupon with my table number, a long waiting period began. The place was packed with other students, all waiting for their turn. After about an hour, my number finally flashed on the screen, indicating Table 9 as my destination.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

Seated at the table was a woman dressed in a formal black-and-white uniform, her posture composed and professional.

"Hello, I need to open an academic card," I said politely.

"Of course. Please provide your name and rank."

"Kail Vaylith, 601."

She entered the information into a holographic interface, her fingers gliding across a keyboard that projected faint lights. After a quick confirmation check, she looked up and explained,

"You are eligible for a silver card. This will allow you to hold a maximum of 100 VA. Please note that you can only top up your account once per month."

With this, it'll be difficult to survive, even if I only eat once a day.

"Is there any way to get a card with a higher limit?" I asked, a faint trace of hope in my voice.

"Certainly. If you manage to raise your rank, your card will be upgraded accordingly:

Ranks 600–400: Silver; Ranks 400–200: Gold; Ranks 200–10: Emerald; Top 10: Diamond, which has no spending limit."

Just as she finished explaining, I heard a small mechanical sound as something unlocked. The woman reached to the side of her desk and, when her hand rose again, she was holding my new card.

"Here you go," she said, handing it over with a small smile. "Good luck."

The card was minimalist in design: my name and rank sat neatly in the lower left corner, while my bank code was printed in the center.

"Thank you."

I stood up and walked toward the exit where Liam and I had agreed to meet.

And I thought I was finally done with soups for a while...

Once outside, I quickly checked my bank account. A fairly decent sum had accumulated over time, but I wasn't able to touch it until now. With a few taps, I transferred the money to my new card—funds that I would strictly use for food and survival.

Liam appeared not long after, his face beaming and, in his hand, a bright green card—an unmistakable sign of his rank.

50? Wow, that's impressive.

"From your expression, I can tell you won't have any trouble with money," I said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not even sure I'll be able to spend all of it," Liam replied with a grin. "So today, I'm buying lunch. My treat."

"If you're offering, I won't refuse."

We made our way toward the cafeteria. To my surprise, it wasn't just a simple dining hall—it was extravagantly decorated, resembling an upscale restaurant. However, it operated on a unique model: you paid an entrance fee of 50 VA per person, after which you could eat as much as you wanted.

This place is definitely not an option for me in the long run.

The moment we stepped inside, Liam's eyes shot straight ahead. Following his gaze, I spotted two familiar figures.

It was Nero, and sitting opposite him was a girl with white hair.

Lia?

"Let's grab some food, and I'll introduce you to Nero," Liam suggested.

"We already know each other," I replied.

"Oh? Even better."

Each of us grabbed a portion from the wide variety of food offered and headed toward the table where we'd seen Nero.

As soon as we approached, Nero waved in greeting, his usual bright energy already noticeable.

"Hey, my man!" Liam called out.

"Hey there," I added with a nod.

"Hello," Nero replied. "Let me introduce you. This is Liam and Kail, my college mates. And this is Lirael—she's from the ManaDomain college."

At the mention of her name, Lirael turned toward us. To my amazement, her expression was nothing like what I remembered.

Can she not smile?

There was no mistaking her—she was Lia. The same majestic white hair, as pure as the first snowfall, and those strikingly bright eyes that seemed to symbolize hope. Her face still reflected a kind of radiant beauty, ideal in every way, but her expression was unsettling. It was as if she viewed everyone around her as insignificant, mere ants beneath her gaze.

"Hello," she said, her tone cold and distant, perfectly matching the impression she projected.

Liam plopped down beside Nero without hesitation, while I hesitated for a moment before asking,

"Can I sit here?" I pointed to the seat next to her.

"Of course. I'm already done anyway," she replied flatly.

With a grace that drew the attention of everyone nearby, she stood up and strode toward the exit, every step measured, almost regal. Eyes followed her as if she had commanded the entire room without uttering a word.

Is that Lia?

The more I watched her, the more I doubted that she was her.

"How was the lesson?" Nero asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

Seeing how visibly annoyed Liam was, I seized the opportunity to let him vent to someone else. I didn't particularly feel like listening to his endless complaints again.

…

"Can you imagine?" Liam began, clearly eager to unload his frustrations. "After all that, the only thing I got was a dagger! And it's something I should've had anyway—if our dear instructor actually respected his own rules and didn't use element control!"

I thought only ManaDomein users could use element control

"Yes, it was quite interesting with you," Nero said. "But don't you think we were more fortunate? We only had a crazy guy who almost managed to kill a student."

"Who? Astrel?" Liam asked immediately.

Possibly any mention of the word 'crazy' would automatically point to him.

"Yeah! Compared to you, we only organized duels—no armor, just weapons taken from a warehouse like yours. Astrel got paired up with a fairly capable student, but he used his more advanced physical abilities to knock the guy down. He was really close to being disabled for life. If the instructor hadn't intervened in time, he might've lost some limbs. As it is, he still ended up in the medical center with cuts of varying depth all over his body."

Something normal. In the Cindercrest clan, stuff like that happens almost every three days. Some even whispered that Astrel had killed members of his own clan before, but those issues were silenced with extreme amounts of money.

"Why the hell did he even show up this year?" Liam said indignantly.

"It's better that there are powers around to keep him in check now than for him to terrorize everyone next year," Nero replied. Then he turned toward me and asked, "By the way, where were you during the lessons? I didn't see you in the auditorium."

"I was in the middle row, near the back."

"Really? I didn't see you coming in or going out."

"You were probably too swamped by your fans," I teased.

"Aghh, I wish they'd shrink down! It's really annoying."

We continued our conversation, shifting between different topics until we finished eating and began heading toward the exit.

That's when I saw him—Astrel.

From a distance, I noticed him approaching, his gaze locked directly on Nero. He moved with purpose, a singular focus that screamed violence, as though he had only one goal: to kill.

Out of reflex, my hood fell into place over my head, a movement unnoticed by Liam and Nero, who were too fixed on Astrel themselves. Their posture was steady, not flinching, a silent statement that they weren't afraid.

"I have to leave," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Without waiting for a response, I slipped into the flow of people, vanishing from sight.

Cowardly? Maybe. But my survival was far more important than sticking around for two friends I'd only known for a day.

The lessons for today were over, so I made my way to the dojo once more to practice archery.

I'll ask about element control.

When I arrived, the building was empty again. After leaving my shoes at the entrance, I stepped inside.

"Hello, Kail."

The voice of Instructor Karlos rang out from behind me.

"Hello," I greeted, turning slightly. "Do you always have to meet me from behind?"

"No, it's just a habit," Karlos replied with a small, casual shrug.

"Is it empty again today?" I asked, glancing around the silent dojo.

"Most students who take this subject are in their third year. They're all off completing practice missions," Karlos explained, his tone calm, as if this was routine. "Second-year students usually come in the morning because their pairs are scheduled after yours. That way, you don't overlap."

"And... I'm the only one from the first year?" I asked, trying to suppress the surprise in my voice.

Karlos nodded. "It's not unusual. First-year students don't typically attend this class—at least, not seriously. You'll notice more people in the following years when people start taking this subject more intentionally."

I let his words sink in. It made sense. Choosing additional subjects was flexible here. Each semester allowed students to pick their focus, and the requirements were loose—attendance wasn't even mandatory. You just had to take the final exams.

But if that were true, it meant I had all the time and space I needed to improve, with no distractions from others. Maybe this is an advantage.

"Mr. Karlos…" I hesitated, unsure if I was pushing my luck. "Can you teach me elemental control?"

The question hung in the air.