The Villain is Too Good at Sniping

4. Preparation (1)

“What in the world is going on?”

It was early dawn. The quiet room was bustling with the sound of cleaning.

The broken chandelier, which had been quite extravagant, had scattered glass shards everywhere.

Not only that, but the wardrobe had almost fallen over, and it was a close call that a major accident hadn’t occurred. Although I was still feeling the aftereffects of magic depletion, I had managed to stop it with a desperate effort.

I pressed my thumb against my throbbing temple, trying to alleviate the pain. It felt like the pain was subsiding a bit.

“I made a mistake.”

…Strictly speaking, it was a mistake, so it wasn’t a lie. I just hadn’t expected my accuracy to be this bad.

Still, seeing multiple maids being called out in the early morning because of me was quite unpleasant.

“It’s okay. This is our job.”

“You’re not hurt, that’s good.”

It wasn’t just the maids who had gathered after hearing the commotion.

“What’s going on?”

“Isn’t! this Sion’s room?”

When I saw several people from the family gathered outside, I personally went to close the door.

“It looks like it’s almost done.”

“…No, not yet.”

“Even so, isn’t it late? Shouldn’t we go now?”

“Then, we’ll just clean this up and go.”

Despite being called out in the middle of the night, these maids were dedicated to their cleaning duties.

If I were in their shoes, I would have cursed inwardly, but they were truly professionals….

The favorability of ‘Salia Diphon’ increased slightly.

The affinity of ‘Armin Dias’ increases slightly.

Correct. My thoughts were wrong.

I caught eyes with Sallia Depon, who was glancing at me. My eyes are like those of a thousand-mile viewer, so I wouldn’t have mistaken it.

The maids, pretending not to know, coughed awkwardly and held their brooms. It seemed they were trying to stay in my room for as long as possible.

Cleaning is just an excuse. It’s clear they want to get close to me. Otherwise, there’s no reason to meticulously clean every nook and cranny, including the dust on the window frames and the mirror.

With training scheduled for the next day, I couldn’t relax with the maids around. My sleep was also affected.

“Leave now. You can finish the rest later.”

“There’s still dust left.”

“No, there isn’t.”

“But still…”

Since they didn’t want to leave, I personally escorted the two maids out of the room. I confirmed they were gone before closing the door.

“…Hmph.”

It seems that speaking a few words to the maids increased their affinity towards me.

I can somewhat imagine what Si-on’s life was like before becoming a vessel.

“…Let’s sleep now.”

The commotion in the early morning was long. I had to sleep for the next day.

***

Time remaining until the event – 907:20:20

The next day. I was dragged to the training grounds early in the morning.

I wasn’t the only one. All the children who had undergone the ceremony the previous night were gathered at the training grounds.

“You’re all here on time.”

During the process of checking attendance and roll call, I saw a past that I didn’t want to recall.

It felt like I had joined the army twice.

Nothing was greatly different. The only difference was that the background was fantasy.

I thought it would be easier because it was fantasy, but there was no magical convenience like I had imagined.

“The first lesson is about the mindset of an Esperando assassin.”

It was a simple theory lesson. We explored the teachings of Esperando’s assassination manual. Glancing at the outline, I saw that it wasn’t much different from what I had thought.

First, we had to cultivate our physical strength, followed by lessons on tracking, hunting, and infiltration techniques.

Additionally, the latter part of the manual was filled with killing techniques that targeted people. The gruesome illustrations were an added bonus.

It described in unnecessary detail how muscles tear and which bones receive what kind of impact.

Fortunately, there was no instruction to memorize everything.

The training was mostly focused on practical exercises to develop our senses. In a world where talent and intuition were important, the training was tailored to that.

“Hello, Camille-sama.”

“Yeah.”

Each individual had an instructor assigned to them. It seemed they were structured to accommodate each person’s talents, with a common process and individualized approaches.

Considering the varying ages of the children participating in the training, it was only natural that they would take that into account.

Of course.

However, showing such consideration didn’t change the fact that Esperando was an evil organization that prioritized their family’s interests over human lives.

“Nice to meet you, Si-on-sama. I’m Sato, your instructor.”

I also had an instructor assigned to me. My instructor was a Easterner, a mercenary from a far-off land inspired by Japan.

…I didn’t know I’d have to learn archery as well.

My instructor taught me everything from how to shoot a bow to various throwing techniques, from the basics to the most intricate skills.

I worked hard to master the techniques taught by my Eastern instructor and make them my own.

And so, on the first day of training, hellish physical conditioning began.

“You can do it. I believe you’ll make it happen.”

We had to run around a training ground the size of several school tracks combined, dozens of laps.

The instructor showed no mercy. It was said that we wouldn’t even get a sip of water until we completed the target number of laps.

The Esperanza kids looked unhappy, but they couldn’t dare to defy the instructor. They could only obey and follow the training.

“This is all you can do? You’re part of Esperanza! If you can’t adapt, you’ll be eliminated!”

“Yes!”

“Let’s do it again!”

“Yes!”

The training was so intense that our tongues dried up and shriveled.

…The terrible time dragged on throughout the afternoon.

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Time remaining until the event – 885:45:30

“As you all know, there are demons living in Esperanza’s forest.”

“Yes!”

“From now on, you’ll be infiltrating the forest. You won’t receive any support until you find the target item. Do you agree?”

“Yes, we agree!”

We didn’t have a choice when it came to selecting our weapons.

If we chose not to participate, we’d be discarded. We had to persevere desperately.

“Everyone, get ready. The necessary items are prepared here.”

It was a real-life training session where we’d put our lives on the line against the demons. The Esperanza kids were thrown into the forest one by one.

“Oh, I can’t see ahead!”

“Watch out for the crocodile! There’s a crocodile!”

“Be careful!”

Some kids got lost and wandered around, and some never came back.

It was said that the bodies would be recovered later. But my Eastern instructor said that not many bodies were actually recovered.

…It would be a relief to find even a part of them.

The reason was obvious, even without being told. Most of the demons that inhabited Esperanza’s forest were ferocious carnivores.

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Time remaining until the event – 817:18:52

“Today, we’ll be having one-on-one mock battles. The opponents will be randomly selected.”

A tournament was held among the Esperanza kids.

The winner would be given a day off, but it was unclear if that was true.

There was no winner.

“The ones who have made it this far will have to face me.”

The final opponent was the instructor.

I, Camil, and the other kids were all the same.

It was only natural, but no one had surpassed the instructor.

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Time remaining until the event – 739:10:40

One week had passed since the training began.

The number of surviving Esperanza kids had dwindled to less than half of the original participants.

Some kids had been confirmed dead, while others were missing in action.

There were also kids who couldn’t keep up with the harsh training and dropped out. Those kids were sent somewhere else.

…But no one knew where they were sent, and it was impossible to meet them again.

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Time remaining until the event – 571:25:00

Two weeks had passed. The harsh training was slowly becoming manageable.

“The snow-covered Nilvania Mountains are where we’ll be staying for a week. You’ll need to find winter clothing or gather materials to build a shelter. The instructor trusts your judgment.”

…It was all just a test.

The training we had done so far was just a rehearsal. The real training was starting today.

The endless snowy plains stretched out before us.

The Esperanza kids were each given only one dagger.

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Time remaining until the event – 403:00:12

“This is a desert, as you can see. A place where not a single blade of grass grows. You’ll need to find an oasis or gather food and water on your own.”

“…Yes!”

“Of course, if you can’t reach the pyramid within the time limit, you’ll be eliminated. Remember that.”

“…Yes!”

Three weeks had passed.

This time, we were thrown into the desert. We were told to find the pyramid, but the desert was under a mysterious illusion.

It wasn’t an illusion created by some magician; it was a natural phenomenon.

The pyramid wasn’t in just one place. There were pyramids scattered all over the desert.

“Is that it?”

“There’s a pyramid over there too.”

“What’s going on, this isn’t hard at all.”

There were kids who were relieved by the grand sight. But among the many pyramids, only one was the real deal.

Characteristics – Acquired ‘Ki-sense’.

The first reward for finding the real pyramid was a new characteristic.

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Time remaining until the event – 235:18:52

In the volcanic region where lava was boiling.

“There’s a real Drake here. If you’re caught, you’re dead. You need to steal Drake’s egg using the stealth skills you’ve learned so far.”

…They must have judged it to be dangerous. Even the instructors were armed this time.

The instructor slung a large sword over his shoulder. Led by him, we entered the lava cave.

Rumbling-!

……The sound of Drake breathing fire echoed everywhere.

The long, arduous training was finally coming to an end. Only about ten Esperanza kids had survived to this point.

And finally.

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Time remaining until the event – 67:35:47

“You’ve all worked hard. As of today, all training is complete, and you’ve become Esperanza’s assassins. I wish blessings upon you, who have passed through all the training processes.”

…About three days before the main story begins.

The long, gruesome training process had finally come to an end.

The graduation ceremony was finally starting. We, the survivors, stepped up onto the stage as a group.

“…It’s over. Now.”

A kid next to me was crying, overwhelmed by the emotions they’d been holding back. But I didn’t even have a handkerchief to offer.

“Haah, hoooo…….”

“…….”

Even Camille Esperanza, who had been authoritative throughout the training, was quiet today. All the kids who had followed him had either dropped out or died during the training.

It seemed like Camille’s heart had been slightly moved by this, but it was unrealistic to expect a complete change of heart from the original story.

As I thought this, a badge was pinned to my chest. It was an octagonal badge with the Esperanza family crest engraved on it.

The graduation ceremony felt new and unfamiliar.

I had traversed snowy plains, deserts, volcanoes, and jungles. I had fought to survive. It was a terrible time, and an extremely harsh curriculum that I never wanted to experience again.

I had come to realize that Esperanza wasn’t just a notorious villain group for nothing. I had learned skills that I didn’t want to remember, but my body had already memorized them.

A long time of endurance.

A time to reflect on myself.

A time to make a resolve.

Days of fighting against myself every day.

Looking back now, it was a time that made me wonder how I had endured.

But as a result.

Taang-!

Ability – The proficiency of ‘Famous Marksman’ has increased by one level.

My current skill level is ‘low’.

…target destroyed by a bullet.

“Great job. Shion Esperanza.”

“Amazing… It’s an honor to teach as an instructor.”

“…….”

Including me, the Esperanza kids had become a formidable assassin.