The Villain is Too Good at Sniping

19. After the Entrance Exam (1)

After finishing the interview, I went outside, where it was already getting dark. Airi was waiting for me, having finished her interview earlier.

“Ah, Si-on.”

Airi, who was waiting, brushed her hair back before greeting me. She seemed to have received a scolding as well.

I left the main building with Airi.

It seemed that I didn’t get any penalty points.

It was fortunate that I was enough of an example.

Airi De Sugamon is a reliable ally who joins the protagonist from the early stages. She can’t be hindered by penalty points.

There are many significant events in the early stages, and it would be frustrating to be dragged around because of penalty points.

“Where are you going, Si-on?”

“I’m going to the guest house over there.”

“What? The guest house is inside Arsen, isn’t it?”

“There’s nowhere else to stay outside.”

Airi asked me various questions, seemingly relieved. It felt nice to see Airi’s usual self again.

The entrance exam had ended well. Kyle got first place, and I and Airi respectively got second and third.

Since we had returned our student uniforms, both Airi and I were now in casual attire, wearing comfortable training clothes.

It was about time for the system to announce the rewards.

“There are rewards available for collection.”

As expected, the words floated up. We would receive the rewards in our rooms, so we headed back with slow and lazy steps.

I felt half-relieved and half-disappointed.

Although we had done well, thinking about what lay ahead made me realize we had only just taken the first step.

Still, my footsteps felt light.

As the old saying goes, “A good start is half the battle.” No matter what, we had overcome the first hurdle, and this brought me one step closer to a comfortable retirement.

“By the way, that magician, they seemed to have skills in close combat too.”

“Lara Steilhauden?”

“Yes! Although I did control my strength, their agility and instincts were on a different level.”

“Well, they fought well for a magician.”

What I had asked Airi to do was to ambush and eliminate ‘Lara Steilhauden’, who could be the biggest variable in the exam.

To be exact, I wanted Airi to distract Lara and make her lose focus. That would be enough.

Lara was also an important person, but for now, making Kyle first place was more prioritized. After all, there was a special privilege for the first place winner.

The plan had only half succeeded.

Originally, I had thought I could take care of Lara with one blow, but she had unleashed her magic powers in time and blocked my attack. As a result, I had to engage in close combat.

If Camille Esperanza hadn’t given me a hint beforehand, things would have gotten complicated. It was fortunate that it had ended well.

Airi was puzzled by how Lara had blocked her attack.

Airi didn’t know, but Lara wasn’t skilled in close combat; she had just predicted the attack by sensing the magic around her.

It was thanks to Lara’s trait [Magic Sense] and her unawakened talent, [Great Magician].

And now, her newly acquired [Spirit Affinity] was also in play.

It was as if there was always a barrier around Lara.

Since she was always in tune with the magic around her, she could respond immediately to any abnormal phenomenon. This allowed her to react quickly to any situation.

In a way, it was similar to the trait [Intuition] that warriors possessed.

Of course, not all magicians could do what Lara did; only Lara, with her [Magic Sense] and [Spirit Affinity], could achieve this.

From a newcomer’s perspective, it would be astonishing. A normal magician would panic if they saw a sword flying towards them, and blocking it would be out of the question.

But Lara had blocked it. Even I, who had known about it beforehand, was surprised, so it was natural that Airi, who had faced her directly, was even more astonished.

“I don’t know, but I felt she had talent.”

Airi had a keen eye for observation.

Lara’s talent, [Great Magician], had yet to awaken, but Airi had sensed the innate talent within her.

Of course, Airi wouldn’t know that she herself had hidden talents. In the original story, Airi’s talents didn’t awaken until much later.

—

We had finally reached the crossroads. I stopped in front of the signboard in the middle.

“Anyway, good job.”

“See you at the start of class, Si-on!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

I headed towards the guest house. Airi turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

The wind blowing towards us was colder than I expected. I confirmed Airi’s disappearing figure and quickened my pace.

The formal classes will begin the day after tomorrow.

During that time, students who received a failing grade or were disqualified will have to pack their bags with a heavy heart. Of course, this doesn’t apply to me, who ranked second.

Tomorrow, the exam results will be announced on a large scale.

The news that Arsen’s entrance exam has ended will be published in the newspapers, and from then on, the villains will start approaching the main characters.

Tonight is the last night I’ll spend at the guest house. Starting from tomorrow, when the admission notice is sent, I’ll be staying in the dormitory.

I walked into the corridor of the guest house.

I encountered an unexpected figure.

“…Sion Illeonhart.”

“Chairman Rebecca.”

I thought she would have returned since the dorm construction was complete.

There was nothing much to talk about, and I was about to pass by her.

“…You’re using a gun.”

Rebecca’s words, which seemed to brush past me. It seemed like she had something to say, so I stopped. Unlike last time, her voice was cold, but I didn’t sense any hostility.

“That’s unexpected. I remember you using a dagger.”

“I’ve just found a weapon that fits my hand better.”

We had already exchanged greetings, so I thought there was no need to talk further with Rebecca.

But Rebecca’s actions were faster than I expected. The fact that she called me over meant that there was progress in her plans.

This was a good sign. I had made Rebecca uneasy, and she couldn’t underestimate me anymore.

“What do you know about the Raknia Cave?”

“I’ve heard rumors.”

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

“There’s no reason to. It’s just a transaction, after all.”

My sharp tone made Rebecca’s eyebrows narrow for a moment. Her expression, which was always calm, showed a richer emotional expression than I expected.

A necklace with a red gemstone adorned Rebecca’s neck. It was the hidden piece from the Raknia Cave.

Its effect was mental power correction.

It was an artifact that would be helpful to magic students, but it was even more essential for Rebecca. At least, it would give her a little more time before she awakened as a villain.

“The gift I gave you, did you receive it?”

“Yes.”

I thought she had only done a preliminary investigation, but it seemed she had excavated the Raknia Cave during the entrance exam.

I didn’t know the student council president would use her power like this, but it seemed Rebecca was quite desperate.

“This is a gift for you. As I said before, there needs to be mutual benefit for it to be called a transaction.”

Rebecca took out an old box from her subspace.

What came out of the box was a single dagger. Rebecca held the dagger, looking at me with an inquiring gaze.

“But you’re using a gun. In my memory, you showed off your skills with a small dagger.”

“That was a long time ago. It’s all in the past.”

“It’s in the past… If I had to say, that’s correct.”

It seemed that the weapon Sion used before possessing me was a dagger. Since I didn’t have any calluses on my hands, it was possible, but there was no rule that said I had to hold a dagger and fight.

I didn’t know that Camui’s reason for giving me the dagger would connect like this. It made sense that Rebecca would react this way if Sion had used a dagger.

“This is an unnecessary item for me. It would suit you better. You can’t keep using a gun as your only weapon, after all.”

Rebecca, who had spoken until then, pressed her lips together. She handed me the dagger, holding it with the blade facing inward.

“No.”

I didn’t accept the dagger Rebecca was offering me. I shook my head and politely declined.

“That dagger is also a gift from me.”

“But it’s useless to me.”

“There’s no such thing as a useless item in this world. Even an old sword can be used as a decoration, can’t it?”

Although the dagger was old and rusty, it was an artifact. It was an item that couldn’t be bought even if you paid a fortune, and its value was hidden beneath its appearance.

Moreover, this meant that the transaction between the Grandeur family and Esperanza had been established.

Rebecca wouldn’t try to make me her puppet anymore, and since I had already severed ties with the Grandeur family, I wouldn’t have to face Rebecca again.

“Anyway, we can settle the transaction cleanly with this. I’ll be grateful for your future favors, Chairman Rebecca.”

“Yes.”

In the end, Rebecca took the dagger.

She didn’t know, but the dagger in her hand would save her.

***

The room I was staying in was cooler than before. I had tidied up beforehand since I had to move my luggage to the dormitory before the exam.

The dust accumulated on the floor bothered me. It was because my eyes were too sensitive.

I picked up a broom and swept the floor. Normally, the maid who worked at my house would have done it for me, but now I had to do it myself. It was a moment when I missed my days at Esperanza.

After finishing my packing, I finally checked the system.

Completing the main quest will unlock additional rewards.

You can now check the player’s status window.

The status window that had finally been unlocked.

Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations. Although my health had increased significantly, my strength was still far behind Airi’s.

I didn’t have much expectation. I just thought it was meaningful that I could check my stats.

“Huff…….”

I took a deep breath before checking the status window. I calmed my excitement and opened it.

—-

[Shion Esperanza]

Gender: Male

Age: 20

Magic Power: 2,375

◇ Status

Strength: 2.2

Health: 2.5

Endurance: 2.9

Agility: 3.3

Magic Power: 1.5

Luck: 2

◇ Possessed Talents

[Master Marksman Lv.1]

◇ Possessed Traits

[Clairvoyance] [Observer’s Eye] [Intuition]

—-

“Wow…”

I had expected it, but overall, my abilities are at rock bottom.

Most of my stats are only around 2, and even that’s with the bonus from achieving my goal. When I think about the average 1st-year student having stats around 3-4, it’s quite embarrassing.

However, my physical strength and endurance are on par with the other students. My agility stands out, probably due to the training I received from Esperand.

My magic power is around 2,300.

It’s not a lot, considering most people have over 3,000 magic power.

“Anyway, this is…”

What catches my attention is the [???] trait at the very bottom.

It’s a trait I obtained when I awakened my talent, but I still don’t know what it does. Since it’s displayed as a question mark, it’s probably a dormant trait.

As I focus my gaze, another panel pops up. The name of the hidden trait is revealed.

Upon meeting the conditions, the unknown trait ‘???’ has been unlocked.

I’ve acquired the trait ‘Magical Bullet Artsman’.

I had a hunch it was related to the ‘Marksman’ trait, and it seems I was right.

As I focus my gaze, detailed information unfolds.

+

-[Magical Bullet Artsman] [Rare]

▶Create magical bullets using magic power. Minimum magic power required (500)

▶Reduce recoil by 20% when using guns.

*The destructive power of the magical bullets is proportional to the consumed magic power.

+

[Magical Bullet Artsman] is a trait that existed in the original story. It’s a trait I acquired when I was into the cowboy meta.

The main effect is creating magical bullets using magic power.

Now, I won’t have any issues with acquiring magical bullets. I might struggle with magic depletion, but that’s what the ring is for….

Come to think of it, I gave the ring to Lara. I suppose I’ll have to get a new one.

I received money from Esperand, and the points I got from the entrance exam can be converted to currency, so it’s not a big deal.

But, the messages popping up aren’t just one.

[Achievement Unlocked: Arsen Entrance]

◇Reward – Acquire unique trait ‘Player’

It seems they’re giving me a hard time, calling the difficulty ‘Hell’.