The Blind Archer's First Test
I had been offered a spot at the academy by Clemia before I could even properly verify my own abilities. Since she was the type of person who frequently made unpredictable moves even in the game, I hadn't paid it much mind... but having her suddenly appear and orchestrate this turn of events was disorienting. Still, what does it matter? Let's think positively. This is my chance to meet my wives. I’ve hit the jackpot! But I’m terrified. The fear of the unknown is swallowing me whole.
“Shut your trap!” I slapped my lips twice with my palm. I should have refused! Why did I ask a question instead? Had I been completely consumed by greed? I ran simulations in my head ten times over where I told her clearly that I wasn't going.
“Ha… I guess there’s no helping it? The water’s already spilled.”
Kyle Crane is a character who appears as a villain in the story. Horus was a guardian deity who protected Ra, the King of Gods, and the other gods in the past. As a descendant of that Horus, Kyle Crane had been hunting humans to protect the gods and preserve the King. His hunting method was a betrayal that discarded all humanity. Since he was a god who had taken on a human form, Kyle would exploit human emotions and bonds to make them perceive him as a trustworthy comrade, only to stab them in the back. By the time the protagonist realized the truth, many people were already dead. Eventually, a confrontational relationship forms with the protagonist, but… what if I don’t follow that route?
Kyle Crane isn’t from the academy. He’s just a mercenary who happened to meet the protagonist. What if a former mercenary enters the academy, steps onto the protagonist’s side instead of being a guardian of the gods, and becomes *their* guardian instead?
“Haa…” I wiped my face with the hand I had been using to support my forehead. If I could save my wives, who were destined to die due to the story… I clenched my fist. The image of one of my favorite characters flickered in my mind. “Let’s go.”
— A single bow, one quiver. That was all there was in Kyle’s house. No, it wasn't even a building that could be called a house. It was a ruin, plain and simple. There wasn't a common table, chair, or even any eating utensils. The dilapidated shack was filled with a foul stench, and there wasn't even a place to sleep, as if he never rested.
“What is that, a beggar?”
“Why would a beggar come here?”
“What’s with those bandages?”
Whispers reached my ears. I didn’t know what I looked like right now, but… one thing was certain: the surrounding gazes were fixed on me. Dressed like a beggar, my clothes unkempt, and my eyes covered in bandages—it was inevitable that I’d draw attention. The Kyle I had seen always wore the same thing. Rags that were torn to shreds, with bandages wrapped tightly around both arms. As a mercenary, it was an outfit I hadn't thought much of, but trying to enter the academy, that appearance was bound to be an eyesore to others.
‘Anyway, where am I supposed to go…?’ I had come to the academy, but now that I was here, I had no idea where to head.
“Student Kyle?” A deep, resonant voice rang out. A neatly dressed man appeared in front of me without a sound. “I am Sed, the Chancellor’s direct secretary. The Chancellor has summoned the new ‘special student.’ You are Kyle Crane, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Please, follow me.”
Sed’s body faced forward, but his gaze did not. He was focused entirely on one person. Even though I had my eyes covered with bandages, I was avoiding obstacles as I walked. If it looked like I was going to bump into students, I would subtly shift to the side on my own.
‘Is what the Chancellor said true?’
Could he really see? Before his suspicion could deepen, we reached the door to the Chancellor’s office.
“The Chancellor is waiting for you.”
Sed opened the door. I stepped inside and gave him a short bow. *Thud—* As soon as the door closed, Clemia, who had been sitting in her chair, stood up.
“You can sit comfortably.”
“…”
Even though she told me to sit, I couldn't. Inside the Chancellor’s office, there were no other chairs or sofas besides the one Clemia had been sitting in.
“Why are you doing that?”
“It’s just more comfortable to stand.”
“Is that so?”
I couldn't see her expression, so I couldn't read what she was thinking. *Click, click—* The sound of her heels set my nerves on edge. She was walking closer to me.
“So, Kyle, how does it feel to be at the academy?”
“My thoughts?”
“Yes.”
What was there to say? I had only seen the frame of the building, so I didn't know much about the design or exterior. I remembered the academy’s architecture from the game as being a clean, modern style. I hadn't looked at the buildings in detail while playing. More than anything, I was busy leveling up characters and grinding through events or end-game content, and since I played many games, I would turn them off as soon as I finished the daily tasks. Maybe I’d appreciate the atmosphere of a new map if one came out?
‘But why is she asking this?’ I parted my tightly closed lips.
“It’s clean.”
“Clean?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
Her reaction was indifferent. Her voice was filled with disappointment, like someone who had been hoping for a different answer. “Here, your student ID.” Just as I was about to take the ID, Clemia lifted her hand holding it up high.
“Can I ask you one thing?”
“Yes?”
“Why were you at the place where the ‘Disaster’ occurred yesterday?”
The place I had been was where a ‘Disaster’ had taken place. The area around my house was filled with ruins, and I had even discovered traces of a god passing through. Natural disasters created by nature, man-made disasters created by humanity. And the disasters created by gods. When a god descends to the mortal realm, humanity calls it a Disaster. Kyle had been there, and Clemia had found me in such a place.
‘She doesn’t think I’m the cause of the Disaster, does she?’
I couldn't answer Clemia’s question immediately. Even without seeing her expression, I could tell there was a blade hidden within the question. I had played this game for three years; how could I not know Clemia? I had watched the protagonist and Clemia talk as a third party countless times. Even when she speaks with a smile on her lips, Clemia’s inner self is different from her exterior.
‘What do I do?’
Since she possesses the *Eye of Truth*, I can’t even lie. My heartbeat echoed in my ears.
“Because it’s my home.” I calmed my emotions and replied.
“Home? You don’t mean you lived there, do you?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
Her reaction was lukewarm. As if her curiosity had been satisfied, Clemia placed the student ID in my hand. “If you have nowhere to go, you can live in the dormitory. Let me know if you need anything.”
I nodded.
“If you go right from here, there’s a testing ground. The professor in charge will be waiting for you there.”
“The professor in charge?”
“Since you’re a special student and didn't enter through the entrance exam, your professor in charge said they’d give you a simple test.”
“Ah… yes.”
“I think I’ve taken up too much of your time. Go on ahead.”
“Then I will be going.”
Clemia waved her hand. *Creak—* As soon as I opened the door and stepped out, the door opened again. Sed had come to find Clemia.
“The investigation?”
“There were no survivors in the village where Kyle stayed.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Sed answered shortly and firmly. Clemia fell into deep thought. ‘There were no survivors, yet he says that was his home.’ When a smile formed on her lips, goosebumps rose on Sed’s arms.
“The power of a Relic isn't something to trust, either.”
“Pardon?”
“Just talking to myself.”
— As I entered the testing ground, the cool air welcomed me. The interior, structured like a coliseum, was lined with railings from which one could look down from the second floor, and plenty of chairs for seating.
“Welcome.”
A sharp, piercing voice. The tone flew like a dagger and stabbed at my chest. The professor in charge had been waiting for me silently with her arms crossed. The professor, who had a ponytail hairstyle, moved her head up and down, scanning me.
“Are you Kyle?”
“Yes. The Chancellor told me to come here, so I did.”
Is this the professor in charge? “Take off your bandages.”
“…Pardon?”
“I said take off the bandages.”
A sense of rebellion stirred in my body for a moment at her overbearing attitude, but I took a deep breath to kill the defiance. It was obvious that starting a conflict would only be a loss. I placed both hands on the back of my head to untie the bandages covering my eyes. *Slide—* I loosened the knot.
‘Come to think of it, has Kyle ever taken off his bandages?’
As I progressed through the story, scenes of talking to Kyle or combat animations would often appear. Even when he took attacks, these bandages had never been torn or removed even once. I was curious. What did Kyle Crane’s eyes look like?
As soon as I removed the bandages completely, the professor stared straight at me.
“Ha… seriously.” A sigh leaked from her lips. Soon after, the professor shook her head, showing a gesture of rejecting me. “You can’t even see, yet you use a bow?” She seemed to be talking about the bow I had brought.
“Yes.”
“Do you even know where you’re supposed to shoot?”
Disgust was laced in her tone. The suppressed rebellion burst forth as if it were springing up. “Do I need to know?” I lowered my voice in a sarcastic tone.
“Is that even something to say?” Veins popped on the professor’s forehead. Having met and experienced countless students, she must find me, standing before her, repulsive. Especially if it’s a student with a defect. Anyone would narrow their brows if they heard a blind man who couldn't even see was making a living with a bow.
“Do you know what we fear most when we fight?” The professor’s voice sank calmly. “We aren't fighting people.”
“A single misjudgment can cause a city to collapse and hundreds to die.”
“And yet, some unknown kid, and a blind one at that, suddenly shows up and says he’ll stand on the battlefield with a bow?”
“…”
She was right. This isn't fighting monsters. It’s a war against gods from mythology. We have to survive against gods who possess power that far exceeds human common sense. It’s not that I don’t understand the professor’s feelings. To use a modern analogy, it was no different from a person who couldn't even see asking to be deployed to the battlefield with a sniper rifle.
‘It is an insane thing to do.’ My head cooled down. Understanding the professor, even the burning rebellion reached a state of incineration. I raised the bow in front of her. With an unwavering posture, as if I had become one with the bow.
“I just need to show you, right?” All I could do now was prove it.
“Ha…!” The professor pointed at a scarecrow with her finger. “You’re going to hit that?”
This woman didn't tell me what I needed to hit, using the fact that I was a disabled person who couldn't see. She just pointed at the target with her finger.
I see it. The outline of the target. A human-shaped scarecrow made of steel, not straw.
“Give it up. You can’t even see me right in front of you, so what are you going to hit?”
I pulled an arrow from the quiver. I nocked the arrow to the bowstring and drew it back to my cheek, the taut string pressing into my fingertips. Since it’s come to this, it wouldn't be bad to find out the ability Kyle has that I hadn't finished exploring yesterday.
I slowly released the tension in the fingers gripping the bowstring.
*Twang—!*
As the taut string struck the air, the arrow sliced through it rapidly and flew toward the scarecrow.
*Thwack—!!*
The arrow embedded itself right between the eyes. I quietly lowered the hand holding the bow. I wrapped the bandages I had removed back around my eyes and turned my head toward the professor. The professor took a step back.
“You, can you see me?”
“Pardon?”
“How did you know where I was standing to turn your head?”
“Well, because I can hear your breathing?” I shrugged my shoulders and fixed my gaze on the scarecrow with the arrow embedded in it.
Just one shot. I had only hit it once, but I could roughly grasp the power Kyle possessed. The distance from here to the target was quite far. The arrow should have been affected by gravity, but it had traveled in a straight line. Even if wind wasn't a factor since it was inside the building, an arrow affected by gravity should have drawn a parabolic arc. I had aimed for the head and fired, thinking even of that.
‘I didn't expect it to turn out like this.’