Rex locked the fuck in when he was about to say sothing that could have given him the chance to be closer to her.
"You were right to be suspicious of when I first showed up." Rex giggled while rubbing the back of his head. If I were you, I’d do the sa thing to protect soone I cared about."
He stopped for a mont to let that sink in. "But I hope you know my heart is in the right place after all this."
She looked at him for a long ti, and Rex could almost see the numbers running through her mind.
She was a reincarnator with a system of so kind, probably one that made her better at seeing things or fighting, since she killed the Goblin King with one blow. She was trying to figure him out and find the angle, but all she saw was sincerity because he was giving it to her.
Or at least a very good copy of it.
"I think you’re genuine," Evelyn said finally. "And I think Elliot is lucky to have you looking out for him."
Rex lied smoothly, "He’s a good guy, and he deserves people who will be there for him."
Evelyn’s face relaxed a little bit. "Yes, he does..."
"Thank you, Rex."
[EVELYN ASTRALIGHT: 18/100 → 21/100]
[OBSERVATION: TRUST BUILDING, DEFENSIVE BARRIERS LOWERING]
"Anyti," Rex said, and he ant it in the most selfish way possible.
At that mont, Mara said that breakfast was ready, and the rest of the family began to co down.
Elliot ca in with his usual loud energy, followed by Helena with a book under her arm. Diana ca down last, already dressed for possible training even though nothing was officially planned.
Lily ca out of her room looking fresh and beautiful. Her eyes imdiately found Rex’s across the room.
She smiled at him in a way that was just for him, and he nodded back in a way that was not... obvious.
The group sat down at the long table, and breakfast beca a relaxed event with lots of easy conversation. Rex sat between Helena and Diana, as he always does, in a smart way.
Evelyn was sitting next to Elliot on the other side of him, and Lily was sitting at the end of the table next to Mara.
Rex turned his attention to Diana when the conversation slowed down.
He asked, "So for today’s training? What kind of training are we going to have?" in a casual way.
Diana shook her head and cut into her eggs. "There’s no training for today."
"We’re giving everyone a day off after the Goblin King incident, but I might practice by myself this afternoon."
"Archery?"
"Always archery," she said with a small smile. "It’s what I’m best at."
Rex had noticed that Diana was very proud of her skills in their past talks. It was one of the things that made her who she was and gave her value in a group where Elliot got most of the attention.
He had never seen a better archer than her, and she knew it.
"I’d love to watch if you don’t mind," Rex said. "That’s always been sothing I’ve been interested in."
Diana’s face lit up a lot. "Really? Most people think it’s about letting go and pulling back."
"Then people are idiots for having a trash opinion," Rex said, making her laugh for real. "Hahahahaha~! You really are soone who’s easily curious about anything, huh?"
[DIANA VON STARLIGHT: 25/100 → 28/100]
[OBSERVATION: PRIDE ENGAGED, RECEPTIVE TO ATTENTION]
Diana said, "Co to the practice field after lunch then, if you’re still interested after that hour, of course."
"I’ll show you so good exercises that can be used for your future." Diana said while pointing at Rex with a wink.
"Okay." Rex thought to himself then. "Bingo... now I can try to be closer to Diana since she’s the second easiest target."
...
The sun was warm in the afternoon, but not too hot, which made it ideal weather for training outside. Rex walked to the practice field behind the inn, where Diana was already there with her bow and a target about fifty ters away.
She looked over at him as he got closer and gave him a quick nod. "Just in ti."
"And I’m surprised you’re still interested."
"Wouldn’t miss it," Rex said, stopping a respectful distance away so he wouldn’t bother her.
Diana nocked an arrow with ease, pulled back the string until it touched the corner of her mouth, and let go. The arrow flew straight and true, hitting the center ring of the target with a satisfying thunk.
Rex said, "That’s impressive," and he ant it.
There was nothing wrong with her form... she legitimately looked like an expert at it.
"That’s just child’s play for ," Diana said as she nocked another arrow. "Look at the real one like this."
She quickly drew and shot three arrows, each one landing within a few inches of the first. The speed and accuracy were truly amazing, thanks to years of hard work and practice.
Rex watched her do a few more drills, taking notes on her technique and how she changed her stance slightly for different distances and wind conditions. She was completely at ease, and he could feel the confidence coming from her.
After twenty minutes, she put down her bow and looked at him. "So, hotshot... wanna give it a quick shot to see if you have the potential to use one?"
Rex said, "I’ve never touched a bow before," which was true for this body.
"Then you should definitely try your first today," Diana said, pointing to her gear. "Co on."
"I’ll guide you through the process."
Rex ca over and let her show him how to stand and hold the weapon correctly. She was calm and thorough, changing his posture without getting too involved.
When he finally pulled back the string and let go of his first arrow, it flew far off target and stuck in the grass, a few ters to the left of it.
Diana laughed, but not in a an way. "Hahaha~! Not bad for a first try."
"Most people don’t even make it that far."
Rex said with a big sigh, "I’m really fucking bad at this."
"Co on now, don’t be down just because of that." Diana patted his back.
"You just need to practice." Diana took her bow back and showed him again. "Archery is all about consistency, muscle mory, and doing the sa thing over and over."
"Don’t forget to use your brain to calculate everything too... an idiot would fail right away to try archery." Diana giggled. "No offense, though... I didn’t an that statent for you."
Rex then had an idea that would make Diana feel positive about herself and give them a chance to talk again in the future. He waited until she had made another perfect shot before he spoke.
"How about we make it interesting?" he asked in a casual tone.
"Hm?" Diana raised an eyebrow. "Interesting, huh...? What do you an by that?"
"A challenge! You and I against each other." Rex smirks. "If I can hit the target even once in five tries, I win."
"If I can’t, you win."
Diana said while holding a laugh, "Pfftt...! That’s not fair at all, you know?!"
"You just got started as an amateur."
"Exactly. That’s why I’m willing to bet on it," Rex said with a smile. "The loser has to do sothing embarrassing, and of course... the winner gets to choose how embarrassing it is."
He could tell when she beca competitive, especially when her expression locked in right away. Diana was a charming person, but she also took her skills very seriously.
She was drawn to the idea of a challenge, even a lopsided one, because it spoke to sothing deep inside her.
"What kind of embarrassing?" she asked, both curious and suspicious.
"Nothing an. Just sothing that would be a delightful story later."
Diana thought about it for a second and then shrugged. "Okay then, I accept that easily!"
"You have five arrows, and if even one hits the target, you win right away."
"Aight! Bet!" They shook hands, and Rex got back into position.
Diana gave him five arrows, and he pretended to nock the first one carefully, check his stance, and take his ti aiming.
The arrow flew and missed by a considerable distance.
"Four left," Diana said, sounding like she was having fun.
"At this point you’re just going to make a fool out of yourself, hahaha~!"
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