After all the students have chosen their weapons, I see Pepper choosing a scepter. Tamaële instructs us to go practice on the nearby training grounds. And to my surprise, I am the only one who has taken a musket. I would have at least thought that two or three other people would have been curious. But in my opinion, even with the long reloading time, which is quite dissuasive, I believe that the firepower is worth it. I just need to see if I have any talent now.
I head to the shooting range, which is outside the pavilion arena. Tamaële told us that for ranged weapons, during practice, the projectiles are replaced with non-lethal ones, and melee weapons are replaced with wooden versions. Once I arrive at the shooting range, I see several targets at different intervals: ten, twenty-five, fifty, one hundred, one hundred fifty, two hundred, two hundred fifty, three hundred, three hundred fifty, and four hundred meters. So, I decided to start with the ten-meter target, after all, it's my first time... I load the musket by putting a little black powder and a small projectile in the mouth of the barrel. I then try to hit it all with the small tool that is hidden under the barrel. The whole process takes about a minute. I aim at the ten-meter target and shoot. BAM! I hit the target right in the center! Hehe, I'm still proud of my first shot, I think to myself with a smile. I reload again and decide to go for the twenty-five-meter target. I aim and shoot. BAM! I hit the center again! Excited, I moved on to the fifty-meter target. BAM! The target was hit for the third consecutive time! I repeat until I miss for the first time on a three-hundred-meter target.
So far, I really like the musket, and I even think I have a talent for it! The biggest drawback of this style of combat is my reloading time, which is still at a minute, providing a large window for the enemy to defeat me. But without getting discouraged, I continue to practice shooting and reloading in different positions and while running. After all, in duels, others won't just stand there waiting to be shot.
After more than an hour, I am able to recharge by running, which leaves me with only practicing shooting at moving targets. At the shooting range, I can activate a command on a small dashboard that allows the targets to move irregularly. It's a bit of a harder exercise, but not too much. Generally, I am able to hit all the targets in motion at one hundred meters or less, but I miss, roughly, one out of three targets between one hundred and two hundred fifty meters. For the last thirty minutes before the duels, I decided to practice dagger handling, because I need to at least know how to defend myself in close combat…
The time for the duels has finally arrived, and Tamaële stands in the center of the arena.
"All duels will be drawn at random," she begins, smiling broadly, "so when your name is drawn, come and choose your weapons and prepare in the arena. The use of skills is prohibited, please only use your weapons. I will act as referee and the winner will be decided when one of the opponents is defeated or is no longer able to fight."
Regarding the duels, unlike practice weapons, the weapons are not made of wood, but are real. Don't worry, they won't cause any physical injuries, but they are equipped with runes capable of replicating the type of injury inflicted, Tamaële says with a most obvious sadistic smile. To put it simply, she continues with her macabre smile, if your opponent slashes your throat, you will feel your neck open and you will probably suffocate. Fortunately, it will only be in your head.
The same goes for ranged weapons and support weapons. For those who choose these weapons, I wish you good luck, she continues with a snicker. She opens a small bag at her hips and takes out two pieces of parchment. She reads them and then shouts the drawn names:
"Pepper against Brumus, I see that the first duel will be short and brutal... just the way I like them..."
Surprised, I look at Pepper, worried, especially after the professor's comments. While she stands up, I quickly wish her good luck. She nervously thanks me and the two combatants join the center of the arena.
I don't think she'll win, I think to myself as I look at her opponent.