The Trial of Harmony was one of the major events of the first and second year.
It was a test where participants had to plant flags inside the enemy bases. There were three enemy bases on each side.
Each team was free to devise any kind of strategy, whether direct confrontation, infiltration, or deception. All strategies were permitted, and the arena itself could change randomly, forcing every team to adapt quickly.
To win the Trial of Harmony, a team had to plant flags in the enemy bases. If all three flags were successfully planted, that team would be declared the winner immediately. Otherwise, when time ran out, the team with more planted flags would win. If both sides had the same number, the match would end in a draw.
"Urgh… out of all the training I have done since childhood, how is yours the most brutal?"Tohime leaned on her katana like a walking stick just to support herself. Penlope was already sprawled on the ground beside her like a worm drying under the sun.
Quri stood in the corner like a withered leaf, while Misty scratched her head as if she was overthinking everything. Elena, on the other hand, was a complete mess. Her entire body was covered in dried leaves, with twigs tangled in her hair.
"Why are you all already tired?" I asked.
"Tch. I want to say you trained us until death, but you are the same," Quri said, unable to deny it.
I had pushed myself just as hard. My training focused entirely on dodging all of their attacks. That was even harder when I had no talent to rely on.
Tomorrow was the day of the Trial of Harmony. Based on the information I had gathered, the rumors I planted had spread everywhere. A confrontation between me and Lyena was inevitable due to pressure from the students.
"You can all head back for today. Remember this formation and our chances of winning are guaranteed," I said before walking away.
Unexpectedly, Misty followed after me.
"Um, Leon. Are you heading back?"
"No. I am going to the Weapon Department. I want to see if the weapon I ordered is finished."
"Ah, I also want to check the materials for potion making," Misty said as she followed behind me.
The Misty I knew was someone who loved to nag and charged absurdly high prices for every potion she sold.
At the Weapon Department, I was greeted by the warmth of fire and the sound of metal clashing against metal.
At the counter stood a girl waiting with a smile. Her name was Sarah, one of the staff managing this place.
"Sarah. Is the weapon under my name ready?" I asked.
"Ah, Leon. Of course. Please wait a moment," she replied before taking something from the rack that held my commissioned weapon.
Misty looked eager to see what I had ordered, but her expression fell the moment she saw it.
"That is… a crossbow?"
Correct. A crossbow. An ordinary weapon that required neither strength nor talent. In a world filled with magic and swords, a weapon like this had little influence.
Unlike bows, which required agility and strong grip strength, a crossbow did not demand either.
"This is enough for now," I said.
Sarah placed the crossbow on the counter, followed by several short bolts stored in a leather case. When I lifted it and weighed it in my hands, something felt off.
Light. Much lighter than a normal crossbow.
"I followed your specifications," Sarah said proudly."The frame is made of thin mithric alloy, blended with moonrise wood fibers. Durable, light, but…"
"…only capable of firing up to twenty meters without power drop," I continued, recalling my own request.
Sarah smiled, clearly pleased that I understood the limitations of my own weapon. Misty stared at the crossbow as if she were looking at a boiled potato that had suddenly been crowned king.
"…Why did you choose such a useless thing?" Misty finally asked, as blunt as ever.
"I am not strong enough for heavy swords. Not fast enough for bows. And I do not have enough Mana for magic," I said while inspecting the string. "But I have lived long enough to know one thing. An unexpected long range attack is more valuable than a powerful strike that never lands."
Misty looked confused, clearly dissatisfied with my answer.
"Leon… are you weird, or just stupid?"
"Thank you. Sarah, I want to purchase a few more things. But this time, I want something very valuable. I would like to speak with Arold, so please call him."
Arold was the academy's master blacksmith, a renowned craftsman in the kingdom who served here. He handled all weapon creation and repairs.
If comparisons had to be made, he was on the same level as Nox when it came to forging weapons. If not for Nox's expertise with Pyraxium, I would have chosen Arold to work with me instead.
Arold emerged from the back, still wearing his heat resistant iron mask. He never liked taking it off, even outside working hours. I was already used to it.
"What? A custom order?"
I motioned for Arold to come closer and whispered something to him. It did not take long before his expression turned into one of pure excitement.
"W-what?! How do you know how to make this? Wait, I need to write this down." Arold quickly pulled out a sheet of paper and started writing down every instruction I gave him, his hands shaking as if he had received enlightenment.
"This is real… all the materials will integrate perfectly. Thank you. This is an extremely old blacksmith blueprint. How did you learn about it?"
"I have my own sources. So, how much will it cost?"
"No need. This alone is more than enough payment. Just take that small crossbow," Arold said before returning to the forge.
I hoped that "it" would be finished soon. Before Trial of Harmony.
"Hey, this might be sudden, but is there something you wanted to tell me?" I asked.
She would not follow me just out of curiosity. Misty never acted unless money was involved.
Misty scratched her head, as if she had been holding it in for a long time, before lightly slapping her own cheeks.
"Oh, this might sound strange," she said awkwardly. "I hate being in debt. It makes me miserable. You saved my life in that cave, but I do not know how to repay that debt."
"Hahaha, for a moment I thought you liked me," I joked, but Misty gave me a strange look.
"Are you joking? It would take another hundred elf years before I like someone. I would rather marry a poisonous frog than you."
Ouch.
"If you want to repay the debt, I have an idea. But you might not be able to handle it."
"As long as it does not involve marrying you or dying, I am willing," Misty replied.
I whispered my request to her.
"Oh, sure. That is much easier than making poison. It is expensive though. But it is worth my life, so I do not mind," Misty said before punching my shoulder.
That hurt.
I really hate this body.