Clap, clap, clap.
Professor Galedo clapped at Olivia’s impressive marksmanship.
“Hmm, impressive, Olivia.”
“Right?”
‘Yes, yes, keep praising Olivia. Everyone loves compliments.’
‘Though it’d feel better if it was about magic.’
“With that level of skill, you could easily become a master archer one day.”
“Huh? I’m going to be an Archmage, though.”
“I will be recognized as an Archmage this time. No, I have to surpass that and become a Grand Sage.”
“Don’t joke around. It seems like you’ve only been training with magic bullets. You should take up the bow instead—you could become the Empire’s last divine archer.”
“Uh, no thanks.”
‘Only been training with magic bullets? That’s not true.’
“I get it now. I understand why the others disliked you. But look here. Olivia, with her immense mana circuits, has reached the level of creating her own magic arrows after relentless effort. She’s achieved something I, even with my experience, couldn’t do. Olivia has not only natural talent but the dedication to go along with it. Truly, she’s a hardworking genius.”
“Wait, please don’t say things like that.”
‘They’ll totally gang up on me now.’
Looking at their faces, I could see the jealousy brimming. The losers, well, they didn’t even need words. Their faces were twisted in frustration.
‘They must be thinking, “How am I worse than her?”‘
Galedo put a proud hand on my shoulder and added, “You’re allowed to be a little arrogant. Most noble ladies waste time on etiquette and arts. But you, Olivia, have reached a divine level in archery.”
‘Divine level, huh? If he keeps saying stuff like that, the archery kids are going to lose it.’
“N-no, really, that’s too much.”
“Everyone, take note from Olivia. I have some business with the headmaster, so practice while I’m gone.”
***
Galedo left the archery range with just those words.
‘Typical. He was a former adventurer, so I guess being vague is his style.’
I glanced around.
‘Crap. They’re all glaring at me. But… maybe this is a good thing?’
“Olivia Rapa Ashtar.”
The redhead called my name as he approached.
“What do you want?”
“I’m withdrawing my earlier words. Let’s have a duel.”
“Oh?”
‘What’s with the sudden challenge? This changes things. They can talk behind my back all they want now.’
“But there’s a condition. It won’t be with bows. Let’s use the new weapon.”
‘Oh, the new weapon?’
“New weapon, huh?”
I had a good idea what it was.
“Magic rifles.”
“Oh, magic rifles. I know all about them.”
Magic rifles were designed to replace bows.
To hunt monsters, you needed attacks imbued with mana. Since ancient times, weapons like swords, spears, and arrows had been coated with mana to fight monsters.
But bows had always been inefficient.
Elves, with their vast mana reserves, could create their own special bows, allowing them to easily hunt monsters in their forested domains.
But in the human kingdoms and empires, regular arrows coated with mana were the norm.
In human-to-human warfare, normal arrows were enough to defeat enemies.
However, when the war against the Demon King intensified, the Empire needed new weapons.
Thus, they developed guns, shrinking down cannons that had previously used gunpowder.
While easier to train elite soldiers with compared to bows, guns had their own issue: bullets were often wasted, and the firepower wasn’t as devastating as cannons.
That’s when the Empire’s court mages and military engineers, who saw me as a “magic scholar,” sought my help.
I proposed the concept of the magic rifle.
While the Kingdom, smaller and battered by the Demon King’s army, had no time for new weapon development, the Empire had the resources.
Eventually, they succeeded in both crafting and testing the magic rifles.
That’s all I knew before the war against the Demon King escalated and I had to leave the Empire.
“Alright, then. Let’s do this. How do we place our bets?”
“The one who lands the most shots on target wins.”
‘Hmm, an interesting proposition.’
The issue was that it seemed a bit… rigged to me.
For example, they probably had prior experience using the rifle.
There’s no way they’d be this confident about going up against me, known for having enormous mana circuits, if it were their first time using the weapon.
Bows and guns have distinctly different feels, after all.
“Well, can I get some practice shots first?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
The redhead handed me the magic rifle.
‘Hmm, it’s pretty long. Fits perfectly slung over the shoulder.’
Bang!
“Oh, so this is how it works.”
It was far better than the old powder-based guns.
It converted mana into bullets, making it lightweight and easy to use.
At first, I missed the target.
But who am I?
I was Noah, the divine archer.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
‘Oh, this is too light. Though it’s heavier than a regular gun, the feeling is different from when I first used a rifle.’
It was clearly distinct from regular bullets, but with a bit of practice, it would work just fine.
“See? I knew it. Did she really think she’d hit the target perfectly on her first try?”
“Heh, no matter how much she trains.”
They laughed, but I’d wipe those smirks off their faces soon.
Now that I had familiarized myself with the weight of the rifle—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
‘Oh, not bad.’
In no time, I had landed three perfect shots in the bullseye.
The target board, enchanted with magic, repaired itself almost immediately after being hit.
‘I could practice a little more, but if I keep going, they might just give up.’
“This is way too easy. Guess all that time with the bow paid off. Alright, let’s place our bets, shall we?”
I spun the rifle in my hand and flashed a confident grin.
The redhead and the others, who had used the gun first, looked visibly shaken.
“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re backing out now?”
“Who said we’re backing out? If you lose, you’ll drop out of the academy, and we’ll reinstate all the students who were expelled.”
‘Hmm, didn’t expect that condition.’
Looks like I’ll have to make them pull that sour face again.
“Get your words straight. What expulsion? They left the department under the terms of defeat,” I said with a smirk. “Alright, I’ll bet too—how about you guys drop out?”
“Ha, how arrogant.”
Who’s really being arrogant here? Their confident expressions seemed suspicious, so I decided to test them.
“You think I don’t know? You military families boast about learning first with your special privileges. Can you give those points back to the commoners who started later? Of course not. Isn’t equality the principle of Atlerina Academy? What a load of nonsense.”
At my words, a few of them averted their eyes.
‘So, this is how it is. They had practiced beforehand.’
Their families, who contributed to the development costs of the new weapon being tested by the imperial armory, received prototypes.
They had already practiced with them, and now they were using this advantage against Olivia, who knew nothing about magic guns.
“Fine. Let’s do it.”
“And to save time, let’s all shoot at once.”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The noble brats, who had received and practiced with the magic guns beforehand, each hit their targets fairly well.
The total number of participants was ten.
This means that at least ten noble families contributed significantly to the development of the new weapon.
These families provided the new magic guns to their heirs and had them trained.
Even if Olivia’s mana circuit is large, using a magic gun has its issues.
“If you can’t create bullets, it’s pointless.”
Though it uses magic bullets, they’re different from ordinary ones.
“You have to channel the right amount of mana into the gun, which creates the bullet inside and fires it with a pull of the trigger.”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
My gun kept firing, pouring out bullets without stopping.
“Wait, is she still shooting?”
“Is this her first time using it?”
After shooting for quite a while, I fired one more time and finished just as the others were exhausted.
They were visibly drained, while I remained relaxed.
“Did you really think I was just some noble lady who sips tea, talks about dress shops, and gossips about famous tailors and cosmetics?”
Not a chance.
Olivia, who now carries all of Noah’s memories and soul, will crush these other nobles.
“What the—every shot hit the bullseye?”
“Maybe I should have intentionally missed one?”
The difference in skill is too obvious.
‘While the others were quickly worn out and their shots strayed from the center, I stayed composed.’
Maybe I overdid it.
This feels like a complete massacre.
I suppose I am partly to blame.
“No way… This is a scam! How did you—”
A red-haired noble threw down his gun in frustration and accused me of cheating, unable to accept his own incompetence.
“What’s wrong? Can’t accept your defeat? I suppose it’s understandable, considering you secretly practiced with the new weapon and still lost to me.”
“What did you just say!”
He grabbed me by the collar in a fit of rage, but I effortlessly brushed him off with a shrug.
“This is what you call the difference in talent. Understand?”
I whispered calmly, almost mockingly.
“This is why I’ve been arrogant until now.”
With light, playful steps, I approached the defeated ones, teasing them as I did.
“I’m strong enough to deserve my arrogance, but you lot? You’re just amusingly clueless about your own limits.”
Honestly, I’m not wrong.
Just because Olivia’s been labeled a villainess doesn’t mean the other nobles are any better.
“No, no way. It’s impossible. You—”
“A villainess who always relied on the Ashtar family, looking down on other noble families and thinking she’s the best, right? Isn’t that what you thought of me before breaking the engagement?”
That’s where you went wrong.
Even if you were wary of me, there was no way you could win.
The gap in talent is something they simply can’t overcome.
“But now, what will you do? You’ve lost to that very same woman. Survival doesn’t belong to the strong, the strong are the ones who survive. You all overestimated yourselves, thinking you could beat me just because you had a little insurance in the form of these magic guns.”
Pathetic.
This fight was rigged against me from the start, but these fools still lost.
“Now then, time for you all to drop out.”
“This is too much. Come on, it was just a joke, right?” one of the students tried to laugh it off.
Joke? It was no joke.
Sorry, but I have no intention of letting this slide.
I am Olivia, the arrogant genius.
“Too much? If I had lost, you would have mocked me, humiliated me, and forced me to leave the academy. Look who’s talking now.”
“Professor! Please stop Olivia!”
Some of the students, now desperate, begged Professor Galedo, who had been watching the whole time with a bored expression.
No, I won’t let him interfere.
“Professor, they made a bet with me. They staked their withdrawals on it in the name of their families. And now, when they’re cornered, they’re no better than monsters, begging for mercy.”
“Hmm. So, you don’t intend to forgive them?”
“Absolutely not. Why should I?”
“They’ve shown no remorse, so I have no reason to show mercy.”
“They’ll have to beg for it before I even consider it.”
Look at them, glaring at me like they want to tear me apart.
“If they knelt and licked the soles of my shoes, maybe I’d consider forgiving them. That’s what you’d call clemency. But they’re too proud to acknowledge defeat at the hands of an arrogant genius.”
“I see. However, expelling this many nobles at once is beyond my authority. There must be a grace period.”
“Fine. I can wait.”
I doubt they’ll actually drop out.
But at least I’ve used the “villainess” Olivia to craft a new image for myself.
That’s enough for now.