Although Aaron had used the system to improve his level, that didn't mean he couldn't guide others.
His perception was sharp, he could easily spot flaws and offer guidance, as long as the archer wasn't at his level.
He turned to Alice and said,
"Miss Alice, please try shooting at the target first. After that, I'll guide you."
Alice didn't think much of it.
With a slightly embarrassed look, she walked to the Knight Apprentice training ground and aimed at a dummy 150 steps away.
Aaron watched her silently, studying her posture.
Alice, meanwhile, felt a mix of nervousness and excitement.
She couldn't quite explain the feeling, but she took a deep breath to steady herself and released the arrow.
Aaron, observing closely, murmured to himself,
"Her breathing is disordered… her bow-handling posture is off… she's not using her dominant foot for grounding… her shoulders are tense… and she's forcing the shot with full strength."
The arrow struck the dummy, and Alice felt a wave of relief.
She turned back with a slightly expectant look and asked,
"Aaron, how is my archery?"
Aaron replied calmly,
"Although you hit the target, there are a few things you need to keep in mind."
He walked behind her, gently took her hand, and guided her aim.
"Miss Alice, ground yourself with your dominant foot. Hold the bow with a firm grip. The hand you use to release the arrow must be relaxed. And take a few deep breaths to calm your mind."
Alice was flustered.
She hadn't expected Aaron to make physical contact.
It felt like a jolt of electricity, but his serious tone brought her focus back.
She followed his instructions carefully.
This time, when she released the arrow, it hit the dummy's head with precision.
Aaron stepped back and said,
"Miss Alice, remember my instructions carefully. They might be enough to increase your accuracy to 200 steps."
Alice felt a strange sense of loss, something she couldn't quite describe.
But she pushed the feeling aside and decided to keep practicing.
Meanwhile, Aaron resumed his own training, unaware that soldiers in the camp were watching him with envious and jealous expressions.
They couldn't believe it,
Aaron had made physical contact with Miss Alice, their goddess… and she hadn't even reacted.
Moria, hidden in the shadows, was silently watching the scene unfold.
When Aaron approached Alice, Moria's instincts flared.
He was ready to take action, believing that if Aaron dared to take advantage of Miss Alice,
he would have a legitimate reason to eliminate him.
But to his surprise, Aaron did nothing inappropriate.
He simply guided her with serious focus and respectful intent.
Seeing this, Moria felt a wave of relief wash over him.
At the same time, a faint impression began to form in his heart.
Aaron wasn't just strong. He was disciplined.
And more importantly, he could see with his own eyes,
Miss Alice's archery was improving rapidly.
She could now easily hit the dummy's head at 150 steps, a feat that even seasoned knights struggled with.
Time passed.
An hour later, Aaron turned to Alice and said,
"Miss Alice, I'll be heading back now."
He slung the bow over his shoulder and began walking toward the castle.
Alice, having just finished her practice, quickly ran to his side.
"Aaron, I've increased my archery to 200 steps! Can I improve my aim even further?"
Aaron shook his head gently.
"Not yet, Miss Alice. You might not realize it, but archery requires long-term practice. When you're confident enough to hit any target within 200 steps, no matter how big or small, then come to me. I'll guide you further."
Alice was stunned by his words.
She knew how difficult it was to maintain consistent accuracy at 200 steps.
While she could claim some mastery, if asked to shoot at 100, 110, or 170 steps, she wasn't sure she could hit the mark every time.
Thinking it over, she realized Aaron was right.
She needed to train within 200 steps until her aim became instinctive.
As they walked side by side, Alice couldn't help but ask,
"Aaron, how far can you shoot with absolute accuracy?"
Aaron smiled.
"Miss Alice, that… I can't tell you."
Alice's curiosity deepened.
"Why not?"
Aaron replied simply,
"It's a secret."
Before she could press further, he smoothly changed the subject.
"Miss Alice, the undead, the portals they come from. Are they fixed in position or random?"
Alice thought for a moment.
"I can't say for sure. Our city was attacked once, and the portal appeared outside the city walls. Now that you mention it… almost all the territories that were attacked had portals appear outside their walls."
Aaron's expression turned thoughtful.
"I see. That's useful to know."
He paused, then said,
"Okay, Miss Alice. I'm going to rest for now."
Aaron returned to the castle.
He took a cool bath, changed into fresh clothes, ate a light meal, and then retreated to his room for a nap.
---
Inside an inn.
Gloden sat on the edge of the bed, his expression grim.
Before him knelt a masked man, head bowed low.
"Master Gloden," the man said, voice tense,
"Our plan to acquire the book from Torvald has failed."
Gloden's face darkened.
"You couldn't even handle such a simple task?"
The masked man replied quickly,
"Master, we were close. But somehow, Torvald got wind of our plan. He submitted his work directly to Lord Alaric. Now, guards are stationed around him at all times."
Gloden's eyes narrowed, his tone icy.
"Trash. I don't care what method you use, I need you to recruit Torvald."
After the masked man left, Gloden's face turned incredibly gloomy.
From his spies, he had learned something unexpected,
Torvald had created a ship capable of being powered by wind.
Though the prototype had failed, Gloden still wanted the inventor under his control.
He saw potential.
If Torvald could perfect the design, it would revolutionize trade.
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