I Became the Academy’s Munchkin Sniper

The title ‘Master’ was often depicted as something belonging to a legendary figure. 

It was an ancient title, one that hadn’t been associated with any recent figures, which made it even more revered.

Today, only seven Masters were recognized:

– Halrock, the craftsman who created 77 priceless artifacts, including the imperial sword, Heavenly Dragon Blade.

– Athos Lionheart, the Sword Saint who’s believed to have split the earth with a single strike.

– Lumines, the Wandering Sage who roams the world with a single staff.

– Silvina, the Archer of the World Tree’s Bough.

– Lumen, the Holy Mother and protector of all.

– Lastly, the Dark Shadow known as Amyeong, and the mysterious, unidentified Master.

These figures still roamed the world, visible and reachable to some. 

With such prestigious status, age became irrelevant—they could live for centuries.

However, not all Masters remained present. 

The Wandering Sage Lumines, Lumen, and Halrock had vanished, while Amyeong, who oversaw the underworld, had never revealed their true identity. As for the unknown Master, little was known; they were simply recorded as having ‘existed.’

[Ciel]  

Sender – Master

Thus, the word ‘Master’ carried a heavy significance. It was not something to be written casually in a mere letter.

“An impersonation…?”

Ciel questioned.

Would he—the one who aided her during the monster combat training before disappearing, the one who remained a mythic legend—reach out to her directly?

Their interactions had always been one-sided.

She had been thrilled just to exchange a few words with him last time. Would he now go so far as to send her a letter?

However, as she read the contents of the letter, her doubts subsided.

[A promise made on the snowy plains where white snowflakes danced awaits.]  

[17:00, Catlic Hall]

The letter contained a memory from her monster combat training, a snowy field with fierce blizzards, and Master standing at the cave entrance…

— If you achieve growth, I’ll give you a gift.

The memory resurfaced vividly. The title ‘Master’ written as the sender clearly referred to him.

In reality, calling oneself ‘Master’ was a bold expression, implying complete confidence in one’s abilities.

But Ciel, who knew his strength well, realized he wasn’t being boastful. There simply wasn’t a better term for him.

She was certain.

“It truly was Master…”

Her previous guesses had all been born of her imagination, but now, with his acceptance, her suspicions were confirmed: her mentor was indeed a Master.

“So then, who could he be…?”

He must be one of the seven Masters:

The Artisan, the Sword Saint, the Sage, the Archer, the Holy Mother, the Dark Shadow, or the Unknown.

Her answer came quickly.

“It’s not the Artisan, the Sword Saint, the Sage, the Archer, or the Holy Mother.”

The Artisan and Archer were different species, a dwarf and an elf. The Holy Mother was female, and the Sword Saint was the head of the Lionheart family. She’d even seen him wield a sword in person as a child. 

As for the Sage, Lumines, though she’d never met her, she was her rival—one who had driven the Dunhart family to ruin and caused untold grief.

The Sage had assassinated Aaron Dunhart and seized the Master’s title, thus dishonoring Ciel’s family. Although Ciel had never met the Sage, this enmity had been deeply instilled in her.

This left only two possibilities:

Amyeong and the Unknown.

Both were plausible since neither had ever revealed themselves publicly.

“This might be my chance…”

Should she ask the Master her questions?

And, if they met, what would she do?

Thoughts spiraled in her mind.

“…!”

Ciel’s cheeks flushed instantly.

Reflecting on his words, she realized he had essentially promised her a gift if she achieved growth.

She could see that she was undeniably different from who she had been back then.

“A gift…”

Many scenarios began to play out in her mind. Being an avid reader in the northern regions, she’d read novels related to romance a few times.

As her imagination ran wild, suddenly…

[Next match! Ciel Dunhart versus Sophia Dorothy!]

On the arena stage.

She wanted to finish the match quickly since it kept interrupting her thoughts. 

With that intent, her magic manifested, making her already formidable ice wall even more brutal.

Boom!

[W-winner, Ciel Dunhart!]

She returned to the waiting room. Her mind wasn’t on her match with Luin at all.

Naturally, compared to Master’s gift, the mentorship magic duel seemed trivial.

——

“Let’s finish this.”

I charged at the student across the arena. He desperately threw up a shield, but it was effortlessly broken by my dagger.

“Y-you insane bastard! This is a magic duel. Die already!”

The male student tried to teleport away.

In the mentee magic duel, you don’t necessarily have to rely solely on magic, but he seemed stuck in a narrow mindset.

To correct his perception, I summoned a gust of wind.

Whooosh!

“Argh!”

I approached him as he stumbled and fell clumsily. I couldn’t even remember his name. My memory isn’t good enough to recall other extras like myself.

I simply threw a few words at him.

“You did use magic, didn’t you?”

“You… You’ll regret this! My friends will…!”

“Sure.”

Thud!

With a punch to his face, the male student fell unconscious.

I’d heard about Lucas’s faction numerous times by now; they seemed to be everywhere.

Looking up to signal the match was over, the announcer shouted.

[W-winner, Kyle!]

I’d been concerned about winning the mentee magic duel without using my sniper rifle, but that worry was unfounded.

Lower-ranked students had no response to my charge. The closest challenge had been Taylor… At least he’d reacted better.

He responded to my rush calmly, mixing hidden weapons with wind spells—something that would’ve been nearly impossible to dodge without ‘Clairvoyance’.

“It’s time to start conserving energy.”

Now that I was advancing into the higher rounds, I decided to save my magic power as much as possible.

In the last match, the only magic I used was the wind gust. I was trying not to draw unnecessary attention.

I brushed the sand off my hands. As I returned to the stands, I noticed that people’s gazes had shifted a bit.

Some criticized, saying, “It’s a magic duel, how brutish!” while others reevaluated me, thinking, “I thought he was weak, but he’s actually strong?”

This level of attention wasn’t a problem. Hiding my true identity is only an issue when dealing with demons.

If I were revealed as a demon hunter, it wouldn’t end with mild interest.

For example, Athos Lionheart, the Sword Saint, who single handedly slaughtered dozens of demons, was practically part of the royal court.

It was not just because of Athos’s chivalrous nature; the empire didn’t let strong individuals roam freely. They tried to control them as much as possible.

There was a reason why the Wandering Sage Lumines and other Masters kept their identities hidden.

It was simply a hassle.

As for me, I was just an extra—a good target for the empire’s interests—so I kept a low profile.

Becoming like Athos, the Sword Saint, didn’t suit me.

I didn’t want to be a hero.

I didn’t want to be dragged into things like a player.

‘But I’ll step in when it’s necessary. That’s been my approach so far, and I intend to keep it that way.’

“Sigh. There’s not much left now.”

I stepped out of the Mage Tower.

The duel between Ciel and Luin was set to start at 5:00 p.m. 

My own matches were over, leaving only Ciel’s. 

I’d watched her previous match just to be sure, and she’d grown even stronger. So much so that she was now regarded as an elite in the Magic Department.

“Time to get ready.”

In the locker room, I changed into a disguise. The meeting place was Catlic Hall. I needed to get there first.

———-

“I’m not late. I can make it on time.”

The time was 4:30 p.m.

Her duel had ended just in time for her to meet with her Master. Ciel planned to forfeit any remaining mentorship magic duels. As the top student in the department, she didn’t need to concern herself with those evaluations.

“I have to go. I can’t be late.”

Ciel started heading quickly toward Cartlik Hall. Her steps were faster, her mood lighter than usual.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Even on her way there, her heart beat loudly against her chest. Filled with unknown emotions, she found herself struggling to breathe.

Though she knew about romance novels, she’d only ever approached them logically, not emotionally.

She knew of hundreds of emotions from books, but identifying the exact feeling causing her heart to race was difficult.

As she continued thinking, she…

“…”

… came to a halt. 

Ciel, who had never questioned or bothered about her appearance before, suddenly became aware of herself.

‘Will this do?’

No. After just finishing a duel, she didn’t feel entirely presentable.

…

Eventually, Ciel made a detour to the restroom, where she adjusted her wavy hair before finally arriving at Catlic Hall.

In the vast space, she searched for the Master.

Though the place seemed empty at first, suddenly…

“It’s been a while.”

Her Master appeared as if from a mirage.

“Ciel—”

Right at 5:00 p.m.

In the blazing glow of the sunset, his cloak billowed around him.