Isekai Journey Of The Magic Archer

[OP: ]

Today was the first day of the practice for the alchemy competition of the annual competition. And, all the houses were preparing for the competition in their unique ways.

The Wisdom Phoenix were doing their own thing where their captain had introduced a unique method of training for the people who wanted to participate in the competition willingly.

They were doing something pretty unconventional with the aim of winning the competition however, the other houses were not that far behind them in terms of this whole house practice thing.

The Dark Society had their absolute captain, Uriel, someone who had a firm grasp on her entire house and absolute authority over the people she was in charge of.

Her words were as if the words of the gods and they had to follow it, willingly or unwillingly. 

However, the way she had established an absolute authority in her house was quite something. An authority that was so powerful that, the flow of power that usually affected the individuals in a relevant manner, was totally flowing one-sidedly. Something that was comparable to an absolute monarchy or dictatorship, however, something pretty different from that at the same time.

Her authority was powerful because it was established on very firm legitimate grounds. 

She was practically the strongest and smartest in her house, she was also the most knowledgeable about them and the academy as well as the things that were going on in the academy as well as the things that would go on in the academy in the following time.

She was amazing in herself, she was also rich, had more resources than they could think and her fiancé was the most amazing person currently known throughout the academy.

Though their people did not know her background or who she was and since it was also impossible to find out anything about her since in any records of any place, she did not exist until a few months ago, they were totally blind about her background…which mattered naught in this academy.

Everyone was merely a student in this academy according to which, she was the person they could not defy even if they wanted to. Actually, there was no reason for them to defy her.

Some were controlled by consent while some were doing everything according to her absolute will… and, since there was her guard, the holy knight Nebula, to establish a firm law and order, there were no gaps present in this system for anyone to defy her, or find any kind of loophole to exploit.

She was the monarch and the goddess they must follow, and, Nebula looked up to her even more because of this quality of hers.

Fascinated Mages had the most number of mages and people related to the field of magic, however, they did not possess highly skilled Alchemists even though there were many, many people who had a good enough understanding of alchemy.

They had numbers, but not the quality that they required. However, they did not take this to heart and instead, turned this predicament into an opportunity.

With their diverse and positive manpower, they crafted a solid system that relied solely on the numbers and a chain of networks that, when combined together, was able to create wonders under the leadership of their vice-captain Alfred.

Ethereal tigers were all… well, they had no interest in this whole competition since it wasn't to their attributions but, still, their vice-captain and captain discussed things with their house members, and a few people, skilled in the art of alchemy, came forward to take up the challenge that was presented before them.

This was perhaps the first time the Eternal Tigers were showing genuine interest in something that required mental prowess rather than the physical one, and, since they had Prince Eugene as their Captain, the other houses would have to look out for them as well.

The Fusion stardust… was preparing for a trip today.

It was an idea from their vice-captain Hide, someone that, though wasn't skilled in the art of alchemy, was from a family that had produced many masters and even a few grandmasters in the field of alchemy. 

He proposed he could have someone, an expert of course, come down here to teach them, and the others had excitedly accepted his rare but positive proposal.

And then, he talked with his uncle who lived on this very island, a grandmaster Alchemist, and, he also excitedly agreed to grant a favor to his nephew who would remember him in the future when he becomes the patriarch of the Shen family. 

However, according to his conditions, he would only teach them outside the academy, specifically, in the central garden located on the high-class street of the island. 

He would only spare three to six hours of his day and it would change, increase, or decrease, depending on their performance and talent.

He also had standards and, since he was already a retired elder, there was nothing in this world that piqued his interest more than the young students who had big dreams and goals.

He was a well-known person, and, to learn directly from him, was an honor for their entire house.

It was a pretty good tactic, however, the True Dragons thought something even better.

They 'paid' their own alchemy teachers and 'hired' them as their own personal instructors.

It was a tactic their captain Alpha would never have thought of until yesterday, however, after seeing just how the money could be used in this world, he had learned the true use of what was pretty much nothing at all from a higher perspective.

He pulled out something fun, and even the teachers that he hired with the collective funds of his house, were amused by his tactics. 

They weren't looking forward to being hired by some certain house this soon in the game, but having experienced it previously, they knew what this actually meant.

They found it fun, and since the True Dragons were filled with students of great talent, they didn't mind teaching them personally and preparing them for the competition that would bring glory to their own academy.

At the end of the day, as one of the principals of the academy, one could practically buy 'nearly' anything if they paid the right price for it, and the True Dragons demonstrated how that general privilege worked.

The teachers found it fun, and, since the True Dragons were also aiming for the top spot as they had for the past few centuries, the other powers of the academy were looking forward to the endgame that they would witness at the end of this Great War.

However, that aside, Aqua Mirror was the house with the most number of talented Alchemists. 

They were going to follow the normal tactics of self-learning and then improve through traditional means, however, their Captain Quin suddenly came up with something unique.

She proposed since they already had a few talented Alchemists, learning through the past records would be better than learning through traditional means. 

And, since she was the possessor of a Grimore, she knew a spell that could let them 'experience' something that was thoroughly recorded in some archive.

She kept the Grimore a secret as Rein and Eon had instructed her, however, using the abilities of that book for their own gain was certainly something she was free to do.

So, she proposed this idea to her house members who first did not understand what she wanted to say, however, since Carla believed there was a chance since Quin was the one saying it, she didn't rely any longer and took some of her people to the Grand Archives present on the island, the place that contained the detailed records of mostly any and all things that had happened on this planet.

They saw an opportunity, and though they did not know how they would go about it yet, they believed in their captains dearly. 

They knew if their captains had some idea, there was a chance that they could also compete with the other great houses that were far more advanced than them.

They believed in them… and then there was Turtle Defender who had no interest in either the competition or their captains.

That house was practically filled with muscle heads or weirdos who were particularly dumb. And since their captain was a useless prince who was smaller and wearier than most of them, they had no interest in anything he said or claimed.

Their house was the most distorted one… or at least, that was how it looked from an outside perspective.

Their captain was Prince Alpheus, the one possessing the pinnacle skill of Wisdom. 

He was the sharpest, and one of the most dangerous people present on this island.

Also, he knew how to make people do what he wanted, how to connect the efforts of different individuals, how to create things that did not exist, and how to make the illusion of something happening when, in truth, something entirely else was happening…

Just like today.

He was also determined to have a spot in the alchemy competition however, he would not be the one doing all the things that would happen from their house's side in that competition.

He was more than capable enough to create a tree that he could hide under. And, he had perfect candidates to do it.

Fortunately, not one but three.

A boy who could glimpse into the uncertain future, a boy that was mysterious, but very knowledgeable, and a girl that, well, was practically a hidden trump card that he could use anywhere he wanted.

However though, to do that, he will have to first make her his own. 

Which… was a task that required the expertise of a few of his other friends.

Friends who already had partners, or, were masters in the art of wooing the opposite party.

And, he will have to ask those experts first before he can make a 'move'.

A perfect move which, must be the most fatal one she might have experienced in all of her twelve 'turns'…