Chapter 241 Chapter 55.1 - Encounter
After Lilia's performance, the competition went smoothly. Though none of them were able to outshine Lilia.
"How was it?"
However, our masked goddess seemed to want my opinion on her performance.
"It was superb."
I replied to her question. The way she utilized new aspects and introduced such types of relations in theory to archery itself brought a different feeling to me. Even now, I am thinking about how to make myself better at such things.
The usage of mana anchors and reflective mana fields are both different ideas that only creative people could come up with, and that alone itself is insane, in my opinion.
"Superb…..That's it?"
"What do you want me to say more?"
"Maybe worship me?"
"Are you a goddess?"
"Am I not?"
"You might be."
"Then…."
"Then, I would be an atheist."
"I believe I have the power to convert an atheist to my believer."
"This answer is all you could come up with after thinking before the bed all the time?"
"So what?"
"It was cringe."
"…..You don't seem to hear your own words."
"I do. Sometimes, I cringe at myself."
"Is this why you don't speak a lot?"
"..."
"Heh….It is my win this time."
As she smiled triumphantly over me, I shook my head. I was not even competing in any case, and I certainly did not feel annoyed at her smirk.
Certainly.
"So even you can make such a face?"
"What about my face?"
"You look annoyed."
"I am not annoyed."
"This is what an annoyed person would say?"
"….."
It seemed right now that my brain wasn't working on giving quick answers. Considering every person has their peaks and downs, it made sense for me to be the same.
'Next time, it won't be like that.'
My useless inner pride seemed to get hurt a little, but I consoled myself, thinking I would do better next time. And I have then redirected my own thoughts to upcoming events in the future.
"You are leaving already?"
Lilia asked, seeing me getting my things up.
"Yes. I have no reason to watch anymore."
"So, you were waiting for my performance."
"Of course."
"Are you that obsessed with me?"
"Do you want me to be?"
"Urghk- That would be creepy."
It seemed she had at least a little bit of common sense.
"Then, you shouldn't make jokes like that. It normalizes the idea itself."
"...I see….."
Lilia's acknowledgment was accompanied by a subtle shift in her demeanor. It seemed she also understood what I implied.
There were many examples of what I just said, as this idea was something that was used by politicians to control the masses. Even by making jokes about something that seemed out of the world, you introduce those things to the receiver's mind, and underneath the subconscious, you are making them familiar.
And, once you have made enough of this, this new familiarity results in less repulsion by the idea itself, making it a lot smoother to introduce it as a new normal.
These are the basics of the ruling, and Lilia must also be aware of my words.
"Do you have something to say?" I asked, looking at her gaze probing at me. Her bright red eyes seemed to shine a little more.
"I am really curious, you know." She said with a slight smile.
"About what?"
"About this person named Astron Natusalune."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"If you don't know, why are you telling me?"
"Just to let you know?"
"…..This doesn't make sense."
"Does everything have to make sense?"
"If you are not making any sense, then it is named as being crazy."
"Once, Newton was named as crazy too. Look at it right now; his name is everywhere."
It seemed this conversation wasn't going anywhere. She may be curious about me, but I don't hold the responsibility to satisfy that curiosity.
"I am going to investigate you."
She suddenly mumbled, looking directly into my eyes.
"Why are you telling me that?"
"I want to hear from you if you have any objections."
"Will you listen to me if I have any?"
"Probably not."
"Then it is pointless for me to answer you."
"Why?"
"No matter what, you have the necessary manpower to investigate my background regardless of my will. I have absolutely zero impact on your results or your actions, meaning you are the only one responsible for what you do. That means my answer would be pointless."
Hearing my answer, she stopped for a second, seemingly thinking about it.
"You would be a good sophister."
Acknowledging the futility of further discussion, I gathered my belongings and stood up, ready to leave. Lilia's probing curiosity had offered a brief diversion, but it was time for me to focus on what truly mattered—my continuous pursuit of improvement.
"Where are you going now?"
"I'm going to train," I replied, not wanting to linger in a conversation that seemed to lead nowhere.
"Training, huh?" Lilia's eyes gleamed with interest. "Do you always train alone?"
"Yes," I replied, unfazed by her curiosity.
"That's quite boring. Don't you want someone to spar with or at least keep you company?"
What she said made sense. In a way, training without sparring with someone would offer nothing. It was like knowing everything in theory, but once you enter the practical field, that would be useless.
It was similar, but not the same. After all, while I was alone, training didn't mean I didn't spar with anyone. Training rooms were designed to match the students, after all.
"I prefer solitude."
She nodded, accepting my preference without further insistence. As I made my way towards the exit, she called out, "Good luck with your training."
With a nod, I left the place, walking to my own room.
*******
Just as Astron had left, Lilia was left alone in the crowd, watching the competition. By this time, it was almost reaching its end since the archery club wasn't that large.
'Interesting fellow.'
Certainly, that guy's opinions were different from the people she met in general. He had a different way of interpreting things.
When she asked him if she wanted to investigate him, she was looking for any reaction that would come from his side. After all, there were times when the body spoke more volumes than the words themselves.
However, the answer she got wasn't relatable to anything she had in her mind—pure indifference and no reaction at all.
As if she was talking with a doll.
'I really can't predict him after all.'
No matter how she thought, he didn't seem to fit any type of pattern that she could think of. That made him a singularity.
Deciding to leave the archery competition early, Lilia discreetly slipped away from the crowd. She weaved through the dispersing spectators, skillfully avoiding any undue attention.
As she walked through the academy grounds, she pondered Astron's peculiar nature. The encounter had left her intrigued, and she found herself contemplating the unpredictability that seemed to shroud him. He was an enigma, a puzzle she couldn't quite solve with her usual analytical approach.
Meanwhile, Ethan and Julia, who were still observing the archery competition, received a message on their watches.
[Lilia: I've returned. Meet me at the usual spot.]
The cryptic nature of her message left room for speculation, but one thing was certain—it seemed like Lilia had something on her mind that she wanted to discuss privately.
*******
"Why did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Don't kid with me, Adrian. I could see what you were doing?"
Elara was the person who had been in the Archery Club for a whole year, and she had been with Adrian for a long time as well.
Thus, she knew his nature and how he acted most of the time. In a way, she could easily predict what kind of things he was going to do in the competition.
But, this time, he crossed the line. In a sense, the archery competition itself was a tradition, but by rigging it, she basically crushed that tradition itself. Therefore, in her eyes, he was now in a position that should be reprimanded.
Even though she had been with him in this club for a whole year and she had overlooked many things he had done, it was now different.
Elara's eyes narrowed, her gaze piercing through Adrian's nonchalant demeanor. The tension in the air was palpable as they stood face to face in the quiet archery range, away from the prying eyes of other club members.
Adrian, the captain of the Archery Club, leaned against a nearby target, feigning innocence. "Elara, darling, I have no idea what you're talking about. I simply showcased how hard it is to acquire skills. It's not my fault the others couldn't keep up."
"Don't play games with me, Adrian," Elara snapped, her frustration evident in her tone. "I saw you tampering with the scoring system, manipulating the targets. You rigged the entire competition to make yourself look like the only competent archer. That's not showcasing skills; that's undermining the very essence of the competition we hold dear."
Adrian chuckled, a smug grin spreading across his face.
"Oh, Elara, you always take things so seriously. It was just a little fun, a way to remind everyone who the true talent is. Besides, it's not like anyone else could beat me anyway."
Elara's jaw clenched as she fought to contain her anger. "This is not a joke, Adrian. We're a team, and you've betrayed the trust of every member here. The archery competition is about camaraderie, about pushing each other to excel. By rigging it, you've tainted the spirit of our club."
Adrian pushed himself off the target and approached Elara, a condescending smirk on his face. "Camaraderie? Please, Elara, don't be so naive. In the end, it's every Awakened for themselves. I just made that reality a bit more transparent."
Unable to hold back any longer, Elara's hand shot forward, gripping Adrian's collar as she glared into his eyes. "You've let your arrogance blind you, Adrian. You're the captain, meant to lead and inspire. Instead, you've chosen to sow discord among us. I won't let you tarnish the reputation of our club any further."
Adrian felt the sudden grip on his collar, and for a moment, he allowed a flicker of surprise to cross his face before swiftly morphing it into a scowl. The nonchalant facade that adorned him moments ago vanished, replaced by a simmering aggression that emanated from his entire being.
Elara's words seemed to have triggered a dormant anger within him. His tone turned threatening, and his eyes, once indifferent, now held a dangerous glint. "You think you can lecture me, Elara? Touch me like that again, and you'll regret it."
Elara, undeterred by his change in demeanor, maintained her steely gaze. "Your actions demand accountability, Adrian. I won't let you drag the others down with your selfish ambitions."
Adrian's lips curled into a sneer, and he forcibly shrugged off Elara's hand from his collar. "You've been getting on my nerves for a while now, you little….. Always poking around where you don't belong. But this," he gestured dismissively towards the archery range, "this is none of your business. You're overstepping, and I won't tolerate it."
His tone was threatening, and his gaze was overbearing. But Elara had seen her fair share of such people in this industry. Even the place where she did her internship had such people.
"Then what? What are you going to do?" Her gaze met with his scowl. After all, the best response to such people was to show that she wasn't scared.
But, contrary to what she had experienced, Adrian was different. Unrelenting, he brought his face dangerously close, and Elara could feel the weight of his killing intent pressing down on her.
'What is this?'
The air became thick, and breathing seemed like an arduous task, as if she stood in front of a prowling lion.
His lips curled into a menacing smile. "If you're going to keep up this attitude, you might want to stop those shaking legs of yours first. Maybe then I could consider you as a possible threat."
THUD!
Adrian abruptly threw her away, and without another word, he turned on his heel, leaving Elara standing in the quiet archery range.
"Haaaah…..Haaaah….."
With her breaths heavier than usual.
"As expected, you are different."
However, at that moment, a person appeared right behind her.
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