Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Ding!
The same thing happened again the year I turned nine.
< Trait Selection! >
The inevitable time of choice had returned.
I was certain of it.
The first option had definitely appeared again because of the senile Sir Lecoon’s influence.
But like I said before, it was not something I needed to consider right now.
So I focused only on the remaining options while swinging my wooden mace.
Even during moments like this, I could not neglect training.
Especially when I thought about the monster I would eventually have to judge.
‘Still…’
The second option drastically increased the destructive power of thrown spears.
The third was a balanced offense-and-defense trait.
Both were good enough that neither clearly outclassed the other.
Still, the third trait felt somewhat disappointing because it relied on probability.
In this brutal medieval world, exposing an opening even once was practically the same as dying.
What was the point of a counterattack that activated after you were already dead?
“The value of this trait has been replaced with your corpse.”
Blocking with a shield or deflecting with a blade probably would not even count as “receiving” an attack.
Things might change if I wore thick armor or fought barehanded, but even that was conditional.
Meanwhile, the second trait?
Not only was the effect straightforward, but since I had invested heavily in strength-focused stats, its destructive power would obviously be absurd.
The bandit knight who turned Ethan one-eyed was named Aston, right?
Even a monster like him—could he really react to a spear hurled with murderous force from long range?
And even if he could react, what if it somehow still landed?
Who knew what might happen then.
Possibly in a very favorable direction.
After all, throwing spears was the very act that allowed fragile humans to rise to the top of the food chain.
Among all animals, humans were the best at throwing objects accurately and powerfully.
There were many beasts stronger than humans in raw arm strength, like gorillas or chimpanzees, but their pectoral muscles and rotator cuffs were not developed with the same level of precision needed for throwing.
And this act of “spear throwing” was what allowed primitive humans to hunt massive beasts like elephants and rhinoceroses.
That was why lions, tigers, and bears all eventually yielded before humanity long before the industrial era arrived.
Because nothing in nature was as destructive as groups of humans throwing spears.
Humanity had used and refined throwing weapons for hunting and war since ancient times, and spear throwing was among the most primitive forms of all.
It could not match a bow in accuracy, but in terms of sheer destructive power, bows could not even compare.
Even considering that the difference between the fully grown me and that monster was like the difference between a human and an elephant…
If I specialized in spear throwing…
I felt certain I could land a meaningful blow.
And thanks to the All Weapon Proficiency +20% trait I gained last year, mastering it should not be difficult so long as I had someone to teach me.
As for spears, I could just carve them from wood.
Though there was one problem.
‘Who the hell would teach me?’
Self-teaching was probably possible.
But the difference between having a teacher during your first steps and not having one was enormous.
Bad habits could form from the very beginning.
Even archery was difficult, let alone spear throwing.
If I tried to master it alone, even several years might not be enough.
And if I committed to this, then I intended to become a true master of thrown spears.
I had absolutely no intention of doing things halfway.
The spears I threw had to become jaws of death dragging their targets toward destruction.
The enemy I aimed to defeat was not someone who could be overcome with mediocre effort.
So I needed blood-soaked training and an excellent teacher to support it.
Even Olympic athletes spent over ten years refining a single discipline.
Why would I be any different?
Honestly, it would be perfect if Sir Lecoon agreed to teach me, but the old man would probably just spout more senile nonsense.
Then what exactly was I supposed to—
“Sera, it’s amazing how you already have the basics down no matter what you learn.”
Damn.
My train of thought got interrupted by an uninvited guest.
Still, there was no need to be cold toward him.
He might become my comrade someday, and for now, we were all retainers of Bellark.
Only getting along with Anna, whom I liked, would not be healthy social behavior.
If you wanted smooth relationships, the basics were maintaining good relations with most members of the group.
The brat praising me from nearby was one of the knight apprentices Sir Lecoon had brought in.
Aside from Bentley and Anna, the remaining three were Conradin, Pan, and Ezekiel. All of them were older than me.
Conradin was a giant among giants for his age and excelled with shields and blunt weapons.
Pan belonged to a nearby nomadic tribe and was skilled with spears and bows.
As for Ezekiel… he seemed to have developed eighth-grader syndrome at an unusually young age, so I would rather not comment further.
The one bothering me right now was Pan.
…
…Wait.
Skilled with spears and bows?
And from a nomadic tribe that lived through hunting?
“……”
It felt like someone had struck me across the head.
Thinking about it now, I had been pretty foolish.
I never doubted that Sir Lecoon would eventually become my master, but that did not mean I had to learn everything from him.
Anyone could become a teacher.
Even little Anna, who was smaller and weaker than me.
Her habit of treasuring small things and appreciating the little things had already inspired me. Conradin and Pan likely felt the same way.
And right now, the teacher I needed was probably Pan.
‘Perfect.’
After making my decision, I turned toward him with a smile.
“Thanks for the compliment. Did you just finish training too, Pan?”
“Huh? Y-Yeah! But Sera, what’s gotten into you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I-It’s the first time you’ve called me by my name. You usually just say things like ‘hey,’ or ‘you guys.’”
“Ah…”
Did I really?
Ever since becoming a girl, calling boys affectionately by name felt weirdly embarrassing, so maybe I came off colder than intended.
Still, if it meant becoming stronger, then what couldn’t I do?
They said calling someone by name was the first step toward friendship.
Compared to me pestering Sir Lecoon for years, lowering my pride for something like this was nothing.
“There’s nothing wrong with fellow Bellark retainers getting along, right?”
“Well… that’s true, but…”
“But?”
“Uh, um… well…”
Why was he stammering like that?
As someone desperate to learn spear throwing right away, this was only frustrating me.
Pan was usually one of the easier people to talk to, so why was he acting so strangely today?
Or maybe I was suddenly being too friendly and making him uncomfortable?
“Do you not like me calling you by name?”
“N-No! That’s not it—!”
“Then what is it?”
“I-I was just wondering why you called me by my name before Bentley hyung.”
The reason?
Why did that matter?
Was this one of those emotional things kids cared about that I simply could not understand?
And why was he stuttering so badly? What kind of man acted like this?
Anyway, I neither understood nor cared.
“Pan.”
“Yeah?”
Time to get to the point.
“You’re pretty good with spears, right?”
“I wouldn’t say good… I’ve just carried one since practically the day I was born.”
Ohhh.
At that point, it went beyond early education. He was practically a natural-born spearman.
Pan might become an even better teacher than I imagined.
Besides, he was humble like this, which made me like him personally.
Way easier to deal with than Bentley, who got red-faced and irritated with me every five seconds.
“Then you know how to throw spears too, right?”
“I mean, kinda… but I’m not especially good at it.”
Even if he was not amazing, a nomad was still a nomad. That bloodline had to count for something.
Besides, I was not in a position to be picky.
At this point, I would be grateful even if Pan simply showed me how to throw a spear.
“Can you show me how you throw one just once?”
“Hmm? Suddenly?”
Maybe it was a little abrupt.
Still, I could just make up a reason.
“Watching you practice spear techniques made me interested all of a sudden.”
“I-Interested!? In m-me?”
“Yeah. So could you show me spear throwing too?”
“…What exactly do you mean by that?”
Huh?
What did I mean?
Obviously, I meant hurry up and show me spear throwing.
“Is it… the kind of meaning I’m thinking of?”
What the hell was he talking about now?
Why did this conversation keep feeling completely off-track?
Pan usually only spoke when necessary, but today he kept adding unnecessary comments.
“What exactly are you thinking?”
“You want me to say it out loud!?”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
“Ugh, I can’t say it! I just can’t!”
What was wrong with this guy?
Did he eat something weird?
Anyway…
“Just show me how you throw a spear already. I want to see it.”
“You really mean that?”
Seriously, this guy!?
Of course I mean it!
“Yes! I really want to see you throw a spear already! Why do you keep making me repeat myself!? I have pride too, you know!”
“Hk!?”
Did he finally understand?
After flinching dramatically, Pan hurriedly bowed his head.
“Sorry, Sera! You gathered your courage and even lowered your pride for this—! But I’ve never experienced something like this before, so I panicked…”
Yep, this was definitely Pan.
Now the conversation finally made sense.
Well, considering his age, he probably had never taught anyone before. It was understandable that he felt nervous.
“No, I’m sorry too for snapping. So can you show me now?”
“Y-Yeah! Of course!”
After that, Pan and I headed toward the training grounds where the targets were set up.
“Uuuugh, I’m so nervous…”
I had no idea why Pan kept twisting his body around anxiously, but whatever. As long as he showed me spear throwing, that was all that mattered.
And after several minutes…
Naturally, the result Pan showed me landed directly in the center of the target—
…Huh?
“Hey. What the hell is this?”
Forget the center.
Every single spear had completely missed.
And not just by a little.
Every single one of them.
Was this guy actually lying about being a nomad too? Was he just some kid overly committed to a character concept!?
“I-I really tried my best… was it okay?”
Tried your best at what exactly? Had this guy lost his mind?
Confused, I looked back at the target.
Where exactly was I supposed to say “it’s okay”?
“…What the hell is that?”
Wait.
Now that I looked closer, the spears did seem intentionally placed.
But why were they arranged into the shape of a heart?
“Sera… don’t you like hearts?”
What the hell was wrong with this bastard?
Did he have a death wish?