As Reina watched Ridipin lying on the floor, she whispered so only I could hear.
"You want her on our team?"
"That's right. She's a little awkward, but she's pretty capable."
Ridipin was a direct descendant of House Lightegers. However, because she could not wield a sword properly, she was derided as the Freak of House Lightegers and treated as though she belonged to a branch family. That had also left her with an extremely timid personality.
Anyone who knew the rumors about Ridipin would avoid being on the same team as her.
In truth, however, Ridipin was one of the game's main characters and possessed talent far superior to most.
"Considering the rumors, I don't think 'a little awkward' quite covers it......."
Even Reina, who was not swayed by rumors, looked distinctly reluctant this time.
That was understandable. House Lightegers had risen to prominence for its role in destroying House Serenia.
It would have been more difficult for Reina not to harbor resentment toward Ridipin.
But I was certain she would like her.
"Even so, I know you'll really like her."
"Hmm......."
Reina seemed to think for a moment, but she soon smiled as if she had made up her mind and offered Ridipin her hand.
"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"
"I-I am all right....... Thank you for worrying about me."
The instant Ridipin took Reina's hand, surprise crossed Reina's face. Then Reina pulled her to her feet and beamed.
"I like her!"
Just as I expected.
"See? I told you."
"E-Excuse me....... What are you talking about.......?"
I asked Ridipin,
"Do you already have other teammates?"
"What? N-Not yet......."
"Perfect. Join our team."
I held out my hand to Ridipin, but she hesitated, eyeing it warily.
"I-I cannot even use a sword......."
"I know."
"Th-Then why.......?"
"Because you're Ridipin Lightegers. That's why I want you with us."
"B-Because I am me......?"
Although she had taken a different path from mine, she was an outsider who did not belong anywhere, just like us.
But I alone knew her true worth.
I stepped closer to the bewildered Ridipin and whispered, "Because as far as I know, no one is better with a bow than you."
"H-How do you know that......?!"
The fact that she was skilled with a bow was information House Lightegers had kept secret.
It was only natural for her to be bewildered when I, an outsider to the house, knew about it.
I stepped back, smiled, and offered her my hand again.
"Join our team, and I'll explain everything you want to know."
Ridipin's pupils quivered as if an earthquake were raging within them.
But she did not deliberate for long. Her expression hardened with resolve, and she took my hand.
"I-I will join your team......."
"Good choice."
"S-So......."
"So?"
Ridipin's eyes welled with tears as she finally forced the words out.
"P-Please, just spare my life......."
What are you talking about.......?
***
Van, Reina, and Ridipin approached Hazen.
"The three of you intend to form a team?"
"Yes, sir."
He calmly examined the three of them.
First was Reina Serenia.
'Even after the fall of her house, her swordsmanship lives up to the reputation of a direct descendant of a prestigious swordsmanship family.
Entrance Examination results are meaningless because of the disparity between an examination and actual combat, but she cut through the Test Stone. In terms of sheer power, she must be the strongest first-year.'
In Hazen's opinion, she was the student most likely to earn the highest score in Joint Tactics.
Next was Ridipin Lightegers.
'Despite being a direct descendant of the house currently renowned for its swordsmanship, her swordsmanship is inferior even to a commoner's.'
Conversely, Ridipin seemed likely to receive the lowest score in Joint Tactics.
Last was Van Astraea.
Whenever anyone recalled everything he had done, they could not help shaking their head at the Empire's Greatest Scoundrel.
His magical ability was also so poor that his continued place within his house had always been a mystery.
Contrary to what was publicly known, however, he possessed magic so exceptional and precise that he had targeted only the inside of the Test Stone and reduced it to powder.
'I have no idea why he decided to join the same team as Ridipin Lightegers....... But I look forward to seeing what he will show me.'
With that thought concluded, Hazen filled out the paperwork.
"Very well. From now on, you are Team Six. Rest until 10:50."
"Yes, sir!"
The three exchanged high fives as they happily returned to their seats.
In truth, only Van and Reina were happy. Ridipin wore the miserable expression of livestock being led to the slaughterhouse.
Hazen did his best to ignore her pleading gaze.
***
Once the teams had been formed, we moved to the outskirts of the academy.
Iris Academy had artificial environments constructed between its inner and outer walls. The two walls were roughly an hour apart, so the artificial environments were enormous as well.
The east contained forest terrain, the west mountain terrain, the south marine terrain, and the north subarctic terrain.
These four terrains served as settings for classes and as defensive measures that delayed and obstructed outside enemies attempting to infiltrate the academy.
We had arrived at the eastern forest terrain.
The dense woods made running difficult, and it was not a place where one could use fire magic carelessly.
Professor Hazen explained the objectives and precautions for the exercise.
Our objective was to defeat the Magical Beasts created by an illusion magic tool and activate the Magic Stone somewhere within the forest terrain.
The total time limit was fifteen minutes. If the Magical Beasts defeated us or we exceeded the time limit, magic inscribed into our uniforms would transport us to the instructor.
The exercise was only possible because the Magical Beasts here could not cause us any physical harm.
The exercise began in team order. While we waited, our Team Six gathered in a quiet spot.
Unable to hold back any longer, Ridipin asked me,
"E-Excuse me....... When are you going to explain what you promised......?"
Reina chimed in.
"That's right! I'm curious too. What did you say to make Ridipin agree so quickly?"
"Oh, that? I told her I knew she used a bow."
"Y-You cannot just tell her that......!"
"It's fine. Reina may look endlessly innocent, but she knows how to keep a secret."
"Hey! You're insulting me, aren't you?"
"I said you're innocent and can keep a secret. Of course it's a compliment."
"How is that a compliment?!"
Ridipin looked flustered and unsure what to do as Reina and I bickered.
Reina took both her hands and leaned in with sparkling eyes.
"But an archer! That's so fascinating!"
"Eek!"
Unaccustomed to dealing with people, Ridipin teared up as though she might cry at any moment.
I took Reina by the hands and freed Ridipin from her grasp.
"Look at her face. If you'd kept going, she would've burst into tears."
"Oh, I see. Sorry."
"I-I am sorry. I am just not very good with people......."
Even after I calmed her down, Reina was still excited.
"I've seen people who use spears and axes, but I've never met anyone who uses a bow!"
Characters who used bows were extremely rare in [Spell Breaker].
Once Knights reached a certain level, they could even cut through magic, so anyone wielding a bow soon ran up against their limits.
Among the archer characters looked down upon for that reason, Ridipin was an insane character who could wipe out every first-year single-handedly if she fought at full strength.
She was also insane in another sense: if the player failed to raise her Bond Level by a certain amount before the deadline, she would defect to the enemy and return as a brutally difficult boss.......
Unaware of the person she would become, Ridipin timidly raised her voice.
"S-So, how did you know I use a bow......?!"
I knew because of the game.
—but I could not exactly tell her that, so I had prepared an excuse in advance.
I pointed at Ridipin's hands.
"For one thing, you have a lot of calluses on your hands."
Reina's eyes lit up again.
"That's right! The moment I took your hand, I could feel all the effort and passion you'd poured into your training!"
Ridipin shyly lowered her head as her face reddened.
"Th-Thank you. B-But can you really tell I use a bow just from that?"
An astute observation.
"You're right. Bows aren't the only things that cause calluses."
If one simply compared the number of calluses, Reina had far more than Ridipin.
"What matters is where those calluses are."
Her calluses were concentrated between the index finger and thumb of her left hand and on the last joints of the middle and index fingers of her right.
"The ones on your left hand came from arrowheads, and the ones on your right came from the bowstring. Am I right?"
After listening closely, she finally nodded in agreement.
"Y-You are very perceptive, unlike the rumors."
"What rumors......?"
"I-I heard you threw away a gift from the Archbishop of the Lumen Order because you did not even recognize it......."
Haah....... Van, why is it that the deeper I dig, the more horror stories I find about you.......?
He had thrown away a gift from the leader of one of the Four Great Powers.
Still, it was less shocking than learning he had destroyed an entire section of the Magic Tower Headquarters.
I forced a smile.
"Rumors are often exaggerated beyond the truth."
"Th-That is true......."
But after hesitating briefly, she bowed her head and spoke cautiously.
"B-But I cannot shoot a bow......."
She could not use one because of the trauma embedded deep within her mind. However—
"I already know that."
"H-How......?"
"Your skill with a bow was concealed because of 'that spar.' Of course I know."
"Ah......."
Convincing her to overcome her trauma and use a bow was only possible once her Bond Level reached its maximum.
And maxing out her Bond Level could not be done until the latter half of the game.
But the crucial point was that her using a bow was not itself a reward tied to her Bond Level.
Her Bond Level needed to be at its maximum because the player had to obtain the keywords used to persuade her through her Bond Events.
Now that I had possessed someone inside the game, however, nothing restricted what I could say. There was no need to wait until her Bond Level reached its maximum.
Just as I was about to say what I needed to persuade her, Reina suddenly spoke.
"So, do you plan to avoid using a bow for the rest of your life?"
"Th-That is......."
"Is archery nothing more than a hobby you can take or leave?"
"......."
"Of course it isn't. You worked until calluses formed on your hands and wounds layered over them."
Reina was such a hard worker that people called her fanatical. Whether measured by the sheer amount of effort or its intensity, I could say with certainty that no one in this world could match her.
But Reina did not belittle another person's efforts simply because they did less than she did. If anything, she valued the efforts of others even more highly than her own.
That was precisely why she could not stand by and watch Ridipin like this.
This is exactly why I like Reina.
Judging by Ridipin's reaction, Reina's words had shaken her.
Her eyes no longer looked timid and listless. They burned quietly with firm resolve.
She must have had a great deal she wanted to say. After all, no one wanted Ridipin to wield a bow more than Ridipin herself.
What do you know? Could you say the same thing if you were in my position? Things like that.
But Reina's words had been resolute while still offering comfort. Combined with Ridipin's timid personality, that left her unable to voice any of those thoughts, which was why her eyes looked like that.
This differed from my original plan, but it had drawn out the response I wanted even more effectively than expected.
Now it was my turn to give Ridipin the final push.
"If you can't be certain of it yourself, I'll guarantee it for you. From the moment you pick up a bow, the way everyone looks at you will change—in more ways than one."
A direct descendant of a prestigious swordsmanship house achieving greatness in another field could be seen as abandoning the identity of her house.
After all, it would be a declaration that her archery was superior to the swordsmanship passed down through her family for generations.
But what did that matter?
The world would not think well of Ridipin even if she stubbornly clung to swordsmanship until the bitter end. But—
"No one will be able to dispute how exceptional you are."
Ridipin's archery was so extraordinary that the moment she began using a bow, the game's difficulty would be driven straight into the ground.
According to her character settings, her archery did not grow stronger; she merely reclaimed what she had lost. Her current skill should not be significantly different.
"So if you can't trust yourself, trust me."
It would be fine if she did not change her mind now. I could take as much time as necessary to persuade her again.
But although she wavered slightly, she did not avert her gaze. She looked me directly in the eyes.
It seemed I would not need much time after all.
Ridipin nodded with determination.
"A-All right. A bow....... I-I will try using one......!"
"Wow!"
Reina was so delighted on Ridipin's behalf that she looked ready to leap into the air. She moved to hug Ridipin as naturally as breathing, then stopped.
"Could I hug you just once?"
"Ah, um, well....... Okay......."
"Wow~!"
Reina hugged Ridipin, then suddenly lifted her and spun around in a circle.
I'm jealous.......
After spinning for quite a while, she seemed to grow dizzy and stopped with a bright smile.
"Come to think of it, we haven't even formally introduced ourselves yet."
"We already know one another's names because we're each famous in different ways."
"Of course, but formally introducing ourselves still has meaning in itself. You introduce yourself, listen to someone else's introduction, and officially forge a connection. It's like a kind of ritual."
Reina cleared her throat.
"In that spirit, I'll introduce myself first! I'm Reina of House Serenia. Swordsmanship is my specialty!"
"I'm Van of the Ducal House of Astraea. Magic is my specialty, but I also know a little swordsmanship."
Finally, Ridipin spoke.
"I-I am Ridipin of House Lightegers! M-My specialty is the sword—no, archery......!"
Just as Reina had said, it finally felt as though we had become a team.
When Ridipin wore a proud expression after forcing the words out, Reina hugged her again. Ridipin seemed a little overwhelmed, but she smiled and did not resist. She must have been embarrassed.
"You don't have to be so formal. Just talk casually!"
"I-I am more comfortable speaking formally......."
"Then how about at least calling us casually by our names? Is that okay?"
"I-I think I can probably do that......."
"Great! Then try calling me casually right now!"
"Ah, um, well....... I-I look forward to working with you, Reina!"
"I look forward to working with you too, Ridipin!"
Ridipin fidgeted, then said the same to me.
"V-Van, I look forward to working with you too......!"
"Likewise. I look forward to working with you."
For some reason, the sudden closeness between us brought an old memory to mind.
It was a memory of running around and playing with a child who was usually bright and cheerful but sometimes grew timid.
As I lingered over the wistful feeling, Professor Hazen's voice rang out.
"Team Six is next. Prepare yourselves."