Chapter 12

Three weeks have passed.

Every day, I and Sylvia have been clearing the Lois Dungeon, and now we can clear it up to six times a day.

With the experience points piling up from dungeon runs, I believe both Sylvia and I have leveled up from "beginner intermediates" to "select intermediates." If the intermediates in this world are considered tea leaves, then we are the carefully selected ones; if they are considered somen noodles, then we are the blue and yellow ones.

As for my [Swordsmanship] skill, I quickly learned the Horned Swordsmanship and the Rook Swordsmanship and have been steadily ranking up. Currently, both are at the first dan. Their effects are "swift and powerful piercing attacks" and "extremely powerful single-target attacks," respectively.

I plan to learn Dragon King Swordsmanship eventually, but since Horned and Rook Swordsmanship provide enough firepower for swordsmanship-based combat, I intend to stick with them for a while.

And today, finally, what I had been seeking appeared.

"Huh, this...!?"

Sylvia was the first to notice.

As usual, we had dispatched the Flame Wolves with Golden Horn Hametaro and were about to collect the over 100 Flame Wolf furs as usual when we approached.

There, on the ground, lay a large bow of a burning crimson color.

"Finally, it appeared!"

Ah, it took so long... It really did. The item detection sensor is aptly named; the 'Flame Wolf Bow,' which has a 2% drop rate, didn't appear for a long time, but it finally dropped after hundreds of attempts.

Thank you, Flame Wolves. I'm sorry for killing over a hundred of you.

"This is the Flame Wolf Bow you were looking for, Second Lord! Hmm, it looks incredibly powerful."

Sylvia, looking at the Flame Wolf Bow on the ground, said admiringly. It seems she has a misunderstanding.

"No, what are you talking about? This is Sylvia's."

When I said that, she froze, her eyes wide.

"Wh-what? What!?"

"Didn't you want to become a magic archer? Using this for a while will be perfect. Here."

I handed the Flame Wolf Bow to the bewildered Sylvia and told her to try shooting an arrow. She timidly said, "U-um, okay," and hesitantly drew the bow.

*Boooom*—The arrow shot with [Infantry Archery] instantly enveloped itself in flames and flew towards the dungeon wall as a fire arrow.

"What is this!? What's happening!? It's amazing!?"

Sylvia, whose vocabulary suddenly became impoverished, stared wide-eyed in surprise.

"No, it's not amazing at all."

"Wh-what, no, no, no, what?"

Even after hearing my words, Sylvia said, "It's amazing?" but I can't let her be satisfied with just this. To be honest, it's practically worthless as a magic bow.

That's because...

"Magic archery requires high proficiency in both archery and magic. You're nowhere near that level. At the very least, you should be happy after learning the Fire Attribute Attack Magic, Third Form."

"......R-right. I got carried away. I'm sorry."

Sylvia looked dejected. I might have said too much, but it's fine.

"By the way, is it okay for me to take such a good bow?"

"Yeah, it's fine. I'm going to focus entirely on magic from now on, so I don't plan to use it. I hope you can make good use of it, Sylvia."

"Really? Then, I will gratefully... wait, what did you just say?"

"Focus entirely on magic?"

"That's it. I didn't hear that."

"Sorry, I didn't mention it."

"......"

She looked at me with a gaze that seemed to say, "You really are something." I deliberately forgot to mention the dungeon and magic because I find Sylvia's reactions amusing. This time, it wasn't as interesting, though.

"From archery to swordsmanship, and now magic... becoming the world's best isn't just a dream."

It's starting to feel more real. Sylvia must understand this, as she said admiringly.

"We still have a long way to go. But I have something to discuss about our future. Let's talk on the way back to the capital."

"Alright, I understand."

We left the Lois Dungeon, where we had spent so much time.

And our base of operations changed significantly.

"Connections to the Royal Magic Academy?"

On the way back, I brought up the topic to Sylvia.

"Yeah. You're the second daughter of the Virginia Knight Family, right? Do you have any connections?"

To learn the [Magic] skill, you need to read a 'Magic Codex.' The Magic Codex for the First Form of Attack Magic is available at Comiket, but the Second and Third Form Magic Codices are generally only found in magic schools.

Moreover, I don't know where these Magic Codices are located within the magic school. Back in the days of Seven, I used the auction, a backdoor method, to obtain the Second and Third Form Magic Codices for real money, which cost me 30,000 yen. It didn't hurt me much since I didn't have any real money to begin with.

In any case, I need to "infiltrate" the magic school.

Why infiltrate? For efficiency.

The Royal Magic Academy is off-limits to anyone other than teachers and students. If I were to go through the proper channels and enroll, it would take an unknown amount of time to complete the transfer exams, interviews, and procedures, not to mention the cost. I can't wait for the enrollment ceremony.

That's why I want to use connections to ask, "Can I just enter the magic school for a bit?"

"It's impossible. My father has given up on me because he thinks I have no talent for the sword. I don't think he would listen to a request from such an incompetent daughter."

"From what I've heard, your father is a meritocrat, right? Why don't you show him your current skills?"

"No, it would still be difficult. My father became a knight through his sword skills. He might think I'm running away from the sword to the bow. Besides, whether that stubborn man would accept the bow..."

I had expected something like this.

Well, there's no helping it.

Now, I have to "trick" Sylvia's father.

"Alright, I have a good idea."

"......For some reason, I have a really bad feeling about this."

"Don't worry, don't worry. It's not a lie by a con artist."

"Your words are not reassuring at all!?"

I calmed Sylvia down and explained the outline of the plan.

Operation "Trick" — to be executed tomorrow.

Thank you for reading.

<Addendum>

I have corrected the contradiction in the reasons for needing to infiltrate the magic school.