Wrong Target

They say that people can change their tune in a blink of an eye and that is precisly what's been happening around me.

It's been a while now that my classmates have been keeping an eye on me and Jun during the week and I can say that it's fortunately been diminishing as of late.

Mostly because no one bothered to even question the two of us about the incident and also because Emily, Alice and even Lily was hanging around us two.

In Lily's case, she was more discrete about it but I clearly felt that she was slowly opening up to Jun.

Which was surprising given that it's supposedly later that they would become closer.

In fact, Emily should be the one hanging around the guy but she was more shy than I thought.

She had been accompanying Alice more and seldom talks to Jun at all. This even gives me a bigger headache since Alice annoys me all the time.

And in turn, Emily gets dragged around by her during her antics regarding me. The curious thing was that she didn't actually oppose to Alice's action itself which she usually does.

I could still tolerate these people but the most annoying bunch were the prodigy, the braniac and the princess.

Specially now that we were back in the combat facility for our Combat Simulation training.

I looked around the area where a round podium was erected at the center and a big man with red hair and brown eyes stood at the center.

"Listen up. I've heard that you've already experienced your first dive"

He then gave us a fierce glare.

"I must say, you first years are really dissapointing. You almost got yourselves killed in the first layer"

What he said stirred up the students that were aware of the incident that had occured just a few days ago.

Although a resolved look was on the main casts faces when they heard that.

I would say that his statement should have not been said since the academy keeps labyrinth matters secured but this guy is an exception.

Garret Dolvan, a person of great honor and pride who came from a weak household and had risen up from the bottom with a common class such as Heavy Knight.

Everybody knew him and not one soul in the room could refute what he said since it was the truth.

"That is why I got permission from the headmaster to start live combat early with you lot"

'As expected...at least this event didn't change'

I had been worrying that things would go to a different direction since that's what I've experienced for a while now.

"Although we are engaging in live combat, one must keep in mind for what it is for"

"Everyone one of you has a role to play in diving and so by ascertaining your strengths and weaknesses will allow you to perform your role much better"

He then paused for a minute then added.

"However there are times and there are exception where one will need to rely on oneself to survive, not mentioning that some even do it on purpose such as the headmaster"

Garret then scanned the class, as he raised his brows a little when he saw the ones that almost got killed.

'....You have one nasty habit...' I mused.

He then smirked as he spoke.

"I propose that we get a little demonstration from those that had experienced the ordeal shall we?"

"I can concur that the fight will let you all see a glimpse of what they experienced...so anyone?"

Silence ensued as everybody looked at each other, waiting for someone to volunteer but I already knew who was the fool.

I looked at Donovan eager to stand as he waited.

'He's supposed to pick Jun but I should be pessimistic about my own knowledge of the future, it's not that reliable anymore'

Donovan however erased my own pessimistic view when he was about to stand but-

"Sir, I would like to take up that offer"

The beautiful elf princess stood proudly as she looked down on our professor.

'....What?..' I asked, caught offguard.

"Hoh, and who do you want as your opponent then?"

She then quickly pointed her finger right down at me.

'....What?.....' I looked back at her, not expecting any of this.

"I challenge you, Ray Irisville"

"...Give me a break..." I whispered under my breath.

-----

Amana Reandelle, a high elf princess from the barrier nation of the Eternal Forest where the elves lives.

Born of royalty, 4th in line for the throne where a queen ruled over her people.

She had lived in her nation right after the apocalypse had occured and most of the elves that had live way long before that had happened had always said to her that their kind didn't deserve to get punished by the Gods.

Elves had long lives and also had a long history where they had preserved the peace and harmony of nature and the people.

Most of them would say the other races were the ones that burned the world to the ground until it was too late.

That's what most elves believes and that's what Amana also believes herself however her mother begs to differ.

Her mother believed that everyone one was at fault for the punishment that they had received.

She preaches that their race was too prideful of being too pure and beautiful that they refused to help and even connect to the outside world.

She believed that their pride, their ignorance had helped turned the world to what it is today and that the labyrinth serves as a chance and a test to learn from their mistakes.

Such is why the queen had decided to join the alliance, a coalition of all races that was built to end the apocalypse.

The queen's decision had also led to the 4th princesses' transfer to the labyrinth of the barrior nation of Durevellis.

This was in exchange for a delver from the human nation that will help in conquering their own labyrinth.

This was approved because the Alliance believes and had found studies that show that each labyrinth directly counters it's own resident's traits and abilities, such is why multiple transfers were made from each nation.

Out of the four siblings, Amana was the most skillful but she was also the most critical about their mother's beliefs and ruling.

Alas, even though she had her own reservations, she still went along with it because of her pride in her duty as royalty.

In the day that she had transferred, she had already began to hate Durevellis. The way they obstructed the land with sky piercing buildings and roads.

The way how most men had vile looks on their face each time they glanced at her made Amana more hateful towards her transfer.

Worse of all, she had found that their society condoned existences such as a fallen into their own academy.

In addition to that, an unacceptable man that could easily see through her body whenever he wanted was also close by.

All of that had made her more adamant on not working together with others, even when she got inside the labyrinth.

Even in their own nation, they warn her of not enacting such foolishness but she couldn't stand any of them at all and so she went solo in diving the first layer.

Surprisingly, it was easy for her to find the path using the help of spirits and her profession as a pathfinder made it more easier.

Amana also experienced taking down some Kobolds until she got to the second layer, it was all too easy for her which made the idea of going solo more solidified in her head.

It was until later that she found out that the most notable people in her class almost died in the easiest layer.

She was going to look down on them until she found out that the pervert had amass an achievement on the party database.

The fact that he monopolized LP points meant that he had also soloed the first layer like she did.

Moreover, rumors reached her pointy ears that their party might have encountered feralz because it didn't make sense that such skilled individuals would almost get killed by mere kobolds.

By that point, it also meant that the pervert actually helped in that situation even when he was alone at the time because they were all found together beaten up and bruised badly.

She couldn't believe it, she could not comprehend that a man she had deemed lower to herself had beaten her in her own game, as a pathfinder at that.

She could not accept that, specially when her mind had started to lean on following her own beliefs, her pride could not accept such defeat.

And so when the chance presented itself to her, she took it immediately.

Amana stood at the other end of the stadium, facing against a pink haired boy with black rimmed goggles on his head.

She then took out her beautifully crafted bow that had been passed down in their family. It was a symbol of pride and power.

Ray on the other hand, casually brought out a magic gun from his vrace.

Amana thought that a gun user could not outshoot a spirit archer in long range, it was a laughable comparison in her mind.

She was already celebrating inside even before the match started. Amana had already began to affirm herself once again.

She didn't even take into account that Ray had a variant class, a completely different one from what she normally knew but that was all meaningless the moment she volunteered.

"Hey" he greeted.

"...What do you want, it's too late to back out from this"

"Oh it's not about that"

"....So what is it?"

"Let's make a bet"

"....A bet?"

"Yup~"

Amana took a second to think before glaring fiercely at Ray.

"You vile man, how deplorable can you be?"

"Whoah there princess, I didn't say anything yet, anyway do you accept?" he smirked while waving around his gun.

"....I accept since you're not going to win anyway" she declared.

"Ok that's one item down on my inventory. Let's do this princess"

"You're going to regret making a bet"

"Nope, I won't" Ray grinned without a care in the world.