I Became the Academy’s Munchkin Sniper

The Dunhart family’s tradition was as harsh as the cold winter wind. They were a northern border family Margrave, responsible for guarding the frontier. 

Because they were directly on the front line with the magic beast zone, the borders were tight, and the people were rough.

It was a brutal winter without a single warm day all year round. In spring, instead of cherry blossoms, frost fell; in summer, sleet tapped against the window instead of the gentle sun rays. 

Autumn brought magical phenomena called ‘snowball’ typhoons, and winter transformed into an arctic region where it was a struggle to even survive.

Ciel’s life was much like this harsh nature. From the moment she was born, she had no time to rest. Society viewed her as a gem produced from the union of geniuses, and she was raised in a strict household from an early age.

Action over excuses. Challenges over complacency.

Living by this creed, she endured rigorous schedules that would make most knights tremble and mastered the magic studies that even academy students found difficult.

The family’s customs had long since become a part of her. After the passing of her mother, who was her emotional support, even her expression of emotions waned.

Now, although she left the family and entered the academy, one thing remains branded in her mind like a searing mark.

The very first words she ever comprehended when she learned to speak.

Her. father’s deep, resonant voice.

You must become a perfect person.

You must become a perfect person.

In other words, she must become a Master. That was what everyone wanted.

Under this pressure, Ciel passed the entrance exam for Artena Academy with flying colors. She trained from morning until late at night in the training room without fail.

“…”

But there were times when no answers seemed to present themselves…

A lingering doubt settled over her chest like a heavy weight.

Even if she lived this way, could she ever truly become a Master?

Ever since witnessing the power of a Master firsthand, those thoughts began to gnaw at her mind. She felt restless and anxious because no one could tell her if the path she was walking was the right one.

But then…

— “Not bad.”

Crash!

At that moment, a rapidly expanding ice wall shattered the training room’s walls. Though it was just part of her regular training, her mistakes were becoming frequent.

Ciel blankly stared at the scene.

“Again…”

Another mistake. She had already broken dozens of pieces of equipment. The cost wasn’t an issue, but her mind and heart were in turmoil.

“I… I must look so foolish…”

Ciel couldn’t understand why she felt this way. Right after hearing that silver-haired boy’s words, her heart kept pounding, and a smile naturally blossomed on her face as if flowers had bloomed in her mind.

This was an amazing reaction for someone like her who had lived without much emotion for her entire life.

Whenever she recalled what that boy—Kyle, was it?—said, she would momentarily lose control of her magic, causing her power to spike.

“Why am I like this…?”

Ciel couldn’t even control her own emotions. She didn’t know the reason, because she had never experienced anything like this before.

Having been unfamiliar with feelings her whole life, she didn’t know what to do.

She only felt as if she had been acknowledged by him, and that feeling surged toward her like a tidal wave. She failed to recognize that the force making her heart race was called joy.

“Let’s try again.”

The unfortunate thing was that Ciel was a relentless hard worker who knew nothing of giving up.

She resumed her practice, and that day, loud explosions echoed from the training room.

———

The Loren Trading Company.

I was having a conversation with Lien. She paused with her quill in hand, tilting her head at the sudden, distant explosions.

“Hmm. I don’t know what’s going on. Our branch office is in the commercial district, so it’s quite close to the various academy halls. But we’re not near any construction areas. Usually, you’d hear more chatter from students than this noise… Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine. It does seem like there are more loud noises than usual today.”

“Well then, thank you so much, Kyle. You’ve now paid back 15 silver shillings!”

Lien gave a bright smile. She was already beautiful, but when she smiled, it wouldn’t be surprising if she attracted a follower or two.

‘It’s a good thing I know what lies beneath that smile.’

“Right. I’ll pay back the remaining 35 shillings over time. And let me keep at least 5 shillings as an emergency fund. But seriously, are you sure it’s okay to just give me all this?”

I held up the household items. The bucket, mop, and jar. I had casually asked, “Does the Loren Trading Company also sell buckets, mops, and jars?” and Lien had just instructed one of the staff to bring them over.

When I tried to pay for them, Lien strongly refused. So, I asked her again.

Nothing in this world is free.

Especially with Lien, I felt uneasy.

“Of course it’s fine! Do you think the Loren Trading Company can’t afford to give away one jar, bucket, and mop?”

“Well, it’s not that…”

“And besides, it’s not like we’re so distant that I can’t do this for you. I’m the type to take whatever I want, after all. Consider it one of my quirks.”

Honestly, I’d like to ask, ‘Aren’t we in a relationship that’s more about chasing, demanding, and pressuring?’

As the due date for repayment approached, our dynamic was only going to get more dangerous.

And when she said she takes what she wants… Was she implying the 35 shillings I still owe?

‘Scary…’

I got up from my seat. Anyway, since she’d given me these gifts, a word of gratitude seemed appropriate.

“Well, thanks for the kindness. If you need any help in the future, don’t hesitate to call me.”

“Yes, Kyle. I’ll remember that.”

“That was more of a courtesy than anything, so there’s no need to keep it in mind. Take care.”

I left the Loren Trading Company and headed in the direction of my house. Since I still had some time, I thought about stopping by the library before going home.

———

Thump. Thump.

“This should be about it.”

I dropped my heavy load.

The bucket, mop, and jar I received from Lien, as well as four books borrowed from the library.

Carrying all this stuff for 30 to 50 minutes was no joke. It was exhausting.

“Ugh. It’s hot.”

I took off my top. My whole body was drenched in sweat, and the heat was stifling. 

As the cool air touched my skin, I felt a bit more comfortable. I then went through the four books I brought.

“Three magic books and one on Imperial swordsmanship.”

Honestly, I wanted to borrow more, but each student was limited to four books at a time. In any case, it wae more convenient to visit the library for focused reading.

“These two were mandatory to borrow, anyway.”

‘Introduction to Magic’ and ‘Principles of Magic Circuits 1’.

They were required textbooks for my major, so I had to carry them with me daily.

The other two were ‘Basic Magic 1’ and ‘Valencia Standard: Rolande Noble Swordsmanship’.

I borrowed them for my own personal learning. I wanted to learn basic magic and improve my close-combat skills.

I opened one of the books. There were clear signs of wear and tear from frequent use—an indication that I picked a good one. Popular books tend to show signs of heavy handling.

“I’ll check this out later.”

First, I decided to examine the jar. It was a high-quality product with no cracks. 

I started to worry whether it was really okay to receive something like this for free.

Well, since I had already accepted it, I had to use it.

“I’ll put the rock salt in here.”

The previous day, I had collected several sets of rock salt—enough for a block-building game. I put all the rock salt into the jar.

Then, I slowly stirred the rock salt chunks until they ground down into coarse salt pieces.

What I was doing now was the prep work for making jerky. Although jerky can be dried to preserve it, it can also be made by salting.

The goal was to create an osmotic effect to completely draw out the moisture.

“Now I just need to put the meat in the jar.”

I placed the drained and hung meat from yesterday into the jar, burying it so deep that the meat was completely hidden in the salt.

It’d turn out really salty, but the preservation period would be much longer.

Great. Perfect.

I closed the jar and set it in a place where the wind could blow over it. 

That should do it for now. I’ll leave it like that for a week.

“Phew, now I want to read.”

I pulled out the basic magic book. The problem was the time of day. 

It was readable until around 6 PM, but once it got late, it turned too dark to see properly.

It was around that time, and the night had settled in.

“Let’s see if this works.”

I approached the campfire, drew some embers, and used tinder to get the flames going. 

This way, the text on the pages was barely visible, illuminated by a flickering amber light.

It wasn’t the best environment for reading, but I needed to keep making progress. Better to be reading than to just sit around doing nothing.

Just as I was about to dive into the book—

“H-Hyik!”

I heard someone yelp from the forest. Turning around, I saw pink hair peeking out between the trees. 

Whoever it was seemed to think they were hiding well, but I could see everything. 

Closing my book, I called out in a low voice.

“Lumina, just come out.”

“Gasp!”

Lumina emerged with her hands behind her back, shuffling her feet. She avoided eye contact, staring off into the distance.

At that moment, I realized my entire body felt chilly. 

Right, I wasn’t wearing a shirt. 

Living like this in nature, going shirtless had become a habit, so I didn’t even notice.

I quickly buttoned up a few buttons on my shirt.

“Lumina, you don’t need to look away. I’ve got clothes on now.”

“Okay, K-Kyle. I didn’t mean to see anything, but when I came over, that’s just what happened… And I’m sorry for coming without telling you…”

“It’s fine. But what brings you here?”

“Well, I didn’t get a chance to see you today, so I decided to come over myself. It’s a good workout, too!”

Lumina raised her arm in a mock stretch. 

I nodded in agreement.

“True… There’s no better exercise than this. Walking to and from the academy every morning really drains my stamina.”

“Yeah. I can imagine. Kyle, you’re really diligent, huh? I don’t think I could do that every day.”

“Well, I need to get to my classes on time, so…”

It was just something I had to do since I was not staying in a dorm. 

Besides, it was a good way to stay fit, so I didn’t see it as a bad thing.

I added more firewood to the campfire. The area around us became brighter—bright enough to read a book.

“Kyle, what’s that book?”

“Basic Magic 1. I figured I should start reading it today. Most other students already know their basic spells.”

Unless they were commoners, most nobles had already completed their basic academy education and had a grasp on elementary magic. 

It’s like being a college student who doesn’t know basic arithmetic and multiplication.

“I see. So you’re studying…!”

“Yeah. I need to catch up.”

“What part are you on?”

Lumina clapped her hands and drew closer to me. When I looked down, her hair and breath tickled me, and a faintly pleasant scent lingered in the air. 

I managed to suppress my reaction and pointed to a section of the book. 

Lumina’s face lit up.

“Oh, I know this…! Want me to help?”

“Really? Oh, right, you used fire magic to light the fire last time. I almost forgot.”

“Exactly! Leave this to me!”

I accepted Lumina’s offer. Having a magic mentor was a huge benefit. 

Earlier in my major class, even though I understood the general idea, there were some details I didn’t know, which left me struggling to follow along.

As long as I maintained my grades to a decent level, I could avoid getting an F. 

Moreover, since my practical skills against demons or magical beasts might not always earn me high marks, I needed to score as well as possible on the written exams.

Considering I’d be living in this world from now on, accumulating knowledge would only lead to greater wisdom. 

And just to clarify, I had no lingering attachments to my past life. 

There were no significant connections or reasons for me to be attached to my previous life.

I didn’t even know how I would return to my previous life, and besides, whoever brought me into this world gave me the task to clear a ‘Nightmare’ difficulty game. 

My primary goal was to avoid any bad endings.

Whether or not I returned to my previous life was a matter to consider afterward.

“Okay, look here. This is a magic circle. The fire element is drawn as a triangle, but for the ignition spell, only the top stroke is used. Isn’t that interesting, Kyle? That stroke is like… Um, a formula. You use it to derive the result… Since ignition is for lighting a flame…”

I immersed myself in Lumina’s explanation. And one thought struck me: magic theory was made up of principles and formulas.

It was actually quite fun to learn.

So, Lumina and I continued to study together until late evening. By the end of it, I was able to learn something.

[You have acquired the active skill: Ignition!]

Whoosh—!

“Wow! Kyle! You did it!! Congrats!”

“It’s all thanks to you.”

The most essential spell for survival—Ignition.

I smiled as I gazed at the small flame flickering in my hand, resembling the glow of a match.

Now I wouldn’t have to worry about making a fire anymore.