“Next!” At the sharp command the soldier at her back grunted and walked to the front.
“Well, why did you do that?” someone murmured near Selena’s ear.
Selena gave a noncommittal chuckle as she said “I couldn’t hold the sword properly for a few seconds.”
Selena squatted on the ground and dropped her chin on her knees after hugging both her legs. The trainee soldiers were a mess. She knew that they couldn’t help it as most of them were commoners. Quite a few of them couldn’t hold the sword properly, some couldn’t correctly aim the sword and others dropped the sword just like Selena.
She couldn’t wait to see if she’s going to be able to come out unscathed till the end.
Selena looked at the instructors who looked overworked and expressed her condolences in her heart.
Selena, when she was Seo Eun-ha was a prodigy among prodigies to wield the bokken since she took her first step into kendo.
As soon as she started college, she was chosen as the national representative and went on to compete in the world championships. Since she was reborn as the daughter of Simon Evans, the hero of the empire, how could she be anything less?
The combination of her innate talent and her ability to learn made her a swordswoman without compare. In fact she could affirm that there was no one in this empire who can compete with her and win.
However, Selena had no intention of showing off her skills. Of course, it was not just about avoiding Ignis’ attention; she just wanted to live quietly. Not being ousted as a woman, not get involved in dangerous things..
Although things would have been entirely different of money was at stake, but the salary provided for this job was very little. In this world, being a knight was such an underpaid profession, unless you were an Imperial Knight.
But a regular knight would earn almost the same amount as a seamstress. Of course there was a drawback of working day and night without rest, but it would be way better to be a knight and not take the risk.
‘Anyway, now I’m a soldier, so I’ll have to endure until I get paid and discharged.’ Selena thought, swallowing her saliva that had accumulated in her mouth.
“Celestine Evans…” Selena raise her head quickly when she heard the voice. There was an instructor going through a pile of documents, standing in front of her.
Selena cleared her throat and tried answering with the lowest voice she was capable of producing when she hear him say “I don’t think you will be good at handling swords, so you will be training as an archer instead. So please go and report over there.”
“…Archer?” But if it was archery she didn’t know anything about it. Selena looked up. “But I’ve never shot with a bow. I have never even held one.”
“Your opinion is not important enough to be considered”
This place also had an elitist culture. Selena frowned and looked down: “But I want to be a swordsman. I don’t want to be an archer instead.”
But the instructor did not back down “Yes? You may not want to but you have to. But we will give you the opportunity to practice often”
“No, No. I only want to train with the sword!” Selena replied
“Do you mean that you want to improve your skills in both swordsmanship and archery? All right. After finishing your archery practice you can participate in the swordsmanship practice later.”
“Oh. In fact I am very excited that you have to attitude to learn like this” The instructor quickly left after this out pouring of words.
Selena stared at the instructors back with dismay “The instructors here have a shitty attitude too.” She mumbled. But she didn’t try going after him and try explaining things. Because she knew that it would be of no use whatsoever.
It was cumbersome to refute anyway. And if she did do that they will just say that she only knew to complain and didn’t know to do anything else.
She’ll just have to put up with it till the mandatory training was over.
***
After showing how it was done, the instructor took a step back and handed over the bow and arrow to Selena, “Shoot like how I showed you to.”
Selena lifted the bow. It felt awkward and unfamiliar.
“Please shoot, Mister Evans.” The instructor said after approaching her stealthily. Selena shrank her shoulder in surprise. “The arrow is there. Please shoot at the target”
Selena frowned even more in this uncomfortable situation. “I am touching a bow and arrow for the first time today, Sir.”
“Your attitude towards learning is very good”
These guys were all crazy. Selena clenched her fist.
Remembering what she had seen in the archery field in the past, Selena notched an arrow on the bow and pulled the string taut.
“There is too much tension in the soldiers. Relax a bit” She released the tension just like he said.
“No, you relaxed too much” She stiffened her shoulders again.
“It’s too stiff” ‘What do you mean…’ Selena swallowed the swear words that came to her lips.
“Open your legs a bit more… Good. And aim towards the target and shoot”
Selena focused her mind and followed the instructions. Her forearms trembled.
‘It is so difficult to pull the bowstring.’ Selena thought as she focused on the target and pointed at the bull’s-eye.
‘Whizz!’ The arrow flew away with a twang in the air. But it didn’t fly towards the bull’s-eye. It just flew away high into the sky and far away.