I made my way toward the archery grounds to get the information from Diana on what Zerix and Erina had been up to while I was gone.
As she appears to receive regular updates from the elves from both Zerix's and Erina's factions.
"It must be fairly convenient to have all elves loyal to her; she would have been the toughest contender for the post of a representative if she had been somewhat intelligent," I muttered to myself.
However, when I got to the training grounds, I discovered that the entire area was vacant, with not a single student there.
"...."
'...Is she actually using the entire archery range as a personal training ground?' I paused to think for a moment before moving to the archery range where Diana usually do her training.
And as I arrived at the archery range, Diana's incredible display of skill and power immediately surprised me.
Instead of using a standard bow and arrow, she was using her mana to create the arrows, and was aiming at the targets from a distance of more than 500 meters away.
Swish!
My ears were filled with the sound of arrows whipping through the air as I stared in awe as she expertly targeted and launched her arrows, each one hitting its target with precision and accuracy.
The targets, which were placed at varying distances, were adorned with glowing bullseye, and as I observed, ten arrows landed in quick succession, each one hitting the center of its target.
Thud—Thud—Thud—Thud
But due to the sheer force of the strike, the entire target was obliterated the instant the arrows reached the bullseye, leaving nothing but wreckage and debris behind.
I had to use my Hawkeye skill to observe her since it was difficult to see her from my position with my unaided eyes.
Diana moved with fluid ease and accuracy; her movements were deliberate and well-practiced, showing that she was a true expert in her field.
She was dressed in a fitted green tank top, tight black slacks, and a pair of sturdy brown boots.
The entire scene was stunning, and it was difficult to take my gaze away from her as she continued to increase the distance between her targets while still nailing bullseye after bullseye with ease.
Thud—Thud—Thud
The silence of the range sharpened her concentration and shot precision. Even with Hawkeye's skill, it was now difficult to see her strikes from such a distance, but her arrows were so explicit that I could monitor the path of each arrow as it struck its target.
"...."
Diana, sensing my attention, turned and winked at me, since she could clearly see me from afar as well utilizing her ability "Elvish Sight."
The ability is unique to elves and allows them to see farther than humans or other species, making it easier to locate and hit targets at long distances.
'They would have a natural aptitude for archery as an Elf who utilizes a bow, and with their increased vision, they would be able to shoot with remarkable accuracy from long distances.'
While I was thinking to myself, Diana quickly approached me, wiping sweat from her forehead with a towel.
Her clothes were soaked with sweat and her hair was sticking to her forehead from the intense focus and exertion of her practice.
She held a small water bottle in her other hand and took a sip before turning to face me.
"So, Ares, what brought you here? I doubt you came here to train with me," Diana gave me a small smile and said.
"It appears you are working very hard," I said to Diana while smiling.
"Of course, I have to work hard! As a future elven empress, I would rather not disappoint the populace with my poor performance in the upcoming tournament," Diana replied with a determined look on her face.
"Keep up the good work?... I guess?" I responded, unsure what to say in front of her resolute expression.
"...."
"...I know why you're here, so let's go somewhere else since I have a lot of information I think you'll like," She remarked with a blank expression after hearing me, and motioned for me to accompany her to a private office at the edge of the archery range.
I couldn't help but glance at the destroyed targets for a moment before shaking my head in amazement and following her into the office.
It was not the professor's office where we generally do our meetings, but a different modest office assigned to the archery course's president.
The office was well-lit and furnished with a desk, several seats, and a few shelves with books and papers.
"Archery isn't the only thing she's focused on, eh?" I whispered to myself as I noticed the stack of books on her desk.
"Hmm? Did you say anything?" Diana asked and offered me a seat and sat down opposite me.
"...It's nothing. Anyway, what is the information you want to give me?" I inquired as soon as I sat down without wasting any time.
"Oh, I'm not sure where to begin, because a lot has happened in the past three days you've been gone," Diana said, pausing for a second, and when she noticed my curious expression she continued speaking.
"Let me begin with the information I believe will be of most interest to you, which is the situation between Erina and Zerix," she said, pulling out two cans of energy drinks from her storage ring.
She then abruptly threw one of the energy drink cans at me.
Catch!—
!?
I instinctively grabbed the drink can, which was surprisingly still cold, and observed a cartoon of an elf woman with Diana's features holding a chalice as a logo with the words "Elvish Ambrsia" imprinted on it.
"...."
When I saw the drink, veins bulged on my forehead, not because I disliked it; in fact, I had never tasted it. I was just irritated because I was waiting for her to tell me something, but she abruptly took out the drinks and hurled one at me.
Pop!—
Diana opened the drink can and began drinking it.
Gulp!— Gulp!—
THahhhh!—
She made a strange noise after taking a mouthful of gulps, and her face was beaming with delight.
"...."
"I-It's an energizing and nutritious elven drink that will give you a surge of energy and vitality," Diana hurriedly remarked, as if advertising, when she noticed my irritated expression.
Nonetheless, I believe her advertising was effective since after seeing her enjoy the drink, I became curious about its taste as well.
I, therefore stared at the drink can that was in my hand for a moment, before opening it, and taking a sip.
Gulp!—
!?
"So, how is it? Did you enjoy it?" As soon as I took a sip, Diana turned her curious attention to me and questioned.
"It's ...not bad," I responded casually.
But it exceeded my expectations, as I felt revitalized and energized after just one sip.
I looked over its components and discovered that it has a high caffeine concentration as well as other unknown energy-boosting mystical elements that deliver a rapid burst of energy and vitality.
But as I looked across at Diana, I noticed her arms crossed in front of her and a disappointed expression on her face.
"What?" I inquired seeing her expression.
"That drink is just "not bad" in your opinion? You know, ...you are the first-ever human to have tasted that drink, not even common elves can get their hands on them.
And that is your reaction to such a highly coveted drink? Agg, It is my fault for offering it to you.
Give it back to me," she exclaimed in frustration and reached across the table to grab the drink from my hand.
I quickly realized her intentions and pulled the drink back out of her reach.
Diana, caught off guard, stumbled forward, and before we knew it, our lips met in an unintentional kiss.
"Hmm!"
The kiss was brief, but it was enough to make Diana's eyes grow wide with surprise.
She quickly retracted her lips and moved back to her seat while holding them, her face flushing with embarrassment.
The drink, now forgotten, spilled on the table as we sat there in silence,
"...It has a clean and crisp taste!" I suddenly made a remark.
"W-What?" Diana blushed and exclaimed, embarrassed.
"I'm talking about the drink, it was actually quite refreshing," I clarified, unbothered by the kiss.
!?
However, I immediately felt Irethiels piercing gaze on me.
"What? It happened accidentally!" I said to her telepathically.
"...This isn't an anime or a novel, and there are no such things as fortuitous occurrences in this world," Irethiel remarked.
"Are you sure? As I thought I was in a novel world!" With a sneaky grin, I responded.
When she heard me, Irethiel was left speechless.
"...."
Meanwhile, Diana quickly exited her thoughts, still blushing, and stammered, "O-Oh, that drink is associated with our ancient elven culture."
"...I see, that's intriguing. Can we now discuss the information you intended to offer me concerning Erina and Zerix?" I inquired with a smile.
"S-Sure, Let me start with the big incident that happened shortly after you left," Diana said, regaining her composure.
***