Archery was a sport Sean really liked.
But…
“You can’t even pull a bow, and you want to compete?”
“Not just that. He’s barely as tall as the bow!”
“What is he doing here, trying to act tough at his age?”
“I heard there’s some nepotism involved. He’s just here to try things out. He won’t stay for long.”
Everyone at the competition murmured under their breaths, mocking him.
They wondered how rich his family had to be to send him into the training camp to pick up skills necessary for a
successor at such a young age.
“Which family could it be? Leonard knows every rich and powerful family there is in Richburgh, but we’ve never
seen him talk to this kid.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Yeah, and his surname’s Winnington.
“I’ve asked around. Among the Winningtons, there’s no one called Sean.”
Everyone looked at Sean in disdain, as rumors about his origins started spreading.
The training camp itself was a mimic of society. It was filled with relationships, networks and social hierarchies.
Oliver never stepped in, because this was implicitly allowed.
Only by getting used to such conditions will these children familiarize themselves to the rules of society when they
grow up. They would be akin to fish in water, slowly conforming to the rules of the world.
Thus, things like prejudice, looking down upon others, and various unspoken rules abound in the training squad.
To all these people, Sean was at the bottom of the food chain.
So what if he got in through nepotism?
Anyone who was part of the training camp came from a powerful family.
Part of the game involved comparing whose family was more powerful.
Sean wasn’t even a member of the Winningtons. No one thought he was from a family of higher status.
Sean wasn’t sad about it. His brain was like a machine, precisely filtering out all unfriendly voices so that he could
focus, focus, and focus.
“I can’t lift the bow,” Sean admitted, not the slightest bit embarrassed. “It’s too heavy.”
He even laughed. Everyone thought he was trying to ingratiate himself with them.
“If you can’t lift it, Carrot Head, then just forget it. Just go home and be with your mommy. Watch out, you might die
here without anyone noticing!”
Sean laughed. “I won’t die. There’ll be an archery competition a week later. At that time, I’ll see you in the arena.
I’ll be able to lift the bow and arrow by then, and I can even take aim accurately.”
What arrogance!
Everyone in the camp had been training for at least one month to be able to lift the bow and arrow and shoot
accurately.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmAnd yet, what did Sean say?
He boasted that he just needed one week!
Given his short stature, how could he possibly lift a bow that was taller than him, pull it, and shoot the arrow
accurately?
“You show-off!”
“Nonsense!”
“Carrot Head must be dreaming. Does he even know what a bow and arrow is?”
Sean was unfazed by the comments. “I don’t, but I will tomorrow. By next week, I’ll be able to combine theory with
practice and do it well.”
His claim drew even Leonard’s attention, who was in the middle of drawing his bow.
The next second, he shot the arrow out.
Whoosh!
It sliced through the air like a blade slashing across the surface of the ocean. At that moment, time seemed to have
stopped. Shockwaves reverberated across the air.
Bam!