Scouts at the Academy Tournament
The Scout Academy Tournament was held every year, drawing immense interest from outside the academy. It offered a chance to gauge the skill level of the cadets in advance and to identify which graduates were true gems worth recruiting. As a result, knights representing various territories and scouts from different organizations flocked to the event. Rumor had it that ticket sales during the tournament accounted for the largest portion of the academy's revenue.
"So, any promising talents this year?"
"Not really."
"Why? I see a few who look pretty skilled."
"Most of them are already affiliated with other organizations. That big guy over there, the first-year named Hundred, belongs to the Iron Mercenary Corps. And that girl with the large chest..."
Of course, the academy wasn't a place one could enter simply because they possessed raw talent. Those who stood here were either geniuses who had stood out since childhood or prodigies forged through grueling training. By the time scouts came sniffing around for new talent, someone else had already claimed them and refused to let go.
Yet the scouts still came to the tournament for one reason...
"Hmm? That kid..."
"Why? Someone you know?"
"No. I feel something, but maybe not."
The academy occasionally produced hidden gems unknown to anyone. —Match start! Kwaaang—! —M-Match over! Winner, Arthur!
"...Hoh."
The thrill of discovering such a gem was unlike anything felt elsewhere.
* * *
"Kyle!"
"Arthur, well done."
After the first match ended, I headed to Arthur's waiting room. The sign read "Authorized Personnel Only," but if Arthur and I weren't authorized, then who was? Arthur, who had greeted me, flopped down onto a chair and stared at her trembling hands as if she couldn't believe the technique she had just displayed.
"Huaa... I'm so nervous."
"You won, so what's the problem?"
"Will I be able to do it again next time?"
"Why wouldn't you?"
I chuckled and gave Arthur a light punch to the chest before channeling aura into her to ease her tension. "—You can do it. Trust me, who trusts you."
"Kyle..."
"Besides, even if you don't win the whole thing, you already beat Hundred."
"Huh? Oh, right. You mentioned some kind of bet..."
"You actually told him? What a man."
I let out a few dry laughs at the memory of Hundred's petty, unmanly behavior, then patted Arthur on the shoulder. Winning the first match was one thing, but I couldn't be sure she'd breeze through the second and third without issues. The fact that she could use Aura Arts despite being an Aura User was now public knowledge. Unless her opponents were fools, they'd already be devising strategies against her.
"Don't worry too much. Unless they're at the Expert level, they won't even touch you with their swords. And in terms of stamina, you'll have the absolute advantage. Just think of wearing them down little by little."
"Wearing them down..."
—Arthur cadet, please prepare for your next match.
"Ah, yes!"
At the referee's voice from outside, Arthur answered energetically and stood up. Whether from the recoil of using an Aura Art or from nerves about facing the crowd, her hands were still shaking. I grabbed both of her hands, interlaced our fingers, and met her eyes.
"Hang in there. I'm heading out."
"A-Ah—? Uh, yeah! Th-Thanks..."
"Don't mention it. If you win, we split the prize money fifty-fifty."
I waved lightly and left the waiting room, walking down the corridor toward the stands. After some time, I spotted a large man blocking the middle of the hallway ahead. He stood alone in the center, and passing him would inevitably mean bumping into him, so I asked politely.
"Excuse me, could you move aside?"
"...Are you Arthur?"
"No, I'm not."
"Hmm. I see. Makes sense—she's a girl, after all."
"Now that you know, could you please..."
As I tried to walk past him naturally, something felt off, so I looked at him again. How did this guy know Arthur was a girl? Sensing my gaze, he glanced sideways and finally stepped aside. I stopped in my tracks and leaned against the wall.
A Force user? But his body doesn't match...
His overly developed latissimus dorsi muscles showed he'd trained systematically for a long time. However, they were slightly twisted to one side, and that twist alone told me exactly what he did.
He uses a bow. And he's damn good at it.
The power of a bow depended on its draw weight, which scaled with the archer's strength. The larger an archer's back muscles, the stronger the bow they could wield. An archer with muscles this massive would be a terrifying presence on the battlefield.
Realizing I was staring, the man finally looked back at me. "What, got something to say?"
"Which territory's scout are you?"
"A scout?"
"No? I just figured that's why you were hanging around here."
"—A scout, huh. Yeah, I suppose I am a scout."
As he spoke, he began scanning me from head to toe. Just as I wondered if it was some occupational habit, he flinched and stared at me intently.
"You..."
"What?"
"What's your name?"
"Kyle. And you, sir?"
"Kayness. Kyle—won't you come with me?"
"...What?"
I gave Kayness an incredulous look as he suddenly tried to recruit me. What the hell was he talking about?
* * *
The second match. Arthur's opponent was a mage. At that moment, Arthur let out a deep sigh of relief inwardly.
Thank goodness.
The mage who had implanted the Dragon's Heart in her and sent her to the academy had said she was like a natural enemy to mages. The Dragon's Heart constantly emitted an enormous amount of energy, granting her tremendous anti-magic properties. Combined with her being an aura user, that resistance would only grow stronger. Thus, ordinary mages wouldn't be able to lay a finger on her.
And indeed, it turned out exactly as he had said.
"Match start!"
Doong—!
With the drum signaling the start, Arthur simply took the incoming spell head-on with her body. The impact wasn't particularly strong, but it clearly wasn't what the opposing mage had expected. Stunned by the absurd sight of someone blocking a perfectly cast spell with nothing but their body and charging forward, the mage could only stand frozen as Arthur closed the distance. Upon reaching him, Arthur gave him a light shoulder bump to knock him down and pressed her sword to his neck. The match was over.
"Match over—! Winner, Arthur!"
"...Good match."
"G-Good match."
Leaving the dumbfounded mage behind, Arthur descended from the arena. Priests waiting outside rushed over to check for injuries. After they stared at her in disbelief upon realizing she was completely fine despite taking a spell directly, Arthur returned to the waiting room.
Unfortunately, Kyle didn't come this time. Maybe he figured there was no need since he'd already visited earlier.
"Haa..."
Leaning against the wall with a sigh, Arthur waited for Kyle when someone knocked on the door. She shot to her feet.
"Yes—"
—Pardon me. Arthur cadet, you have a visitor...
"A visitor?"
If it were Kyle, they wouldn't have called him a visitor. Arthur tilted her head in confusion before allowing them in. The door opened, and the visitor entered. It was a face she'd never seen before, but the aura he exuded told her he was no ordinary person.
"A pleasure to meet you, Arthur cadet."
"Ah, yes."
"Sorry for dropping by so suddenly. But these things are better done quickly."
The man smiled lightly and got straight to the point of his visit.
"Would you like to join the Imperial Knights?"
"...What?"
It was an offer to enter the most prestigious knight order in the empire.
* * *
"—So, you want me to join you?"
"That's right."
Kayness revealed the name of his organization. "I am Kayness, the 'Bow' of the Holy Weapons. I recommend you as the 'Sword.'"
After hearing his words, I fell into deep thought.
The Holy Weapons...
...What kind of unheard-of organization was that?