"Please choose what class you want to learn in the academy," she handed me a papyrus with several options; Warrior training, Archery training, Wizard training, Beast taming training, Alchemy training, Blacksmith training, Assassin training, Paladin training, Heavy Knight training, and Enchanter training.
"Do I have to pay another 30 silver Eth to apply to another class?" I genuinely ask as there are several interesting classes that I want to try.
"Why yes of course!" She smilingly answered.
Ah, seems like I need to have a very successful hunt if I want to try the other classes.
"Alright thank you then I will choose Archery training first." I encircled the option and gave her back the papyrus.
"Okay, you may start as early as today, the Archery training area is to your right, and cross the bridge after you turn the corner. The Dean of Archery will be notified of your enrollment."
"Thank you, then I will be heading on my way," I bowed and started walking away.
"Good luck and have fun! Remember the motto of Crimson Lotus Academy is -"
"Study with a crimson flame in your heart!" We said it at the same time and when I turned around, her face looked genuinely shocked.
Who wouldn't? To her, I looked like a random guy who just entered so she was pretty shocked I knew the motto of the academy. Of course I would know I was a student here before.
As I walked through the hallway, I looked out the windows and already see the archery training grounds. It was a wide open grassy field, even from inside the building, I could already hear the bow's string release and the arrow being fired, the arrows fly extremely fast piercing through the wind.
As I cross the bridge a man who's wearing a Blue and Red uniform was waiting at the end of the bridge.
"Are you Ras Yggrel?" He asked with a deep voice exuding authority.
"Yes sir!" I stood stiff for a second while his voice echoes through the bridge.
"Follow me, the Dean waiting for you," He starts walking and I walked briskly to catch up to him.
"Why is the Dean looking for me?"
"..."
He didn't answer my question and just gave me a cold shoulder.
"We arrived," he knocked on the door and a woman from the other side can be heard shouting, "Come in!"
"So you are Ras Yggrel?Hmmm interesting," She said while she stares at me with a serious face," I'm the dean of Archery, Lai Montifilia."
Are they related? But she looks like an elf and Thea isn't though? I looked at her with a confused face.
"You must be wondering if me and Thea are related right? She's my adopted daughter."
"Ah! Yes, nice to meet you." She must've seen my confusion. But I'm surprised, not really but it's my first time seeing an elf. They really are the beauty of nature.
"I wonder, why choose archery? I've seen in your information that you mostly use magic." She stares at me with interest. But have I ever written in the information that I use magic? Or maybe it was the report from the old man?
"It's just an interest of mine," I coldly answered. I don't want to give more details or information.
"What ever suits you best," she shrugs and continues her desk work," Lead him to the training grounds." She ordered the man beside me, "Yes."
I bowed and walked out of the room following the man. After a few minutes of walking inside the building, we arrived to a door that leads to outside.
"This is where you will be training for the time being," he said bluntly and left immediately without any further explanation.
"Wow, he really just lead me to the grounds without any explanation," I was shock of how he straightforwardly do what he is ordered.
"But there is no one here though? Am I getting special treatment?" I ask myself as I look around the grounds and then I saw a sign, "Newbie Training Grounds."
Makes sense, so I'm the only new one here huh? Might as well take advantage of it. I grabbed a bow and a quiver full of arrows then I stood behind a red line and a display screen appeared in front of me.
{Choose the distance of the target: 1 meter, 5 meters, 10 meters, 15 meters, 25 meters, 50 meters.}
That 1 meter felt like an insult but this is newbie training so there must be some that don't get pass a meter. I chose 10 meters and then start grabbing an arrow.
"Ah right I didn't even have any experience using bows." I placed the arrow and pull back the string and try to imitate what I know. I released and as expected, I MISSED! Huh?! But I'm pretty sure I was aiming for it. I tried it again several times and out of all my attempts, only one arrow hit the target and it was at the very edge too.
"Okay, I got humbled, I'll tone it down to 1 meter," I felt embarrassed and looked in my surroundings to see if anyone saw that but luckily, I'm really the only one here. I opened the system window and chose 1 meter.
"Okay let's try this," I was determined to hit it, I grabbed an arrow, placed it on the bow and pulled back the string. I aimed at the center and once I released it hit to the left of the center, "Progress I guess? haha" I just embarrassingly shook it off and tried again and again.
...
It's starting to be nightfall, and out of all the arrows that hit, only one was a bullseye. I don't know what I was doing wrong but I'm already exhausted from all of that continuous shooting.
"This is why I asked why archery, your dexterity is really low and it greatly affects your accuracy on certain things you know," I heard a woman's voice and turned around, turns out it was the dean.
"Is that so, but I've experienced throwing swords and accurately hit a target and also whenever I cast magic, I can hit the targets too." I said to her wondering what went wrong.
"This and that is different, the bow requires delicate handling, unlike magic where you can feel the mana and control it to cast in that direction." She explained, " Just keep trying, eventually your dexterity will slowly rise up just from training.
Is that so? I wonder if I could take some equipment here and take outside so I can practice on those goblins. I asked the Dean," Ma'am, can I borrow some bow and arrows to take it on my hunt?"
"Sure, those are really cheap bows for training only anyway. But sooner or later you're gonna need to buy your own bow to advance to next stage of training." She said while examining the target I was shooting, "It's already going to be dark, go home for now and return whenever you feel like it."
"Yes ma'am, then goodbye," I took the bow I used and grabbed a new quiver of arrows to take it home.
I arrived at the inn and my stomach was rumbling so I decided to eat first before resting.
"I wonder if I could create a new magic based on archery," I keep thinking about it and what kind of skill it would be if I were to create one.
"Oh well, I'll figure that out tomorrow in the forest." I mumbled to myself as I stretch after finishing dinner, "For now, it's time to rest."